#and the way that they decided saving vision was more important than the hundreds of wakandans that would die instead

[queen-boudicca]

Someone: ugh marvel sucks now

Me: you're so right, 100%, agree completely

Someone: they peaked in endgame

Me: ...

#i will never understand why people like endgame #i mean i hated infinity war bc it had to do the contrived shit where very powerful characters had to be very foolish #bc otherwise they could win immediately #and the way that they decided saving vision was more important than the hundreds of wakandans that would die instead #and many many other reasons #but endgame was a billion times worse #it had exactly one redeeming quality and that was Steve using Thor's hammer #but even that was undercut by his ending so #anyway Steve should've done the snap and Tony should've retired to be with his family #and also everything else about that movie sucked too #god the fucking “”“girl power”“” shot where all the women come together to help a man when they should've just given it to Captain marvel #way to admit you have zero female characters by the way #also way to disrespect black widow like where was her wreath during the funeral scene?? #anyway there's a billion more problems with that movie but my point is people will be like “everything after endgame sucks” #and I'm like my guy everything after whatever movie was before infinity war sucks #tbf i heard the new black panther and guardians are good #but I've stopped giving marvel my money so #marvel #anti endgame #anti marvel

[glutengoblin]

My Tears Ricochet (Sebastian Sallow X Reader)

A/N: I am drunk. Here's a Taylor-inspired fic. Enjoy :)

(P/S I may or may not be also working on something based on The Tortured Poets Department because I feel like that song is very Sebastian-coded hehe)

Warnings: Angsty Sebastian

Word Count: <1k

Sebastian stared at the ceiling of his room, taking a shaky breath. 3 am. Sleep had eluded him that night, just like all the ones before. The lack of it had begun to wear at his bones, the bags under his eyes ever prominent. He rolled onto his side, taking a deep inhale of the air around him, pressing his face into the forest green sheets.

Ominis was sleeping soundly across from him. He studied his face, trying to etch all of the details into his mind. Though Ominis had never exactly been his happiest friend, at this point, Sebastian couldn't remember the last time he had seen him smile.

Perhaps that was a lie, simply his sleepy brain sparing him of the information he could never forget when awake. It had been six hundred and forty-one days since it happened. The last time Sebastian had seen Ominis smile had been one day before.

Eventually, Sebastian's eyes moved on, tracing the light that danced on the ceiling. The water outside of his Slytherin dorm gave it an almost hypnotic quality. Sebastian started at it, trying to rid his mind of the thoughts that were beginning to sink in once again

Y/N. Her face, splattered in tears in the undercroft. Her voice. Blaming him for everything that had happened. He had gone too far this time, he had disappointed her, she didn't know how she could trust him any more. She wished he had stayed. She wished he had just stayed home.

Him, screaming back at her, tears streaming down his face. Anne had already left him. She would never forgive him. Hadn't that been enough? He was remorseful- the artifact had made him do it. He didn't know what had came over him. He did it because Solomon had fired back. He did it because he was scared. He did it because he wanted to protect her.

But, it didn't matter why he did it. She still stormed out, cursing his name as she left and slamming the door.

He stood there all alone, his head falling towards his chess. He had actually done it. He had lost everyone. Not in the way he once feared, but in a way almost worse. Worse than death, honestly. You also existed, just outside his periphery, like shadows dancing across his vision. A hero, flying around to save her grace. Anne, Solomon, Ominis… even you had left him. And he knew he deserved it. He loved her

Sebastian startled a bit as the clock hit 3:27 AM. It was then he decided sleep probably wouldn't reach him again. Standing up slowly, he put his slippers on and made his way out of the room. He had already caused Ominis enough pain in the past few years. The least he could do was try to be a considerate roommate, so he shut the door as gently as he could.

His feet guided him out of the common room and through the castle. The thought that he would soon have to leave its walls forever scared him. He no longer had a place to call home besides Hogwarts - Feldcroft was too far removed from his life. More so, he had begun to realize that he no longer had anyone to call home. All of the important people in his life had left.

Eventually his steps found him on the grounds, trying to take in the air that was showing the signs of spring. To his surprise, a figure stood out on the lawn, outlined by moonlight. There was a crisp chill in the air still. Enough to make any normal person stay inside.

But Sebastian knew she wasn't normal. He had known from the first day he had laid eyes on her - and he wasn't just thinking about your ancient magic. She had treated him with kindness when everyone else in the school thought he was off his rocker- including Ominis. She had indulged his reckless research, followed him to her potential demise, even let him cast an unforgivable on her. Perhaps the fact that Y/N hadn’t tossed him in Azkaban should have been a sign to him enough that she still cared for him in her own way. It should have been enough. He should have been thankful. But Sebastian had to admit, it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough to be so close to her, yet so far away.

He considered his options and took a cautious step forward. With graduation inching ever near, he figured this might be his last chance to say what he really wanted to her. He continued, until he stood next to her, their breaths matching in quiet synchrony. His gaze traveled up to the stars where her gaze was fixed. They stood in quiet compellation for a few moments before she broke the silence.

“ I’ve missed you.”

#sebastian sallow x reader #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #Sebastian sallow x reader fanfic #Sebastian sallow x you #Sebastian sallow angst

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: Earth Day

Guardians of the Valley by Dean King

In June of 1889 in San Francisco, John Muir—iconic environmentalist, writer, and philosopher—meets face-to-face for the first time with his longtime editor Robert Underwood Johnson, an elegant and influential figure at The Century magazine. Before long, the pair, opposites in many ways, decide to venture to Yosemite Valley, the magnificent site where twenty years earlier, Muir experienced a personal and spiritual awakening that would set the course of the rest of his life.

Upon their arrival the men are confronted with a shocking vision, as predatory mining, tourism, and logging industries have plundered and defaced “the grandest of all the special temples of Nature.” While Muir is consumed by grief, Johnson, a champion of society’s most pressing debates via the pages of the nation’s most prestigious magazine, decides that he and Muir must fight back. The pact they form marks a watershed moment, leading to the creation of Yosemite National Park, and launching an environmental battle that captivates the nation and ushers in the beginning of the American environmental movement.

Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy

Douglas W. Tallamy’s first book, Bringing Nature Home, sparked a national conversation about the link between healthy local ecosystems and human well-being. In Nature's Best Hope, he takes the next step and outlines his vision for a grassroots, home-grown approach to conservation.

Nature's Best Hope advocates for homeowners everywhere to turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. This home-based approach doesn’t rely on the federal government and protects the environment from the whims of politics. It is also easy to do, and readers will walk away with specific suggestions they can incorporate into their own yards.

Nature's Best Hope is nature writing at its best—rooted in history, progressive in its advocacy, and above all, actionable and hopeful. By proposing practical measures that ordinary people can easily do, Tallamy gives us reason to believe that the planet can be preserved for future generations.

The National Parks by Dayton Duncan

America’s national parks spring from an idea as radical as the Declaration of Independence: that the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. In this evocative and lavishly illustrated narrative, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan delve into the history of the park idea, from the first sighting by white men in 1851 of the valley that would become Yosemite and the creation of the world’s first national park at Yellowstone in 1872, through the most recent additions to a system that now encompasses nearly four hundred sites and 84 million acres.

The authors recount the adventures, mythmaking, and intense political battles behind the evolution of the park system, and the enduring ideals that fostered its growth. They capture the importance and splendors of the individual parks: from Haleakala in Hawaii to Acadia in Maine, from Denali in Alaska to the Everglades in Florida, from Glacier in Montana to Big Bend in Texas. And they introduce us to a diverse cast of compelling characters—both unsung heroes and famous figures such as John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ansel Adams—who have been transformed by these special places and committed themselves to saving them from destruction so that the rest of us could be transformed as well.

Climate Justice by Mary Robinson

Holding her first grandchild in her arms in 2003, Mary Robinson was struck by the uncertainty of the world he had been born into. Before his fiftieth birthday, he would share the planet with more than nine billion people--people battling for food, water, and shelter in an increasingly volatile climate. The faceless, shadowy menace of climate change had become, in an instant, deeply personal.

Mary Robinson's mission would lead her all over the world, from Malawi to Mongolia, and to a heartening revelation: that an irrepressible driving force in the battle for climate justice could be found at the grassroots level, mainly among women, many of them mothers and grandmothers like herself. From Sharon Hanshaw, the Mississippi matriarch whose campaign began in her East Biloxi hair salon and culminated in her speaking at the United Nations, to Constance Okollet, a small farmer who transformed the fortunes of her ailing community in rural Uganda, Robinson met with ordinary people whose resilience and ingenuity had already unlocked extraordinary change.

#earth day #nature #science #conservation #Environment #nonfiction #nonfiction books #Nonfiction Reading #nonfiction reads #Library Books #Book Recommendations #book recs #reading recommendations #Reading Recs #TBR pile #tbr #tbrpile #to read #Want To Read #Booklr #book tumblr #book blog #library blog

[paradiselaxx]

What can we say about this guy? I’m always speechless when it comes to him.

His existence is such a privilege. When we hear his voice is like everything starts to make sense again. Like the whole world stops just for him. What used to hurt us, no longer hurts anymore. His gratitude is a cure. The love we see in his eyes make us feel alive again.

Harry is like a gamma ray bursts, a cosmic explosion that release the amount of energy the sun will emit during the 10 billion years it exists. I say that because the light he spreads in my vision could be a hundred more times needed than the sun. Some people needs to feel the sun burning in their skin but i just need to listen to his voice, and it’s like all the lights from the stars were taken. I feel it deep in my soul.

Harry is a gift the universe sent us. It’s the bright star that sometimes decides to hide but when it comes back, it’s brighter than ever before.

I will never get tired about this. I will never get tired of talking about the way Harry touches our hearts and make us realize that we truly deserve to be listened, respected and loved.

I will never forget the day he basically saved me when I was thinking everything was my fault and that I was never enough. When I was seeing me as a dead weight. When I wanted to kill my thoughts somehow before they kill me.

He said:

— I think people have so much guilt with things that they don't necessarily need to have guilt with. It's your right to protect the space around you and be protective of yourself and look after yourself.

This day I realized how dumb I was because I was caring things that weren’t mine, things that weren’t my responsibility. After this I started looking at myself in other ways, I learned that some things I’m gonna carry with me forever but others I can just put it to the side and live my life. I can’t ruin my life feeling guilty about those things. Because of him i decided to separate what’s for me and what’s not. Because of him I understood I don’t deserve to feel this way. I can let it go, I don’t have to be sorry for leaving and growing up and also for doing it on my own. It’s my life and I get to do whatever I feel like doing. It’s okay to say no to things that are no longer good for you and pray for the best to come.

Thank you, Harry. I have and I will always be nice to myself because that’s what you inspire us to do. Take care of ourselves, take care of our mental healthy and so many other things that are so important for us. But promise you are gonna take care too

#Spotify

[brcncpts1]

Benefits Of Los Angeles Architecture

The most important things to consider when choosing an architect are your goals and budget, which determine the process you should follow and the type of Los Angeles architecture you’ll get. An experienced architect can help you decide if it’s right for you, and if so, what kind of Los Angeles architecture will work best in your space, under your budget, and with your vision. They can also offer suggestions on how to make improvements that are conducive to the life of the building while preserving architectural integrity. Planning will ensure that your investment lasts a lifetime and continues to bring you joy through many years of enjoyment.

They Look Great

It is not enough that Los Angeles architecture is functional, it must also look good. The way a building looks can affect how people feel about a brand or business. This is often called brand image and can have an enormous impact on profits. Many designers use Los Angeles architecture to create a specific impression, boost morale, and keep employees happy. Good design goes beyond just function to include things like ergonomics, style, and aesthetics as well. By creating more comfortable workspaces, workers are happier and more productive. Happy workers mean increased profits for any company. Los Angeles architecture can help your business attract talent while boosting productivity and keeping your bottom line healthy.

They Save You Money

Having an energy-efficient house will save you hundreds of dollars on your energy bill each year. As gas and oil prices continue to rise, it’s important to look at every aspect of your life. There are so many things that can be done to make your home more energy-efficient, from installing solar panels to choosing appliances that are made for efficiency. Take some time to do research and find out what you can do to make your home as energy-efficient as possible. You’ll be happy you did!

You Can Move In Earlier

If you’re purchasing a house, you can usually move in earlier than if you rented one. This means that you’ll have more time to get settled in and organized before having to go back to work. Plus, it gives you more time to decorate and make sure everything is just right! And even though you may be able to stay for free for 30 days after your purchase (or until your lease expires), there are plenty of reasons why renting is still a good idea: It can be cheaper, especially if you aren’t sure where you want to live permanently or don’t plan on staying long-term; some landlords won’t allow pets, and most leases don’t allow renters to alter things like paint colors or wallpaper without permission.

They Can Be Made Out Of Different Materials

Wood, metal, concrete, and glass can all be used to construct buildings. Each material has its pros and cons when it comes to building homes in urban areas. Glass is good at letting in sunlight, but can be more difficult to secure than other materials. Concrete is affordable and lasts for many years; however, it can easily become a magnet for graffiti. Wood frames are lightweight but they need more upkeep than structures made from other materials because they are vulnerable to fire and insects. Metal framing is expensive but provides homeowners with long-lasting security. It’s also easy to clean and doesn’t attract pests or mold as wood does. The best choice depends on your needs as well as your budget.

If you want something that will last, then steel or reinforced concrete might be your best bet—but if you have a small budget, then wood might work better for you. It all depends on what you want out of your home!

Contact us:

Address - 3680 Wilshire Blvd Ste P04 1643 Los Angeles, CA 90010

Email - [email protected]

Phone - [phone]

Website - BR Concepts Building Solutions LLC 

Blog - Benefits Of Los Angeles Architecture

#los angeles architecture

[bestfriendforhire]

Children of BFFH, Entry 143

 “Good morning, Doc.” I exclaimed, trying to stifle a yawn as I spoke.

 “Morning, Aspy!  Valeria has a treat for you from the quadruplets!” she told me with a smile.

 “Really!?  What is it?” I asked before an even more important question popped into my head.  “Wait.  Are they back already?”

 Doc shook her head and said, “Nope.  Valeria and I visited Japan earlier, because the quadruplets wanted me to show their cousin actual history from the museums in Ueno park.  We also visited the zoo.”

 “No fair!  Why didn’t you take me!?” I asked dejectedly.

 “Sorry, Aspy, but you know how the quadruplets alone can be a little overwhelming for some people.  I’m sure they didn’t want too many people showing up.” she explained, looking sympathetic.

 I sighed, not wanting to argue, but I really didn’t think I would’ve bothered anyone.  Most people would just see me as a little kid anyway, since I was one.  I really doubted anyone there would’ve been that upset.

 “Imagine if you came along, and then Crazy invited herself.” mentioned Doc, reading my thoughts.

 I couldn’t argue that point at all.  “Whoa!” I exclaimed as she started showing me some of the stuff she had seen through her telepathy.  I wasn’t sure how long we sat there with her showing me her trip, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

 When the visions suddenly ended, Doc said, “Come on.  Mom and Dad are already at jobs, so let’s get breakfast!  Then Valeria can pass out the gifts when everyone is finished.”

