#fandom loves never really go away do they?

[lover-of-mine]

I agree that they would never do permanent unrequited Buddie (basically Buck realizes he has feelings for Eddie and Eddie doesn't return them). Now I have seen a lot of people speculate that they would do a temporarily unrequited Buddie. Like, Buck thinks Eddie wouldn't return his feelings so he doesn't confess. Or, Buck confesses but Eddie is still in denial/confused about his sexuality, rejects him gently, and then struggles with it and realizes later that he does love him.

Out of the two scenarios, I would really hate the second one if it stretches more than one episode. Literally one is all I could handle 😂 Can you imagine how toxic and demoralizing it would be in fandom?? Think about how people misinterpret the very obvious queer-coded 'I'm straight' line in 8x06. I also think the GA would get whiplash if Eddie is like, 'Sorry, I'm straight!' then a few episodes later is like, 'Wait...' I just think it would be tricky to tell that kind of a storyline, and I'm not sure the show can do it well enough. I ordinarily would have more faith, but I think there are a lot of factors that could make it risky.

What are your thoughts? Would you accept a temporary situation where Buck realizes first and then either decides to keep it himself or tell him and potentially face short-lived rejection?

Imma be honest with you, either of those 2 possibilities would piss me the fuck OFF. None of the main pairings of the show were put as unrequited for any amount of time, honestly, there isn't a pairing that was put as unrequited, just as not suited for the long run, the closest you can get to "unrequited" is Buck looking upset when Taylor called him a friend, even Tommy dumping Buck the first time was resolved within the same episode. The idea that they would torture Buck like that is drama for the sake of drama. Buddie has consistently been written as fully in sync and to place them in a space where they seem impossible, temporarily or not, is stupid. "Oh bUt i wAnT PiNiNg" bestie, we can still get pining if Buck figures it out after Eddie comes out. We can still get pining if they figure it out in parallel. I'm not saying make them figure it out and immediately confess, I'm just saying the audience needs to at least be aware that Eddie is queer before Buck figures it out, or else it's just cruel. Painting them as impossible for the audience is cruel. It's why I keep saying give me a parallel thing, because you can have the characters thinking is unrequited, having the audience think that too would suck.

Also, Eddie's arc is about finding joy, I don't know where the fuck the idea that Eddie is drowning in internalized homophobia and would reject Buck comes from, but it doesn't come from canon. Also, buddie needs to be different from every other relationship Buck had before, if Eddie chases him away and then they eventually get together, you have Buck ending up with someone who rejected him once again, hello hamster wheel. I understand the apprehension about Eddie queer arc, but they got Buck out in one episode, they can build up to Eddie figuring it out. Will it be a 160k word fanfic arc? No, but they can just talk about how he didn't realize it. Eddie doesn't know he's queer and he's gonna be put in a position to figure that out and then we can go from there.

[crazycurly-77]

Flowers for Mrs. Gibbs - Alternative Ending

Fandom: NCIS

Pairing: Gibbs x reader

Warnings: pure fluff

Everything seemed normal that day. There was no case to solve, no special incidents and nothing. It was pure routine.

And it was normal for messengers to come and go. It was unusual, however, for them to bring flowers.

The young man was apparently practical, because he stood in the middle of the bullpen and called out loudly:

“Flowers for Mrs. Gibbs!!”

His voice faded away and silence spread. In fact, it was dead silent, because everyone had abruptly stopped what they were doing and interrupted their conversations. You would have heard it if a pin had dropped.

Tony confidently walked up to the messenger and said: “There must be some confusion. There is only one Mr. Gibbs here.”

But the young man remained persistent:

“No, no, no. I’ve been instructed to give these flowers to Mrs. Y/N Gibbs.”

“Well then give them to me, I'll take them,” DiNozzo decided and pressed a tip into the boy's hand.

“Wow, thank you, Sir! Have a nice day!” he said happily surprised and ran to the elevator.

When the doors closed behind him, Tony looked at the flowers in his hand and started laughing. That really couldn't be true.

But well, you never know with the boss.

