I suppose im lucky in a sense ive never been the victim of homophobic anger. But I’ve seen how badly it can hurt someone. I remember having to pull them back for the ledge because the people they trusted didn’t accept them.
So to anyone who might need to hear it there is good people out there. People who will accept you as you are and you won’t always need to hide. It might take some searching to find them but it will be worth it. Stay strong out there.
Spark In The Smoke
Zuko/OC
Chapter One
TW: Canon typical violence
Five years later
Rei sat on the edge of the beach, watching the ocean creep up over the sand, smoothing away an imperfection, only to slide back into the depths. It returned again with a fresh sweep, a few bits of foam left behind.
She was staring at the horizon. It was bathed in the rising notes of dawn, pink and orange and hints of blue. Rei reached up and ran her fingers over the smooth metal of her necklace.
In the five years since she was left on the island she had been trained with the Kyoshi warriors, but never was formally inducted. There was some desperate part of her that was waiting for her father to come back. She knew it was impossible. The Fire Nation never released prisoners.
A breeze ruffled through her hair and she sighed, fingering her long strands. She really should have put it up today, but she couldn't bring herself to care.
Rei stood up and brushed the sand off her clothes. The walk back to her house was quiet, the birds just beginning to wake up.
She slipped in through the back door, coming face to face with Suki. She was standing in the kitchen, pouring tea. "You're up early." She noted, not even looking up from her task.
Rei sat on one of the stools and took the offered cup. "I wanted to watch the sunrise."
Suki nodded, sitting across from her. They were silent for some time, until Suki looked into Rei’s eyes. They were sparkling with tears.
“Hey, are you okay?” She put her cup down.
“Yeah.” Rei cleared her throat. “I’m fine.”
Suki wasn’t convinced, but they were interrupted by Ulaani. She looked at them, then glanced at the sun outside. “You girls have ten minutes to get to the hut.”
Suki looked at Rei, the previous conversation forgotten. They both dropped their teacups and raced out the door. Rei relished the wind in her face as they ran, momentarily distracted from the morning.
They were the last ones to get to the hut, and they hurried to get into uniform. Suki in her bulkier formal dress, and Rei in her simpler one, with less armor and a thinner skirt. The girls pulled their fans out of their shelves and stuffed them into their sashes. Suki put on her makeup quickly. Rei only had to put on the eye stuff, so she finished much quicker.
They burst into the training room and stumbled to their spots. Training was about to begin.
Flushed red under her makeup, Suki started calling moves. The girls followed, extending their fans and fighting invisible enemies. Rei lost herself in the familiar movements. The fan sliced through the air, the edges keen as any knife.
The doors to the hut banged open and the village elder cane through, panting. “There are intruders on the southern cove.”
Instantly the Kyoshi Warriors were alert and racing out the door. It was their job to make sure no one came to the island without permission. Only a few select trade ships were allowed, and even those were heavily monitored. Briefly Rei wondered how they had gotten here without them seeing the ship. She shook it off as she ran.
They managed to get close enough to see them tramping through the woods, making a lot of racket. Suki glanced at the rest of us and pointed up. We nodded, then spread out and climbed the trees. I scanned the intruders. Two of them looked like they were from the water tribe- a boy and a girl. Rei thought they looked rather familiar, but she couldn’t quite place them- and the other boy was bald, with a blue arrow on his head and orange and yellow robes.
Once we were all situated- high enough in the trees to be concealed but not so high we would fall- Suki nodded.
The Kyoshi Warriors fell upon them.
It was all over in an instant, the intruders not expecting an attack. They landed all around them, fans splayed and on their toes. Three girls attacked each intruder, tying ropes around their wrists and blindfolds over their eyes before the shock could even register on their faces. It was a quick drag through the woods to get to the edge of the village, where they were tied around the Kyoshi monument.
The Elder approached, looking solemn with his hands folded behind his back. “You have some explaining to do.”
Suki stepped up beside him. “And if you don’t answer all of our questions, we’ll throw you back in the water with the unagi.”
“Show yourselves cowards!” The Water Tribe boy shouted, struggling against his ropes. Rei glanced at Suki, who shrugged. Reaching forward, Rei ripped the blindfolds off the captives.
The Water Tribe boy looked ready to fight, but he frowned when she saw the Warriors. “What the- who are you? Where are the men who attacked us?”
“There were no men.” Suki snapped. Internally, Rei winced. Suki might need a shovel after this is over. “ We attacked you.”
The Water Tribe girl’s eyes widened, but Suki continued before she could speak. “Now tell us- who are you and what are you doing here?”
The Water Tribe boy scoffed. “Wait a second. There’s no way a bunch of girls took us down.”
“Now’s not the time, Sokka.” The girl hissed. Rei bit her lip, knowing what was coming.
Suki leaned forward and grabbed him by the front of his parka. “A bunch of girls, huh? The unagi’s going to eat well tonight.”
“No! Wait!” The girl struggled against her bonds. “Don’t hurt him! My brother can be an idiot sometimes.”
Something sparked in the back of Rei’s head. A snowball fight, two against one. Confident he could beat them because they were girls… She shook off the memory. She needed to be here, now.
The arrow headed kid spoke up. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I just wanted to ride the elephant koi. That’s all.” He looked down. “We can go if you want.”
The Elder pointed at them. “How do we know that you’re not spies?! Kyoshi Island has stayed out of the war so far. We want to keep it that way for as long as we can.”
The little boy brightened. “This island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!”
Rei exchanged a glance with Suki, who rolled her eyes. There was no way this twelve year old knew her. “I don’t believe it.” The village elder scoffed. “Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She’s been dead for centuries!”
The arrow kid looked the Elder directly in the eyes and spoke with wisdom beyond his years. “I know her because I’m the Avatar.”
The water boy mumbled something, and the spell was broken. Suki pointed at arrow kid. “That’s impossible! The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago. He hasn’t been seen since!”
Arrow kid nodded enthusiastically. “That’s me.”
“You’re insane.” The water kid whispered.
“I’m saying it as it is!” Arrow kid protested.
“Throw the imposter to the unagi!” The Elder proclaimed, gesturing to the beach.
Rei opened her fan and glanced at Suki, who nodded. They advanced.
“Aang.” The water girl hissed. “Do some airbending.”
