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fan-mans · 2 years

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The Suchong rant/theory/speculation

So, I know that a vast majority of the Bioshock fandom fucking hates BAS (Especially on here) for very good reason. But, I will say that, when it isn’t being racist, destroying canon, and insulting all the characters- it does bring a few interesting things to the table. This is especially true for Suchong’s character, his motivations, personality, and his relationship to Jack and Tenenbaum.

Ever since I read the note Tenenbaum left Suchong, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’ve gone down a bit of a wiki rabbit hole, investigating Suchong and Tenebaum’s characters to answer all the questions that came up. I mean, if Suchong was really as much of a soulless bastard as people like to portray him, why would Tenenbaum try to appeal to his emotions? It makes no sense to me that Tenenbaum would try to appeal to the sensibilities of a man who has given no indication of compassion or remorse.

So, I posit a theory: Suchong and Tenenbaum both began to feel remorse for their actions at roughly the same time, leading to Tenenbaum writing the note to save someone she was friends with and could possibly aid her.

Now, I know this may sound ridiculous but, after applying a little bit of logic, Suchong showing some remorse but going on with his work makes more sense than Tenenbaum appealing to someone she knows doesn’t care about the kids and that she doesn’t care about either. And before I get into my evidence, I am using what is present in the games only as I have not read the novels, nor do I care to.

So, why would Tenenbaum even begin to care about Suchong? Well, one could argue that she just wanted help with the little sisters, but there are plenty of good people in rapture so her bothering with Suchong in particular feels important. Of course, he did do the mental programming on them, but Tenenbaum herself states that the children can grow out of it and forget, so Suchong would really only speed up the de-conditioning process.

Instead, I want to bring forward the idea that Suchong and Tenenbaum were good colleagues, and maybe even friends. Listening to Gilbert Alexander’s audio diary “Improving on Suchong’s work”, it’s easy to hear the sadness in Alexander’s voice, which can imply a lot of things, most prominently that there was some level of camaraderie between them. Other cut audio diaries from Alexander similarly imply a strong amount of sadness about Suchong’s death, furthering this point. Okay, Suchong probably had friends- so what? Well, it means he could’ve easily have had a positive relationship with Tenenbaum! Since we don’t know the date of Suchong’s audio diaries “Mozart of genetics” and “Plasmids are the paint”, we can’t say for sure how long ago those thoughts about Tenebaum were, though both are implied to be early in their relationship. Even while looking down on Tenenbaum, Suchong still very much admired her skill as a scientist, which at least to me, indicates a clear avenue for solidarity and mutual respect between them.

As there are no audio diaries mentioning Suchong and no radio messages giving her clear opinions on him it’s a little tough to gauge her perspective on her colleague. However, Tenenbaum being outright friends with Suchong, I feel, makes much more sense when you take her note into consideration. Tenenbaum’s note being an not only appeal towards someone who can make saving the little sisters easier, but an appeal to a friend, a man she respected, who she raised multiple children with, makes the effort of writing it and putting it in his secret lab make so much more sense! It makes the appeal at all make more sense as well. Tenenbaum is a very hopeful woman, yes, but if she was talking to a friend, someone she knew even somewhat intimately, over a man she barely knows or actively dislikes, then her confidence in convincing him to her side skyrocket.

Now, speaking of kids, let's talk about Jack and the little sisters. I don’t think people really acknowledge that Suchong had put just as much, if not more, work into raising Jack as Tenebaum. I personally think that though Frank was present, he did leave most of the work of raising and training Jack to those two. The little sisters, on the other hand, he had no care for other than funding. Suchong, however, is directly addressed by the girls as “papa’ multiple times, indicating that he is their father figure like Tenenbaum is their mother figure.

Alongside this- there doesn’t seem to be much outright hostility between him and the girls. Of course, in Bioshock 1, there is the ghost scene of the little sister crying about not wanting to be ‘put on the table’ and the infamous ‘protection bond’ audio diary where he slaps a child, but nuance can put those instances in a new light. First, the ghost scene has no context other than the words spoken by the girl, so, this could easily be a case of Suchong turning an orphan into a little sister- still bad, but expected of both him and Tenenbaum. The audio diary on the other hand, as well as the real time version in BaS, does require a deeper analysis.

So, prior to the event, we see Leta and Masha rescue and befriend a big daddy, creating the protector bond, the girls disappear and later re-appear, as we come across Suchong venting to his audio diary, trying to figure out his massive problem. The girls enter and enthusiastically try to get his attention. Now, let’s pause here and ask a few questions. First; why would kids he’s very cruel to regard him with such enthusiasm and second why are they trying to get his attention? My conclusion to answer these questions is as follows; Suchong was NOT as cruel as implied and he communicated his problem with the protection bond to the girls.

If Suchong was super abusive, why would the kids actively seek his attention? Would they not fear angering him if they bother him, especially at work? The enthusiasm the girls have and willingness to approach him (As well as Suchong allowing them to roam around freely) indicates a more relaxed relationship. Despite what he says about children sometimes, calling the girls brats, and generally regarding children as stupid and unruly, there is room to plausibly infer that he didn’t hate them 24/7. Even more so, as evidenced by both of the coded notes, the problem with the protection bond is on the Big Daddies, not the little sisters, their conditioning is well in effect at this time. With the added detail of the girls jumping to find him after the bond is made, then it stands to reason that they understood the problem and were going to tell their papa the good news. I figure that they either sensed a change in his behavior or he outright told them the problem and to find him if there was a change, leaning toward the latter explanation.

Okay, now let's go back to Suchong's death scene. So the girls bug him a bit, don’t take the hint to leave him alone, and he loses his temper and slaps Leta. The girls not taking the hint to fuck off tells me that him telling them to scram is pretty rare. What seems just as rare is slapping one of the girls- Masha rushes to Leta’s side and both seem pretty shocked at the turn. Suchong gets killed by the big daddy and the girls rush to said big Daddy’s arms once he becomes docile again- which one may say implies that they didn’t like Suchong or were happy to see him die. However, I would argue this is mostly the mental conditioning. The girls easily changed their minds about the injured big daddy, going from fear to willingly helping him in an instant. This happens again during the death sequence- what normal child would watch something that violent happen, even to someone they hate, and jump into the perpetrator’s arms? The answer is in the strong mental conditioning- so powerful it overrides any form of logic.

With that out of the way, let’s look at his relationship with Jack. Again, if he really hated the kids, why would he let Jack and the sisters call him papa? Logically, he’d want to distance himself from any kind of parental role- but he didn’t. With Jack especially, he lingered in the old baby room- likely often enough that Tenenbaum knew he’d see her note there. Hell, his damn sandwich is still fresh! I also can’t find any instances of him insulting Jack. He never calls Jack by name, but neither does Fontaine or Tenenbaum, which makes me believe he was only given a proper name after being sent topside. There is also the matter of the puppy Jack had- but we aren’t given enough context on how Jack obtained her to know why she was killed, she could have very well been killed on Fontaine’s orders. Like with the little sisters, I don’t think Suchong was outright cruel to Jack- at least not most of the time. If anything, he gives Jack more respect than the little sisters and potentially prefers him to the girls.

Now, how about Suchong’s personality? I think his personality, other than ‘cruel evil doctor’, and ‘coward’ gets overlooked by the fandom. I’d argue that Suchong isn’t a coward per se, but rather that he won’t pick a fight that he doesn’t think he’s got a chance at. He’ll really only fight people he sees as equals or underlings- caving only to superiors. This is why he made himself useful to the Japanese rather than fight them and it’s why he easily transitioned to working under Ryan after Fontaine ‘died’. He’s smart, he knows when he’s got a chance and when to pick a fight- though he clearly isn’t afraid of bitching about his circumstances or spitting sass. It’s clear that he is greedy for money like a lot of rapture characters, outright stating that it was good that he was the only one who knew about the little sisters after Fontaine and Tenenbaum went down, as well as scientific progress.

