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#other than him ive never spent for one character

humbums-inatrenchcoat · 2 years

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~6 months and 8 sessions later, we’re nowhere near the character class reveal (which is fine!) but im absolutely LOSING it. one of my friends has already shared their whole backstory privately with me, in glorious and delightfully thought-out detail. another is hinting at their character eventually having a reveal of similar scale to mine, at the moment i suspect they’re a different species??? but only time will tell, and i respect that! anyway im going absolutely bonkers i want to tell everyone so bad but also i need to remember how much more it will HIT when its a surprise. and i dont know if the stars will EVER align this well for me again, bc not only is it the best system for this in terms of spell lists but its also a system that 4/5 of us arent familiar with so nobody’s going to catch that ‘hey, the cleric has 1 more spell slot than he should!’ or anything like that!! so i know i just need to hunker down and be patient but also hrrnhngnrgn he’s a sorcerer......

ive even been so careful not to cultivate a sense that something’s amiss with him, leaning into the ‘yeah he’s just some guy, literally normalest of the party’ angle, so nobody’s really even been on the speculation train abt him...which is good! i dont want anyone to suspect! but also GOD can we talk about my cleric ive been dyin to talk about my cleric-

#posting here again bc most of my other blogs are in the awareness of one or more players and im cautious #rotating this guy in my mind 24/7 i spent my first two hours at work doing bean tasks and thinking abt him #i'd even be thrilled to talk abt his religion with folks (which definitely isnt a secret!) but ive never really...been in this situation ;v;#like having a character in a campaign where EVERYONE is equally thrilled abt them and we're all on casual terms outside of the game #i try and make sure im talking to the others abt theirs (certainly listening patiently to whatever they want to share!!!)#making observations and sharing stuff i noticed abt them every few sessions #but im not. used. to talking abt my own guys #and im always hit by the sense that anything more than 2 sentences is Too Much and they'll be sick of it etc etc #nonsensical i know but. persistent nonetheless :(

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alwritey-aphrodite · 6 months

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SHDNDJ IVE BEEN CALLED FOR YPU DONT KNOW HOW SPECIAL THAT MAKES ME FEEL OMG🤭 LOVE YOUU!!

ok so these are kind of just half-ideas that I’ve thought of that aren’t fully formed but I’m sure you’ll be able to think of something with your giant amazing brain😍 feel free to disregard these tho they’re kinda trash

- sejanus being really flirty with reader at the club place while he’s in district 12 (idk if that really fits his character but I feel like he could get bold at times🙏) and she’s just not really connecting the dots. her friend Lucy gray has to flat out tell her and reader has a giant revelation

- reader catches snow recording sejanus’ conversation about the rebellion and calls him out for it, stands up for her mans

-ok so this is kind of a song prompt— “Dear Arkansas Daughter” by Lady Lamb specifically the line “you with the dark curls, you with the water color eyes” not really sure what you could do with that, but maybe something with capital!sejanus w/ his curly hair

hope these give you some inspo pookie!!

love,

pooksters 💖

Your ideas are not trash!! Please feel free to send more or just to hop into my ask box to chat <3 I went with the first idea because it’s adorable but I might come back and write the other ones at some point

If the day that Lucy Gray was reaped was the worst day of your life, then the day that she miraculously returned to District Twelve as victor of the Hunger Games was the best. Ever since then, you spend most of your nights at the Hob with the rest of the Covey, sometimes taking the stage yourself but most of the time dancing and clapping from the audience.

Peacekeepers off duty are a normal sight in the Hob, but there are two in particular that seem to have a connection with Lucy Gray, two Capital boys that she knew during her time in the Games. You’re not sure how they came to be peacekeepers stuck in District 12, but you know better than to ask. They’re nice boys, and the blond one, Coriolanus, is absolutely smitten with Lucy Gray, you’re sure he’d do anything she asked. The other one, Sejanus, seems to have less of a connection to Lucy Gray but he’s kind all the same, and most nights he spends at the Hob are spent talking with you at a back table, away from the stage and the dance floor.

Tonight, Lucy Gray is taking a night off from performing and has joined you and Sejanus as you watch the rest of the Covey, Coriolanus never far from her side.

“I like your dress,” Sejanus says over the music, leaning over to speak into your ear so you can hear him clearer.

“Thank you, I made the one Maude Ivory’s wearing too,” you gesture towards the stage where the younger girl is busy singing.

“You’re very talented,” Sejanus turns to face you, giving you his undivided attention despite everything that goes on in the Hob.

“Oh, it’s not as hard as it looks,” you respond with a smile before pushing off the wall and heading to the bar, leaving a giggling Lucy Gray to deal with a despondent Sejanus.

“You’d think a girl as pretty as her is used to all the compliments and the flirting, but you’ve gotta be more obvious than that,” Lucy Gray tells him with a mischievous smile, as if you’d rather have the floor swallow you whole than have her share this information. Before Sejanus can respond, you’re returning with a tray of drinks for everyone in your little group, and he just about melts with the smile you give him as you slide the glass into his hand.

“Maybe, if you’re not busy, you could show me around some time? I’d really like to learn more about twelve,” he asks, and you’re quick to nod in agreement.

“Oh sure, I can show you all the best spots,” you reply kindly, but Lucy Gray knows you’re still not getting the message.

“He means you’re the prettiest girl he’s ever seen,” she whispers into your ear, loud enough for Sejanus to hear, “and the sweetest and the funniest and the most talented.” You look to Sejanus with wide eyes, as if Lucy Gray would be lying, but he’s nodding at you, despite the blush that’s taken over most of his face.

“Well, I’d still love to go,” you tell him, rewarding with the most beautiful smile you’ve ever seen. The two of you spend the rest of the night talking, the chaos of the Hob fading into nothing while Lucy Gray silently watches with a smile.

#sejanus plinth #sejanus plinth x reader #sejanus plinth x you #sejanus plinth fanfiction #sejanus x reader #sejanus x you #the ballad of songbirds and snakes fanfiction #the ballad of songbirds and snakes

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myladysapphire · 6 months

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My Lady Strong (IV)

Aemond had always been protective of his neice, obssessed even, insiting on keeping her sheltered, and purley his, he never let her stray far and following the incident at Driftmark, Aemma was rarley without Aemond as her shadow. How will the kind, sheltered girl fair in the dance of dragons?

word count: 1,495

CW: bullying, feelings of neglect and isolation

Fem!oc x Aemond Targeryen can be read as x reader)

Masterlist | series masterlist | previous part | next part

disclamer: i do not own any of claim any of the A song of ice and fire characters, all rights belong to GRR MARTIN, all characters are his except for my OC

a/n just to warn you Aemma is very naive and this chapter shows it, but shes 9 so what can you expect. also next chapter im planning a 4 year time skip, so Aemma will be 13 and Aemond 16.

It had been nearly a year since the events of Driftmark. Since her mother and brothers had left to Dragonstone. A year since her fathers death. And yet she already had a new father, one she did not like, alongside his two daughters. She had also gained a new brother. But she hadn’t met him, and she doubted she would meet him soon. As each day passed the distance between Dragonstone and the red keep seemed to get bigger and bigger.

“My dear?” she heard Alicent call out, having gotten closer the last year, Alicent had become more and more of a mother to her, and being her 9th nameday and her mother and brothers nowhere to be seen, to Aemma it had began to seem like Alicent was more of a mother to her than her own. A fact little 9 year old Aemma could not stomach to admit.

“Yes?” she asked, looking up from her spot in the library. She had found her time often spent alone as of late. Aemond having become more distant since the incident. And Heleana, well was Heleana, keeping to herself, though she had become more and more isolated since her wedding to Aegon last month. And Aegon spent most of his time at the bottom of a bottle in the depths of kingslanding. So she resided in herself spending days in the library by herself, in a spot that used to be her and Aemonds to just becoming hers. And the few spare moments Aemond seemed to give her were spent training Vaghar, or watching him train with ser criston. He no longer wanted to chase after each other in the godswoods, or read in the library. Or simply just existing in each others company. She understood, somewhat, he was becoming a man, a man hell bent on learning everything in him to defend himself, to learn to fight. Everyone was growing up, but her, and she was being left behind.

“My sweet girl, what's wrong?” Alicent questioned, rounding the corner to see Aemma in what she knew to be her spot. “Hmm? You seem to spend every moment alone, and I know many girls at court who would die for a moment of time spent with you.”

“What girls? Helena only ever wants to be by herself, and seems to ignore me every time i spend time with her, and the last set of girls you summoned just whispered rumours behind my back. I don't wish to spend time with them, i just want Aemond, and he doesn't want me.”

Sighing, Alicent moved down to her level, talking her hands in hers, “that's not true, Aemond still adores you, he is, well-... he's becoming a man and needs time to grow, and after the events of driftmark, well they changed him, just give him time.

“Time? Thats all ive done, it's been almost a year, and not even a moon had passed after driftamrk has he started to ice me out. He was supposed to marry me, and yet he's completely changed!”

“He's a boy, a twelve, Trust me sweetheart, he's just a silly boy who thinks he has to do all of these things to make up for his lack of eye. He thinks you will not love him, think him to be hideous, that is why.” Alicent responded, soothing Aemma, by stroking her hair.

“Well that's just plain stupid!”

“I know,sweet girl, but all boys are.” Alicent continued “ know, we have a birthday ball and feast to attend, and my gift is waiting for you.” she said standing up and inviting Aemma up with her.

In her chambers, laid out on her bed was a white dress embellished with gold. It had puffed sleeves that slimmed down to cover her arm. The dress was lkonger than her usual dresses, and more wide, though not by much. Glod was laced around the neck line, and out edges of the dress, with gold and silver jewels scattered across it, creatijng a pattern down the bodedice. The white itself seemed to shimmer, as if moonlight was bouncing off it. When she put it on she felt pretty. She felt beautiful. Her hair was tied up with a gold ribbon, decorated with pearls and butterflies. For this she knew the gift was not Alicent but Aemonds, or atleast he had some influence. Butterflies. The thing they always used to chase, and the thing ameond loved to compare her too. Butterflies.

The feast was magnificent, lords and ladies from all over Westeros had come, and she had received more than enough gifts and attention though not from anyone that mattered to her.

Aemodn was there from the start, though he stuck to eating rather than actually spending any time with her. His attention seemed to be elsewhere.

“Aemond?” she questioned, trying to capture his attention “Aemond, are you enjoying the feast?” he did not reply, looking down at his plate instead, avoiding eye contact. “Aemond?” she pushed again “Aemond!? By the gods answer me!”

“Hmm?” he hummed looking up, allowing her to see the book placed in his lap.

“Gods why wojnt you talk to me?” she asked, moveing to turn to him, her eyes filling with tears, “ for the last six moons i have been acting like a stay dog trying to get your attenion, and now even at a feast helped in my honoru, you brign-” she reached forward grabbing Aemonds book “- a book. A book? To my own party, instead of talking to me. Why?”

“Aemma, please-”

“No, tell me.!”

“Gods, you're a child!” he snactehd the book from her hand, “your just a silly little girl, can't you understand that, you could not defend me, and when you had the chance to you ran off to your pathetic mother, and then come crying to me for help, whilst i have just lost an eye to your bas-” he shook his head, a look of shame fillking his face as he sees her eyes filled with tears, “gods!” he sighed, dragging a hand down his face, reaching forward “Aemma- it's been a lot lately, i have had to relearn everything, to fit with the loss of my eye, and i, look im sorry, i just snapped. But you have to understand, i cnat be a child anylonger, being your friend, and litening to your childish escapades caused me to be in this situation. Now I have to be a man, I have to stop being a child.”

“So you have to stop being my freind, to go on your silly little- your, to be a man? What does that even mean?!” she cried, “it's my nameday, can you not just be my friend for today?” she was begging,it was almost pitiful.

Aemonds face changed, snapping form the look of shame and regret to annoyance, to cold and still, a face evewryone would soon be familiar with, “ and why would i want to do that” he sneerd, dropping her hand, and standing up, before briskly leaving the room without a single glance back.

The rest of her night was spent alone. With Heleana leaving not shortly after Aemond, followed by Aegon muttering something about doing his husbandly duty. Alicent and her grandsire had already left an hour in, the King's health failing him, and forcing many of the lords and ladies to leave, as if their only purpose was to talk to him and not her. So she was left all by herself bar a few older cousins that she did not know.

But the remaining hours she was forced to stay, many lordlings asked her to dance, and it turns out Alicent had already summoned some more girls to King's Landing, arranging a meeting witht them at her own ball. Taking her mind of the event sthat had happened prior, evne if for a few hours. For a few hours she wasnt so alone, for a few hours she was just a nine year old girl celebrating her name day, celebrating with her friends. People who over the next four years would become the only people she truly had.

And when she did finally retire to her rooms, and she was well and truly alone she cried, she knew no one would knock and have late night celebrations, just as no one had knocked at midnight to wish her a happy name day. Just as Aemond did not spend every second of the day with her, smuggling her all the food she wanted, and giving her a gift for every hour of the day. She spent it alone, and she would spend the next four namedays alone, crying. She would celebrate with her ladies, though it would never be the same, she owuld dance with strangers, and not ameond, where dresses gifted by people other than her mother and Aemond. Her family would become more distant and Aemond becomes less and less her Aemond.

next part

Taglist (bold means could not tag)

My lady strong: @aemondssiut@idonotknowenglish @sydneyyyya @wondergal2001 @whitejuliana1204 @meowtastick @bellaisasleep @tinykryptonitewerewolf @sarahkimtae @winchesterfamiliebusiness @iiamthehybrid @zzz000eee @spookydaddy01 @melllinaa @ateliefloresdaprimavera @aelora-a @aleemendoza2425-blog @chittakii @gghoulzz @ryiana @duckworthbean @cynic-spirit @may-machin @Gianinaa19 @wolfiealina @unique7676 @yentroucnagol @loserwithnofriends @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 @urmomsbananabread @azaleapotterblack @delaynew

Hotd: @targaryenmoony @theanxietyqueen17 @flrboyd @zillahvathek @dark-night-sky-99 @apollonshootafar

Aemond: @blossomedflowerofluv @violet-potter

#aemond fanfiction #aemond targeryen #house of the dragon #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targeryen x oc #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen imagine #hotd #ewan nation #house of the dragon aemond #dark aemond x oc #dark aemond targaryen #dark!aemond targaryen x reader #dark aemond x reader #yandere aemond targaryen #yandere hotd #my lady strong #aemond x strong!reader

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archiveofrasa · 4 months

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i see a lot of criticism about the friendships between the babel characters and how we were told a lot of things about their positive dynamic, yet shown barely any of it (but are instead mostly presented with the negative aspects). i don’t know if other people clocked this but i feel like it was intentional

rf kuang was commenting on friendships made through trauma-bonding: they were doomed from the start

tldr; the characterisation is (one of) the subtly(ies) people were looking for in the colonial theme. they criticise the latter but i love the fact colonialism is more of an upfront theme because lord knows i am tired of it being subtle so people can ignore it

robin says from the very beginning after they formed their little friend group:

“why had they been so quick, so carelessly eager to trust one another? why had they refused to see the myriad of ways they could hurt each other? why had they not paused to interrogate their differences in birth, in raising, that meant they were not and could never be on the same side?”

the next small paragraph goes into a raft metaphor about how they saw themselves in each other and that’s why they stuck together. they shared one thing they could not ignore – their otherness. their friendship was purely built on the fact they were discriminated against and that they had to spent the next 4 years with each other. their first pleasant conversation is them discussing how they were treated at oxford. of course, the characters didn’t see this because they had never really befriended people their age before. this feeling of belonging felt like love to them (considering their upbringings, ramy’s i will discuss in a bit)

it makes perfect sense why robin would repeatedly imply that they loved and cared about each other. in his eyes, they did. what was it they had if not love? robin, who has ignored so many problems in the past before babel as he knew it would cause him issues, wouldn’t address their friendship dynamic or how strong the arguments and animosity were. he, an abused child, would rather have this than nothing at all

in actuality (demonstrated, i think, through the photograph they took at the end of chapter 9), they were together because of academia’s and discrimination’s forced proximity. robin feels specific emotions about them that feel strong to him because he’s never experienced it before, but that doesn’t mean they are strong enough to keep them together, which is why when they see the photo, they feel weird about it because why isn’t it portraying their dynamic ‘correctly’?

it’s true that perhaps to get robin’s perspective across, it would’ve been good to see the positive aspects more but i think that would’ve made it harder for us to see how weak their friendship was. people wanted more positive to show that they loved each other, which isn’t the point rf kuang is trying to make

rf kuang chooses to show the negative aspects more because they show where their friendship will end up. when letty did what she did, i didn’t see it as a plot twist, i saw it as an inevitability. this was going to happen. honestly, i feel this with most of the ‘plot twists’ of babel except the end of book iii (i really didn’t see that coming). it was easy for letty to do what she does in book iv because their friendship had such unstable foundations. when they no longer benefitted her, she turned her back on them

the only dynamic i feel was actually strong was robin and ramy. i’m not just saying this because i think they’re queer lol. they were close not just because they were both men of colour and had similar upbringings – they actually liked each other. they admired each other and adored each other’s personalities, they bounced off each other and knew what the other meant when they spoke. when they argued, it was over something that actually considered each other’s beliefs and goals and desires, not over their differences.

(unlike letty and ramy, letty and victoire and maybe even robin and victoire, though i think they lean more to ramy/robin than they do to letty/anyone lol. ramy and victoire have a dynamic that i personally feel like robin didn’t really see because ramy understood victoire in a way robin couldn’t. you kind of see it when robin is the one who letty complains about ramy/victoire to, but that’s it i think?)

speaking of ramy, linking it back to their perspectives of love, it makes a lot of sense why he caused the most disruption in the friend group. he’s the only one with an actual family that he stays in touch with. he knows what love feels like. so of course he’s the one that is strongly anti-empire, compared to robin and victoire who have been emotionally manipulated in their childhood by said empire, the one who argues with letty the most. he still feels what robin and victoire feel, of course, but to a lesser extent

honestly i don’t know how to end this analysis, i just think rf kuang is a genius lmao but i may add more onto this as i continue to reread the book we shall see

#the way my most recent posts are abt babel i'm so sorry #i have hyperfocused on this book so hard #and bc my friends are still reading it i can't spoil it for them #i know sappho might read this and if he does...🔫#babel r f kuang #babel an arcane history #babel or the necessity of violence #robin swift #ramiz rafi mirza #letitia price #victoire desgraves

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weixuldo · 10 months

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Allow me// ch 8

Vader x Reader

a/n: so sorry for the wait on this chapter- ive been on vacation this past week oops! But never the less, HERE IT IS!! hehe just a reminder, Vader has become more vulnerable with his emotions in his older age (just as he began to open up to luke in rotj) so if he seems too “kind” or “emotional”, that’s why. I hope that doesn’t ruin him for u :( but trust- he will have some iconic Vader moments later on in the series....

You get a strange visitor looking for some comfort.

warnings: cursing, anxiety, self hatred/loathing, cannon disabled character, emotional vulnerability

_____________________

Your admission to Lord Vader came as a relief; he held out a small shred of hope that you would accept his offer, but he wasn't too sold on the fact that you would actually agree. So when you did, his heart fluttered.

