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marvelobsessed134 · 1 month

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Life imitates art

A/n: whewww this is one of my favorite things I ever written

Pairings: Beefy!Art Professor!Natasha x Fem!Student!Reader

Warnings: age gap (not specified), Nat has a dick, smut, blowjob, degradation, painting a nude person, reader being that nude person, pervy Nat (?), student/teacher dynamics

Okay so you’ve been failing your art class in college. But it’s really not your fault you’ve just been so caught up with your other classes that you’ve been slacking off.

And of course your professor noticed. Natasha knew she had to talk to you after class because you were one of her top students and now you’ve fallen off the deep end.

So after the lecture and after everyone leaves, leaving their canvases up to dry, the redhead calls you to stay after class.

You walked towards her desk with a nervous feeling in your stomach. You know you’re gonna get some kind of lecture of your own.

“Yes Professor Romanoff?” You asked in a sweet tone hoping you won’t be getting into any trouble with her. Not that she’s a mean professor per se but when a student fails she makes them do an extra project to get their grades up. It’s almost like she loves to torture people!

“Miss Y/n you’ve been failing very miserably in my class. Any particular reason why?” She asked.

You gulped, “Well…you see professor I’ve just been so caught up in my other classes that I’ve kind of been slacking on this one but-“

“So is my class not important to you?”

“No! It’s very important to me I love art and I love painting but I have these two big tests coming up so I haven’t had the time to finish my projects and you know I don’t do half assed work when it comes to my art.”

The redhead smiled a little bit at that, “Yes, which I do admire and appreciate but I’d like you to put more effort into my class.”

You looked down at your feet shamefully, “Yes Professor Romanoff.” You sounded like a scolded child.

“Well,” she stood up and walked over to her empty easel and put a large blank canvas on it. She also put a chair right behind it.

Then she walked back over to you. “You know how to get your grade up in my class. But instead of you painting I want you to be my model. Can you do that?”

The thought of you being her model made your flush, “I guess.”

“Great. Now strip off your clothes.”

“W-what?”

“You heard me. I’ve personally always wanted to have a live nude model in my presence to paint so nows my chance.”

“Professor Romanoff…this is highly inappropriate im your student plus you’re like a decade older than-“

“Do you want those grades or not detka?” The nickname gave you a shiver down your spine.

“Yes I do but-“

“Then do as I say and take your clothes off.” You quickly complied, shakily pulling your shirt over your head and unclasping your bra. Your shoes, socks, jeans, and panties came off next.

“Go sit on that chair over there.” She pointed to the chair that sat in front of the easel. You took a deep breath and walked over to sit down. Your arms resting on the armrests and your legs clenched together.

As Natasha got set up behind the easel she said, “Don’t hide your pretty pussy from me baby.” Your eyes widened at her words but you complied. Desperate for the grades, you slowly spread your legs. Unfortunately you were embarrassingly wet.

It’s no surprise you have a crush on your professor. She’s beefy with a pretty face and exudes dominance. Her shirt sleeves are always rolled up to her elbows and her slacks fit her perfectly. Along with the occasional blazer she wears.

Unbeknownst to you she noticed how wet your little cunt was and smirked.

She began to paint you, taking in every breathtaking detail of you.

You felt so vulnerable in this position. Sitting naked in front of your fully clothed professor as she painted your naked form.

She didn’t even bother to try to hide the erection in her pants, because she knew you felt the same way about her. It was only a matter of time before she could finally taste you and have her way with you.

Once she had gotten most of the painting down-she can finish it later she will remember every inch of your body-she walked over to you.

You sat up straighter, not daring to close your legs. Natasha towered over you and looked down at your pretty perky nipples and your wet pussy.

“I think my model needs a reward for being such a good girl don’t you think?” She asked and you sucked in a breath.

She tilted your chin up with her index finger, “Yes or no babygirl.”

Oh you knew it was wrong so, so wrong. But you found yourself saying, “Yes.” It came out as a whisper you were surprised she even heard it.

The redhead smirked, “That’s what I thought.” She got down on her knees, her hands sliding up your bare legs before she licked a bold strip against your pussy. You moaned, throwing your head back at the little piece of friction you just got.

“If my student didn’t want to get naked for me then…why is she so soaking wet?” As she said this she ran her finger up your folds. You hissed in response.

“I know you’ve wanted me since the first day of class. Don’t worry, I want you too.” She kissed the inside of your thigh before licking your folds again, eating you out with such passion that you forgot where you were.

Her mouth attached itself to your clit and you gripped her hair tightly as she sent you closer and closer to the edge before you drenched her face with your release.

“Oh god!” You moaned breathlessly.

“You taste so good detka. Care to return the favor?” She asked with a cocky smile. You immediately got on your knees in front of her and unbuckled her pants, pulling them and her boxers down to free her large cock.

Your eyes widened at the size and you wrapped your hand around her shaft and began to jerk her off.

“I wanna see those pretty lips around my cock baby.” She commanded dryly.

You gulped before wrapping your lips around the tip and sinking down onto it, bobbing your head up and down and jerking off whatever you couldn’t fit in your mouth.

Natasha gripped your hair as you sucked her off. “Such a slut for me huh. Who knew you’d be so eager to taste my dick.” Your pussy was dripping onto the floor both from your previous orgasm and your arousal at the mere action of sucking her cock.

“Shit baby I’m gonna cum.” Your professor moaned before shooting her load down your throat. “Ah fuck that’s it swallow it.”

You swallowed it all and pulled of her cock, opening your mouth to show her you did in fact take it.

She caressed your chin, “Such a good girl. Come over here.” She made her way to the chair you were once sitting on and sat down. Her cock still sticking up in the air. She unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it off revealing her abs. Your mouth watered at the sight and you quickly made your way over to her.

The older woman smirked, “Ride my cock baby.” It was a simple command that you were more than happy to obey.

You straddled her waist and sunk down on her thick cock, moaning at the stretch.

“God you’re so tight.” She hissed as she gripped your hips and started moving you up and down her length, treating you like her own personal toy.

You were a moaning mess, rolling your eyes at the back of your head as she continuously hit your g spot. “Oh fuck professor! Feels so good!”

“Yeah? Oh god who knew my student wanted to be slutted out so bad.” She also thrusted her hips up as she moved you. Your hands gripped her muscular shoulders.

The only sounds that could be heard in the room were the sounds of skin slapping, moans, and grunts.

“I’m gonna cum again fuuuuck.” You cried.

“Cum again for me sweetie.” You reached down to rub your clit as you were sent to a land of ecstasy.

You clenched around her cock and your vision went white for a second. You absolutely drenched her cock.

“Oh yeah drench my fucking cock. I’m gonna cum again.” She quickly pulled out of you and forced you on your knees. You watched as she jerked herself off till she came on your tits.

“Holy fuck. You’re unbelievable.” Natasha breathed and you giggled.

“Did I get the grade?”

“Oh yeah you got the grade. And if you keep this up then you’ll be passing every exam too.”

#top natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff smut #marvel #marvel x reader #marvel smut #professor!natasha romanoff

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an-ode-to-myself · 1 year

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you ever read a book or watch a piece of media that is so well written and so beautifully executed that it just makes you go damn... what if I'm never as good as this.

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cruciomione · 6 months

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"fixing" the panic attack scene to be more platonic ™

im extremely active on twt and have been noticing a sydcarmy tweet go viral multiple times a week (like w thousands of interactions its crazy), and its really great to see how much people love and see it for this ship. recently carmys panic attack scene went viral again, and naturally, some ppl gave their piece about how we are all dumb for interpreting it as romantic. that sydney represents his love for his job or his duty to the restaurant (*sigh*).

this scene imo, is the most concrete proof of this ship. i can excuse (not really) interpreting every interaction between them thus far as platonic but this scene....i just refuse. this is gonna be a long post, not analyzing the scene per se because i can't possibly say anything that hasn't already been said but more "fixing" the scene to fit the narrative of antis, and i hope in doing so really shows there's no other way to interpret this scene as other than romantic. again its gonna be a long post bc im just ranting and i think i will lose my mind if i dont type this out.

lets go.

so first off i like to think of this scene as an equation/experiment. simply a problem that needs to be solved.

problem/reason of panic = ...we will discuss this...

solution # 1 = claire -> failed

solution # 2 = sydney -> worked.

