#willowkeyes first 100

[amberskywrites]

Burnt Edges

Masterpost 

Pairing: Sokka/Zuko

Fandom / Genre: ATLA / Soulmate AU

Warnings: Abusive parents, Past physical abuse, Childhood trauma, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Discussion of trauma (minor this part, more prevalent in next part)

Notes: This was for @willowaudreykeyes 100 follower DTYS! Second part should be coming eventually, because I do want to write them actually getting together soon 😅

Part One || Part Two 

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

Soulmarks.

Sokka wasn’t too interested in them, not as much as all the grown-ups and his sister and the little kids who were told wondrous stories of old about people finding their true love. Sokka was more interested in science, how to fight, how to survive a war. Most of the stories the older people in the village told them ended tragically, anyway. Most of their soulmates had died, their marks a bright white to signify that.

He had been fascinated with them when he was really, really young. He loved hearing his mom and dad talk about how they met or how they found out they were soulmates. It was a boring story, at least that’s what they said, but Sokka loved it. It was such an important event, and his parents had found out they were soulmates in the most mundane way possible, and he loved that their love seemed so simple.

Sokka had wanted to find his soulmate. For years, he really wanted to. He had dual swords crossing over one another, water droplets looking to be engraved into the handles.

But Sokka would never get the chance to meet them. Because at the age of twelve, his soulmark turned from black to white.

It had terrified Sokka that his soulmark had turned white when he wasn’t even a teenager yet. His soulmate couldn’t be dead, right? They must have been as young as him. A kid somewhere in the world had been killed and Sokka knew that because he had felt a hot pain shoot up his spine and as soon as he saw the mark on his lower back he discovered it to be white as a pearl.

The mark suddenly stopped being that comforting to Sokka. Instead it manifested nightmares that his sister or Grangran would have to help calm the boy down. It had felt like someone had burned him, when the mark turned white. Was that how his soulmate had died? Scorched by a fire? Sokka wouldn’t dismiss the idea. He knew the fire nation was full of some of the cruelest people. He wouldn’t put it past them to scorch a child to death.

Sokka had lost interest in his soulmate, almost forgetting that he had one in the first place. He wondered a lot why anyone cared about soulmates now though. Too many people had white marks scorched into their lower backs, and others knew their soulmates could be anywhere in the vast world, in the middle of a war, and what were they going to do? Risk being murdered by checking every nation for their soulmate? It didn’t seem worth it.

Three years went by. The pitying looks from his tribe stopped appearing because they had to accept it at some point, hell, they probably assumed it would happen to one of the kids sooner or later. Sokka trained and trained and trained the best he could to become a warrior. His skills were awful, he knew that, but he had to try. He never got the chance to meet his soulmate, never got a chance to try and protect them. He wanted to at least protect his tribe and his family.

He had to make a change of plans once Aang came into the picture. Katara was a determined and stubborn and fierce girl, but he was still her big brother. He didn’t feel right letting her go off with Aang on her own, and she was definitely not going to be content in just letting the little airbender boy leave.

In their free time between each destination, conversations always returned to soulmarks. It didn’t annoy Sokka really, he was fine listening to them talk about their marks and wonder who Katara’s soulmate could be (Aang appeared to not have a soulmark). Aang had asked about Sokka’s mark. If he had any guesses as to who his soulmate could be, or what he thought they might be like. Sokka just shrugged and showed his mark to Aang. The airbender had been surprised when he had learned Sokka’s mark was white, and for a little while the talk of soulmarks seemed to stop.

Toph had a soulmark, but it was still pitch black. She had yet to meet her soulmate, and Sokka really wasn’t surprised, considering how protective her parents were. Toph didn’t seem to care, though, because why should a mark dictate who you were supposed to fall in love with? She claimed she’ll marry earthbending instead of some random person.

And then Zuko joined the team.

He never said anything about his soulmark, even after everyone began trusting him. Even when they asked, he just said he didn’t want to talk about it. Instead, he’d turn his attention to Aang and start telling him where he needed to improve on his firebending, much to the others’ amusement and Aang’s frustration.

