#i almost couldn't find it this time

[helloliriels]

If the Geralt of Rivia emote gif ever disappears from the search, just know I'm tearing this hellsite down with my bare hands ...

[heybiji]

Roshan walks with the two Potts, gazing around at the fields and forests painted in warm colors by the setting sun. He remarks, "It is a lovely view from here."

Gazing outward, past the broken walls he had put up 20 years ago, Arthund nods and says, "Forgot. Forgot how... how pretty it all is."

I recently finished running an original oneshot for some friends, The Reaching Woods. It was a story about a little village surrounded by a big wall and the nearby forest's sudden overgrowth threatening to crush it all. It was also a story about blame and guilt.

Arthund Potts, when we met him, could barely speak at all. Too many years spent drinking and weeping. If he was even conscious he was all grunts and sloppy gestures. The scene above was at the end of the oneshot (okay, eighteenshot), once the party returned from the dark, evil woods.

[wardingshout]

Viridian besties my beloved

[jennerallydrawing]

For the Season 2 episode "Wax Museum"

[red-winter-is-coming]

The reasoning behind the Masterminds.

(or, a post I was suppose to make hours earlier but got distracted, explaining Why The Fuck Eight People are second-round Masterminds in an AU)

This will be very.... fic like? Because I feel like it flows better that way!

@smol-creecher anything to add? I'm LOVING your imputs :D

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

It wasn't like this was their first choice, being told to run a killing game. Really, they didn't know what they were signing up for until it was far too late.

XF-Ture Tech approached them, one at a time. They were vulnerable, grieving the death of their classmate, the one who held them together.

They were offered something they wanted so desperately in their heart, that they signed a contract, signing their soul away for any one favor of XF-Ture's choosing.

They looked at Min, their prize student, the one who they could easily convince with one conversation: 'If you do this for us, you can be free. We'll find you a well paying job, one you can pick out, doesn't that sound nice?'

They found Rose, lost in her rotten world. 'We can get you out of here, give you your freedom back, get you home, if only you sign this paper.'

Eden and Whit, perhaps two of the kindest in their class left, were offered a very simple deal: 'Do you want a distraction from Mai?'

They tracked David down, giving an offer he wouldn't refuse. 'Come with us, and you will never need to keep up this front again.'

Charles, ever the loner, was offered a deal more simple then the others. 'Give us one favor, and we'll net you a high paying and comfortable job, and all the answers you're seeking.'

Ace and J, stuck in their own lives, wishing to get free, were offered just that. 'Come with us, and we'll get you out of there. Come with us, and you won't need to bother with your mother, or your job ever again.'

Stupid deals to make? In hindsight, yes. But they were nineteen years old, and mourning one of the few good people they ever knew.

They really should've said no.

The first few weeks were fine, amazing, even. They got warm food, a place to sleep, and they had each other for company. They spent their days exploring the huge building XF-Ture kept them in, as they found new hobbies to pass the time.

Then, they were called in to redeem the favor.

Run a death game until only you are left, XF-Ture told them, Run these games perfectly for freedom.

Really, had they all been together, instead of leading separate games, maybe they would've succeeded. Certainly, things like Charles almost getting brained after the second trial, or J's most hidden secret getting out to the worst person, wouldn't have happened.

They excuse their failure to kill their remaining classmate as weakness. They say it was too soon after Mai.

They couldn't let XF-Ture know how much most of them cared for the classmate in their group.

In the end, all of them defied their one final order: Kill everyone else in the game.

Failure meant death, and they were walking closer towards it at every moment.

So, when the higher executives came to them, and told them to fix their mistake of leaving people alive, they asked for one more chance. A chance where they'll be killed at the end, if they even make it there. Maybe, just maybe, with a little more time, and the ability to plan together, they'll find a way out.

Sure, things aren't going... as smoothly as planned. Nico's memory wipe didn't work, so now they're onto Ace. Rose is struggling to do anything, David has started arguments with everybody & has a HUGE target on his back, Min lost a hand, and Charles is worried about what the survivors might do.

But they bounced back before, and they'll bounce back again. (provided that Charles doesn't die, then they'll be fine. Whit's one of the glues holding them together and if his one lifeline gets cut, it'll spiral from there.)

