#to determine if they deserve to keep their current rescue rank or not

[arvoze]

would you like to learn about what's in my head.

[feather-dancer]

Tales of Arcadia Fanfic Recommendations - Part 4

Are you thinking perhaps, wow I never expected a fourth fanfic recc list so soon? Because if you do I feel exactly the same way! I thought I’d have some more of my own writing out by the time it happened and yet even before Wizards I was building up a good list of reading then the release just set off a flood of ‘em I’ve been duly binging and hoarding. Because of how long this post is getting I’m at the point of wanting it out my drafts and in the wilds before it begins to grow legs.

As when I posted the third list, I suspect within 48 hours I’ll find a new fic and I’ll need to start drafting a fifth one thus the cycle continues...

You can find Part 1 of my fanfic recommendations here!

And Part 2 here!

Part 3 is here!

Plus one shameless plug for my own current fics because I can.

General Trollhunters

Hold My Hand in The Dark - Jim may have escaped the Darklands but even now it still has it’s claws in him.

To Say Nothing of the Dog - A Steli fic that’s very cute. Sometimes trolls aren’t the strangest thing you find out in the woods of Arcadia.

say that you'll stay awake for me - Another Steli fic where they’re both completely useless but it’s full of fluff anyway.

Candy canes and Sugar plums - Two very sweet Christmas themed one shots. In one Not!Enrique has to get ready for a photography session and another Jim as a half-troll gets mistaken for Krampus by a pair of kids.

Despondent Contemplations - Back in the old library that was once their home in Heartstone Trollmarket, Blinky and AARRRGGHH reminisce about old times. Contains minor spoilers for Wizards but not enough to remove from this section.

The Indecency of Courage - The thoughts of Kanjigar during his final battle.

Brotherhood - It’s hard to love a sibling who betrayed then later attempted to kill you and in return you permanently blinded but with some relationships it’s worth seeing if it’s still possible to mend.

In Our Times To Come - Jilaire, trauma comes in many shapes and forms but as long as you have the right people around you perhaps you can work your way through them together.

General Wizards - Skip this section if you wish to avoid spoilers

The City Never Sleeps - Douxie, Archie and Nari are now on the run trying desperately to keep off the radar in their new home of New York City but the flights of fancy of the old traveling days meet a whole new reality where things are a lot more expensive. For his new family though, this wizard willingly burns himself out over and over to keep them safe.

Home Away From Home -The sequel oneshot to the above and the struggle continues. Nari's attempts to figure out her place after a month of adjustment while Douxie seems to have lost all concept of things called plates.

a rescue from the weight you've carried - The ending these kids DESERVE.

Eyes Like Hope, a Smile Like Mercy, a Voice Like Justice - Without even realising it, Jim offered so much to the trolls of the past just by the virtue of being Jim.

Another Mistake - It’s not easy to revisit your past but in Douxie’s case he is offered a unique chance to see his younger self and the humbler roots he once came from.

Strings - Zouxie and oh GOD is this adorable and fluffy and I love it very much.

Waiting for Dawn - It’s over isn’t it? But Jim’s journey isn’t, not quite yet. His next task involves stumbling back home with the help of his friends and family and figure out the immediately of the after.

Center Stage - Douxie’s relationship with Merlin might have been incredibly complicated but it does not make the grief any easier to bear.

i've got to find my soul all before i sleep - Jim has been given a second chance at life and as a human at that but the niggling feeling of his old (New?) skin not quite fitting right anymore.

Stricklake

A Little Bit Pear-Shaped - Even when you think you haven’t taken your eye off the ball you find out maybe you might have and, well, then the title happens.

it's a lovely day in stricklake month - And Dreamcrow is once more coming up with the goods for us all to enjoy. The 6th chapter is nsfw as forewarning.

Dropout - Jim was human, once, then in the course of mere days he was transformed into a half-troll, fought to save the world and then forced to leave home and family behind as a reward for surviving. It’s no wonder that when given the chance to finally breathe again Barbara struggles with what has and what will be.

K.O. - The end result of Strickler’s terrible not so fun day results in a hospital visit but at least the upside involves the fact Barbara is there.

Alternate Universe

The Unwelcome Guest Do you remember Sam from the wonderful Whispers Within aka the Gay Uhl with a monster boyfriend fic? Well here he is a bit earlier than that still causing chaos but this time via trying to be ever so helpful towards a certain avocado coloured changeling who would sincerely like this to stop happening. Please.

left-hand florilegium - Even the great Walter (Stricklander) Strickler was a youngling, once, but no road a changeling may travel was designed to be anything other than a constant test to prove your worthiness in survival to gain a place in a brand new world.

Both Sides of the Sky - Jilaire with a historical regency twist and an arranged marriage that forces Jim into Claire’s path. On the surface he appears extremely nervous of something (Or more specifically someone) and she’s had quite enough of suitors making for a poor match. However, a simple act of kindness can bring with it an awful lot of shadows you might well have better off staying oblivious to.

A Foundation of Fluff - I never knew a ship of Barbara, Strickler and Draal could be so adorable and?? Yet?? The spite ship train is glorious. A foundation of fluff is a very apt description.

Broken Mirror - You might think this is another Unbecoming take but you’ll be surprised. During an argument with Merlin over his general treatment of others after the great move to New Jersey, Jim is flung elsewhere to wake up on the fabled day he found the amulet and very much human again. Not wanting to mess things up this time he goes to rescue Kanjigar before he is felled but nothing goes as expected.

Bitter Sixteen - The stalkling was set on Jim and in a lightning storm he was carried away but what if Toby never got that call to come to his rescue?

The World Ended Yesterday - The events of Unbecoming seem so long ago now yet here something went very wrong during the attempt to return to the future causing Jim to be lost to not only time but the very world he came from. Seemingly within another reset, he is not going to bury his head in the sand but equally the half-troll is determined to spare this world’s self future tragedy.

What the Night Brings - There are trolls in Arcadia, hidden underground and planning payback for having the surface lands stolen from them centuries ago. While there is contention in the ranks nobody dares say no to Gunmar the Skullcrusher and there is no Trollhunter to protect the dissents. Jim unwittingly witnesses what he should not and now carries the scars and no longer does he remain a human when the dusk comes, instead he is now some form of were-troll. What’s worse, he’s having to face this whole confusing mess alone.

Claire The Courageous - In a different universe Claire became the Trollhunter instead of Jim and Steve of all people ends up being the one dragged into the world of trolls with her. That however does not mean that Jim isn’t still involved in her journey in some way...

[loveafterthefact]

Love After the Fact Chapter 80: Pulled From Orbit

As two empires threaten to fall, Lance and Keith part ways

Hot Take: the paladin armor actually kinda sucks and my children deserve better

First  Previous  Next

Despite his insistence that Keith act like, well, like someone who is pregnant, Lance is not at all surprised when the Galra pulls a Marmoran suit of armor out of the bottom of his old chest from Daibazaal. He doesn’t even protest. He’ll take anything at this point.

“Listen to me.” Lance comes up behind him as he finishes dressing, gently draws the gold and amber comb from Keith’s hair, replacing it with a set of black pins. BleepBloop watches from the ladder to the loft. “Whatever happens next, I love you, and I love your people, too.”

“What happens if we must choose between your people and mine?”

Lance inhales sharply, gripping Keith’s shoulders tight. “Raze the current rule to the ground and start our own allied regime?”

Keith works up a smile. “Yes, let’s. You can rule by my side. I’ll allow it.”

Lance doesn't manage a smile, but his eyes soften for a moment, that warrior's gaze faltering in a surge of fondness.

Keith eyes their profile in the mirror, watches Lance’s hands travel down to his fingertips, up to his waist as he lays his scaled cheek on his shoulder. It’s the first time they’ve seen each other in armor, the first time their sharpest edges are in bold.

Lance’s armor is as fine as anything, white metal inlaid with his token deep, bright blue. A breastplate, greaves and boots, bracers, all made of metal plates. Instead of a plackart, cuisses, and other minor plates, Lance has scale and fine mail, and Keith notices that the pauldrons are made of many small, reinforced plates to allow more flexibility in the shoulders. More than suitable for someone with a mixed fighting style. And, of course, beneath all that is a flight suit, air tight and climate controlled the moment Lance’ helmet locks into place.

The contrast, the incongruity between them has never been more apparent, Keith’s dark, minimalist armor casting a shadow over his mate's starbright form. Lance is armed like a hero, and Keith looks like a thief in the night. He’s okay with that, happy to be underestimated. A small man with a knife and a secret skillset is far more dangerous than a big man with a large sword. The growing wolf at his side only adds to their disparity.

He is Lance’s thorn, his last resort.

“Your Majesties.” Adam steps into the room, face grim. “King Alfor has summoned you to the Situation Room.”

Keith nods, clasps Lance’s hand, laces their fingers together. He will have to let go far too soon for his liking. The Altean prince snatches up his helmet, rushing after Adam, wolf at their heels.

The situation room is dark, lit only by a large, round holotable and the pale blue accent lights on peoples' armor. There are screens hovering over the table, lit up with interfaces, statistics, and control panels. Alfor is waiting for them. All of the lines in his face are chasms, his eyes glowing a dim, pale blue. It strikes Keith suddenly how washed out Alfor’s quintessence is, how little person is in the man. He wonders who the king might have been, had he been allowed.

“Boys. I know you expect to be sent away, lives preserved. But I offer you the option to stay, and act as leaders in my stead. Of all the things I have prepared for, I am not prepared for this.”

“Neither are we,” Lance confesses. Keith grips his hand tighter, trying to regulate himself. He can’t afford to lose it now. “But I will stay, and do what I can.”

Silence, only for a moment, before Keith realizes that they’re waiting for him. “My place is here, with our peoples. It always has been.”

Alfor nods. “Tell us what you know.”

Keith’s eyes finally register other faces, Iverson, glaring at him. Griffin, surprisingly not glaring at him. “We received a message from my mother. She says that the Imperial Compound is under attack, and that rebel forces are heading for Altea.”

“You don’t seem very surprised.” Iverson’s tone is more than a little accusing. Some of the other high-ranking military members seem to share his disposition. Keith ignored them. He's used to the prejudice by now, and there are more pressing concerns.

“We’ve been aware of unrest on Daibazaal for some time. Weight discrepancies in shipping containers, people going missing, a sudden increase in deserters. Emperor Zarkon dismissed said deserters, saying that it was to be expected following the unwelcome alliance with Altea. It’s unclear if he knows anything about the shipping containers.”

“So the emperor’s allegiances are unclear?” Griffin asks.

“Yes,” Lance sighs. “As are Honerva’s.”

Pidge’s face appears on screen. “Hey, I have something to contribute to that. Not that I’ve been eavesdropping or anything.”

“What do you have for us, Pidge?” Alfor leans on the holotable, gaze severe.

“So remember how Lotor helped me hack into his medical records for reasons?”

“Yeeees?” Lance frowns, not sure he wants to have this conversation with everyone else in the room. But it’s hardly the time for tiptoeing. “Why? What did you find?”

“Turns out Honerva’s been experimenting on Lotor his entire life. See, as a result of his hybrid status -at least, that’s what I’m assuming- Lotor can only absorb quintessence, not redistribute it. It looks like Honerva was trying to artificially recreate that power. She keeps referencing this… thing. The Komar Experiment-”

“Oh, that’s not good,” Keith mutters. Under everyone’s gaze, Keith takes a steadying breath. He’s starting to feel queasy, like adrenaline or simply time has cut through the antinausea medication. He strokes Wolf's head with his free hand. “The word ‘Komar’ doesn’t directly translate into Common or Altean, but it means, ‘large breath that takes’. It um, it’s like the first breath a baby takes, or like after you break the surface of water after near drowning. It’s Galran folklore that-” He swallows saliva, skin feeling hot. “-that when someone takes a lifegiving breath, another life ends.”

Adam slips something into his palm: a small pill. He dry swallows quickly, in the wake of what he’s just suggested.

“Are you implying,” Iverson growls. “That Honerva experimented on her son in order to invent some device that absorbs quintessence?”

Alfor falls into a chair, eyes glassy. “Honerva is perhaps the greatest inventor I have ever known. Lotor is thirty-two years old. She’s had more than enough time if this is what she’s been up to.”

"Her notes are... specific. Lotor has been surprisingly unattached to his parents, despite his Galra blood," Pidge murmurs. "I would not be surprised if it's a result of the invasive procedures he was subjected to in infancy. Trauma he doesn't even remember. Honerva would put him in situations with the intention to cause distress in order to activate him limited alchemical abilities so she could study him. She would neglect, frighten, and even harm him in order to get the desired reaction."

“And that's horrible. Truly. But we don’t know that’s what she’s up to right now,” Lance cuts in. “What we do know, is that the Imperial Compound is under attack, meaning that these attackers staging a coup. If they succeed, they’ll come for us next. According to our sources, ships are already on their way here.”

“So we have a planet to defend, a coup to stop, a prince, princess, and consort to rescue, and possibly a horrifying weapon of unknown size to find and destroy. One that could, for all we know, be capable of draining our entire planet and others,” Griffin summarized. “How the quiznak do we do this?”

Silence. Keith takes in a deep, slightly-less-nauseous breath. “We split up. Lance will go to Daibazaal, rally the citizens, and take Daibazaal back from the rebels. I will stay here, and lead the defense.”

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Griffin mutters.

“No, he’s right. Lance will go to Daibazaal, and I will go with him. We will determine who is in the right, and join their side. He and I will rally the civilians, form a small team, and find a way to infiltrate the Compound.” Alfor gets to his feet. “Keith, rally your men. Defend this planet, and its people. But if we should fall, you are to escape by any means necessary. Do you understand?”

Keith can feel the eyes of everyone in the room, soldiers, analysts, Adam, Lance. Waiting for his answer, putting two and two together, realizing exactly what’s at stake.

“I understand. My life, by any means necessary.”

“I will stay with him, and watch his back,” Adam declares.

Keith nods, turns to Griffin. “The battalion will meet in the courtyard. They have three dobashes to form up.”

“They already are,” the aubergine-scaled Altean says, dark blue eyes hard. “We are ready, and await your orders.”

Keith nods. “Have someone ready a ship. We’re putting King Alfor and Crown Prince Lancel on the ground in Daibazaal, just outside the Compound. Lance, rally the people, follow their lead. Trust them to know which side to be on. They want peace, just as we do.”

“I know, beloved.” Lance squeezes his hand. Keith hadn’t realized he was still holding it. The Altean heaves in a great breath, forces a smile. “Will you come see me off?”

“Nothing short of death would stop me,” Keith promises.

The royals and their entourage sprint through the halls toward the courtyard where a small craft shaped like an arrowhead is already waiting. Alfor climbs right in, datapad in hand. Lance lets go of Keith’s hand, ready to board. He pulls Adam into a brief, strong hug. “Take care of yourself, and him.”

“Always, your Majesty.”

Keith notices a dangerous shine in the attendant’s eye, a kind of terror he himself is feeling. He says nothing, not even as he watches Adam’s body tremble. Adam is fearful, but ready. No matter what lies ahead.

Keith is not ready. He snatches at Lance’s arm, fingers pressing into the armor of his suit. Those blue and pink eyes he loves so much find his immediately, strangely open, ready to see anything and everything all at once.

Lance’s face is not without fear, body humming with quintessence, red and blue hovering over his form, shimmering in his eyes. The prince smiles, paper-thin. He removes his circlet, hands it to Keith. “I won’t need this where I’m going.”

Keith tosses the circlet aside, where it skitters over the ground. He pulls Lance to him, kisses him soundly, fingers in white hair, sliding over the scale at Lance’s waist. A single twist of their tongues, all they have time for, and he pulls away, noses touching.

“No matter what, I am so, so proud of you. I am proud to be your mate… Please-” He gulps. “Please come home to me, if you can.”

“Beloved…” Lance presses their foreheads together, brushes thumbs over Keith’s cheekbones. “Not even death could keep me away.”

Keith takes in one last deep breath, rubs his cheek into the gloved palm of Lance’s hand, a very subtle way of letting the other Galra know this man is his. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Lance pulls away, eyes not leaving Keith’s face for a long moment. Then he leans up, whispers in Keith’s ear, “You, and little one. With all my heart.”

And maybe Keith knows that’s not true, that if it came down to him or Atlea, Lance would choose Altea. But Keith would make him, agree with him, even though he knows it would break Lance to do it.

The prince puts on a crooked smile, kisses Keith’s cheek one last time before he puts on his helmet and turns away, following his father into the craft.

Keith watches as they lift off, just until they’re out of sight, before he turns to Griffin. “You’re going to follow my orders, and you’re going to like it, or you’re going to get the fuck out of my way, understood?”

