#yeah last night was not funky fresh

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

me last night: alrighty time to get to bed and have a good night’s sleep-

my body: oh i’m sorry did you want to SLEEP? well here’s an absolutely splitting headache that will wake you up multiple times and go away just when you’re supposed to get up for the day, leaving you tired and wondering if you just imagined everything! and just for fun here’s a portion of an overactive brain, sleep well!!

me: ;-;;

[stellarspecter]

@pscentral event 20: antagonists ↳ THE LORDS IN BLACK in NERDY PRUDES MUST DIE

[seasonal-writes]

“bruised / kissed” (from this prompt list i found.) pairing: Jimmy/Tango (Team Rancher) cw: bruises (if that’s something to mention?), kissing (only a little!) “Where did you-” “It’s fine, Tango.” “This is not-! These aren’t..”  Tango didn’t know how to describe it. He’d only just hugged Jimmy minutes ago, sneaking up on him and wrapping his arms around him tightly from behind after a long day of being apart. This was a common ritual between them, one Tango adored, so it surprised him when Jimmy let out a wince of pain when he did so. There was brief panic and questions and a gentle shove before Jimmy’s sitting on the edge of the bed, white t-shirt tugged over his head and hanging on his shoulders with his back exposed. Tango perches behind him, shaky fingers dancing just inches above his skin, hesitant to touch as his breath hitches at the sight. All his words seem to get lost in the dark blues and purples that spill across Jimmy’s skin, all patchy and thick with the blood congealing beneath. The colors are so stark against his paleness, and despite their odd beauty, the sight makes Tango’s throat go tight. The bruising is dense up at his right shoulder, muddling down to his left side as they speckle out into smaller, brown spots that look less like he’d been beaten to shit. Jimmy keeps his head turned, trying to look back at Tango. Eyebrows turned down, but with a sheepish smile, he hums. “Really, it’s alright. You don’t have to worry.” “Uh-uh, mister! These are.. nasty. How are you even able to move?” Tango asks, eyes still tracing the shapes and funky lines that the bruises create down his back. “Not very easily..” Jimmy says, “But I’m managing, I promise.” Tango grunts. He wasn’t a medical expert, far from it, but he could tell that whatever did this, the impact was fresh. Jimmy also easily bruised, despite his constant hard labor, as Tango had discovered through his partner’s clumsy tendencies. Still, even though this was well-known, this instance worried him. “How did you do this? Did someone do this?” Tango asks, the second question holding a sharp edge. He’s about to jump onto his feet at any indication that other hands or beings caused it. “No! No, it wasn’t anyone’s fault but my own,” he says, dropping his head forward, “I just.. I fell.” “You fell?” “Off.. off the..ladder. In the barn.” Defeat laces his voice, quivering with some hesitation. Tango doesn’t have to see Jimmy to know he’s embarrassed by it. He’s sure his face is all red and his eyes are all shifty, and if there were any eye contact to make, there’d be none. Careful not to touch the bruised area, Tango reaches a hand forward and lightly holds Jimmy’s side. Jimmy’s shoulders tense up a little, but he visibly forces them to relax. “Why didn’t you mention it?” Tango asks, taking a gentler tone. “I didn’t think it was that big’ve a deal,” Jimmy says through a deep breath, “I was just trying to fix the railing on the hayloft and then I leaned just a little too far to whack at a nail annnd..” Tango cringes. “Splatty?” “Splatty..” “When did you fall?” Tango asks again, not sure if he wants to hear the answer. “..Um.. Maybe.. last night, just before I came in for supper.” “Last night? And you didn’t think to share? What if you broke something, or worse?” Tango stresses. Jimmy mumbles something under his breath, something with a little attitude and yeah yeah okay, but Tango barely hears him over the sound an idea makes when it pokes into his head. He releases Jimmy’s side, glancing down at his own hands. It’s very quiet for a moment, the only sound being their soft breathing and the sounds of the house around them, some animal noises coming from outside. He watches Jimmy shuffle a bit, almost like he’s about to pull his shirt back down before Tango jolts. “Wait, wait. Not yet,” he says, rubbing his hands together a little, “Can I try something?” “I don’t know what’ll help a bruised ba-hahaaa..” Jimmy starts to say, though his words float off as Tango’s hands press against his injuries. He’s gentle, of course, despite the little bit of wanting to punish him for not coming to him about something so important. He doesn’t, though. Tango doesn’t push too hard into the bruises, especially since the muscles feel like rock underneath his fingers even at the light touch. It’s light and tender, warm hands palming over the discolored skin and hoping the heat is enough to permeate through. Jimmy’s reaction seems to prove it works, as Tango’s fully aware of his biological advantage and feels a giddy sense of pride that it’s finally being put to more use than just “space heater.” “Does that hurt?” he asks. It takes a second for Jimmy to answer, head fully forward and shoulder muscles melting into a melted slump. “N..Noo..” Jimmy coos, “Very good.” Tango rubs in soft, little circles. “Good. Figured the heat could be useful here.” Jimmy nods, hair flopping a little as his head dangles forward. They stay like that for a moment, Tango gently rubbing at the sore skin while Jimmy hums his approval. The skin starts to stay warm, now softer and malleable compared to the solid texture of swollen muscle from when they started. Tango, though busying himself, stares as he works. He watches his fingers roll over the muscles in his back, wanting to trace the lines but forcing himself to stay on the task at hand. There hadn’t ever been a moment where he got to just look at Jimmy, especially a part of him so often hidden and disregarded. It was.. well, beautiful, even with the problems that he wants so badly to fix. He wants to say something about it too, but the words are all jumbled still and why would he think about him that way at a time like this and so he does the next best thing. Tango leans forward, hands still pressed, and plants the lightest of kisses on the back of Jimmy’s neck, just between his shoulder blades. He can see Jimmy’s visible chills, watching them practically dance up his spine as his shoulders jump. A shuddered breath escapes him, and Tango can’t help but grin. He moves down again, slowly giving him another kiss. And another. Till gently, in a perfect line, he sprinkles little kisses across his left shoulder—careful to avoid the bruises. Tango reels in the reactions, the twitches paired with the heavy sigh and apparent undoing occurring before him. Even as he’s the one doing it, he feels the warmth creep up in his own chest. It makes his own hands want to tremble, his own air daring to come out in wobbly patterns but he holds it together. Barely. The intimacy is just enough to nearly whelm him. “Ha..hey.. You-” Jimmy finally says, his voice tight and almost sounding choked up, “Tango.” “Hm?” Tango hums, “Sorry, I’ll stop.” Jimmy groans in protest, and Tango chuckles. “You’re getting all twitchy. I should quit before you hurt yourself again,” he adds, pulling back and continuing to rub at his skin. “But..” Jimmy starts to say, but cuts himself off and huffs. Tango reaches up and ruffles at Jimmy’s hair. “You’ll survive. Promise. Now, let’s see about getting some ice on this, huh?” It isn’t until a couple days later, when Tango’s hunched in the kitchen and prepping some breakfast, that he feels a presence behind him. He barely has time to register before two arms are wrapped tight around him from behind. Tango chuckles, reaching up and affectionately patting at the face that tucks into the crook of his neck, warming his skin with Jimmy’s breath. “Hi there,” Tango says with a grin building, “You’re supposed to be resting.” “I think my back is doing much better now, thank you,” Jimmy coos, “And I think some payback is in order.” Tango’s face starts to burn at his low, graveled voice. There’s a kiss on his cheek. Then another. And another on his jawline, scraggly beard tickling his skin, moving down. Then another and- Oh boy.

[monstress]

                        Favorite 2022 Korean Album Releases

khamat — hunjiya

this album is sonically so so beautiful! the r&b-pop hybrid is trendy (which can be a strength and a weakness) but this album has amazing build up that i cannot ignore. the narrative of zillennial’s blustery self-assuredness with the tracks all in capital letters - ending with last month’s rent in lowercase as the dawning realization of adulthood and growing out of friends and your childhood home. yeah...i’ll drink to that. the best engineered album of the year.

neap paradise — shin hae gyeong

one of my faveeee rock releases of the year. the arrangement of this album is so pleasing as you delve longer and longer in its psychedelic soundscape. it’s also a little reminiscent of korean indie sounds in the early 2010s which mayhaps colored my bias to this album. in addition, there are sooo many individual hooks across this album: when the guitar solo ripssss in Vandalism? the toy laugh at the end of Kaleidoscope? the descending chords in My Chronos? *chefs kiss*

piece of space — kaiavant

this album is soooo sexy...like how can you make marimba in the opening track sound alluring? she did it though! speaking about a shattered, unstable relationship, this alt-r&b is splendidly built and shows so much potential for kaiavant. the track woo hoo (feat. kid milli) is a star. if you’re a fan of bibi’s sound, do check her out!

evergray — jiwoo

his previous album ‘esprit’ got him on my to watch list and he delivered this year!! moody, introspective, and downbeat, this album is wonderful for those searching for a slow night and jiwoo’s voice perfectly emulates the toxicity of lust, love, and breakups. like a dark curtain of rain, it ensconced you in the melodrama if you let it.

nameless things — xeuda

decided to check this album since it was co-produced by cacophony and it didn’t disappoint! if you decide to listen to this album in one sitting, it’s so artful at how it slowly unravels from being defensive in sharing to you the true nature of its artist (her anxiety) and slowly opens up to a crescendo of a frenzy and ends like a grey cast in the aftermath of a storm.

life goes on — orange flavored cigarettes

might be a ~vibey entry to the list but the funk production flares (the underwater effect in kontrast, the reverb in that’s all i want) makes it distinct against its similar bands. this was in constant rotation for the summer for the slow summer nights with its ambient vocals. highly rec check out their other 2022 singles, especially noah.

a.k.a YAYA — yaya kim

this is an insaneeeee album from start to finish. with 33 tracks (yes that’s right!!!!), this album is indulgent, effusive, and operatic in its splendor. it’s magnificent, dark, and seductive which completely matches yaya kim’s husky voice. a concept album for a noir film that doesn’t exist, if you will. from the opening track, it asks you to let down your apprehension and enjoy the velvet-textured, wonderfully performed ride to its completion.

damage — kim doeon

i do love me some experimental albums and this album introduced me to the delightful name of the genre ‘folktronica’. while it’s more ambient than what i prefer, i’ve had this album on replay to able to parse something new with each listen. it’s soooo funky, fresh, and pleasant and it’s production is very evocative of a charming indie pixel game. Green Screen is my fave track of the year.

ㅠㅠ — gonggonggoo009

when this album starts, it does not let up! it’s 40 mins long album and uses it  expeditiously and excellently. the tracks are delightfully groovy at times, addictive in a few, and GOES HARD that you will not fatigued by the end of the runtime. and i know the man has become persona non grata (for good, good reasons) but it will be remiss not to mention the influence of kanye’s my beautiful dark twisted fantasy in this album’s production (the tracks monster, walk and polar bear are pretty obvious - and no, it’s not just because of the autotune). however, as the album goes on it does evolve to take on more of kendrick’s work (concentration is the best track imo). fave khh album of the year, don’t miss out.

