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#i havent read a new wc book in years (They are not very good) but have been keeping up with The Happenings recently cause its fun
airoarts · 6 months
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Leader and deputy
[Image description: a digital painting of Squirrelstar and Ivypool from Warriors. Squirrelstar is a small dark red cat with green eyes, standing in front of the much taller Ivypool, a gray tabby-and-white cat with blue eyes and many battle scars. The background is dark blue. end ID]
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the-owl-tree · 1 year
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Hello!
I started reading the series this year out of pure curiosity so I'm very new to Warriors. I just finished the first four arcs of Warriors + The Apprentice's Quest and while there are a lot of things I didn't like about the series there's something about it that just makes me want to see what happens. In particular I liked OotS a lot and I'm really looking forward to the rest of AVoS,
My question is: is it worth reading any of the novellas, super editions or mangas as someone who has 0 nostalgia for the series? I have been told that they contradict a lot of things and/or retell things we already saw so they don't sound like a great time. Yellowfang and Hollyleaf are my favorites so far and I heard how bad Yellowfang's Secret was. I considered checking out Hollyleaf's Story but I'm not sure if it's worth my time after hearing all this.
it's a mixed bag and honestly up to what you find personally enjoyable in the series, wc side books have some good stuff and some bad stuff. if you like journey books then you'll like some of these, if you enjoy more dialogue than action then you'll like some, it really is up to preference! my own recommendations would just be to skip whatever doesn't sound interesting to you if you're not interested in reading everything lol but if you would like some recommendations:
(this got long sorry lol)
for super editions, bluestar's prophecy is a fine book, if you're interested in an in-depth exploration of bluestar's life and a better understanding of some bg characters in tpb then i'd recommend it! while the core conflict and relationships are weak when you think about it, i think it does well enough in selling the situation that you can give it some suspension of disbelief
crookedstar's promise is arguably the best written with great conflict and some great relationships. it's popular for a reason and i think it earns the hype it has in the fandom as a solid book. it's flimsy in some parts but it does better than expected when compared to usual wc books.
i'm tentative to put tallstar's revenge simply because i actually don't think it deserves a lot of the hype it gets lol the conflict is weak, the resolution is disappointing, and jake doesn't get nearly enough spotlight imo however if you like travelling books and want some more books that talk about windclan culture and history, i recommend this one simply for the worldbuilding!
uhhh for more like supplementary reading, firestar's quest is fine (with some creepy romance conflict) and does well enough for what it has to do. i haven't read hawkwing's journey (and haven't heard good things) so i can't comment too much on it but i think, even though i haven't read it, i would recommend tigerheart's shadow as both avos reading and a general understanding of his character for the newer arcs
everything else i havent read or did not like lol
for novellas, i actually enjoyed hollyleaf's story! it's a contained narrative about hollyleaf dealing with everything and if you don't mind a lot of talking and reminiscing with some not subtle writing, it's a decent character piece.
cloudstar's journey is a sombre novella and for that i recommend it, i love the interactions in it and the growing desperation of the characters. if that doesn't sound appealing to you, feel free to skip but if it does, then i recommend!
mapleshade's vengeance aka the scourge of fandom discourse is a fun read, absolutely recommend. it's nothing new or original but it's great to have a protagonist who just fucks shit up.
pinestar's choice another interesting read, pinestar as a character is divisive (for a lot of reasons) but on its own, i think it's really interesting. there's some great moments where he reflects on the clan and i wish there were more moments like that in the series!
blackfoot's reckoning what if god tortured you psychologically with your own memories? very enjoyable even if it isn't that meaningful in the long run
and moving onto the mangas, i actually recommend them all? i love graphic novels, manga, manwha, webtoons, etc. so i'm quite biased towards any visual book and will enjoy myself reading them lol but for more detailed thoughts:
the rise of scourge is a classic for a reason, solid villain origin story.
graystripe's adventure or whatever it calls itself is...fine, it's a fun little adventure trip that gets you invested in graystripe and millie's relationship as well as showing how he got home. if you want a low stakes adventure comic series, check it out.
