#bending all that great for blind people. just. like as a. thing. oof.)

[cescalr]

me, watching avatar the last airbender, buzzing with intense determination.

fire bending blind people with heat vision fire bending blind people with heat vision fire bending blind people with heat vision fire bending blind people with heat-

[littlegingermochipie]

anastasia au / アナスタシアバージョン zukaang week 2021 day four | ba sing se season 2 au / 平行宇宙

aang woke up under the control of dai li, while zuko and iroh lived in ba sing se three years after banishment. set as canon divergent version before crossroads of destiny. more of this story below the cut!

excuse my fuzzy brain for incoming plotholes maybe hehe yeah wow i love impulsiveness. anyway yeah sozin comet ain't comin until like, 120 AG-ish

zuko and iroh stopped searching for the avatar and peacefully worked under quon's patronage at ba sing se.

fortunately, due to their successful tea business, they found better access to knowledge of the avatar, as well as various air nomad's relics and textual informations. they decided to keep everything at their secret warehouse, hiring bands of thugs to keep it safe.

unbeknownst to iroh and zuko, four years before they lived as refugees, dai li was the first one to find aang in his iceberg state near eastern air temple.

hundred years ago, aang briefly fought against fire nation army at the temple alongside pathik, gyatso, the nuns, and several young monks. he was saved by pathik from dire situation by getting thrown into the ocean.

long feng planned to raise the boy as their secret weapon so earth kingdom could rise, taking down the fire nation.

upon woken up, aang was hypnotized, and could only remember that he's an orphan named liu jun, born as earthbender.

he was told that the markings on his skin was a curse since birth by angered spirits, and to never let other people see it or they'll be facing the consequences of his misfortune.

he lived like a bird in a cage under long feng's watch and the head of dai li's tutelage. for six years long, he felt horribly stressed.

one day, aang finally found a way to get out of his residence by tricking the caretakers, sneaking and riding on earth kingdom's logistic vehicles.

once he's out of the food supply cart, he found and saved momo from being sold by black market thugs in the lower ring. there, he stumbled upon zuko and iroh's secret warehouse.

zuko was mad for the intrusion, but quickly realized something about the boy's appearance. iroh, however, noticed that this liu jun has upper class upbringing, and concluded that he's one of the rebel child who wanted the taste of outer walls.

zuko just blatantly state the obvious; "kid, you really, really look like the avatar in that painting," but aang was like, "who's avatar?" and ended up being educated about hundred years war history.

aang felt shocked by the tattoos he saw on the painting. still, he quickly dismissed the idea that he might be a living airbender, since their tattoo was supposed to be a sign of mastery, not a curse like long feng said. he didn't tell this to iroh and zuko, yet.

"aish, you must be mad for ever thinking i'm the avatar. he should be an old man by now! i'm afraid of being near fire or under the water for too long, and i dislike being in cramped spaces with damp air. how am i supposed to bend those elements?" (those are also the mental issues resulted by long feng's braingwashing, ofc)

either way, he needed to hide from long feng. aang quickly sealed the deal to iroh's offer who gave him the chance to help their tea shop in the meantime. well, anything but being under dai li's supervision works.

for a week of working together, zuko had noticed a lot of strange things in aang; like how he could easily play kangling (air nomad's bone flute), how his footsteps were so light he almost can never be heard walking, and how he never want to bathe and get dressed with other people nearby.

in the hunt for aang, long feng sent royal guards to every corner of earth kingdom territory. finally, they found aang at the warehouse. chaotic pursuit ensues. iroh and zuko managed to save him—at the price of being labeled as criminals.

with the help of june, iroh and zuko found their way to their old ship and crews. they brought aang there, and asked who he actually was since he's so important for the dai li.

from zuko and iroh's research, the only living people who could confirm the avatar's identity was bumi, who's in omashu, and the temple sages. too much risk for those, ofc, so they opted to go to the empty eastern air temple for more hints.

there, they met pathik, who went, "monkey feathers! aang, is that you?" to which aang replied, "nah, i'm liu jun." and pathik's like, "but i can sense your avatar spirit! and-and your tattoos, let me look at it!" but aang was so, so afraid of showing it.

then, by nudging his inner ki, pathik managed to trigger the avatar state out of aang, causing him to remember everything, including his airbending ability.

zuko and iroh be like, "well, shit, he's really the avatar," and their journey went rather hellish from that, with both zhao's fleet and the dai li on their tail.

after being informed by pathik that he had bonded with an air bison named appa, aang wished he could find him, since appa's the only family that might remain alive with him in this world. zuko promised that they would find appa.

under the pretense of companionship, zuko secretly plotted to give aang to ozai, while he and iroh helped the boy to master four elements by travelling around the world.

feelings were hindering him on the way, though. months of travelling together did that. "i think we could be good friends, even in another lifetime, if not a hundred years ago." oof, aang.

just like dimitri and anastasia, zukaang had deep bonding session at the boat with their dancing dragon and firebending lessons. iroh did smile knowingly at them.

betrayal slapped hard when aang found out about zuko's actual plan during their fight against zhao at north pole, who revealed with, "you befriend this dishonored prince, avatar? all he wanted to do was to send you to the fire lord as a nicely wrapped gift! this was all a ploy to earn your trust, to take you down by knowing your exact blind spots! you are merely a tool for him to regain his former identity!"