In the weeks following the encounter, he became much more present in your daily life.

Before the standard day started you would often wander into his quarters and feel out his location throughout the force (though you knew he was intentionally putting out a special signal just for you).

After shifts were done you would have debriefing chats with him, which mainly consisted of random conversations and his adorably flustered comments about or to you.

In your earlier days of working for the sith, you always assumed he was busy every minute of the day; he always seemed in a hurry when he strutted down the cold halls.

But as he dedicated more and more time to you, you found that it wasn’t the case.

Yes, he did have a great many things to do, but he was quite proficient at his job; after all, he had been doing it for over a decade.

Anyways, who would dare attempt to question him about his whereabouts other than the emperor?

No one.

He was one of the two most feared men in the galaxy- he would be just fine if someone noticed him spending more time with the mechanic than usual.

In the more recent days he had been inviting you to join him in his meditation chamber for some peaceful time away from curious workers.

You would enter the chamber as if you were going to work on his pod but you would actually just wait until he came in a while later.

The pod was small and truly only built to accommodate his large frame, so when you were there he would take a seat then call for you to climb onto his lap.

Once you were settled he motioned for the chamber to close so the only thing to focus on were the two of you in the small capsule.

Once you were in there it seemed much more spacious than the outside portrayed, his seat was soft and so were his thighs (apparently, they were one of the only parts of him that was left human).

You would sit in his lap and rest your head on his chest or straddle his lap to speak with him face to face (or…rather face to helmet).

Though you had basically proclaimed yourself to the Sith and spent a multitude of time with the man, you never were awarded the gift of seeing his uncovered face.

It wasn’t for your lack of trying, but most times he would respectfully decline or attempt to divert your attention.

__________________

Today Vader had been pretty busy, so after your shift you just went back to your chambers and got ready for bed.

You drifted in and out of sleep for a few hours until you heard a knock at your door.

Who could that be? It was the middle of the night.

The tile was cool beneath your feet as you gathered a blanket around your shoulders and headed for the door. You clicked on a lamp that lit the room with a warm glow.

You were barely to the door when it swooshed open to reveal a familiar figure; you tilted your head to the side with a confused look.

“Vader?”

He looked down and asked “may I come in?”.

You nodded, allowing him to enter and closing your door, “Is something wrong?” you asked, thinking something needed fixing.

“No, no. Everything is alright. I just wanted to see you” he admitted, standing awkwardly in the middle of your room.

Your shoulders relaxed when you realized it wasn’t an emergency and you smiled, “well here I am! it’s nice to see you, i missed you today ”.

You walked to your bed and patted the space beside you; he sat next to you but continued to look forward.

“Are you sure everything is alright?”.

He sighed, “It’s my master. He is asking me to have an audience with him tomorrow”.

Your brows furrowed, didn’t they meet often? Why was this perplexing him so much?

“What's so bad about that?” you asked innocently.

“He thinks I have made a mistake. I worked with an enemy- well, not really an enemy, just someone who isn’t on the empire’s side” he explained, resting his head in his hands.

You rubbed his back and decided it best not to pry, “I’m sorry Vader, Is there anything I can do?”.

He was thankful you didn’t ask details- you comforted him so well.

If he were to explain why teaming up with Sabe was so problematic he would have to explain who Sabe was to Padme and why Padme was important.

The stress of facing his master tomorrow was far too taxing to also reveal his past to you; he couldn’t do that tonight.

“No, but I appreciate the offer,” he said.

Silently, you knelt on your bed and wrapped your arms around him, holding him close in your warm embrace. No words were exchanged, yet you could feel his exhausted relief from your touch.

You opted to rest your head on his shoulder as you rubbed your thumb over his bicep. His heart cried as you held onto him- he hadn’t felt this safe in years; he didn’t want you to let go. He reached for your free hand and held it tight.

“Thank you, y/n” he said as you sat back and he finally faced you.

The blanket had fallen from your shoulders and your sage green nightgown was now visible; it wasn’t scandalous or anything crazy, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of you. Your beauty was eminent and demanded his attention.

“It’s alright, Vader. I just want you to be ok” you spoke.

His heart yearned for you and the love he knew you would give, but how could he have you when being with him would just put you in danger?

“I haven't felt that in so long…” he trailed off.

What hadn’t he felt? You became confused by his words.

He turned to look into your eyes, “I haven’t felt cared for. Truly cared for”.

His voice wavered and you gave him a sad smile before resting a gentle hand on the side of his helmet.

“I do care.. So, so much”

His breathing filled the otherwise silent room as he placed a gloved hand over yours.

“I know you do”

You looked over at your clock and it was in the early hours of the morning now, you were tired and he probably was too.

“It’s late. Why don’t you stay for a while? We can lay down.” you offered, reclining on your bed.

Any other night he would have politely declined, not wanting to get more attached than he already was, but tonight he needed someone.

Without hesitation he agreed and took his place beside you in your large bed (another perk of being Darth Vader’s personal mechanic, you got an upgraded room).

He grunted as he laid down, his armor poking into his body irritably.

You gently tapped his shoulder and offered him a solution to make him more comfortable, “Why don’t we take some of your armor off? Wearing that can’t be pleasant”.

He agreed and allowed you to help him unlatch his stiff guarding. Once it was all off, he laid on his back and you scooted closer to him and laid your head on his chest above his chest box.

“Vader- will I ever see your face?” you asked out of the blue after a few minutes of lying with the Sith.

You felt him shift under you, “Why would you want to see that?” he sounded genuinely confused.

You gazed up at him, “because, I want to appreciate your beauty. ”

“There is nothing beautiful under this mask, I assure you. You are all the beauty we need here” he said, lying his head back down.

“Plus you already see me.”

You frowned, of course you heard the stories of vader being more machine than man, but you didn’t care.

“I see your suit- the same suit everyone else sees. I want to see you, I want to see the man who shares these tender moments with me” you cooed , running your hand along his side.

“I am sure if you see my face, you will no longer wish to… be mine”

A bittersweet feeling washed over you: it was such a rush to hear him refer to you as “his”, but at the same time it pained you that he was so ashamed of his physical appearance that he would shield himself from everyone…including you.

“Alright, I won't keep pressuring you… I just want you to know, I would never leave you”.

At that, you could sense the smile that adorned his covered face.

You and Vader stayed like that for a while, just discussing random things that came to mind until you got on the topic of first impressions.

“As soon as I saw you I was intrigued. I could assess the physical beauty but once I found you in the hallway after your mother passed, I really saw you as another individual- not just another worker.” (Vader went on to apologize for his close minded opinions of average imperial officers).

“Huh? When I first started seeing you around, I thought you were going to kill me” you said to him as you ran your hand along his chest.

“What?” he asked, worriedly.

You sat up and tilted your head.

“Back when I had that spat with the trooper outside of your meditation chamber all that time ago. You killed them later that night- I heard it.”

“I knew I sensed you,” he said to himself.

“Yea, I couldn’t sleep, then I saw that and headed back to my room. I was sure you were going to kill me because the rumors were associating me with you.”

He tilted his head and his tone became more serious.

“I killed those troopers because they were harassing you and spreading false information, they did not deserve to be on my ship.”

“You probably could have just had them transferred. What made you angry enough to kill them though?”

“They disrespected me and they disrespected you. I could not have that. They were not even worthy of speaking your name.” he spoke with such a passion… you hadn’t seen him like this before.

Vader seemed genuinely upset that they had been bothering you for so long.

“It was alright, nothing I haven’t heard before” you offered

He turned his head towards you with an unreadable look, “as long as you are with me, acts such as those will not go unpunished”.

He was serious.

“Vader, it is alright, they’re just scummy people anyway-”

He gently took your hands into his and looked into your eyes, “That is not alright. Allow me to do these things for you. Allow me to protect you”.

Maker, he really did care about you.

You offered a small smile, “I will allow it, only because it was you that asked”.

He seemed to relax at your blessing.

“But I want you to know I don’t need protection, I’m a big girl, I can handle myself” you joked which garnered a smile from the man beside you under his helmet.

“Of course, my dear” he confirmed as he gently brushed his thumb over your cheek.

Never in a million years would Vader have thought that he could be this intimate with someone again; only a few years ago he would have laughed in your face if you told him he would be able to feel this way again.

His past haunted him in his early years of his time as a Sith, which made him cold and ruthless.

But as the years went by and he grew older he became a little less harsh (though he would never admit it).

Maybe he missed feeling wanted or appreciated or maybe it was because he genuinely wanted you- after all, he couldn’t imagine feeling this way for anyone else he had met as Vader.

On the other side of things you never imagined that the feared Sith could be so gentle and kind.

He was still an intimidating figure, but you felt so safe with him- so cared for.

His emotions were so strong that you trusted he would do what he said he would.

You wanted him to know that you were here out of genuine interest, not a scheme to access his power or to use him… you could imagine others in the past had attempted to cultivate meaningless relationships with the agenda of abusing his influence.

“V” you called, shortening his name.

You turned your head to look his way but found him already gazing at your beautiful face.

“V?” he asked.

A blush crept up your cheeks and you shyly smiled, “Yea, it's an endearment, is it alright?”.

“It is quite alright” he confirmed, which brought a smile to your face.

“Alright” you smiled

“I just wanted to let you know…” you trailed off as you traced your fingers down his chest and around his chest box.

“I am here because I care for you deeply- I have no other motives other than the own interests of my heart.”

You paused for a moment and he sat there bewildered at your bluntly honest statement.

“I want to see you, V” you said softly, looking into his lenses.

“I do not want to burden your beautiful eyes with my hideous face”.

Your heart fell, “You are not hideous, there is no possible way…” you said, hoping to reassure the man.

“My dear, you have no idea what you would be seeing,” he said sadly.

“But I do- I would be seeing the face of a man who has shown me nothing but kindness, the man who has looked out for me when no one else would, the man who sees himself in me”.

With a brush of your hand against his chest and your endearing words, something in the Sith caved. How could he keep denying you?

Eventually you would see him, being his personal mechanic and all, so why not just rip the bandaid off now?

He sighed and nodded his head, “Alright, but I cannot be without it for long- my lungs aren’t suited for it” he seemed almost embarrassed.

“I know your meditation chamber is pressurized, would that allow you to keep it off a little longer?” you asked, standing from the bed.

“Yes? But we cannot go there now, not like this” he motioned to your nightgown and his unarmored body.

“I wasn't suggesting that'' you laughed as you dug through your tool bag on the floor.

“What are you up to?” he inquired as you tinkered away at a switch near the door. Soon there was a noise that sounded like a vacuum seal.

A smile dawned your face as you looked up towards the vents and stood; you checked the screen near your bed and pointed towards it, “I was working on that”.

Vader looked at the stat’s screen and saw the air pressure level had increased.

“You did that just now?” he asked, amazed.

“Yes” you smiled, taking your spot back on the bed with him.

“I would go to extreme lengths to be able to bask in your presence” you said as dramatically as you could; a stupid grin plastered on your face as you awaited his response.

His head tilted to the side as he moved his hand to the side of your face, “I do not deserve your kindness, y/n.” he said sadly.

Cool air brushed against your cheek as he began to remove his hand, but before he left entirely, you placed your own hand over his and returned him to your cheek.

“You deserve every ounce,” you responded.

He exhaled and drew your hand to his chest.

“I will ask one final time, do you truly want to see me?” his voice wavered.

“Yes, I do”

“I understand if you wont want to hold this position anymore after this- But I just don’t want you to be afraid of me” he rambled.

“V, I never want to leave your side, you won’t scare me…I promise”

He relaxed at your words and nodded.

“Alright”.

***

a/n: lots of exposition… but he’s abt to take a huge step 😭 he’s whipped frrrr- also the bit abt sabe is a nod to what’s coming up soon (the thing about including the vader and palpating comic- cause the whole reason vader was punished was cause he helped Sabe) I HOPE YOU ENJOY!!!

taglist: @vadersassistant @sxoulohvn @khaleesihavilliard @kashasenpai @darling-murdock @beautifulbearpolice @salvatoresister1 @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @blueninjablade3 @jujuba096 @missmannequin @jellydodger @mirastark @wyvernthekriger @duckyhowls @monada43 @lauriidoesstuff @vienettacream @ray-rook @itswhatever06 @ilovenielperry

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atlabeth · 1 year

Text

everything happens for a reason part 20 - zuko x fem!reader

Guess it's true, I'm never getting over you

part 19 | masterlist | part 21

a/n: holy shit guys. we're finally here. the title chapter, the part that officially puts us over the 100k mark, the turning point, the end of the constant mf angst that i've put you all through. that's right. it's finally time for yn and zuko's life changing field trip. ive had this idea down for so long and i can't believe we're actually here lol. buckle up because she's a very long and very emotional one. i hope you enjoy.

wc: 14.3k I KNOW IM SORRY

warning(s): a lot of angst, fighting, violence (including minor character death), a whole lot of emotions, but the fluffy reconciliation you've all been waiting for<3

chapter title comes from everything happens for a reason (!!!!!!) by madison beer

Y/N felt betrayed.

It wasn’t a secret how she felt about Zuko. She avoided him at every possible moment, making herself scarce whenever he walked into a room or completely ignoring him in group conversation—it was the closest she could get to the civility required now that he was Aang’s firebending teacher, and even that was difficult.

Not because she didn’t want anything to do with Zuko—no, it was becoming the opposite, and it scared her more than anything.

She found herself thinking of him more often than not. And not of the North, or their meetings along their journey, not the catacombs—she found herself recalling the more pleasant memories.

The time they spent together whenever they could when she was still a servant and he was still a prince. The sunset they shared together the night before her life was turned upside down. Those afternoons when she would visit him in the tea shop, talking like they used to, smiling like they used to.

Remembering him for who he was rather than who he had become was dangerous. It was how she got her heart broken in the first place, how she went through some of the worst months of her life.

He couldn’t hurt her again if she didn’t give him the chance to. So she wouldn’t.

But it was getting harder and harder to avoid him, because one by one, her friends forgave him.

First, she’d heard, was Toph. She didn’t have any kind of grudge against him, and she was able to make up for him burning her feet tenfold now that he was part of the team.

Next was Aang. He was already far too forgiving, the amount of grace inside of him more than Y/N could even hope to muster. They proved themselves in front of the last dragons together, and apparently that was enough for Aang to trust him.

It took Sokka a bit longer, but after what they pulled off at the Boiling Rock together, he didn’t seem to have a hard time getting along with Zuko. The fact that he helped save Y/N and Suki probably didn’t hurt his chances either.

Zuko had burned down Suki’s village, but Y/N still remembered what she told him in the courtyard—”if you can get me out of here, you’re forgiven. Kyoshi’s fans, I’ll be your best friend.” They weren’t exactly that close, but they worked together, and that was enough.

Katara, it seemed, was the only one who still shared Y/N’s scorned feelings. They held onto each other like a lifeline, feeding off of the other in their hatred. It might not have been the healthiest option, but they refused to forgive Zuko. They stewed in their hurt, and it felt good. It felt good to have a target for their bitterness rather than the abstract ideal of betrayal, and Zuko worked just fine.

After they had fought against Azula, the night they settled on a random Fire Nation island, the two of them sat together on the outskirts of camp. They were meant to be keeping watch together, but instead they made quiet conversation.

“So,” Katara said, “today was… something.”

“That’s one way to say it,” Y/N said wryly. “Since joining you guys, I’ve had enough action for a lifetime. I can’t wait for all this to be over.”

Katara smiled, but it was wistful. “Neither can I. This has all gone on for so long—all I want is peace.”

A memory flashed through her mind—frantic screams, desperate pleading, flames devouring centuries of life—and Y/N swallowed thickly as she tried to push it away. The closer the day came, the more the memories would appear. It happened every year, but this time it was worse.

“Me too,” she murmured. “More than anything.”

Katara looked at her for a moment, her gaze softening before she finally spoke. “Are you okay? I… I know today wasn’t easy.”

Y/N managed a thin smile, but it wasn’t convincing. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“You know I can’t do that,” Katara said dryly. “We look out for each other—we always have, even from the first day we met. But it’s like you’re trying to make it as hard as possible for me to care about you.”

“One of my many skills,” she said sarcastically, but Katara didn’t laugh. Y/N sighed in response, long and deep, and allowed her gaze to drift into the murky distance. At nighttime, the water and the sky became one. It was calming. “I just…” she shook her head, “I don’t know what to do.”

“With Zuko,” she guessed.

“With everything,” Y/N said, but then she sighed again. “...Zuko included.”

“He doesn’t deserve you,” Katara said quietly. “Not after everything he’s put you through.”

“I keep telling myself that,” she murmured. “But there’s something inside of me that I can’t get rid of.” She looked at Katara, the beginnings of tears glimmering in her eyes. “There— there’s this hope that I can’t get rid of, that things could be the way they used to be again. And— and last time I felt that way was in Ba Sing Se, and I know where that got me, so—”

Katara stayed silent, only taking her hand to acknowledge her while allowing her to continue. It was a lifeline to her, one sorely needed, and she let out a shaky breath.

“So why do I still feel that way?” she asked, almost desperately. “How have they all forgiven him so easily? They know what he did— spirits, Aang died because of him— but they’re all able to sit around and joke with him like nothing happened.”

“They didn’t trust him the way we did,” Katara said with a quiet anger. “They didn’t trust him the way we did, so it didn’t hurt them the way it hurt us.”

“I don’t want to forgive him,” Y/N said weakly. “But the thought of losing him hurts so much. Why does it hurt so much?”

“I don’t know,” Katara murmured. “I… I don’t know.”

Y/N flinched as a tear rolled down her cheek and fell to the ground below, and she instinctively wiped it away. She couldn’t show weakness.

She grimaced at the thought. How long would that wretched place stay with her?

“I’ll give you some time.” Katara’s expression was pained as she squeezed her hand. She didn’t want to leave her alone, but Y/N was thankful for it. Right now she just needed to feel miserable by herself, without bringing Katara down with her.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Katara nodded as she stood up. “You can sleep in my tent tonight. Or if you decide you want to talk, come bother me. I promise it’ll be okay.”

Y/N nodded, the action a bit numb, and she could feel Katara’s eyes on her as she lingered. But eventually she mustered the strength to leave, and Y/N was left with her thoughts.

She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat as she stared up at the sky. She tried to find the constellation her father taught her when she was a mere child—the tiger seal.

It was a jumble of stars that didn’t even remotely resemble the animal, but she remembered late nights spent stargazing on the ground outside their house, giggling endlessly as her father would point out various other constellations that he made up on his own. It would last until her mother would come out and tell them it was far past your bedtime, young lady, but she would never hide her smile as they ambled back inside.

The memory made a smile of her own emerge, but she soon realized she was fully in tears. They slid down her cheeks, falling onto the dirt and stones jutting out of the cliffside.

She couldn’t stop thinking of Zuko. She couldn’t stop thinking of her father. She felt so deeply broken in a way that she had no idea how to fix, in a way that was threatening to consume her.

She had her life back. Everything should have been back to normal.

But instead, she felt more lost than ever.

Y/N ended up taking Katara’s offer of sleeping in her tent, and she was glad she did. The familiarity of it all made her heart ache, but she was thankful for it. Thankful that she had friends like these who wouldn’t let her push them away, no matter how much her newly wired instincts told her it was the right thing to do.