♡ ♡ ♡ 

honorable mentions: all of ive’s singles, conch’s hurry up!, kwon eun bi’s lethality, slom’s weather report, rocket punch’s flash, bibi’s lowlife princess: noir, youha’s love you more, newjeans’ hype boy, baek yerin’s pisces, lucid fall’s voice beside guitar, dpr ian’s moodswings in to order

[fandomsnstuff]

Day three, no proofreading we die like men

@taznovembercelebration Embrace or refusal

-

Barry's sweating bullets. He planned this whole thing out so perfectly and now he's gone and fucked it up. It was such a simple plan.

Step 1: take Lup out for a nice fancy dinner.

Step 2: take Lup to a nearby park.

Step 3: go for a walk, tell Lup this is because it's a beautiful night.

Step 4: hold hands, gaze romantically at the river and stars

Step 5: surreptitiously guide Lup to an area with a stunning view of the water, stars, skyline and, most importantly, a photographer hidden in the trees.

Step 6: do the most terrifying thing he'll ever have to do in his entire life

Step 7: hope Lup says yes

Seven easy steps. Barry's not a recipe man, but he was so sure thay even he couldn't mess this up. But it was colder than he expected, and Lup's wearing a strapless dress, and Barry instinctively offered his jacket when she started shivering. He remembered about ten seconds later that there's a small box in the inner pocket that she can't know about for at least another five minutes.

"You okay, Bear?" He startles a little at Lup's voice. She brushes her fingers over his temple, "you're sweating. And I know it's not the weather."

"Um, yeah, just-" he clears his throat and smiles shakily- "gotta love that chemical imbalance sometimes."

She laughs lightly and kisses his cheek, "should we head home? I can think of a few things that might help that chemical imbalance."

He can see his mark. They aren't that far away, just another minute. "No, not yet. The- the fresh air is good."

She looks at him strangely, but he ignores it and walks forward, trying not to be too hasty. He doesn't get far before his and Lup's joined hands stop him. He turns, and Lup hasn't moved. "You have to hug me first," she says.

Barry's eyes dart between Lup and the spot he spent three weeks picking. "What?"

"You're in a funky mood and I don't like it. I want to give you a hug."

Okay, alright, a hug won't hurt. He could really use it, he's been a mess the last few days leading up to this. He smiles and takes her into his arms. She wraps her arms around his middle and he pulls her snug up against him. He realizes his mistake when Lup laughs and says, "is that your wallet in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

She pulls away from him and before he can stop her, she's reaching into the inner pocket and pulling out the box he asked Magnus to make. It's smaller and more discreet your typical ring box, with rounded edges, made out of maple. She examines the outside and says, "what is this?"

Barry's thoughts are racing. How does he save this? They don't even need to go that much farther. A few dozen feet. He holds out his hand, "I'll show you."

She hands it to him, thankfully without opening it. He takes her hand and she exclaims when he starts pulling her along further down the path. He ignores her line of questioning until they're standing exactly where he wants. He can just barely catch a glimpse of a camera lens in the distance. He drops Lup's hand and turns to face her, closing the box in both of his hands. He takes a breath and meets her eyes, "Lup-"

"You're acting weird."

"I know. I'm sorry. It'll make sense in a second."

"Okay?" If she's pretending to be clueless for his sake, she deserves an Oscar.

"Lup, I love you so much. I never-" he's already getting choked up, fuck- "I never thought I would feel this way, and I never thought that it'd be reciprocated, even if I did." A deep breath. "Especially not from someone like you. You're wonderful. You're so smart and clever and talented. You are the absolute love of my life, and I was wondering if," he lowers himself to a knee, opening the box, and Lup's eyes go wide and her hands come up over her mouth, "you would do me the honour of allowing me to be your husband."

"Fuck you!" She says, tears apparent in her voice. "What the fuck?! Barry! Yes! Fuck! Obviously!"

Barry laughs, the weight of the world instantly off his shoulders. He slips the ring onto Lup's finger and stands. She grabs his collar and pulls him into a kiss. When she breaks it, the photographer has come closer, out of their hiding spot, and is taking more pictures. Lup laughs, "so that's why you were dragging me through a fucking park in this weather, you made a poor photograher hidden to take creep shots of your proposal."

He laughs again, almost high on his own happiness, "and then I was dumb enough to give you my jacket with your ring hidden in it."

Lup laughs too and kisses him again. "It was still perfect."

[wintersmitth]

Ten books to know me

Rules: 10 (non-ancient) books for people to get to know you better, or that you just really like.

I got tagged by my amazing @mathomhouse-e and I am always down to have an excuse to talk about books.

HHhH by Laurent Binet.

Up until 2 years ago, I thought I would never touch anything related to real-life historical events, particularly anything related to WWII. Got burned badly by a historical novel when I was about 15. This book, however was on sale, and I think it is one of the best book-reading decisions I have done in a while. Completely rearranged my understanding of WWII, and also gave enough basis for better understanding of the current events.

2. Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo.

I have lots and lots of gripes with Bardugo writing, but not in this case. Bardugo wove a wonderful story, and I firmly believe it should not be branded as Young Adult. I couldn't put it down, and the story kept me on the edge of my sit.

3. Sherlock Holmes.

Look. It got nothing to do with Sh*rlock BBC. I do, genuinely, love Sherlock Holmes. I love that funky detective dude and his bestie, solving crimes and helping mistreated people out of trouble.

4. The Hunter and the Hunted by Ivan Bahrianyi.

And look, this Ukrainian book has even English translation. The original title actually translates to 'Tigertrappers'. It's an incredible story of man convicted for some bogus crime in USSR, his forced deportation, and the hunt on him. The book has an incredibly strong imagery and the vision of the train full of people compared to an angry dragon has stayed with me over the years, and has infused into my nightmares.

5. Overture: The Sandman by Neil Gaiman.

Perhaps to no one's surprise, Sandman is here. The whole comic series has kept me sane this year, but Overutre is especially dear to me.

6. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

Incredible. Incredible graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi about her experience of growing up in a war-torn Iran. Read it during the lockdown, cried like a bitch. Poignant, important story.

7. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett.

I love Pterry dearly, and I often speak of any given Disc book as 'Oh I love this so much', but when I say that about Night Watch, it means I love it above all else. It is a very personal book, and it is also the only book I took with me when I left Kyiv last year for my then-undetermined exile.

8. The Thirteen's Tale by Diane Setterfield.

I read it years and years ago (my edition says it was published in 2009) and it still stays with me. A haunting story of people slipping through the cracks and weaving their own story.

9. Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett.

Yeah, so I got two Pterry books here, and? I wish I had Tiffany Aching books growing up.

10. I would be a bad Ukrainian if I didn't name

Kobzar by Taras Shevchenko.

What a man. What poetry. He really experienced being a Ukrainian to his fullest, and insane how we still find his words topical, fresh and valuable.

I am tagging @tj-dragonblade @quillingwords @seiya-starsniper from Dreamling Nation, but also @saltforsalt @davinciae and @flaielis

[cat-eclipse-m]

s#1c1d4l hyp3

SUICIDE.

THE ADRENALINE IS FRESH.

SUICIDE.

SOMETIMES IT HELPS TO RELEASE STRESS.

SUICIDE, COMITTING DIE

THE ADRENALINE IS FLOWING THROUGH MY VEINS!

BURSTING FROM MY HEART, I LET THE BLOOD FLOW DOWN MY SKIN, WHY NOT?

I PICK UP A BOTTLE, FULL OF PILLS, MIGHT TAKE SOME EXTRA, YUH

HELP ME FALL ALSEEP, OF COURSE, BUT WHY NOT PERMANANTLY?

TAKE THE KNIFE IT’S YOUR LAST CHANCE, GO COMMIT SUICIDE!!

TELL ME, HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WANNA DIE?

I BET IT FEELS SO WARMING, THE TEARS ROLL DOWN YOUR CHEEKS, TASTES SALTY, HUH-?

YOU’LL FEEL MUCH BETTER WHEN YOU FAIL FROM TRYING.

MY FAILED ATTEMPT WAS AT THE RIPE AGE OF ELEVEN (E-VEN)

I WAN TO IMPLODE, GASLIGHT MYSELF INTO FEELING COLD!! (COLD!-)

I WANNA DIE AS MUCH AS I WAN THE HYPE!

I’M LIVIN’ FOR THE FACT THAT I CAN FEEL HIGH AND KINDA FUNKY (FUNKY)

MIGHT TRYTA BE SOMEBODY ELSE, JUST FEEL AROUND, WAIT, NO!!

I HATE THIS LIFE.

I WANNA DIE.

GRAB THE KNIFE I WANNA FEEL EXASPERATED TONIGHT!!

WOAH WOAH, BABY, YOU SHOULD SLOW DOWN

MAYBE YOU CAN RAISE THE BLADE UP TO MY NE~ECK~

TELL ME I’M WORTH THE FIGHT YEAH, MAKE ME SMILE TONIGHT, YE-AH

I WANNA FEEL THE BLOOD COURSING THROUGH MY VEINS~!

I WANNA LIVE LIKE A KING, SITTING ON MY, THRONE!

BUT I WANNA DO A SHITTON O’ MISSIONS, MIGHT JUST RIP MY CLOAK-

IN TWO!! I WANNA FEEL PATHETIC. MAIM ME, TAME ME, GO AHEAD.

I’M UP FOR ANYTHING, JUST PLEASE DON’T INCLUDE GRABBING.

HELP ME, BABY, YOU CAN START OFF BY, PASSING ME THAT BO-TTLE-O’-PILLZ!!

I WANNA FEEL HIGH, TELL ME THAT IT’S ALRIGHT, I JUST WANT THIS TO END LIKE A FAIRYTALE!!

YEAH, I KNOW THAT I’M AN ASSHOLE, HOLY SHIT, I’M GETTING DEJA VU!!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? PASS ME THE MINISCULE BOTTLE-

FULL OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS, WOULDJA LOOK AT THAT?

IT SEEMS TO ME THE BOTTLE IS STILL STACKED!!

FILL ME UP TO THE BRIM, YEAH

WANNA FEEL THE DRUGS PUMPIN’ THROUGHOUT MY SYSTEM~!

TELL ME THAT I’M FINE YEAH, KEEP ME UP ALL NIGHT YEAH, I JUST REALLY WANNA WATCH YOU ALL~

HAVE FUN WITHOUT ME, PLEASE-GO-ON! THE SHOW MUST ALWAYS CONTINUE~

WITH OR WITHOUT IT’S HOST, PLE~EASE, I REALLY NEED TO FEEL AT EASE~!

YEAH!

