#but if the wish of his heart was to return zelda her humanity that would be proof he cares for her

[yashahimewasamistake]

Totk should have had eight temples where Link finds eight mysterious triangles, and only if Link collects those eight mysterious triangles, he gets the secret ending of returning Zelda to normal.

[etherealperrie]

Peace

Link x Zelda | Zelink

Word Count: 1.7k

Contains: Link and Zelda being soft for one another | the "I would lay my life down for yours again & again if it meant being able to see you happy" kind of trope | excessive amounts of fluff | Link and Zelda being soulmates in every universe | Link and Zelda finally getting a peaceful, happy moment

Warnings: references to nudity, potential spoilers as the events of this fic take place after BOTW & TOTK

A/N: I've never written anything for this universe before, BUT, I've been playing copious amounts of botw & totk and have been thinking about these two a lot & how much I want them to be happy & be able to hold one another, so I wrote it! I hope someone out there enjoys <3

...

There’s something on Zelda’s mind. Her lip pulled taught between her teeth, that all too familiar crease between her brows ever present. Link knows that look all too well. A distant look in her eyes, as if she’s not really here in the garden of their Hateno Village home, but somewhere else entirely. 

Link knows not to question her, she comes to him when she’s ready, but he watches her intently. A habit he’s never really broken, whether he realizes it or not. His eyes are on her, watching as she breathes, letting her eyelids close, the summer evening breeze grazing her slightly sunburnt cheeks. Her hair dances with the wind and Link swears that for a moment, his heart skips a beat. He doesn’t bother to check, though, for he’s all too used to that feeling ever since it began when he first laid eyes on her over a century ago. 

Sometimes he wishes he could remember everything. Every look, every touch, every word they exchanged with one another. To forget even one is a shame. Perhaps this is why he refuses to take an eye off of her now. Every day, hour, minute, second, is a chance to make up for the gaps in his memory. To put her at the center of his world. It’s easy work for him. 

Zelda sighs and Link’s shoulders relax as she comes back down from wherever she’d gone. Sometimes she gets swept up into memories – some of them pleasant, others not so much. Link holds his breath for a minute more, waiting for her reaction.

She smiles and rises from where she sat beside the garden bed of carrots, closing the space between the two of them in a few steps. 

“Another dream?” Link asks, looking up at her. She leans into him, collapsing onto his lap, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He welcomes her, wrapping his arms around her torso, pulling her into him. She’s soft and warm, a soothing smell of grass and soap enveloping his senses, reminding him that they’re both here. Human. Solid. Real. Alive. 

“Sometimes, when the wind blows over me like that, I can feel my mother’s touch.” Zelda hums, leaning her head against Link’s chest. At her words, he hugs her a bit tighter, wishing he could fill these empty parts of her. Zelda continues on. “Then, I think of Urbosa. I miss her.” 

“Me too,” Link agrees. He misses them all. Urbosa, Mipha, Revali, Daruk. Back when he and Zelda were no more than a Princess and a Knight. He doesn’t wish to return to those moments, per say, he’s happy to be here with Zelda having survived the Calamity and the Upheaval. Happy that she came back to him after the draconification, that he can touch her again. How lucky they are to be here with one another. Some days the survivors' guilt is harder to overcome than others. 

He wishes Zelda didn’t feel it, though. He wishes more than anything that he could absolve her of that guilt. Of every sadness. He’d bare it all himself, double, if it meant she would never have to feel it again. But here she is, reminiscing, sharing with him. Handling it with such grace, such beauty. She doesn’t know it, but her ability to carry on is what keeps him going, what inspires him to keep living despite it all. 

The sun is just beginning to set now, beginning its descent behind the trees as she readies to exchange posts with the moon. The wind picks up, blowing a cool breeze over the two of them. Link watches a chill spread across Zelda’s exposed shoulder, her lip quivering for a brief moment. 

For a moment he’s sucked into his mind, a memory washing over him. Zelda knelt in waist deep water praying to the Goddess Hylia – pleading, really – in hopes of discovering her power. He’d been ordered to stand and watch guard while she prayed, ensuring her safety. But, goddess, it took everything in his power to keep his back turned to her.

Link would never admit this to anyone, but that night he couldn’t turn a blind eye to the tremble in her voice. While she prayed, he turned over his shoulder to catch just a glimpse of her. Bathed in the glow of the moon, her porcelain skin reflecting the constellations above and the water below she looked, well, heavenly. More like a goddess than Hylia herself, Link had half a mind to fall on bended knee and worship Zelda. 

Underneath, though, he could see her shivering. Her teeth chattered as she begged with the Goddess to show her something, anything that could help in their battle against Calamity Ganon. Her fists clenched, her shoulders heaved as tears began to spill over and trail down her cheeks. Link wanted nothing more in that moment than to rush to her side, wipe the tears from her cheeks with the calloused pad of his thumb and pull her from the water. But he’d taken a vow of silence. A vow to protect the Princess. He couldn’t act on impulse, on desire.

Link lets out a quiet laugh now, running his thumb over Zelda’s exposed shoulder, hoping to warm away the chills. She tucks into him, exhaling a breath at his touch. Foolish, he thinks, to have ever thought that desire for the Princess would ever disappear – he’s destined to love her forever, in every lifetime, in every timeline. 

It’s a relief to be able to act on impulses now. To care for her in his own way, to warm her shivering body with his, to take her pain away. 

Zelda feels Link’s eyes on her and she wonders what he’s thinking. She wonders if he’s just as content as she is to sit here, in his lap, forever. She wouldn’t doubt it, sometimes it feels as though he’d sit with her all day, if she would let him. She often has to remind him that she’s okay. That she’s not going to go anywhere. Though, she often has to convince herself of that fact first. They’ve been through so much in the past century, the past handful of years since the Calamity and the Upheaval. So much loss, that some nights she clings to Link in her sleep to keep her tethered to this reality, to prevent fate from taking her away again. 

“I think we’ve done enough work for today,” Link says, moving one of his arms and sliding it under Zelda’s knees, lifting her into a bridal carry in one swift motion. Zelda gasps, tightening her grip as if she’s ever once had to worry she isn’t safe in his arms. She’s never felt more safe in her life, and that’s not an easy thing for the Princess to feel. Even if, goddess forbid, something were to tear them apart again, she knows that somehow Link will return to her. 

The next few minutes between the Princess and the Knight happen in total silence and almost without thought. All Link knows is that he wants to make Zelda comfortable. So, a bath is drawn. 

Steam rises from the tub as Zelda sinks into the water, the chill of the evening leaving her body. She tips her head back, the ends of her hair skimming the surface, as she rests her head against the wall, turning at the sound of footsteps approaching. 

Link slips into the washroom, his eyes glinting at the sight of her – two lush green eyes set in a hazy glow of peach and pink. He smiles, elated to see her so relaxed, even more so to see her smiling back at him. 

“Might I join you?” he asks, already slipping out of his tunic.

Zelda hums in encouragement, watching as Link lifts his tunic over his head. She watches with wide eyes, as if she’d never seen him like this before. Perhaps it’s because she doesn’t remember much of anything from her time in the skies, that she would be remiss to not take every moment with her knight as something precious. 

She drinks in the sight of his muscled back, tan, naked skin marked with blotches of color – some yellow, others purple – bruises, from his endless battles. In the next second, he’s fully exposed and her eyes are mapping every freckle and scar, each with its own memory. 

Soon, Link is standing just above her as she shimmies back, spreading her legs to make ample room for him to rest. It’s not often that she gets to hold him, so when his back is pressed against her front seconds later, his head resting against her chest, those crystalline blue eyes looking up at her from below, she feels as though her heart might beat through her chest. She’s certain he can feel it. 

He can. And, goddess, what a sensation. The moment his bare skin comes into contact with hers, Zelda’s fingertips skimming up the length of his body from his hip, across his torso, and up his neck stopping to circle each mark, he is reborn. 

Zelda asks about each one, tracing her fingers across Link’s skin again and again, desperate to know the story that led to every blemish. Link entertains her, his eyes falling shut as he recalls spats and battles, some she was present for and others not. He surprises himself with a few stories. He was certain he’d forgotten some, but with her hands on him, he recalls them with ease. Zelda smiles as she listens to him, the cushion of his body beneath her hand. She stifles a laugh when she notices a trail of chills following in her wake as her hand wanders Link’s body. It’s sweet to know the effect she has on him, she’ll never tell him that she knows, so she revels in the discovery while his eyes are closed. 

They carry on until the water is tepid, their bodies having absorbed the heat of the liquid and of one another. They wrap in towels, drying their skin, unraveling from one another for just that moment before tumbling into their shared bed, naked skin to naked skin. 

Peace is something the two of them are just beginning to know. Perhaps peace, the gentle feeling of loving one another, is the very thing they’ll cling to.

...

[ampersand-antics]

So I just beat TotK... and I have THOUGHTS

MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!!!

TOTK ENDING SPOILERS (OBVIOUSLY)

(I also think I got a secret ending? So spoilers for that)

I think the biggest accomplishment for me so far has been beating that malice-infused Silver Lynel under Hyrule Castle

So funny story, right after the spirit temple, I was like "Well I bet gdorf is under the castle, imma hop down there and see if I can find him." I went to the under-depths under the castle but I didn't see gdorf anywhere! I went past the likelikes and the horriblins and I didn't see any sign of gdorf so I left. Did the kogha depths quests (very much enjoyed the kogha depths quests they were epic!!!! (except I couldn't find the rito chasm)) and then kogha was like 'he's under the castle lol' and so I WENT BACK UNDER THE CASTLE and nothing was different!! And then I found the pass!! That had been there this whole time!!!

Uhhh thoughts on the castle... I loved it. I loved the enemies and how genuinely difficult it was, I loved the aesthetics, the music?? THE MUSIC!!!! oh my god I loved the music sosososo much. The way it progressed throughout the castle?? The way we went so far down was fuckin epic. I enjoyed it immensely. And I loved being able to be back in the first area - the echoes of going back to the beginning, cyclicalness, idk there's a much much deeper theme there but I don't have the words to express it.

I really enjoyed the fights with gdorf and I'm sososo glad he got rehydrated eventually. The hearts getting quite literally destroyed was an amazing twist. And the fact that he could flurry rush you??? I hated (loved) that sooooo much!!! At least he couldn't give like five attacks in return. I got out of that fight with two hearts left, and it was such a weird feeling to have full hearts and there only being two. The draconification was incredibly incharacter for gdorf but I still wasn't really expecting it. Just goes to show how fuckin strong link is, bc he felt THAT desperate. The dragon fight was kinda underwhelming tbh but I absolutely loved the aesthetics. I wish there was a way that the Demon dragon would still be there in the overworld. I'm glad Zelda came back, I'm sosososo glad she got her happy ending, I've heard a lot about how it felt cheap but honestly folks use 'the power of love' as a reason for so many things all the time so it's not bad. And the fact that there's an actual Explanation (sonia's and raaru's spirit powers, coming to finish the job?? Epicccc) one thing i didnt like (or think makes sense) is that links arm went back to normal all in all tho I really enjoyed it!!!!

I liked the secret ending too. I don't really know what to say about it (my brains going brrr rn and it's hard to actually articulate it)

The one thing about all this that really pissed me off was that things just went back to the way they'd been before. I mean, it really didn't have to. You could've kept the gloom by just being like "yeah for some reason all the gloom didn't go away". Then don't transform Zelda back into a human, just extract her, so there's the dragon form and the human form and you can still get horns, let link keep his arm and have mineru's construct be inhabited by an AI. Maybe even add a side quest series about getting rid of the gloom from hyrule/the depths via Zeldas light powers? As for Zelda herself, either go SMO style and have her pop up in random locations talking about stuff, have her stay in Hateno at her house and the school, or (and this would be really cool) make her into a companion! We already have the baseline for that with the other sages, she could have a moveset similar to Zeldas basic light moves in aoc, and maybe her sage ability could bathe a little area in sacred light and make it so gloom wasn't existent in it? Idk it could be super fun. And not having it matter at all in the end makes everything feel much much less meaningful.

All in all, I think i like totk less than botw. But not by much, they're both great games and I LOVE how totk built on botw. Maybe it's just the nostalgia talking, but there's just something I can't put my finger on that makes botw better than totk.

I'll keep updating this blog with more of playthrough!!

[old-knightinsourarmor]

@decimatlas asked:

“This is the third meal you’ve missed this week, are you okay?” from my oc zelda to reiner

Noticing Trauma sentence starters

tw: suicidal thoughts, self hatred, trauma

Reiner had returned home. He had returned to his homeland, yet nothing seemed familiar to him. Foolish he had been, hoping if he managed to return home, his mind would return to its proper place. But he was mistaken, as if having landed in a foreign land for the second time. Why was it, that nothing made sense any longer? Not the mother he wished to make proud. Not the hopes of all Eldians resting on the Warriors' soldiers, of paying for all their sins. Had anything changed, in the many years he spent across the sea? Even the streets he used to wander as a child, once brimming with light, were dark and abandoned now. Eyes met hers for a brief moment, her concern providing him with the answer to his questions. It was only HIM to have changed, eyes having lost their light, a dim world now replacing the one he used to see.

“ You don't need to worry about me. It's not like I'm going to die if I don't eat properly. ” He didn't even try to be convincing enough. Too worn out of pretending to be someone else. He'd only carry out the least needed of him to survive, fulfill his duty, so he could one day, one of these days, die in peace. In the selfish way he wished to go, adding to the sins he'd carry to the next life. Undeserving of redemption, he'd give in to the irresistible urge to end the burning pain to have been driving him insane.

She seemed to be different as well. Come to think of it, had he ever truly known her? It was Bertholdt he'd been closer with when still a candidate, and still, he'd always feel out of place — as if he didn't deserve to be standing among them. Their resolve unyielding, their skills outstanding, earning their title as the pride of Eldians. The pride of Marley. How could he ever see himself as an equal ? But his young heart had an extraordinary ability to distort reality to his needs, that ability ( a curse ) he owed having survived this far. The reason he was sent to Paradis, and Zelda was the one left behind. Reiner wondered, had she felt the same way he did back then? Did she ever hate him, for being chosen instead of her? Taking her place, when he wasn't the one worth inheriting the Armored? He would have, if their roles were reversed. This was the kind of man he used to be, when he'd still worry about what would become of him.

“ There's a lot I feel like I missed. ” Frozen back in time was the land of devils, a land where there were no real enemies. Where they hadn't yet known the cruelty of their world, of humanity's true nature. Romantic was the people, blissfully unaware of the fate to await them. But had Reiner ever truly returned ? Had all of him returned? “ You became Drill Sergeant. ” Dedicated her heart to Marley, same way they all had. But she was a different case. The opposite of him, continuing to fight despite lacking power. If she had inherited the Armored instead of him, the outcome would have changed. She'd be serving the purpose she was meant for. She wouldn't have returned alone from that island.

“ I'm sorry. Everything's still overwhelming. After all these years of being in enemy territory, it's difficult to stand down. ” A skilled liar he was, even if there was no point in lying anymore. Had it turned into some sort of habit ? But he hadn't any friends left to betray. He no longer needed to pretend to be someone he wasn't — the reliable figure, the reassuring friend. He had no one, and he had returned to being nobody. There wasn't anyone to hate him, accuse him of what he truly was, a DEVIL . Even if he had escaped the Survey Corps, he'd never escape himself. Himself he'd see clearly, despite having been torn in two, and despise.

[cooking-with-hailstones]

That child of mine: Interlude

Into the heart of the human dream

(Bonus chapter for That Child of Mine)

He was floating.

Streaks of blue flashed past his vision, the dark void all around him. He heard a roar off in the distance, then a deafening silence.

Suddenly, a woman in white, suffused with a golden glow appeared in front of him.

“Where am I? What is this place?” he said, standing up on what was suddenly solid ground. The last thing he could remember was the demon’s blade racing towards him, and the overwhelming fear that he wouldn’t be able to roll away in time... 

“Oh, my son,” the woman in white cried out as she reached for him, pulling him into a tight embrace. “My beloved, foolish, brave son. You could not wait any longer, could you?”

He gasped. “You’re my mother. You’re Zelda.”

She nodded, golden tears streaking down her cheeks.

“I am sorry this is the first time we get to properly meet,” she said, her voice cracking with the weight of her emotion. “I only got to hold you for a week after you were born, before Maya had to take you away. But know that I loved you fiercely from the first moment I held you in my arms.”

She embraced him again, and Aro found himself weeping as well.

“Maya was wonderful,” he said, “but I missed you so much, all the time.”

“I know,” she replied. “I know. I have always watched over you. I have always been with you. The sacred realm,” she gestured to their surroundings, “runs parallel to the physical realm. I can touch it, briefly, and see glimpses of passing time.”

Another roar echoed through the darkness. Zelda grimaced, her hands clenching as she glowed brighter for just a moment, until the roaring subsided.

“You’ve injured him gravely,” she murmured. “Well done. He’s far weaker than he was.”

“Not enough, I fear.” Aro said. “He got me pretty good, didn’t he?”

Zelda traced the line on his torso where the fire demon’s sword had struck him. “To strike so many blows against him is still more than I could have dared to hope for. You have given me some respite, which is more than I’ve had for over forty years.”

She stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself, looking ashamed.

