#i love atlas's family tree

[nobodieshero-main]

i think i want the lavore's to be one of the oldest families on the continent and the only reason they're a nevmonesian noble house is bc they just Refused To Move. and then i think it would be funny if lhyr and morielle used to be one place, but when oveta used the river as the border to miednic they just split in half - so now there's the Miednic Lavore's and Nevmones Lavore's and they have a really petty fued going on

[creampuffqueen]

i have now managed to connect the entire gaang and krew (and many others) into the world's most convoluted family tree :)

[not-actually-human]

i love the internet i love researching my family history i love finding out things about my deceased relatives i never met. one of my great grandmas on my dads side was an oil painter. my grandma used to hitchhike across the country and get jobs at national parks. my moms grandpa loved football. ive never met these people! and i get to learn about them and know that they are part of me and thats really cool

[simstoyourdismay]

i read a little life with some of preacher's daughter on repeat and i swear it ruined at LEAST my next 20 lifetimes

[survivalove]

ATLA fandom and removing Katara’s agency and POV

Recently, I came across the following thread where OP proceeded to uplift the following ships to diminish Kataang, on the supposed basis of Katara’s agency and pov (or lack thereof).

I decided to keep all their points and pictures to show a holistic analysis of the show, which they themselves fail to do.

Firstly, on the topic of loss, Kataang has multiple moments where they connect over their losses.

At first, Katara tries to tell Aang that his people may be lost by opening up about her mother, but he is obviously in denial. It is only when he sees Gyatso’s body (like Katara did when her mom passed) that he accepts the loss of his people and her comfort.

I also want to note that this is a recurring pattern of Aang struggling to accept Katara’s comfort at first, despite these shippers’ claims that he easily accepts her “coddling/mothering”.

Kataang as seen in Katara’s pov:

This is easily the most inaccurate part of the thread and shows how shippers fail to acknowledge Katara as a character unless she is with their preferred love interest.

Kataang’s relationship is framed in Katara’s point of view multiple times, especially in these episodes.

Next, Katara’s boundaries:

Once again, they exclude the frames where Katara exercises her agency — pushing him away and telling him off, removing her pov from the scene all on their own. Furthermore on the issue of being violated, what is her point of view when she’s tied to a tree, or when her grandmother is being roughed up and tossed around?

This is part of a greater issue where shippers genuinely believe the misogyny in the writing room is exclusive to a single ship and would somehow be resolved if the female character ended up with… another man.

On Katara’s grief,

Honestly, this has to be the second most dishonest and laughable part of the thread (don’t worry we’ll strike gold soon), so I’m not even going to validate it with more than these pics:

Lastly, the ship in question:

I just find the lightning pic so funny in this context like what?? Like I said earlier, Kataang is shown from Katara’s pov multiple times, but here’s more pics because when your ship has the material!

Aang has seen Katara at her worst multiple times, either stepping in, comforting her or giving her advice (just like Katara has done for him many times, unprompted I might add) because he knows her and has seen her very hostile reactions towards Jet and Hama when they tried to use her as a tool for their revenge. Mind you, this same advice her literal brother and eventually Zuko himself agree with.

Also I always found it pretty weird how Zuko (ahem the writers) set this up so that she can forgive him right after he failed to understand why she was the last one to do so in the beginning of the episode, but anyway…

Lastly, both Aang and Katara have opened to each other in incredibly significant ways. Aang opens up to Katara about the monks and why he disappeared. She is the only person to know this side of him. Meanwhile, Katara tells him about her mother and opens up her family to him, and even in the most platonic interpretations, how is that not the most significant way to open up to someone?

[gotticalavera]

Hey, everybody~! This post will have several headcanons that I have about Aang, Zuko and the ZukAang (or those that I can remember). I would also like to add some Au's and previous posts (can also include links to fanfics I wrote... the fanfics are in Spanish).

The Air Nomads are the tallest of the four nations, which is why Aang ended up taller than Zuko.

Zuko feels more relaxed when he's in Aang's company.

Aang doesn't like spicy food, but he accompanies Zuko to eat super spicy noodles or curry because he knows he loves it.

Zuko is more tolerant of alcohol than Aang.

Aang is the kind of drunk who gets into dancing and flirting, but he's also too prone to causing a lot of disasters (it's better to have the Avatar sober).

Zuko is the kind of drunk who gets sentimental and clingy.

In the world of ATLA they communicate through a common language and each nation has its own language. Aang is the only native who speaks Air Language.

Aang is a polyglot.

Aang, due to the way he speaks, expresses himself and uses certain words, speaks as an old man in all languages, except the Water Language, due to his coexistence with Katara and Sokka.

The first time Zuko heard Aang speak Fire Language, he was so surprised that Aang's voice could be heard so good~.

Zuko has tried to learn Air Language to surprise Aang, but it's very difficult, especially because Air Language sounds like whistling.

Zuko once tried to pay Aang a compliment in Air Language, ended up saying something else and Aang was laughing until he fell off his chair.

Aang is quite skilled at playing Pai Sho, much more so than Iroh.

Zuko is not a beginner, but he is not very good at playing Pai Sho either.

The only people who have beaten Aang in pai shou are: Gyatso and Zuko, but because Zuko knows how to unfocus him to cheat.

Aang suffers from insomnia when he is stressed, and even more so during stormy season. He is still a little afraid of sleeping and waking up at another time.

Aang often helps Zuko with paperwork when he can't sleep.

Zuko and Aang share dreams, literally, interacting between dreams when they are away from each other.

Zuko knows when something is stressing or making Aang anxious in dreams, because Aang appears with hair in dreams [& fanfic]

Zuko has an agreement with Appa, and it's to feign fatigue around the Fire Nation so Aang can take a break.

When Zuko is the one who is stressed/tired, Aang pets his head and combs his hair. He sometimes helps him with work, but Zuko prefers Aang to have his full attention on him.

There are two notable characteristics within the Fire Nation royal family; golden eyes and the canine teeth are quite noticeable, which look like dragon fangs. Zuko has these two characteristics.

Zuko doesn't usually smile with his teeth because he is embarrassed to show his fangs due to comments that Azula, Ozai, and others have said about them. He very rarely smiles with his teeth.

Aang upon learning about Zuko's fangs, began trying to make him laugh out loud to see them. He likes his fangs.

The palace councilors were scandalized the first time they saw Avatar Aang playing and combing the Fire Lord Zuko's hair [reaction]

Aang sings very well, but in his own language he is out of tune. He likes more playing instruments and is an excellent dancer.

In his education as a prince, Zuko learned various arts: he loved learning to draw, paint, and play. The arts that involve music are not his strong suit, unless they are applied with theater.

Zuko was banished before having a society presentation. So Aang was the first person to ask him to dance.

Aang always asks Zuko to dance when they are at a party.

The palace servants had become accustomed to finding Fire Lord Zuko and Avatar Aang sleeping together with various documents in front of them.

Aang and Zuko have escaped from the palace to go to the festival disguised as Kuzon and Lee.

Zuko has drawings of Aang in his notebook, including a drawing where Aang fell asleep under the tree where the pond is and the duck-turtles started playing on top of him.

Aang very rarely cries.

Aang is the only foreign Avatar with symbolic representation in the Fire Nation.

Zuko, Aang and rainbow fire.

Aang has pet names for Zuko.

Zuko prefers silver over gold, because it reminds him of Aang's eyes.

This part is from several AUs (especially Modern and High School), What if…? and other ideas. [I may also mention other ships in some posts, but because I like to shipping Aang a lot]

Modern/HighSchool

Aang moved from his village to the city when he was 12 years old. He lives with the daughter of a friend of Gyatso; her name is Kyoshi and she lives together with her partner, Rangi.

To make documentation easier, Aang adopted the Rangi's last name.

Rangi saw potential in Aang, so Aang knows differents martial arts.

Aang met Katara and Sokka on one of his explorations around the city (he got lost).

Aang has few of his own clothes, the rest of his wardrobe was clothes that Gyatso and his friends wore when they were young and lived for a while in the city, so he has different styles of clothing from the 70's and 80's.

Aang has been to the police station so many times that he knows every cop in the station.

The last time he got into big trouble, Rangi punished him and transferred him to an academy with Fire Nation-style discipline.

Zuko at age 11 and the following years experienced difficult situations, from the death of a cousin, Uncle Iroh distancing himself from the family, his parents' divorce and Ozai taking custody.

Zuko has an accident and ends up with a burn on his face.

Due to the accident, the issue of custody is reopened, but since Ursa doesn't have the necessary resources to keep Zuko and Azula, Iroh offers to keep them for a while in what has better stability.

Azula refuses this agreement, shortly after ending up at her aunts' house. Zuko and Azula spend the weekend with different parents, Zuko with Ursa and Azula with Ozai.

Although his situation is more stable, the scar is a reminder of problems, so Zuko became a more isolated person.

When Ursa managed to achieve financial stability, Zuko decided to continue living in his uncle's house.

Zuko works part time at his uncle's tea shop.

Zuko and Azula continue to maintain contact, especially when they have to spend a few weeks together with one of their parents.

Zuko and Aang had had short encounters before Aang transferred to Zuko's school.

Despite being the only Air Temple boy, Aang quickly won over most of the students.

For school reasons, Aang has to wear long sleeves and a bandana to cover his tattoos.

Zuko thinks Aang is the typical airheaded popular guy.

Due to some situations, they end up living together more and little by little they get to know each other better.

Aang is in the dance club and Zuko is in the drama club. Zuko asks Aang for help with his play.

Aang, Zuko and bonfire.

Valentine's Day

Ozai is still a terrible father, but...

_____

Fan x Ex-Actor!AU

Student Council!AU

Tattoo-Artist!Aang

Teacher!Aang

Aang, Zuko and the hot air

Age-Swap!ZukAang [1] [2]

Demon Spirit!AU

Zuko x Fem!Aang

Fem!Aang & Bumi II

[bestworstcase]

Took a look at the image organizer you linked the other day, and MY OH MY is there so much to unpack there. While I think I understand most of it, there's still some stuff I'm unclear about. What are those quotations from? What's Jaune doing here (and I think I remember you mentioning him as the Oz stand-in for the Ever After)? What about those scattered extra panels in the Jaune column, like Bumbleby-Adam and the maple leaf? What're the entire bottom three rows doing, what is the truth, and who is the "she" who knows it? I really need to do a rewatch...

By all means, go as overboard as you want to (or not), I just love hearing what you have to say.

the quotations are all heraclitus (there’s a link to the fragments at the bottom – the Bn tag on each quote is the fragment number) – heraclitus being a pre-socratic philosopher who had a significant influence on plato, and rwby being a story that draws heavily from plato (see also: atlas/atlantis). the philosophical ideas articulated in v9 regarding balance and creation/destruction get at concepts like flux (everything rests by changing; equilibrium is a state of constant motion and transformation, like a top which stays upright only while it spins) and strife (not conflict, but the push-and-pull between opposite forces, like the tension on a string which creates music).

i get very exited about this because it is the basis for rwby’s destruction-is-not-bad thesis; true equilibrium cannot be found without destruction because creation must have its counterweight. conflict is antithetical to balance specifically because it is a rejection of strife—it’s, to continue the metaphors, creation smashing the top because it doesn’t like that destruction causes it to spin instead of standing perfectly upright, or destruction cutting the string to free itself from destruction.

the OP specifically is about my thesis that rwby’s narrative is fractal—reflected aspects of the ozlem story repeating over and over again as this shattered fairytale strives to get it right this time. jaune (like cinder, like ruby) is a mirror held up to salem—the girl in the tower refracted in the “lovable idiot stuck in the tree”—but he’s a funhouse mirror. he’s a salem without her faith in humanity; a salem who is fundamentally cynical (he cheats his way into beacon, he wanted to be the hero to prove himself worthy to his family, he is ultimately corrupted by his rejection of change—which twists him into a reflection of ozpin instead) and thus repeatedly puts himself in the tower. and the point of him with respect to the fractal narrative is that being Good and Kind did not save him from his cynicism, and that the essential difference between salem and ozma is that she truly believes in her cause (that the gods are unjust and humanity must live free) whereas his commitment is hollow and borne of fear.

