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pillowspace · 8 months

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You had put very little thought into seeing new places before your adventures with the gods, but now, you had an preying need, a desire. The Celestial Realm had been beautiful, when you first saw it anyways, igniting a spark at all the wondrous landscapes. It made you wonder what you were missing out on back on Earth. Much as you loved your home, and were quite content to be there, sometimes you would venture out with one of the gods, whom had no trouble taking you places.

Today, your companion was Eclipse, the incredibly tall, crimson and coal faced god, head encircled by fiery rays, trailing behind you, staring out uncertainly with their many red eyes, dotted by yellow pupils containing black slits. They were just as unused to the travel after all their years imprisoned, the rocky, plateau-dotted desert stretching out on all sides. Passing under a massive light brown sandstone arch, Eclipse reaches up, stroking at the soft rock, laced with patterns and swirls while forming.

"It's pretty," you note, breaking the silence. The imposing being startles, glancing your way, tilting their head just the slightest bit. An awkward moment lingers before they hum, a more calm Meno side. "It is," they agree, moving past. A canyon swallows you both, following a straight line past prickly bushes and cacti. Dry dirt stirs at your feet, dust glimmering in mid-morning sunlight.

Soaking it all in, it takes a moment to realize your companion has stopped, currently staring intensely down at a rock a little ways off. Curious, you join them, your shadow unintentionally falling upon a long, spiky lizard that basks there, startling it from sunbathing. It blinks an eye at you and Eclipse, the god wide-eyed, watching it like a child that just found something particularly fascinating. They reach down towards it, but the movement disturbs the frilly creature, zipping from sight in an instant.

The god lowers their arm, disappointed. You offer a small pat along the appendage to try and cheer them up, smiling and gesturing to continue the walk when they look at you. They concede, gaze lingering for only a moment where the lizard had lain. How strange it must be for them, you think. From your understanding, neither Sunna nor Meno had held much care for the Earth before. Now, though, getting to see anything different was like a miracle, a fact that left you feeling crestfallen on their behalf. You knew things had been really hard for them, after their merge and the imprisonment, one of the reasons you'd forgiven them after the rough start to your friendship. Gods were strange beings, but they were also people, and neither deserved that.

You're yanked from your thoughts by Eclipse, stopping in front of you, examining you with a level of concern. "I'm alright," you swear. "Just thinking."

Curiosity brims once more, tilting their head. "About what?" they ask. You cringe at the idea of bringing up their past, knowing it's a sore subject, so instead throw on a smile, hands folding neatly behind your back, rocking forward on your tiptoes in a jovial motion. "About how lucky I am to have you all. You're all so amazing," you reply. Certainly not far from the truth. Despite everything that happened, the danger you faced, it is a constant thought in the back of your mind. You don't know where you would be without Eclipse, Sun, or Moon. Probably dead, or worse.

Eclipse preens at the praise, grin splitting wide, dripping obsidian liquid down their chin. Realizing, they turn away, trying to wipe it off, chattering between themselves, embarrassed. You smile, stepping up to tug gently at their sleeve. Looking back down at you, you guide their hands forward, laying their massive palms on top of yours. "You're okay, Eclipse. I've seen worse," you assure them. You think, for a moment, that they might cry. It passes, though, their hands lifting off yours to cup either side of your head. A few streaks of the thick black fluid that caught on their fingers ends up smearing a bit on your cheeks, but you don't mind. They lower, nuzzling their face to yours affectionately, eyes closed. You return the gesture, smile farther softening.

Eclipse is reluctant to pull away, but does, releasing you. Your eyes meet their largest pair of red orbs, a shared fondness between you. Taking a hand, your appendage is engulfed in theirs when they carefully fold their fingers down, and you both turn and walk, hand in hand, deeper into the desert, content to continue your exploration together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 3 of 3 complete! Happy birthday! Hope it's a fun one! ☺️

UAHHH I LOVE THESE, THANK YOU SO MUCH 😭😭 POST-CSD ECLIPSE WAHHHHHH. I made the happiest sound scrolling through my inbox and noticing this here, I am giving you the largest wettest eyes. I ADORE THIS, THANK YOU!!

It also is fun seeing Y/N's perspective having mentions of Sunna and Meno, because that is something that i actually want Y/N's thoughts to be like a lot later on. Even after they find out about Sunna and Meno, I want them to not really linger on it and just think of Eclipse solely as Eclipse until about the end of arc 3 when they start properly trying to understand it. And Eclipse would be so fascinated by the Earth, despite having never liked it prior.

I GIVE YOU A MASSIVE HUG, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

#ask #savetag #csd saved posts #celestial sundown au

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hyylia · 1 year

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REVELATIONS IN A TIME PAST ──

totk | rated G characters: princess zelda, queen sonia, mentions of link summary: in the past, queen sonia provides zelda with a revelation--and advice on how to deal with that certain swordsman back home word count: 2988 warnings: totk spoilers!

a/n: for zelink week 2023 - @zelinkcommunity big thanks to @sparklesthefatcat for beta reading this one!

read it below the cut or on ao3 → here

The past was everything Zelda could have ever hoped for. Fully-constructed Zonai temples, towering monuments carved with precision, the first monarchy of Hyrule�� After months of correspondence with the Zonai research team back home, Zelda should have been teeming with excitement at the newfound discoveries laying in front of her. Their loose ends had seemingly been tied, and like a real researcher, she was here–in the field with firsthand accounts to dictate.

Yet, as exciting as it all was, it didn’t feel… right. None of it. There was a constant, gnawing ache in her chest. When Sonia spoke warmly of the Zonai people, Zelda found her thoughts clouded and distracted. When she laid down for bed each night, her arms searched for a familiar embrace. Each time Rauru held Sonia’s hand, tears welled up in her eyes.

The past was everything, but it lacked the one person who made her feel safe. Link.

She looked for him everywhere, though she knew she’d never find him. A flash of turquoise blue fabric in the corner of her eye, and her head was whipping around to greet him. The sound of sizzling meat over a fire, and she found herself leaning forward, craning to listen for his familiar hum. Even now, walking the Great Plateau with Queen Sonia, she found her eyes trailing off, as if his form might suddenly appear through the tall grasses. She hadn’t known how familiar he’d become to her in the years since the Calamity–until she’d been unexpectedly torn from his side.

At first, it had been manageable. She’d tried her best to put her feelings aside, determined to help Queen Sonia and King Rauru with their mission. She’d successfully distracted herself by journaling new findings and tinkering with Mineru’s constructs. As the weeks went by and the novelty died down, though, Zelda found her heart aching ever more for her swordsman. She yearned for his smile, the softening of his gaze, his strong arms holding her tightly each and every night. Just this morning, she’d rolled over in bed, half expecting to find his warm body tucked against hers. Instead, she’d been met with air.

She felt miserable. It was all building up, and now, as her eyes trailed back to Queen Sonia, she knew that her ancestor saw it too. Sonia’s eyebrows furrowed with genuine worry as she took the princess in, stopping suddenly in her tracks. Smooth hands bridged the gap to gently take both of Zelda’s, and she turned the princess around to face her.

Her mouth opened once. Twice. Then again, as if cautiously considering her words. Zelda braced herself for the wave of emotions she knew would come with them.

“You seem distracted, Zelda dear,” Queen Sonia noted after some time, carefully searching the princess’s face. “Is something wrong?”

Zelda silently averted her gaze and steeled her nerves. She knew that, if she spoke, she would undoubtedly break.

“I know it must be hard,” Sonia murmured reassuringly, squeezing her hands. “To be far away from home like this. I remember feeling quite the same when I met Rauru.”

At the sudden mention of the King and their first meeting, Zelda’s eyes flashed up to meet Sonia’s curiously. The queen only smiled, leaning forward to brush a strand of the princess’s blonde hair behind her ear.

She continued, “I traveled to meet with the Zonai at his request. He regarded me as a priestess who could help them during a difficult time, and it would have been against my teachings to turn him away. I love the Zonai dearly, and they were so kind and welcoming to me–as they are now–but… Even then, I could not help but to miss my dear friends and family. I’m sure it’s the same for you, Zelda, is it not?”

It was comforting to know that the Queen had experienced something similar, even if the circumstances were different. She nodded, swallowing down the lump in her throat, “Yes.”

“So, ah… Who is it that you miss the most, then?”

Zelda’s face burned at the question. It was a basic question, requiring a simple, one-word answer, and yet she felt that familiar ache in her throat as she tried to speak. She pictured him in her mind’s eye: reaching for her with his injured arm, his face marked by both pain and fear. How terrible his wounds must be–all because of his loyalty to her.

“Link,” she choked out, her vision blurred by tears. She didn’t realize she was crying until the tears rolled off of her chin, dripping quietly against their hands.

“Oh, my dear Zelda,” Queen Sonia whispered beneath her breath. Warm, outstretched arms rested gently around the princess as she pulled her into a tight embrace. It felt tender and kind, Sonia’s head resting gently against the top of her head as she sobbed. For a brief moment, Zelda wondered how long it had been since she’d been held like this–like a daughter held by her mother.

“I’m sorry,” she said, but she only cried harder at the thought. It was like a dam broke then; her gentle cries became wails, the queen humming softly beneath her breath as she ran the tips of her fingers along her back.

“Don’t apologize, dear. I should’ve known it was a sensitive question.”

“I just…” Zelda inhaled deeply, lungs burning for air. “I-I miss him terribly, Your Highness.”

Queen Sonia released a breathy laugh at that, her cheeks pinking as she pulled the princess closer. “Ah…” She pressed a chaste kiss to the top of Zelda’s head. “I know that feeling well, too. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t beside myself when Rauru leaves for his hunts. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you.”

“It’s terrible.”

“It helps to talk about it, you know. If you’d like to.” Sonia pulled away just enough to look at Zelda, her hands moving to cradle her face. Her soft thumbs brushed the tears away as she said, “I’d love to hear about this Link of yours.”

It was an invitation that Zelda wanted so desperately to take–but feared. Talking about Link would certainly evoke a multitude of emotions, though given the current circumstance, she couldn’t see how much worse it could get. Her eyes searched Queen Sonia’s as she considered the offer, blinking through the tears. She nodded.

