#he must have been stoked

[seyaryminamoto]

The Shadows in her Reflection: Sokkla Saturdays 2023

Day 8: Winter

Rated: M

On FF.net//On AO3

"Woah, that was a restful night," Aang smiled carelessly by morning, taking his seat in the dining hall of the Eastern Air Temple where the group would eat their breakfast.

"You sure you're feeling alright?" Katara asked him, raising a hand to his forehead. "No fever, you're not overextended…?"

"I'm way better than I was the last time I was conscious. If that helps," Aang smiled before turning to the other two occupants of the dining room, who looked about as exhausted as he felt. "How about you two? Feeling okay?"

Sokka and Azula sat side by side, groggy and yawning. Azula nodded in response to Aang's question, but her half-lidded eyes spoke for themselves.

"Spiritual adventures can be… draining," Sokka answered, with a weak grin. "But we're alright. Just… need to recharge all over again."

"I can't believe it's over," Azula admitted, surprising Sokka.

"You mean… seeing Yue?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded.

"Drank my water this morning and… she wasn't there," she said, with a sad smile. "Nor in the mirror, when I looked. It doesn't feel real… even though it should, considering she was a vision all along…"

"Well, she's back where she needs to be," Katara said. "I know it's little comfort, just as it wasn't when she first turned into the Moon Spirit… but I don't think I'd seen a brighter moon before last night. My bending felt stronger for it, too."

"Just my luck, strengthening the waterbenders with my rare good deeds," Azula smirked. "Should've just continued my track record as a terrible person and kept Yue leashed to me, then…"

"Well, believe it or not, I have no intentions of picking a fight with you these days, so unless you're the one who picks it, I think you don't have to worry about how strong or weak I might be," Katara said, with a sardonic smirk. Azula laughed and shrugged.

"So be it. I'll pick a fight with Toph, if I want someone to spar with," she said.

"You could always spar with me," Sokka said. Azula groaned, dropping her head on his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow.

"Only after we've rested some more. You'll beat me if I fight you like this and I would never forgive myself for that," she said. Sokka chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Katara eyed their closeness with a slight sneer – evidently, it would take time for her to grow used to their relationship, but that she wasn't demanding that they stopped being affectionate with each other in her presence was probably the best start they could have asked for. Instead, she decided to shift her attention to other matters…

"You did bring up Toph… not surprising that she's being lazy, of course," she said, pushing herself up. "But it's kind of strange for both her and Zuko to be lazy in the morning. He did say once that he rises with the sun… I figured that meant he doesn't sleep in."

"He probably just said that to sound more impressive than he actually is," Azula said. Katara couldn't hold back a smile at that remark.

"I'll go check on them anyway," she said. "Breakfast's going to get cold otherwise."

"I can come with you if you want," Aang said, but Katara shook her head.

"Stay here, eat. I'll be back soon," she said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. Aang grinned giddily at the gesture as his wife walked away.

He watched her go, still as smitten as ever. Sokka rolled his eyes, smirking slightly while Azula picked one of the sweet buns on the table, ripping it in half and offering one of the pieces to Sokka.

"You two really don't change at all, huh?" he said. Aang turned towards him again, with a careless smile. "Still ogling my sister like you'd never seen her before…"

"Well, how is it my fault that she gets more beautiful every day?" Aang said, still grinning. "You know what? I think… I think we should go for number two."

"Number two? Uh, y-you mean, for the, uh… the loo?" Sokka asked. Azula snorted, choking on the bun and Sokka panicked, patting her back. "Azula?! You okay?"

"That's not what I meant!" Aang blushed: he startled Azula, though, by unclogging her throat far more effective and quickly than ever before by using his airbending.

"T-thank you," Azula smiled awkwardly, and Aang pouted at Sokka, who still held his lover carefully.

"I meant a second kid!" Aang exclaimed.

Sokka froze for a moment, and Azula met his gaze, amused.

"You really didn't think that was what he meant? Even in that context?" she asked.

"I…! I don't know, it didn't cross my mind! I…!" Sokka winced, turning towards the blushing Aang. "You guys sure? Is this about, uh, trying to make more airbenders?"

"It's about me being hopelessly in love with my wife," Aang said, proudly. "We've talked about wanting a big family. I guess, if it gets too big, we'll stop eventually, but… I've never really experienced a family like this before, you know? It's a whole new thing for me. My parents didn't exactly raise me the way yours, uh… w-well, yours would have raised you, but I know it wasn't quite like that for either of you."

"Huh," Sokka raised an eyebrow, taking a bite off his own sweet bun by now. "Well… you could go for it, I guess. Just, don't regale me with any explanations on how you'll make a new baby because that'd kill my appetite."

"I won't, I won't," Aang smiled awkwardly.

"Here I thought you liked the process of making babies all too well…" Azula commented carelessly: both men in the room blushed profusely, and Sokka elbowed her ribs slightly.

"C'mon, now…"

"Don't you?" She smirked.

"Well… sure! But we're not trying to make babies, are we?"

The question burst out of him before he knew it, and it caught both of them by surprise. Azula blinked blankly as a strange awareness bloomed in Sokka's eyes, too.

"Are we?" he asked again.

Azula shivered and shook her head rapidly.

"I mean… not intentionally. Not right now, no. Maybe in time. If we're ever… well, ready," she said. Sokka nodded slowly.

"Then… you guys are that committed, huh?" Aang grinned. "That's great! Guess you'll stay together, going forward?"

"We… might," Sokka said, glancing down at Azula, who frowned slightly. "Provided that's what she wants. I know it's what I want, but…"

"Might be a better conversation to have without the Avatar in the middle of it," Azula said. Sokka chuckled, but Aang pouted.

"Not that I want to pry or disturb your privacy, but… I'm supportive!" he said. "That's all I wanted you to know. If you two found love together, I think that's amazing. It's a little crazy to think Sokka's not with Suki anymore sometimes, but…"

"Crazier for you than it is for me," Sokka smiled sadly. "That relationship had run its course for far too many years before it finally ended."

"Probably. But most of us thought everything was, uh, mostly okay?" Aang shrugged. "It's a big change. But… you do look happier now than you've been in forever."

"Because I am," Sokka grinned, hand falling on Azula's waist as he reeled her closer. "I think I found what I didn't know I was looking for."

"I'm a big box of surprises that way, apparently," Azula smiled at him before shaking her head. "In any case, I don't really have any plans. I guess in a sense I feel like I didn't quite finish what Yue wanted us to do… but after what she said, it seems that she didn't actually want that journey for herself: she wanted it for me."

"You mean, seeing the world, the sights, the seasons…?" Aang asked. Azula nodded.

"It's strange. She was looking out for me, pretending to be selfish while instead she was granting me everything she would have wanted to have in life, if her circumstances had been more forgiving," Azula said, earnestly. "If she'd told me that it was for my benefit, at first, I would have refused to go along with it, but…"

"Good thing you didn't," Sokka said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. Azula smiled.

"Yeah. Good thing I didn't," she agreed, taking his hand in hers.

"I'll have to go back to Republic City eventually, though," he pointed out. Azula hummed in acknowledgement. "Maybe… we can get you a spot on the council too?"

"Sounds very much like nepotism to me," Azula smirked. Aang laughed.

"Well, the Fire Nation representative did say he was getting too old for diplomatic matters," he pointed out. "You might be a good candidate to take over. You know, as long as Zuko agrees."

"He seems to trust you more than usual, lately," Sokka pointed out. Azula shrugged.

"We'll see. It's hard to believe Zuko would give me that kind of responsibility regardless of…"

A piercing scream in the upper floors of the temple caused all three of them to fall silent abruptly.

"Katara?!" Aang gasped.

He was out of the hall as fast as lightning. Sokka followed suit, and while Azula didn't feel the urge to run too, she still decided to go after Sokka in case her aid came in handy. What, exactly, could have caused the waterbender to have that kind of outburst? Had she found a strange Air Nomad trap, triggered it, perhaps? That might have happened if this were a Fire Nation location instead… did Air Nomads do anything of the sort? Azula certainly didn't know enough about their culture to make a proper guess about that…

But by the time she reached the scene that had elicited Katara's scream, she realized no bending could possibly fix what had shocked Katara enough to let out a sound quite so alarming…

"If I wanted to be woken up early, I would've brought a pigster with me! Quit your screaming and your yapping, Katara, damn it!" Toph groaned, covering her ears with a pillow: even though so many people taller than her stood in the way, Azula still caught sight of Toph within the room…

She lay on her stomach in bed, and the covers had rolled down her back, exposing that it was naked.

Well. Perhaps the reckless earthbender preferred sleeping naked, as Sokka had pretended to in Ember Island. Azula was growing fonder of the concept nowadays thanks to Sokka's company, it was quite easy to drift into sleep after a round or two of…

Wait.

Couldn't that be the explanation, too?

"You… y-you… what the hell is going on here?!" Katara finally managed to snap out of her shock to properly ask a question… and it wasn't Toph who answered it.

"L-look, I know this seems crazy and out of place and…! B-but it's not what you think! Okay, well, maybe it is what you think, but…!"

Sokka winced, glancing back at Azula to find a frozen smile across her face at the sound of her brother's voice.

"Whaaaaat…?" she said, her own voice small and nervous.

"Uh… I don't know. I guess those two, uh…" Sokka grimaced: Toph, inside the room, huffed while Zuko scrambled into view, dressed awkwardly, in what would have been the attire to his silent walk of shame if only Katara hadn't caught him well before he started it.

"You… and Toph?!" Katara asked, glaring at Zuko in disbelief.

"W-well…!" Zuko blushed, heart racing under the sharp scrutiny of the rest of the group.

"It was a one-time thing!" Toph huffed. Zuko froze, eyes wide.

"It… was?" he said, turning towards her. "Wait, we never said…!"

"I never said I wanted to go again, Sparky. Guess I was just that good for you, was I?" she smirked. "But that's not my style, pal. Now, get out of here, all of you. I barely slept last night as it is…"

"B-but wait, that IS my style!" Zuko exclaimed, flustered. "I don't… do one-night stands!"

"Well, you do now. Congratulations!"

His jaw dropped, and as much as nobody truly understood what was going on between Zuko and Toph, most of them couldn't help but feel some compassion for the shocked firebender.

"Uuuh… maybe you should just, you know, go to your own room, change, wash up…?" Aang suggested. Zuko grimaced and lowered his head.

"None of you were supposed to… ugh. I'll be on my way," he grumbled, walking past everyone without meeting their gazes.

"And you?" Aang asked Toph, raising an eyebrow. She groaned.

"Fuck off. I'll have breakfast for dinner."

"Sounds about right," Aang smiled awkwardly, turning around and wrapping his arms around Katara. "You okay?"

"Slightly… stunned," Katara admitted, eyes wide still. "I thought Zuko would be out practicing his forms or something when I saw his room was empty. Didn't ever imagine I'd find him here with… spirits, I can't believe it. Zuko and Toph?"

"She's been hitting on him relentlessly lately. Guess she got what she wanted in the end," Sokka smiled a little, leading the rest of the group back to the lower floors, leaving Toph to her rest.

Zuko, naturally, wasn't as calm or careless about the situation as Toph was. He apologized profusely to Katara over what she saw – leaving everyone to wonder just how exposed they had been to her unprepared eyes – and he ate breakfast while scowling.

"Wasn't like we were trying to make a fuss or anything, it was just…! W-well…" Zuko said, running a hand over his hair. "She keeps flirting with me lately and I couldn't help but wonder if something could come of it, most of all after we almost died yesterday! I didn't really think we'd face that kind of danger again after the war ended, but when we did, I…"

"You figured you'd make your survival count for something and fucked one of your best friends," Azula smirked. Zuko blushed, covering his face with his hands. "How wonderful. Now you can't blame me for doing the same thing with another of them, can you?"

"At least it sounds like you two are trying to, well, make something real out of this. Toph just tried to get into my pants, succeeded, and now the novelty wore off or something?" Zuko scoffed.

"Maybe she wants you to be the one to show you want her this time?" Katara said, with an awkward smile. "But I don't know. Maybe don't show her anything. I still have no idea about how to feel over this whole situation…"

"In a sense, I suppose they were the only ones among our group who weren't a couple, so… might be they felt like they might as well go for it?" Sokka said, with a shrug. Zuko huffed.

"So, it's just meaningless for us to have had anything, you mean?" he said.

"Sounds like Toph feels that way," Sokka shrugged. Zuko groaned.

"I don't… do meaningless sex! Ugh, why do I get myself into these sorts of messes?" he said, dropping his head heavily on the table. "Unreal. I need to talk to her."

"Leave it for dinner, apparently that's when she'll wake up," Azula said.

"We, uh, had something important to talk about with you that has nothing to do with that, though," Sokka said. Zuko grunted, raising his head slightly to glare at him.

"You sure? No more humiliation over my questionable life choices?" Zuko asked.

"We'll get back to that after, if you don't mind," Sokka grinned cruelly. Zuko groaned and lowered his head again. "Thing is, we were thinking about the future. Aang says the Fire Nation representative in the council has been thinking about retiring… and maybe it's okay if he does! So, uh… what would you think of Azula as his replacement?"

Zuko flinched and raised his head again, this time a streak of curiosity in his face as he met his sister's eyes.

"You… uh, in Republic City's council? Do you want that?" he asked. Azula shrugged.

"Can't pretend it'd be my most exciting venture in life, but I think I can handle it," she said. Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"Sokka is the chairman. You'd have to answer to him," he said. Azula scoffed, glaring at her lover, who grinned carelessly at her.

"Well, he'll think he's in charge. The hidden truth is a whole other matter," Azula smirked, and Sokka yelped at her declaration.

"Hey, now… if you want something done, you can just tell me!" he said. "No need to pull strings while I'm not paying attention, or so…"

"The point is I'd always have my way. You won't say no to me because that'd mean saying no to, uh, the pleasures my brother grew all too acquainted with last night, I guess…"

"Ugh! We weren't talking about that anymore, Azula!" Zuko exclaimed, cheeks flushing again as everyone else laughed.

"Come on, now, you have enough sense not to ask for anything I shouldn't grant you," Sokka smiled, nudging her with his elbow.

"But what if my uncle shows up in town and I have to pour spice in every single one of his kettles? You wouldn't possibly approve of that, now, would you?"

"I'll tell Uncle Iroh to never visit Republic City," Zuko said, with a deadpan voice. Azula scoffed, throwing a fist in the air with frustration. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.

"You really should, because I might just let her do it otherwise," Sokka smiled. Azula couldn't help but laugh at his admission.

"I've corrupted you so, Sokka, I really have…" she smiled proudly at him: his affectionate smile warmed her heart, just as well.

"Well…! We'll see about that," Zuko said, shaking his head. "I don't know if the representative is all that ready to resign, it's the first I've heard of it. Plus, you two in the council? It sounds like you're going to fix all the worst problems in the world and start all the stupidest ones you can instead, and I don't know if I want to be responsible for that."

"Come on, why would we do that?" Sokka smiled. "We'll get plenty of work done to solve big and important problems, and then we'll just fuck in some storage closet during our free time and…"

"Sokka!" Katara and Zuko exclaimed: Azula burst out laughing at their reaction.

"What? What's so wrong with that?"

"You know what?" Zuko said, raising a hand towards them, his index finger extended. At first he pointed at Sokka… then, he turned it towards Azula. "There's another job you might be able to do. If the representative doesn't retire."

"Oh? Chairman of the Public Morals Committee or something?" Azula smirked.

"Not a damn chance," Zuko scoffed, as Azula and Sokka chuckled. "I mean… you could join the United Republic's Armed Forces."

All laughter ceased then.

"Wait… what?" Azula blinked blankly. Zuko folded his arms over his chest.

"Will be up to you, I guess, if you want to be in politics or in military matters," he said. "Also depends on whatever the representative wants, of course. But that's an option too. The army's barely being built up right now, the United Republic absolutely needs defenses, and even if you're not exactly beloved in the Earth Kingdom, I think joining the army might work well for you. Think about that possibility too, if you want."

"Heh. And here I figured you might just tell her to stay in the Fire Nation with you and your mom," Katara said. Zuko blinked blankly.

"Well… that option exists too," he said. Azula raised an eyebrow. "I assumed you'd want to stay with Sokka, though. But, if you decided otherwise… you could always come home."

Come home.

Words she had never thought she'd hear from someone else, least of all her brother, words she had never believed she'd be worthy of.

It wasn't a bad offer… only, she wasn't quite sure what said offer meant just yet.

Home… the Fire Nation had been her home all along. It was where she had belonged, up until she no longer belonged anywhere. Perhaps, in the end, all she had wanted was to come home indeed, back when she had terrorized her own nation, seeking always to return to something that was irremediably lost… and, upon knowing it lost, she had simply retaliated against the changes by sabotaging, discouraging, destroying whatever new, positive changes Zuko was trying to bring to their world.

She never imagined the day would come when Zuko would make an offer like this one. That he would want her to be part of his life… it was most likely a choice he would come to regret, of course, should she take him up on it. But it was a choice he had made, nonetheless…

Her heart pounded at the thought of agreeing and learning what, exactly, it entailed to live in freedom under Zuko's rule.

It pounded even harder upon realizing that taking him up on that offer wouldn't truly mean she'd go home, though.

She glanced at Sokka: he appeared to be at a loss over what Zuko had said, but he smiled at her reassuringly, squeezing her hand.

