#Save your male-wife Zelda!!

[sheikfangirl]

She's wearing LINK'S CLOAK!!! 😭 Yeah, I am NOT OVER IT, I will probably never be! Also...PLAYABLE ZELDA!?!? 8 years old Sheik Fangirl is HAPPY CRYING!!

Note : Link's cloak smells of freshly cut grass and bomb powder 🌾💣🤭

[fusonzai]

花束みたいな恋をした

Hantaba mitai na koi wo shita

When I first moved to Japan, to say I had some struggles would be an understatement.

It was my first time living away from home, and in a foreign country where I didn’t speak much of the language. I mismanaged my savings, overestimated how much I’d be getting paid, and greatly underestimated just how bad the dreaded daily train ride was.

I was living in a pretty worn down apartment in a somewhat far area called Chofu. Life there was certainly interesting. The apartment was built at least 100 years prior to me living there and it was located 30 minutes from the station. Even though the rent was cheap I was still living pay check to pay check, misusing my credit card in an attempt to feign normalcy.

(First book store, pretending I could read anything)

Suffice to say five years later, when I stepped into the cinema to watch 花束みたいな恋をした, I was taken aback when the films male lead was also living pay check to pay check in a decrepit apartment in Chofu. Shots of Chofu station and the recently completed shopping mall all made me nostalgic for a time that I feel was incredibly formative for me now, years later.

The two leads are both incredibly talented and popular entertainers in Japan. Suda Masaki (the male lead) has appeared in countless television shows and released acclaimed albums while Arimura Kasumi comes off to me as Japan’s sweetheart; starring in romantic dramas in both television and cinema. Their popularity could be compared to that of Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya. I’m not one to spoil films for people, or re-tell stories already told on the screen, but due to the sheer unlikelihood of this film being translated or released anytime soon; some concessions had to be made.

(Tell me these two aren't adorable)

The film centres around the 5 year relationship between two soon to be university graduates, Mugi (Suda Masaki) and Kinu (Arimura Kasumi), and the highs and lows that they experience as a couple in their twenties, navigating their first adult relationship. Mugi is a creative type, writing short comic strips on commission, not too sure of his own direction post university whilst Kinu describes herself as the type of person whose luck is so bad that whenever she drops toast, it always falls butter side first. Kinu comes off as more earnest and less outgoing than Mugi, however the two are both still on that precipice of adulthood. Not quite sure where their lives will lead, still enjoying that idle time between the end of university and the jump into the working world.

(Mugi & Kinu during that honeymoon phase)

We start in 2020 with both Mugi and Kinu sitting in a cafe with different partners; they’ve clearly broken up and don’t even acknowledge each other when they first notice one another. A chance at rekindled love seems unlikely, this is going to be a how they got to where they are type story. A little less ‘The Notebook’ and a little more’500 Days of Summer’.

We’re then taken back to 2015 and see the two meet at the always busy Meidaimae station. They both fail to catch that last train home and spend a night together in Karaoke Bars, Izakayas and eventually Mugi’s apartment where Kinu falls asleep watching his 3 hour long movie on Gas Tanks. They go on three dates where Mugi (afraid of being relegated to only friends) confesses his feelings towards Kinu, and the two start dating.

These initial encounters are so important in detailing the striking amount of shared interests they have. They read the same books, use movie tickets as bookmarks for said books, like the same music, even wear the same white converse sneakers. Yet they tend to hide their differences from one another. Kinu isn’t all too interested in Mugi’s 3 hour gas tank short film and Mugi wasn’t as interested as Kinu in the Egyptian exhibit they both had tickets for before they met. This hiding of differences only gets worse as time passes.

They both graduate and move in together. We’re shown the harshness of Japan’s shuushoku. This is a practice where everyone applies for career orientated jobs at the same time, but those that fail generally have to wait until next year. Kinu fails initially and works part time jobs. Things don’t go well for Mugi either; his freelance work dries up and he decides to bow to the pressures around him and begin looking for a real job. After an almost honeymoon like two years together, the two eventually begin their ‘adult’ jobs, and we first see the cracks of their relationship start to show.

Throughout the next 3 years, we see two people who have gotten through their relationship solely via common interests, suddenly see those shared hobbies crumble. They’re left with the realisation that they can’t actually communicate that well, and feel helpless in trying to stop the conflict that ensues. Mugi works overtime at the new job that he clearly doesn’t enjoy, because he believes, as a man, that he has to provide and protect the status quo and that the adult thing to do is abandon those things that once brought him enjoyment. Meanwhile Kinu struggles to figure out what she wants to do. She eventually gets a job through shuushoku however it doesn’t seem to suit her at all and she ponders changing to a more fulfilling yet lower paying job. The two both get so caught up in their own situations that they often don’t see each other for days at a time. Their walks home together and time spent playing Zelda on the couch gradually fade until they’re no longer. Their arguments about work and life get worse with neither of them managing to get through to the other, at times wondering how they even ended up together.

This all culminates in them deciding to break up after their friend’s wedding, sharing one last happy day together before going their separate ways.

There’s a lot of scenes in this movie that I’d like to break down but for now I want to talk about the break up scene. This scene felt so reflective of some dated, but still prevalent, ideas about love and marriage in Japan that were often espoused to me here by co workers and friends.

Kinu can’t relate to her boyfriend anymore, they don’t have sex, nearly every conversation ends in a fight and anything she tries to do just seems to push the two further apart. Mugi seems too caught up in his job and the future: he believes it’s natural for two people to grow apart after the love fades, and that marriage and starting a family is key to get over this hurdle.

