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solatude · 4 years

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ATLA Unpopular Opinions

I’ve had some thoughts about various aspects in Avatar: The Last Airbender. So, in order of least to most controversial, here we go:

Sokka looks better with his hair up. Sokka’s wolf tail is one of the more unique hairstyles in the show, at least for the guys. He looks so basic with his hair down. The wolf tail adds to his personality, his dramaticness, and humor. How can a water tribe warrior fight with hair in his face? Please also refer to his topknot in Book Three.

Sokka didn’t have as much pull as fans think he does. Pull, in this context, means to attract someone romantically/sexually. First of all, Toph is a child, so I’m not counting her because a 12 year-old crushing on a 15 year-old should be nothing more than that---a crush. Yue and Suki pulled him first, as he fell for them before they fell for him. Suki could care less for the sexist guy who insulted her on her own island; but teaching him the ways of the Kyoshi warriors, plus a kiss on the cheek had him blushing---HARD! He thankfully changed his mindset after that. Yue, while she barely had a choice, had accepted her role as princess and was prepared to dedicate her life to the values of her tribe in an arranged marriage. The amount of times she ran away from Sokka was both tragic and hilarious. But that only made Sokka want her more, she never chased him. To be honest though, he was probably the first guy who treated her normally, despite her status. I think she mainly wanted a friend, but was surprised to find a potential lover in Sokka. Plus he made her laugh. Ty Lee thought he was cute, but Ty Lee thinks everything is cute. That is all. If you wanna talk about pull, Aang had Zuko risking his life chasing him for three seasons (I’m joking, don’t think too deeply about that).

Azula and Katara are almost equal in power. I get that Azula is a firebending prodigy, but sometimes her skills are overestimated by fans and she’s made to seem as though she can overpower everyone. It makes perfect sense that she lost to Katara in almost every fight. Before meeting her, she’s only ever fought nonbenders, firebenders, and earthbenders. She never had experience fighting a trained waterbender, so her losing to Katara shows that even she has her limitations. Whenever she did win a fight against her, it was because she got help from her friends, brother, or subjects. Katara never hesitated to fight her, and being 14 years-old herself, allowed for an even exchange of combat. Let’s be honest, what bender would go up against Azula fearlessly except the one who’s element puts out fires?

Ursa was not a bad mother. Ursa was a victim of an abusive, arranged marriage. For context, Fire Lord Azulon wanted Ozai to marry Ursa because she was the granddaughter of Avatar Roku, and he felt that they would produce powerful heirs to the royal family. Ursa was forced to leave her village, family, and fiance behind for this marriage; because who would dare turn down the request of a Fire Lord? Ursa never really loved Ozai, but he never cared. He just wanted to increase his status and power. Ursa is often criticized for giving Zuko attention over Azula, while scolding Azula and not showing her any love. However, Azula was praised by Ozai, and as a result showed more of an obedience towards him. Ozai showed a great disdain for Zuko. Ursa was simply doing her best to show Zuko how much he mattered. He was living in his sister’s shadow, while being neglected by his father. I also really feel for Azula, because she was only valued for her firebending skills, and she probably had no emotional outlet that she trusted to help guide her. However, I do think Azula was too far along for her mother to really help her. Ursa encouraged Zuko to play with Azula; she genuinely wanted her children to get along like any other parent. I just don’t think there was anything she could say or do to encourage Azula to be less destructive and show remorse for her actions. She should have never called Azula a monster, but she was a woman filled with fear. She feared her abusive husband and the repercussions of speaking out against him, she feared the destructive tendencies of her daughter and the ways she hurt other people without caring for how they felt, and she feared for Zuko’s life for not living up to the impossible ideals of the royal family. Ursa was not a perfect mother, but she tried given the little power she had. Also, to be fair, we only see Ursa’s life from Zuko’s perspective in the show. Azula probably had many memories with Ursa but she most likely blocked them out to hold space for firebending forms and her father’s approval; one of which she never really secured.

Bloodbending is overrated and unnecessary. Some fans claim that Katara should have had a more positive reaction to becoming a bloodbender. However, it was never in her character to be so controlling, especially against another person’s will. Bloodbending is also not as useful as it’s made to seem. Since one can only bloodbend on a full moon, you would have to wait an entire month to even utilize the skill. That’s extremely inconvenient and because you have to wait until nighttime, it’s even less practical. How often does Team Avatar fight during the night compared to the day? They would be sleeping if anything. Also, when your team consists of an agile airbender, a master waterbender, a powerful earthbender, and a weapons strategist, plus Appa and Momo; why would anyone need to bloodbend? Most of the Gaang’s enemies never required that level of power in order to be defeated. Bloodbending is also VERY niche. If this is allowed, should bonebending be allowed since there are minerals in bones? Should soundbending be allowed since sound is produced from vibrations? I admit it’s a really cool ability, but it’s not that important in the grand scheme of things. Also, speaking of Katara...

Katara gets too much hate. I’m not sure if it’s the surge of new fans since the Netflix debut or the repressed thoughts of old fans but lately Katara’s character has been mercilessly criticized. It’s been said that she brings up her mother too often, and that she’s overly emotional and selfish. First of all, Katara was eight years-old (and Sokka nine) when her mother was murdered. During the run of the show, only six years have passed since then, as she’s 14 when she finds Aang. She lives with survivor’s guilt due to her mother lying about who the last waterbender was so that Katara wouldn’t be taken prisoner. Unfortunately, the firebender soldier Yon Rah wasn’t taking prisoners that day, implying that he was going to murder her. Katara mentions her mother only a handful of times, usually to relate to another character who lost someone close to them in an effort to empathize (Aang, Haru, Jet, Zuko). People forget that she saw her mother’s dead body after running to get help. It was definitely wrong for Katara to tell Sokka that he didn’t love their mother the way she did in the Southern Raiders episode, and she definitely should have apologized. But, she was right. Sokka was shown to be closer to his father. She was in extreme emotional pain and instead of being comforted, she was criticized by Aang and Sokka for wanting revenge. How many times has Katara sacrificed something for the sake of others? She barely had a childhood considering she took on a maternal role in her tribe after her mother’s death. She had to deal with Sokka’s sexist comments, she had to suppress her talent for waterbending, and she felt isolated and alone because the one parent that was alive left to fight in the war. When someone needed encouragement, Katara was always there to encourage them. When someone needed help, she never hesitated to assist them. She often put herself in harm’s way if it meant someone else didn’t get hurt. For a 14 year-old girl in a war torn world, she is immensely brave. How many times has Zuko gone on and on about his honor, or lashed out at his Uncle for a seemingly small reason? How many times has Sokka talked about meat? Or Azula and her speeches about controlling and manipulating people? Toph and her rebelliousness? Even Aang’s laid back attitude turned into carelessness every now and then. Every character has a crutch that they attach themselves to, but Katara isn’t given the grace that other characters have been given. Yes, Aang lost his entire nation, and Katara would never know what that felt like. However, Aang wouldn’t know how Katara felt either. Aang was in the presence of children his age and was able to travel around the world to make friends (i.e. Bumi from the Earth Kingdom and Kuzon from the Fire Nation). He was taught to be less detached, so his idea of family is very different from Katara’s. He never witnessed the dead bodies of his people firsthand, though he did see Gyatso’s skeleton later on. Katara grew up in a world ruined by war. She had little to no friends, and the one person she was closest to left her life very early. Her tribe was VERY small and I doubt she had a lot of people to talk to. She had never left the Southern Water Tribe before, so it’s very likely that she was going to stay there her entire life had she not met Aang. She’s been accused of not allowing Sokka to feel sad about their mother, but why should she? It’s not Katara’s job to burden the weight of Sokka’s emotions, especially about their mother. She cannot force Sokka to open up about his feelings, that is something he must do at his own free will. Sokka hides his pain behind his masculinity. He’s protective because he feels guilty about not being able to do anything to help his mother. He doesn’t even remember what she looks like, he could only picture Katara’s face in her place. He felt even worse when his father left and he, understandably, couldn’t go with him. Sokka is not upfront about how he feels, but Katara should not be blamed for that. Overall it may be said that Katara was a flawed character that has recently been more scrutinized for her flaws than acknowledged for her strengths. We can do both, but there’s been an imbalance. She successfully revolted to free Haru’s father as well as other prisoners of the Fire Nation. She guided her friends out of the Si Wong desert despite the obstacles that stood in their way. She healed Aang and Zuko when shot by lightning, ultimately saving their lives and the lives of many other people who have been physically hurt by someone. She even washed Sokka’s underwear and sewed his pants. We can cut the girl some slack if she wants to talk about her mother, can’t we? She’s the glue that holds everyone together. Katara’s emotions make her a stronger fighter. Her trauma has shaped her into someone determined to master waterbending and has allowed her to be more empathetic to those around her. But she shouldn’t have had to go through all of that. She was forced to mature faster in order to survive. Katara can sometimes be arrogant, misguided, oblivious, and doubtful, yes. But she is also resilient, brave, selfless, and generous. That is the duality of her character. She is NOT to be disrespected. After all, as she said to Sokka in The Painted Lady, “I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me!”. And she hasn’t.

Iroh should be banned from the Earth Kingdom. It’s not an unpopular opinion that Uncle Iroh is a war criminal, but I just don’t think he should be allowed anywhere near the Earth Kingdom; either temporarily or permanently. Yes he played an instrumental role in Zuko’s redemption, with tea in his left hand and wisdom in his right. However, that does not excuse his invasion of Ba Sing Se. He laid siege to the impenetrable city for 600 days. Surely hundreds, maybe thousands of innocent people died under his commands. He broke the lower ring, home of the poorest members of the Earth Kingdom. The only reason he stopped was because his son, Lu Ten, died in battle; not aware that many citizens also died as a result of his actions. How many children’s lives has his army taken away? How many sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents have died under his siege? Not only does he get to establish a business and earn money, he is elevated to the upper ring of the city; meanwhile an entire population can barely afford food and stable jobs. I understand that is was for plot purposes, but It’s a slap in the face to allow him to thrive in the city after Aang defeated Ozai. His wanted poster should be everywhere, not just for supposedly betraying the Fire Nation, but also for crimes against the Earth Kingdom. The very least he could do was shut down his tea shop and hand the building over to a family who may need it, and establish a tea shop in the Fire Nation. I’m not saying Iroh couldn’t be redeemed for his war crimes, but it definitely would take more than what was seen in the show for him to be forgiven for them.

Anyways, let me know what you think. This took an ungodly amount of time to write.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #sokka #aang #katara #toph #zuko #iroh #ozai #ursa #azula #ba sing se #fire nation #water tribe #bloodbending

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lins-fandom-hub · 3 years

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HPHM Profile: Em Wen-Hui Lin

Template by @hogwartsmystory

Profile subject to change.

IDENTITY

Name: Emily “Em” Wen-Hui Lin

Gender: Female

Age: 12 as of May 31, 1990

Birth Date: February 19, 1978

Species: Human

Blood Status: Half-blood (both parents are Muggle-born attending wizarding institutions)

Sexuality: Undetermined

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Ethnicity: Chinese

Nationality: Um...British, I think?

Residence: Oxford, England

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ISFP

THE MAGE

Wand: Rowan and Phoenix feather, 11 inches, quite flexible

Animagus: N/A. Of the three siblings, only Clara has become an Animagus.

Misc Magical Abilities: Like her siblings, Em is a Legilimens--although she did not recognize the power until late in her 6th year.

Boggart Form: Her inner demons are her downfall. Her Riddikulus form makes the entire room dark, leaving her in the spotlight, standing in front of the glowing column of a Cursed Vault, while shadows of her past begin to echo her worst thoughts. Most of them pertained Jacob’s permanent disappearance, or her older sister abandoning her for good. She just cannot stand the thought of standing there, helpless while her family suffered.

Riddikulus Form: Her Riddikulus form is of the demons popping like soap bubbles all around her, the voices warbled with every bubble that rose. The prevailing darkness will fade as well. The Cursed Vault will become a giant teddy bear.

Amortentia: (What do they smell like?) Freshly ground mint, cinnamon, freshly baked fudge, and tomato juice.

Amortentia: (What do they smell?) She smells fresh linens, nutmeg, smoke from a fire, and...wait, is that honey lemon tea?

