#sword village mayor

[ecargmura]

Same Voice Actresses

[katlimeart]

Made in 2023

If you've seen this anywhere else, I posted it back on my deviantArt when it was made.

Mario girls cosplaying as NPCs from The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Female Zuna

Female Villager

Stubborn Wife

[flowersandbigteeth]

Imagine being sacrificed to be eaten by some giant eldritch monster by your village due to being human and him just deciding you'll be the mother to his half breed babies and gently picking you up while carrying your face infront of the village who sacrificed you and the mosnter treating you as if you were glass and assuring how good of a dad he'll be

Yay more eldritch beasts! ^_^'

Eldritch beast (Castor) x female reader

Word Count: 1.5k

W: sfw monster fluff, some breeding talk

“Hurry up!” the mayor of your town snarled as he dragged you behind him. 

“Please! Please don’t do this!” you howled as the sacrificial altar that had been newly built at the base of the mountain came into view. 

You tugged and pulled, trying to get away, but your hands were tied and they’d thrown a loop of rope around your neck, choking you whenever you pulled too hard. 

“Stop sniveling, (Y/N),” he snapped, “you’re a hero! Show some pride! Your sacrifice will bring prosperity to the village. We’ll raise a statue in your honor!” 

You didn’t want a statue, you wanted to go home and for your town to stop all this nonsense. Since they’d had a bad year, the crops failing and winter coming far sooner than they expected, somehow they’d gotten it into their heads that a sacrifice to the mountain spirit would bring them good fortune. Of course, you knew it was all superstition, but the rest of the town agreed with the mayor. Being the only dissenter at the meeting they’d held to announce their plan, you were chosen to be the sacrifice. 

Tears leaked down your cheeks as you were tightly strapped to the stone altar while the rest of your town gathered around to watch. 

The mayor cleared his throat and stood in front of you facing the mountain. 

“Oh great mountain spirit we come to you with this humble offering! We see the error of our ways and present to you the fairest maiden from our village as penance for our mistakes! We honor you with this gift of flesh…” 

His speech went on and on, full of apologies, lies, and pleas for a good harvest.

– 

Castor’s ears perked as he made his way through the woods on his usual hunting route. He hardly paid attention to the village at the base of his mountain, humans were annoying and noisy so he avoided them at all costs, but this time there was an odd scent on the wind. It was a sweet scent. A scent he quite liked. He crept down the mountain on his many thick tentacles and peered through the trees to find an odd sight. 

The townspeople were all assembled at some strange stone table they’d erected. His eyes focused on you, strapped to the table, while a man stood over you squawking about something or another. He blinked at you, examining you from afar with his excellent eyesight, assisted by his many eyes. 

He usually didn’t bother in human affairs, but as he sniffed the air he discovered it was you that smelled so nice. What were the silly humans doing to you? When the stocky man yelling into the forest pulled out a bejeweled blade and waved it at you he found himself barrelling through the trees, flattening them as his bulk plowed through. He couldn’t let them hurt you!

The mayor’s eyes grew huge as he took in the massive beast looming over you, his large teeth bared and shining claws raised, and he froze where he stood.

“STOP!” Castor boomed in an ethereal and very deep voice that shook the leaves on the trees and made the mayor drop his sword with a clang. 

While the rest of your town trembled and watched, he turned his attention to you, your cheeks streaked with glittering tears. You were so incredibly frightened your scream was caught in your throat and you only let out a miserable whimper. 

The beast examining you was massive, moving on a tangle of thick tentacles. His torso was like a man’s but with a large mouth filled with dripping teeth in the center. There was no mouth on his face, only ten eyes blinking down at you with a look that might be…gentle? 

You found yourself a bit stunned and confused, searching his eyes as he studied you.

“Oh great mountain spirit!” your mayor broke in with a shaky voice, “p-please accept this sacrifice of fresh, beautiful meat to sate your hunger and soothe your anger! Bring us a good harvest and spare us game for our hunt!” 

Castor almost laughed. Sate his hunger? Bring a good harvest? He had no idea what the man was talking about. As you had suspected, Castor had nothing to do with the weather or the harvest. He simply lived in the mountain because it was a nice home away from humans. 

The last thing he wanted to do was eat you. You looked so pretty lying there, your hair fanned out around your face. He drifted closer to you, exploring you with his sensitive tentacles. Your skin was soft and smooth, feeling quite nice when he touched it and you smelled incredible. Like a mate. Your town watched eagerly with anticipation. They were sure if he killed you and ate you all of their problems would be solved. 

You felt his curious tentacles wind their way around your limbs, the little suckers exploring and tasting as they moved. Though your heart pounded in your chest, he didn’t seem to want to eat you. For one, his large gaping mouth was closed and his eyes were examining you very carefully…but not like food. His look was a different kind of hunger. 

“You’ll make a pretty wife, little human,” he said with incredible softness. 

“W-what?” you heard yourself squeak. 

He didn’t answer, but very gently snapped the straps holding you to the table and lifted you up into his two clawed arms, cradling you like you were fine china. 

“She’s for me?” he asked the mayor, still curious what exactly the town had been planning to do with you. 

“P-please! Gorge yourself on her tender flesh and gift us your favor!” the mayor went on. 

Castor opened his big mouth and laughed heartily, making everyone in the area tremble. 

“Foolish humans,” he boomed, “I have no interest in your petty problems, but I will accept your offering. Best of luck!” 

With a chuckle he hurried off into the woods, with you tucked in his arms, much faster than anyone could follow, leaving the townsfolk staring after him, their mouths agape. 

You peered up at him from around his biceps. 

“Y-you’re not going to improve the harvest?” you asked. 

“I’m not a god, that’s not within my power,” he snorted, “but I am very happy with their sacrifice.” 

He booped you on the nose with one of his claws and you blinked. 

“Th-then what are you going to do with me?” you questioned. 

A huge smile appeared on his large mouth, exposing his jagged, shiny teeth. 

“I’m going to make you my mate and fill you with my babies,” he explained. 

Your face blanched and he frowned. 

“Don’t be frightened,” he said, a tentacle stroking your head reassuringly, “I’ll take the very best care of you and be very gentle. You are my precious darling. I’m going to dress you in the warmest furs and keep you nice and cozy in my den. While those silly humans starve, scraping around in the dirt, I’m going to make you perfectly plump with the tenderest cuts of meat and the ripest fruits.” 

You considered the monster carrying you. He wasn’t exactly handsome in a normal human way, but he did smell nice, a bit like pine and moss, and his tentacles were very gentle. You certainly were in no danger if he was protecting you and being fed by a skilled hunter sounded much better than starving in your village. 

“O-okay,” you murmured as another tentacle lightly pinched your cheek, “my name’s (Y/N), what’s your name?” 

“Castor,” he said, preening with your interest in him. 

“I-I’m flattered you chose me,” you started, “but I’m not sure I’ll make a good mother to your babies.” 

A snort escaped his lips and the random tentacles he had wound around your limbs squeezed you just slightly. 

“You are sweet and small,” he assured you, “you’ll make a wonderful mother and I’m very responsible. I’ll help you through it. You won’t be alone. We’ll raise our children together…one big happy family.” 

While he carried you up the mountain, the snow started to fall silently around you signaling that winter had truly started and as you chatted with him about his life you felt yourself grow more and more relaxed in his warm arms. Finally, the adrenaline from the events of the day draining from you, you drifted off to sleep. When you woke up again, your new life would begin. 

[quitealotofsodapop]

Just a funny idea;

Since I doubt Pierre's stocks that kinda stuff; Shane and Harvey both know who in Pelican Town are currently doing dirty business based on purchases at Joja Mart and/or requests from the clinic.

Harvey obvs never reveals who asks for what - patient confidentiality after all. But Shane def has had to look more than one villager in the eyes while on register duties and ring up their basket of cheap booze and "protection".

He bumped into Marnie one rainy Saturday when he was called in on a day off. That was how he learned that his aunt was currently boinking somebody in town. He needed a good few rounds of beers after work to quell his horror.

Shane is trying to sus out *who* it is though, as it isn't like his aunt to be so tight-lipped and embarassed about something. Sam and Abigail have helped him draft a "Suspect's List" based on who comes in for what at Joja Mart and Pierre's.

Sam suspects Gus the Barman since he's such a plump, happy person like Marnie. Similar vibes ya know?

Abigail is convinced its Marlon the Adventurer - eye-patch, beard, and a sword? Total babe magnet.

Shane personally is placing his bets on someone whos is a lot younger than Marnie - hence the embarassment. He has shot many a threatening look at Elliot (romantic seaside poet? any woman would swoon) and even Harvey himself (adorable dork with a mustache).

Eventually it becomes a huge topic of discussion that Friday evening at the Saloon and a bunch of the younger townsfolk are *subtley* offering their own theories.

Jas, holding a cola: "Are you guys trying to solve a mystery?" Leah: "I don't think this is a mystery you'd be interested in Jas..." Sam: "Yeah. The mystery of who's in love with your aunt Marnie." Jas: "I went into Aunt Marnie's room one morning to find some hair ties and Mayor Lewis was hiding under the bed..." All within earshot at the saloon: (⊙_⊙) Shane: "He was what?"

[yyokkki]

Dire Crowley

The mayor of NRV! 

He’s always giving you quests to complete while you’re at NRV claiming he’s too busy to get it done himself but his daily schedule consists of just walking around town doing daily ‘check ups’ on the businesses.

Dubs you a beast master after you gain three hearts with more than two villagers. He says nobody is able to acclimate themselves with the townsfolk so quickly!

