More reasons why Zuko being the Firelord is objectively the funniest thing on earth:
HES SEVENTEEN
He hasnât been civilised in 4 years, his entire teenage experience consists of living on a boat and sleeping rough. The most stable bed he has was probably in Ba Sing Se he probably will just nap anywhere.
He has customer service experience which means he probably uses his customer service voice on his minsters.
Additionally he probably just wanders into to kitchen to get his own snacks and tea because he forgets what servants do.
He probably has no idea why he canât just chase after an assassin he used to hunt the avatar for Agnis sake why is the captain of the guard demanding he stay in his room heâll find the guy first (heâs probably right)
Katara probably has a free pass on Eco terrorism because whatâs he going to do challenge her, sheâll beat his ass.
If he saw a minster doing something shady he will either invite lady Beifong to detect their BS or commit B&E and look for evidence himself.
He somehow found a baby dragon and raises it.
He will be far to willing to give Kyoshi island anything they want cause he feels bad and Suki scares him.
He randomly insisted on giving some earth kingdom village 100 ostrich horses.
The Avatar will just show up call him Hotman and demand the go on adventures and the Firelord will just dip because heâs been confined to long and has the Zoomies.
He takes far to much advice from Sokka and will genuinely believe if someone doesnât get Sokkas plans they must be an idiot because Sokka is 16.
Sokka and Zuko also get into a lot of teenage rebellion phases by accident.
Toph just walks in breaks a wall of his palace and demands a field trip that always involves the Firelord having to explain himself to the cops.
He somehow knows every dangerous teen in the world and they all come for tea uninvited.
He has broken into both the NWT and Ba Sing Se.
He has a really well documented facial scar and official portraits but still disappears to be Lee the tea guy like no one knows.
Imagining a whumpee who was caught in some sort of disaster (building collapse, fire, vehicle crash, etc.) and was non-fatally injured, but then exacerbated their injuries by working tirelessly to free other people from debris and get them to safety. So by the time caretaker shows up, whumpee just stumbles over to them and collapses into their arms.
Magical Mind Control that completely shuts down a Whumpee's mind. leaving them a obedient shell when "Activated" by Whumper. and in a deep, magical sleep when "Deactivated."
When Caretaker finds them and rescues them, it takes days for Whumpee to come out from under Whumper's magical influence.
Post Rescue timeline:
Days 1-4; Whumpee just floats in darkness. It's quiet, heavy and blissful.
Day 5: Whumpee becomes distantly aware of a voice talking to them. it's not Whumper, but comforting none the less.
Day 8: Whumpee manages to open their eyes a little. but everything is blurry. Someone's holding them, a hand is in their hair, Whumpee doesn't quite know who it is, but they know they trust this person more than anyone else in the world.
Day 12: A light goes off in Whumpee's brain like a lighthouse in pea soup fog. Caretaker! It's Caretaker who's with them. they wish they could speak Caretaker's name, but they're just so Sleepy, they don't have the energy.
Day 13: Whumpee comes to breifly when Caretaker's gently spoon-feeding them some soup. giving Caretaker a feeble smile.
Day 15: Whumpee finally wakes up clear-headed and lucid to a teary-eyed Caretaker, hoarsely whispering "Hey."
The holidays are a stressful time and I'm thinking about cozy whump
The kind where the whumpee is trapped in such a comfortable gilded cage that they've long since stopped trying to get out, and may actively resist the rescuer trying to pull them free
The lab whumpee who is given tea and snacks and warm blankets to recover after a long day of experimentation
Whumpee lying in a hospital bed, floaty and out of it from drugs, but they don't feel pain any more, and they're being taken care of
The whumpee who was rescued from the snow being warmed by a fire and spoon fed hot soup
The witch's entranced assistant placing every one of the potion supplies just so on the shelf, satisfied that she's done a good job, before returning to her cupboard to rest
The recovering whumpee who gets to go shopping and pick out their own food and clothes for the first time in years
Alone and adrift on a spaceship, little hope of rescue, but the oxygen should hold out for a few weeks more and the whumpee has plenty of books to read
also thinking about whumpers falling from grace. they used to be feared and powerful and now they're reduced to nothing, maybe captive even.
but there's one person who hasn't given up on them. one person who still treats them with utmost respect and adoration. is it rewarded? or is it taken as annoying mockery?
when the conditioned whumpee manages to get whumper out, are they treasured for being the only loyal servant who never wavered?