Griffin nods, letting his visor drop down over his face. Iverson just sighs. “What’s our move then?”

“Order the civilians to go into lockdown. Any former or current soldiers who have a weapon should stand by in case of attack. Send a runner into the lowlands. Then we assign pilots to the MFE crafts. I want a squadron, broken into four flights of six. Initiate land defense and mobilize drones-”

A screeching flare of light, and a tower at the corner of the courtyard explodes.

“Brace yourselves.” Keith’s eyes find a pinprick in the swath of blue sky. He pulls his hood up, mask sliding down to cover his face, sealing his suit. “This will not be an easy fight.”

“We stand with you,” Adam murmurs, taking a polearm from a passing soldier. Each end is armed with a wicked, barbed glaive.

Keith draws his knife, feeling the blade shift in his hand. He doesn’t know who these people are -hopefully- but he will rip apart every last one of them.

Whatever it takes.

Lance stares out the front window, despairing at the sight before him. An armada of Galra ships, painted with strange symbols.

“Can you read that?” Alfor murmurs, clearly putting a lot of faith in their cloaking technology.

“It says, ‘The Fire of Purification’.”

“Oh, wonderful. We’re dealing with elitist thugs. My absolute favorite,” the king growls. Lance licks his lips, apprehensive. “Here, I want you to have this.”

Lance stares at the strange weapon his father is offering him. White, black, and his own special shade of blue, the weapon seems like two halves of a hand guard with a handle in between. “What is it?”

“I call it a bayard. It will shift into whatever you need it to, whenever you need it, and is absorbed and stored in your armor just like your shield.” Alfor inhales, holds his breath until they’ve slipped past the armada. “It will serve you well. You won’t waste time juggling weapons.”

A stretch of silence, and Alfor murmurs, "I wanted to wish you happy birthday earlier. I have an actual gift for you, if we ever get the chance."

Lance nods, drops his sword, bow and quiver, knowing he might never see any of them again. “Did you- Have you called Dad?”

“I sent him a message… He sends his love.”

“Just a message?” Lance asks. “That’s- That’s all you need? That’s all you’re giving him?”

The king takes a deep breath. “Your dad… He’s been prepared for anything for a very long time. Whatever happens this quintant, he is ready for it.”

Lance finds himself a bit envious of that, that his parents have had centaphoebs together to reconcile with what it means to be part of a colonialist empire. Of what it means to be a warring planet. Even if they’d started the day they met, he and Keith would not have been prepared. They haven't even been married haven't known each other a full decaphoeb.

Down on the ground, Lance can see fire, people running, rubble in the streets. Whoever the aggressor is, it’s clear that they are his enemy. He gives his bayard blade a good swing, flips the blade in his hand, only for it to morph into a bow in his hand, and arrow made of light already knocked.

“Father? Are you ready for this?”

“I’m about to go to Daibazaal to rescue them from an apparently elitist regime and possibly kill my only surviving friend. I am not at all ready for this.” The ship enters the atmosphere in a blaze of heat, effectively giving them away as they look for a place to land. “Are you ready?”

Lance gulps. “No. I know these people. I broke bread with these people. I defended them from a monster, I’ve watched their children, cooked them food. And now, I might be about to kill them.”

“And somewhere down there,” Alfor murmurs, searching for a place to land, “is a Galra thinking the same thing about their kin, and possibly about you.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“It wasn’t meant to.” Their craft begins losing altitude. “It doesn’t matter what happens next, son. We all lose today.”

That much, Lance thinks as the craft settles just outside of town, is very true.

[elane-in-the-shadows]

Drabbe: 12.- I'm pregnant 18.- it's okay to cry... Farley and Cal friendship

This took long but I did my best! Please take this piece of fictional angst in these times of real life angst. 3721 words.

The Want

After weeks in hiding and on the run, nights spent awake and alert, in thin tents – or in a cave –, a real bed was a luxury she couldn’t suffer. The air, always cold and damp in the base of Irabelle, she was used to, even on their first night, having arrived only hours ago. So was sleeping in rooms with a dozen others, as either was an improvement to their way here, from the evacuated island of Tuck. Diana Farley had endured hardships for a long time and taken what small comforts and safety she found in the rests she was offered.

What unsettled her were those who weren’t safe.

She lay awake, her mind spinning in pointless circles that demanded her to act yet still eluded any options how to. Her teeth grinded, her fists balled. She squeezed her eyes shut but one didn’t fall asleep when your whole body and soul were so tense you wanted to shout.

Oh, the want.

Give it up or stay in restless rest?

Experience advised her to pick the latter. But her most important finding was not to rely on the usual.

“Fuck it,” she murmured. Opening her eyes, she assessed the dark room before she rose, stretched, and put on clothes. I’ll get to pull back more than soon enough. There wasn’t enough light to assess her belly as well, but she knew its rounding shape well enough anyway. She sighed as she touched it one more time. Not round enough to be obvious yet just big enough to draw attention. It was the worst time in that regard, probably. She should simply announce she was pregnant to undermine any gossip, though she also knew that wouldn’t stop it, only replace curious with pitying glances. And pitying herself, she could do well on her own.

She moved her hand off her belly to push herself up – and hesitated. She stayed seated, palms on the warm blanket and blood pumped fast by her racing heart.

You should be here.

It was the one thought that paralyzed her the most. As if dreaming, she remembered the softness he’d given and woken in her in return, the tenderness that had turned into stinging pain now that he was gone, like everyone she loved, apart from their child.

You should be here and hold me, soothe me, kiss me … Stifling a screaming sigh, she shook her head, fists tightening again. Shapes that had appeared as her eyes had gotten used to the dark became indistinguishable as she blinked – no, not at tears. She wouldn’t shed tears. It didn’t help, did it? She rose, finally. The only option was the way forward, and that was saving the ones left.

“Captain …?”

Surprised by the unusually sleepy voice, Farley turned back to the bunk bed and grabbed its upper rail. She looked up at Ada Wallace, half risen and wrapped in her blanket.

“Sorry I woke you,” Farley said, startled by her own hoarse voice. “I’ll be in the control room.”

Ada bent forward to cover Farley’s hand with hers. “Is that so?” she asked.

Her pulse throbbing at the touch, Farley shrugged. “A captain has her duties,” she replied, neutrally, but the corner of her mouth twitched. Ada always called her captain since her rank had been restored, apparently a politeness remaining from her housemaid occupation, though Farley had learned in their weeks travelling together from Tuck to Irabelle that it was also Ada’s kind of wit. With her Newblood ability always the smartest person in the room – without exception –, Ada had developed her own methods to stay under the radar as she withstood the Silvers’ disdain, and one was a delicate sense for irony.

I am no match for her, Farley thought. If we hadn’t found her, she would’ve joined the rebellion on her own, sooner or later.

Now they held each other’s gaze despite the dim room, both filled with tension and held breaths that bespoke the opposite – the concern of friends. At last, Ada relaxed. “You’re okay?” she asked.

For an instance, Farley lowered her eyes. “I’m not,” she confessed, adding, and you know that, in her mind. “But I’m well enough.”

Ada audibly released a breath, her fingers squeezing Farley’s and brushing over them like the tickle of a feather before she let go. “Then I’ll go back to sleep, captain,” she replied, and Farley nodded.

“I’ll see you at 0600, Wallace.”

She glanced around as she left the bedroom but took no notice of anyone else awake and overhearing their exchange – which didn’t mean there wasn’t any. If so, she couldn’t care about them. She entered the underground corridor of the base, lit with meagre lights, smelling moist and so quiet the silence had an oppressing quality. For a while, the base had been the best excuse for a home she’d had, but that was before the Notch. Before Shade. Although it had only been him and not the place that had carried such a notion.

His love had ruined the persona she’d carefully carved at for years. Now it kept her hand tingling from Ada’s touch. She was glad for it, their conversation, really, because of its normalcy, the support, and the forgiveness it meant after their last, awkward, talk.

Ada knew about her state, of course, having figured it out quickly, so she, Farley, had asked her a few days ago, “have you ever been pregnant?”

She’d asked with the wish for sharing common ground, for the understanding of someone who knew how the current strangeness of her body felt, and in that moment, she’d picked Ada because she didn’t dare to try with Ruth Barrow who was both too distant and too close to her.

She’d had rued it the same second she’d asked. Ada, of all people? As a housemaid, she might’ve very well taken care of babies. As a Newblood minder, she could’ve gathered all kind of knowledge on pregnancy and childbirth. But Farley had inquired about neither; she’d asked about the private story of Ada Wallace, the person, who had no children, and who might’ve been hurt by a question that could’ve very well been a question about loss or pain.

Ada’s face had gone blank before she said no and Farley apologized and glimpsed a smile so tiny, she must’ve imagined it. Maybe it was real, Farley considered now, relieved. But only a little.

They were friends as well as comrades yet she couldn’t fully appreciate it. A touch was a gift she craved and feared because it couldn’t be enough. As good as it felt, it wasn’t the touch she wanted – Shade’s touch. She wanted him to turn up, see her, hold her and hold their baby in due time. She wanted her baby, period, healthy and safe and with a different future. Many Reds – and the few Silvers she’d had part in bringing over – came to the Scarlet Guard out of despair or anger. Those were emotions she was used to as well, but they weren’t her motivation. What got her here was longing, raw and demanding want. She, Captain Diana Farley, was filled with it to the brim.

Another memory rose, carrying more desire and urge with it: Shade embracing her from behind, his face leaning against her neck and his breath nuzzling her skin. He held onto her, he kept her up – and walking ahead. “I don’t know how to help Mare,” he’d whispered that day. His hands hugged her so tightly, she’d reacted to his touch just by breathing. Uncertain what to say, she’d covered his fingers with hers, entwining them.

“I’ll do better,” she whispered now. Back then, their closeness had been enough – for them, in their infatuation. Now Shade was dead but she could still do her best to free Mare for him.

Her fists balled. In the control room, the colonel would wait for her, the father who always told her all she couldn’t do – until she would succeed and he’d find another thing to take away from her, only for her to get it anyway. She could do this. She’d save Mare and everyone else she was able to keep safe.

“‘Morning,” greeted a voice behind him, and Cal’s head spun, aching as his neck had been stiff and unmoving from staring in the same direction for hours. He knew he was not welcome, couldn’t gain traction here, so all he could do was staying, determined and obstinate. Now his eyes could hardly follow Farley as she broke into the control room. Her entrance shattered the words of dispute, said and unsaid, still hanging in the room although Cal, the colonel and the two remaining operatives had fallen silent more than half an hour ago, tired from discussion that went nowhere. No point was made yet Cal couldn’t leave, couldn’t call it a night like Kilorn or Bree. He was a thorn in the side of the colonel, and he knew the older man wanted him gone. Cal wouldn’t give up this night of insisting on Mare’s rescue, he stubbornly remained because he suspected he wouldn’t be let in again.

He hid this suspicion though, he was versed in that: never show insecurities, always maintain royal dignity. It didn’t endear him to the Guard operatives, though. Often, their faces plainly revealed how Cal’s habit and demeanour chafed against them when he didn’t even guess what it was this time.

He shifted in his chair to watch Farley stride in while she assessed him and the others in the room. She didn’t meet his gaze, her eyes passing over him after a glance. I deserve this, he figured, I could’ve gone to welcome her as soon as I heard of her arrival with the others left on Tuck.

Though she assessed wrong, he thought as well. She walked to the colonel like she didn’t even notice how her cold presence froze the flammable atmosphere in the room.

“You’re late,” the colonel said rudely but Cal had witnessed enough of his grim miens by now to find the needy relief he tried to hide beneath his frown and barked words.

If Farley did as well, she snorted at it. “Better safe than sorry,” she replied and secured and sat down in the chair next to her father in one fluid motion. With the next, she reached for the papers on his desk. “What’s the current operation?” she inquired, but the colonel stopped her, slamming his palm on the papers and pulling a folder out of a drawer as if he’d just waited for the moment. “I think you need to catch up at first, captain,” he said in a dangerously low voice.

Cal stretched his neck, wishing Kilorn or Bree, anyone from the Notch or Mare’s family, had been stubborn enough to linger here with him, so there might be three voices present to urge for freeing Mare –

No matter. Then this had to be his moment. Cal rose, catching the attention of Winters and Williams, the other two Scarlet Guard operatives, as he sidled to the desk.

The conversation between Farley and the colonel had turned only quieter, more private. “… I’m not surprised you hold this against me,” Farley said, clearly piqued.

“Please –”

“I owe him …”

“Sir,” Cal interrupted them, and it sounded like a hiss. Heads spun to him, he swallowed. “Colonel, I agree with Captain Farley” – he looked at her – “she should participate in the mission and share her thoughts.”

He’d considered calling them both by name but decided that reminding them of their relation they liked to blur so much would rather work against him. Yet stunned they were, as he’d intended. At last, Farley fully acknowledged him. The corners of her mouth twitched. “There you are, Calore,” she said. “Stopped sulking?”

Her taunt irked him; until he saw her own fallen face, her exhausted demeanour. She was taunting herself as much as him, commiserating with him and mocking herself in an attempt to keep them both over water.

He made a face and inclined his head, she sighed. She spun her chair, hands folded in front of her. “What is the objective?” she asked.

“Free Mare,” he replied without hesitation.

She raised her eyebrows but withstood glancing at the colonel for confirmation. Cal didn’t read only surprise but anticipation as well on her face. “Tell me of your plan,” she demanded.

His heart raced in excitement. Finally! “We know Mare is alive, for now. So the sooner we act, the better –”

“That’s not a plan.”

“Well –”

Farley frowned. She glanced at the colonel’s files while the man’s expression was a very clear I told you so. Turning back to Cal, she continued. “Excuse me, I didn’t have regular access to most news, but I haven’t seen broadcasts or announcements regarding Mare for weeks. Thus, your information is coming from spies, right? What else do they say?”

“What else?” he repeated, flustered. He moved closer, leaning toward her. “I know Whitefire best, and by my colours, do you like to imagine Mare under Maven’s torture? It’s been a month, and time to act –”

She jumped from her chair, forcing him to step back. The ten centimeters he had on her meant nothing, her eyes burned no less. Only then did he realize his words: as if he hadn’t watched her getting tortured.

“All I understand you’re saying is we should run into Whitefire without a plan, without preparation, on a suicide mission! Endangering ourselves, our spies and Mare!”

He gaped. Had he said it like that? But he couldn’t believe her – he’d trusted Farley to support him, yet she denied him, him and Mare. He tried one last time and reached for her shoulder. She shoved him away.

“Oh, fuck it,” she muttered and pulled him with her, out of the room. As he stumbled after her, he caught the sight of Winters and Williams, staring at him, aghast, and of the colonel, looking annoyingly smug that his estranged daughter served this one purpose: finally removing Cal Calore from the control room.

In the corridor, Farley pushed him against the wall. Her face was pink with anger and Cal couldn’t guess which accusation she’d throw at him first. Thus, he took his chance while she still caught her breath. “Is Mare just like any other operative to you?” he snapped. “Or are you uncertain what happened, Farley? Because I was there. You weren’t. You stayed back while –”

“I did what I could! How dare you fault me for ….” She stopped, her voice losing its spite. “I did what I could,” she repeated. “I will do what I can, because it’s right, and for Shade. I’ll get Mare out of there, I’ll bring the Scarlet Guard to success, but I won’t run into trap after trap by being rash. I’m done being rash! I’m pregnant.”

What?

She was too close suddenly. He felt wrong here, wrong to bear witness to this moment. Did she mean to tell him this? She seemed too charged to even be surprised by herself. He blinked, forcing his eyes to stay on her face, not to move down. He suspected she’d slap him if he did the latter.

Her agitation waned slowly. “You see,” she went on, quieter, “that I’m unwilling to run into death?”

He nodded carefully.

She sighed and from one moment to the next, her anger was gone, replaced by sadness. “Shade wouldn’t want this, he would …” She couldn’t go on. She cleared her throat, looked down, trying to hide her glistening eyes.

He made a dare. He lifted his hand to her cheek. “Hey,” he said softly. He couldn’t congratulate her, could he? Instead he said, still as tender as he managed, “Farley, it’s okay to cry.”

She gasped, for seconds frozen in shock. Then she clasped his hand – instead of pushing it away. “Do you … do you cry, Cal?”

He swallowed, stalling to answer as he was as frozen as she seconds before. A shiver woke in the hand that touched her cheek and spread through his body, both sizzling and freezing him. But he wasn’t frozen, not anymore; he dared even greater than cradling her cheek. As before his shiver gave way into sobs, he hugged her close.

