#ZUZU LOOKS GORGEOUS

[kwispyhamburger]

I decided to do this with Zuzu!

Template belongs to @blues-sues

And yes, Zuzu is fused with alolan ninetails

Cause he’s gorgeous U-U✨

[luxthestrange]

BNHA Incorrect quotes#13...The awakening 2-

NB!Y/n*Meeting the Big Three after Izuku told you about his odd but nice upperclassmen*Are the big three Zuzu told me about?~Im Y/n Midoriya!~

Tamaki:...

Nejire:...

Mirio: ARE YOU AN A THESPIAN?SUPERMODEL?-SEA DEITY?OR D ALL OF THE ABOVE?!-

NB!Y/n*Chuckling at his comment, looking at his eyes* Arent you sweet~

Mirio*Flushed under the collar and looks at Nejire and tamaki*O-Ok you guys get out of here...so me and beautiful gorgeous can live happily ever after-

Tamaki*Hidding his face and covers his eyes from your...radiance* Mi-mirio you in highschool and they're college, their old...er-

part 2:

[rooksamoris]

💞 — 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

💞 — in which you try to unionize the mostro lounge, but the boss, azul, just happens to be your boyfriend.

💞 — azul ashengrotto x reader

💞 — warnings: just a little suggestive, not explicit.

💞 — 1.6k words.

“No, you guys—we need to fight for our rights. By any means necessary,” 

Jade and Floyd looked at you in amusement and annoyance, respectively. You could not be seriously trying to unionize the Mostro Lounge. Azul was probably the most pro-capitalist/anti-union guy on campus. He had justified roping you, his beloved, into working overtime with the excuse of “it's for the profit motive, sweetheart” and yet you still stupidly thought you could manage to unionize his establishment? It was cute.

The more sneaky of the twins laughed, politely hiding his grin behind his immaculately gloved hand, “And you plan to do this how?” he asked.

A blush of embarrassment trailed up your neck and to your ears. You had very little experience with grassroots organizing—which meant you were drawing a blank, “Uhm—I don’t know. We… uh… we should make demands and find a cool name for our union,”

“Unions schmunions—let's just not come to work,” whined Floyd.

You shook your head, “We need a union before we try going on strike… uhm, how about ‘Night Raven Labor Organization’? It rhymes and would look good on a flyer,” you suggested, placing your fist in your palm. You were embarrassingly desperate at this point. Your boyfriend was constantly tricking you into working sickeningly long hours for him, claiming it was fine since you guys were dating and he helped you pass alchemy—but still.

Jade was entertained, so he indulged in your theatrics, “Oh, that sounds wonderful. Do not worry yourself over the flyers, I… I will handle that,” he said, purposefully pausing just to watch the suspicion creep into your mind.

Before you could reject him, Floyd stood and lazily draped his arms over your shoulders, “You know, you’re gonna break Azul’s heart, being against him like this,” he said, a sudden toothy grin coming over his features at the thought of what chaos could come from your silly plan, “Standing against your ‘sweet Zuzu’ for the working class,” 

You frowned at him, “We–well, something needs to be done, even if it means his feelings are mildly hurt.”

The plan was in motion. You had already gone ahead and spoken with the other employees at the lounge, and while most were apprehensive—fear of Azul was pretty common—some still believed that you could convince your boyfriend to be kinder to his workers. Jade had told you he made flyers, and you were heading over to the lounge to go check them out, and then meet up with the others for the meeting. 

But the moment you walked in, Floyd shoved you towards the office with a giddy grin, “Shrimpy’s in trouble…” he whispered.

You stiffened, “Huh? What do you mean? Floyd—”

“Azul wants to talk to you,” he told you, knocking on the office door before scurrying off, leaving you to gulp and adjust your necktie.

Azul opened the door with a suave grin, gently wrapping his arm around you, his hand lingering at the small of your back, “Ah, sweetheart,” he said, affectionately kissing your temple. He pulled you inside, shutting the door with his foot before guiding you towards one of the sofas in his office, “You’re looking as gorgeous as ever,” he added, pouring you a glass of fruit cordial before taking his seat across from you, his hands folded on his cane and his legs crossed.

You always hated how smooth he was, “Ahaha…” he laughed awkwardly, “Uhm… you wanted to talk?”

One of his brows raised, “Do I need an excuse to see my beloved?”

“O–Oh, no, of course not—I just mean—”

His laugh cut you off. Sevens, how you loved that laugh, “You’re so nervous…” he trailed off, his bluish-purple eyes tracing over the ceiling before making their way towards your eyes, a single brow raised.

You were nervous. Hell, this was the most bizarre experience ever. You were unionizing your boyfriend’s establishment—you spent the night in his dorm room, just for you to wake up the next day and have secret meetings with his employees. You were ashamed, but not enough to quit the union. Azul had been abusing his power for too long now. Your lips had parted to speak, but you were cut off when he slammed two papers on the coffee table.

One was a flyer with a pig-like depiction of the bourgeoisie, dressed in a fancy suit and surrounded by money, and the second was the union demands which you were supposed to go over with the other employees today.

“Azul—I… I can explain—”

“How cute.” Azul gently tapped his foot as he watched your face fill with horror at being caught too early, “For a union organizer, you’re pretty disorganized. You trusted Jade with the flyers? The fact that you trusted Jade with anything is just hilarious,” he said, letting his cane lean against the sofa. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward.

“Listen, Azul…” you started, before he cut you off, with a mere raise of the hand. That bastard Jade—

He cleared his throat before picking up the page of demands, “‘We members of the Night Raven Labor Organization…’ did you come up with the name, love? It’s nice. It rhymes, seems you do pay attention to my marketing rambles. Anyways, ‘We members of the Night Raven Labor Organization are proposing a chance of bargaining before any attempts of protest or striking,’ ooh, look at you, threatening me. How adorable,” he said, grinning at your embarrassed face. 

You hid your face behind your hands, groaning softly as your face started to feel extremely hot. You peeked at your boyfriend through your fingers, seeing that smug smile on his face, “Azul… this was a last resort,” you tried to explain, but he only set the page down and stood up again.

It was not like you did anything wrong. He was overworking his employees—he’s lucky you did not go Karl Marx on the guy and encourage the workers to arm themselves against him. When you met his eyes again, he was standing in front of you, gazing down at your seated form with a neutral expression. 

He was thinking of how to proceed. On one hand, you were the love of his life, and on the other hand, you were working against him. When he first heard of it, he was hurt, but after some reflection, he knew he could make you give up on this.

With a gloved hand, Azul traced over your face, enjoying the way you looked when you sat in front of him, gazing up as he stood. His hand cupped your jaw, thumb lazily tracing over your bottom lip. His pale skin was covered with a little blush over how your breath hitched, “You wouldn’t want to hurt me, would you?” he asked, leaning closer.

You shook your head as much as you could while in his grasp, “No, Azul… it's just—well, uhm, you know,” he stammered.

He played up a soft frown on his lips, and he felt your eyes trail to the beauty mark beneath his lip, “But, angel… when I saw that you were unionizing behind my back,” he paused, and sighed, brows furrowing slightly. He played you like a fiddle, “I was just so hurt,” he confessed. In reality, Azul did not care enough to be brokenhearted over your union attempts.

“I’m sorry, Azul,” you told him, and you were about to protest again, but he shook his head.

“If you had concerns, you could have just told me,” You bit your tongue, despite how you wanted to tell him that you had tried to complain to him and he put the profit motive above everything else. Instead, you just pouted and nodded to his words. You couldn’t help it. All you wanted to do now was kiss him since he got so close.

Azul’s hand remained on your face as he glanced back at the flyer, “And a fat rich man, angel? Really?”

“I didn’t make the flyers,” you blurted.

His gaze softened. He had you right where he wanted you, nodding to your words to make you relax before he leaned down and kissed your head. And then he bent down a bit to meet your lips, kissing you like you wanted. Azul’s hand slipped from your jaw to your shoulder, while his other hand rested at the backrest of the sofa so that he could lean down. 

Your hands immediately darted to grab him closer, tugging on his uniform blazer as your lips parted for breath, “Azul….”

He was blushing too, lips parted as he panted to catch his breath, “I thought I was an evil capitalist—what happened to your union?” he asked, teasing you.

Your brows furrowed softly and just pulled him in again, capturing his lips once again and groaning against his lips as you took the chance to take control, pulling him down on the sofa with you.

Azul’s eyes widened in surprise, his hat slipping off and his glasses nearly joining if he hadn’t held them up in time.

You showed up to the union meeting late, with your clothes all disheveled and your hair a mess.

“My, my,” chuckled Jade, as he took in your appearance with his piercing eyes. He knew that this would all end up like this, with you being too quick to bend to the will of his boss, and his boss being manipulative enough to get you to forget about your ambitious goals.

Floyd frowned, “Does this mean we’re not getting guns to threaten the capitalist class??”

Sevens, what a major fail.

[patxhwrk]

Sam, in Zuzu City: hey, i lost my partner. Have you seen them?

Passerby: well, what do they look like?