Rei furrowed her brow. The memory kept persisting, snow flying, a squeal as she got hit, a girl getting back on her feet…
Aang leapt up in a blast of air, flipping over the top of the pole. He cut his bonds as he soared over the top of the Kyoshi statue. He landed gracefully, like he had jumped a few inches.
The Elder gasped. “It’s true. You are the Avatar.”
“Took you guys long enough.” The water boy commented as Aang untied the ropes.
Running… snow flying… faces peeking out from behind snow forts…
“You can’t blame them for not believing it.” The girl scolded. “Even you didn’t believe him when you first met him.”
“... fair.”
Aang finished untying the water girl. He stood up and pulled something out of his pocket. “Now, check this out!”
The marbles in his hand started to spin, and he grinned like a hog monkey given a banana. Rei glanced behind her and the assorted villagers and saw them cheering wildly. She even saw Lee foaming at the mouth and fainting at the trick.
Rei glanced at Suki, who shrugged.
“Come on.” Rei held out a hand and helped the water girl up. “I’ll show you where you can stay.” The crowd began to disperse, leaving Rei with the newcomers.
“Thanks.” The water girl took her hand. “Do I know you? You look familiar.”
Rei squinted at her. “...Maybe? Something keeps tickling my mind.
The water boy stood up and stretched. “Look, Katara. Let’s just follow Rei to the beds and food. I’m starving.”
Both girls froze, looking at each other, then the water boy.
“How did you know her name?” Katara asked, her eyes growing icy.
“Sokka?” Rei whispered. She could barely believe it.
“That’s Rei. She used to live in the village.” He reached down to touch his toes. “She went on the Fire Nation ship when it came, don’t you remember?”
Rei looked at Katara, who was glaring at her brother. “And you didn’t think to mention this when they were about to throw us to that giant fish eel thing?!”
He shrugged. “I figured I would be able to fight them off.”
“No.” Rei shook her head, laughing at the thought. “You wouldn’t be able to fight off nine Kyoshi Warriors if you were the Earth King yourself.”
Katara laughed, and Sokka turned bright red, spluttering. “H-hey!”
Rei looked back at Katara. “You’ve gotten taller!”
“Still not as tall as you.” Katara laughed. She was right, Rei still had about an inch on her.
Without warning, Katara lunged forward and hugged Rei. She stumbled back, a little surprised.
“We missed you.” She murmured. “After the Fire Nation ship attacked…” Katara pulled back and touched her necklace. Rei noticed it was the same one her mom had worn. Something told her not to bring it up. “The men left to go fight in the war. And mom…” She bit her lip.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Rei felt her fingers close around her own necklace. “Let’s get you back to the guest hut so we can talk.”
Spark In The Smoke
Prologue
Zuko/OC
TW: Canon typical violence, mentions of blood
A little girl ran down the beach of the South Pole, giggling. Behind her, a man with long black hair pulled neatly away from his face dramatically tried to catch her. He tripped on a snowbank and fell flat on his face.
The girl seized the opportunity to escape, darting behind another snowbank. The man sat up with a groan. He scanned the white and blue landscape, somehow missing the obvious footprints.
“Where did she go?” He mused, standing and wiping the snow from his arms. “I guess I better go back to the village and eat all of her candy…” He waited, and sure enough a girl popped out, her fists held high.
“You won’t take my candy daddy!” She proclaimed, then wrinkled her nose. “Hey, that rhymed!”
“Then come here! It’s bath day.” He advanced, and she threw her fist like she would punch him, despite being several feet away. A small puff of smoke came from her gloved hands. She frowned, looking down at them.
“What’s wrong? Am I not doing it right?” She looked back up at her father.
“Oh, no. No. You didn’t do anything wrong, little spark.” He pulled off his gloves and knelt in front of her, heedless of the snow. “Here.” He pulled off her gloves. “You just need to learn.”
Carefully, he smoothed out her hands. “Firebenders will tell you that putting your hand in a fist is the best way. But what happens when you put a candle under a bowl?”
“It goes out.” Her eyes widened in understanding.
“Same goes for bending.” He held out his hand, palm out flat. “Now try to do this. A simple, steady burn.”
She wrinkled her forehead in concentration, and slowly a small fire formed. The little girl gasped, watching the growing flame with wonder.
“Now, you need to be careful.” The man instructed. “If you make it too big, you won’t be able to control it.” He held out his own hand. “But if it’s too small…” A puff of smoke rose. “And it’ll go out.”
The little girl nodded. “I’ll be careful.”
“I know you will.” The man smiled, tweaking her nose. She giggled, and for a moment the world was perfect.
Then he saw it.
The black snow.
He froze, then started to move very quickly. He put the little girl’s gloves on, then his own. He stood and started to walk back to the village quickly through the deep snow.
“We need to get back, and quickly.” She nodded, doing her best to keep pace. “Things are going to change, okay? A lot of things.” He seemed distracted, staring at the enormous iron ships on the horizon. “But I want you to promise me you’ll do what I say.”
“Yes daddy.” She stumbled, and the man caught her. Instead of setting her back on her feet he chose to carry her on his shoulders. They got back to the village just as the men were grabbing spears and clubs.
“Heit, you’re back.” The Chief nodded, and the man nodded back. “The children are in the back tent. Do you want me to take Rei-”
“No.” Heit cut him off. “She’ll stay with me. I know why they’re here.”
The chief frowned. “You don’t think-”
“I know.” The man gently set her down. “I don’t want anyone to attack. We give them what they want.”
The girl looked up at her father. “What’s going on?”
“Something inevitable.” He reached out and grabbed her hand. “I’m going to need you to be brave, little spark.”
The little girl nodded, and something inside of her knew she would never come back to the South Pole.
The iron ships cut through the ice with little trouble, coming to a stop a few feet from the edge of the village. The front fell open and there stood a man. He was wearing red armor that cut an impressive figure. His hair was black as night and pulled up neatly behind his head.
The little girl thought he looked a little silly, but she decided to keep that to herself.
The General stopped a few feet from the man, smiling like he was on a picnic.
“Hello, Heit.”
“General.” He nodded back, his grip on the little girl tightening. “What a surprise.”
“You couldn’t hide forever.” the general looked at the little girl. “How cute.”
