#gladiator chapter 28

[avastrasposts]

The Pilot and his Girl - ch. 28**

Sorry for the slight delay in this chapter, it's a bit of a "travel" chapter and although I had a couple of scenes I wanted to add, the rest of the chapter just didn't flow. But here it is, finally!

Series Master List

Chapter 29 - Warnings have their own post - Word count: 6.9k

The weather outside the school is a crisp, early fall day, and as you all make your way towards the interstate heading north you relish being away from the city again. The route chosen takes you away from suburban areas as much as possible so for hours you walk through green fields and patches of forest where the leaves have started changing color. It’s like a picturesque fall hike, except all seven of you are armed, guns ready, and walking with your heads on swivels.

Pope’s taken the lead, Joel behind him, not willing to let Pope be all in command. Frankie and you follow Joel, and Tommy brings up the rear behind Will and Benny. By midday you’ve covered a lot of ground and take a break by a small lake. You gratefully sink down onto the ground with your back against a log. The ache in your shoulder is a dull throb and you’re trying to get by without any more painkillers. 

“Just take the damn pills, cariño,” Frankie says when you shake your head. 

“We don’t have that many left, what if we need them for something more serious?” you object and he raises his eyebrows. 

“You can be all brave and stoic when we’re inside a QZ, out here I need you to be as good as you can be with that shoulder.” He holds the pills out again, along with his canteen and you accept them. 

“ ‘Stoic’, big word there, Frankie’,” you tease him as he watches you swallow the pills. 

“The Gladiator film,” he says, grinning, “Marcus Aurelius was a stoic philosopher.” 

“How do you even remember that?” you ask incredulously and Frankie gives you a crooked smile as he sits down next to you. 

“I’ve watched that film like thirty times.”

“Director’s cut with commentary,” Benny chips in, grinning as he sits down on the other side of you. “He was obsessed!”

“How did I not know about this obsession?” you ask, laughing as Frankie reaches across and slaps Benny’s cap off. 

“It’s a masterpiece, and the Academy agrees with me because it got an Oscar for Best Film and-,” Frankie says. 

“No it didn’t, Erin Brockowich won the Oscar for Best Film that year,” Benny interrupts, “I remember Julia Roberts on stage.” 

“Erin Brockowich didn’t win an Oscar for Best Film!” Frankie protest, “Are you out of your fucking mind?!” 

“No, you’re out of your mind if you think Gladiator beat Erin Brockowich, that film was awesome!” 

“It was alright, but it did not win an fucking Oscar for Best Film!” Frankie throws his hands up, “I can’t fucking believe you, Benny, you’re delusional!” 

“Russel Crowe won an Oscar for Best Actor, I’ll give you that, he was awesome. ‘What we fight in life, dies in eternity!’ “ Benny quotes in his best Russel Crowe impersonation. 

“Jesus, Benny, that’s not even the quote!” Frankie sighs with a roll of his eyes as you chuckle. 

“If we had a smartphone with an internet connection, I’d solve this straight away,” you say, giving Frankie a calming pat on his thigh. “But you’ll just have to hope we find a library with an encyclopedia.”

“I’m telling you, Erin Brockowich won an Oscar for Best Film, Frankie!” Benny says and Frankie mumbles something undoubtedly rude in Spanish and pushes himself up. 

“I’m gonna get some lunch, I’ll get you a bowl too, cariño.” With a scowl at Benny he stalks off and you can’t help but smile at the mundane argument between the two men. Benny leans over and chuckles. 

“I totally know Gladiator won the Oscar for Best FIlm, but I just love winding him up.” 

“Benjamin Miller, you are a nuisance!” you laugh as Benny grins and digs into his own lunch. 

You continue on after lunch, until darkness starts to settle. You find a farmstead on the outskirts of a small town and once it’s cleared you all settle down for the night. You’re excused from the watch rosta again and sleep through the night while the guys take turns standing guard. You wake up early again, Frankie had the second to last watch and he’s sleeping soundly, his arm thrown over your waist. He stirs as you shift under him, mumbling in his sleep, and you press a kiss to his forehead, making his lips curl in a drowsy smile. 

“Go back to sleep, Frankie,” you whisper, and as you pull on your boots, you hear his soft snores start back up. 

Joel has the last watch tonight and you find him pacing the yard in front of the farm house, turning as you step through the door. 

“Morning,” you say, sitting down on the porch steps as he turns back towards the yard. 

“Mornin’ “ 

“Quiet night?” you ask, looking out over the field beyond the farmstead as Joel turns and paces back across the yard again. 

“No one came near us but a few groups of infected moving south in the distance,” he replies, turning and coming back towards you again. He stops and looks down at you, his brow furrowed, looking like he has something on his mind. You wait, looking up at him as his jaw ticks. 

“Frankie’s girl,” he says eventually, “Tommy told me. I’m sorry.” His voice is gruff, his eyes not meeting yours, instead scanning the sides of the building. 

“Thanks,” you say, “Tommy told me about Sarah, I’m really sorry too, Lucía loved her.” 

“Yeah.” He stands still for a beat before he turns and paces back across the yard, stopping at the last building and looking out over the fields. 

You remain on the porch, watching his rigid posture, but he doesn’t turn and come back and eventually you hear people moving inside the house and you get up to help with breakfast, leaving him to his vigil. 

You made good time yesterday, Pope shows you on the map how far you’ve come. 

“We should make it to the Boston QZ before nightfall, but it’ll be slower going today since we’re moving through populated areas,” he says, his finger tracing a line across the map. 

“More people, more infected,” you sigh, accepting your backpack from Frankie as he comes over. 

“Yeah, we need to be on our toes today,” Pope agrees, “But, there’s seven of us, I’d think twice before I mess with an armed group that large.” 

“Let’s hope you’re right, Pope,” Will says, scanning the map next to you, “Let’s head out.” 

Pope was right about it being slower going. Only a few miles from the farmstead the suburbs begin, a massive sprawl all around the greater Boston area. The six men quickly fall into a familiar pattern of tactical advancement, you stay close to Frankie, as two men move forwards, covered by the other four, repeating as you move through the neighborhoods. Eventually you leave the suburbs behind and move into Boston, heading towards North End where the QZ is supposed to be located. 

As you’re moving across a large street, you and Frankie in front, you suddenly hear a desperate call for help. Frankie immediately holds up his hand to halt the others, Joel moving up next to you. The call is coming from a side street just up ahead and carefully the three of you move forward, the other four covering your backs. As you clear the corner, guns raised, you see the source of the noise, a young boy is trapped underneath a dumpster, his leg jammed and he’s crying out as he pulls on it. Next to him is a teenage girl, trying to shift the heavy dumpster off his leg. The boy cries out as he sees you, his face twisted in pain. 

“Please, help!” the girl calls, “my brother’s stuck!” She puts her shoulder against the dumpster and tries to shift it again. You holster your gun and start jogging towards the pair. 

“Cariñio, wait!” Frankie calls as he sees you move, following you with his hand out to pull you back. 

“Stop!” Joel bellows and yanks Frankie to the side so that they both tumble to the ground behind a car, you look back at them as you step forward and your leg catches on a wire. You barely have time to register your mistake and then a loud explosion knocks you sideways, showering you with dust and debris, you cry out as you land on your injured shoulder. Your vision is filled with dust, your gasping to catch your breath and your ears are ringing, somehow you register the loud noise of gunshots and then Frankie is on you, pulling you backwards across the ground behind a van. His face is swimming in front of yours as you try to focus on what he’s saying, he’s patting you down, lifting your shirt to and checking your abdomen. You shake your head, trying to clear the fog, and slowly Frankie’s voice comes back to you.

“Cariño! Are you hurt? Tell me where it hurts?” He’s kneeling in front of you, his hands on your shoulders, trying to make you focus on him. A corner of your mind registers that the gun fire has stopped and you try to feel if you’re hurting anywhere. 

“Only my shoulder,” you croak finally, “I landed on it.” You shake your head again and blink and Frankie swims into view, clearer now. “I think I’m ok, my ears are ringing but nothing is broken.” 

“Get her up, we need to move,” Joel barks from somewhere to your right, loud enough to cut through the ringing, and Frankie moves around, putting his arm around your waist and helping you up. You’re dizzy but it fades quickly as you take a few steps towards the street, your legs are a bit shaky but nothing hurts. You glance over at the boy and the girl and see them lying lifeless against the dumpster, multiple bullet wounds leaking blood onto the ground. 

“Let’s move!” Pope yells and Frankie pulls you along, as Will comes up on your other side to check if you need support. 

“I think I’m good, Will, thanks,” you say, your legs feeling steadier with each step. 

“Ok, good,” he replies, glancing over his shoulder at the site of the explosion, his gun raised. “I think you got really lucky, that bomb was made wrong. Lots of noise, very little blast, amateur work.” He catches your eyes and gives you a serious look, “You got really lucky.” You drop your gaze, you know you fucked up, he doesn’t have to say it.  

You all move quickly through the next few blocks and shouts go up behind you, prompting Pope to hastily consult the map before making a sharp turn. “Down here, we’ll lose any pursuers in the alleys,” he says and you all jog along as quickly as possible while still checking every street corner. Eventually you come out on a big highway, following it north and slowing down to a walk again. 

You walk next to Frankie, he keeps glancing over at you but you keep your eyes on the ground or forward on Joel’s back. You put everyone in danger, especially Frankie, by being thoughtless and trusting. Guilt and shame crawls up your limbs and makes your cheeks burn as you remember how both Frankie and Joel yelled at you. You can’t bring yourself to look at Frankie, his concerned eyes, you know he’ll smooth it over, make it out as if it was a mistake anyone could’ve made. But you know that’s not true, the others saw the trap instantly, you just saw two children who needed help and rushed in without thinking. 

“I’m sorry, Frankie,” you finally mumble when you can’t take it anymore. And just like you thought, Frankie immediately takes hold of your hand and strokes soothing little circles onto your skin. 

“Don’t worry about it, cariño, you made a mistake, the important thing is you’re not hurt.” 

You hear Joel growl in front of you and Frankie looks up at him as Joel throws a scowl over his shoulder at you, “You could’ve gotten us all killed, being so fucking trusting, fucking stupid.”

You feel your cheeks heat up again and you bite your lip, dropping your eyes to your boots as you continue walking. But Frankie tightens his hold on your hand as he glowers at Joel’s back.  

“Shut the fuck up, Joel,” he snarls, “she made a mistake and I should’ve been more alert, should’ve seen it first.” 

“Well, that’s just the fucking problem isn’t it?!” Joel snaps, stopping and spinning around to face Frankie and you. “You’re so fucking wrapped around her that you don’t pay attention to anything. Could have fucking clickers tearing the rest of us to pieces but you’d only see her. She’s a fucking liability.” 

You see Frankie opens his mouth to yell at Joel but Will’s firm hand comes down on his shoulder. 

“Ok, that’s enough,” he says, his voice determined and signaling ‘end of fucking discussion’. “We need to keep moving, we’re almost at the QZ. This is not the time or the place.” 

Without a word Joel turns on his heel and marches off, overtaking Pope who’s looking at Frankie with his eyebrows raised. Frankie snaps his mouth shut, his teeth grinding together as he starts walking again. He’s still got a hold of your hand but as you walk you pull away from it, taking out your gun as your eyes scan the broken city around you. Joel words sting, there’s a truth to them, Frankie’s said so himself back in Arlington when you asked to help with the smuggling. ‘I wouldn’t be able to focus on what we’re doing if I know you’re out there too’. He only let you join in the operation when you pleaded with him. And now you’d proven how right he’d been, you made a mistake and his focus had been on you, not the potential danger. You grip your gun tighter, keeping your eyes on the horizon as you swallow down the lump in your throat and keep walking, trying to ignore Joel’s furious form in front and Frankie’s worried looks on your left.  

Downtown Boston is a mess, a wrecked no man’s land of broken buildings and water filled craters. It’s slow going with many detours and uneasy sprints across streets as you follow the broken signs towards the QZ. You stay behind Frankie, your gun out, pointed down towards the ground, stopping when he stops, running when he runs, making yourself small and invisible, avoiding Frankie’s eyes, and Joel’s scowls. 

The QZ gate finally comes into view as the sun sinks behind the broken skyline. You make one final detour on Pope’s suggestion, all of you hiding your rifles and some of your handguns inside a building just out of sight of the gate. 

“Better to stash them here than to let FEDRA take them,” Pope says, marking the building on his map as you hide your gun and holster at the bottom of your backpack. 

You get to the gate, get scanned and taken to a processing center. Since it’s getting late you’re shown to a temporary housing facility, bunk beds set up in the hall of a community center, and given a thin stew for dinner. After the meager meal you get ready for bed, gratefully pulling off your boots and sinking down on Frankie’s bunk bed, you’ve been assigned the one on top. He puts his arm around you and pulls you in to rest your head on his shoulder. 

“Relax now, cariño,” he mumbles, “we got here in one piece.” 

“I’m really sorry about today, Joel’s right,” you whisper, guilt welling up inside you again, “I made a huge mistake that could’ve gotten us killed.” 

Frankie sighs and lets his hand caress your hair as he pulls you in closer, “You made a mistake because you’re you, you’re not a soldier. And I love that,” he adds when he hears you inhale to interrupt. “You’re not a soldier and you shouldn’t have to be, I should keep you safe and I wasn’t paying enough attention today.” 

“Frankie, if you blame yourself for me getting myself blown up today, I’m going to slap you,” you protest and you hear him sigh. 

“But it’s true, I promised to keep you safe, both to you and to myself, and I failed.” 

You pull yourself from his grip so that you can sit up straight and look at him, “You do not get to blame yourself for that and you can’t keep me safe at all times, that’s impossible.” 

“I know, but when I’m right there, right next to you, I should keep you safe, I should’ve seen that fucking trap the second we turned the corner, I need to keep you safe,” his voice shifts, an edge to it you haven’t heard in a few years. 

“Frankie…” you say, taking his hand as you open your mouth to argue, to pull him back from where he’s heading, but he interrupts, cutting you off. 

“I need to keep you safe, you know that,” his eyes are pleading with you, “you know it’s all I have, you’re all I have. If I can’t keep you safe then…then,” he shrugs, shaking his head, “then nothing. I’m nothing. After Lucía…” he trails off, and you cup his face in your hands and lean against his forehead. “You know how close I came to leaving you because I couldn’t keep you safe,” he mumbles, “I have to keep you safe, I have to protect you.” 

“I know Frankie, I know,” you stroke his cheeks with your thumbs but you don’t try to argue with him, you don’t try to convince him, you just try to calm him down. “I promise I’ll be more careful too. And we’re safe now, Frankie, we’re both safe.” 

“I just wanna keep you safe, hermosa,” he mumbles, putting his arm around your shoulder and pulling you into his side and you lean your head on his shoulder again. “I just need to keep you safe.” 

You take his other hand and tangle your fingers with his, rubbing your thumb over the bullseye tattoo and you sit in silence while the rest of the room quietens down, people settling down to sleep. Your own eyes are getting heavy and you stifle a yawn. 

“I hope we can stay here now,” you mumble as he caresses your hair, his fingertips gently scraping against your scalps.  

“Yeah, I hope so, Boston seems good so far,” he looks down at you as you slip further down his shoulder. “Hermosa, don’t fall asleep sitting up, c’mon, get into bed.” He smiles as he nudges you to sit upright again and starts peeling your jacket off. You nod and pull off your hoodie too before climbing up into the top bunk. Frankie stands up and tucks you into your sleeping bag and cups your cheek, his lips finding yours in a soft kiss. 

“Sleep well, cariño, sweet dreams.” He chuckles softly as your eyes close before he’s even finished speaking, pressing his lips to your forehead and settling down in the bottom bunk. 

FEDRA in Boston seems to have the procedure of admitting people down to an efficient art form. It only takes a few hours the next day for you all to be assigned housing, ration cards and told to report to the assignment officer in two days time. The Boston QZ is located in the city’s North End, narrow streets lined by centuries old red brick buildings and surrounded on three sides by water. You’ve all been assigned apartments in the same building, Pope, Will and Benny in one apartment, Joel and Tommy in another and Frankie and you in a small one bedroom place on the top floor overlooking Old North Church. 

Frankie pulls you into his chest the second the door closes behind you. You’ve just managed to drop your bag on the floor when his arms circle around you and the cool tip of his nose presses against your neck. You hear him inhale deeply, probably smelling almost a week’s worth of dirt and sweat on your skin and you shift under him, feeling the need for a shower. 

“I stink Frankie,” you giggle as he holds you tighter when you squirm under him. 

“I don’t fucking care, I let you shower last time I had you alone,” he growls, “you smell great to me, you’re my favourite smell in the world.” 

“Not aviation fuel?” you tease him and he chuckles into your hair.  “Close second, hermosa.” 

He’s walking you backwards into the new apartment, guiding you into a room that turns out to be the kitchen and with a firm grip on your waist, he lifts you up onto one of the counters. 

“Look at this, perfect height and everything,” he grins as he pushes your legs apart, making room for himself between them and pulling you closer. You’ve still got your boots on, and your jacket, and you’re giggling as he starts tugging at the sleeves as he buries his face against the crook of your neck, placing wet kisses on your salty skin. When he uses his teeth, nipping that spot just under your ear, your giggles turn into a gasp and he bites harder, making you moan so that he can feel the sound come from your throat. You fight with your sleeves, finally freeing yourself and throwing your jacket on the floor and tangling your hands in Frankie’s soft curls, pushing off his cap and pulling his lips up to yours. The back of your head thumps against the cupboard behind you when he meets your kiss, his tongue greedily licking into your open mouth and pushing you back. When his hands roam under your t-shirt and caress along your sides, up your back, his fingers feel hot on your skin, making you shiver with pleasure and you tilt your head back with a soft moan. Frankie lets his mouth leave yours and instead sucks a mark into your neck, the soft tip of his tongue coming out to taste the goosebumps his scraping teeth leaves behind. 

He pulls away enough to pull the t-shirt over your head and you reach out to tug off his shirt too, to be honest, it stinks, as does yours, they both end up on the floor. His skin is still tanned and golden from the day you spent on the boat, his freckles sprinkled over his shoulders and chest and before he claims your skin again, you lean forward and smooth your hands over the wide expanse of his shoulders. Frankie’s hands are stroking your back, up into your hair, letting his nails scrape along your scalp as you pull him closer and trail wet kisses between his freckles. His skin tastes like salt and dust, the unwashed cotton of his t-shirt leaving its own scent, but underneath you can still smell him. You can feel his throat hum when your lips move up over his Adam's apple and into his scruffy beard, nosing against the sweet bare patches that never fill in. 

“Do I stink, cariño,” he says and you can hear the smile in his voice and you nod, letting your lips wander down along his throat again, your hands slipping down over his chest. 

“You taste like salt and smell like sweat,” you murmur into his skin, enjoying the warmth that’s radiating from him, the stillness in the apartment and the calm that comes from being safe and having time. And you take your time, Frankie standing still between your legs, his hands in your hair, letting your fingertips map out a path between his freckles that you follow with your mouth. Tasting him slowly, your tongue slipping over his skin, the pebbles on his throat, the hollow just at the base. You test the give of his flesh, biting lightly like you always do, until he hums with pleasure, egging you on to bite down harder. Your mouth finds a soft spot, just beneath his collar bone, and your tongue caresses it. When the pads of your fingers drag across his dark nipples as your teeth graze his skin, biting down, he hums again, a hushed moan at the back of his throat. The sound, his soft little whine, sends a shiver down your spine, making you grip your legs around his narrow hips, heat pooling in your core and you let your fingers slip down his soft belly until you find the coarse trail of dark hair that leads down under his jeans. 

He lets you undo his belt and buttons, the zipper coming down as you cup your hand over the bulge in his tight boxers. 