He may or may not have been scared off by the scarecrows in your farm once or twice.

Is a total suck up to Governor Ambrose the 63rd but shit talks him behind his back. He plans to overthrow him one day but it’s not looking bright…

Absolutely hates the city and the new Royal Sword Mart that opened in town.

You basically get tasks weekly from him. Don’t worry the rewards are generous as he is a very gracious man~

Loved Gifts: Any Gems, Glass Shards, Gold, Meat, Universal Loves

“How generous of you, farmer! It seems my graciousness has rubbed off on you~”

Hated Gifts: Royal Sword Cola, Any Spicy Foods, Hot Pepper, Universal Hates

“Boohoo! Despite all my generosity and graciousness! How could you give me something so vile!!"

Divus Crewel

The local scientist! I’m not going into his specific field but he does a lot of experiments on the geography and ecosystems of the valley.

He also seems well versed in Chemistry as he regularly supervises Trey and Rook as they do their experiments too. (He’s afraid the pups are gonna injure themselves)

He owns a cool classic car that doesn’t work anymore after years of not travelling out of NRV. He grieves about it a lot.(The junimos fix it and he chaperones you over to the desert!)

His hobby is fashion design and he has a room in his house fully decked out with sewing machines, mannequins and the like.

He keeps a very good dalmatian named Spot at home. He is the most spoiled boy in town.

Occasionally visits the library to play chess with Trein but it usually ends with some kind of argument…

He’s the one who offers to set up a fruit bat/mushroom cave for you! (He may or may not have inspired Jade)

Loved Gifts: Raisin Butter, Wine, Cloth, Dye Materials, Universal Loves

“Good pup! This is a great gift.”

For Cloth and Dye Materials: “Might as well make you something with this… Especially considering your current attire.”

Hated Gifts: Universal Hates

“Bad pup! What is the meaning of this?!”

Mozus Trein

The librarian and teacher!

He holds classes for the kids twice a week but when he’s not a teacher he looks over the library with his cat, Lucius, whom the kids (and Idia) absolutely adore!

He’s quite strict with the manners and knowledge of the young people in town so it’s always a shock to see him so patient and gentle with the kids.

He has grown daughters who are currently working in the city! He regularly pens letters to them and sends over care packages. They come to visit him often too!

He finds it absolutely unacceptable how barren the library in town is and finds lost books more important than artifacts, though he thinks they’re a valuable educational tool as well.

Loved Gifts: Duck Feather, Vichyssoise, Tuna, Leek, Universal Loves

“This is a good gift, farmer. Thank you.”

For Duck Feather and Tuna: “Lucius will enjoy this, I thank you on his behalf.”

Hated Gifts: Universal Hates

“Ugh. How distasteful.”

Ashton Vargas

The town blacksmith!

Honestly? Might’ve become a blacksmith so he could work his arms out… He’s off every Thursday for leg day!

He encourages everyone in town to work out more! Certain townsfolk avoid him because of this.

Approves of you since farming requires a lot of physical labour! Actually offers to help you out with heavy lifting too.

He lives off of the forests too, he hunts and grows his own harvests! 

He has a few chickens too for sustainable egg supply.

Probably one of the nicest villagers if you ignore his gloating!

Loved Gifts: All Eggs, Beer, Universal Loves

“Thanks! Why don’t you drop by later for some weight training? I’ll tell you all of my tips!”

Hated Gifts: Universal Hates

“I hate this stuff!”

Sam

Owner of the general store!

Not much is known about him but he has lots of friends on the other side! (They’re the travelling cart merchants cooperating with him to sell out of season products)

He sells absolutely everything! Except for other shops products since he doesn’t wanna stir up the competition!

The general store has another branch in the city too!

Loved Gifts: Chicken Gumbo, Void Essence, Universal Loves

“Daw, thanks little imp! Now, don’t go thinkin’ this’ll get you a discount~”

Hated Gifts: Solar Essence (His friends hate this stuff), Universal Hates

“Hate to break it to ya, but I have a million of these in the back… You can keep it!”

Grim

The sewer rat? Basically the Krobus of this universe because it was between him and your farm companion! I mean c’mon you can even have him move in with you after you become good friends! He’s the true route fr.

Wants to live on the surface but that bird brained mayor won’t let him! So now he sells random stuff he found in the sewers to you…

He does sneak out pretty often though, it’s how you found him pretty early on.

The poor boy, get him some tuna. It blows his mind the first time he tries it. (He’s been living off of radioactive fish, he’s fine though)

Actually starts living with you even if you’re pursuing a bachelor as soon as he hits ten hearts.

He constantly complains about your other furry companion though…

It’s probably harder to give him a gift he hates since he’ll eat about everything. (Yes he eats all your gifts)

He wants to overthrow Crowley and become the mayor of town! He never succeeds. (He thinks mayor is the highest position in the whole world because it’s all he knows)

Loved Gifts: Tuna, Stone, Any Gem, Universal Loves

“Funa! You’re the best henchuman!!  I was feeling a little hungry!”

Hated Gifts: Universal Hates (Except clay maybe? Feels like he’d eat that too…)

“EW! This is worse than that time you called me a raccoon!”

---

TWST x SDV Masterlist

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[crystalsofaequarin]

In the Kingdom of Aequarin, magic and technology go hand in hand with the use of beautiful luminous crystals.

The village of Shimmer Mist is a small town filled with necromancers and dark magic users. While the rest of Aequarin lives in relative comfort and peace, Shimmer Mist is a place few dare to venture.

You assume the role of a detective being tasked with uncovering the mystery behind an unusual string deaths plaguing your town.

You journey to the Capitol seeking aid for your investigation when you receive news of Lord Belfry, the mayor of Shimmer Mists' death. You are sent back with a group of companions to assist in your task to catch the murderer before they strike again.

Soon, you realize that beneath the surface of seemingly isolated deaths lies something far greater than anyone could have imagined. Just how deep does this mystery run? Will you be a good enough detective to solve it? The fate of Shimmer Mist, and maybe the entirety of Aequarin, lies in your hands.

Customizable MC.

Choose your clothing style

Romance and befriend your fellow companions.

Build unique relationships with companions.

Decided how you feel about the town and people of Shimmer Mist.

Choose your magic color and weapon.

Save your village...or don't?

DEMO

Celdrine Wynmire | The Healer (F)

Celdrine is a kind and joyful soul. She is rarely seen without a smile. She loves to help people and is the ultimate optimist.

Appearance: Long light green hair, blue green eyes. Lightly tanned skin with small freckles on her face.

5'5"

Magic/weapon: Yellow magic, uses an intricately crafted staff.

Style: Frilly

ISFJ

Birthday: March 20th - Pisces

Carmine Garnet | The Knight (M)

Carmine is quite and serious. His loyalty can't be matched. Though he can be intimidating once you get to know him you see how much he is willing to do for the people of Aequarin and his fellow companions.

Appearance: Long fiery red hair. Fair skin and piercing green eyes.

6'2"

Magic/Weapon: Red magic uses a broad sword.

Style: Functional/Stylish

ISTJ

Birthday: January 2nd - Capricorn

Artemis Krane | The Scientist (M,F,NB)

Artemis is intelligent and can come off as cold or aloof. They always think with their head and never let emotion cloud their judgment... usually.

Appearance: Glasses and lavender eyes purple hair. F and NB Artemis have long hair usually pulled back. M Artemis has short to medium length slicked back hair.

M: 5'10"

F/NB: 5'7"

Magic/Weapon: Purple magic uses a lance.

Style: Travel/Comfort

INTJ

Birthday: November 18th - Scorpio

Kaelin Novus | The Merchant (M,F,NB)

Kaelin is a a former monster hunter turned merchant. They are fairly well known through the Kingdom and incredibly popular in the Capitol. They are charismatic and generally kind. They love a bit of gossip though.

Appearance: Medium brown skin, deep amber eyes. M and NB Kaelin have long locks. F Kaelin has long goddess braids.

M: 6'

F: 5'6"

NB: 5'9"

Magic/Weapon: blue magic uses long sword

Stlye: Elegant

ENFJ

Birthday: July 26th - Leo

Nym Solaris | The Watcher (F)

Nym was born with very little magic much to her families dismay. With the help of crystal bodily enhancements such as her left eye which has had a crystal lens implanted in it, Nym has exceeded everyone's expectations of her. Nym is very smart and reclusive, she can be quiet and a bit standoffish at first, but is a generally kind-hearted person.

Style: Functional stylish

ISTP

Birthday: September 13th - Virgo

[skyloftian-nutcase]

oooh

If it catches your interest I'd love to see Ordon family getting caught hanging out with a Wolf and trying to get out of the situation without causing a panic.

It was a good thing Rusl was an extremely proficient liar.

Link rarely transformed, but sometimes he would do so to play with Colin. The boy was growing, his kidnapping and time in Kakariko having matured him greatly, and it seemed Link wanted his little brother to still have some childlike fun and joy in his life, so every once in a while the two would go off to train and then end up playing in the woods. More often than not, they’d play wrestle and splash in the sacred spring, but sometimes Link would take his canine form and let Colin ride on his back.

It was harmless, really. Rusl had stumbled upon the pair once while he’d walked through the woods, and he’d played with them both as well.

Today it wasn’t quite so harmless.

Nothing had gone terribly wrong, necessarily. But when Mayor Bo had decided to take a stroll to the sacred spring and inadvertently run into Colin riding a wolf, things had gotten a little more complicated.