[robo-dino-puppy]

there is a LOT of stuff out of bounds in the meridian area of the map! i wanted to compare some spots that exist in both games, but it's kinda long so there are timestamps if you want to skip around - the estate near the end is the most interesting imo :)

the map was clearly copy/pasted but there are updated and missing textures (and ones that weren't updated that say they need to be haha) - was this the start of the rumored hzd remaster? or are the assets just ones that happen to exist in both games and were carried over because we get close to them in the "legal" area of the spire? and it's a small itty bitty thing that will be in a future video, but there's something i came across that definitely doesn't exist anywhere in hfw's map that i remember... (spoiler: it's banuk T_T)

(why are all the handholds missing texture??? that's what i really want to know lol)

[akane022]

can you all imagine if excalibur was the only way for merlin to die on? excalibur, forged on a dragon's breath and meant only for arthur, the sword that killed arthur's bane and merlin's shadow and could not protect arthur would also be merlin's end

[banditblvd]

notebookcast.com was an experience and a half

[crossbackpoke-check]

Why I Am Not Coming In To Work Today [abridged], Jess Zimmerman

part one | part two

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Fluffvember prompt - Going on an adventure // Malon and Link go to Castle Town and chaos ensues

(Featuring Malon and Link in an established friendship with a hint of something more <3)

“Oh… I don’t know, Link, I can’t go like this!”

Link threw a confused look over his shoulder, feeling his chest bubbling with both excitement and bewilderment. “But Malon, you always look like a mess when you work in the field, anyway.”

Malon froze, cheeks as flushed as her red hair, eyes widening. Link stared at her a moment longer and then realized his mistake. Before he could hastily backtrack, though, Malon groaned.

“That’s the point though – I wanted to look nice today!”

“That’s not the point of today,” Link replied, easing Epona’s steady trot so he was alongside his friend. He reached out to her, only a little shyly, and twirled one of the little bits of hair spilling out of the cloth she’d tied around her head. “Besides, you always look beautiful when we go to Castle Town.”

Malon watched him for a moment, face softening, and she leaned in just enough that his finger brushed her cheek. Link took the invitation, letting his thumb trace along her face a moment before Epona nickered a little and the pair pulled away from each other. Malon huffed, “Oh, fine, Epona, I’ll stop complaining.”

Link chuckled and watched as she took off the handkerchief, revealing two braids she’d interwoven on each side of her head. They were a little frizzy, but they looked pretty nice, and it reminded him of some of the Gerudo warriors he’d interacted with in the past. Seeing as they’d been the inspiration for the hairstyle, he wasn’t surprised.

“Does it look okay?” Malon asked.

Link smiled. They’d already agreed that today was just for fun – no worries, no cares about chores or responsibilities or appearances – but he knew she still needed the reassurance. “It looks great.”

Malon beamed. “Okay. I always wanted to try it – the Gerudo have such pretty hairstyles! There’s no way I could ever have that fancy jewelry they wear but this’ll have to do.”

The pair continued their trek towards Castle Town in peace, and Link found himself almost giggling. Two days ago they’d agreed to take a trip to Castle Town purely for fun – no milk runs, no errands, no melancholy gazes towards the castle. This day was just for them to explore Castle Town in ways they hadn’t – Link recalled running around the area as a child, but as his journey had continued it had become less of a priority.

Not to mention seeing what Ganondorf had done to the place had messed with his mind a fair amount. He’d spent his first return to Castle Town after that just roaming around making sure everyone was alive. He still sometimes found himself staring into dark alleys too long, wondering if a ReDead was around the corner or if he’d find another dying soldier.

But today wasn’t about reassurances, nor was it filled with the busyness of doing work for Talon.

Link discovered, though, as they reached the moat, that he had no idea what to do if the day was just about him and Malon.

His friend seemed to retain her excitement, though, and she nearly leapt off her horse, handing the reigns off to a stableman at the gate. Link followed, smiling at her infectious cheer, but mind scrambling for ideas as to what they should do.

“Okay,” Malon said with a happy clap of her hands as they stood at the entrance to the city. “…Now what?”

Link couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. Apparently he wasn’t the only one feeling a little lost.

“This is fine!” Malon argued at his cackling. “We said we’d make today about ourselves, and we will! Okay! So! What’s a place in Castle Town you always wanted to visit but never had time?”

