#shadowjack12345

[shadowjack12345]

The Path

"Aaagh! Dammit!"

Asami cursed as the chair hit the uneven ground, the remains of a ruined building, beneath her. The parachute had slowed her descent but the landing had still rattled her teeth. She clawed at the harness around her, holding her in her seat, but it wouldn't give. She felt her eyes sting and she bared her teeth as she yanked and snarled at it.

Her father was dead.

She grunted wordlessly, forcing the thought away and fought even harder. She stopped and forced herself to slow down. She knew how to release the harness, and trying to rip it off with brute strength wasn't the way, at least for her. She suspected Korra coud probably do it that way. With that thought, she looked up and imagined she saw a flash of blue, accompanied by several other dark shapes, disappear into the hole she and her father had...

Her father was dead.

Her hands fell limply into her lap and she stared blankly ahead. Her vision blurred as hot tears started to fill her eyes, and her chest ached as her breath came quick and heavy. She wondered if she would scream, but Kuvira's colossus ripped its own arm off and hurled it straight over Asami, landing some blocks away with a deafening crash. The adrenaline surged through her and she managed to get her hands to work again - she was still in the middle of a battlefield, stuck in this damn seat. She found the release and the straps fell slack. She pushed them from her shoulders and started picking her way through the rubble to the street. Before she even made it that far, the colossus drew her attention again as it started to make some worrying noises. She watched it carefully for a long moment, then gasped as its midsection exploded and the whole thing fell to earth in pieces. Her mouth leaped into her throat and her legs shook as she started to make her way to the wreckage.

It seemed to take an age, and by the time she had found her way to a clear road, the way ahead was consumed by an expanding burst of spirit energy. She darted into a nearby stairway and covered her ears as it roared past, yelling uselessly at the cacophony. Quickly, more quickly than seemed possible, the maelstrom ended, and Asami cautiously opened her eyes and turned back to the street. When she stepped out, she was immediately drawn to the green and yellow spiralling light that seemed to be flowing up into the sky. Surely everyone else would be heading that way as well.

The sight of the phenomenon would have been spectacular if she hadn't been beside herself with worry. She had bumped into Tenzin, and they had found Mako and Bolin. They said Korra had chased Kuvira into the Spirit vines, and that was now a crater, the epicentre of the explosion. Tenzin had called it a spirit portal and Asami reminded herself to be amazed later, when they had found Korra. Mako and Bolin checked the remaining wreckage with no luck, and everyone started calling Korra's name, not knowing what else to do. Asami just stood, looking around at the vines but not seeing. She couldn't do this. She couldn't lose her father and then Korra all at once. She couldn't let Korra go without-

"The spirits have returned," Tenzin said, hopefully. Asami turned to face him and then followed his gaze to the portal. Just as Korra stepped through.

"And so has Korra!" Asami cried, barely even realising Kuvira was with her. The adrenaline spiked again when the Earth Empire troops showed up, but Kuvira quickly and conclusively surrendered. And that was that. They had won. Su and Lin took Kuvira away and, on shaking legs, Asami reached out to Korra. Her hand landed on her shoulder and she smiled, and Korra smiled back. She was really okay. Bolin cheered and turned it into a huge group hug that nearly collapsed under everyone's weight. Asami took a deep breath, her hand still on Korra's shoulder, and let herself relax a little - the battle was over. The airbenders and White Lotus guards started to show up to take care of the Earth Empire prisoners, and one of them took Mako away to have his arm looked at, and Bolin followed. Tenzin was giving his airbenders instructions as they came and went, and Korra was with him. Wait... she was looking right at her.

"Asami, are you alright?" she asked. Asami tried to say she was fine, but blackness crept in at the edges of her vision and the ground was rushing up towards her. "Asami!"

/

Meeting Korra had drastically altered the path of Asami's life. In a relatively short time she had gone from being an inventor and minor celebrity to a vigilante patrolling the streets looking to fight the Equalists, but only after Korra had exposed her father as one of them. She was arrested, then broken out, then she fought and defeated her father in a mecha-tank. And Mako left her for Korra. Maybe she should have been mad, but Korra had been genuinely sad to show Hiroshi's true colours. And Mako had made his choice, Korra hadn't made it for him. She remembered at the end of it all, waiting as Master Katara unsuccessfully tried to restore Korra's bending, not knowing what to do next, only for Korra to come back and demonstrate that she'd restored it herself, or Aang had at any rate. She remembered the awe she felt when Korra's eyes shone with white light and she returned Lin's bending as well.

Their next adventure was just as exhausting, her company on the edge of ruin, the dark spirits, Varrick, Mako breaking up with Korra, then breaking up with Asami, then breaking up with Korra again! Their attack on Tarrlok's forces was the worst kind of long shot, and even at the time she couldn't quite believe she had flown a plane with Mako and Bolin strapped to the wings to attack the ground. They had lost that gamble, or would have but for Bumi, and Korra had trusted Asami with her father, who she had taken for healing. It had been wrenching to leave the others to fight, but she knew Korra could spare them even less. And so she had sat and waited with Katara, Jinora and Korra's family while the world turned dark around them. It didn't last too long, but it felt like an age as they just waited. When Jinora blinked and woke up, calm and peaceful, she had told them something, just a few words, that once again shifted Asami's world around her.

"Korra saved the world."

They had stayed in the South Pole a while longer while Korra and her people chose a new path for the Southern Water Tribe, and Asami offered what help she could, though her resources were a fraction of what they had been, thanks to Varrick. She managed to get a first-hand account of Korra's battle from Bolin, rolling her eyes when he described Korra becoming a giant spirit, just as big as Aang's statue back home. She looked to Mako and waited for him to chide Bolin for exaggerating... but he didn't. He only nodded along and shook his head at key moments, clearly just as astonished as his brother. Asami still struggled with their account - it was too much, even for the Avatar. Right? Only when she returned home to Republic City did the reality hit her. Bolin's wish of someone capturing the fight on film hadn't come true, but there were plenty of photographs. There she was, clear as day on every front page, and as tall as a skyscraper.

Asami had cried that night. The sheer immensity of what Korra was, what she could do, was too much to bear. It made her feel insignificant and small, yet she also felt powerful, elevated by her association. Korra was astonishing, and Asami would make sure she knew it. She had found her the next day, back at Air Temple Island. Korra was staring out to sea, and saw as Asami docked her small boat.

"Hey, Asami!" she called, waving. Asami smiled back and made her way to join her.

"Korra. How are you?" she asked. Korra was smiling, but there was a shadow behind it.

"I'm not sure. A lot has happened. Is it weird to mourn now for someone who died the literal moment I was born? It sounds weird, even by my standards," she said. Asami smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, Korra. I wish I could empathise with that," she said. "But I can empathise with breaking up with Mako, at least." For a heartbeat, she though the joke was a huge mistake, badly timed and badly judged. Then Korra laughed, a loud guffaw that had her clutching her stomach.

"You... you are bad, Miss Sato," Korra laughed. Her laughter stopped abruptly when Asami threw her arms around her and pulled her into a fierce hug.

"Thank you," Asami said tightly. "Thank you for saving us." Korra blushed and fidgeted.

"It's okay. That's what Avatars do after-"

"I don't care," Asami interrupted, pulling back to hold Korra at arms length, her hands gripping Korra's shoulders. "You saved us. You saved me, you saved Tenzin, you saved Pema and the kids, you saved your parents, you saved Bolin and Mako, you saved Naga and Pabu. You saved the whole world, Korra, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's grateful, but I wanted to be sure at least one person told you. So here I am." Asami had said alot more than she had planned to, and Korra stared back wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Then she ducked her head and smiled shyly, very atypical for the Avatar, and looked back up at Asami.

"Thanks. Thank you," she said, before drawing Asami in for another embrace. "I'm really glad you hit Mako with your bike." Asami laughed this time.

"I'm glad I met you too."

After that, their friendship only grew stronger. Asami found herself attending most of Korra's public appearances, even if only to soothe her in the face of public disapproval, and only once did she feel she had to stop Korra from airbending Raiko into a tree. Korra took to starting her days in the city at Asami's front door, the pair of them sitting for breakfast before they each went about their business. Asami took to following Korra home in the evenings to share a meal with her and the Air Nomads, who were always glad to have her. Tenzin still remembered Asami's part in his rescue from the Equalists and so treated her with warm respect, and Pema followed suit. Jinora was politely curious while Ikki was... impolitely curious. Meelo was Meelo.

Then came the airbenders. Somehow, Korra's actions had birthed a whole new generation of airbenders, and she resolved to find them and help them. The first person she turned to for help was Asami, hoping to loan an airship. Asami gave them the ship, crewed it out of her own pocket and piloted it herself. That got her one of those hugs where her feet left the ground - she liked those ones. Team Avatar was back together and, slight awkwardness with Mako aside, it was a lot of fun, a grand adventure. Asami was delighted to find out that, as well as being good friends, she and Korra made a good team, whether fighting bandits or the Earth Queen's soldiers or escaping a giant desert creature. It was odd, looking back later on such happy memories, as they led to such an unhappy conclusion.