Rusl was lingering near Link’s house when he’d heard the yelp of alarm. Mayor Bo’s eyes were wide as he stared at Colin and Link in his wolf form. Rusl’s eldest looked nearly terrified, ears peeled back, posture somewhat submissive but tense, ready to run if needed. Colin was an outright mess, stammering and trying to figure out what he should say or do.

The mayor put a hand to his chest, letting out a heavy sigh. “Spirits, Colin, you scared me to death. What are you even doin’? Where did you get such a massive dog? It looks near like a wolf! That’s dangerous!”

“He’s a wolf hound,” Rusl supplied easily, heart racing, voice calm. “Gift from Princess Zelda, but he mostly prefers being on the edge of the village. Link takes care of him. He doesn’t like people too much outside of us.”

“Ah! Well, that’s too bad, he looks like a cute fella,” Mayor Bo commented, smiling at Colin and Link. “I bet the kids would love him. And Ilia too!”

“Maybe someday,” Rusl offered with little meaning behind it. Whether Link chose to share his secret with anyone was up to him. Although… if he ever decided to pursue something with Ilia…

Rusl wiggled his eyebrows at his canine boy, smirking. “He might take a liking to Ilia, though I’d wait on that.”

Link’s posture relaxed a little, but he let out a boof of protest, sounding nearly exasperated. It took every bit of control Rusl had to not laugh at the teenager. Colin seemed to be calming down as well, his panicked expression morphing into something more akin to mild anxiety.

Rusl took pride in how his words helped settle his boys. He directed his attention back to the mayor, who held a brief conversation with him about the weather before walking back to the village. Colin slid off the wolf, who walked into the spring and shifted back into the boy Rusl knew and loved.

“Sorry, Pa,” Link muttered, cheeks flushed. “I should’ve… I’m usually better at hiding from others.”

Rusl hummed, crossing his arms. “You do need to be more careful, Link. And Colin, that goes for you too - don’t goad your brother into such activities in broad daylight like this.”

His boys looked sufficiently schooled, so he eased off, continuing, “I trust you two practiced sparring today, because I’m fairly certain that if you’ve just been frolickin’ in the woods I can beat both of ya.”

Link and Colin both brightened, the younger eager while the elder smirked competitively. They followed Rusl back to the clearing just outside of Link’s house, quickly grabbing practice swords, and the three sparred into the night, laughter rising into the air. The crisis was blessedly averted, and the day ended with a delicious dinner made by Uli. Rusl smiled at his boys, happy and relieved.

But Spirits, it was a good thing Rusl was an excellent liar.

[smilesrobotlover]

AO3

<<Prev Next>>

Chapter 6- Hold Me so I Feel Safe

Uli watched anxiously from her home as Colin and Talo paced at the entrance of Ordon. Mayor Bo wanted the two to be the backup for Link and Rusl in case anything happened, meanwhile Beth and Bo would protect the village if there was an attack. So far, no monsters have invaded the village, but Rusl and Link haven't returned either, even when the sun went down, plunging the village into darkness. Uli should’ve slept, and she tried to, but waking up to her husband still missing in bed kept her from being able to. All she could do was watch the entrance as Colin and Talo waited impatiently. Every minute that passed felt like an hour, and her worry grew with every second that Rusl and Link weren’t there. Soon, the sun began to break the horizon, and Uli felt a lump in her throat. She watched Colin and Talo waste no time to move out, with Beth and Bo watching the entrance as they left. Dread rested in Uli’s stomach as she watched her son leave the village, possibly facing something dangerous enough that kept Link and Rusl from returning. She didn’t doubt Colin and Talo’s ability, but their fighting skills weren’t as great as Link and Rusl’s. If something happened to them… how would Colin help? What if he got hurt? What if Rusl and Link were hurt? What if she lost all of them simply because Bo and Coro practically forced them to investigate the woods at night?

“Mama?”

Uli looked behind her where Rela and Kori stood, watching her with worried eyes.

“Is papa still gone?” Rela asked in a small voice, her hand clutching onto Kori’s as his eyes got watery. Uli bit her lip and looked up at the entrance, hoping that Rusl and Link would walk right through, laughing and alive. She took a deep breath when nothing changed, and she faced the children. She couldn’t cry about this, she needed to be strong for them.

“Yes, Rela, they’re still searching the woods,” she said, praying that they were still searching and weren’t fighting for their lives.

Rela frowned. “Maybe I can help Colin to find them! I have a wooden sword! I can fight bad guys with it!”

Uli quickly shook her head. “No, Rela, you will stay here until they return, ok?”

Rela pouted and Kori looked down, his bottom lip quivering. Uli’s heart broke and she knelt down to be at eye level.

“Kori, baby, they’re going to be ok.”

Kori sniffed and rubbed his eyes. “I— I want my papa.”

Uli pulled him into a hug. “I know you do, sweetheart, I know you do.” Uli held him for a moment as he cried, and she looked over to see if anything had changed. It didn’t. She stood up and gestured to the kitchen. “How about we eat breakfast, ok?”

Kori nodded glumly and he and Rela sat at the table as she started making food for them. Uli was constantly looking out the window every chance she got, anxiously seeing if the boys had returned, but there was still no sign of them. After she made breakfast, she sat at the window, watching the entrance as if her life depended on it. Kori and Rela finished their breakfast and started playing silently, making Uli far more anxious. Goddesses, what if she had to live the rest of her life like this? What if they never returned and she was the only one who could take care of Kori and Rela? What if she lost all the happiness and joy she’s had for years now that her family brought. She couldn’t imagine losing all of that in seconds, she just couldn’t!

Before she could spiral further into the horrifying thought, Uli saw Beth shoot up and run to the entrance, and her heart beat against her chest as if it were trying to escape. She held her breath in anticipation, and she saw Beth enter Ordon, then Talo, then Colin, and finally, Rusl and Link. Uli let out a cry when she saw the two and she ran out the door, sprinting to the group.

“Rusl!” She shouted out, and she pulled her husband into a hug, crying into his shoulder from relief.

“PAPA!” She heard Kori yell as he sprinted to his father, with Rela following closely, and she heard sighs of relief coming from everyone.

Rusl leaned into Uli, resting his head against the crook of her neck, his arms wrapped weakly around her. He felt tired. Uli pulled back and cupped his face so she could observe him. His eyes were half open and bloodshot, heavy bags were beneath him, and overall, he looked exhausted.

“Oh spirits above, what happened out there?” She asked, looking at Link who looked a tad better, but not by much.

“Ma, make sure he gets some rest, ok?” Link said, pulling away from the group and moving towards his house.

“Link—“ Rusl called out for him but Link stopped him.

“I’m going to tell everyone and write the letter, ok? You get some rest.”

“You need rest too.”

“I’ll get rest when I’m done, I promise!”

The two seemed rather agitated, but they didn’t argue further. The group watched Link walk away, and Uli frowned.

“Tell us what? What letter? What’s going on?” She asked, and Rusl let out a heavy sigh.

“I… don’t… don’t go to Faron woods,” he said simply, and Uli looked at everyone else, specifically Bo who looked worried.

“What do ya mean, Rusl? What did you two see out there?” The mayor asked him, and Rusl shook his head.

“‘m too tired to explain it just… stay away from Faron woods. Especially at night, please.”

Beth and Talo gave each other a worried look, and Kori and Rela pressed themselves up against Rusl’s legs.

“Well, let’s get you to bed, ok Rusl?” Uli finally spoke up, she gestured for her kids and Kori to follow. “I assume you’ll be staying with us, dear.”

Kori nodded and looked down, fidgeting with his fingers. Uli didn’t know what happened, but she couldn’t help but feel worry over what was happening. But at least her boys were alive.

Thank the spirits they were alive.

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

Uli stared at Rusl’s folded clothes in front of her. She spent a good chunk of the morning trying to wash them, but they were stained black. His shirt, his headband, his trousers, his beloved ordon obi and sash, it was all covered in black splotches. Uli figured that it was all mud, but no matter how hard she scrubbed, it wouldn’t come out. His shirt and pants were ripped in some places as well, and she came to the conclusion that his clothes were a lost cause. But she figured she could keep these until Rusl confirmed for her to throw them out. So she folded up them up and set them down on the table after they were dried. And she simply stared. Everyone in the house was quiet and the air was tense. Rusl passed out as soon as he got to bed, Colin sat in a chair watching Kori and Rela protectively, and the two kids simply stared at their toys. Link had been running around the village talking to everyone and even making Coro stay with Fado. But he never swung by to talk to the family, she assumed he was saving them for last.

The silence was suddenly interrupted by screaming coming from Uli’s room, and she felt her heart leap to her throat. She and Colin stood up and rushed to the door, swinging it open to see Rusl wide awake and panting, clutching his chest as his eyes looked around frantically. They landed on Uli and Colin and he relaxed slightly. Uli gave Colin a look and he nodded, returning to his spot by the children, who looked terrified.

“It’s ok, dears,” she said softly to them, entering her room to where Rusl was. He was silent as she sat down next to him, and he avoided her gaze.

“Rusl?” She said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder. He smiled slightly, but it looked forced. He gave her hand a gentle pat.

“I’m ok… just had a nightmare.”

Uli frowned as he looked away, clearly disturbed by the nightmare. She began to rub his back which made him relax, and she let out a sigh.

“Are you ready to tell me what happened?” She asked. She was willing to wait, but she and Rusl made sure to tell each other everything. If something was out in Faron woods, she needed to know.