"If that's what you want…" he said. Azula's heart trembled.

"Maybe… I need to think about it," she said, turning towards Zuko. He shrugged.

"Take as long as you need. I need time to think about things too. Like what to do about that little…" Zuko grumbled, fists tightening at the thought of Toph again – it appeared that their romance, if it could even be considered that, would be a rather odd love-hate situation, at best, if it survived its chaotic start at all.

After finishing breakfast, Sokka and Azula went for a walk in the Eastern Air Temple. He held her hand constantly, a change she guessed she might grow used to one day, but for now, she found it to be a surprisingly exciting one still. She intertwined her fingers with his as they finally stopped at a spot where they could see the sky and the sea, in the distance. A white, pale but vivid moon hovered above them, in the daytime. Azula smiled at the sight of it, and Sokka even waved in its direction.

"Hope you're holding up okay, Yue," he said. "Guess you wanted to talk out here so she'd get her say too?"

"Not sure we'd hear her if she tried, but… maybe," Azula said, biting her lip. "Zuko's offer to go back to the Fire Nation…"

"Yeah, uh… I get it," Sokka smiled sadly. "It's the return home you must have always looked forward to. Probably what you imagined might happen if he ever gave you a chance, so…"

"Maybe it is, but…" Azula said, biting her lip before looking up at him. "That doesn't mean I'm ready to make that choice."

"Oh. But… do you want to?" Sokka asked, facing her fully and taking both her hands in his. Azula gritted her teeth.

"I think… I think I need some more time before going back to the Fire Nation," she concluded. Sokka raised his eyebrows. "Some things feel… unfinished, somehow. Like I said, I don't think we really fulfilled all of Yue's journey, even if it was meant for me more than her. Like… like going to your hometown?"

"Huh. You expected that to come next, huh?" Sokka smiled a little. Azula shrugged. "I guess I figured she'd find little novelty there, so I never thought much about taking you and Yue to the Southern Water Tribe. It's winter too, it's not as fancy as the north…"

"It's still the place where you were born and raised. I think it's safe to say that the two of us would have loved to see it," Azula smiled. "I still would, if you would ever want to take me. But, well… it's also possible that you don't, I guess."

"No, it's not," Sokka snorted, smirking. "Azula, I'd take you anywhere. I'd go with you wherever you wish to go. There's no question about it."

"Even if that means staying away from the council for a while longer?" Azula asked, amused. Sokka nodded promptly. "So irresponsible of you…"

"I'm incorrigible and I know it," Sokka grinned proudly. Azula laughed and shook her head.

"Still…" she said, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm just thinking that maybe we should fulfill the very last part of our journey eventually. Maybe not right now, it's bound to be the light period in the South Pole still…"

"Yeah, it'll be a few months before it switches back to darkness," Sokka said.

"So, to do things right, I have to go on winter. Proper winter," Azula declared, stubbornly. Sokka chuckled and nodded. "Hence… we have a few months of figuring things out. And, well… I think I'd like to try living with you. Whether as a council member or in the armed forces, I… I want to know if we're actually any good together when Yue's not as present as she was before."

"She may have brought us together… doesn't mean she's the sole reason why we are," Sokka said, cupping her face between his hands. "I love you. I owe Yue plenty for bringing you to me… but whether she's here or not, I love you, Azula. That's not negotiable."

"Heh. No incentive would make you stop?" she asked, with a warm smile, tears prickling in her eyes. "How about an all-you-can-eat meat feast?"

"Not a chance," Sokka smirked. Azula laughed, hands falling on his chest.

"Stop being so easy to love, Sokka. I can't handle it," she said, pressing her face to his neck. Sokka kissed the side of her head gently.

"I'm an absolute pain to love for anyone but you, you know?" Sokka smiled, rocking her in his arms. "Katara's always at her wits' end with me, even if she loves me. Suki would tell you you're setting yourself up for a life of misery…"

"Maybe Suki's the source of the misery, ever thought about that?" Azula asked, cuttingly. Sokka laughed and shook his head.

"I mean, she did become one over time, but…"

"She'll find someone else eventually who makes sense for her. But that she couldn't live with you, that she couldn't love you other than on her terms, is her problem. Doesn't reflect on you, Sokka," Azula reassured him, caressing his chest kindly. Sokka leaned down, pressing his lips to her brow.

"You might think too highly of me…"

"I wouldn't do that. Thinking lowly of you means I can make fun of you far more easily, so clearly, I'd choose that rather than thinking highly…"

Sokka rolled his eyes before silencing her with a kiss. Azula laughed against his lips, knowing she had won that particular non-argument, wrapping her arms around his neck as she returned the kiss heartily. By the time he pulled back, she had a rather surprising revelation to make:

"I have no idea how to live a normal life."

Sokka smiled warmly, pressing his brow to hers.

"I didn't either. Maybe I still don't," he laughed. "I'm not sure the two of us would ever have… well, a mundane, boring life. Feels like even if we're sitting home together, working on puzzle games of some sort, we'd be having way more fun than what regular people do."

"Heh. Even our mundanity would be exciting?" Azula smiled. "That's… promising, actually. I like the sound of that."

"Then…" Sokka grinned. Azula breathed deeply, losing herself in his beautiful eyes.

"I'll go with you. We'll see about whatever my work will be, I don't know, but… I want to try this. You haven't pissed me off irremediably so far, so…" she laughed. Sokka smiled warmly. "Nor have I done that to you, shockingly, even if I certainly tried back in Ba Sing Se…"

"I was just worried about you, and you know it," Sokka said, kissing the tip of her nose. Azula smiled and nodded.

"I do. You make no sense that way," she laughed. "Anyway, I… I just wanted to be sure you'd know where I stand in all of this. It would be okay to go back to the Fire Nation, I suppose, but… I don't really think I want to, just yet."

"Well, I, for one, think that's great news," Sokka smiled, kissing her fully once more.

The difference between his last relationship and this new one couldn't have been more patent: he had damn near begged Suki to leave the Fire Nation, to share a life with him in Republic City, only for that life to wind up going downhill at an alarming rate. Years of pleas had taken a terrible outcome – perhaps Suki had constantly refused because she had known that they might end up as they did, sooner than later. Azula, though… she was choosing to be with him, well above everything else. In all the years of seeking a purpose, of stemming in grudges, of wandering the world feeling that she belonged nowhere, she finally had chosen a place for herself, and it was right at Sokka's side. His heart soared enough to hoist her in his arms, laughing with her as they exchanged more earnest kisses.

"Say…" Azula whispered, still nestled warmly in his arms. Sokka prodded the tip of her nose with his.

"Yeah?"

"I meant it before: I still want to finish the journey," she smiled. "Later, of course, but I'm just saying…"

"I'll take you to the Southern Water Tribe in winter. I promise," Sokka smiled. Azula laughed and nodded.

"Just what I wanted to hear…"

They returned to the others a few hours later, to find that Toph had finally climbed out of bed and appeared perfectly unconcerned by Zuko's distress over their peculiar situation. She refused any responsibility, or any talk about being a royal consort now, something that both Sokka and Aang brought up to tease her. The Fire Lord appeared not to know left from right anymore, hardly sure of whether he wanted to pursue anything real with Toph – a possibility that seemed rather unlikely, considering how unwilling she was to explore a potential long-term relationship with him –, or attempt another reconciliation with Mai somehow, should she ever be willing to be with him again. Clearly, he wouldn't sort that out anytime soon, so by the time the whole group returned to Republic City, in another trip with multiple stops, Zuko still hadn't worked out a solution for his dilemmas.

Their return to the city was far more triumphant than some expected it to be: both Azula and Sokka were caught by surprise upon learning, from Ursa and Bumi, how wide the reach of Aang's bending had been.

"The water around the island… it seemed to want to obliterate this place, maybe," Ursa said, once they were with her inside Air Temple Island's sitting room. "I took Bumi to the highest point and we just prayed for it to stop. The air suddenly grew heavy, and we could barely breathe for almost twenty minutes, but that stopped the storm… and from what I've heard in my ventures into the city, everyone else experienced that too."

"You really bent the entire atmosphere, you crazy guy, you," Sokka said, smiling at his brother-in-law. Aang smiled nervously, shrugging in response to Sokka's apparent pride in him.

"Someone had to do something, I guess," he said.

"And you very much saved our lives with it. Everyone's lives," Ursa smiled kindly at him. "Thank you, Aang."

"Oh. You're welcome!" Aang grinned shyly, scratching the back of his neck. "Doing my Avatar duties!"

"And quite successfully too," Ursa said, nodding sagely.

Toph returned to her city quickly, and it wouldn't be long before Zuko went back to the Fire Nation too… but Ursa wasn't as ready to leave as he was, let alone upon learning of Azula's intent.

"Then… you'll stay? With Sokka?" she asked, a fragile grin on her face.

"I know we meant to travel together, and we still might, one day," Azula said, reassuringly. "But, well… the last stretch of the journey would've been to the South Pole, we thought. In winter, you know? To finish the cycle properly. Won't be winter there for a while, so… I figured I'd stay here, to see if Zuko gives me a decent job to do in Republic City."

"We have two possibilities. Guess we'll see which one pans out," Zuko added. Ursa's eyes widened.

"My… well, that's wonderful to know, even if heartbreaking too," Ursa smiled, turning towards her daughter. Azula eyed her guiltily. "Don't feel bad for me, no, I just… you're growing fast, always have been. I hoped to make up for lost time, but… you have a life to live. I'll come visit, if you'd like! Or you could come visit the Fire Nation too, surely your brother would allow it?"

"Oh? Yeah, well, it's her home too, if she wants it to be," Zuko said, with a shrug. "I know it wasn't for a while, but… I think we're finally past all that."

"Strange for my own brother to trust me this much. I might not get used to it at all, come to think of it," Azula smirked at Zuko, who scoffed mockingly at her.

"I know you like it better when you can piss me off. I have the feeling you'll just leave to recharge energies and then visit when you've gone too long without messing with me," he said. Azula laughed.

"A sound concept. I might just make that happen indeed," she beamed. Despite himself, Zuko chuckled.

"Well… for what it's worth, good luck living in Republic City. Don't let Sokka slack off too much, whether at work or at home…"

"Hey!" Sokka pouted.

"And… have fun, I guess?" he said. "I'll arrange whatever paperwork's needed for this. Your pardon's guaranteed, I'll make sure to settle it as soon as I return. And, uh, if you need anything…"

"I'll make sure to reach out, but hopefully it will be fine," Azula said. Zuko nodded.

"Then… good luck, and see you soon, I guess," he said, with a small smile.

Ursa cleared her throat meaningfully. Zuko grimaced as he looked at her, recognizing her intent. Azula did, too. She stifled her laughter, waiting to see just how effective the motherly pressure would turn out to be…

And naturally, Ursa won. Zuko groaned, blushing as he stepped forward to hug his laughing sister. Ursa beamed proudly at the result, and Sokka couldn't hold back his own laughter either as he watched them.

Within two more days, most of which Sokka and Azula spent resting in Air Temple Island, much like Aang did, the pair sailed across the stretch of the sea between the island and the booming, growing Republic City. It hardly impressed Azula at first, it wasn't much of a city just yet, but she followed Sokka as he showed her the general layout of the place before taking her shopping, a notion that caught her by surprise, most of all due to how giddy her lover was over that prospect.

Loaded with new clothes and food supplies, they finally reached Sokka's apartment by evening.

"Well? What do you think?" Sokka smiled awkwardly, setting down the heavy bags he had been carrying.

Azula's eyes traveled over the kitchen, adjacent to the dining room. The walls were mostly bare, there were piles of clothes scattered in a few places – and Sokka promptly rushed to pick them up, explaining that his carelessness wasn't a constant thing, absolutely not! – and there wasn't enough furniture in the place just yet. Not enough bookshelves, not enough chairs, only cushions to sit at a small table…

And a balcony. Sokka smiled as he showed it to her, and Azula stepped outside with wide eyes to watch the grand horizon that spread ahead. The sea looked rather beautiful… and it reflected the moon vividly as twilight settled upon the world. She smiled at the reflection of the moon upon the waves, and she raised a hand as a greeting at Yue.

"That's a good view," Azula said. "And that place might deserve the name of Full-Moon Bay far more than the one that actually took it…"

"Pretty sure they called the original Full-Moon Bay that way because it was round like the full moon…" Sokka said. Azula scoffed.

"Well, the moon looks better from here. I'm sure it does," she said, leaning against his flank and sighing in relief. "I've never lived like this, you know?"

"Well, it's not as crazy as being on the road, traveling around on a hot-air balloon, dangling off a rope underneath a bridge…"

"Ah, good times."

"But it'll be a home anyway," Sokka smiled, nudging her gently. Azula smiled back, gazing up at him. "Then? Do you like it, or…? I swear I'll be tidy, way more than you imagine! You can scold me for it when I mess up too, I promise I won't whine too much about it…"

"But that's the point of scolding you. It's funny when you whine," Azula smirked. Sokka laughed, pressing his brow to hers. "This place… it suits you perfectly."

"It does?" Sokka asked, happily surprised.

"It's, uh… how do I put it?" Azula said, biting her lip, failing to contain a smirk. Sokka's excitement dwindled and he offered her a deadpan glare instead. "A work-in-progress, perhaps?"

"Isn't that one of the names I suggested for our group…? Hey! W-well…! Sure it's one! But we're all works-in-progress in life, like it or not!" he exclaimed, tickling her vindictively. Azula tried to squirm out of his grasp, but she failed.

Before she knew it, his wicked attack had resulted in them returning inside, and she had landed atop the cushions and pillows on the floor, laughing as his hands mischievously danced over her flanks. There seemed to be no escape from Sokka right now, tickles were such a weakness of hers…

But perhaps she could redirect that energy of his to more favorable pursuits.

Instead of yanking his hands off her body, she dragged them up until his fingers stopped nudging upon falling over her breasts. Sokka's intent fizzled out quickly by then, more so as Azula slid her legs between his.

"U-uh… what are we doing?" Sokka smiled awkwardly. Azula bit her lip, closing her eyes as she compelled him to grope her some more. "I did not expect this kind of generosity over a tickle battle… I have the feeling you're about to kick me in the nuts when I lower my guard."

"Then don't lower it… but I'll lower mine," Azula smiled. "We can do it right here, right now. No one's going to stop us. Nothing can get in the way. It's your place, after all… the only thing you need to do is close the drapes. So…?"

She glanced back at him, that devious smirk across her tempting lips. Sokka's throat dried as he jumped out of the cushions, racing towards all the windows to ensure he had covered them all. Azula, still lying where she did, used her bending to light up the candles and house lamps Sokka kept within his home. By the time he returned, she lay with one leg flexed up, her hands over her hair, and a wicked, meaningful smirk on her face. While the effect she had on his body was usually quite quick to present itself, Sokka was even lightheaded this time at the sight of his lover's mischievous attempt to seduce him.

"If this is what your revenge after tickle fights looks like… I could stand to tickle you some more," Sokka smiled a little. Azula laughed.

"Let's just say… this is how I feel about this place," she whispered. "I see nothing but potential and chances to make this life… ours. So, I may just be generous now because I want you to make me yours as well and… you'd best make the most of that generosity while it lasts, don't you think?"

Sokka laughed, shaking his head before diving in, dropping atop the Princess and kissing her relentlessly. She moaned, wrapping her arms and legs around his body, encouraging him to go further, to make her very first day in their new home as memorable as could be.

It seemed that clothing piles would wind up being a common matter for the pair, for their clothes flew all over the apartment as they stripped each other bare. Their lustful embrace never failed to bring smiles to their faces, thrilled to share a passionate evening where their lips ever found purchase on each other, where their hearts raced as the excitement increased, where they peaked together or apart by mere moments, where it seemed as though no spot in the apartment was off-limits for the wild trysts they wanted to have.

Again, they wound up in the warm tub after far more rounds of sex than they would keep track of, lips locked frequently with deep kisses, hands touching each other freely, everywhere they cared to reach.

"Just… for the sake of boosting my ego?" Azula smiled, prodding Sokka's nose with hers. "Was your first day with Suki in this place anything like this?"

Sokka snorted before laughing off the concept completely. Azula smiled wickedly as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Very clearly… no," he laughed. "I had more warning, I was tidier than I was this time… but hey, we just made a mess and threw our clothes around all over the place, so you're messy too!"

"Who said I couldn't be?" Azula smiled, floating in the tub so she could sit fully on his lap. "I had servants to pick up after me long ago, remember? And after that, I lived as a wanted criminal. This is very new to me, altogether. Maybe I'll become a fiend of order and cleanliness in due time, but for now… I might just enjoy being a mess with you."

"If this is the mess we're going to be, we're definitely winning in life," he smiled, pressing his lips over her collarbone and shoulders. "You're so beautiful…"

She smiled upon hearing that word: Yue had claimed as much too, and Azula had dismissed the notion, ridiculing the Moon Spirit for praising her at all. Strange to find herself far more willing to hear praises now than she had been in years… most of all, by knowing that none of what Sokka would dare say to her would be a lie. His longing for her, the way he couldn't keep his hands off her, his lips trailing across her face over and over, as though there were nothing about her, not a single thing, that didn't please him…

Her arms locked around his neck and she caught his lips in hers, her chest pressed fully against him. The cold evening breeze encouraged her to heat up the tub further with her bending, and Sokka smiled with delight at the sensation as he covered her body with more eager kisses.