“Link is… um,” she chewed nervously on her bottom lip. “Well, he is very kind, for one. And brave. He’s up for any task, no matter the size, and often takes on more than he’s able to bear. In fact, I have to help him keep track of the promises he’s made to the villagers, because he has a bit of a tendency to get sidetracked by the next assignment.”

“Do you live in the same village, then?”

“We… We share a house.” Sonia’s eyebrows raised curiously. It was an innocent statement, and yet Zelda felt her cheeks burn. “Er–it’s his house, really. It was his family’s home long before… the events of our Hyrule. He paid a construction company to restore it some time ago, and some time later, he invited me to stay with him. It’s quite beautiful despite its age, and Link has allowed me to decorate it as I see fit. We have a collection of items from our adventures together on display.”

“Is there no castle in your time? Though our Hyrule is still quite young, Rauru and I have made plans to construct a larger one for the monarchy.”

Zelda paused, hesitating. Mineru had warned her of the adverse effects of disclosing too much information about the future, though she supposed that being vague wouldn’t make a substantial difference. “There is.”

Sonia tilted her head questioningly–almost playfully–gazing down at Zelda with a smile tugging at her lips. There was a question she undoubtedly wanted to ask, but Zelda knew that Queen Sonia had heard Mineru’s warning as well. Instead, she asked, “What kind of adventures do you take with him?”

Zelda thought hard about it for a moment. Link was always at her side, and she considered most of the things that they did together to be adventures. Even if they weren’t necessarily exciting in nature, he had a profound knack for making them fun and enjoyable. It was difficult to decipher what might be an adventure by Sonia’s standards, so she said, “A bit of everything, I suppose. If I have business to attend to outside of our village, Link is kind enough to escort me. We’ll usually stay at the stables between villages, but on nights when we want privacy, we make camp together.”

Zelda didn’t miss the way Queen Sonia’s smile pulled, as if on the verge of laughter. The queen asked her, a hint of a tease to her words, “And what business might that be, Zelda dear?”

“Well, if the village elders request my help, or if the research team has leads they’d like us to investigate.” She thought of the most recent adventure that had brought her here–the gloom investigation beneath Hyrule Castle–and internally cringed. She jumped to change the subject. “Or, sometimes Link becomes restless in town and asks to take me somewhere special.”

“How close, exactly, are you and this Link, Zelda dear?”

“Oh, we are very close.” She thought of him: how he’d cook her meals over a campfire, how he’d run his calloused fingers through her hair, hum her favorite songs and listen to her ramblings with the utmost interest. She remembered his gentle smile whenever she’d speak about this and that–how contagious it was. He would smile softly, and her face would light up, and his smile would only grow tenfold. “After… the events of my time… we have only grown closer. He is at my side always, though his role as my knight is no longer needed. He is my closest friend.”

“He sounds like the perfect match for you,” Sonia murmured, brushing a loose strand of Zelda’s hair away. “A brave and noble king is just what Hyrule needs in your time, is it not?”

Zelda stiffened beneath her predecessor’s touch. Her hand flew to her chest instinctively, as if it might quell the heart beating furiously against her ribcage. King? Queen Sonia had it all wrong. Link was simply her friend, not… not anything more or less than that. She blushed scarlet, ducking her head.

“Your M-Majesty,” she stuttered. “It’s n-not like that!”

“Oh?” Sonia released her hold of Zelda, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “Am I mistaken then? I was under the impression that, with the two of you living together, and with your… choice of words, that… Well, I thought that you were perhaps courting.”

Courting? Zelda was mortified. She stumbled over herself to clear up the confusion. “N-Not at all, Your Majesty! Link is m-merely my friend.”

Queen Sonia tilted her head curiously again. “Yet you live together, despite the castle?”

“Well… Yes, but–!”

“And he is at your side always? He takes you to special places? You seek privacy with him?”

“I–!”

“Well, surely then, you must have separate beds in the home, yes? Separate tents on your adventures?”

Zelda’s face burned red-hot. “N-Not exactly.”

“So you sleep together?”

Zelda nodded slowly–reluctantly–cringing with anticipation. She knew how it sounded, yet she was also aware that they had never done much more than that: sleep together. Sure, there had been minimal hand holding for comfort when one of them had a nightmare, and on just a few occasions, they had kissed. Nothing more than that had transpired in the five years since the Calamity, however. They’d both been too preoccupied with recovering and rebuilding, though she knew that Queen Sonia might have some trouble believing that.

The queen stared blankly at Zelda for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. It was melodic, beautiful, and embarrassing. “Zelda, dear,” she asked through gasps for air, “what is courting to you–in your time?”

“Well…” She blanked. Really, she had never even given it thought. “I suppose it’s when a woman’s father, um, makes a deal with a man–”

“No, Zelda. Courting.” Zelda didn’t think it was possible to blush harder than she already was–until now. “You truly don’t know, then?”

Zelda chewed on her lip quietly. “No,” she said.

Queen Sonia placed her hands on her shoulders, laughter quietly dying down now. Instead, as Zelda looked up to meet her eyes, her amusement had been replaced by quiet understanding. She smiled softly, caressing the princess’s cheek with a hand.

“When you are with Link, you are happy, yes?” Zelda nodded shyly. “Do you feel nervous around him or–maybe lighter, like you’re the only two people in the world who matter in that moment? Does your heartbeat quicken when he’s near you?” Zelda nodded again–and again. “Do you ever feel compelled to touch him, to hold his hand or to be close to him, or to press your lips to his, maybe?”

“Well,” Zelda hesitated. “We h-have kissed, Your Majesty.”

Queen Sonia’s smile widened. She continued, “He’s taken you to special places, yes? Has he ever bought you gifts, or gone out of his way to do things just for you–just for your happiness?”

Zelda thought of the many occasions where he’d taken her out for picnics or to ride their horses through the fields. She thought of the late afternoons when he’d bring her a handful of silent princesses for her vase, as if asking for her forgiveness, though his absence had been for the sake of helping the townspeople. She thought of their first kiss at the Lover’s Pond: she’d been in the middle of explaining the latest Zonai findings to him, and he’d simply smiled and pressed his lips to hers. She hadn’t recoiled then–had merely accepted it as if she’d been waiting for it her whole life. Zelda paused.

“Queen Sonia!” she exclaimed loudly. “I think–!”

“I know.” The queen laughed softly, shaking her head. She smoothed Zelda’s hair. “I suppose it would be hard to know for certain if you’ve never discussed it?”

“We’ve both been so busy,” she admitted. “I’m not sure that it would have ever come up.”

“There’s nothing wrong with approaching a relationship slowly.” Queen Sonia gently reassured her. “Rauru and I… We let our relationship progress as we became more comfortable with one another, but that is not every couple. I suppose it’s a bit like sundelions.”

“Sundelions?” Zelda didn’t try to hide her confusion.

“In a field of sundelions,” Sonia explained, “some have bloomed, while others have only budded. Each bud unfolds at its own pace–some quickly and some slowly, depending on which timing is most right for that flower. Love is a bit like that, I’d say. Where Rauru and I have already bloomed, you and Link are only just unfolding. Let it unfold naturally–slowly, if it must.”

Zelda considered her words quietly. After a pause, she asked, “And if I… decide that I want to progress our relationship?”

“You simply ask him,” Queen Sonia replied smoothly, taking Zelda’s hands once more.

Ask him. She could do that: initiate a conversation and discuss the unspoken. Though her initial instincts were to shy away from the topic, she knew that it was necessary. Link was her best friend, confidant, research partner and proud participant in all of her shenanigans. If she wanted to keep him as such, Sonia was right. A discussion was certainly needed.

Zelda wasn’t sure when she’d be home again, laying in that bed in Hateno Village with his strong arms wrapped around her, but she knew in her heart that Link wouldn’t give up until she was. She would approach the subject sometime after then. Zelda nodded, mind made up, and spoke genuinely: “Queen Sonia… Thank you–for your insight and your help.”

“It sounds as though you both care very deeply for one another, and that’s all that I could ever ask for you, Zelda dear.” She smiled, squeezing both of Zelda’s hands. “Though we’ve only known each other for a short time now, I feel as if you’re one of my own.”

Zelda smiled brilliantly at that. It was her turn to wrap her arms around the queen’s neck, mustering all of her gratitude into that embrace.

–

Sonia knew it was Link without needing confirmation. Her body was long gone, withered to dust inside of the Forgotten Temple, but her spirit remembered all of the kind words Zelda had spoken of him in their short time together. How much faith and trust her sweet descendant had placed in him–in this hero who floated before her, that radiant light trickling from Rauru’s arm. Yet, as Sonia saw now, Zelda’s faith had not been misplaced. Though her Hyrule had been threatened by a great evil, Link had done the unthinkable to save it–and his princess.

She gave the smallest peek at Rauru from the corner of her eyes. He was silent, but his chest puffed with pride. He gave a firm nod, stiff as he watched what was unfolding before him. It was time. Her hand laid gently on top of Link’s, Rauru’s resting on top of hers, and together, their powers magnified Link’s trickle. In a sudden glow of radiance, the Light Dragon’s curse was undone, and in its wake was Princess Zelda, floating.

She left Link’s side and took Rauru’s hand now. He squeezed it in return, a message that their duty was finally done. In their last moments on this land, they turned to look at one another. In her husband’s eyes, his small smile, she knew what he silently said: Hyrule would be in good hands with this king and queen.

#totk #totk spoilers #zelink #zelink week 2023 #zelink week #yearning #zelink community #my writing #oh my hyylia

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writingdotcoffee · 1 year

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Deliberate Story Practice: Human vs Nature

Deliberate practice is a systematic approach to improvement. After conquering the initial learning curve, it's easy to plateau and stop developing. But when it comes to storytelling, there's always more to learn.

This week, I want to challenge you to spend at least an hour working on a short story based on the conflict between humans and nature.

