#I WAS WAITING FOR CABBAGE MERCHANT TO GET POSTED | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cartoon-character-competition · 2 years ago

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I finally have ✨️the list✨️

these are all the characters competing, first two rounds will be randomized, then I will make a bracket out of the remaining competitors

polls won't start until at least this Wednesday as I'm having a very busy weekend and I still need to compile all the images, so in the meantime, if you wanna submit some images to help me out, please do!! images without backgrounds are the end goal and would be the most helpful but finding the images is what takes the most time so if you have one please send them!! you can via asks or dms. if you send via asks I won't post them and anons are still on if that makes it easier. once I get some I'll cross out the ones I have so you guys know what to submit

thanks everyone, and I'm sorry you guys had to wait this long!!!

505 (Villanous)

Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Adora (She-Ra: Princess of Power)

Adrien Agreste (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir)

Ahsoka Tano (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Aja Tarron (Tales of Arcadia)

Aleksandr Kallus (Star Wars: Rebels)

Allura (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Alya Cesaire (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir)

Amelia Hughes (Infinity Train)

Amethyst (Steven Universe)

Amity Blight (The Owl House)

Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Anne Boonchuy (Amphibia)

Apple White (Ever After High)

Arthur Kingsmen (Mystery Skulls)

Asami Sato (Avatar: Legend of Korra)

Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Badyah Hassan (Dead End: Paranormal Park)

Baljeet Tjinder (Phineas and Ferb)

Barbara Millicent Roberts (Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse)

Bart Simpson (The Simpsons)

Beatrice (Over the Garden Wall)

Beatrice Horseman (Bojack Horseman)

Beckett Mariner (Star Trek: Lower Decks)

Bee (Bee and Puppycat)

Bender Bending Rodriguez (Futurama)

Benson Mekler (Kipo and the Wonderbeasts)

Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)

Blake Belladonna (RWBY)

Blitzø (Helluva Boss)

Bloo (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends)

Bloom (Winx Club)

Bluey (Bluey)

Bojack Horseman (Bojack Horseman)

Bolin (Avatar: Legend of Korra)

Boots (Dora the Explorer)

Bow (She-Ra: Princess of Power)

Bubble (Battle for Dream Island)

Buford Van Stomm (Phineas and Ferb)

C1-10P/Chopper (Star Wars: Rebels)

Cabbage Merchant (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Candace Flynn (Phineas and Ferb)

Captain Rex (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Carmen Sandiego (Carmen Sandiego)

Cassandra (Tangled: The Series)

Catra (She-Ra: Princess of Power)

Claire Nuñez (Tales of Arcadia)

Clawdeen Wolf (Monster High)

Cleo De Nile (Monster High)

Commander Peepers (Wander Over Yonder)

Courntey (Dead End: Paranormal Park)

Courtney (Total Drama)

Craig Williams (Craig of the Creek)

Cybersix (Cybersix)

Danny Fenton (Danny Phantom)

Darcy/The Core (Amphibia)

Daria Morgendorffer (Daria)

Darius Deamonne (The Owl House)

Darling Charming (Ever After High)

Delilah Briarwood (The Legend of Vox Machina)

Diego (Go Diego Go!)

Dipper Pines (Gravity Falls)

Discord (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Dora (Dora the Explorer)

Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

Dr. Saira Bellum (Carmen Sandiego)

Draculaura (Monster High)

Eda Clawthorne (The Owl House)

Eddie and Venom (The Spectacular Spider-Man)

Electro (The Spectacular Spider-Man)

Emperor Belos (The Owl House)

ENA (ENA)

Entrapta (She-Ra: Princess of Power)

Ezra Bridger (Star Wars: Rebels)

Ferb Fletcher (Phineas and Ferb)

Finn the Human (Adventure Time)

Fluttershy (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Frankie Stein (Monster High)

Freakazoid (Freakazoid)

Fred Jones (Scooby-Doo)

Frobo (Amphibia)

Garnet (Steven Universe)

Gene Belcher (Bob's Burgers)

George Pig (Peppa Pig)

George Washington/Jason Funderburker (Over the Garden Wall)

Giovanni Potage (Epithet Erased)

Glimmer (She-Ra: Princess of Power)

Goo (Inanimate Insanity)

Grace Monroe (Infinity Train)

Grand Admiral Thrawn (Star Wars: Rebels)

Greg (Over the Garden Wall)

Grog (The Legend of Vox Machina)

Gumball (The Amazing World of Gumball)

Gus Porter (The Owl House)

Harley Quinn (Harley Quinn: The Animated Series)

Hera Syndulla (Star Wars: Rebels)

Hilda (Hilda)

Hisirdoux Casperan (Tales of Arcadia)

Hollyhock Manheim-Mannheim-Guerrero-Robinson-Zilberschlag-Hsung-Fonzerelli-McQuack (Bojack Horseman)

Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

Hopadiah Plantar (Amphibia)

Horse (Centaurworld)

Huey Freeman (The Boondocks)

Huey, Louie, and Dewey Duck (DuckTales)

Hunter (The Owl House)

Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Isabella Garcia-Shapiro (Phineas and Ferb)

Janna Ordonia (Star vs. the Forces of Evil)

Jim Lake Jr. (Tales of Arcadia)

Jude Sharp (Inasuma)

Kagami Tsurugi (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir)

Karen (Spongebob Squarepants)

Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Keith (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Kelsey Jannings (Bojack Horseman)

Kelsey Pokoly (Craig of the Creek)

Ken (Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse)

Kikimora (The Owl House)

King Clawthorne (The Owl House)

Kipo Oak (Kipo and the Wonderbeasts)

Korra (Avatar: Legend of Korra)

Krel Tarron (Tales of Arcadia)

Kurt Wagner (X-Men Evolution)

Kyoshi (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Lagoona Blue (Monster High)

Lake (Infinity Train)

Lance (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe)

Lemmy Koopa (The Super Mario Brothers)

Lena Sabrewing (DuckTales)

Lewis Pepper (Mystery Skulls)

Libby Stein-Torres (The Ghost and Molly McGee)

Lilith Clawthorne (The Owl House)

Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)

Lorna (Over the Garden Wall)

Luigi (The Super Mario Brothers)

Lunella Lafeyette (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur)

Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

Lyra Heartstrings (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls)

Maddie Hatter (Ever After High)

Mai (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Map (Dora the Explorer)

Marceline (Adventure Time)

Marco Diaz (Star vs. the Forces of Evil)

Marcy Wu (Amphibia)

Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)

Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir)

Mario (The Super Mario Brothers)

Mayor Fred Jones Sr. (Scooby-Doo)

Mikey Simon (Kappa Mikey)

Miko Kubota (Glitch Techs)

Milo Murphy (Milo Murphy's Law)

Mingi Park (Infinity Train)

MK (LEGO Monkie Kid)

Molly Blyndeff (Epithet Erased)

Molly McGee (The Ghost and Molly McGee)

Montana/Shocker (The Spectacular Spider-Man)

Mordecai Heller (Lackadaisy)

N (Murder Drones)

Nox (Wakfu)

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Odd Della Robbia (Code Lyoko)

One-One (Infinity Train)

Oodle the Doodle (Animated Inanimate Battle)

Orko (He-Man)

Pacifica Northwest (Gravity Falls)

Patrick Star (Spongebob Squarepants)

Pearl (Steven Universe)

Penn Zero (Penn Zero: Part Time Hero)

Peppa Pig (Peppa Pig)

Peridot (Steven Universe)

Perry the Platypus (Phineas and Ferb)

Philip J Fry (Futurama)

Phineas Flynn (Phineas and Ferb)

Player (Carmen Sandiego)

Poison Ivy (Harley Quinn: The Animated Series)

Polly Plantar (Amphibia)

Princess Bubblegum (Adventure Time)

Princess Carolyn (Bojack Horseman)

Radicles (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes)

Raine Whispers (The Owl House)

Rapunzel (Tangled: The Series)

Raven (Teen Titans)

Raymond (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes)

Redson (LEGO Monkie Kid)

Rex (Generator Rex)

Riley Freeman (The Boondocks)

Rock Rickaby (Lackadaisy)

Rok-Tahk (Star Trek: Prodigy)

Ruby Rose (RWBY)

Ryan Akagi (Infinity Train)

Sabine Wren (Star Wars: Rebel

Sabrina Spellman (Sabrina the Teenage Witch)

Sam and Max (Sam and Max: Freelance Police)

Sasha Waybright (Amphibia)

Scorpia (She-Ra: Princess of Power)

Scratch and Grounder (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog)

Sea Hawk (She-Ra: Princess of Power)

Shadowsan (Carmen Sandiego)

Sheriff Stone (Scooby-Doo)

Snap (Chalk Zone)

Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbende

Sonic the Hedgehog (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog)

Soos Ramirez (Gravity Falls)

Peter Parker (The Spectacular Spider-Man)

Spinel (Steven Universe)

Spongebob Squarepants (Spongebob Squarepants)

Sprig Plantar (Amphibia)

Squidward (Spongebob Squarepants)

Stanford Pines (Gravity Falls)

Stanley Pines (Gravity Falls)

Star Butterfly (Star vs. the Forces of Evil)

Starfire (Teen Titans)

Static Shock (Static Shock)

Stella (Winx Club)

Steve (The Owl House)

Steven Universe (Steven Universe)

Stewie (Family Guy)

Stitch (Lilo and Stitch)

Stolas (Helluva Boss)

Suki (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Sylvia (Wander Over Yonder)

T.K.O (OK K.O.: Let's Be Heroes!)

Tendi (Star Trek: Lower Decks)

The Powerpuff Girls (The Powerpuff Girls)

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Tigger (Winnie the Pooh)

Toby Domzalski (Tales of Arcadia)

Todd Chavez (Bojack Horseman)

Tom (Tom and Jerry)

Tom Lucitor (Star vs. the Forces of Evil)

Toph Beifong (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Tulip Olsen (Infinity Train)

Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Valerie Gray (Danny Phantom)

Vivi Yukino (Mystery Skulls)

Wakfu (Wakfu) The Professor (Hailey's On It!)

Wally West (Justice League (2001))

Wammawink (Centaurworld)

Wander (Wander Over Yonder)

Waylon Smithers Jr. (The Simpsons)

Webby Vanderquack (DuckTales)

Weiss Schnee (RWBY)

Wendy Corduroy (Gravity Falls)

Willow Park (The Owl House)

Wilt (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends)

Wirt (Over the Garden Wall)

Wolf (Kipo and the Wonderbeasts)

Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)

Yugo (Wakfu)

Yummyan Hammerpaw (Kipo and the Wonderbeasts)

Zadra (Tales of Arcadia)

Zetto (TOME: Terrain of Magical Expertise)

Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

#cartoon character competition #polls #competition #tournament

21 notes · View notes

themurphyzone · 4 years ago

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BatB AU: A Provincial Life

Summary: It’s an ordinary day in ACME Village for Pinky. Until it isn’t.

AN: This oneshot adapts the opening number ‘Belle’ and village scenes, up until Pinky sets off for the castle in search of his father, which leads into the entry Imprisoned.

AO3 Link

Pinky scooped a ladleful of oatmeal into a small, earthen bowl, humming dreamily as he added a dash of cinnamon and several apple slices into the mixture.

Today was a very special day for Papa, and Pinky wanted him to eat a healthy and nutritious meal before he went off to the fair with his invention. It would be a few days of travel, and Papa would need his strength for traveling there and back.

“Papa, I’m going out!” Pinky called as he carefully pushed a large woven basket of acorns outside. “Your breakfast is on the table, so make sure you eat it all!”

There was a sputter and cough of machinery and a trail of smoke from the small room that served as a makeshift workshop next to the kitchen, followed by a loud bang.

