#Earth Kingdom incoming

[m1ckeyb3rry]

── THE GLASS PRINCESS // EIGHTEEN

Series Synopsis: You wake up in a strange room with no memories, broken glass at your bedside, and a prince named Zuko as your only chance at figuring out who you really are.

Chapter Synopsis: You reunite with the rest of the Avatar’s group and spend some time with Sokka.

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Chapter Word Count: 5.2k

Content Warnings: complicated relationships (strangers to friends to lovers to enemies to strangers to lovers to enemies to lovers), amnesia, alternate universe, lots of secrets and lying and mystery

A/N: very dialogue heavy chapter incoming LMAOAO this is like 90% sokka & y/n conversing (meanwhile zuko and suki somewhere: 🤨😒)

“Well, well, well,” Katara said, crossing her arms and glaring at Toph and Sokka. “I thought the two of you promised you were done with scamming, but judging by your expressions, that’s exactly what you just came back from doing.”

“It was our final hurrah!” Sokka said. “One last scam before we reformed for good, as you will.”

“You guys are addicted,” Katara said. “It’s a problem.”

“Nuh-uh! It’s just that it’s like gambling,” Toph said. “You can’t stop until you hit the jackpot!”

“And boy oh boy did we hit the jackpot, alright!” Sokka cheered, shoving you in front of him, holding onto your shoulders like a proud father. “Take a look at this — the princess of the Earth Kingdom!”

“Huh?” Katara said, her eyes widening as you waved at her awkwardly.

There was a blast of air, and then Aang was standing in front of you, his jaw slack. He looked different — where once he had kept his head shaved, in keeping with the tradition of the Air Nomads, he now had dark, curly hair tied out of his face with a headband that handily covered his arrow mark. Like the others, he wore Fire Nation clothes, and you found that the blacks and reds were particularly jarring on him. If it were not for his large, shimmering eyes and enormous, crooked grin, you might not have recognized him at all, but as it was, there was no mistaking him for anyone else.

“Princess Y/N? You’re alive?” he said, beaming at you. Sokka shook you by the shoulders.

“She is, and we only found out because of that final scam! So, Katara, you should be happy with us,” he said.

While it was certainly uncomfortable to be treated as Sokka’s demonstrative tool, you were somehow comforted by it. There was a sort of acceptance, a friendship in the way he was tossing you about. It was the kind of relationship you had always longed for, so you did not swat him away despite his rough treatment.

“I don’t understand, though. Your brother told us you were dead,” Katara said. “The Soldiers of Agni collapsed the wing of the palace where the royal chambers were, didn’t they?”

“No,” you said. “I did. Didn’t Kuei tell you I’m an Earthbender? I brought the palace down so that the Soldiers of Agni could not pursue my brother.”

“He did mention it, but he didn’t say anything about how strong you were,” Aang said.

“Likely he didn’t know,” you said. “That, and I’m not really as skilled as it might seem. There were…a lot of circumstances surrounding that feat.”

“Either way, an entire section of a building came down upon you,” Katara said, her face softening as she pulled you into a gentle embrace. “Are you alright?”

“I managed to survive,” you said. “I’m still not quite sure how it all played out, but somehow, I ended up in the Fire Nation capital, which is where I’ve been since the city fell.”

“The Fire Nation capital?” Sokka said in alarm as Katara let you go. You returned to Sokka’s side, for he had somehow become like a beacon of safety for you. A rescuer. He always bumbled his way into — not into saving you, but into somehow taking your hand and yanking you behind him to the very place you needed to be. And at the moment, when you were so lost, such a person was invaluable.

“I attended the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, under the alias of Ursa,” you said, still barely able to say the name without seething. “The best way I can describe the situation is by saying that I was a prisoner of Prince Zuko’s, no matter how well he treated me. I was denied access to my memories so that I did not flee, and refused my identity so that I did not rebel. It is only through sheer chance and luck that I was able to escape at all.”

“They wiped your memories?” Toph said. “Yikes.”

“I got them back,” you said, gritting your teeth. “But enough of the past. It doesn’t matter. I’m here now, and I will retake my kingdom. If Kuei is alive, as you say he is, then we must meet up with him at once, so that we can begin to strategize about how we should best take back Ba Sing Se. At the moment, I’m leaning towards the day of the black sun, as the eclipse will ensure the resident Firebenders cannot fight back. Although, that doesn’t solve the problem of the Dai Li…”

“Er, there’s a slight issue with that,” Sokka said. “None of us know where your brother is.”

You paused, your train of thought screeching to an abrupt halt. “What?”

“It was when we reached the Southern Water Tribe’s fleet that it happened,” Katara said. “We got off of Appa and told the Earth King to come with us onto one of the boats, where he would be safe, but he refused.”

“Why would he do that? He’s never been the brave type. Turning his nose up at a guarantee of safety is out of his character, even if he did have Bosco at his side,” you said. “Wait. He did have Bosco, right?”

“I don’t think anything in the world could separate him from that bear,” Toph scoffed.

“Likely not,” you agreed.

“He said that he couldn’t let your sacrifice be in vain,” Sokka said.

“That is to say, he didn’t want you to have died for nothing. You had given up your life for the Earth Kingdom, and yet it had fallen regardless. He couldn’t handle it. He swore he would do something, find some kind of retribution, and then he just—”

“He just vanished!“ Sokka completed, cutting Katara off, prompting her to roll her eyes at him. He wiggled his fingers at you. “Poof, like magic!”

“He rode away on Bosco,” Toph said. “I’m blind, and even I know that much.”

“I was trying to tell the story with dramatic effect!” Sokka said, pouting at you. “No one appreciates my storytelling skills around here.”

Tentatively, you patted him on the shoulder. “I am very entertained.”

“Oh, brother. You’ve unleashed a monster,” Aang said. “Good luck.”

“Going back to the original line of thinking,” you said, though not without furrowing your brow at Aang in confusion at his defeated tone. “Kuei. He really just disappeared?”

“We saw him ride away on Bosco—”

“No, we didn’t!”

“—but we don’t know where he went or what he’s doing now,” Katara said, not even blinking at Sokka’s interjection. “He didn’t tell us. I mean, he could be anywhere by now, and who knows what he’s up to? It’s a mystery. I wish we could help you find him, but we have to focus our efforts on preparing for the invasion.”

You frowned. So, then, Kuei was alive, but that was the extent of the knowledge you had about his whereabouts. It had to be enough, because it was all you could get, but though you held the proof of his continued existence close to your heart, it still rang hollow. Because what if things had changed? What if he had been captured in the days since you had seen him last?

There was only one thing you could do: trust in him wholly and completely. Your dear brother, who had miraculously escaped Ba Sing Se during its fall and survived to find the Avatar, was obviously not as helpless as you had originally thought him to be. If he had lived until that point, then you had to believe that he would continue to do so.

And with regards to what you had to do next…there, too, only one method was clear. If you wanted your kingdom back, if you wanted to see your brother again, then you could not charge into an attack blindly, with no planning or support. You had to be careful, thorough, logical.

Taking a quick inventory of your current assets as you had been taught to do in the academy, you found that the outlook was grim. An injured hawk. Some clothes. Letters from a person you hated. A version of Earthbending. These were the things which were fully your own.

In terms of allies, you had Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Toph, as well as their associates, but all of them were focused solely on the invasion, where they planned on taking the Fire Nation royalty down. Until that objective had been completed, you could not count on their help. Destroying the Fire Nation royalty, though, would also aid your case, so this wasn’t something you begrudged them for. In fact, you were even pleased by it, as it at least made your immediate steps clearly defined.

“What can I do to help?” you said.

“With what?” Sokka said.

“The invasion,” you said. “There must be some way that I can participate. It is a nation for which I hold a special hatred, so you cannot blame me for wanting to aid you in taking them down.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Katara said immediately. “What if you get captured again? Or if you die for real this time?”

“It would be a problem,” you said. “Since Kuei’s status is uncertain, he is effectively dead, at least in the legal sense, leaving me as the only one left to rule upon the retaking of the Earth Kingdom. I understand that. It would be foolish to risk a future monarch, but that doesn’t mean I’ll sit idly by and let others fight my battles. I’ve spent my entire life locked away like that, and I refuse to be as useless ever again.”

Katara cocked her head at you quizzically. “I guess all of that is true as well, but actually, I was just worried about you.”

“You shouldn’t be,” you said. “I’ve probably killed thrice as many people as the rest of you. Don’t forget that all but one of the Soldiers of Agni fell at my hands, and even that one has a body so ruined that he cannot be considered anything but pitiful now. The most elite Firebending force in the world, and it was destroyed by me. Even though it was an extreme case, and probably not a replicable one, it’s not meaningless, either. I’m not someone you need to worry for.”

“It’s not,” Aang said. “It’s really impressive. But Katara’s right — involving you in the invasion outright isn’t a good idea. I don’t want to risk anyone if it’s avoidable, and since our plans already don’t factor you in, there’s no point in adding you if it’s unnecessary.”

You wanted to argue, but no matter how much you disliked it, you knew that what they were saying wasn’t wrong. Getting involved with the invasion when things were so precarious already was foolhardy, but that didn’t mean that it sat well with you.

“Alright,” you said. “I will not insist on it, just as long as you can promise me one thing.”

“Sure, what?” Aang said, cheerful at how easily convinced you had been.

“Don’t kill Prince Zuko,” you said.

“Don’t kill him?” Katara said. “Why wouldn’t you want us to do that? He’s hurt you immeasurably!”

“Obviously, she respects the value and sanctity of life!” Aang said, smiling and nodding in a self-satisfied way. “Consider it done, Y/N.”

“No,” you said. “It’s because I have a score to settle with him, and I want to do it personally.”

“Oh,” Aang said. “That’s not what I was hoping for.”

“I’m sorry, Aang,” you said. “I respect your ideals; I admire them, even, but at the end of the day, I cannot share them. It’s selfish, perhaps, and vengeful, but the truth is that I want Prince Zuko to live through the invasion, for no other reason than because the one to kill him has to be me.”

The moon was a silver gash in the velvet sky, surrounded by pinpricks of starlight that matched it in color. It reflected on the water that you gazed into as everyone slept, the silence of the night occasionally punctuated by a loud snore from Aang or mutters from Toph, who was apparently a sleep-talker.

Bian had taken to Momo and Appa, the flying lemur and bison that were Aang’s traveling companions. You had been worried that she might’ve tried to eat Momo, but whether it was her injured state or Momo’s intelligence, she had done nothing of the sort. In fact, she was overly affectionate towards him, preening his fur like he was her chick and forcing him to sleep tucked under the wing she had not broken. Even now, that was where she was, roosting on Appa’s broad forehead, Momo pressed to her side, and though you longed for her companionship, you did not dare wake her.

“What a turn of events,” you said with a sigh, hugging your knees to your chest and resting your cheek against them. “The greatest friend I have is my hawk, and even she has left me.”