Sam: gorgeous

[merakiui]

I can't decide if I want Azul or Idia more since I have more Azul cards but they both look so gorgeous and I already know that I desperately want Malleus

As the resident Azul lover on the merakiui blog, I feel like I should convince you to get Azul. But if everyone is summoning him, there won't be enough Zuzu for me. :( so to prevent my bf from going out of stock, I think Malleus and Idia would be so glad to come home to you. :D

[soonyoungblr]

twenty six — NOT. A. DATE.

pairing: yoon jeonghan x gender neutral reader

warnings: playful insults, cursing

genre: fluff, comedy, very tiny angst

word count: 0.4k

previous • masterlist • next

taglist: @honeyhuii @soobin-chois @fylithia @enhacolor @ja4hyvn @bambisgirl @hiqhkey @its-madi @bobariki @yizhoutv @userjuyo @end-hyphen @yeosangiehwa @kayleeshinee @joonsytip @justasoftstan @strawberri-uyu @sunflowerbebe07 @mingiholic @strawberry-shortest-cake @hanniehaeism @l33j3n8 @nar-nia @sollum @angeltetae @amethyistheart @starryyeonjun @minhui896 @joshuaahong @zuzu-the-simp @wanna-skinny @jeonginssa @lightprincess-world @woozarts @ahnneyong @canberrachloe

networks: @kflixnet

a/n: hiiii loves <3 i'm back (again), i know i take a lot of breaks but my mental health isn't too good this year and sometimes i struggle but you guys are amazing and so supportive and i adore you 💕

The day spent with Jeonghan was nice, he treated you to pizza and you both spent a considerable amount of time on the beach just watching the sun go down. It was like he knew exactly what calmed your nerves without you telling him. You always loved a sunset, the vibrant colours were euphoric, the oranges, the pinks and the gorgeous red sky as the sun was about to disappear was perfect.

"I think you're brave for what you did, like really brave, and I'm proud of you for not sitting quiet. He deserved it." Jeonghan's kind words left an impression on you. Hearing him say that meant a lot to you, you could tell those words were sincere and he meant them.

"Thanks, Jeonghan. I'll be honest, there was a part of me that wanted to just ignore it. To just block him again and pretend like it wasn't happening but I had to protect myself, my friends and anyone in the future he could have hurt." When you turn to face Jeonghan, he's already looking at you, you hate to admit it to yourself but he looks pretty when the orange from the sunset shines on his face, "You did the right thing, y/n. Because of you, you're safe. And you've saved others. But I can tell you right now, that had you not have said anything to anyone, we would have protected you. None of us would have allowed him to mess with you."

Unbeknownst to you, spending the day with you was something that Jeonghan never knew he needed until it happened. As the day was coming to a close, he didn't want it to end. He enjoyed spending time with you. He still felt guilty for how he had treated you and he wished you two could have been friends all this time. Every time you made eye contact with him, his heart raced a little. When you made your little sandcastle and took photos of it with such pride, seeing you smile after a terrifying experience with your ex made him smile. Watching you fall earlier in the day into a hole in the sand sent the both of you into fits of laughter, your contagious laughter had onlookers around you laughing too. It was a sound that Jeonghan was sure he would never be tired of hearing. And when the laughter died down, and he looked out onto the ocean, that's when it hit him: he had feelings for you and oh boy, were they strong.

[drpoisonoaky]

Who let them drink?

As soon as she entered what was supposed to be a party at which she nicely declined the invitation, the explanations from Aang weren't necessary anymore.

“LOOK, EVERYONE! THAT’S MY GIRLFRIEND! LOOK AT HER. ARE YOU LOOKING?! LOOK. AT. HER,” yelled Katara as she climbed her like she was a tree. Having your drunked girlfriend shouting next to your ear isn’t a pleasant experience, but she has had a lot of worse experiences.

“How much has she drunk?”

“I lost the count a while ago.” Aang was trying to catch Sokka who was on the chandelier. Having in mind that they’re still in the royal palace and how high it was, Azula was kind of impressed.

"NO! MY GIRLFRIEND IS PRETTIER AND WAY NICER. LOOK AT HER," he exclaimed, pointing at a very drunk Suki sleeping on the floor.

“Good grief.”

“NO! MY GIRLFRIEND IS THE BEST. SHE ALWAYS HAS SOME KNIVES WITH HER. ALWAYS. YOU KNOW HOW USEFUL THAT IS” Looking at the scene Azula had forgotten about Mai’s knives. The last time Mai got drunk, Ty Lee almost lost an eye.

“They decided to mix something with something and it seems it was easy to drink but pretty strong”

As soon as Aang said that, Mai began to throw up through the window. “Well, at least we don’t need to worry about someone being hurt by her” Azula thought.

“Are you the only one who hasn’t had a drink?” As she pronounced that last word a very drunk Ty Lee revived from the floor next to Suki.

“WELL YOU ALL HAVE GORGEOUS GIRLFRIENDS BUT GUESS WHAT I MADE OUT WITH ALL OF THEM AT SOME POINT SO VICTORY IS ON ME.”

“Wait Katara too?” Azula did not want to be that person, but there’s something uncomfortable about your ex-girlfriend making out with your current girlfriend. “Maybe if I wasn’t dating either a good couple could have been born. I’m pretty sure someday someone would be in that situation.”

“I don’t know where Toph is, but yeah.” If, at that moment, you looked into his eyes you would see how those people right now were taking away years of his life.

“Azzzulaaa, why aren’t you paying attention to me?!” said Katara with her face buried in Azula’s neck.

“That’s a lot of Z’s and A’s for a single word.” said Azula while bringing back her attention to Katara “How much did this woman drink.”

“Don’t cry.” Katara unburied her face from Azula’s neck “How am I not going to cry like in your face?!”

“What about my face?”

Katara began to sob while she said “IT IS PERFECT. HOW ARE YOU EVEN REAL.”

“So I guess emotional drunk Katara is here.”

Suddenly Azula felt how someone had climbed up her body to perch on her shoulders. “Shhh. You also are perfect.” said Ty lee trying to not to fall having 0 balance.

But with that Katara’s change her demeanor and pretends to be serious and sober, only for a second.

“I am not making out with you so you can say you made out with every girl in this room Ty lee.”

“So Katara didn’t do it after all” though Azula with a little bit of relief that she never ever would recognize.

“I girl have to try.” As she said that Ty Lee was down on her feet and Katara face was back on Azula’s neck.

“Zzzzulaaaa she’s trying to get into my pants. But I don’t want her. I only want you into my pants because you are really good in-“ Without letting her end that sentence she decided it was enough.

“Avatar, I'm taking her and I’m sending some servants to help you because Ty Lee is 30 seconds away from throwing up. And then Zuzu will do it after her.”

Aang gave her a confused look but 30 seconds after there was a gross noise coming from Ty Lee

“Whao, do you know their vomit schedule?”

“I usually don’t drink either. And they don’t know how to drink. So I have to develop a plan to proceed every time they say “I have this bottle.””.

The first time she began planning, she was holding Zuko and Ty Lee at the same time while they emptied their stomachs. Also, she developed a sweet revenge plan to enact when they woke up hungover. It changed depending on what instrument was available in the palace. Or if she wanted to be extra evil, she-

“‘Zzzulaa”

“It seems we lost some z's and a's,” Azula said while she dropped her gaze to Katara’s.

“I love you.”

“Wait when did they reach drunk loveliness Katara…Oh shit.”

“WAIT THE BATHROOM IS NEA-“

Too late, it was Katara's turn. “The fucking vomit schedule.”

As Katara kept throwing up a victory shout resonates in the room. “I WON I WAS THE LAST PERSON STANDI-“ Sokka shouted. Then he pass out.

So everyone, except the former princess of the Fire Nation and the last airbender, was down. Thank Agni the Avatar state it's pretty useful to clean vomit.

[crowentity233]

The Dragon's Keep (part 2)

*Finished*

Fire Lord Zuko x (Fem!) Reader

Part 1 Part 3

Summary: You are a firebender named Ayushi, who has been accepted to guard over the royal family as a kyoshi warrior. You end up guarding Zuko through his travels to visit the sun warriors. The mission, protecting the newest dragons, begins.

The morning breeze flowed through your hair. You were taking a trip down to the market today. The busy streets came into view. The doors to different shops were opening and closing. A man opened the door for you to walk through. You grabbed a few sleep wear sets and casual wear. Then you saw a stuffed dragon and grabbed it from the shelf. You paid the merchant and stepped back out from the store.

You were paid by the kingdom for guarding the palace. There was more money in your bag than you ever saw growing up, which wasn't hard to beat.

You walked back to the palace. It was still surreal to walk up to the palace as your new home. Flashes of the dirty streets you grew up in shot through your brain. You shook your head, continuing up the steps and walking through the door with your bags.

You reached the warrior housing and sat the bags on your bed in your room. You looked around it was more bare than the other girls. They brought things from home or were sent packages from their family. You weren't so lucky. You put your new clothing items away. The time passed, and you changed into your pajama set. It was comfortable and easy on the eye. It was modest enough to walk around in the palace with it on.

You stopped at kiyi's room, knocking on the door, and peeked in, and just as you suspected, she wasn't in the room. You walked down the next few halls headed for Lord Zuko's room. You knocked on the door. Kiyi opened the door and grabbed your hand, pulling you in.

"Zuzu! She's here!" She laid down on the empty bed. "Ayushi, tuck me in, please!" She exclaimed excitedly. You walk into the room a little more comfortably, wrapping the girl up in a blanket, tucking her in. "I got you a gift today while I was out. I have a friend for your bison." She clutched her bison tightly, gasping at the dragon you extended out to her. You pat her head and sit down at the end of the bed.

"I love him! I'm gonna name him Ryu. Zuzu! Look at Ryu!." The girl called towards a door on the other side of the room.

Zuko stepped out of the door. His hair was damp and put together. He stood in the doorway leaning on his shoulder. "I see him, kiyi. He looks like he is a great friend for Akio."

Your eyes flicked back to the girl quickly. Zuko was dressed again in a silk set, but there was something so intimate and domestic about being in the Firelord's room after he bathed.

He sat down on the bed. You bowed to him from your sitting position. "Lord Zuko."

His smile was so inviting. "Ayushi." You matched his smile.

"Zuzu needs to be tucked in." Kiyi said suddenly. "Can you tuck him in Ayushi?"

"Oh, u..um.." You glanced over at the Firelord, unsure of exactly what to do. He seemed just as awkward about the situation.

His eyes traveled from his sister to you. He got up, pulling the sheets back, and laid down next to the girl. She grabbed his arm, gigging with pure sibling love.