One more time, she didn’t shove him away. She pressed her face into his neck, breathing heavily. Did she cry? Did he? He couldn’t tell, could only smell her, sweat, sleep and gunpowder, skin and hair – hair that scratched his face. It didn’t annoy him, there was some comfort in her, and also his, physical presence felt in this moment.

He’d thought Farley in sore need of touch and closeness, but he was as well. Mare wasn’t dead like Shade, but her absence stung, piercing and wearing him down and pulling the ground away from him. He feared for her. He needed her. He swam in danger and loss of purpose he’d never known before. What was he doing with the Scarlet Guard without Mare? These people mistrusted, if not despised him. The colonel had locked him up and would’ve sold him to the highest bidder; now Cal as good as begged for his support in his mission to bring Mare back.

Farley hadn’t been a friend, but she was an ally, and he was glad to have her back, at least. He liked to give her some of this relief in return, although she now had her own insecurities and fears. To have a baby in this chaos? Mare’s niece of nephew? Mare would want to meet them desperately. And Farley …he hoped she was happy about this at least. He didn’t want to imagine how she fared, with feelings wavering like a wave, between grief and love and anticipation. She was brave.

The moment passed like an eyeblink that lasted on hour. Farley pulled away tentatively, without letting go fully. She still had her hand on his arm when she spun to lean against the wall, forcing Cal to slide down next to her.

They were quiet, yet hardly calmed. He wiped his face with his hands, covering traces and enjoying the brief darkness before he glimpsed at her. Farley’s face was flushed and her eyes similarly pink – he concluded she did cry, though the weeks before might’ve been as much a cause for her look. Pain spoke from her whole being, pain born both of grief and yearning. Her panting might stop, her brow might frown as if scheming, but Cal recognized the emotion all too well. From familiarity, he realized. What he saw in Diana Farley in this moment was how he’d always felt about his mother he’d lost and never known.

“I want him to do this with me,” whispered Farley.

He swallowed. The urge to reply rose in him yet he didn’t know what to offer. Yes? How lame. He hesitated. His fingers twitched so he extended them slowly, carefully, to rest on her thigh.

She breathed in and tensed.

Now his whole body twitched.

It wasn’t aimed at him. “He,” spat Farley, her chin jerking toward the control room. The colonel. “He doesn’t understand. That we were in love. He thinks I had some nice bed sport and have to deal with the results.” The last word dripped with venom. “By myself, he means, on my own, but most of all away from the Scarlet Guard.” She grimaced. “And even if … “

He had to clear his throat after the breath he’d holding during her outburst. He’s been worried about you, he thought. He couldn’t say that. What use had she for the colonel’s worry if he shamed her? Noticing his hand was still on her thigh, he wanted to pull away, but she covered his hand with hers, meeting his eyes. Determined. Distraught.

“You’ll do it,” he said. “Your way.”

For a second, she looked aghast, then grateful for someone to understand. She inclined her head, he held her gaze. “I owe it to Shade,” she said, softer now. “I want our child to have it better, and … I can’t do nothing.”

“Yes,” he agreed eagerly, relieved to enter more common ground.

But was it? Farley wouldn’t abandon Mare; he was sure now. She was stressed, mourning, he saw why she reacted strongly. So had he.

He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said, meaning several things. Then added, “of course we need a valid plan.”

He was aware freeing Mare was one operation among many. The Scarlet Guard officers didn’t know what to do with him – fill him in and use him or treat him as a better hostage? This indecision was obvious, clear on all their faces, but it wasn’t their confusion alone. It was also his.

Cal had almost always lived under large expectations and he’d come to embrace them. To be intelligent, regal, shrewd, skilful with ability, versed on the battlefield as well as in tactics and strategy. He was a prince, a son, a brother. A betrothed, and he’d lost all of it. He was hanging by a thread to stay alive and the Scarlet Guard wanted him to cut the thread and fall into their net.

You never become used to falling, especially not if you’d always stood high.

Farley next to him, who yearned so much for the love she’d lost it hurt to watch, would tell him to do it. Let go and commit himself to the cause.

If Mare was with him, he thought he would. He’d laughed with her, danced with her, kissed her. They’d run and fought for their lives, protecting each other. He’d slept next to her and hadn’t felt lost and so he could, almost, imagine he just wanted to hold her in his arms and it’d be good enough – until she faded away, again and again. Maven was the cause, but Cal feared she’d always slip away from him, intangible in heart and soul.

She was her own person. Would her sparks vanish or ignite, along with his flame?

“I’ll make sure of it,” said Farley. She almost smiled from conviction as she squeezed his hand, a squeeze that helped ground him in his drifted mind and reminded him he wasn’t completely alone after all. “We’ll defeat Maven and free Mare.”

That, he could commit to. “We will,” he promised.

@elliemarchetti @lilyharvord @avid-author-activist @farleydiana @mareshmallow @marecalrandomstuff

[thewritingstar]

My Everything

so I’ve been working on this bad boi for a long time now (even though it doesn’t seem like it) I’m also gonna dedicate this to @i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate because she was my chat buddy while writing this and I love her. 

Pairing: Kacchako

I really hope you all enjoy this!!

Minor sexual activities implied (very implied)

---

Uraraka glared at the drink in her hand. The small ice cubes were slowly melting away and she hated her drinks to be watered down, yet she couldn’t bring herself to care. Her mind was stuck in an endless void and not even the party surrounding her could bring her out of her funk. She really should be enjoying herself at the yearly pro hero gathering. Sure, she was excited to be there, any one who made it in the ranks would be thrilled for an invitation to this event but even in her beautiful gown, her normal smile hardly showed and she could tell that her fake smile was diminishing fast. It was like the weight of a building had crashed onto her heart and she could barely feel its steady beating. 

When she first arrived to the event, she was content and tried to focus on the party at hand. She surrounded herself with her normal group of friends like Deku, Iida, Tsyu and Todoroki, all who have climbed the ranks over the past few years. As the years of hero duty traveled, she secured a spot in the top ten and currently held the fifth position. She was in the prime of her time and she couldn’t be more proud.

Life was great for her. She was a top hero and was a known figure across the globe and was seen with amazing pros. She even started a program for underprivileged children and had her own scholarship to offer for graduating students. But the past year had slapped her across the face and drove her confidence six feet under. 

She took another sip of her drink and let her eyes roam around the room. All around her were the pro heroes she looked up too since she was young and now she was one of them. She tried to keep up in her friends conversations, adding in her own two cents every so often but for the majority of her time she had just been people watching. 

Another sip of watery rum coated her throat, her eyes had traveled to another section of the filled area and she instantly recognized the group. Spiked up red hair, a familiar black streak on blond and the jet black hair all belonged to the sensation trio of Kirishima, Denki and Sero. It wouldn’t have bothered her to see them, no she loved her friends and even offered a small smile as Denki waved to her but she knew that with the tight knit pack of them came another member. She desperately tried to avoid contact with him but the crimson eyes of an explosive hero caught her in a trap she couldn’t avoid. 

Uraraka tensed up and felt her stomach turn in on itself. That crumbling building in her chest had collapsed once again and the depressed wave she kept pushing down was rising at an unsteady rate. 

The memories came flooding back as he tore his eyes from hers and yelled something at his friends. All that pain, all the suffering, was because of him.

It was all over the news when the public learned about the private relationship of Uravity and Ground Zero. Every tv station, interviewer and reporter tried to get their hands on the couples life. They had become a dynamic duo and fans everywhere were heavily invested in their relationship. They got support and hatred from every side but tried to keep it as private as possible, Bakugou didn’t want the media up their asses and Urarka enjoyed their life behind closed doors. 

He was sweet and kind in those private hours. The whispers he would leave on her skin drove her wild and they had adapted to a semi-domestic lifestyle. He was everything she wanted, yet it ended all too fast. 

The world seemed to stop the moment Bakugou pulled the plug on them, leaving fans and even their close friends in the dark, even Uraraka herself. If it wasn’t bad enough for their hard break up after two years of bliss, the tabloids hounded down on the young heroes. Bakugou easily got rid of them but for the pink pro hero, her lips were sealed but her face gave away every detail. She became tormented by the public and instead of asking her about the rescue or mission she finished, Ground Zero was the only thing on anyone's mind. 

She had been in past relationships and they had ended as well, but this one seemed to burn into her heart and scar her beyond belief. It was pure tourture to hear the words be uttered from his lips as he turned and left her in the dust, no explanation of why he did it, no signs, nothing. It was like the last two years didn’t happen and he was blowing her off just like he had done to others in their years at UA. Even after six months, she was still completely in the dark.

So when their eyes locked, he quickly looked away and grumbled, turning on his heel and heading for the back door. She felt a tug in her heart, like a repeat of the event. She hadn’t seen him since that dreadful night and she must have been hit with Ms. Jokes quirk if she actually thought she was over him, what a cruel joke that was. 

She had given him space and all the time in the world, hoping that he would come back to just say why he did what he did, he owned her that at the very least, right? But he never did. 

Her fingers tightened around her glass and her vision turned red. 

“Does he really think he can just walk away again?” She thought she whispered but she turned her head to see a very worried Todoroki taking the glass from her hand and setting it back on the table. 

“I don’t know what exactly went down but maybe you should make him talk-” Todoroki started but she was already storming after him. 

“I think that's her plan.” Tsyu chimed in as they watched her leave. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this angry before.” Deku shivered and the group agreed. 

“She has the anger in her eyes, one that resembles my hatred for my father.” Todoroki stated. 

“Babe please.” Deku sighed as he tried to stuffled his laugh. 

--

“Hey Uraraka!” Denki called as she marched past. She wasn’t in the mood for another chat but they intersected her walk way.

“Hi boys kind of busy right now.” She muttered but Kirishima’s hand on her shoulder made her relax a little. 

“Hey, we are on your side.” The redhead offered a small smile. “He never gave us an answer and you know how persistent we can be.” Kiri gestured between the three of them.

“Rip him a new one!” Sero cheered and for some reason the encouragement of her friends made her quest to find the blond bastard even more prominent. 

 --

The cool air of the evening pricked her skin the moment the double doors opened, she didn’t realize how stuffy it was inside and kinda thanked him for walking out here instead of another room. Anger pumped through her as she promised herself not to cry. She deserved to know why he left her and she was going to get the truth. 

She stood at the center of the garden. Spinning around in her dress and heels wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world but she ignored the shifting in weight as she walked towards the hedge maze trying to catch up with the explosive hero. 

After walking around for about ten minutes, she finally caught the back of who she was looking for. Determination was coursing through her veins as she caught up with him. He looked peaceful as he walked on, his glass was still in his hand and she didn’t know why that pissed her off more. 

“Bakugou.” His name felt forigen on her tongue and when she shouted it, she could see the man's shoulders tense but he made no sign of stopping his pace. 

Annoyed, she called him again. A bit more fire to her tone but he refused to turn around. 

“Ugh” Her temper was rising, something a certain someone had rubbed off on her. Looking around she saw a big rock next to a tree. She bent down as best as she could, ignoring the way her dress rose up. Her strength had tripled since UA and she lifted the massive rock with ease, even in her four inch heels. A small grunt escaped her lips as she hurled it at him until it hovered above him. She had activated her quick on it.

 “Release!” She commanded and the piece of Earth plumented in front of the blond and blocked his path. 

“What the fuck! You could have killed me!” He jumped back and blasted it with his own quirk. Finally he turned and although that's what she wanted, she wasn’t ready for it.  

She didn’t know that the simple act of looking into his eyes would trigger her heart to beat that rapid or for her tears to threaten to release. It was the first time in six months that they had looked into each others eyes this closely, and it was beyond painful. The memories of their arduous past hit her hard and her head began to spin into the whirlwind of emotions he had caused her. 

Every since that day she refused to even look at him in the media. Every poster with his face, new story or interview was kept from her eyes. She had a constant reminder of him and she hated that she couldn’t escape him, even if it was just his image. Avoiding him was the only way to heal but the wound was still bleeding. 

“What?” He spat. His signature scowl was rested on his face and he seemed more on edge than usual.

Her fists curled at her side. “We need to talk.”

“There's nothing to talk about” He huffed but they both knew it was a lie. 

“All I want is an explanation.” Her voice grew solid and she stood firm. “That's it.”

He thought about it for what seemed to be an eternity. “No.” 

“W-what?” She stuttered. Disbelief could not describe the situation. “No? Why?” 

“Because I don’t have too.” He bit back as he took a swig of his drink and turned on his heel to continue into the maze. 

His tone antagonized her. Did he not have any remorse? Was their relationship nothing to him? There was too much pain in her system. She felt like she would combust of rage and she wasn’t leaving until she got her answer. 

“You’re a fucking coward you know that?” She screamed. “You’re pathetic if you can’t even answer a simple question.” 

“I’m not a coward Cheeks.” He shot back in a growl and her heart twitch at the sound of her old nickname. “Just leave me the fuck alone.” 

Her eyes widened as she watched him leave and her armor fell. Panic settled in and she would curse herself later for being weak, but right now, she needed to know. She could feel herself slipping away. She was still angry at him but her desperation got to her core. Before she could think, her arm was on his pulling him towards her. “No.” 

“Bakugou, please.” She pleaded. She couldn’t take it any longer as she felt her tears break and slide down her cheeks. It was mentally killing her. 

Night after night she had stayed awake trying to figure out why he had left. She couldn’t understand his reasoning and everyone said that time would heal it but they were wrong. It kept creeping up on her and startling her, destroying the confidence she worked so hard to build, the one he helped create. She broke herself apart, ruined and lost herself in tears and became reckless in her fights. The missed calls and unread messages drove herself mad and she begged for him to come back to her. It was pure hell and right now, she was with the devil. 

She couldn’t let him leave, no, not without the truth. At the last moment she stuttered. “I'm sorry.”

The minute the words left her lips, his muscles tensed under her grasp. “What the hell are you sorry for?” His body turned and he faced her. 

She didn’t expect that. She thought he would say something like ‘good’ or ‘you better be’ but he didn’t. Instead he looked at her like he was reading a map of solving a puzzle, he was trying to solve her and unravel her question. “What do you mean by that?” He demanded but there was no bite, it was honest. 

The back of her hand came to her face to wipe away the tears and break her sniffle that escaped. She took a breath of air and brought her eyes to the ground, now it was her avoiding him. 

She shook her head and looked around as her lip quivered. 

 “For not being a good girlfriend.” Her voice was a meek whisper but he heard it clearly. 

“I'm sorry that I wasn’t enough for you. I'm not mad that you broke up with me but I understand that I'm the reason and you’re right.” She let out another sob and turned around. “You don’t have to tell me. You don’t have to tell anyone. ``I-I’m just sorry.”

As Bakugou watched her tears spill, his gut twisted up so tight, he thought he might throw up. Nothing has ever made him feel less than being the reason why she cried and even though she had acted like she was fine, he could tell the past few months had been tearing her down and she wasn’t alone. She was right, he was a coward.

In all honestly he had seen her in the news. He watched as over the months her body had grown smaller and her face had paled. Those night she spent crying herself to sleep he spent staring into an endless void. A void that he wanted to be sucked up into. 

“Uraraka.” He whispered and his hand reached out to grab hold of her arm. “Do you actually think that I broke up with you because of you?” He asked and she could hear the crack in his tone. 

“There’s no other reason.” She sobbed out. 

“Well you’re not the fucking reason so forget that stupid shit.” 

Her eyes met his again and the scene was almost unbearable. She ripped her hand from his. 

“Then why Katsuki? Why? Why did you ruin a good thing? Why couldn’t you just tell me-“ 

“I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH!” He yelled, face turning red and tears slipping out the sides,his back turned in shame. It was a confession he had been holding on since that day and only now were they both hearing it. 

She took a step back. It wasn’t his outburst but the words that shook her to her core. 

“Good enough?” She whispered and she saw it now. She could see the truth written on his face and light puff under his eyes. He had been crying himself to sleep every night since then, she was sure if it. She knew him better than anyone else.

“Im. Not. Good. Enough.” His teeth clenched and he didn’t trust himself.  

She couldn’t tell if she was heartbroken from the actual break up now or for his reasoning. The pain and doubt was stamped on his forehead almost in big red letters. Bakugou reeked of confidence but right now there wasn’t a drop in him. Just a hollow shell of vulnerability. A shell of a great man she once loved. 

“Katsuki” He felt her delicate hand on his shoulder and all he wanted to do was spin her around and tell her he was sorry. “You were more than enough.” 

He was used to praise and people telling him he was the best, that’s why he stood at the number one spot but coming from the woman he caused too much pain too, he couldn’t believe it. He didn’t deserve to believe it. 