You wished Jia-Li and Ty Lee were with you. It was counterintuitive, of course — they were Fire Nation, and your identity as Ursa and therefore as their friend was a false one, so any relationship that you had had with them could be considered nothing but a lie. But they were the closest to genuine friends that you had had in your life — especially the unassuming Jia-Li, who had not even had any hand in your past predicament.

At this point, you would even take Kaho. Cruel, horrible Kaho…you wished you could see her again and tell her that the fight she had sworn her life to was a worthless one. Now that you knew more, now that you had memories of your own, you did not detest her. You were only sad for her. You thought that if things had been different, the two of you might’ve been friends.

Or perhaps not. Perhaps you never would’ve been anything more than a daughter of mud to her. It was possible. You wished most of all that there had been a chance for you to find out how much of her hatred was her own, and how much was her being yet another mouthpiece for the Fire Nation’s doctrines.

“Having a tough time sleeping?”

You looked up at Sokka, who plopped down beside you, mirroring your position, though he stared up at the moon fondly instead of shying away from it.

“Yes,” you said.

“Me, too,” he admitted. “The closer and closer we get to the day of the invasion, the more and more scared I become. I mean, this is my plan. If it fails horribly, it’s my fault. Everyone’s risking their lives for an idea I came up with, and I don’t even know if it will work.”

You glanced over at him, only to find that he was no longer staring at the moon. When your eyes met his, he smiled slightly, and hesitantly, you smiled back.

“It doesn’t have to work,” you said.

“What? Yes, it does, or else the Fire Nation will win! If Aang can’t take Fire Lord Ozai down during the eclipse, then we’ve as good as lost,” he said.

“No wonder you’re so nervous,” you said. “You think that the outcome of this entire war is riding on one day, one event, but wars aren’t like that. Even if Fire Lord Ozai is defeated, someone will take his place. Be it Prince Zuko or some general who steps up to seize power in the ensuing confusion or another person entirely, things will not stop just because of one man’s death. The problems in the Fire Nation are rooted far more deeply than that.”

“What do you mean?” he said, his brow creasing.

“Propaganda,” you said. “Oppressive policies and laws. Prejudice. Children forced to become soldiers. An economy that, believe it or not, is falling apart because of the war. Education and literacy rates which are facing the same fate. To be sure, the Fire Nation is the aggressive party, but they, too, have been suffering for the past one hundred years. They, too, have deteriorated over the course of this great conflict; the difference is that these problems have led them to rally behind the leader of their government in the hopes that he will liberate them. Once, it was Fire Lord Sozin, and then it was Fire Lord Azulon, and now it is Fire Lord Ozai. Tomorrow, it may be someone else entirely, but mind you, it will be someone.”

He was quiet for a moment, mulling over your words before nodding, his shoulders dropping as he came to understand that you were right.

“They call my sister and I snow savages,” he said. You reached out, placed your hand atop his, which was rough and solid, cool to the touch and littered with scars. You did not try to grip it; you only let your own, which was warm and delicate in comparison, rest there on the back of his palm.

“I’m a daughter of mud, apparently,” you said. “They’re very creative here, aren’t they?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“It’s not that the entire Fire Nation is bad,” you said. “I lived amongst them, so I can say that with firsthand experience. The people are proud, but kind. It’s just that there are wider-scale issues which affect all of them and thus taint our perceptions of the country as a whole.”

“So what, then?” he said. “Is this invasion doomed? If it doesn’t even matter if we defeat Fire Lord Ozai, then why are we risking everything in pursuit of that goal?”

“You’re a smart boy,” you said. “Maybe you should mull it over for a few days and speak to me then.”

“But you think we should still invade?” he checked.

“I do,” you said. “I’m not some kind of spirit that would push you to make the wrong decision for my amusement. It’s the thinking behind it that’s flawed, the expected outcome that you need to consider. But those refinements can be made at a later date. At the moment, the bigger question is why you hold my opinion in such a high regard. It’s not as though I’m some military leader.”

“You studied at the greatest military academy in the world while you were in the Fire Nation,” he reminded you. “And, to be honest, you’re one of very few people who can claim to have actually dealt the Fire Nation a substantial blow over the course of the war. There’s no other, more qualified opinion than yours.”

“What a turn of events,” you said again, for lack of a better turn of phrase to describe your thoughts. “I wonder if he regrets it.”

“Who regrets what?” Sokka said, his hand flexing under yours, like he had considered grabbing it before changing his mind.

“Prince Zuko,” you said. “He’s the one who had the idea to send me to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, after all. It’s by his design that I spent so long learning the ways of warfare and politics, which even before I did not understand as thoroughly as I do now.”

“Wow,” he said. “I knew he was dumb, but not that dumb. If he knew who you were, then why’d he have you enroll there? He had to have understood that you’d remember at some point, and that you’d use everything you’d learned against him.”

“I’m not sure,” you said. “That’s the final thing I want to ask him. Why did he do what he did? What was his reasoning, his thought process? I’m confused about it all. In the end, it doesn’t matter, but there’s an old part of me that’s curious nonetheless.”

Sokka was a good person. He didn’t question what you meant by that; he only hummed in agreement.

“When I was younger, my father taught me how to navigate using the stars,” he said after a bit, pointing at the sky. “He said that as long as you can find that star right there, as long as you can follow it, you’ll never be lost. You’ll always find your way back home.”

“I see it,” you said. “It’s beautiful.”

“Maybe it can help you,” he said.

“Hm?” you said.

“You’re pretty far from home, too, just like Katara and I. If we follow that star, though, then someday…” he trailed off helplessly, turning back to the moon.

“Someday, we can go back,” you said. “Yes, I believe that that’s true.”

“I’ll think about what you said,” he said, incredibly seriously. “About the invasion, and about winning. I’ll tell you what I’ve figured out before we go, okay?”

“I look forward to it,” you said.

“If I get it wrong, though, you have to tell me the right answer before we run into things looking like idiots,” he said.

“Of course,” you reassured him. “I’m not in the business of withholding information for no good reason — I just think that it will be beneficial for you to draw your own conclusions instead of solely relying on others. It’s likely you’ll come up with things that I missed, too, so it’s a collaborative exercise.”

“You’re pretty wise, considering you didn’t leave your palace that long ago,” he said.

“It’s as though I’ve lived a hundred lifetimes in such a short span,” you said. “Every minute I spent as Ursa aged me by years, I think.”

“That’s a pretty name, by the way,” he said. “Ursa.”

“Prince Zuko gave it to me,” you said. “I think they said it was his mother’s.”

“Never mind,” he said. “It’s not that pretty after all.”

You snorted. “Right.”

“Listen,” he said. “This is a little random, but since I’m pretty sure the others are well and truly asleep, I want to say it now: I think it’s a waste for you to not participate in the invasion.”

“Do you?” you said.

“Aang and Katara are right, of course — it is dangerous, and the less people that can get hurt, the better,” Sokka said. “But you’re also a really powerful ally, and it’s dumb of us if we don’t recognize that.”

“What are you suggesting? Shall I don a mask and dark clothing and sneak along for the ride?” you said.

“No, why would you do that?” he said.

“It’s a joke you wouldn’t understand,” you said. “Unless you’ve read The Mask of the Blue Spirit at some point?”

“I don’t think that one ever reached the Southern Water Tribe, sorry,” he said.

“It’s not that good, anyways. Sorry for interrupting,” you said.

“It’s fine. Now, like I was saying, you shouldn’t advertise the fact that you’re there or anything — unless you want to become a target — but I think that it’ll be better for you to be with us. At the moment, my only idea for your role is to have you stay with anyone that might get injured during the battle so that you can protect them,” he said.

“Defending the wounded?” you said. “I can get behind that.”

“So it’s a good idea?” he said.

“Don’t doubt yourself so much,” you said. “It’s a really good idea. In fact, I’d even dare to call it perfect. It also says something about your character.”

“Hopefully not something bad,” he said, cringing preemptively.

“It tells me you care about your people,” you said. “You want someone strong to defend them if they should fall. It’s a good way to ensure the loyalty and longevity of your army…but it’s also a sign that you’re the kind of leader anyone would be happy to follow. The kind of leader who has everyone’s best interests at heart, not just their own.”

He reddened. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know,” you said. “That’s what makes it so telling. Are you still too worried to sleep?”

“Not anymore,” he said. “Thanks, Y/N.”

“Ah, anytime,” you said.

“What about you?” he said. You shook your head ruefully.

“No, I’m still thinking,” you said.

“About what? You talked to me, so it’s only fair I do the same,” he said.

“There’s someone I miss,” you said. “Or, no. I miss who they used to be. Who I thought they were. It’s not who they really are, I know that now, but for a time, I really…well, I mean, it’s unimportant.”

“You loved them,” Sokka said. “I have no idea who you’re talking about, but it’s pretty obvious.”

“Yeah,” you said. “I did. It was the greatest mistake I could have ever made, but I made it.”

If only you had never escaped through Quynh’s doors. If only you had never gone into the city. If only you had done as you were told, then the kingdom never would’ve fallen. Things would be alright. Your selfish desires had driven Ba Sing Se to ruin, and yet here you sat, mourning the very catalyst which had turned the walls of the impenetrable city to dust.

“If you could say anything to them, what would it be?” he said.

“I’d wish for their death,” you said vehemently. Sokka flinched back in surprise, but you paid him no mind. “Don’t get confused. I have no affection nor fondness left in me for this person.”

“You talk about killing and stuff so easily,” he said.

“It’s not like I like it,” you said. “I cried after killing Captain Chhay. It was an overwhelming act, but my — my mother, she told me that in order to ensure peace, I had to mete out death in equal measure. She said that if a person threatened me or the people I love, then I could not allow them to exist. So, that’s that.”

“Your mother? I thought she was, uh, you know?” he said uncomfortably, gesturing with his hands to get his point across.

“She is,” you said. “I do not refer to the woman who brought me into this world but rather the great bear spirit, mother of the Earth Kingdom. Quynh.”

“Quynh?” he said, face scrunching in thought. “Wait, I think I know her story. Isn’t it the myth of the bear that ate too much and had to be locked away so that it did not devour the entire world?”

“No,” you said, giving him an incredulous look. “That was a serpent, not a bear, and besides, that’s a story from the Northern Water Tribe. Quynh was one of the founders of the Earth Kingdom, alongside Shan, who was my ancestor. She died during the construction of the palace, but she was brought back after Shan struck a deal with Father Glowworm, a deal which gave her immortality and the power of doors, amongst other things.”

“Oh, right,” Sokka said. “I’ve heard of this one, too.”

“She’s real,” you said. “I mentioned her once before, remember? Her power is the way that I managed to go into Ba Sing Se without anyone knowing, as well as how all of the servants and my brother escaped when the palace fell.”

“Yup, I remember!” he said.