“She has nothing to do with this.” The man spat. “If I come back with you, will you let them go?”
“I suppose.” The general waved a hand, and two soldiers started down the walkway.
“One more thing.” The man looked the general straight in the eyes. “The girl doesn’t stay here. I want her to go to another island, only a day’s journey.”
The general considered it, glancing down at the girl and the man, then surveying the village. The men were standing with their clubs and boomerangs and spears. Frightened women clutched their children just beyond the tents, unable to move away from the frightening sight.
“Fine.” He turned on his heel and walked back into the ship. The soldiers grabbed the man roughly, and the little girl was pushed on the ship by a third. She glanced back, desperate to see her friends, to know if they were okay-
They were on the ship before she could get a glimpse. The general looked at them, a smug look on his face. “Make sure you find the waterbender.” He told a nearby soldier, and he nodded.
The man looked up, fear in his eyes. “No. No!” He strained against his captor, but he held him steady. “Hakoda! They’re coming for-”
THWACK
The man slumped to the deck, blood dripping from his temple. The girl screamed, throwing herself at him, desperately trying to reach his unconscious body. “Daddy!”
The general crouched next to the girl. “Your daddy is being punished because he broke his promise. When you’re older you’ll understand.” He walked away, and the little girl started to cry.
Hours later, the girl was locked in a metal room with the unconscious body of her father. He was chained to the wall by his wrists. She sat on the floor near his head, her knees to her chest.
She was trembling. Her arms shook and the only thing she could focus on was the sound of the general’s armored fist hitting her fathers head.
“Rei?” A soft voice asked. The little girl swiftly turned her head to look at her father, a small cry escaping her as she threw her arms around him. “Whoa, careful.” he accepted her hug, wincing a little as she jossled his head.
“I was so worried.” She murmured. “What’s happening?”
The man sighed, then moved to sit up against the wall. The girl came with him, carefully tucked into his arms.
“Before I came to the South Pole, I worked for some bad people. But when I had you-” He tweaked her nose. “-I wanted to change. So I came south. But the bad men kept hunting me. Now they’re found us, but they’re willing to let you go. So I’m taking you somewhere safe.”
“Okay.” The little girl tried to smile. “Are you coming with me?”
The man shook his head, a little smile on his face. “No, I can’t come right now. But I promise I will as soon as I can. Okay?”
The little girl nodded again. The man thought about something for a long moment, then drew a necklace out from under his shirt. It was a gold oval, with a sun emblazoned on the front. He pulled it over his head and stared at it when it pooled in his palm. Like a little pool of sunlight.
“I got this on an adventure.” The little girl's eyes widened. “It’s very lucky. I want you to keep it.”
Tears were in his eyes, but he had to be strong. For her.
Gently, he placed it around her neck. The chains around his wrists jingled and he was careful not to get them caught on her dark hair. Her tiny hand came up to clutch the pendant, and she looked at him with soft brown eyes. “But- won’t you need it when you’re with the bad people?”
“I think you’ll need it more.” He smiled through the pain. “For your own adventures.”
He heard footsteps overhead and the boat rocked a little. The man looked at the little girl again, more urgent. “Listen, little spark, and listen well. We’re going to be apart for a long time. Maybe forever. You can’t let the people on that island know about your bending. They’ll think you’re one of the bad people.”
“But I’m-” She started. But the man cut her off.
“I know you’re not, little spark.” He looked into her eyes, almost begging. “I know you’re not. The world can be unfair sometimes. But please, stay there. I can’t bear to lose you.”
The little girl was starting to cry, not understanding. “But- you said you would come find me.”
“I will.” He assured her, rubbing her hands up and down her arms in an attempt to soothe her. “But I don’t know how long it will take. I’m sorry, little spark.”
The door was opening now, and two soldiers came. They each grabbed one of the little girl’s arms. She screamed, filling her eyes. “No! Daddy!”
He wrapped his arms around her on one last hug, tears now falling down his face. “I’m sorry, little spark. It’s time for you to go.”
“No! Come with me daddy, please!” She kicked and screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t want to leave you!”
The man tried to reach her one last time, but the chains prevented the movement. He strained against them as much as he could.
He could only watch, on his knees, as his daughter was taken away from him.
The little girl sat numbly in the tiny boat as three soldiers manned the tiny engine. Two of them talked and laughed as they sailed over the waves, but one sat across from the little girl.
After a few minutes he leaned forward and slid his helmet off. He had kind eyes. “Hey, you’re going to be okay.”
She didn’t say anything, instead staring at her feet and clutching the necklace like her life depended on it. The soldier sighed and put his helmet back on.
When they got to shore two of the soldiers didn’t even get off the boat. The kind one helped the little girl down and into the sand, carrying her so she didn’t get wet.
“Come on, Jee.” One of them called. “Let’s get back.”
“We can’t just leave her!” The kind one looked back at them in shock. “What if she can’t find the village?”
He shrugged. “Not our problem.”
The kind one shook his head. “You stay in the boat. I’ll make sure she gets to the village.”
“Fine by me.” The soldier shrugged.
The kind one and the little girl walked through the thick foliage of the forest, silence between them.
In an instant girls wearing armored dresses and facepaint dropped from the branches above. Three of them converged on the kind one while one came over to the little girl. “Hi, I’m Ulanni. Can I take you to our village?”
The little girl looked over the warrior's shoulder. “Are they going to take him with us? He’s the only nice one.”
She glanced behind her while the other warriors tied him up. “Yes, we are.”
The little girl took the warrior's hand and was led through the trees.
Once they were back in a small village, the kind one was integrated thoroughly by a man with a few dark streaks in his gray beard. After he had the little girl confirm his story, the kind one gave the old man a slip of paper.
Ulanni volunteered to help take care of her, alongside her own sister. The old man agreed, and soon the little girl was in a soft bed.
Tears flowed silently down her face as she clutched the necklace. The only thing she had left.
When requesting PLEASE remember that I am a person with a life outside of tumblr and ao3. I will take requests as suggestions, but there is no guarantee that I will get to all of them. If any requests violate my rules, they will be deleted with no remorse.