Rusl shook his head, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Uli nodded and stood up. “Get some rest, darling,” she simply said, beginning to head to the door, until Rusl gripped her arm, stopping her. She looked over at him confused, and he had a desperate, almost embarrassed look on his face.

“Uli… could you… um… just… stay with me?” He asked, quietly. Uli smiled and sat down next to him, opening her arms to him. He relaxed and rested his head on her chest, allowing himself to be held by her. She rubbed his back and neck, ruffling his soft hair. The motion seemed to soothe him, and he was back to sleeping. Uli continued to hold him, not wanting to leave his side. She wanted to be here when he woke up again, she wanted him to feel safe by another person being beside him. Rusl began snoring softly and she giggled quietly, resting her head against his and closing her eyes. She’ll be here for him, and when he’s ready to talk to her about what happened, then she’ll still be here to listen.

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

Colin glared blankly at the ground in front of him, his sword resting in his lap as if something would attack any second. Rela and Kori were chatting quietly about their toys, and his sister glanced at him.

“Colin? Do you think papa will be ok?”

Colin looked up at her, interrupted from his staring. He sighed and shrugged. “Yeah he should be.”

“Why was he screaming?”

“Nightmare.”

Kori and Rela glanced at each other worriedly.

“I get nightmares too, maybe I can sing grandpa a song?” Kori suggested, beginning to stand up, but Colin stopped him.

“Not right now, Kori. Let gramma take care of him, ok?”

Kori pouted and sat back down, petting his cat plush gently.

“What do you think happened?” Rela asked quietly, staring Colin down. He simply shrugged.

“I don’t know. They wouldn’t say,” Colin frowned at the memory of him and Talo finding the two men. They were by the Faron spring, both looking filthy and exhausted. Colin nearly got tackled to the ground by Link when he ran up to them, clearly jumpy from whatever happened that night. No matter how hard Colin pressed, they simply brushed his questions away. It couldn’t be a bear, they would’ve said so, and he was sure that if it was, they wouldn’t have been gone all night. At least not running around the woods, which was clearly what they were doing.

The door opened, causing Colin to flinch. Link was in the doorway, his cheeks flushed red as he glanced around the room. Kori got up and hugged Link’s legs, and he quickly gave his son a squeeze. Colin joined the two at the doorway, anxious to finally know what was going on.

“Link—“

“I gotta get mine and Kori’s things, I’ll be right back,” Link cut him off, giving Kori a kiss on the head. “Is there anything you need from the house?”

Kori looked at his toys and shook his head. Link nodded and left before Colin was able to register what was happening.

“Wait—“ he started, but Link was already gone. Colin let out a frustrated huff as Kori returned to his place next to Rela. The door to his parent’s bedroom opened and his mother peeked her head through.

“Was Link just here?”

“Yeah.”

“What’d he say? Did he tell you what happened?”

“No, he just left.” Colin returned to his place on the chair, glaring ahead. Uli tilted her head at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just… worried. And confused.”

Uli walked over to him and ruffled his hair, pulling him into a side hug. “We all are.”

“Is pa ok?”

“Yes. I just came out here to grab another blanket for him.”

“Did he tell you what happened?”

“No, he doesn’t want to talk about it yet.”

Colin groaned. “All this waiting around is just making me anxious.”

“Me too, dear. But right now, your pa needs time to open up about it.”

Colin sighed as he leaned against his mother, staring at the doorway.

“Where was Link going?” His ma asked.

“To get his and Kori’s things.”

“Well… maybe he needs help?” She suggested, giving Colin a look. He glanced at her confused.

“I think he’s fine—“

“Go help him, Colin. See if he’s willing to open up to you.”

Colin’s eyes widened in surprise and he sat up. “Will you be ok with the kids?”

Uli gave Rela and Kori a smile. “Of course I will. You talk to Link, and I’ll talk to your pa when he’s ready. That way they won’t have to repeat everything to us.”

Colin smiled slightly and nodded, heading out the door to follow Link. The air felt eerie as Colin walked to Link’s house. The people that were out were speaking in hushed tones, watching Colin as he silently walked. He was relieved to reach the clearing that held Link’s treehouse, away from the stares. Epona was pacing the ground, clearly feeling the anxieties in the air, and Colin heard rummaging coming from the home. He jumped up the ladder and knocked on the door before letting himself in. There were bags sitting in the middle of the floor, and he heard noises coming from the basement.

“Link?” Colin called out, certainly not wanting to surprise him with his presence. There was silence, then grunting as Link emerged from the basement, carrying another bag.

“Colin? What are you doing here?”

“I… just thought that you could use some help,” Colin muttered, suddenly getting nervous about asking Link what happened. His older brother furrowed his brows, then looked at the bag around his shoulders.

“There’s not a lot. I can handle it just fine.”

Colin sighed and looked down. “Link I… I just wanna know what happened.”

Link stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. “I’ll tell you when I bring our stuff over—“

“No you won’t. I know you won’t. You’ll just tell us to avoid the forest and then head out to deal with it with the rest of us feelin’ confused.” Colin blurted out without thinking. He immediately regretted it, but where he was expecting anger, Link’s face only held exhaustion.

“Listen, y’all don’t need to know everything,” he said quietly.

“If there’s something going on in the woods, don’t you think I should know what it is?” Colin pressed. “I’m not the scared kid I was before, I can protect myself and Ordon, and I want to. But I can’t do that without knowing everything!” Link’s face was blank as he stared at Colin, and he quickly added more, “I can relay the message to the others so you won’t have to explain everything again.”

Link stared at Colin for a long moment, a concerned expression on his face. His jaw twitched as his eyes looked back and forth, and he opened his mouth slightly, before closing it again. Colin raised an eyebrow as Link turned his head away.

“It was… just a monster,” he mumbled, and Colin rolled his eyes.

“I know it wasn’t just a monster! You and pa would’ve said something!”

Link glared at him for a moment, then plopped his bag with the small pile on the floor and sat down, rubbing his eyes. Colin watched him patiently, staying in the same spot with his arms crossed.

“Colin… it… it was a shadow beast.”

Colin’s blood ran cold and he felt his eyes widen. Fear took hold of him and memories of hiding in the sanctuary from black monsters flooded in.

“H-how?” He asked quietly, and Link shrugged.

“I don’t know. I don’t know how it slipped under my radar after all these years.”

Colin felt himself sway a bit, and he sat down on the ground, his legs crossed. “Are— are you sure?”

Link nodded. “Positive. It let out a scream to paralyze me and pa, I’d recognize that scream anywhere.”

Colin looked away, remembering the battered men when he found them.

“So… what happened?”

Link gave Colin a look and opened his mouth to explain the story. He explained them searching around the house, he explained being paralyzed by a shriek, he explained looking for pa after it took him, and he explained fighting it until the sun began to rise. Colin listened to every word, his stomach sinking lower and lower as Link talked. He felt himself grow nauseous as he explained the beast vomiting Rusl up, and the implications made him lightheaded.

“Is this thing… eating people?” He asked, his voice shaking slightly.

“I…. I’m not sure. The scent it…” Link trailed off, staring blankly at a spot on the ground. “None of it makes sense.”

Colin tilted his head at Link as he grew silent, his expression blank.

“Why didn’t it go after you?” He finally asked, and Link shrugged, staring at his left hand.

“I have some theories,” he answered, before letting out a heavy sigh. “How’s pa?”

“He’s fine, he had a bad nightmare but he's resting.”

Link nodded and smiled slightly, staring at the pile of bags with an exhausted look. Colin pursed his lips and stood up.

“Resting seems like something you should be doing too. Come on, let’s get this stuff to our house.”

Link’s eyes held a hint of stubbornness, but his exhaustion got the better of him and he nodded. Colin grabbed some bags and gave Link a small smile, before moving to the door.

“Colin.”

He turned around and saw Link glaring at him.

“You know how serious this situation is now. I need all of you to stay away from Faron woods. Stay together and do not go out at night. You understand?”

Colin nodded slightly. “I understand. If… me and the others can help you and pa fight it—“

“No, it may be a shadow beast, but whatever it was doing for ten years made it strong. Me and pa are going to castle town tomorrow to make a plan of attack, but for now, stay away from it.”

Colin looked down, feeling slightly disappointed that they were leaving so soon. “Alright. I’ll try to keep everyone safe.”

Link smiled slightly and gave Colin a quick hug, patting him on the back before pulling away.

“Thanks Colin. I hope I can solve this soon.”

“I know you will, you always do,” Colin said encouragingly, and Link looked down bashfully.

“Sure…”

Colin wrapped an arm around Link and guided him out the door. “Let’s go, you look like you’ll pass out any second now.”

Link chuckled and let himself be led out, his arm wrapped around his little brother.

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

He was in a tight space, he couldn’t move his arms and legs. His body was bent at an awkward angle and the air was thick with moisture that he couldn’t breathe. He struggled to move, to crawl out of his prison, but he couldn’t no matter how hard he tried. Something wrapped tightly around his body, but he couldn’t see. It was pitch dark, and he felt helpless as tendrils snaked around him, coiling around his neck. He tried to scream for help, but he found he had no voice. He couldn’t break free, and even if he could, he wouldn’t be able to crawl out. He was hopeless, he was going to die, it was all over for him.

He was dead.