“In the absence of my parents, she all but raised me. I miss her more than anyone, except Kuei,” you said. “Bar him, she was the closest thing to family I had, but unlike with him, I didn’t get to wish her anything even close to a farewell. The only consolation I have is that she knows I am alive, given that she can feel when members of Shan’s line die, and that she is alive, because as an immortal spirit, she is unkillable, and she resides in a place far beyond even the Fire Nation’s reach.”

“If she’s so powerful, then why’d she let the palace fall?” he said.

“By my command, she was concentrating on evacuating the servants and Kuei,” you said. “Then, once that was complete, it was too late. I had already sacrificed myself. I didn’t give her the chance to help me. I didn’t give anyone the chance, because I didn’t want anyone else to go down with me.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “We would’ve stood by you, if we had been there. I would’ve. Until the very end.”

You swallowed back the tears that threatened to make an appearance at his words. You had never had someone who had promised to be at your side through everything. You had had protectors, and you had protected others in turn, but never in your life had you had an equal. Someone who relied on you as much as you relied on them. Someone who would stay with you, even through the pain of imminent death.

“You’re a really good friend,” you said. “I’m glad I met you.”

“I’m glad, too,” he said. “Even if it’s a little embarrassing to think about the fact that I made you wear my clothes and do cartwheels that first time.”

“Did you ever perfect the move?” you said. He sprang to his feet.

“I did! Wanna see?” he said.

“Go ahead,” you said. Taking a step back, he broke into a run before using his left leg to push off into a perfect cartwheel. You clapped when he landed squarely on his feet again and spun to face you.

“What do you think?”

“Excellent work,” you said. “Though I don’t know how many practical applications such a skill would have, it’s always good to learn new things.”

“That’s what I told the others when they made fun of me!” he said.

“Everyone has different priorities,” you said diplomatically. He shrugged and then yawned. You winced as you realized how late it had gotten, and how tired you yourself had grown.

“Sorry,” he said. “I don’t mind staying up longer.”

“No, it’s alright. We should sleep. There’s no sense in staying up needlessly; it’s important for us to conserve as much energy as we can, so that our bodies are in the best possible conditions for the invasion,” you said.

“Do you think you can?” he said. “You made me feel a lot better, but I don’t really think I helped you in the same way.”

“You helped,” you promised him. “Just by talking to me, just by being my friend…you helped.”

“We’re all your friends now,” he said, lowering his voice as you both grew nearer to where the others were. “Katara, Toph, Aang, and I. You can count on all of us.”

“I don’t want to be a burden, but I thank you for the offer,” you said.

“That’s not how friendship works,” he said, tossing a blanket over to you. “We all look out for one another. There’s no burden involved.”

“Interesting,” you said, pulling the blanket up to your shoulders. “Then, if you are not opposed, I think I would not mind relying on you a little bit. Just as long as you rely on me, too.”

“Yeah, no worries,” he said. “I’ll rely on you a ton, trust me.”

“Thank you,” you said. “Good night, Sokka.”

“Good night,” he said. “I’m happy you’re alive, Y/N.”

“Me, too,” you said, not feeling quite so lost anymore, not when you were surrounded by people you could truly trust, not when a certain star shone down on you, like a promise that one day, you could follow it all of the way home. “Me, too.”

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#zuko x reader #zuko x y/n #zuko x you #zuko #avatar the last airbender #atla #reader insert #canon au #the glass princess #m1ckeyb3rry writes

[drpoisonoaky]

Are they really your friends if they haven’t threatened your partner? Yes they are, but where’s the fun in that.

This is the Gaang threatening Azula for “Katara’s sake”.

— Sokka

Sokka: Katara out!

Katara, raising an eyebrow: Excuse me?

Sokka: Can you please get out so I can speak with Azula?

Katara: Whatever you want to say to her I’m sure I can be in here.

Sokka: No. And don’t ask.

Katara:

Sokka: Pretty please?

Azula: I’m honestly intrigued.

Katara: Ugh. Fine.

Sokka: Thanks sister. Luv ya.

*Katara out of the picture*

Sokka: Listen up snooty princess. *Put his boomerang on the table*. I’m here to talk about how I will punish you if you hurt my sister in any kind of way.

Azula: Sure, I’m all ears.

Sokka: Wait what?

Azula: But I must advise you I experienced a lot of forms of torture already. Father used to say “It’s war Azula, they will do this to you if you’re weak and they catch you. It’s for you own good”

Azula: So what do you have in mind? Father favored the traditional practices of the Earth Nation.

Sokka: I- Damn. Spirits.

Azula: Look I never would hurt your sister on purpose. Ever. You have my word and honor.

Sokka: I’m going to hug you. So be ready. Here I go.

Azula: This is certainly a technique that my father didn’t use.

Sokka: NOW.

— Suki

Suki: Let’s talk.

Azula: Last time I checked you weren’t my friend in the kyoshi warriors. Did something happen to Ty lee?

Suki: I want to talk to you as Katara’s friend.

Azula: Ugh.

Suki: Listen asshole If you consider for a fraction of sec-

Azula: I am not going to hurt her on purpose. I’m a bitch. I know. I’m mean. Believe I know. But-

Azula: Wait why am I explaining anything to you?

Suki: Because I’m going to kill you if you don’t treat her as she deserves?

Azula: She’d do it first, don’t you think?

Suki: ..Well yeah, but it’s mandatory. They give Sokka the warning talk when we started dating.

Azula: They give it to Sokka and not you?

Suki: In Katara’s words “You could do way better than him so we’re going to remind him that”

— Toph

Toph: Princess purple platypus.

Azula: Living creature who doesn’t know what a bath is.

Toph: I’m here to give you a talk captain firebitch.

Azula: About how you are going to murder me if I lost my mind again and hurt my girlfriend on purpose?

Toph: Yeah I guess.

Azula: Message received.

Toph: Good. Another thing.

Azula: What?

Toph: Is it true that you know several torture techniques from the Earth Kingdom?

Azula: *sighs* He cannot shut up. Yes.

Toph: Good so start to talk princess snooty-pants. I want details.

— Zuko

Azula: Is your turn in that madness that they’re doing?

Zuko: Has everyone talked to you?

Azula: I think the avatar didn’t but I’m not sure. But I don’t think he knows how to threat someone.

Zuko: Who knows. So can you help me to figure out how to distribute all of the income from-

Azula: Thank Agni. No talk from you?

Zuko: Of course not. If you hurt her she will beat the shit out of you. Well, maybe you will have an awesome battle like I would pick popcorn and watch. So no, I’ve started learning when I don’t need to talk.

Azula: Oh I wasn’t expecting that. Good job Zuzu.

Zuko: So can you help me?

Azula: Gladly.

— Aang

Aang: Hey Azula. Mind if I sit here?

Azula: Do as you please Avatar.

Aang: Oh thanks.

Aang: By the way I came here to say you something.

Azula: So I was right you were the one left-

Aang: Listen Azula I’m only going to say this once. *Avatar State on* Hurt Katara in any kind of way and I will forget everything I know about peace. I’ll bring Kyoshi and let her do whatever she wants. Your past will look like a fairy tale compared to what will happen to you. Understood?

Azula, pale as a piece of paper: Sure.

Aang: It was nice to see you. Let’s grab some tea someday. Bye!

Azula:

Azula: Who would have thought that the air monk which I already kill once would be the most sadistic. My respects Avatar.

— Katara

Katara: I assume they give you the talk, right?

Azula: You have assumed correctly.

Katara: Poor thing.

Azula: I know you don’t feel bad for me, quit the show.

Katara: Don’t be such a baby. Now I need to know, who was the weakest?

Azula: Your brother by far. He spent more time trying to hug me than threatening me.

Katara: No surprised. Who was the “scariest”?

Azula: The Avatar. But don’t you dare to tell a soul.

Katara: Aang? The pacifist monk? Aang who cries if he eats a piece of meat?

Azula: Yes sweetie, that one.

Katara: *barely holding her laughter*

Azula: One more laugh and I’m done with you.

Katara: No you don’t.

Azula: I hate you.

Katara: I hate you too babe.

Toph, from afar: WHIPPED.

— Ty lee & Mai

Azula: Did you give Katara the talk

Ty lee: What talk?

Mai: I don’t think we need to tell her where the babies come from.

Azula: The one of If Katara hurt me you will hurt her etc.

Mai: No?

Ty lee: Why would we ever do that? We like Katara. She’s way nicer than you.

Mai: Being honest she could do better than you.

Azula: And I’m betrayed once aga-

Azula: Oh no. I’m the Sokka. Somebody kill me.

Mai: I think she lost it. Again.

Ty lee: Suki could also do better than Sokka.

Azula: I’m a sinner in the eyes of the fire nation. SOMEBODY KILL ME.

Ty lee: NO YOU ARE NOT ANYMORE NOW IT’S LEGAL.

Mai: Ugh. She’s so dramatic.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #azula #atla incorrect quotes #fire siblings #katara #azutara #kazula #sokka #aang #mai #ty lee #lgbtq #toph #suki #zuko

[ladywaterfall]

I, for one, will never forget that time i wrote a mlp g2 fanfic in which moon shadow stole an ancient powerful necklace which granted the wearer the ability to see into the future from queen silver rain because moon was an orphan with no friends except dainty dove, who was a pegasus/earth pony hybrid and couldn't fly even after her moult (in this fanfic pegasi have fluffy wings until age 12, then they grow into their flight feathers), but then the leader of the orphanage twinkle star (who was also a pegasus/flutter pony hybrid) got hired by queen silver rain to murder dove, but dove escaped and is now hiding in the woods near the pegasus kingdom, but moon doesn't know that and is planning her revenge on the monarchy.

meanwhile, sundance hates her responsibilities as the princess of the earth ponies, along with her brother firefly and her sister crystal, who has always been overlooked by her parents sunsparkle and night star (who dies while trying to stop moon shadow from escaping with the necklace), until light heart commits arson in the castle during the midsummer day tryouts for a new jester (her popular sister trixiebelle was chosen instead of her) and she ans sundance escape through a secret passage which sunsparkle ordered secret tale and merry moments to build before they ran away to the lost library in the middle of the rainbow forest.