 I was quick to follow her, already imagining what cool things I might have gotten.  The quadruplets were really good at picking gifts for people.  Messy had once suggested that their mothers drilled the gift-giving traditions of Japan into them, but I preferred Aid’s idea.  He had claimed that their four brains focusing on a problem were bound to come up with better solutions than most any single person could manage.  I sometimes wished I was a twin, triplet, or even quadruplet.

 “Aspy… finishing faster won’t make anyone else finish faster.” stated Doc with a hint of exasperation when she saw how little I had put on my plate.

 “I was saving room for treats.” I told her, only fibbing a little.  After glancing over to where the Boss was already eating his breakfast, I decided to grab some more.  Making the Boss frown would ruin my day.

 Everyone at breakfast wanted to hear about Japan and the quadruplets.  I was happy to note that Doc had shown me even more than she managed to share over our breakfast, but Valeria was commenting on parts she liked as well, such as the beauty of certain paintings and an antique hairbrush she thought was gorgeous.

 I felt Valeria’s tastes were a bit odd at times, but she was over five hundred years old and not quite caught up to the modern world.  I was sure all of us seemed weird to her too here and there.  When she passed out the gifts after we cleaned and stacked our dishes, I stared excitedly as each person got theirs, wondering if I was going to be last.

 I wasn’t!  She handed over a nice-sized, carefully wrapped box for me, and I opened it gladly, delighted to find all sorts of strange candies.  There were whistle candies, cocoa cookies, puzzles & dragon snack sets, and so much more!  If I couldn’t read kanji, I would’ve been at a total loss over what was what.  I definitely wouldn’t have realized that the circular candies could be used as whistles!

 The others received neat gifts as well, of course, but most of them didn’t get as many snacks.  On the way back to my room for school work, I seriously debated how many things I could try before lunch.  I didn’t want to eat too much and spoil my lunch, since that would definitely earn me a frown from the Boss and possibly a lecture about moderation from him or my parents.  Then my parents would probably give me a look of “You brought this on yourself.”  Furthermore, I didn’t want to eat too much too fast and be left with nothing but the memories.  These things needed savoring!

 For starters, I decided to whistle while I worked, seeing how long I could use one of the whistle candies while doing my math.  That experiment didn’t go so well thanks to biting it while working on a tough problem.  Next, I got into the cocoa cookies for some reading on history, which ended my treat time entirely.  I was only going to have two cookies, but I ended up eating half of that package in one go.  Sure, the package wasn’t huge, and I had more of those, but… I wanted to savor them, not devour them!

 Focusing was a little difficult with temptation so close at hand, but I managed, eventually finishing and heading to the gaming room.  I was a little nervous, wondering if I had hurried too much when I found that I was the first one in the room, but half of the older kids were already on their floor.  In the time I was gone, Crazy had already managed to beat me back to our floor and log into the game.  With how energetic she seemed, I didn’t even want to know what she was studying.  “Mad science” was a fitting term for many of the things Crazy got excited about, like that time came up with a new type of explosive and was disappointed that it was immediately banned from our battles before ever being used.

 I sometimes wished that one of my friends near my age was more on my level, so I could have that sense of competitiveness in my studies that Stormcrow and Dea had with Ella and Doc, but Luce was a Somerset and even the older kids didn’t want to pretend to compete with Crazy on anything.  I could imagine attempting to do lab work with her only to find that our experiment with creating paints had turned into some type of life science project involving colored bacteria that would form patterns based on electrical stimulus.  She had done something like that to Luce when we were younger., but I couldn’t remember the real details.  Though she rarely went too nuts on us lately, I still shuddered at the idea of her saying, “Let me get something from my lab.”

 “What’s up, Aspy?” she asked, making me jump.

 Making me jump when her voice came from right beside me.

 “Nothing much.  Just making sure my equipment is ready for questing with everyone today.” I assured her, not feeling reassured that I said the right thing with how her grin grew.

 “Excellent!  Would you mind focusing on healing today?” she asked, staring at me with those large, blue eyes that were all too good at pleading when they didn’t look insane.  “With Aid’s Wizard title boosting you, your healing should be growing pretty fast now.”

 I nodded.  “Sure.  My holy magic really has grown fast lately.”

 “Thank you!” she told me, giving me a gentle hug  “We’ll be going into a more dangerous area today, so we’ll probably need more healing than normal.”

 “Does Aid know?” I questioned, despite guessing at the answer.

 “Of course!  I was talking with him too, and he’s interested.  There are golems waiting for us, and who doesn’t like testing their new magical might against magic resistant constructs capable of smashing the unwary with a single blow!?” she replied, still smiling excitedly.

 I felt like raising my hand to show I was in that category of not finding that to be a reasonable test, but… Aid was apparently going along with this.  “Wait.  How does Valeria’s luminescence work against things like that?”

 “No clue, but I’m betting it doesn’t count as magic!  She should be fine.  I was texting Crystal too, so she’s been warned that she’s in for a tough one.  Isn’t this exciting!?”

 “Exciting… yeah…” I half-heartedly agreed.  Her excitement really had me worrying.

#Children of BFFH #Children #of #BFFH #Jovial Times #Jovial #Times #Fantasy #Fiction #Story

[mizutori-heiko]

Mizutori’s bakudeku fanfiction master list [complete works]

Really really good writing by these incredible authors. In no particular order! These are all Top!Bakugou and Bottom!Deku. If A/B/O dynamics then it’s Alpha!Bakugou and Omega!Deku. Yes, I have preferences.

Canon World – until 15k

What The Fuck Did You Just Call Me? by reading_raindrop | 8,303 | Izuku starts calling him Bakugou and it pisses the explosive teen off a lot more than he thought it would.

Oh right, you were a little sh*t by SaysiWrites | 5,653 | When Midoriya Izuku gets hit by an age-reversion Quirk, the last thing anyone expected to find out is that Toddler-Izuku is a little shit. Except for one Bakugou Katsuki, who has seen this phase one too many times already. (Bonus+ the entire Little Sh*t (Kidfic) series)

Do Not Disturb by surveycorpsjean | 10,010 | Apply enough force, and something is bound to break.

And Atlas fell by supercrunch | 15,185 | They move in together, after a while. Katsuki joins Best Jeanist and Izuku trains under Gran Torino. They still take comfort in each other every day, curl up in bed and kiss and talk about how life is going. Their live are tumultuous, after all, what with villains and training and rescuing people every week. It’s nice to have something certain. At the end of a day filled with violence and adrenaline, Izuku knows he can come home to someone concrete. It’s perfect. Being a hero is scary and grueling and uncertain, but this part is just right. And then, one day, a child dies in Izuku’s arms.

be loved by bonnia | 5,403 | The kidnapping incident leaves bakugou traumatised about being touched on the back of his neck, and midoriya decides to take matters into his own hands.

Big Protein by Mysecretfanmoments | 13,683 | Bakugou Katsuki has a thriving hero career, an agent to manage his famous attitude, and absolutely zero romantic interest in anyone. With the exception of his favourite health food joint refusing to expand to his city, his life is pretty damn perfect—so why does a viral video revealing Deku's stash of dirty mags involving him and Deku together turn everything upside-down?

Chocolate cake and resin preserved flowers by Anoksun | 11,396 | Izuku loses his memories. Katsuki struggles not to lose Izuku too.

Twin Stars by theperksofbeinglarissa | 8,435 | When Deku saves a woman's life, her quirk is accidentally activated. Her quirk? She reveals a person's soulmate. A star-shaped mark appears on Midoriya's left arm... and on Bakugou's as well. Kirishima is the only one who knows that Bakugou is Midoriya's soulmate, and Bakugou isn't taking the news very well. Can the twin stars of class 1-A work out their differences and find their happy ending?

Unhealthy Fixations by Thesis | 12,522 | Izuku is an adult who knows better than to crush on his childhood bully. AND YET.

Like the Moon by osakakitty | 14,781 | Katsuki Bakugo is having constant, erotic dreams about Izuku Midoriya. He isn’t sure why, but they won’t go away. In order to make them stop, he needs to figure out what Izuku Midoriya means to him.

Worth a Second Shot by cinnabee | 13,080 | Katsuki and Izuku celebrate registering as a Hero Duo together with a big party. What could go wrong?

Like Something Out of A Shoujo Manga by Merrywetherweather | 2,971 | Deku ends up in a rather interesting quirk accident, one that triggers flag events as if he were the protagonist of an otome game.

Canon World – 15k++

Blood Moon by lalazee | 94,860 | The Thank-Fuck-We-Aren’t-Dead Sex had started then, and had never really stopped. Then came the feelings and the fights. The ego, the pride, the jealousy. And then there was Us.

The Way You Used To Do by edema_ruh | 669,463 | During a battle, Midoriya gets hit by a villain whose quirk detaches his soul from his body. Stuck in a ghost-like state, the boy enters a race against time in order to save himself from permanently dying. Much to his luck - or lack of it -, the only person who can see and talk to him in this state is no one other than Kacchan.

Just Like Breathing by MD_Daydreamer | 35,423 | Izuku got engaged. He didn't mind. If that made Uraraka happy, he could do it. He thought his life wouldn't change much.But then, Kacchan went to live in the USA.

briar roses (and hundred years of sleep) by vannral | 15,951 | In which Izuku is hit by a ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Quirk, Class 3-A tries to find his True Love and get them to kiss him, and Katsuki’s very angry about it all.

"what's your type?" by sapphicflower | 20,192 | In order to increase their popularity rankings as up and coming pro heroes, Izuku and Katsuki participate in the most popular late night talk show for hero duos - ‘Heroes Rising!’. They’re killing it, obviously, because they know each other from inside and out. Until one question stumps the two of them: “What is your hero partner’s type?”

and it was Just Right by cinnabee | 23,759 | Katsuki spends two years post-graduation in a furious one-sided competition with his childhood friend and rival's promotional photos - until they finally run into each other, and, well. You shouldn't believe everything you see in magazines. A love story about size differences.

Notice Me, Nerd by useless_donut | 40,000 | Bakugou is in love with Midoriya. He doesn’t hide it, in fact it’s so painfully obvious that the entire class of 3-A has him figured out in a matter of months (days, in some cases). Too bad Midoriya is the most oblivious motherfucker out there, and Bakugou is too damn stubborn to actually ask him out. A love story as witnessed by the class of 3-A.

in your dreams, nerd! by sapphicflower | 37,639 | In a strange and unexpected set of circumstances, Izuku and Katsuki find themselves sharing their dreams together whenever they happen to fall asleep at the same time. Being hopelessly in love with each other, they don’t mind it all that much. What better way to spend time with your crush than in a stupidly vivid dream?

Hear Me by my_name_is_Levi | 22,419 | It wasn’t as if nightmares were uncommon for the freshman class of Yuuei. They’d seen plenty of things, heard and felt and witnessed enough travesty in their lives to last them a lifetime. But Midoriya Izuku was screaming, and no one, not even Bakugo Katsuki could ignore it.

Bridges by supercrunch | 18,018 | Bakugou is signed up for a Calvin Klein modeling gig. The thing is, they really do need the money. And Katsuki's technically the leader of this bunch of morons, so he finds himself taking the job even though his pride will never recover. And even though nobody thought to tell him that he'd be working with his ex-boyfriend. You know, the cute freckled guy from high school who went and broke his heart. So, yeah. This whole situation kind of sucks.

objective truth by mamalade | 15,390 | Izuku gets hit with a truth quirk, as one does. He seems to be handling it well—until Katsuki shows up.

catharsis by dollcewrites | 15,071 | It's been six years since Izuku graduated.It's been six years since he confessed to his childhood friend; his classmate and his inspiration. It's been six years since he deleted Bakugou's number, asked his friends not to mention the name, spent every last effort of his heart turning off the TV and averting his eyes from the newspapers. It's been six, long, long years since he gave up on Katsuki Bakugou ever loving him back.

Here here, my friends and me (You are my familia) by Jeka | 128,832 | Bakugou Katsuki has made a great job of ignoring the fact that he is tragically in love with Deku, someone who could never love him like that and let's face it, he doesn't deserve. Now that he can't ignore it anymore, he has to find a way to keep his childhood friend and move on for his own sake. Or so he had thought, maybe he can have Deku, after all. Izuku has everything he always wanted in life. But suddenly he has to navigate the most important relationship in his life through different eyes.

Canon World – Jealous! 

Hands Off by SaysiWrites | 7,140 | When a new girl at school starts flirting with Bakugou, his friends quickly become invested in the idea of their friend experiencing love - even if he doesn't seem at all interested in her. What they don't see is Midoriya fuming in the background. But how can he get rid of her when they've spent so long keeping their relationship a secret?

Surfaces by surveycorpsjean | 25,225 | Katsuki has a new girlfriend, but something isn't right. As impossible as it is, Izuku can't help but wonder what it'd be like to be called Katsuki's girl.

Green-Eyed Beast by SecretKiwi | 4,721 | Everyone wants a piece of Katsuki Bakugou, but they should beware of the Green-eyed beast always lurking close behind him.

Green with Envy by Sol_Morales707 | 2,611 | Izuku Midoriya is not as innocent and pure as everyone thinks he is. The truth was he was very jealous and willing to do anything for a certain blonde.

Happy Camper by Arysa | 7,074 | Wanting a break from the stress of dealing with the rookie Pro Hero grind, a handful of students from Class A decide to go on a camping trip. Izuku's excited to relax and catch up with everyone, especially Kacchan. But, well, Kacchan's... Kacchan. And dating Kirishima.

How to stop time: kiss by Teddingtons | 31,693 | Deku finally asks Uraraka out. Everyone's supportive except Bakugou who can't even look him in the eye. Deku seeks him out after and is hit with truth.

What I Deserve by s_the_queen | 16,671 | When Izuku starts dating a student in General Studies, everyone is happy for him. She's super sweet and really caring. But something doesn't sit right with Katsuki.

Deku's Already Fucking Taken by asdfjkl129 | 20,704 | 5 times people don't realize that Deku is already in a very happy relationship and try their hand at asking him out, and then in Bakugou's unique and special style, get very firmly corrected, +1 time where no correction is needed.

His by sister_elric | 6,206 | Izuku would like to consider himself a pretty level headed individual. Sure, he had the occasional tunnel vision, especially when it came to training. And hero work. And Kacchan. But, overall, Midoriya felt as though he typically kept his cool. Well, maybe that was a stretch. But, at the very least he could understand his own emotions. So, it surprised even him when an unfamiliar emotion coursed through him as a first year approached his boyfriend, Katsuki.

Down the Red Line by MinervaHope | 7,804 | Izuku has been able to see the red strings of fate since birth. It's no surprise that his is connected to Katsuki.

Canon World – Fake Relationship Goes Wrong

how he should’ve known (and how it turned out) by vannral | 43,918 | In which Katsuki and Izuku pretend to be a couple to avoid journalists, the plan backfires magnificently because of course it does, and the act goes on. Includes feelings, pining, domestic fluff and jealousy.

Vicious by feelslikefire | 105,173 | Midoriya and Bakugou wind up in the very last position either of them thought they'd be in: Hero Partners. It's not fun, but they learn to cope. Their first big assignment together takes them undercover to infiltrate a cult, but the situation turns out far more sinister than they first thought.

What I can never tell you by Mikacrispy | 27,067 | After living in the US for 5 years, Izuku returns to take care of a concussed Bakugou who believes they're engaged. Now, Izuku has to pretend he's in a relationship with the man he's loved for most of his life, knowing that it's just a matter of time until Katsuki gets better and realizes it's all a lie.

