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tae-cup · 4 years

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Cupid’s Blind Eye | Of Eternity and Euphoria (3)

Pairing: Park Jimin x Reader

Summary: A demigod looking for love meets the god of love himself.

Warnings: N/A. This might be the fluffiest one so far. wait I lied it’s not fluffy at all. It’s really angsty. I’m sorry.

Word Count: 5.4k words

A/N: I have a lot of ideas for this series. So much so, I’m ignoring my other series. Like Hamartia and The Pact which I was s u p p o s e d to start by now. Smh this is what happens when I have too many ideas. I’m planning a spin off series for a Male!reader for this...I also wanted to tie this more into the overarching plot, but it’s okay, I’ll get you more park jimin okay. Consider me your supplier.

AS:ASJFLKWJQ:W it deleted my first draft >:(

Other:

Series Masterlist

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Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged cupid painted blind - William Shakespeare

Your knees hurt already. It had been all of 15 minutes, but the gravel under your legs wasn’t exactly comfortable. You had spent the last hour praying for the god of love to show himself and you fell to your knees desperately in the last 15.

“Oh, god of love.” You drawled sarcastically, ready to leave the dilapidated altar. “Answer my prayers.” You practically rolled your eyes, sick of this nonsense.

You stood slowly, realizing he probably wasn’t going to show himself any time soon. You swiped the gravel off your knees, not noticing the presence behind you.

“You should know not to be so disrespectful to your gods, darling.” A sly voice called. You froze. No way. When you turned to look, a man leaned against the pillars of the altar. He radiated lust and love, an inhuman aura. There was no doubt this was the god of love, lust, and passion.

And unlike him, you radiated a sort of pure aura; compared to him, of course. It drove him mad.

“Oh.” You were at a loss for words. His build was literally of the gods and his face, oh his face. You couldn’t find a single flaw in his face. From his adorable nose to his plump lips. You found yourself staring at his features for way longer than necessary. He smirked. This was a typical response to his appearance.

“Why do you seek me out?” He stepped forward, peering into your eyes.

“I want to know my soulmate.” You clenched your fists. Everyone you knew already found theirs. Your friend, Jennie, had explained that the god of love had helped her, but you didn’t believe her. You thought she was pulling your leg. The god quirked his head to the side.

“Why do you need to know that?”

“Because I’m sick of being alone.” You admitted, mouth feeling awfully dry as you nervously shifted from foot to foot.

His gaze softened, heart thumping.

“You won’t be alone forever.”

“It feels like it sometimes.”

“You’re a demigod.” It suddenly clicked. Your blatant disrespect of the gods, the odd aura surrounding you. Almost godly, but not quite. Not many demigods had a good connection to the gods. They were often cast aside, looked over, thought of as wannabes when many just wanted to live their lives. His altar wasn’t any different than the other crumbled ones around, the only indicator was the Greek letters above, but only a demigod would be able to read that.

“And you’re a god. I’ve come to learn that it doesn’t matter who you are, we all die in the end.” You frowned, thinking of your godly parent, one that had faded a long time ago, sentenced to eternal darkness for the atrocity of giving birth to you. However, being a demigod came with its perks. As long as you stayed healthy, you had longer lifespans while staying youthful. You had stopped aging around 25, but now you were around 60. You would likely begin aging around 100 and then die around 200. You had lived a long life so far without finding love. At first you thought it was possible, but as the years went on, no one gave you that spark, that burning sensation, that claimed them as your soulmate.

“Listen.” You sighed, “I just want to know if they exist. I’ve spent years searching and I thought fate was supposed to bring us together. Are they to be born in another timeline? Shall we never meet?”

The god of love frowned at your lack of faith in him as a god. He stepped forward, close enough for you to make out his face in detail. He radiated love, lust, and passion. His eyes were intense, but you didn’t find yourself scared. In fact, it was almost comforting. He was the definition of love.

“Do you have so little faith in me? Fate has brought you here.” He gently reached out and touched your shoulder. He just needed to check. It was silly to think that the god of love, could not seem to find his lover. There. That spark, that burn. It spread like a wildfire, consuming your everything. It felt like your atoms had rearranged, yearning to be completed by him.

You couldn’t do anything except stare at him. There was no way you were fated to one of the gods whom you so dearly despised. The gods had abandoned you as a child. Was this some cruel punishment? He softened his expression, taking in your frustrated form. Scared, worried, and anxious were reactions he expected from his soulmate, but anger was not one.

“I don’t have to be with you, you know?” You said bitterly. “I can choose to stay away. Not all soulmates stay together.”

Your words clearly had an effect on him because he nodded and stepped away. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion and hurt flashed across his face.

“I won’t force you to join me, but please reach out if you change your mind. You know where to find me.” He gestured to the altar. He, out of everyone, knew that you could put two perfect people next to each other in a room, but you couldn’t force them to love each other. Love was a tricky thing and Jimin knew it best. “Just ask for Jimin.”

Then he was gone, the wind seemingly taking him away. You rushed forward, looking for that sneaky god, but you couldn’t locate him. You had to admit you felt bad about reacting that way. He didn’t expect this either. With a sigh, you called out to the stones. “I’m Y/N. Lovely to meet you, Jimin.”

And of course he heard you. His eyes trailed your back as you ran back into your small town. It was one of the last towns who truly believed in the gods, that’s why so many had altars up. A smile made his way onto his face. Now it was just wait and see.

“Oh come on. You are way too boring, Jimin.” The fiance (I’m sorry I don’t have accents on this computer >:( ) of Yoongi rolled her eyes.

“___, You must understand, love just doesn’t work like that, You have to let it happen.”

“I bet she wants you to chase after her.” ___ continued. “Here, invite her to the wedding. She can be your plus one!”

“You’re too kind. I fear she may be afraid of the underworld.”

“Didn’t you say she’s a demigod?” Yoongi’s fiance quirked her head to the side. She was a human before a goddess. She had no bias against demigods and Jimin felt she was the best to approach about his encounter.

“Yes.”

“Then I doubt she’ll even bat an eye at the underworld.” She viewed her nails, thanking the workers and standing from the salon. “You came all the way to the human world just so you could whine about your love life to the goddess of the underworld. Seems right.”

Jimin scoffed, crossing his arms defensively. He was at a loss for words, however, and he bit his lip. “I came to you because she seems more human than god and I wanted to know your experience.”

“Well, Yoongi basically kidnapped me, but not really. I just knew I wanted to go with him. Then he and I hit it off from there. I fought with Taehyung, stirred up some shit, and now I’m going to be the downfall of Olympus.”

The other gods didn’t like her joking about the downfall of Olympus, but Jimin could always laugh.

“At least my nails will look good while it happens, yeah?”

The love god laughed along with her and the two walked over to the park. The park, known as Plyosum Park, was a great hotspot of godly energy. It was the quickest and easiest way to get to Olympus.

“Now, I must be going.” She smiled, “But, have you ever thought, Jimin, that she’s no more human than she is god? Maybe she just wants to be treated as the person she is; a demigod. That’s why I don’t think I can help you much. I wish you luck, however.” She sent a small wave to him before ghostly hands reached up and dragged her under.

Jimin sighed. She had a point. He’ll just treat you like any person. He let his wings grow out as he prepared to travel back to Olympus. They were a feathery white with golden flakes scattered in between. Many called him cupid for this, but he preferred the name Eros.

You opened the letter with caution. It had appeared on your desk when you arrived home and it definitely hadn’t been there before. The handwriting looked familiar, though you couldn’t place your finger on it.

Dear Y/N,

I am writing to you today because the god and goddess of the underworld are getting married. They have requested I bring along someone and of course my first thoughts were of you. It would be lovely if you are able to join me, but it’s quite alright if you don’t feel comfortable. Please consider my offer, but I will not hold it against you if you choose not to come.

Best,

Jimin

You had to chuckled at his formal phrasing, but you couldn’t blame him. He wanted to give you space and you respected him for being so cautious to your boundaries. It wasn’t expected of the god. After all, he was a god. He could have just kidnapped you on the spot. Maybe he just understands love doesn’t work like that. That made more sense. You carefully wrote back.

My dearest Jimin,

I would be honored to attend such a momentous occasion. Sadly, I seem to be at a lack of formal wear suitable for this kind of event, what do you suggest?

Best,

Y/N

Of course you had to shoot back with your own formal tone. You hoped he understood the sarcasm in it as you hiked to the only place you knew he visited. His altar was old, crumbling, very un-beautiful for the most beautiful god you knew. Then you remembered that you would be meeting many beautiful gods and goddesses in a short time.