Foregoing the wedding reception afterparty, the two have their break up at the same chain restaurant where Mugi first confessed his love. They go to sit in their original seats, but they’re already occupied. Something about this stung in some indirect way, almost as if the film maker is forewarning that the two can no longer go back to how they were. After some debate, they both air their grievances. Kinu has fallen out of love but Mugi believes that this is normal and believes marriage is the answer. There’s this beautifully acted monologue from Mugi where he ruminates on a future where he and Kinu get married and have children. He romanticises how nice it’d be to be called Mama and Papa, to go on holiday, to take the kids to Disneyland and to have people say, ‘those two had some issues but they really sorted it all out’. He believes love is a like a raw object and has an expiration date, with marriage being the key to prolonging that expiration.

For almost a second it looks as though Kinu is going to accept this fanciful, but sadly flawed, proposal until a young couple behind them is seated in their old spot. This part is almost too on the nose. The couple displays that same youthful awkwarkdness that Mugi and Kuni once had and goes through the exact same motions they did; swapping books, and talking music interests and of course they’re also wearing white converses.

Their youthful bliss and naivety is piercing to both the audience and the sombre couple. Mugi realises it’s over, Kinu realises it’s over, and judging from the sniffles in the audience everyone watching does too. There are some things you just can’t get back, there isn’t a reset button, and you can’t use marriage and children to fix your issues.

This seems common sense to me, however the interactions I’ve had since moving to Japan suggest that that might not be the norm here.

Marriage and weddings in the west always seemed liked a celebration of two peoples’ relationship up until that point and then the beginning of the next chapter of their life together. I used to work catering at weddings, and it’s strange to think that statistically half of those incredibly stressed, but incredibly joyous, couples will divorce, or already have.

So why do these once happy couples decide to go their separate ways? Extramarital affairs is still one of the top cited reasons in the west. It’s also probably the only thing I don’t think I could ever forgive. From an early age this ideal had been drilled into me that people that were married were in love and if you’re in love why would you cheat? If you didn’t want to be with that person, why would you marry them? I think infidelity is still incredibly strong grounds for divorce in the west. If you’re caught you can apologise and maybe make amends but there’s always a stain on the relationship from the outside, once a cheater always a cheater etc. There’s a strong emphasis on faithfulness above almost all else.

Flash forward a few years to me moving to Japan. Now before the move here, I’d seen the Youtube videos and the stories from friends of friends about rampant infidelity in Japan. One of my favourite entertainment personalities found out his wife was cheating on him for the entirety of their marriage and waited until she got citizenship to tell him. I don’t believe anyone is in a position to make broad claims about the culture of a country based on some internet articles. I believe you need experience to shape your world view but that doesn’t mean your world view is necessarily the correct one.

Whilst being an advanced country in many facets, gender roles in Japan often feel as though they have some catching up to do. Whilst there’s this heavy pressure to get married early (if you’re female, 25 and not seeing someone with the intention to get married, what the hell are you doing?) and a market much like the west promoting incredibly expensive weddings and honeymoons, there isn’t that much to care about after the marriage (provided you’re having children, of course). It’s strange in that I found I admired the whole one unit aspect of marriage here. Financially, it seemed that whilst most of my co workers and friends wives controlled the purse strings, big decisions were made together. There is a coldness to the lack of emotion to some of these decisions, but they were often best in the long run.

However there also seemed to be this separation of marriage and of love. Friends wouldn’t consider it cheating if their partner slept with a sex worker or if it was only because they were drunk. I had friends who were actively cheating on their partner whilst being aware that their partner was actively cheating on them. However there was this weird agreement that as long as neither was too obvious it was alright. I had an old boss who said if he was feeling the urge, he’d just go see a sex worker as that arrangement was better for both him and his wife. It was almost as if being married and being in love weren’t mutually exclusive. Love and sexual attraction were for young people, marriage was about creating a family and supporting that family. Marriage was the next step in a relationship to further your life (married people often get paid more, there are large subsidies for having children etc.) As responsible adults, a couple would get married by 30 or so to have children and protect the status quo. If you didn’t disturb that status quo too much; some cheating was allowed and often expected.

(My boss & I, sunglasses and all)

“Marriage is a result, not a destination” is a line my boss uttered to me. I was dating a girl who shared different views on marriage than I did. Our relationship was expected to end in marriage in a sense; her family knew of me and mine her. I didn’t want to get married but at the same I loved her so much that I thought the only way to show that was marriage. My boss thought there was a flaw in her and a lot of Japan’s way of thinking. He believed that marriage wasn’t something to strive for, but merely the result of a happy relationship. He also thought my love had an expiry date and his estimation wasn’t far off.

I don’t think his line of thinking is all that idealistic, the heavy expectation of marriage at the start of a relationship puts pressure on a base that isn’t that well established. Is there a line we can draw between knowing what you want from a relationship and expecting too much before you even know the other partner? Had Kinu and Mugi discussed their differences earlier on would that have saved them down the track or only led them to a faster break up where they could then move onto more suitable partners?

Looking at Mugi’s proposal from a purely western lens, it seems ludicrous and somewhat insulting. Looking at it from my own experiences, it’s still not romantic, but it has an appealing practicality that I’m sure some older people in the audience may relate to.