“You were right, what you said to Impa, though I wished that it weren’t true. I was losing strength. He would have overwhelmed me soon. You bought Hyrule the time it desperately needed. But I wish it hadn’t come at such a cost.”

A long beat of silence passed between them.

“Thank you,” he managed, “for saving Sam.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, golden tears leaking out regardless. “I tried to open a gate for you as well. I’m so sorry. I promised to protect you, and I failed you.”

“No, I’m sorry!” he cried. “I should have trusted Impa. We should have been more prepared. We should have known he would be cunning.”

“You tried to save me,” she whispered. “In so many ways, you are so like your father.”

“Is he here, as well?” Aro asked, looking around wildly as though the Hero might appear at that very instant.

“No, no he is not.” Zelda sighed. “He is still in the physical realm, though in a deep, deep slumber. I had tried to wake him, as my powers were waning, but I sensed he was not yet ready. He will return, though not for some time yet.”

She took a deep breath. “I am so afraid, Aro. He will have nothing when he awakes, possibly not even his memories. He will only have the limited Sheikah slate I was able to send into the shrine with him. He’ll be completely on his own.”

She shivered, and Aro felt the chill of fear pass over him as well. To be so alone, out in the wild...

“Let me help.” Aro said suddenly. “You said this place runs parallel to the physical realm? What if I were to help guide him when he wakes up?”

She looked at him with such tenderness, her voice cracking slightly. “Oh Aro, my dear son, I cannot ask that of you! I would not hold you here, trapping you as a ghost and preventing you from moving on into the Goddesses light.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering” he said with a grin. “Besides, I have a lifetime’s worth of catching up with my mother to do while we wait. Surely you can’t deny me that?”

She gave him a long, hard look.

“You know, perhaps it's for the best that I wasn’t the one to raise you,” she sighed. “I would never have been able to refuse you anything.”

[dragonkeeper19600]

Jaws: The Musical (Concept)

So, out of curiosity, I looked online to see if anyone had ever adapted a musical from Jaws. There is a musical called Bruce that’s scheduled to debut in Seattle next year about the production of Jaws (and I would be interested in seeing that), but as for a musical of the Jaws story itself, I found one that’s for kids and about 48 minutes long.

Now, I’ve never seen this musical, so I cannot attest as to its quality, but, in my opinion, both of those choices are wrong. This musical should be the full two acts, and it should be aimed at adults. 

I’ve been brainstorming, and I think I’ve got a hypothetical musical all mapped out. You might think a musical based on Jaws is silly, but a lot of successful musicals have been adapted from really strange things (such as a comic book artist’s coming-out memoir, a crappy Roger Corman movie, and a collection of goofy cat poems), and I feel like a Jaws musical could be really epic. The story easily lends itself into a two-act structure. The first act is the shark attacks on Amity Island, and the second act is the hunt for the shark in the Orca. 

However, the musical wouldn’t make the mistake of putting lyrics to John Williams’s iconic Jaws theme. The theme would obviously be used as a leitmotif throughout the show, but it’s not the type of song that lends itself to lyrics, and I think that would be corny,

So, the musical would play out like this:

ACT ONE:

The movie opened with Chrissie’s death, so the stage show will do the same. The scene will be short and all dialogue, no singing. The shark will also not be seen, but its presence will be implied by the music, lighting, and Chrissy’s acting.

First song: “Welcome to Amity Island.” Functions as an intro to the setting of Act One. The tone is joyous and celebratory as the islanders welcome the flood of tourists that always come in the summer. A big portion of the song is sung by Mayor Vaughn as he sings about what a wonderful vacation spot Amity Island is. We also meet Brody, and a dark undercurrent is introduced to the song as he finds Chrissy’s mangled body.

Brody, of course, takes steps to close the beach right away, but he’s stopped by the Mayor, who sings the second song, “Summer Dollars,” where the Mayor insists that closing the beaches is bad for the town and that Brody shouldn’t be causing an unnecessary panic and causing hysteria that could drive tourists away. Brody tries to argue back but in the end, Vaughn has his way.

Brody returns to the station, apprehensive about keeping the beaches open. Here, we’re introduced to Brody’s wife, Ellen, who saw no problem with visiting him at work since nothing ever happens on Amity Island. Brody expresses his uneasiness, but Ellen assures him that his fear of the water is making him overestimate the danger. This gets Brody’s coworkers curious, so, with a little prompting from Ellen, Brody sings his first solo, “Drowning,” about his fear of the water. In the song, Brody sings about a childhood incident where a bully held him underwater at a public swimming pool. Not only did this give him a fear of water, but the bullying he received as a child is what set him on the path to become a cop, since he wanted to be able to protect people from suffering the same mistreatment he did. However, he moved from New York City because the working environment there was unfriendly to cops who wish to protect and serve instead of, well, being typical American cops.

Next song: “Blue Sky” Just as the Mayor wished, the beaches are open, and summer is in full swing. Brody is there with his family, anxiously keeping an eye on the water. The rest of the ensemble doesn’t share his anxiety, however, as they frolic and play in the sun. Brody is jolted to his feet several times by the sound of screaming, but it’s always a false alarm. However, the mood turns scary as we segue into the next song:

“Shark!” - While out swimming on his raft, young Alex Kintner is attacked and eaten. Brody sees it and screams the title of the song. It’s pandemonium as people rush out of the water, and the song is fast-paced and chaotic. However, it ends on a mournfully quiet note as Mrs. Kintner calls for her son. (”Alex? Alex!?”)

Quick scene transition, and we move immediately into he next song, called “Something Must Be Done.” Here, at a town council meeting, the townspeople argue back and forth about what to do about their shark problem. I imagine the music here sounding like the “Mayor’s Meeting” theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. Brody argues strongly in favor of closing the beaches (in song, of course), but he is shut down not only by the Mayor but by the rest of the townspeople, who still rely on the income brought in by the tourists. People throw around various suggestions, with one woman finally declaring that she’ll reward whoever catches the shark with three thousand dollars. The song descends into a cacophony as people argue over each other.

The noise is interrupted by the screech of nails on a chalkboard. It’s Quint who sings the titular song, “Jaws,” as he sings about his job as a shark hunter and how dangerous sharks can be. (”Those jaws will swallow you whole. / A little shakin’, tenderizing’, down you go.”) He offers to kill the shark for ten grand, not three. The woman who made the offer balks at the high price, and the Mayor explains that kind of money isn’t in the budget “right now.” Quint takes it in stride and tells everyone they’ll know where to find him if they change their minds. He’s supposedly addressing the room, but he looks right at Brody as he says it. He can tell Brody is the only one who will actually listen.

Many sailors of various aptitudes come to Amity Island, hoping to catch the shark and cash in on that three thousand dollars. Among the new arrivals is Hooper, who introduces himself to Brody as a marine biologist from the Oceanographic Institute. Hooper sings his intro song, “Beautiful,” referring to his views on sharks. Hooper recounts how he was bitten by a shark as a child, but instead of coming to fear them, Hooper walked away fascinated by them and now views sharks to be beautiful creatures. However, the song takes a somber note as Hooper is brought in to examine Chrissie’s remains, and the word “Beautiful” is shifted from referring to sharks to referring to Chrissie when she was alive. (“She was just a kid. / So much of life to live. / Now, bits and scraps are all that’s left. / Of a girl who was once so beautiful.”)

“Hell of a Fish” - The fishermen succeed in catching a large tiger shark, presumed to be the shark that killed Alex and Chrissie. Brody joins in the celebratory atmosphere, but Hooper examines the dead shark’s teeth and is convinced they’ve got the wrong fish. The Mayor and the fisherman who caught the tiger shark argue that this is the shark that’s been causing the trouble, while Hooper argues back that it’s definitely not. Hooper angrily demands that he be allowed to dissect the shark to confirm whether there are human remains inside, but Mayor Vaughn rejects his request. He doesn't care if they’ve got the right shark. He doesn’t believe a third attack will happen either way. (”We’ve got a hell of a fish to show. / And shark attacks are pretty rare, you know?”) 

This song is interrupted by the entrance of Mrs. Kintner, in funeral attire, who goes up to Brody and slaps him. She then sings “My Boy Is Dead,” a slow, tragic lament about her son, Alex. (“He was just a boy. His whole life still ahead. / Now, I’ll never know what he would’ve been. / Because my boy is dead.”) Mrs. Kintner blames Brody for not warning the town after Chrissie’s death, and Brody takes the blame to heart. The song ends with a callback to “Hell of a Fish,” as Hooper bitterly remarks that he hopes Mayor Vaughn is right about the tiger shark being the culprit, otherwise there’s a “hell of a fish” still out there somewhere.

“Cloud on the Horizon” - Song is kicked off by a TV reporter, who delivers a brief story to the audience about the recent shark attacks on Amity Island. The holiday-making resumes on Amity’s beaches, but people are more nervous than before, The ensemble sings amongst themselves about whether they should go in the water. They finally do so with a little encouragement from the Mayor. Meanwhile, Brody encourages his son Michael to stay in the shallow pond.

“Shark! (Reprise)” - A shark fin is spotted in the water, and the ensemble takes up the alarm, scrambling while frantically singing a reprise of “Shark!” However, the alarm dies down when the fin is revealed to be a fake worn by a swimmer. However, a lone woman takes up the cry again as the shark is spotted swimming toward the pond where Michael is. The music ramps up as the shark takes down a boater mere feet away from Michael, and the audience gets their first clear view of the shark.

“Red Sea” - The song functions as a reprise of “Blue Sky,” but also contains musical elements from “My Boy is Dead.” Brody pulls his son Michael out of the water, unsure of whether he’s still alive. Luckily, Michael is only in shock. Ellen runs to call for an ambulance. As he waits by Michael’s body, Brody sings his second solo, loudly berating everyone in town, including himself, for allowing this to happen three times. All of the beachgoers, including the Mayor, are cowed by his song.

“(Can’t Find) a Good Man” - This is the first song between all three crew members of the Orca. Brody goes to hire Quint to kill the shark, agreeing to pay whatever he wants. Quint knows he has Brody by the balls and keeps upping the price, demanding additional payments like various kinds of booze and a color TV in addition to the ten thousand dollars. Brody agrees to all of it, but Quint’s one crew member refuses to go out after the shark, so Quint fires him. Hooper and Brody volunteer to go along, but Quint is reluctant to bring them aboard. He contemplates whether he should go alone, since Hooper and Brody will be useless on deck. Hooper loudly argues that he's qualified and “doesn’t need this working class hero crap,” but Brody is more gentle and persuasive. He reminds Quint that his own son was nearly killed by this shark and feels he owes it to both his family and the town to help in whatever way he can. Quint is won over by Brody’s humility and agrees to take them both on.

“Farewell, Amity Island” - Reprise of “Welcome to Amity Island” and the Act One Finale. Like “Welcome to Amity Island,” this is a huge ensemble number, this time centering around the Orca’s upcoming departure. Several characters come to see the ship off as Quint yells at Hooper and Brody, including the Mayor and Ellen. The Mayor apologizes to Brody (“I know you’re angry. You have every right to be. / My own children were there in that same red sea.”), where Ellen bids a tearful farewell, knowing she might never see Brody again. Brody’s sung farewells are intercut with a spoken back and forth between Quint and Hooper, as Quint snarks at everything Hooper does. The song also contains instrumental traces of “Spanish Ladies.” Brody and Ellen’s embrace is broken up by Quint as the Orca shoves off.

ACT TWO:

After the act two opener (which is an instrumental of “Jaws,” the song Quint sang earlier), we return to the Orca where Quint fishes off the stern, loudly singing “Spanish Ladies” a cappella. It sounds pretty good, but he’s interrupted by Hooper, who yells that he’s been listening to Quint sing for three hours and can’t take it any more. Brody has no choice but to listen to the ensuing back and forth as he chums the water. 

The childish behavior is interrupted when Quint gets a bite. He's convinced it’s the shark, but Hooper, still annoyed with Quint, believes it’s some kind of sport fish. Hooper begrudgingly goes to help Quint pull in the line, but a moment of inattention causes the line to snap.

“City Hands” - Quint berates Hooper for losing the shark and trying to tell a professional shark hunter how to hunt sharks. Their animosity finally erupts into an angry duet as they hurl very personal insults at each other, with Hooper calling Quint a drunken, senile sea dog, while Quint berates Hooper for being a coddled, privileged city boy. Their musical fight looks like it’ll get physical when Hooper snatches the beer Quint was drinking out of his hand and chucks it into the ocean. Luckily, Brody breaks it up, pointedly reminding them why they’re here and that they don’t need to be at each other’s throats when the shark will gladly do that for them. Quint sheepishly apologizes to Brody and only Brody. Hooper likewise backs down.

Brody returns to chumming the water only to toss a shovelful of chum directly into the shark’s face. The shark is right beside the Orca, and it’s huge. There is an instrumental score but no singing as all three men work together to try and bring in the shark. The shark seems unfazed by all the bullets and harpoons they shoot into it, but they manage to attach one barrel to the shark. Quint is satisfied that the shark will tire itself out with the barrel attached and that all they have to do is wait it out. Brody is all for returning to shore and calling the Coast Guard, but Quint ignores him.

Scene transition, and we’re in the ship’s cabin that night. All three men are staying up to wait for the shark, and they’ve had a bit to drink. Quint catches Brody examining the rope burn he got on his hand earlier in the day and reassures him that it won't leave a permanent scar. This segues into the duet “Something Permanent,” as Hooper and Quint compare scars. The tone isn’t angry and harsh as before but jovial and upbeat. Clearly, the earlier animosity is forgiven. 

“Those Eyes” - This is Quint’s solo about the sinking of the Indianapolis. Brody asks Quint about a scar on his arm that he hasn’t mentioned. Quint offhandedly mentions it’s a tattoo he had removed. When Hooper makes a joke about it being a “Mother” tattoo, Quint informs him it’s actually for the U.S.S. Indianapolis. Hooper clearly knows the story, but Brody doesn't, so Quint tells it. The song is slow and eerie. The words “those eyes” are used to refer to both the sharks’ eyes and the eyes of his crew mates as they were devoured or lay dead in the water. Quint sings that he still sees those eyes looming up at him in the dark of the night. He then catches the looks on Brody and Hooper’s faces and chuckles darkly, telling them not to look at him with “those eyes.” After all, they delivered the bomb. No one comments on this, but all three men have now sung their backstories at some point in the show.

Hooper quietly starts to sing “Show Me the Way to Go Home.” The other two join in. Their singing is interrupted by the shark ramming into the ship.

The crew scramble back on deck. Quint, his mind still swimming in the memory of the Indianapolis, wildly fires a rifle at the shark, but he only succeeds in driving it away, Hooper goes belowdeck  to assess the damage. The ship can still run, but it’s struggling. Brody loudly advocates returning to shore, but Quint refuses.

The shark returns, leading to the next song, “Barrels.” The song has a lot of dialogue and instrumental but also functions as a reprise of “Something Permanent,” as Quint gleefully proclaims his intent to leave “something permanent” on the shark. The crew manages to attach three barrels to the shark, but they lose track of it again. 

Quint decides that since barrels and weapons don’t seem to be working, and the ship is only becoming more damaged, that the thing to do is lure the shark back to shore and drown it in the shallow water. Hooper warns Quint that he’s overtaxing the engine, but Quint only leans harder on the throttle. The engine gives out. 

Brody goes to the radio to call the Coast Guard for help but is shocked when Quint smashes the radio with a baseball bat before the message can get out. This leads to an even angrier reprise of “City Hands,” now with Brody insulting Quint instead of Hooper, calling him “certifiable.” Quint shouts more than sings that he can handle it and he doesn’t need rescuing “this time.” The song shifts to the slower, gentler melody that was used when Brody calmed Hooper and Quint before as Quint tells Brody he vowed that would never be helpless in the water again. Both Brody and Hooper, who was heard the entire outburst, are struck silent.

“Beautiful (Reprise)” - Hooper somberly volunteers to be lowered into the anti-shark cage. Brody argues against it, but, for once, Quint is willing to hear Hooper out. Hooper sings about how putting himself in harm’s way is his only chance to the tune of his intro song, “Beautiful.” Hooper then admits that Quint is right, he hasn’t been through what Quint has, but he’s willing to try and prove his worth. Quint and Brody realize they don't have much choice and agree.

Hooper goes into the cage. Brody takes Hooper’s glasses, and Hooper gives them both one last look before he puts on his mask and goes under. 

“In the Cage” - Instrumental. While below the water (which is just another part of the stage covered in blue spotlights), Hooper tries to attack the shark with the syringe on the end of a spear, but he drops it. The shark begins to break its way into the cage, but Hooper manages to escape and hides behind some rocks, apologizing to the men above for failing.

Quint and Brody, of course, can’t hear him, nor can they see what’s happening below. Quint and Brody pull up the cage to find it mangled and empty. Brody is devastated, thinking that Hooper is dead, but Quint seems to be truly unraveling. He sings a shaky reprise of “Those Eyes,” this time obsessing over the look Hooper gave them before he went under. He frantically recalls that he saw the same look on the faces of his crew mates after the sinking of the Indianapolis. Tragically, the song also functions as a callback to “My Boy Is Dead.” (”It’s far too late for me now to take back the things I’ve said. / They’ll haunt me ‘til my dying day. / Because that boy is dead.”)

