#also yes this is a remake of an old set don't worry about it

[quietbluejay]

Know No Fear 4

uh oh it's reunion time ffvii remake is invading calth as well

like gene-father, like gene-son guilliman's bad decision making is inherited through the geneseed

this is about these two but it's also about guilliman

oh we're back to Thiel vs a cool daemon also thiel figured out that older weapons work better against daemons but he's worried if he tells people they'll just dismiss it as superstition

thiel and this other dude are going door to door killing daemons "every door, a new horror" also, huh, I am now wondering if this was deliberate every time i thought it was setting up for a character to die for sure, they would have died in a horror movie they survived the guy with the wife and the vet he's buddies with, Old Person, Ventanus actually getting reinforcements that weren't a trick

this is why people don't like you guys

sometimes, the dead aren't dead

guilliman's problem is that, when he gets like this there's no one on his level who is able to tell him to knock it off but yeah they really are all like this, huh oh boy time for a new guy also, reading this book first really gave me a skewed idea of what happened at Monarchia

is it crack???? is it crack that you all smoke????

or is this just them all trying desperately to justify it to themselves and internally rewriting what happened

they really are just all eternal teen boys

congratulations the bar was in hell and you actually managed to wiggle over it oh welp

they're still wiggling over the bar but they're wiggling a bit closer

ope look at that a direct consequence of breaking your code daemon time

bruh really??

oh so he realized he was lying to himself seeing this, she casually threw aside a large rock

get lorelei'd idiot owo more Thiel POV he's in spaaace space fights…alas he is outnumbered 8:1 honestly i would have rioted if Thiel had bit it

OH WAIT RANE DIDNT DIE??

I CANT BELIEVE IT also, Old Person is old he was at Verdun

and Old Person makes an improvised bayonet with a ritual knife from a dead enemy okay he's even older Austerlitz so a century back from wwi

THIS DUDE HAS THE BEST LUCK OF LITERALLY ANY BIT CHARACTER IN A HORROR NOVEL EVER he got lorelei'd TWICE and managed to come out of it

oh holy shit does Ventanus get lucky nothing is working and the only weapon he has is the Word Bearer's ritual knife aka one of the only things in this book we've seen that seems to kill daemons oh! back to Thiel! things aren't looking good

I need a Hero starts playing in the background

i know it was plot armour (and there's more to come) but this was a cool moment and i did NOT expect this

abnett please stop with the clunky prose

GIANT FACEPALM

ROB ROB

YOURE GONNA GET STABBED BY AN EVIL KNIFE starting a long and "proud" tradition

AAAAA this scene ;-;

;-; "for a second, Ventanus envies her loss"

annnd yep guilliman got bodied by someone below his power level time for evil knife

guilliman: you know if i had a nickel for every time i was in this position, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but you'd think I'd learn.

thiel had to deal with this twice except by the second time, he was friends with Guilliman

okay, this was just cheap so, Guilliman put his power claw through Kor Phaeron's chest at least ONE OF THEM should have died from this they both have plot armour also why didn't the knife work on guilliman??? it sure worked on Horus there should have been long term consequences GUILLIMAN LITERALLY TAKES KOR PHAERONS HEART OUT sigh anyways, Tawren gets to be cool how many orbital weapons is she controlling rn? yes she's the one who actually turns the tables and makes this not a valiant last stand with a bare remnant surviving

looks like team rocket's blasting off againnnnnn

so guilliman and thiel are now besties, at least

epilogue time!

stay classy, Ultramarines and thus the ultramarines became mortal enemies with the word bearers anyways, it's overall a good book, aside from the plot armour and some of the clunkiness of the prose (and the weird Perpetual stuff)

[redbelles]

hopper being just 10000% done in every season

[itsclydebitches]

re: that ask you posted a couple days ago about the male and female representation in RWBY, part of what makes RWBY's whole 'girl power' thing ring exceptionally hollow to me is the fact that there are like... no women in positions of real power in remnant. like at all. except the big bad.

winter is second in command to james. glynda is second in command to ozpin. all of the headmasters are men (for no discernible reason, imo; why theodore and not dorothea?). the leader of the ace ops was a white man (and then winter seemed to take over clover's position instead of either of the women of color on the team, and she was still second to james). RWBY is an all girl team, but JNPR was led by a boy despite a girl arguably being far more qualified (pyrrha). the happy huntresses are all women, and robyn had no real power to speak of--she didn't even manage to win the election, because jacques rigged it, and then the council ceased to matter. there was one (1) woman on the council, but she was so inconsequential that i can't even remember her name. (i suppose we're lucky it was the guy and not her who james shot lol) jacques controls the SDC instead of willow, even though he's not even a schnee by blood and actually married into the family for power. (and we don't even know how he got it over his wife.)