You stood up rounding the bed and pulled the cover over him. Your eyes caught his they were still that same gorgeous golden color. You were careful not to look at his scar. You had heard from the other warriors that he didn't particularly like it when people did.

You looked over at kiyi, making sure she was pleased. She took her hand and patted her head like you did when you finished tucking her in. You looked back at the Fire Lord. The touch barrier that was so thick with wealth and power seemed to diminish as the girl asked for such a childish thing. You placed your hand on his hair and ran your hand through it softly. "All tucked in."

Kiyi handed Zuko her stuffed, flying Bison. "Zuzu, you have to hold Akio." You snickered quietly as the well-built twenty year old leader of the nation reached out and grabbed onto the stuffed Bison.

He punched you playfully soft on your leg, grinning while shifting his eyes quickly at you and then back to his sister. "I've got him, Kiyi."

"Okay, is everyone ready for the story?" You rounded the bed again, sitting at the edge!

Kiyi shouted happily. "Yes!"

You began where you left off the night before. You told the story to the pair. Right before you got to the very end, Zuko leaned up again, looking down at his sister. "She's asleep." He whispered. He stood up and picked her up. "Wait here." He whispered just as he did last night and took kiyi to her bed, laying her down.

You sat still, tracing the pattern on the expensive silk. "Are you ready?" Zuko called from the doorway. You turned your head, looking up at him. "Yes." You said timidly, knowing not to say anything but yes to the ruler. You stood and walked towards the door. "Where are we going?"

He slipped into the darkened hallway. You followed him. "Im going to teach you the dancing dragon. We're going to the thrown room, there's more room in there." You caught up with him. Your heart fluttered. Your parents would never have believed that you were walking in the fire nation palace, with the Fire Lord with you both sporting pajamas.

Your parents were from the poor side of town. The streets were dirty, buildings were in shambles, every house had a leak, and every family was hungry. Your parents died during the war. A middle class family took you in and helped you to survive and nothing more, not that they were obligated to do anything at all. It just was no real family establishment. You were just simply the pitiful girl that had nothing and was born into nothing. You had created this separate life for yourself, fighting tooth and nail to get to your position and the trust of the kyoshi warriors. You were a bender, but that only took you so far. You trained for years to get to where you were after the war.

You giggled softly at the visions of their faces if you told them. The pride they would have in your accomplishments.

Zuko turned into the throne room. "What is it?" He questioned with the corners of his lips in a gentle smile.

"Oh, nothing..." You spoke softly, embarrassed of your thoughts, taking an outward extension into reality. "I'm just thinking." You didn't dare explain anything. Your social status was pushed deep into the past.

"Oh." He said simply. He continued into the throne room.

The awkward silence was eventually broken once you stood in the center of the throne room.

"The dancing dragon is a sacred firebending form. If you want to meet the dragons, then it's necessary for you to learn it. I think it's something every firebender should learn." Zuko turned standing in front of you.

"I'm honored for you to teach me, Lord Zuko." You bowed.

"The stances that I'm in, you mirror in the opposite direction."

He took the first stance. You mirrored. The next one you mirrored again. The next time, you shifted to the same side. "Other side." You shifted the other way. You both continued until the next to last stance. You mirrored, but Zuko shook his head. He grabbed your hand and pulled it up further putting it in the right place. He nodded and took the last stance.

"Okay, that's it. Now we do it together we start here and end there." He pointed to the other side of the room. You nodded. "We both will make a circle. We can face each other so you can make sure it's right." He stood beside you, and you both took the first stance. He guided you through the steps, and you neared close to the final stance. Each step sent a vibration within you. Your fists connected with Zukos in the final stance. The vibrations disappeared.

You both stepped away. His eyes met yours. "That's the dancing dragon."

"It felt natural. I feel stronger." Your eyes gleamed, turning your hands over and around.

"It's the true core of firebending. It helped the Avatar learn firebending." He watched your curves almost take on a new form. The satisfaction of watching something he had done gives you such bliss, which fueled his confidence. He stepped closer. "Try some bending it will feel more powerful now, too."

You stood in position, then ran forward, tumbling in the air and landing on one foot with one leg extended, launching a long flame flourishing through the air. You did a few backflips landing back where you started next to Lord Zuko. The earth warrior style fighting and agility complemented the firebending.

"Yeah, it did feel more powerful. Maybe one day I can get as good as you. Thank you, Lord Zuko." You turned your eyes to him and realized that he was right beside you. Part of his body was behind you, almost touching you.

Zukos chest lifted slightly at the complement, you didnt see his face brightening with red color. You turned away from him trying desperately to hide the rosy color appearing across your cheeks. The embarrassment of being so close to him was creating evidence.

"I know you're not supposed to be guarding tomorrow, but my family is visiting Ember Island. Suki gathered a few warriors to accompany us. Kiyi would be surprised if you come too. I know she would love it." Your eyes stared at the long curtain in the room away from him.

"Yes I can pack tonight, when should I meet with you?" You accepted the invitation graciously.

"In the morning, I will tell Suki so she knows to prepare you with the rest of the group." He never moved from the position. His hands ached, you were so close, and yet it was the same as it had been the last year. He watched you from afar, never finding courage to even catch your attention. Now that he was in your field of view, he couldn't extend any further. There was no possibility that you would ever feel any emotions to a leader of a nation. All the time and energy went to leading, and there were constant targets on his back from ozai supporters. No one could take that constant threat.

"I am going to go pack. I will see you in the morning." You walked away to the throne room door.

"Goodnight, Ayushi." Zuko called out.

"Goodnight, Lord Zuko." You called back, walking out of the door. Your mind reeled, walking out into the hallway. That was such a strange experience. He must have thought you were crazy standing so close to him. You felt like you had just disrespected him, but you were invited to Ember Island for Kiyi, so maybe he didn't take it as disrespect.

You felt a hand cover your mouth and pull you into the shadows. You held fire in your hand, but the person spoke. "Shhh... it's just me. Wouldn't want to scare the boyfriend, would we?" Your hand dropped the fire, and you tried to speak, but her hand muffled it into non-existent words. "Shh..." she whispered again softly in your ear as Lord Zuko opened the door to his throne room. He walked past silently. You could hear the door to his room open and close in the distance.

"He likes you!" She let go of your mouth. Whispering loudly. Her face was twisted into a smug knowing look.

You turned to her with your arms folded. "No, he doesn't. I've been nice to his sweet, baby sister. He is just being nice. He doesn't like me. He is the leader of the nation. He doesn't have time to crush on anyone."

Her brow lifted. "I'm calling it right now. He does. You can come back to this conversation when you're out of denial. Do you like him?"

"I don't know him. He's an attractive man, but no, I do not have a crush on the FireLord. He is the Firelordddd..." You trailed sending emphasis on the status that was untouchable.

This was your best friend, Hua. Not even she knew where you come from originally. She didn't know the difference in status that would cause you to be undesirable to such a high-class man.

"He changed you to daytime watch." She kept pushing.

"His mother did for Kiyi." Your arms loosened falling to your sides.

"Okay... just know I'm keeping up, and I called it when you start to see it too." She rolled her eyes and smiled shamelessly.

"I have to go pack, I'll see you later." You shook your head and walked back to your room.

Taglist: (just ask to be added ❤️‍🔥)

@mochminnie

@i-put-the-ass-into-sass

@lylyysz

[dollidot]

Please drop more stuff about Hiina and Mizu I literally love seeing ur OC x canon post 🥹🥹🎀

ookmhjdjaosodkvna absolutely I will always be willing to talk about them they are forever occupying my thoughts I have never ending ideas

(+ I am currently writing a fic for them so stay tuned bbgs :3)

this is all modern au stuff cause that's what I tend to write most, but I will absolutely post some canon stuff sooner or later :33

brief warning: nsfw, violence, mentions of character death, brief appearances from taigen

!! non sapphics dni !!

despite hiina's generally pink and pretty and harmless appearance she's fuckin SCARY. sure she watches mlp but that girl will not hesitate to beat the shit outta somebody for a good reason (looking at mizu funny)

hiina with her adult job (drawing freelance pony art) so she can make adult purchases (my little pony merch and more makeup)

whenever mizu feels like wearing makeup she'll get hiina to sit on her lap and do it for her with the excuse of "I can't do it by myself" even though she only ever wears smudged eyeliner

she absolutely just wants an excuse to have hiina on her lap looking all pretty and happy

hiina's not exactly a bimbo but boy is she an airhead. intelligent as hell academically with her straight As in high school but she lacks critical thinking skills. no thoughts behind those eyes.

that one girl in high school who's an absolute goddess and doesn't even belong on this planet she's so gorgeous and then her boyfriend (we've all witnessed this trope and now imagine it with miina)

mizu has incredibly infrequent periods and when she does rarely get it it's light work for her, light af and she has like the tiniest bit of cramping

whereas hiina has dysmenorrhea and has to be pretty much sectioned once a month because she cannot move from bed and dies

hiina always cries when mizu calls her dove because it reminds her of hana

mizu keeps forgetting about this and keeps calling her dove

mizu smells like victoria's secret perfume but that's only because hiina is 24/7 piling more onto herself and they're glued together so frequently it just rubs off on her

hiina being the southern doll that she is Constantly makes southern foods so mizu is immensely accustomed to cornpone and burgoo stew

again, hiina's southern blood means she says shit and makes NO sense, for example:

(during an argument) "you're so full of shit your eyes are brown" "hinnie my eyes are blue"

"I mean, she's pretty as a pumpkin but half as smart." "in my opinion pumpkins aren't that pretty"