(likewise cinder is a salem whose tower is her faith, because what cinder believes in is the innate cruelty and injustice of the world and her destiny to be crushed beneath it, and she is in want of something true to believe instead; and ruby is… more or less literally who salem was when she was young)

jaune is also specifically paralleled with cinder in this regard – his time in the ever after mirrors her exile after haven, and both reflect salem’s isolation after the moonfall; he gives into despair and stagnates (like oz), cinder angrily drags herself out of the pit and keeps clawing her way forward (like salem).

(yang and blake killing adam are just there because i didn’t have a better place to note the echoed framing when cinder kills rhodes – different camera angle, but there is a striking visual comparison drawn here. the narrative does not smile on rhodes)

and then the last three rows are my unhinged mumbling about salem having met the blacksmith before in picture form. Ma’am Why Is Your Illustration Of The Human Soul A Blacksmith. What Do You Know.

like the thing is. heraclitus again: fire is arche. it is the beginning. the transformations of fire, first into sea, and of the sea half becomes earth, half whirlwind. from the outside, the tree is earth and air (the holes in the ground, the leaves on the wind) – on the inside, it’s an ethereal cosmic ‘river’ of souls flowing to their next life; and in the center, it is a forge. and this rhymes also with ‘for it is death to souls to become water, and death to water to become earth, but water comes from earth, and from water, souls’ – like

???

before she’s drowned in the fountain, salem is engulfed in dark’s flame – the flame he once used to restore jabber to life. and then she drowns and returns, with aura, now immortal. salem leaps into the pool of grimm seeking change and is transformed – the faunus in the myth she quotes immerse themselves in magical waters and are transformed. and then we have this recurring motif of a character (or symbol thereof) engulfed by flame, trees, katabasis, drownings, spiritual or physical rebirth. and salem waving the blacksmith under our noses since 2014. maple leaf carved into the frame of her family portrait – maple leafs shed by the tree – the maple leaf guiding jaune to pyrrha’s statue. it’s very

it sure is pointing in a direction!

[choicesmaychallenge24]

MAY 2024 PROMPTS

Have fun! Take liberties! Be weird!

Playlist Inspo

SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

Deity Inspo

(extensive list of Dieties can be found here)

Zeus

Power, Oak tree, unfaithful

"Statistically, you've got better chances being struck by lightning"

Hera

Marriage, revenge, peacock

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"

Poseidon

Ocean, earthquakes, horses

"stormy eyes"

Demeter

Wheat fields, middle child, poppy

"...moods that changed like the weather"

Apollo

Harp, medicine, prophesy

"...like they were the sun"

Artemis

Wilderness, moon, archery

"lets go lesbians, lets go!"

Ares

War, strength, hated

"Don't be a boar"

Athena

Wisdom, strategy, owl

"You're giving me a headache"

Hephaestus

Inventive, disability, overlooked

"...Like a volcano about to erupt"

Aphrodite

Pearls, swan, passion

"You know ___ is an aphrodisiac"

Hermes

Guide, messages, travel

"That's just an eloquent way of saying, 'fuck you.'"

Hestia

Home comforts, Eldest Daughter problems, gentle

"Sometimes a family is (insert found family here)"

Dionysus

Wine, celebration, mania

"I heard it though the grapevine..."

Nyx

Mysterious, rest, starlight

"Goodnight, My Love"

Hades

Rich, death, responsibility

"who's a good puppy?"

Quotes

"You wish to be considered righteous, but not to act with justice." (Eumenides)

"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish." (The Bacchae)

"Isn’t it delightful to forget how old we are?" (The Bacchae)

"I was born to join in love, not hate - that is my nature" (Antigone)

“I have no love for a friend who loves in words alone.” (Antigone)

“Have you ever been struck by a sudden desire for - soup?” (The Frogs)

Dionysus [doing everything wrong], "Like that?" (The Frogs)

“If you try to cure evil with evil, you will add more pain to your fate.” (Ajax)

“Which would you choose if you could: pleasure for yourself despite your friends, or a share in their grief?” (Ajax)

“I ask this one thing: let me go mad in my own way.” (Electra)

"Oh, it is easy for the one who stands outside the prison-wall of pain to exhort and teach the one who suffers” (Prometheus Bound)

“In childbirth grief begins.” (Medea)

"I'll take care of you."

"it's rotten work."

"Not to me. Not if it's you." (Euripides)

“Love, stealing with grace into the heart you wish to destroy, love, turning us blind with the bitter poison of desire, love come not my way. And when you whirl through the streets, wild steps to unchained rhythms, love, I pray you, brush not against me, love, I beg you, pass me by.” (The Love of the Nightingale)

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” (The Odyssey)

“Be strong, saith my heart; I am a soldier; I have seen worse sights than this.” (The Odyssey)

"Any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again." (The Iliad)

FASHION INSPO

From Dolce & Gabbana

STORY INSPO

Many of these stories have different tellings and variations, embrace whichever version you most enjoy.

Echo and Narcissus (painting) (story)

Pandora's Box (painting) (story)

Arachne (painting) (story)

Hades and Persephone (painting) (story)

The Gorgon Medusa (painting) (story)

Cygnus (painting) (story)

Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur (painting) (story)

Daedalus and Icarus (painting) (story)

Eros and Psyche (sculpture) (story)

Orpheus and Euydice (painting) (story)

Myth of Sisyphus (painting) (story)

Cassandra (painting) (story)

The Fates (painting) (story)

Atlas (sculpture) (story)

[silkbab3y]

[ Therapy ] Teo x Rosie

Based on this song [Therapy by Magic City Hippied feat Tim Atlas](https://open.spotify.com/track/46IKdGs9GbDfbKBhiTwB3i?si=0bWUx91rQ6iDCopMupNmsQ)

Prompt: Teo and Rosie head back from dinner with his parents. It’s a late night drive from the city to Corland bay.

Teo belongs to @14dayswithyou

Cw: drug use/little bit of weed nothing crazy

Was it the glow

In your eyes for me

Rosie felt the breeze brush through her hair, her hand pushing back the strands that flew over her face. The night was chilly, silent, peaceful. Her seat reclined back just a bit, her knees pressed up against the dashboard. Rosie almost felt as if she’d fall asleep the moment she closed her eyes for a second too long.

Honey you shook

My family tree

To her side in the driver seat was none other than Teo, eyes focused on the road, one hand on the wheel the other on her thigh. She shifts a bit, chocolate eyes trailing his concentrated form, watched as he brought his hand on her thigh to the wheel so that the other could bring the blunt to his lips. The smell of weed normally hurt her senses, made her nose scrunch and head turn. But she keeps her head still, eyes focused before taking in a deep breath.

When you love

You lose a piece

“I can hold it for you,” Rosie offers, resting her head back against her seat, droopy eyes blinking slowly. She doesn’t even wait for a response with her hand already reaching over, slender fingers brushing against thicker ones. Plucking the blunt from his fingers, watching him inhale and exhale. Smoke fill the area around him like a bubble, dissipating into the air, and Rosie can’t help but stare. Finally breaking her gaze from him, she looks out the window again as she takes her own drag.

She being the sun

She being the sun to me

They had just got back from dinner with his folks at some 3 star Michelin restaurant— hence the silence. Acting as his fake girlfriend, putting up a facade, Teo was probably exhausted. Rosie too, always the anxious one when it came to meeting parents. Except Rosie wasn’t sure if the man sitting beside her also felt… satisfied? A fake relationship, a facade for the sake of appearance— yet it felt… nice. Rosie would be lying if she said she didn’t want it to be real.

I need therapy

Want to get you off your feet

Swallowing, Rosie turns her head back over to him, waiting for a response, anything. But it’s quiet— too quiet for their own likings, Rosie knew this. “Did I do good?” She questions, putting on her best smile, eyes squinting a bit in amusement. She’s happy to see Teo’s lips quirk.

“Mhm,” A simple noise of acknowledgement, yet it was enough to make Rosie feel so accomplished. She watches as Teo glances her way before back at the road. It’s enough to let her know what he was saying. Rosie didn’t need him to say anything to know— sitting up straight in her seat before bringing the blunt to his lips.

I need therapy

So tenderly

She could watch him all day and night if she could, though Rosie knew it was a bit creepy to. Her tongue darts out across her lips to wet them, eyes flickering to his lips as they wrap around the end before gently sucking in. Pulling the blunt away, he repeats the motion from before— breathe in, breathe out.

“You did good.” Her heart skipped a beat, her lips twitching as she forced back a dumb grin. “Yeah I did,” she almost chokes out, giggling. “What can I say, im talented like that.”

“Very.” Her smile is more sheepish, Rosie still leaning over the middle compartment. “I think I deserve an award,” this elicits a snort from Teo, the man raising an eyebrow.

“Why?” “Uh? Cause I totally played my part, duh.” “Uh huh.” They bathed in Corland Bay’s faint lights lining the boardwalks now that they were back from the city.

I need therapy

She bring the sun

She bring the sun to me

“Well?” “I already bought you a birkins just yesterday.” “Im not talking about buying me something.” Rosie was now huffing a little, wondering if this man wasn’t picking up her signal. She takes another drag before offering him a hit, still holding it between her perfectly manicured fingers.

“What, you want a date?” To date, but not what she was asking as of now.

“You’re so slow,” Rosie bites back a groan of frustration. She knew he was playing at this point, her eyebrows furrowed a bit— but there was no heat to her words.

Could you repair

What’s left of me

The music finally became noticeable to Rosie when they both fall into silence again.

“Teo.” “Rosie.”

She pushes herself more over the middle compartment, watching him inhale the smoke. They were at a red light, the Tesla slowing into a stop. Rosie can smell the expensive cologne still clinging onto him, and she just hope she still smelt like hibiscuses.

Her hand moves to his cheek, careful of the blunt as she turns his head. And Rosie is grateful he complies, or she might’ve felt too scared to continue.

“This your ‘award’?” “Mm, my reward.”

I need the cure

Not a remedy

She leans in, just before he could exhale it all, pressing her lips to his. Slow paced and gentle, yet it was enough to have Rosie feel heat coil inside her stomach. Their lips part just a breath away before reconnecting, angling their heads to kiss more comfortably.

Rosie shudders almost when the touch of his hand brush against her waist before coming down to her hip, squeezing it. His other tangles into her hair, Rosie more than happy to let him push her head a bit. Their lips move in sync, the girl’s arms coming around his neck.

Im digging for a quick fix

No I’m never gonna jump ship

Because you give me a boat

When they finally pull away, green covers their figures faintly. Teo moves to continue driving, Rosie breathing out the smoke he had pushed past her lips. They’re silent again, but she’s sure they can go a few beats without talking before the other gets bored or antsy.

