Here are for the lovely person (or people) asking for more Baby Sato.
Xuebing Du

JVL
noise dept.
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
Cosimo Galluzzi

@theartofmadeline
NASA

#extradirty

shark vs the universe
tumblr dot com
Mike Driver

izzy's playlists!
occasionally subtle
Show & Tell
d e v o n
sheepfilms

titsay
AnasAbdin
Monterey Bay Aquarium

seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Malaysia

seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Malaysia

seen from Türkiye

seen from Türkiye

seen from Malaysia

seen from Netherlands

seen from Malaysia

seen from United Kingdom

seen from United States

seen from Germany
seen from United States

seen from Germany
seen from Argentina
seen from Romania
seen from Canada
seen from United States
@xnedrabourne
Here are for the lovely person (or people) asking for more Baby Sato.
Korra + Impossible Redirection
Aqueous + Ferrous Fluids
This last gif is actually really cool when you consider that Kuvira bent the meteor rock (the ferrous fluid) as if it were just a soft metal - while Korra is bending it like water because she’s trained in water bending and knows how to do that. In the words of Guru Pathik: “If you open your mind, you will see that all the elements are one. Four parts of the same whole.” To the Avatar, why can’t rock be water?
Korra is that bitch. Period.
I really liked that, in the last few moments of the finale, the only people to make Korra smile were the kids
So last week I tried moaning every time I ate something delicious.
It was vaguely uncomfortable and unnatural
I actually love the idea of doing this trying out fanfic/literary cliche’s out in real life, kinda wanna make up a list and undertake it as a challenge.
don’t forget to make your butthole flutter today
Guess someone’s eye color from 20 feet away.
Be careful with these. I started reading fanfiction three years ago and now I have to toe my shoes off to get my feet out.
But do you pad across rooms?
Yes but I often give away my position when I huff.
FYI, I’m smirking at all y’all.
I’m resisting the urge to card my fingers through everybody’s hair.
This is as good a time as any to admit that right now I smell like coffee, sandalwood soap, and something uniquely myself.
I hate this post so much I clenched my fists and looked away, muscles bunching in my jaw.
i’m so glad to see i’m not alone, i let out a breath i didn’t know i was holding
It’s true, I quietly admit, as a blush spreads across my cheeks.
you’re all perfect, i love and appreciate all of you and I’d like to invite each of you over to my house to make out so our tongues can battle for dominance
Lena spends millions of dollars to create an artificial illusion balcony just so kara slams into the window like a bird
IM SCREAMING………………… she reinforces the windows too so the hero of National City slowly slides down against the glass while Lena just carries on like nothing happened and saves the camera footage to her “SuperFAILS” supercut
Well I couldn’t very well not draw this
Bonus: shitty gif version of the above (for that slide down the glass, add your own sound effects)
Kara tells Lena shes Supergirl in the same way she told Winn, by bringing her up to the roof and then jumping off to prove it bc Lena was in profound denial.
Except Lena freaks out and jumps after Kara.
Its not until theyre safely back on the roof, windswept and out of breath with Kara exclaiming, “What the HELL was that?! Im the one who can fly, not you!”, that it finally clicks.
“Obviously I didn’t know that at the time!!”
Kara waves her arms in frustration. “What would you even have done if I was falling for real?? Cushioned me with your tiny body? From above?”
Lena scoffs. “Looking for rational reasoning in irrational situations isn’t productive,” she says primly. “Clearly I wasn’t thinking. I was going to catch you, and hold you, because—because holding you has always kept me safe.”
Kara’s mouth flaps open and closed uselessly, looking for any kind of response, while Lena shifts her stance to bridge the distance between them.
She reaches out to grasp Kara by the wrist. Voice lowered, she adds: “And… it did.”
please. please do yourself a favor and read this incredibly well-written and thrilling article, written by a woman who willfully sat in a TGI fridays for 14 hours, and ordered far too many mozzerella sticks, in order to see whether or not “endless appetizers” were truly endless.
i am not kidding you when i say that it is the best thing i’ve read in a long time.
It’s so damn well written please read this
reading this article lowered my quality of life and worsened my mental health and you should absolutely still read it
In case you were not convinced by the description alone, here is an excerpt:
catradora fic recs
all right losers buckle up, this is going to be a really long post