“Quint’s End” - Instrumental, spoken dialogue. Quint can’t get the last image of Hooper out of his mind and begs him to stop looking at him like that. Brody is alarmed as Quint’s pleas to Hooper change to pleas to his dead crew mate, Herbie Robinson. Quint has slid into a full-blown PTSD flashback. In his mind, he’s back in the waters of the Pacific thirty years ago, surrounded by sharks and dead crew mates. Brody tries to calm Quint down by reminding him where he is, but at that moment, the shark leaps onto the stern, and the Orca lists backwards. (In my head, the Orca set is on some kind of platform that can be raised at an incline.) Both men begin to slide toward the waiting jaws of the shark. Brody manages to grab onto the door frame leading into the cabin. He tries to hold onto Quint, but Quint slips out of his hand. Quint tries to fight back against the shark, but with a sickening crunch, Quint falls silent. The shark retreats with Quint’s lifeless body.

“Smile!” - Payback time. The Orca is sinking fast, and Brody knows that if he ends up in the water, it’s game over. Brody manages to ward the shark off with one of Hooper’s scuba tanks. The shark takes the scuba tank into its mouth, giving Brody the chance to climb onto the mast with Quint’s rifle. The music ramps up in speed and intensity as the shark closes in. Brody’s singing ramps up to match as he fires at the shark again and again, reminding himself of his promise to protect others and vowing that this shark will never kill anyone again. Then, with a final, bombastic, “So, smile you son of a bitch!” he gets a hit on the tank, and the shark explodes. He whoops and hollers as the music swells.

The finale instrumental is both sad and sweet. The sinking mast deposits Brody in the water. Hooper surfaces besides him. They laugh together, relieved that it’s over. Hooper asks about Quint, but Brody only responds with the single word, “No.” Hooper and Brody are close enough to paddle back to shore, so they do just that. As they set off, Brody begins to sing, “Show Me the Way to Go Home.” Hooper joins in. The curtain falls.

[tortilla-of-courage]

The land of Hyrule is one rich with history and legends. Many of which have been lost to time itself. The tales of old long morphed into something near unrecognizable from what they once were. Centuries of wars and disasters erasing more and more of them, to the point where they are nothing that whispers in the wind. If you listen close, you can still hear them.

So listen now and hear the one of the oldest tales of them all. One that was lost when the humans went to the skies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back when that land was still named  ‘Hylia’ after their great Goddess, a great war sent what few humans that had survived into the sky, to keep them safe. But why was this war started?

Those who have heard the tale would say that it was because the Demon Demise was after the Triforce, and they wouldn’t be wrong. But the true answer is not that simple. Nor is the question.

The real question you should ask is; Why did Demise wait until then to get the Triforce?

The answer; Because his only real obstacle was indisposed for the time being.

One fact that was left out of the stories that were taken to the skies, was that the War between the Goddess Hylia and the Demon Demise had been going on for over a millennia before it ever put the humans Hylia loved so deeply in danger.

Because for that millennia, there was balance. A balance far greater than any that has come to the land since. Because there was one other Deity that had kept the Goddess and the Demon at bay from each other.

And he was the Fierce Deity.

Demise, Hylia, and Kishin

He was Fierce, yet kind-hearted.

Chaotic, yet orderly.

Feared, yet also Loved.

He kept the balance between the Goddess’s light and the Demon’s hatred.

But that wasn’t to say that Kishin didn’t have his own enemies. He did. As there was another Demon, that was not of this realm that threatened the land. It threatened the balance that Kishin worked hard to keep. This Demon’s name, was Majora.

When Majora’s pure chaos threatened the land, Kishin battled him.

For three day and three nights, the Deity and the demon battled, neither gaining an advantage over the other.

After three days and three nights, Kishin realized that he would not be able to beat the demon, so instead he used his power to seal Majora in a mask.

Then he hid the Demon’s Mask away where it was to stay for all of time.

But all was not well.

Once he returned from his three day battle with Majora, the Goddess Hylia called him to tell him of something she had learned during the three nights that he had been away.

“It seems that the demon Demise can only be killed by a mortal.”

“But there is no mortal of a caliber that would have the strength needed to defect him.”

“Not currently, no.”

“So what is it that you need of me?”

“I know that you simply wish to keep the balance in this world, so it pains me to ask you this, as it would mean that my Light would have an advantage, but I would like to ask you, if you would be willing to become a mortal for one of their lifetimes, so that way Demise can be defeated for good.”

Kishin thought over the Goddess’s wish for a moment. To be reincarnated as a Mortal? Would it be truly worth it for the balance of the world? Demise's forces were strong, and if Kishin was to become a mortal, even for one of their short lifespans, they would only become stronger. But then, another thought struck him.

Would Light having more influence on the land be a bad thing? Hylia herself, also respected balance. And from what he learned from his battle with Majora, there were always others that would threaten to upset the balance for the darkness.

So while the Kishin wished for balance, he knew that the land would prosper under light.

“I will.”

And so Kishin was reborn as a mortal. His godly power put into a mask in case something far worse came in the time in which he was a mortal.

Hylia did everything in her power to make sure to prepare him for what was to come. He did not have his memories of being the Deity, as then the plan would undoubtedly fail, So instead she made sure that he had the expercine that he needed. His skill had stayed with him through his reincarnation, so she need not worry about that, so instead, she needed to prepare his mind for the horrors that would come.

What she did not expect, was that she would become attached to his mortal self.

The more gentle parts of his personality were the ones that had come to the surface, and his features, while slightly different, as many of them were marks of himself as Kishin, were quite handsome on his human form.

She found herself falling for Kishin, no Link. That was the name his mortal parents gave him, so that was the name that she would call him too, for the time being.

It only took 24 years for Demise to enact his plan to take the Triforce after Kishin became Link. Four of which he had spent imprisoned by the people that he was to protect.

After they released him, so that way he could fight alongside them, Hylia came down to speak with him for the first time since he had become mortal, and she realized how little he had changed in terms of how he spoke.

Clear, to the point. At one point, she almost found herself calling him ‘Kishin’ instead of ‘Link’.

But she did what she needed to do so that way Link would have what was needed to defeat Demise.

Only it wasn’t enough.

Link was gravely injured in his fight with the demon, so, as a last minute effort, she sent what remained of the humans to the sky, along with the triforce. Then, she went to see him.

Knowing that it was her fault that he had ended up like this, Hylia felt nothing but guilt as she held his body. After all, she was the one who asked him to become mortal in the first place. He had agreed to it, but what was the cost?

Demise still had to be defeated.

And so Hylia decided to reincarnated Kishin once more, along with herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so marks the end to a tale that never made it to the sky. But if you must know what happened after, I’ll tell you.

Hylia’s plan worked. Kishin, now twice born as a human named Link, was able to defeat Demise. And together, Hylia, or Zelda in her human form, lived out the rest of this lifetime with him. But while she had regained her memories of being Hylia, she never told Link that he was Kishin.

Instead, she prepared what she was going to say to him once she became Hylia again and he was once again Kishin, but that time never came.

You see, at the end of the battle, when Demise knew that he had lost, he placed a curse onto the boy that had once been Kishin. That was to be reborn, along with his hatred. And the he, and those with the Goddess's blood would forever be trapped in the cycle.

Because of this, Hylia never again was able to speak with Kishin. And his power, was to remain within it's mask, for all of time.

I- HELLO DID YOU JUST SEND IN A WHOLE FIC?

[pastelsandpining]

Whumptober Day 3

sticks and stones may break my bones but...

taunting | insults | “who did this to you?”

kingdom come - corrupt!zelda au part 2 | part 1 | part 3

warnings: gaslighting, manipulation, death mention, cursing, survivor’s guilt

--------------------

From what little he could remember, Princess Zelda was nothing short of lovely. She was the sort of kind that came from a genuine place, unlike the fake kind that so many had offered him because he was the one burdened with the sword. Even when she was mean to him in the beginning, he could see the good in her heart, the passion in her voice, the brilliance in her mind. She was a girl willing to do anything for her kingdom and for people who didn’t even bother believing in her. She was so painfully human beneath the crown and the gods and the sealing power that it was impossible not to like her. The only thing she wanted above all else was to save her people.

And now, a century later, she was nothing short of cruel. 

For days, Link could not go outside of the Sanctum for fear of Zelda setting the Calamity loose on him. On Hyrule. 

“You can go,” she’d told him from her seat in the throne, looking every bit the queen she was always meant to be, “but he will follow you, and wouldn’t it be a shame if the Calamity was brought about by the very hero destined to slay it?”

And when she wasn’t in the throne, gazing out at her kingdom with blank eyes, she was toying with him in whatever means she saw fit. She’d long since made him discard the Champion’s Tunic in favor of the Royal Guard’s Uniform, telling him she’d always preferred how formal he looked in it. It disgusted him after that and he fought tooth and nail to keep the last piece of his Zelda he had left, because this was not her. 

“How loyal you are to a girl you remember so little about,” she said, tangling her fingers into his hair. He’d shoved her hand away from him and replied, for the first time since his imprisonment began, “You know nothing about me.”

Zelda smiled then, gripping his chin with enough force to dig her nails into his cheeks, and answered him very simply, “Oh, Link, I know everything about you.”

The worst part was that there was no malice to her. Her skin was pale and soft and did not hurt to touch, and her eyes were green and familiar with no trace of the pink or orange Calamity Ganon made him so familiar with. She was completely, wholly herself, and not herself at all. 

She was not terrible to him, either. She took caution not to hurt him, even when her grip became too tight or her nails caught his skin. It was the things she said, the empty gaze behind her eyes, the twisted smile that made her so unlike the Zelda he hoped to find. He almost rathered she bite him with teeth instead of words, hurt him physically instead of where she knew it would hit closest to home. 

Something had made her particularly agitated today. He didn’t care to know what. As long as she stayed far from him, he could continue his brainstorming of just what he had to do to get out of here without the Calamity or Zelda following him. The Calamity did not sleep. Neither did he–not peacefully, at least. He wondered if it was the same for her, then decided he did not care. Zelda didn’t stay in the Sanctum. Hylia knew where she went, but she would always return to torment him further, looking so much like the girl he’d once worn his heart on his sleeve for. It was painful, and he would be ever frustrated by his inability to grasp the stoic mask he’d mastered all those years ago. Something would always slip. She would always get him, whether it be a flicker of his eyes, a tug of his mouth, a twitch of his hands. She did know him, far better than he wanted to admit, and he needed to get out of there before she learned how to use that against him.

“Link,” she called out, her voice soft enough to float to him in the gentle breeze. “Come here, please.”

He did not move. He turned his back to her instead, continuing his work of cleaning the Master Sword. It wasn’t dirty by any means, but it gave him something to do and he quite liked the way Calamity Ganon reeled back at the sight of it glowing in his hands. 

“Link,” she repeated. He could hear the edge of growing annoyance this time. Link spared her a glance of his eyes in acknowledgement, but nothing more. Then she was in front of him, pulling the sword forcefully from his grasp and holding it out of his reach. “It goes against conduct to be so rude to the princess. Shouldn’t you know that? You’re supposed to serve. Answer when you’re called like the loyal little dog you used to be.”

“You’re not her,” he argued simply. Her laugh was deranged, bitter, and she used the tip of the sword to lift his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes.

“You don’t even remember her,” Zelda taunted, so bitterly cruel, and it twisted his heart just as it always did. “What did she do for you, Link? Left you pictures? Thirteen measly little shots of Hyrule, and they were all about her, weren’t they? So much for the Champions.”

Link pursed his lips in stubborn silence. He would give her no response, no satisfaction, but her eyes glittered as if he already had. He hated when she talked like that, because it solidified that she was not his Zelda, and stoked the flames of the fiery fear that she was long gone before he could ever get to her.

“You’re not the girl I died for,” he spat at last, leaning away from the sword before she could use it to impale him. He wanted a rise from her, to affect her in the way she was affecting him, but as soon as the words left his lips, he wished they hadn’t. Something in her eyes darkened and she tilted her head, regarding him with a frown.

“No,” she agreed quietly. The way her lips curved up into a beautiful smile was cruel. “She died with you.”

With those simple words, she threw the sword onto the ground by his feet, discarding his heart along with it, and turned from him to walk away. The skirts of her blue dress trailed the floor behind her and the sense of anger, of guilt, that washed over him did not want to let her walk away from him. She shouldn’t be able to. She shouldn’t have the right to keep him here, to toy with him, because of an obligation he had a century ago. When he’d agreed to face the Calamity, to find her again and free her of her prison, it was not this Zelda he’d made that promise to. So he did not hold his tongue.

“Who did this to you?” he snapped, standing to follow her. She paused in her stride and he took the opportunity to grab her wrist, but she yanked it from his grasp and spun on him with a sea of anger in her eyes. “Tell me, Zelda.”

“You will know your place, soldier,” she ordered, her voice cold as her hand gripped his chin again. “You will be careful of your tone when questioning my authority.”

“Zelda,” he repeated, softer this time. “Please. You owe me this-” 

Her grip tightened, her nails digging into his cheeks, and he knew he’d greatly displeased her.

“I owe you nothing,” she said, but her grip loosened and she turned away again. 

“I came here for you,” Link replied, the growing desperation evident in his voice. “Everyone asked me to help you. You asked me to help you. And everything I’ve done– It was all for you, Zelda.”

“It seems I was wrong to call you a loyal dog.” She turned back to him, the smile on her face wicked. “Perhaps the more fitting term is bitch. I called, and you obeyed. But now, the little puppy wants to bite back.” 

She set her hands on his shoulders and shoved before he could do so much as back away. His knees hit the marble floor and he had to stick out a hand to catch himself.

“Your bite always was bigger than your bark,” she taunted, and her expression was suggestive. Whatever she was implying, he couldn’t remember it.

“You’re being cruel.”

“Do you want me to be cruel, Link?” A slender finger lifted his chin. “Because this is nothing.”

“I want to know who did this to you, because this is not the Zelda that I-“

“Remember? Pray, tell, what do you remember? I’m actually rather curious.”

“I remember a girl so bitterly human that she gave everything for her kingdom.”

“And look where that’s gotten me!” Zelda exclaimed, stepping back from him so she could turn away. Link took the opportunity to rise from his embarrassing station, his eyes ever studying the fallen princess before him. Her shoulders did not sit as high as they usually did. Something in his words had stung her. If she wasn’t so mean, maybe he would have apologized.

“Human. Tch. Is that what you see? Perhaps you fail to realize that humans are capable of terrible things. Did you know that, long before our time, the horrid Calamity you see before you was nothing more than a man?”

Link reeled back, looking at her through furrowed brows. 

“Something like that did not come from a man,” he argued–it couldn’t have–but Zelda did not look at him. In fact, she carried on as if she hadn’t heard him at all.

“A simple Gerudo chief, longing for nothing more than to help his people. A people that distrusted him. Hyrule distrusted him. Sentenced him to death because they couldn’t bear the thought of a man who wanted to use power to improve lives. No matter how genuine he was, it was never enough. The Calamity and I are quite alike in that way.”

Calamity Ganon had shuffled closer, bowing to the princess before it, and she extended a hand to run her fingers through the matted, wild mane of red hair on its head. Link wanted to pull her away, to convince her that she was not like that thing at all, but he was too rooted to his spot in surprise to make a move.

“Hyrule tried to have him killed,” she continued, her voice quiet and far away. “As it would turn out, it is not easy to kill someone who holds an ancient power of the gods. You know that already, don’t you, Hero?”

She turned her head, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, and his breath caught. He shifted, the struggle to maintain his composure getting the best of him, and he took a step backwards. 

“When they could not kill him, Hyrule chose a different route. They took him beneath this very castle and brought forth the Sheikah to pry the energy out of his body. For lifetimes, we have been living off of a dying man’s life force. How else was the Calamity able to possess ancient technology so easily? It is no wonder that Ganondorf harbored enough hatred to transform into malice–into the beast you see now. And Hyrule would expect me to seal him away, bury our sins along with him for another ten thousand years.”

It was all too much to hear. Too much to take in. But Zelda turned to face him and was relentless in her story. She did not give him time to breathe, to process all she’d said, before she was speaking again, backing him into one of the Sanctum pillars. 

“I sat alone, for one hundred years, and the Calamity was my only company. I was surrounded by malice, by whispers of his hatred, echoing in my head until it was all I could hear and I couldn’t breathe, but it was too late for anyone to care because everyone I’d ever held dear to me was already dead by the time I thought about letting it consume me, too. And then, when I thought all hope was lost, when I spent years watching that stupid shrine on the hill, waiting and waiting for your body to show any sign of life, it started to speak to me. And it was sweet. It understood me. It understood how so many of my people doubted me, how I doubted myself. It helped me in those lonely years, Link. I was going mad.”

She brought a hand up to his face, holding his cheek so tenderly that he couldn’t help leaning into it. He could see, now, the tears glittering in her eyes, the pain in her expression. She was familiar, then–just the girl sobbing in his arms as the world burned all around them. 

“I watched you die,” she whispered out, rubbing her thumb over his skin. “How am I supposed to be alright after that?”

Her words wrenched his heart from his chest. How guilty he felt then, for failing her. For selfishly letting her hold him in those final moments. For making her watch as the breath left his body. He would never quite be able to forget the way she looked down at him in such horror. 