Human vs Nature Explained

Conflict is the driving force of any story. It's the struggle your characters must overcome to reach the resolution. A typical story, even as short as a flash piece will contain several different types of conflict.

It comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. From being embarrassed (human vs self), your phone dying at the wrong moment (human vs technology) to a full-on war (human vs human).

This week, we'll focus on another common type of conflict: human vs nature.

Nature is a powerful force in the world that affects us all every day. Our struggle against nature can range from inconvenience (rain on your way to work) to the extreme (a hurricane that wipes out an entire town).

Here are some examples of humans against nature:

a holiday ruined by bad weather

rabbits raiding the lettuce in your garden

an avalanche burying a snowboarder

a community struck by a terrible flood

a ship sailing through a massive storm

a post-apocalyptic scenario triggered by a meteorite impact

As you can see, you can write a novel based on human vs nature. Many successful stories use this type of conflict to drive the plot (Jaws, The Old Man and the Sea, Robinson Crusoe, The Day After Tomorrow).

The Challenge

For an hour or more this week, work on a story that includes humans struggling against nature. It doesn't have to be the only type of conflict in the story. For example, bad weather can lead to your characters fighting and breaking up during a holiday (human vs human).

When you start writing, you'll naturally layer various types of conflict. Your protagonist is struggling with something, and everything else around them seems to be going wrong. This is one way of adding progressive complications and building towards the crisis.

By writing this story, you'll be putting what you've learned into practice. You'll experiment with it and get a feel for how well it can work. You may even be inspired to include some human vs nature into your current or next WIP.

Practising is super important. All it takes is an hour.

Join this writing challenge

#writing #writers #write #writing challenge #writing sprint #word sprint #writeblr #writing analytics #deliberate practice #storytelling #amwriting

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juni-aldaine123 · 3 months

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A PROMISE OF PROTECTION/ snf ; himfri

・❥・fluff . light angst . oneshot . nightmares . comforting . reassurance . cuddling . frieren looks after himmel . based on a dialogue prompt

༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶

The night is long and cold, and just as unforgiving despite the years, as Frieren remembers. The fire rumbles and crackles when she adds another branch to the charred remains sitting at the base. She is the first one to be on lookout for tonight, for there are monsters that meander the vales of the Northern Plateau. They even had difficulty setting up a camp tonight for they had to battle the ferocious Abyssal Dragon that had impeded their journey and locate a safe spot to spend the dark hours of night in peace.

Though it was long and odious their conflict with the dragon ended with them being victors. But they didn't win without a few spoils of war after all.

Why, their injuries and the scars they bear now are their rewards! Frieren still thinks it was rather pointless to accost the beast head on when they could've taken the easy and safe path through the woods. But needless to say- Himmel the Hero likes a challenge and is known not to back down when presented with one.

"Being an adventurer comes with its own set of dangers," he often reminds her whenever she asks.

"Besides, now people can traverse these roads without hesitance," he happily told her when she sat beside him by the campfire.

Well, that is what it means to be a hero after all, helping people along the way.

But who helps the hero when he is in need?

Frieren can see Himmel's discomfort from where she sits quite clearly, but she thinks she might not have noticed at she not been looking at him; he makes not a sound as he writhes in pain. He bites his lips and keeps his tears at bay but the elf can see him struggling.

'A nightmare...' So even Hero Himmel isn't exempt from such trivial distress.

She moves to sit by his side and attend to him, holding his hand in her hands and playing with his fingers like he does for her whenever she falls ill.

"Even now...you would rather suffer in silence than ask us for help?" she asks the sleeping man and then roams her gaze over their two unassuming companions snoring away peacefully. Perhaps it is for the best. Surely Heiter and Eisen would've noticed too and they been keeping watch now. Heiter might've even done a better job than her at comforting Himmel and she's not too sure about what Eisen would've done. But she's the only one awake and must do what is to be done to arouse Himmel from his nightmare.

Heiter had once told her how to deal with one. Though it had only been in theory.

Frieren hopes it works on Himmel.

"It's alright Himmel. You're safe. We're safe. What you're seeing isn't true," she whispers in a monotone. But then she gently pulls his head in her lap, like he does for her whenever she claims to take a nap, cradling him like a child. She frees one of her hands and runs her fingers through his hair hoping to ease his pain.

"I'm here Himmel. Frieren is here. Right by your side." And as if her name were a magical spell, all signs of hurt vanish from his body when Himmel hears her and he falls limp in her hold, visibly relaxing. Frieren lets out a small smile, happy to have helped her hero, happy to realise he feels safe from a now fading nightmare.

"I'll always keep you safe Himmel." Lips trembling she breaks out an amused huff when Himmel turns his head and starts to nuzzle his face against her stomach. "Nothing can hurt you when I’m here," she promises and for the remaining night as she watches over their party her hold on his hand doesn't loosen, her embrace doesn't quiver and her fingers don't stop fluttering against his forehead and blue silken locks.

When Eisen wakes up to take over her shift she simply presses a finger to her lips when she sees him open his mouth to question her and then points at his mattress, urging him to close his eyes once again and to allow her to handle this. The warrior understands her well enough and goes back to sleep.

Come morning Himmel is the first one to wake up and find himself looking up at the sleeping face of Frieren.

And he can't help but love her more.

"Thank you Frieren," he calls to the cool dewy breeze.

#sousou no frieren #frieren: beyond journey's end #frieren at the funeral #frieren #himmel #frieren x himmel #frimmel #himfri #himmel x frieren #oneshot #nightmares #comfort #reassurance

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heleentje · 1 year

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Revalink week day 5: Paraglider

A day late, but I'm glad I got this out!

In loving memory of that time I started a new save of botw, got to the cryonis shrine, and killed myself by jumping down because I'd forgotten I didn't have the paraglider yet.

The hill felt perfect, though for what exactly, Link couldn’t tell. It is meager consolation: when no reassuring tug jolts his shoulders to break the plummeting sensation of freefall, he realizes just how badly his memory has failed him again.

Ah.

Later, when he’s gingerly prodding at his bruised ribs and the scrapes his tumble earned him, he gives it some thought. What exactly made him think jumping was safe?

Really, the answer is obvious.

The paraglider in the old man’s hands had filled Link with a profound sense of wrongness. It was ill-suited to the man’s size, the delicate frame looking like it should break under the weight. More than that, Link had taken one look at it and known he’d wanted it, more fiercely than anything he’d wanted in his half day of memories. But even that fierce longing doesn’t explain his sudden recklessness. It doesn’t explain the vivid sense-memory he gets whenever he looks at the nearby hills and the far-off mountains, the tug of desire to make it to the highest peaks only to feel the rush of descent again.

It must have been his, then. He wants it back.

The thought of having it in his possession again spurs him on. He fights his way past the monsters with skills only half-remembered and climbs to the top of the icy mountains to reach the last of the shrines the old man indicated. When he emerges again, the power of a new rune in the Sheikah Slate, the old man appears with the paraglider and more empty promises in hand. He thinks of taking it by force, and only barely quells the urge. Then he thinks of jumping down the mountain again, and somehow that urge is even harder to fight.

When he finally has it in hand again, after a trek to the very top of the temple, he finds that he cannot even enjoy it. The revelations of the old man — of the king — weigh him down. The castle in the distance is no longer an abstract danger he planned to avoid, but the embodiment of his own failure. How is he supposed to succeed on his own where an entire army failed in the past?

At least the feeling of flight, of the wind rushing past his face, is enough to distract from it for a moment until inevitably, his feet touch the ground outside the Great Plateau. That night, when he has reached the first stable on his journey and has learned not to flinch whenever people’s voices get too loud, he takes out the paraglider again. The wood has been treated by an expert hand; the cloth has been made so well that neither rain nor heat affect it. Still, it is not new: time has had its effect on the paraglider as well. He begs needle and thread off another traveler and finds that his hands remember the action of darning.

He does not remember the symbol woven into the cloth.

“Looks like something from the Rito,” says the innkeeper. “There’s this Rito bard who comes around every so often. If you stick around, I’m sure you can catch him.”

Bird people, something in Link’s deeply buried memories says. It would make sense, for them to be the ones to create a way for a Hylian to fly. Up on the Great Plateau, he had seen the menacing shape of a giant bird circling the western reaches of Hyrule. His feet wish to take him there. But he has to continue his journey towards Kakariko Village. So he does not wait for the elusive Rito bard, but instead takes the path further north from the stable.

Lady Impa’s words at least give him an excuse to seek out the Rito. They also give him a name.

Champion Revali of the Rito. The words stir little within him, but they sound as if they should. He fought side by side with the Champions. So was the Rito Champion a friend of his, someone who would give him the tools to take to the sky?

It takes days and days before he can even find out. The plains of Central Hyrule are treacherous and leave him no chance to use the paraglider; the eternal thunderstorm above the Thundra Plateau makes flight a hazard. Even the mountains of Tabantha, so inviting from afar, are buffeted by harsh winds that would crush him against the cliffside given the chance.

But at least he gets there in the end.

Rito Village would be idyllic if it weren’t menaced by the Divine Beast Link spotted all the way back on the Great Plateau. No memory comes to him as he enters the village either, but that’s okay, because near the top of the spiralling staircase, he finally finds what he was looking for, in chipped paint on wood: the same symbol woven into the cloth of his paraglider.

Revali’s Landing.

This must be it, he thinks, elation making him light-headed. And then his memories finally catch up to him and crush his delusions to dust.

If Champion Revali was an ally of his, it was only in the most technical of senses. The Champion saw no worth within him, felt no desire to take to the sky and fight side by side with him. The trail he’s been chasing for so long is a dead end. Champion Revali could never have been the one to give him the paraglider.

He sits down heavily, hands clutching the cloth of the paraglider. Whoever gave it to him must have seen some worth within him regardless. But Rito history is short and fleeting. Their name, and who they were to Link, are long lost to time. All he has of them is this one gift and the freedom it has afforded him.

#RevalinkWeek2023 #revalink #botw #heleen writes #so did revali give link the paraglider?#yes obviously #link just doesn't have the context to figure that out yet #me @ anything to do with textiles: okay ginneke will be able to explain this to me

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gremlins-hotel · 2 days

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After driving about 8-9 hours yesterday, man I had some thoughts.