Patronus: If she can produce a Patronus, it would be of a black swan. A little strange when compared to Jacob’s falcon and Clara’s unicorn, but her grace and poise is not to be underestimated.

Patronus Memory: the day the tension from the Cursed Vaults finally subsided and she saw the light return to her siblings’ eyes.

Mirror of Erised: She sees herself with her older siblings, both of them genuinely smiling in happiness. Her family has completely reconciled, and she feels at peace.

Specialized/Favourite Spells: Before Em goes to Hogwarts, she knew already of the Herbivicus Charm, which her father taught her to speed up the growth of flowers. This was very useful for her whenever people requested her to make flower crowns at the arts and crafts club she heads along with her friend Dawn. Em can cast a really good Expelliarmus as well--a powerful one that could send the wand flying far away from the owner. In later years, one should watch out for her Tarantallegra and Obscuro. Unbeknownst to several of her classmates, she could also perform a good shield charm thanks to training with her siblings in her first year.

APPEARANCE

Faceclaim: TBD

Voiceclaim: TBD

Game Appearance: (may subject to change every once in a while)

Height: 4’10 at 11, but grows a bit before reaching adulthood

Weight: She is on the slightly light side, lighter than average.

Physique: Relatively frail, but her glare can make up for her strength and power behind her spells.

Eye Colour: Dark brown

Hair Colour: Black

Skin Tone: Pale

Body Modifications: N/A

Scarring: N/A

Inventory: Em carries two silk bookmarks, a beaded bracelet, her wand, a few flower clips, several quills and bottles of ink, and some parchment.

Fashion: Most of the time in school, Em wears her school robes. Yes, even when she’s not in class, she wears her school robes. She would always have a flower in her hair.

ALLEGIANCES

Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff

Ilvermorny House: Pukwudgie/Wampus?

Affiliations/Organizations: Hufflepuff House (Hogwarts); Circle of Khanna (Hogwarts); Order of the Phoenix (1996-); St. Mungo’s Hospital

Professions: Healer at St. Mungo’s

HOGWARTS INFORMATION

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: A

Charms: E

DADA: O

Flying: A

Herbology: O

History of Magic: A

Potions: E

Transfiguration: E

Electives: Care of Magical Creatures (E), Ancient Runes (A), Muggle Studies (E)

Quidditch: Em does not join the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, but she is a great supporter of the team in the spectator stands.

Extra Curricular: Arts and Crafts Club (leader), Duelling Club

Favourite Professors: Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall

Least Favourite Professors: Professor Binns

RELATIONSHIPS

Brother: Jacob Pan-Hui Lin

Although she and Jacob never really were that close, she still admires him for what he does and never held a grudge against him for his mistakes. She longs for them to reunite when she learned he went missing, and always wanted to know him and get along with him.

Older sister: Clara Xing-Hui Lin

Em didn’t really get a chance to connect with Clara until the summer before her first year at Hogwarts. Still, she was firm on helping Clara through her trying times and helped her in any way she could to break the final curse and stop R once and for all.

Father: Sueh-Yen Lin

Mother: Renee Lin (nee Tao)

Love Interest: currently N/A

Best Friends: Dawn Everett, Hillary Redstone,

Rival: Travis Poulter, Eunice Ahn

Enemy: R, Voldemort and Death Eaters

Dormmates: Dawn Everett, three other Hufflepuff girls

Pets: Cheddar (rat), some others TBD

Closest Canon Friends: Penny Haywood, Chiara Lobosca, Nymphadora Tonks, Diego Caplan, Andre Egwu, Charlie Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Cedric Diggory, Badeea Ali, Barnaby Lee, Liz Tuttle, Tulip Karasu

Closest MC/OC Friends:

Sarahi Silvers (@dat-silvers-girl )

Nora Magnus (@dat-silvers-girl )

BACKGROUND/HISTORY

Pre Hogwarts:

Em was around 5 or 6 when Jacob disappeared. Since then, all she had known was broken bonds and tears.

Her sister drifted away from her as well in her first 5 years at Hogwarts. She had to learn in this time to stand alone in the worst of the storm.

1st Year:

Em was Sorted into Hufflepuff on the first day at school

The statue curse prevailed during little Em’s first year at Hogwarts

Following the Halloween Feast, Em created the Arts and Crafts club at her friend Dawn’s suggestion--where members create many wonderful things out of everyday items

She and Clara take up Bill’s offer to go to the Burrow for Christmas.

After Rowan Khanna’s death, Em was roped into the Circle of Khanna by Diego Caplan who insisted the group needed her duelling skills

While Clara was preparing the Polyjuice Potion to infiltrate R, Em got to see all the Vaults firsthand that have been broken

Prior to Clara’s trip to the Black Lake with Ben, Merula, and Jacob, Em comes around and gives Clara a flower crown to present to the merqueen

After the curse was lifted, just as Clara threw a party at the Three Broomsticks, Em threw a party in the courtyard with the people who were unable to go to Hogsmeade

2nd Year:

Em returns to Hogwarts for her second year prepared to help her siblings take down the rest of R

3rd Year:

Em returns to Hogwarts without her siblings for the first time. However, it was then when she met the Boy Who Lived--Harry Potter.

The year passed pretty normally for her

4th Year:

When the Chamber of Secrets was opened, little Em was one of the first to ensure that all the younger Hufflepuff students remained calm in this time

She already knew firsthand that Gilderoy Lockhart was suspicious, and so she wrote her mother when he was outed (and his memory was permanently wiped)

5th Year:

Em becomes a Hufflepuff Prefect for her fifth year along with Cedric Diggory

The year that Sirius Black escaped has been a tough one for her. Imagine Percy constantly on high alert, especially since he’s Head Boy--she’s adapted his high alertness once more, fearing for the entire student body once more

Despite all this, little Em came out successful in her OWLs, obtaining an impressive eight OWLs while only failing History of Magic (she dropped Muggle Studies after her 4th year)

6th Year:

Enter: The Goblet of Fire, and the Triwizard Tournament!

Em was too young to participate, so she ended up sitting by the sidelines cheering both her friend Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter on

She did not develop a crush on any of the boys in her year (mostly because she can’t be bothered right now with romance, maybe), but she did go to the ball with another Ravenclaw boy in her year

The loss of Cedric Diggory at the end of her 6th year had put her in another mute grief. First, she sat through Rowan Khanna’s memorial--she didn’t expect to sit through another one five years later, and one for one of her closest friends too.

7th Year:

Prior to starting her 7th year, her older sister Clara left for China

Em becomes one of the Head Girls in her 7th year, but the arrival of Dolores Umbridge and the way she instilled all these regulations made her secretly pissed off

She wholeheartedly supported Fred and George in testing their joke products so that they could make a profit out of their talents

When they left Hogwarts on their broomsticks after a while, she too was one of the few who wished she could leave the school but could not

Order of the Phoenix / 2nd Wizarding War:

Em was roped into the Order of the Phoenix along with her brother, Jacob, by none other than Professor Dumbledore immediately following graduation

While her sister was in China holding back the Japanese forces, the times they had to talk were far and few in between--however, they were able to talk when they could, and Em relayed everything that happened to her through encrypted letters sent to her grandmother

Em was the one who alerted Clara of the upcoming Battle of Hogwarts--while the siege went underway, she stuck close to Diego

Em survives the battle--she mourned for Fred and the many lives that were lost

Post-War:

Em ends up becoming a Healer at St Mungo’s, helping those who have undergone traumatic experiences during Voldemort’s rise

Future relationship TBD.

PERSONALITY

Though she comes off as a shy soul, little Em is not completely fragile. Behind her kind eyes laid years of suffering from her family’s arguments and broken bonds--yet she pushes forward, and her persistence does not go unnoticed

Em is always willing to offer a helping hand, even though she’s the one who needs it most.

She cares deeply for those who she ends up befriending and trusting. This also includes most of Clara’s friends at Hogwarts.

Though soft-spoken and easy to knock over, her spells could pack a serious punch.

MISC

Em’s love of Herbology came from her father, whom she loved helping in the family gardens long before Jacob’s disappearance.

She doesn’t play many instruments like her sister, but she has a decent singing voice good enough to join the Frog Choir. However, the thought of that made Em shake her head--she really only sings for fun, after all.

Em’s love for crafts came from the time Jacob gifted her a Hippogriff ornament at her first Christmas that he made himself.

#hogwarts mystery #hphm #etched engraved everlasting #hphm em lin #so here's the profile for clara's younger sister #for anyone who is interested more or less in learning about her #but she's always open to friends so #hit me up if you want to be friends with the little sister

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imaginethebeautifulworld · 4 years

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could i get axis, allies, spain, romano, prussia, canada & hong kong finding out their best friend is ace? this might be a weird request but my dad didnt take it well when i came out earlier tonught and its ok if you dont want to write this one

Updated because I forgot Toni! D:

America:

Alfred lets out a single, surprised "Dude." He then gives you the biggest, brightest smile you have ever seen, warming you from the inside out. "That is so cool!" He has questions, of course, most of them revolving around "How did you find out?" and "Wait, are you telling me you don't think Chris Evans is hot?" Overall, he is a big ball of positivity, though he's much more serious when asking if you wanted to meet up with the local PFLAG sometime. He often attends meetings anyway; there's usually free food, and he's heard some really awesome presentations. Overall though, he is your biggest, most enthusiastic ally, in this and every adventure you two have ahead.

Canada:

Matthew doesn't really have time to process your words, whispered in a sudden rush just as the opening credits for the film were starting, but then he catches on. He quickly shoves aside his surprise at not realizing before; he wants to take the remote from you, barricaded as it is within the depths of your blanket fort, but you have a firm grip on it, gaze riveted to the television. He takes a moment to study your tense frame, notices how nervous you were to tell him. With a soft sigh of fond exasperation, he slides closer to you, lightly elbowing you in the side. When he knows he's caught your attention, he offers a wide smile, a silent affirmation that has you dropping your head into his chest in relief, a soft: "Thanks, Mattie," escaping in a contented hum.

China:

Yao is- in a word- confused. In some ways, he is very much the old man he pretends not to be, and his lack of knowledge about queer history is an indicator of that. At first, he would ask if you meant to become a monk; is this some form of abstinence? When did you decide this? Were you vegan, too? It would take patience to explain it to him in full, and there will be some slip-ups. But he absolutely adores you; with a little time, a lot of patience, and maybe a few conveniently misplaced books, he'll understand. And even in that time before- He's always going to be there for you.

England:

Arthur is surprised. Sometimes your jokes are dirtier than his, and Lord knows you have an eye for attractive people. But thinking back, he's never seen you hold more than a passing fancy in anyone, and every date you were on never lasted longer than a few hours. He can tell you're nervous about having told him, anxiously turning away from him to put all your energy into glaring at the canal water. Gently, he steps closer to you, placing a hand on your shoulder, the acceptance in his gestures. He doesn't bother with words; your sigh of relief is confirmation enough that he doesn't need any anyway.

France:

Francis is flattered that you're confiding in him, and he offers immediate, enthusiastic support. He's touched that you trusted him enough to tell him. He's had several partners in the past who have also fallen on the spectrum, and it made him perhaps one of the more understanding nations. He would ask you if there was anything he could do to support you further, and thanks you for telling him. No matter what, he will always love you for who you are, and treasures your friendship just as much as before.

Germany:

Ludvig was startled when you flopped onto the couch beside him, top of your head just missing his thigh, your admission groaned in a series of hypothetical questions that were all too pointed to be anything but truthful. Gently closing his book to set it aside, he placed his hand on your back, lightly brushing it back-and-forth in what he hoped to be a comforting gesture. He wasn't really surprised; seeing your interactions with others all hinted at it. But, he could tell it was bothering you and makes certain to reassure you, a firm, unwavering presence always by your side.

Hong Kong:

Leon has suspected for a while now. It wasn't necessarily clear from your words or your mannerisms, but there was just something about your vibe that gave him hints. When you brought up the courage to confide in him, confirming his suspicions, he feels an overwhelming sense of humility. He thanks you for confiding in him, fully aware of how hard coming out can be. While he may not personally understand it, he easily accepts it as just another part of who you are. And in his opinion? You're always gonna be a badass, and he has a dozen more pranks he wants to play with you.

