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lochnessies · 4 years ago

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@cockati3l the church isn’t ruling people from behind the scenes. even the devs confirmed that. the church in adrestia doesn’t exist, the church in the alliance is ‘toothless’ and nobody pays attention to them as said by lorenz, and the western church is in open rebellion against the central. also, when does the church control anybody in the game? nobody is forced to follow them and they even take on nonbelievers as staff.

once again, what corruption are you talking about? it can’t be what edelgard mentions in her speech because that’s been proven false.

it can’t be killing the western priests because they attempted assassination more than once, grave robbed, and attempted to kill students. not to mention are racist af

it can’t be changing history a little because in your own words “what the fuck so u want her to do?” humans killed her race when they found out the amount of power stored in their bones, blood, and hearts. at that time in fodlan’s history clans were fighting for power with the relics of her family and she had to find a way to broker peace as said by intsys: “seiros and co. meddled with history not in order to rule over humans, but to quell the flames of war and chaos as much as possible, and to also keep a steady balance about humanity.”

also yes, rhea was about to step down. she says so herself. even calling herself a “mere proxy” for byleth.

tell me how claude piggybacked off of edelgard’s war to further his own aims? the game tells and shows that he’s spending his time trying to just keep the alliance together.

she’s literally called the hegemon. there is no freedom under her rule. she centralizes all power onto herself and makes herself the supreme ruler. what she says goes and in order to achieve that result she murdered, lied, and stole.

she literally said “i have no regrets.” why? because she doesn’t. she may feel kinda bad about all the dying but obviously not enough to stop what she’s doing and find another path.

also her words about the followers of seiros are far from kind. she calls them “mindless” multiple times (even in her s-support). the faithful are forced to flee from her. people even lose contact with the believers in the empire, and it’s not even allowed to be one in the first place. not to mention in hanneman/manuela’s ending the church can come back but only under the empire’s supervision. so we have a state controlled church. look at all the freedom!

when does dimitri leave crestless people to get fucked? he literally talks at length that he believes that people with crests and people without need to work together and recognize each other’s strengths.

also the church isn’t the one behind the “crest system” (if you can even call it that since the way each house interacts with it is so different). crests/clans became noble houses because of their strength (aka the empire’s meritocracy in the beginning) and the strong aka crest bearers rose to the top bc in the 91 years it took to kill nemesis his elites had already started their own bloodlines and families. the nintendo interview says that rhea lied about the origin of the crests and relics bc she wanted the wars to end and the only way to have gotten rid of the crests humans had would be to genocide them.

with nemesis gone and the adrestian empire now in charge of the continent, a meritocracy started to form among the nobility. hanneman in his support with dorothea says this about the founding of the empire: “consider this. at its inception, the concept of nobility assumed that the greatest among the populace would rise to power. in my mind, i believe that those who value knowledge, those who strive for more, and wish to protect and guide their fellow man. however, in practice, nobility often serves to keep those deemed commoners down, segregated from those who, by chance, were born to a noble family.” this is also paired with ferdiand’s support with edelgard: “certainly, we must recognize the common folk who strive for greatness and attain it. but for those of us born into nobility, things are more complicated. from birth, nobles must excel. if we do not, we will be forced out of our houses. this environment breeds superior individuals, and they, in turn, recreate the rigorous environment for their own children. without that cycle, there would be no political elite guiding the world towards prosperity.” so from these supports we learn that the empire was founded on the idea of the strongest shall rule and they would be replaced if they didn’t reach a standard. however, over time, the nobility started to abuse this power of theirs and the idea of meritocracy was forgotten. which, ironically, is how it always works in the real world as well. that’s where the concept of nobles often bearing crests comes from. it’s comes from the empire not the church. and when faerghus and the alliance break off from it they kept the tradition. also, if you talk to rhea in verdant wind when she talks about zanado you can tell she hates crests. at the very least she hates the fact that humans have them due to how they were acquired. you know, through genocide. it’s also in the book of seiros that the reason the goddess left was because people were abusing crests and it saddened her and she went back to the blue sea star. so no, the church isn’t propagating anything. and they can’t force the noble houses to adhere to their religion so they don’t.

i’m not sure what you mean by “squander any rebellion”. i think you mean squash/stamp out? well the only rebellion we see in the game is from the western church and as i said previously, the priests were punished because they attempted assassination more than once, grave robbed, and attempted to kill students. not to mention are racist af. the church wasn’t the aggressor and only stopped the rebellions because they were dangerous and were also attacking innocent people. however, we do know that in crimson flower there are rebellions under edelgard’s rule and they are put down as well by the empire secret police aka hubert.

the devs also mention that azure moon was written to be a counter to crimson flower. and that is the route where dimitri has to learn to rely on his friends and work together with his people in order to usher in a bright future. in crimson flower edelgard berates people who lean on anybody else for support (all while taking some from byleth) and believes humans need to stand on their own two feet. in azure moon she says: “if after all of this you believe the weak will still be weak, that is only because they are too used to relying on others instead of on themselves.” to which dimitri responds: “yes. perhaps someone as strong as you are can claim something like that. but you cannot force that belief onto others. people aren't as strong as you think they are. there are those who cannot live without their faith... and those who cannot go on once they have lost their reason for living. you path will not be able to save them. it is the path of the strong, and so, it could only benefit the strong.” so yes, there is someone who represents human unity in the game: dimitri.

edelgard doesn’t make fodlan better. she’s the game’s hegemon (called this in three routes). there are rebellions under her. her people are starving (ashe says on cf), she attacked two nations she had no rights to, and defamed an entire race/religion.

crimson flower ends in flames and darkness. this is made VERY clear by the ending mural. unlike the others, which all show a very joyful scene; am has dimitri being loved by the people with archbishop byleth at his side, ss has byleth being held up in the crowd of people as it talks about how they are now the arbiter of every soul and mother of all life (which are the exact words used to describe sothis), and vw has claude talking with the people and the almyrans are visiting; which infers peace between the two nations. however in cf, we have edelgard standing on the flags of the nations she has conquered. she holds a napoleonic staff in her hands, and the mural portrays people with their heads bowed in obvious sadness and defeat. the biggest indicator that this is not an ending to be celebrated, but rather lamented, is the border. In all the other endings, the border is white and is accented by the color of the route. in cf you can see that the border is black. black and red: colors synonymous with evil or darkness. the epilogue also mentions rebellions against her rule that she has put down.

edelgard’s role in the story is that of nemesis 2.0. someone that is manipulated by twsitd and is fed false information to lead her to finish what nemesis started over a thousand years ago - the extinction of the nabatean race.

another massive red flag is what the devs have said about crimson flower being the supreme ruler route. “edelgard in "crimson fower", or rather known as the, "supreme ruler (hegemon) route" is something we honestly meant to be much more difficult to enter.” (they were talking about why it is harder to enter cf than ss). let’s focus on the word ‘hegemon’. the direct definition is ‘a supreme ruler.’ in another interview they mention the ‘hegemon’s path’ which is a chinese philosophy that goes along with the mandate of heaven that the devs have said that they based cf off of. there is a rule of the mandate of heaven: the right to rule is only granted if the ruler cares about his people more than he cares about himself, and if this is not the case, then the people rise up to overthrow the tyrant. we know for a fact that edelgard is this ‘tyrant/hegemon’ because she is called this in the game.

the devs have also said: “due to all the previous titles in the series, the thought/impression that the empire = antagonists is left upon the playerbase. when you think about the "empire", you usually get some sort of "bad/evil" image, i think. and as for the story, it really feels like it started from the romance of three kingdoms, but we force them all to take part in school life. In other words, a period in which there was peace must exist, before starting the fires of war. and because of that, someone evil (villain) has to exist, and so we had the empire bear that burden.” this interview also blew the common argument pro-empire fans had of fodlan not being at peace at the start of the game. they said themselves that the three countries were at peace. even the game states at the start that ‘these three ruling powers now exist in relative harmony.’

also even if other characters did some things wrong that doesn’t suddenly let her off the hook for her actions just like her’s don’t nullify theirs. if she wanted to peacefully change how things worked in her nation then fine. i don’t care. however, she invaded two other independent nations in order to change their systems and put them under her control. that isn’t morally gray no matter how you spin it. it’s tyrannical.

actually it was humans as a whole who fucked up the earth first. the agarthans are a race of humans that have been around for over a thousand years at the start of the game. when the goddess sothis came down from her home on the blue sea star she arrived in fodlan and took on a form that resembled humanity and lived among them. she used her blood to birth a race of children called nabateans. in the beginning, these two nations lived in harmony.

sothis and her children helped the humans advance their technology and weapons over time until the humans’ hubris grew to the point that they began to wage war on each other and eventually the goddess herself - the one who gave them the technology to do so. as confirmed by seteth, (who was there during that time) some of the weapons they used in the war are also seen in the game, such as the missile of light that destroys fort merceus. so basically, it was a ye olde nuclear war that almost completely destroyed the land and the humans. during this, a faction of humans left the surface to live below ground. they built a city called shambala and officially became known as agarthans. back on the surface, sothis used her godly power to try and heal the earth. however, due to the incredible damage done by the weapons, so much of her power was used that she fell into a deep sleep to try and recover. so no, sothis didn’t fuck shit up. it was the arrogant humans that took her kindness and decided they wanted to try and kill each other with it.

yes, dimitri and claude do have the rest of fodlan under their command at the end of the day. however, they way they achieved this was nothing like edelgard’s. they had no intentions of starting a war to unite the three under their rule. dimitri was given the alliance (the round table came to an agreement and willingly became part of faerghus) and when he kills edelgard the empire is now, by default his whether he likes it or not. same with claude. he defeats the empire which by that point had taken the kingdom. both are now without leadership and he doesn’t even stay. he fucks off to almyra. edelgard on the other hand started the war to put all of fodland back under her rule. it’s not comparable.

#i had to use tiny text to try and make this smaller lmao #mine

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midzelink · 5 years ago

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What’s Going On with the Ears in Hyrule?

(Or: A Needlessly Comprehensive Deep-Dive into the Myst-EAR-ious Duality of Round-Eared Humans and Long-Eared Hylians, a Very S-EAR-ious Write-Up)

As some of you may remember from a few months back, I made an off-hand comment about my ideas surrounding the disparities between the different types of ears we see in Hyrule’s human citizens, and my desire to further expand on that at a later date. No, that was not a joke, and yes, I am finally Doing the Dang Thing. So! Let’s get started.

Long-time fans of the series will know that Hylians are a race of humans in the world of The Legend of Zelda with long, elf-like ears. Hylians most always dominate the land of Hyrule in nearly every installment in the series, with round-eared humans only making their first appearance in Link’s Awakening, a game that - spoiler alert - was all a dream in the first place. And though plain old humans again appear in the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna in the follow-up Oracle games, it is very in keeping with the theme of this blog that their most notable appearance happens to be in Twilight Princess.

Though it is never remarked upon in-game, Link is the only Hylian in a village filled with humans, such as Ilia and Rusl, leading the player to assume that he was not Ordon-born. Other notable examples include Ashei, who hails from the mountains, and even the inhabitants of (New) Kakariko (though only three in number) are all mere humans. The Hylians of this game seem to be centralized around Castle Town, with notable members including Telma, Shad, and Auru of the Resistance, and naturally, Zelda herself. Yet as I’ve already stated, the fact that there are two different sets of ears among the humans is never even a topic of conversation; it makes you wonder why the developers bothered to make the distinction at all, and indeed, plenty of fans have never even noticed that such a disparity exists. I certainly didn’t notice when I was ten years old, playing through Twilight Princess for the very first time - but we’ve come a long way since then, and I am delighted to finally be able to tell everyone why I think this disparity exists, and how it has bled into other aspects of the series. Let’s back away from Twilight Princess for a moment; all good theories have a beginning, and this one is no different. To understand where this all began, we must look thousands of years into the past, to Skyward Sword. More specifically, this all started...

...with this guy.

Yes, Beedle. That Beedle. But before we can even jump into how he relates to any of this, we must travel further back still, to the very opening cutscene of Skyward Sword.

In this cutscene, we hear a very dumbed-down tale of how Demise invaded the surface world that was ruled over by the Goddess Hylia; to protect the sacred relic placed into her care by the Golden Goddesses, Hylia rends a piece of land from the earth and sends it skyward, leaving the Goddess Sword and the Triforce with it. Together with the remaining peoples of the Surface, she seals Demise away, and millennia later the events of Skyward Sword transpire. The entirety of this cutscene is not in and of itself very important, but I would like to draw everyone’s attention to one particular line uttered by the narrator during this sequence:

“To prevent this great power from falling into the hands of the evil swarming the lands… The goddess gathered the surviving humans on an outcropping of earth.”

It is worth noting here that - though the word “Hylian” itself only appears in reference to the shield which bears its name - Skyloft is comprised entirely of people with long ears. Keeping these things in mind, let’s go back to Beedle.

Beedle is, by all intents and purposes, a fairly unremarkable character in Skyward Sword. That is to say, outside of providing Link with goods throughout his adventure, he bears no significance on the plot in any capacity, having only a single sidequest that involves retrieving a pet beetle (snickers) of his, for which the player’s reward is a small sum of Gratitude Crystals. But there is one, throwaway line of completely optional dialogue you can trigger towards the beginning of this sidequest, and it is upon this line that the entire basis for this theory has been built. When meeting Beedle on his home island apart from Skyloft for the very first time, the player is given the option...

...to comment on his accent.

[after selecting “Your accent!”] “Hmmm? The mellifluous timbre of my voice sounds different to you?

...Perhaps a touch, I suppose... But pray, what does it matter, hmm?”

What’s important to understand about accents is how they come about to begin with: namely, slight differences in pronunciation and rhythm of speech evolve over time as the language (in this case, some form of ancient Hylian) spreads to different locations. And of course, everyone who uses spoken language has an accent, but Link’s remarking upon Beedle’s is an indication that his pattern of speech is different from his own. In most other games, this would be unextraordinary - but in the context of Skyward Sword, where humanity has been isolated to a (relatively speaking) small outcropping of earth in the sky, it becomes extremely noteworthy. No one in Skyloft should have “an accent,” because theirs is a society and culture so small in scale that they should all have the same accent. Beedle having an accent makes sense if, and only if...

...he’s not from Skyloft.

And if he’s not from Skyloft, the logical conclusion would be that he must be from the Surface. In almost any other circumstance, this assertion would be smashed to smithereens by the sheer fact that getting to Skyloft without a Loftwing - companions blessed only to those who live in the sky - should be an unattainable feat. And yet, of all the people in Skyloft, Beedle is the only one who could have achieved such a thing...

...because his shop - which conveniently doubles as his house - is an electricity-powered flying machine. Within the context of the game, such a contraption seems almost nonsensical; if he were from Skyloft, why would he not just set up shop in a permanent location? Even if he wanted to live on a smaller island by himself, the people of Skyloft could simply use their Loftwings to reach him (which they still need to do, anyway!). Indeed, the existence of Beedle’s Shop makes far more sense...if it already existed by the time he arrived there.

Which brings us back to that introductory cutscene. The narrator states that Hylia gathered up all of the surviving humans (notice the use of the word humans here) onto an outcropping of earth and sent them skyward, and on a surface level, this seems straight-forward enough - but with the revelation that Beedle is very likely from the Surface himself, it’s very obvious that this is nothing more than a bold-faced lie. Some humans were left behind - they couldn’t all possibly have fit on such a small piece of land - and those humans were the ancestors of Beedle, in some way, shape, or form. What became of those humans is another matter altogether (one I will address briefly), as the Surface we explore in Skyward Sword is perfectly devoid of human life, barring Impa.

Now, let’s bring it back home: remember how I said that all Skyloftians have long ears? That was a bit of a white lie, though only if you count Beedle among that number. In truth, Beedle’s ears are obscured by the bowl cut of his hair - but this is true for every game he appears in, and the general consensus is that they’re round. This would make Beedle the only round-eared human in the entire game...and he, coincidentally, happens to be from the Surface.

Before I go any further, I’d like to establish a very base reasoning for the existence of long-eared qualities in the human races of Hyrule. Hylians are far from the only ones to bear long ears, what with the trait also presenting themselves in the likes of the Sheikah and, by the era of Breath of the Wild, even the Gerudo - though it is exceptionally notable that in Ocarina of Time, the Gerudo have round ears, and Ganondorf is no exception...at least, at first.