i’ve read a lot of catradora fanfiction since november, and honestly?? it’s all pretty good. these are just my faves <3
all of these fics are completed, unless noted otherwise. i’m not gonna mention any that are just straight-up smut, but a few of these recs do have nsfw (i’ll let you know which).
if you’re the author of any of these, please let me know and i’ll @ you in the post!
also, shameless plug: check out my catradora fics! i wrote a complete horde secret santa au, a one-shot where catra gets catnip, a coffee shop au, and more!!
Keep reading
can you recommend some korrasami fics?
Of course I can! Man, I don’t even know where to start, but these are some of the ones that come to mind (they aren’t ranked in any particular order):
March of Progress by @threehoursfromtroy
The Avatar must protect nature, foster peace, and keep the world safe.The CEO of Future Industries must expand, innovate, and, at the end of the day, turn a profit.
Korra and Asami have fallen in love, and fallen hard. But when their duties come between them, their world convulses around them, and their pasts still haunt them both, can the world’s most powerful couple survive?
~ I’ve recommended this many times and still stand by this fic. We get to see the development of Korra and Asami in terms of their relationship, their characterization and their hardships. Also, the author is an absolute sweetheart!
http://archiveofourown.org/works/6996448/chapters/15938416
Place in the World by paxbanana
Korra struggles to find her place in the world. Continuation-fic. Related to One on One.
~ Honestly, I think this is my favourite Korrasami story I’ve ever read. It’s mostly what I would want to happen for a Book 5 of TLOK. The author alternates between Korra and Asami’s perspective in this story and brings about brilliant characterization/introspection as well as culture (we get to experience a lot in regards to the Southern Water Tribe). Seriously… just read it when you have the time. (Yes, I know some people have a problem with the labels used in this story and I completely understand, but try to give it a chance. I think the author has been quite respectful in how they handled the whole situation - but, if this type of thing really does bother you, consider giving this fic a pass)
http://archiveofourown.org/works/8235412/chapters/18873364
Absence of Light by @sniperct
Ten years ago, Avatar Korra opened a spirit portal in the center of Republic City. In the decade since, Korra has overseen a new era of peace. But there are dangers old and new, creeping shadows threatening to strangle and choke out the light and throw the world back out of balance. In the absence of light, what hope remains?
~ I’ve recommended this to some people because it’s honestly one of the best stories that I’ve ever read (this too has its own series called The Avatar and the Inventor). This story along with The Seeking Balance series are absolutely among my top two favourites in regards to Korrasami fics. Here, we have a badass married Korrasami couple and a very interesting/dangerous villain. We also get to see some good ol’ characters from ATLA!
http://archiveofourown.org/works/4269738/chapters/9667932
The Everthere by @guileheroine
Korra and Asami on the steady, special road to life partnership. A post-reunion, post(ish)-college roommate AU.
~ So, I’m not usually a fan of AU stories, but this one has left me stunned on multiple occasions. The characterization of Korra and Asami is divine, their relationship progression is so pure and beautiful and the story is captivating. It’s a slow burn story that is definitely worth your time!
http://archiveofourown.org/works/8541466/chapters/19581724
(The characterization in this story reminds me of Nightmares and Daydreams by SorbetLaitier - another sort of slow burn type of story that I would highly recommend ~ https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10837027/1/Nightmares-and-Daydreams)
All These Broken Hearts on That Pole by Gummy
Korra knew this was insane. Absolutely utterly mad. The first time she ever stepped foot in a strip club and of course she had to fall for one of the strippers. The entire thing felt like a tired, worn out cliche. But cliche or not, something was happening and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let it slip through her fingers.
~ This is another AU involving a strip club - need I say more? I haven’t read this one in a while, but I would definitely say that it’s worth the read!
http://archiveofourown.org/works/3298841/chapters/7203143
Parts to Play by @darling-gypsum
Asami Sato has been raised her whole life to distrust benders, but now, she doesn’t know quite what to make of the Avatar. The two girls bond as the Equalist threat looms over Republic City, but the threat could be closer than Korra realizes. Asami’s allegiances are tested. (designed to blend the “Asami Equalist AU” into most of the show canon, so Korrasami, Makorra, and Masami ships are all acknowledged and explored)