I will NOT write
NSFW
Crossovers
Real people
Omegaverse
A ship I don't like
Characters I don't know (I feel like this should be obvious)
I will write
Fluff
Angst
Oneshots/drabbles
Part twos
Pretty much anything
x reader
character/character
I will write for
Stardew Valley (all characters)
DC (The bat and super families)
Phineas and Ferb
Avatar The Last Airbender
Marvel (I have only seen the movies so keep that in mind)
Project Hail Mary
This list has the right to expand as I absorb more media
“Charlene! What are you doing here?” Heinz shut the door quickly. “I thought you didn’t work at the storefront anymore!”
She gave him a look that he had gotten very used to over their marriage. It was the one he gave him whenever he did something exceptionally stupid, or asked a question he should have known the answer to. “Oaken called in sick and I was in the area, so I took over.”
“Huh.” Heinz shuffled his feet, half of him wondering if he would still get that friends and daily discount. “So– some weather, huh?”
She rolled her eyes. “Heinz, we both know only one person could have done this. I just want to know what happened.”
“I don’t either!” Heinz put his hands up. “I wasn’t even there when it happened. He just started freaking out and throwing icy magic everywhere.”
“Hmm.” Charlene looked unconvinced, but she let it slide. “What brings you up here then?”
Heinz looked down at his clothes, which at this point had thawed to the point of just being wet. “I was hoping to trade for some winter clothes.”
“Over there, in the back.” Charlene gestured to the back wall.
“Has Roger passed through here?” Heinz asked as he took in the winter stock. It was a couple of folded items and a pickaxe leaning against the wall. “I’m trying to find him.” He picked up the clothes and boots and went back to the counter.
“I’m afraid not. The only one crazy enough to be out in this storm is you.”
The door jingled again.
“And that guy.”
Heinz turned to look and immediately his mouth went dry. Standing in the doorway was a man covered head to foot in snow. He was shorter than Heinz but much broader, and something about him looked familiar. He wore a teal fur lined tunic and an orange scarf wrapped tightly around his face. A fedora rested on his head and part of Heniz wondered about the practicality of that kind of hat in this weather. Or if it even belonged to the time period.
He had barely finished taking the man in before he was approaching him. Heinz pressed himself against the counter to try and get out of his way, but he stopped right in front of him. Despite the height difference Heinz was intimidated.
The man brought a fist to the corner of his mouth and twisted it sharply, starting at Heinz. He blinked. “What?”
Carrots. The man repeated. Behind you.
“Oh! Sorry.” Heinz moved out of the way.
As the man was getting his vegetables, Charlene gave him an impressed look. “You know sign?”
Heinz shrugged. “A few years ago one of my inators exploded while I was right next to it. I couldn’t hear for over a month so I learned sign language. It actually wasn’t too hard, the language builds on itself and most of the signs make sense–” He got lost explaining the mechanics of the language as the man gathered a few more things before laying them on the counter. “–and that’s why I don’t use sand anymore.”
“Hmm.” Charlene turned her attention to the stranger. “Is this all?”
He nodded once, sharply.
“Okay then.” Charlene took the items. “That will be forty.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. No. Ten.
Charlene looked to Heinz expectantly. When he didn’t do anything she sighed. “I don’t know sign, Heinz.”
Heinz looked up from poking at a jar of pickled fish. “He said ‘no, ten.’”
Satisfied, Charlene turned back to the man. “I’m sorry, but with recent… changes in the environment I can’t let this go for regular prices. Supply and demand, and all that.”
“It’s not my fault the North Mountain is causing these storms.” Heinz translated, then his eyes widened. “Wait! Did it seem… magical?”
The man turned to him with an annoyed look and pulled down his scarf, revealing a handsome square face. Heinz had to once again get a grip on himself. Yes. He signed. Tell her I only have ten.
“He only has ten.”
Charlene signed. “That will get you the carrots, but I can’t do the rope and pickaxe.”
Crook. The man signed, and Heinz repeated the word without much thought, his mind on the distant north mountain. It was only when he saw the panic in the shorter man’s eyes that he realized he should not have said that.
“What did you call me?” Charlene demanded, pressing her palms to the counter. Heinz had rarely seen that look in her eye, even when they had their worst fights. “Get out!” She jabbed a finger towards the door.
The man shot Heinz a glare and stalked out of the post, slamming the door behind him.
“Some people.” Charlene shook her head. “I never liked ice men. They’re too rugged.”
“Yeah, rugged…” Heinz muttered. If the snows were coming from the North Mountain, then maybe Roger was there. It wasn't far, only a half day's journey to the base of the mountain. Heinz tugged at his wet sleeve in thought. Maybe…
Charlene stacked his purchases in a neat pile. “Do you have money or goods?”
Heinz glanced down at himself. “Could I trade these clothes?”
His ex wife took his arm and examined his sleeve, pinching the cuff of his shirt between her fingers. “Yes, these will do nicely. Once they dry off they’ll be quite valuable.” She released him. “Will that be all?”
“Erm…” Heinz glanced at the discarded supplies, the beginnings of a plan forming.
Heinz stumbled through the snow, clutching his purchases. The new clothes he had bought fit him nicely, the black, fur lined tunic was warm and the white cloak enveloped him. It wasn’t palace clothing, but he was finding he liked it.
The footprints of the man led to a small stable set in the side of a hill, something Heinz hadn't seen when he initially approached the post. The stable glowed with warmth and the gentle sounds of music floated through the still night air. As Heinz crept closer he could hear a gentle humming added to the tune.
Inside the teal haired man laid against a reindeer, strumming a lute, the source of the music Heinz heard. “You’re pretty good.” Heinz said without thinking. The man and reindeer startled, and Heinz realized the reindeer was wearing thick, purple rimmed glasses.
What do you want? He sighed, putting down his lute.
Heinz tightened his fingers around his bag. “I want you to take me up the North Mountain.” He puffed out his chest and tried to look impressive, but judging by the look on the man’s face, he wasn’t pulling it off very well.
I don’t take people places. The man signed, eyes narrowing.
Heinz tossed him the sack full of climbing gear, but instead of catching it, it hit the man right in the stomach. “Sorry! Sorry.” Heinz scrambled to apologize. “I can stop this winter, my brother Roger is just confused and I need to talk to him and hopefully get him back down–” He stopped when he noticed the annoyed look being thrown his way by reindeer and man. “Take me up the North Mountain. Please?”
The man sighed, but took the sack anyway. We leave in the morning. And you forgot Carl’s carrots.