Y’see, what’s especially notable about Ganondorf is that he is the same exact character is each title he appears in, and in The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, his ears are long. This was actually something I only noticed quite recently, upon which I then fervently began scouring for information about his appearance in Ocarina of Time to try and make sense of it all, and the results are...very intriguing, to say the least. Below is a comparison of Ganondorf pre-timeskip vs. post-timeskip from the original Nintendo 64 version of the game:

As you can see, his model has changed in a number of ways, but... Well, I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this.

Amazingly, his ears got longer, which is...an interesting choice from a design perspective. Of course, it leads one to wonder why - and far and above the most significant thing to happen to him in the seven years between these two appearances is his procuring of the Triforce of Power from the Sacred Realm, a relic of the old gods. Evil or no, Ganondorf had forged a bond with a god unlike any had before him, and for some reason, this elongated his ears - so much so that by the time of Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker, they are indistinguishable from your typical Hylian’s. It is notable, too, that the Sheikah (who have always had long ears) also bear a special connection to the gods, living to serve Hylia and, later, her reincarnation as the princess in the Royal Family of Hyrule.

“They say we Hylians have big ears in order to hear the voices of the gods.”

So now, keeping everything I’ve talked about here in mind, I think it appropriate to go over the series of events that likely transpired, beginning from Demise’s invasion of the surface world:

In a bid to keep the Triforce out of evil’s grasp, Hylia formulates a plan to send both it and the Goddess Sword out of harm’s way. She selects - perhaps by chance, perhaps by choice - a not insignificant number of humans to live on this skyward isle, but naturally not all of them can make the cut. These chosen humans would go on to found Skyloft, a land whose culture revolves heavily around the reverence of the very goddess who saved them and enabled them to live in prosperity (the existence of the Wing Ceremony, the Statue of the Goddess, etc.), while the humans who remained on the surface, left in a world scarred by war and ravaged by monsters, sought new lands, becoming the ancestors of people who would found Holodrum and Labrynna, to name a couple. In their reverence of Hylia, the people of Skyloft would develop long ears, as even the Sheikah had - but the humans left on the surface world...would not.

That is to say, the Hylians we see in almost every major installment of the series are the direct descendants of the people of Skyloft, and round-eared humans are the descendants of the people Hylia left behind.

Of course, not all humans fled from their homeland - though we see none in-game, it’s important to remember that we also see no Sheikah aside from Impa, though we know they are great in number. Beedle was, undoubtedly, one of these very few stragglers, and with stories of a land beyond the clouds on his mind - legends that have been passed down over countless generations - he sought to find this paradise by any means, through sheer blood, sweat, and tears (but mostly sweat, if that cycling is any indication) if necessary. In the end, he was successful, and he lives among the people of Skyloft fairly unassumingly - yet he also lives apart from them, on his own island because, at his core, he is not one of them, and never will be. He doesn’t get all of this Hylia stuff, and frankly, he doesn’t care - so long as he can chill on his own little crop of land with a full belly, a full wallet, and his pet beetle, that’s really all that matters.

And speaking of Hylia - the reason they are called Hylians is because they are the descendants of those chosen by Hylia, even if the knowledge of Hylia’s existence has largely been lost to history by the events of Ocarina of Time and beyond. (In a very similar vein, it is my belief that Lake Hylia also gets its name from her because the crater that would later become that very lake was formed...when she lifted a gargantuan outcropping of earth into the sky.) Hylians largely dominate Hyrule for so much of its history because the people of Skyloft were the ones who founded it - yet by the era of Twilight Princess, we see that a great many of the humans who had moved onto different lands have slowly but surely made their way back towards the place they once called home.

But I would be remiss to neglect to go back to Breath of the Wild; this game is a much more peculiar case, taking place in an era many millennia after any game that came before it, where reverence for Hylia is once again commonplace - so much so that statues bearing her resemblance have been erected in every town, village, and city across the country. Humans are once again practically nowhere to be seen (except, again, perhaps for Beedle), and even the Gerudo, who have now long intermingled with Hylians for the sake of having children, have inherited the trait (perhaps in part due to the fact that some of their own may worship Hylia, if the statue in Gerudo Town is any indication). In every single instance, no matter where you turn, these long ears seem to be a direct correlation to the people’s connection to the gods of Hyrule - but rather than their ears being a predetermined factor in how strong this connection may be, it seems that their faith is what influences this trait to rise to the surface, over how ever many generations or centuries that just might take. (Ganondorf Dragmire, who lives in a castle and inherited a relic of pure godly power, is an outlier and should not be counted.) As Shad so eloquently states in Twilight Princess:

“Hyrule was made by the Hylians, who, as we all know, are the closest race to the gods.”

And as long as we’re talking about Shad, I’d love to begin wrapping up this post by bringing things round to Twilight Princess once more - specifically the context in which Shad says the above quote, which is far and away one of the most peculiar instances of casual lore-dumping in the entire series. The quote in its entirety from the North American version of the game reads thusly:

“At the moment I'm absolutely entranced by the sky beings known as the Oocca. Yes, according to legend, Hyrule was made by the Hylians [...] But also according to legend, long ago there was a race even closer to the gods, and some say these creatures made the Hylians. When they created the people of Hylia, they simultaneously created a new capital, a city that floated in the heavens.”

What Shad is saying here is extremely farfetched, particularly for those of us who are familiar with the Oocca. But in truth, this was a minor mistranslation on Nintendo of America’s part; the original text from the Japanese version of the game clears actually reads much more like this, when translated correctly:

“The common opinion is that Hyrule was created by the Hylia people, the race closest to the gods, but...truth be told, there's also a theory saying that in ancient times, there was a race even closer to the gods than the Hylia people, and THEY created it [Hyrule]. And they, simultaneously with the birth of the Hylia people, created a new capital, a capital that floated in the heavens.”

So the Oocca - the bizarre, Cucco-like creatures who inhabit the City in the Sky - did not create the Hylians, but rather established the kingdom of Hyrule itself in the world that the goddesses created. But even with this mistranslation squared away, that still sounds incredibly odd, especially taking the events of Skyward Sword into account; we know that the people of Skyloft are the ones who inevitably found Hyrule, because we see the beginnings of this happening at the end of the game. Funnily enough, it seems that the very line that was mistranslated in the North American version of the game...was the result of mistranslation itself.

In-universe mistranslation, that is. Millennia of history being told, written, lost, and found, translated again and again and again, until it barely resembles its original state. What likely happened was that the Oocca, who live in the sky, were wrongly credited with the creation of Hyrule because the Hylian people who would go on the found Hyrule also came from the sky, as they were the people of Skyloft. Shad’s claim that the Oocca were “a race even closer to the gods" than the Hylians may not be entirely unfounded, however, as it is incredibly likely like the City in the Sky we see in Twilight Princess is what remained of Skyloft after its human inhabitants abandoned it; the Loftwings that the people of Skyloft had for so long relied on would go on to evolve into more sentient beings, suspending the city above the clouds long after Hylia’s magic had worn off - and Loftwings were, as the people of Skyloft believed, beings bestowed upon them as a symbol of the goddess’s divine blessing. In this sense, it is somewhat true that the City in the Sky and the Hylians were created at the same time; when the Skyloftians abandoned their home to live in a new land where they were not long after christened the Hylians, the skyward isle that they had left behind found a new purpose, and a new “city” was born.

Of course, maybe Shad was off his marbles (even if the Oocca are evolved Loftwings, there is still much about them and their connection to the Sheikah that remains shrouded in mystery), but the crux of this entire narrative is that the people of Hylia, the Hylians - at least, up until Breath of the Wild is concerned - were the descendants of the people of Skyloft, and Beedle’s eccentricities in the context of Skyward Sword are rather convincing pieces of evidence that this did not comprise all people of the formerly-known-as “Land of Hylia.” It is therefore only natural that a conclusion could be drawn about where the distinction between the two peoples comes from.

But in the end, even if this can answer the question of why there are round-eared humans alongside long-eared ones, it does not answer the ultimate question of what this distinction means. Why does a connection with and a faith in the gods elongate the ears of the people it touches? The Zelda Encyclopedia states that “in the past, Hylians were able to wield magic of considerable might,” a trait that could possibly distinguish them from your typical human being - but the canon nature of the Encyclopedia is...shaky*, at best, and downright disrespectful at worst. Link and Zelda are two Hylians we see wielding abnormal abilities, but their power can be explained with their respective pieces of the Triforce, not to mention the countless magic users in Hyrule and beyond who aren’t Hylian. Even if there was a time when the Hylians had special abilities, those abilities have long since faded. They are no no taller, no smaller, live no longer than their round-eared counterparts; they are, in every aspect aside from the length of their ears, in every way identical. To finish the quote by the unnamed Hylian man who speaks to a young Link in the Castle Town Market in Ocarina of Time:

“They say we Hylians have big ears in order to hear the voices of the gods...but I've never heard them!”

So...there you have it. I must admit that it is entirely possible that the people of Skyloft had developed long ears before their ancestors had been sent to the heavens - after all, the Sealed Temple was, in millennia past, a temple erected in her honor. Yet this would also make the story of Hylia gathering the “surviving humans” in order to save them all the more grim; could the gods be so callous as to save only those who respect their divine might? One cannot help but think of the Great Sea in The Wind Waker - for in a world populated by the descendants of those who were chosen by the gods to survive the coming floods, it is difficult not to notice that ears of the round variety are once again nowhere to be found.

And yet, when you get right down to it - though some Hylians seem to rely on their lineage as “the closest race to the gods” to maintain an image of self-importance - the difference between a long-eared Hylian and a round-eared human appears to be, ultimately...only that. And unless we see our round-eared friends return in a potentially future title, and the difference remarked upon, that will likely be how things remain.

Until that time, I will continue to do my best to fill the gaps with which we have been left - even if, at the end of the day, I’ve written nothing more than a meaningless, nine-page word jumble...about ears.

EDIT (5/9/2020): It has been brought to my attention (courtesy of @heartenvy) that there is a mild inconsistency with the narrative that Beedle could be from the Surface: namely, the “unbreachable” Cloud Barrier, something Hylia herself created to divide Skyloft from the Surface and keep its inhabitants and the Triforce safe. However, I would argue that the Cloud Barrier is not a physical barrier so much as it is a mystical one, meant to both keep its location secret (the barrier itself is completely invisible from the Surface) and to ensure the people of Skyloft remain complacent in their isolation (believing Skyloft is all there is, they remain there, and in so doing their long-forgotten secrets are kept safe). Zelda is pulled through it long before any proper portals are actually opened, and I would argue that the portals (that is, the pillars of light that appear when we place the corresponding tablets) are largely a gameplay mechanic meant to keep the story linear, as in a real setting Link would have simply ridden his Loftwing to and from the Surface and would have been able to fly anywhere he chose. It’s possible the barrier acts to keep out evildoers, specifically (which would explain why Ghirahim had to summon a vortex to pull Zelda through it, where he could reach her), or, not unlike the Isla de Muerta in Pirates of the Caribbean, Skyloft could very well be “an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is” - which, to me, makes the narrative of Beedle finding his way there all the more entertaining (the dude must have been, like, super determined). In any case, I stand by what I’ve stated before: that Beedle is from the Surface, as his accent and the peculiarities of his shop make too strong a case to ignore.

* * * * *

*The Zelda Encyclopedia states that Termina is a Dream World, despite Link’s Awakening having already done this and in a much more satisfying way. I can’t take anything it says seriously.

(Special thanks to @ghiirahiims for the high-res screenshot of Beedle, and shoutout to @gaybellatrix for in no small part convincing me to finally sit down and write this all up.)

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cafedanslanuit · 5 years ago

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ok hear me out, rfa and sin brothers out on a beach resort with mc! how chaotic would that be omg

omg, I’m so in. Mystic Messenger + Obey me! crossover, I live for this

After an exchange program, MC returns to Earth. The RFA is happy to have her back and offer to do a welcoming party. Jumin offers a private beach resort his father has just bought. You ask if you could invite some friends from your exchange "school" and they agree. What could go wrong?

Asmodeus fell in love with Zen. Nothing you can do. He started by complimenting him on his looks, his hair, his face, his body, his voice... but now looks real smitten.

Lucifer is really impressed with Jaehee. We know he likes intelligent people, and also someone who has an opinion on things. After he listens at Jaehee comment all of Jumin's cat related projects are hopeless and should be dropped, he starts gaining interest in her. He gives her a beer from the cooler and start talking. There is no wine or a fancier drink okay, MC just packed tons of beer on a cooler.

Yoosung approaches someone who seems to be playing the beta release of a videogame on his Nintendo Switch. Levi is very shy because why is this normie suddenly talking to him? He then realizes he's not normie and actually knows a lot about videogames, so they end up playing together, because obviously Yoosung brought his switch too, who are we kidding.

Satan's reading a book under a parasol, a little away from anyone else. The smell of the ocean is really relaxing so he can use this time to read a little. He sees from afar Levi and Asmo are having a good time so he can relax.

Saeyoung is playing with a giant air ball with Mammon. Both of them are really loud

"MC" Jaehee whispers, trying not to be impolite to her new friends. "Is he okay?". You turn around and see Belphie sleeping in a bench a few meters away from Satan, also under a parasol. "Yeah, don't mind him, he’s okay".

On one of the towels, Saeran is looking a bit uncomfortable at this six foot guy who is eating his twelfth sandwich because what the fuck. Beel notices this and offers one to him. He starts asking him questions about what he does for a living and it's kind of excited to learn he has a flower shop and asks an horrified Saeran if he has edible flowers.

... Has anyone seen Asmo or Zen recently?

Satan has put his book down and is now sitting beside MC, who is sitting on a towel, taking with Jumin, who is still a little suspicious about this story about a far away country that was her home during the past semester. Satan joins the conversation, helping MC who is having trouble hiding she was actually in hell with a bunch on devil brothers. Jumin doesn’t trust Satan’s smile, but tries and be amicable because MC brightened up when he showed up.

Jaehee is taking a stroll near the ocean and Lucifer can’t stop looking because DAMN those legs.

V is setting up everything when they decide to come for a snack. MC said to bring bear, but he also packed some wrapped sandwiches, Snack pack puddings... mostly snacks that won’t get easily covered with sand. There’s also some water bottles for those who don’t want to drink. He doesn’t understand why one of MC’s new friends packed separate sandwiches, but apparently he was really hungry.

Saeyoung and Mammon convince MC to play with them. Jumin and Satan can’t hide their blush when she takes off her beach kimono, revealing her dark green bikini. It’s definitely a sexy but not really revealing look on you, which Jumin likes and it’s Satan’s favourite colour. What more could they ask.

Seriously, has anyone seen Asmo and Zen?

When the sun starts setting, everyone sits down for a while to appreciate the view. The demon brothers are particularly liking this, it’s been a while since they’ve all been together watching the sunset. MC knows this and is very happy about them having this opportunity even if it’s only for a while.

“So, about this made up country…” Saeyoung sits beside her and speaks in a very soft voice, making sure no one else but her is listening. “I don’t know why you would lie about it, but they seem nice. At least the one with the white hair seems to care a lot about you. So… just tell me. Do I need to keep looking up info about them?” he asks. You shake your head. “I’m happy. And I’m safe. Thank you, Saeyoung” you smiled and squeezed his hand gently. He nodded and grinned at her. A few seconds after that, Mammon sits down on her other side. “MC! I hope you had fun playing against The Great Mammon! I had to let you win just because you invited us. N-not because of anything else! So, uhm, this sunset like… I think this meant something for humans? Watching the sun go down?” he says, a little doubtful, his face red. Saeyoung is trying his best not to laugh at him and how smitten he looks.

Satan appears from behind and chuckles arrogantly. “Stop drooling, Mammon” he teases him, and Saeyoung laughs out loud. “Do you want to take a stroll by the ocean, MC?” he offers.

“Actually” Jumin voice intercedes. “I was thinking you’d like to go to the store near here. Maybe you’d like an icecream or something else” he says, with a soft smirk.

“And I thought the ego battle was boring back home” Belphegor commented with a yawn. You snorted and grinned at him. He smiled back. You’re about to ask him something when suddenly you feel someone plopping down near you. You turn around and see it’s Zen. “Where have you been? We were all looking for you!” you said. He puts on his sunglasses and doesn’t answer. After a few moments you notice the tiny red marks alongside his jaw and neck and can’t help but giggle. A delighted Asmo seats on your other side with a smug smile. “You have to tell me everything” you whisper to him and he winks at you in response.

