#i'm thinking that his animal attendants are the spirits of those he lost

[ovenborn]

Here's a basic layout of Peach Blossom Cookie's beginnings before he became the Keeper of the Heavenly Orchard. His mortal life, essentially.

An orphan displaced due to war, Peach Blossom Cookie does not remember his homeland or the faces of his family clearly, but he has always remembered the injustices he saw in the world. How those in power abused it... How the innocent always got caught in the crossfires of conflict, paying the price of yet another war in which neither side was right... How all that was beautiful in the world would be trampled on with a cruel indifference...

Thus, he took up a sword and began acting as a vigilante from the time he was a young teen, becoming an enemy to the armies of various realms over time — that was how he felt he could truly make change in the world, and what he also found long sought out purpose in. His name was infamous to the crowned by his early adulthood, and for many villages affected by war and corruption of those they were governed by, a beacon of hope.

He is not exactly sure when it happened — when a group of cookies had begun following and looking to him for asylum, but... he realized they shared the same dream for the world. From then on, other refugees would join their group as well — cookies who otherwise couldn't defend themselves, scarred by warfare and tyranny. They were mostly simple farmers and such folk; alongside children, the elderly, and disabled. In hopes for a better life, they banded together and began journeying elsewhere with Peach Blossom Cookie who would protect them.

They would travel tirelessly for a place away from the bloodshed, for somewhere to call home, and far out to the west they thought they had found land they could cultivate. There had been those who were lost during the journey, it was not without risk after all, but they had finally found it — somewhere they could settle down and grow their roots. Together they believed that they could establish a community and build a paradise from the ground up for all those like them... In the end, just when they thought they had fled far enough, conflict would find them again. Peach Blossom Cookie would end up failing to protect them. Every single one of them was gruesomely slain by bandits, the sight of rising smoke and their screams drawing him back to their incipient village in horror.

The last thing he would use his sword for was to dig up the first thing they had planted in order to begin their little paradise — a peach tree sapling that had thankfully been unsullied by blood...

And as you can probably guess now, Peach Blossom Cookie would carry that same sapling upwards to the heavens to start his garden in honor of those he lost that day, hoping to see their dream come into fruition no matter what. The climb was far from easy, though that's for another post.

[mobileleprechaun]

oubgh Tagged Game

I was kindly tagged by the eminent @femboty2k, thank you so much for tagging me!

This one is about introducing yourself with the following:

- One tv show

- One movie

- One album

- One game

However, she went the extra mile and did two each, so I'll do that as well!

TV Shows: Whatever Happened to Robot Jones and Making Fiends

I'm not entirely sure what it says about me that both of my picks here were ill-fated and obscure cartoons cancelled before their time, but I certainly hope it's nothing premonitory about the trajectory of my life!

Robot Jones was a full-on obsession for me when I was young. It's about a robot child having to attend junior high in the 1980s so he can understand humans better, and all the awkwardness that goes along with that. Something about it struck such a chord with me – probably the fact that the protagonist was a sheltered misfit who couldn't understand his peers. I was homeschooled until college, and all of my interactions with other kids were painfully awkward along those lines, so I guess I just felt seen?

It's a weird show, and the tone is pretty bleak. He's mercilessly bullied by both peers and authority figures alike, and episodes rarely ever end with anything working out for him. Maybe I felt seen by that too. It's kind of fucked up, and I'm 70% certain bits of it didn't age well, but for what it's worth, people still really enjoy the one episode where RJ comes to the conclusion that he's nonbinary. It's also lost media at this point, so there's an inherent rewarding feeling that comes with being able to find it at all.

Making Fiends is also pretty bleak, but in a very silly and fun way. It's about a town that lives in mortal terror of Vendetta, this extremely cruel grade-schooler who is able to make monsters (fiends) that can serve her every whim. However, her nasty little gangster baby life is turned upside down when a very dense friendly girl named Charlotte comes to town, and Vendetta finds herself terrorized for a change.

I was obsessed with this one too and was a young stan of its creator. I love that it's about two girls just being dumb as all hell and having weird and fucked up things happen to them. Nobody's boy-crazy, either – both of these little gremlins just get to be people. Neither of them are particularly deep in terms of characterization, but they're so much fun to have a romp with, and they get to fill that slapstick-heavy role that's usually only reserved for male characters. Also, the humor is super fucked up and morbid, but the way everything is delivered will just keep you hooting. It's definitely less emotionally exhausting than Robot Jones.

Movies: Chicken Run and The End of Evangelion

Weird pair, I know!

Chicken Run is another of my childhood obsessions that persists to this very day. It's a fun and surprisingly poignant tale of an insurrection on a farmyard and the brave hens (and one mostly useless rooster) who make it happen. Aardman just knocks it right out of the park with the quirky designs of their ensemble cast and just how rooted it feels in its 1950s setting. The villains are fun, the heroes are fun, somehow Mel Gibson doesn't completely ruin it, and I dunno, it's just very cozy. I could rewatch it over and over again. Also, Mac is best girl.

End of Evangelion is not cozy at all! It's the fucked up and horrifying ending to a fucked up and horrifying anime, and it pissed a lot of people off at how mean-spirited it felt, but like... it's a fucking masterpiece, like it goes incredibly hard. Every element of it – the music, the voice acting, the visuals – it's all stunning, like all the way through. Yes it's sad and upsetting and very strange, but that's just how the anime went. None of it feels out of place, either. I can go back and watch Episode 1 again and not feel like EoE mismatches tonally. I still think about it on the regular, and I still bop to Komm sußer Tod.

Albums: Spirit Phone and Act II: The Father of Death

I've picked these two because these are both albums I always feel the need to listen to as a whole rather than piecemeal. There's some other amazing albums that I feel dirty not including here, but these two are just the ones that hit me the hardest as albums, and I have to be fully honest with myself about that.

