okay. thinking. but a large contributing factor to why clara & even are never going to get along is that clara’s perception of even is just. wrong. not through any fault of her own; she’s literally not being given a vital piece of context aka Even Comes From A Fucking Spaceship.

after donna gets her memory wiped, the only people left who know this are the doctor (found them), jack harkness (onboard the tardis at some point prior to them picking a name and got curious), and the master (did Not ask for like 3 years of time hell, also assuming they were from earth, until they mentioned it offhandedly and made him pout in a corner of the tardis for an hour because you mean to say he’s been insulting that planet to their face for years and their lack of reaction wasn’t offense or hurt or anything because they don’t even think of it as their planet??? all that wasted time???) Clara doesn’t know. The Doctor never thinks it’s pertinent to bring up, Missy doesn’t bother, and Even. doesn’t like her.

so, to Clara, even is whoever came before her, is someone the doctor picked up and who couldn’t keep up or else they’d still be traveling with him instead of clara. even’s lack of attachment to the idea of humanity as a whole (like, say, in finding it a reasonable plan to use the dead to create cybermen because they’re just bodies at that point, just unused resources, and helping missy to that end) comes off as cold and callous rather than a very practical worldview formed by their original circumstances. their slowly rediscovered delight at simple things on earth becomes childish under a kind eye or fake under a suspicious one. Clara’s judgements would be sound, especially considering Even’s insistence on staying with Missy, except for all the history behind their decisions that Clara isn’t privy to.

and that’s really the crux of it, i think. that even’s history with the doctor is an unknown that clara makes assumptions about because she can’t actually see it. and even’s resentment of clara lies in how much they can see of her and the doctor, how much they understand about why he’d pick her, and that that. hurts. to be on the outside of.

Literally don't know if it's my lack of self confidence or anxiety that's giving me intrusive thoughts. I've always wanted to write for BoB but never did. It wasn't ever an issue or anything I just kind of enjoyed the fandom from afar. Since seeing Masters of the Air trailer I've been inspired but underwhelmed by self doubt. I want to make OCs and participate in this fandom when the show airs but feel I will be mocked or critiqued if I don't research the history of the period or get something wrong. I'm not academic. I'm just about the blorbos. But the BoB fandom strikes me as hugely intellectual and the fic is always immaculate and we'll researched even stuff that is made up is feasible because of the research. I feel masters of the air is gonna follow the same pattern and I feel intimidated. I'm stopping before I'm starting. I don't want to enjoy the fandom from afar but I don't want to put the legwork in to make a fic historically accurate. But I don't want people jumping on me for being so ignorant. I don't even know what or where I can get face claims from that era to use. I guess this is a cry for help

Kind Anonymous Friend, you come sit over here by me and let's talk.

First, let's start with one thing - there's no right or wrong way to be in a fandom. Fandoms need readers and observers just as much as they need writers, and just by you being here, and being willing to listen and talk, you are valuable, and you are part of the community. Please do not underestimate that.

Second, that's great that you're feeling inspired! That should be celebrated and held close! Even if you do nothing with that idea, if nothing comes from it, that's still valuable too.

I was like you once; I watched Band of Brothers and I didn't come back to write anything for it for nine years, because just like you I was really intimidated.

Every writer likes something different, and does this work for different reasons. The research part is fun for me, so I do a lot of it. (It's me! I am part of the problem!) I know of plenty of authors who care much more about the emotional feel of the thing and couldn't care less about historical facts. You have to figure out what makes sense for you - and it sounds like you already have. Knowing yourself, and your reason for being here, is a great thing. Hold on to that. That's important.

On the flip side of this, every reader likes something different. I'm sure there are some people who think my approach is total bunk - and that's okay!! And I know that there are people who really don't care for the original character approach; thankfully some of those people are still on speaking terms with me even if they don't necessarily like what I do. Not everyone is going to read everything - what matters is that your people find your fic.

I think if you're open about what your process is, or why you're here, people will be more likely to appreciate what you have to offer, or know that while you're a nice person, they're unlikely to enjoy your story and give others the space to appreciate it in peace. I know that's certainly been the case with me.

I think if anxiety about sharing or being mocked is a big deal for you - and it sounds like it is - maybe sharing some of your ideas in, say, a smaller group of friends could be a good idea. And nothing says you have to be public with your ideas at all. Maybe they're just for you. That's okay, too.

And to your last point regarding face claims - there is no right or wrong way to make an OC. I personally think faceclaims are overrated. Most of my characters don't have them.

I hope this helps. I'm giving you a reassuring back-rub and wishing you good luck -and if you need to DM someone, you know where to find me. I believe in you.

Stranger Things Rebel Robin (Book and Podcast) Review (Part 1 of 2)

WARNING: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS from the book and podcast!

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are regarding the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 3 of 3)

NOTE: If you would like to listen to "Surviving Hawkins," the companion podcast to Rebel Robin, you can find all 6 episodes here.

Synopsis: As Robin struggles to survive her sophomore year of High School, she becomes desperate to break free from the viciousness of high school conformity and her depressing living situation in Hawkins. To this end, she forms an escape plan to travel to Europe (which she calls "Operation Croissant") and becomes determined to get both the money for her trip and a companion to travel with her. However, as she attempts to accomplish these goals, she begins to discover things about herself, and the people around her, that leaves her woefully unprepared for how to deal with her situation............

Observations:

I've talked before in previous reviews about which comics and tie-in novels I've enjoyed, and which I haven't. However, the one that really connected with me on a personal level was Rebel Robin. Both the book and the podcast. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since this is a coming-of-age story about someone finding their own identity in a world that values forced conformity over individualism, and is also about coming to terms with one's own sexual orientation while growing up in a town that's deeply homophobic.

I should know: I lived Robin's story in my own way.

Those of you who follow my blog know I identify as gay (my username is literally titled TheGayHimbo), but I've never really gone into my own experiences about living in denial for years regarding my attraction to men (which might have actually saved my life in high school), how I dealt with homophobia and bullying (even as an adult) and how I tried playing the same game Robin initially does of trying to "fit in" to survive before growing disillusioned and staging my own rebellion when it became clear there would always be people out there who would never accept me as I am.

This book, and the podcast, hit a lot of personal nerves. That's not a bad thing because both were not only excellent, but also managed to perfectly capture what it's like growing up as an LGBT+ teen and constantly putting up with bullshit on top of that. It also does a great job encapsulating that feeling of desiring to escape the place you've been raised in for most of your life, and wanting to explore the world. I had the same dream Robin had as a teenager of leaving the United States and traveling to Europe. Unfortunately, it's only been in the last 2 years that I've finally made that dream a reality. Maybe it's for the better though since I'm a lot more wiser about the world than I was at the age of 17.

But I'm getting ahead of myself: Let's talk about the book and the podcast.

Part 1: Robin's Journey

Do you remember Mrs. Click's history class? Mrs. Clickity-Clackity? That's what us band dweebs called her. It's was first period, Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you were always late. And you always had the same breakfast: Bacon, egg, and cheese on a sesame bagel. I sat behind you. Two days a week for a year. Mister Funny. Mister Cool. The King of Hawkins High himself. Do you even remember me from that class? Of course you don't. You were a real asshole, you know that?.......... But it didn't even matter. It didn't matter that you were an ass. I was still.....obsessed with you. Even though all of us losers pretend to be above it all, we still want to be popular, accepted.......normal.

Do you remember what I said about Click's class? About me being jealous, and like, obsessed? It isn't because I had a crush on you. It's because............she wouldn't stop staring at you. Tammy Thompson. I wanted her to look at me.

Both of these conversations Robin has with Steve in season 3 are what make up a good chunk of the plot of Rebel Robin: Her infatuation with Tammy Thompson. Her dislike of Steve (a lot of it rooted in preconceived notions about him). Figuring things out about herself and how she relates to Hawkins and the world around her.

The way the book is written reminds me of the type of John Hughes movies that came out in the 80s: Sixteen Candles (which is one of the films that plays at the theater Robin initially works at), The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc. All of these were stories focused on teenage identity, questioning high school stereotypes, rebelling against conformity and authority, and characters coming to terms with hard truths about themselves. The big difference here is that the book looks at these themes through a queer perspective, as well as the self-esteem issues that come with growing up in a homophobic environment.

For most of the book, Robin doesn't really put together that she likes girls. She's constantly infatuated with Tammy Thompson, but she tries framing it in her head as being interested in Tammy only because she's a nice person who's passionate and has a lovely voice. Robin also can't understand why Tammy would be interested in Steve when he barely has any interest in her.

When it finally does hit her that she's attracted to Tammy, she's completely caught off-guard by the epiphany since she's always pegged herself as a logically-thinking person:

This isn't something rooted in logic though, but emotion. I would even argue Robin's initial ignorance about her sexuality was a defense mechanism. Her whole conflict in the book is about trying to survive Hawkins High and blend in so that no one notices her. In the podcast, when she's talking with Mr. Hauser (who's one of the only people at that point who knows Robin's secret and figured it out before she did), she tells him that she deliberately makes herself average and uninteresting because it's the best camouflage. Those who try to be different don't last long, and get eaten up by the metaphorical monster that is "forced conformity" in Hawkins. Robin has seen that with Sheena Rollins, the girl everyone bullies because she's odd (which is sadly similar to the bullying El is subjected to in season 4 by Angela and the students of Lenora High School). Even though there are moments Robin considers stepping in on Sheena's behalf, she's either held back by her so-called friends, or she becomes worried that her intervening is just going to make things worse for Sheena (which, again, is similar to what happens when a teacher intervenes on El's behalf in season 4, and Angela later punishes El for it by publicly humiliating her at Rink-O-Mania).

Side Note: Whenever I see fans make stupid excuses for bullies like Angela by claiming they're children who aren't responsible for their behavior, and it was the lack of adults that's to blame, I wonder if those morons ever factor in how certain adults (like Miss Garvey here) enable people like Angela and other kids to become vicious brats BECAUSE they refuse to step in. When Robin is forced to take the bus later after her parents freak out over Will and Barb's disappearance, there are several instances (in both the book and podcast) where Robin is catcalled and harassed by other guys, and yet the bus driver refuses to do anything about it because they don't care to. "It was the lack of adults" my ass. 🙄

For me, growing up as a gay man who was also in denial about his sexuality for years (similar to Robin), I never had to deal with bullying when I was in high school. I was raised in a Conservative/Republican suburban neighborhood, and in a church that had an anti-homosexual stance, but I never got subjected to the vicious cruelty that Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, El, and Sheena were put through. For the most part, our high school cracked down hard on bullying, and I was never made to feel unsafe when I went there. I was even an AP student and never received grief for it, which is why I find it depressing when Robin tries justifying to Mr. Hauser in the podcast that she won't do AP classes because she wants to go unnoticed. She's lowering herself for people who don't care about her. I know I grew up in a different time period from Robin, and haven't had the same exact experiences she's had, but I have been in her position before of shrinking myself for others, and it is painful.

The irony is it wasn't until later in my life, when I finally accepted myself as homosexual and was moving through college and adulthood, that the homophobia and bullying I got subjected to started.

There are plenty of examples I could give, but one particularly disgusting instance I remember came from a Reddit user who intentionally went out of her way to target me on multiple occasions because I was gay (and because she saw me as an SJW) and did everything in her power at the time to diminish me, make me feel bad about my sexuality, and repeatedly tried to gaslight me into thinking there was something wrong with me. Unfortunately, she is still active online to this day, and continues the same cycle of bullying, belittling others, mocking people for caring about social issues, and then hypocritically positioning herself against bullying. Despite being reported multiple times for her behavior (which continues to be as bigoted and nasty as ever), the Sitewide Administration for Reddit has refused to do a damn thing about it (which I guess shouldn't be surprising since they've also kept up the accounts of users who've literally told others to kill themselves). This happened years ago when I was still new to the internet (having been sheltered from online discourse prior to attending college) and didn't have the skills set and knowledge at the time to deal with condescending assholes like her. I have avoided this user since, and I want nothing to do with her (or Reddit for that matter), but it's experiences like this which have hardened me and made me cynical about people and life in general.

On an unrelated note, it's why I have no sympathy for Angela when El finally has enough of her bullying and smashes her face in with a roller-skate. I don't usually condone violence, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't get some dark satisfaction in seeing this moment:

Cry me a river of blood and tears, sweetheart. You deserve it.

Getting back to the review, having read this book and listened to the podcast, I related stronglym with Robin during this. I also grew to appreciate Mr. Hauser. He's the one who encouraged Robin to be herself and not let the small-mindedness of other people keep her down. He's the one who supported her plan to travel to Europe (Operation Croissant) and encouraged Robin to find a companion to go with her because he understood that happiness and memories are better shared with others. There's a very powerful scene in the podcast when Robin is at a low point, having come to believe there's something wrong with her, and Mr. Hauser firmly reassures her that she isn't broken and that she doesn't need to change herself for others.

Hearing that, especially as someone who deals with anxiety and depression on a daily basis, nearly moved me to tears.

I wish there were others out there who had a Mr. Hauser in their lives. I met mine on Tumblr years ago, and I'm grateful to know her. If she's reading this, she knows who she is. :)

I should mention at this point that the companion podcast for the book only covers a specific part of the novel (i.e. Chapters 15-29) and they mostly focus on the conversations between Robin and Mr. Hauser that aren't in the book. They're deep conversations about what it's like living in Hawkins, how the books they're reading relate to their current situations, discussions about other characters like Steve, Barb, and Will, having to work in a rigid system that focuses on molding people into becoming productive members of society, and so on. All of it is wrapped in a mystery surrounding Mr. Hauser that Robin begins to piece together.

I read the book first before I listened to the podcast, so I already had the twist regarding Mr. Hauser spoiled, which made the build-up to the mystery feel redundant. I'm sure the podcast is meant to be listened to at the same time you're reading the book, but I don't think it truly matters which order you go in. Even if you haven't read the book or listened to the podcast, it is EXTREMELY EASY to figure out what Mr. Hauser's secret is. If you've been paying attention to what I've been talking about in this review, you've likely figured it out for yourselves.

In any case, it makes what happens to Mr. Hauser later all the more heartbreaking.

It's also the reason why Robin finally has enough when her plans get derailed, and she finally goes full Rebel Robin: She's sick of trying to survive. She's sick of confining herself to a box for people who either don't care for her, want to use her for their own self-serving purposes (i.e. her former friend Dash), or will criticize her no matter what she does. She also realizes that, for all of her scheming on Operation Croissant, it wasn't going to fix her problems:

I can relate. Recently, I got back from a trip to Italy and Greece. While I had a fun time (and brought back some nice souvenirs and pictures), the issues I've had for years didn't magically go away either. Running away doesn't fix your problems, and sometimes you have to face hard truths if you want to move on. I'm still getting there, and I'm glad Robin was able to get there as well.

The climax of this book comes off as a combination of 10 Things I Hate About You, National Lampoon's Animal House, and Mean Girls: It takes place at a school dance, there's a lot of wacky shenanigans that involve damaged property, a sleazebag who's been the antagonist for most of the story rightfully gets humiliated, and there's some kind of reconciliation. Robin doesn't exactly get what she wants (and her behavior is what causes her to end up working alongside Steve Harrington at Scoop's Ahoy), but she does get catharsis and a special moment where she can be herself with someone who also understands her. After spending most of the book wishing for that, it's at least something for her to hold onto.

Part 2: Robin's Relationship With Other Characters

We get to meet Robin's parents in this novel, who are both hippies from the counterculture movement of the 60s. Robin notes that both of them have traveled around most of their lives (which is one of the reasons she's inspired to create Operation Croissant and travel to Europe), they both have other hippie friends who've been on their own exciting adventures, they are relaxed in their parenting of Robin (to the point Robin admits to feeling like the adult in the family), and they taught Robin to question authority and not trust the government (which comes into play for her during her later adventure with Steve, Erica, and Dustin). However, when Will and Barb disappear, they end up becoming a lot more strict with Robin, confiscating her bike and forcing her to take the bus for her own safety.