Jose couldn't believe that his son was sitting in front of him. Years had passed since he last saw him and he'd all but lost hope for a reunion. But here they were. Roman, his son, had become an adult in the time that passed. The reunion was bittersweet to Jose as it reminded him of just how much of his son's life he missed. Remus and Roman chatted as though no time had passed which only made the guilt he felt sting more.Â
Virgil shifted in his seat and moved a cup of tea towards Jose, "You look like you might need it just as much as me." He offered, trying to lighten the mood when he'd noticed that Jose held his tension in the same places as Roman.Â
The older gentleman sighed and rolled his shoulders attempting to release some of the tension, "I--thanks." He replied, taking the hot ceramic cup and letting the heat ground him. The next time he looked up he saw Roman looking at him, "Roman." He offered quietly, "I don't even know where to start or how to explain." He said quietly, looking back down at his tea not daring to look at Roman for fear of seeing resentment or hate.Â
"Just like in the Sound of Music, the beginning is a very good place to start. " Roman offered with a smile, watching his dad and taking him in. Even though it had been years there was something so familiar about him, that familiarity brought safety.
Jose let out a wet chuckle, "Alright then. The beginning it is."Â
There was no denying that it had been love at first sight. Jose had been studying abroad for a semester when he met Natalie. The whirlwind romance was one for the ages. They quickly went from strangers to never seeing one without the other.Â
Their friends had said something about how they were too dependent on each other however both of them brushed it off. Those comments only made the two of them seek each other out even more.Â
When the semester came to an end Jose tried to convince Natalie to come back home with him but was met with resistance.Â
"I don't want to move. What if it upsets the baby?" Natalie worried, resting her hand over her nonexistent bump.Â
Jose nearly fainted right there as he took in his beautiful Natalie, she stood near the window with the setting sun behind her casting a bright halo around her making her look angelic, "You're pregnant?" He asked, leaning heavily against the bench for support.Â
Natalie turned towards her boyfriend with a bright smile and nodded, "I am."Â
With those two words, Jose's fate was sealed. He would do anything to be there for his child. Natalie had never looked as beautiful as she did at that moment. He quickly moved towards her and spun her in circles, quietly whispering near her ear in his native language about how happy he was and how he couldn't wait to be a father.Â
_____________________
Jose did his best to provide for them but unfortunately, immigration policies that had been put in place did not work in his favor. Eventually, Natalie stated that the visa process and the money were a waste of time when they could just get married. With their marriage came the ability to earn more money with better-paying jobs due to his visa. Â
But the marriage had been more out of necessity or obligation than love. For years Jose had tried to get a visa through the legal channels and had poured so much money into the process. He had his second thoughts about the marriage especially when they were really struggling and he'd picked up any overtime that was offered. The reason for the overtime was two-fold. One was because they needed the money as Natalie insisted on being a stay-at-home mom. Two he dreaded going home every night. If he didn't work overtime Natalie yelled that he was good for nothing and tried to starve their son to death. On the other hand, if he worked overtime Natalie became suspicious and accused him of cheating on her. Of course, neither of these were true but after hearing them so often it felt like maybe she was right. Â
With a better-paying job and more manageable hours, Jose finally felt like he was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. All that changed after Remus was born.Â
____________________
There was something different about Natalie after Remus. She looked at the child like she feared he might spontaneously combust or perhaps she was wishing he would. She had never looked at Roman that way. Jose thought maybe he was just seeing things since her behavior towards Roman hadn't changed.Â
After a long shift, Jose came home and found Natalie barricading herself in the kitchen with a knife pointed at Remus. She was shrieking and crying as she watched her son. It was impossible to understand what she was saying and honestly, Jose wasn't sure he wanted to know.Â
His eyes went to Remus who was sitting up and looking at his mom, reaching his hands out for her but by the look in Natalie's eyes she didn't even recognize the child as her. The first thing he noticed about Remus was the blood around him that was coming from his hand.Â
Jose picked up Remus and took him and Roman to the bathroom so he could patch up his son. He would likely never know how Remus got injured as that day Remus stopped talking to anyone but Roman.Â
This was the first time Jose considered that maybe Natalie needed help. He did his best to keep Remus away from her and ensure that he had everything he needed. Jose also tried to urge Natalie to seek professional help but if anything that only made things worse. Even when he suggested Roman and Remus go to therapy he was met with resistance by Natalie.Â
When Jose had brought up seeking help Natalie had screamed and cried for hours about how she was trying her best and maybe if he did more this wouldn't be happening
Without Natalie's knowledge, he did manage to take both of his sons to therapy. Jose couldn't care less what Natalie's reaction would be if she ever found out. This was in the best interest of his children. Â