Stuck in a void

You’re my destiny

Rosie licks her lips again, smiling as she finally leans back into her chair, the leather suddenly hot under her.

“That good enough for a reward?” Teo’s voice draws out, that low and husky tone that always got Rosie’s head swirling. Sniffling a bit, Rosie looks back out the window with a dumb smile on her glossy lips.

“Nah.” She can hear the man snort at her response, almost amusingly.

“I’ll give you a better one when we out.”

I need therapy

“Your place or mine?”

[cyren-myadd]

Have you watched Avatar The Last Airbender? If so, I'm curious what kind of bending you think the characters from Avatar (Blue one) would have in this universe!

omg I LOVE thinking about an avatar avatar AU (avatar squared lol) I'm so glad I got this question!

So I know some people like to base the elements off of personality when making an ATLA AU, but I want to go by tribe so-

Sky People/Avatars/Recoms= fire nation

Omaticaya= Air Nomads, except they bond with wind dragons instead of sky bison and they aren't pacifists

Metkayina= Water tribe, but tropical instead of arctic

so Jake was a firebender soldier for the Fire Nation tasked with removing a group of Air Nomads from their ancestral home so the Fire Nation could build a mine. One day, he gets separated from his squad and lost in the forest where he's attacked by a sabertooth moose lion. The moose lion is about to kill him when all of a sudden Jake earthbends and escapes the moose lion. Jake is confused by his newfound ability to earthbend and little does he know he was being watched by an airbending huntress, Neytiri, the entire time. Neytiri brings Jake to the giant tree where her people live and announces she's found the Avatar (cue theme music). The Omaticaya are wary of Jake, but Mo'at checks him out and realizes he is in fact the Avatar and announces it is their duty to teach Jake how to airbend, fire nation soldier or not, and appoints Neytiri as his teacher. Jake goes along with the teaching, because, hey, new element, but he still feels loyal to the Fire Nation.

The story progresses just like A1, with Jake going back and forth on what to do until the Colonel Quaritch, leads a group of firebending soldiers in airships in a devastating attack on the Airbenders. This pushes Jake to turn against the Fire Nation and embrace his role as the Avatar. He's joined by a few nonbender Fire Nation citizens who are sympathetic to the cause, like Grace, Norm, Max, and Trudy. While defecting, Quaritch fatally wounds Grace and the airbenders ask the spirits to save her. Grace falls into a coma, and later they discover she is pregnant. Colonel Quaritch targets a sacred tree which acts as a portal to the spirit world with the intention of doing some Zhao-The-Moon-Slayer nonsense that he believes will help the Fire Nation. Jake, with a mighty red wind dragon, leads the Airbenders in a counterattack and successfully defeats the Fire Nation and Colonel Quaritch gets dragged into the portal by a vengeful nature spirit.

Years pass, and together, Jake and Neytiri raise their family. The oldest, Neteyam, is their pride and joy, an airbending prodigy who became the youngest person to ever earn his airbending tattoos. He is also very skilled with the bow, like his mother. Jake and Neytiri also adopted Kiri, the baby born from Grace (who passed away shortly after she was born) whose father is unknown. Despite Grace being a nonbending Fire Nation woman, Kiri is an airbender. She's not the most talented bender, but she has a very strong connection to the spirit world (like Jinora). Their second son, Lo'ak, is a firebender like Jake, and he secretly wishes he was an airbender like the rest of his family. Because of his upbringing, Lo'ak has a very unique firebending technique that is heavily influenced by airbending: it's very acrobatic and involves using fire jets to let him jump around. Their youngest is Tuk, a bubbly, energetic little airbender. She loves to ride around on air scooters and befriend wild animals. And of course, there's also Spider, a nonbender war orphan of unclear parentage who became best friends with their children. Though Spider isn't a bender, he's heavily influenced by being surrounded by airbenders just like Lo'ak, and he can run and jump around so agilely he almost looks like he's airbending.

As the years pass, Mo'at encourages Jake to continue on his journey to become a fully realized Avatar, especially since she fears the Fire Nation will strike back some day. Jake, who has only mastered fire and air at this point, keeps brushing it off until it's too late.

Quaritch somehow returns from the spirit world, younger, healthier, and angrier than every before. He also now has blue fire! When he miraculously returns to the Fire Nation, he wants his wealth and status back, but General Ardmore tells him he needs to capture the Avatar to restore his honor, so Quaritch gladly assembles a team of elite nonbending soldiers to hunt him down.

Quaritch manages to capture Spider, prompting Jake and his family to flee to the tropical Water Tribe so Jake can finally start learning waterbending. The water tribe are wary of Kiri, who looks very Fire Nation despite being an airbender, and Lo'ak, who looks more like his mother but actually is a firebender, but Jake reminds them that he's Fire Nation himself, and as the Avatar, they have a responsibility to teach him. Tonowari agrees to become Jake's waterbending master and allow his family to stay with him.

Then ensues the teenage bullying and shenanigans, and Lo'ak befriends a Unagi named Payakan. He also falls for Tsireya:

"I'm a Firebender! That's all they see 😡😡😡"

"I see you 🥺🥺🥺"

Meanwhile, Quaritch realizes that Spider is the son of one of his old concubines, making him his heir and the only family he has left, which gives him very conflicting feelings about Ardmore torturing him for information on the Avatar. Almost dying and getting lost in the Spirit World made him realize he doesn't have a legacy to leave behind. Quaritch frees Spider and then Spider challenges Quaritch to an Agni Kai, demanding that if he wins he'll be set free but if he loses he'll cooperate with Quaritch. Quaritch points out that Spider isn't a bender, but Spider grabs the equivalent of a flame thrower from one of his soldiers and yells "I said, Agni Kai, bitch!"

The battle results in half the arena being burnt down, but Quaritch wins in the end and Spider reluctantly agrees to be his translator (the nations speak different languages in this AU and spider knows air language and water language).

and then yadda yadda yadda, Jake masters waterbending, Quaritch somehow figures out where Jake is, grabs his kids, they have a big epic battle on a Fire Nation ship, Neteyam dies, Quaritch nearly drowns but is rescued by Spider, and then everyone goes home the end.

[yellowkitkieran]

To Have and to Heal (Part 12)

Masterlist

Read part 1 here

Word Count: 5.4k

Summary: Single working dad Martin Odegaard is navigating the ups and downs of parenthood all on his own, and he’s struggling. That’s not to mention football, life and... love?

"Atla loved her new studio. And that easel you sent me is the perfect height for her- you should come see what she's working on. She's recreating one of the malerier- errors, paintings I mean- off the wall, her mor's favorite landscape. She's got the skyer done, and now she's working on the trees-" 

Martin cuts himself off, setting down his fork and running a hand through his hair. "Sorry… I got carried away didn't I?" Martin smiles to himself, the apples of his cheeks the color of a ripe peach. "I don't mean to make myself the center of conversation. How was your week, solskin?"

Martin's eyes have such a hold on you that you barely register the words. You're finding it easier to get lost in him over the last few weeks- your dates have come few and far between, the last one being five days ago. Even then it was only a stolen moment, with Martin calling you after a late training session to ask if he could take you out for a drive. Of course you'd agreed without question and stayed out well past your usual self-enforced bedtime, but it was worth it. Seeing the Emirates lit up at night and wholly empty isn't a sight you'll soon forget.

"I really don't mind Martin, I love listening to you. Especially when you talk about your family, because you do this thing where your mouth moves faster than your brain and you speak in a jumble of Norwegian and english… it's adorable."

Bashful as ever, Martin ducks his head. That pretty, rueful smile you're quickly falling head over heels for lights up the room. Your stomach flips over itself, and you want nothing more than to lean over the table and kiss him. Only problem is, you can't do that quite yet. 

Despite everything going perfectly, you still haven't had that first kiss yet. You aren't sure if it's Martin being overly cautious or because of your own stumbles- last week, you'd thought Martin was leaning in for a hug like he'd done the last time, and it was only when his lips awkwardly bumped your cheek that you realized he might have had other plans. So really it's more likely to be your fault that he's not bridged that gap quite yet. You haven't stopped kicking yourself for that yet, especially considering how handsome he looks tonight. 

"I guess that's a good thing then, that I'm so bedårende." Martin's calloused palm slides against your upturned one, both resting on the table between you. It's the most prolonged contact you've had with him, and despite promising to move at his pace, you're struggling to contain your need for more. 

But for now, the warmth of Martin's hand will tide you over, at least through the meal. He refuses to let go after you're served, offering you that same shy smile and squeezing your fingers when he takes his first bite. 

You're learning quite quickly that Martin loves physical touch. He loves holding your hand, touching your elbow to guide you, steadying you when you're stepping out of the car. You're not complaining. Each time he touches you, it sends a shock through your system. What you wouldn't do to kiss him… to let everyone in this restaurant know how smitten you are with him. 

Your eyes drift over Martin's chest, the buttons pulling at white fabric and allowing the slightest bit of tanned skin to show through. Your mouth waters at the mere thought of the muscles that lie beneath. How would they ripple under your touch? Would he keep his calm, collected attitude while you explored the valleys of him with your tongue, or would he fold and whine under you? 

Deep in fantasy, you don't notice your fork slip from your hand until it clatters to the china in front of you. Half the restaurant notices as well, including Martin who's expression morphs into concern in a split second. 

"Solskin? Is everything alright?" Martin's question is accompanied by a swipe of his thumb across your knuckles. When you look up at him and nod, he murmurs, "you seem off. If you don't like your food, I'll pay and we can go somewhere else… we can find that chicken you love- what is it? Nuggets, yes?"

You laugh quietly, "how you've lived in England for years and not remembered chicken nuggets is beyond me! But the food is amazing Martin, don't worry." You clasp his hand between both of yours so he understands you're being sincere. "I was just distracted for a second, that's all." 

Martin, having grown quite comfortable around you, slips into his true bantery self with ease. "I know, I'm just that attractive, sorry solskin! You know what though- I'm not sure why I brought you to dinner tonight… I'd much rather be on the sofa at home watching that show you love."

God, that sounds amazing. Curled up against him, maybe letting your fingers drift between those buttons? Yes please. 

"Which one, NCIS? You like that one huh?" Martin tips his head as if to say 'maybe I do, maybe I don't'. He's charming, stealing your heart bit by bit without you realizing until he holds too much to ever recover. "Well then why don't you pay the bill Mr. Ødegaard and we can head back to mine for another episode or two?"

"I think that sounds perfect. In fact," Martin signals to the nearest server, hands them enough cash to cover the tab, then turns to you, "why don't we head out now? No reason staying here."

Dating a footballer has a few perks, but the ease with which Martin splashes cash is one you're still not totally comfortable with. You don't mind the occasional treat, but you hate feeling like you aren't pulling your own weight. Regardless of how much he makes, you were raised that relationships require effort on both ends, and money is one aspect of that. "Could I get the tip at least? I know you hate when I do that, but I also hate letting you do it all!" 

Martin purses his lips. You're worried he might deny you until the little chicken hairs on his head bob with his nod, "Alright, I'll let you leave the tip this time… just leave it on the table though yeah? I wanna get you home as soon as I can!" 

You both blush when the unintentional double meaning of Martin's words dawns on you. Not for the first time, you wonder if it's a blunder due to English being his third language, or on purpose. "Right… okay then, let's head out?" 