Unseen moments in the last two books, as Korra and Asami fly out of and back into each other’s lives.Sequel to “Parts to Play” Books 1 & 2.
~ This is definitely a must-read story! It takes an alternative path in books 1 & 2 with an equalist!asami narrative. Book 3 & 4 are more of what we are used to in the show. The characters really get fleshed out and we get to see lot of behind-the-scenes moments/interactions. A very beautiful story/series indeed!
http://archiveofourown.org/works/3987445/chapters/8951752
http://archiveofourown.org/works/6108466/chapters/14000713
Book 5: Light by @asami-snazz
A complete Book 5 story following Korra and Asami from the final and beyond as the couple navigate through their new relationship whilst also dealing with rising anti-spirit tension at home and considerable political instability in the rest of the Four Nations as Korra and Asami are tested more than ever before.
“The canon seemed to be being fired carelessly from the Spirit Wilds. Korra…No…Gut instinct told Asami that the Avatar would be there.”
~ I’ve always had a great liking for this story! Very nice characterization and relationship-building for both Korrasami with a really neat plot! It starts out fluffy but gets very interesting as the chapter go on! We get to Asami have some amazing moments and we also get to see a bit more about Korra’s mental state. Highly recommend this!
http://archiveofourown.org/works/3789511/chapters/8434099
Stand on the Horizon by theinvisblekunst
In 159AG, a portal opened at the bottom of the Mo Ce Sea, allowing giant monsters that became known as the kaiju to enter the physical world. For eight long years, the world’s benders were the first line of defense, but the loss of life became too great. A fifteen year old Asami Sato has the solution, and she presents her idea to the world: Build giant mechs to fight the kaiju. She calls them “jaegers.” Now, three years later, her jaegers are the primary kaiju-fighting weapon, and she’s determined to pilot her own. Who knew the avatar would also want to be a pilot.
~ Another AU that I decided to give a chance and wow, I was not disappointed. I was a big fan of Pacific Rim merely for it cool action-packed sequences. The idea of giant robots fighting giant monsters is always pleasant to think about. Throw Korrasami into the mix and you get an even more entertaining story, especially when the drift is involved.
This story was quite emotional for me, but I can’t recommend it enough! Korra and Asami become the true legends in this AU.
http://archiveofourown.org/works/2391920/chapters/5285162
* * * * *
These are some awesome and/or well-known stories that you should 100% read (seriously, I could write a description for each of these stories, but I think they can all speak for themselves in terms of their amazing quality):
Who Rebuilds the Builder by @jaybear1701
https://archiveofourown.org/works/3212162
The Beacon, Lovebirds and Keeping an Open Mind to the Possibilities by Golden_Solidus
https://archiveofourown.org/works/2839859
https://archiveofourown.org/works/3564599
https://archiveofourown.org/works/16635380
Roll With the Punches by greatestchange (I think you all know how much I love this story based on all of the comments I’ve written about it)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/11009700/chapters/24529695
Republic City Blues by Beech27
https://archiveofourown.org/works/3168725/chapters/6880583
shorelines (or, four times asami sato didn’t leave, and one time she did) by nirav
https://archiveofourown.org/works/3130709/chapters/6785381
a sense of stars by lupinely
https://archiveofourown.org/works/5456975
the lion of desolation and other stories series by signalbeam
https://archiveofourown.org/series/228746https://archiveofourown.org/series/228746
Learning Curve by ruminantmonk (all the stories from this author are beautiful!)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/3141374?view_full_work=true
Seeking Balance series by SimplyKorra (a.k.a @weissrose on this site)
http://archiveofourown.org/series/273651
Instincts of a Fearful Body by @emirael & @skyedancer-rae
https://archiveofourown.org/works/4658958/chapters/10628718
Spin the Rails series by @lokgifsandmusings and @progmanx
https://archiveofourown.org/series/188699
Venti Sized Crush by @mezoereed
http://archiveofourown.org/works/3954847/chapters/8867536
They say that true love hurts. Well, this could almost kill me by frenetic_core
http://archiveofourown.org/works/3765220/chapters/8363638
The Blacksmith’s Favor by @sy-itha
http://archiveofourown.org/works/3171119/chapters/6886439
Food Fight by @oldvelvet95 (I love re-reading this one!)
http://archiveofourown.org/works/3787072/chapters/8426605
The Avatar’s Non-bending Master by clarias
https://archiveofourown.org/works/2887367/chapters/6528749
