#i use fast travel (shrines) a lot so it's nice to take the long way sometimes

[moonchild-in-blue]

So, sometimes while playing botw/totk, I like to take out my horses and do long journeys across Hyrule, to take a break from fast travelling and completing quests.

Since I just got a new horse way down south (her name's Urania!), it seemed like the perfect excuse to take the long way to Link's house. Usually I map out the way before hand, so I know which route to take, and what stables/towns we are stopping at. Because I wanna feel like Aragorn I suppose.

This was the completed route, starting in Highland Stable, Faron, towards Link's House in Akkala:

It took us about 2.5 days to make the journey, with 3 stable stops in Dueling Peaks, Woodlands, and finally Foothill, with a short stop in Kakariko Village to get some supplies and food.

I realise now I could've continued north towards Riverside Stable, instead of east Dueling Peaks but. Oh well. It was a very pleasant trip either way!

(pics and deets below):

So, we took off from Highland Stable and headed east, around Lake Hylia. Crossing the Hylia bridge would be easier, but there's a fire gleeok there and I'm very scared 😌💙

It wasn't easy to cross Farosh hills on horse, but we made it! Took us a day's worth.

(I forgot the Big Twin bridge wasn't in use, so I did try my best to find a different way for Urania to cross, but no deal. I had to cheat a little and use the stable boarding function 🥺)

Then next day we took off early and stopped by Kakariko to buy some more arrows for me and carrots for the horsie 🥹🥕

Left the village by 9:30, passed by Wetland stable, and continued north to Woodland stable.

We spent the night, and I left Urania there while I took care of some nearby affairs (aka a shrine and a couple other things). She behaved super well so I mafe sure to give her some extra apples before we took off again 🥹

We only had a few hours of daylight left, so we only went around Trilby Valley, and stopped at Foothill for the night (horse girlie needs to rest and also I didn't wanna be arsed with all the stalkoblins and such 🙃).

Next morning we left early once again, and after some very annoying storms and rain, we at last reached home 🥹💙

It was Urania's first journey EVER, and she did wonderfully 🥹💙🐎

[link-posting]

Survival Instincts/Time Heals All Wounds Part 2

Part 1

Despite his desire to not leave Time’s side, Wild had to run out of the cave as soon as Time was safely suspended in the same water he once did, from the same injuries that left him scarred in so many ways. As soon as Wild was back outside he collapsed to his knees. His head spun, his breathing quickening until he was hyperventilating. He couldn’t stop the flood now, his scars burning as if he had experienced the blast himself. His vision tunneled, his ears ringing so loud he couldn’t hear the others trying to get his attention, couldn’t feel Twi grasp his shoulders, trying to pull him out of his flashbacks. He curled in on himself, covering his head with his hands as his body shook. Twilight pulled the smaller Hero against him, holding onto him as he shook and cried, letting out wordless cries of agony until eventually he exhausted himself, slumping against Twi as the adrenaline drained from his system, leaving him numb and motionless.

With nothing else to do, the rest of the Chain set up camp. Twilight stayed where he was, wrapping his pelt around Wild and letting him rest there as long as he needed. He slipped into sleep eventually, leaving the rest of the Chain to attempt to process what had just transpired.

After a while, Legend broke the silence. “I’ve never seen anything like that,” the Traveler said, keeping his voice low so he didn’t wake Wild.

The Captain shook his head, staring into the flames. “Poor kid had to face those things alone? It’s a wonder he made it out alive…”

“He wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for this Shrine,” Twi said, staring into the cave they had left Time in.

They decided to take watches in the cave, taking shifts sitting in the Shrine room with Time. Rulie and Legend took first shift, heading into the cave to sit with their injured companion. Wind looked through their supplies to get some food going- a nice pot of his grandmother’s soup so Wild could have something comforting to help bring his energy back up when he finally awoke.

It was several hours before Wild finally roused, groaning quietly and shifting against Twi. Twilight had dozed off after a while, but was awake and alert immediately upon feeling Wild move. The smaller Hylian pressed a hand to his head as he sat up, feeling groggy and almost like he was hungover. It seemed to take him a moment to remember what happened, and once he did his eyes snapped open.

“Time!” he exclaimed, and Twi had to grab him and pull him back to prevent him from jumping up and running into the cave.

“Rule and Legend are with him,” he said, his tone gentle. “You need to rest and eat.”

Wild shook his head, struggling against Twi’s embrace. “No! I need to be with him! This is my fault, I-”

Twi cut him off. “It is not your fault. It would be a lot worse if you didn’t act so fast. You saved me, and you saved Time. You killed that.. thing and knew exactly what we had to do and where we had to in order for Time to heal. This isn’t your fault. We might both be dead if you hadn’t acted so fast. Who knows what might’ve happened if you hadn’t been there?”

Wild shook his head, unable to process or accept what Twi was saying. “But if I hadn’t-”

“If you hadn’t what? Shoved me out of the way? Told us to stay where we’d be safe? Killed that thing before it could fire another shot?”

Wild was shaking his head again as he covered it with his hands. Twi could tell he was overwhelming him, so he pulled him back against him, wrapping his pelt around Wild and rubbing his back. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s going to be alright,” he soothed. He quietly hummed Epona’s Song to his companion, and that seemed to help Wild relax some. He lowered his hands, hugging himself as Twilight soothed him as only he could.

The rest of the Chain couldn’t help but look on, not wanting to interrupt but not really able to grant much privacy. They had never seen Wild like this, but it was clear that Twilight had. The pair had always been close, and it was increasingly evident that this wasn’t the first time Twilight had calmed the Hylian from this state. It was hard to watch, but easy to understand. They had all seen horrible things, gone through deeply traumatic situations. The more time they spent in Wild’s Hyrule, though, the more it seemed clear that Wild’s Hyrule had truly survived an apocalypse. A few of them had done some looking around, not wandering far from their camp but making sure they were safe where they were. Everywhere they looked they saw ruins, buildings crumbling as vines overtook them. They had seen a few other Guardians from a distance- one or two actively wandering Hyrule Field, the empty husks of a few others collapsed among the ruins.

“They’re called Guardians.”

Everyone turned to look at Wild when he spoke up. He eyes were turned toward the horizon, though he seemed to be staring into some middle distance.

“They were originally made by the Sheikah. Ancient technology researchers uncovered and excavated from where they’d been buried for some reason lost to time. Thousands of years ago, they were used to fight Calamity Ganon, so he could be sealed away. But a hundred years ago, he broke the seal. And… he corrupted them. He took control of them and turned them against us. Hordes of them. We… didn’t stand a chance. Zelda- my Zelda- hadn’t awoken her power yet. Not until I was near death. All I remember is seeing a flash of blinding golden light as she threw herself in front of me. I was her protector, her personal Knight and I… failed. I was supposed to save her, and she saved me. She held back the Calamity for a hundred years before I woke in the Shrine of Resurrection…”

Wild trailed off, shaking his head. “That’s the best I can remember the story, at least. I don’t have many memories of my life before I woke up in the Shrine. I remember what I was told, but it’s like my brain doesn’t want to hold onto the story. Like even knowing what happened is too much. Calamity Ganon is gone, but there are still Guardians that will attack anything they can lock onto. There’s less and less now, but not many Hylians of this time can take them on, so it’s taking a while to kill and destroy them all. At least now there’s one less in the world.”

Wild shook his head, pressing a hand against his forehead like he was starting to get a headache. Wind walked over to him, offering out a bowl. “You should eat. I made my grandmother’s soup. It’s always been a big comfort to me,” he said, leaving the rest unsaid. It’s always been a big comfort to me, so I made it to comfort you.

Wild looked surprised as he took the bowl. “Thank you, Sailor,” he said, taking a slow bite of t he soup. He didn’t really feel in the mood to eat, but Wind clearly made the soup specifically to help him feel better, so he couldn’t just ignore it.

It immediately made Wild feel warmer and lighter. Even Twilight could feel his muscles start to relax as he took another bite, sitting up a bit more on his own now. Without him needing to say anything, Wind could tell it was helping. He sat down beside the fire with a smile, pleased to know he helped his friend. He couldn’t heal the mental, physical, and psychological pain that Wild had gone through, but he was glad to know his plan to ease his emotional burden had worked- even if only for a little while.

[hotgirlmythology]

Morana, the strangely nice death goddess

Morana is one of the older usurper gods, having taken up the mantle of death goddess fairly early on and surviving so long through staying mostly out of the population centres and petty divine feuds that have a very fast turnover of new gods

She has increasingly tended towards becoming a traveller's goddess, given that death on the road is quite a real possibility, and her shrines appear with increasing frequency in lands with more unsafe roads. Those who maintain her shrines, her priestesses and priests, tend to be more comfortable with the idea of dying than most, and so the idea of building these in unsafe regions is quite alright to them. After all, they know that Morana will make their last moments wonderful in recompense.

Morana came about shortly after the huge boom of usurping gods and goddesses. Once the first person realised that worshipping someone allowed you to impart magic to them and set themselves up as a deity it all kind of snowballed from there. However, the initial usurper deities were all very general. Clouds, the sun, lightning, growing things, and death. This death one was of particular interest, because he wasn't the most sympathetic of gods. His portfolio was essentially "Worship me and in return I will help you live longer". The resonance of those who worshipped him meant that by using this power he would never die either; he parasitised his worshippers to maintain himself. This was where Morana came in, as she was the first to provide an indirect challenge to his position rather than trying to simply kill him as was more common in divine arguments.

Morana brought a different perspective on death, that being that it was inevitable you would die and it was better to make sure you died happy. A lot of people liked the idea of this more than the near-desperation of the withered proponents of the first death god, and prayed to her instead. This was her peak of popularity, her golden age, and her great temples were flowing with worshippers, those who has lost someone, those who were afraid of dying themselves, and those who were afraid something would stop them from dying satisfied. Black rock sunk the interior into an intimate night, and the curling incense that veiled the room left even the most stressed with a mind foggy with vague optimism and pleasure. As the usurper deities became more in tune with the desires of their worshippers, however, more widely loved deities, mostly those who governed farming and fertility, encroached on Morana's idea of "The lovely death" and forced her out of the places she had once held sway.

Now in the modern day she is a far less forceful presence in many ways, though in others she is a terror. She is far less of a people's goddess now, and is worshipped only by her dedicated sects and travellers. Some insular cultures, though perhaps with a different name, still dedicate the last rites of the deceased to her. Her shrines of black stone still line the roads, the deathly allure of her acolytes is hardly dimmed, and the dead are still occasionally discovered bearing a deep red rose and a beatific smile. Murderers occasionally get the fright of their lives when one of Her acolytes steps out of a shadowy corner to usher them away and ensure the dying meet their end in pleasure rather than pain. She has also picked up another duty in this time - that of putting down people who really ought to be dead.

Dying is fairly difficult in this world, due to the fact that magic can rebuild a body if done sharpish. Some people who have unfinished business, or who devise methods to maintain their bodies, can physically keep their consciousness and even body animated through will alone, at least until they repair whatever is killing them at the time. This can happen almost imperceptibly - a miraculous recovery from an arrow wound, a chest stoved in by an angry bull and getting up afterwards. Morana does not take issue with these. It's when you get Revenants (physically dead but pushed on by the remnants of a single-minded consciousness) or Liches (essentially immortal, a powerful magician who is able to maintain their body all on their own) that problems can occur. Morana has taken it upon herself to be the one to bring these wayward souls into her arms and give them an end to their lives worthy of the effort they have put in to try and prolong it. Those with unfinished business with the living sometimes have the relevant people informed of the problem by Morana before they die.

She does still have temples of sorts, but they are a far cry from the monoliths of the past. Perhaps a low sanctum surrounded by a garden of fragrant flowers, or something as simple as an altar situated in the middle of the woods. The shrines usually host one or two people looking after them, and the "Temples" host around five. The other acolytes are travellers who move between settlements and deal with last rites and putting down Revenants and Liches. Morana does need a martial arm of her order, as they are occasionally attacked by liches or those who think Morana actually tries to kill people, and these are usually the shrine keepers, who are widespread enough to be the most likely to get assaulted.

As unrest creeps back across the world, so does Morana's worship, and there are whispers of the Death Mother abroad in the common realm again. Seen in the night, silhouetted by the light of the moon and veiled by black silk and lace, one could mistake it for the drunken haze of a desirous traveller if it wasn't for the fact it was mostly soldiers who said as such. Some she had beckoned to her, and they had torn their souls away from her impossible seductions to escape, clutching their wounds. Some told of watching her bury their dead friends and leaving without a word. The most, however, only talked of glimpses caught of her watching over a bloody battle from the corner of their eyes.

She has become somewhat more of an intimidating figure, but when it comes time for her to take someone away, her enchantments are able to take away the fear just as well as they ever were.

[youngbloodlisk]

Worth It // Kim Sunwoo Model AU

Chapter 1

chapter genre: angst, fluff

(note: sunwoo does not appear in the series yet)

Emotionless, numb, and yet full of every feeling possible.

That's what packing up my stuff feels like.

That's what leaving what has been my home since age 15 feels like.

That's what being unsure of my future and career feels like.

I carefully place a designer shirt, a pink one from a shoot last year which they allowed me to keep, into the hanging clothing bag.

I zip up the bag and push it against the others.

Okay, that takes care of the clothes.

I turn away from the closet, looking around my room.

Photos litter the walls, some in frames, some stuck on with a piece of tape, and some held up with a thumbtack.

While I have a few of my magazine issues in the boxes by the door, previously displayed on my bookshelf, none of these photos are professional.

These are Polaroids, photo booths, and cell phone photos. The likes of those.

These don't document my career, they document my life. My friends, my adventures, my travels (although, those trips are credited to my job).

I feel as though I could cry again, but I've cried so much in the past week. I think I'm out of tears now.

"You want some help? That's a lot of photos to take with you." My best friend's voice comes from the doorway.

"I wanna leave them... I don't wanna have to take them anywhere. I don't wanna go anywhere."

Juyeon enters my room and wraps his arms around me from behind, going just slightly on his toes to rest his chin on my head.

"I know you don't. Neither do I. But it'll be okay."

"You don't know that."

"Sure, I do. You'll find a new company faster than you can blink. Have you checked your business email? You may have some offers already. The news is already out that Imaginary Parties is bankrupt, I'm sure other agencies are itching to snag you up."

"That's a nice thought, Ju... But I wanna stay here. This very room. I've lived here for 6 years. I've worked with the same people for 6 years. It's not easy to leave it all."

Juyeon puts his feet flat on the ground and moves his head so it's resting against mine, his lips next to my ear.

"I know." He whispers sweetly.

We stay silent and frozen in our position, besides some swaying back and forth.

He knows all I need is comfort right now.

He always knows what I need, and what I don't need. That's why he's my best friend.

He joined Imaginary Parties Modeling Agency when I was 18 and he was 20. We immediately clicked.

He's been my best friend, my second half, for almost 3 years, and that's part of what scares me the most about Imaginary Parties coming to an end.

I'll probably barely, if ever, see Juyeon.

When I join another agency, and he joins another agency, and our schedules mix about as well as oil and water...

I may only see him on magazine covers and advertisements.

I don't know what I'll do without Lee Juyeon by my side.

"You'll be okay." It's only when he responds that I realize I had mumbled my last thought out loud. "We'll be okay. Who knows, maybe we'll end up at the same place?"

"Not likely."

"With as many shoots as we've done together, it's probably more likely than you think! Hey..." He lets go of me and turns me around to look into his deep, genuine, caring eyes. "Everything is gonna be okay. You have me here?" He points to my heart, and I roll my eyes at his cheesiness.

"Yes, Ju."

"And I have you here." He places his hand on his own heart. "No matter what happens, we have each other. Right?"

"Ju, what if-"

"Right?"

I feel a tear escape my eye, and Juyeon carefully wipes it away with his thumb.

"Right."

He pulls me into a tight hug.

I know he's trying to tell me he loves me.

-----------

Juyeon holds my hand and walks with me to my car.

We just finished packing our stuff into our cars, mine first and then his.

I can feel something start to bubble up in me again. Juyeon senses my mood change.

"You better text me when you get home. I'll do the same. And I keep telling you to check your email! We should compare our offers. Maybe someone reached out to both of us and we'll be back together in an agency a lot faster than you're thinking. And even if we aren't, you know I'm gonna text you constantly. I'll annoy you to death and you'll love it."

I can't help but chuckle.

"You always know what to say, don't you?"

"Only with you." He opens my car door for me before giving me one last hug.

"Have fun in Gwangju. Be safe traveling."

He's about to travel back to his family to visit while he works out a new agency, leaving me in Seoul without him for at least three weeks.

"I will. Again, text me when you get home! I need to know you made it safe."

"I know, I know. I will. I'll see you sometime, Ju."

"I'll see you as soon as possible." He kisses my forehead.

Again, I know that's another way he tells me he loves me without actually saying it.

He let's go of my hand and begins to walk away, heading toward his own car packed full of stuff.

I sigh and repress my tears before getting in my car and driving away from Imaginary Parties for the last time, never to return.

-----------

My phone wakes me up in the middle of the night. I blink my eyes to try to focus on the name on my screen

Lee Juyeon

"Waking me up? He better be alone and stuck in a ditch..."

I swipe across the screen and press the speaker button, far too tired to hold a phone up to my ear right now.

"Ju, it's 3am. Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that! You never text me or called me that you got home safe! At first, I assumed it was just because of service, but nothing ever came through! You did make it home okay, right?"

His extreme concern is both annoying and endearing.

"Yes, Ju. I'm home, in my room, in my bed, previously asleep. And you made it okay?" I rub my face, trying to actually listen and comprehend his answer.

"Yeah, I just got here. Travel wasn't as fast and smooth as anticipated, but I made it."

"That's great. I miss you already, Ju. Can I please sleep now and tell you more about how much I miss you tomorrow?"

"You better. Don't forget this time!" The phone beeps, telling me that he did me the favor of hanging up.

I don't even bother to put my phone back on the nightstand. My hand goes limp as I rapidly fall into sleep and the phone slips out of my grip, without me noticing or caring.

-----------

"What did I tell you? I told you! I told you like... at least twenty times. I knew it! I-"

"Ok, ok, Juyeon, I get it. You were right."

"Can you say that again and let me turn on my laptop screen record this time?"

"Absolutely not."

"Are you gonna accept it?"

"Are you?"

"If you are."

"Well, I'm only going to accept if Juyeon accepts."

"I accept!"

"Then... so do I..."

It begins to set in.

The same agency reached out to both me and Juyeon, Worth It Modeling.

Home to some of the biggest models in the business, and they want us.

Both of us.

We're gonna work together again.

We're gonna live together again.

"Can you believe that we're gonna work with the likes of Ju Haknyeon and Ji Changmin? And Lee Sangyeon? And Choi Chanhee!" Juyeon starts to fanboy over his favorite models.

When I say favorites, I mean he collects all their issues. And displays them better than he displays his own.

"Aw, little Juyeon finally gets to show off his shrine!"

"It is NOT a shrine! And I'll probably keep them in the closet if I'm working with these guys... it's a little weird to have my own co-workers' magazines on stands on a bookshelf..."

I laugh with him, feeling my worries and sadness begin to lift off my shoulders.

Sure, I'm gonna miss Imaginary Parties a lot, but at least I get to work with Juyeon. Not to mention, I'll also be working with some of the best models in Korea being at Worth It.

Maybe everything will be okay.

-----------

"What about the bookshelf stuff?" I pick up a heavy box and drop it carefully onto the bed.

Juyeon purses his lips and opens the box to look at exactly what's inside.

"It can probably all go up on the new bookshelf. But leave the magazine stands in the box, just store the magazines like normal."

I chuckle slightly, remembering the reason he wants me to exclude the stands from the new bookshelf set-up.

Juyeon goes back to organizing his clothes into his closet, and I grab a stack of books from the box to start on the bookshelf.

As I'm sliding books onto the shelf side-by-side, I hear someone enter the room and immediately Juyeon drops something on his foot and cries out in pain.

My attention is drawn to him, but it appears he's okay. Once I see who had walked into the room, I'm no longer confused by the sudden clumsiness.

I have to keep myself from laughing as Juyeon tries to avoid staring at Choi Chanhee, who is going through the other closet to find a jacket.

The irony is anything but lost on me that Juyeon happens to be roomies with his favorite model.

The moment Chanhee leaves the room, Juyeon looks at me with the most shocked expression I've seen on his face in my entire life.

"That's gotta be a joke."

"Good luck, Ju. You're gonna need it."

"Trade with me."

"You realize the name next to my name on my door belongs to a girl?"

"You realize I don't care?"

"No, Juyeon. You just need to learn to not cry every time you see his face."

"I never cry!" Juyeon protests my accusations, knowing I'm right.

"Last year's December issue of NewShot said otherwise."

He rolls his eyes.

"Whatever..."

We both get back to work, when suddenly the silence is broken after about five minutes.

"They put him in a long skirt with red eyeshadow and they painted his nails green, what was I supposed to do? Not cry?"

[belladxne]

i will see you where the shadow ends | chapter 5

[see notes for ao3 and ff links]

part of the put your faith in the light that you cannot see series AU: Breath of the Wild pairing: KiriBaku word count: 6,400

chapter 5: i will hold on hope, and i won’t let you choke on the noose around your neck

Eijiro wakes the next morning to Inko having laid out two simple white shirts and a pair of trousers for him—he can tell as soon as he runs his fingers over the shirts that unlike what he’s wearing now, they’re made of soft and comfortable material. It feels sturdier, too, but that may just be because anything’s bound to feel sturdier than clothes left to rot for a hundred years. Beside them are a padded doublet, clearly designed for warmth, and a pair of thick gloves.

He looks up to see Inko humming as she merrily gathers food for breakfast—eggs and rice. He’s relieved to see she looks none the worse for the wear after losing out on her bed for the night.

“Where did you get these?” he asks, curiously. It’s… not exactly like there are any merchants or tailors able to get up onto the plateau. Inko hums, distracted, before she glances up and seems to remember what he’s talking about, and a bright smile crosses her face.

“They’re old. They were all too big for me, so I took some time last night to tailor the shirts and trousers to something I thought might fit you better.”

“Oh,” he says, looking down at them. He’s focusing real hard on not having a repeat of yesterday—he’s so immensely thankful, but he’s gonna try not to get emotional about it. Well, too emotional about it. Well, okay, he’s already really emotional about it, but he can at least try to not get choked up. “I—thank, you, so much, I really don’t know how I can—”

“If I hear another word about repayment out of you,” she scolds teasingly, but Eijiro can tell she doesn’t have any sort of threat to actually finish the sentence. Still, he gets the message, laughing softly.

“Okay, okay,” he relents, “I just—I really do appreciate it.”

She knows, of course. He’s just glad he’s said it enough to make it clear.

After they finish the omurice Inko’s made, the two of them both get ready for the day. Eijiro’s got a few plans, but his main priority is finding somewhere private and getting this scratchy hell shirt off of himself.

As Inko’s tugging on her boots, she makes a face, more confused than bothered. She pulls the offending boot back off, turning it upside down and giving it a shake, and a familiar-looking seed comes clattering out onto the stone floor. Inko doesn’t pay it any mind, but Eijiro blinks.

“Is that a Korok seed?” he asks, thinking of the five he's collected so far. He hasn’t seen any seeds just loose before—they’ve all come directly from the hands of a tiny forest spirit, delighted to have been found in their odd little hiding spot.

“Hm?” Her tone is distracted, but when she follows his gaze realization crosses her face. “Oh, yes.”

“You see them?” He’d thought—the first Korok he’d met seemed so surprised when he’d seen him. Eijiro thought most people couldn’t…?

“Oh, no, not very often,” Inko replies as she pulls on her other boot and stands, straightening her clothes out. “I think they have more fun playing their games and causing mischief if they keep themselves hidden. But they do seem to like me an awful lot; they’re always leaving me funny little gifts. The seeds only started about a week ago. Why, would you like it?”

Huh. She talks so casually about it, like she has no idea how out of the ordinary it is. Of course, he thinks if he were a Korok, he’d probably think Inko was great, too, but still. It’s a little odd, but it doesn’t take much of his focus as they both carry on with their day. He’s in too much of a rush to find someplace to change to dwell on it.

The verdict when Eijiro does find a more secluded area and get into the new clothes is oh, thank the gods, this is so much better, holy shit. His pants actually reach his ankles. The plain, undyed shirts she’s given him are probably better suited to being undershirts, worn under a tunic or something, but they’re so much better than something itchy and falling apart at the seams.

He might burn the old one, honestly. Or he guesses he could keep it as a rag. Cutting it up could be cathartic.

With that out of the way, Inko had suggested he try fishing, and he at least wants to make sure he leaves her something to have for lunch before he spends all day hiking up cliffs and mountains and undertaking trials. He knows Inko has banned all talk of paying her back, but he figures this is the easiest and sneakiest way to make sure she gets something for her troubles.

He’s just a little proud of how crafty he feels, concocting this plan.

Eijiro finds himself aware of three different facts by the time he’s returning to Inko’s house with two freshly-caught Hyrule bass in hand, and he’s not sure how many of them should have already been obvious.

One—Koroks really are absolutely, ridiculously everywhere. He accidentally found one in the water while he was fishing, and there’s even one hiding out on top of Inko’s house. She must not have been wrong when she said they liked her. He’s genuinely not sure how it took him so long to start running into them yesterday, because it feels like he’s stumbling into one every other step now.

Two—the longer he spends around the plateau, the more he’s forced to realize… there’s something odd about Inko. Like, really odd.

For one, she’s everywhere. Almost every time he’s turned around on this plateau since yesterday, she’s been there. Every time he’s been anywhere near the campfire outside the Shrine of Resurrection, she’s been at the campfire. Every time he’s been anywhere near her house, she’s at her house. When he raised the tower, suddenly she was at the tower. When he did his first shrine trial, she was at the shrine. She pops out of nowhere sometimes, and more than once he’s thought she moved awfully quick for her age.

Then there’s the odd amount of information she knows—and that’s just including what she’s told him. She’d said she didn’t know much about Sheikah buildings, but she’d seemed to know that his slate had been what activated the tower—and then she’d pulled out all sorts of information on his slate, too. And fast travel! She’d also been able to tell him the shrine only started glowing at the same moment the tower had risen, but she’d come from the opposite direction of the shrine.

And there was the day before, too… she’d been so frazzled as soon as he was going to the shrine surrounded by the old machines, and just as much so afterwards. Like she’d known what he was going to run into—why else would she be so scared for him with that shrine, but not the other?