Link hummed, thinking about it. “Bombchu bowling?”

Malon looked at him, nose scrunched. “I thought you had gone bowling?”

“Once,” Link answered before shuddering. “But one of the rounds… it was fun, but… well, maybe it’s changed since then.”

His friend continued to give him a bewildered expression before shrugging. “Well, let’s try it!”

Before Link had a second to register her words, she had grabbed him by the wrist and was dragging him through the market square. Running around with Malon without a care in the entire world was honestly more exhilarating than he had expected, and he laughed as he passed her, turning it into a race. Malon yelled in protest and the two practically barreled through the entrance and nearly ran over a patron already inside.

After a sheepish shrug from Link and an embarrassed apology from Malon, the two got their bombchus and headed to the bowling lane. Link recognized the first round immediately – they’d upgraded the device a little, and it looked like it had seen some wear and tear, but the blade trap still looked roughly the same as it had when he was a child.

He got by it just as easily as he had back then, too. Malon cheered him on with delight.

The next round, however…

“A cuccoo?” Malon questioned as the little feathered terror traipsed about. “What if it gets hurt?”

“They’re indestructible, Malon, don’t worry,” Link grumbled.

“Oh!” Malon scoffed. “They’re not and you know it! Is this why you stopped playing this game?”

Link sent the bombchu rolling, watching as it climbed the wall and made it into the next goal. “No…”

The destroyed wall crumbled, revealing the final round, and he saw his adversary, much to his dread. He felt the bottom drop out of his stomach, as if Ganondorf himself were standing there and cackling evilly. “That’s why.”

The final barrier to get through, beyond the blade trap and the cuccoo was a monstrous sized cuccoo, large enough to rival Link in height and twice his girth. Malon’s mouth dropped.

“What kind of cuccoo is that?” she asked.

“A demon,” Link answered.

“So did you never get passed it?”

“Passed it?!” Link repeated, motioning wildly at the beast. “Why would I even try? Do you want to anger that thing?! I had hoped I’d outlived it by now!”

“I’m still trying to figure out how it got so big,” Malon said thoughtfully, staring the monstrosity down.

“You’re not actually considering getting near it, are you?” Link asked worriedly.

“Well, the good news is that if the bombchus don’t bother the little one, this baby definitely won’t care if you miss!” Malon noted with a laugh. “But my goodness, it sure is big. You could ride it like a horse!”

Link felt the blood drain out of his face at the mere thought of it.

“Oh, stop being silly!” Malon huffed, nudging him aside with her hip. Electricity shot through him as she did so, unaware that he was now trying to catch his breath as she bit her lip in concentration to figure out how to aim the bombchu properly. When she released it, it managed to pass the blade trap and the little cuccoo, but the large one inhabited too much space to bypass. The bombchu let out a boom! and Malon gasped, covering her mouth.

The cuccoo clucked, unimpressed, before taking a small step to the left, foraging for food.

“I should’ve used that thing to fight Ganondorf,” Link muttered.

“We only have two left,” Malon noted, sounding a little disappointed. “We’ll have to try harder.”

Link looked between his friend and the cuccoo. This was definitely the stage that he had given up as a child – he’d had more pressing matters to attend to anyway, and there was no sense in risking his life when Hyrule needed to be saved. But now… watching the sad pout to Malon’s face emboldened him, just as seeing others in need always did.

Besides, the prize was a heart piece, a magical item that could grant some protection and healing enchantments. It could certainly come in handy. And it would look pretty on some jewelry for her.

Link took a fortifying breath and gently pushed Malon aside, taking the bombchus. “I’ll handle it.”

He calculated the path he would need to take carefully. Bypassing the first two obstacles was easy. He’d probably have to let the bombchu climb the wall to access the goal and get around the gigantic cuccoo.

Link released the bombchu and the pair watched it go. When it got through the cuccoo without a hitch, Link couldn’t help the little cheer that escaped him, only for his face to fall in disappointment as the bombchu exploded outside the goal.

Well… great. Now they only had one left.

A devious idea popped into his mind, and he paused, considering it. Doing what he was planning would technically be cheating, but… it was already an unfair advantage to have such an adversary on the playing field without a way to defeat it.

Handing the bombchu to Malon, Link said, “Wait for my signal and then send it off.”