“Cariño,” he groans, your fingers tracing the outline of his hard cock as his breath stutters, “fuck, that feels good…” he drops into the crook of your neck, his mouth breathing hot air over your skin as you continue to tease him through the warm cotton. His hands have been kneading your hips through the denim of your jeans but now he moves them onto your thighs, stroking his thumbs up along the inside towards your core and up to your belt, tugging at it. He makes quick work of it even when he has to stop and groan as your fingers become more firm around him. You lift your hips and he pushes your jeans down your legs, cursing as they catch on your boots. 

“Take them off, Frankie,” you say, palming his heavy length again, pulling a deep growl from him as he bites down on your shoulder, making you whine and squeeze him in response. 

“Fuck,” he breathes, pulling away and crouching down to untie your laces, quickly pulling each boot off, letting your jeans fall on the floor before he kicks off his own boots and jeans. 

“Counter or bed?” he asks, pulling your legs around his waist again, his hard length pushed up against your wet folds. 

“We’re not gonna last long enough to get to the bed,” you say and he grins, seeking out your mouth as he feels your fingers wrap around his cock and give it a few firm strokes, letting the precum coat the blunt head. 

“Probably not, I’m-” Frankie’s reply gets stuck in his throat as he groans, his hips thrusting into your hand of their own accord. “Fuck, that feels good, hermosa,” he gasps, his cock twitching in your grip.

Guiding him right you look down between your bodies to watch as he pushes in, the stretch making you clench hard around him. He growls, a low rumbling in his throat, his fingers digging into your hips, the slick heat coating his aching hard cock and he feels your pussy pulse around him as you tangle your hands in his hair and pull his mouth to yours. When he starts to move his hips hips he has to squeeze his eyes shut, he wants to fuck you hard, built up tension making his body want to chase release too fast. But you’re just as greedy, he can feel it, your heels digging into his ass, pulling him closer with every thrust of his hips. Your lips slip from his and you bury your face against the crook of his neck, clinging to his shoulders as he slams deep. Every time he bottoms out he grinds against your aching clit, the wiry curls at the base of him slipping across it, making you gasp out hot air over his chest. 

“Frankie…” you moan, “harder…please…I’m so clo..ose,” the last syllable comes out as a whine as he plants his feet firm on the kitchen floor, his hands grabbing handfuls of flesh and slamming into your, pushing you up against the cupboard with a panted groan.

“Fuck, so good…” Frankie pants, “feels so good, I won’t…” 

He has to bite his lip to stop himself from coming, pistoning into you and listening to your whimpering as he hits the right spot. Your nails dig into his back, your teeth scrape across his shoulder as you seize up and cry out, your high hitting you as he grinds deep into your tight heat. The spasm of your cunt around his aching cock, deep inside you, pushes him over the edge. With a growl he pulls you in even tighter, pushing your hips onto his cock, emptying deep inside as he shivers under the onslaught.

You tilt your head back, breathing heavily as your body relaxes around him. He drops his head forward and your arms come up and cradle him against your chest, pressing kisses to the top of his head as stillness falls over you both, the only sound your breathing, as you slowly calm down.

Later, after showers with soap and shampoo, he carries you to the bedroom and places you naked on the bed and kneels by your thighs. If the first time together after a week traveling was rushed and chasing relief, now it’s slow and calm. A soft bed again, a door to close and lock, no one nearby and no need to stand guard. Frankie does what he loves best, he pushes your legs open with his calloused hands and makes himself at home between them, making you whimper his name while his cock aches under him. As your body arches up and you cry out, he pins you down, buries his tongue inside you, and begs you to let him make you come again and again. 

When you finally fall asleep, the sheets are already ruined, your thighs covered in your release and his seed, Frankie’s sweat damp curls a messy halo around his head, the taste of you on his tongue. With your face nestled in the crook of his neck, your head resting on his arm, he pulls the covers over you both and holds you close with his arms circled around you. When you hook your leg over his, he feels like he should simply stay here always, never leave this bed again. Your nose against his throat, warm breath slipping over his chest, your soft waist under his arms and he feels your body rise and fall in a steady rhythm. 

He has to keep you safe. 

“I talked to Joel yesterday,” Will says one evening, a few weeks after you’ve all arrived in Boston. “He’s been looking into trading around the QZ, talked to some of the people selling stuff to see who’s moving what.” 

Frankie and you have joined Will, Benny and Pope in their apartment, continuing your routine of sharing dinners. Tonight it’s your turn to cook and Frankie’s helping you chop up the vegetables while you try to season the rice with what little is available. 

“I invited him and Tommy over tonight, after dinner, to see what they have to say, seems Joel’s keen to get into smuggling, they used to do it in the Austin QZ.” Will says, putting down bowls on the kitchen table and knocking Benny’s feet off it at the same time, “Get your stinky, fucking socks off the table, Benjamin.” 

“Do you know why they left Austin?” you ask, turning to Will, who’s scowling at his younger brother.

“Tommy got friendly with a group of people who were convinced things were better up north and wanted to join them. Joel said he tagged along to keep an eye on Tommy,” Will replies and Benny nods.  “Seems they had a pretty rough journey,” he says, “they lost most of the group, stopped in some QZ:s along the way, moved on when FEDRA got too oppressive or the smuggling got too dangerous.”

“So everyone in the group died until it was only them left?” you ask, seems like you guy got off easy in your journey if that’s how bad it’d been for Joel and Tommy.. 

“No, they left a few behind in Pittsburgh,” Will says, “Tommy said two of the guys found partners there, one of them had a kid, another one was fed up with running, wanted to take down FEDRA there. Thanks, man.” he sits down at the table and accepts a glass of whiskey from Pope. “I think Tommy wanted to do the same but Joel thought it was a bad idea and got Tommy to leave. They were heading to New York but ran into some trouble and decided it’d be safer to go further north.” 

“What kind of trouble?” Pope asks, “New York seems to be the logical choice if you’re leaving Pittsburgh.” 

“I didn’t ask,” Will says, shaking his head, “seemed to be a sore point with Joel so I didn’t push it.” 

You put the pot of stew on the table and everyone sits down, “So the plan is to start up the way we did in New York?” you ask, “And maybe avoid pissing off any local gangs?” 

“Yeah, I guess so,” Will nods with a crooked grin, “Joel seemed to have some ideas so maybe he’s heard something about what’s going on.”

Joel does have plenty of ideas you realize when he and Tommy turn up an hour later. Tommy’s been asking around and there’s a couple of people to approach if you’re looking for something not available with ration cards. But Joel’s been more direct, he’s found a route to get outside and tested it, venturing far outside the wall and picking up the rifles and ammo you left out there. He’s also made a connection with the man who runs the private radio in the QZ and figured out which FEDRA soldiers have what weaknesses and who can be exploited for those weaknesses. 

“How’d you find out all that,” Will asks as Pope and Frankie exchange a worried glance. 

“Asked the right people in the right way,” Joel grunts, stretching out his long legs as he leans back on the couch. 

“What do you mean, ‘the right way’?” 

Joel eyes Will for a few seconds before he responds, “I ask and make sure they know they need to tell the truth;” he says, his tone curt and crossing his arms over his chest, his face closed off, it’s like watching a shutter come down the way he clenches his jaw tight. There’s a menacing tone to his voice that makes you shudder when he says it and by the way Frankie tilts his head and shoots a quick glance at Pope, you know you’re not the only one who picked up on it. 

“Joel, you know I’ve been smuggling for years,” Will says, “We’ve got to be more subtle or FEDRA’s gonna catch on and we haven’t got any protection in place yet.”

“That’s what I’m getting us,” Joel says, “protection. And, speaking of protection,” he looks over at Frankie, he’s sitting next to you as usual, with his arm over your shoulder, “you two can’t go on runs together, you don’t prioritize right when she’s with you and it puts the rest of us in danger.” 

“Joel,” Benny interjects, he can see Frankie’s hackles rising, “we came all the way from Arlington and it was never an issue, Fish’s got everyones’ back.” 

“She nearly got us killed yesterday,” Joel growls, “because he wasn’t paying attention to covering us, only her. No offense, darlin’,” he says, looking over at you and you’ve never felt less like someone’s ‘darlin’ with the way he’s looking at you, “I’m sure you can handle yourself, but I ain’t working with you and Frankie together when it’s plain as daylight who his first priority is.” Joel shifts his look over to Frankie before he lands on Will, “He’d try to save her even if it was hopeless, he’s too focused on her.” 

“Well, I guess that’s us out then, Will,” Frankie growls just as low as Joel in response, “because I’m not letting her go out on a run without me.” 

“She’s a good shot and a great look out, Joel,” Pope interjects, looking at you and giving you a small smile, “I’d work with her any day. And Fish, I trust him with my life,” Pope looks over at Joel again, “we need both of them.”

“Like I said,” Joel is standing up, getting ready to leave, “I’m sure she can handle herself and I know Frankie’s as skilled as any of you guys, but I don’t trust them together, she makes him unfocused and I ain’t risking my life for it.” 

Frankie opens his mouth to snarl something, but Will’s quick nod at him makes him snap his mouth shut while Tommy stands up and joins Joel at the door. 

“Thanks for the whiskey, see y'all tomorrow,” he says, giving a wave as Joel disappears out the door and he follows, an uncomfortable silence falling over the room when they’re gone. You’re chewing on the inside of your cheek, your eyes on your hands and you feel Frankie’s fingers flex around your shoulder. He inhales and opens his mouth to say something but you cut him off. 

“I’ll just stay behind, you need Frankie more than me,” you say to the room, “and you need Joel more than me.” 

“Cariño, fuck him, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Frankie says, squeezing you under his arm but you shake your head. 

“He’s got a point, who would you save first, him or me?” You’re looking at Frankie and you can see in his eyes that he knows full well you’d be the first one he’d save, and you’d do the same for him. You hadn’t seen it until Joel put his finger on it, but your bond puts everyone else in danger. 

“It’s never been an issue, hermana,” Santi says from his corner of the couch, “we’re not in the army anymore, different rules apply and we adapt around it. Will would save Benny first if he had to choose.” 

“But Frankie doesn’t even want me going on smuggling runs,” you say, “I had to twist his arm to let me come,” Frankie’s eyes are pained when he meets yours, “You would rather I stayed behind and be safe.” 

He sighs, running his hand over his neck, “Yeah, I would, you know I hate the thought of you getting hurt, or worse.”

“So I won’t go anymore,” you shrug, pretending it doesn’t bother you, and stand up, getting ready to leave, “If I’m with you on a run your focus will be on me, and I know you won’t let me go with someone else. It’s just better if I don’t go at all.” You know Frankie isn’t fighting you on this because it’s what he wants, he’s trying to hide it but you see relief in his eyes as he gets up to join you. The other men remain silent, Benny opens his mouth to say something but thinks better of it, closing it again as he stands up. He surprises you with one of his signature bear hugs instead. 

“I’d have you on my team any day,” he mutters close to your ear as his arms crush you to his chest, “fuck Joel.” His support makes you smile and you give him an extra squeeze before letting go. 

You’re subdued when you get back to your own apartment and Frankie hovers in the living room as you go to the bathroom to brush your teeth. You know him well enough after all these years to know what he’s doing, and when he comes in and leans on the door frame, watching your evening routine, you know he’s getting ready to speak after sorting the words in his head. 

“Cariño,” he begins, his hand shooting up and rubbing across his neck, “I can’t pretend like I won’t be calmer if you’re here, safe, instead of out dealing with FEDRA patrols, raiders and infected and all the other shit. Joel’s right, when we’re out there, I’m always focused on you, and I’m always worried about you, in a way I never was when it was just me and the guys on missions in the army or doing runs with Pope in Arlington.” He’s gripping the door frame, grinding his fingers into the wood as he speaks, his eyes seeking yours in the mirror as you continue to brush your teeth. When you look at him he takes a tentative step towards you, his hand coming out and resting on the small of your back, as if he wants to circle your waist and pull you close, but he’s not sure how you’ll react yet. “I know you wanna come with me too, I know you worried about me when I went out with Pope, but it’ll be different now, I’ll be with Will and Ben too, we’ll be able to handle anything, it won’t be as dangerous as before.” 

You spit the toothpaste out and rinse your mouth before meeting his eyes in the mirror, “I hate it,” you say, giving your head a small shake, “the idea of you being out there, in danger, I fucking hate it.” 

“I know,” Frankie says softly, his arm coming all the way around your waist and you lean into him. 

“If you don’t come back, I’m coming after you, you know that right?” you whisper into his chest. 

“I’ll come back, I promise I’ll always come back.” He’s turning you so that he’s got you pressed against him, his arms around you and holding you tight as he drops his head against the top of yours. 

“You can’t promise that, Frankie.” 

“Watch me,” he mumbles, “Just fucking watch me.” 

Chapter 29

Taglist: @pimosworld @i-own-loki @casa-boiardi @littlenosoul @stormseyer @mxtokko @javicstories @nunya7394 @welcometothepedroverse @harriedandharassed @meveispunk @hiroikegawa @jwritesfanfics @vickie5446

#frankie morales #frankie morales x reader #frankie morales x you #frankie morales fanfiction #pedro pascal character fanfiction #frankie morales fluff #frankie morales fanfic #the last of us #the last of us fanfiction #joel miller #joel miller tlou #the last of us fanfic #tommy miller #santiago pope garcia x you #benjamin miller #will miller #triple frontier fanfiction #triple frontier au #triple frontier #frankie morales x fem!reader #frankie morales x f!reader

[kitsune024]

Loki Fic Recs || Part 1 ||

WinterFrost Fics

IronFrost Fics

-

undetermined intervention by camomiletea I Chapters 4/4 I Completed Time Travel Fix-It, Good Odin

Loki had survived death before. This was the first time he had woken up in the past though.

I’ll Cover You by Ishantah I Chapters 2/2 I Completed Thor & Loki, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1, Loki Lives, Powerful Loki, Infinity Stones, Time Travel, Brotherly Angst, Bromance, Good Loki

Instead of snapping his neck, Thanos decides to take Loki up on his “offer” to help collect the stones, and forces Loki’s loyalty by holding Thor captive. Loki has no choice but to comply… for now.

Fate's Guardian by @peaceheather I Chapters 28/28 I Completed sort of good Loki, BAMF Loki, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Set roughly a year post-Thor:TDW, reference to events in Guardians of the Galaxy. Pretty much a shameless fixit fic. No pairings. A being shows up on Earth looking for Loki, the Avengers get pulled in to see what's going on, and they all learn what Loki has *really* been up to all this time. I dunno, I was in a mood to write something like this, so I did. First posted to FFnet, if you prefer to read it there.

Because I Could Not Stop For Death by @soulessrobot I Chapters 6/6 I Completed Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 Compliant, Fix-It, Big Sis Hela, BAMF Hela, Loki has a plan

Warning Infinity War Spoilers Loki has a plan. Sometimes all you need to kill a Mad Titan is a Goddess of Death.

Withering Away by @galaxythreads I Chapters 10/10 I Completed Loki & Thor, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame, Fix-It of Sorts, Whump, thor whump

[ENDGAME SPOILERS!] Thor failed. He failed his family, his people, his friends, and drinking solves nothing. When the Avengers arrive to initiate their plan, they find a much different Thor. One who’s only willing to agree on one condition: When they get the Tesseract, it will be on the Statesmen, and Thor will bring back Loki with him. (Fix-it) Avengers as family! Whump!

Changing the odds by Ikajo I Chapters 13/13 I Completed Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame, BAMF Loki, Time Travel, no one dies, Good Loki, Loki Does What He Wants

Doctor Strange saw over fourteen million different scenarios and only victory in one. He had not counted for a certain god of mischief however. Because who else would turn the certain to uncertain it would be him.

Mischief on Midgard by Areitheperidotdragon, Moonybird I Chapters 68/68 I Completed Banished Loki, Loki Does What He Wants, Trauma, Implied/Referenced Torture, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship

Takes place after the first Avengers movie, then goes AU. If Odin truly sees Thor and Loki as equal, they ought to face equal punishment for equal crimes. Thor's suggestion is granted and Loki is stripped of his powers as he is banished to Midgard where he has to either prove himself worthy or spend the rest of his life on earth without any special powers. Loki though is not so easily broken. He might not have magic nor supernatural strength. But he still has his wits, his gift of deception, his knowledge, and his basic skills as a fighter. And he is not ready to just lie down and admit defeat. He is ready to do what it takes to rise once again and handle the incoming threat from the void.

Bookmark Series

Let It Burn by ShatteredGlassWings I Part 1-2 I Loki & Thor, Gladiator Loki, BAMF Loki, they're all BAMF, Revengers team Chaos Reign by @fourth-rose I Part 1-14 I Loki & Asgard, BAMF Loki, King Loki, Jotunn Loki, Infinity Gems, Family Issues, Endgame Fix-It A Deep Mark by @withthekeyisking-writer I Part 1-2 I Avengers Team & Loki Loki Lives. Infinity Gems, BAMF Loki, Bruce Is a Good Bro The Deal by orphan_account I Part 1-2 I AU - Canon Divergence, infinity war and endgame fix it, loki lives, it's gonna get a bit dark The Trickster Universe by Shadow_Chaser I Part 1-4 I Completed BAMF!Loki, Epic Bromance, Loki's "kids" are not his "kids" - they are his coterie, Thor tries to make Loki become friends with the Avengers-But it doesn't quite take, Loki Does What He Wants - Series by @shieldcodex SHIELD Agent Loki Part 1. SHIELD Codex I Part 1-14 I Complete Part 2. The Codex 'Verse I Part 1-6 I Complete Part 3. The SHIELD Codex: Judicium I Part 1-14 I

Loki Fics with Fanart

Portal To The Past by @worstloki I Chapters 23/? I BAMF Loki, Jotunn Loki, so just to clarify Thor IS a good bro he's just also still getting there ya know, Crack Treated Seriously, Toxic Asgard, Loki Does What He Wants

Bookmark Series

Oh, Hey There, Mister Blue by @iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid I Part 1-6 I Guardians of the Galaxy Team & Loki, BAMF Loki, They're All a BAMF in Some Way, Fix-It, AU - Canon Divergence, Team as Family

#links without fanart go straight to the fic cause I got too many loki fics to post them one at a time lol #loki #fic recs #fanfic rec #ao3 fanfic #i love loki #loki fic recs #mcu loki

[kigozula]

Hi, new to this ship have any Sokkla fics recommendations? Thanks!

Hi!=)

I don't know if you like long fics or oneshots or both.

My personal expectation from a Sokkla fic is a Sokka who is dedicated and faithful to Azula. The ones on the list I have here contain such fics. I‘d recommend you checking the notes;))

It Had To Be You (Modern AU) by Seyaryminamoto

Here is a continuation. And here is a christmas special (that'll have a continuation as well I believe?)

I was not a friend of modern au's until I read this "long-shot" xD. The whole concept is very interesting. I especially like how Sokka is portrayed in this one. His personality and actions make sense and doesn't get influenced by other's. His relationship with Azula is very cute. The families are described very well too.

Gladiator by Seyaryminamoto

I‘m reading and following this Story for years now. (M-Rated). My hero in this story is Azula!

It’s very long and so captivating.

Here you can find artworks.

(IMPORTANT; Since questions might arise: (see above), I change factors for myself. For me, in stories I like, Sokka is only with Azula. He has nothing with anyone else throughout the storytelling. It's the right thing for me. I change/ignore/rewrite it like this for reasons. Otherwise it’s not acceptable for me:) So in this one Sokka does not sleep with anyone in chapter 28 and goes straight to Azula. The rest of the story works perfectly well and same this way too. It fits Sokka‘s character more since he has a high moral. And this way I like him and respect him).