"you're about as useful as a screen door on a submarine" "what does that even mean"

hiina very frequently talks about hana, so much so that mizu knows everything about her despite having never met her (mizu and hiina met literally a month after hana died)

mizu is so painfully lovely to hiina even when she's being a lil bit of a bitch, she's so helpful and hiina gets mad at her for it sometimes cause she doesn't feel like she deserves that kind of patience when she's manic

mizu came home from work one day to hiina setting fire to a frying pan trying to make eggs

hiina talks a big game but she's a little bitch she's like "you're getting it when we get home" and they get home and she's getting it

mizu calls hiina either mama, baby, doll or hinnie and hiina calls mizu either baby, lovebug, sweetpea or zuzu

they've broken up 3 times and hooked up high every time because they are whipped

hiina has the worst baby fever ever and it's CONSTANT. she is constantly talking about babies and mizu is getting sick of it cause she doesn't understand the appeal at all (doesn't mind the idea of it at all though)

hiina gets violent when she's upset and so does mizu, they buy new plates frequently cause they're always getting thrown

their entire apartment is pink, including almost everything in their kitchen and bathroom

their first argument was because mizu made herself a coffee in the morning forgetting it's part of hiina's routine and hiina was NOT happy that her routine got fucked up

silly goofy hiina fact uhm she has 6 horses called saki, willow, cassidy, bailey, beau, and whiskey she loves her babies

they're all mares except for whiskey who's a stallion, cassidy who's a filly and beau who's a colt (cassidy and beau being the fillies of whiskey and bailey)

mizu tops obviously but hiina certainly does try sometimes

pillow princess hiina is real, she is not gonna put in effort 90% of the time she's an angel she doesn't have to do that

mizu is canonically loud af but so is hiina and dorm walls are thin akemi keeps yelling at them

nothin' just them with their incredibly high sex drives

hiina and her absolute insane maternal instincts with her urge to be a mama and mizu indulging in her fantasies cause she loves her girl

[softstardewimagines]

Pomegranate Season || Elliott x Reader

In your eyes, autumn had always been such a beautiful season, no matter where you could be - hell, it was even beautiful in Zuzu City. But in the valley? Oh, it was truly a sight to wake up to each and every morning. 

It hadn’t taken long at all for the trees surrounding your farm to turn all sorts of rich colors: pumpkin orange, golden yellow and deep reds. It was like nothing you had ever seen before, something out of a work of art. 

You could only wonder how inspired the artists of Pelican Town had become. Leah with her gorgeous paintings and woodworks, Haley with her cinematic photography, and of course, Elliott with his poetic writings. Really, it was more like his poetic… everythings. God, truly, everything about that man was somehow so enchanting. 

Your first year in Pelican Town was slowly wrapping up, and you couldn’t lie, Elliott was probably your dearest friend. Of course, you were fond of most of the townsfolk - if not all of them - but you and Elliott had some kind of bond.

You flushed, thinking back to how you first met. It was only your second day - you remember getting that old, rusty fishing pole from Willy. It was when you were leaving the beach that you saw a gentleman on the shores, looking incredibly out of place for two reasons. One, he seemed much too proper, what with his luxurious hair and silky jacket, to be just hanging around on the beach. And two, this seemingly proper man seemed to be wrestling with… what was that, a crab?

He saw you squinting from afar at him before huffing, his cheeks turning a soft pink. “Ah- hello!” He called out to you, as you couldn’t help but approach him. “I wish I could give you a more… proper greeting, as I assume you’re the new farmer in town, but you’ve seemed to catch me at a rather unfortunate time!” 

“Is that crab… stuck to your jacket?” 

“... Yes, it appears so.” 

With a giggle and an embarrassed sigh, you quickly helped him out with removing the small creature from his jacket. He thanked you sheepishly, offering to repay you with a trip to the saloon, where they had only the ‘finest ales’. How could you decline?

Flash forward a few months and here you were now, beginning of fall. Along with being the most beautiful season, it was also the season of your dearest friend’s birthday! You must’ve spent at least a week or two trying to figure out which gifts Elliott would like best.

Ultimately, you decided upon quite a few, compiling all of them into a basket. A vibrant duck feather dropped from your new adorable animals, a bunch of freshly-picked pomegranates, and a thermos full of Tom Kha soup you had prepared just that morning. You thanked the stars for Gus’ generosity when he gave you the recipe, free of charge! How you adored that man, he had the biggest heart you’d ever seen.

You couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous on your trek to Elliott’s cabin this autumn morning. Was this gift too much? Yes, maybe you were spoiling him rotten with an array of gifts, and maybe it was a little too heartfelt to be considered platonic (because really, it so wasn’t platonic), but who cares? This was Elliott after all; if you had to go all out for someone’s birthday, of course it was his. The man lived in a cabin on the beach, giving him a basket of goodies for his birthday was really the least you could do.

Soon enough, his wooden cabin came into view. With a few short steps, you approached the door, knocking three times. “Hello~! Birthday boy, you inside?” 

“Come in!” His clear voice rang out from indoors. With a loud creak, you opened the door, quickly shutting it behind you. From his writing desk, there he sat, giving you a wide smile. “Farmer! Looking lovely as ever, I see.” He grinned, standing up to greet you. 

“So do you!” You giggled, rushing over to give him a hug with one arm, the other one still holding the wooden basket. “Happy birthday! Here,” You held up the basket, extending it to him. “I got you a little something.” 

“Oh!” His eyes sparkled, looking at the basket and then back up at you. Your heart fluttered at the eye contact. “You didn’t have to get me anything, you know.” 

You shrugged, “Yeah, yeah, I know, but I wanted to. Look inside!” He playfully rolled his eyes at you before carefully setting the basket down on his desk, opening it up.

Elliott gasped, inspecting the various items inside. “Oh my god.” He took all the items out one by one, marveling over how beautiful the feather was, and how ripe the pomegranates looked. He carefully unscrewed the lid of the thermos, the comforting smell of Tom Kha soup filling the air. “For once… I must say, I’m speechless.” He muttered with a small smile. 

“Is that a good thing, or…?” 

He turned to you, his eyes shining. “Yes! Yes, I’m just a bit overwhelmed. You… I didn’t even tell you anything I wanted. How did you know I loved all of this? Ah! Was it Leah?” 

You let out a small laugh, shaking your head. “No, you didn’t really have to tell me. I’ve seen how happy you got now that it’s pomegranate season, and how you seemed to fawn over the ducks back at the farm, so… I kinda figured you might enjoy these gifts. Although, actually, Gus and Willy helped out with the soup! Willy let it slip that this was your favorite, and Gus gave me the recipe, so-”

“I love you.” 

His words pierced through the air, cutting you off from your ramble. Glancing at him with wide eyes, you watched his cheeks turn rosy red. He went from showing off the warmest smile you had ever seen on him to looking as if he was having a heart attack in just a matter of seconds. “This! I- I love this. This… present. It’s lovely, I love it so much!” His eyes were wide as he fumbled over his words. 

Cautiously, you reached over his desk, holding one of his hands in yours. It was smooth, delicate, yet… extremely sweaty at the moment. “It was no problem, really.” You smiled up at him, trying to calm his nerves. “So, what are our plans for the day, hm?” 

With a sigh of relief, he thought for a moment. “Maybe… we could take a stroll through the forest? The weather’s so beautiful, I’d love to experience it with you.”

Your heart was racing probably just as much as his. How could it not, after that moment? But you knew Elliott, and you knew he’d love to repeat those words to you again when he was ready - he’d probably prepare a whole speech, knowing him. 

And of course, you couldn’t wait to say it back to him. Leaving his cabin together, hand-in-hand, you couldn’t seem to wipe a smile off of your face. If you were so bold as to glance up at him, you’d learn that neither could he.

[maxwell-mtv]

I just came back from a day round-trip road trip with a friend sooo... take my headcanons about going to Zuzu City with the ✨️businessmen✨️ for a day trip!

[DISCLAIMER: These are romantic leaning headcanons for the two rival businessmen in Pelican Town. As with all my headcanons, they're based off my modded version of the game which in includes Stardew Expanded and the Marry Morris mod. These also being under the pretenses that Caroline eventually leaves Pierre (thus making him a bachelor again) because she deserves better... With that being said, please enjoy!]

🌃 Morris:

● He will make sure you know you won't need to pay for anything

○ He'll even let you ride in his purple panther

● No food or drinks inside though, that car is his baby, dude

○ The trip will consist of casual chit chat and him venting about Joja Mart and his employees and even give you the juicy gossip of what some of the customers are up to

● "Oh! Dear, you'll never guess who stopped in to buy some makeup Pierre doesn't carry for her daughter..." (He'll give you a hint, it wasn't Pam or Robin...)

○ He'll ramble on and on about his days in the city when he was still in college, just starting off at Joja Mart, or when he lived there (that is, if you two were married and he was living with you on the farm at this point)

● He will tell you all his favorite places in the city, most of the restaurants and shops are rather upper-middle or high class though

○ Once in the city he'll make sure you're always at his side and help to ease any anxiety with his confidence in having lived in the city for a while

● "Ah yes, this is the café I used to frequent when I was still merely a grunt for Joja Mart. Heh, did you know they sell spiked drinks here after 6?" He'll lean in and pull his glasses down as he asks this, giving you his sly smile that only a fat cat like him could pull off

○ He'll take you through the shopping centers and insist you pick something you like. Oh you want that shirt? He'll make sure to buy you pants that'll go well with it. And while he's at it, why not get a tie or some other accessories to make it complete? And don't forget the shoes as well! Oh, that's made from the finest silk? Perfect, nothing less for his dearest companion.

• At the end of the day in this city he'll ask what you're feeling like food-wise

○ No matter what you say, he'll have the perfect place

● "No need for worrying about the price" He'll assure you as you're looking over the menu

○ And when the night starts closing in? He'll take you on a walk in the most gorgeous part of the city

● Before you leave he may even rizz you up a little by throwing some cunning lines your way

○ "You know it's funny, in all my years of living here I'd never thought I'd have someone so gorgeous to share it with." Or whatever else he may have the opportunity to say

● While getting back into his car, he'll open your door for you. Both because he's a gentleman but also because he doesn't trust anyone to open and close the doors of his fancy car

○ He'll make sure your comfortable, have everything you want or need, and drive you both back to your farm

● "This was the best day I've had in a while, thank you (Y/N)." He'll say after arriving back at your place, leaning in to leave a soft kiss upon your lips.