Lucifer is still talking with Jaehee, not paying attention to anything else going on.

On your way home, you split up in different cars. Jaehee is driving her own car with Lucifer on the passenger seat, Saeran, Beel and Belphie. Saeyoung is driving one of his babies. Mammon is on the passenger seat. On the back, you’re seating between Jumin and Satan. Zen rented a car and is driving Yoosung, Levi and Asmo, who is on the passenger seat. Yoosung and Levi keep playing, thinking there must be bumps on the road, because Zen seems to lose control of the wheel for half a second once in a while.

Once you’re on your way home, you start feeling sleepy and put your head on Jumin’s shoulder and sigh. Satan takes your legs and puts them on his lap, trying to make you a little more comfortable. Everyone silently decides to ignore Mammon’s protests. Saeyoung tries and talk to him so he can focus on something else and let you sleep.

It was a really good day.

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ao3bronte · 4 years ago

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🌈🎵ADRINO HEADCANONS🌈🐱

<< [PART 1]

Nino isn’t exactly a man of action when he’s outside of his Miraculous suit. He prefers to chill and let things happen on their own, observing from the sidelines. Music keeps him on a steady keel and his own beliefs ensure that he’s always thinking of others while keeping as low a profile as possible. Blend in, but be a good friend. Mix great music and be known for the positivity he brings to the table.

Having feels for his best bro though? That’s a different story, and if he wants to keep the positive vibes going, he needs to keep that tightly underwraps for the both of them. His parents, though kind, are very traditional. And Gabriel? Hah! Nino figures he’d probably send Adrien to a rich kid rehab centre in the country if the old man ever found out that Adrien kissed a boy, let alone had an independent thought.

Then again, would Adrien even want to kiss him? He’s sure he’d agree if he asked, but he doesn’t want to force the matter. That’s the last thing he’d ever want to do!

So things would have to be discreet. Nino could be discreet. He really had no choice in the matter.

This situation though? This isn’t discreet. Not even close!

“Bro, are you sure this is a good idea?”

Adrien grins, the wind whipping his hair across his forehead. His golden halo gleams in the garden lights illuminating the tall hedges in the mansion’s garden. “Of course it is. There aren’t any security cameras facing the labyrinth and the Wifi still works there.”

“But dude, how are you getting down?” Nino whispers, having snuck into Adrien’s yard through a hole behind one of the many stone statues lining the towering walls. His best bro, on the other hand, is standing just outside of his bedroom window.

“The same way I always do.” Adrien winks and Nino can’t believe how absolutely chaotic his friend can be sometimes. How is he so perfect one day and then absolutely insane the next? Nino’s jaw drops as Adrien steps onto the edge of the rooftop and leaps without so much as looking down. Nino scrambles to get underneath him just as Adrien snags a thick column of ivy just in the nick of time, swinging forwards like Tarzan and landing on the ground beside him in a superhero crouch.

“Dude!” Nino wants to strangle him and kiss him simultaneously, his blood both frozen in fear and boiling with hot hot heat at whatever the hell he just pulled off. “When did you start taking gymnastics, dude? What the hell?!”

“What can I say?” Adrien says, brushing the dust off his knees as he stands. “I’m gifted in every category.”

The pun goes right over Nino’s head like a Boeing 747. “Are you okay?” he asks, still too shocked to notice that every goosepimple on his skin is tingling.

“Yep!” Adrien smiles and Nino is immediately reduced to putty. How does he do that? It’s kind of like when he’s with Alya, except the feeling in his chest is completely different entirely. With her, his heart warms with affection and safety and happiness. He knows he can be himself and enjoy himself with her and thinks about holding her hand constantly. But Adrien? Being with him is like a rush of adrenaline, like a dangerous game where they can’t get caught. “Come on, Nino. Let’s get lost!”

Thoroughly baffled by the boy before him, Nino tottles along behind Adrien like the lovestruck fool that he is, though he’s not about to admit it. When Adrien had invited him to sneak over to his place and play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on their Nintendo Switches, he hadn’t expected to be doing it outside underneath the stars in his giant labyrinth.

(...it was kind of romantic!)

“Dude, why don’t we just sneak into your bedroom instead?” Nino asks as they enter the sanctuary of the pristinely trimmed hedges.

“We’d get caught!” Adrien laughs as if it’s obvious. “Sometimes you can be pretty loud when you’re winning, and I don’t want Nathalie to hear us. She’d ban me from seeing you for the rest of my life!”

Nino swallows. There’s absolutely no way he can let that happen. “As long as we don’t get lost in there.”

“I know the way.” Adrien bumps their shoulders together and smirks. “The Gorilla is terrible at mazes. I come in here when I want to lose him.”

True to his word, Adrien easily leads them to the middle of the labyrinth. There’s a small stone fountain surrounded by roses in the small courtyard and Adrien tugs a large sack out from under them, opening it to reveal the contents within. “I made sure we were prepared!” He exclaims, pulling out a blanket, two cushions and a variety of candies and snacks. With Nino’s help, they set up the perfect little gaming cocoon. “So? Who are you going to play tonight?”

Nino pulls out his Switch and sits down beside his best friend and current raging crush, his heart fluttering with the close proximity. “Who do you think?”

Adrien rolls his eyes and shoves some gummy bears into his mouth. “Buh you alwaysh play Yoshi!”

“He’s my dude!” Nino grins, snatching some of the candies from Adrien’s bag. “And you can’t have him.”

“But I thought I was your dude!” Adrien holds his palm against his chest and feigns heartbreak, which is when Nino’s brain decides this would be a great idea to press a kiss to Adrien’s temple. Nino freezes the moment he realizes what he’s done.

He tries to stammar out an apology and finds that he can’t even will air into his lungs to breathe. Adrien stares, shocked senseless and wide-eyed, and Nino wishes the ground would swallow him whole.

“Nino?” he whispers tentatively, gently brushing at the very place Nino’s lips had touched a moment earlier. Adrien’s face flushes red instantaneously. “Did you just—”

But he doesn’t get much farther than that. Nino sees the way Adrien is staring at his lips and lets his monkey brain make another executive decision. Softly, gently, cautiously, Nino leans in for a proper kiss this time.

[PART 3]>>

See all of my LGBTQ+ headcanons HERE!

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous pride #adrino #lgbtq #ml headcanons #ml #adrien agreste #nino lahiffe

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doodles-arts · 5 years ago

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The ‘Tik Tok’ Challenge

Pairing: TMNT x Reader

Type?: Request

Word count?: 1314

Rating: Pg-T

Request: Hey! Just found you're account and I love it💙💙💙,if I may ask for a request. If you have heard of the nakey challenge could you do a reaction for the four? If not that's cool,love ya anyways💙🐢~razzy

Summary: You play the very popular game with the turtles from tik tok, Let’s dive in to see their reactions!

A/N: This was low key rushed because I spent more than two weeks on a request that was supposed to be for like a few days. Kinda sucks, wish I had worked on this a little harder. But ya girl that she was bougie and put on some LONG nails, and couldn’t type. I cut them and finally found some time to dedicate to my blog again. Thanks again, for the request, it was fun! @rasputins-spaghetti

Leonardo:

You’d have to call him a couple of times to get his attention. But once you use that voice, the blue turtle breaks his trance from meditation in a second.

The type to smile and blush slowly put everything away with the biggest smile

his totally going to K.O. you

Would try to be as quiet as possible when he tells you to go to the room.

He isn’t running but he’s got a new pep in his step.

Thanks the guy upstairs for your goofy behavior

Totally bashful, but SOOOO thankful

He was meditating when he heard the shower turn off and you walked out. He was alone at the lair, it was a day off and some meditating was in order. He brushed off the giggling he could hear as you walked into his room. And almost a second later he heard his door open and your wet feet could be heard pitter-pattering across the lair.

He heard all of this but didn’t register it, deeming it unnecessary for his much needed relaxing meditating session. It wasn’t until the feet were heard in front of him that his meditation scenery changed. Once a field filled with tall grass, which swayed at the same pace of each breath, changed into a lake and ahead was a very familiar shadow.

“Leo”. Ignored.

“Leo”. Smirked at, but ignored.

You Smiled as he stood closer and leaned down to his face, “oh Daddy~”, his eyes shot up in an instant and as you recorded his reaction, you laughed. Pulling the towel off your body and howling as his open mouth. The sound of your laugh pulled him back to reality and he looked away bashfully. “Babe!” He looked over to where his father stayed and smiled, playing with fire and you liked it.

You weren’t too phased though, you liked making him nervous or bashful. You turned sideways to show off your assests and smiled when he couldn’t help but watch you. His flustered face alittle more rock hard and a new smug look to it. You liked this part!

He pointed towards the next room, signaling you towards his room, while he stood from his seat. His meditation session is long forgotten. And you on his bed was the only thing on his mind. Gosh, he loved you. Rushing you towards his room, picking the towel on the way. He smiled as he closed and locked the door.

Raphael:

Instant tent

Is not ashamed or surprised by his own arousal

Will lick his lips and ask you to sit on his lap

Could take you right there, but will admire the view and your chuckles

Will tease you for getting straight-up naked

DIRT y TAlk

Loves to rub your bare butt as he backs you up to his room

Asks you to do this more often

You doooo

You saw the brute in red scrolling through his phone. After finishing an intense workout. His muscles were bulging after the bein put under so

You were glad for some much needed alone time. As you walked out, still sopping wet and covered in a warm towel you walked over towards him. Stopping right behind him, you didn’t even have to announce your presence because he had felt you walk right behind him. Your phone already out to record.

“Heya shawty, how was the shower?” You hummed, keeping quiet until you were sure he’d turn around. As he turned, you let go of the towel and rested a hand on your bare hip. He looked you up and down, making sure he wasn’t seeing things. When he was sure he wasn’t he was very happy with the sight infront of him

“Guess it was pretty good,” An instant smirk played on his lips almost making your confidence cave, his suggestive eyes causing a chuckle to erupt from your lips. His phone slipped from his hands and he jumped forward in a split second. His grin was unparalleled as he picked you up and placed you over his shoulder. “I’m gonna clap you red, toots’. Watch.”

You turned off the phone, just in time for him to slap your behind. “Raph!” He laughed and dragged your over to the bedroom. “You started it shorty, now it’s time we get to business.” You smiled as he pushed the door to his room closed behind him with his foot. In a hurry to close the door and lay you down on the bed.

It was a very loud night.

Donatello:

Nose bleed on the spot

Can’t look away but can’t keep eye contact

Goofy grin

Looking up at whoever- ‘up there’ is listening, to thank them for the magnificent person they gifted him

‘God, you’re magnificent’

He’s in so much shock and awe that he can’t move

You walk over to please him

NO OBJECTIONS THERE

He asks for you to send him that video.

The phone isn’t turned off for the rest of the night.

As you walked into the empty living room and stop right outside the doorway of his lab, you turn on the camera on your phone. As you walk in, he isn’t really paying much attention, and it takes you standing at his side point of vision for him to even acknowledge you. You’re pretty much used to it because he was a pretty busy guy, the phone in your hand calls for his full attention, distracting him from the work on the computer screen.

“Hey, darling, what’s up with the phone?” You giggle and drop the towel right in front of him. His little gasp and instant nose bleed, almost made you howl. Donnie couldn’t blush as you could, so you knew he was extremely flustered when his nose bleed. He quickly looked away and reached for a tissue, as he reached over, you sat right on his lap. “B-baby, dar-*gulps* darling, hold on just a second.” He cleaned up, giving panicked looks as he looked down at you. The phone was put down a long time ago though.

You placed hot little kisses on his neck while trying to calm down, it wasn’t exactly helpful. At some point, he had placed two shaky hands on your shoulders, and you looked up innocently at him, “That’s enough foreplay darling, I think it’s time for the main event.”

As he shook his shy demeanor for the lust that indulged him, you smirk, this night would be eventful. He carried you off to his bedroom, making sure to grab your phone in order to remember this night for many to come.

Michelangelo

Almost drools at the sight of your TIDDIES

‘Oh, so you alil freaky~”

He’s okay with that

To distracted with all of you to actually do anything

But does actually come up to you to grab you

Grabs you ALL OVER

Can’t keep his hands too himself

You like this

You get a little too hot for comfort and the tent in his pants only agrees with you

You pull him towards the room

He also okay with that

He’s playing a little Nintendo while you shower, phone on, and already recording as you walk towards him. You are very smug about how this will go and you can’t wait. Walking away, a few feet away from him and you whistle to get his attention. There’s an instant smile on his lips before he turns towards you, not knowing what’s coming next, but knowing it’s you, he’s happy.

“What’s up baby- WOw”, There’s an instant pause as he takes you in, jaw slacked. Mouth still open as he looks you over, you twirl and pose, just for the fun of it. His mouth still open, and you swear there’s almost drool coming out before he smiles and jumps over the three steps separating you both, and bumps into you. Instantly grabbing on to your bottoms. “This is nice, very nice~”

You laugh as he rubs his face on your soft skin. awning at your bare skin, groping anything he can get his hands on. At some point, you can’t bear the need for him as your were naked in the cold lair and his wandering hands had you tense. Looking down at his own form of arousal, you took that as your cue to grab his arms and lead him towards his room.

“Maybe it’s time to take this somewhere else?” You suggested as you pointed down to his pants and smiled devilishly, he smirked back and trapped you in a kiss as he made you walk backwards to his room. You knew you wouldn’t trip because he’d never let you fall.

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ahkaahshi · 5 years ago

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their animal crossing: wild world playing style [hcs]

characters: bokuto koutarou, sakusa kiyoomi, akaashi keiji

genre: humor and crack. what’s new

warning(s): I repeat, this is crack; also swearing

notes: y'all I'm talking specifically about animal crossing: wild world here. for the nintendo ds. that shit hit!! take me back. also, please bear with me; the chaotic energy here is just off the charts for absolutely no reason. when I finished this, it was suddenly midnight and I was listening to k.k. slider music on youtube. what a trip that was. enjoyed it tho.

CHAOTIC

dude the inside of his house has so many different vibes happening

the floors and the wallpapers in every room don't match??

he calls it creative freedom. no, he’s just a cheapskate since y'all know he’s only using that free stuff that he shot out the damn sky or found in the ground.

thinks it’s fun to chase the roaches that are always in his house

boy loves donating his fish, bugs, and fossils to the museum

just so he can go through and admire his work, like yes I caught that!! aren’t I the best??

keeps some of his catches tho and displays them at home. also names them.

once he found out that you could hit rocks and get bells, he was running around town hitting every. single. rock.

is really, really bad at catching bugs bc he just RUNS everywhere and scares them off

loves shaking trees to collect fruit

has been stung by many, many wasps because of this. poor boy can never make it inside in time lmao

talks to all the villagers like they’re actually his friends. also knows where they live by heart. visits their houses. vibes most with nibbles.

girl, don’t even get me started with his villager

y’all KNOW he’s at able sisters making his own clothing patterns with that tiny stylus in his fingers. the concentration is UNMATCHED

same goes for the town flag.

it’s raining. this boy says umbrella? there’s umbrellas in this game?? and proceeds to run around in the rain without one

villager’s hairstyle? permanent bedhead. if kuroo does it, so can he.