"Arranged Marriage" (Sokkla Saturdays Oneshot) by Seyaryminamoto. Part 1 and Part 2

As the title says, it's about an arranged marriage between Azula and Sokka. Very fun and beautiful. Includes almost all of their family members.

"Each Other's First" (Sokkla Saturdays Oneshot) by Seyaryminamoto

Another modern au. Very adorable!

Honestly, I could list so many stories of Seyaryminamoto. An inspirational author with stories that I love reading again and again. She has some great writing, ideas and surprises. Also, if I read modern au's, it's always from Seyary.<3

It's fact that she also did lots of work for Sokkla.

Getting Azula Home by writteninbluefire

And oldie but goldie.

I've read this YEARS ago. I knew I liked it and it's on my favorites on ff.net. But I should reread it I think. Sadly, there were no further updates (unless in another platfrom).

Usually I dislike canon stuff that includes the comics, but this one was an exception.

Before I frown by FireAndIce123

Titanic AU xD. It's fun and well written. Also been a long time since I last read it.

The Future Looks Brighter Together by MomochiZoey

An AU of The Day Of Black Sun, where Azula joins the Gaang.

Long Overdue by Akkizyao

I like this one because Sokka takes Azula to Kya's grave. The trust and love he has for her is what made me like this story.

The Blizzard by DeadDirector

It's more on the excplicit side, so be warned=D Married Igloo Sokkla!!

My Stories are to be found here on tumblr or on ff.net & ao3

If you'd like to know which one's are my favorite, I like my Kim Possible AU one-shots Only You & Me. And I totally love my Pretend Couple , "And Then He Saw Her" & "Blue looks good on you"

You can also check my favorite stories on my ff.net profile.

Most of them are one-shots. Gladiator and Getting Azula Home have chapters. There was another fic I was reading, but it's been years and I have no idea where to find it or if I finished reading it.

I am sure there are more stories I'd enjoy, but as it is, these are my favorites currently. Hope you find something on the list you can like. Thanks for asking and you're welcome!

#sokkla #azula #sokka #sokkazula #atla #ask #anon #kigozula

[stuff-mar-reads]

Imperishable Goods a Short Story about Long-distance Walking Shizunao

Imperishable Goods, a Short Story about Long-distance Walking https://ift.tt/SNTqAgW by Shizunao He was reaching for the bandages when the voice came and Stiles stilled with his arms still inside the cornucopia. “You’re stealing my stuff.” He turned his head slowly, looked the voice’s owner over. It was a guy, about his age and height, more muscular though. Not built like a gladiator yet but definitely stronger than Stiles was. The guy was staring at him coldly, impressive eyebrows drawn together and Stiles leaned back a little to sit on his heels, smiled at the stranger sweetly then winked. “Nothing gets past you, huh big guy?” Moss-covered trees, morally dubious first encounters and illegal baths. Also walking, a lot of it, and a thousand-stars painted night sky. Words: 27826, Chapters: 4/4, Language: English Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: M/M Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Other Characters Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Minor or Background Relationship(s) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Human, End of the World, Camping, Grief/Mourning, living in the woods, backpacking, Getting Together, Violence, Sexual Content via AO3 works tagged 'Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski' https://ift.tt/ECcbqvB July 28, 2023 at 03:16PM

#Sterek #Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale #Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski #IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic

[reading-wanderer]

A Compendium of Magical Artifacts

Chapter 28: Gladiator’s Manacles

Prompt: Fight

AO3 Link

[The next page you flip to takes a while to find and you actually notice a couple blank pages as you go. Looks like even the pages that weren’t written on got mixed with the others.]

Name: Gladiator’s Manacle

Description: These are paired metal shackles that have a singular gem embedded into each shackle. The color of the gem appears to be arbitrary or, rather, the logic behind it is not immediately obvious.

Known Abilities: The manacles are used to suppress a ghost’s three basic abilities in order to force them to use either their physical traits or their more powerful and showy attacks.

Location: The manacles are primarily found and used in the Olympus Coliseum. They are apparently rigorously guarded and maintained by those who run the Coliseum’s battles.

Notes: I do not often leave my usual route in Olympus as the more powerful ghosts tend to be Touchy. However, while I was visiting Hephaestus’s Temple, a couple of his acolytes that I have a more casual relationship with invited me with them to the Coliseum to watch one of the older and stronger acolytes fight. The fight itself was fascinating, but I and a couple of the others found ourselves derailed by hypothesizing about how the manacles worked. Honestly, after the Banshee Screams failed to get me the free time I needed, I was half tempted to remake these to use against Daniel. They would last much longer than the — Maximus [There’s a big blotch of ink or something over the first word of the name. Even trying to read it from the indentation doesn’t seem to work. That’s odd since the author usually leaves things legible even when they cross them out, but maybe their pen malfunctioned.] Unfortunately, I can’t know if the item works correctly on hybrids. Not to mention that the brat has more powers than sense and I imagine he’d just end up causing More issues than he already does should he be limited in such a way.

[You find yourself a bit disappointed that there’s no new information lurking in this entry, but you guess not every entry can tell you all that much. Hopefully the next one has more.]

#Ectoberhaunt22 #EH Order #Day 20 #Fight #reader writes a thing #Danny phantom

[ao3feed-tododeku]

Just Over the Horizon

Just Over The Horizon by IDKOkLeafMeAlone

Kiribaku, fantasy AU. When bakugo gets caught stealing from the ringmaster, he is forced to participate in an illegal underground gladiator's ring for his freedom. But he's up against the champion, someone who has been there since the young age of 10, who has never been defeated. A redhead half breed dragon, who's name is Halfie

Words: 22443, Chapters: 28/?, Language: English

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Bakugou Mitsuki, Bakugou Masaru, Bakugou Katsuki, Kirishima Eijirou's Parents, Kirishima Eijirou, Kaminari Denki, Ashido Mina, Sero Hanta, Todoroki Shouto, Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Yaoyorozu Momo, Jirou Kyouka, League of Villains, Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko, Dabi | Todoroki Touya, Toga Himiko, Chisaki Kai | Overhaul

Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Bakugou Katsuki & Kirishima Eijirou, Kaminari Denki/Sero Hanta, Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44403373

#AO3 Feed #FanFiction #AO3 Tododeku Plus #❤️ #💛 #Side Tododeku #Kiribaku· #♡ #A:IDKOkLeafMeAlone #Fantasy AU

[dhr-ao3]

Echoes of Eternity

Echoes of Eternity https://ift.tt/zGgxYAh by ThisLiminalSpace She’s a few feet away from him. He’s in full armored suit, breast plate and leg guards, Secutor helmet on, blond hair hidden. By all accounts, he should be almost unrecognisable. None of that matters. Hermione would recognise him anywhere. Is tuned to him like a violon. His hand is so close so close so close. But holding his hand is like biting in a forbidden fruit. The desire so strong. The consequences so severe. She stops herself from taking a step forward. Glances back at him, then down at her chest. Doesn’t dare look up. “I have a universe inside my chest,” she says instead, quietly, “but I am a black hole and when I stare at you— I know we are the same. I would recognise another black hole from miles away.” -- Post Final Battle, Voldemort creates a force-field around the entire Hogwarts grounds, called the Dome. Everyone inside the dome is stuck inside, no one from outside can get in. Five years on, and Hermione finally has the opening she's been waiting for to break the Dome open like an egg. It doesn't go according to plan. Words: 3057, Chapters: 1/20, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Harry Potter, Voldemort (Harry Potter), Fenrir Greyback, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Crookshanks (Harry Potter), Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Cormac McLaggen, Seamus Finnigan, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley Additional Tags: Gladiators, Hogwarts, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, gladius - Freeform, Slow Burn, narcissa is important, Hermione granger & narcissa black, Morally Grey Hermione Granger, BAMF Hermione Granger, BAMF Draco Malfoy, BAMF Theodore Nott, Asexual Theodore Nott, Angst, POV Hermione Granger, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Panic Attacks, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Disfiguration, it's a story about love but it involves liberal amounts of pain, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Mudblood, Scars, gladiator is a sad movie and this is a sad fic, but not only, some - Freeform, Attempt at Humor, Humor, Sarcasm, Five Years Later via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/gQGcM49 December 28, 2022 at 02:31PM

#IFTTT #Dramione #Draco x Hermione

[seyaryminamoto]

"So… to answer your earlier question, no, I never stopped to think that maybe one day I'd fall in love with someone, and that I'd REGRET my encounters with those women BY THEN." Now I quoted right. This is a contradiction. There a some contradictions regarding this in your fanfic and answers. The same with having an erotic dream. He regrets it now. Because he didn't think he would fall in love with Azula.

I’ve likely said I’m done answering asks of this nature a thousand times. Hell knows why I’m bothering to do it now, but I really think it’s the last time I’ll bother, despite I ALREADY know that nothing I say will actually register in your head.

You refuse to accept any arguments I’ve presented to you, perhaps because you don’t bother reading my answers to give them actual thought, as you’re stuck in your perception of Sokka as some appalling, disloyal man despite the fact that he’s been 100% devoted to Azula since he first accepted his feelings for her properly (chapter 55). He has been with her, in-story, for about 2 years already, and he has never shown the slightest interest in any women besides Azula throughout those years.

But according to you, he’s the worst because he had one erotic dream about someone else before he had any sort of relationship with Azula, and because of his nightmarish experiences in Hui Yi.

Okay. My bad. You’ve finally convinced me of WHY I shouldn’t have panned over those two years in Hui Yi and jumped right in with the story I wanted to tell. Maybe if I had gone the show-don’t-tell route with that, despite I didn’t particularly want to, I wouldn’t be receiving asks like yours. And boy, I really would like that.

Warning: I’m really at my wits’ end. I thought to tone down my answer. I even did in many ways. But consider my patience tried, tested and broken, and if I sound far more aggressive and outraged than usual, it’s because I am. Please, learn from that, if you won’t learn from anything else.

So, apparently Gladiator’s Sokka must be some sort of terrible person, going by your fixation with this topic, and a bad love interest for Azula, because he doesn’t regret what happened in Hui Yi, in the classic sense of the word, right away. And I suppose you expect me to back down on this and say you’re right, oh no, he totally SHOULD have regretted it all along!

Well, the truth is, Sokka regrets one very specific thing all along: being stuck in a situation where he has no choices, where he has to live by the fucked up rules of someone like Huang Li. THAT is what he regrets. And NO, that is not a contradiction. I’m bluntly stating it. It’s a FACT. It’s something every last one of his recollections about Hui Yi is permeated with.

Why doesn’t he regret what he did with SEVEN, btw, SEVEN girls in Hui Yi? And I specify this because I suspect it was you who sent an ask about how it was ELEVEN? Checking 112, I find Sokka said in the middle of his explanations to Azula that eleven people survived: he’s talking about the GLADIATORS at that point, something that should be obvious by context, but apparently I have to waste hours of my time spelling things out one by one to anons, huh? That comment is NOT about how many people he was with, this is about the gladiators who had survived by the time Azula bought him off Huang Li. He outright told Azula the exact number of girls in the previous chapter, and she reached her own conclusions. That you (or whoever it was) misreads the chapters to this extent just to piss yourselves off further is proving how POINTLESS this entire debate is. You people (or you alone) don’t want to hear reason. You want to poke holes into the story that aren’t even there, to demand retribution from a fictional man who already went through hell on earth, just because he wasn’t 100% pure and untainted when he reached Azula’s bed. I’ve asked you to have empathy for his character before, clearly that you still send asks like these proves my request has gone to waste.

Well, let’s come back to the point: why doesn’t he regret it? BECAUSE OF THE FIRST WOMAN. Because of what happened to the one he outright put a stop to, because this wasn’t what he wanted, and the woman stopped indeed because she didn’t want to have sex with Sokka any more than he wanted it with her, and then they spent hours talking, and he offered her an emotional sort of comfort by being a decent guy who let her relax instead of forcing her to do things she wouldn’t want to...

AND THEN SHE GOT HER HAND CUT OFF FOR IT. AND SHE WAS TREATED AS A LESSER SLAVE AND HUMAN BEING BECAUSE OF IT.

According to you, upon hearing this story from the next girl who went for him, Sokka should’ve been like “Well damn, I do feel sorry for lady #1, the only person I’ve ever bonded with in Hui Yi, she’s been crippled for life and might even die from an infection for all I know, considering how damn hygienic Hui Yi has always been, but you see, lady #2, I must keep my body ~pure~ because one day I’m going to fall in love with someone and she won’t be with me if I was with sex slaves, despite I could ensure no other girls have to go through what lady #1 went through if I actually do sleep with you”. At least, that’s what I’m understanding out of your asks.

Well, great. Then he would’ve condemned this second girl to the exact same fate as the first :)

And the third :)

And however many there might have been :)

According to you, he should regret that he was with them right away, no matter if he actively felt like shit about what was going on, if it was the darkest period of his life: well, HERE is why he doesn’t regret it. Because if he HADN’T done it, those girls would’ve had it WORSE. The fact that I need to spell this out to you, in this way, is frankly ridiculous to me. You really could’ve reached that conclusion on your own if you had just TRIED, which makes me think you’re not trying at all. Anyone who’s old enough to read M-Rated fiction should be capable of connecting such basic, obvious dots. That you refuse to do it only to barge into my inbox demanding for me to explain every writing decision I make that you dislike, really doesn’t speak well of you.

So no, Sokka doesn’t REGRET what happened with those women right away because he was doing what he could to ensure they wouldn’t be tortured or maimed, at worst even KILLED, if it was discovered they hadn’t “fulfilled their duties”. Oh, but he would have been a damn great person if only he had decided to retain his “integrity” instead of saving innocent people’s lives, according to you...! :’D

Well, turns out if he had chosen to retain his integrity above all else, he probably would be dead by now. Because he wouldn’t have ever defeated a single gladiator in Hui Yi, not even the first one he fought, because he would have refused to kill anyone who wasn’t truly his enemy.

And there we go, story over :’) thank you for this glimpse into how short Gladiator would be if Aang was my protagonist. Very nice.

So of course, I suppose you’ll ask now why does he regret having done this years later, if he wasn’t sorry back then and his argument is so solid (not that you’ll think it is, why even imagine you would? Apparently sex slaves deserve to die, as far as I can understand of what you’ve said so far)? 

He regrets it now because, with that much distance between himself and what happened in Hui Yi, with that much time spent with someone he grew to love beyond he ever belived possible, he would MUCH RATHER have been a complete novice at everything and discovered everything about sex with her.

“Truth be told, I would have rather not been experienced at all… then again, if I hadn't been, our first time would have been a disaster, but… but it might have been worth all the more to learn all about this together, huh?”

He HATES that he had no choice but to go for it back then. He’s not proud of it in the least. If rejecting them wouldn’t have had such violent, catastrophic results, he would have always pushed them away. But he didn’t do that, AND he owns up to it in those chapters, even though he expects Azula will be as merciless as you appear to be and conclude he’s not worth her time anymore. Curiously, Azula actually understands that Sokka’s actions, especially those from BEFORE they were anything but enemies, back when he absolutely hated her, aren’t representative of who he is NOW. I can’t quite understand how that’s a concept that eludes you so badly, Anon.

Now, about the damn matter of him having an erotic dream about someone other than Azula, BEFORE having any about Azula (in case you didn’t notice, Sokka doesn’t tell June exactly WHEN he had this dream, so if you’re assuming it happened in recent times you’re basically only doing that to further rile up yourself against him? Which is, quite honestly, like shooting yourself in the foot): I take it you’ve never had any dreams in your life, have you, Anon? And I don’t mean erotic ones, I mean ANY dreams, whatsoever: can you control your dreams? Because if you can, boy, you’re pretty darn impressive! I’ve had some really ridiculous dreams, one that comes to mind was that I standing on a tight rope that I was suspended right above a waterfall, and I was about to fall. I was panicking like never before, despite the fact that, in real life, I’m not afraid of heights, I’ve never had any experiences with tight ropes and I think waterfalls are beautiful. And this is just ONE example, one very random example, of how dreams aren’t at all representative of a person’s true self.

Now then, please, tell me why on earth are you trying to hold this fictional man accountable for a completely random dream he had, BEFORE he had anything romantic with his love interest??? Can’t you tell how utterly unreasonable this is? It’s blowing me away that you’re not only clinging to this topic so badly, in this obsession to turn Sokka into some sort of monstrous, inadequate, terrible love interest for Azula, but that you’ve brought up this subject of him dreaming about one other woman in previous asks and submissions (that I didn’t answer because of how hard I facepalmed at them), as if it were ultimate proof of how untrustworthy he is. Normal people CAN’T control their dreams. Azula COULDN’T control her dream about Ursa back in Ember Island’s arc, she also couldn’t control the absolutely ridiculous dream she had in the Northern Air Temple, where she claims she’s carrying a baby for a friend! Are you going to come after her next, demanding that she is held accountable for having claimed she was carrying someone else’s fictional baby instead of proudly owning up to having a kid with the love of her life? Because, if you can tell that dream is just a pile of ridiculousness, I can’t see how you take this one of Sokka’s, which wasn’t even written because it was utterly irrelevant to the story, to mean ANYTHING. ESPECIALLY when said dream is explicitly said to have happened BEFORE he dreamt about Azula, which, once he wakes up, is what triggers his conscious, first real thoughts about Azula as a love interest!

*heavy breathing* Okay. Okay. That’s a lot to say. But I think I’m not done yet. I’m going to take advantage of this ask to quote a few things that have showed up in my inbox, that I didn’t reply to because I didn’t feel like it, plainly:

I wanted to know if Sokka would go the same way he did in the beginning with replacing Azula if she WOULD NOT be a princess?

... Why the hell is this even a question? The ENTIRE problem posed by Sokka and Azula’s relationship is that she IS a Princess and he’s a slave! Azula knows it! Sokka knows it! They both have thought and even outright said it countless times! How the heck does anyone, whether the same Anon as before or another one, if you were different people, read an ENTIRE story predicated on forbidden love between a Princess and a slave and not understand that the two main reasons these two SHOULDN’T want to be together, in the earliest arcs of the story, are:

She is RESPONSIBLE for turning him into a slave, which then caused him to spend 2 years suffering in what I THOUGHT was the worst possible depiction of the Fire Nation’s darkest tendencies but it apparently went over all your anon heads: he spent TWO YEARS holding the worst grudge against her for this, a grudge he still hasn’t completely let go of at chapter 28, hence why he continues to tell himself, back in those days, that he should hate her and why he doesn’t want to fall in love with her...

SHE IS A PRINCESS AND HE IS A SLAVE AND THERE’S NO WAY THEIR LOVE WILL HAVE A HAPPY ENDING UNLESS OZAI DIES, AZULA IS CROWNED AND SHE GETS TO MARRY HIM SO THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.

Seriously. It doesn’t take that much braining. It’s bloody stated constantly through the story. Will you people stop wondering why it’s important that she’s a Princess once we FINALLY reach Part 3 and the obvious consequences of their big romance are known? Or are you going to continue pretending there’s no reasons, whether characterization or world-building reasons, why these two have been keeping their relationship secret, and why the struggled that badly to cope with the feelings they developed for each other when they were in denial about it ages ago?

Anyways, if I really HAVE to answer this question, NO, if Sokka had started having feelings for a non-royal Azula and he didn’t think he’d ruin her life by acting on them, he wouldn’t have tried to flirt with Suki. He wouldn’t have slept with June. He wouldn’t have done any of the things he did in that arc, his reservations towards Azula wouldn’t be as strong as they are BECAUSE she’s a Princess, which means that being with her could outright cause her life to go to hell and he’s pretty sure he doesn’t want that for Azula, even before he accepts his feelings for her. If he wouldn’t ruin her life, he probably would have been reluctant anyways due to their unresolved bad blood (point #1 up there?), but he wouldn’t have been so sure they CAN’T be together, so he wouldn’t even have flirted with Suki and this entire plot arc wouldn’t be necessary.