Ronin Korra series by @silks-stuff
http://archiveofourown.org/works/3345077/chapters/7317863
Goodbye My Almost Lover by blak_cat
https://archiveofourown.org/works/3143342
…and a whole lot of others that I want to include (but this list is already getting too long - though you may see me add things here and there overtime). I haven’t bothered adding my own commentary to these last few ones due to their well-known status. But seriously, read.them.all when/if you get the chance!
Hopefully you can find some nice stories in there that you haven’t read before. They all deserve the chance to be read and loved! Feel free to add on some other stories if you think I missed some good ones (which I’m certain that I did).
You know Aang never let go of Katara yeah...? I think the guru not only tried to make him go into avatar state again but also teach Aang how to fly.
TheBuddhist concept of “attachment” and “non-attachment” istypically misunderstood. The Guru told Aang to let go of hisattachment to Katara. Aang interpreted it as “dump her” or stopfeeling anything for her. That’s not what non- attachment means at all. Non-attachment is NOT being stone -cold aloof; it means to stop holding on so tightly, stop micro-managing, stop meddling and just trust. Trust the flow.Trust the unfolding of events. Trust those you love to love you back.Aang could not defeat the Phoenix King if his mind was on Katara.He could not (should not) fight her battles for her. He had tofocus on what he needed to do and Katara was quite capable of takingcare of herself. That is what the Guru meant by “letting go”of Katara.
Attachmentin the Buddhist context is like: trying to hold water in your handsby making a tight fist. You hold on so tightly the water squeezedright out leaving you empty handed and slightly damp. People dothis to the ones they love. They try to “hold on” so tightly theother person starts to hate them.
Korra’sjourney to non- attachment was not the same as Aang’s. Korra was moreattached to her label as Avatar or her idea of what sheshould be as the Avatar. She had little to no problemtrusting her friends and loved ones to handle themselves in battle.Her challenge was letting go to this identity she had created forherself long ago and instead embracing who she really was. Many of usget stuck in labels applied to us, expectations put upon us,traditions and cultural norms taught to us that we never find out whowe really are and what we are really capable of. Book FourKorra had been holding on so tightly the “old her” to what hadhappened to the “old her” that she could not heal and moveforward. Korra had to let go of her- self: her fears,insecurities, old labels and other attachments tostep in front of a spirit weapon of that magnitude and just trust that she could stop it.
“Attachment”may not be the best English word to translate the concept from theoriginal language…..but still I like that both the shows bring upthese concepts. Its a good introduction. If you want more I recommendthe American Buddhist Writer Brad Warner translating Dogen Buddhismfor the Modern Western audience.
Absolutely perfect
This is fucking beautiful @threehoursfromtroy
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AO3 has reached 25,000 fandoms! To celebrate, we’ve put together info about fandom tags and how all tags work: https://goo.gl/W4wPxH
Hey folks who use AO3 - please read and reblog widely. In addition to the celebration of our 25,000th canonical fandom, this post contains some great tips for making our tagging system work for you.
As a Support Staffer and Tag Wrangler for AO3, I beg you:
Among the tips:
Separate your / and & ships / is for romantic and/or sexual relationships. & is for platonic relationships only – ones that are neither sexual nor romantic. (Pre- and Post-Relationship are still /.) & was created for those Gen fans who don’t want anything non-platonic in the ships they’re searching for. You can help both Gen fans and shippers by carefully choosing the tag that matches your work!
Look, I know you’re writing a slow burn where the friendship aspect of the relationship is important. I applaud that; I love it in my romantic pairings. But it’s a /, not a &. Please save & for those of us who want to find the three truly and purely gen fics for a popular romantic ship.
Folks, I LOVE AO3, please read and share!
As someone relatively new to using AO3, I did not really realise this. *goes back to check tags* THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS.
TAG WRANGLING: For Pairings
/ is for romantic or sexual relationships
& is for platonic, non-romantic, non-sexual relationships
*shoves at certain fandoms who shall remain nameless mfmm*
I was inspired by the numerous drawings people have made of korra in the poles (which keep appearing on my dashboard). Drawing the background was fun since it’s empty and it’s just shades, and the people are little I didn’t need to worry about them. And Naga. (though Asami seems short and hard to recognise, and a little bit out of breath!)