NEVER REMEMBERS TO SAVE

resetti’s always on his ass about it every time he opens his ds and turns on the game. poor guy. but he needs to save.

his town’s full of weeds. he don’t give a fuck. he’s just tryna have fun.

drinks way too much coffee at the roost. brewster is concerned for him.

visits omi’s town against his will. akaashi actually lets him come over.

let him visit you! he’ll plant his fruit for you and send you a love letter

okay, y’all. omi shits on this game at first but ends up secretly loving it

I mean, it’s so easy for him to form a routine and maintain task focus

he thrives off that!! the only thing he hates tho is that it never actually ends. that’ll keep him up at night

his routine: wake up, pick weeds, catch fish/bugs, dig for treasure, make bank

there’s not a single weed in his town. he picks them ALL.

his house is all one, cohesive theme. low key boring.

literal minimalist with like no furniture

he don’t need it, he’s always out grinding and only comes home when it’s time to sleep bc he’s just that hardcore

makes an event out of going to the roost every saturday night to listen to young k.k. slider play his groovy jams so he can collect ALL the cds

wants to catch every. single. creature. y’all know it makes him heated that those plaques in the museum are empty n that there are gaps in his lil handbook

has hella bells in the bank. pelly + phyllis want to be his sugar babies.

his character is probs dressed in the most basic ass outfit but with a ~ mask ~ since that’s on brand for him. picks one look and sells the rest of his fits. truly focused on the coin.

he’s just tryna pay off his mortgage, get a big ass house, and upgrade nook’s store to its fullest potential

is constantly trying to find ways to kick all the villagers out of his town. won’t accept the fact that he’ll always have neighbors.

will run for the fucking hills if any of them get that lil expression like they have something to say to him. he ain’t doin a damn thing for them.

got his hair done. came out lookin a fool. was too annoyed to go back and get it fixed. has worn a hat ever since.

always outruns the wasps. this bitch ain’t getting stung.

the way his villager looked after he got stung the first time made him gag so he vowed to escape the wasps like his life depended on it after that.

you wanna invite him to your town? he's taking your fruit, planting it back home, and selling it to turn a profit. your trees will be empty.

special town events? he’s never heard of em. fuck em. unless there’s money involved. then he’s there. wins the fishing tourney every time.

similar to sakusa in that he enjoys task focus, but will put way more effort into the experience

for example, his house is most definitely themed

like every floor has its own, cohesive vibe, complete with matching furniture placed in a very exact manner

visits tom nook’s store like everyday to see if he has the last item to complete his furniture sets

has a different k.k. slider song playing on every floor on his golden stereos. only the bangers tho.

roaches? he doesn’t know them.

his town is completely free of weeds. he hates them.

will help the villagers if they need it but will not enjoy it.

just let him fish, damn

speaking of, yall know how hard he’s smashing that button when the fish bites? hard. that bitch aint getting away. will catch them on the first try!

is a professional bug hunter. the bugs literally never see this man coming!! he is stealth.

spends a lot of time in the observatory and the aquarium sections of the museum bc they have nice vibes

grabs a cuppa at the roost every now n then. will come for the k.k. slider concerts and listen to the entire song. bless his lil cotton socks.

his villager is stuntin. like fully accessorized, new day new outfit type of deal. wardrobe is thriving. we love him for that.

if it’s rainin, he’s poppin his umbrella. he came prepared.

sends the most basic letters but on the ~ fancy ~ paper

will write thx 4 having me over on the firework paper or some shit lmao I can't.

will spend the bells on his haircut until he’s happy with his look. remembers the combo so he doesn’t have to mess around every time his villager wakes up with bedhead.

town event? he’s there. he’s all in for the experience. savors the special moments

is that villager with the sparkler on the 4th of july. also, gets all the love letters from other villagers on valentines day bc he helps literally everyone n remembers their birthdays. he deserves the best.

is 100% that bitch who plays at night just so he can listen to the 10/11pm rainy day music on repeat whilst strolling around the village by himself, twirling his umbrella n getting in his feelings low key (that was also me haha I just called myself out)

invite him to your town! he’ll fish with you and y’all can go to a k.k. slider concert together <3

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any-old-lie-will-do · 5 years ago

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Okay so it’s scream time lads

I watched the botw 2 trailer yet again because one of the theorists I’m subbed to on yt posted about speculations around the audio that we’ve all heard in the trailer so I went back and watched it to refresh myself of what we’ve got to look forward to with the crumb the Nintendo gave us and my Zelda brain reactivated. So, before I really delve into this I apologize if there’s a lot of stuff in this post that ya’ll’ve all heard before probably but these are my personal beliefs.

Okay so right from the start something that got my mind running again, the glowwy letters/symbols. While they look like shiekah they also heavily remind me of the twili, if you look closely the symbols aren’t the usual blue that sheikah tech has, they’re aqua but I’ll come back to that in a sec, not only that but these symbols are speculated to be Gerudo writing, which ties into an old theory that I believe about the twili. The color of these symbols is significant because if you look back at TP not only is aqua a largely recurring color with the twili people but the hand that these symbols lead to looks like some form of twili magic, the golden (what looks like) bracelets look to vaguely resemble Gerudo architecture type stuff which shares similarities with twili architecture as well. Not only that but taking another look at the trailer I remember that this isn’t that fist time we’ve seen twili magic being used in the form of a hand some way or another, yet again we turn our eyes back to twilight princess, midna’s hair turns into a hand when she’s still in her imp form, which is used in many significant ways that we often overlook, she uses it not only for attacking when need be she used it to pull link into the twilight and becon link when need be. Another example is the absolute beast that came out of the fused shadows when used together, this creature whatever it was had not two hands, not four hands, but six from what I recall. There were also those hand things in the twilight palace dungeon too, hands seem to be a recurring theme with these shadow dwellers. Another piece of information that should be taken note of, the twili know how to keep ganon at bay from what it seems, the event of twilight princess bust have been a weak point for them when they had hold of ganon he somehow got let out by Zant long after the sages sent him to them through the mirror, so of course the twili people would know how to keep hold of him for so long, they’ve done it before why not do it again.

Now what evidence could I possibly have to say that the twili even have a chance to be in the game? Buckle in kids I’m about beat a dead horse because I’m gonna talk about the Palmorae ruins. Anyone who’s played botw and got all the shrines should be vaguely familiar with this particular side quest at least. Looking at the shape and fragments of this ruin it’s obvious that there’s a strong reference to the mirror if twilight and it’s broken pieces you find in TP, not only that but it glows, and it doesn’t glow just any color, it glows aqua, the color that was a large part of the twili architecture. Now before you complete the quest and summon the shrine if you look behind these ruins there’s and obvious man made wall there, there are no doors to anything there it’s just a wall, but before the ruins were broken and they weren’t well, ruins this structure had a point to it. My belief is this wall was once used to project the portal that linked the world of light and the world of shadows. For whatever reason the mirror was broken and with no foreseeable future use to the structure the shiekah put a shrine right in the middle of the structure. Since the mirror has long been broken the last of the twili people who were able to come over were stuck in the world of light which could be deadly to them. That’s where I’m going to bring in the whole “Underneath the castle” part of this, the people of hyrule knew that this would be bad for the twili so they brought them down beneath the castle where it’s dark and they could live as comfortably as possible, but they could stay at a cost, they give assistance to holding ganon down there with them. That’s where the magic part comes from, these people have been forced to hold an old rotting mummy for a long time, so naturally the magic is gonna fade over time, even though (and this is completely a personal headcannon bear with me) the twili people could very possibly have much longer lifespans that any other race in hyrule they were down there and kept him at bay for a long time and got old. Then when calamity ganon came back the material that is very malice reminiscent begins to pour out of this mummy, further weakening the twili that still remain to hold him. Now where are these twili? I believe that that stuff pouring out of mummy ganon has them somehow trapped, in a video I saw the audio was messed around with to reveal a whisper of what sounded like “Help us, please” but to me when you listen to the unedited audio not only does it sound reversed but it sounds choppy and jumbled, because when I listened to it backwards I still didn’t make out anything to be heard, and where have we heard speech like that before? Midna, her in game speech in twilight princess was a native Japanese speaker saying lines in English to which then the audio was chopped and mixed to create what we all hear today and that’s exactly what I hear when I listen to the audio from the trailer.

Maybe it’s a reach and I’m overthinking something simple but this has been itching at my mind since it came out at E3 2019. Who knows, I could be right on a few aspects, Nintendo’s said before they’ll consider bringing back the twili people if there’s enough demand from fans to bring them back. I’ll be back tomorrow with my personal take on an old twilight princess theory when I’m able to keep my eyes open.

#em talks #em theorizes #zelda posting #twilight princess #breath of the wild #botw 2 theory #midna #mummy ganon #zant

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bluepenguinstories · 4 years ago

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Remoras Full Chapter XXXI: Treant

There wasn’t much interesting about me. Not really. That wasn’t me being self-deprecating or anything. If anything, I quite liked being in the background. Others around me have always been more interesting, and I was happy enough just to help those others out.

That’s why I worked from childhood through my adulthood in order to become a doctor. It wasn’t like a total dream of mine, and I wasn’t sure if I’d call myself “passionate” (one of my top qualities, I think, is that I’ve been called a dispassionate person. But I shouldn’t humblebrag), but when I was in grade school and saw one of my classmates get injured, I couldn’t help but be compelled to want to help them. Then there were times, like when my sister or my mom would get sick and I’d be like “gee, I wonder what would help them get better.”

Skip past many years of boring details, and the rest is history. Got my own apartment after completing my internship at one of the nearby hospitals. When my sister helped me move in, we found a time travel device in the closet that I mistook for a Nintendo 64. It’s not as interesting of a detail as it seems. Anyway, that aside, there was still work to be had just about every day.

Skip ahead a few more years after that…

...And there was still work to be had.

It was about that time in the morning when it wasn’t yet bright and early and the coffee I poured tasted like sludge. When the showers were scalding and suffocating fumes filled the bathroom, yet when I turned off the shower, I shivered like a nudist at the north pole.

Towel was too small. Quick shimmy and I groaned and threw it in the laundry basket. No one else was around to see me naked, so whatever. Even if there was, my bedroom door was closed. On the bed were my work clothes, which in my groggy state, I tried to fit the shirt on my legs and the pants on my head. After a few tries and tired moans and groans, I got it right. Still, my tie was a little loose.

I’ll fix it on my way there. Or I won’t and I’ll just say I’m setting a new fashion trend.

I glanced down at my limited edition Kamen Rider Black wristwatch and my blood pressure spiked upon noticing the time.

“Fuck,” I cursed, though in my hoarse tiredness, it sounded more like a donkey braying.

Yes, it was ‘fucktime’, that universal concept of that time of day where one looks at the time and exclaims “fuck!” There were many reasons for cursing at a time of day, and it didn’t have to be any time in particular, but the most common reason was due to the situation I was in: I was running late for work.

In a state of fight or flight (which I am always in flight since I could use the exercise), I put a couple of bagel slices into the toaster, wished that my toaster had a turbo speed button, and paced about until those two slices popped up; they weren’t crispy enough, but they’d have to do. Like the skilled painter that I wasn’t, I swiped across the two halves of the bagel with a messy gloop of cream cheese.

No more time left.

I ran out the door, or whatever constituted as a run in my mind, with the bagel halves held tight in my mouth.

This ridiculous display persisted for about...oh, to hell with it, let’s just skip all the embarrassment. Fast forward to when I got to the hospital, drenched in sweat and cream cheese on the cuff of my shirt.

“Ran late again?” The receptionist, I think her name was Wormwood, looked up from her computer. Her thick brown hair was in a bun and she didn’t just have bags under her eyes, but bags under those bags. That’s okay, I’ve had those days as well. From the reflection of her glasses, it looked like she was playing an intense game of Tetris.

“A doctor is never early nor late,” I huffed, trying to sound more self-assured than my short breath would allow.

“Yeah, you wish. Go change your shirt. You’ve got a patient waiting for you in room 413,” she clucked. Was clucked the right descriptor? Well, it was a vague chicken-like tone, so cluck was good enough.

“Why’s it always patients with me?” I joked. She didn’t so much as give a half-hearted chuckle. She could have at least said, “A for effort,” but I guess everyone was a critic. I hurried over to the hospital’s resident dry cleaner, who always had a spare pair of uniforms, scrubs, nice shirts, you name it. Our dry cleaner guy was a typical average dude with stringy red hair, named Marion or something. He always had that strung out look about him that gave the impression that he was pretty trustworthy. I showed him the cream cheese on my shirt and he made an OK sign with both hands, closed his eyes, and shook his head.

“Say no more,” he assured me in the most endearing bored-out-of-your-mind voice imaginable.

As I waited for him to grab me a spare shirt, I looked up and saw a couple of green scrubs hanging around.

“I can’t do this on my own. I’m no superman,” I hummed the tune. Marion (that might not have been his name, but it was pretty damn close to what I imagine his name was) turned and asked, “what?”

“You know, Scrubs? It’s a reference.”

“Oh, man, I don’t know the first thing about references,” he bemoaned in both a disinterested tone and a disoriented one.

Man, nobody appreciates a good reference these days.

After I received my change of shirt, I went into the nearest bathroom and speedran the Trent Dress Up game. Not to brag, but I might have set a new record that day. Okay. Moving on.

Up four flights of stairs I lumbered up, each foot dragged behind the other. Yes, I could have used the elevator, but then that wouldn’t have been very doctor-like of me, would it? I mean, plenty of doctors took the elevator, and there was nothing wrong with that, but I always tried to do healthy things. It didn’t really matter much, I mean, I was already healthy, I was just a little chubby, was all. So what? I was a big ol’ teddy bear in a lab coat. At least I rocked the look.

Twelve rooms down. Then the thirteenth: that was where I heard the assistant.

“Dr. Bark will see you now,” the assistant informed the patient. After she left, which I didn’t really get a good look at, but I’ve probably worked with her before, I opened the door and greeted the patient.

“Woof, woof!” I made my best dog voice, which probably sounded closer to a howler monkey than a dog.

My patient just looked at me, not amused in the slightest. He was an elderly man who looked like a bad caricature of an elderly man. Not one of the kind ones, either. No, more like the grumpy kind who would yell at you if you so much as lived in the general vicinity of the same neighborhood he lived in. Then again, I knew looks could be deceiving and if anything, his face was probably contorted in pain.

“Okay, so I’m not that clown doctor, but if you honk my nose, I will still make a sound,” I gave a nervous laugh as I said. He just continued to stare at me.

It turned out that he had a small seizure just as I entered the room. Lovely timing, really.

Before I could take a break and have some lunch, there were a few more fun moments, gross moments, sad moments, silly moments, the whole gamut. Really, I loved my job because there were many opportunities to treat others and get them to better health. But also I hated my job because it was a job and I hated being the bearer of big bills due to the malicious concept of private insurance.

My sister-in-law was always going on about how I should be more ambitious. How I could try to start my own clinic and treat people for free, out of the kindness of my heart. Which I loved, that really was a dream if I ever had one. But there was the matter of means. Equipment costs money, I’d need more space, I’d have to get all those good prescription drugs that all the cool cats liked. I wasn’t even sure if I could do it, legally.

But hey, if it were possible, I’d do it. For sure. Maybe.

Once I made it to the hospital’s cafeteria, I grabbed a lobster salad with a garlic roll and a pink lady apple for an extra layer of irony. It was ironic because no matter how many times I ate one of those, I could never keep myself away from the hospital. Shame, too. The busier I was, the less time I had to play Monster Hunter.

Anyway, as I looked for a place to sit, I hummed a tune I heard over the radio.

“Don’t call my name, don’t call my name, Alejandro. Fernando,” I hummed. Or rather, mumbled. Because I knew for a fact that I said those words out loud, whether or not I should have saved myself the embarrassment.

“Yes?” Crooned the seductive and husky toned voice of a man I didn’t recognize. I looked around, then noticed that the owner of such a voice was seated all by his lonesome at a table in the middle of the cafeteria.

Oh good, finally a table that’s not crowded.

I made the no-brainer decision to sit across from him at the table. His head sported a vast field of curly black hair as well as the stubble-laden remnants of a rugged black mustache. He reminded me of the guy from that Just Cause series of games, though not sure why, as I’ve never played them, though I had to admit, grappling hooks were pretty cool.

“Did you say something?” I stared into his inviting rosemary colored eyes. Mostly because I felt it rude if I didn’t. Imagine if someone did that to me, just looked away when they spoke to me. Actually, that’s probably happened many times.

“You said my name,” he replied, more plain this time, without as much of a soothing effect, but no less friendly.

“Oh? Alejandro?” I blinked, unaware that I had said anyone’s name.

“No, Fernando, but you may call me Fern. Everyone does,” he smiled as he told me, a smile as soothing as his voice could be.

“Well, I certainly wanna do what everyone else is doing,” I chuckled. “I’m Trent, by the way.”

He gave a slow nod.

“What a beautiful name. Do you know who does the song that you were singing?”

Oh god, if ever there was a time to be embarrassed.

“I just heard the song on the radio! I don’t know anything about it, I just thought it was kinda catchy.”

“I’ll give you a hint: it starts with ‘Lady’.”

Fuck. I was bad at guessing games.

“Lady and the Tramp?”

“No.”

“Lady Marmaduke?”

“No. You have three more guesses.”