She was visited by her childhood in her dreams yet again. She saw her father and her mother, walking hand in hand with smiles on their faces as they trailed behind a young Y/N skipping through the village paths.

She saw her child self running, screaming and laughing in equal parts as she was chased by the boy marked as the tagger, only to stagger backwards after running into one of the adults. But she was greeted by the smiling face of her father. The boy tapped her on the shoulder and ran off laughing, but her father knelt down to her level and looked at her completely seriously.

“I guess that means we’re the taggers now, huh?” And with that, the two of them ran around the village tagging everyone they could with the seriously unfair advantage.

She saw the moment after she’d learned how to waterbend, sprinting through the whole village to find her father, drag him to the lake, and show him her new skill. Gan held all the stars in his eyes as he watched her bend, and even though it was the simplest thing she could’ve done he praised her to no end.

The absence of scars, the smoothness of her skin, a bright smile that shone through her—she was unmarked by the world then. Hopeful, content, naive.

When she woke up with still-wet tear tracks on her cheeks, it wasn't a surprise. She woke up like this more often than not.

One week. Seven days. And then she would go to face something she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

But for now, there was something else to focus on. She could hear loud voices outside of the tent—all familiar, thankfully—but she knew that meant she had overslept.

Y/N fixed her hair and her clothes, rubbing furiously at her face to get rid of any signs of her previous emotions, and emerged from the tent to see her friends all standing around Appa.

“—about getting closure and justice,” she heard Zuko say, and her brows instinctively creased.

“What’s going on?” Y/N asked, crossing her arms as she stopped between Sokka and Zuko. “What are you all talking about?”

Zuko’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at her. “Uh— good morning.”

“Good morning,” she said stiffly before repeating herself. “What’s going on?”

“Zuko knows where to find the man who killed our mother,” Sokka said. He was oddly quiet.

“And Katara wants to find him,” Aang said, his expression uneasy.

“Is there a problem with that?” Katara asked defensively.

“Not if Zuko’s right and you just want closure,” he said. “But I don’t think that’s what this is about. I think it’s about getting revenge.”

“Maybe it is!” Katara exclaimed, gesturing with one hand. “Maybe it is about revenge, Aang. But don’t you think I deserve it?”

“You don’t know what it will do to you,” Aang said. “I know how you feel right now, trust me—like violence is the only way to solve your problem. I felt that way after I discovered what happened to my people. But it’s not the only way.”

“I can’t let him go now that I know I can get to him!” she yelled, her voice rising with her anger. “Maybe it’s what I need—maybe it’s what he deserves.”

Aang’s eyes widened slightly. “Katara, you sound like Jet.”

“That’s not the same,” she snapped. “Jet hurt the innocent. This man— he’s not innocent. He’s a monster.”

“Katara, she was my mother too, but I think Aang might be right,” Sokka said.

She set her jaw. “Then you didn’t love her the way I did.”

Sokka took a step back as his eyes widened. “Katara…”

“The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper.” Aang spoke up quickly, trying to fill the air after what she’d said. “While you watch your enemy go down, you’re being poisoned yourself.”

“That’s cute, but this isn’t Air Temple preschool,” Zuko said. “It’s the real world.”

“And you think he hasn’t experienced the real world?” Y/N snapped. “I think he knows a little bit about grief after what’s happened to him.”

Zuko looked at her with a surprisingly level expression, contrasting her narrowed eyes and upturned lip. “Monk pacifism isn’t going to help here.”

Y/N opened her mouth to retort back but Aang stopped her. “It’s okay. I forgive you, Zuko.” He looked at Katara. “That’s what you need to do. Forgiveness.”

Katara laughed in disbelief. “You want me to forgive the man who murdered my mother?”

“Of course not!” Aang said. “You need to face him—I understand that. But when you face him, you can’t kill him. You have to let the anger flow through you, and then out of you. Accept your emotions, then let them go.”

“Why should he get to live when our mother is gone?” Katara shouted. “I don’t want to forgive him, I want revenge!”

“Killing him won’t bring our mother back,” Sokka murmured. “You’ll just have someone else’s blood on your hands.”

“Good,” she said coldly. “An eye for an eye.”

“Makes the whole world go blind,” Aang finished. “One of the monks said that back in the temple—violence might feel right, but it just hurts everyone more. Forgiveness is the right choice.”

“Forgiveness is the same as doing nothing,” Zuko said.

“No, it’s not,” he said. “It’s easy to do nothing—forgiveness is hard.”

“It’s not just hard,” Katara snarled, “it’s impossible.”

Aang looked over at Y/N, who had been silent since her outburst at Zuko. “Y/N, please. You know revenge won’t help her.”

Y/N looked between the two of them, the steely determination brewing in Katara’s eyes at odds with a desperate softness in Aang’s. Something twisted in her chest, and she had to force herself to look away as she spoke.

“...Do what you have to,” she said quietly. “Whatever that ends up being.”

Hurt flickered across Aang’s expression before he looked away, and Katara nodded thankfully at her before she started walking away. Zuko cast a long look at Y/N before he followed her.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Y/N muttered as she hurried off in the opposite direction, swallowing her doubts as her hands bunched into fists and loosened over and over, desperately needing something to do with them.

Katara was going after her mother’s killer, and Zuko was helping her with it. Katara, her last line of defense in her feelings against him, was going on her own trip with him. Y/N knew it was for the best—it was something she needed to do and Zuko had the Fire Nation knowledge that no one else in their group possessed, so he was the obvious choice—but a small part of her still couldn’t help but despise it.

He was getting too close, far too close, and she wasn’t going to let that affect her.

No matter what.

Y/N had found a small solace by the cliffside, sitting on the edge as her legs hung off. She could fall just as easily as anything, but maybe it was the danger that calmed her, the fact that she was in control of what would happen. She heard the footsteps before anything though, and her body tensed up instinctively as she whirled around.

“It’s just me,” Toph said, her blank gaze aimed at the ground. “You’re jumpier than usual.”

“How can you tell?”

“I can hear every ant on this cliffside through their movements,” she said. “Your heart rate spiked so much that even a baby could tell you’re off. You’ve been off, ever since you came back.”

She smiled wryly. “I’m still getting used to everything again. It’s not an easy transition.”

“But you’re here,” Toph said, and she sat down next to her. “You’ve been through everything, and you’re still here. That means you’re tougher than everything the Fire Nation has tried to throw at you.”

“How can you say that so easily?” Y/N asked. “I’ve flipped out on everyone at least twice for no reason. I constantly have nightmares about what’s happened. I— I can’t even bend because Zuko still has this stupid hold on me. I don’t feel tough. I feel weaker than ever.”

“You’re still here,” Toph repeated, emphasizing each word. “So many other people would have given up by now if they were in your position. But you didn’t—you fought, and you continued to fight until you won, no matter how long it took you. That’s what makes you tough—not all the stuff you’ve been through, but the fact that you’re still standing at the end of it.”

“When did you become so wise?” she joked weakly, her gaze trailing off into the horizon. The sun was beginning to set, beautiful reds and oranges blending with deep purple. It reminded her of the night everything changed.

“Someone had to keep these dunderheads together while you were busy in prison.” Y/N chuckled a bit, but she could see Toph’s expression sober in her peripherals. “...I’ve just been worried about you.”

“Really?”

Toph punched her on the arm without looking. “Does that make you believe me?”

Y/N managed a small smile as she rubbed the spot. “Yeah.”

“Good. Because I don’t know how much sappy stuff I can take.”

Her smile widened as she wrapped an arm around Toph and pulled her closer. “So you do love me.”

“Let go of me!” she protested. “This is the worst kind of sappy stuff!”

But Toph made no move to get away from her, and Y/N laughed. “Just admit it. You missed me.”

“Of course I missed you,” she huffed. “Without you, I actually had to do all the work with Katara instead of knocking Twinkle Toes around with earthbending or practicing on my own. It was horrible.”

“I missed you too, Toph,” Y/N said with a smile. “I didn’t realize how much I appreciated your tough love until I didn’t have it.”

“I have plenty saved up for you, Snowflake,” Toph grinned, “so don’t worry.” But her expression sobered, and she paused.

“...I’m here for you,” she said after a moment. “If you need anything, or just someone to listen to. I’m good at listening to people complain.”

“Thank you,” she said, her smile softening. “That means more than you know.”

And as the two of them sat there in silence, nothing being said verbally but more in the air between them than ever, she felt content once again. She didn’t realize how much she just needed to talk to somebody. First her conversation with Katara and now with Toph—her friends really were the secret to making her feel better.

…Things would be okay again, Y/N thought to herself. No matter how long it took, her friends would be there for her.

Things would be okay again.

She would be okay again.

“They’ve been gone for too long,” Sokka grumbled.

“It’s been two days,” Aang said. “Zuko said the man they were after was retired—it can’t be easy to find a retired Fire Nation soldier, no matter how knowledgeable you are about the navy.”

“That’s too long,” Sokka insisted as he crossed his arms. While Y/N, Aang, Suki, Toph sat together in a loose arc, Sokka was up and pacing. He had been for the past twenty minutes.

“Can you sit down, Sokka?” Y/N asked. “You’re stressing me out.”

“You should be stressed out!” he exclaimed, flinging his arms up. “The boy prince of betrayal went off with my impressionable sister on a murder field trip. There is no reason to not be stressed out!”

“You need to give Sugar Queen more credit,” Toph said. “If Zuko tries anything, he’s the one that should be worried. Not the other way around.”

“Toph’s right,” Aang said, but then he frowned. “And I thought you trusted Zuko.”

“Not when he’s alone with my sister on a murder field trip!” Sokka heaved a long sigh as he stopped, staring out into the distance. Even though their island was one of a big scattered chain, they were still extremely isolated. It was unnerving sometimes, especially at night. “She feels everything so strongly, and… and she’s always felt guilty about what happened to Mom. I know she thinks this is her chance to make it up to her, to do what she wished she could have done on that day. But I also know that if she goes through with it, she’ll regret it for the rest of her life.”

“She’ll make the right choice,” Y/N murmured. “I know she will.”

Aang suddenly perked up, and he turned around. When he did, his eyes widened. “They’re back.”

They all turned around to see Appa touching down at camp, but only one person dismounted.

“Where’s Katara?” Y/N instantly asked, her eyes narrowing as she darted up.

“She’s fine,” Zuko said, but when he glanced at Aang she could see his nerves. “She… she’s back at the dock. At the soldier’s village.”

“Did she…?” Aang didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t have to.

“No. He’s terrified out of his mind, but he’s alive.” A weight was visibly lifted off of Sokka’s shoulders with the single word, and Aang nodded.

“That’s… that’s good.”

“She said she needed some time to herself,” Zuko murmured. “I figured it was only right to bring you back with me.”

“I’m coming too,” Sokka said.

“Me too,” Y/N spoke up. She could feel Zuko’s gaze on her, but she didn’t meet it.

“I’ll stay back,” Toph said. “Someone has to hold this place down.”

“I will too,” Suki said, and she gave Sokka a light kiss on the cheek. “I hope she’s okay.”

“She will be,” Sokka said softly. “Eventually.”

Zuko nodded and started walking back towards Appa. “Let’s get back, then. It’s a bit of a ride.”

Soon enough, they were all in the village, and Aang jumped off Appa as soon as he’d guided him close enough.

“Katara!” he exclaimed as he ran towards her, sitting on the edge of the dock. “Are you okay?”

“I’m doing fine,” she murmured. Her voice was placid as the water she sat above, but it was strained.

“Zuko told me what you did,” Aang said softly. “Or… what you didn’t do, I guess. I’m proud of you.”

“I wanted to do it,” she said stiffly. “I wanted to take out all my anger on him, and I almost did. But… but I just couldn’t. I don’t know if it’s because I’m too weak to do it or strong enough not to.”

“You did the right thing,” Y/N said. “Facing that man makes you stronger than he could ever hope to be.”

“Forgiveness is the first step you have to take towards healing,” Aang said.

Katara stood up, and her gaze was a mixture of sadness and acceptance. But it was obvious the ordeal was still weighing on her. “I didn’t forgive him. I’ll never forgive him. But…” she looked past them and over at Zuko, the smallest of smiles pulling at her lips. “...I am ready to forgive you.”

She walked up to Zuko and hugged him, and after a moment of hesitation Zuko smiled and wrapped his arms around her. Y/N clenched her jaw and started walking back over to Appa.

She was happy Katara got closure, of course she was. But in the process, she had forgiven Zuko. She was her confidante, the one person who understood how deep her anger towards him went. She had been by Y/N’s side throughout their whole journey, at each and every road block, she was there for Ba Sing Se—for all of Ba Sing Se.

And somehow, Zuko had gotten her to forgive him too.

It was selfish, unbelievably so, for it to hurt her so much when Katara had just faced something impossible. But she couldn’t help the way that her chest twisted, how her heart ached, how her nails dug so deep into her palms they left indentations.

When the rest of them got back onto Appa, Katara sat down next to her. “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course.” She didn’t make eye contact, her gaze focused into the distance as Aang set off for camp. “I’m glad you got to face him. That you made the right decision for you.”

“Y/N,” she murmured, “I know what this is about.”

“It’s not about anything except you,” she evaded. “This was a journey you had to take—we’re all behind you.”

“And you have all my thanks for that,” Katara said. She glanced at Zuko on the other side of the saddle, very obviously trying to pretend like he wasn’t listening in on their conversation. He wasn’t very good at it. “But I know you’re upset about… that.”

“We don’t need to talk about this right now,” she said.

“Y/N…”

She didn’t say anything. Katara sighed and settled back down on the saddle.

“Okay,” she nodded. “When you’re ready.”

Quiet conversation was made on the other side of the saddle between the three boys, but there was nothing between Katara and Y/N.

Nothing except a newly found weight on both their shoulders.

The sizzling fuse exploded when they got back to camp, though. A ride spent staring at the sky didn’t do much for her. Y/N got down from Appa the moment Aang guided him to the ground, and Katara let out a hefty sigh as she followed after her. She started to say her name, but she didn’t get far.

“Even you forgave him.” Her words were cold, icy rather than hot anger. “Even you! After everything we’ve talked about— everything you know!”

“I— I know,” Katara said, and she let out a deep sigh as she ran a hand through her loose hair. “But… but he helped me in a way that no one ever had. I found my mother’s killer. I got closure.”

“Well, maybe I should get him to help me find the guard who killed my father,” Y/N said sarcastically. “Maybe that’ll get me my bending back.”

“It could,” Katara said, and she was actually genuine. “It could work. And Zuko would help you.”

She huffed a mirthless laugh and shook her head, biting the inside of her lip to prevent the tears she knew would start welling up. “I’m not letting him back in. Even you said I shouldn’t.”

“I can’t say I know how much you’re hurting,” Katara said, “but… but Zuko is hurting just as much as you. There’s no excuse for what he did, I’m not saying that. But he wants your forgiveness more than anything in the world.”

“Did he tell you to say this during your trip?” she asked stiffly. “I mean, now that he’s turned you over to his side and everything.”

“I’m saying this because I care about you,” Katara said softly. “Y/N, I have seen you hurting for months now, all because of Zuko. Even from the first moment we met in the North, I knew there was something inside of you, and it’s still there. And if you don’t take care of it, it’s going to consume you.”

“I can’t forgive him.” Her voice was barely a whisper, a cracked, haunted resolve behind it. “I won’t let myself get hurt again.”

“And I can’t promise that he won’t hurt you again,” Katara murmured. “But I do know if you decide to let him back in, he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to you.”

Y/N wasn’t able to muster any words. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and turned away, blinking back tears.

“He talked about you,” she continued. “When he wasn’t talking about the Fire Nation and where we were going, he was talking about you. He loved you back then, and he still loves you now. Even if it took him way too long to realize it.” Katara’s expression softened as well as her voice and she took a step closer. “All he wants is to help you however he can.”

“If he loved me then and he still betrayed me,” she whispered, “then how can I ever trust him again?”

“...You just have to,” Katara said quietly. “Trust in the Zuko you knew before you were forced to be on opposite sides. When the two of you were the missing half of each other’s souls.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat, still unable to look back at Katara. “I can’t.”

“Then at least don’t push us away,” Katara urged. “You’ve been off. I don’t know what it’s about, but you can tell me as little or as much as you want, whenever you’re ready. I’m here for you—we’re all here for you, Y/N. We love you so much. Let us help you.”

She bit down on her lip hard to prevent the tears from welling up, and she was only able to muster a nod. “I will. Soon.”

“...Okay.”

Y/N walked off, and she could feel Katara’s worried gaze on her. It took all her strength not to look back.

Three days.

It all went on as usual. Suki asked if she was okay, but she didn’t push.

Sokka wouldn’t stop looking at her strangely. He must have heard her leaving her tent in the middle of the night.

Two days.

The nightmares were worse. She nearly woke up screaming. Thankfully, she didn’t wake Katara.

Aang sat with her during breakfast, telling ancient airbender stories. He didn’t ask anything when he had to repeat himself because of her blank stare at the ground.

She spent most of the day sitting by the water.

Maybe it would come back after this.

One day.

Everyone knew something was wrong, but she didn’t give any of them the chance to ask.

Especially Zuko. He wouldn’t stop looking at her, wouldn’t stop trying to talk to her. She brushed him off every time.

She packed her bag that night.

She barely slept a wink.

“What are you doing?”

Her plan was to leave at the crack of dawn, before her friends could ask any questions or try to go with her. She would be back by nightfall, and she would have closure. The nightmares would stop. The guilt would go away. She would be okay again.

But of course, he had to ruin everything.

She didn’t look over at the sound of Zuko’s voice as she rifled through her bag, making sure she had everything she needed. “Nothing.”

“That doesn’t look like nothing.”

“Very perceptive, aren’t you?” she said dryly. Y/N tied her bag shut and stood up, then climbed onto Appa’s back. “I’m leaving.”

His eyes widened. “You’re leaving? Does everyone else know about this?”

“Not leaving for good,” she scoffed. “I just have something I need to do.”

“And that is?”

Y/N glared fully at Zuko. “None of your business.”

“You’re taking Appa in the middle of the night to go somewhere,” he said, crossing his arms. “Every time someone’s tried to do that, it’s been for something important. Sokka was going to the Boiling Rock, and Katara wanted to find her mother’s killer. I’m guessing whatever you’re going to do is equally important, which means you’re gonna need backup.”

“I said it was none of your business,” she repeated. “I can handle myself just fine without you.”

“Well,” Zuko crossed his arms, “I’m not leaving until you tell me what you’re doing.”

“You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met,” she jabbed.

“You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met,” he responded with a shrug.

She went silent for a moment as her gaze traveled away, staring instead at the dark night sky. Today had been the hardest day yet, even looking back on her months in captivity. It was the day everything changed. She didn’t exactly know what possessed her to tell Zuko the reason, but after a moment, she did.

“Seven years ago today, my village was invaded,” she said quietly. “It’s the day my mother and I were captured, and… and the day my father was killed.”

Zuko’s eyes widened, and his voice was the same as hers when he finally mustered something. “I… I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”

“So am I,” she said, “but apologies haven’t helped me with anything. I’m going back. I’m visiting my village for the first time since my mother and I were taken. Now that I have the means to travel there, it’s something I need to do.”