Japan:

Kiku is a bit relieved, truth be told. He tries not to show how happy he is to have one of his closest friends also fall on the spectrum, instead focusing that energy into a smile of gratitude, thanking you for telling him. He has never really felt the need to come out himself, having long ago just accepted it as part of who he is. He can't really repress his contentment as you turn back to your otome game, your eyes furrowed in concentration. He makes a note to subtly recommend some ace-positive manga to you, knowing that even a little representation can be a constant reassurance.

Prussia:

Gilbert is honestly confused at first; what on earth is that? He's familiar enough with the meanings for LGBT, but he hasn't heard the term "asexual" before. He's quick to reassure you that he's not trying to be a dick; he's genuinely confused. As you start to explain, he feels his confusion morph into surprise and a bit of relief. He didn't realize there was actually a word for how he felt, let alone a whole community. He gives you a smile, declares that you're still awesome enough to be graced with the honour of his presence before he resumes his game, mentally making a note to do more research on his own.

Romano:

Lovino is... To be honest, he's torn. He's long ago familiarized him with a bunch of orientations- between Felice and Cello he really didn't have much choice in the matter- but oddly enough asexuality hadn't been one of them. The concept is kind of hard to wrap his head around. You aren't interested in sex? Are you serious? He doesn't get it, not really. But, he knows how hard it can be to be open with others, and he appreciates how much you trust him enough to confide in him. He takes your hand across the table- nearly spilling your drinks in the process- and assures you that he's always got your back, no matter what.

Russia:

Ivan is wholeheartedly supportive, taking you mildly by surprise. You had expected him to be a little leery of the concept, perhaps even opposed to it. He won't lie; he's kind of hurt at the assumption and is quick to reassure you that nothing comes in the way of how much he loves you. You're his friend- his closest confidant- and all he cares about is knowing that you're happy and safe, that helping you embrace who you are to feel comfortable in your own skin is his top priority. If there is any sort of fallback to fear, it's his threat to expect an increase of illegal memes, all of them based on ace puns and pride.

Spain:

Antonio is very nonchalant about the whole situation. He takes it in stride as easily as if you were to say it was going to partially cloudy tomorrow, never ceasing the swinging of your hands as you continue wandering the Gothic Quarter. He is very casual with his questions: How long have you known? Have you told anyone else? Upon confirmation to these and the dozen or so other questions he has for you, he simply gives your hand a small squeeze, twirling you as soon as there's enough space in the alley. He wants to make sure you feel comfortable around him, and it's his small way of assuring you that you can always tell him anything.

Veneziano:

Feliciano starts to panic, just a little. Had he overstepped your boundaries? Had he ever made you uncomfortable? You're quick to reassure him, his worrying ironically making the conversation a lot easier. He has dozens of questions for you- all of them revolving more about the specifics. Are you still interested in romance? Are you under the general ace umbrella, or were you possible demi or grey? Did you want him to cancel the blind date he set up for you? If anything, Feli is immediately invested, only wanting to make sure that you always felt loved and safe with him, and promising that you can always tell him anything.

Anon,

I'm sorry it didn't go well with your dad. I know from firsthand experience how hard it can be to come out to someone, and unfortunately, I also know how much it hurts not finding the love and acceptance you had been hoping for.

Please know that you are always accepted for who you are here. My inbox is always open if you ever want to talk, and my ask is always open in case you would prefer to remain anonymous.

Please take care, Lovely. Don't lose hope. <3

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harley-sunday · 4 years

Text

10 Things I Hate About You [02]

Summary: Based on the RomCom ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ we follow the reader as she tries to win over Bucky Barnes so his best friend can finally go on a date.Entry for @arrowsandmixtapes RomCom Challenge

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader (f) & Steve Rogers x Maria Hill

Warnings: Language

Word Count: 2.5k

AN: This was a fun chapter to write, hope it’s a fun chapter to read as well. Please let me know what you think :) ♥

Masterlist

You find the gym empty, which is weird for this time of day, but honestly right now it suits you just fine. You have twenty minutes before Barnes will join you for your training session and you want to get this out of your system before then. No need for him to see you like this. Although you're sure he already knows. Privacy is hard to come by here.

Setting up the target, you don’t bother replacing the Iron Man outline he must have used the last time he was here, because this time you might share whatever it is Barnes has against him. You grab the bag of knives you brought from the supply room before you make your way to the other end of the room and dump them on the floor unceremoniously by tipping the bag over. You take as many as you can hold into your hand and clear your mind, focusing on what you're about to do. There’s at least twenty feet between you and the target now, and while it takes you a few throws to get into the right rhythm, after a short while you’re hitting it throw after throw, more knives finding their way into the bull’s eye than during last week’s session.

You’d like to say it’s because you’ve been practicing, or simply because you’ve found out you’re a natural, but the truth of the matter is that you’re pissed off and anger has always been a good motivator for you.

Barnes comes in early and so you’re still working through your anger when he joins you, your throws becoming more and more frantic, and a sheen of sweat covering your body. Must be quite the sight, you think, but at least he’s smart enough not to comment on it. The last knife finds its way a little off center as it flies towards the target, and like his did last week, it hits the handle of one of the knives already there before it bounces off and lands on the ground.

Using your shirt you wipe some of the sweat off your face and set out to collect your knives so you can start your training session, when suddenly you feel his hand on your arm, holding you in place.

“You ok?”

You let your eyes fall to his hand before you look up at him. People have told you you tend to look like you’re about to hurt someone on average but you guess you really must be shooting daggers now, because he actually lets go of you and takes a step back.

His hands go up in defense, but he actually looks worried, “That bad, huh?”

Some of your anger resolves then, because fuck, this is Barnes, the guy’s lived through enough to not have to bear the brunt of your anger, and so you shake your head, “Not really.” Then, as an afterthought, “Don’t worry about it, Barnes.”

“Bucky,”

“What?”

“Barnes is reserved for when I’m at work,” he grins, “just call me Bucky.”

You’re about to tell him, “Ok,” but there’s a group of recruits coming in then, talking loudly until they spot you, their voices quieting down almost instantly, and so you keep quiet too. You throw them what you hope is a look that tells them to mind their own fucking business. You have a reputation to uphold after all.

He just stares at them from over your shoulder, shaking his head before he looks back at you. “Come on,” he says then, motioning for you to follow him as he walks towards the target and collects the knives, dropping the bag off at the locker room door, muttering something about getting that later.

As you throw one last look over your shoulder you see Nat coming in, who winks at you before she tells the recruits to stop glaring and get into position. You smile back at her before you follow him to one of the side doors that leads directly outside. The sunlight has you blinking as you try to adjust your eyes, the warmth of the afternoon sun a welcome change from the cold temperature in the gym.

He turns around and asks you the same question again, “You ok?”

You nod this time, because you feel a bit better already, “Getting there.”

He motions for you to sit down on the grass and when you do he joins you, sitting down so he’s facing you, pulling his knees up and letting his wrists rest on top of them, his hands playing with a dandelion he picked just moments earlier. He looks at you then, “Does this have anything to do with Steve having to join you on your next mission?”

“Babysitting me, you mean?”

He chuckles, “Yeah.”

Part of you doesn’t want to talk about it any more than that, because this moping around feels safe and at least no one bothers you when you’re in one of your ‘moods’, as Nat likes to call them. Bucky seems genuinely worried about you though and so you start, “Tony and I have this deal,” you look up at him and see him nod, taking this as your cue to continue, “technically I’m part of the team, but I only do solo missions.”

“Because of Padua, right?”

“Right,” you reply. He must have heard what happened, and if he hasn’t he doesn’t ask about it so you don’t bother to explain any further. “Then this morning I get assigned a new mission only to find out in the briefing room that Tony wants Steve to fucking chaperone me!” You scoff, “Gave me some bullshit excuse about quality control, that they want to know if I’m still carrying out my missions to the set standard.” You curse quietly.

“Why?” Bucky seems as surprised as you are.

You sigh. “Last week I was on a mission to extract some files that supposedly link HYDRA to funding the 2016 presidential campaign,” you clear your throat, “I used explosives to draw my target out of his hiding place but apparently Tony thinks I blew up a civilian car just for shits and giggles, allowing my target to escape and causing substantial damage to a few public buildings while I was at it.”

“I know I made a mistake, ok? It’s not like I’ll do it again next time.” You sit up, “but now I don’t get to go on any solo missions until I prove my worth again.” You tut, “Fuck. Don’t get me wrong, I like really Steve, but I don’t need someone tagging along, watching my every move and then tell me what to do when I’ve been going at it alone for the last few years.”

“Welcome to my world,” Bucky counters almost immediately and in such a deadpan manner you can’t help but laugh.

“I’m working on it, Maria, ok?” you tell her before she even has a chance to say anything. She’s found you in the kitchen where you’re unloading the dishwasher rather aggressively because it’s your fucking turn today and God forbid you forget to do one of your chores around here. Thor, surprisingly, has already lectured you about the importance of taking your responsibilities seriously twice before, and that was just because you forgot to clean the lint out of the dryer after you used it, and you’re not sure you can make it through a third time without losing your damn mind.

She holds her hands up in defense, “Not what I was going to ask, but sure.”

“Sorry,” you try to smile at her, “rough day.”

“I know,” she replies. She leans against the counter, “I was just coming to see how you’re doing.”

She and Steve were in the briefing room with you when Tony told you about his plan and so she got to witness firsthand how you react when you feel betrayed by the two men you trust most. Tony likened it to a tantrum unprecedented by anything a two-year old has ever thrown. Steve never said anything but looked genuinely scared of you. So to say you’re surprised Maria’s even talking to you now is an understatement.

“I’m ok,” you admit, “my training session with Bucky turned into somewhat of a therapy session, so I got most of my anger out.”

She doesn’t say anything, just smiles.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she shakes her head and starts to walk away. Then she turns around, a mischievous grin playing on her lips, “But I guess Steve’s not the only one who gets to call him Bucky anymore.”

The mission was supposed to be simple. Fly in, gain access to the main server of the facility without making too many casualties, extract the files needed, and be back before dinner. On your own it would probably take around four hours on site and so you figured now that you’re with Steve you could get the job done in just under two. You might be wrong.

“Rogers?” you try again, pressing the comms unit into your ear a little more, “Rogers, report.” Nothing but static fills the air and you’re starting to get worried. He’s been silent for at least five minutes, and even though you agreed to split up so you could cover more ground faster, right now you wish you hadn’t. You decide to retract to your last shared location, but not before you try again, “Rogers, I have what we came for. Can you please report?”

Still nothing.

You let out a frustrated groan. Protocol says you should go back to the Quinjet, call for backup, and then wait it out until they arrive. Of course, you think to yourself, Captain fucking America could be dead by then but at least you’ll have followed protocol. Tony would be so proud. You check your gun, confirming what you already knew, still fifteen rounds left and so you make a quick decision, muttering a quiet, “Fuck protocol.” before you set off to where you last saw Steve.

“Language.”

“I’ll let Tony know you’re perfectly capable of going out on your own,” Steve says as he turns to you after he’s put the Quinjet on autopilot.

“Thank you,” you reply. There's venom dripping through your voice and even though it really isn’t aimed at him you can see Steve physically recoil. Great. Now you’ve upset Captain America. This might be worse than getting him killed.

Besides Nat, Steve is the one you’re closest too, not in the least because he’s the one who convinced you to join all those years ago on his first ever recruitment mission. And while Nat was the one who got him up to speed with modern technology after he got defrosted, you were the one who supplied him with endless lists. Lists of what movies to watch, which albums to listen to, and books you thought he’d like to read. Then, for every year he missed you made a recap, collecting them all in a binder that you handed him on his first birthday after he came out of the ice.

And while Nat always bears the brunt of your moods in stride, up until now you’ve always been careful not to be too bad-tempered around Steve. It’s hard to pinpoint why, but you guess it’s because he’s so sweet-natured that you’d feel embarrassed if he’d ever did see you lose it, even though he did get a taste of it in the conference room earlier this week, you remind yourself. Woo, boy. Not good.

“Sorry about that,” you say, your voice much softer now.

“It’s ok,” he says, because of course he does.

