#its been a long time since i first played skyward sword and its hard to remember a lot of the little details

[aggressionbread]

oh one really cool thing i think i never noticed or really considered when I played the game, is that the Knight Academy rooms are actually a big room, divided in two with a wooden room divider in the middle. I have noticed that before, but what I didn't notice is that in Groose's shared room, Groose has presumably pushed the divider over so he has extra room for all his workout equipment, and just, space, meanwhile Cawlin and Strich are sharing that teeny room on the other half, but they also have a fancy golden couch for some reason, and I guess that makes up for it.

note: i did some looking through the other characters' rooms and houses, to see if this was indeed a fancy gold couch, or just a regular couch. after a very quick scan, I found that not only did i not find another golden couch, there was in fact only one couch of any kind that i could find in anyone's house (in rupin's house apparently, and its not gold)

also there's this picture of Groose wedged down between the desk and the wall divider

what is it doing there?

[rarestdoll]

a sight for sore eyes (prologue)

prompt: mizu just can't seem to escape you no matter how hard she tries, even in her dreams

tags: wlw, lesbian, 18+, black fem!reader, using she/he pronouns for mizu, they/them for reader!

warnings: none yet! nsfw in later chapters!

mizu cries out as her face meets dirt yet again, the cool soil in her eyes and mouth doing nothing to ground her from her insatiable thoughts. she's distracted, mind gripping onto the sight of smooth brazen skin and even softer hair, focused on the way silk flies around her like the erratic fluttering of spring butterflies that she doesn't even realize she's flying through the air again until the press of sharp steel homes itself against the column of her throat.

"it's my round again, mizu. i almost feel like you are letting me win which is not exactly fair since we are supposed to be sparring. but it seems like your head is elsewhere, am i correct or is the blue eyed samurai going soft on me?" steel slides under the angle of her chin, craning her head skyward until it lays against the brim of her hat, forcing blue to meet brown and mizu bites down the shiver threatening to rack up her spine.

"no i have not gone soft, i am only a little distracted today but that does not hinder me from training. come on, up again. i need to get a few more hours in before we finish for today." mizu mutters, flicking the midsection of the sword so that the blade steers away from her head. that's not entirely the truth but anything to hide the fact that she just got her ass handed to her without her opponent really trying.

"you know i do not appreciate it when you take pity on me. i've seen you in battle many times and yet you almost never fight the same whenever we choose to fight one another." the steel slides away back into its sheath with a light sigh. mizu almost laughs at the accusation, inner voice yelling at her to just come out with what's truly holding her back but instead she settles for a partial lie.

"i do not take pity, i only retaliate. your stance is too soft and your blows too clumsy. now up again so we can finish our training for today and then we will take a trip to the hot spring nearby to wash the day away to settle for the night. we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, there is no time for playing." she edges, pulling herself to a stand as she readjusts her glasses on her nose to take stance again. time is not to be wasted if they wanted to catch a ride back to town tomorrow.

“as you wish, mizu”

a/n: HIII i finally got inspo to write again! i just got finished watching blue eyed samurai and mizu has been plaguing my mind so here! this is gna be a bit of a slow burn and nsfw will come later, this first part will be the prologue n then ill post chapter one some time later today/tomorrow! ^__^ ♡

[ofcowardiceandkings]

me rambling about "Staring at the Sun" by Jacob Gellar and how much it smacked me in the face under the cut lol (contains exactly ZERO spoilers for TotK 💙)

AS SOON as i saw that his video would touch on the quests it does in some way i knew it'd fuck me up for a week or two but i didnt expect it to go that way - he rarely dives into the base plot of these things so i knew that was safe but ohhhh man

ive not played The Last Guardian but i know its one of my best friends favourite games, though the light in watching my partner play Shadow of the Colossus was amazing to see, but this really hit me hard because it pin-pointed one of the things i love most and maybe why i just love being in the world of Tears of the Kingdom (and BotW) so much ?? ive always been a fan of impressionist art too, and Turner as well, i've been trying to push myself into that space in my own art for so long. i always feel mega cliche saying these really well known artists are my favourites but i truly mean it jfdkjf ... this is probably one of the reasons i appreciated how bright and chipper the art style for Skyward Sword was with its fading blues and 'brush strokes', but it just doesnt compare to Breath or Tears with the amount of work the light puts in now, i spend so much time just STARING and ive just realised its usually at the light playing the forms and atmosphere in a real but beyond real way

i'm stuck in two art world of really enjoying doing linework and texture - and being reasonable at it - but wanting to go into colour and light though ive never been comfortable with doing so for some reason ??? im trying but i often just forget to try when im just drawing something self-indulgent and silly (most of what i have time for)

the play of light off cave art and that theory has lodged in my head forever too, As A Nerd On Such Things, there's something absolutely stunning about cave art, how it was made how it was put there and why how it was supposed to be viewed if at all, anything. absolutely fascinating, especially with the seemingly shifting images of Chauvet & Lascaux caves ??

a thing that always stuck with me as well - it might seem like a bizarre pull but it feels the same to me - is actually how the sun is portrayed and animated in the 1978 Watership Down ??? pulsing and moving and quaking with pattern and colour, not to be seen properly by us on earth, but you cant NOT look. i've not shaken the imagery of the sun from that movie from my mind since the first time i saw it as a child im STILL obsessed, it STILL almost haunts me

additionally, as someone who's repeatedly defended how these games look to people who complain about framerates and textures and whatever, i appreciate this. don't get me wrong, it doesnt HURT, especially from such a large gaming company (not that Nintendo have ever put heavy focus on the technical specs of their products though lets be real) but Breath/Tears just emphasises how much art direction or a vision can carry a project compared to other high-spec but ultimately forgettable titles. maybe a little much salt in that sentiment on my end but boy it bothers me when its all people can think about.

i'm gonna be stuck here for another few weeks lol this happens every time Jacob posts a video theyre ALL so winding and drawn out and beautiful gjfkds fuck

[chainunited]

Hi i’ve been playing genshin way too much so i have some ideas for like. a genshin meets linked universe au where they all travel through teyvat and they have visions n stuff

I’m basing it off the ideals of the archon aswell as how characters with visions align with that of the chain

That being said, spoilers for genshin and all loz gams ahead!

Sky- Geo (Order/Contracts)

Odd since sky literally rode on the winds via his loftwing on his adventure, but He was already apart of this huge plan in the making set by Hylia long ago. Go defeat Demise, tailor the Master Sword, not to mention post adventure technically becoming the first king of hyrule and siring the royal line

I’d imagine his kit being Similar to albedo, with a sword and his skill being creating little floating island structures from out of the ground. His burst would be the same as his skyward slash, except after slashing it unleashes a densely controlled earthquake. The perfect support dps

Legend- Anemo (Freedom)

This was tough, but I think Anemo fits very well for him the more i think about it. Anemo is wind, and the archon himself lost someone he cherishes. Naturally everybody who possesses his vision will fall to this fate one day or another. He already has twice. First with his Uncle, second with Marin. He’s free from their ties, but never forgets.

His kit is unique. His skill is based off his wit, so dodging creates a shield that bursts when hit (similar to Beidou). His burst grants this ability for the whole team on a 3 charge basis. Very good support dps aswell and good for reactions.

Hyrule- Dendro (Wisdom)

I def see him having this since he’s very street smart (He’s a wandering traveler, no time for proper education!) and he’s already designated healer of the group. Thus he possesses a very rare element in the group, as if he didnt stand out already. 

He fights with a sword still, sure, but his genuine kit comes from him using his vision like a catalyst, with the thing swirling like a book would. Literally dendro barbara with his kit tho, Elemental skill creates a pollen feild that helps heal allies when he attacks, and his burst Is flora manifesting itself in his friends wounds to heal them for more. Healer #1

Twilight- Hydro (Justice)

From the moment of his adventure, he had a duty, it just got more furry and world saving as time went on. So, naturally his sense of right and wrong landed him with a vision he didn't even understand how to use. So he just doesn’t use it until he has to.

If he has to not use his sword, he’ll rely on making one out of water that he can hold. His burst is literally just him using his hydro sword to do everything in his power to just. kick ass. He doesn't use it that often. Would make a great physical dps tho.

Wild- Electro (Transcience/Eternity)

Tough again, but i think electro is the best for Wild for 2 reasons

His past self is different from his self now, yet they are the same. With the electro archon, she too was like this in a way. 2 different people, same alias.  Link from before represents eternity, forever fulfilling his duty as personal guard for Zelda and keeping himself quiet. His focus needed to stay forever sharp if he were to continue. Now, with little to no recollection of how he was, he can be free and live in the everlasting moment. His willing silence was just him not wanting to talk, not for his duty.

Because of Urbosa, his elemental skill sends a lightning strike down at enemies when he snaps his fingers, then attacks with his sword.  For burst, Like in HWAOC, His sword glows with purple electricity and smites whose ever in range. Combine this with all his usual shenanigans you can do in his game and it can be very deadly. very. deadly.  Good main dps

Wind- Anemo (Freedom)

This was so easy it was practically a win/win if i chose this HDHDH

Wind lost the King of Red Lions, someone he needed to travel with and bonded, and has the literal windwaker. So even outside this world he could manipulate wind to a certain extent. Likes to use it in non-battle situations, to atleast get a taste of what its like to soar like he did on the sea. Naturally hes very excited about windgliders also when he finds this out. 

Uses a sword still, but uses his actual windwaker as a catalyst. He points the baton in a certain direction, and it swirls in that spot. If he focuses long enough, he can send himself up into the air for some wild damage like venti. His burst is like the travelers, sending a small dense tornado in the direction of whatever's coming. Good for swirl effects

Time- Electro (Transience/Eternity)

Once again, easy pick, ESPECIALLY if im going with my “Fierce Deity literally lives in his head and has the option to front in time of need” Headcanon. 2 totally different people, same alias kinda. (FD kinda lives in his body now too so he has to share the name.)

Time’s elemental power is much more toned down, and really has to focus to get a good electro hit with his claymore. His burst Is like Razor’s, Manifesting FD into this electro form and fighting along side him.

If FD was in front, the power would be much more potent, perhaps on the level Baal’ has it. It’s not like his old powers, which he rather prefers, but its better than nothing. His elemental allows him to create electricity that procs on hard hits much like Baal, but his Burst sends down lightning from above like Sara. Also a good main dps

Warriors - Pyro (War)

Wars? Wars has passion. Wars has what it takes to lead an army...and set his cape on fire by accident. Especally now with his new vision which he uses...admittedly abit too much. No fire for tonight? No problem. Smithy cant bend his sword right during smithy? A little sizzle wouldn’t hurt.

It mainly comes from his sword, which drips flames like water does on a pole.  He uses his elemental skill to strike a seering blow to enemies. His burst Is much like a mix of albedo and bennetts, A slash downward sends shockwaves fo heat and flame towards enemies. Good support!

Four- Adaptive

Four, unbeknownst to the chain, has a choice between the 4. Why you might ask? Depends on whose fronting. So, to cover this up from the chain, He collectively goes with the notion that he’s “adaptive” as said by the locals, which is extremely rare.

Green- Pyro, for his dedication

Blue- Geo, for him being forced into this shit

Red- Dendro, for his sweet nature

Violet- Cryo, for his introverted mopeyness.

All of these channel into his sword for a hard hit, and all elements come together to create this powerful amalgamation of elements plummeting towards the target.

[kassical]

My dude!! I’ve acquired a laptop!! Do you have any idea how to begin making mods or transferring them to a wii/wii u (my plans involve doing a skyward sword run which I call “maximum casualties” but I want to throw in some mods to make it more interesting and also doingbreath of the wild mods; I have the screenshot from the last question I asked and I’ve looked up Cemu by now but I’d like to get more into this if possible and I hardly know how to use this new laptop cuz it’s my first one like ever kdjdjsn lmao

I thought i ought to include the screenshot also for reference just in case also I’m sorry if this is weird or something I’m not sure cuz I’ve had a bit of A Day(tm) and I hope this at least makes sense lmao

holy shit, congrats on getting a laptop! don’t be afraid to explore it and have a bit of fun. if you haven’t got them already i reccomend getting speccy and ccleaner (partly bc the former will be handy later on w/ cemu). im gonna put the rest of this under the cut bc it is going to get preetttttty long, so brace yourself :^)

Wii hacking:

Okay, first thing is that I have never actually hacked a Wii so I am woefully lacking in knowledge on that, but there are some really good guides such as Wii Guide and this really good thread on GBAtemp.

in terms of mods for Skyward Sword there is a handful but it’s mostly recolours - however if you’re willing to get into another emulator, Dolphin, you can use a wiimote and there are HD texture mods which are pretty sweet

WiiU hacking:

the WiiU hacks guide has been invaluable and is a collab between a bunch of homebrew helpers and staff, and helps you through choosing a custom firmware depending on how you want to approach it.

Along with this, the “Definitive vWii Hacking Guide” has everything laid out, step by step, and is written as though the reader is completely new to it so is imo the easiest to really get stuck in with

Word of warning - hacking your console does run the risk of bricking it.

Cemu + emulating BoTW:

This is the bit i’m most familiar with :^) this is piracy though so i understand if it’s not for you

we want to start with getting the game - this can be done via dumping with hacking your WiiU as above (the legal-ish way), by finding a torrent/download (outdated, not as safe, not legal), or by using the WiiU USB helper (also not legal, less time consuming, safer than torrents)

so i’ll walk you through door number 3 in that case - the WiiU USB Helper. The guide linked there gives you the download for the installer, and also a video as a visual guide. 

This can also be used to transfer games to the WiiU but for now we’re focusing on emulation, which this comes packed with already.

Set an extraction and a download folder using the buttons on the bottom (I just have them both in a folder called WiiU games for ease)

Find the game you want to download and press “add” - with BoTW it will prompt you to download the updates and the dlc as well - and start downloading!

when it’s finished it will be under the header of “Downloaded” - highlight it and it’ll show the details off to the side, where you will find the option to play the game on pc

by hitting that it’ll start the extraction, which automatically makes the game playable on Cemu - the helper does that for you, and may just ask which version you want

after the extraction Cemu should automatically open but if it does you can find the .exe in \”where u put the extraction folder”\DATA\EMULATORS\Cemu\BIN

If for some reason you downloaded an earlier version you can go into the settings and tick the box to look for updates when its booted up

Last thing for this section: to get the best performance I highly recommend BSoD Gaming’s Cemu setup guide! He knows just about all there is to know in regards to this stuff and I use his guides myself even now. This is where the Speccy from the top of this behemoth will come in handy, since you will need to see how many cpu cores you have when he goes through his step-by-step guide. You do this by booting up Speccy and going to CPU on the list to the left, where it will tell you how many cores and threads you have.

Modding, Console and Cemu:

Console:

Thankfully Gamebanana has a decent amount of help in regards to this. It is more complicated to mod the game on console but this guide for installation instructions goes through each way to do it, with example packs too.

There is also the Zeldamods wiki but that can be a bit dense imo

Cemu:

For Cemu, first we need to get the BCML mod loader from the gamebanana page. The latest version, 3.0.0 is mostly stable now and is pretty versatile, just a bit slow.

All you need first is the latest Visual C++ redis which can be found here, as the installer at the bottom of the page has it all packaged in

the setup guide is fairly straightforward, but when you get to the bit where it asks for directories, it can seem confusing, but hover over the entries and it’ll have a brief explanation

when it comes to the update entry it will depend on whether you have an EU or US version, so if it isn’t in the suggested “101c9400", it may be in “101c9500″ (I run EU version)

when they are all ticked green go forward and you will have your empty list in BCML so time to get some mods!

Modding time!:

Back to Gamebanana, it’s where the majority of worthwhile mods are held and there is also a discord and tool if you wish to start creating them yourself, but I suggest playing around first :^)

Find a mod you like, eg the Zelda’s Ballad mod, and read through the page as there are sometimes certain requirements needed, until you get to the downloads

If there is a BCML 1-click install option, go for that. If not, manual download and you can add it to the mod loader using the little plus sign in the bottom right and browsing for the file

On the little pop up on the mod loader, hit install and it’ll start it’s magic by installing and enabling the mod(s)

Now - sometimes mods don’t play too nicely with each other, such as using multiple skins for the same item or character, and some of the overworld building mods can be buggy. Sometimes these can be fine just by restarting Cemu, sometimes you need to go through your modlist and root out the cause.

Another note is that if you look at your graphic packs when you boot up Cemu, under Mods you’ll see a box with BCML. Leave that checked for the most part, and if you want to disable mods I recommend going through the mod loader.

But wait, there’s more:

If you want to go even deeper, there is also Cheat Engine and there has been a cheat table released for BoTW on Cemu which runs alongside the game. This is how I’ve been able to do item replacements, but you can basically make Link go godmode with infinite hearts etc

The cheat table can be found here, and the video on how to add custom values can be found here - but I recommend getting to grips with the other stuff before this as it has more potential to mess up saves.

Phew, good god that’s a long one but if you’ve made it here then I sincerely hope you have a lot of fun. There’s Skyward Sword dungeon mods for Botw and you can get SS Link’s clothes by using the amiibo codes I’ve uploaded here, so go wild! Let me know if you have any issues - a lot can seem complicated but when it works it works really well! 

have a stronk boy for your hard work

[amostheartman]

Be honest with me. (us? The TP/BotW community? idk.) What do you think of the BotW2 trailer, and do you think there's even a sliver of potential for the Twili to return? I've been dying to know your answer, Amos. By the way, thanks again for the Midlink art piece. Doing a smart here by being off anon for this ask lol.

My My, Quite the question 

*TP Link

First off I’m pretty sure Twilight Princess Link is done as far as canon in-game appearances go. Wolf Link was a pretty dope add-in for Breath of the wild and could be added in for BOW2, but that’s really all were gonna get I’m afraid. :/

well sorta at least.

I mean we got TONES of Amibo and in-game TP stuff like the Twilight tunic, TP Epona (the only Epona in this game mind you), TP Zelda’s Light bow, TP Ganondorf’s Sword, Midna and Zant’s helmet, mention of Prince Rails on the path to Zoras Domain, the somewhat homage to the Bridge of Eldon and of course the famous side quest “A Fragmented Monument” being an obvious nod to the Mirror of twilight.

but even with all this TP stuff It’s no indication that Nintendo has any plans to bring TP Link into the mix.

...

That said... Between you and me, Nintendo just won’t let go of Twilight princess Link.

TP Link got the hi-rez treatment a few years ago for promotional stuff, and as much as I love it and want posters of the full version there really isn’t a reason for Nintendo to be using him to promote things.

They could have use any other Link, but they picked him specifically.

 I mean, Skyward Sword Link was technically the latest in the usual green tunic design(although it was basically a simplified TP tunic), Ocarina of Time and Toon Link are the “fan favorites”, and Breath of the wild Link is the brand spanking new one that broke records.   

Yet, TP Link is still getting promoted.

Whats even more interesting is the the rest of the Nintendo Tokyo banner.

Breath of the Wild Link and Zelda are both there, but so is TP Link and Ganondorf!

 And get this, TP Link is the one in the smaller more common banner!