“I’m sorry,” he replied, quiet as the wind. For failing. For making her wait so long that she’d been driven mad. Her smile was soft, weak, but genuine. He wondered vaguely if, when he held her in those woods in the midst of the Calamity, he’d wanted to kiss her then, too.

“Do you know who decides right from wrong?” she asked softly. Link shook his head. “The side you’re on. My side has changed, because I’ve decided that I don’t want the help of gods who turned their back on me as I groveled at their feet for the salvation of my kingdom.”

“So you side with the being that brought it to its knees?” he argued, pulling his face away from her touch at last. He felt so empty without it.

“What choice did I have?” Zelda fired back, her voice raising as she crumbled into hysterics. “The Calamity brought down the strongest people I knew. I’m hardly a quarter of what you all were. I did what I could, I sealed it, and then I realized that it was right. Hyrule should be destroyed! And if you think you’re here to slay it, then I suppose you’d better shove your sacred sword through me, first.”

Link stepped backwards, hitting the pillar again, and he felt like crying. 

“I can’t seal the Calamity without you, Zelda,” he tried, reaching a hand for her. She swatted it away, fixing her once vulnerable gaze into an icy glare.

“Then you’re not sealing a thing. You asked who did this to me, but you fail to see the obvious. I did this to myself, Link. You have no idea what it was like.”

She turned away again, filling him with an overwhelming sense of panic. No, he couldn’t let her walk away. This conversation couldn’t be over. There had to be something he could do, something he could say, that would bring her back, keep her from the hands of the Calamity.

“Why do you keep me here?” he asked, stepping after her. “Why do you—“

“I should think that would be obvious,” Zelda replied, pausing to glance back at him. “I loved you, you know, and you’re here on your own accord. You could leave rather easily if you pleased, but you stay. Why? Is it out of fear that Ganon would follow you? No, I don’t think it is.”

Link frowned, feeling sick. He wanted more than anything to ask what she meant by that, to press her further, but she kept walking and only said,

“You should pick up your sword. Wouldn’t want to offend the Goddess.”

--------------------

masterlist | whumptober by day | whumptober by collection | original post

[casiavium]

Fi did not return to the blade. She stayed still, watching her master return to the Goddess, desperate for council he would not receive. He would have to come to terms with leaving her behind if he were to go back to his world. She understood this. She was tired, and ready to sleep.

There was one last thing she had to do.

"I know you're watching." She addressed the empty space behind her. There was still no aura to be placed, but her calculations said there was a 90% chance he would be here.

From out of the shadows, stepped Ghirahim.

"So you're alive."

The words hung in the air between the two spirits. Fi still faced where Link had left, watching for his return.

"Just barely." The demon behind her whispered. He sounded worn down, struggling to hold on.

Fi wasn't sure what to do. Any knowledge about the other sword spirit was hidden from her, if she ever knew of him in the first place. All she had left were fading memories of battle records and empty spaces when Link had cut her off. To her, he was an enemy to dispatch of. Still, bits and pieces of conversations suggested otherwise.

She knew what she had to do, for Link's sake.

With a small gesture towards her sword, she asked, "You can feel him, can't you?"

The last traces of Demise's spirit were trapped within the blade, and if luck was on their side, they would never get out. However, they were still there. Fi was unsure if it was enough to keep a hold on the other sword, but if there was any possibility Ghirahim was still trying to follow the orders of Demise, she would never let him near Link.

"Nothing can release what is trapped in the sword." Finally, she turned, cold stare burning into the spirit behind her. Still in the same form as her, Fi could see the damage the Master Sword had done to him. Core cracked and exposing lava-like blood, limbs scattered with dents and scratches, dull patches of ash from lightning strikes he wasn't made to withstand... Demise's mistreatment of his weapon had led to his downfall.

The white eyes closed.

"Don't worry, I don't wish to. I had thought... I had thought he would be different."

"He didn't make you to think."

Ghirahim glanced back at her. "You're right. We're weapons. Tools to be used. Forced to follow the will of the gods," he scoffed, eyes wandering around the temple, "and you may have won, but you're no better off than me, are you? Still dying. Discarded by our creators."

Fi softly shook her head. "I may be. You have no master. What will you do now?"

"I can't last long like this." Ghirahim sighed, hand grazing over his gem. "I may have escaped Demise, but that just means... it's only a matter of time before I start to fade like you. If fate is kind, and it has no reason to be, I'll never wake back up. At least you know who your next master will be. Demise never thought to put such precautions on my blade."

"Link will be waiting for you."

Ghirahim almost missed her statement. Gaze snapping back to her, he looked confused.

"What?"

"I'll tell him to find you. In his time. You'll be healed by then, won't you?"

"Why?"

Fi turned back to where Link was talking to Zelda.

"He doesn't understand why, but he cares for you. He needs someone, but now that he knows his best friend is the goddess, he won't see her the same. It will be hard to trust their friendship, and nothing more will come of it. He wants more. You are not the best option, but... it's where his heart lies."

"Even after this?"

"Yes. 100% positive."

Fi could hear slight arguing from her master and the goddess. She knew their time here was coming to an end.

"He's wanted this for a while. I was worried to leave him alone after this, that he would start seeking out danger he wouldn't be able to handle. Our quest was not kind to him, but he will be reluctant to leave it behind. From you, he can have the sword he needs and the intamacy he wants. With no reason for you to harm his friends, he shouldn't have trouble controlling your darker side."

Ghirahim considered her reasoning. Making up his mind, he shook his head in acceptance, smiling back at Fi.

"You knew I was a sword, didn't you? You've thought about this for a while."

"I had reason to believe. You misspoke and included yourself in a statement referring to sword spirits, no other could posses your unwavering loyalty to a master such as Demise." She paused, remembering the few pieces of information she had saved.

"... I could never sense your aura. I don't believe Hylia wanted me getting any ideas. Free will is not something one generally wants in a weapon." She almost smiled.

"Is that... all you know of me?"

Ghirahim's question was never answered. The argument from behind the Gate of Time was dying down, so Fi started to explain her plan with more urgency.

"Wait for him somewhere he'll find you again. I'm sure you know of a place. I'll tell him not to fear your return. For him, it won't be much longer after this..."

"I can't wait another thousands of years." Ghirahim panicked, eyes widening at the prospect.

"It's not that bad. You need the time to heal. "

"Easy for you to say, you weren't alive for it! You weren't conscious!"

"And you won't be, either. You said so yourself. You'll start to fade soon, entering a rest that can only be broken when someone draws your blade again. Be sure Link will be the next."

Fi spoke harshly. If she had been human, she thought this would be what annoyance felt like. Changing her tone, she softly added, "It... doesn't hurt. Not like... becoming the sword."

"Tell me about it." Ghirahim replied sarcastically. He didn't take her comment seriously, before looking back to see the spirit looked uncharacteristically distressed.

"I wasn't supposed to remember that... I don't believe..." She muttered, drifting back from her blade.

"What do you remember?"

Her lack of response was telling enough. Hylia must have seen it as a mercy to take her memories, to leave her only with what she needed to help Link.

"Not... much. Not... anymore. It's... it's over."

Fi flickered, trying to keep from disappearing into the sword too soon. Looking back at spirit, she requested one last time, "Please, Ghirahim... take... care of him."

The other sword nodded, stepping back. He was ready to leave, but out from behind the Gate stepped Link.

The hero froze. The pair had a second of eye contact before the demon faded away into diamonds.

[violent-optimism]

Why Twilight Princess is the Best Zelda Game (To Me!)

Hey ya’ll,

I know I don’t really talk about video games that much. I really should though! Video Games have been a huge part of my life for pretty much as long as I can remember.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a game that means so much to me I can scarcely put it into words. I was 10 years old when this game came out, the perfect age in my opinion. I think if I had been any older or younger it might have slipped past my radar. Despite the game being rated T for Teen, my parents got it for me and my sister anyway which I think is pretty fucking rad.

Not that we really knew what we were in for, of course. I was just a kid. I didn’t read game reviews yet, and I didn’t have any friends who had played this game so I couldn’t ask them about it either. When we first popped that disc in and were brought to the main menu, we had absolutely NO idea just what kind of ride we were in for or how just how much this game would impact us.

Another thing I’d like to mention was how this game was introduced into my life at the perfect time. My sister and I had just moved schools. We were the new kids, and we had a lot of trouble adjusting and fitting in. There was definitely some teasing, maybe even some bullying. I don’t remember much from those days to be honest. But you know what I do remember? Playing Twilight Princess. This game was the perfect distraction from my crappy school life, and in a time where my sister and I barely had any friends, it was so comforting. We’ve always been close, but I think we bonded a lot over this game.

If you’re a gamer, you know this feeling; the feeling when you are currently playing a game that is just so fun, so amazing, so utterly addicting in the best possible way; that when you’re away from it it’s all you can think about. I distinctly remember my Dad installing the new TV which meant no Twilight Princess for a day or so. I was SO impatient and I just couldn’t wait for him to be done so I could continue playing it.

Even though I’ve now played Twilight Princess so many times that I could basically play it with my eyes closed (maybe lol) I still remember experiencing some of the best moments of the game for the very first time; running around Ordon Village, finding Midna, beating the first dungeon, finding out that GANONDORF was in the game! (Remember I had no way of knowing this at the time). Every big moment, every discovery, every heart-wrenching cut scene, it all felt so real and so important at the time. In a lot of ways, it still is.

Okay, so that’s the personal part. A bit long-winded, I know. I just thought it was important to include for this essay. But what is it about Twilight Princess that makes it so special? Why do I love it so much even after 15 years? (God that makes me feel old). This list isn’t really in a particular order but I will definitely be covering a lot of the BIG reasons why I adore this game so much. Oh, and in case you’re a little late to the party, there will be spoilers. Let’s go!

 Darker and More Mature:

There’s something really enticing about being a kid, and witnessing something in a movie, video game, etc. that you know you probably shouldn’t have watched but you did anyway. Not only is Twilight Princess the only Zelda game to date that is Rated T (I’m pretty sure anyway), but it has some seriously dark and disturbing moments throughout the story; including one VERY creepy cut scene about halfway through the game that still haunts me a little to this day. Beyond that, you’ve got painful transformation sequences, characters being stabbed, characters sacrificing themselves, and a scene where I’m pretty sure Ganondorf’s neck just gets fucking broken. I can go on, but the point is this Zelda game does not screw around when it comes to showing intense moments and it’s all the better for it. I never felt the game went too far with it, but let’s say Twilight Princess definitely earned its T rating.

 Wolf Form:

I’m sure people who haven’t even played TP know that this is probably the biggest defining feature. In this game, Link gains the ability to turn into a Wolf! I know some people might consider these parts of the game to be boring and not as fun, but I have always disagreed with that notion. I think it’s a really cool and out of the box way to break the somewhat repetitive gameplay of traditional Zelda games. There’s more of a puzzle-solving element to these Wolf sections, and I for one find it very satisfying to collect the Tears of Light. Turning into your Wolf form becomes essential, especially towards the latter half of the game when you need to complete tasks that you couldn’t normally do as a human. Plus…Wolf Link is pretty darn cute! His design is awesome too.

 MIDNA!!!:

And speaking of Wolf Link, around the same time Link gains this ability he also meets a character who (in my opinion) is THE BEST Zelda sidekick/companion across all the games. She’s not annoying, she’s not boring; Midna is a 3-Dimensional, fully fleshed out character that plays a crucial role in the story. I can’t imagine anyone playing this game and NOT getting attached to Midna. I know I certainly did. In the first half of the game you don’t really know that much about her, but she is certainly helpful gameplay-wise and doesn’t just give you the same useless hint over and over. Plus, the SASS! My God, Midna is so sassy I love her so much. I love how she grows and changes and becomes a better person by the end of the story. Midna really deserves her own game!

 A Beautiful Game:

Now obviously this doesn’t just apply to Twilight Princess. Most Zelda games are very beautiful, especially the more modern ones such as Breath of the Wild. However, there is something about the specific beauty of Twilight Princess that just takes my breath away. The scenery is just gorgeous everywhere you go. Ordon Village is beautiful, Hyrule Field is stunning, Snowpeak is captivating, the Fishing Hole is serene, you get the picture. And to top it all off, Twilight Princess STILL looks beautiful even after all these years. The graphics have aged really well which is certainly no hindrance. As a kid I always wished that some of the locations were real, and honestly, I still kinda do.

 Best version of Ganondorf:

It’s funny; I don’t normally root for villains. I tend to gravitate towards more heroic characters or characters that are more similar to me. Ganondorf is certainly the exception; specifically the Ganondorf that we see in Twilight Princess. I remember being SO EXCITED when he first appeared in a cut scene after Arbiter’s Grounds. I don’t know if it’s the way he was introduced, the raspy laugh, or his character design, but I LOVE Ganondorf in this game. He is just so bad-ass, so cool, my only wish is that we saw a little bit more of him in TP. Regardless, every time he shows up in the game, he is a formidable and dominating screen presence. And I feel no shame whatsoever admitting that 10 year old Sam developed a massive crush on this Ganondorf. Is that weird? I dunno, but either way he is just so cool as well as a fantastic addition to an already perfect game.

The Soundtrack:

Again, it’s not unusual for a Zelda game to have a really fantastic soundtrack. The series has always had amazing music since the very first game. However, the music in Twilight Princess continues to entrance me even to this day. The Main Menu theme? Amazing. Midna’s theme? Amazing. Lake Hylia? Amazing. And don’t even get me started on those beautiful Wolf Songs you sing throughout the game. It’s just a beautiful soundtrack. To say it’s nostalgic for me is a massive understatement.

Dungeon Design:

Unsurprisingly, most Zelda games tend to recycle the same temple themes over and over again. You got your forest temple, your fire temple, water, desert, time, etc. These are definitely present in Twilight Princess, but there’s something about the way they’re designed and the way you move through them that just feels so unique and wonderful. I won’t name them but I’ve played other Zelda games where the dungeons felt like a horrible, tedious chore. With TP, I never felt that was the case. Every Dungeon is packed full of secrets, with plenty of interesting set pieces to explore. Even the water temple (YES, the Water Temple!) is enjoyable to play through. The Dungeons have tons of replay value as well, meaning that you can return later and find special items that you weren’t able to access before.

And just as a fun bonus, here’s my top nine list for the Twilight Princess Dungeon’s:

9) City in the Sky

8) Palace of Twilight

7) Hyrule Castle

6) Temple of Time

5) Lakebed Temple

4) Forest Temple

3) Snowpeak Ruins

2) Goron Mines

1) Arbiter’s Grounds

 And that about wraps it up, folks! Sorry this was such a long essay, I had so much to say. It is, after all, my favourite video game ever. Of course it’s not technically perfect and it definitely has some flaws. But you know what? It’s perfect to me, and I’ll never get sick of it.

Thank you so much for reading! :) Listen to this track of the opening theme and tell me you don’t feel it in your SOUL!!!

[hallospaceboyy]

Hea, I love your stories! How about another one wit Zelda? She and reader are married happy but reader disappears for long time unknowingly (maybe kidnapped). During time she's gone Zelda marry Faustus and reader appears again. Please very sad and happy ending. Sexy is alright and good too. Love you and have a great day. (Sorry, I french)

Hi! I feel like this is kind of a train wreck, feels kinda rushed, but it's a lot to fit into a one shot. I hope you like it, anyway! (I couldn't resist making Blackwood the villain in this lol)

Warnings: Smut, mentions of flagellation as punishment, slight injury detail

A month ago, you had married the love of your life; the witch of your dreams. You never thought you could be so happy as in this moment, laying beside Zelda Spellman, as Y/N Spellman. You'd never grow bored of telling people you’re a Spellman now. You stroke Zelda's long auburn hair, kissing her softly and pressing yourself against her, and she chuckles against you, knowing you can’t get enough of her – and she can’t get enough of you. She hums as you kiss down her neck, sucking the pale skin there, leaving a deep purple mark. She hisses as your teeth graze her, her hands coming down to squeeze your bare ass.

“I’m going to make you feel so good, Mrs Spellman,”

“Oh, I have no doubt about that, Mrs Spellman,” Zelda chuckles, her voice low, sultry. You grin and slide your hand between her legs, grazing over the soft patch of red hair there to slip your fingers between her folds, finding her already wet and wanting. A soft moan leaves her lips as your fingertip brushes her clit, her hips bucking slightly. You love to tease your wife, but know that now is not the time, know that all you want is to make her come undone beneath you, haven’t the patience to make her wait. You enter her with deft fingers, and as you move them inside of her, she claws at your back, ripping a groan from you that mingles with her own moans and mewls. You pump them faster and harder, add a third finger, fucking her with reckless abandon and she’s writhing beneath you now, mumbling praises and obscenities.

“O-oh darling... you’re so incredibly good a-at this...”

Zelda stiffens beneath you, throwing her head back against the pillow as her orgasm courses through her, moaning loudly and digging her nails into the flesh of your back, sure to leave marks there. She tugs on your hair, clinging to you in any way she can. As she comes down from her high, lids heavy and breathing erratic, her grip loosens, her muscles turned to jelly, and she kisses your cheek, your forehead, savouring the intimacy of this moment.