You placed the far messier letter down at his altar and hurried back to the village. Jimin was waiting, hoping to catch you, but you were gone before he could even speak. He bent down and slowly picked up the letter. He hastily tore it open, smiling fondly at your words. It was a shame he didn’t get to see you properly before you rushed off.

It was in your nature, as a demigod, to be skiddish around most things; though you seemed to have more of a fight in you than other demigods. The issue was that demigods didn’t fit in anywhere. The gods despised them and regarded them as abominations, hybrids, wannabes. The humans weren’t much better, fearing anything they considered other. Demigods would rarely be able to rest without being hunted by one group or another.

Jimin looked to the middle distance, thinking about what outfit would best suit you. He wanted you to fit in with the other gods and goddesses. While he was a great believer in “love is love” other gods may try to bring you down simply because you were a demigod. It made him feel ill to think of what terrible things could come your way because of your mother’s mistake, not that you were a mistake. He mentally scolded himself. He was constantly on the fritz of checking himself and making sure he said the right things.

He shook his head, returning to his place in the clouds.

When there was a knock at your door, you jumped in surprise. It was not often that the village people visited you. You lived a lonely existence, but you decided this was fine.

“For: Y/N.” You read carefully, surveying the package on your doorstep. You glanced around, eyes flicking to the house next door and traveling down the empty road. Hurriedly, you grabbed the package and hauled it inside your house, slamming the door shut.

The box was more of a rectangle. It was long and flat and there was no return address. You had a feeling you knew who had delivered it. You walked to the kitchen and grabbed a pair of scissors. Then you approached the package, unsure of how to open it. If this was what you thought it was, you didn’t want to damage it. You gnawed at your lip, brows furrowed in concentration as you painstakingly cut through the thin strips of tape. This is ridiculous, just rip it open. You couldn’t bring yourself to do that, however. You didn’t want to rip the contents. So you continued your work before the box flaps finally undid themselves.

Your breath caught in your throat as you looked at the dress. It was a light pink, an innocent color. You rushed to your room to try it on. Of course it fit perfectly. It had a tight bodice, hugging the upper half of your body in a flattering way. Then the rest of the material flowed from the bodice. Layers of tulle and silk fluttered to the ground. In the box also came a delicate silver crown, headband, thing. The silver was twisted into delicate branches that curved every which way, forming a sort of bramble. It looked so elegant and graceful. The accessories that came with the dress included silver earrings and bracelets. The most important was a necklace. It was an graceful, thin, silver chain, but at the bottom it was weighed down by a light pink gemstone. It seemed to glow, like a beating heart. You didn’t expect anything less from the god of love. You were stunning.

You couldn’t wait to wear it to the wedding in a few days. Jimin would surely be impressed. You found yourself blushing girlishly at the thought of impressing him. You wanted him to want you. To see his eyes light up when you entered a room. To kiss him. You gently placed your fingers on your lips, thinking of his plush ones on yours. You knew he would oblige you if you asked, but you had only met the once and the soulmate bond was inexplicably strong already. You were worried it would consume you if you let it. Would you still be standing if it did?

Days go by and now you stand at his altar. It’s desolate, looking lonelier than ever before. You shift nervously, having done your makeup to reflect the lightness you were sure he wanted to portray. You knew he was trying to get the other gods to like you and you were still wary of meeting them. However, you promised yourself that you would try, even if the other immortals didn’t. You didn’t want to pace, having already painstakingly made sure your dress wasn’t muddied on the way up. Where is he?

You were beginning to worry. Little did you know, Jimin was freaking out. He was pacing and getting far too worked up for a god.

“Hyung! What if-what if she gets scared and doesn’t want to see me again?” He whined to the sky god. He strutted up and down the hallway that led to his altar. He knew you were there, he could feel it, he just couldn’t bring himself to step through.

“Jiminie, she’s a demigod, she’ll be okay.” Jin squeezed his younger friend’s shoulder. Jimin had trusted Jin enough to tell him about you. He thought of telling Namjoon, longing for the elder’s advice more than anything, but there was something sneaky about that god that held him off.

“What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Why would she show up if she wasn’t interested?”

Jimin ran a hand through his hair and Jin could tell he was about to complain more so he stepped in.

“Hey, you’ll be okay.” He said softly, pushing the god of love towards the door. Who knew that such a suave man was so...scared of love? “If you’re worried about jumping off the deep end and drowning,” Jin had heard that falling for your soulmate often felt that way. “Then it’ll be okay. You’ll learn how to breathe underwater.”

The elder god then took the, now quiet, god by the shoulders and steered him down the hallway. The god of love took one heavy step after another. “Go, you’ll be late otherwise and that won’t do any good to lighten the other gods’ positions on her.” Jin said, almost scolding. The younger god just kept his mouth shut, nodding way too easily to his friend.

“Wait, Hyung-”

“Go.”

Then he was shoved through the doorway.

He stumbled straight into you, hands reflexively reaching out to stable you. You gasped in surprise, heat rising to your cheeks.

“Jimin! I thought you weren’t coming.” You said in a huff. The god stood there sheepishly, scratching his head.

“Right, I’m so sorry, I was...” Honesty is the best in any relationship. “...I was nervous.”

You tilted your head to the side. Usually it was the other way around with all the assholes you’d dated in the past. They were always entitled, never asking you about anything.

“Oh, I see.” You said awkwardly. “Well, it’s getting late.” You drifted off. Then you noticed him staring at you. Your cheeks flushed pink again at his gaze. It was intense, searching, as it took in your outfit. You heard him let out a soft breath.

“You look...ravishing.” He breathed, finally putting into words how he felt. But nothing could describe how you looked. You looked like a goddess. Perfection, beauty, grace, intelligence, all in one. He swallowed, trying to keep himself in check. He held out his hand, “Well?”

You hesitated, looking at his soft hands. Hands that had never worked a day in their lives. You cautiously place your hands in his and he pulled you close.

“Let’s go.” He murmured. How he managed to make two words sound so enticing was lost on you.

“Pleasure to meet you, Ms...?” The goddess in front of you purred, holding out her hand. She somehow made it seem condescending. You and Jimin had been glued to the hip since you arrived, but he had briefly left to get drinks, leaving you to fend for yourself. Every god and goddess in the room was intrigued by you. You just kept thinking back to how extravagant the ceremony had been, but you had been more taken with how gracious the bride was. She was so bright compared to the god of the underworld, but somehow they got along.

“Y/N.” You smiled, your lips pressed together. You looked, and in someways were, like a goddess, but everyone knew there was something different. Your impostor syndrome was driving you mad.

“Right.” The feline-like goddess strolled away. You turned, trying to ignore the headache you had, only to bump into another god. He looked startled, jumping back quickly. He had an airy quality of innocence and bright light around him. He was handsome, devilishly so.

“Oh! I’m so sorry.” You exclaimed genuinely, looking at the god with confusion. He had this air of familiarity about him that you couldn’t quite place.

“No, no, it was my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” He said shyly. Then an arm wrapped around your waist, a drink being handed to you softly. The man before you got visibly more pale at the sight of the god holding you. He didn’t seem scared, just sad, maybe even heartbroken. “Oh, I see.” He nodded quietly, mood doing a whole 180.

Jimin grimaced as he watched the other man retreat. He felt his heart strings tug, but pushed the pained feeling away. You could sense the tension so you carefully unwrapped yourself, taking his hands.

“Let’s dance.” You said softly. You weren’t sure what just happened, but it didn’t feel like your place to pry. As you place your hands on his shoulders and he planted his firmly on your waist, he let out a sigh.

“I know you’re curious, you can’t hide things from me.” He glanced around as you both blended into the crowd of other couples slow dancing. “That was Agape.”

You nodded slowly. That’s why you felt so familiar. Anyone who was close to Eros understood Agape well.

“Is that was he goes by?” You knew Agape to be the innocent love, the first love, and Eros to be a more sexual love, one filled with desire. You also knew that Jimin didn’t go by Eros, he went by Jimin. People often got him mixed up with Agape, claiming him as cupid, but Agape usually handled first love scenarios.

“No.” He said quietly, as if losing his will to speak. “He... he goes by-” He suddenly cut himself off. “Actually, he doesn’t like it when people refer to him by his real name. Just know that I like you now. You don’t need to worry about him.”