Spirit Phone came into my life when I desperately needed it. I had just lost my youngest brother and was trying to find my first apartment after years of being my parents' adult subject. It was such a heady and wonderful thing for me, all these skrunkly-ass songs about the occult and the inherently fucked up nature of American culture. I played it on repeat for almost a solid month, and it gave me the strength and optimism I needed to muscle through the most terrifying time of my life. It's still such a cozy and wonderful thing for me, and I thank Neil Cicirega from the bottom of my heart for putting it together.

The Protomen: Act II wasn't something that got me through a crisis, but it was a fucking crazy-ass bop and a solid goddamn chaser to their first album, which I also love listening to as a whole. The story of Thomas Light's descent into living as a pariah in his own city after his own friend turns on him is masterfully told by this band, and every track hits like a truck. The whole subplot with Joe was incredible, too, and that guy who sings as Wily is so fucking good, and Panther is ridiculously versatile... I still get goosebumps thinking about Breaking Out. Gorgeous album through and through.

Games: Sonic & Knuckles Collection and Cave Story

It might be cheating to include the whole collection as one game, but I don't give a phuck!!!!

I was like 7 or 8 when I got the Sonic & Knuckles collection on CD-ROM, and holy fuck, y'all. I knew I loved The Adventure of Sonic the Hedgehog on TV, but getting my hands on that game about spoiled me rotten. It just felt so perfect in every way. Having gone back and played earlier entries in the Sonic series really gives me an appreciation for how well they perfected the formula here, it's just so smooth and refined. Going back through each stage playing as Sonic, Tails or Knuckles is so good, too, like you really get a feel for how much there is to explore with their different styles of movement. I just love it so much, it's so cozy and so jammed to the brim with pure fun.

Cave Story was something I encountered later in life, and was pleasantly surprised to find as a free download. I was not adequately prepared for what a ride this humble-looking little platformer would be. God, it was such a wonderful challenge, sometimes frustrating, but always so compelling as to keep me coming back. And what a beautiful story, too, and what a gorgeous setting. I full-on cried at many points. Pixel just put his whole heart and soul into this game, and it's so sickening and unfair that he got fucked over by that shitty licensing deal. If you haven't already, please show this man's work some love. It went hard enough that when Undertale was first announced, I assumed it was going to be a Cave Story fangame. 😝

waow that's media!!! I must tag four people; @sammytoesis, @fetus-cakes, @johannesson and @badgrlebie. But if you wanna do it too, DO IT!!!!

[abeinginsand]

The Silent Protagonist Meets Two Flames Continuation of the Silent Protagonist Au ( part 1 ) Dialogue and more story rambles below

1] Taylor:

Lost my voice. Don't remember the fight...and I missed an (anime) episode.

2] Nick Flame:

Aw, kid, you look so much like your mom! Dad…uh Glenn, used to say I looked a lot like my mom too. I couldn't really remember her face myself but he showed me sometimes. He kept a little photo album under the bed. I'd sneak under there alot to look at it when he was at work. Sneaking around is super cool! I hid a few things at home…your home I mean, I could show you--

3] Nicolas Flame:

Now's not the time for a trip down memory lane, Nick! Look at our baby boy's face… Are you okay, Taylor? My Dad--Jodie--always stressed that its okay to cry and to talk to him about what made me upset. So I'm sure Cass--your mom would listen to you. And I know I…well we haven't been around but I am here now. I want to be. And if necessary, I can give a stern talking to any person or creature who hurt your feelings. Simply say the word.

4] Taylor: Huh!? A-Are these flames talking to me? They sound like Dad...

5] Nicolas Flame:

That's because we are your dad…fractured parts of him anyways. Sometimes a demon's spirit leaves its body during body reformation. But with us…well its complicated, a short version is that your dad's spirit is unusual do to past circumstances. So, when his…our spirit left his body it fractured into two parts. I am known as Nicolas and they are…Nick. We represent two major parts of Nicky. But no matter what, one thing is clear…we felt we must return to you immediately. To watch over you…

-------- Story Notes for Part 2: This takes place a week or so after that original scene in part 1. Taylor still can't speak and wonders if it may be due to the very obvious signs of neck injury. However...only he and his mom seem to be able to see his scar, horns, and tail. Cass seems to think his horns and tail are accessories at first--until Taylor manages to convince her otherwise... The doctor that came to do an in-house check up appeared to not see any of those. Instead, the pediatrician comments on Taylor's abnormally high body temperature. The doctor gives some fever treatment recommendations and is on their way. Apparently, with the mayor's entourage running amok--much of the health workers in the city were helping at the nearby hospital. So lines were even longer than they usually were...fevers were lower priority unless stacked with other concerning symptoms. His mom wanted him to rest but Taylor...tensed at the idea of sleeping. Feared what memories might be lurking in his dreams. At least he was comforted by the fact that his mom was fine with him trying to sleep in her room or (in the living room). No space under her bedframe or the couch for eldritch horrors to be hiding under. On another side of things, he's been using the fever and lack of voice as a reason to avoid school. At first he thought it was weird school was still going on--surely the place shouldn't be running. The principal was gone. Surely a school would be closed for a few days or something...they wouldn't just act like its another Tuesday! Someone died! This was contradicted quickly when his mom showed him a voicemail from the school's main secretary--asking him about his attendance. In that moment, he got a dull headache as he recalled...everyone finding out Normal was still doing homework. They'd all known school was continuing this whole time, had been even after the principal died and had chosen to not do homework. Why had he forgotten that part? (Because it made him angry. Because it made him feel so.....)