Problem/Reason

s02e09 opens up with carmy and claire finally consummating their relationship, with an interesting song choice might i add and carmy dissociating, looking sad, or broken (???) after. because many have said carmy pulling memories of sydney from his psyche to calm down have to do with work i always remember that, it really doesnt make any sense?

carmy is clearly having a panic attack due to him not being "fixed" as soon as he made it official with claire. he felt pressure from his family both currently and in the past to date claire because she is amazing and perfect. add mikey also being a part of that crowd, and carmy so desperately trying to connect with him when he cannot, is why i think he looks so despondent after that scene. i truly think he thought he would be a changed person after everything with claire and when that didn't happen he flipped...

we know this is the reason bc his panic attack starts with their sex scene and the lyric "I dont know" from strange currencies by REM.

this isn't to say that he isn't nervous or stressed about the soft open but its clear that he's not having a panic attack about work nor have we ever seen him have a work-related panic attack (correct me if I'm wrong). in s1 he has one or two due to him greiving his brother.

platonic fix: To make it about work I would have added scenes like when Carmy started that stove fire in braciole, his meltdown in review, some scenes of his horrible time at EMP, and him grieving his brother. i think these would represent his fear of failure, falling back into old toxic habits pertaining his career, the fear of fostering a toxic work environment like the ny chef and also the idea of "failing" mikey

but theres a reason why none of this occurs bc its not about his job or the opening of the bear. this is explicitly about his personal and romantic love life.

Solution # 1 : Claire

carmy proceeds to try and calm down by thinking of claire through literal rose-coloured glasses...

the music is distorted, he's thinking of his abusive family, he remembers every one pushing him to date claire bc shes a #goodthing.

again...this is not about his job and wouldnt make sense to think of sydneys place in his work life as a soultion to his clear personal problem....

platonic fix: in the story of carmys love life claire and sydney act as narrative foils. they have been compared and contrasted for all of s2. my platonic fix for this would be making the NY chef this first "solution" of a work-related panic attack. he represents a horrible time in his life but also represents a time when carmy was at the height of his career. when carmy gets locked in the walk in and has his monologue, its alluded to that he will revert back to that mind set in order to not let everyone down.

NY chef abused him for so long, it makes sense that carmys psyche would readily go back to his insults and the time he himself was an isolated 'psycho' bc it yielded results.

nothing is black and white and i DO think sydney represents a healthier approach to the toxic mess that is the culinary world and does represent that for carmy. if the show was invested in that, sydney and the NY chef could be overtly contrasted like sydney and claire have been.

BUT again this isnt about his job and dedication as a chef...thus why he tries to think of claire to solve his personal problem, and it fails.

Solution # 2: Sydney

LMFAOOO.

carmy then in a crazy plot twist starts thinking of his platonic work bestie sydney adamu....the love song dedicated by the show to his relationship with his girlfriend is then made clear highlighting some pretty damning lyrics about desire and love.....all platonic btw. yes you are dumb if you think otherwise (*wink*)

I actually have two platonic fixes for this...

platonic fix # 1: if we only wanted to focus on sydney as a person who calms carmy down because shes his work bestie who represents his responsibilty to the bear and the postive change they are trying effect in the culinary world, i would add scenes where they are...you know actually cooking???

i think its pretty crazy how the memories carmys immediately jump to are ones that have little to do with their jobs. when they first meet (would also like to note that when carmy first laid eyes on Sydney, he forgot she was there for a job, so this is his raw reaction to seeing a pretty girl lol) and when she comes back after she quit and their break up fight.

i would add their scenes in carmys kitchen (even tho this is extremely damning bc they were flirting DOWN - they don't make this easy at all). this represents their collaboration skills and the way they WORK and bounce ideas off of each other seamlessly. specifically the scene about him wanting to give her a star, representing his duty to her and the restaurant.

*and no shade to carmy but if his responsibility to the bear/syd as a co-worker was bothering him this much and calmed him down wouldn't he have just immediately called the fridge guy.....anyways*

platonic fix # 2 (the best one): if i was chris storer and joanna calo and i REALLY wanted to sell it that carmy isnt in love with sydney then i would put every single member of the OG beef crew + Nat to calm him down not just Sydney.

im talking to them laughing at family, carmy giving tina his chefs knife, richie in his new suit, carmys one on one w Marcus/trying his donut, nat telling carmy shes pregnant (signifing rebirth/wanting to rid all the toxic abuse from his family), carmy trying sydney risotto, and her face when he said it was tremendous etc etc...you get the gist

and honestly?

even as i type this out im tearing up a little bit bc that would have been really beautiful. carmy is changing. he can and is getting rid of old toxic habits from his family and the mess that is the culinary industry. things are changing for the better....that would be beautiful....IF his panic attack was about any of these things lol.

and to even look at this scene without this need for symmetry and we entertain the idea of carmy thinking about his job as a solution for his personal problem...carmy has said himself (s02e01) that this isnt fun for him. i dont think that means he hates cooking i kinda disagree with the ppl who think he isnt passionate about it. i just think currently its something that doesnt bring him joy but i do think its something hes starting to or at least could have started to enjoy if he just committed to working with syd...

conclusion

theres a lot of....delusion? denial? straight up bias? yes all of that, going on.

idk what is happening bc this show is really great at being subtle. but i dont know whats more in your face, dumbed down, even a toddler could understand, than this scene. if you dont come out of this understanding that carmy is falling in love/currently in love with Sydney...and i hate using this term..but you just arent media literate.

bonus: bc it makes me laugh and connects the purpose and solutions.

i think we need a Snyder Sydcarmy Cut™ of bolognese and omelette.

the start of the episode is when sydney and carmy fight over claires inclusion in the menu, and also when sydney randomly asks him to define his relationship with Claire. the episode would continue until we get to the table scene.

i think its WILD how as soon as Sydney asks him to define their relationship, carmy starts calling claire his girlfriend. then the show proceeds to insert sydney in their romantic montage, shows her tattoo about heartbreak and someone getting in the way of your relationship...THEN proceeds to have carmy compare these two women in his mind and only calms down after seeing Sydney.

i could talk about this scene for AGES. wheres the straitjacket....

#the bear #sydcarmy #carmen x sydney #sydney x carmy #carmen berzatto #sydney adamu #idk why i typed this out #its not even really meta im just crazy about them and even more crazier about defending them #also tired of seeing braindead takes #yea...#hope you enjoyed my rant #time to go study for this bio midterm #my rants #sydcarmy meta

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aether-friskarts · 1 year

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me trying to come up with headcanon designs for the outlast protags ft. my cringe fail writing

I might re-iterate on these later idk

I was gonna do full body drawings to also compare like. Body types also

Maybe ill do like a quick doodle for that later

these hcs aren't set in stone per se and obviously my opinion but uh ye.

Btw im on the t4t Blake and Lynn train because i want to and makes them being so confused about the anti-christ stuff make even more sense lmao

#art #outlast #outlast whistleblower #outlast 2 #miles upshur #waylon park #blake langermann

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emlos · 10 months

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Why your boss needs to know? Seems kinda too personal. Isn't there a law forbiding this?