Not-Dating by MiraChaDoodles | 14,290 | Katsuki takes Deku on a not-date to save his career, only to find himself wishing it were real.

we'll do the things that lovers do by ethereals | 29,544 | Izuku gets an invitation to Shouto's wedding and Katsuki is PISSED that he asks Kirishima to be his date (also he wasn't even fucking invited

Canon World – Friends With Benefits (?) 

Four Times Bakugou Katsuki Doesn't Intend to Sleep With Midoriya Izuku (And the One Time that He Does) by fallingraine85 | 17,601 | He hadn’t planned for any of this. He isn’t about to go delving into the ball of yarn that is Midoriya Izuku’s heart; he isn’t equipped to try and untangle and make sense of it all. He isn’t about to try to analyze how he’s feeling about all of this, either.... How many times can you repeat the same mistake?

We Wear Chains on the Weekend by surveycorpsjean | 35,086 | Well, in a day of revelations, it turns out that Izuku isn't as vanilla as Katsuki previously thought. Unfortunately, that fascinating discovery is overshadowed by Izuku's dumbassery, because he has zero concept of aftercare."Don't go to anyone else," Katsuki says, because screw it. He can do a better job anyways. Or; Katsuki finds Izuku on a bad drop.

Just for Now by Shiro_Kabocha | 48,135 | Katsuki's parents are out of town over a school break and to keep him from getting up to any shenanigans, they ask Izuku to house sit with him. What are two teenaged boys to do when left alone to their own devices? (Bonus+ the entire Just for Love series)

safe in the darkness by yoonskisses | 20,855 | Izuku and Katsuki had been meeting up secretly for months, with absolutely no feelings involved. Or so Katsuki thought at least. The dorm gossip about Ochaco and Izuku's new relationship seemed to set a spanner in the works for their arrangement.

Alternative Universe – No Quirks

Bluebird by EtherealBeing | 53,108 | Dialing a wrong number was no unusual occurrence. Everyone did it once in a while, and Katsuki was well aware of that fact. However, possessing this knowledge made it no less aggravating for him to discover — a full two minutes into his rant about his day — that he’d been venting his frustrations to a complete stranger. As if that wasn't enough, said stranger was also inexplicably determined to hear his story to its end.

Someone Borrowed by mynameis152 | 138,996 | It felt like hours that he stared at Izuku, coming to terms with the fact that a man, his childhood best friend, whom he hadn’t seen since their senior year of high school, was there in front of his very eyes. Then his brows furrowed and his jaw clenched before he uttered through gritted teeth the very name Izuku had longed to hear for years. “Deku.”

Dark Side of the Sun by Synnie | 51,598 | Staying up too late playing video games, Kirishima wasn't expecting to get an urgent call begging for help. Next thing he knew, he was letting his classmate Izuku Midoriya take refuge in his apartment - without consulting his always angry roommate.

Manage Me by Justaperson1718 | 10,756 | Izuku becomes Katsuki’s model agent.

Don't Set Your Drink Down by Crandberrycrush | 88,424 | With sudden clarity Izuku realized he had broken the first rule of going out. Never leave your drink unattended.

Livewire by pretty_rekless | 18,160 | Per Ochako's request, Izuku downloads a gay dating app in hopes to finally find a partner. Except every single one of his leads keep ghosting him or standing him up... That is until one hot, fiery blond enters the chat. Grindr/Tinder AU fic.

Drinking Watermelon by warschach | 8,906 | Katsuki works as a camp counselor, and Izuku is a boy made of summer heat and sunlight.

Precious Pet by Mikacrispy | 6,379 | When broke college student Midoriya Izuku found a job that offered lodging, food, and good pay for four hours of work each day, he thought it was too good to be true. But he called anyway. Turns out all he has to do is to be the spoiled little puppy of a rich businessman.

Our Eleven Summers by Dark_Mage_Ayumu | 34,472 | The first time Katsuki met Izuku was when he was eight. For the next eleven years, Izuku changed his life, and no one even knew. Their relationship was something they shared in secret.

sticky note crushes by ladyofsnails | 3,239 | Katsuki hates his roommate. The green-haired, freckled, artsy son of a bitch with his dumb pun t-shirts and paint-stained hands he can’t fucking keep to himself. Katsuki can’t leave a single assignment or paper out in his room because that idiot will just grab anything to draw on it. He’s like a shark that can’t stop swimming else it’ll die – he can’t stop drawing. Ever.

Don't Play Pretend by SweetSide | 10,103 | Actor AU: Deku and Bakugou get the leading roles for an upcoming TV Drama. They weren’t aware that they would be working with each other for who knows how long. It would’ve been completely fine if they weren’t exes.

97.6 FM by jamjars | 32,249 | Izuku can’t stop listening to the radio host with the deep voice who sounds like he’s stuck in 2010. It’s a harmless crush. That is until he starts calling into the show under the pseudonym Deku.

Read {between} Your Lines by greatcloudninja | 52,252 | Midoriya Izuku, up-and-coming actor, has finally hit his big break (...), Bakugou Katsuki, who has been acting for over twenty years.However, Bakugou seems to have it out for Izuku, leading to tension both on and off set. When some incriminating photos surface, the studio suggests (...): having Bakugou and Midoriya fake a relationship to get ahead of the rumors. 

I’m not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts by PassingShadow | 5,522 | Izuku is a professional cuddler and Katsuki is his new client that’s just a little rough around the edges, and needs a natural healing touch.

Alternative Universe – Quirkless Deku

A Good Old-Fashioned Tattoo AU by lalazee | 14,437 | After their paths had split, Bakugou & Deku meet again as adults. While Bakugou begins to repent for the kid he used to be, he also starts to prove himself as he the man he is now.

Call Me a Safe Bet (I'm Betting I'm Not) by WTTTD | 10,803 | He wished he had some sort of heads up before seeing Deku again for the first time after nearly two years, looking like the essence of a lazy Sunday, smiling and surrounded with brand new, adoring friends. It was a little fitting that Katsuki burned for him so badly. (Support Department Deku)

In Which Kacchan Has a Ruff Time by OneshotPrincess | 14,511 | Bakugou Katsuki gets quirked into a dog, gets adopted by an unknowing Izuku and generally has a very rough few days full of realizations

While You Were Sleeping by Belkacaramelka (annabelleg) | 71,197 | The one where quirkless fanboy Midoriya Izuku rescues Pro Hero Todoroki Shouto, gets mistaken as his fiancé while he is in a coma, and gets caught up in the most unlikely fake engagement... until his childhood enemy and Todoroki's classmate Bakugou Katsuki tries to catch him out, and they both end up discovering a lot more about each other than they'd expected.

Let Me Assist You Personally by Seeress | 32,806 | Izuku is long-suffering Personal Assistant to #1 Pro Hero Dynamight.Dynamight can't keep a PA to save his career. They all quit crying after a few days weeks. Enter, Izuku—with enough money problems to brave the jaws of the cranky beast. Childhood friend turned glorified paid slave. Somehow it all works out. ‘Kill them with kindness’, his mom had told him once. If that were true, Bakugou Katsuki would be stone-cold dead by now.

Smile For The Camera by kurokonekokilled | 19,179 | Midnight has a cam site, home to millions of users, but one catches Katsuki's eye when he goes scrolled through it in search for something to help him release a little stress. A live stream and the best orgasm of his life later, his wallet is lighter, and he might be almost as obsessed with this Deku guy as the cam boy is with him.

Just Like The Comics by brichibi | 24,935 | Where Izuku works at a comic book shop because that’s as close to a hero as he’s gonna get, and Katsuki plays the part of heroic ex-boyfriend who is good at everything except winning Izuku back... maybe

Alternative Universe – Quirks

Get on my Level by Mikacrispy | 92,273 | Bakugou Katsuki is a Pro Hero whose boss demands him to take an intern. Midoriya Izuku is a UA student who needs an internship. When the two of them are put together, they learn about what it truly means to be a Hero and what it means to be in love.

A/B/O – Secret! Baby

Home by Emerald2402 | 87,214 | Midoriya Izuku left Japan in a rush, moving to America without a word to anyone else. But then almost 11 years later he arrives back Home and Bakugou Katsuki's Alpha is furious. Fuck that, Bakugou is furious, because Midoriya Izuku, an omega he tasted one time, has been keeping a very big, very blonde haired, green eyed secret.

Those Under the Same Stars by PerpetuallyPerturbed | 325,553 | When Katsuki Bakugo left Izuku Midoriya five years ago, he thought it was for forever. He put aside dreams and wishes of the omega to focus on his career. He was going to be the best hero, after all. He couldn't have an omega getting in his way. So when he's stopped on the streets one day by a pup begging for help for his mom, he isn't prepared to face what he gave up, and what the consequences of his actions were. (Quirkless Deku)

A/B/O – Quirks

Mark Me. Make Me Yours. by decadentbynature | 10,062 | Midoriya is the only Omega at UA and he's been hiding it well but there's one issue that threatens to expose him: his attraction to an Alpha, Bakugo. After being told to give some paperwork to Bakugo, Midoriya lets him into his dorm room and is immediately overwhelmed by his scent. Unable to help himself, he gives in to his urges, only to be discovered by Bakugo but instead of becoming enraged, Bakugo decides to give Midoriya exactly what he wants

Claim Me by ScientificallySinful (VampireGaaraCheesepuffs) | 114,449 | Being an Alpha has nothing to do with Katsuki's success as a Pro-Hero, the same way Deku's Omega status hasn't kept him from becoming Number Two. Secondary gender doesn't mean anything nowadays and “mating” is an antiquated practice. So when Izuku, his rival, asks Katsuki to Claim him in the middle of the night, there is only one logical thing to say. “What the fuck?”

Change of Plans by Mikacrispy | 185,965 | Alpha Pro Hero Bakugou Katsuki never planned to get married to some random omega but what he wants isn't an option anymore. One for All wielder Midoriya Izuku has suffered injustice too many times and doesn't plan in allowing his secondary gender to dictate how he must live his life. Falling in love was never in the plans.

Going Feral For You by ANGIE_fic | 17,977 | Bakugou has an aggression problem that might have to do with his Alpha. His job is on the line because of it. So what do you do with a pent up Alpha? Yes.Rut. (Quirkless Izuku)

i live for you, i long for you by jeonjeonggukkkkkie | 19,165 | The five times Izuku hinted he wants Katsuki to spend his next heat with him, and the one time Katsuki took the hint.

Baby's First Bloom by ContraryBee | 44,945 | Izuku blooms for Katsuki one warm day in their third year of middle school. What follows is both boys learning about themselves, their bond, and the society they live in.

As Fate Would Have It by ScientificallySinful (VampireGaaraCheesepuffs) | 88,737 | Katsuki Bakugo had plenty of reasons why he wasn't mated yet, not that he was going to explain why to just anyone. But now, Ground Zero was running out of time. If he didn't find someone soon, he'd lose his position as a Pro-Hero and he'd never get to be #1. So, when he finds out there's a male Omega recently arrested for prostitution that's headed to prison if he too doesn't get a mate…well it must be fate. (Quirkless Izuku)

A/B/O – No Quirks

Gravity by warschach | 71,477 | Izuku is back in his hometown and plenty hasn't changed much from the 8 years he was gone. Except, Katsuki Bakugou, the alpha king of their small town. He's hotter- because that's fair, right, God? -, stronger, a now-famous pro fighter, and noticeably nicer this round.Not that he cares, pfft. (Fine, he cares.)

Nine Months by greatcloudninja | 23,303 | Omega Midoriya Izuku connects with Alpha Bakugou Katsuki through an online singles ad. Izuku pays Katsuki to help him with his heat, ending up pregnant in the process. What follows is a pregnancy filled with ups and downs, but whatever hurdles come their way, they can make it through together.

The long dark by Ominous-Anonymous (Ominonymous) | 13,289 | He could have been really dangerous. He could be a fucking murderer for all he knew. But Izuku Midoriya, ever the reckless daredevil, was not thinking of that when he got into a car with a complete stranger. Completely ignoring the part where his mother always taught him to never gets into cars with alphas he didn't know...

#bakudeku #masterlist #fanfic masterlist #katsudeku #holy shit i can't believe i did this #mizutori’s personal post archive #bakudeku fanfiction #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #alpha bakugou #omega izuku #bnha fanfiction #bnha #mha fanfiction #fanfiction masterlist post #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #archive of our own #ao3

[elriell]

Why Elriel is most definitely a Sleeping Beauty Retelling!

Since this was brought up a few days ago I cannot get the idea out my head that Sarah is basing Elriel’s story on Sleeping Beauty, and now we know she hid crumbs in her other books, alongside a quick browse of her pinterest boards it seems more and more likely! Especially since she loves her retellings.

A daughter was born, and they called her Aurora. Yes, they named her after the dawn for she filled their lives with sunshine. 

Listen well, all of you. The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her. She'll walk in springtime wherever she goes!

There are so many parallels between Elain and Aurora, they are both beloved by all, kind creatures who thrive in springtime. Aurora is named for after the dawn because she filled their lives with sunshine, A) tell me this isn’t Elain and B) the meaning of her name;

Elaine as a girl's name is of Greek origin meaning "sun ray or shining light".

Yet another parallel is Aurora believing they still treat her as a child, who does that remind you of?

Oh, dear. Why do they still treat me like a child? 

Even if love is full of thorns, I’d still embrace it. I know that in between those thorns there is a rose worth all the pain.

Could this be any more spot on? We have spoken extensively about Elains, not only willingness to get her hands dirty but the pleasure she derives from creating something beautiful from her labour. If this isn’t a metaphor for Azriel and their future situation I don’t know what is... 

This is very important, it keeps getting brought back up in text to show us Elain is going to fight through the bad to get to what she wants. Her hands might bruise and bloody in the process but she will to do it to enjoy the fruits of her labour.

Which leads me to why even further than a Sleeping Beauty retelling I think it will be Elain saving Azriel and breaking a curse/spell. Let us look to SJM’s pinterest board shall we!

These are just a few of the SB reminiscent pins she has saved, one of the more recent ones in the bottom right. Notice it is the girl saving the man, tell me you do not get immediate Elriel vibes from that, the roses, the colours.

There also seems to be a lot of cursed/chained art too, I definitely think something is going to happen to Azriel that Elain has to save him from, my best guess would be Koschei. 

Elain’s story thus far has heavily emphasised on choice, as we have seen through her interactions with Lucien and their bond overall, hence why I think it will be her making the choice to save him rather than him coming for her.

He has already saved her, it is time for her to shine. It would also grant her the opportunity to explore her own agency, and not what is expected of her.

 A ray of hope there still may be in this, the gift I give to thee. Not in death, but just in sleep, the fateful prophecy you’ll keep, and from this slumber you shall wake, when true love’s kiss, the spell shall break.

I think that it is interesting considering she is a seer, that Sleeping Beauty has so many references to visions, fate and so on, after the Azriel POV where we are shown he clearly believes it is fate that three sisters would all fall for three bothers.

Almost like it is... Fate. 

This will be the ultimate moment where Elain gets to decide her future and potentially follow her own fate. Not to mention we know the Cauldron loves Elain and gifted her with her abilities, could this be another tie-in, gifting her the ability to wake/heal Azriel? 