“I understand,” Zuko said, “completely. I’ll come with you.”

Her response was instantaneous. “No.”

“You can’t travel that far alone,” he insisted. “I have no doubt that you can handle yourself, but you’ve trained to fight with your bending, and right now you don’t have it. If you run into any kind of trouble, you’re… well, you’re gonna be in trouble.”

“I can fight,” she said. “I’m good with my fists. I held my own against Azula.”

“You did,” he admitted, “but her skill also isn’t in her hand to hand. And if you’re up against multiple people—say, Fire Nation guards—you’re gonna go down quick.”

“You have just as much faith in me as ever,” she remarked sourly.

“It’s not that I don’t have faith in you!” Zuko defended. “I just don’t want you to die because you have too much pride to accept any kind of help.”

“It’s not that I don’t want any help,” she stated. “I just don’t want your help.”

Zuko let out a long-lasting sigh, shaking his head before he finally met her eyes again. “Look. I know you don’t like me, and you don’t have to. Not after… not after what I did. But whatever’s between us can’t affect our mission, because ultimately we’re all here to defeat my father. That has to happen no matter what, so like it or not, we’re probably gonna have to work together at least once to make that happen.”

“I don’t have to work with you if I don’t want to,” she said.

“Really? So if we’re in the middle of a fight and your choice is to either work with me or die, what would you do?”

“I’m not that stupid,” she snapped.

Annoyingly, though… he had a point. They couldn’t afford any distractions, not so close to the end. And Y/N wouldn’t be the reason for their failure because of Zuko.

“...Fine,” she relented, but the glare she pinned him with was still withering. “But you do whatever I tell you to do, and you don’t come with me when we get to my village. This is private.”

Zuko immediately broke out into a grin and he nodded. “Of course. I’m here for you.”

She averted her gaze as she took her seat on Appa’s head. “Get your things before I leave you here.”

He nodded again and he started off towards his tent. Y/N let out a loose sigh as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms, the early morning chill beginning to get to her.

A trip with Zuko to her childhood village on the anniversary of the worst day of her life.

This couldn’t go terribly at all, she thought wryly.

“...So,” Zuko said, “do you know where we’re going?”

“No,” she said, “I just thought I would lead Appa around blindly and hope that we somehow end up in the right place.”

“So you do know—”

“Of course I know where we’re going,” Y/N snapped. Maybe it was unfair of her, but she didn’t exactly care. “Sokka took a map from Wan Shi Tong’s library before it collapsed, and he let me borrow it. It’ll take us a couple of hours, but we should make it before noon.”

Zuko nodded. “Where is your village? You never told me much about it when you talked about your past.”

“Why do you care?”

He huffed a laugh. “You can’t be serious.”

She said nothing, and Zuko sighed. “I care about you, Y/N, more than anything. I’m here because I want to help you. Of course I care about where you’re from.”

“That doesn’t mean we need all the small talk,” she said.

“It’s not small talk, it’s a conversation,” Zuko said dryly. “I’m more than happy to sit here in silence with you for another six hours, but I think that’s pretty boring.”

“...It’s by the southern coast, near the Zeizhou provinces,” she relented after a moment. “It’s so small that you can’t find it on a map unless you know what you’re looking for. We didn’t even have an official name—if we had to, we called it South Zeizhou because that was the only notable thing near us.”

“What was it like?” he asked. “Growing up in a place like that.”

“It was nice,” she said. “We were almost completely isolated from other villages, so we were tightly knit. Everyone knew each other—I’m sure I knew each person by name by the time I was five—and everyone helped each other. We didn’t have much, but everyone was well taken care of. Our community was everything.”

“That sounds beautiful,” Zuko murmured.

“It was,” she agreed. “Until your people invaded it and destroyed it.”

Zuko went silent at that, but instead of the sick sort of satisfaction she normally experienced, she felt… guilty.

It wasn’t his fault. Zuko was only a year older than her—when her village was invaded, he was probably in school lessons or learning how to be a prince. And now he was here, going against everything he knew, everything he’d ever had, to try and make things right.

He was a child just like her. And with a father like Fire Lord Ozai…

“...I’m sorry,” she said, and his eyes darted up, a bit of shock visible in them. “I know it wasn’t your fault. I just…” she sighed. “I’ve never forgiven the Fire Nation for what was done to my people. And I guess you’re just the easiest target.”

“I understand,” he murmured. “And for whatever it’s worth, I’m sorry too.”

“This doesn’t mean anything.” The words were quick to leave her mouth, and she didn’t look at him. “Just because I feel bad doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you.” Nevertheless, she could still hear the smile in his voice.

“I know.”

More silence.

“What was your father like?” Zuko asked as he broke it. “You speak of him so fondly.”

She bit her lip at the question as the memories flooded back, and Zuko was stumbling over his words almost immediately.

“You— you don’t have to answer,” he said, “obviously, if it’s too much, but I—”

“He was the nicest man you’d ever meet,” she said softly. “He was always willing to help anyone who needed it, always willing to do far more than he had to if he thought it would make someone happy. And he did—he made my mother the happiest woman alive. He was beloved by everyone in the village.” Y/N swallowed hard. “He died to protect it. To protect me.”

“You’ve made him proud,” Zuko said. “I know you have.”

“I hope so,” she murmured. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

She meant to leave it at that, but for some reason, the words continued to flow. “But I… I’m worried about what will happen when I get there.” that they won’t recognize me when I come back.”

Zuko frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s been years since I was there.” Y/N let go of the reins and wrung her hands together. She glanced down at the bandages, the rough fabric almost a comfort after her time without them. “I haven’t been back since I was captured. What if they resent me for not being there?”

“No one could possibly resent you for that,” he scoffed. “You were taken, Y/N, by soldiers. You were a child—what could you have done?”

“Anything,” she muttered. “If I had done anything, maybe things would have been different.”

“You can’t do that to yourself,” Zuko insisted. “You’ll drive yourself insane going down that path.”

She shrugged. “That doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”

“Look at me.”

Y/N frowned. “What?”

“Turn around and look at me,” he said again. “And don’t do your stubborn I hate Zuko thing. Just humor me for once.”

She scoffed and crossed her arms as she turned around, looking him in the eye. “What?”

“Do you think it’s Katara’s fault that her mother is dead?”

The jump to the topic made her blink, recoiling the slightest bit. “What? No— spirits, of course not.”

“But she died to save her,” Zuko said. “The raiders were there looking for the last waterbender, and that was Katara. Her mother gave herself up in place of her.”

“That’s not her fault,” she said. “Her mother ch—”

It hit her then, and her eyes narrowed. “You’re not clever.”

The slightest smile tugged at Zuko’s lips and he shrugged. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“You’re not clever,” she simply repeated, and she turned back around and grabbed the reins. She couldn’t see Zuko’s pleased expression as he adjusted his position in the saddle.

“Just trying to help,” he said, and his voice softened. “You’ve made your father proud, even if you don’t think so. You’ve made both your parents proud.”

She didn’t respond. She feared that if she tried to, the tears would spring. And she wasn’t going to cry.

But she appreciated his words more than he knew. Maybe even more than she knew.

But she couldn’t say that. And so they rode in silence.

“We’re almost here,” she announced, and she lightly tugged at Appa’s reins to get him to slow down. It had been a few hours of silent flying and navigating, but they’d made good time. By the spot of the sun in the sky, she could tell it was just before noon.

“Good,” he said.

They had been in the air for hours, starting even before the sun had risen, so it was no surprise when she glanced behind her and saw Zuko fighting off grogginess in the form of a barely stifled yawn.

“You didn’t have to come, you know,” she said, maybe a little too snippy.

“I wasn’t going to let you go alone,” Zuko said. “And even though you might not think so, I like being around you. I…” he sighed and shook his head. “Nevermind.”

“What?”

“I just want things to be the way they used to be,” he murmured. “But I know that can’t happen. And I know you’re tired of hearing it.”

“...I want that too,” she said quietly after a moment of hesitation.

She heard the rustling of leather and a sharp intake of breath, and it wasn’t hard to tell he was shocked by her words. And maybe she was shocked too, because she knew she meant them completely.

“Y/N,” Zuko started, “you—”

But then he was interrupted by her gasp.

“What?” he asked, only a moment of hesitation before he switched veins. He moved up beside her, and his eyes widened. “Flames of Agni…”

In the distance, she could see where the forest abruptly stopped. It went on for kilometers, the ashy remnants of fauna and chopped stumps. So much of the forest was just— was just gone. And in the center of it all…

Her village was unrecognizable. Houses made of wood and stone had been torn down and replaced with metal buildings, and the few original buildings that still were in disrepair, riddled with scorch marks and on the verge of falling apart. She could see armed Fire Nation soldiers manning certain spots around the village, as well as marching through the streets. They numbered far more than anyone in simple Earth Kingdom garb.

Flags and banners with Fire Nation insignias hung everywhere, but the worst part was the factory. It was as big as ten of their old homes, black, polished metal only good for serving as an eyesore. It pumped out acrid black smoke, and even from so far away it made her eyes sting. Her hands clenched into fists around the reins, and anger swelled up inside of her.

Everything that was held sacred in her village was gone, ruined by the Fire Nation for their own gain. Just like everything else in the world.

And she hadn’t even known about it.

“The Fire Nation is still here,” she said shakily. “I… I don’t know what I expected. I thought they would move on after the raid, but…” She barely managed to choke back a sob by clenching her jaw tightly. “They destroyed it all.”

“I’m so sorry.” There was horror in Zuko’s voice, and like her, he was unable to look away from the devastation. “I… If I had known…”

“Sorry isn’t going to fix anything,” she said bitterly, but it was more pained than anything.

“Then we will fix it,” he countered. Her eyes flicked up to him, the smallest bit of surprise visible. “We’ll take your village back and get the Fire Nation out, once and for all.”

Y/N’s grip tightened even further on the reins, her nails digging deep into her palms as she nodded. Her eyes hardened as they moved back to her village, and she nodded resolutely.

“You’re damn right we will.”

“Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m not okay,” she said. She wanted to snap at him, but she didn’t have the energy. Not after what she’d seen.

She and Zuko had set up camp a while away from her village, deep in what remained of the forest to give Appa enough cover. Though she wanted to light a fire, she knew it was too risky. And so they sat together on the ashy, barren ground, the air between them heavier than ever.

They were going to take back her village, that much was a given. The only question was how.

“You’re right,” he murmured. “It was a stupid question.”

“I just don’t understand,” she said weakly as she sat back on the ground. “Why would they stay in our village? We’re so far off the map that it’s probably costing them more to be here than not.”

“That’s what the Fire Nation does,” Zuko said. “They destroy everything they get their hands on.”

When Y/N looked up at him, he was staring at the ground, his jaw clenched.

“It’s about breaking their spirit,” he continued. “If they just left, your people could fight back. Get revenge for the invasion. But if they take over completely—”

“They crush an uprising before it has the chance to grow,” she murmured, “and they gain a workforce and all the natural resources they could want.”

“Yeah.”

Zuko’s voice was oddly quiet, stilted in a way she couldn’t place. She couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“What happened when you went back to the Fire Nation?”

Zuko glanced at her, swallowing hard before he looked away. “I’m not sure you want to know.”

“I do,” she said. “And I think I have the right to know.”

“Mai and I got together.” He sounded almost embarrassed, and she hated the twist of jealousy in her chest. “We talked during the entire boat ride home, and it went from there.”

“Oh,” she said stiffly. “So while I was sentenced to rot in prison for the rest of my life, you were getting busy with the girl who’s loved you her whole life.”

His cheeks flushed bright red in spite of the obvious anger. “That’s not what it was!”

“Really? Because that’s exactly what it sounds like.”

“We were both struggling,” he insisted. “I… I wasn’t handling Ba Sing Se well, and Mai was having doubts about everything. We gravitated towards each other in our misery, and— and it just happened.”

“You can’t honestly believe that’s true,” she snapped.

“You don’t know anything about Mai if you think it isn’t!” he exclaimed. “Neither of us were—”

“What?” she asked, brazen in his silence as he suddenly cut off. “You weren’t what?”

“…We realized that we didn’t like each other in that way,” he finished in a mumble. “Expectations pushed us together. Our own feelings pulled us apart.” Zuko looked back at her this time. “We couldn’t ignore our… our true feelings.”

“And what are those true feelings?” she asked. She couldn’t help the mocking tone in her voice, but the anger was beginning to come back. Mai had never been mean to her back in the palace, but it was hard to forget Omashu and Ba Sing Se. And it wasn’t exactly nice to hear that she and Zuko got together right after she was sentenced to a life in prison.

“I love you,” he said, “and you know that. But Mai, she—” Zuko shook his head and glanced away.

“What?” she repeated.

“...Do you remember Ty Lee?”

She frowned. “Yeah. She’s tried to kill me a couple times.”

“That’s who,” he said, and her eyes widened slightly. “They’ve always been close, but… I don’t know. Maybe the pressure of working under my sister brought them together. Maybe me being as horrible as I was pushed her away. But all I know is that Mai has feelings for her, and none for me. And I’m okay with that.”

“...Ty Lee,” Y/N said, and she managed a chuckle. “I think that’s the last pair I expected.”

Zuko cracked a smile. “It works, though. I hope they can figure something out.”

“Yeah,” she mumbled. “Me too.”

But then Zuko’s expression sobered again as he looked at her, his gaze as piercing as ever. “You know I don’t like her. You know there’s nothing between us. A—and you said you wanted things to be the way they used to be.” His voice was low, but there was no mistaking the edge of desperation in it. “So why can’t they be?”

“Why does it always come back to us?” she asked bitterly.

“Because I want there to be an us again so badly,” he said. Zuko’s voice was so genuine it pained her, and she hated how easily he was cracking her resolve.

The walls used to be easy to keep up, used to be gratifying. But now all it did was hurt. The night was cold, and she longed for his embrace.

But Zuko was fire. Beautiful, inviting, full of warmth, but able to hurt her just as easily.

And spirits, that was all she could think about as the scar on her arm stung. The burns on her hands had faded, and Ba Sing Se’s mark was nearly gone as well, but she couldn’t forget.

“Maybe there can’t be an us again,” she mumbled as she stood up. “And maybe we just both have to accept that.”

The look in Zuko’s eyes hurt, his downcast expression combined with the same longing she felt. So she walked away towards the forest, or rather what remained of it.

“I’m going to scout out our surroundings,” she said, though it was half-hearted. “I’ll be back when the sun starts setting. We’ll figure out a plan at nightfall.”

She’d disappeared into the woods soon enough. If Zuko said something, she didn’t hear it.

She held true to her word, and she was back by nightfall. Zuko had drawn a map of her village in the dirt with a stick, and though it was crude it was accurate. It turned out he had a better memory than she thought, and it also seemed that when they were working towards something like this, it was easier to work through the tension.

It took the better part of an hour for them to come up with something and actually agree on it, and it was still shakier than he liked—a lot of it relied on her people remembering Y/N the way that she remembered them. But it was a plan, and it could work, so it was good enough.

Soon enough, they were back on Appa, riding through the inky sky towards her village. Dressed in black from spares Zuko had in his bag—the same outfit he lended Katara during her mission, she was sure—they blended in perfectly.

“We’re here,” she whispered, and Zuko nodded as he sheathed his sword and moved up next to her on Appa’s head. “Do you remember the plan?”

“Of course I do,” he said. “Are you dropping down here?”

“Yeah. I’ll signal when I’m ready for you.”

He nodded again. “Good luck, Y/N.”

“...Thanks.”

She guided Appa closer to the ground, handing the reins off to Zuko when she thought she was close enough. She slid off as quietly as she could, her moccasins doing little to help with the shock of landing but good enough at muffling her movements. There were fewer guards than before, but it still made her nervous.

Y/N didn’t even dare to breathe as she moved through her village, ducking behind cover when she needed to as she made her way towards one of the only remaining houses. Despite the Fire Nation banner hanging across the front, it still felt like it was her village rather than another forced colony.

That was something, she supposed.

She pushed the door open quietly and pulled the fabric down from her face, checking once more to make sure there were no guards before she closed it. And when she turned around, she was met by a wide-eyed woman and a stark-faced man darting up from his spot on the floor.

It probably wasn’t the best look, showing up dressed in all black in the middle of the night while the village is occupied by soldiers. She could only hope they would recognize her.

“What are you doing in our home?” he demanded, but his wife shook her head.

“I must be dreaming,” she whispered, and she stood up as well. “Y/N? Is… is that you?”

“Leya,” Y/N said, and she felt the pinpricks of tears behind her eyes, “you remember.”

Leya laughed and clasped her hands together as she moved closer and pulled her into an embrace. “Of course I remember you, darling! How could I forget the little waterbender who always managed to soak my laundry just as it had finished drying?”

“Gan’s girl,” the man—Lao—marveled, and he laughed as well. “What in Kyoshi’s name are you doing here?”

“It’s hard to explain,” she said, slightly sheepish as she pulled out of Leya’s hug. “But basically… I’m here to save the village.”

Lao shook his head with a smile—that same smile she remembered from her youth, a mix of approval and surprise. “You haven’t been here since the invasion and now you’re here to save our village. You haven’t changed a bit.”

“What can I say?” she said with a slight laugh. “I’ve been busy with the Avatar.”

“The Avatar?” Leya asked, and Y/N held up her hand.

“As much as I’d love to tell you both what I’ve been up to all these years, we’re working on a schedule.”

“‘We’?” Lao caught. “Who else is here with you?”

She didn’t think she could exactly say the crown prince of the Fire Nation, no matter how reformed he claimed to be.

“A friend of the Avatar,” she decided. “He’s waiting for my signal. That’s when the action’s going to start.”

“What exactly is your plan?” Leya asked tentatively. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but our numbers aren’t the highest. Those who haven’t been sent away as laborers had their spirits broken long ago. There are very few with any kind of fight left in them.”

“That’s okay,” she said. “I’ve got more than enough fight in me for this whole village. But I need your help.”

Lao nodded. “Anything.”

She smiled, a miniscule amount of weight dropping off her shoulders in relief. “Good.”

Appa was stashed securely in the woods, a rucksack full of moon peaches to keep him happy and quiet, but Zuko was still nervous.

How couldn’t he be, hiding behind a gaudy metal structure pretending to be a house that fit into this village? He was only the traitor boy prince of the Fire Nation, most likely with a wanted poster and a bounty on his head courtesy of his father.

He wasn’t scared, though.

Nervous? Sure. But he couldn’t wait to give these soldiers what they deserved.

Zuko’s eyes snapped towards the sudden movement across the way—the Fire Nation banner had been ripped down from the house Y/N went into, and the woman who did it held her fist in the air for a moment before darting back inside.

The signal.

It was time.

Zuko took a deep breath, pulled his broadswords out of their sheaths, and started moving.

It didn’t take long to find a guard, standing at his assignment near some light post. Zuko dashed behind him and brought his swords up to his neck.

“Stay quiet if you want to keep your head,” he said. “Nod if you understand.”

The guard nodded, but Zuko saw his hand clenching into a fist. He moved one sword down, and he froze in place as the sharp edge settled against his skin.