ahh its so complicated [this is the summary of my year so far]

i work in germany and almost all of it is going through my union

im not a student OR an employee per se im a "dual student" so i have an apprenticeship and full time university, but that also mean that i have a contract

i also work at a huge fuckoff car corporation. like HUGE huge

the contract specifies that i HAVE to finish uni in the 3.5 years/7 semesters and that our boss, "ausbilder", which is more like a trainer or mentor to a degree, has to know our exam situation. also if my place of work decides my grades are ass they CAN fire me

i am. very non-functional and depressed and i have a host of other problems and i failed literally more than half of my exams and i had to explain it to my boss

germany has a different attitude towards labor than america, especially the way apprentices are approached -> were worth a lot of money to them so they try to keep us as hard as they can

so i did what my union actually advised me, and i told my boss that i have health issues, and i had a breakdown in front of him by accident, and he asked me like. if im going to a psychiatrist and i was honest "hey yeah theres no way i can make finish uni in 7 semesters"

so he suggested getting an extension on my contract, for an extra semester, but id have to go to the psychiatrist for it since a qualified opinion and diagnosis AND treatment is necessary for them to allow the extension

so uh. the next time he called to check up on me (hes really quite nice, also he told me his son was dealing with it too), i lied and said "ofc im in therapy and im doing great :D" i was doing neither and i just pulled a psychiatrist outta my ass. all that because i am the #stereotypical millenial that gets an panic attack when calling on the phone

i lived in awful stress of the lie, the mounting uni work that i DID NOT STUDY FOR AT ALL and the fact that i havent organized some work meetings i was supposed to have after the semester ended, which is like. uber important

and like. its so embarrassing but it genuinely made my life hell. ive been self harming a lot and like. talking to people and i genuinley feel like im falling apart

i also havent really cleaned my room or my kitchen the past few months and ive been subsisting mainly on junk food and like. alcohol (also i slipped into my old ed AND i tried to kill myself. also i have a problem with alcohol recently). so like. NOT GOOD LMAO

so when he told me "hey! whats up, can we talk about how ur doing?" i KNEW i couldnt keep the lie going, like. there was nowhere to go. i couldnt get an extension on the contract since im not really in therapy and i cant get a place at such short notice, and my uni exams are in a week and i havent studied for them

so i just. told him the truth. i told him about the lie and how embarrassing it was for me to not be able to call, and i told him i cant keep the uni going and i just want to have at least a finished ausbildung. and jesus christ is he a nice man, my boss

so now im officially switching from "duales studium" to "ausbildung" meaning i wont have a degree but i will have a qualified job title which for an IT guy is worth almost as much

so uh. i guess crisis averted or i lucked out with my employer fr

anyway this is gonna feel like nothing in a few years, and i wont even remember it, but GOD this was the worst 6 months of my lfie

#god #update #sorry to spring it on you anon #but i the summary is as much for you as its for me #ill need to reread that in a few months #text #ask #anon #tw depression #tw suicide #tw self harm #tw ed #this is just to be sure #uhhhhhhh #vent #man idk #im gonna go get drunk now

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anonil88 · 8 months

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I got the job its retail so not remote like I wanted but hey. It's even part time which should work well for me.

Unfort, I started thinking about everything going on at home, digital work, and with my mental state im like how am I gonna realistically do this and not fail. I've never worked retail per se in a store setting so I do worry that I won't be good at it.

Idk. Probably just in my head but how am I tired and I've only had the interview, doing errands stuff, getting chastised by my grandma, since 12:30 so its only been 5 hours. What am I thinking but I'm excited and nervous. Those are the good parts.

#my thoughts

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weirdcat1213 · 8 months

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SIGNALIS SPOILERS RUN GET OUT

ok im gonna write down my interpretation of whatever is going on in signalis, ik its wrong but its mine (im doing this so i dont forget lmao)

in space ariane started to get sick, elster put her in the cryosleep machine and died before killing ariane. ariane was sad, in pain and had bioresonance so her mind went berserk and created a time loop so elster could come and kill her. apparently the og elster from the pentrose was "weird" and that gave her the power to kinda remember the loop better than other people and every time she would start again, more replikas would have pieces of her life and memories. besides that, i like to think that ariane's time loop made elster create her time travel powers cuz elster models didnt have a "fetish" object. basically all elsters are supposed to be numb af, so they dont need one. our elster tho wasnt numb cuz she loved ariane, but when she lost her maybe it trigger the memories from her gelstat. a veteran who more likely lost people she loved (alina but thats another story) in the war. without a "fetish" object, she wasnt able to cope and her bioresonance connected with ariane's, giving her the power to push through.

meanwhile in the mines, something (i dont fucking know) made everyone sick but only the humans died. i think the replikas lived cuz of their bioresonance, basically if a replika got sick they would not only have a terrible disease but also elster's memories cuz every time she starts again she forgets, but her memories and feelings also exist in others. however, this is also the reason why everyone infected is so mean to her. elster and her time loops dont let them die, they have to deal with memories that arent theirs and (huge head canon here) if elster is having thoughts of guilt or thinks she is failing ariane, all those feelings would project to the infected units. basically everyone is done with her and want to punish her for failing time and time again. even falke tries to bring her fears up when she says "we will never dance with her again, she doesnt even want us anymore"

now this is an idea i had from the kageru project but what if what we see in the game is the last loop ever. after many loops and attempts, elster's mind is filled with memories with other versions of herself and has forgotten many other stuff, thats why the 1st half is so weird and the 2nd half of the game is "definitive" per se. even if elster is basically a time traveler, her body could not take it anymore.

#signalis #“oh hey thats not what-” shhhhh #they are my lesbians and i get to interpret their story how i please

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she-hulks · 5 years

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Really hate when i study a lot and somehow i still fail...

#i didn't fail per se #im pretty much sure im gonna get a 8/10 #could have been a 10/10 if i haven't put nocturia instead of enuresis #im so dumb wtf #dome speaks.

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skinnyducky · 2 years

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i only have eyes for you // v.h.

a/n i was listening to this song and i got this idea. considering im a whore for drama, i figured...why not spice it up a bit (you’ll understand once you read)? so, i hope you all enjoy :)))))))

vinnie hacker x fem!reader

link to part 2

Word Count: 2024, slightly edited

WARNING: language, mentions of alcohol, partying, and i think that’s all

---------

Vinnie hadn’t been at Bryce’s party for more than a half a minute and already people were feigning for him. They all talked a good game and pulled their top tricks but in the end, they all failed. It wasn’t anything against them per se, it was just Vinnie had his eyes set on someone else. Someone no one could hold a candle to; Y/n.

He’d been looking for her ever since he came into the Hall residence. He found her glued to the wall, sipping on whatever alcohol resided in her red solo cup. It was obvious she had been there for a while, maybe even an hour, awaiting someone’s arrival. As much as Vinnie wanted it to be his…it wasn’t. He knew who she’d been waiting for, and it was the very person standing next to him. His best friend, Jett.

Y/n’s eyes roamed the party before landing on the two boys coming her way. She smiled, waving at them. Just seeing her, all happy and excited, made Vinnie melt. But that feeling washed away the minute he remembered he wasn’t the reason she was cheesing.

“Baby,” she squealed, chucking herself into Jett’s arms. “I’ve been waiting for you for like…ever!” The dark-haired boy grinned, pecking her nose. She then retreated from Jett’s embrace before wrapping her arms around her BF’s BFF. “Hey, Vin.” Y/n greeted, the sound of her voice awakening the butterflies in his stomach.

He laced his arms around her waist, basking in the smell of her perfume. It was a floral scent with hints of vanilla and a base note of what could be described as cinnamon. It was so intoxicating, Vinnie wanted to hold onto her forever. Unfortunately, he couldn’t as she pulled away and went back to leaning against the wall.

“So, what’s up?” She asked, taking a drink.

“Not much,” Jett answered, moving next to his girlfriend. “But I think we should be asking you that question. Why’re you here so early? I told you we weren’t gonna come until after nine.”

Y/n shrugged, “Wanted to surprise you I guess. Plus, if I had gotten here later the drinks would’ve been nearly empty.”

“Makes sense.” Jett laughed. Y/n turned to Vinnie and repeated her question, adding “…you seem like you don’t wanna be here.”

Vinnie merely nodded before taking his place on the other side of her. “Eh, not a party person. I was even thinking of turning around on the drive here. But then Jett kept going on and on about how we had to come because he couldn’t leave you here by yourself. So, I decided to come anyway.”

“Awe, Jett.” Y/n giggled, swatting him on his shoulder. She then returned her attention to Vinnie. “I’m glad little ol’ me was able to convince you to come.”

It was the truth, but not the whole truth. It wasn’t Jett’s cries that made Vinnie rethink his decision to head back home, it was the thought of seeing Y/n. Honestly, the only reason why he even came was that he’d knew he’d get to see her, spend time with her, and sunbathe in the light that accompanied her.

