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#please have an awesome day and stay safe out there!! <33
inkykeiji · 2 years
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i LOVE teasing in public. I know touya-nii hates it but like going somewhere and teasing flawless tomura???? Purposely bending over in front of him while at a bbq that you dragged him too or at the beach ahhhh (sorry im literally at a bbq at my friends beach house sitting here thinking about this, while wearing my cute lil orange sundress)
oh my gosh anon me too!!! flawless!tomura would fucking love this, and he’d absolutely turn it into a game of some sort.
he’d see how far the two of you can take it, how long you can keep it up before someone notices, before guests start giving you odd looks though the corner of their eyes or whispering discreetly behind their hands. he’d make bets, wagers, threats, promises; the loser must do this or the winner gets to do this, upping the stakes and the tensions to make the punishment (or the reward) that much sweeter.
because although tomura is impatient, too, it’s different than how touya-nii is; more playful, more provocative. he enjoys this particular challenge, and when he’s in the mood for it, he loves that slow build up teasing provides, loves the way it all escalates from these seemingly innocent touches—your hand sitting a little too high on his thigh, thumb stroking the muscle through the denim that clothes it, just an inch shy of brushing his balls; his palm sitting a little too low on your back, splayed fingertips resting at the swell of your ass—to borderline obscene actions—his arms encircling you from behind, grinding his half-hard cock against you; you legs twined around his waist, hips gyrating in the tiniest little circles that are practically undetectable from above the poolwater. the rules differ every time—often just slight variations of what they usually are—but there’s one that always stays the same: the person who breaks first, who dissolves into soft whines or needy pleads, with grappling fingers and gnawing teeth, is always the loser.
and if you’re at the beach, you can bet your ass he’s gonna want his reward to be sex in the water: out far enough that he’s neck deep, gentle waves lapping at the curled tufts of hair at the base of his skull, with his forehead pressed tightly to yours, scarlet eyes glittering in the setting sun as his sweet breath wafts across your damp face, commanding you to bounce, baby <3
lil side note: i love how u were daydreaming like that anon because i legitimately do the exact same fucking thing hahaha like poolside this is immediately where my mind goes (i also just really love pushing limits and semi-public sex hehe) <3
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melodrangea · 6 months
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Nicknames Soul Eaters Boys call their S/O
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Soul “Eater” Evans
sweetheart
he says this extremely sarcastically, especially during training
“C’mon sweetheart, is that all you got? I saw you lift twice as much yesterday.”
doll
often uses it in a more formal setting or when he’s trying to tease
“What’s the matter doll? Cat got your tongue?”
He’s a little menace but he’s our menace <3
babe
most common out of the three
you name DOES NOT exist to this man
no name, no nickname, nothing
“Babe can I borrow your notes. Babe where do you wanna go later? BABE”
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Black Star
n/n or another variation of you name
doesn’t really use pet names much (sorry babes)
why words words on pet names? he’s way too blunt and if he’s feeling something he’ll just say it, not waste time on fancy words or pet names
(that’s what he tells himself being fr he’s not creative enough as much as I love him)
babe
mostly used around friends (this dumbass thinks he’s being smug)
“hey babe wasn’t going out yesterday awesome? I mean since we’re so inlove and everything.”
the little shit would make your relationship EVERYONE ELSE’S problem (no one is safe 😭)
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Death the Kid
Darling
this pretentious hipster
is fairly consistent with the pet names he uses but darling is his favorite
“Darling can you please pass me that book there?”
“Are you alright darling?”
my dear
uses this one without realizing it most of the time
will be chilling in the library studying and will half-consciously call for you
“are you almost done?”
“just a few minutes more my dear, then we can go”
you chuckled, “what did you call me”
“what do you mean, what did I call you?”
love
Kid is a romantic at heart, very classy as well
he would stare into your eyes and call you love
“my love you have no clue how much I love you.”
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Crona Gorgon
honey
you would call him honey bunny as a joke and he loved it so he started calling you honey
would always have the cutest blush in his face when he said it too
“o-oh thank you honey :)” (cutie patootie 💋)
dear
would definitely take him a while to start calling this, but when he does 🤌💋
“are you alright if we stay a little longer dear? It’s been a while since we’ve seen the others”
being fr this poor soul would be TERRIFIED to call you something other than your name or a variation for A WHILE
his brains running six times the speed 🏃🏼
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Professor Stein
this sadistic mf
i pray for anyone dating this man
but we can be delulu for a few
dove
would absolutely call you dove or some other kind of bird
reminds him of how he protects you like your a delicate bird (and he likes experimenting on birds if yk what i mean 😏)
angel
TELL ME HE WOULDN’T
ngl he only calls you angel when he’s horny asf in a good mood
“hey angel, can you come here for a bit?”
NONE OF YOUR HOLES ARE SAFE RIP
honey
only time your safe if when he calls you honey
mostly calls you this when you’re having a bad day
BUT HE STILL MANAGES TO SOUND SARCASTIC ASF
this is a warning, this man will accidentally hurt your feelings 24/7
“You doing alright there honey? You want to talk about it?”
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Kilik Rung
fuck not being allowed to have favorites I LOVE THIS BITCH
only fully green flag in the show i stg (except Marie ofc)
lovebug
he will call you every single pet name he can come up with, but love bug is his favorite
neither of you know how it started but you’re not complaining
“You’re too sweet for me lovebug” <33
sweets
ya see what i did there? ofc he combines his two favorite things: you and those damn candy bars
“This class is so boring, right sweets?”
will calls you sweets often to express thanks kinda like a “thanks toots”
getting more into that
toots
he thinks he’s funny (and he is)
will say this very ironically and usually infront of friends to make everyone laugh
the only slightly annoying quality abt Kilik is his inability to take anything other than combat seriously
“hey toots, how’s it goin’?”
hon
I SWEAR THIS IS THE LAST ONE!
but you cannot tell me this man is not from New Orleans or some other adjacent
and the hon with the southern-ish accent
being so fr he will call you hon all the time and it will fluster tf out of you (he’s smug abt it, just a little 🤏
“You look nice, who are you all dressed up for hun?”
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woo hoo first post!
anyways hope y’all are doing great
any comments, questions, requests or concerns feel free to DM me!
-Melodrangea <3
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strawberyz · 8 months
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WELCOME
HI!! Welcome to my page :] , hope you have a good time here <3 !! Remember to take care , stay safe, and I hope you have a good day!!! 🫶
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ABOUT ME
Name's Mk / Achilles !!, Im A Minor, Aroace, and I use He/They/It , A multifandom artist that is in a million different fandoms, and if you'd like to know more , feel free to check out my carrd :]
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By the way!! Liking / reblogging helps A TON AND its really really really appreciated!! <33, comments too! I love responding to em all :D
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SONA REF
Fanarts are highly appreciated!!<3, and please do tag me in it so I can go silly in the comments /silly/pos
( Keep in mind that I'm a minor, so please keep it sfw!!/gen/srs )
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REQUESTS INFO
My requests are currently open! <3 Feel free to request anything ( from the fandoms I'm in!! )
Things I WILL do:
- Fan ocs / self inserts
- Ships ( both self insert / canon ships )
Things I WON'T do:
- Gore
- NSFW
- Problematic ships
- (Etc)
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!!! THANK YOU FOR READING !!!
TYSMMM FOR READING!! HOPE YOU HAVE AN AWESOME TIME HERE AND A SPLENDID DAY <333
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dozing-composing · 4 months
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can I get pete and billy ( polyam style ) with a werewolf boyfriend hcs plzzz :33 make it crazy make it nsfw idgaf go silly style :33
You Had Me At "Go Silly." (。•̀ᴗ-)✧ So We'll Split It Up Between Sfw And Nsfw. Also, My Definition Of A Werewolf May Be Completely Different Than Yours. I Went Through And Added A Couple Of Personal Headcanons For Our Werewolf Bf!Reader. If You Aren't Into Them, Let Me Know And I Can Change Them!
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ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴇʀᴇᴡᴏʟꜰ ʙᴏʏꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ...
๋࣭ ⭑ ꜱꜰᴡ
✦ They were a bit iffy about you joining their dating pool, being a werewolf and all, but once they gave you a chance they're glad that they didn't reject you. ✦ You're a bit bigger in size compared to most humans, shying Pete by a few inches. But you also have bigger proportions than most people. An example being your hands and feet. Your arms are bulky, your legs are like tree stumps. And you look a bit gruffy, but they love every part of you. ✦ They "study" you. Meaning, they ask you a bunch of questions. ⤷"What are full moons like?" "Can you eat a normal human diet, or are you totally carnivorous?" "Do you transform like the wolves in Twilight too?" ✦ Going through a full moon phase is difficult. You explain that you'll have to leave once a month to keep not only them, but everyone else safe because you go through the ultimate transformation, turning into what's like your "final form." You'll be away for a few days, but it's what's best for everyone. ✦ When the three of you are alone, Pete and Billy like to scratch your head like they do with a normal dog. It seems a little dehumanizing, but you're not all human. Plus, it feels so good. You can't help but pant. ✦ They'll get you to do the heavy lifting if they're working on something that requires that. Being a werewolf gives you some awesome strength. You could flip a car over with only the slightest bit of struggle. You might not have the slightest idea of what they do in the science field, but you love them and you love being around them. Whatever helps (:
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☆ 18+ Activities, DNI If You Are Uncomfortable With Suggestive/Sexual Themes And Content ↓ NSFW Below ↓
๋࣭ ⭑ ɴꜱꜰᴡ
✦ This goes without saying, but the guys have claw marks running up and down their bodies. More so on Billy than Pete. Billy is easier to grab. Be glad they wear long sleeves and a good pair of trousers, because one slip up and everyone knows what goes down behind closed doors. ✦ Man, are they in for it when you go in heat. Your heat cycles last about a week, sometimes more, but it seems like they last forever, bless. Your sex drive is through the roof. You can barely keep your knot in your pants. You're constantly jacking it, and by the time the boys get home you are begging for relief. No, you demand it. It's time to rip everyone's clothes off. ✦ But, sometimes, they tease you. Pete especially likes to drag things along. You'll be heavily panting, grabbing the waistline of his pants, but he'll catch you by the tongue. He'll "tsk" as he fiddles with the canid appendage. ⤷"Ah ah ah~ Is that any way to greet us?" ✦ Billy on the other hand, is lowkey terrified of you. There was that one time where you snarled and bared your teeth because you were getting too into it. You almost bit the shit out of his arm. (PLEASE don't judge that I referenced Beastars here...let's not talk about that 💀) Not to say he doesn't also lowkey enjoy it. He'd be lying if he said he hated the thought of being hunted down by you. ✦ They LOVE when you pin them down and growl in their ears. The amount of strength you have is VERY much appreciated. Their faces stay buried while you take them in the ass. ✦ Them putting their hands in your mouth to get a feel of your sharp fangs while you gently "chew" their fingers>>>>>
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zuuriell · 8 months
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Introduction ˚⋆。˚ ❀
hi everyone! my name is zuri and welcome to my blog!! here i’m going to share pretty random things to be honest, i’ll list a few below:
About my blog:
Random thoughts - it’ll probably end up being mostly these if i’m honest, i can’t stop talking sometimes no matter what the subject is about 😭
Shifting/Spiritual Stuff - i’d like to think i’m a pretty spiritual person; i’m into witchcraft (specifically crystals), runes + tarot, and i’m also a shifter! (i’ll write more later about my personal stuff with that, and be aware i’ll likely talk about it on multiple occasions)
Spreading Awareness! - i’m hoping for this to be one of the things i talk frequently about. i’ll likely speak a lot on disabilities, mental health, lgbtqia+ & women’s rights as those are what i have personal experience with, but it’s not a limited list! i will try my best to use this platform to advocate for people in any ways i can, so know i’ve got your back, friend <3
Also: just wanna note that my blog is here for everyone! other than the icky ppl listed in the DNI criteria below, you are welcome to be yourselves here, no judgement 🫶
DNI List:
1) NSFW/Kink Accounts:
-> I’m a minor & I want my blog to be an SFW safe space for everyone, so please do not interact or bring your content anywhere near mine
2) Antis (e.g. agere antis, shifting antis, etc.)
-> You don’t have to partake in it to approve of it, and again this is supposed to be a safe space for everyone, so haters should stay away pls and ty <3
3) Anti-LGBTQ+, Racists, Ableists, etc:
-> Pretty self-explanatory to be honest. I do not want these types of people interacting with me or my blog, respectfully please go away 🤗
About me:
i’m a 16 year old kid from england, also a november sagittarius
currently i am studying for my GCSEs! i am taking biology, english lang+lit, psychology and sociology! i am homeschooled too <3
i’m genderfluid + bisexual! my pronouns do change from day to day and i appreciate people who ask for my pronouns at the time, but if you don’t feel like doing that then they/them is fine :)
i have the best boyfriend ever! he’s so cool and he also has his own blog - @agere-tomndavid-imagines everyone should totally go check it out!! :D
i’m a shifter - i haven’t shifted yet but i’ve been attempting on and off for the last couple of years. my main dr is in the marvel cinematic universe!
i’m also an age regressor - this isn’t going to be an agere-specific blog, but i may talk about it here n there so just be aware of that (also if you are a regressor, pls be aware that i may swear in my posts! other than that though, this blog is SFW ^^)
i’m autistic and my special interests are: marvel (specifically loki ), sharks, fnaf and psychology
music is my life - my fav artists are: harry styles, taylor swift, james marriott & good kid
Additional note: i am disabled so please be aware and be patient with me! i’ve got CRS, POTS, PCOS & suspected hEDS - i know it looks like i just splurted out half the alphabet so if anyone wants me to explain these i am happy to do so LOL - and my healthcare isn’t the greatest either so i’m often having flareups, therefore if this blog isn’t the most consistent i apologise but i will still try my best :) ❤️
if anyone wants to message me, feel free- im always happy to meet new people!
have an awesome day/night, take care of yourself, and i hope to see you around! <33
˚ ༘♡ ⋆。˚ ❀ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆。˚ ❀ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆。˚ ❀ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆。˚ ❀
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Hey !!! I heard your bored , so am I :) I have a few questions for you , you can answer them if you want <3 ( I‘ll only ask stranger things questions I hope that’s ok )
Favorite season ?
Favorite characters ?
A scene you want to see in season 4 ?
Is Mike gay or Bi ( or straight ) ?
What season 4 storyline are you most excited to see ?
Favorite ships ?
Favorite quote?
Least favorite character ?
Least favorite ship ?
I can’t think of more questions right now lol sorry 🙈. Have a great day and stay safe!! 💗
HIII OH YM GOD THANK YOU!??? I LOVE YOU???? DHDHDHS 😭i did NOT expect to get this many ... yes of course it's totally fine non !! (that's my nickname for anons lolol) THANK UUU ok here we go
favourite season?
SEASON TWOOO BAYBEEEE i just LOVE THAT motherfucker . it's got the BEST 80's vibes and awesome soundtrack and THE BYLER!!!!😭😭😭😭and also MAX AND STEVE AND ALSO I LOVE PUNK EL I KNOW THAT THAT PART OF THE STORYLINE IS CONTROVERSIAL AND I AGREE IT HAS SOME ISSUES BUT I LOVE PUNK EL OKAY and i love her exploring her darker side and using her powers to get revenge but she too much of a sweetie to be like kali. she's an angel. i love el . adore her <3333 and the colour palettes and the scenes and GAH!! i just love season 2 okay. though season 1 is SUUUPER close because holy fuck that one is so beautiful and emotional especially with joyce and will being missing and learning about hoppers past and GOD !!!! just fuckign great. And I LOVE THE LITTLE KIDS THEYRE SO CUTE ! AND SO MUCH FUN!!! god i love it . season 2's my fav but s1 is So So close by like a sliver ...
favourite characters?
MAX . ROBIN. UHH WILL. DUSTIN. MIKE. uM .... csnt fucking decide oKAY 3)33&28/8922 i love them all!!! they're all my blorbos and i adore them with every bit of my tiny little pathetic gay heart !!!?2! THOUGH.... my fav FAVs are max will and robin. im not gonna chose they're all at the same level i love em thoigh robin maybe just a tiny bit less because we don't know as much about her yet , i get more attached the more we learn though i guarantee that when season 4 comes out and we get a bit more robin stuff (hopefully)... she will definitely be with max and will. I just love them. though I LOVE DUSTIN AND MIKE TOOO!!!! dustin is such a great character he's been such an awesome staple and the show definitely would be bad as hell without him. and i love mike because i LOVE HIS FUCKING STORY AND HIS CHARACYER ARc he's just my pathetic little sad gay repressed homosexual. this is probably not making sense im so sorry😭
a scene you want to see in season 4?
GOD. anything. i just want to see A SCENE . i am so desperate for content that i will literally take anYYYTHINGZZZ ... though we have gotten some new shit lately in the lead up to s4 but it's been like what?? 3 years since we've had new stuff ? or is it 4? no it's gotta be 3 .. im terrible ag maths. but tbh i reALLY REALLY want to see ronance content , el discovering herself and like finding more things she's happy about specifically a hobby, i really want her to have an interest in something because she's had like . literally NOTHING except like all her trauma or just interest in like . mike. lIKE WHAT DOES SHE LOVE OTHER THAN THAT?? can she paint? will she write ? like give me a hobby pls!!! 💀as max says there's more to life than stupid boys please let her flourish as an individual . but like dude .. there as so many scenes i wanna see and this is So long already and i think i will leave it there before i go on an incomprehensible annoying ass tangent thank u
is mike gay bi or straight ?
ohhhkay so this discourse i been seeing a lot lately . ummm ima be dead honest he seems to be more queercoded as gay rather than bisexual like .. he throws himself into a relationship with el and like yes he does show genuine interest at first and like im going off the top of my head but basically just read @beepboop358 's byler proof google slides. that will summarise my whole opinion on the whole thing tbh. BUT !! im not opposed to him being bi!!! we have no idea at this standpoint guys rememebr that ! mike has a long way to go in terms of accepting himself and coming to terms and discovery etc let's just see what the duffers are gonna do with it !!! :)) so im gonna say it can be either one but i am leaning slightly towards gay because of all the subtext .
what season 4 storyline r u most excited to see ?
ALL OF THEM !!!! literally all of them. god im so so fuckimg exicted we're gonna get CONTENT BAYBEEEE i been watching the same 3 seasons for what feels like a goddamn lifetime like PLS.. ima be a bit basic and say the pizza gang mainly because i wanna see byler develop (and it looks like they're really leaning into it now !! HOLY SHIT FHDHDJDJB!!!!! i been shipping them since 2017 and ppl thought it was like a crack ship my god we've come so far .. ) though also very excited to see the older teens storyline especially with eddie seeing what kinda character he is !!
favourite ships ?
ummm obviously byler 😭😭😭😭and also elmax GOD elmax ... and also lumax !!! fucking love them. but also ronance and stoncy and also byclair and henclair .... like so much. i love em all. AND HENDERHOP very cute <3 and hopclair!!! i just love them ALL and also steveddie even though we barely have any content yet but i have a feeling it's gonna be really fun :))
favourite quote ?
mmm this is a good question honestly !!! i really like jonathan's quote "you shouldn't like things just cause people tell you you're supposed to" i love that honestly . makes me very happy :)) but like .. also hoppers letter at the end of s3??? it just gets to my heart in a way i can't explain... like damn. i remembr first time i watched it i CRIED my eyes out like jesus but also. half the quotes from season 1 i love 'em . so many iconic bits in that season
least favourite character ?
lonnie and brenner . those cunts can go rot in hell 🥰
least favourite ship?
umm i don't know to be honest. i don't have a ship that i hate , well actually h*rringrove i DESPISE they can fuck off .. hate the billy / karen thing years are taken off my life ever time im forced to see it..
i don't like j*pper very much (but only season 3, im not about to get into it rn i cant be fucked though i don't hate it) j*ncy is eh and m*leven . i don't hate melvin but i don't think they right for each other same with j*ncy. but otherwise idk i don't hate that many ships .. there's not that many that get under my skin except i don't prefer it if they don't really have chemistry or have issues though not saying relationships can't ever have issues that's unrealistic ,
and ITS OKAY THATS PLENTLY OF QUESTIONS FJDJDJ and i hope u like my annoying long ass answers becaude i have so much shit to say !!! I HOPE YOU HAGE A GREAT DAY/NIGHT TOO ANON THANK U I LOVE U <3333
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phantomrpmemes · 3 years
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50 Cheesy Ways to Say “I love you”
1. “Hell is a world without you in it.”
2. “Forever seems like such a short time now that we’re together.”
3. “My safe place is in your arms.”
4. “Everything got better the day we met.”
5. “I love our life together.”
6. “Falling for you came more naturally to me than breathing.”
7. “Thank you for existing.”
8. “You make everything seem so possible.”
9. “When I look at you, I see a bigger, brighter, better world.”
10. “You’re the greatest reward I could have asked for.”