Sokka didn’t really care about Zuko’s mark at first. So what if the fire nation prince didn’t want to share? It was probably some noble fire bender, or maybe even Mai. Sokka knew the two had dated, and Mai had saved them for crying out loud because she apparently still loved Zuko! But Sokka thought that, if Mai was his soulmate, Zuko would have been fine with sharing. Sokka believed he was right, but he couldn’t be completely sure.

He would never admit that the reason he wanted Mai to not be his soulmate was because he wanted to stand a chance. Sokka knew when he started liking someone. He thought this would have just been a fleeting crush, one that would be over and done with in a few days or a couple of weeks. But the feeling didn’t go away. Instead it grew. It grew into warm cheeks and tumbling over words, a smile appearing anytime he saw Zuko laugh and his eyes lingered on the prince more and more with each passing day.

Sokka tried seeing Zuko’s mark, too. He remembered Mai’s because of a close fight he had gotten in a little while ago, and it had been very distinct, a flaming ring circling around a crown made of daggers. He wouldn’t have been surprised if it was Zuko’s mark as well. Something as stunning and intimidating looking would match Zuko’s personality just as much as it fit Mai’s.

But Zuko’s mark was hidden.

All the time.

And Sokka hated that he couldn’t find out if he was right.

He’d never been more curious about soulmarks until then.

Finally, he broke, and had caught Zuko just after training when Zuko was about to head into the house. The others were all down at the beach to relax, but Zuko had wanted to take a bit of time to himself. At least, that’s what he had hoped. But Zuko’s plans were stopped dead as Sokka caught his wrist. It wasn’t a tight grip, but Zuko still looked at him in confusion and a twinge of annoyance flashed through his eyes.

“Hey Zuko, can you stop that?”

Zuko blinked, brows furrowing and a frown gracing his face. “Stop doing… what exactly?”

“Stop hiding your damn soulmark. I want to see if I’m right.”

Zuko’s eyes narrowed and he pulled his hand away, folding his arms over his chest. “Right about what?”

Sokka bit his lip, his hands going to his hips as he huffed softly. “If you and Mai are soulmates! Or just, I really want to know what your soulmark looks like. Or why you of all people won’t show anyone.”

The watertribe boy watched as the young prince’s face softened for a moment, and his shoulders relaxed a little. “Well, I can tell you you’re wrong about Mai and I. We’re not soulmates. Her soulmates are Ty Lee and Azula.”

Sokka did not sigh a little in relief. He did not.

“Then you know who your soulmate is?”

Zuko shook his head, and Sokka’s heart skipped a beat. He watched Zuko worry at his bottom lip before speaking again, and Sokka thought his brain stopped working for a second hearing Zuko’s words.

“I doubt I’ll ever meet them. Or know if I do. So, to tell you why I don’t show my mark to anyone, there’s honestly no point in me showing it.”

Sokka felt the memories of years ago creep back into his mind. He never liked telling anyone for awhile that his soulmate was dead. That must be why Zuko didn’t want to talk about his soulmate, they must be dead too.

Or know if I do.

That sounded odd to Sokka, thinking about it. If Zuko’s soulmate was dead, there would be no chance of them meeting. Right?

“Wait, is your mark white too then?”

Zuko shook his head. Sokka’s brow creased as he tried to think of how Zuko would not know if he met his soulmate if his mark wasn’t white.

“Then how do you know?”

Zuko glanced away from Sokka, hands tightening on his upper arms for a moment before he relaxed. There wasn’t anything inherently wrong, Zuko knew this. He wasn’t the first person to experience this. But it still felt awkward talking about it, especially after hundreds of people made a point not to ask him. Because most people knew already in the fire nation.

“My mark was burned off.”

Sokka’s eyes widened at the admission, and he tried to catch Zuko’s gaze but Zuko kept his eyes on the bushes that lined the nearby wall.

“It’s another form of punishment, I guess.”

“... Punishment?” Sokka thought he may regret asking.

“From the fire lord for disobeying. Why do you think Azula stays in line so much? I think father did it to me to scare her into listening more, because she started to show more emotion a few years back that father didn’t quite like.”