You frowned, eyebrows knitting together. “I never thought he would take you away from me? I was just interested.”

“Ah, yeah, there’s been...tension.” He didn’t give you any more explanation so you sought to change the topic.

“Tell me about the other gods.”

He seemed glad to change subjects. Instead, he told you about Seokjin, the friendly sky god who knew of your predicament. Then he went on about his Taehyungie, Kookie, and then his hyungs. You smiled warmly at all his fond remarks, discussing them as if they were his blood relatives. It humanized them, though you weren’t sure if that was intentional on his part. You had just warmed up to the idea of meeting these gods when someone screamed.

It wasn’t a happy scream. It was a blood curdling, ear piercing, shriek. A goddess ran from the entryway, clearly alarmed. You jumped and Jimin’s hold on you tightened.

You could see Taehyung pull his lover closer and Yoongi pushed his wife behind him. Other gods were taking defensive stances, eyeing the goddess warily. She was obviously a low level god, her aura faint and you were sure she was to die out soon. Seokjin carefully approached her like a wounded animal. Being the oldest, he had this responsibility; to meet all threats to his circle with full force.

“Ah, Ms. Lee, what troubles you today?”

The entire room stilled, watching Ms. Lee carefully. Seokjin spoke calmly, but there was a fierceness to his voice, a demanding power.

“We’re under attack up above. They’ll be here any minute!” She was inconsolable. You gripped Jimin’s arm and he held you impossibly closer. And attack? By who? The enemies of the gods were long gone and any god who tried to cause trouble was sure to be eliminated quickly. All the gods seemed troubled except a certain war god.

“Great! Then we’ll go to war!” He shouted, anger in his voice. Being the war god, you were sure it was his natural voice. Jimin started radiating a more dominating aura. You realized then that he had hidden most of it as to not freak you out. Now he glowed a luminescent light pink. You knew he was quite literally a lover, not a fighter.

“Now, now, how do we know this isn’t just a set up?” Yoongi narrowed his eyes, clearly not wishing to discuss war on his wedding night.

“Well either way we’d still be under attack.” The girl beside Taehyung breathed. She had a point, you couldn’t deny that. Jungkook’s eyes met briefly with Taehyung’s lover and you could almost see the spark of tension despite being a little ways away. Taehyung put himself between the two subtly. You had a feeling there was a story there.

“Jimin?” Your voice was a whisper as to not break the very thin surface tension of the room. He squeezed your hand in response to tell you he was listening. “Are we in danger?” Your heart beat rapidly. You knew you were the most human here. You were strong, but you wouldn’t last a second against a god. Okay, scratch that, you might last two seconds, being a demigod, but you were still severely disadvantaged. You didn’t want to a) be a burden and b) be killed.

“I’ll keep you safe, love.” He murmured quietly, leaning down and pressing a kiss on the top of your head. You felt your body heat up, wishing those lips to be on yours. You just nodded along, not trusting yourself to say anything else. Then there was a bang outside and the sound of the guards running. You turned to him. eyes wide.

Taehyung was already pushing his lover and Yoongi’s wife together, having another god usher them somewhere safe. You paused, wanting to join them. You even saw Yoongi’s wife turn and look at you expectantly. All the gods and goddesses who valued their lives were running. There was another bang and it was chaos. Those who had been frozen in place were now running and those who wished to fight were materializing their weapons. Jimin looked between you and the door, clearly debating. You gently pushed him towards his friends, knowing he wouldn’t want to leave his brothers.

Then you pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. He flushed red.

“Maybe you’ll get a kiss on the lips if you come back unscathed.” You joked, winking playfully as if he wasn’t about to go out and face...whatever was behind that entryway door. He didn’t respond, just nodding firmly. You rushed to join the other two women who were considered V.I.P.s because of their status and relationships to the inner circle. As you were ushered out of the room, you heard the door burst open and you prayed Jimin was safe.

You shivered, the dress not doing any good to keep you warm. The women beside you had hardly spoken a word to you except one, who was the bride herself. She had introduced herself to you and then gone quiet. Obviously, she was worried for her new husband. The other woman was shaking like a leaf. You were surprised the relationship between her and Taehyung worked, but you knew love worked in mysterious ways. The bride offered you a small smile, pulling off her pristine white cardigan and handing it to you. You thanked her lowly before resuming your staring contest with the wall.

It was a nice room, a library somewhere even more underground than the underworld. The goddess of the Earth was obviously more wary of you than the one of the underworld. Though, from what Jimin had briefed you on, she had once been a human too. You were all worried sick for your loved ones, of course. No one could think of much else. The constant shouting was driving you over the edge. You just wanted some peace and quiet.

Having always been introverted, you didn’t enjoy crowds for long periods of time. Keeping to yourself and staying out of the way was the best. As much as you disliked the gods, you and the women in the room were sharing a bond. A bond of fear. You were quite the opposite from Jimin in that way. He was a very social person, always going out of his way to talk to people, his words always smooth and graceful. You, on the other hand, were just...there. You stumbled over your words, rambled, and had trouble concealing your emotions as well as him.

There was a knock on the door. You all looked at each other, eyes wide and waiting for the password to be spoken. There was none. It’s not them. You mouthed. The door flew open before you had time to react. You counted your seconds. Two seconds against a god. You had two seconds.

You were just confused, however, when you were met with a familiar face.

“Mom?”

The long forgotten goddess didn’t even flinch at the anger in your expression, nor the tears that betrayed your pain. It was all too much. She had changed so much. Once the goddess of wisdom, the original goddess long before Namjoon, she held herself with grace. But her frame all bones, no fat, her face was gaunt, and she looked liked she had just walked out of a halloween store. Your breath caught in your throat as she grasped your arm, hard enough to cause a whimper of pain. The other women were forced to follow along as well.

She escorted you out to the ballroom. You felt yourself go pale, stomach dropping to the floor as you surveyed the room. Blood, everywhere. You couldn’t tell whose was whose. Gods are gods, but they bleed. And when they die, they must wait to be reborn once more. You felt your heart clench, seeing the inner circle on their knees. They looked defeated. Seokjin was comforting a sobbing girl, only to have her ripped away and whisked somewhere else. This made the elder god snarl, but he stopped almost immediately after looking at their captors. And who wouldn’t?

They were ghastly creatures, looking like demons out of a novel of pain and horror. Some of them had melted skin, others had hollow faces and haunting stares. All brandished with various “K”s on their bodies. You noticed your mother had one on the side of her neck. The gods were arguing with someone, but you couldn’t make out everything, the argument in full on Greek. Then there was a loud cough. Your mother threw forth the other two girls first. You watched Taehyung and Yoongi’s eyes go wide, before going back, completely feral, to arguing. Then your mother pulled you in close.

“Y/N.” She said coldly, despite her seemingly motherly embrace. “You have disappointed me greatly, I pray Kronos spares you.” Her lips were a thin line as she threw you to the ground too. You tripped over the debris and landed on your hands and knees. You looked up, meeting the eyes of Jimin.

You saw a quiet fury. You knew Jimin was diplomatic, he wouldn’t yell, but you could feel his anger from across the room. He mouthed ‘I love you’. And you frowned a little. This was not where you wanted to be confessed to. You wanted him to say to you, alone, and secluded. You selfishly wanted that. Now the enemy had stolen your first I Love Yous as well.

“Put her with the others.” You understood that part. The masked leader gestured to an underling who unceremoniously dragged you over to the other women. You huddled together as they shoved you into a cage with the crying girl from earlier. Yoongi’s wife wasn’t crying, but she did seem to be in a state of shock. Taehyung’s lover was crying, trying to conceal her sniffles. You gently shrugged off the cardigan from earlier, handing it to her. She took it quickly, hiding her face. You even heard the smallest thank you. Underlings surrounded you like specimen, watching you like you were zoo animals.

“Yoongi!” The bride called out, panicked. You felt it too. There was something bad coming. Then the cage moved and you felt nauseated from the sudden movement. You panicked fully for the first time. Where were they taking you?

“Jimin!” You screeched, hand stretching out. His eyes widened farther.

“Y/N!” He called back, fighting the restraints and lunging towards the cage.

Taehyung’s girlfriend sobbed loudly and Taehyung looked over, concern evident as he struggled to reach out, mental focus just on getting to his lover.

“I love you!” You cried. “Please look for us, don’t give up on us.” Came out your broken plea.