I love it, but I can’t explain it!

*This is from the 2019 Nintendo Tokyo game show btw*

So as much I have my doubts about TP Link showing up in BOTW2 or ever having a real return of any kind Nintendo sure isn’t making it easy for me to keep believing that.

 Almost like they're toying with me. :(

Is TP Link gonna show up in Breath of the wild 2? probably not. at most heel be a non-cannon amibo wolf companion like in the first one.

Is there gonna a new game with TP Link in it? doubt it.

Is there gonna be a port of the HD Version of Twilight princess to the switch? Could be... but highly unlikely.

Will they do a complete remake of Twilight Princess with these dope re-rendered models with a gameplay style like the Wii U tech Demo of the spider boss!!??? GOD I WISH BUT I KNOW IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!!!!!  ( ͡ಥ ͜ʖ ͡ಥ)

But logically it’s probably that TP Link is the best looking and most Marketable out of the Link bunch.  :/

Anyway, you were asking about Breath of the wild 2 right. lol

*BOTW2

the trailer is interesting... like really REALLY interesting.

Its looks waaaaay darker and shaping up to be the Zelda story we never knew we wanted.

I mean com’on whats not to love about dark Zelda stories!? Zelda is always at it’s best when its pushing the edge a bit.

I even did my own break down of it.

  I think I posted it here already but I can’t remember so here it is anyway.

This is pretty much what I gathered from the trailer.

Dark, mysterious, somewhat hopeless and tragic, our heros are in over their heads, everything is on the line, I love it!

Sadly, I really don’t wanna think about it too much because I got my hopes up last time and Nintendo has a bad habit of playing it safe when they should go all out. :/

Straight Up though we’re gonna be seeing Zelda in a much more involved role so that much seems apparent. to what degree? I have no idea.

She might be playable as a character you switch off to for puzzle solving or Goddess powers since shes using the sheikah slate.

All I ask it that she not be an exclusive cutseen character. I wanna see my girl doing things in game.

that said, I know people want Zelda to be the the main playable character but she really isn’t suited to fill Links role as the adventurous warrior type. 

She’s really more of a sage type character on top of being a book worm and not really fit for direct combat.

Ironically enough playing as Zelda would change things so much it wouldn’t be a Zelda game. lol

Or heck, she just might be the playable character its hard to tell honestly.

but what about Link?

Link on the other hand (no pun intend) is still gonna be the player character I think.

I imagine the thing going on with his arm is going to replace the sheikah slate’s function with some added combat stuff.

Kinda like Nero’s arm from DMC or the Shinobi prosthetic from Sekiro.

It would be pretty cool to see Links combat and exploration open up because of a nifty arm. :)

or it could be killing him and we gotta find a way to cure him so he can defeat Ganondorf. (that would be rad!!!)

All-n-all that just depends on what the arm is doing and waht the game wants to be like.

I hope and pray for a combat system like in Twilight Princess and a return to the Temple / Dungeons puzzle and bosses system from the other 3D Zelda’s with a breath of the wild spin.

Golly, just picture exploring a Dungeon with Zelda doing logic puzzles and switching off to Link to handle the combat segments doing a back and forth between the 2 leading up to a boss fight they have to work together to defeat. 

THAT WOULD BE SO RAD!!!!!

Man this is getting long.

 I’ll just say that I have high hopes for BOW2, but going in with zero expositions is always the the way to go.

I trust Nintendo took the feed back from the first game and is adjusting t something that will hopefully satisfy the fans.

I apologize if this was all over the place, I had to do work in between.

I had others ask me slimier questions if you’re that curios and want a fresher take on my thought for BOTW2.

* thoughts about that BotW sequel trailer

* how much Hyrule has changed 

thanks for the question, hope I answered it properly! lol

-Amos :)

[avoutput]

Gaps Between Worlds || Live, Love, Link

Nothing keeps a story going like a love interest. In almost every adventure story, at some point, the hero flirts with love, falls into it, is blinded by it, or is even betrayed by it. Love is the strongest emotional connection we share as humans, a double edged sword that can drive us, but also hinder us. Even when a story lacks a love interest, the listeners might begin to imagine one just to keep themselves interested. One adventure series has lacked cannon love for such a long time, it's hard to imagine how it’s been kept alive in our collective consciousness for as long as it has. The Legend of Zelda has jump-cut to Link saving Zelda so many times, but remains nebulous on what kind of relationship blossoms from their journey. As a longtime fan, I have been starving for more from the world of Hyrule, and I think fans across the world agree with me. The official Nintendo Hyrule Timeline wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for pressure from the fans. Before that release, it had been locked inside the mind of Miyamoto, creator of the series. But it didn’t really whet my appetite, because what I wanted is to know of Link and Zelda. Today, we are going to explore the facets of Link and Zelda’s many re-incarnated relationships, which could have turned into love, and where they must have gone after Gannon was sealed and their adventure came to an end.

Before we go any further, the usual caveats to my writing, just so you can get where my head is at. First, I am not going to be super concerned with minute details of the timeline in its purest sense. It has a tenuous linear connection from one game to the next, but it still can provide a little fun for us to speculate on. Second, I have completed every mainline adventure with two exceptions. I have made it to the end of Link’s Adventure and Twilight Princess, but I just never walked up those steps to beat Gannon. I can’t really put my finger on why, but usually I just lost interest by the time I made it to the end of the game. Everything else, including the GB, GBA, and DS releases, I have completed.

In the beginning, one of the most bizarre parts of the overall Zelda lore is how little we actually discuss Link’s obligation to do anything for Zelda. As the games mature, they motivate Link in more realistic ways, but I felt that they mostly lacked a real punch. Lets imagine you DID NOT read the manual for the NES titles, the original LoZ, it just starts by breaking the 4th wall. I always thought it was funny that it just drops you into the mountains with absolutely no direction, as if to say, “You bought the game, dummy, do something! Press a button… ooo… check out that cave!” However, what actually happens is Link saves Zelda’s handmaid, Impa, from an attack by some of Gannon’s henchmen. She then begs him to find the 8 fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, which Zelda has hidden in 8 dungeons, and he just resolves to do it. In the next game though, she’s just struck with Sleepy Disney Princess disease. Classic. But have you ever noticed that true love’s kiss wasn’t an option here? That’s because Link is not her true love in this incarnation, so he has to kill the curse maker. LoZ and Link’s Adventure are directly related, so we know that in between the two games, they never became lovers. And I don’t know if you need any more proof about these games, but if you ever watched the 80’s Zelda cartoon… you’d know she’s better off.

Climbing up this timeline, we end up at the incredible Link To The Past, a story that’s titular description kind of defies its storyline unless you are really paying attention. Either way, the game has Link, a descendant of Hyrule Knights, being woken up by a psychic message from Zelda. As usual, Link has no real discernible parentage, but he does start off with an uncle. As I grew up, I often wondered if this was his real uncle or the Asian kind of uncle, just an older man with the same familial distance as an actual uncle, just not actually related. (It goes without saying that the west has this kind of uncle as well, but rarely does it rear its head as ubiquitously as in the east) Who knows what happened to his parents, the game never really goes into it. Either way, he runs into his possibly real uncle after following Zelda’s request, only, he is mortally wounded, and with his final breath, he begs Link to take up his blade and his responsibility. Again, he is motivated simply by some sense of obligation, but there is never a moment's glance of flirtation or love. By the end of the game, he revives his Uncle, the Priest, and the King, only to get on a boat and end up ship wrecked on Koholint island, where he dreams up a girl who is much more likely to become someone he could have a life with rather than Zelda.

Let’s take a quick moment to recognize Link has about 5 or 6 games that have nothing to do with his relationship to Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Oracle of Seasons/Ages, Majora’s Mask, and Minish Cap to name a few. In these games, it rarely meditates on his relationship to his previous adventure or the girl he left behind. Link is a very forward thinking… little boy? Adolescent? Teenager? It depends on the game. The more I think about this, maybe the more obvious it really is supposed to be. Zelda, Link, and Gannon are reborn into conflict over and over again. It’s possible that the stories that we play through are the only time they are born into a point of conflict. Basically, Link and Zelda might be born into a world without each other. Maybe the world only falls into chaos when all 3 of them are born. Maybe only when a certain amount of power accumulates on the dark side. The story just makes room for whatever it finds appropriate.

Climbing up the timeline, we get to the only game that implied young romance, Ocarina Of Time. Granted, it kind of dashes this with Majora’s Mask, but it's possible he could return to Hyrule for love. He is only 10. Still, in OoT, Link is the only character that keeps his memory of both the young timeline and the teen timeline. When you think about it, Link is pretty mature for a 10 year old, but waking up in the body of a 17 year old would throw you a bit. People in the future might have found him odd… if they weren’t scattered to the winds and mostly worried about famine, death, and Gannon. In both his young and teen timeline, the Zora princess is very interested in him, and yet, the game still ends with a longing look between Zelda and Link, Link remembering everything, Zelda new to the whole thing. Now, I am willing to admit that as a kid, I probably misread this as a longing look, as an adult, it's really just the culmination of Link’s struggle to finally right all the wrongs, but I was a young shipper, and I wanted everyone to fall in love. (You are reading the thoughts of a boy who was super upset that Ash wasn’t awakened by a kiss from Misty (or Pikachu), and instead the tears of all the Pokemon. I almost walked out of the theater. I was a fresh-faced 13.) Given everything we know about both games, and that we know the timeline splits here, it would stand to reason that since in either case, triumphant or not, Link doesn’t end up making baby Link and Linkles with Zelda. In the Triumphant Timeline Child Era, none of the games end with Link in love, including Twilight Princess. In the Adult Era, the Wind Waker series of games always finds Link closely aligned with Zelda, but the whole cell-shaded, PG universe basically ensures that all the people of Hyrule are grown out of the ground, like palm trees on the beach. In the end, Link always makes for the nearest boat or horse and follows the sun, trying to escape the PTSD that haunts him.

Finally, at the very beginning of the timeline is the largely maligned Skyward Sword. As of this writing, SS is the supposed beginning to the entire legend. It is also one of the few games where there does seem to be an infatuation between Zelda and Link. Throughout the game, they share what looks to be a mild flirtation. When I thought about this budding romance, I began to think it only appears that way because of some cultural filters. First, Nintendo likes to make games for kids, so they aim to get an E rating by the ESRB. So if we ratchet that up to M, the standard for modern day games if you want people to take them seriously, we can adjust the love meter on scale with E = Sesame Street and M = Breaking Bad. They might as well be engaging in some hard sexting, maybe a couple of low-cut Link bathroom mirror selfies. Don’t worry, he has his famous hat over the goods. Why do you think its shaped like that? Secondly, mild flirting in Japan is the equivalent of hardcore furry S&M in America. In actuality, what you are really seeing is the courtship of Link in a Wolf costume and Zelda dressed as a Fire Keese batting eyes at each other. Truly, in this world, Link and Zelda are destined for each other. They are the only freaks in the sky! With this assumption, I can conclude that the legend only continues because once, at the very beginning of their timeline, the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom banged it out. This could mean there is a whole series of games we have never played where the timeline is split at the top. One in which they have children and one where they don’t. Personally, I look forward to their kids journey in The Legend of Steve, the new holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. Let a girl save the boy for once!

There is always hope for our legendary heroes. You may not want them to be joined in glorious, child-making coitus, but I always have. I have always found it odd that it doesn’t end like most JRPG’s with a very obvious death of the “mains” so that love can’t blossom, or with a lavish royal wedding. The worst part is that often, Link has many love interests, but none of them are Zelda. There is some hope for them in the new Breath of the Wild timeline, which is supposedly the furthest in the future of the “official” timeline, so much so that there is no connective tissue left, so it might as well be a “new beginning”. I would actually hate for them to finally, really, fall in love in the BotW universe, mostly because it's my least favorite Zelda game of all time, squeaking past Skyward Sword and Wind Waker.  All 3 of which I dislike for a combination of gameplay-style and story, though honestly, the best part of BotW is the story. It's just a game I never want to play again. Rambling aside, I look forward to the fate of love between Zelda and Link in their next chapter. Maybe we’ll finally play as their love child some day. 

[thechekhov]

I guess since I wanted to do WIP wednesday I’ll still do it. 

Recently my writing has been pissing me off because nothing I do seems to be going well - and we all knows how THAT is. But there’s still some snippets I’ve been editing less than others so we’ll throw that out there:

--

yes, it’s good omens again, who do you think I am?

--

“No!” says the angel, indignant. “That wouldn’t be funny at all!”

Crawley rips his gaze away like a bandaid. His eyebrows dance elaborately on his face to make up for what his tongue would rather do, the words it would form. He doesn’t let it. Best not push his luck. An angel, even an unarmed one, can still be dangerous. 

Above them, the sky does something reminiscent of an animal’s growl. It sounds like a threat to Crawley. Aziraphale considers it a polite word of warning. It’s a glass half full, glass half empty sort of deal, but glasses haven’t been invented yet, so an argument about it is hard to get off the ground. Coincidentally, the concept of benign quibbling is also in its fetal stages, but that’s about to be remedied by two very forward-thinking entities. 

“I think there’s a bit of rain coming on,” says the angel. His voice has returned to its more amicable tones, and Crawley finds himself surprisingly pleased. He doesn’t really think about the implications of being pleased about an angel’s tone of voice. It seems rather useless an emotion to have about his enemy, but it can be written off easily enough into a footnote about self-preservation. He is halfway through penning this footnote (“When in a good mood, Angel seems to forget that he is  meant to stab me. Not being stabbed works in favor of my evil-doing, would repeat this experience again.”) when the said angel knocks the metaphorical quill from his hand rather rudely: “Do you suppose it’s going to be holy water?”

Crawley whips his head around, plastering his gaze back to the other’s face. “Wot?” he asks, and then, to make up for the heightened tone, amends with a lower rumble. “The rain?”

“Yes,” says Aziraphale and nods skyward. “It is going to be coming from the heavens, after all.”

For a moment Crawley follows his gaze, squinting disapprovingly for good measure. “Wh--no,” he protests with a doubtful twist of his lips. “Why would they do that? Would be a colossal waste, wouldn’t it?”

The angel doesn’t pause his observations. He’s homed in on a nearby grey cloud and is currently practicing something of a glare, which will later be utilized across the globe in a familiar, disapproving ‘you’d better not’ way.

“I mean,” continues Crawley, joining him in looking at the same spot. “There’s the water cycle set up and everything. Why not just pop the ON switch on that?” 

“I suppose,” allows Aziraphale. A frown is still lodged - somehow - between his eyebrows. “But we are rather far out in the desert, aren’t we?”

“The garden’s right there, it’s got lakes and waterfalls aplenty.” Crawley gestures vaguely behind them. 

Aziraphale gives a small shake of his head. “No, but you see, these clouds rolled in from the east.”

Crawley makes an assessment that requires a few more maneuvers of his head. His hair twirls dramatically each time he does so. He rather likes having hair, he finds. Many things he can do with it. He shakes the curls around a bit more than is physically necessary to the observation of the cardinal directions. “That ain’t east,” he says finally, once the quota of hair-flips has been fulfilled. “That’s north.”

“What?” asks Aziraphale, finally tearing his eyes away from the approaching cloud and looking at Crawley incredulously. “No it’s not. North is over there.” He points left, over Crawley’s shoulder. “I should know, I’m the Angel of the Eastern Gate. Not the Northern Gate, thank you very much.”

Crawley dedicates a few more hair-flips to scrutinous head-swiveling. “You sure? They didn’t mislabel your desk at the office or something?” The long-suffering (not yet, but it’ll be true soon enough) look the angel gives him ricochets off of his mind with a surprisingly pleasant spark. This is fun, he thinks, a child digging its fingers eagerly into the sandbox to discover more shiny rocks. “Alright. So you really think the water’s holy?”

He doesn’t believe it - not really - which is why he doesn’t move. Surely the angel would like to make him a little nervous with such a suggestion, given that he is now sword-less and in less of a stabby mood, but two can play at that game. Crawley has ideas about a fun thing he’s just thought up called Playing Pretend, which is an offshoot of Lying. He imagines it will be a lot of fun to do a bit of Pretend Screaming and Pretend Writhing and Pretend Melting in front of the angel when the rain starts. It’ll be even more fun to then pop back up again, right as ...well... rain, and laugh maniacally. That’ll teach him to make empty threats.

But before he can properly prepare himself for his first attempt at Improv Theatre, a shadow sweeps over him. It’s followed shortly by some sort of noise.

Pattering. Raindrops on feathers.

With more of a start than he would have liked, Crowley sweeps his eyes upward and finds himself shocked to be staring at white feathers just over his shoulder. For a moment he almost flinches back - not, as one might think, from fear of being knocked off of his feet, but instead from a sudden and very unwelcome deja vu. 

Then he realizes - they’re not his wings. They’re the angel’s. 

Then he realizes - the angel’s shielding him. From the rain. 

Then he realizes--

Nothing. He has no further observations. He only has an empty sort of blink to himself, and, in about two seconds, he’s shuffling closer to get more cover.

Above them, the rain intensifies. Whether it’s holy or not, Crawley doesn’t know. The angel, expressionless, is staring out into the desert where the two humans have gone, and his wing keeps hovering, protecting the demon he’s only just met from a potentially very early retirement. 

He keeps it there for the whole hour while they watch the storm rolling through, until the sky above them is somewhat clear again.

They don’t talk about it.

[wherever-the-chaos-is]

HanGuang-Jun's Heroism (part 2)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Continuing with his deeds in the past, Lan WangJi's heroism shines even more to the world when he saves many lives during Sunshot Campaign, as he went around turning tides in losing battlegrounds. He gives a big helping hand to the Wen remnants and helps Wen Ning gain sentience; he was also willing to stand against the cultivation world to defend the Wen siblings from injustice. In the Nightless Day, Lan WangJi prevents less body count by saving as many people as he can, either they're from his sect or not; and after it ends, he brings a mentally unstable Wei WuXian to safety. Lastly, Lan WangJi saves Wen Yuan, an innocent child who had just lost his family, and raised him as his own, providing him with love and a new family. 

Sunshot campaign

Two months ago, the Two Jades of Lan cooperated in a surprise attack with Jiang Cheng. They took back the swords that had been gathered from each sect’s disciples at Wen Chao’s ‘sector of indoctrination’, bringing them back to their owners. (Chapter 61)

After the situation of the Gusu area had settled down, Lan QiRen was able to defend it with great tenacity. Thus, Lan XiChen often travelled to aid others, saving lives from danger. In all of the Sunshot Campaign, he had countless times recovered lost territory and assisted narrow escapes. This was why people were ecstatic whenever they heard his name, as though they gained a ray of hope, a powerful trump card.

(...) “Well, good thing that ZeWu-Jun and HanGuang-Jun are helping everyone. Or else, I don’t know how many sects and innocent commoners would fall into the hands of the Wen-dogs.”

Nie MingJue, “Your brother’s over there?”

Lan XiChen nodded, “He took the people over during the beginning of the month.”

