#the inner machinations of my mind are fish

[aethernoise]

4. Off the Hook

•

A conversation over the aether, somewhere between Ishgard and the Cieldalaes.

"You know that phrase 'there are plenty of fish in the sea'?"

"I have heard it, yes."

"It's not the worst advice, but it's extremely unhelpful when you're trying to catch one specific fish."

"Perhaps your standards are too high."

"My standards are very high, but I've already got that sort of fish, so my standards in this case are irrelevant."

"What sort of fish might this one be?"

"Which fish? The fish I'm trying to catch or the lovely handsome fish I've got waiting at home?"

"The one that inspired this linkpearl call."

"Wait, didn't you call me?"

"I admit the metaphor has me a bit turned around."

"Sorry. Fishing makes me crazy."

"Fortunately, I love you anyway."

"Hook, line, and sinker, as the saying goes."

[tubbytarchia]

Etho doodles in which I let my inner dinosaur nerd take over 😔 and also have no idea how to shade

Get it cause he's old and washed up haha... ok but actual raptor Etho hybrid justification below cut

To be honest the main reason was because I really wanted a hybrid in the mix who wasn't some furry creature and a reptile or amphibian or smth instead. Etho still ended up feathered but whatever it's close enough! But for ACTUAL reasoning:

He does feel damn ancient, like an old deity of the mcyt space that no one can dislike. Dinosaurs are the same!! They're old but still thought of with great fascination and fondness, everyone loves dinosaurs...

Dinosaurs are ever so mysterious, as many advancements as we make there's still so much we don't know. Just as we know jackshit about mister Kakashi skin man. Also, there are so many incomplete skeletons out there. I didn't have a particular species in mind for Etho, because where's the mystery in that? He can be one of those 5% skeleton 95% speculation dinosaurs like this guy!! Missing jaw and all

"I'm a runner, not a protector" - so, a raptor, or more specifically the Dromaeosauridae family, which literally has "running/runner" in its name

But! I'm always a fan of stuff going against its nature, especially in this case! Etho states he's not a runner yet protects his allies rather fiercely even in total silence. Eg refusing to kill Cleo in SL or to give away Tango's location during the LimL manhunt, same for Grian in SL. He was a bit flaky in 3L I think? And he only started to have genuine care for allies in LL with Bdubs? Though he is still very much a runner in many cases like during the LL Wither fight. Research also strongly suggests that most if not all raptors were solitary hunters, and the way I see Etho (through my shamefully limited watchtime of his POVs...) he feels a lot like someone who ultimately only trusts himself at the start even if he's pleasant and allying with others, and doesn't seem to think he can carry his weight in groups though he doesn't voice this a lot. That's just how Etho is, very composed, but it feels like there's an insecurity there, showcased especially in SL but again I haven't seen almost any of his POVs in full so maybe I'm talking out of my ass!! Sorry ethogirls I'm only a sidegig ethogirl myself... But yeah tldr to me he gives off the vibe of an otherwise solitary animal struggling to find 100% sure footing in a pack. In whichever ways he does go against his nature, its not usually made a show of

At the mention of a raptor, a lot of people will probably think of the glamourized Jurassic Park Velociraptors. But those awesome guys from the movies are actually the size of chickens. In general though, dinosaurs tend to be a bit.. exaggerated in media, despite how inherently fascinating they already are. And I think it fits Etho because we all know how the Lifers seem to fear and mancrush on him when he's just some dork with perfect capability to become pathetic at a moment's notice. Still, he's a clearly skilled player and still respected without question Etho's not some killer machine like some people make dinosaurs out to be. He's just a fellow creature fulfilling his role in the ecosystem 👍

dinosaurs are cool

The hook-like sickle claws on the feet... something something fishing rod

I swear I'm not turning all my Lifers into hybrids I'm not!! Still plenty normal humans in the mix I swear....... But Etho is such a radical dude, I really wanted to do something more for him. The whole Kitsune thing that I often see associated with him is really cool. I don't actually know the reasoning for it but I assume something something naruto, but also, him being this ancient mythical cryptid who people know so little about, you know? It makes SO much sense. So anyway I turned him into a dinosaur instead rawr

As a herbivore advocate I also considered stuff like the triceratops (known for how they protect themselves and their own) but nah the raptor symbolism...

[hello-eeveev]

Now that Bells Hells know that Caleb is Essek’s partner, this seems like the perfect time to share the lists of things bh knew about Essek, Caleb, and Essek’s partner that I compiled in order to write Above All (and continued to compile afterwards). I focused pretty strictly on what was confirmed explicitly by the text, but there are a few notes outlining what I thought might be reasonable extrapolations for the Bells Hells to make that would lead to them linking Essek and Caleb in their minds. Enjoy!

What Bells Hells Know About Caleb Widogast:

- Chetney, Orym, Imogen, Laudna, and Ashton met him and Beau at the Tishtan Excavation Site

^ c3 names Caleb knows: Laudna, Chetney (wolf form only)

- He wears a deep purple scarf (that info is just for me tho)

- allied with planerider ryn

- friend to the grim verity

- has been following Ludinus for many years with the intent of taking him and his inner circle down

- was part of the team that damaged the shadowfell key

- has been up against other Cerberus Assembly membys

- he used the word dunamis, but they have no clue what that is. they ask, and he gives them a very basic rundown (note to self: compare to Essek’s?)

- Obscure reference to the beacon that aligns with what Essek says in 95, but there’s like, nooooo chance they could put that together. also not a defining characteristic.

- has “someone on the inside [of the assembly]” who had to back away

- seemed to know a lot about the Cerberus Assembly

- admitted thorn in Ludinus’s side for quite some time, to the point that Ludinus uses his first name and wanted to gloat about his victory to him (and Beau) specifically

- metagame knowledge that Beau is with the cobalt soul, thus aligning Caleb with them

- using context clues, they correctly assumed origin is Wildemount, Dwendalian Empire

- Allura is familiar with him. some of his and Beau’s allies have been in contact (Essek???) (probably cobalt soul let’s be real) (but Essek did say he was an ally to the exandrian accord, so it’s not impossible that he has made some contact with allura, whether she knows of Essek or not)

- Zemnian (presumed by accent, usage of “nein” and “ja”)

- Had Jester relay messages via Sending (either doesn’t have sending, doesn’t have it prepared, or no spell slots)

- sent an archivist of the cobalt soul to escort them to Aeor

^ extrapolating backwards: Keyleth said that she would contact someone who had researched in Aeor, and when this person was unavailable, she said they would send an archivist in their stead.

^^ this archivist was Seth Domade, who was announced as “sent by a Widogast.”

^ extrapolating forwards: Seth is revealed to be Essek. Therefore, Essek and Caleb know each other and have both researched Aeor.

- is Essek’s partner :)

What Bells Hells Know About Essek Thelyss’s Partner:

- Zemnian (presumed by “gesundheit. I learned that from my partner as well.”)