[dancing-to-architecture]

41 - Otis Redding - Otis Blue

Welp, all I know of Otis Redding is "(Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay" and that he wrote Respect before Aretha covered it and effectively made it hers.

Wikipedia says this is (paraphrased) mostly a cover album. Otherwise, I'm going in blind on this one.

•Ole Man Trouble-

It's ostensibly a blues album, and this is an amazing first track; a blues song about getting stuck in the dumps again and again and again. Fuck Ole Man Trouble.

All my homies hate Ole Man Trouble.

Those horns are hot, though! Hoping for a lot more of that coming up.

•Respect-

Okay, I was expecting this, but this version is just WEIRD. The pieces are there, but it's subtly wrong. Lukewarm take: Aretha did it WAY better. This song works so much better as a feminist anthem than it does like this, it's very 'better have my dinner ready when I walk in the door'.

•A Change Is Gonna Come-

Hearing this man's beaten-down and bedraggled optimism about how things have to get better for the black community despite living though a particularly dark part of America's history gave me a bit of hope that, yeah, things have got to get better.

Then, I think about my racist, fascist governor and I can't stop myself from thinking: "well, not fuckin yet, I guess."

Then, I lose myself in thinking about pushing Ronathan Desantis into the industrial crushing machine from the end of 30 Days of Night, and I get just a bit happier.

It's legitimately soul-destroying to think that it's been so long since this song was written and we've gotten to "no no, you see, slavery was good actually because it taught them valuable skills!" and that kinda makes me want to slit my fucking wrists

This country sucks shit.

•Down in the Valley-

As if he knew the last song was gonna be A Bummer, this one is basically "oh yeah, shit SUCKS, but those motherfuckers can't stop us from dancing, even if it's just to spite them."

That said, I really like it. A breath of fresh air.

•I've Been Loving You Too Long-

My man, she's gone. She's checked the fuck out.

She wants out, you said as much. Let her go.

I get that you feel like you can't let go, but you're being the Crab in the goddamn Bucket right now.

(For real, it sucks to be in a one-sided relationship but let them go if they want to leave, and you'll both be happier eventually for it.)

•Shake-

This song has some SERIOUS energy to it. Funky as hell, and the horns are working overtime. If this doesn't make you want to move, you're broken.

I bet this one was a killer at a live set.

•My Girl-

I was initially going to say that this sounds wrong without the Temptation's back-up singers, but the horns actually work pretty well in their place.

Also, god DAMN, the man could sing.

A beautiful cover. I almost like it more than the original, tbh.

•Wonderful World-

Was expecting trees of green and red roses, too, aaaaaaaand now all I can think about is Animal House, a now deeply problematic fave from my younger years. (But still not nearly as problematic as Revenge of the Nerds.)

(For those who aren't familiar, this was a featured song in that film, iirc the last song of the movie that plays over the epilogues.)

I definitely relate to this song though, as I also don't remember much about the French i took, either.

Possibly the most upbeat song so far.

•Rock Me Baby-

2001. Junior year history class taught by one of my all-time favorite teachers: Mr. Bradish.

This song was the given example of how creative people could get around the strict censorship laws in the mid-century like the Hayes code.

"Well, we can't say 'i want you to screw me all night long', but these dipshit honky record executives don't exactly understand what we mean by the word 'rock', they're just snapping their fingers, so we're good."

I simply cannot divorce this song from that moment in time.

That said, A SERIOUS blues guitar solo, hot damn.

•(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction-

To be totally on the level, I was always more of a Beatles fan than a Stones fan.

That said, this cover FUCKING SLAPS!

In a perfect world, this song would be known as an Otis Redding song.

•You Don't Miss Your Water-

The inverse of I've Been Loving You Too Long, and the return of: "Aww, man I've been such a gigantic cheating prick it's been so great, wait, why is my girl leaving me? [Surprised_pikachu.jpg]"

I seriously CAN'T believe how common a subject that has been during this project.

Well, that was an interesting album, all in all. Otis Redding had one hell of a voice, and it's on full display here.

Definitely worth checking out, especially since it's a quick one at like 35 minutes long.

Favorite Track: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. It's amazing how much better this song can seem when it's not being sneered at you by a quasi-noncey British multi-millionaire. It comes off much less like the diatribe of a jaded douche when it comes from Otis.

Least Favorite Track: You Don't Miss Your Water.

Yeah, maybe I'm a dyed in the wool wife-guy, but I will never, ever be a fan of the nigh-omnipresent "I'm an asshole, I'm a cheater, wait a minute, why doesn't my partner like me anymore?" song.

[stevie-steven-stevington]

anyone else do a thing where when you’re feeling esp suicidal instead of wanting to feel Better you’re like hm what if i just stopped taking my meds and then maybe i’ll cross the line of feeling so fucking bad that i actually kill myself instead of just Thinking About It All The Time

[disquietedpalefish]

Just got back into Breath of Fire III and my favorite thing so far is now the bread.

[rommahh]

Love On Tour…Actually

{Im sorry for how late this was. I went to the show Friday and honestly, it was the best day of my life. I had a little PCD which made me super unmotivated but I’m back. I love you all, R}

You woke up a little grumpy, you won’t lie. You didn’t like waking up alone especially on a show day. It made you uncomfortable to be left to your own devices without any structure or schedule. You understood that Harry was a busy man but it would’ve been nice to receive some text so you could plan your day accordingly.

Sitting on the couch in the lounge of your hotel room, you chowed down on leftover pasta while watching Netflix on your iPad. You had yet to receive a text from Harry even though you had texted him hours ago when you woke up. It was hard to tell if he was ignoring you out of anger or if he was simply just lost in track. Either way you felt dejected.

On the other hand, Harry hadn’t even noticed that he iced you. He was busy running around Nashville trying to get things ready for tonight’s show. He bought you a new dress and shoes, and got the ring fitted. It was hard to figure out your ring size but he end up measuring your finger when you were passed out asleep in bed last night. When you slept, you slept and he knew that would be the perfect time to measure your finger.

Harry was so busy that morning, that by the end of his errands he realized he didn’t even have time to go back to the hotel before rehearsals. He was sporting a small cough and his vocal chords felt overworked but that’s all apart of tour.

Pulling his phone out of his back pocket as he walked into the arena, he dialed your number quickly. He had people trying to talk to him but he paid them no mind.

“Oh? Would you look who’s here?” Harry’s head shot up to the sound of your voice. There you sat on his dressing room couch, arms crossed over one another as you glared at him. Your gaze burned through him and he could just tell he was in trouble.

“Hello lovie.” Harry rasped.

“Harry you sound like shit but here you are up and about running around. You should’ve slept in this morning.” Scolding as you stand up to walk in front of him. Harry could feel the anger radiate off of you but you hid it well. He melted into your hands that cupped his warm cheeks.

“I had a lot of errands to run and I didn’t want to wake you. Also it’s just a sore throat from singing and traveling- comes with being on tour.” He mumbles dropping his head into your neck. You caress the hairs on the back on his neck and massage the tense muscles.

“You’ve got to think about yourself more, Harry. You have a show to put on but you can’t put on your best show if you’re not at your best. I am not happy with you at all.” Even though your words were scolding him, you held him your arms in the most soothing way. That’s what Harry loved about you, you cared for him like no one else could (aside from his mom). You could tell him off with your harshest words but he’d always feel your love from miles away.

“You’re right love, sorry for not keeping in touch today.” You hum in acknowledgement. You both pulled away from each other when his driver walked in with Harry’s abundance of bags. “Thank you, sir.”

“What all did you buy?” You ask walking towards the bags. Harry’s arm shot out in front of you making you stop. You looked up at him in shock. “Fine be secretive.”

You huffed before making your way back to the couch. Harry rolled his eyes at you, making way to his shopping bags. Plucking the bag from Nordstrom he plopped it down on the table in front of you.

“I just didn’t want you snooping at some other stuff. I bought you this, for tonight.” He sat down beside you, thighs touching leaving no room between you two.

“Im not trying to be mean. Just a little peeved that you left this morning without telling me. You also have a cold and I wanna take care of you since you won’t do it.” A hand rubs his forehead luring his eyes shut.

“Sorry baby, I thank you for caring so much.” He whispers sleepily.

“Im always gonna care for my bubs.” Kissing him on the lips, your turn your attention to the bag. The small grey bag had light tissue paper covering the product within the bag. The tissue falls to the floor as you dig into the bag. A silky champagne dress, folded neatly to decrease wrinkles, sits in the bag. The dress was soft and you knew it was loose enough to give you the room to dance. Soft snores escaped the boy beside you- the exhaustion evident on his face.

You pull the dress out of the bag and walk over to where his outfit of the night hung. The dress was hung beside his to be steamed for later. Turning around, you smile at the sight of your curled up boyfriend. Your heart hurt knowing that in a few minutes he would have to go rehearse.

Harry sleepily went through rehearsals sitting in a chair the whole time. He knew his stage cues and performance, he only had one more thing to rehearse but it required for you to not be in the room. He gave one look to Jeff to signal him to get you out. Jeff made up some excuse saying that he needed help with some social media post for the show.

Before the show, there was a catered dinner from some local restaurant. Harry ate a light meal of fresh vegetables and a sweet iced tea which has grown on him having lived in the states for some years. You ate grilled chicken and fries enjoying the free food. The two of you ate alone in his dressing room- wanting a moment of piece before the crazy.

“How are you feeling?” You ask Harry. He shrugs, he was more nervous than anything but you wouldn’t understand why if he had told that to you. He felt floaty. Tonight would be a game changer, a step in a whole new direction. This is something he’s wanted to do for years now but it’s finally happening, and he’s scared.

"Im ok, a little tired but what else is new. I can't wait to sleep all night and cuddle with you." He grabs your hand from across the table. you squeeze it, frowning at his revelation.

"I don't like that you're so tired." You worry, his hand squeezes yours in reassurance.

“Im ok, it’s all apart if the job.” He looks down to your bare ring finger, thumb brushing over the empty spot. Your nails were done in your favorite way, some funky pattern you found from Pinterest all painted on short coffin nails.

“I love you Harry and I’m so proud of you. I know that these years put us both in a bad place mentally but I’m happy of where we are now.” Harry could almost tear up to your words. They settled into his mind, resonating. He was making the perfect decision and you solidified that ideal.

2014

Harry didn’t know how they did it. A show every night, a new state everyday, a new country every few months- he was burnt out. He was tired of shared tour buses and the lack of autonomy. Last nights LA show was amazing, the crowd was amazing, the energy was amazing- so why did he feel so horrid?

He walked around in The Grove, security guards walking in front and behind him. He wanted a peaceful day alone but here they were. Fans watched suspiciously trying to decipher if it was Harry or not. His hat and sunglasses were obviously not the disguise he thought they would be.

As the whispers got louder, his heart started to flurry more. Panic seeped into his veins as he looked for an escape. Bolting in the Barnes and Nobles- security guards close behind- Harry asked for the employees to close shop just for a moment. Harry only needed a moment to get a car near by to escape to. Feeling overwhelmed, Harry hid.