Nie MingJue, “Your brother’s level of cultivation is quite high. He should be enough by himself. Then why are you still going?” (Chapter 48)

At the time, Wei WuXian went around digging graves all the time, while Lan WangJi always chose the most vexing of vocabulary, such as how it wasn’t a righteous path and harmed both the body and the mind. He even straight up hindered Wei WuXian at times. What was more, they battled the Wen-dogs once every few days, both directly and secretly. Both of them were quite easily angered at the time, so they often parted on bad terms. (Chapter 48)

Saving the Wen remnants from the fierce corpses of the blood pool

Wei WuXian, “Didn’t I say not to touch the talismans on him [Wen Ning]?!”

Wen Qing didn’t even have the spare seconds to be surprised that Lan WangJi was here. She answered, “Nobody touched them! Not a single person went into the Cave! He tore them off on his own when he suddenly went on a rampage. Not only the ones on himself, he destroyed the restriction seals at the blood pool and the Cave as well! All of the fierce corpses in the blood pool got out. Wei WuXian, go save Granny and the others. They won’t be able to hold up much longer!!!”

(...)

Wei WuXian pulled out Chenqing, “Lan…!”

He wanted to entrust Lan WangJi with saving the others as he stayed to deal with Wen Ning. When he turned around, he had already disappeared. Just as he was beginning to panic, sounds of the zither vibrated through the sky, sending off a murder of startled crows. Before he could even ask, Lan WangJi had already gone over. Wei WuXian felt his heart settle.

(...)

On the other side, the zither sounded three times before it went silent, meaning that Lan WangJi was able to control the fierce corpses with just three notes. (Chapter 75)

Suppressing Wen Ning

The twelve yellow talismans formed a line in midair and began to burn. When they landed on Wen Ning, like a chain of fire, they held him down at once. With a flick of his wrist, Lan WangJi strummed the strings of his zither. Wen Ning’s footsteps seemed to have been hindered by an invisible thread. He paused, but continued to struggle forward despite the difficulty. Wei WuXian put Chenqing to his lips. Due to the blow he received, some blood sprayed out from his lips. He frowned, but he endured the pain and the blood churning within his chest, playing without a single tremble.

Under the two’s collaboration, Wen Ning kneeled on the ground and let out a roar skyward. The leaves within the forest swayed back and forth. Wei WuXian finally couldn’t hold it any longer and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The notes of Wangji suddenly increased in their force. Wen Ning bellowed, arms wrapped around his head, curled up on the ground. 

(...)

“… Young… Master…”

Wei WuXian suddenly froze, “Wait a second?”

He shouted, “Lan Zhan, could you stop first?!”

The voice came from Wen Ning.

Lan WangJi pressed his fingers onto the strings, stopping the vibrations.

(Chapter 75)

Speaking up for the Wen siblings

“The Ghost General really is fierce… Said he was there to give himself in, but then he suddenly flipped out. He slaughtered again, this time in Koi Tower.”

(...)

“How unfortunate for the LanlingJin Sect.”

“Things were even worse for the GusuLan Sect! Over half of the thirty-or-so people were from their sect. They were clearly only there to help calm things down.” (Chapter 77)

Wen Ning, “Thank you for speaking up for me and my sister back then, on Koi Tower. I’ve always remembered it. For how I lost control afterwards, I… really am sorry.”

Lan WangJi didn't answer. (Chapter 89)

Nightless Day

Suddenly, the limpid notes of a zither interrupted Chenqing.

Wei WuXian put down Chenqing and turned around to see a person sitting on another of the ridges, guqin laid across his lap. His snow-white robes seemed to burn the eye amid the dark of the night.

Wei WuXian spoke in a cold voice, “Lan Zhan.” After he greeted him, he again placed his flute to his lips, “You should’ve known since long ago—Sound of Lucidity is useless to me!”

Lan WangJi flipped the guqin onto his back. Instead, he pulled out Bichen and attacked straight at Chenqing, as if he wanted to sever the flute playing such wrongful notes.

Wei WuXian spun around to dodge the attack and laughed, “Fine, fine. I knew since the start that we’d have to fight a real fight like this one sooner or later. You’ve always found me disagreeable no matter what. Come on!”

Hearing this, Lan WangJi’s movements paused, “Wei Ying!”

Although he shouted the words, any sane person would be able to tell that Lan WangJi’s voice was clearly shaking.

(...)

Everyone was busy with dealing with the corpses around them. Nobody had the spare time to see if another’s life was in danger. The sword in the corpse’s hand swung down and slashed open Jiang YanLi’s back!

Jiang YanLi fell to the ground.

Standing behind her back, the corpse raised its sword again. Suddenly, a sword glare sliced off half of its body!

Lan WangJi landed amid the plaza, catching Bichen which he summoned back.

(...)

Seizing his collar, he dragged Wei WuXian in front of him, his voice hard, “Wei Ying! Stop the corpses!”

At the moment, Wei WuXian couldn’t care about anything else. Reflected in his eyes wasn’t Lan WangJi’s face, much less the veins of blood within Lan WangJi’s eyes or the redness that surrounded his eyes. He only wanted to see if Jiang YanLi was fine. With red eyes, he pushed him away and rushed to the ground. With the push, Lan WangJi staggered a bit, and gazed at him after he steadied himself. Before he could do anything else, he suddenly heard another scream of help in the distance. He suppressed whatever was in his eyes and went to provide assistance.

(...)

Lan WangJi paused slightly, looking over from afar. Immediately after, he continued to attack, helping those who were still in the fight, whether they be from his own sect or not. (Chapter 78)

Saving Wei WuXian after the Nightless Day

Lan XiChen, “What WangJi did—if you do not remember, I am afraid he would never tell you in this life, and you would never ask either. Fine, then. Let me be the one to say it.” He continued, “Young Master Wei, that night, you took the two halves of the Stygian Tiger Seal and pieced them together. After you were satisfied with the killing, you were a spent arrow as well. WangJi was injured on your rampage. He was in no better shape than you, barely supporting himself by leaning on Bichen. In spite of this, as he saw you stumble away, he immediately followed.

“Right then, not many people were still conscious. I, too, was almost unable to move, and I could only watch as WangJi, whose spiritual powers were clearly about to be drained, staggered towards you. He brought you onto Bichen as soon as he grabbed you, and you two left.

“Four hours later, my spiritual powers, having finally been restored, I hurried back to the GusuLan Sect in search for assistance. I was worried that if those from another sect found you first, WangJi would be considered your accomplice. The best scenario was his name being forever tainted, and the worst his life being taken away right then. Thus, along with Uncle, we chose thirty-three seniors who had always thought highly of WangJi and searched for two days on our swords in secrecy. Only then did we find signs of you two within the Yiling region. WangJi hid you in a cave. When we arrived, you sat blankly on a rock within the cave. Holding your hand, WangJi was giving you spiritual energy. He kept on whispering to you. But throughout the whole time, you repeated the same two words at him.

“‘Get lost’!”

Wei WuXian’s throat was dry. His eyes were red as well. He couldn’t say a single thing. Lan XiChen continued, “My uncle suddenly appeared before him and scolded him, asking for him to explain things. As if he knew all along he would be discovered by us, he said that there was nothing to explain, that this was it. Growing up, he had never talked back to Uncle and me even once. But for you, not only did WangJi talk back to him, he even met with his sword the cultivators from the GusuLan Sect. He heavily injured all thirty-three of the seniors we asked to come…”

Wei WuXian dug his hands into his hair, “… I-I didn’t know… I really…”

Apart from repeating how he didn’t know, he wasn’t able to say anything else. Lan XiChen restrained himself for a moment, yet still continued, “Thirty-three whip scars! He was punished in one go, once for each person. You should know how much it hurts when it lands on your body, for how long you have to rest to recover! After he went out of his way to send you back to Burial Mound and returned in such low spirits to receive his punishment, how long he kneeled before the Wall of Rules! I told him when I went to see him, Young Master Wei had already made a grave mistake, there was no use augmenting it. But he said… that he could not say with certainty whether what you did was right or wrong, but no matter what, he was willing to be responsible for all of the consequences alongside you." (Chapter 99)

Saving Wen Yuan

Wen Ning continued, “Thank you even more for looking after A-Yuan all these years.”

Hearing this, Lan WangJi looked up slightly. Wen Ning, “I thought every single person from our sect was dead. I really didn’t expect that A-Yuan would still be alive. He looks so much like my cousin when he was around twenty.”

Lan WangJi, “He hid inside the tree trunk for too long and caught a severe fever.” (Chapter 89)

Wei WuXian hadn’t yet wrapped his mind around what was going on, still confused, “A-Yuan… Didn’t he die? He was left alone on Burial Mound back then…"

Before he finished, Lan XiChen’s words echoed beside his ears, ‘They say those years were him reflecting on his mistakes, but in reality he was entirely bedridden. Even so, when he knew of your passing away, he still dragged such a body to Burial Mound to take one last look, no matter what…’

He spun to look at Lan WangJi, “Lan Zhan, was it you?!” (Chapter 111)

Part 3

[sinsbymanka]

Update: Girl with the Arrow Tattoo Chapter 35!

Maria Cadash finds both a home and a title. She’s not a fan of the latter. Varric deals with his actions and their consequences.

Full story at AO3!

Maria stared, breathless, across the stone bridge her hand conjured out of nowhere. The fortress bled into existence, made of nothing but snow and clouds. Glittering magic pulled walls from both mountain and thin air. The stone rearranged itself with a laughing song nobody else but her seemed able to hear. 

Well, Nanna always said the stone sang to the dwarves if they listened. Maria never believed her, but now… 

As she watched, the great gate at the other side of the bridge rose, iron chains clanking and echoing as it lifted slowly. It seemed like a warm, gentle invitation to come inside. To stay. To  rest. She could almost feel curled fingers reaching out to her. 

“Great.” Varric muttered under his breath. “Haunted castle in the middle of nowhere. We’re going in there, aren’t we? Fantastic.” 

“Where’s your sense of adventure, Varric?” She asked, daring a smile at him. It felt like the first time she’d smiled in days. A weight lifted from her chest, leaving her lightheaded and almost giddy. She took one trembling, hopeful step onto the bridge, swirling her still bare fingers over the stone walls. She had to be imagining it, but it seemed to greet her with the same joyful anticipation she felt, vibrating under her fingers like a cat who  finally  found someone to feed it. 

“In Kirkwall. With my common sense and good winter coat.” Varric surely meant to sound more grumpy, but he barely contained his own smile in return. It warmed her from the inside out like a cup of coffee. Made her think of his arms holding her, his voice conjuring stories out of thin air. 

She tucked that smile away inside her and tried to ignore the greedy clamoring inside her for more.

“There is magic here.” Cassandra’s lanky form melded to Maria’s side, staring up at the glimmering towers in the sun. “More magic than I have ever felt in one place. A building such as this…” 

“It reminds me of the Vyrantium Enchanter’s University.” Dorian, at least, seemed just as eager as she was to explore. “The place had seen so much magic, sometimes it did rather odd things. I knew a Magister who swore up and down she once got lost in the cellar for six months because the hallways kept changing.” 

“Preposterous.” Vivienne sniffed from beside him. “We would never let our circles become so unruly here.” 

“She wants to meet you.” Cole’s slender, bare fingers traced the stone near Maria’s with a tentative, small smile. “She missed the sun. It’s been so long.” 

“She?” Maria questioned, flipping her eyes up to Cole’s. His were nearly hidden under his jagged blonde hair, but warmth danced within them and he smiled sweetly. 

“Skyhold.” He answered. “She was lost, like you.” 

The wind kicked up and stole bits of her hair from the bun she’d knotted it in. She swore she heard something like a giggle hidden within it, vanishing quickly across the bridge, shaking the leaves from the trees outside the walls. 

That left nothing to do but follow the invisible yearning she’d been using as a compass since Solas told her to strike out north. She let her fingers trace the stones, holding her breath as she strode forward. 

Hello, she thought silently.  Hello, I’m here. I’m listening. 

She felt silly for a moment and silently hoped the blush on her face could be taken for nothing but the cold. Then the wind kissed her cheeks again, a touch as simple and uncomplicated as Bea’s lips on her skin. 

She reminded herself, more sternly, it was her imagination run amok. It had to be. But the stone seemed to tremble under her fingers with the same joyful greeting. Maria thought she could almost hear it.

Hello. Welcome home. 

They stepped under the ancient gate and Maria’s eyes landed on the first tree rising just inside it, leaves still unfurling, ripples of magic lacing the air as flowers became fruit, reddened before her very eyes, growing full and heavy in the branches. 

Apples, just like the ones Nanna and Bea cut up to make into pies and dumplings. A quick, hard pang of hunger laced her, mouth watering. Protein bars were fine, she guessed, if the other option was starving, but these… 

They were her favorite. She had no idea how Vivienne could waltz right underneath them without even looking up. 

One of them fell with a gentle plop, rolling on the cobblestones directly to her feet like an offering. Maria crouched, cautiously picking it up and turning the bright red flesh in her hands. She could smell it, the bruised flesh releasing a sweet, tart smell. 

“Do not eat that.” Cassandra directed immediately. Maria frowned and waved the enticing fruit under the human’s nose as she straightened. 

“Seeker, it’s an apple. It smells  wonderful.” 

“There’s a fairy story that starts this way.” Dorian remarked idyly. “Enchanted fruit. Endless sleep. Who, pray tell, will play our prince charming if you poison yourself?” 

“Do I get to choose?” Maria asked, only half paying attention, examining the apple more closely. It certainly  looked fine. It looked like a normal apple she’d buy from the store. 

“She made it for you because you like them.” Cole insisted quietly. “It’s good.” 

“Oh, and who would you choose?” Dorian asked, the words loaded with hidden meaning. Maria very pointedly didn’t look away from the apple in her hands, the skin so shiny she could almost see herself reflected in it. 

“You, of course.” She answered with feigned nonchalance. Dorian huffed, pleased in spite of himself. It wasn’t the truth, though, and she feared the witch knew it. If Maria got to choose who’d be kissing her… well, the man who slept chastely beside her to warm her frozen, battered body  certainly  deserved a reward. Varric Tethras, for all his complaining, had been a solid rock since they’d started moving north. Never far from her side, always easily located in a crowd. They were two moons spinning around each other, caught in their own gravity. 

What was it he said? I’m sick of near misses? Maybe he’d gotten it right. Maybe she… maybe she’d been incorrect. If he wanted her, if he really wanted… 

“Well, I am the obvious… fasta vass!” As he spoke, Maria brought the fruit to her lips and bit into it thoughtfully. Flavor exploded on her tongue, enough to make her moan in sweet, satisfaction. It was by far the best damn apple she’d ever had, made all the sweeter by her diet of cardboard-like rations for the last three days. Juice dribbled down her chin and she hurried to wipe it away, meeting Dorian and Cassandra’s horrified expressions with a wicked, mischievous grin while she chewed and swallowed. She held the bitten fruit up to them. “Just an apple.” 

Cassandra rolled her eyes skyward with a blatant noise of disapproval. 

“If you die, it is completely your fault and I want you to know I will undoubtedly be here saying I told you so.” Dorian crossed his arms and glared down at her, but she could see his lips twitching under his mustache. “Survives time travel, a dragon, an avalanche, dies because she ate a blighted apple.” 

“Would you like one?” She asked sweetly, fluttering her lashes. 

“If you are not dead in thirty minutes, perhaps.” Dorian shook his head and strode off after Vivienne, peering around with a scholar’s delighted gaze. 

She laughed and brought the apple back to her lips, tearing off another chunk of the sweet, white flesh and closing her eyes. It tasted like summer, like innocence, warmth, and safety. It tasted like Nanna’s kitchen and  home. 

She opened them again and found that Cassandra too had moved past her into the massive courtyard. Instead of witch or Seeker at her elbow, she was looking into the darkened amber eyes of an author fixed on her lips like he was taking notes. 

She chewed the apple slowly and held the fruit out to Varric instead with an arched eyebrow. He cleared his throat and shook his head, pulled a smirk back to his face. “Sparkler’s right. If you’re still alive in an hour, I’ll give it a shot.” 

“Kind of you all to let me be the test case.” Maria chirped, content enough with the situation. If she died now, at least, it would be with  real food in her stomach. 

“Hey, you’re the one who couldn’t wait.” Varric pointed out, letting his eyes roam the walls around them. He didn’t leave her side, even as Cassandra, Dorian, and Vivienne vanished further into the great space, examining what looked to be some sort of stable house. 

Varric ripped his eyes from the walls and back to her, his smile broadening as he caught her examining him. “See something you like, Princess?” He teased smoothly. 

He wanted her body, that much was obvious, but if that was it… if that was all, why did he stay here beside her? Why didn’t he stay back with the others where he wouldn’t have to plunge through snow up to both their asses? 

He wants more, a younger, softer part of her supplied. He  cares  about you. 

No he doesn’t, a harsher voice scolded. He  pities  you. He’s just here for a story. 

“Trying to decide if I can outrun you when the haunted castle decides it doesn’t like us poking it.” Maria reasoned lightly. “I like my odds, frankly.” 

Solas chuckled from behind them, but it was Cole that broke in, concerned. “No! She’s happy we’re here.” 

Varric frowned. “You know, for a haunted castle in the middle of nowhere, this kind of reminds me of that first Swords and Shields book. The stable right there could be a dead ringer for the one I described in the city keep.”  

He was right. She blinked, taken aback, squinting at it more closely while she chewed another bite of apple. 

“If Miss Cadash read your book, perhaps the magic in this place is rearranging itself to show her what she wishes.” Solas placed his own palm on the apple tree, looking up into its branches sadly. “This is an old place. It has missed the footsteps of people, their laughter as they lived their lives.” 

“I’m sorry.” Maria nearly choked on the mouthful of apple she was chewing. “You’re saying  I  made this.” 

“No. She did. For you.” Cole stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“This place has a mind of its own, Miss Cadash. You are the one who awakened it, it is  you it wishes to please. Whether it is pulling Varric’s… literature as an inspiration to do so, however, I cannot say for sure.” Solas wrinkled his nose when he said the word literature. It was a testament, she thought, to how shocked both her and Varric were that neither of them objected. 

“How?” Maria asked incredulously.

“For Andraste’s sake,  why?” Varric asked instead, abjectly horrified. 

“The mark.” Solas said gently, pointing to the stone high up above them. Maria twirled to follow his pointing finger, eyes landing on the emblazoned sigil of the sun high above their heads, carved into the walls. It matched her hand exactly. “It recognizes your magic.” 

“Oh.” Cole breathed softly, looking up, smiling widely. “Yes. You need to see.” 

“See what?” Maria asked. She barely got the last word out before Cole wrenched her forward, eager as a puppy, grin broad. 

“It’s perfect.” Cole beamed. “A place to keep the darkness out. The nightmares can’t catch you here.” 

Maria sputtered in protest, but Cole didn’t listen. He dragged her up the nearest stone stairs, the apple falling uselessly from Maria’s hand while he tugged her into the body of the castle. She paused, momentarily awestruck, to take in the soaring ceilings, the sun etched within the stained glass. Cole let her gawk for only a second before pulling her further in. She caught sight of both Varric and Solas following them. 