I would even go as far as to say that he may have regretted his actions after Jack left or had some weakening towards Jack specifically. I have two reasons for this, first being Tenebaum’s note and the ‘send to Ryan’ note. The verbiage of Tenebaum’s note strikes me as odd- specifically the line ‘It is in your power to be a different man’- that line screams to me that he has shown some sort of remorse for his actions prior to Tenenbaum leaving. The line ‘They are children… and yes, they will forget’ also strikes me as Suchong not wanting to Kill the sisters and having some kindness towards them. Now the big one to me is ‘What can Ryan take from us that we have not already sacrificed…?’ That tells me Suchong is afraid or hesitant to change because of Ryan. There’s also the note Suchong left for himself. He clearly planned to send the evidence of Jack to Ryan but something made him chicken out. What event exactly is unclear, perhaps Fontaine's ‘death’ or Tenenbaum's disappearance or the overtaking of his job. Whatever it was, something made him feel brave enough to start a whistleblower plan and something else made him stop.

So, with all the evidence (A.k.a. me pulling at threads) together, let’s set up a very rough timeline for Suchong. He enters Rapture, meets Tenenbaum, and begins working with her on plasmid tech. Initially the two don’t get along and he retains a low opinion of her, but slowly they begin to warm up to one another and some level of respect for each other if not outright friendship blooms between them.

Fontaine then entrusts them with the Little Sisters program, putting them in charge of children for higher ADAM production. With the addition of children, things get complicated. The more immoral side of their work begins to be less excusable as before the little sisters, they really only experimented on adults. The kids are hard to care for but a necessary evil to continue producing Adam to meet customer demand. They cannot sedate the girls so Suchong attempts to alleviate some of the struggle of working with them, as well as encourage his ‘Adam recycling’ by implementing mental conditioning in the girls. This works to an extent, but they nevertheless remain children, in both mental capacity and physical strength.

Fontaine, seeing this mental conditioning, then entrusts the WYK program to Tenenbaum and Suchong. The girls at the orphanage already referred to Suchong and Tenenbaum as ‘papa’ and ‘mama’ respectively, but now they have even more responsibility and intimacy in raising this child. In an attempt to stave off the growing softness for the child they are now raising as a killing machine, Tenenbaum and Suchong don’t name him, only calling him ‘baby’. They recognize the growing instinct they have for the children both in themselves and each other, but do not discuss it, likely because of Fontaine’s eye over them.

Suchong breaks first, giving baby Jack a level of affection that he does not show the girls. Tenebaum sees this but does not say anything, intending to protect her colleague. Fontaine begins to notice Tenenbaum going soft, however, and sets Suchong up to keep lot 192 a secret from her. Project WYK wraps up and they send the baby to the surface, Suchong and Tenenbaum shoving their feelings back down and returning to work on the sisters. Still, Suchong cannot get the baby out of his head, often returning to the child’s secret room to the point of Tenenbaum noticing. Nonetheless things are normal.

Tenenbaum has a change of heart and her actions become far gentler with the girls, which gives Suchong the strength to re-asses and begin a whistleblower plan. That is until Tenenbaum disappears, sapping all his confidence away as Fontaine becomes increasingly erratic. The civil war breaks out and Fontaine vanishes. Suchong is the only person aware of the sisters now, without an employer and needing somewhere to go until Ryan forcefully takes his job over.

At the same time things get bad in Rapture, the Little sisters need protection from being harvested. Suchong can build the big daddies to protect the girls but cannot get them to imprint. The girls are too terrified, despite their mental conditioning, to interact with the big daddies. He explains this problem to the girls, hoping some level of self-reporting may give him a leg up. Mind still stuck on baby jack, he returns to the secret room and finds a note from Tenenbaum, encouraging him to change his ways. Suchong, perhaps feeling betrayed by her simply leaving, rejects the letter and leaves to figure out the big daddy problem angry, leading him to lose his temper at the girls when he normally wouldn’t. Or, perhaps he is stricken with fear, knowing Fontaine is still alive and watching his back. Either way, he dies at the hands of his own creations, at least knowing the girls will be protected now by the big daddies.

So yeah. TL;DR: Suchong, though not the best person, wasn’t entirely evil either and may very well have had the same revelation as Tenenbaum but no chance to act on it/may have backed out because of Fontaine. The way the girls and Tenenbaum act display a certain level of complexity to his character, a hidden softer side where he may have acted much better than his audio diaries initially let on.

One last thing: I want to point out that applying any sort of soulless/heartless characterization to an Asian character like Suchong (The only Asian character in Bioshock 1 and one of four Asians in the entire series) comes with some very nasty racist baggage. Now, it’s no surprise to any of us that Ken Levine is a racist bastard, so his writing characters of color as racist stereotypes is expected. However, I’m disappointed to see no one has directly addressed the fact that the portrayal of Suchong as ‘cold and heartless’ is in and of itself a very old racist stereotype. Everyone seems to only shit on BaS and Infinite’s racism (For good reason) but no one seems to point out the inherent racism in the first Bioshock game. So, my first instinct is to break that stereotype, even if it goes against canon. Because, in the end, when it comes to keeping the integrity of a racist canon versus breaking it and fighting stereotypes in fiction as well as what resides in the racial consciousness of the society I live in, breaking canon will always be the better option. A canon that is shitty should be improved upon by fans, not upheld.

#yi suchong #tbh he deserves a more nuanced characterization #even if its through my crack headcanons/theories #idk i just like the idea of him having the capabiloty to be kind like Tenenbaum #like i think them starting down the same route and going through the same journey #of slowly being affected by their descisions #but going down different paths in the end #would've made a much more interesting character dynamic and foil setup #bioshock #idk but thats my opinion #please dont take this too seriously tho #i know its flawed but im having fun okay?

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maggicktouched · 2 years

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@invncibleiron

He had to be careful how he went about entertaining himself these days. As a prince in Asgard, he had never much cared about how his penchant for mischief affected the public opinion of him. The burden of the family’s reputation was Odin’s cross to bear. It also helped that every now and again Thor would make another famously idiotic descision because of his complete inability to keep his own temper in check, and in contrast Loki came up looking like the respectable one. Sure he had committed acts of minor mischief, had antagonized Sif endlessly, but he hadn’t ever decimated an entire city of dwarves in a fit of rage over an imagined slight.

Things were different now.

Odin had long-since been disposed of, and the throne of Asgard, that which he had lusted over so fervently for more than a thousand years, was his. As far as anyone but Loki and Lihua knew, the transition of power had been peaceful and willing. He had gone to great pains to ensure that everyone believed Odin to be alive and in sound mind when he welcomed his long lost “son” back home. He had not entrusted the knowledge of how he’d gained his throne with anyone but the dragon who had helped him win it… The people had no reason to fear or distrust him. And yet even after years of prosperity under his rule, the Asgardian people watched him like scrawny little fawns, hungry for a treat from his hand. No matter how slowly he stretched out his arm or opened up his fist, no matter how tantalizing the greatness or power he offered them was, they watched him with big, stupid eyes and inched closer on trembling little limbs. If he so much as sneezed and it caught them by surprise, they would scatter in terror, and they’d have to start all over again. The masses, much to his annoyance, had to be handled with care and skill. Which meant satiating his penchant for mischief elsewhere.

Thankfully there was always Midgard.

He looked up at Stark Tower with mild amusement. Stark had restored it since his failed conquest of the planet. It managed to be both garish and unimaginative all at once. So much wealth, so much time and thought, must have been poured into the building only for it to be one enormous, towering eyesore. Midgardians had always lacked taste and class… Then again the longer he spent as a dragon the less anything that wasn’t glittering with precious gems and made of precious metals appealed to him. Lihua assured him that particular facet of being a dragon would fade with time. Which might have reassured him if she hadn't said it while sitting in one of her dozens of sprawling mansions where every surface was made of gold or marble and polished so perfectly that it posed a significant risk of causing blindness if viewed in the right light.