It was a grand start to their life together, one that resulted in them resting sloppily and carelessly in Sokka's futon after they'd spent their energy and unleashed even more of the tension they hadn't been able to work out so far. Starting a relationship in the middle of chaotic circumstances might not have been the wisest of choices, but they certainly made up for it now, blissfully indulging in their privacy and every opportunity to make their time together count.

After a couple of days, Sokka finally built up enough resolve to attend the council for the first time in many months. He was welcomed eagerly, and the Fire Nation representative couldn't seem to stop bowing reverently at Azula, who was quite perplexed by his reaction – strange for Zuko to have hired someone who appeared to be an Ozai loyalist for a role like this one… but perhaps he was simply of the sorts who were extremely loyal to monarchy, regardless of whichever member he was facing.

The man indeed was ready to retire: while Azula didn't know if it would be the right choice in the long run, she chose the job as his replacement rather than in the armed forces. It should have been odd to feel a stronger pull towards civil service, towards politics, than the warfare she had been trained for all her life… but that, perhaps, was the reason to do it. Yue had never been a militaristic person, quite clearly… perhaps it was time for Azula to experience firsthand the value of that kind of leadership, bereft of aggression and forcefulness, steeped in thoughtfulness and service instead.

With that, their first shared winter, in this case, in the northern hemisphere, began smoothly. The snowfall was beautiful once it started, a few weeks into the season, and while Azula didn't particularly enjoy the cold, Sokka's ways to keep her warm sufficed to convince her that there were advantages to that kind of weather too. They worked together to build up their apartment, filling it with more furniture they usually chose together, and Sokka made a point of buying quite a few mirrors too, no longer to see to it that Azula could communicate with Yue, but with the hopes that one day she'd be as ready to see herself as beautiful as she was. It was a work-in-progress for the Princess indeed, but watching her reflection grew less distressing as time went by, as she learned to inhabit her new role in the world she had chosen to privilege above any other kind of life.

Republic City also grew and developed further, and they were at the head of settling the challenges that saw to that development: new people drifted towards the grand location that promised change and social progress, better lives for so many who had suffered no end of grievances after the war. The small Cranefish Town hardly seemed to be remembered anymore as it grew quickly, promising to become something so much greater than anyone had imagined possible, let alone in such a short timespan. While Azula didn't handle dealings with other nations, particularly with the Earth Kingdom, she took care of local matters instead, proposing numerous solutions to quicken the pace in which new constructions were being erected, allowing way for more people to move to Republic City if they wished to do so. Sokka was particularly stoked about approving permits for new inventors, for great advancements to finally become the norm… Azula had teased him about it, asking if he wanted to be among the inventors rather than the people enabling them, but Sokka appeared to be far too thrilled to work with her to want a change of jobs anytime soon.

Just as he had predicted, their mundanity was blissful. As the seasons changed, they continued to bask in a life they had made their own, a home they had shaped into a place that belonged to the two of them, and their love only appeared to strengthen as each day passed. Their occasional visits to Air Temple Island resulted in further closeness with Aang and Katara that Azula had never anticipated she'd experience, much like Toph's invitations for late-night drinking in town easily confirmed her place as Azula's second favorite person in Team Avatar, second only to Sokka himself.

By the time summer was coming around, they had been living together for as good as six months. A visit to the Fire Nation, where they checked on Zuko and Ursa, and Azula actually got to meet Ursa's new family properly – Kiyi appeared to admire her, as she was growing a rebellious streak, in which she constantly butted heads with her mother –, preceded the last stage of a journey they had long needed to complete…

Hakoda stood at the new Southern Water Tribe port, arms folded over his chest as his son and his girlfriend disembarked from the ship that had brought them to the South Pole. Azula was clad in a thick crimson parka, but even that didn't suffice to keep her warm when the cold was starting to rise well beyond the levels she was comfortable with…

"I think it's colder down here than in the North Pole," Azula said. Sokka smiled, an arm around her waist.

"You just think so because you were in the Fire Nation only a few days ago and it's crazy hot over there. Nothing more to it…"

"Yeah, sure, nothing more to it…" Azula mumbled, her breath white before her eyes.

She raised her eyes towards the man standing at the end of that pier, nervousness rising inside her gut as Sokka guided her towards him. While he appeared quite stern at first, the man who offered her a most intriguing mirror to who Sokka might become, given thirty more years, smiled at his son before long.

"It's been way too long, Sokka," he said. Sokka chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to the side of Azula's head before releasing her from his grip and stepping forward to hug his father tightly.

Azula watched them, nervous and uneasy as Hakoda clapped Sokka's back firmly. He pulled back then, turning a curious and even mischievous smirk upon her.

"And this… is the big surprise you'll have to explain quite thoroughly, my boy," he said. "I know things between you and Suki didn't look very promising anymore, but… that's a change."

"It is. For the better, too," Sokka grinned, taking Azula's hand. "Azula, this is my dad. As, uh, you might recall…"

"I do," Azula said, with a nervous smile. "I, uh… I'm grateful that you received us like this. Thank you."

"Why, it's no matter," Hakoda said. "Though I admit, of all people, I didn't think you'd be the type to get involved with Sokka…"

"Are you saying she's out of my league?!" Sokka squeaked. Azula laughed, and Hakoda scoffed at him.

"I'm pretty sure he's saying you're out of mine," Azula said: Sokka yelped, looking at her in horror.

"That's…! Not possible! You're not saying that, are you?!" Sokka exclaimed. Hakoda blinked blankly.

"Well. She's certainly brought your goofier side back to the fore. Can't say that's a bad thing," Hakoda grinned, glancing at her again.

"I know there's things that… well, you might need to hear from me," Azula said, her stomach twisting, her heart clenching. "We all know I wasn't exactly the best version of myself I could be for a long time. But…"

"But you're trying to live a different life now," Hakoda said. "You've been doing that for the better part of half a year, isn't that right, Sokka?"

"Longer than that," Sokka smiled, still holding Azula's hand firmly. "We went on a very strange journey, as you already know, I told you on my letters…"

"And I understood very little of what you meant by any of it, so you'll have to explain again now," Hakoda smiled, jerking his head towards the town. "Shall we?"

Azula sighed in relief: it wasn't as though he had welcomed her into his life with a bear hug, but she didn't quite need that anyway. Knowing she wasn't unwelcome, or that she might ruin Sokka's connection with his family solely for being involved with him, relieved her greatly.

"See? Nothing to worry about," Sokka smiled, wrapping an arm fully around her shoulders before leading her to follow his father.

After a whole day spent explaining their journey to Hakoda, who seemed to be utterly enthralled by their story, to the point of even wiping a tear at the retelling of how they parted ways with Yue, the next few were a matter of sightseeing around the Tribe for Azula. Hakoda's initial distance faded quickly, most of all as he laughed at her jabs and puns, every wicked joke that crossed her mind appeared to sit quite well with him and his son. She truly had a place in this world, and she thrived in having found it with the man who held her hand everywhere they might go in the South Pole.

Sokka showed her the places of his childhood memories, where he had first tried to build an igloo only for it to collapse atop him, where he had built a watch tower that Zuko had unceremoniously destroyed with his ship, introducing her to the now-grown children he had been supposed to train long ago, and who did whatever they cared to, instead… he had a wonderful, beautiful life, but his smiles were at their brightest when he shined them upon her. Azula's heart couldn't seem to stop pounding in joy with every new activity she joined in the Tribe, including a late cookout at the central fireplace, where the growing population of the Southern Water Tribe gathered to make all sorts of meals that, while initially unappealing to the Princess, she grew to enjoy in due time.

She didn't quite know for how long they would stay, crashing in Hakoda's place, in Sokka's room. His childhood room certainly was small and cozy, and the few toys that had survived his youth sat in a corner, some worn and with faded colors, some in better shape. There was an awkward factor to their intimacy while they resided there, of all places, for Hakoda was in the next room… but as unreasonable and reckless as they might be, they dared indulge in lovemaking a few times nonetheless, kissing constantly in the hopes of being as quiet as could be, so Hakoda might not be disturbed by whatever noises they made… not that it served much purpose, for his knowing smirks the next morning had Azula hiding her blushing face behind her hand while Sokka smiled guiltily, trying to fend off his father's teasing to imply he had enough knowledge of what had happened between them at night.

Still, there was one more thing they had left to do. One thing Sokka had planned for extensively, and that he executed once he was sure they were ready, when they were already deeper into winter…

"Okay, okay, that was… that was enough weird excitement for me," Azula laughed: the otter-penguin they had been riding together, the largest of the bunch, skittered away from them after their wild sledding reached a halt in the depths of the South Pole. "You sure you know your way back to the Tribe from here?"

"Totally," Sokka chuckled, holding her close as he watched the penguin slide away. "So? Promise to Yue fulfilled?"

"She did say we had to go penguin sledding… and now we have. It was fun, but strange. I've ridden quite a few beasts in my life, but I never imagined otter-penguins would join that list," Azula admitted, raising her eyebrows. Sokka smirked.

"You've had plenty of practice riding in recent times, if not in that way…"

"Could you stop being such a perv for ten minutes?" Azula hissed, no matter how amused she was by his words. Sokka cackled.

"I did stop! That ride was like ten minutes, or something!" he said. Azula rolled her eyes, shaking her head and wrapping her arms around him…

Just so, she noticed she could see Sokka more clearly than usual now, even though she didn't have a lantern at hand, nor was she bending. Sokka smirked and nudged her, turning her in his arms so she would have her back to him… allowing her eyes to feast upon a glorious sight.

"That's…" Azula gasped, watching the lights dancing in the sky with amazement.

"I had the feeling that you'd like to see it," Sokka grinned, nudging her gently. "We just had to go a bit deeper into the Pole for that."

The aurora before them glowed brightly, shifting slowly so that it never retained the same shape for too long. Streaks of color spread out all around. It was mostly green, but specks of other hues could surge from the cosmic occurrence all the same…

"And hey… we're not the only ones watching."

Sokka wrapped his arms around Azula before pointing out a white, bright light, towards the north. Azula smiled warmly at the sight of it, as she ever did these days.

"See? We brought you to see the Southern Lights. We're not such jerks even when you're not around to tell us exactly what you want to see, are we?" Azula said. "Hope you're enjoying the show, Yue."

"I'm sure she is," Sokka smiled, his face buried in her neck. "Most of all… because she wanted all of this for you. She must have hoped you could experience our kinds of winter this way… though, you didn't get to see the lights in the north, did you?"

"No, I was far too busy avoiding capture to pay much attention, to be honest. But I like the southern ones," Azula said, glancing at him over her shoulder. Sokka grinned warmly at her. "Maybe because we're seeing them together. I kind of wonder if she could just… take shape in the lights of the aurora, somehow. Would be nice, seeing her again…"

"It would be," Sokka agreed. "But at least we know she's shining as brightly as ever up there…"

"She'd better not stop. I have too much pending paperwork in Republic City to worry about having to go beat up some other douchebag spirit hellbent on consuming her or kidnapping her," she said.

"Eh, she knows you'd leave the paperwork to help her, you're not fooling anyone with that claim…"

"Well, if she does know that, she'd better also know that I'd spend the whole time complaining about the things she makes me do while we help her, anyhow," Azula stated, haughtily. Sokka laughed, kissing her cheek.

"You're always adorable," he said, proudly. Azula bit her lip and smiled.

"You're asking for it now. Adorable, me? Always? Screw that," she said. Sokka chuckled, fingers tickling her heavily covered flanks lightly. "Sokka…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not asking for anything crazy, I just wanted to mess with you," he said: too often he had taken advantage of her ticklishness across their time together, and more often than not, it resulted in sex. It definitely wasn't the right place or time for that… though it might be the place and time for something else instead.

Sokka swallowed hard as he felt the weight in his pocket. He had to go for it. This was what he'd wanted to do all along, after all. He raised his gaze towards the moon, smiling kindly at her, wordlessly offering Yue his gratitude for everything she had done for them… for helping him find peace with her circumstances as he also learned how to live his life freely, with someone he loved…

Someone he hoped he'd be able to love forever.

After six months of the most successful, stable living circumstances they had ever experienced, the next step forward was as good as a given. He just had to take it.

He released Azula briefly, a hand slipping in his pocket…

"Marry me."

Sokka froze.

Azula's voice had trembled slightly when she spoke the words, but she rested against his chest without fear. Her arms were folded over her torso, as though protecting herself if she wound up hurt after this… but she held herself in place without cowering. Without taking back her words.

"Azula…" Sokka said. Azula glanced at him with uncertainty.

"I guess… I've been thinking about it a lot. I was waiting to see how this turned out, the last bit of our trip?" she said, biting her lip. "I've been delighted through it, too. So… maybe I'm rushing. If I am, that's fine. I just… guess now you know where I'm standing, at least."

Sokka snorted, shaking his head as he released her from his grip. Azula turned towards him, unsure of what he found so funny of her words…

Until he pulled out his gloved hand from his pocket, revealing a pristine necklace of black velvet, and a blue pendant with an engraved symbol on it: she thought she recognized it as the moon and the sun.

"Oh, well, maybe I should show you the other side instead…"

He flipped the pendant to reveal water and fire, too.

Her eyes widened. Sokka snickered, running a hand over his hair.

"I kind of maybe had planned on doing this just now, and you beat me to it by like… I don't know. Three seconds? Why're you always competing with me even when it comes to proposing marriage to each other, huh?"

Azula snorted, covering her mouth with her own gloved hands as she laughed at Sokka's amused smirk. He held the necklace in plain sight for her to admire still, and the surreal situation couldn't seem to stop Azula's laughter. Sokka chuckled too, shaking his head as he stepped forward, wrapping the choker gently around Azula's neck. By the time she stopped laughing quite so hard, there were tears of sincere emotion blinking in her eyes.

"I figured I'd have to wait for your answer, but… guess the ball's in my court instead, since you talked first," he smiled kindly, cupping her face. "And my answer is… hell yes, I'll marry you."

Azula laughed again at his sincere, blunt answer. Sokka grinned wildly before wrapping her tightly in his arms, kissing her fully underneath the glow of the aurora, underneath the moonlight too. Azula's heart pounded fast, the blood rushing through her system as she indulged in the bliss of knowing her love, her needs, her hopes and aspirations, entirely fulfilled by the man she loved.

The future ahead was brimming with potential, most of all when their love would continue to grow and thrive as it had so far. Perhaps there would be children in their future, perhaps there would be none – perhaps pets, instead, or nothing at all. Perhaps they would remain in Republic City forever, or they might even move to the Fire Nation or the Southern Water Tribe, in due time… but the horizon brought countless possibilities, and it would be up to them to seize them at their leisure, to continue thriving in the life they had built together, in the triumphs and victories that had brought them to a day as beautiful as the one they had just shared, and the many more that lay in store in the years to come…

But there was one thing Azula wanted to do. One last wish, one final way to fully silence Oblivion, to ensure the worst of his cruelties towards Yue would never be realized…

To the people of Republic City, it was but another ceremony, like many others, held to commemorate events and heroes of the war that people had heard no end of stories about. To the people of the rest of the world, it was a rather confusing situation, most of all because Councilwoman Azula was the one to push the initiative forward.

But as the day arrived, she stood with her husband proudly, three years after their marriage had been official and made known to the world. Sokka's public speaking skills had improved far more than he wanted to accept they had, ever nervous upon addressing a large crowd, but it was easier for him that day as he finished explaining the event taking place by Republic City's port.

"As has been requested and approved by Republic City's council, Councilwoman Azula's proposal to honor the heroic sacrifice of Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe, is hereby approved!"

A loud cheer rushed through the audience. Azula smiled, standing with the other members of the council behind Sokka by a tall statue covered by a cloth, in the middle of the bay. Sokka turned towards her, smiling kindly and nodding in her direction. Azula stepped forward to the microphone Sokka had been speaking into, trying to ignore the nerves and anxiety… there was no hostility from the crowd today. There had been less and less of it the longer she served as the council's Fire Nation representative. She clasped Sokka's hand gently, and he grinned and encouraged her to finish the ceremony herself.

The other council members held the ropes that kept the statue covered. The Northern Water Tribe's representative appeared most eager to pull at his own, eyes aglow with pride. Azula's eyes trailed over the audience, finding the delegation of the Northern Water Tribe, including the proud Chief Arnook, whose eyes glistened with tears, looked forward to this grand moment just as well.

"From this day onwards… Republic City's Bay shall be officially known as Yue Bay!" Azula declared: the cheers rushed through the audience even more loudly than before. "May our city, and our world, ensure to always remember the brave Princess who saved us all!"

Azula's words were accompanied by the unveiling of the white statue, to match the color of the moon: Azula herself had commissioned and seen to the accurate depiction of the young princess, as faithful to her features as possible. That was the face of the girl she owed so much to, even if Yue believed she had long repaid her debts. Seeing her once more, even if in the shape of a statue, brought a tender smile to Azula's face. Yue had truly changed Azula's world… the shadows in her reflection had long receded, chased away by a proud Sokka, who hoisted her fully into his arms, lifting her in the air in a celebratory gesture, and those shadows had relinquished their grip on Yue just as much as they had let go of Azula, too.