“Just getting ‘er warmed up for the final test!” Papa shouted. “C’mon, Madeleine! You may’ve fallen apart for the 264th time, but you can do it!”

Oh, Pinky had no doubt people were gonna love the woodcutting, ax-wielding, only occasionally threatening to take fingers off machine known as Madeleine. She was definitely gonna win that gorgeous blue ribbon at the fair! And even if she didn’t, they’d love her all the same anyway.

He opened the door and stepped into the beautiful autumn morning, taking in the cool, fresh air as he carefully maneuvered the basket of acorns into a red wagon. The leaves were varying hues of crimson and gold, dancing along a gentle breeze that ruffled Pinky’s fur. The sun was peeking over the horizon, slowly bathing the world in light as it rose.

Two songbirds flew merrily above him, their sweet morning song filling the air with beautiful music. Pinky reached up, and one of the songbirds briefly landed on his outstretched hand before flying after his partner, leaving a red feather behind.

“Thanks for the feather!” Pinky shouted to the sky as he tucked the feather behind his ear, where it fit perfectly.

He picked up the wagon handle and pulled it along, the wheels squeaking along behind him.

In the meadow beside their quaint little cottage, Pharfignewton chewed placidly on dew-covered grass. She neighed a greeting to Pinky, and Pinky cheerfully waved back. As much as he loved taking the beloved family horse into town for company, she needed her strength to lug Papa, Madeleine, and all their supplies later. So he had to let her rest.

Reeds and wildflowers of all sorts grew along the banks of the pond that separated the little cottage from the rest of ACME Village. A pair of ducks paddled along in the water, trailed by four adorable, fluffy yellow ducklings. Several tiny turtles sunbathed on an old log, while a large green frog sat on its lily pad and caught insects unlucky enough to stray in the path of a long, sticky tongue.

Pinky took his time crossing the cobblestone bridge over the pond, watching the wild animals go about their day without hustling, bustling, or rushing from place to place. Their lives were very different from their neighbors, despite living so close together.

Little animals, little pond, and little humans in their little town.

Or was everything just bigger than him? He was a mouse after all. It wasn’t hard to be bigger than a mouse, unless one happened to be an insect.

As Pinky crossed onto the other side, he spotted a smooth, pretty gray stone poking out of the reeds. He plucked it out of the damp soil, cleaning the dirt off with the inside of his apron.

It would be a perfect stone for his collection. And he didn’t have any that were this smooth. Most of the rocks he picked up were half-crushed or broken from city streets or well-worn paths. He tucked it into a pocket that he’d sewn on himself, because for some odd reason dresses never came with pockets.

Then he faced the little town, with all its timber and stone buildings lining a narrow cobbled street that quickly filled with half-asleep, half-awake people trying to get an early start on their sales and trades.

To think he and Papa had lived here for three years. While not the most exciting town in the world, Pinky was just happy they didn’t have to move again. He’d spent too much of his life being bustled from place to place since Mama died. The cottage was the loveliest place they’d ever owned.

And while the townsfolk had the same ol’ familiar routine every day, Pinky tried to vary his activities. From baking to horseback riding to volunteering for odd jobs around town, or just taking a day off to nap under a tree and roll down the hilly meadows while grass stains formed on his back.

Just a normal provincial life, yet Pinky often wondered what laid in the big blue yonder. Did the stars and sky look different elsewhere? Do the clouds form big, fluffy, and silly shapes in South America?

“Bonjour!” a man called out as he threw open his shutters.

“Good morning, Emile!” Pinky replied as he skipped past his window.

“Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour!” The echoing chant swept across rooftops and streets alike as a new day dawned upon ACME Village.

Everyone from chimney sweepers to merchants to coachmen responded with vigor and cheer, all of them satisfied with their occupations in life.

Pinky greeted everyone he passed, though not all returned the gesture. Everyone was staring at the feather tucked behind his ear, the bulge of the stone in his pocket, or the red wagon with the basket he pulled along. He didn’t think he was that strange-looking.

Unless he had a bit of cabbage stuck in his teeth again. But he flossed really well last night, so he didn’t think that was the case.

“Marie, hurry up with the baguettes!” the baker shouted as he carried several loaves of bread outside.

Pinky inhaled deeply. There was nothing quite like the scent and sound of fresh bread.

“Narrrrrrf! Smells just like heaven, Mr. Baker!” Pinky exclaimed.

The baker set his tray of bread on a windowsill, tapping his foot as he impatiently waited for Marie. “Morning, Pinky. You off somewhere this morning?” he asked, though he didn’t turn around.

“Yup! I’m delivering this basket of acorns to Slappy!” Pinky said, pointing to his basket of acorns. “She really likes the acorns near our cottage but doesn’t wanna make the trip herself. She says it’s too far for her aching joints and she can’t take Skippy along because she’s still trying to convince him that we’re not gonna be shot like Bumbie’s mom if we venture into the meadow, and-”

“Yes, yes, that’s all very nice,” the baker said, half-leaning into the open window. “Marie, I said hurry up with the baguettes! The morning rush is coming soon!”

“Well, if you’d bought the ingredients from Francois instead of Vincent like I suggested then maybe we wouldn’t be running behind, Pierre! But no, you always act like you know best!” Marie snapped.

Not wanting to get embroiled in yet another argument between the baker and his wife, Pinky followed the cobblestone path further into town, where the usual market sprung up, full of local farmers, tradesmen, and merchants.

Villagers bartered and argued and traded like always, and as Pinky stopped to admire a small yellow daisy poking out from the cracks of the street, he could feel eyes follow him closely in that looking-at-you-but-pretending-we’re-not sort of way.

“There goes the funny mouse again.”

“Gets distracted by the littlest things, I swear.”

“Does he even have a useful skill?”

“Besides being the village idiot? Doubtful.”

They’d made those comments ever since he and Papa had moved in. Everywhere they went, people asked Pinky for his trade, and Pinky always told them he took care of Papa and worked various odd jobs around the area for money.

But that wasn’t considered a useful role in society.

He didn’t mind helping Papa though.

Oh well though. He couldn’t delay getting these acorns to Slappy, so he hauled his wagon alongside a horse-drawn carriage that steadily cut through the crowded streets, clearing Pinky’s path.

“Bonjour!” the coachman called to a young woman walking down the street. His eyes were trained on the girl rather than the road, and his horse plowed straight into a farmer’s cart, knocking his produce into the road.

“MY CABBAGES!” the farmer screamed, tearing out his hair as several pigs devoured his vegetables.

The coachman let out a nervous laugh and flicked the reins, spurring his horse forward and blithely ignoring the despairing farmer’s demands for compensation.

“I need six eggs!” a woman cried as she tried to hold several fussing babies at once.

“That’s too expensive!” a man complained to someone selling pottery. “Twenty coins for a pile of cheap clay? Bah!”

Pinky and the carriage parted ways as the cobblestone street changed to an unpaved dirt path. The gossip and chatter of ACME Village faded to background noise.

Slappy had made her home in a hollow tree on the outskirts of town, close enough to get supplies but far enough to deter most from knocking on her door.

Pinky passed by many warning and danger signs that kept most people from bothering the old squirrel. There was a new post up today, right next to Slappy’s front door.

LAST WARNING

NO SELLING, NO PREACHING, NO TAX COLLECTING

KNOCK AT YOUR OWN RISK

Well, what was life without a little risk? Pinky knocked on the door anyway.

He was trying to decide if one of the clouds overhead was shaped more like a monkey or a strawberry when a small brown squirrel in a blue nightgown and cap opened the door. Despite the early morning, he was wide awake and hopping in place, his excitement only growing as he spotted the basket of acorns behind Pinky.

“Morning, Skippy! Got the basket of acorns your aunt wanted!” Pinky exclaimed.

Skippy grinned as he took the basket from the wagon. “Thanks, Pinky! Aunt Slappy will love these!”

He popped a few acorns into his mouth and loudly crunched the shells.

“Skippy, what’d I say about answering the door at this godforsaken hour in the morning?” a cranky voice yelled from upstairs.

“It’s just Pinky with the acorns, Aunt Slappy! No door to door salespeople, preachers, or tax collectors in sight!” Skippy shouted. Then he turned back to Pinky and pointed to his ear. “I like your feather, by the way.”

“Thanks! I like your nightcap!” Pinky said, returning the compliment with his own.

A few moments later, Slappy joined Pinky and Skippy downstairs. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, her long gray tail dragging behind her.

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Slappy asked. She tossed several acorns into her mouth and nodded her approval. “Crunchy with a pinch of salt. This is gonna be a good topping for my world-renowned creamed spinach later.”

“SPEEWWWWWWWWW!” Skippy cried, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

Pinky just smiled politely. Slappy took a lot of pride in her creamed spinach recipe, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings by saying it tasted like soggy socks.

“Hey, when I was your age, I ate lots of creamed spinach for dinner. And now I have enough muscles to wield a hundred ton mallet,” Slappy retorted.

“Wow! Was that when dinosaurs roamed the earth?” Skippy asked.

Slappy gave him a light smack on the back of his head. “Little brat. Go grab a few coins from the bureau in my room. Gotta pay the mouse for lugging this stuff across town.”

Skippy blew a raspberry at her and ran up the stairs.

“Your tongue is never gonna go back in your mouth if you keep doing that!” Slappy yelled.

Funny how the Squirrels were his best neighbors, even though they lived on the opposite side of town. They’d helped out so much when Pinky and Papa first moved into the countryside cottage, from showing them all the best places to buy from and all the best trees to climb. Everyone else usually stared at them strangely for not knowing how to find a shop and moved on with their day.

Still, Pinky didn’t want to impose on them or anything. Collecting the acorns was no trouble at all. And he knew money could be a little tight in the village at times.

“You don’t have to pay me,” Pinky said. “Poit. I don’t mind the morning exercise.”

“You’re walkin’ outta here with those coins whether you like it or not,” Slappy said in a tone that invited no room for argument. “Don’t be one of ‘em honor before reason types. That sorta mindset is nothing but trouble.”

Slappy’s long tail flicked in irritation, accidentally knocking a framed painting askew on the wall next to her. She sighed and fixed the crooked painting so that it hung straight. “Can never keep this darn thing straight,’ she muttered.

Pinky had been inside the hollow tree many times, but he’d never seen this painting before. It contained a colorful cast of characters, from a carrot-munching gray rabbit to a crazy black duck to a short gunslinger with an enormous bright red mustache.

In the painting, a youthful Slappy with a manic grin on her face and giant firecracker in her hand was chasing a bald hunter. Her smile was brighter, and her eyes didn’t seem so world-weary there.

“Like it? Old pals sent it to me two weeks ago,” Slappy asked, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. “The Looney Tunes Troupe were a rascally bunch, that’s for sure. All the money for a detailed painting, and they can’t afford a better frame. Our shows were legendary back in the day, you know.”

“Never heard of them,” Pinky admitted.

“Course ya haven’t,” Slappy sighed. “Your generation doesn’t know good comedy when it hits them in the bum with a mallet. Troupe’s faded into obscurity now, but they’ve never stopped traveling and being annoying yet lovable nuisances to everyone from Albuquerque to Kalamazoo to Timbuktu.”

Pinky tilted his head. “But you don’t travel anymore.”

If the Squirrels needed something they couldn’t get in ACME Village, they usually asked Pinky to run the errand for them.

“Yeah, well, that’s life,” Slappy said. “Sometimes you’re a nomad with total freedom and other times you gotta flee with your nephew to a different country.”

Before Pinky could ask more questions, Skippy barreled downstairs with as many coins as he could carry. “I didn’t know how much to grab so I just took a handful,” Skippy said, dumping the currency onto a small side table.

Slappy picked up six coins from the pile and dropped them into a small drawstring bag, then tightened the strings and tossed the bag into Pinky’s wagon. “You can have these. I’ve got plenty more lying around,” she said.