Loki approached the door and pressed his hand to the electric box on the wall. The security systems mechanically scanned for anything, any hair out of place, any fingerprint that just didn’t quite match, but there were no flaws in his spell. An unknown voice welcomed him through a speaker overhead, and he almost laughed at the designation of “Captain Rogers” but kept a straight face. He strode onto the elevator without any real destination in mind. From what he understood, every one of the Midgardians that had bested him a decade ago lived in these halls, and he had every intention of riling them all—especially his brother. It didn’t matter to him who he goaded first.

The elevator settled, giving a little lurch before opening its doors and he strode down the winding halls of Stark Tower. He’d seen it in the few odd memories he’d pulled from Steve’s head before depositing him somewhere relatively safe for the duration of his stay on Midgard. But space inside memories was warped and untethered. It took focus to keep from getting lost in the maze of hallways. The deeper he went, the tighter the security, and the more his curiosity grew. It took a shocking degree of effort not to start grabbing things when he walked into Tony’s laboratory proper.

“Stark.” He called, stepping further into the room. “Just the man I was looking for. We have a potential problem.”

He fished Steve’s phone from one of his pockets and placed it on the desk between them, scrolling through a short archive of shoddily taken pictures that appeared to show a large, animal-like creature on two legs fleeing the photographer, and then several more images that were more gorey in nature—mangled housepets and even two women with gaping bite wounds on their arms and shoulders.

“A friend of mine has asked me to look into a series of attacks that have been happening in a park upstate. The police thought it was some kind of bear, but the only evidence of anything besides stray cats in the area was this.” He reached into his other pocket and pulled out a sample of fur in a small plastic bag. It was—on a technical level—wolf fur. But not like any Midgardian wolf. Or anything else. Fenrir had been born a peculiarity. “Sounds crazy but people are getting real scared. I told him you might be able to run some tests on it.”

#loki;; threads #this is so stupid but i can def see him like making a small town #go crazy thinking a werewolf is attacking #because he thinks it would be funny to have #the avengers look for werewolves like a bad episode of scooby doo #post type: unformatted

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imnotusedtobeingloved · 3 years

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YOU GOT ME IN LOVE AGAIN

A/N: OMG!!!!!!!! Thank you guys for requesting a part two to this! You’re too sweet! I hope i could fullfill your wishes in this piece, lol, i spent so much time writing. I wanted to make this second part shorter than the first one, but guess what... it got just as long. So... wellp... have fun reading! Let me know what you think in the comments.

This is part two to “not enough” find part one here!

(PLEASE DON’T REBLOG!)

Warnings: Self-depriciation, loneliness.

Pairing: Zuko x f!Reader

Characters: adult!Zuko, Avatar Aang, Suki.

Requested: Yes!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor the gif. Credit to the owners.

Summary: Part two to “not enough”.

"I want to end our marrige, Zuko. It's over."

Your statement seemed to shake him to his core. He was lost. So very lost. Your throat burned as you watched the tears well in his eyes. "What?" he whispered, a sound so small, you almost didn't catch it. It was as if you'd stolen him the air to breathe. "But... But why? Where did i go wrong?" He seemed to restlessly search your broken expression for answers. "Do you-" he interrupted himself, barely able to speak his suspicion aloud. He didn't even want to think about it. It was too painful. "Do you not love me anymore?" He quickly burst out as soon as he'd gathered enough of the courage he had left to hear the answer. Both of your faces were stained with tear streaks by this point.

You'd never seen Zuko as fearful as he was right now. Not even in the worst nightmares you had endured. It would've felt less painful if he'd stuck a knife into your heart. You wanted to hug him. Run your hands trough his hair, wash the tears from his face, pull him close to your chest and tell him that it would be fine. Everything would be ok.

But it wouldn't be, would it? You'd made up your mind. But you couldn't give him the answer he needed. Of course you loved him. With every ounce of you being, you did. Your heart clenched, as you wordlessly turned around, taking a few steps toward the door. "My carriage is waiting," you told him.

"No! (Y/N)!" he grasped your upper arm, still not with force, just gently. "Please," his golden orbs were pleading you to stay. To explain. To give him another chance to right whatever he'd done wrong. "I'm sorry, Zuko," he watched, breath hitched, as you removed your wedding ring. It left reluctantly, clinging to your finger from the years of wearing. Today was the first time you'd take it off since becoming the Fire Lady. Forever.

You already missed it's familiar weight. You felt naked without it. But it had to be done. It was the last step to cut the string that tied you and Zuko together. One step closer and you could sense his scent of jasmine and leather. Your took his hand in yours. It was shaking, but his skin was still as soft and warm as ever. It hadn't met yours in ages. Your bottom lip wobbled, throat tightning once again, as you placed the symbol of your love in his palm, making his fingers close around it. It was done. His features were twisted with pain. Grief. He couldn't take it anymore. The Fire Lord fell to his knees. "Please," he said again, "I'm begging you,"

You felt lightheaded, distantly registering his arms being slipped around your waist and his cheek pressed to your stomach. "Do- don't," he hiccuped, "Don't leave me," his voice was filled with panic. You'd never heard him stutter before. Zuko had lost so much. Maybe too much for a regular human to bear. And now he was supposed to lose you as well?

You took a deep breath. Every part of your body was screaming to take back what you'd said. But you couldn't. "Zuko," you whispered, gently removing his arms. "We've won many battles together," his head hung low, when you pulled him back to his feet. "But we've lost the war,"

You allowed yourself you look at him one last time. You would forever remember the shared memories, the soft texture of his hair and his warm hugs on freezing days. And especially the love in his eyes, when he found your gaze through a room full of people. Moments when no one had mattered but you. "Goodbye, Zuko," you smiled through your tears, before you turned around and went. "Maybe one day you'll understand why i had to make this descision," he watched as you looked at him over you shoulder, and then slipped through the door, leaving the Fire Lord by himself. He stood there, silent, for a long time. Almost unmoving, twirling your ring between his fingers, as if it would give him the answers he craved. It was hopeless.

After you'd left, it was as if the world turned gray. And in time he realised it had started even before you were gone. Even when he hadn't seen you, he'd always been assured of your presence in the palace. He'd watch you sit in the gardens through the windows in his study, watch you sleep when he got to the bedroom late at night, before he had to leave early in the morning. But now there was... nothing.

And there continued to be nothing for months. No matter how much time went by, Zuko never forgot about you. Not one day went by, without missing you and reminiscing the years spent together. Often his sight would grow distant, a mysterious smile displayed to the world, while he was lost in memories. But a few moments later, when he came back into reality, the pain returned. He was a shadow of the man he once was. The Fire Lord had made many mistakes in his life, there was no doubt about that. But never had he punished himself as frequently and continuously as he did for losing you. He often wondered about your new life.

Where you happy? Healthy? Had you found someone new?

Zuko was aware that you had found a place in your old home. In Ba Sing Se. He'd pondered about the possibility to ask his Uncle if he'd ever seen you. If you visited the Jasmine Dragon. Or if you avoided any remaining connection to him at all. Caught up in his thoughts he mindlessly fished for the necklace under his uniform, usually hidden behind his armour. He'd started wearing it since you were gone. It was a thin, golden chain, and as he pulled it out a beautiful ring dangled in the middle. Your wedding ring. He twirled it between his fingers, just as he had when you'd left. He didn't know how long he sat there, paying no mind to his work for the first time in ages, until someone knocked at his doors. The necklace was put back under his clothes, where the soothing metal rested next to his heart. "Yes?"