He thinks maybe he’s just being paranoid, like when he’d jumped to the conclusion that he’s dead, or been fully convinced he’d gotten possessed, but he can’t shake the feeling that there might just be more to Inko than she’s admitting. It’s not like it matters, though—he can’t mistrust her, even if it is true. She’s done too much to help for him to ever be able to believe she could be untrustworthy.

And three—his little scheme to repay Inko right under her nose was doomed from the start.

He was going to just leave her the fish and go forage something for himself that he won’t have to cook to take up the mountain, but the second he offers her the fish, she puts him to work. She’s not letting him go up the peaks at the southern end of the plateau unprepared, she informs him very adamantly, and so instead she takes the next hour and then some to walk him through the recipe and cooking processes of several more dishes.

She tells him all about how when spicy peppers are cooked right, they make the body run warmer—and makes sure he sees how she does it when she cooks them into a meat and seafood fry with the last of the fox meat from last night, and an abundance of seafood rice balls. She wraps them all carefully in parcels made of paper, to keep them until he needs to eat them.

He’s a little afraid his mouth won’t survive the dishes, with all those peppers cooked in, but she swears that between them and the warm doublet and gloves she’d given him, he’ll be comfortable for as long as he has to spend on the snow-covered cliffs. He’s grateful, but he’s also been foiled as she uses all of the food that he’d meant for her to help him.

He’s going to do something nice for her to make up for this all, he’s really going to. Eventually he’ll find an act of kindness she can’t counter!

As much as he wishes he’d been able to get away with his little plot, he’s barely five minutes up the path behind the Temple of Time before he’s so glad for the spicy dishes. The padded doublet she’d given him didn’t cover his arms, but he thought he’d been smart about accounting for that—as much at it had pained him, he’d put his first, awful, itchy shirt back on and then layered both of his new shirts over it.

Unfortunately, the layers only did so much, and he could feel the wind whipping through them and biting at his arms. But Inko had had his back—so he’d pulled out the meat and seafood fry, torn the paper back, and gone to town on the meal as he walked along the riverbank.

Yes, his mouth was absolutely on fire like he’d feared, and he might be crying, like, just a little bit, but he’s sweating within minutes. He’d be kept warm as long as he hurried and was smart about rationing the food, exactly as she’s promised. If that came at the expense of looking ridiculous as he walked along with his mouth wide open in hopes the frigid air would soothe his burning mouth, then so be it.

When he reaches the bridge he’d seen on the map, he has a problem. He hadn’t noticed that the bridge is collapsed—the supports are all still there, but most of the planks on his side of the river have fallen through. He spends just enough time despairing over the prospect of having to go all the way back to try and go around the river the other way to feel frustration welling up intensely, but then, of course, he remembers.

He can fucking do magic now. He had to walk past the giant, ruined metal doors of a collapsed gate just beside this bridge to even inspect the damage—after the hour and a half he’d spent puzzling out every potential creative usage of the magnesis rune in the shrine yesterday, he can’t believe it takes him as long as five minutes to think of laying the two massive doors over the gaps in the bridge.

It’s not the neatest job, or the most stable, but it gets him across safely enough. He does allow himself to be a little proud of his problem solving.

He’s all over the southern side of the plateau for the next few hours. The worst of his difficulties are over after the bridge, and the path to both shrines are mostly straightforward apart from a couple of surprise Koroks—seriously, even in the cold, high altitudes? They’re forest spirits, where’s the forest here?—and a handful of monster camps.

At Keh Namut Shrine, Eijiro spends over an hour figuring out all the applications of the cryonis rune—which allows him to make solid pillars of ice erupt out of any source of water. Even if his water source is shallow, barely ankle-deep, the pillars are always at least eight feet tall, and the great blocks of ice will even erupt sideways out of waterfalls. This… he thinks this one might be the most useful yet.

He can use it for a vantage point, for cover, to get to things out of his reach, to lift things out of the water, as stepping stones or bridges… and, if Inko’s idea to get him off the plateau doesn’t work, he might just be able to use it to hop down the waterfall that spills off the plateau, pillar by pillar.

He finally feels like he’s made tangible progress.

Owa Daim Shrine, across the plateau, isn’t so simple to reach. He’s left with only one spicy seafood rice ball by the time he’s painstakingly scaling down to where the shrine rests, halfway up the cliffside, but he’s relieved at least that the temperature becomes more bearable on its own the lower he goes. He can save the rice ball for the return trip and move quickly.

Inside the shrine, the pattern holds, and he’s gifted another rune: the stasis rune. The description the slate gives him of this rune takes longer for him to puzzle out than the others—it uses phrases like ‘storing kinetic energy’ and ‘stopping an object in time’, the first phrase confusing him for lack of surety at its meaning, the second confusing him for lack of ability to visualize its possibility.

Thankfully, the trial the shrine offers, just like the others, is nothing if not a perfect set of puzzles to allow him to figure it out. The rune has a wide range of uses—securing safe passageways from moving or unstable objects, halting oncoming projectiles and other dangers, and making temporarily immovable obstacles for others to traverse, to name the ones he grasps quickest.

The most important use, however, is the one where the stored energy comes into play—it takes him a little to work it out, but once he does, he’s able to send even the most giant of obstacles flying out of his path. And to use them as projectiles. Even large, heavy stones can be moved by something as insignificant as arrows shot from a distance, as long as he hits it with enough of them for the force to compound. It’s awesome, and it gives him the same giddy delight that the magnesis rune had.

When the last of the monks hidden away in the shrines on this plateau fades to nothing, Eijiro can’t really deny that this spirit thing they keep doing to him is really getting to him. He might not be possessed, sure, but the bizarre feeling that’s overtaken him after each ‘gift’ has only gotten stronger with each instance, and it’s not fading.

There’s—something, he’s not sure, an energy maybe, that feels like it’s thrumming under his skin and the sensation is so unsettling. It’s supposed to be the strength of their spirits, or whatever they’d said, but he doesn’t feel stronger, necessarily, just—just—just very noticeably affected!

He can feel whatever it is and it’s distracting. He’s not sure how it’s supposed to help him.

It’s late afternoon by the time Eijiro emerges from the entrance to the shrine, and he’s confronted with the obvious evidence that his most worrisome of theories is true. Inko is not a normal old woman; can’t be.

She can’t be, because there she stands, on the wide ledge that houses Owa Daim Shrine, and there’s just no way a simple old woman could be here. There’s no possible explanation for it. She’d either have had to cross a wide chasm behind her house and then scale the cliffside up to reach him, or hiked the unforgiving eastern slopes of the plateau and then scaled the cliffside down. Neither is a reasonable task for a woman of her age.

So—so there it is, then. He knows now. There’s something odd about Inko, something she’s been keeping from him about her nature. He’s obviously not so surprised as he could be, but it’s still—it’s still—hard to process that the woman who’s helped him so much has been lying to him. All he can manage is a quiet, “Oh.”

“Hello, Eijiro,” she greets him, but her heart is clearly not entirely in it. There’s something in her tone—she obviously knows as well as he does that this marks the end of—of whatever simple and easy experience they’ve been having together so far. A change is coming whether she chooses to explain what she’s been hiding or not, and they both understand that.

“So, you’ve finally explored all the plateau’s shrines,” she notes, a gentle and rueful smile just barely touching at her features. Eijiro can only nod as he shuffles his feet, watching her with equal parts expectation and dread. “You worked hard to reach them all. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks,” he manages, tone barely audible.

Inko sighs. “That means it’s time, I think, to finally give you an explanation. I can’t keep shielding you from the worst of it forever, and I think you’ve more than earned the right to hear… well, everything.”

Eijiro doesn’t know how to respond, there’s too much going through his mind—he opens his mouth to say—to ask—something, anything to grant him some clarification, but the words get caught in his throat. He stands there with his mouth opened somewhat helplessly, but it seems Inko wasn’t intending to wait for a response.

“Meet me at the temple of time,” she requests gently. “I’ll be waiting for you there, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

“Why—” There’s so many questions he needs to ask that all start with that word, that they all tumble over each other before he can sort them out, but the most pressing of them is, of course, why can’t you explain it here? He wants to ask, but Inko smiles apologetically, and she—

—she just fades.

It startles him, when he suddenly realizes that he can see through her, just a little bit—and then just a little bit more, and then all at once he almost yelps as she starts to glow and eerie flames spring up around her. It’s not like watching the monks turn into motes of light that disperse up and away; she stays in one piece, but the light emanating off of her and the color of the flames hovering near to her are the same otherworldly blue-green glow.

Shaken, Eijiro stares blankly at the spot where she disappears for a few moments after she’s gone, before slowly he sinks down to sit on the surface of the shrine. It’s only a minute, that’s all he needs, but—but he closes his eyes and uses all of that minute to try and process, and work through as much of what he’s seen since awakening as he can.

The temple somehow seems more daunting when he emerges onto the path that leads from it, rubbing at his arms.

He takes a steadying breath, eyeing the decayed machines that dot the front of the structure around its entrance, and then shifts his gaze to the side of the building instead. On the side facing him, one of the massive, soaring windows that reach the entire height of the temple is empty—both of glass and the metal bars that make up the decoration and frame of the other windows.

The temple is huge, so with the window being one of the ones nearest to the back of the structure, it’s a good distance away from the closest machine. And Inko hadn’t said he had to come in the front door of the structure, so—he doesn’t feel any shame in beelining towards the window, hoisting himself up, and toppling with at least some amount of grace into the sweeping structure.

The space is incredibly open—not just due to the high, vaulted ceiling or the lack of walls in the giant structure, but because a massive hole has been ripped out of almost the entire front half of the opposite side of the building. He only barely notices that, though, because the feature that claims his attention—nearly all of it—

—is a stylized, towering winged statue of Bakusatsuo that dominates the space. It’s stationed to his right, against the back wall of the temple, and it must be fifteen feet tall, at least. And it’s glowing. Faint, iridescent light seems to be shining straight up from the bottom and Eijiro just… is drawn to it.

He hasn’t even looked around for Inko yet, but his feet carry him towards the figure without him really having to think about it. It’s a crude and simple likeness of the god in the way all the shrines to him across the country are, not proportioned in such a way as to actually resemble a real being, and the statue’s hands are spread out to its sides, palms up. The expression isn’t incredibly detailed, but Eijiro thinks most people would see it as calm, if not quite serene. But Eijiro—he swears its eyes follow him as he approaches, and he would swear the look carved into its face was almost tender.

He climbs the steps that lead up to the statue and instinctively drops to one knee before it, though he doesn’t bow his head in prayer. He keeps his eyes upturned to meet the figure’s gaze as the faint light at its feet seems to flare, almost like it’s reaching for him, and Eijiro swears he feels something like fondness radiating off of the statue, towards him.

You’ve done well, comes a faint whisper at the edge of his mind, and it—it sounds so much like the voice in Hyrule Castle. It’s so similar but—but it’s not quite the same, and Eijiro feels his jaw drop.

A warmth settles over him that somehow feels like the voice sounds, and that bizarre energy he’s felt humming under his skin finally dissipates. It’s not exactly like it goes away, more like it—like it finally settles, almost. It feels like the strange force that’s been lingering there finally seeps into him fully, and finally feels like it’s part of him. He realizes, when it finally happens, that he does feel stronger. Heartier, like Inko had said. Some of the aches and soreness that have built up in the past couple of days fade, just a little, as he stares at the statue in awe.

Go, and bring peace to Hyrule…

Like that, the glowing fades, and Eijiro almost feels like he imagined it all. That’s… he’s pretty sure Bakusatsuo just spoke to him. The god. The patron god of Hyrule. Beloved of the Three Goddesses and protector of the entire realm, and he’d spoken to Eijiro. With clear affection in his tone. It’s… unreal.

“Eijiro!” Inko’s voice hails him, startling him out of his moment of shock. He stands, the motion stiff with his distraction, and it takes him a few moments to locate her once he’s turned around. Of all the places to spot her, it turns out she’s peering down at him through the gaping hole in the partially collapsed roof.

“You’ll have to meet me up here, I’m afraid,” she calls down to him, before both her luminous figure and the tongues of blue-green fire that hover around her retreat out of his sight.

Eijiro stares at the spot he’d last seen her and he gives a shaky sigh. He doesn’t know what’s coming, but he wants to, very badly. So he’s going to find out.

There’s a ladder that runs the height of the building.

Even though it stands just beside the collapsed temple wall—on the far end from the machines, thankfully—it remains intact. Stable, even, though he figures out about a third of the way up that he needs to let his dragonscales overtake his hands if he doesn’t want to get splinters.

Inko is visible immediately from across the definitely unsound and precarious roof, waiting in the tower of the steeple at the front of the temple, still emitting that eerie light.

Balancing his way across the peak of the roof, he pulls himself up the rubble into the steeple to meet her, and despite having all this time to figure out where to begin, he’s—he’s still at a loss for words. Inko seems nearly as unsure how to start as he is—or simply reluctant. Either way, she heaves a mild sigh and attempts a sad smile.

“You’ve done so well since waking up, Kirishima Eijiro. I hope you know that,” she says, voice emphatic if a little quiet and somber. He startles at the full name—it’s—he hadn’t even given thought to whether Eijiro was his given or family name, let alone what the rest of his name might be. He’s had so much else on his mind. And this whole time—this whole time, Inko has known it? And not said anything?

“You don’t know me,” she continues with her eyes downcast. “At least—not very well, my son only brought you around a few times, and we never really spoke. But my name is Midoriya Inko. You should know, Eijiro—I know I’ve told you some, but the kingdom is not like it was when you entered your slumber. The Kingdom of Hyrule… it doesn’t exist anymore.”

Eijiro swallows, but he nods when her eyes flick up to gauge his reaction. The ruins everywhere—the monstrosity enshrouding the castle—the scarcity in meeting or even seeing other people—it all points to the same conclusion. He doesn’t remember much—anything, really. He can’t say if he’s ever been to any of the ruins that dot the landscape as far as the eye can see, can’t say if he ever knew anyone that lived in any of them—but he can say that he knows, knows deeply and inherently the wrongness of it all, to see or even think about.

The kingdom, or lack of it, isn’t how he’d remember if he could, and he knows that.

As Inko speaks, a transformation seems to come over her—she looks the same, and yet, there appears another version of her like a second image overlaid atop. Decades younger, maybe only forty or so.

“The Great Calamity was merciless when it swept out over the kingdom. There was nothing in its path that it didn’t devastate a century ago. I was one of the few who were lucky—the Sheikah village was remote and hard to reach, and well out of the Calamity’s focus. I lived a long, full life after it was said and done, but I couldn’t bring myself to move on, because… well, I’m getting ahead of myself.”

Inko heaves a sigh once more, and the look she gives Eijiro is apologetic. “There’s a lot I haven’t told you, but you have to understand. What you’ve been through—it was awful, Eijiro, and it would traumatize anyone. It would have been unfair and dangerous to overwhelm you with too much horrible news so soon after you woke, with your memory still fragile. I’m sorry.”

“I...” Eijiro manages, but his voice is weak. Overwhelmed is exactly the word for it, so he understands, but he only has more questions because of the time spent keeping things from him. He just wants to know already. “It’s… it’s okay.”

“Such a sweet boy,” she echoes the sentiment she’d told him last night quietly, before seeming to steel herself as she turns away to face the view of the castle through the steeple’s window. “But you’re ready, now, I think, to hear what happened one hundred years ago. All for One… that horrible monstrosity we can see from here—the stories said that long ago, that demon king was born into this kingdom, before he transformed into… into that.”

“I… I remember the legends, I think,” Eijiro tells her honestly. “That… that he’d barely been more than a fairy tale, a scary story people told, but—but didn’t really believe until… more recently.”

It’s so frustrating, what he does remember and where the blanks are instead. He remembers the tales, remembers that there’d been a shift from them being treated as fiction to being treated as an impending reality, but he doesn’t remember when or why.

Inko, for her part, nods, and seems to pick up on his frustration. “There was a prophecy,” she informs him, “Maybe twenty years or so before the Calamity came to pass. We knew it would be coming back, but the prophecy also promised a way to stop it, lying dormant beneath the ground. The Sheikah, the royal family—the entire kingdom came together, to try and find the aid the prophecy mentioned, and they were quick to find several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors.”

“The Divine Beasts,” Eijiro supplies, though his tone isn’t certain. But—but he knows this information, he thinks.

“Yes. Four giant machines, to be piloted by warriors,” she says, affirming the information that he thinks he has in his mind. “And, later, we discovered creations our research eventually taught us were called Guardians.”

The lifeless robots, decaying and overgrown with nature, which dot the plateau flash into his mind as his breath catches and his fists clench. As soon as she says the name, he’s sure of it.

“They were meant to be an army of mechanical soldiers, that fought autonomously to aid us. We realized—in the ancient legends we’d heard echoed so often, many of them told of these machines. That meant all of the legends—the prince with a sacred power, and his appointed knight who was chosen by the Sword that Seals the Darkness, who were the only ones who could truly seal All for One away with the aid of the relics we were discovering—all of it must be true.”

Yes, he knows those legends. Everyone knows those legends—there were far more of them than simply the ones centered around these ancient creations.

“One hundred years ago, there was a prince who would come to wield that power,” Inko continues, before she turns her head to meet Eijiro’s eyes, “and a skilled knight who fought at his side. The path laid before us was obvious, even without the prophecy. There were too many legends that echoed it all. So four Champions were chosen from across the kingdom to pilot the Divine Beasts, and together with the prince and his appointed knight, we were so sure we would be able to turn back All for One’s assault the moment it began. We had—we had all the pieces in place, after all.”

With that, Inko’s voice suddenly breaks. She turns away from Eijiro once more, with her hands pressed to her eyes. “We didn’t know—we couldn’t have—we never realized, All for One had spent all of those thousands of years plotting to—we never imagined it would appear from below Hyrule Castle itself, or take control of the Guardians and Divine Beasts. All that time spent restoring the machines to—to protect, and—”

Eijiro’s heart breaks with how devastated she sounds, and he stumbles forwards a few steps, reaching out a hand to—to—he doesn’t know, but he just wants to help. He wants to fix this, though he knows there’s no changing what’s already happened. He doesn’t remember any of this, but it hurts to hear, hurts to imagine.

“The Champions were killed, so many in the castle, in nearly every town nearby—and the appointed knight nearly lost his life in protection of the prince. He almost didn’t survive his wounds, he was in no shape to continue the fight. If the prince hadn’t survived, and returned to the castle with—with another chosen of Farore—if they hadn’t gone to fight the beast, alone, there would have been no hope for those who survived.”

Taking a shuddering breath, Inko chokes off the beginning of a sob, and Eijiro stumbles the last few steps forward to place a hand on her shoulder. It’s little comfort after everything, but she sags with the gesture.

“Eijiro, that other chosen of Farore… he’s my baby, my Izuku, and he’s risking his life to help Prince Katsuki hold All for One off. And the courageous knight, the one who kept Prince Katsuki safe until the very end, so that he could make it there at all…. Oh, Eijiro, honey, it was you. You were so brave, you did—you did so well, but even you couldn’t endure such an onslaught.”

Despite the tears still flowing freely down her face—and, shit, he realizes now that his own cheeks are wet, though he doesn’t remember any of this—she lays her hand over his on her shoulder, and the gesture somehow feels comforting even though he was the one trying to comfort her.

“You were carried here, to the Shrine of Resurrection, and spent one hundred years healing. I couldn’t rest with my Izuku still trapped in the castle, and I couldn’t bear to think of you awakening here alone, with no one to turn to, so my spirit settled here naturally when I died. I’ve been looking after you as best I can. And… and the voice you’ve been hearing, guiding you since you woke, that’s Prince Katsuki himself.”

Eijiro’s eyes pull from her face, and he finds himself looking out towards the castle with a feeling of desperation. Katsuki. That’s the name he can put to the voice. Katsuki, fighting with Izuku. Katsuki, who asked for his help.

“He’s still there, with my baby, fighting to restrain the Calamity, and—oh, Eijiro, honey, you’re so young to ask this of you, all three of you boys, you’re all so young—but they won’t be able to hold out for much longer before they’re going to need you. You’re—you’re the only one who can help them stop the Calamity from consuming all life left in the land. It’s so unfair to ask this of you, I—I can hardly bear to, but please save my son. Please bring my Izuku home, and destroy All for One before it can destroy anything else.”

Clearing his throat and swallowing roughly, Eijiro manages, “I will. I’ll—I’ll do it.”

This only makes Inko cry harder. “You shouldn’t have to. I’m so sorry.” She turns and embraces him suddenly, and the feeling now that she’s revealed her nature as a spirit is odd. Somehow warm and cold at the same time, but it doesn’t matter—he wraps his arms around her tightly. When she speaks again, her voice is muffled against the doublet she’d given him.

“You can’t go to the castle yet. Even Prince Katsuki wouldn’t expect that of you. There are things you still need to know, and—and All for One still has control of the Divine Beasts, and all of the Guardians. Please, please promise me you won’t make straight for the castle.”

“But...” Eijiro’s voice is still wobbly, and his hands are still too occupied to try wiping at his eyes. “I have to help them. Where else...”

Inko pulls back as he trails off, and she does her best to draw to her full height and look stern through a faceful of openly flowing tears. “You won’t be helping them or anyone else by charging off towards certain death before you’re fully recovered from your slumber. You should make for Kakariko Village, down the eastern road that cuts between the Dueling Peaks. The young man who leads the Sheikah, Aizawa, was an advisor to the Prince, and he’ll be able to give you counsel on the best steps for you to take. You’ll want to speak to him.”

Eijiro’s brow furrows, and he casts a look at the castle. Katsuki needs him, had asked him to hurry. “How long do I have? Before they run out of time in the castle? Do you know?”

“Long enough,” Inko says firmly, though the effect is somewhat undermined by the sniffle that follows. “Prince Katsuki would expect you to be smart about this, and he would know that will take time. Meet with Aizawa.”

Every fiber of his being wants to charge off, but… as painful as it is to promise, he tears his gaze from the castle to meet Inko’s eyes, and nods numbly. “Okay. I will.”

Relief floods Inko’s features. “Thank you. And you—you’ll need these.” She turns, then, to grab something he hadn’t noticed before; a pack that’s considerably less aged than his current one, with lots of different compartments. Flapping one such compartment open, she withdraws what she’d been seeming to work on the night before, and holds it out to him.

What he’d mistaken for a blanket, he now sees could never have been one—it’s too small, and the fabric is more like canvas, though it’s not quite as stiff. Still, he can tell that air won’t flow through the fabric easily, and even water would have a hard time soaking the material. He takes it from her, noting two wooden handles that run the length of its sides. “What’s…?”

“It’s a paraglider,” she informs him, managing a small smile. “It will support your weight and let you glide down from the plateau. And this bag is enchanted by Koroks. It belonged to my son, but he didn’t think… he didn’t think he would need it, to go to the castle. Each of its compartments can hold much more than it should, and it will be nearly weightless.”

He looks up from the gifts to meet her eyes once more, and the tear tracks on both their cheeks are still wet as he breathes, “Thank you. For everything.”

Inko’s smile grows, and she begins to fade once more as she presses the bag into his hands. “The best way to thank me is by staying safe. Take care, Eijiro. I’m so proud of you.”

Fifteen minutes later sees Eijiro standing at the very eastern edge of the plateau. The sun is setting, and the wise thing to do would be to rest for the night and set out in the morning, so he isn’t traveling in the dark.

Eijiro can’t wait. Impatience hums in his veins, making him twitchy and full of restless energy. Katsuki needs him, Inko’s son needs him, and he needs to be doing something. He won’t be able to stand the wait. So Eijiro takes a deep breath, new bag strapped to his back and paraglider clutched tightly in his hands.

And he leaps.

[babyspiderling]

The Moonwalker and the Time-Traveler Prologue

California, 2020

 “Ms. L/N, I suggest you wake up for my class if you want to pass this course.” I blink up at my professor, it seems that I fell asleep during history class again. “I’m sorry Professor Berkley, I was up all last night with my roommate tinkering all night.” At that he softens, a grandfatherly look in his eye. “Oh Y/N, I understand, but if you truly want to be a history major, you have to stay awake! I will not simply give you a free pass while trying to adjust, just please, try to stay awake in my class.” Standing, I nod. “Yes sir. I’ll do my best.” After this, I am dismissed and head back to my dorm room to hopefully catch a nap. 

Kicking the door shut, I move to collapse onto my bed, but am blocked by whatever my engineering major roommate has built in the dorm for his latest project. “Seriously dude? Don’t you have a lab for this kind of stuff?” I kick off my shoes and do my best to move around it, finally, truly collapsing onto my bed. I fall asleep quickly, hopefully revisiting the dream I had during class. 

Lord knows how much later, I wake up to my roommate continuing to tinker on his project. Grumbling under my pillow, “Danny, don’t you have a lab for this shit? Why do you have to do it here, I’m sleeping in classes because of this!” He sheepishly lifts his head up to respond. “Uh, well, I uh… It’satimemachine.” Snapping my head up, I question “It’s a what?” Once again he looks shy and guilty. “It’s a, uh, Time Machine. Or at least that’s what I’m wanting it to be. I’m still working on it.” Well, I’m definitely awake now. “So, like, what’s the problem?” Finally putting down his tools, Danny turns to me, “It should work. I ran the simulations and used the one that worked. It’s just… not connecting I guess.” Glancing at the clock, it’s getting late. “Look Danny, I’m going to clean up some of my stuff. Go get some food. I know you haven’t eaten yet.” With a defeated sigh, Danny agrees and leaves the room. I slip into a pair of shorts and an old David Bowie tour shirt I had found at a thrift store. Picking up things here and there, folding abandoned pieces of laundry, I hum and bop around the room, dancing along to “Working Day and Night”, practicing turns and isolations to the beat. Taking a deep breath I prep and spin as fast and as long as I can, but my foot slips out from under me. I tumble to the floor, tripping over some cord. Oh well, it’s probably Danny's “mood lighting”, I plug it in and decide to check out the “Time Machine”. “Ground Control to Major Tom! Prepare for lift-off!” I press random buttons, dicking around and typing 1984, then some other buttons. “Huh, sucks it really doesn’t work. It’d be cool if you really could time travel.” Once again I trip over Danny’s junk on the floor of the project and slam into one last button I had yet to press. On the way down I hit my head, and the world went black as a whirring sound filled my ears. 