and then there's the white fang, which ghira led and not kali--and it's ghira who leads menagerie itself, while kali seems to be a housewife. sienna had five minutes of screentime before being brutally killed and her position assumed by adam, a man. cordovin is basically a one off lackey we haven't even thought about before or since. neo was second to roman. you have cinder, sure, who is a second but to salem, a woman, and raven as the leader of the branwen tribe--but what does it really say about your 'girl power' narrative when the only women with genuine systemic power in your world are villains or antagonists with massive bodycounts??

atla has the same sort of problem--a couple great female characters, but all the leadership positions are men (except the kyoshi warriors, an all girls group, and even then the leader of their island is an old man) and the one female mentor figure also turns out to be evil--but it at least has some great writing to help overlook that fact, and it came out in the mid-00's and so has some sort of excuse of being a product of its time. but rwby didn't even start until 2013 and it's still going and still making these kinds of decisions well into 2021.

where is this supposed girl power, exactly? am i really supposed to overlook the very patriarchal worldbuilding just because the title characters are girls?

That's an excellent summary of the situation, anon, and as with so much in RWBY, it comes down to the full context. Any one of these examples isn't necessarily going to mean much on its own. It's when you look at the pattern that you can start making a case for those conclusions: Why is the show marketed on "girl power" set in a world where men hold the vast majority of that power? And, more importantly, why is that setup not the point? We could easily have a story where that lopsided gender dynamic is the problem that the girls are looking to fix, but... that story doesn't exist. Like the problems discussed with Jaune, the supposed point here exists only on the surface. Dig just the tinniest bit — the above — and you hit on a lot of structural problems with this "girl power" world.

To add just a few details to what you've already said:

Salem indeed has power, but she's never allowed to fully use it. Each volume the frustration with this grows as Salem accumulates more abilities and then just sits on them. From literally hiding out for a thousand years to worries that she won't use the Staff in Volumes 9-10, Salem really isn't allowed to be the threat she's presented as on the surface. And yes, this is absolutely due in part to the "She's too OP and the writers don't know how to let her be that powerful while still having the heroes win" issue, but again, context. That problem doesn't exclude others occurring simultaneously.

Same double explanation with Summer. Yes, dead moms are an incredibly common trauma to dump on a protagonist, but it still left Yang and Ruby with Tai as their primary influence. And Qrow. The uncle becomes the extended family influence while Raven is the absent one/eventual antagonist. It's personal power as opposed to political power, but Tai, Qrow, Ozpin, formerly James... most of the mentors are men. Maria, a key exception, has been ignored in that regard. The story announced that she was Qrow's inspiration, setup her being Ruby's new mentor, and then... nothing. Nothing has come of that. She disappeared for a volume and then went off to Amity and was literally forgotten by the story when evacuating everyone was the finale's whole point.

Like that Endgame moment I mentioned, the Happy Huntresses feel a little too forced to me. Yes, it's the same basic idea as in ATLA, but ATLA, as you say, has a lot more going for it. The Happy Huntresses feel... on the nose? Idk exactly how to explain it. Like, "Here they are! Another team of all women! Isn't this how progressive storytelling works? Just ignore how this is a one-off team of minor characters compared to the world building issues discussed above." And if you're not paying attention, you miss just how insignificant they are, with a side of Robyn being, well, Robyn. The Kyoshi Warriors, at least, are based off of Kyoshi. A woman avatar who is a significant part of their history. That is, presumably, why they're an all women warrior group (but who notably still teach Sokka). The Happy Huntresses are all huntresses because...? There's no reason except that meta "We want to look progressive" explanation. Just like having all the women superheroes team up for a hot second so people get excited and ignore the representation problems across, what? 21 films? Don't get me wrong, I love that May is among the Happy Huntresses. I think including her in the explicitly all-women group was one of the better things RWBY has done in a long time, but the rest is still a mess.