ouch. they got separated from there. aang then teamed up with the eventually formed gaang at the other side of the world, while zuko getting scolded by iroh, "you don't only lose someone that you care about, but the hope of the whole world! your hope! hadn't the past three years taught you something? hunger for power only bring despair to you!"

both once separated parties then reunited with the crossroads episode. aang ended up dead, katara swore to finish the fire siblings off, and zuko went absolutely mad, drowned in grief.

it's up to zuko now, to actually fulfill his promises; from finding appa to saving the world from his father—all without knowing that katara could revive aang. angst angst angst, final boss, zukaang banging then everyone lived happily ever after ♥

the musical scores would be:

a rumour in ba sing se

once upon an agrahāyana

caldera holds the key to your heart

learn to wield it

learn to wield it (dancing dragon reprise)

in the dark of the moonless night

feels great to finally manifest this draft of zukaang anastasia au for @zukaangweek uwu

[tomb-bloom-noctem]

Since I think he's such a great villain anyway, what do you think of Andrias so far?

Well my apologies this showed up in my inbox a few days ago before Yunan and Olivia and I started answering it but then I paused and I'm actually glad I did since this episode and then Froggy Little Christmas gave me some more to think about with him! So sorry for the delay on this. Long post incoming!

Honestly, I think King Andrias is my most favorite villain in a Disney TVA show and hell, maybe even more so than in any Disney film too. This guy has got such a great balance going on of being hilarious and fun to watch but also frightening and powerful enough to be a legitimate threat. Andrias is like all the things I love about Bill Cipher, Lord Dominator, Toffee, and The Beast, all rolled into one giant evil newt king.

Part of what I think makes Andrias so good too is the way the writing with the slow but eventual reveal to the audience alone that he's not to be trusted. From his very first "appearance" where we hear his voice overlooking Anne and Marcy and then a strategic move of a chessboard piece, saying how it's time for the game to begin. Oof, legit chills. We didn't even see his face at all and yet that still told us to be on guard with him. That *something* is not right with this guy. Yet without giving too much away.

(Massive props to Keith David, man's voice is liquid gold. Incredible skill of balancing the hilarious and likable, the dad humor and fun guy side as well as methodical and dangerous side. Literally I can't think of anyone else who could carry this role the way Keith David does.)

Then the next time, the first time we officially see his face, he's SO over the top helpful and friendly and hilarious that at least speaking personally I couldn't help but immediately love him. Yet that previous hearing him speaking vaguely was more than enough to keep me on guard.

Again I think part of the greatness of him is WE know something is coming yet to the characters they don't and have no reason to suspect to. As Anne said, we were too busy fighting to see what was right in front of us. Cause yeah maybe without everything else keeping them distracted, the overly friendly attitude and all might have started to be suspicious. But other things were happening and they needed all the help they could get. Andrias didn't turn his back when no one was looking and maniacally rub his hands and monolog his evil intentions thinking no one would hear it, we saw the moments none of our characters saw. They weren't idiots who missed giant red flags because they were too blind to them. They were legitimately manipulated by someone they thought was a friend.

Twist villains can be tricky. People tend to either spot them a mile away or they come so far out of left field that the story bends over backwards trying to justify it. Rarely does one stick the landing. I feel Amphibia handled this really well. Cause I feel like if Andrias had only presented as "funny helpful newt king," we would have all figured him for a villain long before True Colors aired. So in clueing us in right away yet doing so in a way that doesn't make our main characters look like idiots, I think it helps make him more interesting and pull off being a twist villain without the usual twist villain pitfalls. Andrias was never meant to trick the audience. He was meant to trick Anne and Co.

And it worked.

Even after his true colors are shown though, Andrias remains fun to watch and interesting to know more about. We still know so little of him and he's still so funny. Yet now after True Colors he's also so despicable. This is another thing I think makes Andrias such a great villain where many others fail. I WANT TO SEE HIM FAIL. I feel legitimately motivated because of what he's done. Thus desire for our heroes to defeat him. SO often the villain is kinda just there to be defeated but it doesn't carry that same weight. For this guy though I'm legitimately invested in his downfall. I don't know how it will happen but I believe it will and I'm READY FOR IT.

Andrias is such a great fleshed out villain. From his voice to his design to his writing, everything about him is great. He's hilarious, manipulative, dangerous, fun, mysterious, and can still go in multiple directions. Will he get a redemption arc? Will he overthrow his master to try to be the big man in charge after all? Will he sacrifice himself for the girl who legitimately cracked his shell despite his intentions? Will he betray his master yet remain an enemy to our heroes or become an uneasy ally? Who knows. Time will tell how it plays out but good lord I'm nervous and ready.

I want to see more him and his hilarious shticks.

I want to know more about him and why he's like this. Like does he regret his actions? Why did he become the servant to his lord?

I want to see what else he can do in terms of his power and dangerous side.

I want to see what's next in all his methods and madness.

And I want his flipping head on a platter for what he's done.