“Your-” Sokka’s words caught in his throat. “Your father did that to you?”

Zuko hummed, nodding. “I know some other people have also had their marks burned off, but they’re hard to find because they don’t show off their marks either.”

Sokka didn’t seem to be listening, though. His hand tangled in his hair as he processed that Zuko’s mark had been burned off.

“What- do you know what happens to your soulmate’s mark after yours has been burned?”

Zuko tilts his head, thinking. “I think it mimics them being dead. But I’m not too sure. That’s just what mother told me before she left. Azula and I just thought it was a sad legend or something though.”

Sokka was quiet for a few moments, trying to process Zuko’s words. How many people thought their soulmates were dead, but in actuality something had just happened to them right on their soulmark? He had never heard of something like it, but it made sense, he thought. If the soulmark was somehow removed from someone, it made sense the matching soulmarks would turn white. Because the soulmark would be dead, right.

What if his soulmate was still alive?

Sokka barely noticed Zuko leave him.

[willowaudreykeyes]

I Got To 100 Followers! (My Own DTIYS)

Firstly, I just really want to thank all 100 of you for following a weirdo like me. I joined Tumblr to read fanfiction and make my own whenever inspiration and motivation struck; but I never thought so many people would follow me. It’s made me smile knowing that I could be making other people smile every time I post something, and it’s just… super cool and gosh I could word vomit all about how thankful I am all day. And because of all you guys, I stayed on Tumblr and learnt about my identity as a non-binary ace! I mean, I’m not around that kind of stuff in my day-to-day life so I never would have figured it out alone.

@surohsopsisofclouds @5am-the-foxing-hour @sparrowofsong @kieraelieson @ambersky0319 @ladyedwina @zero-byeol @wroammin @candied-peach @deceits-left-glove @hufflepuff-deceit  💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️

Hugs/high fives all of you guys for helping me stick to Tumblr, for inspiring me, for being the sweet and awesome people you are and just for being there even when you think you weren’t. You’re all awesome to me and gosh I hope my brain didn’t skip over anyone because I’m just so thankful.

But instead of writing five paragraphs of the exact same thank you message to my mutuals and followers, I’m making a little celebration thing! A DTIYS (Do This In Your Style) to be exact! 

I have five prompts for people to write a fic of any length or to draw for and to tag it as #willowkeyes first 100 so that I can see and reblog all of you guys’ awesome art! You all deserve to be seen for your awesome skills and for the bravery it takes to post your things online! Because you all deserve recognition and so much more! I may even write/draw something if an idea comes to mind…

There’s no time limit, word limit or limit to how many prompts you use either! So take your time, make something as wonderful as you are 💛 I always love to see others' works.

So for the prompts:

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

1: “Your {scales/wings/other physical trait} are/is pretty, no matter what you think. They make you look like you, and I would hate to change anything about you.”

2: “Ghosts do exist. Ever look up at the night sky and see all of those stars? Half of those are gone, dead, and yet we’re still able to see them. I’d call that a ghost.”

3: “Please stop, we look silly.”

“Okay, I will. But only if you loosen up and enjoy yourself for once.”

4:  “Stop doing that.”

“Huh? Stop what?”

“Hiding your Soulmark. I’ve been trying to see if you’re my Soulmate or not because I really want you to be.”

5:  “How in the world are you real? You look like you came straight out of a child’s story book.”

“Is that an insult? Because it sounds like it.”

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

You’re welcome to change the prompt slightly to fit your idea, as long as it’s mostly the same thing. And please, no NSFW works, romantic/qpr r*mr*m or romantic/qpr moxiety. Everything else is cool with me as long as you tag your works with any trigger warnings. 

Feel free to ask any questions if you got them! Or if you just wanna pop in and say hi. But most of all, just have fun with the prompts! Go nuts if you wanna. This is me celebrating all you amazing people who decided to follow me, so the most I want out of this is you guys to smile.