“No I’m not. You deserve someone better than me. I’m not soft and sweet like Deku or polite and poise like Iida. Hell I’m not even as funny as Dunce face.” 

“I know.” She stated. “That’s why I dated you.” 

He finally turned to face her, a solid look on his face and she gave him a small smile through her tears. 

“I dated you because you were the first person to believe in me. You made me feel powerful and strong. You gave me this confidence to be a great hero. And never once did I ever think you weren’t good enough for me. Only I get to make that decision and I was by your side because I wanted to. You were my everything” 

“Ochako, I-Im not this sunshine kind of guy. You are this perfect, kind and loving woman and I’m, I’m just a pro hero with a good quirk.”

She took her hand back and turned. “Even in our darkest moments you made me feel loved and cherished. Standing next to you during our work was some of my proudest moments, because when they pushed me down and made me out to be only a love interest, you saw me as a hero. As an equal. And I attached myself to the thought that I was.”  

He stood silently at her declaration. There were thousands of words her could have said. No amount of pleads or whispers could amount for the pain he had caused her. And as if he were a child, all he could muster out was “I’m sorry.” 

She nodded. “I know. And it's funny.” She let out a laugh in her sob. “Because even though you broke my heart. I never stopped loving you.” 

“I love you.” He said. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and she allowed herself to close her eyes and take in his scent. “I truly am a fucking idiot.”

“Kat, you doubted yourself, its okay.” 

“That's not an excuse for everything you went through. I watched you on the news, I saw just how much of a fucking asshole I was! I just wanted to be good enough for someone like you.” He turned her around so she face him. His finger tilted her chin up and he kissed her cheek softly. “I don’t know if I even have the right to ask for a second chance-”

“You were scared, you didn’t cheat on me or do something stupid like that so please for the love of fucking All Might, I forgive you, now kiss me.” 

He didn’t need to be told twice. He brought her closer to him, pulling her softly as if she were a delicate flower. Usually he would kiss her fiercely, taking in all of her essence and commanding the space, but that's not what they needed, not now. 

She waited for his lips to set on hers, but there was a hesitation as he gazed into her eyes. He brought his hand to cup her face and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. She was beyond perfect and he was an utter fool for ever doubting them, for doubting himself. 

“Kat.” Her whisper brushed his lips and their proximity brought him back to those days. 

The days they would spend tangled up between the sheets, lavishing in each others presence and even if the world was crashing down around them, their little slice of heaven was perfect.

She felt the heat of his tears fall down his face and he pressed his lips to hers. It was soft and delicate, like testing the waters again. But as seconds passed on it was like the world clicked into place. 

A soft moan escaped her lips as he deepened the kiss. All thoughts of uncertainty vanished from his mind and was replaced with the pureness of tranquility. Their bodies pressed unfathomably closer together like the pull of a cosmic force. 

They pulled away but their lips still brushed as they regained their breath. 

“I love you so fucking much.” He muttered against her lips. “There's nothing I can say or do to make up for those months.” 

Her arms wrapped around his neck. “You can take me to dinner.” She grinned. “And tell me how pretty I am.” She batted her long eyelashes playfully. 

A slight smile grazed his lips, one that practically melted her on the spot. It was a tad unusual for him to be this soft and quiet, quite a contrast to his explosive and lavish personality. 

“Yeah dinner sounds good.” 

She could sense the hesitation on him. It was foreign for him and she didn’t enjoy it either. 

“Katsuki listen to me.” She sighed. “I know you are overthinking everything. You feel horrible for what you did, and you should.” She mumbled the last part. “but-I forgive you. I don’t want this to hang over your head so please honey, I’m okay.” 

“You’re so fucking good with words.” He grumbled as she pecked his cheek. 

Heat rose to her cheeks. “You’re much better at expressing your feelings other ways.” She avoided his eyes and the response clicked in his head. 

“Geesh Cheeks if you wanted me to fuck you all you had to do was ask.” He winked and although it was dirty, she was glad that his playful attitude was coming back. 

She slapped his chest playfully and wrapped her arm around his and began walking. “Dinner first.” She laughed and his signature smirk she loved so much popped onto his face. 

“Anything for you.” he stated. “But i need to get your ass back for throwing that rock at me.” 

“Hey you didn’t turn around, I had to do what was necessary.” She shrugged and a deep laugh came from him. 

“Oh god I’ve missed you.” He said and she could finally feel the building in her heart rebuilding itself. 

They reached the edge of the patio. The party was just behind closed doors but they made no rush to enter. 

“Ya know Cheeks. We could blow this off and go grab that dinner I owe you.” 

“Really? You don’t want to stay for the announcements? I’m sure you want them to call your name for the number one spot just so you can rub it in Deku’s face.” 

“Normally I would, but I got my prize right here.” He tapped her nose and a sense of pride rushed through him as her cheeks turned pink. “So what do you say love?” He smirked and she giggled and grabbed his hand. 

“Lets go!”

---

 The pair ended up in an old fashioned burger joint miles away from the event. It was their best bet to keep away from the cameras and reporters. The last thing either of them needed was for some guy to pry on their relationship, again. 

It was like no time had passed since their break up. Bakugou shoved a few fries in his mouth as he watched her eat her burger. Underneath the table, their legs were slightly tangled and he realized just how much he missed her presence. 

They enjoyed the quiet atmosphere and the comfortable silence between them. The ring of her cell phone brought them out of their daze and she wiped her mouth and answered it. 

“Hello?” She said and Bakugou could barely hear the mumbling of the voice on the other line. 

“Oh yeah, no I’m okay. yeah , yeah I’m with him. No, we left. Uhh an hour or two ago-Deku you’re talking too fast.”

The phone was snatched from her hand and he pressed it to his ear. 

“Oi Deku you’re ruining our date nerd.” 

“Kacchan.” Deku gasped on the other line. “You better be making it up to her got it?” He said sternly. 

Bakugou eyebrows raised and he locked eyes with the woman across from him. “You have no idea how much I’m going to make it up to her. You need to kick my fucking ass for all that time.” 

“I’ll do it.” he heard Todorkois voice in the background and he held back yelling at the duo haired bastard. 

“But I will say this one time, and one time only. Thank you.” Uraraka furrowed her eyebrows at his statement. “For taking care of her and being by her side. I couldn’t forgive myself if anything were to happen to her. You’re a good friend nerd and I promise I’m going to make sure her smile never leaves her face every again. Now shut the fuck up and leave us alone.” He ended the call harshly and slid her phone back to her. 

Normally she would scold him for being an ass to their friends but her heart was thumping at his words.

“I mean it Cheeks.” He took his straw between his teeth. “You’re never gonna have a frown again with me.” 

She felt the tears prick the corner of her eyes and she nodded. The check was placed on the table and he threw a chunk of money onto it. 

“Now let's go back to my place so I can tell you how pretty you are.” He teased her but she took his hand and smiled as he led the way. 

She knew that their relationship would take a little time to mend completely but when he placed his lips on her again, everything shifted into place and she felt whole again. She found herself forgetting all the painful and lonely nights. The darkness in her mind was beginning to find its light again. She knew she shouldn’t be rushing in so fast, that maybe she should of made him work for it again but the simple bliss of being around him was much more appealing then spending another night alone. 

He could feel her heartbeat against his chest and hoped that she had faith in his promise. He was Katsuki Bakugou, number one hero and never did anything half-assed and his relationship was no different. The taxi brought them to his place and the moment the door opened, their lips never parted. 

Her dress was long gone by the time they reached his bedroom and his suffocating tie was being flug by the woman in his arms. He couldn’t remember his own name as her scent filled his lungs and sent him into bliss. 

The tension in the room rose when she laid underneath him. Catching her breath from his passionate kisses and he marvel at his love beneath him. 

“God you’re beautiful.” he said as another kissed caressed her skin and he flourished in the noises escaping her lips. 

In no time he was rocking into her, sending her into purified lust as her back arched to the heavens and she was thanking her lucky stars that she had followed him. 

The only noises heard from the depths of their love was the faint pants and praises as he worshiped her body like the goddess she was and never stopped aiding her every desire. It was all about her and proving his worth to the lady that even spared him a glance. She was in control and even if he was above her, she commanded his every move with a lustful gaze and when she caressed his cheek and told him how much she loved him, he came undone and fell back into her hand like putty. 

They came down from their high with a mixture of sweat and tears and carefully lifted her up and pampered her as the water from the shower rained over the pair of lovers. After the murkiness from their bodies was washed away, the sheets had twisted over them as he held her close to his chest, afraid that she would be gone if he left her go. 

“Kat?” She said and he was grateful that she continued to address him with nicknames and endearments. 

“Hmm?” He hummed and he tried his best to not let sleep overcame him. 

“Does this mean-” She knew the answer but the fear hung over her head but it faded quickly as he brushed his hand on her inner thigh and kissed the back of her neck. 

“Oh you’re stuck with me Cheeks.” He growled in her ear and a shiver ran up her spine. 

“Okay good.” 

“You don’t think I’m going to lose you again right? I’m not an idiot, I plan to marry your sweet ass.” 

Her body tensed up and her eyes widened and filled with tears. She quickly shifted until she was hanging over him. He stared up at her with his hands now behind his head and he tried his hardest to not let his eyes lower to her naked form. 

“Y-you want to marry me?” She asked and her voice almost gave out. 

“Tsh of fucking course I do, that was my plan the first time…” He looked away as red formed on his cheeks. 

She brushed a piece of hair out of his face and his expression softened from the gesture. “I want to marry you too.” She confessed.

They sat in silence, not knowing what to do now. 

“Do you want me to propose?’ He asked her. “Because I got a fucking ring.” 

“W-what? N-no not now! Wait you have a ring?” 

He was about to speak but she waved her hands in her face. “Wait a minute, wait a minute. Were you going to propose but instead you broke up with me?” 

“No I bought the ring a month ago...just in case I won you back.” He avoided her gaze. 

“Oh.” She whispered as she sat back. 

“And for the record I would never propose like this.” he gestured to their position. “Its tacky and never gonna happen unless its proper and perfect.” He bucked his hips up and she let out a small yelp as she fell forward and their foreheads touched as he grabbed her forearms and brought her close. 

“You deserve the best and I’m going to make sure of it.” Bakugou smirked and she bit her lip as she smiled playfully. 

“I do deserve the best don’t I?” She teased and all she got in response was a hasty kiss on the lips and a light tap on the ass.

-----

“Thank you so much Uravity!” The woman cried as she held her child in her arms. “I can’t thank you enough.”

Uraraka gave the woman a hug and made sure that they were all okay. She had just lifted a collapsing building off the street that crushed a nearby school and luckily no casualties had occurred.

“You truly are a great hero.” The woman continued to praise her and thanked her once again.

Their conversation ended a little later once the reporters came to the scene. She was extremely proud of herself as it was one of the biggest saves she’s ever done.

The reporter was a tall man and greeted her proudly. Usually interviews weren’t her favorite thing but this time she was patting herself on the back and was proud.

“I’m here with pro hero Uravity! That was quite the rescue!”

“Thank you I-“

“Now everyone is dying to know” he interrupted. “What’s your current relationship status?”

Her face fell and anger boiled inside of her. “E-excuse me?”

“You heard me! Some sources say that you could have many suitors. Rumors say that after your break up with Ground Zero almost nine months ago, you have been seen with him outside of work.”

She was used to this. She was used to her work being pushed aside and asked sexist questions, but today, she was at the end of her rope. A class of children almost got crushed to death and all people wanted to know was who she was banging. Sure she had repaired her relationship Bakugou but that didn’t mean that it was anyone's business since they hadn’t gone public even after three months of dating. 

Uravity tried to keep her composure as the reporter kept trying to pry. 

“Her relationships are none of your fucking business.” Ground Zero growled as he came up behind her.

“Well as a reporter-“

“As a reporter you should be fucking respectful and maybe ask about the mission she just did. The one where she saved those kids? Yeah so why don’t you shove that mic up your ass and don’t bother her unless you have a serious question.”

The reporter stood shocked at the anger from the other hero. Suddenly a smirk slide on his face. “I think we have the answer to who Uravity is with.”

“Yeah and?” She shot back. “My relationship doesn't concern you and maybe if you cared about the children's lives who were just saved you wouldn't be up in my business about Katsukis and I’s relationship. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go to my job so I suggest you do yours too.” She stormed off and towards the ambulance. 

The reporter turned in shock at the announcement of the relationship and Ground Zero smirked triumph at her outburst. “God I love that woman.” He stated but his frown came on as he looked back at the reporter and stomped off. 

“Well you heard it here folks! Looks like the infamous pair of Uravity and Ground Zero are back together again!” 

Bakugou heard the reporter declare that to the camera but he couldn’t find a bone in his body to care. The world knew now who he belonged too and he couldn’t be happier at the news. He finally found her sitting on the hood of a police car getting ready to take off back to her agency. 

“That was quite the statement Cheeks.” He smirked and she sighed and dropped her face in her hands. 

“Ugh I feel awful for yelling at him but it's just- UGH.” Bakugou laughed and kissed the top of her head. 

“Nah don’t work about that fucker, he deserved it. Plus I don’t think he cares now that he got his answer.” 

“Answer?” She asked and looked up at her boyfriend. She paused for a second until it clicked. She jumped to her feet and accidentally activated her quirk on herself “Oh my god Kat I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize I said that!” 

He let out another chuckle as he grabbed her arm to keep her from floating away. It had been a long time since she had gotten this flustered but he thought it was the cutest thing in the world. He pulled her down until she gained her composure and whispered “release”. 

“Sorry? The world can know for all I care. I just enjoy calling you mine.” He said as he pulled her into a kiss. 

“Mmm you're not usually one for pda love.” She commented and he shrugged. 

“What can I say, that outburst was hot.” He gave her a devilish grin. 

“Oh my god.” She rolled her eyes and pushed him away playfully. “I’ll see you after work, dinner at 7?” 

“My place.” He answered and watched as she walked off. 

He stood for a while as the clean up crew came to fix all the demolition the villains had caused. After being sent back to his agency, he was currently at his locker pulling off his hero uniform and wrapping his head around the idea that they were “officially” together. 

A smile tugged at his lips as he scroll through the images on his phone, each one cuter than the last of his girlfriend. 

“Tonight” He whispered and picked up his bag and went to his apartment to get started on the most important meal of his life.

---

“Hey babe.” Uraraka greeted him as she walked into his apartment. “Oh it smells so good!” She cheered as she entered the kitchen and saw the table set with her favorite foods. The table was decorated with a pretty tablecloth and wine glasses filled with red wine. The flames of candles danced and Bakugou stood next to it with a smile on his face.

 At first she didn’t notice it. It was hidden among the things but the small twinkle caught her eyes. She let out a gasp and her eyes shot to his. He smirked and her eyes grew dark with desire and small tears. She hesitated at first, not knowing what to do or say but he gave her a nod and that was the end of it.

Her bag hit the floor with a thud as she ran as fast as she could and jumped up, catching Bakugou off guard and sending them straight to the ground. The wind was knocked straight out of him but he didn’t care. 

All that mattered was the woman sitting on him. 

“Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!” She cried as she took the velvet box from the table and slipped on the perfectly fitted ring. It’s nicely sized diamond sparkled against her finger and she couldn’t contain her sobs.

She looked down and realized that she had completely trampled Bakugou but he looked as smug as ever. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him roughly up until his lips met hers. 

“You didn’t even let me ask.” He chuckled against her lips but they both knew this was his plan. 

 She pulled back from his and let her forehead fall against his. “Then ask.” She said in a breathy tone. 

“Cheeks will you marry-“ but he was cut off with another passionate kiss that sent him back to the floor with a smile.

“yesh.” She mumbled as her lips were still stuck to his. “I love you so fucking much Katsuki.” 

“I love you too. Thank you for loving me.” he kissed her hand and another sob came from her lips. “Thank you for never doubting me and believing in me when I couldn’t and giving me a second chance.” 

“Oh Kat, you will always have my heart. You are my everything.” She kissed him softly as to seal a promise that he had her heart tomorrow, forever and everything in between.

—-

I hope you enjoyed it!!!

[beckytailweaver]

Avatar: The Last Airbender (fic stuff)

Since I’m trying to work on something (ANYTHING!) and I seem to be in an Avatar mood of late, I’ll throw this up here.

These are fics, potential fics, and mostly-concrete ideas that have existed in the back of my closet for a very long time, since the good old days of watching ATLA when it was shiny and new and cool. Most of them are also so old that LOK didn’t exist yet or was in its infancy.

