#i am stuck in the prison of my own mind and the only thing i can see is beeduo

[mysticheathenn]

What's Your Sign of Encouragement?

Hi there! I hope you all enjoy it and remember to take what resonates and leave what does not as this is a general reading. This reading does not supplement your need to go and seek actual therapy or professional help.

Take your time when choosing your pile. Ask yourself the question and choose the picture that you can’t stop looking at. Listen to your intuition.

Patreon Link

YouTube Link (Start Channel1/29) Ko-Fi Donations

Pile l:

Tarot: Knight of Pentacles, 3 of Pentacles, The Star (reversed), 7 of Wands. Oracle: Healing, Life Purpose, Happiness, Financial Health

"You are not in a prison" was a phrase I heard as I was shuffling your tarot cards pile 1. There is a difference between being in a prison and also being in your own way. You're causing yourself to stay stuck not ever seeing that you have the key to freedom. Your mind is holding you hostage as your soul is begging to be set free. "Why do you deny yourself heaven? Why do you find yourself undeserving? Why are you afraid of happiness? You think it's not possible for someone like you. But you are more than deserving" - Beyonce. Some of the words I changed because she was talking about love/Jay-z from the Lemonade album but why are you so afraid of good things, boo when good things are calling for you. Open up the wounds that have hurt you and heal. Your life purpose is calling you, financial abundance is also calling you but you need to wake up. Change your mindset and ways. Stop self-sabotaging and seek some healing and therapy. I want to see you win, others want to see you win. But it all starts with you wanting to see yourself win too. I wish I could hug you pile 1, you need it the most right now but I know you got this. Keep reminding yourself that you are a star, you ARE the main character and take your time one foot after another. I know life is shit right now but see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Pile ll:

Tarot: None Oracle: Answers, Finding, Home, Passion, Courage "The answers you seek are inside of you. You're looking everywhere but where you need to be looking, inside." You may be trying to find yourself looking everywhere from social media, to finding yourself in love partners, careers, etc when you should be looking inside of you. Listen to your intuition, listen to the fire that most likely has been burning inside of you but you have been ignoring it out of fear that no one will like this new version or worse maybe you won't like this new person you feel deep down inside. Do not be afraid pile ll. There is a saying that goes "Don't let the money change you, let it make you" from the iconic movie Player's Club but in the sense of this context I am saying embrace the change but don't let the change break you or turn into something that it isn't. You are meant for change, growth, and finding your sense of home this lifetime. You deserve to be at peace and comfort in not only your own skin but the people around you. Find your community, find where you belong, there are billions of people out there who are dying to meet this new version of you, but you have to be willing to show up. Your pile surprisingly didn't need any tarot only oracle cards and the messages were coming in. Have the courage pile ll. *Viola Davis Voice from the Help* You are safe. You is loved. You is welcomed. You is amazing. make that your mantra as you find your sense of home, belonging, acceptance, and self-love.

Pile lll:

Tarot: The Magician (reversed), 10 of Wands, Knight of Wands (reversed), The Lovers, 7 of Cups Oracle: Friendship, Fertility, Boundaries, Prosperity, Strength Pile lll why are you almost always my pile with romance, friendship, or family with boundary problems, haha. Who do I need to smack for you guys because this has to stop, my guy. For some strange reason, I feel one of you said I need to smack everyone for you and I believe it. Two songs are coming in for you and that's "We're Not Going To Take It by Twisted Sisters and "Loverboy by Mickey and Sylvia both popular songs back in the day especially Lover Boy as it was in the original movie Dirty Dancing. You are sick and tired of being sick and tired and you're becoming fed up with being presented bread crumbs for your relationships whether this is romantic or platonic. You want more from the people around you but you fear leaving because you feel you don't have any other options. If not other options you aren't sure if this is as good as it gets and it's not. There is always a bigger and better everything in life. As soon as you think that you have reached greatness or met the best person in the world you meet a whole new level of amazing you keep climbing from there. Just know that whatever whoever you are dealing with you have a whole community behind you waiting to help you pick up where you are and show you a whole new world. If not the current people in your life new people are coming in as well wanting to show you the better things whether it's food, clothes, community, love, career...you name it. Don't believe for a second that you don't have options because you will always have options. A few of you may have been drawn to pile 1 as well. It's okay to start over and it's okay to set boundaries. Take a deep breath and dare to do what is right for you and believe that your life is abundant in all ways possible.

That's all I have for everyone. I hope you enjoyed this reading. Until next time, stay safe and blessed.

#spirituality #tarot reading #tarotcommunity #tarotblr #tarot cards #pick a card #witchblr #pac tarot #pick a pile #pick a picture #pick an image #pick a card reading #pac reading

[atlabeth]

everything happens for a reason part 22 - zuko x fem!reader

I've been waiting on you

part 21 | masterlist | part 23

a/n: UHHH happy one year anniversary of me not updating!! i missed it by a day but honestly that's very in character. i kind of have no excuse for taking a year long break from this. lol. all i can really say is i lost all my avatar inspo and got really into a bunch of other things and poor little ehfar got left in the corner abandoned!!! but i could never abandon this it's my baby and even if it takes me 1000 years to finish it i will finish it. it's kind of embarrassing that it took so long for this to come out and it's a short filler chapter like who do i think i am.... but everyone is happy and on the beach and yn finally gets some clothes of her own after spending like 7 chapters in prison clothes. anyways enjoy (three more chapters left what?? will it take me 3 years who knows)

wc: 4.8k

warning(s): yn and zuko talk about their pasts and what theyve been through but overall this is a very fluffy chapter

chapter title from seasons (waiting on you) by future islands

The days after their arrival back to the island passed by with relative ease. 

Y/N practiced waterbending with Katara and Aang so she could work on getting the hang of it again. She’d been close to mastery before Ba Sing Se, and her muscle memory was stronger than she realized, but prison and the months without her bending had weakened her. Zuko continued working with Aang on his firebending under the looming deadline of the comet.

Sokka and Suki trained with each other too, working on their hand to hand and sword fighting, and Y/N would occasionally join in to stay sharp on what Suki had taught her back in prison. Her time without her bending made her realize how much she relied solely on it, and she never wanted to feel defenseless again. 

They continued to share stories every night over a campfire. They all had plenty to talk about after everything they’d been through, especially when Zuko had been against them for half the time, Suki was leading the Kyoshi Warriors, and Y/N was stuck behind bars. 

And of course, Zuko and Y/N spent as much time together as they possibly could. They were practically attached at the hip—sitting together at meals, watching one another bend on their breaks, training against each other the way they used to, exploring the island together, just being with each other. After everything they’d been through, Y/N thought they deserved it. 

Eventually though, it was decided that they had to leave. Being in Fire Nation territory, even in the middle of nowhere, was risky. They were running out of food and supplies in general, and the possibility that Fire Nation ships would still somehow discover them weighed on their minds. They couldn’t afford to get caught so far into their mission, especially with the traitor prince of the Fire Nation on their side. 

Zuko’s idea, however, was possibly even riskier. 

“Ember Island?” Y/N asked hesitantly. “That’s… bold.” 

“We’re already being bold by staying in Fire Nation territory,” Zuko said. “We’re safe from Azula for now, but it’s only a matter of time before she somehow finds us again.” He shrugged. “My family’s vacation home is the last spot anyone will think to look.” 

“I think it’s a great idea,” Sokka said. “It’ll be nice to not fight for our lives for a minute before we make the final push.” 

Aang adjusted his hold on the reins—they’d already packed up Appa and started flying before Zuko proposed his idea—and shrugged. “I’m okay with it. Zuko and I will be able to keep training, and you all can relax in an actual house.”

“And we’ll be able to go to the beach!” Toph exclaimed. “I’ve been meaning to work on my sandbending. And,” she grinned, “I’m betting none of you have heard of sandball fights.”

“We’re really getting ourselves into something,” Katara said dryly. 

Y/N smiled and she leaned into Zuko’s side. He wrapped his arm around her immediately and pulled her closer.

“I’ve always wondered what Ember Island was like,” Y/N mused. “I was always so jealous when you and Azula got to go there on vacation every summer and I was stuck at the palace.” 

“You weren’t missing much,” Zuko said wryly. “Yeah, there’s beaches, but mostly it was just unbearably hot.” He frowned. “My father still made me do work even when we were supposed to be on vacation. I’ve done a lot of swordfighting here.” 

“I missed you,” she said, and she knew that she would never get tired of seeing Zuko’s cheeks flush red. 

“Really?” he asked. “Even then?” 

“Especially then,” she clarified. “It wasn’t like I had much going on for me there. The palace was extremely boring without you.” 

“Spirits, you guys are gross,” Sokka groaned as he looked out at the sky. “Suki and I haven’t been like this, have we?” 

Katara chuckled. “You definitely have. You could barely stay off of each other when you got back from the Boiling Rock.” 

“Just imagine what they were like when they first got back together,�� Zuko said with a frown. 

“Neither of you can say anything,” Toph asserted. “I can hear both of your heartbeats shoot up every time you’re around Y/N and Suki.” 

Zuko scowled, Sokka’s face flushed, and Suki and Y/N just smiled at each other. 

“So Ember Island is a yes?” Aang asked. When everyone nodded in agreement, he looked at Zuko. “I’m in need of your navigation skills, Sifu Hotman.” 

He groaned. “I told you to stop calling me that.” 

“I know,” Aang said cheerfully. 

Zuko just sighed, and he kissed Y/N on the cheek before he moved to sit next to Aang. She smiled, and she let her hand hang over the side of the saddle. 

“...I guess it is nice not seeing you two argue all the time,” Sokka said after a moment. 

“It’s nice that you two aren’t moping around all the time either,” Toph added. “That was kind of annoying.” 

“Imagine how I felt,” Y/N said, though it was absent minded as her gaze stayed on Zuko. 

“I don’t have to imagine it,” Toph said. “You were very clearly mopey.” 

“And when you weren’t mopey, you were angry,” Suki contributed. “You said you were imagining Zuko’s face whenever I taught you new moves at the Boiling Rock. You beat him up a lot there.” 

Sokka and Toph laughed, but it was a moment before she said anything. It took Katara saying her name for her to turn back around, and when Y/N did, she blinked for a moment. “What?” 

Katara chuckled, glancing at Zuko before she looked back at her. “We’re just glad you’re back.” 

Her expression instantly brightened as she smiled. “I’m glad to be back.” 

-

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at Ember Island—and if it did, Y/N was far too busy conversing with her friends and watching Zuko for it to matter. She grimaced as she slid off of Appa, one hand taking Zuko’s and the other wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. 

“Spirits,” she mumbled, “I thought I was used to Fire Nation heat by now.” 

“Me too,” Sokka groaned. “But this is already worse than all the other places we’ve been to.” 

“Ember Island’s always been like this,” Zuko said. “The good news is that it’s Ember Island. There’s plenty of beaches—we’ve even got our own private one.” 

“Good for practicing waterbending,” Katara said with a glance at Aang. 

“Good for practicing all kinds of bending,” Zuko said. “You’re gonna need to practice your firebending every day if you want to stand a chance against my father. We’re running out of time and you’re nowhere close to being a master.” 

Aang frowned. “Way to bring down the mood, Zuko.” 

“I’m being realistic!” he defended. “You can’t just end one hundred years of war with some good luck and an optimistic mindset!” 

Sokka shrugged. “It’s worked for us so far.” 

Zuko opened his mouth to say something that would definitely cause an argument. Before he could, Y/N laughed, looping her arm through his and tugging him along. 

“Come on,” she said. “Show us around.” 

Zuko sighed, though his show of annoyance was negated as he pulled Y/N closer. “Fine. It is about time I’ve brought you here.” 

“Ugh.” Toph kicked at the sand with her foot. “I think Zuko’s just brought us along on his couples vacation.” 

“Oh, quiet,” she joked. “We’ve earned it.” 

Toph stuck her tongue out. “Doesn’t mean we can’t complain about it.” 

Y/N chuckled as they walked together, the rest of the group trailing behind them. 

“Spirits, Zuko,” Sokka marveled when they stepped inside the house. “This is huge.” 

“It is the summer home of the royal family,” he said dryly. “My father never settles for anything less than perfection. It also gave us more room to avoid each other when he was causing arguments.” 

“I can’t imagine that happened a lot,” Katara said sarcastically. 

“Never,” Zuko agreed with the same tone. “He almost burned down the place a few times.” 

Aang frowned. “Sounds like a great guy.” 

“I know you’re not a violence guy, but if there’s anyone you’d enjoy fighting, it’s my dad,” Zuko muttered. 