But wait... there was a card in the flowers. He quickly looked around, but no one noticed him because everyone went back to work.

So he carefully picked up the small piece of paper and read the message: “Congratulations, Mrs. Gibbs” and underneath stood: “Tobias Fornell”.

FBI... of course. They can't even remember names. But he probably just wants to get back at the boss.

He put the card back between the flowers, put the bouquet on Gibbs' table and went back to his own desk to continue working.

At that moment, you and Gibbs came out of the principal's office. You were deep in conversation as you strolled over to Tony.

When he saw you coming towards him, he said with relief: "Hey boss, Y/N. Nice to see you... you got flowers, boss. But the recipient's name is wrong, because the messenger said they were for Mrs. Gibbs."

Gibbs just looked at him sternly, but said nothing. A little unsure, DiNozzo pointed to the colorful bouquet. "I tried to explain to him that there is only one Mr. Gibbs, but he insisted on his statement," he explained apologetically.

Jethro ignored him, went to his desk, took the bouquet in his hand and gave it to you.

Then he leaned over to you, gave you a short, loving kiss and said: "For you, Mrs. Gibbs."

Tony's eyes widened in amazement and his jaw dropped, making him look like a fish. And while DiNozzo was absolutely dumbfounded, you two couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him. 

Yes, you were more than successful with this surprise…how surprised will he be when you follow through on your plan and start a family?

The End

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Masterlist stories Part 1 (finished ones)

Masterlist stories Part 2 (finished ones and ongoing ones)

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Tags: @ilovemark1951, @hobby27, @dreamy-state-of-mind

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[soldiersgirl]

i’m new to jensen and all his fandoms

but idc ❤️

GIVE ME a one-shot where solider boy is a stalker and one fine day, he takes you, knowing very little about how you wanted him too <3

HERES THE INSPO u revolved my reblog LMAO

YES MA'AM 🫡 and also welcome to the jackles lovers club <3 (i hope this was to ur liking).

summary — he wanted you. you needed him.

cw — reader x soldier boy. stalking mentions, yearning!soldier boy, hints at unhealthy relationship, fluff (kinda).

word count — 757 words

soldier boy watched you for weeks and it feels like he finally knows every little thing about you. the way you like your coffee sweet, the way you constantly push away your bangs whilst readjusting your bag, the way you constantly nibble on your bottom lip, the way your headphones are always blasting your current obsession and how you're always singing along without realising.

thank god for those headphones. they kept you so preoccupied, so cooped up in your little dream world that you never noticed him; looming over you, wishing to know all your little thoughts, desires, wants and wishes.

was he your favourite supe? did you dream of him, like he did you? would you love him, like he unequivocally did you? would you accept him or push him away like the others had done? maybe you would be the one to finally see him for who he really is. a fool plagued by you and desperate for your attention.

for years, centuries, women had chased him, but now everything was turned on its head and what for? all for you. ben never thought a non-supe could catch his eyes quite like you did. he noticed you always sitting across the flatiron building (a.k.a the boys hq) in the cute café that was nestled amongst the urban towers. every morning, you sat in the same place, ordered the same coffee and pastry and typed away for what felt like hours.

he'd watch you from the boys office, from the roof when he went to smoke his daily joint and out front when he'd wish the boys goodnight before walking the same, tiring route home. he hadn't meant to stalk you. never. but somehow, he found himself walking your route home, just a few steps behind you with his hood up and wired headphones playing his favourites, as his trained eyes never left you as he remained unseen until he finally couldn't deny himself any longer.

leaving the café at 5:00 pm on the dot like usual, you threw your thick scarf over your shoulder, pulled on your trustworthy headphones and pressed play. the new york winter was harsh and as the wind howled and whipped around you, you sought refuge in a desolate alleyway to escape the worst of the brewing storm. ben couldn't believe his luck. finally, he could have you all to himself.

but this was planned. you knew ben had been watching you. you had noticed. and you definitely didn't mind.

"are you finally going to talk to me?" you pull off your headphones and turn to the supe, frozen and in reaching distance of you. despite the strength of the winds, you can hear your quickened heartbeat and his low panting.

