#its sad but also a part of life and all...

[urstruly-ghst]

the 1 - the second years !

in which you return home with one last message: it would've been you.

author's note: love when we get to go home! but the cost?

cw: swearing

riddle rosehearts

how dare you?— that was riddle's first thought when you came to his dorm, ecstatic with the prospect of coming home. however, he knew that was selfish— his rose was finally getting their wish come true! what more can he ask?

yet, as he reaches out to your arm before you are whisked away, he only had one question: was he the one? the one you wish to have lived a humble life with? the one who would've been by your side for how long time will permit?

you smiled sadly, because, as much as you are ecstatic, you are gutted at the prospect of leaving him. he was one of your favorite— scratch that, he was your favorite part of twisted wonderland. he was your destined soulmate. how cruel was it for you to figure that out when you don't belong in his world.

"riddle, if i could just easily go back on forth... i would, because you are it, riddle. you're my..." you choked up and looked down at your interlocked hands,

"you're the one." riddle choked

ruggie bucchi

why was he here? ruggie asked as you snuck him out for something. he noticed you seem happier yet withdrawn. he reached out and when you spat you're going home? he froze and nearly wanted to leave you.

ruggie didn't need someone else to abandon him, not after all the shit he put through to make things work out. he's pissed, understandably so, but he also can't help but feel defeated. this "talk" could've been his time at work, he reasoned, but here he was— shattered at the prospect.

his first question was, why? he never had someone genuinely care for him that doesn't benefit them besides his family. so when you and him make it past that enormous mountain of doubt, it was a big deal. now here you are, leaving him for what? as he looked at you, he can't help but feel angry and worst of all, sad. because he usually finds ways, but here, he's defenseless once more.

"leave then." ruggie said as he tried to hide his flattened ears and teary eyes. you reach out to him and whispered your dreams of spending your last days with him.

"i would've loved nothing more than to grow old with you, stressing over bills and making ends meet... and maybe you'll find someone else, someone sweeter and..." you caress his face and smile. "and someone who'll be with you till they get to see you succeed."

azul ashengrotto

its unfair. azul would say, you were supposed to be with him until... then again, was there ever a contract? he prides himself that no one gets away from his grasp, yet here he is, losing the most important person he dreamed to have stayed.

azul dreamed of any outcome, just not this. he laughed, foolish enough to think you would've stayed forever. as you both huddle in your private space in the vip room, he can't help but want to make a deal with you, some deal to make you stay. why not delay for a year? a decade? but as he stared at your longing eyes, he knew he had to let you go.

but he can't help but wonder. you saw how azul accepted that the leech twins will leave him the moment the time comes, it took some time... but he surrendered to that fact long ago. azul blames himself for not doing the same with your departure. he should've kept some piece of himself behind, but how foolish is he to give you his whole heart.

"perhaps we can... my dear.. please" azul hiccuped as he hugged you and unable to find it in his mind to make you stay.

"azul..." you coo, "if i had a say in this, i would've... i would've loved to live this life with you. i would've loved to see you grow your empire and well... i would've been there in every waking moment to see you become the man you dream to be." you smile and kiss his head

"and if anything, i can see you becoming that amazing man." as you shakily kissed him, "you're the one i wish i can spend my whole life with"

jade leech

if you thought he'd not fight with you, you're dead wrong. you're welcome to sit there and think he'd grovel, but he's executing every means to delay you. but once he realizes he cannot keep you any longer, he just sits there in shock.

why? why aren't you going to fight against this? wasn't he a dream of yours? was he not worth the fight? he conjured up so many questions and unabashedly used some of his unique spell so you can speak your truth, and it hurt when you answer in full honesty.

can't he just whisk you away? why aren't you... you both sit together in pain and longing. so many times has jade gotten his way this was one of the first... it hurts. he stayed there holding you close, foolishy listening to your heartbeat.

"jade...?" you whispered, "i love you" he nodded with tears in his eyes. he whispered his reply and he glared at the fact you were honest. he wishes you lied, to make him feel angry... but..