Martin drives you home, only letting go of your hand when you unlock your front door. Then he takes your jacket and hangs it on the same hook you always do, third from the left, and puts his own on the one next to it. You cleared that hook after the first time he'd come in, wanting his things as close to yours as possible so the smell of him lingered. Maybe you were hoping that he'd forget a sweatshirt or a jacket there one of these days. You wouldn't admit that if it were your master plan, anyway. 

Once your shoes are off, the two of you take up your usual places on the sofa. You leave the same few inches of space between the two of you as usual, respectful to a fault of Martin's personal bubble. Only this time, after what seems like a lengthy internal debate with himself, he places his hand on your knee. 

Oh. That's new. Definitely a development- a good one at that. You're distinctly aware of each of his fingers, casually spread to encompass as much of your covered knee as possible. You mentally curse yourself for choosing to wear your favorite jeans. If you'd worn that skirt like Jen suggested, he'd have his bare skin on yours… on second thought, it's probably better this way because your mind would be in the gutter otherwise.

Martin sighs, a strenuous, shaky sound, like he can't quite believe what he has just done either. Your pulse roars like the ocean in your ears. Martin hasn't ever breached that little space between you like this. It feels raw, like he's actively fighting his every instinct to keep his hand exactly where it is. You don't want to scare him off, but you also don't want him to struggle alone. You promised to help him, so you do that now by leaning into him until your shoulders are touching. It's just enough reassurance that some of the unease drains from him, allowing him some room to breathe. 

"You're very warm, Mar," you say softly, turning to smile at him when the full heat of his palm engulfs your knee. This is new territory for him, for both of you- it's better to take it slow. 

"Um, thank you? You're very… right temperature. I don't know. But I don't mind it." Martin smiles, your breath hitching in your throat from the mere beauty of him. 

That smile only means you have an excuse to stare at Martin's lips. They're slightly parted, pale pink against his sun kissed skin. You know they're soft- you'd swiped your thumb over them on your ice cream date with him after school one day, when Atla was off with Kieran. Are they that soft when you press your own to them? What does Martin taste like- he doesn't seem like a mint man, he seems more like… cinnamon. Something warm, not something chilly. 

Eventually you tear your eyes from him and force yourself to focus on the screen. For the first episode, you feel Martin glancing at you every few minutes. Halfway through the second, he stares unabashedly, probably thinking he's safe because you've not noticed him yet. But you have, and you let him look because you'd do the same if you were in his shoes. 

Martin's features are exquisitely beautiful. He's not handsome; that word isn't enough to describe his delicate nose, radiant smile or his enthralling eyes. You've read books that describe the love interest as god-like, though that doesn't suit him either. He's not perfect, though who is? You're drawn to that little freckle above his lip, the one he always seems conscious of in photos. His eyelashes aren't long enough to be model-esque, but they're blonde enough to be Martin-esque. He's beautiful because he's not like any other man. Martin is himself, unapologetically so, and that's the most gorgeous thing about him.

But god, his eyes. You turn now to meet his stare to find it e to inspect them closer. Even though you have looked into his eyes what feels like a million times you still find yourself rediscovering new aspects of the depths of them. You lean in without thinking, locked on Martin as studiously as he is on you. 

The glassy blue is shot through with thin streaks of pastel a few shades lighter than the rest of his iris. Off hand, you wonder if this is how the fjords in his homeland look, like clouds reflecting off the water. You swear the pattern shifts and swirls when he blinks, making you feel like you are drowning, unable and unwilling to escape. 

The now familiar tenor of Martin's Norse accent breaks the quiet, "I'd very much like to kiss you now, solskin." 

Martin's words leave his mouth so quietly that you aren't sure if you imagined them. You almost want to laugh- are you so eager that your mind is playing tricks on you now? So sure you are that you've made it up that you don't reply, instead you only smile softly at Martin and wait for him to look away first. It's only when he takes a deep, shuddering breath and starts to pull away that you realize it wasn't your imagination. 

You won't let him slip away again. Your hand snaps out to circle his wrist, keeping his hand on your knee before he can move it away. You want to dive into the pools of his eyes when he looks at you again, curious and confused. 

"Then do it," you blurt out, desperate to keep him there, cheeks on fire. "Kiss me, Mar."

Something in him breaks open. You can see the physical shift, note the confident set of his shoulders that reappears when you affirm you want him as much as he wants you. Martin moves slowly, turning his body towards you. 

"You want me to?"

You nod so sharply he might mistake you for a bobble head. 

Martin's smile is a flash across his face, "Okay. Okay, I will."

Martin's free hand comes up to cup your jaw, angling your face slightly towards his own. He studies you, eyes flitting over your features with all the fervor of a devout man at worship. His thumb brushes your lips and your world stops. Time slows, your surroundings fade, until all that remains is you, Martin, and the faded forest green suede of the sofa beneath you. 

Martin's eyes slide shut and you follow his lead. You take slow, deep breaths and wait. And wait. And wait. 

You promised Martin patience. You promised to give him the time he needs, and now is no different, despite how terribly your bones ache with the need to discover what he tastes like. Instead of squirming you focus on his cologne, the woodsy scent enveloping you like an embrace. You focus on the hand still on your knee, on the way his fingers twitch with the same anticipation you feel seeping into your bones. 

Martin's lips startle you when they finally touch yours. You were right- there's a lingering taste of spice on him that you can't quite name. You smell it rather than taste it, though it's something you'd love to explore in the future when he'll let you.

Unsurprisingly, Martin doesn't try to deepen the kiss; he simply lets his lips linger against yours from the space of a dozen hammering heartbeats before he pulls away, leaving you electrified and tingling. 

Until now, you've always classed the kisses in romance movies as simple cliches. No one kisses a man and falls in love straight away, that simply isn't how the world works. Love at first kiss is simply a fairy tale, something mothers tell their daughters to inspire them to dream for their perfect man. 

But maybe there's a bit of truth in those cheesy films. Because something in you burns white-hot after that one simple kiss, stealing your breath and filling your senses with Martin. Touch, sight, scent, even taste- you flick your tongue over your lips to discover him lingering there, sweet and warm. Everything is Martin. 

"Wow… Mar, I- wow." 

Martin's cheeks turn a furious shade of scarlet, "I'm sorry, I should've waited but I just- I couldn't put it off anymore, not after it's all I've been able to think about for days."

"Oh my god Martin no, please don't apologize." You're quick to reassure him, taking a leap and bringing his knuckles to your mouth to kiss each one. You're spurred on by Martin's heartfelt smile, continuing your trail up his wrist and only stopping just below his watch before you let your joined hands rest on his thigh. "It was the perfect first kiss for us, don't worry about it. Please don't ever apologize for kissing me, okay?"

Once his mind seems to calm down enough to allow him to see the truth in your statement, you lean in for another short kiss. You savor this one as well, though it's only a fraction as long as the one earlier. 

"See," you mumble, still close enough for your lips to brush his, "Perfect. Everything is perfect."

Martin breathes deeply, inhaling your exhale. His hand fidgets with your fingers, his brows slightly scrunched together. That war is surfacing again, his current wants battling his deep-set loyalty. 

“What is it, Mar?” Martin’s expression morphs into something painful. Your heart lurches, stomach sinking to the floor at your feet. A million scenarios run through your head, none of them good when they start with a sour look like that. 

Heart in your throat, you remind yourself to have faith. Martin is navigating the depths of his grief, coming to terms with having someone new fill that space he's held vacant for years. So you do what you promised, waiting again for him to gather his thoughts and speak. 

“You make me quiet,” Martin says with tender, heart-wrenching brittleness. He speaks without thinking, not bothering to fully translate for you, “the uklarhet is gone- I don’t know how to say it but I just… Since Maria died, I haven’t let myself feel anything if it didn’t stem from my team or Atla. I’ve lived for Arsenal and for my daughter, not for myself. But now…”

Martin’s hand comes up to cradle your jaw. He becomes a cartographer then, his touch mapping every inch of your skin with impeccable detail. You let him have this moment, allow him to be as selfish as he pleases. 

Brick by brick, stone by stone, Martin is allowing his walls to come down. He is allowing you inside his heart, and that sort of thing cannot be rushed. 

“Now, when I’m with you, I feel like I’ve come back to myself." Martin's voice cracks slightly and it's all you can do to keep still and not startle him. "Like I can conquer the world.”

This time, when Martin kisses you, he doesn’t stop for several minutes. He clings to you so tightly that you aren’t sure where he ends and you begin. Martin’s tongue sweeps against yours tentatively, searching for boundaries that you are glad to let him cross. You aren’t sure which of you is crying- but the taste of saltwater and spice lingers long after he pulls away to rest his head on your chest, the pair of you promptly falling asleep tangled up like teenagers. 

**********

Monday morning, you swear you're walking on air. You're cheery, above and beyond your normal happy demeanor. Your best friend picks up on your good mood immediately, needling you as she follows you into your classroom after passing you in the hall.

“Come on, just spill the details! I know you’re dying to tell me anyways! We don’t keep secrets, remember?” Jen huffs when you remain stoic, slouching into the beanbag chair opposite your desk. “Save me the trouble of taking you out and getting you drunk. Tell meeeeee!”

You shake your head, typing studiously at your laptop. Your best friend may be right, she will get the details of your latest date out of you one way or another, but you respect Martin far too much to let it go so easily. Besides, you don’t want to taint that precious memory by rehashing it with your friend, no matter how much you love her.

“As I have told you ten times now,” you start, finally meeting Jen’s wide, curious eyes, “I don’t plan on telling anyone the details of why I’m so happy this morning. All you need to know is that my last date with a certain someone went very, very well. And not like that- get your mind out of those nasty thoughts!”

“Ohmygod- you didn’t!” You can see the gears turning in Jen’s head. She draws conclusions from the very little you’ve given her, but you only shake your head. Encouraging her will only get her more excited. For now, it’s best to let your friend concoct her own version of events and run with it.

Admittedly, last night your mind used the same theory to cook up a dream that felt so real, you swear you can still feel Martin’s fingers digging into your hip. God, his lips are so soft…

A hand waves in your face, abruptly recalling you to the present. “Hello! Oh he must have been really good to have you daydreaming right now. Okay fine, Saturday you and I are going out and I’ll get to the bottom of all this-”

“This Saturday? I’m sorry but I can’t- Martin’s invited me to his match, so I’ll be just a touch busy.” You grin when Jen’s jaw hits the floor. As a lifelong Chelsea supporter herself, the betrayal of you dating an Arsenal man hasn’t worn off quite yet. 

“Of course you are- I’m losing you to the Arsenal! I can’t believe this- you go from not knowing a lick about football to attending every one of that boy’s matches-”

“Oi give me some credit! This is only the first one I’m going to alright! He just… He asked so sweetly, I couldn’t say no." Your cheeks heat up when Jen rolls her eyes. "And I’m only sitting in the regular stands. I made him promise he wouldn’t get me a ticket for a box or something ridiculous like that. I just want to be in with the fans, flying under the radar, perfectly unnoticeable.”

The FaceTime call you received from Martin last night was unexpected, but not unwelcome. It came across your screen after eleven pm, though the late hour didn't deter you from answering almost immediately. He had whispered the entire time, using that parental voice one uses when a fussy child has finally gone down to sleep, which is exactly what you assumed happened. He'd seemed exhausted, but nonetheless happy to talk to you about his day. He even kept you on while he brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas- off camera, of course. 