In between the historical fiction and romance aisle is where he sat. Head between his knees, trying to catch his breathe.

“Are you ok?” A voice asked from above him. His head whipped up in shock. Standing there was you, three books clutched between your arms. Adjusting your dress you dropped down to the floor in front of him.

“I-im fine, tired but fine.” He replied. He looked different than he did the night before, you thought. Last night, he was energetic and full of life and now, now you saw a boy whose exhaustion overpowered him.

“You here for any books?” You were just trying to change the subject, something you did with yourself when you had panic attacks.

“Oh no, I don’t-“ he stuttered shaking his head. You smiled at him before pulling a book from your stack. The fault In Our Stars, your new favorite.

“I love this book, one of my favorites. Heard a movie is coming out too so that’s fun.” You joke. Harry’s relaxed slightly, you nestled closer to him. Opening the book, you began reading, your gentle voice calming Harry.

At the start of chapter four, an interruption pulled you both away. Harry’s security guard told Harry that a car was waiting and the perimeter of the store was clear. Harry nodded telling the guard to give him five more minutes.

“I guess this is it.” You mumble closing your book. Harry nods but makes no move to leave. Something clicks in him as he looks at your face again.

“You were at the concert last night, meet and greet?” He muses.

“Yeah, One Direction is my favorite band. My friend bought our vip tickets for my birthday. Best night ever.” You say quietly, scared that he might think that you’re some obsessed fan.

“Oh, well I’m glad you enjoyed the show….so why didn’t you freak out today or- or expose where I was?”

“You’re a human being, just like me. You get nervous, frustrated, and sad just like me. You get panic attacks just like. Who am I to treat you differently?” Your words did so much for Harry. “Now don’t get me wrong, you’re my favorite in the band, but I don’t idolize you nor do I wish to be in your position cause I know it must be hard.”

“It is. Hard, I mean, really really hard. I love my job but I’m tired.” The silence you two shared burned a connection between you two. “This may be weird but could I have your number? I like talking to you and I wanna hear more of this book.”

Placing your hand made bookmark in the book, you closed in and gently placed it on Harry’s lap. “Have it. I have one at home and if you still want to talk about it- I’ll give you my number.”

Harry stills as the book sits in his lap. “I want to talk to you about the book.”

After exchanging numbers, Harry was urged by you to go. Walking side by side to the door, you were separated by his security.

“Harry, don’t let this keep hurting you. Find the joy and grasp on to it.”

You turned out to be his joy. Calls every night after shows and different books being read together, you both gravitated towards each other. Everyday was a new day to grow closer together. He invited you to more concerts, paying for every ticket because he just needed to be with you.

The show was going beautifully. Harry looked amazing in stage in all white and most fans were captivated by your outfit too. It worried you to see Harry so exhausted on stage but you knew he would stick it through like he always does. Proud was an understatement in your eyes. Harry made you more than proud.

You stood in the back of the watermelon pit at the end of the aisle where his stage stopped a few feet away. Jeff stood beside you like he normally did but he was acting suspicious. You two never stood on the side of Harry’s exit but this is where Jeff said you’d get the best view tonight.

Harry sang his final ‘we’ll be alright’ before doing his stage stroll and bows, but instead of finishing in the middle of the stage- he went down stage to the place he normally exits to at the end of the night. You watched in confusion, along with the crowd, as he walked down the steps to you. The crowd erupted in screams as the lights focused on where you were standing.

“What are you doing?” You asked with large eyes of shock. You felt your heart stop in your chest. The crowd getting louder by the moment. Harry walked closer to you, one hand digging into his pocket while his eyes focused on your face. You couldn’t place what was happening but you’re eyes welled with even more tears nonetheless. Jeff was to the side with a huge smile and his phone out to capture the moment.

“Y/N, my love, my light, the best thing that has happened to me,” he didn’t have his mic on so the crowd couldn’t hear him but you could hear him perfectly. As if you two were the only ones in the large arena, you could only see Harry. “From the moment I met you in the bookstore, I knew you were meant to be in my life. Somehow you took me from my darkest place and guided me to my lightest.

I know our lives have been hard but we’ve always found a way to be alright. I want that for the rest of my life. I want you to be by my side for the rest of my life, so will you please, my love, marry me?”

You gave him no time to answer as you yanked him up by his arm. You wept as you exclaimed loud yeses, yeses that could be heard by a few fans who screamed in excitement igniting the rest of the crowd to scream. Harry picked you up in his arms, throwing one arm out to wave at the crowd before bounding backstage.

“Oh my god Harry!” You exclaimed as he set you down. He only had a few minutes to talk so you kept it quick. You pulled his face down to your kissing his lips. This kiss pulled you both deeper into each other.

He pulled away making you whine. “I gotta go back but I promise you’ll get it all tonight. I can’t believe you said yes. I love you so much.”

Harry’s energy multiplied by 100 going back on stage. He even went as far as to explain what watermelon sugar was about. Remembering when the song was made, it made your legs clench together- a pulse overwhelming your lower regions.

Looking down at your hand, you could feel yourself tear up again at the ring he bought you. It fit perfectly in your hand, you remember him measuring your hand that night even though he thought you were asleep. The thought of your future made your heart swell. A future with new music, a wedding, a nice house, and babies made your heart swell. This was something you couldn’t wait for.

Harry found his joy in you but he never knew about the joy he was to your dark life.

[star-going-supernova]

(idea anon) prompt: strings!verse time travel (accidental) fix it where Vanessa finds herslf back in time (unknown to her, the day gregory's crash happened), and accidentally saves gregory's family by doing something as simple as crossing the street, the minor delay created turning the fatal crash into a non fatal one. When she wakes up Gregory is not living with her. Instead, she's living with Gregory and his parents, who have essentially adopted her, seeing a kindred spirit in her

Heck yeah, time travel! It felt good to write a ficlet again after so long. Thanks for y’all’s patience! The past few weeks have been… mm. Anyway, minor warning for a character being hit by a car ahead, though it’s not graphic or fatal. Enjoy!

Do-over

One minute Vanessa’d been picking up a weird-looking ornately decorated book, and the next, it was like lightning was traveling through her body in all-consuming waves. It couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds, not even long enough for her to scream, but hell if it hadn’t been a small eternity of agony. 

Her vision went funky, dark like she’d gone blind, and the air was suddenly clean and fresh instead of the mustiness of the pizzaplex’s basement. Painfully bright light consumed her before she could comprehend the sudden change, and then there was an awful squealing noise. Something hit her, roughly knocking her backward and sending her tumbling along the ground. It hurt, but not as much as the lightning had. 

Ears ringing and beyond confused, Vanessa blessedly blacked out.

• • •

She heard muttered conversation first. The sound of machines, beeping and humming, came next. It was a monumental effort, but Vanessa dragged her heavy eyelids open. 

There wasn’t any real pain like she expected, just an odd floatiness. Exhaustion dragged at her fuzzy mind, begging her to slip back into sleep, but her jumbled memories of what she last remembered kept her conscious. 

She was still turning things over in her head, staring almost accusingly at the ceiling, when a woman in scrubs entered her line of sight. Vanessa hadn’t even heard her approach. 

The woman smiled at her. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“Weird,” Vanessa said, only slurring a little. She wiggled her fingers. “Wha’ happened?”

“You were hit by a car last night. You’re lucky, though. The driver hit the brakes fast enough that you’re not in too bad of shape.” The woman checked one of the monitors next to Vanessa’s bed. “I’ll get the doctor in a minute, and she’ll go over your injuries with you. Mind telling me your name? You didn’t have any ID on you.” 

“Hn. Vanessa.” 

“Nice to meet you, Vanessa. I’m Nancy.” Nancy patted her arm. “You up to having some visitors?” 

Frowning, Vanessa hummed in question. If they didn’t know who she was, how could someone be there to see her?

Nancy chuckled. “The driver and his family. They came back this morning to see how you’re doing. We can’t tell them much without your permission, but they’d like to check on you themselves if you’re okay with that.” 

A little bewildered but willing enough, she nodded. “Sure.” She hoped the guy wasn’t feeling too guilty about hitting her. However the hell she’d managed to end up, apparently, in the middle of a road was her fault, not his. 

Maybe you deserved it, too, said the nasty little voice in the back of her head. It’s a shame you survived. He’d have been doing the world a favor, getting rid of you. 

Vanessa gripped a handful of the sheets, trying to remain outwardly calm and normal as Nancy asked her a few questions and the doctor popped by to talk about how her injuries had been treated and what she was looking at as far as recovery went. She was left alone afterwards for only a minute or two before Nancy returned with a gentle smile, leading an unfamiliar man behind her. 

“Here she is,” Nancy said, nodding at Vanessa. “If any of you need anything, you can hit the call button or come down to the desk, okay?” 

Nancy left, and the man stepped closer to the bed, revealing a shorter woman behind him. Like the man, Vanessa had never seen her before. 

But the kid holding the woman’s hand. 

She probably had the drugs and the floatiness to thank as the only reason she didn’t blurt out Gregory’s name. But it was definitely Gregory tucked against the woman’s side—hell, the woman bore a pretty strong resemblance to the kid, even now when he was… he was… 

Oh. Oh. 

This Gregory, who looked at her without a shred of recognition, was most definitely not eleven years old. He was a little bit shorter, had more of a baby face, and lacked a haunted sharpness in his eyes that she’d never been fully conscious of before now, seeing him without it. 

Was this real? A dream? She was left stuck between reeling with shock and frantically trying to learn more about this cozy, loving, tragedy-less family. If the introductions and conversation that followed seemed silted or awkward or fumbling on her part, they were kind enough not to mention it.

She was barely able to keep herself from staring at them. These were Gregory’s parents. His good, beloved parents who he’d lost when he was nine. And they were here, alive, with him. This was Gregory, the most important person in her life. The kid who saved her. She’d thought he was young before, he was practically a baby now. 

They were as kind as he’d claimed they were. He was as bright and carefree as she had imagined he used to be.

They were kind to her, all three of them to Vanessa, who definitely didn’t deserve it, not after what she’d done. Not after what she tried to do to their son. Not after the burden she’d been.

She started crying then, but to her shock, instead of leaving or growing uncomfortable, Gregory’s parents sought to comfort her. Confused and frightened and guilty, she blurted out a half-truth that she was alone, that her parents were gone, and she didn’t know where she was or how she got there.

And for the first time in years, Vanessa received hugs and reassurance from adults. From parents, even though they weren’t her own. 

They stayed with her that day, and they came back the next, and the day after that. And when she was released from the hospital, they opened their home to her, winking that Gregory would be happy to have an older sister of sorts. 

Despite herself, she went with them, a fluttering wisp of hope in her heart that maybe things would be different. Better, even. Maybe things could be changed.

(Maybe they already had.)