“I love you, Y/N. My amazing wife,”

“I love you more,” You roll from your place atop her, laying beside her brushing your mussed hair from your face, and take in the sight of Zelda now, euphoric, elated and thoroughly fucked.

“That my dear, is impossible,” You giggle and curl up in her arms, both of you falling asleep almost immediately, in a haze of marital bliss. Neither of you knowing the misery the next morning would bring, when you would be bundled into the trunk of a car, and seemingly disappear off of the face of the earth.

*

A year later

*

Zelda had finally given in, married the misogynistic High Priest that had been trying to court her for months, coaxing her with whisperings of power, status, and what he referred to as staggering sins of the flesh, which were only ever really mediocre, compared to you, and she would never admit her thoughts turned to you whenever she did let the man touch her. Zelda let him flagellate her, punish her in ways she felt necessary, because she should have been able to protect you. Knew that something had happened to you, that you would never have just left her, without a word, without a reason. Her heart was split in two, and her trysts with Faustus were her attempt at a soothing balm, although not soothing at all, merely her searching out physical pain to lessen the emotional. She saw her family less and less, felt cut off from them, having to spend almost all of her time at the academy with her now husband, and she felt alone, and broken, but resumed the facade of happy, married life, kept up the appearances expected of her as Lady Blackwood. As she lay beside her sleeping husband, feeling desolate, and unsatisfied, Hilda opened the door at the Spellman mortuary, to find you standing at the threshold, gripping the door jamb to keep yourself up, and you fell into Hilda's arms.

*

Zelda awoke to the feeling of being summoned, heard her sister’s voice in her mind, urgent, telling her to come home, She sounded panicked, and Zelda didn’t even think twice before teleporting into the mortuary entrance hall, clad only in nightgown, taking in the scene before her and gripping the bannister beside her instantly at the sight. Hilda knelt with your head in her lap. You looked thin, your skin pallid, almost translucent, and your breathing was laboured. A dark bruise surrounded your eye, and more bruises peppered the skin of your body, marks of tight restraint around your wrists and ankles.

“What happened, Hilda?? Satan, look at her!” Zelda's was hysterical, shaking uncomtrollably.

“I-I don’t know, Zelds. She just knocked on the door and collapsed,”

Zelda fell to her knees and crawled to your side, stroking your hair, and she sobbed, both from relief at your being alive, and fear at thoughts of what ordeals you had been through in the last year, a wave of self hatred coursed through her as she scolded herself for not resuming their search, not tearing the whole damn world apart to get you back. She had given up, and now she knew you were somewhere close the whole time, suffering, pained, and waiting for Zelda to save you. The sisters assisted each other in getting you to Zelda's bed, both silent save for choked sobs and sniffles, and over the coming days they nursed you back to health, and Zelda ignored Faustus, forgot he even existed.

*

The days after your return to the Spellman household were blurred, as if a fog surrounded you. You fell in and out of consciousness, let someone spoon feed you soup, took the water offered to you, swallowed foul tasting potions, and then fell back to sleep, your strength slowly returning to you, but still too weak to stay awake for long periods of time. You dreamt of Zelda, heard her voice, felt her touch, and you thought maybe you had finally died, must be dead, if you were really with her again.

But when you opened your eyes, colour finally returning to your cheeks, actually feeling somewhat human, Zelda laying beside you, your hand clutched in hers, and she sat bolt upright as she sees you wake, tears filling her green eyes. You can see she wants to say something, her mouth opening and closing again several times, and you offer her a weak smile from cracked lips.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N, I’m so sorry,” Zelda's body was wracked with sobs, and you pulled her to you, stroking her hair, and began to sob yourself, so overwhelmed by being in Zelda's presence again, smelling her musty, floral scent, mingled with cigarettes, and you knew she had most likely returned to her habit of chain smoking. Feeling her warmth against you, the static of her magic that you had become so used to, you felt such a relief, a relief that you never thought you’d feel, so sure that you would never see or feel your Zelda again.

“None of this is your fault, Zeldie. I-it was B-Blackwood...” You swallowed thickly, feeling bile rise in your throat at the mere thought of the abhorrent man, knew that Zelda had married him. He had come to tell you, visited your prison often to gloat that Zelda belonging to him now, told you she was always supposed to belong to him, that you simply got in the way. An obstacle that he had to be rid of. You knew he would have killed you a long time ago, if the sadist in him didn’t enjoy seeing your pain, causing your pain. The excruciating torment of knowing Zelda was married to the man that took you away from her, and she was none the wiser. Faustus told you in great detail of the repentance she begged him for, how she cried as he flagellated her, and whispered apologies to you, for failing you. You squeezed your eyes shut now, willing your mind to banish the thoughts.

“What do you mean, Faustus?” There was a fire in Zelda's eyes now, a fury that made you almost pity any person that happened to be on the receiving end.

“H-he took me. Told me you were his. That I was in the way, ruined everything. He told me you married him, that it was his plan all along,” Zelda squeezed your hand, a tear slipping down her cheek, but her eyes were dark now, a storm raging inside them.

“That little bitch. He is going to be in for a world of pain,” She was shaking, so angry you thought she might explode, but she took a deep breath, calming herself and stroking your hair. “Darling, there's something I have to take care of. I’ll be right back,” You nodded, pulling her face to yours and kissing her softly, needing to feel her. It had been so long. “I’m never letting anybody take you away from me again, Y/N. I love you so much,”

“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?” You couldn’t help but smirk. You weren’t typically a vengeful person, weren’t vindictive, didn’t wish people pain, but this man had destroyed your life, destroyed Zelda's, taken advantage of her in her grief, and although things would be better now, if anyone deserved punishment it was the High Priest.

“No sweetheart, I’m not. But someone is, if he doesn’t pack his bags and leave Greendale immediately,” And Zelda stormed from the room, a fire in her eyes, no doubt readying herself to round up the other Spellmans, and you knew that feisty wife of yours and her family, your family, were a force to be reckoned with, and that they would protect you at all costs now, eliminate the enemy that has taken you from them.

[ucflibrary]

Each December, the UCF Libraries’ Featured Bookshelf celebrates the favorite books of employees of the UCF Libraries. And you know a major thing about librarians and library staff? They love talking about their favorite books. The books listed below are some of the favorite books we read in 2020.

Click on the link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for our favorite 2020 titles. These 20 books plus favorites from previous years are also on display in the 4th floor Reading Room of the John C. Hitt Library.

And if you find someone has checked the one you’re interested in out before you had a chance, did you know you can place an interlibrary loan and have another copy sent here for you? Click here for instructions on placing an interlibrary loan.

 A Furious Sky: the five-hundred-year history of America's hurricanes by Eric Jay Dolin From the moment European colonists laid violent claim to this land, hurricanes have had a profound and visceral impact on American history-yet, no one has attempted to write the definitive account of America's entanglement with these meteorological behemoths. Eric Jay Dolin presents the five-hundred-year story of American hurricanes, from the nameless storms that threatened Columbus' New World voyages, to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the escalation of hurricane season as a result of global warming. Populating his narrative with unlikely heroes such as Benito Vines, the nineteenth-century Jesuit priest whose revelatory methods for predicting hurricanes saved countless lives, and journalist Dan Rather, whose coverage of a 1961 hurricane would change broadcasting history, Dolin uncovers the often surprising ways we respond to natural crises. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo With beauty, grace, and honesty, Castillo recounts his and his family’s encounters with a system that treats them as criminals for seeking safe, ordinary lives. He writes of the Sunday afternoon when he opened the door to an ICE officer who had one hand on his holster, of the hours he spent making a fake social security card so that he could work to support his family, of his father’s deportation and the decade that he spent waiting to return to his wife and children only to be denied reentry Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Dark Matter: a novel by Blake Crouch A mind-bending, relentlessly paced science-fiction thriller, in which an ordinary man is kidnapped, knocked unconscious--and awakens in a world inexplicably different from the reality he thought he knew. "Are you happy with your life?" Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. He awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before him, a man Jason's never met smiles down at him and says, "Welcome back, my friend." In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible. Suggested by Katy Miller, Student Learning & Engagement

 Do Nothing: how to break away from overworking, overdoing, and underliving by Celeste Headlee We work feverishly to make ourselves happy. So why are we so miserable? Despite our constant search for new ways to "hack" our bodies and minds for peak performance, human beings are working more instead of less, living harder not smarter, and becoming more lonely and anxious. This manifesto helps us break free of our unhealthy devotion to efficiency and shows us how to reclaim our time and humanity with a little more leisure Suggested by Katy Miller, Student Learning & Engagement

 Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook A study of the complex and political figure of Eleanor Roosevelt begins with her harrowing childhood, describes the difficulties of her marriage, and explains how she persuaded Franklin to make the reforms that would make him famous. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 From Here to Eternity: traveling the world to find the good death by Caitlin Doughty Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty set out to discover how other cultures care for the dead. In rural Indonesia, she watches a man clean and dress his grandfather's mummified body, which has resided in the family home for two years. In La Paz, she meets Bolivian natitas (cigarette-smoking, wish-granting human skulls), and in Tokyo she encounters the Japanese kotsuage ceremony, in which relatives use chopsticks to pluck their loved-ones' bones from cremation ashes. She introduces deathcare innovators researching body composting and green burial, and examines how varied traditions, from Mexico's Dias de los Muertos to Zoroastrian sky burial help us see our own death customs in a new light. She argues that our expensive, impersonal system fosters a corrosive fear of death that hinders our ability to cope and mourn. By comparing customs, she demonstrates that mourners everywhere respond best when they help care for the deceased and have space to participate in the process.  Suggested by Katy Miller, Student Learning & Engagement

 Indelicacy by Amina Cain A cleaning woman at a museum of art nurtures aspirations to do more than simply dust the paintings around her. She dreams of having the liberty to explore them in writing, and so must find a way to win herself the time and security to use her mind. She escapes her lot by marrying a rich man, but having gained a husband, a house, high society, and a maid, she finds that her new life of privilege is no less constrained. Not only has she taken up different forms of time-consuming labor - social and erotic - but she is now, however passively, forcing other women to clean up after her. Perhaps another and more drastic solution is necessary Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu Every day Willis Wu leaves his tiny room in a Chinatown SRO and enters the Golden Palace restaurant, where Black and White, a procedural cop show, is in perpetual production. He's a bit player here too, but he dreams of being Kung Fu Guy-- and he sees his life as a script. After stumbling into the spotlight, Willis finds himself launched into a wider world than he has ever known, discovering not only the secret history of Chinatown, but the buried legacy of his own family, and what that means for him in today's America. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Scottish Highlands, 1945. Claire Randall, a former British combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743. Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of a world that threatens her life, and may shatter her heart. Marooned amid danger, passion, and violence, Claire learns her only chance of safety lies in Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior. What begins in compulsion becomes urgent need, and Claire finds herself torn between two very different men, in two irreconcilable lives. Suggested by Katie Kirwan, Acquisitions & Collections

 Paradise Lost: a life of F. Scott Fitzgerald by David S. Brown In this comprehensive biography, Brown reexamines Fitzgerald’s childhood, first loves, and difficult marriage to Zelda Sayre. He looks at Fitzgerald’s friendship with Hemingway, the golden years that culminated with Gatsby, and his increasing alcohol abuse and declining fortunes which coincided with Zelda’s institutionalization and the nation’s economic collapse. Suggested by Andrew Hackler, Circulation

 Recursion by Blake Crouch Reality is broken. At first, it looks like a disease. An epidemic that spreads through no known means, driving its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. But the force that’s sweeping the world is no pathogen. It’s just the first shock wave, unleashed by a stunning discovery—and what’s in jeopardy is not our minds but the very fabric of time itself. Suggested by Mary Rubin, Special Collections & University Archives

 Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh Brosh’s second book includes humorous stories from her childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Spillover: animal infections and the next human pandemic by David Quammen This work examines the emergence and causes of new diseases all over the world, describing a process called "spillover" where illness originates in wild animals before being passed to humans and discusses the potential for the next huge pandemic. The emergence of strange new diseases is a frightening problem that seems to be getting worse. In this age of speedy travel, it threatens a worldwide pandemic. We hear news reports of Ebola, SARS, AIDS, and something called Hendra killing horses and people in Australia; but those reports miss the big truth that such phenomena are part of a single pattern. The bugs that transmit these diseases share one thing: they originate in wild animals and pass to humans by a process called spillover. As globalization spreads and as we destroy the ancient ecosystems, penetrating ever deeper into the furthest reaches of the planet, we encounter strange and dangerous infections that originate in animals but can be transmitted to humans. The author tracks this subject around the world. He recounts adventures in the field, netting bats in China, trapping monkeys in Bangladesh, stalking gorillas in the Congo, with the world's leading disease scientists. He takes the reader along on this quest to learn how, where from, and why these diseases emerge, and he asks the terrifying question: What might the next big one be? Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

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 The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee A year after a whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind: avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. But the administrators see men as the sole guardians of science. When a doctor she idolizes marries a friend of hers in Germany, Felicity believes he could change her future. A mysterious young woman will pay Felicity's way, if Felicity will let her travel along-- as her maid. Soon they're on a perilous quest that leads them across the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 The Power of Now: a guide to spiritual enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle Much more than simple principles and platitudes, this book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present. The journey is thrilling, and along the way, the author shows how to connect to the indestructible essence of our Being. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 The Scarlet Sisters: sex, suffrage, and scandal in the gilded age by Myra MacPherson A fresh look at the life and times of Victoria Woodhull and Tennie Claflin, two sisters whose radical views on sex, love, politics, and business threatened the white male power structure of the nineteenth century and shocked the world. Here award-winning author Myra MacPherson deconstructs and lays bare the manners and mores of Victorian America, remarkably illuminating the struggle for equality that women are still fighting today. Suggested by Dawn Tripp, Research & Information Services

 The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick: selected literary and philosophical writings by Philip K. Dick Philip K. Dick has established himself as a major figure in American literature. The landscape of his imagination features a wealth of concepts and fictional worlds: Nazi-rule in a postwar nightmare; androids and the unification of man and machine; and an existence that no longer follows the logic of reality. This first-time collection assembles his nonfiction writings essays, journals, speeches, and interviews. In these writings he explores issues ranging from the merging of physics and metaphysics to the potential influences of "virtual" reality and its consequences to a plot-scenario for a potential episode of "Mission: Impossible," to the challenge that fundamental "human" values face in the age of technology and spiritual decline.". Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

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 There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool The Age of Darkness approaches. Who will stop it... or unleash it? For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations-- until they disappeared a hundred years ago. All they left behind was one final prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world's salvation-- or the cause of its destruction. Will it be a prince exiled from his kingdom? A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand? A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart? A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone? Or a dying girl on the verge of giving up? Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

[beyondconfessor]

The Infernal Contracl [8/16]

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Lilith/Zelda Spellman

Summary: The measuring tape moved to her bust and then to her hips, and Zelda found herself unnaturally feeling the ghost of Lilith's touch, almost as if she could feel the woman lifting at the hemline of her slip.

N.B.: Also posted on AO3

Friday came fast, and Prudence was surprisingly punctual for their outing. Since the party, she'd been remarkably absent from dinner and had kept her head down in class to the point that Zelda overlooked her, favouring other students to answer her questions.

In truth, she had wanted to reach out to Prudence and enquire if something had occurred that night of the party, but she'd been occupied with trying to plot against Lilith. Since the library incident, Zelda had found herself suffering from anorgasmia at her own hand, which was unusual in its own right and had made her twice consider reaching out to Faustus before shutting that idea down as quickly as it rose.

After all, if she couldn't fix it herself (and Zelda had never had this issue before), she found it unlikely that Faustus would be able to help.

Nonetheless, she'd been otherwise occupied with herself and had neglected to check on Prudence.

So when Prudence arrived, Zelda raised a brow at her.

"Lady Blackwood," she greeted, a strange amusement on her face.

"Prudence," she greeted in turn. "You can call me Zelda if you prefer."

"I suppose I'll need to grow used to it."

Zelda nodded, conceiting fairness. She opened the car door and allowed Prudence to step inside the passenger door before moving to the driver's side.

Zelda drove them first to Allegra's, as promised. She had Prudence fitted first, watching the woman measure her as the girl stood still and awkward (though trying very hard not to). Twice Zelda noticed Prudence studying her as if trying to unravel some mystery.

"Dorcas and Agatha seem well," Zelda commented as Allegra's eldest daughter Calliope, began comparing different shades against Prudence's complexion.

"They're still distant," Prudence admitted, looking as though she didn't wish to comment further. "Sabrina's party helped, though."

"Oh? How was the party?" she asked, pleased that she didn't need to subtly work her way to that in conversation.

"As good as can be expected when sharing with mortals," Prudence said, a sly smile on her face as she looked down from the dais she stood on to stare at Zelda.

"There were mortals?" Zelda asked, "at the same party as witches and warlocks?"

"Sabrina found some strange doctrine from her father about how mortals and witching kind should join together. I would have thought you would know."

Zelda pressed her lips shut, not missing the sharp retort but didn't push further. She could only imagine the havoc that a group of witches and warlocks amongst humans got up to, but given that Hilda hadn't run to her in hysterics, she wouldn't allow herself to worry too much.

Though she may have words with Sabrina later.

"How about ruby?" Calliope asked, holding up the material against Prudence's skin. "Or perhaps a burgundy colour?" and she moved a new swatch next to the first.