The crowd continued to rejoice in the unveiling of the pristine, marble statue, of the beautiful girl who had taken the Moon Spirit's place so long ago. Her story had hardly been known before… but it would be, from now on. Sokka's pain and grief for her sake had finally been channeled into growth, into new strength, into the confidence he had long failed to truly experience… much as Azula's strife, and her aimless life, no longer controlled her, no more than Oblivion could ever control Yue anew.

From a distance, a world away as she might be, Yue didn't feel as far away from them as she most likely was… for merely gazing up at the moon offered a mirage of a beautiful girl in a flowing dress, her white hair dancing in the wind, smiling kindly and gratefully as her greatest act of love for the world was commemorated in the thoughtful gesture that served as an antidote to oblivion indeed.

Mischievously, Sokka teased Azula about making a statue for her next, a notion she laughed off at once, even as she rested comfortably against him. She had meant to see this project completed for years, for the seed of it had been planted when she had arrived in Republic City, once she had seen that moon reflected upon the waves so beautifully: her bond with Yue would never go forgotten, no matter if the Moon Spirit never manifested herself physically before them again. For perhaps she wouldn't… but that would be fine, too. Even if that was the case, she continued to shine with the grand strength she ever displayed after they had parted ways in that spiritual dimension…

Their bonds would never break, and today's celebration was but a testament to the truth they had learned long ago, in the midst of their great journey: three lonely souls had broken their solitude's spell for good, for upon finding each other, they had also found the truest freedom.

A/N:

Hope you guys enjoyed it! It was a lot of fun working on this story, it's my first genuine Azula redemption based on where canon left her off, instead of AUs or just a wholly different story that diverges so much from canon that her development doesn't really fit into the kinds of redemption people look for in stories about Azula. Anyway! Point is it was an ambitious story in some regards, but I'd think I managed to convey several things properly across these 8 chapters, and whatever I failed at, I hope to improve it in any future stories I may write along these lines. Thanks for reading! Happy Sokkla Saturdays, everyone!

#sokkla #sokkla saturdays 2023 #sokklasaturdays #sokka #azula #so I kinda fucked up posting this and nearly crashed the whole post into oblivion #he must have been stoked #but I saved it #so oblivion definitely is not stoked anymore #anyway I was just trying to say that there's one scene here very much inspired by an Elemental scene that was cut #but the idea in it is so cute #that I needed to Sokklarize it ASAP #so here it is! #as for the very final scene #it's actually my answer to all the people so very concerned #by how Sokka can't seem to get over Yue #and that's why that specific Yue homage in LOK is apparently unacceptable #if you ship him with someone else #... well here you have a way to look at it that isn't as toxic as all that :') #justice for Yue 2023 #girl is so much more than Sokka's ex #let alone than the dark shadow that haunts his every posterior relationship #let the poor girl rest #let her be valued the way she deserves to be #as much as this is very much an Azula redemption it's also always been a homage to Yue #and she deserves more love <3 #anyway! hope you enjoy the finale!

[fierrochase-falafel]

Thoughts on Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse and being different (Pt. 1: Miles Morales)

Just watched Across the Spiderverse and I think regardless of the argument of Gwen being trans or not (and yes, I will get to Gwen), there's something to be said about this movie's handling of the experience of being Spiderman as an allegory for outcasthood (and yes, this includes queerness pretty heavily), especially through the character arc of Miles Morales. This discusses both Spiderverse movies, so do note: SPOILERS ABOUND!

[I will add a quick disclaimer here to say that obviously my opinions only come from what I have learnt from other people or experienced in person. I cannot claim experience for everything I may mention, and even though certain minorities I mention may apply to me, I can't claim to know everyone else's experiences either, so this is just my take. In the end, I'm just some guy saying stuff on Tumblr.]

Spiderman has always been easy to read as a queer allegory because of, y'know: the hiding in plain sight, the lying, the exhaustion, often risk/danger if you're queer in an unsupportive environment, the suffering of not just the Spiderman themself but the people they love / who love them too. In Across the Spiderverse particularly though, carrying on from Into the Spiderverse, I really love the continuation of a really similar problem Miles had in the first movie. In the first movie, Miles was seen as weak and an outcast, even as he joined a new school where he didn't really fit in. He was someone who was not *really* Spiderman until the end where he was finally able to control his powers, proving himself to the other dimension Spider-people. It was a great arc, yet just when Miles thought his fellow Spider-people were on the same level as him, it was revealed to him that he's been the outsider all this time AGAIN. It turns out they were lying to him and the reason Miguel gives to him is that he is an anomaly, that he shouldn't exist. There's something in that which really hurts if you understand the feeling of thinking you're atleast somewhat understood and respected by people you thought you were equal to, only to have the rug pulled out from under you. I mean, I'd say it's a part of my own experience, moving to different schools / environments in different countries and being made fun of for not knowing things without me even realising until afterwards, and I looked like a downright idiot for not knowing things. It's like when everyone picks up on a joke you don't and you're being pulled along on a string like a puppet to entertain the people around you, just when you thought they saw you as one of them.

Even after Miles proves he is smart and can pull off being Spiderman, it's not enough for the majority of Spider-people to respect him, and he has to reckon with the fact that he will never stop being questioned and belittled for who he is. Doesn't that sound familiar? We see it in ethnic minorities being treated like outsiders regardless of where they are from, women being perceived as less smart, neurodiverse people being perceieved as less capable, trans people being seen as too naive to know what they're doing when it comes to transitioning. For Miles, it's finally at this point he lets go of the image of being Spiderman the way the others are- if he won't be accepted as Spiderman because he has not been through supposed 'canon events' and is disrupting them then so be it. As long as he identifies himself as Spiderman, as someone who protects the people as Spiderman, then who the hell is anyone to tell him he isn't! This is the epitome of reclaiming your own identity- his suffering doesn't define him as Spiderman but his passion and will do, and nobody is allowed to dictate to him who he is or how is story is supposed to go. I really love this: I feel especially many minority communities have people who say you can't really be said minority unless you have suffered enough in x ways, or unless you have gone through y things, but this is a really toxic outlook on people's identities and experiences. It's within debates with transmedicalists (I think that's what they're called?) who say people can't be trans unless they have a certain amount of crippling gender dysphoria, or when people say you need to have undergone a certain set of experiences to really be so-and-so nationality or even race. Miles rejects the suffering he (or other Spider-people, for that matter) is supposed to experience as a 'canon event' (from a queer lens, things like being ostracised from your family for your identity come to mind) and also accepts he is an anomaly, ceasing trying to blend in with the rest of the Spider-people as he knows it is pointless to try- without that, all he can rely on is 'doing his own thing', so he goes ahead to do just that.

It's meant to hurt to watch how much Miles wants to see his friends again with hints throughout the film- his A in AP Physics and future ambition to traverse the multiverse, his sketchbook, everything he does to try and not be alone in his experiences- only to find out the others really could have visited him. He wants to speak to the few people who understand his dilemma as Spiderman, and wants to be worthy enough to be one of them until he realises in this film that his own intuition is more valuable than Spider Society could ever be. And even if it hurts to feel like he's alone in this intuition and that everyone thinks he's crazy, it's still more reliable and worthy than the rules anyone else is trying to place over him...

This is my intepretation of the events from my perspective on how the Spiderverse speaks to people who feel different or incompatible with society- while I add nothing to the plot , I think points like mine are really well analysed in terms of the actual Spiderverse by Sage's Rain on Youtube ("Who deserves to be Spider Man?") which I really love seeing and I'd recommend checking out his video!

~ End of Part 1 ~

#spiderman #spider man #spider man across the spider verse #atsv #miles morales #spiderverse #itsv #spider man into the spider verse #spiderverse meta #a little personal #but not really #I love this movie so much you have no idea it has overtaken me #my love of spiderman has been in the process of being stoked with all these memes and now it's burning down my productivity #also I must shoutout pavitr my guy he's the best Indian rep I have seen in Western media actually #as a 'mumbattanite' can confirm he speaks truths alone #analysis time by me so I can track them in my tags #posts originating from my brain

[silicon-puppy-pudding]

Can Fright Knight x Batman be a thing? Is it already a thing? I just saw this post where Frighty is acting as Danny's dad and I just want something with Fredric Knight meeting Bruce like..

Bruce is happy Daimian is making friends. This new kid, Daniel "call me Danny" Knight, seems nice. Kid might be a meta or something, with the way his eyes reflect like a cats and how he seems to always be cold, but he doesn't seem to be a bad kid and his background seemed to check out.

Yesterday Damian had invited Danny over for a sleepover and Bruce was stoked. Dami is having a friend over! A civilian friend! This is so normal and great! Danny had said his father would be picking him up the next day and would show up on his motorcycle (which was apparently named Nightmare?)

Bruce is in the sitting room close to the entrance when Alfred goes to buzz the gate for Danny's father. After a few minutes, he can hear Alfred walking the man in and explaining that "young Master Damian will be down with young Daniel in a few minutes. Till then, maybe you'd like to speak with Master Bruce?"

Bruce almost falls out of his seat when this almost 7 foot tall hunk of a man walks in, with his long raven black hair with a streak of gray down the center, all pulled back into a low ponytail. His bright green eyes have that same, almost glowing, shine that Danny's have and he's got a neat bit of stubble on his sharp jaw. He holds himself tall and seems to scan the room before setting his gaze on Bruce, who is using all his will to not ogle at this gorgeous man in front of him.

He stands to greet him and, oh God, he may actually be 7ft. "You must be Danny's dad, right?" He offers his hand to shake, "Bruce Wayne. I'm happy to see my son making friends with such a nice kid."

The behemoth of a man stares at his hand for just a moment to long before he shakes it and introduces himself, "Fredric Knight. I'm also glad my son is making friends." He says with the hint of a smile, "He's been a bit reclusive since we came here and I don't believe that's been healthy for him."

The two fathers talk for a bit, Bruce doing his best to be Batman ever now and then to make sure this guy isn't a potential threat. After some time, Danny and Damien walk into the room with Danny's bags, "Hey Dad, hi Mr. Bruce. Sorry that took so long," he says as he walks over to Fred (Bruce was told he could call him that) and half hugs the man, "Dami has a snake and he let me feed her!" Fred looks down at his son and pats his head, "That sounds interesting, little prince. Was it a frightful creature?"

As father and son speak, Bruce notes how fond Fred seems of Danny. The 'little prince' name seemed cute and pretty fitting with the last name. He also notes how Fred seemed to relax just a bit the moment Danny walked into the room (the same way he would after his children returned from patrol safe and unharmed), huh.

They say their goodbyes and the father-son duo are escorted out. Bruce and Damien watch as they ride down the driveway, Danny doing his best to wave at them from between his father's arms.

"We should invite the both of them over for dinner." Bruce says with a hand on his son's shoulder, "Fred seems like an interesting character, don't you think?"

"Father,"

"Yes Damian?"

"Please do not seduce my friends father."

#danny phantom #dc x dp #dp x dc #dpxdc #fic prompt #dcxdp #Bruce deserves a big hunky man that isn't currently in a relationship #Dami isn't having this shit #Bruce is trying to be suspicious but mans is hot #fright night #Fright Knight x Batman #Fredric Knight x Bruce Wayne??? #Danny would honestly think its kinda funny that Frighty doesn't realize he's seducing Bruce #Frighty is just trying to be a good human dad #Human dads talk about their kids and hobbies right? #dinner is a normal human activity that friends and family partake in right?? #is this Bruce character his friend now?? #Frighty: I've make an adult friend like you said i should #Danny: i don't think you understand what a crush looks like #Frighty: Crush? Am i meant to destroy something in the name of friendship?? #Danny trying not to lose it: 🤭 no dad please don't 🤣

[occamstfs]

No Need to Pledge, Just Drink.

Thanks for the Warm Response! Here's a shorter piece - Occam

It’s definitely not normal that they invited me to this party. It was a direct invite too, obviously. I wouldn’t show up unless someone explicitly asked. From what I understand frat parties don’t usually have a guest list, but I am not one to just wander in. 

Judging by how unpleasant this is so far I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have accepted Derek’s invitation at all. I start to look around for the nearest exits which is when Derek finally shows his face, approaching me with two drinks in hand.

“Sup bruh! I’m so stoked you could make it! This party is gonna be absolutely killer soon so I hope you can stick around!”

“Ah, well I was-”

“I brought you a little drink broski! I know shit like this isn’t your cup of tea so I figured you’d take the assist, this stuff’ll loosen you right up.”

I take the cup from him and just avoid wretching from fumes of alcohol coming from the cup now in my hand. I assumed it was just a beer but it looks like some horrible mixed drink.

“It’s Everclear and Hawaiian Punch bro! As soon as you get past the first taste you barely notice the burn!”

He continues to stand there as I fail to brainstorm a way out of at least trying this. I see a potted plant across the room and know my next move. I’ll give the drink one chance to get Derek off my back and dump it as soon as he turns his.

It’s honestly not as bad as I thought it would be, it doesn’t even seem alcoholic actually? It’s just sweet? Almost to a sickly degree. I don’t really taste the punch either, it's just… 

I start to take another sip before noticing that impossibly, my cup is already empty. I only took a sip though? Something, something is not right. I start to freeze up before Derek starts shaking me, his hand holding a second cup of the punch high above his head shouting, “Brooo! You just demolished that! Fuck! I’ve gotta see that again!” He shoves the second cup into my hand and begins to push his way back towards the punch bowl “Everyone outta the way! This nerd has got to have more to drink!”

I watch him longer than I should have, dumbfounded holding this drink that I didn’t want. Don’t want? My vision gets blurry as I watch him maneuver his massive body through the crowd. Woah, I guess this is what alcohol does? I feel myself start to grin watching him struggle to fill a two-liter with whatever that punch is. Jungle juice? Oh Shit? Is he bringing that to me? 

The DJ switches playlists and I feel excitement quickly start to build in my chest. I fuckin’ love this song! I start to inch towards the crowd before I’m elbowed in the face and my glasses fall directly into my cup.

“Hey dude! I need those to fuc- I need those to see” I instinctively shout as I look to see my glasses just peeking out of my cup. Before picking them out though, I notice that my vision is actually better now? Which briefly starts to set my veins afire once more, why have I been going to a fucking optometrist for years I start to think, clenching my jaw before I look closer into my cup.

This alcohol must really be getting to me or Derek is pulling another prank on me or something. My hair looks so stupid up like that. I start to move my hand to fix it before seeing my arm reflected. 

Or is that even my arm? It shouldn’t be? It’s the size of my head. I shouldn't be able to life something that size if I wanted to. I need to get some fresh air, or just some quiet space. I need to get out. I need-

“Party king coming through! Sorry bro I couldn’t get the bottle to fuckin work so I hope two more cups will do” I see two cups clenched in massive hairy, may as well be, paws starting to pass back through the dance floor. My own hand flexes and I drop my drink, spilling it all over my shoes as I bolt to find a bathroom. Cheers of “Party Foul” ring out as I dash, completely ditching my glasses without a second thought.

I weasel my way through the crowd feeling less agile than usual. Finding it much easier to shove these pipsqueaks out of the way than to squeeze between them before I find peace in the second floor restroom, miraculously without a line outside. I don’t question why I suddenly know the layout of this house as I slam the door and take a deep breath. Music still comes through the door as I reach for the light and prepare to look in the mirror.

The haircut was the least of my concerns. I look like a beast as I start to hyperventilate. I feel the music outside the room quicken matching my heartbeat, my newly 20/20 eyes stare into themselves as they turn from blue to a deep brown and visibly lose acuity. I feel my biceps pressing against the sleeves of my t-shirt narrowly avoiding a deliberate flex to rip the shirt apart. 

I notice a stink other than jungle juice coming up from my feet as I feel them beginning to push against the tongue of my shoe. I collapse to the floor and quickly struggle to untie my laces before squeezing my feet out. Immediately apparent are drastically rattier socks than I remember putting on to get ready for this party. Full of holes and stains, I dread knowing whose socks these are and what is happening before recognizing them as my own. Or really they could be any of my bros socks but who cares.

As soon as this thought pushes its way into my head a pit drops into my stomach. I am an only child, I don’t have any bros, or well, I have a house full of bros now right? Getting up off the floor I again glance into the mirror. My jaw is wider, my stubble itches but just like it always does, right? I put my face in my hands creating enough strain in my small shirt to force a tear down the back. Why am I wearing such tiny tiny clothes anyway? Must be Derek hazing me again huh. I think holding in a guffaw, I wonder how he got me in these?

I tear the rest of my shirt away before doing the same to my pants which is when I learn that I have apparently been going commando this whole time. Now free of these nerdy-ass clothes I flex in the mirror. Pecs popping like always, my bros always say the hair hides my pump but who cares bro I want to look like a man. I briefly shake my cock at myself in the mirror smirking and see laid out behind me are a change of clothes that Derek must have laid out for me. 

There are a pair of slides, some athletic shorts and a massive stringer that says “Party Prince” Bro! He must have made us matching shirts! 

I quickly start to change to match with my Bro and see cologne on the counter. I’m sure bro won't mind if I use it. Each spritz I feel myself fill out my tank even more, veins beginning to peak out down my arms and my package becomes even harder to miss in my shorts. I do a few more poses in the mirror before hearing a knock at the bathroom door.

“Bro you in there? The party’s dying without you bro!”