RWBY is arguably about these smaller groups as opposed to systematic power (despite the writers trying to work that in with things like the White Fang and the election. Not to mention the implication that everything in Atlas is fine now that evil Ironwood has died and taken the symbol of wealth (the city) with him. We saw a human holding hands with a faunus after all. Racism and corruption solved, I guess.) So yes, our group is dominated by women... but Whitley is the one saving Nora, helping to defeat the Hound (plus Willow), thinking of the airships, and providing the blueprints they need to escape. Salem is our Big Bad, except Ironwood is the one the volume focuses on. Ruby is our leader, but Jaune is the one leading the group into the whale and getting praised for how heroic he is. Ren does more to shake things up, even if he's painted as the one in the wrong. Oscar gets to confront Salem and destroys the whale threat. Ozpin provides the information they need to evacuate. Meanwhile, when the girls do things in Volume 8 it's almost always followed by a long-stint of passiveness. Nora opens the door so she can be unconscious for most of the volume. Penny keeps Amity up so she can also be unconscious for a good chunk of time. Ruby sends her message and then sits in a mansion. Blake fights so she can tearfully beg Ruby to save her. Weiss, as said, takes a backseat to Whitley (and Klein). They forward the plot, absolutely, but comparatively it doesn't feel like enough.

It's that pattern then, no one specific example. More and more the personal power, not just the systematic power already built into Remnant, seems to be coming from the men. Not all the time, but enough that scenes like the tea drinking moment feel like a part of a much larger problem. Pietro taking control, Watts hacking, and Ambrosius literally remaking her when Penny is supposed to already be in control of herself and her fate. Winter being presented as the active mentor to Weiss, only to turn around and claim that Ironwood was actually responsible for everything. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and May straight up commenting on how awful things are out there while Yang, Jaune, Ren, and Oscar lead the charge against Salem — with the latter three doing the most to forward that mission (no fear, semblance, cane). As others have only half-joked, Yang's supposedly badass moment was bringing up a mother she's ignored for six volumes and briefly blowing up the immortal woman for a couple of seconds (with Ironwood's bombs). Even Marrow is arguably the most significant Ace Op after Clover. Vine isn't actually a character, Elm slightly less so, Harriet is there to go crazy and try to drop a bomb (notably before admitting to never-before-existed feelings for Clover), but Marrow? He's the one who breaks out. Who is meant to heroically stand up against Ironwood. Who comments on how awful it is that teenagers are fighting and, regardless of how messed up the moral messages are, is supposedly pushing for active change while all the women in his group, including Winter, insist on maintaining the status quo. Look at all these choices as a whole, it makes throwaway worldbuilding choices like "All the Maidens are women" feel pretty hollow. Why does it matter if Amber is a Maiden if she dies in a flashback so Ozpin can struggle to pass on the power? If Pyrrha dies before becoming one so Jaune can angst about it? If Raven is one and then disappears from the story entirely? If Winter has enough power to break Ironwood's aura, but supposedly had no power throughout every other choice she made getting here? If Penny is one, but is continually controlled by men and then asks another man to help her die? It's just really unconvincing, once you look past the surface excitement of a woman looking cool with magic powers.

When you do consider the whole of the story — both in terms of our world building and who is forwarding the plot in the latter volumes, getting the emotional focus, being proactive, etc. — there are a lot of problems that undermine the presumed message RT wants to write. They say, "girl power" by marketing RWBY with these four women, but too many of the storytelling decisions thoroughly undermine that, revealing what's likely a deeply ingrained, subconscious bias.

[oceanspray5]

The way my iCarly and Seddie obsession was revived a couple months ago and in my mind I was fantasizing about an adult revival series.

I won... But at what cost? 😭

Still praying Paramount figures out a solution and agrees to whatever terms Jennette sets if she decides to come back at all? (if she plans on coming back conditionally with demands in place to keep her health intact even then I'd be happy and Paramount and the rest of the cast BETTER MAKE SURE she gets all the comfort and ease regarding her mental health that she needs).

But if she doesn't come back, I'm devastated. I'll watch it, of course i will. At least to try it out...

But for me the show was central to Sam. Sam and Carly's friendship is one of the healthiest female friendships I've ever seen portrayed and are literally my favorite one ever. I've been a Seddie shipper since I first watched the show years ago. Spencer being Sam's older brother figure always made me happy like no other. In simple terms: her character was central for me on the show. Her relationships with the others are what kept me invested and watching. She is such an ESSENTIAL part of the show's dynamic without which the others don't connect as seamlessly.

I'm apprehensive because if you take Sam out of the equation... Then Carly and Freddie are quite bland. I dont mean this in a bad way. I love Carly and Freddie. But Sam is the middle ground between them. She's the spark of chaos compared to Freddie's rigidness but opposes Carly's more emotional side as well and is more pragmatic when Carly gets illogical and vice versa. She's not as girly as Carly either but definitely still has it in her so she balances Carly out but is enough tomboy to get along with Freddie even if it's not with his tech stuff. They have their own little games and tug of war which works for them but not with Carly. Without Sam, Carly and Freddie have very little in common.