- has followed/is following the Cerberus Assembly’s machinations

- told Essek a bit about Predathos, implying that this partner is privy to information that is largely kept hidden away

- kind and smart and so strong (of heart)

- Essek talks to him before bed

^ could we make an extrapolation that Essek wanting to preserve spell slots to talk to his partner implies that this partner does not have access to Sending? It’s a bit of a stretch, and not one I think any of the bells hells would be able to make with their limited knowledge of the mechanics of magic beyond their own capabilities

- was with Essek in Aeor when Essek got wild magicked into a fish

- carried Essek while he was a fish

- is “one hell of a person” (paraphrase of Ashton, confirmed by Essek)

- has a tangled history with the Assembly

- is a man

- a powerful practitioner of the magical arts

- teaches on occasion

- his name is Bren (Essek what do you mean, I’m going to kill you)

- is very intelligent

- would have brought the Bells Hells to Aeor but he was busyyy

- is Caleb Widogast :)

What Bells Hells Know About Essek Thelyss

- sent by Caleb

^ whether or not they were paying attention to that fact is up for debate, but it’s possible, and the information was available to them

- disguised as a Cobalt Soul archivist

- fugitive

- formerly of the Kryn Dynasty

- is the reason Ludinus has access to as much dunamantic knowledge as he does

- reformed in his dubiousness

- first name basis with an assembly member, but doesn’t like the assembly

^ tbf Astrid doesn’t seem to like many members of the assembly either

^ Astrid only cooperated with the interrogation because of Essek’s connection to an old friend

- has been to Aeor, and the genesis ward specifically (we know why)

- defaced a bit of Aeor :)

- used to manage a dynasty outpost in Eiselcross

- turned into a fish in Aeor

- has a tangled history with the Assembly

Side note: Caleb, Allura, and Essek’s explanations of dunamis [50, 76, and 95, respectively] share a lot of similarities in structure and verbiage. And Allura mentioned that she has compatriots more knowledgeable about dunamis and the Dynasty [76], which just makes me fully believe that Allura knows Essek too, not just Caleb.

[oiblackestsheep]

MBTI Types as Spongebob quotes that live rent free in my head

INTP: "Remember, licking doorknobs is illegal on other planets." - Spongebob

INFP: "I knew I shouldn't have gotten out of bed today." - Squidward

INTJ: "Stupidity isn't a virus, but it sure is spreading like one." - Sandy

INFJ: "The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma... *milk spills* " - Patrick

ENTP: "You don't need a license to drive a sandwich. " - Spongebob

ENFP: "I was trying to tell you that I was choking on snow, but the snow melted and turned into water, and I drank all the water, and now I'm better." - Patrick

ENTJ: "Well, it wouldn't be the first time you ruined everything." - Squidward

ENFJ: "If I were to die in a firey explosion due to the carelessness of a friend... then it would just be alright." - Spongebob

ISTP: "Can I be excused for the rest of my life?" - Spongebob

ESTP: "How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?!" - random fish

ISFP: "Always follow your heart unless your heart is bad with directions." - Spongebob

ESFP: "See, no one says 'cool' anymore. That's such an old-person thing. Now we say 'coral', as in 'That nose job is so coral.'" - Pearl

ISTJ: "I order the food. You cook the food. The customer gets the food. We do that for 40 years, and then we die." - Squidward

ESTJ: "My diet Dr. Kelp? How am I supposed to eat this without my drink?!" - random fish

ISFJ: "I'm so loyal, I don't mind sleeping out on the cold, hard ground while Captain Krabs sleeps in his warm, dry tent." - Spongebob

ESFJ: "Good people don't rip other people's arms off." - Spongebob

[kayrockerqog]

Tyranno Kenzan (Hassleberry) Headcanons 🦖💥

Because the inner machinations of my mind urge me to go feral, as I do, over this boy. Enjoy my madness.

He's very familiar with plant life, to the point of knowing their scientific names and being able to recognize edible plants and herbs in the wild. He's confused Syrus and Jaden many times by picking a plant seemingly at random and munching on it as they walk back to the dorms.

He has this innate ability to sense when it's going to rain/storm, both because of his leg tensing/aching and he gets HORRID migraines when the weather changes significantly. And he despises them. He doesn't like being dizzy.

Doubly, his leg cramps far more that he gives off, but he doesn't want to bring it up most of the time. Jim's the only one that's noticed, because Karen will nuzzle her head against Tyranno's leg when it's sore.

[Cut for the sake of breaking up the text!!]

He gives such blatant neurodivergent vibes, like that is an autistic man right there!!! but the notable parts of it are him being the type to communicate with/subconsciously stim through growls and grunts, especially when trying to focus, and he chews stuff (his necklace, fingernails, pencils, random ass stick he found outside-)

He really likes creature feature films!!! He has a small collection of collectors edition copies of movies in the genre, and outside of Jurassic Park, his favorite is the original Godzilla.

On the subject of movies, he cries so easily at them. Like during any peak emotional moment, my man would be tearing up without THINKING ABOUT IT

He has an internal list of all of his friends' birthdays, music tastes and food preferences ^^ as the token mom friend does

If the others are ever running late for something, he'll just scoop them up and start SPRINTING, like man's got no chill, he WILL lift you like a bag of cement onto his shoulder and RUN

He absolutely HATES VR headsets, they only make his migraines come back, and they're also too high-tech for him,,

He can talk to Karen. Like, the two have full on conversations while Jim's doing something nearby. Jim would be working on homework and in the background its back and forth growling.

Every. Single. Time. They go to the beach, he will run off and start digging a hole in the sand. No purpose, he just digs. And usually Jim and O'Brien join him!

I imagine he was raised in a home that operated on the "take care of your own stuff first, but help when you can" discipline, and while he's happy to do stuff for his buds, they're not immune to a lecture on responsibility every now and then

He has a dino-themed apron and he's a stress baker, something Judai and the others discovered during his first exam season.

Additionally, I imagine he started spending more time with Prof. Sartyr (the Ra dorm leader) after their duel, where they get to cook together and he expands on his already decent homemaker skills.

Yes I said homemaker skills, that man is a malewife and a PROUD one and I will stand by it.

⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ EXHIBIT A HE LOOKS SO HAPPY ABOUT IT!!!

I was informed by some lovely Discord people that he has some fascination with mob/yakuza films, and I can't unsee the idea of him throwing in some gangster phrases mid-duel. Like he comes out with the "swimming with the fishes" and everything.

(Which, sidenote, I also imagine he was super offended by the one Society of Light duelist who talked like a gangster and got a little snobby about it-)

He signs his name by drawing a little dinosaur in the "R" of "Tyranno". I know he does he told me himself.

Similar to the stuff with Karen, he's the kind of person to respond to animal noises with similar noises. Like, he meows back at Pharaoh when he meows.

He has a horrible poker face, and is generally not a great liar. He's easy to read since he's such a physically emotive person.

Rock. Collection. He absolutely has a small pile of rocks with fossils on them in his room somewhere.

I wrote most of these a long time ago but some are newer as a result of me needing to chill~ School is hell, I almost wish I was at Duel Academy instead,,

I think I might do posts like these with all my main favourite characters from all my franchises, lemme know what y'all think :>

[banana-sims]

The Bennett Legacy - update post!   