Wait. He never said I had a limit of five. Now I was really feeling the pressure.

“Lady Groudon?”

“Close.”

Oh! Now I knew what it was!

“Lady Goomy!”

“...No, not quite. But really close.”

Damn. I only had one guess left, too. The heat was really on now.

“Lady Gloop?”

He bit his lip trying to hold back laughter, but couldn’t, and it all came flooding out.

“Um, did I win?” I wasn’t sure what to make of that laughter, but I had to know. I just HAD to know.

After he settled down, he shook his head and with an aching calm assured me:

“It’s not important.”

“Well, what is important, then?” I grimaced, the answer not given to me.

“The lives of our patients are what’s important.”

Yeah, that seemed a little obvious, though, considering our professions and all. Actually, I wasn’t quite sure whether he was a doctor or not. I didn’t recall ever working with him.

“What do you do here, by the way?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“I’m a nurse, mi amor.”

Once he said that, everything clicked into place.

“No wonder you’ve got that gentle voice,” I observed.

“I don’t have to be gentle if you don’t want me to be.”

“No, no,” I shook my head. “For the sake of the patients, I think you ought to be.”

We went back and forth after that, chatting about this and that, though nothing really important. Really, it was nice, I didn’t usually chat with anyone. Afterward, however, it was back to the grind. Oh joy.

Once said day one was done, I flopped on home and collapsed on my sofa. Next to me was a controller, and I had bought my copy of Final Fantasy XVI the other day, but haven’t had a chance to play it.

“My body...too feeble…” I wheezed out the words as my hands shook trying to reach for the controller. Just as it seemed like the controller was within my grasp, my phone rang.

When there was something in closer proximity than the item that I really wanted, the natural urge was to reach for the one in closer proximity instead.

“Hey Trent. It’s me,” came the sudden and to the point tone of my sister-in-law: Vesuvius.

“Oh, hey. What’s up?” I snapped to my senses and sat right up. “Is everything okay? Nothing too serious, I hope.”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I’ve got a nice little apartment with my beautiful wife. I just haven’t spoken to you in a while and wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Oh, what a relief. I was worried you were having another mental health episode.”

“Hey! I don’t go around pointing out the time you had food poisoning, do I?” She scolded. Yeah, okay. That was fair.

She didn’t have many mental health episodes, but ever since that incident with her and Juniper’s stalkers, she had been more sensitive and more on edge. That said, I really was happy for her and that she was at peace.

“You’re right. God, that was a rough time. Who knew blueberries could be so poisonous?”

“All things in nature can,” she stated. Gee, if anyone knew that, it would’ve been her.

“How are all things with settling into the apartment?” I asked. She hadn’t been there long, but it was a bold step for her, considering her social anxiety, which she tried to act like she didn’t have.

“You know, it’s an adjustment. It gets lonely when Juniper isn’t home. I’m not used to her having anything resembling a job. I hate to sound possessive, but I don’t like that she has one. I wish we didn’t have to make money to live.”

“Be as possessive as you want,” I chuckled. “Er...within reason. Say, have you saved up for anything?”

“No. Why?”

“Well, you always go on about wanting to do that whole ‘cottagecore’ lifestyle thing. So maybe you could save for that and go for it?”

She drew a deep breath, as if she were about to blow a gust of wind out of every orifice.

“First off, I don’t know what a ‘cottagecore’ is, but I’m cautious around anything with the suffix of -core. You know I’m a delicate flower.”

“And a poisonous one,” I pointed out.

“Yes, well, poisonous flowers can be delicate. And hey! Be nice to me!”

I coughed up a chuckle.

“Okay, well, second off,” she continued. “What I want is to live off the land, in a field of flowers. Growing my own field. Having peace and quiet in the middle of nowhere.”

“Yeah, that’s cottagecore.”

“Don’t say words I don’t understand to me!” She scolded. “It’s really demeaning.”

“Okay, okay,” I tried to settle down with the teasing. “But for real, it’s not like it’s impossible. Juniper could build a house, she likes making things.” Then again, she probably wouldn’t build a house very well, but I’m sure she’d enjoy the attempt. “It may take a bit of money for the resources, but it’s not like it’s impossible.”

“Yeah, well, first thing’s first is I want to see a therapist. Like, an actual therapist.”

“Oh, that could be good for you.”

“Yeah…” Her voice trailed, and the tone of her voice shifted to a more mournful one. “I still remember how I was during that time. I have trouble believing that it’s really over. All of that pain lingers with me. It’s not something I wish to remember, but it’s something I’m unable to forget.”

“Don’t beat yourself up too bad,” I tried to reassure her. I assumed she was referring to the whole stalker incident that occurred at the same time she dealt with her mental health episode. “Everyone has a breaking point. There’s nothing to be ashamed of there.”

“No, but there is. I was confused. Desperate. I hurt the most important person in my life. I hurt someone else that I could have helped. That I could have saved. If I had just known how. If my mind was more clear back then,” her voice shifted into a growl. “I hate it. I hate inflicting pain. Especially because it’s not who I want to be. No who I am anymore,” her voice then grew sharper. Harsher. “Yet I can’t help but feel like it’s still with me, buried somewhere, and I just want to punch a wall, rip my hair out, something! Something to cut this off from me!”

“Hey, hey,” I could tell she was working herself up. “You and Juniper are both sensitive people. Sometimes people lash out when their emotions are heightened. It doesn��t mean you’re bad or anything, but you can work on it. For what it’s worth, I do think you two are good together.”

“Thank you,” her voice quieted back to the mournful tone it was at first and I could hear sniffling and weeping in the background. “I’m sorry. I told myself I would keep composed and yet I went off into that rant. Gee, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re a better therapist than the one I pretended to be.”

“Heh. It’s nothing. You’ve definitely been through a lot. Get yourself some tea or something, that might help.”

“Thanks,” she sniffled again. “What about you? Is there anything new with you?”

“Eh. Same ol’ boring stuff at the hospital. People get sick and die, some people get better.”

“To which?” She let out a weak chuckle.

“Oh, definitely the sick part. I’ve yet to someone get better from being dead, but anything can happen. Fingers crossed, right?”

“Heh…so there’s nothing new at all? What about at the house? I bet you’re glad to have Juniper and I out of your hair.”

“Eh. You guys weren’t that bad to deal with.”

“That’s a relief. Do you miss us?”

“Hmm...a bit. It’s a bit quiet now, but I like it. Means I can play video games in peace and walk around the apartment in my underwear.”

“Indeed, that is a positive. Though I didn’t need to hear the last part.”

I tried to think about anything of substance I could actually talk about.

“Oh! I met someone new at the hospital today! This nurse named Fern. He’s got these beautiful murky green eyes and maze-like curly dark hair. Oh, and his mustache. I bet I’d be ticklish if it rubbed against me,” I announced with a sense of excitement at the prospect of actually having something to say.

“Are you attracted to this Fern person?” She inquired.

While I didn’t quite know where she got that idea from, I wasn’t going to say that he was ugly or anything like that.

“I’m certainly not repelled by him,” I joked. Heh. Magnets. “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious, since you described him in such exquisite detail.”

“Eh. Isn’t it normal to describe people you talk about?”

“Not in my experience. Not like that, anyway. But hey, what do I know?”

“Yeah, well, I just met him today, so I doubt I’ll describe him every time I talk about him. He seems nice, in any case. Hey, maybe the four of us could play D&D together sometime?” I perked up at the prospect of having someone else to play D&D with. That was the most important thing about meeting someone. If not D&D, maybe I could gush about 80s Sci-Fi movies or J-RPGs.

“I don’t know...that game always brings out the worst in me...I try to be a healer but whenever I encounter a monster I just want to grind them into dust and then I curse the fact that I didn’t pick a class like barbarian.”

“Heh. That is a problem. You could always just be a barbarian.”

“No. I don’t want to,” I could tell she stuck her nose up just by her tone of voice alone.

“In any case, we gotta get this going on! We never seem to finish a campaign!” I was SO pumped to get this thing going on.

“That’s because I always either quit out of frustration or you end up too busy and we decide to start over from a new campaign as soon as you have free time again,” she pointed out. At least she was honest.

“We’ll figure something out, I’m sure!”

“Mm...well, it was nice talking with you, Trent. I’m glad you seem to be doing well, and good luck with this Fern person.”

“Thanks! You take care too! Bye!”

We hung up and I spent the rest of the day being an exhausted nerdy Trenty bear who somehow did nothing yet time still passed.

As the days went by, I’d spend lunch having conversations with Fern and he said I could talk about whatever I was passionate about, so OF COURSE a bunch of nerdy shit came up.

“About halfway through the game, she dies, but you can get her final limit break later on. This is a way to show that she’s still with the party in spirit and the party keeps it as a memento, even though they know they cannot use it, OR they refuse to use it to honor her memory.”

“I see. And it’s not just the developers making a mistake?” Fern pondered. The gall.

“No way. Game developers wouldn’t just do that. In fact, you can hack the game to make it so Aerith lives, by coming back after she dies, but she’ll say at a certain point, ‘I’m not supposed to be here’. That’s because the developers knew that players would try to bring her back, so they were prepared.”

“Wow. That really is haunting,” he looked moved by my explanation. As he should be.

“The game devs were also brilliant for making her and Cloud be besties instead of a romantic interest. There’s a part where Cloud and Aerith go on a date on a ferris wheel and right before they go on the ferris wheel, Aerith turns to cloud and goes ‘wa...wassup homie?’ and Cloud says, ‘golly gee’ in response. By having them be besties, it shows the importance of friendships over romantic relationships. It’s actually shown in a prequel that Cloud had a boyfriend named Zack, but despite it being canon, many fans prefer to act like the game doesn’t exist.”

“That’s a wonderful message for them to show,” he nodded along.

“Yeah. So anyway, Zack dies in the prequel.”

“Damn. This Cloud guy just can’t catch a break.”

Before I was able to continue the conversation further, I received a beep on my pager.

“...And neither can I. I gotta split.”

That was how our typical conversations went. I did most of the talking while he stared and smiled the whole way through. Most of the time, I didn’t mind that, but it also meant that I didn’t know much about him. He hardly seemed like the mysterious type, and I should’ve known the mysterious type due to the people I’ve let in my apartment in the past.

So the next chance we got I decided I’d hold nothing back. We both sat together, once again with our lunches in front of us, and I popped the question:

“Do you have any siblings?” I was casual as I asked him, plain as day with an egg and lettuce sandwich in my hands. He tilted his head and rested it on his palm, looking even more radiant than usual.

“Why yes. I have four sisters. Two of them are engaged. One of them’s married. The fourth one is still looking for love.”

“Oh wow,” I replied. “You know, you could tell her that she doesn’t have to find love. It’s not the be-all and end-all, after all.”

“I think she already knows that. Still, she wouldn’t mind the experience. What about you, Trent?” He spoke my name with such a delicacy that it made my heart tackle the walls of my chest.

“Uh, yeah,” I stammered. “I’ve got a sister. I don’t even know why you mentioned relationships since I just asked about siblings, but she’s in one. I mean, she’s married, so I guess I’ve also got a sister-in-law. If that counts as another sibling, then I’ve got two sisters, maybe?”

He coughed up a chuckle against his fist.

“Love is a beautiful thing, isn’t it?”

I shrugged.

“Yeah, I guess it can be.”

For some reason that simple exchange reminded me of an early memory when Juniper and I were kids and we shared a room, bunk beds, in fact.

She hung upside down from the edge of the top bunk of the bed. I always did tell her to be careful, but she never was good at listening to me.

“Hey bro, bro, bruh, bruv,” she pestered me.

“What is it?” I looked up from the book I was reading.

She held down a magazine with pictures of women in hiking gear.

“Look! Aren’t those girls cute? Aren’t they your type?” She pressed it up to my face. Or as well up to my face as she could. Her aim wasn’t the best when she hung upside down. Nevertheless, I took a glance. Of course, as I was more interested in the book I was reading, I didn’t really pay attention.

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

Not satisfied, she grew in intensity.

“Come on! You didn’t look!”

“Yeah I did!” I shot back. “I’m just more interested in this book right now! You have no idea how cool the Shannara novels are!” Oh, but I wasn’t done. “Also, I’m pretty sure those are your type, not mine!”

She stuck her tongue out.

“What even is your type?” She teased.

I shrugged. Really, I didn’t know then, and even into my 30s, as a doctor, I had no idea if I even had a type. For anyone. After a pause, she then asked.

“Do you think you’d ever have a crush on anyone?”

I gave it some thought. Then, as if it was a no brainer, it clicked.

“If someone was actually interested in me, sure! But c’mon, I’m a nerd. You know how hard it is for people like me.”

She scowled at that.

“That’s just a myth. That shouldn’t stop you.”

She was right. Both back then, and in the present, if she were to tell me that again. But over the years, I grew to have a different excuse.

“Would you ever be open to the idea of love?” Fern’s question brought me out of the memory, back to the moment that I shared with him.

I shrugged.

“Sure, I wouldn’t mind. If the opportunity were to occur. But then, I’m always too busy to think about things like that, so it’s never really crossed my mind. I’m sure you can relate, seeing as you’re probably about as busy as I am.”

“Indeed,” he agreed. “But it has its advantages.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“Like how we can spend the same amount of time together.”

Oh yeah. That was a really good point.

“Heh. It is nice to have someone to chat with,” I agreed.

It was a surprise how little time had passed, but I was glad for it. Considering how unpredictable this job could be, I had to be thankful for any precious minutes I got.

“Let’s not worry about that. If we run out of time, we can pick it up another day. So what do you say?”

“So tell me, how did your sister meet her lover?” His curiosity took me by surprise. Not something I thought would be worth asking, but who was I to say what someone did and didn’t find interesting?

All right. So I told him. It seemed he just had that kind of effect on me.

Maybe it was a little cliché, I don’t know, because I don’t know what constitutes as cliché, but it was a rainy evening. I had just gotten off work, I had my umbrella, but it seemed to do me little good as there was a mighty gust of wind and the rain just slid down the umbrella and managed to force itself onto my jacket.

On the way home, I took a shortcut through a side street. I guess it was like an alleyway, but more open. I don’t know, side street sounds appropriate. Curled up underneath the cover of a building’s awning was a homeless woman, a single orange striped blanket over her, damp. Her hair seemed covered in dirt, she shivered, but made no attempt to voice her discomfort. I couldn’t quite make out her face, but maybe it was pity that brought me to pay attention to her in the first place.

Yeah, typical “boy meets girl” story, huh?

At last, she looked up and croaked. Despite facing me, her face seemed to droop low and she looked downtrodden.

“You got money?”

I jumped. Startled. Yeah, not too dignified, but I really just didn’t expect for her to notice me. Once I composed myself, I dug through my jacket pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

“Here, it’s not much, but it’s what I got on me.”

“Thanks,” she replied and took it. No more than that. Of course, if that was the extent of the exchange, there wouldn’t really be anything to tell, now would there?

“Hey, I know it’s late, but there’s a cafe close by we can visit if you want a coffee or something. They’re not open forever, but it’ll keep you dry for a little while,” I offered.

She looked up again, scowled.

“I don’t trust strangers,” she stated.

“Oh, yeah, definitely. I’m a stranger, you’re a stranger. I get that,” I chuckled. “I just figured I’d offer, but you can decline. If you’re worried about me being someone dangerous, you can punch me. I’m not really interested in being cruel or violent or anything like that.”

She squinted. I would later find out that was less because of how ridiculous she may have thought me and more because she had poor eyesight.

“Are you that desperate that you would ask a homeless person out on a date?” Her biting remark might have gotten under the skin of just about anyone else, but I’ve probably heard much worse from some of my patients. Instead, I laughed.

“You don’t have to think of it as a date. I don’t. I’m not really the dating type, anyway. It’s just a spur of the moment thing.”

She shifted eyes, turned her head from left to right, then looked back up on me.

“I can’t believe I’m going to agree to this…but sure,” she heaved out the words.

“Cool,” I stuck my thumb out, then continued, “it’s just a couple of blocks away. I really like the place, since I sometimes don’t get off work until real late and it’s open past midnight.”

“I don’t care...when it’s open...but I could use something warm...to drink,” she sounded lightheaded, in a daze.

Once we made our way through the door of the dim lit cafe with neon lighting, she wiped her shoes on the mat.