“Yeah, you were definitely the reason,” Vinnie replied, shooting the her a wink. However, the gesture flew right over her head as she went to talk to Jett. While the young couple chatted amongst themselves, Vinnie just stood there staring at the back of Y/n’s head. Even that looked perfect to him.

He knew it was wrong to feel this way towards his best friend’s girlfriend, but he couldn’t help it. Y/n was just so different from anyone else. She was captivating, ethereal, and the rarest gem of them all. Yet, she was unattainable. Vinnie didn’t know what was more painful; the fact that he was in love with his best friend’s girl or the fact that his best friend was with the girl of his dreams.

Vinnie was so busy thinking about Y/n that he was unaware of the fact that she was calling his name. “Vinnie!” She giggled, her voice towering over the loud trap music. “What’s going on with you?”

“W-What?”

Y/n snickered, “I was trying to tell you that Jett said he went to go get something to drink. He tried to ask if you wanted anything, but you were too busy staring off into space. You were so far gone, you even ignored that chick who walked up to you.”

“Oh.” Vinnie awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. Thank goodness Y/n hadn’t caught on to the fact that he was staring at her.

“Speaking of romance, when are you gonna get with someone? I know it’s gotta be exhausting third-wheeling when we hang out and stuff.” Y/n questioned, nudging Vinnie with her elbow and wiggling her eyebrows.

Vinnie chuckled, staring down at his sneakers as he shook his head. “I honestly don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Y/n laughed. “Wait…is there already someone?”

Even with the absence of light, Y/n could still see the red tint that painted Vinnie’s cheeks. She gasped, squealing with excitement as she jumped up and down. “There is someone isn’t there? I want names, I want birthdays, I even want social security. Who is this special person?”

“I-I…um,” Vinnie stuttered. He didn’t know what to say, and no excuse could come to mind. He couldn’t lay it out there that she was the special person, that’d be the end of the world. He just had to stay ambiguous; keep it cool. “It’s nothing.”

“Vinnie, tell me.”

“Okay yes, I do like someone…but it’s never gonna happen. Like, never in a million years.”

“And why is that?”

“Let’s just say…due to a series of unfortunate events, we could never be together. And, if we did get together…people would be pissed. I’m not talking about ‘get over it in a day or two’ pissed, but ‘I’m going to break your fucking skull’ pissed.”

Y/n gasped, “Wow, sounds like some Romeo and Juliet shit.” She sighed, dragging her finger around the rim of her cup. “I don’t think you should care about what people think.”

“What?”

“I don’t think you should care about what people think,” she repeated. “Life is too short to just play it safe, worrying about not offending people. If you truly want her, go for it. If there’s a real connection between you two, then that tops whatever the fuck people have to say. Be brave, Vinnie. Go for what you want.”

At this point, Vinnie was grinning from ear to ear. “You think so?”

“I do.” Y/n stated before passing him her drink. “Now, I don’t know what the hell is taking Jett so long, but this drink is starting to hit, and I have to pee. If he comes back before me, tell him I’m in the bathroom.” She made her exit and headed towards the bathroom, leaving Vinnie to soak in the advice she gave him.

Y/n had a point. If Vinnie wanted Y/n, he had to go for it. Though there was a high chance that this could go south. He was sure had Y/n known she was the one he was talking about she’d give him very different advice—or a stern talking to. But her words meant something. He was going to have to take his chances…no matter what happens.

He straightened himself up, placing Y/n’s cup in the hands of the stranger next to him and followed after her. Running up to the bathroom door, he knocked on it.

“Ocupado!” Y/n shouted.

“Y/n, it’s Vinnie.”

It was quiet and then Vinnie heard the toilet flush and the sound of running water. Within seconds, the door opened revealing a confused Y/n. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Jett? Please don’t tell me he pulled a muscle trying to breakdance. I told him he needed to stop watching Step Up. It makes him think he’s the world’s greatest dancer.”

“No, no…it’s not that. I need to talk to you.”

“Cool, we can talk on the way to the wall.” Just as Y/n was about to leave the bathroom, Vinnie stopped her. “You good?”

“I need to talk to you in private.”

“Oh,” She chuckled, dragging him into the bathroom. While she shut the door behind her, Vinnie paced around trying to form his words, hoping he won’t sound like an idiot. “Everything alright?”

Vinnie sighed, fiddling with his fingers. “Yeah, it’s just…you know how you said if I like this girl then I should go for it?” Y/n nodded, waiting for him to continue. “And how I shouldn’t care what people think?”

“I do remember saying that.”

“Well, this is me going for it.” Vinnie said, much to the confusion of Y/n.

She gave him a puzzled look, clearly not understanding what he meant. “What are you talking about?”

Vinnie felt his stomach churn as he found himself not knowing what to say. He didn’t know if it was the nerves or the fact that he was alone with Y/n, but whatever it was…it had him tongue-tied. “Vin, you good?” Y/n asked, steadily moving towards him. The more she got closer, the faster Vinnie’s stomach spun. The feeling was so unfamiliar to him, and it scared him. He needed to rid himself of it, but he couldn’t speak. Although, there was one way he could get his feelings out. Actually, it was the only way.

“Fuck it,” Vinnie breathed. He marched up to Y/n and smashed his lips on hers. He expected her to push him away, but she was kissing him back. Or at least that’s what he thought. In reality, it took half a second for it to register in Y/n’s mind what was happening. She screamed, pushing Vinnie away from her.

“What the fuck!” Y/n shouted, wiping her bottom lip. “Vinnie, you can’t do that shit! You know I’m with Jett! If you needed a practice dummy, you should’ve asked Tana!”

Vinnie couldn’t believe after that she still didn’t understand. “You don’t get it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re the one, Y/n. You’re the special person.”

He watched as she froze, slowly shaking her head. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“What the fuck!?”

“Just listen to me,” he groaned. “I’ve never felt this way for anyone before. You’re like the prettiest, kindest, and most down-to-earth person I’ve ever met in my entire life. I know it’s wrong for me to feel like this with Jett being my best friend, but I can’t help it. You’re the only one I have eyes for.”

Y/n pursed her lips, tears welling up in her eyes as she placed a hand to her heart. “You don’t mean that. Do you?”

“Every word.”

With a smile on her face, Y/n rushed into Vinnie’s arms and planted her lips against his. Vinnie felt like the happiest man alive. But his happiness ended when he realized this was just his fantasy playing out in his head.

It wasn’t real. Here’s how it really went down:

“Vinnie, no. Just no.” Y/n shook her head. “As much as I love you as a friend, and as valid as your feelings are, this is far from right.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do? I can’t help the way I feel.”

“I don’t know, dude. You’re gonna have to figure that out on your own. But this…this can’t happen, ever.” Sighing, Y/n turned around and made her way to the door. “Look, I can pass this off as simple mistake. But I’m gonna have to tell Jett. It’s only fair to him.” With that, she rushed out of the bathroom.

Vinnie stood there heartbroken, and at the same time, still in love with Y/n. Even after she made it clear that they’d never be, his feelings remained vacant. She was happy with Jett, and there was nothing he could do; he was a fool in love. One day, maybe he’ll fall out of love with her. He’ll meet someone who makes him feel as good as Y/n does. But until that day comes, he’ll continue to let Y/n break his heart.

#vinnie x reader #vinnie hacker #vinnie hacker imagine #vinnie hacker x reader #vinnie hacker fanfic

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crash-hawk · 2 years

Text

Gonna Turn Your Vision Red

Continuing the Voices series, here’s a bit more Kaleidoscope!Last Life brainrot for the soul.

(Disclaimer: Because my brain is an ADHD tire fire, Voices is being written wildly out of order, so this fic actually comes chronologically before the two I previously released, as will the one I’m currently working on. headinhands.) Followed by: when I’m far too tired to fall asleep by @lunarblazes burning remains, light the funeral pyre (breaking it up, ‘cause we’re tearing it down) branding the truth on a world of liars (please your god and release the hounds) ___________________________________________________________

gonna turn your vision red ____________________________________________________________

Eenie meenie minie moe Catch a tiger by the toe If he hollers, let ‘im go! Eenie meenie minie moe

The rhyme has been repeating itself in Technoblade’s head in a numbing, thought-eating loop since morning. Not, Techno reflects, that there had really been a night, per se. Today is the thirty-first of October: Glaz Osenni, the Eye of Autumn, when the Southern sun slows to a crawl in the sky, leaving only a muddy dusk in the small hours of the morning to serve as “night”. At the other end of the globe, Northerners would be celebrating Hels Night, gathering around the bonfires they light against the approaching months of endless dark and telling tales of the gods and their shadow-selves, a custom Techno always found rather amusing–what use, after all, would a Dark Mirror be to the Blood God? He’s his own shadow-self; a glance in Hels’ mirror would likely reveal nothing but an empty glass, like a fairy-tale wampyr.