Spencer is amazing, yes, but his brand of humor and Sam's brand of humor is different and he cannot act as the glue for the trio. Carly may have been the glue in the earlier seasons of iCarly when Sam and Freddie were always fighting but in the end the web show was the glue that held the trio together to begin with without which Carly and Sam wouldn't have connected to Freddie as easily at all. And after the web show? Sam & Freddie and Sam & Carly had the bonds built to last. Carly and Freddie were always friends who cared about each other but definitely not with the kind of same interests that last beyond high school. If anything only their existing attachment through the years of doing the webshow is what would logically keep them together as old friends rather than any lasting commonalities between them which is important in maintaining relationships, both platonic and romantic.

Sam was also integral to Spencer's character too because Carly was always very independent even though she loved Spencer. But Sam was someone who clearly needed stability in her life. Not in a controlling way but in a positive way and for all of Spencer's immature habits, he acted as that anchor for Sam as much as he did for Carly by being her big brother and including her in the family. With Gibby its not as clear but near the end of the show, Sam clearly had a good friendship with him too. iOpen a Restaurant was the testimony episode of the fact that they were good friends and Sam was willing to go to all lengths to defend him just as she would Freddie or Carly.

I'm worried about what this remake will do to Sam's character development from the later seasons. I'd resent the fact if they played off her growth as "oh she's in prison" and leave it at that. I'd rather they say she died in some accident and show Carly and Freddie and Spencer struggling with this fact (especially if Jennette is 100% certain she won't want to come back at any point) and running the web show without her. The new series is for adults, right? And death is a concept not touched upon by many adult sitcoms so I think this would be the most satisfying way to tribute Sam but also explain her absence.

I'm also worried about the ship wars. It's no secret that Seddie vs Creddie was probably the advent of internet ship wars back in the day. They were the first major "love triangle" to hit the internet sphere as it was just starting to become mainstream. If they force Creddie on us from the beginning I will resent the show at once even if they explain it as "Carly and Freddie grew close over the years" because as of now, I don't see them ever working out. Never did. As friends they're amazing. But the idea that they'll force Creddie on us as the "natural conclusion" just because Jennette can't do the show would be bullshit. It would negate Freddie's development too especially because his feelings for Sam are well established (even if you don't consider Sam and Cat canon). To have him whimpering after Carly again would suck big time.

Now... Going back to my "Sam died in an accident and Freddie and Carly are grieving" idea... IF they go with this and IF they do it right, then that is possibly the ONLY way I will ever come to accept Creddie. If they put the work in, if they show Carly and Freddie helping each other heal from the same loss it might (strong emphasis on might) work. I mean even so there's no guarantees it will at least in my POV cuz my beef is that they don't have chemistry romantically at all. Even if they do go for such a plot line, I'd still prefer they only stay friends but regardless, if they wanna do it right, then they have to acknowledge Carly and Freddie as people and Sam's importance in their solo and individual lives for it to work out which is why helping each other heal is the best way to bridge that development gap and the only semi convincing way that Freddie and Carly might work in a distant future.

I really hope against all odds that Jennette finds herself and the new filming environment well-enough for her to consider returning even if they make major changes to Sam's character to avoid triggering Jennette's bad memories. The idea of having my favorite trio of friends ALL back together is something I am longing for so so much.

I feel the show would ring hollow without Sam. I don't want Carly to get a new best friend and co-host. I don't want Creddie to be forced upon us with no reason to believe as to why they would work. I don't want Spencer to not have to worry about his second little sister who's always at his house even tho she's an adult now. I just miss Sam Puckett so much and I want her to come back home with the rest of her friends.

But if she doesn't come back, I want the new show to commit to it in a way that will respect all of us. It will respect the fans, old and new, shippers and non shippers. It will respect the cast and Jennette and all she gave into Sam despite the suffering she went through to bring her to life. It will respect the characters within the iCarly-verse too: Carly, Freddie and Spencer (and hopefully Gibby).

That's why I feel like the only way for the show to commit to not having Sam at all (again, provided Jennette is certain she's not coming back. If she wants to do guest episodes then obviously I'd love for her to do that and the show would need a different plot line to work) is to kill her off. Because that respects the characters of the show by having them deal with Sam's loss and grieve her absence. It respects the fans of the show too because we are also dealing with Sam's loss and absence too albeit in a different way cuz she can't be in the show. It's a way to connect the audience with the characters which will be sorely needed to make this new show work.