(Wise words, to translate it roughly: Young hearts, don't run free)

With all this in mind, the break up scene really is layered with expectations and differing ideologies. What surprised me the most was that after this tear laden break up, the two lived a plutonic and, by all accounts, friendly 3 months together whilst they both sorted out their individual accommodation. They both opt to move out and leave the old apartment and those old memories behind. The idea of living with someone for 3 months post break up seems almost ludicrous. The fact that they live these three months as if they’re in their honeymoon phase again is baffling initially, but once you remove romance and talk to the person you’re with, without the expectations you once had, it isn’t really all that surprising. These two had and still have more in common than they do apart. Whilst initially off putting, it’s charming that these two best friends can live together even though they’ve separated. I look at the countless times people break up; sides are chosen in friendship groups and efforts are made to not invite both people to the same event. Could you live with your ex after you broke up for 3 months? Doesn’t it make more sense for you to still want the person you shared so much of your life with to still be in it regardless of what once was? Regardless of what was, wouldn’t you still want someone you shared so much of your life with to still be around in some way?

Three months pass and we’re back to the cafe again, both Kinu and Mugi with their respective new partners. They leave the cafe at the same time, ride the same long escalator down whilst not acknowledging each other. They split at the end of the escalator, both of them raise their hand waving goodbye, not knowing if the other is waving as well.

There is something sobering and satisfying about such an anti-climactic ending. They didn’t run into each other’s arms, this meeting wasn’t the start of the second act of the film like I suspected it would be. It was simply two people that once were together continuing down a different road. We often watch romantic films to see two people fall in love and learn to live a life together. Depending on the film it can often seem too idyllic or fanciful but it always seems in reach…if you find that right person. Hanataba mitai na koi wo shita presents a more grounded argument. The right person isn’t always enough. Your situation, your beliefs and your respective flaws might get the best of you. Your own happy ever after might not be all you thought it would be, hell it might not even be one at all.

[lycorogue]

Who Wants to Meet My OCs? (Part 2 - Gyateara)

First and foremost, I meant to have this whole series to be sort of churned out the same day/week as Part 1. Life.... didn’t let that happen. I then figured “okay, I’ll update the series every Sunday” and then yesterday came and went...

Regardless, from the NEXT POST onward, I’m aiming to update every Sunday. Now, back to the series itself.

Ever since at least November, I’ve wanted to do individual posts for each of my OCs so you could meet them all. Well, I’m finally getting off my butt and working on this massive project (we’ll ignore that I’m spending hours working on this instead of my ML fanfic.... >_>).

In Part 1, I gave a broad overview of this whole Meet My OCs series, as well as gave some generic IRL background to the two main worlds my OCs hail from:

1) Gyateara

2) Glitches

Well, in this part of the series, I’m going to stay IRL as I explain where each individual OC within the Gyateara universe came from. If this is interesting to you, feel free to check below the break.

If you’d rather just skip ahead to the character bios themselves, my first one about my Glitches character Willow should be up in two weeks (sorry for the wait).

If I’m talking about Gyateara characters, I should probably talk about the one that first birthed the world: 

Amara Yori

Amara was my first-ever D&D character. I had known of the game for ages since my father used to play it frequently (and apparently roped my mother into at least running the monsters so she’d be included; ignoring that she’d rather not be included XD). 

I really got interested in D&D when I was a teen and saw the gorgeously stylized covers for AD&D ver 3.5. My father had passed away before officially introducing me to the game (although we did used to play Dungeon all the time, so that was a start...), and none of my friends were going to touch that “nerd culture” with a 10ft pole, so I simply admired the books, but never actually played. Then I went to college and managed to Nerd Out.

Hubby (then boyfriend) offered to help me build my first-ever character, but in 2004 the D&D 3.5 expansions were so massive I had far too many choices to choose from.

So Hubby had me go through some of his extra minis, and let me pick out one that I really liked. With his help, I ended up with the 2003 version of the Wood Elf Skirmisher.

Based solely on this mini, I started building Amara.

Hubby suggested that I try out the Scout class for my first one, since I couldn’t choose between a Rogue, Ranger, or Druid, and Scout is sort of in between at least the Rogue and Ranger classes. For whatever reason - I can’t remember it now - I also decided I wanted to play a half-elf.

Upon reading the generic backstory description the D&D books had for the Scout class, I figured my character needed some sort of Tragic BackstoryTM that would explain her scouting skills. Things like trap finding and dismantling, masterful rope use skills, hiding and tracking skills, and connection to animals.

I was in a big The Vision of Escaflowne kick at the time - which shows up in a couple other characters’ backstories - and was fascinated with the history between Van Fanel’s parents. Van’s human father Goau stumbled upon Varie, a Draconian woman, in the woods one day. Draconians have the ability to manifest feathered wings which allow them flight. It was rare to see a Draconian, and her beauty - with her wings shimmering in the moonlight as she waded in a small pool of water - mesmerized Goau. He instantly fell in love and brought Varie home to be his wife. The duo seemed to love each other deeply. Amara’s parents, on the other hand....

I’ll get into more when I break down their actual bios, but I took the idea of “Human stumbles upon exotic non-human in the woods and instantly marries her” and twisted it slightly. Amara’s mother was very much emotionally, and possibly even physically (I haven’t confirmed this yet), abused by Amara’s father. Amara, being a half-elf, also had to deal with abuse at the hands of many of her fellow clansmen - both the human and the elven clans; pretty much exclusively because she was a “half-breed” (Yes, I was really into InuYasha then too).

As I kept building Amara, I kept adding more and more tragedy to her backstory. I do enjoy what I created, but, especially after reading a lot of posts here on Tumblr, I’m afraid her history is nothing but a giant knotted ball of cliches and tropes. For now, though, I’m running with it. Perhaps I can figure out work-arounds later....