Besides, Taylor couldn't remember what expression his...friend? ex-friend? made the last time they were near each other either. It was weird. But, there was the group chat and his phone was charged. He could try and reach out? Yet, the chat log only showed the part about Scary leaving the chat awhile ago. No messages had been sent after that. Maybe the group chat was pointless from the beginning. He's dad had destroyed his phone once after all. Told him to not bother with making long lasting connections. If he'd gotten another one and just never shared the new number with the others... Taylor wouldn't feel so defeated right now looking at the 'no new messages' notice. The teen tries to pass the time like he used too--with anime of course or hanging out with his mom when she's not busy. He gets better at hiding the terror that takes hold anytime his mom leaves the house. A fear that she won't return one day. It has yet to happen but what does--is that she asks him to bring over some of her paperwork. To a recording she's doing across town. He manages that just fine--at least on the way to the building. On his way back, he swears he sees someone familiar. He runs away, back into the taxi, refuses to look closer to figure out the identity. Surely, this was the safest decision and he refuses to dwell on it. Now back at home alone, he heads back to the his bedroom to watch whatever is coming on that day. But he missed it apparently--by a few hours. It wasn't even his favorite show.. His eyes and the neck scar burn anyway and Taylor tries really hard to remember how to breathe. It sorta works after a few very long minutes and he rubs at his eyes, stuck in his thoughts. Until he feels heat brushing against his hair and shoulder and a familiar voice crowding the air--two of the same voice. His dead dad's voice? My thought is that Nicky's flame spirits are now his son's temporary familiars. They'll end up helping him and his mom through the au adventure. Basically helping jog Taylor's memory on what happened during the fight and learning more about his dad in general? Other note, atleast in terms of this AU, pronouns are as follows: Nicky: he/they Nick: they/them Nicolas: he/him Taylor: he/him (questioning--might incorporate him trying out other pronouns at some point) Cass: she/her

[wozman23]

The Best of Not-E3: Summer Game Fest

I'm still bummed that E3 is no more. I moved out to LA shortly before its demise and thought I'd have plenty of time to attend the event. Yet here we are, in this post-E3 world, with glimpses of the joys of the past like that with Xbox Showcase, and plenty of lulls, like with practically everything else. I think the world of gaming is in a weird place. Development costs are unsustainable. I've said time and time again that the “bigger is better” trend has be ruining games and stifling creativity for over a decade now. Games take way to long to make these day, and the risk is not often worth the reward. Indie games have rebelled against that trend, but all the unique, fun B tier games that used to occupy the space in between are either dead, dying, or under duress. Still, gaming is one of my biggest hobbies, and I can't help but be excited about what is to come the next few years, even if those experiences feel fewer and farther between.

Best Announcement: Alan Wake II: Night Springs DLC

It's no secret that I'm a massive fan of Alan Wake. Don't believe me - look at my last post. So the events started on a high note with Remedy's studio lead, Sam Lake, making another trip from Finland to LA to announce the Night Springs DLC. Seeing him dance his way out on stage put a smile on my face. I was giddy. And then announcing that the DLC would be out the next day came as a surprise. I just finished up the last game I was playing yesterday, and I'm so excited to hop back into the warped, insanely creative world of Alan Wake. I can't get enough of it. I want to see what vision Sam and the team have for where the franchise goes next. And I want to continue to try to string together my own theories about Alan, his story, and how he intertwines with the Remedy Connected Universe. As much as I could easily fall back into my psychosis and make this post about how that announcement was the “Game of the Show” for me, I want to shine some light on the little guys.

Best Indie: Screenbound

The second announcement to blow me away was the indie game Screenbound. It's such a cool concept! And the art style looks so great. I love puzzle-y platforming games, and it looks to mix both genres well. It reminds me a lot of one of my favorites from last year, Viewfinder, which was also love at first sight. And before that there was Toodee and Topdee, which merged 2D and top down game play perfectly. In each of these game's cases, they immediately stood out as games that were looking to take me on experiences that I'd never been on before. Viewfinder and Toodee and Topdee were two of my most anticipated games, and in the end they were my Indie GOTYs the years for those years. Lets hope Screenbound follows in their footsteps.

Best of Show: South of Midnight

I remember looking forward to Contrast from Compulsion Games. We Happy Few was lost on me. But when they showed off their teaser trailer for South of Midnight at last year's Xbox Showcase, I was interested thanks to the rich atmosphere. Now we got a better look at it, with a fleshed out world, some interesting characters, and some game play, and it shot up my Most Anticipated list. I've always been fascinated by the Cajun accent. In almost every case, a heavy accent is a distraction for me. I've always joked that if someone has a noticeable accent, I assume they're dumb. Southern, New Yorkers and New Jersey-ers, all those weird Chicago/Mid-west/Wisconsin/Minnesota accents – all a bunch of dummies. But that Cajun and Creole accent rises above the rest. And here, it is on full display as a love letter to Louisiana. The second that massive catfish showed up, I was sold. He looks cool. He talks cool. He's just cool. This trailer had a lot to take in. A massive gator. Cool looking traversal options. That really cool, stop motion-like animation style. I'm so on board for this one! Apparently it's been drawing a lot of comparisons to Kena: Bridge of Spirits, both good and bad, but I loved that game to death as well, so bring on all the comparisons! I'm always a bit scared when a developer gets acquired by Microsoft. We've seen the ugly side of that with the closure of Tango Gameworks, fresh off their best game Hi-Fi RUSH. And while I applaud Microsoft for their approach with Game Pass, bringing all of their games to the platform on Day 1, I question how profitable that is, and how they decide what is a success and what isn't. And I find it absurd that I can still stream everything via my outdated Xbox One without the pressure to upgrade to a Series X. (Although I recently found my first sacrifice: In Senua's Saga: Hellblade II I couldn't use photo mode since Cloud users stream the PC version which doesn't have a dedicated in-game button for screenshots. But that seems like a small sacrifice to make considering I that by working some gift card deals I just gave them like $150 to play everything they release for the next 3 years.)

Outside of the Xbox Conference, and the initial Summer Game Fest salvo with Geoff, there wasn't much to be excited about. And while Sony did have a show a little while ago – that would have been abysmal if not for Astro Bot – I'd have liked to see more this weekend. I've been critical of Xbox for quite some time now, but they really knocked it out of the park this weekend, at least in terms of putting on a good show. I just renewed my PS+ yesterday, but I feel like I get far more value from Game Pass.

Honorable Mentions:

Doom: The Dark Ages – I loved Doom (2016). Eternal lost me a bit, largely in part due to that one pain in the ass enemy type that felt like it didn't mesh with the series' core ideas of fast, action-packed, brutal game play. Going to the Dark Ages is a really cool twist, and the shield looks like it will be a ton of fun!