Hearing my big bros’ cry for help I get my head in the game. I’ve got to bring it tonight. I kick the locked door open, completely shattering the door frame as I cry out- “Who’s ready to drink tonight,” tossing the awaiting cup of jungle juice into the air over the crowd.

#male tf #masculinization #jockification #mental change #muscle tf

[maximotts]

firm hand, gentle touch ⁘ w. maximoff

based off of an ask from @leolionsblog that was supposed to be a short response, but turned into a full fic.. Also, I know it's been a little bit since I've written for Wanda and Doll, but quick reminder that it's a dark AU so pls heed warnings and expect the morally gray 🩶 warnings are clearly labeled, please don't add community filters

Doll House! AU. masterlist || main masterlist :: Thinking is a dangerous game; thinking you know better than Wanda... that's asking for pure trouble wc. 2.2k . cw: 18+ only, minors DNI. mommy!Wanda and doll!reader. imposed routines. piss play (coerced bedwetting). dumbification. general teasing. subtle manipulation. series typical pet names and squishy times. Wanda who is trying her best to be gentle and patient and not use her powers to control you as much as she had.

Imagine it's early on in Wanda's little hex; Doll's so rarely allowed to go anywhere without Wanda and most often, she doesn't have the desire to anyways. Still new to the privilege of talking, you don’t find it much of a problem -Wanda always knows what you need- until you want something Wanda doesn't want to acknowledge.

Wanda loves holding you at all times, whether it's your hand while on an afternoon walk or pulling you close as you fall asleep, once she lets that boundary down there’s hardly a moment you have to reach out too far to her. And bedtime is a new exception.

In the beginning, the brunette was firm with putting to your bed on your own, staying long enough to tuck you in before retiring to her separate room for the night. She’d reasoned to herself it was good to have time apart, to prove to herself both that she could trust you to stay put and her to establish a routine. Night after night of dragging you back up the hall to your room and dealing with your sleepy cries had worn her down— now you slept in either of your bedrooms, together.

Your shared days now ended with an abundance of gentle intimacy, a new routine created to account for the unexpected closeness. Despite the gray circumstances bringing you together, a secret, less confident piece of Wanda expected you to resent her and keep distance whenever you could the more free will she gave, but you continued to surprise her.

Unbeknown to you, he genuine devotion only seemed stoked her need to control.

Standard practice meant Wanda always asked if you had to use the bathroom after your evening bath, but tonight you'd refused, impatient to get into bed and snuggle with your mommy. There was gentle suggestion that you at least try, but when you looked seconds from stomping your foot, Wanda relented, not wanting to fight over something so simple.

Now though, you paid the price, squirming as as you struggled to find the most comfortable position, something that typically wasn’t so hard when Wanda was stroking your skin and telling you a story. Typically perfectly intuitive, you assumed she’d stop speaking and lead you to the bathroom, having expecting some gentle admonishment while she sat you tired form on the toilet, but Wanda ignored all your hints at discomfort.

Eventually the pressure was too much and guessed your punishment must be the confusion of being left to your own devices. Alas you guessed wrong and the moment you twisted to sit up, Wanda held you back.

"Lay still and close your eyes, dolly. It's time for bed." Playing dumb was cruel when Wanda so clearly knew what was wrong, skirting a hand under your sleep shirt before pressing lightly on your sensitive belly. Wanda liked to call them your wigglies, called them so whenever they cropped up, quickly inquiring which problem possessed you; a telltale sign she needed to check in. Tonight, she remained willfully ignorant.

You whined into her neck, hips rolling into her thigh as you shuffled clumsily atop her, hoping if you burrowed deeper she wouldn't be able to make it worse. It proved to be a false hope once that same devious thigh bent between yours. "Wanna get up.."

“Why’s that? Does your tummy hurt?” The shy nod was as far as you were willing to confirm, lifting your hips to keep away from her teasing. You were still sparing with your words, much more used to actions or motions to communicate, but as soon as Wanda started letting you speak she expected proper response when disciplining you. “Tell me what’s wrong, baby.”

Resting on your knees gave Wanda just enough space to splay her hand over your stomach as she did when it ached, but for your current plight the warmth of her palm atop your bladder felt too taunting. “Can I go pee, mommy? I’ll be quick!”

A speedy return was far from Wanda’s concerns; watching your struggle set off a new lightbulb within and exhausted as she was, she deferred to her curiosity.

Wanda’s subsequent too tight squeeze left you clamping your legs about her waist, focusing on holding that heavy, full feeling inside. If she’d stopped there you’d surely run as fast as your legs would let you, would surely think twice before stubbornly rejecting Wanda’s suggestions, but the basic behavior of minding her in the future wasn’t sating her interest. "You told me twice you didn't need to go; either you lied or you didn't know any better.”

You so rarely second guessed her, a quick scan of your thoughts earlier confirmed you only did so tonight in the name of skipping to another nightly cuddle… Poor thing, you really did always mean well, but sadistically, she longed to impose more memorable consequences. “From now on you're going to listen to me, aren't you?"

The resulting agreement was expected, your deference was almost always automatic particularly in quest to get what you wanted faster. Wanda would give it just, not how you imagined. "Go ahead then, sweetheart, you don’t have to get up. Let go and we can go to sleep."

Almost.

"But that's messy…" Surely she was joking; the messes you left on the floor or at the dinner table were the primary reasons you found yourself in trouble. Brain already stretched dozens of ways, you could only imagine she was waiting for you to slip up. There was the occasional time where your mommy would give you the opportunity to prove yourself, one choice she’d guided you towards once or twice and one obvious misstep you still sometimes mindlessly fell for.

Worriedly pouting lips betrayed your conflict, trapped body twisting more sloppily as the seconds ticked on. Admittedly, she acted a bit out of character in accessing how much progress she’d made with her new toy. Slowly the witch had been relinquishing her hold on your will, hoping it’d been long enough you’d bend to hers without struggle. At the very least, tonight was now an exercise in how far you’d come.

New freedoms aside, she didn’t want you to think, certainly not hard enough to debate her commands. “Did I ask you about the mess?”

Silence wasn’t enough, Wanda’s free hand tugging the ponytail she’d lovingly tied in your hair just over an hour ago. The swirling red tendrils forming in her irises signaled she meant business; whether Wanda’s eyes changed on purpose or not was a question you had yet to ask aloud, but you knew well enough she’d reached the end of her patience. “Speak up when I ask you a question.”

Combined physical and mental pressure was too intense to bear, pitiful whimpers catching in your throat. “N-no, you didn’t…”

“Then don’t worry your silly head.” Her fingers were so soft on your cheek, petting your rapidly heating cheeks and saying nothing of the tiny spot of wet that spilled atop her thigh as you faded into her— before you caught yourself. Either the missteps weren’t obvious enough or Wanda hadn’t done proper work on your hesitation. Wanda laughed at your panic, holding your jaw until you finally understood you needed to stop fighting her.

“I don’t have to go anymore,” The whisper was such a blatant lie, one Wanda nearly slapped you across the face for… but she’d resolved early on to never scare you so terribly again. Gentle things often did best with equally gentle punishments.

Your mommy took in the pathetic sight of her doll, stuck swimming in her struggling thoughts, and oh she felt bad. It’d be nothing to whisk thoughts thoughts away, to leave you again as nothing but a dumb thing without a care for any perceived standards. She feared you’d never learn if you didn’t do so for yourself and so, agitated as you were, Wanda decided to let you drown if you insisted on it.

“No? Such a fuss for only having to go a tiny bit,” she chided, loosening her grip despite your continued clinging. Guiding your lower half down alongside her leg, Wanda’s demeanor turned around, once brutal and probing now lighter than a feather and you felt as though you were suffering from severe whiplash.

It was obvious she didn’t believe you -you didn’t even convince yourself, legs still clenched desperately about Wanda- but she played pretend, shutting off the lone bedside lamp and shifting so you both laid down. “If you’re really all done then it’s past your bedtime. Shut your eyes and rest.”

And that was all she said. No goodnights or further affection, just lights out and quiet. You’d be a fool to think Wanda would let you slip away to the bathroom now, her only given solution hanging pendulous above your too fuzzy head. The longer you lay there, the more confusing refusing it seemed.

You didn’t know what tiny voice in your brain convinced you to suffer and think, but as the minutes ticked by in the dark, you grew to hate that sound. Whatever it was wasn’t your mommy, the only person you ever wanted to please. Listening to it only got you an awful tummy ache and distance between you and her, having spoiled your cozy moments with Wanda.

Letting Wanda decide was easier, much less work than the headaches resulting from making any right choice. Mind made up, your abdomen was the only thing nagging you now, but you were still bashful. “Mama?”

“What is it, little one?”

Her voice was the calm to your inner storm, tone sweet and oh so loving. “…maybe I have to pee more…”

“Be a good girl and do as mommy said.” A simple kiss sealed your fate, relinquishing the last bits of hesitancy in favor of your mommy’s soft lips on your forehead.

Gratefully she allows you to burrow into the crook of her neck, still a little too embarrassed to face Wanda as you relaxed, freeing your pent-up belly with a slow stream, spreading warmth growing on her hip. She praises you through it, comforting hands stroking the small of your back, distracting your overexerted brain from your damp underwear.

“There you go, now doesn’t that feel better?”

A subtle excitement lingered between your thighs, one you’d ask to explore another time when you had the energy. “It feels icky..”

Wanda cooed at your exhausted observation, patting your backside in an effort to keep you calm and quiet. “I meant for your poor tummy, but I’ll fix that too.”

Her favorite parts were always the consequence and the aftermath, savoring what an honor it was to take care of you long after you’d be able to care for yourself. That was her job, after all, tending to your needs and protecting you, even if sometimes it was from yourself. “I’ll clean you up in a bit, I promise.”

Your hazy gaze searched the brunette’s face with unfiltered confusion, desperate to be back under Wanda’s tender care. It was true; she always left every aspect seamless, never asked you to think about anything— so why were you? No more questioning her, you promised yourself for a final time, right then and there. “Are you mad at me, mommy? Did I mess up badly?”

“Oh, no no,” she soothed, rubbing your bare shoulders before tightening the plush comforter around them. “You did such a good job, sweet pea! I’m so proud of you.”

“Even though I lied?” Out of the corner of your eye, you caught Wanda unbuttoning her silk shirt and you wiggled down on instinct, ready to round out your bedtime routine. Preening under her affections was second nature, obedient and kept a state you were more than willing to accept.

“Yes, even then, but don’t do it again.” Wanda rewarded your eventual good behavior by guiding you down until wet lips captured her pert nipple. She knew her smart girl would come around sooner rather than later and as she studied your now fully unwound form, not a singular worry pecking at your cute head, the older woman basked in the genuine pride she held for her work. “I only want the best for you, my love. You’ve got the big job of telling me the truth so I can look after you properly, I know you can do that for me, can’t you?”

There was a muffled mhm from somewhere, much more preoccupied with the overwhelming comfort you basked in. You didn’t struggle to ignore anything now, head feeling lighter each second you melted further into your mommy, heavy lids fluttering closed under the gentle brush of stray hairs tucked behind your ear, her oh so soft hum of a melody that’s quickly become your favorite song…

Some time in the night you stirred, still heavily draped over Wanda’s sleeping form, and where you expected to feel sticky and uncomfortable, a shift of your thighs confirmed you were back to normal. You wore the same pajamas, woken in the exact position you’d dozed off in, and yet… it was as if nothing happened. Wanda’s lax cuddle wound around your midsection tighter, nurturing squeeze prompting your head to lay back onto her chest. “I told you mama will always take care of you, dolly. Now go back to sleep.”

#wanda maximoff x reader #mommy!wanda maximoff #doll house au. #wanda maximoff x fem!reader #wanda maximoff fic #wanda maximoff smut #wanda maximoff fanfiction #motts writes. #maximotts

[marypaol]

Copy Of A Copy

Draco Malfoy x fem!Reader

Summary: Whatever is drawn on your skin shows up on your soulmates skin.

Warnings: Annoyance, Draco being Draco, I honestly can’t think of anything let me know if you see something!

Note: I’ve been planning on writing this for so long and I’m finally doing so! Hope you guys enjoy. :)

Masterlist

Request Requirements

The pale fingers of the Slytherin carefully-but skillfully- chopped the ingredients for the Potion, trying to cut out the conversation of Potter and Weasley. They were clearly trying to keep their voices down but failing to do so due to Draco’s hearing abilities.

It was at that moment he wished he was temporarily deaf, so that he didn’t have to hear the bickering of Potter and wanna-be-Weasley.

“Haha! Look at Seamus, Malfoy.” Crabbe said, his big face scrunching up as his fat finger pointed to the clumsy boy across the room. Draco spared a glance, seeing the boy with a black face, looking into his potion helplessly as the explosion just occurred. Malfoy rolled his eyes, shooting Crabbe a glare before looking back to his task at hand.

But, when he glanced at his hand, he saw little flowers forming, the ink moist as whoever was drawing it was doing it in real time. Petal after petal appeared, forming a decent picture. He grumbled, grabbing the towel Seamus used to wipe his face and aggressively rubbed the skin, terribly smearing the ink on the back of his hand, the flowers mushing together, making it not look so decent anymore.

He flung the towel on the table beside him, and picked up the knife he placed down, going back to his previous actions.

“What now, Malfoy?” Goyle asked. Draco snarled.

“Stupid soulmate drawing on their skin again. Seriously, they can’t draw on a piece of parchment?” He complained, his chops becoming more harsh on the cutting board.

Goyle shrugged. “Unless they’re bored in class. What is it anyway? Little reminders?”

“No, course not! In fact, I’d rather it be that instead of rubbish drawings of dumb flowers! Look at that rubbish,” Draco started, repeating the word he said earlier with a bitter taste growing in his mouth. He showed the two boys what was left of the flowers on his hand. “Honestly, how ugly.”

The two boys agreed, but they had hints of smiles on their faces.

Draco noticed and barked. “What’s so funny, boys?”

The smiles dropped instantly on Goyle’s face but Crabbe still had a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Nothing, just that your soulmate draws on her skin.”

Draco squinted. “And what’s so funny about that? Enlighten me, I’d rather laugh than roll my eyes.”

Goyle shrugged. “Just that she must be doing it in purpose. Ya know, for you to see?”

Draco thought about it for a moment, ignoring the new lines forming on his hand.

“Why would I want to see this?” Draco wondered, irritation brewing inside him. “Especially on my hand, I don’t need it there, it’s annoying really.”

“You know how girls are. She’s desperate, man.” Crabbe jumped in, entering the conversation once he found out Draco wasn’t as upset as he thought.

Draco scoffed. “You know what, you’re right, Crabbe. She’s desperate for me. Doesn’t change the fact that it’s annoying and I don’t want it there.”

Draco then finally looked down at his hand, and this time he saw an eye with shading, the smooth strokes of eyelashes now forming on his skin. Once she was done, Draco saw more stokes forming above the eye, and, wondering what it is, leaned forward to see what she was drawing. It turned out to be an eyebrow, but the way the lines were drawn helped Draco see the direction the hairs were going in, adding detail to the drawing he didn’t know was needed.

He gripped the towel between his finger tips of his other hand, but he felt some sort of guilt eating at his chest for rubbing away such work. But he didn’t want to be walking around with silly eyes and eyebrows on his hand, so with unwanted shame brewing in his chest he rubbed the fabric on the back of his hand, the once was ink smearing, covering his skin in black.

The girl frowned deeply as she watched once more the drawings she made were harshly rubbed away. The ink from her quill was a black blob now once the person was satisfied enough. Satisfied that the pictures were gone.

Her heart sank in her stomach for an unknown reason.

Well, she knew the reason, she just didn’t want to admit to herself that what her soulmate was doing was effecting her in this way.

She shouldn’t be surprised that he rubbed them off; I mean, who wants to walk around the corridors with silly drawings on the back of their hand? She didn’t have a problem with it, but he clearly did.

After the last moment of Lupin’s lecture faded away with the bell she grumbly got up and out her things away, making her way to the bathroom to rub the ink off. (Despite the nonexistent problem with walking around with drawings on herself, she did have a problem with walking around with a big ink smear in their place.)

She bent over the sink, her bag discarded at her feet as she rubbed the skin, forming red marks in their wake. The ink slowly ran down the drain, her heart going down with it.

She wished her soulmate accepted her actions on showing she was there, existing, live and breathing, to assure them that someone out there wanted them. But was he just embarrassed? Did he not want her as much as she thought he did? Did he have an annoyance towards the whole soulmate concept?

She sure hoped not, because her want to show her love was strong, yet the want to receive it was even stronger.

She wanted someone to love.

That loved her right back.

Did he even want that?

“Any drawings today, Malfoy?” Crabbe asked, a soft chuckle escaping his big mouth. Draco snarled at the boy beside him, also glaring at Goyle who was making interesting-meaning quite disgusting- noises while he was eating the feast the house elves provided.

The boy who received the glare quickly composed himself, swallowing the large amount of whatever it was down his throat, a loud gulping sound heard around the table.

Draco glared again.

Finally he turned to the other boy who addressed him earlier and replied reluctantly.

“No. Thank goodness. I’ve been sick and tired of constantly having to distress my skin; honestly, the embarrassment of walking around with a red tomato colored hand.”

Crabbe agreed with a hum, in the middle of chewing. Draco definitely noticed him paying extra attention to the noises he was making, so he didn’t annoy Draco any further.