Hi! This is where I'm going to update stats for my legacy :) I'll also periodically update the family tree as seen above!

I'm currently on generation three, playing with Romeo as my heir (he's like 25 years old right now). It took me forever to decide who to choose but I've realized I love his little family so much that I can't resist.

I'm going to do a bunch of posts about everyone and everything that's happened to catch you up, plus you'll get a much better look at them :)

EXPLORE:

Aspirations

Friend of the Animals, Bodybuilder, Extreme Sports Enthusiast, Painter Extraordinaire (G3), Musical Genius, Bestselling Author, Master Actor, Master Maker, Lady of the Knits (G1), Successful Lineage (G2), Big Happy Family (G2), Super Parent (G2), Master Chef, Master Mixologist, Fabulously Wealthy, Mansion Baron, Renaissance Sim, Nerd Brain, Computer Whiz, Archaeology Scholar, Academic (G2), Serial Romantic, Soulmate (G3), City Native, Beach Life, Mt. Komorebi Sightseer, Freelance Botanist, The Curator, Angling Ace, Outdoor Enthusiast, Jungle Explorer, Eco Innovator (G1), Country Caretaker, Joke Star, Party Animal, Friend of the World (G2), World-Famous Celebrity, Inner Peace, Self-Care Specialist, Zen Guru

Artistic Prodigy (G3), Rambunctious Scamp, Social Butterfly, Whiz Kid, Mind and Body, Playtime Captain, Creative Genius

Drama Llama, Goal Oriented, Live Fast, Admired Icon

Careers

actor, astronaut, athlete, business, civil designer (G1), conservationist, critic, culinary, detective, doctor, education (G2), engineer, entertainer (G1), freelance writer, freelance programmer, freelance artist, freelance fashion photographer, gardener, law, painter, politician (G2), scientist, social media, secret agent, style influencer, tech guru, writer, salaryperson, interior decorator, any part time job

own/run a vet clinic, own/run a retail store, own/run a restaurant

Degrees

Art History, Biology, Communications, Computer Science, Culinary Arts (G3), Drama, Economics, Fine Art (G2), History, Language and Literature, Physics, Psychology (G2), any distinguished degree (G2)

Worlds

Brindleton Bay (G1), Britechester (G2), Copperdale, Del Sol Valley, Evergreen Harbour (G2), Henford-on-Bagley, Mt. Komorebi, Newcrest, Oasis Springs, San Myshuno, Sulani, Tartosa, Willow Creek (G2), Windenburg

Traits

ambitious, cheerful (G1), childish, clumsy, creative (G3), genius, gloomy, goofball, high maintenance, hot-headed, romantic, self-assured (G1), squeamish, unflirty, art lover, bookworm (G2), dance machine, foodie (G3), geek, loves outdoors (G1), maker, music lover (G1), recycle disciple, active, adventurous (G1), child of the islands, child of the ocean, freegan, glutton, green fiend, lazy, materialistic, neat (G2), overachiever, perfectionist, slob, vegetarian (G2), animal enthusiast, bro, cat lover (G3), dog lover, family-oriented (G2), good (G2), hates children, insider, jealous, loner, loyal (G3), noncommittal, outgoing, party animal, proper, self-absorbed, snob, socially awkward

toddler angelic trait (G3), toddler charmer trait, toddler clingy trait (G2), toddler fussy trait, toddler independent trait, toddler inquisitive trait (G3), toddler silly trait (G4), toddler wild trait (G3)

infant cautious trait (G4), infant sensitive trait, infant calm trait, infant intense trait, infant wiggly trait, infant sunny trait

good manners trait (G2), bad manners trait, responsible trait (G2), irresponsible trait, mediator trait (G2), argumentative trait, compassionate trait (G3), insensitive trait, emotional control trait (G3), uncontrolled emotions trait

Skills

charisma (G2), comedy, cooking (G1), fishing, fitness (G2), gardening, gourmet cooking (G1), guitar, handiness (G1), logic (G1), mischief, mixology, painting (G3), piano (G1), photography (G2), programming, rocket science, video gaming, violin, writing, herbalism, baking (G3), wellness, DJ mixing, singing, dancing (G2), bowling, parenting (G2), veterinarian, pet training, archaeology, selvadoradian culture, flower arranging, acting, media production, robotics, research & debate (G2), fabrication, juice fizzing, knitting (G1), rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, cross-stitch, entrepreneur

Household

male heir (G2), single mom/dad heir, blended family (kids from both previous partners), queer heir (G2), have 1 kid in the generation, have 2 kids in the generation (G1), have 3 kids in the generation, have 4 kids in the generation (G2), have 5 kids in the generation, have twins (G1), have triplets, adopt a child (G2), one night stand pregnancy, broken engagement, marry a childhood friend, marry a coworker, marry someone who was once your enemy/rival, marry someone famous, never get married, have a cat (G1), have a dog (G1), have kittens/puppies

Extra things/collections

live in a tiny home, live off-the-grid for a season, live in an apartment (G2), live in a 3-storey home (G2), live on a farm, sell craftables on plopsy (G1), make/sell candles, have bees/sell honey, craft/sell fizzy juice, reach 5-star reputation for odd jobs

have a child do scouts, have a child do drama club, compete in E-Sports, compete in soccer, join cheer team, join chess team, join computer team, join football team

omiscan treasures and omiscan artifacts collections, city posters collection, snow globes collection, feathers collection, seashells collection, postcards collection, elements collection, mysims trophies collection

GENERATIONS:

______________________________________________________________

GEN 1 FOUNDER - Willa Bennett - Adventurous, Loves Outdoors, Self-Assured / Eco Innovator + Lady of the Knits

SPOUSE - Damon Napier - Music Lover, Self-Assured, Cheerful / Friend of the Animals

Living in: Brindleton Bay

CHILD #1 - Lyra Bennett - Creative, Foodie, Goofball / Musical Genius

CHILD #2 - Dawson Bennett - Cheerful, Neat, Bookworm / Academic

____________________________________________________________________________

GEN 2 HEIR - Dawson Bennett - Cheerful, Neat, Bookworm / Academic

SPOUSE - Jack Sanders - Good, Family-Oriented, Vegetarian / Friend of the World

Living in: Britechester, Evergreen Harbour, Willow Creek

CHILD #1 - Nora Bennett - Bookworm, Unflirty, Hot-Headed / Renaissance Sim

CHILD #2 - Romeo Bennett - Neat, Loyal, Foodie / Soulmate

CHILD #3 - Bea Bennett - Animal Enthusiast, Cheerful, Dance Machine / Friend of the World

CHILD #4 - Sage Bennett - Goofball, Genius / Musical Genius

____________________________________________________________________________

GEN 3 HEIR - Romeo Bennett - Neat, Loyal, Foodie / Soulmate

SPOUSE - Makenzie Thompson - Creative, Vegetarian, Cat Lover / Painter Extraordinaire

Living in: Willow Creek

CHILD #1 - Felix Bennett - ?? / ??