- Remy💛💚💙💛💚💙💛💚💙💛

[glowsticks-are-valid]

Ghost of a Time

catch me being nervous about this and then not being nervous all of a sudden. wild how that works.

anyway @willowaudreykeyes congrats on 100! and also good job, you got me actually writing for the tttng and it isn’t purely angst! amazing how that happens.

Word Count: 2058 Somewhere after Lost Light idk.

TW: Implied/referenced character death, implied/referenced injury, hospital mention, might be more?

2. “Ghosts do exist. Ever look up at the night sky and see all of those stars? Half of those are gone, dead, and yet we’re still able to see them. I’d call that a ghost.”

3. “Please stop, we look silly.” / “Okay, I will. But only if you loosen up and enjoy yourself for once.”

-----------

A year.

The realisation had come to her like a slap to the face. A year had passed since they’d saved Lurine. A year had gone by since Glow had lead Nyx, Blossom, Desiko, Cade and Eve into the heart and lair of a Corrupted Sckrai all to save Neo and Ace and, in a last ditch effort, save Lurine from the grip of the Corruption he’d long succumbed to fifteen thousand years ago. A year since they’d all come back bruised and battered and Neo hospitalised. A year to recover and come to terms with it.

Glow had long come to realise that a day could feel like only seconds to her. Time had never been an issue for her. Days could be seconds, months hours. Years could pass in the blink of an eye. But, as Glow has also learnt, what happened years ago for her friends could only feel like a few hours ago for Glow. A single year was no problem.

Until, apparently, it was.

The Light Burns had finally started to fade and Glow could finally touch them without dying on the spot. Her friends were finally recovering from the incident and Lurine was slotting into the group quickly, though he stayed attached to Neo or Glow’s sides whenever possible. Though Lurine has been found to be in a near constant state of paranoia and terror, it’s been getting more and more manageable. As far as Glow was concerned, everything was going back to the way it was -- just this time with a few additional things. Things were looking up for the first time in many, many years.

That’s when it hit. In a year, they’d recovered. All apart from Glow.

She wasn’t a stranger to panic attacks. Glow had seen and coached people through many of them and had had a few of them. But she was never really ready for when they hit, especially at the dead of the night when Glow knew Nyx would be dealing with Eve’s panic attack down the hall.

Glow hadn’t been to the roof for a long time. She used to find her way onto the flat rooftop of a nearby empty building during the quiet parts of the night once, a while ago. Before Glow had to admit that things were, once again, falling out of her control. She hadn’t come back since that time, nearly three years ago. Too much to do and little time to plan had usually left Glow going through notebook after notebook during the night instead of seeking a comfort that had been gone for over eighty years on the rooftop.

“Lamp Post?”

Glow jumped, whirling around to face whoever spoke, hand instinctively moving to her belt for the knife that Glow could only half recall wasn’t there anymore. Desiko stared at her, eyebrow raised and a simultaneously unimpressed and concerned look to the frown on her lips. Arms folded and her weight shifted onto one leg, Desiko silently waited until Glow relaxed to move, walking over to lean with her back against the railing with her arms crossed beside Glow. The roof was silent between them as Glow slowly leaned onto the rail with her arms crossed.

“You look like shit,” Desiko said. Glow stares impassively at one spot in the street, biting back the rebuttal that sat on her tongue.

She was aware she looked like shit. There was a permanently tired look in her eye that Glow hadn’t seen for years. A haunted kind of shadow that Glow had never learned how to get rid of properly. The Light Burns hadn’t completely faded and still hurt to touch, and the memory of exactly how she got them was still as fresh as the feeling from the memory itself. She was more skittish than usual and wearing hoodies more than Glow remembered wearing in a while.

Glow exhaled slowly, turning her head slightly to look at Desiko at the side of her vision. “What are you doing here, Desiko?”

Desiko shrugged. “Late night stroll.” Glow gave her a disbelieving look that Desiko raised an eyebrow to. Glow rolled her eyes.

“Right,” Glow dragged out skeptically. Desiko elbowed her ribs. Glow huffed quietly, fixing her eyes back on the place in the street. “I sincerely doubt you’d have a late night stroll down the street to the roof of a building I happen to be on.”