Do you ever look at the names on the billboards and highway signs you pass by? The people of the small blink-and-you-miss towns that in the mind of a driver only seem to serve the purpose of breaking up the monotony of the road. Names that if you were to search them would most likely bring up no results except for an obituary and a grave marker. Who were they to those towns, who were they to their families and the people around them that wrote about them, what made them so beloved so as to rename the streets or have a sign made in their honor?

And as your tires eat away at the miles and the minutes do you ever gaze out at the roadside and wonder how it came to look that way? I can sit and know and tell myself that yes, Texas was once part of the seabed of the Western Interior Seaway, which split North America in two, and that is why we have so much limestone and why our elevation is so low. Why we have the Edwards Aquifer as we were molded into a bed of karst at the tail end of the Great Plains. But what specific current made it so that we were perfectly hilly as you reach the Edwards Plateau? And how goofy must we look as you go from the tall, straight pines and forests of the Eastern Woodlands to the yawning deserts several hours west, having to cross through every biome in between. What winds and rivers and floods and storms shaped my seabed home into the geographical crossroads that it now occupies?

Do you ever think too much on how that influenced the way people lived when they came to live in those places? In all of Texas’ rivers it brings the alluvial floodplains that would later feed crops, then commercial farms as the course of history took. The draws formed by rains and that were used to hunt bison that would also one day break hooves and ankles in the age of the cattle trails. Who knew mesquite had so many uses? And though so many of them lay still and dormant half the time, the fact that we have enough wind for people to sport the great twisting turbines in an effort to try and be green.

I know I’ve never gotten to really travel outside the United States but honestly I wonder how I could answer these same questions if I did. What would I find if I looked long and far? And even driving through my home country, they still stand. What of the ontogeny of the Appalachians? The windward caress of the Rockies that made the Pacific Northwest? The evidential meteor that may have influenced the Chesapeake?

#callsign gremlin checking in #the urge to be annoying on the blog but the fear of being annoying on the blog #I think way too much when I’m not screaming alongside my music #I keep having a lot of art ideas but then I’m too scared to draw them and post them #the anxiety of being too annoying even though it’s my own damn blog #I know I just draw the same two characters over and over again and I’m sorry I have like no variety #but I love all of y’all that still come in and interact regardless

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heliopauseentertainments · 10 days

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Greeting The Sun

Won runner up for fandomweekly 's challenge: 223 - Sunrise

Continuity: IDW1

Rating: General Relationships: Megatron/Rodimus, Megatron/Starscream (referenced)

Characters: Rodimus, Megatron, Starscream

Warnings: Alternate Universe, Vignette, Polyamory, Established Relationships, Fluff, Not Beta Red

Summary: In which Rodimus is taken to watch the sunrise in the Sonic Canyons.

Crossposting: AO3 | Dreamwidth | fandomweekly entry

Fic under cut. See AO3 for complete notes. Related to: A Bouquet of Firecrackers

Rodimus yawned, groggily stretching his limbs.

The world felt like it was swaying around him, periodically jolting him upward. He was held up by something warm, resting in some kind of gap. The distinctive, acrid smells of gun oil and brittle iron told him was probably being carried by Megatron, most likely wedged into the gap formed by the much larger mech’s barrel.

This was probably fine.

Rodimus kept his optics off. If it were important, he’d know about it. It would feel like Megatron was running rather than… whatever unhurried movement this was. The normally soft scraping sounds of a metal hand gripping rock bounced oddly loudly around him—It was probably just his imagination.

Yawning again, he let his limbs hang limp as the repetitive motion gently lulled him back into recharge.

Unfortunately, just as he was really dozing off, the swaying stopped.

“You’re late.”

Nearby, he heard a scoff, one that could only belong to the other denizen of the home he shared with Megatron, one that he could really do without. He could also do without the scoff echoing somewhere behind and below him.

Starscream’s sharp words still reverberated underneath the echoing scoff.

It was dreamlike.

Rodimus must have still been dreaming.

Starscream continued, “You would have gotten here sooner if you weren’t hauling that dead weight around.”

“Not everyone can fly, Starscream. It would have taken me the exact same amount of time—“ Rodimus stopped listening.

Another yawn and a poorly balanced stretch had him flopping from where he had been draped over Megatron’s shoulder.

Rodimus gave a startled yelp as he suddenly impacted a stony surface. The nearby bickering stopped immediately. He could practically feel the weight of two pairs of red optics settling on his back: one pair in worry, the other in cruel hope.

He didn’t notice any pain, so he must not have been injured by the fall, but, if he could believe his optics, such luck had been a very near thing.

A dark canyon stretched out before him in the dim, predawn light. His hands grasped at the edge of what was a sheer cliff… that Megatron must have just scaled.

Rodimus gaped at the drop far below, beyond where he could see. Megatron must have managed to scoop him up out berth at some point hours ago without waking him.

That begged an obvious question.

Why… were they here? In the middle of nowhere, before the day had even gotten started no less.

No, maybe it wasn’t nowhere—He could hear the wind, the noise of even a soft breeze amplified as it was channeled through the canyons.

With the war having ended all industry here, Rodimus hadn’t recognized the Sonic Canyons without the trademark cacophony that used to fill the air here. The landscape was empty, save for shadows reminiscent of old cranes peeking up over plateaus in the distance.

Distracted by his wondering, Rodimus didn’t notice the creaking of joints, even with the echoes, until Megatron’s hands were on his flanks, gently checking him over for injuries.

Rodimus turned over and pushed himself to his feet, breaking Megatron’s grip. The edge of the cliff loomed a little too close for his comfort.

“Megs, what are we—“

He was shushed. Even the shushing noise was carried away into the canyons below, right along with his interrupted question. The sounds of Starscream’s earlier scoff still echoed weakly, slowly fading along with the din of the bickering that had come shortly after it.

A big hand gingerly nudged him further away from the cliff’s ledge, back towards where Starscream stood several steps away, frowning with his arms crossed, wings held high in aggravation.

Megatron’s voice dropped to a whisper, a rare occurrence given his general enthusiasm for being the loudest mech in any given room, as though he were trying to avoid adding to the mess of interwoven echoes bandying between the sheer faces of the cliffs behind them.

“Hurry or we’ll miss it.”

“Miss what?” Rodimus forgot to check his volume control, the question scattering to the winds as Starscream cringed away from the noise.

Megatron just shook his head, grabbing Rodimus by the middle and turning him around to face the canyons and their brightening halo of sky.

“The summer solstice sunrise, of course.”

The morning where their homeworld’s star would shine for the longest in the sky. And they would be here to greet it on its special day.

The arrival of the sun was heralded by the distant shrieks of technohawks calling in the depths of the canyons as they began to hunt.

A bright point of yellow began to burn just beyond the most distant plateau, a growing halo of glowing orange and feathering reds reached into the dark blues and purples of darkness, pushing back the blanket of night.

A view worth being hauled up a cliff for.

#fic #one shot #maccadam #idw1 #megatron #rodimus #megarod #starscream #megastar

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thatsadbietch · 9 months

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How the Mighty Fall

When your and Scar's bickering about how to rule the Valley gets tiresome, the Fairy Godmother seems to have an idea, though its not exactly traditional.

My usual warnings: no spoilers this time, and it is a tickle fic! Enjoy <3

“Scar! You may not eat the sunbirds in the plateau, we’ve been over this at least a dozen times!”

“It’s not my fault. What kind of leader lets their people starve? If I were in charge-”

“Not gonna happen! Even if I wanted to give it to you, the other villagers wouldn’t allow it.”

“Oh, nonsense, they would love me as their Ruler,”

“You tried to eat some of them!”

This bickering between Dreamlight Valley’s current ruler and the fallen lion king went on, as it had been more frequently as the stress of leadership and dealing with the Forgotten ran more rampant on your agenda. Scar, seeing the opportunity to try to break you, resulted in these arguments more often than not. The remaining residents were getting both worried and annoyed: sometimes these arguments could be heard all the way from Dazzle Beach.

“That’s it!” Merlin shouted from his home and, using his magic, teleported in front of Scar’s cave, where the two royals were continuing on. The Fairy Godmother must have had the same idea a few seconds prior, as she was already there when he arrived, trying to soothe both parties.

“Now, now, tell me what happened,” she asked calmly. Merely her presence was enough to calm the torrent in your mind, and you took a deep breath.

“I have to keep telling Scar not to eat the sunbirds. Or Remy. Or literally anyone else in the Valley. If he wanted to be a Ruler, he’d have to be smarter than that.”

“Oh it has nothing to do with my intellect, I assure you. It’s in my blood. I’m a natural hunter.”

“What about Simba and Nala? I don’t have to tell them not to eat villagers!”

“If they’re so inclined to deny the nature they were born with, that is their choice.”

“All right, enough! From both of you!” Merlin intervened. You were shocked at first; you’d never really witnessed your friend and mentor unleash his temper. However, you also knew he had a particular sore spot for Scar.

“Merlin,” the Fairy Godmother started, “let’s calm down. Not make matters worse, yes?” Merlin looked at her. You may have been a quick learner with magic, but she and Merlin were born with it, and they understood each other. She seemed to be able to calm him as well, and you were thankful she’d arrived.

“Yes, I agree, my apologies. But what are we to do? This behavior cannot go on.” Merlin spoke in front of you and Scar as if you two were not there.

You suddenly spoke up, “We used to be friends, Scar. Or, at least friendly.” Scar went from scowling at Merlin to looking at you, almost laughing.

“I don’t believe we’ve ever seen eye to eye on Valley matters, Ruler.”

“Maybe not, and I don’t remember everything. But I used to be friends with everyone. I don’t know how I know that, I just do.”

Merlin and the Fairy Godmother looked to each other. “Merlin, I have an idea.”

“Yes, m’lady, let’s hear it.” The Fairy Godmother’s smile grew sweeter, which somehow made you more uneasy.