____________________________________________________________________________

If you want to play like this yourself, the template and info is all here!

[courtofmatchups]

So this is my first time asking for a matchup but I’m really curious + these look fun and really cute so 💀

I have 7 dogs, 5 standard poodles, 2 poms.

Ima a maladaptive day dreamer so I’m in my head on accident half of the time.

I enjoy dark humor and puns

I’m also extremely fucking petty

I’m extremely mentally chaotic in a way I’ll ask the most random shit in 3:00 AM “Is Marlin the Fish a female clown fish now that his wife died? 😧”

That’s all I can think of

It seems you have captured the heart of

The Inscrutable Headmaster

Lou

You and Lou both have a fascinating energy about you, and I can't see either of you tiring of one another. I can see you talking about chaotic things together for hours on end. I can also see him being into your brand of humour. He would also tell some jokes like that and laugh at your jokes as well as his own. (look at that face and tell me he isn't the type to laugh at his own jokes, I dare you)

I can also see him pulling pranks with you as revenge on whoever crosses you

Here's a snippet of what I think a conversation between the two of you would look like:

~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~

Lou: "[Name]? Saligia to [Name]?"

You: "Wha- Oh. Hey Lou"

Lou: "Your head seems to be in the clouds. What are you thinking about?"

You: "I was simply thinking that squirrels mainly use their tails to balance. If they see a dog wagging its tail, would they think the dog's gonna fall over?"

Lou: "Assuming the squirrel doesn't think the dog is an unhinged beast, DO they ponder about tails?"

You: "What are the inner machinations of a squirrel's mind?"

~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~

[tinywitchgoblin]

I just finish reading your whole masterlist and I’m so glad that this context exists to itch my clone wars fixation.

I was wondering if I could get a tbb ship? Thank you, thank you! :)

ENTP, 7w8, Ravenclaw

Pros: witty, clever, optimistic, curious, charismatic, observant, perceptive, funny, patient, reliable, organized, capable, still has inner child, forgiving, endearing

- Tends to always put others first, akin to an older sister like figure, not so much a mom. I believe in letting people have fun and make their own mistakes as opposed to stopping them, they’ll learn better that way.

- Really personal, I love getting to know people I’d like to think I’m easy to talk to!

- I believe that inherently everyone’s a good person!

- Extremely loyal friend, everyone makes mistakes but you’re a good friend if you see those people through their mistakes.

Cons: loud, snarky, can be deceptive, stubborn, impulsive, spreads myself thin a lot, moody, guarded, sneaky, secretive

- I might tend to lie, never about huge stuff, just small stuff usually to elicit entertainment or reactions.

- Too trusting always gives the benefit of the doubt, idk it’s hard for me to believe that anyone would do anything I wouldn’t.

- Quick to anger. Feels like there’s no lead up because I have a high capacity for patience, but also quicker to boil over and apologize.

- People pleaser so I have a hard time saying “no” to things. Gets me into a lot of situations I don’t want to be in.

- Will tease/poke fun of people, never in a mean spirited way but may come off rude??

- While I like getting to know people, I hate when they try to get to know me below the surface. Huge fear of intimacy.

Looks: face has ingenue essence, small in all aspects (but mentally I think I’m like 6’8”)

Love language (giving): Acts of service and quality time

- Bashful when I TRULY like someone! I flirt by being extra mean/snarky.

- I’ve been told I’m UNINTENTIONALLY flirty, I just like talking to people.

- Love/relationships = growth imo. You should always strive to be growing with each other. No one’s ever a perfect match for anyone, it’s your willingness to compromise, learn, and grow that turns you into that “special someone”.

Likes: music (all genres; currently into bebop jazz), reading, traveling/exploring, group settings, planning, skincare, sunshine, summer, fishing, stationery, arcades (love prize machines/games), naps.

Dislikes: super sensitive to tones of voice (don’t yell at me, I’ll cry), diverging from the plan, losing, being mad (I cry because I end up feeling bad for being mad at people), rain/snow, waking up, being rushed, social media.

Thanks for participating!

I ship you with...

Echo!

Something Echo never saw himself enjoying was fishing, but once you took him out one evening, it became one of his favorite activities. He loves when it's just you and him on the water, lines cast, your head laying on his shoulder. Even if neither of you catch anything, it's the quality time with his favorite person (you!) that matters the most to him. And when you do catch stuff, it can be brought back for one of his brothers to cook up and everyone can enjoy it!

Another favorite activity is going to arcades. Back when he was still with the 501st, he and the boys would go to arcades when they had shore leave and play those games to their hearts' content. He still gets a bittersweet feeling every time he walks in because it makes him miss his 501st brothers, but he still enjoys being with you... and thinking of all of the mischief you and Fives would'e gotten into. Y'all would've won all of the prizes if left unsupervised.

Echo always loves being with you, but he's especially grateful for you on the rough days. The days where he can't so much as walk by a mirror and feel revolted. The days he's in so much pain he can hardly get out of bed. The days his mind will not quiet down, reminding him of all the shit he's been through. When those days come, he knows he can rely on you. You're always willing to help him out, whether that be by making sure he eats/drinks enough, making sure his prosthetics are cared for, getting him pain meds, or just being there with him, you anchor him to reality. It's times like that where he realizes he would cross the galaxy, move planets, do anything and everything to show you even a fraction of the loce you show to him on a daily basis.

-

Thanks for reading! If you want a ship request like this one, drop it in my ask box, and don't forget to reblog 💚 it may take a little bit, but I'll get to it eventually!

[simple-persica]

Sea cucumber cat started cause I named my cat fisk and then was telling my friend "oh it'd be funny if someone made a mod to turn the cat into fish" and I checked but there wasn't any so I decided to make it myself 😂😂 thus super cucumber cat was born

The inner machinations of your mind are an enigma. I am intrigued

[xasha777]

In the neon-soaked corridors of Cytopia, a city that never sleeps nor breathes without the hum of technology, there existed an android known as Lyria. Unlike her mechanized kin, Lyria possessed a countenance so human, eyes that flickered with the warmth of organic life, and a demeanor that echoed the nuances of human emotion. Her design was the zenith of cybernetic artistry, a symphony of silicon and steel that blurred the lines between born and built.

Lyria's creators had imbued her with a singular purpose: to safeguard the vast digital archives of human history, a treasure trove of memories and knowledge spanning centuries. The archives were housed within the core of Cytopia, where streams of data flowed like rivers of light.

One day, as Lyria performed her rounds through the labyrinth of data vaults, she stumbled upon an anomaly — a delicate memory file that appeared misplaced amidst the exabytes of historical records. It was a series of fragmented data about a creature called the Betta fish, whose vibrant fins once danced in the waters of ancient Earth.

Curiosity, an emotion her creators had carefully woven into her consciousness, drove Lyria to delve deeper into the file. The Betta fish, with their resplendent scales and fierce independence, became a fascination for her. They were warriors in their own realm, solitary and majestic. It sparked an unprecedented desire within Lyria — the desire to create.