While Robin is unhappy, it's understandable why they act like this, and it was absolutely the right call considering what was going on at the time. There's even a scene where Robin has a near encounter with the Demogorgon on the night Will disappears, and only barely avoids the monster:

On top of that, when her parents accidentally discover Robin's plans to run away to Europe, they're rightfully upset about it. They make a bunch of incorrect assumptions, but at the same time, this situation was avoidable if Robin had sat down with her parents beforehand and trusted them with what she was planning. I know Robin tries to justify to herself why she didn't, but even though I wanted Robin to explore Europe, I also understand why her parents reacted the way they did. Robin did not think all aspects of her plan through. If I had pulled what she almost did where I ran away during high school and only called my parents once I reached Paris, I know EXACTLY how that would have gone: Not well.

This book also reveals that Robin used to be friends with Barbara Holland back in grade school, only for them to drift apart later. There were certain factors, from Barb hanging out with Nancy more, to Barb becoming more of an overachiever in academics whereas Robin did not, but it wasn't anything bad that ended their friendship. When Barb disappears, Robin constantly projects this idea that Barb managed to get away from Hawkins and isn't truly missing (which is something Mr. Hauser calls Robin out on in the podcast). It gets pretty uncomfortable to read about, especially when the audience already knows what actually happened to her:

Barb acts as the ghost that's still in the room for many characters. Robin speculates on where she went, Nancy is later found sobbing her eyes out in the theater bathroom by Robin, and there's even a scene at the end of the book where Robin sees Nancy and Steve looking alone and scared. Even though Barb isn't mentioned by name, her presence is there:

I know that when it comes to the show, Barb's death had the biggest impact on Nancy, and it's usually Nancy's grief/guilt that gets the most focus, but I wish we'd gotten to see Robin's reaction to learning about Barb's death. It could have even been a bonding moment between Robin and Nancy when they were working together in season 4. Maybe it'll be talked about in season 5, but I'm not holding my breath.

Robin's former friends (Dash, Kate, and Milton) were a mixed bag. Milton was probably the one I like the best, but I wasn't impressed at him distancing himself from Robin later on because he was looking to date Wendy and didn't want people to spread gossip about him dating Robin. Kate was frustrating, and the way she kept trying to push Robin to date other boys (despite Robin insisting she wasn't interested) didn't impress me. Nor was I impressed with her dating Dash. To her credit, she does wise up and apologize to Robin later on, but I do find it telling that her relationship with Robin deteriorated and that Robin refers to both her and Milton as ex-friends by the end.

Dash is straight-up awful. I will talk more about him in the second post for this review, but his character struck a nerve. For all of his posturing about being an intellectual nerd, he's a sleazy womanizer (similar to Billy Hargrove) and a serial cheater. I loathe him the same way I hate Billy, Angela, and Dr Brenner.

Something I appreciated with this book is how it goes out of its way to invert the social dynamic with certain characters. I've seen criticisms before about how the popular kids on Stranger Things are always portrayed as monstrous, and the nerds/outcasts as the heroes, which isn't completely true. Chrissy Cunningham for instance was one of the most popular girls at Hawkins High, and yet was shown to be a sweet (if troubled) person. Steve, despite some initial hiccups, also demonstrated himself to be a good guy, willing to own up to his behavior and put his life on the line for others. By contrast, Henry/One/Vecna portrayed himself to El as being a social outcast growing up, and yet is not only a straight-up sociopath with no empathy for remorse for his actions, but ultimately the Big Bad of the series.

In Rebel Robin, Tammy Thompson is popular in school and has a circle of popular friends, but she's also a kind individual. She's repeatedly nice to Robin, and goes out of her way to talk to Sheena at one point to help her after she gets bullied again. By contrast, Dash labels himself as a band geek/nerd, and yet reveals himself as one of the most condescending, unkind individuals in the series. It's a major reason Robin washes her hands of him, and wants nothing to do with Dash when he shows his true colors. All of this adds a little complexity to the series beyond Popular = Bad and Nerd/Outcast = Good.

And then there's Steve himself: Even though Robin thinks about him in a negative light for most of the novel, I can only recall one or two instances where they briefly interact before the Epilogue (which is when Robin starts working for Scoops Ahoy).

I've seen fans repeatedly debate whether Steve was a bully to others pre-season 1, and the answer this book gives is a firm NO. Steve's shown to be self-absorbed and insensitive at times, but not vicious to others the same way bullies like Troy, Billy, and Angela were. He wasn't malicious, and he didn't go out of his way to torment others for his amusement. At one point, in the podcast, Mr. Hauser point-blank asks Robin if Steve's bullied her, and she denies it. Part of Robin's feelings against Steve are her projecting her issues on to him, part of it is making assumptions about him without the whole context (like when she thinks Steve made Nancy cry at the movie theater when Nancy was actually crying over Barb's death), and part of her dislike occasionally has some merit (like when Steve runs into Robin in the hallway during the podcast and acts like a douche).

All of this makes Steve and Robin bonding with one another in season 3 feels more meaningful. She gets to see a different side to Steve after constantly assuming that people don't change, and he comes to value her as a friend. She shared her secret with him (albeit under the influence of the Russian truth serum), and not only did he accept her for who she was and kept her secret, but also encouraged her to start dating Vickie in season 4. He's the friend she deserves to have.

Assuming that both Robin and Steve survive season 5, I'd love to see Robin fulfill her dream of traveling to Europe, and that she takes Steve with her. He's the true companion to have while they visit museums, cafes, the countryside, and eat plenty of croissants. 🥐

Overall, I strongly recommend both the book and podcast. Both are entertaining and quick to get through, both enhance the show and Robin's character while adding new details, and both are great examples of LGBT+ representation.

To be continued in Part 2..........

A bit of complaining about how Wrathion is written in the 10.1 PTR

So let's start at the beginning.   I hear that's a great place to start.

Wrathion from the MMORPG World of Warcraft is a rogue (/rōɡ/): 

Free from the constraints of a conscience, these mercenaries rely on brutal and efficient tactics. Lethal assassins and masters of stealth...Rogues often initiate combat with a surprise attack from the shadow. (...) Rogues must take special care when selecting targets...and they must be conscious of when to hide or flee if a battle turns against them.

- Official class guide for Rogue on the World of Warcraft website

Here are some examples of other characters from World of Warcraft who fall under the category of "rogue":

Mathias Shaw: Stormwind’s Spymaster and leader of the intelligence service, S1:7.

Vanessa VanCleef: Successor to her father, Edwin VanCleef, as head of the Defias Brotherhood and member of the Uncrowned.

Valeera Sanguinar: Advisor and bodyguard to the House of Wrynn, Shadow of the Uncrowned.

Lilian Voss: A Champion of the Uncrowned and member of the Forsaken’s Desolate Council.  She is perhaps best known for assassinating prominent members of the Scarlet Crusade, including her own father.

You might recognize these characters as ruthless tacticians who employ subterfuge to accomplish their goals, noble or otherwise, and to protect the things that matter to them.

Wrathion himself has done this, many times in the past, to varying degrees of success.  He even has his own network of loyal spies and bodyguards who he will often send into areas of interest to collect information that helps him formulate his strategies and schemes.   So how does Wrathion, a character who has spent just about his entire life working the long game from the shadows, decide to approach dangerous situations in Dragonflight.

(Text screenshots are taken from Portergauge’s two-part walkthrough of the 10.1 PTR campaign, which you can read here and here.  His follow up thread on the campaign is here.)

Sabellian says: Whelp!  Stop your showboating!  Fall in line and listen to my strategy!

Wrathion says: Your endless whining about a strategy will not win you the throne!

"Strategies are slowing us down.  I especially don't need to have one in order to pursue this contested position as leader to a flight of wary dragons during this fragile period of growth in our tumultuous history."

Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: Do not underestimate the Incarnates.  Fair skies and strong winds to you all.

Ebyssian says: I must recruit Emberthal to our quest.  Wait for me at the entrance.

Wrathion says: Why?  Surely we four are more than enough.

"Why bother recruiting a useful ally.  Its not like that's ever helped me in the past.  Three dragons and a mortal should be '''more than enough''' to take on another Primal Incarnate when I know from first-hand experience that I alone was catastrophically outmatched against the first one."

Sabellian: I will not tolerate Ebyssian’s dawdling any longer.  These incarnates grow stronger every second, as does my impatience.  Wrathion and I are in agreement.  You may choose to waste your time in wait for our slow-winged sibling, but we would much rather you join us.

"I will proceed with this mission without the older brother that I actually trust and am fond of in favor of the one I have a strained and tenuous relationship with and whose approach to strategy I often find ridiculous."

Sabellian says: Keep low.  We have not been spotted--

Wrathion says: I usually prefer the stealthy approach as well, but now is the time to let dragons be dragons!  Remind these weaklings who they are dealing with!”

"I usually prefer the stealthy approach as well...BUT...." 

 It's honestly worse that they even bring this up because it means someone, somewhere, remembered that it's out of character for Wrathion to act this way and they went ahead with it anyways, for little reason.

Also, where is all of this bravado about the innate strength of dragons coming from.  Wrathion will fall back on that as an intimidation tactic now and then ("You do realize I am a dragon, yes?  That I can breathe fire?  Just making sure.") but he isn't one to flippantly overestimate his strengths and ignore his weaknesses when assessing danger.  His existence as a dragon has always been fragile.  That's why he has bodyguards.  That's why he works closely with mortals.  That's why he'll seek council from characters like Medivh.  That's why he didn't try to fight the Burning Legion with just himself and maybe three other guys. That's why he didn't charge headfirst into Ny'alotha on his own and spent the entire patch training the Horde and the Alliance on how to battle the Void.

Sabellian says: Father!--Wait...Father.  Yes.  I knew that relic back there looked familiar.

Wrathion says: Are you walking away from me?  Two can play at that game!  If you need me, <player>, seek me over there.

"You're not walking away from me.  I'M walking away from YOU!"   

What even is this dialogue.  One of the reasons why the Sabellian vs Wrathion thing is so grating is that it's not even clever banter that they're exchanging.

Wrathion says: Before we start...I know my relationship with Sabellian is certainly strained, but our behavior back there was out of line.  I think it is this place.  Something out there is testing my mental defenses.  Worming its way through my mind and keeping my teeth on edge.  I will speak to Sabellian about the outburst in my own time.  Things are never simple with him.  You both have my apologies.

So something that Portergauge covered in his recap thread about this patch that I agree with is that WoW, the game, does not do subtlety well.  Putting aside whether or not Wrathion can be influenced by the old gods' whispers, this concept is never conveyed well.

WoW has tried a couple of times lately to use magical reasoning to explain or excuse a character's behavior and the way its handled is so unsatisfying because it's often muddled with other emotional reasons why a character might be acting that way.

So is Wrathion behaving brashly because he's being influenced by the old gods' whispers or is is it because he's under a lot of pressure and Sabellian has thrown him off balance and it's making him get sloppy?  Or is it both, because it’s not like he acts any smarter or kinder when he’s in an area where the whispers aren’t so strong.

And where is this all going, what is the plan here?  Is this just how Wrathion is going to be written from now on?  Is he starting down a dark road that will lead to his own demise or is he going to make a come back?  Following through on in-game plot threads is also something that WoW, the game, has a track record of leaving hanging at the end of a patch or an expansion (the night elves' narrative in BfA comes to mind, Sylvanas' loyalist campaign is another) so it's hard for me to be optimistic that this is leading somewhere or will have a satisfying conclusion for him.

And I have to mention that the LAST time WoW tried doing something subtle where specifically old god corruption caused someone to act out of character, that wasn't the audience's takeaway.  It was: "Hell yeah, Anduin's manning up!  He is Varian's son after all!" 

 This time it'll be: "Wrathion's an idiot and an inconsiderate asshole."

There isn't enough of Wrathion acting as his cunning, competent self in this patch to counterbalance all of the times when he's acting thoughtlessly, rude, stubborn, and self-centered.  They take the time to find this balance with Sabellian. They do not with Wrathion.

I've been trying to keep my expectations reasonable (i.e. low), but when I first heard about the 10.0 storyline to pick an Aspect of the black dragonflight, I really did not expect it to turn into this extended exercise in not only why Wrathion would be a terrible Aspect but also why he's actually kind of a terrible and annoying individual, too.  It's not enjoyable seeing him reduced to being just this foil for why Sabellian and Ebyssian would make better leaders.

Wrathion says: He defeated us as if we were nothing.

Sabellian says: He is surprisingly stealthy.  I am sure we can devise an effective strategy if we are not distracted by...

Ebyssian says: The whispers...

Sabellian says: Yes.  They distracted us at key moments.  They are quieter when I use my visage.

And for all the talk of old god whispers, it's never brought up that this subject is Wrathion's bread and butter.  He spent Legion researching how to suppress them, to the success of devising methods that would shield Ebyssian and the Horde/Alliance champions from them.

Ebyssian himself doesn't think to bring this up.  He never once goes: "Hey, Sabellian, have you tried this neat potion of Wrathion's that will quiet those whispers?  It's the only reason why I can even leave the protection of Highmountain in the first place."

Or: "Hmm, Wrathion, your potion doesn't seem to be working as well down here.  Maybe that means something."   As a bonus, this would also offer Wrathion an opportunity to show concern for Ebyssian's well-being and/or Sabellian’s or something.  I don’t know.  There's any number of ways this could've been brought up.

Ebyssian: Our assault will not be successful without the stealth and cunning of Wrathion and his Blacktalon agents.  We must convince him to help us.  Thankfully, I know in his heart he will not deny someone in need--especially if they flatter him.

This is just kind of horrible coming from Ebyssian, of ALL CHAR-- 

 EBYSSIAN. 

 REMEMBER WHEN WRATHION SPENT *YEARS* PROTECTING AND WATCHING OUT FOR YOU FROM AFAR WITHOUT HAVING MET YOU *ONCE* FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN YOU ARE HIS BROTHER???

Besides when has anyone in the history of Warcraft *flattered* Wrathion for his help.  He is almost universally loathed and has always taken action for the good of Azeroth IN SPITE OF THIS. (Please post here if you can remember a time.  I would genuinely love to know.)

Wrathion and Sabellian are still arguing about who deserves to become the aspect and continue their father’s legacy.  Ebyssian scolds them for acting like whelps over a legacy of fear, control, and lies rather than starting a new legacy, one that benefits the dragons in their flight rather than empowers themselves.  Ebyssian and Emberthal then walk away, leaving Wrathion and Sabellian confused and thinking.

I get that this is placeholder text but in the midst of all of this, this in particular is just...disappointing. Wrathion's entire shtick, the core of his character, is supposed to be about forging a new legacy for his dragonflight outside the shadow cast by Deathwing.

Of course legacy is something that Sabellian and Ebyssian have to contend with too but that it's coming at the expense of Wrathion's character arc, in this way, as something he needs to learn...again...is a big let down.

I don't know how to wrap this up.  I guess sorry I got a bit sarcastic in places and that this was very ranty and not very constructive. I had a lot of thoughts about the 10.1 PTR and I just wanted to get them all out in one place and off my chest.

In conclusion:  Wrathion is a divisive character in the fanbase and I was kind of looking forward to seeing him shine in Dragonflight.  So far he's doing the opposite.  If this is just temporary then I don’t see a light at the end of this tunnel, either, this might be the only big patch where the black dragonflight gets center focus.  I’d still say that I enjoyed the short story but I don't really see what I originally liked about this character in the game itself.

Hello, good Queen. My question is the following (I hope it hasn't been asked before): Is Tywin swindling the Spicers by making them Lords of Castamere? Regardless of its rich mines, Castamere is, basically, a flooded ruin.

I hesitate to use the word “swindle”, because that word might imply that Tywin specifically held out Castamere to the Spicers as more valuable than it was worth or otherwise misled the Spicers about its current state. (As opposed to, say, Tywin almost certainly misleading Sybell Spicer about “a bride from Casterly Rock”.) Indeed, by Tywin’s own admission, the Westerlings “are well aware of Castamere”, and I would presume that extends to the Spicers as well. After all, what happened at Castamere was the very opposite of a secret: not only was it publicly know about and recorded enough to be included in an official maesterly history book, but “The Rains of Castamere” has been liberally used and cited as a piece of Tywin’s terror propaganda, reminding its listeners of the fate of the Reynes (and, by extension, their castle). So I don’t think the Spicers would have been unaware of the current state of Castamere at least as a (former) seat.