“It would be best if I just showed you all.” You and Scar did not like the sound of that. But before either of you could object, she began her spell:

This bickering and fighting just won’t do,

Try seeing from another point of view.

Repair these broken, severed ties,

Until then, they remain by your side.

You braced yourself, but only felt a fleeting and gentle pulse of magical energy. Did the spell not work? Scar scoffed.

“I have no time for this, I have other matters to tend to,” the dark lion growled, and began making his way back inside the cave. That is, until you both felt a forceful tug and, like a fishing rod, reeled you and Scar back together.

“What do you WANT?” Scar growled at you.

“Nothing to do with this, believe me. I think this is Fairy Godmother’s spell at work.”

“Yes dear, it is!” she almost cheered, “You two will not be able to be more than two meters apart until you reach an understanding of each other.”

“What if I ate them?” Scar asked.

“WHAT?”

“You can try,” the Fairy Godmother replied, almost as if she dared him, “but my spell won’t allow physical harm to fall on either of you.”

As if he didn’t believe her, Scar went to swipe at you, his paw freezing in place a few inches from your shoulder. He couldn’t even bear his claws.

“Now then, if we’ve moved past the arguing for today, I suggest you go about each other’s day. See what daily life looks like for our dear Y/N, Scar. And you for him, young one. Walking in someone else’s shoes is a good first step to understanding them.”

“Oh, I see,” you said, and turned to Scar. “We’ll be stuck together until we make amends.” Scar rolled his eyes dramatically and, dripping in sarcasm, he spoke.

“Perfect.”

************************************************************************

You decided not to let this hinder you, so until you could come up with a way that satisfied Fairy Godmother’s spell, you tended to the village as usual. Merlin and Fairy Godmother had already taken the Forgetting off your shoulders for the time being: you seemed to be at a standstill of the magic variety that they offered to figure out while you were with Scar.

The first few days went about as well as you would have expected: the villagers were confused, some scared to approach with Scar tailing you. You both bickered about sleeping quarters until you both reached an agreement to trade off houses every other night. You hoped this compromise, and a compromise to let Scar nap for an hour each afternoon in the plateau, were steps toward a resolution. But, he was still pretty sour about the whole ordeal.

“Can’t you reverse this nonsense? Surely if you created the Valley, you can undo this treacherous enchantment.” Scar complained, lying lazily at the ground a few feet away while you tended the village vegetable garden.

“Believe me, I’ve thought about it,” you admitted, “but to reverse a spell that a powerful person like the Fairy Godmother cast, it would take more time than it’s worth. We may as well do as it dictates. Trust me, I’m as happy about it as you are.” He huffed in response, and after a few beats of silence you were approached by Moana and Remy, a pairing you hadn’t at first thought would create such a strong friendship.

“Hey Y/N! We wanted to thank you again for helping me out with getting all those coconuts for me and Remy the other day. The cakes we were able to make were amazing!” You remembered this favor fondly, as Moana and Remy have started to bond over cooking with her home ingredients in all kinds of different ways. When Remy told her about making coconut cakes and frosting, but not being able to pick coconuts himself, she nearly sprinted to you with her boundless energy in excitement.

“If Remy’s cooking, you don’t have to ask me twice! It's no problem,” you replied, smiling up at them from your kneeling position. The two know also that, mostly at night when all the favors are done and most are asleep, you’re awake with Merlin and Fairy Godmother, talking all things Forgotten, Night Thorns, and the darker magic that’s tried to buckle Dreamlight Valley.

“We saw you looked busy and thought we would come help, if you’d like.” Remy asked, planting seeds being well within his range of capabilities. The worried glance in Scar’s direction didn’t go unnoticed.

“You guys don’t have to, no need to worry-” you stopped short when you realized they mostly asked as a courtesy, but planned on helping you regardless as they got to work alongside you. Gardening was not your favorite task by a longshot, and your smile broadened.

“You didn’t come planning to take “no” for an answer, did you?”

“When was the last time you turned someone away that needed your help?” Moana asked, poking at your ribs to enunciate her point. A few giggles came out with your response.

“Ohohokay, I gehet it.”

After the task was finished and the sun began to set, you said your goodbyes and headed toward the Peaceful Meadow, more specifically where the Pillar of Friendship stood. Scar, reluctantly following, looked at you curiously as you sat on the ground in front of it. He laid again on the ground and waited for you to say something, but you didn’t.

“What are you doing, exactly?” he asked, after enough silence had passed that he was genuinely confused.

“This is the first pillar I was able to restore when I came back to the Valley. So I made it into a peaceful place. I’m sure you remember I’d asked all the residents to keep this area of the meadow specifically quiet, clean, and comfortable, in case someone just needs a place to breathe for a minute.” You looked to Scar, and were surprised that you still had his attention. “I think we need to breathe for a minute. Or, at least I do. I think it’s going to take more than daily tasks and afternoon naps to understand each other.”

Again, he surprised you by not offering a sarcastic retort or a mild insult. Instead, he posed a question.

“Why do you go among your followers the way you do?” You studied his face but saw he wasn’t insulting you: he truthfully didn’t know.

“What do you mean?”

“You do dirty work, the constant favors, the nagging. You even let them touch you. Is this not meant for someone below a ruler?”

“That depends. I’m sure there are rulers who reign much differently than I do. The way you would, it sounds like, would be much different from my approach. But I don’t see you all as “followers” or “beneath me”.”

“Is that not the reality?”

“As far as my responsibilities go, there are certain things only I can do. But that doesn’t make me or what’s important to me any more significant than someone else or what’s important to them. I like to think that this makes the difference between a leader and a tyrant.” Scar scoffed.

“You think of me as a tyrant?” To his surprise, you threw your head back and laughed.

“I absolutely consider you a tyrant!”

“What’s funny about that?” he asked, clearly not amused, “Your subjects need to know their place, and yours.”

“You don’t have to be demanding or instill fear to earn respect.”

“...What other way is there that does not show weakness?” You met him at eye level, feeling as though the next thing you say could make or break the conversation. This was, after all, the deepest conversation you two have had since being magically bound. Maybe ever.

“There is strength in showing vulnerability. We all have weak points, Scar, whether we care to acknowledge them or not.” He was silent, contemplating this for a moment.

“Before Simba’s time, I was well-respected in the Pride Lands.” You fixed your gaze on the Pillar, freezing and listening, as if sudden movement would make him stop speaking.

“I was appointed leader of the Lion Guard under my insufferable brother. We were tasked with keeping the Pride Lands safe and the Circle of Life in balance. Once on patrol, I was approached by a lion I’d never seen before, stating I was the rightful ruler of the Pride Lands. I had always agreed with that sentiment and… it became the beginning of my undoing.” You chanced a look in his direction and he also was not looking directly at you; he was also looking at the Pillar as he spoke.

“I trusted this lion’s word only because he’d said what I wanted to hear. Next thing I know I have a venomous cobra attacking my eye, and fortunately I find the strength to fend them off and keep them from ever coming near the Pride Lands. I just wanted some recognition for it, and do you think Mufasa,” he uttered the name in disgust, “gave me that satisfaction?”

“He could have been a better brother to you, then.”

“To put it lightly, yes.” A few moments of tense silence passed before you responded.

“Scar… I’m so sorry. I wish I’d known.” you replied, to which he sighed.

“You were but a cub the last time you ruled. I wouldn’t have expected you to understand.”

“Merlin may have. And the other Villagers. And they still can, but you have to allow them.” He scoffed.

“I’m serious, Scar. You don’t have to tell them everything. You don’t have to tell them anything, but you at least can’t threaten to eat them all the time.”

“...I’ll give it some thought, oh gracious leader,” he retorted, though you detected no malice.

“I’ll take it.” you responded and, not thinking about it, pet Scar’s mane. Simba and Nala don’t mind when you do this, but realizing your mistake you quickly retracted your hand.

“I didn’t mean-”

“How dare you pet me like a common housecat!” he said, more confused than angry.

“You’re right, I wasn’t thinking-”

“How would you enjoy it if I just touched you as I pleased?”

“I just said you were RIHIHIGHT, Scar!” you cackled, Scar haphazardly poking and pawing at your side. He looked at you curiously, then maliciously.

“I suppose you actually quite enjoy it.”

“That’s nohot what I- OOF!” For someone as lazy as Merlin claims, Scar was able to stand and pounce in one quick and fluid motion, effectively pinning you on your back.

“I suppose if I can’t use my claws, this will have to do,” he reasoned, sounding annoyed. However, the gleam in his eye and smug smirk told another story.

“Wahahit Scar, noohohoho!” You pleaded, and you weren’t surprised when Scar completely disregarded your cries. Being a fully grown lion, his two paws were nearly the size of your torso, meaning he could knead into all parts of your ribs at once with relative ease.

“Scaahahaharr! Dohohon’t!” You spat in the midst of wild cackles. In response, he kneaded faster and with more vigor, effectively rendering you helpless in your own belly laughter.

“Oh, dear, Ruler, we spoke of weak points, but I hadn’t imagined yours being so easily exploited,” Scar taunted, kneading down your sides and relenting just above your hips. Residual giggles spilled out as you spoke.

“Scaahahar, wahahait!”

“For what, your majesty? I’ve seen the others torment you in such a way, this is your fault for allowing such foolish behavior,” He replied, dragging a claw across your belly from one hip bone to another. He hadn’t expected such a squeal to come from you, and smiled rather evilly, lazily tracing his single claw randomly across your belly and up your sides, occasionally using his other paw to skitter his claws lightly on your hip bones, keeping you guessing.

“I suppose I can draw my claws, so long as I don’t hurt you. How convenient. For me.” You doubted Fairy Godmother anticipated this when she bound you and Scar together.

“Ohohohoho, greheheat! AH HAHAHAHA, SCAHAHAR!” you shrieked, feeling light traces scurrying rapidly over the thin skin protecting your hip bones. It seemed with each swipe your body wanted to kick your legs out, but being trapped under Scar’s body, the ticklish sensations had no other outlet than the grip you reflexively had on Scar’s wrists. He tutted at you, mocking sympathy for your situation.