“I’ll search the ends of the universe just to see your face, Y/N.” You heard him say. The underlings restrained him and you sat back, feeling defeated already. The others knew you weren’t a goddess and they immediately babied you, knowing your body to be far more fragile from theirs. Tae’s girlfriend shot you small smiles of encouragement and you did so in return. Yoongi’s wife rubbed your back and the third mystery woman remained silent as you were driven to gods know where.

Last minute A/N: OKAY OKAY I admit it, I didn’t give this...a great happy ending. BUT BUT BUT I promise you a happy ending in the future-

#bts #tatawrites #of eternity and euphoria #bts x reader #jimin #park jimin #jimin x reader #fluff #god!BTS #God!Jimin #Demigod!reader #love #proof reading is dead to me #I'll just fix it later if I have the guts to reread my work

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rqgnarok · 5 years

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the turns of the heart, or: coming home – derek hale

continuation to this.

fandom: teen wolf

words: 2555

warnings: talk of blood, death, teen wolf spoilers, if you haven’t finished the series? brief mention of a kinda ptsd episode. STILINSKI!READER

summary: some things aren’t the same as when derek left beacon hills behind.

author's note below.

Coming home shouldn’t feel like this, but then again, Derek Hale has never been quite good at it.

He’s driving, into what he feels is another one of Gerard’s deathtraps, but he learned long ago that he’d be willing to follow Scott McCall and his pack literally anywhere, even if it also meant for him to be willing to lose his own life. He turns, for a moment, from staring at the road to gaze at the youngest Stilinski in the copilot seat, and any tranquility he had acquired after seeing his pack again fades as anxiety fills his tensed muscles. He can smell it, too, (Y/N) reeks of it as she realizes Derek’s staring, eyes tearing her apart as they’ve done many times before, and yet, it’s different.

He hadn’t been away this long before. (Y/N) hates feeling like she’s talking to a stranger. They’ve been through too much together for it to be like this.

“Are we gonna talk about this?” he presses, almost winces because yes, he’s never been smooth, but this is a whole new level of awkwardness. On the corner of his eye he catches (Y/N) shifting uncomfortably, a tic somebody who wasn’t looking for it wouldn’t have been able to find. It kind of bothers him to know that she was hoping he wouldn’t notice.

“I’d really rather not,” the familiar Stilinski form of humor, her favorite way of self-defense, rolls off her tongue effortlessly, and okay, at least that hasn’t changed. “But thanks for asking, though. God knows what would’ve happened if you hadn’t.”

“(Y/N),” a downside of one of his favorite traits of her, and he can’t help but grow annoyed by how quickly it turned against him. He makes a face, and (Y/N) sees him, it would be the only sane explanation to why she shrunk further into the car seat. The guilt takes less than a second to settle into his chest, and his voice softens after a few moments of difficult silence. “When?”

“When or who?” she bites back. Of course, she knows exactly what he’s thinking. They’re bonded, for Christ sake, or at least they were before he left. Despite his wolf heritage, he knows little of bonded soulmates, and now he wishes he’d listened closely to his mother whenever she tried to explain. The thing is, after Page, he’d doubted he’d find anyone else, let alone someone he would want to spend the rest of his life with.

Imagine his surprise when little (Y/N) Stilinski came into his life, as sudden as a recently bitten Scott and an overly curious Stiles. Except she wasn’t little at all, even when still human, she thrived in the supernatural world and managed to keep herself alive all by herself, until the bite was necessary for her not to die and Derek had gladly taken the honor of marking her, back when he was still an Alpha.

Months passed and his title of leader of the pack disappeared, but his bond and attraction towards the youngest Stilinski didn’t, and it was only a matter of time before he surrendered to his want, bringing her into a rough kiss one late night in his loft after she was kidnapped by Jennifer. The sheer relief and need of the embrace led him to confess his feelings right there and then, and the day after that and then the day after that, cause Jennifer’s harsh, manipulative and biting words, as only she could be, had blinded (Y/N) to believe there was no way someone like Derek would want her, let alone as a mate.

Oh, and had Derek had so much fun proving her wrong…

Those days seem lifetimes away now, as the darkness of the night in Beacon Hills is being shadowed by the feeling of despair and hate Gerard and the Anuk-Ite have brought into town.

“If you want to talk about that, then yes,” he insists, hands tightening around the steering wheel. The streets are completely empty, yet he stops at a red light because it means he can give her his full attention, and he’s always loved the way (Y/N) reacts under his spotlight. “You used to tell me everything, (Y/N), what could have possibly changed since-”

“Since you left? Enough has,” her eyes flash a bright blue, something Derek can’t help but stare, half amazed half terrified, at. It’s a look, definitely, but the memory of her he’d left Beacon Hills with had been a beta, golden eyed and with a light he hasn’t caught sight of yet ever since he came back.

He’d arrived mid battle, and it had taken the younger Hale more than he’d liked to admit that the blue-eyed werewolf that had been effortlessly slipping throats was the same (Y/N) Stilinski he’d left behind.

“What, cat got your tongue, Bad Wolf?” she sneers out the nickname, opposed to the usual fondness she spoke it with, and Derek looks away, ashamed that he has nothing to say. The light is still red, and time couldn’t be passing by any slower. “What does it matter to you, anyways? What is so important that you need to know what changed the color of my eyes?”

“You are,” he says simply, oh, and (Y/N) hates him for that. Hates him because he’s not good with words, they’re both well aware of that, but sometimes he has these brief times of clarity in which he says things like these, and it takes all energy inside (Y/N) not to kiss him senseless. If Derek notices the change in her heart rate, he does not show or mention it. “You always have been, (Y/N)-”

“You can’t disappear for over a year and come back, say things like that and want me to just crawl back to you,” (Y/N) spits out, but the way she struggles to get out her words makes Derek believe she’s lying her ass off. Even when fighting, there’s something that links her to him, and invisible force that’s been pushing her to him, ever since he arrived. She looks desperate, eyes faded back to the familiar brown, and even in this mess, Derek has never loved her more. “And I’m not expecting you to,” he insists, even though he’d like nothing more than to embrace her tightly, just like he did when he first kissed her, and shelter himself from all the dangers in Beacon Hills. It doesn’t matter. He’d rather get his point across even if it meant not having her for him again. “But I know what that color in your eyes does to you.”

She tenses, looks away and stupidly hopes that now that the light is back in green, they’ll move on and she won’t have to have this conversation. She already went through all of this with Scott. It was his house (Y/N) had crashed into after it happened, in the middle of the night, babbling about a hunter who’d managed to intercept her in the woods, and how she had no other option but to defend herself. She rambled about how she’d realized too late, he was a father, to someone at their school (someone (Y/N) had considered a friend until now, too afraid to cross their path ever again since that night), and two other little kids, had a wife, a family. The blood, there was blood everywhere, his blood, and (Y/N) had caught her glowing golden eyes in the reflection of her phone, shifting to a cool, bright blue, it slipping from shaking hands when she’d realized that she could never go back to what she used to be. She was a killer, a monster-

“Hey,” Derek calls, soft and concerned about the fact that it seems that she hasn’t been listening to a word he’s been saying, which only proves his point further. (Y/N) seems in some sort of trance, staring at the nothingness of the road in front of them as her hands wrung with each other, a nervous tic he recognizes well enough. Derek can’t help but reach to hold one of them in both of his. “(Y/N).”

She snaps out of it, albeit slowly, first her mind returning to where she is, in a car, with Derek, far away from the night in question, and long moments later she’s removing her hand quickly from his grip, unable to look at him in the eye. “You should drive,” she mumbles, for the first time since she engaged this conversation with Derek remembering that there’s an outside world they belong and should be helping. (Y/N) looks around, searching for hunters hidden in the shadows, ready to attack the two distracted werewolves. “I don’t want to die because you were having a mental breakdown in the middle of the street.” “Look who’s talking,” he scoffs, not even pretending that he wants to follow her orders. He shifts his torso completely and abandons the task of meeting Scott at the school completely, earning an immature huff from the teenager besides him. “Please, let’s just- talk this out. What killing someone does to you? An innocent person? It changes you, (Y/N). I know that all too well.”

He reaches for her hands again and this time she falls into his embrace, enough for him to notice but not quite for him to assume he’s forgiven. (Y/N )thinks about the nightmares and the visions, shivers, and decides he’s right, even if she’s not willing to admit it to him.