Eenie meenie minie moe Catch a tiger by the toe If he hollers, let ‘im go! Eenie meenie minie moe

It’s driving him insane, and the singsongy little-girl falsetto the Voice is droning in is doing nothing to improve the situation. He wishes it would fucking quit it, already, and go back to baying for blood like usual. That, at least, he is well-practiced at tuning out.

Eenie meenie minie moe Catch a tiger by the toe If he hollers–

“Not exactly tiger territory, mate.”

Techno starts, spinning with a knife in his hand before he even knows it’s there. “One of these days,” he growls, “you are going to sneak up on me at the wrong moment and this knife is going to end up somewhere it shouldn’t, Phil.”

Philza smirks. “If it happens and you somehow manage not to miss, I’ll have earned it. Good thing your aim is bloody atrocious. What the hell was that you were mumbling about catching tigers?”

Gods fucking damn it. He hadn’t even realized he’d started muttering along out loud. “Nothing,” he says. “Do you have a pickaxe handy?”

“Why the blessed, gracious fuck would I be carrying a pickaxe, Techno?”

“Too bad,” Techno grunts, his disappointment only half in jest. “I was hoping to put it through my own skull. Failed in my hour of need by the Angel of Death himself. Remind me again why we’re friends?”

Philza snorts, though his expression is concerned. “Voices kicking up on you, I’m guessing?”

Technoblade nods, rubbing bitterly at his temples. He doesn’t elaborate further–explaining would take too much energy. Not that he has to. He’s never had to explain to Phil, something he’s not yet reached the end of his gratitude for.

“It’s the Midnight Sun,” Phil muses. “This time of year is strange everywhere–but more so for us. The veil is thin. Everything’s amplified.”

Techno supposes that’s true–they’ve made their Empire here long enough to know, by now. But–

Eenie meenie minie moe Catch a

(spider)

by the toe If he hollers, let ‘im go! Eenie meenie minie mo

“Shut up,” he hisses, hands fisting in the hair above his temples.

“Techno, mate,” Philza cajoles softly, laying a hand on Technoblade’s shoulder. “Go to bed.”

Techno takes a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut as he counts in-four hold-four out-four the way Philza had taught him back when he’d first told his friend about the Voices, and nods.

Ten minutes later he’s in his bed, with the heavy blackout curtains drawn against the stubborn daylight, and the Voices follow him down into the dark:

Eenie meenie minie mo Catch a tiger by the toe If he hollers, let ‘im go, Eenie meenie minie mo

________________________________

He’s walking briskly along a path through an evergreen wood. Tall spruces grow thickly along the sides of the path, their dark green needles unburdened by snow or ice. The autumn air is brisk but not bitterly cold–a lovely day for a walk in the woods.

Someone is holding his hand–a little girl of perhaps five or six with candy-pink hair in pigtail braids. He can’t see her eyes. She sings as they walk, a child’s nonsense rhyme, repeated over and over the way children do–except how would he know that? The Blood God was never a child.

“Eeenie meenie minie mo, Catch a tiger by the toe If he hollers, let him go, Eenie meenie minie mo!”

Out of the corners of his eyes he almost thinks he can see eyes watching them, staring from the murky darkness that leads deeper into the woods. Frowning, he draws his sword, but the eyes vanish as soon as he turns to look at them head-on. The little girl giggles.

“They can’t see us, silly,” she says, smiling up at him, though her eyes are still hidden from him. “They can’t see anything anymore.”

“Then they ought to stop staring, oughtn’t they,” he replies, feeling a half-smile rise to his own lips. Why is he smiling at this child? He doesn’t know her.

“They won’t,” she says with a theatrical sigh. “That’s all they know how to do. But they don’t matter. They can’t see, so they can’t play.”

“Play?” Techno asks. “Are we playing, then?”

“Not yet,” the little girl answers with another giggle. “But we’re gonna be. Look!” She points up ahead, to where Techno can see a break in the trees, a clearing at the end of the path.

The little girl lets go of his hand to run ahead, and Techno jogs to catch up. “You shouldn’t run in these woods,” he hears himself say. “You shouldn’t wander off alone.”

(or the spider will get you)

“It’s okay,” she says. “We’re here, see?”

At the center of the clearing is a perfect circle of rough gray stone. An enchanter’s table stands in the middle of the circle, its black volcanic glass surfaces graven with runes that seem to hover just above it, glowing faintly violet in the mellow mid-afternoon sunlight. Men and women stand around the circle in a ring, perhaps fifteen or twenty in all. Their faces are blank, their limbs slack, as though they were sleeping standing up–all but the one standing in the center. This one is quite lively, the hood of his green cloak swept back, though Techno cannot see his face, hidden as it is behind a featureless white porcelain mask.

“There you are,” the figure says. “I’ve been waiting all day! We can’t start the game without you, you know?”

“You have to pick,” the little girl says at his side. “Then they can play.”

“Pick?” Techno asks, confused.

“The boogeyman!” the little girl exclaims, her voice full of childish excitement.

“The boogeyman,” Techno repeats, deadpan, his eyebrows raising nearly into his hairline.

“Yes,” says the masked man in the green cloak. “This is your game, my old friend. The one you know best. Choose your champion, Technoblade. Choose which one of them will be the first to receive the Blood God’s favor. Then we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.”

CHOOSE, the voices clamor in agreement.

“Alright, then,” Techno assents, feeling the old red fever settle over him like a net.

He studies each of the motionless players in turn. He sees the faces of gods he knows and mortals he doesn’t and a few who are neither fish nor fowl–he’s curious about these last, but it’s a remote sort of curiosity, and it doesn’t matter anyway. What matters is the choosing, and the blood that will follow.

The Blood God extends his finger, pointing at each of the players as he chants the rhyme, with the masked man and the little girl and the voices chanting along with him.

“Eenie, meenie, minie, mo, Catch a tiger by the toe, If he hollers, let him go, Eenie, meenie, minie, mo.”

#Dream SMP #Last Life SMP #Passerine #Fanfiction #Kaleidoscope AU #Technoblade #Philza #Technoblade's Sister #p!Dream

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lovebecomeshim · 3 years

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hello! your zutara posting today has finally motivated me to ask this question because I came to atla very late(last year, to be specific) and I Love It Very Much but am 1000% out of the loop as far as why what remains of fandom (at least that I've seen among my friends) is so very strongly zutara. I'm not opposed to it per se I just don't really know what has driven it to apparently be such a popular ship? can you help me understand and maybe convert me a little bit?

Hey!! Your ICON! :D I can try but I’m not sure how coherent I’ll be; however I AM sure someone a lot more competent will be willing to add to this. Either way, I’m glad you asked because my plan was to drag down as many people as possible with me.

*smacks the hood of zutara* this baby can fit so much mutual love and support!

This got so long, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how to put it under a cut on mobile and it already got deleted once so I’m scared to mess with it lol. Moving on.

I’m gonna start this with a disclaimer that im on mobile so formatting is tricky and I’m also really new to atla in that I only completed my first watch through in like 2019??? So some of my info is all just based on what I’ve picked up from Discourse 👀 so anyway the sparknotes version: zutara was wildly popular from the beginning. To the point where the atla crew internally disagreed on which ship should be endgame. (Ex. Bryke [showrunners] asked the writers to rewrite The Southern Raiders to make Zuko seem less ideal for Katara than Aang [which failed, depending on who you ask]; the animation team purposefully created a visual parrallel between Oma and Shu in the Cave of Two Lovers and Zuko and Katara in the catacombs under Ba Sing Se in the Crossroads of Destiny; etc.)