“You poor thing, like a field mouse captured by a bobcat,” he teased, “Exactly how much of this can you endure?” Coupled with the constant torment of your hip bones, the question had amplified your giggles and deepened the blush across your features. You weren’t sure how much more of this you could take, but you had a feeling Scar would test that boundary. He wasn’t exactly known for mercy. However, he relented, but kept his paws threateningly on your hips.

“Why do you allow your followers to torment you in such a way? Is this not demeaning?” You caught your breath and wiped the mirthful tears from your face. Your breath then hitched upon feeling Scar’s paws tense, threatening the sensitive area.

“I expect an answer this time.”

“You’re *huff* getting one *huff*,” you finally said, and Scar actually waited a beat. He also wasn’t usually known for his patience.

“Who you call my followers, I call my friends,” you started, “I let them for a lot of reasons. Because I trust them, and they trust me. And because that’s how some of them play or show affection. Or that’s how they express when they want to be ornery,” you glared up at him at this, and he scoffed, but his eyes appeared thoughtful. “When you create a bond with someone, it’s quite the opposite of demeaning.”

“I would not allow such behavior from my subjects.”

“I know, and that’s okay,” you stopped, debating internally about what you say next. It could lead to your utter demise, but knowing you weren’t going anywhere yet anyway, you decided to rattle the cage. “Some just simply can’t take what they dish out.” Scar’s eyes widened at your impish grin.

“What did you say?” he growled, his glare sending a chill down your spine and anticipation in your belly.

“Although that could be pretty tyrannical as well, doling out punishments you couldn’t handle yourself.”

“I’ll show you tyrannical, dearest Ruler,” Scar bellowed, willing his paws to dig with renewed vigor into your hip bones. The squeal you elicited was probably not considered “quiet” as you like to keep it around this Pillar, but as there was not much you could do about it, you laughed madly, futilely bucking and squirming underneath Scar’s weight.

“Having regrets about challenging me yet?” Scar tormented, allowing himself a sinister smirk, featuring his fangs, at your expense.

“Noohohohohone!” You tried to remove the nearing desperation in your voice, not wanting to give Scar that satisfaction.

“Oh reeeaaally?” he asked, dragging out the question as if to emphasize how much he didn’t believe you. “Let’s try this, then.”

You hadn’t the clarity to even imagine what he could be up to, but cackled and wriggled wildly as he trailed upward, letting one paw scurry with his claws haphazardly up your side while the other kneaded up until he reached your ribs. He snickered at you, as if he could tell your body didn’t know where to go or what to do… that is, until he kneaded further up, toward your underarm, to which your body clamped both of its arms tightly to your sides.

“Oh dear, what could this be?” he relented, making sure you could hear him and how curious he was about your sudden defense.

“Scahahar, plehehease,” you wheezed through residual giggles. “I cahahan’t-”

“Now, now, that’s not the attitude to have. Supposedly you can do anything you set your mind to in this Valley, yes?”

“You know this is different!”

“How about a game then? I know you like those,” he started, and freed you from under him.

“A game of cat and mouse. I’ll let you go and count to ten, then if you can keep away for ten minutes, you win.” You were surprised at this, and wondered what the catch was, but then he started.

“One, two, three…” you scrambled up and tried to bolt it, but were instantly pounced on, landing on your chest.

“SCAR!”

“...Seven, eight, nine, ten. Oh look, I’ve caught you!”

“You cheated! I should have figured.”

“You wound me, Y/N,” he started, “I laid the rules quite clearly for you. I counted to ten and you didn’t keep away. I said nothing about being unable to count and hunt. Now, where were we…” Being on your belly, you were even more powerless under Scar’s weight, and he wasted no time wriggling his claws in the hollows of your underarms. You hadn’t stood a chance; even though you expected it, you still shrieked in surprise before devolving into hearty belly laughter. You reflexively clawed at the ground in front of you, which made Scar snicker.

“You still think you can escape me? How pitiful,” he teased, using his claws to skitter under your arms as opposed to the vicious kneading.

“NAHAHAH, SCAHAHAR!” you squealed, and it was about the last noise you made before your laughter fell silent.

“Oh, I suppose you’ve had enough. This time, I’ll grant you mercy.” This time he kept his word, removing his weight from you to lay where he originally was in front of the Pillar of Friendship. Was the light that bright earlier? He couldn’t remember.

You allowed your giggling to cease and your breath to be caught before returning to where you also were sitting before you were viciously “mauled” by a usually grouchy lion. This same lion though looked rather proud of himself… and strangely at ease.

“This is supposed to be a peaceful place,” you scolded, half-heartedly.

“I’m aware. It was you disturbing the peace with your incessant giggling and carrying on.” Your banter continued and you spent a good portion of the evening in this spot before turning in for the night, tonight being a night in Scar’s cave as part of your rotation. Funnily enough though, when you woke the next day, you stepped outside and realized you were too far from Scar for the spell to still be in place.

#tickle #tickle fic #tickle community #fluff #disney #disney dreamlight valley #ddv #ler!scar #lee!reader #the lion king #the lion guard #ticklish!reader

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studies-in-the-art-of-deduction · 3 months

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Hello. Quick question. What is your advice for someone who can observe fast and accurately but can't come to conclusions?(For example, I can see there is a mud or some kind of stain but I can't deduce how it is happened.)

Hello! I have good news and bad news for you, the good news is that if you trully find yourself in this predicament then congratulations! you're officially at the point that every deductionist has find themselves in, this means you're on the right track to actually learning to deduce. The bad news is that this is where the complexity of deduction starts to set in, and it's where a lot of people drop out of trying to learn.

So this plateau is the whole reason why is made this blog (and other blogs i've had in the past) to begin with. I found myself in this same position, where i could observe accurately and quickly, maybe come to some basic conclusions like someone's handedness, but i couldn't really get past that.

This is where you're going to have to start shifting your focus from observation to logic reasoning. You're gonna have to start following up your observations with the question "what does this mean?", and this is where most of my posts start to make sense and (hopefully) become useful, as you're going to have to start mixing some of these observations and extracting basic information from them that is gonna seem obvious but will be the first step to a cycle of "well if this is true then that must also be true, and if that is true and i saw this thing earlier then this other thing must also be true", and that's basically what a lot of deduction looks like.

Here are some useful posts i've made that will hopefully help you at this stage, since they're made for that, if you're still having trouble feel free to shoot me a DM and i can help you out personally!

"Obviously"

Knowledge vs Logic

How To Break Down Information

And here's an exercise that might push you to get past this plateau

Deduction Exercise 1: "At Least One Fact"

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dballzposting · 5 months

Text

Trunks & Bura

The age gap between them (14 years) and their big friggin' house means that it is very easy for them to avoid each other. The emotional intimacy (and general knowledge of the other) must start and end at a sort of lukewarm tenderness at how Trunks was the one who had initially taught Bura how to play Mario Kart.

Trunks in his later years is a chill and cool dude. He's not an egotistical asshole. Furthermore he sort of sucks. There's nothing he's particularly good at. The only niche he has is that haircut that he has had his whole life. So his general impression in the household is that he's relatively mild-mannered and sensible; he is mature, he has responsibilities; he is just a normal dude, he doesn't stone his feelings, but his feelings don't often deviate from just the general want to chill and relax and hang out. In the household, he's the one with the lowest, calmest energy.

Bura is a firecracker. More than that, she is controlled. She is competent and she wins hard. Trunks watches her grow up and obviously sees all the petulant moods she's been through and all the mistakes she's made, but even he can see that her competence grows at a rapid rate and never seems to plateau. She is perfectly self-possessed. She wears bright red. She is a fashionista. She knows what she wants and she gets it. Even though she is so much younger than Trunks, her presence in the household is larger, louder, and more impactful (she even got their father to shave his mustache with only one rude comment!)

Trunks is older. He has had to babysit her a lot over her kid years. They live in a culture and house that respects power dynamics; the children answer to their parents, and Bura must respect Trunks as her elder. She does so, meaning that sometimes she will follow whatever rules he lies down. The tricky thing is that they are also of a house of rule-breaking free-spirits. Trunks seems to have chosen rule-following and subservience (you seen him in DBS and up?) in order to keep the peace in the familial dynamic; Bura chooses to follow her more direct and assertive nature. Since she is the youngest, this is noticeable.

There is an interesting (and predictable) display of both respect and disobedience in Bura. As a child, she follows the rules the way that children do; and she is also selfish and capricious the way that children are. In her pubescent years, she is more daring, bold, and self-assured as teenagers tend to be; but she is also wiser for age and possesses a greater capacity for empathy, as well as a loyalty for compassion. The older she gets, the more this levels out into a sturdy and accomplished way of being (self-respect and a respect for others), rather than being categorized by the reckless fire of emotional youth.

The hints of her competent soul are present the whole time. Not in the way that she says snotty things to Trunks, not in the way that she asserts her fashion statements, certainly not in the hissy fits she throws - but in the way that she can quietly work on a project for days at a time, in the way that Trunks can just sense where her territory is and he avoids it, in the way that she never asks for emotional truths because she either knows her limits or because she can just read it in your eyes.

She does respect the power hierarchy on principle, and she doesn't feel burned by it, despite being technically at the bottom. She is loyal to her house and she thrives within it. For comparison, Goku never respects social structures that artificially elevate one person as being more valuable than another; and Vegeta lived under some boots in his time and he always resented it, because it was specifically going against his soul. But Bura loves her family, feels supported by them, and she understands that one day she will rise to the top of a power hierarchy, so she does respect it. By the time she is an adult, she doesn't think that anyone should be considered "better" than others (though when she's younger, yeah, she definitely thinks that she is better than some other people in her house or beyond because her intelligence and fashion kicks ass so severely.) And she spends most of her early life doing what she wants and making a point of it. But she's not sneaking around and breaking rules (e.g. Trunks) as much as she is confronting rules upfront and purposefully forsaking them. She demands their audience and then tears them asunder. But she does respect and subscribe to the idea of a power hierarchy that she was born into. So she forsakes Trunks as younger siblings tend to do - but where it matters, and when it counts, she does defer to him. She follows his rules when he is in charge and she respects the unspoken boundaries of his person. She does tear into his fashion sense. But if he were to appear genuinely hurt, she would cease.