It’s… so white. What were you expecting? I mean, I knew it would be white, but… it goes on forever. Try growing up here. That… I think I understand your people better now, in this moment, than any dozens of volumes of cultural studies could make me. How so? You persevere. You take this lifeless corner of the world… and you thrive. *takes Asami’s hand* We find warmth in each other. That takes you a long way. Yes… *squeezes Korra’s hand* Yes it does.
THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)
An Article from Neena Susan Thomas
“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.
5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.
6] Number three is public restrooms.
7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.
8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.
POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:
1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.
5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.
6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.
2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.
If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.
REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.
THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.”
EVERYONE BOOT THE FUCK OUT OF THIS
An old and homely grandmother accidentally summons a demon. She mistakes him for her gothic-phase teenage grandson and takes care of him. The demon decides to stay at his new home.
It isn’t uncommon for this particular demon to be summoned—from exhausting Halloween party pranks in abandoned barns to more legitimate (more exhausting) ceremonies in forests—but it has to admit, this is the first time it’s been called forth from its realm into a claustrophobic living room bathed in the dull orange-pink glow of old glass lamps and a multitude of wide-eyed, creepy antique porcelain dolls that could give Chucky a run for his money with all of their silent, seething stares combined. Accompanying those oddities are tea cup and saucer sets on shelves atop frilly doilies crocheted with the utmost care, and cross-stitched, colorful ‘Home Sweet Home’s hung across the wood-paneled walls.
It’s a mistake—a wrong number, per se. No witch it’s ever known has lived in such an, ah, dated, home. Furthermore, no practitioner that ever summoned it has been absent, as if they’d up and ding-dong ditched it. No, it didn’t work that way. Not at all. Not if they want to survive the encounter.
It hears the clinking of movement in the room adjacent—the kitchen, going by the pungent, bitter scent of cooled coffee and soggy, sweet sponge cakes, but more jarring is the smell of blood. It moves—feels something slip beneath its clawed foot as it does, and sees a crocheted blanket of whites and greys and deep black yarn, wound intricately, perfectly, into a summoning circle. Its summoning circle. There is a small splash of bright scarlet and sharp, jagged bits of a broken curio scattered on top, as if someone had dropped it, attempted to pick it up the pieces and pricked their finger. It would explain the blood. And it would explain the demon being brought into this strange place.
As it connects these pieces in its mind, the inhabitant of the house rounds the corner and exits the kitchen, holding a damp, white dish towel close to her hand and fumbling with the beaded bifocals hanging from her neck by a crocheted lanyard before stopping dead in her tracks.
Now, to be fair, the demon wouldn’t ordinarily second guess being face-to-face with a hunchbacked crone with a beaked nose, beady eyes and a peculiar lack of teeth, or a spidery shawl and ankle-length black dress, but there is definitely something amiss here. Especially when the old biddy lets her spectacles fall slack on her bosom and erupts into a wide, toothy (toothless) grin, eyes squinting and crinkling from the sheer effort of it.
“Todd! Todd, dear, I didn’t know you were visiting this year! You didn’t call, you didn’t write—but, oh, I’m so happy you’re here, dear! Would it have been too much to ask you to ring the doorbell? I almost had a heart attack. And don’t worry about the blood, here—I had an accident. My favorite figure toppled off of the table and cleanup didn’t go as expected. But I seem to recall you are quite into the bloodshed and ‘edgy’ stuff these days, so I don’t suppose you mind.” She releases a hearty, kind laugh, but it isn’t mocking, it’s sweet. Grandmotherly. The demon is by no means sentimental or maudlin, but the kindness, the familiarity, the genuine fondness, does pull a few dusty old nostalgic heartstrings. “Imagine if it leaves a scar! It’d be a bit ‘badass,’ as you teenagers say, wouldn’t it?”