But see the gracious whim of fate - why, 'tis the self-same peasant maid, who won the heart of our noble prince but yesterday. She is indeed, most wondrous fair, gold of sunshine in her hair, Lips that shame the red rose, in ageless sleep, she finds repose. The years roll by, but a hundred years to a steadfast heart, are but a day. And now, the gates of a dungeon part, and our prince is free to go his way. Off he rides, on his noble steed, a valiant figure, straight and tall! To wake his love, with love's first kiss, and prove that true love conquers all! 

Love’s first kiss? Could this be why she didn’t allow them to kiss in the hallway... Anything is possible but the parallels are certainly interesting at this point you can’t deny! 

Also here are a few more little crumbs she could have been planting through the series, the colours we most see Elain in are pinks and blues and the most run along joke through the movie is her dress being changed from one colour to the other... Nothing major but certainly interesting.

These were by no means the only references to her wearing those colours I am just trying to be brief. 

Not to mention Roses really took a bigger role in ACOSF in regards to associating them with Elain, while she certainly had past references to them before but adding in her fathers gifts and Azriels gift both being roses. Hmmmmmmm.

There was a few more little things but I would love to hear everyone else’s thoughts!!!! If not SB what retelling would you think? I am a die hard Hades/Persephone fan so I am sad that is already been done because LBR they are perfect for it hahah

#elriel #elain archeron #azriel #acosf #acosf spoilers #acotar meme #elain x azriel #azriel x elain #sleeping beauty #princess aurora #elriel SB #myelriel #myelrielmeta

[zuko-always-lies]

i think they were going for iroh finally deciding to stop being subservient to the fire nation in the siege of the north, when zhao tries to, yknow, kill the moon, and then him finally deciding to actively fight against the fire nation when he broke out of prison, thinking zuko "lost his way" in book 3. then him retaking ba sing se was supposed to be his ultimate redeeming moment. however, this doesn't work well if this was what they were going for, because of course doing "one good thing" doesn't automatically redeem him, especially when he doesn't decide to do anything after the war other than profit from the people he once tried to conquer via his tea shop. it could also support him not having compassion for those he doesn't see, as i believe ultranos made a post about how his violent retaking of ba sing se could affect the people more directly and negatively than azula's coup did. thoughts?

So I don't see Iroh's actions in "The Siege of the North" being anything other than trying to stop Zhao from screwing absolutely everyone in the world over. Iroh has not decided to take a general stand against the Fire Nation there. Definitely, afterwards he goes back to hanging out and engaging in hedonism at a Fire Nation resort, and he only becomes a fugitive because of Ozai's orders. Even then, Iroh's reaction is to try to run and hide and live a life as a teashop owner rather than draw on his considerable resources to fight back. This decision to hide persists for the rest of Book 2.

When Azula begins her conquest of Ba Sing Se, Iroh seems to come to some sort of decision that he has to fight back against the Fire Nation, something he sticks to the rest of the series. Honestly, him helping Aang and Katara escape in "The Crossroads of Destiny" is his finest moment in the series.

Yet after that he regresses. He tries to point Zuko in the right direction, but implicit in what he tells Zuko is that Zuko should be the one to teach firebending to Aang and be the one to lead the Fire Nation into a new era, even though Iroh would be better suited for both these tasks. And it only gets worse from here.

You see, Iroh's big contribution toward "saving the world" is gathering the White Lotus to retake Ba Sing Se. On a surface level, that's a very reasonable objective(although the invention of airships probably greatly decreases Ba Sing Se's defensive value). But then Zuko and the Gaang show up, inform him of Ozai's plans, and beg for Iroh's help. At that point, there are several extremely critical military objectives which much be accomplished(in order of importance):

1. Stopping the Fire Nation airship fleet from killing millions of people

2. Defeating the Firelord

3. Defeating Azula and carrying out a coup in the Fire Nation.

All these objectives need to be accomplished in order to win the war. Failing to accomplish any one of them would result in pyrrhic victory at best. All of these objectives all more important than taking Ba Sing Se, and taking Ba Sing Se is pointless if you win the war through accomplishing all three. Iroh has access to five of the most powerful fighters in the world, so he has ample strength to throw behind any of these.

Yet he chooses to prioritize the conquest of Ba Sing Se beyond all reason. He lets Aang face Ozai alone, something which nearly results in Aang's death. He lets Sokka, Suki, and Toph take responsibility for stopping the airship fleet, even though only one of them is a bender, even though they could easily have failed, and Sokka and Toph nearly die as a result. Most importantly, Iroh sends Zuko and Katara into the lion's den alone, something which almost certainly would have resulted in Zuko and Katara being killed or captured by Azula, the imperial firebenders, and the Dai Li if Azula hadn't had her breakdown(and even breakdown Azula comes very close to defeating both of them). Why does Iroh act like?

Iroh: Sozin's Comet is arriving and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord. (Cut to a close up of Iroh) When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. (Camera pans across the various members of the Gaang) Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again.

...

Iroh: Goodbye, everyone. (Cut to a frontal shot of Iroh looking up at his nephew) Today, (he closes his eyes and lowers his head) destiny is our friend. (he opens his eyes and looks back up again) I know it.

It looks suspiciously like the "liberation" of Ba Sing Se is an ego trip primarily done to "fulfill" Iroh's "Destiny." Taking Ba Sing Se also allows Iroh and the White Lotus to ensure that King Kuai is restored to power, because I can't imagine anyone in the Earth Kingdom and Ba Sing Se actually wanting him back unless he was forcibly imposed from above.

Now, we turn to the question of damage to Ba Sing Se. This raises the question of why the White Lotus attacked Ba Sing Se during Sozin's Comet? The Fire Nation troops they are fighting are strongest then, and the uncontrolled and power-boasted firebending they wielded likely resulted in a lot of collateral damage. Well, I would say that we also get an explanation for that:

Iroh: Only once every hundred years can a firebender experience this kind of power.

So it's another part of Iroh's ego trip, allowing him to experience the exhilaration of fighting while Sozin's Comet boasts his power and allowing him to take the majority of the credit(and if you wonder why the other members of the White Lotus are OK with this, remember that three of the five known members are deeply questionable in their own ways).

Ultimately, the White Lotus's pointless "liberation" of Ba Sing Se likely resulted in widespread destruction in the city. "Dragon of the West" Iroh joked about burning Ba Sing Se to the ground; "redeemed" Iroh's ego trip to "liberate" the city during Sozin's Comet probably resulted in large portions of Ba Sing Se burning to the ground.

So, I don't think Iroh's "one good act" was actually that good an act. This was not the intention of the writers, but the way they wrote Iroh behaving contains so many disturbing implications, and this is probably true in "Sozin's Comet" more than anywhere else.

Edit: I didn’t make this clear, but I’m sure Iroh rationalized his actions as being the “right thing to do” and the “the only possible course of action.” He’s very good a rationalizing his failures and flaws.

Fun fact: Friedrich Paulus actually ended up defecting to the Allied cause after being captured at Stalingrad. In terms of German World War II generals, he seems to have his hands relatively clean and as far as I know was never accused of war crimes. Yet I don't see taking over managing a tea shop in the city he destroyed after the war.

#liberation #Iroh #anti iroh #Iroh critical #anti-iroh #Ba Sing Se

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

What if in the AU The non Alice cullens found out that she was almost killed by Edward, what would they do?

It's sad that I have so many damn AU posts in which Edward murders Bella it genuinely took me a minute to figure out which anon was referencing.

It's this one, by the way.

Well, part of the thing with that is Edward has Alice on his side. The Cullens aren't going to find out and it's not something any of them would ever guess either.

If rumor spreads, if the Cullens at some point visit Volterra and Aro takes Carlisle aside and goes, "You know, old friend, I don't know how to say this but... Your son murdered his wife." Then they won't believe it and Edward will easily poison the family against naysayers.

This would be believing the absolute worst of Edward and without irrefutable proof, they will not do it.

But Let's Pretend They Do

Maybe they catch Edward in the act somehow. His murder of Bella is pushing her into a beach bonfire in front of everyone. They rescue her just in time, even managing to save the leg Edward tore off and threw in there.

Well, if the other Cullens find out we end up here.

They'd be first horrified, confronted by this ugly, awful, truth and then the cookie crumbles and the coven falls apart.

Carlisle doesn't know who Edward is anymore, he doesn't know the truth about anything. Everything he thought he knew about Edward is a lie.

This is before Edward's met Aro, so he doesn't return to Volterra to find out the truth, but I do think he deliberately splits paths from Edward and offers Bella sanctuary with him.

Esme at first argues desperately against this. Edward must stay, he's unwell, he didn't understand what he was doing, they have to be there for him and help him heal. They can pull through this if they try.

Given Bella's life is on the line, Carlisle is unmoved, he's still leaving and Edward will not come with him. He's of course devastated inside, will need months to reflect on this and grieve over the Edward he's lost, but this choice has to be made.

Esme ultimately chooses to go with Edward, he needs her far more than Carlisle does, and is devastated at her marriage ending like this. Carlisle is as well, neither of them saw this coming, and yet looking at it in retrospect it seems obvious.

Rosalie and Emmett stay with Carlisle and Bella. Rosalie is appalled and horrified, in shock and not sure what to think, and still very conflicted over Bella. However, what Edward attempted was monstrous, and just as Carlisle doesn't know Edward anymore neither does Rosalie.

And where Rosalie goes Emmett goes. Emmett, for the record, thinks this is all extremely fucked up but doesn't want to touch it with a ten foot pole. If you asked him, which no one will, then he... may have seen a few red flags here and there. Just a few, mind you, Edward was always crazy when it came to Bella. Not crazy in love, either, just crazy.

Alice also goes with Edward which means that Jasper goes with Edward.

It's the divorce of the century.

Given the point of this is to save Bella's life and get her as far from Edward as possible Carlisle forsakes a) all the money b) all the properties. They all have ties to the Cullens and it'd be all too easy for Edward to track it down.

Granted, Edward also has Alice with him, which would certainly help him along but Carlisle also doesn't want to make it ridiculously easy. More, beneath all of this, is a need to break away from Edward and the Carlisle Cullen of the last century.

Edward is very dear to Carlisle and this is a huge blow.

All the memories he has of making this coven, Edward was there for, excepting his few years of absence. Edward was the first person Carlisle turned, the first person to come back to the diet, and such an important person in Carlisle's life.

Now Carlisle has essentially lost Edward, and everything he's built over this century. The homes with so many memories, Isle Esme, all of it has lost something.

Better to forsake all of it and leave it all behind.

As a result, the Cullens 1.0 get to live on Carlisle's doctor salary, the Cullens 2.0 get all of Alice's money and all the properties. Rosalie misses those cars so dearly. God, why does Edward, who tried to murder his wife, get rewarded with the cars?!

The Cullens 1.0

However, I think the first thing Carlisle does is move the family abroad. This will help with the clean break, the leaving the Cullen coven as it was behind and trying to move forward. They change their surroundings completely and go to Europe.

And they probably do visit the Volturi as Carlisle, a) needs a close friend he can talk to about all of this, b) Aro might have insight Carlisle lacks into how this could have possibly happened and why Edward would even do this, c) it's probably best he stay off the grid for a little while to let the Carlisle Cullen name die down while Edward's being... Edward.

Also, more pragmatically, for all Edward has Alice's visions he surely would not be mad enough to attempt to kill Bella while she's in Volterra. This will give time for Esme, Alice, and Jasper to get through to Edward and perhaps figure out why this even happened.

Bella's an absolute wreck, flip flopping between denial and numb apathy. She joins Marcus in the garden to stare at the wall for hours while she contemplates the fact that Edward, the love of her life, tried to murder her.

She asks Marcus if Edward ever truly loved her.

Marcus tells her that she doesn't want to know.

Carlisle tries to offer Bella therapy, but he's in desperate need of it himself.

Aro tries to offer her therapy, and then realizes that Bella's even worse off than he suspected. Though he is delighted at her gift as well as Carlisle's presence, and he enjoys Rosalie and Emmett. He schemes to get the Cullens 1.0 to stay in Volterra, to convince Carlisle of the necessity of Bella's gift for the guard.

Also helping is that while in Volterra she has sanctuary from her murderous lover. This is a very convincing argument that will see them in Volterra for a good long while.

Emmett challenges Felix to arm wrestling competitions and, while still weirded out, fares the best out of the entire family.

The Cullens 2.0

Edward has a complete meltdown. It's all falling apart. He never foresaw this, never wanted this. Instead of saving Bella's humanity she now knows he's a monster, sees him as nothing more than a murderer, and now he may never see her again.

And Carlisle, Carlisle knows just what he is! Worse, he not only knows, but he rejected Edward just as Edward feared he would. This time, it's not Edward leaving the diet and Carlisle, it's Carlisle leaving him and Edward cannot return the prodigal son. He will never see Carlisle again.

He personally ruined Carlisle and Esme's marriage.

He ruined everything.

Edward likely decides to kill himself. He has failed in everything, ruined everything he touched, and he is a monster worse even than other monsters.

Bella is now a demon and it seems she will be forever, Alice hesitantly tells him that she's in Volterra now, where Edward cannot reach her.

There is nothing for him now and he never should have become this demon in the first place. If he could kill Bella, the finest thing in creation, the least he can do is kill himself.

He forces Jasper to do it.

He blackmails Jasper, if Jasper doesn't do it, then Edward will break every law the Volturi have ever made.

He will embrace the monster he is, the monster they all know he is. He will turn hundreds of humans into newborn and set them loose on human cities, he will turn dozens of children in their cribs, he will walk naked in the sunlight and let every human see exactly what he is as he eats their women and children.

He will cause such terror and desolation that the vampire world will speak of him for decades to come.

And if Jasper relies on Alice, well, he will be forcing Alice to outmaneouver and out think Edward at every opportunity. And she will slip up, because Edward will act on impulse or else she might not be looking in his direction at a critical moment.

They have forever and Edward is patient.

Jasper, of course, does it as he does all hard things in life.

He tells Esme that Edward went to live on a farm.

The Cullens 2.0 never hook back up with the Cullens 1.0.

#twilight #twilight meta #twilight headcanon #twilight renaissance #the volturi #carlisle cullen #edward cullen #anti edward cullen #esme cullen #carlisle/esme #anti carlisle/esme #bella swan #edward/bella #anti edward/bella #rosalie hale #emmett cullen #jasper whitlock #alice cullen #aro #marcus #meta #headcanon #opinion

[plus-size-reader]

Blood pt.3

Stiles Stilinski x Plus size!reader

Word Count:2603 words

Warnings: none 

Summary: Stiles' secret is out, which complicates things. He’s going to have to do some fast talking if he wants to keep the reader’s secret from getting out too. 

Part 1

Part 2

—————————————————————————————————

“There’s a girl in your bed”

“That’s, she’s, don’t worry about her” Stiles rambled, sort of hoping that for once, Scott would just do as he asked and leave it alone. However, he knew that wasn’t going to happen which meant that he was going to have to tell some really good lies, really quickly.

Which wasn’t his strong suit.

Stiles had never been a good liar, which you could tell just by the way he’d handled this whole thing in the first place. So, before he could panic and blow the whole thing, you figured you better go out there and sell his lie for him.