A woman stepped in, a friendly smile on her face. She was a sight for sure eyes. "Avatar Aang and the Earth Kingdom Representative are here," Suki said, waiting for his next command. "Thank you, Suki," Zuko answered, crossing the room and following her to the council room. The Kyoshi Warriors were a true help to the palace. Thanks to them the assassination attempts slowly decreased, until they subsided completely. But still Zuko didn't get much more peace than before. The work of a ruler never ended. Right now the Harmony Restoration Movement rested on his shoulders, demanding hours of work. But the few hours of sleep he got, he spend dreaming of you. The first person he registered, standing next to the large map of the four Nations was the Avatar. "Aang," he said a friendly smile tugging on his mouth.

"Zuko! It's good to see you!" the Airbender answered, pulling him into a quick hug. "Where is Earth King Kuei?" They separated and Aang rubbed his neck. "He couldn't make it. Something about Bosco feeling sick," Zuko sighed. The affection between Kuei and Bosco was apparently almost as tight as Appa and Aang. "But we have an Earth Kingdom Representative!" he made a gesture, pointing to the other side of the room.

"Fire Lord Zuko," his eyes widened when he turned around to see you greet him with a traditional bow. "(Y/N)..." he stepped closer, as if an invisible force was pulling him towards you. Like to magnets, craving the contact. He hadn't been aware of you being a part of the Kuei's Royal Council.

"Should we start talking about the Movement?" Aang interrupted him before he could even attempt to get as close to you as he wanted. He hadn't felt the need to capture and gag the Avatar in a long time, but this was an exception. Or maybe he was only trying to ease the tension in the room. Finally Zuko agreed with a sigh, watching you from across the room.

There you stood, unreachable, on the other side of the map. So unbelievably close, and yet never close enough. Your hair was bundeled up into a common Earth Kingdom hairstyle and the body was covered by a beautiful gown, clearly made by the most talended tailor of the city. And yet something about it bugged him. The colors. It was a sea of green instead of the Nations ruby red, that had once hugged your frame. He missed seeing them on you.

"-ko?" he blinked. "Zuko?" Aang said again, trying to get the Fire Lords attention. He didn't realise that he'd been staring at you all this time, while you did your best to avoid his eyes. This felt like a dream. The only thing he didn't know was if it would turn into a nightmare. "Yes. Sorry," the Fire Lord quickly apologized, trying to redirect his attention back onto the task at hand. The negotiations turned out to be more difficult than it first appeared. Especially without having King Kuei's personal opinion on the matter. Clearly he and Zuko didn't see eye to eye anymore.

"What do you think, (Y/N) ?" Aang asked, after contemplating multiple optiones. You hummed and folded your hands. "I agree with the Fire Lord," you pointed to the affected Earth Kingdom territory. "The citizens of both Earth and Fire are intertwined right here. They've been working together. Starting families together. It would be wrong to seperate a family just because they consist of two Nations," The Avatar furrowed his brows, mulling over your answer. "I understand. I'm going to meet up with King Kuei immediately once i'm back in Ba Sing Se. Maybe we should-" The doors burst open. Suki ran in, grabbing a seemingly perplex Avatar by the arm and dragging him along with her. "Aang? You should come see this. I think something's wrong with Appa, or maybe he's just tired, but we should check it out immediately! We'll be right back!" Their departure seemed strangely suspicious, but he choose to let it slide. And suddelny he was alone with you.

You forcefully refused to meet his eyes. "(Y/N)," he said softly, daring to step just a little closer, but you raised a hand to stop him. "Please don't. You're the Fire Lord. We should remain professional," Zuko flinched. Each time you called him "Fire Lord" instead of "Zuko" a piece of hope died anew. "It's okay if you don't want to talk to me, (Y/N). I will accept that. But please listen to what i have to say. I will not bother you with any futher requests," You still didn't raise your head, though he saw a small nod. Zuko walked around the table to stand next to you, just like he did before you'd gone. "I think i know why you had to leave me. Your absence made me realize how awful you must've felt with me being in countless meetings. I neglected you, didn't i? I forgot to tell you, to show you, how much you mean to me. I want to apologize. For all the times you felt lonely. For all the broken promises. For all the missed opportunities. For all the heartbreak. I missed you every day, (Y/N). And i still do in this very moment," he confessed. His amber eyes silently searched your face for a reaction. Any kind of emotion at all. But there was nothing.

"You didn't miss me at all?" he whispered.

At last your gaze met his. "I missed you even before i was gone, Zuko," you stated, crossing your arms in front of your chest. "You have to accept that it's over,"

A humorless chuckle left his mouth. The sound of agony. "I can't, (Y/N)," his eyes watered slightly and he blinked to hold them back. "I tried, but... i just can't," you shook your head. The connection you felt to him, after all this time, was still there. You hadn't expected there to be nothing, but this was much stronger than what you'd signed up for. Zuko's chapter in your life was over. You'd forgiven his mistakes in the past months and were ready to move on. Going back to the way it was, wasn't a possibility. Being alone with him, seeing him, feeling him so close... It was overwhelming.

You had to get out of here. When he got closer once again, you sidestepped, not noticing the scroll that had fallen down during the earlier conversations. You gasped. Instead of meeting solid ground you foot slipped, sending you right into a spiral. But never touched the ground. Zuko caught you in his arms, pulling you into his chest.

In the small seconds he'd leaned forward to reach you, a small string of gold tumbled out beneath his uniform, catching your eye. "Are you alright?" he asked, searching your face for any discomfort. You, on the other hand, were thinking about something completely different. "Is that... my ring?" He looked down at himself, seeing the jewlery he'd carried along for months. "It is. Everything else was gone... i wanted to have a part of you with me," Now the bottled up emotions caught up with you. "Oh, Zuko..." you breathed, a single tear trailing down your face. He lifted a hand, wiping it away with his thumb, before pressing a featherlight kiss to your forehead.

"I'm so sorry, my love. Is it too much to ask for another chance? I won't give you a reason to leave again," You stepped away to look at his face, pondering quietly. "I can't go back to the way it was, Zuko," he reached for your hands, holding them delicately. "We won't," he promised, pressing his forehead to yours. "Let me prove it to you," You couldn't give him the same kind of faith. You didn't agree to anything, but you choose to wait and see.

One year later you found yourself resting on the soft, green grass, with the sun warming every inch of your skin. Zuko rested next to you, his face completely relaxed. You raised a hand, blinded by the sun, but a smile spread out on your face upon the sight of the ring that glimmered around your finger. You turned to your side, propped up on one elbow. Since the negotiations about the Harmony Restoration Movement with the Avatar, Zuko had been working endlessly... on your relationship.

A lot had changed. The original purpose of the Movement was defeated, but its collapse would lead to a peaceful and more integrated coexistence between all four nations. Thanks to the Fire Lord. After the idea to merge a United Republic of Nations, he’d taken a step back and cleared his scedule as much as he could to make time for you. Countless dates were arranged between the two of you and Zuko made sure that you had at least two days a week just for the two of you. Often his advisors would take over for him at certain times, as soon as he had a council of men he fully trusted. This also enabled him to get some much needed rest.

Who also took on more responsibility, was the Fire Lady. He had always been so focused, so sure that he had to do all the work alone, not wanting to burden you. But now that you shared it, everything seemed to be much easier. You raised a hand, bringing it up to his face and trailing a finger over his features. The deep, dark bags under his eyes that once had been, were gone. Zuko started to smile, getting tickled by your touch, tough he kept his eyes shut. You slid your hand into his hair, as he blindly reached for you, pulling you half onto his chest. You pressed a kiss to the mark on his face, an old habit, yet it never failed to make him feel better about it. “I’m so glad that you’re here with me, (Y/N)...” He mumbled quietly, finally opening his eyes. They shined golden, like the sun itself. So full of love and adoration that it was almost too overwhelming to look at. But you choose to fully embrace the moment. The warm climate, the soft grass, the turtleducks quietly paddling about in the pond, and of course your husband.