ravenpaw's path is just a little post-bloodclan adventure for him. if you want to see more of ravenpaw and barley or see what happened to bloodclan after the darkest hour, check this out!
tigerstar & sasha is contentious series, some people like it and others don't. i enjoyed it as a bleak trio of novels, i genuinely feel so bad for sasha :( if you can get past the wonky art then i recommend it!
skyclan and the stranger is...mixed, it's got some nice background designs. if you like gorge skyclan or a certain eclipse antagonist then i'd recommend, just don't expect anything amazing.
a shadow in riverclan has a strong start, a weak ending, and some very confusing characterization if you read the new prophecy after lol i enjoyed feathertail's struggle and would recommend it simply if you want some acknowledgement for whatever the fuck happened in tigerclan
winds of change is an excellent standalone manga that highlights mudclaw's perspective during the windclan rebellion in tnp, it's enjoyable and while he's definitely not in the right, you do understand his perspective a little more after it.
exile from shadowclan is one i'd recommend just for the art, the way james barry utilizes shadow and the landscape is great and i found myself looking at the pages more for the artwork than the story at times! while it's wonky and has some...really weird choices, i'd just read it if you're interested more in brokenstar's reign over shadowclan.
aaannddd those are my recommendations! apologies it got a little long, i wanted to ramble lol i'm probably not the best person to ask since i havent read everything but i appreciate you reaching out nonetheless! hope you find something you like :)
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I know there are lots of WC books, boy do I know. But put your most faves of the series and rate them - shipping-shiggy.
oh fuck this is HARD
hmmmmmm...... im gonna do this in categories i think, putting under the cut bc this could get long
alright i'll start with super editions, since theyre the most cut and dry i think
crookedstar's promise, it's super good, very emotional, i love crookedstar
tallstar's revenge, very gay, love it
this one's kinda difficult bc i havent read most of the older ones in a long time, so i think my answer would probably change once i've reread them, so... tentatively, im gonna say crowfeather's trial, for the sole reason that i have been a crowfeather fan since i was 10
ok next up im gonna do it by arc, and then after that i'll pick my faves out of those faves
for the prophecies begin:
into the wild, ofc
rising storm
i think a dangerous path and the darkest hour are tied here
honestly, the first arc in general is just rly solid, probably the best in the series (altho not my favorite arc)
now for the new prophecy... disclaimer, i havent read these books in at least 6 years, and i dont remember hardly anything so im going off wiki summaries lmao
starlight (windclan civil war my beloved, oh if only you were better fleshed out and expanded on)
sunset (good bramblehawk content lmao)
moonrise
power of three time
eclipse!! when i was a kid i reread this book over and over bc i thought the battle in the tunnels was just SO fucking cool, and yknow what? i was right
dark river
the sight
omen of the stars
the last hope for the sheer impact it had on me as a kid (also i still cry over firestar's death lmao)
night whispers
the forgotten warrior
dawn of the clans, my favorite arc!
the first battle, it has my favorite line in the series and is just. so good.
a forest divided
path of stars
a vision of shadows
SHATTERED SKY this is in my top 5 of all time, i LOVE how fucking dark it is, i can't get enough, i want more warriors books that are this level of fucked
thunder and shadow
the apprentice's quest
honestly this arc... kinda sucks lmao, it has some high points but overall... nah
the broken code! this is probably my 2nd or 3rd fave arc, i rly liked it
lost stars, incredibly strong start to an arc
the silent thaw, was not bored for even a single page reading this one, which is very rare for warriors
darkness within bc of how dark it is, even in comparison to the rest of this arc; like, that scene where the sisters are trying to summon bramblestar's ghost but instead it's a bunch of ghost cats screaming in agony?? fucking awesome
aaand i can't rly rate the current arc since theres only one book out dnfgdjkfh but i really loved river, i think this arc is gonna be pretty good!