11. “Our relationship is the only team I ever want to be on.”
12. “Your body is my home.”
13. “The future stopped looking so bleak the second I laid eyes on you.”
14. “I think I loved you before I even knew you.”
15. “When I’m with you, my heart’s at risk of exploding.”
16. “You make everything so much less terrifying.”
17. “I really can’t imagine doing life without you.”
18. “There is so much beauty in us.”
19. “Making you smile is my greatest pleasure.”
20. “Finding you is my greatest accomplishment.”
21. “I honestly don’t care what we do, as long as I get to do it with you.”
22. “You are my favorite person.”
23. “You are my happiness.”
24. “You are my world.”
25. “When I’m with you, I feel blanketed in the certainty that everything’s going to be okay.”
26. “Loving you is an absolute honor.”
27. “I’m addicted to you and I have absolutely no intention of getting sober.”
28. “You make me want to be a better person.”
29. “Your very presence puts me at ease.”
30. “I need you more than oxygen, or water.”
31. “You make me want to cry out of pure, unadulterated joy.”
32. “I never have to wonder if we’ll stay together. I just know it.”
33. “Leaving you isn’t an option.”
34. “I love you even when I want to rip your head off.”
35. “You deserve an Oscar for being awesome.”
36. “Nothing can ever stop me from loving you.”
37. “You are my everything.”
38. “Please don’t die before I do.”
39. “Our love is the kind that gives people hope.”
40. “If other couples aren’t jealous of us already, they should be.”
41. “You make life worth living every single day.”
42. “I love you down to your very quirk and flaw.”
43. “Without you I wouldn’t know what love is.”
44. “The prospect of waking up next to you makes falling asleep so much sweeter.”
45. “I found my true self through loving you.”
46. “You make me want to believe in a higher power.”
47. “Thanks to you, I understand what people mean when they say they feel blessed.”
48. “I don’t believe in Fate but I do believe we were meant to be.”
49. “As long as we have each other, nothing else matters.”
50. “Loving you will be my greatest achievement.”
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Text
Love Is Not Forced ~ 33
MASTERLIST
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< previous chapter
Word Count: 1,730ish
Summary: King Steven makes a surprise visit to Alexandria.
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Due to the needs of their kingdoms, Steven and Y/N were kept busy for another month after their surprise meeting. It hurt both of them, though they did try their best to write letters to each other as often as they could. It was late one night, in Alexandria, when a group of men on horses arrived at the castle.
“King Steven?” Captain Rhodes wondered, coming up to the group of horses. “I had not heard that you would be arriving. And so late.”
“I couldn’t wait any longer,” King Steven replied, jumping off of his horse. “I need to speak with King Anthony. It’s important.”
“Your Majesty, the King and Queen have gone to bed. Could the matter not wait until morning?”
“No it can’t, Captain. I need to speak with the King, now. The Queen is allowed to come if she wishes as well.”
“I will see what I can do. Sir Hogan will lead you to the throne room to wait.”
“Thank you.”
The anxious King followed the guard to the throne room. While he waited for the King and Queen, he paced around the room, clearly nervous.
“This better be good, Steve,” Tony’s voice boomed as he and the Queen, dressed in their robes, entered the throne room. “I don’t understand why you would show up in the middle of the night and insist that me and my wife be woken up.” The couple took their seats on their respective thrones.
“I’m sorry, Tony. But what I have to say couldn’t wait any longer. I don’t think my heart can take it…”
“Please, why don’t you just beat around the bush?”
“Tony,” the Queen scolded. “I’m sorry, Steven for my husbands behavior. He must’ve really needed his sleep. Please continue.”
“I have come seeking your permission—“
“What for?” Tony interrupted. The Queen hit his arm. “What? He’s not—“
“I wish to marry your daughter,” Steven said loudly enough to speak over his fellow King. “I wish to have your daughter’s hand in marriage. And, in order to do that, I need your permission. If I didn’t, I would have never let her leave Brooklyn… Tony, Pepper, I love your daughter. More than I ever thought possible. Y/N is the most beautiful woman, inside and outside. She is my world, and all I ever want to do is make her happy.”
Tony stayed silent, clearly mulling it over for a few long seconds before speaking. “How can I know that she’ll be safe with you? That you won’t harm her the way Hydra did?”
“Y/N will be save with me. Unfortunately, I have messed up with her before, but I have sworn to myself and her that I will never do anything like that again. I will make the same promise to you.”
“But will she be safe in Brooklyn?”
“Pardon?”
“She was taken by Loki while in your kingdom and he was able to almost kill her there as well. How do I know she will not die under your watch?”
“I have doubled the guards, and will assign a personal guard to her at all times. I have thought this through, Tony. And, you know me, I do not give my heart away lightly. That is why I haven’t gotten married yet.”
Tony stared Steven down as he got up out of his throne. He stalked towards his friend, scaring Steven. Tony’s face grew harder as he now was inches away from Steven. Suddenly, after a couple of seconds, the King started laughing, pulling his friend in for a hug.
“Welcome to the family!” King Anthony exclaimed. “I couldn’t have chosen a better fit for my daughter than you.” He pulled away, keeping a hand on Steven’s shoulder. “I just hope she says yes.”
“Me too,” Steven whispered. “Me too.”
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When Y/N woke up the next morning, she was surprised to see that she had been allowed to sleep in. She glanced around the room to see that Wanda had already readied a dress for her to wear for the day. The Princess furrowed her brows as she sat up and slipped out of bed. She walked over to the dress, running her hand over one of the sleeves.
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“Oh, Your Highness!” Wanda smiled as she entered the room. “You’re awake. I was just coming to get you.”
“What’s the special occasion, Wanda?” Y/N asked. “You only set a dress out for me when something’s going on. Is there something I have forgotten about?”
“No, Princess. Your Father just thought it would be nice for you to wear this new dress today.”
“Mhm…” Y/N hummed, unconvinced. She knew her Father well enough to know that there was always an angle.
“Also, lunch is being served out in the garden today. Which I must get you ready for.”
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Y/N allowed Wanda to get her ready, silently questioning what was going on the whole time. Wanda sent her on her way, almost too excitedly. When she arrived to where lunch was set up, she was all alone. Similar to the night in Wakanda a month ago, there was a small table set for two in the middle of the open garden area.
“How is it that you never fail to take my breath away?” Steven’s voice came from behind her. She spun around to see him grinning widely at her, looking as handsome as ever.
“Steven!” She smiled, rushing towards him. He laughed as he picked her up and spun her around before bringing her in for a kiss. “You’re here!” She put her arms around his neck as his found her waist. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“I didn’t really plan to, honestly. I just couldn’t be a part from you any longer.”
She pulled him in for another kiss. “I missed you, so much.”
“I can promise you that I missed you more.” He leaned down to peck her lips one last time before leading her to the table.
“Did you plan all this?”
“Yes.” Steven nodded.
“You’re such a romantic… how did I get so lucky?”
“I believe I’m the lucky one, my darling.”
As they began eating, Y/N couldn’t help but notice how shaky Steve was. He’d dropped his fork multiple times, and had failed to bring a glass to his mouth without spilling something. It finally was too much for Y/N to stay silent about.
“Steven, are you okay?” Y/N asked, looking at him with such care and worry that the King thought he’d melt right there.
“I’m fine, my darling,” he answered with a smile.
“Are you sure? You’ve been shaking quite a lot.”
“I guess….” Steven sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I guess I do have something I need to say…”
Y/N reached across the table and grabbed one of his hands. “You can tell me, Steven. Just tell me what’s bothering you.”
“I’m being honest when I tell you that nothing is bothering me… My darling, you know I love you, right?”
“Yes, you’ve showed it and said it many of times. And I love you.” Steven let out a shaky breath before standing up and beginning to pace. “My dear, you’re scaring me.”
“I’m not meaning to, I’m so sorry.” He quickly knelt in front of the Princess, grabbing onto both her hands. He brought her hands up to his lips, holding a kiss to them. “I never want you to be scared of me. I know you have been before, and I won’t be able to apologize enough for my actions, but I never want you to feel that way again. And I never want you to be scared of anything else, without me by your side. I want to be your protector, your confidant, your person. I want you to be the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at the end of the day. I want to share my life with you, every last detail. I want to spend days with you in the villages and beaches of Brooklyn. I want to see you smile and hear you laugh, and I want to be the one to make you do that. I want to be the one to love you, Y/N, and to be loved by you. And I know that I’ve just listed all these wants, but I couldn’t find any over way to explain my feelings but that. Lastly, but certainly not the least on my list of wants, I want to know if you’ll have me as your husband. If you will allow me the privilege of being your husband.”
“Steven…” Y/N whispered, tearing up. “Yes,” she nodded, still speaking quietly. “There’s no one I’d rather call my husband then you.”
Steven’s hand cupped Y/N’s cheeks and brought her head down so that their lips met in a passionate kiss. When they parted, Y/N smiled.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“Oh, my darling, I love you more.”
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All of the kingdoms were ecstatic upon hearing the news of the engagement. King Anthony announced that a ball would be held in honor of the engagement in Alexandria before wedding plans could get started. The ball was going to be held a week after the engagement and, unfortunately, King Steven was needed in his own kingdom until then. Parting hurt them both.
“I will be back in a week, my darling,” Steven said, cupping her cheek and running his thumb over it. “I promise. Then we can start the wedding preparations.”
“Okay.” She was holding onto his shirt to keep him close to her. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.” He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
Y/N walked Steven to his horse, grabbing onto his hand once he was on top.
“Be safe,” she said.
“Of course.” He gave her a confident smile. “I am nothing but careful… I will see you in a week.”
“See you in a week.”
The Princess let go of his hand and stepped away from the horse. She stood still in her spot until the King and his few guards were out of sight.
next chapter >
Thank you for all the likes, comments, reblogs, and dms. You guys are awesome! I love reading your thoughts on what’s happening and who you want Y/N to choose. Thank you guys for all the support!
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whyiask · 3 years
Text
HAPPY NEW YEAR
There are so many people I’ve met on this site, so many friends I’ve made. I joined tumblr only a few months ago, but my life has already drastically improved. I smile more and laugh more and I feel happier all the time, knowing that you all are just a click away. I’ve often heard people refer to tumblr as a hellsite, but I don’t fully agree with that. True, some things on here are crazy, but more than that, I’ve found people like me. I’ve found people who understand me, who think like me and feel like I do. Ya know, before I joined tumblr, I had never met another bisexual person(crazy, right?). Y’all have made life more enjoyable and happier and brighter, and for that, I’ll never be able to thank you enough.
I have soooo many people I have to thank, so I’ll try to keep the list of people as short as possible: all my closest friends and all the people who have been amazing and I have loved seeing since I joined tumblr earlier this year <33
@one-neat-nerd you were the first blog to ever follow me, and I don’t remember if you were the first blog I followed, but you definitely were in the first 10. You were a wonderful introduction to tumblr, and I love everything you post/reblog. We’ve never really talked, but I still want you to know that I appreciate you.
@warblerjeff you’ve changed your url more than 3 times since I first followed you, and it always takes me a second to recognize you aha! But when I do, I’m immediately have a rush of happy memories- all your Glee posts and all of the Glee content I get from you. We’ve never really talked, but seeing you on my dash is always so amazing.
@jesussavedevenme aha hi! We’ve never really talked, but you were one of the first few blogs I followed when I first joined tumblr, and I know I tagged you in a lot of stuff at first (because i didn’t have any other friends lmao), so sorry about that! 😅 You’re really cool and I hope you have an amazing 2021.
@strawberry-seraph we haven’t talked in a while, sorry about that! Talking with you is always super fun, you’re a fun person and I hope your having a great day! You were one of the first TLC blogs I followed and you were definitely the first actual friend I had on tumblr. Thanks for being so nice to me <33
@cerenoya Ceren... where to begin. We haven’t talked a whole lot, but you are such an amazing friend and super kind when we do! You were my first tumblr idol for so long, because I aspired to be like you/run a blog as cool as yours!! Have a great 2021, you deserve it.
@cindersnightmare I felt very distant from you when I first followed you. You were just so COOL and your artwork was so GOOD, I didn’t know how to approach or even begin to express my love for your work. When you followed me back, I tell you, I was s h o o k. We’ve never talked, but I consider you a friend, is that okay? You’re amazing, keep being amazing <33
@books-and-starss oh gosh- I don’t even know where to begin with you! I love you so much, first of all!! So, so much. I love talking with you, you’re really sweet and ahhhh your writing is SO GOOD!!!! You are a great beta reader and so eager to help me- it just warms my heart that you would offer up your time to help me. Everything you reblog is so positive and encouraging and awesome, it’s so nice to see that kind of stuff on my dash. All the aesthetic pictures you reblog are super cool and pleasing to look at. I absolutely ADORE seeing you on my dash every day. <33333
@dylxn-lee aha hello there!! I first met you because you were one of Abi’s friends, but now I’m in your fanclub and ilysm. You’re really cool and nice and deserve to have a wonderful year <333
@theaberrantone ahaha for so long I pronounced your name wrong in my head- I just want you to know... I see you. I see you every day, liking every single one of my posts. I see you in my notifs many times a day and I just- wow. It means so much to me, I am honestly so touched that someone as cool as you takes the time to scroll through my mess of a blog and like the things I slap into it. You’re amazing and someday I aspire to be as cool as you <333333
@mochiowo-20 hi there :333 ilysm, and we haven’t talked for a few weeks, and I haven’t gone through your blog in a while, but I STILL LOVE YOU SO MUCH. You are amazing and ily. Your so sweet and cool and ahhhh you deserve to have the most wonderful 2021 ever. (i love your blog aesthetic btw) <333
@teawithhoneyharper I know you’re taking a break from tumblr for a while, but if you do see this, then I want you to know that I care about you so much. I love you Darcy, and you are amazing. I hope your mental health is getting better and I hope life has been better to you <33 ilysm, take care of yourself, and have a wonderful new year <333
@fablehavenfandom hi there friend!! Your posts are amazing!! I love your writing so much!!! and all your headcanons are beautiful and I 100% think of them as canon now. I hope you’re having a great day, and I hope you have a great year <33
@fairiesandstarlight omG your posts are all so cool! You’ve got a beautiful blog aesthetic and I love everything you post!! I hope you’re having a wonderful new year love <333 wishing you the best
@maya-livingstone hi there!! you’re a very, very new mutual, but I hope we’ll be able to get to know each other and become friends over the course of this new year!! I also just got the Renegades series, and I’ve noticed you like that, so hopefully we’ll be able to talk about that soon!!
@pluckycluckyducky hi plucky!! It’s Joy from the nevermoor server. we haven’t interacted on here very much, but you’re really cool and you should know it. have a wonderful 2021 <33
@fablehavenandfandomsfanatic hi there!! you had to break for a while, but you’re back now and I love all of the things you post! Have a great year <3
@fablehavenfangirl you’re really cool! Everything you post/reblog is great and I enjoy just scrolling through your blog when I’m bored. You’re amazing, keep being amazing <3
@renegadenebulahufflepuff heyyyy! how are you doing? you’re amazing, we haven’t talked much but you’re really cool and I am wishing you only the best for 2021 <333
@bookishfangirl14 hey there!! I love seeing you in my notifs!! we don’t have very many overlapping fandoms at the moment, but you’re still really cool and I love looking at your blog (even if i don’t understand most of the posts). aha, i hope you have a wonderful new year <33
@introvertedtater-tot hii! we don’t talk much, despite having a LOT of overlapping fandoms, and I don’t know why. Let’s fix that this year, shall we? I hope I can get to know you more, you’re amazing and sweet and i hope we can build up a solid friendship in the coming months <33
@devils-on-a-stereo oh my GOD. Okay, honestly? I am still s h o o k that you actually follow me, I mean, c’mon. Your art is literally the coolest thing ever, and I am honored to know you. You deserve way more attention as an artist than you have, and honest to god you are the coolest most  i c o n i c  blog I know. Stay awesome ;)
@its-liiinh-cinder-official heyyy there!! You are literally a top-notch comedian, I aDORE all of your ‘linh cinder’s random posts’. They are hilarious and your stories are hilarious, and you seem like such an amazing and chaotic person. I wish i knew you in real life, you would be so fun to hang out with. i love seeing you on my dash every day, and you’ve got such a v i b e going on. Have a beautiful, wondrous, and magical 2021 darling <333333
@just-another-freaking-dreamer it’s so awesome to see you in my notifs all the time. You’re really cool and you deserve cool things. Have a wonderful new year and I hope we can become better friends and interact more <3
@ragingbisexualcore ahhaahah you are the single most chaotic person I know. If you lived in a book, you would FOR SURE be that one character who is dead set on overthrowing the government and cackling madly as you take over the world. You are amazing and I hope you take your chaotic self and go wild in 2021.
@queenofsassgard hey there!! I hope you know that occasionally I just go scrolling through your archives and liking everything- anyways, you’re amazing and I hope you have a wonderful new year!
@elysian-starbucks-frappe heyo! what��s up? I hope you’re doing great, you deserve to do great. You’re super cool and amazing and ahhhhh you just deserve to have a wonderful 2021. ily and have a great year <33
@as-the-stars-foretold Caelum. You. Are. Fantabulous. You are my mother, you adopted me into this weird, chaotic friend group, and I will be eternally grateful. You love the stars and I love listening to you ramble about them in the server. You’re so passionate and strong and I love that about you. Life wouldn’t be the same without you. You might love stars, but you yourself ARE a star. You are a star, you shine brilliantly, and you are too good for this galaxy. We don’t deserve you. I love you so much, and you deserve every single goddamb good thing in this universe. You’re always there, ever present, and I love you so. much. Please stay your fantabulous self and I wishing on every star I see that you will have the best 2021 ever <333333
@carolinelikesdinner Carol. God, I have so much to say to you. First of all, thank you. Thank you so much for being you. You first introduced me into the big wide world of the Fablehaven fandom, and ilysm. You’re so cool, too cool for me, and I treasure every single conversation I have with you. You’re so funny and an amazing artist. All of your art is SO DAMB SPECTACULAR. You are gorgeous, your art is gorgeous, and your writing is gorgeous too. Take care of yourself love, stay safe, and have the best 2021 you possibly can <3333333333333
@operation-crown-jewels Caraaaaaaaaa ilysmmmm <3333333333333 I love talking with you and I love you so. freaking. much. I can’t even- I can’t even describe how much i love you. You are so special and sweet and supportive and I just can’t- you have NO IDEA how much that means to me, how much all your little comments mean to me. You are amazing, and special, and ahhhhh. You are SO special. So unique. And I’ll never find another friend like you <33333333333
@addies-invisible-life hey emma :3 You are actually the coolest person I know.You are so capable and smart and beautiful. You are kind and supportive and you are open to everyone who talks to you. You love with all your heart, and I love that about you. In everything you do, I can see the love behind it, the work and effort and love that you put into it. Every conversation I have with you lifts me up and energizes me(which is really rare because most conversations tire me). I still, after all this time, still can’t believe that a person as amazing as you even chooses to be friends with me. I love you so much and I will never stop loving you. You deserve the world, but I can’t give you that, so just take my reassurances that I will ALWAYS, NO MATTER WHAT, be here for you. ily and have a wonderful 2021 <3333333333333333333333333333333333333
@arushahisatroll my god. Ru, I love you so much. You are my internet girlfriend and I care about you so much. You are incredible, honestly. Your art is immaculate and you’re always so cheerful and fill me up with energy just THINKING about you. you always eager to commit arson, which is a very good trait, and I love plotting crimes with you. Every time I see your icon, my face lights up and I internally scream, bc “oh my god someone as perfect as ru exists in this world- i didn’t know that was possible.” You are the best, you are the absolute best, my bestie, and ily. Have a spectacular and immeasurably awesome 2021 <333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333
@starry-tea-party Abina. Abina you are my rock. You are my light, my star, my sunshine, my galaxy. I love you so much, I can’t even begin to describe it. I don’t know if I can do justice to just how much you’ve helped me. Words... words have never been my strong suit. I love writing because I can weave stories together, piece together words I like to form sentences, and use those sentences to form narratives. Writing has always been easier for me than talking.... because in writing, I don’t have to worry what others will think, or how others will perceive me. I select the best words, and I present those words- the words I meticulously chose and nit-picked- to the audience. Life is a stage, and I have never been great at improv. I often find it hard to tell people things, to convey my meaning in the best possible way and to know exactly what words I need in any given situation. Talking is hard for me. But with you... with you, I never have to monitor what I’m saying. I never feel the need to reread and reread my messages before sending to make sure everything is in perfect order. It’s... it’s easy to talk to you. It’s easy to speak and I don’t worry when I’m with you. You make me feel so at ease, and I love you so much. I don’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing, because I know that you’ll always support me and be by my side with a kind word and a heart of gold. Because that’s who you are. You are a creator, a dreamer, a lover, a visionary. You’re a friend. You are the hand that pulls people out of the water. The light that shines the pathway. You are the rock- the mountain we stand upon and look out over the beautiful sea. We look down at the seas below us and say, “how have we climbed so high already?” The reason is because you stand so tall, so bright and so magical, that we climb, we climb and we look out at the world below us. Not only are you tall, strong, powerful, but you lift people up right alongside you. There is nothing like the high of seeing the world stretch out beneath your feet, swinging you legs through the open air but knowing you’ll never fall. You represent that high in my mind. You represent and you remind me of the exhilaration of feeling untouchable- uplifted by love and kindness, able to reach heights you’ve never been to before. There is so much that can come when someone extends their hand to you. So much more can be achieved when there are two, holding each other up. You have held me up for so long. Every since we met, you have brought a smile to my face at the thought of you. Every time I think of you, my heart swells and I can’t breathe. Every comment you make or put on something I post has me screaming internally ans smiling uncontrollably. Whenever I see your icon I know my day is about to get one million times better. So thank you, Abi. For being my rock.