(She only found out later that they’d hit her on the way home from a high school theater production.)

[lesbiansoncaffiene]

AFTG As Shit Me And My Friends Have Said (pt. 2)

Y’all like the last one so much (it’s my most liked post as of rn so thank you!!) that we now have a part dos

Also features quotes from my gov class and from my (twin) brother

Matt: I am very happy to declare pawnshops as “EBay irl”

Dan: dear god

——————————————

5:24am

*Nicky named the chat Toothpaste Man Fanclub*

5:25am

*Andrew left the chat*

—————————————

Renee: I cannot believe I have to say this, you’re not allowed to cut into a cake baby

Aaron, his scalpel ready: goddamit

——————————

Matt, drunk: Me when I cut off my ear for the lols

——————————

The AFTG fandom: Gender, in the state of this nation? I think the fuck not

——————————

Wymack: Wow I have a lot of white in my beard

Abby: It’s because you’re old

Kevin: Well the alternative is dead so..

Wymack and Abby: ..

——————————

Aaron, to Katelyn, who always falls asleep during Marvel movies: do you wanna watch a Marvel movie?

Katelyn: *snorts*

——————————

Seth: What if you’re pregnant and go to China, and your baby is born while you’re in China

Renee: You can’t fly in a plane during your 3rd trimester of pregnancy

Seth: Yea but what if you drove

*disappointed sighs*

———————

Kevin: omg I found a picture of my best friend in PreK

Kevin: The one who told me Satan was gonna eat me

Matt: ….I’m sorry what-

————————

Nicky: My only goal in life is to piss off my ancestors by going to the spice section in the grocery store

————————

Kevin: someone tried to mansplain on me in my history class, I hope they know that I’m a self-diagnosed autistic bisexual with a god complex who is going to prove him wrong

Dan: yep time to call Betsy

——————————

Jean: listen I’m aroace but if Mothman ever wanted to fuck…..

Laila: shut uP, ShuT UP-

——————————

Aaron: we have to take care of these egg baby’s in my healthcare class *shows eggs with goggly eyes attached*

Andrew, looking it dead in the eyes: eat it. Eat the baby

——————————

Nicky *on the bus*: SCOOBY DOOBY DOO

Matt: WHERE ARE YOU

Neil, from the back: emotional hell

——————————

Jeremy *about some gossip*: omg what a plot twist

Alvarez: that only happens in books

Jeremy: shhh I’m projecting

——————————

Renee: wow, that was great parallel parking, you must have aced your drivers test

Andrew: my what

——————————

*3am on a school night*

Dan: Don’t you think it’s weird that getting lab work done is basically walking into the doctors office and asking them to take your life juice?

Allison: if you don’t shut up and go to sleep I’m calling Wymack

————————

Neil: I hope Wymack lets me make Jack do the little lad dance for missing practice

Seth: that would bring all the serotonin that I’m missing back into my life tbh

————————

Andrew: I’m a very slow reader, I should not start a 10K fic at 2:35am

Neil: You going to anyway aren’t you

————————

Allison *showing Renee a meme*: Why was my first thought when I saw this ‘I should send this to my therapist’

Renee: Because you’re mentally ill, babe

———————

Andrew: Why make good decisions when arson is an option?

Aaron: Is arson… not a good decision?

———————

Nicky: okay so how do we let Andrew know that we know he’s gay. I have a few ideas-

Renee: well, we should be subtle-

Nicky, already pulling out a full on rainbow costume: do we /have/ to?

———————

Allison: is my straightener in your room?

Neil: I don’t think anything in my room is straight but you can check

———————

Andrew *on a rant about Adam Levine’s voice*: it sounds like he’s been hit in the balls

Wymack, who woke up two minutes ago when he thought someone was breaking into his house at 3:38am: what the fuck

————-

Neil: My lungs thought it would be funky and fresh to stop working when it is in fact not funky nor fresh

Matt: You just had an asthma attack, can you shut up-

———————

Aaron: I have therapy today

Kevin, trying to be supportive: that’s hot

————————

Renee: I love you but your pizza cutting skills are enough to ward off God

Dan, who cut the pizza into squares: yeah that’s fair

——-

Dedicated to Jess who read these and approved 100% *sorta*

——-

Part 3? Possibly?? If y’all like it???

——-

Part 1:

[alfhildr-the-word-weaver]

So I’ve been thinking I’ll probably do sharpie tatts again for my MCR show next week, and it’s a little soon yet to be drawing the ones I’ll actually have on for the show, but it’s gotten me yearning to draw on myself again, and with all the excitement about Badflower tonight (or last night now I’m posting it, but they open again tonight too), I thought, what if I just... gave myself a Badflower sharpie tattoo. For funsies?

So if you’re unfamiliar with their band logo, it looks like this:

So I started by attempting to draw their signature flower on my wrist. I decided to do it in blue rather than black just because I prefer to have some color in my sharpie tatts, even if they’re monochrome. It didn’t exactly turn out super accurately, but, well... the band’s not called Goodflower now are they? Lol. Then it just worked out that I put their name underneath rather than attempting to go on top of the flower, which would’ve required more planning and less coloring in the center. So then it looked like this:

but I wanted to do a little bit more, and incorporate some lyrics into it too. I started looking through some of the lyrics of my favorite Badflower songs, at which point I remembered, oh yeah, a lot of these are really quite grim, lol; I did come up with a few potential selections, but none of them were Vibing just right. But then I was looking at 30 and I saw “so raise up your glasses to going out of fashion!” and it just clicked into place. I mean, one of the great things about doing sharpie tatts instead of real permanent tattoos is that the things one draws on don’t have to be your only all-time favorite absolute best picks from all possible options; I considered going through more options after that, but I felt good about that line, so I went ahead and added it in. 

It felt energizing and defiant, full of weird-and-proud energy; it also seemed a bit appropriate after the night’s twitter dramas. Of course, I have trouble planning spacing and I’m just freehanding this (all the more reason I’m glad this isn’t a ‘real’ tattoo), so the “to going out of fashion” part wound up on two lines, and my script is kind of funky and hard to read in places, but you know, it’s probably not going to last a full week, and I like it. Actually I fell asleep while writing this earlier and I just woke up at like 5:30 and looked at my arm and went “what the-- oh yeah I did do that,” but this is another good thing about sharpie tattoos, that it’s okay when they just sort of appear on your arm in the morning, lol. The text in a circle around the roughly circular logo also reminds me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers logo, come to think of it, but that’s not a bad thing I suppose. Anyways, I am really quite fond of it, so I wanted to go ahead and show off my pics while it’s fresh. “Raise up your glasses to going out of fashion” indeed! I love Badflower, I love their music, it’s 6am now and I want to get back to sleep and this post is probably messy and in need of editing, but I’m going to go ahead and post about my funky little Badflower tattoo now because it’s weird and I like it. 

[antiherocorner]

Huh... Alright, I'm doing... I think I'm doing it...

This is my very first fanfic ever... I'm still learning... This is a part 1 thing... I'm currently in the middle of a university exam period, so I couldn't finish the whole story yet, but I will as soon as I can, but I don't want to wait anymore... My English is okay-ish... It's not my native language, so there maybe some grammatical mistakes, I hope it's still readable... I tried my best... Just bear with me, I'll try to learn and improve... I'm very nervous...

Facts about the story: there is no age mentioning, Reader is around 25-26, I made Daniel younger in my head, 34-36 (single, no wife, no kids, let's respect the real Brühl family), Reader is female, I am Hungarian as well (possible Hungarian language in the future), I'm studying Russian (possible Russian language in the future), and I just started learning German, I used translater (sorry if I messed it up but, I really tried, please tell me if it's horrible), and one more thing... I have never met Daniel, nor I went to Berlin (yet, I really want to, and planning)... All of this are imagination, dreaming, and a little searching...

Warnings: none?... i think?... Apart from the horrible language uses and horrible jokes... Maybe swearing.

(Bad) Summary: a Hungarian girl goes to Berlin with a Russian friend of hers, as tourists. They always wanted to visit the city (not because Reader has a crush on the one and only Daniel Brühl, and wants to go to his tapas bar...of course). When the Reader goes back alone to the bar, Daniel is there too... The big meeting, adventures, fun, love, shitty romcom vibes ahead... (i hope the story is better than the summary...)

And now, after this awkward rambling, I present to you:

-----------------------------------

With Love from Berlin

Part 1

You couldn’t believe it. Finally, after months of preparation, you and your best friend were finally here, in the heart of Germany, Berlin. It was very different from what you were used to. Coming from a small city from Hungary, this was way bigger than your imagination. All kinds of people from different cultures merged into one. Museums, cafes, bars, restaurants, you didn’t even know where to begin. You took a deep breath in your hotel room. Your friend insisted on getting different rooms, in case she or you find someone to have a good time, if you know what I mean. Well, rather your friend, than you. You wanted to come here after many years, and you were finally here, so you want to experience as much of this city as you possibly could, you’re not gonna waste your time on a random (or more, glancing at your friend) man. 

You arrived at the hotel around 1.00pm, so you decided to go get some lunch somewhere close. You were a little bit tired of the long hours on the train. Just around a corner from where you were staying there was a tapas bar. Bar Raval. Your friend wasn’t really into movies that much, or actors in particular, but you knew that place, although you have never been there. You didn’t think about yourself as a “fangirl”, but you really admired the work of Daniel Brühl. You knew there was little to no chance that you could get even a tiny glance of him, but in over all: you would be happy just to say that you were in his bar. Your friend liked Spanish cuisine, so it didn’t take much to convince her to eat there. 

A Hungarian and a Russian woman walked into a Spanish restaurant in Germany, Berlin. Sounded comical. The place looked very friendly and funky. There were some people, not really a crowd. You decided to sit in the corner, with your back to the wall, so you can observe your surroundings. Your friend sits down opposite you. A waiter comes up to you:

- Willkommen! Was möchten Sie gerne? - he asked, looking between the two of you.

- Oh, sorry, we don’t really speak German. - you said with quite a thick Hungarian accent, because you got nervous due the potential language barrier.

- I see, It’s okay. We usually have all kinds of tourist here, so you’re good. What can I get for you two? - he asked with a welcoming smile.

You weren’t sure what you wanted to eat, you weren’t familiar with Spanish food at all, so you just trusted your friend to order something. She ordered something with pasta, and another thing with pasta. You had no idea what she just said. And some juice. She smiled at the waiter who scribbled down your order, and of he went. You looked around while you were waiting.

- It’s nice isn’t it?

- Yeah, it is. Quite bohemian. I would have guessed you would want to go to a traditional German restaurant. Why are we here? - smiled your friend knowingly.

- Well… You know…

- Is this the place of your man?

- What?! Shut up… - blushing - I just like his movies, that’s all… Anyway, I just liked the pictures of this place…

- ...and him…

- ...AND I wanted to check it out myself, ok?

- Ok-Ok...