Note: These are mostly gen fic. If pairings come up they are not the central goal of the piece; they will be mainly canon as it existed at the time the fic was outlined. Treat them like the scenery (no ship war drama allowed in my workroom, that’s what stopped me participating in the fandom years ago).

I’d kinda like to put some feelers out and see what folks think would be most interesting to work on.

Read on:

The End of the Circle Post-canon continuation, my oldest ATLA fic, conceived and outlined before comics or LOK existed. Does some headcanon worldbuilding based on what was available at the time of the original series. Dragons and spirits and legends coming to life, oh my!

Status: outlined, some scenes written, firm endpoint, world built.

Summary: Roku warned Aang that he could not die in the Avatar State, or the cycle would end. Azula’s lightning killed Aang in the Avatar State. To their good fortune, Katara’s spirit water was able to bring Aang back to life, but there are Consequences—for the Avatar and for the world.

Wild Fire Canon AU/semi-rewrite. Also born before LOK was a thing so Druk doesn’t exist. It borrows some concepts from the idea of Toph and her badgermole family. It breaks some TLA canon around the edges but it’s all in good fun.

Status: outlined, many scenes, ending fully plotted.

Summary: The young Fire Prince was burned and disowned by the Fire Lord, cast away and abandoned on the hostile shores of the Earth Kingdom before his kindly uncle could aid him. Disfigured, angry, and lost, young Zuko finds solace in the wilderness when he is taken in by a most unusual protector: A dragon.

Phoenix Legacy Not-a-time-travel “time travel” fic. It was born after seeing Season 1 of Avatar LOK and...kinda liking it but not? (I mostly lost interest in LOK after S1.) And wanting to add some more classic feel to the season. No information from subsequent seasons was used to outline it (thus there is no Druk) but recently I have gone back and “fixed” Zuko’s daughter (giving her the correct name and appearance), and added her nameless daughter (Iroh II’s sister) for lulz. Basically a rewrite of LOK Season 1 with a TLA character along for the ride to shake everything up, because at the time I was disappointed that there was only Katara and no other Gaang members out there kicking the new Avatar into shape.

Status: outlined, a few scenes written, ending plotted; not to be a rehash.

Summary: A phoenix cannot die by fire—it can only be reborn. When Ozai claimed the title of Phoenix King, he had no idea what sort of spirit he might be invoking. When he lost his ancestor’s war and his crown, the spirit’s blessings were unknowingly conferred upon his heir: The hapless Fire Lord Zuko, determined to bring his nation to peace. Seventy years later, there’s a tragic explosion in a tea shop in Republic City, and exiled traitor Fire Prince Zuko wakes up to an unfamiliar world full of unfamiliar faces. The last thing he remembers is an Agni Kai under a Comet, catching lightning to protect a friend.

The Prince’s Prisoner Another ficling born before the comics or LOK were really a big deal and/or I didn’t know about them. Basically during TLA S1, rather than fleeing Prince Zuko’s clutches, Aang decides to remain his prisoner. The original reasoning for this was a kind of modified Peggy Sue: Aang effed up his final battle with Ozai for reasons, his soul is sorta sent back in time to do-over from his iceberg wakeup. The problem is that this is not a perfect process and he doesn’t actually remember everything, only some very important faces, feelings, and concepts. The idea of Zuko as a dear friend/teacher/trusted person is one of these things. Thus, in defiance of all visible logic, Aang trusts S1!Zuko with his life and keeps his promise to go with him. In spite of his Water Tribe friends continuously trying to rescue him, Zhao continuously trying to capture him, and Zuko himself continuously trying to avoid being befriended by his ticket home. (”I’m your prisoner, not anyone else’s.”)  Intended to be a funny and heartwarming friendship/journey story taking a different angle at the series.

Status: tentatively outlined with very few scenes skeleton’d out, season 1 definite, endpoint undecided but can continue throughout the series. The premise mechanic is a bit flimsy; it’s less concrete since it’s supposed to be fluff, angst, and friendship.

dragon!Zuko AU fic Everybody has to write one of these, it’s like a law. Here’s mine: Ozai’s cruelty during the Agni Kai with his young son invoked the wrath of Agni, bringing down a magic from a time before memory and no one knows if it’s a blessing or a curse. When Zuko’s face burned, the fire didn’t stop there, and when the flames went out a young dragon was left on the floor of the arena. Uncle Iroh came to his rescue before the rest of Court could gather their wits, and then had to get him on a boat and out of the Fire Nation before Ozai could decide whether to make him into a pet or a trophy. Part 1: Rather than going on a mission to hunt the Avatar, Zuko and Iroh are on a road trip to keep Zuko alive and secret from the world (Ozai wants to usurp his brother’s title of Dragon). Iroh and his crew end up raising this stubborn angsty dragon prince; since he can’t turn back into a human he has to come to terms with being a dragon most of the time (which can’t talk), and he can often be Very Dramatic about it. Part 2: Years later, there’s rumors of the Avatar’s return and Zuko (who has sort of learned to take a human shape again) sees an opportunity to spare his own life and go home by offering his father a bigger prize than a dragon’s head...

Status: very general outline, some scenes conceived and a general plot/endpoint. Part 1 is in the 3 years pre-canon, Part 2 is during canon, including the grumpy dragon hiding out in Ba Sing Se.

Years Gone/Avatar kids AU S1/pre-canon rewrite. Some whim of fate cracks open Aang’s iceberg three years early (a storm, a passing boat, pure chance?) and he tumbles out into the world in the same year that Prince Zuko was banished. Despite befriending some Water Tribe children who would love to go adventuring with him, he’s got to get home to the Southern Air Temple and that’s where he runs into young, angry, raw-wounded Prince Zuko on his first visit. The tiny chase ensues up and down the entire temple. Aang will of course be friendly but escape. And this begins a probably-ill-advised adventure with a lot of kids who are entirely too young to be camping across the world on a bison (but it’s exciting!), chased by another kid entirely too young to be leading a manhunt. The Comet is three years away so there’s plenty of time for adults to tear their hair out over this. Zuko is a tiny ball of determination, rage, and tears. Aang feels bad for him and tries to make with the befriending even as he’s dodging the fire tantrums. Occasionally during adventures Zuko just gets scooped along for the ride in Appa’s saddle, no one’s sure how these weird truces get called, but Iroh sips tea and directs the crew on a new heading and they’ll pick up their prince at the bison’s next stopover most likely after the kid pendulums back the other way and remembers he’s trying to nab the Avatar again. So Zuko spends 50% of the time yelling and chasing the Avatar and 50% of the time sitting in Appa’s saddle learning tentative smiles and being offered berries and seal jerky, all the way from the South Pole to the North. (It’s slightly terrifying to realize that Aang and Zuko are currently the oldest kids in the party and are actually in charge of this terribly irresponsible expedition.)

Status: general outline, a couple of scenes written, particular S1 plot points, no endpoint yet. Possible bonus content: Toph and/or Suki come along for the ride because why not.

The Blacksmith of Ba Sing Se This is a very old Lu Ten Lives! story. Lu Ten always knew Uncle Ozai envied him, but secure in his position he didn’t really care about it until he took an arrow in the back during the final battle of the Siege of Ba Sing Se. With unknown assassins among his own ranks and no safe place to retreat in the melee, the wounded prince decides to fake his own death by hiding in the rubble, and then swapping clothes with a slain Earth Kingdom soldier half crushed in the ruin. At first, it’s only to get to safety until he can get to the bottom of this. But Lu Ten is picked up by the EK medic teams after the surprising withdrawal of the Fire Nation troops, and ends up spirited away into the heart of Ba Sing Se—where he discovers that it’s hard to escape. He also discovers a whole new world, and a whole new perspective, and, keeping out of the authorities’ notice, eventually manages to make a life for himself as Chang the Blacksmith, a humble craftsman with a wife and kids. This...is much nicer than war, death, and Court politics. Years later: refugee Zuko walking home from his job at Pao Family Tea Shop runs across a little boy crying over his broken toy in the dusty street...

Status: nebulous outline with a few particular sketched scenes. Takes place mostly in Ba Sing Se, outcome indeterminate. It could be mixed with the Lineages concept from below.

Lineages / not Ozai’s kid AU Not really a concrete plot so much as a campy idea from long before the Avatar comics blundered through Ursa’s backstory. There was a phase in the fandom (I think the Search comics drew off of that) where it was popular to imagine almost anyone else than Ozai as Zuko’s Secret Real Dad (the boy deserves a better father) and Iroh was often selected as primary candidate. (I know, Iroh is already the real dad and stepped into Ozai’s cold empty shoes like a pro.) Me, deciding that I had to be different, decided to offer up Lu Ten on that altar. Justifications: Iroh and Ozai looked to have a pretty extreme age difference and there was no solid age for Lu Ten at the time of his death, but his picture looks mature enough. Deals with family secrets and the political issues of muddying the lines of inheritance in the middle of a war. Also takes a crack at Ursa having a clever hand with Azulon’s last will and testament on Ozai’s behalf, with provisos.

Status: nothing really more than a vague concept without enough plot to stand on its own. Without a viable framework, it could work better/well folded into The Blacksmith story, above.

I’m open to opinions and/or asks about these. Trying to get a spark going! (I need to be working in a fandom, ANY fandom at this point! ^_^;; )

[voltronauta]

Do you have any post-canon headcanons or stories that you like?

Oh B O I do I (although I’m not sure if you’re asking me about fic rec or if I personally have a story I’d like to write, like my Adashi AU. I’m guessing you’re asking about the latter so that’s what I’m going to write about but if you meant a fic rec let me know!)

Just to be clear, I’m mostly a Klance shipper so this is going to be Klance (and also a bit long).

First of all, I love the idea of Lance joining the BOM as a relief organization. However, in this pseudo-story, he doesn’t join it because of Keith’s influence, but because Acxa goes missing in one of the relief missions and he goes to find her because he doesn’t want his sister to go through the same that he had to.

Something goes wrong and Acxa goes MIA, presumed dead. And since Verónica and Acxa are in a very serious relationship, this destroys Verónica.

When Ezor and Zethrid, part of the squadron that was on the mission with Acxa, return to Earth and tell the McClain family the news, Verónica loses it and starts yelling that they’re lying and then she breaks down and cries and Lance has never seen his sister like this. Verónica is a pillar, she’s the strongest person he’s ever met and she just... lost it.

But he knows how hard it is. Losing your SO. He knows. So he hugs her and tells her how sorry he is and maybe cries with her, cries because he never wanted his sister to go through what he had to.

And everything seems to prove that Acxa is gone for good... except for the fact that they didn’t find a body. And this irks Verónica in the worst way, and Lance can understand why: because if there isn’t a body, there’s a) no 100% proof that Acxa is gone and b) no closure. And he also knows what having no closure is like because he feels like he didn’t have closure either.

It doesn’t help that the file on the mission can’t seem to give him any specifics. So he makes the executive decision to go find out exactly what happened to Acxa and (hopefully) bring her back. And he tells Zethrid and Ezor about this and they’re like “Sorry, Lance, but you can’t just... decide that. As an Official Blade operation, everything has to be approved by the main board and the Galactic Coalition” and he’s like “okay, then tell me who I have to talk to. Keith? Krolia? Kolivan? Shiro? I’ll do whatever I have to do" because he’s determined to do this.

The Galactic Coalition has a meeting, let’s say once a month, where all of the post-war issues are discussed and all the representatives go and settle what has to be done. And this month’s reunion is about to happen.

And all of the Paladins are invited, and of course, all of them go... except for Lance. He’s never gone to a single one of the reunions. So it is a huge surprise to everybody at the Coalition to see Lance Carrillo-McClain, Blue Paladin of Voltron and pilot of the Red Lion, the Right-Hand Man, the Second in Command, first thing in the morning, wearing his best suit and ready for the meeting.

He wastes no time in stating his business. He gets his holo-pad out and starts talking “A few movements ago, a high-ranking Blade operative named Acxa went missing during a relief mission gone wrong. Even though she’s presumed dead, there isn’t a body and no conclusive information can be found in the report. Therefore, I’m organizing a search-and-possible-rescue operation and presenting the initiative in front of all of the Coalition and the BOM representatives” not giving time for any possible retort, he continues “This mission isn’t going to interfere with the Coalition agenda or the current or future Blade missions”, he assures “It’s a one-man operation. I just need a small ship, limited resources and supplies, and clearance” he looks up, at no-one in particular “and I’m ready to leave as soon as possible”.

There’s absolute silence that seems to go on for forever until Pidge is like “w h o a” and then Shiros is like “Lance. This... this could be a suicide mission, why-?”

“Shiro, please. I just... Verónica deserves to know. And Acxa deserves justice”.

And there’s silence again until Shay, bless her heart, speaks and is like “I understand that it is the protocol to discuss this kind of business with the Coalition, but since this is an affair that doesn’t really concern any parts of the coalition that aren’t directly related to it, I don’t think we have the authority to oppose to your mission, Lance. And I’m fairly certain a vast majority of the Coalition agrees with me. After all, it’s not like we can deny any of the saviors of the universe anything” and then she smiles sweetly and is like “you have my blessing”.

And one by one the other representatives of the Coalition give their blessings as well, and then Hunk gives his blessing, too, because he knows how much Lance understands his sister and how much they both need it, and then Pidge agrees and it seems like it’s settled, and then Shiro sighs and is like “okay, I’ll get you the Garrison’s clearance and everything you need”.

But Lance is aware that the BOM representatives (Keith, Krolia and Kolivan) haven’t said anything, so he turns and looks at them and is like “Guys?” and Kolivan just nods and then Krolia and Keith share a look and she turns to Lance: “As an operation related to the Blade, we require you have a Blade member go with you” and YOU KNOW WHO THAT PERSON IS?! It’s Keith. Keith is his designated partner to go with him.

So everything is settled and they organize the mission and Lance and Verónica have a teary-eyed goodbye and Verónica tells hims that she really, really hates herself because she’s not asking him not to go and that she’s really sorry that she’s not asking him to stay but she just… can’t. Because Lance, his dear baby brother Lance who was lost for five years was able to return victorious and alive, and she trusts that he will come back. Not alone. Because if someone can bring Acxa back to her is that very own person that found his own way back.

And then they leave and the air is a little bit tense in the ship, where only Lance and Keith are flying. And listen, listen. You do not fight a war with someone, and become their right-hand man and have mind-melding exercises with that certain someone and not learn how to read them. Lance knows Keith. And he knows why Keith volunteered/agreed to go with him on the mission.

“You don’t really think Acxa is death either, do you?” Lance asks. And Keith double checks that every single transmission device is off before turning to Lance.

“Acxa sent me this message a few days ago” he puts his holo-pad on his lap.

“Keith” holographic Acxa says, frantic “Keith, there’s a mole. In the Blade. Someone that’s leaking information, contributing to a complot from the inside. I don’t know what they want. I don’t know who they are but… but you need to be careful” She looks to the side “I- I don’t think Ezor or Zethrid are the moles or involved with the complot but… But you can’t trust anyone.” Her voice wavers “Just to be safe”. Lance holds his breath  “Someone is trying to sabotage the Blade from the inside. Maybe even the entire Coalition. You need to find them and you need to stop them” she states “I’ll explain better when we return, but for now, stay safe and trust no one”. The message ends.

“She went missing two hours after the transmission”.

Lance is completely silent.

“The only other person that knows this is my mom. I couldn’t keep her in the dark about this, and I don’t think she’s the mole… I mean, I don’t- I may- You may think I’m biased, and maybe I am, a little bit, but I’d bet everything that my mom isn’t the mole and-“

“Of course your mom is not the mole, Keith.” Lance assures him. Because he’s not judging. He’d never judge such a call. He trusts Keith. And he trusts Krolia just as much.

And now Lance has information about Acxa’s mysterious disappearance. Information he can’t share, of course, but now he knows where to start, more or less, to find her.