soooo overall rankings! we have:
shattered sky, i could read it again and again, i swear
the first battle
into the wild
and just for funsies here are some of my least favorite books, not rly categorized bc im getting tired of typing<3
yellowfang's secret, leopardstar's honor, squirrelflight's hope, the sun trail (seriously fuck this book), outcast (every time the erins write a traveling book i die a little more inside), the fourth apprentice, river of fire, and the place of no stars
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alfredolover119 · 3 years
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I looooove your zukka rec lists! I recently became Avatar-obsessed, never got a chance to watch it as a kid and only just got through it all! I was wondering if you'd consider doing a specifically angst rec list? I love fluffy zukka everything, but sometimes you just gotta have your heart ripped out of your chest and put back in after being thoroughly blended.
thank you! i relate heavily to “recently became Avatar-obsessed” haha. as for the angst list, i sure can try! warning: all of these have happy endings because im a crybaby who can’t read unhappy endings. also, p much all of the fics in the completed section were featured on my other lists but this is specifically the ANGSTY ones >:^)
angsty zukka wips
first, most obviously, feels like we only go backwards by @oldpotatoe
-currently at 102k with 19/27 chapters posted; rated teen
-the amnesia fic. the amnesia fic. the amnesia fic. you know. i haven’t actually read it yet because, as previously mentioned, i’m a crybaby and am waiting for it to finish up but, from my understanding, this fic will murder you in a dark alleyway with no remorse. if u like zukka angst, you’ve probably already read this, but just in case!
An injury leaves Sokka with amnesia. His last memory is of the failed invasion, of leaving his father behind in enemy territory on the Day of Black Sun. Of hopelessness. Rage. // But then he wakes up, and the war is over. Suddenly, he must come to terms with the fact that years have passed, and that he's somehow the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador to the Fire Nation. He is also supposedly friends with banished-Prince-turned-Fire-Lord Zuko, of all people. Close friends.
Yeah, nah.
and i’ll do anything you say (if you say it with your hands) by @goldrushzukka
-currently 38k with 6/8 chapters posted; rated mature
-holy shit. holy SHIT. modern au based on the “my cat likes my fuckbuddy and i am falling in love” trope(?). maybe it’s just because of how the last chapter ended, but oh my god. this one made me cry. made me want to commit violence. when it’s not angsty as hell, it’s pretty funny, but holy shit. ao3 user nebulastucky please.
It’s supposed to be a one night stand. Pick up some guy at a bar, barely remember his name and never learn anything real about him, send him packing in the morning with a thanks for the ride and a cup of coffee to-go. That’s how it’s supposed to go. // But then it’s the best sex Sokka has ever had, and he thinks he’ll hate himself if he never gets to have it again.
Violet Blossoms and Celestial Objects by @hollypunkers
-currently 15k with 2/? posted. rated teen.
-this is the sequel to blue (an angsty, zukka rewrite of book 2-- go read it if u havent!)! !! this is a book 3 rewrite. only two chapters in and mrs hollypunkers is really abusing the miscommunication tag, as zukka writers seem to enjoy doing. im excited to see how the world and story develops with the changes to the story! you should be too!! its very good! obviously spoilers for blue lmao
Having sided with the Avatar in Ba Sing Se, Zuko not only must navigate his new relationship with Sokka but returning to the Fire Nation as a banished enemy. His own journey of self discovery and personal growth must now coexist alongside the personal struggles of every other member of the Gaang as together they blaze a treacherous path toward an unsure victory against Zuko's own father and nation.
breakable heaven by @fruitysokka
-currently 71k with 9/11 chapters posted. rated teen
-swt ambassador zuko! soon to be chief sokka! fake dating ur best friend to get out of an arranged marriage! what could go wrong!!! i also haven’t read this one ((see: i’m a crybaby who is being hurt by too many zukka wips already)), but it has been hanging out in my marked for later for months. from what i understand, this fic has: angst.
With his twenty-first birthday looming just around the corner, the Southern Water Tribe Elders have decided that Sokka, next in line to be Chief, needs to get married. Sokka does not want that, but he does need to get them off his back until he can figure his way out of it. What better way to do that than to pretend to date his best friend (and newly minted Ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe) Zuko? // Seriously, this is a foolproof plan. Maybe one of Sokka's best. Absolutely nothing can go wrong.
angsty zukka fics (completed!)