But that’s NOT the story we’re getting. Why? BECAUSE AZULA BEING A PRINCESS IS ESSENTIAL TO THE STORY??? I MEAN??? IS THIS REALLY SOMETHING I HAVE TO EXPLAIN??? SHE IS ONE IN CANON??? SHE IS ONE HERE??? WHY WOULDN’T SHE BE A PRINCESS???

... Dear god, have mercy on me. You really make me feel like I have devoted 7 years of my life to a huge waste of time if I can’t even get the most obvious plot points of the story across to you people.

One girl instance maybe but my shipper heart could never make Sokka get involved with SO MANY girls. 11? Will it keep growing?

This is the one Anon I was talking about earlier. Ha. Fucking HILARIOUS. Not only purposefully misunderstanding that it’s ELEVEN GIRLS, but asking if the number of girls Sokka will get involved with will increase beyond an already false number? Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?

What does commitment mean to you, goddammit. What do you even think the word stands for? Seriously, if you were to fall in love with someone, and then it doesn’t work out, but you find a second person later who seems perfectly nice and everything you DO need... would you say “Oh no but I already soiled myself by loving someone else, I AM UNWORTHY OF YOU!!”, because you made a commitment in the past that didn’t pay off, which, for some fucked up reason beyond my understanding, means you can’t commit to someone new?

This is Disney Romance logic. Hell, Disney Romances are more complex than your thinking, actually! Anna from Frozen is ready to marry Hans, ends up realizing Hans was an asshole at the worst possible timing and goes for Kristoff later instead: are we going to stone her for not realizing Hans was the worst right away? How on EARTH could she commit to Kristoff now, when she had been ready to be with another guy BEFORE she even met him?!?!

Another example: Meg from Hercules! She falls for a guy, literally SELLS her soul to Hades for him, and the douchebag ditches her for another girl. At this point, Hercules (at least, film-wise) has been a perfectly pure virginal boy and he falls for Meg dorkily: IS MEG THE WORST WOMAN EVER, UNWORTHY OF HERCULES AND ALL HIS HARD WORK FOR HER, BECAUSE SHE ALREADY HAD LOVED ANOTHER GUY BEFORE HIM AND HERCULES DOESN’T HAVE AS MANY EXPERIENCES WITH LOVE AS SHE DOES???

Sounds extreme? Well, that is literally what that question sounds like to me, Anon.

People in this world get into as many relationships as they want to. People don’t always find love right away. People can fall in and out of love. People can have meaningless encounters with others just because they feel like it.

And even then, there’s a chance any of those people will eventually find someone they will be happy with, for good, for the rest of their lives! Why the HELL would their past have anything to do with their ability to commit to the “right” partner in the future? Commitment ISN’T about having no romances or relationships with anyone else until you found the right person: commitment is about THE RIGHT PERSON. It’s about CHOOSING that person, for good, for the rest of your life if that’s how you want it! If you’re “committed” to someone but all you ever do is look at how many people they were with before you, or thinking “he’s gonna cheat on me as soon as I tear my eyes off him”, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. IT’S NOT YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER, IT’S YOU. 

Because you don’t trust the guy! Because you refuse to believe his commitment to you is real! And hell, in some cases, maybe it’s not real! Maybe the person in question is going to cheat on you! But in some cases it is, and how the FUCK would you feel if you were in a relationship with someone who keeps assuming your love for them isn’t real? Someone who thinks your commitment to them is false because as soon as you find a better offer, you’ll go running and ditch them, no matter if you have said and proven you love them a thousand times? If that person kept trying to control who you’re friends with, who you talk to, if you’re close to anyone you COULD MAYBE HAVE any romantic history or attachment to? That’s fucking TOXIC. And that’s a thousand times worse than ANYTHING I’ve written between Azula and Sokka, just an FYI. I honestly despise how this shit has been romanticized often by newer generations, such as boyfriends or girlfriends going through their partner’s messages with other people to make sure they’re not being cheated on: this is sick. It’s stupid to be with someone if you’re CONSTANTLY SECOND-GUESSING YOUR RELATIONSHIP. FOR THAT MATTER, DON’T BE IN A RELATIONSHIP AT ALL.

And see, Azula hasn’t second-guessed Sokka in ages. She really hasn’t. After that conversation in 112, Azula UNDERSTOOD what I’ve been trying to tell you all along: Sokka’s past doesn’t determine his future. He often made mistakes, bad decisions, mostly making them as a consequence of the pain he has endured, but he’s making a constant effort to make the right decisions by Azula since AGES before they have this conversation. After June he has no other one-night-stands. He shows no real interest in any other girls. He outright begged Azula to help him get rid of his goddamn stalker, who HARASSED him and left her goddamn underwear in his bed (he bloody CHANGED the entire bed due to how disgusted he was by this behavior).

Please, explain: how the fuck you see a guy who has spent about 125 chapters conscisouly growing, developing and fully commiting himself to a girl as a guy who will cheat on her and have more relationships and find more girls?

Want me to come out with something you won’t see coming, dear Anon?

AZULA IS GOING TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH SOMEONE OTHER THAN SOKKA IN THE FUTURE, EVEN AFTER HAVING COMMITTED FULLY TO HIM IN EVERY SENSE THAT COUNTS. THE CRIME YOU’RE SO DAMN AFRAID SOKKA WILL COMMIT? IT’LL BE AZULA COMMITTING IT, NOT HIM.

And in the mean time, Sokka won’t ever be with anyone but Azula until the time he dies :’) something I’ve ALREADY answered in many asks in the past.

Wow. Spoilers much? Well, you fucking asked for it. I’m so damn tired of this, Anon. I’m seriously, SERIOUSLY, tired of this. But I HAVE to keep going :’) because if I don’t? You’ll come back. And I really don’t want you to.

Why did you absolutely want to make Sokka sleep with someone different that day? From my get Sokka was already angry at Azula and the things would've been not any different if he wouldn't have done it. So why did you have the need to make him sleep with someone that badly when things wouldnt be any different. Only the falling into forest wouldve been a bit different. I can't see why this sleeping with someone was so neccessary. Why was it important for you?

Why did I absolutely want it? I didn’t. I actually didn’t. 

Here’s a funny secret: my beta at the time was the one to suggest Sokka could do this. I wasn’t exactly big on the idea, until the character of June popped in my head and I realized that actually might work within the story: she’s not only physically similar enough to Azula that I could get away with basically writing it as a Sokkla hate-sex scene until Sokka realizes it’s not her, but June is also a completely free-spirited character whose entire priorities in the world are money and her shirshu. That’s literally it. With a character like June? There was no need to worry about the unpleasant twists I often see in fics where the main couple aren’t together yet, and either one or both members of the couple go for other people until they finally choose to be together: June WASN’T going to fall in love with Sokka. She doesn’t give a flying fuck about him. She’s amused by the situation until she’s annoyed by him. Then she’s amused again when she connects the dots once she sees Azula and Sokka at the nasty town where they bump into each other. And she ONLY grows fond of Sokka at the same time as she grows fond of Azula: IN JEONG JEONG’S ARC :’) Before that? These two probably don’t even cross her mind outside of hearing occasional rumors about Azula, and then she probably just used to go “lol I wonder if she finally had the guts to make a move on him”. 

Hence, June was my ideal choice. She didn’t care. She doesn’t give a single fuck in 28. She’s just in it for her own amusement, for her own satisfaction. Anyone else? An OC, Suki, anyone else who could’ve crossed my mind? They might have actually developed feelings for Sokka. And I didn’t want THAT. Hence, I didn’t do that. I chose June because I wanted this to be a bad moment that would stay in the past with no chances of rekindling in the future.

Now, why did I follow suit with my beta’s suggestion? Because she was right about one thing, at the time: Sokka isn’t committed to Azula at this point. Sokka is furious upon thinking he’s fallen into Azula’s web and he refuses to play her game. That he ends up sleeping with someone else, and going to her that night, and shouting all the things he does, was Sokka’s attempt to defy Azula’s eagerness to control his life, which, yes, she is attempting to do just that. She’s developing feelings for him, sure, but she doesn’t want him to be free to choose because she’s SURE he won’t ever choose her. A main element in Azula’s Part 1 character development was meant to be about teaching Azula that upon building a real, honest bond with Sokka, he’d end up choosing her above everything else, WHICH, BY THE TIME SHE’S LEARNED TO GIVE HIM SUCH FREEDOM, HE DOES.

Sokka isn’t a perfect romance lead. I never planned for him to be that. I have written perfect romance leads! Fact is, Rui Shi is basically that, isn’t he? So I don’t even have to dig around to find an example. Sokka was NEVER meant to be perfect. And his starting point with Azula is DREADFUL. He is absolutely attracted to her physically, but his constant resisting of their attraction results in him making terrible mistakes that he has to own up to, AND HE DOES :’) Constantly. He doesn’t EVER force Azula to think she must be committed to him, because he doesn’t even feel worthy of her most the damn time! All of it, due to those mistakes he made! Azula outright has to tell him to forgive himself because he just won’t do it! :’D He’s even worse about this than you are, Anon, fancy that!

And why isn’t Sokka a perfect romance lead, even if I’ve done my very best in recent arcs to make him as romantic and caring and giving towards Azula as he possibly can be? Because I don’t care for writing a static, boring, simplistic story. I just don’t. There’s too much baggage, too much drama, too many things Sokka and Azula HAD to resolve before their relationship reached the heights it has.

So, sure, let’s imagine Sokka doesn’t sleep with June. Then, Azula doesn’t know he’s ever been with someone else, because he’s ashamed of what he HAD TO DO in Hui Yi and doesn’t want her to know about it anyhow: once she finds out about it, she’ll feel a thousand times more betrayed than she already did because she would have wrongfully assumed he was every bit as pure as she was. How NICE it would be if he hadn’t been with anyone that night! :’)

But let’s focus on the plot for a sec, will we? Forget about Xin Long: if Sokka hadn’t met June beforehand, and she doesn’t understand what’s up with Sokka and Azula, June won’t give a single crap about Azula’s plight and won’t tell her where the Rough Rhinos went :’) then, chances are the Rough Rhinos escape. And if the Rough Rhinos escape, Azula’s first big successful mission is a failure. She doesn’t get lost with Sokka in the forest, she doesn’t find her dragon, she fails her father and she probably won’t have many other opportunities to prove herself in the future. Iroh gets away with proving Azula can’t fulfill Ozai’s expectations, and probably uses this as leverage to convince more of Ozai’s court that Zuko is a better candidate for the throne, considering he’s already the firstborn child :’)

LOVELY, ISN’T IT??? :’)

Sokka wasn’t that angry until he does sleep with June, because by then he confirms what he already suspects: he can’t get Azula out of his mind, no matter what. His ENTIRE plan with June (and Suki) was to get involved with any other woman so he could get rid of his feelings for Azula by basically transferring them to someone else. To break free from Azula’s influence on him. Why? 

BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT TO LOVE THE WOMAN WHO, EVEN IF INDIRECTLY, PUT HIM THROUGH THE HELL OF HUI YI. 

THE WOMAN WHO DRAGGED HIM AWAY FROM HOME. 

THE WOMAN WHO HOLDS HERSELF RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING THAT WENT WRONG IN SOKKA’S LIFE, EVEN IF SOKKA HIMSELF WON’T HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE FOR MOST OF THESE THINGS ANYMORE.

No, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for him to feel this way about Azula. They had been getting to know each other for a few months, sure! But half that process had been arguments and spats, clashes and problems that sometimes had terrible outcomes. Remember Azula was outright ready to ditch Sokka as her gladiator after his second fight? She was DETERMINED to do that, until she received a challenge by the Blind Bandit, and she took advantage of this challenge to TEST SOKKA. TO SEE IF HE HAD LEARNED HIS LESSON, ONLY FOR HIM TO END UP HALF-DEAD AS A RESULT.

Can’t you tell both of them made a thousand mistakes, ESPECIALLY at the start of the story? 

IT’S NOT AN ACCIDENT. IT’S DELIBERATE. I WANTED THEM TO MAKE THOSE MISTAKES! BECAUSE CHARACTERS WHO MAKE MISTAKES LEND THEMSELVES FOR BETTER STORIES!

I am sick to my core of the Internet’s purity bullshit of the past years. It’s disgusting to me. The fact that I’ve read there are writers out there who are outright whitewashing their own characters’s worst traits in major media content instead of working them out narratively? It makes me want to hurl. This is NOT quality storytelling. If you, as a writer, choose a setting with specific strife and difficult themes, you don’t get away with shirking off those themes and pretending they’re not there because “oh no, someone will be uncomfortable and I can’t possibly risk that!” You don’t write a character as racist on one season only to downplay the racism in later seasons, with no development needed, so that people won’t hate that character as much as they used to (that link is a specific, direct example of what I’m referring to, one that hopefully will explain why, when my characters fuck up, I do my best to make them 1. own up to it 2. learn from it 3. never make the same mistakes again :’) but I don’t even know if you’ll bother watching five minutes of an explanation, considering you’ll probably stopped reading my reply about 5K words ago).

Hence, I wrote Sokka making the mistakes he made DELIBERATELY. 100% KNOWINGLY. I knew there would be people uncomfortable with it: I’M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT! I don’t like this particular element of my story! But do I think it was necessary? YES. Because with the conflict triggered by BOTH Azula and Sokka’s mistakes during the earliest arcs of the story, their characters DEVELOP. They GROW. They CHANGE. Without such development, there’s NO WAY the story would be where it is now. And maybe you’d be fine with that, but I sure as fuck am not. Gladiator isn’t exempt of flaws, of course it’s not, and I have no delusions of the opposite, but what you’re so obsessed with isn’t necessarily a flaw, it’s merely something you personally disliked and that you can’t seem to get over!

Which... begs the question. It really does.

WHY ARE YOU READING A STORY THAT MAKES YOU SO UNCOMFORTABLE?

I thought making Sokka work for Azula’s forgiveness to such humiliating extent (she literally walks over him at one point? He keeps shrinking and wincing and being completely mild and meek around her because he’s that sorry for what he did? He virtually STARVES himself in the forest so Azula can eat because she’s the one that matters, not himself?) would somehow make people like you, and as far as I know, many others, realize that Sokka was genuinely sorry. That Sokka had finally understood where he’d gone wrong, and that he would never misunderstand Azula’s feelings and intentions that way again.

Clearly, I was the one who was wrong. Because yep, it’s not just you, there’s a ton of people out there who can’t seem to get over what Sokka did in those chapters, or what he did in Hui Yi. And you know, I really think it’s unfair? Both on the characters, and on me as the writer? Because it’s not like I swept things under a rug, like in that link I gave you up there: I put Sokka through the wringer constantly, in fact, to the point where I even have thought it was too much! And beyond that... Sokka meant to stay by Azula’s side as her gladiator and nothing more, at first. Once they finally talk things through, that’s what they’re determined to be: there’s still lingering feelings, but their plan is to NOT act on them. And yes, it’s true, Sokka has one slip-up when Azula helps him cope with his feelings in chapter 50! But that’s what it’s framed as: a slip-up. He was impulsive, unable to hold back the emotions that led him to kiss her, and she kisses him back until they both realized this WASN’T supposed to happen between them ever again. Then, Sokka looks after Azula while she’s sick, and all his protective instincts are triggered... to the point where he realizes he outright LOVES Azula.

And even then, Sokka doesn’t act on his feelings again until Ember Island, point at which he only acts on them to show Azula she is NOT the monster she thinks she is. He does it FOR HER. He outright refrains from taking their exchanges as far as he deeply wanted them to go, because this is NOT ABOUT HIM. He wanted to make sure Azula would feel better, that she would understand she’s only human, and that her worst sides don’t make her any less human than anyone else.

My point is: I didn’t make Sokka work as hard as he did because he thought he’d get it on with Azula if he earned her forgiveness. I didn’t make Sokka fall in love with Azula while thinking only of himself, his feelings, his needs, above hers: IT’S THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THAT. This guy is so in love with her he forgets himself with her, he’d die for her, hell, he’d even KILL for her, when one of Sokka’s biggest traumas EVER is about having to kill people. He doesn’t want to do that EVER AGAIN. And yet, if it’s for Azula’s sake, he will sacrifice his soul as many times as he must to keep her safe.

But the biggest thing I have to stress here? Sokka would have been willing to do every single one of those things for her even if Azula hadn’t wanted anything romantic to happen between them ever again.

If Azula had rejected him, kept him at bay, and the story had turned into an unbearable pining soap opera forevermore, Sokka would STILL do everything he has done for Azula. He wouldn’t expect her to love him back. He wouldn’t make demads of her in those regards. He would only love her as he does, because that’s what love is for this man. That’s what I developed him for. And if you don’t care to see it, Anon, that’s 100% on you, because I KNOW that’s what is there. You can’t simply take two instances of Sokka saying two stupid things and annul 188 chapters of Sokka developing into a man who would outright choose Azula OVER HIS OWN FAMILY. If you can’t understand the magnitude of this decision, how much it means for Sokka, SOKKA, to choose someone above his family? Above his people? Then you’ve got a real serious problem with grasping Sokka’s character. A very, very serious one. Probably since canon.

So... to finish off this particular subject: IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME BECAUSE I WANT MY CHARACTERS TO GROW, CHANGE AND DEVELOP. AND THAT’S WHY I TOOK MY BETA UP ON THAT SUGGESTION AS I DID. I DON’T WANT MY CHARACTERS TO BE PERFECT RIGHT OFF THE BAT BECAUSE IT’S WRONG, IT’S BORING, IT’S NOT EVEN IC. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME, AS A WRITER, TO WRITE ABOUT CHARACTERS WHO CAN DO NO WRONG AND WHO NEVER HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS. BOTH AZULA AND SOKKA HAVE HAD TO GROW A TON THROUGHOUT GLADIATOR, AND IF YOU CAN’T SEE SOKKA’S GROWTH FOR YOURSELF, I’M PRETTY DAMN SURE IT’S BECAUSE YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE IT.

Sooo sick of people stories ALWAYS let men fuck be the lucky one and get the perfect woman who gives herself COMPLETELY to him. Then man says „its in the past I love you only" wtf? Sleep with others use it on Azula his 9th on the list. I respect you for being so strong and writing this as a girl. I get the crisis, so tired. Kudos Azula for letting herself in his arms so comfortably. I REALLY wish I could do this too. At least Suki and Song are lucky. Sorry for venting I'm just broken and stupid

I have no idea if this is you too. Maybe it is. But if not, I’m quoting it too, because why the fuck not. Why the fuck not.

I suppose I can at least commend this one for knowing Azula is the 9th rather than the 12th, huh? At least they read that much right.

To this Anon: please, stop venting about this to the writer who apparently disappointed you that badly for making a decision that is consistent with the situation the characters are in.

Frankly, I’m absolutely grossed out by the people who seem to think Azula, Princess Azula unto whom I’ve forced horrible purity societal pressures that ARE UNFAIR AND MAKE NO SENSE, AND SHE CONSTANTLY SAYS SO THROUGH THE STORY, should have had as many experiences as Sokka so that “they’re even”. The bloody audacity to look at what Sokka went through in Hui Yi and think “WELL BUT IT’S SEX SO AZULA SHOULD HAVE LOTS OF GUYS TOO!” completely BAFFLES me.

Literally, Azula’s ONLY experience before Sokka, AKA, CHAN, is a thousand times healthier and more genuine than ANYTHING Sokka ever went through. And nobody is fucking throwing a fit about that.

Why do I say this? :D

NOBODY WAS FORCING AZULA TO KISS CHAN. NOT IN CANON. NOT IN GLADIATOR

AZULA LIKED CHAN AND DELIBERATELY CHOSE TO GO FOR HIM BECAUSE SHE FELT LIKE IT. NO ONE WAS MAKING THIS CHOICE FOR HER.