Oh. What good manners, I thought. As someone who often forgot to wipe their shoes when entering places, it was a nice reminder to see someone else do so. At least I remembered to put my umbrella down, but that kinda went without saying.

As soon as I approached the counter, I turned to her, still drenched.

“Don’t worry about the cost. Order whatever you like,” I assured her. After I said those words, she looked up, squinted, then closed her eyes.

“I would like a lavender mocha latte, but no dairy. Almond milk if you have it. Coconut would be even better. Give four extra shots of espresso, and if you have dark chocolate syrup, use that.”

Damn. It was like she had the whole thing recited and ready to go. All right.

“I’ll just take a black coffee,” I shrugged. I didn’t need all the sugar or any of that extra stuff.

“Oh. I should have went with that too,” she looked down, possibly embarrassed at her order.

I laughed.

“Don’t worry, I said you could order whatever. My treat.”

She made her way to the table nearest to the window, and took the seat closest to the window as well. As soon as she sat down, she lowered her head onto the table and her arms outstretched to cover her head. Behind her, raindrops slid down the window. It wasn’t much an interesting sight, but I wasn’t a very observant person, so I felt I ought to have taken note of something.

“Just so you know, you should probably forget about me after this,” she uttered and despite her words being muffled, I could still make her words out clear as a river.

“If you want,” I shrugged.

“I’m serious. You shouldn’t associate with me. There’s people after me. I’d rather not get anyone involved.”

I pondered if there was any validity to that. Maybe she ran from an ex, or there was some trafficking ring. That last bit was a little dark. As a middle ground, I thought that maybe she had run off from home as a kid (surprisingly, that part was sort of true, in a sense).

“You probably think I’m crazy. Paranoid, even. I get it. Some homeless woman tells you there’s people after her. You don’t have to believe me. Just so you know, I’m homeless by choice. It’s easier this way. You don’t have to believe that, either.”

“Well, if you’re on the run, maybe it’s not by choice?” I suggested.

She looked up, her face still semi-buried in her arms. Still, I could make out eyes through her bangs. Grayish-purple bags under her eyes, but eyes nonetheless.

“Yeah. You’re probably right. It’s been so long, it’s hard to tell anymore. My head won’t cooperate,” she seemed to agree with my assessment, and as if to confirm as much, she lifted her head up and rubbed her forehead with her palm. With one eye visible, she glared at me.

“Just so you know, even if you considered this a date, I wouldn’t be interested. I’m…” she looked around, then stated, “men don’t interest me.”

I chuckled.

“It’s okay. My sister’s a lesbian. You don’t really have to beat around the bush about it.”

Her eyes widened, then squinted again.

“I don’t know why you would tell me that. I’m not interested. My main focus is my survival, it’s just…” She began to glance to her side and down at the floor. “I’ve been running and hiding so long, I’m growing tired. Sooner or later, I might just give up. It’s a terrible thought, but I don’t think I can go on.”

My concern began to grow, even if I didn’t know the scope of her problem.

“I don’t really know what it is you’re dealing with, but you don’t have to deal with it alone.”

“No. I refuse to endanger anyone else,” she seemed adamant about that.

Maybe she was justified, but in a selfish way, that also made me want to help more.

“You can refuse if you want, but the weather forecast says it’s going to be raining over the next few days. I’ve got a spare room in my apartment you can stay in. If nothing else, it’ll keep you dry.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” she looked away once more.

“You wouldn’t be. I’m the one that offered,” I shrugged, a favorite gesture of mine.

“Well...maybe my head is just messed up enough right now, but...fine. As long as I reserve the right to leave at any time.”

“Of course,” I assured her, and I even lifted a feeble smile. Once our coffee was brought over, mine a regular paper coffee cup, hers a ceramic cup filled to the top, we drank in silence. Between intervals of me sipping the bitter bean, I peeked over and noticed how she held onto her cup with a sort of elegance; one hand on the handle, the other grasping the base of the cup, and slow sips taken, not a single slurp to be heard. It was probably a little weird of me to pick up on something like that, I admit.

“I’m Trent, by the way,” I told her out of courtesy. Depending on how long she’d stay, I felt it wise to tell her my name.

“Et...err...Vesuvius. You can call me Vesuvius. Or Ves. I don’t care which,” her eyes shifted and she stammered out the words.

After we finished our coffee, we headed out, umbrella up and ready to go. There wasn’t a long walk ahead of us, and she was silent the whole way through. Not that I tried to make small talk anyway, since the rain was kind of gloomy weather for conversation. She walked with a slump, something I should have warned her to be cautious about, lest she get a hunchback. Maybe she did so because she felt she was too tall to fit under the umbrella, or maybe she had been under such duress for so long that standing up straight no longer registered to her.

Before long, we made our way inside and I showed her to where the spare room was. She didn’t speak a word, not so much as a nod, just went inside. Before I closed the door, I told her, “if you need anything, just let me know. I’ll be down the hall and to your left.”

Still, no acknowledgment. That was fine. Just as long as she heard me. For whatever reason, it didn’t register until after I closed the door that I didn’t have anything like an air mattress or a futon for her to sleep on. That room was bare, empty. Not a single item to be found.

Despite that, I was too tired to do anything rational like look for some spare blankets or pillows, and decided it was high time for me to get some rest. At the very least, I turned the heater on and let it run. It wasn’t something I liked to do, and I didn’t think Juniper would be all that comfortable with it on, but screw it, I was the one who paid the bills.

“Well, time for me to get some shut eye,” I announced, thinking there was no one around who could hear me. However, I soon noticed from the corner of my eye a foam basketball being tossed up into the air.

“Who’s the babe?” Juniper, asked in a rather dull voice. I soon turned and saw her laying on the couch, flat on her back.

“Don’t be disrespectful,” I scolded. “I found her on the street. She’s just going to stay over for a few nights.”

“So now you’re picking up homeless chicks?”

Really, maybe she was just moody ‘cause she was tired, or maybe she just felt like giving me a hard time that night in particular.

“I just felt like doing a good deed, there’s nothing behind it,” I corrected her. Again.

“That’s rather nice of you. Just make sure not to overexert yourself. Your health is important too,” she reminded.

“Thanks.”

I thought I could just go to bed, but then a smile which signified mischief spread across her face.

“So, tell me about the babe,” she wouldn’t drop it so soon.

“Oh, come on,” I groaned.

“C’mon, the babe.”

“No,” I folded my arms on my hips. If she could nudge me from where she was at, she would have.

“You remind me of the babe,” her cheery voice returned, coupled with a sing-song tone.

“What babe?” I finally gave in.

“The babe with the power.”

“What power?”

“Power of voodoo!”

“Who do?”

“You do!”

“Do what?”

“Remind me of the babe! Ha ha ha!” she kicked around the couch and laughed. There were certain nights where I could just tell when she watched Labyrinth that day.

“Okay, okay, don’t stay up too late,” I reminded her. “You know where your room is.”

“Yeah, yeah. ‘Night.”

Ah, Labyrinth. Classic. David Bowie and his tights. Things didn’t get much better than that.

Somehow I managed to tell him all of that with time to spare.

“You have a big heart, Trent,” he told me, which kinda made me want to sulk.

“Yeah...I do try to have a good diet, though,” I pouted.

“No, no, I mean metaphorically,” he patted the air as he spoke, a sure sign of sincerity.

“You mean…?” I stared into his earthen rosemary colored eyes.

“Yes. You are very kind.”

“Oh, phew. For a second there I was worried you meant my weight.”

“No, no. Dear. You are adorable. When I first saw you that fateful day, I said to myself, ‘this is an adorable teddy bear’. I would never have anything unkind to say to a teddy bear.”

“Well, thank you. Does that mean I’m a cuddly looking teddy bear?” I let slip my curiosity.

“I’d have to find that one out for myself. Hey, your story about your sister’s wife got me thinking. How would you like to go out for coffee after work?”

Gee, the possibility never even occurred to me, but it was so simple. Of course.

“Yeah, I don’t see why not. I’m pretty sure the place is still open.”

“And,” he leaned in a little closer. “May I consider it a date?”

I laughed a little at that.

“If you’d like to.”

“And,” a little closer still. “Would you consider it one?”

That time, my heart went “boing boing” against my chest. I didn’t know the answer to that one. It was too much being put on the spot, I was used to the attention being on other people.

“Um...not no, but maybe yes...I’m not sure…” Came my disgraceful blabbering until I managed to catch myself and re-compose. “Er...I’m not used to thinking about things for myself...but...sure. You’re a pretty cool guy. Let’s consider it a coffee date.”

So we did. Just a few nights later, after work we walked into the parking lot. He had a motorcycle, with enough of a seat for me to fit in the back. It wasn’t awkward in the slightest and in fact, it played out much the same as many of our conversations at lunch before. It all felt natural between us, like trees. He ordered an oregano tea latte and I had my usual black coffee.

As if by miracle, the sun had yet to set and there wasn’t the slightest hint of rain. We sat across from each other and immersed ourselves in the ambiance of the hums and smooth glitchtunes playing on the coffee shop’s speakers.

“So, if I were to come over to your place tonight, would I see your sister and her wife?” He posed the hypothetical question.

“Nah, they both moved out almost a year ago. They’ve got their own apartment somewhere else in the city, though they’re also saving up to move elsewhere again.”

“So soon?” He tilted his head.

“Well, it’s a dream of Ves’ to live in a field of flowers, open nature, all that stuff. Psychedelic drugs, flowers in hair, tie-dye, I could go on. Juniper’s already found a place a couple of states out, and she found an old beat up pick up truck in a ditch and decided to repair it just for fun. So now all they gotta do is assemble the wood, get some electric lining, plumbing, all that stuff. Which...I don’t have a lot of faith in my sister, she’s no architect or electrician, but she’s the type who gets insistent about doing everything herself, so it’s not like I could talk her out of it.”

“That’s great, though! They’re pursuing their passion. Isn’t that beautiful?”

I shrugged.

“I dunno if ‘beautiful’ is the word I’d use, but yeah. I suppose I’m happy for them.”

“What about you? Do you have any goals?” His eyes fluttered, almost like he wanted to lull me to sleep.

“Sorta, but it’s kinda dumb? I just don’t like the whole ‘charged ten thousand dollars as soon as you walk in and good luck getting your overpriced insurance that you can barely afford, if afford at all, to cover anything’ so I was thinking how it would be cool if I could run my own clinic. I don’t know, maybe it could be funded through donations, but in no way would people have to pay. Like, I doubt I’d be able to do the big stuff like surgeries or transplants, but it’s still something, right? Thing is, that’s kinda impossible, don’cha think?”

Rather than some kind of agreement, he reacted in a rather ferocious manner: he stood up, leaned over, and slammed his hands on the table.

“Trent,” while his voice grew in intensity, it certainly didn’t sound angry. More...motivating. “You must never be afraid of your passion.”

“Uh...okay…” I scratched my cheek. “But what about you? What are you passionate about?”

He sat back down.

“You. Of course,” he answered, so simple, so straightforward in his delivery.

“So, like, does that mean you’d want to play D&D with me sometime?”

He laughed.

“I’d love to.”

“Really? Are you sure? What if you don’t like it? I mean, I don’t even know what your hobbies are.”

“If I end up not liking it, then at least I’ll have found that out for myself. But all of your hobbies, everything that interest you, I want to immerse myself in. Because all of you...is my hobby.”

“Bro…” I leaned forward. “That’s kind of...uh...cool!”

“Oh, and I also like to ride around on my motorcycle. I like watching the sunsets, going hiking, mountain climbing, kayaking, and making ceramic cups.”

Hiking, mountain climbing, kayaking...he sure looked fit. Not to mention, those things sounded like fun, even if possibly dangerous.

“Do you think I could do those things with you?” I asked, hesitant, but I figured if he was wanting to do the things I liked, I may as well ask him in return.

“Of course. You can do whatever you want with me.”

“Then in that case, can I kiss you?” I joked, though it seemed to come out of nowhere. However much I meant it, it was out in the open now.

“Of course. Would you like to do it here, or at your apartment?”

“Err...at my apartment?”

To be honest, I’ve never kissed anyone before. Or been kissed by anyone before. That thought never even crossed my mind and I pretty much figured I’d be fine not having such a thought and continuing on with my life, but dominoes were falling or something like that.

“Let’s go, then,” he stood up and motioned for me to head toward the door. In a hurry, I chugged down my coffee.

I should probably brush my teeth first. Coffee breath probably isn’t a good taste. Then again, would he want to brush his teeth. Should we just use the same toothbrush? Or maybe he packed one with him.

When we shoved our way through the door of my apartment, those questions were erased from my mind.

“I’ve actually never kissed anyone before...I know, in my thirties and…” he put his finger on my lips and made a “shh” sound.

“Relax. I’ll take the lead,” he lowered his hand, then leaned down and spread his lips against mine. As he released, I wished that he hadn’t. But then the thought of my breath returned to the front of my mind.

“Sorry, uh, hope my breath doesn’t bother you.”

“Does it bother you?” He asked.

“Well…it’s probably good to take care of your teeth. I’m not a dentist, but I do think good health is important in all aspects of one’s health and --”

He pulled out a box of mint chews.

“Here,” he opened the box. I took a couple and popped them into my mouth. On instinct, I bit down on them and chewed, despite knowing that I wouldn’t be prepared for the icy hellfire that was the minty taste. After a couple of seconds of huffing, I looked back at him.

“Okay, I’m good now.”

“There is one more interest I have now,” he decided to pick back up from our conversation at the coffee shop for some final choice words.

“Yeah? What would that be?”

“Supporting you and your dreams.”

Then we kissed again.

So flashforward a year or so and through some sort of miracle, such a dream was realized: we converted the apartment into a clinic and moved upstairs to the apartment directly above. Both of us quit our jobs at the hospital so we could focus on the clinic. Really, I couldn’t have done it without him. Or, maybe I could have, but I’d like to think he gave me that sort of push, y’know? That little “oomf.”

There were many improvements that could have been made, and might be made as time went on, but I liked seeing the genuine attempt to help, and the look on people’s faces when they knew they wouldn’t have to worry about cost...worth it. What’s more, people donated freely, and often. We met several people around the community and even convinced some to play D&D with us. I think the biggest surprise was how much of a hit the game was with the elderly.

Oh, and also, Fern and I became boyfriends. Not really sure how that happened, but it did and I’m cool with it.

On one particular slow day, an interesting thing happened: see, it had been a while since any strange people walked through my door. After a streak of Ves, Blanc, and that weird stalker lady my sister hugged, I figured I’d see the last of any weirdness. In fact, I never even thought to tell Fern about any of the weird visitors (besides Ves, of course). But then as I was doing a solo hunt against deviljo in Monster Hunter on my PC in my office, Fern ran into my office.

“Hey Trent, dear, there’s someone outside the front door saying she’s your cousin,” he informed me. I looked up, a little perplexed.

“I have relatives?” I asked, even though it might have seemed like a pretty dumb thing to say.

Never mind the dumbness, I stopped what I was doing and rushed toward the door only to find a short lady with blonde hair who looked to be in her 20s.

“Hello, can I help you?” I asked her.

“It’s me, your cousin. Demetria?” She folded her arms and scowled.

It took a few seconds to click, and then I remembered.

“Ohhh. You were at my sister’s wedding. I think. Probably.”

“Yeah, I probably most definitely was,” she turned her head and spat on the ground.

Fern stood beside me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“Who might this be?” He asked.

“Fern,” I gestured to Demetria. “This is apparently my cousin, Demetria. Demetria, this is Fern, my receptionist-slash-boyfriend.”

“You make me sick,” Demetria growled in response.

“What?” I blinked, and I was quite surprised to hear such a thing. “Are you homophobic?”

“No, I’m not homophobic, I just can’t believe you’re dating someone named after a tree! You were supposed to be the chosen one! You could have broken the cycle!”

That was an odd thing to focus on, but good to know it wasn’t too serious.

“It’s short for Fernando, actually, and technically, Ferns aren’t trees,” Fern explained to her.

“All right, buster,” she pointed up. “But you’re on thin-fucking-ice!”

Then she turned to me.

“Also, grats on being gay, I guess. That’s kinda cool,” she eased up her abrasive tone.

“Well, I might be bi. I don’t know. I haven’t been interested in women before, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be interested in any women. I think the real question we need to ask is, is it gay to be in a relationship with another man?” I suggested. Demetria just looked at Fern, who then looked at me.