“If you're sure then,” Pinky said, picking up his wagon handle and turning it around. “Love to stay, but Papa’s leaving for the fair soon and I gotta see him off!”

“Tell him we said hi!” Skippy shouted, and Pinky saluted back.

Slappy yawned, stretching her arms above her head. “And I’m hitting the hay again. It’s too damn early, and I’m too tired to censor my swearing in front of kids.”

o-o-o-o-o

After his visit to Slappy’s tree, Pinky decided to kill some time at ACME Village’s fountain, where he could enjoy the fine spray of water and run in circles along the stone rim. It was always fun seeing how fast he could go without tipping into the water.

“Sorry!” he shouted as he accidentally trod over freshly washed sheets that a woman had been folding next to the fountain. She made an indignant noise and carried her basket of laundry away, nose high in the air.

And the whispers started up again.

“That mouse may be a beauty, but he is way too peculiar for his own good.”

“You have to wonder if he’s feeling well.”

“Always a dreamy, far-off look on his face.”

On his tenth lap around the fountain, a flock of sheep strolled by, guided by a young shepherd from behind. Two fluffy ewes jumped onto the fountain rim next to Pinky and drank the water. Pinky smiled and stroked their soft wool, and the ewes bleated in contentment.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Pinky whispered into their ears. “Don’t go blabbing this to anyone now...but I believe Papa’s a shoo-in for that blue ribbon!”

One of the ewes turned and nibbled on his ear, and Pinky laughed as her blocky teeth tugged and tickled his fur. He gently pried her jaw open and his ear popped out of her mouth, dripping wet with sheep saliva.

As Pinky prepared to slide off the fountain rim and onto the small bag of money he’d gotten from Slappy, a regal fanfare went off in the distance, thundering hoofbeats growing ever closer.

A messenger in a white powdered wig blew his coronet and cleared his throat.

“HEAR YE! HEAR YE! MAKE WAY FOR HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, PRINCE SNOWBALL AND HIS HUNTING PARTY!”

The messenger’s declaration sent every man, woman, and child running towards the plaza, gathering in front of the entrance of the local tavern, the centerpoint of all social activities in ACME Village.

The hunting party rode in on their enormous horses, spearheaded by the ruler of the province, Prince Snowball. Though only a small hamster, he was famed by all for his keen mind and ability to get results on whatever he set out to accomplish.

Though dressed in only a simple red shirt and breeches for hunting, the only signs of his higher status being the golden crown upon his head and the expensive black horse he rode, his presence commanded respect and awe.

Behind him, a hunting party consisting of the best huntsmen and archers in the land dragged an enormous buck, two wild boars, and several pheasants into view.

“People of ACME Village, tonight we shall dine on these fine specimens of the animal kingdom!” Snowball announced as everyone bowed in fear of a noble’s anger. “Everyone’s presence is required, for I have a further declaration that shall lift this derelict province out of the ashes and into a glorious future!”

His pink eyes were sharp, but beneath that layer of intelligence, there was an undertone of something that didn’t feel right. Pinky couldn’t explain it, but he always just had this odd, icky feeling that crawled up his spine whenever he saw Snowball.

The crowd straightened up, cheering and clapping and praising Prince Snowball’s name for bringing them such good fortune with the promise of more to come.

Pinky’s ear twitched. There was a soft, desperate sound mixed in with the roars of the captivated audience.

And to the left side of the crowd, there was a tiny lamb whose back leg was tangled in a large fishing net. The mother ewe was both nuzzling the lamb in comfort and trying to pull the net off with her teeth, but to no avail.

The shepherd never noticed his sheep were in trouble, too caught up in hailing Prince Snowball to notice one of his charges was stuck.

Pinky hopped off the fountain and slowly walked over to the thrashing lamb and his mother, putting his hands up to show them he wasn’t a threat. The lamb bleated in panic, and the mother eyed Pinky warily.

“May I help? I’m good at untangling stuff,” Pinky asked. He’d gotten a lot of practice when Papa occasionally tangled himself up in threads and wires.

The ewe regarded him for a long moment, then nuzzled the back of her lamb’s head, letting him bury his head into her wool. The lamb’s trembling stopped, his back leg still.

It was a sweet gesture, one that seemed so familiar to him, even though his own mother had long passed. He remembered that feeling of warmth and safety from so long ago, the last time he felt like he was truly home.

Wiping a stray tear from his eye, Pinky untangled the mesh from the lamb’s leg, starting from the top and slowly moving down to the hoof.

“There you go, baby,” Pinky said once the leg was completely free. The lamb pulled his hoof out of the netting, gave it a good shake, then joyfully pranced and bleated around his mother and Pinky.

The mother gave Pinky a tiny nod, bleated to her little one, and together they rejoined their flock. The shepherd was still ignoring his flock in favor of Prince Snowball. Pinky couldn’t see him anymore from the ground.

Pinky picked up his wagon handle, ready to go home and help Papa hitch everything up to Pharfignewton.

Then he felt a pair of fingers pluck the feather he’d lovingly tucked behind his ear. Pinky turned to get his feather back, and jumped when Snowball was just inches from his face.

“Hello, Pinky,” Snowball said. He smiled, but it was more out of smugness than a real smile.

Pinky’s ears lowered, but then he remembered his manners. “Bonjour, Prince Snowball. May I have my feather please? A really nice bird gave that to me.”

Snowball frowned, holding the feather out of Pinky’s reach. The feather crinkled in his tight grip. “How could you possibly need this? It’s hardly good quality for even the cheapest quills.”

“Poit. It doesn’t need to be a quill to make me happy,” Pinky replied.

Snowball rolled his eyes, tossing the feather behind him. Pinky tried to grab it, but it was caught on a gust of wind and drifted to the ground. It landed in a mud puddle, soaking the barbs of the feather and staining it brown.

“Pinky, get your head out of the clouds and pay attention to important matters,” Snowball’s lip curled as he blocked Pinky from retrieving his feather. “Such as showing royals courtesy when they address a peasant like you.”

“Excuse me, Snowball,” Pinky said politely, going around the hamster to pick up his feather. The damage didn’t look too bad. Still, he tried to be careful when he cleaned it with his apron.

Snowball crossed his arms, and the town’s whispers started up again.

How dare he not show proper respect to Snowball, does he fancy himself higher than a prince, why would Snowball pay him any individual attention and not someone more deserving.

“That’s Prince Snowball to you.” Snowball’s fur bristled for a moment, but he took a deep breath and put his arms around Pinky’s shoulders instead. “The whole town's talking about you and your lack of...purpose. And we can’t have that, you realize. After all, a machine requires all of its cogs and gears to run smoothly, otherwise it won’t work.”

“Bet his crackpot father would know something about that!” one of Snowball’s men chortled.

Everyone laughed, even Snowball, who rarely did so. An unfamiliar feeling boiled in Pinky’s stomach.

“Don’t talk about my father that way!” Pinky snapped. His inventions were amazing and he was going to do well at the fair! They didn’t know how hard Papa worked on his inventions!

Snowball glared at his men. “Yes, don’t talk about his father that way, you fools!” he hissed like Pinky hadn’t heard him laughing just seconds ago.

“He’s not a crackpot! His invention’s gonna win the blue ribbon cause it was made with smarts and love, you’ll see!” Pinky declared, just as an explosion went off in the distance.

And he knew exactly where that explosion had come from.

“I have to go. Goodbye!” Pinky dragged his wagon behind him, setting off for the cottage he and Papa called home.

“It’s a pity and a sin,

He doesn’t quite fit in.

He really is a funny mouse,

A beauty but a funny mouse,

He really is a funny mouse,

THAT PIN-”

The sharp, high-pitched crack of a rifle interrupted the village’s song, and everyone ran for cover.

“WILL YA SHUT UP? SOME OF US ARE TRYIN’ TA SLEEP!” Slappy shouted from her tree, her screech blowing tiles and lumber from the roofs of buildings.

Just a provincial life in this little town. Pinky ran across the cobblestone bridge, wondering if he truly had the right to ask for something more than that.

o-o-o-o-o

He hurried over to the cellar, where smoke trailed from the gaps of the heavy wooden doors. Pinky opened the entrance, and a smoky cloud blew right in his face. He coughed and waved it away, hiding his nose in his dress as he hurried over to Papa, who’d been thrown onto his back. A pile of broken wooden planks covered him.

In the corner, Madeleine sputtered, her gears and dials spinning wildly before she finally quieted down, one loose spring sending a gear crashing into a wall.

“Dagnabbit, Madeleine!” Papa cursed, stumbling as he extracted himself from the pile of wooden planks. Pinky grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet, checking him over for any injuries. Luckily, there were no bruises or splinters to be found. “Don’t you stall out on me now!”

Pinky smiled. Papa’s string of random gibberish and mutterings of smart inventor words he couldn’t understand was something he’d been familiar with from a young age. No matter where they lived, it was just one of those things that came with home.

Papa huffed, untying his apron with all his tools and tossing it to the ground. “She’ll never work in time for the fair! What was I thinking?” he lamented. “It’s not too late. Maybe I can cobble something else together quickly! Yes, I’ll just take the doowhatzit out of Madeleine, combine it with the kaleidomajiggy from the old washer, and-”

“You always say that, Papa,” Pinky said, hugging his father around the shoulders. Papa rested his hands over Pinky’s with a sigh. “Don’t worry. I believe Madeleine will work, and she’ll win you that blue ribbon and help you become an inventor for the history books! Narf! Just like Benjamin Franklin, ‘cept without all the kite-flying.”

“You really think so?” Papa asked, his frown turning to a hopeful smile.

“Course I do,” Pinky grinned.

A determined look crossed Papa’s face, and he tied his apron around his waist, nearly tripping over it in the process.

“What are we waiting for then? Let’s fix ‘er up!” Papa said, laying down on a flat, low cart and pushing himself under the broken stove that made up Madeleine’s main body. “So how was your morning in town?”

“A little birdie gave me a feather. I found a pretty stone by the pond. And I delivered the acorns to the Squirrels. Did you know Slappy used to be a part of a traveling troupe? I didn’t.” Pinky recanted his morning to Papa as tools clinked and scratched against metal. “Oh, and I guess you’ll be missing Prince Snowball’s feast tonight. They’ll have venison and wild boar there.”

“A feast? That sounds nice. Much better than inn food,” Papa mused. As usual, only part of what Pinky said ever registered with him. “Are you going?”

“I don’t know yet,” Pinky admitted. “Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party...but Prince Snowball is-um, what’s a good word for him?”

“Rich? Smart? Confident?” Papa suggested. “He’s been talkin’ to you a lot lately.”

So everyone’s noticed, even Papa who spent much of his time in the cellar that doubled as a workshop.

“He has,” Pinky agreed. “And he says he can give me a purpose. But...I don’t know. I don’t think he’s right for me. Maybe I’m just as odd as they say I am.”

It was the same everywhere they settled. No matter what Pinky tried to do, the whispers always followed him. He noticed strange things, he wore strange clothes, he and Papa were always strangers in towns where everyone knew each other from birth.

Papa slid out from under Madeleine, wearing a silly helmet on his head that gave him huge, bug-like eyes.

“My son is odd?” Papa asked in disbelief, and Pinky laughed. The helmet always made Papa look silly. “Don’t know where these folks get their ideas from…anyway, I think Madeleine’s all ready to go. Care to give her a whirl?”

“Zort! Am I!” Pinky clapped his hands together. Papa pointed to a lever, which Pinky pulled with all his might.

Madeleine’s bells and whistles sounded, water steadily pumping through her system while steam filled her stove. Pulleys and gears turned along her sides, reaching the front. Her dials quivered until they reached the red zone, and the ax at her front swung down, scoring a deep cut in a block of firewood. The ax swung faster and faster, until one final split the firewood in half and sent one chunk flying.