“It’s just-” you sigh. You don’t want to sound like a whiny brat, but it still upsets you you’re being supervised, “I don’t know. It feels like Tony has it out for me for some reason.”

“Listen, don’t be too hard on Tony, ok?” Steve turns towards you with an apologetic smile. “Ross has been watching our every move for a while now, accusing us that we’re taking unnecessary risks and Tony just doesn’t want to take any chances.”

“Noted,” you reply with nod. You lean back in your chair, watching Steve out of the corner of your eye. He really is one of the good guys, you think, determined then to do whatever you can to make sure Maria can ask him out on a date. They both deserve some happiness, you decide.

You don’t see Bucky until next Monday, the mission you went on with Steve having interfered with your Thursday session. By now you’ve moved on to actual hand-to-hand combat after you passed some sort of knife-throwing exam he had you go through at the start of the afternoon.

“Alright,” he says as he gathers his hair and ties it into a loose bun at the base of his neck. “We’ll run through it together. Half-speed, ok?”

“Ok.” You resume your position, back towards him so he can attack you from behind after he’s explained exactly what you’re supposed to do to actually block his attack this time. Taking deep breaths to prepare you for the inevitable even though you know what’s coming he still surprises you when he suddenly grabs you.

Remembering what he’s told you, you grab a hold of the hand that’s holding your neck, while at the same time you turn around, mimicking a punch with your other hand, before your almost kick him in the goods.

“Good,” he says with a grin. “We’re going to try that again, but full-speed and no holding back this time, ok?”

“You sure?” you counter with a sly smile, eyeing the loose sweatpants he’s wearing.

“Very,”

You shrug, “Alright, let’s do it.”

He has you walking from one end of the gym to the other, so the attack will even be more of a surprise and you’re almost at the halfway point when you feel his hand on your neck. His grip is tighter than it was before, letting you know you’re playing for keeps now.

You repeat the motions you’ve come to memorize, actually punching him this time, but hesitate when you lift your foot up to kick him.

He takes advantage of your momentary distraction and hooks his leg behind yours, taking you down in one swift move. You’re on your back before you know it, his arm across your chest to hold you in place. There’s a gleam in his eye when he says, “Should have gone for the goods, sweetheart.”

“Speaking about goods,” you say with a wink, letting your eyes drop to where his arm is draped across your chest before you look back up at him again, “you just skipped first base and went straight to second, Barnes. I’d say you owe me a drink for that.”

“Oh shit,” he mutters, quickly pushing himself off. His cheeks are slightly more red when he holds out his hand to you to help you to your feet. “I’m sorry-”

“It’s ok,” you reassure him, because you can tell he’s genuinely upset. He still doesn’t look convinced so you try again, “Really, Bucky, don’t worry about it.”

He smiles then before he gently pushes you towards the locker room, “Let me at least buy you that drink some time then.”

#Bucky Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes Fanfic #RomComWC #Harley Sunday x Bucky Barnes #Bucky Barnes

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ask-serious-sans · 6 years

Text

Bad Time Duo (Fanfiction) Part 13

While the humans had said the monsters could not live in their town, they had said nothing about whether or not the monsters could build their own town, so that's what they did. Every monster pitched in, quickly and efficiently setting up enough tents for them all to stay in until they were able to build a few houses. Undyne and Papyrus were in charge of this, Papyrus having been accepted into the Royal Guard once Asgore announced the Royal Guard would no longer be fighting any humans that fell into the underground. Now, the Royal Guard took on tasks such as building projects like this one. Papyrus had been very happy with this turn of events, since it meant he got to live out his dream without needing to fight anyone. In the meantime, Asgore, Toriel, and Chara attended meetings with the leaders of the human town. At first, the humans stubbornly refused to allow any monsters to enter their town, so they met at the outskirts of the human town. The human leaders had quickly decided this was not a suitable arrangement, mainly because it meant standing outside in the sun for several hours. So, they had allowed Asgore and Toriel to enter the town for meetings, as long as they left the town immediately afterwards. Lack of air conditioning was apparently a powerful motivator. Chara almost preferred the meetings being outside the town, since it meant the only humans they had to deal with were the ones they were meeting with. Inside the town, any humans the trio passed on their way to the building the meetings were now held in would whisper amongst themselves, and these whispers were generally not very nice. Toriel and Asgore were the main subjects of the whispering, but that was not a source of comfort to Chara, who cared about their adoptive parents very much. Both had told Chara that it didn't bother them, though Chara wasn't entirely sure they weren't just saying that. At least Rei wasn't there- if any of the humans had insulted him, Chara would have been beyond furious. They hoped by the time negotiations were finished the humans would stop insulting the monsters, but they doubted it. Then again, the human leaders were being rather stubborn, so it wasn't like they expected the negotiations to conclude anytime soon, anyway. It didn't help that rather than actually trying to reach a compromise, the humans spent most of the meetings talking about how inconvenienced they were by the monsters' arrival. Not that Chara could see any way the humans had actually been inconvenienced- the monsters weren't even allowed to enter the town, aside from Asgore and Toriel, both of whom were very polite even in the face of insults from the humans. It was ridiculous, really; the humans had sealed the monsters under a mountain for centuries, but they were the ones claiming to be inconvenienced? Despite how long their efforts to find a compromise was taking, some progress was actually being made. Chara's irritation fueled their determination to succeed, and once Chara set their mind to something, they reached their goal, even if it took a long time. The human leaders' stubbornness was nothing compared to Chara's own, though they were much more subtle about it, and used logical arguments rather than complaining like the other humans did. They didn't expect the humans to suddenly welcome the monsters with open arms, of course; their goal was to gradually defeat the other humans' distrust of the monsters until they could at least accept their presence on the surface. It would probably be many years before the two races could truly coexist in peace, but for now Chara would settle for the humans at least not showing outright hatred and fear of the monsters anytime they happened to see one. It wasn't like they were in any rush to start living in a human town, anyway. The fledgling town the monsters were building was filled with a sense of comradeship and was much more friendly and inviting than any human town Chara had ever seen. Unlike the town they had lived in before climbing Mount Ebott, the monster town felt like an extended family. Everyone cared about each other, and even monsters who had lived in different areas in the Underground were now helping each other and hanging out as if they were old friends. Perhaps it was a good thing the monsters hadn't taken up residence in the human town after all. Besides, it was quite a relief to know that once they left the human town's boundaries after a long meeting they would not have to look at a human, much less talk with one, until the next meeting. While they were getting used to speaking with humans now, it was still quite exhausting for them, particularly when said humans were speaking with a distinct lack of civility. Nevertheless, they were trying their best to reach a compromise between the two races, even if the meetings with the humans often felt like talking to a brick wall.

Several months later Chara headed out of the building with Asgore and Toriel after another long meeting. They felt exhausted as usual, but this time it was mixed with a feeling of victoriousness. The humans had finally given their approval of the nearby monster town, and would allow monsters to enter the human town, so long as they behaved maturely. Chara inwardly figured if anyone was going to cause a problem, it would be a human, but didn't bother saying so. It would only make the humans defensive- even if they knew it was true- and might jeopardize the tentative peace. They resolved to warn the monsters to be very careful when visiting the human town, since the other humans would almost certainly place the blame for any disturbances with the monsters, regardless of what had actually happened. In fact, Chara wouldn't put it past them to try to start a commotion just to create tension between the two races. The humans had once started a war just to get an opportunity to trap the monsters under a mountain, after all. This was still a step in the right direction, though; the monsters would no longer have to worry about being kicked out of their town and forced to find somewhere else to live, and if the initial interactions between the races went smoothly, they might be able to someday live in peace as they once had so long ago. Toriel was especially excited, since the monsters being allowed to enter the human town meant that she could try to become a teacher at an official school. This was one of her biggest dreams, as she had confided in Chara and Asriel after offering to teach them while they were living with her. Chara doubted the humans would hire a monster for any occupation, no matter how skilled they were, but kept that thought to themselves. Besides, no one would know for sure until Toriel tried; maybe the humans would hire her. Toriel was an excellent teacher, patient and understanding, so if the humans gave her a chance the children's educations would certainly benefit from it. When they returned to the monsters' town and told everyone what had happened, Asriel seemed to share Toriel's excitement. Somewhat surprisingly, especially for a kid his age, Asriel really wanted to attend one of the human schools. Chara had a bad feeling about that, which they again kept to themselves to avoid spoiling his happiness, but it nagged at their mind unceasingly. The humans had agreed to let the monsters stay here, but nowhere had they agreed to be nice to the monsters. Based on how much the humans disliked anyone who was different, it was highly unlikely they would be nice to the monsters, even a monster child. And human children could be vicious bullies, especially if they knew the adults wouldn't do anything to stop them... Chara could vividly recall their own experiences at a human school. Human children had made fun of them, taken their backpack and left it high in the branches of a tree for them to retrieve, and even pushed and shoved them in the halls regularly. They'd tried to tell the teachers, but most brushed it off as 'children being children' while some went as far as to claim Chara had been making it up. As soon as the other children had seen there would be no consequences for their actions, they had become increasingly bold with their bullying, knowing that the teachers would take their side over Chara's. They didn't want that to happen to Asriel. Although they would certainly make sure the teachers couldn't just brush off any bullying that occurred, they knew firsthand how much bullying could mess with one's mind. Even if the humans only got away with it a couple of times, it would still affect Asriel. But what could they do to prevent it? They knew they wouldn't be able to talk him out of attending a human school; he could be pretty stubborn when he was excited about something. Nothing short of recounting their own experiences would convince him to change his mind, and they didn't plan on ever telling him about that. So, there really wasn't anything they could do. Which, of course, only served to make them feel worse. All the happiness they had felt earlier was now gone, a sense of foreboding in its place. While the monsters celebrated their victory, Chara stayed out of the way, by themselves, to avoid dampening the mood. Once they were confident everyone was distracted by the celebration, they headed silently into the Dreemurrs' house to think. Since everyone was so excited, it was awhile before anyone noticed they were missing. They really shouldn't have been surprised that it was Sans who found them first. Aside from Asriel, the short skeleton was their closest friend. In the time since the barrier had broken, Sans was the only one they had allowed to see how uncertain and worried they were about being on the surface. And even that was mostly because he had been able to figure it out himself- it seemed like he had a sixth sense for figuring out when someone was feigning a smile and when it was genuine. Chara didn't even bother with fake smiles when Sans was the only one around anymore- there was no point. "Something wrong?" Both knew it was a statement rather than a question, but phrased in a way that would allow Chara to get out of saying what it was if they so chose. It was another thing Chara appreciated; Sans didn't try to force them to talk about anything unless it was something that everyone except- and sometimes even including- their stubborn self could tell they really needed to talk about. Even so, they found themselves choosing to talk a lot more frequently than they once would have. It helped that Sans was a good listener. "I'm just worried about Rei going to a human school." Chara finally admitted. Chara had confided in Sans about the humans insulting monsters whenever they saw Asgore and Toriel in the town, so it didn't take Sans long to formulate a guess as to why. "You think the humans will insult him because he's a monster." Chara nodded. Sans sighed. "I'd like to say there's some way we could prevent that, but..." "But there isn't." Chara laughed bitterly. "How pathetic am I? Just because I took care of him in the Underground, suddenly I think I'd be able to do the same on the surface. Where I couldn't even take care of myself." Humorless laughs peppered their self-depreciating tirade. "This is all my fault! They were right, I can't do anything right." They seemed to have forgotten Sans was even there, and stared at the floor with eyes full of self-loathing. Sans grew concerned. Chara had a tendency to be hard on themselves, but they'd never gone this far, at least as far as he knew. Or maybe they did, just not when others were around. "Chara-" Chara looked up quickly, eyes wide. "I'm sorry! I forgot you were... I didn't mean for you to..." they stammered, struggling to explain their outburst. "I keep making things worse!" they hissed at themselves under their breath. It probably wasn't intended for Sans to overhear that part, but he had. "No you aren't. You're just worried about Asriel. It's normal, I worry about Papyrus a lot too. I'm more concerned that you're being so hard on yourself-" "Well, it is my fault," Chara replied stubbornly. Seeing Sans frown, Chara sighed. "I'm sorry. It was not my intention to ruin today for you. Go back and celebrate with everyone else. I need to think." With that, Chara turned to walk to a different room. "Please wait," Sans said hastily. To his relief, Chara actually listened, stopping and turning back. "What is it?" "So, yeah, maybe the humans won't be civil. But Asriel will be fine. After all, he's not alone- he has plenty of friends. And he has you. We'll all be keeping an eye out for him, and if anyone really hurts him, they'll have to deal with Asgore, Toriel, and you. I don't think anyone's gonna give him a hard time if they know that." Sans wasn't sure if his speech would help at all, but he had to try. Chara looked conflicted for awhile, but a miniscule smile eventually appeared on their face. "I suppose you're right, Comedian." It was true, Asriel's case was very different from Chara's own. No one would have bothered to help Chara, but Asriel had lots of friends. Humans who tried to bully Asriel wouldn't be able to get away with it as easily as Chara's bullies had. "Let's go rejoin the others before they realize we left. If you're ready, I mean?" "Yeah... Yeah. Sure." Chara began walking towards the door, and Sans walked beside them. "Hey, Chara. You're not alone either, you know." Without really thinking about it, Chara reached out to hug Sans. "Thanks." "Anytime." Sans was right, no one had noticed their absence and they were able to rejoin the other monsters as if they had never left. Feeling somewhat less worried, Chara smiled genuinely as they listened to Asriel talking excitedly.