"so, you've noticed." he pulls off his hood and stands tall in front of you, allowing you the chance to finally admire him. your eyes dance over his hardened features, his soft crows-eyes framing his eyes and his infamous smirk already planted across his lush lips. "what are you gonna do abou' it, sweetheart? hm?" he hums and takes a small step forward, testing the waters.

"i've... been waiting for you." you mirror him and step forward. what he didn't know was that all those hours you spent in the café was only to get a glimpse of him. you had daydreamed about him for years and somehow, by what you believe was destiny, soldier boy had been found alive and you weren't going to deny destiny.

you reach your hand out and let your fingertips graze against his and before you can blink, he pushes you up against the nearest wall, trapping you between his toned arms. your bag and headphones fall from your grasp and land with a thump onto the damp alley-way floor. he shamelessly scans your face for any hint of fear, but finds none. you gaze upon him like a wounded animal would their captor, filled with unspoken trust and hope.

"i've been waiting for this." you sigh.

"didn't your mother tell you not to trust strangers?" he scoffs in return as he delicately twirls your hair around his fingers.

"strangers? i've known you my whole life, ben. i was made for you." your light voice whispers.

ben knew then and there that he couldn't possibly deny that truth. he hastily picked up your discarded items, held you tightly against his strong frame, showing you the softness he was never offered. he was a soldier and his sole objective was now to care for you in the world of war, injustice and false gods.

-`♡´- tag list: @bluemerakis @legalmente-loca @faiszt @vmiina @emeraldcrs @briiverse @figthoughts @sl33pylilbunny @jasvtsc @silverwoodlynx @kayleighwinchester @bejeweledinterludes @yooyieu @nperoconelcositoarriba @lanasgirlfr @velvetdandeli0n @iluvdeanwinchester @doeinlace @cowboysandcigarettes @daylighted @valjy @dulcescorderitas @mostlymarvelgirl @syrma-sensei (comment or inbox me to be added)

[lena-thinks-too-much]

Could people, who never read a Superman comic simply admit, that you are shipping Batman with a sexy lamp without characterization and start tagging everything with Lampman and Lampbat instead. Only to keep the tags clean

Well this is a complex situation because you can definitely understand a character's characterization without reading comics and you can completely misconstrue their characterization

also I'm having hard time figuring out if this comment is generally against superbat as a ship or if you're just upset about the superbat shippers who don't understand what Clark is actually like.

I can understand both but also comics aren't the only way to come to a ship. Like I love bird flash but I'll be completely honest, I don't see it from the comics. Like if I read the comics I just can't see BirdFlash happening but when I watch young justice I'm like diehard shipping BirdFlash. God I am not normal about that show.

But also I know not all the characterizations are 100% comic accurate. And that's okay they don't need to be. DC is a mess of timelines and incongruities. Let's be honest, they themselves aren't always consistent about characterizations (cough cough Talia) so fandom generally has varied interpretations on characters based off which version they like more.

And yes it bugs me when people don't interact with the source material because it genuinely confounds me how you would not want to fact check your opinions but I digress.

I mean I enjoy superbat as a crackship. But I don't really ship them myself. Mostly because I love Lois.

My favorite concept for the superbat dynamic is everyone acting like superbat exists including Lois. The only person not on it is Clark. So he's just out here losing his mind desperately trying to friendzone Bruce except even his wife and son are like "damn didn't know you'd do Bruce so dirty"

Again I love the crack potential of it.

that being said, at the end of the day what you ship and enjoy is a personal choice. Ship who you ship and let others ship who they want to ship it's not like anyone's getting hurt (as long as it's not something weird like incest or a grown ass man with a child).

if you don't like a ship, don't interact with its content and it'll go away eventually

let people love who they love to love loving each other <3

[homuraakemis]

You know, I really disagree with the prevalent notion in the fandom that one of Vi's flaws is that "she doesn't accept Jinx for who she is" or that "she wants Jinx to be Powder". I also don't think that they reconciled because "Vi finally accepted Jinx for who she is".