“I’ll do it for the good of the world,” Aang said. “Not because I’ll enjoy it.” 

Zuko grimaced and opened his mouth to say something, but Y/N interrupted once more before they could devolve into this conversation again. 

“Like Sokka said, this place is huge.” She placed a hand on Zuko’s arm. “Will we have our own rooms?” 

Zuko’s brows creased a bit, but he nodded after a moment. “Yeah. There should be enough for all of us.” 

“Suki and I can share,” Sokka said, stretching his arms out casually to reach one around Suki. She laughed and leaned her head against his chest, and he looked far too pleased with himself. “Tryna make up for lost time, y’know?” 

“Gross,” Toph scoffed. “I’ll take my own room, please.” 

Aang glanced at Katara for a moment before he cleared his throat and nodded at Zuko. “Yeah. Me too.” 

Katara was too busy looking at a mask sitting on a mantle. She picked it up and glanced back at Zuko. “What is this from?” 

“One of my mother’s favorite plays,” he said. “She was an actress before she married my father, and every time we came here, we’d always go see some shows. They gave her the mask of the lead character after the end of one production a few years ago, as thanks for her patronage.” 

“Oh, we should definitely go see a play while we’re here!” Y/N exclaimed. “I got my hands on some old play scripts when I was still working in the palace, and the other servants and I would spend hours reenacting our favorite parts.” She chuckled. “It would be nice to see actual actors do it.” 

“We should be able to carve out some time for that,” Zuko said. “Between all the training, of course.” 

“You are such a downer,” Aang groaned. 

“I’m seeing the full picture!” he defended. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do—just because we’re at our vacation home doesn’t mean we’re on vacation.”

“After all this is over, we definitely deserve a vacation,” Sokka muttered. “Before all the rebuilding and restructuring and relegislating starts…” The smile fell from his face. “Wow. We’re never gonna get a vacation.” 

“Oh, perk up, ponytail,” Toph said. “We’re going to end the endless war and defeat the undefeatable Fire Lord. If we want to take a vacation, no one can really stop us.” 

The smile reappeared with surprising quickness. “That’s true!” 

Zuko laughed softly. “Your rooms should be on the first floor. You can explore and divide the rooms yourselves. I,” he looked at Y/N, “want to show you something.”

She smiled as Zuko pulled her closer with an arm around her shoulder and made for the stairs, leaving a rapidly growing argument over room selection in their wake. 

“Do you think they’ll have decided by the time we get back down?” Zuko asked. 

Y/N shrugged. “This is the first time they’re sleeping in rooms instead of camping on the ground in… Spirits. Since Ba Sing Se, I think. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go at it all night.” 

He chuckled as they stopped in front of a room, and Zuko pushed open the door so they could walk in together. 

“This was my room whenever we came here,” he said. “I figured we could share it.” 

“This is the height of luxury,” Y/N commented, stepping out of Zuko’s embrace to run her hand over the sheets. Her lips quirked into a smile. “I can’t believe you slept on a bed like this every night.” 

“You’re telling me they don’t have this kind of stuff in the North?” Zuko asked wryly. 

“No,” she chuckled, “definitely not. We were more focused on not freezing.” 

“Well, we’re more focused on pointless displays of luxury,” he said, “so you’re not too far off.” 

Zuko ignited the tip of his finger and began lighting candles around the room, and Y/N glanced at him with amusement as she sat down on the bed. 

“Mood lighting,” he explained with the sliver of a smile. “I think we deserve some time alone after the past few days.” 

She pressed a hand to her chest. “You know the way straight to my heart.” 

Once he was done he sat down next to her, and Y/N intertwined their hands together and pulled him down so they were laying on their backs. She rested her head on Zuko’s chest and he moved his arm around her to keep her close, tracing lazy circles on her shoulder. 

“Wonderful mattress,” she sighed. “So this was what you were up to while I was sewing clothes and doing endless loads of laundry.” 

“I thought about you a lot more than you probably think,” Zuko said. She turned her head a bit to look at him, slightly surprised, and he shrugged. “Honestly? When we were kids, I thought about you pretty much constantly. My father always told me not to talk to servants, but I didn’t see you as anything other than my friend. You were… kind of my only normal friend.” 

“Well, you were kind of my only friend, period. All the other servants were way older—they just felt like a different version of my mom.” Y/N’s gaze rose to the ceiling. “I wonder how they’re all doing.” 

“They should be okay,” Zuko said. “No one really caused as much trouble as we did.” 

Y/N laughed as her gaze flitted around the room, taking in all the details. A portrait of the royal family hung on the wall, while a much smaller, lone portrait of Zuko sat on a desk in the corner. He didn’t look very happy, but she couldn’t imagine sitting for that many paintings as a child was fun. What looked to be a half-finished message sat on the desk, the ends of the scroll rolling up and obscuring most of the inked letters. A neat stack of towels and blankets were on top of a clothing chest in the other corner, and she chuckled a bit. In her experience of doing his laundry in their youth, it seemed to be something he still hadn’t grown out of. 

“I can practically see little Zuko running in here after a day at the beach,” she mused. “The ends of his clothes singed from fighting with Azula, his hair drenched from swimming, getting sand all over the sheets.” 

“I wasn’t that messy of a child,” he complained. “I… I did come home with my clothes singed a couple times, though.” 

She chuckled. “I know. My mother had to fix a lot of your outfits because of it.” 

“It’s not my fault that ‘hide and blast’ was her idea of fun!” he defended. 

“Hide and blast?” 

“One person hides, the other person searches. By… blasting fire everywhere.” Zuko shook his head. “I don’t know all kids around the Fire Nation were as crazy as us or if Azula invented it herself.” 

“...Yeah,” Y/N said with a slight laugh. “We definitely didn’t play that in my village.” 

“Of course you didn’t,” he said. “None of you were firebenders.” 

“I was the only waterbender in the village though,” she said. “There were a couple other earthbender kids, but it made me feel so special. We would always play together and try to mix our bending together.” A small yet wistful smile tugged at her lips. “That feels like forever ago, though.” 

“I know what you mean,” Zuko murmured. “I was banished three years ago, but a lifetime has changed since then.” 

“For the better?” Y/N murmured. 

She could feel Zuko nod. “Definitely.” 

Their door was then pushed open more, and Suki poked her head in through the gap. A grin appeared on her face at their closeness. 

“I see the lovebirds are making themselves at home,” she mused. 

Y/N laughed as she sat up, pulling Zuko with her. She smiled at the sight of his flushed cheeks. “We’re trying.” 

“We believe in knocking here in the Fire Nation,” Zuko grumbled. 

“The door was open,” Suki said cheerfully. “And I’d like to steal your girl for an afternoon outing.” 

Her eyebrows shot up. “What for?” 

“Well, I’d like to explore the island some, and I figure we’re the lowest profile out of our whole group,” she said. “We’ve also missed out on some shopping while we were stuck in prison—we’ve gotta get our hands on some Fire Nation clothes.” 

Y/N’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea! Leya’s dress is beautiful, but Earth Kingdom clothing sticks out a bit more than I want.” 

“And I’m in literal prison clothes,” Suki said. “The sooner we’re in red, the better.” 

“That’s… probably smart,” Zuko amended. “There’s some gold pieces in my bag. It should be more than enough for both of you.” 

“Are you sure?” Y/N frowned. “You don’t have to—” 

“You think I didn’t take a bunch of money from the palace before I left?” Zuko asked wryly. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Suki’s smile grew. “Just call it reparations.” 

Zuko huffed a laugh, but Y/N cut him off as she pulled him in for a kiss. 

“You’ll be alright while we’re gone?” 

“Of course,” he said. “This is my home, after all. If anything, I should be asking you that.” 

“I’ve got the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors with me,” Y/N said. “If anyone decides to mess with us, it’s going to be their problem—not ours.” 

Suki laughed and gestured with her head, and Y/N stood up and started walking backwards. “I’ll see you later—try to have some fun here.” 

“I don’t have fun,” he called out as she was walking out, and she just shook her head with a smile. 

“You’re really dating a ball of sunshine there, aren’t you?” Suki joked. 

Y/N bit back her growing smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

-

The rest of the day went by in a breeze. 

Y/N and Suki spent a few hours in town, chatting and shopping and even doing some reconnaissance at the end, just to make sure they were truly undercover at the vacation home. Doing rookie spy work with a Kyoshi Warrior was surprisingly just as fun as the shopping part—and after what she and Zuko did to free her village, it was surprisingly easy. 

The sun was still high in the sky when they got back, dressed head to toe in Fire Nation finery. Zuko and Aang were in the midst of training when the two of them went around back to find their friends, and when he saw Y/N, his fire died out and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. 

(“Yeah,” Zuko had stammered when she asked his opinion, “You look really good.”

“Thanks,” she said, and she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. “I feel pretty good.”

“Fire Nation clothes suit you,” he said, and he pulled her into a kiss. “It’s about time you’ve gotten some.”

“Technically, I wore them for a few months,” she said wryly. “Prison clothes and all.”

Zuko scoffed. “That doesn’t count.”

“And I wore them for most of my childhood,” she mused. “Servant clothes and all.” 

“That counts even less!” he insisted. 

“But thank you,” Y/N finally said with a smile. “I was hoping you would like them.” 

It was an effort to bite back her joy every time Zuko would sneak a look at her while they continued their training.) 

The rest of the day was just mostly spent getting used to everything. The last time the vacation home had been occupied was when Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee visited, so a lot of adjustments needed to be made. 

Katara insisted on washing all the sheets, and Y/N decided to join in because of her waterbending—Aang wanted to talk with Katara, Zuko wanted to be with Y/N, Toph wanted to ask him a bunch of questions about Ember Island, and Sokka didn’t want to be left out, so soon enough, the seven of them were all sitting on the steps of the house doing laundry and telling stories. 

Soon enough, the sun had set and the house had been cleaned what felt like ten times over. Everyone had retired to their own devices except for Y/N and Zuko, who were walking along the shore arm in arm. 

“I think I like beaches,” she mused. “The nearest ocean had no beach back home, and all we had in the North was ice. You Fire Nation folk are lucky.” 

Zuko chuckled. “I don’t know if it’s luck. We’re just one big island with a lot of humidity.” 

“Still,” she leaned her head on his shoulder, “it’s nice. We should visit here together once all this is over.” 

“Of course,” he nodded. “I know I’m going to be the Fire Lord if all goes well, but there’s going to be a lot of diplomacy trips.” She felt his eyes on her. “You can join me on all of them.” 

“Of course,” she repeated. “The Fire Lord’s Earth Kingdom-born, waterbending girlfriend will be so welcome.” 

“If you’ve learned one thing through all of this, it should be that I don’t care what anyone thinks when it comes to you,” Zuko said. “I want you there with me. You want to be there with me. That’s reason enough.” 

Y/N chuckled, and she ran her thumb over Zuko’s knuckles. His hands housed callouses, borne from hundreds of hours of explosive firebending and sword-fighting and years of life on the road. She always wondered how hands that treated her so softly, that revered her, were so capable of violence. 

“I know there’s going to be a lot of expectations for us,” she said. “Especially once you take the throne. But I— I’d like to take things as slow as we can.” 

“Of course.” Zuko squeezed her hand, his brows creasing. “I don’t care what anyone says or wants or expects. I love you, Y/N—we’ll go at our own pace.” 

“It’s just because we’ve spent the past year trying to kill each other,” Y/N said with a nervous laugh. “If we could spend this next year being in love with each other, that would be really great.” 

That actually got a laugh out of Zuko, and he gestured with his head towards the sand. When they sat down, he pulled her into his side. They fit perfectly together. 

“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “I think we’ve already gotten a headstart on that.”

“Good,” she said. 

Y/N sighed as she moved closer into Zuko’s embrace, his warmth a shield from the cool night breeze. She’d always run cold, and having a personal hearth made things much easier. 

“I wish we didn’t have to go through so much to end up with each other,” she murmured. 

“Believe me,” Zuko sighed, “I know.” 

“But my mother always told me that everything happens for a reason,” Y/N said. “And… I guess she’s right. Because I don’t think we would be here if all this hadn’t happened.” Something inside of her twisted, and though she tried to suppress it, the words came out before she could really think about it. “And sometimes I— I wonder why I’m still here.” 

He frowned slightly, allowing a short glance down at her. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean… you know what I’ve had to go through to get here. My village, the palace, the North, this journey with Aang, the capital prison, the Boiling Rock…” she shook her head. “Countless others have died or gotten hurt trying to protect me or save me. Our group— we were the first ones ever to escape from the Boiling Rock. So why do I get to be here? Why is my father gone, but I’m still here? I don’t deserve it more than he did. I certainly don’t deserve it more than Yue. So… I don’t know. Sometimes I just can’t understand why I’m the one that got to make it when so many others haven’t.” 