(i’ll put these in wc order)
lighthouse beam by @incorrectzukka
-7k, rated g
-a modern college au!! zuko’s inner-monologue is very angsty in this fic. typical zuko. also per usual, theyre both fucking dorks. they sort themselves out in the end, but not before The Angst. zuko is semi-deaf in this fic and also he has a bit of internalized homophobia.
Sokka’s breathtakingly beautiful and he’s smart and makes other people laugh. Zuko has a half-burnt face and a deaf ear. It’s not rocket science. // Or, Zuko falls in love with the boy in his Philosophy class.
This Isn’t My Idea of Fun by @khaleeseas
-9k, explicit
-moon spirit/nwt prince!sokka, no war to be found here! admittedly this isnt THAT angsty but like. the angst IS present. zuko is still the prince. a lovely childhood friends (though they hated each other for a minute haha) to lovers story. 
If you asked Zuko, he and Azula saw far too much of Chief Hakoda of the Northern Water Tribe’s children growing up. It wasn’t until they were older, and Azula pointed out that - duh - their families were trying to set them all up, that he realized why. // He was told by his mother to be polite. These people were their friends and allies, and though their nations were as different as they came, harmony between nations was the most important thing. // It wasn’t his fault the Chief’s children were so annoying.
put your lips close to mine (as long as they don’t touch) by @celestialceci
-9k, teen
-modern au! zuko and sokka are college roommates. zuko goes to spend the summer with sokka. again,, not really that angsty but-- its there!! the detail and feeling of Home in this story make me happy. zuko is insecure as hell here too. if ur into that. 
Zuko hates his home. He likes college alright, but he likes Sokka even better, his assigned roommate turned best friend. Spending the summer with Sokka will be fun, a welcome change of pace he desperately wants. It probably won't awaken anything in him... right?
the thing about dancing by anodymalion
-9k, teen
-yes. this one right here officer. it makes my heart ache. also trans sokka! which is cool. but the zuko angst in this one. hurts me. not so much relationship angst as it is zuko learning he deserves happiness angst. i’m sure u know The Type.
The first time a attendant spills Zuko’s tea and doesn’t immediately fall to her knees, begging the Fire Lord’s forgiveness, it is not anger but a resounding warmth that fills his chest.
i could (never) give you peace by @zukkababey
-10k, mature
-OUCH. OUCH OUCH OUCH. boys please learn to communicate im begging u. also zuko.. zuko, dude. as the tags of the fic say, hes “really going through it” in this one. YOUCH. post-canon.
Zuko almost said it. He almost said the words I think I’m in love with you, but he choked them back down at the last second. // Zuko would never be able to be what Sokka wanted. They might have needed each other during the summer, when two boys with too much weight on their shoulders found comfort in each other in the only way they knew how. // But now Zuko was Fire Lord, and Sokka was leaving.
this love burns so yellow (becoming orange and in its time, exploding) by @meliebee 
-18k, teen, major character death 
-i lied. THIS is the one, officer. found family.. good mai and zuko and toph friendships.. . ozai escapes prison and tries to overthrow zuko. OBVIOUSLY angst ensues. poor boy. he Does heal in this but it gets worse before it gets better. angst angst angst angst.
Ten months after Zuko is crowned at seventeen, he faces his first coup.
Anything for You by beersforqueers
-23k, explicit
-istg. this is probably one of my favorite zukka fics. its PAINFUL. modern au where theyre broken up but sokka hasnt told his family yet so zuko goes home with him for kataang wedding. a bit smutty, but the plot oh my god ohgm y fuvk. made me cry the first time i read it. (see: crybaby!me) insert that one picture of the horse with the caption PAIN. 
In which Sokka and Zuko have broken up but Sokka hasn't told his family yet. So when Katara and Aang's wedding weekend rolls around and he doesn't want to break Gran-Gran's heart, he asks Zuko to pretend to be his boyfriend for one last weekend. // Things don't go as planned.