Afterwards sundance meets sweet berry (who is melanistic and has really strong magic) in a cottage in the woods and together they go back to the castle, assuming light heart was captured. they sneak into the castle and watch crystal deliver a prophecy about incoming doom, then sunsparkle tells sundance that sweet berry killed her sibling ivy with her magic. they look for light heart in the dungeons, but instead find moon shadow, who drugged all the guards and she knocks sundance unconscious right before light heart showed up. turns out she had been in hiding in a nearby town. they run away from the scene of the crime and decide to go to the lost library, but not before scaring all the royal guards with sweet berry's magic.

they meet merry moments and secret tale at the lost library, who casually tell light heart that she is a hybrid and that trixiebelle is not her real sister. sundance captures moon shadow and makes her give up the necklace that she took from crystal, and she joins their friend group. merry moments suggests that they should go to the flutter kingdom, because she doesn't recognise the necklace and the flutter kingdom is the most mysterious of all the kingdoms. moon shadow leaves to contact her ex girlfriend dainty dove.

sundance, light heart and sweet berry go to the flutter kingdom, where they meet an exiled border guard named morning glory. she says that the flutter kingdom is an opressive dystopia ever since the old rulers mysteriously disappeared and were replaced by the new queen. morning glory disguses light heart and sweet berry as sundance's government officials and they visit the palace while sweet berry has an existencial crisis about killing ivy by accident five years ago. morning glory breaks into the royal library and finds out that she is actually the lost princess of the flutter ponies, but she rejects this responsibility in favour of escaping with light heart to the unicorn kingdom.

light heart meets her sister dainty dove, moon shadow, crystal (who ran away after sunsparkle tried to use her prophecy powers to declare war on the other kingdoms, and copper glow, who is an outcast from society due to not having magic. together they spy on queen silver swirl, and discover that she is stealing the unicorns' magic in order to conquer the world (why is every ruler in this fanfic trying to conquer the world smh) and that crystal is secretly half unicorn, and that the necklace was worthless all along. all the kingdoms go over and have an epic fight, which the main characters stop of course. crystal also turns her mom into a ghost because yes.

i spent half an hour typing this out.

DROP THE LINK-

but fr there's SO MUCH going on here. I love that you did that.

The corruption of ponies in power. arson. mysterious conspiracies. lost princesses. accidental murder?? turning your mom into a ghost. TRULY iconic. absolutely love it.

#also g2 representation! #truly the first time I have seen night star in anything #the high stakes and drama wow #this reads like the plot of a YA novel OR how we actually played with our toys in childhood #my little pony #my little pony g2 #my little pony fic #g2 mlp

[lynzine]

The Avatar’s Hobby

Avatar Aang was widely considered the greatest Avatar in the past millennia. At just twelve years old he prevented the genocide of his people, stymied all out war between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, and somehow stripped the Fire Lord behind these attempted atrocities of his bending. He did not remove Sozin’s family from power, despite the corruption. He watched them carefully. He had a solid grasp of all of the elements before even meeting his teachers. Aang was dedicated to peace and the sanctity of life. There was just one eccentricity that gave people pause…

The matchmaking.

Admittedly, it took years for anyone to notice but over the decades it became clear that Avatar Aang was pushing certain couples together. Most notably in the Fire Nation, when he introduced Crown Prince Azulon to his future wife, Ilah; but it was happening all over the world. He helped a woman escape the Northern Water Tribe to the South and attended her wedding after insistently guiding her to a particular Tribe with a specific young man who stammered and blushed and happily yielded to her in every matter. He supplemented a young Earth Kingdom merchant’s income so he could buy a marriage to a noblewoman. He helped a pair of peasants elope. He encouraged romance between specific members of the Northern Water Tribe’s most respected families.

He happily, sometimes desperately, meddled with seemingly random families all over the world. It was strange, but it was just a quirk. If he wanted to matchmake between preserving world peace and protecting humanity from the Spirit World, it wasn’t like it was hurting anyone.

Crown Prince Iroh reconsidered this widely held belief when the Avatar quite insistently arranged a marriage between his younger brother and Lady Ursa, granddaughter of the previous Avatar, Roku. Iroh and Aang had always gotten along. Aang, already an old man at his birth, had taught him Pai Sho and taken him on trips around the world. He was almost like his uncle. While the kind old Avatar had tried to treat Ozai the same way, Iroh had always sensed profound wariness in the Avatar when dealing with his younger brother, a wariness he tried to mask with his usual cheer and jokes. So why was Avatar Aang so determined to ensure that Ozai would marry Lady Ursa?

A similar issue was plaguing Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. No matter who he brought home, Avatar Aang seemed to disapprove. It was like his honorary uncle was looking for someone specific. If Aang had tried to push the young man to break up with someone Hakoda never would have acquiesced. But the old man just stared at him with his girlfriend so mournfully, as if he was going to begin sobbing, that Hakoda would eventually end the relationship.

The relief on the Avatar’s face always made him feel like he’d done the right thing.

The day that he introduced Aang to Kya and saw his face light up was the day Hakoda knew that he’d found the one. He’d found the woman that he was going to marry.

In the Earth Kingdom an assorted handful of merchants and nobles accepted the Avatar’s betrothal suggestions. It was good business to be favored by the Avatar.

   Avatar Aang arrived the night before Lady Ursa went into labor. The old man was apparently more frantic than the rest of the family. Iroh made a dozen pots of tea in an attempt to calm the old airbender.

When an attendant emerged from the room Aang was the first on his feet. “Is he alright?” He demanded sharply. Iroh blinked and wondered how he knew the baby was a boy.

“Yes, he is. Quite healthy for a child born so close to midnight.” The woman answered, holding the new nobleborn at a professional distance from her. Aang stepped forward, and before any other member of the family had a chance, he took the baby into his arms. Iroh raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glace with his father. Both Fire Lord and Prince decided to say nothing of this curious breach of conduct and courtesy.

Aang trembled, clutching the tiny newborn blinking up at him with two whole golden eyes. “You’re here.” He whispered. “You’re really here…” The baby fussed as tears fell on his head. “I missed you so much, Zuko.”

 The Avatar greeted the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe as well, directing her parents to the sacred oasis when she was born too early and without a sound. He even plead with the Moon Spirit himself to aid the child. The Princess woke with hair like the moon and a grateful Avatar gathering her into his arms.

 Avatar Aang was seen mourning on Kyoshi Island. He went to the home of every new or expecting family before he donned the colors of grief and left the island teary eyed. Saying only that he’d lost her.

 Avatar Aang was at the birth of both of Hakoda and Kya’s children. Somehow, more joyful than the parents themselves.

 The Beifongs had not expected the baby to be blind. Avatar Aang assured them that she would be more powerful than any other person he had ever known.

   Aang sat on edge of the Southern Air Temple, surrounded by children from every nation. Their parents might not like Aang’s impromptu field trips for them, but he couldn’t resist sometimes. Whether it was to train with badgermoles, to fly with dragons, to see new wonders, or simply to light candles for the only one he’d failed… the only one whose lineage he hadn’t known. Aang might be over a century old, but he would always need his friends. It had taken decades, but his family was as complete as it was going to be.

Zuko and Sokka argued over which of them was taller. Yue braided Katara’s hair. And Toph used earthbending to lift herself above them all, laughing manically as she did.

Sky bison passed, carrying young monks and nuns to new adventures. And even with the ever present ache of Suki’s loss… Aang was happy.

#Ficlet #Random Time Travel Fic #Aang #Aang loves his friends #And will manipulate GENERATIONS of people to get them back. #Suki didn't make it. #I'm SO SORRY you guys! #I just knew that one of them couldn't and I could imagine so many ways for Suki to end up on that Island! #time travel #Aang goes back to before he was frozen in ice and has to make a choice. #Not edited #Not my favorite #but kinda wanted to post. #So... here it is.

[ineffabildaddy]

only in dreams - post-season 2 aziraphale pov ficlet

my response to this lovely work by @captainblou is below<3

explicit content incoming!!

-

Do you think about our kiss, dear?

I wonder, sometimes, when I find myself missing the nights I whiled away down on earth; the nights I spent reading in my bookshop while the kingdom slept. Do you, like me, routinely touch the soft cushion of your lips in the memory of it? Do you reach round and brush your back with your fingers to remind yourself that I began to caress you there, just as I grasp my lapels for dear life when I am certain no one is looking?

Do I come to you in dreams?

You need sleep every once in a while, darling, I know that. A thorough rest, a true escape from the ineffable struggle of it all. Do I guide you through your slumber? Do I appear before you, an apparition of humble devotion, and take you in my arms? Do I kiss you, slow and kind and generous, until the grip of your hands on my face goes slack and your eyes brim over with the sweetest tears? Do you beg to give to me as you always do, to bestow upon me the gift of your devout attentions?

Do you kneel for me, silent and trembling, as if I am to knight you with my flaming sword? Do you sigh with serenity when, instead, I ease my length into your grateful mouth? Do you remain unfazed, taking me exactly as I am, when I spill down your throat?

Does your unconscious mind cling to the way that I smell, just as mine battles to recall the scent you bear? Does the coarse texture of my hair return to you as the silky, gentle quality of yours gradually slips through my fingers?

Does it finally, truly feel real when you awaken and lie still in the dark? Does all the joy and all the want and all the aching of six millennia strike the breath out of your lungs?

You must, as I do, replay over and over those final moments between us. That time when, at long last, we became one for mere seconds, and then doomed ourselves to crack in two immediately afterwards.

When you drift back into sleep, do you dream that I am inside you? Do you flinch and writhe when I whisper cooling, dulcet praise in your reddened ear, or do you listen without fear, without denial, until I start fucking you? Do you whine for me most beautifully, your palms dancing over the sweat on my back, as I make my home in the slick heat of your cunt? When you come apart, does your gaze rise to commune with mine, or do you press your eyelids tightly together?

In your mind, does the kiss we shared morph into a feverish hallucination, a memory so hazy that you may well have fabricated it? I will not be offended, dear. Until I can be your angel in the waking world, I shall be your angel in dreams. If this is the one thing I can give you, I will pray every day for you to keep receiving it.

I hope you rest well tonight, darling. I shall be there when you do.

-

thank you so so much for reading!!!! feedback and reblogs are endlessly appreciated<3

also on ao3 here:

tagging my faves: @sad-chaos-goblin @foolishlovers @celestialcrowley @crowleys-bentley-and-plants @sabotage-on-mercury @iammyownproblematicfave @omens-for-ophelia @and-his-hands-were-24-crows @tangerine-ginger @greenthena @quoththemaiden @ineffable-rohese @bowtiepastabitch @createserenity

#good omens #fanfic #ineffabildaddy #top aziraphale

[she-wolf09231982]

Chapter 4-The Day of The Fellowship

Summary: The Council of Elrond commences with you in attendance. As discussions become heated, you inaugurate yourself into The Fellowship.

Author Note: LegolasxFemale reader, Legolasx!Female Elf, Y/N, Elves, Hobbits, Dwarves, Men, LOTR movie references, Inserted LOTR script, Sindarian language, Lord Elrond, Gandalf, Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippen

Tags: @ameliabs-world @angelicsmilestff @abakar974 @michaelcerassweatband @maddi-sun18

I hope you enjoy this! Thanks for the love

*State Visits-Incoming and outgoing visitations of Foreign Monarchs to discuss concerns and ideas.

Sindarian to English translations:

* Ir are cin govanneth nin adar?- When are you meeting my father?

*nin bein mellon- my fair friend

*nin cóon-my prince

*nin mellons- my friends

*ward- a courtyard within the castle walls.

*keep- a fortified tower built within the walls and used as a last refuge in case of an attack.