Pinky and Papa ducked, and the chunk flew over their heads and landed perfectly on a pile of firewood against the wall.

“She works!” Pinky shouted in joy, kissing one of Madeleine’s wooden wheels. “You did it, Papa!”

“I did?” Papa murmured. “I did! 265th time’s the charm, Pinky! Look out fair, I’m on my way!”

o-o-o-o-o

Within the hour, Madeleine was wheeled out from the workshop, covered and tied up with a tarp, and hitched to Pharfignewton.

“Bye, Fig,” Pinky said, hugging his beloved horse’s muzzle. “Keep Papa on track to the fair, okay? You know how he likes taking shortcuts.”

Pharfignewton whinnied gently, planting a sloppy kiss on top of Pinky’s head.

Then Pinky embraced Papa, who returned the hug with the same enthusiasm. And he was reminded of how the mouse and horse he considered his home would be leaving for some time. He wished he could go with them, but someone had to keep house and he was the best one for the job. It wouldn’t be for long, but he’d miss them all the same.

A stray tear dropped. Just another reason he was considered odd. He cried so easily.

“Chin up, Pinky,” Papa murmured, rubbing a soothing circle into Pinky’s back. “I’ll win that blue ribbon along with the prize money, and we’ll begin our lives anew within the week.”

Through his tears, Pinky gave him a wobbly smile. Then he helped Papa onto Pharfignewton’s back.

“Take care!” Pinky called as Papa flicked the reins, and Pharfignewton trotted off at a steady pace, dragging Madeleine behind her. He watched them from atop the highest hill in the meadow, as they went further down the well-worn trail that merchants used for their travels.

Then they were nothing but specks in the distance, swallowed by the thick, twisted branches of the forest. It was an unusual forest, one where the trees lost their leaves in early autumn, making the trees look scarier than they actually were for half the year.

With nothing else to do outside, Pinky went back into the empty cottage. He’d had three years to become familiar with this house, full of odds and ends from Papa’s inventions alongside their meager belongings.

Mama’s cloak hung from a place of honor on a coat rack by the door, one of the few belongings Pinky could take along no matter where they lived.

Hours passed, and Pinky already missed the banging and exploding and sputtering of Papa’s inventions. It was just too quiet without them.

He cleaned the red feather and pretty stone, then added them to his collection. Feathers and rocks didn’t take up a lot of room, and like Mama’s cloak, they could easily be taken to new places as well. He was just very careful not to lose them.

The wagon was tucked away by the door, and the small bag of money was tucked inside a flower pot. It was how Papa always stored money, and Pinky had picked up the habit.

There wasn’t much to do. He’d cleaned the cottage several days ago, cellar notwithstanding. That was Papa’s territory, and he always had trouble finding tools when Pinky put them away.

Suppertime approached.

He could either cook dinner or go to the feast.

Didn’t matter what he chose. He would be lonely either way.

A sharp rap on the door startled him out of his thoughts. How strange. People only knocked at this time when there was an emergency.

“Sorry for taking so long. I wasn’t expecting-” Pinky opened the door, and he immediately stood face-to-face with Prince Snowball. They were so close that their noses nearly touched. “-to see you here, Snowball. Um, this is a surprise. Poit.”

Snowball’s pink eyes narrowed in annoyance, and Pinky remembered that Snowball preferred to be addressed with his full title. “Yes, it’s not often that someone of my standing chooses to grace a peasant’s home with their presence.”

Behind Snowball, there was an entourage of townsfolk. Many wore their Sunday best, which was still quite cheap compared to the royal finery that Snowball bore. A fine red coat, a decorative golden cape slung over one shoulder, and white dress pants. A shiny crown embedded with rubies and emeralds sat atop his head.

“I thought you were all at the tavern for the feast,” Pinky admitted.

Snowball laughed, but it was a joyless laugh. He stepped across the threshold without being invited in.

“Why, Pinky. Your hovel is positively primeval,” Snowball said, wrinkling his nose in disdain. He tugged Mama’s cloak off its hook, stared at it for a moment, then carelessly tossed it behind him. “If this is how you live, then it’s a truly auspicious time for me to come and offer you an opportunity out of this squalor.”

Before Pinky could ask what auspicious was, though he figured it had something to do with Austria, Snowball harshly dug his fingers into Pinky’s shoulders. Pinky tried to pry them off, but the fingers just burrowed further into the fabric of his dress.

“Not to worry, dear Pinky,” Snowball said. “Today is the day all your dreams come true.”

“You mean my dream to find a home and a porpoise? Because I don’t know if we have enough money to live by the ocean. Beachside properties get very pricey, you know,” Pinky asked.

Snowball waved off that concern. “You forget that finances are of no consequence for me. But I digress. For now, allow me to plant the image of a wonderful future in your vacant mind.”

“Okay, but I don’t know how you’re gonna water it,” Pinky said.

“Picture this,” Snowball demanded, leading Pinky around the cottage. “A magnificent castle. Two golden thrones, mine higher than the queen’s of course. A few summer homes to expand my sphere of influence. A court of other royals, lesser nobles, while the servants do all the menial work around the fires and kitchen. We’ll have...oh, six or seven.”

“Servants?” Pinky grinned nervously as Snowball leaned in with a chuckle.

“Castles, Pinky. How else would I showcase my power?” Snowball corrected. “And the townsfolk shall become our servants. It will save me the trouble of setting up a hiring process anyway. Besides, you’d appreciate having familiar faces around. Less of an adjustment period.”

Pinky freed himself from Snowball’s grip. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t,” Snowball shrugged. “But in simplest terms, I require a queen. One who is good at smiling, waving, and entertainment.”

Wouldn’t that person become a princess rather than a queen though?

Snowball must’ve seen the question coming. He paused in front of the mirror to adjust his crown.

“There is but one title higher than a prince, Pinky,” Snowball said once he was finished. “In order to qualify for the kingship, it’s required of me to marry first. And do you know who that queen will be?”

“Elizabeth? Victoria?” Pinky wilted under Snowball’s intense stare. “Um...Cleopatra, final answer?”

Snowball shook his head. “It will be you, Pinky.”

A queen? He’d always just been the inventor’s son. An outcast no matter where he lived. How could he possibly be a queen?

“That’s a very generous offer, Snowball,” Pinky said, once he finally found his words again.

“Isn’t it, though?” Snowball said smugly. “You and your father will live in an extravagant new home as you perform your queenly duties, and I will be forever hailed as King Snowball. Both of us shall benefit.”

Maybe he and Papa could live in better conditions. Maybe they didn’t have to move around anymore. Maybe they could afford shoes for Pharfignewton. But at the same time…it wouldn’t be right.

It wouldn’t be home.

Smiling, waving, entertaining. Was that all he was good for? Was that all Snowball thought he could do?

“I thought...marriage was for love,” Pinky said softly. “That’s what Papa always said.”

Snowball rolled his eyes. “It’s a political marriage. It doesn’t have to be built on love.”

Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

It was one of the earliest morals Pinky had learned.

Wish for a home, only for it to be a castle. Wish for a purpose, and it’s to be married without love as a foundation.

“Snowball...I’m speechless,” Pinky said, backing out the front door. He nearly tripped over the welcome mat, but regained his footing. “I...I really don’t know what to say.”

Not even a narf would help him out of this situation.

“Say that you’ll marry me, Pinky,” Snowball replied, and he stalked toward Pinky like a cunning predator, backing him against the edge of the porch. “And after you say yes, I will announce our engagement to the rest of ACME Village at the feast. Attendance is mandatory for a reason.”

“I’m really, really sorry, Snowball,” Pinky said. He’d backed up too far, and the heels of his feet dangled precariously over the edge. Instincts kicking in, Pinky grabbed Snowball’s shoulder to pull himself to safety, though he underestimated his strength. Snowball yelped as he was pulled over the edge, falling into the mud puddle by the staircase.

Oops.

“Sorry, Snowball! But I just don’t deserve you,” Pinky admitted.

The mud-covered crown slipped around Snowball’s head, covering his eyes until he took it off with an annoyed grunt.

Pinky slipped back into the house, grabbed a small towel, and handed it to one of Snowball’s men.

Claude, if he remembered right.

“He can have that one,” Pinky told Claude, who gingerly took the towel like it was a fragile item.

Snowball crawled out of the mud, his royal clothing covered in gunk and sticks. He stomped out of the mud, hands clenching against his sides.

Snowball’s brow lowered, his pink eyes hidden in humiliation and a quiet, seething fury.

Slowly, Pinky retreated into the cottage and hid behind the door. There was something about that look that terrified him. And it wasn’t the fun kind of fear, either.

“You will consider my offer, Pinky. Make no mistake about that,” Snowball spat, his scrutinizing gaze directly on Pinky, despite the door between them. “Claude, quit being daft and hand me that towel already!”

Pinky waited in the cottage until he could no longer hear their voices or footsteps. They must’ve gone back to the tavern for the feast.

He didn’t feel hungry though. Snowball’s proposal left a sour taste in his mouth, like he’d just sucked on a lemon.

“He asked me to marry him,” Pinky said to his mother’s cloak, which was still crumpled on the floor. He gently picked it up, brushed off the wrinkles, and put it on. The fabric was warm against his back, like being wrapped in a ginormous embrace. “But he doesn’t love me. Narf! You can’t have a marriage without love!”

He thought of all the married couples he knew in ACME Village. The baker couple, who were constantly at each other’s throats. Gerard the butcher was always making googly eyes at any woman who bought cuts of meat, much to his wife’s frustration. There was the stressed lady who had to drag her six kids around town while her husband played cards and darts at the tavern.

And Pinky thought of his parents. His mother had fallen in love with his father’s inventive streak when she was the daughter of a town official and Papa was just the crazy mouse whose inventions blew up a lot.

He tied the cloak tighter around himself. Unable to take the silence of the cottage and the stifling influence of the village much longer, he allowed his feet to carry him out of the cottage and to wherever they wanted to go.

He sprinted into the unknown. He wouldn’t be afraid of whatever he found there. The autumn wind blew golden, red, and brown leaves in whichever direction it wished as Pinky climbed the highest hill in the gorgeous flower-filled meadow.

The peak of the hill was his favorite spot, and he was surprised that nobody else came out here to enjoy the view with him. Trees lost their colorful leaves so they could sleep for the winter, the river splashed and babbled along its banks, and proud mountains with mysterious cloud-covered peaks rose high above the landscape.

What laid beyond villages and towns, he didn’t know.

There was something in that great wide somewhere for him. Just a feeling, an inkling, a hunch.

But could he truly go exploring it when his home was here?

Maybe he could convince Papa. Somehow. When Papa came back with the prize money, they could fit Pharfignewton with her shoes and they could all explore together!

Staring into the autumn landscape, Pinky sank to his knees, careful not to squish the daisies and dandelions around him.

Maybe that was home, but…

He didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. Would he ever figure that out?

He loved Papa, but he couldn’t really talk to him. And Slappy had her hands full with such an energetic nephew. Pinky didn’t want to impose. Everyone in the village gossiped about him, like he couldn’t understand.

But he did.

And it hurt.

“Would be nice to talk to someone. Anyone, really,” he whispered, and he blew on a cluster of dandelion puffs. His wish scattered along the wind.

Pinky picked up more dandelion puffs. If he blew more around, maybe his wish would come true. And dandelion flowers were very pretty.

Maybe they were considered weeds, but how could anyone call such a sunshine-y yellow flower a pest? He didn’t get it.

Then a distant, familiar neigh caught him off-guard.

Pinky thumped his hand against his ear. Maybe he was missing Pharfignewton so much that he heard her voice?