At this point, Jose was half convinced that this was normal behavior. There were times after the fact that Jose went over all of the days leading up to the end that he tried to pinpoint if he'd missed a sign but everything seemed normal.Â
One day he came home from work with Remus on his hip to find the house trashed. There was a letter amongst the wreck from Natalie that said she was taking Roman and leaving. That Jose was no longer the man she married and she couldn't take it anymore. Upon reading that letter Jose knew he should've felt sad or ashamed but he couldn't help but feel relief. That Remus was safe, he was safe. The only thing he was worried about was Roman. How he'd ever find his son or ensure that he was okay. There was no telling what Natalie would be capable of. Thankfully, she hadn't shown any aggression towards Roman but Jose knew that it wasn't safe for Natalie to have him.Â
After Natalie left Jose never stopped looking for Roman. However, there were very few people who wanted to assist an immigrant in finding his child. He'd told his story many times and found that most people just stared at him and came to the conclusion that his wife was abused and running for a reason. During his search child protective services had been called on him multiple times as anyone who listened to his story assumed that Remus was also in danger. Thankfully these assumptions were unfounded and he was able to take care of Remus on his own.Â
_______________________
Years had passed and Jose had stopped telling people his story. This didn't mean he'd stopped looking for Roman but he mostly used the internet or prayed that somehow they would make it back to each other.Â
The day has been like any other day when he received a text from an unknown number claiming to be Roman. Jose was hesitant to believe it at first as it seemed so impossible but upon further investigation he realized it was actually Roman.Â
It took everything in him to be patient to schedule a meet up. This was his son they were talking about. A son he never thought he would be allowed to see again. With the reconnection came the hard part of trying to explain to his grown son what had happened. But it felt like all he had were excuses. That he hadn't tried hard enough or been a good enough father.Â
______________
Once he'd said his part Jose hazard a glance at Roman and saw that his son had tears streaming down his face, "I'm so sorry." He pleaded, needing his son to understand.
Roman shook his head, "Dad no." He whispered, wiping at his face and feeling Virgil's hand on his thigh rubbing small circles, "you did so much for both of us." He added, "She--she always told me you left."
"I promise you I didn't. I have spent all of my free time looking for you." Jose assured, setting his hand on the table near Roman and instantly relaxing when he grasped his hand.Â
The teen choked on a sob, "I believe you." He whispered, squeezing his hand.Â
Those three words broke all of Jose's resolve. Roman believed him. His son didn't blame him. He didn't hate him. Jose swallowed hard, "Roman. Can I have another hug?" He asked gently, trying to let his son set the pace.Â
Roman immediately got up and wrapped his arms around his father, not even allowing him to get out of his seat, "please stay."Â
Jose whimpered and leaned into Roman any attempt at trying to pull himself together shattered by his son's request to have him stay.Â
I just wanted to say I love chemically imbalanced. I hope you know that weâd all wait however long it takes to figure out the backstory. Youâve made a community around this story that wants nothing more than to protect the boys because youâve made them real. Obviously we know they arenât real but the characterization youâve done on these boys is amazing and worthy of all the notes and readers it gets. If you need time to discern where to go from here then take it ~đ„
ThisâŠthis has been an ask Iâve been wanting to reply too but couldnât find the words.
I know itâs been years since I updated, but this ask always flashed into mind whenever I started getting anxious or started beating myself up. This is one of the few asks that stuck with me, all this time, and I just want to say thank you.
These really meant a lot to me and kept me from developing my (usual) hate for my own work.
Hello dear friend! It's been a little while since I've last sent you an ask ahaha! How have you been? I've been a little hesitant to send you an ask after so long but I'm plucking up my courage and here we are! I hope you've been doing well đđ€đđ€đ
Hi!!! itâs been such a long time since Iâve been online so not to worry! How have you been? A lotâs been going on irl for me đ feel free to dm me if you wanna chat more!!
Do you always have blood on your hands â but never yours? Are you building biceps from dragging your friends out of danger? Are you the calm one on your team, always with band aids? Did you fly through medical school? Can you magically heal people? Do you have a special line on the monthly budget just for bandages? Or, do you somehow keep getting stuck with a shot, stabbed, or concussed friend, despite having no first aid training whatsoever?Â
If this sounds like you, then you might be a Caretaker.
Thatâs right â youâre a fictional character whoâs been assigned the weighty duty of caring for others in tales dedicated to pain, strife, and anguish. This is good news, in a way: it means youâre less likely to be the one getting hurt.
Probably.
For now, at least.
(Better to read the guide for Whumpees, just in case. We can almost guarantee youâll eventually take your share of damage.)
Being a Caretaker means being a conduit for the Powers That Be to either imagine caring for others or to imagine being cared for. Hold your head high! You are making the world a better place, both inside your fictional universe and outside of it.