[petitprincess1]

My Roommate’s a Demonic Deer Ch3 (1 Week Later)

AO3 Link Summary: Alastor and Anthony watch some TV together and almost get a bit close. Almost... Words: 1,443 Chapter idea was by Bumblebee_97 on AO3. Thank you, hope I did it justice ^^; ~~~ Anthony listened to rain pelt harshly against his windows, making him look at the grey sheet outside his window that showed it was nothing but a gross day. Oftentimes, on days like this, people who worked at his job were able to call out if they wanted to. Business was never booming on rainy/stormy days, but saying that you would never get customers in a porn studio would be an absolute lie. 

He decided to take the day off because he had been working for a whole week straight just to avoid his new, uh, “friend” that he acquired. The man was starting to get sore and he could only take so many days of dealing with drunk men or, if they paid well enough, women. Yeah, Anthony was gonna get yelled at from his boss and probably going to get a slap or two, since he’s the biggest moneymaker there, but it’s nothing he couldn’t handle.

Anthony was texting one of his friends, who sort of knew about the situation he was in, and sent her a crying emoji and that he was hungry.

Cherri: What do you want me to do about it? lol Thought you said that roommate was getting something.

Anthony: Eh, he was or is, but he’s takin’ ages. Plus, he looked pissed when I asked him ta get breakfast.

Cherri: You know, you never told me how he looked or sent a picture. Come on! Tell me something! How does he look? Is he sexy?

Anthony thought for a few seconds and thought past all the weird shit the demon did like the constant death threats, shadows moving around his house, never-ending nightmares, and how Al slept with his eyes open. Other than that shit, Alastor was pretty-

The front door suddenly slammed open...again and Alastor shouted, “I have brought organs!”

Alastor was pretty fucking weird and annoying and stupid and Anthony hated his hair and existence. He sighed as he sent a text to Cherri:

Anthony: He definitely is...something.

Cherri: Oof. Giving many Fs to you, my friendo.

The mortal just sighed as he turned to Al and then flinched when he saw Al carrying a bloody, brown sack into the kitchen. He quickly scrambled out of his bedroom, almost slipping on the hardwood floor from his socks, and shouted, “Hey, what the fuck are ya doin’!? Also, don’t set that shit on the counter!”

Al blinked at him and then just dropped the sack right onto the counter, smirking at the human. He chuckled, “It’s what I said it was, ethel! Organs!”

Anthony ran his hands through his hair, really trying not to rip it out, and sighed heavily, “Ok! I meant what or whose organs are those, ya dumbfuck!”

The radio demon tilted his head and gave an odd staticky purr, walking closer towards the human as his eyes turned to radio dials, “Are you sure you wish to know? I’ll give you extreme detail of what happened, but I will warn you that it is not for the faint of heart~”

Anthony moved away from the demon, until he was backed against the wall. He gulped and laughed nervously, “Heh...no. I’m good. Ya do whatevah ya like.” Alastor’s eyes turned back into regular pupils and he looked down at him with an unimpressed stare, huffing, “Wise choice…”

Once the demon walked away to go back to the...whatever it was that he had in that thing, Anthony went back to his bedroom as silently as he could and went to go check on his phone. He saw three new messages from Cherri.

Cherri: Hey, yo, I was just joking.

Cherri: Come on, man, you ain’t mad, right? Unless your new roommate is cutting you up into little pieces, lol.

Cherri: Shit, I gotta go. Got work. Let me know when he’s done killing you, dude.

Anthony sighed at missing talking to really the only person he can talk to without judgement or wanting to fuck or looking for some score. He got up from his bed, looking at the rain, and figured that he couldn’t just walk away from this madness, so he just decided to watch TV. 

The human went back into the living room/kitchen and saw that what Alastor was pouring out of his bags...was just everyday meats like pork, chicken, and even bacon. Anthony blinked at what he was taking out and shouted at Al, “Wha- What! Why didja-”

The radio demon looked over his shoulder to the human and had an even bigger grin on his face, “What? Did you expect other kinds of organs? You’re so silly, Tony! Hahahaha!”

Anthony stared at the demon, wishing that he could just burn a hole to the back of his head, and he ended up typing a reply to Cherri.

Anthony: I fucking hate this guy. ~~~ After breakfast, Anthony was just watching Netflix in the living room, not really paying attention to the scary movie. He didn’t even really read the name or what it was about, he just liked going in blind when it came to horror films. Although, it was proving to be just some slasher flick, not even that great of a killer. The people that the killer was getting were fucking stupid anyway. They were- “Making too much noise. Of course he’s easily able to slaughter you, such annoying catches. If anything, cutting or burning the tongues would be quite merciful.”

The mortal jumped at seeing the radio demon sitting close to him and asked, “When didja get over here?”

Alastor narrowed his smile a bit, making Anthony know that he was going to hear some sarcastic comment...and then made him wonder how he knew what Al’s smiles meant. The demon mocked, “My, you are full of boring questions today.”

The human gave a tired groan and just shook his head, not really wanting to bother with the demon and trying to understand him fully. However, it did hit him when he was critiquing the murderer in the movie. It felt less like someone judging the tropes or cliches and more like someone who has had experience. Granted, Anthony couldn’t judge too harshly, considering the family he came from, but...it just felt different. Especially since he didn’t feel like he could die with them.