Rusl jolted awake, breathing heavily as the feelings from the nightmare lingered. His heart was beating quickly against his chest as he looked around the dark room. He squinted his eyes and went to sit up, but he felt something; something wrapped around him. He nearly panicked again, but he heard breathing, and realized that it was just Uli. He was in his home, with his wife laying behind him, one arm under his neck and the other under his arm. He let out a sigh of relief and laid his head back on the pillow, holding onto her hands. He was safe, he was ok…

Rusl closed his eyes, trying to relax in his wife’s hold, but he couldn’t. His mind kept returning from the night before, the beast that he saw, that attacked him, that Link saved him from. It’s black, eyeless face, it’s snarling yellow teeth. Rusl shuddered, flinching at every creak his house made. What if it was in Ordon? Watching him through the window? What if it came back for revenge? He looked behind him at his window, expecting to see a black beast snarling at him, but he found nothing. There was nothing, he was safe. But he didn’t feel safe, not even in his own home.

A desire to protect his wife and family overcame him, and he spun around, wrapping his arms around Uli. His wife began to stir from the sudden movement, and she pulled away, staring at him with tired eyes.

“Rusl?” She asked softly, looking around. “Is everything alright?”

Rusl bit his lip and sighed. He didn’t mean to wake her up….

“No, it’s ok, Uli, I’m sorry I woke you up… I’m just…”

Uli frowned and traced her fingers along his face. “What’s got you acting like this, darling?”

Rusl sighed. He should tell her. He knows he should tell her. But he didn’t want to talk about it, he didn’t want to relive that moment. Uli picked up on his hesitation and gave him a peck on the forehead. He melted into the kiss and hugged her tighter. Goddesses above he loved this woman. He loved her and she deserved to know what happened. He let go and sat up, staring at the dark room, only feeling comfort with Uli beside him. He never hated the dark…. But now…

“Rusl?”

Rusl took a deep breath and began to explain everything to her. When he and Link went to Coro’s house, when the creature shrieked and paralyzed them both. Rusl’s senses were clouded when that happened, and he barely got a good look at the creature with his torch. But he does remember when it grabbed him and snuffed out the fire. He tried to gloss over when he was inside the thing, since that was the part that got to him the most, but instead he spilled all his words out describing it. Describing the tendrils wrapping around him, keeping him in place he tried to escape the tight stomach. He didn’t know how or why the tendrils suddenly let go, but he was able to wiggle out of the stomach enough for the beast to vomit him up. The memory got too much for him at one point, and he himself felt like he was going to vomit. Uli held him as he tried to get ahold of himself, and he went back to explaining what happened, but in a much more disorganized manner. He truthfully didn’t remember much after he was pulled free from the mouth of the beast. His eyes were covered in black slop and he blacked out after a sharp pain went through his leg. He vaguely remembered something tightening around his ribs to the point where he couldn’t breathe, but he couldn’t tell if he imagined it or not. Then he woke up to his son watching over him worriedly, and it was over. It was the morning and the beast was gone.

He looked at Uli awkwardly when he was finished. He hoped it all made sense, but he wasn’t focused on explaining it in an organized manner. Uli was silent as she thought about all that he told her, her hand never leaving his back.

“So, what are you going to do? Link mentioned letters.”

Rusl nodded. “Me and Link are heading to castle town to tell the resistance about this first thing tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Are you sure it’s safe?”

“No. But we can’t sit in Ordon afraid for our lives while this thing takes people and—“ Rusl stopped himself. What was it doing to people? Devouring them? He was inside its stomach. If Link didn’t save him would he be…? He shuddered. He couldn’t think about that.

“Are you sure you’re fit to go to castle town? It sounds like you went through a lot, darling.”

“I’m sure. Link found fairies to heal us. We’ll be fine.”

Uli rubbed his back for a moment and sighed. “Alright, I take it you want us to stay out of Faron woods?”

Rusl nodded. “Avoid Faron woods, especially at night. Try to stay indoors and try to stay together, ok?”

Uli nodded, her brows pinched together. Rusl hugged her and rested his head against hers. Uli melted into the embrace and pulled them both down onto the bed.

“Please be safe,” she muttered, closing her eyes as she buried her face in his neck. Rusl didn’t reply, he just laid there holding his wife, listening to her beginning to snore softly. But Rusl couldn’t fall back asleep. He was on edge, he kept feeling like he was in danger, and eventually he pulled away and walked out into the living room with a spare sword in his hand. He spotted Kori resting against Link, and he smiled slightly. He didn’t think about them being out here, but he shouldn’t be surprised. Link was too far away from Ordon, it was safer with them both here. Rusl gently sat down in the armchair next to the couch, watching the door intently.

“Pa?”

Rusl turned and saw Link wide awake, holding his son in his arms.

“Can't sleep, Link?”

He shook his head. “Kinda hard to. I’m anxious to get to castle town.”

“Me too.”

Link sat up, laying Kori down and tucking him into the blankets. “So are we gonna talk about what happened?”

“I already discussed it with your ma, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“Oh… ok, but…” Link stopped himself and sighed. “Never mind.”

Rusl frowned and studied his face. “Do… you want to talk about it?”

Link pursed his lips. “I just… I’ve been thinking about it all day and… I don’t know…”

Rusl sighed. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I just… that creature that attacked us… I… it can’t be…”

“What?”

“Well, I keep thinkin’ about it, and that thing was a shadow beast, but… it was so different.”

Rusl faced him fully. “Shadow beast? Aren’t those the Twili creatures that attacked us at the temple of time?” Link killed those creatures quickly before Rusl was able to comprehend what was happening. They were terrifying, bigger than a normal human, with otherworldly masks covering their face. He didn’t recall the beast that attacked them being the same, but then again, Link said they were different.

“Yeah, those are shadow beasts. Being around one as a light dweller will turn you into one, but… I don’t know, this thing didn’t seem to turn you into anything…”

Rusl shook his head in confusion. “Link, you’re not making any sense. You say it was a shadow beast, and though they’re similar, they were too different.”

Link shrugged and let out a sigh, leaning forward. “Sorry, I’m just thinking. It didn’t have a mask, it was big, and it seemed more powerful than a normal shadow beast. It… felt like a shadow beast that’s gotten powerful over the years. I’m just confused on how I missed it…I fought all the ones Zant sent to me, but where did this one come from?” Link frowned and looked up at Rusl, his blue eyes filled with worry. Rusl gave him a small smile, not fully understanding what Link was saying. His boy was rambling his thoughts out without thinking about how clear he was being. Link’s eyes suddenly got watery, and he turned away.

“Link?” Rusl shot to his feet and gathered his son in his arms, who melted into the embrace while crying. Rusl rubbed his back as he cried in his shoulder, rocking him back and forth.

“I–I was s-so worried ‘bout you,” Link whimpered, clutching Rusl tighter. “I thought you… you were gonna die and–” Link sobbed, interrupting his ramblings, and Rusl gave him a kiss on the head.

“I’m ok, son. I’m ok, thanks to you.” Tears were streaming down Rusl’s face as well. He thought he cried himself dry already, but apparently there were more tears to be shed. They held each other for a long while, the relief from his son being safe finally crashing down on him. Although it was an awful experience, Rusl would go through it over and over again if it meant his family would be safe. Though he began to wonder why the beast didn’t attack Link, and why it went for Rusl instead. He stopped crying as he thought about it, hearing his eldest hiccup quietly. He supposed it didn’t matter in the end, his son was safe, he was safe, and that was all that mattered. After a moment of crying, Link finally pulled away.

“Sorry,” he muttered, and Rusl scoffed affectionately, giving him one last squeeze.

“You don’t need to apologize, my boy.”

Link smiled and looked at his son, who was wrapped head to toe in blankets.

“Hope we didn’t wake him, we weren’t being quiet,” Rusl said with a chuckle, and Link shrugged.

“He’ll be fine…. Hopefully.”

The two chatted quietly the rest of the night, discussing their plan for the next morning, and how they were going to fight this beast with the help of the resistance. Rusl’s fear melted into fury as they discussed it, and he was ready to fight this thing. As soon as the sun began to rise, Rusl got up and started to get his things together. The sky was a dull gray as Link and Rusl strapped their things to their horses, explaining the situation to the confused residents of Ordon. Link was speaking to Kori quietly, giving him a hug and a kiss as Kori sadly hugged him back, while Rusl bid his farewells to Uli and Rela, and as he pulled away from his wife, she gave him a stern and worried look.

“I’ll be back, Uli. I trust you can keep them safe?” He said softly, and she smiled slightly.

“Yes, please be careful, darling.”

Rusl kissed her lips and nodded. “I will.”

When Rusl went to Colin, he was staring at the ground blankly, and Rusl tilted his head. “What’s wrong, Colin?”

“I– Link told me everything that happened and… I want to go with you guys!”

Rusl was taken aback. “You want to go with me and Link?”

Colin nodded. “I–I want to! I want to help you guys!”

Rusl smiled slightly, seeing courage in his once timid son, seeing passion in his eyes when there used to be content, it made him proud. He almost said yes, but he stopped himself. His smile fell and he gave Colin an apologetic look.

“Colin, I would love it for you to come, you’ve grown so strong and capable, but… It’s too dangerous, and I need you and the others to stay here to protect Ordon in case something happens, ok?”

Colin looked down sadly and nodded. “I understand.”

Rusl sighed and pulled him into a hug. Goddesses, his youngest son had grown up so much. He was mature, wise, and brave. Rusl couldn’t be more proud of him.

“Next time, next time I’ll take you with me,” he promised, giving him a firm pat on the back. “You’ll be a great addition to the resistance.”

Colin gave him a squeeze and pulled back, a sad smile on his face as Rusl pulled away to get on his horse. He and Link gave their family a nod and took off, silently riding to castle town.