Thatâs the good news: youâre helping, deeply, truly. Even if itâs just a glass of water or a gentle shoulder rub, youâve helped. Thatâs something to be proud of.
There is bad news, of course. Youâre still gonna rack up your share of pain. Youâll see your friends injured, ill, captured, tortured, broken, again and again, in new and creative forms of agony, and you wonât be able to do a damn thing except help pick up the pieces.Â
(If you are given the opportunity to incur damage instead of a teammate, youâre skirting on the edge of âheroic self sacrificeâ territory. Tread carefully, or youâll end up as the Whumpee.)
Sometimes the emotional toll of caring for others will be great enough that youâll teeter right back into Whumpee territory. To stave off Whumpee status for as long as possible, here are some tips collected from experienced Caretakers:
Is your teammate wearing white? Not on your watch! Encourage your team to wear light colors so they canât hide their injuries, but avoid white at all costs. White clothes almost always lead to bleeding.
Is your teammate wearing a jacket and looking rather pale? Donât take chances! Make âem take off the jacket, no matter how much they complain.
Speaking of which: if something seems off, it probably is off. Never trust anyone who tells you theyâre âfine, actuallyâ, or âitâs just a cutâ.
The flu hits fictional characters like you and your team especially hard. Insist upon hand sanitizer and yearly vaccines, if your universe provides them.
Do you have advanced medical training? Look at you go, you smarty pants! You may be prepared but youâre not getting off easy â youâll eventually be called on to perform field surgery with no anesthetic and few supplies. Better stock up on anatomy text books and start taking notes on how to make chloroform from cleaning supplies.
As mentioned in our guide for Whumpees, if youâre the only one on a team with medical training, insist that at least one other team member gets first aid training and a tour of your medical supplies. Next time, it could be you with the bullet in the leg.
On the flip side: do you lack any medical training whatsoever but still keep finding yourself the Caretaker? This would be a great opportunity to take your universeâs equivalent of a weekend wilderness medical course. Your team will thank you.
October is going to be a rough month. Stock up on pain killers and soft blankets accordingly.
Being a Caretaker is an honor. Itâs also a huge, tough job. Drink water, when you have it; sleep when itâs safe; keep the med kit stocked. Remember, your friends are counting on you to pull them through their darkest hours. Maintain open, honest communication like your lives depend on it â someday, they might.Â
Youâve got this, Caretaker. And when you donât?
That thing about how cats think humans are big kittens is a myth, yâknow.
Itâs basically born of false assumptions; folks were trying to explain how a naturally solitary animal could form such complex social bonds with humans, and the explanation they settled on is âitâs a displaced parent/child bondâ.
The trouble is, cats arenât naturally solitary. We just assumed they were based on observations of European wildcats - but housecats arenât descended from European wildcats. Theyâre descended from African wildcats, which are known to hunt in bonded pairs and family groupings, and that social tendency is even stronger in their domesticated relatives. The natural social unit of the housecat is a colony: a loose affiliation of cats centred around a shared territory held by alliance of dominant females, who raise all of the colonyâs kittens communally.
Itâs often remarked that dogs understand that humans are different, while cats just think humans are big, clumsy cats, and thatâs totally true - but they regard us as adult colonymates, not as kittens, and all of their social behaviour toward us makes a lot more sense through that lens.
They like to cuddle because communal grooming is how cats bond with colonymates - it establishes a shared scent-identity for the colony and helps clean spots that they canât easily reach on their own.
They bring us dead animals because cats transport surplus kills back to the colonyâs shared territory for consumption by pregnant, nursing, or sick colonymates who canât easily hunt on their own. Indeed, thatâs why they kill so much more than they individually need - itâs not for fun, but to generate enough surplus kills to sustain the colonyâs non-hunting members.
Theyâre okay with us messing with their kittens because communal parenting is the norm in a colony setting, and us being colonymates in their minds automatically makes us co-parents.
Itâs even why many cats are so much more tolerant toward very small children, as long as those children are related to one of their regular humans: they can tell the difference between human adults and human âkittensâ, and your kittens are their kittens.
Basically, youâre going to have a much easier time getting a handle on why your cat does why your cat does if you remember that the natural mode of social organisation for cats is not as isolated solitary hunters, but as a big communal catpile - and for that purpose, you count as a cat.
As a side note, as a Texan I can confirm that mockingbirds are total trolls who will also mimic thr sounds of babies crying and phones ringing so deer are definitely not the only ones getting freaked out by them
andulkaphoto
discoholicmusic
stormborns
jacobvanloon
annaxmalina
jbbartram-illu