Waking up, I find myself in a room about the size of mine, decorated much like my side of the dorm, with a funky retro feeling to it. “Danny, this isn’t funny, I get it, I’m gullible for believing the machine was real. Now how the Hell did you change all this so quick… and get rid of the machine?” I continue searching the room for Danny, and realise that the sun had already risen hours ago. I may have been out for longer than I thought, and come crashing into a body. Awesome! Now I can really teach that boy a lesson for pulling that. “Hey, what are you doing in my dorm? Nice shirt by the way, I was at the Anaheim show a couple months ago. That’s where you got the shirt, right?” I blink at the guy my age, still processing the amount of denim and hair products he has decided to use for the day. “What? Oh, uh, my shirt. Wait, did you say you saw him in Anaheim a couple months ago? What year are you from?” He knits his brows together. “1984. Are you ok? Did you get a bad hit or something? Do I need to call someone for you?” I space myself from him, the stimulation of this whole situation too much. “No, no I’m ok. What’s today’s date?” His eyes are still filled with concern as he replies with January 26th 1984, and that I’m still at University of Redlands, just 36 years before I attend. “Wait, January 26th, why does that sound so familiar? I hear Beat It blare down the hall and I can practically see the light bulb above my head. “Do you know how to get to the Shrine Auditorium?” 

We zip down the highway on Tyler’s motorcycle, making a trip down to L.A. He had me explain my whole ordeal to him before he just drove me to a random concert venue. It took a bit to convince him, but the second I pulled my smartphone out he was on board. He pulls off to a strip mall and helps me dismount. “Wait, why are we at a mall? I need to get to that venue before security secures it.” He just rolls his eyes. “If you want to get in and stay in without too much attention, you need to look a little bit different. Time to fit in.” He drags me into store after store, and I finally piece together a “Bad” inspired outfit. A black crop top slips off one shoulder, leather pants pull tight around my legs and hips, a blood red leather jacket drapes my shoulders, and matching leather boots clutch my feet. “Tyler, this is too much. I can’t even pay you back.” He rolls his eyes and pays for the clothes, letting me keep my own hoops and rings. “Look, just meeting a time traveler is cool, dressing one is even better. When you get back home and you still want to pay me back, we’ll figure it out. Let’s get you to the moonwalker himself.” 

As we pull into the parking lot for the venue, there isn’t another soul in sight. “Hey, here’s my address, if you ever want to mail me, or just let me know that you’re doing ok.” He hands me a slip of paper, and I hug him tightly. “Thank you Tyler, I am forever in your debt. If you’re anywhere near the university in 2020, let me know.” With that, he rides back home into the sunset, and I sneak into the venue before security shows up. 

It’s a good thing I like the song Billie Jean, because I have heard it about 72 times in the last hour. During sound check alone I almost lost my mind, with just the baseline intro playing for 30 minutes. As I hear the cue from the director that it is time to actually film the commercial. I hear “Take One!” in the distance and I ditch my jacket behind a stack of crates, my phone hidden in the pocket. I find the side entrance of the stage as take 3 is anounced. I crouch down in a runners position at take 5, launching myself at take 6. Michael nears the pyrotechnic and I slam my body into his as it goes off, now missing him by inches. There are screams of terror and shock as we fly through the air, now spun so that I land on my back, Michael on top of me. His brothers quickly help him up and off of me as I am seized by security, doing my best to put as little weight on my now injured ankle as possible. I raise my hands in surrender, trying to think my way out of this. “Look! Look, I can explain all of this, including how I knew that this take wasn’t going to go well. Let me explain and I will never try to contact any of you again!” Everyone around me exchanges glances, deciding whether to trust me or not. Tito steps forward, his eyes full of scrutiny. “Alright girl, explain.” I sigh and grimace in pain. “I can’t do it out here. Too many people. And my evidence of my claims are in my jacket backstage.” He glances back at Michael, nodding in response to his younger brother. I am escorted backstage, am allowed to sit down to relieve my ankle, and I start my story. “I’m from the future, 36 years in the future to be a bit more specific. I’m not crazy.” Michael crouches down in front of me, “If you’re really a time traveler I would love to talk about the future with you!” He’s nudged and given a look from his older brothers, and his smile is dimmed a bit. “But if you’re from the future, wouldn’t you know songs I haven’t released yet?” I nod my head, but I get hit with the issue of Thriller already being released and the “Bad” sessions not yet started for at least another 6 months, if not more. I flip through the collection of Michael songs I know by heart, trying to find one he’s recorded but not yet released. “Oh! I know about “Love never felt so good”! The one you recorded with Paul Anka! I can sing it for you!” I start at the chorus, my brain too frazzled to remember it’s entirety. Everyone else who knows about the song exchanges looks, one brother even shouting questions of how I knew it. “It’s on my phone, and I’m from the future. All your music’s been released. Well, almost all of it. There’s still tracks from your upcoming session that I have yet to find. Here, I can show you.” Lifting myself from my seat, I reach to retrieve my jacket from behind the crates. Everyone watches me with baited breath, wanting to see what the time traveler will pull out next. I pull out my phone and search for the Xscape album. I press play on the original track and Michael's voice rings out from the speaker. I switch it up to “Working Day and Night”, what I was listening to before I got here. 

“Look, I can play you anything you’ve already recorded. I just can’t play you anything you haven’t done yet. Those are the rules.” Michael escorts me back to his dressing room to ask me questions about the future since I am no longer seen as crazy. “Are there flying cars ? What about people living in space? Are there aliens?” I giggle at his excitement. “Well, we do have people living in space, it isn’t commercialized yet, so you and I couldn’t go. We don’t have flying cars, but we do have self driving ones. And there are no known aliens yet. Music is accessible though. If I had any service in 1984, I could play you any song any time from anyone. I could listen to “Wanna be Startin Somethin���” for 3 days straight if I wanted to. All I’d have to do is type it in and press play.” His eyes sparkle in awe of the future. He opens his mouth to ask more questions, but Jermaine and another man enters the room before he can get a word out, “Come on Mike, we need to finish the commercial. This is an EMT we had on site, he’s here to fix her ankle.” As Michael leaves his seat, I grab his hand. “Please, don’t let them turn the pyrotechnics back on. Please.” He nods and pats my hand before leaving the room. The EMT removes my new boots and my ankle swells before my eyes, no longer constrained in the tight leather. We make small talk as he works until the commercial is done recording. 

[gleam-and-darken]

Zelda AU #2: The Triplets

The sketch is rough at best, but Zelda is supposed to look like she does pre-calamity, Tetra looks like the girl from the BotW 2 trailer (because it is her, I might explain that later if anyone’s interested), and Sheik has his design from Smash Ultimate. This is really just my take on the twins AU which was originally created by someone else (rockingthegraveyard, I believe).

https://triforce-princess.tumblr.com/post/627266504652668928/this-is-awesome-your-brain-is-so-good

Anyways, I was thinking of what this might actually look like as a fleshed-out story, and I decided that Zelda’s twin could be named Tetra. And then I thought, “hey, we can’t leave Sheik out!” And so here we are. Basically, thanks to her siblings, Zelda is able to stop the calamity and (almost) everyone lives happily ever after. I don’t actually plan on writing this into a formal story so this is a long post where I just dump a lot of my ideas concerning the trio. I will not be writing this into a story, because I’ve never played BotW and I fear I would get everything wrong, but you’re welcome to! If someone ends up writing something based on this, I’d love to know so I can read it. I also have lots more ideas about this, so if you want more content (aside from this ridiculously long post), just ask!

Zelda is technically the oldest, although it hardly matters since they’re triplets. Thanks to this, she is arbitrarily the one who had all of the responsibilities heaped upon her. She’s pretty similar to how she appears in BotW, except Link isn’t even a potential love interest for her. He’s just her knight whom she’s gradually grown close to - as a friend.

Tetra is the middle child, and by far the most troublesome. She is outgoing, adventurous, brash, and basically everything you don’t want in a princess. King Rhoam tried to raise her to be proper, constantly reminding her that it was the hero’s (Link’s) duty to be the courageous one, not the princess. This often resulted in her running away and threatening to join the gerudo. She and Revali got along like a house on fire, often bonding over how overrated Link is. She absolutely hates Link, because to her, he represents not her failures, but the failures of her country and family. Why can’t a princess with no triforce be the hero as well? She makes no attempt to hide her distaste for him, although she might have changed her perspective a little if she realized that Link actually greatly admired her. It’s too bad that he was too scared of her to tell her himself. Speaking of being too scared to admit things, the one thing Tetra can’t bring herself to say aloud is that she has a huge crush on Princess Mipha.

Sheik is the little brother, known as the quiet one. Unlike his eldest sister, he knows how to fight, but hates doing so. He would much rather prefer to be exploring the lonely areas of the wild, or researching ancient tech with Zelda. He’s trans, and while his sisters support him and his father respects that, King Rhoam also saw that as an excuse to ignore him. After all, the legends never told of princes doing anything noteworthy. Thus, the king, and by extension almost everyone in Hyrule, more or less forgot about their quiet prince. The champions knew about him and were varying degrees of nice to him, especially Lady Urbosa, which was more than almost everyone he met could say. He didn’t mind it too much, and didn’t even realize that it was wrong until after his father was dead.

Link had a varied relationship with the triplets. Originally, both Zelda and Tetra despised him, because he reminded them of everything wrong in Hyrule - Zelda’s own self doubt, and Tetra’s failed attempts to become her own hero. Since his two sisters were always talking about how much they hated having this royal knight follow Zelda around, Sheik grew to dislike him as well, despite having never met in person. However, there was a time in the castle when Tetra practically kidnapped Zelda and whisked her away to an unknown location in Hyrule, sending everything into chaos. Sheik was pretty sure that they were both in on it and were simply trying to prove how well they could manage without Link, but they hadn’t informed him of their plan before they left, so he really had no idea. What he did know was that they left Link behind, and now the royal knight was panicking because he thought the king would blame him for letting his daughters vanish, and feared he’d be at the very least jailed.

Link, to his surprise, was not punished - the king was too busy cursing his own tomboyish daughter - but was sent to go find them alongside a team of Hyrulean soldiers. Not wanting to look useless, Sheik joined the quest. In their travels, Sheik discovered that Link was actually a lot like himself, just in completely different circumstances (and much more reckless, unfortunately), and the knight found that the prince was one of the few people who didn’t meet him with impossibly high expectations, for which he was thankful. They became fast friends, although since they both said an average of ten words a week combined, their friendship often looked more like them being present in the same room.

Much later, after both princesses had returned to the castle (“of our own accord,” Tetra had reminded everyone within earshot), the king doubled down on Zelda discovering her powers. She and her knight were rarely seen around the castle, always visiting springs and whatnot, while Zelda’s siblings were left at the castle doing... basically nothing. They were both training constantly for a battle that they were beginning to believe would never come.

Their seventeenth birthday started like any other day. They were at the castle while Zelda and her knight were off at another spring to pray, along with the champions. Then all hell broke loose. (Literally.) Something monstrous decided to rear its ugly head from under Hyrule Castle, and it took over the guardians to boot. Of course, both Tetra and Sheik became extremely concerned for their older sister, since she probably couldn’t fight a bokoblin, much less corrupted ancient technology. This, combined with the fact that the castle was probably the worst place to be right then, prompted the two to bolt into the field and find their sister. They had to fight guardians the entire way, and Sheik recieved a nasty injury, but kept denying how bad it really was.

Despite the storm, she wasn’t that hard to find, thanks to that explosion of what they guessed was her divine magic that had finally decided to say hello. They found her as opposed to the sheikah, but arrived on the scene a bit to late for the hero. He wasn’t dead (or was he?), or at the very least he could be saved/brought back, but he was clearly not about to help them fight. (Still, Sheik absolutely lost his mind when he saw the state Link was in, to the shock of his sisters. Neither of them knew he was close friends with the knight.)

Zelda quickly explained her plan to her siblings, where she would return the sword to the forest and face Ganon herself, to which Tetra said “hell no.” The Master Sword was right there! Hyrule needs saving, and the princess found herself to be a perfectly competent hero. The sword could be fixed. Somehow.

This part is where I’m a little on the fence about what happens. The sword’s health and power does seem to be tied to Link’s, as evidence by how it heals with him over 100 years and can only shoot sword beams when he’s at full health (I think), but since Tetra actually was worthy of wielding the sword, Fi could have been restored when she accepted the blade. Alternatively, Tetra and Sheik could have been the sages of earth and wind without realizing it, and we’re able to restore the sword on the fly. You get to decide how the sword repaired itself.

So now Tetra has roped herself into fighting Ganon with the Master Sword, Zelda by her side, while Sheik is losing his mind over what is basically the corpse of his closest friend. It’s at this time that Zelda realizes just how injured her brother is. She knows that he can’t fight the calamity like that, so she tasks him with taking Link to the Shrine of Resurrection, like Fi said. Initially, he refuses, but he soon decides that it’s all he can do and agrees.

The triplets go their separate ways. Somehow, the sisters are able to get to the castle very quickly, and start to challenge the Calamity. Zelda uses her new sealing powers to force him into a mortal form, while Tetra beats him up with her new weapon of choice. Ganon originally shrugs them off, more or less, but as they start to win he activates Panic Mode and summons all of his blights back to the sanctum to fight the sisters. Luckily, the blights were snatched right out of their battles with the champions, who were beaten and shaken but still alive.

However, thanks to his new allies, Ganon starts to win. Just when the princesses think they’re about to die, the divine beasts - which are under the control of the champions after the blights left - strike, finishing off the Calamity. Naturally Ganon has a few tricks up his sleeve and transforms into Dark Beast Ganon, moving to Hyrule Field. By Hylia’s (late) divine grace, Tetra and Zelda are teleported to the field as well, alongside Sheik, surprisingly. He’d just set Link up in the shrine before getting pulled here. Zelda is able to summon the Bow of Light, which becomes his weapon.

Together, the three of them are able to take out the dark beast. Zelda creates weak points, while Tetra and Sheik shoot them with Master Sword beams and light arrows, respectively. (Maybe Tetra DID die, but her health was restored by a fairy, or she’s at full health for some other reason.) So now Ganon is dead. Castle town is in shambles, and multiple people are dead, including the king. But don’t worry - Urbosa quickly makes herself the new parental figure of the triplets.

Hyrule is rebuilt. The people celebrate the defeat of the calamity, and the guardians are restored to their former abilities. Tetra becomes the new Champion of Hyrule Castle, wielding the Master Sword and the Sheikah Slate. For an extra happy ending, maybe she and Mipha formally become a couple. Sheik pioneers work on improving ancient and modern technology, showing a special interest in ways to reverse aging. After many years, Queen Zelda’s son, Daphnes Link Hyrule, becomes the ruler after her reign ends.

And so, the people of Hyrule live happily ever after.

... and 100 years later, Link wakes up.

[linerwriter]

On the Subject of Magic

I spent way too long on this. Guess it’s my fate for being a science nerd.

Word Count: 1345. For the @linkeduniverse AU. Enjoy!

BOOM. “Ooh, pretty!”

Twilight sighed, shaking his head at the scene before him. In some random turn of events, the group had gotten onto the topic of magic after their wonderful dinner (courtesy of chef Wild). How they started talking about it, Twilight didn’t know. He only knew that he wanted nothing to do with it (for multiple reasons).

Currently, Legend was showing off his fire wand thingy, which caused a firework of reds, oranges, and yellows to rocket into the night sky. Wind, having never seen it before, had been mesmerized by the contraption, and was begging Legend to do it again.

“Come on, Legend! That last one was so cool!”

“No can do, kiddo,” Legend swung the rob over his shoulder, “Don’t want to cause a wildfire and burn the environment.”

Wind deflated. His lip bottom lip wobbled as tears crept to the corners of his eyes, “But-but it looks so pretty and cool!”

“Nice try, Wind, but I’m not falling for it.”

Wind huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, “It was worth a shot.”

Time chuckled, rubbing the kid’s head affectionately, “That it was, Wind, that it was. Anyway, who’s next?”

Four looked pensive, “The only ones left to talk are Twilight,” the person in question glared when everyone looked his way, “and Wild.”

At that, the entire group looked mystified. “Hey, Wild,” Hyrule spoke up, “Why haven’t you talked about your magic?”

Wild hummed from where he was cleaning the dishes from dinner, “Simple. I don’t use a lot of magic.”

Warriors blinked, “What do you mean, don’t use a lot of magic? We teleport pretty much any time we can!”

Wild looked up, “That’s not magic.”

“Um, I’m pretty we know magic when see it,” Sky hesitantly spoke up, “and we see you use it all the time.”

Twilight, meanwhile, watched this entire exchange with a raised eyebrow. Although he didn’t like to speak about it pretty much at all, he was probably one of the most qualified to identify magic. And that weird stuff Wild did with that slate of his definitely constituted as magic. “Explain.”

Wild’s lips twisted in thought, “I guess… well, what do you think the definition of magic is?”

His question posed a multitude of response. Most, like Legend and Warriors, shrugged their shoulders. Others, like Four and Hyrule, looked puzzled. And finally, there was Wind, who was eagerly shaking his hand, as if waiting to be called on. Wild indulged him.

“Yes, Wind?”

“It’s when stuff you can’t really identify happens!”

Wild chuckled, “You have the idea of it, but not quite. It’s more like an event or something similar to it that you can’t explain.” That got everyone’s attention.

“Something you can’t explain?” Four questioned, “What do you mean by that?”

“You know how Legend’s fire rod shoots out fire?” Nods all around. “Well, you can see it happening, but you don’t know the exact reason for how or why it’s happening. My ‘magic’,” Wild put air quotes around the word, “isn’t really magic since we know how and why it’s acting the way it is.”

“So what is it, then?” was asked by Sky.

“It’s a science.”

“Science? How so?” Time looked intrigued.

Wild thought for a moment before brightening, getting his Sheikah slate out. Twilight shuttered involuntarily; no matter how harmless it was, he always got the shivers from it. “It’s kinda confusing, and I don’t really remember everything about it, so bear with me.” Everyone agreed. “So, a little science lesson for everyone not in the know: our entire world is made up of this thing called matter. Matter can be categorized into solids, liquids, gases and plasma, although that last one really only matters with stars.” Wild explained, “All matter is made up of these particles called atoms, which are the smallest components of elements. You don’t really need to know much about atoms and how they work, you just need to know that atoms are essentially the things holding matter together and that when they get hot, they start to move. Everyone with me?”

Whatever it was that Twilight was expecting, it certainly wasn’t this. His cub was actually quite smart compared to the others, and the things he was spouting made some amount of sense. What’s basically happening, Wild said, is energy is produced by the Sheikah slate that forms a barrier around the recipient. Due to the type of energy being formed around the person in question (Wild couldn’t really remember the name of it), the atoms in the body get heated up so quickly and with so much energy that they break apart from each other and head in the desired direction. This happens so fast, though, Wild reassured, that the physical body has no recollection of it ever happening, and makes it appear that the person is teleporting.

“That’s why the slate gets really hot after we teleport,” Wild finished, “It’s because of the amount of power being produced by the slate to get us to travel.

“And you know this how?!” Warriors asked, gobsmacked for the entire lecture.

Wild blushed, “I’ve always been kinda interested in this stuff, but no one’s really ever asked me about it.” He rubbed his upper arm shyly, “I’ve never really talked about it outside of my conversations with my friends, to be honest.”

Time clapped Wild on the shoulder, “If this hero job doesn’t work out for you, you could always be a professor.”

Wild blushed even deeper, so much so that Twilight was worried he might spontaneously combust. “Oh, it’s not that hard to understand…”

Wind, apparently, had another idea on how to proceed. “If your slate can do that, then what’s the difference from my type of teleportation magic?”

Wild turned his attention toward their youngest, “I was wondering when someone would ask that,” he smiled, going back into lecture mode effortlessly. It was scary how well he did that, Twilight noted. “It’s mainly due to the fact that my science has rules and parameters it has to follow.”

“And what are those?” Hyrule asked curiously.

“There are so many we can’t even count them,” Wild waved his hand flippantly, “The most important rule, however, is that there are certain places the slate can’t reach. For example, we can’t just teleport to any location in Hyrule, we can only travel to places with… I guess they’re called terminals? I don’t know, it’s usually other Sheikah tech, like shrines.”

“Why’s that?” For once, Twilight decided to speak up about one of the many questions swirling through his head.

“It’s due to the amount of excess energy being produced,” Wild answered with a grin, “The current of power being pumped from the slate doesn’t just stop right when we land in the other place; there’s too much of it to be able to. And since energy can’t be destroyed, merely changed, we can only travel to places that can transform and redirect the current.” Wild’s eyes turned mischievous, “Otherwise, we’d probably explode.”

“So,” Sky recapped for them, “because your… ‘magic’ can be explained, it’s considered a science.” He looked at Wild’s face for approval, “And because there are harsh restrictions placed on the science itself, it can’t be considered like Wind’s magic.”

“That’s the gist of it,” Wild nodded, “Like I said, I don’t know everything about it, so if you want to know more, I’d ask Purah or Robbie. They’re better at it than me.”

Time sighed lightheartedly, “You know enough to teach us, cub. Anyway,” his gaze turned harsh, “time for bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we best be getting a good night’s sleep. I’ll take first watch.”

As several (immature) people groaned, Twilight got up and walked over to his student. “Science, huh?” He looked at Wild thoughtfully, “I guess that can also explain why you revive yourself when you die?”

Wild held up a finger to his lips, “That’s a secret between you and me.”

Twilight chuckled, “I guess it is, cub. I guess it is.”

[bnha-hcs]

The Gods Enshrined

IF Y’ALL WERE WONDERING WHAT I WAS UP TO HERE U GO.

Seriously though I was supposed to be working on requests and then had an idea of my own and was like “Okay cool I’ll write out this idea it’ll be nice and short” and then it wasn’t. So here u go, an almost 8k fic I hope y’all like it since it literally took me forever to write it. I was tempted to give this a sad ending but y’all know I’m all fluff so,,,, let me know what u think,,, I gotta put this under a read more bc it’s massive good gods.

- Tiki 

Words: 7,923

Pairing: Todoroki Shouto x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of slight gore

Other: Mythical AU

You never would’ve believed the gods could lose their power, but you supposed others were easier to scare than others. Assumptions made from superstitions never really surprised you, until you found yourself at the center of them. The outlier, the unwanted, and the unworthy… You were all of these things. You lived on the edge of an old, old village at the base of a mountain. There you were alone, save for the few livestock and frail existence of a farm. Your parents had abandoned you ages ago and the only time you ever visited the village was when you had to sell what little you had. Every so often you would visit one of the smaller shrines, scattered about the village, offering what you could before returning to the outskirts. Old habits die hard you supposed, even if you barely believed in the old gods yourself anymore...

The day everything started, well, was one of the days you had to make your way to the merchant streets of the village. You heard whispers of things here and there, trading had its perks of learning information but you never really paid mind to gossip if you could help it. Soon you found, that the village was awash with fear; the rumors that the god at the top of the mountain had lost its power. Others said that the gods had forsaken them and traveled to the eastern mountains, forever leaving the village to the elements and monsters alike. You heard talk of a ritual that would be performed later in the week but gave it no thought. It’s not like you would be allowed to attend the ritual anyways. The gods had already forsaken you for all you knew and whatever rumors floating around wouldn’t be able to stomp out what already little faith you had left in them. 

Dragging your feet, you headed back to the outskirts of the village where you supposed you belonged. About halfway back to your home you saw a few men, probably on their way back from hunting or fishing, dotted along the trail. You passed by them without making any eye contact. Nothing good ever came from garnering attention as you found out many times in the past. However you didn’t fail to feel their gazes on your back while you passed them. After passing the last one, you picked up your walking pace, determined to get away from their stares as fast as you could. 

That night you slept with your wood cutting axe by your bed, wary of the possibility that they would show up at your house. When the morning came, you found your fears were baseless, and there was no sign of anyone. ‘Of course no one would come here.’ You thought, leaning against the fence while the morning sun warmed the earth. With a sigh you picked up whatever things you could carry and set out to get to work. Crops needed to be tended to, your animals needed to be fed along with other needs. Daily work that you knew like the back of you hand, sometimes would have other tasks sprinkled in. Foraging was one of these said tasks. Occasionally you’d set off into the forests in search of herbs and things you found you couldn’t get to grow on your dingy farm. It brought in more money, if you could manage to find anything that is. But you knew a certain merchant was in town who would pay a high price for some of the herbs found in the forest, so you told yourself it wouldn’t hurt to look for a little bit.

The next few days continued in the same matter, leading up to you having to visit the village by the end of the week to exchange your goods. But for some reason you couldn’t shake the feeling that something had been watching you as the days went by. Perhaps it was a wild animal, waiting to pick up scraps for itself, and maybe it was something else… you hadn’t a clue what it could be. Eventually, however, you got used to it, one way or another. On the third day you were looking around the forest as usual, nothing new other than the few flowers that had sprung up here and there as the late spring rains came in. You started to wander deeper and deeper into the forest, past the points that you had reached earlier, in search for more herbs.... but also to satiate your curiosity. Truth be told, you had never been this far into the forest. People always said it was dangerous, though you couldn’t say that you had seen any sort of dangerous animals roaming around that could warrant such a warning. 

It wasn’t until you started to get deeper and deeper into the deepest depths of the forest that you started to get a little anxious. You could hear a low drum start to get louder, and every time it sounded, you felt your heart creep further and further into your throat. Soon you were able to hear the low voices of people, seemingly hushed. You felt like you were intruding in on something you shouldn’t be, making the dread that hung in the air even more nerve wracking… Your hands trembled as you tried to take hold of a branch for stability, but your nerve riddled self slipped on the wet ground. You slipped over the mossy roots and stones around the tree and fell hard enough on your back that the wind knocked out of you.

Shouts rang out from above you, and it didn’t take long until people came running over. You being in your inebriated state, couldn’t quite catch your breath fast enough for you to get away. They caught hold of you immediately and with a swift hit to the back of your head, your vision cut off and you lost all consciousness.

-- 

Slowly but surely you woke up, the stench of blood greeting your nostrils with such a sharp stench that it almost made you want to pass out again. You realized that the stench of blood was not a good thing to be smelling and you bolted upright, quickly moving your hands to the back of your head, smoothing over the bump that was fresh. There wasn’t any blood when you inspected your hands leaving you to inspect the rest of your body. The first thing you noticed is that your clothes had changed and your hair was wet. In fact, your whole body was a bit damp… A shiver ran up your spine and thoughts raced in your mind. Someone had bathed you while you were out, and you loathed to think of just who it was. 