AZULA WASN’T PRETENDING CHAN WAS SOMEONE ELSE WHILE SHE KISSED HIM. SHE WAS PERFECTLY FULFILLED BY KISSING A GUY FOR THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE THAT’S LITERALLY WHAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR.

Meanwhile: Sokka is FORCED to be with the women in Hui Yi. Someone is going to outright either hurt or kill them if he doesn’t do it.

Meanwhile: Sokka didn’t necessarily like any of the women he was with, not the Hui Yi ones, not June. June merely wants mindless fucking, Sokka tells her from the start he doesn’t think it will work at all: IT DOESN’T. It’s JUNE being forward. At worst, Sokka can be blamed for not putting a harsh stop to June before anything happened. But he wasn’t even the one with the initiative: JUNE WAS. In Hui Yi, goes without saying, he didn’t get to choose, they basically would just go to him and he’d do what he had to do. The fucking end.

Meanwhile: Sokka was dead-like with June up until he lets himself imagine she’s Azula, the only way for him to actually go forward with what’s going on. Afterwards, HE’S APPALLED WITH HIMSELF. HE’S MISERABLE. HE’S UNHAPPY. 

Azula had the normal, nice, socially acceptable teenage experience of having a brief crush on a guy and trying to see if something would come from it: SOKKA HAS BEEN A SLAVE EVER SINCE CHAPTER 2. Their social positions are MILES apart. And, as free as Sokka is to fuck whoever he wants: HE DOESN’T CHOOSE, DELIBERATELY, TO DO SO. He only does it in Hui Yi and with June, and after realizing with June that this just won’t work because he won’t get Azula off his mind, HE DOESN’T SLEEP WITH ANYONE ELSE UNTIL HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH AZULA BEGINS.

You’re basically pretending that a slave, in the lowest of levels in society, lives his life freely without restraint, just as a girl at the top of the world can. They both have very specific problems: Azula is forced NOT to be with anyone until marriage, whether she wants someone or not, whereas Sokka ends up getting sex FORCED ON HIM. Completely, radically opposite sides of a spectrum that I’ve done my damnedest to build up believably and understandably. But all this just goes over your head, right? You’d much rather ignore and annul my entire fucking worldbuilding, just because it tickles you poorly that the guy in this story has more experience in sex than the girl. You’re throwing major themes in Gladiator out the window (Azula outright fighting to demand actual equality instead of the subtle, constant, undermining sexism the Fire Nation is permeated with), because it makes you personally uncomfortable for a girl to be a virgin and a guy not to be (despite, in this day and age, there’s A LOT of content in the world where characters involved are either perfectly virginal or equally promiscuous, and you could be enjoying that instead of reading Gladiator).

Newsflash: you’re just as bad as the people who demand virginity and purity from women if you demand it from men. 

Nobody is LESS or MORE of a person because of how many people they sleep with. NOBODY. This shouldn’t even have to be said. I can’t even believe that it NEEDS to be, but I’m saying it anyways. It’s absolutely STUPID to me that there’s readers out here that weigh everything in regards of how many people someone has been with. What sort of backwards mentality is this? 

By far, Gladiator-wise, NO ONE has slept with as many people as Ty Lee has. 

NO ONE.

Where’s the goddamn shitfest at Ty Lee for this? Haru had a few experiences before being with her, sure! But they were NOTHING compared to the amount Ty Lee had. Ty Lee did whatever the hell she wanted since her teenage years, with whoever she wanted, and she got away with it until she was caught. Then, Azula stepped in to help her avoid total social annihilation! :’D why?

BECAUSE IT SHOULDN’T MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE TY LEE HAS BEEN WITH. BECAUSE AZULA KNOWS TY LEE’S WORTH AS A HUMAN BEING HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW “PURE” SHE MAY BE BEFORE MARRIAGE.

JUST AS AZULA’S OWN WORTH IS FAR AND BEYOND AND ABOVE THAT SHIT :’)

And god, it’s just so ridiculous! Soooo ridiculous! That I’m out here, writing a huge story that’s meant to feature, eventually, the big fallout resulting of the discovery of Azula’s long-gone purity, a fallout that Azula will be fighting against with all her might, trying to defend her right to live her life, to love whoever she wants, to defend her worth and value as a person and resist the traditionalistic oppressive tyranny of her own FATHER...!

And you’re out here, fucking shitting yourself in rage, because Sokka has had more sexual partners and experiences than Azula.

It’s fascinating for the whole POINT of the story to soar so far over your head that you just can’t even see it anymore. For you to be so hung up on stuff Sokka did between chapters 2-3 and in chapter 28, AND NOTHING MORE, as if THAT is what determines Sokka’s worth as a human being and as Azula’s partner. And damn, try as I might, I can’t make someone learn better if they’re stuck with this mentality because they truly believe that if you’ve had more partners you’re somehow worse than by having less. I can’t. It’s up to you people to get over this attitude, because I can’t do more to teach you human nuance and complexity than I already have. I’m too tired to try anymore.

And of course, writers shouldn’t have to defend their work as I’m defending mine now. I should probably just lie down and take the criticism I’m tossed without complaint, shouldn’t I? I mean, haha, I also got this Anon, so very considerately, saying:

Hello I am that anon who asked you the Sokka sleeping with someone question. I think you shouldn't stress or get angry and hurt when you get question about this matter. It is a big and questiniongly part of your story. No one can judge your talent or you but people can ask questions about this or can't they? Its just that it was not neccessary for some readers seems like.

Which, I think, is probably the first person all over again.

I SHOULDN’T get stressed or angry or hurt? Oh, wow. So, on top of everything, I can’t even have feelings. I’m supposed to be a fucking doormat :’) beautiful. I love it.

Have you taken notice of how many asks I’ve already quoted in this answer? That’s not even half of what I’ve had in my inbox pertaining this subject, whether from you or someone else. Back when the story was starting? I got asks about this VERY OFTEN, by someone who eventually came back and apologized (and boy, do I hope that none of the asks I’ve quoted were sent by that person, I seriously hope they didn’t backtrack on their apparent understanding of what I was doing with the story), and I don’t even know how many others too. It was people, just like you, who would read over my answers and just cherrypick the story trying to find any excuses to villify Sokka and paint him as undeserving and ungrateful and I don’t even know what else regarding Azula and their bond. Whether because he slept with a “ton” of people or because he made her cry or because of whatever reason you want to choose.

... When Azula can be fucking held responsible for literally making Sokka suicidal.

Fucking grapple with that for a sec, can you? :’) Imagine what it’s like falling in love with someone who once hurt you so badly you thought you wanted your life to be over. Do tell me how easily you’d get over your reservations, LONG before this person even SAYS SHE’S SORRY. BECAUSE. HAHA. AZULA DIDN’T EVEN APOLOGIZE FOR IT FOR FIFTY-FIVE CHAPTERS. JUST AN FYI. AND NONE OF YOU. NOOOONE OF YOU. GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THAT DETAIL. IT’D BE HILARIOUS IF IT WEREN’T SO OUTRAGEOUS.

Anyways. Getting back on track: people HAVE asked questions about this. Constantly. Consistently. Without restraint, ever since I first wrote it. Without bloody bothering to go through my blog first and find out if maaaaybe I’ve already addressed their concerns. And the worst part? I’ve actually had many askers, countless anons, lots of people talking to me about many things. Yes, I’ve had a million arguments on Tumblr, and not everything ended well.

But pal. Pal. Guess what’s the only subject that KEEPS ON COMING RIGHT BACK, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I DEAL WITH IT, AND IT’S ALWAYS, ALWAYS, WITH THE SAME SPECIFIC “SOKKA IS THE WORST” FOCUS???? :’)

Think about something you did seven years ago. Be it something you were proud of, or something you’re sad about, or just something that you really don’t think much of anymore, because you’ve moved on from that since ages ago.

And then imagine spending seven years. Receiving questions. Constantly. Whether rude or not. Whether thoughtful or not (usually the latter, tbh). Whether necessary or not. Whether already answered or not. About that very thing you’ve been over. That very specific thing from SEVEN YEARS AGO.

I’m tired, Anon, of dealing with this specific subject, because everyone who has come to me with this BS has been a pain in the ass: THEY KEEP COMING BACK. YOU’RE NOT THE FIRST ONE WHO DOES. IT’S INCREDIBLE. I’ve answered a thousand asks, and I do get follow-up questions sometimes, but NEVER as many or as frequently as THIS! And the part that I just can’t believe is that there’s people who write stuff that are thousands of times more complicated than what I did here (in terms of giving the characters even MORE love interests, like, genuine love triangles and actual love involved rather than a mere quick thing), and I don’t see anyone giving them a single hint of grief for that. Not even a smidge, not even if they leave the subject up in the air or unresolved later on. I’ve read stories that feature pairings I’m absolutely uncomfortable with, actual pairings that have a longer lasting relationship in the story than the pairing I was reading for! There’s literally a story in another fandom where the main relationship lasts, what, 6 months? Maybe? And then they break up. And then the guy goes on to have a fuckbuddy for YEARS. Meaning, the relationship with the fuckbuddy is longer and more stable than the ship the story is actually marked for.

And I didn’t give the writer even the SLIGHTEST grief for it.

Why the hell do you (and everyone else who has been so hung up about this subject) feel the need, or the entitlement, to determine that I need to put up with these questions? That I somehow earned them and need to answer them every time? Because, heh, I outright stopped answering for a long time because I didn’t want to. Because I was TIRED. Because I hoped, fruitlessly, that if I didn’t give you guys the attention you were so desperate for, you’d eventually get bored or realize that I DON’T CARE FOR THIS SUBJECT ANYMORE. I AM OVER IT. I HAVE BEEN OVER IT FOR AGES.

But SOMEHOW, getting me to the point where I’d be stressed, upset, outraged and annoyed was absolutely worth it for you guys. Seriously, what the hell do you think I am? A big monolith that just spews words and has zero emotions whatsoever? I’ve given SEVEN YEARS of my life to this story. Have you ever done this for ANYTHING in your life? Have you ever devoted yourself to a project to this extent? No? Then you don’t get to dictate whether I should be annoyed, upset, angry, irritated or whatever the fuck I feel when I get asks as persistent, thoughtless and devoid of proper reflection as the ones I CONSTANTLY get over 28 and everything related to Sokka’s past with named and nameless women alike.

And hey, just so you know, someone recently said they thought it wasn’t necessary for Whaletail Island’s arc to end as it did. That there shouldn’t be a 1-year interval until Sokka can meet his family, his FATHER, again. That Katara, Aang, Zuko and Kino totally should have stayed outside the South Pole and helped fight against Ozai merely because the Gaang was FINALLY together!!!

... Conveniently forgetting the ENTIRE purpose for the South Pole group’s trip to Whaletail Island was for them to find food with which they could help a starving, dying village.

So excuse me if some people “questioning” my story doesn’t make me question my choices the way you guys apparently expect me to. Because at this point, the “questioning” I’m receiving is honestly so thoughtless, so poorly conceived, just done for YOUR SUBJECTIVE CONVENIENCE, without taking the full picture into account, even in situations like this one, where it’s bloody obvious Zuko won’t go fight the Fire Nation when his wife and child could be the next ones to bite the dust and that’s the whole reason he even left??? I’m not even talking about the bigger picture that I get to see as a writer, I mean the bigger picture in regards of character feelings and motivations... you people do see that. You have it, explained outright, perhaps too explained! Hell, if my literature teachers read Gladiator they’d likely cringe at how often I SPELL EVERYTHING OUT instead of leaving a few things for the reader to fill the gaps! Oh, but naaaaah, I have to come here, spend HOURS of my day answering asks about why Sokka got to sleep with people when Azula didn’t, and why do I think he’s loyal to her if he did that before he was committed to Azula, and if he’s going to sleep with more people because of COURSE, if he was with anyone else before her it means he will be again in the future...!

When I could be using all this time to actually work on stuff that I DO want to work on. Namely, building up the story further. With some very dark, serious, difficult developments that I’m trying to be in the right place to write.

And asks like these? They sure as fuck don’t help. Not only do they distract me, they have NOTHING to do with what I’m working on right now. I’ve considered the subject of Sokka’s past experiences as closed and DONE since chapter 112, and I don’t need you, or anyone else, to come to me and beg for more explanations than the pretty damn extensive ones you already got in a PRETTY DAMN EXTENSIVE STORY.

If you still read Gladiator at this point. If you reach chapter 187 and see a Sokka who hugs Azula, twirls her in midair, damn near crying of bliss because she said she loved him in public, in front of their siblings, a Sokka who is choosing to stay with her, without a shred of a doubt, with his heart COMPLETELY set on HER, instead of going back to a family who used to be THE ONLY THING he cared about in life, and you somehow conclude “this guy would totally cheat on Azula if he had the chance”... then I’m sorry but I HAVE every right to be angry. I have every right to be completely beside myself as I am. 

Because you’re basically saying that I spent SEVEN YEARS developing this character, this relationship, this story, and it went to waste. Because you refuse to believe, for personal reasons, that Sokka is in any way deserving of his bond with Azula. Because somehow you think this is CONTRADICTORY, when merely looking at things with a slightly more open mind, reveals that this isn’t contradiction: IT’S NUANCE. It’s COMPLEXITY. It’s the fact that a character can change their mind about certain things, they can deplore certain mistakes they made, they can regret their actions in retrospect, and my characters? They sure do that. All the bloody time. Azula does it constantly, and for good reason. But it just goes right over your head, and it’s because you want it to. I refuse to believe you can’t understand what I’ve explained before, and what I’m explaining now: you don’t want to understand it, which is different. You want to condemn Sokka, and you want to feel validated in your discomfort about one specific, long-resolved plot point of the story, demanding for explanations of why it was necessary when you really don’t care for the explanations: you just wish it hadn’t happened at all.

And great! You can wish that all you like! Why the hell not? But you don’t get to pelt me day after day with criticism that falls apart easier than a card castle as soon as I take a look at what I wrote in the story, only to then pick ANOTHER quote, OUT OF CONTEXT, to once again present your case of why this is just wrong and bad and not written the way you want it to be.

I’ve received legitimate, valid criticism of many aspects of Gladiator. I always ended up feeling pretty bad after, but the valid ones? I realized, even if it hurt, that they were true. That some of that made sense. That, if I got to write this story all over again, I probably should fix those details and not get overwhelmed by my excitement to get to the meat of the story, which is why some developments of the introduction arc are so rushed compared to everything else. It was my inexperience, my mistake. I’ve made mistakes later on too, and I’ve taken note of them as well, despite I’m doing my best to incorporate them into the story as seamlessly as possible so that they even tie in with canon fairly well. In short, I don’t believe Gladiator is perfect, and sometimes when people tell me as much? I know they’re right. I take what I can from that, and learn from it, if possible.

But this? The criticism I’ve received for 28, and for Sokka’s past, is 100% subjective, CONSTANTLY. I’ve never read any that genuinely makes me go “oh well that’s a good point, maybe it’s OOC or maybe I could’ve done it differently to the exact same results without the same elements”. It’s always, to varying degrees, “I hate that you’re writing for one specific ship but allowed one member of the ship to have experiences with other people before he really got together with his one true love and I’m going to pester you about it until I finally get bored of making you rant and ramble for hours to no avail because I won’t listen to anything you say”.

So, yes. I feel justified in lashing right back at you for the backlash. Because this isn’t just you, it’s a lot of people, like you said! And you’re ALL free to hate what happened, I’ve never said you have to like it and I never will. But if you’re going to criticize? You’re open for criticism too. Fact is, if you wanted to actually talk about this properly? You’d get off anon and we’d have (I hope) a decent conversation via messaging about ALL that bothers you about this story. I’d even be a thousand times more civil than I have been so far! And why would I act so differently? Because you’re an anon. Because you’re HIDING. And from the shadows, you toss all this criticism at me and then whine because I don’t like it. Well, own up to your own shit too, Anon. If you wanted a real debate, if you had the ARGUMENTS for a real debate, we could have one just fine. But you don’t. And if you get the privilege of anonymity, I get the privilege of speaking my mind with zero regard of your feelings, because that’s basically how you, and all the anons I’ve quoted (whether they’re you or anyone else) have behaved as so far.

Yes, I write, and I post what I write online, which leaves the gateway open for criticism for sure. 

It doesn’t give you the right to be this persistent of an asshole to the point of saying I have no right to be annoyed by your questions. You don’t have the slightest idea of how much work I’ve put into Gladiator for the past seven years. You don’t have the slightest grasp of character development if you don’t understand THAT is what’s been happening with Sokka all along. And you don’t get to decide how I feel about your asks, or anyone else’s.

You can send another ask about ANYTHING regarding this subject, be it my inability to handle “criticism”, or chapter 28, or chapters 111-112 and their respective revelations about Sokka’s past, or your presumed belief that Sokka will be with a thousand women despite he’s completely committed to Azula by now... but this time I mean it: YOU’RE NOT GETTING ANOTHER ANSWER OUT OF ME. I’ve had it. This is the last straw. I’m done discussing this subject, and I’ll outright change my askbox’s message for you to remember that if you try to pull this again.

Now then. Can I finally go back to working on my story, or must I continue to invest HOURS of my day spelling out all the writing decisions I’ve made that you can’t make your peace with?

Please, Anon: get over it. If you can’t, stop reading. You’ll be happier that way. And so will I. I’m in no place, emotionally, for this kind of BS on my inbox all the damn time. Give me a goddamn break if you truly have any respect for what I do.

#anon #gladiator chapter 28 #gladiator chapter 112 #I've had enough #this fucking answer is so long #and I know it won't serve any purpose #I mean if you've read enough to reach chapter 112 and still can't SEE the shit I'm spelling out for you #obviously an ask isn't going to fix anything either #but maybe? #maybe you'll understand how done I am with this #if nothing else #enough is enough

[4hgladiators]

A few hours later than promised, but Chapter 28 of All Mine is up! I hope you Enjoy this chapter as well as New Years Eve and Day!! Praying for your 2019 to be BLESSED more than you can imagine!!!! I’m back from vacation, so come holla at me in the comments ♥♥♥♥

#all mine #Chapter 28 #TM12 #4-H Gladiators #lt-fanfics #ltfanfic

[aloesarchives]

Can you do a fem s/o going to labor and she use the Kengan fighters or gladiator’ hairs to hold on while pushing the baby out, and she’s also screaming lots of things, you can do any Kengan omega fighters, thank you much

Thank you for letting me have leeway with your request! Instead of pulling hair I’m doing hands being crushed. I’m sorry this took so long and only did four characters, I hope you still in enjoy it!

Ohma

The concept of birth is something that Ohma will never understand. Mostly because he just doesn’t know must things.

However, he would never be able to GRASP the pain of labor.

Since Yamashita was in the waiting room, Ohma was the only one in the room, besides the nurses and labor doctor, with you.

But what he can understand was this was painful, absolutely painful. Honestly, this make him feel helpless since he can’t do anything to ease your pain.

You’re sweating, panting hard, and tears are swelling in your eyes. From Ohma’s pov, this type of pain can’t be experience in any fight.

You were screaming, not screeching, but loud yelps and shortscreams that could be heard from down the hall if it the door wasn’t closed. Thank goodness for that.

As the doctor keeps telling that you’re almost there, you were holding onto Ohma’s hand because you didn’t want to hold onto the bed rail. And also because Ohma wants to help you in anyway he can.

Ugh, such a sweet man, in his own way at least.

In your final push, it was the hardest you pushed and you made sure your child was coming whether they like it or not. 