So yeah, I’m gonna leave this here because it got really, really long. But basically Lance goes to space to save Acxa and Keith goes with him and there’s a super complex plot that I have kinda lined out and in which eventually Klance happens :P

[budugaapologist]

Heaven Hell AU, includes character occupations, weapons if they use any, their placements (as in devil or angel), and how the AU forms

DISCLAIMER I am not a religious person so this has nothing to do with biblical angels etc, this is just me talking about demons and angels in the sense of the assassin’s creed characters

Under Cutline

Angels

·        Aya/Amunet, highest archangel, representation of God as she makes all final decisions among the council of high-ranking angels, fights with lightning infused daggers

·        Bayek, archangel, second in command, first in command to shield “God” from attacks, large shield to cover both him and “God”, uses a sickle sword that drains life upon impact that goes to those behind his shield

·        Adéwalé, archangel, warden over captured demons and angels that have been acting defiant toward “God”, determines their punishment, fights with a set of rings that allow him to use energy to harm or heal those he directs his hands at, helps him maintain power over prisoners

·        Kassandra, “guardian” angel, bounty hunter, rescues souls from Hell, watches over the messenger angels to ensure “Deimos” doesn’t attempt to kill them while they travel between Heaven and Hell, uses a flaming spear head to fight

·        Stentor, guardian angel, watches over mortals alongside Connor

·        Connor, guardian angel, watches over the mortal world (those which we would refer to as the modern-day assassins Desmond, Layla, Bishop, Shaun, Rebecca, etc) to ensure they remain on the right track to Heaven, does not use weapons

·        Altair, guardian angel, protects gates of Heaven, used to bring chosen souls from Hell to Heaven but was tired of being nearly drowned by Edward, uses a sword of light

·        Ziio, guardian angel, helps Altair protect the gates, provides her son Connor with wisdom on how to determine what to do with those he protects, uses a golden spear

·        Henry, scribe, records all information on what goes on in council meetings and puts the information in scrolls in Heaven’s library

·        Malik, wounded by Deimos, who tore a wing from him as one last horrendous act before being exiled, spends his time now in the library with Henry

·        Arno, messenger (I know, poor taste, I did this on purpose), brings messages between Heaven and Hell and other outposts in between, usually picked on by the hellions that guard the gates of Hell when he delivers the letters, carries a small blade with him

·        Shao Jun, Nikolai, Arbaaz, messengers, rescue souls from Hell’s wastelands, also provide quick mental messages to mortals (voice of God so to speak)

·        Elise, former soul lost to Hell, one of the last souls Altair rescued before quitting, spends her time studying the mortal and celestial lore, hopes to soon become an archangel like Kassandra and recue souls

·        Achilles, currently training Elise as he did Connor, makes sure she keeps up with her studies and remains far from a darker future

Devils

·        Alexios/Deimos, made himself ruler of Hell after Aya kicked him out of Heaven for disobeying her orders despite his sister telling him not to, loss of halo allowed his horns to begin sprouting, feathers on wings are turning grey from years out of holy light, forces those under him to refer to him as Deimos, uses fiery chains to fight

·        Ezio, incubus, always standing next to Deimos’ throne on the left when in Hell, used to sway the thoughts of mortals through seduction to collect souls for Deimos’ “collection”

·        Aveline, succubus, always standing next to Deimos’ throne on the right when in Hell, used to sway the thoughts of angels and convert them to Deimos’ side through seduction, purely to piss off Aya

·        Evie, gatekeeper of Hell, has stayed unswaying loyal to Deimos until she had a close encounter with Kassandra, being so taken aback by her power that she let her take Edward out of pure shock that she was so strong, uses cane sword to fight

·        Jacob, gatekeeper of Hell, pesters Arno when he delivers letters to and from Hell, used to have odd rambling conversations with Edward that would drive Evie insane, fights with spiked titanium knuckles

·        Edward, “sea devil”, once was chained to the seafloor and would drag angels trying to rescue souls under the water and hold them down until they released the soul, forcing them to leave the soul behind or drown and be claimed by Hell, after a struggle with Kassandra she tore him from his chains and had him imprisoned, greatly angering Deimos

·        Yusuf, a trickster devil, mirrors the forms of those in front of him, acts more as a spy for Deimos to see through his eyes

·        Haytham, warden of the lost souls in Hell’s wasteland, also a fallen angel though he has been in Hell longer so his wings are nearly bare of feathers at this point, is supposed to ensure no angels take souls from Hell and revive them to a holy world, fights with a scythe

·        Shay, former prisoner of the sea that would perform the same jobs as Edward, was defeated by a combination of Altair and Malik and has been imprisoned in a cell in Heaven since before Alexios was made Deimos as Adéwalé doesn’t trust him enough to release him yet

Story So Far

Essentially what happened was Alexios disagreed with Aya’s ruling that certain people are unredeemable and do not deserve a chance at a secure, safe afterlife in Heaven. She told him to watch his tongue around her as her decision is final, he said, essentially, “to hell with your opinion, what makes you any more important than us?” Kassandra told him to sit down and that he needed to stop, but Aya decided he had already gone to far and sent Adéwalé and Bayek out to apprehend him from the crowd. Fearing for his life, Alexios took off, but Altair and Malik went to stop him as the soldiers they were, but Alexios lashed out, savagely wounding Malik, Altair rushing to aid Malik and bring him to safety. Bayek tore Alexios’ halo from him while Adéwalé held Kassandra back from trying to stop Bayek out of fear for her brother’s life.

After being cast down to Hell, Alexios chose to rename himself Deimos as to leave his old life behind. He found that Hell was lacking a leader of any kind and chose to make himself their leader as he, having training from the archangels, was stronger than the other hellish beings and easily could overpower each of them. The demons gladly accepted this fallen archangel as their leader and introduced themselves to him. Deimos had to wait by the murky sea to meet Edward, and quickly befriended the strange man as he had spent his entire life chained to the literal lowest region on Earth and Deimos had just passed his lowest point. However, years later, Kassandra sent herself down to see what she could do about Edward after Altair quit rescuing souls for fear that Edward was actually going to drown him one of the times. Evie and Jacob noticed Kassandra fly in alongside Arno, so Jacob stayed by the gates to hear Arno’s message for Deimos while Evie went to confront Kassandra as it was a curious sight to see an archangel so near Hell’s gate.

However, Kassandra was remarkably swift due to her large, powerful feathery wingspan in comparison to Evie’s leathery wings and darted directly into the sea, startling Evie. She came up clutching Edward in her fists and yanked as hard as she could to snap his chains and drag him to Heaven, Evie watching not far off out of amazement of Kassandra’s determination and near stupidity at attempting something like that. However, she successfully broke Edward free and knocked him out, making eye contact with the dumbfounded Evie as she rocketed into the clouds with her bounty. Evie flew back to Jacob, who yelled at her for being charmed by Kassandra and forced his sister to tell Deimos what had happened while he hunted down Arno to have a hostage for Hell as well. Deimos was extremely infuriated with Evie, telling her to get Edward back or else.

Meanwhile, Kassandra checked Edward in to the prison on Heaven, which had a bit of an altercation as Altair socked Edward in the nose as pay back for all those times Edward had nearly drowned him. Kassandra threw Edward into a cell, Edward conversing with Shay, asking how long they had him imprisoned, though as Adéwalé came down the hall of cells he quickly told Edward to shush or else Adéwalé would beat him. Adéwalé interrogated Edward on the habits of Deimos, no one in Heaven realizing that Deimos was Alexios, and discovered from Edward’s information that Deimos was the banished Alexios. He quickly sent Shao to alert Aya that Alexios was in power.

So yeah, that’s the story so far for Heaven Hell AU. A lot of drama, angst, and fights. Not very joyful but I did get to draw Ezio in a loin cloth and high heels so I guess it’s not that awful.

[pengiesama]

Screen Addicts Anonymous (Fic, Sorey/Mikleo)

Title: Screen Addicts Anonymous Series: Tales of Zestiria Pairing: Sorey/Mikleo Summary: Maotelus and Sorey pass the time while locked away in sleep together by binge-watching TV in their astral bachelor pad. Maotelus hands Sorey the remote, and the airwaves thus become awash with images of Mikleo's ass. (BERSERIA ENDGAME SPOILERS. ZESTIRIA ENDGAME SPOILERS)

Link: AO3

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The first few decades, it was all work. 

Malevolence had reduced Maotelus to little more than a slavering beast. He snarled and snapped and howled curses at Sorey when he was lucid enough to recall language, and even as the years wore on and the taint no longer boiled in his veins, there was little in the way of bonding that took place. 

The march of ages had turned Maotelus into a more somber individual. He originally had such bright hopes that he would build a better world on the wreckage left in the wake of the upheaval of the previous age. Certainly, his power increased as word of his miracles spread, as the mighty feats of his followers became celebrated in pen and song. The curse of daemonblight eased with the salvation of his flame. That nameless excuse for a god became nothing but an obscure historical footnote. Temples and shrines erected in his forgotten and thrice-cursed name were instead re-dedicated to Maotelus himself, and he grew fat and proud with worship. Soon he would be able to scale the heavens, reach down that demon’s throat, and rescue the one he so longed to see again. Soon. He could do it soon, he just needed a little more praise, a little more power, a little more time. It would be soon.

He had been a fool. There was little hope that the relationship between humans and malakhim would ever recover. He could not fault his brethren for not being able to forget the actions of humanity during that dark, terrible decade, and what was more, resonance became rarer and rarer as the centuries wore on. Almost as though humans were determined to forget them. With all his power, he could have done something, anything, instead of just sitting upon his stolen throne and twiddling his thumbs while the world slowly decayed. Things had just gotten worse and worse. The ranks of his Shepherds (they bore that man’s title but were beholden to no church, no country) dwindled, then disappeared. He failed to protect his comrades – they fell to death, to fates worse than that, one after the other. In the end, he couldn’t even protect a single tiny town. The mindless rage that malevolence had imposed upon him was almost a relief. He remembered little of the intervening years. Only the lingering sight of the profound despair on Michael’s face, burned into his memory forever: framed by flames, and awash in the scent of innocent blood. He had built his new world upon the rotted scaffolding of the old, and all there was to do now was to burn it all to the ground.

Thankfully, he had failed at that as well. And now, here he lay: having stolen a human from the ones that dearly loved him, bound with him in an endless sleep. Maotelus wanted to scream at the irony.

But it was so hard to dwell on one’s problems when faced with Sorey’s brightness and good cheer. 

Sorey just poked, and prodded, and asked so many questions. He asked of his journeys, of the people he had met, of the great things he had seen rise and erode and disappear from the annals of history. And he was eager to hear it; so eager to hear all of whatever Maotelus had to tell him. The long-snuffed spark in his heart began to sputter and alight once more. He had loved travel and adventure so much when he was young – why had he ever stopped dreaming? 

Soon enough, they had become fast friends. They shared stories, they shared laughter and sorrow and loneliness. Sorey had purified him so utterly with nothing but a listening ear and an endless supply of curiosity. He was truly the Shepherd that the world had cried out for, since time immemorial.

Friendship and purification in the bag, there was still the matter of fixing the lingering taint of the continent. It was just kind of a lot of waiting around – occasionally wandering over to poke at the holy flame embers, toss another proverbial log on it, and maybe roast some marshmallows. To be able to spend their time in comfort, they established a kind of astral bachelor pad to while away the years until the land’s purification was complete. 

“...and over there we’ll put the fridge,” Maotelus continued as he gestured to an empty corner. A fridge blinked into existence, and it was thus no longer an empty corner. “House rule is that we don’t eat each other’s food. I mean, since we’re in the earthpulse, you can just summon up more from the ether to replace it. But it’s just rude.”

“Okay,” Sorey said, agreeably. His attention clearly wasn’t on food, but rather on the many Earthen Historia that lazily blooped in and out of their pad like wandering jellyfish. “Do you want to put on some popcorn and watch some Historia on the TV? I could have sworn I heard one pass that had Ancient Avarost coming out of it, it’s over there by the couch if I can just catch it--”

“Watch yourself,” Maotelus lazily warned as he conjured up his favorite foods into the newly-existent astral fridge. Apples, peanut butter, plastic containers full of curry and leftover pizza. He heard Sorey crash into the recliner in his quest. “They’re slippery little boogers.”

It was also hard to dwell on one’s problems when faced with Sorey’s absolutely relentless dreams taking over the airwaves. 

Maotelus had surrendered control of the astral TV remote to him for at least a few centuries, as an apology for like…everything. He figured he at least owed him that privilege. At first things were pretty okay – it was mostly just a lot of documentaries plucked from the schools of Earthen Historia floating around.

But then Maotelus just had to mention to him that the astral TV could pick up on dreams, and show them in glorious motion. He’d used it himself in the past, many a time, to keep his spirits up after centuries of toil. He thought it would make Sorey happy. Sorey deserved to be happy. Moreover, he thought watching Sorey’s rich and fertile imagination projected on the screen would be entertaining.

Maotelus was paying for such hubris dearly.

The theme song played, and the show’s studio audience (a collection of many dozens of Soreys) cheered as the title card appeared: it was the 38947th episode of the hit TV show, Elysian Heights. The set vaguely resembled a cozy little Elysian home, and as the theme song wrapped up, Sorey burst through the door. 

“Honey, I’m home!” Sorey sang out.

Mikleo gasped and whirled around, and the studio audience shrieked and wolf-whistled in excitement. He was wearing a dazzling ball-gown, with a neckline hemmed like seashells that plunged dangerously low, down to display his navel. It was covered in sapphire and turquoise rhinestones that were probably intended to suggest mermaid scales. Wasn’t that nice. 

“You’re here,” Mikleo sighed happily, rushing into Sorey’s waiting arms. He did a little leg pop as they shared a tender welcome-home kiss, and the audience sighed happily. “I missed you so much and I love you and I made you your favorite dinner.”

“An ice cream sundae off my favorite plate?” asked Sorey.

“But of course!” said Mikleo, hosing a line of whipped cream down the middle of his chest.

A disco ball descended from the ceiling, refracting the colored lights beamed from the rafters. Mikleo’s booty shimmered in a rainbow of colors as he strutted a hip-shimmying walk over to the kitchen. A saxophone version of the theme song blared as Sorey swiped a spot free on the kitchen table, hoisted Mikleo up, and—

Things proceeded as expected from there. Maotelus had long since ceased to be surprised, shocked, embarrassed; any emotion, really. Maybe impressed? The sheer number of scenarios that Sorey’s fevered little brain cooked up was pretty staggering, even though they all led to the same inevitable conclusion. And the wardrobe budget for the show was through the roof, if nothing else. An amount of rhinestones that totaled the yearly budget for a medium-sized kingdom was currently being peeled off Mikleo’s hips and tossed onto the ceiling fan.

“It is real goddamn weird that I keep seeing that kid’s ass,” Maotelus said. He balanced the popcorn bowl on his chest as he lay on the couch, and ate the kernels one at a time with his tongue. “The last time I saw him, he was in diapers.”

To argue on specifics, the last time Maotelus had seen him, he was covered in third-degree burns and had a knife sticking out of his chest. In all his wisdom, Maotelus thought that was a detail best left out.

“Isn’t he just so gorgeous?” Sorey said with a sigh, staring dreamily at the TV as if he wasn’t watching softcore porn (that was rapidly spiraling out of the “softcore” part). “I miss him so much. I know he’s working hard out there, I can feel it.”

Sorey’s tender sentimentality was so at odds with the debauchery being projected on the screen by his subconscious. Cheers erupted from the studio audience on the TV, and Maotelus’ eyebrow raised. Either there was some serious wishful thinking going on, or Mikleo was impressively flexible.

“…so tell me again what the plot of this show is?”

“Well you see,” Sorey began. “Mikleo is the world’s greatest pastry chef, supermodel, and adventurer-archaeologist-professor-historian, and everyone can see him and loves him, but who Mikleo really loves best is his fellow world’s greatest adventurer-archaeologist-professor-historian, Sorey.”

“There can be two world’s greatest adventurer-archaeologist-professor-historians?” Maotelus asked.

“Yeah,” Sorey replied.

“Ah,” Maotelus said. “Just checking.”

“Anyway, after the last story arc, this current arc is some much-needed downtime,” Sorey continued. On-screen, the ceiling fan continued to lazily swirl Mikleo’s matching rhinestone panties over the scene as it unfolded. And man, was it sure still unfolding. “The last arc finished off the Idol Siren Doppelganger Assassin Saga, which was just a rollercoaster of emotions. I just know the writers are planning on bringing back Mikleo’s long-lost twin sibling, who’s also an adventurer-archaeologist-professor-historian, but also an idol too, and he can hypnotize you with his beautiful voice, and you thought he was evil at first but he’s really just beautiful and misunderstood. And he’s not so much a twin as he is a projection from another dimension.”

“Uh-huh,” Maotelus said. Maotelus unfortunately remembered a lot more of that arc than he was letting on. It involved a lot of lingerie-clad pillow-fights between the two Mikleos while they giggled and pouted for Sorey’s attention. He wasn’t even really aware that there was a plot, much less one of such…complexity.

“But, he had to be sealed away in his original dimension,” Sorey said, sadly. “He was trying to kill the original Mikleo and take his place. But I know that his long lost Sorey from his dimension – who was supposedly killed in an idol battle, supposedly – will find him and give him the love he needs to be redeemed. I’m writing a fanfiction about it and can let you beta-read it if you want.”