The very first time Vi and Jinx reunite, one of the first things Vi says to Jinx, after Jinx says that she changed, is to tell Jinx "It's ok. You did what you had to do to survive. Me too". To me, this clearly seems to indicate that she is willing to accept that her sister has changed. She is willing to accept that has sister has done bad things, that has sister has imperfections. And later, after Vi learns all that her sister has been doing for Silco, and after everything Jinx does in season 1, Vi is still willing to accept her! She is still willing to turn the page and build a life with Jinx, even offers to run away with her during the tea party scene.

But I think there's a limit to how much you can "accept people for who they are". Vi can't accept Jinx as a person who not only was spreading shimmer, kidnapping and killing people and making terrorist attacks, but was also unwilling to change. This isn't because Vi doesn't accept that Powder has changed, it's because Vi is a decent human being with a sense of morality that can't really accept the stuff her sister is doing. Vi is entirely in the right not to accept that. She is right to reject her sister in this situation. And after Jinx turns down Vi's offer to leave and start over, and commits yet another terrorist attack, Vi really has no other choice but to reject her. (And even though Vi rejected her sister from this moment on, Vi never really stopped loving her)

When Jinx and Vi start to reconcile, it isn't because Vi has "finally accepted Jinx for who she is". It's because Jinx is the one who has changed into a person that Vi can accept. Because Vi sees Jinx showing empathy towards someone, because Jinx is no longer killing like she was before. And you can see this in the scene Vi argues with Caitlyn. She doesn't tell Caitlyn to give Jinx a chance because she finally accepted her sister exactly as she was, she tells Caitlyn to give Jinx a chance by arguing "Cait, she's changed". So clearly, Vi never accepted Jinx as she was in season 1. Vi only accepted Jinx because Jinx is the one that changed into someone Vi could accept, it was not Vi that accepted Jinx exactly as she was before.

I also know some people might argue that Vi didn't accept Jinx for who she was because 1) Vi initially refused to call her Jinx, or 2) because Vi says things like "Powder is gone" and "My sister is gone, all that's left is Jinx". But I think that interpretation is really unfair, because:

1) the reason Vi doesn't call her Jinx initially is because this used to be the biggest insult that her sister used to hate, and it's also the word that Vi spent 7 years feeling guilty for saying to her sister. Of course she's not going to instantly call her sister that. Of course she's going to take some time to adjust. This has nothing to do with not accepting that her sister has changed or wanting Powder back exactly as she was before.

2) Vi saying things like "Powder is gone" and "My sister is gone, all that's left is Jinx" isn't about Vi actually believing that Powder and Jinx are different people or about Vi wanting her to be exactly as she was when she was Powder. Vi saying these things is the equivalent of Powder saying "she is not my sister anymore" at the end of Act 1 of Season 1. Powder is not saying this because she actually believes that Vi is no longer her sister, she is saying that as a rejection of her sisterhood because she felt hurt and abandoned by Vi. Vi saying "Powder is gone" and "My sister is gone, all that's left is Jinx" is the same thing: Vi is rejecting her sisterhood, she is rejecting Jinx, and she has all the right to do so, because Jinx has indeed crossed all the lines, and Vi will only accept her back as her sister if her sister changes into someone that she can accept (which is exactly what ends up happening in the end).

[shywhitemoose]

Fic Stats game!

Thanks for coaxing me out from under my rock @temple-mistress, if only temporarily❤️

I may not be a prolific enough writer for this game, but I’ll give it a go.

rules: give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the fewest words.

most hits: Adrift & Entangled (85,483 hits). My first ever stab at writing fanfic, first chapters published in 2019. This story is so very, very dear to me, as it has literally been my refuge through the hardest years of my life. Chapter 27 was posted last March, and I am still chipping away at the epilogue. I will never abandon this story, but I am slower and more scattered than I have ever been. If you’ve enjoyed this story so far, please don’t give up on me. You don’t see me around, but my heart hasn’t left the fandom.

After the Hardeen operation, emotions are raw. But before anything can be fully sorted out, the boys are sent to Christophsis for their next mission. Things don’t go as planned, and they find themselves alone in an unknown system with no hyperspace capabilities and no effective means of communication.