#bad time duo fanfiction #bad time duo #undertale sans #storyshift chara #storyshift asriel #undertale asgore #undertale toriel #undertale papyrus #more angst and floof #so rei will be attending a human school... that'll be interesting

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lagaudiiere-archive · 6 years

Note

♧ Is there an RP partner(s) that you credit for becoming a better writer?

Memes for the Writer ;

Honestly this may seem like a very “cheesy” thing to say but every single person I’ve ever written with has helped me better my writing & myself. I look back at my older blogs & die a little inside out of second-hand embarrassment ( like how would people write with me? ) but it’s so nice because it means I’ve come so far ( hopefully! ) as a writer! Every single person who’s written with me helped me hone in my character’s voice or a specific style of writing just a little bit more, helped me get over my fear of not being good enough or whatever because clearly, someone thought I was.

But I do have to give a few shout-outs. Which … got long so they’re under the cut. If you don’t care about the whys, they’re @jedichosen, @heleads, @moonhurts, @croianam, @ourpyrrhicvictory, @scarfwere, @oliverqxeen.

@jedichosen — Idk if she wants me to tag her other blogs but This list ( & probably I ) wouldn’t be here without Sari. Sari is everything. We met on my old Allison blog where she scared the hell out of me on her Tom Riddle blog & then I made a Mary Stuart blog & she came into my inbox with all caps excitement & that was … literally it. We screamed over the show & our children & literally it was magic. Sari & I clicked, we wrote 2534634 threads ( one of them an actual novella I kid you not ) & this was where I truly felt like I got to expand my writing & become a better writer. To write so consistently with someone, getting to explore a million different facets, aspects, & timelines of a character really helps you not just better learn your character but yourself as a writer. To feel so comfortable with someone that it was never a scary thing to write a reply to but like you were dying to get something to them is just amazing & I don’t know what I would have done without Sari because Sari was the one who made this experience literally something else. We were always on Skype calls, yelling at each other over the awful thing the other had written, & just — idk it’s just something else when you’re basically best friends offline & then write a ton of things because both end up being something more than you’d expect because of the other. She was the one who encouraged me to make my multi because I was feeling stuck on Allison & she has been my supporter & writing alongside me always. Even if we die on our blogs we’re still always in touch & I have become the writer I am, probably the person I am too because of Sari. I love Sari more than I can find words — & I’ve found quite a lot thanks to her.

@heleads — Moony has been with me quite literally from day one. She was the person who actually gave me a chance when I applied to her rpg a million years ago even though the “sample” I sent her was probably like three lines long ( I had no idea what a sample was ok I don’t know how she even gave me the time of day I’d have deleted that “application” & pretended I never got it ) & she welcomed me into the rpg with open arms. She was one of the friendliest people ever, but also one of the most talented, as I got to experience firsthand. She responded to my sad starters, & I wrote my longest ever stuff with her first. We had a hella long thread thing & an almost ship that everyone loved & then I was able to find her on indie & it was the most amazing thing ever. She never never ceases to astound me with her talents. Even if we haven’t written together ( rip we need to change this ) it doesn’t matter because her understanding & writing of her character is incredible & just by looking at her stuff I become a better writer tbh. Ily to the moon & back ( hehehe see what I did there. )

@moonhurts / @heartcoils — KJ has been there since day one of indie, even though she didn’t know it. Like honestly? I have been stalking — I mean loving KJ since the second I made my first ever indie blog, Matt Donovan. She was always so inspiring? Her writing was just breathtaking, her as a person was just one of the most amazing people ever. Like she would bring positivity & class to my dash man, there was no other way to put it. Her understanding of all her characters leaves me absolutely in awe, & probably a lil jealous lbr, but also pushes me to want to do better. We may not have written nearly as much as I would like but that’s mostly because she has always been so so talented I used to be terrified? But the few times we did, I have had to really think about my words, our characters, & every time I’ve written with KJ, my writing has become that much better. I love KJ because it’s not just about the writing although I did initially fall in love with her writing ( & her writing teaches me so much every day tbh? ) KJ has been one of my closest friends on this site — & it’s because we’re friends off it. We weren’t always close but we were always sort of on each other’s radars & I always felt like there was this unspoken pact of we were there for the other if we ever needed it. We would go months in between texts but it didn’t matter. And now we go like … at the most a week, if that, between conversations. Being able to talk about my thoughts, whatever they may be, or throw around ideas or plots or just talk about different characters & dynamics so comfortably & to have such intelligent conversations is amazing. KJ throws back everything I lob at her tbh plus more & it’s always made me a better person — which makes me a better writer too ( because that’s what this is about. ) I love you so so much. You’re amazing, you’re incredible, & I wouldn’t nearly enjoy this site as much as I do without you. It’s like … you give it … a soul. I love you.

@croianam — KAY! My darling, beloved Kay. It’s so astounding that I was able to, by some crazy chance, find Kay again. I have known Kay since my second ever rpg ( first Marauders’ Era — once you go marauders there’s no going back amirite? ) Kay was literal sunshine in our ooc chats & I remember my awful awful days ( it was a hard time ok ) becoming a million times better because she’d been around. We got to talking, we got to texting, we got to modding another marauders’ era rpg, & have written either with or about each others’ characters it’s amazing. The dynamics that are brought about by Kay’s magic is something else. I ended up writing the brother of one of her characters & I actually got to explore so much & learn so much as a writer ( & get to go into so much more depth ) because of the special sibling bond, especially because I adored the writer so much. Tbh the love in the thread was real, just different because of Kay. Kay makes writing seem effortless, she’s fearless, has never let anyone get to her & has always been unapologetically awesome. That’s taught me a lot honestly, & every single meme she’d respond to ( & kill me in the process ) would teach me a little bit more tbh. We used to text a lot during said difficult time & I genuinely remember every day & most conversations we had. This may seem irrelevant because it just shows how amazing a person she is but really, I was able to become a better writer through overcoming a lot of my difficulties & I wouldn’t have done that without Kay, no joke. I may not have written nearly as much as I’d like with Kay but she’s taught me so much as a writer & friend & there is literally no way I can explain just how fantastic a person she is.

@ourpyrrhicvictory — Listen, we may not have written much since the rpg we both happened to end up on ( also marauders’ era what a surprise ) but writing with Oso was literal magic ( haha get what I did there? ) I remember the words literally coming out of places I never knew existed from a character I had loved & adored & written for years. Why? Because his writing brought it about, his incredible characterization & understanding of a character that I’d merely glanced at but he’d given such depth to. Being able to write alongside someone like that? Makes you a better writer, made me a better writer & it was one of the best things ever. I cannot wait for the day I am not trash ( I don’t know how he puts up with me tbh ) & we can write 346645 things but I’m also still terrified of how amazing he is so? There’s that.

@casualtyloss / @scarfwere / @erchommai — Cas! Cas is such a sweetheart, has been the kindest most wonderful person ever. I don’t know how I found Cas, I don’t even remember it at all I just know that Cas & I just … found each other & every single thread I’ve written with Cas has just been so easy but also made me think & I mean really think about my character. My favorite thing, to this day, is our thread with her Sebastian ( who is both terrifying & somehow endearing in a way only Cas can do it tbh. ) Cas makes me think about not just my character but the characters she writes. She’s able to bring about this atmosphere & this — this something that makes writing both easy & challenging but both in the best way possible. She’s always down to write my favorite most obscure stuff & has always been so so kind? Like it takes me a long time to really feel comfortable with someone & fear I’m not bothering them but with Cas? Like tbh I know I bother her but I’m only slightly afraid which is a step up tbh. She’s made me such a better writer, she also used to be the reason I’d get through my 573498543 drafts because I would set her draft for last & that was my motivator. If that doesn’t have incredible writing partner written all over it, idk what does.

@waldosiia / @oliverqxeen — Hehe she’s going on here because she’s amazing & even though I haven’t known Kristen as long as anyone on this list it sort of feels like I do? The first time I spoke to Kristen we both ended up staying up until a ridiculously late hour but it was because neither of us never wanted to stop? It was lots of caps, lots of yelling, & lots of love tbh. Talking & writing with Kristen has just felt … not easy, not effortless because I do have to think which definitely helps me better my writing but just … idk it’s just amazing. It falls into place, we both end up screaming at the other once the replies are out, & we both love so many of the same things. I said earlier, I rarely feel comfortable enough with someone on here without feeling like I’m bugging them but with Kristen it’s like? I don’t feel that. Mind you it took me forever because she was so amazing & both of us kind of loved each other from afar but just, she’s got such a natural grasp on any character she writes ( have you seen her Oliver? Daaamn. And her Caleb? I cry because I genuinely hear Graham’s beautiful voice. That’s skill ) & she helps me by writing her characters so perfectly that I have the best sort of person to write with, best character to build mine against if that makes sense? Idk. OOC relationships always make the in character writing a million times better & I’m so lucky to have both with Kristen & she’s just amazing ok.

#&. ʙᴇʟʟᴇ sᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ( ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ. )#&. ʟᴇᴛᴛᴇʀs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ ( ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀᴇᴅ. )#proditeur #{ THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK YOU'rE REALLY AMAZING ! }#{ & in case my infinite love for marauders' era wasn't made clear }#{ yeah I love so please let me love you tbh }

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riverheadbooks · 7 years

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READER HOROSCOPES FOR AUGUST 2017

Placing bookmarks within the pages of destiny

LEO

Give us a birthday roar, Leo! Don’t be afraid of attracting a little attention -- this is YOUR month, and you’re already turning heads! Your vibe, aura, energy, whatever you want to call it -- it’s off the charts and you’re finding that people are increasingly attracted to your outgoing, vibrant spirit. Put that energy to good use to dive headfirst into those passion projects you’ve been toying with for the past few months! If birthdays are good for anything, they’re for reminding us of how far we’ve come, and how far we have yet to go. Reflect on what you’ve accomplished, and celebrate it! But don’t stop there. You’ve been granted another year, so isn’t it time to make the most of it? That said, the time has come to give yourself a little bit more care and attention. I know this doesn’t come easily to you; you tend to prefer to give rather than take, and feel more comfortable putting others before yourself. Admirable, to be sure, but there are times you need to listen to your intuition, make yourself a priority. You may find yourself in situations where a choice must be made: your happiness, or someone else’s? Draw your inspiration from your lucky book this month, an incredible tale of family ties, and the complications that arise when love is pitted against loyalty. When are our sacrifices worth it? Are some things more important than family, than love? When your allegiances are tested, what holds true? Ultimately, Leo, the choice is always up to you -- and you have another year of wisdom and experience under your belt. Draw from that, and then do your best not to look back.