She is as blind as a bat without her glasses, it would appear, because the demon is by no means a ‘Todd’ or a human at all, though humanoid, shrouded in sleek, black skin and hard spikes and sharp claws. But the demon humors her, if only because it had been caught off guard.
The old woman smiles still, before turning on her heel and shuffling into the hallway with a stiff gait revealing a poor hip. “Be a dear and make some more coffee, would you please? I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
Yes, this is most definitely a mistake. One for the record books, for certain. For late-night trips to bars and conversations with colleagues, while others discuss how many souls they’d swindled in exchange for peanuts, or how many first-borns they’d been pledged for things idiot humans could have gained without divine intervention. Ugh. Sometimes it all just became so pedantic that little detours like this were a blessing—happy accidents, as the humans would say.
That’s why the demon does as asked, and plods slowly into the kitchen, careful to duck low and avoid the top of the doorframe. That’s why it gingerly takes the small glass pot and empties it of old, stale coffee and carefully, so carefully, takes a measuring scoop between its claws and fills the machine with fresh grounds. It’s as the hot water is percolating that the old woman returns, her index finger wrapped tight in a series of beige bandages.
“I’m surprised you’re so tall, Todd! I haven’t seen you since you were at my hip! But your mother mails photos all the time—you do love wearing all black, don’t you?” She takes a seat at the small round table in the corner and taps the glass lid of the cake plate with quaking, unsteady, aged hands. “I was starting to think you’d never visit. Your father and I have had our disagreements, but…I am glad you’re here, dear. Would you like some cake?” Before the demon has a chance to decline, she lifts the lid and cuts a generous slice from the near-complete circle that has scarcely been touched. It smells of citrus and cream and is, as assumed earlier, soggy, oversaturated with icing.
It was made for a special occasion, for guests, but it doesn’t seem this old woman receives much company in this musty, stagnant house that smells like an antique garage that hadn’t had its dust stirred in years.
Especially not from her absentee grandson, Todd.
The demon waits until the coffee pot is full, and takes two small mugs from the counter, filling them until steam is frothing over the rims. Then, and only then, does it accept the cake and sit, with some difficulty, in a small chair at the small table. It warbles out a polite ‘thank you,’ but it doesn’t suppose the woman understands. Manners are manners regardless.
“Oh, dear, I can hardly understand. Your voice has gotten so deep, just like your grandfather’s was. That, and I do recall you have an affinity for that gravelly, screaming music. Did your voice get strained? It’s alright, dear, I’ll do the talking. You just rest up. The coffee will help soothe.”
The demon merely nods—some communication can be understood without fail—and drinks the coffee and eats the cake with a too-small fork. It’s ordinary, mushy, but delicious because of the intent behind it and the love that must have gone into its creation.
“I hope you enjoyed all of the presents I sent you. You never write back—but I am aware most people use that fancy E-mail these days. I just can’t wrap my head around it. I do wish your mom and dad would visit sometime. I know of a wonderful little café down the street we can go to. I haven’t been; I wanted to visit it with Charles, before he…well.” She falls silent in her rambling, staring into her coffee with a small, melancholy smile. “I can’t believe it’s been ten years. You never had the chance to meet him. But never mind that.” Suddenly, and with surprising speed that has the demon concerned for her well being, she moves to her feet, bracing her hands on the edge of the table. “I may as well give you your birthday present, since you’re here. What timing! I only finished it this morning. I’ll be right back.”
When she returns, the white, grey and black crocheted work with the summoning circle is bundled in her arms.
“I found these designs in an occult book I borrowed from the library. I thought you’d like them on a nice, warm blanket to fight off the winter chill—I hope you do like it.” With gentle hands, she spreads the blanket over the demon’s broad, spiky back like a shawl, smoothing it over craggy shoulders and patting its arms affectionately. “Happy birthday, Todd, dear.”
Well, that settles it. Whoever, wherever, Todd is, he’s clearly missing out. The demon will just have to be her grandson from now on.
this is so sweet. it made me want to hug someone.
i had to
I WOULD WATCH SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE
Okay but she takes him to the little cafe and all of the people in her town are like “What is that thing, what the hell, Anette?” and she’s like “Don’t you remember my grandson Todd?” and the entire town just has to play along because no one will tell little old Nettie that her grandson is an actual demon because this is the happiest she’s been since her husband died.
Bonus: In season 4 she makes him run for mayor and he wins
I just want to watch ‘Todd’ help her with groceries, and help her with cooking, and help her clean up the dust around the house and air it out, and fill it with spring flowers because Anette mentioned she loved hyacinth and daffodils. Over the seasons her eyesight worsens, so ‘Todd’ brings a hellhound into the house to act as her seeing eye dog, and people in town are kinda terrified of this massive black brute with fur that drips like thick oil, and a mouth that can open all the way back to its chest, but ‘Honey’ likes her hard candies, and doesn’t get oil on the carpet, and when ‘Todd’ has to go back to Hell for errands, Honey will snuggle up to Anette and rest his giant head on her lap, and whuff at her pockets for butterscotch. Anette never gives ‘Todd’ her soul, but she gives him her heart
In season six, Anette gets sick. She spends most of the season bedridden and it becomes obvious by about midway through the season that she’s not going to make it to the end of the season. Todd spends the season travelling back and forth between the human realm and his home plane, trying hard to find something, anything that will help Anette get better, to prolong her life. He’s tried getting her to sell him her soul, but she’s just laughed, told him that he shouldn’t talk like that. With only a few episodes left in the season Anette passes away, Todd is by her side. When the reaper comes for her Todd asks about the fate of her soul. In a dispassionate voice the reaper informs Todd that Anette spent the last few years of her life cavorting with creatures of darkness, that there can be only one fate for her. Todd refuses to accept this and he fights the reaper, eventually injuring the creature and driving it off. Knowing that Anette cannot stay in the Human Realm, and refusing to allow her spirit to be taken by another reaper, so he takes her soul in his arms. He’s done this before, when mortals have sold themselves to him. This time the soul cradled against his chest does not snuggle and fight. This time the soul held tight against him reaches out, pats him on the cheek tells him he was a good boy, and so handsome, just like his grandfather. Todd takes Anette back to the demon realm, holding her tight against him as he travels across the bleak and forebidding landscape; such a sharp contrast to the rosy warmth of Anette’s home. Eventually, in a far corner of his home plane, Todd finds what he is looking for. It is a place where other demons do not tread; a large boulder cracked and broken, with a gap just barely large enough for Todd to fit through. This crack, of all things, gives him pause, but Anette’s soul makes a comment about needing to get home in time to feed Honey, and Todd forces himself to pass through it. He travels in darkness for a while, before he emerges into into a light so bright that it’s blinding. His eyes adjust slowly, and he finds himself face to face with two creatures, each of them at least twice his size one of them has six wings and the head of a lion, one of them is an amorphous creature within several rings. The lion-headed one snarls at Todd, and demands that he turn back, that he has no business here. Todd looks down, holding Anette’s soul against his chest, he takes a deep breath, and speaks a single word, “Please.” The two larger beings are taken aback by this. They are too used to Todd’s kind being belligerent, they consult with each other, they argue. The amorphous one seems to want to be lenient, the lion-headed one insists on being stricter. While they’re arguing Todd sneaks by them and runs as fast as he can, deeper into the brightly lit expanse. The path on which he travels begins to slope upwards, and eventually becomes a staircase. It becomes evident that each step further up the stair is more and more difficult for Todd, that it’s physically paining him to climb these stairs, but he keeps going.
