#and hooo boy YEP there's no question in my mind

[byanyan]

while byan's dyslexia and ptsd is a little up in the air in terms of diagnosis, they have been given a diagnosis of conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder through the mandatory counselling and the various psychiatric evaluations they've had throughout their life. ptsd, adhd, dyslexia, and depression are all assumed to be present as well, based on observation and information provided by teachers, caretakers, and foster parents, but remain unconfirmed due to byan's tendency to be extremely difficult with psychiatrists and psychologists and the inconsistency of the amount of time spent with those who have provided outside observation.

byan has, of course, never been cooperative in any treatment.

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch 96

Whew!  Life has been bananas lately, not even including the current pandemic, protests, and everything else going on in the U.S. right now. Just my personal life has been crazy.

Because of this, I’m super excited to approach the end of this arc.  I’m having more and more fun as I write this, thanks to @baelpenrose and @creakingcryptid helping with the beta reading and the characters everyone has made for me.

Thank you, everyone, for reading and your likes, reblogs, questions, and comments. All of you have given me an ocean of calm in a crazy world, and as long as you stick around, I’ll keep writing!

I managed to get to the Undine with no issues and five minutes to spare.  Sebastian came out from behind the bar to greet me with a hug - which was unusual, seeing as we weren’t exactly close. However, nobody seemed to notice. “What the hell are you doing, Sophia,” he hissed in my ear before releasing me with a large, fake smile and ushering me to a table.  “I’ll have your drink in just a minute,” he said at a normal volume as I took my seat.

Glancing around, I didn’t see Antoine anywhere.  Assuming it was due to being early, I flicked open my datapad and pulled up some files from work.  Just past my screen, I could see ‘Solozo’ make his way to the bar and grab a menu. So far so good.  Sebastian returned with a drink I most certainly had not ordered - it smelled like coconut and was a screaming blue color.  Reluctantly, I took a sip and suppressed a grimace. Yep. Coconut.

I turned my gaze back to my screen, scrolling aimlessly through a file that I honestly was paying exactly zero attention to, anxiously waiting for Antoine to arrive and tell me what the hell was going on.  Despite trying to be overly-aware of my surroundings, I nearly jumped and screamed when a voice spoke behind me.

“Ah yes, duty rosters. So riveting. Tyche reads them before bed to get a good night’s sleep.  She swears they work better than any medication she has tried.”  When I started to glance over my shoulder, he snapped at me softly. “No. Do not turn.  Continue to review the file so you look like you are talking to yourself.”

“I will look crazier than I already do,” I objected with chagrin.

“Non. When you are working on something tricky, you move your lips when you think.  Your sister does the same thing.  No one will think anything of it.”

“Why am I here?” I finally asked. “I don’t see you for months, don’t hear from you, and then you yell at me in the hall as a cover to set up some Spy Versus Spy shit…”

“You have no idea how much truth is behind those words,” he muttered with a rueful tone. “I have been incognito for Councilor Kalloe, pretending to join Jokul Bjornson’s group.”

“Oh for fuck - Then why am I here instead of her?”

“Mr. Bjornson needs you, and I do not mean in the way he believes.”

“He hates me, remember?” I scowled at my datapad, flicking through files angrily.

I heard a sigh behind me. “He hates what he has been made to believe about you. There was never any intention to create any sort of cult, and I am not quite convinced he is aware that is what it has become.  He does believe that we have come through Ragnarok, and that we are starting our new world.  The people who agree and surround him are twisting the information he receives, even when I have spoken with him personally.  They will warp and remake my words before my very eyes, until pigs fly and the sky is green. When I tried to tell him you never wished to join the Council, they made him believe you wish to supplant the Council and be the only one in charge.  I have heard people try to tell him about the education programs, it becomes brainwashing and indoctrination to keep the powerful in control.”

“Okay, why do they aim him at me, though?”

I heard a rustle of fabric and could almost see him shrug in my mind. “After the Baconistes were thwarted and our fuzzy yellow microbe-friend almost killed everyone, you have something of…. A legendary quality about you. You are a hero, of sorts.” I groaned and smacked my forehead on the table before tossing back half of the blue concoction in front of me. Antoine just chuckled. “I am aware. Your worst nightmare, non? The people who surround him convince him that you will use this as a power-grab, and attempts to tell him you merely wish to be left alone are snatched away before he can hear them. He has been made to believe you must be stopped, that he is saving the rest of us from losing our fresh start.”

“Hooo-boy,” I murmured, fighting the nausea in my stomach. Budding despot and aspiring warlord, I could handle, surprisingly. But this guy thought he was the hero.  I was unsuccessful in suppressing another groan. Opening a blank document, I started tapping out a message. “Does Xiomara know about this?”

“Oui. However, she requested that I find a way to resolve this as quietly as possible to spare Mr. Bjornson’s reputation, as he is being misled.” Another rustle, another shrug. “I believe he is an adult and does not have to listen to those who are pouring poison into his ears, but that is also a steep slope to start down. If you will meet with him, I believe that the two of us may be successful in showing him that you are both on the same side.”