From the jasmine smell of his favorite tea, to his warm skin and his arms woven so tightly around your waist as if he never wanted to let go. “Me too,” you grinned, snuggling into his chest and looking up to him. His expression was one of pure joy and comfort, his smile more intoxicating than ever before. He looked every bit like the ruler he was. Still after all this time, your heart raced whenever he looked at you like this. You leaned up, pressing a quick peck against his lips, desprate for their taste. But Zuko wasn’t pleased. Before you could lay back down, he put a hand on your cheek, pulling you back in and kissing you deeply. His lips were hot. Soft. Irresitable. All your thoughts were washed away, as your senses were completely focused on Zuko. How he felt. How he tasted.

When you pulled away, completely out of breath and foreheads pressed together, you were caught up in each others presence. “I love you, (Y/N). So much,” he said, his voice hoarse from the kiss. “I love you too, Zuko,” you took his face in your hands, running your thumbs over his prominent cheekbones. All this time spend apart, you’d felt nothing at all, apart from trying to survive in the Royal Council of the Earth King. But Zuko had changed for the better again and turned you life around once more. You were not only in love with Zuko, you were in love with life. Something you hadn’t been able to feel in a long time. “You got me in love again,”

#zuko x reader #avatar zuko #fire lord zuko #prince zuko

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five-rivers · 4 years

Text

The last Ectober prompt really inspired me. In fact, it inspired me so much that I wrote a dark alternate ending to my Masquerade/Laboratory story. Here it is.

Warning: Dark.

Pollux twisted and narrowly dodged the thermos's capture field. How had Jazz known? How had she found out? He had tried so hard!

Danny's dream had been right all along.

He went intangible, and dove underground, where Jazz couldn't follow him, and didn't come up until he was several streets away. He wiped tears out of his eyes. Failure wasn't a new experience for him, but it wasn't one that he liked, and he couldn't go back to Fentonworks anymore. No more Jazz. No more Mom and Dad. No more Sam and Tucker.

Hopefully, Father wouldn't be too angry.

He shot towards home.

Although Pollux, like Danny, could push himself to speeds of over a hundred miles an hour, his distance traveling speed was more sedate. He did not return home until late at night, and the scene that met his eyes when he did was arguably worse than what he had fled from.

Police everywhere. Father arrested. Danny in an ambulance.

Pollux dithered. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what had happened.

Father would. He had to rescue Father.

Invisible, he swooped in, and plucked Father from the car. He flew away a safe distance and set Father down.

"What happened?" he asked.

Fathers response was unintelligible.

Oh. Pollux knew using that medicine had been a bad idea.

He chewed his lip, thinking. Father could not give him instructions. But Father had taught him well.

First, he needed to get Father to their safehouse, their hideout, then he would come back for Danny.

Danny fought at first, but Pollux got him calmed down. He read his corcore and found out what had happened on the way over.

It was hard to believe Father had attacked Danny like that. Danny's actions were understandable, in context, and so, so clever, but Father had been brutal.

It made Pollux feel uncomfortable.

Danny clung tight to Pollux as the flew to the safehouse. It was deep underground, and had neither doors nor windows, nor any way to access it except by phasing. It would not be suitable for Danny long-term, with his increased reliance on his astronomy Obsession, but for now it was safe.

They could stay here until Father got better.

Father did not get better, and Pollux was angry at him.

There was no way for Pollux to drain and reset the bracelets without putting Danny into stasis, and Pollux refused to put Danny into a stasis he could not revive him from. Danny had been shocked several times, even though he worked very hard to avoid using his powers. Danny was always so weak after being shocked. He always had nightmares, right after.

Father should have included a back-up option, a way for Pollux to take off the bracelets.

On the other hand, Danny seemed to be adapting to his new situation. He was always finding ways to help out around the hideout. He cooked, he cleaned, he tinkered in the hideout lab, and he was always so attentive, so affectionate. His mind was clearer. More focused.

He still sometimes pined for Amity Park, which sent Pollux into a depression of his own (he missed it). But those moments became rarer.

Father was not adapting.

Pollux stood over Father's unconscious body. Father had been getting worse, and worse. More and more hostile to poor Danny. Yesterday, he had attacked Danny again, and Pollux had made a descision. Father had to go into stasis.

As the stasis capsule hissed closed, Pollux promised he would follow what Father had taught him. That he would continue his research into how ghostly artifacts affected hybrids. That he would work to bring their family together.

Danny knew what was happening to him.

But he couldn't be upset about it, not while Pollux was here, because that would make Pollux upset. He couldn't make Pollux upset.

Slowly, at first, but then more quickly, Danny's Obsession had focused on and warped around Pollux. Pollux was the only one he could help, the only one he could make happy, the only one who could offer his Obsessions any relief.

He was training himself to be exactly what Pollux wanted. He was physically changing, too, to better fulfill his Obsessions. It scared him.

But only when Pollux wasn't there.

Pollux carried the artifacts into the hideout lab very carefully.

He had noticed Danny growing smaller, growing softer, and it had made him happy. His core had realized that Danny was safe, and he no longer needed to fight, that Pollux would protect him.

But the change had given Pollux an idea, a theory about how he might remove the bracelets. It was an artifact he and Father had once tested on another clone.

Danny rushed over from where he had been polishing a machine. Pollux didn't even know what that one did, but it made him happy to see Danny so industrious. Danny looked at the box he had brought, thoughts bright and curious.

Pollux ruffled Danny's hair.

"Are you ready to get those bracelets off, Cas?" asked Pollux. He alternated between calling Danny Danny and Danny Castor these days. Pollux liked the nickname, and Danny didn't seem to mind.

Danny nodded vigorously.

"Okay," said Pollux. He patted a nearby examination table. "Sit here, then."

Danny complied eagerly, and looked at Pollux with an air of expectation.

Pollux put on a pair of thick gloves, and opened the box of artifacts. From within, he plucked a soft black-furred teddy bear with shiny glass eyes. He gave the bear to Danny.

Danny looked at it, confused. But then the bear's eyes began to glow, and his closed halfway. The bear began to grow. Danny began to shrink, grow younger. When Danny and the bear were the same size, Pollux pulled the bear away.

The bracelets slipped off over Danny's newly small hands. Pollux tsked at the scars they left.

Danny blinked himself back to wakefulness, and looked down at himself. Something passed through him, something huge and epic that even Pollux could only see the surface of. Then- it was gone. Danny was brighter, softer, and more childlike than ever before. He smiled up at Pollux, and hugged him tightly.

Pollux's world revolved around Danny.

Danny's world revolved around Pollux.

A binary star.

Perfect.

#danny phantom #trigger warning brainwashing #tw: brainwashing #ectoberweek19

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katyakiryu · 5 years

Text

An Unexpected Wrath, Part 9

"You understand, Captain Quinn, that we cannot allow you to continue your search for the Empire's Wrath," Minister Lorman told Quinn. "It is in the Empire's best interest that she disappears, you understand."

One year. 12 months. 360 days.

However he staged the statistics in his mind, Quinn couldn't stand the fact that it had been a year and Asha'lie was still missing. What was now known as the Eternal Empire had bombed planets into submission. They'd taken her from him. There was no trace of her anywhere in the galaxy. All Quinn had was the one broadcast that an Outlander had assassinated the Eternal Emperor. Asha had killed the Emperor, he was sure of it. Quinn also refused to believe that she too had been slaughtered.

She was alive somewhere out there. He could feel it.

"I will not cease my search, minister," Quinn replied coldly.

"Then I have permission to take you into custody," Lorman replied. Quinn had never wanted to punch someone so much in his life, and that included Pierce.

"Yeah, over my dead body," Vette snapped behind Quinn.

She was the only one who remained after a year. Broonmark had left fairly soon, as had Pierce. Jaesa had stayed for some time before deciding to better herself in the ways of the force without Asha.