The Red Lotus. A secret society devoted to killing Korra. Who she was made no difference to them, only that she was the Avatar. Anything they learned about her was only used to manipulate and destroy her, nothing more. On some level, Asami understood it wasn't personal, if that even mattered, but she didn't care. She very quickly learned to hate them, and the moment when Korra said she would give herself up to them only made her hate them more. They expected treachery and even planned for it, but it hadn't been enough. Korra had been taken, poisoned and beaten within an inch of her life before they were able to reach her. The look on Korra's face when she reached up to her father, eyes shining white, just before the poison almost claimed her, would feature in Asami's darkest dreams for some time. She stood there, unable to move, unable to breathe, and watched Korra die.

It was cruel, she would think later, that that was the moment she became certain of what Korra meant to her. Friends, yes. Best friends, even. But there was more. There was so much more. And Korra would die before she could say any of it.

Until Jinora shouted something at Su Yin and then, Korra moved and coughed and spluttered and lived! She was alive! Asami almost fainted on the spot, but she breathed, she moved, and she smiled when Korra reached up to her father and spoke.

Korra's condition was... bad. Asami moved back to Air Temple Island to help care for her, even made sure she had the best wheelchair possible. Korra let Asami see her, really see her, at her lowest. Only her parents were allowed to remain as close, and Asami struggled not to make any assumptions, to let her imagination go wild - it was an inappropriate time to dump her feelings on Korra and inappropriate to speculate on Korra's feelings. She needed help and Asami would provide it, willingly and happily. Even so, their time together became more intimate by necessity, as Korra needed help bathing, dressing even eating at first, and Asami felt herself falling harder.

When Korra left, Asami was torn. Korra said she'd only be gone a few weeks, and Asami had offered more than once to join her, but Korra had politely declined, citing concerns for her company and other things that Asami would gladly burn to the ground to have Korra healthy again. Still, she respected Korra's choice, partly to try and hide the strength of her affection, and partly because Korra might have been right. A break away from the city, back in her childhood home, might do her good. And Asami was of Republic City, a constant reminder. So she let her go. And while she learned to live with it, she would question her decision for three years.

She moved back to the city, and threw herself into her work. People still grumbled about the spirit vines, and so Asami decided to do something about it. If the vines couldn't be moved, the city would need to change around them. She worked furiously for two weeks on her designs, even hoping to have a meeting with Raiko to get things moving so she had some good news for Korra when she came back. But she didn't come back.

Tenzin told her when she visited the temple to hear any news, that Korra's recovery would take longer than they'd hoped, possibly much longer, and Katara was taking personal charge of her treatment. That was good, Asami supposed, but her heart ached all the same.

"Can we... Could I..." she started. Tenzin gave her a sad look and laid his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Asami, but you can't visit yet. I'm told she is reading any letters we send, though, so keep that up if you can," he said, kindly. Asami nodded and pursed her lips, her eyes squeezed shut.

"I miss her, Tenzin," she croaked. He smiled.

"As do I," he said. He watched her struggle for a few more seconds then spoke again: "Why don't you stay here for now?" he asked. Asami blinked up at him.

"I could... no. No, you should keep your rooms for your air nation, who knows how many more you might need," she said. Tenzin stood directly in front of Asami and now held both her shoulders.

"Asami," he said, slowly, a fond look in his eyes. "You helped us find and transport the air benders. You helped them escape the Earth Queen. You fought to rescue them from the Red Lotus, including my children. You may not be an air bender, but you are part of the air nation, if you want to be. And you are welcome here at any time, on as permanent or temporary a basis as you please." That did it. Asami's tears fell and she lurched into Tenzin's arms. She looked down when she felt Jinora, Ikki and Meelo wrapping themselves around her as she had seen them do to their father. She was still heartbroken, but no longer felt alone.

Two years later, she would still often spend the night on the island, dividing her time between there and her apartment in the city. She sat at the small desk in her room, an empty teacup next to her as she tapped her pen on the still mostly blank paper. So far, her letter was exactly two words: Dear Korra. She sighed and sat back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. She had dutifully written, as she had been asked, for two years but having received no reply, she was starting to wonder if it was worth it. Tenzin told her that she was reading them but were they just trying to make her feel better? She didn't know what to do.

"A sign would be nice about now," she muttered.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Asami?"

"Uh.. come in Tenzin," she said. His timing was unsettling. He stepped in and she smirked at him. "When I asked for a sign, I didn't think to get one, and definitely didn't think it'd be you," she chuckled. He stopped dead, his brow knitting.

"Excuse me?" he asked. Asami shook her head.

"Nothing," she said, tossing her pen onto the desk. Tenzin saw the bare beginning of a letter.

"Not sure what to write?" he asked.

"Not sure if to write at all. I can't help but wonder if there's any point any more," she admitted. Understanding dawned across Tenzin's face.

"Ah. Hence your 'sign'. I see," he said. "Well, I may not be the sign you were waiting for... but perhaps this is." Asami looked up as he produced an envelope. She took it carefully and saw a post mark from the Southern Water Tribe. Her eyes widened and she looked up at Tenzin, then back down at the envelope a few times before trembling fingers started to pick it open. Just as she went to take out the folded letter within, she gave Tenzin an uncertain glance. He smiled again and bowed before leaving, closing the door behind him. Asami took a calming breath and began to read. It wasn't a happy letter, and she knew of Korra's progress already thanks to Tenzin, but it was a letter. Korra had finally sent a letter and had chosen to send it to her. She read it a half dozen times, wiping at her eyes the entire time, and then she finally picked up her pen again.

It had taken several drafts before Asami was satisfied with her reply. Frankly, the others made it a little too obvious that Asami's feelings had moved beyond just friendship (in fact she'd spelled it out in very specific terms in her first attempt). She kept writing, and a year after that, she was delighted when Korra was due to return, then crushed when she didn't appear. And when she did finally come back, the old feelings, never far away anyway, rushed right back. After their initial, slightly bumpy reunion, Asami found herself following the Avatar again, and extremely happy to be doing so.

On several occasions, she found herself wondering about confessing: sharing tea on Air Temple Island, sitting alone with Korra in the restaurant waiting for Mako and Wu, the actual literal moment she was finally able to hold Korra again in the lobby... heck, even after they'd jumped off a train after rescuing Wu, she'd wondered how Mako would take it if she asked Korra out during their group hug! It would have been a happy time if not for the ever-present and growing threat from Kuvira. And if not for her father.

She was cautiously happy when Lin had brought him to help with the hummingbird suits, emphasis on cautious. It quickly melted away, though, and they fell back into an old and familiar routine of bouncing around ideas and building them as they spoke. And, it turned out, despite everything that had happened between them, he knew her best after all.

"You should say something," he said, quietly, as they cut and soldered and welded at breakneck speed. She glanced at him.

"Say something?" she asked.

"To Korra," he answered without stopping. Asami's heart skipped a beat and her breath held itself against her will.

"About what?" she asked with unconvincing nonchalance.

"Asami, she's about to lead a team of benders against that platinum terror to buy us time, and then we're going to fly these out there to fight it. If something happens..." he said, not needing to explain further. Asami wanted to tell him he was wrong, but they had learned this lesson before. Zaheer had taught them. She stopped her work and faced her father.

"Dad..."

"Go! I'm done here," he said, indicating his work. "I can finish up for you." Asami smiled, turned, and ran. Korra was directing the airbenders as they went to drop Mako, Lin and Bolin in position, she was about to fly after them, glider staff in hand.

"Korra!" Asami called, and suddenly realised she had no idea what else to say. Korra turned to her, concerned.

"Asami? Is something wrong? The hummingbirds-"

"They're fine, we're just finishing up. It's just..." she said. Why was this so hard?

"It's just what, Asami?" Korra asked, looking over her shoulder to the same exit everyone else had just used. "There isn't much time, can we-"

"You have to come back. You have to survive this. I learned what life is like without you in it and I can't bear it. I don't want that. I want you in my life, Korra," Asami said, stepping forward and taking Korra's hand in both of hers. Korra stared, wide-eyed, but the crash of destruction drew her attention. She looked back again, then to Asami.

"I'll come back to you, Asami. Trust me," she said. Asami nodded.

"I trust you," she answered. Korra grinned that lopsided grin.

"That goes for you too, by the way. I need you to survive too, okay?"

"I will," Asami replied, firmly. She would. Korra grabbed her staff again and leapt into the sky. Asami sprinted back to the workshop. She would fight and survive. For Korra.

/

Asami's eyes opened to the night sky moving above here. She slowly sat up, or tried to anyway, when Korra appeared and gently held her still.

"Hey," she whispered. Asami smiled back, tightly. For a blessed moment, she had forgotten, but it didn't last. Her father had died to save her. Tenzin's face appeared as well.