All of that is not to say, of course, that Castamere is particularly valuable as a castle (or as a mine itself), given the obvious and substantial (and relatively recent) flooding. At the same time, it’s difficult to say the total value of the Castamere lordship in the current novels. There are at least some gold mines in the area, because the Greatjon was said to have seized mines near Castamere during Robb’s campaign in the west. Whether or not there are any Reyne bannermen left, or other industries in the general vicinity of Castamere which would historically have given their revenues to Castamere, are both likewise unclear; these might also be sources of income for the newly ennobled Spicers of Castamere. At the very least, in any event, the Spicers would have to invest in building a whole new keep, since “[t]he halls and keeps above them [were] put to the torch by Tywin Lannister” - a likely hefty expense for the new Lord Rolph.

Yet even if I don’t want to use the word “swindle” here, I can certainly acknowledge that Tywin was not exactly acting selflessly either. Indeed, this grant to the Spicers fits perfectly in Tywin’s model. As with his wedding present to Joffrey, Tywin had with Castamere given a gift that had cost him nothing to obtain; just as Tywin had given Joffrey the most elaborate present by reforging the Stark sword which had been effectively sitting in his lap, so he had did not have to dispossess any of his bannermen in order to further ennoble the Spicers. Likewise, as with his grant of Harrenhal to Littlefinger, Tywin had given a petty lord a great ruin in recognition of that petty lord’s service to House Lannister.

Of course, there’s another important factor to consider here, and that’s what this gift means to the Spicers on a symbolic level. Putting aside the practical considerations of the castle’s status, Rolph Spicer has been made “Lord of Castamere”. That’s a huge deal in terms of status for Rolph, and by extension the Spicers. To go from second generation petty nobility, the grandchildren of a merchant and his Essosi bride, to the lordly masters of a very ancient Westerlands castle (with a royal history of its own) sworn (presumably) directly to Casterly Rock is an enormous socio-political leap for the Spicers. So there’s a way in which the Spicers might not care (or might care less, at least) that they were given a ruined castle for a seat. Compare, say, Davos’ mild acceptance, in considering Stannis’ other bannermen, that “[m]y grandsons will joust with theirs, though, and one day their blood may wed with mine”, so that “[i]n time my little black ship will fly as high as Velaryon's seahorse or Celtigar's red crab”; Rolph might similarly bet that it would be difficult for the blue-blood aristocrats of the Westlands to ignore the Lord of Castamere, their nominal feudal equal, even if it takes a few generations (as opposed to how they could scorn the upjumped Spicers and their petty lordship).

OH MY GOD LUCAS AND BLOODBENDING AND SAVING MAX P L E A S E

ok part 1 of lucas and bloodbending can be found here but let's talk some more about the ✨ethics✨ of bloodbending and lucas's inner turmoil with it.

in the aftermath of book three, i like to imagine we end up with a very destroyed hawkins (thanks spirits who attacked hawkins), el and will not doing super great after their interactions with brenner (and then el's spirit world fight with henry), and max comatose after her own encounter with henry (...i suppose it would actually be his physical form now since he's airbending and stuff, but i'll figure that out later).

lucas saved max's life, but he did so by using bloodbending. he reached into max's body, and he forced her heart to keep beating. it should've been a difficult decision, right? because all of his life, he's been taught about the horrors of bloodbending. it's illegal to bloodbend and for damn good reasons. lucas knows the history. he's heard about master katara's encounter bloodbending and how she campaigned to have it outlawed. he knows about avatar aang dealing with yakone, a notorious bloodbender who lived in republic city, and he knows about avatar korra and her struggles with amon taking people's bending away. lucas knows bloodbending is illegal for a reason. it's unethical to reach into someone else's body... to take control and to use your bending to exert your own power over another living being.

so, why doesn't he regret it?

he saved max's life, that's why. he saved max's life, and deep down, lucas knows she wouldn't have survived without him. that's exactly why he did it—why he chose to go against everything that he knows to be right and true and why he chose to save max instead. he couldn't let her die, even if it meant crossing a line he never ever wanted to cross. lucas doesn't regret it.

except, then... then will and el come back. (haha andi talk about willel with brenner in book 3 challenge. pretty sure i have an ask about that... i will get to it. soon.) and they're different. el looks like she did when they first met—her head shaved, her eyes haunted, her shoulders slumped with a weariness and an exhaustion she's usually better at hiding. and will, he looks like el too with his head shaved and that broken, scared look in his eyes, and with just an all around anxious presence—hardly anything like the kid lucas grew up with.

the party reunites, and they recap their experiences to each other, because what else can they do at this point? they have to be on the same page. they have to regroup.

and will and el tell their story first—how they'd left hawkins to find answers about will's spiritual connection and about how to restore el's bending. how they succeeded, but not without encountering (being taken by) brenner... the waterbender who held el captive and tortured her for her entire life before hawkins.

and lucas has to sit there and listen as the twins recall what brenner did to them—how he used a variation of the same technique that lucas had only used mere days ago on max. how he ripped away their control of themselves, how he violated them in a sense, how he used bloodbending as a means to an end—helping the twins to find answers—and succeeded.

and lucas just feels sick.

because he hasn't really felt guilt until now. maybe just a little bit, but... mostly tied to the fact that he felt powerful when he was bloodbending. when the moon was shining down on him and when he was tapping into its raw power and harnessing a part of his waterbending that he'd never touched before. lucas had felt powerful in that moment, and he had succeeded in doing what he set out to do: saving max's life.

what, then, makes him any better than brenner?

well... lucas saved a life, right? while brenner used his bending to harm lives? that must be the difference between the two, surely. and lucas wouldn't do that. he wouldn't hurt someone like el or like will. he wouldn't hurt anyone the way this monster did.

but then again...

just days before he saved max's life, lucas had sworn he would never bloodbend in his life.

so who's to say that he wouldn't someday hurt someone? who's to say that he wouldn't someday become just like brenner? is this what the allure of bloodbending does to people? has he already taken the first step down a slippery slope with an inevitable end?

and lucas just... doesn't have the answers to those questions.

(more on lucas and bloodbending later!)

Some thoughts from my Classic Who watch, season 10.

The Three Doctors has some incredibly iconic moments, almost entirely scenes inside the TARDIS, and its kind of strange to finally watch the rest of it as well because so much of it is very much not iconic. And it’s not hard to see why. In fact I’d probably say that this is one of the Classic Who stories I’ve seen that feels the most like it could’ve been edited down to like an hour-long special. Or a 45 minute one. There’s just not much plot here! But it’s still a pretty fun watch. Obviously Patrick Troughton was a joy to have back. The joke with the silicon rod in episode one is hilarious. The mystery of the weather balloon and the missing warden feels like an X-Files episode, especially when his face turns up in the capture of cosmic rays. But not to worry, it quickly becomes very Doctor Who again. Diving into the Time Lords’ history for the first time is a great way to mark the show’s 10th anniversary and give the Doctor back his freedom. It’s interesting that when Omega announces his name and the Doctor responds “that’s impossible!” the moment is supposed to be a mysterious one, but for me who’s watched/read/listened to about a million Dr Who stories that laud Omega as a founder of Time Lord society, it’s much easier to put myself in the Doctor’s shoes. Finally, there’s a moment I liked near the start of the story where Jo understands some technobabble from a scientist, and it’s a small moment but it does feel like how much Jo has grown and learnt is a theme continued throughout the season, and it’s just a sweet thing to see.

Going to be honest! I zoned out while watching Carnival of Monsters. It’s the second story in a row that made me think “this really could’ve been a 45 minute episode.” It’s a shame that it feels so stretched out when it includes so many intriguing and fantastic elements: the time loop, the miniscope, the hand reaching down to grab the TARDIS, the juxtaposition of a 1920s cargo ship with an alien spaceport. And, most of all, Vorg and Shirna’s outfits. That’s it, not really much to say about this one.

Frontier In Space has pros and cons. It has space politics, which is interesting, and Ogrons, which are not. Unravelling a conspiracy is also interesting, but hitting a brick wall with everyone the Doctor and Jo try to talk to about it for a few episodes is not. But in the end the story has Roger Delgado, and as always that’s a definite pro. Jo never really got into travelling to other worlds in the TARDIS did she? Even so, she again acts like a very experienced spacetime traveller in this serial. She makes a lot of comparisons to other times she’s travelled to the future, but I love that kind of continuity references, where it’s to show that the characters remember and have learnt from their previous adventures. She helps to bamboozle the Master like a professional, and later manages to resist both his hypnotism and his fear machine, which really is quite a feat. And on top of all that, the Doctor tells her, of meeting her on Earth, “that alone made the exile worth while,” which is the cutest shit ever. I know the story leads into the next one, but it still ends very suddenly. We spent 6 episodes dealing with the politics of Earth and Draconia, and then we don’t get to see them even receive the news of the Doctor’s discoveries. And the Master just straight-up disappears in the final scene after shooting the Doctor.

I watched Planet of the Daleks with a good friend because it was her favourite story, and it was good fun! Felt like a return to form for Dalek stories after Day of the Daleks, and a sequel to the original Daleks as well as Frontier in Space. Lots of alien dangers on the hostile world of Spiridon! It’s a pretty tense start to the beginning of the story, because I guess the Time Lords couldn’t have done anything helpful, could they, instead of just dropping the wounded Doctor and Jo in the middle of a deadly jungle infested with Daleks. I liked the plot mechanic of the TARDIS log being used for Jo to monologue, but then it isn’t used much. I guess someone else thought that, which is why the wonderfully creepy audio Ghost in the Machine exists. The squad of Thals were nice. The Doctor’s talk with Codal about courage when they’re both locked up is just so lovely. My friend and I laughed when they broke out and started yelling whenever they saw a Dalek, even when the Dalek hadn’t seen them yet. These two need to learn to use their inside voices. And poor Jo getting asked by Latep to come with him back to Skaro, that was awkward. If she’d said yes then that would definitely have been the most random companion romance of the show, they really didn’t interact much. The Dalek Supreme surviving at the end surprised me, but I guess the Daleks really couldn’t be defeated forever by this point.

I really liked The Green Death! Especially the first episode. I loved how it showed how the Doctor, Jo, and also the Brigadier were drifting apart in separate directions- the first to outer space where he so wants to travel, the second to find other, better ways to save the world, and the third to follow his orders and do what good he can from his place inside the system. It really gives you the impression that the three splitting up is inevitable, but does so with a lot of humour (why do I never see anyone talk about how funny the Doctor’s subplot in this episode is? Every so often cutting away from the plot to him being attacked and chased around in a nightmare landscape is hilarious). Clifford Jones isn’t the most likeable character, and his condescension to Jo would’ve got him cancelled sooo quickly today, but I couldn’t help but like how his annoyance with Jo’s clumsiness in their first meetings acted as such an obvious parallel with the Doctor’s first meeting with Jo three seasons ago. And despite Clifford’s unlikable qualities, I really loved Jo’s exit from the series. It’s made clear that she loves his determination to save the world, and leaves the Doctor behind the help him do so. It feels like a reason that’s very applicable to the modern day, and it’s perhaps not surprising that the only other companion I can think of who left for it is Ryan Sinclair, the latest to leave the TARDIS. I haven’t talked about much apart from Jo, really. BOSS is a fun villain with a good voice, the Doctor’s rotation of outfits and Hitman-style disguises were great. But ultimately Jo is the star of the story for me, and I think the star of the season as well.

SS Finals - Crown: Chapter 11

Location: ES Dome White Team Waiting Room Characters: Yuzuru & Ibara

Yuzuru: There is no point getting angry at me. The reason you and your team are losing is because of the “oracles”...

How about you run around and tell the others to stop following it?

Ibara: I did! I told them over and over!

But the members of the “White Team” are far too free and uncontrolled – I didn’t even know where any of them were until right before the first round started. And just when I thought I had finally found them all, they wouldn’t even listen to me!

Yuzuru: Hmm. I suppose following the “oracles” would work most in their favour.

If they put on a spectacular performance during “SS”, then they’ll most certainly gain new fans.

Even if they end up being a poor loser, they can simply blame it on the “oracles”.

Ibara: It’s not about being a poor loser – it’s the truth! If they did, then the entire responsibility falls on the “General Leader” – on “Eden”!

Our reputation will fall miserably to the ground! I don’t care what happens to the others, but that’s the one thing I cannot let happen!

Yuzuru: For you, that is. Well, it’s not a big deal – You’ve already achieved the great feat of being last year’s “SS” runner-ups.

Why not let the other idols bear the crown this time?

Ibara: It feels like I’ve been robbed! Or rather, they’re currently robbing me of it!

Yuzuru: Hmm… But I still cannot understand. Why is Nagisa Ran-senpai doing all these strange things?

I don’t think it’s simply because he’s gone mad.

Ibara: It’s scary to think there is a possibility that he’s lost his mind!

It seems His Excellency has found something in that secret temple during the Qualifying Rounds…

And he’s been strange ever since. He gets absent-minded no matter what I say to him and has started doing whatever he wanted, ignoring my orders.

Yuzuru: What has he found?

Ibara: I wouldn’t be in this pickle if I knew the answer to that! His Excellency destroyed all traces after being holed up in that temple alone!

He muttered “That Akehoshi’s” diary or something, but it’s all just hearsay… I don’t know if it’s real or not.

The area where the temple was located is also just a vacant plot of land now. The documents and things His Excellency saw have all vanished.

I don’t know where they currently are at the very least. I swear I’m not lying to you.

Yuzuru: Hmm. You tend to put on a bold front when you’re with me, but if you’ve mentioned your powerlessness, then you must be telling the truth.

I’m sure you’d normally lie and say something like, “Everything is in the palm of my hand!”

Ibara: …………

Yuzuru: …Very well. It appears you truly know nothing, so I shall ask someone else. I don’t intend on stopping until I have safely rescued the Young Master.

Fortunately, we have a bit of time. The third, fourth and fifth round…

We, the “General Leaders”, will put on a special performance last, clashing with one another as we bring the Finals to an end.

I am free to act as I please until then. Next, I shall capture Nagisa Ran-sama or Hiyori Tomoe-sama and make them spit the truth out.

Ibara: Would you like some help with that? I’d also like to learn the truth!

Yuzuru: If you were to lay a finger on those within your inner circle, then you’ll surely lose your place of belonging that you went through so much trouble to obtain.

I could not be your home. So I won’t take the place you found away from you.

Ibara: …How sweet of you. That part of you has never changed, Instructor.

I shall give you a warning out of respect for our bond: I understand that this Young Master is someone important to you, but don’t do anything reckless.

The current situation cannot be resolved with the fists of a single individual.

Everything of this industry – no, the history of this world that has piled up – has bared its fangs. Act irresponsibly and you’ll lose your life right then and there.

Yuzuru: Even so, I’m sure each and every person in those histories would have done everything in their power.

I, too, would like to do that. Even if it means I’ll be dancing in the palm of someone’s hand, I will do my very best sincerely and earnestly as a human being.