🌇 Pierre:

● This man leaves the trust-box (as I call it) for any passive shoppers and GETS GOING

○ "You got everything you need? Phone, keys, wallet?" He'll go down the checklist with you like he's taking you on a vacation for a week or something.

● He has every possibility budgeted for

○ Once the tickets are paid for, you two will hop on the bus to ✨️Zuzu City✨️

● On the bus ride there, you two will talk a little, he'll discuss his plans for his store, sales, etc- just make small talk with you

○ Eventually you two will reach the city and from there it's go time

● "So I was thinking we could start the day off strong with coffee from this café I read about in the paper a few weeks ago. Then we should be able to take a cab to the museum and then-" He'll go on and on about the plans he made to a T.

○ You'll only manage to actually do like... three of the 6 or 7 things he'd planned. But the important things were tackled!

● He'd insist on avoiding shopping and rather go more for sight seeing and memorable experiences instead

○ He'll take you to a café first, as promised (that poor man desperately needs his coffee), then the museum, and then after that he'll take you on a walk through the park

● Between the museum and the park, time will pass rather quickly for you two

○ Without a doubt, he'll always at one point or another manage to either wrap his arm around your shoulders or (depending on your height) use your shoulder as an arm rest

● As your walk in the park turns more into just sitting and talking in the park, his eyes are ever-tired yet surprisingly attentive as he listens to your every word

○ He'll look down sadly as the conversation comes to a lull. "Hey, (Y/N)... I know I haven't gotten the chance to say so yet but... I just wanted to say thank you for helping me through my divorce with Caroline."

• This would lead to a more intimate moment between the two of you before you two realize how hungry you are

○ He'll suggest convenience food from a fast food place or pizza. But if he knows you also enjoy seafood he'll try to not-so-subtly suggest a few different restaurants in the area

● "I've heard great things about this place. ... Hm? No, I'm sure it'll be fine. For you, I don't mind paying extra for a nice meal. You have to treat yourself once in a while, right?" He'll assure you with a soft smile.

○ At dinner, you'll order as if you were paying for yourself, since he usually insists on separate checks due to financial reasons, not to mention he's too proud to ever let you pay for him... even if you are more financially stable than he is

● But when he gets up and asks if you're ready to leave when you've finished your meals and had a delightful time together, you can't help but ask "what about the checks???"

○ ...That scumbag secretly paid for the both of you when you weren't around. (And yes, he also left a nice tip for the waitstaff)

● He'll hold your hand as he guides you back to the busstop

○ "So, how did you like our day together?" He'll glance at you with cunning eyes and give your hand a gentle, loving squeeze

● The bus ride home ends with your head on his shoulder as you drift off to sleep on the way back to Pelican Town

○ This man will bring that day up for years to come, always reminiscing on it like it was one of the best days of his life

[pechefarm]

Papi Chulo (Sam x Cis Male OC)

Here's a little smutty one shot that occurs after the events of Buttercup Baby ch 3!

Pairing: Sam x Cis Male OC

Rating: E for Explicit

Word count: 999 words

Warnings/content: Masturbation, erotic fantasy, facial, cum eating, blow job

Summary: After getting an accidental suggestive picture from his friend Léo, Sam does the only logical thing and gets off to his hot friend.

You can find it on my ao3 here:

And before you go further, I have to remind you...

18+ ONLY!

It was unfair.

Truly it was unfair how stunning Léo had looked today. How put together he looked, how he looked so incredibly beautiful. It was all so frustrating for Sam, who was currently lying on his bed, staring at his phone. 

Until about two seconds ago, Sam had been thinking about a stupid t-shirt he found online. It was a black sleeveless t-shirt that said "Pizza Slut" on it in the Pizza Hut font. He was just about to annoy Shane by sending it to him when he received a text.

Huh. It was a picture message from Léo.

He opened it up, and his mouth dropped open in shock. It was a picture of his friend, and Lord what s picture it was. Léo's hair was down, something Sam hadn’t seen before. It hung in gorgeous waves, gently brushing his shoulders. His deep brown eyes were sparkling and he had a smirk on his face. 

Oh, and he was shirtless. 

Sam stared at his friend's gorgeous body, flushing from his forehead all the way down to his chest. Léo was in his bed, leaning back against his head board. His defined chest and abs were on full display, and the band of his boxers was just barely in view. Why had Léo sent this to him? Not that he was complaining.

He barely had time to contemplate this when a flurry of text messages were sent to him.

 FUCK

Dude I'm sorry that wasn't supposed go to you 

What the hell

 Sam frowned. It wasn't meant for him? Then who was Léo sending shirtless pictures to? Probably some sexy guy from Zuzu City. He sighed and tapped out a message.

 Who's the lucky guy?

 In less than a minute, Sam felt his phone buzz. He didn't want to look at it, didn't want the answer to his own question. 

 The lucky guy is Elfie lmao 

 Sam blinked in surprise. 

 Why are you sending her sexy pics?

 He regretted his word choice as soon as he sent the text, groaning loudly. Sexy? Really? Why did he say that?

 We were joking about my outfit today. She sent me the "cover them up slut" meme so I was trying to send this to her as a joke. Hit your message on accident. Sorry.

 Sam felt a wave of relief wash over him. There was no guy. He was just joking around with Elfie. Nibbling his lower lip, he scrolled back up to the picture and glanced at it again.

Léo had looked hot today, and Sam's mind had already been wandering places it shouldn't. Wandering to scenes where he ripped off Léo's shirt, buttons popping as he exposed his chest.

When he had been lost in that fantasy, his mind had to fill in the blanks for certain things. But now that he had this picture, his brain was kicking into overdrive. 

He could practically hear Léo moaning in his mind as he pictured himself kissing and sucking at his friend's neck. Sam would be sure to leave marks when he got to Léo's collarbone, marking him as his.

Sam kept looking, eyes zeroing in on Léo's pecs, his nipples looking so tempting. He wanted to take one in his mouth, sucking and nipping, rolling his tongue over it while he played with the other. He would tweak it as he sucked, pulling needy whines from Léo.

He groaned slightly, legs spreading open a bit. These thoughts were going straight to his dick, desire building in his gut. Some part of him was scolding Sam for having thoughts like this about his friend, but Sam ignored that voice completely. It's not like Léo was going to find out or anything. 

Biting his lip, Sam's eyes went lower. God he wanted to lick those abs. Keep kissing lower and lower until he reached the waist band of his boxers. He would snap it, and grin up at his friend who would beg him to continue. To go lower. To take him into his mouth, licking and sucking, slobbering all over him.

Sam could feel himself growing harder, and he knew he had two options. He could take a cold shower and stop these thoughts, or he could indulge in his fantasies.

It had been a bit since he'd jacked off, and honestly he was a bit pent up. Léo wouldn't know he was doing this, so what was the harm?  Would he even care? Maybe he would enjoy it.

Shit what if he did enjoy it? 

His fantasy changed, and this time Léo was in charge, teasing him for getting so worked up over one picture. Sam peeked at his phone again, shimmying his jeans and boxers down. His eyes were on Léo's lips now. That man had a beautiful mouth, lips deliciously full.

He's got dick sucking lips, his mind supplied as he ran a lubed hand along his length. What he wouldn't give to look down and see Léo in between his legs, beautiful eyes looking up at Sam, lips wrapped around his cock.

Sam let out an audible whine as he stroked himself, squeezing his tip lightly. He felt like he had no control over his thoughts, no control as Léo sucked marks on his inner thighs, tongue soothing each one that he left.

He was getting closer, he could feel it. 

"Léo baby I'm so close…where should I…?"

"Cum on my face Sam, make me yours," Léo said, eye lids hooded. Those beautiful eyes closed, and he opened his mouth wide, tongue sticking out.

Sam came with a strangled cry as he pictured hot ropes of cum painting Leo's gorgeous face white. Léo lickrd his plump lips to get every drop of cum that was near his mouth, wiping his face with his fingers and licking them clean.

Panting hard, Sam saved the picture Léo had sent. The night was still young, and Sam had a feeling there was going to be a round two.

[azsazz]

I always imagine the song "Maneater" to play whenever Zuzu walks by. For example, when she walks by at parties, boys will look at her, and to be fair, like she's toxic but leaves you wanting more.

Legit her themesong.

You know how Az is really beautiful but he doesn't think so? Zuzu's literally drop dead gorgeous but boy does she KNOW.

She's such a queen I love her.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Skin & Scale (Epilogue)

In betweens. 

Azula lives in states of in between.

A surprisingly comfortable existence for a person who prefers a perfect whole. 

She is a dragon and she is a human. Mostly she flaunts an appearance that is somewhere in the middle. She is Azula and she is Hosekko depending on who is addressing her and which form she takes. To mother and father she is Hosekko. To Mai, TyLee, the Avatar, and his friends she is Azula. To Sokka and Zuzu she is Azula and Hosekko. 

She is considering letting Katara call her Hosekko too. 

In betweens suit her just fine.

“Doesn’t it take a lot of energy to hold that form?” Sokka asks one morning over a platter of fruits.

Azula shakes her head. “The shifts are what deplete energy.” Although these days, just as mother had promised, even those aren’t so draining anymore. She reaches for a cube of pineapple only for Sokka to catch her by the wrist and hold her arm up. Sunlight gleams off of her scales. She pointedly clears her throat. “As I am sure you are away, I was using that.” 

Sokka laughs. “You have another one.” 