Moving Mountains by @thefangirlingdead
-64k, mature
-so. when i read this the first time it was in one sitting. soulmate au set within canon era / the comics, to an extent. soulmates can hear each others thoughts. i will happily say this is slowburn, jesus christ. champagne without the cham. 
Soulmates are chosen by the spirits and can hear each other’s thoughts. Sokka thinks it’s cheesy and dumb. Zuko thinks it’s poetic justice that he doesn’t have one because he doesn’t deserve it. Cruel irony is finding out that the prince of the Fire Nation (and the person currently hunting you) is your soulmate.
In the Soft Light by @voidcenturyscholar and @romancedawning
-83k, teen, graphic depictions of violence
-moon spirit!sokka living in the northern water tribe. zuko is sent to the northern water tribe as a cultural liaison. iroh is the fire lord but while he is away taking care of lu ten after his injury ozai steps up. i cannot express how many emotions this fic made me feel. background yuetara. i would almost say found family?? but. anyway. plenty of angst to spare here with a healthy dose of enemies to friends to lovers.
As the newly appointed cultural liaison to Northern Water Tribe, Zuko is the first Fire Nation Citizen to step foot inside the city's walls in nearly a century. He's determined to prove himself—to the Fire Lord and to his father—even if the Water Tribe's spirit-touched prince seems to want nothing to do with him.
That Midnight Sky by @zukkababey
-103k, teen
-now now now. tms... modern college au where sokka agrees to tutor zuko in physics because zuko has to maintain straight a’s and physics is just not doing it for him. so. thats cool but THEN azula moves in, randomly, with zuko. to hide the fact that sokka is tutoring zuko, they fake date! what could go wrong!! the mutual pining in here combined with the angst... wonderful, tasty. everyone read it rn. also SLOWBURN 
In Zuko’s strict family, needing a tutor is just about the worst thing you could do. Failing a class, however, is even worse. The only rational solution? Take up Aang on his offer to find him a physics tutor and have Sokka—beautiful, smart, handsome Sokka—tutor him in secret. // When Azula’s arrival threatens to reveal Zuko’s secret, it’s up to Sokka to convince her this definitely isn’t what it looks like. See, he’s actually… Zuko’s… boyfriend? // Hmm. There’s no way this could get complicated, right?
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ladybugsfanfics · 5 years
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Worth The Wait | Tom Hiddleston x Indian!reader
Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Indian!reader
Style: One Shot
WC: 2.6k
Warnings: uhh, curse words, i dont thinkt there is anything in this??
Summary:  @thelowkeydetective said: “Hey, I wanted to request a soulmate au (with Hiddleston) and take your time, no hurry:if you're on separate time zones, when you sleep, you see the world in the eyes of your soulmate at present and when they look into a reflective surface/mirror the image is blurred. Hope you got which one.  I'm sorry for bugging you again but maybe you could make that one shot I requested to be Tom Hiddleston x Indian reader( that way you can get the time difference too and I'm Indian). Thank you😄” - soulmate au post also, to help the story i added another of the aus  “Because the universe is sadistic af, it only gave you the first letter of your soulmate’s name.”
A/N: this was so much fun to write and I hope i did good. I havent specified that anything about the reader so you can imagine being anything only you live in Chennai, India (it works so well since Tom’s older sister lives there). Thank you so much for the request and so sorry it took so long ^_^ italics are the dream she has btw
if you want to be added to my taglist, please send an ask ^_^  | requests are open, too.
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Drying your hands after washing your face, your thumb swipes over the tattoo on your left wrist. The T stares at you, has your heart fall a little as the rope that holds it in place slowly rips―how much is left of that rope, you’re not sure. 
The tattoo appeared when you were 18. All over the world, people wake up to a new tattoo on their 18th birthday, except, most people get the whole name (the first name), and you woke up to only a stupid letter. When you turned twenty, that’s when the probability of finding your soulmate comes. If soulmates are on different time zones, you see their daily life when you sleep. 