The call was intimate, affording you a rare glimpse of Martin as a father but also Martin as a human. His guard had been down, absolutely no armor to be seen. You loved every second, especially when he held up a jersey and sheepishly asked you to wear it to the Emirates that weekend to come see him play. 

Jen crosses her slender arms over her chest. "You better hope no one recognizes you. But then again… you could always just brush it off as being a fan."

"See! That's what I'm saying. I could just be a regular fan! I mean it's obvious that I'm red blooded- I've got this little Arsenal flag on my desk and everything!" You point to the flag you bought at a corner store just yesterday. It sits tilted out of your pen cup, an impulse purchase to convince yourself that your story holds some truth. 

The wicked grin Jen shoots your way does little to reassure you. "Mmhmm you keep telling yourself that. Regardless…" Jen leans forward and covers your hand with hers. Her eyes become unusually serious, the previous teasing glint vanished. "I'm happy for you. Honestly. I can tell how much you care for Martin. But just be careful, yeah? Don't go giving your heart away before he proves he's worthy of protecting it."

You push back the lump that forms in your throat to nod. You trust Martin. You know in your soul that he wouldn't do anything to hurt you. "I will, I promise. Don't worry about me, I'll be careful. I've had my heart broken enough, I don't think Martin would hurt me."

Jen leans across to wrap you in a fierce hug. It's then that you realize just how lucky you are to call her your best friend- she'd cross deserts and hike through blizzards to protect you. The loyalty the two of you share isn't something that can be bought, only forged in iron over pints of Ben and Jerry's and cheesy rom coms after shitty dates. 

**********

"If I didn't know any better skip, I'd say you were nervous." Aaron inspects his gloves, one eyebrow cocked as he assesses Martin. The English man's eye for emotion is surprisingly unmatched. For as much as he acts like the court jester, Aaron is extremely in tune with his teammates and their emotions. 

"It's only Brighton," Aaron continues with a wave of his hand. "Easy win. With me between the sticks, you'll have nothing to worry about. Just score a goal or two, give us a nice padded lead, and we'll be off to celebrate before you know it."

Losing to a mid table team isn't what muddies Martin's head tonight. Martin sighs, recalling the taste of you for the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. When he started this whole thing he hadn't expected to be so distracted by you. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, you have started to consume his thoughts. Martin picks his clothes each morning based on what he thinks you'll enjoy seeing in photos. You are the first person he messages each morning and often the last voice he hears at night. And now, when he should be mentally replaying highlight reels from Brighton's recent matches? The reel in his head is of you laughing and smiling, so raw and real that he swears he can feel your hand in his own. 

Upon seeing Martin's blank stare, Aaron laughs. "Oh shit, you are distracted! Mate look, whatever it is, just trust us yeah? We've got your back, we're a team- lead us like you always do, say some pretty words, and we'll take care of the rest."

That's not good enough though. Not this time. Martin needs to impress you. He can't have your very first football match be subpar. He wants to shine and showcase what his team can do. "I want a goal," Martin murmurs as the other lads begin to trickle in. "I want two goals," he reiterates, louder this time to gain the attention of his mates. "I want us up by three at the half, I want Steele gasping for air because of how hard we're shooting at his goal. I want the performance of a lifetime lads, I want everything!"

A resounding cheer rings through their changing room, only growing more deafening when Arteta slips in as well. He only quirks a brow at Martin to silently say, got them this riled up already? To which the norwegian only grins. 

Martin's blood is thrumming set to ignite in his muscles like race fuel in an engine. He's greedy today. With you in attendance, he wants nothing more than to show off. He rarely claims goals for himself- Martin would rather assist and see his lads get the credit- but tonight? No, tonight he will be selfish. Martin wants to pick you out in the crowd when his strike hits the back of the net, wants to feel the adrenaline when the crowd is roaring his name but the only person he has eyes for is you. 

"You'll get that brace mate," Aaron promises with an arm slung over Martin's shoulders. The larger man is careful not to touch the palm of his glove to Martin's kit, not wanting to contaminate either item. "I haven't seen you this hungry in ages."

The rest of their preparations are a blur. Martin briefly remembers saying something inspiring about kissing the badge or something like that. He isn't sure. 

But Martin is sure of this- that pink kit he gave you stands out in a sea of red, ensuring you're incredibly easy to spot behind the bench. He put you as close to the front as he could, wanting you nearest the action and within shouting distance of his seat in case he somehow got subbed off. 

When you lock eyes during the anthem, you turn around to show Martin his name printed across your back. Something primal stirs in his gut- something he's not felt in ages. 

That's my girl, Martin thinks to himself. 

God, what a refreshing thought that is. He doesn't feel any guilt accompanying it either. No pangs of loss taint his mind. One kiss and he's become addicted to you. All he wants to do now is win, to prove he's the worthy object of your affection.  

As determined as he is, it takes Martin only three minutes to score. It's a screamer too, from twenty yards out- how Brighton left him uncovered is beyond him, but he's always excelled at capitalizing on opponents mistakes. When Martin sees the scoreboard change, all he can think about is kissing you- but that will have to wait until after the match. 

Martinelli scores the second goal off a set piece twenty minutes in, and Martin himself nets his brace in added time. In the changing room at half time, he reminds the team not to be complacent. They can't let their guards down and become lazy. Their intensity has to stay high. 

And despite the strict rule Martin has against it, he quickly sneaks a glance at his phone. Your message stands out at the top and fills him with fuzziness: I'm so proud of you!

Oh, Martin is kissing you for sure. The second he lays eyes on you after this, he's getting his winner's kiss. 

Honestly, he scarcely makes it through the second half- Aaron remains bored in the Arsenal goal and Steele looks set to walk off by the end of it. A 5-0 win at home has the crowd rowdy and the team buoyant. Everyone stays after to clap for the fans, and Martin waves and smiles at everyone as he makes his rounds.

You're leaning on the railing when he finally makes it to the bench. His eyes remain locked on yours while you join in on the fans yelling his chant, your pride seeping through the last cracks in his heart and sealing them shut. 

You blow him a kiss, which Martin gladly pretends to catch and tuck to his chest. He doesn't want to go out and celebrate with the lads- he wants to bring you home so he can spend the night with his girls. 

Wanna kiss you, Martin mouths, unsure if you'll understand. You get the gist though, because you shake your head sadly and motion to the full stadium around you. And Martin understands, but that doesn't stop the painful sting that hits him like a slap in the face.  

When he finally makes it to his phone, he sees a message from you. 

Can I celebrate with you tonight? Nothing big! Maybe just a drink? I'm so proud!!

Martin grins, briefly smiling up at his friends as they sing along to their victory playlist. Then he takes a seat in his cubby, drawing one knee up to his chest to rest his hands on to type, of course you can! I was just going to ask if you'd like to come over to hang out with Attie and I?

Aren't you going out with the lads? 

"Oi, Martin! Come on lad- we're going out tonight! A win like that deserves to be celebrated- and it's all thanks to our skipper!" Aaron riles up the boys, coaxing them to shout Martin's name over and over until Martin is forced to shake his head. 

"I'm sorry boys, duty calls. I'm going home to Atla tonight, I promised her I'd bake something if we won-"

A few of the younger players groan, but the older ones, mostly those that are fathers themselves, shoot him understanding smiles. Fatherhood comes first, now that he's done his job as captain tonight. Let them think that's all it is, at least. 

Kieran purses his lips when Martin's gaze snags on his best mate. "Sooo you promised Atla you'd bake huh? That's an interesting way of saying 'I'm going to go snog my girlfriend' but hey, I won't judge. You do you, mate!"

"Leave me alone," Martin grumbles with a distinct lack of malice. "They don't all need to know about that, alright? But yeah… I'm thinking it's time to tell Atla something about all this. Not everything obviously but- I'd like them to be okay seeing each other outside of school, you know?"

"Mmhhmm. Right well good luck with that mate, I'll be getting drunk in your place tonight." Kieran sighs as if that scenario is his worst nightmare instead of his best dream. "The things I do for this team!" 

Martin laughs, already gathering his things to make a speedy exit. He's got places to be, people to see- he won't keep you waiting. He needs his kiss, his body vibrates at the very thought of your lips on his. He craves that electricity, the spark he knows will accompany it. His mind tricks him into thinking he can smell your light floral perfume and the strawberry scent of your shampoo, tickling his nose as if you were feet away.

[lionmom-svenomverse]

Sharing the concept art for my Chryslestia family! Gonna have to snip a lot of HCs/notes so you can find the full thing over on my dA. Anyways, more info under the cut!

💙 Queen Celestia - Ruler of Equestria. Sun Deity. Royal Batpony Alicorn (With Heliacorn Attributes). Agender (She/he/it/they), Pansexual Demi 💙 Queen Chrysalis - Ruler of Equestria, Former Queen of the Changeling Hive. Reformed/Former Villain. Non-Reformed Queen Changeling. Nonbinary (It/xey/they/she), Bisexual Demi 💙 Princess Antlion Aphid - Princess of Equestria. Heir to the Sun. Solar Astronomer/Engineer. Has anxiety. Royal Alicorn-Changeling Hybrid (With Batpony/Heliacorn Attributes). 35 y/o. Nonbinary (It/its and She/her mainly), Lesbian. Likes studying the sun, sundresses, large hats, hosting parties, yoga, calligraphy and diplomacy. Aphie is based off of antlion larvae, not so much aphids but it's a cute lil addition to her name. Special talent is using the sun to power technology! 💙 Princex Hercules Metalmark - Princex of Equestria. Heir to the Sun. Armorer. Has autism. Royal Alicorn-Changeling Hybrid (With Batpony/Heliacorn Attributes). 35 y/o. Agender (They/them and xey/xem mainly), Trixic. Likes puzzles/cipher cracking, keeping fit, fruit, fire, sappy movies, giving gifts and winter. Inspired by the Hercules Beetle and the Metalmark Butterfly! Special talent is crafting enchanted armor! 💙 Prince Joro Orb Weaver - Prince of Equestria. Heir to the Sun. Seamster at Carousel Boutique. Royal Alicorn-Changeling Hybrid (With Batpony/Heliacorn Attributes). 35 y/o. Transmasculine/Nonbinary (He/him, It/Its, She/her), Bi. Likes designing outfits, spoken word poetry, spiral patterns, fantasy shows/books, posters, journaling and social events. Inspired by the Joro Spider and the common Yellow Garden Spider/Orb-Weaver! Special talent is sewing outfits! 💙 Princex Tsetse Deathwatch "Click" Beetle - Princex of Equestria. Heir to the Sun. Nurse. Gravedigger. Mute. Has autism. Royal Alicorn-Changeling Hybrid (With Batpony/Heliacorn Attributes). 35 y/o. Genderfluid (They/them and it/its mainly), Omni. Likes history documentaries, playing the guitar, baggy clothes, cemeteries, volunteering, birds and brownies. It was initially named "Princex Malachite" and based off of the Malachite butterfly, but since I've changed its' name it doesn't really resemble what its' currently named after: the Tsetse Fly and Click/Deathwatch Beetles. Special talent is healing creatures! 💙 Princess Venusta Orchard Mason - Princess of Equestria. Heir to the Sun. Gardener. Builder. Farmer. Royal Alicorn-Changeling Hybrid (With Batpony/Heliacorn Attributes). 35 y/o. Transfeminine/Nonbinary (They/them and She/her), Aro/Sapphic. Likes worms, pottery, lemonade, architecture, foraging, climbing trees, falling leaves and making friends. She's mainly inspired by the strikingly blue Orchard Mason Bee, which I first saw around my early high school years iirc and fell in love with it. The other half, Venusta, comes from the Venusta Orchard Spider! The 'Venusta' part of their name actually wasn't initially there, but I thought it'd be a pretty edition, especially since the two bugs share the word 'orchard' in their names. Special talent is building strong structures! 💙 Prince Rosy Maple Brimstone - Prince of Equestria. Heir to the Sun. Influencer. Disc Jockey. Party Thrower. Royal Alicorn-Changeling Hybrid (With Batpony/Heliacorn Attributes). 35 y/o. Intersex (He/him), Ace/Queer. Likes hyperpop/house music, makeup, bright colors, flea markets/antique malls, soap carving, blogging and raves. Rosy is mainly based on the Rosy Maple Moth, but the other part of his name comes from the Brimstone Butterfly! Special talent is DJing and music production! 💙 Prince Atlas Adonis Blue - Prince of Equestria. Heir to the Sun. Drag Queen. Royal Alicorn-Changeling Hybrid (With Batpony/Heliacorn Attributes). 35 y/o. Demiboy (He/him and They/them), Gay. Likes singing, the stars, glowsticks, finance, karaoke, collecting mugs, clubbing, glitter and cleaning. Atlas is of course inspired by the Atlas Beetle and the Adonis Blue Butterfly! Special talent is performing!