I never did get to play more than a session or two with Amara before the game disbanded (which seems to be a repeat thing with my gaming group), but she still lives on in my mind, and eventually in Gyateara.

Natalie

As I mentioned above, The Vision of Escaflowne very much inspired me while I was working on the earliest bits of Gyateara. Therefore, Natalie is your basic Isekai protagonist.

For those who don’t know the term (I didn’t know an official genre term existed until about a year ago), Isekai refers to a subgenre of fantasy/speculative fiction where the main character is abruptly teleported from their world to a new one; usually one with a fantasy setting.

It’s a massive subgenre and includes most of the fantasy animes I’ve watched:

InuYasha

The Vision of Escaflowne

Fushigi Yuugi

The Devil is a Part-Timer

The Rise of the Shield-hero

The Saga of Tanya the Evil

The Familiar of Zero

How to NOT Summon a Demon Lord

Sword Art Online (technically)

.Hack//Sign (technically)

Digimon (first season, specifically)

Psyren (manga)

The list can go on, but that’s not the point of this post. Getting back to the actual point, I clearly enjoyed this genre without even realizing there was a term for it, and created my own Isekai story. Natalie is from our world, but is abruptly teleported to Gyateara’s main Northern Isle, where she must save the country from being destroyed by a power-hungry, put painfully charismatic, villain.

I had taken elements from Kagome (InuYasha), Hitomi (The Vision of Escaflowne), Miaka (Fushigi Yuugi), and I think I had Ariel (The Little Mermaid) in there as well at one point. She was - and still kind of is - just “Generic Isekai Female Protagonist”, which is one of the main reasons the story she was in failed so soon into NaNoWriMo back in... 2014, I think. Almost a solid decade after I started dreaming up her Isekai story. She definitely needs to go back to the drawing board a bit to be properly fleshed out.

Connor

He was from the same story as Natalie. Connor was a denizen of Gyateara’s Northern Isles, and became Natalie’s traveling companion as he helped her try to find a way home. Ya know, that old Isekai chestnut. I even leaned heavily into the cliche and had the two of them fall in love throughout their journey. Which would lead to a third-act twist of “Okay, we can defeat the villain, but then what? Could they stay together? Would Natalie stay on Gyateara? Will Connor instead try to go home to Earth with her?” Real original. I know. Add in that Connor was a sort of Frankenstein’s monster of a character. Grab a snack, this is going to take a minute...

Connor’s traits included:

The basic backstory and drive of the player character in the video game Fable, in which his father was killed, his mother and sister tortured (and presumed dead, only to be proven still alive and captured), his home village burnt down, and he was taken in by the local guild so the guild master could train Connor to become the hero the GM believed Connor was prophesied to be.

The half-demon traits of InuYasha (InuYasha), which transformed him into a sort of were-cat. His mother, a full-demon, could become a 15ft (4.57m) tall panther with split tails. Connor’s half-demon heritage was hidden from him, and he only transformed under extreme moments of stress.

Yes. The “love interest is the only one who can snap the protag back from a monstrous rage” trope was heavily evident throughout the story.

His overall look was inspired by Link (Legend of Zelda video game franchise). His basic fighting style - swordsmanship and expert archery - was a sort of tag-teamed “thieving” from Link as well as Van (The Vision of Escaflowne).

A highly resistant, and begrudging submission to become the Hero of Prophecy lifted off of Tamahome (Fushigi Yuugi).

I know he was much more influenced by Van from Escaflowne when I was first making him. I even used Van as a reference guide when I tried to create character head shots of him. I just can’t recall now what else I swiped from that character.

I feel like there are also other male anime/video game protags I swiped traits from, but I can’t recall them anymore. Regardless, I threw them in a blender, and poured out the mixture that became Connor.

Jolene Crisslebalm

Ah, the character whose last name I always have to look up, because I can’t recall how I spelled it. Good starting point, right?

I am a very reserved person. In particular, a very sexually reserved person. But I do enjoy sex, and I love the act of flirting, and the “thrill of the chase” when it comes to dating, so a part of me always wonders what I would be like if I had let go of my reservations and just enjoyed the carnal pleasures of life.

So, two characters in particular - Willow (from Glitches) and Jolene - are my exploration of that Path Not Traveled. 

A friend of mine was hosting a D&D campaign via Roll20.net, and wondered if I wanted in. I hadn’t been involved in a D&D game in a year or so at that point, and I’ve enjoyed playing a couple of one-offs with him DMing, so I leapt at the chance to join. I had almost always played a form of Rogue class (hence the internet persona) in previous D&D campaigns, so I decided to stay the course, but with a twist I hadn’t tried before.

I wanted Jolene to be a sort of reluctant adventurer, preferring instead to be a cat burgler, but I also wanted that sexual/sensual exploration of character. So, she was a traveling prostitute (not exactly legal without proper ties to a brothel; much like a Sex Trade Guild sort of thing), but she also used her “alone time with clients” to scope out the place to see if it’s worth robbing.

Fast forward about 3 years, and I end up watching the first episode of the Freeform Marvel series Cloak and Dagger... where I saw Tandy doing the same thing, but roofying her targets instead of sleeping with them first... Great minds, and all that?

Eh, Jolene figures “might as well make money off of them before coming back and robbing the rest... less to carry later...”

In the end, while Jolene had an.... interesting run... and one I actually did enjoy role playing, even if it did leave me a bit frustrated afterwards (a good frustrated?)... Jolene just didn’t fit the world the DM created, nor did she fit in quite as well as I would have hoped with the other players.