“And if you don’t know how to manage it,” he continues, somewhat frantically, the mere idea of (Y/N) losing herself to her own mind being too much for him to handle. Derek remembers as clear as crystal what killing Page felt like, that night tattooed into his memory despite how much he’d begged his mother to take it away, and he would never even dare to wish someone else that heavy feeling of guilt on their chest. Let alone someone he loves, probably too much. “It- it destroys you completely. And I don’t want that for you. I can’t let you-”

He hesitates, frustrated, but (Y/N)’s looking at him with those wide eyes that he loves, and he wants to spill everything he’s got to say there and then. Can’t let you lose yourself like this, I’m sorry I left, I love you, I’ve always loved you, I’m sorry, I-

“It was a hunter,” she finally admits, when Derek doesn’t continue. He feels her trying to pull away, but he tightens his grip, and something softens in her features when he does. Derek’s not sure if he should count that as progress. “He caught me in the woods after a late study night with Lydia, tried to hit me with wolfsbane bullets. I slit his throat.”

Derek doesn’t flinch at the harsh wording, but (Y/N)’s voice does crack, and he hates himself, he so does and wishes he could turn back time so he could be there, even if she hadn’t run to him when in danger, he at least would’ve found out the right way and not mid battle when she turned to him with that blue stare that could freeze hell over if she wanted it.

“I didn’t know what to do,” she continues, sounds half as panicked as she actually was that night, crying and shaking and covered in blood. “I’d never, y’know, obviously, so I ran, and it took me too long to realize where I was going. It was until I got to the loft that I remembered there was no one there.”

He can hear her heart beat wildly against her chest, so he’s completely sure she hears his when it does a flip on his chest at the revelation.

“I ended up going to Scott’s, but I-” she bites her lip, suddenly looks exhausted as she leans into the car seat and looks up at him, movements sluggish. “I was so out of it, and so, so terrified of what would happen next. And when he held me, he told me it would be okay I just kept thinking- I wished it had been you. Even after you left, everything ended up being about you somehow.”

It’s what he’s been waiting for to make his move, he realizes, as he lets go of her hand and leans into her, seatbelt and all, takes her face into his hands and kisses her, almost as passionately as he did two years ago for the very first time, with more longing and want that he ever imagined someone would be able to keep inside their body.

(Y/N) kisses him back, equally as desperate, hands fleeting all over his body, as if she didn’t know what she wanted to rememorize first. His broad shoulders, his neck, his cheeks, his chest, all clothed and unclothed skin burning at her touch, his body eagerly responding to the hands of his soulmate. It’s amazing how well they fit against each other, even after all this time and here, now, in the oddest of places when their lives are so, very much in danger.

Somehow, he feels like it’s the first time he can breathe freely in months. “I’m here now,” he breathes when they part, hot words near enough to her lips for (Y/N) to shiver against him, for a whole new different reason rather than a few moments ago. She opens her eyes to look up at him, even if she ends up cross eyed, Derek knows her attention needs to be completely on him as he says this. They both need a resolution, and Derek really hopes that giving it to her doesn’t mean the end of their relationship. “It might not be enough right now, or ever, but I am. If you want me to stay, I will. If you want to run away to college then I’ll be right behind you. I’m never leaving you again. I don’t think I would be able to live with myself if I did.”

One of (Y/N)’s hands rests above Derek’s chest, and there’s nothing but complete sureness beneath it, the rhythmic beating of her heart assuring her towards complete tranquility. He’s never been one of public displays of affections, specially if it meant having one of their too many enemies realize how important she is to him. Nevertheless, his heart has never once lied to her. Its beats are as familiar to her as her brother’s sarcasm or her father’s embrace, her mother’s face moments before she passed, all things that she has committed to memory.

No one, not her father finding out about the supernatural, not Stiles being kidnapped by the Wild Hunt, not even Theo Raeken, who came crashing into her life more than once, the last time with the wish of earning his redemption and planting more than one sinful kiss against her mouth in hopes of making her forget about the Wolf (Y/N) just couldn’t seem to forget, were able to make her forget him. And after getting her heart broken by Derek Hale, it had been all she had wanted for so, so long.

And right now, she thinks, with the promise of him being hers, even after everything, and despite what supernatural threat might come to them, (Y/N)’s sure that he has never loved him more.

So, she kisses him again.

so. hi.

yes, i know i haven’t written anything that i promised since, like, june or july of last year. i also know i gave you the summary of this story MONTHS AGO but i hated what i had written (which was something almost as long as this) and forced myself to restart and give u my best aka something im kinda okay with.

and this is it! IM SO SORRY i have been gone for so long, and whatever i write and post next won’t be much for a while, school’s keeping me busy and rehearsals for the school’s musical are, well, not exactly a drag, but they do take a lot of my time.

in the meantime, i hope you enjoy this material and don’t be afraid to request for more! i can’t say i’ll have it ready soon but i can say it’ll be my best.

thank u so, so much to those who have stuck around, even after my worst case of writer’s block, yet, and i hope for your opinion on this!

much, much love,

- e.

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alexiela73 · 6 years

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Ok, I am so happy your open. If you feel inspired could you please write a continuation of mccree's story from your soul mate au genji/mute reader? I really want to hear the story behind his tattoo of "You damn asshole!" maybe he meets them after recall? when on the run? or even in blackwatch. :) Anything would be great, just trying to include some inspiring prompts :P

xD I honestly didn’t realize i’d left that one open as a side story but I’m kind of glad I did. I’d be happy to

Grumbling in irritation, Jesse kicked the rocks at his feet as he headed into Numbani, needing to get away from base for a bit. Right now the cowboy was tired and frustrated. Why couldn’t everyone just relax?

Things have just seemed a real mess around base really, with the arguing between Commander Morrison and Commander Reyes. They’re constant arguments and disagreements were starting to cause small rifts in the system that both Overwatch and Blackwatch had carefully crafted.

A system that had helped the two organizations, which were basically two sides of the same coin, work together as it should.

When it came down to business, people were afraid to speak to either of them. Morrison’s second in command, Ana Amari, has been taking as much weight off of Commander Morrison’s shoulders as possiblebut as a mother bearing many responsibilities in Overwatch, she could only handle so much.

Jesse had just gotten back from a mission with Reyes, who was in a downright pissy mood. It had been a bust, and Jesse already knew what that meant for Reyes. Another excuse for Jack to fight with him.

It didn’t help that as McCree had gotten out of the helicopter, Commander Morrison had called Reyes to his office for a debriefing, using the coldest voice he’d ever heard. Reyes had snarled at Jesse to finish the last of the paperwork and stormed off.

Now Jesse was left to go out to get a beer by himself, after finishing up the paperwork and growling to himself under his breath. Of course, he would have invited Genji but Genji had been quite busy as of late with his soulmate, who he miraculously found a few months ago.

Heading into the nearest bar, McCree glanced down at his arm where in fine italic letters it read, ‘You damn asshole!’. It even had the exclamation mark. Whatever it meant, Jesse figured that his first time meeting his soul mate would likely be a disaster of some sort. Figures, he thought to himself with a grunt.

Sitting down heavily at a stool at the counter, Jesse’s fingers brushed over the letters. Despite the impending trouble they implied, Jesse…hoped he’d find them soon. A soulmate meant the two were made for each other. They’re souls fit in a way that others didn’t, and it was a lifetime bond.

It meant a future full of love, and Jesse…wanted that. Despite his countless conquests, those were just men and women that Jesse had been attracted to. People who hadn’t found their soulmates and were up for a little naughty fun to pass the time. Jesse wondered what it’d be like to have more then that…

“Shut up, you little chicken shit,” he muttered to himself, and rubbed a hand down his face. “Its an obligation you don’t need, and besides…who the hell would be happy with you as a soulmate?” It was a thought he’d had since he was young, before he’d even been roped into Deadlocke.

What if he wasn’t a good soulmate? What if they realized he was too much trouble, that they couldn’t handle him? There were rare instances of soulmates growing to hate each other, and when that happened, sometimes the bond would become tainted with a loneliness that ate people from the insides out, until driven mad.

Shaking his head fiercely, Jesse took a deep breath. He needed to get his heard in the game, god damn it…. the place was full of pretty men and women and he needed to get his game on.

Spying the back of one person in particular passing by, he barely caught a glimpse of their face. And yet….

Turning halfway as they passed, McCree smirked and gave them a very firm, albeit sensual slap on the butt. Damn, he had a second or so to process, that ass if fine. Jesse was just turning around fully, opening his mouth to finish off the first move with a good pick up line when...