For most, this never happens and is only something people use to test that they’ve found the right person. Most of your friends have gone on trips just to make sure the person they met is actually the person they’re meant to be with. 
You’re not one of the lucky. You’re one of the unlucky who has had dreams of their soulmate’s lives since the day you turned twenty. It has been a quiet ride so far, seeing as it’s impossible for you to find out who he is―the dude travels so much you can’t pinpoint where in the world he is from.  A lot of the time, you see manuscripts though, late night readings―Shakespeare seems to be a favorite. 
It doesn’t help that your parents want you to get married, have children and have been talking about this forever. Since you were twenty-five (about eight years), they’ve been going on about forgetting your soulmate and finding someone eligible in India, in Chennai. But you can’t find anyone you get along with, and believe it, they’ve tried hard. 
The T prompts a deep sigh, knowing if you don’t meet him, you will end up spending the rest of your life alone. Through the years you’ve seen him, you’ve noticed things, picked up on habits he has. Also, from time to time, when you believe he dreams, you’ve left notes, tried to speak with him. 
And he replied.
Steadily, you’ve been having a conversation. You still don’t know his name, or where he is from, because you’re afraid to ask certain questions. The first question was a boring yet sweet, how are you? To which he replied, fine, and you?
It became more prying after a while, but it’s only been going on for a year and it isn’t always easy knowing if he’s gotten your messages or not. Though he seems to have figured out when his will reach you. 
With a harsh scrub at the T, which does nothing but redden your skin, you let go of the hand towel. One final look in the mirror. Tired eyes look back at you. You sigh once more and get out of the bathroom. In your bedroom, you get into bed and pull the blanket completely over your head, hoping slumber takes you easily and that maybe, just maybe, you get a new message. 
People are everywhere, filing to and fro in every direction. They lug suitcases after them. Children screams at their parents. The woman who accepts the passport smiles warmly, raven-black hair tied into a ponytail that waves as she moves her head. She hands the passport back, with a tucked in boarding pass and reaches to tie a piece of paper around the handle of the suitcase. Her mouth moves, showing of a set of white teeth. 
Moving, the gaze lands on the boarding pass. It covers the passport, hiding away any information on it. But the pass says it all. From Heathrow to Chennai International Airport. The passport closes shut and is filed into a pocket as the moving stops. 
The security check is lined with people. The long line goes easily forward, stopping only a few minutes every now and then. Long, slender fingers grabs a gray box and pulls out some belongings. A belt, phone and keys land in one corner. So does a wristwatch. A black backpack gets its own box. The line through isn’t long. Green tells to go through. The security people smile and nod, and gestures to keep going. 
Big hands grab the backpack and puts away the other belongings. People everywhere, walking past in a slow tempo. The big screen that tells the gates shows the gate for the flight to Chennai. Increased tempo. 
By the gate, there are few free seats. There is one by the corner. From the backpack, slender fingers drag out a book and a notebook.  A pen sits in the spine. Opening the notebook, pages file past with previous notes. Scrambling a date in uneligible handwriting, and then, in block letters, where are you from? The gaze lies there for a full minute, and the book closes, the pen reattached to the spine. And the other book opens, a bookmark placed at the back and a hand holding it by the spine as the other scrolls to the next page. 
---
Are you allowed to freak out? Are you allowed to keep going over the words you wrote, desperately hoping he saw them? Are you allowed to have your heart beat its way out of your rib cage because you know your soulmate is coming to Chennai?
You pace back and forth in your office, feeling the eyes of your office-roommate burn on you. He raises a brow as you stop, turn to face him and cross your arms over your chest. 
“What’s going on?” he asks. 
“Uhh,” you say, “it’s complicated.” You drag a hand through your hair. Again, again, again. It grows annoying and you tie it up in a bun with the hairbands on your wrist. 
Advik pushes himself from his desk, his chair rolling closer to you. He pulls on you to sit down in your own chair, and as you slump against it, he takes one of your hands in his. “You can tell me, I won’t…” He tries for a smile instead of finishing the sentence―nothing you find very comforting. 