“Don’t say that,” Zuko urged. 

“It’s not the way you think,” Y/N said honestly. “It just feels like we’ve beaten every single odd.” 

“Maybe we have,” he said, “but it’s certainly not out of luck, or chance.” Zuko took her hand and intertwined their fingers together, giving her hand a squeeze. “You fought every step of the way to get here—a lot of the time, you were fighting against me. You’ve earned every good thing you’ve gotten, Y/N, and I think I might spend the rest of my life trying to be someone worthy of you.” 

“Zuko,” she lamented, “you already are.” 

“It’s not the way you think,” he echoed wryly. “I’ve loved you since the beginning, and despite everything, you still love me too. You kept giving me chances because you believed in me for some stupid reason. I wouldn’t be where I am without that—without you. I want to be the best version of myself every day so you know you made the right choice.” 

Y/N felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she smiled, squeezing his hand back. Nowadays, they were almost always touching in some way. Tonight reminded her why—she never felt more comforted, more at peace, then when she was with Zuko. 

“You… kind of just hit my next point,” she said with a nervous chuckle, curling into his side further. 

“Don’t tell me it’s more self-doubt,” Zuko said. 

“I can’t help it!” she defended. “I— I just have to make sure.” 

“Of what?” 

“That…” Y/N paused, her mouth suddenly dry. “That I’m still the one you want. Even after all that’s happened. After all that’s going to happen.” 

Zuko frowned, and he took her other hand, lacing their fingers together.  “Of course. Y/N, it’s always been you. It’s been true forever, even if I haven’t always known it.” 

“It’s not going to be easy,” she said softly. “I’m Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom. Your people aren’t just going to accept that, especially with you as their leader.” 

Zuko actually laughed at that, and he gave her a sideways smile. Months ago, staring into his hardened eyes used to bring her close to tears. Seeing him smile now, reassuring doubts that seemed so pointless in the face of his love—even after everything, Y/N considered herself the luckiest girl in the world. 

“Y/N, we’ve gone across the whole world doing things no one ever has,” Zuko said. “The seven of us are going to end a war that’s been going on for a century. Aang is going to defeat my father, and he shouldn’t even be alive. We’ve beat every single odd against us. I think getting my people to like you will be the easiest thing we have to handle.” 

“You think so?” she asked. The tension had dissolved some from her shoulders, her worries dissuading with each honeyed word. 

“I know so,” Zuko assured. “I’m gonna have to change the Fire Nation from the ground up. There’s no one else I’d want by my side while I do it. My people will see you the way I do, and they’ll love you just as much.” 

Y/N leaned closer and pressed a kiss to his lips. Sometimes she still couldn’t get over the fact that she could just… do that. Just kiss him, just smile with him, just be happy with him. Yue shone down on them as she pulled away, Zuko’s features glowing in the moonlight, and Y/N hoped her friend knew she was so much of the reason she’d gotten here. 

Happiness seemed out of reach, out of her cards entirely, for such a long time, and when she had it, it always felt like such a precarious thing. Sometimes she still remembered those days in the tea shop, the night in the catacombs. 

But with Zuko finally by her side, it was a tangible thing. Something she deserved. Something she already had. 

“We’ll do it all together,” she murmured. 

“Together,” Zuko agreed. 

And she laid back down on the sand, bringing Zuko with her. He pulled her closer, tucked into his side as he wrapped his arm around her. They laid there in silence, Zuko’s warmth heating her from the inside out, staring up at the starry night sky and reveling in the feeling of just being with each other. 

Together.

-

i'll tag ppl here because it's been uhhhhhh fucking YEAR and everyone's prob forgotten it exists and i also did tag lists while this was coming out but please do not ask to be added bc i dont do them anymore!!

ehfar tags: @chandies-sideblog @zacatecanaaaa @anzanity @randomthingssssss @escapingthoughtsandsecrets @shanksfav @shephard17895 @ilovespideyyy @whats-my-question @selfship-mishaps @ilistentotayswifttocope @i-make-questionable-choices @3leni @thatobsessedreader @lostgreekgod @oriontingz @zerode-unhinged @badpvn @mimi-sanisanidiot @adhdhufflepuff @aquaamethyst96 @hollyismentallyillhelp @holypoetrygarden @islandgayneery @pitrii-petra @jinxed-jk @veras-fanfic-reblogs @cloud-9ine @lucifersidepiece @kiskzawagnerwhore @froggi-00 @eajalova @mrsyixingunicorn10 @xxxxxxdelenaxxxxxx @cafesho @the-natureofme @whoevenfrickinknows @a-bit-late @zukowantshishonourback @settlebackeasy @jemssafespace @wildwallflower24 @calmoistorm @mich1551-blog @inutheangel @sagemastah @avrilh

#zuko x reader #zuko x you #zuko x reader fic #zuko #zuko fic #avatar #avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar fic #atla fic #avatar the last airbender fic #atla x reader #avatar x reader #sadie writes #ehfar

[esther-dot]

oh and I hope you don't mind (we can share my mood) 11k by @thkingslayer

“You make presumptions, your highness.” “I do not. I know how unwanted I am by you, Lady Sansa.” Her mouth opens as she struggles to find the words to tell him it isn’t true. She’s a lady. She would be nice if he would. She just wants— She just wants— -- When the king travels north, Sansa takes an immediate liking to Prince Aegon. She does not, however, want anything to do with her cousin Prince Jon—the brooding, dark haired, younger brother. She's quite sure he does not want anything to do with her also. And by the Old Gods and the New, she will not let him ruin her mood.

Dawn 19k

Like her mother before her, Sansa will do her duty. She will marry a man who is practically a stranger, mere days before he sets off for war.

All That Glitters 3k by @rumaan

Sansa is annoyed she has to give up a day with Prince Aegon to show his boring younger brother around Winterfell. Some alone time with Prince Jon makes her re-evaluate her opinion.

Sapphires and Salt 9k by @wendynerdwrites

The Princess to be is jilted, the unwanted prince rises

Salty Teens one, two, three by @blackholeofprocrastination

Sansa bursts into his solar in a swirl of skirts, her precious courtesies forgotten. Jon remains seated behind his desk, earning a scowl from his lady wife.  “What did you say to Jeyne?” she demands. “Nothing.”  It’s not entirely true, but he is still too furious to be cowed in his own damn solar.

Learning to fight, learning to Dance 1k by @myrish-lace-love

Lyanna Stark survives, and Jon and Aegon are half-brothers. Jon is in a hastily arranged marriage with Sansa Stark. They get on each other's nerves constantly during the day, but their nights are a different matter.

What a Disappointment 7k by @justadram

Sansa Stark and Jon Targaryen are married and neither of them is pleased about it. Set in a world where Rhaegar lives and Jon was raised in King's Landing as a legitimized bastard.

lights still shining in the room, you left me here 11k

Perhaps at one point, her marriage to Jon had become less of a sham. But with a history of three dead children between them, even the strongest of unions would break, let alone one as fragile as theirs. When Sansa tries to save herself, her actions lead to some interesting revelations.

Made New 3k

Sansa does not get the wedding night that she longed for and has to fix it

Tell the Ones That Need to know (We Are Headed North) 10k by @vixleonard

After years of confinement in the Red Keep with Ned prisoner in the black cells, the Dragon Queen comes. With the knowledge that Jon Snow is actually a Targaryen, she agrees to let the Starks return to Winterfell only if Jon marries one of the Stark daughters. Sansa volunteers so they can all go home. Soon she figures out being married to Jon isn't bad but it is complicated.

half a kingdom and a princess 2k by @misshoneywheeler

“Guess you’re stuck with me, old girl.” Old girl. He’s never called her that before. He’s never called her anything but Sansa and my lady, or sometimes Lady Stark, a title that gives them both discomfort as Lady Stark is still Sansa’s mother to each of them. Something in Sansa thrills at the strange endearment, though she should – and may – protest at being called such a thing. There’s just something so familiar in the words, in Jon’s soft affection as he says them. Something intimate and real.

A Convenient Inconvenience 4k

Once Daenerys takes the Iron Throne she knows the battle is only half over. Now that she has the throne she must keep it. Since she cannot have heirs of her own she names her new half-brother, the former Jon Snow, now Jon Targaryen, the Crown Prince. And a prince needs a princess which is where Sansa Stark comes in. The pair marry yet it takes months for Jon to realize that Sansa thinks of their relationship as more than just a duty.

PRE CANON - WESTERN - FAIRYTALE - REGENCY - LITTLE WOMEN - HOLIDAY - SEASON SIX - ANNE OF GREEN GABLES - THE GIRL IN GREY - FREE CITIES - FAIRYTALE PART II - POLITICAL MARRIAGE - POST CANON

#jonsa #jonsa fic #dot fic list #salty teens au #arranged marriage au #political marriage au #some of these are jon is a targ but they're primarily salty teens so stuck them here and will do more jon is a targ fics later

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Unexpected 40

Sequel to Unsolicited

Warnings: non/dubcon, pregnancy, pegging, Lloyd being the worst, post partum, csection, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

Numb. All your life, you strived for that state. To not feel a thing. It only took the sacrifice of your independence and body to achieve it.

Your mind is spent, you just can’t care about anything. Not the man suddenly missing, not the baby attached to your tit, and certainly not that dull tugging in your pelvis. 

“Dear, are you hungry?” Dottie asks as she appears in the doorway, “little thing must be takin’ it out of ya.”

You grumble. Your stomach clutches but your appetite is almost nonexistent. Everytime you see yourself, everytime you get a glance at your body, you can’t help but cringe. No wonder he’s gone. You were no prize before and now he’s ruined any semblance of attraction.

“You have to eat,” she chides, “‘specially if you’re gonna keep this one well fed.”

She comes to you as you finish feeding. You look down at the baby. You’re still waiting for the light switch to flip on. That magical moment everyone mythologises when you’ll feel that motherly yearning. When all common sense is wiped up by the primal instincts of maternity. You got nothing. 

The baby gets no reaction from you. Not disgust, not fear, not love, or joy or anything else they say you should feel.

You hand her over to Dottie. She burps the child and lays her in the rolling bassinet nearby. You lean against the pillows and stare at the room. You refused to stay in the one you shared with Lloyd, instead you took one of the guest beds.

If he ever shows up, you doubt he’ll want anything from you. You can’t offer him anything. The doctor says at least six weeks. If it’s up to you, never.

Dottie leaves you. She tries to get you to do more than grumble and sleep but there’s nothing else you can do. She is Marion’s mother. She hasn’t said a damn thing about him running off and you haven’t seen Harlan since the delivery room. You can’t tell if the are ashamed about their son or merely stuck in an awkward situation.

You close your eyes. This is what you knew would happen. This is what you yelled at Lloyd. And as always, you’re right and he doesn’t fucking listen. For as unpredictable as you believed he was before, you see through him more and more. You know who and what he is.

For a moment, you miss the life you had before. The one you thought was a prison but now you see was freedom. Working nights, coming home, sleeping on your own hours, eating on your own clock, coming and going wherever you liked, even if it wasn’t often. If you could go back, you would. 

You would pretend like Colin loved you and just forget about Ally. At least he kept the act up. Your eyes burn and you wiggle your nose.

You will not cry. You are numb. You don’t feel. You don’t want to feel. You don’t even want to be.

💎

“A walk will be nice, dear,” Dottie says as she lays the baby in the stroller.

You sit on the bench near the door. You feel weak and worn. It’s only been two weeks. You have a lifetime left of this. You won’t survive it.

Dottie can’t stay forever. If you were her age, you’d already be off enjoying your retirement. When you are her age, you’ll still be stuck here.

Unless… he decides to throw you out. The kid will be grown by then. You’ll be old and ragged and useless. With any luck, you won’t find out one way or the other.

“The doctor says a slow walk is good. Keeping active will help you recover.”

You nod. You don’t argue. In a way, you are humiliated by her constant doting. More like pestering. She knows you can’t do this alone, just like you do. She does a good job of hiding her anger. If you were her, you’d be livid at your son for pulling this shit.

“Right, well, let’s get going,” she chirps as she opens the door and wheels the stroller through.

You don’t move as she rolls it down to even ground and she kicks the brakes down on the wheels. She comes back in and offers to help you up. You slide to the edge of the bench and grunt as you stand on your own.

You feel her gaze on you and you refuse to meet it. There’s something unsaid. Staying active. You have a lot of weight to take off. Yeah, you know.