"Asami, you're awake! Thank goodness," he said, sighing with relief. With Korra's help this time, though she didn't feel it necessary, Asami sat up. She saw they were on Oogi's back, and she thought she saw Jinora at the reins.

"I healed you as well as I could, but I didn't find many injuries. We'll have Kya check you over when she can," Korra said.

"I need to find my father," Asami said, her voice rough. Korra and Tenzin's eyes met.

"Asami," Tenzin started, gently. "Your father didn't-"

"I know!," Asami snapped. "I need to find him, I can't just leave him there."

"We won't. Once we're sure you're okay, we can-"

"No! I won't let someone else, some stranger find him like that. I need to. I need..." Asami said, starting strong but getting shakier as she spoke. Korra's hand took hers and Asami looked up at her, miserable.

"Asami. You trust me, right?" she asked. Asami's lips pursed and her eyes filled with tears and, not trusting her voice, she simply nodded. "I'll bring him to you." With that, Korra leapt from Oogi's back and vanished. The next several minutes were a blur to Asami, but she realised they had landed and she was being helped to the ground. Tenzin took her to a seat that faced the city and sat with her, while Jinora took Oogi and left again. Nothing was said. Tenzin only sat with her. Asami broke the silce first.

"I just... it isn't fair. I just got him back. We were... and now he's gone," she whimpered. Tenzin nodded, but he didn't look away from the city.

"You're right. It isn't fair," he said. Asami blinked up at him - she had been expecting him to remind of her father's noble sacrifice to make his death seem somehow less awful. "When Avatar Aang... when my father died, I felt similarly. Feel angry, Asami. Feel sad about how unfair it all is. He faced his death bravely, but don't let anyone tell you it makes it easier." Asami nodded and silence returned, more comfortable this time.

She wasn't sure exactly sure how long they'd been sitting there when there were shouts from across the water. A point of light appeared in the dark city and moved to the water. A great wave surged up beneath the light and bore it toward them. Tenzin stood and watched as it grew closer, then when it reached the island, a water spout lifted it up. Close up, it was easy to identify: Korra, her eyes blazing. She gently alighted on the ground nearby, eddying winds slowing and controlling her descent. Behind her floated an odd grey box, metal and patchy. Once her feet were on solid ground, her eyes returned to normal, and she gently lowered the metal box beside her. It was flat, only six inches high, but long, about four feet. Asami stood, and Korra, a little paler than usual, looked at her sorrowfully.

"This is... I found him," she said. Asami could see now that the metal patches of the box were parts of the hummingbird that Korra had bent into an impromptu coffin. It was so small, and Asami realised that with the manner of his death, not to mention all of the explosions afterward, this tiny box contained all that was left of her father. It must have been a grim task, and Asami sat back down heavily as her knees weakened. She stared at the box, hardly even blinking. Tenzin wordlessly checked on Korra, all too aware of the difficult task she had taken on, and she nodded back. She was shaken, but alright. He moved back to Asami.

"He can stay here with you if you want, Asami, or I can move him into the temple for now. You can stay here or follow him as you like," he said. Asami took a deep, shaky breath.

"Thank you, Tenzin. The temple would be best for now, I think," she said. Tenzin quickly summoned a pair of white lotus guards and had them carry the small coffin into the temple proper. Asami looked away as they picked it up.

"Hey," Korra said, softly, and Asami was startled to see she had sat next to her without being noticed, trying to give her a smile.

"Hey," Asami replied back, but was unable to answer the smile with one of her own. Korra's mouth worked silently as she struggled for something to say, but eventually gave up and settled for taking hold of Asami's hand and squeezing it. Asami squeezed back and tried to look back at the water, but Korra's gaze held hers. The tears came again, and Korra wrapped herself around Asami as she cried herself to a fitful sleep.

She awoke to see the ceiling of her room on the island. She couldn't quite remember how she had gotten here but didn't much care. There was a hollow ache in her chest and though she didn't sob as she had last night, tears sprang easily. She sat up quickly when she heard a sound between a growl and a whimper. On her bedroom floor lay Naga, who stared at her, and sleeping with her back against Naga was Korra, mouth hanging open. Naga stood heedlessly and Asami winced when Korra's head bonked on the wooden floor, though her loud complaints showed she was largely unhurt. Naga walked to Asami's bedside, sniffed around her face and then promptly lowered the weight of her head into Asami's lap. Asami started to idly pet the animal as Korra slowly stood and stretched out the kinks. Despite everything, Asami found herself staring.

"She knows you're sad," Korra said, turning and indicating. Asami blinked and wiped at the few telltale tears.

"You stayed all night?" Asami asked. Korra shrugged halfheartedly.

"When it came down to it, I couldn't leave you," she admitted. Asami managed a shy smile and ducked her head, returning her attention to Naga. "Did you hear about Varrick and Zhu Li?" Korra asked.

"No. Are they alright?" Asami asked. Korra rolled her eyes.

"They're fantastic. They're getting married and he will not be quiet about it," Korra grumbled.

"To each other?" Asami asked and Korra actually laughed.

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry, Zhu Li's happy about it as well," she said.

"Wow," Asami said. "I don't know whether to offer congratulations or condolences." Korra laughed again, kneeling down next to Naga and scratching her shoulder. Asami sighed deeply. "I need to go out there, don't I? I can't hide in here." she said, wearily.

"That's up to you. The world will still be there tomorrow," Korra said.

"Somehow, I think the world would come looking for me if I tried," Asami said, smiling again. It was always easier to smile when Korra was there.

"They'd have to get through me," Korra said, standing and puffing her chest. Asami shook her head and gently pushed Naga's head from her lap, starting to rise from her bed.

"You're sweet," she said, oblivious to Korra's blush. "But I need to go. I need to make arrangements..." the dull ache flared into a sharp pain and threated to spill from her mouth and eyes, but she took a few calming breaths and it dulled again. "...for my father."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Korra asked.

"Korra," Asami replied. "There must be so many people that need you right now. I shouldn't-"

"Asami. I think you might be one of those people," Korra said with certainty. Asami's eyes stung again. She thought for a moment about the task ahead of her and shivered.

"Maybe. I don't need the Avatar, but maybe I need Korra after all," she said. Korra nodded and smiled.

"Then you have me."

The task itself turned out to be fairly simple. Hiroshi had left instructions when he thought he might not recover his relationship with Asami, and there was a spot already waiting next to his wife, so all she really needed to do was sign a few documents and decide whether to hold a funeral. It was also the most difficult thing Asami had done, signing her name under her father's death. As with so many other things, Korra's presence made it easier. Or did she make Asami stronger? Maybe both. Asami elected to return to Air Temple Island for now: her apartment was currently inaccessible and she couldn't face the mansion. Korra greeted her every morning and spent as much time as she could with her.

Asami chose to have a small, private funeral when her father was buried. In fact she was the only mourner. She didn't want anyone there who would only pretend to have forgiven him, either for her sake or for some political stunt. However, even though Korra's duties as Avatar had started to reclaim her time, she arrived, dressed in sombre black and dark blue, and stood by her. They didn't speak, not even when Asami gestured that Korra should join her in her car as she drove aimlessly around the city, heading back to the ferry as darkness fell. Only when Asami stood outside her bedroom door did she turn and yank Korra into a hug so tight it almost hurt.

"Thank you," she said, tightly.

"I thought you might need me," Korra whispered. Asami almost laughed.

"You were right. How lucky I am to get such special attention from the Avatar," she said. Korra pulled back a little to look Asami in the eye, deadly serious.

"Not the Avatar. Korra," she insisted. For once, Asami flushed under Korra's gaze, looking away and fidgeting as she released the embrace.

"Well..." she cleared her throat. "Goodnight, Korra." Korra smiled widely.

"Night, Asami." She kept smiling even as the door closed.

The following days were hard. The ache was becoming familiar now, but the grief easily rushed forward when something she saw or heard reminded or of her father. Her time with Korra eased her pain a little, but she was more surprised at how much other people were eager to help. Ikki excelled at distracting Asami, her questions rapid-fire and unpredictable. Meelo demonstrated an unexpected artistic talent, and Asami found herself trying her hand, usually so used to rigid diagrams and schematics. Jinora guided her in meditation, helping her sort through her conflicting emotions for her father. They rallied around her as they would a member of their family, and she was grateful beyond words. She stood gazing out to sea with Korra one day, making small talk.

"I think I've forgiven my father," Asami said suddenly. They had been talking about pro bending, and the change in conversation caught Korra unawares.

"Oh. Okay. Great! That's great, right?" Korra said. Asami smiled.

"It is. He was trying to make amends, even before, and I think he proved he was sincere," she said. Korra winced.

"Sorry," she said, slowly. Asami blinked at her. Ah. Korra had expressed suspicion when she first returned.

"It's okay, Korra, I didn't mean it like that. I was suspicious too, at first. I'd actually forgotten," she said. "I shouldn't have bitten your head off like that, I was just... it was a sensitive subject." Korra waved her hand.

"Pff. Water under the bridge. Still, I thought it was a pretty memorable day," Korra laughed.