“There’s an awful lot of stairs here.” Varric huffed as Cole threw open the next door, revealing a plain, shadowy staircase spiraling upwards. 

“Yes.” Cole nodded as they piled into the shadowy stairwell. “The stone touches the sky like she does. Like they both do.”

“The stone is quite fine with being on the ground, thank you very…” Varric barely got his foot onto the step behind them before the door slammed shut like an exclamation point. They all turned to stare at it, shocked and in Varric’s case, more than a little dismayed. 

“Great.” He said immediately. “We’re all gonna die here.” 

“I believe that is unlikely.” Solas didn’t quite laugh again, but his lips carried a hint of amusement. “Perhaps the castle does not take kindly to criticism.” 

“She didn’t make it for you.” Cole blurted, shaking his head at Varric pointedly. “It’s for Maria.” 

“What’s for Maria?” She asked, redirecting Cole to whatever it was he wanted to show her. 

Cole beamed in the dim light, hauling her back up the steps with renewed vigor. When they got to the top he dropped her arm and turned to see her face, beaming at her. “This.” 

This. 

Tears came unbidden to her eyes and Maria swallowed them, blinking hard. The room was beautiful, carved of rough hewn stone, covered with sparkling wide windows looking out onto the mountains, stained glass casting bits of jewel-like color all over the floor. A crackling fireplace warmed the whole area, a plush red rug looked soft enough to sleep on. 

An armchair, overstuffed and slightly weathered, sat just beside the fireplace. It was almost  identical  to the one from Hercinia, the one she picked out in the thrift shop and helped Fynn carry down the street, laughing the whole time, dizzy with happiness and  so full of hope for their future. A quilt was slung over the arm of it, just like the one from Nanna’s house before it grew too old and careworn for use, the one Bea used to wrap herself up in as a child. 

The comforter on the low, dwarven bed was the same color blue as the one in her childhood bedroom. A desk in the corner had a neat stack of books with familiar covers, the Hard in Hightown series. Varric scoffed and made his way over to them, picking one up and examining it critically.

Maria couldn’t focus on him though, because to her left, next to the stairwell banister, a piano sat proudly. It looked like a piano that could sit in most schools, neglected by all but enthusiastic music instructors. It was in much better shape than the one she’d bought used in Hercinia, though, all gleaming mahogany and elegant lines. The bench was tucked neatly underneath it, the cover closed, hiding the keys. Maria exhaled a shaky breath when she approached it, half convinced she was dreaming. 

There was an arrow. An arrow inscribed on the cover, a match for the one on her wrist. It had her initials on the top and Fynn’s…

One hand grabbed the necklace under her shirt, but the other swept trembling fingers over the carving. From beneath the cover, she swore she heard one trembling note, a key pressed with uncertainty, a question hovering in the air. 

Is this okay? Do you like it? 

“Why?” She gasped, turning to Solas, wiping her hand across her eyes to hide the tears. She couldn’t conceal her bewilderment. “Why is it like this? Why…” 

“Because you have brought it back to life.” Solas smiled weakly. “I suspect it is grateful. Perhaps a bit exuberantly so.” 

“She saw you.” Cole answered simply. “And she knows what you are. What you can be.” 

 xx

They couldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Or in this case, a gift castle. 

Skyhold threw it’s gates open like it had been waiting for Maria Cadash all her life and it seemed determined to furnish nearly everything they could possibly need. The castle sprouted an infirmary for the sick with rudimentary medical supplies. Food appeared hidden deep beneath the quaint, medieval kitchen, haunches of smoked bacon, frozen beef and chicken, flour, eggs, even barrels of cider. Enough to feed a small army, although cooking it in the great fireplace initially proved an adventure. Cots and beds lined formerly empty rooms, complete with blankets and small plush animals for even smaller hands. Fires lit themselves. Banners featuring Andraste’s flaming eye appeared with no warning. They found clean clothes in armoires and chests, soap in closets. Anything they needed or wanted just… appeared. Like magic.  

But, perhaps the most fascinating thing, was that Skyhold  learned.

The first night was so dark, even with flickering torches studding the walls, that Varric spent most of the second day helping to set up the portable generator they carried out of Haven. It was enough to power some flood lights in the courtyard and prevent them all from falling down the damnable steps to their doom at night. Particularly with all the kids they had running around. Although, mysteriously, there hadn’t been so much as a scraped knee with any of the children. 

Varric  never  thought Skyhold would look at their flimsy generator, scoff, and decide it could do better. He nearly pissed himself when he woke up the next morning to find the whole castle wired from top to bottom, lights in every room. Cullen damn near lost his mind when that happened. Varric spent most of the third day following Curly through the bowels of the castle as the man swore up and down he’d find the castle’s power source. 

Curly would be sorely disappointed. Whatever secrets Skyhold kept, it wasn’t sharing. But the more they settled, the more alive it seemed to be. Varric swore new rooms popped up daily. The more complicated, nuanced, and scarce medical supplies they’d brought seemed to replace themselves. Flowers sprung up in the courtyard and the weather, although it couldn’t be called warm, never grew bitterly cold inside the walls. The kitchen managed to spring some nearly modern appliances, although they still looked more at home in a dated restaurant than a place that had to serve two hundred people, and plumbing showed up immediately after Maria wished for it longingly.

But it was Maria Cadash that blossomed more than anything else.

She danced through Skyhold in a blur of crimson and gold. She sparkled in the winter sun and their universe revolved around her. Everything glowed under her tender care, from the injured soldiers to the children stumbling through the courtyard, coming alive, reaching towards her sunlight. 

And when she smiled��  Andraste  when she smiled. 

He wondered how close he’d come to never seeing it again. He wanted nothing more than to spend some solid hours basking in it. See if Skyhold couldn’t conjure up a pack of cards, take her off to some shadowy corner, and reassure himself that she  really  was as okay as she looked. 

But that was just his flimsy excuse and he knew it. What he wanted, what he desired more than anything, wasn’t to lure her into a friendly game of cards. Fuck, it wasn’t even to sweet talk her into the nearest bed so he could finish what he’d started now that they weren’t currently in danger of dying in a dragon’s throat. 

He wanted something altogether more precious. He wanted her the way she’d been in the tent the night she stumbled back into his arms. He wanted her without all that armor she carried, soft and sweet in his arms. He wanted her lashes fluttering against her cheekbones as she failed miserably to stay awake listening to, frankly, one of his most shitty stories. He carried that memory of her sleep warmed, sharp edges smoothed by exhaustion, clutched it to his chest jealousy. 

He wanted to press his lips surreptitiously to her cheek one more time and whisper his apologies into her ear. He wanted to hear her ask him to stay again. Wanted that sharp lance of vulnerability, the one that broke right through all his defenses and left him more naked that he’d ever been. 

Stay.

Ancestors, if she’d ask  anything  in that tone of voice, he’d do it. He stayed even after she’d fallen back asleep. His palm over the small of his back, her body curled against his, her marked hand on his chest where she hadn’t even realized it had fallen. He counted the freckles on her nose, her cheeks. Memorized the sweep of her lashes and the gentle rise and fall of her breath. He stayed until Bea stirred and asked if she’d woken, but tearing himself away… shit, it’d been harder than it should have been. 

But it wasn’t real. She’d been broken, bleeding, battered. Confused and addled. Exhausted to her very bones from attempting to slay an  actual  dragon. She’d have asked anyone to stay. He wasn’t special. Not to her. How could he be? 

She was the sun, after all, and she shined on everyone equally. It hurt to admit it, but Varric could handle painful truths. Maker knew he had practice. When she didn’t seek him out, when she poured her energy into Skyhold, he fell back, easy and casual, and watched her. 

He still had a place here, after all. Once they knew the truth… well. He may have to live outside her orbit. But at least she was alive. At least he had that memory of her sleeping in his arms. That was enough. It  had to be. 

Of course, he was assuming he’d figured out  how  to get them connected back to the civilized world long enough to reveal his own secrets. Between Maria’s magic hand, a score of witches, and the damn castle itself the magical interference was mind boggling. He  needed to call Hawke, needed her help, but reaching her… it seemed impossible.  

“I think that concludes the distribution of sleeping quarters for the civilians and refugees.” Josephine clucked, pulling him from his daydreams. “Was there any other business?”

“One, yeah?” Sera yawned and glared at the other woman. “Why do we all gotta keep coming to these meetings?” 

Varric stifled his amused laugh into his palm. Sera did about as well as anticipated during these meetings. Meaning, of course, that she’d already drawn some rather colorful pornography all over Bull’s muscled arm after Maria stopped her from carving it into the stone rather emphatically. 

Their group sat in an airy room around a massive table that looked to be made of one solid piece of wood. This, Varric thought with no small degree of amusement, was the best of the Inquisition.They ranged from a Tevinter exile to a raving spirit turned boy. Grey Warden to exotic dancer. The Inquisition’s inner circle. A mad little bunch of religious and distinctly irreligious figures. Who’d have thought? If the late Divine could see them now, she’d probably lose her exuberant hat when her head exploded. 

In the window seat, Bea made a muted noise of agreement. Maria had her hands in her sister’s hair and smirked while she shook her head in playful exasperation. Bea’s curls looked sleek and shiny again, makeup perfectly applied. Skyhold must have been supplying that shit too. 

He couldn’t complain, though. He’d opened a cupboard their second day here and had a razor chucked at his face. Maria, of course, said he was exaggerating about the velocity. But he knew what happened and so did the damn castle. 

“There is… one other matter we need to address.” Cassandra straightened from where she bent over the table, sweeping her gaze across the room. “We do not have a leader.” 

“Wait.” Maria stopped and pierced Cassandra with her gaze, then looked past her to Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine. “I thought you four  were the leaders.”

“We need  a leader.” Leliana insisted smoothly. “One person who wields the ultimate authority in precarious situations. An Inquisitor for our Inquisition.” 

“How do you propose choosing this leader?” Blackwall asked gruffly. “Should we collect resumes? Interview the candidates?” 

“A vote.” Bull suggested, far too casually, flexing the arm Sera was drawing on. It made the mermaid she’d drawn look like her tits were bouncing. “Nice and democratic.” 

“From everyone?” Vivienne asked pointedly. “My dear, some of the refugees are so frightened they barely know their own names. Let alone ours.” 

“Pft, nobody is votin’ for you.” Sera grumbled. “Little people don’t like shite like you. They know the good names.” 

They knew one name, at least. All those refugees knew one name  very  well. 

“So we vote?” Maria asked skeptically, tearing him from his overwhelming feeling of dread. “For everyone?” 

“We’ll ask the people if they accept it.” Cullen fingered his gun thoughtfully, peering at Maria with a tight frown like his thoughts had gone the same way as Varric’s. “If they say no - we devise another plan.” 

“Alright then.” Maria sighed. Bea was beginning to look a bit nervous, shifting to eye her sister from the corner of her eye. 

“I don’t want to vote.” Bea said quickly, shying away. “I don’t actually do anything.” 

“That’s most untrue.” Josephine reproved, looking up and frowning. “You have been…” 

“I’m not voting.” Bea's tone brooked no argument. Josephine frowned, opened her mouth as if to insist, but Leliana cut in. 

“One abstention, then. It will go with the majority, if that is alright Beatrix?” 

“That’s fine.” Bea curled her knees up to her chest and frowned. 

In the heavy silence, Varric reached for the battered journal in his pocket. The Lovers stuck out like a bookmark and he flipped past it without thinking too hard, grabbing three sheets and ripping them out. He began to tear them into tiny slips. “Anyone got a pen?”

Sera ceased detailing the engorged male genitalia on Bull’s bicep and lifted her pen with a sharp grin. Cassandra plucked it from her hand and Varric passed around the papers. Everyone took only a second to dash a name on their slip, folding it in half and tossing it onto the great table. 

“What is with you?” Maria asked as Bea brought her manicured nails to her lips like she’d start chewing them at any second.

Maria, it seemed, was blissfully unaware of where this was going. Bea, of course, was not. Bea heard the way people talked about Maria, knew what they said. And Bea couldn’t vote  against  her sister, but she couldn’t vote  for  her either. 

The pen came to him and Varric scrawled one word on it before tossing it to Blackwall. Bea couldn’t force herself to do it, but Varric had to. 

Princess.

Maria may never forgive him, but it  had  to be her. She was  sane, she was  brave. More than all of that, however, she was so overwhelmingly  kind. If it wasn’t her, if it came to someone else… Maker forbid, the Seeker… 

Maria’s vote joined the others and they all stared, at a loss for what to do next. It was Cullen that reached forward and picked up the first one. He unfolded it and cleared his throat before reading it into the silence. “M Cadash.” 

Maria snorted in disbelief. Cullen picked up the second one and read it aloud as well. “Maria.” 

Maria’s amusement dropped like a ton of bricks by the time Cullen read the fourth. When Cullen stumbled on the word Princess, cheeks flushing, the lights above them flickered menacingly. Varric couldn’t meet her eyes, even though he felt them searing into him. 

In the end, every single vote said Maria except one, solitary piece of paper that had Leliana’s name dashed across it. The silence felt miserably heavy and in the window seat Bea finally sighed her sister’s name. “Ria…” 

“Fuck  all of you.” Maria snapped, folding her arms across her chest. A snarky part of him almost said that he’d heard worse plans. Almost. 

“Interesting diplomatic strategy.” Bull leaned back, crossed his arms over his chest to match her posture and waited. Maria’s sparking eyes turned to him. 

“Fuck  you  in particular.” Maria seethed with a rather ferocious glare. To his credit, Bull did not immediately burst into flames. Lesser men probably would have. Varric felt his chest hair curling and smoking just being in the general vicinity.  

“You’ve been calling the shots since you stepped out of the vortex and all these people know it, Boss.” Bull rumbled with an easy shrug. 

“I’m not qualified.” Maria spat out.

“Where does one get qualifications to fight pure evil and save the world?” Dorian asked, stroking his mustache. “I  certainly  never saw it listed as a major.” 

“Enough.” Cassandra glared at Dorian and turned her attention to Maria. “The Inquisition needs an Inquisitor. It is  your  choices that have gotten us to this point. There is no better person to take the mantle.” 

“We’re in a magic castle in the middle of nowhere and  nobody  knows we’re alive.” Maria hissed. “Is this really the track record you want?” 

“We’re alive.” Cullen stated in a rather matter-of-fact tone, but he wasn’t brave enough to meet Maria’s eyes. “And we should not be. That, in and of itself, is enough reason to trust you.” 

“I can’t do this.” Maria insisted. Varric watched her right hand trace her left wrist, finally recognizing the gesture for what it was, a way to soothe panic. The realization hit him like a punch in the gut. 

“You can.” Leliana said softly. “We will help.” 

“We need to ask  everyone  to vote.” Maria lifted her chin defiantly.

“That’s… going to go the same exact way.” Bea whispered from the window seat, staring despondently at the papers. Maria whirled on her sister and pointed at the table like Bea could offer more of an explanation. 

“What do you think of this?” Maria demanded. 

“Ria…” Bea sighed, rubbing her face with her hand briskly. 

“The glass throws rainbows over my skin. The walls. I giggle. Nanna’s fingers lift it high, stands on tiptoes to put it on the shelf. ‘This is where we put precious things, chi shugra. Up high so nobody breaks them.’  Safe. Safe where he can’t touch her ever again.” Cole mumbled. 

“Balls.” Bea groaned. 

Maria’s expression slammed shut beneath a veneer of ice worse than the flickering flames of her fury. She drew her shoulders back and glared at Bea before twisting away. She nearly shoved Cullen over to get past him to the door, but it swung open before she even reached it. The moment she passed through the threshold, the castle slammed it shut behind her back. 

“Balls.” Bea mumbled again, hiding her face in her hands. “For  fucks sake Cole.” 

“She wanted to know. You wouldn’t tell her.” Cole frowned down at his hands. 

“For a damn good reason!” Bea exploded. 

“She  needed  to know.” Cole insisted. “Or it would’ve been a knot.” 

Bea couldn’t pass up the opportunity to keep Maria safe. Bea couldn’t shove her sister’s name forward for a job that seemed impossible. Varric got it, he really did. 

He wished there was someone else to choose. Anyone else. But there wasn’t. Ancestors forgive them for doing this to her, because it would probably kill her. Like it nearly killed Hawke. 

“Does anyone want to take bets on whether the castle just locked us in here?” He asked wearily instead. It seemed easier than facing his own guilt. 

xx 

Soft, gentle fingers smoothed Maria’s hair back, a simple repetitive motion as a clear, bright voice sang beside her. The melody ached inside Maria’s chest as the fingers continued their patient stroking. “Down in the mines, the mines so low. Hang your head over, hear the song low. Hear the song low, dear, hear the song low…” 

“I can’t do this.” Maria whispered, tucking her chin in and looking over her shoulder at the woman peering down at her with such gentle, honest affection. Gray eyes and honey brown hair, a woman with Bea’s elegant features. 

“You’ve already come so far, my darling.” She smiled, resting her palm on Maria’s cheek. “It will be okay. I’m here now.” 

“You’re gone.” Maria barely remembered her, but this serene image of her pulled from old photographs looked right. “Mom’s gone.” 

“Yes.” The woman tapped her fingertips against Maria’s nose, bright and playful, eyes sparkling with mischievous humor. “But I am not. You are mine and I am yours, darling.” 

 Maria awoke to a gentle breeze on her face, invisible fingers playing in her hair. She lifted her head off the pillow and paused, momentarily disoriented, pleasantly dazed. It took a moment to remember where she was every time she awoke, usually at the crack of dawn.  Skyhold. 

Safe. She’d been plagued with nightmares after Haven, but here, they ceased. Here…

Well, nothing was easy. She still wore her fear like a collar around her neck. Sometimes, the scent of a fire in the hearth was enough to choke her with panic. Sometimes, when she closed her eyes at night, she pictured Redcliffe crawling with monsters, the behemoth crushing Bea beneath it or Varric bleeding at her feet. 

But it was nicer to live with when she woke in the beautiful room at the top of the tower wrapped in an old quilt that smelled like home, somehow. The terror felt more manageable here. 

She noted the sun wasn’t coming in the windows right for dawn, but rather the light faded with dusk. Drool and bits of hair stuck to her cheeks. Tears, she thought ruefully. She wondered how fucking awful she looked. A mess, she was sure. 

“Cadash?” Cassandra’s brisk voice called from the bottom of her stairs. “Cadash, are you up there?” 

“Where the fuck else would I be?” Maria called back down the steps, quickly scrubbing her eyes with the back of her fist. Flakes of eyeliner came off on the back of her palm and she swore, irritated. 

“May I come upstairs?” Cassandra yelled again, cautious and wary. Maria paused, discarding the quilt from over her shoulders and flying into the adjoining room. The taps had changed again, she noted distantly. This was the one part of her room that kept changing like Skyhold hadn’t quite determined what kind of bathroom she wanted. At first, it held one ornate washbasin. Then, thank the Stone, it implemented plumbing. The sink was granite today, a matching tub behind her. She turned the warm water on and scrubbed at her ruined makeup. 