Anthony took a deep breath and just went back to watching the tv, not really wanting to egg the man on. ~~~ He wasn’t sure when or who started it, but him and Alastor somehow had scooted closer to each other. They were still watching slasher and horror flicks, but it wasn’t like he was afraid of anything that was happening on the TV. Yet, here he was, right next to the demon that probably could rip his liver out. Hell...that could be why he moved so close to him. Although, the man was very nice to lean up against. A nice warmth came off of him and he smelt like nice cologne...with a mixture of raw meat, but that's fine...ish.

Alastor was mumbling to himself about certain scenes that were going on. Sometimes it was about what he would do or correcting the killer’s behavior or even flat out complaining about the whole thing. Normally, Anthony would hate people talking during a movie, but he oddly found it interesting and comforting. Plus, he wanted to ask him something.

Anthony looked up at Al and questioned, “Uh...yeah, Al, do...uh...were ya human once?”

Alastor didn’t seem to notice the closeness, still looking ahead, but he still responded, “Why, yes, I was.”

“When didja die?”

“1930s, dear boy.”

Anthony gulped as he shifted a bit in the chair and then asked what he had been thinking, “Uh...wh-what didja, uh...do ta...ya know, end up in Hell or as a demon or whatevah?”

Alastor blinked, seeming as if he was coming back into reality, and then looked down at the human. Tony thought that he was about to have a heart-to-heart with the demon, but then the deer boy started, “Anthony…”

The mortal answered, “Uh, yeah…”

The demon took a deep breath and grinned scarily wide, lowering his voice and tone laced with static, “Can you tell me why you are sitting so close and touching me?”

“I-Is that a p-problem?” He asked as he lowered himself against the couch cushion and let out a small whimper. Black tentacles raised behind the demon as he tilted his head, bending his neck at an unnatural angle, and he growled deeply, “Yessss…”

He hated and was terrified of his roommate. Cherri help….

[agentwallflower]

Supernova: Chapter 5

I’m sick with the aftereffects of high blood sugar, so I’m going to curl up in a ball and sleep it up. My sugar is low normal now because I’m pretty good at getting it down. Still... oof. 

Kofi’s here if you’re interested in donating. That be cool.

Next chapter is up on June 27th. See you then.

“Stay in the car. I should be back in ten minutes.”

That had been the last thing Miri had said before she shut the car door behind her. Andy had watched her go, until she had disappeared in the distance. Her goal had been the abandoned warehouses, most of them decrepit and falling into disrepair. Ever since a giant explosion had turned the area into a no fly zone, people just didn't want to do business there.

She couldn't imagine why – a massive hole to nowhere was probably great for property values.

Andy rested her head against the window glass, staring out with a blank expression. The clock inside the car told her it had been fifteen minutes, and there was no sign of her aunt. Her cell phone was silent, too. Without updates, she was flying blind.

“I hate this.”

Funny; she had always wanted to go to work with Miri.

The warehouse looked quiet, but it wasn't like her aunt's powers were loud. The few times she had seen her at work on TV, there was only a slight hiss and the bubbling that accompanied acid eating away at things. Her hearing might have been good, but she couldn't hear that as far away as she was. For all she knew, it was a sea of acid inside.

“Could she even do that? Or would she get dehydrated?”

The air didn't answer – she probably would have been worried if it could do that. Instead, a thick tension had settled over the car that made it impossible to sit still, try as she might. Andy kept looking towards the horizon, then back to the clock.

It was getting closer to twenty now.

“Damn it, Aunt Miri... where the hell are you?”

Her hand twitched on the door handle. Years of her mother's lectures and warnings flooded into her mind at rapid pace – the stony glares and harsh silences did far more than her ineffective slaps ever could. Right then, her thoughts ceased, her hand went slack...

And then the explosion went off.

“What the hell?”

Andy rocketed up, almost hitting her head on the roof of the car. She could see the orange glow of a fire with dark, oily smoke rising above one of the remaining buildings. The dry weather and wind were doing wonders to spread it to the neighboring ruins – two were on fire now. There was something in the road, motionless and still smoking, with one outstretched hand trying to grasp for something.

The car door flew open and she broke out into a run. Twice she stumbled and almost fell, but saved herself at the last second. Before long, she was catching up to the figure groaning on the ground. They were burned badly, but alive.

She knelt down to hear them better. “What happened?”

A shaky voice from burned lungs answered in a cough. “We... couple guys. Small town shit... until the new guy showed up couple weeks ago. Pushed some weird product the freaks all wanted... Union got wind.”

They coughed, and blood came up with it. “Shit exploded when the boss powered up. That wasn't from anything we sold. They all gotta be dead...”

Their breathing grew shallow, and then it stopped. Andy was left with a corpse and more questions than answers. There was nothing she could do for the person but back away and run back to the car. Her aunt's duty phone was there – it went into her pocket as she locked the car behind her.

Now, she supposed in the event of an explosion, you were supposed to run away from it. That was probably the sensible thing. However, no one had ever called her that, and her social situation training was a bit lacking. Her mind kept screaming to find her aunt, so she kept running towards the quickly growing fire.

It was hot as she breached the perimeter, glancing around with wild eyes. There was another body laying close to the door, limbs twisted and curled in on itself. It was horribly burned, but enough remained to let her know it wasn't Miri – her aunt was bigger than that. Andy stepped over and kept going. Later, she could go back to them.