You inspected the robes you were wearing. They were all white, and pretty thin you noted. On closer inspection you could tell that they were ceremonial robes, and for what you didn’t know. Or really, you didn’t want to know. Your shoes were gone as well as any other items you had been carrying before you were knocked out. Speaking of, you could still hear the low drumming that you heard before, except this time it was louder. You must’ve been taken into wherever those people had come from, and from their reactions to you it’d be safe to say that you weren’t exactly an honored guest right now. 

The sliding door to the room was unsurprisingly locked as you found out from trying to yank it open. You didn’t have much choice than to wait for whoever to come get you... and come get you they did. As the lock on the door released, two men dressed in priests’ clothes stepped inside, their hands full of sacred rope. The thing was, you had never seen these men in the village before and you wondered just how far into the forest you had gone… Your hair stood on end and you stumbled backwards in fear, backing up so that you were against the wall. They closed the door so you couldn’t escape, and quickly seized you by the arm. You were outmatched so they quickly bound your hands together as well as tying a rope around your neck. It took every fiber of your being to not break down into sobs, even though you so desperately wanted to. There was no telling what they were going to do to you, but you had a bad feeling that it was going to involve a lot of… less than pleasant things.

The two priests pulled you out of the small room and led you through a series of halls that you would’ve got lost in even if you had been able to unlock the door. Soon you were outside and there was a handful of people waiting for you. Your heart raced wildly as they led you over to a litter type carriage. It was open into the air but had ornaments and other things strewn about around the cushion you had to sit on. Before you were allowed on it, you were forced to rinse your mouth, for purification purposes you guessed. As soon as you were situated on the litter, one of the priests bounded your feet together with more sacred rope. 

Looking around it all started to make sense. You could see the guardian fox statues carved into the cold stone, teeth barred and eyes that seemed to be staring right through you. The red and white lanterns that lit up the stairs that twisted into the mountains, and the effigies that lined the path under the dim glow. 

You were in the mountain shrine right now, and if you were remembering right, the ritual that was supposed to happen was… happening right now… with you. But it certainly didn’t feel like any other ritual that you’d heard of. Something felt distinctly off, and you weren’t sure what entailed in appeasing a god, although you couldn’t think of anything that sounded... good. For example the stench of blood in the air definitely wasn’t ideal… but you didn’t exactly see anything that could be responsible for the stench. Either way it wasn’t something comforting to say the least. Before you could think anymore about what fate that lay in sight, you were hoisted into the air on the litter by a few of what you could only call the shrine keepers. Everyone began their ascent up the stone stairs and with every step you could hear the sound of shrine bells and chimes. 

With each step you could also feel yourself feeling worse and worse. Sweat from your hands was enough to dampen parts of your robes, your breath shallow as your heart sat in your throat. Your eyes stung with tears you couldn’t shed and you felt like you might throw up at any second. And slowly but surely, you were brought up the stairs and to the main shrine closer to the top of the mountain. As soon as you were, the litter was placed on top of what you could only guess was an altar. Or an offering table… either way it wasn’t exactly good. 

Looking around you could see a massive shrine, obviously dedicated to the mountain god. Though, it wasn’t as shiny and grand as you thought it was going to be. You figured it was because god’s power was dwindling. There were some other shrines dotted around the grounds, but they didn’t look as impressive as the main one. You sighed, wishing you could’ve come see this in… less than sacrificial circumstances. 

You were instructed to turn to face the doors to the inner shrine and given an ornate bottle of sake to hold. ‘Of course the gods need drink with their dinner.’ You thought mockingly to yourself. There was a bitter smile on your face as you looked up at the tarnished gold plating around the shrine doors. Incense was lit and whatever priests that were behind you started to chant and pray. It lasted for what seemed like forever, until they both walked up the steps and past you to ring the giant shrine bell. They then hurried past you to join the others, who were just as eager to get away from the shrine as soon as possible. You swallowed hard. 

As soon as everyone was gone and the ringing from the shrine bells had died down, you watched as the inner shrine doors cracked open. You held your breath and waited for whatever monster of a god to step forward. Needless to say, neither of you were expecting what the other would look like. 

The second the door cracked open you were expecting some decrepit, old, nasty looking thing to be staring you down with eyes full of hunger and hate. So when the young face of a duo hair colored god peered out from behind the shrine door, you honestly thought you were imagining things. When he saw you were alone he seemed to relax a little and came into full view. He had two different colored eyes; his right eye was brown while his left eye was a lighter blue. His hair split into two shades of white and red; white on the right and red on the left along with two fox ears that matched, perched on top of his hair. His clothes more or less matched the same color scheme of white and red, looking similar to your own white robes but more ornate, long, and regal. There were some golden ornaments and trinkets that decorated his robes along with gold swirls and patterns towards the ends of his sleeves. You didn’t miss the red divine markings on his face matching exactly to the guardian fox statues that you had seen before. The whole thing was breathtaking to say the least.

He seemed to study you as intently as you were studying him. His eyes seemed to linger on the rope binding your arms and feet, along with the one tied to your neck before flickering to the sake bottle in your arms. Part of you hoped that he would see how much you really didn’t want to be here and let you go, but the other part knew you would never get that lucky. After inspecting you, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, ears twitching. 

“What are you supposed to be?” He asked you, obviously a little confused to the situation. 

“Uhhhh… I believe I’m what you’d call… a sacrifice?” You spoke, voice going a little higher than necessary, but hey, you were scared.

He didn’t really seem to like the answer as his eyes narrowed. Taking a few steps forward he reached out, soft hand going to hold your chin up as he studied you closer, going to tilt your head to the side. You couldn’t see him as he angled your face away but you could feel how close his face was to yours as he took in a deep breath, taking in what scent you had, pausing there next to you for a moment that seemed like forever. A shiver ran up your spine as your hair stood on end. In all honesty you weren’t sure if you should be flustered or afraid, but it didn’t matter as he pulled away, seemingly deep in thought.

“I know you.” He breathes, eyes flashing with recognition. “You leave me offerings often.”

“Y-You know me?” You almost wheeze, unsure if you’re flattered or not. 

“Yes, you’re the one who doesn’t smell like the scent of man.” He said, tilting his head. “You were sneaking around my mountain recently.”

“I wouldn’t call it sneaking…” You trailed off, unsure if he’d even appreciate hearing your plight. 

And you weren’t sure if it was a good thing that you didn’t smell like, well, a human?? You guessed that some gods might not like the smell of humans, since they’re impure or whatever it is. The god standing in front of you looked like he was deep in thought again, probably trying to think about how to tackle the situation at hand. At this point could you even return to your farm? You were pretty sure if you were seen in town again after being offered as a sacrifice that the townspeople would kill you themselves out of rage. 

You were brought out of your own thoughts as you noticed the mountain god walk away and back into the inner shrine. Before he disappeared into the darkness, you didn’t fail to notice the two twin fox tails, part of you wondering how nice it’d be to bury your face in the soft fur. When he came back out he almost gave you a heart attack as he drew a dagger from its scabbard and stalked forward to you. You flinched as the blade neared you and for half a second you really thought he was going to kill and eat you. As soon as he grabbed your bound wrists and cut the robes that bound them you realized that he was letting you go. 

“You’re not going to eat me?” You asked, slightly confused. He stopped and gave you an incredulous look. 

“I’m a god. I cannot consume the impurities of humans.” He stated dully.

“Impurities?” You mumbled to yourself. 

“Beasts eat beasts but humans are monsters- they consume everything.” 

You couldn’t argue with that, considering how you’ve seen all the horrendous things in your life. He mumbled something to get you to shift your legs out so he could undo the binds there but as soon as you started to shift your legs out from under you, you heard the sound of an arrow flying through the air as it whistled past your face. You whipped your head towards the mountain god only to see the arrow buried squarely into his right shoulder. He had a look on his face that was a cross between unimpressed and offended. In fact, he didn’t even blink as he ripped the arrow from his shoulder and threw it aside. You watched in horror as the wound spouted blood all the while he stood there unfazed. The dagger he held in his right hand switched to his left as he stared down something in the distance until he suddenly threw the blade with such force that it was hard to believe he didn’t just shoot it like an arrow out of a bow. It shot through the air at blinding speeds before hitting its target, whomst of which let out a dying scream. 

The mountain god slowly made his approach over to the spot, just out of distance for you before grabbing his dagger and cleaning the blade with his already blood soiled robes. You shot up, the bottle of sake long forgotten as it clanked onto the litter before falling on to the wooden shrine floor. As soon as he came into range you tried to step forward, forgetting that your feet were still bound together. You soon found yourself, very much falling right onto the god himself to which he let out a grunt, his good arm coming up to hold onto you as your hands grasped for purchase on his robes. As soon as you got yourself back up on your own two feet, although not very steady at all, you looked up to him with panic filled eyes. 

“A-Are you okay?!” You asked, almost falling over trying to inspect his robes. “You were- the arrow- and your, your robes!!” You fussed. 

“Wh… what are you going on about?” He asked, looking down at you with puzzled eyes. “It’s fine.”

“It’s fine?? You literally just got shot with an arrow!!” You fuss more, trying to inspect his wound through the layers of his robes. It was then you noticed that the arrow wound had already stopped bleeding. You stopped to look back up from the bloodied robes to his face which held a passive expression. He seemed neither annoyed or pleased, just, confused by your behavior. 

“But…” You trailed off, not really sure what to think anymore. 

Not a moment later your binds around your feet were cut and you never thought you’d miss the feeling of being able to move freely so much. Looking back over to the litter you scowled at the memory of those priests tying you up like some animal. You wondered why they didn’t just catch a boar and offer that instead of trying to offer a human. Thinking back to all those rumors of the gods losing their powers made you think they probably thought a human sacrifice would be quicker at returning the lost strength to the gods. Speaking of, you wouldn’t have guessed the mountain god had lost any of his power from watching him not too long ago. He seemed pretty strong and ready to go at a moments notice to you.

“You can leave whenever you please.” His words brought you out of your thoughts. 

The god made a move to leave the area, which was pretty smart considering that there was now a dead body next to the shrine grounds. There’s no doubt that someone would come looking for their assassin friend soon. So, you decided to follow in kind and leave with him, to which he wasn’t expecting. As you followed him down an old mountain trail he seemed to gain a sort of exasperated mood to him. It didn’t help that you started asking questions either. 

“W-Wait! Where are you going?” You called out after him, almost out of breath having to hop from boulder to boulder over a rushing stream. “What’s your name anyways?”

He let out a sigh, obviously not really used to having someone accompany him. His ears were slightly backed as he continued on, trying his best to hurry along the trail. 

“You can call me Shouto.” He said, just loud enough for you to barely hear him. 

You could barely keep up with him as he made his way along the trail, mostly because you reckoned he knew this way like the back of his hand. It seemed like it was made ages ago, all the effigies, statues, and stone lanterns were covered in moss, long forgotten by the humans who lived in the area. You almost slipped a few times, half yelling out as you almost fell off the steep trail, causing him to look back at you every time. By the fourth time you could tell he was already regretting letting you follow him, and there was no telling how long you were going to stick around for. 

“Where are we going?” You asked, finally being able to catch up. Shouto stopped abruptly and you bumped into him from behind. 

“Well I need to wash the blood from my robes.” He said turning to you slightly. You looked over the blood as he continued on, “But why… why are you following me?” 

“Um!” Your response came out faster than you wanted it to, though in reality your answer was quite simple. “I can’t go back home.”

Shouto’s face scrunched up in confusion, clearly not sure as to why you couldn’t just wander back from whence you came. You didn’t need to guess his question since it was written all over his little face. He opened his mouth as if he was going to ask anyway but you cut him off before he could say anything. 

“I can’t go back because- because the villagers will recognize me and they’ll… Oh you know.” You couldn’t really get the right words out of your mouth and hoped that he got the jist of what you were trying to say. The way he blinked at you with a blank sort of expression on his face indicated that he didn’t.

“No… I don’t know.” He said slowly, “Do as you wish, it won’t matter to me.”

It wasn’t too much longer until the two of you came to a small spring with a gentle waterfall. You gaped at the serene atmosphere and could tell that Shouto definitely came here very often. There were things here that you could find in your own home for washing clothes and you wondered how exactly he acquired any of this? Offerings maybe? But who would offer half of these things here? There were also other things like water pots and chopped wood. You never would’ve guessed that Shouto would be running around felling trees and gathering other sorts of things. Did gods even need to eat? He did look like a fox so maybe it was more something that pertained to whatever underlying beast nature he had. 

When Shouto began to strip down his layers of robes you barely had time to register that it was probably something you shouldn’t be watching. Watching a divine god disrobe?? You felt like you’d definitely be cursed one way or another. Your hands shot up cover your eyes as a squeak left your lips. You didn’t get to see Shouto look over at you with a somewhat confused expression, but you could definitely hear him sigh. As soon as you heard the sound of water splashing and fabric being scrubbed, you decided to peek between the cracks of your fingers squeaking again as you saw the mostly bare back of him. Heat rushed to your face as you turned yourself away from him completely, screaming at yourself in your mind for even DARING to look at an exposed god. 

“Last time I checked, washing clothes wasn’t seen as something so, um, distressing.” Shouto spoke quietly. 

Now your face was heated by your embarrassment. Gods, were you the one acting weird here and not him?? Who undresses in front of another person you barely knew? Perhaps gods didn’t have the same social code as humans. It was either that or he just didn’t care. 

“It’s not! It’s just, uh, you’re not dressed!” You sputtered out. “It’s indecent!”

“Humans fuss about the oddest things…” He mused, clearly more invested in getting his robes clean. 

You sat there for a few minutes, unsure of what exactly to do until Shouto was done. After another few minutes you managed to muster up your courage and turn around. As long as you didn’t make a big deal about it, it wouldn’t be a big deal that he was half naked. He still had his lower pants on that went under the other layers, to which you were very thankful for. With closer inspection, you could tell that he actually had a layer under everything else. It looked like a skin tight black fabric of some sort. You had never seen something like that before as it exposed most of his back, only really covering the arms. It felt like you ogled at it for a little longer than necessary because you practically tore your eyes away as soon as the realization hit you. His back muscles were enough to get anyone drooling, so it took a lot of effort on your part not to.

Once he finished getting out the blood stains on one of the layers, he threw it over onto a large rock nearby. An idea dawned onto you, and you quickly went over to pick up earning you another confused look from the god. Shouto didn’t exactly protest to you taking one of his robes, but you could still tell he was slightly wary. Looking around you found what you assumed to be a drying line, and threw the soaked clothing onto it. All the while you could feel his eyes on you, watching you just to be sure. Or maybe he thought you were going to fall over and into the spring. 

For the next few hours things continued in a similar manner, neither of you speaking much. It was a nice silence though, and every so often he would indulge one of your questions as to how gods were like. You found out that technically his power had been waning lately, but it was because people were starting to distance themselves from the gods, and not the other way around. The decline of the gods’ power was mans’ fault, and whatever fate they sowed, they’d reap. 

After the clothes had finished drying you noticed that the wound in his right shoulder had already healed while the blood was already washed away from earlier. As Shouto redressed himself you watched as the sun shone through the trees of the forest to illuminate his hair and face. The glow on his hair and face was golden and ethereal, solidifying the fact that he indeed was the god of the mountain. All alone on the mountain… He didn’t seem to notice you staring because he got dressed rather quickly before gathering a few other things to get ready to go back up to the shrine. You continued staring at the place where he once stood, lost in thought. 

“Do gods get lonely, Shouto?” You wondered aloud, still staring off into the distance. He paused and looked at you for a moment, a little stunned by your question. There was a pause like he was thinking over the question, until he eventually answered. 

“I guess some gods can get lonely.” He said simply.

“Do you get lonely?” 

You didn’t get an answer from him as he started to walk back up the trail you came down. You followed him after you realized he was leaving, assuming that he didn’t hear you. The way back up was a little better than coming down, at least for you. Less falling, more walking this time. And you found out that you were not used to the mountain air as you struggled to breathe. Eventually you got back up to the shrine which was empty as always. You stepped back over to the altar, noticing that the litter was gone, and in its place was a basket of various foods. Maybe it was an apology from those followers who tried to sacrifice you to Shouto.

“You can have it.” Shouto said, making his way back over to the doors to the shrine. He opened them wide, letting the natural light flood in as he sat in the doorway. 

“Are you sure? It’s for you after all.” You hummed looking over the fruits that sat on top. 

“I don’t need to eat as much as you do.” He replied while watching you. “Gods don’t really get hungry either.”

You didn’t know if you should be a little offended or not, but you were glad for the food so you didn’t say anything. Instead you picked up a fruit from the top and started to eat. It was even more delicious due to the fact that you hadn’t eaten in what felt like forever. You ate two more after that one, deciding to leave the rest for later. 

“If you don’t really eat then… What do you do with the food they bring you?” You asked. 

“I’ll eat it if I’m bored, but mostly I leave it for the animals.” 

You recalled the animals that you had seen earlier and remembered that they didn’t seem scared of Shouto at all. Maybe if you stayed here long enough they’d get used to you, too. Speaking of staying here, you never really asked him how long you were allowed to stay. You didn’t really want to impose either, but you really didn’t have anywhere to go. Going back would cause more trouble than it’s worth, and you almost wished you would’ve been eaten just so you didn’t have to deal with your dreary village. 

Walking over to where Shouto was, you looked up to the sky. There was no doubt the sun would start setting soon so it really was now or never. You sat down a little ways from him, trying to keep a respectful distance while you gathered your thoughts. He didn’t seem to mind the distance, already looking out into the forest. 

“Shouto,” You started, getting his attention first. He turned his head to you, eyes flickering over your face trying to read your expression. “Can I- will you- ugh sorry it’s just… Would you mind if I stayed here… with you?” 

His head tilted while his eyes flickered with a series of emotions. Why would you be asking to stay here with him? He already knew human lives were short, so why would you spend time here at a dusty old shrine deep in the mountain? The only ones who visited was because they had to. But you didn’t have to, so why stick around? He truly wondered why humans were so odd. 

“Do you truly have nowhere else to go?” He asked, watching you closely. “If you stay here, in the domain of a god, you will cease to be human.”

“Wait, really?” You asked, leaning forward. “What will I turn into then?”

“Who knows, only time will tell.” He mused, “Do as you wish.”

Well, that didn’t make you feel much better, but at least you had a place to stay for as long as he could tolerate you. Shouto didn’t seem like someone mean or like someone who’d kill you in your sleep, so you took what you could get. 

The sun started setting not too much later and you admired the stars in the sky as they got more and more visible. They looked even clearer now that you were higher in the mountains. From your side Shouto shifted in place, going to hold an arm out and before you could ask what he was doing he snapped his fingers. All the lanterns around the shrine instantly lit and you nearly jumped to your feet in excitement, scaring the poor god.

“That was so cool!! How’d you do that??” You almost yelled, suddenly much closer to Shouto than he thought. He wanted to shrink under your intense stare. 

“Um, fox fire.” He said it like it was the simplest thing in the world. Of course you didn’t know what fox fire was!

 When you looked at him like you had no clue what he was talking about he knew you wouldn’t be satisfied until he explained. Not one to speak too much himself, he just held out a single finger until a small flame danced over it. You watched with the utmost wonder and excitement. Before he knew it, you had scooted even closer hand reaching out to hold the one with the flame as you inspected it. He didn’t pull away, even though the feeling of contact made him a little uneasy. 

“That’s so cool... “ You murmured, eyes alight with childlike curiosity. It took you a second but you finally realized the contact you were making with him and pulled your hands back sputtering all the while. “Oh um! I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to I just wanted to see-” 

You cut yourself off, watching with rosy cheeks as Shouto was… smiling?? Even though it was small, it was still there. And it was causing your heart to nearly leap out of your chest. When you heard a small chuckle from him, it almost killed you just then and there. You saw him shake his head while he looked back out at the lanterns for a second. His gaze flickered back to you and his mismatched eyes locked with yours making your breath catch in your throat. 

“You really are just odd.” He said. 

The comment caused you to puff out your cheeks, the ends of your ears burning as embarrassment flooded your system. Was he trying to kill you? Were you so amusing that he needed to laugh at you? The nerve!!

Once your embarrassment died down and the night went on, the two of you talked here and there. Shouto learned a little more about you and you learned a little more about him. It was during one of the stories Shouto was telling you about a local mythical fish that lived in the river that you ended up succumbing to your sleepiness. Since the two of you were still sitting close to each other, he hadn’t noticed you nodding off until your head fell on his shoulder. He stopped mid sentence, going to look at you as you used his shoulder as a pillow. You were out cold he could tell and he couldn’t really blame you after the day you had told him about. So he gently shifted you off of him and put you so that you were laying on the ground before stripping his top most layer of his robes. The robe was placed over you and he went to go fetch a pillow that was lying around the inner shrine. He had a few here and there for himself so sparing one for your wouldn’t be too bad he thought. 

As soon as you were settled in and he had managed to slip the small pillow under your head, he grabbed one for himself. After a little debate he resumed his spot next to you in the doorway, deciding to stay up a little longer so he could linger in his own thoughts. He didn’t know what you’d turn into if you stayed here. Human hearts were open to much corruption so... anything was possible. You could turn into a mindless beast, a monster, or… He shook the thought out of his head. Your fate would be tragic either way, so why not humor you for the short remainder of your life? 

Eventually, when he was done thinking and rethinking things, he laid his pillow down and settled himself right next to you. For a few moments he observed you sleeping, watching the steady rise and fall of your chest. A fuzzy feeling bubbled up in his chest when he remembered your question from earlier. 

“Do you get lonely?” 

Shouto rolled over onto his other side, facing away from while he pondered the question. 

Yes, he was lonely, so maybe this feeling in his chest was him starting to be less lonely. He knew it was fleeting, but maybe he could indulge in this feeling a little longer...

When you woke up that morning you almost screamed. The warm feeling of breath tickling your hair was something you were definitely NOT used to. And you also we definitely not expecting to wake up to see Shouto’s sleeping face so close to yours. You couldn’t help but admire the peaceful look across his face as he slept, and the warmth that radiated from him reminded you of the sun. It wasn’t long until you had fallen asleep again, thankful for the opportunity to sleep in, and with a god no less. 

-----

Days, then weeks, then months passed by. You felt better than you ever had before being able to live at the mountain shrine with Shouto, and you had even managed to get yourself another set of robes that weren’t so… thin. Even then, he still insisted you wear his overcoat/robe now that fall was in full swing. The days were getting colder, and the nights even colder than that. But you were content with your new friend, and you could call him a friend now since the two of you had warmed up to each other quite nicely. Shouto had become more lively, and the two of you would talk away the days sometimes. It was a nice feeling, being this close to someone. You hoped it would never end. 

A lingering fear still held your heart though, and you felt like you’d never be able to truly be close to Shouto. He was a god, and you had ashamedly fallen head over heels for him. You would never be able to tell him how you felt. And you still didn’t know what you’d turn into. Just as Shouto cautioned, you were already less human than you were when you first came here. Your appetite had seen a nose dive recently, and you both knew what that meant. You couldn’t fool him, because the second you started to eat less he noticed. I mean how could he not notice? But you assured him you felt fine no matter how much he fussed. 

Today felt different. You felt, way different- like you could do anything. So when you woke up and saw that Shouto was already out and about, you practically sprung out of the inner shrine. When you saw his figure lingering in the distance you broke out in a sprint and practically tackled him. He was as solid as ever though, holding his ground like you were nothing. The hug from behind caught him a little off guard, but he regained his bearings rather quickly. You heard him chuckle before you released him and when he turned around he gave you a reaction that you weren’t expecting. 

Shouto stopped dead in his tracks, the soft smile on his face fading quickly as he looked at you. His jaw was set forward a little bit and he almost looked… angry?? Shocked?? You gave him a slightly lost and frightened look and yelped when he practically lunged forward and grabbed your face. 

“What did you do to your face? Did you do this?” Shouto growled, thumbs brushing over the several red marking on your cheeks. They didn’t come off when he tried to rub them off leaving him in a desperate hope.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!! W-What’s on my face??” You asked, slightly panicked. 

All your emotions were thrown into what you could only describe as a hellish whirlwind. As soon as Shouto was done staring at your face with an almost predatory intensity, he embraced you with such emotion and force that you were afraid that he might crush you. He took in a deep breath before letting it out in a steady stream, trying to get his emotions to settle, but it was almost impossible for him. He couldn’t look at you right now, but there was no way in hell he was letting you go. 

“Shouto? What’s going on??” You asked, trying to get him to release you from his almost death grip. “You’re starting to scare me…”

“You’re… turning.” He breathed. You stopped struggling, arms going limp as you stood in his arms. It was like, your worst fear come true, really. Were you finally gonna become a monster? Were you finally going to have to say goodbye to your only friend? 

“Am I going to-” Your voice cracked a bit as tears pricked your eyes. “Am I going to be a monster Shouto?”

When he pulled away you were expecting him to look sad, even disgusted, as he gazed down at you. But he wasn’t. Okay now you were confused… He looked… Happy?? What was going on?? Was he playing some kind of cruel joke on you? What was this… You watched as he practically beamed at you, it was blinding really. But you were still confused all to hell, and it was written all over your face, so Shouto dug into his robes to pull out a hand mirror, to which he almost shoved into your face. When you looked at your face and saw the face markings almost identical to Shouto’s, you immediately started to cry as emotions overtook you. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay…” He shushed you, murmuring soft affirmations that you were okay- that things were going to be okay. 

“I’m going to be like… you!” You cried, happy tears overwhelming your ability to speak. So you let Shouto embrace you once more, his warmth comforting you that it wouldn’t ever be leaving you now. You practically clung to him, and it was your turn to refuse to let him go. However, Shouto was still stronger than you in your inebriated state and managed to pull away from you as soon as your sobs had died down. He wiped the tears still clinging to your now rosy cheeks. 

There was that soft smile again, the one that you adored. Though this time there was a look in his eyes that really made it hit home for you. It was the look of adoration in his eyes paired with the newfound hope that burned brightly. You couldn’t take it anymore, so it was your turn to take his face into your hands. He didn’t protest as you tugged him towards you, and just as you were about to close the distance, you hesitated. Was this okay? Just because you were on the path to becoming a god yourself… did it really mean that…

“It’s okay.” It was a low murmur, much closer to a whisper, but firm enough to shock you out of your thoughts. His hands met your own as they held his face, taking yours into his own as he held them tightly, gently pulling you even closer to him. He took the initiative first and closed the distance between your faces, letting your lips meet his softly. Both of your eyes fluttered shut, enjoying the contact as your lips melded together. He kissed you sweetly, over and over, until you felt your head become foggy with affection. The sensation was intoxicating- your skin prickling with goosebumps and shivers racing up your spine. After smothering you with as many kisses as he could get away with at the moment, he pulled away, but not before pressing one more to your cheek. 