You follow her slowly across the entry way and come out into the sunlight. You lean on the railing as you descend after her down the few steps. You keep your head down, shoulders slump, and keep your hand from meeting your stomach out of habit.

She flips the brakes up and she slowly sets off. You do your best to keep up, watching the toes of your speaker. The sun beats down hotly. Summer still blazes hotly. The loose hoodie you wear fills with heat and has you sweating.

She goes through the gate and turns onto the sidewalk. You lean against a pole to catch your breath. She stops patiently, cooing at the baby as you push yourself away. You apologise and press on. It is easier to be outside. It doesn’t feel so stagnant.

Dottie comments on the houses you pass, the pretty flowers, and the trimmed hedges. She likes the neighbourhood. To you, it looks like a circle of hell. You turn back at the end of the street and head back to the house. You’re drained entirely.

“Any ideas for lunch?” Dottie asks.

“Not hungry,” you answer.

“Aw, well, you do have to eat, just like Luna,” she says gently.

“Yeah,” you utter.

You’re startled as your name comes from behind you. Before you can reach the gate, you pause and face the speaker. Andy jogs towards you and stops before the stroller as Dottie turns it with her.

“Uh, hey, I saw you passing by,” he smiles and gives a nervous look at the other woman, “I haven’t seen you around, I just wanted to say hi. I… I didn’t know the baby was here already.”

You stare at him. You see the doubt in his cheek, a small twitch. You can’t just let him see how defeated you are.

“Two weeks,” you inform him, doing your best to keep your voice light, “she’s doing well.”

That’s the thing you noticed. Now that the baby is born, people don’t ask how you are. Not until they ask about the baby.

“Wow,” he says, “um, I’m Andy,” he says to Dottie, “I live next door.”

“Oh, wonderful,” she steps around the stroller to shake his hand, “I’m Dottie, the grandmother.”

He looks between you and the older woman. You squint. He doesn’t think…

“Oh, she’s not mine, the daddy is,” Dottie chuckles, “still, she’s a good daughter. Couldn’t be luckier.”

“Mind if I…” he points to the carriage.

“Go on, she’s a cute thing,” Dottie allows, “name’s Luna. Like Moonlight.”

He nears and hunches to see into the stroller. He aws and wiggles his finger at the baby. You watch him. He smiles at the child so easily. Every time you look at her, you just want to cry.

“Great, er, so just wanted to put it out there, if you need anything I’d be happy to help out,” he offers as he retreats to stand across from you, “you know, I’ve done it all before. I probably have some toys and stuff still hanging around.”

“You got kids?” Dottie asks.

“I had one,” Andy’s veneer falls just a little, “he had an accident.”

“Oh, hon, I’m so sorry, I couldn’t imagine,” she preens, “you are so kind. I’m sure we could use some company in that big house.”

“Lloyd will be okay with that?”

“He’s away on business,” she dismisses quickly and your muscles tense as you try to conceal your chagrin.

“That’s too bad. How about I come over and make some dinner? Tonight? Tomorrow? Give you two some time to relax.”

“Ah, wow, you are gallant, ain’t ya?” Dottie says, “how about tonight? The weather’s supposed to be fine, we can eat outside.”

“Works for me,” Andy announces triumphantly, “I’ll be over at five, does that work?”

“Sure thing,” Dottie affirms, “now, we should get the little one down, she’s starting to fuss.”

“Of course,” Andy grins and your eyes meet his. You try but can’t muster a smile. “See ya then.”

You nod as Dottie returns the sentiment. You turn and continue towards the gate. 

“What a nice man,” she says, “beautiful eyes… oddly familiar, don’t ya think?”

“I guess,” you mutter as you drag your feet. 

You really wish she hadn’t accepted the invite. You just want to be alone, or as alone as you can be with a child attached to you.

#lloyd hansen #lloyd hansen x reader #dark lloyd hansen #dark!lloyd hansen #unexpected #sequel #series #drabble #au #the gray man

[weirdmorefics]

Unmasked Chpt 1- The Call

Word Count- 1,461

Morning came slowly I stayed up most of the night with nightmares. The nightmares are usually worse this time of year, I think it is my mind's way of reminding me of the anniversary of the first Ghostface murders. My brain is wrong though I need no reminder. The only thing keeping me at all sane during the night is the fact that Spencer is not lecturing today and I will get to see him in the morning at work.

I walk into the BAU with a box of donuts for the team since we are all stuck doing boring paperwork today.

"Morning kid, you look like shit. Long night?" Rossi says full of humor.

I roll my eyes and open the box of donuts, "Hey, don't bite the hand that feeds you."

Rossi puts his hands up in surrender then grabs a donut, "Thanks, kid."

As he walks away I shout "Could you stop calling me kid too because that would be great!"

I set the donuts down in the breakroom and picked out one of Spencer's favorites to set on his desk.

I approach Spencer's desk and set the napkin-wrapped donut down on his desk. "Morning Reid,"

"Thank you, Y/n morning to you too. Did you know Americans consume ten billion donuts every year?"

I smile "Well let's make that ten billion and one." My phone cuts off the conversation and I see my sister's contact photo, "Excuse me I have to take this..." I hope he didn't notice my face shift to an anxious one.

Sidney never calls only texts and she still barely does that. She thinks I am an idiot for chasing after the crazy people who kill when enough killers already come after us.

"Do not come to Woodsboro," Sidney states in a serious tone as soon as I pick up my cell.

"Wow, what a lovely way to begin a call! No, hey sis how are you?" I bite back sarcastically.

"Did you hear me Y/n? Do not come to Woodsboro!" She repeats.

" I wasn't planning on going to that hell town anytime soon. What's going on with you? Shouldn't you be busy with your book tour or something?" I respond trying not to sound concerned.

"He's back Y/n," she whines out.

I swallow deeply and walk away from the desks and towards Penelope's office she is never here this early anyway. "This isn't funny Sidney."

"I am in Woodsboro and my rental car has a murder weapon in it and ripped-up pictures of my face and yours. Oh and did I forget to mention two kids were murdered in the same exact way as the original ones... so yeah I'd say he's back." She responds quickly in an angry panic.

I slam open Penelope's door and proceed to vomit my guts out in her trash can. I hear the wheels of her chair squeak as Penelope looks at me with concern as I dry heave in her trashcan. I definitely should have checked if anyone was in here first.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Penelope asks softly.

"Sidney, I got to let you go," I breathe out and hang up on her.

I wipe the sweat off my forehead. Why does no one ever mention how exhausting dry heaving is?

"I'm fine Garcia," I try to sound detached. I can't be here. One thing that makes the Ghostface all the same is they want to kill the Prescotts and everyone they love.

"You really don't look fine," she says full of concern.

I try to exit without a word but Penelope is quick to follow to make sure I am okay. It must be an odd scene as Penelope chases me and I speed walk away. Especially since we are always attached at the hip.

I ignore everyone's gaze and walk into Prentiss's office without a word.

Prentiss was doing paperwork of her own and did not even look up, " I need a leave of absence as soon as possible... preferably today"

That statement made her head quickly whip away from her mess of papers, "This is awfully unlike you Y/n... has something happened."

The stress of the anniversary, Ghostface, and the worry of losing Spencer Reid after we just got him back from prison seem to boil all over at once. "I JUST NEED A LEAVE OF ABSENCE IS THAT SO HARD TO DO EMILY!" I shout so loud and instantly regret as I see all my team members' eyes on me from Emily's office window.

"I am sorry Prentiss," I put my hand to my forehead fighting back the anger and fear-induced tears. I have seen so many murders I should be used to it at this point but Ghostface will always be different he always comes back as someone new.

Emily stands up shutting the blinds to her office to halt the onlookers. "L/N you need to tell me what this is about, right now! I have never once seen you act like this."

I pace back and forth the last name I made up did nothing to protect me I will always be a Prescott. I just need to get out of here before they find that out. I take a deep breath, "I am really sorry I can't, I just can't tell you. It will just get you hurt. It will get the whole team hurt and I can't do that! Spencer just got back, Scratch is gone, and the team is almost back to normal I will not ruin it. I am going to leave either way I just needed you to know."

I turn to leave but Emily grabs my arm, "Agent, if you are in danger I need to know. One more thing you also seem to be forgetting is this team won't be normal without you."

A knock follows her statement, "Is everything okay? Garcia told me Y/n was sick. Does she need a drive home?" It's Spencer's voice I can tell immediately. The question makes this even harder. Why must he be so kind? Why can't I stand to leave him?"

Emily's gaze meets mine, "I recognize that look."

"Prentiss I don't have time for your profile," I whisper shout to prevent Spencer from hearing me.

"I know all too well what it's like to be undercover Y/n," Emily states compassionately.

"I have no idea what you mean?"

"Your file is suspiciously blank and sealed of all past background and Strauss assured me it's for the better. It is similar to what my file used to look like." Emily unfortunately continues to profile me.

I feel trapped I can't go to the door Spencer is there and there is no escaping Emily's questions.

Spencer proceeds to knock again, "Everything alright in there?"

I sigh, "Emily I will tell you everything if you leave the team out of this."

"Y/n you know I can't promise that," she frowns.

I grab her hands tightly, "You have to because I know how to deal with this but every time he comes back someone around me dies!"

"Who comes back Y/n?" Emily's tone changes to a demanding one like the one she uses in the interrogation room.

"Promise me you won't tell the team! Promise me you won't let Reid get involved." Tears prick my eyes I don't care that I am being blatant about my feelings for Reid nothing can happen because I am cursed to repeat the same horrors for the rest of my life.

Emily sighs, "I promise."

"Ghostface is back... and my last name isn't L/N... it's- it's Prescott," I stutter as the words come out like saying them would make this more real than it already is.

"As in the Woodsboro killings?" Emily asks in utter disbelief.

"Unfortunately... and I have to go back there, for my sister," I state. "You can not convince me not to, I can't lose her."

"Y/n we solve cases just like this we can do this as a team," She soothes.

"Tell that to the last agent who tried to help my sister and nearly died," my stress getting the better of me causing me to shout and not notice Spencer opening Prentiss's office door.

I felt the eyes on me once again, I doubt I can talk myself out of this one. The chance of a silent escape gone stuck in a room of profiles who could sense I am on the urge to bolt out the door. Then my phone starts to ring in my pocket, none of the team seems to notice when Emily gives me a knowing look. She clearly knows the Ghostface cases well they all start with a phone call.

Taglist- @bunbunbl0gs

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds x you #criminal minds x y/n #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fic #criminal minds fanfiction

[thatsnotmygunflash]

Why oh why am I obsessed with the idea of Len meeting Henry in prison and hearing stories about little Barry Allen. Thinking about how terrible it must be to have such a loving father locked up for the murder of his own wife. To have him build respect and a friendship with Henry, maybe even offer him a get-out-of-jail-free card when Len plans to break out. Henry says no, of course, because only guilty men run and he couldn't do that to his son. They part as friends and Len always has Henry Allen aka the best father to ever walk the earth in the back of his mind.

So its like a knife to the gut to hear the name of the boy Henry talked about so proudly fall from Cisco's trembling lips.

He almost killed Doc's son. He almost killed Doc's son.

He let Cisco and his brother go while he tried to figure out his next move. Going up against the Flash was thrilling, intoxicating, everything he had ever dreamed of and more, but knowing sweet little Barry Allen was under the mask had him rethinking everything he knew.

Barry Allen, who took on bullies twice his size for other helpless kids. Who loved dinosaurs and singing with his mom in the car. Who held the key to the only happiness Henry had left. He felt sick. He's heard every story Henry could find the time to tell about this boy, this boy who lost his mother in the worst way possible, who spent every day of his life fighting for his father's freedom.

When Mick and Lisa ask what the plan is, when they demand to know the Flash’s identity, Len froze. Stuck between being another heartless villain in an innocent kid's life or being a silent hero and keeping the Doc's kid safe from the likes of himself and his family.

In the end, it's the start of his undoing. Choosing the role of silent hero in that moment, keeping Barry safe and alive, agreeing to their deal, playing his part all while making sure nothing happened to this broken boy.

When his chance to be a real hero comes along, he doesn't go see Barry or Lisa. He headed to a little cabin in the middle of nowhere and knocked on the door with a bottle of scotch in one hand.

Henry looked different on the outside, his face lighter, tanner. The prison jumpsuit Len had become familiar with was replaced by loose jeans and a flannel shirt.

"Long time no see Doc, mind if I come in?" Len offered out the bottle, stepping over the threshold when Henry accepted it with a small nod.

"As long as you leave any weapons at the door, you'll always be welcome here, Leonard."