“Sure,” Maotelus said. “Let me know when you’re done and I’ll be happy to read the whole thing.”

Maotelus was playing with fire here, but he knew that Sorey rarely managed to finish his many works-in-progress. He had a few hundred more years at least, and then a few hundred more on top of that while he edited. He had time to think of an escape plan, even if it involved going malevolent again.

The theme song played, again, and title card appeared: it was the 38948th episode of the hit TV show, Elysian Heights. Sorey burst through the door again, like he did every goddamn episode. 

“Honey, I’m home!” Sorey sang out.

Mikleo gasped and looked over his shoulder, and the studio audience swooned. He was wearing a maid outfit, and was bent over the kitchen table with a feather duster in hand. The whole outfit was trimmed in ribbons and lace, and the skirt barely covered Mikleo’s underwear, and Mikleo’s underwear could barely be called underwear. It was a teeny little slip of silk held together by ribbons and wishes.

“You’re here,” Mikleo sighed happily, rushing into Sorey’s waiting arms. He did a little leg pop as they shared a tender welcome-home kiss, and the audience sighed happily. “I missed you so much and I love you and it is Thursday evening, so you know what that means.”

“Documentary night while I do you doggy-style over the back of the couch in that outfit?” asked Sorey.

“But of course!” said Mikleo, snapping the ribbon tying on his underwear loose with a flick of his finger.

A big-screen TV descended from the ceiling, and began to play documentaries on Asgard-era architecture and culture. Mikleo allowed himself to be bent over the back of the couch, and began to rub his bare backside against Sorey’s eagerly grinding hips. The crinoline of his petticoats crinkled with every movement, and Sorey’s fingers came down to play with the ribbon tie on the back of Mikleo’s corset. A saxophone version of the theme song blared as Sorey unzipped his trousers, and—

“If you wanted to watch a documentary, we could have just put one on,” Maotelus pointed out tiredly. He was almost out of popcorn, which added to his despair.

“I’m not watching a documentary,” Sorey explained to him patiently. “The characters on the show are watching a documentary.”

“My mistake.” In his opinion, Maotelus didn’t think the characters on the show were watching the documentary, either. The more salient matter at the moment, though, was the fact that his popcorn was now gone. Maotelus wriggled into a sitting position, then hopped off the couch. “You want anything from the kitchen?”

He did not receive an answer. He sighed at the glazed-over look on Sorey’s face as he watched his docuporntary, and waved a hand in front of his eyes. Sorey blinked, briefly looked at him, then glued his eyes back to the TV (and Mikleo’s bouncing ass).

“Huh? Yeah, kitchen, sure,” Sorey murmured, distracted. “Oh, wow…that feather duster…”

Maotelus shook his head and headed off.

“Youth,” he muttered dismissively.

He wondered if he’d behaved like that when he was Sorey’s age. Certainly if he’d tried to watch the kinds of things that Sorey did, Eleanor would have been there, back then, to lecture him; to nip at his heels like a herding dog until he was back on the path of righteousness. Bless her dear memory, she never really succeeded in getting any of them onto the path of righteousness.

Maotelus had just finished putting together his favorite before-dinner snack: an entire frozen pizza, covered in peanut butter, dusted with a subtle blend of crushed-up potato chips, then rolled up like a burrito. He took a big bite, savoring the delicate melding of flavors in this dumpster fire of a culinary creation. As he wandered back to the couch, snack in hand, he found that they’d gone to a commercial break.

And now, a word from Elysian Heights’ proud sponsors…

“Power. Elegance. Cool cannons with flames painted on them. Our engineers have perfected the ultimate vehicle experience: the GODblin Cart LX10000.”

The camera whirled through rapid-fire action shots: of the cart careening through wilderness, ramping off hills, and sloppily driving over the roofs of other cars in a McDonald’s parking lot before loudly clattering into an empty parking space. Finally, the driver pulled up to a luxurious-looking art museum; where a beautiful figure awaited him at the fountain, his sparkling evening gown lit by the colorful rainbow spotlights in the night air. The driver whipped off his helmet dramatically, revealing him to be Sorey (because obviously), and the beautiful figure, who was Mikleo (because fucking obviously), rushed into his arms in a flurry of skirts before leaning up for a kiss.

The lovers walked arm-in-arm off into the museum, and the camera lovingly panned once more over the cart before the next commercial came on, which appeared to be for ice cream. It mostly just involved ice cream being drizzled over a half dozen Mikleos, who were smearing it all over their barely-clothed bodies.

“Sure you don’t want a snack while the commercial break is on?” Maotelus asked, as if he didn’t already know the answer.

Sorey was staring slack-jawed at the screen, and was dead to the world outside of the ice cream party on the screen. The spell broke when the commercial finally ended, and Sorey blinked away the haze and smiled.

“No thanks,” he said. “You sure you won’t spoil your dinner?”

“I’m a growing boy,” Maotelus said airily. He took another bite of his pizzabutterchiprito. “I also am partially soul-bound to an eternally-starving ancient arch-demon.”

“Yeah, that does explain it,” Sorey agreed.

He twiddled his fingers for a moment, then gave Maotelus a hesitant, puppy-eyed look. Maotelus was gripped with dread at what Sorey would ask for next. It was probably whether he could have his collection of Mikleo body-pillows on the couch with him as he watched. As of the moment, the legion was safely contained in Sorey’s astral bedroom, but heavens knew what would happen if Maotelus allowed them out.

“I just wanted to know…I wanted to make sure my shows aren’t boring you,” Sorey said. “I mean, I’ve had the remote for a while. Isn’t there something you’d like to watch, too?”

Maotelus felt suitably abashed. He gave a noncommittal shrug.

“You earned remote privileges,” he said. “And you adore each and every second of that show. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Maotelus meant every word. Still, Sorey averted his gaze and looked down at his twiddling fingers. A new episode of Sorey’s show was on the screen, and Mikleo was wearing heart-shaped nipple pasties and a collar with a bell on it.

“I didn’t like the arc where Sorey and Mikleo broke up for a whole afternoon over a game of Trivial Pursuit gone wrong,” Sorey said in an uncomfortably solemn and candid tone. “It hit too close to home.”

Maotelus sat down next to him again, and patted his knee.

“Listen. You still have remote privileges. But, if you want a break from your binge-watching, I can show you some of my favorite classic programs.”

Sorey gave that sunshine smile, and Maotelus felt the world become that much more purified.

“Sure,” Sorey said. “I’m excited to see!”

Welcome back to the historic ten millionth episode of Glenwood’s favorite game show, Beat Innominat With a Stick!

Amidst the cheer and color of the game show stage, Innominat was in his proper place: hog-tied and suspended from the studio rafters with rope. He had strips of construction paper sloppily glued all over him to allow him to vaguely resemble a piñata – but deep down, everyone still knew he was a tragically hideous fashion disaster.

“I can hear you!” shrieked Innominat as he thrashed in place. “We’re still bound! I can hear every word of your narration! My shorts are NOT unfashionable--”

Alas, there are none still alive who could understand piñata-speak, for Innominat was not only a hideous creature, but also old as well. So old. So very, extremely old. One might describe him as a withered, desiccated husk, no more alive than the cracked and discarded skin of a snake. A corpse that is liable to crumble before our very eyes. Will the delicious candy within him still be edible? Only one way to find out! Contestants, to your places; on your marks, ready, set—

“Um,” Sorey said, wincing at the sudden and gruesome violence on the screen.

“Isn’t it great?” Maotelus said with a beatific smile. Bells rang and lights flashed on the screen, and Maotelus clapped his hands in delight. “Ooo! That means someone just earned a baseball bat with nails in it.”

Sorey’s eyes went huge, and he very nearly threw up at the end result of that win. Maotelus noticed his discomfort, and pouted just a bit.

“…Georg liked watching this show with me,” he grumbled.

With one lucky strike to Innominat’s stomach, Innominat gave a sickening gag, and his jaw hung open unnervingly. The studio audience went wild, and the strobe lights swirled as Innominat continued to seize and gag like he was trying to heave up a hairball.

Folks, I know we’re all excited, but those with weak stomachs might want to look away for this part—

“Oh GOD,” Sorey said, naked horror in his voice.

“You rang?” Maotelus replied.

This is it! On the ten millionth episode, we’ve finally seen it happen!

Velvet stumbled to her feet. She was covered in digestive juices and viscera after having been extracted from Innominat’s feeding frenzy via the time-tested piñata method, and was clearly a bit worse for the wear. However, she wasted no time in storming over to the camera and getting in its face to stare directly at those on the other side of the screen.

“Phi! You are NOT allowed to bully your uncle like this...and what are you eating? Is that that horrible goddamn thing that sleazy wind malak taught you to make? There had better be vegetables in that fridge, or--”

“You can have the remote back,” Maotelus said quietly.

At least with Mikleo’s jiggling ass on the screen, he didn’t have to give up his pizzabutterchiprito.

[honeybee-hayes]

CHARACTER PROFILE QUESTIONS BY BETH KINDERMAN AND NIKKI WALKER 

Taken from here { x }

PART 1: THE BASICS

What is your full name?

Beatrix Nadzieja Hayes.

Where and when were you born?

December 19th 2039, at Kings College Hospital in London, England.

Who are/were your parents? (Know their names, occupations, personalities, etc.)

Lucas Hayes, Papa. Paratrooper in the British Army, dead. Fun, loving, kind. Ava Hayes, Mother. Housewife, currently in a mental hospital. Horrid, evil, disowned.

Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?

N/A

Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people.

Beatrix lives outside of London on her own, in a two story house that she’s decorated to her liking. There is a large garden out back, with an old, small hangar used for storing the jets and planes when they aren’t being lended out. 

What is your occupation?

Bee is a Lieutenant in the British Army, and an Agent for International Rescue.

Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks.

5′8″, British, blonde hair and chocolate-honey eyes. Comfortably style of dress - mainly shorts and tops. Four tattoos, all well hidden. A few small scars from childhood, and a nice round one on the top of her left thigh.

To which social class do you belong?

Middle.

Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?

Allergic to Canary Melon, suffers with PTSD.

Are you right- or left-handed?

Right handed.

What does your voice sound like?

This girl.

What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” “Боже мой.”

What do you have in your pockets?

Phone, hair bobbles, lypsyl.

Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?

The ability to switch between English and Russian in the middle of a sentence, and change her accent up at will. Has an annoying habit of tapping her fingers on her skin when sitting. 

PART 2: GROWING UP

How would you describe your childhood in general?

Beatrix’s childhood was, for the majority, unstable. 

What is your earliest memory?

Her earliest memory is of trying to put her fingers into a plug. It’s only bits and pieces of a memory since she was young - she remembers her Mother freaking out and her Dad laughing and pulling her away. 

How much schooling have you had?

16 years. Nursery, Infants, Juniours, Secondary.

Did you enjoy school?

No, school was simply a tool for Beatrix to learn and make her way into the Army.

Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?

Most of her homemaking skills and DIY skills are self taught, through the internet or through experimenting. Her kickboxing skills come from taking classes when she was a young girl, and then constant training sessions - whether she’s in the gym or on tour, the girl kicks ass.

While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.

I think Bee’s one and only role model was her father - he was a good man and she looked up to him, aimed to follow his steps into the Army.

While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?

Beatrix only had her mother and father to get along with, and it’s safe to say she was a daddy’s girl through and through. Her mother, however, is a different story.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Being a daddy’s girl, Bee wanted to follow her Papa’s footsteps into the army. Not necessarily become a paratrooper like he did, but she wanted to help out and serve her country for definite.

As a child, what were your favorite activities?

Beatrix always loved playing outside in the sun - whether it was climbing trees, playing on the swingset, or riding a bike. 

As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?

She was always a bright, bubbly, happy child. Post-divorce, however, that all changed. Beatrix withdrew into herself and became quiet, focused, and determined.

As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?

Penelope was, arguably, Beatrix’s only childhood friend - especially after she withdrew and refused to make any friends at all.

When and with whom was your first kiss?

At fourteen, Beatrix actually attended a house party and played Seven Minutes in Heaven with another girl from the party.

Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?

Yes.

If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities. If you are just a normal human, describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.

Arguably, Beatrix’s biggest behavioural influences have been her parents divorce, the Bratva, war, and Penelope. Each event (or person) practically causes a behavioural one-eighty. 

PART 3: PAST INFLUENCES

What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?

The most important event in Bee’s life would undoubtedly be the death of her father. As big as it is to get involved with the Bratva, or to be part of International Rescue, nothing can compare to that - it shook her to her core.

Who has had the most influence on you?

Lucas Hayes, without a shadow of doubt.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Achieving the rank of Lieutenant in the British Army.

What is your greatest regret?

Being captured with a group of nine other women overseas. She doesn’t regret being captured, she regrets not being able to save all of the women. She regrets that one was killed before she could act.

What is the most evil thing you have ever done?

Does having a lack of mercy towards those who don’t deserve it count? Because there are countless acts of that.

Do you have a criminal record of any kind?

No - but only because she’s friends with hte right people. The Bratva did a pretty effective job of wiping her criminal record before she left Russia, back when she was sixteen. They still do a good job of keeping it clean when she visits during the summer.

When was the time you were the most frightened?

At age 25, when Beatrix is trapped under a burning building - thats when she is the most frightened. She can experience The Hood trying to control the world, murder in front of her very eyes, and even being trapped in a room with a ticking time bomb - but nothing will shake her to her core like being caught underneath a fire and not being able to do anything about it.

What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?

John caught her wearing his boxers after getting out of the shower.

If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?

Regarding the group of women overseas - Beatrix would make sure all of them made it out alive.

What is your best memory?

An illegal, drunken night in Russia with her friends - tresspassing on private, abadoned property and breaking and entering said property. Beatrix climbed up a gutter pipe and broke the second floor window of a house. It’s her favourite memory because it taught her that, in some weird sense, she can do anything if she puts her mind to it and believes in herself.

What is your worst memory?

Bee’s worst memory is probably the look on the Babuskha’s face when she was packing to leave Russia, holding out one last bowl of Borscht for her. It tugged at her heart in a funny way, made her wish she could stay with that old Babushka.

PART 4: BELIEFS AND OPINIONS

Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?

Beatrix is, without a shadow of doubt, a pessimist. Years of running on the wrong side of the law, fighting wars, and just trying to survive has made sure that the negative of a situation comes to the front of her mind first. 

What is your greatest fear?

Fire always has been, and always will be, Beatrix’s greatest fear. Even when safely contained in a fireplace, she remains anxious and hypervigilant to its movement.

What are your religious views?

Non-applicable. With everything she’s seen and done, Bee hardly believes that there is some greater force out there. There’s too many awful things happening on the regular, even though they live in a supposed ‘better’ world than fifty years ago, and people wanting to do harm, to think that something like a god still exists.

What are your political views?

Governments can be useful for control and regulation - but they can also be easily deceived and corrupted. Beatrix finds it to be a... fine line. 

What are your views on sex?

Details on such a thing should be kept between those having it - and noone else is entitled to those details if they do not wish to share. What people want to do is up to them, and there should be no shame in it.

Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?

Had Beatrix allowed herself to slip enough, then killing would almost be second nature to her now. Shooting first used to be a motto she lived by, a life was nothing to her. Now, thanks to the help of friends, shooting is an absolute last resort - and used only to protect. If she’s going to shoot, she’ll aim for a non-vital area like the calf or forearm - just to disarm and shock.

In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?

Beatrix realises that humans are capable of an astounding amount of evil - and she does not believe in one thing being ‘the most evil’, rather that all evil acts are practically on par with each other.

Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?

No. Some days it’s hard enough to believe romantic love exists at all, nevermind true love; and if Beatrix can’t believe in that, she can’t believe in soulmates.

What do you believe makes a successful life?

Quite simply, survival. If you survive life, you win.

How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?

Beatrix, while she does not always voice her thoughts, is never dishonest about what she thinks. The only thing she does hide is how well she’s coping with her PTSD

Do you have any biases or prejudices?

Tea is better than coffee, any day. 

Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? 

Beatrix will always refuse to take part in illegal drugs - she’d rather not inhibit herself like that.

Why do you refuse to do it?

Purely and simply because it feels wrong - to feel so out of your own body is wrong in every sense to Beatrix.

Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?

Family - and friends that have become family to her. Beatrix wouldn’t give a second thought to giving her life to save theirs. 

PART 5: RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?

Upon first meeting someone, Beatrix will be polite and civil. Where that relationship goes will define how she treats them - for example, if they are to become a friend, she will relax significantly around them, cracking jokes and smiling more. Even then, there’s still an element of that serious nature.

Who is the most important person in your life, and why?