“If you insist.” Maria grumbled, hopefully loud enough to be heard. She examined her reflection in the mirror with a tight, tense frown. 

Inquisitor. 

Not if she had anything to say about it. 

She brushed a towel across her face and stepped back out into her bedroom to find Cassandra standing, uncertain, by the stairwell. The Seeker’s eyes never stopped roaming, always looking for threats. Once she’d inspected every nook and cranny and found them free of danger, she turned to Maria. 

“We attempted to visit you earlier.” 

“Who’s we?” Maria asked nonchalantly, sitting on the edge of her bed and folding her arms under her chest, examining her booted feet. 

“All of us in turn. The door would not open.” Cassandra made a small noise of dismay. “Solas says there is a… spirit guardian of this place. It answers to you.” 

“No it doesn’t.” Maria scoffed and rolled her eyes. “If it did - you’d still be locked out.” 

“If it answers to you, even slightly, then that is all the more reason for you to bear the title of Inquisitor. We have the walls to put up a fight if we are attacked again, a place to grow our forces, and Cullen is adamant there would be no retreat. This… war with Corypheus is not the fight we anticipated.” 

“It’s not one I bleeding signed up for.” Maria reminded her pointedly. She hadn’t signed up for  any  of this. She was supposed to close the vortex and leave, free and clear, Bea and Cole in tow. 

Cassandra sighed and shook her head. “I know. You… you have asked for none of this. The power inside you… it allowed you to survive the destruction of the conclave. It is something this Corypheus wished to have, and whether or not it is divine providence that you have it now…” 

Maria scoffed again and Cassandra met her skeptical gaze. “It matters not to you, I know. The most important thing is that Haven  cannot  happen again. The most important thing is that we keep this power from him.” 

“He said he couldn’t take it. It’s useless to him, so I need to die.” Maria pointed out bluntly. “That’s it. My magic hand doesn’t qualify me to be in charge.” 

“Your mark has power.” Cassandra lowered her shoulders and eyed Maria with a certain mix of apprehension and… respect. “But it is not why you are still standing here.”

She was standing here because of a mine shaft and an unbelievable stroke of luck, but before she could say that, Cassandra plowed on. “Your decisions helped us heal the rift in the world. Your  determination  led us out of Haven. You are the only one to rival this demon because  you  are the only one who has faced him and shown the bravery and sacrifice needed to save us. To save us all.” 

“I didn’t…” Maria protested. 

“I was there.” Cassandra snapped before Maria could finish, running fingers through her short hair. “I know what I saw when I left you. I saw one woman wreathed in flames standing against the darkness and chaos. I saw  you.  We all did.” 

A dismayed bubble of laughter jumped to her throat. “Ancestors, Cassandra. That’s fucking good. Don’t repeat it around Varric, he’ll steal it for his next book.” 

Cassandra’s disgusted noise rang across the room, but she jerked her head to the balcony. “Word has leaked that you were asked to lead. I suspect Vivienne, although I have no proof. The people are outside, waiting to congratulate you.” 

“Tell them I said no.” Maria commanded weakly. “Tell them everything you said about me at the beginning. I’m a smuggler, I’m a criminal, I’m…” 

“Stop.” Cassandra pleaded. “I… I would not say those things about you.” 

“They’re true.” Maria argued. “You’ve said them before, just go out there…” 

“I should not have!” Cassandra exploded, curling her hands into fists. “If I had known, if I had trusted in the Maker that he would not… but I didn’t. And I was cruel. I will never be able to make amends for it.” 

The silence stretched between them. Maria stared at the woman, confused, a bit alarmed. “Cassandra, just tell them I don’t want it. Do that and we’re square, promise.” 

“I can.” Cassandra clenched her jaw tightly. “I will, if that is truly what you wish. But I have a better proposition.” 

“If this is about faith…” Maria began to roll her eyes skyward. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t listen to Cassandra preach about Andraste or the Maker. If she started, Maria swore...

“My faith.” Cassandra admitted. “Which is not yours. What is yours… What could be yours is a force that would change the world. People are hungry, homeless…” 

“You’re making a great case for the world being a piece of shit, Cass. Preaching to the choir.” Maria mumbled, dropping her eyes back to her boots. “Nobody is going to follow me. You’re all…” 

“Those people owe their lives to you. They would follow you to the gates of the black city.” Cassandra declared proudly. “If you do not believe me you need only go and peer out. They are  thrilled that you would be their Inquisitor.” 

“And you?” Maria challenged, glaring at Cassandra. “You  really  think this is a good idea?” 

“It terrifies me.” Cassandra admitted quietly, voice soft and startlingly vulnerable. “To hand over such power to one person. But I have faith in what I have seen you do. If it must be anyone, it  must  be you.” 

Maria pulled her eyes from Cassandra’s again and stared at her domed ceiling, blinking back tears. Cassandra let the silence weigh heavily between them before she sighed. “If I could not convince you with that, I was supposed to add in one more thing. On your sister’s behalf.” 

“Great.” Maria huffed. “Wonderful. What does Bea  possibly have to add?” 

Cassandra waited until Maria looked at her again, then held Maria’s gaze unflinchingly and said the words that shot a bullet right through Maria’s heart. “I was supposed to ask what Fynn Dunhark would have you do.” 

Fynn.  Fynn. Earnest and brilliant, his shirtsleeves rolled up, elbow on their kitchen table. Expounding on the flaws of capitalism, railing against injustice, pouring his father’s money into charities and whispering against her skin how someone like  her  should be the one taking the lead, that  she’d  get things done because  she  was terrifying and  adorable  when she was angry and  Ancestors he loved her…  

He loved her. He loved her and it got him killed. Maria nearly fell back, grief like a sucker punch in her stomach.  It should have been Fynn. He could have done this, he could have carried this  well. Her father could have. Anyone  except  her. 

“I’m going to fuck this up.” Maria admitted. “I’ve always fucked everything up, Cassandra.” 

Every single thing. From not taking her father’s downward spiral seriously, to her failure to save their grandmother, running away with Fynn. From losing Varric in Redcliffe to  nearly  losing everyone in Haven. Maria rubbed her face with her hands briskly again, the marked one prickling uncomfortably. 

“Well.” The Seeker chewed her words for a moment before she gave Maria a weary half smile. “If we truly do awfully, we will all be dead regardless. Cold comfort, perhaps, but at least we won’t have to live with it.” 

The humor surprised her and a broken laugh slipped past Maria’s lips. “Ancestors, that’s morbid.” 

“I will be with you.” Cassandra swore like some overzealous knight in a fairy tale. The Seeker thrust her hand forward, fiercely determined. “You will not do this alone.” 

Maria ran her thumb up and down her left wrist, tracing the arrow there. She promised. She  promised  Fynn when they left Ostwick together that she’d stay on the straight and narrow, that she’d do better. She’d be better. She’d be the woman he thought she could be. No more darkness, no more shadows, no more lying or stealing or… 

“I’m not the Herald of Andraste.” Maria blurted. “I’m  not  and we can’t  say  I am. If that’s why you want me to be the Inquisitor…” 

“Some people will say it, regardless.” Cassandra frowned. “But we do not have to do so here, if that is your caveat.” 

Maria nodded, stopped stroking her tattoo and looked down into her palm. The sun emblazoned there flickered gently. 

“The motto of the old Inquisition was ‘Into darkness, unafraid’, Cadash.” Cassandra supplied. “Perhaps you could keep it. Perhaps you could make your own.” 

No more darkness, not anymore. She held the sun in her hand, after all. Maria took a deep breath and stood, grasping Cassandra’s hand securely within her own. 

The taller woman relaxed immediately, sighing deeply. “They are waiting. Outside. If you can…” 

“Now?” She asked, running a hand through her frazzled hair. She looked like shit, although she supposed she had looked worse half dead and frozen. 

“Before you reconsider.” Cassandra stated firmly. “Persuading people to do difficult things is… not my strong suit.” 

Fair enough. Maria nodded and jerked her chin to the stairs. “After you then, Cass.” 

Cassandra nodded and marched down the stairs. Maria took one last deep breath and followed, trailing her hand across the piano’s cover as she passed it. Tears pricked her eyes and she stopped, choking them down. She splayed her palm over top Fynn’s initials and pressed until she felt her marked palm ache, until bits of light shimmered between the gaps of her fingers. 

“I’ll try.” She promised to the silence. For Fynn. For Nanna and her father, Bea and Bull. For Cole, Varric, Dorian, Cassandra… 

Underneath the cover, the keys trembled again, a half note like a whispered answer. 

That’s enough.

 xx

Varric's thoughts drifted, again, to Bianca. He’d give his weight in gold to have her staring down this problem. Somehow, he suspected, it would have been solved days ago. Instead, Varric kept banging his head against the issue, quickly losing patience.

Skyhold could give them anything they wanted, apparently, except the fucking internet or a phone signal. No matter how he tried, a connection to the outside world remained out of reach. He almost suspected the castle was doing it just because  he was the one asking for it. He even stooped to asking Cole to try and convey what they wanted because the kid seemed to be able to communicate with the damned place, but all it had done was confuse them both and give Varric a raging migraine. 

Bianca would have known what to do. She’d laugh, shake her head at his elementary attempts, and…

“Alright Varric, what’s the issue?” 

Cue the wave of guilt, although which woman was the wronged party, Varric couldn’t say. He’d as much as told Bianca it was over right before they marched into Redcliffe, before trying to jump Maria’s bones, so… 

Yes, he reminded himself acidly, because he’d never said goodbye to Bianca before. 

“Well, your Inquisitorialness.” He lapsed into smooth bravado, rocking back on his heels and studiously not meeting the gray eyes he could feel searing into the back of his skull. “Your castle doesn’t believe in wireless connections, wireless networks, or 5g no matter how much I try and talk it up. So, I guess maybe we should consider carrier pigeons.” 

“I never cared for birds much.” The wind whistling through the ancient battlement muffled her footsteps, so he was shocked when she dropped down beside him to examine the mess of salvaged guts he had spilled out in front of him. Bits of radios. A battered old laptop. “What do you need?”

“The modern world.” Varric grumbled, trying not to inhale her scent too greedily. He realized with a start they were  alone  on this far corner of Skyhold’s walls. It was the first time he’d been alone with her since… 

“Varric.” She chided softly. He sighed in irritation and tore his hand through his own hair, glaring down at the parts on the ground. 

“A receiving dish for the satellite.” Varric rubbed at his stubble and stood, turning his back on the mess behind him and offering his hand to Maria. She took it and pulled herself up, staring up into his face with a tiny frown. 

Her eyes were the same color as the sky above them, a soft gray right before snow fell. Her freckles stood out starkly over her cheeks, wisps of red hair tickling her jaw. She still slouched when she stood, hands shoved deep in her coat pockets, eyes blazing forward. If the mantle she’d adopted at their insistence felt too heavy to bear, she didn’t show it. 

“A receiving dish?” She questioned. “Does it look like a satellite, but down here?” 

“You’ve got it, Princess.” He tipped his lips into a smile for her. “To catch the signal and amplify it.” 

“What are they made of?” She asked. “How big does it have to be?” 

He shot her a skeptical glance and shrugged ruefully. “Metal, usually something lightweight. I’d want it hooked up to the power grid here, if we could swing it. Boost our signal a bit more. As to how big… in this case, bigger is better. About the size of a pickup truck.” 

“You’re not asking for much.” Maria’s lips twitched. Varric fought the urge to touch the corner of them, trace their shape with his thumb. 

“What can I say?” Varric grinned, trying to maintain his tenuous control. “I’m a man of simple tastes. Now, of course, if I could get a phone call out, I’d order you the perfect one. Just right for someone of Inquisitorial standing. Have it delivered and installed free of charge.” 

Maria sighed and looked out over the mountains. Something in his chest squeezed uncomfortably. “Hey.” He soothed softly, dropping the playfulness for comfort immediately. “It’s gonna be alright. We’ll figure it out.”

When she didn’t look back at him, his arm acted on it’s own accord. He gently placed his palm over her shoulder and squeezed. Varric lowered his voice to a gentle whisper. “Now that we have a minute to breathe…” 

“Varric, listen…” She began, tensing under his palm. 

“How are you holding up?” He finished. Whatever she’d been expecting him to say, it wasn’t that. Her eyes flicked to his, stunned, before they quickly swivelled back out into the mountains. Not before Varric saw the shine of emotions in them, the fear, the panic. 

“Well.” She managed to sound breezy in spite of all of it. “I’m heading a human religious organization, retrofitting a fairy tale castle, trying to figure out how to kill a demon and his pet dragon  before  he kills us, and we all almost died this week. Twice.”  

She controlled the emotions in her eyes and turned a weak smile back up to him. “I don’t have any idea what I’m doing.” 

Her admission, quiet and soft, felt precious. He hadn’t heard her complain since she’d waltzed out past them, a queen before her subjects, to receive their acclamation. The praise came easily. “Well, whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it really well. Nobody could manage it better.” 

She scoffed and looked down at her scuffed boots, shrugging his hand from her shoulder. “We haven’t been alone, Varric.  Really alone. Not since…” 

Not since she fell into his arms. Not since he carried her up the stairs, not since he undressed her and prepared to worship at the altar of her body. It hadn’t been that long ago. Less than a week, really, but it felt like a lifetime ago. 

He’d seen an enemy he unleashed rise again. Heard Maria’s agonized screams, watched the mountain bury her and tried to live in a world she no longer inhabited. He’d seen her rise from the ashes like a phoenix, inexplicable and miraculous. He felt… he felt like it had changed him. Somehow. He wasn’t sure if it was for the better. He wasn’t sure he’d ever been this frightened before. Never faced anything so daunting. Corypheus. The Inquisition. Maria’s shining eyes and compassionate heart sacrificed for expediency’s sake. 

Things had been simpler, before. Maria watched his face closely, frowning at whatever she saw there. When she opened her mouth again, the words that fell from her lips stung bitterly. “It was just a couple kisses, we can forget about it... if that’s what you want.” 

No he couldn’t. Never. Not in a hundred years. He’d take the feel of her body under his to his grave, the last desperate meeting of lips in Haven to the stone itself. It wouldn’t matter if that’s what he  actually  wanted, because he’d never be able to do it. She was beneath his skin now, regardless, and what he wanted… 

Maria’s right hand traced the tattoo under her left sleeve and Varric nearly choked on a surge of blinding, unreasonable jealousy. Fynn Dunhark was  dead, Maria Cadash was  alive. And Varric…

Varric didn’t deserve her. Other people did. Better people. People who didn’t trade in secrets and lies. People whose friends didn’t destroy entire cities. People who didn’t let monsters out into the world to kill hundreds. People who didn’t put  her in danger. 

But…

“Hey.” Varric murmured, fought the urge to run his thumb over her cheek. He had to try. He  had  to, or he’d never forgive himself. “I’ll be whatever you need, Princess. Whatever gets you through this.” 

Whatever keeps you safe. Whatever makes you happy. Whatever you need. Varric, of course,  wanted her to need him. Wanted it so desperately he could hardly breath around it. 

Maria looked away again, back to the mountains. He saw them shining, brilliant and white, in her eyes. He watched something slam shut inside them, watched her throw away a key. His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. “You’ve been a good friend, Varric. I don’t want to lose that.” 

She wouldn’t be his, then. Another woman just beyond his reach, too good for him, too brilliant. Varric burned his fingers on the sun, again. But that wasn’t Maria’s fault. She, at least, wasn’t asking him to play second fiddle to someone else. She owed him nothing, anyway, and he… he owed her so much more. “You won’t. Promise.” 

He could grab her, crowd her against the castle wall, kiss her until she didn’t know up or down. He could chase all those thoughts out of her head. He could contrive… But it wouldn’t be real. It wouldn’t be what he wanted. 

The tension still simmered between them, but it would get better with time. It had to, anyway. He turned from the mountains, bracing himself to make some excuse about returning to work. The words shriveled and died on his tongue as he looked at what had appeared on the tower above them. 

A satellite receiver as large as a Maker-damned pickup truck made of the shiniest metal he’d ever seen, looking like it had been there for ages. It almost seemed like the castle’s middle finger aimed squarely in his direction. 

“Holy shit.” He muttered, half laughing in shock. “Look at that.” 

“Maybe she just needed you to be a little clearer about what you wanted.” Maria advised, voice cold, the tone completely unfamiliar to him. “Will this get our communications up and running?” 

Varric wondered if she’d already begun the process of becoming two different people. The same way he’d watched Hawke become the Champion when the world demanded it. Varric distinctly felt like the pale eyes watching him didn’t belong to  his  Princess any longer, but a woman isolated on top of a burning pyre. 

But then again, she wasn’t his. No part of her was. He wondered how many times he’d have to remind himself before it sunk in. 

“Yes.” The word felt like a nail in a coffin. Ending their precious moment of intimacy, extinguishing any chance to plead his case. “I promise. Can I borrow your phone, Inquisitor? It’ll go quicker, yours is the only other one with enough processing power…” 

She produced it with razor sharp efficiency, dropping it into his hand. “I’ve got to go check on the wounded. Let me know if you need anything else.” 

You, he thought wildly. The thought was barely formed before she was already halfway down the battlements, red hair vanishing down a set of steps. The wind blew sharper, colder without her and Varric shivered. 

He stared down at the phone in his hand and retrieved his own, placing them both in his pocket. He needed to climb up that damn tower to get a closer look at that dish, and he had a sneaky suspicion he was going to have to figure out some way to adjust it’s trajectory, but… it would work. It would work, and he could call Hawke and…

Fuck.  Fuck. 

He knew what he had to do. Knew what he needed to do. He couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to Maria, couldn’t stomach the guilt. They  needed Hawke. Hawke, who’d given so much already and gotten so little in return. Just like Maria would, someday. He could already see the writing on the wall. 

Anything they could do to protect her. Anything  he  could do. 

“Bianca.” Varric muttered. 

“I am already experiencing a weak link with the satellite, but more stable than we have experienced in days. My estimate is the receiving dish needs adjusted to approximately a ninety-five degree angle...” 

Excellent. He’d be climbing out a window trying not to fall to his death for sure. “Great. While I’m trying to manage that, I need you to airdrop a copy of your program onto Maria Cadash’s phone.” 

“Inadvisable.” Bianca argued immediately, joyful tone vanishing. “Every additional user is a security risk. Maria Cadash has an extensive criminal history and you have only been acquainted…” 

Varric laughed. “I know. I want you to do it anyway, baby.”

Varric could almost hear the muted rebellion in his earpiece. “Should I make a note to inform Bianca Davri of the additional user?” 

“Absolutely not.” The real Bianca never checked the AI’s permissions. Only used her, really, when she needed the extra processing power. Otherwise, they just got in each other’s way. “Give Cadash the same permissions Hawke has.” 

“Hawke has permissions just short of a system administrator…” 

“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know.” Varric shoved the door to the tower open and looked up at all the stairs, dismayed.

“File transfer started.” Bianca finally responded, voice clipped and tone short. “Is there anything else?” 