"Even after I shot your son?" Len questioned, tilting his head when Henry let out a deep sigh at his words.

"So you do know." Henry muttered, setting the bottle down on the kitchen table and pushing a chair out for Len to have a seat before he headed to the cabinet for two glasses.

"He didn't tell you?" Len asked as he took a seat at the small wooden table pushed against the kitchen wall.

"There's a lot of things my son doesn't tell me about his other job, for my own protection." Henry said as he joined him at the table, pouring them each a generous portion of the scotch.

"That why you moved all the way out here? All you ever talked about was getting to spend time with your son again, Doc. Why aren't you?" Len palmed his glass as he awaited Henry's answer, sliding a finger over the smooth surface of the rim. Henry took a slow drink, his eyes growing sad and distant as he stared down into the honey-colored liquor.

"Barry has a life, a great life that he does a lot of good in. I don't really think I fit into that life."

"Maybe not this time around, but what if I told you I could change that?"

Henry looked up at Len's cryptic words, searching eyes dancing and a thoughtful frown pulling on his mouth.

"Why are you here, Leonard?"

"I've been offered an exciting opportunity, one where I can make some real changes in the world." If he played his cards right he could change things to play in both of their favors. "I believe you and I deserve more than the hand we were dealt. I think Barry deserves to have his father in his life, I think I deserve not to."

"Leonard, why are you here?" Henry asked again.

"To say goodbye." Len paused, thinking about why exactly he was sitting here. "To thank you, I guess."

"For what?"

"Too much, so let's just keep it at a thank you."

"Leonard-"

"I'll see you around Doc, take care of yourself." Len knocked his knuckles against the surface of the table as he stood, heading towards the door with Henry following close at his heels.

"Leonard, what are you going to do?"

Len is already at the door, one hand on the doorknob and a secretive smirk dancing on his lips.

"Nothing you need to worry about Doc, and if you see your son, tell him...tell him I'm taking his advice."

"Advise about what?"

Len pulled the door open, casting a small, hopeful smile back at his old friend.

"See you in the next life, Henry."

#this has been in my drafts for a while #so im letting it free #leonard snart #henry allen #the flash #captain cold

[giggly-squiggily]

Doing What Big Brother's Do (Hell's Paradise)

Oh look, it’s my boys 🥰🥰🥰

Heyo everyone! Guess who finally wrote her Chobe fic? This girl! Like “Hardened Criminals”, this one has been in the making for awhile now- I just never got the motivation to finish it until the anime came out ajsnnwmsmwms 🤣 I love them so much, and I hope you like it!

Summary: Toma’s starting to feel the effect of the island and questions his worth. Lucky for him, he’s got his brother Chobe there to help him out.

“Stay here, I’m gonna go find us something to eat.” Chobe’s call back was only an echo now, fading as he exited the safety of the cave. Toma would have gone with him had he not injured himself. Fighting these oversized beasts left him exhausted, and one misstep nearly sent him tumbling over an edge to his death.

Thanks to Chobe’s fast reflexes, he remained alive- the only drawback was a now strained ankle. Physically be fine- it wasn’t that severe of an injury.

Mentally…not so much.

“I’m sorry, brother.” He said to no one, burying his chin in his drawn up knees, his mind sharpening like a blade to his heart.��

‘Useless’. 

‘Waste.

‘Nothing but an anchor to Chobe you are.’ 

‘He’s gonna die because of you.’ ‘Look how much he’s given up- for you.’

It hurt. Hurt worse than the loss of their lives. It hurt worse than any pain he’s experienced before. The reality that he was only holding his brother back- that he was nothing but an extra mouth to feed and body to shield for him. He was weak and scared and so very useless.