“Never mind that,” Draco said, pulling through Daily Prophet out of his robes, long pale fingers flipping the pages until he got to the one he wanted.

“Father’s in the paper, as always.” He said proudly, showing the two boys the picture of his father. “Oh! And look!” He added, chuckling madly as he pointed to the same article, the name ‘Arthur Weasley’ printed as it told a story about him.

“Ridiculous, honestly.” Malfoy muttered, shoving the paper to Goyle across the table since he was (according to Draco) taking too long to read it.

“Ugh, Care of Magical Creatures today.” Draco complained, looking at his schedule. “That silly Hagrid, honestly, I swear I’m going to die each time I attend his classes.”

Goyle swallowed again. “Seriously, how many times does he have to bring in a deadly creature that might chop my head off-”

“Well I would certainly enjoy that.” Draco snapped. Goyle’s cheeks turned pink.

“God this place has gone to the dogs.” Draco muttered, stuffing his schedule in his pocket, taking one last gulp of pumpkin juice, and storming out of the Hall, and without question, the two boys followed him.

“‘Ello! Please step dis way,” Hagrid said, large hands clapping together. Draco scoffed but reluctantly followed the orders.

“Taken’ care of- well more of lookin’ at interestin’ creatures today; take a step back now.” He warned. (Malfoy gladly stepped back)

The crates ended up being full of slimy creatures Draco ended up forgetting the name of, too busy trying to keep his fingers attacked to his hands. “Gross, Goyle you do it.” He said, handing the boy the food and watched as his friend gave the creature its supper, hands shaking nervously.

Draco looked around as Goyle did the work, folding his arms as he watched with amusement as the Gryffindors struggled to feed the animals.

He then spotted another Slytherin working alone, the back of her head the only thing visible when it came to her features near her face.

Two small braids were on either side of her head, easily blending with her hair but he could see the twisted strands in the sunlight much easier.

She turned so he saw her profile, and, from what he could see, her eyes were bright but hesitant, a look of disgust on her lips as she fed the creature. As soon as all the food was gone, she instantly dropped the tool she was using to handle the food and grabbed a rag, wiping her hands off even though she didn’t touch it or the animal.

It was then Draco saw it. The small detail on her left hand, as so his.

A patch of distressed skin was there, in the same exact shape as Draco’s. He found himself looking at his own hand, then at hers, and back at his once again to double check.

They matched.

They matched.

Which means only one thing.

The girl that he’s never seen before, which was white surprising since he often told himself that he knew all the Slytherins, was his soulmate.

What was more surprising though was something much weirder and stranger. And that something was this:

The realization didn’t bother him one bit.

Tag list: @thatonepupkai @squishneon @buttersuaa @bxtchsimp @amayaaaxx @ssailormoonn @redvelvet103 @yasmine12xxx @youreyesareasprettyasstars @cassiethefab @iambored24601

Thanks for liking the post! (I will also be tagging y’all in the Harry one- let me know if you changed your mind about it and don’t want to be tagged!) :)

Skin To Skin (part two!)

#imagines #stories #x reader #draco lucius malfoy #draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy x reader #draco x reader #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #draco malfoy #tom felton x reader #hogwarts #hogwarts imagine #draco imagines #soulmates #soulmates meeting #soulmate trope

[talaok]

Heyy, first, I'd like to say that I really love your writing, keep it up!

And I'd like to make a request, I know we all went crazy over Pedro on SNL (he looked so handsome!!!), and I would love to read a Pedro x Reader behind the scenes of the show, her watching, supporting, and being proud of Pedro, and then the two of them going out together to the SNL after party, dancing, kissing, enjoying each other's company, very fluffy, and a bit of smut at the end?

Pairing: Pedro pascal x f!reader

warnings: very very faint allusion to smut

a/n: he did look handsome and thank you so much love <3 (and yes this ask skipped the line bc as always it wouldn't have made sense for me to post it in two weeks)

It was incredible how nervous he was. He'd done this already, and yet he was acting like a kid like at his first recital.

"you're gonna do amazing baby" you promised, standing on your toes to kiss his cheek "Now go out there and have fun"

His eyes anxiously danced around your face

"my heart's beating so fast" he huffed a laugh

"I know" you smiled, stoking his cheek "but remember, you have nothing to be scared of, you've done this already, and you were amazing at it, so just relax"

"ok" he took a breathy sigh "yeah, you're right. I can do this"

"that's it" you grinned, but before you could say anything more he was kissing you like it was the last time he ever could.

"Pedro?" his assistant's voice brought you back to reality "It's time"

You smiled as he leaned away.

"I love you" he promised, the honesty of that statement shining through his eyes

"I love you too baby" you murmured "Now go!" you said, giving him a playful push "Break a leg!"

__ __ __

As you already knew, everything went perfectly smoothly, he and Bad Bunny were an amazing duo, and you could just see how well they got on even with the cameras off.

The monologue was perfect, and you didn't miss any opportunity to cheer and laugh every time you could, but as much as you'd loved it... nothing could top the Ms. Flores sketch.

You loved it last time, and you loved it this time too.

Even just seeing him in the costume made you laugh (you had filled your camera roll with photos of him) but then combined with the actual sketch... it was just perfection.

You almost didn't want him to change, you kind of liked the constant teasing of calling him mama and telling him just how sexy he was, but unfortunately, he did change.

Imagine what a look that must have been for the afterparty instead of that old shirt he wore everywhere.

But then again, considering how much he was sweating from the dancing maybe it was a good call.

"thank you for tonight" he spoke over the music, as the song changed to a slower one "I couldn't have done it without you sweetheart"

"oh stop" you rolled your eyes, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as you swayed to the music "You would have been amazing regardless." you smiled "I'm surprised they haven't offered you a role as a permanent part of the cast yet"

"No I'm serious" he laughed softly "I don't know if I would have gotten on that stage without you"

"baby..." you cooed, touched by his words "I love you. I'm always gonna be there for you"

"and me for you" he murmured, before kissing you.

You could only vaguely feel everyone around you and hear the music, it was just you and him.

He always made you feel like that.

"I've just realized I was so anxious for tonight that I haven't told you how beautiful you look yet," he said, making you blush faintly.

"You look beautiful too" you murmured, a mischievous smirk pulling at your lips "Not as much as you did when you were dressed as Ms. Flores, but you're not so bad"

He couldn't help but laugh at that

"You'll never let that go, will you?"

"nope" you chuckled, earning another kiss, this time deeper and much... hungrier.

You whimpered into his mouth as his hand on your back started traveling dangerously low.

"baby-"

"you're gorgeous sugar"

you bit down a grin at that

"I know that look"

"what look" he silenced you with another kiss "I'm not doing anything" he breathed, his lips now on your neck

And as much as you weren't completely conscious of everyone around you, a part of your brain still was.

"I think it's time we go home baby" you whispered

"yeah" he nodded, meeting his lips with yours again "Yeah I think it is"

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal fluff #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fic #dad!pedro pascal #fluff #pedro pascal blurb #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal x y/n #pedro pascal x fem reader #pedro pascal snl #pedro pascal x f!reader #pedro pascal x female reader #pedro pascal angst #pedro pascal fanfic #the last of us #narcos #pedro pascal fandom #snl

[takami-takami]

Anew.

includes— hawks x reader. angst. hurt/comfort. minors dni.

warnings— gn!reader. loss of wings and regrowth. nightmares. keigo tends to your wounds. blood description.

You lose your wings for the first time. It does not feel like the first time, but Keigo is there to patch your wounds. Keigo is always there to patch your wounds.

Keigo knew a thing or two about sprouting new feathers from the flesh of one's back. The splintering of new appendages, raw and awakened for the first time like freshly-birthed infants from the womb.

He cared for your seraphic wings. Preened them like his own quirk, cleaned them as if they were sewn to his own back.

Taught you how to care for them, too. 

Taught you for the first time the truth, that they grow back. Soothed your worries that they never would.

Taught you how the ache means it's working. Means there's feathers bubbling anew, waiting to burst forth from the flesh. 

Keigo sat with you in the living room at three in the morning. You had screamed yourself awake again that night, the whimpering in your sleep turned to aching, pained howls. Like night terrors, the sting of it. Night terrors that didn't stop when you awoke.

You knelt on the floor with Keigo at your back on the couch. The room was silent and dim, save for the distant crackling of the fireplace. Your eyes remained locked forward, watching the burning pyre stoke itself to life, swallowing more oxygen to burn. The light of it flickered like fireflies, blinking awake and asleep.

The color red bubbled in tiny dots around the growth site of your new wings. Keigo said nothing as he dabbed cotton rounds designed for skincare against the blood. You both slept at your place last night, so he didn't have access to the usual supplies he tended to patch his own feathers up with. 

Keigo's wings were in relatively good shape that day; a little stubbier than usual, still recovering from being seared to the base from a fight with Dabi.

The white of the cotton soaked up your red. You didn't wince, but Keigo hummed an appreciative sound for your bravery regardless. 

"How many times have you lost yours," you whispered. 

The question was meek. Tentative. Keigo didn't wince, but you placed an appreciative hand on his knee for his bravery regardless.

"Mm. Lost count a long time ago, dove," he said, turning to rummage through your first aid kit for antibiotic ointment. 

At that, you stiffened, causing Keigo to halt in his verbal tracks to clarify.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing— not to me, at least," he continued, squeezing a dollop onto his thumb to apply to your wound. "Kinda reminds me that they can still grow back, in a way. Like I'm challenging the big, bad mother hen that's nature, ya' know?"

You suppressed a snort, barely able to hold back a smile. 

"You would say that," you chided.

"Oh, whatever do you mean?"

You rolled your eyes. "That. Anyone ever tell you that you're more like a puppy than a bird?"

"If you count as anyone, then yes, dove. You're special, though." Keigo pulled back, getting a better look at his handiwork. "Stretch them out for me, 'kay? Need to see how far they're coming along."

With painstaking effort, you complied. 

Judging by the pleased hum, your wings must have been coming along quite nicely. Not that you'd know the difference, of course.

You've never healed before.

"Keigo?"

"Mm?"

"Does it ever stop hurting?"

He paused.

You were worth so much more. You were worth so much more than this and it splintered Keigo's heart, made him want to clutch you to his chest. And so he did, kneeling down behind you and wrapping his arms around your center.

You felt his chin move slightly atop your head when he spoke.

"It does. And then it hurts again, but you're stronger." A kiss on your hair. "And then it stops, and then it starts again, and every time it tries to swallow you, but you get bigger and bigger." A kiss to your temple. "Until the hurt can't fit you inside it anymore. And you wonder why you were ever so scared to feel it in the first place."

Your eyes burned more than your back. They burned more than the cinder of your fireplace.

"And I love you," Keigo added. "And you're going to be okay. I swear to God, dove, you're going to be okay."

"You promise," you asked, leaning into the warmth that enveloped your heart.

"I swear on my wings."

#hawks x reader #keigo takami x reader #🖋 writing #bnha x reader #mha x reader #🍧 sugar

[holy-puckslibrary]

━ 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬.

main masterlist

pairing(s) — bull-rider!MATTHEW TKACHUK x barrel racer!hughes!reader (can be read as an unnamed oc) wc — 1.8k synopsis — wear the hat, ride the cowboy—even if it might get you disowned.

note — there's one line referring to the reader as jack's twin, but no physical description is given. also, this one-shot is a "party favor" from our feb slumber party

specific content warnings under the cut.

cw — quinn being a dramatic, misogynistic douche-canoe 3000 for the entirety (ratty matty has his moments, too), no actual smut but it's heavily implied they do the dirty on the reg, a disgustingly intimate situationship — ick, off-color comment(s) relating to first times and the concept of virginity, lots and lots of familial angst (jack is a snake), oh! and more than a few loose ends... but you know the drill by now, i'm incapable of keeping a story contained

“Go on, Palomino Princess. Ride me like one of your ponies.” 

Condescension drips from the lazy taunt. Matthew earns a palm to the chest for it; her ire lands with a faint thud, but he doesn’t mind. He gets off on riling her up, and after two years of backseat meetings and hushed phone calls, he’s damn good at it too. That, and she might be the most reactive person he’s ever met—and that’s saying something. 

Matthew’s been going head-to-head with all three of her brothers for over a decade, and he’s known their family for even longer. Having a short fuse must be genetic.    

“Y’won’t break me if that’s the hold-up. S’gonna take a hell of a lot more than a dry humpin’ buckle bunny to put me outta commission, sweetheart.” 

He knows damn well she ain’t anywhere close to the derogatory term, but he likes what the complete disregard for her accomplishments does to her deceptively cherubic face. 

It may look less harrowing than every other event on the card, but barrel racing ain’t for the faint-hearted. The event is a death wish personified, and it feels about as good as someone taking a metal pipe to both shins. It takes balls—metaphorically, in her case—to charge into an arena on an American Quarter horse with the intention of guiding it through a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels while sprinting at top speed, but it takes dedication and skill to succeed the way she has. The winner is determined by just thousandths of a second. 

The woman perched on his tailgate is unmatched—undefeated.  

Flames of pride lap at his loins, the fire of desire stoked by the wicked roll of her hips. 

“Ohh—shit!” Matthew hisses, his head lolling back as his hips buck into her heat. 

She smirks, apparently vindictive as ever. “How’s that, cowboy? Everything you dreamed?” 

“And more,” he growls as he grabs a fistful of her backside. 

His grip is tighter than it needs to be as he switches positions. Not nearly as rough as she would prefer it; beggars can’t be choosers.  

Matthew steps between her knees, and, despite herself, she shivers with anticipation. Chuckling, amusement twinkles in his baby blues. “Now give me a kiss, sweetheart. My lips are feelin’ a little lonely tonight, and you happen to be wearin’ my hat, Little Miss.” 

He flicks the brim of his hat. She catches it before it hits the ground before plopping it back on the rightful owner, the damage already done.  

“You just love that antiquated rule,” she shakes her head while most definitely laughing at his expense. “Y’wouldn’t see any action without it, now would you?” 

Matthew grins. Trading insults is his favorite form of foreplay. “Neither would you. Isn’t that your signature move, outlaw?”

“I should kick you to the back of the line with that attitude. Hell, I’d probably be better off keeping you at a distance anyway.” 

“Keep mouthin’ off and see how far it gets ya. Definitely nowhere near that McMansion castle you call home, that’s for sure.” 

“Oh, don’t you worry ‘bout me, sugar. I’ve got plenty of options if I need a ride home.” 

“I’ll bet, show pony. Sexiest can chaser east of the Mississippi; who wouldn’t be chomping at the bit to carry Cinderella home to her Daddy?” 

Men have a habit of gawking at her; Matthew has a habit of relieving them of their teeth. 

He leans in to taunt her ear with greedy lips and barbed arrogance. “Best of luck finding one that’ll fuck you better than me.”     

“Do you think about other guys fucking me often?” she fires without missing a beat.

More than he would like, actually.

With a heavy, drawn-out sigh, he runs a hand over his face. His patience is running thin, and his jeans are starting to chafe. Exasperated, he tries coaxing her to reason, “Sweetheart, c’mon. We both know you want this—want me. Stop makin’ this so damn hard.” 

“Why? Because you already are?” 

Matthew makes an exaggerated show of play-biting her scrunched-up nose. 

“Woman, you drive me insane.”

“It’s why you’re so obses—“ 

Her teasing is thwarted by the sound of her own name. Spat out of her older brother’s mouth like a heirloom gone sour, it's no great surprise Quinn looks at her like he can’t recognize her. Like a stranger—like a traitor. 

Guilt, thin and fleeting, pieces the tenderness between her ribs. 

She squirms, attempting to put some distance between them as if that could erase the discovery—and her culpability—from his mind. Matthew and his shit-eating grin keep her from getting too far but don’t be fooled. This is no chivalrous encouragement to stand her ground. It’s got nothing to do with her and everything to do with her brother. 

Quinn rages outside the hauler housing Matthew’s precious 3500 Laramie. Walking by, seeing the main trailer hitched Brady’s F-350 made his stomach churn. It didn’t sit right, and now he knew why. 

“You can’t be serious! Nuh-uh, no—no fucking way. Get out here before I drag you out myself.”  

At his tone, what little remorse she felt dissipates. They were both far too old for his tired, overbearing song-and-dance. 

“Who died and made you king?” 

Quinn, blinded by overripe anger, sweeps over the irritation, twisting her tongue and the disbelief arching her brow. “I thought I made myself clear last time. Don’t make me repeat myself.” 

“Oh, crystal, Quinny.” Matthew snorts at the juvenile nickname but is swiftly cajoled into silence with a pinch to the side. “Message received.” 

“Then quit screwin’ around and get your ass back to the truck before Dad blows a gasket. He’s been lookin’ all over for you. So, you best be thanking your lucky stars I got here first. That its me catchin’ you red-handed colluding with the enemy.” 

He’s so serious, nearly shaking with rage, it’s difficult not to laugh. She can count on one hand the instances wherein her brother became visibly angry—all of them involving the man standing between her dangling feet. She fares better than him, but that’s to be expected. Unlike her accomplice, for her, there’s real risk involved. 

“Just ‘cause I heard you don’t mean I have to listen.” 

Lips pressed to her temple, Matthew clicks his tongue in approval. ‘Bout damn time she started giving back what Quinn so readily dishes out. 

“Look, y’can spread your legs for anyone with big dreams and a buckle some other night. Parade around the circuit acting like a slut, see if I give a shit. But not tonight. And not with him.” 