She half-expects the man to snatch up her other hand too. But he is content to inspect and trace his fingers over her right hand. Her left is free to take the pineapple cube. She supposes that she doesn’t mind the languid stroking. He holds the back of her hand to his cheek and nuzzles against it. 

She rolls her eyes. “If you keep that up you are going to cut your face. Dragon scales aren’t soft.” 

“I noticed.” And yet it doesn’t deter him in the slightest. Finally he lowers her hand and settles for interlacing his fingers with her claws and gives it a good squeeze. “Y-you didn’t leave me any mangos or pineapples.” 

She pops the final mango slice into her mouth. “You should have done more eating and less whatever it was that you were doing with my hand.”

“I was appreciating its existence.” He pauses. “You ought to take a moment to do that. Your hands do a lot for you, you know.” 

“I am aware.” She sighs. “I can’t believe my life has reduced to talking about hands over breakfast.” 

Sokka chuckles. “Well when you put it that way it sounds horrible!”

“And how would you phrase it?”

“Well let’s see. You are enjoying a nice sunrise breakfast…”

“People do tend to eat breakfast around sunrise, yes.” 

For approximately three seconds, if she had to guess, Sokka deadpans. “You are enjoying a nice sunrise and breakfast with your boyfriend who, by the way, is extremely good looking which is a gift in itself. Not everyone gets to say that they have such a gorgeous lover.”

He allows her ample time to comment otherwise and seems entirely gleeful when she does not. 

“It’s a nice day out and you don’t have to worry about things trying to kill you. You don’t have to worry about monotonous council meetings, instead you get to practice flying…”

“It is more of a passtime than a practice.” She shrugs. 

“Well, there you go!” He declares as though that settles everything. And perhaps it does. “You have time for pastimes and hobbies and things that you actually enjoy. Isn’t that better than what you initially envisioned for yourself?” 

“It is, yes.” 

“Does it feel unimportant?”

This Azula has to dwell upon more. It is a very kind and agreeable existence that she can’t hate by any means. But it does seem…unremarkable. Things her in the Sun Warrior City are idle and lazy in a charming sort of way. But then, no one here seems particularly stressed about it. No one is lecturing her to make good use of her day and reminding her that she hasn’t particularly accomplished anything monumental recently. 

In fact, sometimes it seems as though the Sun Warriors are rather delighted in how little they achieve. It is a clashing of their values against the ones that she was raised on. Where they see fulfillment in leisure and art she sees fulfillment in grand feats of power, physical and social. 

Sometimes she thinks that she brings stress upon them in her constant pacing, demands for lessons, training, and inability to bask in leisure for more than a day. 

Finally she gives him a nod. “Quite unimportant, yes.” 

Sokka frowns. “How can you say that?”

“It has been four years now and I haven’t exactly done anything aside from learning to be a dragon. And…”

“And getting to know and bonding with your real family? That’s a pretty big deal, isn’t it? You used to be alone. No one liked you. Actually…we all pretty much hated you.” 

“See this is the sort of charm and smooth talk that really had me allured.” Azula rolls her eyes. “It is also why I have chosen not to save any mangos and pineapples for you.”

“My point is that you have a family now and a bunch of friends who like you even though you don’t share your pineapples.”

“But I do not have any notable achievements such as ‘Fire Lord Azula’ or ‘helped save the world.’ The accomplishments that I have made have been nullified or have had the credit misplaced.” 

“Okay but you’re a dragon? Why are you trying to fit into human expectations?”

“Because I am also a human. I have been for longer than I’ve been a dragon.” The wind rustles her hair and she reaches a hand to tuck it back behind her ear. Sokka cups his hand against her cheek and she brings her hand down and holds her hand atop his. 

“I think that maybe you should try taking a chunk of Sun Warrior culture; they seem to think that just existing and doing your best is worthwhile enough. And I think that they’ve got it right. I’ve never felt better. I can just be here and…” He flicks his wrists. “I can just relax and not have to worry about being outshined by benders who can do amazing things that I can’t.” 

“You absolutely do have to worry about that.” She offers him a tiny spark.

He jumps, grumbles something or another, and gives her a good swat. To which she laughs. 

“You’re the worst.” He rubs his elbow. “If I wanted a shock I would have found my favorite socks and rubbed my feet on the carpet. Everyone knows that that’s the fun part.” 

Azula sighs and shrugs. “Look, Sokka, I had envisioned myself on a throne. In a palace with servants and a hot spring. This isn’t a small subversion. I am sleeping in a cave.”

“By choice! Isn’t that the important part. I think that the crown and throne were just shackles. You’re free now and you seem a lot happier.” He points out. “By the way you have a big temple with these big banquets right over there. They might not have a title for you here but they sure treat you like royalty! Better even! You’re one of the last three dragons.”

She hums. “Well yes, I suppose that that is true.” Perhaps it really does just amount to her learning to shake the remnants of a life that wasn’t even supposed to have been hers at all. One that she was forced to contort herself to fit into until her body, mind, spirit had broken. “The last dragons…” She frowns. Of course they are spoiling her here, they are savoring that they have been lucky enough to be in the company of dragons while they are still around. “There need to be more dragons.” 

“Yeah, that would be nice.” Sokka agrees. She doesn’t think that he quite understands.

“I can make more dragons…”

“Yeah, that’s a thing that you can probably do.” He agrees. 

She takes herself an exaggerated inhale and exhale. “It is a team activity… that requires a partner.” She makes note of his snicker. He is the worst, absolutely the worst. “Do you require more elaboration?” 

She hates that sly little grin. Really she ought not humor him. 

“We should…” she pauses. “We should have children…for repopulation’s sake.” 

“Yeah, okay. For repopulation’s sake.” He quirks a brow. 

“Yes. Exactly.” 

That grin falters. “Do you actually want to be a mother, Azula? Because I don’t mind being a dad if that’s what you want to do. But you shouldn’t just do this because you feel like you have to. Didn’t your mom mention that you might be an older sister soon?”

Azula nods. “She did. But…”

“But?”

Azula shrugs. 

“You still want to be a mother?” 

“Perhaps.” She replies. “It could be nice in the future.”

“Sure, Azula.” Sokka smiles. “You just think about it, okay.” 

.oOo.

Ran and Shaw try to give Azula her distance, particularly when she is with Sokka. Sometimes though, Shaw can’t help but linger and listen. Maybe she can trace that back to a decade of peering at a cold empty nest, listening for hungry squawks and chirps that would never come. 

That nest is occupied now and Ran takes his turn coiling around it while she gets up to check on her eldest daughter. Her eldest child who is quite adamant is perfectly fine on her own. “I’m not a child, mother.” She says. 

But the woman is twenty-one. Just twenty-one. “When I was twenty-one, I was still letting my mother accompany me on hunting trips, Hosekko.” She had informed her during their morning wing warmup.

The little dragon had looked rather perplexed. 

“I’m sorry, Hosekko, I sometimes forget how short human lives are.” 

And she is certain that Hosekko forgets how long she will live. 

Shaw gives the egg a parting kiss before leaving it to her mate. This time they won’t let it out of their sight. This time they won’t make the blunder that leaves her with the slew of dreads that she contemplates now. 

They have their Hosekko, but for how long? Will she die when her human body reaches its limit? Or will her dragon body keep her human body alive beyond its years? Will her human body age and wither until only the dragon is left? 

What does it mean for Sokka and what does it mean for she and Ran? What does it mean for Hosekko herself?

Shaw isn’t certain that Hosekko has considered this yet. She is so terribly young, why would she? And yet Hosekko is an old soul; hurt and aged beyond what she ought to be for her short time here. 

Hosekko enters the cave with Sokka at her side. Shaw stoops her head down, “are you hear to visit your sibling?”

“I am.” She confirms. Really it was a silly question. Hosekko has her habits, her routines. And she enjoys visiting as she and Ran are switching roles for the day. The woman makes herself comfortable sitting upon her father’s tail and propped up against the egg. 

She is quiet for quite some time. “Mother?”

“Yes?”

“Father can answer too.” She mentions. “I was wondering–should I choose to give you grandchildren…”

Shaw has been anticipating this question for quite some time now. Hosekko has been murmuring about it with Sokka for several months now. 

“Do you think that it would be more practical to keep my human form for a while and deliver the child as a human or should I deliver the child as a dragon?” She pauses. “I imagine that the child would be a half-dragon regardless. But I think that I would like it to hatch as a dragon.” 

“It sounds like you have answered your own question.” Ran answers. 

“I suppose that I have, haven’t I.” She replies. “You will show me how to take care of a dragon egg?”

“Of course we will.” Shaw replies. She lifts Hosekko into her claw, earning herself a ‘hey’ from Sokka whose grip she had just pulled her from. Perhaps she hadn’t gotten to feed a cooing baby dragon, hadn’t gotten to be there for the first confused and shaky steps nor the first blast of fire. But she had gotten to teach her hatchling to fly and she gets to teach her hatchling to care for her first egg. 

“Mother, father.” She speaks again after some time. “Sokka and I are going to Caldera City for a while. I want to teach the rest of the Fire Nation about dragons. There are going to be more of them sooner rather than later. It is time to resurface buried knowledge.” 

Shaw smiles. “You will visit frequently, I hope?”

Azula nods. “Very frequently, yes.”

“It feels like we’ve only just gotten you back.” But she knows how much this means to her little dragon. Hosekko never had liked to sit idle. Not even when she was nestled within a newly laid egg. 

“You will make us proud.” Ran declares and Hosekko tenses. “No matter how your efforts turn out, you will make us proud.” At this she seems to settle. Shaw sets her back down by Sokka nd the egg. 

“Sokka and I will be here for the departing banquet and then we will begin our lessons in Caldera City. I have already made arrangements with Zuzu. While I am there I am going to have to fix the awful work he has done with the Fire Nation’s infrastructure, even from the sky I can see that it is abysmal.” 

That sounds just well to Shaw. Hosekko has only just begun her life but she will make the world safer for her soon to hatch sibling.