*Havo dad-sit down

*Baw, nin -iel- No, my daughter

*Adar, im will ú- dorth- hi ir im tur- tulu a ar thel- -Father, I will not stay here when I can support a noble purpose.

*Legolas na- with nin- Legolas is with me

*nay- not

~~~~~~~~

The following morning upon yours and Legolas’ arrival to Rivendell, you found yourself once again meeting him at dawn in the rich and lavish gardens surrounding the kingdom. Just as you’ve always done during your state visits at Mirkwood.

“*Ir are cin govanneth nin adar?” You ask Legolas.

“This afternoon, *nin bein mellon.” He responded.

You look ahead as you walk, your arm hooked and resting on his as he escorts you on the scenic trail.

“You’re still troubled, Y/N.” Legolas observed as he glances over at you.

“I am.” You admit after an extended pause.

“We know not what this council holds yet, Y/N. No need to fret over something we know nothing of.” He responded trying to comfort you.

“The earth is trembling, *nin cóon. I know you feel it, as well. Middle Earth is in grave danger.” You say.

Legolas nodded in agreement.

~~~~~~~~

After breakfast, you stroll through a palisade that is overgrown in white and blue anemones. Suddenly ahead of you, there is a rustle in the shrubberies. At first, you’re alarmed, and slowly reach for your blade beneath your robes when suddenly two small beings tumble out quite abruptly, rolling to a halt on the gravel path in front of you. You are taken aback to see a pair of hobbits groaning from pain after colliding onto the ground.

You tilt your head to the side studying the silly little creatures as they attempt to stand brushing the dust and dirt off themselves.

“I told you those weren’t raspberry bushes, Pippen!” The one hobbit snickered.

“No, you specifically said they looked like they were, Merry.” Pippen retorted.

“Exactly, I never said that they were actual raspberry.” Merry clarified.

They continued to debate not noticing you approaching them.

You inserted yourself into their conversation.

“I can tell you where the raspberry bushes do grow, if you like?” You say to them.

They both jump back with a gasp, then grasped their chests with a sigh of relief when they see it’s you. Their eyes widened after they realize that you are Rivendell royalty, and each knelt to a knee bowing their heads to you.

You chuckle at them.

“Rise, *nin mellons. I don’t require such formalities.” You say as you walk over to them gently guiding them upward to their feet with your fingertips under their chins.

Pippen and Merry smile at you and exchanged bashful expressions.

“You are too kind, your highness.” Merry stated.

“Please, I am Y/N. Refer to me as such for you are friends to my family and I.” You asserted with an inviting smile.

Pippen and Merry smiled appreciatively at you. You continue.

“Now, let’s find those raspberry shrubs, shall we?” You suggest flashing the pair a mischievous grin.