Indiana Jones: The Great Circle – I've never seen any of the films. But this feels like a first person, spiritual successor to Uncharted, which I know is a bit odd since the former inspired the latter. And more Uncharted-likes with giant, dynamic set pieces are fine by me.

Deer & Boy – I love cinematic sidescrollers. This one looked so gorgeous and cute. Nothing more needs to be shown for me to add it to the heap of cinematic sidescrollers I'm anticipating. Some join the Pantheon of Greats among the Playdead games, Little Nightmares, and a few others. Others fly too close to the sun. Let us hope this one can keep up with the gods.

Atomfall – Fallout 76 got some new content or something. But I'm over it. Move on. Give me Fallout 5. Atomfall could fill that gap much like Atomic Heart tried to. Let's just hope it strays closer to Fallout in game play than it does to Atomic Heart in namesakes since it was a pretty big letdown when I played it at launch.

ASTRO BOT – The dissolution of Sony's Japan Studio was disheartening. They made some great games over the years. One of my favorites being the criminally underappreciated Puppeteer at the end of the PS3's life cycle. It was such a creative piece of art. The amount of love that went into shaping its world, aesthetic, characters, bosses, levels, and game play variety was absurd. It felt like they out-Nintendoed Nintendo. The game sold so poorly that I believe I may have bought the only copy. From there, Japan Studio went on to make a few Astro Bot demo experiences for PlayStation VR, then fleshed out a terrific full game, ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission, then baked ASTRO's Playroom into the PS5. All were brilliant platformer experiences that Sony needs more of. So it was bittersweet when it was announced that most of Japan Studio was being shuttered, with the only remaining team being ASTRO BOT's Team ASOBI. ASTRO BOT and Puppeteer seem to share a lot of the same design philosophy. They're super creative and feature some really great boss design. I have to assume that some of the developers who worked on Puppeteer are still working on ASTRO BOT. And I'm really grateful for their contributions. Sadly, outside of this, most of the big Sony studios are in between games right now. We really don't know when Naughty Dog will release something next. Marvel's Wolverine probably still needs some time to cook. Sucker Punch's future is unknown. And the same could be said for countless others like Santa Monica and Housemarque. Usually I walked away from E3s and Not-E3s really excited about what's on the horizon – oohh, we don't know what Guerrilla is doing... what's on the horizon for Sony and wondering what the heck Xbox is doing. But this year they pulled a complete switcharoo. Also the Lego Horizon game could be fun. Let's throw it in this category.

[salemorbit]

Hi, sorry if I'm overwhelming you with Requests, but I had an idea for an Imagine that I'd really love to see you write!! Could you please write some Headcanons for how Link, Zelda, Sidon and Revali (Age of Calamity timeline for Sidon btw) would react to a young woman who has a very strong connection to the Spirits being sent to teach Zelda how to unlock her power? Like it's a young woman, around 18 years old, who has a natural ability to communicate with all manner of Spirits, maybe even is part Spirit in some way, so she gets appointed by the King of Hyrule to teach Zelda how to do the same? And maybe she's super nice and excited too? Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!!