They dedicate a full episode to this climb; interspersing the climb with scenes they weren’t able to show in previous seasons, Anette and Honey coming to visit Todd in the Mayor’s office, Anette and Todd playing bingo together for the first time, Anette and Todd watching their stories together in the mid afternoon, Anette falling asleep in her chair and Todd gently carrying her to bed. Anette making Todd lemonade in the summer while he’s up on the roof fixing that leak and cleaning out the rain gutters. Eventually Todd reaches the top, and all but collapses, he falls to a knee and for the first time his grip on Anette’s soul slips, and she falls away from him. Landing on the ground. He reaches out for her, but someone gets there first. Another hand reaches out, and helps this elderly woman off the ground, helps her get to her feet. Anette gasps, it’s Charles. The pair of them throw their arms around each other. Anette tells Charles that she’s missed him so much, and she has so much to tell him. Charles nods. Todd watches a soft smile on his face. A delicate hand touches Todd’s shoulder, and pulls him easily to his feet. A figure; we never see exactly what it looks like, leans down, whispering in Todd’s ear that he’s done well, and that Anette will be well taken care of here. That she will spend an eternity with her loved ones. Todd looks back over to her, she’s surrounded by a sea of people. Todd nods, and smiles. The figure behind him tells him that while he has done good in bringing Anette here, this is not his place, and he must leave. Todd nods, he knew this would be the case. Todd gets about six steps down the stairway before he is stopped by someone grabbing his shoulder again. He turns around, and Anette is standing behind him. She gives him a big hug and leads him back up the stairs, he should stay, she says. Get to know the family. Todd tries to tell her that he can’t stay, but she won’t hear it. She leads him up into the crowd of people and begins introducing him to long dead relatives of hers, all of whom give him skeptical looks when she introduces him as her grandson. The mysterious figure appears next to Todd again and tells him once more he must leave, Todd opens his mouth to answer but Anette cuts him off. Nonsense, she tells the figure. IF she’s gonna stay here forever her grandson will be welcome to visit her. She and the figure stare at each other for a moment. The figure eventually sighs and looks away, the figure asks Todd if she’s always like this. Todd just shrugs and smiles, allowing Anette to lead him through a pair of pearly gates, she’s already talking about how much cake they’ll need to feed all of these relatives.
P.S. Honey is a Good Dog and gets to go, too.
the last lines of the show:
demon: you’re not blind here – but you’re not surprised. when…?
anette: oh, toddy, don’t be silly, my biological grandson’s not twelve feet tall and doesn’t scorch the furniture when he sneezes. i’ve known for ages.
demon: then why?
anette: you wouldn’t have stayed if you weren’t lonely too.
demon: you… you don’t have to keep calling me your grandson.
anette: nonsense! adopted children are just as real. now quit sniffling, you silly boy, and let’s go bake a cake. honey, heel!
honey: W̝̽̂̿͂͝Ọ̮̹̲̪̋ͦͅO̸̘͔̬͊F̜̫͙̟͕͖̙̋ͫ͌͗
that addition is a+ :)
THE ONLY ENDING I WILL EVER ACCEPT FOR THIS
Every time this post shows up on my dash, it gets better (and more heart wrenching. Y’all! Stop cutting the onions okay?!).
If ever don’t reblogging this, I’m either dead, dying, or buried under cat.
This is why I love Tumblr so much! Thank you all for collaborating on this prompt and turning it into something beautiful <3
The Legend of Korra followed, for four seasons, a combative, kind, pugnacious, cheerful, compassionate, and above all, complicated young woman. She is visibly muscular, dark-skinned, and struggles with mental illness. She is, by divine right, the most powerful person on earth. Her story is further dominated by women of color: international leaders and housewives, children and the elderly, villains and saviors, married and single, docile and taciturn.These women were spiritual leaders, military dictators, police chiefs, heads of state, former criminals, and more. In the show’s final moments, our heroine is heavily implied to be bisexual as she walks off into her happy ending hand in hand with a gorgeous young captain of industry. This was a cartoon on Nickelodeon. You no longer get to complain about how hard it is to create female characters.
People find reasons to hate on Korra for being all of those complicated things. As if a real person can’t have conflicting parts of their personality. As if perceived personality flaws cannot develop or grow into positive traits. As if all the pain and trauma she suffers through are her fault, and she shouldn’t complain to much, she’d be better if she weren’t so… whatever a particular hater wants to complain about. No. Korra was an absolute star in a huge constellation of strong, diverse, capable women. And I know for a fact that a whole galaxy of strong, diverse, capable women have been touched and inspired by her story in ways that sticks with us, changes us. Anyone who tries to claim that writing women is hard is merely admitting they don’t, personally, believe women are fully-realized, complex human beings. And when they see a character like Korra… they have NO IDEA what to do.
I have yet to find another show with a better character development than that of Korra’s