Amy and Laurie were good but Jo losing her Teddy is one of the most heartbreaking things to ever happen in literature. Because it isn't just that she didn't love him and he wanted to marry her. It's that they loved each other too much and not in the same way, and grief of losing him was just a culmination of losing everything else, and growing up into something that is unfamiliar and being alone.
And it's just tough to think that one day somebody you thought would be around forever might still be around but it isn't for you. And that sometimes it is ultimately the love that you have for each other that breaks you apart. And that your sister won't always be sleeping across the hall from you. And there will eventually be a last day where all of your friends gather together as kids. And sometimes something that you dreamed about your whole childhood isn't something that ends up being for you. And sometimes no matter what we do to stop it, things and people and places will leave our lives anyway, and the trick is learning how to be okay with that, eventually.
(based off a conversation that @es-3 and i had the other day that i did NOT cry after)
347 notes
·
View notes
Does anyone genuinly like Carmine?
If you don't like her, that's fine, but this post isn't for you.
But it's like, every time I'm on her tag, tryna look for funny, cute, interesting, etc. stuff on her it's literally people pissing on her for being a "bad sister." It's like she has flaws and layers. Because she's a complex, multifaceted character. So is Kieran. Throughout the story, you see her open up slowly while still noticing habits of her old being kept too, making it a very believable progression.
Not to mention, I don't see people going after the grandparents—or any adult figures in their life. Like where are your parents??
All in all, they both have flaws that are subtle; their stories are parallel to the ideas the people of Kitakami held with Ogrepon and the "Loyal" three. They both have complex and interesting personalities- with notable flaws, yet Carmine is usually the one I see who gets the most pissed on for hers.
So I'm asking if anyone else geuinly likes her character like I do?
130 notes
·
View notes
fic idea i will probably write at some point:
when toph goes after zuko after his terrible introduction (hello, zuko here) he still startles and burns her feet but instead of running away he immediately rushes over and starts fussing over her, picking her up and treating her burns
he lays her down on his bedroll and gets his first aid supplies. he’s kind of an expert at dealing with burns. aside from the obvious, he was often burned during his childhood while training to fight with bending. it was why he was so fond of the dao swords, something he was much better at
he doesn’t realize he’s been talking aloud until the girl (does he know her name yet??) pointedly coughs after he trails off. he shakes the thoughts away and warns her the balm he is about to apply will sting at first.
he surprised when she fists a hand in his shirt, hissing in pain as the medicine does its job. he wraps it and moves onto her other foot, repeating the process. once he’s done, she looks in his direction quizzically
“it’s… numb,” she says, surprised. zuko smiles and explains
“it numbs the pain and heals the burn simultaneously. you should feel better in the morning after a good nights sleep, but you should still reapply it so it stays that way, okay?” he asks. she nods and then seems to debate asking something, before speaking
DISCLAIMER i know nothing about medicinal herbs/balms so this is 100% made up
“the others tried to describe you to me when i asked… pretty much all i got was ‘ponytail jerk with a shaved head and a burn on his face’ and obviously that’s not really a great description…” she trails off. zuko laughs softly
“if it makes you feel better, the ponytail is long gone. my hair is long enough to mostly cover the burn, too…” he replies
she nods thoughtfully before hesitantly lifting her hand towards his face, stopping a few inches away.
“um… you can say no, of course. but if it’s okay, can i touch your face? it’s how i see people,” she explains quietly. zuko flinches back slightly before thinking about it. her hands are so… small. and she hasn’t hurt him (yet).
the last person who touched his face was Uncle, helping zuko apply the burn salve after a bad day (the scar tended to hurt more if he was upset or angry… which was often). he had been so careful, it made zuko feel cherished.
he lets out a breath and agrees
the grin he receives is probably worth his discomfort
he closes his eyes and feels her small hands trace his face. she hums to herself as she maps it out in her head. zuko can feel calluses, likely from her earthbending, and laughs when she runs a hand through his hair, whispering “just checking”
they both quiet once she’s explored his entire face aside from the scar. she seems hesitant, so zuko nods slightly, reassuring her.
he cant really feel the hand tracing his burn. that area has been numb since his father…
he’s used to it. her hand on the other side of his face, keeping his head steady, is grounding and he releases some of the tension that had built in his shoulders when she traced the edge of the scar
she lets out a tiny gasp, and zuko can feel hair being pulled back from his ear- or what’s left of it. the burn had reached the appendage and a bit of his scalp. luckily his long hair was able to easily cover it. thinking back on his days wearing the symbol of the banished, having the entire thing exposed, makes him feel sick.
she finally drops her hands and when zuko opens his eyes (when had he gotten teary?) she’s sitting back across from him.
they sit in thoughtful silence for a while before toph snaps her fingers in recognition
“oh yeah, are your eyes really gold?” she asks
zuko finds it odd that the group had even noticed his eye color, but confirms her question
“cool,” she grins and zuko can’t help but smile back. she eventually scoots over on the bed roll and demands zuko sit next to her (and who is he to say no?)
they spend the next couple of hours talking. zuko finds out toph also comes from high society, and they bond over the stupid rules they were forced to learn and such.
toph doesn’t ask how he got the scar, but she does ask about it.
“can you hear at all in this ear? and are you able to see with this eye?”
he allows her these questions because she’s one of the only people who can understand what it’s like
“not very well, but enough to get by. as for my eye… it’s mostly blurry and i can’t open it past a squint. honestly, everyone was surprised it hadn’t lost all function,” he explains
she studies him thoughtfully before replying
“is that why you have two swords?”
zuko blinks. he hadn’t ever actually thought of it like that, since he was already using them before getting banished. but it makes sense. he shrugs
“maybe subconsciously?” he says, and she laughs at his uncertainty. he can’t help but smile at the sound
122 notes
·
View notes