The warehouse had seen better days ,even before something set it on fire. The beams that had yet to burn were rotten, and piles of junk that were quickly turning to ash had insects scurrying from them. At one point, maybe it had been useful. Now it was just kindling that she was running through in order to find her aunt.

“Damn it, Aunt Miri, where the hell are you?”

Her first clue came from a subtle hiss towards the back of the building. There was a hole, untouched by flames, where a door had once been. Those had long since been blown off, and a puddle of acid lay on the ground in front of melted hinges. Andy cleared it in one jump and kept running.

Unlike the rest of the warehouse, this part looked newer – or at least it had before the fire. There were stills of something now leaking out on the floor below, thick and dark in color. It pooled in cracks in the floor created by the acid, reminding her of pictures of an oil spill she had seen once when she was younger. They both made her insides shiver, so she gave it a wide berth. Besides, it looked kind of flammable.

Hard to say in a warehouse on fire, but... it just made sense somehow.

She found another corpse – not Miri, too big. There were acid stains on the clothing, but it was the body itself that set the alarm bells ringing. Andy didn't know a whole lot about anatomy,  but she was pretty sure joints weren't supposed to bend like that. Seeing the marks scratched into the floor around the body, filled with dried blood and bone matter, only made that obvious.

“You saw what it did to the other guy, you're insane if you do it!”

“Maybe, but if it beats you than it's enough!”

Voices echoed through another hole, one towards the back. That one led back outside, so Andy ran towards it. At the last second, she ducked behind the wall in order to listen. She knew one of the voices – the others were about to get their asses kicked.

From what she could see, Miri was a little roughed up but alive. She was wiping blood from her mouth as she glared down a man that was standing across from her. He was breathing hard and a little burned, but he too was alive. The same couldn't be said for the man writhing on the ground next to him, clawing at his own throat.

He had the black goo on his lips.

“Don't be stupid, Shadow. This isn't going to end with you walking out of here alive.” Miri's voice was shaking, and so were her knees. Andy didn't need to see her face to guess the expression as she gripped the side of the door. “Put the vial down and you can see tomorrow.”

Shadow laughed, but it wasn't a happy one. “And what? The shit in there will get me locked away for life. You know what they do to folks like me in prison?  If I'm dying, at least I take you out with me!”

Her aunt shouted as he drank the vial he was holding, one filled to the brim with the dark liquid. Soon, he was doubled over on the ground, writhing as his entire body seemed to bubble over. Then both he and his partner stopped moving for a second.

Then they burst open.

“Oh what the-”

Miri's incredulous voice was covered by an inhuman roar that made Andy's fingers go through the metal door like it was tissue paper. The black goo covered both men's bodies like a second skin and twisted their forms into something that maybe once could have been human. It dripped from their appendages as they stood to full height, far taller than they could have been before. Then they rushed forward at a high rate of speed, trailing goo in the wake.

Her aunt threw acid as she dove out of the way, rolling behind a shipping bin. It made contact, but it splashed off into the dirt at the creatures' feet where it bubbled away. Andy took another step back, movements even more stiff than before, as she reached for the cell phone that had been in her pocket. It was a little dusty, but it was still showing their location.

Without thinking, she clicked it to the first name she saw.

The line beeped, and for a brief moment Andy feared it was broken from the heat of the fire. All the while, the creatures roaring outside made her wish even more frantically that it hadn't. She kept repeating the same frantic thought – please connect, please connect, please co-

“Yeah, PT?”

A young sounding voice echoed out of the other side. Andy's senses thudded back to life and brought her back to the storage room. She knew that voice, had heard it before on the news. If fire wouldn't work on the creatures, maybe he could.

“Is this Sky Rider? You need to get here now, we need help! Aunt Miri's boxed in and her powers don't work on them!”

She couldn't say more after that. The heat from the warehouse finally did the device in – the call dropped as the screen went dead. Andy stared at it, mind blank. Then to make matters worse, she felt something drip on the ground by her leg.

“Oh shit.”

Her voice was drowned out by the gurgling hiss of one of the creatures who had found her thanks to her distress call. Andy wheeled around to come face to face with it and its glowing eyes. There were too many of them to focus on, and with a wall of flame behind her there wasn't much else she could do. Mind reeling, she dashed as fast as she could. It tried to grab her, but she kept running. At some point ,the hand came with her.

Outside, a sooty sky and hot breeze met her as she fell in front of the warehouse. Behind her, the disarmed creature roared. Its hand oozed down her arm and into the ground, where it bubbled and hissed. As soon as it got off her, it was seeking to return to the one it came from.

“Shit!”

Andy scrambled to her feet just in time to avoid a swipe from a gooey hand. Dark matter splashed against her jeans as she dug into the earth to run. Something made a grab for her leg, but she kept going.

And then she was airborne.

The larger creature who had at one point been the boss had grabbed her by the leg and hauled her above its head. There was way too much distance between herself and the ground, and just looking at it made her vision swim. Somewhere off in the distance, she could hear someone screaming. Whatever they were saying was drowned out by the gurgling scream of the being in front of her.

Why did it still have teeth?