I just hope whoever is in charge knows what they're doing and understands the nuance of storytelling especially of Sam's character because she literally was the most nuanced out of all of them and to fill her absence (no matter what route they take) needs to be a carefully constructed plan.

Or ya know, Paramount you could just hire me? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[fan4196]

How You Get the Girl

1989

(16x15 but it’s not Link at the door)

-

Stand there like a ghost

Shaking from the rain, rain

She'll open up the door

And say, are you insane, -ane?

Standing here right now, all the confidence he build up on his way up is gone. Simply gone. Looking at the brownish red medal door let's him rethink everything. He doesn't know if this was the right think to do anymore. He knows nothing is like it was when he left. Everything changed. Him leaving changed so much - for him, for her, everyone. Nothing could remake that mistake. He knows that leaving was the biggest mistake he could have ever made. And he needs to make it right again. He has no idea how but he at least has to try. After all that’s why he’s back - back to make things right again.

With a last deep breath he finally knocks on the door - hoping she was home but also hoping she wasn't. He doesn't know what she will say, what he will say, if she will listen or shut the door right in his face again. He shivers a little when he hears the door unlock and then squeal as it is pushed to the side.

"Oh my god." Her voice is surprised, her eyes look at him softly but also filled with tears and a little bit of anger. "Alex." Her voice is a whisper as she tightly pulls her arms around his neck. He did expect a lot but not this.

"Hi." He answers in a similar pitch as hers. Wrapping his arms around her as he buries his face in her hair.

He missed her so much. He can't describe how good it feels to hold her after what felt like years. She still smells like the prettiest wildflower field he ever knew, her hair is a little longer and also darker but she's still her.

"Are you insane? You're soaking." She starts worried as she unwraps her arms from his neck and quickly gets a towel while he's still standing in the door. "Give me this. Take your wet clothes off."

She grabs the suitcase from his hand and takes it inside while he quickly strips down his soaking wet jacked and takes his shoes and socks off.

"You wanna stay there forever or do you wanna come inside?" She asks with a smile as she puts his suitcase next to what used to be their bed.

"Jo I-"

Say it's been a long six months

And you were too afraid to tell her what you want, want

"It's been-" He starts as he slowly walks towards her.

"I know." She interrupts him as she looks up from her hands.

"Aren't you angry? Or- I don't know hate me?" He asks as he takes the place next to her on the little bench in front of what used to be their bed.

"I thought- I-" She takes his hand and looks at him with once again teary eyes, "I thought you were dead." She whispers, tears streaming down her face. "And whatever reason you had to not return my calls or texts, I'm just happy you're not dead." She squeezes his hand, "Which doesn't mean that I'm not hurt that you were somehow able to throw me away and ignore me like some piece of trash."

He opens his mouth to answer but he can't find the words. He doesn't know how to explain why he did what he did. Nothing can excuse what he did. He knows he needs to tell her but he's doesn't know how.

And that's how it works

That's how you get the girl

And then you say

I want you for worse or for better

I would wait for ever and ever

Broke your heart, I'll put it back together

I would wait for ever and ever

"You are not trash, Jo." He breaks the silence that lingered in the room for a few minutes. "I'm sorry you felt like I was abandoning you. That was never my intention. I'm sorry I was gone for six weeks." His last sentences a whisper before he takes a breath and continues, "But I want you, Jo. I married you because I love you, nothing will change that. I promised you for better, for worse. I'm sorry I didn't return your texts or calls I just- I needed time. But I’m back to make things right and I understand if you need time now too. I'll make it right again, I'll do everything to make it right again."

His tone is honest, his eyes are filled with tears too and his voice cracks during his last sentence. She knows that he means what he's saying. She knows she can trust him. But it was so easy for him to lie to her and leave - to ignore her - she doesn't know if her broken heart will ever recover from it if he does it again.

And that's how it works

That's how you get the girl, girl, oh

And that's how it works

That's how you get the girl, girl

Remind her how it used to be, be

Yeah, with pictures in frames of kisses on cheeks, cheeks

Silence lingers in the loft for a few seconds before he leans to her nightstand and grabs the picture frame that she put there the day after they returned from their honeymoon.

"I'm not the person that I was in this picture because time went on, life went on and it changed me but I'm still Alex - the stupid idiot that loves you so much that he can't imagine a life without you. I wanna grow old with you no matter what. I'm your Alex and nothing will ever change that."

