#dupreerose

“It’s alright, I’m here.”

His voice breaks through the brunt of her night terror and Azula’s eyes snap open, coming to focus on the fire still burning in the center of Sokka’s one room home atop the carved stone hearth. His hand is warm on her arm where he’s latched onto her in her sleep, and her own hands hover over her face as though to shield her from something.

Oohh, I remember a few that really made me feel flattered and flustered! But the weirdest one, hmmm.. I just remembered one of the weirdest situations of how I got a compliment from a nice stranger.

There was this one time when I was at the bus stop in front of my university and went on the bus to ride home to my temporary rented apartment, which was only one stop away. I remained standing near the doors since I knew I was going off, and this elderly lady stood beside me since she was preparing to get off the bus, too.

And then THAT STARE. I peeked at her from the corner of my eye and understood that she was staring at me. I didn’t know why or what she was looking at, but knowing how sometimes some old people start bickering with young adults (maybe they didn’t give them a seat on the bus, or it’s the usual hatred towards Estonians from some Russian citizens who have communist beliefs..), I was mentally preparing for what was about to come.

Thank you for the ask!

2. What genre do you write?I pretty much exclusively hang out under the umbrella of speculative fiction, with fantasy as my favorite, horror my second, and sci fi my third.  Once every blue moon or so, I will write literary fiction.22. Has your own writing ever made you cry?Because it was so awful… kidding. I generally giggle at my stuff when it’s horrible.  I have made my eyes leak several times, and it usually involves killing of a character or a pet.  If it’s supposed to have impact, and I write it with too much distance, I don’t think the impact will come through to the reader.

42. Do critiques motivate or discourage you?Well done critiques are wonderful for driving me to improve and grow as a writer, even when the news isn’t great and the piece needs a lot of work.  I think it’s really important for writers to learn to give and receive critiques.  I’ve been doing this long enough that tactless or intentionally mean critiques don’t bother me, but I generally blow the nasty ones off, as someone just being a jerk.  So if you ever want to give me a critique, keep that in mind.

1 favorite fic you wrote this yearOoooh.  Soooo hard!  I’m actually really happy with most of what I wrote this year.  I’m going to go with either “Something Familiar,” my only AU for the year, or “A Little Secret,” my Miraculous Big Bang piece.  Both are long form.  I like the first enough to be reworking it to release as an original piece.  The second one was a challenge for me because I did some structural stuff I’ve never tried before, and it worked!

10 shortest wip of the yearI’m not sure what this means.  Is it the shortest piece that I haven’t finished or the shortest piece I worked on this year?  I’m going with the first definition.  I have a 113 word Shakespearean sonnet that I haven’t polished enough to share that was supposed to go up for Ladynoir July.

20 number of comments you haven’t readOh dog.  28.  I try to respond to all of them, and I’m behind.  Again.  :)

30 favorite fandom to read fic from this yearI mostly read Miraculous Ladybug, but did delve into a bit of Avatar: The Last Airbender.  I’m planning on binge reading some ATLA over winter break.

Thanks for asking!

I totally suck for taking so, so long to answer this. Sorry! Hope this makes you happy.“I don’t believe you.”

His tone is neutral, his expression carefully schooled into displaying nothing but polite interest in the dancing before them. He’s not even looking at her as he speaks. As always, Shiro is the picture of the perfect Black Paladin, competent and responsible.

You would have to know him very well to recognise the glint in his eye.

Allura looks ahead, feigning interest in the gathering herself - though the speeches had all been given already, so really all that was left was to wait until it was polite to leave.

“When have I ever given you reason to doubt me?” She replies, secretly pleased with the primness of her tone (her elocution tutor would be so proud).

Shiro turns to her, the picture of professional concern. “Just now, when you said that you would rather remain in the ballroom.”

“I believe I said it would be more beneficial to remain in the ballroom.”

He nods sagely. “I agree, but I did just see Ambassador Xaka’al leave looking heavily inebriated. As his guests, it’s only right that we check on him, don’t you agree?”

Allura spares him a sideways glance, then returns her gaze to the party in front of her. “About 70% of the people at this gathering are ‘heavily inebriated’ right now, Shiro. If our presence is needed anywhere, it is here.”

“The other paladins can watch over the ballroom for us,” he replies with a smile.

Allura bites back what would have been an undignified snort. Pidge is busy playing the social butterfly, Lance is sitting morosely in a corner, and Hunk is draped over Keith while they both listen to Coran’s stories. The other paladins are far, far past ‘heavily inebriated’.

Which means that neither Shiro nor Allura could afford to drink, because somebody has to be responsible in the team. 

“I saw the Ambassador leave through that door there,” Shiro continues, pointing to a smaller exit on the left-hand side of the ballroom. “Should we follow him?”

Allura tilts her head to the side and considers his words.“Given his inebriated state, I believe it would be more prudent to exit through that door - ” she points to an exit on the right, which she knows leads to a corridor with a lot of excellent hiding places “ - and loop back around. That way we can be sure we won’t miss him.”

He struggles to contain his grin at her words. “Good idea, Princess. Let’s go.”

“How long do you think it will take to…check on him?”

Shiro bites his cheek and pauses as he offers her his arm. “Hmm. About a varga?”

“That should be acceptable,” Allura replies, taking his arm and allowing him to quietly lead her out of the ballroom. They won’t be missed for a varga.

Crol’s post about the original plot of north and south featuring a Water Tribe cult and another Aang hunt a la Book One Zuko.