oh darling you're totally fine i really appreciate it :D

i hope i did this justice! it's a really neat concept

i also made it an x reader with those attributes if that's okay :)

~~~~~~

Hylia's Guide

[BOTW x fem!Reader]

Headcanons (Link, Zelda, Revali, Sidon)

warnings: none

takes place during Age of Calamity!

also for headcanon's sake,,,,,being a descendant of hylia in this case doesnt mean that you're of the same family? if that makes sense? okay so like reader is descended from hylia and technically so is zelda but they aren't blood related in any way HAHA hope that makes sense

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

Let's set the scene, yeah?

You were one of the descendants of Hylia from centuries past, now a ghost in the afterlife as part of the universe itself.

Naturally, you would be surprised when you became sentient once more and blinked open your eyes in the middle of Hyrule Field. In your head rang a soothing voice that you both heard in your head and felt in your bones. In an instant, you knew it was Hylia communicating with your physical form again after years of dormant sleep.

The voice instructed that you were to aid Zelda in her studies of connecting to her powers. Hylia could not intervene directly with Zelda, of course, but the most the Goddess could do was send someone in her place. And that was you: a descendant of Hylia's own bloodline resurrected from the dead come to help the princess in her efforts. Easy enough, right?

Convincing the King and his guards of the situation was difficult, let alone trying to get him to allow you to assist his precious daughter with her practice. The only proof that you had of any story that you told were the markings on your hands and chest.

Three distinct triangles etched themselves on your body: one on the back of each hand and the third on your chest. Your powers had long since been passed on to the next descendant of Hylia, but you were still full of the knowledge of how to use Hylia's gift and how to communicate with the spirits.

•••

Link

Link was wary of you at first, being the princess's appointed knight and all, but he soon figured that you weren't as much of a threat as he initially thought

You were kind and excited to meet someone else who also held Hylia's gift (albeit not necessarily awakened, but still) and Link knew that Zelda would be safe in your hands

While going on spiritual treks with Zelda and Link, you almost always made the meals because both Zelda and Link can't really cook lmao

Coming from an entirely different era, you had a big book of recipes in your head that you brought into reality with every meal you made, and Link definitely wasn't complaining

He appreciated your wide breadth of knowledge of different foods, plants, and wildlife that you might encounter on your travels

It made planning protective measures for the princess all the easier

Sometimes the ventures to connect to Hylia didn't bear any fruit (and that's okay because the gift takes plenty of patience!) and the mood could become solemn quickly

But you were always determined to lift the mood and lighten everyone's attitude, and it always worked!

You would excitedly ramble off stories about where you grew up or what you liked to do on your own travels back in the day, and it would always make Link feel warm that you had such fond memories you were willing to share with him

When Zelda needed time to herself to try to connect to the spirits and Hylia, you and Link would hang around each other and bond

Link would listen attentively as you talked about the cultural and time differences between your world and this one, sharing sympathy when you expressed nostalgia over your time lost

But you would quickly turn it around to the positives, which is what Link thought was a wonderful quality that you had

If you ever got caught off guard while on ventures by the Yiga Clan or rogue animals, Link would fight just as hard as he would in larger battles to keep you safe

Over the time you spent together, Link grew very fond of you and always was at your side if he wasn't immediately attending to the princess

Once your guidance and knowledge finally broke through to Zelda and her power awakened, Link was so proud of you for fulfilling your duty

He was worried that you would disappear from his life once you completed Hylia's task, but you connected to the spirits after the fact and bargained with them

At the end of it all, you were able to live your life through again with Link by your side :)

•••

Zelda

Goddess was Zelda relieved when she found out that she would be having a guide to help her unlock her powers

Upon meeting you, she was absolutely floored with your kindness and willingness to help her with her problems

You were a wonderful mentor to Zelda, teaching her things about the different spirits and how to harness the power that she never would have dreamed of researching on her own

And wow there was a lot of information HAHA

Zelda was also transfixed with the fact that you came from another lifetime, and you were more than happy to tell her all about your life before this one

She would also take very detailed notes about everything you said, enamored with the way you spoke and how excited you got about things you loved

Quiet study time in Zelda's room would often turn into challenges of you trying to make her laugh with small tidbits of stupid stunts you would pull

Of course Zelda couldn't hold back a smile when you were around, so the challenges would fall short but with you falling into fits of laughter

You always brightened Zelda's mood whenever she was down about a failed connection attempt, urging her to try more and be patient with herself

Zelda was thankful to Hylia for sending you because honestly she wouldn't know what to do without someone that was as kind and generous as you were with spreading knowledge about your gifts

And when they finally awakened, Zelda couldn't be more happy!

Hyrule was now safe with Zelda's power awakened and Ganon on the edge of being sealed away

She pleaded that you find a way to stay in her time and teach her more about the spirits and Hylia herself

Your heart warmed at the thought that someone wanted you to stay, and it warmed even more at the fact that someone loved you enough to want to keep you forever :)

•••

Sidon

Sidon met you when he was summoned with the other Champion successors

You were the first to greet him and explain what had happened with the time jumping and all that, and you helped to put his nerves at ease

His own excitable and boisterous personality bounced off of your own energy and buzz!

Fighting side by side with you, Sidon admired how you always had a strategy and were looking out for Zelda as if she was your own sister

He was surprised upon learning your story: never had he known that Hylia had the power like that to bring someone back to help those in the present

Sidon tried his best to stay by your side whenever he could, wanting to keep your blind spots covered just in case

In your time, you had known the Zora and actually knew King Dorephan when he was a young little guppy, and your stories of Dorephan never failed to make Sidon laugh

Sidon in turn shared his own tales of the evolved Zora Domain, and you found his storytelling absolutely captivating

Sidon felt a pull to you like he had to no one else before, and he nurtured that pull with his own heart

He made sure you had enough supplies, checked in on you immediately when you came back from a far off mission

Just an all around softie I think! Sidon has always been caring like that :)

When it was time for him to go back, you discovered a way that you could jump with him back to his own time

After all, your mission with Zelda from Hylia was over. Why shouldn't you be able to live your life through again?

You jumped back with Sidon to a world vastly different than the one you had just been in, and even more different than the one you were born into

But with Sidon, it always felt like home!

•••

Revali

Revali didn't want to be impressed, but he was Definitely Impressed

Your composure about the whole situation was amazing, and you handled all the questions everyone had with grace

And your kindness was overwhelming (in a good way) with the fact that you opened your mind to such possibilities of even being resurrected like that

Revali admired you through and through

He would be incessantly curious about what the afterlife was like, how the spirits communicated with you, what Hylia was like

You, of course, couldn't accurately answer most questions because, well, you couldn't remember, but you appreciated his desire to learn

You loved the way that he fought: with purpose and intent. There was little to no hesitation with Revali, he always had a plan

When you would go to treks with Zelda and Link to try to summon Zelda's power, Revali would make comments here and there insisting that he tag along just in case

Poor Rito really just wanted to spend more time with you, that's all!

If he did tag along, it would be to Lanayru with his knowledge of the cold weather

He would rattle off safety facts of mountain weather and gear you would need, and you would be happy to listen as long as he was talking to you

Revali would also love to hear about your old life, and since you could go on for hours about it all, he would sit and absorb everything that came out of your mouth

He was smitten in a matter of weeks!

He could see the care and sympathy you had for Zelda as she struggled and triumphed in her process of opening her powers, and he appreciated that you could care so much for someone like that

Revali subconsciously protected you even if there was a leaf that fell in the way of your path, as he was always on alert in case someone caught you off guard

As your time came to a close and Zelda awakened her powers, Revali demanded that you stay (with love, of course)

And stay you did, making a bargain with the spirits and living the rest of your second life in the company of the Rito warrior :)

~~~~~~~~~

hope i got this good!! i thought the concept was really neat and i kinda wished they did something like that actually :/ zelda didn't deserve that angst

requests are welcome :)

[ducklingdraws]

My Idea for a Scooby-Doo! Reboot

So a while back, after noticing that Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated was on Spectrum On Demand, I decided, "Hey, I'm gonna rewatch this show." I don't know why I did it, because I rarely ever rewatch shows. I'll watch reruns, but never have I actually decided to rewatch a television series. But, I did it for Scooby-Doo.

And frankly, I had forgotten how good the show was. It's honestly really dark, while also being absolutely hilarious; and in its humor, the show actually does really unique things with the Scooby-Doo gang, with the biggest example being this show's version of Fred Jones. It's wild. But in my opinion, the thing that really makes this show what it is...

...is its story. I feel like the story and characters are fuel for this show in a way that feels different from other shows, somehow. I don't really get it, but that's the way I see it.

So, seeing as there's all these serialized cartoon series nowadays, and Scooby-Doo is always getting rebooted in one way or another, I figured... what if I rebooted Scooby? If I had the opportunity to reboot Scooby-Doo and the only Warner Bros requirement was "just make it," what would I do with it?