[saanphoenix]

Played the demo.

Surprised by all the people surprised Sephiroth kills the way he does.

My man was on auto-pilot and operating on a subconscious desire fueled by rage. He straight up looks like he's disassociating. His facial expression is not the one we see later when he's having a great time fucking with Cloud. Or fighting Cloud's team. His facial expression is that "ethereal grace" smile, whenever he fucking actually has an expression.

I could tell before "Cloud" tried to grab him that you wanted to not get near that man. And you were shown real quick why you didn't wanna get near that man.

Don't touch him, don't get near him, don't get in his way, play dead if he's near you.

He's hit T-rex mode. Vision's based on movement. And, in the past, no survivors is what Sephiroth was trained to do. Militiaman trying to help "Cloud"? He's up. He needs to be down. Idiot crawling towards him? He's moving. He needs to not be. The militiamen that surround him? With guns? That they just point at him because apparently they don't know how those work? He just stands there until one gets close enough and then they don't exist anymore.

The mayor is where Sephiroth's unique mental break really shines. Because he made the man drop to his knees first. THAT is the little glimpse of where post-Nibelheim Sephiroth is going to go. He wanted that man put in his place and for him to know where he belonged before he ended him. And then he stepped on his hat for good measure.

"Cloud" he ignores. Walks right past him, even as "Cloud" steps up to him like he's gonna do something. He does not raise a hand to him, and he even "sheathes" his sword when he turns around to look at "Cloud" and smile at him. Because, in his fractured mind, Zack is not an enemy. He's someone Sephiroth likes. He may have thrown him into a wall, but like. Don't touch him.

It all makes sense to me. It's that fucking scene in "Nope" when the chimp kills anyone stupid enough to make eye contact with him or move after he snaps.

Do I expect the villagers to know they're dealing with someone who's had a mental break and is going to treat them like he's been trained to treat enemies? No. Did I expect fans to know? Yeah. Which is why I'm reading reactions like, "...Always has been? Why are you shocked?"

"Dear Lord, he's killing people!" Yeah. That was his job. He was really good at it. Best of the best.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

I have this idea. Imagine during Spirit Eve, a monster escaped from the cage and tried to attack the farmer, but the monster hunters are there to help.

What would they do in that situation? (With Isaac, Alesia and Lance please? 🥺 I love your writing so much Mousey!)

Hello, dear anon! Thank you so much for the kind words aaaaaaa 🥺💕 Sure thing, have some headcanons with our favorite adventurers 🫰

_________________________________________

Isaac:

Isaac reacted to the danger instantly. Before anyone could even squeak, the skeleton was struck down by the sword of the scarred adventurer. Clean and quick, Isaac was worth the money the Mayor Lewis gave for his services. "Watch and learn, Farmer.You still have a long way to go to reach my skill level... If you ever survive." (Why are you such a bitch, Isaac?) Of course, he won't miss the opportunity to praise himself and call Farmer inattentive and amateurish, also grumbling a bit about "he warned Marlon and the others that the cage was already unreliable and rusty, and the barrier was initially weak, total irresponsibility...". The Adventurer won't even check if the Farmer is okay ("the skeleton didn't hurt them, why should I check them?") and will further ignore them.

Alesia:

"Get down!" If Isaac was fast, Alesia was even faster. Her reaction speed and archery accuracy would be the envy of many - she was recognised in Castle Village as one of the best and deservedly so. The skeleton had no chance to even move from its spot, let alone be able to attack the Farmer standing next to it, who didn't even have time to draw their weapons from their scabbards. "Phew, that was too close for comfort ... One moment - and the situation would have been less pleasant." The sniper walks over to the Farmer, and looks at them, making sure they're okay. "All monsters will fall from my bow. You can rest easy." She'll also brag about her skills, but unlike her harmful scarred counterpart - Alesia won't humiliate or ignore Farmer in any way.

Lance:

One blow - and the skeleton's hand, which was about to touch the surprised Farmer, was destroyed by a magic shot. Two blows - and the skeleton has already resolved the other arm. Lance delivers a final blow with magic straight to the head - and the monster crumbles into dust and bones. "Are you alright, my friend? I hope I didn't hit you with my spell." Lance makes sure the cage is securely sealed again, then walks over to the Farmer to see if there are any wounds on them. "You and everyone else seem to be in one piece. Hmm, we need to warn Magnus to put up an extra barrier....." All is well, but the pink-haired adventurer now stands closer to the Farmer for the rest of the holiday. Just in case, lest something else happens.

[party-9]

Yandere prince x destined for another reader

Imagine the crown prince of your continent, a childhood friend of yours, absolutely upset that the prophet destined you to the grand Duke's son, prophesied to be the hero.

Disclaimer: MDNI, yandere stuff, angst, mayor character death, not a happy ending.

Prince's POV

This day was like every other day with my sweet and charming friend, they were so radiant that even Forest critters stare at them in awe, they have been introduced to me, as part of the treaty between the royal family and the temple, and even if I didn't exactly like them at first, I've grown fond of them after experiencing their neverending kindness.

Reader: Today is a very special day, my future spouse will be prophesied, and whoever that is, will save the kingdom from monsters lurking at the black forest.

Prince: Oh that's wonderful to hear bunny

Oh~ I was extatic, besides having them as a spouse, I'll be the hero of my country, making my rule safe from any competition.

We both prepared, they wore a baby blue tunic, dressed in gold to the ceremony and I wore my best robes, very confident that I'll be the object of the prophesy.

There we stood in front of the prophet, and I assured my bunny that their spouse will never mistreat then, quite sure I never will and just as everyone was in position and I waited to hear my name called to be my bunny's spouse...Another name is called, what? How is this possible?

Me and bunny are meant to be together, I don't wanna see them with that damn brat! Apparently, my future spouse was destined to the Grand Duke's heir? Who does he THINK he is, my bunny is mine and MINE ALONE !!!

My bunny turned to look at him, seemingly happy with the news(because that bastard was quite attractive) and after seeing them so exited, I could hardly contain my rage!

But I didn't wanted to rain on their parade, so I masked my emotions the best I could and I congratulated then half heartlely...

Afterwards things changed, I thought I could deal with the situation, even if it hurt me deeply, but my bunny enjoyed? Spending time with that rat, si much so that they didn't visit me as much as before and when they did... When they did they talked about how happy they felt for their outcome! Ahh!

Don't they realize we were meant to be together!!? That prophet must have brainwashed them after I left to control my rage!

I felt a pang in my heart, and the whole intention to separate that bastard from my darling bunny! Fortunately, as the crown prince, I've been trained to control my emotions, and that I did, for years, while MY bunny growed closer to that cry baby of a man, each day, the darkness in my heart growing, seeing them get further and further away from me.

It got to a breaking point after the beast started to raid villages under our protection, all while the supposed "hero" was still under training, all he has done is robbing me of my bunny apparently! Not even doing what he was destined to do. My bunny advised me to have faith in their spouse, that they are the destined hero, but I just couldn't bear it anymore, and that night, I had a strange dream...

I knew it was a dream, since I couldn't hear see anything other than darkness, and from the darkness I felt a voice talking to me.

Mysterious voice: Oh my~ ain't your story so sad~ Your "future spouse" taken from you by a useless child~.

I gripped my sword and called

Prince: Who are you!? Show yourself !!

As I started in disbelief as the black fog turned into a tall androgynous individual, with heeled boots, as well as a tail and horns.

Mysterious voice: Your people tend to call me demon lord~ But you'll call me "My lord" after going under my command ~

Prince: I don't care what you offer, I'll never let you ruin my country and my people!

Demon lord: Oh I don't wanna ruin anything ~ I'll just rule over you as I see fit and... Well that's a shame~

Prince: What is?

Demon lord: Without my help, your darling "bunny" will never look your way~ can you honestly tell me you'll forget about them and peacefully let another person take them~?

Prince: What?

Demon lord: You have me~

Prince:I... Of course not!! But what choose do I have!?

Demon lord: I'll make them be bound to you~ what's a prophesy in front of my power~

Prince:...What are your conditions to give my bunny back to me?

Demon lord: Oh just ten years of your live~ I'll take controll of your body for ten years and then I'll give it back to you, with your darling being bound to you~ how about it~?

Prince: As long as you promise not to kill my people indiscriminately, I accept

Demon lord:Sure thing, now~ I'll see you in ten years.

Time skip~

I awoke, with my darling bunny at my feet, a bit confused, but happy to see them by my side

Prince:Bunny~! Can you give me a resumen of the last ten years?

I wasn't scared of the consequences, whatever that demon lord had done, was useful to bring my bunny to my side, but bunny ... Avoided my gaze and began to do as I asked, giving me a rundown of the last ten years.

My country was in a dire situation, full of famine and infections, as my stopping of the wall building, allowed more monsters to get in, their spouse completely exhausted from all the monster killing due to my legislation, instituted after I was crowned king, their marriage was broken after 9 years without a heir, and I snatched them for myself under imperial law, my people hated me, and the court was full of corruption.

I knew the demon lord would allow monsters to be rampant, but it's nothing I can't change on the future, the thing that worried me the most, was that my darling didn't look at me anymore, and when I asked them why, they responded they are tired, so I let them go rest, can't have them tired and working hard, that's my responsibility.

After my darling went to the bedroom, I took care of some paperwork and went to the Kings bedroom, now considered mine and I saw my darling...with their wrist slit!

I wailled into the sky and blamed myself!