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chateautae · 2 years
Note
i read act 3, and sammy u are a genius. a super awesome, extraordinary, out of thus world genius who knows how to break and mend her readers in a single read. the fluff made my heart flutter, the smut made something else flutter and the angst ripped me apart, but it was all SOOOO FUCKING AWESOME!!!!!! my heart literally stopped when jin walked through the doors of the library because he's my ultimate bias and tae is my bias wrecker. i could relate with oc being mesmerized by both of them cause man they are just 🤤🤤🤤 but honestly, after reading all three acts, i came to a conclusion that OC is a bitch. a bloody bitch who i wont hesitate to drop kick and fling into the depths of Tartarus itself😡😡😡 she wanted a fairy tale romance, but was she really willing to give tae the royalty that he gave her? he did everything for her: opened up abt his past, fell in love with her even when it scared him because of his past trauma, LITERALLY SAVED HER LIFE, but what did she do for him?? she was soo stuck up on getting a ring and a piece of paper to confirm his commitment to her that she never saw all the efforts he took for her. he read all her fav classic books, remembered everything that made her happy, gave her emotional support whenever she needed it, a house to live in when she didnt have one, loved and protected her from all the horrible things that could ever happen to her. sure he fucked up when kate came into the scene, but couldnt oc forgive him? especially after getting millions of calls, messages and even hand written letters?!??! he stayed out in the freezing winter on valentine's day just to apologize and win her back, but she shut him out. its obvious that he'll grow tired and stop at a point. he cant be blamed for being with someone else, and even then he clearly told the blondie that she was nothing more than a rebound before they even started. he was there when her grandfather passed away and cared for her even after everything that she put him through. he kept on saying that she's the only one for him but still she flirted with jin while sleep with tae and leading both men on, not just once but on multiple occasions, especially with tae. she knew tae's insecurities and traumas but she weaponized it against him and called him weak, which was a real low blow. and after all of this, she went and dated jin in a few months even without putting 0.1% of efforts that tae put when she walked away?!!??! she claimed that she loved tae, but honestly, idt she did. agreed it was toxic, but that was because tae always gave and she kept taking and taking. fine, u are with jin, then STAY with him; u cant just leave him after a year when tae appears and goes down on a knee. tae was ready to have kids with her, live a domestic life with her, give her everything she ever wanted so that her fairy tale love would come true, but marriage is not the ultimate form of commitment. he kept saying that she's the only girl he'd ever be able to love when love itself was something that he grew up hating, and still she chose a 'safe option'. u cant have a back up when u are falling in love!!! she wronged tae by leading him on and that poor guy still blamed himself for all that went wrong. idt oc deserves tae or even jin for that matter. sorry for this aggressive rant, but i could feel what tae felt all the while as i have been in such a relationship where i kept giving and the other person kept taking and taking and still walked away in the end. tae should be with someone who equally loves him back and is super sure abt her love, not someone who keeps a 'safe option' ready while sleeping with him.
PLEASE LOVES AHH!! Tysm for your sweet and heartfelt words it really makes me feel like I accomplished my goal as an author <33 YES the discourse of these character i've enjoyed so much and there really is a lot our baby tae did for reader! I'm so glad I could get you engaged and invested in the story like this 💓 it's truly upsetting when you're in a one-sided relationship. I had a back and forth type one for a good five years and lord... sometimes you realize how stupid you are for doing so much for someone who ain't even worth it!! but their love was just so beautiful and something to fight for so our firefighter did!! thank you for reading loves <33
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shananigans402 · 3 years
Note
1-65 will do, please. Thanks fuck face :)
I knew exactly who this was and I was so tempted to not reply, but your punishment is having to read through all my answers and remember them forever or you fail the friend test. To everyone else, please do not click unless you want to be very bored, my answers are not interesting lol
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1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you? Nope
2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you? Assuming 5 is the most, 1. Maybe 2. 
3. The person you would never want to meet? The person who sent me this (jk I’m excited for our eventual meet up where we hit up a strip club first thing 🙏)
4. What is your favorite word? I answered with ‘conniption’ the other day and still have not found a word I like more.
5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be? Already answered this, fruit tree! I also like palm trees, maple trees, and willow trees. I know that’s not the question, I’m just saying random shit now.
6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought? It took me a long while to remember where I was this morning. I honestly don’t remember, I was rushing to get ready for an early morning meeting.
7. What shirt are you wearing? My Orlando Strong shirt 
8. What do you label yourself as? Lesbian
9. Bright room or dark room? Bright room
10. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping? Possibly checking on a feverish little beeb who was going through it with her second dose of the vaccine.
11. Favorite age you’ve been so far? No idea. I like various ages for different reasons, but this age so far is not bad. 
12. Who told you they loved you last? Probably my sister 🤷‍♀️
13. Your worst enemy? The person who sent this ask.
14. What is your current desktop picture? The apple pic of Catalina island that changes based on time of day (yes it’s the default, don’t judge me)
15. Do you like someone? Lol yeah I hope so 😂
16. The last song you listened to? Pretty Girl by Hayley Kiyoko 
17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? Definitely @raginage
18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? I feel like I can only attack Raginage so many times. Can I pick a fictional character? This week I was real mad at Dave in The Darkness. BaBe!​
19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do? Lol no one, you’re talking to a person who feels very uncomfortable with anyone doing anything nice for them.
20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional) Not this again. Last time I said eyes? Still no pics, sorry
21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do? What would I look like? Do I get to design myself like a sim? I honestly don’t know what I’d do because I doubt the world needs another clueless white man walking around, so maybe just stay at home. 
22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it? Nope. And my last answer to this was awful. I do think I have a fantastic ability to annoy my friends but in a way that’s just amusing/endearing enough to make them still want to talk to me 😌
23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of? Unique? Uhm well my two big fears are confined spaces and deep water so a submarine is like my worst nightmare.
24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal. Oh this is going to sound so odd. To be clear, I’ve had better sandwiches, but my go-to is provolone, turkey, roast beef, and spicy brown mustard or whole grain mustard. Please don’t judge me.
25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it? Travel budget for future trips to visit my buds and get into trouble and eat food. I know $100 won’t go far, but it’s something.
26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go? Well, after my last answer I want to visit my friends! But there are too many people to visit and I only have one ticket. So change of plans. I’m going on a solo trip to Greece. Or Argentina. Or Iceland. Or Bali. Damn, I’m indecisive. 
27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? Rabble red blend. Just a solid red wine. Also because @viola-lloyds stole my answer the other day (Juneshine; to be fair I asked her this question but whatever) and I don’t want to copy her.
28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? Oh I answered this one, something about respecting others. Yeah, a nice rule like that. Want to establish some healthy communication on this island.
29. What is your favorite expletive? It’s still fuck
30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno? But what about my PLANTS. Can they count as loved ones? Probably my laptop, I know that’s lame but like...I have a lot of stuff on here. Or the collection of cards I have that my granddad drew little drawings in, I want to get them all framed.
31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? To be honest, I don’t know if I’d change big life events in case it altered the trajectory of where I ended up. So idk maybe the ending of Bly, let’s give those lesbians have a happy ending!
32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! Italy! But wait, let’s get back to this sleeping with celebrities and super-powers bit...
33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? Oh that’s a really tough question. I always wanted to meet my great-grandma Olga because she seemed like a really awesome lady. 
34. What was your last dream about? I can’t remember, this is bothering me because I wish I could! I’m sorry. My gf recently had a dream where I kissed a dude right in front of her. It made us both very uncomfy lol
35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]? I hate this question because I can only think of one thing.
36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? For surgery, yeah
37. Have you ever built a snowman? But of course!
38. What is the color of your socks? Not wearing any? I was wearing blue ones earlier. Jfc my answers are so boring.
39. What type of music do you like? Lots! I tend to listen to indie, classic rock, and some pop
40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Sunsets!
41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor? Chocolate or a variant (chocolate peanut butter, chocolate caramel)
42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer) LA Rams or Seattle Seahawks. I know they’re in the same division. It’s tough. (Please don’t ask me why these teams)
43. Do you have any scars? Yep, mostly from burning myself on ovens. I simply get too excited for my food.
44. What do you want to be when you graduate? I...have graduated? 
45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Well bestie recently said I have “lesbian hands” and I think that’s code for man hands so maybe that hahaha
46. Are you reliable? I try to be!
47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be? How many more times will I watch The Darkness before I learn my lesson? (Related: When does other bestie finally admit to her fetish?)
48. Do you hold grudges? Not typically, no
49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create? A dog and an otter? Can we domesticate otters? No, a horse and a large bird, create a pegasus and then free travel.
50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had? Oh god. I don’t even know where to start today tbh. Damie and pokemon and cosycon and looming and feet and [redacted] and developing apps for VP. So many fantastic conversations. 
In real life, probably the time I was at a laundromat in Italy and this guy wandered in with a beer, sat next to me and my male roommate, assumed we were a couple, and proceeded to give us bizarre life advice. I wish I could remember more of it, but it was so odd.
51. Are you a good liar? Hmm I’m okay at it I think, that is, I can convince people I’m serious when I’m actually joking. But I don’t like actually lying if it’s not just teasing someone. 
52. How long could you go without talking? Probably a few days if I had to.
53. What has been you worst haircut/style? The haircut I got before studying abroad! It was too short and I was so sad.
54. Have you ever baked your own cake? For a birthday? No. For fun? Absolutely.
55. Can you do any accents other than your own? Not well, no
56. What do you like on your toast? Butter and/or honey and/or jam
57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of? My beautiful depiction of a scene of chapter one of Private Dancer. 
58. What would be you dream car? An electric car of some sort. I don’t know enough about cars tbh
59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain. Nope but sometimes I’ll play music and dance and maybe softly sing.
60. Do you believe in aliens? Yep! Definitely 
61. Do you often read your horoscope? Almost never unless someone sends it to me.
62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? Already answered, A
63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons? Dinosaurs! 🦕
64. What do you think about babies? What do I think about them? They’re pretty cool. Just tiny little humans. 
65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of. I was very nice and let you correct your mistake and submit one after the fact:
In your opinion what is the best thing you can cook, like your speciality? My favorite thing to make is pasta, I started making my own sauce and I’d love to make pasta from scratch sometime.
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Limerence [M] ︳32
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Pairing: Zuko x OC
Genre: Romance, mainly fluff with future smut, and if you squint hard enough - you’ll find some angst.
Rating: SFW
Words: 14300+
Notes: It’s here! Get ready for the flood of emotions, sorry not sorry. But it's also crazy to see how far the story has gotten now. Did you know that I passed my one-year anniversary for this story (silently cries by myself in the corner). I'm so emotionally attached to this story it's stupid. But I hope you enjoy the story, and thank you for the awesome love and support!
Please stay healthy and safe, take care~!
Masterlist ︳Bonus pt. 2 [M] ︳ 33
❤ Buy me a coffee? ❤
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Limerence: (English/n.) the state of being infatuated with another person.
The moment their eyes locked they knew - the flames within him twisted while the water within her turned. It was a connection, a connection that would lead to love, adventure, and drama.
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Tacenda
(Latin/n.) Things better left unsaid; not to be mentioned to the public.
~ Ying Yue Jiang ~
            “You know…you have beautiful eyes, Princess.”
            “Awe, thanks, Sokka.”
            “Too bad your face is ugly.”
            “I swear-”
            The immature hoots that erupted from Sokka were loud and clear. His belly rumbled in amusement, entertained at my exasperated expression as I rested over his stomach.
            We were lounging in Zuko’s and I bedroom, munching on cookies on our bed, despite it being early in the morning. Zuko already rose and went for a morning jog – and I would be lying if I said I didn’t use the excuse of me being under the weather to avoid that run.
            It was as Zuko was leaving that Sokka busted through the grand doors, still in his polar bear pyjamas, with a plate of cookies in hand – “I wanted to check up on Princess, see how she’s feeling.”
            And that leads us to where we were now.
            I grumbled under my breath, stuffing another fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookie into my mouth as Sokka beamed down at me. Despite the pointless banter and teasing, Sokka and I were venting to each other; I was beyond happy. I never realized how much I missed spending time with him – he was my partner in crime, the person who helped me learn to laugh again.
            And while Sokka has been by my side from the beginning – we never got a chance to hang out as much as I would’ve wanted. Appreciate the presence of each other, even though ‘sibling time’ means tons of teasing and humiliation.
            A hand rested behind his head as he leaned against the bedframe, stuffing another cookie in his mouth. His hair has grown so much already.
            Usually, it was up in a messy top knot, but today, he let his hair down. Zuko still had the lengthiest hair out of the guys, but Sokka was starting to prove himself to be a worthy competitor. I was always jealous of how attractive Katara’s and Sokka’s brown hair was. There were natural blond highlights, and it complimented their baby blue eyes.
            “Hey…did Aang bring Momo?” I pondered out loud; brows pinched as I tried to recall the last time I saw that mischievous creature. He was already so infuriatingly elusive, but now that we were in the Kingdom, it was like he vanished.
            “Yeah, but you know how Momo is…” Sokka mumbled under his breath, more focused on chewing the cookie stuffed in his mouth than answering my question.
            “I haven’t seen him once!” I exclaimed, and Sokka snorted, “Join the club. I asked Aang the other day, told me Momo is hiding out in the kitchen.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes hearing that – of course, Momo is there. Appa would’ve joined Momo if he were here and could fit.
            “Explains why the kitchen staff is panicking. They keep complaining that the food keeps disappearing – scared it could be a ghost.”
            “You know what would be really funny…” Sokka considered, and based off the tone alone – I knew he was thinking of something evil. My mouth opened and closed, fighting the temptation to ask because I knew better. There was a reason why Sokka and I got along; we were the definition of dumb and dumber.
            My lips puckered, and the next thing I knew, I turned on my side, facing Sokka eagerly –“What’s your plan?” Sokka grinned, sitting upright. I yelped, body rolling onto his lap, and in a bold move – he put down the plate of sweets on the bed. He means business.
            “What if we covered Momo in flour – make him look like a ghost? The kitchen staff would lose their minds.”
            “Sokka~! I can already imagine the mess.”
            “And I can already imagine the looks on their faces when they see a ghost.” I huffed, crossing my arms. “No, Zuko will kill me if he finds out it was us.”
            “Keyword, if.”
            “Where is Katara when you need her?!” I groaned to myself. If Katara were here, she would’ve shut down this plan before Sokka could even think of it. She was the mother of the group for a reason – she kept us all in check.
            I grabbed a cookie from the plate that Sokka set aside, shoving it against Sokka’s lips. “Lie back down and eat a cookie.” I pestered, the only way I knew how to distract him. Sokka laughed against the cookie I practically stuffed, trying to chew the whole thing in one go.
            “Aren’t you excited? She’s arriving tonight.” He mumbled between chomps. An enormous smile appeared on my lips, brushing my bedhead hair away from my face. “I can’t wait!” I gushed, body sprawling across the bed as I hugged my teddy bear close to my chest.
            My gaze shifted upwards, staring at the wooden lined ceiling above us, with a silly look. It’s been how long since I’ve last seen Katara? It felt like forever, but I knew it was only a few months. Woah…me and Zuko haven’t been dating for that long, have we?
            It felt like Zuko, and I have been together for years – but not in a bad way. I just felt so comfortable with him. Our routines, how open we are with each other, it was surprising to think that we haven’t been together for that long. But also look at everything that happened, everything we have gone through together…
            It’s no surprise we’re as close as we are. We practically went through everything a couple may experience over their lifetime in a span of a few months. Add in the fact that he’s the ruler of a nation – things get a bit complicated.
            “She’s going to freak out when she hears everything that is going on.
            I pouted, snapping my head towards Sokka, “She doesn’t know?” Sokka grimaced, his silliness gone and face stern, “No. We didn’t want to give too much information via messenger bird or attached to Appa. It could get intercepted. It’s not worth the risk.”
            A blue silence fell between us; my gaze returned to the ceiling, lost in my thoughts. Despite all the smiles, the giggles, the sweet moments of bliss – that didn’t change the current chaos around us. Mai is a traitor, Azula is back, and Yakone-
            It was like someone punched me.
            The mere mention of Yakone had a shiver running up my spine, the hairs on my arms rising in terror. Zuko didn’t mention his name once around me, and I wonder if it was because he knew how shaken up I was after the incident. The worst part of it all was I still had the handkerchief Yakone gave me that night when he comforted me, hidden away in my vanity. Gosh, I should’ve thrown it out, burnt it –anything, but keeping it.
            I didn’t know why I even kept the stupid thing. Maybe it was to remind me that Yakone wasn’t that evil as a man? That there was still a little bit of good left in him. Yakone knew my family’s crane story.
            Dumb luck?
            He’s also a Bloodbender.
            But Aang told me that-
            “Princess…how is your ‘Fire Nation Politics’ lessons going?” Sokka asked, his voice cutting my thoughts in half. I couldn’t help but jump slightly in surprise, and Sokka’s hand fell over my forehead, a soothing gesture spotting my uneasiness.
            “Hmm? S-sorry, I didn’t hear properly.” I mumbled quickly, looking up at Sokka. He rolled his eyes at my aloofness, flicking my head before speaking again, “You’re lessons involving politics. Zuko told me you’ve been learning a few things.”
            I groaned loudly.
            Gosh, bloody Fire Nation politics.
            The moment I accepted that stupid Imperial Consort seal, I’ve had to brush up on my Fire Nation knowledge. From previous Fire Lords, customs, family trees, and laws – I wanted to cry. It wasn’t that it wasn’t interesting, it was just so much information thrown at me at once.
            My hands fell over my face as I internally sobbed.
            “It’s so difficult. I understand the basics, but the system here seems so backwards at times.” I whined into my hands, venting all the annoyance I had bottled up. There were so many things going on; at this point, I felt like I was memorizing words rather than understanding.
            But knowing the rules did help out and gave me the chance to fire that meanie of a councilmember…Maybe I did understand more than I was giving myself credit for. But with everything else going on at the moment, my head hurt tons.
            “Why don’t you ask Zuko to help you out, Princess? He is kind of like, the Fire Lord.” My hands dropped from my face, opting to throw my arms into the air in defeat. “I don’t want to bother Zuko. He has so much on his plate. I want to do this on my own.”
            “But Princess, this is his job. He’ll help if you ask– he wants to help.”
            I huffed to myself, biting my lips in frustration, “I know, but...I-uhh-I don’t know. I don’t want to. Have you seen the book I had to read for this week?”
            Sokka shook his head, and I grumbled to myself, “On my nightstand. See that ridiculously thick book? Yeah, try reading a page and not fall asleep.” Sokka laughed at the evident disgust in my voice, grinning madly as he reached to his side. Just thinking about the book had me shivering in fear.
            But I was trying.
            Watching the way Zuko worked on a daily, it made me want to work just as hard. I wanted the prove everyone wrong – that I wasn’t some arm candy for Zuko. That I knew what I was doing… Sometimes, it felt like Zuko was the only one who believed in me in this kingdom. I won the people’s hearts – now I had to prove to the council that I can do this.
            I closed my eyes, letting my arm rest over my eyes, the migraine that I’ve had still dully throbbing.
            It was strange, for the past five or so days, I kept fluctuating from feeling better to isolating myself in bed. My body was hurting; my head felt like a hot mix of heavy and aching. Was having a cold always this annoying? I usually had Katara heal me; I haven’t experienced a full-blown illness in years.
            “I’m gonna read where you have your bookmark,” Sokka spoke, and I merely nodded.
            Although…I don’t remember leaving a bookmark in my book…I didn’t make it far enough to bother putting one. I could hear Sokka snort as if he was trying to sniffle in a laugh-
            “Yesterday, Zuko used the lounging area after our bath, and I couldn’t be happier! He looked sooooo cute sitting there, reading. He almost fell asleep-”
            “OH MY GOSH SOKKA STOP!” I screamed. This asshole was reading my bloody journal!