"if i could lie to you, i would've. but jade, i meant it. you're the one. i wish i could say you weren't. it would've been easier but... hey, when did i ever choose easy?"

floyd leech

he squeezed you. he didn't want you to leave. it was not fair. floyd wasn't the type to let go and accept things so easily. you were his, the moment he saw you, but why don't you fucking act like it?

you hiccuped as you were taken into his arms, he was convinced you wouldn't be taken away. floyd opened up to you, he told you things not even his twin would know. who else would be his shrimpy? who else would make things count now.

as he hiccuped and held you tightly, you gave him the dreams you wish to have shared with him. and while floyd doubts he'll get your dreams with how he might avoid it, any connection of you, you smile and just believed him.

"i was wrong about you. you proved to me how fun it was to be loved and love crazy. so floyd, prove me wrong again, and prove to me i wasn't the one for you. but, if i can be selfish, i want you to know you can never..." you gasp for air as you regret saying it, "you can never disprove how you're the one for me."

kalim al asim

he was used to losses, kalim can just find new things. but not with you. never with you. irreplaceable was the only word for you, there could only be one you. kalim wasn't prepared to lose you too.

kalim promises he'll be good, he'll go the extra mile, he begs at your feet. you couldn't leave, no. only you could've broken him down to pieces. your sunshine was what he was missing and what he yearns for every waking moment. humor him, stay.

"i could be more... or i could also!" kalim has begged and traded anything he can for the nth time. you shake your head, giving him the biggest smile you can.

"i don't need anything from you." you say as you told him everything he needed to hear, from you, "because you've given me the world, im sorry if i couldn't have given you half of what you gave me. kalim, find someone that your heart desires, screw what your baba thinks. you deserve the world. you're my greatest treasure, so you deserve at the very least the world with love"

jamil viper

jamil reasoned he should've known better. good things end up gone when it came to him. he wondered if this was some cruel prank you did, to make him face reality. but you weren't.

you sat there with a big sad smile and told him why you're leaving. it wasn't because of x or y, it was just you wanted home. jamil should've known that, but he didn't believe it. why didn't he?

jamil curses himself, he prides on knowing what to do next but he's here dumbfounded and once again one upped by you. yet, as you both accept you'll leave, jamil whispers lowly how he wishes he can be free to choose to run with you

"as stupid as it sounds, i want to run off with you" you laugh and smile. jamil looked away and just shrugged, but you looked down and talked lowly

"i wish i can say "be stupid". but hey, don't. you're too good to run away now. jamil, you're amazing. if only i could see what you'll be in the future, i would be cheering on how you were not stupid." you both laugh as you shared one last night together

"and when time passes, just know, jamil, you were the one i know will rise above everyone else."

"and you would be the one responsible as to why i didn't fail" jamil responded

silver

in dreams, silver had visions of you and him sharing a life. you both were delusional to believe the dreams, when the vision was hazy at best. but, two hearts can dream, right?

silver was shattered when you told him that you'll leave. he wondered if he still had the right to dream about you and him. you reached out to him and told him the honest truth, no. he can't dream about you anymore, not when you were never to be seen again

but, unknown to you, the last night you had with him, he dreamt of you two once more. intertwining your last dream together. let silver be selfish, for these dreams are what his heart kept desiring for.

"what did i tell you." you smile as you are welcomed into the dream both of you built together. a small cottage in a far off land, no pain or suffering touches these walls.

"dear, let me be selfish." silver pouts. and you relent, feeling the bitter pain seep in as you realized this dream shall remain only that: a dream.

"how cruel it is, my happy ending won't be with you" silver muses as you held each other, "seven knows i want it to be with you"

"oh trust me, you'll still have your happy ending. much like how i will still get mine. but if wishes and dreams came true? it would've been you, silver"

[mydirtyvalentine]

okay so i’m gonna yap about oscar, and blind faith by proxy, for a bit cause once again i am deep in my feels about him.

i wanted to start my rambles by saying that i absolutely love fix-it content in regards to oscar. fics or au’s where he isn’t left behind after the events that took place at the allan farm. post canon scenarios where arthur returns back to new york and oscar and him make amends. hell, i’m writing my own fic rn where oscar and arthur get the chance to share tender moments together and will get their happy ending.