The carrots came next, tossed right at the man’s face, but he caught them. “We leave now.” Heinz started backing out, his hand scrambling to find the door handle. “Right now.”
The air outside seemed colder than it had before, and Heinz pressed his back against the barn wall. The warmth of the outpost and even the barn had felt so tempting. He had half a mind to beg Charlene for a place to stay the night so he could trek home.
On one hand, he could slink back with his tail between his legs to disappointed parents and hope they would even let him stay. That wasn’t very likely. They had left him to be raised by ocelots until he was in his teens and only let him be a prince again because it reflected poorly on their image to have their son living with wild cats.
Disappearing into the wilderness didn’t seem like a viable option either.
As these thoughts threatened to consume him, a shadow crossed the doorway. Heinz looked up just in time to see him tossing the end of an orange scarf over his shoulder. For some reason it matched his teal tunic, though it was a color combination that would give Vanessa a heart attack.
Come on. The man signed. The North Mountain is half a day's journey.
“Oh– okay.” Heinz stood tall. “Does this mean you’re helping me?”
The man raised an eyebrow and walked around the barn. Heinz took that as a yes and scrambled to follow, a giddy feeling bubbling up inside of him. He was one step closer to bringing Roger home.
Heinz helped pull a tarp off a sled and let out a low whistle. “This is nice. Reeeeeally nice. Interesting color scheme though. Why is everything teal?” He climbed in and ran a hand over the polished wood. “Not like it’s a bad color, I like it a lot but is everything you own teal? It’s like your own trademark, like if someone sees a teal and orange color combo they’ll think of you–”
The man rapped his knuckles sharply on the sled, glaring at Heinz.
“Sorry.” Heinz clapped a hand over his mouth. He just rolled his eyes and climbed into the sled.
…
“Do you think that reindeer are better than people?”
Perry clutched the reins so hard he was worried they would slice right through his fingers, but that thought was the furthest thing from his mind as the annoying man next to him would. not. shut. up.
Of course, he was used to being badgered with questions from every direction. Phineas’s favorite game was “ask Uncle Perry” and Candace always rushed to him for relationship advice, but this was different. He was carting around a spoiled prince that had nothing better to do than run around looking for his brother, instead of sending someone who could actually get the job done.
As Heinz went off on another tangent, Perry wondered once again how he had even gotten into this situation. There was no money involved, and yes he had gotten essential supplies but he could have made the long journey home to get his backups instead. It wasn’t like there was any need for ice at the moment.
It was those puppy eyes. Something about how he had looked at him like one of the street dogs that are so ugly they’re almost cute, and Perry had folded.
“Say, what’s your name?”
Perry almost jumped at the direct address. He glanced over and gave Heinz a calculating stare and shifted the reins to one hand. Why?
“Well, you’re giving me a ride and all, and I’ve been talking for four hours straight and haven’t heard a peep from you! Well, not in the literal sense, I don’t know if you can actually talk, but either way I can understand you well enough and I want to put a name to the face, y'know? If that’s too far–”
P E R R Y. He signed, just to shut him up. And I can talk.
That seemed to sate the man, and for the first time since he climbed in the sleigh, he was silent. At least, for a moment. “My parents send me out here, y’know.” He said quietly.
Perry’s ears perked up, almost against his will. That was new.
“Roger went all crazy up and caused this sudden winter, and apparently it’s my fault, just like everything always is.” The man’s hand traced the scar that ran down his cheek. “If I didn’t go, I was going to get disowned, so here I am. You know how parents are, tough love and all that. It isn’t the first time either, I–”
Perry yanked on the reins to stop Carl and turned to properly face Heinz. What?
Heinz blinked. “Well, I’ve done a lot of things that are shameful for the royal family. I married a merchant– then got divorced, you met Charlene in the trading post– I spend most of my time in one of the towers building inators, I spilled wine on the Duke of Weasletown– or is it Wesleton? And–”
Suddenly Perry felt awful as the prince listed off reason after reason why his parents “loved” him. He… he really had no other choice then to be out here. That’s not an excuse.
Now it was Heinz’s turn to be shocked. “What do you mean? Sure my life sucks, and I’m locked out of the room when there’s important guests but that’s just my fault.”
Perry shook his head vigorously, quickly losing respect for the people that ran his country. That’s not right. No one should be treated like that.
“Hey, don’t–”
Perry made a shushing motion.
The prince batted his arm away. “No, you don’t get to just stop this argument–” But Perry wasn’t listening. He turned his attention to the woods behind the sled, listening for any sound to confirm his suspicions.
“And now you’re back to Mr. Strong and Silent Type. Well I’m not letting that go buster, you don’t get to back out now–” Perry lunged and clasped his hand over Heinz’s mouth, absolutely done with him. Heinz made a muffled sound of protest, but Perry held firm.
Wolves. He signed. That shut him up.
He finally tore his eyes away from the woods to look at Heinz and–
Oh.
His eyes shone in the starlight. Midnight blue that reflected the moon and the anger from their argument, but that didn’t detract from the appeal. In fact, Perry wanted to see those eyes for a long time. The longer he stared, the softer the eyes got, and Perry found himself leaning closer just to get a better look at him–
A piercing howl shattered the moment.
Ehehehe they're together!!! I've had a lot of fun playing with their dynamics and character arcs in this world
Requests and Taglist open!
A03
An Act of True Love
Chapter Two
For the First Time
TW: Canon typical abuse
Heinz walked out into the summer evening and instantly felt his shoulders relax. The castle behind him was still full of light and snow, but he didn’t feel bad about leaving it behind. Not when it was warm and lively outside.
Some of his best nights had been spent wandering the streets of the Tri-Kingdom Area. He had met Charlene on a night like this, and had taken Vanessa out on the weekends. He knew the people, and they knew him. He wasn’t exactly loved by all like Roger, but there was always a hot drink waiting for him at the tavern, or a few people willing to speak to him in the square.
It was there Heinz went.
People of all ages celebrated. Music was being played by a group of men and women with homemade instruments as people danced, fountains sprayed water into the air and the smell of strudel wafted through the crowd.
Heinz sat at the edge of a fountain and watched the festivities with a small smile. It was nicer out here. More… alive. No one kept up some pretense of nobility or upper class. People just danced. They laughed when they wanted to and had ale drinking contests and danced to music played on worn instruments.