Tell her how you must've lost your mind

When you left her all alone and never told her why, why

"I- ah I have kids Jo."

"What?"

"Izzie had my kids. Twins. A boy and a girl, they are five." He looks at her to see if she wants to say something but she keeps quiet as she turns her view away from him.

"When we reached out to the Doctors for Mer's trial, I also reached out to Izzie. We talked and I heard kids in the background. I asked her if she had kids and she said yes. She was silent for a few seconds after my question but then said that she used the frozen eggs. Since that second my brain didn't work properly anymore. It turned into autopilot and all I could think about was to go there and meet them. They are mine. They are perfect and I don't want to miss another second of their life but I love you - way to much to ever leave you behind. I could never do that and you now that because I told you so way to many times. I'm sorry I didn't tell you and I'm sorry I left you not knowing where I was. I'm sorry, Jo."

"You have kids." She answers still not looking at him.

"Yes." He answers simply.

"And you didn't tell me." She replies, turning her head to look at him for the first time again.

"I was afraid-"

"Of what? That I get angry at something you did years ago when you wanted to help your dying wife? Didn't we talk about that exact topic years ago? What were you afraid of?" She asks, looking at him.

"That I might loose you because another woman had my kids. That this news is just another trigger to push you back into depression. That- I don't know, my brain wasn't working properly. I just needed to figure it out on my own first." He answers holding eye contact because right now that's all he needs in this situation - seeing every single emotion and reaction she wasn't telling him verbally.

"And I get that. You shut down before you come and talk to me but why lying to me?" She asks not breaking eye contact either because she knows in serious conversations like this he needs to look her in the eyes.

"I don't know. I'm sorry." He answers a little more quiet than before.

A nod is all she answers. She knows that he’s sorry, he said it many times already, "What are their names?"

"Alexis and Eli." He answers simply, thinking about them for the first time since he set foot in what he once called home.

"You have a picture?"

"Yeah." He gets his phone out of his pocket and puts a picture up on it of the two five year olds smiling in the camera.

"They look so much like you."

"Mmhhh."

Silence lingers in the loft for a few minutes while they both keep looking at the picture.

"Please don't ever do something like this again, ok? Please talk to me or at least say something like 'Jo listen I need to do something. I can't talk about it yet but I will when I'm ready.' Ok?"

"I'm so sorry, Princess." He whispers as he buries his face deep in her necks.

"I know." Is all she answers, wrapping her arms a little tighter around his neck.

And that's how it works

That's how you got the girl

-

@thejolexgroupchat

[smolfrogi]

Love amongst the himbos

Chapter 2: Oh

TWs: extremely mild homophobia towards the end, micro aggression towards the Fire Nation, etc. Nothing too extreme

Here we gooo

"Zuko! How was school today?" Zuko's uncle always had a hopeful smile on his face.

"Good." Zuko sighed, fire lacing his breath. He hung up his backpack and sat at the table with him.

"Did you make any new friends?" Iroh asked, pouring a cup of tea.

"Yeah. Sokka, I think."

"He sounds wonderful."

"No yeah, he's great." Zuko looked up. "What happened to my mother?" Iroh clenched the teapot tightly. "How did the war even end? It seems like everything just stopped and the Fire Nation fell."

"She ran away, Zuko, and the Fire Nation fell apart when Azulon and Ozai died. You know that."

Zuko narrowed his eyes, well, eye. "What aren't you telling me?" Iroh set down the teapot. "Are you lying?" They both sat in silence for a moment.

".....yes," Iroh sighed. "I don't think you want to know."

"I knew it! I knew she wouldn't just leave me!" Zuko smiled subtly. "Of course I want to know. She left, I can't imagine why."

"You can't?"

"No."

"What happened the year before she vanished, Prince Zuko?"

"She ran away."

"And?"

"...And while she was gone, I got-" Zuko paused. "What does this have to do with anything?"

Iroh sighed. "You must figure it out yourself or be patient."

"I have a lot of homework." Zuko sighed. Iroh frowned, but didn't protest.

"Do what you must to succeed." Zuko nodded, closing the door of his room.

"Ursa....of..the..fire....nation.." Zuko muttered. "6 results? Are you kidding me?" Zuko slammed his head on his desk. He opened his laptop and found the assignment.

'What caused the Fire Nation to collapse? What scared off the residents?' Zuko stared at the screen. "This seems like it goes against several exposure laws."

Zuko's phone dinged.

Sokka💙🏳️‍���� is typing...