Andy struggled to get free, but the grip was iron despite the constitution. They were bringing her closer – horror seized her at the thought they might try to eat her. With the fire and everything else going on, it was just so... bright...

Bright.

A calmness settled over Andy as she felt quite outside her body. Something was causing her to raise her hands, but it wasn't her. Then everything felt warm as light twinkled in her palms. All of a sudden, the warmth left her in a sudden blast of pure light, twinkling in subtle shades of blue and violet.

The creature hissed in agony and dropped her, its parts scattered about the yard in a mess of darkness that was slow to return. Enough was left to cause a problem, but it was no longer the massive size it had once been. She landed on her feet, still not quite in control of herself. Wherever she was, she got to watch as she raised her hand again. Someone was saying something – was it her? What were they saying?

“I'm putting you down.”

The second blast was at close range. It ripped straight through the creature and hit the already burning warehouse. Maybe she should have cared about that, but whatever was controlling her made her wheel around and face the remaining nightmare. That one, perhaps with some sense left, was backing up and shrinking in on itself.

She raised her hand and saw the light begin to gather. The bright glow was every color of the rainbow and then some, twinkling in a way that made the creature shrink down to almost human size. Andy tried to pull her hand back, but the current pilot of her body had other ideas. Palm out, it was ready to fire a third shot.

And then she hit the ground.

---

“Scan, have you gotten a trace on them yet?”

'Before PT's locator cut, it was in the warehouse district. I think you can see the massive fire as a guide?'

Angel swore under his breath as he stopped in mid air. Normally, he transported to a scene with technology. Having been so close to the hospital, the only thing he'd had time for was to suit up and hope the tech's invisibility cloaker would hold. He had been flying for the last five minutes, powered by nothing but his thoughts and 3 weeks' amount of midnight snacks.

“Are you serious? Why the-” He shook his head, nodding. “Knock the cameras out and I'll be down soon. Please tell me they're not inside because I'm not Ember.”

'I figured that from the fact you're probably not a black woman, SR.' Angel could hear the tech typing on their keyboard in his ear. 'Unless you are a black woman, and then my apologies and my compliment on throwing you voice so low.'

It was very hard for Angel to resist a snort of laughter at that moment, partially because he was focused on staying in the air. Sometimes, having a secret identity had its perks. Plus, it did wonders for his throbbing case of dysphoria to know that even with the mask, people were convinced he wasn't a woman.

Bonus points, right there.

“I'm not, but I'm going to need you to tell me I'm not a woman later for personal reasons I can't divulge.”

'Say no more.' Scanner was still typing. 'Cameras are knocked out, so go save our – what the shit?'

Angel had already dropped down to the ground, but he didn't need an explanation. Sure, the building was on fire – so were a few others for that matter. That didn't explain the sudden flash of white light that made his entire body want to run away screaming, though. Said body wasn't exactly happy when he ran forward instead of away, but he wasn't exactly happy with it either most days.

“Scan, get me details!”

'Besides the fact I'm pulling the same readings from the Ball Drop on a smaller scale? Tech is dropping rapidly, find out what the hell is going on in there so I know if we're about to have another event on our hands, Sky Rider!'

It was rare for the tech to use his full name, but Angel didn't blame him as he crept closer. There was something wrong with that energy, and it only got worse as he finally got a view of it. His heart dropped to his stomach as the hair on the back of his neck and arms raised. He wanted to scream, but his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth.

That dude looked wrong and he wasn't talking about the pile of goo that used to be a person. There was someone standing in front of them, hand outstretched and glowing with that same white energy. He had to call them dude, because he didn't know quite what the fuck they were.

After all... who the fuck is that blue?

“Andy, he's already dead, don't do it!”

PT was alive, judging from her voice, but she was scared as hell and frankly Angel didn't blame her. He'd be scared of the giant blue nightmare in front of him too. But the voice did something. Andy's entire body shuddered, and then they went down hard. The thud and force made the ground shake, enough that he lost his balance and fell hard.

Psychics – they had shit balance.

In that time, PT was able to scramble from her hiding space. She was hurt – badly – but she didn't care. Her focus was on Andy. It didn't take a genius for Angel to piece together just who the mysterious niece happened to be.

No wonder she never wanted them around – her niece was fucking blue and looked like someone had forgotten to add a face when they had made her. Add in the weird light and radar readings, and she had to be a Ball Drop baby. They were said to have birth defects... but there was that and whatever the hell was wrong with her.

But...

“Is she breathing?”

PT turned to face him, and her eyes told him all. She was terrified as she moved to shield her prone niece, still not moving. It didn't do anything – her face was burned into his mind. How could he forget?

But that didn't matter. There was someone that needed help. He put his thoughts aside for the moment. He might not have been on duty, but it was still hero time.

Just... who the hell was he saving, though?