You smiled at each other. You were best friends for years now, you could communicate without much of words. The waiter arrived with your plates. The food was good. In fact, more than good. In general, you prefer other cuisines, but you really liked this Spanish place. In Berlin. Odd, in the best way. After the lunch you went back to the hotel. Your friend wanted to go to a small club in the evening, so you decided to just chill throughout the afternoon. 

The traveling took the better of you, as you didn’t just not feel fresh after your nap, but you actually felt like shit. Your friend on the other hand really wanted to get going. So you assured her and yourself that it’s fine if you didn’t go to a club. She was a strong woman, and the club which she picked was just a couple of blocks away, so she decided, after she made sure that it is truly okay, to leave you behind in your room. You have never been a party-animal anyway, and you really just wanted to plan for tomorrow. There were so many things you wanted to watch in the city. After a few hours of planning and searching, you eventually fall asleep on the couch.

In the morning, luckily, you felt much better, more of yourself than in the previous afternoon. You took a shower, get dressed (purple converse, dark skinny jeans, blue tank-top and a blue/black checked shirt...nothing can go wrong dressing like this, you thought), grabbed your camo, ex-military little gym bag, locked your room’s door, and went to knock on your friend’s door. It took a few minutes, some groans, and other small noises, when she finally flung the door open. The sight was hideous.

- The hell happened to you? - you really tried not to laugh.

- Laugh, as you like… I had a good time. Drank more vodka that I could handle though…

- Are you alone or…?

- I am… Calm down, I didn’t get lied… Although I tried… But I didn’t!!! - she said quickly after she saw the frown on your face. - But I feel very shitty… My hangover is killing me, I didn’t give out anything yet… But I might throw up at any minute now…

- How can I help you? Stay with you? Bring you something from that little shop we saw yesterday?

- Some water would be nice… But I don’t want you to see me like this… And I will be fine, i’m just gonna rest today… You can go on on your sightseeing trip.

- Are you sure? I’m gladly staying with you…

- No, no! You wanted to come so badly, I don’t want to take a day away from you. I will be alright.

- You promise?

- I do. Please, just go. - she smiled at you.

- Alright. I’ll go grab you some water, and… I don’t know, go for a walk or something. Get breakfast.

- For the mentioning of food, your friend’s face went green and particularly jumped into her bathroom.

- I’m coming back in a minute or two! - you shouted after her, than closed her hotel room’s door.

You went down to get some water, some bread and some crackers which would be easy on her stomach, yet she still would be able to eat something throughout the day. You knocked on her door, which opened just slightly, an arm came out to take the bag from your hand, a small, weak “Спасибо” and just like that the door was closed again. You giggled to her door before you headed down to the street.

You honestly didn’t really want to explore many things without her, so you tried to keep your excitement low. You decided to go back to that bar where you ate your lunch yesterday. You liked it a lot, and it wasn’t a new place to discover, which meant that your friend wasn’t missing out on anything. You went to the bar. It was still early morning, not many people were there. A few old people, some of them are couples. The younger generation (yours) was probably still sleeping. Besides, the place was more like a lunch/dinner kind of place anyway. The waiter looked up and recognised you.

- Good morning! Alone this time?

- Good morning to you too! Yes, my friend had a wild party last night, and she is standing at the gates of Hell right now.

- That sounds bad. - he laughed.

- It is, she looked scary… - that made him chuckle.

- So what can i do for you today?

- I would like just a cappuccino, please.

- Alright, just sit down, I’m on it.

- Thank you!

You sat down at the exact place where you did yesterday, next to the window, with your back to the wall. You put down your bag, and looked around. With less people, the place looked cozier. You really did like it a lot. Eventually, your cappucino arrived. You thanked it, and tasted it. It was delicious. You were one of those people who liked to read next to a fresh coffee, and you always had a book around you. You took it out from your handy-dandy bag and started reading it, holding it a little up in your hands, leaned back on your chair. You were reading one of your favourite books (Pushkin - Anyegin), while sipping a good morning cappuccino, in a nice place. You just relaxed to the small sounds of the bar and sounds of the city, which infiltrated through the door and windows.

- Eine interessante Wahl von Buch am Morgen. Interessanter als eine Zeitung, das ist sicher...

No. Just...no. You were hallucinating. You felt like everything was frozen around you. From out of 2.8 millions of people (roughly), you would recognize this voice. His voice. You physically could not look up.

- Omm.. I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you just said… - you said with the weakest voice and in the thickest accent ever, in your whole damn life. You hoped that if you make this man say another thing you fall back to reality.

- Oh, my bad - he giggled - I just said that it is an interesting choice of read in the morning, it sure is more interesting than a newspaper.

Shit, this was the reality. 

You dared to look up, and your eyes met the most chocolaty eyes ever on this whole planet, but at least in the whole of Berlin. The owner of those eyes was leaning on the chair opposite you.

- Hello. I’m the owner of this Bar, I’m Daniel. - he offered his hand to you.

- Hi, I kno...i mean I’m (Y/N), I’m the costumer…? - you finished with a questioning voice and all you wanted was for the ground to open, swallow you, and with that wipe you out of this universe. You shook his hand, without looking at him directly. His hands were warm and secure. After he released you, you closed your eyes, already feeling the burning sensation in your face. You heard a deep chuckle.

- Yeah, I guessed that. You’re not from Germany and you aren't British either, aren’t you?

You opened your (Y/E/C) eyes only to meet his curious ones.

- No, I’m not. I’m just a tourist here, I’m from Hungary.

- Oh, I’ve been there. It’s a lovely country. Would you mind if I sit down? - gesturing to the empty chair opposite from you.

- Yes… I mean no… - you took a deep breath - If you would like to you can sit with me. - This is just going great...

You earned another deep chuckle from the man in front of you, while he sat down.

- So… What are you doing here alone, in Berlin?

- I’m not alone.

- Oh… Anniversary? - for a moment you thought you saw something in his eyes. Sadness?

- Not that either. I don’t have anyone to celebrate such things. I came here with my friend, but she got wasted last night, and probably at the moment she is agonizing in her bathroom above the toilet.

- Hm… that’s not nice. - curiosity was coming back to his face.

The two of you stayed in silence. It wasn’t really uncomfortable, you were just terribly shy, and couldn’t stop blushing. You even tried to hide some of your face by leaning on one of your palms, and sipping your coffee.

This is aweful. Daniel f*ing Brühl is sitting opposite me, and I can’t even look at him. He must be thinking I’m one of those fangirls who just can’t keep it together before their idols. Which is true, but he shouldn’t have to know that…

But he wasn’t thinking that. Quite the opposite actually. You were so out of place in his bar, he had to approach you. There was something in you which made him intrigued. While you were trying to hide, which he found a little bit cute and entertaining, he tried to study you as well. There was something in you. He felt like he wanted to know your story.

- So what’s the plan for today?

...........

[beifongsss]

playing with fire pt. 5 [sokka]

Pairing: Sokka x reader

Summary: You’re a Fire Nation citizen who saves Sokka and Katara from some angry villagers. Aang “convinces” you to come along with them, finding your knowledge of the nation useful. Not everything is smooth sailing though as both Water Tribe siblings have their doubts about you.

this will be a series :D this takes place during The Chase!

w.c.~5.1k

prologue. one. two. three. four.

.masterlist.

~

Toph was a breath of fresh air. She was unapologetically herself, and you loved it. 

However for Katara, it was a little stressful. 

“Hey you guys picked a great campsite!” Toph exclaimed, digging her toes into what she thought was grass. “The grass is so soft!”

You snickered at Sokka’s displeased expression as he looked down at the ground before turning to face Toph. “Sorry shortcake, that’s not grass you’re standing on. Appa’s shedding.”

“Oh gross!” Katara exclaimed, raising her foot as she examined the fur. 

“That’s not gross!” Aang chirped. “It’s just a part of spring! You know, rebirth, flowers blooming, and Appa gets a new coat!”

“Ah, the beauty of spring,” Katara replied sarcastically, earning a muffled laugh from you. Aang gave you a betrayed look and you simply shrugged, trying to keep the smile off of your face. 

“She’s right,” you said, looking at the Air Nomad apologetically. “It’s a little disgusting.”

Appa chose that moment to sneeze, sending up plumes of fur all around you. You coughed lightly, feeling some of the fur land on your tongue. 

“Stop! Appa, stop! Ugh!” Katara cried out, trying to brush off the fur that now clung to her clothes. 

“It’s not that bad Katara,” Sokka said, his back facing Katara as he bent over. He turned around proudly, meeting Katara’s unsettled face. “It makes a great wig!”

Katara looked at you expectantly, a disgusted look on her face. Her expression dropped when she saw you laughing and egging her brother on before bending down and creating a mustache out of fur. 

“Look! It also makes a great mustache!” you exclaimed, causing Aang to laugh along with you. Sokka looked at you dreamily, happy that the two of you shared a sense of humor. 

“And a great beard!” Aang added, stroking the beard he had created. Katara looked at all of you with disappointment before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

“I’m just glad we have another girl in the group, because you three are disgusting,” Katara said, brushing off the last of the fur from her clothes.

“Excuse me, does anyone have a razor?” Toph asked innocently, walking up behind you. “Because I’ve got some hairy pits!”

The three of you cackled loudly as Toph raised her arms, revealing the fur she had stuffed into her sleeves. Katara shook her head as she watched the four of you, a smile tugging at her lips. Aang chose that exact moment to sneeze, flying back into Appa’s side and sending up another cloud of fur. This just caused you all to laugh even harder, Sokka patting your back when you breathed in some fur. Even Katara chuckled lowly, and eventually you began to set up camp. 

Sokka was out looking for firewood as you and Aang set up the tent. Katara sat a few yards away from you, getting started on dinner. Toph was lounging on the ground a few feet away from Katara, lazily chewing on a piece of wheat. 

“So, you and Sokka?” Aang asked, drawing your attention to him. Sokka entered the clearing as if on cue, walking over to the weak flame near Katara and setting the firewood down next to her. He straightened and shot you and Aang a confused look, noticing your glances. You looked away immediately, a blush spreading across your cheeks.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you muttered in response, rolling your eyes when Aang giggled. 

“We can all tell that you like each other,” Aang said, unfolding the tarp. “He even got you that necklace to show you how he feels!”

You absentmindedly reached for the pendant that hung delicately from your neck, running your fingertips over it as you smiled at Sokka. The Water Tribe boy noticed and shot you a dazzling smile in return before turning to watch over the pot Katara had left unattended.

“And we can all tell that you like him back,” Aang said casually, smiling when you opened your mouth to reply but shut it, knowing he was right. “I think you should go for it. It’s not like he’s gonna say no.”

The conversation stopped before you could reply as a loud rumbling reached your ears. You turned to see Toph laying under an earth tent, Katara fuming as she walked away. You exchanged a worried look with Aang before continuing to set the tarp up in silence, occasionally shooting a glance at Katara who seemed to be trying to control her temper. 