She respects this idea of a power hierarchy, but she never forces that on others, and she can see where it fails to be efficient. What she grows up to be is a leader who earns her place, and she makes sure to continue being a person whom people listen to naturally, because she doesn't think that she can just demand a following. She doesn't think that it would work, and she doesn't think that she has the right. But if she is just herself, then a high position will entail; she is competent, she is intelligent, she is passionate, she is loud, she is assertive, and she is considerate.

Trunks, as the older sibling, must feel secure in his authority. Bura puts up convincing and fierce fights, but in the end he is still her elder. But Trunks has a mild insecurity within his soul, and that weakness responds to the ultimate confidence of Bura; and as she ages, he begins to feel smaller in comparison. He is still mostly a self-assured person, but he knows deep down that she is just better than him. And he can also tell that when she respects him, it is not because she is weak to authority. It is because she chooses to listen. Unlike Trunks who grew up to fear and follow the rules of his irascible parents, Bura follows rules because she has decided to attribute value to them. She is behaving out of self-respect, not self-defense.

In their later years (think GT and beyond), This subtle usurpation may trigger some resentment in Trunks. But also, he is her elder, and he loves himself fine, and he loves her, so how could he resent her? But it persists. They don't often connect in ways other than professional or diplomatic.

Overall, though, Trunks's life is building up in tension. The pressure mounts until he finally finds a direction and finds relief: he reorients himself toward the martial arts and ultimately pursues the sword. Once he finds himself, he is able to let go of some of that resentment that he holds for others.

Bura takes over Capsule Corp as the now-youngest president.

Once Bura is fully grown, and she and Trunks both find themselves in a profession that suits them well, they are able to connect better as equals. Their relationship has always been more emotionally restrained, but it never felt like a painful vacancy; but now, they realize that there had been a rigidity in their professionalism before, and that it is freeing to feel it pass.

Trunks sees the emotional depth that Bura has earned in her time. She is truly kind and compassionate, and he perhaps missed it before because he had never read a vulnerability in her. But she is able to be sensitive unabashedly, with a tall spine, and it never feels like a startling vulnerability because she is like this always and without blushing. She has always been self-possessed and authentic. She has never been afraid to put her heart on the line. This is a source of her strength. She is assertive, she is tough, she is callous, she wastes no time - and she really does have your best interest at heart, and it is at no expense to her. As adults, she feels it appropriate to command Trunks to expunge the crippling insecurity from his soul. She had always observed it, but she was self-aware enough to know that his path did not need the advice from someone not yet mature.

Trunks is able to come into an inner peace and security, and she is very glad to see it.

He knows that he hasn't been able to do much for her in a very long time. She pretty much stopped needing him after she learned how to play Mario Kart. When she took over as President, she called him sometimes to ask for clarification on what's-what and who's-who, but that phase didn't last long. And she knows that he is practically unneeded in her life too. But she doesn't fault him for this at all. But she isn't stone-cold. And she knows what is good for her soul. So she does occasionally make time out of her busy schedule to get lunch with him.

During their biannual meet-ups, Bura absolutely tells him everything that is wrong with him. From fashion to life philosophy. She drills deep with one strike. Just straight to the center. Like a proper Saiyan. Like a proper swordsmith, really, but she has no interest in that, but she does appreciate his comparison. And she really does care about him. She only says mean things that are true. She holds no animosity. Her intentions are only to communicate and deliver, not to hurt. And she does with with all conversation subjects. And frankly he loves this. He spends a lot of time with Goten and Goten's girlfriend Palace these days. And they can be so fucking weird and airy and whimsical. Trunks really appreciates the intelligent and articulate Bura. Like FINALLY. Some fucking dialogue that MEANS SOMETHING. He never felt so seen frankly. And he'll say what's on his mind too, and she damn respects his virtue as a person, and she respects him enough to put his arguments to the test of her own counterclaims.

At the end of the day they love each other deeply and are loyal to the other, just never at the expense of themselves (within kindness). They are two different animals with different natures, but pulled into the same circus, made to wear the same costumes, corralled and whipped by the same two ringleaders - and they have a mutual understanding of the other's joy and misery therein. They both understand, in a dry way, now that it's all said and done - the dynamic they lived, the dances they danced - that they have nothing against the other, have never had, but circumstances of the circus made them bicker or battle or defer. And they both understand, on a primal and cosmic level, that when justice is served, and the universe breaks into itself: that they are to operate in accordance to their own natures and with no further loyalty to the other. But they respect each other's natures, and want the other to have their perfect freedom.

Physical interactions are rare and stand only to communicate a presupposed dynamic (as kids, Trunks would stand protectively with her, and she would stand second to him, even though there was a point where her fortitude surpassed him; as adults, they may have to pose at a gala, and his hand on the small of her back denotes the familial hierarchy that they have always respected, but need not operate in in a practical manner any longer). Verbal affection is minimal, direct, and non-poetic. But they love each other. And more, they could do away with the other - because they respect their differences and believe in nothing but freedom.

#dballz posting

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fioreofthemarch · 11 months

Text

Finding Her - Chapter 12

Link makes notes, takes photos and keeps time on his quest across Hyrule, in the hopes of finding Zelda and staying sane until he does. [ Previous | Next | First | AO3 ]

A video recording lasting approximately 60 seconds. Blurred, jumbled images, panning wildly until: a Yiga footsoldier comes into view. He examines the Purah Pad, tapping and shaking it. Behind him is an old hut surrounded by a log-spike barricade.

09:55: So this is the Hero’s new contraption? Can’t believe it was so easy to swipe off him.

A Yiga blademaster appears over his shoulder, and sheathes an Eightfold Longsword.

09:56: I have dealt with the Hero. Knocked him 20 feet clear of the barricade. Denki, stop toying with that thing, we must take it to Master Kohga.

The footsoldier looks up at the blademaster and points, angry.

09:56: I swiped this, Sota, not you! Give me a minute to see how it works at least. I wanna blow something up or, or freeze time or— Hey!

The blademaster reaches for the Purah Pad. The images blur as the pair jostle for the device.

09:57: Enough, let go!

09:57: Idiot, you’ll break it!

09:57: We are wasting time!

09:58: Hands off!

The camera abruptly steadies, as the footsoldier relinquishes his claim on the Purah Pad to the blademaster. The footsoldier suddenly startles, and begins looking around frantically.

09:59: What is the matter now, Denki?

09:59: There was a noise. Did you hear that–?

The camera pans sharp left to: Link, leaping over the barricade, an axe in hand. He advances on the camera at speed. The Purah Pad is dropped and the images scramble.

10:01: HYAAAAHHHHH!!

---

Log date: 10:15. 7th month, 18th day 104AC. Location: Yiga Hideout, The Great Plateau Weather: Cloudy

Good, this still works. No other damage that I can see.

Lost focus, dropped my guard. Damned Yiga. Their compound seemed abandoned and I knocked, knocked, on their front door. Deserved to have the Purah Pad swiped. Got it back easy enough though. The cowards that were here fled once I gave them a real fight.

Bittersweet to be back here. Zelda and I visited not long after the Calamity. The place seemed haunted, by grief instead of ghosts. Zelda called it the birthplace of Hyrule, and said she felt a loss here that she couldn’t explain. Never came back after that.

Was heading south-west from Akkala, towards Gerudo, with the usual diversions. A Skyview Tower here, a Shrine there, breakfast with Penn at South Akkala Stables – he says next mystery we solve together he’ll have some more froggy armour for me. Saw the Great Plateau rising on the horizon and figured I could spare a day or two for another detour.

Decided to stay in the woodcutter's hut on the east side of the Plateau. After all, it was the first place I knew, after I woke up. The first bed I slept in, the first cookpot I used — what was it we made? Spicy meat and something fry, traded for a warm doublet courtesy of the old man. Simpler times. The last King and the last Knight of Hyrule, sharing a meal…

The Yiga are getting bolder. This is the second surface-side hideout I’ve found and by their maps they have a third. They impersonated Zelda in Necluda and were running some kind of magical cucco scam in Akkala. Feel my patience for them wearing thin. It’s been a little while since I’ve seen their leader, Kohga. We’re due a rematch, wherever he is.

Another time. Now that I’m here, I’d like to have a look around.

A photograph of the Great Plateau with its evergreen trees and rolling landscape. The Temple of Time is in the foreground, ahead of a gentle hill that rises towards the overlook leading into the Shrine of Resurrection. A campfire is burning, just off the pathway up the hill.

Caption: Hyrule might have been born here, but so was I, and home is calling.

---

A photograph of a handwritten note. On closer inspection, it has been pinned to the red and black fabric of a Yiga stealth suit. The note, and the Yiga, are badly bloodied.

TO ALL YIGA, LIVING OR DEAD.

Tell your Master: I know where he is hiding.

This footsoldier disguised as ‘Zelda’ told me. He tried to flee but, hard to teleport away with a knife through your hand.

Look upon the scars I left when he returns to you. That was me being kind.

Use whatever tactics you want to fight me: disguises, ambushes, duplicity, I don’t care. Fight me and lose, any time you want.

But use Zelda as bait again, and I will have no more use for kindness. You think me being a Knight of Hyrule prevents me from harming others. Well the Knights of Hyrule are all dead.

There is no one left to answer to.

And no one left to protect you from me.

— Link

---

Log date: 13:10. 7th month, 19th day 104AC. Location: The Shrine of Resurrection, The Great Plateau Weather: Partly cloudy.

Zelda, you’re going to love this. I ran into you again. You were as pretty as ever, and also – not real! Well no. You aren’t going to love this. I can’t tell you what happened here. This whole entry is a write off.

Didn’t know I had it in me. Seeing ‘you’ again, and having that taken away by yet another one of those Yiga idiots… It wasn’t rage I felt, it was cruelty. Rage is a response, like an allergy, you can’t control it. Cruelty is a choice. And I chose.