Soon he was watching the crowd with mild interest, tapping his toe to the beat. His eyes eventually locked on a man standing near a cart. He was strange, with teal hair and dark skin that stood out among the pale faces surrounding him. It wasn’t offputting, Heinz found it rather alluring. Dark blue eyes followed him with interest as the man uncovered the cart to reveal a few blocks of ice. He was dressed in a teal tunic and vest that left his arms bare, and Heinz found his eyes locked on them.
The man negotiated with the owner of the tavern– who had her own cart set up selling drinks. It seemed to end well, with her giving him a bag of coins. When the teal haired man unloaded the ice Heinz couldn’t take his eyes off his arms. With every movement they flexed, leaving no doubt that the man could probably break Heinz in half. The thought alone made his face flame red and he pointedly looked away.
A drink sounded really good at the moment, and it had nothing to do with the very attractive man standing near the cart. Heinz watched out of the corner of his eye for several long minutes before finally working up the courage to approach. Maybe he could open with a joke?
So of course, that was when everything went wrong.
It started with a slight chill in the air. It wasn’t unusual for cold winds to blow through the valley, but this chill stayed. Then people started to cheer, with shouts of “The King!” and “All hail his Majesty!”
Heinz cautiously stood up, the man in teal all but forgotten at the notion that his brother had actually let himself be seen by the lower classes. Then Heinz started to shiver. The temperature could no longer be mistaken for a mountain wind, but a deep, chilling cold.
The music came to the clamorous halt that happens when they aren’t queued to stop, the constant laughter faded, and the footsteps of hundreds came to a stop. Not even a child made a sound.
Then someone screamed.
One of the fountains started to act up, the water shooting higher into the air before it froze– looking like a claw. The crowd started to panic. Mothers snatched up their children and shopkeepers abandoned their goods, fathers reached for their families and the rest scrambled to get away from the mysterious force.
Heinz wove his way through the fleeing crowd, trying to find the source of the chaos. It was only after fighting his way past a woman carrying a large watermelon that he saw.
Roger stood by the frozen fountain with a look of terror on his face. One of his hands was covered in ice and stuck to the fountain– just like when they were kids.
“Roger?” Heinz took a step forward. “What’s going on?”
“I–” Roger looked at his hand and wrenched it free. “Heinz. You need to get away from me.”
“But–”
“Goodbye, Heinz.” Roger forcibly turned away and started running. With each step he took, an icy trail followed. The streets turned slick and cold
“Wait a minute!” Heinz called. “You can’t just run away from a conversation!” Without thinking he jumped on the ice track after his brother.
Some part of his mind had thought that even though he hadn’t been ice skating in over twenty years he could make it all the way through the Tri-Kingdom Area with no skates on an ice path about two feet wide.
He was wrong.
After crashing through several fruit carts that were inexplicably in his path and a pyramid of chickens (where had those come from?), he finally came to a stop at the edge of the fjord.
“Sheesh, what has gotten into him?” Heinz stood up and shook off the feathers. “It’s like someone finally removed the stick from his a…” The words were left to fade in the chilly air as the reality of what laid in front of him sunk in.
The fjord was frozen.
Not the ice chunks they got in the winter, but the whole expanse was frozen over. Heinz frantically looked around in an attempt to spot his fleeing brother, and just managed to catch a glimpse of a cloak before it vanished into the trees.
The ice started to spread. It reached out from the fjord and traveled quickly over the ground, covering everything in snow and frost. Heinz stumbled away from the fjord and started to race back to the castle. There had to be some explanation for this. Roger was always
As the castle drew nearer, the sky grew darker. Clouds covered the stars and before long, snow started to fall. It started slow, but turned into clumps of white that made it hard to see. It felt suffocating– like a cold hand wrapping itself around him.
When he finally made it back, people were in disarray. It seemed like half the kingdom was in the palace courtyard, talking in hushed whispers and shivering in their summer clothes.
“HEINZ!”
The man jumped and turned to see his mother standing at the top of the steps. Her hands were in fists and her face twisted in anger, and Heinz had never run so fast in his life. He skidded to a stop at the base of the steps.
“Mutter.” He said, bowing slightly. The cold wasn’t the only reason for his trembling hands.
“You– you–” She pointed a finger at him. “Find your Bruder. And don’t come back until you have him!”
Heinz felt his blood run cold. “But– I don't know where he is, or where he’s going, or–”
“Go!” His mother bellowed. “Bring my son home!” She turned and with the fury of a woman scorned slammed the palace door behind her.
Heinz stood in the quickly gathering snow, stunned. He really was going. There was no other choice, really. Unless he wanted banishment but with the state of things it would be wrong to just leave. If not for the people, for his daughter.
“Do you require your horse, sir?” One of the stablehands asked.
“Um, yes.” Heinz looked down at his clothes, which were already soaked through with snow. “And a cloak, if one can be spared.”
“What shall we do?” A woman asked. Heinz glanced around and realized all eyes were on him. Immediately he began to sweat, despite the cold. These people… they were all expecting answers out of him.
“Uh… someone should organize a party to find as many blankets and cloaks as possible. It’s only going to get colder.” Heinz glanced up at the snow falling thickly. “And wood, to build fires. And hot food, like soup. Or really anything, as long as it’s hot. The temperature won’t do anything in the long run but it will help you feel better and–”
The stablehand approached with the horse, and Heinz stopped talking.
“Your horse, your majesty.” He held out the reins and a cloak.
“Err… yeah.” Heinz took the flimsy cloak and threw it over his shoulders. The horse they had brought out was huge, with a blueish gray coat and red mane. The saddle was at eye level, and Heinz awkwardly tried to hoist himself up, but ended up just tugging on the reins and doing an awkward hop.
“Do you require assistance?” The stablehand asked, his lips twitching to a smile.
He flushed. “Yes.”
The stablehand linked his fingers together and boosted Heinz over the horse’s back. The animal neighed as Heinz attempted to adjust himself on the saddle. “Oh quiet Norm. It’s not my fault you’re so tall.”
The horse gave a cheerful whinny and took off without prompting. “Whoa!” Heinz grabbed the reins just before slipping off and managed to right himself as they galloped out of the courtyard.