"No argument here. But some parts were more important than others," Asami said. Korra nodded.

"Right, the Wu thing. I guess that did override everything else," she said. Asami didn't reply straight away. 'Say something' her father had told her. Say. Something.

"No," she said. "Not Wu." Korra looked confused. Asami took Korra's hand in both of hers. "You came back. You came back to me." Korra's face flushed bright red, and she let Asami keep ahold of her hand.

"Yeah," she breathed.

"I hear Varrick is holding his wedding here on the island," Asami said. Korra frowned.

"Huh?"

"Jinora told me. I think I might like to go after all. It'll be good to be part of something positive," Asami said. "I'd need some company, though."

"Uhhhh, sure?" Korra said, uncertainly. Asami took a quick breath and soldiered forward.

"Then you'll be my date?" she asked. Korra stared back, slack-jawed.

"Like... as friends?" she asked in a small voice. Asami's heart clenched.

"No." There was a beat, a long moment when Asami was convinced she'd made a huge mistake. Then Korra's mouth stretched into a wide, relieved smile.

"Oh. Oh yes. That sounds amazing," she said. Asami's smile grew to match Korra's

"It does?" she asked. Korra laughed and laid her free hand atop Asami's.

"It really does," she sighed. They both stood giggling at each other for several long moments.

"KORRA!"

Korra jumped and spun around, releasing Asami's hands, much to her dismay. Ikki waved at her from the temple door.

"What, Ikki?" she asked, testily. Ikki shrugged.

"Dad says he needs you for something. He mentioned Raiko," she called. Korra groaned.

"Fine. See you later?" she said to Asami. Asami grinned and flipped her hair.

"See you later," she said. Korra whined and started walking back to the temple, but Asami chuckled when she looked back at Asami over her shoulder, nearly tripping as she kept walking. Yet that didn't stop her from looking back once, twice, three times more. Asami waved each time. When Korra disappeared from view, Asami turned back to the sea.

"I'm in love with a dork," she muttered to herself. The path of her life had been unpredictable, and there had been pain. But it led her here, to Korra, and she found herself looking forward again, wondering where her path would lead next, more certain than ever that she would walk it with Korra.

END

I watched it again.

Hey, me finally finishing this lines up with Korrasami day. Neat.

[duhragonball]

shadowjack12345 replied to your post “shadowjack12345 replied to your photo “Got a commission this week by...”

Somehow I missed this reply. And what a reply! Thanks for the peek behind the scenes ^_^

No need to thank me, as I’m always eager to take any opportunity to gush about my longfic.   

[bbraeweek17-blog]

Some random theme/prompt ideas: Reunion Blind date Messages Interview Regret Hidden Powerless Games Predestination I dunno, maybe one or two of these could work out.

Added them all

[officialravendc]

shadowjack12345 replied to your post: Someone tell me what day of BBRae Week it is...

‘Primal vs awkward moments’ :)

Oh god it’s going to be horrible

[basedtrunks-blog1]

shadowjack12345 replied to your photo: Does anyone else miss these outfits?  I wish they...

We should have got a new design anyway, seeing as Vegeta wasn’t wearing any armour at all the first time they fused. Missed opportunity :/

It's unfortunate that Toei decided against taking any creative route when it came to Vegetto. I mean, the only real thing that differentiates Z Vegetto with Super Vegetto (lol) is that Super Vegetto's hair is blue. Because merchandising is one of Toei's goals, then a new design for Vegetto would have definitely skyrocketed in sales for the kids. Hopefully Toyotaro actually handles this right, assuming Vegetto will be in the manga.

[based-bobcat]

CLICKBAIT?

Post 10 of your favorite characters from 10 different fandoms, in no particular order, and tag 10 people. Since my fandoms are limited, multiple series from Dc comics arose. 

Kim Possible - Ron Stoppable 

Uncharted - Victor Sullivan 

Teen Titans - Beast Boy 

Batman - Cassandra Cain 

ATLA - Sokka 

Duck Universe - Donald Duck 

Green Lantern - Jessica Cruz 

Superman - Supergirl 

Redlettermedia - RICH EVANS 

Marvel Comics - Felicia Hardy.

Tagging my senpais, so they'll notice me @encontrasuya @shadowjack12345

[sp1ne-sh0t]

CLICKBAIT?

Post 10 of your favorite characters from 10 different fandoms, in no particular order, and tag 10 people. Tagged by @shadowjack12345. Marvel: Deadpool Star Wars: HK-47 Persona: Kanji Tatsumi DC: Harley Quinn Assassin's Creed: Ezio Auditore Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Fallout: Piper Wright Pokémon: Pikachu Once Upon A Time: Hook Star Trek: Spock Tagging @alexandrauditore, @hello-udon, @nokorranolife, @uselessbroodygay, @piper-wright, @jordanzuelsdorf, @femslashash, @sniperct, @asynca, @theyllneverknowwhathitem

[ecurai]

shadowjack12345 replied to your post “Okay, here’s an issue that hopefully someone can help me with: STO...”

Unfortunately, the duty officer stuff has zero impact on the dialogue of your boffs, as far as I can see. Is the universal slot a higher rank than the science slot? I think whichever officer is in the highest ranked slot gets the dialogue.

Yeah, they’re both lieutenant slots so I think Satra just gets priority by default? it might be that she’s a higher-quality boff so she “outranks” the actual science officer, but it seems like a weird system.

Why is my chief medical officer updating me on the status of the enemy’s shields. How does she know that. Satra what are you doing on the bridge. People are dying Satra.

[shadowjack12345]

Old Dogs

I promise I’m working on the (long overdue) next part of Three’s Company, but I needed to get this idea out before I carried on with it.

The old man watched the world go by from his preferred spot in the park. They had replaced his favourite bench years ago, the one in which he'd carved his name all when he was young, and the smooth, artificial surface was impervious to something as mundane as a penknife. He watched as the people milled around - some things never changed - in an array of hues and races he would never have considered possible. At this point, Earth was a full participant in wider interstellar politics, meaning humans spread out into the universe, and the universe came to Earth. Blue, red, pink, purple, orange. Aliens were so common here now that no-one paid them much mind, and no-one gave a second thought to a green-skinned old man on a park bench.

The air shuddered. His pointed ears twitched, still more sensitive than most even when dulled by time. Some things never changed. Villains still plotted. Heroes still fought to stop them. He turned his left hand up and the device around his wrist projected an image of the local news above his palm. This was a new guy who had already started to make a name for himself: Carnus. And he was a Red user, with skin to match - he had animal powers, which was especially irritating. Still, the local Titans were there already, and he let a little pride inflate his chest

.

There was the current Kid Flash. And the new Wonder Boy. And the newest Robin, a girl this time. Ah. And there was the man's Grandson, Crow. He watched as the boy enveloped himself in wings of black energy before charging at their enemy. It was an old, familiar dance, and he waited for the familiar ending. But it didn't happen that way. To the man's clear distress, Carnus quickly and savagely tore into the Titans and batted them aside, shifting into one form after another, all carnivores.

"Oh sprak," a young woman said as she plopped down on the bench beside him, staring at the same footage in her own hand. "The Titans are getting scorched! They need backup or something," she muttered. This was a terrible idea. It was an objectively terrible idea. It couldn't possibly end well.

"They need backup," the man said to himself.

"You say something?" said the young woman, still watching. She looked around when no answer came. "Hello?" She heard the beat of feathered wings.

"The much-vaunted Titans. Ha!" Carnus spat. "You're no match for the power of the Red, and I am its champion, Carnus!" He stood, laughing, gloating over his fallen enemies. Only when his own died down did he realise someone was laughing along with him. He turned and saw a withered, green old man, his fingers on the pulse in Crow's neck.

"You think you're the champion of the Red?" the man asked, pushing himself to his feet with both hands on his cane. "Now that's funny."

"Foolish old man," Carnus growled before shifting into a panther and lunging forward. The old man, to Carnus' amazement, shrank into a hummingbird and darted aside while Carnus' jaws clamped around the cane. The bird flew above him and morphed into a hippo, which crashed down on Carnus. The hippo became a bird again which hopped away and shifted into a tired old man, hands on his knees as he breathed heavily. Carnus took his human shape.

"You're a Red user... You're the Changeling!" he snarled.

"Took you long enough," Changeling chuckled.

"You are old and weak and stupid," Carnus barked.

"Hey! I am two of those things at most," Changeling griped.

"Enough! Your time is over. Your death will signal the beginning of my time, the time of Carnus!"

"You, uh...  you really like your name, huh," Changeling drawled.

"Show me your power! Show the world you are no match for Carnus!" With that Carnus shifted and grew. And grew. And grew. He took the form of some alien creature, a biped with thick, grasping arms that stood as tall as most of the buildings around them. Changeling sighed.

"If you were my student, I'd remind you that power or strength isn't the key to victory unless it's wielded with equal skill,"

"I am no student!" Carnus thundered, the creature's voice booming.