Without further ado, this is To the Future, Scooby-Doo!

First up: The Premise

To kick things off, I'll discuss how the show is set up. This version of Scooby-Doo is set in the future. Technology has become more holographic and stuff like in the movies, but fashion hasn't evolved to be nothing but latex bodysuits yet. Flying cars are real but not very widely used, and clothes can tell the time.

On the biological side of things, prosthetics are holographic as well, and incredibly easy to attach. It's almost like having your original limb. Food is healthier while also being more environmentally friendly, and animals have been genetically modified for a very long time. They have been allowed to mate, which has eventually lead to many domesticated animals being able to speak!

The main setting is a large port town known as Port Intrigue, where all sorts of goods are traded, and many people lead peaceful lives. It's a nice place, and a lot of the economy is structured around it. There are other important trade cities like it, but Port Intrigue may be the most powerful.

It's also probably the weirdest, because in true Scooby-Doo fashion, no one can just "be a criminal." Heck no! Where's the fun in that?? If you're gonna try and get money through illegal fear tactics, you've gotta do it in style!!

And for some reason or another, the police get a little help with solving a lot of the more, uh... colorful mysteries. Help from a group of kids attending Intrigue High...

Next up: The Scooby Gang!

So here's the big part! All of my redesigns of the classic gang! Let's kick it off with:

FRED JONES

So this version of Fred is definitely toned back from various recent versions of Scooby-Doo, particularly the DVD movies and Mystery Incorporated. He's a lot more laid back, and has a sort of "cool guy" persona.

One day a long time ago, his parents, 2 great scientists, didn't pick him up from school, and apparently they mysteriously disappeared. So since then he's been living with Shaggy. At Intrigue High, he is in the theater program as a Tech, so he's good with pulleys and ropes and other various behind-the-scenes theater things, which makes him really good at making weird Rube Goldbergs - and traps, whenever the need arises. But when would Fred ever need to build a trap?

NORVILLE "SHAGGY" ROGERS

...Y'all can excuse the scribbles in the lower corner, right?

Anyway, this version of Shaggy is just as uptight as he always is, but instead of that only being attributed to mystery solving and creepy ghoulies, it's evolved into some much, much greater!!!

He's the mom friend now.

Y'know, telling everyone to watch their eating habits and be careful of opening soda cans because so help me if you scratch yourself...!

Long time ago he lost his arm so now he has one of those cool prosthetics. The trauma of losing it though has made him extra cautious, and a bit of a scaredy cat. Of course, he's willing to do whatever it takes for his friends, just like the Shaggy we all know!

He still likes to eat and is a bit of an amateur chef, participating in the culinary club at Intrigue High.

VELMA DINKLEY

This is my rendition of Velma Dinkley. She's still the smartest one of the group, and good at technology, but is also a boxer! She's not just strong, but also strong willed!

The Dinkley's have a long, long history of scientific endeavors, and Velma's father is a great scientist as well! Though really, it's more of a hobby for him.

Velma lives with her younger sister Madelyn (who some of you might remember from Abracadabra-Doo) and her father, Victor.

This Velma is snarky, yet quirky. She's got a real go-getter mentality, which everyone can't help but to respect.

DAPHNE BLAKE

Daphne Blake is a bit of a softie. She was never very forward with making friends, but developed a clique of her own with Fred, Shaggy, Scooby and Velma.

Her house used to be the gang's main hang out spot, but after the kids moved on to high school, they haven't been over to her house at all.

Daphne likes to draw, and really wants to be a fashion designer. In fact, she's a part of Intrigue High's costume design team for the theater program!

SCOOBY-DOO

Scooby-Doo has been part of the Rogers family ever since he was a puppy, and Shaggy was a little kid. The two have been basically inseparable their whole lives, with Scooby even attending school with everyone else.

He likes belly rubs, scratches behind the ear, and food. So in other words, he's the same Scooby we all know and love! Still fearful, but dedicated to his friends, including...

MEASLES

Shaggy and Scooby may have been buds since they were little kids, but before Shaggy, Scooby had Measles.

Since they're both GMO animals, they both have the ability to speak human language, which they would use to try and get food. Eventually, Measles was able to get Scooby into a good home with the Rogers family. Unfortunately, Mr and Mrs Rogers couldn't afford to take care of Shaggy, Fred, a dog, and a cat, but Measles promised to visit Scooby whenever she could, or that they'd at least see each other around. And she's kept that promise! Even to this day, the gang will sometimes find her in random locations, like... the Theater Program's costume box?

Measles has a lackadaisical, yet somewhat snarky personality, but definitely cares for her friends. It just may take a while to show it.

Last up: Everything Else

Uh, hm. I guess this is the generalization of the show.

Well, it's a giant celebration of Scooby-Doo. The gang wears different outfits, rarely wearing the same one in consecutive episodes. And each outfit would be pulled from a previous Scooby series (yes, including *shivers*... Get a Clue).

Also, other characters from previous series and Scooby media are not only in the show, but play decently sized rolls. For example, I already mentioned Madelyn Dinkley, but there's also Red Herring from A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, or Mayor Nettles and Sherriff Bronson Stone from Mystery Incorporated (they're married from the start this time!). Even the dreaded Scrappy Doo makes his return at (what I imagine to be) the start of Season 2, hopefully to redeem himself and not be relegated to a tired joke about "lol Scrappee sux XD"

Flim-Flam is back too, but is rebranded as Frida McScam, the fast talking troublemaking free spirited girl who takes everybody's crap and spins it in her favor (and also might be psychic).

Scooby's family tree is mentioned, and his parents even have a major role in Season 1.

Just a whole lot of Scooby-Doo trivia and stuff. Stuff that I imagine the people working on the show would be way, way better at remembering and putting to use than I am!

As for the overarching plot?

Well, what futuristic setting would be complete without aliens? I imagine the aliens would be a race of owl creatures known as the Willawaw (another Scooby reference because I hope this show is FULL OF THEM). Basically, these aliens are the bad guys, both in the show proper, and in a lot of the show's backstory. They're like myth villains, or greater scope villains, or something.

