#hohoho i REALLY went feral with this one

[cizzle-freezy]

I think I'm well and truly loving Tempys! She has such a pretty design. Could you perhaps tell me more about her character/role in your story and if she was particularly inspired from anywhere...

OOOH okay so

First of all, let's start with inspiration! A lot of it heavily stems from Zelda games! A bit of A Link Between Worlds, a bit of Twilight Princess, a bit of Breath of the Wild, and a sprinkling of Phantom Hourglass... But, mostly A Link Between Worlds! Purely because of the idea of Lorule, which me and my rp group (mostly consisted of @juan-o-clocks, @hikaririnku-blog, and their S/O) expanded further upon as some sort of Mirror Realm!

Reason why I mention the whole Mirror Realm thing, she's actually Skylyn's mirror counterpart, and they're more or less besties in a sisterly way due to their shared role involving the Dream Realm (Skylyn being a lesser dream goddess, and Tempys being a lesser nightmare goddess) (Also to mention Skylyn having the theme of wind and clouds while Tempys has a general storm theme)

I do also like making Genshin Impact jokes with her, but truth is, she's existed with her storm formchange gimmick since... February 2019, according to my file explorer.

Her role in the (current) story is mostly taking on a sisterly or mentor role to the rest of the group she's been traveling with, and her arc involves her complicated feelings with godhood, where she outright rejects the title of being one, but uses the perks to take care of those she cares about over the thousands of years she's been around... but sometimes her methods are rather.... self-destructive? She'd much rather push herself well beyond her limits for the sake of finding the answer to someone's problem, than to take time to rest and recover. But she also behaves similarly for the sake of knowledge, so...

.... I mean granted, she is also the accidental driving force behind the main story of this particular RP, in her eyes, one of the antagonists is literally her fault. She tried to, for lack of better terms, "foster" an angel who was abandoned, before it willingly fell. A lot of this fallen angel's behavior and abilities is influenced off of her.

Buuuut also she does live in the shadow of a technically-deceased sister that "died" before Tempys was even born--

However!! There is also some notable AU Counterparts that dissect her for the sake of exploration! (This has gotten extremely long so I'll put a keep reading buffer!)

I'll start with Chimera first because A) She has the more obvious Zelda references + Lowkey was also inspired by Professor Layton: Unwound/Lost Future??? Except I completely misunderstood the plot due to a tangled the animated series animatic??? And then the Nickname came from a type of enemy in Mother 3???

Okay hold on none of that makes sense I feel like--

Anyways B) she was initially created for a particular arc in the Main Plot in which the Main Cast ends up fighting bad future counterparts of themselves, versions of themselves that went on darker paths for one reason or another, and Tempys's leaned into her near-obsessive interest in magi-sciences, and fear of mortals turning against gods once more, mixed with a desire for her loved ones to live long enough to see whatever answer they were seeking for their problems (+ guilt over blaming herself for the loss of a girlfriend she had prior to Jira). Which led to her experimenting on herself.

Then we have Nightterror's universe (which I had nicknamed "Inverse" Universe). The complete opposite to Chimera. Giving up her passions. Embracing her role as not only a Nightmare Goddess, but then also taking Skylyn's role as a Dream Goddess when Skylyn was... "incapacitated." Perhaps permanently.

Nightterror's goal was to trap everyone in an everlasting dream so that way everyone can be happy! No one has to die! The cycle could be halted!

Except if everyone could get what they wanted, then obviously that could cause a lot of problems. And when people start recognizing that they're in a dream... Well, she certainly tries to put a stop to those trying to stop it, even if it means bringing harm to her loved ones. Not hurt or kill them, of course, but... if she has to put them in a deeper slumber, just as she did to Gelum and Ignis, her dear sisters... but oh well! They're safe, they're protected this way! Nothing can go wrong!

She's probably the one who is the reason why Tempys has such a huge playlist compared to other OCs of mine. It's just so easy to imagine her singing these songs in some sort of musical format, and roping others in to join her (whether they want to, or not)

And then we have Supercell who is VERY underdeveloped since she's newer in concept, but she inherits what the other two don't: The storm formchanges.

She mulled over the possibilities and gave up everything except for the Storm aspect. No more passions, no more connections... and it make her a cold, uncaring, force of nature. She probably couldn't recognize her loved ones even if she tried.

[spacedadpicard]

hohoho

Submission from @born-potty

There was dull throbbing in his gut. Almost like the residual aftershocks of Red Mountain exploding full force.

He tried to open his eyes. See whatever was happening.

Prying his eyelids open, he could see that there was indeed movement. Everything shifted in and out of focus, though.

His body quaked as pressure was applied against his gut. It felt as if somebody was shoving a ball of energy straight inside him. It wasn’t very subtle.