“Let me know the second I’ve got a strong enough signal to make a call.” Varric sighed. “There’s one I probably should have made a long time ago.” 

 xx

In the fade, Solas found that Skyhold hadn’t changed at all from the palace he remembered. Gone were the Inquisitor’s sturdy stone walls, replaced with graceful, smooth marble. The hallways framed courtyards overflowing with vines and flowers. Magic orbs lit the courtyards and gleaming precious stones shimmered in mosaics and portraits. 

In the fade, perhaps, he could still call Skyhold the name  he  had given it long ago. Tarasyl'an Te'las, the place where the sky was held back. He paused in the flowering courtyard and inhaled the blooms that faded so long ago. 

“On dhea'lam.” A soft voice called from behind him. “It has been a long time, hasn’t it?” 

“Longer than I wished.” Solas admitted, turning to face the spirit who’d sought him out. She wore another face, one he didn’t know, but one he recognized regardless. The woman shared the Inquisitor’s striking eyes, her sister’s brown hair. The crooked tip of her lips that both women wore so well. 

“Her mother?” He guessed softly. 

“Yes.” The spirit paused, tipped her head to the side as if listening to a whisper in the wind. “She left this world some time ago. This is how she is remembered.” 

“It is not the form you took for me when I was a young man.” He would not be jealous, however. Not when Maria Cadash had so few comforts on her hard journey. If the face of her mother was one… 

“When you were a young man, you left me to start a revolution.” The spirit chided. Solas shut his eyes and turned his face to the warm sun. 

“Did you find what you wished, da fenlin?” The spirit asked. “When my little wolf grew teeth and claws, did the whole world tremble?” 

“I am surprised you recognized me.” Solas didn’t wish to look into those stunning gray eyes, even if they were not framed by the Inquisitor’s red hair. He kept his own firmly closed. 

“I did not. Not at first. I only knew your magic, I only knew it was no longer a part of you. I could see nothing past her when she arrived.” The spirit smiled, gentle and proud. “Da’lath’in. What is it you call her again? I do not understand it.” 

“Inquisitor.” Solas explained. “It is what the shemlen call her, the title that gives her power.” 

“Da’lath’in suits her better.” The spirit protested. 

Da’lath’in. Little heart. Yes, Solas could see that. A woman who carried her heart on her sleeve, who showed compassion for the smallest and most helpless. 

“You have seen inside her soul, yes?” Solas asked. He feared the answer, but he had to know. “Was she… has the magic changed her?” 

“You wish to know her secrets when you will not give her yours?” The spirit asked, incredulous. 

“Yes.” He answered with conviction. “I must.” 

The spirit sighed, her breath rustling the blooms and trees. “Yes. And no. Your magic will give her strength and courage, but she has her ancestors’ spirit. She comes from warriors, she comes from the Earth. She has always been a soul that would bleed for others. It is in her nature. You know this.” 

He did. He felt the oft-broken bones under her skin and allowed his magic to probe the shattered, raw pieces of her soul. He watched her feed the hungry, clothe the poor. He saw her rise from the ashes. 

“If she is true, you are wrong.” The spirit murmured. 

“Perhaps.” He admitted. 

“Will you harm her? Or will you help her?” The spirit asked. 

Solas opened his eyes and looked down into the spirit’s open, grave face. 

“You would stop me.” He marveled. 

“She is mine and I am hers.” The spirit’s eyes crackled with bright energy. “As you know, Fen’Harel.” 

“I do not know if Fen’Harel exists any longer.” Solas sighed. “This is not his world.” 

The spirit softened. A small hand rested on his elbow, just as it had so often in times long past. Solas ached with the pain of it. His friend, his home, sleeping just as he had. Alone in the darkness, watching as time left them both behind. 

“Fen’Harel lit the world on fire.” The spirit said softly. “Perhaps it is Solas who must try to find beauty in the ashes.” 

“Is there any beauty left in the world of metal and machines?” Solas asked, unable to keep the bitter venom from rising to the surface. 

“How could you ask that?” The spirit tightened her grip on him, voice imploring. “Have you not seen them? Heard the laughter of their children? Listened to their prayers? How can you be so blind?” 

The silence over both of them was not as comfortable as it once had been, but it still felt more like home than it had a right to. 

“Will you tell her?” Solas finally asked. “My secrets, old friend. Will you confide them to the Inquisitor?” 

The spirit sighed once more. “No, da fenlin. I will not. She would not understand, and I know you wish to right this mistake of yours. But you  must not harm her.” 

“I will not.” Solas swore.

Not if he could help it.

[endwalkr]

this is an ask based thingy but im really in the mood to infodump so im just gonna answer them all under the cut !

Favorite video game?

starting off with the absolute hardest question huh? i can’t possibly name ONE favorite game of mine because i adore my favorites for many different reasons. my overall favorite video game is ffxv or botw. ffxv because it has brought me so much joy for such a long time, and because i have such a connection with the characters. botw because i was actually in the fandom when it first got announced in 2016 so i got to be there when the hype was at an all time high– and finally being able to play the game after waiting for so long was an unforgettable experience. i have more favorite games but ill talk more about them in the ‘’special place in ur heart’’ question.

First console you owned?

my first console wasn’t a console. my friend and i used to play on her nintendo dsi all the time and at one point tiny little me reeeally wanted one of my own so i saved up and got one in [redacted] when i was 7. my first actual console was a wii though, we got that around the same time.

A game that holds a special place in your heart?

ffxv and botw mean the absolute world to me, but super mario galaxy and skyward sword are very important to me too. skyward sword is the game that got me into zelda which got me into anime which got me into final fantasy etc etc etc.  super mario galaxy was the first non-mini game collection and more adventure story-ish game i played. i was so proud when i beat it for the first time and mario was my first ever ‘’fandom’’ :’) 

Favorite video game character?

bro. i cant pick just one so i’ll choose one per game : prompto, ryuji and link. they were all my comfort characters at some point and i projected like crazy onto them. this doesnt mean that i wouldnt absolutely die for noct or zelda. 

Least favorite video game character?

i dont think theres anyone i distinctly dislike? i always talk about hating ardyn but that’s because he’s just a salty bitch. as a character i think he’s a great villain and i rly love him. i honestly always end up liking everyone somehow, maybe there is someone i just forgot about but i cant remember at all. 

Favorite genre?

adventure games, or action rpgs. 

Video game character you’ve had a crush on?

every character ever, but i distinctly remember the moment i fell in love with prompto sjghfkshd i was watching a playthrough of xv in december 2016 because i didnt have a ps4, and the guy got to the scene in galdin quay where the bros learn insomnia fell. i had watched about 6 hours of the game by that time and wasn’t particularly interested in the characters but not uninterested enough to drop it. i hadnt even gotten a good look at the characters faces yet, so when the camera zoomed in on prompto when he said ‘’might not be save for us here!’’ i noticed he had freckles. oh god. oh fuck. oh my god hes fucking cute. oh my god better watch 30 hours of this game now

First video game you remember playing?

wayyy before i got my own gaming systems, my then-best friend had a gamecube in her attic. i was around 5 or 6 at the time. whenever i was over at her house and we didnt know what to do, she’d sometimes propose to play ‘’mario kart’’. important is that we are dutch, and i was a literal child. i thought mario KART meant it was a fucking card game, so i always declined whenever she asked. on one fateful day, i finally gave in and was pleasantly surprised it was in fact not a card game, but a viddy game. so we played mario kart double dash. (…i had never played a video game in my life besides browser flash games and was Very Very bad)

Age you started gaming?

so i played my first video game that i didnt own when i was about 5 or 6. then i got my first supply of games at age 7/8, but i dont really consider that time to be when i started ‘’gaming’’. i’d say that was when i started mario galaxy, so i’ve been playing video games for real (ie. story adventure games with boss battles) for about 6 years now.

Hardest video game you’ve played?

this is gonna sound stupid, but the witcher 3. there’s like 7 difficulties and i played on the EASIEST and still had a hard time, i just couldnt get used to the combat. i had the same problem with assassin’s creed syndicate, but after about 10 hours i actually knew what i was doing, and ive played the witcher longer than that and still am clueless. this is kind of an unpopular opinion but i dont particularly like that game

Video game you’ve spent the most time on?

i guess i am what you’d call a casual gamer; i really like video games but during a normal school week i only game for like 2-6 hours. most of the time i dont play for like 2 weeks if im busy. gaming has kind of taken over my life not because i play so much but because i get so emotionally invested lol i’m currently on summer break and even now im not playing a lot because of exhaustion and executive dysfunction. this derailed slightly but the game i’ve played the most despite my casual gamer status is …. … …. ffxv. surprise, right? the runner up is botw, but xv wins by a landslide. 630+ hours. botw is 350. my main save in ffxv is almost 200 hours i think. damn. i really managed to keep myself entertained with that game… (………i was thinking recently, since the loading screens in xv are so long, how much of this total amount was spent watching screens. i imagine it’s several hours, especially if you fast travel a lot.)

Most embarrassing gaming moment?

many moments in my gaming experience are embarrassing, but a more recent one: i was in xv’s postgame, beating some dungeons on my new save file. i had just finished daurell caverns and hadn’t saved in about 2 hours. (uh oh) i was driving around in the regalia type d and got to the big cliff near lestallum, and remembered someone made a gif of jumping in there so i wanted to try it too. i imagined the game would just put me back on the road, like it does when you crash into something. except it didnt. i got a game over. where was my last save? 2 hours back all the way in hammerhead. yippee.

Scariest video game you’ve played?

i never play horror games, cuz for me games are supposed to be relaxing experiences. no hate towards horror games of course, they just stress me out. the only time ive played horror is when friday the 13th was for free on ps+, and my friends really wanted to play it. (theyre kinda addicted to it now. huh) they had already gotten over the initial fear of having jason chase you, but i was still terrified. i can play the game without getting scared now tho. the horror sound effects just rly freaked me out at first jhsdkghsd

Most memorable gaming moment?

playing breath of the wild for the first time, or beating it for the first time. both experiences were filled to the brim with excitement and nostalgia. seeing botw as a blank slate, a world for you to explore, having no idea where you’re going… that was pretty incredible. now i know every nook and cranny of the map, so i wish i could play it for the first time again. i was so incredibly immersed. beating it was insane. i cried for 30 minutes and the end wasnt even sad, i was just so amazed at the fact that i was really here, playing breath of the wild, it was really real. the fucking main theme in the background (which i cannot for the life of me listen to without crying) didnt help with my emotions sgkdjh

Video game character you wish you could meet in real life?

…………..its prompto again. maybe 2017 me …. was .. kind of a kinnie

PC, Xbox, Playstation, or Nintendo?

i dont care about console wars at all, but i think hardware-wise, pc is the best, because if you have a good pc you can basically do anything. i however do not, so i just play on consoles. ive never particularly liked xbox, so i only play ps4 and nintendo. not the switch though. its kinda petty, but my best friend and i really dont like the switch djghks

Gaming company you’re most loyal to?

none. i used to call myself a nintendo nerd (oh my god…. i m. gonna die) in like 2015 but since the switch came out and since i got a ps4 they kinda lost me. i still like their game series of course, but as a company i don’t care for them. the only reason i see square enix as one of ‘’my’’ gaming companies is because ffxv took up like 70% of my gaming experience, but besides final fantasy i don’t really love them too much either.

If you could only play one video game for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

atm i’m really into ffxiv because theres just so much to do, but that’s just a new, possibly temporary interest. if i had to choose, i’d say botw. maybe i’d say ffxv, but i feel like running around doing nothing in that game isnt very fun, because the world is sorta empty after completing every quest and getting to level 120. in botw, just fucking around on your horse is still really relaxing and nice. 

Do you use strategy guides?

yup. in certain games i try to avoid them but i usually end up stuck or in need of advice. i couldn’t have gotten so many p5 trophies if not for the internet lol

How often do you use cheats?

never, simply because the games i play often do not have cheats. unless im playing the sims and are in need of a motherlode, i dont use them.

Competitive or single player?

single player. im bad at video games and like to do stuff at my own pace. online multiplayer can be fun every now and then in games like mario kart 8 or splatoon, and i also like teamwork stuff like ffxiv or comrades. but ultimately, i prefer playing on my own.

Video game character you want to/have cosplayed?

have never cosplayed, dont have plans to either, but it would be fun to cosplay link. omg. i just remembered i have that fucking chocomoogle shirt… sorry link im gonna slap on some sasuke hair, black jeans and ugly sneakers 

Ever go to a video game convention?

i have not, i have however gone to three (3) video game concerts which is basically the same thing. 

Hardest boss fight you’ve been in?

the hardest bosses for me are usually the ones with a gimmick. you have to use a certain item or tactic to beat them or something. other hard fights for me are when you fight someone with a similar skill set. (in ffxv, this happens twice, once with the iggy-noct sparring match and once against ardyn. somehow, the final boss was easier than getting the prince to eat vegetables.) i don’t know an actual example of THE hardest boss fight ive been in though. at the time, the first bowser battle in mario galaxy was the hardest thing in the universe and i got stuck for like a month. currently, i’m having trouble with the riku-ansem fight in kh1. 

Video game you wish you could burn from your memory?

the zelda cdi games? no, i dont really know. i dont hate a game so much that i’d want to forget about it altogether, but i dont exactly love ocarina of time that much. it hasnt aged well and playing it on the gamecube for the first time in 2015 wasnt a good idea. im sure it was revolutionary at the time, but i cant handle the outdated controls gsdgksjs 

Favorite gaming series?

see, i love ffxv itself more than the entirety of the zelda series, but i dont love ff as a SERIES more than the zelda games. so if were talking series, zelda for sure. i fucking love those games and they mean a lot to me. 

Do you skip tutorials, or find them useful?

i often skip them because i cant pay attention, but then find that i need them anyway. so i usually do skim through them. 

Best online gaming experience?

one really good one happened a few days ago in ffxiv, some guy and i exchanged emotes for like 30 minutes and it ended with us becoming friends on psn :’) ppl dont usually emote back at me in that game so this was really wholesome and nice gjshksdj 

Worst online gaming experience?

i dont really have a worst? theyre more annoying. think try harders in gta online killing you 15 times in a row because they want to show you how good they are or something. magically, online gaming hasnt been too hard on me (mainly because i dont game online that much)

Why do you game?

it brings me joy. it’s a fun way of relaxing, while being stimulated at the same time. games have meant a great deal to me the past 6 years and i wouldnt want to lose them for the world.

[loregoddess]

All the zeldas. Just. All. Of them

I….Michi I was going to apologize for not getting to this until today, but considering how many Zelda games there are I no longer regret not doing this last night.

Under the cut, bc do you know how many games there are including spinoffs? Too many to not be under a cut.

The Legend of Zelda

never played | want to play | terrible | boring |okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

I watched my brother and mom play it bc we have it on this special edition disk that had like, four LoZ games on it, and it’s certainly a game of its time which means it’s super-hard if you don’t know what you’re doing, and still hard even if you do, so I probably won’t try it anytime soon.

The Adventure of Link

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

This was also one of the games on the aforementioned special edition disk, which I watched my brother and mom attempt far enough to know you couldn’t pay me to try and beat the game. My understanding is this is fundamentally one of the most–if not THE most–difficult games in the entire franchise. A product of it’s time, entirely unique in it’s RPG-style mechanics which didn’t work out for the gameplay that well, I’ve only read one story of someone beating the game it’s that hard.

Despite not wanting to play either of the very first two games, I really love the implied story components of each, esp. in terms of the ever-inconsistent and changing lore. So, for story and maps, these games are neat.

A Link to the Past

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

The very first LoZ game I ever played, so it has a special place in my heart. Also the first game to introduce the “zelda formula” that made the series so successful, so I gotta applaud it for that too.

Link’s Awakening / Link’s Awakening DX

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

I roughly know the story components and this is…one hell of a weird story, but like, I love the design for the Wind Fish, and Marin came from this game so I kinda want to try playing it for myself eventually.

Ocarina of Time

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

The first time I played this was well after I played Wind Waker, so this game doesn’t have the nostalgia factor for me that it has for most fans. When I first played it I got tired of Navi bugging me to save Zelda, even though I was in the middle of having fun with side quests, so I stopped and never beat it. When I went back years later to try and beat it I got stuck in Ganon’s Tower and refused to look up a guide, and have thus, still never beat it. Eventually I should look up a playthough of the ending just so I know exactly what happens, bc even though this isn’t one of my fave games, it’s so important for timeline theory and lore that I kinda need to know shit about the game. Not actually sure how I got through the Water Temple twice.

Majora’s Mask

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

Listen. I like side quests. They’re fun. But generally speaking they’re optional and not needed to complete the main storyline. When I found out that the only way to have a relatively easy time getting into this game’s “water temple” was by completing a ton of other side quests, it kinda broke my will to complete the game. Also I don’t do well on timers, so I dunno if I’ll ever beat this game. I mean I still might try bc there’s a lot of interesting story points in the game, but like, I really, really, really hate being put on a time limit and having to restart the three-day cycle constantly. Love the dark themes though, those are fun.

Oracle of Seasons & Ages

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed?

(I lumped these two games together bc there’s a way to link the stories, but they are technically two different games.) I seem to remember a friend of my mom’s lending one of these games to me and my brother a long time ago but I couldn’t get past the first dungeon bc I was young and sucked at boss fights. I might buy and try to play these games at some point though bc the stories are really interesting and the games are cheapish on Nintendo’s eshop.

Four Swords

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

It, uh…it exists. Dunno much about it but I hate the map bc it fucks up all of my land- and cartography-based theory-crafting.

Wind Waker

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed?

So I can’t remember if I, personally, have ever beaten the game, but I did make it to the end before going off to do side quests, and also my brother beat it which I watched, so I know the entire story. Overall a good game, my only major complaint is Tetra turning white after she “becomes Princess Zelda” and also the fact that she goes from kickass pirate to passive damsel in distress. My favorite Ganondorf, for both design and story. Also the graphics aged surprisingly well? Oh, and I loved the Rito, and the exploration aspect was one of the best executed of any LoZ game (the best in my opinion, before BotW came along). Gameplay and mechanics were one of the strongest of any LoZ game I’ve played as well.

Four Swords Adventures

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

This is one of the really underrated LoZ games, but honestly the gameplay is? Really solid and fun. Also the graphics were really good, esp. considering 2D style games weren’t being made as often when it came out. This is one of like, two or three LoZ games that I’ve beaten more than once–in fact I think I’ve beaten this game more than any other LoZ game, and it’s probably my first or second most-replayed-and-beaten game of any game I’ve played. It’s kinda like, a comfort game for me. Also the manga for this game was excellent.

Minish Cap

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

Another really underrated game with solid gameplay and graphics. Like, this game is really good, and I also really loved the story.

Twilight Princess

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | EXCELLENT | a favorite | played but never completed

This is my personal favorite LoZ game of the entire series, I really, really love this game. It’s also the only LoZ that I know I’ve beaten 100%, like all the side quests, all the heart containers, items, poe souls, everything. One of the few LoZ games that I’ve replayed and beaten multiple times. It was also the first LoZ game that I completed bc I used to have a bad habit of never beating LoZ games for some reason. Also the home of my two top fave LoZ characters, Midna and Shad. I just…I really love this game.