They were all AMAZING players, by the way. Some of the best role players I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, and such fantastic writers as well. BTW, we wrote out everything in the Roll20 chat log instead of verbally playing or using video-chat. I must admit, I was quite envious of their skills. It was just a tighter knit group, and I wasn’t able to feel out their play-style well enough to continue with the group. Eventually they all had to go their separate ways anyway when their schedules no longer lined up.

Still, I LOVED Jolene, and she was the D&D character I had the joy of running the longest, so she NEEDED to live on. She did, in my first NaNoWriMo “win”. I managed to hit those 50,000 words, but I still had about 3/5ths of her story to write. 

See, while coming up with Jolene’s jaded attitude towards love and her pull towards a more hedonistic lifestyle, I went with the good old cliche of Heartbreak Was The Culprit. (With so many cliches in my character builds, is it a wonder why I just stick with fanfiction... the characters are already created...)

Jolene had her heart broken five times between the ages of 13 and 21. She was the type who fell quick into love, and fell HARD into it, and always felt intensely betrayed by her lovers when they left her. To be fair... they did routinely leave her for a woman of better social standing, or - in her youth - someone more willing to put out, or just straight up abandon her without so much as a farewell note. Eventually, she gave up on trying to find love, and joined a brothel, and then the thieves guild, and then headed out on her own from there.

The DM thought it unlikely that she was a prostitute for the better part of 5 years without a single pregnancy, so he rolled for it, and Jolene had one miscarriage, one still born, and one healthy child she gave up for adoption. I was not expecting to include that in her backstory, but it actually worked fairly well.

And all of that was the subject of my NaNo project: Lost Loves and Paramours. Jolene’s full biography leading up to the campaign: every man she fell in love with, every person she slept with, the one client who tried to murder her to avoid a scandal of his lust getting the better of him, the pain of her miscarry, the devastation of her stillborn, the heart break of giving up her surviving child, the struggles against a stalker, and her over-all YOLO attitude.

(Bitmoji is a beautiful thing...)

Well, second long post of this series is now complete. Next week, I’ll talk about the IRL inspiration for my Glitches characters. Thank you so much for indulging me on these epic ramblings.

[the-dude-of-hyrule]

1) Anywhere with free internet

2) The sheer creation

3) The block. The damned empty page

4) Plug in the headphones to block out the world

5) Terry Brooks, Jim Butcher, Stephen King

6) Misty Rose / Lady Mist

7) See #5

8/9) None at the moment

10) Jim Butcher: Harry Dresden of Chicago and Lady Mist of Milwaukee have to team up against something neither can stop alone

11) I get a general idea, start typing, and get surprised at what the characters do

12) Assassin's Creed

13) Legend of Zelda

14) I can't measure. I research on the spot when I need something (hence the internet)

15) Books, tv, video games, weird assed dreams

16) Really wanting to quit my day job

17) Almost none. Work drains me

18) I reread something, don't like it, and pace until I figure it out

19) Darryl was sitting at the front desk, keeping an eye on two separate computer screens

20) Just look at my posts, I have 3 to date

21) "It's hatching."

22) I never count

23) Usually multiple. It gives me more flexibility

24) Prose. I can read poetry, I just can't write it

25) Linear, with the occasional flashback for exposition. Non-linear can get confusing

26) Both, because not everything needs a sequel, but some things demand it

27) I share

28) With whomever I please, but my wife has dibbs

29) Me and the 13 voices in my head

30) "Mother fucking, turd bashing, sack sucking, dingleberry fondling, wang wrangler! What the fuck does work?" She was pissed. Someone dared to touch her car. Not just touch it, they hurt her baby. This car was probably the closest she would ever have to children, and someone hurt her baby. Well, someone was just going to have to go and fucking die then.

31) Jake Trellin. He's a murder cop and I don't know much about copping.

32) Darryl Trent. He's a gaming nerd. So am I

33) Yes, commonly fantasy metal like Hammerfall or Manowar

34) Typed. My handwriting sucks

35) Misty Rose was gang raped as a teenager. Her dad saved her. So he is pretty much the only male she trusts.

36) Misty doesn't know it (yet), but one of her regular customers is a time traveling grandkid

37) Originality is the art of concealing your source. -Mark Twain

38) No, because I don't do outlines

39) No, unless it's an aspect of me.

40) Original. I don't like messing with other peoples worlds

41) 1 hardcore. Anything else is finished, but I may mess with it until I sell it

42) Random character generator

43) Holy shit yes. I read about 10 hours a day

44/45) Really haven't gotten any from non friends/family

46) Lady Mist would seem a lot like MCU stuff

47) Half and half

48) Science fiction/fantasy

49) I routinely don't know how to end

50) Someone fell in love with a reaper-in-training after he was told the date and manner of his death