A groan escaped his lips. The pressure stopped instantaneously. Something hovered over his face. Disembodied voices. Probably questions.

He tried to raise his right hand. Touch the phantom. Instead, his fingers clawed through the air fruitlessly.

The scent of roses wafted through his nostrils as his eyes closed. He felt drained. Oblivion beckoned.

Mere moments before his consciousness was stripped of him, he was able to identify the elusive phantom.

Her.

Aedan smiled to himself.

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Things had not gone the way he had thought they would.

He had thought that it would be simple enough to sneak instead Mistveil Keep, search for some incriminating documents, and leave unnoticed.

Alas, that was not meant to be.

The whoreson whom he had unmanned for molesting Madlen a few short days ago had been up and about. Apparently, Sibbi Black-Briar was no longer able to sleep at night. It was he who had sounded the intruder alarm. It didn’t take long before the whole keep was up in arms.

Aedan had been able to take the initiative and run past most of the guards before he ran into Hemming Black-Briar. The bastard had been standing before his open door with a sword in hand, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He had not expected an intruder to run past him and into his room.

For his defence, Aedan had been aiming for the window. It was open. If he could reach the window, he would be able to escape.

He had not expected Hemming to throw his sword like a javelin and inflict a three inch deep penetration on his waist, right below the floating ribs. Aedan had a foot on the window pane and though it was too late to stop the jump, the shock to his system prevented him to actually jumping. Instead, he fell three stories and landed on a nightshade bush.

Though the earth was soft, the impact was enough to jar his entire body. He had, conveniently enough, fallen on his injured side.

Breaths came in haggard gasps as he lay there, hand covering the bleeding wound in his side. Aedan was sure that the fall had broken a few things. He knew not what, what he had definitely broken a few choice bones.

His mind raced. He had to stop the bleeding. He had to move. He had to hide.

With a feral grunt, Aedan flipped his body onto his front, pulling his knee up and pushing himself with his free hand onto his knee. He then kicked himself onto his feet and staggered forward a few steps before going down to his knees again.

The world spun around him. The pain was disorienting. Everything hurt.

Aedan heard muffled yells in the distance. They would hunt him down. If they found him, well, it wouldn’t end up very well for him.

He would have to focus. Get his mental faculties in shape. He needed a goal. Something to motivate himself to reach.

Directly before him was the graveyard. If he could make it there, he could hide in the damned foxhole the Thieves’ Guild used.

Goal. Check.

Taking a deep breath, Aedan bit his lip and cast a flames spell right into his injured his side, singeing his skin and cauterising the wound. He almost blacked out on his feet. When the initial shock subsided, the pain would help him focus. Take one step before the other.

But bloody fucking Oblivion did it sting!

Standing on shaky knees, he hobbled to the stone wall of the cemetery and used it to stabilise himself. Every step exhausted his air reserves. Every step jarred his ribs. He felt a headache coming.

Normally, he would leap over the wall, but this time he thought it wiser to take the longer route and went around to the gate.

He heard the rallying calls getting louder in the distance. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he could see the distant glow of torches.

It was a manhunt.

Cursing, Aedan tore his cowl from his face and held it to the charred skin on his side. Fisting his free hand, he punched the diamond shaped symbol on the marble sarcophagus.

The giant marble slab moved back revealing a stairway straight down… to who knew where.

It was a gaping chasm straight to Oblivion. With stairs for extra torture.

Clutching his side, Aedan took the agonising first few steps. The corners of his vision darkened with every step he took and when he grasped the chain and pulled it back to release the mechanism, his body lost all strength.

He clung to the chain to stop himself from falling.

When he felt somewhat better, Aedan let go of the chain and took wobbly steps forward.

Put one foot before the other. Let the goal come to you.

Easier said than done.

A strange numbness was spreading over his torso. He could scarcely feel… anything.

At the end of stairs and at the end of his strength, Aedan found a hole, and a wooden ladder attached to the wall.

Oh, fuck these thieves.

His vision was on the verge of fading. He had done all he could. Pushed himself as far as he was able. And this would be as far as he would go.

Aedan’s knees gave way and he tumbled out of the hole.

He was vaguely aware of his body plunging into cold water. But he was too far gone to care.

Darkness enveloped him soon after. Aedan didn’t fight it.

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Everything bloody hurt.

Aedan opened his eyes and saw a girl sitting by his bedside, legs crossed. She had been reading a book, but stopped to spare him a scowl.

“You’re awake.”

Curt.

The girl then stood and walked away… somewhere.

Where the fuck am I?

The first thing he noticed was that he was on a cot of some sort. Not exactly a bed, but close enough. Plus, wherever he was, it smelled. It felt damp, too.

The man tried to sit up, but couldn’t even lift his shoulders off of the bed. The reward for his effort came in the form of a dull thudding pain shooting up from his abdomen, disorienting him.