‘I want to disappear.’ He thought bitterly. ‘I want to disappear.’

~~~

“Hey, I’m back! Look what I found!” Chobe grinned as he entered the cave, shirt in arms filled with a variety of fruits and other edible things. Well- hopefully editable things. It was hard to tell what was safe and what wasn’t on this god forsaken island. “I know you won’t eat any monster parts- even though they really aren’t all that bad…”

When he got no answer- no cry of “Ew! No way!” or note of interest, Chobe looked around. “Toma?” He called out, laying the haul on the floor.

His brother was curled up with his face in his knees, still as a stone. For a brief, panicked moment, Chobe was scared for the worst. Then Toma’s shoulders shook and he felt his chest unwind some. “Toma? You alright?” He came over, kneeling before his brother. He couldn’t hear any sobbing- just shaky breaths. “Toma, look at me.”

“I’m a burden.” He got instead, Toma’s face still in his arms. This made Chobe nearly fall over in shock. “You don’t need to lie. I know I am.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa- back the hell up like- a hundred steps.” Chobe reached out, taking his brother’s shoulders in hand. “Toma, look at me.” He asked again. “Please?”

Finally, he did. As suspected, his face was dry, but those eyes. Those eyes cut Chobe to the core. Dark and sad, as if Toma was drowning within. “Brother-”

“Nope, shut up.” Chobe cut him off, reaching out and fisting the back of Toma’s hair. Pressing their foreheads together, he looked him dead in the eye, willing the younger boy to hear him through the ache. “You listen to me. You are not a burden. You’ve never been a burden. You’re the farthest thing from it, and if I ever hear you call yourself that again I’ll pinch you.”

“But brother-”

“I’m not done.” Chobe tugged his hair, making Toma go silent. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be stuck in that prison cell waiting for my death. If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead years ago, lying in my own filth without a purpose to live.”

“You’d be fine.” Toma spoke softly, voice scarily reassured. “You’re great at change.”

“Only because I need to. Because we need to.” Chobe released his hold on Toma’s hair, letting it fall back in place. “You’re my brother- my flesh and blood, and the only person on this godforsaken earth I care about. Even if you lost all your limbs and the ability to speak, I’d bring you with me. I’d tie you to my back and take you with me everywhere I went, cause that’s what big brothers do.” He nodded, voice softening as tears rolled down Toma’s face. “I don’t need to though- I know you’d be fine too. You’re smart, you’re good with the right kinds of people, and you’re as tough as me. So no more burden thoughts, okay?”

Toma didn’t speak, lips quivering some before he flattened his mouth, taking a deep breath. When he blinked, the dark swamp in his eyes lessened. “Okay.”

“Good. Now- as your big brother, I need to fix this mess you’ve gotten yourself into.” Chobe grinned, his hands falling from Toma’s shoulders to his sides, quickly digging in and making the other squeak. “Can’t have you crying over dinner- the food won’t taste very good! Well- maybe it would add some salt…”

“Ah! Ahehahahahhaha! B-Brohohohohother! Wahhahhahait!” Toma squeaked, doubling over in giggles as he tried catching Chobe’s hands. “Thahahahhat’s not fahhahahahhair!” 

“What’s not fair? I’m just doing what big brother’s do.” Chobe snickered, moving closer so he could really get all the bad spots along Toma’s ribs. He should probably feel bad- Toma couldn’t fight back- not with a sprained ankle.

Eh? Ces’t la vie.

“Coohohohoohme ohoohoohoohn! Dohoohohohn’t be mehehehhehan!” Toma cried, arms coming down in a weak effort to protect his sides, unable to block out Chobe’s investigative fingers. “I’m ihihiiihihihnjured!”

“Are you now? Did you get hurt anywhere besides your ankle?” Chobe reached down, squeezing his hip. “Here? How about here?” He pinched beneath his ribs. “Are these broken? Lemme check!”

“Brohohohoohohohther!” Toma squeaked, falling to his side in a weak attempt at escape. Chobe followed him down, one hand attacking his belly while the other dug into his armpit. “Stahhahhahap, stahhahhap, pleahhahahahse!”

“Feel better? Not gonna call yourself a burden anymore?” Chobe questioned, bringing both hands into Toma’s armpits for maximum effect. Toma all but shrieked.

“Yehheheehhehes!”

“Are you gonna start having more faith in yourself and me?”

“Yehhehehhehehhes!”

“.....are you sure?”

“CHOHOOHOHBE STAHHAHAP IT!”

“Pfft- okay okay.” Chobe cackled, falling back as he watched Toma curl into himself, gasping for breath. “Heh, still so ticklish all these years later.”

“Shuhuhuuhsh! Yoohohu’re just as bahahhahad!” Toma jabbed him in the belly, making Chobe double over with a snort-laugh. Swatting his hands away, he stood up, bringing his findings back to Toma.

“Alright, smart ass. Look; I found us food.” He grinned, presenting the apple. “Don’t worry, it’s real. I took a bite out of everything just to be sure.”

“Brother, that’s dangerous!” Toma sat up, wide eyed. Then he winced, grossed out. “And disgusting. What if it was a monster part?”

“Yeah, took a bite of one of those fish monsters. It was so-!”

“EW! Stop!”

Chobe cackled in glee, grinning like a goon. “I’m kidding! I know what’s safe and what’s not.” He pulled Toma up, passing him an orange. “Now eat. Before this stuff goes bad.”

Toma nodded, taking the orange. He looked at it briefly before meeting his brother’s eyes, a small but genuine smile on his lips. “Thanks brother.”

“Eh, don’t mention it.” Chobe grinned around an apple. “That’s what big brother’s do.”

Thanks for reading!

#hell’s paradise #tickle #tickle fic #angst with a happy ending #aza chobe #aza toma #chobe is the best big brother let’s gooo! 🥰🥰🥰

[theamityelf]

"Be still, don't move" + Makoto/Nagito

(Okay, I leaned pretty wholesome for the Kamuegi one, and I already have a hunch that this one is taking my brain in another direction, lol. If someone wants wholesome Komaegi, all you have to do is ask!)

...

Makoto woke to the sound of someone humming.

His whole body was sore– a soreness only interrupted by a few distinct points of sharp pain –but he could feel that he was in a pretty comfortable bed. As he worked his eyes open, he had to fight against the interference of crusted tears that seemed to momentarily cement them shut. Which told him that he'd been asleep for longer than normal.

"Ah. I thought my terrible singing might wake you up. Sorry about that."

He focused his gaze on the face hovering nearby. He felt the vague, niggling familiarity that meant he was supposed to remember that face. He'd recovered a lot of his school memories, with the Future Foundation's help, but some things took longer to come back than others. And surviving a helicopter crash didn't help.

Wait! The helicopter!

"I was just very excited to get to tend to your wounds, is all," the stranger (or non-stranger) continued. His tangled, white hair stuck out in so many directions, it seemed to defy gravity; a ratty, striped shirt hung loose on his narrow frame; and a peculiar radiance in his eyes spoke to an excitement that was triumphing soundly over a deep physical exhaustion. "Of course, for your sake, I wish you had someone a lot more competent to assist you. But for my own, well...I am of course more than glad to serve you any way I can." A pink flush filled his cheeks as he offered up a strangely enthusiastic smile.

Makoto shook his head, baffled beyond words. "Serve me? Where are we? Where's...?" He shut his eyes for a moment, focusing. "I was in a helicopter. The...The city was under attack, and my sister...My friends..."

"Wow! You're so selfless, for someone who broke his leg in a helicopter crash."

He noticed, then, that his knee had been crudely bandaged into a thick makeshift cast. "Broke my leg?"

"Well, I'm no doctor, so I suppose you can take my words with a few grains of salt. It might not be exactly broken, but...I wouldn't recommend trying to walk on it."

Oh, that was never in question.

"It's funny. Your sister isn't nearly this injured. Did you try to shield her with your body, or...are you just that unlucky?" He seemed to delight in the question.

"You saw my sister?! Where is she?"

The delighted expression sobered into an apologetic smile. "I’m sorry to say that she isn’t here. She was made a prisoner of the Warriors of Hope. Ah, sorry! I shouldn't use such an inapt title in front of you, of all people. But I was able to hide you away from them. Fortunately, this house’s previous owners no longer have need of it. Very lucky for us, don’t you think?"

The second reference to luck stirred something in Makoto's mind. A name was trying to rise to the surface, very slowly...But he couldn't focus on that right now. "Who are the Warriors of Hope? What do you mean, my sister is their prisoner? And...are we still in Towa City? How long was I asleep?" His voice cracked as it became too painful to support it; it felt like he might have at least one bruised rib.

The non-stranger laid a pacifying hand on him, smiling besottedly. "There's no need to strain yourself. The world's savior has more than earned a nice, comfy spectator seat for this round. It's someone else's responsibility to prove hope supreme, right now. It would be far too easy for you. Not worth your time."

"But you said my sister is someone's prisoner!" Makoto tried to sit up, but the pacifying hand turned restraining, guiding him back down to the bed. He couldn't try again; the pain that had flared in his ribs would have grounded him if the hand hadn't.

"Be still; don't move. Ahh, the pull to heroism that emanates from you...It's a good thing I'm here to serve you, or who knows what you'd get into. Haha, just imagining it almost makes me feel faint..." One of his hands grasped his opposite arm, whereas the other remained in his lap. The latter was covered by a thick-looking mitten. (It reminded Makoto of Mukuro's tattoo and Kyoko's scars.) He looked giddy, exultant, and it didn't make sense. It didn't go with the horrible things he'd said. Something was seriously wrong here!

A part of a memory came into focus. A part of a name. "Ko...Ko-something..."

The non-stranger froze, suddenly looking almost fearful.

"Isn't that your name?" Makoto asked. "I'm sorry, I still have trouble remembering some things..."

Kyoko and Byakuya both had warned against being too open about what he did and didn't remember. They said that telling anyone how unreliable the recovered memory sometimes was, risked informing enemies that they could pretend to be friends. He knew that he should be more careful, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this person was a friend, or close to a friend. Maybe...a fond acquaintance?

But the look of alarm on his face seemed to mean Makoto had made some kind of mistake. "There's no need to remember me! I'm nobody. I don't deserve to be named by someone as incredible as you. Oh, I certainly hope you haven't been wasting your mental energy on something so pointless. I wouldn't forgive myself!"

"Hey, it's okay," Makoto said. "Please, I just-" He winced. Yeah, too much talking for his poor ribs. "Just need you to explain," he whispered, "what's going on here. The city, my sister..."

Ko-something's face softened at the first sign of pain. He dabbed the sweat from Makoto's face with a cold rag, smiling dreamily all the while. "Poor hope. As I said, you're not allowed to be the hero for this round. Your sister is alive. The city is...well, it's certainly not thriving any longer, but it's not entirely defenseless, either. And you are perfectly safe here. I will use my every breath to ensure that, especially."

Makoto wanted to say something, but the throbbing in his ribs forced him to just focus on breathing, for now. There were so many things he needed to follow up on, with this person he had definitely known before. Why was there a chain around his neck? Why did he seem to know everything that was happening? What was happening? Where did he know him from? Was it from Hope's Peak? What did he mean when he said he didn't deserve to be named? And what did he mean by all that servant stuff? Why had he saved Makoto and not Komaru, if they had been in the same crash? If it was just Ko-something alone, it probably would have been impossible for him to carry two people at once...Most likely, he'd carried Makoto first, because he was so injured, and then he'd gone back for Komaru and found she'd been abducted by those Warriors of Hope people. That made sense, right?

And he still hadn't gotten an explanation about the Warriors of Hope. The name sounded friendly, but the assertion that they were keeping Komaru prisoner definitely didn't. Ko-something had said the title was inapt.

There was so much going on, and breathing hurt.

"My friends," he said weakly.

"They're both alive, too," Ko-something assured him sweetly. "Everyone is alright. They all have their parts to play. And you" (He wiped the cool rag over Makoto's lips, even though there definitely wasn't any sweat there. He did sometimes drool in his sleep; maybe some of that had dried on him?) "just have to enjoy your vacation. Consider me entirely at your disposal to make your stay here more comfortable. Unfortunately, I can't always be at your side; I do have another job. But I'll give you a way to call me, and I promise you I will always rush right over. Nothing over there is more important to me than you. Oh! And you can call me Servant." That smile seemed...really genuine.

Komaeda. That was his name. Komaeda. And...he was from Hope's Peak. Another class. Another...

"You're like me," Makoto realized. "Ultimate Lucky Student."

Komaeda's smile tensed into a rictus of...what looked bizarrely like shame? "You can call me Servant," he reiterated, almost desperately. "Or whatever else you'd like to call me. I can understand if you don't think someone as unworthy as me should be allowed to be called a servant to the Ultimate Hope himself."

"This is wrong....I...I just-"

"I'm privileged to be under the sound of your voice, but I think you should hold off on talking much right now. It's clearly taking a toll, and I wouldn't be a very good servant if I let you puncture a lung." He presented a bottle of medicine and poured a bit of it into the cap. Makoto noticed he held the bottle between his knees to open it, rather than using both hands; his covered hand still lay in his lap. But he did use that hand to hold the cap steady while he poured into it. "This should help with the pain and help you to get some real sleep. Here."

As Komaeda brought the medicine to Makoto's lips, he could just hear what Byakuya, Toko, or Hiro would say about accepting medicine from someone so suspicious. But...he was already at Komaeda's mercy in every other way. He couldn't move, couldn't leave. His hacking gun was nowhere to be seen, and he had no way of calling for help, at least for now. If Komaeda wanted to hurt him, why would he have gone to the trouble of bandaging him and...?

After only a moment's hesitation, Makoto parted his lips and took the medicine.

Komaeda's pupils dilated slightly. "Thank you for your trust," he breathed, maybe more exultantly than Makoto would have liked. "I swear, for all my filthy word is worth, that you will not regret it. I'll guard you with my worthless life, I'll keep you abreast of all the good news, I'll attend to your every need until my final breath. Of course, I mean, until the battle is won. Of course, I will return you to your friends once the danger has passed. Yes, of course."

The tone Komaeda used when he said "of course" reminded Makoto of the many times Komaru had dismissively said that she'd get to something "later" and then inevitably forgot.

"Komaeda?" he tried to say, but he found that his speech slurred on the way out. He blinked and found that his eyelids were heavy.

"Shhh," the upperclassman shushed him, with adoration in his eyes that didn't match the friendly but casual rapport Makoto remembered from school. "Don't fight it. As I said, my hope deserves a good rest. I'll be back with your dinner by the time you wake up. I'll...try to have something that's worth eating, heheh."

#danganronpa #komaegi #my fanfic #nagito komaeda #makoto naegi #servant nagito #naemeshi #is that a thing? #komaegi udg au #yandere nagito komaeda

[sshbpodcast]

Won’t someone think of the children?! A Gwyndala Appreciation Post

By Ames

Okay, I meant to only do a Rok-Tahk appreciation post because a) she’s the best and b) who has the time to write all these blogposts? But I just can’t help myself. The community’s efforts to #SaveStarTrekProdigy have motivated me to keep the posts going, so here’s some more love for Star Trek: Prodigy. These installments probably won’t be as intense as the Rok post, but check out what makes Gwyndala such a great character.

[images © CBS/Paramount… I guess? For now? Yikes.]

Gwyn has parent baggage

As we mentioned back in our parents of Trek blogpost, a lot of characters get the backstory of having terrible or absent parents that forms the foundation of their personality. And The Diviner does just that for his progeny Gwydala. His shitty parenting forms so much of her character’s journey. She’s started off with so much pressure on her shoulders to complete his life’s work even though she doesn’t even know what that is yet. Like those put on Wesley by The Traveler in “Where No One Has Gone Before,” the expectations are really hard to live up to, especially when Gwyn learns they are at odds with being the kind of person she naturally wants to be. Writers out there take note: Now that’s some good inner conflict!

Gwyn is Vau N’Akat

I’m a sucker for some good time travel stories, and the whole backstory of Gwyn’s race the Vau N’Akat is sure to win someone like me over. I’ll be honest, this plotline is a little complicated for a kid’s show, but once you wrap your mind around it, it’s absolutely fascinating. The Federation somehow botched first contact on the planet Solum in the near future, and the Vau N’Akat nearly destroyed themselves in a civil war. It’s really a refreshing twist to see the Federation blow something this badly, and for a society to not prance willingly into joining up. Time passes, and Chakotay stumbles through a wormhole in the Protostar fifty years into a future in which this species has nearly destroyed itself, so they all go back in time to try to destroy the Federation. The season one finale of Prodigy sets it up for season two to put even more responsibility on Gwyn to try to save her people… Fingers crossed that we get to see it.