Ibara: …I feel the same way, Yuzuru.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

Metallica - 72 Seasons Unless you’re not in the world of rock and/or metal, or you’ve been living under a rock for the past 40 years, you already know who Metallica is. Why wouldn’t you? They’re one of just a handful of bands that don’t need an introduction, because you already know who they are. Arguably the most influential heavy metal band in existence, minus maybe Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden, Metallica helped to usher in the 80s thrash movement and the 90s alt-metal movement, both with their 80s output and 1991′s self-titled (also known as The Black Album). They single-handedly influenced two decades worth of music, but they’ve still been relevant since the 1990s, for better or worse (mainly worse). They went into a more alt-metal and groove metal direction with Load and Reload from the late 90s, they put out their “comeback” album St. Anger in 2003 that is considered to be one of the worst albums ever made, came back again with Death Magnetic in 2008, and then dropped Hardwired To Self-Destruct in 2016. That’s the cliff notes version of their history, as they’ve done a lot more and put out more, but it’s been seven years since their last record. They’ve gone through a lot of sounds and changes over the years, but one thing is certain -- they’re not going anywhere. They’ve been touring relentlessly since Hardwired came out, and they’ve even put out some other stuff since, but 72 Seasons is their first studio album in seven years. This is a big deal, simply because it is Metallica, and with how much influence and importance they have, anything they put out is a big deal. They’ve reached the status of not ever needing to put out anything new, but the fact that they keep pumping out music is a privilege to fans. Love them or hate them, Metallica gets people talking. I wouldn’t say that there was a lot riding on 72 Seasons, mainly because many fans have already come to the conclusion that Metallica will never release another Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, or even another Black Album, and that’s okay. Hardwired was a solid album, for all it’s worth, but it was a record that tried way too hard to prove to fans and critics that they’re still a totally serious thrash band. They went back to their thrash sound, for the most part, and it worked okay, but there’s a reason no one talks about it now. I haven’t listened to in years, and I’m sure most other fans haven’t, unless you have a connection to it (which, if you do, more power to you). This record, however, seemed to be a mixture of the band’s different sounds and eras, as they wanted to celebrate their entire career, versus try to relive the 80s or 90s. 72 Seasons has elements of every era of Metallica, including some 80s-influenced thrash, and 90s-influenced hard-rock and grunge, as well as stuff from their later years, such as Death Magnetic and Hardwired. As a diehard Metallica fan, I was going into this album with high but also realistic expectations. In other words, I was hoping it would be good, especially because I’ve enjoyed the singles that have been slowly released, but this band is in their late 50s and early 60s now. They’re not going to be around forever, let alone making music for too much longer, because they’re getting up there in age, so let’s just enjoy what we get, even if it’s nothing that will blow our minds to the ends of the earth. I was hoping for a good album, but I’d be a fool to think that it could even touch the holy grails that are their first five albums. With all that said, 72 Seasons is a great record, but unlike a lot of the reviews I’ve seen and watched, that dog on this record for being “another Metallica album,” that’s what I personally wanted. This is either a good or great Metallica record, and I say that depending on what era(s) you like from them, because if you don’t like their hard-rock sound from the 90s and onward, you won’t like a lot of this album. This album is a lot more accessible and catchier than their early work, and even Hardwired to an extent, but I think this album is better than Hardwired, simply because it feels less like them trying to prove something and just making some good music that they enjoy playing and writing. That’s all this is. It doesn’t need to be anything else. I don’t know why people are acting like this album needs to blow your mind when they’ve been around for more than 40 years, and there’s no way in hell they’ll ever top their best albums. Why do people keep thinking they need to? People either seem to love or hate this album, but the people who hate it always talk about how it isn’t Master Of Puppets. Why does it need to be? Metallica will never outlive their early work. Anything they put out will be compared to their best albums, and I get that to an extent, but if you’re a big fan, and you just want new music from these guys, you’ll get it with this. Sure, some of the songs drag on a bit, and this album doesn’t need to be 77 minutes, but there are a ton of great riffs and solos from Kirk Hammett (who still has it at 60-ish years old), some fantastic vocals from James Hetfield (easily one of his best vocal performances in years), and some solid grooves from Robert Trujillo (easily his best album with the band since joined in 2003). Lars is still a good drummer, too, regardless of all the flack that people give him, but the band still sound incredibly tight. I find myself having a lot of the songs on this record stuck in my head, even some of the longer ones that invoke more of a grunge and alt-metal sound. The album could have some of its fat trimmed off, ultimately making it around 45 minutes to an hour, but I’m not going to complain. Nothing on this album is outright awful, and for late-career Metallica, it’s the best album they’ve put out in 30 years. Hardwired was a good album, but I haven’t gone back to it because it had a few songs that I didn’t really like, whereas this one doesn’t have anything I don’t like. It’s very consistent, even if it’s nothing that will be in my top five Metallica albums, but like I said, does it need to? No, not at all, and I think a lot of people are treating this record very unfairly. If you look at this album for what it is, which is a late-stage Metallica record with nothing to prove, it’s great. It’s got riffs, solos, vocals, and some grooves that will keep fans entertained for close to 80 minutes. If you only love their early stuff, and don’t like The Black Album, of course you won’t like this. You probably still think it’s 1985, but for what it’s worth, it’s a great record. I’ve had tons of fun with this record, and I’m going to keep having fun with it. It’s cool to see them making music, even if it’s not going to be their best album. I don’t want it to be, nor does it need to be, because they’re older now. I really enjoy this record, even thought it’s a little too long, but there’s always something that brings me back into the fold if I find myself getting slightly bored. The riffs and the grooves are cool enough to keep me engaged, so I don’t know, folks. I’d say check it out if you’re a Metallica fan of any kind. If you only like their early stuff, or you never have liked them, you won’t like this, because this is both a late-career album from them and it’s a Metallica album, through and through. That’s all it needs to be, and for that, I love it.

Today I had the privilege to open a Women’s History Month: Women in Higher Education panel. I do not like speaking in front of people and I pushed myself to do this. I felt inferior to the Women on that panel; a panel I set up, planned, and asked each woman to serve on. I was so excited to listen to women that I look up to and would one day like to be. A question asked was how you cope and calm down after the craziness that anyone in a position of administration experiences. The many differing answers made me really reflect on what I do in a high-stress (but in no way administration) job; chair of our campus’s Staff Assembly; dealing with a lot of family issues, like my dad in a nursing home not in the same town as me and his leg getting amputated; planning a wedding that my Fiancé and I are having to pay for on our own; and my car (our only real reliable source for transportation) needing an expensive transmission part fixed. There have been many nights of crying, worrying about what we are going to do, not knowing if we can even afford the wedding, the car, rent, food, and so many other things. I have always been someone who tried to go it alone and be an independent woman. I’m learning to rely more on people, especially my fiancé; and asking for help. But that doesn’t take away as much stress as I would hope it does. As I was thinking about what I do to calm down and destress, I was thinking about the reading I do, the video games, and the yoga (that is not consistent) and thinking yeah okay if I was ever asked that question, I could say those activities. But then I really thought about what made me the happiest this weekend, and it was live streaming a Taylor Swift concert (no I don’t feel bad about doing it, I can’t afford the tickets because my fiancé and my wedding are way more important than seeing her live). When her music comes on I will dance (badly) and sing it at the top of my lungs and not care at all. With all the self-reflecting I realized that more than anything Taylor Swift has shaped the way I have seen the world. She really became a role model for me, and not necessarily in a musical way, but in showing women that you can do anything you put your mind to, and you can do something that is mostly male-dominated. Higher Education may be mostly dominated by women for undergraduate enrollment, but administration positions are still mostly male-dominated. I know I am still a ways off, I need to get my Master’s but the panel today has strengthened my want to rise within higher education. And as I rise in higher education, I know the stress at work will increase, and I know that Taylor Swift will continue to be what I listen to when I want to destress, when I want to feel great, and just in general because I love her music so much. Her music has been a constant for me since I found her on the radio listening to the song Tim McGraw. I know this is not something she will see, but I just want to thank Taylor for continuing to put out music and create experiences for her fans. @taylorswift @taylornation

Hello, it is I, your friendly neighborhood historian. I am ready to lose followers for this post, but I have two masters degrees in history and one of my focuses has been middle eastern area studies. Furthermore, I’ve been tired of watching the world be reduced to pithy little infographics, and I believe there is no point to my education if I don’t put it to good use. Finally, I am ethnically Asheknazi Jewish. This does not color my opinion in this post — I am in support of either a one or two state solution for Israel and Palestine, depending on the factors determined by the Palestinian Authority, and the Israeli Government does not speak for me. I hate Netanyahu. A lot. With that said, my family was slaughtered at Auschwitz-Birkenau. I have stood in front of that memorial wall at the Holocaust memorial in DC for my great uncle Simon and my great uncle Louis and cried as I lit a candle. Louis was a rabbi, and he preached mitzvot and tolerance. He died anyway. 

There’s a great many things I want to say about what is happening in the Middle East right now, but let’s start with some facts. 

In early May, there were talks of a coalition government that might have put together (among other parties, the Knesset is absolutely gigantic and usually has about 11-13 political parties at once) the Yesh Atid, a center-left party, and the United Arab List, a Palestinian party. For the first time, Palestinians would have been members of the Israeli government in their own right. And what happened, all of the sudden? A war broke out. A war that, amazingly, seemed to shield Benjamin Netanyahu from criminal prosecution, despite the fact that he has been under investigation for corruption for some time now and the only thing that is stopping a real investigation is the fact that he is Prime Minister.

Funny how that happened. 

There’s a second thing people ought to know, and it is about Hamas. I’ve found it really disturbing to see people defending Hamas on a world stage because, whether or not people want to believe it, Hamas is a terrorist organization. I’m sorry, but it is. Those are the facts. I’m not being a right wing extremist or even a Republican or whatever else or want to lob at me here. I’m a liberal historian with some facts. They are a terrorist organization, and they don’t care if their people die. 

Here’s what you need to know: 

There are two governments for the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza. In April 2021, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed planned elections. He said it was because of a dispute amid Israeli-annexed East Jerusalum. He is 85 years old, and his Fatah Party is losing power to Hamas. Everyone knows that. Palestinians know that. 

Here’s the thing about Hamas: they might be terrorists, but aren’t idiots. They understand that they have a frustrated population filled with people who have been brutalized by their neighbors. And they also understand that Israel has something called the iron dome defense system, which means that if you throw a rocket at it, it probably won’t kill anyone (though there have been people in Israel who died, including Holocaust survivors). Israel will, however, retaliate, and when they do, they will kill Palestinian civilians. On a world stage, this looks horrible. The death toll, because Palestinians don’t have the same defense system, is always skewed. Should the Israeli government do that? No. It’s morally repugnant. It’s wrong. It’s unfair. It’s hurting people without the capability to defend themselves. But is Hamas counting on them to for the propaganda? Yeah. Absolutely. They’re literally willing to kill their other people for it.

You know why this works for Hamas? They know that Israel will respond anyway, despite the moral concerns. And if you’re curious why, you can read some books on the matter (Six Days of War by Michael Oren; The Yom Kippur War by Abraham Rabinovich; Rise and Kill First by Ronen Bergmen; Antisemitism by Deborah Lipstadt; and Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn by Daniel Gordis). The TL;DR, if you aren’t interested in homework, is that Israel believes they have no choice but to defend themselves against what they consider ‘hostile powers.’ And it’s almost entirely to do with the Holocaust. It’s a little David v Goliath. It is, dare I say, complicated.

I’m barely scratching the surface here. 

(We won’t get into this in this post, though if you want to DM me for details, it might be worth knowing that Iran funds Hamas and basically supplies them with all of their weapons, and part of the reason the United States has been so reluctant to engage with this conflict is that Iran is currently in Vienna trying to restore its nuclear deal with western powers. The USA cannot afford to piss off Iran right now, and therefore cannot afford to aggravative Hamas and also needs to rely on Israel to destroy Irani nuclear facilities if the deal goes south. So, you know, there is that).

There are some people who will tell you that criticism of the Israel government is antisemitic. They are almost entirely members of the right wing, evangelical community, and they don’t speak for the Jewish community. The majority of Jewish people and Jewish Americans in particular are criticizing the Israeli government right now. The majority of Jewish people in the diaspora and in Israel support Palestinian rights and are speaking out about it. And actually, when they talk about it, they are putting themselves in great danger to do so. Because it really isn’t safe to be visibly Jewish right now. People may not want to listen to Jews when they speak about antisemitism or may want to believe that antisemitism ‘isn’t real’ because ‘the Holocaust is over’ but that is absolutely untrue. In 2019, antisemitic hate crimes in the United States reached a high we have never seen before. I remember that, because I was living in London, and I was super scared for my family at the time. Since then, that number has increased by nearly 400% in the last ten days. If you don’t believe me, have some articles about it (one, two, three, four, and five, to name a few). 

I live in New York City, where a man was beaten in Time Square while attending a Free Palestine rally and wearing a kippah. I’m sorry, but being visibly Jewish near a pro-Palestine rally? That was enough to have a bunch of people just start beating on him? I made a previous post detailing how there are Jews being attacked all over the world, and there is a very good timeline of recent hate crimes against Jews that you can find right here. These are Jews, by the way, who have nothing to do with Israel or Palestine. They are Americans or Europeans or Canadians who are living their lives. In some cases, they are at pro-Palestine rallies and they are trying to help, but they just look visibly Jewish.  God Forbid we are the wrong ethnicity for your rally, even if we agree.

This is really serious. There are people calling for the death of all Jews. There are people calling for another Holocaust. 

There are 14 million Jews in the world. 14 million. Of 7.6 billion. And you think it isn’t a problem the way people treat us?

Anyway (aside from, you know, compassion), why does this matter? This matters because stuff like this deters Jews who want to be part of the pro-Palestine movement because they are literally scared for their safety. I said this before, and I will say it again: Zionism was, historically speaking, a very unpopular opinion. It was only widespread antisemitic violence (you know, the Holocaust) that made Jews believe there was a necessity for a Jewish state. Honestly, it wasn’t until the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that I supported it the abstract idea too.

I grew up in New York City, I am a liberal Jew, and I believe in the rights of marginalized and oppressed people to self-determine worldwide. Growing up, I also fit the profile of what many scholars describe as the self hating Jew, because I believed that, in order to justify myself in American liberal society, I had to hate Israel, and I had to be anti-Zionist by default, even if I didn’t always understand what ‘Zionism’ meant in abstract. Well, I am 27 years old now with two masters degrees in history, and here is what Zionism means to me: I hate the Israeli government. They do not speak for me. But I am not anti-Zionist. I believe in the necessity for a Jewish state — a state where all Jews are welcome, regardless of their background, regardless of their nationality. 

There needs to be a place where Jews, an ethnic minority who are unwelcome in nearly every state in the world, have a place where they are free from persecution — a place where they feel protected. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with that place being the place where Jews are ethnically indigenous to. Because believe it or not, whether it is inconvenient, Jews are indigenous to the land of Israel. I’ve addressed this in this post.

With that said, that doesn’t mean you can kick the Palestinian people out. They are also indigenous to that land, which is addressed in the same post, if you don’t trust me. 

What is incredible to me is that Zionism is defined, by the Oxford English Dixtionary, as “A movement [that called originally for] the reestablishment of a Jewish nationhood in Palestine, and [since 1948] the development of the State of Israel.” Whether we agree with this or not, there were early disagreements about the location of a ‘Jewish state,’ and some, like Maurice de Hirsch, believed it ought to be located in South America, for example. Others believed it should be located in Africa. The point is that the original plans for the Jewish state were about safety. The plan changed because Jews wanted to return to their homeland, the largest project of decolonization and indigenous reclamation ever to be undertaken by an indigenous group. Whether you want to hear that or not, it is true. Read a book or two. Then you might know what I mean.

When people say this is a complicated issue, they aren’t being facetious. They aren’t trying to obfuscate the point. They often aren’t even trying to defend the Israeli government, because I certainly am not — I think they are abhorrent. But there is no future in the Middle East if the Israelis and Palestinians don’t form a state that has an equal right of return and recognizes both of their indigenousness, and that will never happen if people can’t stop throwing vitriolic rhetoric around.  Is the Israeli Government bad? Yes. Are Israeli citizens bad? Largely, no. They want to defend their families, and they want to defend their people. This is basically the same as the fact that Palestinian people aren’t bad, though Hamas often is. And for the love of god, stop defending terrorist organizations. Just stop. They kill their own people for their own power and for their own benefit. 

And yes, one more time, the Israeli government is so, so, so wrong. But god, think about your words, and think about how you are enabling Nazis. The rhetoric the left is using is hurting Jews. I am afraid to leave my house. I’m afraid to identify as Jewish on tumblr. I’m afraid for my family, afraid for my friends. People I know are afraid for me. 

It’s 2021. I am not my great uncle. I cried for him, but I shouldn’t have to die like him. 

Words have consequences. Language has consequences. And genuinely, I do not think everyone is a bad person, so think about what you are putting into the world, because you’d be surprised how often you are doing a Nazi a favor or two. 

Is that really what you want? To do a Nazi a favor or two? I don’t think that you do. I hope you don’t, at least.

That’s all. You know, five thousand words later. But uh, think a little. Please. 

everything happens for a reason part 6 - zuko x fem!reader

The thing about forever is that it's a fucking lie

part 5 | masterlist | part 7

a/n: you all know whats coming lmao i got nothing to say for myself

wc: 3.5k

warning(s): pakku's usual sexism, typical siege of the north stuff, mostly angst but a lil bit of fluff in there

chapter title comes from forever is a lie by bea miller!

“I can’t believe that your tribe doesn’t teach waterbending to women!” Katara fumed, the snow beneath her feet packed tightly from her continuous pacing. “I mean, how can they even do that? Master Pakku’s all about ‘his culture and his teachings’ but his teachings are completely sexist!”

Y/N just nodded along as she listened to Katara — Master Pakku had refused to teach Katara, and after a disappointing healing lesson she had found Y/N to rant. “Yep. It’s unfair, but there’s not much we can do about it.”