"What would you prefer?" Zelda asked of Prudence.

The girl looked to the swatches, fingers curling over them before deciding on the burgundy. "This one," she said.

"As you wish," Calliope said, removing the swatches and marking it down in her notebook.

"How is Mr Scratch?" Zelda asked.

Prudence shrugged. "Dearly enamoured by Sabrina, if that's what you're concerned about. Though despite the adoration he holds, she still seems pretty wound up with that mortal boy."

"Satan, I hope not." The last thing she needed was Sabrina running back to Mr Kinkle. Nicholas Scratch was far more suitable as a match, though if Zelda was honest, Sabrina could do better there as well.

Still, her mortal friends had been the root cause of all of Sabrina's disobedience. From running off to limbo to completing an exorcism, and now most recently holding a party with mortals and witches alike. If Zelda could have had her way, she would bar the friends entirely from her life and have her remain at the Academy.

Lilith save her, raising a teenager was aging her faster than it had a right to.

"Something the matter, Lady Blackwood?" Prudence asked.

Zelda drew in a breath, looking over the room as she tried to pick at non-existent dust from the sleeves of her dress. "Not in the least," she said. "Just wondering as to what antics Sabrina is likely to get up to next."

"Ah," Prudence said with a nod. "Well, whatever it is, likely that mortal teacher will be there."

Zelda felt her stomach clench, not liking the tone Prudence was using. There was a smugness to it, once again leading Zelda to believe she knew something.

"Which mortal teacher?" she asked.

"The alleged excommunicated witch. There's something off about her, though."

"I see," Zelda said, feeling a growl form in her voice. She could feel the arousal coiling in her body at the mention of her, a constant reminder of Lilith's attempt.

She turned to a nearby mirror under the pretence of fixing her hair. There was a faint blush blooming over her cheeks, but it would fade if she concentrating on the tasks ahead and ignored the memory of Lilith's mouth on her.

Calliope heels clicked away, towards the back, taking the pieces of material with her. The room was quiet then. Enough so that she could feel Prudence's eyes studying her face.

Zelda schooled her frustration and smiled at the girl. "What do you know of this woman?"

"About as much as she offered. That she's supposedly excommunicated from another Satanic church -- though nobody's heard of her before. And that she's likely lying about her intentions since most excommunicated witches tend to avoid mortal dwellings, not place themselves in the centre of it."

Zelda nodded. That was undoubtedly true. Witch hunters specifically went after those that had been exiled, being in the public eye only made it easier for them to find you.

Calliope returned, directing Prudence to sit down on the lounge while Zelda was requested to move up onto the dais to be measured.

Prudence took her seat on the chaise lounge, becoming uninterested as she flicked through magazines that had been stacked.

Zelda removed the thicker material of her dress and stood still in the slip, allowing Calliope to size her. There was nothing unusual at first as she measured her length, her shoulders and arms, but as Calliope began measuring around her waist, Zelda felt her heart race.

It was as if she hadn't been touched by another person in years. There was a yearning to melt into the touch and anxiety that held her stiff in place.

The measuring tape coiled around her waist, Calliope's hands smoothing over the material of her slip. Zelda looked to a spot on the wall, counting the items she needed to purchase in her head.

The measuring tape moved to her bust and then to her hips, and Zelda found herself unnaturally feeling the ghost of Lilith's touch, almost as if she could feel the woman lifting at the hemline of her slip.

The measuring tape moved away, and Zelda turned to the woman. "Is that everything?" she snapped with more fervent than she intended.

Calliope looked her over before nodding that it was fine for her to step-down.

Stepping down from the dais, she placed her dress on, sliding into her heels. The ghost-touch wasn't a memory, Zelda knew the feeling well enough to know that some charm had been placed onto her. A sex-spell meant to be used as foreplay for the exhibitionist.

Oh, she would have words with Lilith, eventually.

"Lady Blackwood?" Prudence asked. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she dismissed. "My thoughts are just occupied with tomorrow's plans."

"Of course," Prudence said, and Zelda knew she didn't believe her. She wouldn't if the words had come out of anyone else's mouth.

Calliope didn't take long to make the clothes. With the use of magic, it was only a fifteen-minute wait before the dresses were shown off and then packaged for them to take.

Prudence dress was to be a classic, somewhat-modest style, fitting for her young age and status, whereas Zelda would choose a more form-fitting style with fewer embellishments. It had a lower neckline than most of the dresses she wore but felt that was ideal for the dinner. After all, she was meant to be dressing as the Anti-Pope's wife.  

When the bags containing their dresses were handed back, Prudence eagerly took her own. Slipping the bag open to peek inside and confirming it was still there.

"Satisfied?" Zelda inquired as they walked back to the car.

"Quite," Prudence agreed. "Thank you.".

Faustus had not skimped on Prudence. He'd made sure she was clothed and fed after her mother's suicide. Had overlooked her education and ensure this was passed onto Agatha and Dorcas as well. There had been some duty of care, in the fact that Prudence was his blood, but little more extended from those necessities being provided.

As they moved to the markets, Prudence seemed to be in good spirits. Discussing some minor school antics from her earlier years and eager to listen to Zelda's own anecdotes from her school.

In the afternoon sun, Zelda picked at the fruits and vegetables, discussing with the vendors about their products, and slowly picked up everything on her list, scratching the last thing off with a satisfying flick.

She'd picked up a few extra things, artisan honey from an amateur beekeeper, and candles from the woman who ran the local abattoir.

Prudence eyed the candles with interest as they began walking back to the car. "Planning a keep-away spell, Lady Blackwood?"

Zelda laughed. "No, I have other uses for candles made from lamb fat."

"Like a summoning spell for demons?" There was a faux-innocence to the words Zelda was familiar with. Prudence did know something.

Zelda turned to look at Prudence then as her grip tightened on the candles. "What in Heaven makes you think that I would be summoning demons?"

"Because you're obviously cavorting with them. I'm not trying to judge you, but if my father finds out, he will retaliate. For all your bravado, I think we both know that his retaliation could end up with you buried six feet under for good, erasing all of the protection you have for myself and my siblings."

Zelda felt the words spin over her, finally seeing that all of the smugness Prudence had been throwing was there to disguise her fear.

"Why would you think I'm doing anything with demons?"

"Melvin saw you. You're lucky that I managed to make him forget before he told anyone else about what he saw."

Zelda could feel the constriction building in her chest. "What did he say that he saw?"

"That you were with some succubus," Prudence sneered. "He was rambling about the demon slinking about the prophecy section of the library, looking for something. What does it matter, he saw you. And besides, everyone knows the Dark Lord visited you before your wedding night."

Zelda clutched at her belly, trying to calm herself. Someone had seen her and nearly spilled everything to the entire Academy. What would she have done if it had unravelled?

Her reputation, her future, her security, everything would have vanished.

Zelda turned and looked at Prudence. The girl was staring at her. "I can't let you destroy that for Letitica and Judas."

"It's not what you think," Zelda said. "It's not-" she stopped, biting her tongue. "Whatever happens, I will look after you and your siblings first."

"Good, because otherwise there'll be Heaven to pay."

Under normal circumstances, she would have rolled her eyes at the threat, but the weight of the information sat on her mind.

Lilith had told her that all she needed to do to exit the contract was no longer want to be in it. Was it as simple as that? Just wanting to no longer be in the contact? Or would she need to verbalise it out loud, or say it to the contractor directly?

Although Zelda had her fair tangle with sex demons, she'd never made an ongoing deal with any of them. It'd always been purely transactional, x for y, deal complete, no further requirements to be made.

Her fingers drummed on the car, feeling the pressing silence weigh between her and Prudence.

She looked at her, wanting to offer an apology, before turning her eyes back on the road and deciding that she couldn't make the words come out. After all, she hadn't done anything wrong. Her sex life should have been her own if it wasn't for snooping students.

Zelda stared out, watching the lines on the road. She would need to pick up Leviathan today. Perhaps it was good as an opportunity as any to finalise the end of the contract.

And yet the feeling of doing so, knowing it was right, still made her heart sink in anticipation of the conversation.

She didn't fear Lilith's retaliation. Instead, Zelda found herself preemptively missing the woman.

No, that was absurd. She couldn't miss the woman. She hardly knew her. The only thing she cared about was power and sex. Certainly, there was nothing else she admired the woman for.

---------

Zelda had dropped Prudence off at the Academy and placed the groceries and the new dress away. She'd then showered and changed into more fitting evening attire for a house visit.

It was easy enough to choose the dress that she wanted, but Zelda found herself flicking longer than necessary through lingerie –– after she began tossing between stockings, Zelda ended up just snatching the closest matching set on hand and putting it on.

She wasn't meant to be seducing Lilith. This was an end of their contract—likely just an exchange of words and then separation.

Zelda still took care to apply her make-up and fix her hair. Once satisfied with how she looked, she made her way to Faustus office to advise that she would likely be late for dinner.

Given that Faustus had no meetings scheduled for this time (and was unlikely to engage in sexual relations in his office due to the lack of a lock) Zelda knocked once and pushed open the office door without waiting for a response.

And then stood stunned in the doorway as she saw that he was indeed having a meeting with someone.

Lilith was sitting on the edge of Faustus desk, flicking through his belongings as if they were her own, whereas Faustus stood by his drink cart, pouring himself a bourbon and looking as if he would like nothing more than to toss Lilith from his office.

"Zelda," he said, setting his glass down as he looked her up and down. "Was there something you needed?" he enquired, though he was eyeing her dress with interest, likely remembering the last time he'd seen her wear it.

Zelda's eyes flicked to Lilith's, and all the lies she'd built up in her head disappeared. The woman was staring at her with unveiled interest as she leant against the desk, looking as though she may summon Zelda to bend over it.

It only served to make Zelda want to yell at her, hex her with something just as nasty as an anorgasmic charm, and maybe throw in something annoying like a tripping spell.  

It also made her want to yield and feel Lilith press her against the wooden table and finish what she started.

"I was hoping to surprise you for a game of backgammon," she lied to Faustus, moving her eyes back to him and away from the predatory Lilith perched on the desk. "I believe I promised we would play this evening?"  

Faustus smiled to himself, before turning and remembering the other woman was present. "Ah, yes. Zelda, this is...Mary."

Of course, the mortal name, Zelda realised as she gave a polite nod.

"Oh, we've met," Lilith said, moving to stand. Zelda felt terror constrict in her chest at the idea that Lilith would flaunt their trysts to Faustus. "Your wife and I have discussed Sabrina's education at Baxter High."

"Of course," Faustus said and seemed to have no further interest in that topic. "Well, Mary, I'm sure you have places to be."

"Do I?" she asked, "Oh, of course. I'm sure you lovebirds would love to get to your very thrilling game of...backgammon was it?" Lilith strode across the room before she stopped and turned to face Faustus. "And thank you so much for the invitation tomorrow, I look forward to seeing what delightful meals your wife has planned." She turned then, to Zelda with a sharp grin. "I expect it will be quite delicious."

As she moved to the doorway, her fingers trailed against the back of Zelda's hand, up her exposed forearm.

"Such a lovely dress, by the way. Faustus must truly be a blessed man to land such a divine creature as his wife."

Zelda narrowed her eyes, warning her that flattery would get her nowhere this evening. "Quite," she said sharply.

"Indeed," Faustus said, running his eyes over her form in the dress once again. "Blessed by the Dark Lord himself on the eve of our wedding."

Lilith looked from Faustus to Zelda and raised her brows ironically. "Quite a blessing, I'm sure," she purred. Zelda felt her stomach flip at the words, as her brain began to very dangerously considered what it would feel like to be fucked by the woman on Faustus desk.

Perhaps she could––

No.

Zelda narrowed her eyes.

Lilith's grin widened. "I'll see you kids tomorrow," she said before pulling the office door shut behind her.

Zelda was left standing, feeling the words echo in her head, the imagery of Lilith taking her on the desk still humming through her mind before she pieced together what had been said.

Turning to face Faustus, she felt fear creep in her voice as she asked, "You...invited that woman to our dinner party?"

Faustus sighed, finishing his glass of bourbon. "In fairness, she invited herself. I just happened to mention I would be unavailable tomorrow to discuss..something of no importance," he trailed off, realising he said to much.

Zelda narrowed her eyes, wondering what he and Lilith could possibly be discussing with regards to Sabrina. But, whatever it was, she wouldn't bother to interrogate Faustus –– at best, he would likely deny any such allegation, and at worse, he would view her as a threat to his plans.

Instead, she ignored his words, looking over the office. There were items out of place (photos sitting crooked, knick-knacks moved from their usual placement) no doubt as a result of Lilith's incessant need to touch things that didn't belong to her.

"It's fine, I'll move the seating around and fit her in."

"Thank you," Faustus smiled at her, it was similar to the one he used to share with her before he'd proposed marriage. As if he actually valued her input. "Shall I set the board? I'm sure we can fit in a few...rounds of backgammon before dinner."

Zelda nodded, realising now she had no choice but to play the board game with him –– and it would be just the board game. Despite how desperately she wanted relief from the growing arousal, the idea of sleeping with Faustus was like being dehydrated and being offered a glass of bleach.

Faustus set the board, placing the pieces on the table set aside for meetings. Zelda poured them both a drink and found herself tapping Faustus glass twice to increase the drowsiness in the effects, enough so that he would just want to retire for the evening.

Setting the glasses down, she pulled her own drink to her lips and made the first move.

"If I can say, I'm pleased that you're looking to begin this again. I know the last few weeks have been straining."

"I made a vow," Zelda responded tightly, offering him a small, half-hearted smile as she watched him make his move. Of course, he would try that tactic, she thought as she moved the pieces. "Have you thought about what doctrines you'll introduce?"

"All of them," Faustus said. "Why should I hide the magnificence of the decree?"

Zelda made rolled the die and made her move, trying to not let the cringe etch on her face. "Perhaps it would be best to coax them towards the radical changes, rather than provide everything to them," she suggested.

"I don't see why. Many of the covens will be pleased with the changes."

"Saul will be in attendance, his influence has particular sway across the west coast witches. Perhaps a slow-drawn play would be better to persuade him," she reminded.

Faustus took a sip of his drink, considering her words as he rolled his die. A lucky roll, and a fair play. He was changing strategy, likely noticing what she was planning.

"We'll see how the evening goes," Faustus said.

It was Zelda's turn. She went to take the dice when she noticed Faustus yawn. Strange, she expected a slower effect. If he went too fast, he would likely see and ––

It was too late. His eyes fell shut, head falling forward against his chest as he began to snore.

Zelda sighed, sipping at her own drink. She had hoped to finish the game first. Setting her glass down, she picked Faustus up and teleported them home.

Zelda dragged him over to the bed and awkwardly set him down on it, undressing him to underwear and pulled the blankets over him. Tomorrow when he woke, he would likely know something was amiss. Had he tried the same thing on her, she would be furious.

Folding her arms, she considered her options. She could wipe the memory, but Faustus was likely to notice the gap that a magical wipe could bring. She could ignore the issue and hope that he believed he'd blacked out, but given how early the night had been, it was unlikely to work.

Or, she could plant a dream just real enough that he might mistake it as a memory. It could work, and dream spells were one of the few that she'd been running over from her mother's books.

Zelda went to the kitchen pantry and pulled out chamomile, peppermint, dark chocolate and then pulled out a strand of her hair. She heated the chocolate, melting it into the shredded camomile and peppermint, adding her hair last.

Then taking the mix as she stirred it, she returned to the bedroom and opened Faustus' mouth.

Dipping her finger into the concoction, she placed it on his tongue (trying not to focus on the vivid dream she wanted to whisper) then leant next to his ear and whispered it out loud. As she sat back, she watched his face slacken, a soft smile coming to his face. Good, that would likely distract him come morning.

She stepped away, taking the mix and washing it down the sink.

She washed the spell from her fingers, feeling the faint sparks of magic buzz her nerves. If the drink was any indication, the charm was likely to take a potent effect.

With one problem resolved, she had only a few dozens others to solve. She needed to find out what Lilith and Faustus were scheming, get through tomorrow evening without sleeping with Lilith, break her contract and have strong words with Sabrina about throwing a party with mortals and witches.

Zelda pressed at her forehead, feeling a migraine come on. She also had lessons to plan, essays to mark, Faustus schedule for next week to plan through and her own classes to run.

The first step was the dinner party. If she could get through that without getting on her knees, then it would be a good omen that she could get through the week.

Zelda sighed, leaning back against the kitchen sink.

Perhaps it was for the best that she had run into Lilith in Faustus' office. If she'd gone over to her house, Zelda would likely be knuckle-deep in the woman by now. Or vice-versa.

Zelda pushed away from the sink and stalked back to the bedroom, digging through her dresser drawers until she found the phallus. She needed to at least try to get the woman out of her head –– anorgasmia be damned.

[thetvmoviefan]

Nabrina FanFics Part 7 (Friday 13th Update)

Sabrina Spellman & Nicholas Scratch (Nick Scratch) FanFics MASTERLIST

Updated: December 13, 2019 (12/13/2019) also Friday 13th

FINALLY!! We got the release date for Part 3 of CAOS and it’s going to come on January 24, 2020!! While Netflix still has yet to release a official trailer even though today (12/13) was good to release it, thought it would be a good day to release a newly updated list of Current and NEW Nabrina FanFictions for anyone waiting for our favorite Power Couple Sabrina Spellman and Nicholas Scrath to come back. So If you’re in need a Nabrina fix or a general CAOS fix here’s a lst of fics that are worth the reads and re-reads till Part 3 comes out.