51) I honestly don't know how to answer this

52) It actually gave me a purpose

53) Everything

54) Just Keep Going

New ask game for writers

1. Favorite place to write. 2. Favorite part of writing. 3. Least favorite part of writing. 4. Do you have writing habits or rituals? 5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most. 6. Favorite character you ever created. 7. Favorite author. 8. Favorite trope to write. 9. Least favorite trope to write. 10. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about. 11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish. 12. How do you deal with self-doubts? 13. How do you deal with writers block? 14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book? 15. Where does your inspiration come from? 16. Where do you take your motivation from? 17. On avarage, how much writing do you get done in a day? 18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like? 19. First line of a WIP you’re working on. 20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on. 21. Post the last sentence you wrote in one of your WIP’s. 22. How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied and a project is ultimately done for you? 23. Single or multi POV, and why? 24. Poetry or prose, and why? 25. Linear or non-linear, and why? 26. Standalone or series, and why? 27. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? 28. And who do you share them with? 29. Who do you write for? 30. Favorite line you’ve ever written. 31. Hardest character to write. 32. Easiest character to write. 33. Do you listen to music when you’re writing? 34. Handwritten notes or typed notes? 35. Tell some backstory details about one of your characters in your story ________. 36. A spoiler for story _________. 37. Most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you. 38. Have you shared your outline of your story ________ with someone? If so, what did they think of it? 39. Do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one. 40. Original Fiction or Fanfiction, and why? 41. How many stories do you work on at one time? 42. How do you figure out your characters looks, personality, etc. 43. Are you an avid reader? 44. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten. 45. Worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten. 46. What would your story _______ look like as a tv show or movie? 47. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story? 48. Favorite genre to write in. 49. What do you find the hardest to write in a story, the beginning, the middle or the end? 50. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had. 51. Describe the aesthetic of your story _______ in 5 sentences or words. 52. How did writing change you? 53. What does writing mean to you? 54. Any writing advice you want to share?

[karikitdemon]

Time to Wake Up

This was supposed to be short but I just… Kept going… oh boy… @eradition

———-

Next the two went towards Zora’s Domain. Kari began to freak out since she was not the best at swimming and did not want to drown. The two neared a bridge and Kari swiftly clung to Link.

“Gah, Kari seriously?!”

“We are going over a bridge suspended above water! I can’t swim well!”

“The is very stable and has walls! You’ll be fine!”

“But I could slip and fall over the edge.”

“The walls are tall enough to save you. You’re barely four foot three.”

Kari glared at the hero. “Are you saying I’m short?” Link avoided eye contact with the girl for the rest of the walk towards the bridge. Not long later the two heard a voice.

“Say hey there!” The voice called and a male Zora jumped from one of the pillars of the bridge. Kari, who was already on edge, yelped in shock. “Pardon the entrance but you’re a hylian aren’t you?”

“I’m a sheikah, thank you.” Kari corrected the tall Zora, who looked oddly familiar to the young Sheikah. “This one’s a hylian.” She pointed to Link, who she was a bit mad at.

“Well, I was hoping perhaps you had a moment to talk.” He asked and explained that the Divine Beast Vah Ruta was causing the downpour that could make Zora’s Domain flood which would eventually lead to all of Hyrule flooding. The Zora, Prince Sidon, then swam up stream towards Zora’s Domain while Kari and Link ran there. Along the way the prince would encourage the two onward.

Once there Link and Kari met with the King and another Zora that was rather old. The king explained that the two would need shock arrows to weaken Ruta to get on it. However, the elderly Zora did not like thile idea and refused to help the two. Eventually the two convinced the zora to help and told the two a way to get a lot of shock arrows. The two got the shock arrows they needed, and a bit extra, then made their way back to Zora’s Domain, gave a female Zora a picture, got some Zora armor, then went to meet with Sidon. Link wore the entire Zora armor outfit. Kari shivered, worried about drowning.

“Are you two ready?” Sidon asked. He was told to help the two by his father.

Link nodded. “Yup.”

Kari gulped. “Yeh, sure. Ready as I’ll ever be.” She hesitantly mumbled. Sidon smiled widely and allowed the two on his back. After a while of taking down the beast’s defences, and Sidon saving Kari at least two times, the two managed to get aboard Vah Ruta. “Thanks for the help Sidon. And for saving me from drowning.”

“Not a problem. Now good luck. Both of you. I will see you back in Zora’s Domain.” The Prince said and swam off. Kari and Link entered the Divine Beast.

Kari sighed, recalling the times she spent in the Divine Beast.

“Kari, you’re so reckless.”

“I know. But you’ll heal me, like you do with Link right?”

“I guess. But you still need to be careful.”

“Ok. Oh, when are you gonna teach me to heal?”

“Soon. I’m still training to better control Ruta.”

“Okay, good luck.”

“Thank you. … There, all better.”

“Thanks Mipha! You’re the best!”

Kari sighed. “Hey Link. Do you think Mipha is still alive? I know Zora’s have a different life span than Hylians and Sheikah.” She frowned. Link just kept his mouth shut. He knew the answer, but felt that Kari finding out on her own would be better in the long run.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Link. Oh, and I see Kari is awake.”

Kari smiled. “Hey, Mipha. Long time no see.” The girl smiled happily. Link and Kari swiftly got to work, getting the map, claiming the terminals, and finally getting to the main terminal. An odd cloud surrounded the main terminal and an enemy appeared.

“That is Water Blight Ganon. Please, defeat it.” Mipha called. Kari and Link did their best to defeat the enemy. However, Kari could not do much after the room filled with water, so she stayed on one platform and used ranged attacks.

After a long battle, Water Blight Ganon was defeated and Mipha appeared, in spirit form. Kari frowned. Mipha was dead too. The girl wiped her eyes sadly. “Mipha… I–” Kari frowned.

“Kari, it’s okay.” Mipha stopped the child from continuing. “I’m fine. I’m fine now. You and Link freed me. Thank you.”

“B-But you’re dead. You and Daruk are dead!” She hiccuped. “Is everyone else dead?! Revali, Zelda, Mama are they dead too?!”

Mipha frowned. “I wish I knew. But I’ve been trapped here for one hundred years.” The Zora princess informed. Kari sniffled, wiping her face to clear the snot and tears. “Everything will be okay.”

Kari gulped and nodded. “Yeh. Okay. I’ll be seein’ ya Mipha.”