Her little dragon was meant for action and achievement. 

Hosekko is very much like her father.

[birds-nest-on-the-roof]

Clint and the bird

Clint is dead set on impressing Emily and gets himself a pet bird. But it don't go as he hoped it would. So Clint is just making a fool out of himself, as usual. 

It's a slow night at the saloon. Most of the customers have gone home by now, but you still linger, aiming to finish your drink and then calling it a night. You sit by the bar together with Clint whom you had practically forced out of his designated seat in the corner. It had earlier  taken him a while (and quite a few drinks) before he could muster up to join you in conversing with Gus and Emily (the issue probably being talking with Emily).

But for the moment Gus had walked off to the back and Emily was having a chat with Pam, so it was just you and Clint at your end of the bar. You feel contempt in the moment, taking sips of your drink, when you hear whining coming from the left of you. You look over at your side and see Clint hunched over at the bar making strange sounds. 

"Eh, Clint? Are you alright?" Clint makes another strange sound and then shoots up from his hunched position. 

"I'm soooo looonly, I have noone." 

"Well, I'm here if you need to talk."

"No, that's not what I mean! I'll go home and have no one there waiting for me. How do you do it? You have no one either!" 

"I have my cats, you know! Ever considering getting a pet?" 

"If only…" Clint looks dreamily over at Emily who just in that moment turns around. Clint's eyes widen and his head makes such a fast turn that you think his head is going to fly off. 

"Soo, what are you guys talking about?" Emily comes back over to you with a cheerful smile. Clint must have sobered up slightly because he is back to a blushing and blabbering mess. 

"We were just discussing whether or not Clint should get a pet." You answer, side eyeing Clint.

"Oh you definitely should! I can recommend getting a bird! They are great company and you always have someone to talk to! Oh I know! I'm going to Zuzu City tomorrow. You should come with! I know just the right animal shelter.”

"You… and me?! Like a… just you and me?" Clint gulps loudly while being a blushing mess. 

“You should come too Y/N! The more the merrier!" Emily exclaims. 

"I'd love to.” You say and Clint lets out a breath of relief. 

"Oh well, my shift is over! See you guys tomorrow at the bus station!" 

The animal shelter definitely tugs at your heart a little more than you anticipated. The rows of cages with dogs, cats and many other animals looking up at you as you pass makes your heart ache. You hold yourself back to not adopt any more animals in need and decide that if you find an animal that looks all too sad you are going to force it on Clint. 

The lady working presents herself as Hazel, her bright orange overalls sticks in your eyes when she walks around telling you about all the different animals and how they ended up here. You, Emily and Clint walk past one cat in particular, an old white cat with only one eye, that you wonder if Clint might be a little interested in. Hazel tells you that this one comes from the streets and is old, no one wants to get old animals so he has been here awhile. 

"Yeaaah, awful isn't it! But were you looking for any animal in particular?" Hazel asks after a while of looking. 

"Uuuuhhh uhhhh…. Birds?" 

"Oh, that is just around the corner!" She shows you three over to a part of the shelter designated to different types of birds. 

"Oh what about this one? Clint, what do you think?" Emily points out one with gorgeous purple and blue colored feathers. 

"I'll take that one." Clint exclaims and the worker takes the birds out of his cage. She holds it in her hands before handing it to Clint. He lets the bird stomp around in his hands. 

"Oh! How cute you two are!" Emily pets the bird with two fingers and the bird chirps happily. Clint tries doing the same but he holds the bird a little too close to his face so the bird flaps its wings in his face in protest. 

"If you've never taken care of a bird before they could be a little bit getting used to. Especially that one." Hazel laughs. “His name is Blue.”

“Yeah, but if you ever need any help with Blue, you can just come and ask.” Emily offers and Clint blushes profusely. “Do you sell bird treats here too? I was thinking of bringing home something to my parrot.” 

As Hazel and Emily walk off, you hold Clint back. He looks back at you with a quizzical look. 

“Are you sure a bird is really what you should get?” You keep your voice down to make sure Emily and Hazel won't hear you. 

“Definitely, it's like Hazel said, it's just a bit getting used to. And Emily offered to help, this bird is a great conversation starter!” Clint whispers back to you. 

“Are you just doing this to get closer to Emily?” 

“No! I… I really liked the idea of having a pet and getting closer to Emily, it's a win win.” You sigh as you follow Clint back to Emily and Hazel so he can fill in his papers to adopt the bird.  

On the way out you start a discussion with Emily over the new second hand store that opened just around the block. You decide on a quick peak while Clint waits outside. While you walk around you throw an eye out the window and catch how Clint puts his finger in the cage and the bird pinches it. Causing Clint to flinch and pull out his finger. You sigh and hold back a laugh and wonder if getting him a pet really was a good idea. 

It has been a few days since going to Zuzu city with Clint and Emily. Whenever you have met him and Emily at the saloon he has talked loudly about how good friends and close he and the bird has become. So you figured your suspicions were uncalled for and decided to not check up on him and the bird since it's going so well. 

But to your surprise Clint stands outside your house one, all too early morning. It is still dark out as you rub any sleep out of your eyes looking back at Clint who himself is a total mess. He stands on your porch still wearing his pajamas, he has just thrown a robe on, venting about the bird. 

“You need to help me! I can't get anything done with that bird. It screams all night so I don't get any sleep. It lands in any food I make and who knows where that little rascal has been with his feet and if it can't get any worse it flies around like crazy so I can't get any work done. You must help me! I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't work. I'm going insane!”

“Just return him.”

“I can't! What will Emily think!” 

“You know, this would have been a lot easier if you'd just come clean to her in the store to begin with and not made everything worse by professing your love to blue at the Saloon.”

“I know, I know. Can you take it? Just a little bit.” 

“Sorry Clint, the only way to solve this is to come clean and return the bird. I'm sure that if you explain everything to Emily she will understand. She wont hold a grudge against you, I'm sure.” 

"I guess… Are you free today? Can you come with me to return the little demon?” 

“Sure.” You say and sigh internally knowing your plans for the day are put on hold. 

Back in the shelter you find Hazel wandering around tending to the animals. But this time she has earbuds in and dont notice you at first. She continues to feed the animals and swaying her hips. When she spots you she stops and looks at you thinking for a moment. 

"Aha! You were here just a few days ago. Haha, didn't work out for you huh.” She laughs and points to the cage. 

“Nooo…It didn't.” You say slowly squinting your eyes at her, but she just wanders off. 

“Well, you're not the first to return him alright. Don't worry. Do you want to exchange him for someone else or just want your money back?”

“I want my money back. Don't think it's good to rush into something like this.” Clint admits. 

“Alright, I will just need to go to the back, I will be back in just a moment.” And with that she wanders off. 

You shrug at Clint and take a look around. Some new pets have come in and some are still here from last time. You walk over to the toy aisle looking for something for your cats. Just when you have picked out a remote controlled mouse you hope won't freak out your cats you hear Clint call for you. You follow his voice over to a cage with the same old cat you know Clint was eying last time. He wakes up when you get there and slowly looks up at you and Clint. 

“What do you think about him?” Clint eyes dart between you and the cat multiple times. 

“I like him! How do you feel about having a cat?”

“Better I think? He doesn't seem like he does much.” 

“Aha, looking at old Jerry over here.” Hazel comes back holding a few papers. 

“Yeah, what's he like?” 

“Slow, keeps mostly to himself. But he is a very good and kind cat, never scratches. Right old man!” She says and opens the cage door to scratch his head. He purrs loudly. She then takes him out and puts him on the floor for you and Clint to pet him. 

“I quite like him.” 

“Then get him!” Hazel urges and Clint gives you a look for your opinion. 

“If you feel that it's right you should get him.” 

“Alright, I'll take him.” 

“Then it's settled, I'll go and put together everything you need.” The woman walks off once again. 

“Yeah, after this we won't be back!” You shout after her.

“I sure hope not!” She shouts back. 

You decide to walk with Clint for a bit hoping the saloon has opened to go and order something. Traveling all day and missing lunch has taken its toll and your tummy is rumbling loudly. When you and Clint pass Pieres store you spot Emily walking in the distance on her way to start working at the saloon. You nudge Clint and nod in her direction. 

“Ah! Don't let her see me!” But just as he says that she looks up and you lock eyes with her. She looks a bit surprised but smiles. Before she has the time to get to you two you lean over to Clint and whispers: 

“Tell her the truth!” 

“Hey guys, what do you have there Clint? Finding another friend?”

“Actually, Emily, I returned the bird. It just didn't work out.” Clint says and puts his head down. 

“What really? Well, sometimes some things aren't just meant to be and his soul just wasn't connected to yours. It was a good thing you returned him! He hasn't found who is ment for him just yet.”

“Same applies to you Clint. Hopefully it's this little thing.” You say and look down at Jerry who has snuggled up in his cat carrier. 

"Oh, what a cutie. I get the vibe you two are a much better fit actually.” Emily smiles before she looks back at the saloon. “Well, I have to go.” 

“Yeah, I have an order to put in.” You say and Emily laughs. You part with Clint and his cat and follow Emily to the saloon. 

While you wait for your food you hope that the bird finds a home just like Jerry did with Clint, You with your cats and Emily with her parrot. There is always someone for you out there. You just never know when or how you will meet them.

[iamprchung]

Zuzu's Petals: Part 2 (2/11)

Assistant Director Walter Skinner's plan to discreetly play speed dial Santa on gift-drop mission for Scully, leads to him being drawn into the Scully family celebration, forging an unexpected camaraderie.

Part 2 of "Zuzu's Petals" unfolds with the messy, real-life charm of a holiday gathering, where twinkling lights and festive cheer give way to genuine connections and the unpredictable spirit of the season. Join the Scullys and Skinner for a holiday adventure that embraces the imperfect beauty of family gatherings.