I was even thinking like, when the gang ends up running, rather than using a recyclable run cycle from a side view, everyone could have brand new running animations, like to distinguish them all as unique. Although I guess that's what the running cycles were... but the chase scenes are a lot like Mystery Inc, where they were a lot more action packed. It could be great! And of course, everyone would use the classic running style at some point throughout the show, because that seems to be tradition for Scooby-Doo.

This was a really big post! But if you read all of it, thanks a million! I hope you liked the small amount of art within, or just the idea in general! Maybe I'll even draw my reimagined takes on the other characters some day. But for now, I'll leave at this.

[etjwrites]

Tedenbarr of Have Lath

Hello Writeblr Community! I guess I've never really introduced myself or my writing, so here we go!

I'm Esther T. Jones, I'm in my midlate-20's, I love cosplay, gardening, and music, (I studied classical & jazz flute and piano in college) and I’ve written one two novels! A third is on the way!

The first novel is called “Tedenbarr of Have Lath,” is aimed at Upper Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers, and has all the classic elements from a medieval adventure story. (Official Summary.)

You want swordfights? Got 'em. Bandits? Got those too. Knights? Yep! Pirates? A driving force. Kings and nobles, and common folk and slaves? Castles and Dungeons? Secrets and Betrayal? PLOT TWISTS!? All. Right. Here. And of course, horses. All the horses!

Let me tell you about some of the characters:

Tedenbarr (Teddy) – the titular hero. Blond, blue eyed, 20 years old at the start of our story. He lives on an island of slaves named Have Lath, and is desperately in love with a free woman. Despite having reached almost to adulthood, he can be painfully naïve and tends to live in the epic poetic saga of his world that he has memorised line for line. He also loves animals.

Keira (Pronounced Kay-ee-rah) – Curly red hair, green eyes, speaks in a rich brogue. Tedenbarr's fiancée; secretly of course, her aunt would never approve of her marrying a slave boy. About 19. Her father disappeared on one of his travels and never returned. When Tedenbarr also disappears during a routine voyage, amidst rumours that the Black Sailed Pirates have returned to the Sheana Sea, she fears the worst.

Lach – A boy of about 15/16, he is Tedenbarr's best friend on “The Sailing Prison.” Together they work to escape the pirates boarding the ship, but get separated, and Tedenbarr alone makes it to the shores of the Eastern Kingdom. His face, along with all those who went down with the ship, plagues Tedenbarr at night.

Black Crow – Leader of the notorious bandit group living in the Linkwood Forest. Tedenbarr encounters his second in command, and right hand man – Light-Fingers (also known as Amiri of Caro) – in a series of events that take place before our story starts (detailed in chapter five in a flashback).

Shai Ten – Leader of the Resistance in the capital city of Aistes. He hails from one of the desert tribes in the Eastern Kingdom. After his cousin sold herself into slavery to buy them food for a year, and subsequently died an untimely death, he threw himself into the makings of an uprising to try and better the lives of the citizens of Aistes.

King Elymas Oglath – Feared by many, hated by most, loved by none. The sole remaining member of the Oglath family after the deaths of his brother and nephew, he rules with an iron fist. His most recent headache is the return of the Black Sailed Pirates, thirsty for revenge because he drove them out of the Sheana Sea 15 years ago on charges that they murdered his nephew.

The Pirates – a terrifying menace, no ship in the King's Navy can outrun them, and they aim to sail up and down the coastlines of the Sheana sea, leaving destruction and ruin wherever they go. Their ace in the hole is their ability to set the sea on fire, hence the burning cutlasses emblazoned on their black flags and sails. Their ship is named Fraecana, after the spectral goddess of the underworld that many people in Tedenbarr's world believe in.

There are many more characters, but those are the figures that are a constant during Tedenbarr's travels, either at the forefront as he interacts with people, or in his thoughts, or as a looming presence in the background.

Tedenbarr's world is filled with people who believe that there are greater forces at work, and though Tedenbarr himself doesn't put too much stock in the fables and legends that he can recite by heart, here is a little bit of what people believe:

The goddess Myrna rules the sea, Fraecana the underworld. Ferra is a demigod, a trickster and fleet of foot, always getting himself and mortals into trouble. The clashes between himself and Agon – the heroic human king at the centre of the Agon cycle – are legendary.  Shirye is the patron god of forests and hunters.

Shrines exist all across the Kingdom of the West. They are dark, unpleasant places, thick with incense, and attended by greedy cultists who delight in swindling poor superstitious people out of what little money they have. Lach's mother fell victim to one such scheme.

Let's talk places!

Aistes – Capital city of the Kingdom of the West. Currently hiding a long forgotten secret, and the centre of what promises to be a bloody civil war between rich free-folk and poor slaves/servants.

Cal-Cah Mountains – an imposing mountain range in the Kingdom of the East that is very dangerous to navigate due to the bandits that often waylay merchant caravans and lone travellers.

Dirca Desert – a hot, dry expanse that marks the borders between the Kingdoms of East and West. Also inhabited by bandits, and very easy to get lost in.

Dolphin Bay – a secluded little retreat close to the major villages of Slern and Bajai. It's also the first place that Tedenbarr dares to think he could be more than a slave.

Have Lath – Tedenbarr's home. Only outcasts, soldiers and their families, and slaves live here. The island helps protect the mainland from the savage storms of the North Seas.

Linkwood Forest – the domain of yet another band of outlaws, wanted throughout the Western kingdom for crimes against the House of Jor, and against the Monarchy. Not even travelling along the King's Highway is safe anymore with those rapscallions lurking behind every tree and shrub.

Old A'an – a fabled, long abandoned underground city where an ancient civilization used to live. Tedenbarr has always dreamed of visiting, but no one he knows has an inkling of where Old A'an might be located.

Sarenji – a major port town, and one the Black Sailed Pirates have their eye on after attacking Tedenbarr's cargo ship.