As always have a Wicked or Hell-ish time with these fics and ENJOY!!!

Fics in Order by Last Update 12/13/2019

[Key: AU=Alternate Universe - AH=All Human - * = New Fic to List]

1. “Just a Little Obsessed”*

Author: eyerys

Summary: Nicholas has developed a tinie-tiny crush on Sabrina. Nothing like major or whatever. It's not like he thinks about her all the time or daydreams about what it would be like to be with her or how cool she is. No, not at all.Sabrina doesn't have a crush on Nick. No, not at all. Uh-uh. She has Harvey. Sweet and loving Harvey Kinkle. But for some reason, she can't help but find her mind wandering. Rated Teen - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 12/13/2019

2. “Lessons in the Unseen”

Author: bunivy

Summary: Academy Teachers AU. Sabrina Spellman lives as simple a life as a half-mortal half-witch can. Despite her dislike for the headmaster, she enjoys spending her time teaching Ritual Magic at the Academy of Unseen Arts, hoping to positively shape the minds of young witches and warlocks. However, with the sudden dreadful announcement of her aunt Zelda's engagement and the appearance of one mysterious - and strikingly handsome - Nicholas Scratch, Sabrina finds that her life is not so simple anymore. Or all that safe. AU - Rated Mature - Chapters 31/? - Last Update 12/12/2019

3. “Off The Record - One Shots”*

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: Missing scenes from my completed piece, 'Off The Record.'AU/AH - Not Rated - Chapters 3/? - Last Update 12/12/2019

4. “Ocean”*

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: AU, M-Rated. Nicholas Scratch has everything working in his favor. He's got a decent job as a history teacher, his roommate Melvin is always up for video games and getting high, and Sabrina Spellman lets him mess up her sheets frequently. Sabrina knows Nick isn't good for her, but she can't stay away, no matter how hard it is to pretend she's completely okay with their casual arrangement. But when life takes an unexpected curve, Nick is forced to face a new normal he doesn't know how to navigate. And Sabrina may or may not be there to help him through it. AU/AH - Rated Mature - Chapters 8/? - Last Update 12/09/2019

5. “I knew you were trouble”*

Author: Miss_Kath90

Summary: Sabrina didn’t know that being away from home for the first time could be so hard.Away from her aunts, friends and her-lifelong-boyfriend, Sabrina have to deal with the nostalgia but also with the new challenges College's life mean: get used to share a room with a not-so-nice roommate, put up with long hours of study and very few of sleep, learn to live from pre-cooked meals instead of her aunt Hilda’s homemade ones, find balance between her studies and her new social life… And resist the temptation a certain Nicholas Scratch mean for her. AU/AH - Rated Mature - Chapters 4/? - Last Update 12/07/2019

6. “As The Moon Rises”*

Author: venzaren

Summary: Sabrina Spellman is tired.Tired of living a double life. Tired of facing discrimination at the hands of her pack. Tired of dealing with her status as an Omega. And most of all, she's tired of people hounding her about finding her mate.Then Nick Scratch returns to Greendale. AU - Rated General - Chapters 1/? - Last Update 12/07/2019

7. “Thirteen Memories”

Author: tempestbreak

Summary: (Set at the end of Season 2) Sabrina and her friends go to Hell and rescue Nick -- but what happens when that's the easy part?It turns out, having the Dark Lord inside your mind for months can do some damage, and Nick comes back different. His memories of the events leading up to his sacrifice, including his relationship with Sabrina, are gone. How can Sabrina help him regain his memories of their time together when she's not even sure she trusts her own? Rated Mature - Chapters 6/? - Last Update 11/02/2019

8. “But The Greatest Is Love” 

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: The acheron captured Lucifer Morningstar, but their problems are far from over. The coven is decimated, the Church of Night is no more, Father Blackwood is on the run, and Nick and Sabrina's relationship is in ruins. How do they pick up the pieces and move on? There are more questions than answers and the consequences could be of biblical proportions. Rated Mature - Chapters 25/25 - COMPLETED 10/28/2019

9. ”Ground Beneath Her Feet”

Author: mindlesshappy

Summary: Sabrina is born out of a miracle - one that she wishes would repeat for her, but when she is destined for someone else, how much can she resist before her heart decides to give in. Alternatively, Nick is Sabrina's soulmate, but she really just wants Harvey to be it. Also, in the backseat are all the other possible ships, getting their own soulmate glories. Rated Teen - Chapters 15/? - Last Update 10/22/2019

10. “Back to You”

Author: nadiaselite

Summary: Sabrina brings Nick back from hell. Rated Teen - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 10/11/2019

11. “The Open Road”

Author: paradiamond

Summary: Nick wants her back, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes. In fact, he insists on it. Rated Teen - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 9/22/2019

12. “The words “I love you” aren’t enough”*

Author: Miss_Kath90

Summary: “Look at me, Nick” he was reluctant but when he finally looked up she took his face in her hands making him unable to look away “What you did that day… Nick, you sacrificed yourself for my sake, even when I mistreated you and told you all those horrible things. You did it for me, because you love me… Don’t you see? You’re incapable of being evil.”Or... Sabrina gets her boyfriend back but things don’t go as smoothly as she thinks they will. Rated Mature - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 9/22/2019

13. “Be True to Your School”

Author: rayo aka @its-nabrina-bitch​

Summary: Nicholas Scratch is the Golden Boy™ of Baxter High; star athlete, top of his class academically, and devastatingly handsome. Sabrina Spellman sees Sophomore year as an opportunity to expand her horizons; joining the cheerleading squad, running for student council, and making new friends along the way while working to maintain her relationships with her old friends. What Sabrina Spellman doesn't know: sophomore year is about to turn her world upside-down. AU - Rated General - Chapters 4/? - Last Update 9/12/2019

14. “Mission: Let’s get my boyfriend back”

Author: My_Evak_Heart

Summary: Sabrina and the Fright Club ventures on their first mission: getting Nick back from Hell Not Rated - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 9/7/2019

15. “Jealousy is a killer”

Author: Melissa1226

Summary: Will Sabrina and Nick Start something new? and who is watching them from the shadow full of jealousy? Rated Mature - Chapters 8/? - Last Update 8/28/2019

16. “The Institute for Divine Craft”

Author: rayo aka @its-nabrina-bitch​

Summary: After a humiliating spat with Father Blackwood pushes Sabrina away from her witching life and the Academy, Madam Satan crafts an alternative solution to move Sabrina Spellman further down the path of night. Ultimately leading her to the Institute for the Divine Craft. A handsome Headmaster with mysterious ties to her father, convinces Sabrina to abandon her mortal life, and cultivate her abilities as a child of the Church of Lucifer. AU - Rated Mature - Chapters 16/? - Last Update 8/21/2019

17. “The Jock”

Author: mikaila_ealum

Summary: An Alternate Universe where Nicholas Scratch is Baxter High’s quarterback along with one of the most popular boys at school. With few knowing the truth, Scratch is living a double life as a warlock at the Academy of Unseen Arts. Sabrina takes a hiatus from the Academy to get more in touch with her mortal side. When Sabrina gets back she becomes partners with Nicholas for a project in theatre class. AU - Chapters 8/? - Last Update 8/07/2019

18. “act 5, scene 2 (thou and i are too wise to woo peaceably)”

Author: ghostemo aka @wickedscratch​

Summary: When Sabrina Spellman rose to a challenge issued by Prudence Night, she never imagined she’d actually make the varsity cheer squad - or that doing so would upend life as she knew it. Now she has to navigate her new role within the social hierarchy of hell -er Baxter High as well as trying to get her boyfriend to actually communicate. It certainly doesn’t help that she’s been paired up with the annoyingly handsome Nicholas Scratch, captain of Greendale’s beloved football team, for a project in her theater class. It’s exactly as, if not more so, cliche as it sounds. AU/AH - Rated Teen - Chapters 3/? - 7/25/2019

19. “Off the Record”

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: AU. Detective Nicholas Scratch left New York for Greendale in desperate need of a change of scenery. The small town takes some getting used to, but local reporter Sabrina Spellman quickly grabs his attention. It's the fresh start he needed until Greendale's residents start turning up dead. With a murderer on the loose, no one is innocent - and anyone might be next. AU/AH - Rated Mature - Chapters 29/29 - COMPLETED 7/22/2019

20. “Bring You Close To Me”

Author: BridgetMcKennitt

Summary: Sabrina and her friends managed to bring Nicholas back from Hell. There was a lot the two of them needed to discuss, but tonight, they had this. Rated E Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 7/13/2019

21. “A Brief Moment”

Author: bunivy

Summary: Ever since he's returned from Hell, Nicholas Scratch has been having nightmares. With help from Aunt Hilda, Sabrina unknowingly shows him a light and for a moment, Nicholas knows everything will be okay. Rated General - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 6/24/2019

22. “To Hell and Back”

Author: swtnerdgirl

Summary: A year has passed since Sabrina and her friends rescued Nick from Hell. No one came back the same. They all had their scars. Some emotionally. Some physically. In the days leading to Hilda's wedding, they all prepare for their lives to change and heal their wounds. Rated Mature - Chapters 16/? - Last Update 6/06/2019

23. “Dead Witch Walking”

Author: rayo aka @its-nabrina-bitch​

Summary: Faced with the possibility of being harrowed to death by her classmates, Sabrina finds an escape. Rated E Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 5/26/2019

24. “Moonlight Beneath Rough Lips”

Author: ivylikeveins

Summary: After the encounter with the thirteen witches of Greendale, Sabrina enters the dining hall with moonlight locks bathed in soft blue hues, and Nick does not know what to do. He ends up with a soft and small Sabrina pressed into his chest, sleeping, and wrapped around his very much over-sized jacket with Nick's lips pressed into the soft, pearly strands he wants his soul to get entangled within. Rated Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 5/19/2019

25. “The Hunt”

Author: OnlyInAutumn

Summary: Nick howled into the night, up at the stars to signify that he was ready on the eve of Lupercalia, the darkness of midnight around them. The first sound of the horn sent them into the forest. The hunt had begun. Rated E Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 5/11/2019

26. “Secrets, Secrets are no Fun”

Author: filmharlot

Summary: Sabrina is the new kid for the first time in her life. Choosing to go to the Academy full-time seems to be a hard transition than she was expecting. With the Weird Sisters harassment at an all-time high, dealing with leaving her mortal friend's and condescending teachers, Sabrina is suffering. She's not even allowed to have Salem for comfort. It's not all bad though. She is finally free to do magic whenever she wants, and there's a charming warlock who is being particularly nice to her. Plus, someone is leaving kind gifts on her bed at the end of the night. She just wishes she knew who it was. Not Rated - Chapters 1/? - Last Update 5/06/2019

27. “My only love sprung from my only hate”

Author: filmharlot

Summary: High School AU where Nick is based on the version of him that Sabrina creates in her dream during the Batibat episode. Harvey and Sabrina have broken up and don't want to work together on the Romeo and Juliet assignment in Drama class, so she ends up being partners with Nick AU - Not Rated - Chapters 7/? - Last Update 5/04/2019

28. “Unsettled Nighttime Creatures”

Author: mindlesshappy

Summary: We all know Sabrina is going to save Nick. This is how Nick reacts to being saved - which, spoilers alert - is like a very stupid warlock. Rated Teen - Chapters 5/5 - Completed 4/25/2019

29. “Selfless”

Author: sarahwut

Summary: Sabrina Spellman dragged Nicholas Scratch back from Hell. But Hell might be better than a world in which they aren't together. Rated General - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Completed 4/23/2019

30. “Homecoming”

Author: cherrystems

Summary: After several months Sabrina is able to get Nick back from Hell with the help of her family and friends. However, Nick has to adjust to Earth again while dealing with PTSD and anxiety. This tells the story of the growth of Sabrina and Nick's relationship over the recovery time. Not Rated - Chapters 3/? - Last Update 4/20/2019

31. “Under Your Spell”

Author: londonmarie

Summary: Sabrina doesn't hesitate to have her Dark Baptism and things go differently. Rated Teen - Chapters 10/? - Last Update 4/18/2019

32. “Photographs”

Author: Greyowl9831

Summary: It's been at least 150 years since Sabrina signed her name in the Book of the Beast. One day she finds an old photo album. Will the memories it contains be a great walk down memory lane or will it be more than she can bare? Not Rated - Chapters 4/? - Last Update 4/14/2019

33. “An itch That Needed Scratching”

Author: umbrellacorp

Summary: What if Nick slayed his familiar and Sabrina and Nick got to experience the last night of the Lupercalia festival alone. Tonight, Sabrina would be transformed. Nick was going to show her power that she never knew she had, an innate carnal power. They were about to become the most powerful union of the Church of Night. Rated E Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 4/13/2019

34. “and I keep waiting (but I won’t say I’m waiting)”

Author: lost_n_stereo @lost-n-stereo​

Summary: You would think that it would hurt less as the days go by, since it’s been nearly two years since Nick sacrificed himself for the greater good and Lilith took him to hell. Except, he didn’t sacrifice himself for the greater good, he sacrificed himself for her. And that makes it a hell of a lot tougher to let go. Rated General - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 4/10/2019

35. “The Four Pictures”

Author: Copper_16

Summary: It’s been 10 years. Nick and Sabrina are teachers at the Academy along with some familiar faces. It’s been a decade there can’t be that much chaos anymore, right? Wrong. Rated Teen - Chapters 3/? - Last Update 4/09/2019

36. “Fire”

Author: OnlyInAutumn

Summary: Their power—together—was overwhelming. It was something that she had not felt either, the consuming feeling of expanding power. It was entirely addicting. Rated Mature - Chapters 2/2 - Completed 3/24/2019

37. “something I can believe”

Author: Anry

Summary: Missing scene after Sabrina's baptism. I wouldn't say that it's really a relationship here, just conversation. Rated General - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 1/25/2019

AND THERE YOU GO AGAIN!!!

Everyone please make sure to leave love through the comments and giving kudos to all these amazing writers who have worked so hard on giving on Nabrina fics, because of course without them the wait for Part 3 would be so much harder. 

But honestly these writers work so hard on these stories they truly deserve the encouragement and love for the hard work in writing they do. Giving a simple “I love the chapter, can’t wait for more” will keep them going.

So make sure to say how much you love their writing or even what you liked about the story/chapter or just by passing their stories to other fellow Nabrina Shippers or just CAOS fans. 

If anyone has any other suggestions for the list feel free to message me anytime :).

Again! ENJOY

[jawnjendes]

bonus: why is their luck in a deeply sad moment? | shawn mendes

some type of au idk man, shawn x goth ex gf

WARNING: there is talk of death and suicide in this chapter. read at your own risk.

AN: i cant squeeze this into the next big fic nor can i fit it into shawn meets bc everyone hated it so its a bonus in the gg story lmao also im starying the Next Big Fic in a few days :)

masterlist | annalise’s playlist

2026.

"Sometimes I think about the what ifs,"  Ann said, “but I like where I am. I like what I’ve made for myself.”

Shawn had to invite her over to his house a second time, because the first time left him with many questions unanswered. He couldn’t be mad at what she said, though. He was in the same boat; he liked the life he made. You know, without the crushing loss and run in with the supernatural.

“Well, I’m happy for you,” he told her, and he really meant it. “I’m glad we were able to successfully do our own things straight after breaking up.”

“Nothing like filling the void in your heart with work!” Ann replied with a giggle. She moved a strand of hair behind her ear, and that’s when Shawn noticed something.

He took her hand and noticed a tattoo on the side of her middle finger: The Triforce.

“You got inked?” he asked, impressed.

“Oh, that’s nothing,” she replied, grabbing her sleeve to roll it up.

There was a sword on her inner arm. It was varying in shades of blue, and it also had the Triforce on it. Shawn recognized it as the Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda games.

“All this is is proof that I’m a nerd,” Ann said as she rolled her sleeve back down. “I notice you have some more ink also… and that you still wear shirts half buttoned.” She pointed to his chest.

Her finger poked the exposed skin. It shouldn’t have been as tingly as it was. Shawn smiled and placed his hand over his chest.

“More than just that,” he told her. “But I can’t show you all of them.”

Maybe it was a little risky to say that. Shawn would have taken it back if Ann’s cheeks hadn’t gone a shade of pink.

“I could say the same thing…”

Shawn quickly came to learn just how many tattoos Ann had gotten over the years. A snake and tombstones on her other arm. Feather on her collarbone, roses on her shoulder. A quote reading, “...but I’m not anymore” with stars around it on her ribcage. Something on her wrist that Shawn didn’t catch because he was busy pressing his lips to her hips and taking off her pants, where he found another tattoo. “Lucky you.” He certainly felt it.

Everything about their time together was so familiar, so easy and almost home-like. Ann’s skin touching his. Her lips perfectly molding over his. The quiet, needy gasps they both released into the bedroom. It was like going back in time, and they were in Shawn’s Toronto apartment instead of his multimillion dollar condo in LA. It was soft and slow, despite Shawn pinning Ann’s arms above her head. He didn’t outgrow that particular move, and she still seemed to like it.