You knew for a fact you could do that better than he could.

All you had been doing for the last seventy years was lying to everyone you ever met, and you’d been pretending to be something else for even longer than that. If lying about sleeping with a hundred fifty pound boy was where you drew the line, you would have died a long time ago.

As quickly as you could, you slipped out of the jeans you’d been wearing and did your best to act like you’d been sleeping just before he entered the room, before making your way over the door again and opening it casually.

“You must be Scott, I’m Y/N” you hummed, leaning against the doorframe with your hip, a small friendly smile on your face.

By all accounts, it looked like you had just spent the night in Stiles’ bed with him, and even he was convinced, knowing that wasn’t the case. You really weren't kidding when you said you would find a way to work this out.

“Uh yeah, hi” Scott tried, looking at his best friend, totally lost as to what was going on. Not only did he have no idea how you were or what was happening, but clearly, Stiles was hiding something huge which just wasn’t in his nature.

There was silence between the three of you for a moment as Scott searched the other male’s face, looking for any kind of answer that just wasn’t there.

All he could do was shrug.

In all honesty, Stiles was still so rattled from nearly getting caught and the way that you currently looked that he couldn’t have hoped to speak if he wanted to. This was hardly the way he thought your first meeting would go, but there was no going back now.

All he could do was commit to the lie, as you clearly had already decided to do.

“I guess we overslept. Stiles always forgets to set the alarm” you shrugged, a small giggle leaving your lips that you hoped the two men would believe. You weren't really the giddy type, but it seemed like that was the kind of girl Stiles would go for.

...and based on the way Scott’s jaw was hanging slack, you were doing a pretty good job.

“My bad. You know how it is” Stiles tried, panicking  a bit at the way he sounded.

He had never been the kind of guy who could just have a girl in his bed and not tell everyone he’d ever met, but based on the circumstances, he was now. It was hardly believable, but the proof was right there in front of his face.

Scott couldn’t have argued even if he wanted to.

“You needed this?” you asked, going back into the room just enough for you to grab his lacrosse stick from where it was on the floor, and tossing it at him. He caught it with a near perfect accuracy, not missing a beat, but you waved it off.

It would just be best to get him out of here as quickly as you could.

A small hum of thanks left his lips before he headed back down the stairs, stopping only once when he passed Stiles’ side, whispering something to him which you heard but pretending you didn't. If you were normally, you never would have known.

Pretending to be normal was the best you could do.

“We should probably get dressed. See you later man” Stiles decided, skipping up the stairs and making his way into the room, stopping just shy of the doorway to make sure Scott left.

He didn’t speak again until he was sure he heard the door close, a relieved sigh leaving his lips.

“You definitely just saved our asses” he breathed out, resting against the closed door as gingerly as he could. That was close, much closer than he ever wanted to come to the secret being out, and while you weren’t out of the woods yet, it was better than it would have been.

At least you’d bought him some time to finesse the lie a little more.

“You lied to me” you huffed, struggling to get your jeans back on as the anger clouded your vision and made you much more impatient than you would have been. You weren't new to this, and you knew a werewolf when you saw one.

You weren’t sure when it was just that smell in Stiles’ jeep but there was no denying it now that you had been that close to him.

“What are you talking about? I didn’t lie” he tried, but you stopped him with a single look, your eyes burning with the rage that was welling up in your belly. You trusted him to tell you the truth and keep you safe, and he’d lied.

He’d been lying, this entire time.

“You don’t think I know a werewolf when I see one?” you bit, finding it hard to believe that you could be so blind in the first place. This was just as much your fault as it was his because you had been stupid enough to trust him.

This was why he was so calm about what he’d seen in the locker room, and why he was so determined to keep a close eye on you.

“Look, he doesn’t know what you are. Everything is going to be fine” he tried, earning another scoff from you as you thought about it.

Stiles really was blind.

“You know why he doesn’t know? There aren’t very many of us left because of hunters, and things like him” you sighed, thinking about the last time you had come in contact with a pack of werewolves. It had been a number of years ago, but you had every right to be cautious.

The last time you had been anywhere near a werewolf, every single member of your coven had been slaughtered.

Just because Stiles trusted them didn’t mean you were really itching to meet any more wolves than you had to. It wasn't a risk that you were willing to take and if he knew as much about them as he thought he did, he wouldn’t ask you to.

Just because they were his friends didn’t mean they would extend that courtesy to you.

It was no secret that werewolves had never been a friend to your kind, and that was not going to change in this new place.

You knew it just wouldn’t, because no matter what Stiles said, you had been around long enough to know the truth.

“I was going to tell you, I just wasn’t sure how” Stiles sighed again, desperate to get you to believe him. This whole thing was going to work, he was sure of it, but you really did have to trust him. If you didn’t, there was no telling what would happen to you.

Stiles had every confidence that Scott’s pack wasn’t going to be of any danger to you but they weren’t the only werewolves around, something he knew all too well.

Your best bet was still to stay with him.

You both knew that.

“Please just trust me. I told you I would keep you safe, and I meant it” he assured, sitting down on his bed where you had previously been and patting the space beside him for you.

Your every instinct told you to just leave and never look back but still, you found yourself sitting down at his side. As much as you hated to admit it, he had snuck his neck out for you yesterday when he didn’t have to, and the least you could do was hear him out.

Maybe he really did just make a mistake.

A small smile crept onto his face as you sighed, sitting down beside him as gingerly as you could, and focusing that burning gaze on him. Evidently, he had been expecting you to leave just as much as you wanted to.

“I’ll find a way to tell him. Just don’t leave” he begged, letting the words settle between the two of you for a second before he lent down, maneuvering your foot through the leg hole of your jeans which you had nearly shredded in your attempt to get them on angry.

Which reminded him of the other thing he had to do today, besides explaining the mystery babe in his bed to his best friend.

“If you stay, I’ll take you to get some new clothes?” he offered a tiny smirk on his face as he tried to use the most immature means to convince you. All things considered, you still felt like you should have left, but you just couldn't do it.

Whether you wanted to admit it or not, you had grown pretty fond of the weird little guy.

“Fine, but I’m not running from werewolves again. If they want a fight, I’ll bring one” you grumbled, standing to button your pants before turning back to him.

“Get dressed”

It was clearly an order, and as terrifying as your vague threat of violence had been, Stiles knew better than to ignore it. Whatever it was that happened, between you and the pack, he was sure it would work out.

Stiles could see that it was going to be dangerous but he had no idea what would really happen if they found out that you were here. The pack wasn’t all that violent to begin with, but they did have a bit of a mean streak when it came to a threat.

If Derek, for one, thought you were dangerous, there was no real way to know how Scott would react.

~

By the time you and Stiles made it to school, a few of the classes had already come and gone but neither of you had much care for that. After all, you were dealing with something much more important than some calculus class this morning.

...And your classes weren’t the only things that happened this morning.

In all the time that you and Stiles had been looking for some stuff for you to wear that wasn’t obviously stained with blood or too old to pass off as the wardrobe of a teenager, Scott had been trying to figure out what he’d walked in on this morning.

To the best of his knowledge, Stiles hadn’t met anyone.

After all, whenever Stiles had liked a girl in the past, Scott was always the first one to know about it but he hadn’t breathed a single word about you.

Something was definitely going on, and when the rest of the pack confirmed they had no idea Stiles was dating, that only made him more suspicious. At the very least, he would have thought that Lydia would have heard something.

She’d had her ear to the social scene in Beacon Hills since a social scene had developed and if you were legit, she should have known about it.

Still, not one of them motioned to say or do anything about it at first. All they could do was wait for the male in question to fill them in on what could have possibly changed since they saw him last.

“I hate this” you muttered, walking close to Stiles as you made your way down the hall, catching almost every eye in the place as you passed. Very few of the students in attendance knew who you were and those that had seen you before had no clue what your deal was.

You were one big question mark to them, the new girl, and that was exciting.

“They’re just curious. They’ll get bored soon enough” he whispered back, gingerly reaching between the two of you to take your hand in his own. Your skin was ice cold to the touch, forcing a breath from his lungs, but he ignored it.

All he had to do was keep moving forward and everything else would find a way to work out.

“Nice touch, I am your girlfriend, after all” you teased, shooting him a casual wink in regards to your little lie, which you would now have to maintain for as long as you were around other people. It had been his idea after all.

Now would be a pretty bad time to start second guessing it.

“Yeah, exactly. That’s why I did it” he allowed, a little too eager to let that explain away the act, which really had just come from him trying to be comforting to you. In all honesty, he’d forgotten that the two of you were trying to act like a couple.

This was just what came naturally to him with you.

In all seriousness though, that was probably for the best. You were learning just how bad of a liar Stiles was, and if you had to rely on his ability to stretch the truth alone, you were screwed.

His little crush would only help the two of you sell this, and if trying to keep it hidden from you was what he needed to do, you would let him believe you didn’t hear the way his heart jumped when he grazed your skin with his own or you said his name.

You didn’t have a problem doing that for him after everything he was doing for you.

It would take a while to get used to not having to be alone, but having someone to rely on was nice, even when it was just some teenage boy from a small town.

He cared about you, and in some strange way, you actually cared a lot for him too.

You really did.

He had done too much for you already for you to not care about him a little bit. He was real, and went way out of his way to help you just because that was the kind of person he was. You weren’t blind to that, and you weren’t going to pretend to be.

“Alright, that’s the lunch bell. Are you ready for this?” he questioned, that all too familiar chiming that he was usually glad to hear filing him with dread today.

What normally meant he got to go eat, now meant he had to sit through the first degree Scott surely had planned for him. It was hardly what his idea of fun was, but as soon as Stiles got this over with, the sooner you would relax.

If you saw Scott and the rest of the pack as friends, or at least, not as threats, it would be easier to convince you that you weren’t in constant danger.

“Of the two of us, who froze this morning when Scott stuck his nose where it didn't belong?” you hummed, reminding him that of the two of you, you weren't the one he needed to be worried about being ready.

You could have lied your way out of a paper bag if you needed to.

“Fair point”

#stiles #stiles stilinski #tw #teen wolf #mieczyslaw stiles stilinski #mieczyslaw stilinski #stiles x reader #stiles x ps reader #stiles x plus size reader #stiles imagine #stiles stilinski x reader #stiles stilinski x ps reader #stiles stilinski x plus size reader #stiles stilinski imagine #tw x reader #tw x ps reader #tw x plus size reader #tw imagine #teen wolf x reader #teen wolf x ps reader #teen wolf x plus size reader #teen wolf imagine

[jiminisnotavirgin]

A+

Pairing: professor!taehyung | collegestudent!reader

Genre: smut

Description: A one-on-one video call with your hot, college professor takes a surprising turn.

Words: 3.8k

Warnings: inappropriate student/teacher relations, mutual masturbation, fingering, clit-stimulation, and innapropriate language.

Note: After much anticipation, I hope this is my return to the writing part of the lovely fanfic world. Here’s a little something mischievous and self-indulgent (clearly!). I started writing this when quarantine and remote-learning first began last year and I returned to it earlier this week. Let me know what you think :) I hope you enjoy A+. Love, Phoenix.

Email after email, document after document, the light from Taehyung’s laptop shines bright blue across his features. The hours go by and the sky grows darker but he remains at his desk, only taking small breaks to lighten the strain on his eyes. His chair creaks as he leans back and glances outside the window. Like most nights lately, only the stars keep him company tonight.

His courses shifted to an online-only remote format due to the need for social distancing. Despite the initial confidence he displayed to his boss and colleagues over the change, Taehyung is more unsure than ever. Frustration sneaks its way into his mind like a viper wrapped around its squirming prey. His life has turned into a turbulent sea of e-mails and complaints from upset students. What’s the best way for him to support his students? How can he assure them that their mental health is more important than any essay or assignment they’ll ever complete?

A sudden knock at the door steals his attention. Jungkook, his roommate and best friend, leans against the doorway with crossed arms. “Professor Kim,” he begins with a smirk. “Do you have a minute to speak?”

“What’s up?” asks Taehyung, ignoring his friend’s use of the name his students address him with.

“Did you see Jimin’s text? He invited us over for drinks at his apartment. Are you coming?”

“Can’t,” answers Taehyung. His computer glows in his peripheral vision. “I have—“

“Emails to write, work to do. I get it, you’re a busy man.” Jungkook shrugs. “I thought I’d ask anyway since it’s Saturday night.”

“Maybe next time.” Guilt floods Taehyung’s chest and makes it difficult to look Jungkook directly in the eye. Not only is he a shitty professor but he’s a shitty friend, too.

Jungkook finally steps inside the room, occasionally tinkering with Taehyung’s things until he reaches his desk. “Whatever. I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Jungkook’s already-large doe eyes go wider. “Because all you do is sit at that damn computer all day!”

“I have to teach classes online, what do you expect?”

“It’s not healthy. You barely even leave your room to eat.”

“Who are you, the food police?”

“No, I’m your best friend,” Jungkook answers. “When was the last time you did anything fun? Or normal? You’re twenty-six, Tae, not a hundred and six.”

Taehyung sighs. “I can’t think about any of that right now. Actually, I should get back to my work...”

Jungkook takes the hint and leaves, but not without shooting a glare that makes Taehyung regret his choice of words. He can’t worry about it right now though—not when he has a call planned with you in about two minutes.

He was surprised to see an email from you in his inbox yesterday. You’re one of the students that hasn’t reached out all semester unlike most of the others in his courses. He knows just what kind of student you are: the type who floats through classes quietly but still gets high marks. You’re an older student. You fade into the background by avoiding the attention of your peers but your work stands out, therefore, you do too. He recognizes it because he was that student, too.

Taehyung opens the app for the call, expecting you to pick up after a minute or two but you answer within seconds. “Hello,” he greets you.

You tuck a stand of hair behind your ear and speak but no sound follows the movement of your mouth. He waits but nothing changes.

Taehyung clears his throat. “I think your microphone is off,” he says and types the same words into the chat box at the bottom of his screen.

You squint as you bring your face closer to the monitor. “Can you hear me now?”

He smiles. “Perfect. So, how are you doing? How’s the semester been so far?”

You shrug. “It’s been okay. I’m just trying my best, you know? What about you?”

“Pretty much the same. There’s nothing to do besides read and grade assignments.”

“I wanted to talk to you about the midterm, actually...” your voice fades out and your eyes drift away from the camera. He digs through his memory for what you wrote but his mind comes out empty-handed.

“Let me pull it up on my computer.” He searches through his saved files and documents.

“Oh, you don’t have to do all of that.” You pause for a few seconds. “It’s about my grade.”

“Let’s see... B-plus. Nice work.” When he looks away from your paper, he catches you frowning.

“Could you give me some feedback on it?” you ask.

“I left a few comments on the side,” he answers, eyes still glued to the document. He exits the window and focuses on your face once again. “I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. You’re a lovely writer.”

“Not good enough if I can only get B-pluses,” you answer with a sigh. Taehyung sits up in his chair, surprised by your shift in tone.

Are you looking for an explanation? A justification for the grades he’s given you? “Most students would be satisfied with a B-plus in an almost graduate level course.”

“With all due respect, sir, I’m not your other students.”

His brows twitches. “Oh?”