            Sokka jumped out of bed, the fastest I’ve ever seen him move. I don’t even think he’s moved this fast or much during his times in battles. His bare feet hit the ground with a loud thud, laughing obnoxiously loud as he watched my expression of pure humiliation.
            My eyes were bulging, cheeks a flaming hot red as I jumped in the bed, frantically trying to grab the notebook from his grasp.
            “I love how when Zuko thinks he pouts like a child and-”
            “Sokka STOP – give it back!” I moaned loudly, embarrassment about to eat me alive and be my cause of death. But my cries fell upon deaf ears, Sokka smiling like the cat that got the cream and sliding away from me. I huffed stridently, flying off the bed and flailing my arms stupidly.
            Toph and I were the same height, which meant that everyone was outlandishly taller than us by two heads, minimum. I hopped up and down, trying my hardest to get Sokka to shut up – oh my gosh, I’m going to strangle him. But he just rose his arms high above him, reading the damn diary loud and proud. Please don’t read more, or else he’s going to-
            “It’s crazy to think that it’s those same pouty lips that left these hickies- OH NO. I’m GOING TO KILL HIM!” Sokka raged, his face matching my red face.
            I lunged forward, digging my shoulder into Sokka’s stomach.
            Both of us went tumbling down on the floor, sounding like thunder during a rainstorm. One would have thought we were doing some training exercise at the amount of effort and roughhousing we were currently engaging in. Who needs a morning run when you have a dumbass older brother reading your diary?
            “Give it back to me!”
            “NEVER. I swear, what else has that asshole done? I’m bringing you back home after we figure this stuff out!”
            “OH shut up, Sokka. I’m staying here!”
            “No, you aren’t! HOLY SHIT – you guys did WHAT in his office!?”
            “Sokka, stop reading!” I shrieked, trying to rip the damn book from his hands. I was puffing brashly, Sokka swinging his arms above him, despite me sitting on his chest, trying to catch his hands.
            “No! I do work on that damn desk sometimes. I’ve drunken TEA on top of there!” Oh, screw this, “I swear Sokka, I’ll choke you out if you don’t give me my diary!”
            “You wouldn’t dare.” He hissed under his breath; blue eyes narrowed – the glare of a warrior. I shot back the same look he gave me – I could be just as scary as him if I tried really-really hard. Sorry, Suki – find yourself a new man-
            “Should I even ask?”
            Sokka and I froze, heads snapping upwards, hearing the gruff voice echoing above us.
            Zuko stood at the end of the bed, his arms across his broad chest, as he watched us with a mixture of confusion and amusement. His face was rosy from running, a few beads of sweat running down his temple and neck. I could see the way his chest rose with every breath, still winded from his workout.
            My cheeks flushed at the sight of Zuko’s sweaty body, and at how silly Sokka and I looked. But Sokka seemed just as startled as me. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I snatched the notebook away from his hands, “HA~!”
            Sokka’s eyes widen, stunned at how fast I stole the book, sticking my tongue at him.
            It was like Zuko never entered the room.
            Sokka and I bickered back and forth like toddlers unable to share a damn toy. Our faces were pink, not taking the time to breathe between words, let alone sentences.
            “For fucks sakes, it’s way too early in the morning to deal with this,” Zuko grumbled under his breath, and I turned my gaze back to my handsome man.
            He strolled over to the closet, patting down his face with the towel dangling over his shoulders. I fought the urge to drool over the sight – let’s not check out Zuko with Sokka in the room. Just as fast as Zuko entered the closet, he walked out, grabbing a set of clothing– those are some extravagant clothing he picked.
            Every piece of clothing Zuko owned was stunning, made of the most delicate fabrics. But as he threw a new outfit onto the bed indolently, I saw the golden shimmers that illuminated under the morning sun and the beautifully sewed dragons.
            Sokka opened his mouth to argue, and I just slapped his head with my notebook, muffling his cries. “Zuko, why are you dressing up? Is there a meeting?” I asked, raising my voice so Zuko could hear me over Sokka’s squeals. He perked up, shooting me a look of disbelief.
            “Wow, won’t you look at that. Now my Imperial Consort acknowledges my existence.” He sarcastically spoke. I rolled my eyes at Zuko, bouncing off Sokka’s chest. Ignoring Sokka and his angry rant, I skipped towards Zuko, “You know I love you, Zuko~.”
            “Mhmm – it seems you love me the most during the night when you need a heater.”
            “…I’m not going to deny that.” I giggled, and right away, Zuko shot me a glare. A harmless glare, because I saw the grin that fought to emerge.
            “I advise you, and Sokka, change soon. I don’t think you want to be dressed in your nightclothes when she arrives.”
            Huh? She?
            “You’re talking about Katara? Isn’t she arriving tonight-” Sokka budded in, and I noticed he had the plate of leftover cookies in hand, chewing away. Zuko nodded his head, his amber eyes settling over me, “I got word they’re at Ember Island at the moment, taking a little break. They should arrive in the next hour or two.”
            My face flushed, clapping excitedly.
            “She’s almost here!” I gushed, turning on my heel to face Sokka. For the moment, the fact that he was reading my diary, and was about to kill Zuko was lost to the wind – both us animated at the thought of seeing Katara again.
            “Sokka, get out so I can change! I need to take a bath.”
            “I know you do, you stink.”
            “I swear Sokka-” I hissed under my breath, and just as quick as Sokka was to tease, he stepped forward, his playful grin shifting to a tender smile. His fingers brushed through the tangled strands of hair that fell over my face, combing them out of the way. My body relaxed and a lax smile of my own emerging at the gentle gesture.
            “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Princess.” He whispered under his breath, and I couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. “Thanks for checking up on me, and the cookies…I missed you…even if you annoy me.”
            Sokka grinned, flicking my forehead, “I’m always here, Princess...and…I’m taking the cookies with me.” He turned on his heel, shouting his goodbyes to Zuko before I could fight for my right to indulge in those tempting sweets. The pace at which he bee-lined for the exit, the door shutting behind him in one fluid motion, was unmatchable – leaving Zuko and me alone.
            My shoulders dropped, a content sigh escaping me – I’m happy.
            “Love?”
            My eyes widen, turning to see Zuko with those enticing eyes. He titled his head to the side, nudging towards the bathroom. An innocent giggle escaped me, already knowing what my dear Zuko was asking.
            “Give me a minute to grab some clothes-”
            “Already picked a dress for you.” I couldn’t hide my surprised expression even if I tried. “You did? I didn’t see you grab anything-”
            “I will after our bath. Although naked sounds like a tempting option, I must say.” Zuko sheepishly spoke, laughing under his breath as he waltzed towards me. His arms wrapped around my waist, gazing down at me with a broad smile. My hands fell over his chest, feeling his pulse under my touch.
            “Sokka says I stink…clearly; he didn’t smell you.” I teased, and Zuko leaned in, playfully biting my nose. His teeth grazed my skin, and I giggled at his childish behaviour. It will repeatedly take me off guard how utterly spiritedly Zuko could be – a trait that didn’t seem to pop up often, even with the others.
            “Mmm, stinky and stinky.” He muttered under his breath, “We make a good pair.”
            “Soon, we’ll be clean and clean.” I bantered back, enjoying the dimpled smile that shined brightly on Zuko’s face.
            “What were you and Sokka fighting about?” Zuko asked, his lips pecking my forehead, still holding me close to his body – making no move to head to the bathroom. I groaned to myself, letting my head plop onto his chest with a thud, recalling what had happened.
            “That bum read my diary! It was so embarrassing!” I blew.
            “You know…” Zuko spoke, and I heard the dip in his voice.
            My head snapped upwards, and I wasn’t astounded to see that shit-eating smirk flicker upon those sinful lips. The way my heart pounded, expression naïve hearing and seeing the way Zuko licked his lips mischievously, leaning too close for comfort.
            “I must say – my favourite part is when you write about how much you adore my voice.” Zuko mused, and at that moment – my cheeks turned a red that not even Zuko’s flames could match.
            My mouth dropped, babbling nonsense as I slapped Zuko’s chest hard – as if I could slap the awkwardness out of me. But Zuko didn’t seem the slightest bit flustered; instead, he looked down at me with a glowing grin. I can’t believe this asshole-
            “Does NO ONE understand the concept of PRIVACY!?” I squealed, puffing as I grumbled under my breath. “I can’t believe you read my diary! You’re just as annoying as Sokka!”
            “Who said I read your diary, love?” I frowned, staring at Zuko with confusion, “You-you just said that you knew-” Zuko grinned mischievously, the tips of his fingers tickling my jaw, shutting me up.
            “Oh, my sweet love. I didn’t read your diary. Just a lucky guess.”
            “You were bluffing-”
            “Nice to know what you think of my voice, although-” Zuko smirked, planting a deceitfully sweet kiss on my nose, “I can’t say that I am surprised.” I stood there, rattled, cheeks a flaming red - Zuko always seemed to know.
            That prideful smirk of his didn’t vanish, his delicate fingers leaving my face, arm no longer hugging me close. His welcomed warmth left my body, smugly stepping back, taking in my flustered appearance to the fullest.
            “Shall we get into our bath, love?” he spoke calmly, it was maddening.
            “I’m going to drown you,” I complained under my breath, watching the way Zuko confidently strolled towards the bathroom. But being the oh-so-famous man he was, Zuko shrugged off the threat with ease.
            His long fingers untied his loose bun, looking over his shoulder with a playful grin, “I can think of ten other things I would rather do in that tub than drown.”
            “Zuko~!”
            “And that’s exactly what I indeed to hear from those pretty lips of yours, baby.”
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            “Everything is set for Katara’s arrival, Fire Lord Zuko.”
            “Including the extra guard?”
            “Yes, Fire Lord. They are at their post.”
            Zuko huffed under his breath, nodding at the servants' words, although I couldn’t help but notice how empty his tone sounded. My eyes shifted from the chaos before me, feeling the way Zuko was moving his arm, which I tightly hugged. The moment I tilted my head upwards, an amused smile painted my lips. What a manchild-
            The golden stings that decorated Zuko’s sleeves seemed to have unravelled.
            I watched as he puckered, failing miserably at tying the adornment with one hand. The fabric slipped from between his fingers, and it may have been the first time, I dare say, that Zuko was unelegant. For a man with such a soft touch and long delicate fingers – you would have thought he had tree stumps as digits at the way he wriggled.
            “Fire Lord Zuko – let me.” I hummed.
            I grasped his arm, tugging him closer to myself as I tied the flimsy strings together. No wonder he was struggling – it was silk. A small huff, and a tongue biting moment later – I quickly began tying.
            Our pace of walking slowed without me realizing, and I couldn’t help but smile pridefully at how adorable my little knot was. While cute was not synonymous with Zuko for the majority of the population – it was in my books. What was there not to label cute about Zuko?
            “Mmm, what would I do without my lovely Imperial Consort?” Zuko droned into my ear, a deep huskiness causing my cheeks to flush. I could hear the teasing tone with every word, but that didn’t change the touch of truth in his statement. The guards and servants around us giggled softly, overhearing the teasing banter, causing my cheeks to deepen in colour.
            I looked upwards, not expecting to see Zuko as close as he was. It reminded me of the events that happened just a few days ago, us laughing like children down the hallway, close and snuggled. That’s right, Izumi was the name we settled on…
            The way his eyes smiled at me, inspecting the way my touch left his sleeves, opting to embrace his arm close to my body. For a moment in time, I found myself speechless. Zuko looked handsome today, breathtaking. Was that unusual? Not at all – but Zuko made my skin tingle, butterflies fluttering, and breath gone.
            “You would be lost – that’s what you would be.” I chirped back, biting my lips with a tone to match his. The way Zuko’s eyes lit up, surprised that I decided to amuse him. His lips began to move, ready to spit out some witty retort, but the sound of a servant clearing his throat beat him to it.
            “Fire Lord Zuko, you have a lunch date planned today with your mother, in the gardens. I assume you wish to cancel?”
            A lunch date? How sweet! It’s been a while since Zuko and Ursa have spent some time together. But rather than lighting up the way Zuko usually does at the mere mention of Ursa, he pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. I pouted, observing his evident annoyance, not seeming as content to hear of such a plan like me.
            “She’s going to kill me for canceling again- Yes, please cancel-” Zuko hissed under his breath. He can’t be serious-
            “Zuko.” I huffed, tugging on his arm without thinking. In a flash, everyone turned their attention to me – and I mentally slapped myself for doing such an act in public. But I pushed aside the regret, focusing on the matter at hand.
            “You aren’t really going to cancel your afternoon plans with Ursa, are you?” I whisper shouted, looking at Zuko with wide eyes. His lips puckered at my words, shooting me a look that screamed, ‘what else am I suppose to do?’
            I swear- this man really is lost without me at times.
            “We arrived here almost a week ago, and you’ve haven’t seen your family once. They’re worried.” I reasoned, and Zuko sighed, gazing around us in frustration. The guards got the hint. They awkwardly turned their looks away, walking briskly in front of us, giving us plenty of space to talk without anyone overhearing.
            “I know that Yue, but when Katara lands, we need to discuss-” Zuko hissed under his breath, lips pressed as he tried to hush his tone. “Zuko.” I pleaded, shaking my head, tightening my hold.
            The large doors that lead outside, where we landed with Appa, was coming into view. I spotted a dash of green running through the doors, most likely Suki. That means everyone is already there, waiting for Katara’s arrival.
            “I’ve been here for how long, and I only got to share one moment with you in those gardens. One walk – don’t do the same thing with your mom. She misses you.” I begged, and right away, Zuko’s stern look shifted to that of genuine regret. His cheeks flushed, stripping his gaze away from mine, his lips twisted to a frown.
            “You know how to make a man feel guilty,” Zuko grumbled under his breath as he strode forward, but I tugged on his arm harshly. He’s trying to run away from his feelings. We abruptly stopped dead in our tracks, turning on his heel to look down at me with narrowed eyes. Zuko wasn’t upset with me – he just sucks at expressing himself.
            Zuko was more of a family man than he let on. He would do anything for them, but it was like he was afraid to admit how much he cared. How much he thought about them and enjoyed their presence. I wasn’t a fool; I caught the sweet stares he sent to his mom or Uncle Iroh, enjoying their company, even if it was just for a few seconds.   
            “What I’m trying to say is this-” I muttered softly, upset that I caused that frown to rise. “We’ve survived this long without someone attacking us. I think the gang would understand and can wait a few more hours before our meeting. Katara is probably exhausted as well; she could use some rest…” I hummed.
            Out of the corner of my eyes, I could spot the servants studying us, curious as to why we halted. I let my hands rest over Zuko’s forearms, squeezing as I smiled up at him, “You’re a man of work, Zuko. And I love that, but don’t forget that you have a family too...”
            “I knew it was a bad idea to let Uncle Iroh and mom keep you company…they taught you their ways of getting to my mind.” Zuko mumbled under his breath, but I spotted that gentle smile of his starting to shine through – my sun.
            “When are you going to learn that I’m always the one in control?” I teased, and in a flash, Zuko gripped my hands tightly. My heart pounded loudly, blood pumping as I watched as Zuko brought my hands to his lips, placing sweet pecks all over my palms.
            “Mmm, I don’t deny such a truth, I pride myself in it.” he snickered, before stealing one last caress. “Let’s go, baby. Based on the ruckus outside, and dirt flying everywhere, it seems like Katara has arrived.”
            “I’m so excited, Zuko. I missed her-”
            “Oh, I’m very much aware of how excited you are. All night you were squirming around in your sleep. It felt like I was cuddling a worm.” Zuko laughed, and I blushed. This tease- I pulled my grip away, playfully punching his chest, not at all caring that we were not in the private confines of our bedroom.
            “Watch yourself, love – you wouldn’t want to get arrested now.” Zuko grinned, and I scoffed.
            “We both know that the guards love me more than you. So if you, Sir, don’t want to get put into cuffs, I advise you be careful.” I smugly retorted, and it was then and there I knew I was treading in dangerous waters.
            The large gap between us felt far too small, watching the way Zuko’s lips twisted to a naughty smirk that had my stomach in knots.
            He leaned forward, his lips grazing my jaw, his hot breath tickling the skin at the base of my neck. That alone had my breath hitching, and the incontrollable response had Zuko clicking his tongue in amusement. His alluring scent had my head spinning, knees on the verge of buckling at his mere presence. But it was Zuko’s damn voice that had me teetering on edge. Fuck him-
            “Mhmm, we both know that you would look delicious in a pair of cuffs, baby. And while I would never think of using such means, ‘cause you’re such a good girl, I’m not against the idea.”
            “Zuko-” I gulped, my hands bunching the fabric of my dress in my hands. I could feel my palms getting sweaty, realizing I’ve been holding my breath the whole time. And at the mere sound of my voice, Zuko let out a low groan in my ear, tilting his head back as he licked his lips. The way his eyes fluttered closed for a moment, rolling back – was it because of me?
            “There you go again, love. Saying my name in that needy tone of yours – it drives me mad.” He purred, and my eyes widened. Does no one see this, hear this? I anxiously shifted my gaze around us, scared that someone would see what was happening. I can’t continue breaking royal rules. I need just one day. One day where I go without breaking a damn rule.
            But my resolved cracked.
            The guards and servants were far more interested in watching the arrival of Appa through the windows, talking amongst themselves than what was going on between us. They have no clue; they’re completely oblivious-
            “Come on, baby, let me hear the sweet voice of yours again.” Zuko toyed, catching my attention. His lips brushed against my jaw once again, a hand falling on the dip of my back. I couldn’t help it – his lips are so close to mine, and no one is watching.
            One kiss. One kiss is all I want-
            “THANK THE FUCKING GODS I AIN’T THE ONLY ONE LATE.”
            If Zuko wasn’t holding on my waist the way he was now, I would’ve fallen on my face.
            We pushed off each other, the looks of two people who got caught painted on our faces. But just like that, Zuko collected himself. His touch left me, crossing his arms with a scowl on his face as he watched Sokka dash towards us in a mad sprint.
            Why is Sokka-
            Sokka’s thick brown hair reflected off the sunlight, droplets of water flying as he ran like a sprinkler. His hands were desperately working on the white buttons that decorated his navy blue top, flaunting his exposed torso to us. Are his shoes on the opposite feet?
            “Sokka? Why are you-” I whispered, but Zuko blew loudly, finishing off my train of thought. “A bloody mess? Come on, man, you’re leaving a fucking trail of water, and you aren’t even a Waterbender.” I stifled in a laugh because Zuko was totally right. There was a damn pond now in the kingdom, courtesy of Sokka.
            But Sokka grinned largely, not at all bothered by Zuko’s expression of disappointment. Aang and Sokka, I think the only two people who are immune to Zuko’s glares. Even I would cower away from such a stare.
            “I had to shower, and Suki had to shower too, and one thing led to another-”
            My cheeks flushed, and before I knew it, my hands fell over my ears, shutting my eyes and trying to push the mental image away. “Too much details Sokka!” I shouted, twisting on my heels, and Sokka let out a petty laugh.
            “HA. Oh yeah, cause that diary didn’t have too much information, Princess.” I frowned, hands falling on my hips as Sokka came to a halt beside us, closing the last button of his top. Oh, I swear, I’m going to kill Sokka-
            “You didn’t have to read my diary, dummy!” I shouted, and I could hear Zuko sigh beside us.“Why is my best friend, a fucking idiot?” Zuko mumbled, his arm snaking around my waist.
            “AWW MAN, I’m you’re best friend?” Sokka spoke, beaming like a child towards Zuko, and I found my jaw-dropping. Out of everything Zuko said, all he got was ‘friend’?
            “You’re an idiot,” Zuko spoke, a touch of genuine fear in his voice. I couldn’t help but snort, shaking my head as I brushed my hair behind my ears, looking forward. But it still doesn’t explain why Sokka is late.
            “We just saw Suki a few moments ago, Sokka,” I spoke, observing him. He had an elastic between his teeth, his hands frantically brushing his hair to a messy bun.
            “Yeah, well, as I said, we had to shower. I was just getting in, and she was just finishing.” Sokka mumbled between clenched teeth. With a free hand, he grabbed the hair tie, wrapping his hair in a somewhat presentable hair-do. “I still think I have shampoo in my hair…” Sokka grumbled under his breath.
            Who needs a damn child when you can have Sokka? I rolled my eyes, reaching forward as I watched the way Sokka struggled to put on the coat that he had swung over his shoulder. I’m surprised it didn’t fall off during his mad sprint towards us. I reached forward, fingers grazing the rough material, only for an animated shout to catch our attention.
            “Come on, slow-pokes! She’s here!”
            My eyes widen, looking in front of us. Suki’s head was popping through the grand doors. She was free of her Kyoshi warrior outfit, opting for a natural look. Her eyes matched the sweet smile of hers, her green dress flowing in the light breeze outside. Her brown hair bobbed back and forth as she eagerly bounced in her spot in excitement.