“Your signal?” Malon repeated, confused. “What signal?”

Link surveyed the area, knowing he’d caught sight of it earlier—ah, there it was. A large pot, tucked into a corner, and filled with a familiar scent. He traipsed over to the pot and turned sharply, his shoulder hitting the rim and knocking it clean over.

Wheat grains spilled everywhere, and, as predicted, the cuccoos immediately squawked in excitement. Malon hastily let the bombchu loose as Link ran for his life from the oncoming feathery horde, yelping to avoid the frantic owner of the bowling alley. The bombchu hit its target, knocking the final wall away to reveal the heart piece awaiting its victors.

“Was that really the best way to do that?” Malon whispered as Link shrugged at the owner with a sheepish smile.

“Listen,” Link fired back quietly. “That blasted bird has been hoarding that heart piece for almost a decade. Which means people have been throwing bombchus at it for a decade. This way, the bird finally gets to retire from being attacked.”

Malon scrunched her nose in the way that he loved, the way she would when she was debating a matter. Her eyes narrowed looking at him, reading through his excuse but giving in to it nonetheless. “I suppose you’re right.”

The pair blinked as they went out into the sunlight once more, and, after Link offered a giggling Malon the heart piece, found themselves stuck again.

“Now what?” Link asked.

“This is ridiculous, we should’ve planned an itinerary,” Malon huffed with some amusement.

“I think that was against the whole idea of the day,” Link offered with a small smile.

“Well clearly we’re not good at being spontaneous!” Malon sighed.

That didn’t seem true at all, but Link wasn’t going to argue the point. What they clearly were awful at was not having something to do. Both kept themselves busy, either with farm work or adventuring, and that was the reason Talon had suggested they take a day off.

“You two work so much you’ll work your lives away,” he’d said. “Go to town and have fun! The ranch will still be here and intact when you get back.”

It had taken a few more days to convince Malon that her father wouldn’t be sleeping on the job before they’d finally agreed. And here they were, barely at midday and already over it.

“I see people throw rupees into the fountain,” Link commented. “They do it all the time. Maybe there’s something to it?”

“They just do that to make wishes,” Malon commented, though she guided him to the fountain nonetheless. “I’ve heard people talk about it. Dad and I did it once – I wished—”

Suddenly, she cut herself off, stopping short of the fountain. Link paused, peering around her shoulder to look at her face. Malon swallowed, chewing the inside of her lip and hastily moved ahead. “Well, never mind that, maybe we—”

In her haste, Malon lost her footing, tripping on uneven cobblestone, and she nearly faceplanted into the fountain itself. Link moved forward quickly to catch her, grabbing at the back of her shirt and instead successfully falling with her. He pulled her to him and turned to take the brunt of the fall, and they both nearly gasped in a lungful of water as the cold temperature shift shocked their systems. Thankfully, the fountain was shallow, and the pair instead lay half soaked in the water, blinking at each other in bafflement at what had just happened.

Malon laughed. Link found himself laughing too, especially at the exaggerated noises of surprise and irritation from the local women who had been gossiping while waiting in line for one of the market stands.

“Make a wish, fairy boy!” she giggled.

“I wish…” he started uncertainly, still chuckling and coughing slightly on water.

“Not out loud!” Malon interrupted, clamping a hand over his mouth and making them both fall into the water once more with a squeal. After a moment, though, she made a disappointed noise as she looked down at herself. “Oh, this dress is going to be ruined. As if I didn’t look questionable enough.”

“What are you talking about?” Link asked, leaning forward and putting her sopping wet hair over her shoulder. A mischievous glint shone in his eye and pulled at his lips. “You are… more beautiful than Princess Zelda.”

Malon stared at him a moment before catching the reference, poking his chest. “Oh, and you are just as handsome as the King of Hyrule.”

The pair stared at each other a moment longer before the façade fell apart as they burst into fits of laughter. The sour look from the familiar married couple who constantly subjected everyone to such sappy lines with their innumerable public displays of affection was definitely amusing enough to send Link into full-on hysterics.

Eventually, the cold water began to get a little too chilly, and the pair climbed out of the fountain (Link was definitely tempted to fish the rupees out of the water, but he felt that would be rude). They decided spending the afternoon laying outside the Temple of Time might be a good way to dry off and relax. Malon started to doze a little bit, but somehow the idea of sleeping by the temple left Link feeling far too ill at ease to actually get any rest. Instead, he settled for watching Malon and the occasional passerby who went to pray.