“Yeah,” they both said at the same time.

“Well, in any case, what can I do for you, Demetria?” I shifted focus.

“Right. I need you to tell me where Juniper lives.”

“What for?”

“So I can go live with them. Why else?”

That was an odd thing to want to do, and I didn’t even think Juniper and Ves would agree to such a...oh, who was I kidding? Juniper was that kind of person.

“Right. Uh...I guess there’s no harm. I’ll write down their address for you. You got a way to get there?”

She shook her head.

“I make it up as I go. I got here just fine, didn’t I?”

Yeah, that was a good point.

I pulled out my notepad from my shirt pocket as well as a pen and scribbled down the address. After I handed it to her, she squinted and scowled.

“Shit. How am I supposed to read this chicken scratch?”

Right. Doctor.

“Here, I’ll just spell it out for you, so you can just type it in the notepad app on your phone or whatever you have.”

“Oh, great. More work for me to do,” she grimaced, but pulled out her phone and pressed the power button.

“Let’s see...a few missed calls from my mom. Typical. Also, a text from Ray. ‘If you ever consider coming back here, don’t. I don’t want to see you again.’ Gee, wasn’t planning on going back there, but good to see I’m not wanted. Typical...oh, here we go. Notepad.”

I didn’t really know what that bit was about, but I wasn’t about to pry. Wasn’t my business. As soon as I told her the address, she turned her phone back off and put it back in her pocket.

How are you going to know where to find the place if you don’t even look at the address?

Oh well. Juniper and Ves’ problem now.

“See ya,” she waved, then ran off. Fern and I waved too, then Fern turned to me.

“Well, she was interesting,” he remarked.

I shrugged.

“Yeah. It tends to go that way. I never really told you, but besides Ves, there’s been some strange people who showed up here a couple of times. First there was Blanc, this amnesiac who was missing an arm. Juniper decided to make a prosthetic limb for them after learning about Fullmetal Alchemist and we kinda let them live here until they just disappeared one day. Then there was this one stalker Juniper had who wanted her and I to leave town but didn’t really explain why and then Juniper hugged her and she freaked out. Not a clue what that was about, but we never saw her again, so I guess we never needed to leave town.”

“Wow, your sister had a stalker?”

I shrugged.

“Yeah, it was horrible, I guess. She seemed rather nonchalant about it, but I could tell it affected her in some ways. She was paranoid for a bit until she met this stalker in person, and then said stalker turned out to be harmless.”

“Still, I would’ve been scared too.”

“Oh yeah, and by the way, Ves is a time traveler. Yeah, you probably think I’m nuts now, but she was originally from the ‘60s and my sister and I found this time travel device that looked like a Nintendo 64 when we moved in. It apparently belonged to Ves’ father. So that time at the coffee shop when she was homeless? Yeah, apparently I met her before that actually and neither of us realized that. Of course, she was a teenager back then and only showed up to take the time travel device back but anyway…”

I realized I started rambling and the more I went on, the more ridiculous things probably seemed.

“...Anyway, you don’t have to believe me, but that was all to say that everyone else who’s ever been in this apartment has been more interesting than me. Including you. Compared to them, I’m kinda just...there.”

He shook his head and placed a firm grasp on my shoulders. He looked me in the eyes.

“No, you are very interesting. How could you not be when you’ve met all of these interesting people? Take it from me: I wouldn’t be interested in you if I didn’t find you interesting.”

“Gee,” I looked away, embarrassed. “Thanks. But also, there’s one more thing: my family has this weird tradition of naming people after trees. Yeah, I’m Trent, but I was named after Treant, this tree monster in D&D. My mom wanted to name me Ent, but apparently couldn’t because the Tolkien estate has the rights to that name.”

“See? Another interesting thing about you!”

“Ha. I’m glad I met you. My mom wasn’t exactly a nice lady, but it was cool that she was into D&D. That’s probably where I got it from. Maybe it’s genetic. Still, neither mine nor my sister’s personalities are like her, although Juniper’s probably closer, though way nicer. It’s hard to explain, but you’d just have to trust me.”

“Every time you tell me something new about yourself, I’m fascinated more and more,” he smiled wide.

We kissed once more before getting back to work. Our day hadn’t yet come to an end.

#writing #remoras full #romance #gay #trent #doctor #clinic #stories #lgbt #dnd

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fantasyinvader · 5 years ago

Text

Now, there has been a lot of discussion about what Edelgard says in the game. In the beginning, I saw some folks try to claim things such as “Edelgard is the only one who tells Byleth the truth” or “the backstory stuff we learn in other routes is not canon to Crimson Flower.” It really seems like there was a willingness to discredit things the game said when it came into conflict the lady in red. I’ve even seen the argument that it doesn’t matter that what Edelgard says is wrong, because she’s doing the right thing. This mindset has always bugged me, since to make the best decisions one must be knowledgeable about the issue at hand.

Now, as time has passed, a lot of people want to simply say that Edelgard is misinformed but doesn’t treat it like it discredits her actions. Granted, there were still folks claiming that Rhea is lying and shouldn’t be trusted. But now we have the Nintendo Dream interview, which revealed that the worldbuilding was done in support of Silver Snow’s story. The idea that Edelgard has been misinformed is tossed around a lot more now, that while she’s wrong it’s because she herself wasn’t told the truth. That other people are to blame, and ignoring the fact that Edelgard is the only lord in the game not investigating what is going on during White Clouds.

But what if Edelgard was not misinformed? What if Edelgard was simply lying? That is what I want to discuss here, since there’s evidence that this is the real truth of the matter.

Let’s start off with the game outright admitting that Edelgard is lying to Byleth during Part 1. Now, you might be asking yourself where does that happen and I’ll admit it’s not in any scene of the game. It instead is inserted into the lyrics of Edge of Dawn, the full version you only hear at the end of the game outside of completing Crimson Flower. The second verse, not the same as the first, that you don’t hear in the opening contains the following lines.

“Then you turn to me and I stop before I know. And the lie upon my lips I let it go. Cross my heart, making vows I know will be betrayed (Know will be betrayed).A sad girl’s pleas live only for a breath and then they fade.”

The Japanese name of the song, Girl of Hresvelg, points to this song being sung from Edelgard’s point of view towards Byleth. Not only that, but the progression of the lyrics paint a picture of the path of the story. First Edelgard wants Byleth to join her, then we get the second verse where she asks (flips a coin for pronouns in this post) her to not take away their hand. This points to Byleth joining the Black Eagle House, working alongside how the game’s loading messages all come from BE-White Clouds and how it is the default choice. But the last verse shows Edelgard and Byleth as enemies, the progression of the song depicting the Silver Snow path. But during that second part, with Byleth leading the Eagles, Edelgard is stated to lie to Byleth and make promises she knows she won’t keep.

This song also has it’s musical cues spread all throughout the game, most prominently in Apex of the World which is Edelgard’s final boss theme in Azure Moon and also plays during the last map of Edelgard’s route. It’s a detail you’re not going to get simply playing Crimson Flower, you need to play (or be aware of) three of the game’s routes for this to be noticed.

Another issue is how Crimson Flower keeps playing at Edelgard is Nemesis 2.0. This is presented as a good thing, as that route presents Nemesis as the hero who fought for humanity so therefore Edelgard must also be the hero who fights for mankind. Right? But if you play Verdant Wind, you end up fighting Nemesis and his unit description goes like this.

“Under the pretense of liberating Fódlan from a reign of deception, this king rallied his people to arms in the War of Heroes.”

Now, false pretense is a redundant phrase since pretense means the same thing. Nemesis claimed he was fighting to liberate people during his war with the Empire and was seen as a hero for it. This is backed up by the memoir in the shadow library, stating that they were fighting zealots, aka the early followers of Seiros. But this is ultimately a false claim, and the real motive was hidden from the people. The Nintendo Dream interview states he killed the dragon-folk for power, not to free the people.

If we correlate this with Edelgard, then her own claims she is fighting for the liberation of Fodlan also becomes questionable. As already established, her own theme song outs her as a liar. So is she really telling the truth about what she is after, or is it all a pretense? Considering the fact she pushes for a war of conquest after capturing Rhea in three out of four routes (including Azure Moon, where she tells Dimitri she never lost her heart at the end of their parley. Not that she never lost heart, i.e. be discouraged), or how she invades the neutral Alliance in Crimson Flower (after spending five years trying to get Alliance lords to defect), the idea that she was after the unification of Fodlan under her is likely to be her real goal.

It also should be noted that Edelgard is depicted as spreading misinformation during Crimson Flower. The first is when she says it will be told she’s the one giving the orders, not Byleth because the emperor can’t be seen taking orders (thus subverting meritocracy). The second is after Arianrhod, which she blames on the Church. Taking matters a step further is Bernadetta and Petra’s paralogue. In Crimson Flower, the BESF heads out after we are told that the Church is pressuring Brigid to send them troops. But when we get there, Catherine says the Church is only asking that they don’t support the Empire. Someone is lying here, and when you consider how Petra is a political hostage in the Empire’s care AND‌ how when she’s not Brigid wants to support the Church because fuck you empire, it appears that it is Petra who has been lied to. Making matters worse is Ferdinand’s paralogue‌, which isn’t available in Crimson Flower and not only discredits the idea that Insurrection of the Seven happened simply because of greedy nobles but also has it’s own bit of misinformation within the empire. Duke Aegir, after being stripped of his lands and titles five years prior, is blamed for the brutal rule of Edelgard’s uncle Arundel. His power and authority was taken from him…yet for some reason he is being blamed.

There’s three NPCs in Crimson Flower that really stood out to me. The first was in the temporary camp after siding with Edelgard, who said he believes he shouldn’t believe everything she says. Red flag. The second was a scholar, who talked about going over this histories multiple times in order to find the inconsistencies. Red flag. The third was a soldier after Arianrhod, who was uneasy Edelgard kept her forces in the dark and worried about what else she was keeping from them. Red Flag, especially considering one of her (Flame Emperor) quotes in Heroes.

“You see what I choose to show you.“

Not to mention, she only revealed the truth about Cornelia being a Slither to Byleth AFTER it blew up in her face (and because Hubert let it slip). So let’s review. We get a hint not to believe everything she says, another urging us to find the inconsistencies through multiple playthroughs, and a warning that Edelgard isn’t telling us everything. She’s just telling us what she wants us to hear.

Because it’s better for her case to blame Duke Aegir for the experiments she and her siblings went through. That he and the others wanted to create a strong emperor to rule over Fodlan…after they fought the previous one to limit his power. Or how in her Goddess Tower event (which requires a B support to unlock, meaning one playthrough of Crimson Flower), she says her father was the leader of the Black Eagles and how he met her mother. The problem is that NPC dialogue at the beginning of the game states that an imperial heir hasn’t attended for generations so Edelgard being there is treated as a big deal. And considering how the devs said that the worldbuilding supports Silver Snow and fighting against Edelgard, it looks like during this tender moment Edelgard is the one not telling the truth.

An interesting thing is her supports. They only open up after Byleth obtains the Sword of the Creator, a blade with immense power. Edelgard begins telling Byleth her tragic backstory immediately, compared to other characters who only reveal their towards the end of the support chains. Making matters worse is her telling Hubert in the monastery that she may have found what she needs to make her goals a reality. The second support opens up after Remire village, where you will lose points with her if you don’t say things along the lines of “the Flame Emperor (aka Edelgard) isn’t responsible for this even though she was working with the people who did it.”

And if you really want to go there, her Crest of Flames she uses to try and form a bond with Byleth over is a fake. Her relic is a fake, using a fake Creststone bearing the Crest of the Beast. Said Crest is associated with the devil arcana, where a man and a woman become more devil-like of their own will by being in the presence of a ram-horned devil. And Edelgard wears ram-horns post-timeskip. So, some definite antichrist/corruption symbolism going on here, along with the idea that there is a falseness to Edelgard.

Lastly, in the Holy tomb Edelgard is flat out accused of manipulating the Black Eagles by the Black Eagles before they fight her there. Or if you choose to go Silver Snow, it’s revealed she had Hubert in the shadows ready to get her the fuck out of there rather than accepting Byleth’s judgement.

So, taking this all together what do we have? Edelgard is trying to manipulate Byleth into joining her, doing so though presenting herself as a victim while also telling her lies, She spreads misinformation for her own benefit even though she damns the Church for it’s false history or when she subverts the ideal she says she’s fighting for. The game keeps pushing that she’s just like an ancient threat that also lied in order to go to war. The devs have said that the worldbuilding was done in support of the route where the player sides against Edelgard, and a lot of things in Edelgard’s narrative are in conflict with what we see/hear/read while exploring the monastery. This likely isn’t a case of alternative character interpretation, but rather the core of Edelgard’s character as she tries to lead you to the route with the theme of taking out those who oppose her.

It’s not simply a case of her being misinformed.

Edit: Also, when you kill Kostas as the Red Canyon

“I should have never listened to that idiot...What a mistake...|

Considering that idiot is the Flame Emperor, and the Flame Emperor is Edelgard, it’s possible foreshadowing not to listen to her.

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howdoyousleep3 · 5 years ago

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I need.....I need to know what easter (or christmas im easy) looks like at Daddy Steve's house. I need it. Are there baskets? And easter egg hunt? TELL ME ALL OF THE THINGS

omg.

I’ll give you Christmas, are you kidding.

Steve loves Christmas almost as much as he loves the 4th of July, his birthday aside. He loves it because Bucky can’t say no to Steve spoiling him. He loves it for the wintery weather and the Christmas music and the warm meals. It makes him miss him Mama, knows this would be the perfect time of year to bring Bucky home to her. She’d fall in love with him immediately.

He gets a tree literally the day after Thanksgiving, an enormous one, takes Bucky along with him to cut it down himself like a lumberjack. Bucky giggles in disbelief at the size of it, says there’s no way they have enough decorations for a tree this size. He gets a fire going in the fireplace when they get home, Bucky makes them hot chocolate, and they spend the entire afternoon decorating this tree how they want. Most ornaments have a story and Bucky falls in love with Steve a little more after hearing each and every backstory.

Steve loves stockings. Hangs up giant ones, even had one made for Bucky to look like his own but is different enough to be unique. There’s something in Bucky’s stocking the day after they hang them up and Bucky notices it with a squeak as he walks to breakfast the next morning. Steve only smirks in response.

Steve 100% gives Bucky gifts leading up to Christmas, starting on December 1st, sort of like an advent calendar. Little things on his bedside table, dinner delivered to a sleepover with Nat, flowers in the kitchen when he goes to make coffee.

Christmas Eve finds them all snuggled up on the couch watching different Christmas movies, The Muppet’s and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, munching on the cookies they made earlier in the day. They’re kinda buzzed from slowly drinking all day but it’s making them warm and fuzzy and Bucky finds every little thing hilarious and Steve can’t keep his hands to himself.

They agree to open one present before they go to sleep, from their stockings, the other getting to choose. Steve gets a little teary-eyed when he unwraps a set of charcoals as Bucky stammers about how Steve said he wanted to get back into drawing randomly one time. He doesn’t even let Bucky finish, just pulls him in for a kiss, a big bear hug. Bucky almost squeals when he opens up a throwback Spyro game for a Nintendo Switch before squinting suspiciously because...he doesn’t have a Nintendo Switch.

“Gee, that’s weird...” Steve says as he grins into his cup, Bucky glaring at him with a “you didn’t...” look before Steve throws him over his shoulder and carries them off to bed.

Christmas morning, oh lord, Steve wakes up stupid early, so early that Bucky makes him go make coffee and then come back so he at least has five more minutes of sleep. Steve has to practically drag Bucky out of bed but he’s up, he’s moving. Opening presents is an affair, takes the entire afternoon, one by one. Paper everywhere, looks like any Christmas section in any department store exploded here in their living room.

Steve actually does shed a tear or two when he opens up Bucky’s “big present”, a scrapbook he made up of them and their time together. He’s stammering again, didn’t want to use Steve’s money, wanted to make something special, Steve running his fingers across pictures and flower petals and movie tickets. Bucky is perfect.

Bucky too sheds tears, does so when he unwraps what looks to be an itinerary and he’s confused until Steve explains to him that he wants to take Bucky on the backpacking trip he’s always wanted to go on. Bucky’s never been to Europe and he’s always talked about being adventurous and the summer before his last year of college seemed appropriate and--

“I love you so much, Steve holy shit, what.”