A laugh bubbled up and out of your chest, your heart feeling more at ease than ever now. And you were sure his felt the same way. You both could exist here together without having to worry about anything anymore. Pride swelled inside of you, almost lifting you off your feet while you stared into each others’ eyes. There was no doubt in your mind that everything would be okay, and you could spend forever at his side, watching over the mountain together. 

-----

Your ears and tails developed not too long after- give or take about a week after the markings appeared. It was then you were a fully fledged god. Even though you couldn’t do a lot of the same things that Shouto could do yet, he promised to teach you how to control your powers as soon as they manifested. It also took a while for the word to spread around, but as soon as people found out about the now two gods that resided on top of the mountain, you started receiving offerings yourself. It was exciting, even though you weren’t sure how to process all of them, but you got used to them after a few months after they started appearing. 

The village grew as word came out that the mountain had gained another guardian deity to watch over them. Before you knew it, the village had turned in a busy and prosperous city, ripe with trade. Both you and Shouto ended up having a lot more offerings than you knew what to do with after that and people quickly started sending personalized offerings depending each of your tastes. And then the two of you had to relocate for a while as the shrine underwent some improvements. Neither you minded though, as long as the two of you were together. 

So the two of you enjoyed yourselves as the gods enshrined at the top of the mountain. And forever there you’d stay, together.

[team-science-mega-nerds]

Fictober Prompt #19: “Yes, I admit it, you were right.” 

Fandom: Supergirl

Pairing: Danvarias

Warnings: Minor mentions of drug use

Thirteen miles from a bustling city with a designer landscape, quaint eateries, and a baseball team that nearly became the pride of Ohio is a rural blip on the map that is better left ignored. Duntown, which the residents resentfully call Doomstown, is a place that makes you reckon with reality. Ramshackle churches and hate crimes that people struggle to name, the folks of this city fear everything they do not know. For most that means outsiders. They turn up their noses and yell out the windows of their pick-up trucks. Go back where you came from! For some, their greatest fear is the only thing they’ve ever known - church. They drag themselves to Sunday service, seeking forgiveness for the things they cannot control. 

The two most popular places in Duntown are a local bar that serves stale beer and moonshine - if you know how to ask just right - and a weekly flea market that sets up in the parking lot of the local high school. Tents and tables are propped up around potholes that will never be fixed and people banter and barter their mundane little lives away. 

The biggest plight of the city takes everyone by surprise. It happens so fast that people struggle to make time between work - at a fading steel mill - and Sunday’s services to figure out exactly what’s going on. It’s a funeral of all things that sparks the interest of the collective town. Watching their children play in a field that they will probably never grow out of and eating bologna sandwiches and salad that’s nothing but iceberg lettuce and croutons, Sam’s entire life changes. 

“Went to water my plants this morning. That darn water,” Deborah says shaking her head, “looked like someone done pissed in it.” It’s the way she says it, all bite and resolute, apprehension comes to a head. That’s what catches Sam’s attention. It seems like just another thing to fear, another thorn in her side. Sam’s eyes go to Ruby, she’s laughing and playing tag with her friends. Ruby’s at that age where youth slowly starts to crumble and she’ll become aware of the world around her. 

Sam can see Tuffy and John sitting near a makeshift shrine of Kevin. They drink and drink, saluting their dead friend who perished on a normal workday at the mill. To date, Sam had been to seven funerals of people she’d known from high school. They all died in the same place, all had funerals presided over by the same poverty-stricken mourners, and all had after funeral receptions just like this. Tuffy and John smoked meth behind Mrs. Ainsley’s - Kevin’s mother - car. And all this was normal. All this met Sam’s expectations. 

Water that she had to boil before drinking did not. 

Deborah had made the comment about the drinking water six months ago and now, Sam seemed to be the only one brave enough to do something about it. Her bravery was, in fact, an accident. She’d been weaving in and out of her trailer home, trying to carry all of the groceries that she’d purchased at Costco six towns over. Ruby was supposed to be taking a bath and then going right to bed, Sam didn’t want to argue about it. Not today. 

It’d been a long road, getting where they are now. Borrowing from people she despised, working extra shifts at the grocery store, and relying on nosy neighbors to babysit. Sam, you’re a pretty girl. They’ve got some good men at the mill. She’d got a daily reminder of just how cute she was by handsy men, most of whom would go on to live and die at that very mill. Now that Sam and Ruby had a place of their own, things were starting to look up. “Mom. Mom!” Sam grabs four bags at once and rushes inside. She dumps the bags and throws the bathroom door open. 

“Oh, Rubes,” It’s a rash, tiny and probably inconsequential, but Sam has promised herself to always put Ruby first. Yellow water that has been slowly turning brown for months, and a rash, are enough to get Sam to make a call. 

The call itself goes terribly. She doesn’t know who to ask for or how to ask for what she wants. The secretary on the other end uses big words that feel suffocating. All Sam wants is to be safe. “Do you understand? I need you to send someone who can help us feel safe.” Sam feels like she blew it the moment she hangs up. She deeply considers moving. The cost is far outside of her reach but if she asks the right people and is willing to speak to her mother again, then she can make it happen. 

“Someone sent you an email!” Bernice, who everyone just calls Bezza, yells from where she’s seated in front of her trailer. Rocking and knitting like always. Sam approaches with Ruby at her side. “Remember when you showed me how to use the ‘Gmail’? Well, I guess your account is still up. The noise that email made, scared me to hell and back.”

“Who’s it from?” Sam can’t remember the last time she’d gotten an email that wasn’t about her missing a bill. 

“Some law firm.” Sam nearly trips on herself as she runs into Bezza’s trailer. She pushes past mounds of newspapers and boxes of old junk and finds her desktop computer. Sam bites her nails while she waits for the computer to wake up. She listens to Bezza tell Ruby about all of her fantastic finds at the flea market that week. Sam feels nauseous. 

When she finally manages to get to her email, Sam has to rifle through a bunch of spam and late fee notices to get to an email from Danvers & Danvers Law Offices: 

Dear Ms. Arias, 

I’ve received some initial information about Duntown and I am concerned about the lack of progress being made on behalf of your town. I’d like to come and talk to you sometime within the next few weeks. Please send me a list of dates and times that you are available to meet and we will work something out.

Alex Danvers LL.M. 

Sam rereads the email five times before typing out her response. She’s embarrassed that she’s only free to meet after eight most days, but she leaves room for other suggestions like a phone call. She sends the email and immediately gets a response. They’ll meet at The Tipsy Cow at 8:30 the following day. “Mom, you took like fifty years,” Ruby, who is far too aware and mature for a nine-year-old, says as they walk back to their trailer. “Bezza smells like mothballs.” Ruby hops up the steps one by one and they enter and both go in search of something that will pass for dinner. 

“I had to answer an email,” Sam explains. “Don’t comment on how people smell unless it’s nice.” 

“I like moths.” Ruby finds an apple in the fridge and munches on that while Sam gets to work on Hamburger Helper. “Who emailed? Delany’s mom got a new boyfriend. They went to Chicago for the weekend.” Sam wishes she could tell Ruby that Delany’s mom’s new boyfriend is an alcoholic who has questionable world views. Instead, she remains silent. “Can we go to Chicago?” 

“Someday.”

“There’s a giant bean there!” Ruby gets lost in an old Almanac, Sam starts to think that she’s made a grave mistake. Big corporations don’t take too kindly to meddling women. Sam’s a nobody, she knows that and what kind of lawyer travels all the way from National City just to talk? If Sam had a computer of her own, she’d email this Alex Danvers right now, and tell him to forget it. But dinner and bedtime stories get in the way of those thoughts. 

Sam is hunkered down at work just enough to forget all about it until it’s six-thirty and Ruby is asking why she has to stay at Deborah’s house that night. “I have to meet someone and I don’t know how long it’ll take. You like Deborah.”

“I like you more,” Ruby tells her pouting and sulking the whole walk over. The minute they arrive at the ranch house, Ruby sees Scout, an Australian Shepherd mix, and she forgets all of her misgivings. 

“Everything alright?” Deborah asks as they both watch Ruby, and her oversized backpack, bouncing around the yard. “You finally meeting someone?”

“A lawyer. Just to talk about the water situation.”

Deborah turns very serious. “You be careful now,” She warns, echoing the same tone that Sam’s mother had when she told her about this last night. Sam kisses Ruby goodbye and returns home to change into something more presentable. She settles for a turquoise shift dress and white platform sandals. The bar is close which is good for most people in the trailer community but terrible for Sam. On more than one occasion, there have been fights that have broken out right outside of Sam’s window. For now, she considers it a good thing that she lives so close, otherwise, she might have been late. 

The Tipsy Cow represents all the good and bad of the town. Everyone certainly knows everyone but that means that things often boil over and get heated in these very walls. Sam normally wouldn’t be caught dead alone in this place but it’s 8:30 and she doesn’t think she’ll have to wait long. 

Unless this big city lawyer is late. 

Sam orders a club soda and finds a booth in the back. They’ll need a quiet place to talk and there are too many mill workers crowding the bar and watching some baseball game that Sam could care less about. There’s a little bit of a lull, which Sam hardly notices until one of the mill workers barks - yes, barks - at a woman who’s just entered the bar. That kind of ruckus signals outsider, so Sam lifts her head to see what’s going on. The woman is wearing a grandad collar white button-up, mid-wash blue jeans, and a blazer that could probably pay off Sam’s mortgage. The briefcase is the thing that catches Sam’s attention the most. 

Oh, she sits up properly, Alex Danvers is a woman. 

Alex doesn’t notice Sam just yet. She checks her expensive watch, mutters fuck, and orders something from the bar. When Sam sees the bartender going for the tap, Sam rises to her feet and approaches. “I’d advise against that.” Alex turns looks between Sam and the bartender and taps her head as if to say ‘duh’. 

“Long drive. The brain’s on autopilot.” Alex motions to the bartender. “I’ll take a soda.” 

“We say pop around here,” Sam informs the lawyer. Once Alex has her soda, she follows Sam to the booth, and extends her hand. “So, you’re Alex.”

“Yep. And you’re Sam?”

“Yes.” Sam sits first. Alex slides her briefcase into the seat across from Sam and takes off her blazer before sitting. 

“Am I late?”

“Only by a few minutes.” Sam smiles. “I see you got a good Doomstown welcome,”

“Doomstown?”

“This place. It’s a nickname of sorts.” Alex frowns. 

“Doesn’t look doomed from where I’m sitting.” Sam toys with her straw trying not to get distracted by Alex placing her briefcase on the table. Alex pulls out a few documents and sets them on the table. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading. Coores & Phillips Company seems to be the main corp involved. They have the proper ordinances to drill in Cook and Favors county, but as you know, they’ve been drilling near the border here.” Alex goes to take a drink of her soda, but Sam reaches forward and grabs the glass first. “What?” 

“Don’t drink that.” 

“What’s wrong with it?” 

“The bartender put moonshine in that.” Sam quickly lets go of the glass when she realizes that their fingers are touching. Alex laughs, uncomfortably, at the very suggestion that she’d get her drink spiked. “I’m serious.” 

“I can handle my liquor.”

“Don’t be...stupid. We’ve got no-joke moonshine out here.” There’s a competitive drive in Alex. Sam imagines that makes for some magic in the courtroom. “Those papers can tell you plenty but not enough. This place isn’t some cute little town that needs big city saving. It’s been six months, soon people are going to start fighting back.” 

“And how would they? Fight back I mean.” 

“You see those guys?” Sam nods toward the men at the bar, cheering for a homerun. “When they’re not working, they’re drinking. And if they’re drinking and on crank, then guns get involved.”

“We’ll need a town hall meeting. Something to show everyone that the problems are being addressed.” Alex takes a sip of her drink and grimaces. “We did a case in Texas two years ago. A nice settlement too.” 

“How much were the lawyer fees?”

Alex shakes her head. “No, no, nothing like that. This is pro-bono-.”

“I’ll pay. We’ll scrape money together. I’m not a charity case.” Alex seems to recognize Sam’s seriousness, so she lets it go in favor of mulling something over in her mind. 

“Show me.” 

“Show you...what?” 

“This town. Show me what I’m missing.” Alex pays for their drinks and manages to polish off the rest of her soda before following Sam out of the bar. They get another bark on their way to Alex’s car, Sam turns sharply. 

“Fuck off!” She warns. She’s seen these guys before. Heard their poor pickup lines. She won’t let them bully what might be their saving grace. 

“Oh, mommy’s pissed,” One of them says as Alex unlocks her car. Alex looks like she might say something, but Sam grabs her arm and continues to pull her along. When they’re in Alex’s SUV, which is a black Porsche Cayenne, Alex looks over at her sympathetically. 

“You have a kid?” 

“A daughter.” Alex will probably ask more but for now, she drives out of the parking lot and down the road. “Nice car.”

“Thanks,” Alex says a slight smile on her face. 

“I was being sarcastic, you can’t drive this thing around.” Sam points to her trailer which is only a block away. “You need to pull over there. You can park by my place.” Alex follows directions well but seems less than eager when they get out of the car and start walking. “Don’t worry.” 

“I’m not worried,” Alex lies. They approach the church. Sam hasn’t stepped foot in there in four years and counting. Alex seems to acknowledge her jitters by slowing near the front door. “This the kind of place for you?”

“Girls like me avoid places like that,” Sam tells her. “Didn’t always. Things change.” The streets are quiet on the weeknights. The further you get from the bar, the easier it is to forget what kind of town this is. Sam glances up at the sky, the pollution from the mill has changed the whole world from Sam’s perspective. She doesn’t want Ruby growing up in a place without stars and with rusty water. “You shouldn’t take this case.”

“Why not?”

“I saw the way you looked at those guys. Like you wanted to say something or fight.” Sam stops Alex before they reach the long pathway that leads to the mill. “But you didn’t.”

“I would’ve. Easily. You don’t know me.” Alex sticks her hands in her pockets. “My mom would say that this is a lost cause. That we’ll get buried under big corporate lawyers, but our firm is solid. We’ll get you paid-.”

“If you think any of this is about money, then you don’t understand.”

“I do understand.” Alex touches the small of Sam’s back. She isn’t certain what to make of the gesture but she’ll remember it in case things take a turn for the worst. “Whoa.” Alex bends over with her hands on her knees. “Fuck.”

“What?”

“That moonshine.”

“Oh,” Sam laughs. “Yeah, it takes a bit to bite you like that.” Sam wraps her arm under Alex’s shoulder and guides her back down the road. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I could just use some water, which...I recognize is a problem.” 

“I have bottled water at home.” Even though they’re strangers, Sam feels comfortable enough with Alex to invite her into her trailer. For one, there’s nothing worth stealing in the place. And two, Alex has just decided to put so much on the line to help out. Sam wishes she’d cleaned up more. Or maybe folded up her couch so it would look like there was more space but Alex seems mainly focused on water, so Sam buries her shame. 

“Thanks,” Alex mumbles as she leans against the counter and downs half the bottle. Sam tries not to stare when Alex untucks her shirt and looks around the modest kitchen. 

“I told you not to drink that shit.”

“Okay, yes, I admit it. You were right.” Alex shrugs it off. Sam sits at the tiny wooden table and starts unlatching her sandals. When she’s finished and looks back up at Alex, she’s struck by the fact that Alex’s eyes are already on her. Like she’d been watching her. “Um...I’ll go. You have your kid and everything-.”

“She’s staying at a friend’s place.” Sam doesn’t know why she jumps in to say that but she does know that everything has a cost. If Alex wasn’t accepting payment from her, then she must want something. Sam takes a chance, a small one, and stands shoulder to shoulder with Alex. She’s been here before, giving recklessly. Never with Ruby around but there were times where desperation took hold. “I could repay you…” Sam has never had to say much to anyone, just show casual interest and they would find a way to take control. 

Alex is different, Sam learns right away, taking a step away and putting her water bottle down. “You’re a good person, Sam. I am too.” Alex lets out a breath. “We can work together, can’t we? Probably better when I’m not this drunk.” 

“I wasn’t…” Sam shakes her head. “In this place, things sometimes get warped.”

“It’s okay,” Alex says sincerely. “And in honor of us understanding each other. Would it be possible for me to sleep here tonight? On the couch, on the floor...whichever.” 

“Of course you can.” By the time Sam has gathered a pillow and blanket from the closet, Alex is already snoring softly on the couch. Sam covers her with a blanket, locks the doors, and goes into her own bedroom. Outside of feeling embarrassed by basically offering sex as payment, Sam is remarkably thrilled with her day. Even in her tiny room that often makes her feel like a child, Sam is floored by the possibilities that the future brings. 

Doomstown might not be doomed quite yet and if the fight that Sam has seen crop up in Alex’s eyes is any indication, they might actually have a chance. Sam doesn’t like to get her hopes up. She kneels at her bedside, crosses herself, and prays for the first time since she was in high school. She wants to be safe and for once, someone understands that. 

When she wakes up, Sam finds Deborah and Ruby in the kitchen. They’re both eating cereal and Deborah is boiling the water for the coffee maker. Neither seems all that phased, especially Ruby who points to the other room with her spoon, “Who’s that in there?”

“That’s Alex, she’s a lawyer.” Deborah arches a brow at Sam. Sam peeks into the room and finds Alex exactly where she left her. 

“What’s she doing here?” Ruby whispers as she looks over the couch at Alex. 

“She’s going to help us get clean water.”

“Really?!” Ruby yells. She bolts to where she can get face to face with Alex whose eyes open slowly. She has to blink a few times to remember where she is but when she does she smiles at Ruby and says ‘hi’. “You’re gonna help us?”

Alex looks to Sam and then sits up a little. “Yeah, I’m gonna help you.” On their way to check to see if Alex’s car got stolen Alex observes the town in the light of day. Bezza is rocking away in her chair. The hazy overcast does nothing to deter Alex’s smile. Even shouting from inside a trailer doesn’t seem to frighten her. “I like it here,” Alex tells Sam.

“Really?”

“I like the people at least.” 

The next time Alex Danvers comes into town, it’s to rent an entire building out for her team. They parade in with their fancy cars and nice suits but they immediately get to work. The drilling ceases for a week and after what seems like a standoff - marked by a lot of yelling in and outside of town hall - Alex takes the Coores & Phillips Company to court. The win comes suddenly, after months and months of proceedings. The big corporation senses the uneasiness and after a few men from the mill, high on meth, blow up a drill, it’s fairly obvious that this is a war they won’t win. Alex knocks at Sam’s door, sweaty from jogging over to this side of town, she is elated and Sam knows that finally, everything is right in their little burden of a town. 

Two weeks later, while Ruby, Deborah, and Bezza are playing cards, Sam announces that she’s going to take a shower. Alex looks up from where she’s seated, after losing in the very first round, and follows Sam into the hallway. “Don’t make me get a restraining order,” Sam jokes. 

“This is actually...about that night.” 

“I’ve known you for about a year. There’s been plenty of nights.” The hallway is barely a hallway. Just a sliver of space that leaves only a few inches between their bodies. 

“The first one.” Alex rolls her eyes, knowing that Sam will wait until she says exactly what she means. “We could’ve, you know. Ended up in bed together.”

“You wouldn’t have been very good. From what I remember you were all valiance and moonshine.” 

“That stuff was so strong, I might still be all moonshine.” Alex puts her hand on Sam’s waist, it’s the most direct she’s ever been with something outside of the courtroom. “I’d like to try again. Properly, I mean.”

“That’s sweet.”

“You aren’t interested?” Alex questions sadly. 

“I am interested. But more so in you joining me for a shower.” Sam holds Alex’s face in her hands and smiles. “Show me you belong in this crazy little town. Show me what you’re made of.” 

“We can hear everything you’re saying!” Deborah yells from the kitchen. Alex and Sam crack up laughing, hustling into the bathroom, and taking off their clothes.

[malevolentnightshade]

Aftermath (Manarion & Elenwen)

@aurielswaywardson

Elenwen could not concentrate. She had been reading the same report for over an hour. None of it was going in. Finally, she admitted defeat, slumping back in her chair with a sigh. A slight wave of nausea hit her. With another sigh she reached for her glass of water and sipped it slowly.

The past couple of days since Tinuviel had informed her that she was pregnant had blurred into one very long and surreal dream. And a bad dream at that. Elenwen had hoped that as time passed the idea of it would begin to sink in, but instead, the more time passed the further away she felt from it ever being able to register properly in her mind. It did not help matters that whenever she saw Manarion, she felt guiltier and guiltier for not telling him. He must have suspected that something was wrong by now, but he did not try to question her. Perhaps he ought to force it out of her. At this point it might be the only way she would be able to get the words out.

Elenwen sat staring at the contents on her cup with glassy eyes for a long while. Her mind was a tangled mess of fear. What was she going to do? How could she possibly be a mother? No child deserved her as a mother.

Only when she managed to pull herself from her agonising did she realise tears were rolling down her cheeks.

Hastily she wiped the tears away with one hand and placed the glass down on her desk. She needed some air. Both away from here and away from the Embassy.

With Skyrim’s current political climate, standard protocol was that the Emissaries – especially the Ambassador – must be accompanied by at least one soldier, though usually more, when leaving the confines of the Embassy. But on that particular day, Elenwen could barely stand the thought of being followed whilst attempting to get some much need space.

Leaving her office and locking the door, she made for her chambers where she intended to change into something more inconspicuous. She picked out her informal pale blue travelling robes and changed as quickly as she could. Manarion would be busy in his office at this time of day, but she was still paranoid about the possibility of him walking in at any moment. Her chambers were as much his nowadays.

On her way out, the Ambassador donned a black cloak with hood. If she were to be alone, the hood felt necessary to avoid notice. The prospect of her being recognised was slim, however. Her name was known to many in Skyrim, but her face, less so. Especially when it was not coupled with her distinctive Thalmor uniform.

Now, leaving the Embassy would be a little trickier. Elenwen was not about to go scale one of the walls that encircled them, but the front entrance was typically well guarded. She stood by her bedroom door for a good five minutes before an idea hit her.

It was approximately two o’clock and a Middas. Every Middas at around half two to three o’clock the Embassy received a delivery of fruits and vegetables from a nearby farm. If she were lucky, perhaps she could get a ride out of the Embassy on the delivery wagon. The guards would be less likely to stop the wagon from leaving than if she tried to leave by herself.

Time was of the essence. She did not want to miss the delivery wagon. Quickly, Elenwen proceeded to the front courtyard. Once there she lingered in a shady corner, hood up, trying her best not to be noticed. The delivery wagon was not here yet. Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she waited impatiently in the cold as snow started to flutter down from the sky to form yet another layer on the already thick white blanket on the ground below. She shivered. Skyrim truly was a detestable land.

After what felt like a lifetime, the delivery wagon arrived with a surly-looking Nord at the helm. He likely hated the elves as much as the next Nord, but also couldn’t afford to turn down the coin, Elenwen guessed. A nervous knot began building in her stomach whilst she waited for his produce to be slowly unloaded. Finally, his cart was empty. Without a moment to spare, she strode over to the man as he was readjusting the straps around his horse.

“Excuse me?”

The Nord turned around and gave her a suspicious look. “…What?”

Elenwen’s heart was pounding against her chest. “I assume you will be passing by Solitude, yes? Would you be willing to give me a ride?”

He gave her a dismissive look. “Can you elves not walk now, or something?”

Closing her eyes momentarily, she took a deep breath. “I realise it is not far, but please? I will pay for your trouble.”

“Fifty septims.”

A look of offence graced the Ambassador’s face. “Twenty-five.”

“Fine, fine. But I want it up front.” He growled.

Elenwen took out the amount of gold from a coin purse strapped to her waist and handed it to the man, who seemed quite pleased with himself.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” He nodded to the back of the wagon. “Climb up there and we’ll be off, milady.” His voice dripped with sarcasm as he called her milady, but Elenwen didn’t care. Hurriedly she moved to the back of the wagon and climbed up. The cart was far from the cleanest mode of transport she had ever used, with soil and muck staining most of the wood and the odd leaf lying limply on the floor, but she was hardly in a position to complain. As she gingerly took a seat, the Nord did likewise and in very little time at all they were moving.

Now came the real test.

Elenwen pulled the hood of her cloak down as far as it would go and looked very deliberately down at her lap. If her mer noticed her, she would have a lot of awkward explaining to do. The wagon abruptly pulled to a stop at the gates and her heart stopped.

“Come on! I don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to.” The Nord sneered with clear disdain in his voice as he waited impatiently for the gates to be opened.

Elenwen could not see the faces of her guards, but she could easily imagine their irritation.

There was a clatter and a low screeching sound as the metal gates were opened for them and then a voice from nearby said with hostility to match the wagon driver’s, “Have a nice day, sir”.

And with a snort from the driver, they were off again. Elenwen dared not look up until they were far enough down the road that she could be sure she was no longer identifiable.  