Oh right. I was stabbed.

Memories of his most recent adventure gone wrong flooded through his mind, taunting him. Aedan closed his eyes and sighed out of his nostrils.

“You sure know how to make a sensational entrance, don’t you?”

Aedan snorted in acknowledgment. This voice he would know anywhere. The scent of roses followed soon after.

Though he didn’t open his eyes, he felt Madlen take the seat by his bedside. “If Sapphire was a tad too frosty earlier, you have to understand that you did drop like a rock into the Guild headquarters. She even had to surrender her cot to you.”

“Not exactly the most comfortable of cots,” Aedan retorted. “Sleep deprivation can lead to crankiness.”

He heard the redhead chuckle. Some part of him deep inside felt alive and died at the same time.

“How long has it been?”

“Almost a day. You aren’t the most peaceful of sleepers.”

“…did I punch anybody?”

“No.” A sigh. “You’re just really restless. It was a pain, trying to patch you up.”

Aedan opened his eyes then, locking his gaze with the rich brown orbs he had come to love so. “Thank you,” he said quietly before closing his eyes again.

“It’s the least I could have done,” was the equally subdued reply.

I can cut the awkwardness with a damned falchion.

With a pained grunt, Aedan sat up, clutching his injured side with his right hand and planting his left on the bed to keep himself upright. He felt Madlen’s hand on his shoulder, stabilising him. Her other hand went to his ribs instinctively. Aedan felt her hand over his own and turned to see a concerened look on her face, brows furrowed.

“You need rest,” she said resolutely, applying a gentle pressure on his shoulder to get him to lie down again.

Her face was too close to his, though. He felt he could kiss the pout forming on those gorgeous pink lips of hers.

Why was she so concerned? It wasn’t like they were awfully close or anything.

She’s just that nice.

Clenching his jaw, Aedan turned away. “I’m fine,” he said and swung his feet around the edge of the cot and stood, Madlen coming around the bed to help him. He didn’t deny her that.

“Yes. So fine you can’t even take a step without wincing.”

“…I’ll be fine.”

“Gods, you’re exasperating!”

Aedan couldn’t deny that he sounded like a petulant child. She was right, too, about the fact that even standing upright made him dizzy. But at that moment, he couldn’t really help but snap.

“Look,” he began. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But stop babying me. Okay?”

Maybe it was the tone of his voice that caused it, but Madlen somewhat snapped too.

“Oh yes, sure, I’m babying you. It’s not like you fell through the entrance bleeding all over and nearly dead and almost gave me a heart attack or anything,” she spat, letting go of his bicep so he wobbled on his feet slightly.

Aedan turned to face her. “You were quick to congratulate me on my various endeavours against the Black-Briars. Did you not think that something like this would or could happen eventually? If I’m strong enough to get on my feet after being stabbed that means you ought to be happy because I can again strike at Maven. That means peace for you, your hubby-to-be and his sister as well.”

That gave her pause. Rubbing her bicep, the redhead looked away as if guilty. “It doesn’t mean I like seeing you get hurt.”

Many hurtful things he could have said at that moment in rage. He was the only thorn in the side of Madlen and Elvil’s relationship. If he and the Black-Briars cancelled each other out, it would be a completely profitable situation for the couple.

Instead, he sighed and ran a tired hand through his short hair. “I’ve outstayed my welcome, anyway,” he said more calmly. “Your boss and associates couldn’t have been very pleased.”

“Well…”

“Exactly. Hand me back my weapons and show me the exit. I’ll be on my way.”

Madlen shook her head and sighed, but did as he asked. Indeed, she went one step better and helped him walk up the wooden ladder and then the stone steps.

Aedan tried to not lean too heavily on her. It felt like trespassing on forbidden soil. Even sniffing her hair felt like a crime. But he couldn’t help it. He allowed himself this one guilty pleasure, though he was very aware that Madlen knew of his… indiscretions.

How could she not? She was a perceptive and intelligent woman. Reading the vibes of people was what she did for a living, after all.

As the marble sarcophagus slid open, exposing the pair to the fresh night air, Aedan realised the gravity of his situation.

Maven owned the Guild. Guild knew who he was. He was pissed off the Guildmaster, it was safe to say. Guild could very well just tell Maven. Even if the Guild didn’t, they wouldn’t be particularly pleased with him for cutting up their benefactors. Besides, he had not shown up at the forge. All the Black-Briars had to do was search the streets for someone missing. They would’ve figured it out. Maven wasn’t stupid.

Check, Aedan Amati.

This game is swiftly drawing to a close now, he thought as he stood on the grass, letting the cool hair envelop him. He would end it before the Black-Briars had time to get to Balimund or Shadr or Talen-Jei or Thavere or any other person he had come to care for.