LUCKY BOOK: Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

VIRGO

It’s August, Virgo! Your birthday looms ever closer in the horizon, and you know what that means: time for some deep cleaning. What have you attracted in the past year that you know (perhaps only very deep down) it’s time to let go of? What has been dragging you down and stopping you from living your best life? Whatever those things are, this is your time to attack them with a bottle of your most high-powered cleaning spray and the coarsest washrag you own. You know better than anyone, Virgo, the freedom and joy in scrubbing at some hard-packed grit, and clearing it away to reveal the gleaming surface underneath. Half-hearted commitments, projects that have long soured, fake friendships -- these are all areas you can tackle! It can be very difficult, sometimes almost unbearably so, to let go of the old way of seeing or doing things, especially if you’ve become accustomed to certain negative ideas or people to the point that they feel like home, like normal. But that’s no reason to continue clinging to them once you’ve seen the light. The 14-year-old heroine of your lucky book this month learns this lesson in some of most harrowing ways, but her journey to freedom is one you won’t soon forget. Take heart, Virgo, and remember that you are ultimately the master of your own fate. You hold the power -- and the Windex!

LUCKY BOOK: My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent

LIBRA

It’s August, Libra, and rather than succumb to the Sunday blues (it is the Sunday of the calendar year, after all), you’re continuing the summer fun at full throttle. Your current happy place is within a large crowd lately, and lucky for you, we’re still in the heart of music festival season. But there may be more to it than just posing for the street fashion photographers at Lollapalooza and AfroPunk: you genuinely enjoy the sheer excitement and co-mingling of ideas that bubbles from being among a group of creative individuals. Not only are your friends your lifeline this month, offering you constant emotional support and accompanying you on hilarious adventures you can only share on your private blog, but even the strangers you meet may spark some new avenues of creativity you’ve never explored. Follow this impulse to profit from the collective; keep seeking new activities and areas where you can expand. You’re drawing from the most ancient instinct of living things: the compulsion to not only grow, but to change. Each new experience and memory is helping you develop into the person you’re supposed to become, a person markedly different from who you were ten years ago, twenty minutes ago, six months ago. So is it any wonder that your lucky book this month is a fascinating study of the way we think about evolutionary biology? The most minute quirks of DNA mutation can influence an entire species for generations -- pathways that emerge from seemingly nowhere that take life to the completely unexpected places. Every action, every decision you make has an undeniable reverb effect that you may or may not ever discover, so come on, Libra. Let’s see what you’ve got up your sleeve next -- and don’t skimp on the silly group photos, either.

LUCKY BOOK: Improbable Destinies by Jonathan B. Losos

SCORPIO

“I got my mind on my money and my money on my mind.” Wise words from the late great Notorious B.I.G., and your mantra for this month, Scorpio! You’re all about that paper in August: you’ve been working hard, building your network, taking professional risks, and now, getting ready to reap the rewards. What form it will take remains to be seen, so don’t count any unhatched chickens. But one thing is clear: your ambition is going to take you far. Perhaps even history books far. Who knows? But while your career continues to soar to meteoric heights, don’t forget about the people who helped you get there: your friends. Female friendships in particular are going to be crucial this month. After all, you can only work but so much, and an unfortunate side effect of putting in major hours at the office is missing out on some quality time with your chosen family. So whenever you can, be sure to make time for some much-needed gossip fests or movie marathons. You need a counterbalance to the stress of the job, and reveling in the love and appreciation of your besties is a surefire way to not lose your mind during this exciting, but admittedly draining time. And who better to draw comfort from, than your fiercest supporters? Of course, if you’re looking for another source of encouragement, maybe the more literary kind, your lucky book this month is a testament to what the human mind can achieve. Not only that, but the myriad effects that innovation that have on society as a whole. From artificial intelligence, to the barcode, to IKEA’s Billy bookcase, there is a backstory to every object you take for granted, and many of them will surprise you. So, Scorpio, now we have to know...what will your backstory be? How will you make your mark on history?

LUCKY BOOK: Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy by Tim Harford

SAGITTARIUS

The road goes ever on and on, Sagittarius, and this is your month to experience it firsthand! That stirring you’ve been feeling to get out and explore? Now is when you give in. And let’s be clear: this doesn’t mean you should max out your credit card and fly to the opposite end of the globe, swathing yourself in scratchy fabrics and embarking on a life-threatening quest. It is completely up to you (and your budget) where to go, how to get there, what do to there, and how long to stay. Want to spend a weekend in Nantucket? Wonderful! Want to spend a month in your childhood home? Fantastic! Wherever you go, there you are, so use this time of separation from your usual to become even more in tune with yourself and any spiritual, mental, psychological scores you need to settle. Don’t underestimate the benefits of retreating from the typical trappings of your usual life; even if you don’t venture as far as you’d like to this time, take the time to sit still. Look around. Breathe. Say hello to a stranger. If your journey has taken you abroad, try to learn a few sentences in the local language. And most importantly, find a quiet place and comfy chair to disappear into your lucky book this month: the story of a young boy who has also left his home, but (hopefully) for very different reasons. Chased by dark forces, he is forced to travel across a hot, empty desert plain -- completely alone, until he encounters an old goatherd. Their paths thus intertwined, they must learn the rules of this harsh new country together. A thrilling vacation read, cautionary tale, humbling parable -- let this searing story be whatever you need it to be, while you bask in the unknown of your own brand new corner of the world.

LUCKY BOOK: Out in the Open by Jesús Carrasco

CAPRICORN

Is it warm in here, or is it just me? Oh, wait -- no, it’s just YOU. Cap, there’s really no other way to put it: you’re hot this month, and if no one has begun shooting you some furtive glances, they’re coming. This is your month for smooth seduction, and there’s absolutely no shame in that! Whether it’s an old flame or a new spark, the romantic interludes will be robust and who knows, may lead to something more. Keep your options open, and do yourself a favor? Save the spicy details for your journal. Active as your group text might be, you don’t need to share every encounter with four of your closest friends, not unless you enjoy the nonstop interrogation that is sure to follow! Sometimes keeping some secrets to yourself can make the most benign affair even more exciting, and after all, don’t you deserve some excitement? That said, Cap, don’t completely lose your head in the whirlwind of these new flings -- keep one eye on your finances, too! Finding a much lower bank balance than expected is a surefire way to bring an ecstatic high to a crashing low, so be proactive and maybe decline some of the more extravagant date invitations...unless the other party is treating, of course! Your lucky book this month is a mesmerizing account of a young girl’s mission to learn her mother and grandmother’s history -- a winding journey through truths and half-truths, memories of love, abandonment, betrayal, and new beginnings -- to, in turn, better understand herself. It’s a beautiful, moving testament to the fleeting nature of life, and the lessons we learn in youth that become invaluable to the generations to come. So go ahead, have some fun this month. Hit it while it’s hot.

LUCKY BOOK: I’m Supposed to Protect You from All This by Nadja Spiegelman

AQUARIUS

Aquarius, Aquarius, Aquarius. You’ve been living large and in charge all summer, and it looks incredibly good on you. It seems like you’ve got it all figured out: job, home, friendships, fitness -- you name it, you’ve conquered it. Well, okay, there’s one area that can use some development. You’ve been so focused on getting yourself in order over the past few weeks (or perhaps months!) that you’ve allowed your independence to push away a potential special someone. Maybe someone came to mind just now, maybe not. But this is the month to open up that part of your heart once more: even if you don’t feel ready to enter into anything serious, consider putting some time and effort towards building or re-building something a person who gets you. Sometimes you just need a person to keep you in check, to support your more wacky ideas, to hold your hands before you take major risk. Knowing that someone you care about always has your back can be incredibly freeing -- not necessarily limiting or confining, as you may have been led to believe. As long as the lines of communication are open, the cards are on the table, and you’re both open to each others’ needs, there is no reason that a healthy, successful life cannot include someone you can call a partner -- with as many or as few stipulations or boundaries as you both desire. Your lucky book this month is a spellbinding and unforgettable collection of short stories that will shed a brand new and sometimes discomfiting light on the nature of our relationships, whether romantic, familial, or otherwise. Sometimes entering a world gone slightly topsy-turvy can help us better appreciate our own -- and avoid the mistakes of the characters we come to know and love, even in the space of a few pages.

LUCKY BOOK: What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah

PISCES

Rise and shine, Pisces! This month, you’re feeling and looking fantastic -- muscles tightening, blood flowing, skin glowing! No more late nights squinting at your phone; you’re tucking in early to avoid being sluggish the next morning. Midday bag of chips? Not for you -- a brisk walk to get a fresh smoothie has become your new habit. Between your improved diet and consistent gym attendance, you’re right on track to achieve the sort of health goals you once found nearly impossible. And it’s a good thing too, considering how things have picked up at work! You need all your wits about you as you go through these hectic days and late nights, so keep up the good work. We do only get one body, after all, and it’s always in your best interests to keep it healthy and happy. And while we know work is pretty intense right now, you know what they saw about all work and no play, right? Even though it may seem wrong to inject some fun into such a go-go-go month, you need to let your hair down once in awhile and give yourself some time to relax and let loose. So that date you’ve been putting off? Just say yes! Enjoy the attention, show off all that exercise you’ve been doing! If you’re looking for some romantic ideas, might we suggest a homemade dinner date for two? You may be committed to new fit lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean all of your meals should be bland and oat-filled all the time. Your lucky book this month is sure to give you some delicious inspiration for some flavorful meals, as well as general tips and tricks for adding a special touch to your cooking, whether the recipe comes out of a book or not. Bon appetit!

LUCKY BOOK: The Art of Flavor by Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel

ARIES

Beautiful Aries! This month is YOUR TIME. Your confidence is through the roof right now -- or if it isn’t it should be! You’re turning heads left and right, friends and acquaintances alike are clamoring for your attention, and the dating prospects aren’t looking too shabby either! Basically, you’re totally owning it this month, and we couldn’t be more happy for you. As summer winds to a close, take full advantage of these final few weeks: enjoy a vacation day or two, bask in the sunshine, sip some frozé with a group of friends at noon. In other words, live!!! Enjoy it; life is fleeting anyway! Of course, a word of caution: no matter how amazing you look and feel, using the world as your red carpet can have its drawbacks. Keep a tight grip on your wallet, and be careful of what you post on social media. Money is not everlasting, but that regrettable photo from 4 AM absolutely is! Leave the tabloid-worthy blunders to the celebrities, and recognize when it’s time to leave the party. Speaking of, your lucky book this month will be right up your alley: a whip-smart, hilarious deep dive into the world of celebrity culture, what feeds our obsession, and what effect internet fame has on our culture at large. Walk like the street is your red carpet -- and then enjoy cozying up in bed with this book, comforted by the fact that there isn’t paparazzi just outside your door.

LUCKY BOOK: The Stars in Our Eyes by Julie Klam

TAURUS

Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for being a homebody, Taurus. This month, you’re really into the warmth and comfort (or should we say air conditioning and comfort?) that comes from being safely ensconced at home, surrounded by your books, blankets, and favorite snacks. Maybe you’re finally get around to that deep cleaning you’ve been saying you’d undertake since the beginning of May, or there’s a room that’s just dying for a fresh coat of bright new paint. Or maybe the time has come to say farewell to your current place entirely, and try to find some digs. However you slice it, your priority this month is taking care of your sacred space, and reevaluating what the significance of that space means for you. It is a place of solitude and meditation, where you can escape the endless grind of the outside world? Is it a fortress for you and your closest loved one, where you can all be your unapologetic selves? Is it simply a place of refuge, where you can rest assured that in this tiny corner of the universe, you are safe, independent, and in control? You may find that you have much in common with the protagonist of your lucky book this month, a fiercely opinionated young woman who is on a quest to find a place she can rely on as home. Trapped in that infuriating liminal space between cultures, between countries, and does her best to carve for herself, everywhere she goes, a place that rests entirely under her control, a place where she can feel, even in miniature, that she is in a safe, familiar place. It’s a stunning tale that will put into sharp perspective one of the most pressing human rights issues of our time -- pick it up whenever you feel yourself getting a little bit too serious about paint swatches.