“No firebending either,” he growled. “You wanna test my patience some more, or are you ready to cooperate?”

“I— I’ll cooperate,” he stammered. “Just don’t hurt me, please. What do you want?”

It was almost pathetic. These people took over an innocent village, and now they were so confident that they stationed guards like this. Zuko wondered if this man even knew what had been done here.

“Good,” Zuko said. “Who’s in charge here?”

“General Lee,” he said, and Zuko had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Of course. “He— he’s the one who took over this place at the beginning. The one who ordered the invasion.”

“And where is he?”

“The biggest house at the end of the lane,” he said. “You— you can’t miss it.”

Zuko thanked the soldier for his information by knocking the flat end of one blade against his head, and he took a step back as the man fell to the ground, unconscious.

Step one complete.

“How is your earthbending?” Y/N asked. She and Lao moved swiftly through the village under the cover of darkness, avoiding soldiers where they were stationed as they conversed in low voices.

“Not as sharp as it used to be,” Lao said. “I’ve been hiding it since the invasion—otherwise they would have killed me or sent me away. What do you need it for?”

Once again, that sheepishness came back. The plan she and Zuko created sounded very outlandish when she said it out loud.

“I want to destroy the factory.”

“You certainly don't aim low, huh?” Lao chuckled a bit, but he flexed his hands nonetheless. He moved his fist forward and a short pillar of solid rock shot up from the ground. “I’ve still got some of it, at least.”

“That’s why I asked for your help,” she said. “The Fire Nation builds everything out of metal, but I think they forget that rocks are pretty effective against it.”

Lao smiled as he sent the rock back down into the earth. “I like how you think.”

She smiled as well, but her head shot up at the movement near them. She stepped protectively in front of Lao, her instincts above anything, but the tension dissolved when she saw it was just Zuko.

“Did you find out where he is?” she asked, and he nodded.

“His name is Lee— General Lee,” he said. “The last house,” he pointed, “that way. You can’t miss it.”

“Good.” She cracked her knuckles. “I have some things I’d like to say to him.”

“Y/N,” he said, “he’s…”

“What?”

“He’s the one who did all of this,” Zuko said. “The one who ordered the invasion. He’s been here ever since.”

Her jaw clenched as she felt fire ignite inside of her. “Then maybe I have a little bit more to say to him.”

“Take this.” Zuko took one of his swords off along with its sheath and handed it to her. “Just in case.”

She nodded, taking some satisfaction in her practice swings before she stashed it across her back, then she looked at Lao. “You two are going to take down the factory together. Is anyone in it still?”

He shook his head. “Shifts ended a few hours ago. It should be completely empty.”

“Good.” Y/N looked at Zuko. “How do you feel about causing some explosions?”

He smirked. “Pretty great.”

“And how do you feel about crushing a lot of stuff?” she asked, turning to Lao.

“Even better.”

“Great,” she smiled. “Obviously, this is going to make a lot of noise. Get out when you feel danger—we might have to bring this fight to the streets.”

Lao cracked his knuckles. “Gladly. It’s about time we take our home back.”

“Laya’s alerted the people?” Y/N asked.

He nodded. “She’s gone house to house—she should be near the end by now. She and the rest of our people will be safe, and anyone who’s willing to fight will be ready for my signal.”

“Then I think it’s time we split,” Y/N said.

“Be careful,” Zuko said. “Don’t let your anger blind you.”

“I’ll do what I have to do,” she said simply.

Zuko nodded in understanding. “See you on the other side, then.”

“See you on the other side,” she murmured.

Y/N got used to the weight of the broadsword in her hand as she moved through the village yet again. She was surprised at how easy it was, how inattentive the few guards were. Their confidence would be their downfall.

It wasn’t hard to find the house of the general. It was so massive it edged on gaudy, obviously built for nothing but the man’s ego. The door wasn’t locked, and she just shook her head as she slid inside. This was ridiculous.

She closed the door as quietly as she could behind her, and she held her breath as she looked around the first floor. It was eerily empty, eerily silent. Maybe he wasn’t here.

Y/N tightened the grip on the hilt of the sword as she crept up the stairs, wincing at every creak. The whole upstairs was the general’s room, and she shook her head. This was more luxury than anyone in the village lived in. He’d built his comfort off the pain of her people.

“Would you like to tell me what you’re doing in my home?”

She whipped around, her sword instinctively flying up as she stared right at her target. So he was here, and he’d been just as quiet as her. He was younger than she expected, but his eyes told everything she needed to know.

“General Lee,” she said, and she was surprised at how steady her voice was. “This isn’t your home.”

“Isn’t it?” He was dressed in a simple tunic and pants, no armor in sight. Good. “I was here when it was built, and as far as I’m aware, it was built for my use.”

“You took it from my people,” she said. “You took everything from us.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific,” he said nonchalantly. “I’ve taken over a lot of villages.”

“Do you not have any shame?” Y/N demanded, and she pointed her sword at him. He didn’t even flinch. “Destroying the lives of innocent people, tearing apart their homes for resources, occupying them just to show off your strength. You kill people, you destroy families, and you don’t even care?”

The general had the nerve to smile. “It’s the way of the world. The weak fall, the strong prevail. I guess your people were just weak.”

Y/N couldn’t control herself after that. She yelled out as she lunged forward and swung with her sword. The general sidestepped her as she whirled back around, and he just laughed.

“You want to fight, girl?” General Lee mocked. “For what? Your people? Your honor? You won’t get far, I assure you.”

“For my family!” she growled. “Your men killed my father and forced my mother and I into servitude. I’ve wanted revenge for so many years, and now I can finally get it.”

His eyes lit with recognition and he raised his eyebrows. “The waterbenders. So you managed to escape—impressive.”

And then suddenly, there were two massive explosions. They were all the way across town, but it still rocked the foundations of the house. The impact must’ve been felt all over town, surely alerting every guard on duty that something was wrong.

Step two was complete.

It was Y/N’s turn to smile at the general. “There goes your factory.”

The general’s mocking confidence melted into cold anger. “You—”

“Blew it up,” she responded. “Yeah.”

She lashed out with her sword to force him out of the way, then booked it down the stairs and out of the house. She laughed in pure exhilaration as she saw all of the guards in the street, as well as the general running out of his house. The fire blazing in his hand matched the anger in his eyes.

“You want a fight, girl?” he growled. “I’ll give you one!”

General Lee launched the fireball at her and she dodged out of the way, watching as it sizzled against the ground. She held her sword in both hands, beckoning him to come further. It wouldn’t be an easy fight to win against an enraged firebender, but then again—she’d done it before.

He was far too eager to go against a young girl as he shot fire at her in repetitive blasts. She dodged what she could and slashed through the others with her sword, lunging at him with the blade when Lee gave her space.

But then fire shot past, narrowly missing her, and her head whipped around. It took these soldiers long enough to realize the fight was happening right next to them.

“Come on, Zuko,” she muttered as she backed away from the men, the general and the soldiers narrowing in on her. She brandished her sword. “Where are you?”

“You’ve picked a battle that you can’t finish,” General Lee spat as fire lit in his hand, “just like your father!”

Rage hotter than anything before ignited inside of her. And then, everything happened at once.

The general and his soldiers shot their fire at her.

Someone yelled at her to duck, and she dropped to the ground.

As the fire was extinguished above her, General Lee’s eyes widened. He took a step back. “What in Agni’s name—”

“I’m not too late, am I?” Zuko reached a hand down to her, and Y/N let out a relieved breath.

“Right on time,” she remarked as she took it and allowed him to help her up. “I’m in a bit of a situation.”

“I noticed.” Zuko turned to the general and gestured with his head behind them. “I’m sorry, general, but I think someone blew up your factory!”

“Prince Zuko,” he said sourly. “So you’re a traitor as well.”

“I’m not a traitor,” he said, stepping in front of Y/N ever so slightly. “I’m helping free these people from your glorified slavery.”

The general’s eyes narrowed. “So all it takes for the crown prince to give up his values is a pretty face.”

“You’re a sick man,” Zuko spat. “Take your soldiers, leave this village, and we’ll give you the mercy you never extended to her people.”

“I don’t think so,” Lee said, and he smiled. “Don’t worry, though—this’ll all be over soon. Unless you think you can go against every soldier here on your own.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve been outnumbered,” Y/N said, and she drew her sword. “Besides—”

“—They’ve got help,” someone interrupted. She looked behind her and saw Lao, followed by a myriad of villagers—some earthbenders, some that were just ready to end this. More than she thought still lived here, more willing to fight than she thought.

So everyone’s spirit wasn’t broken.

She smiled. Step three.

“So you want to make this harder,” General Lee said. “I admire your tenacity, but it won’t do you much good.”

“We’ll see,” Zuko said.

Lee didn’t even say anything before he started firebending, and Zuko blocked it yet again. The battle immediately escalated from there, earthbenders and soldiers and swordsmen fighting. It was mostly visible in flashes of fire and the occasional lamppost, but it was loud.

Y/N and Zuko fought side by side against the general, their moves seamless—whenever one fell back, the other would step forward. She was surprisingly good with a sword, but it might’ve been her adrenaline.

With the amount of energy and anger pumping through her veins, she was sure she could take on anything at that moment. And having Zuko with her… She would be lying if she said it didn’t help.

It was a deadly dance between the three of them. Y/N’s sword sung as it cut through the air, and it was in sharp contrast to the explosions of fire in the background and the general’s own bending against them.

Maybe it was that adrenaline inside of her, or maybe it was the thought of finally getting to deliver justice for her village. Maybe the spirits were finally on her side. But whatever it was, General Lee ended up stumbling as he dodged the sword’s jab at him, and it gave her enough time for Zuko to kick him in the chest and send him backwards. Y/N took the opening and swept his legs, putting all her strength into the single move, and it worked.

He fell to the ground, a slight grunt being forced out as he landed on his back, and Y/N pointed her sword at his neck. She took immense satisfaction in the flicker of fear in his eyes.

“Zuko,” she said placidly, “go help the others.”

He looked at her for a good, long moment before he conceded with a step back. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

“I won’t regret this,” she murmured.

Zuko’s gaze remained on her for another moment before he turned and ran back into the fray. Y/N could do nothing but stare down at the general. The man who took everything away from her in one short afternoon, now defenseless below her blade.

“So,” she said, “after all this time, all it took was one fight for you to fall.”

The general gave her a wry smile. “It wasn’t exactly a fair fight.”

“Neither was the invasion of my village. But that didn’t stop you, did it?”

“You savages have never understood,” he growled. “No great leader has ever gotten anywhere by being nice, by yielding to the demands of those lesser than him. There’s a reason the Fire Nation is at the world’s helm while every other nation continues to fall to its feet.”

“Because you go after the defenseless!” she exclaimed. “You go after those who can’t do anything against you, and then you destroy everything you find. All you care about is power.” Y/N huffed a mirthless laugh and gestured around them. “And look where that’s gotten you.”

“Yield,” she demanded before he had the chance to speak, moving her sword closer to his neck. “Yield, and leave this village, and I’ll let you leave with your life.”

The general laughed, followed by a wince as her blade nicked his skin. “Don’t you know anything about the Fire Nation? You served there for so long.”

“Yield!” she shouted, her voice trembling along with her grip. She just wanted this to be over.

“We fight until death,” he continued. “You’re going to have to kill me if you want your way.”

“You think I won’t?” she challenged. ”You’ve taken everything from me! Your life is too small a price to pay for what you’ve done!”

“I think you’re weak,” he spat. “Too weak to do what you need to do.”

Her eyes stung with tears as she pulled the sword away from his neck.

General Lee huffed a laugh. “Like I said: you’re wea—”

He was stopped in the middle of his sentence as she plunged the sword into his heart. His eyes widened as he choked out his last breath, the light beginning to drain out of him. And then he was gone.

“I’m not weak anymore,” she murmured.

Y/N stared at his lifeless body for a moment, glanced at the gleam of blood on metal.

She had just killed a man. The one responsible for her father’s death, for the imprisonment of her and her mother, for the invasion of her village.

Y/N didn’t feel remorse, didn’t feel satisfaction—but she felt whole. Like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

She sheathed her sword and walked away, back towards the chaos of the ongoing fight. Zuko had joined the others, fighting with a combination of his sword and his bending, and it worked wonders. For a moment, all she could do was watch him. The grace he fought with was akin to that of a waterbender.

Lao moved like he was twenty years younger, working in tandem with other earthbenders as they took down the Fire Nation forces soldier by soldier. Toph would have been proud.

But now there was only one thing left to do.

Y/N took a deep breath then cupped her hands around her mouth, yelling as loudly as she could. “Soldiers of the Fire Nation! Your general is dead!”

That was enough of a shock to knock them off their balance, because Zuko and the earthbenders all immobilized their foes. Zuko with a sword to the neck, Lao and his crew with rocks around their legs and other limbs. The fight died down quickly, all of them staring at her. Zuko’s expression was impossible to read.

“You heard me,” she repeated, “General Lee is dead. You have no stake in this village anymore. Leave, or face the same fate as him.”

“Will you stand here and fight for a nation that doesn’t care about you?” Zuko shouted, catching on to her goal. “Or will you do what’s right and leave these people be?”

Silence hung in the air, only broken by the heaved breaths of soldiers and earthbenders alike. She stared at them all expectantly, her heart pounding in her chest.

And then, the clatter of a sword against the ground.

“I surrender.” A soldier being held in place by rocks around her ankles had dropped her weapon, looking Y/N straight in the eye. “I’ve served the Fire Nation blindly for far too long.”

She nodded at the earthbender, and he retracted the stone around her.

“Go,” Y/N said. “Back to wherever you came from.”

“Your mercy…” the soldier murmured, and she shook her head. “Thank you for giving us a second chance. I know it means little, but I apologize. For everything.”

And then she walked off—in the direction of the shore, she noticed—and soon enough, she’d disappeared into the wood. They must’ve come in on ships.

Slowly, the remaining soldiers either dropped their weapons or declared their own surrender, and one by one they were let go. The sound of clattering metal was music to her ears, and with each one the weight lifted a little more.

The soldier in Zuko’s hold was the last to drop his sword, and Zuko kicked it away before removing his blade from his neck. As he walked away, she let out a sigh of relief.

“…We did it,” she said. “We finally did it.”

“You did it,” Zuko said as he sheathed his sword, doing the same to the other when Y/N handed it to him. “None of this would have been possible without you.”

“Wouldn’t have been possible without you either,” she said, and the smallest smile tugged at his lips.

Lao walked up to her, and he enveloped her in the biggest, tightest hug she’d felt since Katara’s at the air temple. She reciprocated immediately, tears springing into her eyes at the warmth he carried.

“You did it,” he said, his voice and eyes full of pride as he pulled away, though his hands remained on her shoulders. “You’ve given us the freedom that none of us could attain in seven years. We owe everything to you, Y/N.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” she said, unable to help her grin, and she looked back at the other villagers. “Any of you—thank you so much. Tonight, you fought for our people! You fought for our village! And we’re finally free from the Fire Nation.”

A wild cheer erupted from the group, and Y/N had to wipe away the tears that began to fall. They’d really done it.

“Go, be with your families!” she exclaimed. “Celebrate with your loved ones! You deserve it—enjoy your freedom!”

Several of the villagers clapped her on the shoulder or shook her hand as they began to wander around, returning back to their houses. She heard one discussing architectural plans, about what they would do with everything the Fire Nation left behind, as well as their houses. The smile wouldn’t leave her face.

And then Zuko walked up, alerting her to his presence by clearing his throat. “Y/N,” he said, and she turned around.

“What?”

“First of all, congratulations.” His own small smile was there, and she felt her cheeks warm. “You freed your village from a seven year occupation. It’s amazing.”

“It feels amazing.” She rubbed her arms, the cold of the night beginning to get to her as her adrenaline from the battle started to fade. “I can’t believe we did it.”

“I’m not surprised,” Zuko said. “You can do anything you put your mind to—I’ve learned that twenty times over by now.”

She chuckled a bit, but Zuko’s expression sobered. “But I have to ask. You… you killed the general.”

The air between them immediately changed. “I did.”

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“I don’t feel happy,” Y/N said, “so you don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going to start killing everyone that’s ever wronged me.”

Zuko laughed, though it was slightly nervous. “That’s, uh— that’s good.”

“But I don’t feel sad either,” she said. “I just feel… right. Like it was something I had to do. Not just for my people, but for me. To know that he’ll never be able to hurt someone the way he hurt me.”

“...Good,” Zuko repeated. “That’s all we can ask for, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “But… I’d appreciate it if you kept this between us. At least until I’m ready to tell everyone.”

“Of course,” he agreed.

“Good,” she said.

Y/N looked up at the sky, the sun having fully set. It was dark except for the bits of ashes that littered the battlefield and the lanterns that lit up the path through the village. But there was still something she needed to do.

She looked back at Zuko. “I have something I need to see. And I want you to come with me. Is… is that okay?”

He smiled, his voice soft when he spoke. “I’d love to.”

The path she led him down was one well-traveled by the people of her village—the inky darkness they walked through was penetrated only by the flames Zuko held in his hand at Y/N’s request. She knew she would be able to find her way without it, though.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“Somewhere special,” Y/N answered. “Sad, but special. Somewhere I’ve thought about a lot since my mother and I were taken.”

It took a few more minutes of walking in silence only disturbed by night ambiance. When they got there, Y/N let out a quiet sigh. There was unimaginable weight behind the sound.

“We’re here.”

“Where is ‘here’?” Zuko asked tentatively. But then he made the fire in his hand bigger and brighter, and his breath caught in his throat.

“...Hi, Dad,” she said softly, her gaze focused on the headstone. “It’s me. Your little girl finally found her way back home.”

“Y/N…” he murmured.

“I’ve been wanting to come here for a long time, but I’ve never been able to,” she continued. “But you don’t have to worry anymore—the village is free. The Fire Nation is gone. And Mom is okay—she’s safe in Ba Sing Se, and after all of this is over, I’m going to find her again, and I’m going to take care of her. You don’t have to worry about us anymore.” Y/N chuckled. “I’m sure I’ve been driving you crazy with everything I’ve been doing lately. But you can rest in peace now.”

“Are you sure you want me here?” he asked. “I— I don’t want to disturb you—”

She shook her head, placing her hand lightly on his arm. “Stay. Please.”

“...Okay,” he said. “Of course.”

“This is Zuko,” she said, and she laughed a bit as he hesitantly waved. “He’s… he’s the most important person in my life.”

His eyes widened a bit and he looked at her, but her only response was to wordlessly slip her hand into his. He didn’t hesitate to lace his fingers through hers.

“We’ve been through a lot together, and I’ve… I’ve been really angry at him lately. And I thought it was good, righteous anger, but all it did was eat me up inside. I’ve been miserable because of it—I even lost my bending. But now… now, I understand.”

She looked at Zuko now. His gaze hadn’t moved.

“I love you,” she said, “and I mean that with everything in me. I’ve been so angry at you because of what you did that I haven’t let myself think about anything that you’ve done—and you’ve helped my friends so much since you joined them. You’ve helped me too, even when I claimed I didn’t need anyone.”

“And all this time, I thought that letting you go was what I needed to do. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.” She tightened her grip on his hand—her lifeline. “I’ve lost so much in my life, Zuko, things that I can’t get back. And I’m not going to let myself lose you again.”