Tonight, then.

“Are you going to be alright?” Madlen asked him. She kept her distance from him now after his little temper tantrum.

Aedan sighed and tilted his face upwards towards the inky black sky. He had made peace with his fate. There would be no little cottage on the foothills. No pet, no wife, nothing. Perhaps… no. It would definitely be better this way. No more lives would be ruined by the bad luck he brought upon everybody.

But then again, ending the game meant playing it fully. No regrets. And for that…

He smiled to himself briefly before shaking his head and turning around to face the woman he loved.

Dressed in her Guild wear, her hair tied up in a bun, arms crossed over chest and standing a couple of feet away from him, near the entrance, stood Madlen Sun-Voice. She looked like a dream.

He felt a powerful urge to cross the distance between them and give her a hug. Aedan pocketed his hands to stop himself from doing so. He’d already done enough.

“No. Not really,” he answered her question truthfully. Hiking his shoulders, the man jerked his chin towards the redhead’s belt. “I see you still keep it.”

Madlen glanced down to her hip and smiled gently. She patted the sheathed dagger that he had made for her some time ago. “Yes. I do. Why wouldn’t I? It was a beautiful present.”

“It was also what made everything more awkward between us,” Aedan said and ran his hand through his hair. “Look. I… need to say a few things. I probably won’t have the time to later, so just humour me. I won’t take up much of your time.”

He didn’t wait for her to acquiesce, even though he knew she wouldn’t refuse. I just want to get this over with.

“I’m sure you’ve know for a while because subtlety isn’t really my forte, but you have been getting my attention for a while now. I know it’s unwelcome,” Here he held up a hand because she looked ready to say something. “It might not have been the case, but I thought so at any rate. I’m sure you’re also aware of the depth of my feelings for you. Try as I might to put a lid on it, I never seem to manage it around you.

“Our first meeting didn’t go very well, for obvious reasons. Neither did the second, third or most of our subsequent meetings. But I thought you were beautiful and charming. I had never taken the time to feel this way for anybody before, so I didn’t really stop to consider the semantics of my feelings. I gifted you that,” he pointed at the dagger, “In hopes of maybe winning your friendship, but… I really don’t think I could have handled the sight of you and Elvil together after a while. In doing so, I doomed whatever bond we may have had the potential to develop.”

Aedan chuckled. “But then we collaborated in foiling the Honorhall scheme. You had to pretend to be my wife, and I must say, it made me feel very good about myself. Childish, I suppose, but there’s the truth of the matter. But I digress. Simply put, I’m just… I’m in love with you. I don’t blame myself, either. I think I have good taste.” He smiled. “You’re beautiful. You’re intelligent, passionate, kind… and a lot of other good things I’m unworthy of. To be honest, just the fact that I’d get to see you every day was enough for me. I will say that these few short months in Riften have been the best time of my life. Even being in your presence, the sound of your voice, the ring of your laughter, the scent of your hair… these were all magical to me. Just… talking to you makes me the happiest I have been in my life… and had I the opportunity, I would have done everything in my power to make you feel the same way for the rest of my life.”

He realised that he had gotten carried away by the force of emotion and had taken a step towards her. With a shake of his head, he took a step back. There was a line he would not allow himself to cross. Not tonight. Not now.

“But not in this life, it seems,” the man continued and took another half step back. “You’re amazing. And i have no doubt Elvil is a great guy. I’m sure he makes and keeps you happy, and I wish you both the very best. I’m glad you’re happy,” he tried to smile again, but it somehow fell apart. “But sometimes, it just isn’t enough for me.”

And that was the ugly truth. He regretted saying it. it shamed him to admit it, but he had to get it out. He couldn’t stop now even if he wanted to.

“It should’ve been me who made you smile and laugh and happy, but let’s face it, I’m no good at things like that. In a way, there’s a certain peace in knowing that you’re in good hands.” He paused slightly and took a deep breath. Then he offered Madlen a genuine smile. The first he had ever given her. “I like to think that maybe in another life, there would be a cottage, there would a wife, there would a family, and I would get to kiss you out of love and real affection, not because of some underlying theatrical reason.”

He then looked up at the sky again. Clouds had come in, covering the moons completely. It would probably get colder later.

“And that’s about it,” he finished. “Thank you. For listening. For everything, really.”

She looked as if she wanted to hug him or something. Madlen took a step toward him, too. “Aedan…”

The man said nothing, only held up a hand again. “Go back, Madlen. You have somewhere to be. I have somewhere to be.”

“But-”

Aedan shrugged. “Go. I’ve wasted enough of your time.”

And before she could close the distance between them, he turned on his heels and started walking away as fast as he could.

Have a good life, Madlen Sun-Voice. Be happy.