The knowing glint in Quinn’s blackened eyes is telling, but it isn’t as menacing as he thinks it is. The Hughes heir apparent couldn’t be judge, jury, and executioner. He doesn’t have a lick of proof. Just suspicion and a personal vendetta the size of Texas. 

A safety net swaying below, Matthew decides to have a little fun. “Whoa, settle down, Trust Fund. Y’can’t talk to a lady like that, ‘specially not your sister.” 

He’s no white knight, but he can pretend. 

And isn’t that what you’re all doing? Pretending to be people you aren’t. Acting out your roles, putting on a show. After all, a performance will always be more entertaining than the truth. 

“—and here I thought etiquette classes were a Rodeo Royalty rite of passage. Glad t’know she ain’t the only roughneck hellion in your family tree, Huggy.” 

Quinn’s jaw tightens. His tongue threatens to put a hole through his cheek. Hands on his hips, the eldest sibling only nods. He ignores Matthew entirely. 

“Real winner y’got there. A class act. You really know how to pick ‘em—cream of the goddamn crop. Say, what’re you gonna do when he inevitably gets bored of you? When he gets his hands on a fresh doe-eyed virgin to tarnish?” 

After she finishes with Matthew, she’s kicking Jack’s sorry ass. 

Those anxieties—and that majorly personal tidbit of information—were shared in confidence. Because unlike her older brother, she trusted her twin. Well, she used to, at least. Luke’ll be over the moon at the chance to be her favorite. 

She bares her teeth like a scorned lapdog. “We’re not kids anymore, Q. You can’t push me around whenever you want or tell me what to do like you’re my father. And you sure as shit can’t bully me into submission, either. Give it up, or get lost.” 

“Whatever,” Quinn barks as he backs away from the trailer. “Your fuckin’ funeral.” 

Listening to the fading sound of her brother’s Ariats pounding through the dirt, she buries her face in the warm, familiar crook of Matthew’s neck; she needs a moment alone. He seems to understand this, his mouth zipped shut as he runs calloused hands up and down her sides. She’s breathing heavily, but he does her the simple mercy of leaving it be. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I was growing on you,” Matthew hums, a low-maintenance attempt to lighten the mood. 

They don’t do the touchy-feely BS. It’s one of the things that reeled him in—and kept him coming back. 

“But you do.” She pulls away to look up at him, chin resting on his sternum. He hates that her melancholic eyes are red-rimmed. “—and stop thinking, it doesn’t suit you.” 

“And what does, princess? I’m dyin’ for your insight.” 

“Shut the door and I’ll show you.” 

He blinks, taken aback. Who is this brazen tart, and when did she take your place? Matthew wonders to himself. Maybe he is the bad influence everyone paints him as… He hasn’t really thought about it until now, and it's troubling the way it makes his chest tighten. 

Matthew clears his throat—and, from his mind, the distressing notion that he’s ruined someone good with his carelessness—as he leans over. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

He pulls the hauler’s heavy metal door shut with clamorous finality.  

Matthew Tkachuk might be the most self-serving swindler on dirt, but Quinn Hughes is just another name on his list. A box to tick and then forget. He wouldn’t lose sleep, it wasn’t like their friendship meant a damn thing. Not anymore. A friend turned foe, reduced to another obstacle in his way, a hurdle to jump. 

Tonight, his sister’s fealty; tomorrow, his title.

Retribution is at his fingertips, so close he can taste it. Yet, it would seem that Matthew merely traded one hornet’s nest for another. 

At least this one’s easy on the eyes. 

⤑ to my inbox💌

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All of the stories and fantasies written or discussed on this blog by the owner or by followers are purely fictional and are not intended to offend any parties.

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#feb 24 #slumber party favors #powerful prose #exhibition games #matthew tkachuk x reader #matthew tkachuk x you #matthew tkachuk x y/n #matthew tkachuk fic #matthew tkachuk imagine #matthew tkachuk smut #matthew tkachuk fanfic #matthew tkachuk x f!reader #m. tkachuk #rodeo au #western au #cowboy au #hockey rpf #nhl rpf #nhl fanfiction #nhl fic #hockey romance #nhl imagines #hockey fic #nhl smut #hockey smut #*ೃ༄ by holy-pucks

[carmenberzattosgf]

this is probably ooc carmen but fuck it we ball….virgin carmy who’s just so stoked to have sex with you that he doesn’t really realize how ““not normal”” his behavior is.

most men you’ve been with get icked at the thought of kisses after blowjobs or giving head after they’ve cum inside—carmen does NOT care. gripping your jaw and tugging you up for messy kisses, so elated and pleased with you that he doesn’t even care that you haven’t swallowed his cum yet. cumming on your tits or your sticky cunt and immediately cleaning up his mess (and giving you another orgasm)

when you tell carmy he’s nasty, he knows it’s a compliment due to your happy tone but doesn’t really know what you mean because to him this is just normal so he’s like ‘:D ? thanks lmao’ -💫

Oh god my brain is going haywire. While I think it’s OOC for Carmy in the show, I definitely think virgin Carmy before the show would do this. Like please the way you worded it as “stoked to have sex with you” is exactly what is going on in Carmy’s brain. Literally just happy to be here vibes.

When you suck him off he refuses to push your head down at all, whatsoever. As soon as he cums in your mouth he’s pulling you off of your knees by your jaw to kiss you. You haven’t even gotten the chance to swallow before his tongue presses into your mouth.

It’s so fucking messy. A clash of lips and tongue. Spit mixed with cum drips out from between his mouth and yours. Carmy isn’t phased at all by it. If anything, the taste of himself on your tongue spurs him on. By the end of it, he’s wiping off the corners of your mouth with his thumb before cleaning the digit off with his mouth.

You assume it must have been a fluke, the way Carmy didn’t care about kissing you with his cum still in your mouth. Every guy you’ve ever been with would have protested, at least a little bit.

It’s not a fluke. Not at all. Carmen’s just straight up filthy. He shows that the next time he fucks you. He has only even cum inside you before, but Carmy has other plans this time. Right after you climax, he’s pulling out of you and fisting his cock at a rapid speed. His eyes stay focused on you and your body. Specifically, on the way your hips twitch with pleasure, and how your head is thrown back exposing the hickies he left earlier. The desperate cries of his name from your lips brings him to the edge. A couple more strokes and he’s cumming all over your stomach. Hot spurts of cum land on lower abdomen and the folds of your cunt.

When you manage to open your eyes again, Carmy wordlessly lowers himself between your legs. His blue eyes look up at you, completely blown out, as his tongue licks a broad stripe from your mound to your navel. He diligently collects every bit of cum on your stomach, swallowing it happily, before he shifts focus to your cunt. Carmen takes the same level of care there, licking up every trace of cum he encounters.

Once you’re all ‘cleaned up’, he works fast to bring you to another orgasm. If there’s one thing for sure about Carmy, it’s that he knows how to use his tongue. He already knows you inside and out, tracing his tongue on your cunt in the perfect way to make you scream. You finish with your thighs clamped around his head and your hands woven into his hair.

“Fuck, Carmy,” you sigh, letting your thighs fall back against the mattress. Carmy looks as happy as can be with a ditzy look in his eyes, and a smile he couldn’t wipe away if he tried. “You’re really nasty,” you laugh.

His head falls to rest on your thigh, looking up at you with a look of devotion in his eyes. “What do you mean?” One of his hands reaches for your own, interlocking his fingers with yours. It’s comments like this that remind you how little experience he has with sex.

“Well… every other guy I’ve been with would never kiss me after a blow job. Let alone willingly lick cum off my stomach.”

“It’s my job to clean you up. I um— trust me, I’m happy to do it.” Carmy blushes as he speaks. He really had no clue that wasn't the norm. He was just doing what felt natural.

"I'm not going to stop you. Besides, it's kinda hot."

"Oh is it?"

So yeah bascially carmy is so into cum play like it’s so very serious. It’s the part of the marking kink he 100% has going on.

#carmen berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto #the bear #carmy berzatto x reader #the bear fanfiction #carmen berzatto smut #carmy berzatto smut #carmy berzatto #carmy bear #brain rot

[creativepromptsforwriting]

hi! can i request some dark academia prompts, please?

Dark Academia Prompts

Becoming a part of the secret society their parents had also attended wasn't a wish, it was a must.

There was a secret passageway next to the old fireplace in the library and they couldn't wait till it was night to explore it.

Everyone was certain that the bedroom on the third floor of the boarding school was haunted. Only if there was no other space available they would let students sleep there.

The school bordered on an old graveyard. What better place to sneak out to at night to meet with a lover?

There were things that were inevitable. Desperately trying to find a cure would only make it worse.

It was supposed to be a short article about a generic topic in the university newspaper. But soon they began to unravel a major conspiracy.

Having a restricted section in a library just makes people more curious.

Their history teacher had a way to talk about historic events, just like he had actually been there.

Some students would swear that the paintings in the hallways keep changing slightly.

It was fun to do a strange ritual they had found in an old book in their dorm room. But the consequences were no fun at all.

The artifacts that were on display in the school corridor suddenly started to emit light.

One day, all the students woke up in their dorms at exactly the same time, having dreamed the exact same dream.

It was an open secret that the school housed a creature that most people wouldn't even dare to imagine.

The fire in the old fireplace in the common room had never been stoked by anyone and no one could remember ever adding wood to it. It just kept going.

When exam season came around, it was not uncommon for students to go missing.

Hope you like them!

- Jana

#dark academia #dark academia prompts #prompt list #writeblr #writers on tumblr #dark academia aesthetic #writing prompts #writing ideas

[aemondtargaryenonlyfans]

YOU‘RE THE ONLY THING I PRAY FOR. (2/3)

Daemon Targaryen x niece!Reader

WARNINGS: none

WORDS: 2.4 K

NOTES: y’all are probably fed up with how much I’m posting today but ✨idc✨ lmao. Consider this as a little interlude before it gets steamy in part 3 🤭 tysm @arcielee for betaing this short thing.

Never before have you slept as badly as you did last night. The tea brought by Maester Mellos may have been drunk by you, but it did little to soothe the tormenting guilt you feel. You had retired to bed again afterwards, only to not be able to find any sleep at all. 

Rolling from one side to the other, you had pondered over what had happened in the sept, and who could have seen the two of you to report it to your father. There couldn’t have been any witnesses for most septas leave whenever you arrive. Besides, you’ve looked around plenty of times. It’s impossible that anyone has seen you. 

But deep down you know it was bound to happen eventually. A princess of the realm could not flaunt around the Grand Sept in the company of her uncle, let alone being claimed and defiled by him so openly without anyone witnessing. 

So, it’s not surprising that at first light you’re summoned to the Throne Room. 

The heavy doors fall shut behind you with a thud, and your footsteps are the only thing heard as you approach the looming throne. Your father sits atop it, Jaehaerys crown weighing heavy on his silver curls, and watches you with a grimm expression.  

“Y-Your Grace,” you stutter, bobbing a small curtsy with your hands tightly clasped in front of you. It’s your father’s harsh voice that has you flinching even before you’re able to meet his eyes. 

“Raise your head, child.” It’s a demand, and it’s definitely not your father sitting in front of you right now. 

Nodding, you gulped thickly as your father has never before spoken to you in such a manner, with such fury laced within his voice. The quick-tempered part of his emotions has always been reserved to the people of his council, and sometimes even your little sister stands in the crossfire. But not you, never you. 

“It has been brought to my attention that you were seen entering the Grand Sept with Daemon. Is that correct?”

Your eyes dart around before they settle on the floor, and you nod once again. Finding your voice seems to be more difficult than expected, failing as you are not even able to meet your fathers gaze. 

And the silence appears to stoke your father’s fury, knowing this is too dire a matter to be lenient with you. 

“I said is that correct?” he growls, abruptly rising to his feet. 

The movement causes you to flinch, and you raise your head. “I–yes, he-he asked if he could join me for my morning prayer,” you stammer, frozen in fear. 

Your father huffs, “Of course, he has.” 

He pinches the bridge of his nose, before he slowly but surely walks down the steps leading from the imposing Iron Throne towards where you stand. “And is that all that has transpired between the two of you, daughter?” The name falls from his lips dripping with so much venom, a shiver runs down your spine. 

His stern expression only grows darker and darker, a foreboding edge cuts into them. “Or are there other matters that you two have been up to there?” he asks, looking down at you. “I wish to hear the truth from your mouth, and your mouth only.”

You feel your throat tighten, and your body grows cold just from the intensity that feeds the tension between the two of you. “I-I… I–,” you stammer. You’re caught. 

Taking in a deep breath, you clench your hands to fists to stop them from trembling as you think about saying the next words out loud. Your nails dig into your palms, surely leaving crescent shaped marks, but this doesn't make the situation more bearable for you. “We-We kissed,” the words are practically a whisper, “and he did suggest we wed.” Looking away, you can’t bring yourself to meet his eyes, knowing there’s a rage brooding inside of him. 

“What a foolish suggestion,” your father spits out. “Must I remind you that you were to wed Jason Lannister?”

Feeling your breath grow shaky as you try to keep the tears from welling in your eyes, your gaze locks with your father’s. You’re a dutiful girl, and you would have never disobeyed your father. But you allowed your uncle to take things too far, and now you have to bear the consequences. 

“No, Your Grace,” your voice is meek, trembling as you shake your head, “I-I am aware I must wed Lord Lannister, a match made by you, and I do not wish to bring shame to the crown.”

But your father hesitates, as if the words he’s about to speak would weigh a thousand tons on yours and his shoulders. “Your lies have proven to me that you do not care for your duty to the crown,” he growls. “And I will not allow your foolish actions to further tarnish our House. You wish to go to the Sept freely and frequently? Then you shall make your way to Oldtown in the morrow to become a Silent Sister, and forsake your past life. You will be removed from the line of succession entirely as a punishment for flouting my authority.”

Frozen in stunned silence, the words do not seem real. The severity of your father’s judgement sinks into the pit of your stomach, and you take a step back as if it would give you back your ability to breathe. 

With blurry eyes, you look back at him, trying to find some sort of consolation in his, but you only see sternness and disapproval. “A-Are you serious?” you ask, your voice barely above a whisper. Tears stain your cheeks, and you allow them to. “Surely you must not mean it, father.”

“I am your King!” Viserys snaps, and there’s no fatherly compassion neither in his voice nor the fierce scowl on his face. 

For all his reign your father has been nothing if not a weak king, relying on others to ensure the strength of the mighty House Targaryen. And now he decides to make an example out of your misstep, not able to afford another moment of weakness? It must be a cruel joke in favor of the Seven. 

“My mind is made up,” your father finally growls, hiding the pit of guilt in his stomach behind the volume of his voice. “This is the price of your actions whether you like it or not. You have brought this on yourself, and I don’t wish to hear any more objections from you. Begone!”

Knowing there was nothing you could do to change his mind, you just nod your head and walk out of the Throne Room, eyes downcast as the tears won’t stop rolling down your cheeks. 

You barely register who crosses your path on the way to your chambers for your mind is awash with sadness, rage and fear, and once the heavy door falls shut behind you, it all rises to the surface, claiming you like a storm. 

You kick against a nearby stool before you sink to your knees and sob into your hands. Letting out an agonizing scream, you are overtaken by rage. But there’s no will of yours to pack your belongings, not that you’d need them anyways, for a scroll you certainly have not left there lays on your bed, next to a rugged cloak. 

You grab the piece of paper, unrolling it and scanning over its contents, taking a few seconds to understand that it’s a map containing the secret passageways your ancestor had commissioned during the construction of Maegor’s Holdfast. ‘Meet me here at the Hour of the Ghosts’ is written below it, the here most certainly hinting at the point that’s hidden beneath a marked cross. 

It seems like an incredibly long time to the Hour of the Ghosts, but what other choice than waiting do you have? There’s no way for you to go, not that you even want to go outside to meet anyone. All you want to do is spend the rest of your time in the Red Keep by yourself, sulking about the mess you have brought yourself into. 

But as the hour finally strikes, you’re on your feet, silver hair hidden by the hood of the cloak. 

The map suggests that there’s a hidden doorway to the right of your bed, and it takes little effort for you to push it open, revealing a staircase that leads you into a tunnel. Though it’s almost casted in complete darkness, you pull the door to your chambers shut behind you and scurry down the stairs, following the map. 

The rage is still there on your way to the staircase that leads you out of the keep and into the city, and even in the dim lights of the torches around you, you can make out your uncle’s surprised face as you suddenly charge at him. 

If you weren’t so angry, you would have laughed. 

“Why have you told him?” you hiss, but are quickly silenced by his large hand covering your mouth. He holds you with your back against his chest, seizing your small frame and stopping you from shoving at his chest. 

“I told him nothing,” he sharply hushes into your ear, though you don’t grasp the importance of it. Your life is already ruined, and his whispering won’t make it alright again. “Viserys was informed, but not by me. I assume it was one of the leeches’ puppets. Your father summoned me last night to inform me that my services to the crown were no longer required. He has exiled me.”

You exhale into his palm, turning slightly to look at him with wide eyes. There is a menacing grin on his lips, only broken when he continues. “I am quite certain he has done the same to you, so, you can either stay here and face your punishment, or you can come with me.”