"No. But I can still teach you something." Suddenly, Changeling started to shift. And grow. Green poured out of him, it spilled into the sky above and grew so its shadow encompassed the entire city. Then it kept growing.

Aboard the Justice League satellite, alarms blared and beeped as the fight in Jump City raged on. The woman on watch, semi-retired in her mid to late fifties, was known as Corvid, and she watched in open-mouthed horror as a creature appeared and grew so large as to block her view of the entire City, only to keep growing.

"What is it?" she heard. The current Batman was next to her, and his voice made Corvid jump.

"I'll try and find out," she said. She closed her eyes and let her empathic senses reach toward the creature, trying to sense its motive, where it had come from, how it... "Oh. Oh no," she said, her voice trembling.

"Corvid? What is it?" Batman asked. His eyes widened a little when Corvid turned to face him with very uncharacteristic tears in her eyes.

"It's my father."

The Carnus creature looked up at his foe, some sort of massive insectoid creature, with a long, segmented body that seemed to reach the clouds. Multiple legs were folded under its belly, and great, transparent wings rested along its back. It blotted out the sun. With a low, distant, indecipherable rumble, electric arcs coruscated across the giants eyes, and a jagged bolt of lightning cracked the sky, striking Carnus in the chest. With a cry, he fell backward and shrank back down to himself, smoking and defeated. The giant blurred and shifted, and its entire form poured itself into the shape of an exhausted old man who stood just in front of the injured Carnus. When the shift was complete, he fell to his knees and winced at the pain.

"The Red is a power that can't belong to someone like you. The world can't afford it," he gasped. Carnus looked up, shaking his head weakly.

"You... you wouldn't kill me," he said, without much certainty.

"No, I wouldn't. But I can't let you keep it," Changeling said. Carnus tried to sit up but barely moved.

"You can't do that," he whimpered. "No one can, not even the Red's champion." Changeling smirked.

"Want to see a trick my wife taught me?" he said. He shuffled a little closer and clamped his hands on either side of Carnus' head, leaning down to stare into his eyes.

"Please..." Carnus whimpered. Changeling looked regretful, but didn't remove his hands. His eyes started to glow and Carnus squirmed feebly.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." Carnus' body was suffused with red light and Changeling released him, sitting back as the light coalesced above them. When the flow from Carnus stopped, Changeling raised his hands and the energy rushed into him. There was a lot, Carnus' connection to the Red had been strong and profound, but to be honest, compared to the vast energies the Red had poured into him over the years, Changeling barely felt the difference. He leaned to one side, his hand on the ground. He leaned a little more and let his body lie down. The sound of Carnus crying sounded muffled. He blinked up at the sky  as dark shapes appeared in it, too blurry for him to identify...

Garfield Logan woke up in bed. Not his own. Last he remembered, his wasn't surrounded by so much medical equipment. And his head felt like a bass drum after a concert.

"That was very dangerous, you know," he heard. His heart swelled and he grinned. Corvid. Rachel.

"Hey, pumpkin," he said. Corvid sighed but failed to hide her own smile. Crow was stood behind her. "Hey, pumpkin junior." He waved.

"Hi grandpa," he said shyly. "Um. Thanks. For saving me and my friends."

"You're welcome, kid. Now unless there's something medical stopping you, you better give me a hug," Changeling laughed. With another, less shy, smile, Crow stepped closer and leaned down to hug his grandfather, who hugged him back. "Oh, that's a good one. Good thing I'm already in a hospital bed seeing as you probably just cracked all my ribs." Crow shook his head and laughed. Even at 17 years old, he couldn't resist his grandpa's dumb jokes.

"I uh, I healed you up best I could," Crow said. Changeling looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You got your healing working? That's great!" he cheered. Crow flushed a little under the praise.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did. Anyway, you'll be sore for a while but you didn't actually have any injuries apart from some scrapes on your knees. You were mainly just worn out. Sorry I couldn't do more."

"You did plenty. Thanks. Your friends all okay?" Changeling asked.

"Yeah. I healed them too, a little. It still takes it outta me," Crow admitted.

"You'll get used to it. You'll do fine," Changeling assured him. Crow opened his mouth to speak again but Corvid spoke first.

"Crow, would you please give us a moment?" she said.

"Uh, oh, guess who's in trouble," Changeling stage-whispered. Crow snickered for a moment before seeing his mother's face and leaving quickly. "What's up, pumpkin?"

"You know you aren't supposed to use your powers any more. The doctor said-"

"I know, pumpkin. I know. I decided it was worth the risk," Changeling interrupted. Corvid shook her head.

"If Mom was still here-"

"If your Mom was still here, she would have beaten me to it and you know it," he laughed. Corvid let herself smile.

"Yeah. Yes, I suppose you're right," she admitted. "Thank you. Thank you for saving my son."

"Any time," Changleling answered, more seriously but still smiling. Corvid pushed some of his thin hair back from his forehead.

"Still a hero, huh? Mom would be proud," she said.

"Thanks, honey," Changeling said.

"I'll let you rest for now," Corvid said, stepping away. "Maybe... maybe you could spend some time with some of our recruits. We have a few Red users, and it seems like you still have new tricks to show off."

"I think I'd like that," he said quietly. When Corvid had left, he looked up toward the ceiling but didn't see it. "Sorry, Rae. I'm gonna keep you waiting a little longer - I think this old guy still has a little story left in him."

­END

[duhragonball]

shadowjack12345 replied to your photo “Got a commission this week by the awesome FrauleinPflaume, and it...”

Nice to finally see Zatte, I always liked her - she's dangerous in a way we don't often get in DB.

Hey, thanks, that means a lot to me.    Also, this is all the prompting I need to try to explain how I came up with the character.   Spoilers under the cut.

The thing that held me up early on was that I couldn’t decide if Luffa’s “career” in the past should be long or short.   I used the Bardock: Father of Goku TV special as a model of a “short” Luffa arc.    You have this character who’s only mentioned in passing (by Raditz), and the TV special fleshes him out and kills him off in the space of an hour.   Then he wakes up in the past in the 2011 “Episode of Bardock” Special, if you want to count that.    On some level, I imagined it could be possible to give Luffa a really quick run in her native era, and then send her to the future to join the TIme Patrol, like the Bardock specials.   

I worked on Chapter 126 and 127 today, so I think it’s clear that I did not go down that route.   I knew the alternative would be to really flesh out the character, having her go through multiple adventures like Goku in Dragon Ball.   That meant I had to come up with extra stuff for her to do.   The simple fact is that I really enjoyed writing the character, and I wanted to take the long road, so that later on, when she refers to her past exploits, there would be some weight to them.   

So I worked on coming up with stuff for her to do in between major plot points.   I thought about giving her some love interests, since we’d never seen a Saiyan character jump from one relationship to another, like Spider-Man in the 70′s.   At some point, I thought it might be interesting to have her run into an old flame, someone who knew her before she went Super.   

The problem with that was that when we first meet Luffa, she’s only 19 years old, and she’s been married to Kandai for about a year.    And she’s been living on the Dorlun colony for about five years.    I say this like someone else foisted this problem on me, but I’m the one who came up with all that stuff, to better amplifly the tragedy she experiences before turning Super Saiyan.   This isn’t some seasoned veteran who’s been all over the universe, loving and leaving ‘em from one planet to the next.     She’s young and inexperienced and isolated in a very small community.    

But I still liked the idea, and I hadn’t published Chapters 1-10 yet, so I still had a lot of room to set things up for later.   I realized the only way this would work would be if the “old flame” was a Dorlun who had admired Luffa from afar.    And that led me to Captain Mesas, the leader of the Dorlun militia.  

Mesas originally served only one purpose, which was to be a sort of proxy who could represent the entire Dorlun colony that Luffa had been hired to defend.   I assigned her gender at random, I think.    I just know that I didn’t put a ton of thought into it, since I was planning to kill all of the Dorluns off later anyway.   Luffa would take this personally, because she came to appreciate these people without really admitting it, and this would be demonstrated by her respect for Mesas, who was their lead warrior, and thus the most Saiyan-like of the bunch.   Eventually, I renamed her Captain Zatte, because I had settled on naming all the Dorlun characters after anagrams of metric prefixes, i.e. “zetta”.  

So I quickly came to the conclusion that the only way this “reunited with an old flame” idea would work would be if it was a Dorlun, and the only one that would make any sense would have to be Zatte, and the only way that could work would be if there was some sort of romantic tension between them.    They couldn’t be lovers in those early chapters because Luffa was married at the time, but later, there would need to be a moment where Zatte would confess her feelings and Luffa would have to feel the same way.   

And this is how I ended up making Luffa bisexual.    I didn’t want Zatte to be a man, and I couldn’t make Luffa gay, because I needed her to start out in a marriage to a Saiyan man.   Too much of the plot depended upon that.   I struggled with this decision for a couple of reasons.   

First, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off, and I didn’t know if I wanted this story to be my first try, because I was already trying to do a lot of other new tricks.   I didn’t want real-world wlw’s to see this story and be disappointed by my amateurish attempt to get it right.    

