Oop Partyvan Is Slaying

So did season 3 Zuko genuinely believe Ozai loved Azula? Is that why he was okay with ratting her out to him with no fear of what he might do to her?

Zuko is a 16-year-old boy that was a victim of abuse pretty much his entire life. It took him THREE WHOLE YEARS to realize that their father disfiguring and banishing him for speaking out of turn/against a cruel plan, and refusing to fight him, was, in fact, a deeply horrible thing for Ozai to do and it was all Ozai's fault.

Is it fair or realistic to expect him to understand that, even though Azula managed to live up to Ozai's insane expectations for his children, it was still unfair of him to put so much pressure on her and that it was only a matter of time before she cracked under it? Can we really blame him for not realizing Azula is being psychologically abused when she's in denial about it herself and actively trying to convince everyone around her that everything she does is effortless? And when the adults he actually trusts, aka his mother and uncle, are ALSO not aware of what's going on right in front of their faces?

Can we blame a child who is desperate to get even the slightest bit of approval and affection from his parent, and never achieving it, for thinking their sibling has an easier, enviable life because they ocasionally get some conditional love?

Can we expect someone who just heard their parent say the words "Your sister was born lucky, you were lucky to be born" to just casually ignore that very clear "I wish you were dead, you don't deserve to exist" and focus only on the implications of "Wait, is he dismissing my sibling's life-long attempts, and success, of living up to his expectations as sheer dumb luck, not hard work and genuine talent?"

I've said once, I'll say it again: Zuko's attempts to survive all the trauma he endured are basically the same as someone who is panicking while drowning and trying to pull under the person that is trying to rescue them because they cannot think clearly in such a dire situation.

It's no coincidence that the two main moments in which we see him having compassion for Azula (in The Southern Raiders and then in the finale post Agni Kai) take place AFTER he has turned his back on Ozai and found a group of people who love and support him. He is now watching the situation from the outside, from a safe distance, not while in the middle of all the chaos, unsure if he's gonna make it.

And for the first time, Zuko can actually see his sister. A prodigy, but still someone that is trying to meet impossible standards. A brave, fierce, DANGEROUS warrior, but also a deeply traumatized child.

There's a reason Aaron Ehasz, the head-writter and executive producer of the show, has repeatedly said that, if Avatar had gotten a fourth season, he would have liked Zuko to essentially be Azula's Iroh and help her heal and redeem herself. He is literally the only other person in the world that knows what being Ozai's child is like, even if he was the scapegoat while she was the golden child.

Cherik Fic

I've been looking through my old Cherik fic and found this in my drafts. It's complete enough to share, but not really worth posting on AO3. Set-during X-Men Apocalypse, a what-if Nina lived, but Magda didn't. What would Erik's next move be?

---

Charles senses Erik as soon as he turns onto the drive up to the school, and freezes, dropping the chalk he’s been writing on the board with.

“Professor?” one of the students asks.

“Um,” Charles says, trying to get over his shock. “Class dismissed. We’ll pick this up tomorrow.”

The children don’t argue, rushing out of the room as quickly as they can gather their things together. Charles weaves through them and makes his way towards the foyer. He gets outside just as the car Erik’s driving pulls to a stop in front of the fountain. (It’s old, with rusted wheel wells, a dented back door, and half of the front bumper missing. It’s the sort of car Erik had always turned his nose up at, during that road trip so many years ago, saying it was a crime to let a perfectly good car get to that state. Might as well melt it down for scrap at that point.)

Erik climbs out of the driver’s side and crosses his arms against the top of the car, looking over at Charles. “Hello Charles” he calls out.

“Hello, old friend.” It takes Charles a minute to tear his gaze away from Erik—he looks good, a bit scruffy and with a beard coming in, but then Erik always looks good. He’d come out of ten years trapped in an underground prison and he’d still looked good. There’s another person in the car, a child, and Charles doesn’t do more than brush against her mind. She’s tired and a bit scared, but awed at the size of the house.

Erik swings his car door shut and comes around to open the passenger door, saying something to the girl that Charles can’t hear. He takes her hand and leads her up the steps until they’re standing in front of Charles.

“Charles,” Erik says, “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Nina.”