The two hobbits looked excitedly at eachother and scurried to catch up with you as you proceeded ahead of them.

~~~~~~~~

The Council finally began to gather in one of the blossoming *wards just off Rivendell’s *keep. You had convinced your father that you should also be present, otherwise you would relentlessly pry him for details later. You were seated to the right of your father, while the other attending members of his council began to settle into their seats facing eachother in a circle surrounding a carved stone pedestal in the center.

You saw Legolas enter with his retinue of Elves from a stone archway. He casted a glance with a faint smile when he saw you. You beam at him but avert your attention to regain your composure realizing you just seen him a few hours ago and shouldn’t be so excited to see him.

You recognize Gandalf the Grey right away and beside him, another hobbit you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet. A group of dwarves enter as well as Boromir from Gondor. Aragorn arrived last, seating himself quietly on the end.

Your father addressed the congregation,

“Strangers from distant lands, Friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor.”

You notice Legolas perking up in his seat, leaning forward to hang on every word your father said.

Elrond continued,

“Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction…”

You start to fade into fog. Elrond’s words became mumbles to your ears as you sensed troubling times approaching with the news you just heard. You must have been distracted by your thoughts for quite a bit of time, for out of the corner of your eye, you see Boromir approaching the pedestal that displayed a gold Ring upon it. Your elvish hearing returning to you, you hear Boromir speaking.

“…Ilisldur’s Bane is found.” Boromir whispered as he reached towards the Ring.

Your father and Gandalf exchange concerned looks as Boromir’s fingers hover above the Ring.

You father leaps up, “Boromir!”

No sooner does Gandalf stand and begins to chant in the Black Speech. The Ring echoes the harsh words as thunder cracks and the sky suddenly darkens. The council look around them in fear and confusion as your father rubs his temples. Legolas closes his eyes waiting for the chaos to pass. Gandalf finishes his mantra, swaying in place from the heaviness of the words he spoke.

“Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!” Elrond scolded Gandalf.

“I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond,” Gandalf began still trying to catch his breath, “for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is all together evil.” Gandalf warned, peering over towards Boromir.

Boromir continued to oppose the disposal of the Ring, suggesting using it as a weapon against their enemies.

“You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master.” Aragorn interjected.

Boromir approaches Aragorn arrogantly, words leaving his mouth that you fail to receive when you see Legolas stand,

“This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathron. You owe him your allegiance.” Legolas declared.

Aragorn raised a hand to Legolas gesturing him to calm down,

“*Havo dad, Legolas.” Aragorn responded in elvish to Legolas.

Boromir scoffed, looked back at Aragorn hissing a retort about Gondor not needing a king, then returned to his chair.

“Aragorn is right. We cannot use it.” Gandalf confirmed.

“You have only one choice,” Elrond continued, “the Ring must be destroyed.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” A dwarf growled as he grabbed his axe striking down upon the Ring.

He is repelled back, sending him to the ground. The ring remains unscathed, while his axe lays in shards around the pedestal.

You notice the hobbit next to Gandalf wince in pain suddenly. You tilt your head at him, while clairvoyantly reading his thoughts, you see the Eye of Sauron.

“The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we possess here-“ Elrond began.

He continues to explain that the Ring must be unmade where it was created; it will need to be casted into the fires of Mount Doom.

“-One of you must do this.” Elrond stated.

You notice Legolas’ chest rise with pride. He was already prepared for the challenge. You beam at him, staring in awe and also in fear. He will leave here, and you will be held here against your will awaiting his return…if he did return. You’re taken back from your deep thoughts when you hear Boromir barking at the council.

“-And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with 10 thousand men you can do this. It is folly.” He scoffed again.

Legolas stood indignantly, “Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?” He projected.

You revert your attention to him as he stood, alarmed at the rising intensity in the air. Legolas continued.

“The Ring must be destroyed!” He stated again.

Gimli spoke up, “And I suppose you think you’re the one to do it?!” He mocked at Legolas.

Legolas gave Gimli a scathing glance.

“And if we fail? What then?!” Boromir argues.

“I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!” Gimli spat.

Arguments erupted amongst the council members. Elves advanced on the dwarves, but Legolas extended his arms out to restrain them.

You stood as your father approached the mixed council quarreling and bickering over eachother. All you could do was stand there still, your eyes darting between each of them with your heart and mind racing trying to contemplate a way to de-escalate this muddle.

Your focus is suddenly pulled by a scorching heat towards the stand where the Ring rests. You look to see flames engulfing the surface of the Ring. You then hear an obscure; booming voice arise from the Ring.

“Ash Nazg Durbatuluk! Ash Nazg Gimatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul!”

As these words hang in the air, the intensity of the arguments increases. You then notice the one hobbit from earlier stands and addresses the arguing council with a dawning look of determination across his face.

“I will take it!” He calls out to the council. They continue to argue, so he repeats,

“I will take it!!”

The fighting dies down. Gandalf closed his eyes as he heard this statement. All attention is redirected towards the young hobbit, as he continues.

“I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though- I do not know the way.” He added.

Gandalf approaches him.

“I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear.” Gandalf placed his hand reassuringly on Frodo’s shoulder.

Aragorn rose to his feet, “If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will. You have my sword.” He pledged as he kneels before the hobbit.

Legolas stepped up, “And you have my bow.” He stated.

A gruff voice arises from behind the group, “And my axe!” Gimli pushes through the circle joining Legolas on his left.

Gimli exchanged a begrudging look with Legolas.

Boromir approaches, “You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of one Council, then Gondor will see it done.” He joins the group.

A proud smile spreads across your face watching this act of unity blossoming before you. Your father is pleased as well.

Suddenly, another hobbit you didn’t know appears.

“Hey! Mister Frodo is not goin’ anywhere without me!” This hobbit known to be Sam, stood proud next to Frodo crossing his arms in protest.

“No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.” Elrond chastised, looking somewhat displeased with the intrusion.

Not sooner after you father’s words did the two hobbits you met on your walk earlier emerge.

“Wait we’re coming too!” Pippen and Merry shout as they join the ever-growing group of volunteers.

Your father flashed a surprised irritated look, but softened his expression as he observed the assembly before him.

“Nine companions…So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!” He announced triumphantly.

You stepped forward, “Ten.” You stated boldly.

Legolas’ eyes flashed to you in apprehension. His eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Your father and the remaining members of the council direct their gazes upon you, all looking as puzzled as the next.

“*Baw, nin -iel.” Your father disputed.

You turn your attention to your father whose face now appears hardened and stern. You sense he’s alarmed and panicked by your declaration.

“*Adar, im will ú- dorth- hi ir im tur- tulu a ar thel-" You respond serenely walking towards him. He meets you halfway to speak directly to you.

“This journey is besieged with dangers and perils beyond your understanding, Y/N.” Elrond whispers to you firmly. His concerned sharp eyes glossing over with what looks to be tears.

You take your father’s hands in yours, squeezing them comfortingly as you speak.

“Father, it is time I serve our family, and our people for the greater good of Rivendell. I am very capable to complete this quest, and The Fellowship could benefit from having a woman accompany them.” You explain then continue.

“Besides,*Legolas na- with nin.” You added, while looking over at Legolas who is staring intensely at you.

Your father turned and observes Legolas with eyebrows furrowed giving him a once over. Elrond knows Legolas is an elf more than worthy of his youngest daughter. He also knows if he tries to keep you from accompanying The Fellowship, you will certainly go without his consent. Elrond sighed in defeat, then looked back to you lovingly with a slight grin.

“Legolas, come forth.” Elrond commanded loudly.

Legolas proceeded to you and your father, standing tall and proud, chest steadily heaving with anticipation. Elrond slowly faces him.

“Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, do you vow to keep my daughter, Y/N, princess and self-proclaimed protector of Rivendell at your side; *nay allowing her out of your grasp nor sight; seeing she is protected at all costs from harm’s way throughout this precarious journey with The Fellowship to its end?” Elrond announced for the entire council to hear.

Legolas places his right hand over his chest and bows to Elrond.

“I swear by the Greenleaf name and all that my heart possesses, I will see to it Y/N remains at my side for the duration of this quest until I return her to you, my Lord.” Legolas’ voice deep and honeyed as he dares to raise his eyes to yours without lifting his head, meeting your gaze devotedly.

Your heart soars as Legolas’ sky-blue irises pierce every inch of your soul, sending waves of warmth to your cheeks. You award Legolas a smile.

“So, it is ten.” Elrond continues. “Rise, Legolas, Guardian and Defender of Princess Y/N. May all the strength and vigor of Middle-Earth lead you to victory.”

Elrond then addressed the rest of The Fellowship.

“And to you all.” He added with an approving nod.

Each member of The Fellowship respectfully lowered their head to Lord Elrond.

Legolas claims his position at your side, placing his hand gently on the small of your back sending you into a whirlwind of sensations. Although his touch had you outright glowing, you stand tall, head held high, shoulders back and hands folded in front of you maintaining your royal disposition. You and Legolas were a magnificent vision standing side by side. Ready to face head on whatever underworldly challenges come your way…together.

#lord of the rings #lotr fanfic #legolas greenleaf #legolas #legolas x reader #lord elrond #aragorn #gandalf #boromir #gimli #frodo baggins #samwise gamgee #merry and pippin #lotr elves #dwarves #wizard #hobbits #middle earth #rivendell #prince of mirkwood

[northwest-by-a-train]

Mutual 1: I wish someone could kill me so I could be reincarnated as a saxophone solo in Al Stewart's 1991 song Year of the cat

Mutual 2: Horror keeps piling upon horror and we will live old and wrinkled in this time of horrors. The only cure is to post black and white pictures of men who have problems

Mutual 3: killing baby Caesar does lengthen the lifespan of the roman empire by ~350 years, as it dissolves into some sort of federalist-feudalist structure not unlike the Holy Roman Empire. The main difference is that a sort of loose syncretic pan-imperial polytheism is the dominant religion, leading to Icelandic temples of Isis and Ethiopian temples of Epona. As such, this timeline was spared the drawbacks of a centralized state-enforced organized religion. The main drawback is that being a furry is considered blasphemy by the vast majority of humanity.

Mutual 4: if Pendleton Ward does not make Mr Cupcake a Trotskyist I will set the cartoon network offices on fire

Mutual 5: if Serial Experiments Lain was made today they would make her cis. Well. Not on my watch

Mutual 6: Can we take a minute here and normalize arms trading? Marginalized communities need those 3D-printed untraceable ghost guns with Family Guy muzzles, I need to make a living since I was thrown out of the commune by Hannah-Arendts-Strap (message me for details), Seth MacFarlane needs people to watch season 27. But Academia will talk about Kant's white-ass categorical imperative to argue no one should sell guns. Typical.

Mutual 7: I am in your walls. Why is there lead paint on your radium plumbing my dude. You know that's not aryuvedic.

Mutual 8: I'm sorry but Robespierre was a scapegoat of most of the French revolution's atrocities, and bourgeois reactionary elements have tried to turn him into a proto-totalitarian crazed madman, but the historical record paints a much more complex picture. Which is why I don't believe he would ever whip Danton's ass like you just wrote. He would be the one wearing the ball gag. How can I make you see the truth my brother ?

Mutual 9: Arabic and Eastern European poetry have been superior throughout the late 20th/early 21st century. We also have the best cigarettes. If we keep going we can surround Constantinople in the next decade, and restore the Palaiologos to their rightful place.

Mutual 10: The callout posts are true. Reflecting on it, it was obvious that our attempt to create a secret #LiberateBelize discord channel without British people was chavphobic. We are listening and learning.

Mutual 11: Pinkie Pie could negotiate the Oslo Accords, but Bill Clinton could never bag pony Weird Al

Mutual 12: If I think about Betty Groff for more than two seconds I'll divorce my husband. I got the papers and everything. But I won't. I'm brave like that. #ChristianLove

Mutual 13:

Mutual 14: I was visited by the virgin Mary last night. Again. She told me I can't make my girlfriend pregnant like that. Again. But I know Ron L. Hubbard is with me, and it's all that matters.

Mutual 15: Mustard gas doesn't even taste like mustard. You guys lied to me. My Mac & Cheese is ruined.

Mutual 16: Stop saying my think tank advocates killing orphans. We're pro-harvesting organs in youth correctional facilities for reduced sentences !!! But again we see the pro-carceral bias inherent to Lutherans. Have you guys even read Angela Davis ?

Mutual 17: Here's my solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict: spend a hundred billion dollars for multiversal research, reach the mirror universe. Israelis get the biblical kingdom of Israel borders on this earth, Palestinians get the 1948 borders in the mirror universe. I think this is the fairest deal America can offer at this time.

Mutual 18: I tried to live the life of a restless European adventurer in Macau playing roulette and serving as a mercenary to various conglomerates. Turns out they also charge rent there. And income is taxable too. And I bet everything on Red. And I don't speak Mandarin, Cantonese or Portuguese. Help me pay for my flight home! 6¢/50 000$ collected!

Mutual 19: Yeah the canonization of Bolaño as the latest LatAm literary genius speaks to a sort of general malaise in post-colonial literature due to the collapse of magical realism as a viable tradition for meaningful political messaging. So the literature of unease and obsession and maladjustment itself is canonized, like an oyster canonizing the grain of sand that's tearing it apart. The fact that no other major voice has really appeared on the continent within the past 20 years should tell us this isn't working. Which is why the Brazilian JoJo fandom has a unique opportunity to meaningfully impact the course of world literature. #Multipolarity

Mutual 20: wow guys someone left a tray of perfectly good Mac & Cheese on a windowsill! Yummy!

Mutual 21: Did medieval surgeons pulling teeth get erections? I wouldn't normally ask this of my followers but I'm arguing about Sex Work with the ghost of Andrea Dworkin and I need hard evidence (no pun intended lol)