Shawn had never been happier to have been on a break more than now. Most one night stands in the past began and ended very quickly, because he was on tour or in between interviews or on a break for one day. This was one person that he didn’t want to leave behind. They lied down, sweaty and dazed, facing each other. It was silent, but not awkward. Everything had a nice haze around it.

That was also when Shawn finally made out what the tattoo on Ann’s wrist was. He picked his head up in confusion.

“Is… are those torches?” he asked. “Upside down? Just like mine… and are those my initials?”

It was simple line art, less intricate than his own. Torches in an X, with “SM” right below them. Shawn has been floored many times, and this was no exception.

Ann picked her head up as well. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Shawn looked down at his chest, his torches were exactly the same, sans the initials. He wanted to give Ann the benefit of the doubt, that this wasn’t some creepy fangirl thing. Some of his one night stands ended up like that, and it wasn’t exactly easy to forget.

“It’s for a friend of mine,” Ann explained, sitting up and covering her front with the blanket. She took note of the look on Shawn’s face. “Keeping someone’s light on beyond death, remember? I assume yours is for someone too.”

They were both sitting up now, and Shawn relaxed. However, he only relaxed a little bit because now it was time to get deep.

“Mine’s for Brian. He died last year.”

Ann’s face fell. “No. Brian, your best friend? Brian, the one who constantly took the piss outta me?”

He nodded. “He was… there was an accident. Flight of stairs. Instantly killed.” It was all lies, but no human would understand.

A hand went over his, squeezing. “I’m so sorry. He just, he just fell down some stairs?”

“A lot of stairs. I don’t know I guess he was running or something. There was no way to save him. People in the house heard the crash, but by the time they found him - when I found him - it was too late.” He had told this version many times, enough times to where he could almost believe it himself.

“Fuck, man. That’s… that’s fucking terrible,” Ann said sympathetically. “But I seriously can’t believe you just told me that.”

“Why?”

“Because now I have to tell you that mine is for Stella. Those are her initials.”

Stella Martinez. Now Shawn felt a little stupid… but surprised, and he was met with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He couldn’t believe it for a second, but it fully processed in his head, and his heart began to break.

“Stella from college? Stella, who was your literal opposite and also your best friend?”

Ann solemnly nodded. Then she looked down. “She… she killed herself.”

Shawn was stunned into silence, the tightness in his chest only intensifying. The entire time he knew Stella, she was always so positive and bubbly. She was the opposite of suicidal. That’s why it was such a shock… and so sad. Oh god, who was going to tell Camila?

“When did Brian go to the other side?” Ann asked after a moment.

“A year ago last month,” Shawn replied. “And Stella?”

Ann raised an eyebrow. “Two years ago last month...”

It was a strange coincidence, but still upsetting. Both Shawn and Ann lost their best friends at the same time of the year. The urge to spill everything was thick in the air. Still, neither of them said anything for a while.

Instead, Ann reached down to the floor to pick up her clothes. Shawn’s eyes were stuck on her and that was when he spotted another word on her back. Nightmare. Small font, right shoulder blade, surrounded by a cluster of skulls. Then, he realized what she was doing.

“Are you leaving?”

She looked up, bra in hand. She was quiet as she put it back on.

“No. No, I’m not going anywhere.”

And she crawled back into bed. She made the point to keep a distance from Shawn, who was still naked. He was on his side, looking at the woman before him. Only Ann could have sex with him and bring up the subject of death. That brought a new point to mind.

“How do you enjoy death?” he asked. “I think I’ve asked you this before, but after losing someone and attending their funeral, I’m having a hard time understanding your perspective.”

Ann took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t enjoy the act of dying. People die every day in horrible ways. People mourn and fall into depression because of death. That’s not something to enjoy.”

“So what’s your deal with it?”

“I’m just embracing the face that it’s inevitable. I do that for myself. I will die eventually, or tomorrow-”

Shawn made a face; he didn’t like that thought.

“It doesn’t make it any easier when someone I know goes,” Ann continued. “You’d think with all the research I’ve done it would be. The ones we love leave this mortal plane, and all they leave is their absence. And that alone is a lot to process.”

“What’s the hardest part?”

“The what if’s.”

Shawn asked because he really wanted to know more about what happened to Stella. He had to know the things that led up to the tragedy, mostly because he knew Camila would ask for details, even if they were hard to hear.

He figured he should spill his side first.

“The last thing I said to Brian was to get the hell out of my room,” he began. “We were fighting, fighting over something so fucking stupid, and I was so pissed at him. That was our last interaction. He fell down the stairs because he was trying to find me in this big huge mansion…”

Ann sat up a little bit, hand over her chest. “Here?”

“Oh no, not here. I was staying at a friend’s house in London for a work thing. Place was huge, easy to get lost in,” Shawn clarified. “Brian, Andrew, all of them were leaving back to Toronto and I didn’t want to go just yet. Part of it was because I was still pissed. Maybe if I had run into him first before he fell… If I hadn’t kicked him out of my room a few nights prior… If I was less of an asshole…”

“Maybe you would have slipped on the stairs,” Ann told him. “Maybe you guys would have had an even bigger argument later that would have ended your friendship. There’s no way to tell, and sometimes that’s what sucks the most.”

Huh. Most people tell him not to dwell on it. No wonder Ann was a shrink now.

“Losing someone is one of the hardest things we, as humans, have to face,” she said. “It’s not easy in the slightest. Besides, the grieving period takes about three to five years, so you - we - are still in the beginning stages of it. Thinking about the what ifs, what you want to change, what you wish you could say to Brian - all of that is normal.”

The two of them let those words settle for a moment. Shawn’s eyes were a little misty, and redirecting the topic was probably not going to help. But he laid his stuff out on the table.

“What about you?” he asked.

“Me?”

“Your what ifs?”

Ann paused, looking around the room. “What if I had put my Master’s to use and noticed the goddamn signs?”

Shawn watched her, hoping she would at least return the eye contact.

“I’m an expert in this shit,” she said. “I have the years of school, the degrees, and the licenses for detecting things like this. I only figured it out the moment her dad called me.”

“How do you detect when someone is suicidal?”

“In her case, she was elated. When someone makes that decision, they reach a state of euphoria because they know their pain is about to end.”

“But Stella was always-”

“Believe me, I know. I hadn’t talked to her since graduating in Toronto, so I thought she hadn’t changed at all. But I would see on her social media, she just moved back to her parents’ house in Florida, and she hinted that she wasn’t happy about it.”

As if Shawn couldn’t take another blow. Come to think of it, he never heard much about Stella’s home life. He didn’t even think that it could be a negative place for her.

“I was in Jacksonville for work,” Ann continued, “so I hit her up, and we met up for lunch. We talked for about an hour, and she said that I was always a good friend and college wife and that she’ll always love me. And my stone hearted ass just said ‘cool, you don’t suck’ and that was that. A month later, she’s as blue as the pills she took.”

“Ooo…” Shawn sighed, cringing at that mental image. Sweet, warm hearted Stella cold and lifeless. Call it morbid, awful thinking, but Shawn wished Brian looked like that in death instead of the bloody mess he turned out to be.

“Yeah. And her parents had her embalmed and put in an airtight casket, but that’s a whole other rant.” Ann waved it off and lied back down.

Shawn didn’t know what else to do except lie down as well. While sharing the stories of how their friends died, he couldn’t help but feel just a little bit closer to Ann. The first time they met, it took fighting tooth and nail to get her to open up. Now, Shawn felt okay silently reached for her hand, and tenderly holding it in his.

Both of them winded up at the same awards show. Both lost their best friends. Both got the same type of tattoo to honor them. Neither of them anticipated meeting again. This couldn’t be a coincidence.

_______

goth gf taglist: @normalcyisoverrated-beyou @ilsolee @mendesromano @kitykatnumber @strangerliaa @iloveshawnieboi @someoneunimportantxx @goldenmndes @calyumthomas @shawnsunflower @shawnvvmendes @parkeraul @havethetimeeofyourlifee @chillingbythesea @wronglanemendes @softmendesss @peruvian-bae @theprivatewritings

[trash-bin-throwaway]

•Ghirahim has a Chat™️ with Impa•

(Shortly after setting up base camp in the desert to plan their attack on Gdorf at the castle)

Impa: You there. Come with me, I want to speak with you.

Ghirahim: Ah, yes, of course. I was wondering when one of you was finally going to come and see me.

Impa (while walking): So you knew I planned to have a word with you?

Ghira: Of course I did. I couldn’t predict wether I’d be confronted by you or the Goddess Sword, but I’m not some half-witted, guileless, flower-brained fool to think we’d be accepted wholeheartedly by everyone here, least of all you two, because I know exactly what you think of me. And I know you’re ever so leery of how I deduced this, and so I’ll be completely, utterly, and perhaps even excessively honest with you. I thought the same things of myself at first. “However could you bring yourself to do this? You would turn against the very master you were created to serve, protect and kill for? Is there no limit to the trust you will betray, the things you will turn your back on? If you will betray your master, your very life’s purpose... who can you ever be loyal to?” ...Does that sound like an apt summary of your concerns?

Impa: Hm... Quite apt. Forgive me for my suspicion, but I can’t help but be wary of you, if not for my own sake, then for Princess Zelda’s. I simply cannot have you here if you pose a threat to her, despite her wish to give you a chance. As of right now I simply can’t see how you’d have a strong enough motive to join us now of all times, when you seemed to be on the side with the advantage...

Ghirahim: Pah, no I wasn’t. The hero still lives and breathes, and he still holds blade of the Goddess. If we can glean anything from all these people from all these different eras meeting here and now, it’s that no matter how soul-crushingly and horrifically grim the hero’s chances seem to be... the Demon King will fail. It’s always been that way, and I’m rather confident it always will be.

Impa: You fail to comfort me. How is that supposed to convince me you don’t plan to win Link’s trust in order to stab him in the back, or kill him as he sleeps?

Ghirahim: Well, that specific point wasn’t exactly meant for comfort or convincing. I was simply pointing out a trend. One I of all people should know about, as... unfortunately... the first victim of said trend...

Impa: What do you mean?

Ghirahim: We all know that the first incarnation of the hero was he who fought the first Demon King. The Demon King who cursed them both to be reincarnated over and over and over again in an endless war? Am I mistaken?

Impa: No, that’s right. The hero who forged the master sword, using it to save the first reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia from Demise. Your master.

Ghirahim: Exactly. Dying in that conflict once was for more than enough for me... *brings his hand up to his chest, where the gem would be* Heh... nothing that lives should know what that feels like... but I, of course, am positively extraordinary.

Impa: I’m sorry, am I understanding you correctly? Are you trying to tell me that you remember everything that happened in that time?

Ghirahim: I am, and I do. Ganondorf is powerful, but he lacks the patience to rip his old servants from a random point in time as opposed to reviving them. This proved to be a horrible, and if I may be so optimistic, perhaps even fatal mistake on his part, as he seems to not know what he did to us then... and as such has no reason to believe we could tell he planned to do it over once again.

Impa: What he did to you? I’m unfamiliar with that side of the events... by all means, do tell.

Ghira: I wish I didn’t remember it as clearly as I do. But some things are just too... immense... to truly and completely rid yourself of... After centuries wandering the surface world aimlessly, with no purpose, no drive, and no way to bring back my master in sight, I finally found that girl, the first vessel of the Goddess’ soul. I painstakingly chased her around the entire wretched world, that absolute, infuriating nuisance of a boy at my heels and that ancient roadblock of a woman in my way at every step... ah. I suppose I should add that I mean no offence to you here and now... (Impa looks confused) ...Oh, whatever. I’ll explain it all later if I must, but for now I must finish telling you my tale... I worked day and night to complete my goals, to take the chance I’d been given and finally bring back my master, and I did it! As far as I was concerned, I had won. Demise had returned, and all that was between us and our conquest was a child with a sacred, glowing toy. Overjoyed, euphoric, and a heart full of rainbows hardly even begins to describe how I felt, as the victory that had long evaded us was finally within reach. My master was back. I finally had my true purpose returned to me. Now surely things could only get better from there, right? Well, unfortunately for me, it seems my fantasies were so, so far too grandiose, because what happened next was as far from better as anything could ever possibly be. He had not even stood in his true form for a single, measly minute before he turned to me, and with hardly a moment’s hesitation and an utter, desolate silence, struck me down, ripped the blade from my core and... shattered me... to absorb my power into his sword. He said nothing to me! Not a sound as he ended the life of his most loyal servant! He... he didn’t even thank me for freeing him from eons of imprisonment and giving him the ability to return to his true form! Nothing! Nothing at all! Not even the tiniest twinge of remorse or the slightest hint of regret in his face, and you simply must trust me when I tell you that if there was any such thing there in those empty pits I’d have been the one to see it. And I- I... I laughed in my final moments. I laughed because I had absolutely no precious idea what was going on. ‘Surely he wouldn’t harm me after all I’ve done for him! I trust my master to know what he’s doing. This must just be means to an end, and soon enough we will destroy these humans together and build a new world’, I told myself as the pain only grew worse. Then suddenly... nothing. There was nothing. Absolutely, utterly... nothing. And the next thing I really knew for complete certainty was when this era’s reincarnation resurrected me in the desert. So needless to say... I had a lot to think about. Perhaps that will clear some things up...

Impa: I... had no idea. It’s a shock to me that even you, his most devoted follower, would be counted among his victims... Near unbelievable...

Ghira: Well, it’s certainly nice we agree on something.

Impa: But there are things I’m still confused about. You were given another chance in being revived like that; why did you throw that chance away to join us? And where does Zant fit into all of this?

Ghira: Ah, I suppose I only told you my life’s story and not his... well, honestly a lot of it I don’t consider to be my story to tell, but I’ll disclose that the end of his story is rather similar to mine. The Demon King had the power to keep him alive but selfishly refused to. As for where he fits here, we’re two sides of the same coin. A coin Ganondorf tried to absentmindedly toss into a dark fountain for good luck, as he wished for a distraction to hold his enemies away from him long enough for him to become unstoppable and completely dominate the world. But in his absentmindedness, he failed to realize that the coin’s two heads had minds of their own... that the coin’s heads had believed they held value to him...! And that they would not simply fall into the endless, crushing shadows together without a word! Without him... they simply had each other to remain for! And... and... (sigh) honestly? In that fateful moment when we realized he planned to discard us once more, we only had each other to live for. And truly... we were okay with that. That feeling of being wanted? Being enough for someone... it was nice. I was unaccustomed to someone truly valuing me as an individual as opposed to a tool, and yet... he truly cares for me and I can hardly describe how happy that makes me. Not enough words exist, I’d be rambling for eternity. I may be quite... expressive... especially compared to my sacred counterpart, but for a Sword Spirit to truly feel something unrelated to their purpose is not an easy feat. Yet somehow, he does it easily. Hehe... perhaps serving Demise was not my true purpose after all? Ha ha ha! Well... I... I mustn’t get ahead of myself.

Impa: I... I feel as though I’m beginning to understand. Yet at the same time I feel like I’m even more lost. You are a strange being, Ghirahim. And I’m still not convinced that you aren’t attempting to lie about your turning against Ganondorf. Perhaps that is partly my own shortcoming, as I’ve devoted nearly every moment of my life to Her Highness, but-

Ghirahim: Argh, fine! I didn’t want to have to put this image in your head because I did not want the thought of it to disturb you, to haunt you as it does me, but you leave me no choice, as it seems you can’t see past your own nose or your pure and lovely little Goddess of a liege! Envision this for me, Impa, if you will. (Impa reluctantly nods and closes her eyes) Your dear Zelda is captured, and magically imprisoned in the midst of a desolate land that you are forced to wander alone with seemingly no way to free her. It takes nearly a lifetime of searching every horrid, purposeless, bleak, empty day, but you see an opportunity finally arise! You chase whatever lead you could find and you pay little mind to any that would stand in your way in favour of fervently chasing after the opportunity to finally have a purpose again, to finally bring back the one that made your life matter...! And it takes long, hard effort, but you succeed in the very face of your biggest foe. Your precious Zelda is returned to you in all her glory, looking just as immaculately untouched as the day you lost her. You are revelling in the joy, the triumph! The knowledge that with her beside you now, your battle is as good as won! She turns to you... and without a word, she snatches your sword away from you and stabs you in the chest with it, with not even a second’s hesitation. You see her staring at you unflinchingly as you die painfully. Then the next thing you see is her next incarnation, looking oh-so-similar... ready to have you serve her again as if nothing at all had ever happened. And eventually, you can see the same look in this new Zelda’s eyes as you did in the first as she killed you... and you know this is your last chance to save yourself.

Impa: (opens her eyes, disturbed) I... I see. I... understand now. Wether or not I trust the two of you entirely yet, that is something I still have yet to decide. But I can see now that you have more than enough reason to defect. Very well. Prove you’re no threat to us as you assist us in casting Ganondorf back to the abyss he emerged from.

Ghirahim: I will do so with extravagant pleasure. That I swear to you on my very soul.

Impa: See to it that this is a promise you do not break. (She turns to leave)

Ghirahim: Simply make sure I don’t have any overtly horrid, glaring reason to. That’s all it will take.

(Impa turns back just long enough to nod)