It soon became clear that the city tantrum of Prince Roger had spread beyond the kingdom. The mountains as far as the eye could see were covered in gentle drifts of powdery snow. Not that Heinz could see much at all with Norm galloping much faster than a horse should be able to.
Trembling fingers barely managed to wrap the cloak tightly around his shoulders while holding on to the reins, but nothing Heinz could do would stop the cold biting at his cheeks and nose.
Finally, well into the mountains Heinz convinced Norm to slow down.
“You know, for a horse you really don’t like listening to your riders.” Heinz glared at the animal, but there was no heat to the gaze. “Well, I guess here is just as good a place to start looking as any. Come on Norm!” He nudged the horse into a walk.
He had been told quite often that his voice carried places it shouldn’t, so Heinz decided to start calling out for him. “Roger! Come on out! Mother is really worried about you, and she sent me to find you!” He paused. “You know, maybe she isn’t as worried as she should be, because she sent me and we both know what a failure I am, so she must not care that much at all. But still come back!”
He stopped to listen, and only heard the quiet, almost sound of the snow shifting around him.
“You know what, Norm?” Heinz felt his scar start to ache. “Maybe this is all my fault. I was the one that yelled at him right before everything went crazy.” He chuckled. “My first party since my wedding and I'm the reason the Tri-Kingdom Area freezes over. Just my luck.”
Norm nickered.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to the party.” Heinz sighed. “Without me there Roger wouldn’t have freaked out and everything would be fine, and WHOA!”
Heinz felt weightless for just a moment, then his back hit the ground with a thud. Cold seeped in through his clothes and he laid there, debating if it would be worth it to get up. If only he had access to his lab, he might be able to build something that would help him find his brother instead of hunting through snow with no real direction in mind.
That train of thought was immediately pushed to the back of his mind when Norm whinnied sharply and turned to run away, scared off by something in the bushes. A squirrel? Maybe?
“Wait, Norm!” Heinz could only watch as his horse ran back where they had come from. “Come back!”
Only the crunching snow could be heard, and before long that faded.
“Well great.” Heinz struggled to his feet. “Of all the luck in the world, I get stuck in the idle of nowhere and my horse just runs off.” He brushed the snow off his clothes best he could, grumbling all the way.
Decided he had nothing to lose, Heinz continued on foot. It soon became apparent that his shoes were not suited for the weather. He sunk alost to his knees with every step, and his fine shoes were soaking. “If this keeps up I’m going to get frostbite.” He glared at his shoes as if that would fix the problem. Or, at least, glared at the snow where he thought his feet were.
He stopped at the top of a hill for a moment to try and get his bearings. There was a river at the base of the hill, and just beyond that he could see a small stream of smoke rising from the trees. Smoke meant fire, and fire meant warmth.
Emboldened, Heinz stepped confidently down the hill. So of course, he slipped. He barely had time to cry out before he was at the bottom of the hill and in the– thankfully shallow– freezing stream.
“Kalt.” Heinz said as he struggled to his feet. His cloak was gone but that was the least of his worries. “Kalt. Kalt.” He could feel his clothes freezing around him. That wasn’t good.
Every movement felt stiff as he struggled to get out of the river and onto the opposite shore. He tread along carefully, grateful that the snow was only a few inches deep over here.
Before long the source of the smoke became apparent. It was a little trading post, one of many that populated the mountainside. Heinz breathed a sigh of relief. Here he could trade for warmer clothes, or at the very least wring out his socks.
The sign was covered in snow and he knocked it off, reading the words out loud. “Wandering Charlene’s Trading post. Ooo, and sauna.”
His ex wife had quite the empire of storefronts, so it didn’t surprise him that she had one this far into the mountains. Maybe he could even get the friends and family discount…
The door jingled as he pushed it open, and he took in the various goods that lined the shelves. It was mostly summer gear, but maybe…
“Close the door Heinz! You’re letting all the cold air inside!”
Startled, Heinz turned and saw Charlene sitting behind the counter. She was bundled up in a fashionable winter coat and hat, with a matching scarf.
Chapter two is up! This one was a bit of a struggle, but after three loops of the frozen soundtrack it's done. Any interaction is welcome!
Requests and Taglist open!
A03
A young Heinz Doofenshmirtz poked his head into the ballroom. Upon seeing it empty, he wheeled a cloth covered cart through the massive double doors. Only moonlight chased away the shadows of the grand room.
“Heinz, are you sure about this?” His younger brother asked, trailing behind him. “What if mother finds out?”
“You won’t get in trouble.” Heinz said offhandedly. “Give me a boost.”
Despite their age difference, Roger was already taller than Heinz. He linked his fingers and helped Heinz step into the cart, where he disappeared under the cloth. He heard a few bangs and a couple yelps of pain before Heinz peeked back out.
“Behold… the Snow Funinator!” He whipped off the cloth, revealing a blocky wooden contraption with a block of ice strapped to one side.
Roger scratched his head. “What… does it do?”
Heinz grinned. “It’ll make the ballroom into a winter wonderland!”
“I can already do that.” Roger held out his hand and a snowflake danced on his palm.
“I know, but now I can too!” Heinz slapped the side of the inator. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”
Roger waved his hand and a snowstorm started. “Okay Heinz.”
Heinz flipped the switch on the inator. It started to buzz, and soon snow was shooting out one end. He gave an excited yell, running to stand under the snowfall. “It works! It really works!”
“Amazing.” Roger scooped up some snow.
“Do you wanna build a snowman?” Heinz asked excitedly.
Roger shrugged. “Sure. Why not.”
They rolled the snow into shape, and Heinz popped the buttons off his shirt for eyes and a mouth. “You know, I think he looks pretty– oomf!”
Snow trickled down the back of his shirt as he turned to see Roger packing snow. “Oh, it is on!”
The boys played together for what seemed like hours, throwing snow and giggling as piles of the stuff fell on the both of them. In the middle of the most heated snowball fight yet, Roger threw awry. Instead of the snowball going towards Heinz, it soared straight for the Snow Funinator.
Hitting a large red button.
“No!” Heinz lunged for his brother and tackled him to the ground just as the machine exploded.
Pain blinded Heinz. It felt like the entire left side of his face was on fire. When he reached up to touch it, his fingers came away wet with blood. Beneath him, Roger grunted.