2nd most kudos: A Plea from the Lost to the Found (561 kudos). Started prior to OBK series, completed nearly a year later. Brought to you by the world’s slowest fanfic writer. Wanted to explore how Ben would have handled a regretful Anakin showing up at his Tatooine abode (before we learned he lived in a goddamn CAVE for 10 years, good lord).

Two knocks.

Both inexplicably timid, but sharp against the silence. Enough to make Ben feel dislodged from his own being. Disoriented in his own home.

Darth Vader had come for him, and yet…

The Force said Do not fear.

3rd most comments: Lullaby (77 comment threads). Very short piece that apparently made everyone cry lol.

“Do you have a favorite memory?” Even softly spoken, Anakin’s words seem jarring in this dark, cramped air pocket.

[In which the Force takes our heroes as they always thought (hoped) they would go: together. Also, Anakin sings.]

4th most bookmarks: Out of Place (19 bookmarks). I starting writing this because I needed to laugh. Only one chapter written here, but I’m SO NOT DONE WITH THIS IDEA. I really wanted to explore the comedic potential of an in-universe Obi-Wan Kenobi meeting up with an out-of-universe Anakin Skywalker. I had so much fun writing that first chapter, and I loved stretching my creative muscles to develop this setting.

A crack au in which Jedi-Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has managed to get himself pulled from hyperspace and yeeted into an entirely different galaxy. He crash-lands on planet Earth and is taken in by Anakin Skywalker, an airplane mechanic who’s made his home in the hangar of an old airstrip in southern Nevada.   

5th most words: Not applicable, only 4 fics to choose from ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

fic with the fewest words:  Lullaby (1,412 words) See above.

I’m sorry, I don’t know who’s already done this... Tagging... anyone who stumbles upon this and wants to have a go 😊

[asexualasshat]

Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat

Word count: 2476 chapters: 1/1

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016),

Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson,

Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Chrissy Cunningham, Dustin Henderson, Corroded Coffin (Stranger Things)

Additional Tags: Unrequited Love, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Mutual Pining, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, many mentions of sex but not described, mentions of Buckingham, Love Confessions, Don't worry they're equally pathetic, Rockstar Eddie, Normal guy Steve, Modern AU, Songfic

Excerpt:

Steve would like to think it started off innocently, but had it? They’d been play-wrestling, as any barely adult men are going to do every now and again. Usually, it was a pretty damn even match. But this time? This time he gave in.

He didn’t mean to. He’d been into Eddie for a while by this point. Always thought the guy was great but around six months ago his feelings shifted towards a full-on crush, and then even more. But he couldn’t act on it. Eddie was enjoying being out, enjoying meeting and being with new guys. And his music was finally really taking off. He was only days away from leaving for his first tour. He’d be away for two months. And maybe that’s not an eternity and it would be fine, but his lungs always felt a little shallow after missing him for a day. Two months would be torture.

So maybe that’s why he did it. Why when Eddie had his hips bracketing Steve, he let in just to watch the other man pin him down. There was a second where he was stared down in confusion, but then the curly-haired man’s expression shifted to reflect Steve’s own. Hunger.

They never even made it two feet off the carpeted floor onto the bed.

[novelconcepts]

i'm the same anon who asked abt the tattoo, so. you can be as controversial as you want, but could i ask why taivan is not as prominent/noticeable in comparison to shaunahat, or fanon ships? like, your opinion. because, genuinely, as much as i see their scenes and ppl cheering for them, idk, it's not as HARD and LOUD if that makes sense. thank you in advance!

I dunno about controversial--I'm never actively trying to be a shit-starter, I just. My honest take is twofold. One, people are definitely being steered by racism. I mean, I see that just in the way Jasmin is constantly under fire no matter what she does or says. This is a biracial Black queer person (noticed recently she's operating with she/they pronouns, playing in the gender sandbox, and good for them) who is clearly always working so hard to better their world and be a voice for the various minority groups she inhabits, and I feel like I'm just constantly seeing people be awful to and about them. Like, constantly finding excuses to set her aside, or send her the worst messages in the world, and I'm just like. Let this person live, for the love of Christ. The inability to not take unearned ownership of someone else's journey is...insane to me, but I feel like I see it constantly with her. So to have Taissa be this incredibly complex Black woman who is not always likeable, not soft and sweet and constantly striving for other people's approval--yeah, I'm not surprised the fandom ignores her. Furious! Always furious about it! But not surprised.