its why i love fics like lighthouse shepard’s no sweeter innocence, or potato lord’s holy ghost au. tea from the microwave’s boykissers au, any and all ourthur content, and don’t even get me started on golden crosses / au’s and fics that explore oscar and john bonding.

i adore oscar as a character and want him to be happy and to share that happiness with others.

that being said,

i am truly obsessed with au’s or fics where oscar gets significantly worse after arthur leaves.

oscar aligned himself to arthur, he idolized arthur when he assigned his purpose to be arthur and a drive to help him as far as he possibly could.

that type of dedication, that vein of faith in another, is an incredibly beautiful thing. but can turn sour so rapidly if broken.

i really enjoy seeing content where oscar is miserable after arthur leaves. not because i think he doesn’t deserve happiness and i revel in his suffering, but i also feel that oscar, outside of a happy ending, deserves to be angry, deserves to grieve the loss of arthur, and messily too.

arthur’s parting from oscar was not a gentle thing and i typically don’t see oscar’s life afterwards being a gentle thing. that type of grief turns people bitter.

canonically oscar has never been one to rationally and healthily deal with feelings of anger, guilt, betrayal, and fear. i don’t see oscar easily accepting the fact that his purpose left him. i do believe that, especially given his religious occupation, oscar has great potential for forgiveness. that being said, i do not see oscar easily or quickly arriving to a point, if he even arrives to that point at all, where he forgives arthur.

one of the most devastating posts i saw after part 49 came out said something about how sad it would be, if in oscar’s letter, he was angry. that idea really stuck with me cause out of all the takes i saw about oscar’s letter, it made the most sense. it makes sense for oscar to be angry and for that to bleed into his letter to arthur. angry at being abandoned, angry and grieving at the loss of his arm.

i love when i get to see post-arthur oscar painted as angry, as hesitant to forgive, as working past his (potential) feelings for arthur and no longer idolizing or tying himself to him.

the point that i’m getting at, is that i adore all portrayals of oscar and interpretations and representations of his character and his relationship with others. portrayals where oscar is bitter after arthur leaves hold a special place in my heart, as it means a lot to me to see oscar deal with his feelings and face life after arthur and that process not looking pretty. he deserves to be angry and to grieve, and as much as he deserves that bitterness, he also deserves a happy ending.

an ending where he isn’t aimless, an ending where he is fulfilled and pursuing a purpose. (regardless if that purpose remains arthur or not)

[ginger-commander-is-tired]

Here goes Alex timeline! He's a fractal clone of Michael, who became "real" just like the other people from Skywatch Archipelago. He was a part of a fractal simulating Commander's permanent death against Balthazar and its results for the world.

Below I elaborate on each stage/period if you're curious!

1. A little before SotO - this is when Alex "awoke". When he looked around he saw his siblings - dead. Since he still thought of himself as Michael and had all his memories until that point, this view broke him. Then he heard some people from Astral Ward, approaching him. They intended to simply rescue him like any other people in Skywatch fractals but Alex saw them as a threat. Deeply heartbroken but also scared for his life, the strong emotions caused a rift to open. Without thinking he ran into it, hoping to find safety and plan his actions. He thought the world was still in danger from Balthazar and Elder Dragons.

2. SotO's Nayos arc - a result of several months spent in the Mists. That's where the rift took him. His presence attracted a lot of demons, who were drawn by his strong negative emotions. Demons wanted to possess him but instead he began absorbing them. That quickly scared them away. Alex also started to undergo visual changes and obviously growing more powerful. Eventually another rift made him end up in Nayos. When stationing Astral Ward spotted him, at first they thought he was one of the unfriendly demons but then realized he was the fractal survivor, who went missing. They wanted to capture him and take him to the Wizard's Tower - just like the first time - but this time Alex was outright killing anyone approaching him. The demonic power gave him the ability to telepathically speak to anyone just like Kryptis demons do. Alex was "nicely" warning Astral Ward to leave him alone.

He was aware of real Michael's presence and grew bitter over him, as Alex believed he ended up in alternative universe of the future in which he was successful. Alex was avoiding Michael and also disguising himself to avoid being recognized by anyone. He decided to secretly join forces against Eparch.