"Are you leaving as well?" Quinn had asked Vette.

"I owe Asha'lie everything. I'll help you find her, I promise," the Twi'lek had replied. "She'd want me to stick with you anyway."

Now Vette stood at his side, ready to fight an entire squad of Imperial soldiers just to stop him from being taken. Quinn was almost touched, but he knew the consequences if she stood with him. She'd be killed or thrown back into the slave pens, and that Asha would never forgive him for.

"I surrender, then," Quinn told the minister.

"What?!" Vette exclaimed.

"Vette. Let it be."

The prison cell was dark and metalic. Quinn lay on the cot within and let out a breath. He could always try and escape, but odds were that he'd be shot dead.

If Vette found Asha, how would the Sith react if he was dead? He wondered about that for several minutes. Odds were she'd kill the entire Empire in revenge. No, he was thinking of himself too highly in her mind. She would certainly kill Lorman.

Quinn wondered if she was happy where she was. He doubted it. Asha'lie wouldn't have run off and left them after she killed the Emperor.

Do you want to run away with me?

She had once asked him that. Quinn realized that he would in an instant. He wondered where they'd go. Asha had loved Voss. She loved Alderaan. It would have to be a planet with woods. Woods and streams. Somewhere beautiful, just like her.

He turned to writing her a letter in his head.

My lord,

No, that was too formal.

Asha'lie,

Too casual.

Quinn frowned and shook his head, turning onto his side. There wasn't a point to it now. He'd write that letter when she saved him. Even better, he'd tell it to her face.

The last thing Quinn expected was a pardon and a promotion. He was allowed to keep his search discreet as he served Empress Acina. Even with the high privilege of his promotion to Major, throughout the next year of his life, Quinn felt as if someone had carved a hole into his heart. Asha was still missing. There was no way to fill the gap.

Vette hadn't contacted him, either.

He was considering taking a shuttle to look for the Sith he loved when news of a resistance against Arcaan reached him. An Alliance, they called it. At first, Quinn wrote it off, but as time went on, more and more blows were struck against the Empire that had conquered them all. Massive blackouts in Zakuul, the Outlander escaping prison, the entire Eternal fleet gone haywire, and Arcaan's disappearance from the throne. Quinn couldn't believe it. He could believe it even less when Acina offered to aid the Alliance.

He waited near the entrance to the throne room, curious to see this so called Outlander. Perhaps he could convince them to find Asha. She was a powerful fighter, and an Alliance between Sith and Jedi was all she ever wanted.

Quinn nearly choked when Asha'lie herself walked in with who he recognized as Theron Shan and Lana Beniko. It was her, it was really her. He moved to approach her, to throw himself at her feet and beg for her forgiveness. Had she found Vette and Jaesa? He hoped she had. Surely she'd be happy to see him?

Quinn stopped in his tracks when he watched Theron grab her hand. Asha smiled at the former SIS agent.

The Major's shoulders slumped. She was involved with the spy again. Of course she was. Undoubtedly, Shan held just as much affection for her now as Quinn had refused to see on Yavin 4.

One would think that six years apart would numb the pain, but it did nothing to soothe the ache in his heart.

"The Empress and the Alliance Commander are dead."

Dead. No, not like this. Not when he could have said something to her, not when he could have held her again, seen those clear blue eyes that still haunted his dreams sparkle.

Quinn was mentally punching himself until Acina walked back into the citadel, soaked but unharmed.

To his own surprise, the Minister was behind it. Both Acina and Asha'lie had survived.

"When can we expect a prision transfer for Lorman?" He asked the ensign beside him that evening. Asha had taken a shuttle away from Dromund Kaas to save her Alliance, and to Quinn's regret, he hadn't been able to speak with her. Now was the time to send that letter. He picked up his datapad to send the order.

"He was found dead, Major."

Quinn slowly lifted his gaze from the pad.

"Forensic report," he ordered.

"Three lightsaber wounds to the chest, Major."

She'd killed Lorman. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Quinn was suddenly very certain that killing the Emperor had sent Asha over the deep end. Had she woken up alone and angry that he hadn't found her? No, she was Sith at heart, he had to remember that.

"I can't believe she threw Saresh in jail."

The passing conversation of an Imperial solider crossed his ears.

"After that betrayal? The Wrath went soft."

Quinn relaxed. Acina could have killed Lorman. He was jumping to conclusions.

The Eternal Empire crumbled at her feet. She'd won the battle and the people. Asha had saved them all from a fiery death, but she now held an insanely powerful weapon-- the throne itself. Quinn could see the fear in the Imperials around them. They needed something to defend themselves with.

Iokath held all the answers.

Quinn wasn't too concerned. Acina was worried that the Alliance would use the fleet to kill them all, but she hadn't fought beside Asha'lie long enough to know how loyal the Sith lord could be. She would never use that fleet for harm, especially against the Empire.

Perhaps it was fate that he was selected to deliver the offer of a temporary alliance against the Republic forces.

Quinn gripped his hands tightly behind his back. The waiting was making him go mad. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to speak with her again. He didn't even care that Asha was in a relationship with Shan. He wouldn't hide this time.

He knew she'd choose to support the Republic. She had that option now, along the freedom that she desired. The Empire had done nothing but abandon her. Quinn swallowed. He'd follow her anywhere. It was time to run away, just like all those years ago.

Even when he was expecting her, Asha'lie still made him fall speechless.

She had armor on. Not simply a tunic or robe, but legitimate armor that was stained with oil. Quinn couldn't help but wonder if she'd been injured again.

Asha'lie looked exhausted. It was the first time he'd seen her since that last private moment on the bridge of her ship. He'd assumed that she was at peace, that she'd finally found a place where she belonged in the galaxy. The Emperor was dead-- surely she had everything she desired?

"You're looking more potent than ever, my lord," Quinn managed, shaking himself out of the trance she'd put him in. Asha's eyes brightened with hope. His shoulders relaxed. She was happy to see him.

"Is that you, Quinn?" She whispered.

"In the flesh. Though we'll have to continue this reunion at a later time," he explained regretfully.

Her body language seemed to change entirely. She looked as strong as she had six years ago, and carried herself with dignity and power as she listened to the offers given by Malcom and Acina.

Asha'lie's eyes met his briefly before she straightened and announced her descision to allign with the Empire.

She'd become even more deadly in the time they'd spent apart. She was faster, stronger, unpredictable. Quinn found himself wondering if her eyes still held the same pain when she fought. He believed that she'd found a cause to believe in, one that she didn't regret. Perhaps that was the reason for her increased skillset.

That, and Shan. They worked together well in the field, two bolts of fire that scorched all who stood in their way. She was there when he faltered, and him for her. Quinn tore his eyes away from the surveillance feed. Theron Shan was better for her. The major was just glad to have her back, safe, and alive. Quinn decided to join her alliance, her empire, when this was over.

The battle ended in their favor.

He was eager, so uncharacteristically eager to tell her of his intentions to join her again. That was, if she would have him.

Quinn's world cracked when Shan returned with her smoking body cradled in his arms. He gripped his hand in a fist, but relaxed apon hearing that she was still breathing. Asha would recover. Knowing her, she'd be up on her feet in mere hours.

So he waited. Waited and waited for her to wake up.

When she did finally emerge from the medbay, she did not have the warm smile Quinn was expecting. Concern ate at him as he saw the worried look in her eyes. Paranoia radiated from her along with Shan and Beniko. What was wrong? What had happened?

Unlike the previous times that Quinn had seen them together, Asha and Theron were distant. There seemed to be a stone wall separating the two of them. There were no jokes, no affection. He knew that thick tension all too well. What had Shan done to earn her distrust?

To his surprise, Asha's body relaxed when she finally approached Quinn.

"It's been a long time, Quinn," she greeted him.