“I don’t know how to say this without sounding like an arrogant jerk but I’m not used to getting anything lower than an A on my papers. The fact that I’m about to graduate and can’t hack yours is pretty... frustrating.”

He presses his lips together. “I don’t know what to tell you.” What do you want to hear? Can anything he’ll say wipe that glare off your face? It’s interesting to see you lose your cool after all this time.

You refuse to back down from the challenge. In this impromptu staring contest, your brown eyes penetrate his through the computer screen.

Taehyung decides to give in. Slightly. “One thing I will say,” he continues, “is that I’m particularly tough on my best students. If I gave you an A-plus on every essay you handed in, what would you work up to? There’s no doubt about the strength of your writing.”

Your expression changes immediately. “Oh,” is the only word that leaves your lips. The lines of anger decorating your forehead smooth out as your mouth eases into a relieved smile.

It’s in this moment that Taehyung finds himself looking at you. Truly looking at you.

There’s something about the determination in your face as you plead your case, as though nothing else in the world matters more. Your glossy, heart-shaped lips possess a reddish tint that reminds him of cherries, or rubies. Even through the pixels on the computer screen, you retain the same freshness he remembers from a few months ago, if not more now.

All this time on the computer has gone to your head, he thinks to himself. Perhaps there’s still a chance for him to catch up to Jungkook and the others.

A giggle erupts from your side of the call. “So my papers are good? And here I thought I wasn’t good enough for you.”

“I didn’t mean to make you suffer,” he murmurs and runs a hand through the waves in his raven hair. His eyelids flutter closed as he sinks into his chair and stretches his arms. Finally, a meeting he can consider a success; a meeting where the student leaves the call less frustrated than when it began. He prepares to end the call and log off for the night.

Then he hears it.

It’s faint and quiet and quick but he hears it, as if all sounds in the world were turned off and yours was amplified. The sound echoes in his mind as though you were right there beside him: “If only you knew how you make me suffer.”

This progression of thoughts occurs in a matter of seconds. By the time he’s processed your statement, his eyes have been forced open and any chance of relaxation for the rest of the night disappears into thin air.

“What?” he asks, voice betraying the casualness he wishes to exude.

“Oh, nothing.” You blink innocently, long lashes fluttering like a pair of butterfly wings. “I just care about your opinion, Professor Kim, if you can’t tell.”

“Right...” His eyes trail to the messy display of pens and papers spread out across his desk—anything to avoid your gaze. Its intensity has multiplied a thousandfold and threatens to melt him like a popsicle in the sun. He ignores the surge of anxious heat flowing through his veins.

“I mean,” you continue, lips pursed. “Who doesn’t love hearing a little bit of praise every once in a while, right?”

Your statement hangs in the air for what feels like an eternity. His shirt suddenly squeezes his torso. His pants suffocate his thighs. The room feels like a furnace and dizzying all at once, but the tension in the air keeps him in the moment.

“What are you doing?” he finally asks.

All the blood drains from your face and your limbs freeze. You hold your hands up in the air. “I’m sorry, professor. I didn’t mean to—“

“Don’t start something you can’t finish,” warns Taehyung. A new fire fuels his gaze. With his thick brows, chiseled face, and beautiful black hair to match, your professor is a flame and you’ve been dying to get burned since you first laid eyes on him.

You pull off your hoodie and toss it onto the ground behind you. With a small tug of your index finger, you adjust the spaghetti straps of your pink tank top, underneath which you wear no bra. Your nipples prick at the thin fabric that stretches with each of your breaths.

“You deserve so much more than a little bit of praise,” he murmurs, erasing any doubts over your advances towards him.

“I do?”

“Mmhmm. Especially since you’ve been such a good girl.”

This man couldn’t possibly be the same one that lectured your class all semester. Something sinful replaces the innocent, awkward mannerisms you’ve grown to know over time. No more does he hesitate with his words or actions. Instead, he leans towards the camera with his shoulders pushed back. You’re greeted by his neck and the tan slope of his chest that hides beneath the loose collar of his button-down. You want nothing more than to rip off his shirt with your bare hands. For now, you can only imagine what lies beneath.

“Good girls deserve rewards,” he says with a swipe of his tongue across his plump bottom lip, snapping you out of your daze.

“What should I do?” you ask and glance at your closed bedroom door. Fortunately, you locked it before the call started. You don’t want any intrusions from your roommate.

“You should wind down and take care of yourself. You’ve been working so hard.” His eyes dart down to your tank top. “Close your eyes and imagine it’s me worshipping your chest.”

Your eyes fall closed as your hands drift to the hem of your top. Your fingertips graze your stomach and stop when your skin begins to slope up into the mounds of your breasts. “What would you do if you were here with me right now?”

He doesn’t miss a beat. “I’d make it my mission to kiss every part of you but first, I’d focus on those beautiful breasts of yours. They’d fit in my hands perfectly.”

With your left hand, you grasp one breast and tighten your grip just the slightest bit. The squeeze forces a sigh from your lips and although your eyes are closed, Taehyung struggles to control his own breathing as he watches you begin to unfold. With the other hand, you bring two fingers to your mouth and coat them in saliva only to bring them down to your nipples which harden with each squeeze and stroke.

Taehyung swallows in anticipation. “Just like that. Keep going.”

“Wait, what about you?” you ask, voice raspy and slightly out of breath.

“What about me?”

“I’m not the only one who deserves a reward.”

“Watching you wriggle and writhe in desire is enough for me.”

You cross your arms. “Nope.”

He chuckles. “What do you suggest I do, then?”

“I want you to fuck yourself with your hand and imagine it’s my pussy squeezing the life out of you.”

Your words knock the air out of Taehyung’s lungs but he manages to recover quickly. “You may be a good girl but you’ve got a dirty mouth.”

You smirk. “What are you going to do about it?”

The sound of his metal belt buckle clinks from his end. “Touch yourself right now. Play with your clit and we’ll see if you’ve still got that nasty mouth of yours when you’re begging me to cum.”

You raise your brows. “I fully intend on cumming at least once in your presence tonight, professor, whether I have your permission or not.”

“Call me Taehyung.” He takes a moment to reflect on the current situation versus the dynamic you had only minutes ago. “Why now? Why did you initiate—”

“My grades go above all else. I didn’t want to jeopardize any of that,” you answer. “And I also waited for your sake.”

“My sake? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were doing this to secure your grades,” he muses.

“Nothing boosts my ego like getting an A-plus based solely off my hard work,” you answer. “Fucking my hot professor is for my own personal pleasure.”

You description makes it sound so typical, just another everyday thing like washing the dishes. Are you using him? Deep inside, the thought of you using him arouses him. He wants to be used by you.

“You’re gorgeous,” he whispers, suddenly absorbed by you and the way you carefully orchestrated this interaction. How long did you think about this moment? Were you afraid of rejection?

“I know. Everyone likes me but I always want what I can’t have.” You wink. “Life’s more fun that way.”

Fun. “Enough talk. Let me see.”

“Yes, of course,” you stutter, caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. You don’t mind his demands or commanding tone. In fact, you invite them.

“Slide back,” he instructs you. “I want to see everything.”

You swallow and obey immediately, rising to pull your chair further away from the camera. You take the chance to slip off your sweatpants which leaves you in nothing but your underwear and tank top. Your underwear isn’t fancy but it’s what’s below that he’s interested in.

You lower yourself onto the seat, not bothering to keep your legs pressed together. You spread your knees slowly, as if your legs were a book with pages waiting to be read.

“Good. Open up more and show me how bad you want it,” he says. The smile in his voice urges you on.

Your hand creeps along the stretchy waistband of your underwear. The material works against you, forcing your wrist against your pelvis and the area you so desperately wish to touch. You have to be patient since you seek to milk this moment for as long as possible.

Your middle finger searches for any sign of dampness and you gasp when you find a small pool already built up at your core. When you look back at the monitor to see what he’d like you to do next, you watch as he adjusts himself into a similar position to yours.

“Your turn. Take off your shirt,” you instruct.

He raises his eyebrows. A mischievous smile dawns on his face. “Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“So demanding. That’s what got us here in the first place,” he remarks but proceeds to unbutton his shirt.

“I’m not afraid to go out and get what I want.”

“I know, and I admire you for it,” he says. His shirt begins to crinkle as he unbuttons lower and lower until eventually, the front parts to reveal his chest. His abs are soft and his warm honey skin looks smooth. You wonder what it would it taste like.

As he rolls up his sleeves, you observe every movement of his hands. They’re large. One of the first things you noticed about him when he spoke in class and lead discussions. You always wondered what his hands would look like if they were doing something else entirely... Now, your fantasies have come to life.

You force your jaw closed but he’s already caught you staring. “Like what you see?” he asks through his low lids.

“Oh, please. As if you don’t know you’re attractive as hell.”

A low laugh emerges from the man and you smile. If only you could bottle it up and keep it. When he reaches into his pants, you follow along, taking the slick from your finger up to your clit in one smooth stroke. You hum and bite at your lips to contain your reaction.

He shakes his head. “Don’t hide it. You sound beautiful.”

Your other hand starts to wander as you go to work on your clit. From your head to your chest, you seek something to ground you as your soft bud puffs with pleasure. No longer does it hide, tucked away beneath the crevices of your lips. You grind against it using your hand and a slow swivel of your hips from left to right.

“You’re doing so good. I’m so proud of you,” coos Taehyung. “Your body was made for this. For pleasure.”

The sight of him gripping the base of his cock is almost enough to send you over. A light glaze of sweat builds on your forehead but you make no effort to wipe it. Taehyung wishes to feel the heat of your body on his. It’s probably better than anything he could ever imagine.

Perhaps now more than ever, he longs for the days before the virus took over and broke everyone apart. He misses those times so much he could cry, especially since he took them for granted. At the same time though, he thinks about the effort those close to him have made to keep in contact. Even old friends he hadn’t spoken to in years called to catch up with him. His students have stuck out the most out of anyone. One or two of them don’t even own laptops but they show up to class on time and bring their A-game. He believes he should take a note or two from them.

As he studies you, the way you squirm in delight, and the way your body responds to the ministrations of your hand, a wave of relief washes over him. If it weren’t for these circumstances, he wouldn’t have had this moment with you.

“Taehyung,” you moan, bringing him back.

The sound of you calling his name shoots heat straight to his cock. With the precum glistening at the top, he grabs his cock and works the tip using his thumb. “Fuck. Look at what you do to me,” he groans at the sensitivity.

“Please,” you take in a breath and continue, “t-tell me more.”

If praise is what you want, praise is what you’ll get. “You’re so hardworking in everything that you do. Look at you now. Touching yourself just for me.”

“Yes, yes.” You moan as your fingers settle into the one position that feels like you’ve struck gold.

“How far inside can those fingers go? I bet you can put them in real deep.”

It’s as though your hands were waiting for his approval. You slip inside your clenching, gaping hole using two fingers. They slide in easily but the initial stretch is foreign since it’s been so long.

Taehyung groans and for the first time tonight, you begin to see him lose control. His cool exterior sinks into the pleasure of his hand—and of you—leaving him a sweaty, desirable mess. His hair sticks to his forehead and his stomach clenches with each stroke of his hand. He moves slowly, trying to match the pace of your hand. You pick up speed and allow your body to move against the rhythm of your hand. Your insides feel warm and soft and slippery. You close your eyes and imagine he’s the one fingering you with those gorgeous hands of his.

The rubber band of pleasure in your stomach begins to stretch. The squelch of your pussy grows louder with each passing second.

Taehyung is well-endowed but never did you imagine his dick would expand so much in length and girth. He could spear your pussy in one fell swoop, destroying your insides and anything else that gets in his way.

“Taehyung, I’m close,” you say with a sigh. You barely have the energy to speak.

“Fuck, me too,” he adds. “I’m almost there. Cum with me.”

His hand travels from base to tip and each part of the journey is smoother than the last. He massages each vein and ripple and moves even faster when he catches a glimpse of the uneven quiver of your thighs. Heat churns in his stomach and all he can do is chase it desperately. He needs it like oxygen, to breathe in the sight of you along with the pleasure of his nether regions.

The rubber band snaps. It strikes you in waves, each crash stronger the last. You let the waves overtake you and succumb to the burst of pleasure spreading through your limbs. You pull out your hand and clench around nothing as the sensitivity forces your legs closed.

Just when you thought things were over, Taehyung makes a request: “Taste it.”

You waste no time in taking your fingers to your mouth, gliding your tongue on the pads of your fingertips, and spreading the salty fluid in your mouth. All you can focus on is the heavenly sight of Taehyung coming. Each breath he lets out comes with a moan. You swear you can feel the vibration of his low voice against your own chest. His hair covers his eyes but you know they’re closed in pleasure. He intakes one sharp breath before it finally takes him over.

He can feel nothing but release. Release of stress. Release of work. Release of anything except you. As white spurts of cum squirt from his dick in a messy stream of strings, all you can think about is the beauty of his body.

“This was fun,” you admit with a smile. “I’m glad my attempt didn’t flop.”

“No, that would’ve been a huge mistake on my part.”

As you look down, your eyelashes brush the top of your cheeks and you bite your lip in anticipation. “I know I’m graduating and all, but we should do this again sometime. If you’re interested.”

He rests his elbows on his desk and brings himself closer to the camera. With his hand holding the side of his face, he takes in the sweet sight of you. “Did you enjoy it that much?”

“Oh yes. In fact, unlike some people, I’d give you an A-plus.”

#bts #bts smut #kim taehyung #fanfic #bts au fanfic #bts au fic #bts fic #bts au #bts taehyung #bts kim taehyung #taehyung x reader #Taehyung #jiminisnotavirgin #kim taehyung x reader #kim taehyung x you

[natewriteslol]

And There You Stayed

Part 2 of Just You and Me

Summary: Malleus realizes that the dream of Y/N the human is becoming a reality. Will the memories that he created crumble and fade to black just like last time? Or will they follow through, and life will fall into place.

A/N: I know some of you guys were heartbroken so I wrote you a happy ending

Y/N uses they/them pronouns

Warnings: none

Genre: Fluff and just a little bit of angst

tag list: @coffeeleafdepression, @magicpumpkin3, @puddingqueen-writes  

Part 1 of the fic! (ahfkfaad pls read otherwise the fic will just seem weird) 

It was still a week and a couple of days after the dream and Malleus had such a tough time forgetting you. Your touch, scent, smile, they way you laughed. He couldn’t believe that you were a figment of reality, and the horned man just wasn’t the same. Lilia, Silver and Sebek noticed the change in their master’s mood, but they didn’t want to dig and make him uncomfortable. Malleus was sad and way more aloof than usual, it was hard to approach him let alone fix. So, they let their master have his space. 

An organized meeting for the dorm leaders was meant to commence soon, talking about formalities since the school year had just started after all. And despite his melancholy, Malleus knew he had to attend. The meeting was quite boring, no one really talked to him as his frightening demeanor was even more intense when he was in this state. So he had just sat and listened. 

And that was when everything changed, the magic mirror vibrated and lit up. With great blinding light someone flew out of the magic mirror with a scream. It was a cat? Another scream rang out, flying out the magic mirror in the same fashion, except the silhouette looked human.

The beast talked with great blue flames surrounding it’s ears and tail. 

“Who the hell are you?! Get off of me you stupid human!” The voice of the cat said, as the human had toppled over the cat, both laying on the cold dark marble of the floor. 