Whatever that demon had done, it was I that put my beloved and my people in danger by accepting his temptation, if I could go back I would!!!!

Later, after assigning a capable court member as my stand in, I began looking for ways to get my bunny back, going to dark magicians and spending a lot of the Treasury, when everything failed, I gave in to alcohol, while the country situation was getting worse and worse with no one to lead, finally after a coup d'etat leadered by the hero, I was buried alive, right next to my darling fortunately, while the hero was expected to pick up my mess, I didn't care, as I spent as much time as I could with my darling, before succumbing to asphyxiation after the air ran out, I just wished I hadn't been so selfish, so my darling bunny and everyone else could have lived better lived... So that my darling wouldn't have to left in such a gruesome manner, thanks to my actions, I wished and wished, but as if disgusted, my goddess never answered and the demon lord didn't either, probably amused at my reaction, I withered like that, after taking everything from my bunny, long after they had decomposed, since I was a coward and couldn't follow then right away after their death.

[ecargmura]

Tadaima, Okaeri Episode 4 Review - The Sparkling Star's Little Baby Sun

A new member joins the Fujiyoshi family! There are some people that are a bit upset that Masaki’s pregnant belly didn’t show, but that’s the case of some omegaverse stories; they skip the belly and go straight into the post-birthing time skip. Why is that? Risks, perhaps.

A little fun fact about Hikari in this episode. Did you notice how his face looks chubby and round in the first half? Now take a look at him in the second half, his face is less chubby and round, but it’s still babyish. Hikari was two years old in the first half of the episode but after the time skip, he’s three now. How do I know? The official website lists Hinata’s birthday as January 7. Hikari’s birthday is April 14. The time skip was 6 months after the cute scene with the family before her birth. While Masaki said that he had Hikari in his womb for 10 months, Hinata seems to be around the same? The pregnancy announcement was exactly on Hikari’s birthday on April. Count 10 months later, it’ll be January. That means the first half took place around July. The second half is probably several months after Hinata’s birth, meaning that Hikari’s birthday had already passed and now he’s three. Hinata can crawl, meaning that she’s around six months? Hikari’s growing too fast, honestly; look at him! He can speak more articulately now, albeit still having the baby lisp.

Hinata is adorable! I love how each baby look like one of the parent but not completely. Hikari looks like Hiromu, but has Masaki’s hair curls. Hinata looks like Masaki, but has Hiromu’s straight hair and long eyelashes. I love that they’re not a 100% carbon copy of one parent, but maybe like a 98% copy? I love how Hikari was the one who inspired them to name her Hinata. The scene where they were in bed and Hikari explains how the sun is the baby and how the baby would pop from the sky and come to them was super adorable. It’s also very innocent in a way! His innocence moved Masaki; it was a sign that told him everything would be alright and that Hinata would be a healthy baby regardless of her type.

Hinata is voiced by Konomi Kohara! If you watched Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Kohara voiced the little mayor girl from the Sword Village. Hikari’s voice actress also voices Frieren, they’re reunited in a way. Kohara is actually doing a really good job with the baby babbles. She was in Gakuen Babysitters as Kirin, so she’s like a professional baby voice actress alongside Tanezaki!

I do love that there are ups and downs in this episode. While the entire episode is diabetes-inducing, there are some dark aspects like Masaki considering abortion for a brief moment. He doesn’t go through with it, but just having such thoughts is rather surprising because of the things he had endured growing up. I like how human this is. No one knows what their child looks like inside the womb and how it’ll grow up. He has human worries and it feels realistic in a sense, but sprinkle in omegaverse. There’s also the part where that acquaintance of Hiromu told Hikari in front of Masaki “Aren’t you glad you were born an alpha?” Argh, conservative old farts are just the worst.

The Hiromu and Masaki scenes are so wholesome. They’re seriously an ideal couple. Seeing Hiromu just scooping Masaki into a tender embrace was super sweet. Just seeing them lovey dovey makes me feel like I’m third wheeling as hard as Hikari and Yuuki. I also liked the part where Hiromu pops up and pins Masaki to the bed as the latter was lying down. It shows that Hiromu really likes spending time with Masaki whenever he can without the kids whether it be brief. Hiromu is seriously an ideal partner to have. He’s not a green flag or a forest, he’s an entire meadow. Why can’t be real men like him? 

As someone who was super into this story back when it was still just a manga, there are a few little details that casual viewers and BL fans that just got into this story might not know, so I’m here to fill them in for you. These were just things I remember reading on the author’s Twitter page a long time ago. I don’t know if these are still true on the author’s part, but they most likely are.

Masaki’s parents. I don’t remember if the manga ever pointed this out, but the author did mention that Masaki’s parents were females and most likely beta because his relatives, who will appear in a few episodes, are betas. Whether this will be told in the anime is unknown, but hopefully because the anime does make some changes from the manga like the Matsuo and Yuuki scene in the post-credit scene.

Hinata’s type. While Hinata’s type is speculated by Masaki while she was still in her womb, her type is not specified at all. I assume that if babies turn one years old, they’ll know their type? Because Hikari was specified to be an alpha and he was turning two at the time. The author reveals on their twitter that Hinata is also an alpha.

The post-credit scene with Matsuo and Yuuki shows the start of a romance flag. What do you think about this ship? I think they’re cute in a way like how Yuuki isn’t all shy and nervous around Matsuo from the moment he met him.

I feel like I wrote way too much for this review. Um, I hope you enjoy and what are your thoughts on it?

[redhatmeg]

Reactions to Straw Hats' post-Enies Lobby bounties - a summary

Baratie cooks: Sanji's crappy picture is the best shit ever. We will hang it on the wall in restaurant.

Fuschia Villagers: Fuck yeah, the guy from our village is worth three hundred million!

Fuschia Mayor: Don't celebrate that! It is a disaster!

Makino: But at least he has friends now. And a pet!

Gen-san: I protest this indecent picture of my surrogate daughter! Now there will be love-striken idiots after her!

Nojiko: But you like it too! You enlarged it!

Usopp Pirates: Yeah, Sogeking is totally Usopp. The nose is giving him in. But nobody believes us!

Zoro's Master: It's nice that one of my students it's famous now and follows the Path of a Sword, but, man, is he a bad role model for children!

Smoker: Oh, you're gotta be kidding me... I'm gonna kill this brat.

Dalton: This 50 beri must be a mistake.

Kureha: Well, at least I got to see my son's face again.

Arabasta Officials: Oh no! Nico Robin is part of Straw Hats now! What will Princess Vivi do?!

Vivi: Well, the mind of the future Pirate King works in strange ways. I've seen him do much weirder shit.

Monkey D. Dragon: That's my boy! Off to destroy the World Government!

[centrally-unplanned]

Rings of Power episode 6 absolutely eviscerated some of the tepid goodwill the show had slowly been building in 4 and 5, the chickens of the show’s slapdash worldbuilding have come home to roost.

The cavalry charge is the worst of it - poor townsfolk of the southlands losing to the orc army, All Hope Is Lost, and then at the last minute Galadriel & Numenorians ride in to save the day! Its just like the Rohirrim in ROTK, right? But none of the work has been put in to have it make a lick of sense. The townsfolk *never communicated with any outside party* about the orc raids. Galadriel has never been to the Southlands, has never met any of these people. She knows, and convinces the Numenorians, that ~something~ involving Sauron is happening down there. They know orcs are there and killed people in the past, but not, like, actively, right now. Where they would be? Who knows? What are they up to now? Who knows!

Yet the Numenorean expeditionary force of only 300-500 men lands in the Southlands somewhere (which btw is Gondor & Mordor combined, to get how large it is), and immediately hard ride, stampede tempo, off to save this town they have never heard of and have no contact with.  Absolutely ludicrous, there is never even an attempt to justify this. 

Its just one of many baffling decisions too - Halbrand, the exiled Southlands royalty, arrives as part of that army and everyone in the town goes All Hail Our Lost King and...they have literally never mentioned a king before. No “ah in the old days the kings would have stopped this” or “if only we had a true leader”, no nothing, they are an anarcho-syndicalist commune and always have been until discount Aragorn shows up and suddenly they are fookin kneelers. 

The show is obviously unconcerned with the idea of things making sense, but i’ll take a stab at why its so bad on this front. Certainly the “surprise” factor plays in here - the show is obsessed with the idea of ‘twists’, thinking that if you know something is coming its not exciting. Its ironic that they tried to play that card for a cavalry charge, because their predecessor LOTR is the shining example of the opposite being true. The Ride of the Rohirrim is painstakingly built to, the mustering, the tactical planning, the personal emotional stakes, pre-battle speech, all of that builds up impact. They have learned every lesson wrong here.

But it does go deeper, to the ‘structure’ of a fantasy epic Rings of Power believes it has to align to, in particular having a “common folk” perspective. One of the really shoddy worldbuilding choices was for the Southlands to have no political organization whatsoever - no lord mayor, no council, no standing army, nothing. It makes no sense, until you realize the rules: the show must have some working-class folk who rise to power. Bronwyn the human villager and her guard elf lover Arondir serve that role, nobodies who lead peasants against the orcs. But them leading the peasants never made any sense; why didn’t they have existing leaders? Bronwyn in particular has absolutely no qualifications for the role whatsoever, besides inexplicably being the only townsperson to own dyed fabric and a dress with spaghetti straps, but she double-plus has to lead because Girlbosses Slay and her and Miriel needed to fistbump over their diversity wins. However, if the Southlands had an existing political structure, that would be hard to swing in six episodes...so it just doesn’t. Bronwyn leads by sheer inertia.