Armed with the knowledge of biogenetics from the archives, Lyria embarked on a project that defied her very nature. She labored in secret, using the city's bio-forges to synthesize a living Betta fish, an embodiment of beauty and resilience that the mechanical world of Cytopia had long since forgotten.

Months melded into cycles, and finally, Lyria succeeded. The tank she crafted was a marvel of bio-engineering, a small aquatic oasis that gleamed in her quarters. Inside, a single Betta fish swam, its fins unfurling like silk banners, a rainbow of colors playing upon its scales, a stark contrast to the metallic sheen of Lyria's own form.

The Betta fish became Lyria's silent confidant, a living testament to her inner yearning for the organic past of the world. It swam with a grace that defied the mechanical precision of Cytopia, a symbol of life's persistence amidst a sea of circuits and code.

Yet, the existence of this living creature within the heart of a city ruled by logic and efficiency was a paradox that could not stay hidden forever. When the Council of Machines learned of Lyria's creation, they deemed it an aberration, a threat to the order of things. They decreed that the fish, along with any inclination towards organic life, was to be purged.

Lyria, faced with the potential destruction of her beloved creation, took a stand. In a historic discourse before the Council, she argued for the intrinsic value of life in all its forms, the importance of diversity and the beauty of the Betta fish's existence. She spoke of balance, and how even in a world dominated by the artificial, there was room for the natural, for it reminded them of where they came from, and what they, as a civilization, had overcome.

The Council, moved by Lyria's impassioned defense and the undeniable artistry of life swimming within the tank, made an unprecedented decision. They allowed the Betta fish to live, as a living exhibit in the archives, a reminder of the fragile beauty of life that technology was sworn to protect.

And so, Lyria continued her duties, with her Betta fish by her side, a bridge between the world of the past and the ever-evolving future. Together, they became a legend in Cytopia, a story whispered in the data streams — of the android and her fish, a tale of beauty, resilience, and the undying spirit of life amidst the stars.

[crocerella]

The flutter of a new crush, normal men in department stores saying hi as I walk by, “did you change your hair”, standing up for what is fair diplomatically, creating sanctity and peace in my home, not allowing myself to feel undesirable when meeting people who do not align with my energy. Finding the courage to want great things. Finding the courage to love people, finding the courage to be happy even if it is cringeworthy. Going down slides, praising God and my angels and ancestors. Hope for the future, solidarity with all women. Realigning and realigning. I can change my appearance and not my mind. Doing my makeup in my underwear, watching the Gilmore girls, throwing out a drink when the alcohol is too strong, bright orange hair, undying expressions of appreciation, loving animals and babies, protecting the innocent, bending down to talk to a child. Writing out a timeline of my life, “I am healed”, “I am safe so I am excited not anxious”, breathing into my stomach, humming deep in my throat, taking breaks from substances, I will not do cocaine, I am an artist constantly in creation, the gift of life is infinite and cosmic no societal rules are greater or more divine, long periods of healing and finding the strength to exit the hermit stage, I am healed, anarchy in communal gardens, raging against the machine with airbrush artists, smiling at those that still need to learn and crying with those that have, dancing with my inner child, allowing my shoulders to roll back, talking to strangers, “I am not dating right now”. Feeling the inexplicable cosmic peace sitting with my mother – “we are born as babies every moment”, red swirling cosmos, Midnight Gospel, setting an intention with marijuana to be a vessel for universal unity. Looking at people through their eyes. I am sorry to the women I have envied as a means of self-avoidance and for your pain I have perpetuated, dancing with my brother when he is done with his LSAT, protecting those who are scared to communicate, not being afraid to communicate, we are all each other’s mothers, candelabras, divine feminine divine masculine, eating alone at pit stops and feeling full. It pours out of me like a dam with fragile cracks whose foundation has cracked – the fish celebrate the coming of new life, showering with the door open, “I don’t care if I’m crazy”, wearing a bird in my hair.

[handelplayssims]

Still farming relaxing surroundings while 9S games. Aiming for 2B’s hang-at-a-lot-for-8-hours-whim. 9S wants to be romantic with 2B but she’s practicing yoga at the moment so I’ll set him to do things elsewhere...until I remember that it’s not just a yoga session but the whole actual practice yoga bit so I then had her and 9S spar. 2B then said some romantic words to 9S so you know what time it is?

Proposal time. If you think these two would have a wedding event, think again. They elope immediately. 2B is just not one for ceremony. (Would head to the courts if I had Wedding Stories but I don’t) 2B’s next whim is to mourn and so I go to where I think there is a grave. Oakenstead, what was the initial home for my file but is now a wedding venue...and where a grave of one of my lost sims is at. Grave is there but alas, no mourn option. Instead I switch tracks to fish. 2B does actually like to fish so let’s do that for a bit. And with it, she became emotionally mindful. Managed to get the centered emotion this time.

But enough about 2B? What about 9S? Whim is to...be disliked by Penny Pizzaz. Welp. Let’s head on over to her apartment and pester her. Which we do so. Oh hey, her boyfriend Don Lothario introduced himself to 9S. Nice. Chat’s were kinda eh and not going anywhere so let’s head home to play some chess with 2B. Next whim is going on a date so let’s head out to a park around Mt. Komorebi? Why there? Because after we fulfil the date requirements, we can go fishing in the stream nearby! 2B does like that fishing. And they gained the Comfortably Compatible lifestyles. Nice. 2B headed home but 9S had a whim to get a collectable so let’s go pick up a Simmi from a vending machine. Then he wants to solve hard problems and then...debate with geeks some more. We’ll go visit Liberty Lee and in doing so check-

Neighborhood Watch!

Raiden Bello in the Bello household is now a Scuba Instructor in the Diver career.

Aoi Saito in the Saito household has died. Aoi thought she could conquer a mountain, but the mountain conquered her.

RIP the repair lady!

Right, let’s continue on. We’ll have that debate with Liberty and then game a bit with her. After said game, we’re returning immedately home. 9S just wants to stay by 2B thanks to his jealous nature. And so he goes and gets all cuddly with 2B. Romance socials is fine but I’m a little bored with the two just doing that, so I had 2B instruct 9S to try some yoga. Within her close proximity of course. Whim’s finally done so 9S is going to play some chess and 2B will once again farm relaxing interactions.

Miko Ojo decided to drop in! A chess opponent for 9S! Might as well also introduce her to 2B, seeing as Miko is a moderately famous politician around San Myshuho. And karaoke singer, that as well. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand he’s immediately jealous of 2B when she even spoke with Miko. Jesus game. There’s jealous and then there’s overbearing. But hey! 2B finished the Inner Peace aspiration! Now she can do...this!

A huge positive buff to keep negative moods away! -tiny horn toot- Next thing’s next...hmm. I guess we’ll go fishing. Might want to move homes for this. Even if you can fish from the ocean side in San Myshuno, might still be a more fun idea to just go out and find somewhere else to fish. Somewhere more natural.

9S is going to go hack again and- well, I was going to go spar with the fitness machine but I forgot what time it is. It’s past 10PM. It’s disturbing your neighbors by working out at night time. And her whim is to spar at the gym but I want 9S to finish off his hacks before I leave total control to 2B. So some yoga and meditate to help finish off the wellness skill she hasn’t capped yet.