Slvyn Reigh – a minor point of interest in the middle of the Sheana Sea. Legend has it that Agon once went head-to-head with the sea goddess Myrna in a fierce but good spirited competition atop a small, stony island, and the peculiar rock formation is all that now remains.

Whew! That was a lot! Please enjoy perusing the moodboard (which also contains some out of context spoilers – I'll leave it to you to figure out what they are). Let me know if you would like to see a more detailed breakdown of some of the main characters, as well as the many secondary and even minor characters that I didn't mention here. Tedenbarr of Have Lath is available from Amazon in both paperback and ebook form (do you have Kindle Unlimited? Congrats, Tedenbarr of Have Lath is now yours, free!) and I'd be more than thrilled to answer any questions you want to shoot my way! This story is my baby, and I love talking to readers about it!

[bookio]

The Pisces (2018) by Melissa Broder

Obsessed over her ex-boyfriend, Lucy breaks his nose when finding out he met someone new. Given two ultimatum, to either go to legal court for the nose or sign up for serval months of women's therapy for her "Love Addiction", Lucy picks the latter. Her sister offers her to stay at her beach house in exchange for Lucy babysitting the sister's dog.

Between group therapy sessions, Lucy attend serval awful dates with meaningless, boring sex. She feels lost.

During late night beach walks, she sometimes meets a beautiful man out swimming. He's cute and charming, and she is able to be open with him in a way she hadn't before. He however is always in the water, because of his heavy wetsuit, he says. His name is Theo.

After many meetings and finally kissing, the mysterious man finally shows her the truth. He is actually a merman! Lucy who feel very connected to him wants to try make this work though.

Their relationship is sexy and cute and sexy and romantic and sexy. Just wow, i'm in awe. Who could have thought, a merman. With help of a wheelbarrow, they are able to snuggle up in the beach house. But Theo is afraid of dogs and the sister's dog hates fish, and try attack on sight. This leads to Lucy constantly giving the dog sleeping pills to be able to have sex with Theo.

During this time, the ex have been sending lots of desperate "I miss youu" to Lucy, and with the therapy at it's ends meet, she tells Theo she might go home soon to never return again.

Theo gets heartbroken and disappears at sea for serval days. While Lucy awaits him, she keep drugging the dog and even finds out that the ex-boyfriend doesn't want her back. His new girlfriend is pregnant and he is just showing cold feet, wtf.

When sister comes home, the dog has died of an overdose. It's unclear if she told her the reason why, but i doubt it because Lucy keep saying she never had anyone over, even though we know she did.

The merman comes back, and Lucy says she chooses him over everything. Theo, now paler than before and eyes grown dark says they can be together if she joins him in the waterworld. Lucy agrees, and confusingly packs a bag and dreams of her new life as a mermaid. BUT when they prepare to go into the water together, Theo ties a rope around her wrist.

He says it's because human bodies will reflexively struggle for survival and try to reach the surface again. Confused, Lucy realize she will not turn into a mermaid but that Theo is a siren, and need blood/souls to survive or something. She asks how many he got so far, which he honestly says 17 bodies.

Realizing she is not special, Lucy angrily breaks up and they part ways for good. Her final reflections of reconnecting with her sister and herself as a single woman is her main priority from now on.

I'm so surprised by this book, it's really good?! Finished those 298 pages in just 6 early hours. 5/5 stars

- - - - -

A Girl Called Owl (2017) by Amy Wilson

I'm a big fan of Frozen, that's why I picked up this book based on the cover, thinking it would be some sort of knockoff Elsa story. But to my surprise it's more like a... DreamWorks Jack Frost fanfiction?

Owl is a normal high school girl, but one day she realize she has ice powers! Her mother confesses that she entered the magic realm with a secret spell (she randomly found a magic book one day) when she was teenager and spent one single day with Jack Frost. Oh boy.

I know that the Jack Frost character is old as time, but the way he's described is suspiciously similar to the animated character from 2012. At the beginning of chapter 14, Owl even googles his name to find out that wow, there's a movie about him being "a guardian". HMMM.

Owl goes looking for Jack and they meet through her mother's old spellbook. He doesn't believe she's his daughter because he hasn't planned for one or something. They dance in the snow, he is handsome. His best friend North Wind shows up, he's also handsome for some reason. Owl is happy to have a dad again.

Owl tells Jack that she's "half fairy, half winter spirit", but fairies hasn't been established in this book (yet) so i can't figure out if she's lying or if it's a script error? He doesn't even react on it.

Meanwhile, in high school. A mysterious exchange student shows up. He dress in punk clothes and have a scary mohawk hairstyle. He approach her with cryptic "I know who you are". Turns out he's sent to spy on her, he's a tree nymph that can control the wind. Okay.

Owl is forced back to the magic realm because it's illegal for spirits to mate with humans (so she's not a fairy anymore?) and she's the proof a deed like that has been committed. So Jack's sent to some secluded place and she is to try out his job. Jack still denies that he has a daughter.

She fails miserably because she angry over Jack not accepting her, she freeze too much and almost kill people but stopped by Jack himself. He then recalls Owl mother, "oh i thought the woman who visited me was just a dream of my imagination" (p.210). What.

They have a meeting with Mother Earth and they figure out that punk guy's boss, "the count of Autumn" has been jealous of Jack's winter. So he planted a magic spellbook infront of a pretty human to cause problems for him.

Mother Earth clears the arguments and Jack promises to visit his daughter sometimes, but work comes first. And Owl is sent back to her mother in time for movie night.

Btw, Owl has a human best friend called Mallory, who's parents are going through a divorce which basically works as a page filler for the non-magical events. At the end, she's like "wow my best friend is half-fairy, half winter spirit" which by now has been clear not to be??

And oh, her name is Owl because her spirit animal is an owl. But Jack Frosts spirit animal is the wolf, because why not.

It's written oddly like something I would write in high school. A young girl turns out to be magical and the exchange student is also special and every guy we encounter are either old or handsome. I'm obviously not the target audience but it was a nice little read anyway. Made me nostalgic because my young self stories basically all looked kind of like this haha! 3/5 stars