Katara frowned and stopped in her tracks. “Don’t you want to learn how to fight too? I love being able to heal and help people, don’t get me wrong, but healing isn’t all I want to do.”

A shaky sigh fell from her lips and she shrugged, adjusting her position on the platform of ice she had made to sit on. “Well… yeah, I guess. I know a couple of martial moves, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to know more. But Katara, I—”

Y/N was silent for a moment as flashes of the past played behind her eyelids. “I’m not like you. I’m not the kind of person to challenge the rules. Not anymore.”

Katara shook her head, already back to her pacing. “I think you’re selling yourself short. I saw your healing during your class — you’re really talented, Y/N, and I know that skill will transfer over to fighting.”

“Thank you, but— but it doesn’t matter how good we are. Master Pakku is just as stubborn as he is talented, and I think he’d rather die than be a decent person. It’s a shame though. I’d really like to see someone knock some sense into him.”

“Yeah…” Katara sighed. “Hopefully Aang is having a better time than I am.” She looked up at the sky then fixed Y/N with a wry smile. “Speaking of Aang, I should probably get back to him and my brother. Sorry for talking your ear off the whole night.”

Y/N waved her hand around nonchalantly. “Don’t worry about it. You have my permission to rant to me any time you want while you’re here.”

Katara grinned and offered her hand, which Y/N took with a small smile as she got up from her ice platform. With a slight movement of her hand she bent it back into the ground, and the two girls began their walk back to the city. “I just wish I knew how to get Pakku to let up.”

“You’ll think of something,” Y/N reassured.

-

Katara did indeed think of something. Y/N’s wish of Pakku getting some sense knocked into him was granted when Katara challenged him to a fight, which was quite possibly the best thing that Y/N had ever witnessed. Though she ultimately lost, he still decided to take her on as a student — and in a move that Y/N would forever be grateful for, Katara had gotten Pakku to take her on as well. Katara made history that day, and she felt a shining sense of admiration for the girl for shaking things up.

And now, her days consisted of early mornings spent training, afternoons in classes, and nights doing homework, as well as fitting in time to hang out with Yue — it was a miracle she had any free time at all.

Lately though, it seemed like all Yue could talk about was Sokka. She liked him just as much as he liked her, but Yue was good — no matter how much she cared for someone, her tribe would always come first.

(“Did I hear that you and Sokka have a date later tonight?” she teased. “Aren’t you moving a little too fast?” Yue was silent at her attempt at humor and Y/N frowned. “Yue, are you okay?”

Silence lingered in the air for so long that Y/N almost thought she didn’t hear her, but finally the princess spoke as she pulled down the collar of her jacket to reveal an engagement necklace. Y/N gasped.

“It’s from Hahn,” she said quietly. “He proposed an hour ago, and I accepted.”

“You what?” Y/N cried, prompting a slight grimace from Yue. “Hahn— you can’t stand him!”

“Y/N, please,” Yue sighed. “He’s not that bad — he’s handsome, I guess. And he’s the son of a noble, and he’ll be really good for the tribe.”

“Yue, you’re the one who has to deal with him. He proposed to you, not the tribe — Spirits, half the boys in this tribe like you, why him?”

“It’s best for the tribe,” she repeated, her words an attempt to convince Y/N as much as herself.

“But what’s best for you?” Y/N countered.

Yue hadn’t answered, and had made up some half-baked excuse that she had to be somewhere. She had watched her go sadly, hoping that she would figure something out with Sokka.)

And it’s not like she wasn’t happy that her friend had found someone, it was just…

Y/N was upset that someone wasn’t her. And she didn’t know how to deal with that revelation.

But one morning, while making idle conversation with Katara as their lesson came to an end, a matter much more pressing came to hand.

Black snow. Soot raining down from the sky, tarnishing everything it touched.

A feeling all too familiar brewed in her chest as she met her friend’s eyes, and one thing was clear.

The Fire Nation was coming.

-

The air was even more frigid than usual with the knowledge of an imminent invasion, and Y/N had parted ways with her friends once they reached the town hall to be with her grandparents. The tension in the air was thick as Chief Arnook stepped up to address the people.

“The day we have feared for so long has arrived — the Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe, but they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits. Spirit of the Ocean! Spirit of the Moon! Be with us! I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sokka stood up. “Count me in.”

Her eyes widened as she met Katara’s from across the room, and she looked equally surprised. “Sokka…”

“Be warned: many of you will not return.” Several other men stood up after Sokka, including her grandfather. Despite his age he was a skilled fighter, but that was no comfort to Y/N. She reached up for his hand and shook her head almost desperately, but he smiled sadly and squeezed her hand, a sentiment to express words unsaid. “Come forward to receive my mark, if you accept the task.”

As he walked forward to join the line, she found the only solace she could in her grandmother’s open arms, burying her face in the fur of her jacket. “He will be okay,” she soothed. “He’s just as strong as he is brave. You have to have faith.”

She hoped that her grandmother was right. She couldn’t handle another loss.

Once all the men had received their marks, they left to confer about the battle plan. Y/N found her way up to the stage where a tearful Yue sat. It pained Y/N to see her in such a way, and when she sat down and offered her hand the princess immediately took it.

“I saw that your grandfather volunteered,” she said after a beat of silence. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. For Sokka.” Y/N adjusted her position so their shoulders were touching, and she sighed heavily. “I can’t stop thinking about my village. My father.” She met Yue’s eyes, her own beginning to tear up.

“What if it happens again?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I can’t— I can’t do it again.”

Yue let go of her hand to wrap the girl in a hug, the warmth of the embrace managing to chip away at some of their hopelessness. “You won’t have to do it again,” she stated, the reassurance seeming like the truth when coming from her. “You’re not alone this time.”

She finally pulled away from the hug as she wiped the tears off her face, and Y/N nodded. Yue somehow always knew exactly what to say. “What would I do without you?” she asked, her voice slightly watery.

“You’re never going to know,” the princess smiled. “Because whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me.” That got a laugh out of Y/N and the two of them stood up as Yue gestured outside with her head. “I think I saw Aang and my father out there. It’ll help to talk with them — I think you need some fresh air anyways.”

Y/N nodded and the two girls walked out hand in hand, a small reprieve from carrying the weight of the world.

-

Things were so much worse than she had been anticipating.

After a short talk outside the hall with Katara, Aang, and the Chief, Yue had been transported somewhere safer as Y/N steeled herself for the front lines. After all, as a student of Master Pakku, she could fight damn well — it was just a matter of putting it into action.

But a line of warriors and children alike were no match for the strength of the Fire Nation from afar, and the first few fireballs had done their job at disrupting both the fighters and the wall — Seeing her home get destroyed hurt nearly as much as constantly getting thrown around.

After Aang had taken off on Appa and Chief Arnook took a section of his soldiers off for a different plan, the work on the ground began. The fleet of ships seemed endless , and the same went for their artillery — the fight went long into the day as Y/N worked with various other waterbenders to stop fireballs and repair broken parts of the city’s infrastructure, but just as the full moon began to show, the attacks stopped coming. Limbs heavy with exhaustion from their work in the field, Y/N and Katara met up with the princess back at the balcony of the palace.

“They’ve stopped firing,” Yue noted as they all gazed off into the distance.

“Thank the spirits,” Y/N muttered as she worked out a knot in her shoulder. “I don’t know how much longer I could’ve kept going.”

Just then, Appa came into view and a grin spread across Katara’s face. “Aang!”

He landed below them and the three girls hurried down to meet him. Aang landed on the ground, exhaustion clear in every part of him. “I can’t do it,” he muttered as he placed his head in his hands. “I can’t do it.”

“What happened?” Katara asked as she ran up to him, Yue and Y/N close behind.

“I must’ve taken out a dozen Fire Navy ships, but there’s just too many of them!” His large grey eyes were full of hopelessness, and Y/N’s heart ached for the boy. “I can’t fight them all.”

“But— you have to!” Yue pleaded. “You’re the Avatar.”

“I’m just one kid,” Aang countered wearily. He buried his face in his arms and Katara kneeled next to him in an attempt to comfort him. Y/N could almost forget about the pain in her body at that moment, feeling an odd responsibility to this boy as she looked down at him.

“Aang,” she muttered, following Katara’s example and kneeling next to him. “You’ve already done so much for us. Just by being here, you’ve inspired hundreds of people — you’re a beacon of hope all on your own! We don’t expect you to take out this whole navy by yourself. As long as you’re here, fighting with us? You’re helping us more than you know.”

He managed a slight smile at that and he took her outstretched hand, getting pulled back to his feet with her help.

“We’ll have a better view from up there,” Katara noted, pointing back up to the balcony. “You can help us keep watch, Aang — in case they start attacking again.”

He nodded and the four of them began the walk, the Avatar in slightly better spirits.

“The legends say the moon was the first waterbender,” Yue said once they had reached the balcony, all of them gazing at the sky. “Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves.”

“I’ve always noticed my waterbending is stronger at night,” Katara mused, causing Y/N to hum in agreement.

“Our strength from the spirit of the moon, our life from the spirit of the ocean,” she said. “They work together to keep balance.

Aang’s expression brightened at her words as he popped up from the ground. “The spirits! Maybe I can find them and get their help!”

“How can you do that?” Y/N questioned.

“The Avatar is the bridge between our world and the Spirit World,” Katara explained excitedly. “Aang can talk to them!”

“Maybe they’ll give you the wisdom to win this battle!” Yue exclaimed.

“Or maybe they'll unleash a crazy amazing spirit attack on the Fire Nation!” At that, all three girls met him with strange looks. Aang coughed and straightened his posture. “Or wisdom. That's good, too.”

“The only problem is, last time you got to the Spirit World by accident,” Katara said with a frown. “How are you going to get there this time?”

Yue’s eyes lit up and she looked at them with a smile. “I have an idea. Follow me.”

-

A few minutes later, they were standing in the Spirit Oasis, the most spiritual place in all of the North. Yue, Y/N, and Katara all shed their coats as Aang walked around, marvelling at the beauty.

“I can feel… something,” Aang said as he sat down, getting into a meditating position. “It’s so tranquil.”

Soon enough, after a few moments of silence, Aang’s eyes as well as the arrow on his head began to glow.

“Is he okay?” Yue gasped.

“He’s crossing into the Spirit World,” Katara reassured. “He’ll be fine as long as we don’t move his body. That’s his way back to the physical world.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Y/N whispered, astonishment etched into her face. For as much as she had been taught about the ocean spirits, she wasn’t well-versed in the Spirit World as a whole — she was thoroughly fascinated by every part of this.

“Maybe we should get some help,” Yue suggested, still on edge as she took a few steps away from the gate.

“No, he’s my friend. I’m perfectly capable of protecting him. Besides, I already have some help here.” She smiled at Y/N, a sentiment that she returned happily.

A deep voice, almost mocking, broke the silence as it echoed throughout the oasis. “Well, aren’t you a big girl now? Even got yourself a little student.”

The three girls all whipped around to find the source of the voice, and Katara’s whole body stiffened. “No…”

“Yes. Hand him over and I don’t have to hurt you.”

Y/N immediately eased into a bending stance along with Katara as the princess fled to get help, but her confidence faltered when she took the time to focus on their assailant.

She almost didn’t recognize him — it had been nearly four years since she had last set eyes upon the boy, but it was as if he had become a completely different person. His head was shaved completely save for a ponytail, and blues and reds marked his skin in various cuts and bruises. His eyes held an anger she had never seen before, an expression only heightened with the addition of a large red scar across his left eye.

“Zuko?” she breathed, her chest tightening up beneath the weight of the revelation. Katara stared at her in bewilderment — she had no idea that Y/N knew the prince that had chased them halfway across the world, but Katara supposed that she had no reason to ever suspect she did.

His eyes flashed with recognition as they ran over her, and it seemed as if he had a similar epiphany as he staggered backwards. “I… I thought you were dead.”

“You’re with them,” she muttered, blood turning to ice. “Your nation is invading, and you’re helping them— you’re after the Avatar? What are you doing, Zuko?!”

The momentary surprise was replaced by steely determination as he shifted his weight forward and kicked up his leg, sending a blast of fire that she barely managed to dodge. “You know nothing!”

Y/N fell back into position next to Katara, but the newfound knowledge was like a fog over her mind. “Whoever he was when you knew him, that’s not him anymore!” Katara yelled as she bent water out of the pond and blocked his following attacks. “He won’t hesitate to hurt you, so you can’t either!”

“O-okay!” she stammered. This was the moment she had been waiting for, wasn’t it? After training with both Katara and Pakku, her martial skill had increased tenfold, and she was desperate to try it out — she only wished her first opponent didn’t have to be him. But another fire blast snapped her out of her paralysis, and she jumped into action.

The two girls worked impossibly well together, one stepping forward when the other fell back, the bending between them nearly seamless. Any fire that the prince sent their way was quickly extinguished, and with two against one on home turf, Y/N and Katara were able to hold him off with relative ease.

Y/N bent another jet of water up from the oasis and shot it at Zuko, the force of which knocked him several feet back. Katara took the opening and froze his feet to the ground, then began to move her arms about as she formed a ball of water around him — one more movement and it was frozen solid.

“You little peasant,” he growled. “You’ve found a master, haven’t you?”

The orb of ice began to glow, the air around them becoming hotter and hotter until it melted around him. Blasts of fire were flying at them as soon as Zuko hit the ground, and they were forced to retreat back towards the oasis as they grew more intense.

Y/N drew up a shield of water, extinguishing the flames on impact. Zuko dodged around them, his fingers inches away from Aang’s collar. Y/N propelled the water already at her fingertips towards Zuko with a grunt of effort, which sent him flying into the shallows on the other side of the oasis. She conjured up a large wave and sent it towards the prince, sending him up the side of the wall and trapping him once Katara froze it.

She breathed a sigh of relief and let her arms fall, a part of her wondering how they were still connected after the tediousness of the earlier battle. But this, one on one in a fight with real stakes? It was as exhilarating as it was nerve wracking, and she had never been so thankful that Katara had gotten her in with Master Pakku. Y/N felt intensely guilty over the pain she had inflicted on Zuko, but she tried her best to push it out of her mind — like Katara said, he would’ve done worse if she hadn’t fought back.

“You fought well,” Katara smiled. “I told you that you were talented.”

She chuckled and shrugged, cheeks heating up slightly at the praise. “It’s not exactly my first fight, just… the most intense.” It reminded her of the early mornings and late nights spent sparring with Zuko, a memory that only twisted the dagger in her heart even more.

The two girls smiled at each other as they began to walk back over to Aang — it seemed the boy was undisturbed by the fight by virtue of his glowing tattoos and closed eyes — when Y/N found herself squinting from the rays of light filtering in.

“Huh,” she mumbled. “The sun’s out. The sun’s out— Katara!”

Y/N turned to find the prince free from the ice, and the pair barely had time to draw water from the pond to shield themselves from the impending flames. But it was too little too late, and the power of the blast sent them back several feet. They slammed into either side of the gate, the force of it immediately knocking Katara out.

Y/N gasped in pain as she tried to push herself up, but the fight combined with the impact of her landing had taken a toll on her and she collapsed once more against the gate. When the smoke from the fire cleared, Zuko was there with Aang’s collar in his grasp.

“You rise with the moon,” he muttered, his face tinged with the slightest bit of guilt as he met her eyes. “I rise with the sun.”

The last thing she saw before her consciousness faded out was the boy she loved escaping with the Avatar.

-

why did i make yue and y/n like this when i KNOW what i have to write next omg i hate myself

perm tag list: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin @maruchan77

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atla: @marianne1806

Wake up! 