[throwaway-yandere]

The Boar Prince/ss (Tighnari/Reader)

A/n: Tis I, your secret raccoon @riabef offering you a humble present for this day 🦝 🎁!!! It is probably wet cuz my trash animal brain tried to wash it by the creek but eh, hope ya like it!!! I can't say I celebrate Xmas, but happy holidays, belated happy birthday and best wishes for the new year!!! <333 - with love, ansytea

CW: none!!! Pls trust me– they're just sassy children being sassy children. Just wholesome fluff-crack vibes with added soulmate elements (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

Unreliable Synopsis: Seven-year-old Tighnari meets his soulmate in the forest on the eve of Celestia's Day. Hilarity ensues.

----

Tighnari was FREEZING!

He was just a kid! Why was HE the one tasked with picking up branches for the fireplace?! That's not fair at all! Just because he had maintained his ears and tail better than the rest of his family doesn't mean he's best suited for this job. Sure, it doesn't snow much in Sumeru, but he's not the most resilient fox compared to his relatives! Tighnari's too young for this. The place is positively humid and there is little to no room for his whining unless he would devolve into a fit of sneezes. 

With "Grrr"s turning into "Brrr"s, young Tighnari cloaks himself up with the same scarf by adding more layers to protect his neck. When he went out, Tighnari's hair was wild and unruly, constantly falling in his face as an act of immature defiance. He didn't care how much his mom preached about appearances as the kid fennec stomped to the rainforest. 

The rainforest was positively duller than it was in any other season, and he can't even perceive colors. All greys and darker shades. Then again, he's just a kid so that's only natural. He's not as lucky as his mom and dad who found each other back when they were five. And yet, woe is Tighnari for being seven years old and unable to tell plantains and bananas apart. 

Grey… grey… grey… everything was dreadfully grey. Why can’t it snow here now like it did in Liyue? That’s not fair. He wanted to see something lighter and more cheerful than this cold sight.

Tighnari trudged through the place with his tiny legs, hoping to pick up what he needed and head home fast. He whined and his shoulders sagged. In the common egocentric view of children his age, he complained loudly as he picked up a branch as if he was Atlas and it was the Earth. Tighnari rebelliously waved the stick at the sky for a bit when he did pick it up.

Now would be a good time for him to gain a vision, Celestia! It’s Celestia’s Day Eve! Do you hear his thoughts?! A pyro vision would be great, thank you very much!!! 

When Tighnari noticed four mushroom boars cuddling up to one another, he came to a complete halt. The cold must be hard on them too, huh? They stand out against the less vivid background because of their lighter fur. Tighnari might be able to bring some home. 

He instinctively reached for his bow but stopped midway.

Hold on– Dad didn't send him out here to hunt! He's supposed to bring back lumber like a grown-up!

Tighnari pouted. 

Ngh… but hunting's much more fun, though!– 

Hold on.

His eyes widened. His ears jolted upwards as Tighnari revolved his feet on an axis. He turned his heels around in an alert stance. There was no danger around him– there were no ruin guards, no eremites, no fungi– but his surroundings drastically changed. Tighnari kept shooting glances at the new world– the real world around him.

… What is that...?

“What color is that?!”

His hold on the branch tightened, squinting at the small leaf that grew on its side.

Green… green! This has to be green!

He grabbed his tail. Green– dark green? This is green! Are all of these leaves green? 

Tighnari grinned widely. 

His young and simple mind had decided that he liked the color green.

… Green… Yellow-green…

Those were the first colors he saw, but they didn’t come from the trees and the sprouted leaves surrounding him. What do other colors look like? As he was about to hastily scout the area for Sumeru roses, a dire thought occurred to him.

... Why did he start to see colors?

His heart dropped as he looked at the herd again.

… Green… Yellow-green boars…

Oh… oh no… to think he was just planning to kill them earlier...

Is his soulmate… a BOAR?!

His knees buckled down to the ground, the dewed tall grass scraping it slightly. No, it can't be. Tighnari laughed humorlessly. His parents take great pleasure in their son's innate intelligence and curiosity. It's only natural that he likes reading books– he leafed through some encyclopedias so there’s no way for Tighnari to miss that boars…

… have a life expectancy of 10 to 14 years.

"Ngh...!" Tighnari nearly teared up.

How… how can he fall in love with a boar, especially when they'll die before him? H-how can he kiss a boar? Is that even okay? Won’t his friends make fun of him?! Then again, if it's love, then there shouldn't be anything wrong with it, right?

But the rainforest… it’s greatly affected by the withering…By the time Tighnari graduates, he may not even see his soulmate frolicking in the grass anymore...

… That’s it.

The child clenched his fists. Tighnari’s knuckles grew pale– he had never felt this much resolve in his childhood years. It doesn't matter how long his soulmate lives, as long as he can help extend what little time they have, he'll make the most of it. Tighnari wasn’t going to let them die young, nu-uh! Especially not after he saw how beautiful the world is in full color.

He made up his mind. Starting today, he’s going to be a forest ranger to save his soulmate’s natural habitat!

"I-I…!" Tighnari puffed his cheeks out. The child didn’t care if he looked stupid, especially when his only audience was the silence of the rainforest. "I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE UGLY! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A BOAR!"

He shut his eyes tight, mustering the courage to accept his (hilarious) fate. If he had them open, Tighnari would’ve noticed two (h/c) protruding fox ears at the center of the bewildered herd.

"I’M GONNA LOVE YOU!!! I'M GONNA BE FOREST RANGER AND I'M GONNA PROTECT YOUR HOME!!! PLEASE STAY STRONG AND DON'T DIE YET!!!"

“W-Why are you screaming?!”

An unexpected voice called out. Tighnari froze, opening his eyes. 

A fox, you, suddenly appeared in the sea of yellow-green fur. Your face was coated in dirt, and your wool jacket was littered with hair that wasn't yours. You were a bit smaller in stature, probably younger than him, and you pulled your ears down to feign meekness and pain from Tighnari’s previous wailing. But most notable of all, you donned a nervous yet mischievous smile– a smile Tighnari will increasingly grow accustomed to for the entire duration of his life, and it gets better each time he sees it.

Your (e/c) eyes blinked, groggily realizing something was amiss. 

“O-Oh, woaaahh, COLORS!!!” You gawked in awe, mimicking the same movements Tighnari did when he gained the ability to see in full colors. “Hey, are you my soulmate?!– Achoo!!!”

Wait, is his soulmate one of the boars or…?

He shyly combed his hair down, now hyper-aware of how embarrassingly messy it was. Tighnari should've listened to his mom earlier. He didn't know he was meeting his soulmate today!

“I… I’m not sure…” Tighnari blinked, visibly perplexed. He glanced at the boars, troubled. A person was cuddling between those stinky animals? How could a fox's nose even handle that? He could barely keep his jaw from hitting the floor.

“Whack!” You blew a raspberry, your small fennec ears drawing back down. “W-Who else would it be other than ME? The boars???”

He grumbled. 'Well, excuse me, prince/ss', that was exactly what Tighnari thought earlier since you were hiding under their fur like an egg waiting to hatch.

“Never mind that! How about you? What are you doing here alone? Where are your parents– and why are you snuggling with them?!”

“C-Cuz it’s cold, alright?!” You sneezed again. Your voice echoed, cute and high-pitched. “M-My parents are adventurers and I wanted to follow them cuz they’re leaving me alone on Celestia Day b-but–”

You sneezed for the umpteenth time.

“B-But I don’t know where they went... I just wanted for us to drink hot cocoa b-but..." You sniffled. 

"S-so I’m hanging out with my REAL family now! They’re nicer and they gave me mushrooms. HMPH!!!”

You proudly put your hands on your hips as your fluffy ears pricked up. You mimicked a "dignified" posture you observed in exaggerated storybooks, pointing your chin upward.

Tighnari clicked his tongue. “Whatever, Boar Prince/ss. Get out of there before they ram their noses to your butt!!”

His weak threat only made his fellow fennec grouchier. “H-Hey! My name is (Y/n) and I’m five years old, th-thank you very much!”

(Y/n)... That’s a really pretty name… He wouldn’t mind saying it often.

“Whatever, I’m still gonna call you Boar Prince/ss. My name’s Tighnari. I’m seven so I’m two years older than you.”

“T-Tighnari, Tighnari. Heh. S-Sounds cool. What’s your last n-name?”

“Huh?”

“O-Obviously I don’t wanna keep my papa’s last name after they abandoned me, so I’M taking your last name, soulmate.”

“Gah– D-Don’t say things like that, you big lummox!!!” Tighnari huffed, his angry breath visible in the cold air. “And they probably didn’t abandon you, you’re just stubborn and you didn't listen to them like a bad kid.”

You purposefully ignored his last remark. “Why not? Aren’t we going to get married someday?”

Tighnari paused, his face heating up. Technically, you're right, but he didn’t want to admit that. 

He reached his hand out to help you get out of the boars’ place. “S-Shut up! Before you freeze, why don’t you come over to my house? My parents can make some pretty good hot cocoa.”

Your eyes beamed at the suggestion. “Drinking hot cocoa? Hmm... But I wanna do that with my cousins though.”

Tighnari's eye twitched. So much for "soulmates".

“HMPH! If you don’t wanna drink cocoa at my place then be one with the forest!”

“W-Wait up!”

Tighnari walked faster, a few paces ahead of them. You profusely apologized to your "new family" as you swerved out of the herd. Unfortunately for him, despite nearly shivering to death, you're a faster runner than Tighnari. Your hand seized his tail, and he felt his face and ears warm up. You could have yanked him playfully, but you chose to look at him and catch a glimpse of yourself in his eyes.

You decided at that moment that you like the color green, too.

“Hehe, your tail’s prettier than mine.”

He felt his heart race again. 

“W-Wa…” Warm...

“Wah?”