            “Some siblings you are – both of you guys are late.” She laughed before shutting the door behind her. Katara is here! In a flash, I gazed up to Zuko with doe eyes, ready to babble in anticipation, but I found myself stopping. The smile on Zuko’s face – it didn’t reach his eyes.
            I’m an idiot.
            “Come on; Katara’s going to give us a damn lecture if she doesn’t see us in the next ten seconds.” Sokka huffed, striding ahead of us. Zuko merely nodded, the arm wrapped around my waist thrusting me forward to match Sokka’s pace.
            Zuko didn’t utter a word; he just kept his gaze forward as we walked towards the doors. His lips were pressed tight despite the smile on his face. It was those fake smiles of his, I’ve seen them before whenever he was tired, or annoyed but had to show face in the name of politics.
            Zuko and Katara.
            I never did ask, but did they ever talk about what happened in the Southern Water Tribe? Things just happened so fast, and as reasonable as Zuko was, he was as stubborn as Katara could be petty.
            Did they make-up, did Katara apologize to Zuko? Zuko flat out admitted he wanted Katara to help heal me, but was it because he trusted her, or because he was desperate to see me better?
            The servants in front of us quickly opened the door for us, and for a split moment, I saw the slight scowl on Zuko’s face.
            Zuko…
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            Awkward was a word I would have never used to describe Katara’s and my relationship.
            We were many things – but above all, we were sisters despite not sharing the same blood. It was funny; she was born in November, me in July, the same year, but she was more of a big sister to me than I was to her. She just had this motherly aura about her, even making Zuko seem like a child to us all.
            A silence fell over us as we stood side by side.
            My fingers twirled around each other as we walked along the hallway, me admiring the view of the gardens before us. It was a beautiful day, the sunlight shining, the flowers seemingly reaching their peak in beauty. I could only imagine the sweet scents the flowers were producing should we have been walking outside instead.
            Awkward.
            The others were busy working on their tasks, Aang with his new Nation, Sokka, Toph, and Suki regarding a battle plan. And Zuko- I smiled. I could see him and Ursa, sitting under the large cherry blossom tree that towered above all. The pink blossoms created a blanket-like cover for Zuko and Ursa to sit on, something straight out of a fairytale.
            Even from here, I could see the contentment on Ursa’s face as Zuko poured her some tea. But the same emotion was evident on his, and while I couldn’t prove it, I was certain that those heart-throbbing dimples of his were most likely present on his face.
            Katara carefully brushed a brown braid behind her ear, her fingers playing with the flimsy envelope in her arms. I figured she would’ve used the time Zuko is spending with his mother to rest, but instead, she said she wanted to spend some time with me. I was beyond delighted to hear her say that, but now that she was here-
            Awkward.
            Why were things so awkward between us right now?
            The sound of Zuko’s laughter caught my attention, a tinge of pink dusting my cheeks. His smile was wide as he shook his head in amusement, his mother nodding eagerly as she spoke. The way Zuko studied his mom, listening to her every word like it was gold. He loved his mother to the moon and back; there wasn’t a doubt about it.
            “You and Zuko…you two seem happy.” Katara hummed softly, the first one to speak in the awkward silence that somehow managed to fall between us. I froze, unable to move my feet as I sharply turned to stare at Katara.
            Her blue eyes were round and filled with admiration, a genuine smile on her face. “Suki was right; you do stare at him a lot.” My mouth dropped, cheeks flaring up as I found myself speechless. Katara’s smile soon turned to an almighty grin, laughing at the reaction she got out of me, “Has Sokka declared himself as the ‘almighty cockblock’ yet?”
            I snorted, “The first week.”
            “He’s so overprotective.”
            “Tell me about it, that dummy read my diary today!”
            “He did not.” Katara huffed, her cheeks matching my red ones once I told her the news. But as the words left her mouth, I noticed how close we had gotten. Both of our bodies were leaned towards each other, eagerly talking as if the awkward silence that was consuming us never happened.
            The awkwardness…
            “Yue…?”
            “Katara…”
            “I missed you.”
            At her final words, I found my arms quickly flying over her shoulders, a happy smile painting my face. “I missed you, too, Katara,” I whispered, not at all caring that I was wrinkling the important paper pressed against her chest. Katara let out a giggle as she snuggled her head into my neck, cuddling me back to the best of her abilities without dropping the letter.
            The awkwardness was not because of some ill feelings, but because we didn’t know where to start.
            I’ve never been away from Katara and Sokka before; it was usually them leaving me for work. But now…it was different. This wasn’t a matter or us leaving for a few weeks or months and coming back. I lived here now, forever, this was my new home.
            My new life with Zuko.
            “It’s been so long; I don’t even know where to start.” I gushed as we pulled away. Having her in my arms briefly, I noticed that not much had changed between us despite the time. The only reason difference is that while she wore blue, I wore red.
            But she’s still my exasperating sister.
            “Well, you can start with, you know.” Katara laughed, wiggling her eyebrows towards the window. I blushed, looking over my shoulder, and at that moment, Zuko’s eyes locked with mine.
            It didn’t matter that we were a distance away from each other. The fire that ignited in me the moment Zuko’s gaze settled over mine was undeniable. He shot me a devilish smile as he tilted his head cockily. The way his ember eyes studied me, it was like he was looking into my soul – leaving me gasping and knees shaky. And just like that, he turned back to his mom, resuming his conversation.
            Oh, this man, the definition of sin itself.
            “Where do I even start?” I breathed, hands falling over my chest to get my heartbeat under wraps. But despite the flustered state, Zuko seemed always to leave me in; I couldn’t pull my eyes away. Gosh, Yue. You’re literally creeping him through the damn window.
            Have you really stooped that low? Yes, yes, I have, and I have no regrets.
            The confidence that seemed to ooze from him without a single effort, how did Ursa manage to give birth to such a fine specimen like him? Those pouty lips, long fingers, his hot breath along my neck-
            “Yue, do you love Zuko?” Katara blurted, cutting my thoughts in half.
            I jumped in my spot, my whole body heating up in embarrassment. Not only did Katara just catch me gawking at Zuko within minutes of her arriving here, but she also didn’t know. Everything that has happened between us; the kisses, sweet confessions, she didn’t know a single thing.
            “The way you’re staring at Zuko, the way he looks at you…it’s just like Aang and me; it’s …love.”
            “I-”
            “Do you-do you love him, Yue?” Katara sternly spoke, stepping forward. Her hands fell over my shoulders, her fingers digging into my dress with a serious expression. I nervously bit my lip, trying to understand her sudden outburst, but the expression she wore was serious. I swallowed hard, nodding my head.
            “I love him, Katara. More than anything in the world.”
             “I can’t believe it…” She whispered under her breath.
            I pouted, tilting my head to try to comprehend her words. Was she…was she mad? But Katara just snickered, her shoulders slumping in ease as she shook her head. “Zuko didn’t need someone to break down his walls; he needed someone to help him rebuild.” She muttered to herself. What is she talking about-
            “I’m so happy, Yue; I’m so happy you found each other.” She exclaimed. “Dad has been worried sick about you; I can’t wait till I tell him how happy you are.”
            Hakoda-
            “How is dad, Katara?” I questioned, and Katara shot me a sad smile. It was something that ate away at me. I still remember the look on his face when I told him I was leaving with Zuko. He tried to play it off cool, saying how he was happy that I was leaving the nest, spreading my wings again. But I could still remember the small sniffle that I heard the moment I shut the door behind me to leave.
            “He’s good, but sad…he misses you. Keeps on saying how his daughters are being swept off their feet.” Katara spoke as I let my gaze wander back to the window. Ursa was standing tall, dusting off her dress with a happy smile that reached her eyes. But Zuko was nowhere in sight.
            “But, he has you at home, at least,” I replied.
            “About that…” I frowned at her tone, pulling my gaze away from the gardens and back to Katara. She let out a heavy sigh, shuffling back and forth between her feet. “Dad has been acting weird lately,”
            Dad was always weird; that was a fact, but for Katara to say it spoke plenty. He was a serious man, for the most part, but Sokka got his playfulness from someone. And it didn’t take long to learn from who it was.
            “Dad has been pushing at the thought of Aang and me finding a home for ourselves.”
            “He’s thinking about your future.” I tried to reason, but Katara shook her head. “That’s what I thought, but since you left, he’s been insistent. Keeps saying that I’m an adult now, that I have to think of the bigger picture. And…”
            “And?” I pushed, and I spotted the way Katara’s cheeks flushed.
            Katara was blushing.
            She hugged her body, eyes darting side to side before she finally found her voice. Katara and Aang have been together for years – it took a lot to make Katara blush. This is going to be good.
            “A few months ago, I saw Aang talking to Dad in his office. But whenever I bring it up, Aang says he wasn’t there – when I saw him. I even confronted Dad about it, but he denies everything.” I rose a brow, trying to piece together what Katara was telling me.
            Why Would Dad lie about that, better yet – Aang doesn’t lie. Aang is the definition of purity, never uttering a lie or harming a soul. For Aang to lie to Katara…
            “I think…I think Aang may propose to me, Yue.”
            “Oh my gosh, Katara-”
            “And I wanna say yes!” She blurted, her hands falling over her mouth at her honest confession. I couldn’t stop the squeals, jumping in my spot at the thought of Katara and Aang tying the knot. The first marriage in the gang!
            “Katara, I’m so HAPPY!” I chirped, clapping like a fool at the thought, and that just seemed to worsen Katara’s blush. “I love him, Yue. We won’t have kids for a few years, we agreed on that, we’re both too busy with our jobs. But we’ve always wanted to be married. But maybe I’m overthinking things?”
            “Overthinking? KATARA. He went to Dad, and now Dad is trying to find a house for you~! He’s going to propose!”
            “Have you heard anything funny from Sokka, or maybe Zuko? Maybe Zuko would know what Aang is thinking. Aang always says how Zuko is his best friend; he would know something, right?” Katara insisted, and I thought.
            She had a point.
            Just like how I spilled my guts to Suki or Kima, the guys would do the same with each other. But I never heard anything from Zuko…but he’s good at keeping secrets, Yue. I huffed, that’s right. Which means…if I want to find something I have to do a little bit of snooping.
            I grinned, “Leave it to me. Sokka doesn’t call me a curious cat for nothing!” Katara frowned, shaking her finger at me, “Don’t go doing anything stupid, Yue. I don’t want you to get in trouble with Zuko because of me.”
            I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms, “Zuko wouldn’t dare, I have him wrapped around my finger.”
            “I can’t believe it, Yue. You really tamed the untamable.” Katara spoke in amazement, shaking her head as she watched over me. I smiled proudly, shifting my attention back outside. Ursa was calmly sitting under the tree again, a book in her lap as her eyes scanned back and forth. Smart woman, enjoying the warmth to the fullest.
            But Zuko still wasn’t there. Where did he go? He was just there a moment ago-
            “Looking for someone, love?”
            I jumped, a pair of arms snaking their way around my body. The heat emitted from his touch had me purring, snuggling against the hard torso pressed against my back. Zuko nuzzled his face into my neck, his hands firmly planting themselves on my waist as he hummed pleasantly in my ear. “Mm, how is my baby?” he droned, his lips nibbling my skin before stopping abruptly.
            His body tensed, and I saw the way Katara’s eyes widen in surprise. Zuko pulled his face away from me, standing tall, fingers digging into my skin.
            “Katara.” He spoke bluntly, but I could feel the coldness in his tone. I’m right. He was upset with her still, and Katara seemed to notice it too. Katara’s lips pressed tight, taking a deep breath as she nodded her head, “Zuko.”
            Awkward – this was what real awkwardness feels like.
            The tension in the room was thick, Katara’s blue eyes locked with Zuko’s golden ones. “How was your lunch with Ursa, Zuko?” I blurted, trying to ease the tension, it was unbearable.
            “Great.” He hissed, and I stiffened. This is bad, really bad.
            Do something, Yue.
            Do something-
            “I forgot to give these papers to you earlier, Zuko. These are from the Earth Nation.” Katara spoke, and Zuko’s eyes narrowed.
            “How did you receive it?” He asked, and Katara cleared her throat before answering. “Ember Island. The Earth King sent this there, thinking you were still residing in your vacation home. But I was told it was urgent and they sent it with me. Faster with Appa. It’s to be opened as soon as possible.”
            Zuko merely nodded, not saying anything else. Zuko not speaking was scarier than him yelling. Katara outstretched her arm, Zuko meeting halfway as he touched the envelope. The flimsy document looked small in Zuko’s hands, but as his fingers curled, ready to take it, Katara's voice stopped him.
            “Actually, I thought Yue could take it to your study.”
            “Why? I can do it myself; we’re on our way there now-”
            “I-I want to talk, just us, for a minute, Zuko,” Katara exclaimed, and I noticed the way her voice wavered. Her eyes met mine, almost pleading with me to go along, and I nodded. Before Zuko would say anything else, I reached forward, taking the paper from their grasps. I looked upwards, shooting Zuko a sweet smile, “I’ll meet you at the study with the gang. Be quick!”
            I could hear Zuko click his tongue, and like water, I slipped from his grasp.
            Temptation ate away at me, swiftly gazing over my shoulder at the two, and they were exactly where I left them seconds ago. They stood across each other, a large frown on Zuko’s face as Katara took a deep breath. And as I turned the corner, I found myself stopping for a moment.
            “What do you want, Katara? We have stuff we need to discuss-” Zuko grumbled under his breath, undoubtedly pinching the bridge of his nose.
            I knew it was wrong.
            I knew I shouldn’t listen, eavesdrop. But it was like no matter how hard I tried; I couldn’t move. I wanted to know what Katara wanted to talk so desperately to Zuko about. I wanted to know what Katara wanted with Zuko. Was she going to ask Zuko about the marriage thing? But the words that flew from Katara’s mouth had me holding my breath.
            “I want to say I’m sorry.”  
            Silence.
            I bolted as fast as I could, a goofy smile on my face.
            Katara had guts.
            And while Katara was undoubtedly hard-headed like Zuko, the friendship between Zuko and her was far more important than her ego. Thank you Katara, Zuko really needed to hear that.     
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            “What’s taking them so loooonnngggggg~.” Toph complained under her breath, lounging on the rug that covered the floor of Zuko’s office. Her hands were comfortably tucked behind her head; legs crossed over each other as she impatiently blew. Should she have been a Firebender, I was certain there would have been flickers of fire leaving her lips, much like Zuko.
            I giggled, shrugging my shoulders as I happily sat in Zuko’s grand chair. It was super comfy, might I add. The padding was making it feel like I was sitting on a cloud. No wonder Zuko didn’t mind doing paperwork, I would to if it meant sitting on a comfy chair like this.
            My curious eyes wandered about, scanning the array of documents that decorated his study. There were so many projects happening under Zuko’s care, notes filled with his scribbles containing details. But as interesting as everything was, I was more fascinated by the green document that I brought here.
            While it was light, the envelope was thick; the Earth Nation seal prettily stamped in the center with ivory coloured wax. A letter from the Earth King…I wonder what it is about? As if the emerald green hypnotized me, I found my mind wandering.
            I wonder how Kayto was?
             No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wipe the image of the happy smile on his face as he walked away from me. The cherry blossoms falling around him in the sweet breeze, how clear his eyes seemed that day. Even his steps seemed lighter than air, practically hovering along the ground.
            It was like he was a changed man…but despite the delighted smile on his face, my heart swelled with sorrow. There was something about that moment that had my eyes teary, something that made my stomach rise to my throat.
            “I gotta say, Princess. You look good, sitting there. You look like a real Queen.” Sokka mused. I blushed at his words, pushing myself back in the chair. My gaze snapped forward, watching the way Sokka lounged in a chair that was placed in front of the desk we were currently huddled around.
            “You really do, for someone as cute as you – you can look pretty scary when you focus.” Suki giggled in Sokka’s lap. I whined under my breath, shyly combing my hair in front of my chest, twirling the strands around. Me ruling a whole Nation? I could feel my whole body shaking.
            The thought alone was beyond terrifying. How does Zuko do it? Thousands and thousands of people looking up to you for guidance. You’re the face of the Nation. The person people praise or curse. Overnight you can be the publics' favourite person, their beacon of hope, or their worst enemy.
            “Sorry we’re late.”
            Zuko busted through the door hastily, and I couldn’t help but smile. The tension in his shoulders was gone, his feet light as he beelined towards his study. He looked like a man on a mission – ready to get down to business. Katara coolly walked towards Aang, but even I could tell she seemed more at peace, her breathing calm.
            They’re okay; they talked it out.
            “FINALLY. Can we get this done and over with already?” Toph groused, sitting upright in a flash as she crossed her arms. Zuko rolled his eyes at Toph, merely walking where I sat. He placed a small peck on my forehead, earning a bashful smile from myself, before spotting the green document on his desk.
            “Where do we even start?” I pondered under my breath as I watched Zuko. He leaned against his study, a hand combing through my locks as if to soothe himself, as he swore under his breath. The letter from the Earth King was dense – he’s going to have a fun read.
            “Maybe with Kayto and the Earth King?” Suki proposed, but Toph gave her two cents. “Further. The waterfall. That’s where Yue first saw Azula and Yakone.”
            “Azula? Yakone?” Katara gasped, Aang nodding his head as he ran his hands up and down her, comforting. “You’re all wrong,” I announced before realizing what I had said. Right away, Zuko’s attention shifted to me, eyes narrowed as the grip he had on the paper tightened.
            “What do you mean that we’re wrong? You said you saw Azula at the waterfall.” Zuko spoke, a certain edge in his voice. I puffed, “You’re right, but that’s not the first time I saw her.”
            “You lied? Why would you lie about that-”
            I frowned at Zuko, realizing that he thought I was hiding information. “Yeah, Princess. Why would not tell Zuko you saw Azula?” Sokka butted, leaning forward, nearly pushing Suki off him. Her hands fell against the study, catching herself, shooting Sokka a glare.
            “Because I didn’t know it was her!” I puffed, throwing my arms up in the air frustratingly. As much as I was part of the gang now, they seemed to forget that I wasn’t friends with them as long as they have been. “I didn’t know it was her! You don’t think if I knew, I would’ve said something? She disguised herself as a maid. I didn’t know better.”
            “Did you not tell Yue about Azula, Zuko?” Aang asked gently, and I saw the flustered look on Zuko’s face. His gaze shifted back to the fancy writing of Earth King, grumbling under his breath. “N-no.”
            “It’s not Zuko’s fault; he doesn’t have to tell me about that.” I started, but Zuko slammed the paper on the desk. I was startled, not at all expecting the outburst of anger. His forehead was scrunched together, a scowl on his face as he stared the crimpled paper.
            “It is my fault; I should’ve been smarter; I let my guard down. I figured Azula was no longer an issue – stupid wishful thinking.” Zuko hissed under his breath.
            “Zuko…” I hummed softly. My hand fell over his forearm, giving him a gentle squeeze. “I should’ve told you about the maid. I was stupid…I didn’t want to worry you.”
            “But I already worry.” He ranted.
            “Oh, for fucks sakes, talk about your damn feelings another time!” Toph swore loudly, standing upright as she stomped her feet on the ground. She swiftly shifted her posture, her head in the direction of Katara.
            “Look here, Sugar Queen, this is what is going to happen. I’m going to tell the damn details, and everyone can keep their mouths shut till the end. Got it?”
            I found myself zipping my mouth shut, Sokka nodding his head frantically, hearing Toph’s stern voice. Aang straightened up his posture, Zuko shooting Toph an amused look, seeing her take charge. “Please go on, Toph. Saves my breath.” Zuko muttered, before raising the documents back to view.
            And boy, did Toph tell the story, alright.
            It was an experience I didn’t know I needed to experience until today. I figured Toph would gloss over everything, cutting corners due to her unsurprisingly impatient nature, but I was pleasantly surprised.
            Despite her blunt and quick to the point, attitude, she hit the nail in every aspect. She didn’t leave behind a single detail, Katara’s eyes growing wider and wider by the second. In fact, even though most of us were there to experience the whole ordeal, we found ourselves silent. Who knew Toph could be a fantastic public speaker when she wanted to be? She would make an amazing investigator.
            Zuko’s hand went back to petting my hair, reading the documents sent from the Earth King, as Toph ranted. But his attention wavered when Katara spoke up.
            “Azula burnt Aang?” Katara repeated, her hand softly caressing Aang’s arms. Aang shot her a caring smile, catching her hand with his, “Don’t worry about it, Sweetheart. I’m all healed.” I could tell Aang was trying his best to ease any concern of Katara, but I couldn’t blame her.
            She was thrown into a pit of lions. Everything that happened, we’ve gotten to process one way or another over time, but Katara was learning about everything now. It was a shock, but Katara just huffed furiously at Aang, shaking her head in annoyance.
            “And you- are you crazy?” She shouted; a slender finger pointed towards me. My jaw dropped, face going white as I saw the way her eyes narrowed heatedly. It reminded me of the times she would lecture Sokka and me whenever we got into trouble. “You fought Azula like in that state, you fought Yakone. You could’ve died Yue; your chi is all messed up. This is dangerous!” Katara lectured.