After that he infiltrated Wizard's Tower but soon after his presence was discovered by Isgarren. The Wizard was tired of Alex killing Astral Ward people and making things difficult for them, so his delivery of the truth on Alex true identity wasn't the best. At first Alex thought it had to be a lie but then his rage truly ignited. He was capable of impressive damage to Wizard's Tower and could be stopped by all Wizards.

Then he was put to jail. Isgarren wanted him to be killed but other Wizards - Dagda and Lyhr specifically - argued that what happened was entirely their fault and Alex, just like other fractal survivors, was in huge distress and scared. But the Mists? The demonic magic? What if Alex was irreversibly changed and acted from malice and need for destruction? That's what old man Isgarren would say. So there was a plan - to observe Alex - but the past memories had to be suppressed, so he wouldn't be distressed by them. But Isgarren felt uncertain still and additionally wanted Alex memories to reset everyday - in case he was capable of relearning abilities or skills which could cause harm.

Right before being released, that's when Alex decided to call himself "Alex" and was angry to hear himself refered to as "Michael" ever since.

3. After SotO - Alex after being released from prison. His magic toned down to minimum to function. No memories of the past but also forced to live in the present as he forgot what had happened yesterday. He only remembered Wizards and what they tell him. He also deeply remembered his new name as well. Aside from these exceptions, Alex couldn’t read nor write. Comparably to what he was before, Alex was quite docile and calm... but also sad. He was seen gardening on his own, mesmerized by the flowers as if he saw them for the first time (technically... yes), he tried painting or crafting some simple toys. But he always forgot his projects. Sometimes he saw his unfinished paintings and despite not remembering anything he either bursted into rage or began to cry - not really knowing why.

Alex was frustrated to see other people recognize him but he was not recognizing them. He was angry he couldn’t really make friends. Eventually he started to be rather aloof, rude and cutting off any friendly contacts.

At some point Michael spotted him, seeing that this man looks quite similar to him. But he was quickly concerned for Alex condition - no memories, almost no basic knowledge. Initially Alex seemed excited to meet someone looking just like him but quickly began distancing himself and telling Michael to leave him - knowing he would forget him too.

Michael wasn’t too quick to give up and convinced Alex to go with him by promising to help him fix his mind. Although despite saying Michael is a mesmer... Alex didn't know what mesmer is.

4. During JW - Alex, whose mind got repaired enough to not reset everyday. That way Alex has memories since the moment he started living in Homestead with Michael but also Zeegix and Viex - Astral Ward members. Twin asuras didn't really agree with Isgarren on such a harsh approach to Alex - that was why they were eager to lie to Isgarren and the rest of Wizards about Alex. But it didn't change the fact they were still cautious about him and watching him carefully.

During that time he also gets to be "fed" magic as Michael learns that Alex doesn't need food to live but needs magic instead. Just like Skyscales... so that's why he eats Skyscale food funny enough. A bit more magic in his body is noticeable as his ears got a little longer and Alex also feels physically stronger as well compared to how he was under strict watch in Wizard's Tower.

[zeroseuniverse]

We Three

Word Count: 1K Summary: Oh how much they loved each other these three Pairing: Yuta X Reader X Mark

The day You and Mark decided to open up your relationship to his best friend Yuta was the day the world shifted on its axis. It seemed everything was right in the world. Mark wasn’t as stressed anymore, he was constantly with someone he loved and if he couldn’t make the time Yuta was there to step in, Yuta treated both of you like royalty. He had loved you both for so long, and to be given the privilege? He wasn’t going to allow any room for error, he was also the more assertive lover. If someone were to talk to either of you and try to get too close Yuta would spawn right by your side ready to tell them off. It was even worse when you three were all out drinking in public, he wanted all of you together but you were all different people, Yuta liked dancing, Mark liked to sit at the bar talking and you? Well you usually sit at the table talking with whomever went out with you guys.

In today’s scenario you were sitting talking with Shotaro, he had invited everyone out for drinks at the local club as a going away party, he was leaving NCT to join Riize, a new group that they were working on. 

You sat at the corner table, listening to Shotaro talk about his upcoming move to Riize. The music thumped in the background, filling the air with a vibrant energy that buzzed through the walls of the club. Shotaro’s words were a mix of excitement and nervousness, and you could tell he was eager for the new chapter in his career. Yet, beneath that excitement, there was a sense of sadness, an unspoken farewell to the people who had become his family over the years.