Sokka💙🏳️‍🌈: Hi

Zuko👁👄💥: Hi

Sokka💙🏳️‍🌈 is typing...

Zuko's heart was in his throat. He wasn't sure what would happen. What if he'd already said the wrong thing? What if... What if he-

Sokka💙🏳️‍🌈: I can't remember the english word for like-

Sokka💙🏳️‍🌈: okay so when something isnt cold so it hurts??

Zuko👁👄💥: Hot? Burn?

Sokka💙🏳️‍🌈: yeah thanks

oh, okay.

Sokka pov

Nice save, dumbass. Sokka thought.

"Ohhhh! $2, Aang!" Toph laughed.

"What!?" Sokka looked up at them from the floor.

"I bet her $2 you wouldn't chicken out of flirting with him." Aang sighed, passing two dollar bills to Toph. Sokka sighed.

"Guys, I've known him for a day." Sokka grumbled.

"True, but $2 is $2." Toph shrugged.

"Katara!" Sokka shouted. "Tell your boyfriend and your friend to get out of my room!"

"Wowwww." Aang mumbled as he dragged Toph out of the room.

Sokka sighed.

Sokka💙🏳️‍🌈: How's homework for you?

Zuko👁👄💥: what the fuck is math

Sokka: yikes

Sokka: you want some help?

Zuko: alright I guess

Zuko pov

Does this count as a date? I think it does? Is a study-date still a real date? Zuko thought about everything while he walked downtown. This area of the city was different. Then again, Zuko and Iroh lived above their tea shop. This area was more residential.

"Watch it scarboy!" Zuko swerved to avoid someone hitting his shoulder. Fuck you, stranger. He kept walking.

Zuko took out his found and stared at the address. Sokka's bitmoji thing popped up. Fucking snapchat. Now I have to say something.

Zuko: I'll be there in five minutes

sokka: k thanks

Zuko sighed. "Just breathe, you've got this." Just take a step and drop it, compliment her hair or- now is now the time for songs.

Zuko knocked on the door. Sokka answered almost immediately. "Hi!" He smiled. Zuko smiled back, it was like he couldn't help it. "Come on in!"

"Oh, he's- okay." Hakoda glanced around. Sokka practically growled.

"That's my dad, Hakoda. Let's go upstairs?" Sokka grabbed his wrist, not tightly enough for the bad type of panic, but still panic.

"Hey! Is that Zuko?" Katara asked as they walked past his room.

"Yup! This is my sister, Katara, and her friend, Toph. Oh, and her boyfriend, Aang."

"It's nice to meet you all." Zuko looked uncomfortable, so they took a few more steps into Sokka's room.

His bed was like a bunk bed with a couch instead of a bottom bunk. A TV sat on his dresser, which was across from the bed. Next to the dresser was a corner desk covered in papers and books.

"Alright, which question are you on?" Sokka interrupted his thoughts.

"1."

"Oof." Sokka beckoned him towards the desk. Zuko walked over. "Alright so the formula is y2-y1 over x2-x1."

"I thought it was x1-x2 over y1-y2."

"Well you were wrong." Sokka smiled. Zuko sighed. "So, the first y coordinate is at the y-intercept, which is at what point?"

"(0,6)."

"So it's the y coordinate of the other point- 7-6=1 so the numerator is 1! Ya got all that?"

"Yup, and I cant believe I'm struggling with 9th grade math."

"You're in your Junior year."

"Yeah. I'm just that bad." Zuko chuckled. Sokka explained more of the math and helped with science, Zuko finally got to help him with French.

"I speak like...." Zuko stopped and pulled out his hand, mumbling while he counted on his fingers. "English, French, Japanese, Russian, Italian, uhh I know a tiny bit of Khoisan. I'm still a beginner in Vietnamese, at least according to the placement test of duolingo."

"Wow...I only know English and Inuktiut! Plus one phrase in Irish." Sokka was in awe.

"What phrase? How come only one?"

"Buachaill maith. Good boy. I learned the phrase a while back, the manager of the store I work at was fluent."

"So do you want me to teach you all the swear words in every language I speak? I can also teach you how to call someone a dumb bitch in sign language."

"Please do."

So they spent 3 hours learning cuss words in their respective languages. They are 16 years old, what do you expect?

"I have to get going. It's gonna be time for dinner." Zuko sighed, suddenly unable to remake his smile from a moment ago.

"You could stay here for dinner?" Sokka pleaded.

"Thanks, but no. I didn't even tell my uncle where I was going. He's probably worried." Zuko sighed.