At this point in time, I would argue that it’s either Penelope or Scott. Both mean a lot to her.

Who is the person you respect the most, and why?

Undoubtedly, Scott Tracy. Due to both having background in the Forces - Scott the USAF, and Beatrix the British Army, Bee understands how his mind may work at times and respects him as her senior officer out in the field.

Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people.

Bee has a lot of friends - between International Rescue, the Army, and her old rag tag group in Russia, she has a lot of people to laugh with. Though the best friend position goes to Penelope. 

Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person.

Currently, no. Though that’s not to say that there isn’t someone on her mind.

Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened.

A first love, an unrequited love - and still, she loved him with her whole heart. Then, it got harder and harder. She always knew it was unrequited but, but one day she realised she couldn’t love someone that wasn’t even on the same planet as her half the time.

What do you look for in a potential lover?

A best friend. 

How close are you to your family?

With one half of her biological family dead and the other disowned, Beatrix finds herself having a second family in International Rescue. Kayo and the Lynch twins are arguably the closest of the bunch - though only marginally.

Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?

A family is not something Beatrix has her focus on. Between International Rescue, the Army, and her PTSD, she hasn’t much time to think about settling down and having children.

Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?

Most likely Scott, Virgil, John, Kayo or Penelope. 

Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?

Only two people - Scott Tracy, and Matthew Lynch.

If you died or went missing, who would miss you?

Though she would never say it aloud, Beatrix would hope most of her friends would miss her.

Who is the person you despise the most, and why?

Her Mother - for all the things she’s done to Bee in the past.

Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?

This will largely depend on the situation. Both arguing and avoiding conflict are things Beatrix will do. For example, she will avoid confrontation with the media, yet is likely to argue with Jeff Tracy.

Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?

Again, this depends on who she is with. If someone like Scott, John, Kayo, or Matt is there then Beatrix will step down. Otherwise, she will step up.

Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?

Not at all. While large groups don’t make Bee nervous, they certainly do make her uncomfortable. In her mind she reasons that there are a lot of pairs of eyes that can stare and judge her, that they will somehow reveal all her secrets and she will be shunned. 

Do you care what others think of you?

Both yes and no - those who she cares for, she will care what they think. Anyone else can take a hike. 

PART 6: LIKES AND DISLIKES

What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?

Sketching, playing the piano, gardening, beekeeping, tennis, archery, and horse riding.

What is your most treasured possession?

A small bee necklace, with her Russian nickname engraved on the back.

What is your favorite color?

Yellow, of course.

What is your favorite food?

Mangos.

What, if anything, do you like to read?

Fiction. Adventure, comedy, or murder mysteries.

What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)?

A night out to a classical concert, or a movie night in curled up with the Guns ‘n Posers.

Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit?

Beatrix has a complicated relationship with smoking. She will most likely smoke while on tour with her troop, though not always. Its not until she sees a therapist in her late twenties that she finds the gall to quit completely. Alcohol is usually only consumed if things are really bad,  or if she’s visiting Russia.

How do you spend a typical Saturday night?

Keeping busy with house chores - gardening, laundry, ironing, changing the beds, scrubbing the bathroom, the like. 

What makes you laugh?

Largely sassy comments and witty remarks.

What, if anything, shocks or offends you?

If someone puts milk in fruit tea, consider Beatrix offended. In terms of being shock, she tends to be shocked by irregular, whacky things - take contortionists, for example.

What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?

No doubt Beatrix would keep herself busy with something quiet - drawing, or laundry, or ironing. Something she could just get on with.

How do you deal with stress?

Grit her teeth and get on with it, only ask for help if absolutely needed. Both her job in the Army and her volunteer work for International Rescue are high stress jobs - she knows how to cope and unwind later.

Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan?

Surprisingly, Beatrix is more spontaneous - she’s more likely to get up and visit Russia on a whim than she is to plan a holiday there.

What are your pet peeves?

People running late, people who talk negatively about food, peope who stand in the way.

PART 7: SELF IMAGES AND ETC.

Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted?

Awake at five, start laundry or meal prep for the day. Go for a run, have a cup of tea and some breakfast, start gardening. Take a shower, have lunch, more tea, run errands or complete more chores, have a small dinner, featuring more tea. Relax - probably by doing some paperwork, or reading. In bed by ten.

What is your greatest strength as a person?

Trained as an Army commando, Beatrix has the strength to endure - she will get up and push and keep going, even if it’s at a detriment to her own health.

What is your greatest weakness?

Her chosen family. She would drop anything and do anything for them.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Beatrix would love to get rid of her mental illness, if she could. She feels its the root of a lot of problems some days and wishes she could weed it out.

Are you generally introverted or extroverted?

Extroverted.

Are you generally organized or messy?

Organised.

Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.

Do you like yourself?

Beatrix is the same as everyone else - there are days when she doesn’t mnid herself, and days when she doesn’t like herself.

What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons…)

What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

If you could choose, how would you want to die?

If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.

What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?

What three words best describe your personality?

What three words would others probably use to describe you?

If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character? (You might even want to speak as if he or she were sitting right here in front of you, and use proper tone so he or she might heed your advice…)

[gillespialfredoe01806ld]

Let the Fur Fly: What Are the Best Cities for Dog Lovers and for Cat Lovers?

Thomas Kelley/iStock

Which side are you on?  America is bitterly divided into two warring groups these days. One is welcome in your home and considered family. The other is despicable and makes your blood boil.

So cough it up: Are you a you dog person or a cat person? And don’t give us that independent voter nonsense—we know you have a preference. Everyone does.

Catios or dog runs? Aloof cuddliness or goofy rambunctiousness? Automated litter boxes or hands-free, app-controlled pooper-scoopers?

Surprise: The camp you find yourself in might just help determine where you should live. As the animal-loving realtor.com®data team found out, some metros are particularly welcoming to canines and the folks who adore ’em—while others are hot spots for full-on feline frenzy.

One thing’s for sure: Pet ownership is climbing across the United States. Something about the current state of the nation seems to spur more of us to seek solace in turning to our clawed, furred, or taloned friends. They’re warm, loyal, and—canaries aside—almost never tweet.

In terms of popularity, dog lovers dominate. Around 54 million American households have at least one, compared to 43 million households that have at least one cat, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

“The best cities for pet lovers really take into account the human-animal bond,” says Gina DiNardo, executive secretary of the American Kennel Club. So where should dog or cat lovers go to forge those ties?

We took the 150 largest metros and then analyzed a wide variety of pet data. We only included one metro per state, for geographic diversity. Our criteria included:

Percentage of single-family homes on realtor.com with dog-related home features (i.e., doggie doors) or cat-related features (i.e., catios)

Pet services per capita, including boarding, photography, and stores*

Veterinarians per capita*

Dog walkers per capita*

Percentage of restaurants that allow dogs*

Percentage of realtor.com rental listings that allow dogs or cats

Google searches for “cats” and “dogs”

State dog and cat ownership rates*

We found that, as with politics, pet preference is local. Regional predilections abide. New England is crazy about felines—the region had three of the top five cat-loving cities. Vermont and Maine have the highest rates of cat ownership in the country (those furballs help keep you toasty during those frigid winter nights). Meanwhile, the wide open spaces, mild weather, and outdoorsy/crunchy lifestyles out West seem tailor-made for pooches—three cities on the West Coast ranked highest for canines and the people who can’t live without ’em.

“The West Coast is far more climatically friendly [to dogs], especially if you like going to dog parks and schmoozing with other owners every weekend, even in the winter,” says Marc Morrone, host of “Petkeeping With Marc Morrone” on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. “The East Coast is freezing in the winter, and a lot of dogs don’t like to go outside in the cold city streets.”

Oh, and there’s this: “Cats are so much less work than dogs.” They don’t need to be walked and can live happily in itty-bitty spaces.

Got it? Grab your leashes, and let’s take a look, starting with the best havens for hounds.

Best cities for dog lovers

Claire Widman

1. Austin, TX

Dog ownership rate: 44% Median home list price: $372,000

Cooling off in Austin

The whole “Keep Austin weird” thing isn’t just for homo sapiens—there’s plenty of seductive oddness for canines here as well. Is Humbert the husky seeming a bit angsty lately? Help him achieve a higher level of consciousness with a few sessions of mongrel yoga at Austin Doga. Does Cherry the chihuahua seem eager to strut her stuff and show off that knockoff Louis Vuitton collar? Let her vogue out at the annual Chihuahua Beauty Pageant.

“In Austin, you can take your dogs everywhere,” says Troy Pfeifer, co-owner of the Sit Means Sit dog training branch in the city. “There are no shortage of bars, restaurants that allow dogs.” There are reportedly over 200 eateries and 60 hotels here that allow furry companions (and no, beards don’t count).

There’s even an outlet mall near Pfeifer’s home that allows pups to peruse most of the stores. Let’s hope the majority of visitors aren’t big shedders.

Pfeifer says the dog craze shows no sign of slowing down in Austin. After living here for a year, he decided to quit an office job and open his doggie training center in 2011. The business has taken off, and he now trains more than a 1,000 dogs a year.

A standout among the many dog runs and parks is Red Bud Isle, a sweet spot where canines and their owners bond over refreshing dips in the lake.

It’s also worth noting that this is also the largest no-kill city in the United States for unclaimed pets, according to a local advocacy group, Austin Pets Alive.

2. Reno, NV

Dog ownership rate: 37.1% Median home list price: $422,500

As the gateway to both Lake Tahoe vacationers and travelers to the annual Burning Man festival, Reno is accustomed to hosting an eclectic crowd. So it’s no wonder that nearly all breeds, ranging from Labrador retrievers to shih-tzus, are popular in this city, according to the American Kennel Club. Diversity rules!

And for owners looking for a fun afternoon and a chance to make a difference, there’s the DogFest Walk ’n Roll, a charity walk whose proceeds go to the Canine Companions for Independence—a group that provides assistance dogs free of charge to adults and children with disabilities.

3. Salinas, CA

Dog ownership rate: 32.8% Median home list price: $904,500

Need a nosh after a long run through the park? Then stop by SUR at The Barnyard. We highly recommend the poached free-range chicken breast. If it’s a truly special occasion, then try the black-and-blue charred rare filet mignon tips with a wedge of Point Reyes blue cheese. Oh, wait—did we mention that this is the doggie menu?

So the dogs eat better than you do in the area around Salinas (and more than one in five restaurants in the town allow canine companions). Doggie love has a long history in Salinas. The town’s most famous son, John Steinbeck, chronicled a 1960 road trip around the United States with his standard poodle in the book “Travels With Charley.”

“People love walking their dogs on Pebble Beach, which has such beautiful views,” says Billy Quon, founder of SUR at The Barnyard. “There are endless trails here to take your dog hiking.”

Nearby, the charming oceanside town of Carmel is home to the Cypress Inn, an upscale hotel which allows dogs throughout the premises. Co-owned by actress and animal activist Doris Day, the hotel was once named “the most famous dog-friendly hotel in the country” by Sunset magazine. We don’t know exactly what that means, but expect plenty of Akita and Egyptian pharaoh hound sightings.

As for Billy Quon’s miniature schnauzer, named Sport, he has a particular fondness for the half-pound all-beef patty at SUR. Good call, Sport.

4. Denver, CO

Dog ownership rate: 42.5% Median home list price: $499,500

What better way to relax after a hard week’s work than a trek with your pooch? Dog owners in Denver don’t have to go far. Want to stay near downtown? Head to Platte River Greenway Trail. Looking for snow-capped mountain views? Grab your leash and drive 50 miles to Golden Gate Canyon State Park.

On your hike, you’re likely to run into some noticeably large canines. Denver is something of a hub for Bernese mountain dogs, Great Danes, and Siberian huskies.

The Colorado Kennel Club has hosted dog shows for more than 115 years. Its members know their stuff. When the hiking trails are snowed over in February, head over to the group’s “Dog Days of Denver Showcase of the Performing Arfs.” During the three-day dog show, you’ll see more than 150 dog breeds.

5. Portland, OR

Dog ownership rate: 38.8% Median home list price: $450,000

Checking out the fine views in Portland

jennagenio/iStock

If Portlanders have a craft beer in one hand, then the other is holding a leash. Who can blame them? The region is among the country’s leaders for dog parks, with 33 major off-leash areas.

Of course, all dog owners thinks their dog is the cutest. So put your Toto or Lassie to the test and compete in Portland’s Next TopDog Model contest, hosted by the Oregon Humane Society. The competition is fierce. In 2012, a poodle with “rasta-poodle dreadlocks” took home the top prize. Last year’s winner was a three-legged, rescue pit bull named Jenny.

Rounding out the top 10 best metros for dog lovers were Seattle, WA; Oklahoma City, OK; Tucson, AZ; Ann Arbor, MI; and Raleigh, NC.

OK, now let’s take a tour of the best municipalities for mousers.

Purrfect cities for cat lovers

Claire Widman

1. Albany, NY

Cat ownership rate: 29.1% Median home list price: $422,500

Looking for the perfect palace for you and your pussy partner? The capital city of New York deserves a close look. Homeowners here have taken extraordinary steps to making their homes kitten-friendly, with the latest decor. Yes, cat patios are real. Finding those pesky mice is a lot easier from atop your cat ladder. Paw-sitively claw-some, say local felines.

If you’re looking to meet up with other cat lovers, try the Orange Street Cats annual Kitty Bowl, where mavens unite at the local bowling alley to raise money for a local animal shelter. Or swing by Happy Cat Rescue—an animal shelter that brings in abandoned cats from all over the country. “We always have cats looking for new homes,” says Marcia Scott, the shelter’s president.

2. Eugene, OR

Cat ownership rate: 40.2% Median home list price: $325,000

OK, so raising a kitty isn’t quite the same as a baby, no matter how much cat people might try to convince you otherwise. But that doesn’t mean it is completely effort-free, either. So living somewhere with a lot of pet services, like Eugene, is a big plus.

Leaving town for the weekend? Drop your kitten off at a myriad of boarding facilities, for example, Willamette Valley Dog & Cat Motel, Auntie’s Cat Kennels, or Kitty Cat Hotel. Want some cute pictures of Travis the Turkish angora? Set up a photo shoot with Dream Storm Photography, a local specialist in pet portraits.

3. Seattle, WA

Cat ownership rate: 39% Median home list price: $485,000

Catio. It’s a patio for cats. Questions?

catiospaces.com

Seattle is more than just the coffee capital of the U.S. It’s also one of the country’s prime cat meccas.

At Seattle Meowtropolitan, those two local favorites can be found in one place: You can order your favorite java and pastry and then snuggle up to a purring cat. And if you like the animal enough, you can take it home. The cat cafe, which opened in late December 2015, partners with a local shelter to find these felines homes.

“Before we opened, we did our research [and found] Seattle is very cat-friendly, the ideal place for this,” says Louisa Liu, co-founder of Seattle Meowtropolitan.

If you’re looking to adopt a cat, you should also mark your calendar for Black Friday: The day after Thanksgiving, Seattle Humane waives adoption fees. For black cats, that is.

4. Portland, ME

Cat ownership rate: 46.4% Median home list price: $340,000

If you want to stretch out on your yoga mat while an adorable, adoptable tomcat meows in your ear, you’d better be quick. Tickets to kitty yoga go fast. We’re talking Hamilton fast.

“Kitten yoga is something new we started this year. It sells out within a day or two after posting the registration link,” says Jeana Roth, director of community engagement at the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland. “We have about 15 kittens in the room bouncing and roaming. It’s a lot of fun. And it raises money for our adoption program.” The kittens are all rescue animals.

5. Manchester, NH

Cat ownership rate: 34.2% Median home list price: $314,900

The region’s love for cats made it easy for Cathy Hilscher to open up a pet store dedicated solely to her favorite animal.

“If you go into a big pet store, only one or two aisles are for cats—meanwhile … nine aisles are for dogs, and sometimes entire rooms are for fish or birds,” says Hilscher, owner of Cats Kingdom. “My store is two stories exclusively for cats. Nothing against dogs; I just have a special place in my heart for these creatures.”

Hilscher offers premium foods and environmentally friendly cat goods. Unexpectedly, her store has become a hot spot for the younger crowd.

“Millennials are not choosing to have kids right away,” Hilscher says, or choosing not to have kids at all. The cat scene, she says, is more the niche for them in Manchester than dogs. “They want their cats to be like their kids.”

The rest of the top 10 metros for cat obsessives are Oklahoma City, OK; Stockton, CA; Austin, TX; Reno, NV; and Lexington, KY. 

*Data sources: realtor.com, American Veterinary Medical Association, Census Bureau, Google Trends, and Yelp.com.

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