“I have an idea that may be our ace in the hole,” I admitted, shooting the message off to Arthur with details and my request. “But, yeah. As much as I want to say ‘no way, he’s on his own’, I’ll trust you on this with one caveat: I am not going in there alone.  I will be bringing someone with me as back up, and I’m not telling you who because I don’t want to blow your cover or theirs.”

“Not Councilor Kalloe,” he insisted.

I scoffed. “Of course not. She asked you to  fix this quietly, and she has made it very clear how she wants to avoid any more criminal trials until we at least make it to Von.” The name still felt strange on my lips, but it was much shorter, so I told myself I would adjust. “Not her, not my sister.  You won’t recognize the person, but they are coming with me.”

“If I do not recognize them, neither will Jokul,” Antoine agreed. “That is a sound plan, I believe.”

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[renatlia]

Dawn of the 1st Day

“Where’d the Time go?”

(Part 1/2)

Sensing a looming danger but no immediate threat, they allowed themselves a moment to regain composure. Whatever magic it was pulling them around had never had such an effect before. While sometimes enough to make one falter, this one in particular left them all with vertigo. The miserable Hero of Legend looked ready to crumble under the migraine he typically was able to grit and bear.

The Hero of the Sky was the first to recover. While working at his friend’s neck in hopes of helping, he tried to assess the situation. They were in a new area, one that somehow felt more ominous than anything he’d ever encountered. An intense, sinister hate that sent shivers up his spine.

Those who needed to rest while crawling dungeons, raiding temples, and being wide open to attack develop a keen sense of atmosphere. The absolute rage radiating from all sides set the party of heroes on high alert.

The sky child was reminded of Demise, and yet, the sensation felt heavier. Personal. The demon king may have had targeted his hatred on the goddess and her hero directly, but he hadn’t originally fought out of hatred. That evil sought power and would only hold anger for those actively in his way. Though the curse had twisted into pure malice by the Hero of the Wild’s era, most reappearances focused primarily on attaining power, the other two reincarnations affected by the curse merely put under surveillance.

“Wasn’t it just past noon?” The question snapped the Skyloftian out of his musings. Glancing back at the clock tower, he found it read 6:07, the scent of dew indicating early morn. The youngest of them was correct. It had been just after lunch when the worlds shifted.

“Odd? That’s never happened before,” the Hero of Twilight grunted.

The area wasn’t familiar at all either, judging by the faces shared amongst his comrades. It raised suspicion. The strong aftereffects of the magic that brought them there, the time of day changing, the storm of emotion that made the humid air even heavier. A gut feeling told him that the shadow they’d been following wasn’t behind this.

“Those construction workers look like my own, but that doesn’t lend much. I mean, we did have to drag away the old man before he spent all his rupees on milk after meeting my era’s Malon,” the most colorful among them smirked.

Unfortunately, the reaction they’d hoped to catch was nonexistent. Their unofficial leader was nowhere to be seen. The notion of anyone getting left behind had to be the most disturbing aspect of the last fifteen minutes. The missing hero’s protege looked beside himself with worry and lost on what to do.

“Look!” The Hero of Ages clapped for attention. “Just because the shift was harsher than usual, it doesn’t mean he got left behind. We’d see him again if he had been anyways. We were brought together for a reason, after all. The old man knows how to take care of himself, and he wouldn’t want us fussing over his absence instead of focusing on the matter at hand.

“Something strange is going on-different than usual, but we can’t panic over the unknown. Let’s split up and ask around. Where are we? What and where is the danger? Has anyone seen the old man? He may have only wandered off. It wouldn’t be the first time any of us had.”

Huh. He sure knew how to boost everyone’s morale. Must come from being a captain where he’s from.

“It would be unlike him to wander?” The Hero of Hyrule spoke up.

“Yeah, but... maybe he knows the place? He could’a gotten caught up in his head and forgot the plot. Okay, we’ll keep an eye out,” the farm hand nodded. He sounded as if he were trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

The eight left of them paired off to cover more ground. As the saying goes, it’s dangerous to go alone. One pair stayed put as the others went separate ways.

~*~

Link let the young hero wrap himself in the end of his scarf once again, the sudden changes in temperature chilling the island dweller. Having become fairly close, Link found it a small comfort to have the boy near. The teen was more than capable on his own, but something in the air raised the hairs off his neck.

The air cooled further as they passed the threshold to an open playground. The dew had yet to dry from the grass sealing in the night’s chill for a bit longer.

“Tingle!” his excitable friend whispered. He jutted his head towards an odd fellow spinning in place. It was a wonder the guy didn’t get dizzy.

The man, who had to be in his mid to late thirties, wore what Link could only describe as dark red undergarments over a skin-tight, full-body suit of a vibrant green. A hood exposed only his face and came to a point sticking up on the top of his head. Finally clueing Link in to what he was doing, he had a pen and parchment in hand and a compass dangling from his neck.

Okay, a map maker. Spinning explained. Gaudy costume? Still weird.