Mutual 22: Electro-Swing is a Belgian psy-op. I can't prove it, but I know it

Mutual 23: I'm the first neutered catgirl to be tried in a military court. But I know I'm not the last.

Mutual 24: Did you guys know you could eat olives? The thing they make oil from? I ordered three kilos of motors, so I can eat it with my roommate's Mac & Cheese

Mutual 25: Anglicans, amirite ? [Sounds of raucous applause]

[archie-the-menace]

‼️ HUUUGGGEEE OC Infodump incoming ‼️

Alright I have made way too many MLP OCs lately and decided to line them up to keep track of their heights. Here’s ALL of my OCs so far, and a bit about them:

Princess Alpine (Alpine Ibex) - Leader of the Alpine Herd, and a fierce warrior.

Aurora Racer (Pegasus) - A famous racer known across Cloudsdale, she currently lives in Alpine Acres.

General North Star (Alpine Ibex) - General of the Alpine Herd’s army, and Princess Alpine’s guardian (and wife)

Cherry Syrup (Capricorn) - A sweet Capricorn who runs a juice bar.

Lemonade (Capricorn) - Works with her sister, Limeade, at the juice bar. She’s incredibly chatty.

Capri Sun (Capricorn) - A playful Capricorn who sometimes causes trouble for travelers.

Limeade (Capricorn) - Works with her sister, Lemonade, at the juice bar. Shes awfully shy and quiet most of the time.

Water Chestnut (Deer) - A gardener living in the Kingdom of Capra.

Lord Magma (Okapi) - Previous reincarnation of Inkblaze who attempted an invasion of Equestria. Incredibly manipulative and powerful.

Lord Whirlpool (Muntjac) - Previous Reincarnation of Watertrotter. Fought against his childhood best friend, Lord Magma, to the death in order to protect Equestria from invasion.

Honeypot (Bee Pony) - A mail carrier living in Alpine Acres. She also keeps bees.

Bumble (Bee Pony) - Honeypot’s younger brother, who is terrified of bugs.

Turnip Top (Earth Pony) - A grumpy old Earth Pony who believes in hard work.

Neep Leaf (Earth Pony) - A young filly and the son of Turnip Top and Aubergine. Neep Leaf is very curious. He looks up to his brother a lot.

Turnip Tinker (Unicorn) - A unicorn who was adopted by Aubergine and Turnip Top. He has chronic joint pain, but is incredibly technologically gifted and loves tinkering with different things.

Aubergine (Earth Pony) - A loving mother and amazing cook, who was known for her beauty in her youth.

Watertrotter (Chinkara) - The Water Guardian of the Kingdom of Capra. She sometimes likes to disguise himself as a pony to hang out with their friends in Equestria.

Inkblaze (Himalayan Ibex) - The Fire Guardian of the Kingdom of Capra. He loves to draw and paint. He looks quite scary, but is actually very friendly and sweet. He easily gets overwhelmed and struggles with depression. However, He believes that he can single-handedly improve the relationship with Equestria. Watertrotter disagrees.

Please feel free to inquire about them in the comments cause I really want to ramble about them!

#artists on tumblr #oc #original character #digital art #character design #human artwork #support human artists #art #oc artwork #my little pony #my litte pony friendship is magic #mlp oc art #mlp au #mlp fandom #mlp oc #mlp art #my little pony fanart #my little pony fandom #my little pony oc #cute art #sfw art

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for Saturday, April 27, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 15:6-7(KJV): 6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. 7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so. Proverbs 15:6-7(Amp): 6 In the house of the (uncompromisingly) righteous is great (priceless) treasure, but with the income of the wicked is trouble and vexation. 7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge (sifting it as chaff from the grain); not so the mind of the self-confident and foolish.

Thought for the Day

Verse 6 - The income of the wicked comes with trouble, while the righteous have "much treasure." Some people have a hard time believing this is true because they know righteous Christians who are struggling with finances. To understand the meaning of this verse, we must first understand what the Bible means by "treasures" and "true riches."

Money cannot buy health or save someone's life. The Bible says that we are to seek God's true riches, not this world's riches. His riches are things that money cannot buy. How can money deliver a wayward teenager from drugs and sin? How can money buy peace in our souls in the face of fear all around us? How can money save a soul from hell? Only God's riches are available to do these things. We are truly rich when we have faith in God.

Certainly, God does want to bless us with material things, but it will be Him that we are seeking when these things come, not the things themselves. Many today are seeking God for what He can do for them, instead of asking God how they can serve Him. We cannot seek mammon and God at the same time.

"If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust in the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:11-13).

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye need all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:31-33).

Verse 7 – The lips of the wise share godly knowledge, claiming the promises of God. However, claiming only material things is foolish. Many today are heard claiming cars and houses but seldom heard claiming souls. Our priorities should be right when claiming and confessing. The Lord's greatest desire is for us to grow in Him and to bring others to the knowledge of His love. He will take care of our needs if we seek Him first.

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Father, we come to You in Jesus' most precious name, thanking You for Your love for us. Lord, You see the areas in our lives that are not in balance in the area of material things. We ask that You reveal those to us and help us to walk in the path of righteousness and Your holy balance in these areas. Deliver us from any lust for the things of this world, and give us a vision of the rewards that await us in the world to come when we do Your will. Let us not worry about finances, but rather cast all of our cares upon You, for You care for us. Heal us today spirit, soul, and body so that we might serve You by walking in a victorious Christian life. Let our lights shine so that truly others might see Your love in us. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen. From: Steven P. Miller @ParkermillerQ,  gatekeeperwatchman.org Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups, Saturday, April 27, 2024, Jacksonville, Florida., USA.  X ... @ParkermillerQ #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller, #Eldermiller1981 GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sparkermiller.JAX.FL.USA

[justgottafinishthischapter]

How do I go about fleshing out a city and making it feel lived in? Especially when the main protagonists are royal/wealthy and don't see the city from the ground level

A character arc is identified by a few key character elements: namely the Lie and the Truth. The Lie is the false reality they believe at the start of the story, and the Truth is the true reality they discover. This can be an internal lie and truth, such as they are worthy of being loved, or an external truth, like the war is not a way of spreading their nation's greatness to other countries. The revelation from the lie to the truth is the turning point in the character arc, when they start to shift from their Want to their Need. When it comes to building a city, the lie is the glitz and glam they can see from their ivory tower. The truth is the scum and muck that they've never noticed before but was always there. Using LA as a great example, it's a city that looks like a paradise of celebirites, hot people, movies, television, music, and everything else. But LA also has low income housing too. Many flock to LA to chase their dreams, only to end up working minimum wage jobs. Artists successful and failed have higher drug usage percentiles in a big city like LA than other cities. So you need to ask yourself: what is the idealized image of the city. How do those outside the city look at it? Then ask yourself: what is the grim reality of the city? 19th Century london had work houses, child labor, people worked in extremely hazardous work environments where carelessness could lead to getting mangled in a machine, or going home with a lungful of soot. Charles Dickenson famously had a problem with 19th Century London's classism, which is why he often focused on poor working class protagonists.

I would suggest looking at movies and television that involve noble and/or royal characters and take notes on how their old world views get torn down by other characters. Zuko had to defect from the Fire Nation entirely and slum it through the Earth Kingdom to truly see the faces of the people hurt by the Hundred Years War. Amity had to meet Luz in order to realize there was a path forward that didn't involve joining the Emperor's Coven. By season 2, she doesn't even want to join it anymore because she's now searching to find what she wants to make of her own life. Weiss Schnee is a pampered spoiled heiress that was taught to be racist toward Faunus. But by the time she returns to her homeland of Atlas, she flings a random guy into a dumpster for saying racist comments about Faunus. By learning about these characters and how they make these kinds of changes can help you in writing your own characters.

As for designing the city: every memorable location needs a landmark or something about it that makes it recognizable. If it's a fantasy, you definitely want to think about defensibility. A huge seat of power for a royal family needs high walls to defend itself. Even if you're in more of an 19th century Victorian-styled setting, there could still be walls from long ago. Look at other fantasy cities. The Northern Water Tribe resembles an arctic venice, using channel locks to raise and lower the water levels to keep out outsiders, and ice doors to let allied ships in and out of the city. Ba Sing Se is instantly recognizable by its ring structure and its 100 foot high walls. Republic City is most recognizable for the giant statue of Aang in Yue Bay. The towns and cities in Attack on Titan have high walls for necessity to keep out the Titans. Likewise, any medieval fantasy world with ogres and trolls running around is going to want walls to protect the everyday commoners from harm.

Magic or technology can also change how a city is structured. Think again about how Earth Benders are imprisoned on a metal tankard in the middle of the ocean to rob them of their power. Public transportation like a bus or blimp is going to radically change how one gets about town. How many and how quickly can get from one side to the other. Are there hard restrictions on who is allowed where? Is a petty cobbler going to be carried out of Wellington Park by the police so the rich don't have to look at him? In Howl's Moving Castle there is both magic and technology. We see steam powered locomotives, but there's also flying machines powered by magic and the eponymous castle itself uses a fire demon as a power source.

Does your city have to protect itself from flying enemies like faeries, dragons, witches, demons, vampires, griffins, or anything else like that? Walls are great at stopping armies, but stopping a gargoyle from just flying over your walls is another thing entirely.

What about your city's economy? A city on the water is going to rely on shipping, sailing, fishing, and trade. A city in the mountains is going to rely on mining and smithing. An old city likely started as a fort or military outpost, like Paris or London. Other times, cities pop up because a resource was discovered there, or a bunch of people had to migrate all at once and all chose to settle in one area. That's how you end up with a city named Swedesville in the middle of the United States. And a big city especially is going to need to be extremely rich, and probably needs something to lure more people to it. But large cities also cause their own problems, such as traffic jams, higher rent, and crowded streets.

You also should ask yourself your city's backstory and history. Both the glorious stuff the state WANTS you to learn in history class, and the not so pretty stuff that also happened. For instance, my city was named after a lesser-known hero of the Revolutionary War. He was propped up as pretty important when I was in middle school, but aside from his role in the war, we weren't taught much about his personal life. I'm willing to bet he has a skeleton or two in his closet. Every city has a past. What defines yours?

I hope this helped you piece together an idea of what you want to do or where to start looking. And good luck with your writing!

#askbox #writing advice #writing tips #worldbuilding

[loneberry]

“If it is the fulfillment of man’s primordial dreams to be able to fly, travel with the fish, drill our way beneath the bodies of towering mountains, send messages with godlike speed, see the invisible and hear the distant speak, hear the voices of the dead, be miraculously cured while asleep, see with our own eyes how we will look twenty years after our death, learn in flickering nights thousands of things above and below this earth no one ever knew before; if light, warmth, power, pleasure, comforts, are man’s primordial dreams, then present-day research is not only science but sorcery, spells woven from the highest powers of heart and brain, forcing God to open one fold after another of his cloak; a religion whose dogma is permeated and sustained by the hard, courageous, flexible, razor-cold, razor-keen logic of mathematics.

“Of course there is no denying that all these primordial dreams appear, in the opinion of nonmathematicians, to have been suddenly realized in a form quite different from the original fantasy. Baron Münchhausen’s post horn was more beautiful than our canned music, the Seven-League Boots more beautiful than a car, Oberon’s kingdom lovelier than a railway tunnel, the magic root of the mandrake better than a telegraphed image, eating of one’s mother’s heart and then understanding birds more beautiful than an ethologic study of a bird’s vocalizing. We have gained reality and lost dream. No more lounging under a tree and peering at the sky between one’s big and second toes; there’s work to be done. To be efficient, one cannot be hungry and dreamy but must eat steak and keep moving. It is exactly as though the old, inefficient breed of humanity had fallen asleep on an anthill and found, when the new breed awoke, that the ants had crept into its bloodstream, making it move frantically ever since, unable to shake off that rotten feeling of antlike industry. There is really no need to belabor the point, since it is obvious to most of us these days that mathematics has taken possession, like a demon, of every aspect of our lives. Most of us may not believe in the story of a Devil to whom one can sell one’s soul, but those who must know something about the soul (considering that as clergymen, historians, and artists they draw a good income from it) all testify that the soul has been destroyed by mathematics and that mathematics is the source of an evil intelligence that while making man the lord of the earth has also made him the slave of his machines. The inner drought, the dreadful blend of acuity in matters of detail and indifference toward the whole, man’s monstrous abandonment in a desert of details, his restlessness, malice, unsurpassed callousness, money-grubbing, coldness, and violence, all so characteristic of our times, are by these accounts solely the consequence of damage done to the soul by keen logical thinking! Even back when Ulrich first turned to mathematics there were already those who predicted the collapse of European civilization because no human faith, no love, no simplicity, no goodness, dwelt any longer in man. These people had all, typically, been poor mathematicians as young people and at school. This later put them in a position to prove that mathematics, the mother of natural science and grandmother of technology, was also the primordial mother of the spirit that eventually gave rise to poison gas and warplanes.

“The only people who actually lived in ignorance of these dangers were the mathematicians themselves and their disciples the scientists, whose souls were as unaffected by all this as if they were racing cyclists pedaling away for dear life, blind to everything in the world except the back wheel of the rider ahead of them.”

—Robert Musil, The Man Without Qualities