Y/N pressed a gentle kiss to Zuko’s lips, and he extinguished the fire in his hand as he immediately reciprocated it. It was impossibly soft, impossibly right. And Y/N knew then that this was exactly where she was supposed to be.

“I love you too,” he murmured, and his eyes shone even in the darkness. “More than anything. And I’m so sorry that I ever made you think anything else.”

She pulled away from the kiss to embrace him, and when his arms wrapped around her, it was like home. The constant twist in her chest, the constant weight she’d been carrying for months—it dissipated, and she felt lighter than ever. Spirits, it all felt so right.

And when they pulled away, Y/N rested her head on Zuko’s chest. He responded by wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her in close.

“Thank you for taking me here,” he said. “For trusting me enough with it.”

“Thank you for never giving up on me,” she said.

“Speaking of that…” Zuko said, and there was a slight lilt to his voice as he lit the fire in his hand again. “How about trying that bending again?”

Y/N chuckled a bit as she looked at her hand, flexing her fingers the way she used to. She barely had to concentrate as she pulled moisture from the air, forming into an orb of water in the air. She wasn’t even shocked—she’d known, after they got here. It wasn’t anything concrete, just… a feeling. A feeling that order had returned.

“It’s back,” he said, and the boyish surprise in his voice made her smile.

“That it is.”

Y/N formed it into a flower and then froze it, gingerly taking the stem in her fingers. She walked up to her father’s grave, running her fingers over the engravings. She wasn’t here when it was made, but she was so thankful it had been made. That her people had always been thinking of her and her family.

GAN

HUSBAND OF KURA, FATHER OF Y/N

48 AG-93 AG

WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS LOVE AND HEROICS

It was bittersweet, but she was glad he had a spot here. He would always be remembered.

She carefully placed the flower of ice against the headstone, lowering the temperature of her breath as she blew on it to preserve it longer. It would melt eventually, of course, but this wouldn’t be her last time here. Next time, there would be real flowers.

“I love you, Dad,” she murmured, resting her head against the stone as she closed her eyes. “Forever and always.” She stayed there for a moment, and the gentle breeze that blew through the enclave was no coincidence. For the first time in a very, very long time, she felt peace inside.

She stood back up with a sad smile, wiping at the tears before she turned to Zuko. “I’m ready.”

“Are you sure?”

Y/N nodded. “I am.”

Zuko nodded too, and they started to walk together down the path.

And when he offered his hand, she took it without hesitation.

hope you enjoyed this mf emotional marathon of a chapter lmao im gonna go hibernate for a few months because jfc

perm tags: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin @maruchan77 @simonsbluee @kwyloz @masteroperator @louderfortheback

atla tags: @marianne1806 @brown-eyed-thang @akiris

ehfar tags: @chandies-sideblog @zacatecanaaaa @anzanity @randomthingssss @escapingthoughtsandsecrets @shanksfav @shephard17895 @ilovespideyyy @whats-my-question @selfship-mishaps @ilistentotayswifttocope @i-make-questionable-choices @3leni @thatobsessedreader @lostgreekgod @oriontingz @zerode-unhinged @badpvn @mimi-sanisanidiot @adhdhufflepuff @aquaamethyst96 @hollyismentallyillhelp @holypoetrygarden @islandgayneery @pitrii-petra @jinxed-jk @veras-fanfic-reblogs @cloud-9ine @lucifersidepiece @kiskzawagnerwhore @froggi-00 @eajalova @mrsyixingunicorn10 @xxxxxxdelenaxxxxxx

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

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soulfireblue · 6 months

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hi just wanted to correct u on smth! qphil doesn’t think tubbo is incapable, if he thought he was incapable he never would have left chayanne and tallulah in his care.

in purgatory though, phil thinks tubbo will pick ramon or richas over chayanne and tallulah because qphil doesn’t think tubbo cares enough about him and knows that tubbo’s favourites are richas and ramon lol. obv, i think this could easily b sorted with some communication. but i think that’s probs why, lore-wise, qphil is motivated to win. as well as other reasons such as spite lol. but he thinks he’s the only chance of getting his kids back.

if you’re talking about smth esle, and ive somehow missed something where qphil states or suggests he thinks tubbo incapable i’m sorry pff

Hello! I never said Phil thought Tubbo was incapable; I said that he didn't think he was as capable of keeping Chayanne and Tallulah safe as they were of keeping each other safe. Which was 100% true, by the way--Tubbo had just arrived at the island and had nothing. At one point he fretted over whether Tallulah was allowed to do Lucky Ducks and then ended up getting downed and having to be revived by her multiple times.

But regardless of capability, I don't think Phil had the chance to see just how much Tubbo puts into trying to keep his godchildren safe. One of the moments that sticks out to me in regards to this is that Phil took Tubbo off the door after Tubbo made a joke. Which is a super small probably mostly out of character thing, but it's crazy that Tina has access to Phil's basement and Tubbo doesn't. Tubbo knows where Uppies is but can't open the basement door without help, and that shows the dissonance between Phil's trust of Tubbo and the eggs'. Phil likes Tubbo a lot, but I don't think he's really had the chance to get to know him and trust him. He wasn't present on the server for most of the time Tubbo spent bonding with the eggs, which isn't anyone's fault.

I also said Phil doesn't realize what Tubbo's capable of, which also isn't the same thing as thinking Tubbo's incapable. Phil is actually slightly better about this than some of the others on the island in some ways (he knew what the hole was for and knew Tubbo was smart enough to pull it off), but I mean in terms of the lore happening right now, Phil isn't believing Tubbo for various reasons, and I think part of that is because he thinks he knows better. The entire island always raises Phil up as someone who's wise, and there's good reason for that, but I think that's another part of why Phil assumes he knows better than Tubbo. He's often the one who people look up to for guidance, and this is the most crucial moment for guidance to be provided. So it's not that Tubbo's incapable--it's that Phil has to feel like he's the most capable, because he won't know what to do with himself if he isn't. And he has to be right because he can't let purgatory break him and destroy his values. Which again is probably true for the vast majority of people playing in purgatory.

#qsmp #qsmp purgatory #qsmp philza #philza #qsmp tubbo #tubbo #mailbox #thank you for the ask!#i love q!phil btw he's such a fascinating character

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merakiui · 1 year

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ive.... ive read the latest alien!scara and ive never been more excited???????? aNYWAY PLS PLSPSLSPSLSPSLSPSLSPSLSPS PLSSSSSSS GIVE US STRUGGLE??? struggle to whatevers gunna happen *wink wink* (im sorry to subject u to my rotting flesh of a smol breyn) and idk why i always find struggling characters to an impending event thrilling?? (wats wrong w me i swear),, seeing them try whatev they can do retaliate to something thats clearly cant be helped anymore is ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠ಡ 🤌🏻

Struggling against Kabuki is a wasted effort. He’s much stronger than the average human, so your chances of beating him in a fight are very slim, if not impossible. Even so, your only option is to struggle when he tries to corner you or pin you down in the cell, insisting in the softest, calmest way that everything will be okay. The researchers won’t answer your calls for help; Dr. Zandik tells you, rather coldly, that this is your life now. You’ve signed the contracts and the NDAs. You’re bound to this alien much like how he’s stuck to you, the both of you companions until death. There is no such thing as the outside world; your life will be spent beneath a research facility that is more inhuman than some of its specimens. You’ve always known Dr. Zandik to be particularly cutthroat in his pursuit of the unsolvable, so it shouldn’t come as a shock when he encourages you to smile more, to open your arms for your alien, to let him do as he pleases. It’s for the sake of research, after all! Aren’t you just a little curious to know more?

Kabuki is more frustrated that the researchers, specifically Dr. Zandik, won’t shut up and grant the both of you peace. He could never be mad at you, but the way you avoid him, pleading with him to reconsider, is upsetting. He thought you wouldn’t mind. You’ve lived with him for a while now, sharing a space, a bed, food, bonding over differences and curiosities between species. Surely you’ve wanted to mate all along. Humans are so confusing sometimes. They give such strange signals. You’re running from him, so it’s only natural he pursues. Kabuki has tried so hard to live humanly. He wears his human skin for you, walking on two legs, holding you with human arms and hands, casting a human shadow. He’s become human for you, but the human body he uses can’t give you eggs. He hates the idea that you might fear him; you’re not supposed to! You’re meant to be comforted by him; he likes you, so he’d never hurt you.

He knows it’s abnormal. His species is so obviously different from yours, so it’s only natural mating would have its differences as well. He tries to explain this to you with his limited vocabulary. One’s to hold the eggs and the other’s purpose is to hold the fluid that’ll help the eggs settle more comfortably. It won’t hurt. He’ll be gentle and slow; he wants to savor these moments, after all. And shouldn’t you be happy to be so close like this? Aren’t all humans happier when they’re pressed against the one they love? He doesn’t want to keep you pinned by force, but he has no other way to keep you still enough to take his dicks. He hibernated and created these eggs just for you. So why are you crying? Why won’t you embrace him like you’re meant to? Why won’t you love him?

Kabuki is always cold, so when he’s looming over you on the bed, studying you so carefully, you’re practically swallowed in his icy temperature. But the tears that spatter your cheeks, falling from his pretty, anguished eyes, are somehow colder.

He loves you, so he must do this, even if you’ll continue to struggle until the very end.

#genshin chit chat #alien scaramouche #tw: noncon #i love him T-T alienmouche my beloved #and i absolutely agree with your point anon!!!#there is a thrill in struggling against the inevitable orz it’s very *chef kiss*

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erosuguru · 10 months

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Hi, I really love you're writings, it's so good!! Can I request a fem chubby reader with Shidou? Like the reader is being insecure about herself and Shidou fucking her in front of the mirror and telling her that he loves every inch of her body. Thank you so much btw! ❤️

hi omg tysm!! I kinda went crazy on this but i hope i did well dskjjjfbsjh :’)) shidou is so yummy idk how to explain it, I had to look up gross pickup lines for this lmao

Mirror, Mirror

Ryusei Shidou x reader, reader is female and chubby, all characters are 18+, Shidou and reader are in established relationship, Shidou being whipped for reader, approx 2.2k words

CW: NSFW, Shidou being gross, dirty talk, lots of groping, mirror sex, nutting inside, Shidou calls reader lame but cute pet names (pookie, sugar, sweetheart, baby) little proof reading

notes: this is the first request ive gotten and i kinda took a while on it kdshfkj kinda mad at myself cuz i had the chance to post it on his birthday but nOOO ugh either way enjoy !!

Shidou couldn’t care less about beauty standards, he thought the general image of beauty the people around him established was boring, he indulges in Gyaruo fashion, knowing his style wasn’t common he didn’t care about people’s staring; he knew he looked good either way (plus he has zero hesitation to fight so he welcomes any comment, the repercussions are not his fault though <3)

Whenever Shidou is around you, he has to blurt out an overly sexual or praising comment about your appearance.

The comments have a wide range, a simple “Lookin’ good, Sugar!” or a cheesy “Call me a pirate ‘cause just found some booty!”, and the worst of them, the explicit ones he whispers to you whenever your shared friends are around like “the condom In my pocket expires tomorrow, be a doll and help me use it?”

even if his words were crude it was nice to know someone found your body appealing and you never took it to heart given he was this sexual with his words with everyone. Shidou notices how much you prefer to wear clothes that hid your figure and it invokes some kind of internal struggle in him. on one hand, it made him want to rip those rags off you and dress you in something more scandalous. On the other, he told himself that you were hiding that pretty body because you don’t want anyone other than him to look at you

Shidou’s confidence boosts helped you see yourself in a better light but you still insisted on bigger sweaters and hoodies, it infuriated him, even after establishing a relationship with him your wardrobe didn’t change. That didn’t stop him from being handsy with you, always having a hand on you anywhere you two went.

If you were sharing a meal in a restaurant he had his hand on your thigh lightly stroking, if you were with friends he always had an arm around your waist as he chatted away about god knows what. His favorite by far is when you wear jeans, he could easily rest his hand in your butt pocket and watch you grow flustered, it was adorable how you acted so shy even though his hands were already pretty familiar with your body.

You had been staying in recently because of some doubtful thoughts that even Shidou’s comments couldn’t chase away, you spent your day trying to be productive by cleaning around your place then getting some work done on your computer before your loud boyfriend barged in with a package of cupcakes from the bakery you enjoyed.

You didn’t know which was worse, the fact that you wanted to stay away from the sweet delicacies or that your boyfriend caught you in your stay-at-home clothes consisting of shorts and a tank top.

Even as you tried shutting the door and telling him you’re busy, he insisted on coming in, although he kept saying he came by because he was worried- his excited expression said it all that this was the first time you wore something that showed so much skin around him.

Shidou stood in your living room and listened to you explain your recent absence as he was examining your physique, he was listening but his mind was going elsewhere as he drank in more and more of his view of you pacing around your living room busying your hands so your mind won’t be occupied by the worry of what is he thinking while looking at you so intently.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as silence filled the room, oh shit- it was his turn to talk.

“… aw I’m sorry baby, I wish I knew! Come here!” He pulled you into a hug, it took you a moment to get over the closeness in such a bare outfit before returning the gesture, he cooed words of encouragement to you.

“Everybody gets those thoughts Pookie!, even your dashingly handsome boyfriend gets those thoughts, but remember…” he slid his hands down below your waist, both his hands settling on your ass and squeezing at the clothed flesh immediately you gasped and let out a surprised noise startled at the sudden action.

“No matter what your worried head tells you, you’ll always be the sexiest bitch around~” he ended the sentence with a devilish chuckle as he watched you grow embarrassed from his groping, you set a hand on his forearms in an attempt to get him to slow down as he watched how well his hands cupped your ass cheeks over your shoulder, he could see it spilling in the gaps between his fingers.

“Shidou! Don’t do that!” You got over your initial shock and he pouted at you, sticking out his bottom lip as if he just got scolded. “How can I resist?! showin’ off this pretty ass while you’re alone at home? I should come over all the time!”

He kept one hand on your ass as the other ventured under your tank top, feeling your soft flesh and kneading it as he watched you fumble and stutter “Shidou..! Not there- hey! Watch it..!” He had a smile on that practically tore through his cheeks.

“Why don’t we take this to your room, hmm? I know a great body positivity exercise~”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

How did Shidou always manage to coax you into saying yes? You had no idea, you had no idea how you agreed to let him lay you down on your stomach as he hurriedly tugged your shorts off you, burying his face into your neck as he kissed and licked whispering sweet words to you. He spent his time groping and feeling you under your clothes as you tried your best to return his affections, but he didn’t mind, if it was up to Shidou he would gladly shower you with love, praise, and something else that would be too vulgar to add.

“You’re so pretty like this, baby~” he muttered to you as he removed your shorts fully, sitting up so you could feel his growing erection against your ass, he noticed just how well you two were positioned where your full-length mirror could reflect the view perfectly to him, a wicked grin plastered his features.

“Can you look up for me, sugar?” at his command, you followed and your eyes connected with the image of you on all fours with your shorts hanging from your excited boyfriend’s hand, he let out a sinister giggle at your expression as embarrassment filled you.

“Shidou- can we move? Please? I look stupid- AH?!” You were cut off as you felt his hand sharply smack your ass after he threw aside your shorts, he rubbed the sore spot and shushed you as you looked at his reflection in disbelief.

“… SHIDOU?!”

“I’m sorry sugar! I can’t let you badmouth my pretty girl like that!”

Removing his hands from you, he shuffled as he freed his hard cock from his tight pants, hissing as it practically bounced out his clothes “I’m gonna fuck you like this, ‘kay? so you’ll know just how fuckin’ gorgeous you are..” He promised referring to how he’ll use you in front of your mirror, His hands gripped the flesh of your hips as he pulled you back to him. Slowly maneuvering his hips in short movements, he felt his dick run up and down your slit, he bit down on his bottom lip as he felt your slick cover his length with each stroke.

You wanted to deny this, you felt awkward as your eyes darted back and forth between your reflection and his, you can’t deny Shidou’s affection when he spent so much prepping you for a good dicking down and your rationality was slipping away with each delicious rub of his cock nestling between your thighs waiting for you to give him permission.

“… okay, fine..! But-“

“Yeah yeah, red for no, yellow for so-so, green for ‘fuck me harder Ryusei’~” He giggled at his wording as his free hand moved down and adjusted his cock to slip in quickly

As you were about to complain about his vulgarity once more, he gripped your hips and pulled your ass to him, as he thrusted his hips to meet you in the middle, biting down his bottom lip and releasing a long groan that layered with your gasp that melted into a moan. His cock squeezed in perfectly like you were a pussy pocket molded perfectly just for him, he watched your expression in the mirror as he made sure he was balls deep inside you, relishing in how your pussy hugged his cock so perfectly practically brainwashing him.

As Shidou slowly moved his hips at first to get used to the warmth (as much as you felt incredible, he didn’t wanna act like some virgin and bust so early), he noticed how you lowered your head and that set him off; his hand reached out and grabbed a fistful of your hair and lifted you so you’d sit on your knees with your back arched, a startled noise escaped your lips.

“That won’t do baby! Come on, look! Take a good look!” He urged you between pants as he gradually sped up, hips slapping against yours as your wetness grew, your struggled to get a good look through your boyfriend’s fucking, your reflection showed your figure but this time you couldn’t turn away, Shidou had a way of fucking you so thoroughly- of slutting you out so beautifully, it was shameful to say but it was the only way to describe it.

“Ahh- ah! Shidou- I can’t- its too embarrassing!” You finally managed to speak out through the pleasure, Shidou gave you a particularly hard thrust at your words forcing a surprised moan out of you “first, Call me by my first name.. second, I told you to look”

He slowed down his thrusts as his hand guided your head by your chin to the mirror, giving you a clear view of yourself, his hand had pulled your shirt up to reveal your chest to him, one hand holding your hip as the other squeezed and groped at your breast.

“See?” Shidou started as he made eye contact with you in the mirror “You’re such a pretty goddess~” he practically purred as he admired how your body bounced and jiggled with every impact of his hips, not faltering as he pistoned his cock into you making sure you had a good view of it all; one hand squeezed at your chest enjoying how your breast spilled between his fingers, the other gripping at your love handles as leverage to smack your hips down to his making sure his cock was reaching all the right places, a perfect view of your loving boyfriend making sure every curve, dip and crevice of your body is appreciated.

“Fuck- mmmh! So good baby, you look so good on my dick like this..” He whispered sweetly to you, your thighs trembled as his praise went straight to your core “I’m so fuckin’ lucky, you’re a beauty..” his words weren’t empty compliments, he studied your body so closely as he fucked his cock deep into you with nothing but love and adoration in his eyes. Ryusei Shidou genuinely and wholeheartedly thinks you're the most gorgeous woman to ever exist.

“you like it when I make you bounce on my dick? Yeah? You’re so fuckin’ cute, I love you~” he cooed at you turning your head to give you a sloppy kiss, tongue slipping into your mouth with ease as he swallowed your moans, separating in between kisses inducing a wet noise everytime you did.

“Ryusei..! Ah- ahn- Ryuseiii! I-I’m close..! shit, I’m so close..!” You spoke through your blabbers and moans, Shidou’s cock practically throbbed in excitement as you called him by his first name.