Bam. Something solid hit his groin and there was an intense jolt of pain as Jesse gasped, sliding from the stool to his knees on the floor. Whatever it was, it had hit hard and his poor jewels suffered heavily, as much as the rest did.

“Holy cheese and crackers!” he gasped, his hands both holding his groin, partly in reaction to the pain and mostly in case another attack ensued.

“You damn asshole!!!” snarled what might have been the loveliest voice he’d ever heard in his life, and managed to glance up to see you standing there, looking outraged as you rubbed your hand. “How dare you touch me without my- wait, what did you say?”

Jesse struggled for a moment, as his mind was torn between the pain between his thighs, the yelling and how gorgeous your eyes were when lit with rage. It sounded terrible, but he was positive you were the most exquisite creature he’d ever had the honor of seeing. Even if you did just punch his groin.

“I....you..,” It was taking Jesse a lot longer then you to actually relay what just occurred through his mind and see what you were seeing. “I...um...cheese and...crackers..” The words had spilled out on impulse, though for once it hadn’t been curses he’d let loose.

There was a moment of silence as you glared down at him, where Jesse remained on his knees debating on why, suddenly, the fact that you’d just punched him was so incredibly hot.

“Damn it,” you muttered after a moment, brushing a hand through your hair. “Fuck. Serves me write for having a pervert for...”

Blinking slowly, it finally occurred.

“You said...oh shit,” Jesse said, looking down at the words on his arm and then back at you. Glancing at both your arms, he saw the words wrapped finely around your wrist. “We’re...”

‘Holy cheese and crackers’....he couldn’t believe that destiny had forced that to be his first words to you. It’s like life was laughing at him.

“Yes. Yes we are,” you said tightly, crossing your arms and narrowing your eyes at him. “And let me tell you, your first impression is literally crap. How dare you, you filthy slime ball. What gives you the right to-”

“I’m sorry,” Jesse cut in, heat starting to climb into his cheeks a bit as he got to his feet. He’d been trying to find a one night stand to make himself feel better, to take his mind off his own self pity and the problems and loneliness plaguing him...and in turn, he’d really messed up his first encounter with you.

Putting your hands on your hips, it was clear you didn’t forgive him. “You should be ashamed of yourself. Do you think that-” you cut yourself off as his eyes dropped down to the floor.

The man before you....he had pretty brown eyes with flecks of gold. He was handsome, you’d give him that. But he also looked incredibly tired and... defeated. At the sight, a wave of sympathy rose through you...and you struggled to squelch it down. The bastard had... oh, damn that sad face.

As much as you wanted to scold him and skin him alive, you also really just wanted to give him a hug. This wasn’t what you were expecting today by coming to the bar. Like most people, you really didn’t expect to meet your soulmate at all....you had just wanted a drink while working on your university papers.

But now that you’d found him, despite his...mistake...you supposed that you could at least give him a chance to redeem himself. Surely there was something about him that the world had seen was right for you.

“....Don’t ever touch someone’s butt, or any other part of them, without permission ever again,” you said seriously, though your voice had softened a bit.

Glancing up at you, Jesse hesitated, before giving you one of those heart breaking smiles. You could see that you’d won yourself one of those men who often broke hearts and left swooning women in their wakes.

“I really am sorry about that, darlin’. I know it isn’t right, but....” Jesse didn’t have a good excuse.

“You thought I was a prostitute,” you said calmly, and his face was all the confirmation you needed. “Don’t get upset. A lot of people come to a bar to either drink or sleep around. I get it. From your face, you look like you’re hiding from some issues,” you continued.

Jesse was left speechless, slowly sitting back on his barstool and honestly, neither of you noticed really as you joined him there at the counter. It was just so natural, so easy to sit there and speak. And even while angry at him, a certain part of you knew him....knew he was a good man. Even if you didn’t really know him.

“I kind of am, ya...,” Jesse admitted and then sighed. “Look...I already fucked up my first five seconds with you. I don’t expect you’ll want to be around me much, if at all. I can leave you alone, if that's what you want. I come with problems, and I wont let them weigh on you too.”

And perhaps it was hearing that that finally gave you your first real impression of the man, other then that he was touchy with his hands. He was the kind of man who kept his problems to himself to save other people from suffering with him. And that's all you needed to hear to make your decision.

“I’m Y/n L/n,” you said after a moment, holding out your hand to him.

There was a moment of Jesse looking between you and your hand. “I...I’m Jesse McCree,” he said after a moment, shaking your hand. “Pleasure to meet you, buttercup.”

Unable to help the small smile that rose to your lips when he called you buttercup, you ordered two whiskeys. “To second impressions,” you said, lifting your glass for a toast.

“To soulmates,” he said, his eyes boring into yours and he clinked his glass against yours.

And that was the beginning of a very interesting relationship.

#McCree #Jesse McCree #McCree x Reader #McCree Overwatch #McCree Headcanon #McCree Soulmate Au #Soulmate Au #Overwatch #Overwatch x Reader #Overwatch Imagines #Overwatch Stories #Overwatch Writing #Overwatch Fanfic #Overwatch Soulmate au

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themomentofdavyprentiss · 7 years

Text

Not Your Average Zutara Fic Rec

So I’ve gone through a LOT of Zutara fanfiction, probably too much if I’m being honest, and finding good fics can be really hard. When looking up fic rec lists I’ve noticed that a lot of the lists are just the same select fanfictions recommended over and over (We get it, everyone and their mother loves ‘His Majesty Prefers Blue’ and ‘Stormbenders’ [I never finished HMPB, sue me]).

So this list is for all of you who are in my shoes and can’t seem to find anything besides the same ten or fifteen stories recommended and are desperate for something new. Everything listed is complete! (If I listed the incompletes/abandoned stories I’d have a lot more chaptered stories listed… RIP ‘The Confrontational Approach’…)

I have a lot of bookmarked stories that I have yet to read and am in the middle of (Almost caught up on @firelordandlady ‘s ‘Say Anything’!), so I’ll try to update this when I finish something I think deserves a recommendation.

Chaptered

In the Same Candlelight by Like a Dove

In a world where there is no war, Zuko and Katara spend their summers together. Growing up is messy, embarrassing, and at times sad, but they think it might be okay because they have each other. Edited summary.

I know. I KNOW. I LITERALLY JUST SAID I WASN’T GOING TO RECOMMEND FANFICS THAT ARE ON EVERYONE’S LIST. But I NEED to mention this one. I spent so long not interested in this fic. I don’t like drastic AU’s, or modern AU’s. My taste is strictly canon divergence, so I didn’t think I would like this. I WAS SO WRONG. Trust me, if you are like me and don’t like big AU’s, read this anyway. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Characterization is still so spot on, even with such a different take. Aang is precious. There is nothing but fluff, fluff, and fluff. It will melt you. You will probably die and your spirit will rise up smiling and beaming out rainbows and sunshine. That’s what happened to me.

Lilacs and Lily Pads by sadladybug

A tale of clumsy courtship and calamitous court weddings, featuring awkward family encounters, floral mishaps, cultural complications, and good old fashioned fluff and conflict. Takes place in the five years following war’s end. For Zutara Week 2016. A prequel to Bones.

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow is a very commonly recommended Zutara fic (And for good reason, I shed many tears reading it). But this two-shot (A companion to Bones, a smut one shot) by the same author is really underrated and beautifully written. It follows Zuko and Katara as they try to plan their wedding, as well as shows two scenes from before they got engaged that solidified the relationship to be one they knew would last. Just really well done overall and very very sweet.

EDIT: I talked with the author and apparently it isn’t finished?? But they are apparently working on the next chapters so yay!! And each chapter is independent so it doesn’t feel unfinished.

The Slow Path by Tazainian Devil

Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind - Taang, Zutara, Sukka

This is technically a Taang fic, and if I’m being honest I kind of just skimmed through the non-zutara chapters, but the Zutara storyline was good enough that I think it’s definitely worth the read. And the overall plot has a great premise. Be warned, it has a sequel that was never finished.

Another Word For Alchemy by FanPanda13

Five years have passed since the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, and the members of the Gaang have all gone in their own direction. But when Aang invites them all to a Peace Summit at the North Pole and tells them of his new project, for which he will need their support, the group comes together again for adventure, fun and romance. AU. Zutara. COMPLETE.