Sam comes over later, as does Nat and Tony and Pepper. The house is full of love and laughter and so much food and games and it’s just...Steve’s favorite time of year.

I GOT SO CARRIED AWAY BUT I’M SO FUCKING SOFT, I HOPE YOU LOVE.

#askK

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mrstifastrife · 5 years ago

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Why I Shipped CloTi Based Off of Advent Children

Before I start, I figure that I should add some background to explain why I chose ACC in the first place and not any other installation. I don’t know if the “Keep Reading” will show up, but know that my reasons start after the 5th paragraph and the line break.

So I was born in 1999, 3 years after the release of the original Final Fantasy 7 game. I didn’t really grow up on video games. I had a PS2, a PSP, and a Nintendo, but I normally played the games that were popular for younger children at the time. My only source of Final Fantasy was through Advent Children due to exposure from my sister. Based solely off of that, I was under the impression that Final Fantasy was a series of movies following different story arcs. Final Fantasy 7 was the only one that really stuck out to me story-wise.

I should add that I am caught up on the story of Final Fantasy 7 by watching gameplays, of which include FF7 OG, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus. I have also finished playing the first installation of the Remake, with full intention of completing it throughout.

Let it be known that much like many others, I was a very impressionable child and most of what I loved back then still carries on to this day. CloTi, or as I see people calling their ship now “The Stargazers” (which I love), was probably one of the first, if not the first, ship that I had ever become obsessed with, as I’m sure many of you have as well with any of the FF7 ships (which I fully support despite not being an avid fan). Perhaps some of my statements may be biased, so if you do not agree with what has been said, that is okay. We are all entitled to our own opinions. Also, most of what I say has most likely not been proven, but it is a post about my personal opinion and experience with FF7: ACC.

Without further ado, here is why I shipped Cloud and Tifa together based off of Advent Children. Remember that these are my personal opinions and that this is my personal interpretation of the movie. There will be pictures as well because I will never get over it!

1.) Cloud and Tifa have their own little family together.

When I first watched the movie with my sister, I actually thought Cloud and Tifa were a couple that was struggling to make amends, not only with each other, but with the past. While my perspective of this movie may not be accurate, this was what my mind interpreted back then.

Even if Tifa and Cloud weren’t married, even if Marlene and Denzel weren’t related to each other or the latter two biologically, they were still a family. They were all each other’s home. Did Cloud find solace in Aerith’s church while he suffered with geostigma? Yes, he did. She was a big part in his life, just as much as she was a big part in everyone else’s lives. Does that mean Cloud doesn’t value Tifa, Marlene, or Denzel? Absolutely not, and that will be explained in another point I will make.

Tifa and Cloud may not have been together in ACC, but you have to admit that their relationship was fairly close to domestic if they were living under the same roof providing for each other and two children. Even if they were just two friends, they essentially carried the responsibilities of a married couple.

Also, might I add that every couple runs through problems, so the idea that they couldn’t be together for having disputes is invalid. Not to bring up personal experience, but my boyfriend and I are in a very loving, supportive, and healthy relationship. Despite that, we still have arguments and moments of vulnerability.

BONUS:

(Peep the picture of the four of them + the flowers for Aerith and Zack I’m assuming!!)

2.) The little ways Cloud cares for Tifa and Tifa cares for Cloud.

A lot of people liked to believe that Cloud didn’t care about Tifa, or anyone else, in favor of Aerith because he stayed at her church while he had geostigma. I have to admit that my first time watching, I was under the impression that Aerith and Cloud were in a relationship before she passed away and that he was trying to move on from her with his new family. (Disclaimer: The first time I watched the movie, it was out of context and I had no idea it was a continuation of a game until after I researched it).

HOWEVER, upon watching it over and over (as it was my favorite movie back then), I started to see that he may have had feelings for Aerith or a special connection to her, like he did with Zack, that made it hard for him to move on because he personally felt responsible for their deaths. I will not dismiss that Cloud most likely had feelings for Aerith, but that does not mean he cannot move on with Tifa or be with Tifa otherwise. Same way that people like to argue that Aerith could move on from Zack with Cloud, right? Do we see how it can be contradictory to say that but not allow it for Cloud with Tifa?

Anyway, I digress.

If Cloud didn’t care for Tifa, or anyone else for that matter, why would he bother listening to voicemails? The excuse that he only does for delivery jobs seems a bit dismissive of Cloud’s character. Yes, he seems cold and distant, but he cares for people, even if he doesn’t say it out loud. You’re purposely ignoring his character development if you choose to use his aloofness for the sake of your ship.

Think about it this way: there’s a voicemail to Cloud from Barrett that’s basically updating Cloud on how he’s doing. Cloud wouldn’t have bothered to listen to it if he didn’t care. Which brings me to the point that he wouldn’t have listened to both of Tifa’s voicemails all the way through if it was just for the job either.

I know this post is meant to talk about how I ship Cloud and Tifa, but I have to add in the fact that Cloud does care for her despite what others may think. Just because he ran away and just because he doesn’t call her back, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care for her. Have you ever felt so guilty about something that you felt like you didn’t deserve anyone’s company? In Cloud’s case, he shut people out because he cared so much for them that he didn’t want them to get hurt by him or be burdened by his guilt or his geostigma.

ALSO, the CloTi church scene??? I’m talking about that in the next point, but that’s a major giveaway of Cloud’s feelings for Tifa and in this case, how much he cares for her.

As for Tifa, her way of caring for Cloud is more obvious because her personality is more transparent. I’m not saying Tifa is known for being completely forthright, but in comparison to Cloud, she is more direct. For example, the voicemails I mentioned earlier: she asks him how he’s doing and she tells him to be careful.

(Voicemail #1: “You got a call from Reno. He’s in Healen. Says he’s got work for you. Cloud, how have you been?”)

(Voicemail #2: “Reno called again. He says to hurry, and he sounded kind of strange...Be careful, okay?”)

She may be upset with him for running away from his problems but she’s not heartless and she still cares.

I want to add as well that she adds each line almost like she’s expecting a response. Yes, she sounds defeated in the beginning when she mumbles, “He’s not here anymore” BUT the way she leaves voicemails makes it seem hopeful that one day he will answer her phone call back. I know, I know, it’s a little heartbreaking, but it’s evident that she’s not going to give up on him even though he’s been running away from her and their family.

Also can we talk about her and Marlene in the church when she replies to Marlene’s “We can’t [go home]! Cloud’s not here yet!” with “I know, sweetie. I miss him too.” THIS MOMENT just screamed family to me. (I do have to admit though, I wish Denzel wasn’t left alone, but his story arc was well worth it.)

Last but not least, I know Tifa’s lecture ends in her getting upset with him (which I get into later), but at the very beginning, before Cloud tries to pass off the children to Reno and Rude, she’s very gentle and hopeful. She wants to fight with him but becomes doubtful that they’re a real family after a lack of response. HOWEVER, Cloud still admits to them being family after, although, it’s included with him admitting his shortcomings.

(Tifa: “We can help each other, I know we can. [No response from Cloud] I guess that only works for real families.” Cloud: “Tifa...I’m not fit to help anyone. Not my family, not my friends. Nobody.”)

If you’re upset with Tifa over how she responded to Cloud later on in this scene, you need to look at it deeper in context and take into account their conversation when they first wake up (the one I mentioned above), where she’s concerned for him and trying to help him.

I know there’s more scenes where they show that they care for each other, but please bear with me because this part was just their little moments and I’m getting to specific scenes where they express their feelings for each other in grander, more obvious gestures.

3.) THE CHURCH SCENE.

THIS SCENE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR CLOTI SHIPPERS. I really don’t think I have to explain its significance, but I’ll just dig a little deeper since I’m sure this is one of the biggest scenes for CloTi in ACC.

If you don’t think that he cares for Tifa, you missed the entire part of the movie where he sees her at the church and runs to her. I thought that was a really pivotal moment because it was ONE of the first times in the movie where he expresses any other emotion besides indifference. (I’m emphasizing “one of the first times” because 1.) his face changes when Rufus references Marlene and Denzel and 2.) right before Tifa fights Loz, he has a flashback of Zack and feels anguish/regret)

When I was younger, and of course now, this scene was so important to me. From the beginning of the movie (at least out of context when you watch just the movie like I did), you're given the impression that Cloud doesn’t care much for anyone on the surface of the planet with how indifferent he is. When he sees Tifa semi-conscious on the floor, however, he’s straight up terrified that he may have lost someone precious to him like he had countless times before. The look on his face says it all.

If Tifa wasn’t at all important to Cloud, he wouldn’t have had such an emotional reaction to seeing her unconscious. He’s quick to call her name, run to her, and pick her up. This is the woman he wanted to be a hero for and this is a woman he swore he would protect, but when it came time for it, he came late. Imagine the feelings he has swirling inside of him at this point.

I am by no means romanticizing the anguish that Cloud is feeling at the sight of Tifa hurt, I just think that this scene is very telling of their relationship at the current time. He took so long to get to her that he was almost too late. Unfortunately, I think that this scene made him feel like he was even more of a burden, which was why he was so willing to run away before going to the Forgotten City for Marlene and Denzel.

Also, we know now that the flowers shown in this scene are a symbol of reunion, as explained in the Remake. It’s unfortunate that the first time they are reunited in the movie, Tifa is injured and Cloud suffers a geostigma attack, but given their situation, this scene is just a perfect representation of the hurt they’re feeling at seeing each other.

(CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW THEY’RE FACING EACH OTHER BY THE WAY?)

4.) After Cloud gets a “lecture” from Tifa, he starts to understand the error of his ways and it becomes a stepping stone for him to confront his feelings.

Let me start off by saying that Cloud waited for Tifa to wake up, instead of leaving her while she was unconscious. Does that seem like something he would do if he didn’t care for her?

Tifa’s words mean more to him than one can comprehend. If you think that she too harsh during the scene where she’s telling him not to live in the past, you have to realize that when she was hurt immensely by Cloud leaving, so she shouldn’t be expected to act like nothing happened at all. I don’t know how long Cloud had been gone for (because the timing was not specified), but it was long enough to leave an impact not only on Tifa, but Denzel and Marlene. She’s not only speaking for herself, she’s speaking on behalf of the others in their family that were hurt by his actions. You can’t blame her for being upset either because Cloud was telling Reno and Rude to save Denzel and Marlene instead of stepping up himself.

I hope you realize that Aerith and Zack didn’t want Cloud to keep feeling guilty over their deaths. If they were able to, they would be having this same conversation with him (which they did, might I add!!! Aerith quoted “Dilly dally, shilly shally” herself!!!) Yes, he is allowed to grieve for as long as he wants. Feelings are complex when you lose people close to you, but does that mean he can abandon his family at a time when they need him too? I know he also left because he felt he would be a burden because of his geostigma, but the conversation I’m focusing on is “Which is it? A memory or us?”

With all my rambling, you’re probably wondering “Why is Tifa getting upset with Cloud one of the defining moments of CloTi for her?” Well, my answer is that this whole conversation is just so raw and real. I’ve always been a sucker for domestic and realistic couples, where either character isn’t afraid to be honest with their partner. (SEE: Jackie Burkhart and Steven Hyde, Amy Santiago and Jake Peralta, Crowley and Aziraphale, Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt, and SO many more) It cannot be said that Cloud wasn’t being honest with Tifa because she was the first one he admitted all of his thoughts to. He opened up to her first, which helped him later on to confront his inner demons. Notice how he was able to talk to Aerith after he talked to Tifa.

Before you decide that Tifa is insignificant to the plot of both OG and ACC, remember that she is the reason that Cloud retained all his memories through the Lifestream and for ACC, as I mentioned before, she was the reason he was able to be honest about his thoughts, which helped him slowly come to terms with Aerith and Zack’s deaths, along with the insecurities about himself. She’s making him admit it and put it out there, so that it isn’t stuck inside himself.

A lot of you may have seen this as another reason to hate Tifa, for putting Cloud in his place, but this made me love her even more. Instead of allowing him to continue moping, she reminded him that he can’t be stuck in the past. Cloud needed that wake-up call more than anything.

Imagine if his geostigma hadn’t been cured. His last moments would be of him wallowing in his guilt instead of living life to the fullest with the people that were trying to be there for him.

That’s why I thought this scene was so important for CloTi. It was eye-opening and real and it reminded Cloud that there was more to life than himself.

5.) The fight with Bahamut Sin where Cloud acknowledges Tifa’s “dilly dally shilly shally” shows that he really took her words to heart and actually used it to confront his inner demons.

I know that the two scenes mentioned above were probably the most notable CloTi scenes in ACC, but let me bring this one up. In terms of favorites, this by far surpasses any other scene in the movie. Not just because of the CloTi content but because it’s when the group comes back together to defeat Bahamut Sin (and yes, I’m including how Aerith was there to give Cloud a boost as well!!)

Why is it my favorite? Let me break it down for you.

So Cloud comes at the last second to rescue both Tifa and Denzel. As Tifa hops onto the back of Cloud’s bike, he responds, “Sorry that it took me so long.”

Why is this important? Because it’s in response to Tifa saying, “You’re late” when he found her at the church. He never got to say that to her with everything going on, but during one of the most important battles they had and after forgiving himself, he immediately references it without a second thought. This scene just shows that he’s starting to take every lesson thrown at him to heart. Not just Tifa’s, but Aerith’s, Vincent’s, Marlene’s, and even Reno and Rude. He’s starting to acknowledge his mistakes and take responsibility for them, and most importantly, he’s not running away anymore.

Cloud: “Marlene will be safe. I took her home.”

Again, another reference to the church scene. Whether it was intentional or not, his first words to Tifa were a reply to her when she calls for Marlene.

THEN, it ends unprompted with Cloud saying, “I feel lighter. Maybe I lost some weight. All that dilly-dallying.”

I feel like I don’t have to explain that one. Who’s the one who told him that in the first place? Of course, he would bring that up to Tifa because she was the one who said it and believed in him all along.

I know, I’m probably overreacting from this scene, but I think it’s just powerful to have heavy references to the church scene because there were so many unspoken words between them at the church scene. So many missed moments and unfulfilled promises that were lost after Cloud ran away. He may not have made up for it, but by acknowledging her pain, he’s actively trying now. Even though things aren’t perfect, progress is just as important.

I always thought the message of this movie was moving forward, and forgive me if I’m reading too much into this, but I always interpreted geostigma as trauma.

How is everyone able to move on from all the repercussions that came from fighting on the planet? How is EVERYONE able to move on healthily from Aerith’s death? How can Cloud cope with Zack’s death? What happened to Sephiroth, Loz, Kadaj, and Yazoo when they failed to move on from the bitter feelings they felt? How is anything going to be solved if you aren’t able to move on and forgive yourself?

I personally think that even in the OG FF7, I had the belief that Tifa and Cloud had strong feelings for each other (that surpassed Cloud’s feelings for Aerith), but that’s my opinion of course. Even so, if the argument is that Aerith was meant to be the love interest for Cloud in OG FF7, I don’t see why ACC couldn’t be him moving on with his family after everything that’s happened. I keep hearing that “Aerith is allowed to move on from Zack because he died and she needs someone too,” but does that mean Cloud is forced to live in perpetual guilt, sorrow, and longing for her? I personally think that’s a major reason why ACC was created: because Cloud has every right to move forward in his life without feeling guilty and that’s okay (and I’m not just speaking in a romantic sense either). It’s obviously not confirmed that Cloud and Tifa are together in ACC because Square likes to keep it ambiguous, but the numerous times I’ve watched it, I’ve always just been under the impression that they were.

However, romance aside, I really think this movie is a great addition to the FF7 compilation. It deals with acceptance, forgiveness, coping, and moving on.

Anyway, I don’t know if any of this post makes sense, but I wanted my first post to be an explanation on my CloTi stance, especially based on one source that I consistently go back to. Please hop in my ask box with your thoughts on ACC, CloTi, the Seventh Heaven family, etc.

Any hateful comments will be addressed with accordingly, and may be deleted.

I don’t remember if Tumblr is anything like Twitter, where the names show up despite not being tagged, but please let me know! I’ll censor names that don’t have to do with CloTi if it’s clogging up posts for other ships or people.

Let it be known that I am NOT an anti for any character in the FF7 compilation other than Hojo.

All love is welcome!

#cloti #cloud and tifa #advent children

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