Sokka stood up and they walked out. Gran Gran was walking about the kitchen, in the middle of making dinner. Zuko was still thanking Sokka for the help. Gran Gran narrowed her eyes.

"Sokka, who is this?" She didn't even pretend to smile. Sokka glared at her.

"Zuko. He's my friend." Sokka answered.

"He's Fire Nation."

"What an astute observation." Sokka snarled, walking Zuko to the door. "Get home safe!"

"I will!" He responded. Zuko sighed in defeat, as soon as he left he could hear Sokka snapping. Of course people hate the Fire Nation. Why wouldn't they? Shootout to the non-bender nations for staying out of the war. They hardly had any territory yet they fought amongst themselves. Every nation had nonbenders, but the non-bender nations had no benders at all.

Zuko walked across the half-empty side walk. Thoughts were racing in his head. Why did it feel so amazing being around Sokka? Why was Sokka so defensive of him? Why did Sokka's room look like heaven? Is Sokka gay or bi? What's the difference between bread and cake? Am I gay?

Am I gay?

Am I gay?

Am I gay?

Zuko shook his head, trying to shake off the thought. "I'm straight, right? I'm straight." He sighed. His dad would kill him if he knew. He was completely sunken in thought when his phone started vibrating.

'Pick up your phone. Do it!' 'Do it or we'll kill you!' 'NO!' Zuko picked up his phone and swiped up, gulping at the thought of it. He hadn't heard that tone in years.

"Hello, brother."

Alright you'll get to finish the cliffhanger in about 2-3 weeks. I'm not a fast writer.

[terapsina]

I hope you don't mind me asking but what is Roswell new mexico about?

Not at all, though iDK how satisfactory my attempt at an answer will actually be. Especially cuz I watched all first 8 episodes just yesterday and so I’ve not had that much time to think about it yet. But here goes nothing.

First of all Roswell, New Mexico is a remake of the TV show Roswell (which came out in 1999).

So for a lot of people this show involves a lot of nostalgia. I myself haven’t watched the original show (at least not continuously because I kinda remember what it was about and I can picture the actors who played the original versions of the characters but other than that I’m drawing a blank), so I can’t really draw comparisons between the original show and the remake.

But back to the point.

Roswell, New Mexico is set in, as you might not be shocked to learn… Roswell, New Mexico and it’s about a woman who comes back to her alien conspiracy tourist trap town after a ten year absence from it. Her name is Liz Ortecho and the reason she comes back is to check on her dad, because he’s an undocumented immigrant and taking into account certain wall obsessed slugs she’s afraid that he’ll get deported.

The reason she LEFT the town is because ten years ago her sister Rosa and two other girls died and the town blames the Ortechas for the deaths of those two girls.

That’s Liz and she’s awesome.

And then on her first night back she gets shot except remember those alien conspiracies I mentioned? Yeah, she gets shot in front of an old high school friend who SURPRISE actually IS an alien and can’t let her die despite the always present threat of being found out and getting dissected and heals/basically resurrects her.

Thanks Max. 

Enter Max’s pissed off alien siblings because they’ve kept their secret for TWENTY YEARS and he basically just hands it over. But whatever, it’s FINE. It’s not like he’s been the one who’s been constantly telling them to lay low and not reveal their true natures to anyone any of them care about or have like… married or anything.

*yes that was in fact sarcasm*

So that’s the basic premise. The show itself also involves stuff like murder coverups, sisters investigating the actually rather suspicious deaths of their sisters, and the military planning to buy the land on which the “totally not real” alien ship crashed a few decades ago (but don’t worry they’re planning to build perfectly innocent new base there that has absolutely nothing to do with aliens… right?). 

Here’s a trailer:

The trailer’s very Liz/Max heavy but honestly it really is an ensemble show and they’re so far doing a good job in giving the characters their own spotlight (also they’re actually a pretty solid ship and BELIEVE me they’re not as sugary sweet as you might think).

Oh did I mention that Liz is a biomedical researcher? And a badass? And very VERY stubborn and tenacious? Because she is.

And honestly the show is very fun and interesting and despite the alien premise is actually very grounded in the relationships between the characters, the family and sibling relationships as well as the friendships and the romances. They all really do feel very real and unexaggerated.

And in case you were wondering, yes the show does have a queer couple and yes it’s also a central one. And they’re both cute and angsty (which at least for me is actually the cherry on top of the sundae):

I do absolutely recommend Roswell, New Mexico for anyone who likes this kind of genre show.