Gwyn starts off on the wrong side

For the first few episodes of the season, Gwyn is at odds with the rest of the Protostar crew. The conflict within her is between doing what she perceives to be right and what would make her father proud of her, and those two things are rarely the same. It takes until “Terror Firma” for Gwyn to see that her father has never had her interests in mind, and then she’s able to cross to the good side. Starting a character off with an entirely different goal than the other characters (they all want to leave Tars Lamora and she wants to return to The Diviner) is Storytelling 101. It gives the characters natural tension and an opportunity to either come together or split apart. Happily for us, Gwyn proves to be at her best when she is with her crewmates.

Gwyn makes up for her years of silence

There’s an excellent scene in “Starstruck” in which Rok tells off Gwyn for standing by for so long while the prisoners on Tars Lamora were treated horribly. And Gwyn really struggles with this! She’d been stuck under her father’s boot for so long, unable to act according to her own wishes. Even when she tries to stand up for the young pink cat thing in “Lost and Found,” you know it’s not going to go anywhere. I complained in my Children in Star Trek post that kid characters too often are props for the episode to make a point, and Gwyn fights against that plot device to become her own character. She finds her voice (a really appropriate character journey for a natural linguist like Gwyn) when she finally speaks up for the unwanted of the prison planet and ultimately helps to free them. Now that’s a person I want to be in catboots with!

We love you, Gwyndala! We love the other crew members of the Protostar too! We love Star Trek: Prodigy! Check out the other character appreciation posts for Rok-Tahk, Dal R’El, Jankom Pog, and Zero while you’re here. I know I can speak for not only the other hosts here at A Star to Steer Hey By but for myriad other fans when I seriously hope someone picks up this wonder of a show. We’re really looking forward to seeing more from these amazing child characters, and we’re seriously wishing we get that opportunity. #SaveStarTrekProdigy

#star trek #star trek podcast #podcast #star trek prodigy #prodigy #save prodigy #save star trek prodigy #gwyndala #vau n'akat

[blood-starved-beast]

Youl ever think about how when Mai and Acxa had a change of heart, they helped their bfs escape from a prison, turning on their best friends in the process, and the boys were in awe that their badass knife gfs did it and how proud the girls were of their bfs for changing the Galra/Fire Nation to something of unity, not hatred or is it just me.

P.S. I love you!

See while I understand the viewpoint of comparing Mai to Acxa, there's a fundamental difference between them that should be noted and it's a consequence of how their respective arcs are constructed.

Acxa's arc is specifically written outside of a necessary romance. The point of resolution - her redemption and understanding of the empire being wrong is key to her arc - regardless of whether or not Keith is factored into the equation. Keith in the Grudge, where her arc is most significantly highlighted, is a macguffin at best. He can be replaced with anyone or anything plot important and the narrative of that episode does not change. Acxa still will confront Zethrid cause she now understands that she is worthy of change, and by proxy, she wants to see change in Zethrid, who despite everything is her friend. This is willingness to see the possibility of change or lack of it rather, was why she initially "gave up" on Zethrid and Ezor before. They were stuck in their ways in Acxa's mind, and much like Acxa herself she sees them as immovable products of the Galra war machine. That changed in the Grudge. Keith helped with that change by being a model, and Veronica helped her see the light, but in the end the change was Acxa's own and that's significant.

Mai by contrast, her arc doesn't necessarily touch upon the Fire Nation as a regime, but she is aware of its problems - that's what presumably she and Zuko talked about in the cell at the Boiling Rock if I'm remembering correctly. But ultimately her stand to Azula is defined by standing up to Azula's control and abuse, and by lesser proxy, the Fire Nation as a whole. While there are similarities to Acxa - both were subordinates to a higher power in their regimes, the arcs are different. Mai is showing that not only does she care about someone - Zuko - that care is more significant than tolerating abuse. This is significant for Mai, who's been highlighted by her lack of care of many things (a coping mechanism for the shit she had to deal her whole life, but even then, Mai is nobility, and her growth differs in that key area from Acxa, the child soldier bred in the fringes of the empire).

I feel like I'm not talking about it to the best of my ability, and ngl I am a bit sick atm, but yeah. While there are some similarities as you pointed out - they do end superficially. Acxa is a poor child soldier whose arc is more Zuko esque in development - and this reflects how she engages with Keith. Keith, who is thoroughly sexualized and turned into a damsel in that iconic episode. He is the macguffin in her and Zethrid's arcs. Zuko retains a level of autonomy and specific personal importance to Mai in the Boiling Rock that makes Mai's arc markedly different from Acxa's - and part of it is due to Acxa being a person with very low cognitive empathy normally and a distant relationship with Keith furthermore, which Mai has no issue with and is in fact, Zuko's current girlfriend. If that makes sense.

Thank you for the ask and sorry that this is messy, again I am not feeling all that well so that's the excuse I can give for it. Feel free to send me another ask if you want more elaboration on that regard.

#d asks #Anonymous #Acxa #atla Mai #vld #atla #my meta #kacxa #atla maiko #like Keith's arc is notably ass in vld in a way that poorly written LI is done in many shows even if he's the major character #Acxa is the center of the show there in that moment at least #which is different #but Zuko is the deuteragonist in atla #and his arc is ultimately center there #and that colors Mai's arc by proxy differently if that makes sense?

[geekgemsspooksandtoons]

The concept of a "Thunderbolts: Kill the Avengers" really intrigues me. Yet I just want to write down my own take on it of what I would do with it. But be warned, this is essentially fan fiction and takes elements from certain stories. Because alias, this was something that really has been on my mind. And you can be critical about it if you've read comics.

The roster of the Thunderbolts is not fully known. Originally, I REALLY wanted Agent Venom/Flash Thompson to be in this and the "Lead character" in a sense due to how I love Flash's story and development as a character. But I feel it would make more sense and more interesting if it was Eddie Brock as THE VENOM. While Flash as Agent Venom would be...less of a "Reformed supervillain" and more of a superhero. I just really loved the idea of Symbiote gameplay with guns. And I feel like Flash needs more spotlight with his character development during the years. But the idea of an Eddie Brock/Venom being the "Lead character" in this game would get more people's attention. Where in this world after he had teamed up with Spider-Man to fight Carnage, Venom had killed Cletus and was sent back to prison. Even if Eddie and Peter have a new form of relationship where Peter can trust him but not fully. And now, with a new threat on the horizon, the idea to add Venom into new team gives Eddie more of a chance to prove himself (Or themselves, Eddie and the Symbiote) as a "Lethal Protector". Venom is silly but can be serious when he needs to be. This is also in a time where Mac Gargan never became Venom.

2. Songbird is one of the other major members of the Thunderbolts, a member from the original team. The other choices for the other two are unknown because I want the team to be unique and not have maybe like two Spider-Man villains.

Possible choices are Whiplash and Taskmaster. Each member has their own unique skills and move set. While Venom is a heavy but with Spider-Man like abilities but also using the Symbiote. Songbird is able to fly and use sound-based powers.

The story takes place in a time where the "Civil War" was prevented, Peter's identity was never revealed, and Steve and others never died. And the Thunderbolts weren't formed yet. Or a new version of the Thunderbolts not led by Baron Zemo. I am aware the Thunderbolts were a thing before "Civil War". But because of the threat of a villain unlike any other. Thunderbolt Ross brings out the idea of the Thunderbolts back into the spotlight because there seems to be no other choice.

Edit update there is a likely possibility of Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier being the third official choice in this Thunderbolts team. Going with the idea that he was only recently defeated and having his memories restored. He is no longer a brainwashed assassin. And despite going into prison, Steve was personally trying to help out Bucky through possibly therapy to help him on the right path. But when the invasion started, Bucky is one of the villains who wants to be on the Thunderbolts to possibly save Steve if he can. Because I realize there's a tragic angle of Steve almost going through the same thing as Bucky did.

The Winter Soldier's skills would be familiar to fans of shooters and essentially the Thunderbolt's own Captain America in a sense. Someone with similar skills but not like Venom and Songbird.

3. The main villain is a weird choice. The original idea was Doctor Doom. But I question if that would work right. Other ideas are Ultron, Kang, and Red Skull. But Ultron would mainly make robot copies of the Avengers while the other two are a different story. You'd also have to include Hank Pym in an Ultron story because Ultron was his creation.

I thought maybe the best course of option would be to make an original villain who has divided many of the superheroes on Earth. Because he's very aware if you have all of those teams uniting, there's going to be trouble. The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom are stuck in Latveria dealing with an invasion. The X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants are stuck in another area. While other major Avengers like Black Panther, Falcon/Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange are stuck in another area. Even other characters like Ghost Rider are transported somewhere else and a scary idea that the villain erased Deadpool out of existence, but everyone knows he was killed. It sounds fuckin stupid but scary as shit because the villain was aware of how self-aware Deadpool is and considered him way too dangerous to be left alive.

The main villain in a sick way wants to make his own Avengers or something. Almost like a sick game of roleplay. New York City is put into quarantine because S.H.I.E.L.D. does not want any of the invasion to go anywhere else. Have the main villain be voiced by Alex Brightman in his Adam voice from Hazbin Hotel.

The main four Avengers that have been brainwashed to do the villain's work are the big four that many people know. Captain America/Steve Rogers, Iron Man/Tony Stark, Thor, and Hulk/Bruce Banner.

Cap has killed Nick Fury. Iron Man has killed Hawkeye and Black Widow. Thor has killed Loki. And Hulk has killed the Abomination. Maria Hill is in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. now after Fury's death and the recruitment of the Thunderbolts is a last resort because there are hardly any heroes left in New York City.

4. Spider-Man/Peter Parker is essentially the "Wonder Woman" of the game. Despite not really being an Avenger and having an off and on relationship with them. Particularly having issues with Iron Man and Thor. But he is rather fond and friendly with Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner. Peter has been Spider-Man for a decade and likely 24 years old.

Being one of the only heroes left not brainwashed in New York City. After the Defenders were gravely injured, and his close ally Daredevil nearly dying. Spider-Man is Hellbent on stopping the invasion despite how stressful it's been. He is making jokes, but he stressed and pissed. Especially with having a mixed relationship with the Avengers. He is surprisingly OP how he is in the 616 comics which is the reason he's been able to survive for so long. He's also Hellbent on stopping the invasion because Mary Jane is six months pregnant with Mayday during this time and is still in the city but safe.

He is trying to figure out a way get the Avengers out of the villain's control despite what they've done. And he's not dealing with the Thunderbolt's bullshit, especially Venom. Because even though Carnage was killing people, Peter did not want Eddie to kill Cletus, but he did it anyway. This sounds stupid but Peter has not wanted Venom to kill Carnage before. Despite Venom doing it to protect innocents. Which Venom brings up of what he's able to do what Peter won't.

But he is horrified when he learns from Steve that they need to die in order to save the world. The brainwashing/corruption is irreversible, and Spider-Man now has to accept the harsh reality that the Thunderbolts need to kill the Avengers.

5. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur are stuck in the city as well and help the Thunderbolts by making them gear and whatever else. But honestly, this addition seems kind of insane because of three things.

The idea of that Moon Girl, a literal middle schooler living in this reality and inadvertently or...helping the Thunderbolts kill the Avengers. And living in this dark reality that they have to kill them.

I swear, if she is in this. People would straight up say, "Wait, wouldn't she be able to come up with a way to free the Avengers?"

The funny irony that the four big Avengers died...but the only remaining heroes in New York City are Spider-Man, Moon Girl, Devil Dinosaur, and a bunch of reformed supervillains.

Anyway, there is also the idea of adding Doctor Octopus into the team to invent stuff for the team too.

6. The corruption of the Avengers is viewed as a literal nightmare. And their deaths are viewed as a literal tragedy instead of a joyous victory or a joke afterwards. Including details that before their corruption. Tony was going through a possible "Demon in the Bottle" arc before he got brainwashed and was trying to do better.

And things like Venom not wanting to kill Captain America. But also, before their deaths, they have small moments of being able to be free of their brainwashing. Or when near death, they are free of it but realized what they have done.

One of the most tragic ones is the Hulk who is considered to be the most dangerous. While Hulk is being brainwashed, Bruce isn't. And knowing he sadly can't cure his condition or that his "Friend" can't be helped. Bruce decides to sacrifice himself in some way, saying he'd rather die like a man doing the right thing. And asks either the Thunderbolts or most likely Spider-Man to tell Betty he's sorry.

-

I think I've said enough. I just wanted to ramble about that.

#geekgem rambles

[goremet-chef]

guhh im so bothered rnn (vent/rant)

so... i? idk. ive been out as trans in my house since 2020. my mom doesnt call me dom (sometimes she does if my sibling encourages her to, but she defaults back to my deadname anyways) and ive learned to accept it. i dont think she ever will and its sad for me, the reality that once i start my transition, ill need to just.. leave a lot of my family behind. they think its some rebellious choice like i hate all of them but im more worried about them hating me

my mom says shes supportive but is actively right wing, shes having an inner battle with her ideologies, i know that. i can tell by how she talks about homeless people vs how she talks about us being queer

so. whatever. thats my mom i guess. but for a long time, i wasnt out to my moms husband. i despise him and ive never intentionally started a conversation with him, let alone come out. ive started to not care about what he thinks. i know what he thinks, he thinks gays should die, said it straight to my gay siblings face. okay, cool. doesnt concern me, moms bf is absolutely fucking nothing to me.

to remedy this sort of like... we didnt wanna DEAL with what he might say if he heard both my siblings calling me dom, cuz both of them do, so whenever theyre around they would just refer to my deadname, but i saw it made them cringe, so now everyone calls me 'that one child'

that one, other one, etc etc

no one even calls me my name anymore

it makes me feel so hopeless. ive EXPRESSED it makes me upset but my younger sibling doesnt care (the one most guilty of it), because they dont understand why it upsets me, i guess thats enough reason to keep going

its so dehumanizing to be reduced to actually nothing. i ALREADY have heaps and heaps and HEAPS of identity issues. sometimes it gets so bad i start having crazy ass delusions, sometimes im not even present and its a different part of my mind in my body

its hard enough as is!!! now my family wont call me anything at all

it makes me feel less bad about leaving, but i dont think ill ever leave at this rate

need to start T, change my name, get a job, all in that order. starting T seems impossible at this rate. i.. dont know what to do. i cant keep LIVING like this, because im not living at all

i never leave my house because im too ashamed in how i look, i cant BEAR the thought of anyone else perceiving me as female, i cant fucking do it!!! im so tired. my house is like a prison for me, genuinely.

and my family dont get it, obviously. they think its my choice, im some kind of hermit who doesnt care about being outside because i have internet. they are so fucking wrong. i miss going out, i miss being around people, i miss existing like everyone else, but i just cant do it man. not like this

so it becomes a waiting game, when am i gonna bring up starting it? how do i even move forward once i do? what if she says no? id have to do it on my own but i cant.. i cant even order things for myself without freezing like shutting up will get me out of there, i cant fucking do it