[swanqueeneverafter]

What Dreams May Come, Pt.8

Storybrooke. Alice & Robin’s Apartment. Emma: (As Robin opens the door:) “You know it’s still strange coming here and not finding Mom and Dad answering the door.” Regina: “Strange, but appreciated.” (Emma rolls her eyes as she and Regina take a seat at the counter while Robin puts the kettle on the stove.) Robin: “Can I get you guys something to drink? Tea? Coffee?” Emma: “Coffee for me, please – I’m still kinda out of it.” Regina: “Nothing for me, thank you. One of the many joys of pregnancy is that apparently I can’t have caffeine.” Robin: (Anxious to hear the latest developments:) “So, the guy’s all right?” Emma: (Nods:) “He’s gonna be fine.” Robin: (Sighs in relief:) “That’s great news. Alice has been blaming herself since it happened. Even though it was my backpack in the road.” Regina: “The only blame here lies on the shoulders of the driver. (At Emma’s look:) What? He admitted he was texting and driving. The man’s a menace.” Emma: “Regardless of who’s to blame, I think everyone will feel a lot better once Greg Mendell leaves town.” Robin: “Yeah, about that, does anyone know how he managed to cross the border?” Regina: (Shakes her head:) “Not yet, but rest assured, we’re gonna make sure the protection spells around all the realms are doubled, if not tripled. In fact, that’s where we’re going once we leave here, to meet with all of the leaders of the combined realms.” Emma: (Winces:) “Actually… that meeting was cancelled.” Regina: “What?” Emma: “Well, Snow tried to gather all of the leaders together but it was too short notice for a lot of them.” Regina: “All right, so when is the meeting supposed to take place?” Emma: “Well…” Regina: “Emma?” Emma: (Quickly:) “Snow may have used the opportunity to arrange a Mommy and Me group instead.” Regina: “No. Please tell me you’re joking. Please tell me this is some kind of sick joke.” Emma: (Placatingly:) “We don’t have to stay long, and it might be a nice distraction from-“ Regina: (Anxiously starts shaking her hands:) “I can feel my skin beginning to crawl already.” Emma: “’Gina…” Regina: (Not listening, babbling to herself:) “I need a drink. But I can’t drink ‘cause I’m pregnant. This is a nightmare. (To Emma:) Why did I listen when you said I couldn’t kill Snow White?” Emma: “It might not be so bad.” Regina: (To herself:) “Deep breaths. Deep, calming breaths. Think of the baby. Think of the baby.” Emma: (To Robin:) “O-kay… we’re gonna go now. Thanks for the coffee.” (Robin nods and watches as Emma gently guides her raving wife towards the door.)

Enchanted Forest. (The sound of clashing swords is heard as two figures exchange blows along the riverbank.) Mulan: (Smiles as her thrust is blocked:) “Not bad. Next lesson, you never leave your flank open.” (Before Mulan can strike, Henry sweeps her leg, successfully knocking the warrior to the ground.) Henry: “I didn’t. I just wanted you to think I had.” Mulan: (Laughing, from the ground:) “You’re learning. Fighting isn’t about who’s stronger. It’s about who’s smarter. (Henry offers his hand and pulls Mulan to her feet:) You know, you’ve never said why you wanted me to train you.” Henry: (Smiles:) “I needed the best.” Mulan: “Well, I’m flattered, but didn’t your grandfather train you? And Captain Hook?” Henry: “Grandpa only really taught me how to defend myself and Hook… cheats.” Mulan: (Nods:) “You are wise, Henry Mills. You may have had men teach you partly how to fight, but you still have a lot you can learn from me. Again. (Henry and Mulan square off again, only this time Mulan quickly disarms and knocks Henry onto the ground:) By the time we’re done, I’ll teach you how to fight better than any man. (Offering her hand, which Henry accepts. Pulling him to his feet:) I'll teach you the most important thing you need to have to fight... honor.”

Kingdom of Valencia. Courtyard. (The Jester stands practicing his juggling as Madelena passes by.) Queen Madelena: "I've got something else you can do with your hands." (The Jester quickly follows after her as Madelena giggles. Meanwhile, watching from the balcony are King Richard and Gareth.) King Richard: "Gareth, are you certain?" Gareth: "Positive, my king." King Richard: (Glaring down at them:) "I cannot believe my Queen is cheating on me with that joker." Gareth: "He's a jester, sir." King Richard: “I know he's a jester, Gareth. I was insulting him by calling him a joker, like when you call someone a clown.” Gareth: “But, people like clowns.” King Richard: “Damn it, man! Would you just let me vent?! I think I know why Madalena likes him more than me. (Below, both the Jester and Madelena laugh:) He's funny. How do I compete with that?” Gareth: “Well, funny's easy. I mean, I'm funny.” King Richard: “Really?” Gareth: “Yeah. Knock, knock.” King Richard: “Who's there?” Gareth: “He's a (Bleep) you (Bleep) thing up (bleep) you in the (Bleep) chair with the (Bleep) and knees (bleep) is taking it (Bleep) out that son.” King Richard: “Good Lord, Gareth. Do you kiss my ring with that mouth?” Gareth: “My mum taught me that one.” King Richard: “Oof. (Returning his attention to Madelena and the Jester as they laugh again:) Now, if that fool is tickling my wife's funny bone, it leaves me no choice. I know what I have to do.” The Jester’s Quarters. A Short Time Later. (While sat reading ‘The Habits of Highly Effective Jesters’ the Jester is startled when the King enters his room.) King Richard: (Icily, his sword drawn:) “Hello, Jester. Do you think I'm an idiot? I know precisely what you have been doing with my wife!” Jester: (Screams as the King drives the sword toward his chest:) “Aah!” King Richard: (As the sword bends, laughing:) “It's a bendy sword. Isn't that fantastic?” Jester: (Breathing hard:) “Oh!” King Richard: (Disappointed:) “Not even a giggle. See, this is precisely why I need your help. (Slumps into a chair:) Please teach me to be funny. I'm begging you.” Jester: (Nods his agreement then shrieks as the King thrusts the sword at him again and again:) “Gah! Ohh! Oh! Aah!” King Richard: (Laughs:) “Even when you know it bends, you still think... whoa!” (The Jester gasps while Richard laughs himself silly.) 