LUCKY BOOK: Refuge by Dina Nayeri

GEMINI

Gemini, what’s good? You haven’t had the best few weeks, but it’s a month, a new day, and life is going to have to come a little harder than that to keep you down. Luckily, this month you’re all about that extra support: partnerships and close friendships are where you’ll thrive, and it won’t feel too crowded, or like a betrayal of your own independence -- we promise. The key is to make sure the people you choose to surround yourself with add a special something that you wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere. Who makes you feel like your best self? Your most capable self? Your most ambitious self? Who lights that creative fire? Understand that while self-sufficiency is important, and your reliance on your own wisdom and wits is one of your best attributes, it can never hurt to solicit input and guidance from someone who can push you to aim even higher, and vice versa! So put yourself out there, be proactive. You can’t expect everything to come to you. Your lucky book this month is a short, trippy examination of race and class that follows a most unusual character in her quest for authenticity. Like you, she wonders who she really is, who she wants to be, and how -- or who -- can help her become that person? While you will undoubtedly avoid some of the more absurd situation she finds herself in, there is much to learn from her internal dialogue as she fumbles for ‘realness.’ Find your person (or people!), Gemini, but don’t lose sight of yourself in the process. You’re smarter and more resourceful than you know. Remember that!

LUCKY BOOK: New People by Danzy Senna

CANCER

Up and at'em, Cancer! You’ve had a leisurely summer, laying back and enjoying the ocean breeze, marathoning your summer shows and sampling mimosas at every brunch spot in town. We don’t begrudge you living the unbothered life to the fullest, but alas, it truly isn’t a party if it happens every night. And unfortunately, it’s time for the party to end -- for the time being. But you were sort of ready to kick it back into high gear anyway, weren’t you? You have a bit too much active energy to spend the rest of the summer whiling away the hours fruitlessly. This doesn’t mean you should throw all of your effort into the first opportunity that presents itself: be forward-thinking, but strategic. Know what you want, and then go after it. Get your feet wet at a few mixers and networking events so you can get some inside scoop on what’s for grabs, who to know, where to show up and show out. So go on, have at it! Dust off that resume, iron that button down. It’s time to start getting yourself back into the game. We understand that the transition back to the real world may be jarring, but you’re not a delicate flower; you can take a bit of unease and horror in your downtime literature. Your lucky book this month is a haunting short story collection that will raise the hair on your arms in the very best way. Both love story and cautionary way, it’s the absolute best selection for this month, when you need to be kept on your toes -- although we highly recommend not saving this one to read right before bed.

LUCKY BOOK: Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin

#riverhead #riverhead books #horoscope #reader horoscope #readerscope #astrology #zodiac #leo #leo season #august horoscope #books #book recs #summer reads #fiction #nonfiction #memoir

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sage-nebula · 7 years

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honestly i love hearing ur headcanons and tidbits about champion alan and how he goes about his duties with the other champs n stuff. since he's such a reserved guy how do you reckon he bonds with the other champions when they're all together doing work n stuff? like he already is on good terms with steven and ash, yes, but what about the others. i like trying to imagine these dynamics dont mind me

I, too, love imagining these dynamics, so I will absolutely mind you in the sense that I will happily engage in this discussion, thank you for asking. :D

Anyway, as you said, Alan is already on good terms with Ash and Steven from the get-go, even before he becomes Champion. Honestly, Ash is probably his best human friend; I know some people might want to protest about Manon, but Manon is his little sister, not his best friend—there’s a difference in the type of relationship dynamic there. The bond between Alan and Ash was pretty much immediate from the time they met, and Ash is the only human whose company we’ve seen Alan seek out just because he knew that spending time (and battling) with Ash would make him happy (and it did, to the point where Manon herself thinks “I’ve never seen Alan smile like that” when she sees how he smiles at Ash during their battle, and to the point where Alan thanks Ash three separate times during that battle for letting him feel such happiness). With that being the case, I feel confident in saying that Ash is his best human friend.

With that said, yeah, Alan is closest to Ash out of all the other Champions, and probably closest to Steven after that. As such, whenever it comes to fun (but important!) partnerships and things that happen between the regions, Alan usually partners with one of them first. For instance, in that Champion Messenger post, Alan brings up a tournament agreement to Steven. That tournament is a tournament that is going to be held between Kalos and Hoenn, League-style. It’s not an official League—the winners don’t get Champion challenges—but anyone can participate so long as they qualify for at least one of the regional Leagues, and the tournament ends in a double battle against Steven and Alan both. (RIP to whoever faces them, tbh.) The idea is to foster more unity between Kalos and Hoenn, and the other Champions are carrying it out between their regions as well. Ash and Iris are doing one for Kanto and Unova, Hau and Casey are doing one for Alola and Johto, and so on and so forth. (The next ones will be Steven and Cynthia for Hoenn and Sinnoh, Ash and Alan for Kanto and Kalos, Casey and Iris for Johto and Unova, and on like that until all the regions team up at some point.)

But even though that’s the case, he’s still on good terms with all the others! Part of it might be due to the fact that Ash already knew everyone else and thus could introduce Alan if necessary, and part of it might also be due to any big international meetings between the Champions (and one of their most trusted Elite) that take place. However, I think those meetings are probably rarer; they typically only need all of them to come together in the event of an international crisis, which I would hope wouldn’t happen too frequently. (Though I have a story idea for one that does, but that’s another story for another time. ;D) So what really helps, I think, is that Champion Messenger that Steven develops so that they all have a fast and (most importantly) secure way to communicate in case they need to. It is supposed to be for work; the idea is that it’s a private messenger that only they (not even their Elite!) know about and have access to, which means that it’s a much, much more secure method than e-mail or phone calls to pass information between them. Additionally, it’s instant and accessible via whatever mobile device they have, which means that they don’t have to worry about massive time delays, either. So it honestly was developed for responsible, serious reasons, and it was supposed to be for work … but, as that post shows, a lot of shenanigans happen as well. And the thing is, when you’re in a messenger room with six other people, it’s rather easy to get to know and bond with them in a way that doesn’t infringe on your own personal comfort or boundaries or anything like that. Provided it’s just shenanigans, Alan can always just sign out of the messenger for a while and go do something else if he wants. It’s perfect for an introvert like him. So with that in mind, even setting aside official business, the messenger has really helped foster his relationships with the rest of the Champions as well. I like to imagine that they really are a #squad.

So with that said, a bit more in-depth?

Ash:

As I said, Ash is Alan’s best human friend. He’s someone that we’ve seen in canon that Alan feels comfortable confiding in, someone he feels comfortable relying on, someone who has helped Alan in the darkest times in his life. And you can trust me when I say that this bond does not diminish as they grow older. Rather, it grows stronger. Not only are Alan and Ash always more than ready to help each other out, team up, and rely on each other in times of crisis, but they enjoy spending time with and talking to each other as well. I like to think that they began exchanging letters pretty regularly after Ash left Kalos to return to Kanto (and then went on to Unova), and once Ash finally upgrades his life and gets a mobile device, they exchange numbers to keep in touch through calls and text messages as well (and of course the Champion Messenger, but that has everyone in it). They do eventually cash in on their promise to battle again someday years later at the Charicific Valley, but Ash immediately makes Alan promise to battle him again at a later date. (Alan’s doing much better by that point, and Ash can tell, and that’s why he allowed the battle to happen—but still. Better safe than sorry.)

There’s not too much more to say here that isn’t immediately obvious, but the last thing I’ll add is that while it’s obvious that Ash is Alan’s best human friend, rest assured that Alan is one of Ash’s best human friends as well. I mean, to be honest, Ash has about six thousand people he’d call his best friend (well, not that many, but it’s a lot considering all the traveling companions and now classmates he has had in his life), but the special bond they have is definitely felt on Ash’s side as well. (I imagine that Alan meets Gary at some point and the two hit it off, and this makes Ash feel some kind of way, because even though his relationship with Gary improves drastically over the course of the OS, as we see in DP he can still get rather fired up over Gary sometimes, because old rivalries die hard. He starts feeling jealous over Alan because of a bit of insecurity he has over the fact that Alan and Gary can talk about scientific research things / bond over growing up homes that are half house, half lab, and that’s not a thing he can really share with Alan, and … well. Just trust me when I say that this best friendship goes both ways. They’re both immensely important to each other.)

Casey:

Casey is probably the fellow Champion that … well, one of the fellow Champions that Alan has the weakest bond with (there are two), simply because they don’t have very much in common. He likes Casey all right; their personalities aren’t incompatible or anything, particularly since there are times when Casey reminds him of both Ash and Manon are equal measure. But their interests are at very opposite ends of the scale, generally. Casey’s primary interest outside of battling is baseball (and specifically the Electabuzz team), and Alan just … doesn’t care about baseball, honestly, haha. He has pretty much no interest in that whatsoever. Casey doesn’t see how this is possible—how could someone not realize how amazing baseball (and especially the Electabuzz, despite how Ash’s horrible (in Casey’s opinion) taste in teams makes him blaspheme and say otherwise) is?! But Alan’s just not very interested, and likewise Casey doesn’t tend to be very interested in the books or research that captures Alan’s interest. As such, they don’t often have too many shared interests to talk about, even though they still get along well enough in the Messenger / when they’re working on official business.

(“This is what happens when a jock meets a nerd,” says Iris.)

All of that said, for her birthday one year Alan gives her Beedrillite so that she can mega evolve her beedrill. To say that she’s thrilled is an understatement.

Steven:

Like with Ash, we already know a lot about Alan’s relationship with Steven. To be honest, the two bicker-banter back and forth at least half the time, given how snarky and sassy they can both be—but it’s all in good humor, never serious. It’s just how they communicate / have fun with each other. Their relationship, as we know, was forged in the midst of TSME, when Steven witnessed firsthand what Lysandre was doing to Alan and then almost immediately tattled on Lysandre to Alan’s father. We see throughout TSME just how much Steven cares about him (and how gleeful he is to enact vengeance for him once the Flare arc hits—Steven went to the Fleur-De-Lis labs to attack people and he had such a good time), and that is part of what motivates Steven to encourage Alan to take the Champion challenge in the first place (despite how Steven truly likes Diantha a whole lot as well—they become good friends in my headcanon, #fashion buddies). I say “part” because Steven does earnestly believe everything he says. He genuinely believes that Alan would be an excellent Champion. But he also cares about Alan and wants him to do well and be okay, and in the Champion Messenger post I made, his little press of “just fine?” was actually his way of checking on Alan, versus continuing to rib him as he had before (“Not now, we’re discussing the merits of malasada cannibalism”). There’s a lot of care under all the teasing, just as Alan truly does care about and appreciate Steven under all the snark he tosses right back.

(That said, they do sometimes have escalating prank wars, which are usually instigated by Steven, and most often by Alan being teased about the big ol’ crush Steven has on Sycamore. Like, Steven is in a happy monogamous relationship with Wallace, and he knows that Sycamore is with Meyer, and so obviously it’s not going anywhere, but I felt some chemistry between them in the anime, and in my brain that translated into Steven thinking Sycamore is damn fine. So Steven will see fit to troll Alan about this sometimes, by asking him if Sycamore is single yet or mentioning about how Sycamore is a DILF (and how he wouldn’t mind being Alan’s stepdad, it’s not like they can’t both still work together as Champions et cetera), and of course Alan isn’t going to just take that lying down, so he finds some other way to strike back at him. Like, for instance, playing a game of telephone with Manon and her friends, which ends in Manon presenting Steven with a nice stone as a going-away present, at which point she announces to the entire airport that it’s because she heard about how much pleasure his rock fetish brings him and though that he’d be even more pleased than usual if he had a new rock for his fetish. This happens when Manon is still ten, and so honestly she has no idea what a fetish is, particularly since she heard about this from Bonnie, who heard about it from Serena, who heard about it from Shauna, who heard about it from Tierno and Trevor, who heard about it from Ash, who came up with the interpretation that “fetish” is just “cool thing I like a lot” because although he heard about this from Alan, Alan didn’t explain to him what that word meant. So then Steven has to stand there, kind of mortified, with Diantha, Sycamore, Bonnie, Manon, and a smirking Alan all watching him, and all he knows is that even though Manon says that she and Bonnie came up with the idea (and that Bonnie says it was Serena and Shauna that helped them), Alan has to be behind this somehow and Steven will get him back.