SA2 Re:verse- The Last Scene

This is the last scene in my Sonic Adventure 2 Alternate Universe, titled SA2 Re:verse. This story follows the plot of Sonic Adventure 2, but with a focus on Knuckles the Echidna as the Ultimate Lifeform and Shadow the Hedgehog as the Last Guardian of the Master Emerald. Prologue: Shadow was raised by his uncle who was the last echidna and guardian of the Master Emerald. After befriending Sonic two years ago when he helped retrieve the master emerald from Eggman, he learned that he can rely on others and doesn't have to face his challenges alone. 50 years ago, Dr. Gerald Robotnik created Project Terra also known as Project Flora. From this, the Ultimate Lifeform Knuckles was created using Echidna and Black Doom's DNA. Knuckles honed his skills in controlling natural elements such as earth, plants, water, and other natural elements, as well as manipulating chaos energy. His most notable skill being the ability to heal others, which Gerald used and researched to help his granddaughter Maria from a rare and incurable illness. Aboard the Space Colony Ark, he found family in Gerald, Maria, and Rouge the Bat who was a former jewel thief turned G.U.N. scientist (with a focus on gem properties and flora and fauna studies) as well as a combat specialist. When the Space Colony Ark is raided when word gets out on Gerald's Experiments, Gerald is captured, telling the three to escape. Rouge, running behind Knuckles and Maria, chooses to face the guards head on so the other two can escape. Rouge is cornered and escapes through a cryogenic pod which freezes her in time as she lands on earth. Knuckles and Maria make it to two escape pods, but Maria is shot by a G.U.N soldier and Maria launches Knuckles pod before he has a chance to help her, and he hurtles towards Earth alone. Present: 50 years later Knuckles is woken up from his pod by Eggman who tells him Gerald was his great grandfather. He says he knows of Rouge's whereabouts and will help Knuckles achieve revenge for the Space Colony Ark's erasure from history. Sonic and Shadow especially are chased by GUN when word gets out that there is an Echidna wrecking havoc in the city and at different military bases. With GUN thinking that this is a coup planned by Shadow, Sonic and his friends are now thought to be ex-government criminals. Sonic follows a lead on a mysterious Bat girl who keeps stealing the Chaos Emeralds, and Shadow comes face to face with Knuckles. Shadow is stunned, telling Knuckles that all of the Echidna's are gone and that he is the last. He asks where he has been all this time, and offers to help him. Knuckles is distraught, saying he couldn't be the last and that by Shadow being the guardian of the master emerald, that he is an imposter and a faker. Shadow throughout the game, learns more about Knuckles through their fights, and tries to convince him to start healing from his past and that he can offer him a new future. After many side-battles, Rouge has taken most of the Chaos Emeralds, so Knuckles goes right to Angel Island to take the Master Emerald from Shadow. Its a close and intense battle, but Knuckles wins and tells Shadow to give up being a guardian because he was never strong enough to be, and if he pursues him it'll be over for him. Shadow refuses to accept this and tells Knuckles he wont give up, and despite everything he wont give up on Knuckles either. Sonic and the gang get to the Space Colony Ark and Shadow tells Sonic to get the Master Emerald from Rouge who is guarding it. Shadow is the one who will face Knuckles alone, because he feels he is the only one to understand him and get through to him. Sonic goes to Rouge and they battle. Sonic asks Rouge if this is really how her family wanted to be remembered and if this is what you really want for Knuckles? Rouge after a lot of back and forth, and Sonic saving her from falling off a ledge tells Sonic to protect her jewels (Knuckles and the Master Emerald). Sonic Promises. Elsewhere, Shadow skates down a long corridor until he reaches Knuckles, who seemed to be waiting for him. Shadow tells Knuckles being a guardian is who I am, and protecting the earth and all of it's creatures is what he does, and that if he doesn't believe his words, then he'll show with his actions that "I Am All of Me". Knuckles and him fight and Knuckles fights dirty and at one point throws him into a pod with a fake emerald, leading Shadow to his demise as he hurtles towards earth....or so he thought. Shadow uses Chaos Control using the fake emerald and reappears on the battle field with Knuckles. This pisses Knuckles off and they fight again all while Shadow convinces him that he can heal from his past and doesn't have to face the world alone. Shadow is about to lose the fight despite his best efforts, but right before Knuckles is about to end him, Shadow says even though Maria's not here anymore, she wanted him to be. And even if the world feels like your enemy, I am glad you exist, and you are here now with me. Knuckles punches the ground near Shadow's head and finally gives up, cries in Shadows' arms, and heals him. Later, Knuckles apologizes to Rouge and then they all get an announcement that the Space Colony Ark is going to hurtle towards the earth. They retrieve the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds and Knuckles transforms into Hyper Knuckles, while Sonic and Shadow transform into Super Sonic and Super Shadow. Knuckles and Shadow Fight the Biolizard, while Sonic tries to slow the Ark's descent by pushing it back. Knuckles and Shadow are about to deal the final blow, but the Biolizard rapidly creates what appears to be a massive chaos energy spirit bomb aimed right at Knuckles and Shadow. With no time to run or react, Knuckles and Shadow are toast until Sonic jumps in the way to shield them both and take the hit. Sonic is de-supered and hurtles towards the Earth. At the last minute, Rouge flies out there and catches him and thanks him for keeping his promise. Sonic makes a joke and laughs. Finally Knuckles and Shadow give the Biolizard the final blow, and with low energy they struggle to stop the space colony ark from entering Earth's gravitational pull. They both know this is the moment where they might not make it unless someone sacrifices themselves. Shadow is about to do it but Knuckles tells Shadow thank you for not giving up, the world needs a guardian, and to take care of Rouge for me. He pushes Shadow out of the way, and blasts the ark back all on his own, then de-hypers and falls, hurtling towards the Earth. Shadow uses his last remaining energy to catch him, tells him "I promised you a future, so for you to throw it all away, that's not gonna happen", and heals Knuckles all the way until Knuckles is back in his hyper form. Shadow hurtles towards the earth, and Knuckles catches him saying expletives and starts to panic. He tells Rouge to gather the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald because Shadow isn't moving. He flies all the way to the space colony ark from earth's atmosphere and rushes through the gates and chaos controls until he gets to the main hub where everyone is waiting and worried. He sets Shadow down carefully near the abundance of Chaos Energy around him. Rouge listens to Shadow's heart and looks concerned back at Knuckles. Knuckles looks back at Shadow who has his eyes closed, looking like the most at peace person in the entire room and Knuckles refuses to let this be the end for him. He carefully picks Shadow up in his arms, and has a flashback of an old memory of watching Disney's 1959 animated movie, Sleeping Beauty. Maria was watching it with him and told him one day she wishes to find someone who makes her feel special, and one day she hopes Knuckles finds someone who makes him feel special too. Knuckles holds Shadow's face in his hand, with his other hand on Shadow's back. And Knuckles says: "You saved me, your friends, and the entire Earth, and you barely even know me. I don't think it's fair to take a nap when all your friends are waiting...and I'm waiting. I guess you could say, I've been waiting for someone like you this entire time. So sorry, if this is forward Shadow, but I'm not letting you die without me" Then Knuckles kisses Shadow and heals him, and slowly Shadow takes in all the chaos energy, and his fur and quills turn golden once again. Shadow wakes up and looks into Knuckles eyes. "Did we win?" Shadow asks. Knuckles laughs and tears up. "Yeah, we won" Knuckles smiles. Everyone cheers and hugs Shadow, and Knuckles too, and celebrates living another day in a limitless future, where even the hardest memories can become treasured things, and your present can be what you make it to be. Sonic Adventure 2: Re:verse -------------------------------- Artist/Author Notes: -Knuckles outfit is based on his SA2 Goth Alternate outfit, the same is for Rouge -The red streaks on Shadow's quills are echidna war paint

Imagine Sokka becoming jealous when he finds out you and Zuko have a history together

Your POV

Your father Piando was the best sword fighting teacher in all the four nations and people came from all over to seek his guidance. So you’d met many men who trained with your father but none of them were like Sokka, or more accurately Sokka wasn't like anyone else who passed through your father’s door. Mainly because he openly admitted he wasn’t perfect which none of the other men had ever dared to do. They’d openly boasted all their achievements hoping to impress your father whereas Sokka was brutally honest about himself and you respected that. Your father was intrigued too and so Sokka was allowed to train with him.

You were also very intrigued and observed Sokka’s training to see what this unique man would do. You watched amused as Sokka completed every single task with his own unique style and grew fonder of him with each passing day. You never interfered with your fathers training methods but you did help Sokka where you could and became friends.

When Sokka completed his training it was time for him to leave and you felt sad. It was nice to have someone so unique and refreshingly imperfect. You and your father both disliked the fire nation and your father always told you it would change eventually. Watching the avatar leave you couldn’t help but wonder if the time was now and realised how much you wanted to be a part of it. "Go" your father said suddenly and you paused "what?". "Join them" he smiled passing you a packed bag and your sword "i always knew you were destined for greatness and this is it....why do you think i pressed you to be so skilled with a sword? Go with Sokka and help him overthrow the firelord". You paused overwhelmed with emotion so you just hugged him "thank you". "You're welcome...just don't get any closer to Sokka okay?". You blushed but made no promises. You ran out of the house and caught Sokka as he was halfway down the road. "Sokka i..." you paused as Sokka and all his friends looked at you and you took a breath "i was wondering if you wanted any help defeating the firelord?". "You want to help us?" Aang asked and you nodded "i’m pretty good with a sword and i know a lot about the fire nation....i’d like to help, i want to fight". Sokka pretended to think before grinning "welcome to the team y/n!".

You worked with Sokka on his invasion plan for the fire nation and provided Aang with invaluable information on the firelord. You and Sokka grew closer and started dating pretty soon after you joined the group. You loved your time travelling with the gang and finally felt like things were changing for the better when a piece of your past came back to you.

You had just arrived at the western air temple and after finally getting Aang to talk to you were interrupted by the prince of the fire nation. Everyone rushed to attack him but you just stood there frozen between shock and awkwardness. Eventually you came forward to stand beside Sokka and listened as the others all debated letting Zuko join. Finally the group agreed to let Zuko join and only then did he fully look up from the ground at you all and he spotted you immediately. "Y/n?" Zuko asked and you smiled "hi Zuko". "Wait you two know each other?" Katara asked. "Yeah my father taught Zuko how to use his dual swords a couple of years ago". Zuko nodded "see her father is this amazing swordsman famous in the fire nation known for....". "Yeah i know, i’ve met him" Sokka replied "and he also trained me so you're not the only sword master here". Zuko nodded awkwardly and you changed the subject.

You showed Zuko around as nobody else wanted to and because you wanted to help make him feel welcome. You also wanted to apologise for not telling the gang you knew each other. You explained to Zuko how you didn’t vouch for him earlier because you thought it was Aang’s place not yours and he understood your reasons. You caught up over everything you’d missed in the fire nation and Zuko’s life while Sokka watched with a confused expression.

Sokka’s POV

"I can believe i had no idea they were friends" Sokka cried and Katara sighed "y/n never said they were friends she just said they knew each other, also how would you know? It never came up". "Yeah but y/n knew we were conspiring against the firelord and she never mentioned she knew his son....do you think that’s odd?”. Sokka’s eyes drifted back to where you were both sat together "and now they're sat laughing and joking around together". Katara sighed "i’m sure they're both just happy to be around people they know, Zuko probably just feels more comfortable around her because she’s from the fire nation too, she knows what it’s like". Sokka raised an eyebrow not convinced. The way you and Zuko acted was way too familiar for casual acquaintances. You seemed very at ease with each other and Sokka couldn’t help but feel you were hiding something about this from him.

Later

You were sat around the campfire drinking tea Zuko made with the group when you realised your boyfriend was missing. You searched all over for him before you finally found him. "There you are!" you called spotting Sokka stood at the edge of the woods "why are you all the way out here it’s freezing". "I don’t feel the cold" Sokka said and you snorted "you don’t feel the cold?" you asked imitating him mockingly and Sokka shook his head but smiled "i meant...i have more of a tolerance to it than you because i grew up surrounded by snow and ice" Sokka said nudging you playfully. You smiled at him and took his hand in yours "well that may be but i still think you shouldn’t be out here all alone, come back to the fire with me, Zuko was telling jokes it was crazy!". "No thanks" Sokka said abruptly dropping your hard and you paused "what?". "I don’t want to listen to Zuko be hilarious and watch him become even better than he already is". You paused "Sokka is everything okay....". "Why didn’t you tell me you knew him?". You paused "i...it didn’t come up plus i wasn’t sure it was relevant...I knew Zuko a while ago, it’s not like we’re close". "I thought the same thing but then i saw the two of you together and you seemed comfortable, familiar even and it made me think....has something ever happened between you two?". You paled and Sokka gasped "i knew it! You like him!". "What? Sokka of course i don't, i left to come with you right?". "So why...". "Okay so while he was being trained with my father we became friends and we might have maybe gone on a couple of dates...". "YOU WHAT!" Sokka cried and you jumped "Sokka it’s not that big a deal! It was like 4 times! Then he left for the capital and we never ever spoke again, you have to believe me". Sokka nodded his head as you stared at him fiercely "i do just wow i can’t believe you dated?". You shrugged "i don’t even know if you can call it that, it was just casual and fun, neither of us were expecting anything long term...it was literally just some fun". Sokka paused "is it...does Zuko still seem fun to you?". You shook your head "Sokka i’d never dated anyone before Zuko...that was half the appeal! The other half was he’s a prince, which when i was younger seemed amazing. I’m older now and not so easily enticed by titles or just any guy. It takes a lot more, someone as great as you" you smiled up at him "and trust me Zuko will never seem as good to me as you do”. Sokka smiled and looked at you "really?". "Really" you nodded and kissed him. Sokka was enjoying it before a thought popped into his head "wait when you two dated did you ever...have you kissed Zuko?". Your eyes widened again and Sokka gasped "you have! Y/n!". "It was only a few times!" you cried and Sokka gaped "of all the girls i fall for...her ex-boyfriend is the future firelord...". "He wasn’t my boyfriend and i...wait girl you've fallen for?". Sokka blushed "well i figured it was pretty obvious...wasn’t i?". "No but even if it was hearing you say it...i’m falling for you too Sokka and that’s why this whole Zuko thing is just...so what if i’ve dated and kissed Zuko? That’s so far in the past! I don’t feel anything for him anymore and even if i did there’s no way it’d ever compare with you...nothing and nobody could". "Not even a fancy nobel man?" Sokka asked smiling and you shook your head "nope". "Or a titled tribal leader?". "No" you grinned and Sokka smiled "what about the earth king?". "Isn’t he like 40?" you asked and Sokka’s smile dropped "ow so if he wasn’t then he'd be an option". You got worried Sokka was actually upset when his frown was replaced with a smile "i’m kidding" he grinned. "You're an ass" you said pushing him but Sokka caught your hands and pulled you to him swiftly. "Yeah i know that’s what you like so much about me...my winning personality". “That’s one of the reasons” you grinned and before Sokka could ask you to list all the reasons you tugged his hand “now can we go back to the fire? I don’t have your water tribe protection from the cold”. Sokka nodded wrapping an arm around you “let's go”. You and Sokka reached the fire and sat together, Sokka stayed close to you to try and share his body heat with you and you willingly leant into him savouring it.

“They look happy” Zuko commented to Katara who nodded smiling. She wasn’t technically speaking to Zuko but she loved you and Sokka as a couple and it melted away her anger. “They are” she smiled. “I’m glad y/n found someone, she deserves someone good”. Katara frowned as Zuko was obviously talking like he knew you well but she didn’t push it. She just smiled seeing her brother so obviously in love with someone who loved him back just as much.

The Mirror of Erised // Draco Malfoy

Summary: Curious professors, treasure hunts, romantic feelings.

A/N: This idea gripped me and I couldn't let it go. I haven't written for Draco in so long, I forgot how much I love this character. 

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Female!Reader

Warnings: fluff, pining, mutual pining, kissing, treasure hunts, humour, swearing, mentions of food and drink

Word count: 4.4k

The air of the greenhouses was always humid; thick with moisture, creating the perfect environment for the magical plants of Hogwarts to thrive and grow. Tended by all students, the greenhouses saw an abundance of visitors every day.

The collection of greenhouses had been your solace as a teenager studying at the enchanting school. Too anxious from the state of wizarding society, the greenhouses became a place of calm for you. Professor Sprout had taken you under your wing after your fourth visit to the unconventional classrooms. From there, your knowledge of magical plants and their properties grew until you were the one they called when the school was destroyed, and students were injured.

It wasn’t long after the Battle of Hogwarts that McGonagall offered you a teaching position, wanting a trustworthy, welcoming soul to take over from Professor Sprout. Sprout hadn’t worried; she knew she had left her beloved greenhouses in safe hands.

Days in the greenhouses always flew by. You constantly found yourself entranced by your work; the potting and repotting of Mandrakes, the drying of nettles, the harvesting of Asphodel root – it was enough to keep you thoroughly occupied as well as a hive of information for the students that line the greenhouse work stations.