Charles can’t help but stare. Of all the ways he’d ever thought about Erik coming here—and he’d thought of it frequently, at first, and less so as the years had gone on—he’d never considered this scenario. He swallows, and says, “Hello Nina.” He smiles at her, trying to look friendly and welcoming and not as surprised as he is. She looks to be about eight or nine, and doesn’t resemble Erik much at all. Perhaps she takes after whoever her mother is.

“Hello,” Nina says, voice quiet.

Erik lets go of her hand in favor of resting his hands on her shoulders. Nina leans back against him. “I told her you were a professor,” he says. “And that we’re old friends.”

Charles looks at Erik for a long moment before turning back down to Nina. “Your father and I have known each other for a long time now,” he says. “And this is a school.” He glances up at Erik again, but he’s as unreadable as ever. Charles doesn’t quite dare to try and read him with his telepathy. “Would you like to see it?” he asks. The question is aimed at Nina, but he feels like he’s really asking Erik.

He’s not sure why Erik has brought her here. And if he’s learned anything, it’s that being unsure of Erik’s motivations and plans never ends well for anyone involved.

It takes a moment, but Nina finally nods. “Papa said it’s for mutants.” Her English is heavily accented, something European. It’s different from Erik’s accent, but Charles can’t place it immediately.

“Show him what you can do,” Erik tells her, squeezing her shoulders encouragingly.

Nina points to the bushes along the edge of the porch. “There’s a rabbit over there.”

Charles turns to look, but of course the animal is hiding. “You can sense animals?”

“I talk to them,” Nina says. “She’s looking for food to take back to her burrow for her babies.”

Charles turns back to her. “Really? That’s extraordinary.” He’s never encountered a mutant who could speak with animals before. They’re immune to Charles’ own powers. He grins at her. “It’s totally rad.”

Nina looks confused by the slang, but smiles at the praise.

“Come along,” Charles says, turning his chair around and nodding towards Erik in thanks when he waves a hand at the door to swing it open. “I’ll show you around. We have lots of students your age, and I think you’ll enjoy the back lawn and the lake especially. We get lots of furry critters out there.”

Nina and Erik follow him inside as Charles keeps playing tour guide. He tries to treat it just like he would any parent who’d brought their child to visit, but the curiosity about what brought Erik here, now, won’t leave him alone.

- - -

Charles doesn't find out why Erik’s here until that evening. Erik’s been upstairs putting Nina to bed in the room Charles had found for them, and Charles isn't surprised in the slightest when he wanders downstairs to Charles’ study.

“This looks different,” Erik says, surveying the room. Charles has replaced the desk with one that's more comfortable to sit at in his wheelchair, and there’s more space between all the pieces of furniture, less clutter.

The chess set is still there though, and Erik gravitates towards it.

“Did you want to play?” Charles asks, stacking the papers he's been grading into a neat pile to deal with in the morning.

Erik’s answer is to sit down in front of the chess set and spin it around, offering Charles white.

Charles pours them both a brandy before joining him. Erik closes his eyes as he takes a sip, and Charles can't help but watch his throat work as he swallows. “You always did have the best alcohol,” Erik says.

“There are some things that one shouldn't skimp on,” Charles tells him.

Erik tilts his head a bit in acknowledgment, but doesn't quite smile. “Your turn,” he says.

Charles moves a pawn without really thinking about it. It's going to come back to bite him in the ass, but this game isn't really about winning or losing. Chess has always been more of a conduit for them, an excuse to spend time together, deep in conversation.

Erik’s quiet this time though, concentrating on the game, and Charles isn't sure what to say so he waits as patiently as he can. He finishes his drink before Erik has even drunk half of his.

Erik moves his rook, capturing one of Charles’ pawns, and says, “My wife died.”

Charles, who was about to take a sip of his second glass of brandy, nearly drops his glass in surprise. A wife… He should say something comforting, he thinks, but what comes out of his mouth is, “You had a wife?”

Erik nods, not looking up from the board. His mouth is set in a straight line, the non-expression he always uses when he’s trying not to acknowledge how much something is affecting him.

“I…” Charles starts, then closes his mouth, unsure how to proceed. “What happened?” he asks.

“Some coworkers saw me use my powers and figured out who I was.” Erik leans forward over the board for a moment, as though studying it closely, then sits back and looks up at Charles. “They shot her. With a wooden arrow, so I couldn't stop it.” His expression doesn't change, but his eyes do, welling up a bit before he blinks rapidly and looks away, raising his glass to take a long sip.