There was a tense atmosphere surrounding the campsite for the rest of the afternoon and all of you tiptoed around Katara as you tried to not set her off. Things only got worse when Katara attempted to apologize and Toph made a comment about how tired she seemed. Katara’s eyes twitched for the next few minutes. Night fell soon enough and you found yourself drifting off to sleep, only to be awoken by Toph’s voice.

“There’s something coming towards us!”

“What are you talking about, shortcake,” you grumbled, rubbing your eyes as you sat up. Toph gave you an irritated look.

“What is it?” Aang asked.

“It feels like an avalanche, but not an avalanche,” Toph replied, pressing her hand against the ground.

“Your powers of perception are frightening,” Sokka said sarcastically, smiling down at you when you hit him softly. 

“Should we leave?” Katara asked worriedly.

“Better safe than sorry,” Aang replied, already packing up his stuff. The rest of you followed his lead, climbing onto Appa and taking off. You sat next to Sokka, digging your face into the crook of his neck as you tried to relax. Sokka could feel his heartbeat speed up as he looked down at you, blushing when he noticed Aang’s knowing gaze. 

“What is that thing?” Katara asked, gazing at something in the distance. Sokka followed her gaze, being careful not to disturb your position. Down below, a tank-like machine was making its way through the land. No one answered Katara and soon enough, they landed. 

Toph was the first one to hop down from Appa, sighing in relief as her “sight” returned to her. “Ah, sweet land! See you guys in the morning!”

“Actually, can you help us unload?” Katara asked as you all made your way down to the ground.

“Really?” Toph asked in disbelief. “You need me to unload Sokka’s funky-smelling sleeping bag?”

You let out a laugh at Toph’s words, biting your lip when Sokka looked at you in mock-anger. 

“Well, yeah,” Katara said lightly. “That and everything else. You’re a part of our team now and-”

“Look! I didn’t ask you to help unload my stuff,” Toph interrupted Katara. “I’m carrying my own weight!”

“That’s not the point!” Katara cried angrily, taking a step towards Toph. “Ever since you’ve joined us, you’ve been nothing but selfish and unhelpful!”

“What?” Toph screeched. “Look here, sugar queen. I gave up everything I had so that I could teach Aang earthbending. So don’t you talk to me about being selfish!”

“Should we stop them?” you asked sleepily, leaning against Sokka’s side. Sokka looked down at you, smiling as you yawned before wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close. Aang and Sokka flinched as Toph raised another earth tent around herself, blocking Katara out. 

“Maybe we should do something,” Aang said nervously. 

Sokka looked at his sister before glancing as you, your arms now wrapped tightly around him as well as you rested your head on his chest. “Nah, I’m fine just watching the show.”

Aang smiled at the sight in front of him before walking away, ready to try and calm Katara down. Sokka gently led you over to the sleeping bags, gently setting you down before turning to walk away. Your hand shot out, grasping the sleeve of his shirt and bringing him to a stop. 

“Stay,” you mumbled, your words slurred by sleep. “You’re warm.”

Sokka looked around hesitantly before letting himself be dragged down by you. He settled into the space next to you and you automatically drifted closer to him, burying your face into his chest once again. His arms wrapped around you, bringing you close and causing you to sigh softly as you felt his warmth envelope you. 

Of course, good things never last long and as soon as Sokka found himself drifting off to sleep, the ground began to shake. 

“Hey!” he called out, sitting up and looking at Toph. “How’s a guy supposed to sleep with all this earthquaking going on?”

“The thing is back!” Toph cried, letting her tent fall. 

“Well how far is it?” Sokka mumbled, laying back down and holding you close. “Maybe we can close our eyes for just a few more minutes.”

“I don’t think so Sokka,” Aang replied sadly, noticing the smoke cloud that seemed to be getting closer. 

You whimpered softly as Sokka untangled himself from you, earning yourself a soft look from the Water Tribe boy. “Sorry (Y/N/N), we have to go.”

You all boarded Appa, eyes drooping as you flew over the mountainous terrain. You leaned against Sokka yet again, curling up on the saddle with your head in his lap. His hands ran through your hair, lulling you into a hazy, half-asleep state.

“Seriously, what is that thing?” Katara asked.

“And how does it keep finding us?” Toph added.

“I don’t know,” Aang said, the bags under his eyes more prominent. “But this time, I’m going to make sure we lose it.”

Appa flew a great distance before landing. Sokka immediately climbed off of the sky bison, spreading a blanket and laying down with you as the two of you ignored the arguing. Aang was playing mediator again, trying to calm the two girls down while asking the right questions. 

“Come on guys, there's something after us and we don't even know what or who it is.”

“It could be Zuko,” Katara mumbled. “We haven’t seen him since the North Pole.”

“Who’s Zuko?” Toph asked, her interest piqued. 

“Just some angry freak with a ponytail who’s tracked us all over the world,” Sokka muttered in response, rolling on to his back when you sat up. 

“What’s wrong with ponytails, ponytail?” Katara asked teasingly. You bit back a smile.

“This,” Sokka said, pointing at his hair. “Is a warrior’s wolf tail!”

“Well it certainly tells the other warriors you’re fun and perky!” Katara joked. You couldn’t hold your laugh back this time. 

“Zuko is the prince of the Fire Nation,” you explained to Toph. “He was banished by his father, the Fire Lord, and sent on a quest to capture the Avatar.”

“How do you know that, princess?” Toph asked.

“Gossip travels quickly in the colonies, shortcake,” you replied, laying back down and curling into Sokka’s side. The peace and quiet didn’t last long and soon enough, you found yourselves standing on the edge of the cliff. Aang wanted to see who was in the tank-like machine, and so you found yourselves staring unamusedly as three komodo-rhinos emerged from the machine. 

“It’s Azula,” you whispered, suddenly wide awake. “And Mai and Ty Lee.”

“We can take them,” Toph said, suddenly determined. “Four on three.”

“Actually Toph, there’s five of us,” Sokka said, annoyed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t count you,” Toph replied, not sounding sorry at all. “You know, no bending and all.”

“(Y/N) can’t bend either!” Sokka proclaimed, ignoring Top’s questioning gaze. “And I can still fight.”

“Okay, four on three, plus Sokka,” Toph said, a smirk on her face.

Sokka’s groan was ignored as Toph tried to slow down the girls to give everyone enough time to reach Appa. The sky bison flew away immediately, missing a plume of blue fire from Azula. You stayed in the air for a while, all of you wincing when the sun began to rise. The tiredness was getting to you and you leaned against the saddle, closing your eyes for just a minute. 

The next time you opened your eyes you were falling. 

“Aang!” you yelled loudly, waking Toph. 

“What’s going on?” Toph asked frantically. 

“Appa fell asleep!” Aang yelled back, a panicked look on his face. He did his best to wake the sky bison up as the rest of you clung onto the saddle. You reached for Toph, pulling her close as she tried to not panic. Appa leveled out for a few seconds as Aang managed to wake him up. He flew closer and closer to the ground, the exhaustion getting to him before he crashed into the ground. 

You landed on the ground roughly, toppling off of the saddle. You were still clutching Toph in your arms, letting her go as she scrambled to her feet.

“You okay, shortcake?” you asked warily, knowing that being in the air was daunting for Toph.

“Just peachy, princess,” she grumbled back. “Thanks.”

You didn’t reply, instead focusing on Katara who was now back to yelling. “Of course we could’ve gotten some sleep earlier, if Toph didn’t have such issues.”

The earthbender went red with anger before stomping over to Katara. “What?!”

Sokka sidled up to you as the argument grew. “What should we do?”

“I don’t know anymore,” you groaned, flopping onto the ground. You listened lazily as Toph insulted Appa, blaming his shedding as the reason Azula kept finding you. You couldn’t help but agree with her; Appa was losing a lot of fur. 

“That’s it!” Toph suddenly yelled. “I’m out of here!”

You shot up straight, running to stop the girl. “Toph, wait. Don’t do this.”

“No!” Toph said, pushing you to the side. “I know when I’m not wanted.”

She stomped away, sending a wall of rock up behind her to prevent anyone from going after her. You turned to Aang, a disbelieving expression on your face. “Aang! Why?”

Aang sat on the ground, upset. “What did I just do? I can’t believe I just yelled at my earthbending teacher! Now she’s gone.”

“I know,” Katara said sorrowfully. “We’re all just trying to get used to each other. And I was so mean to her.”

“Yeah, you two were pretty much jerks,” Sokka said, coming up beside you and throwing his arm over your shoulder. 

Katara gave him a dull look. “Thanks Sokka.”

“No problem!”

“We need to find Toph and apologize,” you said, meeting Aang’s sad gaze. 

“Okay, but what are we going to do about the tank full of dangerous ladies chasing us?” Sokka asked.

Aang bent down and picked up a handful of fur before letting the wind blow it away. “I have a plan.”

~

The plan consisted of you giving Appa a bath. 

The sky bison grunted happily as you and Sokka brushed him, Aang and Katara bending water to douse the bison. Momo was lounging around on your head, occasionally flying away when the water got too close to him. Appa was napping happily as he sat in the river, letting the four of you do your thing. Once you were done, the four of you lounged on the riverbank, watching as Appa dried himself off. 

“Toph was right,” Aang said, breaking the silence. “The fur was leaving a trail right to us. But now that he’s clean, no more trail!”

“Are you sure he’s okay to fly?” Katara asked quietly. You all turned to look at the sky bison, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. 

“He'll be fine as long as we leave his saddle and all our stuff here,” Aang said. “I'm going to use Appa's fur to make a fake trail to lead the tank off-course. (Y/N) will come with me and you two will lead them away!”

The four of you separated as you readied yourselves, with you walking down to the river to splash water on your face to wake yourself up. You stiffened as you felt someone stand next to you, relaxing when you realized it was Sokka. 

“Stay safe out there, okay?” Sokka stated, his eyes peering intensely into yours. You nodded silently.

“You too,” you finally replied, trying to calm your heart as you noticed Sokka step closer. “We can’t have either of you getting hurt because we still have to find Toph.”

Sokka nodded before cupping your cheeks and pressing his lips to yours. You let out a strangled gasp, your breath hitching in your throat as you realized what was happening. You kissed back urgently, your heart racing incredibly fast. Sokka smiled into the kiss at your reaction before pulling away. “Be careful.”

You opened your mouth to reply before being cut off by Aang, who was standing a few feet away and had witnessed the whole thing. “Hey! Are you two ready to go?”

Katara stood next to the Air Nomad, a small smirk on her face as she took in her brother’s blushing face. She couldn’t deny that she wasn’t too fond of the Fire Nation, but you had proven yourself to them various times. If you made her brother happy, who was she to argue. 

You swallowed harshly, nodding softly before walking over to Aang. The four of you said your goodbyes before the Water Tribe siblings climbed onto Appa, holding on tightly as they set off without the saddle. You stood there with Aang, watching them disappear before you turned and set off down the other path. 