“It’s my soulmate.” It sounds weird saying out loud. 
Your coworker cocks a brow. “Soulmate, huh?” His face gets a playful smirk and he turns your hand in his, but there is no tattoo on that one. Nor can you see the tattoo on your left wrist as you’ve perfected how to cover up the T. 
“Yeah, soulmate.” Something tugs at your stomach. Advik moves to check your other wrist. Deep brown eyes look up at you, a frown thrown across it, mixed with something akin to fondness. 
“You don’t have one, do you?” he asks, eyes glances down at your wrist again. His thumb strokes where the T hides underneath make-up. “That’s great news.”
Lips pressed together, and knowing people have been talking about you not having a soulmate for some time now, you don’t say anything. You let him stroke over your tattoo, even though he can’t see it. 
He pulls back his sleeves and shows his wrists to you. “See, no soulmate.” The lopsided grin that accompanies makes you feel guilty, a stab of pain in your stomach and the far away feeling of impending sweat. “Isn’t that great?”
You shake your head. “That’s not…” The words feel wrong. But how else do you say it? “That’s not true. I have a soulmate.” 
Advik frowns, his expression giving away what he says next, “but you have no tattoo?” 
“Wrong,” you say and find a wet wipe in your purse. You rub it against your wrist, taking the time to get everything off. As the T is visible, you show it to him. 
“Who is this  T, then?” he asks, but he doesn’t sound convinced.
You take a deep breath. “I don’t know. I know he’s an actor, and that he likes shakespeare. Uhh, he travels a lot and reads a lot. Probably from the west, I think because he’s usually awake when I go to sleep.”
“So, he’s in another time zone.” Advik shrugs, though a small smile plays on his lips, as if he’s happy with that. “Doesn’t that open up to, maybe, trying someone else?” 
“I dreamt it tonight.” You take a deep breath. “He’s here. In Chennai. I saw his boarding pass.” 
Advik raises a brow, his smile falling. “Well, then we’ll have to see if we can find him, right?”
“You’re gonna help me?”
He nods. “Totally. I might not have a soulmate, and have hoped you haven’t had one either, but you seem to want to find him. Why not help you?”
You shake your head, unsure what to think but your heart flips at the thought. A grin spreads across you face and the anticipation of finding him has your gut churn. Maybe things will go your way? 
---
The bookstore you’re in feels like a dead end, just as every other bookstore you’ve been to. It’s not like you know he’ll even stop by one, you just know he likes to read. 
Advik smiles tightly, his eyes glancing to the door every now and then as the bell above it rings. It signals new customers, but so far, you haven’t seen anyone that could be from the west. After all, you’re looking for what you believe to be a white male, and the people coming in... aren’t that. 
“I don’t think we’re gonna find him,” you say and slide down the wall you’re leaning against. “How are we supposed to know he’ll come here?”
“Because he likes to read,” says Advik, “and this is the biggest bookstore in Chennai.”
You roll your eyes. “What has that got to do with it? He probably won’t come here, he’ll go to one of the small ones that are way cozier.”
“Y/N, he speaks English, how many bookstores here sells English books?” 
“Uhh, all of them?”
Advik purses his lips, but glances at the door again. To your lovely surprise, someone white does come in. A woman with long blonde hair and a pretty face. Behind her, a white man―probably not who you’re looking for though―with more ginger hair. It curls at the ends, slicked back behind his ears and a little messy, but it goes great with the beard he’s sporting. 
“Can it be him?” Advik arches a brow and looks at you. 
You shake your head. “Probably not, he’s way too hot to be my soulmate.” 
Advik chuckles. “Nah, he’s definitely within your league. Maybe check somehow?” 
Answering that with a resounding ‘no’ doesn’t work because Advik grabs your wrist and drags you with him to a shelf near the two white people. You’re certain they’re a couple, as it seems unlikely to think anything else. Though they’re not as handsy at the couples you’ve seen on TV in most American shows. 