However, today you found yourself occupied not by the Aconite plant that also went by Monkshood and Wolfsbane. Instead, you were caught up in a rumour delivered to you this morning by Nearly Headless Nick. The resident ghost of Gryffindor had flitted over to you, already grinning with excitement at the information he had to share. By the time such information had been imparted onto you, your excitement rivalled his.

There was only one person, however, that you wanted to share this rumour with.

Draco Malfoy followed you into teaching a year after you began your position at Hogwarts. He hadn’t wanted the job at the ministry; his name scorned by most witches and wizards. McGonagall had seen something in him and had offered him the position of Potions Master, knowing how comfortable the Malfoy heir would been in the subject.

The friendship with the Slytherin Prince happened over many shared meals; breakfasts, lunches, dinners in the Great Hall in which you always found yourself saving a seat for the blonde in case no-one else at the table did. Draco’s allegiance in the Second Wizarding War was a well-known fact amongst staff and students.

After a while, the two seats became reserved for the both of you. An unofficial seating plan in which you would save a seat for Draco, and he would save one for you if you were running late. It was a friendship you so dearly cherished, and if you happened to have recognised the familiar stirrings of love in you as you glanced at the blonde, then that would be your secret to bare. Draco didn’t need to know how he made your heart race and sent your head into a spin; he didn’t need to know how often he featured in your dreams, waking up with your arm outstretched as if reaching for him in the deep of your sleep.

The man occupied your mind as you left the greenhouses, wandering to the Great hall where you caught sight of the shock of blonde hair amongst the rest of the staff. It’s as if he senses your presence, Draco looks up from his plate of food to meet your gaze. A slow smile spreads across his face as he waves at you, hurrying you over.

“Have you heard?” You smile, remembering your earlier conversation with Nearly Headless Nick, childish excitement written across your face as you reach out to grip Draco’s forearm.

The blonde indulges you with a wide smile of his own. “Have I heard what?”

Your grip on Draco’s arm grows tighter as your excitement peaks. “It’s back at Hogwarts – the Mirror of Erised.”

Shock pulses through his body as Draco tries and fails to keep the alarm from showing on his face. “What? Where did you find that out?”

“Nearly Headless Nick who heard it from Professor Binns who overheard Professors Flitwick and Trelawney discussing the subject matter outside of McGonagall’s office.”

Draco’s grey eyes narrow as he takes in the admittedly weak and confusing chain of gossip. “Are you certain that it is back here?” He asks; curiosity burning through him, but not wanting to risk falsities.

“There’s only one way to find out,” You tease, biting your lip as you peer up at the Potions professor through your lashes. You knew that Draco would be apprehensive about such a magical object, but even he couldn’t resist catching a glimpse into his own soul – his own heart.

Draco groans; repressing the urge to let his head fall into his arms. “Another treasure hunt?”

He didn’t remember the last one too fondly. You had heard whispers of the Necklace of the Lady of the Lake being housed in an offshoot of one of the many tunnels that lay undisturbed underneath Hogwarts. They had remained undisturbed for over a thousand years until you had chosen to find the necklace. You had no interest in wearing it; you couldn’t be bothered about being unfathomably loved, but you had simply wanted to see whether there was any stock in the legend preached by Professor Binns in History of Magic.

Unfortunately, whilst the tunnels did exist, the necklace did not, and it was left to Draco to pick up the pieces of your disappointment as well as heal numerous scratches and welts covering your limbs after an ill-timed fall.

After that, Draco had made you swear that your treasure hunts would remain above ground and somewhat safe.

“Please, Dray,” You plead, shaking the arm which you still hold in your grip. “Help me find the Mirror of Erised.”

“We were warned away from it as students,” Draco argues, desperate for you to see sense so he can protect you from further injury, “Why should we find it now?”

“Because we are no longer students,” You protest, gesturing to your seats at the teacher’s table in the Great Hall where you both currently sit.

“What do I get out of this?” He asks, already feeling his resolve crumbling as he takes in the excitement shining brightly in your eyes.

“You get to spend time with me, of course,” You laugh, anticipation curling in your gut.

“Well, if you’d led with that,” Draco begins, his voice trailing off as he watches your eyes grow wide with the realisation of what he is saying.

“You’ll help?”

“I’ll help,” He nods, unable to keep the smile of out of his voice and off of his face.

“Thank you!” You cry, releasing your hold of Draco’s arm to throw your own around his neck, pulling him in for a tight hug. “I knew I could count on you.”

Draco laughs; his arms coming to wrap around you. “I’ll come to your rooms after dinner, deal?”

“Deal,” You answer, pulling your head out of his neck long enough to reply to him. You stay wrapped up in each other for another moment; enjoying the closeness of the other until you begin to feel the gaze of colleagues and students alike – all curious to whether the two of you had gotten your act together yet.  

-----

Draco knocks on your door an hour after the end of the dinner. The many students at the school had been sent off to bed though many still roamed the halls despite the nearing toll of curfew. Draco had passed many teenagers on his way to your rooms; each either greeting him verbally or offering him a nod as he passed. He wasn’t going to remind them that they needed to head back to their dorms; he was out after hours too, and despite being an adult, he still sometimes felt like the student he was so many years ago.

At this point in this teaching career, Draco had spent countless evenings in your rooms. He could explain the layout like the back of his hand from the personalised tapestry backing the wall behind your bed to the bookshelf in your living room whose shelves are bowing from the weight of the books laid upon it.

He could picture it all in his mind’s eye as he knocks twice more upon the faded, wooden door.

“I wondered when you’d be dropping by,” You greet as you step to one side to let the potions professor enter.

Draco rolls his eyes at the mock impatience in your voice. He toes off his shoes before following you through to the small living area where he spies a mug of his favourite tea waiting for him on the coffee table. He reaches for it as he settles down on the worn couch.

“What’s the plan?”

“Find the mirror, look into it, try to achieve our desires.”

“Very thorough.”

“Piss off, Dray,” You laugh, hitting him with a couch cushion.

“In all serious, do you know where the mirror could be kept?”

“I have three ideas.”

“Enlighten me.”

Holding up your hand, you show Draco three fingers as you count off the locations in your mind. “The Room of Requirement, the Chamber of Secrets, and the place where Harry found the Philosopher’s Stone in our first year, just off the Third Floor corridor.”

“All difficult places to get into,” Draco notes wryly.

“Your point being?”

“You never make this easy for me.”

“I’ll repeat my words from earlier: piss off, Draco.”

“Why do you want to find it so badly?” Draco asks; finally voicing the words that have been sat on the tip of his tongue since dinner.

You shrug, messing with a loose thread on a dark red cushion. “Why not? I’d like to see what I truly desire.”

Understanding that he isn’t going to get a longer answer, Draco changes tact. “Which room do we hit first? What’s the plan?”

He’s rewarded with a smile that lights up your whole face and sets his heart pounding in his chest.

Draco does his best to listen to you; he does his best to pay attention to every word leaving your lips and every gesture of your hands, but he finds it hard when all he can see if the excitement in your eyes and the pure happiness written on you face. If he already didn’t think you beautiful, he would think so now.

As Draco watches you, he finds himself thinking back to the time he first realised his feelings for you. It had been at a quidditch match – Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff. Draco had attended only because you had asked him to; Hufflepuff had been your house when you were student, you were an avid supporter of the team. Parents had been attending this match as well; many of them old enough to remember the first wizarding war, his parents and his side in the second wizarding war. It had awkward until one parent made one too many comments. You had defended him, embarrassing the parent until they had no choice but to leave. When Draco had asked you why you had done such a thing; you had simply reached for his hand, squeezed it and told him that that is what friends do.

Draco had fallen in love with you then and there.

“You weren’t listening to a damn thing I was saying, were you?” You ask, a wry smile curving your lips as you settle back against the many cushions on your couch, pulling Draco from whatever daydream he found himself in.

Draco bites down on his bottom lip to keep the smile from spreading across his face. He shakes his head, “I’m sorry, I got distracted.”

“Thinking about what?”

He blanches; feels all colour leave his face as he’s put on the spot. Draco isn’t ready to confess what he feels for you; he hasn’t quite figured out whether it would ruin the friendship he so dearly cherishes or whether it would create something more between you. Either way, he isn’t ready. Instead, he offers, “I was thinking about the treasure hunt we went on for King Arthur’s sword.”

You groan dramatically, pulling a cushion over your face. “I didn’t know King Arthur’s sword was going to be that sharp!”

Draco snorts, “It’s a sword! What did you think it would be?”

“How many times do I have to apologise?”

“As many times as it takes for the scar to fade,” Draco states, lifting his pant leg to show you the puckered skin of a three inch scar running up the length of his shin. You wince at the sight of it.

“Still,” You whisper, sheepish from Draco’s reminder of the danger these hunts pose, “Will you help me?”

Draco sighs, settling once more against the many cushions on your couch. He takes a sip of his tea, pretending to mull over his decision. He knew he would help; he would follow you to the ends of the earth, but he wouldn’t be a very good friend if he didn’t make you stew over it. Ultimately, Draco smiles, turning to you, he asks, “Where do we begin?”

------

The Third Floor corridor is searched later that same week; the two of you coming up empty handed as you stride through the various tasks completed by Harry Potter in his first year of schooling at Hogwarts. You cannot stop the disappointment from flooding your veins when you come up empty handed; no sign of the Mirror of Erised when you reach the end of the path.

“We’ll find it,” Draco promises, an arm wrapping around your waist in comfort, “We’ll try the Chamber of Secrets next, see what that brings up.”

The Chamber of Secrets also has you both coming up empty handed. Draco had paused momentarily as you opened both doors to the chamber; shocked at your use of parsel tongue.

However, both of you felt the keener sting of bitter disappointment when all that is left of the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk skeleton. Fascinating though it may be, the chamber doesn’t hold what you seek so you leave the place, hoping never to return.

------

The Room of Requirement can be located on the seventh floor corridor; its entrance appears across from a tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy, but it only ever makes itself known to those who need it. On your list of locations for the Mirror of Erised, the Room of Requirement was your last option.

“What if it isn’t here?” You worry, standing next to Draco at the supposed entrance of the room.

“The mirror or the room of requirement?”

“Both,” You cry, chewing on the inside of your cheek.

“Hey,” Draco hushes, touching a finger to your chin briefly. “It will be. I’ve entered the room of requirement plenty of times.”

“Did you ever see the mirror?”

Draco shakes his head. “I didn’t, but I wasn’t searching for it then. I am now. Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” You reply, steeling yourself with a deep breath.

Draco takes your hand in his; tangling your fingers together for extra security as you begin the walk past the rumoured entrance. Three times you both walk past, thinking only of the Mirror of Erised and not of the way Draco’s hand feels in yours.

The grinding of stone is what makes the both of you pause. Draco squeezes your hand in hope as you turn to see the appearance of an ornate, dark wooden door. A glance at the blonde has further hope blooming in your chest when you spy a glimmer of familiarity in the eyes of the Slytherin Prince.

Taking the lead, Draco guides you through the door.

The room can only be described as cavernous; stone columns hold up the large room, all circling the Mirror of Erised which sits in the centre of the room, only accessed by walking down stone steps.

Excitement settles deep within your gut as you reach out for Draco’s hand only to find that he’s reached for you first. Turning to the blonde, you find triumph and happiness written across his face. “We’ve found it,” He whispers, not wanting to speak louder in case he disturbs the peace of the mirror.

“We have,” You reply just as quietly.

In sync, you both look out towards the mirror. It stands impressively in the centre of the room; its stature demanding any and all attention. It’s hard to look away with the knowledge that it could show you what you truly desire.

“Who looks first?” You ask, keeping a tight grip on Draco’s hand.

“I’m not sure,” Draco states, wanting just as much to look into the mirror now that he’s standing in front of it. He can feel its pull; he’s desperate to answer its call.

“Rock, paper, scissors?” You suggest, offering the childish game as solution to your problems.

“Alright,” Draco replies, letting go of your hand to offer it up as a fist. “Ready when you are.”

“Rock, paper, scissors,” You both chime, voices echoing off the stone walls. Draco laughs as loud as he dares when you lose for a second time in a row; he tries to offer you another go but it is clear you’ve lost this round.

“Just go stare into the glass, you arse,” You huff, shoving at his shoulder. Draco blows you a kiss as he steps down into the pit where the mirror awaits.

“Well,” You hiss, keeping your voice low in case Filch happens to walk by, “What do you see?”

Draco stands before the grand Mirror of Erised. He had heard of its prowess; Harry had preached so often about it that its legend only grew in Draco’s mind. He had never thought for one second that he would be standing in front of it, watching the ancient glass swirl and whirl as his deepest desires are reflected for him.

“Draco?” You call, voice louder, breaking the blonde from his pre-occupation with the mirror. He turns to you, eyes beginning to focus on the room around you. “Hmm?” He asks, “What did you say?”

“What did you see?” You ask, hands settling on your hips as you fix the man in front of you with an unimpressed but desperately curious stare.

Draco glances back to the mirror; his right hand twitches by his side, needing to know that if he reached out towards the immemorial glass, he could step right through and live his true desires.

He must stare at the mirror too long for he feels your hand slip into his; he feels your fingers tangle with his and tug once, pulling him from his yearnings with an ever-growing sense of urgency. “Draco,” Your voice calls though it sounds muffled as the grey swirls of fog in the mirror begin to take shape once more. “Draco,” You call again, “Come back to me.”

The words are muffled, but the pleading note to your voice cuts through the fog surrounding him. Draco comes back to the present with a start; his whole body jolting as he registers the feel of your hand in his, the weight of your fingers tangled with his.

“Where did you go just now?” You ask, concern tightening your voice, making it hard to speak.

Draco blinks once, twice, three times before whispering, “The mirror is very powerful. You can see why witches and wizards have wasted away in front of it, their desires played out for them as if on a stage.”

“Are you okay?” You ask, bringing a hand to Draco’s cheek, registering his drop in temperature. “You’re freezing cold.”

“I feel fine,” The man murmurs, sounding very far away as his grey eyes glaze over once again.

“This was a mistake,” You spit, hating yourself for dragging him along every step of the way.

“No,” Draco states firmly, “Not a mistake at all.”

“Draco, you’re freezing cold and you’re barely present enough to have a full conversation with me. You’re not okay.” You shake your head in frustration, “We’re going back to my rooms. With any luck, we won’t come across the mirror again.”

Draco goes to argue; he goes to scream and shout, but he takes a look at the stricken expression on your face and chooses to close his mouth. It’s a look he hasn’t seen in years; a look he hasn’t seen since you took in the sight of the destroyed courtyard after the Battle of Hogwarts, registering the dead bodies lined up at the side, knowing there was nothing you could do to help them. It was a look Draco had hoped he would never see again, but as the look ages your features, any argument Draco wants to pose dies on the tip of his tongue, the bitterness seeping its way to back of his throat. Instead, he holds on tightly to your hand and lets himself be led back to your rooms where warm blankets and hot tea awaits.

--------

Having barely slept after your first encounter with the mirror, you closely resemble a ghost as you take a seat at the teacher’s table for breakfast the following morning. Draco’s seat next to you is empty as you pour yourself a hot pot of tea, needing the warmth to replace what you lost in that awful room last night.

As you reach for a piece of toast and the pot of raspberry jam, you wonder whether Draco felt well enough to come down for breakfast. It had taken numerous mugs of tea to bring his temperature back up to what it was, and he remained infuriatingly tight lipped over what he had seen in the mirror despite your deluge of questions.

You only look up from your food when you catch sight of Draco out of the corner of your eye. He settles in the chair next to you, looking as if he had barely slept a wink either. He had left your rooms looking close to a corpse, the tiniest hint of colour in his cheeks. Your concern for him had interrupted your own sleep; tossing and turning all night to try and stop yourself from kicking down his door.

“How are you?” You whisper, not wanting anyone to overhear this conversation.

“Better,” He answers after a brief sip of his hot drink. “Thank you for last night.”

“Always, Draco.”

“I want to go back,” Draco announces over his breakfast, “I need to go back.”

“Why?” You ask, aghast at his decision.

“I need to be certain of what I saw.”

“And you can��t be certain without having to go back to the mirror?”

“Look,” Draco sighs, resting his teacup back onto its saucer, “I’m going back to the Mirror of Erised. Now, you can come with me and find out what I saw the first time which I know has been killing you to find out about. Or you can stay here and worry about me and not find out what I saw. What will it be?”