Van, too, gets set aside an awful lot, and that's obviously not about racism (although the interracial couple aspect is there). I think people are...so volatile about Van in ways that will never make sense to me. Half the time people are calling her a villain, the other half they're calling her boring, and in both cases, those people are just not watching the same show I am. Liv's performance is so nuanced and so carefully escalated, and Lauren is following suit; there is so much going on with this character, with Taissa's character, with their growth together and apart, and...yeah, I dunno, man. I think it's a lot of what Tai says onscreen in season one. They're not what people expect, or what people want them to be, so they get written off as "boring" or less appealing than the noncanon ships. Some of it is the racism, some is the complicated nature of gender and Van's butch qualities, and none of it makes sense to me because those aspects are so much of what I love about Taivan as a ship. Like. They are so real, so multifaceted, so good and so toxic for one another at the same time, and they are played by 3/4ths (at least, I don't know Ambrose's life) openly, proudly queer actors. DUDE. For me, that's the fucking dream.

THAT SAID. My other thought is a lot simpler. And that's just: what happens in canon belongs to the writers, and we get to share it. What happens in fanon belongs solely to fandom. The fanon interpretations of characters can be worlds away from the actuality of those characters onscreen, and I think there's a freedom there that a lot of people really love. Subtext has been the bread and butter of queer audiences for so long that I think a lot of viewers just naturally feel more comfortable in that space, reading between lines and making up the necessary filler as they go. It doesn't hurt that a lot of these characters are white and/or conventionally attractive, but I think it's more to do with...not needing to put the canon of it all at the forefront. Like I love Jackie/Shauna, I love Lottie/Nat, I live for Shauna/Lottie--but they're all subtextual relationships, to various degrees, and so I can just sort of...do whatever with them in stories, so long as I'm feeling the characters out. I personally have a preference for writing fic as close as I can to existing character profile/voice, but that's not for everyone, and I've noticed a lot of the fanon-born ships are...not simpler, necessarily, but simplified. Which, in turn, makes them more palatable. I dunno. I get it! I do. But I will never understand throwing aside the canon queer ship in favor of subtext. That just...ain't my bag.

And then I guess there's a third, less prominent idea of like. Who's the main character of the show? If you had to boil it all down, it's Shauna. She's the POV character, if we have one, from the start. So not only do you have the freedom of fan interpretation, but she's front and center a lot of the time just by the nature of the narrative. And then Natalie is probably the next "main" character, so...that speaks for a lot of the louder ships, I suppose. I'd really love to see more attention on Taissa for the same reason, since she's been at the front from the beginning, but...see above, i guess.

[fioreofthemarch]

heart flow

This was written for @zelinkcommunity's Loftwing Letters 2025, and is for @hyylia! Words: 1640 Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild / Tears of the Kingdom Characters: Link/Zelda

It’s a high moon tonight. The rising paths and nestled buildings of Hateno are drowned in its rays. Three days until the full moon, and the harvest festival to celebrate it. 

It’s a welcome light. Link straddles the top of an unsteady ladder, glad to be able to see clearly so late into the evening. He’s been helping string lantern lights across the main thoroughfare of Hateno, but he’s done his bit, securing his end to the mossy roof of Cece’s shop. The string slackens and tightens as his counterparts at the general store struggle with their end. “We’ve nearly got it, Master Link”, one of them calls out. He’s content to wait.

Behind him, inside Cece’s shop, the women of the town have gathered. He can hear feet thumping lightly on the wooden floor, the beating of a drum, and a muffled shouting: and step, and step, one, two! For the festival, the men hang the lights, and the women do the dance. There are giggles, more shouts, more giggles. He wonders if he can pick Zelda’s laugh among them. 