Desiko scoffed. “And it’s not like you to go ghosting us either.” Glow blinked and jolted slightly when Desiko heaved herself up onto the rail, swinging her legs over to sit facing out to the city. “In Ace’s immortal, debate-starting words, ‘ghosts don’t exist, bitch, stop acting like one’.” She looked down at Glow, an unimpressed look in her golden eyes.

Glow slowly blinked up at Desiko, ignoring the painful feeling crawling up her throat. Glow looked away quickly, choosing to look at one place in the sky, hand moving mechanically to grab the necklace under her shirt in a vice grip, uncaring of the sharper edges poking into the fabric.

“Funny,” Glow said quietly. “I don’t remember hearing him say that.”

‘Because he didn’t,’ Glow didn’t say, pointedly avoiding looking at Desiko. ‘Ace never said that. Dakota did. Sitting right there. Accusing me of the same thing.’ Her grip tightened. ‘Eighty years ago.’

Glow ignored the stinging behind her eyes and the questioning look from Desiko. “Besides, ghosts do exist.” Glow gestured to the night sky with her free hand, turning to look at Desiko. “Ever look up to the night sky and see all of these stars? Half of those are dead, gone--” Her voice cracked. “--and yet we still see them.”

‘Dakota’s been dead for eighty years, and yet I still see her in you.’ Glow looked back at the sky, hands gripping the rail in a white-knuckled grip, fighting around the lodge in her throat. “I’d call that a ghost.”

Desiko was silent, which was something completely new. Glow glanced at Desiko from the corner of her eye, only to catch Desiko giving her a strange look. Just as Glow opened her mouth to question it, Desiko spoke finally.

“That was really fucking dramatic.” Glow turned her head, blinking in bewilderment. Desiko stared at her. “Like, even for you, that was dramatic as shit. Blossom levels of dramatic. Really god damn dramatic. Theatre levels of-- Hey!” Desiko snapped when Glow shoved her shoulder with a small laugh. Despite the annoyed snap, a small tilt of a smile was on Desiko’s face.

“I get it,” Glow laughed slightly, “I’m a dramatic, sappy idiot--”

Desiko snorted. “Not nearly the same as Ace.”

“Of course not.” Glow agreed. “If anyone could be more dramatic than him it’s Blossom. The only one of us who is an actor.” Desiko huffed.

“A paid actor.” Desiko grinned as Glow chuckled, flipping back over to push herself off the railing onto the rooftop. Glow rolled her eyes affectionately when Desiko shoved her shoulder, which quickly changed to shock when Desiko reached into her pocket to pull out Glow’s phone. Desiko’s grin grew wider. “You really gotta get better at guarding your stuff. It was left in your room.”

Glow made a strangled noise, diving to grab her phone, only for Desiko to step nimbly out of the way. The mischievous look Glow was used to seeing was back. Desiko dodged out of the way when Glow moved to grab it again, smile growing when Glow growled in annoyance.

“Desiko, I swear to the Alcynes--”

“That’s pretty conceited, don’tcha think?” Desiko shot back.

Glow moved forward, and Desiko moved back. Glow’s eyes narrowed, bolting forward to make another grab and jumping back when Desiko slapped her hand away. The confusion must’ve somehow shown in her facial expression because Desiko was laughing under her breath, moving around the roof every time Glow tried to rush to grab her phone back.

Glow made a frustrated noise. “Desiko, just give it back! We look stupid!”

“Good!” Desiko shot back in a tone that, if it weren’t for the open amusement and smile, Glow could’ve said was aggressive. Either way, Glow growled under her breath.

“Desiko--” Glow ground out.

“Lamp Post.” Desiko mimicked. Glow glared and Desiko poked out her tongue. If it weren’t for the fact that the woman in front of her was the golden blonde, Glow nearly would’ve called her Neo. Poking her tongue out was such an incredibly Neo thing. Or an incredibly Dakota thing.

Glow’s heart ached. She sighed, stopping in her place. “Desi, just give it back.”