Second, I felt disingenuous about making such a major change to the character for my own convenience.    I felt like I’d seen that a lot in comic books over the years, where writers would seemingly assign bisexuality to characters arbitrarily, or for “shock” value, or just to be salacious.  I didn’t want readers to think I was only doing this for shallow reasons, or to get my jollies writing two girls making out.  

But at the same time, I really wanted to do it this way, and I finally decided to just go with it and see where it took me.   In hindsight, I realize that I was just being a fraidy cat about the whole thing.   Writing wlw romance isn’t so functionally different from mlw romance, and once I got used to the idea, I realized the only thing I needed to do was to treat it with the proper respect.    And really, this wasn’t so far off from the original premise.    I wanted to make the “Legendary Super Saiyan” a woman to defy convention and to piss off dudebros.    Making her queer just continues that same line of reasoning, right?   I used to see jackasses on the internet say that women couldn’t turn Super Saiyan because they couldn’t “get angry enough,” which is pretty similar to a lot of biphobic crap I’ve heard on the internet.    I mean, I used to listen to Loveline on the radio around 2001, and Dr. Drew was acting like bisexuality was some made-up thing.    Apparently Dr. Drew went nuts somewhere along the way, or maybe he always was, but he seemed pretty progressive in 2001, and he accepted gay and lesbian callers just fine, but he told bi callers to “figure out what they want”, and that never sat right with me.   People used to say there were no such things as black swans, too.    That’s Luffa all over.     You can deny her all you want, but she’ll still kick your ass.  

I’m this close to going off on a rant about J.K. Rowling, so let me try to force myself to talk about Zatte here.    The problem I ran into almost immediately was that I wrote what I had originally planned for her, and I was very pleased with how it turned out.  And then I had to move on to the next arc, and yet, she was still there, and I knew I’d have to do something with her.    I feel like I’ve been winging it ever since, but my main priority was to set her apart from Keda, the other Dorlun character I kept around.  So I ran with the idea that Zatte is more “Saiyan-like” than the rest of her species, and maybe that makes her a little radical at times, maybe not in a way we humans might notice, but a way that other Dorluns would find unsettling.   Dorluns are survivalists, and for them “risk” is a four-letter word, but Zatte’s a thrillseeker at heart.   She wants to survive in spite of the dangers rather than back away from them.    Keda would find somewhere to hide for several months until it’s safe to come out, but Zatte would try to go all Die Hard on a situation.   Keda sticks close to Luffa because Luffa is the strongest person in the universe, so by Luffa’s side is arguably the safest place to be.    Zatte sticks close to Luffa because she’s a furry being by Luffa’s side is arguably the most dangerous place to be.    If she can survive there, she can survive anywhere.  

There’s also the whole fanaticism angle.   At some point, I came up with the idea that Zatte sees Luffa’s Super Saiyan emergence as a watershed moment in history.     I sort of threw that together, mostly to make Luffa uncomfortable and to add some tension to their relationship, but it also distinguishes Zatte from characters like Chi-Chi or Bulma, who see Super Saiyan as a lot of flashy nonsense, signifying nothing.    “Punk rocker?   Don’t you understand?   Your son is a miracle!”

That angle is kind of hard for me to work with, because I also tried to make Zatte very grounded at the same time.    I guess it’s like if you had Jerusalem Syndrome but you were very self-aware the entire time.   You make a toga out of your hotel linens and just constantly saying “Man, I’m just being really nutty right now, but oh well.”

A lot of her tactics are sort of rooted in stuff I thought made sense with the weaker characters in Dragon Ball.   I don’t really know how strong Zatte would be.    I envisioned her as being like a “mere mortal”, like Lois Lane, but in Dragon World even guys like Mr. Satan are insanely tough.   I’m pretty sure Bulma could kick Brock Lesnar’s ass if she visited our own world.   He’d F5 her and she’d just get up and slap him in the face and he’d collapse.    I feel like if Zatte entered the 23rd Budokai, she could sweep the entire thing.   That’s not what I set out to do, and it sounds really arrogant because I’d be putting her over Goku and Piccolo, but come on, that’s low-tier by DBZ standards.   If she couldn’t dominate the 23rd Budokai, then definitely the 22nd, which also sounds unthinkable, but that’s how this crazy show works.   Yajirobe could have won the 22nd Budokai if he’d only thought to enter it.   

My point is that “weaker” characters can do a lot from the sidelines if they know their limits and pick their spots, like Tien using the Kikoho on Cell and Super Buu, or Yajirobe cutting off Vegeta’s tail, and so forth.    Most of those guys hate resorting to that sort of thing, because they prefer to stand and fight in the open, but Zatte specializes in sneaky hit-and-run attacks.   She should be able to shoot ki blasts, but she sticks to firearms instead, because they’re more precise and ki senses can’t pick them up.  She likes being underestimated, to the point where her ideal battle is one where the enemy doesn’t even know she’s on the field.  

I dunno, I’ve always wondered if I was getting her “right” all this time, but now that I summarize it all in one place, it doesn’t seem as disjointed as I feared.   I had all these different things I needed her to be and do, and most of them involved finding ways to justify her continued presence in the story, but maybe it’s all worked out after all.   Sometimes I feel like Zatte is the Yoko Ono of this fic, but the Beatles suck, so I shouldn’t indulge in their crude analogies.    I Zatted my way into this mess, and I’m happy to Zatte my way out.    

[officialravendc]

shadowjack12345 replied to your post: how much tea do you drink and how often in jolly...

There’s no ‘I’ in 'team’ but there is 'tea’. *raises mug in optimistic fellowship*

*Slowly raises Union Jack in mock patriotism*

[you-will-never-be-a-god]

Still looking for a name? Hmm... if you're posting at the end of a Friday, how about Weekend One-shots?

Oh my… That sounds perfect! I might have to steal that! You’re amazing and awesome, thank you!

[croissant-witch]

Happy Holiday's Jack!

Hello, Jack! (shadowjack12345) I was your Secret Santa. I based this off your fic “A Day in the Life of Braven.” Sorry if it came out a little awkward; I usually do not write romance-y things. I wish you happy holidays and a wonderful new year! Hope you enjoy this! (ps, would you mind if I posted this on ff.net and AO3? I'm totally okay with you saying no) -Ris

            Garfield had done it; he had finally convinced Raven to go out together on a date –a public date. He was both thrilled to pieces and worried for Raven, promising that if she felt too uncomfortable, they could leave at any moment. Truth be told, Raven herself felt a bit nervous, as she never truly felt comfortable with the prospect of others possibly sitting, staring, and watching her every move. But for Garfield, she would give almost anything a chance. Together, the two found a local place; a small shopping mall with a restaurant on the outskirts of town, and picked an afternoon. With the help and coordination of the other Titans, Raven and Garfield had the entire day to themselves.

            After a light breakfast, they watched TV and cuddled. There were re-runs of holiday classics playing all day long; ones Raven was not quite familiar with.

“So, the children find a literal magic hat and the first thing they do with is bring a snowman to life?” she drawled, lifting her head from its place on Garfield’s shoulder to look him in the eye.

“You've never seen Frosty the Snowman?” he asked, feigning offense.

“Never.” The shape-shifter’s large green eyes swelled with concern.

“Raven-”

“I’m just saying, there are more practical applications for a magical hat than creating snow creatures, no matter how gifted they are at composing and performing spontaneous musicals.” Beast Boy stared, incredulous.

“I’m going to shape-shift into Frosty the Snowman.” He deadpanned.

“Garfield, no.”

“I’ll do it. It’ll be easy.” He warned.

“You’ll do no such thing.” Raven demanded, pressing their lips together in a kiss that silenced the argument before settling back into her previous position and watching the remainder of the film.  

            After a few more holiday flicks, more cuddling, lunch, and a couple kisses that started out rather chaste but then grew to be its opposite, the couple set out for a night in town. Upon arriving at the mall, their eyes were assaulted by the bright, colorful lights, strategically placed garland, a light snowfall, and the occasional garish inflatable reindeer or other winter-themed creature.

They spent time walking around to view the sights and enjoying the other’s company; making small talk, laughing softly, holding hands and sharing a quick kiss before finding the restaurant. It was surprisingly empty -devoid of all but the employees and its aging manager, who welcomed them with open arms.

            “You are the Teen Titans, yes? Beast Boy and Raven?” he asked animatedly, an excited twinkle in his eyes. Both were hesitant to answer, but Raven decided that it was rude not to.

            “We are, can we ask w-” but before the heroine could finish her train of thought, the manager swept them both into a hug.

            “Thank you! Thank you so much! You -the Titan's- have done so much for this city; you've saved us more times than I could count!” Both teens blushed at this and muttered quiet responses, but they were drowned out by the thanks and praise from the restaurant’s employees.