The ship was popular enough that Bryke actually chose to display zk fanart at a con for the sole purpose of mocking the fans, but that’s neither here nor there. The entire episode Ember Island Players, while a love letter to/parody of the whole show, was an opportunity to address zutara’s viability as a canon pairing (while, again, mocking zutaras for romanticizing that catacombs scene). Point is! It’s always been popular but with it not being endgame, there’s got to be something that’s given it staying power.

And that’s honestly got to do with three things: their dynamic, thematic cohesion, and potential.

(You know what... you know what, it’s four things. The fourth is they’re so aesthetically pleasing together and individually. Like, they’re just good looking people [specifically when they’re grown but they’re also cute kids] and that absolutely doesn’t hurt) (but it’s not the Point, it’s just nice to point out sometimes)

The dynamic is hard to get into without also looking at the canon pairings, but I think I can do that without unnecessary bashing. It’s just that part of the magic of zutara is really highlighted by what they give to each other that their other relationships don’t.

First off, it’s classic enemies to (would be) lovers. The absolute truest form of it. It’s not too different from how CS started out: a rogue antagonist with a job to do—but no personal vendetta against the future love interest—who is deeply and emotionally invested in his personal storyline (revenge/redemption) with little regard for how it effects other people after his entire life and genuine good nature are marred by suffering, and a fierce warrior girl with a strong moral compass and her own personal investment in stopping him (protect her family and save the world doing it). Obviously frustration and animosity grew between them by the nature of them being on opposing sides, but that just lends itself to the sweetness of their later reconciliation.

The thing is that while they’re wildly different on the surface (he’s a hot-headed prince of a fascist regime who is trying to capture the Avatar to please his father; she’s a nurturing daughter of the chief who is trying to protect and train the Avatar in order to topple his father’s throne) they find out that they have so much more in common both in their experiences and their personalities.

(What follows is an excessive use of the word “both” and I’m sorry about that)(I can edit it. I can do that. That IS an option............)

They both have an innate sense of justice that they are determined to see done (zuko, at the war meeting, sticking up for the Earth Kingdom kid when the guards torment his family, choosing not to steal from the pregnant couple despite his circumstances, abiding by his word to leave the SWT should Aang come willingly, etc.; katara, literally.... at any point). They both have pretty one-track minds at accomplishing certain goals once they’ve put their mind to it, regardless of a lack of support in that endeavor (it goes without saying I guess, but zuko’s entire hunt; katara’s determination to get the earth benders to fight back, her determination to absolutely destroy Pakku until he agrees to teach her, etc.). They both lost their mothers at young ages. Their worlds are war-torn and traumatizing to them both, if in different ways, but that ultimately forces them to grow up too quickly to be wholly independent individuals. They both have issues with their fathers (for WILDLY different reasons, but). They both hold extreme prejudices that they need to learn to overcome (which ties into thematic cohesion)(bit like Lizzie and Darcy in that way but magnified by a million). They’re both extremely emotional and empathetic—which can and often does result in loud outbursts. Katara’s a bit better adjusted and can temper her anger for longer than S1 Zuko can, but they both feel that anger deeply and have no compunctions expressing it (Katara is, usually, more justified, particularly in S1. Again, S1 Zuko is severely maladjusted but at the point when they could’ve feasibly become a couple, he’s so much better off with the way he carries himself). They both struggle with feelings of inferiority in their bending abilities when confronted with prodigal benders like Aang and Azula, but have the work ethic required to double down and become two of the most powerful benders in the three remaining nations. This is a little more minor but it is a parrallel that appeals to some shippers that they both have these alter egos in the Painted Lady (notably fire nation coded) and the Blue Spirit (water tribe coded) that are pretty different from who they are day-to-day and are useful in accomplishing a purpose that they as themselves cannot.

(I’m.... I just realized that this could potentially get very long. Should I have made a slide show with bullet points??????)

Anyway, similar. I know there’s more but there’s literally so much to love about zutara that I’ll drive myself a little crazy trying to compile all the ways they’re similar. (Just gonna say that at this exact moment I went back to add more similarities.... so okay then)

Once they’ve reconciled, we see how all of these things only lend themselves to a deeper intimacy together than they share with literally anyone else. There’s a steady partnership that positions them as the mom/dad of the gaang, while also providing the support necessary to allow the other to not have to carry so much responsibility. A lot of zutaras will point out how zuko is actually depicted doing the more domestic chores that are normally relegated to Katara once he joins the gaang, since the others in the group are two 12-year-olds and sokka. The one that sticks out the most is how he makes tea for the group and then serves them, while Katara is able to just relax with her friends around the fire. Fanon expands upon this a lot to Zuko helping with the laundry or the cooking or whatever else needs doing since he, as a once-refugee, is used to doing his own domestic tasks. Before Zuko joined, Katara was the one mothering everyone, sewing for them, cooking for them, etc. She’s always tending to the needs of the group, and that includes emotionally. She does the emotional labor for the gaang 99% of the time, but when she’s the one falling apart, she’s usually doing it alone and without the comfort that she normally provides for others. Until Zuko. And that’s before they’re even friends.

Which is WHY people romanticize the catacombs of Ba Sing Se so much. Katara is verbally attacking Zuko out of her own righteous anger but also her own prejudice when Zuko, surprisingly, chooses to be vulnerable with her. He’s been on a journey that’s opened his eyes a bit, but he’s never actively chosen to expose the rawest parts of his past to anyone. But for some reason he chooses to do that with Katara of all people. While she’s yelling at him. He sees her humanity, and for once can look past his prejudice and empathize with her. And this time, when she breaks down, she gets to be comforted. Katara normally talks about her mother when she’s trying to explain to someone else that she sees and understands they’re pain, as a form of comfort to them. Here, Zuko uses the exact same tactic. He sees her and he understands. And for zuko? He’s not being shut down. He’s allowed to articulate his pain regarding his mother without being ignored and made to internalize it, and he’s allowed to process how he feels about his scar out loud without being told that he deserved it. And then he lets her touch his scar, something we’ve seen him actively avoid before. He’s completely open to her and she’s completely open to him and all it took was one five minute conversation. She was about to use the little bit of Spirit water that she had, that she was saving for something Important, to heal the scar that still daily causes him pain just because they had, somehow, connected.

Plus there’s the whole parallel to the star-crossed lovers forbidden from one another, a war divides their people—

And then zuko messes up, he regresses, he gets what he wants and he HATES it. And the sense of justice he had as a child has been restored to him against his will and he can’t think of anything he wants to do more than the Right Thing, so he joins team avatar. Before he does that though, we get to see his relationship with Mai, which is where comparison really comes in. And what we see is Zuko, fresh off of his encounter with Katara in the catacombs, trying to be emotionally honest with Mai... and getting shut down and dismissed. Which is just how Mai is and it’s fine, but not for Zuko. Still, he keeps trying, and he keeps getting ignored or scoffed at or yelled at. Which is really a larger symbol for how he doesn’t fit in his old life anymore, but again that’s about thematic cohesion. He tries to articulate his anxieties about returning home, he tries to make romantic gestures, he tries to explain how morally conflicted he’s feeling—and Mai diverts to some kind of physical affection to shut him up and a parting comment that is pretty much always, in essence, “I don’t wanna talk about this.” So they don’t. On the other hand, once zuko and Katara are friends, we see him again emotionally distraught and caught up in his anxieties about facing Iroh, and it’s Katara who comes to him and listens to him and comforts and encourages him.

Similarly, we have Aang clamming up and getting uncomfortable whenever Katara shows any negative emotion, usually resulting in him making excuses or running away. Or, in the case of the Southern Raiders, lecturing her on how she needs to just let go of her anger about her mother’s murder. People have talked this episode to death and usually better than I ever could, so imma... keep it brief. There’s a serious disconnect between Aang and Katara in his ability to empathize with Katara and her needs that has her tamping down her vulnerability and amping up her anger. He tells her that he was able to forgive his people’s genocide and appa’s kidnapping (petnapping? Theft??), which is blatantly not true but also not an entirely equal parrallel to Katara’s situation, and continues making these little remarks throughout the episode. But it’s Zuko that Katara opens up to. It’s with him that she’s able to talk about the most traumatic day of her life, and it’s with him that she’s able to get the closure she needs, cementing their bond as friends and partners. This disagreement between Aang and Katara is then... never resolved. They just never bring it up and hear what the other is saying.