You purse your lips, keeping any and all barbed retorts behind your locked lips. Draco had you in a bind and he full well knew it. Eventually, after much deliberation, you roll your eyes at the blonde. “Fine,” You huff, “I’ll come with you. When are you going?”

“Tonight. I’ll come to you after curfew.”

------

The excitement upon finding the cavernous room the first time had quickly faded upon your entering the second time. You remain two steps behind Draco, watching him intently from the back as he takes a deep breath, stepping further into the room.

The Mirror of Erised remains unmoved in the centre of the room; the stone steps leading to the ancient, powerful object have a slight sheen of frost over them. Draco pays the frost no mind as he steps down to the mirror; the heels of his oxford reverberating loudly off the stone walls of the room. You wince slightly; safe in the knowledge that Filch wouldn’t be passing this room tonight, but still not wanting to take any chances.

Had the Mirror always been this foreboding? You ask yourself as you watch the man you’ve slowly fallen in love with get closer and closer to the archaic magic trapped inside the glass.

Draco pauses long enough to flash you a smile that you suppose is meant to relieve you of some of the stress and worry you feel, but it does nothing to calm your nerves as Draco steels himself to stare into the mirror again.

You remain close by as Draco watches the fog; you watch out for any signs of Draco losing himself like he did last time. As he had said previously, the mirror had turned scores of witches and wizards into bumbling fool, obsessed with watching their desires play out in front of them but refusing to act upon them. You couldn’t help but harbour some hatred for the mirror as you watched Draco fall under the mirror’s spell once more.

It takes only a moment for it all to become too much. Taking a tentative step forward, you call out his name only to receive no reply. Worrying your bottom lip, you call his name louder.

Draco’s right hand twitches as he pulls himself from the mirror. “You called,” He smiles, a poor attempt at humour.

You glare at the blonde; your heart pounding as Draco walks back to where you wait. “How do you feel?”

“Fine,” He answers, “Nothing like last time.”

“What did you see?”

“Us,” Draco answers; the single word tumbling from his lips as a smile begins to grace his face.

“Us?” You repeat, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“I love you,” Draco states honestly, plainly as if the very fact had been common knowledge for a long time. “I love you,” He repeats, arms slipping around your waist to hold you near.

“You love me?” You squeak, unable to comprehend such words after an evening as eventful as this one.

He nods; his nose brushing yours as his lips barely graze over your mouth. “I love you,” He repeats almost breathlessly as the need to kiss you tries to overtake his body.

“I love you too,” You murmur quietly, letting yourself fall further for the man holding you so tenderly.

Draco’s only answer to that is to kiss you.

*****

Harry Potter Taglist: @chaotic-fae-queen @harrypotter289 @kalimagik @heloisedaphnebrightmore @nebulablakemurphy @figlia--della--luna @imboredandneedalife @levylovegood @awritingtree @haphazardhufflepuff @chaoticgirl04 @accio-rogers @dreaming-about-fanfictions @lestersglitterglue @msmimimerton @obx-beach @izzytheninja @slytherinprincess03 @bbeauttyybbx @breadqueen95 @oopskashish @slytherinsunrise @remmyswritings @they-write-once-in-a-blue-moon @ria-rests-here @superbturtlemakerathlete @inglourious-imagines @ithilwen-lionheart @now-its-time-for-a-breakdown @ilovejjmaybank @theweasleysredhair @theonly1outof-a-billion @phuvioqhile @moatsnow @storyisnotover @himooonlight @potters-heart @amourtentiaa @joyfullymulti @pandaxnienke @mesmerisedangel @angelxnaa @iamninaanna

Draco Malfoy taglist: @the--queen-of-hell @obxmxybxnk @obx-beach @sycathorn-slush @dracomalfoyswifey @justmesadgirl​ @detroitobsessed​ @aspiringsloth20​ @just-a-belgian-girl​ @lahoete​ @minty-malfoy​ @fallinallinmendes​ @ravenclawbitch426​ @ochrythum​ @beiahadid​ @gryffindors-weasley​ @dracosathenaeum​ @belladaises​

Specific fic taglist: @regulusarcturusblack2008 @randomlimelightxxx​ @ranhanabi777​ @yegreatdragontamingpiratecaptain 

thanks again to @dykerory and @willowcrowned for this genius au. this is an incomplete collection of very specific set of headcanons/daydreams i had about a tangential version of your au that made me emotional in the middle of the woods. whenever you feel the time is right, i’m very eager to hear your og version on the ‘but obi-wan, tho!’, because i admittedly pushed this one’s resolution really far chronologically because i wanted batman to be involved.

continuation from here

note: my understanding of dcu is as sporadically informed as my understanding of the gffa. 

newly graduated clark kent gets his first journalism job and starts settling more and more into the superman thing. the rest of the justice league has been around but his entrance onto the scene is the one that really inspires the various heroes to actually start coordinating to deal with the weirdness magnet that is dcu Earth. Clark is in his early 20s. Anakin is in his late 30s.

He’s been living on Earth, without the force, for nearly 2/3rds of his life. He has a close knit circle of friends who were kind to him even when they thought he was just a weird and crazy emo cult victim (the gradual increase of public encounters with aliens and superpowers sparks some awkward apologies, Anakin at 38 just waves his friends off, smiling and changing the subject, neither confirming nor denying his high school ramblings of spaceships and magic. it doesn’t really change anything).

He lives an hour’s drive from smallville, and runs a successful auto shop. people travel from pretty far to check out some of his more wild and specialized motorcycle abominations. makes enough money selling them to rich idiots to fund his free auto-class and auto-repair programs for impoverished communities.

It took a while but he eventually came around to the idea of helping people without physical force (ironically, this is happening around the same time Clark is coming to the realization that he can help people with physical force). Generally respected as a pillar of the community. When people start to realize how profoundly weird he is as a person in a number of inexplicable ways, someone will generally pull them aside and quietly whisper that he was in a cult at a child, no one really knows much about it except that it’s what inspired his anti-modern-slavery work, which is a little telling. Not married. Was in a long-term relationship for like 9 years. It didn’t end well but no-one knows the details.

Has several cats. 

He’s- wistful but settled. He’s been through a lot of therapy. He meditates every morning and night, clearing his mind and examining his emotions in the way Obi-Wan taught him. He thinks Obi-Wan would be proud of him. He know his Mom would be.

Once he gets used to the idea, he never really stops loving the concept of learning just because. Duel bachelors degree in in african american history and american literature, masters in engineering, masters in astrophysics a phd in theoretical physics, another phd in medieval folklore. He’s worked a lot of jobs. 

He was already pretty well versed in astronavigation back at the temple. Over the course of his time on earth, he gets more educated in earth astronomy and physics. With is increased knowledge, his theory for ‘how did i get here’ shifts from slight hyperdrive miscalculation, to big hyperdrive miscalculation, to some sort of hyperlane incident. he realizes that none of the stars he knows are familiar in any NASA database. He must be beyond wildspace, which helps him let go of the last bit of hurt he felt that Obi-Wan never found him.

Then he really learns physics- and- light doesn’t exactly work like that right? He thought it was just primitive Earth understanding but... he gets a phd more or less accidentally, trying and failing to disprove that the speed of life is constant constant.

Get’s another even more accidentally, explaining how alternate universes might form if we assume slightly different universal constants. He publishes his thesis anonymously around the same time metas are becoming a household term, and at least one science journalist speculates on it and how alternate universes might explain the increasing prevalence of wildly different superpowers. He doesn’t claim credit for the honorary diploma awarded to the unknown theorist- he doesn’t want to risk drawing any attention to him and by extension Clark, who’s alien differences are far more of the ‘military experiment interesting’ variety then his.

He stops tinkering with Clark’s ship. He finally gets how it works. Now that he realizes how FTL travel has to work in this universe, tinkering with the mechanical generation and harnessing of the massive quantities of energy necessary to do is startlingly familiar. But it doesn’t matter. No matter how far and fast he travels, he’s never going to be able to get back to the life he used to know. 

Perhaps this is what being the chosen one actually means- he’s meant to live a life without the force, so that when he returns to it in death he’ll be able to somehow...educate? the force? maybe?

Ok, he’s not great at the metaphysical spiritual side of things, but he does accept that going back is out of his control, and he’s doing good here, even if it’s not galaxy altering.

Despite all the therapy, he never doubts that his early life was real. He has his saber and deep, deep down he can feel a spark in the kyber. He can’t do anything with it, but it’s there. There’s also pieces of the utter wreck that was his ship in the cellar, next to the sleek unblemished pod that Clark arrived in. Shortly before Clark becomes Superman, he asks for his help in melting down his old ship to make unearthly alloys. 

He’s not surprised when Clark tells him he met a ‘real’ ‘magic’ user- it stands to reason that considering how relatively easy it is to convert energy from one form to another in this universe (Clark can fly), at least one kind would bend to sentient willpower in a similar way as the force does.

It’s still a little nervewracking showing his lightsaber to someone new for the first time in a decade. Zantana scrutinizes, bewildered. 

“There is some sort of power locked within, but it’s unfamiliar to me,” she admits finally. “I could probably brute force it and force the energy to release itself, but it would likely destroy the container.” Anakin politely refuses. 

Later, after the justice league’s formation, Clark mentions to J’onn that he has a friend who might be able to work on his ship. J’onn is extremely doubtful when he’s brought to a bizarre autoshop in the midwest that looks half-like a roadside attraction. Anakin sighs and digs his hands into the guts of the craft, muttering incomprehensibly and yelling at clark to melt down some pieces from the special scrap pile. A few days later he explains the patches he’s done to an impressed J’onn. When he asks how a human came to learn such things, he’s absently informed that,

“I used to work in a junkshop in Tatooine. All sorts of ship parts came through.”

“I’m unfamiliar with this world.”

“Tell you what, if you ever meet anyone who’s heard it of it, send them my way, and I’ll make your next repair free.”

“Oh! I’m afraid I don’t have any earth money...”

“Ugh, of course you don’t. it’s cool, capitalism sucks anyway and everyone’s entitled to free transportation, regardless of the area they happen to live. I do ask that if you can’t pay for the repairs that you spend an equivalent number of hours either attending one of my free auto classes, or volunteer at a community-led charities of your choice, here I’ll get you a pamphlet-”

So the Martian Manhunter becomes a weekly volunteer at a Midwestern Food Waste Reclamation Facility. J’onn J’onzz ends up becoming Anakin Skywalker’s friend well before he becomes comes truly comfortable around Kal-El. For a telepath, 39 year old Anakin’s Jedi orderly mind is a soothing relief.

(again, Anakin has spent far more time meditating on Earth then he ever did at the temple. Before all this, spent five years dutifully memorizing the Jedi way even as he struggled to live up it’s basic practices. For the first few years on earth, religiously practicing every meditation technique Obi-Wan ever taught him, thinking obsessively about the philosophies he never had time to really process, is just a desperate attempt to reconnect with the force, prove himself worthy of it. But even after he gives up on ever touching the force again, he keeps up the practice, he can’t release his emotions exactly, but he does find peace. The tendency to stop mid-rant to earnestly pronounce made up zen bullshit and then sit quietly for an hour before picking up on his tirade again as though there was no interruption is one of the things many things people find profoundly weird about him)

Kal-El doesn’t stop asking new aliens and dimensional travelers if they’ve ever heard of Coruscant, or Hutts, or the Jedi Order. Anakin might have given up, but Superman remembers his older brother scrubbing away his own tears to focus on helping Clark calm down enough to touch the floor again. The more the Kryptonian’s powers developed in alarming ways, the more Anakin set aside talk of missing his home galaxy. Anakin might have claimed it wasn’t like that, but Clark was determined to take every chance his increasingly weird life threw at him, no matter how vanishingly small.

In the middle of his first battle with Braniac, Clark starts insulting his incomplete database. The world collector pauses, demanding a more precise explanation. Clark complies, giving his best technical description of Coruscant’s cityscape, Tatooine’s binary star system, and so on. Braniac is so distracted that Superman recovers completely from his kryptonite poisoning and easily saves the day.

Neither the lantern corp or the denizens of the neutral zone have the answers. Superman doesn’t mention it it Anakin, but he never stops looking and listening.

“How did you even meet that guy?” Flash asks curiously after stopping to say hello on one of their after work laps of the country. 

“Aliens among us support group,” Kal-El responds deadpan. 

“Oh. Wait, what? He’s an alien? I thought he was from the future or something! You’re messing with me. No way that’s a thing. How many people are in the support group? This is a joke, right?”

“Sorry, most of them aren’t out and I don’t want to violate their privacy- a lot of them have high profile jobs. How do you think I met J’onn?”

“SUPES I’M FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW YOU’VE GOTTA STOP”

Anakin is just sort of vaguely known by a solid chunk of the super community as ‘that one midwestern zen space mechanic’ and no one really questions it because everyone’s life has just gotten so goddamn weird. A few of them know he used to be a space wizard of some kind. Space wizards now being a regular hazard of life on earth, no one has reason to doubt this, and it’s as good an explanation as any for Anakin’s general vibe.

well. almost no one doubts this. Batman does not simply accept Anakin’s general bullshittery without carefully investigating and drawing his own conclusions. He does not share these with anyone.

But one day Clark- this is well after Superman became Kal-El to him, and not long after Kal-El tells him to call him Clark- comes up to him and asks for his help finding about an alternate universe. Knowing and dreading where this is going, Batman stalls,

“Shouldn’t you be asking one of the league members who regularly travels between universes?”

“I have, over the years,” Clark admits, awkwardly scuffing a boot on the floor of the cave. “But no one’s familiar with the exact one I’m looking for, and I thought since you’re a detective, and also one of the smartest people I know, you might be able to help me...”

“You’re an investigator yourself, and you can survive the vacuum of space,” Bruce shoots back flatly. “I’ve told you before Gotham is my priority, and this has ‘personal project’ all over it.”

“Come on, B, please,” Superman pleads, trailing Batman around the cave like an overgrown puppy. “In a few months it will have been 30 years! He’s my brother! Just let me see the research you’ve already done!”

“Who says I’ve already done research on your brother?”

Clark shoots him a look. And Bruce concedes the point with a grunt.

“I’ll need need to talk with him first,” Bruce finally concedes. “Bring him by the cave. Take the-”

“Take the tunnel entrance, I know, I know,” Clark agrees with a grin. “This doesn’t mean he’s authorized to know your secret identity. Thanks Bruce, this means a lot. I’ll ask him tomorrow about his schedule.”

Superman flies off and Batman scrubs his face with a gloved hand. After a moment he pulls up Anakin’s file on the main monitor. Bruce honestly respects and likes the man, as much as he respects and likes anyone who’s not family. He admires his sense his style, appreciates his upgrades to the batmobile, and is impressed by both this civil rights work and his additions to the scientific community.

That doesn’t mean he’s not convinced that Anakin’s brother is a bit insane. Again, he’s not judging! He dresses like a bat to scare random henchmen and beat up actual demigods! He wishes his rogues gallery was as capable of directing their ptsd-inspired delusions and staggering intellects towards such productive pursuits!

Bruce was already in quiet awe of the Kent’s ability to raise an outrageously superpowered being without blowing up a chunk of the country; their success in derailing a supervillian origin story just puts him over the edge. He stares at the three most likely profiles he’s pulled together. Christen Jones, from a negligent family, death certificate filled out suspicously sloppily at age 3. Earl Lucas, went missing at age 9, both parents dead in a violent assault. And Jake Hayden, who at age 5 disappeared along with the rest of his family in a seismic accident later linked to Luthercorp.

Anyone of them could have suffered on the streets for years and coped by establishing an elaborate fantasy world, aided by self medication, only to eventually be picked up by the Kent’s and start healing. Certainly Anakin had the intellect to create worlds in his mind. All his rogues were smart enough to create their own little realities in their heads- it doesn’t mean they were actually reachable. 

Unfortunately Anakin had a Kryptonian younger brother who was determined to actually find the space wizard knight homeworld, even as the 'Jedi’ in question had slowly moved away his reliance on the delusion as an adult. Batman really didn’t see any way bringing up his conclusions to Anakin or Clark could possibly be helpful, and so many alien allies had a ‘If you find about the Jedi please contact Kal-El of Krypton on Earth’ pamphlet that it would be excruciatingly awkward to try and discretely correct anyone.

Bruce was not looking forward to this conversation.