            “I had to save them-”
            “Aang could have gone in the Avatar state.” Katara retorted.
            “He was tired.” I fought back, pushing myself off the chair. I knew Katara had a point. It was stupid of me, and this ‘flu’ I had, which was evidently something else, was worrying. It was dangerous for me to bend, but the thought of any of them getting hurt was scarier. “I had to save them. Yakone was going to kill them.”
            “And this is why Bloodbenders are disgusting.” Katara spat, running a hand angrily through her locks. The outright hatred in her voice had my breathing hitching, not at all expecting those words to leave her mouth. But the way she spoke, it came naturally, like the fact that Bloodbenders were some vial creatures was a truth, not an opinion. Disgusting-
            “Those are some strong words, Katara,” Aang said speedily, and Katara pursed her lips.
            “You know how dangerous Bloodbending is. You can control someone without their consent. Kill them from the inside out.”
            “That’s not true, Katara.” I blurted without much thought. Aang’s eyes widen at my comment, shooting me a warning glance, but Sokka spoke up before Katara could. “No offence, Princess, but as much as you are a lover, you have to admit. Bloodbending, that’s some next-level human shit right there.”
            “If you can even call them human,” Katara grumbled under her breath. Sokka frowned at her comment, but regardless, he nodded his head in agreeance to her words.
            “Honestly, they’re more like monsters to me. Manipulating blood? That’s disgusting and dark.” Suki added, shaking her head as she looked at Sokka. Suki was a warrior, but even I noticed the way her voice wavered at the thought of Bloodbending.
            “Well, once we get rid of Yakone, no more Bloodbenders to worry about. Problem solved.” Toph grumbled, falling back onto the floor with a thud. She crossed her legs, resting her chin on her elbow as she listened to everyone trash talk.
            “We shouldn’t speak ill about Bloodbending; we don’t know much about it…maybe it can be used for some good?” I reasoned, trying to add some positivity to the conversation, but Katara snuffed. “What good could Bloodbending possibility have?”
            “M-maybe you can heal? Right, Yue? Maybe you can do some more powerful healing, better than regular Waterbending?” Aang proposed eagerly. His eyes were light, scanning the room desperately, wishing for someone to work with him. But Sokka shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know Aang. When you have that much power…it's tempting to do more evil than good, in my opinion.”
            “But Aang is strong; he isn’t evil!” I retorted, hands falling on the study before me harder than I intended. Everyone jumped slightly at the sudden noise, but the beating of my heart in my chest was louder. “That’s like- that’s like saying that everyone with power is evil. That’s not true; there are plenty of good people with power.” I panicked, desperately trying to defuse the situation.
            “Why do you care so much, Princess? Why are you trying to defend Bloodbenders? It’s like you feel bad for Yakone or something.” Toph huffed.
            “That’s not what I’m trying to say.” I whimpered under my breath. What was I trying to say? It did sound like I was trying to defend Yakone. But that wasn’t it – hearing the way they disregarded a whole sub-bending skill because of a bad-bunch? What about all the good that came from Bloodbending during-
            “The next thing you know, Princess over here is going to go give a hug to Yakone, maybe offer him some cookies.” Toph mocked under her breath. My lips puckered, eyes wide hearing the taunting tone in Toph’s voice.
            “Watch it.”
            For the first time, I heard Zuko speak. His voice was low, a deadly tone laced with his simple warning as his hand fell over my shoulder. I could feel the heat radiating from his palms. Zuko didn’t say a damn word during the whole conversation. Did he think Bloodbenders were monsters too? Despicable and less than human?
            “It was a joke, Zuko. Relax.” Toph huffed, her bangs flying upwards for a moment before falling back over her eyes. “This isn’t a time for jokes. We have two wanted criminals, and damn spy inside the kingdom.” Zuko lectured, and Katara stepped forward.
            “We’re just talking about Bloodbenders-”
            “But why? Whether or not Bloodbenders are evil is beside the fucking point. We need to focus on the important things. Healing Yue, so her chi doesn’t kill her, and capturing Yakone to ensure the prosperity of the United Nations.”
            “Zuko is right; we’re falling off track here,” Aang spoke, his voice sounding calmer. Zuko ran his hands through his bun, causing hairs to fall and frame his face. “We can pick up the rest tomorrow; we’re getting nowhere for today,” Zuko muttered under his breath.
            Suki let out a sigh, standing off Sokka and outstretching a hand. He grabbed it, letting her pull his body upwards before wrapping an arm around her shoulders, “Fine. Let’s call it a day then. We can pick everything back up tomorrow in the morning.”
            “Fine with me…” Toph grumbled before abruptly standing up. She kicked the air underneath her before storming out of the room without another word. Aang nodded meekly, bowing quickly towards Zuko and I. I saw the way he smiled at me sympathetically before linking arms with Katara. Pity.
            The sound of their soft voices and feet pattering against the room was the last sound heard before the door shut behind them, leaving Zuko and me alone. The room suddenly felt far too large and lonely, missing the company of everyone, despite them being the cause of anxiousness.
            I let out a shaky breath, hands rubbing my face roughly. Why did I have to say anything? I should have just agreed; I should have kept my mouth shut. They’re right-
            Bloodbenders are monsters.
            Disgusting creatures – less than humans.
            I’m a mon-
            “Love?” Zuko hummed softly, squeezing my shoulder and catching my attention. I jumped, hands falling onto my lap as I looked up at Zuko. I felt so jumpy today, uneasy, even around Zuko. But why? It was like darkness was looming over my head.
            “S-sorry. I’ll go now so you can work. See you for dinner-”
            “Wait.” Zuko breathed, and I noticed how soft his amber eyes appeared. The furious leader that called off the meeting was gone; only Zuko was here, no Fire Lord. “Let’s get out of here, love,” Zuko spoke tenderly, brushing my hair behind my ears as his fingers carefully traced my jaw. His touch had my body easing, breathing relaxing as I weakened under his touch.
            “But your work-”
            “Mother told me some interesting advice today during lunch.”
            I bite my lips. That was random, even for my standards. But the look on Zuko’s face, he was serious. I opened my mouth before shutting it, unsure how to respond to his unexpected statement. “What…did she say” I clumsily questioned.
            The way Zuko leaned into me, I could see my reflection in his eyes. He had such long eyelashes; I never did notice. I figured that the burn would’ve prevented much growth, much like his eyebrow, but that didn’t seem to be the case. His eyes were like endless pools of gold, flickers of sparks scattered randomly. The longer we stared into each other eyes, the larger his pupils dilated.
            His thumb traced my bottom lip, Zuko biting his lips, “She told me to be selfish more often.”
            I rose a brow at his words. “Selfish?”
            “Mhmm…and I think…today I’m going to listen.”
            “Which means…?” I pushed, and Zuko chuckled. “So impatient, curious.”
            A flush coated my cheeks, but I couldn’t pull away from his grasp. Hypothesized by the intense stare, the way he rolled his bottom lip under his teeth as he cheekily studied me up and down. “I’m spoiling you rotten today. Care to go on a date with me? Ice cream for dinner?”
            “Really? You aren’t playing around with me, are you?” I wisely asked, not trusting Zuko completely. He was not only a tease but a high-key sadist. Zuko sniggered, pinching my nose before planting a sweet kiss on my lips, “Of course, beautiful.”
            Beautiful.
            Zuko felt the way my body tensed at the word, and he pulled away. A painful frown suddenly emerged on his face, eyes watching over me, “What’s wrong, love?”
            “Can a monster be beautiful?”
            Zuko’s snorted, rolling his eyes at my unexpected remark. “You think I’m attractive, and I was called a monster my whole life…so I guess so. A monster can be beautiful.”
            But Zuko was handsome – whoever called him a monster, they were wrong. He was a product of misfortune, who rebuilt themself, became something better. Zuko eyed my expression as I absentmindedly nodded at his words, but I wasn’t satisfied. Because that wasn’t the question, I really wanted to ask.
            “Ask it, love. You’re itching to ask.” Zuko mused, seeing right through my act. And I did just that, asked him the question I wanted so desperately to know his answer for.
            “Can you love a monster?”
            “…the better question is, do you think a monster is worthy of love?”
            Is it selfish for me to say yes?
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            Waking up to the beautiful smile of Zuko’s was the best way to start the day.
            Our limbs were messily intertwined with each other; Zuko’s arms were hugging me close to his body. My face was flush against his chest; his hands combed through my locks. He was always so careful, not wanting to yank at a tangle, relishing the way the silky strands slid between his fingers.
            “Mm, good morning, love,” Zuko whispered between hushed lips, pressing the top of my head with chaste kisses.
            There was a certain raspiness in his voice that had me mewling, purring as I snuggled against his pec, hearing his steady heartbeat. His voice was low, almost drunk-like, as he let his lips brush by my temple for one last peck. “How did my baby sleep? Feeling better?” He hummed. I felt the way his hand trailed down my hair, following my spine, stopping at the hem of panties.
            “Perfect, warm.”
            “I should start charging you.” Zuko pestered, and I gazed upwards, a grin on his face. “A kiss per half hour?”
            “That’s a pretty steep rate.” I bothered, and Zuko laughed.
            “You’re right, just for you, I’ll give you a better rate.”
            “So, there are others you warm like this?” I pouted, failing miserably to mask the bubble of jealousy that suddenly emerged. I knew that my statement was false; the thought of Zuko sneaking off and having some side affair was more of a joke than a possibility. He was far too devoted, too loyal to be the type to cheat.
            But despite the obvious, Zuko smirked, “Of course not, baby, that’s why I’m giving you the best rate. For my one and only customer.”
            “And what would that be?”
            “Two kisses per half an hour.”
            “Zuko, that’s even worse than the last rate you gave me!” I laughed noisily, snorting at Zuko’s logic. He chuckled, chest rumbling underneath me as he stole another kiss on my head. “You caught me red-handed, love.”
            “I swear, one day I’m going to freeze you,” I grumbled under my breath, trying to hide the fact that I was enjoying this way too much. “Temperature play? You really are a kinky one.” Zuko teased, and I blushed.
            “T-that’s not what I meant, Zuko!” I shrieked, infuriated that I let Zuko get a rise out of me this early in the morning. But the smile on Zuko’s face grew the more flustered I got, cheeks a baby pink as I blew. How can I stay mad at him when he looked so damn cute?
            A knock on the door caught our attention, stopping our tantalizing banter short. Zuko shuffled, and I rolled over, letting him sit up. “Come in,” Zuko spoke loudly, the door creaking open just a bit. I pushed the heavy blankets off me, reaching for my robe and letting my arms slip through before standing up.
            “Good morning Kim-oh.”
            “My apologies, Fire Lord Zuko, Imperial Consort Ying Yue. Kima and Lia took the day off today; it seems they are tied up at the moment.” A lady spoke. My breath caught in my throat, staring blankly at the lady before us.
            Her hair was short, highlighting her sharp angular facial features. Her eyes were tapered, a stunning violet colour, pupils like slits. A tea tray was carefully balanced in her grasp, as she thoughtfully walked forward. The whole time her eyes were locked with mine, a sinister smile on her face.
            “I bring you your morning tea. To help with your illness, Imperial Consort, doctors' orders.” The lady spoke, a deliberate hiss towards the end. I felt myself on edge, unable to finish slipping my arm through my robe as I just stared.
            “Thank you; you can leave it on my side,” Zuko spoke, snapping me out of my haze.
            His coarse voice seemed to catch the lady’s attention, too, shifting her eyes to him, licking her lips without a care in the world. “As you wish, Fire Lord Zuko.” The way she purred out his name, the seductive tone, it had my skin crawling.
            She shuffled forward, letting the tray fall on his nightstand with a loud clank. Hastily, I put on my robe, tying it to my body as if it was a layer of armour. “I’ll take my leave. Enjoy the tea.” She spoke, forcing a crazy smile on her face wicked, matching her eyes.
            I observed her every step. She was light on her feet, and I noticed how ill-fitting her maid's clothes were. They were far too tight, highlighting her toned physic. With one last crooked smile, the door shut behind her, the air filling my lungs.
            “Fucking weirdo,” Zuko muttered under his breath before reaching over his nightstand. He grabbed the ceramic teapot, pouring the hot liquid into a teacup. The steam filled the air, and his large hand cupped the small teacup before eyeing me, “Here, love.”
            “Give me a minute; I’m going to brush my teeth. I feel yucky.” I glowered, and Zuko rolled his eyes. “Come on; I like your morning breath.” He teased cheekily, pulling the teacup back to his chest.
            “Eww, you’re so gross, Zuko.” I giggled; the uneasiness of that maid’s presence long forgotten.
            “Some would call that romantic,” Zuko shouted as I waltzed my way to the bathroom. I look over my shoulder, shooting him a look of disbelief. “The Almighty Fire Lord Zuko a romantic?” I said, biting my lips as I rose my brows.
            Zuko hummed, bringing the teacup that he had originally poured for me to his lips. The way he looked over at me while taking a slow sip, “Mmmm, are you trying to say I’m not?” He challenged. But I saw the way his nose scrunched up for a moment, taking a whiff of the tea.
            “This smells gross…and tastes just as bad.” Zuko muttered under his breath, and I rolled my eyes. “It’s medicine Zuko, my medicine, not some breakfast tea.”
            “Tea is tea, but fuck – this is really gross.” Zuko groused, and I laughed at the way Zuko complained under his breath. Yet to my amazement, he took another swing. “You just said you don’t like it!” I snickered, shaking my head.
            My hands pushed the bathroom door open, letting the natural light from the windows light the space. I winced slightly, feeling the cold tiles against my feet, wishing I made Zuko get ready first. His natural warmth always managed to heat the cold tiles.
            “Yeah, but I don’t want it to go to waste.” I heard Zuko grumble loudly, voice sounding rougher than usual. “Zuko, don’t worry. I’ll drink it all.” I reasoned, searching for the toothpaste. Where was it? My eyes frantically scanned the marble counter, spotting our toothbrushes, face towels, cleansers.
            “Hey, Zuko. Did we finish the toothpaste?” I asked, my gaze darting all over the place. He must have forgotten to tell me we ran out last night. A small pout fell over my lips, hands falling over my hips as I stood tall.
            “Zuko? Hey Zuko-”
            The sound of glass hitting the ground had my blood running cold.
            My feet moved without me thinking, dashing into our bedroom frantically, “Zuko? Are you ok-”
            Zuko’s face was red, hands desperately clawing at his throat. He was heaving, sweating, veins popping as he was hunched over, coughing. I could see the deep red marks etched into his skin as he tore at his throat, “Zuko!” I cried, and at the sound of my voice, his head snapped upwards.
            My heart stopped, seeing how wide his golden eyes were.
            They were bloodshot, tears bubbling up as he wheezed.
            “Help.”
            He’s choking. He can’t breathe- I ran.
            “Zuko, I’m here, Zuko, relax! You need to try to breathe.” I panicked, running to his side. My feet slipped against the wooden floors as I dashed, but I found myself stopping abruptly. Ceramic littered the floor. The teacup was shattered into a dozen pieces, small fragments of herbs littering the floor-
            The tea.
            “Guards!” I screamed, jumping into the bed as I hastily crawled to Zuko. His chest rose and fell frantically, shoving him back as my fingers trailed to his neck. The bedroom doors flung open, the sound of heavy footsteps entering the room, “Imperial Consort- What happened?!”
            “Call the doctors, Zuko is poisoned. He needs help!” I cried, not bothering to turn to face them. I shut my eyes, trying to find his pulse, hands shaking. His heart was pumping, throbbing piercingly as he struggled to breathe.
            He’s dying.
            Something abruptly grabbed my wrist, my eyes snapping open, and I couldn’t stop the sob that erupted from me. Zuko’s eyes met mine, and I could see it.
            “I-I love you.”
            “N-no-no Zuko. You’re not going anywhere.” I sobbed, hands frantically touching his throat. His pulse was dying. I need to do something. I need to do something-
            That’s it.
            If it’s the tea, it’s a liquid. I can bend the tea from his skin like sweat. I yanked my hand away from Zuko’s, grasping his chest and pushing my arms against his heating skin. My eyes shut closed, tears overflowing as I focused.
            I can’t feel it.
            I can’t feel the fucking tea.
            “I can’t bend it!” I shouted in frustration, moving my hands up and down his body, trying to find a fucking drop of it in his system. His body can’t have ingested the tea into his bloodstream. For something like that to happen, a few hours would have had to pass. It’s impossible – unless.
            My arms stiffened, freezing in my spot, hands no longer frantically searching his body.
            The tea wasn’t tea.
            I dug my fingers into his skin, breathless as I realized what was happening. I could feel it, it was there, in Zuko’s body, in his blood.
            If the tea was mixed with someone’s else blood – poisoned, then it’s possible- the poison is already in Zuko’s bloodstream.
            He’s going to die.
            I can’t save him.
            I can’t bend that; I can’t- My heart pounded loudly in my ears, pulling myself away from Zuko’s body. I couldn’t stop the tears that fell down my face.
            I can’t; I shouldn’t-
            My feet wobbled as I crawled off the bed, steps stomping against the hardwood floor as I dashed to the array of dual swords that decorated the wall. A weak sob left my lips as I pulled the guard off the sharp blade, throwing it across the room.
            A quick twist of my feet, I felt my heart shatter, watching the way Zuko withered in our bed. His face was purple, hands desperately clenching the blankets underneath him as he wheezed painfully.
            I shouldn’t-
            My hands were shaking as I slowly inched towards Zuko.
            His golden eyes lined with mine, seeing as I eased my way to him with a sword in hand. “I’m sorry, Zuko- I’m sorry.” I cried, pulling my gaze away from his. I couldn’t face him; I couldn’t look into those sweet eyes. I didn’t deserve it, not a single part of him.
            I winced as I stepped on the shattered teacup, cutting the soles of my feet as I leaned over Zuko’s dying figure. The sharp blade pressed against Zuko’s throat, sniffling as I shook my head.
            “I wanted to tell you, Zuko. I really did. But-but-”
            I pressed, Zuko wincing as the blade easily sliced his soft skin, droplets of scarlet tainting his neck. I threw the knife away, jamming my fingers into the open wound. I sobbed, feeling the pain that Zuko was in, “I wanted to tell you the truth Zuko, I wanted to. But I was selfish.” I cried.
            I shut my eyes, and I could feel it.
            The poison, it was mixing with his blood, and I panted heavily. It was starting to fuse; if I don’t do this now, it’ll be too late.
            I reached the point of no return.
            Fingers jammed into Zuko’s wound, feeling his veins pulsing, blood pumping frantically in the pace of his struggling heart. Zuko’s life was far more important than the consequences I would face.
            I can do this.
            I will save Zuko.
            My fingers twisted, earning a painful groan from Zuko. “Bare with it Zuko, I’m sorry!” I cried. Just a little bit more-almost- got it.
            I yanked my body back, wrist snapping and Zuko inhaled loudly.
            Relief.
            I twirled my hand, panting heavily as black spots flooded my vision. I was pushing myself too much, just a little bit more- I felt the way Zuko’s blood separated from the foreign blood, tainted with poison.
            My eyes widen, taking in the disgusting sight.
            Dark liquid, almost black, floated in the air as I bent. My other hand weaved back and forth, trying to separate Zuko’s blood from the poison. The muscles in his body eased instantaneously, and with one giant huff, I balled my hands, the poison collapsing in itself, freezing into a ball in the air.
            Zuko sat upright, his hands falling over his chest as he dry heaved. Spit fell from his lips as his body shook with each cough, air squeezing past his sore throat and filling his lungs.
            He’s breathing.
            I saved him, and at that moment, I made the fatal mistake of looking at him.
            His eyes met mine between forced pants.
            “You’re- you’re a- Bloodbender.”
            His hand lunched forward as if he was trying to grab me, and I stepped back. With whatever power I had left in my body, I swung my hand forward. His eyes widen, I could feel the way he tried desperately to fight against me, but it was useless. He let out a tired groan, and his body fell limp.
            Letting gravity take over, Zuko’s body fell into the bed with a thud.
            “Yue!”
            The doors burst open, a pair of arms wrapped around me as doctors and nurses flooded the room. A numbness filled my body. Arms falling limp to my side, only noticing then I had Zuko’s blood on the tips of my fingers still.
            Blood…
            “Yue.” Aang breathed heavily in my ear, and I fell to the floor, on my knees. I watched as Katara checked over Zuko’s body, “He’s okay, he passed out, but he’s breathing, he’s okay!” she shouted.
            Aang shuffled in front of me, dropping to his knees with me on the floor as he cupped my face. His fingers brushed the tears that fell down my face before pressing his forehead against mine. “He knows…doesn’t he?” Aang whispered, voice pained.
            “It was the only way to save him, Aang.”
            “He loves you, Yue-”
            “You can’t love a monster.”