His words settle slowly, and you’re torn between following him, or facing your fate as Silent Sister. You already disgraced your House, what’s one more misstep if it can bring you freedom? 

You feel utterly helpless and powerless, for you don’t know if Daemon can be trusted. He hasn’t earned the moniker the Rogue Prince for nothing, and for all you know, he could have informed your father. But would he willingly bring himself into a treacherous position just to wed you? You’re not certain. 

Your sigh fanning into the palm of his hand is what prompts him to release your face and allow you to speak again, and the cold air that suddenly fills your lungs with his hand gone has you clearing your throat. Winding in his grasp, you turn around to face him, and as it eventually loosens, you take a step back. There still is anger raging inside of you, but you must play your cards wisely. 

The hood of your cloak is pulled back by you, exposing your full face to him. “What other options do I truly have?” you whisper, looking around briefly. “I shall come with you.”

It’s another sigh that rips itself from your chest, knowing the inevitability of your question, and your eyes flicker up to meet his. “When do we leave?”

There is a short moment of silence between you, and, as if you’ve anticipated anything else, Daemon finally replies.

“Now,” he rasps. “We must go, before anyone comes to find and stop us.”

Not giving you a chance to react, his fingers intertwine with yours, clearly sensing your apprehension as he pulls you after him. 

“But my clothes. I–”

“Everything is set,” he husks. “I have secured your mount and my own, waiting for us in the Dragonpit. We must do this quickly, no time for lingering. We will be gone by the time anyone realizes.”

Just how quickly he has made all plans and arrangements possible truly amazes you, and you can’t help but feel drawn to his dedication to the matter and the ambition which he displays. You know you’re taking an immense risk in moving with him like that, but you trust him. You have to trust him. 

Following him down the stairs, you look back at the Red Keep for a moment, and its sight makes you feel nervous and anxious. You’re about to leave so much of your life behind. At what cost? 

It’s the neighing of a horse that catches your attention, and once again, Daemon takes your hand to drag you towards it. A tall, black stallion waits for you, and you squeal the moment your uncle lifts you up as if you weigh no more than a feather, putting you into the saddle. 

He settles behind you as the horse canters along the cobblestone, heading towards the Dragonpit at a speed you have rarely ridden before. But by the Seven, never before have you felt so thrilled. 

Stopping sharply in front of the outer doors opening to the hillside, he helps you down in the same manner he’s gotten you onto the horse. The gates to the dragonpit are opened, and both your dragons stand up the moment they recognize their riders. 

Upon the sight of both beasts, your heart swells and freezes at the same time. You would have missed your dragon dearly in Oldtown, and the thought that you would almost never have ridden it again makes your blood run cold for a moment.

Silverwing is slightly larger than Caraxes, and makes a much more striking figure than your uncle’s mount, but you dare not tell him that. 

With a nod towards the dragon keepers guarding your dragons, you approach your beast, hand gliding along her silvery scales. A look at Daemon from over your shoulder tells you that he’s already strapped to the saddle of Caraxes. 

“Where are we flying to?” you shout over at him, mounting Silverwing. There is a small bag strapped to her saddle, a thick coat for you to wear draped over it, and you wonder when he’s had the time to prepare all that. 

Caraxes is on his way out of the cave, roaring and grumbling, and your she-dragon briefly spreads her wings, before she follows him and crawls out into the open, causing you to almost not hear his reply. 

“Pentos!”

Their large wings flap loudly as Caraxes firstly soars into the air with a bellowing roar, closely followed by Silverwing, breaking into the open sky. 

The Red Keep grows smaller and smaller in the distance, until you can not make it out anymore. You’re not sure what difficulties might await you in Essos, though you have never been more ready to venture to far away lands. 

General Taglist: @heimtathurs @croatianprincess @nina2697 @malfoytargaryen @thetaygaryen @wintrr13 @winter-soldier-101 @kyuupidwrites @boofy1998 @thekinslayersswordhand @sagelovesreading @jiminie-08 @doublesparrows @at-a-rax-ia @fan-goddess @recorddust @tsujifreya @melsunshine @drwstarkeyy @kazuyatokue @moonlightfoxx @bbgmonsay @thatmysteriousblog @ashovertheriver @black-dread @watercolorskyy @nothingqueens @urmomsgirlfriend1 @lovelykhaleesiii @hypocritic-trash-baby @darylandbethfanforever9 @snowystark @connorsui @valeskafics

YTOTIPF Taglist: Taglist: @ajthefujoshi @kiliskywalker666 @marihoneywk @beebeechaos @angelwonie @hangmanscoming @clarap23 @schniiipsel @aliveafterparadise @juhdoche @legalciv014 @theendlessvoidofdarkest @darkgvk @grsveeth0m

#house of the dragon #hotd #daemon fanfic #daemon targeryen x reader #daemon targaryen #daemon x reader #daemon targaryen imagine #daemon x you #daemon targaryen fanfic #daemon targaryen x reader #daemon targaryen x you #daemon targaryen x y/n #daemon targaryen fic #hotd fanfic #hotd x reader #hotd imagine #hotd x you #hotd x you #hotd x y/n #hotd fic #hotd daemon #hotd daemon targaryen #house of the dragon daemon #house of the dragon fanfiction #house of the dragon fanfic #house of the dragon x reader #viserys i targaryen #viserys targaryen #daemon targaryen x female reader

[leviscolwill]

moonlight, sunrise

pairing: trent alexander arnold x fem!reader

summary: after trent's first time captaining his boyhood club, you can't help showing him your appreciation [wc: ~700]

contents: tooth rotting fluff, established relationship, captain trent ‼️, food mention, not proofread yet 🏃‍♀️

note: needed to write a little something for my boy <3

now playing: moonlight sunrise by twice (ready to be)

you were absolutely stoked when darwin scored a late goal for your team, winning newcastle 2-1. during all the game, your thoughts went to your boyfriend, who captained his team after van dijk got red carded. you knew how much his boyhood club meant to him and how much he adored it, so being vice captain was a huge honour. after the final whistle, you grabbed your phone to send him a quick text; "congrats on today's win my captain !! can't wait to celebrate with you tonight xx". you knew he wouldn't answer right away so you got up to prepare trent's surprise.

you put on your favourite playlist, and searched for everything you needed to make some pizzas, from the dough to the toppings, you had everything you needed. trent loved your pizzas, you weren't the best cook around but it was the one dish you could never miss.

you tried shaping the dough into little hearts, colouring them with bright red tomato sauce. your addiction to 'good pizza great pizza' helped you create the best pizza with trent's favourite toppings.

while you were finishing the last couple mini pizzas, you felt someone hug you from behind.

"they look so good, you really outdone yourself with these." you heard trent's voice in your ears.

"no ! they were supposed to be a surprise... please pretend you never saw this." you say in a disappointed tone, you must have been too distracted by your music to hear trent coming home.

"alright, alright. can i help you with the last one at least ?"

"of course not, you can't help making your own gift." you refused, but trent wouldn't take no for an answer. he placed the toppings to form a smiley face on the heart pizza. you snapped a quick picture of your masterpiece before putting it in the oven.

your boyfriend set up the table while you lit up some scented candles. these kinds of evenings were your favourites. the evenings when your boyfriend's was just yours, not the media's or the fans'. just trent, just yours.

trent was taken aback when you hugged his back, resting your head on his shoulder.

"you know i'm proud of you, right ? you did great today mister liverpool captain."

"i think you might have mentioned that a couple of times. thank you for believing in me pretty girl." he pressed a kiss on your lips before getting the pizzas out of the oven.

you ate your pizzas in front of a movie trent picked, of course, under the covers you brought to your living room, intently listing to each other's comments as silly as they might have been.

quickly enough, you fell asleep and felt trent's arms carrying you to your shared bedroom.

"where are we going ?" you asked him in a sleepy voice, even though you already knew the answer.

"to bed ratatouille."

"don't compare me to a rat." you huffed in disapproval of his newfound nickname for you.

"you're the rat that makes the best pizzas in the whole world."

you both cuddled up under your covers, and you felt tiredness get the best of you, trent must have felt it as well.

"goodnight, i love you." he said pressing a kiss on your cheek, after turning off the lights.

"i love you too, sleep well my captain."

trent's light strokes on your arm and his slow breathing lulled you to sleep swiftly. these were really your favourite nights, in the company of your favourite boy.

#i wanna cook pizzas with trent 😪 #i hope you liked this little trent blurb 🤭 #tell me what you think loves 🫶 #trent alexandrer arnold fanfic #trent alexandrer arnold imagine #trent alexander arnold x reader #trent alexander arnold #trent alexandrer arnold one shot #trent alexander arnold imagine #football one shot #football drabble #football fanfic #footballer imagine #football x reader #football blurb #taa blurb #taa x reader #taa fluff #trent alexandrer arnold fluff

[chantsdemarins]

I must say day 1 of my Tom LA delulu adventure was so good. First of all-if you wonder is he really that attractive in real life. He is.

Wonder no more.

So I was lucky enough to sit next to a fellow crazed fan whose off the chain energy was delightfully energizing so much so I found myself hollering at the beginning of the event-in reaction to Tom’s “You all look great” I yelled something like “You do too!!” I can’t even remember what the hell I said. But listen for my delulu voice when you check out the podcast! 😂😂😂😂

Josh Horowitz really is a dear soul and the perfect compliment to Tom’s dare I say renewed “Jaguar Energy”-he seemed plucked from those commercials and plopped into his present self, giving a more refined DILF spy aesthetic which is literally too much. Way too much. 🚨🚨🚨 Josh navigated the excitement with expertise! He asked a lot of questions I know have been on my mind…and it all seemed natural. Lots of talk about his renewal of Jonathan Pine and Night Manager series!! I am so stoked!!

I drove back to my hotel in a complete daze✨✨✨✨✨I was drunk on Tom! 😌😉🥹😅😂😇😍😭😭😭

Part 2 tonight: Loki season 2 episode screening and Tom talk…

@lokisgoodgirl @lokischambermaid @maple-seed @mochie85 @loopsisloops @tallseaweed @muddyorbsblr

#tom hiddleston #loki #loki fandom #mcu #happy sad confused #josh horowitz #how did this happen #he is real #tommmmm

[leslutdepointedulac]

Can anyone else imagine how weird and uncomfortable it would have been in QOTD when Louis realised not only did Daniel not die at the end of IWTV, but he's a vampire too now. I can just see Louis walking into the room and doing a double take when he sees Daniel and thinking wtaf.

That conversation must have been awkward af like "Heeeyyy Daniel, fancy seeing you here. You're not dead I see. That's good, that's really good. And you're a vampire now. How long has that been going on? A day, wow. And who did that? Armand!? What? No that's great, I'm super stoked for you, immortality suits you. *looks at Armand, mouthing wtf is this* Oh no Daniel, it's nothing, I'm happy for you, truely. Would you excuse me one second, I just need to speak to Armand real quick."

And then Louis just pulls Armand to one side while Daniel just stands on the other side of the room, staring at them like 🧍‍♂️

#i would give anything to see that interaction #personally if i were louis i would've have done a u-turn and sped right outta that room the second i saw daniel #louis de pointe du lac #armand #daniel molloy #interview with the vampire #iwtv #queen of the damned #qotd #vampire chronicles #tvc #my vampire chronicles

[ddarker-dreams]

Guide to Surviving the Yan Harbingers.

Play nice with Columbina, but not too nice. There’s a happy medium that she wants you to situate yourself in. On one hand, it would displease her greatly if you were to ever clearly express your distaste. Still, it would ruin her fun if she acted like a totally lifeless doll. She delights herself in seeing the frustration dancing within your eyes. The way that you seethe internally, acting oh so hard to keep it together in the face of such dire circumstances. In a most innocent tone, she’ll ask provocative questions crafted to make you stumble. Isn’t Scaramouche so impossible to please? Dottore an amalgamation of ego that you’re forced to endure? Columbina knows that by phrasing it like an inquiry, social etiquette will urge you to respond in some way, and forces you into a waltz where the tempo is always off. She adores the way you dance for her. Don’t worry, she’ll stop you before you say anything too damning; if you get in trouble with the others, it means she won’t get to see you as often...

Don’t flinch at the cold kiss of metal caressing your skin upon Sandrone’s prompting. She settles for nothing less than perfection when it comes to her work. When it’s her turn to have possession over you, you’ll be invited into a workshop that few if no one else has ever seen; discarded mechanical limbs littering the floor that you must step over. The creations lying within might look familiar, she tells you. And indeed they do. Atop a crudely shaped torso, with frayed wires poking out from what should be the shoulder socket if traditional anatomy was observed, is a head boasting unblinking eyes the same shade as yours. It’s a work in progress — a love letter to her favorite muse. A croaking voice box whirrs to life within the hollow husk, staccato-like syllables stringing together as the machine says it wants to be just like you. Sandrone claims her little project has been begging to feel your skin as of late. You’ll let it, won’t you? 

Know that if you reciprocate Signora’s affection in full, you might just get burned. Ice is not always meant to be thawed and she is proof of that. You stoke embers within her that she long thought were locked away by the Tsaritsa’s gift, and in doing so, unwittingly place yourself in danger. Signora knows her accursed physiology well enough to sense this. Hence why she treats you with such biting apathy. You are to sit quietly in her presence so she can retain control over herself. If she’s in a good enough mood, you’ll be allowed to entertain yourself with books or other silent hobbies. Still, despite the precautions, her gaze always ends up drawn to you. She’ll part her lips, considering possibilities too good to be true. Thoughts of having you brush through her hair or humming the music she heard in better days of her life tempt her. When you meet her eyes, her face hardens, and she asks who permitted you to do such a thing. Signora learned from her past that feeding the flames never ends well. 

Exercise the utmost obedience with Arlecchino. Her commands are absolute and meant to be followed to the letter, even if they make your life more difficult in the process. She’d rather not acknowledge that the others — underserving as they are — hold any sway over you. To do so would surely stir up strife. She orders you to take off Pantalone’s many adornments in her presence, to scrub your skin raw until Signora’s noisome perfume no longer permeates your skin. This inevitably leads to problems anyway, with you at the unfortunate center. Arlecchino has you traipsing across a tightrope to satisfy her wishes. She firmly believes that you’re wasted on the others. If she had total control over you, she knows she could make not only herself happy, but you as well. In fits of frustration, she’ll tell you that they put so little consideration into your wellbeing. You wonder if she’ll ever examine her own actions with such scrutiny. 

Seek out Scaramouche even when he acts like he wants nothing to do with you. It was almost a relief the first time he shooed you away — in your naivety, you thought you’d get a well-deserved break from dealing with these impossible creatures. When you actually went to dismiss yourself, it soured his mood for the rest of the day. No, this isn’t what he wants, you realized as your fingers hovered over the doorknob. He wants you to fight back. Tactfully, of course, it wouldn’t do for you to backtalk openly. It flatters him greatly when you persist in staying with him, despite his persistent prickliness. Say that if it pleases him, you’d love nothing more than to spend just a few more minutes in his presence, should he be gracious enough to the grant privilege. He’ll make a big show of sighing and making it seem as if he’s begrudgingly accepting your request. If you insist, he’ll tell you. You can tell you’ve done well by the grin he’s barely able to suppress.

School your facial expressions in the presence of Dottore, who doesn’t take kindly to any perceived criticism of his dubious morality. While you’re only able to comprehend a fraction of his mad lectures, what he speaks of disturbs and chills you to the bone, keeping you away at night as if someone was holding your eyelids open. However, he doesn’t want another critic. He wants you to be left in awe over his uncontested intellectual prowess. It must make the minds of his cohorts look dull in comparison, he figures. A transcendent mind such as his has got to earn your admiration. Dottore feels you’re his cute little pupil. When you appear confused by the depth of his designs, expect him to cling to your side even longer, he won’t be content until you sufficiently understand. This is more of an excuse to talk to you longer, especially since your attention is always in high demand. 

Always wear the gaudy gifts that Pantalone insists on bestowing you. Not only must you pretend to be grateful for the displays of profligacy, but you must act excited too. It's enough to antagonize what few shards of pride you have left to cling to. He’ll clasp necklaces around you that feel tighter than a noose, set crowns on your head so heavy with the burden of their jewels it becomes a struggle to look anywhere but the ground. You’re cursed to feel his presence even in his absence. It’s a bitter reminder that at this point, the only thing you’re missing is a collar. The others share your opinion and are free to voice their dissent while you must bite your tongue almost hard enough to bleed. Signora says something daintier that complements your complexion would be better, whereas Scaramouche longs to rip the ostentatious ornaments from you entirely. Pantalone just chuckles and says it’s your decision. Don’t you like his gifts? Always nod when he asks you this.

Be wary of accepting Childe’s supposed sympathy, for he is just as guilty in your subjugation. The best actor is one who makes you forget you’re watching a play. As a mere member of the audience, it is never your place to express dislike of the script, no matter how much the characters on stage oppress you. Childe sets himself up to be your favorite by playing your advocate. He’s not against your suffering, so long as he gets to be the balm that makes it all better. He affirms the thoughts you hold prisoner in your mind, for if you were to speak them, there’d be hell to pay. Makes jokes about how creepy Sandrone’s predilections are or how impossible it is for you to please Signora. Not him, however, he promises that there’s no need to be so on guard in his presence. It’s so tempting to buy into it. You’d do well to remember he is not the ally he portrays himself to be, he’s every bit of an enemy to your self-interest as the others. 

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