There’s a fic called The Portraits of Ember Island that has a line that so completely sums up the heart of the matter for why people love their dynamic. For context, zuko has woken up early to help Katara with the cooking and they spend the whole time just letting one another talk, and zuko stops to ask why she always just lets him talk. And so she stops to ask why he’s always helping, and it goes as follows:

There’s just... so much mutual support! Trust! Intimacy!! And it just continues like that from the Southern Raiders on, listening to each other, advising each other, watching each other’s backs! And then! Literally saving each other’s lives!! I will never be over the last Agni kai. Not ever. Zuko may have been willing to jump in front of lightning for anyone, but he actually did it for Katara. And in a show, that’s the thing that really matters. It’s a fulfilled trope usually exclusively applied to romantic pairings, and it ended up applying to Zuko and Katara. And then she ran out into the middle of a fight with tunnel vision just to get to him.

Also!! Also Zuko pushing Katara out of the way of the falling rocks at the Western Air Temple!! And Katara catching him as he fell from the war balloon that he fought Azula on!! Before they’re even getting along, they’re the ones reaching for each other. They come to this place of equal ground, as partners, who watch each other’s backs, call each other out but still listen attentively and understand, and provide the support that the other has been sorely lacking up until they knew each other (whether that be from lack of effort or lack of understanding from others, or an unwillingness to accept it for themselves).

Then, trailing along under the surface of this, we see the themes of the show totally embodied by Zuko and Katara as individuals and in their relationship to one another. There’s a YouTuber, sneezyreviews, who has a, like, 2-hour explanation on why she not only loves zutara but also believes that their endgame would’ve actually elevated the writing of atla to new levels particularly because of thematic cohesion and resolved character arcs. It’s the zutara dissertation I never knew I needed, and it’s funny and eloquent and effective, so I’m just going to sum up her section on thematic cohesion to the best of my abilities and then link it for whenever you have the time. And I HIGHLY recommend it, especially if you want a full understanding of what makes zutara so great and gives it such longevity.

Guru pathik has a line that goes something like this: separation is an illusion; things that seem different are just two parts of the same whole. Iroh also tells Zuko something similar: balance and strength are achieved when the different nations come together and influence one another and celebrate what makes them each unique. And this lesson is a massive central arc that both Zuko and Katara go through, moving past a black-and-white, good guys-vs-bad guys, us-vs-them mentality and into a greyer, more nuanced view of the world. Zuko sees the fire nation from an entirely new perspective and while he still loves and hopes for his nations future, he surrenders his blind loyalty to them in exchange for an unflinching loyalty to peace and love. Katara too had to come to terms with the fact that cruel people exist in the earth kingdom and water tribes, while some fire nation citizens are just regular, kind people who also need and deserve to have someone speak on their behalf. And this is honed in directly on how they view each other. They grow in their individual journeys to be open to the humanity in the other and then, once they’ve found that, they’re able to grow more in compassion for others in a beautiful feedback loop. And this is all matched in the symbolism repeatedly and intentionally associated with them in canon: sun and moon, fire and water, yin and yang, Oma and Shu who found love despite their warring nations. Their individual arcs are completed in each other and complement the themes of atla beautifully.

The canon pairs... just don’t. Which, again, is fine. But the very things that give atla longevity and popularity are anchored in zutara. Kat@ang doesn’t accomplish this. They’re... nice. Sweet. Especially when you erase a good portion of their interactions in S3. It could’ve been just a sweet love story. (Personally, the dynamic between toph and aang accomplish the same thing that zutara does, with complementary personalities that fulfill the theme of opposites blending in harmony) M@iko, on the other hand, is less sweet but I think wasn’t even supposed to last. Zuko’s relationship with Mai seems to represent his relationship with his old life as a whole. He can’t be emotionally vulnerable, he’s goaded into abusing his privileges, his agency and opinions aren’t respected. They just don’t have common ground with which to discuss anything that matters, so they don’t. As far as themes, the relationship doesn’t fit with atla. It’s zuko returning to and sticking with what is (on the surface) like him, what’s expected. Fire nation with fire nation. Fluid water bender with the flexible air bender. Like with like, separated from what is different and challenging and complementary.

And all of these things combined of course lead to the potential for the ship. I don’t know how familiar you are with the post-atla canon but... well, miss “I will never turn my back on people who need me”, miss “I don’t want to heal! I want to fight!” ends up living quietly in the SWT as a designated healer who turns a blind eye to the water tribe civil war happening right outside her front door. Which can be fine! People change! Some people just wanna stay inside. I just wanna stay inside! But the potential future for zutara is so much more satisfying, with Katara becoming the most unconventional Fire Lady the uppity old cads who are stuck on the old ways have ever seen. Fanon has her serving as a voice for the other nations within a kingdom at the point of its biggest political upheaval, as a confidante to Zuko who can actually help him while he’s trying to figure out how to move forward and make reparations. They have the opportunity, together, to accomplish what they both have set on their hearts to fight for: positive change that lends itself to harmony and balance. And the steambabies! A popular headcanon is that their firstborn daughter, the crown princess, is actually a waterbender, which causes such an uproar among the people who are adamantly clinging to the old ways. It’s just a future full of potential to be forces for good together, full of trust, intimacy, joy. The exact era of peace and love and balance that zuko announces that he intends to ring in with the start of his reign as Fire Lord is, again, magnified by the very personal zutara relationship. And we love to see it.

tl;dr zutara isn’t for everyone. Some people just don’t vibe with it. Some are nostalgic. Some love the canon they grew up with. Some have been disappointed for years. Some just see themselves in other characters and want their happiness instead. Whatever the reason, that’s fine. But for me, I love the way these two, from the moment they give each other a fair chance, are able to lower their walls and prejudices to see the other for the kindred spirits they are. They see each other’s humanity, and their response is to pour out love and support and compassion. I love that they’re a power couple in battle. I love the symbolism and, honestly, soulmatism that colors their every interaction. I love that they embody the whole storyline of atla in their relationship and how it develops, which is notably why their seasonal arcs always culminate in each finale with how they relate to one another. I love that zuko adopting a waterbending move is what actually saves his life and then katara’s. I love the chemistry! And I love the future they could’ve had, instead of the ones they were given.

So, in conclusion: I just think they’re neat and I hope you do too, at least a little bit. Even if it’s just respectfully from a disinterested distance cause you do you. And now here is the video I mentioned. I’m sorry this post got so long and then I gave you an even longer homework assignment, but I can’t recommend it enough. She says it all better than I can.

youtube

#zutara #atla #zutara rant #like really the way the canon relationships were written throughout s3 #it would’ve been more believable for zutara to happen #or at least be hinted at #all of the major issues presented in those relationship were dug up extensively and then... never resolved #and then they just slapped some kisses on a screen and said ‘there all better’#and we just kinda had to say ‘oh ok guess it’s all better then’#this got long I’m sorry #I wrote it all out and then tumblr ate 2/3 of it #which is why it took so long #and what I’ve written now doesn’t even match what I had before #because there’s too much to say about why I love zutara #and the stuff I left out the first time is what came out this time #rip to my original thoughts but this post is different #anyway that’s why this took so long #and I should’ve just made a PowerPoint...#I can do that too if you’d rather not read all of this lol #I won’t be offended #this is incoherent #Alia rambles uselessly #also hoping this doesn’t end up in any wrong tags because I don’t wanna step on toes lol #it’s not anti!! it’s just critical #in a compare/contrast way #I can pinpoint the moment when I started trying to rewrite my points from memory #because everything gets shorter and more succinct #like... I really said all that??? sounds fake and I don’t remember it anyway so here’s the condensed version #with no!! smooth!!! transitions!!!!#also why am I so lazy with proper grammar over text

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rice-pudding-slaps · 3 years

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anyway, what's your favorite thing about misto? -_mm

HEWWO sorry for the late reply

Oh god my favourite thing?