But he’d recognize her magnificent white coat and spirited blue eyes anywhere.

“Easy, Pharfignewton! It’s okay!” Pinky cried. He scrambled up Pharfignewton’s leg, avoided her flailing hoof, and held onto her muzzle as she bucked and reared in sheer panic. “Shhh, it’s okay. You’re okay…”

Pharfignewton quieted down, her frantic neighs melting into soft, worried nickers as Pinky stroked her nose. She stopped kicking, though she was wide-eyed with fear.

Madeleine wasn’t hitched to Pharfignewton. Nor was she wasn’t the only one missing…

And Pinky suddenly understood his horse’s panic.

“Pharfignewton, where’s Papa?” Pinky asked. “Is he okay? How did you get separated? Did he try another shortcut when I told him not to do it?”

Pharfignewton’s hooves shuffled, and Pinky forced himself to take a deep breath. He was scaring her with all these questions, so he nuzzled her between the eyes in apology. Still, his heart raced with panic.

From the top of the hill, he saw thick, gray clouds rolling in from the mountains. The temperature was dropping fast.

An early winter would be upon them. They had to find Papa quickly.

“Please, Pharfignewton. We’ve gotta find him,” Pinky pleaded.

She whinnied in agreement, and galloped into the strange forest with all its dangerous, twisted branches before Pinky had a chance to settle in his usual spot at the base of her neck.

Don’t worry, Papa. I’m on my way.

End AN: Well, this is beast is complete (no pun intended).

Yeah, poor Pinky’s usual charm doesn’t really work here. Poor mouse.

Slappy is fun to write, not gonna lie. Love her cartoony antics. She’s also led quite the interesting life in this AU.

The reason Snowball didn’t show up sooner was because I wasn’t sure how to tweak the proposal scene to fit. Cause for one thing, Snowball is way smarter than Gaston, but just as arrogant to boot. So I changed Snowball’s motivation into marrying Pinky because it will help him gain a higher title than a prince. He doesn’t actually love Pinky in this AU, but he’s very annoyed at him for that stunt with the mud puddle (though it’s accidental on Pinky’s part rather than intentional like Belle’s).

The reason Snowball doesn’t go seeking a princess’s hand to gain the kingship is cause he tried that already. It was Billie of a nearby kingdom. It didn’t go well.

Also yes the village is named ACME Village because I’m lazy and can’t come up with anything better.

#pinky and the brain #patb snowball #beauty and the beast au #patb fanfiction

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lazaretskies · 4 years ago

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👄 Eury to Morgan? (DM me if you need help or anything)

For this post <3

This is so cute to write oml. I went overboard and didn't even ask cause I was too excited hehe. Sorry if anything's off point. :V I'm just gonna but it under the cut cause it got too long.

I'm currently working on other asks! I just got carried away with this one. ✨👉👈

When Nadia allowed Eury to ride with her in the carriage on their way to welcome home their friends, it's mostly because she didn't want the Amazon running over roofs and people again. The last time that happened, a very unlucky merchant of cabbages found himself two crates short after Eury ungracefully fell on his carriage and sent an entire mount of vegetables rolling down the streets of Vesuvia. It was chaos getting everyone to stop panicking and Nadia had to scold Eury herself. The female was an excellent addition in the Vesuvian army but her actions were far too untamed and she often chooses to let her emotions decide her actions.

Right now, for example, Eury very carelessly jump out the royal carriage before it even came to a full stop. Nadia called for her but the woman was already shoving her way to the docks and towards the familiar ship already into port, the crew debarking cargo off the vessel. Using her height to her advantage, Eury looked over the crowd for one particular person. When she didn't find them in the docks, she continued to maneuver closer. And once the familiar shade of blue finally caught her eye, Eury immediately went and stepped over a couple crates and maybe a few people to close the distance between them. This earned her a multitude of shouts and curses, half of which she didn't even know the language. All fell into deaf ears, however, as Euryleia only continued to use them as stepping stones on her way aboard the ship and towards one person.

Fresh from two months long travel at sea, Morgan was now in the middle of a conversation with an overly animated Julian and with Portia who looked way too tired for his nonsense. The doctor only continued, "What I'm saying is if we just went through the strait earlier the next time we visit—"

"—We'll come crashing into the nearby cliffs and sink into sea!", Portia exclaimed, cutting her brother off. "Ilya, that's a stupid idea."

"Actually, if we maneuver with a smaller ship, it isn't as impossible–", Morgan added to which Julian beamed at, however, the female wasn't finished. "–but what's the point of a cargo vessel if it's too small? We'll just waste supplies and manpower."

"That's why we can also–"

Jumping over the wooden beam instead of taking the ramp, Euryleia finally landed on the ship's deck with a solid thud. When the trio heard the sudden noise, all three stopped to check if someone had accidentally dropped a crate or something. Multiple stares turned to the sudden passenger's direction but Eury only met eyes with one particular gaze. Both Julian and Portia called to her but she only cared for one person at the moment.

"Eury! Over here!", Morgan waved to her from the other side of the ship. Instead of waving back or answering at all, Eury only made her way directly to her direction with a somewhat determined expression. The blue-haired sailors smiled at the approaching female. "Here to welcome us home? I have so much to tell you! We also brought home quite a lot of souvenirs! You remember that particular candied fruit you've wanted? We found a merchant that–mmph!"

The moment she was at arm's reach, without hesitation, Eury had wrapped her arms around the shorter woman's waist and cut her off by pulling her in for a long-awaited kiss, eyes closed. The kiss was somewhat too rough but Eury eventually found the common sense to relax. Morgan's eyes were wide open from surprise at first but eventually closed in bliss, kissing back and placing her toned arms atop equally strong shoulders. The immediate she felt the other kiss back, Eury went further and turned her head slightly to the side as she dipped Morgan, arms still supporting her waist and back. Salty winds brushed against their skin, their hair flowing with the breeze as both of them just sink into each other's warmth.

The kiss might've lasted longer than normal though because Julian had awkwardly cleared his throat and tried to speak, but Euryleia blindly raised a hand at his direction to shut him up. Offended, he tried to speak again but it was Morgan this time that raised a finger and told him to hold it until they're done. With a huff and a snicker from his sister, he finally decided to wait.

When the need for air became too much, Euryleia reluctantly pulled away. The bright afternoon sun casted above her head as she gazed down at her partner. Eury placed one last kiss on her lips before fully hugging Morgan, burying her face in the other's neck. "...I missed you."

"I can tell.", the other's laughter was music to her ears, Eury nuzzling her further because of it. Oh how she missed the sound of her voice. "I missed you, too, Eury."

"You know... We came back home, too.", Julian suddenly slides in with one of his usual grins, completely ruining the moment. "Do we not get a welcome home kiss?"

Eury sent him a glare and growled. Julian raised his hands in defense. "I was kidding!", he laughed, earning a jab at his side from his sister as well. "-Ow! Fine, fine! But you should probably continue that at home or maybe in the Captain's quarters. You're making everyone here jealous."

"Don't be ridiculous.", Morgan playfully scolded, straightening her back to stand properly again. Eury still refused to let go of her though, now hugging her waist from behind and nuzzling her hair like a lost puppy. "The bed in the quarters won't fit Eury~"

"...my new room in the palace can fit both of us.", Eury suggested to which Morgan chuckled at, turning around in the embrace and reaching up to ruffle the taller's bright orange hair.

"Then, why don't you show me?", she asked. "I'm also quite tired. I also brought home some Nevivon salts if you want join me for a bath?"

At the prospect of a shared bath, Eury immediately perked up, her lips stretching to a wide grin. She nodded with a childlike enthusiasm and was already pulling Morgan off the boat, the other laughing at the sudden excitement.

Meanwhile, Julian watched as the two walked away, sighing. He turned to his sister but was met with nothing but empty space, Portia already running towards Nadia who welcomed her home with a kiss of her own. The doctor groaned.

"...I'm definitely too single for this."

#oc x oc #morgan drakos #raven's desk #eury's inbox #Eury's OTPs #Eury x OC #Eury x Morgan #morleia

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gloves94 · 5 years ago

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Rumor Has It... [Zuko x Wife!Reader]

Anonymous Requested:

Girl I just got done reading the comics and Zuko with Kiyi IS THE CUTEST THING EVER!!! Can you pleaseee do a one shot where it’s Zuko x reader with their child??💕💕💕💕

Rating: PG Warnings: Fluff! Words: 1281 Pairing: Zuko x Fam!Reader / Pregnant!Reader A/N: I got a little carried away Anon, hope you like it! (And yes- Zuko and Kiyi are hella cute)

This all started with an ill rumor.

Fire Lord Zuko was sitting on his throne. Advisors came in and out of the room with proposals and hearings that he had to hear and after a long day he was mentally exhausted from running his country.

Behind him on either side of the throne stood his Kyoshi Warrior bodyguards, Suki and Ty Lee. They too had a headache from listening to the same rambling of everything that was wrong with the Fire Nation in the post-war reconstruction period.

A merchant that had requested an audience with the Fire Lord was inquiring for a business license in order to sell cabbages in the Fire Nation. It was such dull jargon, so much that Ty Lee couldn’t resist striking a conversation with Suki.

“Hey,” She whispered. Suki turned her eyes in her direction standing perfectly still remaining on guard, eyes fixed on the cabbage merchant. “Don’t you think (y/n) has been acting a little strange?” She spoke in a hushed tone unaware that Zuko’s ears perked at the mention of his Fire Lady. No longer listening to the cabbage merchant he listened to Ty Lee’s words attentively. Suki simply arched an eyebrow. “Yeah, I mean she’s been eating these really weird foods. The other day she had me try a mango with honey and hot sauce, it was disgusting. You know you’d think she’s pregnant or something.”

Suki’s eyes went wide and she turned to face her friend giving her a silencing look.

“(Y/N) is pregnant?!” Zuko coughed out loudly making all eyes in the room turn to his wide-eyed expression.

Everybody was dismissed from the throne room. The cabbage merchant was granted the permit that he needed and happily left.

“No,” Ty Lee rolled her eyes innocently at her friend. “That is not what I said. All I said is that she’s acting like she could be. I mean her aura is pinker than usual-“ She was interrupted by Suki who told her to shut up elbowing her roughly now standing beside her.

“You can’t just say things like that Ty Lee!” She reprimanded. “This is how rumors get started. Right Zuko?” She paused waiting for the Fire Lord’s answer. “… Right?”

Both turned to see Zuko who had gone completely mute. There was a growing smile on his lips and a dazed expression on his glinting golden eyes.

“Oh no…” Suki muttered looking at the daydream expression on his face. “Oh, no, no, no, no….” She repeated approaching him.

“Zuko,” Suki began touching his shoulder hoping her touch would make him snap out of his daze. “Nobody is pregnant. It’s just talk.” She glared at Ty Lee who smiled sheepishly. Suki’s words went in through one ear and out from the other. It was too late; the hopeful idea had already been planted on his head…

Xxx Zuko watched his wife intently as she ate next to him. She seemed to be eating her meal just fine. He didn’t think he could see auras or whatever the hell it was that Ty Lee was talking about. “Want to try my new sauce?” She suddenly said. “It goes great with- well everything.” (Y/N) said leaning in close and putting a bottle of a strange looking sauce with a pungent smell before him. It smelled awful. He was definitely not trying that.

He couldn’t help but smile lovingly at her. He couldn’t think of a good reason why she would keep such good news from him but decided to respect her silence. “What?” She asked a little confused and self-conscious at the endearing look he was giving her. “Nothing,” His smiled widened a little more as he reached for her hand on the dining table entangling his fingers with hers.

Xxx

Over the next couple of days Zuko had been acting odd, like really, really, odd.