Phantom Hourglass

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

I hate putting “terrible” down for any game, but listen. The mechanics were a nightmare, everything about trying to move around and fight was so frustrating. The only reason I stuck with the game as long as I did was Linebeck–but when I learned the last dungeon was also the dungeon I’d been forced to go through again and again and again, I just…couldn’t do it and I’ve never picked up the game since. I should look up the ending for this as well, bc the story was good, it’s just…the gameplay…no.

Spirit Tracks

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

I hated playing Phantom Hourglass, so I never even bought this one. The aesthetics are cute, like I really like the trains and stuff, and it’s neat that Zelda travels with you. But the colonialist undertones are…yikes.

Skyward Sword

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

I really enjoyed playing this game, despite the fact that there was too much hand-holding and Fi’s assistance was more annoying than helpful most of the time. But the story and the visuals, and the music–I really enjoyed those aspects of the game. I’ve also replayed and beaten this game a couple of times, despite the flaws, just bc I was really endeared to the characters and story.

A Link Between Worlds

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

This was another really fun game, and I really liked all of the characters and the cute graphics. Not much to say on this bc it was honestly just, really fun and good. It was a really fun way to revive the Hyrule of A Link to the Past.

Tri Force Heroes

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

My friend bought this as a graduation present for me, but it’s more fun to play together with two other people, so I haven’t been able to play it much past the first couple of areas, but what I did play was quirky and fun.

Breath of the Wild

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

I really enjoyed playing the game, and generally speaking it’s one of the most solid games in terms of gameplay and mechanics. And the exploration is excellent, like it was so much fun to explore the gigantic world of Hyrule. But. There needed to be more story, more lore, and more music. Like what we got was great, but it was extremely lacking, even compared to games with glaring plot holes in the story, like there was just so little to work with. And there was too much “here’s these mysterious ruins that we will tell you nothing about and there’s no way to learn anything about them. ever.” moments while I was exploring. And just, I wanted more story really, more than anything.

Literally all the CGi games and games produced between 1993-1997

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

Enough said.

I’m also lumping all the Tingle spinoff games together bc this is getting really long

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

Tingle is a discomfort character for me, like not a major discomfort character, just a minor one, but enough that I’ve never willingly looked into these games, despite any good things I’ve heard about them.

Game & Watch Zelda

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

I didn’t even know this existed.

Link’s Crossbow Training

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

I know that this takes place in the Twilight Princess Hyrule, but that’s about it.

My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

never played | want to play? | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

Listen, I had no idea this existed either, but? It’s based off my fave game so? If I get the chance to play it, then I sure as hell will give it a whirl.

Hyrule Warriors (including Legends and the Definitive Edition)

never played | want to play | terrible | boring | okay | good | great | a favorite | played but never completed

I never got the original game bc it was for the Wii U, but I have Legends and my brother bought the Definitive Edition, the latter of which I’m currently playing. It’s honestly just a plain fun game, with solid gameplay. I like being able to feel powerful and badass, and literally half the playable characters are women which is nearly unheard of in fighting-based games. And like? I can play as TWO different versions of Midna? AND Impa is so gorgeous and really well-written, like damn, I love her so much. Linkle is actually really fun to play and really cool, and I like the fact that she isn’t just “Link but a girl” like she really stands on her own as a unique character. It’s also pretty interesting to be able to play as several villains. My only complaint is Cia, but not bc she’s a poorly written character or fanservice central, but like…LoZ in particular has a really, really bad habit of coding the evil and corrupted final big bad guy as dark-skinned and like…having an evil dark-skinned villainess who’s also fanservicy especially with Lana being Cia’s “light and goodness” it’s just…yikes. I don’t think I need to spell that out further. My understanding is that Cia gets a redemption arc of some sort eventually, but I’m not far enough in the story mode to confirm this. I sure as hell hope it’s true bc she deserves better than to just be an evil, albeit okay-written, fanservice villain.

And that’s all of them, this literally took me all day. I now know of several games I had no idea existed, yet I have no idea what to do with this info.

[aion-rsa]

20 Nintendo Games That Changed History

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In an industry dependent on ever-changing technology, there’s no video game company quite like Nintendo. They made a name for themselves as the company so synonymous with gaming that parents called every game console “Nintendos” for years to come, and they’re still the source of some of gaming’s greatest modern experiences.

There have been a lot of discussions over the years about the best Nintendo games, but there’s an arguably more interesting conversation to be had about the most important Nintendo games. After all, Nintendo hasn’t just consistently delivered the games that defined the childhoods of multiple generations; they’ve spent decades delivering games that changed gaming for the better by innovating in ways that elevated our expectations.

Of course, it’s certainly no coincidence that these Nintendo games that forever changed the history of gaming also happen to rank high among the best games ever.

*Note: Games published and developed by Nintendo were considered for this list.

Donkey Kong

1981

Rather than focus on Donkey Kong’s many “on-screen” innovations (of which there were many), I’d like to argue that its spot on this shortlist is earned due to the significance of its behind-the-scenes history.

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As the game that essentially launched the design career of the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto, Donkey Kong put the entire game development scene on notice. Its blend of storytelling, characters, and gameplay revolutionized the industry and helped show that games could be more than the bright lights and big sounds that caught your attention across a crowded arcade floor.

Duck Hunt

1984

Along with Nintendo’s R.O.B. accessory and that device’s compatible games, Duck Hunt helped Nintendo revitalize the Western console market by luring people in with the promise of a digital toy rather than yet another video game console.

While R.O.B. was arguably a bigger part of that strategy, it’s a testament to Nintendo’s brilliance that Duck Hunt ended up being a very good game despite the fact it was a piece in what amounted to an elaborate Trojan Horse marketing push. It also helped convincingly bring the “light gun” genre from the arcades to our homes.

Excitebike

1984

The fact that you could enjoy Excitebike to this day despite the fact it offered relatively simple gameplay even when it was released in 1984 speaks to its longevity, but as you’ve probably guessed, this one is here mostly because of its course creator.

Excitebike wasn’t the first game to feature such a tool, but never before had such an option been offered in a game that was so fundamentally fun. In the years that followed, more and more developers were pressured to offer us some kind of creative element in their games, and we’ve been reaping the rewards ever since.

Super Mario Bros.

1985

Super Mario Bros. is the most important video game ever made. A statement like that is typically designed to inflame and trigger debates, but in this case, that bold claim is a near fact.

Along with its many gameplay and design innovations, Super Mario Bros. changed how we talked about video games. Suddenly, the thrill of discovery was just as important as the mastery of a game’s mechanics. There’s a reason Mario is still Nintendo’s mascot.  This is the game that taught millions to truly love what video games had become and would soon be.

The Legend of Zelda

1986

The Legend of Zelda deserves to be on this list for its battery backup save system alone (passwords were always a nightmare), but when I think back on just how revolutionary this game was, I dwell on the ways it allowed us to look beyond the barriers of game design at a time when most developers were still amazed those barriers were possible in the first place.

Zelda was one of the first games many of us played that didn’t feel like it was shepherding us through levels. Those levels were there in some form, but you can’t overstate the thrill of discovering that it was up to you to find them in your own way. At a time when video games often promised an almost otherworldly adventure, Zelda offered that with remarkably few compromises.

Metroid

1987

Yes, Metroid is the grandfather of the “Metroidvania” genre as well many little design decisions that are considered to be advanced even in the modern age. As I’ve noted before, though, my memories of how Metroid changed gaming forever are almost all based on the title’s atmosphere.

Metroid benefited from a level of artistic and design direction that many people didn’t even know a game was capable of producing at that time. The game had this way of reaching out from the screen and wrapping you in its world that we wouldn’t start expecting from titles until well into the 3D age. 

Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior

1989

Early RPG experiences like Dungeons and Dragons and the many computer games that followed that tabletop classic’s mechanics were revolutionary, popular, and, for many, largely inaccessible and entirely overwhelming.

Dragon Quest helped change how RPGs were perceived by gamers and the global game industry by finding new ways to present classic RPG mechanics in a package that felt much more approachable. Yes, that meant the rise of the JRPG, and yes, it meant innovations in video game storytelling, but Dragon Quest’s most lasting legacy may be how it slowly led more gamers to realize that they could handle (and craved) something deeper. 

Tetris

1989

Though Tetris was playable on computers long before its Game Boy debut, it’s hardly a surprise that’s the version of the game many of us think of when we think of this timeless masterpiece.

Along with helping establish the handheld gaming industry and revolutionizing the puzzle genre, the Game Boy version of Tetris taught many people who didn’t consider themselves to be gamers that they were just one great game away from becoming addicted. At a time when there’s still a cultural divide between “hardcore” and “mainstream” gamers, Tetris proves that there’s some kind of gamer in most of us.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light

1990

As an early example of the turn-based strategy genre, the first Fire Emblem game helped break barriers by showing console gamers they didn’t need a PC to enjoy tactical experiences.

More importantly, this title utilized role-playing mechanics in a way that immediately separated it from nearly every other strategy title on the market. It was an early instance of a studio utilizing basic role-playing concepts in a way that would greatly enhance another genre’s core experience. The following decades would see many more studios rely on similar techniques.

Mario Paint

1992

In the midst of a kind of golden age for educational games, Nintendo released Mario Paint: a project that convinced a generation of gamers that there was a creative side of them that was just waiting to burst free.

By adding a slight “gamification” element to otherwise basic design and visual creation tools, Nintendo tapped into the inherent fun of an otherwise often overwhelming creative process and allowed millions to share and recognize that joy they felt making something come to life. Many Nintendo games made us want to be game designers, but it was Mario Paint that gave quite a few future artists, designers, and developers the confidence to go out and do it.

Donkey Kong Country

1994

You can argue over the “value” of video game graphics compared to every other design aspect of the medium, but it’s hard to argue that graphics haven’t been a historically vital selling point. One of the earliest games to properly recognize and utilize the value of that selling point has to be Donkey Kong Country.

Along with Myst, Donkey Kong Country helped change our collective expectations for video game visuals. We were talking about graphics before Donkey Kong Country, but when this game came along, it felt like everyone stopped the arguments over technological superiority and just took a moment to appreciate something beautiful and wonder how it happened. Nintendo (and Rare) raised the bar for raw video game visuals with this one in a way you could argue they haven’t really done since.

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Super Mario 64

1996

If you really want to appreciate Super Mario 64’s legacy, go back and play the other 3D games that came before it. For that matter, play quite a few of the games that came out shortly thereafter. What you’ll find are the remnants of a time when developers clearly didn’t know how 3D design was ever going to capture the simple pleasures of notable 2D titles.

Super Mario 64 wasn’t necessarily “perfect” in that respect, but what it did was allow us to celebrate the joy of navigating a 3D space rather than constantly struggle with the design hurdles associated with that goal. More than just a landmark in 3D controls and world design, though, Super Mario 64 showed that Nintendo magic was alive and thriving in the third dimension. It’s arguably still the best 3D platformer ever made.

Pokemon Red/Blue

1996

It’s tough to properly describe what it was like growing up in the early days of Pokemon. It came out of nowhere to take the world over and is considered by many young gamers to be the first significant piece of pop culture that felt like it truly belonged to their generation.

Yes, Pokemon would inspire a legion of “knock-offs,” but the thing I can’t get over all these years later is how the original Pokemon games created this global community of fans despite being fairly complicated and deep titles that could take dozens of hours to beat. It wasn’t just a pop culture phenomenon that went on to make billions of dollars; it was a substantial piece of game design that resonated as it innovated.

Goldeneye 007

1997

At a time when the barriers that prevented many console gaming fans from playing the newest PC games were often too great to overcome, the idea of playing a competitive multiplayer shooter existed alongside a trip to the moon. It was this idea that thrilled and eluded a generation.

GoldenEye 007 not only allowed those gamers to experience an incredible competitive shooter; it gave them one of their own. No, GoldenEye couldn’t hold a candle to titles like Tribes or the most ambitious PC shooters of that era in terms of scope, but those PC shooters couldn’t quite replicate the feeling of sharing a room and a screen with friends who came together over GoldenEye and traded in hours of their lives for memories that would never fade.

Star Fox 64

1997

You know, I really struggled with whether or not to include Star Fox 64 on this list. Is this game really worthy of being put alongside such noteworthy peers largely because it helped popularize the rumble feature in console gaming? However, when you consider that variations of that feature are still being used to sell console peripherals to this day, I’d say the answer would have to be “yes.” The ways that Star Fox 64 used the Rumble Pak essentially made console manufacturers everywhere throw out whatever they were working on and embrace what would clearly become the future.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

1998

When somebody first described Ocarina of Time to me, I couldn’t believe it. What they were describing was the game I dreamed I was playing for so many years but never thought I’d actually get to enjoy outside of my imagination.

Ocarina of Time proved that studios were capable of crafting the controls, cameras, and other gameplay mechanics that made the games of our dreams possible. It would be years before industry standards were on the level of the work Nintendo did here, but Ocarina of Time gave studios a blueprint for success that it sometimes references to this day.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

2001

No, it wasn’t the first Super Smash Bros. game, but Melee lays claim to unique longevity that its predecessor doesn’t enjoy and its successors have arguably been chasing.

Nearly 20 years after its release, Melee is still the game millions of fans swear by. They may have modded and upgraded it, but this is the title that has launched tournaments, communities, and expectations for excellence within this genre that would otherwise be unrealistic were it not for the fact that this game made it established them so effectively.

Animal Crossing

2001

Animal Crossing: New Horizons became the gaming craze of 2020 by virtue of being the game we needed most during unbelievably difficult times. What’s truly remarkable, though, is that most of that game’s best features were innovated by this 2001 title that predicted how much we’d one day need a game exactly like it. 

Through a brilliant real-time clock system, Animal Crossing drastically slowed down the pace of the average game in 2001 and argued we all needed to take a little time to share the little things with the ones we love or even just smell the roses. It was a niche concept at the time, but the series’ ever-growing fanbase proved just how ahead of its time it really was.

Wii Sports

2006

I’ll never be able to tell you just how grateful I am that we’re out of the motion control era (mostly), but I can also count on one hand the games released since Wii Sports that have come close to replicating the experience it offered nearly every time that you played it.

No matter how long you’d been gaming, Wii Sports offered something that you just had to play and play again to really wrap your head around. It brought us together to appreciate this simple and undeniable joy delivered through advanced technology, which was also the core of the NES’ appeal and thus the promise the modern gaming industry was basically founded on. It also must be noted that this was the main reason why over 100 million people bought a Nintendo Wii.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

2017

At a time when open-world games were starting to feel formulaic, Nintendo came along and showed the industry that they needed to go back to the drawing board and find the magic that had been lost in the genre’s increased complacency.

By combining elements of survival games, open-world titles, Dark Souls, and yes, the best Zelda adventures, Breath of the Wild broke through the cynicism that sometimes comes with years of technological advancements and reminded all of us that the ability to explore a fully realized world brimming with mysteries could be a simply magical experience.

The post 20 Nintendo Games That Changed History appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[zel-duhhh]

I’ve been playing Zelda titles for many many years. The first game I ever owned was Phantom Hourglass. I’ve loved the series for a long time, but no iteration of Zelda has ever enchanted me more than botw Zelda. Its kinda hard to describe honestly. It’s been well over a year since botw came out but got damn I’m still so in love with that beautiful lady. Just seeing a gif or pic of her makes me instantly happy. Not a question but I feel you would relate to this

BOI do I relate to this! Phantom Hourglass was actually my first game too and as a kid I enjoyed everything about it, then when Skyward Sword came out I remember being so instilled with excitement and wonder, seeing the poster ad at EB Games made my heart flutter basically because I was so ready! That game hit something in me man, I’ve never cried while playing a video game until Skyward Sword. Flash to a few years later and we finally get the first trailer of Breath of the Wild and man… the adrenaline that went through me… flash to another year later and we got that second trailer, I cried watching it and hearing Zelda’s voice MAN. Then we got that third trailer, BOI THAT THIRD TRAILER! I watched it so many times and I cried so many times just waiting for the game! Then bringing the game home and turning it on? I cannot express my emotions in wording enough, I cried when I ran out of that cave and got a landscape look at the game. Then seeing that first memory of Zelda? I would die for her. I just love her character and the voice acting? Sooo good! I’ve been playing this game for over a year (since it came out and then some) because I just don’t want the game to end, I still find so much beauty in the game and I just can’t get enough of it! And honestly, Zelda herself? She is so amazing, she has such a character about her and I can totally relate to how you feel about her! SS Zelda also holds a special place in my heart! But BotW Zelda is so... amazing.... and those are my thoughts of the series and Zelda herself.

INJECT ZELDA INTO MY VEINS PLEASE!!!!!

(Also sorry for the delay in answering)

[nakovesh]

The Girl for the Trees

Glittering embers flickered from the fire, twirling in their lazy dance skyward to play as stars for a canopy too dense and nubilous to have ever allowed anything celestial through. A husky, though oddly dulcet voice lofted with the embers in a language strange and wild. Shifting beneath a heavy mite thread blanket, a girl looked down at her bandaged middle. She winced as she placed her hand over the tightly bound gauze. It still hurt, but the waiting was worse. She was so tired of resting, of not hunting with her sisters. Eyeing her father’s form, silhouetted by the campfire’s light, she wondered how distracted with the song his mind and ears would be. Placing her hands on the ground by her hips, she used their admittedly shaky strength to lift herself just slightly from her bed, shifting back silently from under the blankets. Only one small foot hung over the edge of the wooden platform that served as her resting place when the song abruptly stopped. Her father didn’t even turn to look at her. He didn’t have to. 

“Koko,” the man chided gently, a throaty chuckle just barely held back. “There will be no spontaneous hunts tonight. Get that little hind paw back under your blanket. Rest.”

The girl’s chin jut forward stubbornly in a pout. Defiant in her sluggishness, she lifted her foot to retreat back under the Blanket of Unending and Boring Punishment. 

“Fine,” she huffed, resigning herself to sitting back against her blankets. “Then will you please tell me the story again? The one of the princess, the farmboy, and the smuggler?” Her tone was hopeful, distracted from her frustration with her own idea, her pout replaced with a fond grin. “I would like to hear again about why the old man let down his sword and allowed Inquisitor Vadert to strike him down! I still do not understand that, father.”

When the man finally turned toward his daughter, the edges of his eyes were crinkled with a grin, toothy and wide, a mirror of her own. “Because, my dear little huntress, the farmboy needed to understand that some weapons cannot be seen. That the edge of love and mercy can cut far deeper than any blade of steel.”

The girl drew up her knees, hugging them to her chest as she pressed a check to one, resting her head as she listened. As her father went on to illustrate the scene, quoting the actors, and moving his hands animatedly as a painter to a canvas, the girl’s eyelids began to grow heavy. Try as she might to listen to how young Luc cried out for his mentor from across the waterfront, the words soon gave way to her own dreams, her hands falling limply to her blankets.