            “Why don’t you two sit down and have a meal, on the house? We could bring out a couple of candles too; I’m sure we have them back in the kitchen!” the manager shushed all rebuttals from the young couple as a waitress seated them at a nice table with a view of the snow-covered street. Beast Boy pulled out Raven’s chair for her before seating himself, eliciting a smile and sweet “Thank you, Garfield” from his girlfriend. Not for the first time in his life, Garfield wished his green complexion hid his blushing instead of making it more noticeable.  

            “You guys are so cute together!” The waitress giggled, causing immediately noticeable embarrassment in both Titans. Raven was certain that she had never seen her boyfriend’s face go so red, and was momentarily worried, until the waitress commented on his sweater –chosen by Starfire, who had wanted to start a tradition of wearing holiday themed sweaters while not on missions, starting at the beginning of the month and leading up to the day itself– and he grew to be the same bright red as his choice of apparel.    

With the restaurant’s low lighting, minimal, polite interference from the waitress, and the two long candles placed before them, their dinner was quiet, romantic, and personal. The manager brought out a large slice of cake for the couple to split after their meal was finished, thanking them again and insisting they come back anytime, and to bring the others as well. They fed each other pieces of cake until the slice was gone, (while ignoring the increasingly loud gossip from the employees hiding in the next room over) thanked the manager for his kindness, and walked back out into the mall to glance through the shops.

While little shopping was done, Garfield was rather proud of the Christmas gift he had managed to find for Victor; a new set of tools that the couple would give him after Raven enchanted them to ward off rust and wear. After the shape-shifter’s brief panic when he turned around to find Raven had wandered off –quickly relieved when he spotted her by a winter accessories display– he smiled to himself; the girl he loved was relaxed and happy –happy with him, in a mall full of people, despite her dislike of social situations. Raven called him over a few minutes later, holding up two scarves for him to see; one the color of his hair, and the other the color of hers.

            “I’ll wear the green one, and you can wear the indigo one, that way we’ll match each other.” She stated matter-of-factly.

            “Not, saying that it’s a bad idea, but why would we do that?” He countered; confusion plain as day on his expressive face.

            “So that people know that you are mine, and I am yours, and that when we’re apart, we can look at these, and remember each other until we meet again.”

Garfield did not argue with Raven’s logic. He slowly reached towards her, pulling the half-demon into a gentle, warm embrace. Her hands slipped up to cup either side of his face as she pulled him into a passionate kiss.

            “Have I told you how much I love you?” Garfield asked, breathless.

            “Constantly,” Raven grinned back. “You know I love you just as much, right?” concern crept into her tone.

            “I do. Without a doubt.” He reassured her. With a wide grin, he carefully slipped the green scarf around her neck, and she did the same to him with the indigo one. He mouth mirrored his; the small smile looking lost and unfamiliar on her usually expressionless face. But to Garfield, she was his moon and stars after having spent months under a cloudy, never-ending sky. Her strange, small smile only made his love for her swell more.

They paid for each other’s scarf and spent more time walking around, pausing once to stop and take pictures in a photo booth. Each photo came out unique; the first had Raven laughing at the grinning green tiger sitting to her right, the second featured a bewildered Garfield staring as Raven appeared upside-down from the booth’s ceiling, the third had Raven with the hood of her jacket up, and a literal raven sitting in her lap, and the fourth found both Titans holding hands and facing each other, instead of the camera. When the booth printed three copies, the couple each took one, and threw out the spare.    

Little did they know a journalist had discreetly followed them since he spotted them coming out of the restaurant, taking pictures throughout the night, getting statements from restaurant and shop employees, and even physically heaving himself into the trash in order to get their discarded pictures.

The next morning, the residents of Titan’s Tower were woken up by a loud, piercing noise; some sort of laughter-squeal hybrid that Starfire, ever the morning person, had let loose.

            “Ugh, what is it, Star?” Garfield groggily asked, rubbing the last traces of sleep from his eyes and setting out to make himself a cup of coffee. Raven simply nodded in greeting and followed up with “Yeah, what he said” before fumbling around in search of the tea kettle. Nightwing dropped in from the ceiling, alert as ever, just as Cyborg, raising a wrench in preparedness, raced in through the doorway.  

            “You are “what’s up,” my friends; your date last night has made it to the front page on today’s edition of the Jump City Gazette!” Beast Boy spat out his coffee; instantly, painfully awake and aware. Raven was not as fortunate; she dropped her hot tea kettle, and would have burnt herself if she had not managed to recite her incantation in record-time.

            “What?” she asked, her pale face more ashen than normal.

            “You are front-page news? Is that not a good thing? I though the article was sweet, and the pictures-”

            “There are pictures?” the shape-shifter nearly shrieked. Both he and his half-demon girlfriend snatched the paper from the Tamaranian’s clutch and scanned it word-for-word, pixel-by-pixel. The others soundlessly crowded around the couple to watch the chaos unfold.

            The Super Couple: Teen Titans Raven and Beast Boy Share a Romantic Outing. It looks like the rumors of Braven –the romantic relationship between Teen Titans Beast Boy and Raven– have been proven correct. Early last evening, the young couple was spotted in and around the mall lying at the edge of Jump City. They had decided to forgo their usual garb for more causal, seasonally-appropriate clothes. The couple quietly took in the scenes around them, sharing pleasantries and holding hands before heading into the nearby restaurant, Don’s, where they enjoyed a meal and dessert, courtesy of Don himself. He told our reporter, who was there to witness the scene, that the couple were some of the nicest, most polite people he had ever met, and that he would welcome them, and Jump City’s other Titans, to his restaurant anytime. The waitress who served them, a young woman wishing to remain anonymous, told us that Raven and Beast Boy, whom the sorceress had called Garfield, were absolutely adorable; Beast Boy was the definition of gentlemanly, even going so far as to pull out a chair for his girlfriend. It was clear that they head over heels in love with each other. After a dessert of chocolate cake shared by both Titans, the love struck duo shopped around, stopping in Jane’s Accessories to purchase scarves. Although they clashed with their outfits, each Titan had purchased and wore a scarf that resembled the other; “Garfield” wearing purple, and Raven wearing green. The two shared an intimate kiss and stopped by the photo booth for some last-minute fun before leaving, presumably heading back to Titans Tower. Pictures of their evening out are below, above, and featured in a full-color spread on page 3.

True to the columnist’s words, right above the article, in the center of the front page of the city’s largest newspaper, was a wonderfully clear picture of the two Titans clad in scarves matching the other’s hair, arms wrapped tight around one another and lips pressed together in a warm, loving kiss.

            “I don’t think I've ever been more embarrassed in my life.” Raven said. Beast Boy nodded wordlessly and eased the paper out of her hands. After he calmed her down, this was so going in his scrapbook.         

[weirdoflower]

shadowjack12345 replied to your post “So the aunt brought some more of that candy apple wine from...”

That doesn't sound "between" anything, just all-the-way drunk :)

I was pretty aware of my surrounding and reading through my tweets last night, I was just super hyper. Maybe I was, I don't know, I was drinking alone in my room laughing over audio posts.

[shadowjack12345]

Curiosity

An alternate meeting: what if BB didn't join the Titans until much later?

Thanks, @knightb172

"Welcome aboard, Beast Boy," Nightwing said as he clasped the young man's hand in his. They both smiled at each other. Nightwing managed not to ask of the ears were part of the mask or just covered by it.

"It's an honour, Nightwing," he said smoothly. The other Titans strode forward to welcome their new member... save one. Raven hung back in the shadows, her eyes narrowed at the newcomer.

"It is good to have you join us, Beast Boy," Starfire sang. Tall and statuesque with golden skin and hair almost down to the floor, it was genuinely impressive that Beast Boy didn't stammer in return.

"On that we agree, Princess Kori'Andr," he answered. Starfire actually blushed a little, embarrassed at the title.

"Oh, that is not necessary. Starfire will do nicely," she said. He nodded once in agreement.

"I read the dossier Mento sent us," Cyborg said, arms folded but with a warm smile. Once again, Beast Boy was admirable calm in the face of Cyborg's physical presence."Impressive stuff." Beast Boy smirked.

"The whole dossier? Unless Mento's embraced brevity recently..." he started. Cyborg laughed.

"No, it reads like an academic paper. A very long, very dry academic paper. But... well, maybe 'read' was the wrong word. Gotta be some advantage to having a computerised brain, right?" Cyborg joked. Beast Boy nodded in comprehension.

"I'll take your word for it. Well, thanks everybody, I guess I'll go unpack or... wait. Are we missing someone?" he asked. Nightwing looked around and spotted Raven lurking in the corner. He waved her over and, though she rolled her eyes, she joined them.

"Hello," she said, curtly. She didn't extend her hand.

"Um. Hi," Beast Boy replied. She narrowed her eyes at him again before turning on her heel and leaving the room. Cyborg chuckled awkwardly.

"Don't take it personally, man. That's just how Raven is, especially when she doesn't know someone," he said.

"Sure, no problem. No problem at all."

LATER

Raven sat on the couch, book in hand, revelling in rare solitude in this space.