However, due to this, you gripped Ohma’s hand really hard. Like REALLY hard. There was a slight crackle noise but it fallen on deaf ears, even Ohma didn’t notice it. But there was a crack alright, once your son was placed into your arms, you asked Ohma if his hand was alright. 

When he flexed it, it hurt and the nurse took a look at it. She confirmed you broke Ohma’s hand during the final push. It wasn’t bad but he should stay away from “Vigorous Activities” in order for it to properly heal in 2 weeks tops.

Once you told the nurse to have Yamashita come in, you apologized to Ohma for screaming and almost breaking his hand. Yet, Ohma said it was fine and nothing that he couldn’t handle. 

But Ohma does tell you that the reason why he loves you because of how strong you were. (A/N: I mean, it’s canon. He did say it in Chapter 28: indestructible.) The fact you cracked a bone in Ohma’s hand does give him a little pride but also a little fear since you could’ve obilterate his hand during the whole labor process.

As Ohma continues to hold your son, Niko, you knocked out from the intense stress your body went through. Ohma wouldn’t deny it, but he was glad you were okay from all of it. He was grateful for you doing this but it also made him very aware of your strength and how you’re one of the only people to install fear in him by just getting on your emotional bad side.

Raian

You were at Erioh’s estate to give birth to your child as per request of the Patriarch himself. Raian begrudgingly didn’t want to be here.

He knew you were fine and that the mid-wives would take good care of you. He didn’t see the point of being with you when there were others better prepare for helping you.

But the Patriarch was able to convince Raian, shocking I know, to be at your side. That it was his duty to be there for you and watch the arrival of the birth of both of your guys’s child. It would make sense since Raian is techically on the strongest Kure’s, since you’re his wife it would only make the next generation of the Kure clan even stronger. Plus, Erioh kind of forced Raian to stay with you since you’re the only woman that was able to tame such a feral creature. Erioh also said he would give Raian a job that paid very generously if he stayed during your labor.

So here was Raian, sitting next to you, holding your hand as you were in labor. 

You were honestly in so much pain. Tears rolled down your face, everything in your body hurt. And your screams, your screams bruh. They could be heard throughout the whole estate and even faintly outside of the home. 

Sure, he was a tad bit concern for you, he wasn’t a complete psychopath devoid of all emotions. However, he was getting more of a kick out of you screaming and spewing out profanities left and right. It was mostly to him because he would try to “comfort” you but it would backfire, greatly.

“Come on, (Y/N), you should push harder” “Raian, you did this to me , can you please shut the fuck up?!?!”

He didn’t understand why you’re in pain. You give a few pushes and the baby’s out, right? He can’t seem to understand how all of this can make you cry and suffer.

Oh Raian, you feral fool

That’s why during your final push, you gripped Raian’s hand so hard as you muster all your will power to have your child be born. During that time, you screamed really hard and so hard it had bass to it. Due to this, you tuned out his pained grunts as you essentially break his hand in the process.

Once you heard your son’s cries, you released Raian hand to hold your baby boy.

You didn’t really destroy Raian’s hand, but it would take a couple of weeks for it to fully heal after this. One of the midwives actually tended to Raian’s hand since he held it in pain.

As your child was in your arms, Raian just stared at the little human. It was weird that Raian give this child and here it is. But he is mostly proud that he has a son that he can pass down his legacy to. 

Although he won’t admit it, he became prideful that you, his strong wife, bear him a son that could be as powerful as him. He is a tad bit grateful. You knew this since he just stayed with you even though he just kinda being a jerk to you right now.

“Come on (Y/N), did you really have to crush my hand?” “Raian, the pain of child birth is greater than having your hand being broken. You’ll be fine.”

Raian grumbles but he knows better then to push your buttons after both a physically and mentally draining event.

Wakatsuki 

To be honest, out the four, this was the most painful labor because look at this man.

Bruh, your screams weren’t even screams. They were ROARS and HOWLS. God, it sounded like a chained up animal fighting its restraints against those who put it there.

You’re in labor with not one, but TWO babies inside you. Yes, Wakatsuki not only made you pregnant, he made you pregnant with twins. (A/N: Waka, you should be proud of yourself.)

Anyhow, you’re currently in labor but it seems your twins are stubborn to leave you.

But not today, you were gonna make sure your baby twins were coming out whether they plan on leaving or not. 

You were pushing so hard right now, you wanted them OUT. You weren’t necessarily swearing, but your roars did the talking for you.

You didn’t expect yourself to have twins. Neither did Wakatsuki. But here you are. Honestly, he feels really guilty that he kinda did this to you. You, of course, weren’t made at your sweet hubby but your twins since they didn’t want to come out.

Wakatsuki was trying his best to comfort and encouraging you through the whole process.

Such a wholesome man, 10/10

But since you bear his children, they weigh slightly more than then your average baby, I mean they have his genes after all. These babies are HEAVY. But it’s worth it since they came from such good man. We love that.

So here you are, in the final stretch, the doctor said they would come out in one final push. And so, you straight up pulled all your goddamn will power in for your children to be born because goddamit they ARE coming out now.

Thus when you pushed, you gripped Wakatsuki’s with some much pressure and let out a strong bellow. 

In Wakatsuki whole life, he never had someone match him in terms of strength. However, this would be close enough to his own. The pressure on his hand from you was so great he never felt it before.The next thing he knew was he felt some of his hand bones crack and the sound of your twins being born.

Twin boys weighing nine pounds each. Damn, you were carrying 18 pounds around you for almost 3-6 months. We love strong women, you probably got some strong quads and hamstrings too.

Once the nurse gave you your boys, you apologize to you husband for kind of breaking his hand. Knowing that it’ll handicap him in his next fight. He dismisses and said his next match won’t be from another month and a half so he’s all good.

Yet, he’s still in awe at the fact you were able to come close enough to match his strength and break his hand. He never knew that child birth was able to do that, then again you did scream like a beast was in the hospital. He wonders if his mother felt this type of pain when she had him. 

Anyway, Wakatsuki will most likely know that the pains of child birth are like getting hit with his blastcore ×10. And so he’s enamored by the fact you were able to produce strength like his but also be deal with the pain. 

He has more respect for you, if he didn’t already, for doing this for him and he now knows better to give you some slack.

Gaolang

Given the fact of Gaolang, you’re probably go to a really good hospital with a really good medical staff.

This is possibly the one of the only times you ever see Gaolang that’s not stoic.

The pains of child birth is something he hears but never really got to witness it for himself.

 But now that you go into labor, giving out grunts and screams while trying to push.

The only thing Gaolang can offer up is for you to hold his hand during all of it.

Man, you were giving out large yelps and screams. It was brutal, more brutal than a Muay Thai match has ever been in.

I mean, at least Gaolang was trying to be empathic but he knows the pain he has experience in his life time would be able to fathom what you’re currently going through. I mean, he did get you pregnant after all so he tries to help as much as possible.

But your screams and shouts were from the force you were putting into pushing your child out. 

But it seems that your child had the exact same idea as you and wanted to get out ASAP.

It should easy since the baby wanted out, right? WRONG, your child had a hard time coming out on its own and it needs to be the pushed out by you.

And so, in your last push, you gave out a loud scream and gripped Gaolang’s hand real hard. 

But your grip also measured the strength of the push and so when you were still pushing, you squeezed Gaolang’s hand. You didn’t let go until you heard crying and the nurses were taking care of your newly born daughter.

Once you let go of Gaolang’s hand, he held his wrist and started to flex his hand. Well, he tried too. One of the nurses notices him doing this and checked out his hand.

She confirmed you have broken Gaolang’s hand. She said it wasn’t too serious but she did say he had to rest his hand for a couple of weeks.

When she bandaged it up, you felt really guilt that you did that to your husband. Who is, by the way, undisputed heavyweight boxing champion. You know how important it is for him to stay away from injuries so he performs in top conditions for his matches. But with a injury like, it’ll slow him during during his training.

Gaolang notices the look on your face and gently cups your cheek. He stated that he’s not scheduled for any matches at the moment so his hand isn’t something he is worried about at the moment. 

As one of the nurses give you your newborn daughter, Gaolang said he has  currently more important matters to worry about then his training and boxing matches.

Such a good-ass husband, great man

Gaolang knows he will never understand or fathom what you just went through. However, he does express gratitude and respect for and this new life the two of you will share together with your child. A new found strength he witnessed women could experience and he saw that with his own eyes. 

Even though his hand his slightly broken, to him it was totally worth it.

#kengan ashura #kengan omega #kengan ashura headcanons #kengan ashura × reader #tokita ohma #Kure Raian #wakatsuki takeshi #gaolang wongsawat

[genshin-impact-updates]

Version 2.0 "The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia" Update Details(Part 2)

For Part 1, Click Here

V. New Quests

1. New Archon Quests

Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act I - The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia"

Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act II - "Stillness, the Sublimation of Shadow"

◇ Beidou's Crux Fleet is almost done with their supply and preparation work in Liyue. As promised, the fleet is ready to take you through the thunderstorms to Inazuma.

The Traveler never stops for long. Now is as good a time as any to embrace destiny and set sail for the land engulfed by storm and tempest... The nation of "eternity"!

◆ Archon Quests "Chapter II: Act I - The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia" and "Chapter II: Act II - Stillness, the Sublimation of Shadow" will be permanently available after the Version 2.0 update.

◆ Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act I - The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia" Unlock Criteria:

• Adventure Rank 30 or above

• Complete the Archon Quest "Chapter II: Prologue - Autumn Winds, Scarlet Leaves"

◆ Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act II - Stillness, the Sublimation of Shadow" Unlock Criteria:

• Adventure Rank 30 or above

• Complete the Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act I - The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia"

• Complete the Kamisato Ayaka Story Quest "Grus Nivis Chapter: Act I - The Whispers of the Crane and the White Rabbit"

• Complete the Yoimiya Story Quest "Carassius Auratus Chapter: Act I - Dreamlike Timelessness"

After the Version 2.0 update, the Unlock Criteria for certain quests will be adjusted as follows:

● The Unlock Criteria for Archon Quest Chapter I: Act II will be adjusted to Adventure Rank 25 or above (originally Adventure Rank 29 or above)

● The Unlock Criteria for Archon Quest Chapter I: Act III will be adjusted to Adventure Rank 28 or above (originally Adventure Rank 35 or above)

● The Unlock Criteria for World Quest "Bough Keeper: Dainsleif" will be adjusted to Adventure Rank 28 or above (originally Adventure Rank 36 or above)

● The Unlock Criteria for Archon Quest Chapter I: Act IV will be adjusted to Adventure Rank 28 or above (originally Adventure Rank 36 or above)

*Of which, the level of monsters in Archon Quest Chapter I: Act II will be adjusted to Lv. 30 (originally Lv. 35). The rest of the adjustments made are adjustments to the player's Adventure Rank for the Quest Unlock Criteria, while other Unlock Criteria and quest rewards remain unchanged.

2. New Story Quests

Kamisato Ayaka's Story Quest "Grus Nivis Chapter: Act I - The Whispers of the Crane and the White Rabbit"

Yoimiya's Story Quest "Carassius Auratus Chapter: Act I - Dreamlike Timelessness"

◆ "Grus Nivis Chapter" and "Carassius Auratus Chapter" will be permanently available after the Version 2.0 update

◆ "Grus Nivis Chapter" and "Carassius Auratus Chapter" Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Adventure Rank 30 or above

• Complete the Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act I - The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia"

*The "Grus Nivis Chapter" and "Carassius Auratus Chapter" Story Quests will not require a Story Key to unlock.

3. New World Quests

◆ New World Quests: "The Art of Horticulture," "Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual," "A Strange Story in Konda," "Sacrificial Offering," "Hayashi of Tanuki in the Forest," "Cleansing Defilement," "Yougou Cleansing"

"The Farmer's Treasure," "Hiromi's Watch," "Gourmet Supremos, Assemble!," "The Gourmet Supremos: The Seashore Strider," "The Gourmet Supremos: The Deep Divers," "The Seventh Samurai," "Tatara Tales," "Sakura Arborism," "Dreams of Sword Art," "Orobashi's Legacy," "Fate of a Fighter," "Gazing Three Thousand Miles Away," "Treatment on the Island," "Sinister Instruction," "Yae Publishing House's Invitation," "Chisato's Letter," "O Archon, Have I Done Right?," "International Travel Log," "Home Lies Over the Ocean," "In Another Land," "Battle of Revenge," "The Gourmet Supremos: The Importance of Eating Well," "The Gourmet Supremos: On the Road," "Pizza From Another Land," and "The Ritou Road."

VI. New Monsters

Pyro Hypostasis

◇ Elemental creatures who protect themselves from incoming attack with their durable shell.

Has two states: Ignited and Extinguished. Extinguishing it with the right elemental reactions will give you an opportunity to strike.

Located at Kannazuka

Perpetual Mechanical Array

◇ A strange, alien machine.

They say that it is a war machine left behind by a nation that has already been destroyed. Composed of several different parts, it can adapt to its combat environment and employ a variety of attacks. It can even split and summon several different kinds of Ruin Sentinels.

Located at Narukami Island

Nobushi: Jintouban, Nobushi: Hitsukeban, Nobushi: Kikouban, Kairagi: Fiery Might, Kairagi: Dancing Thunder

◇ Samurai who have fallen into banditry.

They possess highly advanced martial art skills but use these well-honed skills for banditry, making them dangerous enemies.

Ruin Cruiser, Ruin Destroyer, Ruin Defender, Ruin Scout

◇ Various bizarrely-shaped machines that have taken different forms and functions.

Legend has it that they were war machines left behind by a nation that has now been destroyed. The design of these ruin machines has greater value in the study of biomimesis than the more common Ruin Guards.

Fatui - Mirror Maiden

◇ A Fatui mage from Snezhnaya who can command a Hydro Mirror in battle.

Willing to do anything to achieve their goals, they are the stark opposite of the dignity indicated by the title "Maiden." They definitely will not let their prey escape from the Hydro Mirror created from a Delusion.

In addition, monsters such as Electro Hilichurl Grenadier, Electro Samachurl, Crackling Axe Mitachurl, Electro Abyss Mage, Thunderhelm Lawachurl, and Electro Whopperflower have been added.

VII. Other Additions

● Gameplay

1. New Special Weapon Wish Mechanic — Epitomized Path

· Once you have charted a course towards your chosen weapon, you will obtain 1 Fate Point upon receiving a 5-star weapon that is not the one that you chose. You can obtain a maximum of 2 Fate Points.

· Once you have accumulated enough Fate Points, your next 5-star weapon will be the one you chose through "Epitomized Path."

· Your Fate Points will be reset upon obtaining an "Epitomized Path" weapon during this "Epitome Invocation."

· If you do not choose a weapon, wishes will not accumulate Fate Points.

· You can change or cancel your selection. This will reset your accumulated Fate Points.

· When this "Epitome Invocation" ends, your accumulated Fate Points will also be reset.

2. Adventurer Handbook - The Commission Quests: Region Selection feature has been added for commissions

3. New Gadgets:

Seed Dispensary: A special container obtained from Madame Ping. According to her, this dispensary has the power to "generate seeds"... That is to say, it can create the seeds of various plants according to their special traits, which can then be planted within the appropriate fields within your Serenitea Pot.

Red Feather Fan: Use this to increase Gliding Movement SPD by 30% for 30s.

Electroculus Resonance Stone: A stone that can be used in Inazuma to search for nearby Electroculi.

Electro Treasure Compass: A handy tool used to locate nearby chests in Inazuma.

Memento Lens: A mysterious lens. If you view small fox statues with this lens, you can find things that were not there before.

Mini Seelie: Viola: A memento from the Lost Riches event. Equip it to obtain a mini Seelie companion.

Artifact Strongbox: Gladiator's Finale, Artifact Strongbox: Wanderer's Troupe, Artifact Strongbox: Bloodstained Chivalry, Artifact Strongbox: Noblesse Oblige

4. New Crafting Bench Function - Mystic Offering

Consume a certain amount of 5-Star Artifacts to craft an Artifact Strongbox that contains a 5-Star Artifact

5. New Riches of the Realm and Creatures of the Realm added in the Realm Depot: Redeem the Furnishings "A Path of Value: Luxuriant Glebe," "A Path of Value: Orderly Meadow," "A Path of Value: Jade Field," "Sub-Space Waypoint" from the Riches of the Realm. Exchange seeds and other materials obtained through the Seed Dispensary from the Creatures of the Realm.

6. New Recipes:

○ Inazuma Shimura's: Egg Roll, Mixed Yakisoba, Miso Soup, Tonkotsu Ramen

○ Inazuma Kiminami Restaurant: Tuna Sushi, Tricolor Dango, Tri-Flavored Skewer

○ Street Food Stall: Dry-Braised Salted Fish

○ Complete the World Quest series "Gourmet Supremos" to obtain: Onigiri, Sashimi Platter, Sakura Tempura, and Crab Roe Kourayaki

○ Complete the World Quest "Gazing Three Thousand Miles Away" to obtain: Imported Poultry

○ Obtain the following from the Inazuma Reputation System: Konda Cuisine, Rice Cake Soup, and Butter Crab

○ Complete the Kamisato Ayaka Story Quest to obtain: Sakura Mochi

○ Kamisato Ayaka's specialty: Snow on the Hearth

○ Kaedehara Kazuha's specialty: All-Weather Beauty

○ Yoimiya's specialty: Summer Festival Fish

○ Sayu's specialty: Dizziness-Be-Gone no Jutsu Version 2.0

7. New Achievements such as "Mortal Travails: Series II," "Challenger: Series IV," "Meetings in Outrealm: Series II," "A Realm Beyond: Series III," "Inazuma: The Islands of Thunder and Eternity - Series I," and additions to the "Wonders of the World" category

8. New Namecards:

○ "Inazuma: Sacred Sakura": Reach Sacred Sakura's Favor Level 48 to obtain.

○ "Travel Notes: Grand Narukami Shrine": Reward obtained via the BP system.

○ "Kamisato Ayaka: Folding Fan": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Kamisato Ayaka

○ "Yoimiya: Auratus Spark": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Yoimiya

○ "Sayu: Muji-Muji Daruma": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Sayu

○ "Inazuma: Kamisato Crest": Reward for reaching Reputation Lv. 4 (Inazuma)

○ "Inazuma: Raiden Emblem": Reward for reaching Reputation Lv. 7 (Inazuma)

○ "Achievement: Gate": Reward for completing all achievements under "Meetings in Outrealm: Series II"

○ "Achievement: Traversal": Reward for completing all achievements under "Mortal Travails: Series II"

○ "Achievement: Stone Dragon": Reward for completing all achievements under "Challenger: Series IV"

○ "Achievement: Full Bloom": Reward for completing all achievements under "A Realm Beyond: Series III"

○ "Inazuma: Kujou Insignia": Reward for completing all achievements under "Inazuma: The Islands of Thunder and Eternity - Series I"

○ "Celebration: Wondrous Calculation": Obtained from the "Theater Mechanicus: Stage of Wonders" event

9. New Animals: Pale Red Crab, General Crab, Violet Ibis, Marrow Lizard, Crow, Kitsune, Bake-Danuki, Electro Crystalfly

10. New Materials:

○ Yumemiru Wood: Cut a Sakura Tree down to obtain

○ Maple Wood: Cut an Amur Maple down to obtain

○ Aralia Wood: Cut an Inazuman Cedar down to obtain

○ Otogi Wood: Cut a Otogi Tree down to obtain

11. Spiral Abyss:

Updated the monster lineup on Floors 9 – 12 of the Spiral Abyss.

Floor 9 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

• A Plasma Field will be generated at the edge of the challenge area once the challenge begins. While within the field, characters will be hit by a lightning strike once every 5s and take Electro DMG. The area covered by the field will gradually expand as the challenge proceeds.