“What was that?”
Heinz opened his mouth to answer, still dizzy, when the doors to the ballroom burst open. There stood his parents. They stared at the scene for a moment, jaws agape, then ran to the boys. Heinz pushed himself up with a sniffle and prepared for questions, but none came.
They ran right past him to Roger.
His mother fussed over his wet clothes and fixed his hair, while his father checked him over for injuries. Murmurs of “my sweet boy” and “you poor thing” were the only sounds.
Finally, they turned to Heinz.
“Was hast du gemacht?” His father asked, his voice on the verge of a snarl.
“I- we were having a snowball fight.” Heinz tried to form words between the pain and relentless stares of their parents. “There was an accident-”
“Of course.” His mother muttered darkly. “There always is. Come along, Roger. We need to take you to the healer.”
With barely a glance his way, Heinz’s parents scooped up Roger and carried him out of the ballroom. The sound of the door slamming echoed through the elegant room–
Leaving Heinz bloodied and alone.
Years later
Heinz surfaced from the dream with difficulty. Even years later, it had him in a tight grip. Constant whispers of what might have been circled in his mind every time he closed his eyes.
Finally sitting up, Heinz groaned and brought a hand to his face, tracing the white scar that went from just below his eye to his jaw. He had been forced to bandage the wound himself, and even now he didn't know if it had healed properly.
He stretched and rolled out of his bed, scratching his back and heading to the bathroom. Then he backtracked. Lying on a chair was the formal clothes he had laid out the night before.
Today. It was–
“It's coronation day!” Heinz said excitedly, grabbing the tunic and getting ready faster than he ever had in his life. Today was one of the few days he was allowed to be in public, and he intended to make the most of it.
His younger brother, Roger, was finally ready to accept the throne. Normally death occurred before the passing of the crown, but his parents were getting old. Besides, Roger had been training for the title ever since they were little. All these thoughts were running through his mind as he wandered the palace, watching people set up.
Much to the chagrin of the staff, he skated all through the castle with his socks– nearly knocking over an elaborate pink cake. “Sorry!” Heinz called to the servants, who just shook their heads and continued preparations.
He reached the top of a staircase and rode the banister down, yelling with glee as he gained speed. He shot off the end of the banister and nearly collided with a suit of armor.
“Whew, that was close.” Heinz said, leaned an elbow against the suit. “Glad you got out in one piece.”
The arm fell to the floor with a clang.
Heinz looked around to make sure no one had seen. After confirming the hall was empty, he grabbed the arm and tried to reattach it. It stubbornly refused to go back into the socket.
“You would think after years of inventing things I would be able to stick this thing back on nooo problem.” Heinz muttered to himself. “Leave it to knights to come up with the most complicated system ever.”
“Heinz.”
He turned and saw Roger approaching, a smile on his face. He quickly shoved the arm behind his back.
“How good to see you.” He opened his arms for a hug and Heinz accepted awkwardly, still keeping the metal arm behind him.
“Erhm– yeah. It's been a while.” Heinz said, a little bewildered Roger would touch him. The only times they had spoken had been when strictly necessary, and the last time that had happened was over a year ago.
“Well, I hope you are ready for the ceremony tonight.” Roger straightened his jacket. “How is Charlene doing?”
“Uhh… okay, I think. She's been doing well for herself as a merchant.”
“Good, good. And Vanessa?”
Heinz was a little surprised he remembered his daughter's name, as the last time he had seen her was when she was ten. “She's visiting the Visigoths this summer.”
“That sounds pleasant. Will they be joining us?”
“No.” Heinz scrutinized his brother. “Roger, you know Charlene and I divorced like, five years ago, right?”
Roger's smile faltered. “Oh, no I didn't. I'm sorry, Heinz.”
“Eh, it's no big deal.” Heinz tried to shrug it off. “It happened years ago. We're all good now!”
“Right.” Roger looked uncomfortable. “Well, I'll see you tonight.”
“Yeah. See you.” Heinz turned to watch him walk away. Suddenly his plans for a musical number about being allowed at a social event made his stomach turn. Behind him, the suit of armor collapsed. With a sigh he turned and tossed the arm onto the armor. The resulting clank made him flinch.
That evening, Heinz watched from the back of the room as his brother held the scepter and was given the crown by a doting mother. He clapped with everyone else as Roger turned to face them with his winning smile, showering them all with a light flurry of snow. Guests gasped and applauded even louder at the display of magic. Many of them were visiting royalty and had never seen the magical crown prince. Heinz wondered if they would be so amazed if they knew how many times he had gotten startled and frozen his hands together.
“Thank you all for coming.” Roger said, spreading his arms with a swirl of snow. “Now, let's celebrate!”
Heinz found his way to the ballroom, where there was already soft music playing. He headed straight for the food. There had been a rumor that the cook had made those fancy chocolates, and he wanted to grab some before they inevitably vanished. As per usual, the cook had gone all out and laid an extensive spread. Heinz loaded his plate and stood in the corner to eat, making sure to stay out of his family's way. If they wanted to speak to him, they would seek him out. His father did sometimes, but that was only when no one else would listen to his stories.
“Are you enjoying the party?”
Heinz whirled to see Roger standing behind him, carrying his own plate of food.
“Okay seriously, what gives? You’ve been acting weird all day.” Heinz squinted at him. “You weren’t taken by trolls, were you?”
“I don’t understand what you could mean.” Roger said, but Heinz could tell his smile was a little strained.
Heinz set down his food. “Really, are you messing with me? You haven’t talked to me in over a year, but in one day you’ve asked about my ex wife and daughter, and willingly came up to me at a party?”
“You’re my brother.” Roger soothed. He definitely looked strained. “We should have a good relationship.”
“Really.” Heinz felt frustration boiling up inside of him. “Because it feels like ever since I’ve gotten this–” He jabbed a finger at his scar. “You could barely stand to stay in the same room as me!”
“Heinz, I–”
“You know what? Forget it.” Heinz felt something in him snap. “I’m going out. Have fun at your party.” He turned and walked out of the room, bitterly wondering why he had even looked forward to the day.
I'm back!
My blog got deleted and I couldn't recover it, so here I am. I'm really excited to start posting again, any interaction is welcome!
Requests and Taglist open!
A03