So this fic is crazy for me. At first, it started as just really good natured fluff. The writing wasn’t anything fantastic (Although I loved how it broke the 4th wall and didn’t take itself seriously), and there were some definite OOC moments. But I had so much FUN with it. The plot (while definitely not the focus as everyone is more concerned about when Zuko and Katara will get together) was interesting, and there were some really sweet moments. It was also HILARIOUS and I had multiple moments where I genuinely laughed out loud. But then about five chapters before the end, the quality SKY ROCKETED. As the plot and mystery come together, the characters all come together in a moment that truly feels like it came from the show. Even the writing quality increases by a lot and I was genuinely shocked and impressed. Definitely recommend.

Kyoshi Hold ‘Em by cupid-painted-blind

When a blizzard shuts down the fourth annual Peace Summit, the group has to find some way to pass the time. /Zutara, Taang, Jet/Mai, Jet/Everyone, Sukka

If you’re looking for a good crack fic, look no further. It’s post war and utter nonsense. Jet is alive for some reason??? No one questions it and he’s shipped with pretty much everyone. It’s funny, it’s decently written, there are drinking and sexy time shenanigans, and overall just lighthearted. Also, it does a great job of being a crack fic without crossing the line and becoming unfunny and just a trash fic. A lot struggle to find the balance and resort to going over the top and ridiculous, but this one does a really good job.

Come With Me by Steamboat Ghost

Coauthored by fuzzytomato. Troubled over his newly restored honor, Zuko finds solace in the familiar guise of the Blue Spirit. In a chance meeting with the Painted Lady, a friendship is forged as the two heroes seek to help the Fire Nation’s neglected.

I’ll admit it: I’ve never gotten into Blutara fanfictions. I only read the first couple chapters of HMPB and dropped it after the tree scene. I don’t know, it felt really OOC for me and I may go back and read it again just because EVERYONE raves about it, but IDK. I’ve never been a huge Blutara fan because while I love the concept, I’d much rather see the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit come together as equals. Most fics present Zuko behind his mask to Katara, and it feels imbalanced. There aren’t a lot of stories where we see their alter persona’s come together even though that’s the entire point of the parallel between the two. Insert this fic. I only wish there was a sequel dealing with Zuko in the Gaang after these events. Hey, a girl can dream.

A Zutara Story Anastasia by LastSunset

Katara, the only suviving waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, joins two con men, Zuko and Iroh, while a fearful admiral chases for her death. A Zutara Story. Based on the movie Anastasia.

So this isn’t so much a retelling of Anastasia but with Katara and Zuko as it is a fanfic version of the movie but with the characters names and world changed. It takes a lot of lines from the movie. But WHO CARES? It’s Anastasia and Zutara!!! What more do you need???

Oneshot

this burden you bear by cowlicklesschick

Word travels, and war stories will be told round campfires and on freighter ships until every person in the world knows what Master Katara did for the new Fire Lord. She fights the burning in her throat at the thought of people knowing why she had to heal him in the first place. Post-war Zutara.

This is an angst-with-a-happy-ending, which I say is the absolute BEST type of angst. Katara deals with the guilt of what Zuko did for her as the Fire Nation celebrates what she did to save his life during the Agni Kai. The two come together beautifully while struggling to see the feelings they both share. Really well written and like I said, it has a happy ending, which we all need.

The Best of Me by Laririn-Shadow

The night before his eighteenth birthday Zuko wraps a bandage around his left wrist. He has a country to run and no time for frivolous things. It will make everything easier if he waits. Zutara Soulmates AU

Soulmate AU’s usually aren’t my thing (With the glaring exception of one Until Dawn Soulmate AU, but that’s besides the point), but I really enjoyed this oneshot. It isn’t sweeping or insanely romantic and the reveal isn’t “OMG I’VE LOVED YOU THIS WHOLE TIME” But it’s a subtle love that grows, which I really like.

my salvation, he’s not anything by sarsaparillia

Let’s run away and start another war. — Zuko/Katara.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ What can I say? I love the ‘Let’s run away together, consequences be damned’ trope. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Time is Ripe by Casa Circe

ZUTARA WEEK 2012 Day Seven: Seasons. There are many stages that a heart goes through before it can finally be ready for the love it was meant to have. The road is often a rocky one but eventually, it leads you home.

A oneshot for the Zutara Week 2012 prompt ‘Seasons’. Not too much to say about it. Short, sweet, and well written. What more do you need?

Serendipity by Boriqua-chan

Iroh goes hunting for tea leaves and finds something…interesting. /Zutara week, day 1/

Secret relationships! Fluff! Happiness! And all from Uncle Iroh’s perspective!! Everything I love in one great oneshot!

Too Close for Comfort also by Casa Circe

ZUTARA WEEK 2010 Day Three: Pain. After watching “The Ember Island Players”, no one is in the mood for teasing. But a little slip of the tongue leads to the painful realization that the play was more accurate than they were willing to admit.

There are two Zutara plots/tropes that I am a complete and utter SLUT for. The first is the ‘Let’s talk about that EIP show’ trope. This is one of my favorites.

The Color of Truth is Red by Mrs. Pettyfer

Written for Zutara Week prompt “awkward.” Zuko and Katara discuss the Ember Island Players.

Another post EIP oneshot

Enlightenment by Blade Quill

Choices are made on the day of Zuko’s coronation, and sometimes, enlightenment is just the simple truth at hand. Zutara. AU of the final moments of the Book 3 Finale

The OTHER plot/trope I’m a slut for is finale rewrites. LET ME SEE THEM COME TOGETHER AFTER HE TAKES LIGHTNING FOR HER. Ugh, I love it.

Framework by profoundlycan

What if in “Sozin’s Comet” Katara had come into the room instead of Mai? Zuko/Katara. Prequel to Schema.

Another finale rewrite! Let’s just get Mai out of the picture here…

Lightning Shocks the Heart by drunkzutarafeels

Why do our hearts remain dormant until a climactic moment makes time stand still?

And here’s yet another finale rewrite. There is a really popular Zutara gifset that someone animated of the Agni Kai ‘Thank you’ scene, but Katara kisses Zuko after she hugs him. This is the fanfiction equivalent of that gif set.

Sunrise by lewilder

The days go on and on, and even if she feels more comfort from the moon, Katara learns to cherish the promise of each new sunrise. Zutara AU, largely finale-centric. Oneshot.

LAST FINALE AU I PROMISE. Really sweet, starts right after The Southern Raiders and goes past canon.

all the ghosts we cannot kill (we learn to love) by raisindeatre

Zuko and Katara; the moments we didn’t see. Or: Maybe we are all somebody’s ghost. And maybe sometimes we can be more than that.

“…My quarrel has only ever been with you, Zuko,” she says, his name sharp on her tongue. “This has only ever been about me and you.”

“You’re wrong,” he rasps, his voice rough in the late afternoon sunlight that falls around them, tangles them in golden nets. “This has only ever been about me and the Avatar. Not you and me. What we hold between us has nothing to do with it.”

This is a really beautiful one-shot that follows a battered, war torn and hardened Zuko and Katara through the scenes we DIDN’T see throughout the entire show. A Zutara must-read.

Drabble Collection/Series

And Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Advocaat

A collection of humorous and crack-tastic oneshots corresponding to the days of Zutara Month

Really great Zutara Month themed drabbles, and it contains the only body swapping plot that I’ve read and really enjoyed. Also the chapters ‘Potential’ and ‘Festival’ are some of my all time favorites.

Zuko Was No Coward by hootowl

Zuko was many things, but a coward he was not. A collection of Zutara100 prompts. Title may change.

Definitely some heartbreakers and angsty drabbles in here, but all well written and thoroughly enjoyable. If you read ANYTHING from this list, read chapter two of this drabble collection. I MELTED when I read it. It’s perfection. Aunt Wu’s prediction has always been a plotline I’ve loved in Zutara fanfiction, and this one just does it PERFECTLY.

Zutara Week 2012 by ichilover3

A collection of oneshots inspired by the prompts for Zutara Week

Not much more to say. The first, third, and fourth prompts are my favorite from this series.

Zutara Week 2015 by bianca_anna

It started at a tea shop and ended with forever. My entries for Zutara Week 2015. I hope you enjoy them.

Oh my GOODNESS. So they’re Zutara Week prompts, but all set in the same universe. The Zutara!Family depicted in these drabbles has become my headcanon. I’ve seen many a Zutara family, but this one is by far my FAVORITE. This is now my official family for them. I want the very last chapter fully animated because it’s so good and epic and I want more of this families adventures.