An inky canopy that rarely saw even the light of the moon gave way to a harsh and unrelenting sun. Nako blinked and squinted in annoyance at it, throwing an arm over her eyes to shield them. Licking her lips found them chapped and laden with sand, mouth parched. She rolled onto her belly, climbing to her hands and knees. How had she gotten here? 

Octavius. Her sword. So much fear and blood.

So much blood, but upon looking herself over, none of it was hers. So why then was it so hard to rise to her feet? Why did it feel as if she were standing on a mat someone was trying to pull out from under her?

Finally getting her feet beneath her, she staggered blindly forward, her vision swimming and shifting before her. Sparse trees, a worn cobble road, behind her an enormous bridge, to her right volatile aether, buzzing like a swarm of bees. Highbridge, she realised, and Wellwick. Not far from home. Nako closed her eyes and drew an unsteady breath, before staggering up the road. When released that breath and her next step landed, her boot was not met with the expected dulled crunch of sand upon stone, but something yielding and soft. Blearily, her eyes flickered open to the sight of… moss and loam beneath her wobbling feet.

Swinging her head drunkenly upwards, Nako beheld tall trees and a winding path lined with steadily more verdant foliage as it went on. The Miqo’te paused in her steps, not quite able to fathom what had happened. Had she not just been in the heat of Thanalan a moment before? Had she lost that much time as she journeyed? She was certain she had only taken the single step, but then perhaps she was more addled than she realized.

I didn’t matter, she reasoned. She needed to go home and rest. 

Home. Nako allowed the word to roll about her mind lazily as she plodded up the forest path. It was a strange word, or concept, transient and liminal. Recently she had thought that home meant her friends, her family of the heart, not bound by blood. But, somehow, that was not where her feet were taking her, not where her very soul seemed to pull thread-thin as it strained to grasp something. Dimly, almost as if observing her own actions from afar, she realized this was strange. She should go to one or more of those she held in her heart, as she knew they would help her, but her feet would not allow it. Something would not allow it. 

As Nako continued to be tugged along toward the center of the wood, the canopy ebbed from verdant to abyssal as pulsing din grew more distinct in her head. The song that was no song and without sound, felt like an exhalation of a long-held breath, or breeze buffeting through grass, low and humming, with a beat like a slowly snapping branch. A hymn at once horribly familiar and alien.

Her toe, catching the edge of a stone, sent Nako stumbling for the treeline, one hand outstretched to catch herself upon the trunk of a tree. A rosewood, she faintly realized as the scent caught her nose. She sagged there for a moment, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to distinguish her own breath from the chorus in her head. For a moment it seemed to quiet, as if she had fallen into a still pool, all stimulus muffled. 

At first Nako thought her hand was moving of its own accord as the bark seemed to shift. Her head swayed toward the tree as she reluctantly opened her eyes again. The bark, dark and scaled as rosewood’s should be, was flattening out, the flakes of wood drawing in toward the trunk, snagging the skin of her palm as it retreated. She stared in abject awe as the tree began to turn from a rich brown to a fuzzy green as moss spread over its surface and bloomed between her splayed fingers. She lifted her face toward the boughs and found no familiar almond shaped leaves, but needles and berries of the yew.

Gradually, the not-song, returned, consuming more of her mind this time.

Even in her addled state, Nako knew she was now deep within the Twelveswood. Absent for years as she had been, she still knew the moss and the groundcover of the deepwood instantly, the very scent of the air, dewy and thick as it clung to her skin.

Though Nako observed her next steps as unsteady as they had been since coming aware in Thanalan, they no longer felt labored. She seemed to drift on, like the needles flickering toward the ground from the branches above her. Or below her? She was no longer certain. A tree grows up as much as it grows down. A bee is just a grub with means to traverse air rather than soil. Nako no longer felt distinct from these things, she realized. Flesh or loam? Did it matter? Countless crawling things still found home in it.

Drifting on unfeeling feet, Nako found herself in a small clearing where moonlight seemed to touch, if faintly. In the middle stood a stout tree, its trunk bowed like a cauldron, buttress roots coiling like veins into its bark, small leaves bursting stubbornly upward only trail down on viney branches that tickled at the moss on the clearing floor. Beside it stood a figure, turned away, broad shoulders slightly hunched as it looked at something in its hands, silver ears flicking in her direction. The figure turned as it tucked a book under its arm, revealing luminous golden eyes with a familiar crinkle at their corners.

Nako thought she might have said his name, but wasn’t certain until his lips turned up in a sad smile. A smile so much like her own in its toothiness.

“Koko,” he said softly, extending a rough hand toward her. “I wish we could have reunited under better circumstances. I pictured Ishgard, and you in polished armor, and me with new stories.” He pulled her close for a hug that made something distant within her ache to feel it. He lifted his hands to gently draw her hair away from her dirty face and looked into her eyes for a moment, a hint of anger clenched at his ashen face. 

“I was so arrogant then,” he whispered. “I should not have played as I did with things I did not understand.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her hairline and Nako distantly noticed a creaking sound ebbing from the tree, barely heard over the strange aria and her father’s words.

“But now, I suppose it does extend your life, hm? After I repeated again and again, the very foundation of Conjury is to not draw upon your own...” He trailed off almost uncertainly, taking hold of her shoulders and gingerly turned her toward the tree. “Forgive me.”

For what? She wondered, not that it much mattered as she neared an opening in the tree trunk that hadn’t been there when she arrived. Just past the rent in the bark, a soft, verdant effulgence pulsed as if with a heartbeat. Idly, she lifted a hand toward it and met a wall of viscous ichor. Sap, she noted, absently as she drew her hand away and sticky thread clung to her finger.

“Forgive me, Koko,” she thought she might have heard again as the hands on her shoulders seemed to stiffen and press her body toward the tree. She lifted a foot to steady herself on a root and offered no protest as she sunk into the gelatinous sap, obscuring everything but the drone of the not-song.

[matayu-sometimes-writes-stuff]

On Final Fantasy XIII

          I have to admit that I went into this game expecting to be disappointed. While I have intended for a while now to play through every non-MMO Final Fantasy game, at the time I started playing it I had only completed the original and FFII, and was around halfway through FFIII. The only reason I decided to play it now was availability; my brother had a copy, so I didn’t need to purchase it for myself.

           I hadn’t really heard much about the game other than “It’s bad” and “It’s Final Hallway XIII lol”. And while there is certainly an argument to be made that FFXIII is objectively a bad game, and the “hallway” criticism (that most of the game’s areas are linear, with barely any deviation in route) is valid, I absolutely loved this game. I would not recommended it to anyone who isn’t determined to play it through, for reasons I’ll elaborate on later, but this is currently my favourite Final Fantasy game, beating out the original, II, III, and now IV (which I am at the final dungeon of as of this writing).

           I’ll address the criticisms first. Beginning with the “hallway” criticism. Yes, of the game’s 13 chapters, only the area in chapter 11 (which can be revisited during chapter 13) offers any sort of exploration. It’s also where the game’s version of side quests are introduced. Note that although it’s labeled as chapter 11, almost two thirds of the game take place in this open area. I understand that this isn’t worth ten chapters of linearity to some people, but I actually found the linearity of the game to be quite enjoyable. Some people make the argument that the linearity is necessary for story purposes, as our six protagonists are fugitives from their government, and don’t have the time to be running around looking for twenty bear asses with the army breathing down their necks. This is a valid defense, but I have a much simpler one.

           Of all the Final Fantasy games I’ve played, Final Fantasy XIII was the first and thus far only one where I didn’t need an internet walkthrough to figure out where the fuck I was supposed to fucking GO.

           Maybe it’s because I’ve only played NES and SNES-era Final Fantasy games for comparison, but FFXII was so much more enjoyable simply because I didn’t need to constantly be checking a mile-long GameFAQs walkthough every twenty minutes or so, searching for place names or proper nouns just for some hint of where I needed to be. Now, this changed when I started doing the aforementioned side quests, if only because there’s no indication on the in-game map where the questgivers are unless the quest is active, but until that point I had no need for cross-checking a walkthrough. Hopefully this will get better when I finally get through the 16-bit era, but until then the linearity that I’ve heard so many people complain about is one of Final Fantasy XIII’s biggest draws for me. The linearity made the game more fun.

           As mentioned earlier, the game only really opens up in chapter 11, which is where the majority of the game’s runtime is. This is because chapters 1 through 9, and most of 10, are the game’s tutorial.

           These segments are roughly 20 hours long.

           Final Fantasy XIII has a 20-hour-long tutorial. There’s really no way to spin that as a positive. The game uses that time to its advantage, introducing five of the six protagonists from the get-go and developing them in a way that I quite enjoyed, and will say more on later. The fact of the matter is, though, that 20 hours is a ridiculous time to spend teaching the player how to use your combat system. I’m not sure if it makes it better or worse that it does legitimately take 20 hours to master Final Fantasy XIII’s version of the Active Time Battle system.

           Again, full disclosure, I wound up loving the combat system in FFXIII. But I didn’t understand how it worked until around chapter five. To explain, you have a party of at most three characters. You control one character directly, and the other two are controlled by the game’s AI, which takes its cues from you. Each character has a combination of three of six possible roles. You create what the game calls “paradigms”, six sets of any three of the available roles that you can freely switch between during combat. This allows for a party in trouble to switch on the fly from offensive classes to (for example) a tank and two healers. Once you get a handle on it, it’s very intuitive. The problem is, of course, how long it takes to get a handle on it. Twenty hours is still ridiculous.

           Ultimately, a video game succeeds or fails on its gameplay. You can have the most gorgeous backgrounds, beautiful music, and memorable characters, but if the game is hard to play, all that falls by the wayside. Looking at you, Skyward Sword. But that’s a discussion for another time.

           I’m sure the twenty-hour long tutorial turned people off of FFXIII when it first came out. I do agree that it’s ridiculous, and it’s most of the reason why I wouldn’t recommend the game to anyone who wanted something just to pick up and play. My brother, who you’ll remember is the one who actually owns the copy I played, never actually finished the game, nor has any desire to. I likely would have put it down myself if I hadn’t resolved myself to playing it all the way through. I’m glad I did. But if you aren’t approaching it with that mindset, I wouldn’t expect you to enjoy it.

           Speaking of enjoying things, let’s move on to what I actually liked about this game, which is the story and characters. I don’t know how it stacks up against more contemporary Final Fantasy games, but I personally was glad to not be playing yet another Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The story is mostly driven by its characters.

           Claire “Lightning” Farron is the face of Final Fantasy XIII, and the only character I knew about heading in. What I knew, or rather had heard, was that her character was “Cloud Strife but as a woman.” I’ll be the first to admit that, since I haven’t played Final Fantasy VII yet, I don’t know how firsthand how true this assessment is. However, from what I’ve been able to gather from pop-cultural osmosis, this is almost completely untrue. Lightning was designed with “female Cloud” in mind, but for the most part this is where the similarities end.

           Lightning is essentially the single parent of her little sister Serah, and is overprotective of her to a fault.  This has caused an estrangement between the two of them, exacerbated by Lightning’s disapproval of Serah’s fiancé, who will be discussed when we get to him. When Serah is cursed by what are essentially minor gods in this setting with a task that will either transform her into a mindless monster if she fails or put her in stasis potentially forever if she succeeds, Lighting sets out on a quest to rescue her from her fate, to the extent of defying her own gods-given task, and heaven help anyone who gets in her way.

          One of the weaknesses of Final Fantasy XIII, in my opinion, is that the game’s engine doesn’t give its characters the most expressive of faces. Lightning is a very reserved person, but you are able to figure out how she’s feeling from careful consideration and inference based on what she says versus what she’s been through. This could be made much easier if the engine was capable of rendering microexpressions. I do kind of hope FFXIII will get a high-definition rerelease, if only so that this sort of thing could be added.

          Lightning’s arc in this game (it continues slightly in Final Fantasy XII-2, and completes in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII) involves her learning that even if Serah is getting married, it doesn’t mean she’s going to be alone in the world. She forges friendships that will last literal lifetimes with her fellow companions, one of whom is her future brother-in-law she despises so much.

          Time to talk about him. Snow Villiers is a dumbass. A moron. An idiot. An airhead.

          I love him so much.

          I didn’t always. I actually started out hating him just as much as Lightning did. Snow wants to be a hero. Sorry, make that a Hero™. He’s the leader of a citizen’s militia in his and the Farron sisters’ hometown, and he believes that a true hero never needs a plan, because of the laws of narrative causality or some such bullshit. Naturally his arc involves him realizing that that’s a really, REALLY stupid way to live your life. It’s actually better than I’m making it sound: he goes through a gradual realization that his philosophy is hindering others more than helping them, and goes through some low points before he learns how to temper his enthusiasm with careful planning and coordination. Part of this is coming to the conclusion that he can still be heroic, even if he (or anyone, really) can’t live up to the platonic ideal of heroism he has constructed for himself. I began by hating him, by the end of FFXIII I loved hating him, and by the end of the trilogy I actually genuinely grew to love him. But that’s a story for another time. Snow’s motivation is actually the same as Lightning’s: to rescue Serah Farron from her fate, regardless of who or what gets in the way.

          One of the people hurt by Snow’s general idiocy is another of our protagonists: a young boy of fourteen named Hope Estheim, whose mother volunteers to fight alongside Snow to defend her son. Her death isn’t COMPLETELY Snow’s fault, but both Snow and Hope act as if it is. It doesn’t help that she shares a name, Nora, with Snow’s militia. (No Obligations, Rules, or Authority. No, seriously.) Hope’s initial motivation is revenge against Snow. To the point of murder. Naturally this doesn’t play out, but Hope’s interactions with Lightning and Snow are a guiding factor in their own arcs, giving Lightning the familiar ground of a big-sister role as she teaches him how to survive on the run, and showing Snow that heroism is still possible even if you don’t match Snow’s ideal. (To elaborate, when given the opportunity to take revenge for his mother, Hope not only can’t go through with it, but shortly after that actually defends an unconscious Snow after the two survive a several-story fall.)

          Hope comes into his own after reuniting with his father, whom he was afraid would shun him both for not being able to save his mother, and for becoming one of the gods-cursed beings that the general public are being made to fear. Bartholomew Estheim not only reassures him that he would never feel that way about his own son, but gives Hope the confidence he needs to stand up and take action of his own accord, rather than reacting to what’s happening to him as he had been doing. Hope’s a good kid.

          To contrast, Sazh Katzroy is a good father. He’s the oldest member of the main cast, old enough to have a young son, Dajh. Dajh is cursed in a similar way to Serah, and Sazh’s journey is about trying to get him back from the government, who in a cruel twist are using the powers the curse gave him to hunt our protagonists. Sazh is effectively the team dad, and honestly his arc can be summed up with a single GIF of Marlin from Finding Nemo. “Have you seen my son?!”

          Kidding aside, what Sazh has to go through are probably the most realistically terrifying events of the game. He’s a single father whose preschool-aged son is not just missing, but has been taken from him. And like everyone else under the curse, Dajh is on a ticking clock to decide which fate worse than death awaits him. There’s actual, realistic fear there, and I did really care about seeing the two reunited.

          Sazh also got the chance to act as a surrogate father to Oerba Dia Vanille, the fifth and final character who’s introduced from the get-go. For initially unexplained reasons, she’s the only member of the main cast (that we’ve met) with an Australian accent. She’s bubbly, peppy, and dealing with a trainload of internalized guilt over events that happened 500 years before the game even began.

          Vanille, along with our sixth and later introduced really final party member, are the last survivors of a civilization that fought and lost a war against the floating colony the rest of the cast lives in 500 years ago. The two of them were cursed way back then, and entered stasis until the present day. Vanille is a gentle soul, and was horrified both at the number of innocent people she had killed way back when to complete her task, and at what her awakening had brought: both Serah and Dajh were cursed, by different gods, directly because of it. There’s actually a very touching scene shown as a flashback of Vanille meeting Serah a day or two before the events of the game proper, in which she essentially apologizes for what she’s done, and Serah forgives her despite not really understanding the extent of what Vanille was apologizing for. There’s also an even more powerful scene when Sazh finds out that what happened to Dajh was Vanille’s fault, after spending roughly a full day trying to keep the young woman alive. Sazh has a tough decision to make, but it ultimately results in Vanille realizing that she is worthy of forgiveness, which she can achieve by joining with the other characters to save the people she was tasked with destroying.

          The sixth and final party member is Oerba Yun Fang, introduced about a chapter or so after the rest as a “mysterious woman” before swooping in with an appropriately named renegade army faction (the Cavalry) to save the other characters from a tight spot. She also has an Australian accent, marking her and Vanille as native to the surface of the planet. (The difference is that Vanille’s VA is actually Australian. Fang’s is not.)

          Fang is in many ways a foil to Lightning. She has the same sort of big sister relationship to Vanille that Lightning has with Serah; although where Lightning is overprotective because she doesn’t want to lose her only family, Fang is overprotective because she and Vanille are literally the only members of their people left alive (to their and our knowledge), and they are actively being hunted down by a hostile nation. Fang’s motivation is to keep Vanille safe, at any cost, even her own humanity. There’s an often-quoted line: “I’ll tear down the sky if it’ll save her.” There are some people who view Fang and Vanille’s relationship as romantic, and while I understand where they’re coming from, I prefer the parity it gives the narrative if Fang and Vanille’s relationship is incredibly similar to that of Lightning and Serah’s. While Lightning learns to overcome her unfounded distrust of others, Fang is overcoming her very well founded distrust of others. Both women learn to open up to their companions; that they aren’t as alone in the world as they feel they have to be.

          I also really loved the ending of this game, so spoilers follow. The heroes win; what kind of Final Fantasy game would it be if the villain wins, eh? Though the floating colony does get dropped on the planet, our heroes were able to convince the army to evacuate the colony instead of fighting to the death, which means most of the civilians survived. Fang and Vanille, however, sacrificed themselves to stasis in crystal for an unknown amount of time to create a support pillar for the colony; it forms into the logo for the game, which I thought was a clever touch. Lightning, Snow, Sazh, and Hope are all rocketed to the surface of the planet, but survive via also being turned to crystal; they are freed from the stasis and the brands indicating them as cursed have mysteriously vanished. Out of the wreckage walks Serah and Dajh, also freed from the curse, to reunite with their families. Bartholomew Estheim is nowhere to be seen, but a codex entry in XIII-2 confirms that he survived and reunited with Hope after the fact. I would have liked for him to be there, but I understand that showing the reunion with Serah (and Dajh) was more important. It was a bit jarring hearing Leona Lewis in 2017, as I had forgotten she even existed, but apparently there was no way to translate the Japanese theme into English and have it still be lyrical AND make sense, so they substituted an English song with the same thematic elements. It’s a nice song, and it works. This was a good ending to a good story in a maybe-okay-at-best game.

          Beautiful music, lovely visuals, fantastic characters that play off each other, stacked up against a control system that takes almost a full day to learn, a slightly sluggish camera, and a linear, story-driven game world (which apparently counts as a bad thing for some reason). I love this game. I’ve heard very good things about VI, and everyone always gushes over VII and IX, but until I get to those, I have my favourite Final Fantasy, and it’s XIII.