When evening fell, both Link and Malon realized they hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and decided dinner at one of the local restaurants was in order. Link had no idea how to order, having never been to a restaurant, and Malon was not of much help since she mostly spent her days at the ranch, but they managed to figure it out. When that was done, most of the townsfolk had begun to head home, and Malon wondered if they should as well.

At least until the stray dogs came out.

Gasping in delight, Malon reached down to pet one, and Link started to chase a few as more chased him. The two giggled and ran all over the city, watched only by the guards leading to the castle, who didn’t bother hiding their smiles.

It wasn’t until the moon was high in the sky that they realized their mistake.

“Wait!” Malon said, stopping suddenly. “The gate! The gate closes at sunset!”

Link froze. “Oh.”

They had to stay the night here.

Well. Unless…

“I could… there is a way…” Link said hesitantly. “But… only if you really want to.”

Malon looked around uncertainly. “Is it dangerous?”

“Not really, no.”

“Oh,” his friend wrung her hands nervously. “Can we? I don’t… I’ve never spent a night away from home. It’s silly, I guess, but…”

Link smiled. “Don’t worry, I got it.”

Pulling his ocarina from his pack (despite Talon’s insistence that he take no weapons to the city, Link had still grabbed all his supplies), he played the familiar song that had saved his neck plenty of times. The notes danced out with a little bit of hesitancy as he tried to remember the fingering on the instrument, but as he gained confidence and added the correct rhythm, he felt the ocarina warm with magic.

In the blink of an eye, the moon nearly plummeted to the horizon, making Link’s heart stop for just a second despite knowing it was going to happen, and the sun sprang up.

Malon’s jaw dropped. “How did you—?”

“Let’s go!” Link said with a laugh, grabbing her by the wrist. The citizens of Castle Town blearily peaked out of their homes, windows opening in as people peered around in confusion. When they reached the guard house at the gate, the soldiers were staring up at the sky, eyes wide.

Link cleared his throat. “Excuse me. Can you open the gate, please?”

The guard stared at him. “W-wh—but it’s—”

“It’s clearly day,” Link said innocently with a smile. “The gate’s supposed to open at sunrise.”

The guard couldn’t offer an argument, and so Malon and Link got their steeds. Epona seemed to be staring at Link judgingly, and he laughed at her expression. She’d seen him do this trick a number of times, after all, and it usually resulted in little sleep for either of them. Thankfully, that wouldn’t be the case today.

After all, he could make it night again once they got back to the ranch.

“Link, how did you do that?” Malon asked as they rode out into Hyrule Field.

“Just a trick I learned on the road,” Link tossed back casually.

“You know you can’t keep dodging my questions about that stuff,” Malon replied.

No, he supposed he couldn’t. But not today. Today was just for fun. And it had been fun. He hoped it could end that way too.

When they got back to the ranch, Link was endlessly entertained (and unsurprised) to find that Talon hadn’t even noticed the daylight and was instead snoring loudly in his room. Link played the ocarina again, and the sun and moon traded places once more.

“That’s… disorienting,” Malon noted as she stared at the sky.

“It could get that way, yeah,” Link huffed. When he looked back down he saw Malon staring at him. “Uh… what is it?”

Malon sighed, looking at the ground. “Nothing. I just… wish you’d talk to me. I know I’m just a dumb farm girl, but—”

“Malon,” he interrupted hastily. “I don’t think—you’re not—”

“I had fun today,” she interrupted with a small smile. “Did you?”

Link stumbled over all the words that had been spilling out of his mouth, and he took a breath, returning her smile. “Yeah… yeah, I did. And…”

He trailed off, uncertain how to continue. Malon watched him curiously, though she still held a degree of coolness after her previous statements. Clearly he’d hurt her feelings a little, and he felt awful for it.

He still struggled to figure out what to say. So instead, he stepped forward, planting a chaste kiss on her cheek. He felt her face grow warm under the touch, and the blush he saw confirmed it as he pulled away. “I thought today was nice too.”

Malon fanned her face with an exasperated, “Oh, you! That wasn’t funny!”