"Too long," he replied. "After you disappeared, I spent months looking for you. Minister Lorman heard about my crusade and ordered me to call off the search."

"Yes, Vette told me that you were arrested," Asha'lie responded with concern in her voice.

"I did spend some time in Imperial prison before I recieved a pardon, yes."

"You must have known I was back. Why did you stay hidden?"

Quinn turned to her and swallowed. Her expression was sincere and attentive. She wasn't angry, he could tell that much, but she did want answers.

"I was concerned that you still hadn't forgiven me for the betrayal all that time ago," he explained. "I also believed that my aid would be unwelcome."

"It isn't. I'm so glad that you're okay," Asha'lie told him. Her voice was soft, and for a moment he swore that he saw tears in her eyes. "Do you want to come back with me? Join our alliance?"

"I do, if you'll have me," Quinn murmured. "I can hand in my resignation to the Empire this instant."

"Then I hope to see you on Odessen soon," she said. She smiled warmly at him and briefly patted his arm. "And I have forgiven you, Quinn. I did a long, long time ago."

He nodded and walked away. The moment his back was turned, Quinn found himself smiling. He was back where he belonged.

#theron shan #malavai quinn #stworupdate #starwarstheoldrepublic #stwor #star wars #oc: asha"lie #an unexpected wrath

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more-pokeimagines · 6 years

Note

20 & 28 for cynthia with Villain!Reader please?

Of course! :) This is my first time writing for Cynthia, so I hope you like it. My last D/P/Pt playthrough was a few years ago… oops. :D Also, the reader isn’t a “real” villain… just on the wrong track. Hope, you don’t mind the little change! :)

20 - “Don’t try to fix me. I’m not broken.”

28 - “Please help me.”

I’m not broken

When Cynthia first met you she was surprised and a little bit shocked that someone like you was able to treat a living creature that bad. Youseemed so kind, so compassionate, and still you forced your Luxio to battle on, even though it barely couldn’t stand upright anymore. “Come on,” she heard you say in an angry tone as you glared at your pokemon. “If you want to be useful, stop being so goddamn weak!“

Cynthia flinched at your hard words, as did Luxio. She always believed that it was the bond between a pokemon and its trainer which made it stronger; a bond of respect and love, not fear and hate. Still, there were some trainers out there who treated their pokemon like tools, asif they weren’t living creatures. As if they didn’t deserve their trainer’s love. Watching you train with your pokemon made her angry and sad at the same time, simply because everything you did was wrong, at least in her eyes. Her grandmother had always taught her that a trainer should neverdiscourage their pokemon but rather motivate them to become stronger step by step. At first glance you didn’t seem like a cruelperson. Instead, Cynthia found herself facing a hauntingly beautiful face with sparkling (e/c) eyes and a smile that could melt thehardest ice. At second glance though, she found no joy in your eyes, no warmth in your smile, and she frowned as she continued to watch your training.

Your pokemon was on the ground now, whimpering quietly and wincing as youcrouched down to look at it. “You’re weak,” you stated and shook your head. “I’ve got no use for you.”

With that, you got up, ready to walk away and leave your pokemon on that clearing when you heard a voice shouting behind you. “Hey!”

It sounded harsh and somehow familiar, and as you turned around you saw the blonde champion of Sinnoh approaching you, a fierce expression on her face. She glared at you, arms akimbo. “You!” she snapped. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m going home,” you replied with a stiff smile. “I have stuff to do.”

“And you’re going to leave your pokemon behind?” You shrugged and darted a look at Luxio that glanced at you with a mixture of pure affection and fear. To Cynthia, it was obvious thatit loved you and therefore tried to come up with your expectations, even though it couldn’t take any more. “I need a strong partner, not a weakling ,” you said matter-of-factly and shrugged again. “I won’t waste my time with training anymore.Besides, why do you care? Go home, mind your own business. I know what I’m doing.”

Cynthia huffed as she knelt down next to Luxio and patted its head carefully. “You should be thankful for having a pokemon like that,” shemurmured. “But instead you torture and pressurise it… no, you don’t know what you’re doing. Someone like you shouldn’t be a trainer.”

“I don’t need your advice,” you snarled. “Don’t try to fix me, Lady, I’m not broken.” And with that, you turned around and trudged off.

Cynthia took charge of your Luxio. It became more confident as the days passed but it was clear that it missed you. Every morning, it would sit near the door as if it was waiting for you to come home. But you never did. Of course you didn’t. You didn’t know where your pokemon was and even if you knew you wouldn’t care. At least, that’s what Cynthiaassumed. Little did she know that your guilty conscience (something you’ve never experienced before) persuaded you to search for your pokemon to take it back. Cynthia’s words had touched you in a way you could never imagine, and a part of you hated her for that. You were happy withyour way, trying to be a villain and all that jazz. But now… it made you furious that one short conversation had been able to shake your opinions to the very foundations but still, you couldn’t stop thinking about it. What Cynthia had said… it somehow made sense.

You never had bonded with your pokemon the way other trainers did and maybe that was the reason for always losing the battles… Maybe you really needed to change. “I’m not broken.” You remembered yourwords quite clearly and you meant it when you said it. You still did – you weren’t broken, just on the wrong track. But you supposed, it wasn’t too late to turn back.

So, on that evening you finally made your descision, a hood pulled over your head to hide most of your face as you strolled down the streets of Celestic Town. It wasn’t a secret where Cynthia lived and you found her house quite quickly. Still, you hesitated to knock. Howwould she react? Would she be angry? You couldn’t blame her if she was. After all, you had behaved like an absolute idiot, there was noexcuse for that.

Then, as you raised your hand toknock the door was teared open and before you could take a step backwards, Luxio rushed out of the house and jumped straight intoyour arms. You fell down, your back meeting the dusty ground as Luxio nuzzled his head in the crook of your neck. You let out a surprisedlaugh. “You missed me?”

“Of course it did,” that was Cynthia’s voice but it sounded a lot softer this time. As you looked up you could see that she was smiling. “So, you changed your mind, huh?”

It wasn’t a question. You stayed silent for a moment, carefully thinking about your words while absentmindedly petting Luxio’s surprisingly shaggy fur. “Yeah,” you finally said and slowly returned Cynthia’s smile. “Please help me to find a better way.”

#pokemon imagine #champion cynthia imagine #pokemon cynthia imagine #champion cynthia request #cynthia x reader #cynthia x villain!reader #champion cynthia x reader

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a-d-n-d-journal · 4 years

Text

Game Session #11

Characters:

Mirri in the wind, tabaxi; rapier, lute, cleric (of Tempus) robes

Rysiel, half-elf druid; acid burns, simple clothing and leather armor, scimitar

Teir, tiefling warlock; acid burns, vibrant gold skin and black hair w/silver highlights, horns, hooves, expensive-looking clothes and leather armor, carries a dagger as his only (physical) weapon

Zastu, dragonborn rogue; white scales almost completely covered in a hooded cape and mask, leather armor, short bow and shortsword + dagger

Noteable NPCs...

Sydiri Haunlar, human (Chondathan) fighter; brunette, chain shirt, dagger, shortbow, wooden club

Zephyros, cloud giant; windswept white hair, wispy white beard, billow purple robe with gold stars

It's been a busy week since our last game, so there are some things I can't really recall about our session. We all got together at Mirri's-player's place and had some tacos, which was great!