“I’m really not much of a dancer,” she had said, multiple times, but they wouldn’t have it. He pictures her in there now, golden hair tied into a plait, cheeks flushed, spinning and smiling. 

Link frowns. The moon above is harsh, exacting: why not just tell her? He’s been wondering that for a year, since she returned into his life, into all their lives, and set about filling the land with her radiance. 

Practice is over. The women stream out of the building towards their homes, Zelda among them. She is flanked by two others, chatting amicably as they approach. 

He could do it now. He could descend the ladder and tell her plain and clear. Did you know that you are perfect? That I love every single thing about you?

Zelda passes by the ladder and waves up at him. Link... waves back. And sighs. To the north, where the horizon meets sea, the dragon Naydra floats through the sky. 

---

“Finally autumn, after such a long summer!” Zelda says, looking up at the full moon.

“Indeed, and a dry winter to follow, from our observations,” says Symin beside her. 

“Oh. Hopefully we get some rain.” 

They stand together under the shade of an old tree, watching the townsfolk collect long timber beams from the construction site of the planned Hateno School, which is as yet unfinished. “These beams will be returned tomorrow, right?” Symin asks. 

“Of course. They just need them for the festival tent.”

“I hope so. I won’t teach from a tent.” 

Zelda smiles to herself. The only person in Hyrule more passionate about building the school than her is Symin. Well, except maybe–

“Master Link!” Symin calls out, rushing forward. He greets Link, who has slugged an entire beam over his shoulder with ease. “Please remind the others to be careful. This timber is pine, from Tabantha.”

“Sure,” Link answers, but still Symin cranes his neck towards the centre of town, sighing and fussing as he watches his priceless timber being carted away.

“Why don’t you remind them yourself?” Zelda offers. 

“Indeed! I'd better!” Symin says, and kicking up a little dust he marches into town, leaving Link and Zelda to speak alone. 

Only, Zelda never knows what to say to Link. What can she say, to the one who saved her life, saved all their lives? Her gratitude always feels cloying and sticky in her mouth.

“It’s going well?” she asks.  

“Yes.” He lowers the beam to the ground. “Do you need anything?”

“No, I – are you looking forward to tonight?”

He pauses, seeming unsure. Maybe he dreads it as much as she does. “I am.”

“I’ll be dancing, you know."

“I know.”

“It’s so ridiculous.”

Link smiles, a look that makes her want to melt. “I don’t think so.” 

For a moment they stare at one another, and everything Zelda has wanted to say nearly rushes out. That he should have his own life, that he doesn’t have to live where she lives. That he can have his house back and that it’s okay if he doesn’t feel anything for her, really. She is grateful just to be able to love him, because it means she is alive, and being alive was once a distant and fading dream– 

“I better go.” Link says. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“Yes.” 

No other words come. After he is gone, she spots the goddess Naydra rounding the mountains to the north. Lady of wisdom, lady of love, she prays. Oh, save me from myself!

---

A harsh wind descends upon the town as the festival starts, rattling the lantern lights. Link helps hang the last of them between the dye shop and a water tower further up the hill. When he’s done, he heads to the festival tent. It shudders under every gust, but the townsfolk are determined. Their ragtag band of drummers and pipers are loud enough to drown out the wind.  

He keeps a low profile, sampling the food stalls one by one. It’s oppressively hot in the tent, the whole town crammed inside, but Zelda is nowhere to be seen. Maybe it’s for the better. Maybe the time to tell her what he feels has passed.  

Then there are three sharp beats of a drum, and the festival goers turn their attention to the centre of the tent. The women of the town gather, with Zelda at the front in a red dress and black leggings. They join hands, forming two long lines, and to the beat of the drum they dance, spinning and clapping. Link blushes as he watches, realising in his gloom he had forgotten the reason he came to the festival at all. When they are done, the women bow to whoops and cheers from the crowd, and in the chaos that follows as they disperse, Zelda appears in front of him with a hand outstretched. 