“Kari, don’t forget about that promise you made to my brother. It has been over one hundred years.”

Kari tilted her head. “Promise?”

“The betrothal.” Mipha smiled.

The girl hummed. “Be-tro-thal? As in, marriage?” Mipha nodded. “MIPHA I’M TWELVE! I CAN’T GET MARRIED!”

“Technically you are one hundred and twelve. And Sidon is a bit older than you.” Kari blushed.

“I know that.” Kari huffed. “Mipha, Link and I are tryin’ to save the world!”

“I know. But after that, just don’t forget. Okay?”

Kari blushed. “Still can’t believe I fell for that. I mean, it wasn’t a trick, but at the time I didn’t know. Geez… Wait… Did Sidon not recognize me when we saw him at the bridge?” She hummed then shook the thoughts out of her head. “Whatever, whatever! I’ll find out later! Gotta go, bye Mipha!” Kari waved then warped back to Zora’s Domain with Link.a’s Domain. They were greeted by the Prince happily and treated to a small party as a thank you. During the small party, the prince approached Kari and talked with her happily, remembering her from so long ago.

“I was told by my sister that you were frozen in time. I never thought I’d see you again.” He smiled nervously. “So, I thought I was hallucinating or it was someone that just looked like you. I’m sorry.”

Kari shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.” She said. “I actually got free not too long ago. I thought you were someone else when I first saw you.” The girl chuckled nervously.

Sidon smiled kindly. “Well, it’s glad to see that my future wife is safe.”

Kari blushed like crazy. “Sidon I swear! You-you!” Kari stammered and the Zora prince laughed at the situation.

“Alright you two.” Link called. “Thank you for your help, Sidon. Kari and I should be leaving though.” The hero smiled. “Don’t worry. She’ll come back when we beat Ganon and save Hyrule.” Sidon nodded and watched the two leave.

[anotherlifefic]

Chapter 13: Their Blessing: Rauru and Princess Zelda

It was already sunset when we awoke and got dressed. It would take some time for me to get used to waking up in Link's... no, our house. After we ate some apples, bread and cheese, we made our way to the Temple of Time, where we would be able to contact the sage Rauru.

As soon as we entered the temple, the first thing we heard was a soft, female voice I recognized as Princess Zelda. „Has Link been informed of  that yet?“ An elderly male voice replied:„Yes. He has been travelling around Hyrule, visiting the shrines of the sages for the past few days. I'm sure he will also come here.“ „That's good.“ Link and I approached them. Princess Zelda stood in front of the altar, next to the ghostly figure of an elderly man with a very distinctive mustache. He was wearing the kind of robe that was usually worn by high-ranking members of the clergy. So this was Rauru, the Sage of Light. Her Highness spoke first:„Speak of the devil. Link, Rebecca, it's so nice to see you. We were just talking about you.“ I sank into a deep curtsy. „It's an honor to meet you again, Your Highness.“ She chuckled. „Still so polite.“ Then she turned to Link. „Your fiancée has excellent manners.“ Link smiled as he helped me up. „You already know of that?“ „Word travels fast“, Her Highness said. „Too bad the good news had to be overshadowed by Ganondorf... it seems he has made it his goal to spoil every happy occasion he can.“ „Quite frankly, I don't think he cares“, Link replied dryly. „Any ideas on when he might appear again, so I can prepare?“ Rauru sighed. „It's hard to say. All I can tell you at this point is to keep your weapons ready.“ „Of course.“ Then Link turned to me, his face slightly apologetic. „It seems we'll have to postpone the wedding itself until this matter has been sorted out. I'm sorry, Rebecca.“ „Absolutely not“, the Princess interjected. When everyone stared at her, she awkwardly cleared her throat. „I mean, a wedding is just one day, and it will take a good while to prepare, too. So you can make preparations for Ganondorf's return while Rebecca and her family take care of the wedding preparations.“ I raised my eyebrow. Why in the Goddesses' name was Princess Zelda so obsessed with Link and I getting married as soon as possible? Link seemed to be just as dumbfounded as I, but shook it off and said:„...I suppose. But I will need a place where I can train.“ „You can use the royal training court“, Her Highness offered. „Our knights use it to hone their skills. You can spar with them. This way, you can become stronger without straying too far from your future wife.“ A grateful smile appeared on Link's face. „Thank you, Zelda.“ „Oh, don't thank me. After all, the fate of Hyrule depends on you being at your best when the inevitable happens.“ She hugged him, and again, I felt like an intruder on a perfect couple. But the feeling went away when Link wrapped his arm around my shoulder. „We should go now. There's a lot to be planned.“ We were just about to leave, when Rauru stopped us. „You forgot something. Rebecca, step forth.“ I hesitantly approached the sage, and he placed his hands on my head, making a strange, tingly warmth spread from my head to my entire body. „Know that your connection to Link is blessed by the sages, as well as the Goddesses we serve.“ My eyes widened, and I drew a deep breath. The feeling reminded me of the way I felt when going into the temple as a little girl, leaving flowers at the altar for the Goddesses, or praying to them after a big fight with my mother. A deep inner peace, like being held by someone who cared. When Rauru took his hands from my head, I felt a little dizzy, and Link had to hold me so I wouldn't fall. We bowed before Rauru and Princess Zelda, and then left.