Picking up from last time... The adventurers discovered that some of the cultists missionaries had flown upstairs to... Do what? They weren't sure, but they needed to get up there! They spent some time trying to figure it out. They estimated about 100ft up, and they had enough rope, but no way to get it up. Rillix, the Tressym, could not carry that weight. However, the winged cat could carry something small... Rysiel turned into a crab and Rillix carried him up. But first the druid spent some time actually trying to find the cat, and then some more time trying to convince it to do the task. Rillix is very intelligent, but Rysiel ended up bribing him. Once upstairs, the tressym wouldn't leave Rysiel alone until he fed it some of the meat dropped from the griffons (in the aerie above the second floor). Rysiel looks around... Zephyros is lying catatonic on the ground, drooling a little bit. A pillow is halfway under his head, and it looks like someone tried to pull the blankets off the giant's bed, but gave up halfway through. A slightly glowing orb floats 10ft off the ground in a corner, and a 5x9ft chest sits in another. The walls are filled with shelves of giant books. A hole in the ceiling leads to the aerie. There's no sign of the cultists missionaries or their giant vultures. Not being in immediate danger, Rysiel tries to figure out how to get the rest of the party up.

Zastu ties the two 50ft ropes together and fastens it to an arrow (not sure why I decided an arrow could life 20lbs of rope, but a tressym couldn't -shrugs-). It takes two tries, but she gets the arrow through the hole 100ft up, where Rysiel grabs it. (Retcon: I forgot to give the party a magic item at the start of the session...) Sydiri had found a peculiar rod in among the junk that Zephyros dumped down earlier. It had an engraved design of a horse's head at each end, and a button. Teir played with it and discovered that, when the button was pressed, the rod stopped moving in midair. It seemed pretty stable, so the decide to use it. Rysiel ties the rope, temporarily, to Zephyros' hand, allowing Zastu to clamber up with the floating rod and a boost from Teir and Mirri. At the top, she and Rysiel tie the rope to the rod and let Mirri up. Teir ties the rope to his waist with Sydiri's help, and is raised. The warlock uses Guidance to help the process. OK, so they're all at the top. Now what? Zephyros is "awake", but unresponsive. They try healing him, but no cure spell works. Teir casts Shocking Grasp, which jolts the giant upright, but all he will do is ramble incoherently. They decide to leave him be. Mirri's been curious about what's up here for a while, so they look around a bunch, eventually settling on the giant's bed and playing the lute. Teir checks out the chest, which is more than big enough to get into. There's some clothing, a giant comb with gems in it, and a spellbook. The spellbook is super interesting, but Teir can only copy spells that have a ritual component... None of these ones do. The warlock casts Detect Magic and looks around. Lots of magic stuff, like Zephyros' staff, the spellbook, the floating orb, the floating rod, etc etc, but nothing they didn't already know about. The books on the shelves appear to be journals that Zephyros has written, so they contain no more interest than the ones he's already brought down for them. Teir sends his spectral raven up through the hole in the ceiling to the griffon aerie. It's a lot lower than the ceiling of the 1st floor, so he can see through its eyes. Two griffons watch curiously, but leave the raven alone. There's some nests, some meat from a leftover hunt, but nothing interesting, and no cultists missionaries either. Eventually satisfying their curiousity, and realising that the cultists missionaries aren't there, they head down the rope (except for Mirri, who naps on the giant bed). Once downstairs, the three discover that Sydiri has gone outside to speak with the cultists missionaries. They check in on her, but she seems fine. They're really bored. A few hours later, Zephyros has recovered and descends to the first floor. The cultists missionaries come in to hear his descision. The giant seems ready to ask them to leave, but Sydiri seems to have converted to their way of thinking. There's an awkward conversation with the party, where it sounds like they want Zephyros to help them? Again, it's not clear what the cultists missionaries really want. Zephyros does end up asking them to leave though. On their way out, the cultists missionaries drop a pouch of something, which Zephyros gives to the party. Rysiel snatches it, and not knowing what the sparkling dust does, he takes a pinch and tastes it. He turns invisible, must be invisibility dust! But Teir is pretty sure it's fae-related, and not what they think it is. No one bothers asking the high-level wizard giant, for some reason.

A few days pass. Zastu finishes making her minor healing potions, and Sydiri still talks occasionally about how cool it would be if the prime material plane were reverted to a state of elemental chaos--where there was no ground and you just fell into the sky forever. It's pretty creepy. Anyway. She's outside one day when she sees a silver dragon approaching. Teir and Mirri go outside to investigate/greet them, while Rysiel and Zastu stay inside with Zephyros. As the silver dragon approaches, they see that it carries THREE dwarves in each talon. That's how big this guy is...! Teir greets him respectfully in draconic and asks what they're doing here. The dragon is pleasantly surprised, and tells them that he owes the dwarf queen a favour and he's just ferrying these dwarves around. He also asks about Rysiel's dragon skull, because he can see the druid poking his head through the curtain. It's an evil blue skull, but unfortunately Rysiel did not kill it. Oh well. The dwarves themselves are brusque. They're here to stop the giants from flying too near their territory. Giants have been tearing up the land, and they don't want any boulders or anything dropped on any settlements (like with Nightstone). Teir and Mirrir are making some progress with the negotiations and convincing the dwarves that Zephyros isn't going to harm them, but... Suddenly Rysiel casts Ice Knife and hurls it at the dwarves!! I guess he doesn't like them? The Ice Knife misses, but each of the six dwarves reaches into their pouch simultaneously and grabs a potion, which they then quaff. They all turn into puffy clouds and start floating (slowly) into the tower. They float past Rysiel, who can't do anything, and start moving about the first floor. Zephyros asks what's going on, and the party fills him in. The giant wizard casts Charm Person on two of the clouds, making them friendly toward him. They then revert to solid for and start chatting. The giant doesn't seem overly concerned, and they really just seem to be exchanging pleasantries. What an eccentric guy... (There are a bunch of skill rolls in our chat log, but I don't remember what they're for) Eventually the remaining four clouds start floating up to the second floor. A minute later there are sounds of throwing axes hitting something. Zephyros stops chatting and starts casting levitate. Zastu and Rysiel manage to grab his feet as he rises into the air, but Teir doesn't try and Mirri misses. They hang out with the two dwarves downstairs.

Upon reaching the second floor and seeing the dwarves throwing axes at his Navigation Orb, Zephyros casts Resilient Sphere over the valuable item. Thwarted, the Dwarves turn to the three newcomers. Zastu springs into action--she doesn't want to kill the dwarves, so she aims to try to knock them out, but misses. Rysiel does the same, his attack connecting. Unfortunately, there are four dwarves with multiple attacks. They don't want to kill either, so two of them gang up and knock out Zatsu. Rysiel is a bit more lucky, and she remains on her feet. On Zephyros' turn, he casts Mass Suggestion. All but one of the dwarves is affected, and Zephyros commands them to leave peacefully. The remaining dwarf stands there trying to rouse his companions from their magical stupor, but it doesn't work. Rysiel takes the opportunity to cast Cure Wounds on Zastu, waking her up again. The angry druid prepares to cast Moon Beam, but it's Zephyros' turn, and his Charm Person spell allows him to convince the remaining dwarf that they should leave peacefully as well. The giant ends up ferrying them all downstairs, where the dwarves decide to leave under the magical compulsion. Zephyros mutters something about dwarves and dragons, and pretends that nothing happened.

The next day, they arrive at Triboar. They survey the town from above, trying to memorize its basic layout. Mirri looks for a temple, hopefully one to Tempus. Zephyros gives Teir a notebook he has, this one a reasonable size, filled with History and Arcana facts in the common language.

Spells cast:

Mirri:

Abilities:

Cantrips:

Spells:

Rysiel:

Cantrips:

Spells: Cure Wounds (1st), Ice Knife (1st)

Teir:

Cleric abilities:

Cantrips: Shocking Grasp

Spells: Cure Wounds

Rituals: Detect Magic

Treasure looted:

Zastu continued making the rest of her minor healing potions (she has 4 now)

Everyone decided to exchange their misc loot for gold

Magic "floating" rod (Teir?)

Magic (faerie?) dust (9 uses left, Rysiel)

Notebook filled with info on History and Magic (Teir)

#5e #A Great Upheaval #A Party Most Queer #D&D #session #Storm King's Thunder

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