She’d done it. She had made it passed the guards and was fast on her way to Solitude. The biggest sigh of relief escaped her, and a small smile graced her lips. It would hopefully be a couple of hours until her absence was noticed. A couple of hours of complete and utter freedom. Part of her had forgotten what that felt like. Relaxing tense muscles, Elenwen sat back and attempted to savour every moment she had. For she knew it would all soon be over.

~~~

Solitude was dreadfully cold. It had escaped the snow of the nearby mountain top where the Thalmor Embassy sat, but the capital city still felt like it was trapped in a block of ice. The freezing weather did not halt daily life within the city, however. The streets were still bustling, children were still out playing, and the market stalls were still manned by shivering residents.

Elenwen stood by the front gates for a long while, unsure where to go or what to do. Eventually she started walking, casually heading in the direction of the Blue Palace. Few paid her any attention. Under her cloak and hood she did not stand out so much. From afar she likely appeared to simply be a rather tall Nord woman. This was perhaps the one and only time in her life that she was glad to be mistaken as human.

About a third of the way towards the Palace, there was a low wall to one side and Elenwen stopped to take a seat. The fresh air and change of scenery felt… nice. And not having hundreds of papers to read was an added bonus. Her mind was the clearest it had been in a long time.

From a side street, there was a distinct sound of a door being opened and shut and keys jangling. A small voice whined at his mother.

“But I don’t want to go out!”

“Hadran, please don’t make this any harder than it has to be. We need to go shopping.”

“But whhhhy?!”

A short elven womer emerged on to the main street with a little boy holding her hand and another small infant strapped to her chest with a length of white cloth. None of them paid any attention to the nearby womer, save for the baby. The baby stared at Elenwen as if transfixed with a curious half-smile and its tiny ears wiggling at her. Elenwen looked back.

Until that exact moment, she had managed to push her troubles from her mind. Now they were all flooding back to her.

She was pregnant and she had no idea what to do. Tears started welling up in her eyes again as well as an almighty need to hide. She must have looked stupid. Crying, alone in the middle of the city.

Temples were usually quiet places and the Temple of the Divines was not far away. With a great effort, Elenwen got up and started walking in the opposite direction, keeping her head down.

Fortunately for her, the temple was deserted when she got there. Lacking her usual elegance, she flopped into the nearest pew before near instantly bursting into ugly sobs.

It was hard to say how long she was there crying. She only stopped when a priestess walked in from a side chamber. She noticed Elenwen immediately, but visibly hesitated after realising she was an Altmer – a not uncommon reaction – before walking over with a concerned look.

“…You appear troubled.” The priestess gave her best encouraging smile, but it did little to make the womer feel any better. “I offer counsel and guidance to those in need. Would you-“

Elenwen shook her head quickly. The last thing she wanted was to talk her problems through with some Nordic priest.

“I understand. If you change your mind, I will be here tending the shrines. Please feel free to stay as long as you need.”

Elenwen watched her leave and walk back to the front of the temple where the shrines were housed. Drying her eyes on the back of her sleeves, she looked around the hall properly for the first time. It was large and dimly lit. She had never been in a temple outside of Alinor before. The temples there were much brighter, much more inviting. She remembered how her mother used to take her along to services when she was a child. Little Elenwen hated them, but her mother still insisted that she come. Felrian had always been a strong believer in Mara and brought her offerings every year.

Mara, the goddess of fertility. How fitting, Elenwen thought bitterly.

There must be thousands upon thousands who prayed to Mara to be blessed with a child, and yet here she was, pregnant without even wanting to be. Why? Why her and not some other poor womer who had been desperately praying for years? She would swap places with someone like that in a heartbeat.

Had she done something to offend Mara? Was this some cruel joke?

She had to admit she had prayed less and less to the gods as the years and decades passed. She was not as devout as she could be. But surely none of that warranted the hell she faced now. Surely?

Aicendor gave the old oak of the Ambassador’s office door a sharp knock. She was not expecting him, but he did have papers that need her attention fairly urgently. He glanced at them in his arms once more as he waited. And waited. 

Never had he waited so long for the Ambassador to answer the door. Frowning he rapped his knuckles against the door again. And ended up waiting again.

There was no way she had not heard him. He had knocked twice. The creases in his forehead becoming ever deeper, he tried again.

“Lady Elenwen? ...Are you there?”

No response.

Curious. Usually when the Ambassador had to be away from her office, she left a note on her door. Today there was no such note. 

Aicendor pondered the possible meanings of this. Could she be hurt or unconscious? A chill travelled down his spine at the thought.

Taking a deep breath, he reached for the handle and attempted to enter whilst silently apologising for the intrusion. However, the door was locked. 

Doubly curious. Elenwen did not lock her door when she was inside her office. 

Bewildered, Aicendor wondered what he should do. Quickly he came to the conclusion that he should speak to the General immediately. If Elenwen had to leave and go somewhere in a hurry, he would almost certainly know. And if not... The General would want to be the first to know in the case of an unexplained absence.

Without a second to lose, he hurried to the General’s office and knocked on the door.

[softpunks]

if we could restart everything | kdfd

if we could restart everything / kdfd / 3.8k / for the ina11 writing exchange

Sakuma just gives him a mildly exasperated look. “He’s the nicest one around here.” he replies, and that must say a lot about the other ayakashi if he’s meant to be the best one here.

“You could seek refuge there.” Sakuma says. “Though you might not like it.”

“Is there nowhere else?” Fudou asks. 

my contribution to the ina11 writing exchange! this is for @maryseph, whose prompt as og ina11 as yokai. it was quite a general prompt, so i checked out your blog beforehand to see what you liked and saw your love for kdfd, so i decided to make it about that. from og ina11 as yokai it went from teikoku trio (kotei penguin no3 trio?) as yokai.  sorry if it seems a little stilted or rushed, because i did cram this. my knowledge on yokai is purely based on growing up watching nurarihyon no mago and a bit of research, so sorry for any inaccuracies. anyways, i hope you enjoy it regardless! 

alternatively, read it on ao3 here 

(and @ina11writingexchange thank you for hosting this fun little event!!)

The 11th District used to be known as one of the few places where no spirits resided, due to a shrine protecting the entire area from both good and evil supernatural creatures. That all changed a decade ago, when the structure was destroyed by a calamity no one could explain even until now. For a while, rumors had circulated that it was caused by the yokai themselves, in order for them to get into the prefecture that was out of their reach for so long, but it died down shortly, because it turned out that even they avoided going to the 11th District. At most, they’d simply pass by, because it was nearly impossible to stay long. There was something about the atmosphere there, they would say, that made them feel like they weren’t welcome, and it would show. 

Though Fudou isn’t particularly active in their community, he does know enough that he could probably count the number of spirits who actually reside inside the 11th District with one hand, regardless of the area’s infamy, and he likes none of them, though it isn’t enough to stop him from going. He’s never been bothered by gossip in the first place — gossip is made by the mischievous, after all, and causing that is in his blood, second instinct, as a fox demon — but there’s always a sliver of truth to what others say, so he’s cautious as he travels towards the very place that so many of his kind avoid. 

Besides, as much as he hates to admit it, he’s desperate. With the current state he’s in, he can only keep going so far. 

“It’s past midnight; you don’t have to move so cautiously.” a voice suddenly says. Fudou glances up and sees Sakuma, perched at the edge of the rooftop of the house across, crouched like a bird despite how he’s in his human form. It looks ridiculous, but he’s probably doing it because the other is in his human form as well. Fudou can’t help but straighten up at the familiar sight of the spirit he hadn’t seen in years, despite how it hurts to do so and how he still can’t help but lean on the wall for support. Sakuma’s one eye — he lost the other one to a greedy daimyo who was interested in the yatagarasu, and that’s the other distinct feature about Sakuma besides his three legs — trails down to the way Fudou’s hand grips at the left side of his abdomen. Fudou doesn’t miss the movement, but it’s not like he’s willing to retract his hold. That’ll only make things worse. 

Sakuma must take Fudou’s silence as reluctance to believe his words, because he adds, “The humans are asleep. I would know.”

“Would you?�� Fudou can’t help but retort. “Thought you stopped staying in places for too long ever since Kageyama.”

“Whatever.” says Sakuma flippantly, before eyeing Fudou’s wound once more. “That, I don’t want to know.”

“Good, because there’s no way in hell I’m telling.”

“—but out of all places out there, this one’s the worst one to stumble into.” Sakuma tilts his head. “Then again, you seem to have been wandering around for a while. It’s a wonder that no human has spotted you yet.”

“What can I say? I’m quite nimble.” Fudou says. Sakuma scoffs. “If this is the worst, then why are you here?”

“For a visit.” Sakuma shrugs. “It’s quite a nice place, actually. Humans aside.” 

Fudou still hasn’t felt that unwelcomed vibe that most spirits claimed to have felt in the 11th District, but then again, he isn’t really concentrating on anything but the conversation he’s having with Sakuma to distract him from the pain. “Right.” he bites out. “Well, I’m only here to pass by, so if you’re done,” Fudou resumes moving. “I’ll be off.”

Except when he takes another step forward, he can’t hide his wince at the sharp pain that shoots up his body. A bit more blood gushes out from the side of his stomach and spills past his hand, and it occurs to him, just then, that his wound might be a lot deeper than he thought. He must look like a pathetic sight to see, but Fudou grits his teeth anyway and tries to suppress the pained sound that threatens to escape him. 

Sakuma drops down to the ground beside him and walks over. “There’s a temple up ahead,” he says, glancing towards the direction of the 11th District’s tallest infrastructure. A tower, but Fudou doesn’t know for what. “You could seek refuge there, though you might not like it.”

Despite how Sakuma’s barely revealing anything, Fudou is smart enough to have a good hunch. “Is there nowhere else?” he asks. 

Sakuma just gives him a mildly exasperated look. “He’s the nicest one around here.” he replies, and that must say a lot about the other ayakashi if he’s meant to be the best one here. “So unless you want to drown in your own blood because your healing factor isn’t kicking in anymore, then no. At the rate you’re going, it’ll be daybreak by the time you get to leave the 11th District, and the humans will come find you.”

Fudou grimaces at the thought, because that’s the last thing he wants to do, even if he already is in human form. It’d be a lot easier to keep up the act if he wasn’t injured, because despite how his blood is red, it has a smell distinctly different from humans, and they’d recognize him to be a spirit, even though they have a belief that yokai don’t even bleed— that the moment you attack one, they’ll disperse like fog and disappear for good, just like that. It’s annoying, how perceptive the residents of this area are. “Fuck.” 

“It’s a good thing we met, Fudou.” Sakuma tells him. “It would be a waste to see you die.”

“Thanks.” he replies dryly. Sakuma nods and slowly reverts back into his original form. Fudou watches the transformation and his eyes follow Sakuma as he flies away, before he turns to the tower. “The spirit of guidance, huh.” he muses to himself, letting him think of the yatagarasu for a few more seconds before starting to walk. 

Much to his chagrin, he gets to his destination a lot later than he wanted to. It’s still evening, however, but the walk felt like forever, and Fudou regrets not asking Sakuma for any shortcuts, or even if he could carry him there. 

But when he finally reaches the entrance of the temple, the first thing he wants to do is go back. Maybe he’s near the district’s exit or something. All he knows is that he already wants to leave. It was out of desperation and cluelessness that led him here, but without Sakuma’s presence, his head is a lot clearer, and he’s gotten used to the pain from his side that he can make room for enough pride to turn away. 

In the hindsight, Fudou probably shouldn’t have spoken so soon. The moment he moves his body to start walking away almost as quickly as he came — meaning not fast at all, despite how he wants to be — his side immediately throbs like a warning. Fudou needs to rest, if not get patched up immediately. And if he leaves, he gets neither of those. 

Fudou grimly wonders if not listening will get him killed. 

Before he can make another decision, a familiar, low voice comes in from behind. “How long are you going to keep standing there?”

Fudou slowly turns. Kidou looks the same as always, tied dreadlocks and youthful features an exact imitation of what it was years ago. His unnatural red eyes are bright against the moonlight, and Fudou wonders how pathetic he must look to the other— practically a wounded animal, here because of his own weakness. 

“Not long.” Fudou finally answers, meeting Kidou’s gaze because he refuses to back down. He has to look up, because Kidou is at the top of the stairwell that leads to the temple and Fudou is at the bottom, right in front of the torii gate entrance, and pretends like it doesn’t bother him. Kidou always did say he got worked over the smallest of things, and Fudou didn’t want to prove him right. “If you really wanted me to get out, you would’ve told me when I was halfway through here.”

Kidou doesn’t say anything, only slightly twitches. It’s not a denial. Kidou probably knew Fudou was coming here the moment Sakuma departed. One of the few perks of being a bird, Fudou would like to think, but it’s really just in Kidou’s nature, to always watch over things, to always know what’s going to happen. Fudou would be lying if he said he wasn’t the same, but he gets his information from underground, in land, where he thrives the most. Kidou lives in the higher places, in the air, fitting for his status and personality. 

For a while, neither of them says anything. Then Kidou speaks up. “It’s cold. I’m heading up.”

As Kidou walks away, Fudou realizes that he’s been given an unsaid invitation inside. It makes his desire to leave wane slightly, but what really propels him to go despite how he knows— he can feel it in his bones, beyond the aching pain coming from his abdomen and the lightheadedness he’s been trying to fight off from the blood loss, that this night probably isn’t going to end well. Not that it’s been starting out great for him in the first place — is the thought that refusing might seem like he’s afraid, running away like a coward. And Fudou is many things, but he isn’t that. 

It’s a small temple at first glance, but when Fudou crosses the threshold after climbing up the hill, the inside turns out to be a lot larger than it looks. An illusion, likely possible because of the paper seals that surround the area. Behind the structure is the tower Sakuma had been talking about, which Fudou is confident has a walkway attached so Kidou can go there as often and as easily as he wished. 

Because Fudou has never stepped inside the 11th District before, this is his first time in Kidou’s house. Fudou settles down on the futon mat for the dining area and examines his surroundings as Kidou flits around. There isn’t much to see, but Fudou finds himself captivated with the tiniest of things anyway— the scratched up wood, the black feathers that are scattered around the room, the small cracks lining the walls. It looks almost exactly like what Kidou’s old temple looked like before, a long time ago. 

Kidou returns with tissues, bandages, and paper seals with unfamiliar characters Fudou can’t make out. 

It must say a lot about how exhausted Fudou is that he doesn’t protest when Kidou pulls off his yukata so he can treat the wound. After cleaning away the blood so he can get a look at the injury a lot more clearly, Kidou gets the paper seals and makes a few hand gestures, causing them to glow and surround themselves around Fudou. They both watch as the wound begins to heal itself, almost like the seals are utilizing the regenerative abilities of Fudou that he thought had given up on repairing the damage because it was just too much. 

“These are divination paper seals.” Fudou points out quietly. “Where’d a demon like you get access to those?”

“I know some people.” is all Kidou says in reply. He doesn’t give Fudou anything more than that. Fair enough, Fudou guesses. He knows enough about these kinds of things though. Knows that they’re hard to come across and aren’t often made, what more given. Kidou probably had to pull some strings to get them. Or someone gifted them to him. Fudou wouldn’t put that later possibility past him. Kidou is a special figure here in the 11th District, despite how the place is notoriously known for being incredibly anti-ayakashi. There will always be a few believers, and they will always hold some kind of special power. Fudou wouldn’t even put it past him to somehow be part of why outside ayakashi actively avoid this place. Protector magic, or something. Fudou wouldn’t know. 

“You’re weird, you know.” Fudou says at last. 

Kidou looks up to him. “You’re weird too.” he says back. “For coming here.”

Fudou shrugs. Kidou gazes down at the tissues that are dried with blood. “Did they cause this?”

“Your people? No, but given their reputation, they probably would’ve if they knew I was here.” Fudou answers. They say that if you absolutely need to go to the 11th District for whatever reason, it’s best to do it either late at night or in the early day, when most are still asleep. The humans here are unlike the ones in other areas, who either respect or fear ayakashi. They’re driven by hate, and they like to show it. Fudou will never know the origin to it, because it’s a fact that’s almost as old as time. 

He doesn’t know how the spirits that actually do live here manage to maintain their cover, but Kidou’s scent is more human than it ever was before, so Fudou guesses it must be that. He must’ve been spending more time in this form rather than his true one in order to start smelling like this, just to properly blend in, and Fudou can’t help but wince at the thought, because he’s never particularly liked turning into a human, even if he needs to, like now, for the sake of maintaining his secret. 

“I got sidetracked by something while I was passing by, and a few hunters who were in area nicked me while I wasn’t looking. I thought it’d heal by itself if I went to hide within the forest, but by the time nightfall was arriving, it wasn’t, so I went to the closest town.” Which just happened to be this. “I didn’t mean to come here.”

Kidou doesn’t even blink at the latter part. “It isn’t like you to get caught in something like that.”

He has a point. Fudou is known for purposely bringing trouble when he wants to, but this one was unintentional. There’s a reason why ayakashi are discouraged to travel in their real form during the day, or when they’re close to areas or in pathways that humans frequent. Fudou is a wanderer by heart, unable to stay in one place the way many spirits are, so he’s almost always in his fox form unless he wants to stop by a certain district or town and wants to explore it a bit. This was a lack of proper judgement on his part. He slipped up and forgot, so of course the humans didn’t hesitate to take advantage of that. 

“You’d know, wouldn’t you.” is Fudou’s only reply to that. 

“What did you get distracted by?”

Fudou doesn’t want to say it’s because he got lost in his musings, looking to the direction of the 11th District with old memories in mind. He was just passing by, not intending to step a foot into the area, but he faltered at the last second and allowed a second of sentimentality. It wasn’t worth it, he thought, because he ended up placing his guard down and got shot by a few arrows.

“It doesn’t matter.” Fudou says, not about to tell him. 

Kidou raises an eyebrow, but otherwise doesn’t comment on it. 

As the last of his wound fixes itself, his side eventually looking normal after the blood has been wiped away by a fresh cloth Kidou produces and tenderly uses, Fudou starts to feel drowsy, the events of today finally catching up to him. An effect of the speed healing, he supposes, because that always takes more stamina than wanted. It's why he doesn't complain when Kidou gently touches him and gives him a knowing, familiar smile. 

Really, Fudou would flip him off, but he's already losing conscious. 

When he comes to, Kidou is no longer there. For a moment, Fudou panics, thinks to himself, the bastard left me again, before he abruptly calms down and realizes the stupidity of his concern and anxiety. 

Since Fudou is fully healed and rested, his senses are working a lot better, so his keen nose can easily sniff out Kidou’s scent, one that lingers everywhere in the temple and drifts to the backdoor. The latter one is much more fresh, and Fudou guesses that Kidou must’ve went out. 

He follows the smell all the way up to the tower, which, sure enough, is connected to the temple through a pathway that leads up to a stairwell. It’s a long trek up, but Fudou does it with minimal grumbling until he’s climbed up what he thinks to be three floors and eventually spots the familiar puff of Kidou’s odd hair at the end of it. 

It’s not a surprise for Fudou to find Kidou here. He once told him how he felt more confident in himself when he was anywhere close to the sky. Fudou thought it was a testament of his god complex, but it might just be a thing of Kidou’s kind. Fudou wouldn’t know, even after all the years that have passed. Kidou is still the only tengu he knows. 

It’s still dark, but it doesn’t tell much about how long Fudou’s been out. A few hours, an entire day? Fudou doesn’t know. He quietly walks over to Kidou’s side and looks to the same view the other seems to be admiring, but all he sees are identical infrastructure, the emptiness of the streets. If he squints hard enough, he can probably see the end of the 11th District, but he doesn’t feel like making the effort. 

“Do you remember the last time we did this?” Kidou suddenly asks him. 

Years ago in the Iyo Province. The sky was a bright blue and they stood on a hill that overlooked a riverbank. There had been kids playing along the water, but no one paid any mind to a bird and fox lounging under the shade of a tree, idly talking about a nice dango shop stationed along the roads that Fudou wanted Kidou to try out sometime. 

Fudou blinks and the memory fades. “Since when did you care about looking back at the past?” he asks back instead of answering. 

Kidou simply shrugs. “Maybe seeing you makes me feel nostalgic.”

Fudou feels uncomfortable at the words, at the implications of them, because it’s been years, but he hasn’t forgotten what happened. Getting mad isn’t something he’s in the mood for though, despite how he used to have all these dreams as to how he’d confront Kidou, when he’d finally get to see him again. That desire waned as time went by, and though he liked to think he wasn’t necessarily avoiding Kidou — only cowards did that, after all, and Kidou did disappear off the face of the world for a long time — he never sought him out either, never took initiative to try and see him again. 

Why should he, when Kidou was the one who left? 

“You can blame Sakuma for that.” is all Fudou says to that. 

Kidou hums. He looks thoughtful, and Fudou is slightly caught off guard by the fact that he remembers how to tell what Kidou’s feeling or doing from just a glance. 

"Fudou," Kidou starts, just as Fudou is about to turn away. Fudou has an inkling of what Kidou is about to say, but in the end, nothing comes out, and the older sighs. 

"What now?" Fudou huffs. "Not gonna ever explain to me why you left?"

"Do you even want to know?"

The thing is, he doesn't. Not anymore. It's not like he cares, but it's not like he doesn't either. It's complicated, in Fudou's eyes, with no simple answer. But he hasn't seen Kidou in what feels like forever, and though the memories and banter feel the same as ever, it doesn't ache. Fudou feels like he's living a dream, and he doesn't want to break it with something so real like the truth. 

“It doesn’t matter.” he says quietly, and it’s true. “It’s not going to change anything, isn’t it?” 

Kidou doesn’t answer, which already tells Fudou enough. It suddenly feels awkward; Fudou wonders if he’s overstayed his welcome, if he should leave. 

But before that—

“Why’d you do it?”

“Why did I do what?” asks Kidou. 

“Help me.” Fudou says. 

Kidou doesn’t say anything at first. Then, “Why not?”

He doesn’t know what he expected, really. Kidou was never really one to give a straight answer. Fudou is a kitsune, a kind known for stirring up mischief, but Kidou, with all his wisdom and maturity, could never bring himself to be straightforward. That inability in itself caused more arguments and misunderstandings than needed, trouble in its own right and form, but Fudou feels resigned, because at least that part about Kidou hasn’t changed. 

“You’re insufferable.” Fudou comments. 

Kidou smiles slightly. “I won’t ask for any thanks.” he tells him. Fudou opens his mouth, about to respond that he didn’t come here to say thanks, when Kidou continues. “But stay?”

Fudou freezes. Kidou said that once, a long time ago, when they were sitting by the footsteps of his temple as the sun was setting back in Iyo. Fudou remembers that his anger was so strong it rang through his ears, blocked hearing the desperation in Kidou’s voice and stopped him from caring. Sakuma always did say Fudou’s emotions were his own unbecoming, because for a demon fox always in motion, the concept of just pausing for one moment to see the bigger picture, to see past whatever met the eye, had never been his thing. 

Kidou may have been the one who left, but it wasn’t like Fudou was willing to stay around either. It’s just not in his nature to do so, just as it’s not in Kidou’s to necessarily explain himself. Isn’t that what makes it Fudou’s fault as much as Kidou’s? Maybe that’s why they didn’t last. Maybe that’s why they were never meant to. Fudou will never really know, because it’s already happened, and he doesn’t want to talk about the past. Kidou is here, after all, in the present, and despite the front Fudou puts, he knows he’s let go of his resentment a long time ago. 

“Maybe.” Fudou says, turning to him. Kidou’s smile stays, and Fudou thinks that he doesn’t want to talk about the past either. 

After a while, the sunlight starts to creep up, engulfing the horizon in a beautiful orange hue. The view is magnificent, but Kidou and Fudou are only looking at each other, and they don’t say a word.

[asterinjapan]

A whole Latte (window) shopping

Good evening from a rainy Tokyo! And no apologies for that awful pun in the title, haha.

Yeah, so uhm, two new tropical storms have formed… One has already dwindled down to a low pressure system, bringing in a ton of rain tonight into tomorrow over areas that have already had plenty of rani last week. The second is a typhoon right now and will probably tun into a low pressure area as well when it approaches late this week. The already battered parts of Japan really can’t catch a break, yikes.

For me, it’s just a mild inconvenience. Tokyo will get rain, and pretty much all my side trips are falling through as they’re in dangerous areas due to risk of landslides and what not, but I can definitely keep myself otherwise entertained. I can only hope that these storms blow over without too much additional damage.

Anyway! I finally managed to wear myself out today, haha, and that despite just sticking to the city I’m staying in. Climbing mountains is easy, but (window) shopping does me in!

Follow me below for my report of today, consisting of Shibuya revisited, hopping over to Harajuku and Akihabara and ending with dinner with a certain bright yellow mascot. Pictures will be up tomorrow morning!

First things first, I had a train ticket to secure for a trip that will happen no matter what: the ride to the airport on the 28th. The Narita Express doesn’t often go through Ikebukuro, but it does at a convenient time for me for once on the 28th, so I wanted to get a seat on that train, haha. Sure, I have to get up early, but I can throw my luggage into the luggage corner, take a seat, and only get up once I’m at the airport. I’ve nearly always had to transfer after the Yamanote line, which is not a lot of fun when you have heavy bags with you. So! I made my way to the JR East travel office, since the normal ticket office apparently can’t reserve seats on the Narita Express for you, and secured my seat. I also asked about trains further out, and got confirmed what I was already suspecting: dangerous, cancelled lines, etcetera. Well, I’m not gonna risk it. Too bad about my JR pass, but it’s given me my free seat in the Narita Express, and the shorter trips throughout Tokyo secretly add up a lot too if you don’t have a free pass. It has long since paid itself off!

Well, I had gotten a relatively early start today, so I went to Shibuya again at a calm pace. It was only a little after ten, so the crossing was pretty empty compared to yesterday, haha. I first hopped over to the Disney store to secure my ticket for Disneyland. Hey, it’s tradition by now! There was only one person in front of me instead of a long line (going on a Monday morning really helps), so that was quickly arranged. After some shop browsing, I traced my way to my Miyamasu Mitake shrine (I’m getting possessive over it by now, haha). And behold, the shop was open! I could finally hand in my omamori, protective charm, which I’d gotten almost 2 years ago (you’re supposed to hand it back in after a year). I immediately got a new one, of course. Still white, because I think the other ones were more specific, and ‘general luck’ has worked fine so far I’d say!

I had a light and early lunch at a nearby café and then went back to the station to go one stop further on the Yamanote line: Harajuku. I usually go to the fancy Omotesando street or the Meiji shrine, but today, I went into Takeshita street. That’s what you think of when you hear Harajuku, I guess, haha, sinc this street is lined with a ton of fashion stores and all kinds of food. There’s one stall that’s gotten pretty well known for its huge rainbow colored candy floss, which are indeed a sight to behold (but I held off for now, I needed to be hungry for dinner). My main mission here was finding a coat, but I got immensely sidetracked by super cute clothing everywhere. No coats that fit my criteria, but I sure had fun window shopping and I’m seriously considering a couple of outfits. Not the very fancy frilly gorgeous dresses, though. I mean, they are amazingly gorgeous and not as outrageously expensive as you might think (not cheap by all means, but I’ve seen more expensive clothes in my little home town) but still… I don’t think I’d dare to wear them? Also, those would definitely mean I have to buy a second suitcase, haha.