Charles feels like every response he thinks of is inadequate. What can he possibly say that won't sound like an empty platitude?

“I'm so sorry, my friend,” he finally says. He can't think of anything to add to it. He is sorry. Erik’s been through so much already, and it seems impossible to Charles that the universe could let anything else happen to him.

Erik meets his eyes again. “I killed the men who did it.” Charles doesn't say anything, so Erik adds, “I won't apologize for that.”

“I wouldn't ask you to,” Charles says. He glances back at the board, but can't summon up the desire to figure out his next move.

Erik takes a deep breath and blows it back out, not quite a sigh. “I need— Nina needs someplace she’ll be safe. If anything happens to me…”

“She’ll always be safe here,” Charles promises. “That's what this school is here for.”

“And when they come for your school?”

Charles doesn't ask who they are. “I won't let anything happen to the students here.” He catches Erik’s gaze again and says, “I can promise you that.”

Erik raises an eyebrow. “You can't promise anything, Charles,” he says. He raises his glass again, gulping down the rest of his drink and not quite slamming the glass down onto the table before he stands up. He leans forward, moving his queen. “Checkmate in three moves.”

Charles looks back at the board, startled, then back up as Erik steps away.

“I'm going to bed,” Erik says.

There's a long pause before Charles says, “Goodnight.”

Erik nods but doesn't turn back, leaving Charles alone in his study once again. Charles looks back at the chess board. Sure enough, Erik had led him into a trap. He raises his glass and takes a long drink.

REMEMBER HOW CUTE NINA WAS?! HOW DARE THEY KILL HER OFF!

The Character↑

The Cast↓

everyone’s always like ‘sirius would be so mad if he found out that regulus and james were dating’ NO HE WOULDNT HE WOULD BE NUMBER ONE WINGMAN TWO OF THE MOST LOVED PEOPLE IN HIS LIF???? TOGETHER???? BITCH HE WOULD BE THE ONE THAT GOT THEM TOGETHER

THE GAANG + MORE AS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUMS::::

zuko: reputation or ttpd

sokka: 1989 or lover

aang: fearless or debut

katara: red

suki: speak now

toph: fearless era taylor when she throws chairs

yue: evermore

jet: reputation

azula: reputation

mai: folklore

ty lee: 1989

haha i dont consciously think about either tbh but i just have a whole timeline mapped out in my head idk where it spawned from. AND YES LILY EVANS IS A GODDESS AND QUEEN🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️i think jily is also just too pure/its the og marauders ship so no one can hate on it cause how can you hate your roots

pls no one come for me on this but i feel like james is just so white boy coded. like he exudes british white boy energy. he just. i respect all those who hc him as poc but hes like (in my brain) the definition of a white boy. like in my head him and lily are the most annoyingly cute white straight couple that everyone still loves. anyways thanks for coming to my ted talk.

i live and breathe secret genius albus because you KNOW that he hates living in the shadow of his dad and what better way to be differenr? study his fucking ass off. albus is secretly hermione granger but differenr - he does the homework, just doesn't submit it. he intentionally flunks quizzes and unimportant tests but he ACES the important ones. no one (not even scorpius) has ever caught him studying. oh also hes really good at quidditch but has no house spirit/pride and would like to not be compared to his father mother brother and sister thank you very much. in my head (cause the curse child doesnt exist) albus is the very definition of 'would be the best at everythijg if they actually tried'

If Lily has five million fans, I'm one of them. If Lily has five hundred fans, I'm one of them. If Lily has five fans, I'm one of them. If Lily has one fan, then that's probably James.

james has the magnetism sirius has the confidence remus has the charm and peter has the charisma

Asami: Korra, the council needs to speak with you

Korra, irritated: you can not be serious! I just- you know what, give me a second

Korra: *grabs a full bottle of wine then immediately downs it in one go*

Korra, tossing the bottle in the recycling: I'm ready. See you guys in a bit

Asami, once Korra leaves: okay, I can't be the only one that was way more attracted to that than I should've been, right?

Mako: no no, I felt it too

Bolin: I can't lie, same here

Opal: I'm straight and I honestly thought about the two of us running away together for a split second