You nodded along, offering words of encouragement as he spoke about his dreams, but your attention was divided. Mark and Yuta were somewhere nearby, each in their own element. Mark, as usual, was sitting at the bar, chatting with a few friends, his usual laid-back demeanor contrasting with Yuta’s more intense presence on the dance floor. Yuta had a way of commanding attention when he moved, the crowd parting slightly to let him through, but his eyes constantly sought you out in the crowd. You could feel his gaze even from across the room, like a magnetic pull keeping you tethered to him.

It was moments like these—when you were apart, doing your own thing—that you truly appreciated the dynamic the three of you had created. There was no jealousy, no tension. Just trust. Yuta’s assertiveness had never felt suffocating, Mark’s easygoing nature had always complemented yours, and you? You felt like you had finally found a balance between being loved and loving in return. But tonight, something felt... off.

Maybe it was the fact that Shotaro’s departure was looming, or the way the lights above you flickered with each beat of the music, casting shadows on the faces of everyone around you. For a split second, you wondered if this bubble you had built together would last, or if life would continue to shift beneath your feet as it always did.

“Are you alright?” Shotaro asked, snapping you back to the conversation.

You blinked, offering him a small smile. “Yeah, just thinking. You’re going to do great. I’m sure of it.”

Shotaro returned the smile, but his eyes softened, sensing the unspoken thoughts that lingered in the air. “I’ll miss you guys. It’s been an amazing time, and you’ve been a huge part of it.”

You felt a pang of bittersweetness. You’d miss Shotaro too, but you were happy for him. He deserved everything that was coming his way.

Your attention shifted again, this time finding Yuta weaving his way through the crowd, making his way back toward the table. The moment your eyes locked, the intensity in his gaze made your heart skip a beat. Without a word, he slid into the seat next to you, his arm brushing against yours.

“How’s the conversation going?” he asked, his voice low and steady, though there was an undeniable edge to it.

You glanced at Shotaro, who smiled knowingly and gave you both a subtle nod before excusing himself to join the others at the bar. Yuta’s hand found its way to yours under the table, his thumb brushing across your skin in a reassuring gesture.

“I’m good,” you said, the words coming out more steady than you expected. “Just… a little distracted. Everything feels a bit surreal tonight.”

Yuta didn’t ask more; he simply squeezed your hand. His presence, strong and grounding, was the anchor you needed in this fleeting moment.

“Mark’s not too far,” he murmured. “But I’m right here. And I’ll always be here. Don’t worry about anything.”

For a moment, everything else faded into the background—the loud music, the flashing lights, the people. It was just you and Yuta, sharing a quiet connection amidst the chaos of the night.

But as the night wore on and the drinks flowed, something shifted again. There was an unspoken tension, a subtle change in the air that neither you nor Yuta could quite place. Mark had joined you both at the table by now, and while the three of you were as close as ever, a lingering feeling hovered between you all. Maybe it was the unpredictability of Shotaro’s departure, or the realization that this dynamic, this perfect harmony, could one day be tested.

You tried to shake it off, wanting to enjoy the moment, but the nagging thought wouldn’t leave you. Would things remain this easy? Or would the balance you had so carefully built start to fracture with time?

“Let’s go dance,” Yuta suggested suddenly, his smile wide and carefree as he stood up, pulling you gently to your feet.

Mark shot a look toward Yuta, his brow furrowing slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, he simply watched as you and Yuta made your way toward the dance floor, your hand never leaving his. Maybe tonight was a good reminder that even when the world seemed uncertain, there was still something beautiful in how you all fit together.

[jorrated]

sorry im so insane about little details in my art... theres such rich and specific lore in my head i can barely explain

[deoidesign]

something that makes me sad is when people tell me the healthy communication in my writing is "unrealistic."

like guys this is how me and my partner talk with eachother... I'm writing from personal experience...