Tighnari trembled in jittery frustration.

“W-Watch your step, our place is near s-so it shouldn't be long until we see mom and dad. And grab my hand instead, won't you!” Tighnari huffed. His place WAS near, but that doesn't mean he won't complain about being ordered to pick up wood earlier.

You did what was instructed, and Tighnari suddenly recalled that you referred to him as your soulmate numerous times. He looked down and noticed how much your hands fit perfectly with his.

A perfect fit... A perfect match...

"Hey, soulmate?"

He answered reluctantly. "...Yeah?"

"I like how warm your hands are too..."

"Ngh!"

Tighnari's hand is sweating and his heart can't take it. It's physically impossible for him to fire a sassy retort to that. He closed his eyes again, overwhelmed.

Slightly, he wished that he couldn't see colors so that he wouldn't notice how cute his soulmate is with that "pink" blush dusting their face.

—----

“Oomph– y-you surprised me, love.”

Neither of you can believe it’s been 14 years since you both found each other– and this would be your 12th year spending Celestia's Day together.

Tighnari, now visibly older but just as energetic as he was before, captured your waist from the back. He put his head on your neck, humming contentedly as he basked in your presence. 

"Sorry, I just missed you…"

You smiled and ruffled his hair slightly. "I missed you, too…"

That's right, 12th year. You're finally home after a two-year-long expedition in the Chasm with Miss Yelan. Suppose being a bit adventurous does run in your blood. However, you weren't too late to not witness the nation of Sumeru change because of the traveler's influence. Since your return, Tighnari frequented your house more often– leaving the rangers with more work. Not that they mind, they’d rather pitch in than see their forest watcher mopey and depressed. Besides, you might've missed the Sabzerus festival, but you won't leave your fiance at his lonesome again for Celestia's Day. 

It’s impossible for him to keep under wraps just how much he adores you. Tighnari sighed dreamily, his expression softened as he looked at you. His fingertips shyly brushed against yours until he intertwined your hands. Although you were slightly tense, you relaxed into the hug and squeezed him back.

He whispered in your ear, his soothing tone complimenting the crackling of the fireplace. "I'm not letting you go… Ever…"

"I know."

"You know what? I'm locking the doors."

"Then what's the point of inviting the others to spend Celestia's Day if you did that, hmm? Do you want poor Collei to be alone on the holidays?"

His nose scrunched. The kid was sleeping soundly upstairs after she got tired of waiting for the traveler and Cyno. Tighnari's never going to abandon her, she can't be alone when she got the best parental figures with her. Better than those boars, at least.

"Collei can stay in, she’s like your daughter at this point. The others can perish."

"OUR daughter. Plus, last time I checked, it was your idea to invite them."

His hug tightened, "I made a grave mistake. I don't want to hear Cyno's jokes under the pine tree." 

By no means a novice to his snark, you chuckled softly. As time flew by, your old playful happy-go-lucky nature refined to be more serious, but never dull. You've both matured into fine adults. However, you're behaving rather timidly compared to your usual banter, which only pushed him to act skittish.

Tighnari pouted intentionally cute. “Honey... you know there’s no one else in the world more gorgeous than you, right?”

You tell each other everything, and this is often his best conversation starter for it. “What is it this time, love?”

“Hypothetically speaking, what if I told you I accidentally gave the others the wrong map?”

“...The wrong what?”

“The wrong map to your house.” His voice was muffled this time as he buried his face in the crook of your neck. You’re used to the sensation of him hiding his meek expressions behind you. “What if I told you I mailed them Collei’s drawing?”

You put your hand on your chin profoundly, your ears drooping down. You're something of a schemer yourself, so it's in your nature to doubt his claim. “Ah yes, because I’ll definitely believe you did that accidentally after you just said you don’t want them to come over.”

“Yes– cause this time I’m not lying.”

“Sure, you rotten fox…” You grumbled. “I can’t believe you’re exposing to everyone that I’m the Boar Prince/ss. It was supposed to be a secret!”

Tighnari laughed, his joy so contagious that your pretend dismay collapsed in an instant. The both of you stood by the fireplace for a while, your ears listening to the sound of your soulmate’s breathing.

It's the warm and comfortable moments of silence like this that can wash two years of loneliness away.

Life has kept you both so busy that the beginnings of your somewhat haphazard love story have been buried behind numerous tasks and research papers. Nevertheless, regardless of the conflicts you two had experienced, it all comes down to one tale. It is a wonderful serendipity that both perspectives coalesced into a single, cohesive narrative of a child who believed a boar was his soulmate and another who was unexpectedly adopted by the herd while looking for their parents.

Tighnari traced the engagement ring in your hand. His eyes were intensely green yet soft whenever he gazes at you. 

Green’s such a beautiful color, especially when it paints his features. You'll never grow tired of observing his face.

“(Y/n)... I'm so glad that you're alive, unlike a boar's lifespa–”

As if to ruin a magical moment in a Fontaine rom-com film, the door busted open, revealing a particularly unamused scribe with a mercenary, a dancer, a general, a gliding champion, and a traveler trailing behind him like lost puppies. You flinched at the sound while Tighnari put a distance between you and the “intruders”. He only relaxed when he saw Cyno lazily raise his hand.

“Motherfu– See? I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you, Dehya.”

“Relax, Haitham, what matters is we’re here now.”

“We would’ve gotten here earlier if SOMEONE didn’t trust a crayon map.”

“I’m sure Tighnari didn’t mean to send us that one.”

“Stop defending him, Cyno, you’re not his damn lawyer.”

While carrying a sizable sweet madame, Lumine shrugged at the very back and looked directly at you and Tighnari. Paimon drifted next to her while sluggishly drooling.

"Happy Celestia day!"

Despite being worn out, the traveler tried her best to ignore the miserable arguments being had by everyone with a large smile.

You snorted behind your hand as Alhaitham brushed off the snow in his cloak by the carpet. You found it funny that none of them, except the scribe, ventured to doubt the quite literally sketchy map. It's impressive that they managed to read Collei's handwriting.

Deciding not to point that out, you helped them get inside. Dehya stood behind him with a sheepishly amiable smile with Nilou directly next in the queue. Nilou giggled as Alhaitham muttered a string of curses under his breath about how he’s too feeble of a scholar for this amount of legwork. Meanwhile, the person who you assumed was "Amber", looked around for any signs of her Sumeruan friend.

Your satisfied smile never left your face as you watched your friends chat heartily. Celestia's Day with friends and family... it's just like what you asked for 14 years ago.

"I'll go and wake Collei up," Tighnari muttered before he pecked your cheek. You nodded along. It was your idea to surprise Collei with Amber after all.

"Bring out the mugs and hot cocoa too."

"On it."

Alhaitham noticed the fox was about to leave and scoffed, his face souring in an expression similar to his housemate's. Oh, he's pissed.

“You…" He pointed an accusatory finger at you. "Why did you send us to the middle of the rainforest? And why on earth is it jam-packed with boars? Is this some high-level joke I can’t comprehend?”

“That’s what I would also like to know too, actually,” Nilou mused, but by the teasing lilt of her voice, it seemed as if she already guessed the answer. “Why did you mark the boars’ habitat as (Y/n)’s home?”

You and Tighnari looked at each other in unison. Your shoulders shook as you both silently held back your laughter.

“Yeah, well, about that…”

----------

Ansytea: happy holidays, riabef!!! hope you liked this <33!!!

[artofpoeticjustice]

Websites for authors

Hello, lovely people!

Sometimes it's not easy to find certain things. You search and somehow only a few know.

It took me a long time to find good websites, and today I'm sharing them with you.

Google Maps → Most people don’t know, but you are able to create your own map on Google. It’s a little complicated, that’s why I suggest you to google it – otherwise write me, and I’ll try to help you. It’s very helpful and if your story is based in this world, you can easily mark places or change them. I love it!

Canva.com → You need a Cover, but don’t know how to start? This site gives you the opportunity to use fonts, templates and much more. Sometimes it automatically offers you pictures from pixabay.com, which are free to use. If not, you can also visit this site and check out if a picture matches your wishes. Play with it and watch how you create your own book cover. (It offers even more than covers, but I’m not going to talk about it in this post.)

Familyecho.com → If you want to create a family tree without much work, this will help you. It’s a great site, and you can actually see how everyone is related.

Korrekturen.de → This is a German site, and I’m not sure, how good it is for English. BUT for German writers, this is almost a must-have. It’ll correct your writing prompts and help you to think more about your text. You just have to remember one thing: It only allows you to correct 1.5k words at a time. If your writing is longer, you have to copy and paste all the time (like me!).

Lanuagetool.org → This is the alternative for every other language (including German). You can apply it on your browser, download it, or just use it online.

Worldanvil.com → If you want to create a whole new world, this site will help you. I haven’t checked it out in detail till now, but I really like it. You can create a history of a world, an atlas, encyclopedia and areas and a map – it offers everything.

Nuclearsecrecy.com → If you’re writing a story, where a bomb is exploding, you can use this. You can select the type of bomb, and then you’ll see how much it will destroy. Great thing, if you’re going to write a dystopian story.

Mattbierbaum.github.io/zombies-usa/ → Another great site for zombie stories is this. I only found and used it for the USA, but I’m sure you can get it for other parts of the world as well. Here you can place a zombie and check how much time it’ll take till he comes to a certain place. Furthermore, you can simulate how fast he’ll spread the virus in a certain time. It’s a very interesting thing, and you can practically watch how quick the apocalypse will take down a country.

Oldmapsonline.org → If you are writing a story, which takes place in the past, this site might help you. You can check out old maps and furthermore, you can place them in today's world map and get an idea of how it used to be back then.

Tvtropes.org → You don’t know what kind of story you write? Well, there’s a name for everything. A list of tropes can be found here. Have fun and feel free to tell others what you’re writing.

Nanowrimo.org → I’m not such a fan of this site, BUT as a motivation it might help you to connect with other writers during the nanowrimo – the months in which writing is THE topic! You don’t upload anything there, but you talk to others and share your word counts!

Dafont.com → Most people are using the same font over and over. Sometimes a change in look, can motivate you so much! You can download every kind of font here, and almost everything is for free! (Remember the talk about covers? You can use those fonts for them.)

YouTube → Everybody knows it, but only a little people use it. You can create playlists and make a great soundtrack for your story.

Messletters.com → it’s a great site, if you need a different kind of writing and the page you’re writing only offers a few. You can copy them easily and use them. Furthermore, this site also has a lot of symbols. Check it out and see if it satisfies your aesthetic heart.

DeepL.com → if you require translations, use this one instead of Google translator. You can also upload PPTX data and much more.

Ko-Fi.com → if you want to sell stuff or just a tip from your readers, this site will help you. You can easily create an account and your readers can give you little money as a support.

Timeanddate.com → You want to know what kind of weather it was on a certain date at a certain place? This site will help you.

Hopefully this will help you. Have fun and follow me for more.

Justice. ♥

[numinousmysteries]

Dancing the Tandava (10/10)

We've reached the end. Thank you for all your kind words, likes, and reblogs. I'm so happy you enjoyed this story and I'm thankful this fandom is still alive and kicking <3

[on Ao3] @today-in-fic

Geneva, Switzerland 2023

The rumbling stops abruptly. Mulder opens his eyes and sees that light, both from the fluorescent overhead and the window, has returned to the room. He’s still huddled under the desk with Scully and Hannah but there’s no longer any debris strewn on the floor.