This fiction and more, plus extra content, is available on my site SkinnersBriefs.com, one of the oldest original and continuously maintained X-Files fan fiction sites.

**Author's Notes: This was originally the missing holiday from the Complimentary Mints series, but I never got around to finishing it and now I think it's too late to throw a new section into the series. So I've revamped this story and here it is-- just in time for the holidays (once again).

Zuzu's Petals: part 2 by PR Chung

The front yard was lit up like-- well it was lit up like a Christmas tree, Scully amusedly thought and grinned broadly as she got out the car and took in the hundreds of white lights wrapped around every tree and over every shrub in front of her mother's house.

"Did you know about all this?" Bill asked his sister, going around the back of the jeep.  

"Oh, God, no," Scully chuckled, "when did she get all this done? It's never been like this before."

Bill laughed and shook his head, opening up the car hatch to get the presents out. "She's going to divert planes from Dulles," he joked and held a box out to Scully.

"It's not that bad."

"Didn't say it was bad," Bill countered good naturedly, hesitating over one of the presents. "Looks like some of your bows are coming off here, Dana."

She checked the reported damage as he handed the box to her. "Nothing too serious, I'll fix it inside."

"Dana!"

Not half in the door and Scully stopped, seeing Maggie making her way through the press of guests congregated in the narrow hallway, with a smile that was eager and alive with warmth and delight. "Oh Dana, you look so pretty."

Scully gave her mother a speculative glance, grinning in spite of her embarrassment. "I'm not wearing a graduation dress or anything," she laughed and looked down at the simple sweater and slacks she'd hurriedly thrown on once she'd run out time doing her hair and makeup.

"I'd think you were beautiful in a potato sack," Maggie insisted, and hugged her daughter tightly.

"Been hitting the eggnog a little early, Mom?" Bill teased, grinning a grin that always came off as a sneer.

Maggie looked up at her towering son, and lazily swatted at his arm. "That's no way to talk to me," she warned him half seriously, then grinned wryly, "even if it is true."

"Mom," Scully chided in a gasp, delightfully surprised by her mother's mischief.

While her mother and Bill took gifts into the living room, Scully lingered in the hall to take her coat off and basked in the sights and sounds, and the wonderful smells surrounding her. There was music coming from the living and the sound of conversations all around her, and rich, happy laughter. The house was brimming with old friends and fresh faces, everyone enjoying themselves. A gorgeous and inviting buffet had been set up in the dining room and an impromptu bar had come together in the kitchen where Scully could see that her brother Charlie was happily playing bartender. Everything was warm and bright, and smelled of tasty food and the nostalgic scent of the Christmas tree that was positioned before the large front window.

Scully watched Bill and her mother arranging gifts under the tree and felt something tug at her insides; it was the guilt of forgetting the gifts for Bill's family. She hoped they wouldn't read tags, at least until Skinner showed up-- And just when was he showing up, she wondered anxiously, edging her eyes toward the front door.

~~~~~~~~~~~ @ ~~~~~~~~~~~

Finding the house hadn't been difficult, Margaret Scully's front yard was a blaze with enough lights to put a strain on the hardiest of power stations-- missing the address would have been an effort-- but finding a place to park had been Skinner's real dilemma.

The street was packed, and every driveway was crowded with no less than four cars; nearly every house on this block had to be having a party. And here he was cruising around with gifts in tow and no parking spaces, like a department store Santa late for work at the mall on Christmas Eve.

Skinner adjusted the brim of his ball cap in frustration as he turned off the block for the second time. Why in the hell was he bothering, he wondered. Double-park, run the damn bag up to the door, sit it on the porch, knock and leave; simple as that.

No, not as simple as that. Skinner exhaled and propped his arm on the car door. He could be a hard ass, but he didn't need to be a rude ass to boot.

Park and call her-- Call her and drive by, maybe she could just come out to the car-- Skinner gritted his teeth, feeling like a jackass. If dumping the bag on the porch and hauling ass like a coward wasn’t rude enough, then making her run out to the street was even worse.

Before he could make himself feel anymore confounded or lousy about himself, Skinner spied an open parking space. Slowing the car, he ran his tongue against the inside of his bottom teeth while he glared at the parking space, deliberating what he should do; park or drive by? Headlights suddenly swinging into his rearview mirror was incentive enough-- Skinner took the space.

Managing a quick and sloppy parallel parking job, Skinner shut off the motor and watched the other car pass before he called Scully's cell phone. It rang longer than usual, and he was ready to hang up when she answered.

"It's me," he announced, his voice tinged with displeasure for the fact, "I'm down the block from the house. You want to meet me out front?"

Scully didn't say anything for a second, then answered in a whisper, "Sure, I'll be outside waiting."

Skinner ended the call and got out, feeling satisfied with Scully's apparent empathy; he wasn't thrilled about doing this and she was trying to make it as painless as possible. But was it her concern for him, or for herself? Judging by the hush of her voice on the phone, Skinner considered that Scully could be trying to save herself embarrassment by keeping this gift drop a secret, forgetting the gifts of a loved one and their family in the boss' car doesn't exactly ring of thoughtfulness.

Then there was the fact of where she forgot the gifts. Scully's family might start asking questions; curious why she was taking rides with the boss and warning her about those inherently risky office romances.

Skinner shook his head as if to help get rid of the thought. It wasn't like he was handing her a bag of panties she'd left in the back seat, just a bag o'gifts. He glanced dismally at the bag in his hand, "definitely not panties."

Just as she said, Skinner found Scully standing outside her mother's house-- shivering on the front steps. Approaching the porch, he could hear the sounds of a party fully underway from inside and saw through the big picture window the telltale signs of people merrily meandering around inside.

"Where's your coat?" He asked her first thing, then hesitated as she came into full view before him. He was surprised, and suddenly felt like a bum compared to her. She wasn't wearing anything outlandish or extravagant, simple white sweater and dark slacks, but up close now he discovered Scully was wearing a good deal more makeup than he was used to seeing on her, and her hair... well, it was all poofed up.

She looked gorgeous.

"I didn't want to advertise what I was doing," she answered.

"And standing out here to meet me isn't advertising?"

Scully threw a brief glance over her shoulder at the house and shrugged, turning back. "I don't think anyone has missed me yet," she said and made a zuzzing sound as she shivered. "Where did you park?"

"End of the block. Everyone on this street must be having a party tonight," he criticized, glancing toward the street.

Scully followed his gaze, then looked at him, saying "you know I would have come down to the street if you just wanted to stop out front. You didn't have to go to the trouble of parking."

Skinner tightened his mouth, inwardly kicking himself. "No need for you to be running down to the street, making this look like a drug drop."

Scully lifted her brows in half-baked amusement. "What a wonderful holiday sentiment, sir," she mocked a compliment and reached for the bag. "Thanks for doing this for me."

Before Scully could take it, and before Skinner could relinquish the bag, the front door came open. Maggie Scully struck her head out, her eyes darting over the two of them for a concerned and confused instant. "Dana, what are you doing out here?" she asked.

"I have to go," Skinner abruptly said and started to turn.

"Mr. Skinner?" Maggie called him, then, "Walter?"

Reluctance weighed his movements as he turned slowly back and offered a thin smile to the woman. "Yes," he answered. “Hello, Mrs. Scully.”

"How have you been? Dana, didn't mention that you were coming," Maggie chattered with warmth and delighted surprise saturating her voice. "I'm so pleased to see you could make it."

Skinner and Scully exchanged painful glances. He started to speak, but Scully got the first word in, "Mom, he was just leaving," she explained.

Maggie's peaceful expression sank into a frown. "I don't understand."

"I just stopped by to say hello, Mrs. Scully," Skinner noticed Scully's quick contrivance.

"Well, standing out here in the cold to say hello is senseless," she said, disapproving of the scene. "Come inside and have something to eat-- have a drink."

"I can't," Skinner begged off.

"You must," Maggie insisted.

"Mom," Scully scolded her mother gently.

"Really," Skinner shook his head again, pocketing his hands in his jacket. "I'm not dressed for this. I should go--"

"You look fine to me, Walter," Maggie assured him confidently and hooked her arm with his, "Come on, before both of you catch pneumonia out here." She urged him to walk with her, with first a gentle tug and then a more forceful pull.

Looking at Scully for support-- and finding only an apologetic grimace, Skinner finally yielded to her mother's demands.

Entering the house on Maggie Scully's arm, Skinner was greeted with a warmth that was almost too much after being in the chilled night air. He was suddenly eager to remove his parka in spite of his plan to excuse himself quickly, but before he could make a move either way people began to welcome him and introduce themselves. Everyone seemed to want to be acquainted with the man at Maggie's side; any friend of hers was obviously a friend of theirs.

Then, as Skinner was finally removing his parka and hat, Bill Scully ambled down the hall. The oldest Scully offspring eyed the man skeptically at first, then with a flicker of recognition moved in closer. "You're Dana's boss?" he asked.

Skinner seemed leery and Bill broke a broad grin and extended his hand. "Bill Scully, Jr.," he said, as if to jog Skinner's memory. "We met a while back."

Skinner remembered, but neither of the men seemed willing to mention the circumstances under which they had first met. Even though Scully's cancer had gone into full remission-- a miraculous thing in itself, and great cause for celebration, bringing up that challenging time for the family didn't seem proper.

"Walter Skinner," he reintroduced himself, shaking Bill's hand.

Scully looked on, pleasantly surprised by the apparent rapport her brother and Skinner had with one another; it was almost stunning in contrast to that which existed between Bill and Mulder-- or rather, she corrected the thought, didn't exist.

As Scully watched Skinner being drawn deeper into the midst of the party, she started feeling less guilty about him being drawn into a situation he didn't want to be in, and started to feel more like maybe this was something he needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~ @ ~~~~~~~~~~~

To be continued...

Comments are super welcomed.