#zutara #zutara fanfiction #zutara fanfic #zutara fanfic rec #zutara fanfiction recommendations #fanfiction masterpost #100 #200 #300 #400 #500 #600 #700 #800 #900 #1k #susannah recs things

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ronaldmrashid · 7 years

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To Get Luckier, Realize Success Is Mostly Luck

I live by the mantra, “Never fail due to a lack of effort because hard work requires no skill.” It’s a reminder to STOP making excuses when something seems too daunting to tackle. There’ve been too many instances when I didn’t start something because I felt I lacked the skills necessary to succeed. I’ve regretted each non-action.

For example, I postponed starting Financial Samurai until 2009, three years after first contemplating the idea, because I didn’t know whether or not I could write anything insightful. I also didn’t know how to start a website, despite the easy availability of free instruction. The delay cost me over a million bucks.

For those of you who want more luck, I strongly believe the more you attribute any success you have to luck and mean it, the more luck will come your way. Why? Because you won’t take your luck for granted. Gratitude is what will keep propelling you forward. Let me explain by strolling down luck lane.

First, A Reminder About Luck

Here’s the latest reminder to keep the ego in check from a comment left in the post, The Downside Of Financial Independence. I ended the post with the importance of working hard to not dishonor the generations before us who laid the foundation.

On generational wealth, I think people, and successful people especially attribute much of their success to hard work. The fact is, random chance plays much more of a part than we would like to admit. If our grandfather worked 18 hours per day to earn his fortune, there are likely 10 other grandfathers who worked the same 18 hours per day but never became wealthy.

I am moderately successful and sure I work hard. But so do most people. I am successful because early in my career, a hiring manager decided to take a chance on a smart ass kid. Had that not happened, my trajectory would be completely different (for better or worse).

In other words, all our ancestors emigrated at some point. All had to work hard to get ahead. Some got farther than others. Therefore, my great grandparents were simply luckier than others to establish homes and raise families in Taiwan and Hawaii, respectively.

The instant you start telling yourself that most of your success is due to hard work is the instant you start losing your lucky momentum. It’s important to recognize some of your life’s luckiest moments in order to rid yourself of attributing success to hard work. Only with humility will you be able to generate more luck in the future.

Three Lucky Breaks

1) Meeting my wife in college. Life is easier with a life partner. But some folks don’t find their soulmate until later in life. Some never find someone. I was extremely lucky to meet my wife when I was a senior in college. It was unexpected because I was 100% focused on getting a job. She wasn’t on my radar junior year because was was still in high school then.

As my focus was to free up time for job interviews, I took fluffier courses like Advanced Golf and Japanese 101. Hooray for a Liberal Arts education that taught me how to build relationships over four hours on a golf course with important people! Even better was Japanese 101 because that’s where I met my wife.

My original purpose for learning Japanese was to become proficient enough to charm female tourists while back home in Hawaii. I also thought I’d be able to get an easy A just chilling in the back row. Instead, Japanese 101 was the first course I ever got a D on a test! It was a beautiful D, however, because my future wife offered to help me with my studies.

Meeting my wife at William & Mary was 100% luck! She could have very easily decided to attend UVA in Charlottesville where her mom worked. Luckily for me, she chose William & Mary instead because she wanted a more intimate classroom setting. UVA’s 20,000+ student population at the time was 5X larger than William & Mary’s. Further, we couldn’t have met at UVA because I was only wait-listed. So in a very large way, I owe William & Mary a massive debt of gratitude for taking a chance on me.

My future wife was the one who called me at 5:30am to make sure I’d get to my 8am interview on time back in 1998. She was the one who consoled me after each job rejection. When I moved to San Francisco in June 2001, she decided to graduate six months early to join me that December since I hardly knew anyone. In late 2014, she negotiated her own severance package to keep me company during early retirement. Now she’s the COO and CFO of our little lifestyle business.

Having a best friend to experience the majority of your life with is truly lucky.

2) Getting a job offer from a major investment bank in 1999. I began interviewing with Goldman starting in 1998 at a finance career job fair in Washington DC. It was a pretty cutthroat environment with a lot of go-getters from some pretty good schools like Georgetown and Duke. One female recruiter from Merrill Lynch even looked down on me for wearing a teddy bear tie holding a balloon that my girlfriend gave me. Thanks a lot you cold-hearted wench!

Seven round trips from school to NYC, 55 interviews, and two weeks after graduating from the College of William & Mary in May 1999 later, I finally got an email offering me a job. It was so very exciting.

It would be easy to attribute my getting a job at a major investment bank to my interviewing skills and perseverance. But the fact is, if I had interviewed better, I might have gotten the job offer much quicker! When I spoke with my incoming colleagues, I learned that the average number of interviews they’d had was about 15. In other words, having undergone 3.5X more interviews, clearly I was lucky to get through the gauntlet.

Further, no one else from William & Mary got a job offer from GS that year. Nor did anybody get a job offer from GS the year prior. The only reason I was given the opportunity to interview was due to a GS recruiter named Kim Purkiss who selected my resume at the career fair. She fought for me during the recruiting process, and I owe so much to her.

If I didn’t get a job at GS, I wouldn’t have bought VCSY in early 2000, the multi-bagger stock that grew from $3,000 – $150,000 in six short months. Without VCSY, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable buying a $580,500, 2/2 condo in Pacific Heights a couple years later that has now doubled in value and commands $4,200/month in rent with no mortgage.

Without working in finance for the past 13 years, I wouldn’t be able to write about investing, real estate, and retirement with ease. And without Financial Samurai, I’m not sure whether I would’ve left my job in 2012 because I wouldn’t have known what to do with all the free time.

3) Financial Samurai to 1 million organic pageviews a month. Starting a website is easy. Growing a website is the fun and hard part. I do believe most people who publish 2 – 4X a week without fail for three years will be able to generate a livable income stream online e.g. $2,000 – $5,000/month. However, only a lucky few can get to 1 million organic pageviews a month without any advertising, a forum, or public self-promotion.

My lucky break came in 2010 when The LA Times money columnist, Kathy Kristof highlighted my post, Get An Umbrella Policy, Your Teenager Is Going To Bankrupt You. It was just an average post, but it was relevant to Kathy. I met up with Kathy at a conference in 2016, and she said at the time, she had a teenage son who she always worried about. Therefore, the post really resonated with her when she was perusing personal finance blogs to highlight. Talk about 100% luck!

Once The LA Times featured Financial Samurai, other large media organizations began following suit. The more large media organizations highlight your work, the more credibility and traffic you get. Now the badge of honor is jam packed with media mentions eight years later.

One of the more recent lucky breaks was when social media got hold of Scraping By On $500,000 A Year. That came out of nowhere because I wrote the post in 2015. Because that post was viewed several million times, it provided a shift up in traffic that I’m still experiencing months later.

Even more recently, Yahoo decided to highlight The Dark Side Of Early Retirement on its homepage. How cool is that? For website owners, this is kind of like winning the lottery. Companies literally spend tens of thousands of dollars a month with PR companies to to try to get this type of exposure. And here I was getting it for free without having to pimp myself? It’s complete luck to let featured and have my writing stand on its own! From this feature, traffic doubled for several days, bringing in new readers along the way.

So how did this lucky break occur? An editor randomly reached out and asked if she could republish the post and I told her, “Of course! Take everything and my little pony too!” Perhaps the editor reached out because she noticed the Scraping By On $500K post from the month prior since the post talked about a New York City couple and the editor currently lives in NYC as well. Who knows! But I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to annoy her.

There are many far better writers with much longer writing careers who’ve never gotten featured on the front page of Yahoo. I’m definitely not as deserving as so many other people.

Don’t Take Your Luck For Granted

I used to believe success was around 50% luck / 50% hard work. Now I believe success is closer to 80% luck / 20% hard work. We can’t control the 80%, but we can control the 20% so we might as well try. To take my luck for granted would be to dishonor the millions of other people out there who are not as lucky.

The longer you work at your craft, the luckier you’ll get. You just have to be patient, like the fisherman who sets up his station every morning without fail, hoping to reel in the catch of a lifetime.

Finally, I do believe in karma. The more we can do to help other people, the luckier we’ll get. I wish each and every one of you the best of luck. And when you get a fortuitous break, don’t forget to share!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Related: Grow Stronger By Humbling Yourself Each Year

Readers, what kind of lucky breaks have you had in your life? What are some of the things you’ve incorrectly attributed to hard work that in reality were mostly lucky?

from http://www.financialsamurai.com/to-get-more-luckier-realize-success-is-mostly-luck/

#Financial Samurai

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