“There’s another dance. Join me?” she says. There’s a sort of giddiness to her, almost drunken. Is that what dancing feels like? He takes her hand, and wordlessly they step into the dancer’s circle. Maybe this is how he tells her. Maybe he simply sweeps her off her feet. 

Just as the world around them begins to fall away, a terrible crack rips through the air. It’s deafening. The ground shakes. Then another; thunder, beastlike and hungry, accompanied by flashes of lightning. Never letting go of his hand, Zelda hurries them outside, and they see the sky has darkened, clouds churning like the sea. There is shouting all around – everyone inside, quickly! It’s a storm! 

Another flash, as an arc of lightning strikes the general store. Then another hits the grass in front of them, the light blinding. Crack! When Link opens his eyes he is met with a wall of fire. The lightning has set the grass of the main thoroughfare alight, and the wind is blowing the flames towards the festival tent. 

“There's no rain,” Link says, drawing back. 

“A dry winter…” Zelda murmurs. “We have to do something!”

In the sky, just below the clouds, Link spots the dragon Naydra, seemingly undisturbed by the weather. “Can she help? Can you, I don’t know, call her–?” 

“No. How would I even– I mean I could try but –”

He takes her other hand, holding both between his. “Okay, it’s okay,” he says, waiting for her to calm. “We save ourselves.” 

Zelda nods, and they turn their attention back to the fire. Across the thoroughfare, Zelda seems to spot something. He follows her gaze, eyes drawn to the lantern lights, which are now mostly gone out. “The water tower?” he asks. Zelda answers by taking his hand and leading him away from the tent. 

They rush to a nearby stable shed, where Zelda finds two axes, placing one in Link's hands. Then she points to the water tower. It sits on three poorly made struts and is already shaking in the wind, water spilling over the edge of its wide metal tank. Link understands immediately, and can't help but laugh. Alright, Princess, let’s go destroy some public property. 

They run to the tower and begin chopping - one strut each. “We need them to come down at the same time!” Link says. 

“Then follow my lead!” 

She chants as they chop. And swing. And swing. One, two! Lightning flashes around them, and the fire rages towards the festival tent. One, two! One, two! Then there is a creak and a groan - the sound of snapping wood. Link drops his axe and dives toward Zelda as the whole structure collapses, unleashing a flood of water down the hill. 

They roll and tumble, caught in the wave, and come to a rest beside the festival tent, arms around each other on the muddy grass. Bewildered, the townsfolk stumble towards this spectacle; where there was once a fire, a wall of water has consumed it down to the embers. Seeing this, Link and Zelda hold each other close, and laugh and laugh. 

There is nothing else to be said. Zelda rests her head back on the grass, smiling up at Link. Now, he thinks, and catches that perfect smile with a kiss - a lingering, apologetic, long awaited kind, and though it tastes a little of earth and grass, it’s intoxicating. As more townsfolk gather, Link and Zelda pick themselves up and hurry out of sight -- to continue with this new means of communication they have discovered.

Inside the festival tent, the music starts again. Above, Naydra makes her rounds – where she flies the dark clouds split, and the full moon shines through bright and clear.

[tomatette]

SOBBING at the fact the entire armitage hux fan base is being roused and coming together to vote for him as the hottest star wars man😭 im out of the star wars fandom at this point and have been for a while but the voting came across my dash. hux was ALWAYS my boy i can’t let him down

[reiney-weather]

my heart in the dimly lit aisle

Heyyyy so I just got around to drawing one of my absolute favorites from @nextsoundofthefuture !!! bright <333 followers expect more and also read the comic because it’s so good. firmly gripping my brain also

[ratsword]

internet not big enough...saw what is unmistakably his art style and felt like vomiting. it's crazy how someone can continue to poison you even after years of being blocked.

[floralovebot]

i think it's really funny when people look at Everything about riven and conclude that he just hates all rich people when his best friend is literally Rich Boy McGee

[phantajam]

my hot take about descendants is that NONE of the core four were ready for a relationship until maybe like, the third movie (rant in tags)

[silverselfshippingchaos]

I fucking HATE how the fandom treats m.ine. it's so bad 😭

[sysig]

Leftovers gone bad (Patreon)