Shortly after you came, body shaking as soreness settled into your knees, Shidou allowed you to lower your head as a mercy since the sensitivity was getting to you, the way your pussy sucked him in, especially after tightening from your orgasm he couldn’t hold himself back.

“G’nna cum, ‘m gonna cum sweetheart, you’re gonna be good for me and take it all right? Yeah, take it, take it..!” he urged you as he neared his end, his thrusts shortening and picking up speed as he finally filled you, he stilled and made sure to shove his entire length deep inside as his cum practically overflowed and dripped out of you, down his cock and dripping on your bed sheets.

You were exhausted and fucked out, you wanted to move into a more comfortable position but Shidou practically flopped onto you, refusing to pull out just yet.

“Ryusei- get off..” You tried sitting up and he only groaned, throwing more of his weight on you as he maneuvered your body under him to lay more comfortably.

“naaah~ stay with me here a little bit! Afterglow helps lots with body positivity y’know?” you were confident most of his information about ‘body positivity’ was wrong.. but it was the thought that counts you suppose.

“(Name)? you know I meant all that stuff, right?” he asked while fixing your hair away from your face, you know he's serious as he called out to you curiously, among all the filth he speaks shamelessly he was still earnest in his affections.

“… I do, thank you Ryusei” Hearing you say his name so sweetly made his heart throb in his chest as he cuddled you, kissing the back of your neck he uttered “I love you, gorgeous~”

#bllk x reader #blue lock x reader #blue lock x you #bllk x you #bllk x female reader #blue lock x female reader #blue lock #shidou ryuusei smut #shidou ryuusei x reader #shidou ryusei x reader #shidou ryusei x you #shidou x reader #shidou x you #shidou ryusei #too tired to tag more im eepy asf

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louellaby · 9 months

Text

FORGET-ME-NOT

REPLACED!MC AU

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

W A R N I N G

May contain bad grammar, limited vocabulary, and OOC characters. Please mind that English is not my first language, and it takes a lot of courage for me to post due to my anxiety and paranoia.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

taglist: @books-and-catears

C H A P T E R I

「 The Start of a New Year 」

"MC, are you heading towards the student council room?" You turned around on your heels to find Lucifer standing there in the hall, a folder in his hands, and a smile that recently crept up on his face. "Why don't we walk together? We are going to the same place, after all."

You felt a sense of exhaustion in his voice no matter how much he tried to hide it from you. But you knew him well enough. You were sure that he won't listen to your nagging at this time of day, so you decided to just humour him. "Sure, let's go!"

These past days, Lucifer seemed to be getting better than before. He ate breakfast together with you and his brothers. He made sure to sleep earlier than usual— which was still past midnight, but it was a start, and he spent time with his family more. You couldn't help but think it was your influence at work. In fact, you were sure of it. You knew that the brothers' lives were getting much brighter because of your presence. The reason behind it all didn't matter. You didn't want to think about what happened in the past anymore. Not when it was a sensitive subject for each and every one of you. All you wanted to do was enjoy the moments you have with them for as long as you can. Never in your days would you have thought that something could come between you and those you hold dear.

"Lucifer and MC have arrived, Young Master," the butler named Barbatos announced to the man who sat at his desk, papers scattered in front of him. Diavolo looked up from his work and lit up the moment the two of you came into view. The smile on his face was automatically mirrored on your own. You just couldn't help it— He looked absolutely adorable!

"Lucifer! MC! I'm glad you're both here!"

"I take it my brothers are late again?" Lucifer ignored the prince's enthusiasm, looked around the room, and sighed as he took his seat next to Diavolo's. The latter just chuckled as the former continued to speak, complaining yet again as you expected, "I told them about this specific meeting exactly a week ago, and yet they still managed to be late."

"Yeah, you even reminded everyone in the house. Counting down the days to today." You pointed out, fingers out as to count down from seven to zero, which got you a side-eye glare from the man. You ignored his stare with a smirk creeping up on your face as you accepted the cup of tea Barbatos set down on your place. "Thank you, Barbatos."

After you found your seat on the other table where the rest of the brothers would be seated, Diavolo turned his gaze from you to the man next to him. With his usual smile, he answered Lucifer's question, "Your brothers aren't late, Lucifer, don't worry. You and MC are just early. You know, as usual."

"Yes, it might be as usual for me," Lucifer started and looked at you again, "But not for MC."

"Hey— Wha—"

"Even I thought I was late when I saw them walking towards the student council room... I had to double-check the time."

"Lucifer!"

Diavolo laughed, and Barbatos watched in amusement as you and the Avatar of Pride playfully argued back and forth. Finally, the school bell rang, and the doors to the room opened, revealing six demons who were having their own argument.

"Just give me back my money, Mammon! It's been three weeks— I need it to buy the recent merch for my favourite anime!"

"Wh-Which anime are ya talking about...? This one, or that one.....? Tell ya what, Levi, I'll buy ya that merch myself! Just tell me which one!"

"No! I'll buy it myself, thank you very much! And either you'll just use that money you borrowed from me and say it's not enough so I'll give you more, or tell me I need to pay you back a lot of money for your services, which I don't need!"

"Speaking of money... Satan, have you seen the limited edition makeup that's all in rage right now?!"

"Asmo... How did you get there from money? And no, I haven't. I see no point in asking me."

"What?! But you pass Majolish on the way to the Royal Library! There's no way you couldn't have seen it there!"

"I don't always have to look at Majolish's window whenever I walk past it, you know..."

"But you should!! —And the limited edition makeup isn't displayed in the window. You'd have to go inside the store."

"That's the more reason why I haven't seen it!!!"

"Hey, Belphie, are you alright? You're almost falling over, and you're slightly tripping on your own feet."

"I'm fine, Beel. I'm surprised you can even notice that while you're carrying lots of snacks in your arms and eating them at the same time."

"Yeah, well, I worry about you... and I'm hungry."

Well, from what you were hearing, everything seemed to be the same as every single day. There was nothing new going on with the brothers, and you didn't even realise how that was supposed to be a good thing. Because now the calm before the storm is about to end.

————————————————————————

"What?! New exchange students?!" The brothers shouted in chorus, most of them slamming their hands on the table as they looked in shock at their lord, the Devildom Prince. The man expected their reaction and just nodded along with it.

"Yes, that's right. We've already picked out the students. We just need to write and send them their acceptance letters, telling them what they need to know before they get teleported here."

"Well, I'm glad you've all learned your lesson about randomly teleporting humans to the Devildom just for the programme," you say to them with a sigh and a shake of your head in disagreement to their former way of life. You then watched the brothers as they discussed their arguments about having new students. But you all knew that it had been two years since your year ended, and it was time to finally open up the programme once more. You still wondered whether it was a good idea to randomly pick out students and leave them no choice but to come here whether they like it or not. Seems like that's something you'll need to work on, too, just for the sake of the future exchange students.

"MC, I want you to write the acceptance letter that will be sent out for the new exchange students. You only need two of them; one for the human and one for the angel." Lucifer ordered, passing you the folder he was carrying earlier. It was filled with the new students' information, such as their name, age, home address, and other details that go deeper into their background. In one of the papers about the human, you saw what was supposed to represent a family tree, going far, far back into the past. It seemed like they were trying to make sure they didn't miss any important details; and by the looks of it, they didn't. A high wave of relief washed over you, and you smiled with a nod towards Lucifer's direction.

"Alright, I'm on it." You decided not to argue with the eldest Avatar on the subject. You secretly wanted to write the letters yourself, after all. You wanted it to be a way to somehow connect yourself to them, and writing the letter was your only choice at the moment since you had no other way of reaching out.

As everyone else discussed the details further, you went to work with high hopes.

「 PROLOGUE | CHAPTER II 」

#obey me #obey me angst #obey me replaced mc au #obey me shall we date #obey me mc #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #Forget-Me-Not

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rorywritesjunk · 2 months

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Be gentle with yourself as you uncover Your best kept secrets yet to be discovered

Buggy meets an infamous pirate who dabbles in magic that everyone seems to be after, but they only have eyes for Buggy. Why is he so special?

Rating: PGish. Warning: None. Buggy is Buggy. A/N: My "Howl's Moving Castle" fic based off the movie because I never read the book. It will have different moments than the movie just to omit some things. This story uses "You" but I couldn't not give the character a name and for some reason "Shore" is what I thought of. And Shore is referred to as they/them, nonbinary, and breaks hearts wherever they go. Buggy is Sophie in this fic, is 22, and not always in a good mood.

Title comes from "Better In The Morning" by Birdtalker.

Taglist: @lostfirefly @fanaticsnail @youreinthewind

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4

Chapter IV

Buggy definitely had his work cut out for him as a maintenance man.

There were creaky stairs, some loose floorboards, a wobbly chair, and shelves falling off the walls left and right. As he fixed one in the main living area, another one would fall somewhere else in the ship. Was Shanks somehow doing this to be obnoxious? Buggy sighed as he hammered in another nail to secure a shelf before giving it a few shakes to make sure it was secured. Why did he say he was a maintenance man?

The table was… okay. He had enlisted Luffy to help him clear the table first of dishes and other nonsense, but the boy broke one plate the second he picked it up so Buggy just had him get out of his way. He didn’t want to clean up after the boy while cleaning the rest of the ship.

Buggy spent time cleaning the table off, sanding down any roughened edges, and hammering in any loose nails. In the end, it looked better than when he first walked in though it had still seen many meals at it. There were stains, dents, and scuffs in the wood, but that didn’t bother him that much in the end.

“Mister Bogey, what’re you doing next?” Luffy asked as he stood there with a broom. He thought he was being helpful by sweeping, but honestly, he was just making a bigger mess by creating dust clouds.

Buggy sighed. “It’s Buggy. And I’m going to hang you outside by your toes if you keep making a mess, kid!”

“I’m helping!” Luffy insisted.

“You’re helping make a bigger mess!” Buggy shot back as he pointed to the stairs. “If you want to sweep then do it out on the deck!”

“But I want to help you!” Luffy insisted, gripping the broom handle tightly in his hands as he pouted at Buggy. That made him pause for a moment. He wanted to help, really? Buggy… wasn’t used to that. Back at the circus he stopped asking for help because the times he did he was met with resistance. Why should he expect help now from a kid? He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes shut tightly as he tried to think of a task Luffy could do that would actually help him.

“Fine. Can… you organize the dirty dishes by what they are?” Buggy asked, knowing he would need to tackle that task sooner rather than later. “Silverware, plates, bowls, cups. Organize them like that.”

Luffy took in what he was asking and nodded before hurrying over to the sink where the dishes were piled up. “I can do that!”

“Carefully!” Buggy ordered. “No more broken plates, kid!”

“Okay Mister Boogie!”

“It’s Buggy!”

Buggy replaced a step that had snapped in half that led up to the main deck. He and Luffy weren’t able to get up there without much difficulty, so he had the boy find some scrap wood so he could fix it and Buggy was pleased that the boy came through, finding an old step stool that had seen better days, so Buggy managed to repurpose it into a step.

He straightened up, rubbing his back as he looked proudly at his finished task. He never thought to add maintenance man to his list of possible jobs after leaving the circus, but so far he felt he was doing alright. Sure, every joint in his body was aching, he had some splinters, he hit his thumb with the hammer a few times already, causing it to bruise and swell, and Luffy only managed to break two plates and a bowl when he organized the dirty dishes for him. So far the day was okay.

“So, Mister Buggy, how did you come to find us all the way out here?” Your voice startled him as you came down the stairs, stopping just above the step he fixed. He looked up nervously, wondering if you could see through his curse or if you even remembered him. He hoped you didn’t. He didn’t want you to see him become a pathetic old man instead of… a pathetic young man who needed rescuing.

“Oh, well… you see…” He wasn’t sure how to respond. Would you see through any lie he said? Maybe you’d kick him off the ship, fire him from this ‘job’ that he made up on the spot, leave him to die out in the wilderness to be food for scavenging animals.

You held your hand out to him suddenly and he looked at you in surprise before taking it. Carefully, you placed your right foot onto the newly finished step, then the left, smiling at him as you looked down at him from it.

“I hope to keep you around to fix things when they break, Mister Buggy.” You smiled as you descended the last few. “Please don’t go away any time soon.”

He hated how warm his face got at that smile, or the way his heart started pounding. Was this his heart giving out in his advancing age? Why were you still holding his hand?

“What's in your pocket, Mister Buggy?” You suddenly asked, shaking him from his thoughts. He looked down, his free hand reaching into his pocket while his other hand held yours. He dug around for a moment and frowned, pulling out a snail shell and holding it out to you. Smoke started to come from the shell, it felt hot to the touch suddenly and Buggy dropped it, watching it land on the step he just repaired. It fell apart, leaving a sigil scorched into the wood.

“What is that?!” Buggy asked. “I just fixed that step!”

You crouched down, waving your hand over it and Buggy saw the marks rise up from the wood and into your palm. It was a sight to see and he knew he’d have to get used to seeing magic in motion if he was going to live on this ship. You smiled at Buggy as you straightened up.

“Just a message from an old friend.” You told him, clenching your fist for a moment before opening it to show him your empty palm. “The Witch of the Waste sends her regards.”

Buggy bristled at the mention of Alvida but he didn’t speak, knowing it wouldn’t do any good. You said nothing as you brushed past him, heading over to Shanks and giving him instructions. Buggy only caught a few words, his hearing not what it was just days before as a young man, but he heard you say something about moving the ship elsewhere. Oh, were they stationary this entire time, or did it float around among the clouds freely? Buggy actually wasn’t sure, he hadn’t taken the time to look out.

You suddenly brushed past Buggy to get on the step he just fixed, giving him a smile. “I’m going to wash up. When you have time there’s a broken cabinet in my bathroom, could you fix it when you have time?”

“Uh, yes, of course!” He nodded. “I’m your maintenance man after all! I can fix anything!”

You chuckled softly and nodded in agreement. “I’m glad you joined us then. There’s a lot to fix around here.”

You ascended the stairs after that, leaving Buggy alone at the bottom. You were glad he joined, even if it was a surprise for all of you. It felt nice to hear that but he quickly shook the feeling off, figuring you were just saying that so he’d fix the cabinet sooner. He would get to it next, once you were out of the bathroom. It was just weird to feel appreciated like that but he tried to brush it off. Sooner or later you’d probably kick him off the ship to fend for himself anyway. No one wanted a pathetic maintenance man on their crew.

The main living space looked better now that Buggy repaired wall shelves, fixed furniture, and even washed all the dishes. It was a little more like a home now than a chaotic space. He felt proud of his work, though the next thing to do was check the chimney. While Shanks seemed to have no problem burning along, enjoying the stacks of wood Buggy had given him earlier, smoke was getting everywhere, and before Buggy could attempt to clean the soot from the wall, he had to see why the smoke was so bad.

“Can you hear me?” Luffy yelled up to him from the fireplace as Shanks looked up. Buggy had gotten outside onto the main deck, finding the chimney that was near the main mast. Was it safe to have a chimney like this? Wouldn’t sparks light things on fire? Then again, you were a wizard of sorts, so things could be enchanted to prevent that. He had a broom to knock loose any soot that built up.

“I can, are you able to see anything, kid?” Buggy shouted back from the opening of the chimney. He was ready to shove the broom in bristles first, but he wanted to be sure it was safe to do so. Shanks would be just fine.

“No, I just see Shanks and hear your voice.” Luffy told him.

“Get out of the way then!” Buggy shoved the broom down the chimney, gripping the handle tightly as he plunged it up and down, trying to knock loose as much of the crud as possible. He fought for a few minutes before it became easier. He must have knocked it all loose, so he looked down the chimney, seeing just a bit of the fireplace but without a fire. “Everything okay down there?”

“Shanks is out!” Luffy sounded panicked which worried Buggy, so he hurried back down as fast as his body allowed. He nearly tripped on the steps going down, but he stopped when he saw you at the fireplace, picking up a small coal surrounded by flame. He watched as you gently blew against it, seeming to breathe life back into it, before setting it down on two fresh logs. When Buggy approached, you looked at him with an amused expression.

“Please be careful with Shanks, we do need him around.” You told him gently as Luffy cheered as Shanks started bemoaning the fact that Buggy just tried to kill him. It was all an accident, really, but you didn’t seem mad at him. Instead you touched his hand gently and he felt the warmth of the fire for a moment before you pulled back and headed for the stairs to leave the ship. You spun a dial beside the door, Buggy watched it spin for a moment before it stopped and you opened the door, stepping outside and leaving the others behind.

“Why’d you try to kill Shanks, Mister Buffy?” Luffy asked innocently. Buggy huffed in annoyance, scowling at the boy before he went to grab his makeshift tool box he cobbled together.

“I didn’t do it on purpose, and besides, Shanks is fine! A little soot won’t hurt him!” Buggy snapped at him as Luffy went to grab another piece of wood for the fire. “Now, I have work to do in the bedrooms, got it? If you don’t want any of your things thrown out, you better deal with them now, kid.”

Luffy’s eyes widened and he rushed past Buggy and up the stairs. His room was not the cleanest and he wanted to protect his treasures from him. Buggy smirked and looked over at Shanks; the flame was watching him carefully.

“Y’know, if I go out then that’s the end of Shore.” The flame told Buggy. “We’re connected, we can’t live without the other.”

“Well, that’s just dumb.” Buggy grumbled; he couldn’t imagine such a life of having someone to depend on. He depended on himself and that was it. “Try not to go out then, you silly little flame, if Shore needs you that badly.”

He turned to head up the stairs but glanced back at the flame for a moment, thinking over what he said. Could you really die if Shanks was put out? Buggy didn’t really want to think about it, instead choosing to be more careful next time even if Shanks was annoying. With a sigh, he started up the stairs, wincing as his lower back and hips protested at the movement. Right, he was old. He needed to get used to it since he would likely be this for the rest of his now short life.

He managed to make it up the stairs to the level where the bathroom and bedrooms were. Oh, right, he would need his own room, wouldn’t he? Though, he could just do with a cot, even if his old bones would protest it. Shaking his head, he headed for the bathroom, opening the door and freezing at the sight before him. Clutter, a cabinet resting on the floor, holes in the wall, and a tub and toilet that looked as though they had never been clean. There were bottles and products scattered all across the floor as well.

How could two people live like this?

Buggy went to open the window first, wanting to get fresh air in there. Movement below caught his attention and he saw that they were actually moving, sailing over the rocks and terrain as clouds drifted by. Oh, this ship really did sail in a way, didn’t it?

“Shanks, is that you making the ship move?” Buggy shouted down to him.

“Of course it is!” The little flame called back to him. Huh, it was impressive, but Buggy wouldn’t say that.

“Guess you’re good for something then.” Buggy mumbled before he turned his attention back to the bathroom. Okay, it was time to start cleaning.