Link laughed nonetheless, pulling her into a hug, and she laughed with him, returning the embrace in full.

[winterwrites23]

Nations and Nature

Nations represent both the Land and the People. They cannot live without having a population to represent, just as they cannot survive if they have no Land to claim as their own. They are, after all, strange beings that are part nature and part human.

But what else does nature affect a Nation? We know the Land grants the Nation their semi-immortality, knowledge of their history and the innate ability to sense other Nations crossing their Land. But there's also the little things, such as:

Knowing the flora: Since Nations represent nature, they have the ability to recognize local plants and flowers. By focusing on a plant, they get a general idea of what it is: name, time of bloom, benefits, etc. It's one of the reasons they have vast knowledge of natural medicine. Having a green thumb is a given.

Disney princess syndrome: Like plants, Nations have an affinity with the local wildlife. They don't talk to animals by any means, but Nations have a calming presence that puts them at ease up to a certain point. They share the Land, they coexist as long as they don't disturb each other. A wildlife photographer would be a perfect career for a Nation.

Finding water: While nature can be harsh and merciless, the Land is a Nation's home. They can't get lost in their Land, especially since they always know where their Heart, the capital, is at all times. But if they're far from civilization, it's instinct to find the closest water source. It's a bit harder if a Nation is in another Land, but possible if they focus enough, or even if Nature deems you worthy of its help.

Give me shelter: Similar to finding water, Nations have no problem looking for shelter. They're excellent survivalists and quite resourceful thanks to their knowledge of the flora and fauna. For baby/young nations, Nature has a soft spot for them, mostly because it sees them as little saplings, and will guide a Nation toward the safest place (a leaf flying in one direction, a rock falling to catch their attention, an animal blocking their path, etc). In fact, young Nations have an easier time blending in and hiding when surrounded by nature.

Get out: In times of war and conflict, a Nation in another Land will get a feeling of unease when entering a forest or traversing a mountain. Nature does not recognize you as their Nation, and it will let you know. After all, invading a Nation's land is akin to breaking into someone's house. So, if you find yourself more prone to stumble over a rock, or find the wild berries a bit more bitter, or suddenly find your food invaded by ants, well, that's just Nature telling you to get lost.

Touching grass: It's a known fact that Nations love being close to nature, whether it be by going hiking, swimming in a lake, camping, etc. Walking barefoot on natural ground feels amazing; a sense of peace washes over a Nation when connecting directly with their Land. It's why most Nations don't like spending too much time in big cities. Walking on asphalt, roads and man-made parks just feels off to them.

Gentle repose: If a Nation dies while surrounded by nature, it will keep the Nation safe from the elements until they come back to life (branches curving to protect them from the rain, covering the body in vines/roots/leaves, keeping the critters away from them, etc). However, if a Nation dies for good, if it's truly a Fade, then Nature will reclaim the Nation back into the Land, leaving a patch of flowers as a reminder of who laid there.

More headcanons

[last0bread]

Hey genq here is there a social difference between a reblog/adding tags and commenting

[agueforts]

me vs eternal grudges abt d20 captions

[saltedcaramelchaos]

please tell me soda gets his soda loving life back… my son… I can’t bear to see him like this…

he does get better... eventually? kinda? you'll see :3 (I knowww, that part is genuinely so sad)

[jestersking]

c!leo gives off biggest blacksmith vibes to me. like he just seems like the type of guy that loves to forge, loves to mine, loves to watch netherite melt for like 200 hours. of course you can create armor by magic, but there's something so exciting about creating everything by hand and leaving little things that just scream This Was Made by Leo Leowook! and shit. he's just a craftsman in general. sew? can do. crochet? absolutely. carpentry? don't mind if i do. fighting is fun, destroying shit is REALLY fun, but it's just as fun for leo to sit down and spend his time trying to design and create his own little things. he doesn't have much free time on lifesteal, but the time he gets he spends by improving minute's costume, engraving clown's name into pierce's sword or adding little gems to wemmbu's jewelry collection. it's not much, but if someone teams up with leowook, you can see it in all the care and love he puts into his teammates appearances.

[mechanichuntsman]

some small comparison

(they're not all accurate and some may be missing some stuff because I have enough/am too tired + this old and I just finished it recently)

bedroom

living room

kitchen