The little sailor tugged him over by the scarf he had wrapped tightly around his arms and was still firmly tucked around Link’s neck. The “forest fairy” was rather nice if a little bizarre. He told them that he sold maps of current locations at a discount, and so, the pair sat down next to a slide to get a better look at “Clock Town.”

Link frowned. The name tickled something in the back of his mind, and Tingle also seemed vaguely familiar. He quit thinking on it when felt a sharp sting in his neck, which had been happening frequently as of late. He must’ve jumped, because he received a concerned glance that he had to wave off.

Link knew the sting wasn’t a bad thing. He could recall his adventures just fine, but names, faces, and locations had become foggy since meeting the others. He remembered traveling across different eras and meeting many people of legend and myth. He figured out that the sting would stop him from thinking on them, and he pieced together that they were probably people his companions knew on their adventures (and likely lost). The goddesses sure had peculiar ways to protect their heroes. He just hoped the fog would clear once it was all over, feeling a sense of loss over his amnesia.

He blinked to focus on the map. The town was sectioned off in four areas, convenient that they’d paired off. “South Clock Town” held the clock tower with little else but the banker they had passed on their way north. To the west was what looked like an alley for shopping and other errands. The east, however, was far larger and most likely housed the local inn, which Link made a quick mental note of. The playground they were in didn’t have much, but they decided to ask around a bit more before ditching the place.

The little boy shooting darts at a balloon didn’t tell them anything. He had refused to listen to them and yelled at them to leave him alone to his practice. Not wanting to anger the child anymore, they proceeded to speak with the guard positioned at the town exit. After flailing for a moment at having found such a decorated knight in Clock Town, he managed to collect himself enough to direct them towards a cave past where Tingle... had been? “If anything, surely the Great Fairy can guide you!”

Entering the Fairy Fountain was just as refreshing as ever. The temperature was always comfortable no matter the weather outside. A calm would wash over you like a serene spring morning. Tall arches layered in vines surrounded a shallow pool of crystal clear water. The same water cascading down the circular wall parting at the entrance.

Link heard a squawk beside him, and he gasped also catching sight of a swirling cluster of fairies. Typically, there may be three or four fairies milling about at any given time, but there had to be around twenty circling in the center of the fountain.

“Heroes! Please hear my plea!” a warbled voice squealed from the mass. “I have been broken and shattered to pieces by the masked Skull Kid. Please find the one Stray Fairy lost in town, and bring her to this Fairy Fountain.”

Without hesitation, they spun on their heels and sprinted away to hunt down the missing fairy.

~*~

Link sighed as his childhood hero spent another handful of rupees to retry a game for the umpteenth time. For one who treasures his wallet so much, the Hero of Legend sure loved gambling. He’d tried prying him away, but the stubborn veteran just kept getting more red and hell-bent with every loss.

“I’ll be right outside when you’re done!” Link shouted over the loud music. The only acknowledgment he received was a shooing motion.

Taking a breather, he watched two performers juggling to each other in a daze. They were actually really good. The balls were thrown high and were in order of color. Maintaining that had to be difficult.

Link ruffled his hair. He really shouldn’t be spacing out like that, especially in unknown territory. Deciding to at least start on their original task, Link made his way over to the jugglers and overheard their conversation.

“My, my! Funny things are happening in town, aren’t they? Funny. Funny.”

“You’re telling me! Like the rumors about the swamp to the south? Did you hear about the kidnapping?”

What? Kidnapping? Link worried his bottom lip. Should I grab the others? We should help, right?

“Oh, my! The kidnapping?”

“Yep! But then the kid woke up. Get it? Kid napping? Hooo... I got a million of ‘em!”

He glared at the twins’ laughter. Though honestly, it wasn’t even a bad joke. Relax, Link. You’re just on edge. He rolled his shoulders back and coughed. “Excuse me. New around here. Could you tell me what’s going on?”

“We’re the twin jugglers from the Gorman Troupe! We’re practicing for the big carnival! It happens once in a blue moon!”

“Or in this year’s case, once in a really, really scary, red-eyed moon!”

“Ho! Ho! I hear it’s gonna fall harder than the way my clumsy brother is always dropping our juggling balls!”

“You see, we’re entertainers. We must keep people smiling. No matter how grim things get, we must always be optimistic!”

They proceeded to talk about some fellow performers, but Link’s mind was elsewhere. Scary moon? What do they mean it’s gonna fall? He turned around to go get his partner but found him standing only a couple feet away.

“Sorry, come again? ‘Red-eyed moon?’ What’s fallin’?” the Hero of Legend asked.

“Why, just look up!”

“Frightening, isn’t it? Hooo...”

AN: I feel like it’s been at least a month since I posted the Prologue, and I felt kinda bad about it. At least this part was fairly finished in my opinion, so I wanted to go ahead and post it. I don’t really have the other half fleshed out as much as I’d like it to be, but I’ll continue to work on it. Hope you like! (The majority of the dialogue for the npcs are taken straight from the game. That’s something taking up a huge part of my time trying to incorporate their words in scenes.)