[c-kiddo]

(been relistening to cr2 some more) love so much when caduceus has his vry religious very ritualistic moments. its nice. love the slow methodical ritual of it all . love him talking to others like yasha or fjord about it and the extremely slow and careful wording of exactly what he wants to say . love him gently laying a body to rest or growing tea for it . its just niceys

[ganondoodle]

Regarding Demise: He is an interesting concept, as is the whole eternal cycle, but for that to actually become something worthwhile the games/stories would have to actually DO something with it. So far they are introduced in Skyward Sword and thats it! No other game even references them. And, yes, that cheapens EVERY other game because there is this implication that its all out of the control of the actual characters in the story because of this one asshole that we only ever saw once! Why not have Ganondorf realize that he is possessed/manipulated by this weird old Demon God? How would he react, would he embrace it, would he rebel, would he be broken by the realization that none of his actions were ever *his*? I dont even care which of these options they pick, as long as they pick any of it and do just ANYTHING with the concept.

Or maybe Link or Zelda figures out the Cycle and starts looking into breaking it because endlessly repeating Demon Attacks kinda suck and you dont want that for your descendants.

Or have a game focus on them remembering bits from past lives and having to piece it all together or, again, just ANYTHING!

The closest they ever came to was with BOTW Zelda praying to Hylia, aka HERSELF, to unlock her powers, which is some brutal narrative irony, but not much more.

And regarding the whole Zelda is Hylia thing, I've seen some headcanons about how Skyward Sword Zelda is terrified of herself after learning that, because she now has to assume that everything she did was planned by a version of her that she no longer is. Is Link her friend or is he the useful pawn that Hylia needs to turn into the Hero? Does she even deserve his affection when she probably manipulated him into becoming her champion and fighting, possibly dying for her all her life?

Thats juicy, thats something you can do something with but Nintendo really does like to plan those stories game per game without any care for the larger story.

Which I guess is the Irony of it all. They tried the whole larger connected story/universe thing once: With Skyward Sword. After all that was also the time we got the first Hyrule Historia & "official timeline" as well as "How it all began" in the game itself.

It felt like the start of a new era for Zelda games and stories and then it just... wasn't.

And while I get that they want to focus on gameplay over story, I will never stop mourning the stories we could get/have gotten, if they put a bit more thought into things.

I actually feel like its harder to make the 'cycle' into an interesting plot point when its a .. divine thing that happens, and not perpetuated by the people (though not impossible, given how the series is build up it would need alot of work to not make it worse still..)-

i actually cannot stand the idea that ganondorf is possessed or manipulated, made eviler by demise somehow (demise is dead, leave him beeeeee hes not some evil master mind behind anything aaaaah) bc it STILL takes away ganondorfs agency and character and gives right into the whole hes basically born evil and just pushes the fault tm onto someone else it in turn legitimizes that the kingdom of hyrule and its high rule (heehoo) is right and if only gan wasnt manipulated hed be good tm, aka allied with the goodest guys, hed gladly accept their invitation and join their holy empire of goodness tm if wasnt for da demon

(and i love to say, who decides what is good tm and evil tm? bc hyrules monarchs making every other tribe their subordinate and persecuting shiekah for example isnt what id call good but its fine bc the good holy guys did it in the name of "peace" -what is their idea of peace? everyones under their rule and must worship their god? uh oh- and resistance to it is gonna get you labelled as evil!! (unless you join their holy kingdom and become their vassal of GOOD) what good and evil boils down to in zelda is .. being allied/ruled by the kingdom of hyrule and being opposed to them, even if its only not wanting to be subjugated by them)

i can see the appeal to some degree, but i dont like the idea of ganondorf even being able to be manipulated or possessed, what makes his character, before it got flattened into well he just be demon in the eyes of the average fandom, interesting is his unbreakable will, that drive to keep on living and resisting those that want him dead, its poetic and sad, to the point that (until totk ...) it was really just ONE ganondorf that refused to die and came back over and over (also something i found a compelling thought for botw, that after all this time theres nothing left BUT his will to resist, its a tragic idea that rly spoke to me)

my personal idea of the cycle is that its only a cycle bc they, the kingdom of hyrule and their belief system, keep it going, its not a divine thing that needs to be broken (though the divine surely messes with it, just for the bit i guess) but something that keeps repeating bc hyrule is so soaked into the idea that their princess once was a god and hers is the right to rule it all in light- so anyone who doesnt agree must be of the demons from the darkness seeking to destroy the world, and what means the 'world' could just mean the kingdom of hyrule- in botw even with the calamity people went on and lived, same in windwaker, they dont need the holy kingdom to live- (who is to say the 'monsters' are bad for the land, to me they mostly looked like well adapted territorial beasts, and the bokblins etc clearly arent mindless monsters either, why do they need to be eradicated? they attack you? ok dont go into their territory, or defend yourself, you dont need to exterminate something just bc it could be a threat at some point)