“So,” Aang said a while later, dropping a clump of Appa’s hair onto the ground before repeating the same words from a few days ago. “You and Sokka huh?”

Aang’s laugh rang out loudly as he was met with a groan from you. 

~

After a while, you and Aang found yourselves sitting in the middle of a road in an abandoned town. Neither one of you spoke, both of you way too exhausted and anxious for the fight you knew was about to come. The sun was setting, covering the both of you in a subtle glow as you awaited the arrival of the Fire Nation Princess. In the distance, you could see something moving and you straightened, nudging Aang with your elbow in the process. 

A mongoose lizard became visible as it neared, a cloud of dust surrounding the animal as it hurried. The princess dismounted, her feet landing on the dusty ground, a clump of fur being crushed under her foot. Aang looked at her tiredly, glancing at you to see a hard glare on your face. 

“Alright, you’ve caught up to us, Azula,” he said calmly. “What now?”

“You know who I am?” Azula asked, mildly surprised. She glanced at you, cocking an eyebrow before turning her attention back to Aang. “Of course you do. (Y/N) always did ruin the surprises.”

You stayed quiet, your gaze never leaving Azula. 

“Now? Now, it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go,” Azula continued. “You can run, but I'll catch you.”

“I’m not running,” Aang stated, determined to make his stand. Azula nodded in satisfaction, her eyes drifting over to you before she tilted her head in a silent question. 

“Neither am I,” you said, standing up. Azula smirked, brushing her bangs to the side as she noticed the way you gripped your sword.

“Do you really want to fight me?” Azula asked, taking a step towards you. 

“Yes I do!”

“Zuko!” you and Aang yelled at the same time, eyes widening as they landed on the young prince. His ponytail was gone, his hair shorter than it had been in a long time. 

“I was wondering when you’d show up, Zuzu,” Azula remarked. 

“Zuzu?” Aang asked, trying to stifle his laughter. You let your laugh out, drawing Zuko’s attention to you. 

“(Y/N)!” he called out, taking a step forward before being blocked by the princess. “Back off, Azula. He’s mine!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she replied, getting ready to fight. There was tense silence for a minute, the four of you looking at each other as you waited for someone to strike. You noticed Azula’s arm twitch and you lunged forwards, using the flat side of your sword to move her arm as she fired off a blue blast at Zuko. 

You landed in front of Zuko, blocking him from Azula as you held your sword out. Azula’s shocked expression easily melted away, being replaced by one of annoyance. She raised her hand to strike once more, turning away from you when she realized Aang was attempting to fly away. 

“Not so fast,” she growled, sending a stream of fire towards the young boy. You were too late to block her, watching worriedly as Aang went down. You were knocked down as Azula ran after Aang, Zuko following closely behind her. You stuck your leg out, managing to trip Zuko and laughing as he fell face first. 

The two of you sprung to your feet quickly, watching each other with wary eyes. You glanced behind Zuko worriedly, noticing that Aang and Azula had disappeared. Shaking your head, you brought your gaze back to Zuko. At least you could hold back one of the troublesome Fire Nation siblings. 

“Why are you doing this?” Zuko asked, breaking the silence as he lunged at you. You ducked uner his arm, hitting his back with the flat of your sword and sending him sprawling onto the ground. 

“You know why, Zuko,” you replied. “Aang is the only one who can end this war! Why are you doing this?”

“I need to regain my honor,” Zuko stated simply, brushing himself off before throwing himself at you again. The fight went on for a while, the two of you too well-versed with each other’s fighting styles for either one of you to get the upper hand. It was just like when you were children, the two of you dancing around each other as you tried to find each other’s weak spots. The fight ended when Zuko sent a blast of fire at you, hitting the ground before you and sending you flying. 

A loud ‘oof’ left your lips as you crashed into the side of a building, debris falling all around you and trapping you. You caught sight of Zuko’s apologetic glance before he ran away, shaking his head as he left. You didn’t know how long you were stuck there, hearing the blasts and explosions that were most likely a result of the two siblings. 

“Katara!” Aang’s voice cried out faintly. Your struggle lessened slightly, knowing that Aang now had help. You kept trying to push the debris off of you, gasping lightly when it was all suddenly thrown off of you. 

“Need a hand, princess?”

You looked up to see a smirking Toph, sighing in relief when you realized you were free. Thanks, shortcake.”

Toph’s smirk turned into a scow and she turned away from you, ready to join the battle. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Now let’s go kick some butt!”

You followed the small girl to the heart of the town, noticing Katara and Sokka fighting alongside Aang. They were trying to gang up on Azula, a plan you knew would fail. The princess sent an arc of fire out, throwing them all backwards. Without hesitation, you threw yourself at Azula, ignoring the shocked yells from your friends. You tackled the princess, the two of you rolling as you each tried to get the upper hand. You stood up first, noticing that you were a few yards away from your friends. Azula stood up quickly, smiling maniacally as she met your eyes before composing herself. 

“Well (Y/N/N), that’s no way to greet me is it?” Azula taunted, fire dancing among her fingertips. She angled her body away from you, ready to head back to the group. She was stopped when you smacked her calf with your sword. 

“Leave them alone Zula,” you said. She turned to you, her eyebrow raised. “Just me and you. Maybe this time you can finally prove you’re better than me.”

Your words caused her eye to twitch and you smiled, relieved that you had gotten her attention. She turned to face you completely, her fire growing as she took a menacing step towards you. 

“(Y/N)! What are you doing?” Katara shouted. You glanced at the group, noticing all of them (except Toph) looking at you worriedly. “You’re gonna get hurt!”

You ignored Katara’s words, deciding to strike first. Your sword came down towards Azula quickly, causing the younger girl to dodge and roll away. She snarled as she realized you had cut off a few locks of hair, looking at you with disdain. She rushed at you, aiming a blast at your chest. You stood your ground, ignoring your friends’ panicked shouts. You sidestepped slightly, once again bringing up the flat of your blade to move her arm off course like you had earlier. 

The fight continued like that, with Azula getting more and more angry as you kept blocking her hits. She got the upper hand when you jumped up, landing badly on your ankle and stumbling. Azula’s blast grazed your arm, causing you to collapse to the ground before you rolled over and leapt back up to your feet.

“C’mon!” Azula screamed, stalking closer to you. “Bend at me! Do it! Prove that you’re the best.”

Your eyes widened at her words, backing away as her fire began to spark. Your friends exchanged confused looks at Azula’s words. You weren’t a bender, you had proven that already. They watched as Azula’s attacks became fiercer, turning into lightning as she got closer to you.

“Bend at me!” Azula shouted again. “You can’t prove you’re the best without your fire. I refuse to be bested by you if you’re not giving it your all!”

She lunged at you and you brought your leg up, kicking her in the chest. She tumbled back, yelling in frustration at your actions. She ran at you again, this time being tossed to the side by a fire blast as Zuko ran in. He turned to face you and the two of you stood silently, watching each other with sad eyes. He crouched down, flames engulfing his hand as he prepared to fight you as well. 

“Prince Zuko,” Iroh’s voice rang out. “Don’t.”

“Why not?” Zuko answered brashly. “I’ll show her how much my bending has improved. We’re finally on the same level.”

The fight was over before it began as Azula stood back up. Everyone crowded around, much more focused on the girl than the fight that was about to take place. She looked at all of you, her eyes lingering on the burn she had left on your arm. She smirked, holding her hands up in surrender. 

“Well look at this,” Azula said, her gaze drifting from person to person. “Enemies and traitors working together. I’m done. I know when I’m beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor, isn’t that right (Y/N/N)?”

You froze, watching her carefully as you tried to catch the double meaning in her words. You felt Iroh’s eyes on you, carefully watching as you stared down Azula. Everyone was tense, looking at Azula even though she was only staring at you. You heard Toph let out a tiny gasp, knowing that you were right. 

It happened in a second. Azula stepped forwards and aimed a bolt of lightning at Iroh. You had already predicted her move and threw yourself into the lightning’s way, ready to take the hit. Your plan failed however, when you were pulled back by someone.

“N-No!” you yelled struggling against the person’s hold. A large blast went off as everyone else attacked Azula, dust going everywhere. 

“Stop struggling (Y/N/N),” Zuko whispered into your ear, holding you tightly as you watched Iroh twitch as the lightning ran through his body. 

Everyone went silent when they realized Azula had disappeared, turning to see Iroh on the ground and you sobbing into Zuko’s chest as he held you tightly. 

“Let me go!” you cried, weakly punching Zuko. “Zu, please. He’s i-injured.”

“Take her and leave,” Zuko said, pushing you away from him and towards Sokka. Tears were beginning to stream down his face as he knelt down besides Iroh and hugged him. 

“Zuko, I can help,” Katara said softly, stepping closer. She was stopped when he sent out an arc of fire, sending them all stumbling back. 

“Leave!” Zuko shouted gruffly. They complied, walking away as you struggled against Sokka’s fold.

“Zu! Please, Zu!” you yelled out. “Let them help Iroh. Please.”

No one listened to you, instead choosing to pull you away from the injured general and the prince. By the time you had reached Appa, your sobs had lessened. The short flight was silent, the only sound being your occasional hiccups. You landed on a mountain, far away from anyone else. It was quiet; almost peaceful. However that didn’t last long and soon enough, you found yourself being pinned to the rocks behind you by Katara. 

“What was that?” she hissed. Her hold wasn’t strong and she looked more worried than upset. Aang’s eyes were wide as he stared at the two of you.

“Katara! What are you doing?” Sokka squawked, coming up to his sister and trying to pull her off of you. She dug her forearm into your throat just a little bit harder.

“Don’t defend her, Sokka!” Katara yelled out, her eyes still sad. “You heard what they said. She’s a bender.”

“No I’m not” you said, trying to push Katara’s eyes away. “I’ve already told you guys everything!”

“She’s lying,” Toph’s voice rang out. Everyone turned to look at her in confusion. She sighed before elaborating. “When someone lies, their heart speeds up. I can hear it with my feet.”

Everyone’s attention turned back to you, Katara’s stare hard this time. “So you’ve been lying. I knew we couldn’t trust anyone from the Fire Nation. I bet (Y/N) isn’t even your real name!”

“It is,” you whispered softly. You slipped out of Katara’s hold, handing her your sword before sitting down. “Look, I may have lied about who I am but I promise you that I was honest about my intentions. I really do want to help Aang defeat the Fire Lord.”

They all looked at Toph, who simply nodded softly. You weren’t lying. Katara crossed her arms, standing in front of you and taking a deep breath. “Tell us everything. Now.”

“Look, I told you my name. I didn’t tell you my title,” you said. You could feel everyone’s curious stares on you. Taking a deep breath, you mentally prepared yourself for what you were about to say before looking up.

“My name is (Y/N), Crown Princess of the Fire Nation.”

~

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