Once I went back and forth through Takeshita street, I went back to the station for my next stop on the Yamanote line: Akihabara station, also known as nerd central I guess, haha. Truth is, in earlier years I didn’t really like Akihabara. As it turns out, it really depends on what shops you visit. I know a couple now that mostly cater towards my interests, but there are also a lot of shops here that cater to a male audience, if you catch my drift. But now, I had a lot of fun window shopping and making a mental list of what’s available. I accidentally bought a couple of figurines last year and that’s definitely a trap, now I keep looking, haha.

It was cooling down, so I fled into the station for my final stop for today: Tokyo station. I was going to head to the café I had my reservation for, but it was like an hour and a half in advance, so I first strolled through the underground Tokyo Station city. There is a street called character street which has a lot of specialized merchandise stores, and I always struggle to find it, but today I just – walked right into it as I was looking for my exit for the café, haha. This time, I ended up buying a couple of clearfiles, and then I slowly made my way to the Yaesu North exit.

A short walk later, I was at my destination: the Pokémon DX store with adjacent Pokémon café! You can only get into the café for a meal if you have reservations. I found out in the nick of time that you only need a credit card if you want to pre-order exclusive goods, so I managed to make a reservation for today a week or so before I hopped onto my plane. I was still too early, so I did a lot of browsing in this Pokémon store. I’ve visited quite some Pokémon stores by now, but this one takes the cake. It’s roomy, big, interactive, and has a ton of products I haven’t seen anywhere else yet. Do you want a Pokémon plushie? You can literally get one for every single Pokémon from the first 2 generations, so like – 251. I was strong and steered clear of plushies today, but I did have a wishlist now, haha. There is also a long wall that shows the development of the games throughout the years, that was so fun and nostalgic to watch!

At long last, I got to enter the café! I was seated at the long table in the center, right next to the statue of Pikachu, and got to order my dishes through the tablet on table, which had multiple language options. Of course, I opted for the limited time Pikachu Halloween plate, and I also got a latte with Pokémon art on it. You can pick from the first 251 Pokémon, but I went with Eevee. I was going to get an Eevee mug separately, because I thought you could only order it with the hot cocoa, but it turns out you can get it with the latte too if you have the Eevee art, haha. So I got a receipt for my order plus mug and settled in to eat. But there was a surprise: Chef Pikachu came out to meet everyone! Japan sure loves its mascot characters, so you bet they have tons of Pikachu suit characters. (Heck, there’s a whole parade of them in Yokohama in summer.) Pikachu made his rounds to shake hands with everyone and seemed rather taken by the small Pikachu I had brought with me and remembered to put on my shoulder in the nick of time, haha.

The plate was actually pretty good! I mean, not haute cuisine, and you can definitely get more extravagant meals for this price elsewhere, but hey, will it be shaped like Pikachu with a witch hat? I think not. Don’t go to character cafés if you want quality food, but do go if you want to take in the atmosphere and enjoy the way the food looks. Japan is all about presentation.

I had a good time here, although I was too full for dessert, so I ordered a float drink instead inspired by the legendary bird Pokémon Articuno. It was a fizzy drink that was a tad too sweet for my taste, but hey, it came with a free coaster! For every drink, you get a coaster. You can pick a random card on a tablet, and that card determines which coaster you get. Since it’s Halloween season, you could also pick the official Halloween 2019 Pikachu coaster, which I had done for the latte. For the random pick, I got Espeon! Nice.

You can spend at most 90 minutes at the café before your time is up, so after my last photos, I made my way to the register to pay for my food, a set of clear files, and of course my new Eevee mug, which they promptly wrapped up nicely for me, so I can’t show a picture of it yet, haha. I then wandered into the store to grab some goods I had gotten my eye on (not all for me! I do souvenirs for others too!), and finally made it out again. Sadly, it had started to drizzle, so I walked to the station fast and made way to Ikebukuro.

So now here I am! Tomorrow is a holiday since it’s the enthronement of the Emperor, but they postponed the procession until November due to typhoon Hagibis (and I bet they don’t regret that decision now, what with the current weather). It doesn’t sound like there’s a lot to see for us mere mortals. Although I suppose this means I’m physically closer to my country’s king and queen than I’ve ever consciously been back home, as they’re attending the ceremony tomorrow, haha. Ah well.

With the weather forecast, I think I’ll go over to Ueno Park to visit the National Museum of Nature and Science, since I’ve been throwing that one longing looks since 2010, but never let myself visit before. And after that, I’ll see – maybe some karaoke? I’ll hold off on more shopping for now as Wednesday will be busy (Disney!), and then I’ll just see what the weather will do and what my safe options are, because I’m not gonna take unnecessary risks.

It’s getting late here, so I’ll upload the pictures tomorrow morning. Good night for now!

[aleahadelina-blog]

GO OUT & DISCOVER INTRAMUROS THE WALLED CITY OF MANILA

WHY DO I TRAVEL ALONE?

“I have been travelling alone for quite sometimes now, it is scary to think at first that you are doing things by yourself and being independent away from home. I live far from my parents to study and learn how to walk on my own path. One day when I look back, I will reminisce everything with a happy heart. I will cherish every moment, every place that I went through. Forever.”

Tips for your Intramuros trip:

1.       Plan ahead of time where to go and what to do. (You can visit sites online for fun activities or for any inquires )

2.       Bring your camera with extra battery saver.

3.       Wear comfortable shoes.

4.       Bring your bottled water.

5.       Meet and talk to the incredibly friendly locals.

6.       Enjoy and have fun.

My Intramuros Bucket List 

1.       Fort Santiago

2.       Casa Manila

3.       Manila Cathedral

4.       San Agustin Church

5.       Light And Sound

6.       Bahay Tsino

SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH

I began my journey to SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH

Central terminal station is the nearest station in Intramuros. It is located in Ermita Manila and the popular name for the Station is Arroceros.

“From Central Terminal Station I ride a pedicab because I was honest to myself and I know that I will waste too much time if I will walk down the streets of Intramuros knowing that I do not exactly know where San Agustin Church is located. I decided to go to church first for me to be blessed for the rest of the day and for my safe travels. It was already 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon when I arrived Manila from Makati. It was an hour train ride from Guadalupe Station to Taft Avenue Station and from Taft Avenue station to Central Terminal station.”

“Manong Bert the driver of the pedicab is very talkative but in a nice and mannered way. He is sharing his life in Intramuros about his job and about how much he earns for a living. That is a very heart warming moment for me, knowing the imperfections of the world Manong Bert still managed to do good despite of his situation. It was and still a decent job.”

“It was about 15 good minutes as we pedaled around and arrived to my first stop. So basically, it was a point to point service. 100 pesos is a little bit expensive for a pedicab ride but for me the ride is still worth it. It was fast, easy, and safe.”

 INTERIOR OF SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH

San Agustin Church (or giving its full name, the "Church of the Immaculate Conception of San Augustin") 

“They said that the San Agustin Church survived the American bombardment of Manila in 1945. Of the seven churches inside Intramuros, San Agustin was the only that survived without serious or total destruction.”

“The San Agustin Church is in Manila and more specifically inside Intramuros. You will find it on General Luna Drive. Opening hours of San Agustin Church is daily at 8:00am to 12:00 and then closes and reopens at 1:00pm through to 6:00pm.” Right beside and physically adjoining is the San Agustin Museum.

“I was lucky I was able to visit the church and had a little tour before the wedding ceremony started. The San Agustin Church is known to be the Wedding Capital of the Philippines, there are a lot of weddings each day. In the San Agustin Museum you will get to see the courtyard and it was unbelievably beautiful. The garden is well maintained. Even the room is labelled accordingly with the topic and the rooms are air conditioned, making it a wonderful and pleasant experience to roam around. You can take amazing pictures inside the museum but you cannot take videos said the tour guide.”

CASA MANILA

This beautiful reproduction of a Spanish colonial house offers a window into the opulent lifestyle of the gentry in the 19th century. Imelda Marcos had it built to showcase the architecture and interior design of the late Spanish period, with lavish features throughout and some interesting items such as a double-seated toilet. The house may not be authentic but the stunning antique furniture and artwork are.

BAMBOO BIKE ECOTOURS

Bambike is one of the most popular locally-made bicycle brands in the Philippines. These unique bicycles made from durable and all-natural bamboo and abaca materials are hand-made and crafted by builders from Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine-based community development organization. Bambike aims to be one of the greenest bikes on the planet. 

Rental rates for Adult is 100 pesos per hour and 50 pesos for students with valid ID’s. 

“While I was in the waiting line the girl who is in charge of the reservation for the rental of the bambike approached me. She asked me why I am alone and she was not the first one to ask me that question in that same day. She said it was nice seeing someone out there and having fun alone. Everything about she said makes sense, of course. I answered her that if I tour together with my friends definitely I will really have fun although I will not have the opportunity to really seize the moment and reflect. The only disadvantage was it is hard for me to do the documentation and taking pictures alone. Then we both smiled”

MANILA CATHEDRAL

The present Manila Cathedral, situated at the heart of the walled city of Intramuros has gone several major reconstructions since its inception. The Neo-Romanesque-Byzantine cathedral has long been the seat of archbishop in the Philippines. And it continuous to be one of the most admired churches in the country.

Manila Cathedral also holds religious artworks and sacred relics of popes and saints, and serves as resting place for the remains of former archbishops in Manila

BAHAY TSINOY

Bahay Tsinoy is a museum which presents the story of the Chinese in Philippine history.  The Bahay Tsinoy is located in the historic walled Intramuros area of Manila on Anda Street, making it easy to combine a visit to this museum with several other Intramuros attractions and amenities.

FORT SANTIAGO

One of the most important sites for Philippine history in Manila, Fort Santiago was built by the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi as a defensive fortress designed to protect the newly formed city. The fort is a key feature of the famous walled city known as Intramuros — a complex of manicured gardens, fountains, lily ponds, and sunny plazas, as well as the Rizal Shrine museum, located in the building where Dr. Jose Rizal (a Philippines national hero) was incarcerated during the late 19th century.

“Fort Santiago a world class best of the Philippines and it one of most interesting place I dreamed to visit when I was still a kid. I used to see Intramuros only in books and pictures.. Looking to learn more history about our country and  with our culture and  trying new things around Intramuros was something you wanna look at the future of something look at the past.”  

Fort Santiago admission fee is 50 pesos for students and 75 pesos for the regular rates

“Bambiking through Intramuros and cycling around for two hours gave me opportunity to breathe in, I was pedaling around and I can’t even control the stories that are going through my mind. I have been questioning myself a lot. The only thing I can call my own it the bamboo that I am riding. Everything around me is because of the colonization of the different countries the that brought changes in every aspect in our land and our people.”

“What I actually learned from my Intramuros tour is that, we have journeys on own, we do not have to depend on somebody else about what we believed in, we have to discover it on our own. I was like stepping back into time and  I was living my life years and years ago.”

“Travelling alone is not just discovering new places but discovering yourself too.”

[rational-mastermind]

I’ve been meaning to make a review about Breath of the Wild for a while, but at least wanted to wait until after I finished the shrines.

SCREW. THAT.

I’m gonna just say it up front; it’s not one of my favorite Zelda games. I mean, yeah, I have a personal history with Majora’s Mask, but that’s not the only thing. I’ll start at the beginning, under the cut. Cause this is gonna be long-winded.

I’m not gonna make a lot of complaints about how it sucks in comparison to Ocarina of Time or make too many mentions about the timeline issue, cause we all know that it was bullshit since the moment they said anything. But there are just...so many things that bother me.

I will say that Breath of the Wild has a lot of great thing going for it and it’s easy to be impressed when you first sit down to play it. The graphics are gorgeous and the voice acting was done very well. There are so many wonderful little bits of lore, call-backs, and even general mechanics of the game that just made everything amazing. (I was so fucking excited to jump without running off a ledge.)

However...there was a lot of the story itself that bothered me. Not to mention a few other things. One of which, was the music. Or....serious lack thereof.

One of the things I loved the most about Zelda, was the music in nearly every game. Background music is very essential in making up the environment of any level. From your typical fire temple, to underwater, to creepy ghost town. And for Zelda, it wasn’t even just that, but that song itself had a large to-do with a lot of the lore and story. Song tells others you have something to do with the Royal Family. It changes the universe around you. It soothes the dead. Not just in Ocarina of Time either. So it was really weird to...not have any of that in Breath of the Wild.

Yeah, we have some soundtrack but..it felt so..threadbare. When you go into a shrine/town/battle, I barely register the music. Walking through the open field...nothing. When I’m galloping on the Lord of the Mountain, the fast-paced piano feels more high-tech than race-horse and makes me feel uneasy about a guardian lurking nearby. Then when you DO face a guardian, or any mini-boss of a monster, it gets so fucking intense, so damn fast, I was worried about challenging a Hinox for the longest damn time. (Geez, I felt stupid for that after I realized how easy they were to beat.) Everything just felt...off. And it was weird that you didn’t have to repeat any song 10 fucking times. I mean, yeah, I was really sick of Elegy of Emptiness after going through the Stone Tower in Majora’s Mask, but I’ll listen to the 50th remix of Song of Storms. It was like...one of the few things that kept the whole timeline thing connected. It was that there was always a harp, there was always a song, there was just...something that connected us to the higher powers. And it’s kinda cool for a game to give something like music, so much power.

But I’ll stop bitching about that and get to my real problem. The story.

Now the basic crux of it, I’m fine with. They attempted to beat Ganon, failed, and had to pay the price 100 years later. Cool. That’s interesting. A nice premise. But gosh DAMN if the details don’t fucking trip me up! Let’s run through this chronologically.

Okay so Zelda, being the nerdy princess that she is in this life, discovers that yeah, they reincarnate every several hundred years and beat an evil known as Ganon. There’s supposed to be her, the physical embodiment of the goddess Hylia, and Link, a young knight sworn to protect her. Hooray, self-awareness.

Apparently, she also discovers that, what was it? 1,000 years ago, the Sheikah... the shadow people who are skilled ninjas that protect the family...built 120 shrines, robots, and massive weapons of terrible destruction...just to help beat this one guy that two kids and a magic sword handles on a regular basis. Actually no, I shouldn’t just say it’s two kids and a magic sword.

It’s a knight with a magic sword, three pendants, six sages, and the final seventh sage (aka the fucking goddess-child) that defeat the Evil.

It’s already upsetting enough that the Sheikah are stupidly advanced in technology (cause ancient magic tech from the gods is always the way to go...), and that the 1,000 year span makes the whole timeline thing confusing as FUCK (even if it is in the broken world timeline), but that they just...do that. They just fucking dissed the fucking premise for like, so many of the games. You find three pendants/orbs/stones/things, the master sword, six sages, and then help Zelda. Thanks for reducing everything else to nothing. Thanks for making 6 sages fucking nobodies. And yeah, I’m gonna harp on that.

One of the things that was nice about Ocarina of Time is that the 6 Sages became one from each race. In Link to the Past, it was the descendants of 6 powerful wizards. In Wind Waker, it was at least the last 2 other species left alive after the whole flooding incident (cause those three gorons are gonna fucking die and I wanna cry thinking about it). It just...it made sense.

So why. The fuck. ARE WE RELYING ON ONLY THESE FOUR????

We still have the Sheikah and the Koroks. What, just cause Impa’s old now? Cause the Korok’s are tiny as fuck? That never stopped anything before. We could’ve had Purah, or Paya take up the mantle. If size was an issue, how about Hetsu? Koroks can choose their shapes and try to put on brave faces. Saria was willing to help with the fight. Makar was willing to go through a whole temple to help. I don’t see what makes this generation a bunch of pussies! What the great and all-knowing fucking Sheikah just..FORGOT about the other sages???

Like, don’t get me wrong. Again, there’s a lot of good. I wouldn’t say gorons would be my favorite race but dammit I love Daruk and I love his grandson. They’re just sweet and adorable as fuck. (and I have a weakness for soft-hearted big-guys. ^//^) I’m glad they fixed the Rito’s appearance (though I hate Rivali’s fucking attitude). I liked their stories and their powers. But you could’ve at least rounded it out to be EVERYBODY. And further more, as great as it was to see their spirits put to rest, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for ghosts to pilot giant robots. It could’ve made a bit more sense for maybe the later generations to take up the mantle and help out. (Since that’s what a lot of them seem to imply.) It would’ve been kinda cool to go through the Divine Beasts with the Next Gen and let them help us fight the blights and let them take control.

Also on a fashion note: WHY THE FUCK IS EVERYTHING BLUE?? Thanks for dissing Farore. I guess she wasn’t a very important Goddess! Certainly not the one that LINK correlates to. Yeah, I get it, he’s supposed to get his signature outfit later, but I’m gonna get back to that problem in a bit. You could’ve at least kept the design and made it fucking GREEN.

Cause yeah, I get it, it was supposed to signify their unity and shit and that’s great and all, but BLUE had a purpose and that was WISDOM. Link isn’t WISDOM. He’s COURAGE. That was the whole rite of passage thing in Wind Waker!

Also, Zelda. Zelda, babe. Hon.

Zelda... What the FUCK ARE YOU WEARING???

Like, DAMN girl’s got hips for DAYS but do we really need the thicc shown in fucking leggings?? I mean, okay, her normal princess outfit is fine. Would’ve liked it to be a liiiiitle more traditional, but whatever. You look the part. And her normal adventure outfit is...okay?? It doesn’t look very practical nor comfortable for travels so it seems a little weird?? It just looks really uncomfortably tight and really draws attention to the thighs. But see, it’s the fucking Goddess getup that I have the most problems with.

Like, I’m just gonna start with saying that she looks fucking pregnant.

The empire waist wasn’t a good choice, especially cause she’s already just so damn thicc. And then you mix it with a sleeveless top and you have these fucking layers that just exaggerate the hips in the most unflattering way possible. I’m not saying she needs to look sexy but for a goddess, she could’ve looked more elegant? I’m sure with some kinda alterations, this would’ve looked great, or maybe on a different body, but like! I don’t like the dress for Skyward Sword either but at least she looks more goddess-like than this! (and that was a VERY boring dress...) She looks like Ariel putting on that sail cloth when she turned human. I mean, she could’ve had like, three-quarter sleeves with a v-neck or sweetheart neckline and then let the skirt flare out with the Hylian buckle around the waist. But this looks.. it just looks uncomfortable. I wouldn’t wanna practice goddess magic in this either.

So aside from forgetting about important races and a lack in fashion design, then you move on with the story. So since Zelda’s such a nerd and cause she lost her mother when she was younger, I guess that means I should feel sorry for her long-ass struggle with her goddess powers but um... I’m not. I don’t feel sorry for this woman. I just feel annoyed. I feel very annoyed every time I run all over Hyrule, trying to find these fucking memories, only to get five minutes of her bitching at US for her own failure.

Link is a soldier. And on top of that, he’s burdened with the heavy duty of carrying the Master Sword. HE is the one who has to fight Ganon. And instead he just runs around escorting Princess Twilight Sparkle while she geeks out over learning and frogs and then insults him, yells at him, and pushes him away from doing HIS FUCKING JOB. Unlike her, LINK IS DOING HIS JOB. I don’t blame him for shutting the hell up while she bitches and cries. I’m gonna side with Zelda’s father on this one, she found out about the prophecy, but SHE NEEDS TO DO HER JOB. Not for the sake of reputation (which seemed unusually dickish for him to say....) but because that’s her damn job. Everyone else knew what it meant to be a soldier. They knew when to dig in their heels and get ready to fight. WHY. DIDN’T. SHE?? Or at least why didn’t we see her trying like she kept talking about?? Yeah we saw her pray to ONE FUCKING FOUNTAIN. And it wasn’t even supposed to be her damn goddess! The whole mess wouldn’t have happened if she had just SHUT THE HELL UP and thought about someone else besides her own problems.

Also, if you were gonna show the tender moment where she finally does unleash her powers, maybe you SHOULDN’T make that a “secret ending” after you run around and try to guess where the rest of the memories were based on poor-quality pictures. And yeah, Zelda. you took a lot of shoddy pictures with that damn tablet. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DIFFERENTIATE ONE FOREST FROM A THOUSAND OTHERS??

Maybe I would’ve felt more sorry if I didn’t have to climb through a fucking castle full of guardians, avoid tripping the cut scene, and THEN read in a long-ass diary about her mother dying, but you know, that just didn’t happen. I don’t feel sorry for her. I don’t feel excited for her to unleash her powers. Actually, I’m rather sad that despite the games being called “Legend of Zelda”, I REALLY didn’t wanna focus on THIS incarnation of her. The idea of it would’ve been fucking fantastic, but did Nintendo really have to make her such a whiny bitch?

Okay okay okay. Now before you send me hate mail, I will point out some things I like about her. She had a nice voice. She was cute (in a good outfit). And she wasn’t a total bitch. It was a good idea for Nintendo to try to focus on the titular character for once. I just don’t see this excusing all the other problems though.

Moving on, I mentioned earlier how I hated Rivali. That was the understatement. I am so glad he fucking died at the hands of one of the easiest damn bosses. I know some people may have liked him but I can’t stand ego. It’s an immediate turn-off and the sad part is that he had a sexy design and voice. He could’ve been redeemable if he showed some kinda humility after being dead for 100 years, but no. They just...didn’t give him that. Not willingly at least. Again, this is where I would’ve LOVED the next generation to take up the mantle instead, but... Yeah. No. We didn’t get that. (And I swear he was jealous that Link had Mipha and Zelda’s affections. Especially Zelda’s.)

Urbosa was good, but I felt like we didn’t get to know her personality too much? And the same goes for her grandchild. Also even though the Gerudo are known for hating men, they HAVE accepted men into their clans before. What happens if these women marry?? They have to leave town? Link was genuinely accepted as one of the Gerudo in OoT and was free to walk around! And that was just for debunking their strongest warriors. BotW!Link saved the whole fucking town, saved one from dehydration and another’s husband, and is a renowned champion! You think that would give him a get-out-of-jail free card!

I already talked about how I liked Daruk cause he’s definitely a strong leader and a gentle-soul. I do like the Goron City but it feels a little weird how....corporate they became. I mean, it makes sense. They can make a good profit from the gems they harvest but it’s still a little weird considering how tribal and relaxed the gorons were before. Still, they were a cute bunch and I really liked going to Goron City again.

And Mipha was sweet and I really loved her one-sided relationship with Link. I felt really sad thinking about Sidon growing up without his sister and I see why everyone shipped him with Link. Sidon himself was pretty good but....personal preference dictates that a super excited, extroverted, supportive type...doesn’t suite me. Don’t get me wrong. He’s very sweet and cute and I can see why a lot of fangirls were into him. It’s just the over-exuberant extrovertedness that gets to me. Also I was really surprised that this game made the ZORAS racist, out of all of them. I mean like, fucking damn... I know your princess died but fuck! Finally, last note, I...really didn’t care for their designs. I know the Zoras have been through a hell of a lot of redesigns over the years and they’ve certainly improved, but I think Ocarina of Time’s era was just enough of Fish and Human to make it a good hybrid? Rather than making...a shark..humanoid...with another shark...on his head?? And somehow related to a whale??? With a...manta ray...for an advisor.. I mean, I get it, he was suppose to look old, but it’s literally just a stingray on his head.

I liked Hetsu too, though collecting korok seeds is kinda annoying. I hate it when games make you have to gather more for just one thing, it’s just..not a fun mechanic to have? And the koroks themselves are still cute, though it’s taken me a while to accept that they replaced my beloved Kokiri and Dekus. (I only had OoT/MM growing up, so when I finally played Wind Waker as an adult, yeah I was pretty upset about the change in the species.) I still wish they had a bigger role to play in all of this.

Lastly, Ganon had a pretty great design, though it was a little weird he was like...semi-solid for this game. Like.. What? What was with all the...”malice”? (Which is an actual word, guys. You could’ve called it something besides that...) I really liked how he merged himself with the technology and it was interesting that he was controlling the guardians, but honestly when she said “Given up incarnation” I was a little disappointed he still went by Ganon cause you know... His original form wasn’t called Ganon. It was called Demise. Also for having a giant smoke-pig with a huge gaping mouth hovering around the castle, it would’ve been a little more interesting for him to...still retain that when you walked in? But design aside, fighting Ganon wasn’t actually all that hard after you freed the Divine Beasts and it’s...a little disappointing. I mean, I’m running around, fighting lynels and dragons and guardians and really, I had more trouble with THOSE than I did with HIM. And that’s REALLY disappointing when Ganon is the long-standing Ultimate Bad Guy (tm) and I was REALLY looking forward to feeling more accomplished beating him than I did when I beat a silver-maned lynel.

Finally some last complaints:

I wish the Sheikahs didn’t have their hands in everything. Who said that THEY should determine who Goddess Hylia’s chosen hero should be? Why were THEY the advanced race when you have one that harvests iron on a regular basis? And I hate that they don’t have any actual temples cause one of the things I liked about the whole thing is that there was a running religion and the Sages and Temples actually had some significance? Even though it’s pointless, I like history and archeological search in a game, even if I’m the only one doing it for my own amusement, cause it just helps me to connect more to the world that I’m playing in but I don’t get that when I walk into a weird-ass abyssal room with small puzzles or fights.

Also there are seriously WAY too many fucking shrines. None of them make any sort of callback to old games. The spirit orb system is confusing cause if that’s a callback to Skyward Sword, then at least say it was by Link’s own doing and not these dead monks that have been preserved in suspended animation for 100 years. Why didn’t Link do the shrines to start with 100 years ago? Also I HATE that you have to collect 4 spirit orbs for hearts or stamina. I mean, we all know stamina sucks, but this just making it REALLY obvious? And seriously it was so fucking easy to die early on into the game, especially if you ran out of stamina or were still fumbling with the new controls.

Why didn’t he ask more questions in this game? If you have voice acting, why didn’t you actually give Link any dialogue? I think that would’ve made a stronger impact for Zelda to get her powers or something.

Seriously the three dragons bug the shit out of me. I know they were supposed to represent the goddesses and it was really cool to first come across them and shit but 1) it’s really hard to keep up with any of them. 2) they don’t really add anything to the plot. 3) was Zelda supposed to pray to a dragon?? 4) Did the dragons from Skyward Sword just like...de-evolve? (devolve?) Cause they spoke and wore clothes??? Why didn’t these??? 5) (and this goes to Skyward Sword too) why is the one who represents the fucking forests, you know, FARORE, have lightning powers? I think Pokemon already took the cake with mythical creatures representing Fire, Ice, and Lightning. This would’ve been better with Fire, Water, and Grass, y’know?

I fucking cringe looking at the map cause it feels like so much it just out of place... Like, how do you move a whole Forest from the south to the north? Why is the volcano moved like, way far to the back? The WHOLE Lake Hylia was moved like, so far from the original spot. Really the only things that stayed in place was Hyrule Castle and Gerudo Desert.