You act as if you’re browsing―which you end up doing―and glance at the male every now and then. The book you pull out has an interesting title, but other than that you don’t really read what it’s about. 
“Tom,” the woman says, voice low but not low enough for you not to hear it. “Do you really think this is the place?” Her accent is British, and how the male’s name starts with a T has you glance down at your wrist. 
Advik wiggles his brows your way, nodding a little in the direction of the male. It works, he mouths. You roll your eyes, but still glance the stranger’s way. If it is him, you have to admit that’s not something you’re opposed to. 
“What better place? A bookstore is the perfect―”
Whatever the end of the sentence is, you don’t get it as he speaks too low. His accent is British, which works well with the soothing deep tone of his voice, which again does have an effect on the feelings flowing through your veins.
You swallow the lump in your throat. The side-eyeing of him seems to go unnoticed, however, still scared of getting caught, you turn your caze back to Advik. 
But your coworker isn’t where he was moments before. No, he’s… your gaze lands on him a meter away. The man is stumbling onto the male―Tom―with a book. Wide-eyed you go to him and decide to help. Which doesn’t work and instead you eye a clumsy mess together with the woman Tom’s with. 
“Boys, huh?” she asks, rolling her eyes. 
You nod. “Yeah,” you say. “That was on purpose, too.” Immediately after saying the words, you want to hide. 
The woman smiles. “Oh, so a friend of yours then?”
“You can say that. Only I didn’t know he was going to do that.” You shake your head, eyes on the two men who both laugh awkwardly at each other. 
“No, why did he do it?”
“He believes the guy is my soulmate.” You’re surprised at how casual it comes out. 
Something lights up in the woman’s face. “Well, let’s find out then? I’m Sarah, by the way. His sister.” She holds out a hand, and you take it. 
“Y/N,” you reply. “But I don’t understand how we’re supposed to find out.”
Sarah shrugs and takes your left hand in hers. She twists it to see your wrist. The T isn’t covered up today, and you’re almost relieved it isn’t. “That’s something, right? You know, he only has the initial, too. Maybe he is your soulmate?”
You nod. The prospect of being so close to figuring it out is overwhelming. It tugs at your gut, in a good and bad way. What if it turns out to be nothing like you want? Or to be completely awful? Or what if it’s everything you want? What if it actually brightens your days? And it will stop the nagging from your parents... 
“Okay, how do we check?” you ask. 
Sarah smiles. “You have to talk, and touch. The touch is important.” 
“Have you met your soulmate?” you ask. 
“Yeah,” she says and her smile brightens, “it’s worth everything.”
You mirror her smile and let out a deep breath. “Then let’s try this.”
Sarah waves her brother over to you, who seems deep in conversation with Advik. The two men walk over, and the glance over Tom gives you stirs something in your stomach. You press your lips together, and swallow. Only your throat stays dry. 
God, is this really how I’m supposed to feel?
Sarah smiles. “Tom, this is Y/N.”
You extend a hand for him to shake, and he takes it in a firm grip that shoots electricity up your arm. She was right about the touch. But she hadn’t warned you about those ocean eyes that rip your soul out and tug at your heart. 
“Hi,” you say, voice soft. You bite down on your bottom lip, afraid you’re gonna let something slip. And remembering you’re still holding his hand, you let go. The absence feels wrong, and that alone seems like all the answers you need. 
He smiles at you. “Hi.” 
“It’s official,” says Advik, “you are most definitely soulmates.”
Sarah nods in agreement. 
You just shake your head with an embarrassed smile. “I guess? Wanna go on a date?” where did this confidence come from?
“I would love to.” Your heart flips, does that one-two beat. 
So long, the nagging and rumours had scared you. Now that you’ve met your soulmate, you know it was worth the wait.
permanent: @devilbat @adefectivedetective @gamillian
tom:  @inlovewith3 @bookgirlunicorn @mindlesschicca @justawriterinprogress @wolfsmom1 @loser-alert
bold in the taglist are people tumblr wont let me mention
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