"Raven?"

"WHOA!" she said, less dignified than she might have liked. Beast Boy stood behind her, eyes wide behind his goggles.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to startle you," he said. Raven, on her feet and breathing heavily, calmed herself a little.

"You... you snuck up on me. No one sneaks up on me," she said, more perplexed than upset.

"Oh. Is that bad?" he asked.

"It's different. I don't adapt to change very well," Raven grumbled. She sat back down. Beast Boy walked around to the front of the couch so she could see him.

"I was going to ask if I could watch the TV but it looks-"

"I can't read you," Raven interrupted. Her brow furrowed as she looked up at him. "Is it the mask?"

"Read me? Oh! Right, you're an empath. Well, if you work with someone like Mento, you end up building a strong defence against psychic intrusion. That must include your senses as well," he surmised. Raven's head cocked to the side.

"Can you turn it off?" she asked. Beast Boy blinked. Did she not realise how personal it was to ask to see someone's emotions? Actually, she probably didn't - it was her norm, after all. He shook his head.

"It isn't conscious. It'd be like asking me to switch of my immune system: I can't," he explained. Raven crossed her arms and looked away. Was she... pouting? "Maybe this could be fun," he added. Raven gave him that curious look again.

"Fun how?" she asked carefully.

"Well, it's gotta take something out of conversation if you always know what the other person is feeling, right? Now you get to try getting to know someone on equal footing. The old fashioned way," he said, a little enthusiasm creeping in as he spoke. Raven's eyes narrowed even more.

"You sound awfully certain that I want to get to know you," she said with quiet menace.

"Um. Well. Right. Well. Oh. Right. We-"

"One condition: I get to ask what you're feeling if I need to," Raven said. Beast Boy took a deep breath.

"Okay... if I get to do the same. And we don't have to answer if we don't want to," he said. Raven grimaced.

"Fine." Beast Boy extended his hand. Raven vanished.

LATER STILL

"Why do you wear the mask?" Raven asked. She sat at the table with Beast Boy. He chewed thoughtfully and swallowed.

"Why do you wear the hood?" he said.

"That isn't an answer," Raven said.

"You first."

"But I asked first," she complained. Beast Boy smirked.

"Maybe it's personal," he said. Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Is it?" she asked. He only smiled and ate another mouthful. "If I tell you about the hood, will you tell me about the mask?" Beast Boy grinned and nodded. "The hood is traditional amongst my people."

"Is that all?" he prodded. Raven frowned. How badly did she want to know about the mask?

"Sometimes... I can't hide what I am, but sometimes - most of the time - I don't like people to see me for what I am," she said. Suddenly, her face flushed brightly, while Beast Boy's smile vanished.

"My mask. Um. I added it to my suit when I was a kid," he said before sighing heavily. "Because of Nightwing. Well, Robin at the time."

"Wait. This mask is because you were Nightwing's fan?!" she hissed. "I told you all of that just to find out you had a childhood crush on Nightwing?!" she cried, loud enough now to draw the attention of the others in the room. She seemed to twist and tower over Beast Boy, growling quietly... then vanished, leaving only silence.

"Hey, uh... I have a girlfriend," Nightwing added with a shrug. Beast Boy smacked his forehead and groaned.

EVEN LATER

There was a knock at Raven's door. She only curled up more tightly in her sheets.

"Raven, it's me," Beast Boy said, muffled by the door.

"Go away," she said flatly.

"Ask me what I'm feeling," he said. Raven emerged from her bedding and fixed her door with a withering stare.

"What?" she snapped.

"You wanted to be able to. Ask me," he insisted. Raven stood and walked to the door but left it closed.

"What are you feeling right now?" she whispered.

"Foolish. Embarrassed. And very, very sorry. I'm sorry, Raven. I was just teasing, I never meant-"

"Are you saying it's my own fault for telling you my secrets?" she accused.

"No! I... listen, I shouldn't have even joked that the mask was personal - you can't sense when I'm kidding or not. I'm sorry I made you feel like you... exposed yourself. Made yourself vulnerable," he rambled. "Okay. I came here to apologise and I have. I'll leave you be for now." Raven heard his steps move away from her door. Her anger and embarrassment had faded and she leaned against her door and slid down to the floor. Suddenly, she heard Beast Boy's footsteps rush back to her door.

"Actually, I got one more thing. I'm not sure if it's a good idea but I'm doing it. Can I see you, Rae?" Raven's eyebrows raised at that. A nickname? With a sigh she stood and opened her door. Beast Boy smiled when he saw her, still wearing a blanket about her shoulders.

"Hi," he breathed.

"Hello," she responded, coolly. He took another deep breath, seemingly to psyche himself up for something.

"Okay. I know what you're dealing with is more than just a self-esteem or self-image problem but I can't not tell you. Raven - you are extremely pretty," he said, a little laughter in his voice. Raven blinked back at him.

"Excuse me?"

"I just wanted to say it, just in case you needed to hear it. You're beautiful, Rae. I know that isn't gonna magically fix everything but... I couldn't leave it unsaid," he finished. "Well. Goodnight."

"Take your mask off. Please," Raven said. Beast Boy froze in his tracks. His hands moved up to his mask - why did he even wear the thing? He was green, it wasn't like he could masquerade as a civilian in his downtime. With a nod he reached up and undid the various clasps that held his mask in place, lifting it from his head and running his fingers through his flattened hair.

Raven stared.

Of course his hair was green. Everything about him was green. Especially his eyes. His eyes that were staring back at her. They were somehow even greener and more inviting then Starfire's eyes, but the hair was still the problem. She clasped her hands together behind her back to stop herself from running her own hands through his hair as he had done. He squirmed a little under her intense gaze, and she finally averted her eyes.

"I see the ears are real," Raven blurted. Beast Boy did a double take.

"You thought they might not be?" he asked.

"After our conversation, I thought they could be Batman-inspired," she said. Beast Boy's mouth hung open. Wait. Was that... was Raven smiling? She was!

"Oh wow..." he breathed.

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry. Just thinking out loud. I'm gonna go now, okay?" he said. Already turning to leave. Raven watched him for a few moments before calling after him.

"Thank you! For what you said about me," she said, getting quieter with every word. He turned and, without the mask, Raven could see the blush.

"You're welcome," he answered, gently. Raven seemed to fidget, unable to look at him.

"You're pretty as well!" she shouted before retreating into her room and slamming the door. Beast Boy's mouth hung open again.

"Well," he said, shaking himself. "I am never wearing the mask again," he chuckled before heading to his room, a visible skip in his step.

THE END

Well, this was fun. I don’t really go in for AU but I’m not even sure this counts lol.

[sweetbabyrayray]

Rule 1: Always post the rules
. Rule 2: Answer the questions the person who tagged you asked, and write 11 new ones
. Rule 3: Tag 11 people and link them to the post.
 Rule 4: Actually tell them you tagged them.

1. Favorite outfit?

In public, my black "Love Pink" hoodie, a random shirt (most likely a Teen Titans shirt), and jeans/sweats. At home, a baggy shirt and shorts. Also, I like wearing my Amy Rose hat wherever I go.

 <-- see look at that. Amazing :D.

2. Favorite book?

Does Manga/Comics count? Because I really like the Teen Titans comics and a whole lot of anime manga. But if you meant book books than probably the Harry Potter series.

3. Favorite animal?

THE HEDGEHOG. <3 thanks Sonic

4. You get to be in a fictional universe for one day. Where do you go and what do you do?

I want to go to Jump City so I can sneak into Titans Tower. I don't know what I would do there (maybe make watch a little love action happen between Beast Boy and Raven ;D) but that is definitely where I want to go.

5. Gif of your reaction if your OTP becoming canon

6. Gif of your reaction if your NOTP becoming canon

(Sorry, I wanted to choose 2 for each ^^)

7. Favorite movie?

TROUBLE IN TOKYO <3333

8. You have $1,000. What do you buy?

Oh jeez, I don't know. I'm more of a saver than a spender. Probably a bunch of Teen Titans and/or Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise.

9. Favorite reality show?

Hmm, I don't watch a lot of reality shows. I'm more of a cartoon-y/anime person. I do like The Walking Dead, though. Does that count? :p

10. Favorite TV show character?

It's hard to decide between these two babies...<3

...and then there's this cutie...

You know...I really don't know. ^^U

11. Fill in the blank: “I am most likely to _______________.”

Draw. Nearly every second of every day I'm NOT on Tumblr, I'm drawing something. Usually BBRae. <3

Time for some new questions!

1. Favorite movie? 2. Favorite two colors together? 3. If you were able to request a crossover of two TV shows, what would they be? 4. Gif of your reaction to great fanart of your OTP. 5. Favorite way to spend an all-nighter? 6. If you could become best friends with anyone, who would it be? 7. Gif of your reaction to a message/ask. 8. Favorite TV show/series? 9. Favorite OTP? 10. Favorite BrOTP? 11. Any shows you want to watch but don't have the time to?

Have fun!