(Y/n) couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

He was constantly hovering over her whenever she attempted to manage the simplest of tasks and had ordered servants to do whatever and everything for her. He had also been extra attentive and protective over her, holding her close whenever he could, especially at night and even offering generous foot massages whenever she did her late-night reading.

She found it odd but wasn’t one to complain. That was until one night.

(Y/n) calmly sat on their bedroom’s maroon living room. She was presently enjoying an evening’s glass of wine while reading a book. She was so engrossed in her novel that she didn’t even hear her husband walk into their bedroom.

Zuko stopped in his tracks when he saw his wife consuming her alcoholic beverage and immediately freaked out rushing to her side.

“What are you doing?!” He exclaimed as he jogged to her side almost tripping over the carpet. Nervously, he reached for the chalice of wine and took it from her hands and away placing it on a coffee table nearby. She raised an eyebrow confused at his actions. “Reading?” She guessed. “Enjoying a glass of wine?”

“You-You shouldn’t be drinking that. It’s not good for the baby.” He said cautiously sitting on the carpeted floor next to the sofa; his hands reaching for hers.

She blinked twice and shook her head lightly. Had she heard him correctly?

“What baby?” She drawled out slowly still perplexed at his behavior. He focused his warm eyes on her face, stroking the back of her hand gently. He looked at her just as confused. “Our baby.” He smiled at her so endearingly she could’ve just melted on the spot.

She gave him a dumbfounded look. Looking at his face seeking for any hint or clue of what he was talking about. And then it hit her. That’s why he had been acting so weird… She sat up slightly brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

She looked down at her body, sure maybe she had put on a little weight, but this?

“But- I’m not pregnant...” It sounded almost like a question.

Zuko’s expression faltered, his eyebrows knotting, eyes dropping in disappointment. He should’ve known better. He knew that it was only a rumor, but a part of him… A part of him wanted it to be true. To be real… “Hey, what’s wrong?” She asked turning to him and taking his face in her hands. Raising it so he’d look at her. “Nothing,” he answered quietly still not meeting her eyes. “I just… I thought…”

She was patient waiting for him to explain himself.

“I thought we were about to start our family.” He sighed standing up

“I didn’t know you were ready to start a family,” she said also rising to her feet.

She didn’t know that he was ready for this step in their lives, starting a family. Phew, it was a big deal. She also didn’t know that he wanted this so badly. The blow of the news still reflected on his face.

“Hey,” She said wrapping her arms around his neck. “It’s never too late to start,” the slightest of smirks curled the edge of her lips.

His eyes went a little wide at the meaning of this. Broad smile once again blooming on his face. He hugged her back his lips catching hers.

xxx

Some months later Suki and Ty Lee received news that the Fire Nation was expecting their Crown Prince or Princess to arrive anytime now.

“Well,” Suki shrugged at the news. “Guess the rumors were true!”

Xxxxx 6 Years Later xxxxx A small girl ran the long corridors of the Fire Nation’s Royal palace. An excited look on her face as she ran towards the palace’s entrance as fast as her legs could take her. An excited look on her eyes, broad smile on her face.

Sometime later she spotted the objective of her trek.

Fire Lord Zuko had just returned from a business trip with the Avatar to the United Republic of Nations. He was exhausted from his journey across the ocean and back. The only thing he wanted to do was enjoy a cup of tea and sink into his bed with his wife.

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” He heard loud shouts echoing the corridors’ red walls.

He pushed the exhaustion to the back of his mind when he saw his daughter running towards him looking more excited than ever. “You’re back!” She cried out giddy with excitement before tackling his legs in an embrace.

“There’s my Princess!” he grinned broadly at the embrace and lifted the young girl holding her up in his arms. “Daddy, I missed you!” She said wrapping her arms around his neck hugging him tightly and to think he had only been gone for ten days. “I missed you too,” he smiled back at her and planted a kiss on top of her head. He gave a look to the guards that were escorting him, and they left on command. “Now, where did you come from? Where is your mother?” He asked gently pushing several strands of messy hair out of his child’s forehead.

The young girl ignored his questions.

“Dad! I want you to meet my new doll,” she said pointing in the direction of her bedroom. “I’d love to meet her, but we have to find your mom first. I haven’t seen her in some time and want to say hi to her too.” He explained sighing at the end. “She’s fun!” (D/Name) spoke referring to her doll. “I named her Kiyi!” “But that’s Aunt Kiyi’s name,” Zuko looked at her in surprise at the odd choice in name. “I know, but it’s a good name!” She insisted. “That, she’d agree too.” He nodded briefly thinking of his younger sister.

As he walked with his daughter in his arms he passed by the palace’s central garden. The one in which he had spent many pleasant afternoons with his mother feeding the pond’s turtle ducks. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the tree next to the pond and then at his princess. “You know what… Mom can come find us.” xxx “One time I threw a bread at a turtleduck and its mom came and bit me,” Zuko explained as he tossed a piece of bread to the turtleduck family on the pond. Both him and the princess had been sitting there for some time now enjoying the cool shade under the garden’s tree, sharing the intimate family moment. She couldn’t help but laugh at her dad’s anecdote. “Like this?” She said taking the large loaf of bread and aggressively tossing it at a little turtleduck making the poor thing go underwater. The mother quacked angrily and approached them. “No! Not like that!” He saw the mother duck approach and lean forward to bite his child and instead stuck his hand. He winced slightly at the discomfort and shook off the animal’s beak. He would never allow anybody to touch or harm his princess. “No! Dad!” She cried out concerned reaching for him. “Are you okay? Why did it do that?”

“Because you hurt her turtleduckling. That’s what parents do. We defend our turtleducklings.”

“Oh,” she deflated slightly. “I’m sorry dad. It’s my fault you got hurt,” she apologized lowering her head. “Just be more gentle next time,” he said laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. “If not, you’ll have to face the mother turtleduck’s wrath!” He cried out before abruptly sinking his fingers into her sides tickling her.

(Y/n) watched the warm scene as she stepped into the garden. She wanted to approach the two people she loved most in this world but didn’t want to interrupt the endearing scene she was witnessing.

She’d never get enough of those two. It wasn’t enough to start the day with them. To struggle trying to get their daughter to eat her vegetables only for Zuko to sneak some dessert to the princess without (Y/n) noticing, although she did, she just pretended not too. Even finishing the day with (D/n) sneaking into bed with her parents after they’ve put her to sleep.

“Mom!” (D/n) suddenly cried out snapping her out of her train of thoughts.

“There you are,” (Y/n) said approaching the two of them. She saw her husband bending over still holding his daughter’s sides in a tickling embrace.

“She’s been asking about you all week. You spoil her too much,” she shook her head with a slight smile and joined her little family kissing her husband’s cheek. “Welcome back, the three of us missed you.” She said sitting next to him running a hand through her daughter’s hair.

“Three of us?” He looked at her confused. She simply smiled, the cheeky grin on her face growing even wider. It was then that it hit him. He couldn’t help himself, overjoyed he brought his wife in for a loving embrace. “I’m so happy!” He spoke against her hair thrilled at the thought of a new person joining their growing family.

The best part of it all was that this time it wasn’t a rumor.

xxx

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#prince zuko #zukoxreader #zuko #avatar #avatar the last airbender #avatar fanfic #avatar fanfiction #atla #atla fanfic #pregnant!reader #fam!reader #wife!reader

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madsthewordclown · 5 years ago

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The Thief

warnings: none

summary: You’re in trouble with some Fire Nations soldiers, but you’re not the only one they’re after. Might turn this one into a series, I’m not sure yet. Fem!reader, possibly future Sokka x Reader

I don’t feel like this is my best, but I feel like I could do more with it and add more character if I continued in a series. I make no promises 😶

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The dark-haired boy in blue approaches you. “Need some help?” He asks, smiling a bit too widely considering the circumstances you all are in.

“Do you have a plan?” You pant, the panic evident on your face. What will they do with you when you get caught? You shudder as you think about the other people from your village who had been arrested. You would not get caught.

“We never have a plan,” the boy smiles at you, extending his hand.

“Hey!” The Fire Nation merchant shouts as you dart between carts and stands in the market, your bag tucked under your right arm. You use your left arm to quickly pull your hood over your head, quickly scanning your surroundings. The market’s busy today, with throngs of people congregating around the various shops and stands. You make a mad dash into the thickest crowd you see.

The sound of the merchant’s yells fade as you slow to walk, trying to blend in. You breathe a sigh of relief and duck your hand into your band, making sure nothing has fallen out. Your feel your heartrate slow as you realize all of your items are still accounted for. However, the relief is short lived as you turn your head to see five Fire Nation soldiers shoving their way through the crowd. You recognize the moment one of them spots you, motioning to his companions before quickly gaining speed in your direction. You tuck your head down and start to run.

You push your way through the market, sweating and panting, knuckles white from how tightly your hand is clinging on to your bag. You turn a corner and can hear the Fire Nation soldiers getting closer, yelling at you to stop. The crowd is still too thick for them to firebend at you.

In front of you is a cart full of cabbages, manned by an old man. It’s blocked the entire path, trapping you as the soldiers approach. But suddenly, a large gust of airs comes rushing from the behind the cart, knocking it over and blowing your hood back off your head.

“My cabbages!” The man yells, hands on his head in frustration and shock. You take advantage of your opportunity and leap over the cart, squashing a few cabbages in the process. You barely process the group that passes in the other direction—they must’ve been the ones to tip it over in the first place.

You’ve just cleared the cart and continued running when you spot them—at least 10 Fire Nation soldiers directly ahead of you and approaching fast. You stop and look behind you and see the other five soldiers. You’re caught in between them, as well as the group that must have knocked over the cart. They’re kids, you realize with surprise. Two of them, a boy and a girl, wearing blue, as well as a very short Earth Kingdom girl, and a bald boy. You realize that they might be in even more trouble than you are.

As you’re staring, contemplating your options—no alleyways, no conveniently placed ladders, shit—the others seem to notice you for the first time. All of the other villagers and shoppers are quickly clearing the area, the soldiers letting them through. It won’t be long before they’ll be free to firebend at you.

The bald kid blows into a small object—a whistle? He and his group begin to move in your direction. The dark-haired boy in blue approaches you. “Need some help?” He asks, smiling a bit too widely considering the circumstances you all are in.

“We never have a plan,” the boy smiles at you, extending his hand.

“Sokka, come on!” The bald kid shouts, and then you notice it. A large shadow has fallen over the market. A large, animal shadow. Your jaw drops as a sky bison, thought to be extinct, lands in the middle of the road. The bald kid hops—no, airbends—himself on to the bison, and it’s then that you notice the arrow tattoos. The Avatar.

“Are you coming or not?” The boy, Sokka, asks you with more urgency than before, still holding out his hand. You know by now that you don’t have any other option. You take his hand in your own while still clinging onto your bag with the other. He pulls you through the now empty market as the Fire Nation soldiers advance behind you. You stumble as you reach the bison and Sokka pulls you up by your arm into the saddle. You’re surprised by his strength as he sets you down in the saddle with ease.

“Yip, yip, Appa!” The girl in blue yells. Your stomach lurches as you feel the bison lift off the ground. The Avatar is gliding through the air, deflecting fireballs being thrown at you by the soldiers.

“Who’s your friend, Sokka?” The Earth Kingdom girl asks, as if they all weren’t almost killed.

“I’m not sure,” Sokka answers, then looks to you expectantly.

“Y/N,” you introduce yourself, your voice shaking.

“I’m Sokka,” Sokka says, gesturing to himself. “This is Toph, and my sister Katara.” Katara turns from where she’s sitting at the front of the saddle and gives a polite wave.

“And that’s—”

“The A-Avatar,” you interrupt, unable to contain your shock. You feel your blood drain from your face.