she doesnt even know!! we were in the car together and she was like yknow theres people who cant even make a doctors appointment. what losers.

IM losers, would she have said that if she knew? does she know and decided to say it anyways? i dont know, but its just.. everything seems so hopeless at this point. i want to just give up, accept im not gonna be who i truly am, but man i cant stand being any more miserable

it makes me wanna cry, the only time i get to feel myself how i think i should be is either if i draw something fictitious, or if i spend hours in the mirror making sure i look masculine, my mustache is convincing, etc. AND FOR WHAT? literally for fucking WHAT, because i dont leave the house anyways!!!!! dolled up like i have somewhere to be, like my appearance will get me what i want, when im stuck at home! i got nothing to prove to them, they think what they think

its fucking dreadful. im so scared of my life passing me by, and here i am wasting away in my bedroom for the last 3 years. no progress, nothing. at first, i was scared about even starting T because theres a higher risk of heart disease, but. i dont fucking care if it KILLS me. i dont care!!! if it kills me i dont fucking care im not living the life i want to live anyways. the risk of death is worth it at this point, i mean that so seriously

idk. im just tired, is all. i wish everyone could perceive me the way i dream they would. only time that happens is online, or when im not with my family at all and instead with my friends. but we only hang out like. once in a blue moon

and yknow what? im not even safe then. i remember we were at my friends house for halloween last year (we always meet up). i had my full leatherface costume one, my face was touched up to make it look like the mask. and still. dressed that way, when my friends mom asked me what my name was, i said dom and she was immediately like. "oh, dominique?" no. my name is fucking DOMINIC.

i didnt say anything besides correcting her, but it was such a blow, man. the only time ill be happy is if im closely monitoring every single thing i do, to make sure i dont appear feminine at all. no matter how i look, now matter how deep my voice is. miserable. why would anyone think that id choose this

#tw transphobia #tw dysphoria #tw queerphobia #tw misgendering

[tgarnsl]

for the word guessing game, how about thread, light, and leaf?

99% sure you've seen some of these before but...

thread

from my hornblower magic au where the Lydia gets stuck in the doldrums because of unresolved sexual tension

He had been no more than nineteen — scarcely more than a boy — when he had been taken as a prisoner of war to serve out his days in a Spanish gaol. His magic, weak as it was in those days, had been unable to save his ship from falling into enemy hands: for months afterwards he had dreamt of the conjured fog slipping through his fingers as he desperately tried to weave the threads of its spell tight. He had sworn off magic then, cutting himself off from it entirely: it had been more painful than he could have ever imagined, severing himself from something so intrinsic to his very nature, but he told himself that it was no more than he deserved. In time, the magic would not even come to him in dreams, so removed was he from himself, and a profound melancholy soon clouded his mind — scarcely able to sleep, scarcely able to eat, he began to fear that his magic had left him entirely. To lose his magic was unthinkable; since his earliest boyhood he had been aware of the shimmering sea of golden threads, invisible to the seeing eye, that connected all things. Once, he had felt its vitality flowing through him, but in Spain he felt it no longer. Desperate, he had done what no magician of honour would do; performed a ritual of scrying in water tainted with his own heart’s-blood. It was a dangerous game to play; to scry in one’s own blood brought clarity to the vision, but ran the risk of binding the seer to a fate he did not want. Hornblower had asked what any young man might: the path that would bring him glory. The visions in the scrying glass had been vague and nebulous, as visions ever were, but they had promised him glory and a happy life — a life he had never before imagined for himself.

—

light

slightly cheating here. from my flight of the heron stolen au:

“A letter arrived while you were away,” said Lochiel, picking up a square, sealed packet and passing it across the desk to Ewen. “I believe it is in my cousin Margaret’s hand.”

Ewen examined it, the letter trembling in his hands. Breaking the seal, he unfolded it, and cast his eye quickly over the first page and a half, which were primarily to do with the business of the estate, until he reached the words that made his heart stop in his chest.

Last week, wrote his aunt in her familiar hand, Young Iain of the Coire Daraich MacMartins went under my instructions to Fort William, carrying your Letter for Major Windham. There, he spoke with a redcoat Officer. I am sorry, my Boy. Your Major Windham died from the Wound he received at Morar, some days after he was brought back to Fort William.

The world dimmed, shifted, until all that was left were the words on the page. Your Major Windham died, Aunt Marget had written, the writing so neat and careful it could only be practiced. How many letters had she written, trying to find the right phrase? He tried to be grateful, but the grief was too strong. Once more he sat astride his garron, looking back over his shoulder at the shieling, a dark huddled mass against the lightening sky — and at the figure of Keith Windham, clutching a plaid tightly around himself, one hand raised in what might have been farewell.

—

leaf

from a flight of the heron fic I don't know if I'll ever finish, but that features a seduction attempt through bible reading (listen, Ewen is not very good, but he's trying)

“Is there nothing I can do for you?” he asked, kneeling before Ewen. “Your kindred — would you like me to write a letter to impart to them your circumstances?”

An unhappy smile twisted at Ewen’s lips. “Later, perhaps, if that signed order of yours is honoured and we are not disturbed until dawn.” His eyes lighted on the Bible. “May I—?”

“Certainly,” said Keith, handing it to him. He sat back on his heels and waited as Ewen leafed through the Bible, evidently searching for a passage.

“Would you do me a kindness, Windham?” he asked once he had found it, his voice tight. “These verses… I would very much appreciate it if you would read them to me.” Keith offered up his hand and Ewen gave him the Bible, indicating with a finger where Keith should begin reading.

“Please,” murmured Ewen, and so Keith turned his attention once more to the scripture before him.

“'And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”

But it was not an inn that Keith envisioned in his mind’s eye as he spoke of it, but a lonesome shieling on the slopes of Ben Loy, and it was not a man of Jerusalem lying half-dead and wounded that he had come upon, but a man of Ardroy.

“You understand now,” said Ewen softly, as Keith closed the Bible. “This is what you have done for me.”

#fic meme #i'm sorry for the bible reading but I promise that gay sex WILL follow

[squarebracket-trickster]

Thumbprint Tag

Rules: look back on your work, both past and present, finished and unfinished. What are five to ten narrative elements or tropes that continuously pop up in your work? Give a list of these things!

@on-noon don't mind if I jump on your open tag. I can get soooooo weirdly specific with this...

Oh yes, and I am going to carry on the open tag. Anyone that wants to join may.

Read More because oddly specific requires lots of words--

A female character from a very disadvantaged background (see political prisoner, indentured servant, peasant, enslaved person, poor etc.) who has an unlikely meet cute with someone (male) who turns out to be extremely privileged (see royalty, crazy rich etc.). They become friends. One day she has a really rough day, ends up sick, and he takes care of her (like makes her meals, rubs her shoulders, holds her hair when she throws up etc.). They don't end up dating until a while after this happens. If I had a nickel for every time this shows up in a story I'd have dollars by now.

Two or three female characters that my straight-ass spends years trying to ship with every palatable male character in the story to see if I can make them date. After years without success I finally realize that these characters are lesbians and they were made for each other. When their story arcs get finalized into canon they have an epic friends-to-lovers slow burn romance.

A main female character that, in hindsight, should have been my clue that I had ADHD. Re: talks too fast, says the most random shit, won't shut up, sits weirdly in chairs, really good in a crisis, always waving her hands when she talks, sensory issues galore, no eye contact, last minute queen, always has a song stuck in her head, can list 50 digits of pi but can't remember why the fuck she just walked into that room, and most importantly, me saying about this character, "I feel so relaxed when I write/daydream about her. It's like a release. Like, I can finally be myself and do all the things people think are annoying, but everyone in her life thinks she's funny and likes her energy." Like, you might as well have written MASKING ADHD directly across my forehead.

A monarchy that becomes a republic by the end of the story because I want to write about attractive princes and badass queens/empresses but I am also an anti-monarchist...

A character who was based off an irl friend that lost relevance in the story and got written out, only for me to eventually drift away from that friend or discover that they weren't the friend I thought they were.

Long rants about whatever topic I am learning about in uni at that time (assigned to a particular character for plot reasons). This week's rant was on Populism...

A couple that I decided could never be a couple because the power imbalance and political nonsense was too problematic, who ended up becoming a couple anyways because I have no self-control and them being together was just so *feels*. When all is finalized into canon, these couples get a glorious enemies-to-lovers slow burn that lasts several years and plenty of denial (in homage to my own feelings on the subject).

That moment when a character takes off their disguise and reveals that they are, in fact, a princess, goddess, secret agent etc. in order to save someone's life.

Idk what some of these say about me. idk if I want to know...

#tag game #wipi sort of #wipiii sort of

[firesoulstuff]

Fic Author Self-Rec!

I was tagged by @agentmarymargaretskitz to talk about “five favorite fics that you’ve written” and I think this is such a fun idea! We all deserve to be proud of ourselves!

1. A Walk Through Hell: (Arrow/Legends of Tomorrow). An Arrow S2 canon divergence where Leonard Snart was one of the prisoners on board The Amazo. He meets and finds himself more or less responsible for Sara.

This one’s my favorite because it was my first venture into a hardcore canon divergence, and while rewatching Arrow S2 in order to write it I was surprised by how easily Leonard fit into everything.

2. A Second Chance: (Legends of Tomorrow). The sequel to A Walk Through Hell. A Legends S1 canon divergence where Leonard and Sara had already met/fallen in love on The Amazo.

Again, it was so much fun to write and gradually change how canon went down.

3. What’s Mine is Yours: (The Flash). Started writing/posting before the start of Season 6. After Frost has a one night stand with Mick Rory, Caitlin realizes she’s pregnant. She and Frost are just starting to navigate that when they discover that the baby has Frost’s genetics and in order for it to survive to term Frost must be the one on the surface. Frost - not being used to being the one with a life of her own - then has to decide what she wants and what she is willing to ask of other people. Fortunately she has Ralph to help her along the way.

I really think this one is some of my best work pacing-wise, and I find myself going back to it when I get stuck on my WIPS.

4. Watch Me (Do Just One Thing Right): (Criminal Minds) A canon divergence where Cat Adams never miscarried. At eight months pregnant she asks Spencer to come see her, so she can ask him if he’ll adopt the baby.

My first venture into the Criminal Minds fandom and absolutely reignited my love for writing!

5. Playing House: (Legends of Tomorrow). Written during S5. During a battle with a witch, all the Legends except for Sara and a newly returned Leonard are de-aged. Unfortunately the witch who cast the spell is the only one who can reverse it, and she isn’t easy to find. What’s worse, the longer the spell is in effect, the more the de-aged victims forget their adult lives.

This story was at first so challenging for me to write. I was so unsure of where it was going that I ended up giving up on it for seven months. I was convinced it was going to remain unfinished forever. But then I got a few comments on it so I decided it was worth trying to go back to, and it ended up being so therapeutic for me! We were in the height of the pandemic at this point, and I was helping my mom who was acting as a full-time caregiver for my grandma with severe Alzheimer’s. As the story went on I received a few comments saying I was writing the memory loss of the younger Legends as very “thoughtful and involved”, and when I stopped to think about it I realized I was writing the process I had witnessed over the past few years of my grandma losing her memory. It still makes me smile because I am happy with how it turned out, and it feels like my grandma got to be in the best parts of it.

#fandom #fic writing #fic writer self-rec #dc's legends of tomorrow #the flash #criminal minds

[finnban]

I have something to say.

I found proof that Shadouge is actually canon!

First of all, I’m not a fan of Sonic, I’m a fan to my own beliefs. I used to put my mind on other people’s opinions about what they think is fair. Turns out, gullibility is what’s putting me under the state where listening to them is my only option. In reality, it never felt right for me. Right after I’ve overcame my gullibility related senses, I started to create my own beliefs and understanding of the world around me. When I set my ideas with this formula, I feel much more confident going my own ways with the thought that I can make choices for anything. However, there’s one thing I also set to make my understanding of my world be more supported, Limitations. Limitations are the top priority I needed to have in my life so I feel more comfortably confident when it comes to hearing other people’s opinions.

Now, personally I am a Shadouge shipper, and I do have a hunch about them.

You see, when I first looked at their first debut together in Sonic Adventure 2, the animation didn’t make me feel comfortable at first, but I push through, because I needed to get my analysis on the game. Then I realize, right after I looked at the Team Sonic story and then went into the Team Dark story, it was actually clear to me already, both stories were on the same timeline in the game.



When looking at Knuckles and Rouge’s interaction scenes in the Sonic story, I thought at first it was true, but I figured I haven’t got enough information from it because I didn’t look at the Dark story yet. Even if the scene where Knuckles saved Rouge in the end wasn’t that true to me yet, especially when people saw that first.

I continued to the Dark story, and then what happened Shocked me. That was when I discovered both stories were on the same timeline. When Rouge was stuck on Prison Island, where the bombs were about to go off, Shadow whooshes in to save her with Chaos Control. However, this happened a few hours before Knuckles saves her from falling into a pit of lava. And all of that led me to my last thought about who saved Rouge first. So, it… was… Shadow! Shadow was the first character to save Rouge’s life before Knuckles.

(You have to play both videos to compare the two stories and see the understanding of it.)

The best part of that, since Shadow saved her first, she locked eyes on him. And not just her eyes, but her heart, too. Shadow may have said she went in to save her because of the Chaos Emeralds, but Rouge thought he wasn’t telling the truth about it enough. She saw something inside him that shows he cares about her deeply:



the support of his thought about Maria.

I trusted her instincts on that, because I knew Shadow was already the first character to save her life.

Furthermore, I also have a feeling this game is really canon, by the way. When Shadow lost the super strength of his power, fell to the surface of the earth, everyone thought the fall to earth has already killed him, but I remember him stating in the beginning of the game “he is the ultimate lifeform.” Those prototypes are made to be immortal, indestructible, and they’d never age. So, hearing about his fall, the truth was… it never killed him. He fell unconscious into a long coma, until Eggman came in and carried him to his lab for medical treatment. When the Sonic Hero’s game came around, he finally arose from his slumber.



That means, he’s been alive this whole time.



I guess all the other identical Shadow prototypes sealed within another lab, my guess is that Dr. Eggman stole the blueprint to make an army of all the other identical Shadow the Hedgehog prototypes, but none of them were the real one. Both Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Hero’s stories are connected to each other.

All of that also got me thinking what choice I’ve made about it, I was right all along. So I am Proud to be a Shadow & Rouge shipper for all eternity in the Sonic Franchise!



❤️‍🔥🦔SHADOUGE FOREVER!!!!🦇❤️‍🔥

They’ve been inseparable ever since, as a pure couple, to me.

“Learning to trust other people and fictional character’s instincts is one valuable lesson you’d ever learn, regardless of them being fake or real. And a proper analysis with the realization of both stories being on the same timeline is a pretty great way to have your head wrapped around in, when it comes to those separate Sonic stories.

#shadow the hedgehog #rouge the bat #shadouge #shadow and rouge #sonic adventure 2 #real story #analysis #knucklehead