Yall think im gonna say his waist but im not

I genuinly love how versatile he is, even if he is not per se a main character. But that's how I feel about most cats characters to be honest.

I love how depending on the actor Misto can be completely different. From cryptid to baby to mischiveous to nervous child. All of his iterations are unique and I adore them.

And Oh Fuck i love his theatric. His dancing, his jumps, his hoarding the spotlight. The boy wants to shine!

And the first time that I saw his number I was fucking *mesmerized* and that was the cut 98 version! The first time I watched the full solo (Which was Philip Roccamora's by the way!) I was in fucking *AWE*. Is such a hard role to pull off and everytime someone does my brain goes nuts.

I love he. A lot. And Im sorry this turned more into "Things I love about Misto" more than my favourite thing lol. Tried to keep it short and failed.

Thank you anon for the wonderful question!

#rice rambling and talking #ask #mr mistoffelees

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angiethewitch · 4 years

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weird people I've observed in my village:

the woman 3 doors down from me who bangs on her windows, rhythmically banging, at dead on 8 o'clock every night

the guy who looks about 18 who walks his lawnmower up and down the road behind my house every day

the man down the road who washes his car every day, without fail, regardless of weather

the people in the house who are constantly working on it. we moved in 4 years ago and they are always working on it with scaffolding

the woman on the corner of the street adjacent to me who plays the flute on sunny days to summon birds to her garden. i don't know how she does it or why they love her flute playing but i respect that

the guy in the house opposite me who constantly uses his power tools. idk what he's building but he is constantly using them

the other house opposite me who set fire to shit in their garden all the time. are they witches?? who knows

the woman who lives opposite the Designated Spooky House who goes there to prune the bushes. the house is abandoned btw

the people in the house 4 doors down from me. there are 17 people in there at last count, only 3 people are consistently there. I have no idea what's happening there, its mostly teenagers and children and one baby

the butch lesbian who spent 6 weeks building an outdoor table from scratch for her wife and now always sits out there with a teapot

my next door neighbours who are just completely bizarre people. very nice though I like them a lot

she doesn't live here but a girl who works in the local shop and is the only person here who is my age, shes a hardcore gamer who has recently had a baby. she is always scattered and looks confused. she's absolutely hilarious though

the 2 little kids who come to visit me and help me in my garden, I love those kids, theyre siblings. however they have no concept of personal boundaries, they are very chatty and always have a weird story to tell. the sister told me she is having a practice wedding next week for her boyfriend, who shes been with for 3 weeks. she is seven. she's also convinced im a fairy

the one guy who's a builder. I've never seen him actually doing anything but he stands across the road with his hands on his hips admiring pretty houses

the woman I met once on a walk who was waging war on the Great bindweed in her hedge, she had a crazed look in her eyes and told me she is gonna burn her hedge down soon

the woman who walks her Irish wolfhound and the dog always stops to say hello to me. however this great big dog is TERRIFIED of my tiny little cat. theyre not weird per se I just wanted to talk about how scared he is of jinx

the farmer who lives in a spooky looking farm who has 10 cats and talks to them all the time. not general chatter, he has full on conversations with his cats as if theyre replying to him

the anime obsessed teen who sits on the top of his garage all day and likes to climb trees. he lives with his grandad who is a veteran. his grandad is awesome I love talking to him

the hippy old woman who has 3 dogs and a cat who puts fairy lights all over her garden and likes to tell me weird facts she learned every day

obligatory mention:

me. i have a shit load of plants, i managed to revive my dead garden, im seen bringing things back from my walks, i pick fruit growing in the village and am friends with all the animals, and ive heard children whisper "i think she's a witch" when i walk past. im living the dream yall

#angie talks #witchcraft

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rouiyan · 3 years

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can i request a sungchan fluff where him and y/n were out eating at a fast food or resto and a woman suddenly caught his eyes that made y/n kinda upset and jealous but never showed sc. and when they got home, there is where he asks her what happened and she tells him so he tells her that it was someone he knew (probably a cousin or smth) and y/n ends up crying at how pathetic it was but sungchan comforts her and tells him how much he loves her

is it complicated?? i'm sorry for giving u a hard time ToT im litterally just whipped for jung sunchan

hey there b, no hard times here. excited to write my first fic for sungchan ++ i hope this lives up to your standards! much love to you <3

[and that’s all you need to know] disclaimer(s): self-doubt. wc: 782

__________

“i know, my friends are always going on about-”

ceasing your rambling, you watch as your boyfriend’s eyes widen at something over your shoulder. you turn to where his sight is placed, only to see that rather than a something, it’s a someone. the woman is beautiful, no doubt, sitting alone a few tables down. even seated, you could tell that she was tall, her legs giving way to her exemplary proportions. looking back at sungchan, you can see his lips part in exclamation, as if he were to call her over, to gesture to her, to comment about her, but just before he can, his eyes land back upon you, noticing how you had stopped abruptly. “you good, babe?”

“yeah, i’m fine,” you reply almost instantaneously, shaking your head and willing a small smile upon your lips. sure, you were never the jealous type per se, but the scene that just played out before your eyes was definitely something to consider. it’s hard to keep the thoughts from consuming you though, after all, self-confidence was never your forte.

swallowing your feelings whole, you pucker up your lips in the obstinacy to move on as best you could. the sashimi restaurant was quaint, was it not? the food, delectable? the much-anticipated date with your boyfriend, a relief at the end of a long week? to your dismay, none of these pleasures could mask the growing intensity of the green-eyed monster creeping upon you, paired with preset insecurities you never even knew you had.

sungchan shuts the car door for you. as you watch him cross the front to the drivers’ seat, you let out a breath you weren’t even aware you were holding. you and him both know you ruined the date. but only you know why. he slides into the seat beside you and you chance a glimpse at him. he looks, for a split second, as if he was to bring up something, to question exactly what you had in mind, but he never follows through for the duration of the ride home.

it’s when you get home, when you’ve just changed into your freshly washed pajamas, and when you’re sat atop the bed, ready to binge any and every tv show until your feelings wash away, that he sets himself in front of you. sungchan takes your hands in his own, fingers roving soft lines, back and forth in your palms.

“are you willing to share now?”

your heart is faltering in your chest and nothing, absolutely nothing, is in the way of the thoughts that spill almost carelessly past your lips. “at the restaurant, i just- i noticed the woman you were looking at. and no, please don’t think that i’m suspecting or- or accusing you of anything, because i’m not, really...,” sungchan’s eyes are laced with care, he nods for you to continue. “but i just couldn’t help but think- but feel, i felt small. i felt small in comparison to her.” you end your pent up rant with a weak voice, your confidence failing you. you also fail to notice the smile that formed on sungchan’s face whilst you were drivelling on. he lets you frown for a second more before enlightening you, in a soft voice so as to not deepen that very frown, “that was my cousin.”

a moment passes as you revel in the light of realization, “that was your cousin,” you repeat, more to yourself than him. the smile on sungchan’s face widens and he lets you on in even more, “i was gonna tell you but i didn’t want to disrupt the flow of the conversation we had going. look at how that worked out, huh.”

“huh,” you repeat, again to yourself. the multitude of feelings that overwhelm your senses are starting to become unendurable. your breathing quickens, the pace at which you blink speeds, your hands in your boyfriend’s withdraw to your head, in distress. sungchan is now panicking as well, watching you slowly succumb to the feelings of relief, embarrassment, shame and regret, all at once. he’s quick to hold you close into his frame, rubbing your back and patting your head in slow, deliberate motions.

“it’s okay, y/n,” the sound of his voice pulsates through your body and you shiver. “you didn’t know, y/n, it’s okay.” his affirmations are effective in easing the ache in your chest and you pull away to look up at him, helplessly.

“i just thought- the whole time i was thinking-”

sungchan cuts you off, not wanting to hear the end of it, “i love you, y/n.” his thumb brushes your temple tenderly, “and that’s all you need to know.”

__________

[a/n: honestly, a pleasure to write. 10/10 experience. will write for him again. (also finished: the mark rq, is scheduled to post at 6:00 AM PST).]

#nct #nct 2020 #nct sungchan #jung sungchan #sungchan fluff #sungchan fics #sungchan x reader #requested #rouiyan writes #archived

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