“That’s Aang. You kind of get used to the whole Avatar thing eventually,” Sokka says, as if it’s the simplest thing in the world. As if on cue, Aang lands in the saddle, shooting you a confused look.

“Who’s this?”

You open your mouth, but Sokka beats you to it. “This is Y/N. She was also running from the Fire Nation.” Sokka pauses. “Um… why were you running from the Fire Nation?”

“They occupy my village,” you respond, trying your best to explain. “Sometimes the soldiers will come and take things. Money, belongings. We have no power to defend ourselves. The soldiers either keep what they steal or sell it to Fire Nation merchants, who will sell it back to us for ten times the price.”

“That’s awful.” Katara turns from where she’s been guiding the bison, who seems to be on a course now. She gives you a sympathetic look, but you can see the anger brimming behind her eyes. You know that it’s directed at the Fire Nation. It’s something you feel every day.

“They took something of mine, and I went and got it back,” you shrug, hugging your bag closer to your chest. You realize you’ve been holding on to it for dear life.

“So you’re a thief,” Katara reasons.

You shrug again. “I took back what was mine.” Your stomach gives another lurch as the bison flies higher. You realize that you have no idea where they’re going. “Are you going to bring me back to my village?”

Aang, Katara, and Sokka all exchange glances. “We can’t go back now,” Aang says. “There are too many soldiers looking for us, and you. We can see if we’re able to make a detour back there tomorrow.”

“Do you want to go back?” Toph asks. The question shocks you and appears to shock the others as well. It’s the first time she’s said anything to you. The others look to you for an answer.

“I…” you look down. “I don’t think so.” Your village had nothing but the Fire Nation soldiers waiting for you. They were sure to be posting a bounty for you; you had taken something valuable. “But you don’t have to bring me with you.”

“Honestly,” Katara says, “we could use some more help. And we’d never leave you behind if you don’t want us to.” Katara offers you a warm smile. “Even if we just met.”

“Yeah, Katara wants another girl around,” Toph agrees, as if she isn’t a girl herself. You decide not to question it.

“Can you fight?” Sokka asks suddenly.

“Umm…” You glance at them. There’s a hopeful look on all of their faces. “Sort of? I’m not very good.” Their faces fall. “It’s not like I’ve had a ton of practice. But I can learn!” Even if you don’t know them, you really hope they decide to keep you around. You’ve never had many friends, especially since the occupation. “I’m smart, and I’ll help in any way I can.”

“I think she should stay,” Aang says. “We can’t turn her down, especially if you have nowhere else to go.” The rest of them nod in agreement, and your heart begins to soar.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” You can hardly contain your enthusiasm as you attempt to drag the four of them into a hug.

“Great, another hugger,” Toph says sarcastically. The others laugh.

“Now, I have some questions,” you say, leaning back. “Why are you on the run from the Fire Nation?”

#atla #atla fanfic #sokka fanfic #gaang fanfic #gaang x reader #maybe sokka x reader later #katara #toph #aang #avatar: tla #the gaang

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spook-rambles · 5 years ago

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hm probably best to start this blog with some avatar renaissance content which I'm gonna snipe from a conversation I was having on disc. anyway king Bumi was the rightful and uncontestable monarch of the independent great city of Omashu. okay I mean actually I don't remember how he became king but so idk if he's rightful BUT

(this is in response to that post talking about how Bumi gets to call himself king which is definitely something I've thought about. also be thinking about that other post (gifset? I think?) talking about Bumi's airbending influence from Aang when he was young)

so Bumi rules Omashu, which we learn a lot about on the way there. The city is ANCIENT, and named for the first two earthbenders, who literally moved mountains bc they were so in love, and learned earthbending from the badgermoles. (remind you of anyone else? anyway). this city feels like an earthbending spiritual center, so it really fits that its king is a master earthbender

so like how do the people see Bumi? We get to see his wisdom and intelligence but he likes to use an insane facade, so his citizens probably just see that. however, Omashu is doing great! despite the fact an insane dude has been running it for generations; most of the war even. merchants are even vetted before they enter the city (yes I'm extrapolating in that cabbage man scene) so business must be bustling! not to mention the huge amount of package traffic we see on the city's STATE OF THE ART DELIVERY SYSTEM. (though Bumi can't be credited for that; he and Aang rode those as kids). point is citizens are probably like "eh okay this dude's NUTS but seems to have this on lock"

cut to the day of black sun. Omashu has been under fire nation rule for some time (it doesn't say on the wiki so probably nobody knows. not me that's for sure) and Bumi has been chillin in a cage. just chillin. now it occurred to me that this guy probably would've been able to coinvent metalbending if he put his mind to it, so what's the deal? (master earthbender and known airbending style problem solver; out of the box thinker etc.) but really what would that have got him but out of the cage, and he had a whole city to take back. so whether it even occurred to him or not he's like. well you know what they say. wait until exactly the right moment, but it'll probably be awhile until a right enough moment to 1v1 a fuckin city. my headcanon here is Aang maybe passed on some meditation knowledge to him too but really every master bender seems to be down with that. anyway I'm pretty sure he just no thoughts head emptied for a week? weeks? to properly keep his strength and awareness (he got a lotta rocks from a long way away for a prison made for a master earth bender) up until he knew the time was right. we don't have any evidence iirc of Bumi in the spirit world, so I don't think he was just vacationing

so back to why he's Uncontestable. his citizens I think would have full trust in him from so many years of prosperity, so fire nation occupation would be uneasy but they're like "dude it was weird when he imprisoned the avatar too but it worked out let's just see where it goes". and go it does.

Bumi comes crashing down his city-mountain eating temporary nonfirebenders for a late lunch in a giant earth mech, just laughing hysterically like well. himself

if I were an omashian, after shitting myself, I would say "man I wasn't sure for a sec there but this guy can be my king forever"

so on top of his insane tier raw strength defending the city, there's straight up no way the citizens would ever deal with a hostile takeover from King Fucking Bumi

I think the only way to gain true control of Omashu in his lifetime is to beat him fair and square (or not at all, same diff to him) in an earthbending fight and have him abdicate to you. and who could do that???? Toph probably but if something is "only Toph can do it" you may as well call it impossible

so since Toph isn't taking it and Bumi says he's king there's NOBODY who can tell Omashu wtf to do, and who's gonna stop him?? the dai lee?? they're like baby mooselions to King Motherfucking Bumi

#setting the tone on the new blog. no this isn't organized or researched except me trying to figure out how long Omashu was occupied #atla #bumi #kimg bumi #toph #king bumi #avatar the last airbender #spook #hey come follow my blog #wanna bet these won't be in order #expect new content every whenever i feel like I've got a lot of words! probably soon!#cursing /#am i doing tags right?? probably not!

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roadhaas · 5 years ago

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In the Valley of Four Colors, Pt.1

Well it took just over a week for me to discard my own premise haha.

In writing today’s short story I realized I was approaching the 4 page mark without a clear resolution in sight and probably didn’t want to be posting a whole novel to tumblr apropos of nothing. So while I said before that each story would be entirely stand alone, this one is probably gonna be entirely stand alone in several parts haha.

Please enjoy what I expect will be part 1 of 2 (3? … god forbid 4?) of this story and, as always, let me know if you have any thoughts, critiques, suggestions, etc.

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Ezekiel woke with a start.

In the cold darkness of his wooden cabin, he felt a chill through his whole body as sweat seemingly poured off him in waves.

The nightmares had been getting worse.

Instinctively he rubbed his wrists, feeling the kiss of cold steel where two manacles dug into his skin, a single loop hanging from each, clinking softly as his arms moved. He let out a labored sigh and moved to stand. He was already awake, he might as well get some work done before the sun came up. After putting on a long sleeved linen shirt to hide his wrists, Ezekiel started the day.

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He had already finished tending most of the cabbages by the time the sun peeked over the horizon. Its light illuminated Ezekiel’s meager livelihood, half an acre of cabbage fields and a solitary wooden cabin. Old worn tools leaned against the side of the house in an orderly line. The only other structure was a small stable that housed a young mule, currently still sleeping in the early morning hours. Parked beside the stable was a sturdy wagon, with small compartments in the back perfect for hauling cabbage into town.

It wasn’t much, but Ezekiel was grateful for it.

His peaceful contemplation was interrupted by something on the edge of his hearing. Even after all these years Ezekiel prided himself on being difficult to sneak up on. He waited for just the right moment, and sidestepped just as his daughter, Hannah, pounced with hands outstretched. As the smug grin of a youthful prank turned to sudden realization, and Hannah planted face first into freshly tilled soil, Ezekiel let out a hearty laugh and offered his rambunctious daughter a hand up.

Hannah was about 15, tall for her age, and had a strong build from her time sharing farm duties with her father. Her bright red hair danced like fire in the rising sunlight as she stood, brushed dirt out of her farm attire, and put on her best pouty face to protest how much humor her father was finding in the situation.

“Dad!” she said exasperated, “I’m going to get you one of these times!”

“Sure you are,” Ezekiel replied, “but in the meantime, how about you finish this lot, and I’ll make us some breakfast.”

Breakfast consisted of bread and cornmeal. It was the last of the bread, and eyeing their flour supply, Ezekiel figured that his early start justified a trip into town to fetch more.

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The path into town was long on foot, but not particularly difficult. Ezekiel and Hannah’s little homestead was placed out in the Valley of Four Colors, so called for it’s somewhat lackluster native flora, and the closest town was Ravensong at the far end of the valley. For hours the only scenery were the alternating patterns of orange, blue, green, and yellow growing in every direction. To pass the time, Ezekiel and Hannah joked about what they would do once they reached town.

“I think I’m going to march right down to the blacksmith and buy the nicest sword he’s got!” proclaimed Hannah.

“Oh,” retorted Ezekiel, “and what would you do with that?”

“Why I’d start my own militia! Who knows what dangerous criminals might come skulking in the night to steal our cabbages!”

Both chuckled at the thought of some masked debonair thief plucking whole heads of cabbage from the ground and secreting them away in the night.

“Well,” Ezekiel offered, “if you’re covering guard duty, then I guess I’ll be needing a new set of playing cards then. Too many games of solitaire and my old ones will be worn clean through!”

Again both chuckled at the notion, an image of aces and jacks like old ratty socks with holes around the edges ran through their minds.

For a while the pair were silent, ruminating on their fun game of imagination. After a moment however, a tension sprang into the air. Ezekiel recognized it immediately for what it was and braced himself for the oncoming question.

“Maybe,” Hannah began tentatively, “when we get to town we could find somewhere nice and talk about …”

“Hannah.” Ezekiel interrupted softly. His tone said it all, this was a conversation he considered already settled.

“Well you never tell me anything about mom!” Hannah protested, her words bordering on shouting. “I know almost nothing about her, or your past, or anything outside our life at the cabin.” Again her tone betrayed her deeper meaning. She knew as well as Ezekiel that this conversation was going nowhere. But still she persisted. “I just want something about her I can call my own.”

Ezekiel was very quiet for quite some time following Hannah’s request. After a while he stated, “She liked cats.”

It wasn’t at all satisfying, but Hannah knew that’s all she was getting today.

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Ravensong was a strange town. Formerly the epicenter of the once great kingdom of Malcha, countless ages had worn down it’s population and dispersed it’s glory. As a result, the town was practically full to the brim with grand old houses and elaborate manors but no one to live in them. The effect was not unlike a large man in a poorly tailored suit. The illusion of grandeur on a sustenance-starved frame.

But it was still a town, and one with a market at that.

Ezekiel and Hannah entered the market square just after 1pm. There was the usual amount of hustle and bustle, but in addition there was a large crowd gathered around the notice board near the center of the square.