Also don’t give us giant skeletons and then NOT ACTUALLY EXPLAIN WHAT THEY REALLY ARE. Leviathan is not just a blanket term for Giant-Ass-Monster. Was that the Dodongo King at the volcano? The Sky Dragon from Skyward Sword?? What the fuck froze to death? Why was that and the one in the desert more similar the one at the fucking volcano??

Seriously your mini bosses shouldn’t be harder than the Ultimate Bad Guy. The blights were harder and I especially had trouble with the lynels and guardians. And seriously WHY was there a fucking guardian on the fucking Plateau?? I was fucking terrified of these killer robots and it’s seriously unfair that I barely ever get any proper armor or shields to deal with them! Also seriously, why did there have to be a whole graveyard of them right underneath a stupidly challenging maze??

Also I don’t mind teleporting everywhere in a game, but when there’s literally secrets over every last inch of this game (from shrines to korok seeds to weapons, food, and needed pictures) it gets REALLY boring to travel on foot. Especially when climbing mountains in freezing conditions. I mean, I love that it’s so open-world and I love that we get to go exploring whatever we want, but there are a few problems with that. The other being that it’s hard to follow the plot of a game when you hardly have any reason to go do it or to follow any intended order. I did Rivali last, not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t bother to explore that side of the map until it was all that was left. I WISHED SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING EARLIER IN THE GAME CAUSE THE GALE WOULD’VE HELPED TREMENDOUSLY.

Finally I swear someone on the staff has a giant fetish, and not that there’s a problem with that? But can we have ONE game where the Great Fairies aren’t horrifying to look at?? Like, if some people like it, fine, I guess? But gosh damn these bitches just look so GAUDY. There’s too much glittering, there’s too much...just too much everything. Also you should be able to up all your armor, not just a few things? It would’ve been awesome to walk around as Shadow Link and have it upped to be at least decently protective.

Okay.. I think I’m done complaining. Now I’ll stop my own bitching and actually give the game its proper praise.

The game does have some amazingly gorgeous graphics and it blows me away every fucking time. When it does want to intimidate you, it does so very well. And so many things were designed so well. Despite earlier complaints, I love how the dragons were designed to vary from one to another. I love how all the baddies were designed. I love the large array of wardrobe that you get for Link and it’s so much fun to change his looks and dye them different colors. (though, again, you should be able to dye the Champions tunic to GREEN.)

Some of the characters were fun and had some great personalities. I liked the bits of lore this game generated. I also loved whatever small callbacks it did make (like mentioning Naboru, and Makar’s island). I liked that you could catch and ride so many things and it’s fun that there’s a motorcycle (I haven’t unlocked that yet, but I’m sure it’ll be fun ^^). It was fun exploring different worlds within this game and just really see some of these beloved races expand and grow and see how the world is affected by such an apocalypse.

I like hunting for your food and surviving that way rather than random hearts coming out of the grass. The whole sense of survival is pretty awesome and thrilling. It’s fun to discover things in this world and it’s fun to just go around, explore, and make up your own adventure. (I just wish there was a bit  more guiding for the story...)

Some of the reactions in this game are so much fun. Like walking up to people naked, or riding the Lord of the Mountain to any stable. Actually that entire story about the Lord of the Mountain is really sweet and heartwarming. But the actually dialogue that’s written into this game is really fun and pretty spot-on.

I really liked the side mission of buying your own(old?) house and creating an entire village from the ground up. It was such a sweet side-story to the whole thing and was a lot of fun to to. The other side mission of helping the korok through the woods was super cute. ^^ It was little moments like these that really did make me enjoy the game. And I did like being able to stumble into Zelda’s room or study and read about her life in the past, seeing her figure out Link and such.

And the challenges of conquering the Divine Beast was actually fun, but again, would’ve liked a bit more direction. Actually getting through this game was kinda fun, but it was easy for the magic to get sapped out of everything with stupid shit.

Overall, I wouldn’t say this was the worst Zelda game. Heaven know Skyward Sword did much worse. It could’ve been better though and that’s what really makes me sad. I was really looking forward to playing something new and amazing, especially having just finished Wind Waker for the first time before it and was honestly, disappointed after the magic of the new features wore off. It wasn’t the best. But it wasn’t the worst. It just really needed some work on in a few areas. Over all I would rate it 7/10.

[firelxrdsdaughter]

The Hand of Kyoshi | Preview Chapter

Hey guys! So for the past few months I’ve been steadily working on two pieces for the @avatarbaang! 

We are fast approaching our posting dates, and so I thought to give you guys a treat I would post the first chapters of both of my pieces here so that you can have a read through and see what you’re in for. xD

The Hand of Kyoshi follows Suki when she has first made rank in the Kyoshi warriors, and fills in the blanks about her history before we ever meet her in canon. Hope you guys enjoy!

The Hand of Kyoshi

synopsis: The hand of Kyoshi no longer stretches so far as it used to. 

When Suki is little, all she thinks about is her Island and the people on it. Her mother (the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors), and her mother’s friends, and the villagers are the only family and the only thing that she has ever known. The world outside of Kyoshi Island seems like a distant fairytale told by travellers visiting for trade. It’s certainly not something that could invade her home and make things change. 

This is all challenged when news of the Fire Nation’s growing influence in the Earth Kingdom reaches their ears. It soon becomes apparent that they cannot stay out of the fight forever…And her mother wants to do something about it now. 

I

Her footsteps thud heavily against the dusty dirt road, and her breath is noisy in her ears. The earth is packed down from the passage of hundreds of pairs of feet, jarring through her small frame at each pump of her legs in her steady jog from the marketplace and back up the steep mountain incline toward the dojo that she calls home.

Beneath the sound of her breath her heart thunders, buzzing with her excitement.

The girl barely feels the weight of the basket of supplies which pulls down on her reedy arms and at her back and neck.

A bright grin peels back her cheeks, the wind whipping past her in her progress toward the dojo at the North edge of the town which she has called home since birth.

The precious jars that sit at the bottom of the basket, ensconced in the bright green fabric of her freshly made kimono and hakama, still manage to clack against one another with every impact of the soles of her sandals against the ground. They jangle like bells calling her forth to the battlefield. She feels them sing inside of her blood.

“Slow down or you'll hurt yourself!" Kenji’s chesty voice comes out to greet her as she passes his estate. She looks over her shoulder briefly with a nod of deference to the town’s elder. He peers back at her anxiously from the open gate that stands before his house.

“I’ll be careful,” she promises as she returns her attention to the road before her, not once breaking pace. She can almost hear him shaking his head and mumbling about young people and their inability to slow down and take the world a little bit at a time. Always in a hurry.

It doesn’t take long to reach the dojo despite the distance. The roofline climbs up over the crest of the hill as the girl ascends, swooping out like a dragon’s wings. The earth tones of the building’s wooden exterior contrast with the blazing autumn colours around it, stark and familiar. She smiles, her lungs expanding and contracting comfortably despite the exertion of her run.

The girl follows the familiar path down to the entrance of the main building, toeing off her sandals before she pounds barefoot across the wood of the deck and stops to bob a quick bow to the small shrine at the head of the room before she speed walks across the soft tatami to where the familiar figure of her mother sits before it, lighting incense methodically.

Mio is not a tall woman, by any means, nor is her appearance all that remarkable. Her chestnut hair hangs low on her back, collected partway down into a soft, green, piece of material to keep it out of her way. Her kimono is practical and well worn. Dark forest green contrasted with a simple obi in dusty rose.

“Mom I’m back!”

The woman turns to face her, her soft, narrow, middle-aged features almost unrecognizable without the signature warpaint of Kyoshi. She smiles at her daughter.

“Suki, welcome home.” She rolls to her knees, turning around on the mats to face the twelve-year-old and her burden.

“You got everything?”

“Yes mom,” she answers obediently, immediate, beaming proudly.

A small, amused, smirk tucks itself into her mother’s cheek before the woman reaches out her hands for the basket, finally relieving Suki of its burden.

Her mother grunts at the weight.

“You carried this all by yourself?” Mio seems almost surprised, and Suki flushes.

“That’s how it’s supposed to be done,” Suki points out, stomach fluttering, “isn’t it?”

Another smile spreads across the Kyoshi Warrior’s face, warm and slow.

“Yes, that’s right.” There’s more her mother wants to say. Suki can see the desire behind her blue-green eyes, but as per usual the Captain of the Kyoshi Warriors is silent on anything further to do with the matter.

“Are you ready for tonight then,” Mio questions.

Suki’s heart rate rises once again and, breathless, she nods her head in agreement.

“Yes, mom.”

Her mother’s expression remains soft. Suki thinks that there is even something sad behind the look in her eye. Something that Suki herself cannot name. All she feels is excitement.

Nerves.

She’s going to prove herself.

“Good,” Mio finally says, “remember that you’ll need to rest. There’s no use in wearing yourself out,” her tone is pointed at Suki’s flushed cheeks and shining eyes, “not when there will be plenty of that this evening when you take the next steps on your journey.”

Suki tries to put on a serious face, and she presses her lips together, nodding her head decisively.

“Yes mom, I know.” But it’s difficult, she thinks, to even consider standing still. A warrior must be able to plant themselves like a tree; serene but always ready to bend with the changing wind. Her whole body is abuzz with energy. Suki thinks she could keep going for days and days with all of the energy that courses through her.

She wonders if it’s the same for all of the girls who are about to become fully fledged Kyoshi Warriors. She wonders if even the women that her mother trained were the same. She wonders if her mother was the same.

“Mom —?”

Her mother pauses in the midst of getting to her feet, basket in hand, looking expectantly at Suki.

“…What was your ceremony like?”

“Mine?”

“Yes…Yours. Do you remember?” Suki thinks it was probably so long ago that maybe her mother does not recall what it was like to go from novice to master.

The woman snorts, standing fully and resting the basket at her hip with ease.

“Of course I remember. I think everyone does.” She gestures at Suki with her free hand. “Come on, we’ll walk and talk.”

Suki follows her mother eagerly from the training hall and into the hallway in the interior building, the two of them slipping their feet into grass slippers before they make their way down the hallway and toward the kitchen.

The smell of wood smoke permeates the space, drifting from rooms where other Kyoshi Warriors are living, boarding with them rather than going home to their families on the other side of the island. For some, it is worth saving themselves the three hour trip by foot between the far larger settlement that the dojo inhabits and the smaller one on the Northern side of the island.

Paper screens obscure any hint of what might go on beyond them, but here and there, where one of the women has opened her second door onto the outside, a shadow can be seen. A silhouette of a figure going about their morning routine.

Like a play put on with shadow puppets.

Suki’s eyes dart back to her mother who has pulled ahead of her somewhat, and she hurries her steps to catch up, matching her mother’s stride after a moment.

“So?”

The woman looks down sideways at her, an amused expression in place on her fine features, full lips parting after a moment.

“I was nervous,” she says, “but excited.”

Suki nods. That’s exactly the way that she would describe her own feelings on the matter.

“I wasn’t as young as you are,” she admits, “but I was young enough. My own mother didn’t really think I was ready, but the others convinced her that I was prepared for my trial. I’m glad that they did. I think that, even if I wasn’t quite ready, it helped me move forward with my training. It was the next step in my journey. I learned a lot merely going through the trial itself. From the mentor who I battled, and about myself.”

Suki smiles brightly at the thought. Learning about herself. She likes that sentiment.

“Mio?”

Both Suki and her mother turn toward the voice that comes from one of the rooms at the end of the hall. Her mother’s second in command, Haru, has poked her round face out of her door, and she looks expectantly at the two of them. Mio turns with a smile to face her more fully.

“Yes?”

“When you have a moment I had wanted to speak to you about the preparations for tonight,” Haru says seriously.

Suki sees her mother suppress a sigh before nodding soberly at the other woman.

“Of course, Haru. I will be back to speak with you soon. Will you still be in your quarters?”

“For now, yes.”

“Alright.”

Both Mio and Suki turn from Haru, starting on their journey down the hall once more.

They reach the quieter interior of the large building that their family has kept up for generation; it feels homier here, in Suki’s opinion. There is less of the hustle and bustle of the every day.

Sometimes, as a child, she had wished that she could have siblings to fill up the interior halls too. She had wished that it wasn’t so quiet. Now, she appreciates it. The idea that she does not have any siblings to take their mother’s attention off of her on a day which is so important for Suki.

It would have been nice to have her father though.

In companionable silence, the two of them reach Suki’s room, and her mother pulls the paper screen away from the opening, kneeling and settling the basket on the soft tatami floor before entering and beckoning for Suki to follow.

She kicks off her slippers, lining them up perfectly alongside her mother’s on the hall floor, and comes to kneel in the interior of her room, sliding the door closed again before she returns her attention to her mother.

The commander of the Kyoshi Warriors has moved to the center of Suki’s room and is taking the contents of the basket out to lie on the floor.

The green wool kimono that they’d sent to the tailor for two weeks previous, stitched with expertise. Suki had managed to take a look at the work before she’d got home, and she knows well enough that the stitches are so small in the seams that one can barely tell that they’re even there at all.

She wishes her own sewing were so skilled. Alas, it isn’t her strong suit. The kimono is followed by the deep green ceremonial hakama. Her mother lays them both out cleanly, smoothing away the wrinkles of transport.

They’re followed by terracotta jars, painted with lacquer and gold leaf. Their war paint is contained within. The chalky scent of the white and red face paints will follow her everywhere today, once she has been readied. A smell that she has always associated with her mother and her aunties.

Suki kneels, waiting patiently for her mother to finish with her task, trying not to fidget. A warrior can remain completely still and serene, calm even in the face of battle.

“In an hour you will take the sacred bath,” her mother says as she puts the finishing touches on her display in the center of the room, “and wash away your impurities. Then you will go to the temple and meditate until sundown.”

Suki knows all of this, of course, but it is her mother’s duty to remind her, and it is her duty to listen. She takes a deep breath and settles where she is sitting, nodding seriously at her mother’s instructions.

“No food or drink will pass your lips until the feast tonight, to remind you of the hunger that those we are meant to serve suffer.”

This, of course, is symbolic too. Their people do not suffer from hunger like in the old days, and the hand of Kyoshi no longer stretches outside of their island. Suffering, however, is meant to be understood by a good acolyte of Kyoshi, and Suki is willing to suffer the hunger that is required of her for her trial.

“Yes, mother.”

Mio’s expression softens again, and she reaches forward, taking one of Suki’s hands between her own. She sighs heavily.

“Look at you, growing up right in front of me.” Mio turns her head away, retrieving one of her hands to wipe at the corner of an eye.

Suki smiles back at her mother, her chest feeling fit to burst.

“Don’t cry, mom.”

“I’m not,” Mio denies, grinning at her daughter when she turns back to her. A wet trail runs down her cheek.

“Yes you are.” The girl gets onto her knees and shuffles toward her mom, bringing her hands up to wipe her tears away. “No one can stay a kid forever.”

Her mother laughs. Suki wishes she wouldn’t, but at least it isn’t tears.

“That is very true,” she says, taking Suki’s wrists between her fingers and turning her face to kiss her palms.

Mio stands, releasing her as she goes.

“One hour,” she reminds Suki.

“I know mom.” Suki smiles back at her, face turned upward as the other woman makes her way back to the door of her room.

“We’ll all be waiting.”

Suki feels her heart racing in her chest, the clack of the door closed behind her mother sounding more final than she had ever thought possible. She takes a deep breath.

*

Suki had never thought that meditating for the better part of a day could leave her so tired and disoriented. She can barely think straight as her tabi’d foot slides onto the tatami of the dojo floor, soft and silent.

She doesn’t feel like the same person.

Her skin itches under her layers of makeup, and her shoulders and middle feel overly weighted with the traditional armour which covers her uniform. In the silence of the room, filled to the rafters with people come to witness her test, the only thing that Suki can hear is the tinkling of her headgear.

She comes to kneel before her mother, and the two other warriors situated at the front of the room, before the shrine to their predecessors. Suki bows low, forehead pressed to the backs of her gloved hands.

The rustle of fabric as everyone else in the dojo bows as well is deafening.

“Suki of Kyoshi Island,” her mother begins, voice booming in the silence which follows, “Avatar Kyoshi calls you forth to begin your trial. Do you accept her call?”

Suki straightens to look at her mother, still half-bent in her deference.

“Osu!” Her assent echoes around the room, resounding in her ears. Confident. Suki bows again, forehead touching the mats.

She straightens.

“Do you accept the responsibility of defending our people and all innocent people who cannot defend themselves from harm, as is our way?”

“Osu!” Another bow. Straighten.

“Do you understand the gravity of the power which will be handed to you should you succeed in your trial, and receive the golden belt which will brand you forever more a Kyoshi Warrior?”

“Osu!”

“Then please stand, and let the trial begin.”

Suki is glad for her empty belly, though it pangs with every movement. She thinks that if it had been full, she might have thrown up. Suki closes her eyes and breathes, bowing again before she moves to the center of the room. She forces herself to grin, falling into a ready stance.

This part of the ceremony, like the rest, is relatively predictable. Weeks before she had been assigned an opponent to take her trial with — an elder who she wished to follow in the footsteps of once she has been granted her status as a warrior of Avatar Kyoshi. Riko, one of the younger warriors, with a broad smile and a cheerful disposition, had volunteered to be her mentor.

So Suki waits for her to rise from her seat at the side of the room, and to join her on the mats to test her skills.

“Challenger,” Mio announces, her voice ringing through the quiet hush that has settled over all of those who have come to spectate, “please proceed forward.”

Suki glances her way only briefly before returning her gaze to the empty space before her, hands free and up in a defensive position, ready. Riko shifts in her seat, ready to stand, and then stops. She looks wide-eyed at the front of the room. Suki looks again, frowning.

Her stomach drops as, from the assembled commanders at the front of the dojo, Haru stands. Her heart starts to thunder in her ears.

This is unheard of.

Her mother looks at Haru, but in the end she says nothing. Suki can see that she is not pleased with Haru’s actions. A scowl pulls at her features, making her look more severe than usual.

The girl trains her gaze forward again, feeling herself begin to sweat in her uniform. She tries to guess what this means, but most of all, she doesn't know how to proceed. Haru is not her partner or her mentor, Riko is. Does this mean that she has been ousted? What will happen if Suki fails against Haru?

What will —?

There is precious little time left to consider the ramifications of what is about to happen. Haru comes to a stop before her, her arms outstretched, mirroring Suki’s position.

No signal is given to start their match. Suki looks owlishly at Haru even as she chooses to attack her from the front.

One on one competitions like this one usually have a structure. A technique that is meant to be practiced over and over until it is ingrained in the muscles. The challenge that Suki faces now, however, is up in the air.

Of the hundreds of techniques that she knows, she must draw on her knowledge and use it to her advantage to win the fight. Suki can barely think, let alone act, and a frontal attack looks deceptively easy.

She acts.

Suki flows with the strike, pivoting all the way around, the weight of Haru’s knuckles brushing against her palm before she takes a firm hold of Haru’s wrist.

Her toes dig into the soft grass mats. She shoots forward with her hips. She throws the other woman well across the room with the momentum of their shared movements.

Suki’s mouth hangs open.

Haru rolls, spinning on her knee to face Suki once more. She looks — determined.

Haru launches herself back toward Suki. Suki meets her head-on, catching her in the crook of an elbow, sending her back onto her rump once again.

Haru grabs her ankle, foot hooking behind Suki’s knee.

The girl falls as well. The other warrior scrambles to get atop of her, fist ready to strike down at her face. Suki cocks her hips, grabs onto the wrist of the hand twisted in the front of her gi.

They roll backward.

When they recover, it’s Suki straddled on Haru’s chest. Her elder looks surprised, if only for a moment. Haru bucks. Suki tries to dig her toes into the mats. She feels her body tip in the unseating.

She rolls out of the way. Back on her feet. Suki thumbs at her nose. Maybe a little too cocky. The older warrior’s face could have been flushed under her makeup. Suki cannot tell…But there is a familiar set to her jaw. as though she is frustrated; annoyed with Suki’s show of confidence.

The two of them breathe harshly in the quiet of the dojo.

There’s tension from the crowd. Suki reminds herself to ignore them.

Haru strikes from overhead.

Suki feels her heart jump in her surprise. Muscle memory takes over. She catches the strike, leading hand on Haru’s elbow. She twists, pushing the other woman back. She grabs her hand and pivots. Turns back. Haru collapses backward with but the twitch of Suki’s hand against her own and she moves to roll the other warrior to her belly.

Her grip is not what it should be.

Haru catches Suki behind the knees again, the two women crying out (Suki in surprise) as once again the younger finds herself on her back. There is noise from the crowd. They’ve started to get excited. Suki breathes out sharply.

Haru allows her to stand, and the two of them pant, facing one another, hands at the ready. Haru seems calmer than before. It makes Suki uneasy.

Haru falls back into a defensive stance. Suki changes her own stance, gaze hardening in resolve when she realises that she is being invited to attack first.

A Kyoshi Warrior must attack as well as defend. This is a foundational principle.

Ready for anything. Stop the situation before it gets out of hand.

Suki comes forward, chopping down from the side with the blade of her hand. Haru catches her. Solid. Suki just manages to block the fist that comes toward her face to distract her. Haru’s other hand brushes her attacking arm away. The second in command comes in close, her dominant arm heavy against Suki’s chest. She feels her spine strain. Her body is pulled back by Haru’s hand at the nape of her neck.

Her body sways left. Haru throws her right.

Suki rounds her back, breaking the fall with a slap of her arms against the mats, but it is resounding anyway. Her chest feels tight for a moment before she has recovered and flipped herself back onto her feet. She pivots as Haru comes toward her in another attack, catching her arm and letting the momentum of the other woman continue to propel her forward passed Suki’s position and precariously close to the assembled warriors knelt to the side of the dojo mats.

Suki’s hands come back into a ready position, her blue eyes trained on Haru as she recovers.

The older Kyoshi Warrior laughs. It sounds pleased in spite of her apparent determination to…Well, Suki’s not sure what. Haru grabs hold of a wooden staff, hidden from Suki’s sight by the group of other warriors. She dances out of the way of the first swing of the wooden weapon toward her.

To the side. Step. Down as she swipes at her head. Step. Suki bends back out of the way of another swipe, this time at her throat. She feels her momentum backward. Rolls rather than fall on her rump.

She finds herself close enough to the extra weapons that they house on the far wall of the dojo that she can reach out and grab her own short staff.

She catches Haru’s next strike with a backward swipe of her weapon. It turns in her hand. She strikes out, stopping short of Haru’s throat.

Her mother’s second in command stops abruptly, eyeing down the length of Suki’s weapon. She lets out a burst of breath through her teeth, and swipes the staff aside with her own, backing off.

Suki falls into a defensive stance with the staff once again, stepping back with each strike of Haru’s weapon against her own in the thick silence of the dojo. Suki feels the turn of the battle’s tide as it happens. Her spine strains, her balance off as she retreats.

Haru bears down on her until Suki cannot keep hold of her weapon any longer, disarmed by an expert thrust and parry. Sent to her back again with a sharp strike to her stomach which winds her. Suki struggles to draw in breath even as she raises her hands in front of her face, trying to shuffle back. She digs her heels into the mats to propel her away from Haru.

The second in command is not deterred. She makes to strike again.

“Enough!”

Haru’s weapon stops before it can descend, and Suki feels the tension in her own limbs lingering even as the second in command looks over at her mother, lowering her weapon and stepping out of her offensive stance.

“The trial is over. Warriors, back to your marks,” she instructs firmly, levelling a glare at Haru.

Suki sits up in a flurry once Haru has backed down, scrambling wearily to her feet, hearing a ringing in her ears. She sways but stays standing, at the ready. Mirroring one another the two of them fall to at ease and then bow. Haru exits the mats. Suki cannot help but catch the brief, satisfied, tug of her mouth into a smile before she has schooled her expression again and turned back to the gathered audience, sitting back in her assigned place.

Suki turns to face the front of the room and her mother.

“Candidate Suki.” Her mother’s voice has softened again, her expression too. Suki is glad for the makeup that obscures the flush she feels rushing to her cheeks at the marked difference. “You have done well. You are free to wash and take some time to yourself whilst we deliberate on the outcome of your trial. Please, be excused.”

Suki bows again, her heart even louder in her ears than before, if possible. She walks steadily from the dojo, but she feels faint. She will not faint. She will not make a fool of herself. She will not —

Safely out on the terrace, hidden behind the paper shoji that obscures the majority of the dojo, Suki allows overwhelmed tears to slide down her painted cheeks, streaking her makeup further than her sweat has already done. Something inside of her knows that the test was more than just a simple test to see if she is ready. She knows that Haru meant to hurt her, if she could get away with it. That she wanted to prove something to her mother and had used Suki as a vehicle to do so.

Perhaps it is simply to show that Suki is neither ready nor skilled enough to earn her gold belt yet. Perhaps that she will never be ready?

Will she ever be ready?

Her thoughts reeling, Suki finds her way to one of the many empty public courtyards in close vicinity to the dojo and sits on the bench provided there, taking in sharp breaths, trying to even her pulse and stop the sobs that threaten to be loud enough to wake the island’s very dead.

A dull scrape sounds behind her. Suki jumps, turning to see who might be lurking, remembering her eyes and wiping at them ineffectually. All it serves to do is smudge red and white all over her gloves. It’s Kenji.

The old man shuffles his way over to her, silent until he occupies the space that sits empty beside the little girl, grunting out almost dramatically as he sits. His knees crack loudly.

Suki looks sidelong at him again, bowing her head, shame heating her face once more.

“That was an impressive display in there,” he begins conversationally, “you’ve worked so hard and come so far, Suki. Imagine a young girl like you holding her own against a seasoned warrior. Your mother must be very proud.”

Suki sniffles, brow furrowing.

“I didn’t — “ she protests. He interrupts her.

“And with Miss Haru not holding back like that — she must have been so frustrated to find that you would not go down so easily. Or maybe she was impressed.”

Suki’s brow furrows yet further, but her blue eyes fix on the elder, hands fidgeting in her lap.

“You think so…?” she asks hesitantly.

Kenji smiles, the gaps in his teeth stark.

“I think so.”

“I don’t really think that Haru likes me,” she admits then, turning her face back toward her lap, and smoothing out the dark green fabric of her hakama.

“Haru’s always been a grump,” Kenji says with a harrumph. “She’ll get over it, and she’ll warm up to you for it too. I can guarantee as much.”

“If you say so,” Suki agrees reluctantly.

Kenji smiles again, reaching over to place his arm around her narrow shoulders. He hugs her tight to him, and breathes in deep, looking up at the dusk sky where the stars have already started to appear in pinpricks of distant light above them.

“Your dad would be so proud too.”

“My dad?"

“Yes. Ryuichi was smitten with your mum because of her skills as a warrior. Amongst other things. I bet he’s beaming with pride in the spirit world for what you’ve accomplished today. His own little girl.”

Suki’s face scrunches a little, and she feels the urge to cry sticking in the back of her throat once again. She swallows, working the tight ache of it away. She smiles. She feels her limbs soften.

“Thanks, Uncle.”