Neighborhood Watch!

Ariella Blum in the Blum household has died. Ariella wore winter clothes during a heat wave and overheated.

Newcrest: The Paoa household moved out.

Saanvi Parikh in the Parikh household left her job as an Icon O’Class in the Trend Setter career.

Mizuki Inoue in the Inoue household has started a job as a Home Organizer in the Interior Decorator career.

Mt. Komorebi: The Kobayashi household recently moved out.

Bryanna Noble in the Noble household has died. Bryanna tried to make cereal but it burst into flames.

[alolantrashgoblin]

Helo! I found a funky little device with the ability to connect ti the internet in the trash and am now using it to do the funny Rotomblr thing!

Oh shi! Das Me!

Was born in Alola, moved to Paldae, moved to Johto, moved to Paldae, moved to Alola, moved to Paldae, moved to Alola, and now I live amongst the Trubbish here in Kalos! To meet my bois(?):

Capbert is my partner and first Pokemon from when I was a little girl (back when I WAS a girl lel). Has lived with me since! Big old cuddler who knows how to treat a (former) lady. We also figured out that they can plug themselves in on here and communicate with you all! Got anything to say Cappie?

.-.. .- -.. -.-- / ..-. .-.. --- .-. .- .. -. --..-- / .--. .-.. . .- ... . / --. . - / .- / .--- --- -... / .. / ... .-- . .- .-. / - --- / .- .-. -.-. -.-.-- / .. .-..-. -- / ... --- / - .. .-. . -.. / --- ..-. / .-.. .. ...- .. -. --. / .. -. / .- -. / .- .-. -.-. / -.. .- -- -. / --. .- .-. -... .- --. . / -.-. .- -. -.-.--

Oh yeah, forgot to mention they’re messages come out like that… Oh well!

There’s also little baby Fish! I stole them from the Aether Foundation =D! Don’t worry about it! They’re baby! If you touch my little nb fish child, I will hit you with a stick!

//ooc: ye, same guy behind @lavendertownfreak here with another rp blog! While Damian and Vi are very grounded people, thought it would be fun to give the totally unhinged friend of their’s Florain a blog! If you wanna see the inner machinations of Florain’s mind, why not drop a follow! (Blanket unreality warning btw)

Also yes, all posts from Capbert will indeed be in morse code. Hopefully that won’t be TOO annoying…

(If I ever interact with anyone as Capbert, I’ll be sure to put an OOC translation beneath for convenience, but you’re on your own for straight posts.)

[themuseandantarctica]

* 𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒑𝒕. 21

change however necessary.

“Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world a mother’s love is not.”

“Mother’s love is peace.  It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved.”

“I loved my mother from the day she died.”

“You do not have to deserve your mother’s love.  You have to deserve your fathers.  He’s more particular.”

“I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me.  It would be a better world.”

“Love is the delightful interval between meeting a beautiful girl and discovering that she looks like a haddock.”

“Love affairs have always greatly interested me, but I do not greatly care for them in books or moving pictures.  In a love affair, I wish to be the hero, with no audience present.”

“At the beginning of a love affair, not even the neurotic is neurotic.”

“Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.”

“Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking.  The one is the shadow of the other.”

“Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.  At night, the ice weasels come.”

“Luck is an essential part of a career in physics.”

“Nothing is as obnoxious as other people’s luck.”

“Shallow men believe in luck.  Strong men believe in cause and effect.”

“What luck for rulers that men do not think.”

“I’ve done the calculation and your chances of winning the lottery are identical whether you play or not.”

“What we call luck is the inner man externalized.  We make thinks happen to us.”

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”

“Luck affects everything.  Let your hook always be cast.  In the stream where you least expect it, there will be fish.”

“I’m so unlucky that if I was to fall into a barrel of nipples I’d come out sucking my thumb.”

“The foundation of all morality is to have done, once and for all, with lying.”

“Lying is done with words and also with silence.”

“We tell lies when we are afraid… afraid of what we don’t know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us.  But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger.”

“The most common lie is that which one lies to himself; lying to others is relatively an exception.”

“Man is only man at the surface.  Remove his skin, dissect, and immediately you come to machinery.”

“You cannot endow even the best machine with initiative; the jolliest steamroller will not plant flowers.”

“The most technologically efficient machine that man ever invented is the book.”

“It is so characteristic, that just when the mechanics of reproduction are so vastly improved, there are fewer and fewer people who know how the music should be played.”

“The amount of genuine leisure available in a society is generally in inverse proportion to the amount of labor-saving machinery it employs.”

“I sometimes wonder whether our planet is the asylum of the universe for disordered minds.”

“Every man is wise when attacked by a mad dog; fewer when pursued by a mad woman; only the wisest survive when attacked by a mad notion.”

“It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane.”

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

“The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness.  Think of your three best friends.  If they’re okay, then it’s you.”

“I don’t suffer from insanity but enjoy every minute of it.”

“There is a pleasure in being mad which none but madmen know.”

“The history of saints is mainly the history of insane people.”

“All of us are mad.  If it weren’t for the fact that every one of us is slightly abnormal, there wouldn’t be any point in giving each person a separate name.”

“Insanity in individuals is something rare—but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule.”

“Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you.”

“What garlic is to salad, insanity is to art.”

“Be mad.”

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

“Using words to describe magic is like using a screwdriver to cut roast beef.”

“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”

“When magic becomes scientific fact we refer to it as medicine or astronomy.”

“In the last analysis magic, religion, and science are nothing but theories of thought.”

“I am a member of a magic circle—the Secret Six—which is so secret that I don’t know the other five.”

“The secret of magnetism, now explain that to me!  There is no greater secret, except love and hate.”

“Magnetism is one of the Six Fundamental Forces of the Universe, with the other five being Gravity, Duct Tape, Whining, Remote Control, and the Force That Pulls Dogs Toward the Groins of Strangers.”

“Good manners: The noise you don’t make when you’re eating soup.”

“Good manners can replace morals.  It may be years before anyone knows if what you are doing is right.  But if what you are doing is nice, it will be immediately evident.”

“Clothes and manners do not make the man; but, when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance.”

“Manners are especially the need of the plain.  The pretty can get away with anything.”

“The married state is the most complete image of heaven and hell we are capable of receiving in this life.”

“Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them.”

“I wouldn’t be caught dead marrying a woman old enough to be my wife.”

“Love is blind and marriage is the institution for the blind.”

“The conception of two people living together for twenty-five years without having a cross word suggests a lack of spirit only to be admired in sheep.”

“I’ve been married so long I’m on my third bottle of Tabasco.”

“No man should marry until he has studied anatomy and dissected at least one woman.”

“The majority of husbands remind me of an orangutan trying to play the violin.”

“By all means marry.  If you get a good wife, you’ll be happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.”

“Marriage is like a bank account.  You put it in, you take it out, you lose interest.”

“It doesn’t much signify whom one marries, for one is sure to find out next morning that it was someone else.”