We went straight back to bed once we were back home, despite not having been up for that long yet. As we lay next to each other, Link placed his hand on my waist and pulled me closer, so I could rest my head on his shoulder. „I'm so sorry“, he mumbled. „Because of me, you got involved in this whole Ganondorf business.“ „Don't apologize, please. None of this is your fault“, I replied. He was quiet for a moment, pulling me closer. „I wanted this to be a happy time. And now he... he comes to ruin it. I can just never catch a break, can I?“ I did not know how to answer this. He was right, it was like the world just didn't want him to have his peace. We fell asleep a short while later.

I woke in an empty bed the next morning. A soft melody was hanging in the air, and when I sat up, I saw Link sitting on the windowpane, playing his ocarina. He looked angelic with the pale morning light framing his slender body, his eyes gently closed as he concentrated on the song he was playing. I got out of bed and walked over to him, sitting on a chair next to the window and listening to him. When he stopped, he seemed a bit startled to see me sit so close to him. „Rebecca! I didn't hear you get up. How long have you been sitting there?“ „A few minutes“, I replied, leaning forward to rest my cheek on his knee. „This song was really beautiful.“ „Thank you.“ He sat up a little straighter. „I was planning on going to the castle right after breakfast. How about you go shopping for our wedding while I'm away? There's still a lot of things we need. A venue, flowers, fabric for your wedding dress. I'll give you enough money to buy everything you need.“ „Okay“, I whispered, not wanting this quiet moment to end. We stayed there at the window for a few minutes before going downstairs to have breakfast.

An hour after that, I got dressed and left the house. Link had given me a purse with 800 Rupees in it before he had left for the castle. Business at the marketplace was in full swing when I stepped out of the alley and into the bright midmorning sun. It was as if the entirety of Hyrule City had gotten up to browse the stands. I mostly walked from stand to stand, looking at flowers and fabrics until I stopped at one stand that offered a beautiful white linen that would be perfect for a wedding dress. Someone cleared their throat, and I looked up to find myself face to face with one of my worst nightmares. I tried my best to seem friendly as Jenna looked at me with an equally forced smile. „Well hello there. Isn't Link with you today?“ „No. He sent me to do the wedding shopping on my own while he has some business to attend to.“ „I see. So you're interested in that fabric? That'll be 100 Rupees a yard.“ „You're crazy.“ The words had slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. „What, too poor to buy a bit of fabric? Does Link know that you only marry him for the money?“ I groaned in annoyance and walked on, ignoring her until I reached a stand that was also selling white linen for a much more reasonable price. I also bought some tulle I would add to the skirt, and very light green thread for a bit of embroidery. It was fun to imagine what kind of little details I could add to my wedding dress. I wanted to make it really special, so that I could pass it on to any daughters Link and I might have in the future. The entire time I was on the marketplace, I could feel Jenna's icy gaze on me. At the end of the day, all there was left to do was to decide on a venue. I would buy the flowers and order the food as soon as I knew a time and place to have them delivered. But there were few good places to get married in the city. Commoners usually got married in their homes, sorrounded by their loved ones. As my gaze wandered towards the city gates, it struck me. I went home, grabbed a sheet of parchment, sat down at the table and began to write a letter to Malon and Talon.

After I brought the letter to the post office, where anyone could task a courier with delivering letters, I returned home, only to find that Link had just come back as well. He looked tired and had quite a few bruises and small cuts on him. „Hello, Rebecca. How was your day?“, he asked as I entered the house, as if he wanted to distract me from his injuries. I gasped. „What did they do to you?“ „Turns out that I still have a lot to learn until I am on the level of a trained knight.“ „How can that be? The knights sure couldn't stop Ganondorf when he invaded.“ I grabbed a clean towel, made it wet in a waterbucket next to the stove, and sat down next to Link to clean out the little cuts. „To be fair: Neither could I.“ „You were a child at the time.“ „Don't worry. I'll be stronger than any of them by the time Ganondorf comes back.“ He grinned, and then flinched when I dabbed the towel on a particularly deep cut. I sighed. „Just take care of yourself. You won't be able to save anybody if you work yourself past your limit.“ „I'll keep that in mind.“ He waited for a moment. „You didn't answer my question. How was your day?“ I smiled. „Pretty successful, actually. I found some good fabric for my dress, and I had the perfect idea for a venue. I just sent a letter to Malon and Talon to ask if we could hold the ceremony at LonLon Ranch.“ „Wouldn't that completely disrupt their work schedule?“, Link asked, doubt in his voice. My heart sank. I hadn't thought of that. „Oh.“ He gently rubbed my back. „It's okay. I'm sure we'll find another venue.“ I sighed and got up. „I think I'll get to making supper now.“

I cut up some vegetables and meat Link had stored in the pantry around a blue flame, something that was usually sold for outrageous amounts of Rupees at shops but was very helpful in keeping food from spoiling, as it was cold and thus basically turned the pantry into an icebox. While I was doing that, Link went to get some water from the well, poured it into the pot on the stove and lit a fire underneath that. The resulting soup definitely had some room for improvement, but it satisfied our grumbling stomachs. We spent the rest of the evening talking about when we wanted to have our wedding, until we finally decided that it should be at the first day of autumn.

A few days later, I got a reply from Malon. It was early morning, and I had just come down to prepare breakfast, when the letter was shoved through the mail slot at our front door. I opened it and had to stop myself from squealing. Then I ran upstairs, where Link was just getting dressed. „Link! We just got a letter from Malon. She says that she will let us have the wedding at the ranch!“ He looked at me wide-eyed, then dropped the tunic he was about to put on so he could grab my waist and twirl me around. „That's wonderful news! Now, we can order the food and the flowers!“ We laughed and almost fell, but Link set me down just in time, so we could hold each other up. „Oh Link, I'm so happy! This is going to be great!“