#buggy the clown #shore x buggy #buggy the clown x you #buggy the clown x reader #buggy the clown x oc #buggy x reader #buggy x you #buggy x oc #opla buggy the clown #opla buggy #opla buggy the clown x reader #opla buggy the clown x you #opla buggy the clown x oc #opla buggy x reader #opla buggy x you #opla buggy x oc #nonbinary oc #nonbinary original character

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ace-ace-attorneys · 2 years

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ive noticed that a lot of fanfic/comic writers (myself included) portray older Edgeworth (like, 7yg and onwards) as more laid-back, more affectionate, and less uptight than he is in canon, and I never mind it, even if it’s not really supported by the later games, because like. he and Franziska spent years having it drilled into them that they had to be absolutely perfect in every way and never show any weakness, and you can see the toll that took on both of them through how awkward and stilted and repressed they are in one-on-one conversation, especially during the trilogy. so I love the idea that Edgeworth’s friendships with Phoenix and Maya and the others helped him gradually start to relax and learn that it’s okay to be imperfect and to let your guard down around people you trust. i don’t care if it seems “out of character” I DONT CARE! it’s what he deserves!!

#miles edgeworth and i can have some ooc writing. as a treat.#miles edgeworth #ace attorney #skye speaks

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dckweed · 1 year

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hello babes, ive been working hard on plotting this series for weeks now and im quite happy to be posting the first part! Now look, im normally a tom cruise gal okay? And I went into TGM totally expecting to have my usual Tom moments like I do with any of his movies (im looking at you Top Gun, Days of Thunder, and the outsiders) but i..i had my fair share of moments over every character okay? And currently, my fixations are Bob and Hangman.

Hence, my baby Sugar Sweet was born at the moment i have this plotted for five parts, but it could definitely be extended. Please comment below and let me know if you'd like to be added to a TGM tag list ! Reblogs are always appreciated and feel free to send in some requests !

summary: hangmans very existence annoys you, he thinks you're adorably easy to frustrate. maverick knows your situation and knows you need a roommate. when he says he knows a guy named jake, you don't expect him to bring hangman to your doorstep. but can you really afford to turn him away?

warnings: mentions of death, glen powell himself is a warning because just mm he's so mouthwatering, mentions of body/weight, roommate!jake, cursing, angst? no fluff yet, no smut yet. this is fairly slow burn. reader is mostly referenced to as SUGAR..

word count: 3,519.

SUGAR SWEET, jake "hangman" seresin.

Looking back on it, Jake had never really been sure what he actually liked in a woman, every woman he'd ever slept with was usually somewhat tall and usually pretty thin, most had smaller breasts and tight little asses, and for most of his sexual adult life, that's just what he assumed his type was. Though, when he got to thinking about it, none of these girls had ever given him the feeling that his friends talked about when they were with their significant others, hell he had even asked his brother during his wedding reception how he knew that his sister in law was the one and all he had said was "i just knew". God, looking back on it now, Jake had thought that was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard. His brother had gone on to explain that he just had this feeling with his wife, one that he had never felt before with anyone else (and like Jake, his brother had seen his fair share of women). Jake thought that that was absurd too.

Well, until you came along that is..

Jake was a gym rat through and through. He spent alot of his down time at the gym, he loved watching the way his muscles worked and grew the more that he did, the longer that he did it, and he loved finding new ways to challenge his body.. So, when their top secret detachment was finished and the Top Gun leaders requested the dagger squad to stick around for a while as a more permanent group, he knew that the gym at the base just wasn't going to cut it for him anymore, and before he bothered looking for a more permanent place to live, he sought out the best gym in town. The one that just so happened to be your place of work.

You weren't necessarily the normal person you'd find in the gym, sure there were thick girls in here, but they were girls that were thick in all the right places, with tight abs. You? You were on the opposite end of the spectrum. You were short, and curvier than a country back road, of which got you plenty of male attention sure enough when you were in your teens and were smaller than what you were now, but stress and constant working had taken its toll on you and your previous work out regiment, because of course you weren't an absolute stranger to working out. At twenty five you now had a bit of a pudgy stomach, and you swore your hair was already turning gray from the stress of your life but your little brother constantly reassured you that you were just insane, something you desperately adored about him, though you would never tell him that he was the main cause of your stress.

Needless to say, you weren't what most people expected to see when they first walked into the Iron Side gym, and you certainly weren't what Jake was expecting when he walked in the morning after buying his membership, gym bag slung over his shoulder. He looked like a God wrapped in sunshine, was your first thought when the bells above the door tinkled, before you recognized who he was and rolled your eyes.

You'd seen him around before, when you caught the late evening shift a few nights a week at the hard deck, he was always the most noticeable one in the group of pilots he hung with, but how could he not be? Always so loud and obnoxious..God, what was it his friends called it? Badman? Bagdude? Ba.. "Bagman, isn't it?" You say, finally landing on a name you had heard thrown around towards him once or twice.

He raises his eyebrows, pushing his sunglasses up onto the top of his head. "..fancy meeting you here, sugar.." He says, fishing for your name, he knew it somewhere in the back of his brain, had heard Bob or maybe it was Rooster call you by it a few different times. He'd only seen you a handful of times, enough to know you only worked the bar a couple nights a week, if that, and definitely enough to know that he hadn't ever expected you to be at the gym, let alone, his gym.

"It's Y/N," You say, irritated as he sends you a flirty smirk. You roll your eyes as he fondles for his membership card on his key ring, holding the orange and black plastic card up to the scanner. It beeps once before he walks away, tossing you a look over his shoulder as he heads towards the locker room.

"Well, Y/N, the names Hangman." He winks at you, and you roll your eyes, plopping back down into your desk chair. You didn't have times for guys like him, and the games they brought with them. You'd had your fair share of them too.

It isn't hard to ignore him, the gym isn't too busy but you have phone calls to focus on, reminding patrons that their memberships are coming due again, though that doesn't stop you from noticing him a few times, your eyes catching once or twice on the way the muscles in his back moved as he worked at the cable machine, the lat pull downs really doing what they were supposed to..

You must've been staring for longer than you realized, mind drifting off in a daze because before you know it, there's a chin dropping on your shoulder and strands of curly hair whispering at your face. "Whatcha lookin' at?" The familiar voice asks, you let out a small screech jumping in your seat before relaxing, your hand going to the side of the boys face to give an affectionate pat to his cheek. "Jesus, Y/N, jumpy much?" He chuckles, pulling back from you.

"You scared the shit out of me Kai!" You half yell, standing to your feet to fully look at him. He ducks as you bring a hand up to swat at him, and backs away with a shit eating grin. You notice a dark forming bruise in his hairline as he does and you narrow your eyes at him. "What the fuck is that?" You ask, grabbing his chin in your hand and turning his head to the side. The bruise is large, and goes down towards his ear, like someone had boxed him real good. "Kai Alexander did you get into another fucking fight?"

He pushes your hand away, eyes flitting around the gym. You look around too, rolling your eyes when you notice Hangman looking your way, your voice probably prompting him to pause his workout.

"It was an accident okay? I promise, im fine.." He says, voice more hushed now. You notice he's wearing a black hoodie with the gyms logo on it, and a pair of shorts. He had come to work out, you figured you could at least let him and save the interrogating for at home.

You sigh, hands on your hips. "Alright, fine..go get your training in.." He kisses the top of your head before heading off towards the same area Hangman was in, you watch as they talk to each other for a brief moment, Hangman looking back over at you with pursed lips before going back to whatever he was doing.

"An accident my fucking ass.." You mutter, sinking down into your chair again with a groan, your brother really was the cause of most of your stress.

The rest of your day drags on, and by mid afternoon you're more than grateful for the second receptionist and floor manager to make his arrival. "It's been pretty slow, but there's supposed to be a few group training sessions tonight.." You say, grabbing your purse and water bottle and motioning for your brother to head towards your car. He had been hanging around cleaning some of the equipment for you while you worked, stressful as he may be, he was still always helpful to you in that kind of way.

The drive home is quiet and you both sigh when the front door of your small house closes behind you, a stack of over due bills clutched tightly in your hands. You were in need of a roommate, something you'd desperately been trying to find for the past month or so, someone who could help pay rent and utilities, because even with two jobs you just weren't cutting it alone.

"I'm going to get ready for my shift at the bar, let me know what you want for supper and ill make it for you before i have to leave.." It had been two years since your father had passed away, two long years and you had done everything in your power to make life at home as normal for your brother as possible, which included eating supper together every night.

Kai grunts as a way of letting you know he heard you as he passes through the living room and goes straight for the hallway, smacking the top of the door frame with his hand as he does, a teasing way of reminding you that you couldn't reach it. You roll your eyes at the teenager, shuffling right behind him.

The Hard Deck is busy tonight, you and Penny work behind the bar efficiently enough though, pouring IPA's off the tap and handing bottles of corona's and budweisers to the numerous aviators and civilians that littered the bar.

The music is loud, someone keeps repeating the same Tom Petty song on the stupid jukebox in the corner and you want to punch them for it, but the chatter of the folks is even louder. You're able to drown it out as you focus on a couple of regulars you hadn't see in a while, falling into easy conversation with them as you pour their drinks, catching up like You'd known them their whole lives.

You're turning away from one such conversation to grab a couple of glasses for a couple that had just seated themselves near you when you hear his voice, the Texan accent thick when he calls you that damm name. "Hey Sugar," he says, catching your attention immediately. "can i get a whiskey neat and a couple more corona's please?" He asks, leaning against the backside of the bar.

You take him in, he was plain clothed tonight, no ugly tan of his service khakis, and handsome as he was, you couldn't help but to be annoyed by his very presence, you weren't sure if it was because you were attracted to him (because you would have to be absolutely stupid not to be, Hangman was an absolutely beautiful man, and you weren't that hard of sight to not notice it) or if it was because guys like him got on your nerves..or a combination of both, and that goddamn accent didn't help.

You weren't overly fond of the cocky confident type, but good lord it did suit him. The man exuded confidence even in the way he leaned against your bar, casually enough to most people, but you could tell that there was something almost more to it.

You nod in his direction, finishing what you were doing before pouring him a whiskey neat and grabbing the beers from the ice box. You hand them to him, and he knocks the whiskey back instantaneously, swallowing it as if it's water. You had to admit, it was kinda sexy. "Thanks, Sugar." He says, winking has he hands you back the glass.

"My name is Y/N!" You say, watching as he turns to head back to his friends, who had grouped around the pool table. A couple of them turn their heads to watch your interaction, your loud voice catching their attention.

"I know!" The man simply says over his shoulder, handing the beers to a woman, who takes it gratefully and the man next to him, who appeared to think that a pornstache was the look to go for. You roll your eyes, turning back to your work.

After a few long hours, the counter starts to empty, and so does the bar itself, and one by one you start ringing up people's tabs, swiping their cards or paying with cash. Another hour or so passes and the man with the mustache and the dark haired woman are walking out together, hanging onto one another as they warble a song st the top of their lungs, completely out of tune.

You chuckle, shaking your head at them before your attention is brought back to the counter as a credit card is slapped down onto it. "I'll pay my friends tabs too, Sugar.." He says, loving the way you go rigid at the name. He can practically feel your eyes roll before you turn to look at him. God, he thought, you've got a killer stare.

"They're aviators too?" You ask, going to the register to do your job, you'd tallied about five or six rounds for him and his buddies, who seemed like they could drink any alcoholic under the table and still be able to fly a plane straight.

"Sure are," He says, smirk cocking on his lips. "they're definitely nowhere near as good as me though, far as i know, none of them have two confirmed air kills." He doesn't even know why he's trying to smooth talk you right now, you aren't normally the type he goes for, but something about the way you look at him like he's about as annoying as a June bug gets his blood pumping. He's not used it that from pretty women.

"That supposed to mean something to me?" You ask, sliding his card back to him, and a copy of the receipt for him to sign. He purses his lips, giving a quick signature. He hadn't ever missed with that line and it was quite obvious to you.

"Guess not.." He says, pocketing his wallet, his ego only slightly bruised by your quick blow off. "Your brother looked like he got roughed up pretty good this morning..that an issue with him?" He was genuinely curious, he could see the furious and frustrated look from across the gym floor and he knew it must've struck a nerve. The kid didn't offer much information about to him either when he asked.

Your gaze turns hard immediately. "Respectfully, that's none of your business." You say, giving him a forced smile. "Have a nice night, Hangman."

He tips his head at you and turns away from the bar, he knew a struck nerve when he saw one, and he already knew enough about you to know that he shouldn't try to push it with you, curious as he was. "You too, Sugar." He says, long legs striding him straight out the door before you can yell after him about how that isn't your name.

You roll your eyes at him, going back to clearing glasses and wiping the beer nut crumbs off the bar. "Insufferable pilots, always have to get the last word." You grumble to yourself, unaware that Maverick had strode into the bar merely a moment after Hangman had left it, here to pick up Penny for the evening.

"What's that about pilots now?" He asks, watching you with an amused smile lifting the corners of his mouth. You turn around, small smile gracing your lips. This was one pilot you could stand to be around. "Hey kiddo, busy tonight?"

You shrug, leaning over the counter to give the man a short hug, you loved the smell of his brown leather jacket. "Not too bad, made decent tips.. Penny's in the office, she'll be out soon."

Mav takes a seat on one of the bar stools, helping you sweep off what bit of crumbs he could reach. "Hey, are you still looking for a roommate?" He asks, remembering hearing you complain to Penny about how you were barely making bills since you had kicked your last one out for giving your brother drugs. You quirk an eyebrow at him, stopping what you're doing. "His name is Jake, he's one of my aviators. He's clean, actually he's too clean if you ask me it's kind of creepy, and he's a pretty stand up dude. He has a cocky streak but he's good for his money and he doesn't make too much fuss."

You purse your lips, thinking on it. Why did the name Jake sound so familiar? It was tugging at something in the back of your brain that you just couldn't quite put your finger on. "What's wrong with where he's at now?" You ask as politely as possible, trying to gauge if he's been kicked out of his current place or something.

"He's been on base for the last couple of months, he's not a student of the academy anymore but he's a permanent squadron member..he can live off base, he just hasn't found the right place..and we need the room he's in, we have a big class coming." Pete says, watching you think it over in your brain.

As long as he's not as insufferable as Hangman, what do you really have to lose? You think to yourself, you can't afford to turn anyone away, not when they're capable of paying without breaking any laws, unlike Devon, your previous roommate. "Okay, well..ill meet him." You say, and Pete smiles triumphantly. "Bring him by the house tomorrow, after Kai goes to school, ill be home all morning."

You spend the entirety of the next morning nervously cleaning and arranging your small house, your brother trying his best to stop you and calm you down, he knew better than anyone how you felt about strangers coming into the house. He offers to stay home from school, but you glare and tell him he better get on his way. Kai does as told, pressing a kiss to your cheek as he grabs a protein bar off of the kitchen bar type counter, swinging his school and duffle bag full of his baseball gear over his shoulder.

God, you really hoped this worked out because you were dreading having to tell him that you couldn't afford to keep him in baseball if it didn't, you hated taking things away from your brother like that always so disappointed in yourself for not being able to provide for him the way that he needs or wants. Your father would be disappointed too you were sure, the man bad always made sure that his children had everything they ever asked for, no matter how hard he had to work to get it. You often found yourself wondering why you couldn't do the same as him, before you remembered that you lacked a highschool diploma, and had barely obtained a GED certificate. You had had to drop out of school when he got sick, he couldn't take care of everything himself like he used to, and Kai certainly wasn't old enough either at the time.

"I'm doing my best daddy.." You sigh, looking at his picture up on the small fireplace mantel in your living room. "I just hope I'm doing it the right way.."

The doorbell rings and you jump, the noise cutting through the dim reverie of your life. "Coming!" You yell, doing a final sweep of the room before taming your wild hair in the mirror for a moment.

"...she cooks too, you know.." You distinctly hear Mav's voice through the door as you unlock the deadbolt, taking a deep breath before pulling it open.

Your eyes land on him immediately in all his tall, sun-kissed, cocky avjator glory. You'd be damned to hell if you said he didn't look good standing there in his green flightsuit, black t-shirt just barely poking through the gap in the collar. Your gaze trails downward, his helmet is attached at his waist, and you noticed his brow was awfully sweaty and smudged with a bit of dirt. They must have been doing flight runs this morning. "Him?" You glance at Mav, bewildered. "You?" God, what gave him the right to smell so damn good when he was so clearly hot and sweaty and covered in..airplane grime.

Jake takes you in, your jeans are up high on your waist, but loose fitting and they did look damn good on you from the front. Your top was cropped just enough to show the patch of skin between your tummy and bra that your breasts filled out entirely too well. When Mav had said that he was taking him to meet someone, a girl named Y/N, he hadn't even registered it as your name in his mind. In his mind you were simply - "..Sugar, fancy meeting you here."

Pete looks between the two of you, the ghost of annoyance littered on your face, the cocky smirk sliding its way onto Jake's.. "Hold on..you guys have met?"

#top gun #hangman #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin x reader #hangman seresin #jake seresin fanfic #top gun maverick #jake seresin imagine #hangman fanfiction #hangman top gun #top gun maverick imagine #tom cruise #glen powell

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nerves-nebula · 9 months

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When I ran away from my parents I had handed in my 2 weeks so my parents wouldn’t be able to harass me at my place of work. I hadn’t told my coworkers about my situation but during one of my last days I had found myself in small talk w/ one of the parent aged ones. I offhandedly mentioned that the restrictions my parents had set up on my phone had prevented me from getting a rewards card earlier that year and My coworker literally paused the conversation to get me one immediately, telling me to set it up with an email my parents didn’t know about while at a friend’s house. I had never been able to trust adults to respond w/ anything other than dismissal if I ever got the courage to admit I didn’t think the way my parents treated me was okay since they have always been social butterflies and most of the abuse was religious. So it felt really bittersweet to realize I might’ve been able to have a trustworthy adult in my life for that past year or so. Heck, I was leaving that place with a bunch of lies to throw my parents off my trail if they tried to get anything from my old coworkers so I even felt a bit guilty

All this to ask, did any of the turtles have any adults like this in their lives? Parent aged adults they didn’t realize they could trust until it was too late?

ive got a similar story to this, though its not really the same since i worked at mcdonalds for such a small amount of time. But I miss my managers there more than I miss my parents, which is wild cuz before that i didnt realize I needed that kind of parent-aged-adult i could trust until i had to say goodbye.

short answer? no. though they were neglected and often ignored to the point that they could kinda just go wherever they wanted- Splinter instilled enough fear of the outside in them that they mostly spent their childhood and even a lot of their teen years exclusively in the sewers and skulking around new york at night.

long answer? kind of but not really. Like, Donnie has a whole thing with Big Mama, right? and he also found the hidden city and just didn't tell anyone for years. but most of the adults he found were NOT trustworthy, even Big Mama, who never really hurt him. She's kind of in a gray area where she can tell his home life sucks and she has genuine affection for him, but her CAPITALIST SPIDER SENSES prevent her from being like. a good person lmao.

Like, she uses the fact that hes a kid and doesn't know what his inventions are worth, and the fact he's clearly being abused and is easily manipulated, to get him to work for her for dirt cheap. And while donnie isnt a great judge of character, some subconscious part of him kind of realizes she's not really an adult he can trust all that much. he could have easily run away to live with her, but a part of him knew that wouldn't necessarily be a better life. just a different one.

as for the others, they really only knew Splinter and Draxum (and April's parents, though they never met them) so theres not a huge pool of adults to even trust in the first place.

#nnstuff #ask #asks are sweethearts #teenage mutant neglected turtles #child abuse tw

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