Seeing his daughter’s curiosity, Ezekiel patted her shoulder and said, “go on and check it out then, I’ll grab the flour.” Hannah’s eyes lit up and she blurted out a rushed “thankyou” as she took off towards the announcement board.

Having acquired some flour from one of the merchants in the square, Ezekiel went to join his daughter at the notice board. This proved more difficult than he’d originally hoped, as whatever was drawing people’s attention also had them pressed up against it like wild animals pressed up on a fresh kill. Thankfully, Ezekiel’s large stature and considerable muscles made it somewhat easier to push towards the center of the crowd.

He saw the message posted before he found Hannah.

“WAR WITH LUMERIA,” it proclaimed in bold red letters.

“ALL MEN OF FIGHTING AGE ARE TO REPORT TO THE CAPITAL,” it continued.

Ezekiel’s heart sank. Instinctively his free hand went to the hidden manacle on his wrist, rubbing it slightly to dull the red hot ache that flared up in his bones. He spotted Hannah a moment later. Try as she might she couldn’t hide the concern on her face. She’d read the notice too, and she understood the implications.

The walk back home was much quieter.

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PART TWO EVENTUALLY!

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a-marlene-s · 6 years ago

Text

Floating White Lotus

Book One: Water

Title: “Ginkgo Biloba Tea”

Chapter: Beginning - Previous Chapter - 5 - Next Chapter

Masterlist

Rating: T (curse words mainly.)

Genre: Humor, Drama, and more humor.

Summary: Floating White Lotus, a former fire nation ship that was converted into a traveling tea shop. The shop is led by the rumored the Dragon of the West, (No knows if this is true or not… yet) and his nephew who wishes to forget the ever lasting war. Well, until a certain someone decided he’d be the perfect fire bending instructor.

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Ginkgo Biloba Tea

The benefits of drinking this tea includes, improved thinking, memory and social behavior. May alleviate anxiety and improve vision by keeping one’s eyesight for longer. Not for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or have thin blood. It will interact with other medications.

Zuko, Iroh, and Jee, all dressed in modest Earth Kingdom traveling clothing, that signified they were well off, but not enough to have anything to give them a second glance. They were talking to the guards that were posted at the front gate. The paperwork was in order and they were not bringing in anything that was against the laws.

The gates are opened for them and Zuko swore he heard a familiar voice. Resisting the urge to turn around as he was wearing a straw hat that had fabric wrapped around it to hide his more notable features…

Once they were given the okay to get through, they made their way in when he heard very familiar voices. He turned around in time to see Aang, who looked to be wearing a disguise out of Appa’s fur and calling Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis the Third. Zuko regretted turning around as he made eye contact with Sokka right before the gate closed breaking eye contact.

Taking in a deep breath to ward of the rising anger that seemed to grow within him. It was like the universe and spirit world is out to get him. Why couldn’t he just go somewhere and not somehow feel like he can’t even take a single step there without running into the Avatar.

WHO HE WAS SUPPOSED TO CHASE AFTER!

NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!!!

Not the other way around…

At this point, Jee had to wrap his arm Zuko’s shoulders to make sure he did not stray away or bump into the wrong person. “What’s wrong, kid?”

“I just saw the avatar…” Zuko muttered under his breath.

Jee looked back, by now there were many people walking around that obscured the view all the way back of the front gate, he saw Sokka and Katara walking through the gate with a badly disguised…Avatar. Oh. “You have shitty luck. It seemed like the universe is telling you to train the avatar.”

“Tell me again, why you are here again?” Zuko questioned the Captain of his ship. “In another lifetime, you’d be dead by now.”

“You value me far too much to have me dead.” Jee jested. “That and you’d be dead without me out in sea.”

“….Touché.”

-.-

“Of course, Zuko would love to ride down the chutes!” Iroh pushed Zuko towards Aang, Katara, and Sokka’s direction. Jee had taken the cases of tea related items from him before he also pushed the gob smacked former prince into the hands of the Avatar.

Iroh and Jee watched as Aang and Sokka carry away the ever sputtering Zuko to their misadventures.

“He’s going to hate us for doing this to him.” Jee commented offhandedly, before he continue on with the much needing shopping.

“Long as he gets it into his mind, that teaching the Avatar is possibly his destiny… that or the fact he needs friends his own age.” Iroh chuckled before he followed Jee back to the market. Maybe he’ll find a new Pai Sho board…

-.-

“I can’t believe I’m doing this…” Zuko said under his breath, as he, Sokka, Katara, and Aang, had managed to get in one of the earth crate. How they managed to squeeze into said crate, he does not know, and he is debating if he should try to escape… again.

Oh, cruel irony…

“Here… we… GO!” Aang yelled out, using air bending to push the cart forward. Causing everyone to start screaming in either shock, laughter or whatever else. All Zuko knew was that, the moment that a package of spears started to follow them, he clung onto Sokka screaming at Aang to move faster.

-.-

“Did you meet up with your contact?” Jee asked Iroh, as they made their way through the market area into a quieter area of the market. Both of them were carrying many bags or had them strapped to their persons at this point.

“I did, he made mention of a minor settlement in the western Earth Kingdom, near the Mo Ce Sea shoreline…” Iroh hummed lowly, he pulled on his beard deep in thought. Thinking over what his friend had told him about the mining village. He would have to talk to his nephew… is that screaming he’s hearing.

Iroh and Jee looking around as the sound of screaming became louder and louder. They looked up into the sky to see… a crate that held the Avatar, two water tribesmen, and Zuko… that is soaring through the sky. The create landed right on top of a cabbage merchant’s cart.

“MY CABBAGES!!!!”

Jee’s mouth went agape at the scene before him, especially when the four were quickly surrounded by guards and were promptly taken away. To be punished by the King of Omashu. He and Iroh slowly walked away before running off before attention could be brought upon themselves.

“What are we going to do?” Jee hissed out at Iroh, who is still making a double check nothing had fell during the run.

“Nothing. We simply wait until they come out of there.” Iroh laughed easily, causing Jee to rub the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

“For all we know, Zuko could be sent to his death if we don’t do anything.” Jee continued to press.

“The King won’t allow that to happen.”

-.-

‘I’m going to die today… It would be Uncle and Jee’s fault. Death via growing and glowing rock.’ Zuko thought to himself as he watched the ‘creeping crystal’ began to encase his finger. He looked over the balcony to see Aang staring at the waterfall, trying to figure out how to retrieve the key. ‘Air bending isn’t going to work along with diving right into it, the force of the water is too strong…’

Zuko attempted to ignore the ever growing feeling of the jennamite growing over his hand now. By the time Aang managed to retrieve the key, the jennamite managed to grow up his, Katara, and Sokka’s arms. When the second challenge was called out to begin, the crystal’s growth started to speed up to the point, it encased the three from their necks all the way to their knees, showing no sign of stopping any time soon.

Zuko took in another deep breath, quickly regretting his action as the jennamite grew in that exact moment, halting his movement. His breaths are now shorter, and he really started to feel claustrophobic. Oh, he’s going to give Uncle and Jee a piece of his mind once he gets out of this situation. He better get out of this alive, so that could very well happen.

When the second challenge started, Zuko really wondered about the King of Omashu, Mad Genius Bumi. Spirits, why would the king have Aang look for the king’s lost pet, Flopsie? Yeah, catching a rabbit, could be a hassle but… the rabbit isn’t Flopsie.

Flopsie is the giant goat gorilla.

Well, at least it was amusing to see Aang being chased around by the real Flopsie. A tamed, goat gorilla, now that’s a sight to see. Zuko watched as Aang ‘returned’ Flopsie back to Bumi before demanding for the final challenge to begin.

Zuko truly wondered if any of the challenges have any meaning to them. He, of course, have heard the rumors and did some investigating on the city, along with it’s king. None of them made sense, let alone the reason why King Bumi has Aang doing this challenges. So when the last challenge came to be, he, Katara, and Sokka were completely covered them except for portions of their faces and their feet.

When Aang was told he had to pick an opponent to fight and picked Bumi to fight against, Zuko knew the twelve(one hundred and twelve) year old was screwed. Bumi is a master Earth Bender and Aang picked him to fight against. What did catch the fire bender’s attention was how the old King kept goading at Aang for him to fight. It reminded him one of the many time Sokka will try to get him fight against the water tribesmen.

“Excuse me?” Zuko managed to call out, catching one of the guard’s attention. “How old… is the King?”

“One hundred and twelve.” The guard responded, with an eyebrow raised.

“Katara, what was the name of Aang’s old friend he mentioned earlier?” Zuko asked out.

“Bumi? What does that hav-”

“BUMI?????”

The fight stopped as Aang stared at the old king, who in turn, began to laugh.

“Well, it seems like the fire ferret is out of the bag. Right, Aang?” Bumi laughed at his friend’s gob smacked expression.

Zuko and the others were quickly friend from their growing prison and were taken down to were Aang and King Bumi are having a touching reunion.

“How did you know this will get him so stop?” Sokka loudly whispered to Zuko, pulled at his arm repeatedly.

Zuko rolled his eyes and yanked his arm away from Sokka. “I didn’t. I just started to think why the old King of Omashu would be so interested in the Avatar. Who is just as old…? That and I’ve visited the city many times to know the King is known to be… eccentric.”

“So this crazy king, is your old friend Bumi?” Katara asked once they made their way to Aang and Bumi.

“Who are you calling old!”

Pause.

“Okay, I’m old.” Bumi conceded.

“Why did you do all of this, instead of telling Aang who you where?” Sokka asked, with an obvious raised eyebrow at Bumi.

“First of all, it’s pretty fun messing with people.” Bumi stated in a matter-of-factly tone.

The only one that seemed to agree to this is Zuko, who shrugged and nodded for Bumi’s reason. This earned him a glare from Katara and a snort from Sokka.

“See, he get’s it.” Bumi snorted at Zuko’s attitude. He then turned his attention back at Aang. “Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the last hundred years, you’ve been gone. It’s the duty of the avatar to restore balance to the world…. By defeating Fire Lord Ozai.”

At the mention of his father, Zuko saw King Bumi a pointed look before paying attention back at Aang. Zuko felt his mouth go dry and his stomach had dropped massively at that small action. The only one that took note of his change of behavior was Sokka, but he waved him off before trying to regain his bearings once more.

“-and it looks like your in good hands. You’ll need your friends to defeat the Fire Nation.” Bumi continued on to say, he smiled when Momo climbs on Aang. “And you’ll need Momo, too.”

“Thank you for your wisdom, but before we leave, I have a challenge for you.” Aang said to Bumi, causing the others to look at him in dismay at the possibility of another challenge.

-.-

Zuko pulled on Iroh and Jee’s clothing, leading them out of the Market section of the city. He had just left the palace and just wanted to leave. All he knew was that King Bumi knew who he is and has yet to do anything about it. This had the warning bells to ring excessively in his mind that kept telling him to ditch the city and never return. Ever again.

“Why the hurry, Dear Nephew?” Iroh laughed, wondering why Zuko is in such a hurry.

“What happened in there, anyway, kid?” Jee asked, trying to get Zuko to talk.

“He knows about me.” Zuko finally said but did not stopped trying to get them to leave Omashu. “He knows about me. I don’t want to be here any-”

Suddenly, right in front of them, Iroh and Jee felt like Deja vu happened again at the sight of another crate landing right on top of a cabbage stall which caused the seller to cry out. “My cabbages!!!”

TBC.

Tag List: @amynchan, @aliendoodles2, @darkshadowguardian

A/N: I have created a discord for the Floating White Lotus story. If anyone is interested in joining it.

Ps. I had planned on uploading the chapter yesterday, but my laptop decided to do a restart and not save my stuff...

#Tea Zuko AU #Floating White Lotsu #Zuko #Sokka #Aang #Katara #Avatar: The Last Airbender #a:tla

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