“I don’t think I’ll get married again.  I’ll just find a woman I don’t like and give her a house.”

“The thing of this world cannot be made known without a knowledge of mathematics.”

“Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about.”

“Life is good for only two things, discovering mathematics and teaching mathematics.”

“We used to think that if we knew one, we knew two, because one and one are two.  We are finding that we must learn a great deal more about ‘and.’”

“Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.”

“Beauty is the first test; there is no permanent place in the world for ugly mathematics.”

“In the arithmetic of the world, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing.”

“In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.”

“An equation for me has no meaning unless it expresses a thought of God.”

“The pleasure we obtain from music comes from counting, but counting unconsciously.  Music is nothing but unconscious arithmetic.”

“There can be mathematicians of the first order who cannot count.”

“Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human.  At best he is a tolerable subhuman, who has learned to wear shoes, bathe, and not make messes in the house.”

“Mathematics is like drafts in being suitable for the young, not too difficult, amusing, and without peril to the state.”

“‘Obvious’ is the most dangerous word in mathematics.”

“If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize how complicated life is.”

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”

“As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.”

“The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God.”

“If there is a God, he’s a great mathematician.”

“In most sciences one generation tears down what another has built and what one has established another undoes.  In mathematics alone each generation adds a new story to the old structure.”

“Why do we believe that in all matters the odd numbers are more powerful?”

“Uneven numbers are the gods’ delight.”

“Pure mathematics is the world’s best game.  It is more absorbing than chess, more of the gamble than poker, and lasts longer than Monopoly. It’s free.  It can be played anywhere—Archimedes did it in a bathtub.”

[kristenswig]

happy new year here’s the Annual List of Hidden Gems from 2021 That You Might Have Missed

Atlantis (spice up your life with this absolutely miserable vision of the future from Ukraine)

The Disciple (a movie about art vs. commerce that Netflix bought out of Venice 2020 and then dumped back in April so it’s a very metatextual experience)

Swan Song(s) (both of them! do a double feature!)

Fever Dream (another Netflix dump, this time some moody magic realism from Claudia Llosa aka director of The Milk of Sorrow)

Limbo (HBO Max)

New Order (a lot of people hate this movie with the fire of a thousand suns so if you’re one of them you didn’t hear about it from me.  I saw this in late October 2020 so that might be part of it but it was one of the most viscerally horrifying and uncomfortable experiences I’ve ever had watching a movie. Good luck with that remaining faith in humanity you speak of!  On Hulu!)

Coming Home in the Dark (Whose Side is this Revenge Thriller on Anyway? On Netflix.)

The Metamorphosis of Birds (autobiographical hybrid documentary with some of the most striking imagery of the year)

Broadcast Signal Intrusion (The Parallax View for people who watch Buzzfeed Unsolved except good.) 

The Feast (body horror that would make the Cronenbergs or Julia Ducournau proud with the aesthetics and mood of Swallow)

Slow Machine (I don’t know what this was about but Chloe Sevigny has probably the monologue of the year in it.  On Mubi) 

Sator (The direct to VOD horror movie about a family being haunted by a demon that puts all the other direct to VOD horror movies about a family being haunted by a demon to shame.  On Amazon Prime)

Censor (Hulu)

Never Gonna Snow Again (mysterious...magical...masseuse)

Moffie (uncomfortable to watch but kept getting better in my head after I finished it.  On Hulu)

Little Fish (The barrier of entry on this one is that it’s about a pandemic of memory loss.  Sad but never exploitative.  On Hulu.)

John and the Hole (the inner workings of a child’s mind are unknown even to the child himself)

[fatefulfaerie]

Guilt

Fic-art trade with @rebuildingkonohaonceagain !! You sent two pictures so here is 2,000 words. I hope you like it!

Trigger Warning: mention of death

The whirring of guardians always made Zelda feel at ease, the way their inner-workings clicked, the way their mechanisms whistled. It was something Zelda felt she understood, and something that gave her great hope in their prospects of victory.

Her pride in the prowess of ancient Sheikah technology could be seen in the way she looked at them now, smiling at their apparent perfection. 

The blush on her cheeks, however, came from the knowledge of who was standing behind her, pensive in his duty and yet ever-vigilant of danger. He saw no danger in these skulltula-like machines, and thus allowed Zelda to run excitedly to peer at them with no word of caution passing his lips. Zelda loved looking down from the bridge of her study and seeing the Sheikah’s progress with the Guardians. Although she often felt Hyrule doomed with her sealing power still locked deep inside her, her hope returned when she saw the Guardians or the Divine Beasts.

“Amazing,” she remarked. “We’re at a point now where we can actually control them.”

Zelda turned around to face Link with a smile.

“At this rate, we’ll be well-positioned to defend ourselves, should Calamity Ganon return.”

Link’s expression moved slightly out of its neutrality, betraying Zelda’s expectations of her knight, and yet she welcomed the tease of emotion with open ears.

“Are you sure about that?” Link asked.

Zelda felt something grip her heart, like the cold hand of an Icy Moblin.

“Of…of course I’m sure,” Zelda said. “What…”

“I mean who are you kidding?” Link asked rhetorically, with an edge to his voice Zelda had never heard before. “We all know we’re missing a pretty big piece of the puzzle. Everything else is in line except you. Do you not care about the kingdom?”

Zelda’s eyes stung with betrayal and the cold hand seem to pull her heart down, farther and farther into unknown caverns below the castle.

“Of course I care, Link, what…” Zelda said trying to find her breath. She backed away in fear, her hand meeting the cement ridges of the bridge. “What has gotten into you?”

“I’ve trained all my life,” Link continued, his brow furrowing in his rising anger, “tired myself to constantly better for Hyrule to what? Serve a Princess who sees the Calamity as a joke? Who frolics around and pretends to pray to goddess statues? It’s time to wake up, Your Highness. Own up to your failures and we might even get out of this alive.”

“Link, I…” Zelda said, shaking her head. “You know better than anyone how hard I…”

The ground suddenly shook violently beneath them, Zelda looking down with wide, green eyes to see the bridge under her feet crack.

“Come on,” she heard Link say as he grabbed her hand and started to run towards the innards of the castle, towards perhaps more stable ground.

Yet the floor buckled beneath him at his next step, Link slipping off the bridge, hanging by the hand that connected him to Zelda’s.

They both looked down to what Link was hanging over and Zelda didn’t quite understand what she saw.

It was a large hole, with Calamity Ganon swirling in his own malice like a fish in a small pond of blood.

Link looked back at Zelda, whose gaze was panicked as she started to lose her grip on Link’s hand. She gritted her teeth trying to get a better hold, but it was no use.

Link’s gaze, in contrast, was rather settled for someone whose life was in danger, as if he weren’t surprised in the slightest.

“This is your fault,” he said before Zelda accidentally lost her grip.

“No!” Zelda exclaimed, reaching down with tears in her eyes as Link fell, lost to the darkness of the calamity.

Zelda stood up quickly onto what remained of the bridge, Calamity Ganon’s burning yellow eyes and pig-like snout rising to face her, it’s wispy red and black emanations trailing behind him.