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Copyright © 2019 Mystic-Kitten, inc. all rights reserved. No reposting, modifying, or translations of any kind allowed. Thank you for your cooperation.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar characters portrayed in this story besides Ying Yue Jiang, Lia, Kima, and any future creations.
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beckkii · 3 years
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Love Yourself
Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (or so) favorite works your created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!
tagged by @mollyinthewater !! aww thank you so much for tagging me molly :)) <33
ok let me think...
1) Someone to Stay
this is definitely my favorite entrapdak fic! it’s only a one shot, but it’s about 8k words even though i planned for it to be much less xD it was my first entrapdak fic, too! it’s kinda funny to look back on because i was so scared to post it since i was new to the fandom. but, it was well received, which was super encouraging :D and now i’m pretty involved in the fandom! :)
Hordak knows his lab partner well enough by now, so he’s quick to notice Entrapta’s sudden shift in behavior. Less loud talking, less jumping around here and there with her hair, less excitement and liveliness.
And while he initially tries to ignore it all and let whatever spell had taken over her pass, that doesn't exactly work out as planned when the sanctum suddenly goes dead silent one day.
-
(Set in late season 3)
2) Change of Plans
anddd this is probably my favorite detroit: become human fic! i wrote it out on a whim during quarantine (i even remember drinking whipped coffee while i wrote it, remember that trend?) and i really like how it all turned out! the perfect amount of angst and hurt/comfort for my fav hank and connor duo <3
Maybe his breakfast isn’t a gourmet meal, and maybe it’s way too early for his liking, but at least it’s somewhat peaceful in his house. Sure, there’s the roaring blizzard outside, and the occasional groan of his house as the framework shudders under the wind’s force. But still, it’s calm inside. Normally Connor would be bright and chipper even at this early hour, blabbering about something or another and-
Wait.
Connor.
Hank straightens up in his seat, suddenly wide awake.
Connor isn’t anywhere in sight.
A one shot in which Hank wakes up early one morning to a blizzard raging on outside and a quiet home devoid of his partner.
That is, until he finds the bathroom with the door shut tight.
3) Stuck in the Past
i have a love/hate relationship with this fic, but i gotta include it because it’s def my biggest fanfic accomplishment! i love it because it’s the first fic i ever posted, it’s super long, AND i never gave up on it, but i hate it because the beginning has SUCH bad style and i definitely included some plot points that were just plain rediculous that with wish i never included xD plus, it’s got some really angsty themes that i wish i had toned back on a bit, but overall the ending is happy so i’m glad i finished it!
Connor, ever since he became deviant and had escaped from Amanda’s clutches, felt safe, content, and in control. After all, he lived happily with Hank and his dog after Markus and the androids led a peaceful protest. What was there to be concerned about, anyway?
That was what Connor believed until, however, a nightmare led him think otherwise. With new thoughts of feeling as if he could lose control of his program to Amanda yet again and become a danger to Hank, Connor can’t help the rising worry within him. And while he tries his hardest to hide his fears from Hank, that plan may not work out exactly as he hopes.
Note: This fic deals with suicide. If you’re sensitive to that topic, please read with caution or refrain from reading. Stay safe my friends <3
4) Brightest Star
ok so this fic isn’t finished yet and i started it JUST at the end of last year, but so far i like how it’s coming along and i’m so excited to write all of it! when i first joined the entrapdak community, i promised myself i wasn’t gonna write a multi chapter fic more than a few chapters, but i just love hordak and entrapta so much that i HAVE to write a longfic about them. so, here we are, 6 chapters in! :)
After all of the chaos of the war, Hordak is now free. Well, from Horde Prime, that is. The princesses certainly don’t think so, and they don’t appear too keen on allowing him to be anytime soon.
Except for Entrapta. Through everything, she stays there by his side, remaining as a comforting constant amidst this new and unfamiliar life post war. And Hordak, of course, greatly enjoys her companionship.
...More so than he realizes, it seems.
5) ‘Dating’
this was the second entrapdak fic i wrote, and i really like it! it’s kind of funny because i wrote this back when i didn’t want to fully commit to a longfic but still wanted to include some shippy slow burn stuff, so it’s about 3 chapters at 10k! it was also my first time writing something that was pretty shippy, so it was a fun learning experience for me!
“So, what’s it like? You know, dating geek princess?”
Hordak’s brow furrows at her words.
…Dating?
-
Hordak wants to ask Entrapta on a date after first learning about the concept from Catra. It goes about as well as you’d expect.
ok, that’s it! :D i’m not sure who to tag because i’m not sure how many of my mutuals are also content creators of any sort, but if you’re a mutual of mine, please do this!! i’d love to see your work <3
9 notes · View notes
az3422 · 3 years
Text
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PeppersGhost's Proposal, I guess.
K/O Failure Scenario Hub » SPC-001 » PeppersGhost's Proposal, I guess.
rating: +263+–X
You are now connected.
[13:04] Topic is "Fuck credentials, fuck passwords, fuck secrecy, fuck everything. Just, fuck in general. Fuck like it's the end of the world, because it is. Fuck me, please oh lord im so alone | Welcome! If you're still alive to read this, good luck finding someone to talk to."
[13:04] DrTsega: Hello? Anyone here?
[19:32] DrTsega: I'll take that as a no, then.
[22:48] DrTsega: I can't be the only one left.
[22:49] DrTsega: Hey Queg, are you still running?
[22:49] Queg: Hello, DrTsega. What can I do for you?
[22:49] DrTsega: thank god
[22:50] DrTsega: !backscroll 10
[22:50] Queg: [04:33] SgtYitay: I've looked through the entire building
[22:50] Queg: [04:33] SgtYitay: Everyone is dead
[22:50] Queg: [04:33] AgentCaleb: No shit
[22:50] Queg: [04:33] AgentCaleb: I know nobody uses this thing anyway but DAMN it's been EMPTY
[22:50] Queg: [04:34] AgentCaleb: You think it's just the two of us?
[22:50] Queg: [04:37] AgentCaleb: You still there
[22:50] Queg: [04:39] AgentCaleb: Saaarrrrge
[22:50] Queg: [04:50] SgtYitay has been disconnected (Ping timeout)
[22:50] Queg: [18:22] AgentCaleb: oooookay well i think im gonna call it quits then. If anyone sees this tell my husband I love him
[22:50] Queg: [18:22] AgentCaleb: lol jk i'll see that dogfaced whore in hell 👍🕶👍
[22:51] DrTsega: hmm
[22:52] DrTsega: !seen Agent Caleb
[22:52] Queg: AgentCaleb was last seen 8 days ago saying: lol jk i'll see that dogfaced whore in hell 👍🕶👍
[22:52] DrTsega: shit
[22:53] DrTsega: shitballs
[22:53] DrTsega: shitmonkeys
[22:55] DrTsega: shit the nail on the head
[22:55] DrTsega: okay
[11:16] DrTsega: Good morning. If anyone sees this just ping me, I'll stay around as long as I can.
[09:48] DrTsega: I'm still here
[14:26] DrTsega: !quote CaptSumner
[14:26] Queg: CaptSumner: I may be shitting out of my pee parts but FUCK YOU I will WALK IT OFF
[14:26] DrTsega: haha what
[14:27] DrTsega: Good times, good times.
[14:28] DrTsega: I wish Sumner wasn't lying dead in the bathroom
[14:29] DrTsega: or anywhere, for that matter
[14:33] DrTsega: but especially the bathroom
[08:01] DrTsega: I'm still here
[12:55] DrTsega: Man, if anyone sees this later I'm going to look really pitiful
[05:51] DrTsega: okay I can't sleep so I guess I might as well do this
[05:52] DrTsega: !settopic Check the backscroll. Look for "Start here"
[05:52] Topic is "Check the backscroll. Look for "Start here""
[05:52] DrTsega: Start here
[05:53] DrTsega: If you're still alive to read this, congratulations. You survived.
[05:54] DrTsega: You also have access to working internet and enough knowledge about shadow governments to visit a (previously) private communications channel, so, hey, good on you.
[05:55] DrTsega: As a reward for being such a cool and alive person, I'm going to tell you the story of how we ended the world.
[05:55] DrTsega: For context, though, you'll probably want to start by reading a certain document…
[05:56] DrTsega: Actually, you can probably just skim it. A lot of this won't make sense to you anyway, so who cares?
[05:57] DrTsega: Anyway. I'll go find the link. If memory serves, they declassified everything when they realized we were all gonna die.
[06:13] DrTsega: How are these servers even still up? Isn't that just the craziest thing
[08:22] DrTsega: Found it.
NOTICE FROM THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE COORDINATION
AND PROJECTS OPERATION COMMAND OFFICE
There is nothing new to report regarding SPC-001 at this time.
Test subject displaying the results of his exposure to SPC-001.
Project #: SPC-001
Selachian Pugnātorial Capabilities: Individuals enhanced with SPC-001 display a dramatic improvement in pugilistic prowess and have consistently proven capable of easily dispatching 90% of squaloid entities in simulations, even with no prior training. Furthermore, SPC-001 subjects have reported a radical elevation in coastal requiescence position retention, even when under assault from extragranular sedimentary weaponry.
Project Components: SPC-001 is a manmade chemical substance which augments the biological strength and dexterity of human beings. After initial exposure to SPC-001, subjects will undergo a steady increase in muscle mass over the following 72 hours, accompanied by heightened energy levels and adroit perception of their surroundings. Increased lung capacity and resistance to deep-sea hydrostatic pressure are common side effects.
Following the DREAD PORPOISE COMMUNION and the subsequent activation of the ALL HANDS ON DECK PROTOCOL, SPC agents embedded in the food industry began introducing discreet amounts of SPC-001 into numerous products intended for public consumption. Centre researchers have projected a full global saturation of SPC-001 to be achieved by the year ████. In the event that the DREAD PORPOISE COMMUNION ends before global saturation can be achieved, more aggressive means of SPC-001 dispersal may be undertaken to prevent a complete End-of-World K/O Failure Scenario.
Nascency Impetus: On May 16, ████, all observed selachian entities across the globe simultaneously demanifested, including those in SPC captivity. No selachian entities or evidence of the continued presence of selachian entities have been observed since. A Maximum State of Emergency was declared soon after by the Executive Pugilist Assembly and the phenomenon was codified as the DREAD PORPOISE COMMUNION. It is the belief of the Assembly that the selachians are congregating in preparation for the FINAL CONFLICT, an event foretold by Elder Pugilord Azmanititas in the Centre's original constitutional documents in 1451.
[08:23] DrTsega: Did you get all that?
[08:23] DrTsega: No? Okay, I'll break it down for you.
[08:26] DrTsega: I was part of a group known as the Selachian Punching Centre. An organization dedicated to fighting the menace that plagued our oceans. "We punch underwater so you can live on the land." That's what we used to say.
[08:27] DrTsega: I know what you're thinking.
[08:29] DrTsega: Yes. It was us keeping you safe the entire time. The Centre safeguarded mankind for centuries. Civilization as we knew it wouldn't have been possible if we weren't around. Our influence was unparalleled, extending to every level of every government, changing the course of world events, yet remaining a complete secret from everybody, which was really quite tricky.
Then, one day, the selachian menace disappeared. Our immediate reaction was one of disbelief, followed by euphoria, followed by raucous celebration. We danced. We drank ourselves stupid. We sang the songs of our forefathers. The orgies weren't officially sanctioned, of course, but boy howdy-doo were they tremendous.
Sadly, our revelry wasn't meant to last.
"DREAD PORPOISE COMMUNION", the Assembly called it. The prophesied gathering of every selachian, big or small. Every sharp, slimy, putrid horror that haunted our dreams, coming together in one place to bring about the end of all other life on our beautiful, green planet.
"But fear not," said our trusted Assembly. They told us that the human race would fight back. They said that when the selachians returned with their armies and squaloid murder-drones, we would be ready.
And they were right. We were ready. Thanks to SPC-001, we managed to get the entire human race fighting fit. At first people were alarmed when everyone started getting super ripped for no apparent reason, but then they realized it was awesome and the panic died down. Within a few months, every man, woman, and child was a lean, mean, punching machine. Even babies had abs you could wash your clothes on. It seemed like everything was going fine.
And that's how it went for the first couple of years: fine. Sure, boxing had to be outlawed once folks could punch with the same Newtonian force as your average car crash, and there were a few riots now and then over tank top shortages, but for the most part everything felt normal.
Year three, people started getting antsy. We had kept ourselves busy at the Centre by devising new weapons for selachian warfare, but every innovation felt hollow with a lack of anything to use them on. We grew listless. Surely the assault would begin any day, right?
Year four. There was an aura of dread hanging over the whole organization. I remember sitting in the Site-71 cafeteria, eating pickled cabbage and creamed corn salads with my comrades, when I finally heard someone ask aloud what we'd all wondered in the dark corners of our heads.
"What if they don't come back?"
It was Simmons who said that, of course. Of course. I kicked him in the face—a punch would have really hurt him—but the damage was done. It's a scary thought, losing your purpose in life. Faced with that kind of existential ennui, it's no wonder that everyone responded by flipping their shit. Hersberger screamed and started smearing her salad all over her face. Gertzler stabbed his fork tines into his cheek with no visible emotion. Bühler just broke down and cried until his tears turned to blood.
But Schwartzentruber was downright fuming. Started shouting all sorts of obscenities. Said he'd shove his fist down Simmons' throat and rip out his toenails from the inside. And Simmons was all defensive, "you all were thinking it" and that kind of stuff. The two kept going at it. We shouldn't have just sat there and watched, but no one thought fists would ever get involved. How could we have known?
I remember the entire cafeteria going silent. One moment, the two colleagues had been arguing. Next thing we knew, Schwartzentruber was wearing Simmons' face around his arm like a bracelet. Fist went straight through. Nobody knew what to say. Hersberger just picked the brain matter from her hair. There was no finishing our dinner after something like that.
We all tried to write it off as an isolated incident, an unhinged employee who forgot his own strength in a moment of pure emotion. That illusion was shattered when reports started coming in from the other sites. Similar incidents were happening all over the world, and within a few weeks it wasn't just limited to SPC personnel. These arms were made for punching, and that's just what they did.
As time went on, it became harder for us to fight the itch. Punching bags were laughable at that point, so instead we invented punching blocks out of a titanium-concrete composite. Even fashioned them into the shape of selachians to help take the pain away, but it still wasn’t enough. Whenever we came close to a cure, someone would end up atomizing the equipment with a flick of the wrist and we'd have to start over.
Eventually, one day I walked into the cafeteria and found the floor covered in what must have been two inches of blood. I thought maybe a pipe had burst until I saw Bühler sitting on a table in the corner. Guy was slathered in viscera from top to bottom, and he was wearing human heads around his arms like they were snap bracelets. I asked if he wanted to talk, but he didn't answer. He just stared at his fists and trembled. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was dead, hole in his beefy chest so big I coulda driven my Grampy's Volvo through it.
That was what broke me, I think. I had never seen someone self-pugilate before. I didn't know how many people were still alive in Site-71, but I knew that I would not perpetuate the carnage. I gathered some medical supplies from the surgical augmentations lab and tied a tourniquet around my burgeoning, well-defined bicep. Carefully, I injected myself with the nearest substance that resembled an anesthetic and bid my guns goodbye.
Screaming, writhing, I hacked off my arm using only a pair of rusty toenail clippers. Needless to say, I was dizzy from pain, blood loss, and the 5 CCs of green apple daiquiri I'd injected myself with, but somehow I managed to drag myself back to the cafeteria to cauterize my stump in the kitchen's oven. Barely clinging to consciousness, I set the oven to preheat, wrapped my stump in a tent of foil, and stuck it inside, turning regularly to promote an even cauter and applying a light baste to keep it moist.
When the bleeding stopped, I went back and repeated the process with my other arm. The second time was harder, I think. With no free hands remaining, I was forced to grip the toenail clippers with my teeth. I also ran out of baste. It was the most agonizing experience I could ever possibly fathom, but here I am. Alive. My cannonball deltoids still ripple with pugilistic vigor now and then, but the stubs are too short to be lethal.
And that's it. That's my story. That's how I ended up here, barricaded alone in an underground facility, typing on a keyboard with my tongue. I haven't been able to get in touch with any other Centre sites, and I can't leave the building. Every day I lose a little more hope. My personal hygiene has suffered, too—partly because I can't look at a pair of clippers without bursting into tears. My toenails are getting really long now. I'll probably have to use a pair of scissors or something. I could even use that electric carving knife I got for my birthday. Hell, I think there's a chainsaw in the supply closet. No shortage of options, really.
Even if I'm alive now, there's no telling how long that will last. Sometimes I hear people punching on the reinforced doors, desperate to break in and claim another victim to slake their drunken punchlust. Someday they may succeed. There's enough food left around to keep me going a while, though just for a while. I've kept my mind occupied and my spirits up by watching Dr. Cavender's Walking Dead box sets, but I can feel that post-Season-Six quality drop looming just around the corner.
Maybe this was their plan all along. Maybe they just left the planet, knowing full well we'd destroy ourselves. Maybe when the last human has passed their final breath, the selachians will return from wherever they went and feast on our tight, sculpted corpses. Or maybe they're happier where they are now. Maybe they're not coming back. I hope that's not the case. As much as it pains me to say it: I miss them.
I miss sharks.
[23:19] DrTsega: With all the squats I've been doing, I could probably pop their heads between my fucking thighs.
[23:20] DrTsega: pop 'em just like cherries. hell yeah
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nikkzwrites · 4 years
Text
Yesterday Once More | Dark Fix-It Fic Series | Chapter 3
A/N: This fic is one that I started with my OC because honestly, I personally didn’t like how season 3 ended. So I am rewriting all of Dark with my OC Annalise Dahlheim. I hope you all like it. Some things will be expanded more on just for more depth to Dark that season 3 kinda skipped over so…. yeah.
CW: Canon Typical Triggers: Smoking, Sex, Language, Drugs, Drinking, Death, Violence, Suicide Mentions, Cutting, Violence.
Word Count:  4.9k
[First Chapter] [Previous Chapter] [Next Chapter]
Jana laid on the couch watching a commercial for Mads’s favorite candy bar called Raider. 
Mikkel blinked and decided to walk into the home. There must have been some mistake. This was just Martha and Magnus playing a joke on him with their friends and his family would be there waiting for him to give him a giant hug. Martha would be there apologizing for never paying attention to him. His brother would be there never letting him go. Katharina would be making his favorite sweets while she tended to his wounds. Ulrich finally getting him that magic set he was eyeing for a while...And Annalise would be there smiling and crying thanking everything that he was back home safe pressing her forehead against his.
When he walked in, he was welcomed to no such sight. He walked into the dining and living room and called, “Mom”
Jana looked up from the couch and responded, “Mads?” She desperately looked at the boy before her.
Mikkel shifted uncomfortably, “Who are you? Where are my parents?” He felt so confused. This was his house. Why wasn’t everything making sense?
Pitifully, Jana moved from around the couch and knelt to study the boy standing in her dining room.
“Who are you,” Mikkel repeated.
Jana held onto the boy and asked, “Do you know where he is?” Mikkel tried to pull away from the woman but she held onto the only thing that may be a clue to her own son having gone missing. “Do you know where Mads is?” she clarified for him.
“You’re hurting me,” Mads protested. He kept trying to get away but Jana’s grip was one of a mother still clinging to the hope of finding her child.
“Want are you doing here,” Jana pleaded, “Say something.” She finally allowed the strange boy to go. She fell back to sob to herself not fully believing any of this was real. Mikkel backed himself into the hallway and bolted to the front door to getaway. Jana bawled, “When is he coming back?” She lowered herself into a ball on the floor to cry.
Ines walked into her work. The sounds of her shoes echoed throughout the white hallways. Her uniform was neat and orderly as always. She paced down the hall before a coworker commented, “Ines, can you do the night shift today too? Mrs. Schuttler’s daughter has a fever and I have to take Benni to soccer. Since you have no…”
Ines stopped and turned. She interrupted the lady to confirm, “No family.”
Her coworker sighed and tilted her head, “That’s not what I meant.”
Ines laughed to ease the tension and commented, “It’s not a problem.”
“Thanks. And please, don’t tell Dr. Reimann?” The lady called to her coworker’s leaving form.
Ines stopped and turned once more to pantomime locking her mouth with a key and putting it into her pocket. “Mum’s the word,” she whispered with a small giggle. Her heart remembering the young boy who had taught her to do that. She wondered what he could be doing and where he could be. It had been at least thirty four years since she had last seen him.
“Thanks.”
Ines continued down the hall once more.
Egon sat in his office listening to the radio berate him about Mads’s disappearance. He sat disheveled at his desk staring at all of the mess around him. His phone started to ring. He sighed then answered the phone, “Tiedemann.” He sat and listened before he asked, “Where?” He continued to wait then responded, “I’m on my way.”