Which means the Southlands has no political org, which means it has no political ties, no connections, no infrastructure, no ambassadors. It can’t send out word to neighboring kingdoms requesting aid, Bronwyn doesn’t even know what those are. It can’t have a real strategy as its borders and assets don’t exist. Its an extremely foolish decision, its writing a political story (war is politics) without any political actors, to hit a storytelling quota, and it really really shows.

...also the black sword artifact, which Adar and everyone is fighting over due to its mystical properties, turns out to be a key for a dam lock that refloods a river leading to a volcano. Writers of this show, I don’t know how to tell you this, but dams? Are not magic? If you wanted to unlock a dam, you can just *do that with the dam unlocking mechanism*, you don’t need a magic black sword that sucks the blood of its wielder. Its completely useless, a total non sequitur, I cannot believe they wasted our time with that. Such a dropped ball. 

[heidengamedev]

Welcome to my gamedev blog!

My name's Heiden and I'm a solo developer with a passion for quirky emotional narrative games!

Work In Progress:

Who's That Mokemon?! (Working Title)

Being made for Yaoijam 2024. A comedy RPG where two boys go on an adventure to break the sleeping curse on their village! Will feature 64 creatures to wrangle, train and evolve. Form your very own mokemon party, kiss your rival and discover the secrets of the island!

There's no way I'm going to be able to finish during the two month jam, but will be diligently working on it during the jam!

Finished Games (in reverse chronological order):

Hug Embassy (2024)

Hug Embassy is looking for a new intern! Could that be you? A short 10k VN with hugging mini-games that can be played in-browser in a single sitting.

Available for Windows and Browser. Free.

Half Haunt Halloween (2023)

Move back home to your supernatural family and earn enough money to prevent the electrical company from shutting off your power! A 30k tragicomedy money raiser about making do with what you've got when the whole system is rigged against you. Also your little brother is a weeb. Nya~!

Available for Windows and Mac. Commercial Release.

A Heart of Butterblue (2023)

City girl Phebe has just inherited a farm. Her father was also just murdered and her grandfather is mysteriously missing. But she's mostly focused on adapting to her new routine.

A 30k horror western VN/farm sim with fully playable farming mechanics (plant, water, harvest, sell, plant), a foraging system, active clock and three characters to get close to and attempt to befriend.

Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Steam. Free.

Tomorrow for Mar (2022)

Cast spells on a large cast of quirky characters as Mar attempts to pass their university final while battling the world's most obvious crush. Awkward.

A 2.5D VN with puzzles.

Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Steam. Commercial Release.

Also available in French and Italian.

Ziva and the Wolves (2021)

Ziva is dying and there is no cure. Two knights both want the same legendary sword for opposing reasons. The three of them travel deep into the depths of the Goddess' temple to determine the fate of their lives.

A 5k VN with puzzles that take the form of SRPG battles.

Available for Windows and Mac. Free.

Heart is Muscle (2021)

Flex your way to become mayor! The town of Swoleville elects their mayor by way of a flexing contest, and poor Boro has just lost to his archrival. He's got 24 hours to contest the results but also-- the world might be ending?!

A comedy RPG/VN about getting stronger, helping people and saving the world!

Available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Steam. Commercial.

A New Don (2021)

Fia is set to inherit the title of Donna in one week, but has to survive the rest of the family's murder attempts first to get there! Features a nameable giant pet hog.

A 24k mafia-themed otome thriller with two LIs each with their own ending and a slew of bad ends.

Available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Browser. Free.

Also available in Spanish.

Kill the Prince?! (2020)

A prince is being married against his will. An assassin(?) is hired to take care of the issue. Wait, what? This game is gay?

A 5k comedy VN with espionage mechanics and four weird outfits to dress our assassin up in.

Available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Browser. Free.

Also available in Portuguese and French.

The Girl With The Gray Hair Awakens (2019)

A girl wakes up in a room with no memory and no color. Die, continue, die, continue again, and you might break the cycle.

Made in 72 hours as a 'flash gamedev challenge'.

Available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Browser. Free.

The Bog's Heart (2018)

Travel deep into the heart of the bog to find a cure for Meg's mom! But also your dog starts talking? That can't be normal.

A short (~5k) VN with puzzles made for Acejam 2018.

Dr. Frank's Build-A-Boyfriend (2017)

Dr. Frank's ex-boyfriend just stole his research and he's out for REVENGE. Build yourself the hottest bestest boy ever to SHOW UP his STINKY EX!!!!!

A 18k black comedy with point and click elements and a crafting system as well as a customizable custom made boyfriend!

Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Steam, Nintendo Switch, Playstation Store, Microsoft Store.

Itch.io and Steam version Free. Console Port with New Epilogue Commercial.

Elvine (2013)

Elvine flees a horrible attack on her village to the ruins of an old castle. There she awaits news of the outside world while the ghosts of the past creep up on her...

A 32k somber otome game with two LIs and four endings. The first game I ever made!!! Look at how far I've come, omg.

Available or Windows, Mac and Linux.

[rrain-writes]

@badthingshappenbingo: Shaking and Shivering

Characters: Twilight, The Chain, Ordon Village

Warnings: Hyperventilating, falling into ice

Twilight woke to someone jumping on him, and a young voice cheering excitedly.

"Link!" Colin said, grin across his face. The chain had ended up in Ordon village, much to Twilgiht's delight. They had only been there a day, but everyone had quickly settled and been introduced to his family.

"Link, it's snowing! An' the lake is frozen over!"

Twilight laughed as he sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. It was good to hear his brother’s voice again.

"Well, I guess we better get out there, huh?”

Colin nodded and jumped up, running out of the room. Meanwhile, people stirred around him. Wind was already awake, staring out the window with his eyes wide.

Twilight stood and scruffed his hair, but the sailor was too in awe to even bat the hand away. Twilight chuckled. “I forgot you’ve never seen snow before. Wanna come outside?”

Wind gasped in delight, promptly running over to where Hyrule, Wild and Four were.

“Come on!” He called to them, before disappearing through the door excitedly.

-

When everyone was wearing appropriate clothing, they gathered down by the lake. Beth and Colin were already there, sword fighting with hooked sticks.

“Uh, Twilight?” Hyrule asked. His eyes were drawn to Twilight’s shoes. “What are you wearing?”

Ilia had wandered over as Hyrule asked the question, and laughed. She was also sporting an odd pair of lace up shoes, that had thin blades attacthed to the soles. “They’re so you can slide on the ice.” She answered. “It’s for a game here in Ordon.”

Ilia offered another one of the hooked sticks she was holding to Twilight, who accepted it before turning to the chain. “Want a demonstration?”

-

The people of Ordon village had divded themselves into two teams, before gliding out onto the ice with their bladed shoes. Mayor Bo stood in the centre of the lake, dividing the teams, and he held a smallish round object.

Everyone tensed, and the Link’s all leant forward in anticipation, waiting to see how the game would go. Twilight and Ilia, who seemed to be the captains of each team, faced each other in the centre.

Then Mayor Bo dropped the disc.

Twilight and Ilia immedietly fought for control over it using their sticks, and Twilight emerged victorius. He hit it towards Colin, who took it and skated towards their makeshift goal. Colin hit the puck towards Twilight who sped along beside him, but it was intercepted by Uli, who turned around to go the other direction.

One thing the chain took notice of was the Twilight was fast. He slid along the ice with his bladed shoes as if he had been doing it his whole life (which he probably had), and quickly drew himself parallel to Uli. Rusl, who was standing at the goal, braced himself.

The game was going fine. Competetive and enjoyable, with everyone standing around the lake cheering on the players. Then a sharp crack echoed across the lake.

Twilgith let out a cry, arms flinging out as the ground underneath him dissapeared. The gap at his feet caught on his shoes, and the chain could only watch as their brother fell down.

-

Twilight skated forwards, inline with Uli who was heading towards her goal. Rusl stood in the goals, ready for her to shoot. Twilight went to snatch the puck away from his adoptive mother, when a loud crack caught his attention.

First there was the sickening realisation that the ice had broken. Then there was the intense feeling of COLD that engulfed him, taking over his body. Then there was what Rusl called the ‘cold shock response’, and he felt his lungs tighten, which caused him to gasp for air that wasn’t there.

The icy water that he inhaled only made him freeze up more, and he felt himsef begin to hyperventilate. ‘Don’t panic, control your breathing’ Uli would tell him. It was a shame his brain and body didn’t seem to want to listen to reason.

COLD. It screamed.

COLD.

COLD.

COLD.

He couldn’t feel anything.

AIR. It gasped.

AIR.

AIR.

AIR.

He couldn’t breathe.

Alarm bells went off in his head. He was going to drown, he was going to drown, he was going to-

‘If you fall into the ice, you have to stay calm.’

He knew that voice. His panicked brain might not be able to identify who it belonged to, but he knew he could trust it.

‘Find where you fell through and orientate yourself.’

There. There was the hole in the ice. Twilight forced his freezing limbs to move, andwith great difficulty, reached up and grabbed onto the edge of the solid ice above him.

‘Get into a horizontal position, and kick your legs. This will help you pull yourself onto the ice.’

He did. He kicked his legs, and hauled himself up, spluttering as he pulled his head above the water.

‘Don’t try to stand up. Roll yourself out of the water.’

With a shuddering gasp, Twilight rolled himself out, panting heavily. He didn’t remember much after that. Someone gently helping him back inside, someone fussing over him.

“Let’s get you warm, hey?”

That sounded good.