“A talking cat?!” The human shrieked. 

“Yeah do you have a problem with that, human?” The cat asked angrily, floating in the air. The human had emerged from the darkness. 

It was them, from his dream.  

Every imperfection, every beautiful quality, Malleus had memorized them all. And there they were, right in front of him. 

This had sent him into a state of shock, the fae had just stood there. While everyone had tended to the new resident. Everything he had already predicted was happening. Enrolled as one student with the cat named Grim, placed in the abandoned Ramshackle dorm, defeating the overblotted dorm leaders. 

And your name, Y/N L/N. Flowed perfectly off the tongue. 

The only thing Malleus had gotten wrong, was that you didn’t come on the first day, but rather a few days after. It was insane and Malleus grew afraid. What if everything would fizzle out again? Revealing that it was a fantasy and nothing more. 

Yet something was different about this time. It was that he was experiencing more, different adventures that weren’t revealed in his dream, new conversations that made his love for Y/N grow even more. 

Like the one time he was reading peacefully in the courtyard only to see Y/N and the gang running away from a Giantess Froganza (Giant mutant frog). 

“HI MALLEUS! BYE MALLEUS!” you yelled before starting to scream and run away from the beast. Y/N had still managed to notice him, even in moments of terror. Yet without magic you had saved the day. Like the great hero that you were. 

The dream was a vague prophecy of love given to him. Malleus was hurt yet grateful, to feel insane for days but then given the gift of this human. They were silly, completely out of whack, but they were still so in sync with Malleus. A perfect fit into NRC, like a puzzle piece. 

Lilia had noticed Malleus’ behavior being soothed yet still alert. 

“Malleus, what is going on?” Lilia asked, gazing into his eyes. And that is all it took for him to spill out his secret. He felt embarrassed, thinking that Lilia was going to look at him with two heads. All Malleus’ feelings were out in the open. 

Lilia gave him a smile, “Oh Malleus, but don’t you know?” 

“Know what exactly?” Malleus asked, wanting his guardian to go on. 

“Dear, when faes get older they can earn new powers. Some stay forever, some only stay for a short while like yours,” Lilia answered. 

“And while it wasn’t completely accurate, and didn’t show everything. You had a prophetic vision, they typically happen when there is something of great importance coming. And from what I can tell, Y/N is incredibly important to you,” The elder fae said teasingly, making Malleus a little flustered. Lilia wasn’t wrong but that didn’t mean that he had to say it. Y/N made the horned man nervous undeniably, his heart skipping and his breath hitch whenever they spoke to him. 

“But please, rest easy. There is nothing to fear Malleus,” Lilia said. 

~

Malleus and Y/N were looking at the sunset while sitting on the roof of an ancient building of NRC. He confessed about his prophetic visions, he didn’t want to feel like a fool when around him despite getting reassurance from Lilia. Malleus didn’t tell them about him professing his love to them, he wasn’t ready for that yet. 

“I know it sounds quite unbelievable but-” 

“Malleus, I got chased by a gigantic frog,” they started, taking his hand into theirs. “You are a great and all powerful sorcerer. One of the most powerful people I know! That isn’t unbelievable or weird.” 

“But if something is bothering you, then you can tell me. I’ve got my arms wide open for you.”

~

It was summer, one of the last days to close Y/N’s first year at Night Raven College. The human decided to take a walk with Malleus feeling anxious, but they weren’t really sure what they were feeling apprehensive about. More and more time without being home, the feeling of being done with a school year or wanting to tell Malleus about how they felt. 

Was it a combination of all three? Most likely.

The human had felt a connection with him for a long time, and they didn’t know how long they had to keep it hidden within. So they decided, you know what? I’m gonna confess to this guy! With such great confidence, yet it fizzled around him in seconds.  

His eyes, so bright and mysterious. Of course everyone’s eyes were pretty different from what they’ve seen in the human world, but Y/N could gaze into specifically his all day. His lips, speaking in that beautiful voice with such proper language. The human remembered that one time they poked fun at Malleus with Sebek around. 

“I’m quite a royal, yes I am. The most powerful sorcerer among these humans” they said flamboyantly, closing their eyes and placing a hand on their forehead. 

“Stop making fun of the young master, you ignorant human!” Sebek boomed with anger in his voice. 

“Sebek, my loyal servant, you bark like a dog,” the human said, opening an eye to look at the angry fae. 

“That’s it!-” 

But in the background there came a snicker which emerged into one that was just a little bit louder, yet still soft. 

It was Malleus. Laughing? Admittedly, Sebek was a little jealous of Y/N for being able to make the young master laugh, especially since it was at his expense. But it put happiness in his heart that someone was able to make him happy. Not as a servant, but as a friend. 

 However, the green haired fae was still prepared to strangle you. 

~

The pair sat down on the grass, seeing the lights of fireflies around them. The human took Malleus’ hand into theirs all while staring at the lake in front of them.  

“Child of man” Malleus started, making you turn your attention to him. “When we were on the roof and I talked about my vision, I was not being completely honest.” 

“What do you mean?” you asked. 

“Well, I had left out a minor detail,” 

“We were on the bridge, and I had confessed to you” Malleus finally got out. “When I had finished, you told me to wake up. Everything had gone black and I was woken up by Lilia.”

“I had been very anxious about sharing this moment with you, Child of Man. I’m frightened that everything will fizzle out to black and not be real.” It was silence until, 

“Malleus, I love you-”

“Y/N, I love you-”

They both chuckled from them speaking at the same time. 

“Please go first, Y/N.” 

“Malleus, I really love you, you know. I’ve been crushing on you for so long. And I promise that we’re in reality,” you paused to look at the fae in his eyes. 

“I know you told me that you’re anxious to take on the future, and I’m the same. I don’t know what’s in store or what I’m going to do, but let’s be there for each other,” they finished, placing their palm against his pale face, smiling as you did. 

Malleus put his hand on Y/N’s face as well, pulling them into a deep kiss. And while his vision wasn’t one hundred percent correct, the moment the fae and human had shared was incredibly magical. 

“I have wanted to do that for a long time, Child of Man,” Malleus said, smiling cheekily. And there the pair stayed, conversing under the stars until you had to run from employees who had spotted them both. 

Careless, young and free. But most importantly together. 

As they had both promised each other.

#malleus x reader #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twst #twst x reader #twst malleus #twst x mc #twst x yuu

[whatifxwereyou]

The Oncoming Storm Part 2: Fire

Fandom: Mortal Kombat 2021

Liu Kang x Reader or Kung Lao x Reader

Summary: You wake up somewhere strange *again*. This time your underground and greeted by Liu Kang. For some reason you trust him, but why?

A/N: Have I mentioned I’m a huge fan of the slow burn? Whoops. I’ll let you guys know when the paths are branching between Lao/Liu. Thanks for reading and hope you keep enjoying! Also, thanks for coming to my TED talk.

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Warm flames flickered off brown-gray stone walls. Other than the burning flame to your right, the room was small and dark. There was no door and you could hear movement somewhere beyond its opening. I’m underground, you thought. The air smelled musty and it was so dry that your nose burned. Underground and maybe in the desert. You closed your eyes again quickly.

In your mind’s eye you pictured the small purple flower Kung Lao had given you in your youth. Frail and rare. Many flowers had grown in your hometown but purple had been a new and exotic color. You’d always been fond of it afterward. You’d never gotten the chance to tell Kung Lao that. For a time you had kept it pressed between the pages of your favorite book as a memorial to the boy who had been your best friend. You hadn’t thought about the flower in years. You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t thought about him.

The details of what happened were fuzzy. You remembered the fight in your shop and remembered waking up to the face of Kung Lao. It was still insane to think that the boy you’d thought dead was, in fact, alive and in good health. It was even crazier to think that he’d been the one to save you from the fire in your shop.

You shook away the memory lest it return you to the darkness of unconsciousness.

You were, again, in an unfamiliar bed but things were vastly different. You’d been cared for and changed into a modest dressing gown, judging by the soft but coarse material. This had likely been done by a health professional. You were certain that Kung Lao must have brought you somewhere to be helped. Then again, most hospitals you knew of weren’t underground and they certainly didn’t use these types of gowns. It wasn’t a hospital gown, more like the type of gown that would have been worn for bed in ages past. Long and thin, but warm. You pictured it off-white. The one you wore had no sleeves, most likely for ease of access since you’d been injured.

You had to decide if you should panic or not. If you looked around and saw a medical professional or Kung Lao then you would remain calm. If you didn’t then panic seemed the way to go. Opening your eyes again, you were relieved that the world didn’t spin and you weren’t nauseous. But there was no doctor and definitely no Kung Lao.

There was a different man in his place, unfamiliar, shorter in stature, his gaze focused on something other than you. He was dressed mostly in black, no sleeves (which seemed the fashion of this underground wherever), and a red sash tied around his middle. His demeanor was calm and quiet and in his left hand he clutched a string of prayer beads. His skin was dusted with soot or grease, you couldn’t tell. He looked as though he had been handling charcoal for hours. He was also surprisingly muscular.

And handsome. You wouldn’t deny that you’d admired him. His brow was knit with concern and as you shifted, he turned toward you. Brown eyes met yours with genuine concern and he held a hand up defensively. “Take it slow.” His voice was soothing but this was all too familiar.

A strange bed and a stranger next to it after having fallen unconscious. He was telling you how what to do and how to feel. Again. Not a chance! On the small table next to the head of the bed there was a bowl half-filled with water and some medical tools. The tool closest to you was a hook used for stitching up wounds. It wasn’t the best weapon but it was all you could reach. You sat upright quickly, snatched the hook, and moved far enough away from the stranger that you had room to breathe and could better gauge his intent and reactions.

But you had moved too quickly and suddenly there were ten of him as the room spun. You thought you might puke if he got any closer. That would get him away from you, probably better than the needle would. Much to your surprise, he laughed with the subtlest of smiles. The smile radiated more from his eyes amidst his worry than it did outwardly. “You’re surprisingly fast for someone who has been in and out of consciousness for over a week.”

“A… a week?” You stuttered and forced your vision to focus on the blurry version of him smiling in the middle. Thankfully, your brain obeyed and the room stopped spinning. He didn’t seem to pose you any threat. You could tell just by his smile. A smile that made him all the more handsome. The time that had passed was not important so you didn’t wait for an answer to your initial question. “Who are you? Where am I? And where is Kung Lao?” Those three things were at the top of your list now that you were thinking clearly. There were a hundred other questions you had about Mortal Kombat, the dragon mark on your back, and other realms but you figured those could come later. Dealing with the here and now; that was the right way to do it.

“I am Liu Kang.” He bowed his head, holding up his prayer beads as he did. “You are in Raiden’s Temple where the Order of Light gathers to protect Earthrealm. Kung Lao is off on an errand at Lord Raiden’s behest. I assure you that he did not wish to leave you but had little other choice.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, you leaned against the cool stone behind you. Answers, finally. “I’m Y/N. Thank you for answering my questions.”

“Kung Lao mentioned you would likely be defensive.” Liu Kang gestured to the bowl on the nightstand. “I have been caring for your wounds. I do not usually tend to the sick but I promised my cousin that I would see you were cared for.”

“Cousin?”

“Kung Lao. He is my brother. Not by blood but by bond.”

That was a relief. At least this complete stranger had a connection to the other near complete stranger that you’d met the last time you’d woken up in a strange place. Wait… hadn’t you gone blind? Setting the hook back down on the side table, you patted your face in search of a mark or wound that would have caused that. There was none. Liu Kang’s eyes were sparkling in amusement.

“The last thing I remember is losing my vision.” You explained.

“Yes, about that.” Liu Kang moved the hook back to its original place. “The men who attacked your shop were vicious and cruel warriors. They were gifted but squandered their gifts to satiate their greed, a thing that can never be sated. You did the world a favor by stopping them. However, the blades that wounded you were coated in a rare poison. It is lucky that Kung Lao found you and could bring you to us for treatment. The blindness was a temporary side effect of the poison.”

“Poison?” This was wild. That morning you’d been stocking your shop and had taught a class of ten-year-olds. Now you’d been attacked, killed a few men, and had been poisoned. Wild. You supposed, in reality, it had been over a week ago and not that morning. Whatever. You decided to take the blows as they came. Deal with the problems and insanity as it happened. It was the only way to keep a clear head.

“It took many days and much prayer but we bled the poison from your wounds. Now they should begin to heal.”

“I’m still stuck on the poison part of this story. Really? Who does that?”

“You must be very resilient, Miss Y/N. Even the mightiest of warriors poisoned so terribly would submit to death. You are a fighter.”

“Thanks… I think.”

Liu Kang bowed his head again respectfully. He was easy to talk to, you weren’t sure why. You’d been careful around Kung Lao but you found yourself immediately not careful around Liu Kang. There was an instant connection to him.

“I was ill as a child. It made me more resilient to sickness, perhaps.” You had been ill but it had been the kind of illness that parents sent their children away for, the kind where they couldn’t explain how their child saw or did things beyond their understanding. It had made you terribly sick and weak. Why were you telling him this? It’d slipped out of your mouth without permission from your lips.

“I have not met many who would credit childhood illness for their resilience.”

“Perhaps I’m more stubborn than most. I’ve been told I have thick skin. The kids would tease me for being different. I was told that I would never be strong. I would never catch up. Never be normal. I didn’t like that word, not even as a kid.”

“Which one?”

“Never.”

That subtle smile again. Damn, it was attractive.

“I’m sorry.” You laughed with an apologetic bow of your own. Your head spun and you mentally cursed your politeness. “I didn’t mean to say all that. It just slipped out.”

“It’s no problem. I would like you to continue your story if you would.”

“Only if you’re certain.”

“I assure you that I’m not merely being polite.” There was something genuine about his words, as if he considered them carefully before he spoke. Perhaps Kung Lao had warned him about you. Or perhaps he was just careful. Your first instinct had been to jump at them both. It was their every right to be defensive but you couldn’t be blamed either. “How did you overcome your illness?”

“I fought. I worked harder than most did just to be on the same level as everyone else. I grew out of my sickness with age and thanks to my hard work I became stronger than most. After that I dedicated my life to teaching others to become strong, to be more than the ‘never’ we’re told we’ll be.”

“Admirable.” Liu Kang seemed as relieved as you had been upon discovering he was not there to hurt you. Maybe he’d been worried about your intent too. “It is nice to have another worthy of their marking.”

“The dragon mark?”

“Yes.”

“About that…”

“Do you know why you are here?”

“Kung Lao said something about being chosen because of the mark but I’m guessing that the mark only came to me because I killed those men. Am I right? It had to belong to one of them. It’s less like I was chosen and more like… I stole it.”

“Yes. Did Kung Lao tell you? He said you wouldn’t understand.”

“I assume that he would have told me but then I went blind. As you can imagine, I no longer cared much about the mark after that.” You laughed and so did Liu Kang. His laugh was quiet and genuine. It made you smile far more than should have been allowed. His joy was as comforting as the flickering light of the candle on the side table. “I didn’t have the mark that morning. I can only assume that was when I got it. Weirder things have happened so it was as good a guess as any.”

“Your intuition is remarkable.”

“What happens next?”