(i do agree that conflict with zelda being interesting but uuuh .. well they never did anythign with that huh)

in the end, demise was just a throw away villain, and if i may get my tin foil hat back here, i feel like the whole creation myth skyward sword does was really just a way for them to get out of the predicament of having to consider a villain to be treated like a person to save themselves from having to think about what they imply and can just go, well this is the evil demons, this is the good gods- ironically enough the attempt to get out of having to consider complicated writing it ends up reversing straight back into the WORST of kinds of implications .. that arent even subtext anymore, if totk is anythign to go by, the most 'simple' or 'easy' narrative to go for might not be actually simple, just a so often retold one that it appears simple if not made aware of its dark maw, the status quo repeated ad nauseam

(and if i may, the whole gameplay over story thing is bs in my eyes, that sounds like the typical attempt of dismissing any critique, just like the stupid, and frankly, offensive "its just for kids" argument, story and gameplay are inherently intertwined, the story influences the gameplay, the gameplay influences the story, especially in a series like zelda that is a futile thing to go for and a reason why the stories themselves lack depth, how are you gonna have an epic adventure that drives you to get through any amount of puzzles and battles if there is no story to motivate you, at this point it feels like the series has set itself up for catastrophic failure bc i imagine, people might just keep buying and playing the games bc its attached to the series, bc they hope to see characters they loved return, new ones that will grab their attention, perhaps be taken away by a world that meant alot to them once before, hope that there will be something exciting-

i am not saying the series has no value or doesnt do anything well (hello who am i) but how many times can you repeat 'this guy good he fight evil guy he get the pretty princess as reward' without any interesting twists or narrative, even the most beloved characters can only keep it passable for so long, even the best gameplay loses its potential if its surrounded by cardboard characters and a story so "simple" as offensive it fits into a single page, i often wonder how a game would be seen if it wasnt titled -the legend of zelda- ..

it hurts especially when looking at its long history, how much estblished thigns it could exploit and expand, the potential the series has is still immense, it hurts to see it be wasted over and over :(

[ghost-bard]

Love being an arcane warrior in dao i love swinging a giant maul around and being in armour but also casting walking nightmare and horror on my enemies i think swords are cooler but the affect of a maul is funnier than big sword in my opinion. I have like 3 affects (at the minimum) going on at all times and then i do an aoe chug some lyrium just in case and bludgen some guy to death. What.

[zackcharine]

I need to try harder to get out of bed but augh

[rainingincale]

.

[scrimblospectrumdisorder]

unironically one of the most fucked up endings to any manga ever i literally cried for like 30 minutes when I first reached the last few chapters of this

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[sonknuxadow]

potential sonic 3 spoilers incoming if anyone cares. anyway . apparently there was an official survey about the knuckles show/scu in general and one of the questions was about what name you would use for an eggman/shadow/gerald teamup. which is a weirdly specific question. and also one of the name options was team dark …….. ?? even though rouge isnt mentioned in the question and theres no sign of her being in the next movie in general ? i was willing to accept amy being introduced a little after knuckles and tails but between there still being no sign of her being in the next movie and now this if they actually have gerald time travel or something and have him be the third member of the dark story trio instead of rouge then i will be fully convinced that theyre going out of their way to exclude as many already existing girl characters as possible. like i get cgi is expensive which could be part of the reason rouge might not have made the cut. but damn . assuming this is real anyway it could just be another fake leak but idk

[voxxian]

i literally only come here when i have a meltdown occasionally lol i miss when i was a happy kid on this account but that will stay where it was made like 3000 pages ago

[iratusmus]