(Bold emphasis mine.)

Read this absolutely brutal Musil passage soon after joking to my lover: You mathematicians are the unacknowledged legislators of the world! (An obvious reference to Shelley’s 1821 dictum that "poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.”) 

This passage is for all of you out there who are suffering from AI vertigo. They say generative AI will make humans more “efficient.” What is all this efficiency for? Technology has been evolving at breakneck speed since the industrial revolution and we are still working just as long and hard. Efficiency has become our bondage.

Also... What the fuck does "eating of one’s mother’s heart and then understanding birds" mean? Love it, especially after reading about heart eating in medieval literature...

#Robert Musil #The Man Without Qualities #literature #capitalism #industrialization #mathematics #technocracy #technology

[withgirl-sq]

For the ask game,

Azutara

What do you think would have happend if ursa was never banished how would that have changed the story in your avatar azula fanfiction.

Ps: i love your avatar azula fanfic its one of my all time favourites 😊

Hi! Thank you for your kind words, I'm glad you're enjoying XD

This is interesting to think about, I can see two potential options-

First option-

Ursa chooses to go with Zuko when he is banished because she's so worried about him and she's sure that Azula can handle herself because she doesn't think that Ozai would ever hurt her. Ursa would convince Zuko not to hunt the Avatar and they would settle in Ba Sing Se where she is sure that Ozai would never be able to hurt him again.

She would take a job in the Earth Kingdom's palace. A few years later, she would hear talk of the new Avatar being the princess but would assume that it's impossible until Team Avatar show up to talk to King Kuei. Azula would naturally want nothing to do with her - In this situation I don't think their relationship could be salvaged since she would have literally chosen Zuko.

Option 2 -

The other option would be that Ursa stayed in Caldera after Zuko's banishment with Iroh's promise that he would keep him safe. She would become the Fire Lady and would do her best to teach Azula not to be like her father in the hopes that the next Fire Lord wouldn't be like Ozai but they never get as close as she wants them to so it doesn't really work.

I did think that this would change Lu Ten's story because she would be able to steal a letter to send to Iroh but thinking about it, she wouldn't want to risk Iroh leaving Zuko.

On the day of Azula's birthday, I can imagine Azula runing into Ursa when she is trying to escape (naturally Ozai and Ursa wouldn't be sharing a chamber at this point since they can't really stand each other). Azula would be sure that she will be forced to stay since Ursa has never overtly been treasonous but Ursa actually distracts some guards for her so that she can get out. She tells her to seek refuge in Ba Sing Se.

Ursa would leave the next day once she's sure that Azula is gone because there is nothing keeping her in Caldera anymore, she goes to Ba Sing Se in disguise so no one recognises her as the Fire Lady. When she gets there, she finds that Azula didn't listen to her and isn't allowed to leave. She spends months trying to get any news of the Avatar from incoming refugees until Iroh and Zuko arrive.

She finds out that Zuko has been hunting Azula and is disappointed in him, which is enough for him to stick with his changed personality after his illness (which Iroh and Ursa would help him with).

When Long Feng threatens Azula, she finds out that Zuko, Iroh and Ursa are in the lower ring.

I can imagine that having Ursa in the Catacombs would change the outcome completely. She would explain to him that the letters were destroyed and she did nothing about it to protect Zuko. It would give him another adult to blame for everything and destroy his trust in Ozai so he wouldn't want to hurt Azula anymore. He could potentially shoot lightning at Ursa though and it could be the first time that Zuko redirects it successfully and Lu Ten is shocked when he doesn't send it back at him.

I'm not 100% sure how this would end but I'm certain Ozai would have basically no one on his side by the time of the comet lol

#azutara #azula #katara #ursa #zuko #iroh #avatar azula au #what if ask game

[aanglican]

natla s1e3 reaction liveblog

osric chau leading the thai fire nation resistance

azula incoming

azula HERE

ozai HERE

the people in the heart of the empire doesn’t even fuck with the fire lord, i’m ctfu

“do not speak to me of loss” wait a minute

azula has the same look in her eyes as azulon did when people were burned in front of them 🫥

zhao being “no one of any importance” LMFAO

azula bunny teeth. i’m obsessed.

omashu babeyyyy

momo my little man

sokka still clutching that fan

sibling banter ok i have to stan

THATS OMASHU

that scar is just not scarring, i’m sorry 🚶‍♂️

their topknots being taller than the door

“we are fire nation, even out here … especially out here”

cabbage man incoming?

NO JET INCOMING??

not katara falling for him, i’m ctfu and sokka a HATER

where is the cabbage man

IRRIGATION AM I RIGHT ???, NAURRRRR

not they got sokka MUTE 😩😩

where THE FUCK is the cabbage man

jet saying be careful —- WAIT CABABBAGE MAN IS HEREEEE

aang mad asf teo isn’t an airbender lmao

THR MECHANIST HAS A NAME

not the fire nation bombing omashu….. 💀

sokka smarter than hellion muskrat

“now tell me about these bombings” 💅

lizzy yu slaystress but i can’t take that hairpiece seriously i fear

katara busy as hell with her scroll i’m laffing

sai the mechanist acting shady yeah i know…

JET JET JET ⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️ whereas your wheat

aang we really can’t go lowkey if we’re flying over omashu baby

where in omashu are these woods man

FREEDOM FIGHTERS

LONGSHOT

THERE IT IS 🌾🌾

camp halfbood realness

jet backstory slayyyy fuck the fire nation king

earth kingdom got some traitors fr

katara necklace grab ✅

katara’s bending being affected by her feelings + memories hmmm meanwhile jet thinking about how he can recruit her

jet line sounding a little like iroh’s story lol

pai sho 🫣

“to the flame eternal”

zhao moving up the corporate ladder i see

JET DID THE BOMBS?

zuko acting a creep lmao

OMG I JUST FUCKING REALIZED JETKO IS IN THE SAME EP?

katara leaving the room saying you’re wrong and then immediately coming back to say you’re right LMFAO

zuko funny asf

they’re definitely gonna fuck up the cabbage cart here

okayyy choreo

AANG GETTING SAVED BY THE ASIAN MOM LMFAOOO

I KNEW IT. HE FUCKED UP THE CABBAGES.

SAY THE LINE CABBAGE MAN

uncle iroh getting caught now ohhhhhhhh i see vision

#mytext #natla lb

[deldeldel90]

3, 5, and 6? (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

3: all time favorite pairing: Isolee (Isolde x leelathae) ofc!! <33 

5: favorite platonic pairing: Lance & Blaine as of the current!!! aahstsjshsh can't stop posting about them,, they are so perfect and they just make my Brain EXPLODE. rant incoming but 

Blaine and Lance just have That Something to them, that contrast, that shared past, that angst and that comfort and just—can you imagine having an ally in the constant competition for your father’s love (for your own safety), having a baby brother to protect and care for, and you've never. Can you imagine being ripped from your mother's arms, and the air of your kingdom is so much colder than the womb, and then suddenly—a year later, you're one, you're one and your father has only held you once, one is such a lonely number—you’re joined by this cooing ray of sunshine? You're warm for the first time in your life. He wears blue, you wear red. You feel so much bigger than him, so much older. He's so loud, so talkative, so hyperactive—at first, you don't understand it. You're a brother, but, more importantly, you're his brother. “Every king needs a knight,” your father whispered to you when you were seven and he was six. He was five, before. You agree, but you can't ever see Lance being the one protecting you—it’s too dangerous out there, you've seen the gladiator battles Father has you go to. In your mind, he's still six when you turn eight. He's still six when you turn sixteen and are deemed old enough to pose shirtless in those tabloid magazines. He is not an enemy, not when he's distracting you from piano lessons or sneaking you away for an extra cookie. Can you imagine? 

Can you imagine being born into a family without love? You don't get why Mom doesn't let you hug her, or why Dad has you stuck in a room with people too big, talking in those condescending voices as they point to letters. You want to run, and you do—you run, you fence. You're really good at fencing. You want the people you love to smile. You never know why they don't—you’re happy, your grin always hurts, so wide it dimples your cheeks. Mom smiled at you during dinner, once! Blaine’s smiled at you, in that half-sacronic tired way, more times you can count. (You're not good at counting.) You wear blue, he wears red. Brothers, you think, as you follow him into Academy, wearing your uniform looser than his. He's the student body president, you copy off the answers of last night’s homework from your buddy and Blaine sniffs, but, hey, he tells you about how Mr. Dovecote is particularly partial to students who bring him those fancy chocolates from the Gingerbread Man’s Catchin’ candy shop in the local town. You read this picture book, once—Andre said it was a graphic novel—about these two skeleton brothers with red and blue. You think they're just like him and you. You like hanging with your friends more than your studies, you don't like to read that boring Shakesphere stuff, you learned to do keg stands at sixteen years old. His nose wrinkles in disdain when you told him that, but he never told Dad about it. You admire him and tease him at the same time. He's your brother, you'll follow him into the end of the earth but that doesn't mean you won't laugh your ass off the second he trips on a pebble. You are second-born, raised by Blaine’s watchful eye and the people around you’s guiding hands, and you're raised to believe yourself capable. Your brother is wary around your father and that means you can't kick your feet under the table, you can't be a second late. Over the years, you learn why he's so scared. Sometimes, you don't know why he protected you for so long. But you know. You know, even with your dumb all-muscle brain. Can you imagine? 

6: favorite headcanon: oohhh I have so many headcanons 😭😭 okay but My Favorite would be that Isolde was definitely in a band. you can't tell me she wasn't, and she was DEFINITELY a guitar player. 

#thank you for your ask!!! #akdyamsj #brainrot #cursed princess club #fandom asks

[butterfly-winx]

First of all I would like to tell you that I love and find your redesign of Winx and their world very interesting. In your opinion, which Careers will they undertake (Also Aisha and Stella despite one day they will be Queens)

Thank you!!

Let me preface this by explaining that within the butterfly!verse, the girls' chosen profession is magic. People who are magic sensitive may seek some basic form of training to better understand and apply their talents, but few seek specialised secondary and higher education in magic. For members of high society such as the princesses, attending a school like Alfea is a matter of prestige: if you are talented with magic, you might as well get the best education the realms can offer. So within this, most girls do something with magic later in their life.

Stella I think is the only one who has a clear career cut out for her within the show that I gladly continue to expand on. She would open a beauty boutique - with a potential growth to a universe wide brand bolstered by her fame as a princess and member of the Winx. With Brandon as her business partner and occasional muse, she would work on this as a passion project until her father retired and she became queen.

At the end of Everything TM that I planned for the butterfly!verse plot, Layla would go for a break from princesshood and tour the Magic Universe with Orion (I have adopted him as an OC at this point, sorry) and perform as a magical engineer-without-borders kind of relief worker in communities in need. Throughout her later reign on Andros she would be focused on giving more power to communities and democratising their monarchy.

Bloom would be living a housewife life next to Stella and work as a cultural liaison between Solaria, Domino and Earth. I see her also doing some tutoring and teaching work in any of these communities, as she strikes me as a person who would be charmed by the berth of things the Magical Universe can offer even after all those years and be super excited about sharing it with others.

Maybe I should mention here that all the girls including Roxy become nymphs by the end of the plot.

Musa, sure would do music on the side to express herself, but her main job would be running the daily duties of nymphs as the first elected Head of a Nymph circle. Traditionally the youngest was chosen, but as her first and basically only decision as a leader, Roxy pushed for an electoral system and they voted for Musa. It's not a role she expected to hold in her life, but she definitely grows into it and gleefully enjoys strong-arming stuffy royals and politicians into doing things that are good for the Universe. And of curse keeping the Trix in check.

Tecna would run collaborations with different companies as a magifabrication expert. They are the Muse of Technology after all, and can offer insight on basically any technology ever developed after a little time spent observing the equipment in question. Most of their income is funneled into charitable projects on the side (Krystal keeps a portfolio for them).

Flora and Helia start a potions business during the run of the Plot tm and that keeps them occupied until they move to Lynphea and trade places being a full time parent to their children. On Lynphea Helia would head back to education and complete his studies as a witcher, after which he would find a job as an Artificer of fine tools (similar to magifabrication, which is technology supported magical mass production, artificing means the manufacturing of products by purely by magic).

Roxy to no one's surprise would love some animal rescue charity, using her magic to diagnose the ailment of the aimals brought in and heal them. She would too eventually take over the fey court of Earth, but only after Nebula's death as her successor.

And finally Daphne, who of course becomes the Princeps of Domino ruling their kingdom. Part of me also wants her to have school board rights to Alfea, cause it would be fun to see her go head to head with Faragonda, but I'm not sure of Faragonda should keep her title for as long...

And maybe a quick not on the boys as well:

Sky would be the King of Eraklyon and Brandon would be a freelance specialist, but slowly shift his attention to becoming the CEO to Stella and his business. Timmy would serve as a specialist alongside Nex in several other team configurations before "retiring" and putting his experience to use in teaching new generations at Red Fountain. Nex would continue as a specialist until real retirement age. Riven would spend a few years building a fresh start with his remaining siblings on a self-sustaining farm and working with underground rebels to abolish the dictatorship in his home country (Darcy would help him in this undertaking)

#winx club #winx club rewrite #asks #butterfly fic #winx bloom #winx stella #winx musa #winx flora #winx layla #winx aisha #winx tecna #winx roxy #winx daphne #winx timmy #winx brandon #winx sky #winx nex #winx helia #winx riven

[pharaoh-khan]

Thru Maat/𓂀lluminati/The Bible only and earned income the same way it works now and ever inevitably sense the beginning till the end Matthew 5:17-20

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Psalms 75:6-7

For promotion cometh neither from the east,

nor from the west, nor from the south.

But God is the judge:

he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 1 Samuel 2:6-8

The LORD killeth, and maketh alive:

he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich:

he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,

and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill,

to set them among princes,

and to make them inherit the throne of glory:

for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them.