Desiko paused, a calculating look in her eye before she almost deflated. “Fine.” Slowly, Desiko extended her arm, offering the phone back. Glow reached for it, a ‘thanks’ on the tip of her tongue, only to jump when Desiko stood up straight, snapping her arm back and holding the phone by her head. The mischievous look settled back on her face. “But, only if you stop and enjoy yourself for a while.”

Glow blinked, looking between her phone and Desiko’s eyes. “Desi--”

“No.” Desiko folded her arms, leaning her weight onto one leg with a displeased look. “You have no excuse to not try have a little fun now. Lurine’s here, there’s no thing out there who is determined to murder all of us, we’re all pretty fucking safe and sound now.” Glow bit the inside of her cheek, staring at the ground and avoiding Desiko’s intense glare. “You have been nothing but abso-fucking-lutely stressed over nothing! You need to lighten the fuck up, Lamp Post.”

“Desi--”

“Glow.”

The Light Alcyne paused, staring at the golden blonde. Desiko was watching her, an unusual display of open concern in her expression. Desiko never called Glow by her name.

Desiko waited a second, as if to be sure she had Glow’s attention. “Everyone’s worried as fuck over you. You’ve been more distant lately, even Nyx has seen it, and she’s the fucking queen of suddenly ghosting everyone because she’s too absorbed in her own brain and projects.” Which, Glow could admit, is true.

Desiko exhaled slowly, gaze dropping. “You don’t talk to Neo which means it’s an emotional problem because you don’t want her to read you like a fucking book. You don’t talk to Nyx which means that it’s about something you don’t want to be psychoanalysed. You haven’t gone to Lurine which means it’s a Sckrai problem that he’s involved in. Not talking to Blossom, Cade, Ace and Eve mean it’s sensitive.” Desiko paused, meeting Glow’s eyes. “And not talking to me means it’s not something you can hit to make you feel better. Which means, by elimination, you’re ghosting us because you really fucking hate making anything about yourself.” Glow didn’t react. Desiko clicked her tongue. “Bingo.”

Glow breathed out a shuddering sigh. “Desiko, I’m not in the mood--”

“To talk about it?” Desiko cut in sharply. “Whatever. That’s not what I’m here to get you to do.” Glow gave Desiko a surprised look. Desiko raised an eyebrow. “It’s like I said, Lamp Post. You have no excuses not to be trying to enjoy yourself a little.”

They went quiet for a moment. Glow looked at Desiko, who seemed to be filled with a patience that Glow had never seen in her. For a moment, Glow let herself compare the look to Dakota and her endless patience when it came to Glow sorting out her own head.

A time when Glow’s head hadn’t been as scrambled as it was now.

A time when her best friends weren’t a bunch of geeks and nerds who, when together, become a group of laughing idiots.

A time when Glow didn’t have nearly as much to lose with one small slip up.

Glow smiled, a small laugh escaping. “You’re an asshole, you know that right?”

Desiko grinned. “I am well aware.”

Glow laughed and dove forward, reaching once again for the phone in Desiko’s hand.

------

does this suck? yes do i care? no i love glow and desiko’s dynamic and if this didn’t go to tumblr it’d be going to the discord chat so

yeet me into the void now please

[willowaudreykeyes]

Glow. Buddy. Friendo. Pal. Compadre.

I love your writing so much that I wanna physically hug it. You're an awesome writer and even though I'm not sure of what fandom this is, I still felt all the emotion in Desiko's worry for Glow and all the stress that Glow has been feeling for the past year.

I love this so much, you have no idea 💛💛❤️❤️

Ghost of a Time

catch me being nervous about this and then not being nervous all of a sudden. wild how that works.

anyway @willowaudreykeyes congrats on 100! and also good job, you got me actually writing for the tttng and it isn’t purely angst! amazing how that happens.

Word Count: 2058 Somewhere after Lost Light idk.

TW: Implied/referenced character death, implied/referenced injury, hospital mention, might be more?

2. “Ghosts do exist. Ever look up at the night sky and see all of those stars? Half of those are gone, dead, and yet we’re still able to see them. I’d call that a ghost.”

3. “Please stop, we look silly.” / “Okay, I will. But only if you loosen up and enjoy yourself for once.”

Keep reading