I’m lying here, in this forgotten place where I lay once before, letting the warm waters of the spring heal my wounds. What happened to the Shrine here? And the boy you had laid down inside?

There’s another hideout here in this cave but it’s abandoned, actually abandoned this time. I checked the whole place for traps (mostly banana themed) but nothing. I suppose the Yiga I interrogated lived to get my message out, and fast. I took his mask, you know, before I let him leave. Goddess preserve me, Zelda. He was younger than you and I.

It’s not that he was crying by the end of it. It’s not even that he begged to be allowed to live. It’s that I didn’t care. I felt nothing.

What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t tell you any of this. I can never, ever tell you…

I realised something, at least. When I ran into the Yiga disguised as you, I knew something was off right away. The differences were subtle, but I know your perfections and imperfections like my own. I knew it wasn’t you, as much as I wanted it to be. And I realised I’ve had the same feeling for a long time, after seeing you in each of the Temples with the Sages. I wish I was certain. I’ve only got my memory, and I trust that about as far as I can throw it.

Speaking of throwing. The Goddess Statue in the Temple of Time has asked me to throw a bunch of eyes down into the Depths, and you know what? Sure. Anything to get my mind off things right now.

Save entry before closing?

> Log settings

Settings: Attach photograph, save, or delete log?

> Delete log

Log deleted.

---

A photograph of the bargainer statue beneath the Great Abandoned Central Mine. The statue is enormous, filling the frame and the cavern in which it is housed. Its quadruple eyes pass no judgement, only observe.

A photograph of the Secret Spring of Revival, with its eerie sparkling waters and ancient structures. Poes float above the surface of the water, their radiance beckoning.

A photograph of an open plain in the Depths, fern-like trees twisting upwards. A great, shambling beast sits in the middle. On its back are spines of Zonaite, barely visible. Its glaring yellow eye looks towards the camera, suspicious.

A self-portrait of Link, standing by a chest in a forgotten mine. He wears odd-shaped trousers that glow like a lantern. He has a neutral, if slightly amused look on his face.

A photograph of a Yiga Hideout, patrolled by footsoldiers on customised Zonai wings. White grasses obscure part of the image; the photographer is hidden among them.

Caption: This place is surprisingly peaceful. No wish to fight anymore, today. Will leave the Yiga to their fun.

---

Log date: 13:25. 7th month, 21st day 104AC Location: Birida Lookout, Gerudo Highlands Weather: Snowing

Travelled as the crow flies from the Great Plateau to the Gerudo Highlands thanks to a revised hover-glider I built in the Depths.

Been a while since I’ve checked what Zelda was up to. Hankering to see the real deal, and not a ghost, or a disguise. Headed to a geoglyph east of here. The kneeling man - King Ganondorf.

Have a terrible feeling that I know the name well, but not how. From the memory I just saw, it seems like Zelda felt the same way.

She was facing so much: being stuck in the past, caught up in political bickering, and eventually, a war. But she seemed so calm. Seemed like she was handling things a lot better than I am.

What have I achieved, exactly, in the past two and a half months? I’ve wandered around, knocked a few monsters on the head, helped a few people out, sure, but then I also terrorised some Yiga, and have made no progress in finding Zelda.

She wouldn’t wallow in self pity like this. Gotta stop wasting time. Gotta get back on the trail, on the job, and out of my head.

A photograph of the red cliffs of the Gerudo Highlands, and the geoglyph painted there. Taken from ground level, the kneeling figure it depicts is warped and squashed, and looks somehow even more sinister than usual.

Caption: He seemed friendly…

---

Log date: 8:45. 7th month, 22nd day 104AC Location: Washa’s Bluff, Hyrule Ridge Weather: Clear

Another geoglyph. The standing woman - Queen Sonia.

I didn’t plan to detour here. I wanted to head straight into Gerudo Desert, but saw in my notes that there was another geoglyph and figured, with effort and determination, I could make it there within a day.

I’m glad I did. Learned a few things.

First: why Zelda was so calm. She had Sonia and Rauru watching over her, giving her every bit of parental kindness and guidance that she’d never had. Wish I had a way to thank them.

Second: that I was right. Seeing Zelda in the past again confirmed that the Yiga made a poor copy, and that the ‘Zelda’ we’ve been seeing at the Temples isn’t her. I feel it in my bones. Someone is trying to fool us: don’t know who, or why, but I do know we haven’t found Zelda yet.

And last: I will find her. Not because of my own rage or stubbornness or ego, but because of her faith in me. The way she spoke about me to Rauru and Sonia… what did she say? My heart is good and true! I don’t know I deserve that. I don’t get everything right. I can be distracted, impulsive. I have a temper now, one that frightens me. I don’t cover my left side well and get most of my scrapes and cuts that way.

But I’m a hero in Zelda’s eyes, so I must have been one, once. That faith is enough to keep me going, and make me want to be one again.

Going to recover the log I deleted. If she ever reads this, I want her to know the mistakes I made, see the times I went too far, and know that it was her, always her, that made me want to be better.

A photograph of the gazebo on Washa’s Bluff. In the background is the neighbouring Illumeni Plateau, the grass there decorated with Sonia’s shining geoglyph. The summer sun gives the photograph an over-saturated, nostalgic quality.

Caption: One more hour resting here, and then no turning back.

#totk #tears of the kingdom #zelink #tears of the kingdom fanfiction #link #yiga #my writing #link would have watched oppenheimer first assuming his outlook on life would be restored by barbie only to have it shattered even further

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onlycosmere · 2 years

Text

Stop it, she told herself, smiling at Adolin. She needed to make sure this meeting went well for him. Get him to talk about himself. That was one piece of advice she remembered from books.

“Plateau runs,” Shallan said. “How do you know when to begin one, anyway?”

“Hmm? Oh, we have spotters,” Adolin said, lounging back in his chair. “Men who stand atop towers with these enormous spyglasses. They inspect every plateau we can reach in a reasonable time, watching for a chrysalis.”

“I hear you’ve captured your share of those.”

“Well, I probably shouldn’t talk about it. Father doesn’t want it to be a competition anymore.” He looked at her, expectant.

“But surely you can talk about what happened before,” Shallan said, feeling as if she were filling an expected role.

“I suppose,” Adolin said. “There was one run a few months back where I seized the chrysalis basically by myself. You see, Father and I, we would usually jump the chasm first and clear the way for the bridges.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Shallan asked, dutifully looking at him with widened eyes.

“Yes, but we’re Shardbearers. We have strength and power granted by the Almighty. It’s a great responsibility, and it’s our duty to use it for the protection of our men. We save hundreds of lives by going across first. Lets us lead the army, firsthand.”

He paused.

“So brave,” Shallan said, in what she hoped was a breathy, adoring voice.

“Well, it’s the right thing to do. But it is dangerous. That day, I leaped across, but my father and I got pushed too far apart by the Parshendi. He was forced to jump back across, and a blow to his leg meant that when he landed, his greave—that’s a piece of armor on the leg—cracked. That made it dangerous for him to jump back again. I was left alone while he waited for the bridge to lock down.”

He paused again. She was probably supposed to ask what happened next.

“What if you need to poop?” she asked instead.

“Well, I put my back to the chasm and laid about me with my sword, intending to . . . Wait. What did you say?”

“Poop,” Shallan said. “You’re out there on the battlefield, encased in metal like a crab in its shell. What do you do if nature calls?”

“I . . . er . . .” Adolin frowned at her. “That is not something any woman has ever asked me before.”

“Yay for originality!” Shallan said, though she blushed as she said it. Jasnah would have been displeased. Couldn’t Shallan mind her tongue for a single conversation? She’d gotten him talking about something he liked; everything had been going well. Now this.

“Well,” Adolin said slowly, “every battle has breaks in the flow, and men rotate in and out of the front lines. For every five minutes you’re fighting, you often have almost as many resting. When a Shardbearer pulls back, men inspect his armor for cracks, give him something to drink or eat, and help him with . . . what you just mentioned. It’s not something that makes a good topic of conversation, Brightness. We don’t really talk about it.”

“That’s precisely what makes it a good topic of conversation,” she said. “I can find out about wars and Shardbearers and glorious killing in the official accounts. The grimy details, though—nobody writes those down.”

“Well, it does get grimy,” Adolin said with a grimace, taking a drink. “You can’t really . . . I can’t believe I’m saying this . . . you can’t really wipe yourself in Shardplate, so someone has to do it for you. Makes me feel like an infant. Then, sometimes, you just don’t have time . . .”

“And?”

He inspected her, narrowing his eyes.

“What?” she asked.

“Just trying to determine if you’re secretly Wit wearing a wig. This is something he would do to me.”

“I’m not doing anything to you,” she said. “I’m just curious.” And honestly, she was. She’d thought about this. Perhaps more than it deserved consideration.

“Well,” Adolin said, “if you must know, an old adage on the battlefield teaches that it’s better to be embarrassed than dead. You can’t let anything draw your attention from fighting.”

“So . . .”

“So yes, I, Adolin Kholin—cousin to the king, heir to the Kholin princedom—have shat myself in my Shardplate. Three times, all on purpose.” He downed the rest of his wine. “You are a very strange woman.”

“If I must remind you,” Shallan said, “you are the one who opened our conversation today with a joke about Sebarial’s flatulence.”

“I guess I did at that.” He grinned. “This is not exactly going the way it’s supposed to, is it?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No,” Adolin said, then his grin widened. “Actually, it’s kind of refreshing. Do you know how many times I’ve told that story about saving the plateau run?”

“I’m sure you were quite brave.”

“Quite.”

“Though probably not as brave as the poor men who have to clean your armor.”

Adolin bellowed out a laugh. For the first time it seemed like something genuine—an emotion from him that wasn’t scripted or expected. He pounded his fist on the table, then waved for more wine, wiping a tear from his eye. The grin he gave her threatened to bring out another blush.

Wait, Shallan thought, did that just . . . work?

#the stormlight archive #words of radiance #cosmere #brandon sanderson #cfsbf #root #long post #shallan davar #shadolin #adolin kholin #quote #correct cosmere quotes

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