Zelena’s Dreamscape. (Zelena sits in front of the fireplace, attempting to use her powers to start a fire.) Ivo: (Walking into the room:) “What are you doing out of bed? I smell smoke.” Zelena: “You've taken such good care of me, I wanted to cook for you this time.” Ivo: (Taking a seat by the fireplace:) “You're sweet. How about we do it together? (Offers his hand, which Zelena takes. Now both sitting by the fireplace:) First, you start with the kindling. And then you nurture the flames.” (When Zelena strikes a match and lights the kindling, they move to sit across from the fire.) Zelena: (Sighs:) “Don't you just love how the flames dance? Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean-“ Ivo: “It's okay. I remember. I can picture them in my mind when I feel the heat on my skin. Just like I can picture you when I hear your voice.” Zelena: (Smiles at this:) “What do you see?” Ivo: (Moves to touch her face:) “A passionate smile. Feisty eyes. And a fierce, beautiful heart.” Zelena: “No one's ever said that about me before.” Ivo: “Well, you clearly need more blind men in your life.” (They chuckle.) Zelena: “How did you lose your sight?” Ivo: “It was a logging accident.” Zelena: (Placing her hands on his:) “It must have been so traumatic.” Ivo: “It was a blessing in disguise. Before the accident, I never paid much attention to my children. But after, I-I got to know them in a way I never had before. What I wouldn't give to hear their voices one more time. (Senses the sudden tension in Zelena:) I-Is everything all right?” Zelena: “Yes. It's just, um I think I've overstayed my welcome.” Ivo: “No. Please stay. I like having you here.” Zelena: “I'm sorry. I'll be back soon. I just have to do something first.” (Zelena stands, taking a deep breath and walks from the room with a determined look in her eyes.)

Storybrooke. Granny’s Diner. (Emma and Regina stand outside Granny’s Diner, trying to summon the will to enter.) Emma: “It can’t possibly be as bad as we’re thinking.” Regina: “You weren’t there for the group singing last time.” Emma: “Come on, that was years ago. It’s gotta be different now.” Regina: “Wanna bet?” Emma: (Taking her wife’s hand:) “We don’t have to stay long. Deep breath, here we go.” (Together they climb the steps and enter the diner.) Group: “Surprise!” (As soon as they enter, Emma and Regina are caught off guard by the decorations and beaming faces. The tables have been rearranged to form a circle in the middle of the room. In the centre of the circle are two chairs and another table laden with gifts.) Snow White: (Walking over to give both of them a hug:) “Happy Baby Shower!” Regina: (Shocked:) “A baby shower?” Snow White: “I tried to contact Zelena, but I couldn’t find her.” Emma: “Mom, I… I wish you hadn’t gone to so much trouble.” Snow White: “Oh nonsense, it’s going to be so much fun!” Regina: (Gripping Emma’s hand tightly:) “W-when did you find the time to do all this?” Snow White: (Smiles:) “I’ve been planning this since you first made the announcement. I’m just sorry it’s taken this long.” Emma: (Prizing her hand out of Regina’s grasp, wincing, to herself:) “Not as sorry as I am.” Snow White: (Ushering them forward:) “Come on you two, take your seats, we’ve got lots planned. Starting with games!” Regina: (Reluctantly taking her seat:) “Games?” Ashley: “Yeah, we’ve got all sorts of fun, exciting games for you two to play.” Emma: (Unsure:) “Er… like what?” Aurora: “Don’t Say Baby.” Ashley: “Guess the Baby Food.” Belle: “Guess the Mother’s Measurements.” Regina: “Excuse me?!” Ruby: “Bobbing for Nipples.” Emma: (Panicked:) “What?” Snow White: “Diaper Derby!” Granny: “And my personal favourite… Dirty Diapers.” Emma: “Erm….AHHH (Emma leaps to her feet as Regina digs her nails into her thigh:) T-that all sounds great. But… maybe we should start with the presents?” Snow White: (Beams:) “Like mother, like daughter. I couldn’t wait to open the gifts either. Okay, so who wants to go first?” (While Snow and the others discuss who’s present should be opened first, Emma gingerly retakes her seat beside a thoroughly annoyed Regina.) Emma: (Quietly so only they can hear:) “Look, I had no idea this was happening, I swear.” (Regina is just about to say something when the door opens and Maleficent enters the diner.) Maleficent: “Sorry, I’m late. (Glances around the room, pointedly:) Aurora. Snow White.” Emma: (Turns to face her now smiling wife:) “Did you-” Regina: (Chuckling:) “Now the real party can begin.” (Emma smirks, shaking her head as Regina gives Maleficent a subtle, appreciative nod.)