“For now you heal.” Liu Kang gestured to your arms. The gauze wrapped around your forearms was stained with blood even though the dressings looked fresh. You didn’t feel any pain. Either you’d been given good drugs to deal or adrenaline was protecting you. “You are in no condition to begin training. Lord Raiden has been told about you. I am keeping him informed on your condition.”

“So, you’re my babysitter.”

“I prefer caretaker. But yes.”

“If it’s been a week and I’m still bleeding like this then I have a feeling it could take awhile to heal. Can I learn more in the meantime? About any of this? I don’t want to just sleep and sit around doing nothing. I don’t know anything about this place and I know very little about the Order of Light. And I definitely don’t know anything about this mark or Mortal Kombat.” Liu Kang seemed surprised, but pleasantly so, as if this were something he’d greatly desired to hear.

“You really want to learn more?” He smiled brightly. You nodded. “The masters have trained me for years in matters of Mortal Kombat and the protection of Earthrealm. I would be happy to teach you if you would allow me.”

“I would be delighted to have the company, Liu Kang.” You very much meant that.

“I have some work to do around the temple but we can start this evening.”

“Perfect.”

Next Chapter >>

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat 2021 #kung lao #liu kang #liu kang x reader #kung lao x reader #fanfic #drabble #fluff #mk movie #arcana #female reader #reader insert #liu kang x you #kung lao x you #drama #romance #fanfiction #ludi lin #max huang #liu kang/you #kung lao/you #the oncoming storm #angst #mortal kombat fanfiction #mortal kombat fanfic #slow burn

[sprawa-przybyszewskiej]

Ekphrasis in The Danton Case, Thermidor, and their adaptations

Ekphrasis is invoking a piece of visual media into a literary piece. It can be done for a variety of reasons, from entirely pragmatic (mostly grounding the literature in reality - if the invoked piece is a real piece of art, one you could find in a museum, for example) or more poetic (drawing some symbolic meaning between the piece of art and the idea behind the text).

In Przybyszewska's plays ekphrasis is nonexistent, at least on the foreground. I don't recall any clearly established visual, given to the readers by the original author. It's not weird in any way - how many pieces of medai do you recall which refrain from its sophisticated and additional piece of subtext and iformation? Hundreds, probably. The only other artistic thing that she has weaved into her plays is La Marseillaise, which is invoked twice in The Danton Case. There are also three book references to Othello, Orlando furioso and this one book Robespierre summarizes to Saint-Just when he's talking about hatred (but of which I have no idea if it's a real one - it probably is - or not). Other than that - nothing, plus the books count only a little, forekpfrasis should be, as I said, visual in nature.

Of course, the historical aspect of her works is what grounds them in our reality, and so cleverly, too (seeing as they're not really historical plays in any way or form, but manage to fool most anybody). And thanks to her extensive stage directions, we have no need of any additional element helping us visualize the scenes, for she does it perfectly enough on her own.

However, seein as these are plays calls for a mirror ekpfrastic effect and thus theatrical and cinematographical adapations are born. And they, on the other hand, have a potential to be filled to the brim with visual refernces. Here I would like to have a look at a few, which are taken from one of the most well known staging and the famous Wajda movie (plus some). In no particular order, there goes:

This is the very first scene of a controversial theatre adaptation of The Danton Case. Instead on portraying Robespierre as a firm leader, who only in the very end collapsed temporarily under the huge responsibility he now had to bear, the director decided to portray him as someone physically weak, not in the sense Danton meant when he called him a weakling, but in the sense of somebody who already bears so much responsibility, pain, physical ailments, doubts and whatnot. Just: everything, everythin a human could possible deal with, he deals with, and has to do so in a way that doesn't make people suspiscious about his "shortcomings". There is a interesting parallel between him and Saint-Just, whose upright and unbreakeable character is symbolised by a neck braces, something which people wear after a spine endangering accidents - and incidentally, wasn't it Saint-Just who accused Robespierre of "breaking his spine"? But not in this adaptation, oh no - here their very last scene is cut extremely short and they recite the last few sentences along with some Thermidor lines as two floating heads, a vision into the future which awaits them.

Enough about Saint-Just, though, let's focus on Robespierre and Marat. I must admit I know next to nothing about him, only what some passage here and there in this or that historical study might tell me, but I know, as does everybody, that he was known as L'ami du Peuple, which is why of the reasons, I think, why the director took this image and transposed it onto Robespierre: to make him even more likeable, to show for the umpteenth time that it is Robespierre whom we should cheer on and whom we should feel sorry for. This might also be a parallel between their both's tarnished health, their premature deaths and - last but not least - the role of an icon of the Rvolution both of them play in nowadays' audience's minds. You don't have to study history to knowwho Robespierre was, you don't have to study art to know this painting. Even if you don't agree with some more in-depth explanation of linking this person to this painting, it is a good opening image. It captures our attention in a good way.

I had mention Saint-Just and there he is, in the background of the picture, symbolically assisting Danton and his clique in their last moments. Instead of shwoign them in torn shirts, the director went into another direction altogether and enshrouded them in white sheets from heads to toes, making them all look like very stereotypical ghosts, whom they will all become in just a couple of moments.

In Polish culture, the first thing that comes to mind when talking about ghosts is Dziady, an old slavic tradition that is now replaced with the Catholic All Souls Eve. Dziady is no longer, apart from perhaps some small minorities who still practice old pagan faiths, but as a ritual, they are immortalised in a play by Adam Mickiewicz, undoubtedly the greatest Polish poet ever. Everybody know this play, some scens - by heart, and they were and are being staged pretty much constantly from one point on. Needless to say, they inspire a lot of art, and I decided to show this very fmous poster by the most famous Polish poster designer, Franciszek Starowieyski…

…who is important in this case, because he played David in Wajda's movie.

Not many people know - because his other carreer overshadowed by a lot his first one - that Wajda was a painter. Who actually hated his art, some of his pieces are in the national museum of contemporary art in Łódź alongside stars such as Władysław Strzemiński (the hero of Wajda's very last movie), which is a fact he absolutely detested. I dont know, nor do I care, why was that, because what matters is his previous education as an artist at the very least helped him not only to envision the visuals of the movie, but also acquainted him with great works of art. On which he could model this or that setup. I think it's a nice little detail he catsed Starowieyski as David, a real painter acting as another real painter, it adds a layer of reality onto the movie, and presumably makes for a more natural acting in the few scenes he was in his studio (I also think they look alike).

Speaking of David's studio, I once stumbled upon a lecture which drew parallels between some scenes in the movie and some paitings, which was mostly focused on character and costume design, and truth be told didn't contribute much to the overall watching experience of Danton. However, I must admit the lecturer had a very good eye in this one particular case, in which he pointed out that this quick shot in David's studio pretty obviously invokes the Fussli's The Artist's Despair Before The Grandeur Of Ancient Ruins. I don't think it's a coincidence (or at the very least, would be funny if it were) this shot is shown during the scene where Robespierre starts to grasp at desperate measures to save the country/save his own face in the trial. It is an artist's despair, only artist of a different kind. And it is a despair when being faced with a (possible) ruin of something great, even if its greatness is not yet formed, as opposed to the greatness passed.

The very last example I was able to think of was this photo I found of The Danton Case from 1975. It is one of those old, very classical (I presume) adaptations, which are mostly filled to the brim with riddiculosly attractive people and very often deliberately drew from other sources of artistry, like the one pictured above. No matter what the real relationship between Louise Danton and her husband was, in the play it is portrayed as something atrocious, and I cringe whenever directors try to make it something else without good reasons for doing so, so I am very glad in the past at least they stuck with classicaly depicted acts of violation against women, not because it is a violation, but because in the classical stories (like the myth of Persephone shown in the sculpture above) the woman will usually get her revenge. Just like Przybyszewska's Louison did.

Thank you for bearing with me until the end, and if you have any other examples of this come to your mind, I compel you to share them with me!

List of pieces of art in the order of their appearance:

Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat

Franciszek Starowieyski, Dziady

Jacques-Louis David, Self-portrait

Heinrich Fussli, The Artist's Despair Before The Grandeur Of Ancient Ruins

Gianlorenzo Bernini, The Rape Of Persephone

#Stanisława Przybyszewska #stanislawa przybyszewska #andrzej wajda #the danton case #sprawa dantona #thermidor #jan klata #jerzy krassowski #jacques louis david #heinrich fussli #gianlorenzo bernini #art #ekphrasis #franciszek starowieyski #painting #sculpture #ekfraza #rzeźba #sztuka #Ekphrasis is my current hobby so I had to pull this together

[bangtan-pugh-bug]

Scott Lang x reader

Chapter 16

Warnings: none except swearing as usual

I hope you enjoy this, I’m sorry for not updating this for what feels like ages. I’ve been at uni and very distracted. I’ve also been insecure about my writing being shit but oh well. Enjoy :) and let me know if you want to be added to my taglist

The controversy had swayed slightly in your favour. Finally people had begun to question why a certain ex Mrs Lang knew so much about a young, non celebrity girl and how fucked it all was (except fucked was not the word the media had used). There was a significant less amount of tension between everyone in the tower. Stephen, to no ones surprise, had been right. The media would move on.

You watched Scott take his second phone call of the morning, coffee in hand and Antony flying close by. ‘Hank needing you again?’ He nodded before continuing to listen intently. The kitchen swarmed with hungry Avengers, struggling to find the space not to bump shoulders while they buttered toast, fried eggs and poured milk into hideous neon bowls. Peter’s choice. The kid had questionable taste on a good day.

‘Y/N!’ Toast crumbs flew out of the boys mouth as he made his way over to you. Since his growing worries about his ‘beautiful’ MJ, you’d been spending more time together. He irritated you, sure, but he was one of the sweetest people you’d ever made friends with. Scott treated him like a son, when he wasn’t too busy, and you found yourself feeling sisterly towards him. Plus it was an excellent distraction from the controversy.

Peter smiled like someone with more than just good news on their mind. ‘I asked her out! I did it!’ He was beaming from ear to ear. You listened, as everyone else continued eating and chatting, to the hard to follow story of how Peter asked his girl out. Finally. You asked the usual questions ‘Were you nervous?’ ‘Did you pick a date?’ ‘Did she say she had a problem with dating a senior who takes the term web design to a whole new level?’. The answer was no to all except the second. (That weekend would be the date).

‘So you’ll be missing my birthday.’

Everyone stopped what they were doing immediately. What the fuck. You’d never once heard Stephen Strange mention his birthday. Whenever Tony or yourself had asked if he wanted to do anything he’d clammed up. Of course Tony or the Vision could easily find out the exact date but why bother if he didn’t want to celebrate?‘You want to celebrate… your birthday?’ You questioned the wizard.

‘Isn’t that what humans are supposed to do?’

‘You’re hu-OW!’

You kneed Peter under the table. ‘Of course he is.’ which earned you a suspiciously warm smile from Strange. Scott ended his phone call to ask Peter a hundred questions about MJ, which you found sweet, whilst Tony and Nat grilled the poor wizard about presents and venues.

Then came the third ring from Scott’s phone. ‘Hank’s desperate huh?’ Nat asked innocently, not noticing the look Tony saved just for your eyes. Pity. The man was bored and making up problems for his peers. It was no secret that Tony hadn’t been expanding much recently. The swimming pool had been a time waster so he didn’t have to think about Iron Man. You didn’t blame him. You were the queen of procrastinating but the government didn’t rely on you to protect Earth.

‘So denial it is?’ Wanda sniggered, pulling you aside as the kitchen was too busy. Scott was mere metres away, sounding more and more stressed down the phone, what the fuck was wrong? Whatever was happening was pressing. Dangerous? Too dangerous to tell you about because it would put YOU in danger? Maybe…

‘No.’

‘Okay..’

‘Don’t- don’t do that.’

‘I’m not doing anything. What’s Scott doing?’

‘I. Don’t. Know.’

‘Exactly.’

Shit- no not shit. It was fine. If Scott needed to tell you something important he fucking would.

RING RING

He would.

Stephen was still being laden with birthday questions just looked amused in his overly formal suit. It was a good look on him, you thought, blue. ‘I don’t need balloons and I don’t need flowers.’ You heard as you left. ‘But Sir, I’ve read that real flowers give humans significant increase in serotonin.’

You went to your room for some much needed peace. Scott was busy, Tony was acting more strange than usual and Thor was still devouring breakfast food at lightning speed. The tv in your room hadn’t gotten much use since you and Scott only used the bedroom for sex or sleep. It deserved some love too.

‘I know. It’s hard to narrow down isn’t it?’

You jumped at the sound of Stephen’s voice because frankly he was the last person you expected in your room. He’d never gone in before and you’d only seen his once. Once when you had your infamous drunken make out session. ‘You scared the shit out of me.’ Normally you would have laughed but Tony and Wanda had gotten in your head. Wanda quite literally.

‘Really? Me?’ He clutched his chest as if hurt. Not a lot of people saw Stephen’s funny side but you did. ‘Did you want something?’ You asked him after hesitating. ‘I kind of wanna be alone for a bit.’ To spare his feelings you masked your honesty with a forced chuckle that promised ‘I’m not being rude but please leave’. Your message was only partially received.

‘I don’t think you want to be alone. You just want me to leave you alone.’

‘Getting more and more true.’

Your tone seemed pointed even to you, which came as a surprise. You could feel yourself getting more irritated but it wasn’t at Stephen. It wasn’t his fault the media was after you and Scott. It wasn’t his fault everyone thought your relationship was a joke and you spent all of your time worrying if you and Scott were on the same page. Who’s fault was any of it?

‘From your tone I think it’s safe to say Scott hasn’t said “I love y-‘

‘It’s nothing to do with you!’

Your reply came out as more of an angry shriek than you intended but the man was pushing all the wrong buttons at the worst time. The following silent moments were filled by your conscious decision to say nothing in that way again. ‘I’m sorry,’ Stephen, seeing the instant change in your tone and body language thought it safe to sit beside you. ‘I don’t want to be angry and I’m not angry at you.’

Stephen cleared his throat and flirted with the idea of placing a hand on your shoulder. He decided not to. ‘I understand why you are Y/N. I’m quick to anger too.’

‘I’m not usually!’ You snapped instantly, causing Stephen to raise his eyebrows at your lousy defence. However it was true. You’d never felt this raw and emotional since meeting Scott. He made everything heightened. It was almost too much.

‘Stephen,’ the two of you looked up to the source of the sound. ‘Can I have Y/N back?’ Scott chuckled and your heart lifted, although you didn’t appreciate the implication that Stephen had ‘had’ you. The stupidly tall wizard made a ‘of course’ gesture with his hand and you shot him a thank you smile before running to Scott. It didn’t matter that you’d only just seen him that morning, you felt as if the two of you hadn’t spent much quality time together since Hank’s phone calls and Peter’s queries to you. In the day at least.

‘What do you want to do?’ You beamed at Scott, knowing he knew you wanted him all to yourself. ‘Drive?’ He kissed you with surprising force, as if he thought you were a mirage that would disappear if he didn’t try to consume some part of you quickly. It made you certain that Stephen was rolling his eyes.

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#marvel #marvel fandom #paul rudd #scott lang #antman #fan fic writer #Scott Lang x reader #Scott Lang fanfiction #Scott Lang fan fic #Scott Lang slow burn #slow burn #antman x reader #Scott Lang x you #avengers #Peter Parker