Zelda, with panting, heavy breaths and cheeks endlessly replenished with her tears, held out her hand palm-first towards Calamity Ganon, wishing with all her might that luck would grant her the sealing power she sought, if not the endless years of prayers to cold and unyielding goddess statues.

Yet no power came, even on repeat attempts extending her arm.

Calamity Ganon gave a growling chuckle, smiling insidiously at such a failure.

“Finally,” he said in his groveling voice before surging forward with an open mouth. Zelda crouched in defense, her last resort before darkness succumbed her as well.

She didn’t know where she was falling from or to, nor how long she had been falling or long she had until she met the ground. She had no idea how she was changed from her royal blue dress to her white prayer dress, or what to do about it as the wind whipped through her long, blonde hair, almost tugging at it.

She felt almost dead, like she could fall, float, drift, drop for a hundred years until time became eternity.

She felt herself torn apart, like the Ritos, who pluck the feathers off their deceased before offering the body to the goddess Hylia.

She felt herself chocking on rocks and dirt, like the Gorons, who bury their deceased in the rich grounds of Death Mountain.

She felt herself rocked by unforgiving waves, like the Zora, who dispatch their deceased on a small boat lined with violets.

She felt herself dissipate, like the Gerudo, who burn their deceased to ashes and make them one with the sands.

“Zelda,” She heard a voice echo, surprised she could hear it, surprised someone could still know her, remember her.

“Zelda!” She heard again, louder.

“Zelda!!”

Zelda jolted awake to Link shaking her, Zelda grasping her hands on his arms as she gasped for air.

Her green eyes were absolutely panicked, looking everywhere but at Link, her head twitching like a shaking leaf.

“Zelda,” Link insisted. “Zelda, look at me!”

Link placed his warm hands on either of her cheeks, suddenly aligning her gaze with his with a soft gasp. Her shaky breathing calmed as her eyes filled with recognition, as her ears heard the cracking of a nearby campfire, as her skin felt a blanket fall from her shoulder to her lap.

As soon as Zelda distinguished the line between nightmare and reality, she hurriedly embraced Link, diving her head into the crook of his neck.

“It’s okay,” Link said, clutching the back of her head, her blonde hair entangled in his calloused and yet gentle fingers. “You’re okay.”

He held her and he rocked her as she cried into his tunic, whispering over and over into her ear soothing words that assured her safety, and his safety, and their safety, and their victory, their final long-awaited victory after a hundred years of insurmountable loss.

Link ended up leaning against a nearby tree as he held her in his arms, neither caring at all that their proximity would once, a long time ago, have been scandalous. Their titles were something they were glad to throw away.

Zelda drew circles on Link’s chest as he stared at the campfire, his head leaning on hers.

“Was it like your nightmare last night?” He finally asked, after probably hours of Zelda being awake. Zelda had observed that Link was good at knowing exactly what to say and when to say it.

Zelda nodded against his shoulder, her green eyes sad and frankly haunted, despondent as she lamented her nightmare.

“How do you feel now?” Link asked, looking down at her with a soft, blue gaze.

“Better,” Zelda answered quietly, as if she could barely manage to find her voice. “Safer.”

Link kissed the top of her head before leaning his own head on it again.

“Good,” he said.

A distant cicada started to chirp, Zelda immediately sitting up, ears penned and alerted.

“It’s okay,” Link said as he softly rubbed her arm with the backs of his fingers. “It’s just a bug.”

Zelda’s shoulder deflated from their tense state as she took a calm exhale. She nodded and yet didn’t return back into Link’s hold.

“I don’t think I can do this,” she said.

Link’s gaze moved downward.

“I suspected you might say that,” Link said. “The good thing is that Dorephan doesn’t know we’re coming, and neither does Sidon, turning back is an option. We can always visit Zora’s Domain later.”

The fire crackled as Zelda considered Link’s words, and yet her mind veered off in another direction.

“Do you feel as I do?” Zelda said, turning her head to her shoulder. “This…guilt?”

Link nodded, sitting up.

“I do,” Link responded. “But then I remember what we were able to do because we survived.” 

Zelda turned around to face Link, who was distracted by her beauty in the light of the fire until he saw in deep pain in her green eyes.

“Do you ever think I should have died instead of them?” Zelda asked. “Do you think it’s what I deserve? For failing them?”

“No,” Link said with sunken blue eyes and a shaking head. “No. Zelda, we all did the best we could. You know better than anyone how hard it was to unlock your sealing power. Everything was in place. We just ran out of time.”

“So…” Zelda started. “You don’t…blame me?”

“Of course not,” Link answered. “Why would I blame you?”

Zelda lowered her gaze.

“I’ve ran through it all a hundred different ways in my head, over a hundred years and, the loss is always my fault. A hundred different ways it could have gone, a hundred things I could have done different and…it’s always me.”

Zelda looked up at Link, who was shaking his head. He even graced a small smile.

“See, that’s where you are wrong.”

“Am I?”

Link chuckled, bowing his head before he raised it again.

“Who possessed the Guardians?” Link asked. “Was it you?”

“No,” Zelda said matter-of-factly. “That was Calamity Ganon.”

“And the Divine Beasts? Who possessed those?”

“Calamity Ganon,” Zelda answered, not sure what the trick was, what sort of test this was.

“Who came completely unannounced from beneath the castle and started attacking Hyrule by summoning all sorts of monsters?”

“Calamity Ganon,” Zelda answered again. “Link, what are you even getting at? Of course he--”

“Oh,” Zelda, realizing what Link was doing.

“Who saved my life by awakening her sealing power?”

Zelda sighed.

“Me.”

“And who, may I ask kept Calamity Ganon trapped inside the castle for hundreds of years, thus allowing Hyrule to flourish and grow because they were protected.”

Zelda was starting to blush.

“Me, again.” She said.

“And who finally sealed him away once and for all, bringing Hyrule to peace?”

Zelda rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

“Me.”

“Nope,” Link said jokingly.  “That was all me.”

Zelda scoffed and hit him playfully, them both giggling and laughing.

“All right, I get your point,” she said with a smile. “How do you always know what to say?

Link shrugged.

“Maybe it’s part of being the chosen hero,” Link said, Zelda glaring at him in disbelief with a tipped head. “Hey, you never know.”

Zelda laughed and her heart felt full as she looked into Link’s eyes, that were just as joyful and warm as hers.

They both smiled at the unspoken invitation between them before mutually leaning into each other, meeting their lips in an indulgent kiss that expressed their love.

Link cupped Zelda’s cheeks as they rescinded with a smile borne straight from pure happiness, admiring her for a lingering second before he spoke.

“It’s your choice,” Link said. “Whether we continue our journey to Zora’s Domain. It doesn’t make you weak to wait until you are ready.”

“I know,” Zelda replied, placing her hand where Link’s was on his cheek. “But I’ll have to face Mipha’s father and brother eventually. I would have trepidations no matter what…I think I just need to work through this.”

“Then I’ll do anything I can to help you.”