Floor 10 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

• There will be a Leader amongst the opponents present in each challenge on this floor. Its Attendants will also be present to provide it with enhancements and protection. Each Attendant will increase the Leader's Element RES and Physical RES by 10%. The Attendants will restore the Leader's HP every 12s, with each Attendant restoring 5% HP. When there are no Attendants, the Leader will not have any of the above enhancement and restoration effects.

Floor 11 Ley Line Disorders changed to:

• Pyro DMG dealt by all party members increased by 60%.

• Cryo DMG dealt by all party members increased by 60%.

Floor 12 Ley Line Disorders changed to:

• Energy Tides are present in this challenge. They will switch between Elemental High Tide and Elemental Low Tide in 10s cycles.

• During High Tide, a large amount of Elemental Particles will be generated when a character's attack hits opponents, restoring 10 Elemental Energy. This effect can occur once every 2.8s.

• During Low Tide, all characters in the party cannot gain Elemental Energy.

Starting from the first time that the Lunar Phase refreshes after updating to Version 2.0, the three Lunar Phases will be as follows：

Phase 1: Shattering Moon

When an active character's Elemental Energy is fully charged, the DEF of opponents hit by the character's Normal, Charged or Plunging Attacks will be decreased by 7% for 10 seconds. Max 5 stacks. Each stack has an independent duration.

Phase 2: Brimful Moon

When an active character obtains an Elemental Orb or Elemental Particle, the character will unleash a shockwave that deals DMG to surrounding opponents. This kind of shockwave can be unleashed once every 4s.

Phase 3: Stalwart Moon

After unleashing an Elemental Burst, the ATK of every character in the party will be increased by 20% for 10s. Max 3 stacks. Each stack has an independent duration.

● Audio

1. Adds voice lines that will trigger when a character is at low HP.

2. Adds Japanese voice-over for some characters.

● Character

Adds new character combat voice-overs under characters' Profile > Voice-Over

● System

1. Adds some prompts for loading screens

2. Adds Barbara's outfit "Summertime Sparkle" to the Outfit Shop.

[Part 3 will be posted in a few minutes.]

#genshin impact #genshin impact updates #official #genshin impact news #genshin impact 2.0 #there's a part 3??? guess that's how you know this is a big one

[finitepeace]

fics i read this week:

 I read some bucky x natasha fics: 

Head Is Not My Home by taralkariel

Summary: The Black Widow is a legend. Legends aren't made cheap.

Shaken by the events of Civil War, Natasha Romanoff goes back to familiar ground to hide. To hide and remember how she became the Black Widow. How Natalia Romanova would do anything to save her father-figure. How she was one of 28 ballerinas with the Bolshoi - no, one of 28 Black Widow agents with the Red Room. How the only thing that made her feel human was a man with a metal arm.

(A story to show what really happened in the comics Red Room and how it could fit into the MCU)

19k words in 12 chapters, not rated (maybe T&up?), bucky nat up to IW, i think.  it’s not very dark themed <3,

tell me baby, do you recognize me? by xocean

Summary: "You're a liar." Natasha is shaking. "You're a heartless, lonely, lying murderer."

He doesn't even blink. "We both are."

The Winter Soldier's game is up, and Steve's not letting him go this time. Enter the only person who doesn't want a part in this shitfest: Natasha Romanov.

Or, as James Buchanan Barnes remembers her: Natalia Romanova.

63k words in 10 chapters (from 11), angst.

 and an IronDad x SpiderSon fic: 

This B.S. Better Be Worth It by losingmymindtonight 💙

Summary: Originally, Tony's plan had been to just surprise Peter with the fact that he would be on campus for a semester.

He’d never actually expected Peter to sign up for his class.

7k words in 4 chapters, tony acting like a dad (and awesome professor)

 as usual, the rest are Stony fics:  

American Dream by NobodysBloodyPrincess

Summary: Tony is trying, but try as he might he just can’t find the silver lining of this particular disaster.

After all, what happiness could possibly be derived from the knowledge that the perfect little girl in his arms is now motherless? What relief could be drawn, when his boyfriend of ten years, the love of his life really, is probably, currently, right at this moment in the arms of ‘Peggy’ his new fiancé?

13k words, no powers au, tony-centric, stevetony has broken up and tony adopts a kid, steve is depicted a bit insensitive (idk what the word, like unable to read the room?) here. 

Where Our Restless Monsters Sleep by Mizzy 💙

Summary: Years after Tony Stark saved the universe, the Avengers realize there’s a major problem: his body has gone missing. And he isn’t the only one. Fallen heroes all over the galaxy have had their graves pillaged.

An old foe is stealing the bodies of fallen warriors, but for what nefarious reason? There’s only one solution. To find out why it’s happening, Steve’s gotta die.

He probably shouldn’t be so eager to do that.

233k words in 12 chapters, post endgame resurrections (?), gladiator trope, lots of action scenes, and THERE’S MORGAN x STEVE INTERACTIONS!!!!! 

The Culling of the Stars by dirigibleplumbing

Summary: Tony dies saving Steve's life on the courthouse steps. Now Steve is left with the fallout of their Civil War, expected to take charge and preserve Tony's legacy. He doesn't know how he can do it alone—not when he can't stop thinking about Tony, or keep track of the days, or even feel.

9k words, comic book’s civil war not MCU’s, angst but gnidne yppah 

Together, Always by Sapphic_Futurist 💙

Summary: He swallows hard, a prickle of tears in his eyes because this is his husband.

This is Tony Stark and Steve’s husband, and Steve gets to have this. He gets to have this for the rest of his goddamn life.

30k words in 3 chapters, embodiment of stony’s “together” T_T, read the tags if you want to be spoiled lol if not then enjoy! (and I don’t regret not reading the tags tbh) 

And I'd Buy A Big House Where We Both Could Live by shinkonokokoro

Summary: Missing: Tony Stark, billionaire businessman, heir to Stark Industries, reward: none

Only Steve didn't know that when he picked up the waterlogged unconscious man from the bank of a river.

59k words in 29 chapters, non-power au, kid clint and peter as steve’s brothers

i stole the keys to this guy by kellifer_fic

Summary: Where it was Nick Fury's idea, but he didn't mean it like that

6k words, fake dating into real dating 

Home Is Where the Time Machine Is by Wordsplat 💙

Summary:Steve and Tony's daughter accidentally falls back in time, and learns that impossible time travel phone calls can and will be made just to ground you, big brothers are awful snitches, and parents used to date other people. The past blows.

23k words in 5 chapters, domestic, stony being married 

don't know why it took me so long to see by goodmorningbeloved (3799steps)

Summary: “Oh, watch this,” Natasha says, propping her chin against her knuckles and turning a sweet gaze on him. “Tony, what’s it like dating a superhero?”

Tony bristles in irritation. “We’re not dating,” he snaps. “Captain America probably thinks he can get into anyone’s pants just ‘cause he’s got a mask, costume, and reputation, but not me, buddy. That shield? Gotta be overcompensating for something.” He adds, a bit petulantly, “Oh, and all that blue? Definitely more Steve’s color than his.”

- In which Tony is a genius in all matters except recognizing his boyfriend past a mask.

11k words, tony being peacefully oblivious while the whole world isn’t. 

I Started a Joke by Naferty

Summary "Tony?"

"Who the hell is Tony?"

102k words in 11 chapters, tony is the winter soldier 

Take Two  by Wordsplat 💙

Summary: Steve loses his memory but he gets the feeling he's lost a lot more. Who exactly is Tony Stark to him and why won't he come out of the basement?

24k words, i just love it. 

Sunrise Over the End of the World by Sapphic_Futurist

Summary: When Dr. Strange arrives at an Accords Committee Meeting and warns of the coming of an alien megalomaniac set on destroying the world, the Rogues are pardoned and Tony finds himself exactly where he never wanted to be. Back at the Compound with Steve, who still can't take a hint and won't leave him alone.

--

In which Tony is broken and Steve finds redemption.

35k in 11 chapters, explicit, civil war fix-it up to infinity war 

Far Away And Long Ago by Ragdoll (Keshka) 💙

Summary: Steve steps into the past and discovers that hope held on a pedestal is as insubstantial as smoke. Then he sees Tony. And that's when things get complicated.

Full summary contained within.

18k in 4 chapters, mature, seems like abandoned WIP :( endgame fix-it au when steve returns the stones... 

Something More Than What They Are series by  Sapphic_Futurist

An exploration of love, denial and propensity for change.

38k in 4 works, explicit, Steve and Tony are married during the civil war madness but seems like their love is not enough to stop it from happening or reconciling T_T 

the marks you choose to leave behind by masterlokisev159

Summary: The Stane faction has been around for many years, long before Tony was bitten. And since he was forced, his life has been nothing short of misery and pain; a prison he will never escape. As a low member of the faction, his only hope at survival is to remain a loyal pet to Ezekiel. So when Ezekiel mentions the growing threat of the Avengers of the Undead, and the dreaded Captain, Tony is adamant to step up and do what he can. It’s also his last chance to see the outside world before he’s bonded to Whitney forever.

But what he finds instead is an unlikely companion with golden eyes. A strange werewolf by the name of Steve.

35k, general, vampire tony/werewolf steve, based on earth-666 

La La Love by Wordsplat

Summary: "To be perfectly clear, Tony always knew that Stephanie Rogers was the best thing that would ever happen to him."

4k words, teen up and audiences, female Steve, highschool au, awkward tony

Meet Your Heroes by Wordsplat

Summary:Tony gets rescued by a highly concerned, very handsy Captain America. This is confusing for a number of reasons.

4k words, identity porn AU, 

Hashtag Finally by Wordsplat 💙

Summary: Tony doesn't ever actually ask the Avengers to move into his house, steal his wifi, eat all his food, and become the best family he's ever known. They do it anyway.

15k, teen&up, domestic avengers a.k.a. tower life, hyperactive Clint lol, super cute, everyone are stony supporters

Thanks For the Memories by Wordsplat

Summary: When Tony is sent crashing-all too literally-into the 1940's by an alternate-universe Loki's spell, neither Tony nor Steve are prepared for the consequences.

9k words, time travel au, secret pining 

#stony #stevetony #irondad #bucknat #fics read

[thedurvin]

Starting to see why the public used to crap on sci fi pulp. Just finished “Gladiator at Law” by Pohl and Kornbluth (the one where robots kept going 0_0 and oowoo). What the hell was this

Chapters 1-24: thin sci fi veneer over a plot about corporate lawyers working an inheritance case

Chapter 25: turns out the villains are murderous ancient cyborgs, several hundred years old

Chapter 26: also they secretly secretly hid microphones and bombs in everything their megacorp makes, including robots, flower vases, coffee mugs, &c.

Chapter 27: they activate a secret implant in the brain of one of the good guys so he runs away to join this really violent circus and all the other good guys volunteer for the audience to try and save him

Chapter 28: they succeed, then one more chapter about stock market manipulation. Once they win the cyborgs, who live in the Empire State Building which is the only building that survived the nuking of NY, nuke themselves for some reason. The End

#durvin read a book

[sokkathebluewolf]

A review Why you do that? Making Sokka mention 28 in his vows now everyone think he slept around after the best time of his life? They both dont deserve this June slaves Hina Tylee now this Please don't make more girls fall for him involve with him feels like the whole fic turned around this Haru deserves better Tylee is flirting around

Don't get me wrong This is your fic and you can do anything you feel fit I'm merely giving an opinion ''cause Gladiator has things which you handled the best There is a Reason for this success I just hope this plus 1 girl thing in Sokkla relationship Stops But I always respect you with your great work(:

You do realize how utterly laughable it is to tell me “DON’T MAKE MORE GIRLS FALL FOR HIM IT FEELS LIKE THE WHOLE FIC IS TURNING AROUND” and then say “you can do anything you feel fit, I respect your work (:”, right?

This is not respect. This is not “constructive criticism”. This is not an opinion so important and valuable that it warrants being repeated about a million times across A YEAR. Most people? They give out their opinions, negative or positive, ONE TIME, and leave it be, because what matters to them is CONVEYING how they feel, not forcing a writer to constantly explain themselves or write whatever they would be comfortable with. Actually? Most people who have given me negative opinions so far have been like that, except one guy who was outright flaming my story because he wanted to wank to it, and he couldn’t believe he had to read 97 chapters to finally reach the smut. That I’m comparing you to this reader and reviewer is PROBABLY a bad sign, don’t you think?

Sokka didn’t MENTION 28: Sokka acknowledged his past mistakes because he’s a grown man who knows to feel remorse when he hurts people he loves. That he brings up having hurt her, to this day, isn’t in the purpose of going “HEY HEY AZULA REMEMBER WHEN I BROKE YOUR HEART LOL”, it’s in the purpose of saying: “I’ve learned from my mistakes and, as it has been for YEARS, I will devote myself to NEVER hurting you again”. That, anon, is a PERFECTLY VALID SENTIMENT for a wedding vow, and one that requires far more character growth and complexity than “Lol I’m so happy we were both virgins because that is the only kind of pure love that has ever been valid in the universe, anything else doesn’t count”.

Hell, you’ve literally made me go right back to the chapter to look at what he says, exactly: “I messed things up between us over my damn stupidity”, he... is literally beating himself up about this. To this day. He’s not talking about it proudly. And yet you’re here complaining as though he were?

SPOILER: More people will have feelings for Sokka in future chapters. In fact, I want to make it even MORE people than I’d originally planned after receiving all these asks. I’d rather derail my story into something you can’t stomach reading than cater to you. Azula will outright JOKE about being “jealous” in a future chapter, and Sokka will know it’s a joke! :D And I’m NOT lying about this to mess with you, it IS going to happen and your persistent asks absolutely WON’T make me alter my content. And why is it going to happen, you’ll ask? Why, because nice, charming, charismatic guys like Sokka attract people whether they want to or not. It’s what they DO about attracting others what matters to me! :’) And that Sokka rejects other people who attempt to be with him should be, I think, a much more important message about loyalty to someone you love than “I ONLY EVER ATTRACTED ONE PERSON IN MY LIFE AND MARRIED THEM”. Because I know that’s virtually the only thing you appear willing to accept, going by the first ask.

And holy crap, Ty Lee is... flirting around? Flirting around... with Haru. The guy she’s in a committed relationship with, whom she’s going to marry. The whole situation is meant to be insanely ironic considering Ty Lee is with the guy she SHOULD be with but it looks like it’s something else? (Hell, nobody even KNOWS it was Ty Lee, Mei Xun didn’t stick around long enough to discover the woman’s identity, so her reputation’s actually safe?) But you’re just so emotionally compromised by anything regarding Sokka being with anyone else, even if it’s 1. not true because he’s MILES away, with Azula 2. a joke 3. a plot device for a FUTURE EVENT, that you just can’t grasp this irony at all?

Ty Lee, by design in this story, has ALWAYS been pretty damn liberal about flirting and relationships. Despite we’ve mainly just heard such relationships mentioned on the side, rather than witnessing them directly, she is objectively the cast member who’s had the most relationships, whether serious or casual or just occasional, with other people. And even then, she’s getting married. Even when she’s had so many people in her past, she’s settling down with Haru for good. And Haru? Haru is THRILLED. Because he loves her. Because she loves him. Because HER past does NOT have a single thing to do with THEIR future. And yet you seriously read these chapters, where Ty Lee is having a lot of fun with her fiancé, and your brain just translated this as “OMG TY LEE IS A SLUT HARU DESERVES BETTER!”? Seriously?

I feel like I’m getting asks from a childish version of Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy. Everything that isn’t straightforward needs to be explained point by point, apparently, and even then, you don’t get it. I literally went to literature school and was told to write intelligent fiction so readers would feel compelled to unravel its complexities themselves... apparently that was a big fat lie? :’) Your persistence actually has convinced me that it is.

Oh and, for future reference (because I KNOW you’ll come back, that’s all you ever do): not because you throw compliments at me later to “cushion” your complaint does it mean you’re respecting me and my story. You can’t slap someone in the face and then go “Oh your cheeks are so plump that I bet it doesn’t hurt”. You can’t just disregard my request that you keep these sorts of questions to my PERSONAL blog rather than the fic’s blog, and pretend you respect me. You can’t come to me time after time with the same complaints and attitude, watch how I’ve basically gone from initially responding with discomfort (because, in my personal blog, there are MANY asks that predate yours, where I’d already explained my reasoning to someone else who apparently didn’t get it, which means the subject wears me out, A LOT), then seeing that I started ignoring your asks, then seeing I closed the inbox so I could regain some sense of normalcy in my life that you refused to let me reclaim, and then seeing that I’m answering with outright hostility, and pretend that it’s ME who has a problem. 

If someone I respected responded in any similar manner to ANYTHING I said to them, I’d basically feel like shit and never talk to them again because I don’t want to be a burden or a problem for someone whom I value in any way. You, apparently, would rather be a problem, and to no avail, because all you’re achieving so far is convincing me to continue writing things that will make you riot until you stop reading my story. If you CAN’T stop reading regardless of the horrifying, amoral, dreadful decisions I’ve made? Congratulations: you still don’t have the right to tell me what to do with my story. And until you GENUINELY understand that, your compliments don’t mean anything to me. I have readers I value who have conveyed complaints, MANY TIMES, in an actual respectful manner. Readers who are even bothered by the same thing you are. And yet I’m even FRIENDS with them. Imagine that :’) It’s almost like the problem isn’t having whatever opinion you do... but rather, the intent of IMPOSING your opinion constantly and persistently until you’ve driven me to lash out as bluntly and cruelly as I may! To the point I’m outright saying I’m going to rewrite my story into becoming EVERYTHING you don’t want it to be so you leave me alone!

And if you’re not the one who’s been here for a year, and this is not really an echo chamber (despite all of these messages have the same complaints, wording, tone, format, style, punctuation and grammar mistakes), yet you SAW that other people have been doing this for a long time, and thought it was PERFECTLY FINE to join the party? You’re no less of an asshole than the rest of them. No matter if it’s your first time voicing your “opinion”. Because it’s NOT about what you’re saying: it’s about HOW you’re saying it. It’s about trying to guilt trip me into writing whatever you want and claiming the story is going off the rails because something makes you personally uncomfortable. This is NOT objective criticism. This is SUBJECTIVE, ENTIRELY. This isn’t a real problem in storytelling, it’s a personal problem for you because it clashes with your moral values. And NO ONE is forcing you to continue consuming content that goes against your moral values, you’re choosing to do that yourself.

If you’re to live by any of the words you said in these two asks, make it “This is your fic and you can do anything you feel fit”. Because that’s literally what I’m going to do. It’s what I’ve done over EVERY complaint in poor faith I’ve gotten, ranging from “quit writing so much happiness it’s boring” to “where’s the sex you prude”. And it’s what I intend to continue doing. What kind of criticism do I value? “This particular scene features a factually contradictory line with a previous event”, such as Zuko claiming he never went to Sokka’s house when he in fact did, and I plain and simple FORGOT about it. What more kinds of criticism do I value? “You need to work out the Gladiator League’s system better because it’s not a solid business venture”, and this one was right? And yet it was too late to fix it, despite it’s 100% spot-on and I should’ve worked it out way better than I did. Another? “Sokka may have gotten over the fact that Azula captured him and tossed him in a slave market too easily”, because? It’s a perfectly valid sentiment? I disagree because Sokka is canonically shown to get over grudges relatively quickly, and yet I CAN see why it seems too fast for some people. What else do I value? Maybe suggestions on wording problems! I’ve made a lot of stupid wording mistakes, in virtue of being a non-native speaker. I’ve done my best to amend those, but it’s a work in progress even now.