So sometimes they have escalating prank wars like that. It’s all in good fun, though. ;) )

Cynthia:

Once Alan and Cynthia hit it off, they end up getting along very well. To begin with, Cynthia kind of has a Cool Big Sis thing going on; she’s a very, sincerely nice person who cares about those around her, and likes to guide and offer advice to those around her when the situation arises. This is particularly true with those she can see a bit of herself in, and I think she would with Alan. In the anime, Cynthia mentions at one point that she always aimed to be the strongest when she was younger, and in the games, Cynthia’s entire team has perfect IVs and significant EV training. Cynthia takes training quite seriously and loves battling, and these are two things that she absolutely has in common with Alan. So I think that Cynthia would pick up on that, and would be interested and talking more with him, particularly when she learns that he was raised by Professor Sycamore and is a scholar like her …

… and that’s when they’d hit it off, because they’re both massive nerds.

While Alan’s research into mega evolution tends to seem more scientific, it’s important to remember that his search for Key Stones and Mega Stones took him to a ton of ruins, and that he and Sycamore also spend a lot of time poring over ancient tablets and examining ancient scripts, et cetera. Meanwhile, Cynthia’s secondary job is as a researcher / archaeologist / myth/legend hunter. She, too, spends so much time spelunking in ruins, going over ancient texts, writing books about the various myths and legends about the world. There’s no way their research wouldn’t overlap at times, to the point where I’m sure there have been multiple times in the Champion Messenger where one of them brings up a new discovery and the two of them end up dominating the messenger nerding out about it until someone complains. So really, they have a ton in common and have a good relationship. They’re both Cool Older Sibling types to those around them (Cool Big Bro, Cool Big Sis), they’re both nerds with similar nerdy interests, and they both love battling and take training very seriously. The only additional thing to note about their dynamic is that Cynthia is decently older than Alan (I’d say she’s in her mid-to-late 20s), so she ends up being like a Cool Big Sis to him, at least from time to time. It’s a good relationship.

Iris:

Iris and Alan also get along pretty well! While Iris can be pretty energetic sometimes, she can also be pretty savvy and knows when to tone it down a notch (I mean, remember, she was the one always teasing Cilan about being a pain because of how Extra™ he is), so I don’t think that would cause many problems. Aside from that, once again, I think that Iris and Alan would find some pretty good common ground between them. They both love and have an affinity for dragons (Iris’ face when Alan tells her that charizard, in addition to being a dragon by species, can be a dragon-type when it mega evolves into its X form, after the brief Discourse™ she had with Ash about that very typing in BW); they were both orphaned at a young age and originally come from a far out village in the woods (though Iris’ time in the Dragon Village was far better than Alan’s time in Isolé); they’re both happily adopted, even if unofficially for a time (or at least Iris is in the games—I think Drayden also looks after her to an extent in the anime?); they both have a tendency to be rather blunt and honest (even if Iris actually voices her thoughts more than Alan does); they’ve both had difficulties socializing in the past (though they’re getting better!), and so on and so forth. (They’re also both unjustly despised by the vast majority of the fandom, but hEY …)

I actually like to imagine that these two meet prior to either of them becoming Champions of their respective regions, and I really want to write this fic at some point. My thought is, well, the PokéAni writers denied Iris her cameo in Kalos, so what if I write one for her post-series? I’m still deciding on things, but my basic idea is that she ends up traveling to Kalos after her time in Hoenn, and runs into Alan in Lumiose City. They get to talking for some reason or another—it’s possible that Iris sees Lizardon and gets super excited over how cute he is (and let’s be honest, he’s adorable), or maybe Alan is out with both Lizardon and Gabrielle and, well, Iris can’t resist saying hi to even one dragon, much less two. So they get to talking, Alan tells Iris about how charizard can be dragon-types whey they mega evolve with Charizardite X (and Iris is all, “ooh, that kid! I should have known he didn’t have all the facts!!” though she means it all in good fun—she’s still going to write Ash a letter in short order to give him a teasing what-for, though), and it’s a good time.

But then some conflict happens (as it always does in these specials), and these two have to solve it together. At some point Alan offers to give her a ride on Lizardon, but Iris is just like, “Nah, I’ve got this” and calls out her dragonite, which Alan is quite impressed by, and they go and kick ass together, and that’s a good time, too.

By the end of it, Alan has seen that Iris has a bagon, because she caught a shelgon while in Hoenn (because remember, she went there chasing Rayquaza—and when Iris goes on about how she chased Rayquaza there, but yet lost track of it and thus missed the huge event that happened off Rustboro Bay and she’s super disappointed about it, Alan gets real quiet and his eyes go distant and she wonders at what’s wrong, but he won’t tell her … only for her to remember later that waIT, HE WAS THAT GUY ON TV, WASN’T HE?? and that’s a whole thing). Back at the lab he has used the machine Sycamore has to deduce that one of the Mega Stones he has is Salamencite, and so he gives that to her, and their bond is forged #forever.

(And honestly, I really waffled over this, because Mega Salamence is Zinnia’s signature ‘mon, and I really do not like to double-up on signatures like that. However, Iris has to have a dragon to mega evolve, she has a salamence as Champion in the games, and while she does have a gible in the anime, Mega Garchomp is already shared between Sycamore and Cynthia. Garchomp needs a rest, we don’t need another Mega Garchomp. That said, I did debate on giving Iris Mega Altaria, but aside from that also doubling up in my mind (with an OC, but still), I feel that salamence fits her better, especially since she has one in the games. So Mega Salamence will be shared between Iris and Zinnia, and no one else, just as Sycamore and Cynthia are the only two with Mega Garchomp. It is Law™.)

But while that’s their first meeting, of course they get along really well as Champions, too. There’s also the possibility that Iris could end up dating Manon at some point, so hey—maybe Iris eventually becomes Alan’s sister-in-law. It could happen.

Hau:

Hau is the other Champion (along with Casey as mentioned before) that Alan has the weakest relationship with, although they do still get along all right. Just like with Casey, Alan doesn’t have very much in common with Hau. Their attitudes toward training are markedly different (Hau is skilled enough to be Champion, but even then, a lot of the muscle work is left to Elite Four member Gladion, to be entirely honest, due to how lackadasical Hau can be about training), and they don’t have a lot of shared interests in common. So while they can get along well enough in conversation, if it’s just the two of them the conversation is going to die off into silence pretty quickly. And that’s fine by Alan, he doesn’t mind silence, but it tends to make Hau feel a bit awkward, particularly since Alan is really hard to read for him. (A problem that neither Ash nor Iris experience, since Ash has been able to see straight through to Alan’s heart from day one, and, well … Iris is the girl who knows the hearts of dragons, so. ;D) That said, again, their relationship is far from bad, especially when Hau wants to make sure that Alan doesn’t dislike him and so he makes him sweet malasadas as a “peace offering” (Gladion thinks that Hau should not waste his time baking anything for Alan, because even if To Devour the Sun isn’t canon in the prime universe I still cannot fucking help but imagining Alan’s and Gladion’s relationship as it is in that fic, which means that Gladion is always tsuntsun toward Alan in the extreme), and Alan, given his massive sweet tooth, appreciates this immensely even though it really wasn’t necessary to begin with. So there is that, at least, even if the two still aren’t very close.

(I do imagine that a conversation like this happens in the messenger at one point, though:

HAU: “btw alan gladion told me to tell u to tell manon to stop hitting on lillie”

CASEY: “don’t U want manon to stop hitting on lillie? aren’t u 2 dating or engaged or smth?”

HAU: “ya but i dont mind, lillie-bean would never cheat on me lol”

IRIS: “‘Lillie-bean’???”

ALAN: “Tell Gladion he can tell Manon himself. I’m not involved.”

CASEY: “omfg”

ALAN: “She doesn’t listen when I tell her not to do things anyway, so it isn’t like it’d do any good.”

HAU: “ok will do lol”

IRIS: “u gave up easily”

HAU: “like i said, i dont care either way”

HAU: “besides, alan is going to be the one getting all the angry messages from gladion lol so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”

CASEY: “srsly????”

ALAN: “Yeah. I’m used to it by now. I have a filter on his messages anyway, so I don’t even see them until I specifically go check, whenever I remember to.”

HAU: “LOL”

Note: Gladion does not know about the messenger, but he finds out that Hau is contact with Alan in some way (he figures e-mail) and that’s when / why he tells Hau to pass the message along.)

General:

As a few more notes about dynamics and interactions and such:

Alan, Ash, and Iris all end up going to that tournament in Oblivia that Ash mentioned in the Champion Messenger post together. Originally Hau was going to go with them, but something came up and he couldn’t. Regardless, Alan, Ash, and Iris all travel there together and have a fantastic time. In general, whenever the three travel / do something together, it’s generally a really good time. The fact that they’re all such good friends and get along so well certainly helps.

Alan has invited Cynthia to the lab in order to go over research things. Despite the fact that Alan is an older teenager, Cynthia is an adult, and they were going over ancient stone tablets and other research, this still (from an outsider’s perspective) does end up looking very much like a playdate. Sycamore joins them, and really it’s just a nice day / night of nerdy fun.

They also go spelunking in ancient ruins together sometimes.

Steven, on Diantha’s request, was the one who picked out what Alan wore to his Champion inauguration / induction ceremony. There is going to be a short fic about this.

I just realized that Hau and Alan do have something sort of in common, which is baking. Alan picks up baking as a hobby after the Flare arc, and at the very least Hau likes to bake malasadas. So on top of Hau baking Alan sweet malasadas, Hau ends up giving Alan the recipe and they can bond a little over that.

Alan does end up giving Ash a Key Stone and Charizardite Y (oh, and he obviously gave Key Stones to Casey and Iris as well). He’s just hooking everyone up with mega evolution, what a good mega evolutionist he is.

Alan likes to share pictures of Lizardon in the messenger. Iris loves this (CUTE DRAGON♥), and sometimes she’ll share pictures of her haxorus. So then Alan will show a picture of Lizardon and Gabrielle together, and Iris will share a picture of some of her other dragons, and they end up embarking on a Dragon Spam™ that only meets a combo breaker when Ash inserts a picture of Pikachu in the middle of it all.

Sometimes Alan asks Casey about the various ruins and such around Johto, but she honestly doesn’t know because history doesn’t interest her, and while he is disappointed at that, she’s disappointed that he doesn’t see what’s so great about the brand new baseball stadium that the Electabuzz got after they finally won a World Series—ALAN: “Why is it called the World Series if teams from Kanto and Johto are the only ones participating?”ASH: “ya ive always wondered that 2 lol”CASEY: “bc baseball is tHE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD”ASH: “not more important than catching pkmn :/”CASEY: “WAT IS WRONG W/ U 2?!?!?!”

Sometimes they all get together to have friendly battles (something Cynthia actually references in one of the games). They usually also turn these informal little tournaments into potlucks and it’s a good time (and yeah, their Elite—or at least certain members of their Elite—are of course invited).

You see my icon? So at one point that was Alan’s pic in the Champion Messenger, and Ash had a matching one where he, too, was wearing sunglasses. (The pictures might have even been taken on the same day, tbh—like maybe they were together when that happened.) Hau and Casey saw these pics, though they looked awesome, and took sunglasses selfies themselves to join in. Iris (good-naturedly!) teased a bit about this at first, but then joined in herself after some cajoling from Ash and Hau. Cynthia thought it all looked like good fun and so she joined in as well, and that just left Steven, who was convinced to join so he wouldn’t be the only one left out. And that was how they all ended up wearing sunglasses in their pics in the Champion Messenger for a time. Shenanigans.

After Ash finally gets his growth spurt, he and Alan end up pretty close in height. This does lead to them swapping clothes (or at least Ash borrowing Alan’s clothes) as a battle strategy in the midst of a crisis at least once. (Because if Ash is wearing Alan’s clothes, and he’s flying on his charizard, then with his dark hair, who could tell the difference between them from way down on the ground? No one, that’s who. The enemy would be completely bamboozled.)

But yeah, really, I just imagine them as a real #squad. They’re all good friends with each other (even if some bonds aren’t as strong as others), they’ve got each other’s backs, et cetera. They’re a real solid squad and even if the messenger is often filled with shenanigans, it does come in handy for serious business stuff as well.

Anyway, this might have been ten books longer than what you were hoping for, but! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I liked writing it! ♥

#em-exceeds-change-zearu #the champion squad #i think that's a good name to use for the collective :)#meta #pokemon #champion alan #ash ketchum #qpp: let's battle again someday #(i talked about their bond a lot so that tag is deserved)#trainer casey #steven stone #champion cynthia #champion iris #trainer hau

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