Claudia used her rearview mirror to put on her signature red lipstick. “In times like these...One must face one’s own fears.” She quoted to herself, “Because the future…” She looked down at her speech, “the future belongs to the bold. Not to the doubters, those forever stuck in the past.” She looked at her daughter with frizzy hair in the back. She shook her head and criticized, “Would you take a look at yourself? You can’t go to school like this.” Regina sat in the back of her mom’s car just looking out the window to the forest. Claudia continued, “Sometimes I think you have no idea what it is I do. Food, clothes, fencing classes. Who pays for all of that? And you can’t even bother combing your hair.” Claudia shook her head again. “Look at yourself. You look like a limp dishrag.” Fed up with her daughter’s silence she called back, “Hey, Regina, I’m talking to you. This is a huge deal for me, and I won’t let you spoil it. The board’s decision to entrust this post to a woman for the first time...”
Regina just stared out the window wishing she was already at school.
Mikkel walked to the high school hoping to find his mother, his siblings, or Annalise. He looked around. Everyone seemed to be dressed oddly. 
Katharina leaned against the lockers as she handed her friend a tape, “It’s awesome.” She commented then asked, “Know what the song’s about?”
“No,” her friend answered.
“A man who kidnaps a girl and takes her to the forest, just because she’s wearing red lipstick. In the end, he kills her,” The blonde explained.
Hannah raised her brow but stayed silent as their other friend responded, “That’s heavy.”
“My dad says lipstick is only for prostitutes,” Hannah, then, explained, “Anyway, I like Nino D’Angelo way more than Falco.”
Katharina shook her head, “Hannah, you’re as square as they come.”
Hannah smiled awkwardly.
Their friend scolded, “Come on Katharina. Don’t be so nasty.”
Mikkel slowly made his way to the small group of familiar seeming girls. He stared at them awkwardly.
“What are you looking at,” Katharina addressed the boy, “Weren’t you at Ulrich’s place earlier?”
Hannah looked at him and asked gently, “Are you new here?”
Mikkel shook his head quickly. “I..” he started, “I’m looking for my mom.”
Katharina smiled cockily at the boy, “This isn’t kindergarten.”
“She’s the principal here,” Mikkel defended himself.
Katharina’s eyes widened as she asked, “Mr. Hubert?” Hannah laughed as the blonde continued, “he may be a fag, but he’s certainly not a woman.”
Mikkel looked down at the floor then back up at the girl, “Isn’t this Winden?”
Katharina scoffed at him then started to make her way to class. As she passed him, she asked, “Aren’t you a bit young to drop acid?”
Hannah deflected the conversation to ask, “You guys got history now?”
Mikkel stood and watched them leave annoyed. He had no idea what was going on.
Claudia pulled up to the nuclear power plant. She opened her door but stayed sitting in her car to put on her high heeled shoes.
Helge looked up from sweeping the street of paint. He smiled seeing Claudia. He greeted her, “Morning, Claudia.” He had always admired her even as a child.
“Morning,” Claudia tried to rush past him, but when she saw his sweet face she stopped to talk to him. He was just the same as the little boy she used to tutor.
“Your first day as boss,” He happily commented.
Claudia nodded and reaffirmed, “Yes.”
Helge lightly chuckled and swayed with his broom, “My dad told me the board voted unanimously for you.” He sighed and shrugged before continuing, “I wanted… Congratulations.”
Claudia smiled and nodded, “Thanks.”
“I always knew something would become of you,” Helge continued.
“Oh, Helge.” She nervously laughed. He was doing his weird Helge thing again, she thought to herself.
Helge, then, said as he stopped her from leaving. “And I have…” He paused to pull out a nicely wrapped gift, “A present for you.” He smiled proudly at her. Claudia looked down anxiously. The man then explained, “It’s a book.”
Claudia didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t expecting this at all even if it shouldn’t have surprised her that the man would go to such lengths. She just looked up and thanked him for it before looking back down at it. The stood awkwardly for a moment. Helge stared at her expectantly. Claudia smiled again, “Well, I’m running late. I have to get going.”
Helge let the woman pass finally and called after her, “We’re all behind you, Cl..”Helge stopped himself shaking his head knowing that Claudia didn’t much care. The wet rustles of the broom against the pavement started up once more as he tried to remove the painted graffiti of ‘No Future’ from in front of the plant’s gate.
“I came just before six t feed the animals and found this,” the farmer explained to Egon as the men stood in a field surrounded by a flock of unexplainable dead sheep.
Egon asked, “Maybe a wolf?”
The farmer looked up at the chief of police as if he was stupid, “No bite marks. Nothing.”
Perplexed, Egon looked around the field of sheep corpses around him, “Poisoned?” He asked with a shrug.
The man let out a small instinctual shrug and commented, “Yesterday they were lively as can be. First the thing with the boy, and now this. Such things didn’t use to happen here. Who would just kill 33 sheep? ‘Be on guard. Be alert. You do not know when that time will come.’ The Gospel of Mark, 13:33.”
Egon nodded then shook his head, “Didn’t know you were a churchgoer.”
The farmer nodded, “The parish has a new priest. A good man.”
Egon stared at the man for a second then sighed looking down towards one of the sheep. The autumn trees behind them bare and the bright green grass being early the only color in the dreary field.
Claudia stormed into the large building trying to get to her office. 
“Mrs. Tiedemann,” Her mousy secretary called to the woman boss as she rushed to catch up, “Mrs. Tiedemann. Tronte Nielsen from the paper is here, for the interview.” She smiled as Claudia looked back at her. She handed the other lady a binder, “and here are the figures from 1986 and 1985, as you requested.” The secretary watched as Claudia opened it up to examine the information. “They weren’t easy to get a hold of,” The woman admitted proud of her own hard work. When Claudia basically ignored her, she spoke up once more, “And congratulations again. I still can’t believe we have a woman as boss.” The woman cheerfully beamed.
“Are you sure these are the right figures,” Claudia asked concerned with what she was looking at.
Her secretary confirmed with a simple, “Yes.”
Claudia slowly closed the binder and nodded to her secretary to let her know she did a good job and that she could leave her. Once the other lady left confused, Claudia went back to investigate the numbers.
Egon sat in his office typing up his report. He still seemed to be learning how to use the modern typewriter. There was a small shuffle that came from the entrance to his office. Egon looked up to see a small boy in a dirty red puffy jacket over a skeleton costume. He looked at the dazed boy and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Mikkel looked at the man. He blinked several times. Today was just getting weirder and weirder for him. “I…” He stumbled over his words until he got his footing, “I’m looking for my dad.”
Egon smiled gently. He finally felt as if he could have a win in these dark times. His heart leaped happily at the thought of being able to help this boy. He asked, “What’s his name?”
Mikkel took a breath and replied, “Ulrich Nielsen.”
Egon’s brow furrowed. “Ulrich Nielsen?” he asked, “The Ulrich Nielsen?”
Concerned, Mikkel asked, “Doesn’t he work here?”
“No,” Egon replied, “And I’m certain he never will.” He looked at his report then back at Mikkel in disbelief, “Oh, so this is a joke? Was this Ulrich’s dumb idea?” He walked over to the boy and examined his scraped up face, “Did he do this?” Egon would be surprised if the teen would have beaten up a kid to make him go along with a stupid prank. He asked again, “Did Ulrich do this?”
Mikkel shook his head quickly at the officer. He stared up worried. The realization started to hit him that this wasn’t just a joke.
Egon stood up straight once more and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Mikkel,” the small boy choked out.
“Last name,” Egon asked with a shrug.
“Nielsen,” Mikkel anwsered honestly, “I am Ulrich’s son.”
Egon sighed and then asked, “Now tell me your parents’ real names and I’ll take you home.”
Mikkel shook his head and then asked, “What’s the date?”
“The 5th of November,” Egon replied with a shrug.
Mikkel, then, asked, “What year?”
Egon laughed figuring the boy had a sense of humor. He shook his head as he chuckled, “1986.”
Mikkel took a step back. Everything was fully hitting him now. He repeated back the year to Egon. He, then, watched as Egon went to the phone to make a call. He listened as the man described him over the phone and asked for someone to come pick him up.
After hanging up, Egon picked up his coat and explained to the child, “Someone will be coming to pick you up and take care of that.” He motioned to Mikkel’s injuries before continuing, “In the meantime, I’ll take care of Ulrich.” He walked past the boy and vowed, “He won’t hurt you again. I promise.” The man then closed the door behind him leaving Mikkel to sit and wait.
Mikkel walked over to Egon’s desk and started to play with the Rubik’s cube. As soon as he solved it, he gently placed it down so that he could try calling his house. Sadly, he only got the robotic voice telling him that the number was not in service. Mikkel shook as he held back tears. The boy sat back down and tried to look around to find anything else to do. He found a lighter on the desk. He slowly pocketed it after checking if it still worked. Mikkel, then, spied a report on Egon’s desk about his Uncle Mads. He looked at it still processing that he was trapped in 1986. He looked at a picture of Ulrich and Mads that was near the exact one in his house. Hearing someone coming, Mikkel panicked and placed everything back before jogging to the front of the desk.
Ines carefully walked into the room and greeted the boy. She walked a bit closer then explained, “I’m Nurse Ines. But you can just call me Ines.” Mikkel stayed quiet as he stared at the woman. She slowly approached him and knelt down to be eye to eye with him, “I’ll take you to the hospital now. We’ll take a look at your arm, okay? Then I will bring you home safe and sound.” She smiled gently and held out a hand.
Meanwhile, Egon pulled up to the Nielsen’s. He tried the doorbell then knocking. When he got no answer, he slowly made his way inside the house. Rock music blared upstairs from inside the teenaged Ulrich’s room. Ulrich sat in his trashed room playing an old plug and play game when Egon walked in. Egon looked at the turntable and carefully removed the needle to get the boy’s attention.
Ulrich sneered. His eyes looked him up and down before asking, “What are you doing here?” He stood up from his chair.
Egon placed his hands in his pockets and quoted the song in English, “‘My only aim is to take many lives. The more the better I feel.’ Why do you listen to such stuff?” He walked closer to Ulrich, “The boy you sent, do you think that’s funny?”
Confused, Ulrich shrugged, “What boy?”
“Don’t think you’ll get away with this,” Egon threatened.
Ulrich leaned over to sniff the man. He pulled away and commented, “Have you been drinking again?”
Insulted, Egon asked, “Beg your pardon?”
Ulrich repeated, “I asked if you’ve been drinking again?”
“Who do you think you are,” Egon asked growing angry, “I want us to find your brother just as badly as you do.”
Ulrich stood his ground and watched as Egon turned to leave. 
Egon, then, had something catch his eye. He picked it up. There he held a sheep’s hoof in his hand. He turned and showed it to Ulrich, “What’s this?”
Growing annoyed, Ulrich responded, “A hoof. That’s obvious.”
Egon grabbed the shirt of the boy and pulled him closer, “Did you do that on the pasture?”
“What pasture,” Ulrich questioned.
“Did you kill the sheep?”
Ulrich started to raise his voice, “If you’d stop drinking your brain to mush, then Mads might be back by now.”
Jana walked in hearing her elder son had raised his voice. She stood in the doorway with her hands crossed over her chest. She looked at the man surprised and asked, “Mr. Teidemann?”
Egon let go of the teenager and slowly turned. Ulrich snatched the hoof back from the man. Egon tried to explain, “The door was open.”
Jana nodded, “Because of Mads. He forgot his key.”
Just to stir the pot, Ulrich lied, “Chief Inspector Tiedemann wants to update you on the investigation. They’ve got new findings. Hm?” Ulrich, then, sneered, “Exactly. You have nothing. Now kindly piss off!” The boy put away his hoof and turned his music back on before sitting back to continue his game.
Egon carefully moved past Jana and walked downstairs to see himself out. Jana just stared at her older son grateful that she still at least had Ulrich.
At the hospital, the doctor checked Mikkel’s vitals. Ines stood in the corner as the doctor took a look at the boy’s arm. “Everything’s in working order,” He commented. He then asked the boy, “How did this happen?”
Mikkel remained silent in mourning his old life.
“And you still won’t tell us your name,” The doctor asked the boy. A ring of a pager filled the room. The doctor looked down at it then told the boy, “Nurse Ines will bandage you up, okay? Then you can go back home.” He pet the boy’s head to try and comfort him before leaving.
Ines stared down at the empty name and general patient information on the intake report. Her heart ached. She looked back up at the boy and slowly sat in front of him. Mikkel just couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears started to fall from his eyes. He was never going to be able to have his life back. Ines’s heart wrenched. She caressed the boy’s face and comforted, “Don’t cry. Everything will be okay.” She forced a small smile at him.
Claudia knocked on the door of the old director’s office. “Brend,” she called to him after opening the door, “I have to talk to you.” She walked into the office and closed the door behind her. She stormed to the retired man’s desk and slammed the binder she was carrying down. “Were you trying to slip this past me,” she accused. She angrily explained, “I said I need to know if there are skeletons in the closet.”
Bernd sighed, “There are things that are worth knowing and things worth not knowing because you can’t change them anyway.”
“What is this,” Claudia motioned with her hand. She opened up the report, “These are nothing like the reported figures. Here.” She looked up and nodded at him, “And here.” She looked up angrily again, “Everywhere. It’s been like that for three months now!” She motioned for him to speak to defend himself.
The man asked, “Do you know what has changed since Chernobyl? People have lost faith. In us, in nuclear power. They saw the images and they can’t get them out of their heads. But fear is the worst enemy of progress.”
Breathing hard, Claudia tried to piece together what he was trying to say. She shook her head, “So?”
“How many people around here rely on the plant for their livelihood,” Bernd counterpointed.
Claudia swallowed realizing now what he was saying. “We have 612 employees, excluding…”
“Everyone!” Bernd corrected the woman, “And when you take over this job tomorrow, you’ll be taking on responsibility for the nuclear power plant, but you’ll also be taking responsibility for the entire town. And now tell me, was I wrong about you?” 
Claudia sighed. She crossed her arms across her chest then stated, “All the more reason for me to know just what this means.
Egon stood in the morgue with the examiner who was opening up one of the sheep’s heads. The examiner droned on about how exciting and historical it was for Claudia to be taking over the plant. He tried to just focus back on the case, “So were they poisoned?”
“Hardly,” the examiner chuckled, “All signs point to sudden cardiac arrest.”
“Cardiac arrest,” Egon asked surprised.
“Yes.”
“All 33?”
The examiner explained, “It’s common with sheep. They’re very sensitive creatures. If a few start to panic, the entire herd freaks out. It’s a vicious cycle. They just drop dead. Like flies.”
Egon, then, asked, “And what could cause such a panic?”
“All kinds of things,” the other man educated the officer.
“A person,” Egon asked surprised.
The medical examiner asked, “A single person?” He replied back, “Unless he’s Freddy Krueger, he’d have his work cut out for him.”
Egon, still focused on Ulrich, asked, “Did one of the sheep…” He stopped and rephrased his question, “I mean, was one of them missing a hoof?”
The medical examiner shook his head, “No. They are all as God created them.”
The men had a bit of an exchange about if this could be Satanists when the examiner found something. His brow pushed together, “Strange.” He motioned for Egon to come to see, “Look here.” The medical examiner pointed to its eardrum, “The eardrums are ruptured. On both sides. Strange.”
Claudia rolled Bernd into the woods to a place that he instructed. The man held out a yellow key to her and said, “What we know is a drop, what we don’t know is an ocean.” He then handed her a flashlight.
Claudia opened up the gate that enclosed a natural cave system. She repelled down into it. Leaves rustled out of the way and screamed as her heels punctured them. She turned on the flashlight and tried to look around.
Ines wrapped Mikkel’s hand and asked, “Won’t you tell me your name and where you live?” Mikkel stayed quiet so she asked, “Don’t you want to go home? If something happened at home… You can stay here for now.” 
Mikkel refused to look at her. He was just trying to focus on not crying. Magnus and Martha would have made fun of him for crying. What was it that Annalise used to do that would stop him from crying? Agony struck him while he started to realize he was starting to forget little things. Or was it that he never actually fully appreciated them so he never paid full attention in the first place. He longed for Katharina’s arms to wrap around him. 
Ines finished her work and told the boy, “If you want to talk, I’m here.” She held his hands in hers and gently rubbed his wrists with her thumbs, “I’m on the night shift too.” Seeing the boy not letting up from the ground he stood on, she placed some comics down on the bed for him and explained, “Here, something to read.”
“I’ve come from the future,” Mikkel explained as she walked away.
Surprised, Ines turned and asked, “What did you say?”
Mikkel turned to look at her and repeated, “I come from the future.”
Ines started to fill with fear. Her eyes darted down to the comics she had placed on the bed seeing that they were called, ‘Captain Future.’ She started to sigh thinking that the boy was just familiar with the comics and not actually telling her the absolute truth that he actually came from the year 2019.
Claudia made her way through the dark caves. She kept walking until she found it. Copious amounts of yellow barrels labeled as toxic. Right there, under the city.
Regina walked into her house and dropped her bag down in the hall. She removed her jacket and called her for her mom. When Claudia didn’t respond, Regina walked to the answering machine and listened to the message of her mother telling her just to heat up a pizza. She sighed as she stared at herself in the mirror and lifted the sleeve of her blue sweater to reveal her self inflicted scars. She sniffled as she tried to pull herself together.
Egon pulled up to the pasture to try and investigate more about the sheep incident. He walked around with his flashlight.
A large mechanical boom resonated inside of Winden.
Egon looked towards the noise only to have a bird drop dead right next to him. His light started to flicker as more birds dropped from the sky attacking him and the earth below with their corpses.
Lights all around Winden started to flicker. Everyone started to panic.
Mikkel used this as his opportunity to try and sneak out so that he could get back home. He pulled the curtain and climbed out the large window just as Magnus had once taught him to do.
Ulrich sat at the bus stop. He looked out into the forest as he smoked. He started to come out here more and more hoping that one day he would spot Mads and be able to bring his brother home. The smooth sounds of a bike chain pulled him out of his wandering mind. He smiled and called to the younger girl riding it, “Hey, Hannah!”
Hannah smiled and rode to meet up with Ulrich at the stop, “Hey Ulrich.” She parked her bike and sat down next to her crush. They sat in silence just enjoying each other’s presence for a second. Hannah spoke up and asked the boy, “Is this the Apocalypse?”
Ulrich hummed and then commented, “A bit disappointing.”
“I imagined it being louder,” Hannah affirmed with Ulrich, “More glaring.”
Mikkel ran through the trees making his way to the caves. Desperate to make it back home into the loving arms of his family. He bolted to the cave in which he came to this world then stopped to take a breath. He took out his stolen lighter and started his way into the caves hoping to find his way home.
“If the world ended today and the world started anew, what would you wish for,” Hannah asked Ulrich.
“Easy,” the teenager replied, “A world without Winden.” The boy watched as the lights flickered in the bus stop.
Hannah paused and thought for a second before proposing a cheer, “To a world without Winden.”
“To a world without Winden,” Ulrich agreed. He took one last puff of his cigarette before tossing it away onto the street. Just then the flickering stopped. Everything seemed to have gone back to normal.
Hannah smiled, “I don’t think Winden is going to give up that easily.”
Ulrich chuckled back and shrugged, “Well, maybe next time.”
Little did Winden realize all of this mirrored the exact feelings all of the town would be feeling 33 years from now. This feeling of hopelessness, confusion, hurt. Claudia slowly opened Helge’s present to reveal a book titled, ‘A Journey Through Time’ by H.G. Tannhaus. Regina looked at her body unsatisfied and selfconsciously. Charlotte still investigating what was making all of these birds die in such a strange fashion. Tronte still coming home late to a disappointed and worried Jana. Ulrich still mourning the loss of a little boy he held so dear to him.
Ulrich, sick of this feeling, drove down to the caves with a crowbar. He crossed the police line and stormed inside trying to find his son.
Mikkel, 33 years in the past, climbed his way through the caves only to get take a slid. His body slid down the rocky floor and only stopped when his leg hit a hard rock at the bottom injuring it.
Ulrich, in 2019, walked up to the metal locked door with his flashlight. He placed his light down so that he could have light as he worked and approached the door. He shoved his crowbar into the door.
In 1986, Mikkel heard the noise coming from all around him. He looked down at his bloody injured leg. He winced and grit his teeth through the pain. He just wanted to make it move again so he could go back to trying to make it home. Hearing the banging noise again, he called to it, “Hello?!” His voice was raspy and desperate, “HELLO? Help!”
Ulrich turned hearing the ghostly echoed voice of his son calling for help. Ulrich stopped banging on the metal door and asked, “Hello?” He repeated himself in a whispered tone, “Hello? Anyone there?” He started to pant and repeated his son’s name in the hope that he would hear him, “Mikkel? Mikkel?”
Mikkel pushed his way up and limped over to his still lit Zippo lighter.
Both ended up struggling out of the cave alone and sitting right at its cursed entrance in torment. Both wishing they were with the other as a lone Tannhaus worked in his office on a new invention. 
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