Point and case being: in literature, and thus, in fanfiction? Constructive criticism isn’t “WRITE WHAT I WANT TO READ BECAUSE I WANT TO BE PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE WITH ALL I CONSUME”. Constructive criticism is given by people who KNOW storytelling. So I’d only consider it constructive criticism if it’s given by people who can read those chapters and see that the ENTIRE purpose of that conflict is to trigger growth and development as both Sokka and Azula realize their own mistakes and shortcomings with each other. So, someone who’s giving actual constructive criticism wouldn’t come to my inbox a million times with the same complaint... someone who’s giving constructive criticism would come to my inbox, ONE TIME, and say “Hey, maybe this alternative to conveying Azula is instinctively jealous over her canonical insecurities about being a monster and earning people’s love and loyalties COULD have been preferable, despite I know you can’t change that anymore as it’s fundamental for your story”, or “Hey, I thought of another way for Sokka to convey that he realized their interest in each other could result in something TERRIBLE if they ever acted on their feelings, a way for him to not act on that specific impulse to flirt with Suki to push away Azula, but to act on ANOTHER, believable, IC Sokka-compliant impulse that might still convey exactly what you needed to”. But again, even if it were complaints like THESE? I can’t change anything anymore. It’s TOO LATE. If I think it’s too late to fix Zuko saying “lol I never went to Sokka’s house” when it’s not true? It’s WAY TOO LATE to rewrite chapters that are over SEVEN years old, and I don’t even want to do it to begin with. But I WOULD concede these criticisms. I would accept them. I wouldn’t consider them offensive to me, or my work, or disrespectful in any way.

Constructive criticism is NOT about forcing an author to agree with you, or to do whatever you ask them to. Constructive criticism is about helping an author convey what they were conveying in a better, smoother way. If you CAN’T understand what the author was conveying? You don’t qualify for offering constructive criticism. If you need explanations as to why the author did anything they did? You’re, again, not qualified to offer constructive criticism. Your criticism, in any such cases, is NOT constructive, no matter what you’re telling yourself. This is a VERY important distinction, and one you can’t pretend isn’t valid just by throwing a bunch of compliments at me after telling me I’m ruining my story.

Until the day you DO understand the difference between constructive criticism, and subjective complaints? Your opinions will not be considered valuable enough to affect my story in a positive way. And the more disrespectful you show yourself, by continuing to disregard my DIRECT request for you to stop coming back with these complaints, as well as the direct request to stop sending these questions to this blog? The less your opinions will count for me. I don’t bend over backwards for anyone. And I’m definitely not going to do it for you.

#anon #ask #how long will it be this time #before you return? #I should hold a betting poll #I might actually become rich #that'd be the only silver lining for all the crap you've given me for a year

[iluvsumbucky]

Becca′s 366 Days Reblog Challenge Masterlist

I’m doing Becca’s reblog challenge, the 366 days of reblogging. I’ve never made anything like a masterlist but here goes…. I hope that you help show these talented writers some love & appreciation for sharing their works with us by reblogging as many wonderful & amazing works that we can.

JANUARY

Day 1 Midnight in Manhattan by @beccaanne814

Day 2 The Gift by @barnesnroses

Day 3 Undercover by @buckysknifecollection

Day 4 Under Oath - Part One by @ugh-supersoldiers

Day 5 Magic Touch by @jaamesbbarnes

* Under Oath - Part Two by @ugh-supersoldiers

* Blessings In Disguise ch 21 by @thorfanficwriter

Day 6 Touch (one-shot) by @theonewiththefanfics

* Under Oath - Part Three by @ugh-supersoldiers

Day 7 Jumping To Conclusions by @thorfanficwriter

* Under Oath - Part Four by @ugh-supersoldiers

Day 8 Light In The Dark by @wxntersoldiers

* Under Oath - Part Five by @ugh-supersoldiers

Day 9 Timeless Love - Part 1 by @beccaanne814

* Under Oath - Part Six by @ugh-supersoldiers

Day 10 Blessings In Disguise ch 22 by @thorfanficwriter

* Timeless Love - Part 2 by @beccaanne814

* Watchful Eyes by @beccaanne814

Day 11 Charlie’s Angels (1/9) The Flu by @buckysknifecollection

* Under Oath - Part Seven by @ugh-supersoldiers

Day 12 Under Oath - Part Eight by @ugh-supersoldiers

* Charlie’s Angels (2/9) Simulation by @buckysknifecollection

Day 13 Under Oath - Part Nine by @ugh-supersoldiers

* Charlie’s Angels (3/9) Master Chef by @buckysknifecollection

Day 14 Under Oath - Part Ten by @ugh-supersoldiers

* Charlie’s Angels (4/9) Blue by @buckysknifecollection

Day 15 Hello Darkness, My Old Friend by @beccaanne814

* Charlie’s Angels (5/9) Angels, meet Charlie by @buckysknifecollection

* Under Oath - Part Eleven by @ugh-supersoldiers

Day 16 Under Oath - Part Twelve by @ugh-supersoldiers

*Charlie’s Angels (6/9) Birthday Boy by @buckysknifecollection

Day 17 Under Oath - Part Thirteen by @ugh-supersoldiers

* Charlie’s Angels (7/9) Need a hand? by @buckysknifecollection

Day 18 Under Oath - Final Part by @ugh-supersoldiers

* Charlie’s Angels (8/9) Safe haven by @buckysknifecollection

* 10,000 Hours: Part 1 by @imaginedreamwrite

Day 19 Blessings In Disguise Chapter 23 (final) by @thorfanficwriter

* Charlie’s Angels (9/9) The oldest trick in the book by @buckysknifecollection

Day 20 Uniformed by @bucky-plums-barnes

* Poetry by @heli0s-writes

Day 21 Rose by @softlybarnes

* Rose Pt.2 (Final) by @softlybarnes

Day 22 Mischief Managed (1)Code Red by @helloimanavenger

* Carrying Low (oneshot) by @muchadoaboutbucky

Day 23 The Maiden And The Outlaw Chapter 1 by @thorfanficwriter

* Mischief Managed (2)Wyatt by @helloimanavenger

Day 24 Miscommunications by @buckthegrump

* Mischief Managed (3)Debriefing  by @helloimanavenger

Day 25 Mischief Managed (4)Suit Up by @helloimanavenger

* Hired Hit {Part One} by @buggy-blogs

Day 26 McCormack’s Wall by @buckthegrump

* Mischief Managed (5)Mørk Bueskytter by @helloimanavenger

Day 27 A Modern Day Goldilocks by @beccaanne814

Day 28 Hired Hit {Part TWO} } by @buggy-blogs

* Iris by @sarahp879

Day 29 Internet History by @buckthegrump

* To You. by @sinner-as-saint

Day 30 The Spark Within - Part 1 by @beccaanne814

Day 31 The Spark Within - Part 2 by @beccaanne814

FEBRUARY

Day 1 The Spark Within - Part 3 by @beccaanne814

Day 2 The Spark Within - Part 4 by @beccaanne814

* The Maiden And The Outlaw Chapter 2 by @thorfanficwriter

* Mischief Managed (6) by @helloimanavenger

Day 3 The Spark Within - Part 5 by @beccaanne814

* Hired Hit {Part Three} by @buggy-blogs

Day 4 The Spark Within - Part 6 by @beccaanne814

* The Thief by @heli0s-writes

Day 5 The Spark Within - Part 7 by @beccaanne814

* Mischief Managed (7) by @helloimanavenger

Day 6 The Spark Within - Part 8 by @beccaanne814

* Mischief Managed (8) by @helloimanavenger

Day 7 The Spark Within - Part 9 by @beccaanne814

* Mischief Managed (9) by @helloimanavenger

* Cold & Flu Season by @buckthegrump

Day 8 The Spark Within - Part 10 by @beccaanne814

* Take Out by @buckthegrump

* Hired Hit {Part Four} by @buggy-blogs

* Mischief Managed (10) by @helloimanavenger

Day 9 The Spark Within - Part 11 by @beccaanne814

* The Maiden And The Outlaw Chapter 3 by @thorfanficwriter

* Wait, what? by @buckthegrump

* Cheap Thrills (reader x Bucky Oneshot) by @avengerofyourheart

Day 10 The Spark Within - Part 12 by @beccaanne814

* Three Jerks by @beccaanne814

* An Unforeseen Outcome by @myoxisbroken

Day 11 The Spark Within - Part 13 by @beccaanne814

* Winter’s Warmth by @wordynerdygurl

* Nervous by @buckywithegoodhair

Day 12 The Spark Within - Part 14 by @beccaanne814

* Ashes To Ashes Chapter Two - The Church Of Loki by @the–sad–hatter

* Ashes To Ashes Chapter Three - Stained by @the–sad–hatter

Day 13 The Spark Within - Part 15 by @beccaanne814

* Mischief Managed (11) by @helloimanavenger

* The Hearing by @buckthegrump

Day 14 The Spark Within - Part 16 by @beccaanne814

* Mischief Managed (12) by @helloimanavenger

Day 15 The Spark Within - Part 17 by @beccaanne814

* Ashes To Ashes Chapter Four - The First Fire Always Burns The Hottest by @the–sad–hatter

* Hired Hit {Part Five} by @buggy-blogs

* Stranglehold by @fvckingavengers

DAY 16 The Spark Within - Part 18 by @beccaanne814

* Gone But Not Forgotten (Or Forgiven) by @captainscarletwanda

Day 17 The Spark Within - Part 19 by @beccaanne814

* Fate Calls Home Prologue & Chapter 1 by @marvelgirl7

* The Maiden And The Outlaw Chapter 4 by @thorfanficwriter

Day 18 The Spark Within - Part 20 by @beccaanne814

* Fate Calls Home Chapter 2: The White Wolf by @marvelgirl7

* Another Try [1] & Another Try [2] by @sunriserose1023

* A Poorly Kept Secret by @s-trawberryv-eins

Day 19 The Spark Within - Part 21 by @beccaanne814

* Fate Calls Home Chapter 3: Alone by @marvelgirl7

* not just an apprentice : b.b by @nev3rfound

Day 20 The Spark Within - Part 22 by @beccaanne814

* Fate Calls Home Chapter 4: Be At Peace by @marvelgirl7

Day 21 The Spark Within - Part 23 by @beccaanne814

* Mischief Managed (13) by @helloimanavenger

Day 22 The Spark Within - Epilogue

* The Wolf by @shotsbyshae

* Deal With The Devil by @sinner-as-saint

Day 23 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter One - Meet and Greet by @the--sad--hatter

* Unexpected by @luci-in-trenchcoats

Day 24 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Two - The King Of Hearts by @the--sad--hatter

* Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Three - The Best Laid Plans by @the--sad--hatter

*  The Maiden And The Outlaw Chapter 5 by @thorfanficwriter

Day 25 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Four - The Distillers Planet by @the--sad--hatter

* not like we’d sink any farther by @mareli-carter

Day 26 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Five - Protection Detail by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter One by @the--sad--hatter

* Dizzy by @nevertoofarfromivar

Day 27 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Six - Trust Fall by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Two by @the--sad--hatter

Day 28 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Seven - Abandonment Issues

* A Taste For Life Chapter Three 

* Hired Hit {Part Six} by @buggy-blogs

* Mischief Managed (14) by @helloimanavenger

Day 29 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Eight - Poison Planet by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Four by @the--sad--hatter

MARCH

Day 1 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Nine - Marital Bliss by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Five by @the--sad--hatter

* Touch Starved: Bucky Barnes by @sassy-pelican

Day 2 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Ten - Mischief, I’ll Make a Meme Out Of You by @the--sad--hatter

* No Air by @buckys-other-punk

Day 3 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Eleven - Worst Nightmares by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Six by @the--sad--hatter

*  The Maiden And The Outlaw Chapter 6 by @thorfanficwriter

Day 4 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twelve - Curiosity and the Kitten by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Eight by @the--sad--hatter

* A Tale of Two Buckys by @crispychrissy

Day 5 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Thirteen - Mischief Squared by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Nine by @the--sad--hatter

Day 6 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Fourteen - Outfitted For War by @the--sad--hatter 

* A Taste For Life Chapter Ten  by @the--sad--hatter

* the light behind your eyes  by @evanstanwrites

Day 7 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Fifteen - The Pits Of Hell by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Eleven by @the--sad--hatter

* Adore You by @yikeswtfmate

Day 8 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Sixteen - Gladiator  by @the--sad--hatter

* My Own Prison by @littledarlinwrites

Day 9 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Seventeen - WarChylde by @the--sad--hatter

* No Need To Fear, The Ladies Are Here by @avengerskeeper

Day 10 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Eighteen - They’re Taking The Kitten To Asgard  by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Twelve  by @the--sad--hatter

Day 11 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Nineteen -  Home Is Where The Heart Breaks by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Thirteen by @the--sad--hatter

* Space Daddies The Mandalorian/ GOTG crossover  by @thenerdyhooker

*

Day 12 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty - Mind Games by @the--sad--hatter

* Love is an open door by @hidden-behind-the-fourth-wall

Day 13 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty-One - One Door Closes by @the--sad--hatter

* Bucky’s Mate by @writing-what-writing

Day 14 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty-Two - Another Door Opens by @the--sad--hatter

*  The Maiden And The Outlaw Chapter 7 by @thorfanficwriter

* Another Try [3] by @sunriserose1023

Day 15 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty-Three - Claimed by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Fourteen by @the--sad--hatter

Day 16 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty-Four - Run, Kitten, Run by @the--sad--hatter

*  Thor’s Birthday Surprise by @thorfanficwriter

Day 17 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty-Five - Silent Treatment  by @the--sad--hatter

* Angel 101: Chapter One by @kittenofdoomage

Day 18 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty-Six - Family Matters by @the--sad--hatter

* Angel 101: Chapter Two by @kittenofdoomage

Day 19 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty-Seven - Adjustment Period by @the--sad--hatter

* Stranglehold - Part II by @fvckingavengers

Day 20 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty-Eight - For Sale, One Soul by @the--sad--hatter

* Angel 101: Chapter Three by @kittenofdoomage

Day 21 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Twenty-Nine - You’re As Cold As Ice by @the--sad--hatter

* Angel 101: Chapter Four by @kittenofdoomage

Day 22 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Thirty - Nuke Em’, Nuke The Bastards by @the--sad--hatter

* Angel 101: Chapter Five by @kittenofdoomage

Day 23 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Thirty-One - The Cost Of War by @the--sad--hatter

* Angel 101: Chapter Six by @kittenofdoomage

* Mischief Managed (15) by @helloimanavenger

Day 24 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Thirty-Two - Death In The Tower by @the--sad--hatter

*  The Maiden And The Outlaw Chapter 8 by @thorfanficwriter

* Angel 101: Chapter Seven by @kittenofdoomage

Day 25 Mischief, Meet Your Match Chapter Thirty-Three - The Final Chapter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Fourteen by @the--sad--hatter

* Angel 101: Chapter Eight by @kittenofdoomage

Day 26 Bloody Roses Chapter One by @the--sad--hatter

* Angel 101: Chapter Nine by @kittenofdoomage

Day 27 Bloody Roses Chapter Two by @the--sad--hatter

* A Taste For Life Chapter Fifteen by @the--sad--hatter

* Angel 101: Chapter Ten - FIN by @kittenofdoomage

Day 28 Bloody Roses Chapter Three by @the--sad--hatter

* Another Try [4] by @sunriserose1023​

Day 29 Bloody Roses Chapter Four by @the--sad--hatter​

* A Taste For Life Chapter Sixteen by @the--sad--hatter​

Day 30 Bloody Roses Chapter Five by @the--sad--hatter​

Day 31 Bloody Roses Chapter Six  by @the--sad--hatter​

* A Taste For Life Chapter Seventeen by @the--sad--hatter​

*  The Maiden And The Outlaw Chapter 9 by @thorfanficwriter​

#becca’s reblog challenge #366 days reblog challenge #masterlist

[wandaluvstacos]

Chapter 28 of Pretty Things is up!

Chapters 1 & 2 are free.

Pretty Things is part of the Sponsors universe, but you don’t need to have read The Sponsors to understand it (hopefully!). Please forgive the poorly photoshopped cover. :( I plan on doing it as a digital illustration at some point.

Summary:

As zhalja to the eldest prince, Rhazaaq Samir has the most enviable position a slave could boast. Yet with all the glamor and prestige that comes with being a royal zhalja, Samir isn’t living the luxurious life other see. While his sponsor Rhazaaq Zhafal is fair despite his cold nature, Zhafal’s half-brother Uyhem harbors a terrifying obsession with Samir that flips between adoring and violent at the speed of a changing wind. To ensure an illusion of safety, Samir begins building a coalition of valuable allies, from servants to ex-smugglers, who can help him cement what little control he can possess. Despite all his efforts, Uyhem’s overbearance cannot be denied, which is how Samir ends up at a gladiator fight, where thieves and prisoners of war are forced to battle it out for the amusement of the Empire’s populace. It’s at a fight that Samir meets a Mulli soldier captured from the Hahnar Empire’s rival, someone who claims to know him from a past life— one that Samir has tried to forget.

Forced together at Uyhem’s insistence, Samir grudgingly learns more about this Mulli soldier, and in the process, develops the first glimmer of hope for escape.

Artwork and a chapter archive can be found HERE.

Excerpt:

Taleen rolled out of bed and climbed the first few rungs of the rope ladder that hung between his bunk and Mamoud’s. Mamoud’s limbs hung over the sides of his bunk, as the platform was too small to contain him all. He looked rather silly, splayed out as he was, head tilted back and mouth gaping open. Taleen fought back a giggle. Such elegance. Despite his amusement, he was glad that Mamoud’s sleep had deepened over the past fortnight. He’d been in a lot of pain that first week, but now he complained mostly of dull aches, and while his bruises were still present and discolored, they were no longer so tender. His appetite had returned with a ferocity, but the captain was insistent that the rations were what they were, and there would be no exceptions made for Mamoud simply because he was bigger. That meant Mamoud often talked about food, to the point that Taleen had to chastise him for it. Taleen wasn’t used to twice-baked biscuits, potato soup, and arak for every meal, and he was extremely grouchy about the affair. He didn’t need Mamoud talking about honey-glazed leg of lamb or fenugreek pudding when they filled his dreams at night—or at least the good ones.

“Mamoud.”

Mamoud woke with a snort, and Taleen chuckled. He sounded like a goat.

“What?” Mamoud rubbed his face and blinked a few times. “Something wrong?”

“No, I’m just bored.”

“Oh, so it’s an emergency.”

“Of course,” Taleen laughed.

“Come up here.” Mamoud patted the platform beneath him, then pushed his back up against the wall so there was a small sliver Taleen could fit into. Taleen did not feel safe at all lying on the ledge like that, at least until Mamoud wrapped an arm around his waist and pressed Taleen against him. Contact like this would have petrified Taleen a few months ago, but the only thing to interrupt his calm today was a thrill racing up his spine.

“Do you need me to entertain you?” Mamoud asked.

“Yes, tell me more stories about magical whores and their dead army of ex-lovers.”

Mamoud laughed. Yesterday he’d seen fit to share some stories that he had heard from fellow Mulli soldiers around the firepits at night, and Taleen was not shocked to learn that nearly all of them involved some kind of beautiful prostitute with an enormous bosom. It was a good thing the Mulli armies were fighters and not storytellers, because they were much better at the former.

“You did ask to hear those, may I remind you.”

“I’ve recognized my folly and I don’t wish to revisit it.”

“Alright then, what other thing do you wish to do to pass the time?”

“Surprise me.”

Mamoud lowered his head so that his black eyes could meet Taleen’s. They then darted down to look at Taleen’s mouth, a silent request.

“How is your nose?” Taleen asked.

“Sore, but mostly fine.”

Taleen lifted a hand and placed it on the back of Mamoud’s neck. “Then what are you waiting for?”

“You.”

Taleen couldn’t help but smile. “Kiss me.”

#my writing #excerpt #update #Patreon #Pretty Things