“What the hell was that?” Scully says, her voice taking on the high-pitched tone he knows she only uses when she’s faced with something she truly can’t explain.

Equally baffled, he shrugs as the three of them get up from the floor. They’re in the same office as they were before, but there’s no sign the room was just rocked by a seismic quake. Instead, the desk is neatly organized. The messy piles of paper are gone, along with the bael tree in the corner of the room.

“Look at this,” Hannah says, holding up a framed photo on the desk. Bellona is in the picture alongside an olive-skinned woman around his age and three teenagers who must be their children. All five are dressed in hiking gear, smiling atop a mountain.

Mulder tries the door again and this time it opens easily. Hannah and Scully follow him out into the hallway. There’s no sign of Bellona or any of his followers. The door closes behind them and he notices the nameplate bearing Bellona’s name is gone and is replaced with one that reads “Dr. Samita Shah.”

Hannah and Scully spot the nameplate as well and the three of them stare at each other in bewilderment.

“We should check the collider tunnel,” Hannah says.

Hannah doesn’t have the authority to access the LHC tunnel as an intern, but after a few texts to her friend Emmanuelle from the control center, she’s able to swipe her ID card at the ATLAS entry point. Her card grants her access to the elevator, too. The giant elevator lurches into action and they begin their long descent hundreds of feet underground.

The elevator opens into the tunnel that houses the LHC. There’s a narrow walkway along the side of the curved wall, tracing the body of the collider that extends for miles ahead of them.

Mulder spots movement up ahead and the three of them sprint down the walkway toward the shadowy shape.

“It’s William,” Scully shouts as they get closer. Mulder steps aside to let her reach William first.

Their son is on his hands and knees with his head bowed.

“Don’t move,” Scully cautions, as she checks him for signs of injury. “Did you hit your head?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he says. “I’m okay.”

Mulder joins Scully as they gently help him up to his feet. “I’m in the LHC tunnel? At CERN?” He asks.

“Yeah, buddy,” Mulder says.

“And it’s 2023?”

Mulder confirms the year for him as Scully keeps a firm grip on William’s forearm, both to keep him steady and ensure he won’t disappear again.

“Mom,” William pulls her into a hug. “You saved the world.”

“She has a habit of doing that,” Mulder says, embracing both of them.. He’s reminded of the night William was born, finding Scully and the baby in that dilapidated room, and feeling so overwhelmed by fear and love. His heart hammers as he squeezes his family tighter, unwilling to let them go.

“William!” He hears Hannah shouting and heading towards them.

William frees himself of his parents’ grasp and runs past them along the walkway to meet Hannah. Mulder and Scully watch as Hannah goes to hug him but William takes her face in his hands and kisses her on the lips. They can see Hannah’s shock melting into joy as she grabs him around the waist and draws him in closer. Their lips draw apart but their faces stay close as they whisper to each other. Mulder can’t hear everything they’re saying but he can make out a few “missed yous” and “love yous”

“They make a good team,” Scully says quietly.

“They remind me of us. I guess declarations of love following near-death time-travel experiences run in the family.”

She smirks at him but rises on her tip toes to kiss his cheek, imprinting the spot where she once landed a right hook on a ghost ship. Her lips are warm and soft on his skin, a far gentler sensation than the one her sharp knuckles left back in 1939.

William turns back towards them and calls out, “Let’s get out here.”

William and Hannah walk back to the elevator holding hands. Mulder smiles at Scully, happy to see the relief in her eyes, then guides her in the direction they came from with his hand on the small of her back.

***

Once Scully feels confident that William doesn’t have a head injury or other serious physical damage from his disappearance, the foursome make their way to CERN’s Restaurant 1 cafeteria for dinner. William fills them in on his trip to Camp Hero in 1993. A Google search on Hannah’s phone fails to turn up any articles on Samita Shah’s death. Instead, she’s currently listed as a visiting scientist at CERN, on a one-year fellowship while her husband, Vincent Bellona, continues his work as a tenured physics professor at Princeton.

“It worked, mom,” William says to Scully, smiling. “You convinced Dr. Shah not to join the project.”

“Apparently,” Scully says. “But what I don’t understand is, why do we have no memory of this? If we were able to change the past by altering Shah and Bellona’s timeline, why don’t dad and I remember meeting you in the past? Or any of this happening in 1993?”

“They must’ve wiped our memory before we left Camp Hero,” Mulder says. “The military had that technology back then. They did it to me at Ellens Air Base on one of our very first cases together.”

“Or we could be dealing with a multiverse scenario,” Hannah says.

William looks at her agape. “We must be if you’re seriously proposing that. I think I like you even more in this universe.”

“Ha, ha,” Hannah intones sarcastically and William winks back at her.

“Anyway, I can’t believe how young the two of you looked,” William says to his parents in between bites of his burger. “And even though you were just partners, I could totally tell you liked each other. It was kind of cute.”

“Oh, William,” Scully says. “I can only imagine which ridiculous suit I was wearing, or what tie your dad had on. We must’ve seemed terminally uncool.”

“Well, I wouldn’t really call you guys cool now,” William counters. Mulder playfully flicks a piece of paper straw wrapper at his son. William adeptly dodges it and the balled-up paper flies over this shoulder.

Hannah pokes Wiliam’s bicep with her finger. “Don’t tease them,” she says. “Your parents are awesome. Look how they helped me find you, and how they helped you back in 1993 when they didn’t even know you.”

“They got to know me,” William says, smiling wryly at Mulder. “It took my mom a little more time to believe me, but she got there.”

Scully glances down and Mulder rests a hand on her thigh trying to comfort her. “I wouldn’t have expected any less,” he says.

“It’s just that now—” Scully starts, her voice breaking as a breath catches in her throat. “I couldn’t imagine life without you. We were so scared when you disappeared.”

The mood of the table sombers until William stands up and comes around to the other side to hug his mother. Still seated, she rests her head against his stomach and embraces him around the waist. “I would love you in any universe,” she whispers, pulling back slightly to wipe tears from her eyes.

“I know,” William says, smoothing down her auburn hair. “I think we’d always recognize each other. You too, dad.” He smiles at Mulder then over the table at Hannah. “And you too, Hannah.” Across their trays of half-eaten food, Mulder sees Hannah blushing.

Since finding out William had disappeared, Mulder’s been running on adrenaline, not giving himself a moment to pause and consider the possibility that they’d never see their son again. Now, the relief washes over him like a crashing wave and he doesn’t fight the tears as they come.

So much has changed in thirty years since a skeptical, red-headed spy sauntered into his office haughty with the confidence that comes from never seeing the supposedly immutable laws of nature mutate before your eyes. They tested and challenged each other and forged an elemental bond that couldn’t be shattered with all the energy the world’s largest particle accelerator could muster.

So much has changed for the better. They have a miracle of a son. He just heard Scully essentially admit to believing in alternate universes, although he has no intention of pointing that out to her. He hasn’t abandoned his quest for answers, but he’s found that unraveling the mysteries of the universe can coexist with loving and being loved. It’s more than he ever thought he deserved, and it’s all he could ever want for his son.

[jedusaur]

Recs: Clint/Bucky fics with 200-500 kudos

after going through the entire Clint/Bucky pairing tag on AO3, I did a recs post for my favorite fics with under 200 kudos (a range covering more than half of the works in the tag) and now I've decided to do one for fics with 200-500 kudos (another ~quarter of the tag). there are 36 pages of fic with more than 500 kudos, so I figure most people won't get to these on a casual binge.

What Spring Does With the Cherry Trees, by @bittercape (32k) Bucky moves into Clint's apartment building and starts working on figuring out what he likes. this one has that lovely chill vibe where they both kinda know where their relationship is heading and neither of them is in too much of a rush to get there, which is my absolute favorite kind of slow burn, and there's a lot of focus on reflection and healing and self-care and just hangin out being comfortable with each other <3

You Can Never Go Home Again, by @flawedamythyst (49k) Clint and Bucky get sent back in time to 1939, and Bucky slowly unlearns his internalized homophobia and realizes that the "just two straight buddies helping each other out" handjobs they've been exchanging are not actually straight. I did a literal double-take when I saw how few kudos this had, it is one of my favorite fics in this pairing and it has the single hottest first kiss I have ever read in my entire life

Delicate Tension, by @feedmecookiesnow (53k) beautiful, quiet, sweet, sexy road trip fic, with lots of pleasant imagery in Bucky's photography and a satisfying slow-ish burn that resolves about halfway through so there's some nice early relationship navigation too. the tags are accurate but don't really convey the vibe of it, the trauma stuff is fairly low-key and the general feel is uplifting. also, the choice of tattoo on Clint's ass is INSPIRED, just an absolute *chef's kiss* bit of characterization there

Days That Used To Last A Lifetime, by @there-must-be-a-lock (10k) in which Clint is a dog walker and Bucky is a shameless flirt and both of them are a hot mess and do a lot of recreational drugs and end up murmuring secrets to strangers at ass o'clock in the morning in someone else's apartment

Sequestered, by @lizabethl (38k) in which Clint and Bucky are separately sent off to the same beach house for a much-needed vacation, then hop back on duty just long enough to temporarily acquire a child. deals with some tough stuff but it's mostly about healing and connection and growth

Hydra's Bite, by @flawedamythyst (118k) Buffy AU with a long piney slow burn and great found-family vibes. Clint is the Xander who rescues Bucky from a nest of hydras, Natasha is the Slayer, Coulson is kind of the Giles except undead, Jarvis is the ghost butler, Bruce has a demon living in him, and Tony inherited leadership of the Watchers' Council from his dad. also there's a running joke about all the demons Clint has fucked XD

quickly dream away the time; and then the moon, by @cloud--atlas (16k) Clint is housesitting Tony Stark's mansion in the Hamptons when Lucky gets through a hole in the hedge and makes friends with the hot rich neighbor

Gonna Be My Girl?, by @mightymightygnomepriest (46k) Clint and Bucky hook up while Clint is dressed up as a schoolgirl for Halloween, then they both make some assumptions they shouldn't be making and Clint keeps fucking Bucky in girl mode only. I'm not generally a fan of this kind of miscommunication-based plot, but this one really worked for me

The Middle of the Story, by @lissadiane (13k) look. I know you're gonna read the tag "Clint is literally a unicorn" and immediately want to roll your eyes and close the tab. I know. just... *takes you by the shoulders and looks intensely into your eyes* just trust me, okay

Personal Security (Let's Go Steal Ourselves a Remix), by @supervillainny (8k) Clint develops an inconvenient crush on the head of security at the art gallery he and Nat are about to rob

Boris the Soviet Love Hammer, by @bittercape (11k) the title/tags/summary make this one sound way crackier than it is, it's just a fun get-together fic with a few shenanigans. the part where they're fighting bad guys and Steve goes "Hawkeye, NO" and Clint is just like :D "Hawkeye yes" :D made me laugh very very hard

Universal Constant, by @mariana-oconnor (16k) Clint gets knocked into another dimension where Bucky is a stripper, bangs him, then finds that dimension's Clint and bangs both of them together. A+ no notes

how do you want me, by @feathers-and-cigarettes and @sevdrag (6k) deliciously twisted hookup-turned-attempted-murder-turned-back-to-hookup

All Bark, All Bite, by @hawksonfire (6k) he was a werewolf, he was a vampire, can I make it any more obvious