#warning: i had a lot of fun

[bokettochild]

Hero's Wake - Part 1/3

This story happened because I wanted to write something for a piece off art, but like anything I work on, I had to justify how everything came about and it ran away from me LOL

(I'll share a link to the art in another installment in order to prevent spoilers)

Summary: A battle in the middle of nowhere leaves the younger heroes grievously injured and a couple near death. It's only been a day since their last big battle and they're nearly out of medical supplies, and with no towns or healers in sight, the boys have to hope that the owners of the small farmhouse Twilight saw when scouting ahead will be kind enough to help them. Turns out, the farmers have a lot more to offer than medical aid; they also have stories and memories of a young hero of courage it seems the Chain hasn't yet encountered.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

  It started like anything did, with a day on the road. 

  It progressed as all ill things did with a battle gone wrong. 

  Wild had attempted to jump in front of a blow meant for Wind once more only for the sailor to duck out of the way and stumble into the champion instead. Neither had been overly harmed by the incident, although both were irritated, but the noise and their cries had made many a head whip around and miss the weapons aimed at them. 

  When the monsters cleared, it was with Sky and Warriors on their tails, eyes flaming as the rest of the heroes had scrabbled to pull themselves and each other together. Time’s own injuries were the least serious, the plate armor doing its job and preventing anything worse than heavy bruising and a cut that would more likely than not leave a second scar across the other side of his face (although thankfully missing his eye). Malon will be thankful when he gets home, for that at least, but the old man can’t help but wonder if it’ll even matter. 

  His boys are so much worse. 

  When Warriors and Sky return, ichor and blood still dripping from their blades as, in their hurry to join the others and ensure that all are alive, they’ve neglected to even wipe their weapons. It’s touching that Sky would neglect the Master Sword for one of them, and a small, maybe cruel part of him feels just a bit of satisfaction for that. 

  It’s short lived though. His mind has better things to be doing, like pressing his hands over the gaping wound in their veteran’s chest as he tries to keep the other focused, to keep Wind from panicking where the sailor is trying to help him while Twilight wraps the gash in the smithy’s side and makes his own protégé stay still long enough someone can handle the champion’s headwound. He’s not quite sure where Hyrule is; the traveler is silent and his feet more so as the other does whatever he’s doing. Whatever it is, his first check over the group had assured him that, at the least, Hyrule isn’t dying currently, which is all he really has time to focus on at the moment. 

  There’s panicked babble from Wind beside him, Sky’s own voice asking questions as he seeks to help, but Warriors is his rock and steady strength as the man pushes him away and takes over, inspecting the wound and immediately covering and bandaging it as best he can, voice ever calm as the captain assures not only Wind, but Time and Legend as well. 

  “It’s going to be okay. The worst of it is the broken ribs, and with a potion or two this’ll close and be nothing more than a scar.” 

  Wind’s eyes are watery, but he nods, dashing away tears.  

  He wants to offer assurance or comfort, but he honestly doubts the sailor would appreciate Legend’s blood being smeared over his clothes, hair or cheeks, so Time keeps his hands to himself and turns his eyes to the field. 

  Sky is helping Twilight, and while Hyrule is limping, badly so, the traveler isn’t leaking blood anywhere as he moves to tend to Wild’s head and keeps the champion murmuring and mumbling so as to prevent passing out. It’s not the best tactic, but Hyrule’s just a half-fae, he’s no healer. Still, he’s doing his best and his best is a lot more than what the rest of them, save Warriors with his medical training, can offer. 

  “Someone grab a potion.” Warriors huffs, gathering Legend up as the vet visibly is fighting with his body for consciousness. He’d almost just tell Legend to let go and let himself rest, but the blow the veteran had taken was hardly a kind one and he doesn’t know if Legend might be struggling with a concussion or not as well. Either way, the vet’s eyes are very much open as he stares at the others and their work, as if for lack of anything better to focus on. 

  Then again, Legend is farsighted, trying to focus on any of them must be a struggle with how close they’re all sitting. 

  “Potion, now!” Warriors raps, and it snaps Time back to himself. 

  Maybe he’s dealing with something upstairs too, because his reaction time is never this slow. It can’t be. His boys need him and dallying will waste time, blood and life. His bag doesn’t have a potion though, and when he turns to look to the others their faces are grim as only one more is produced, half-drunk but there. The captain has it in his hands within seconds, Wind the willing carrier, and it’s being pushed to Legend’s lips moments later. 

  There’s no fighting. The stuff may taste like rotting fruit but Legend doesn’t even complain, just lets the captain ease the liquid into his mouth and down his throat fast enough that the veteran won’t choke, but will get the much-needed potion as quickly as is safe. And it helps, it does. The smaller wounds close and the vet’s breathing eases just a bit, but it’s not enough. 

  “That was the last one?” It’s both question and statement as he looks across the group of younger heroes.  

  They nod. “Yeah, the others were used day before yesterday.” 

  Also a terrible battle, only that one was worse. That one they’d been fighting one of Legend’s lynels and one of Wild’s hinoxes, as well as various smaller monsters. The fact they’re alive today is truly a miracle of some sort, although a short lived one if they can’t get more potions to stop the profuse bleeding of the smithy and veteran. 

  “Twilight, you went scouting ahead with Four, were there any signs of civilization ahead?” 

  Warriors shouldn’t be needing to take charge, but in the wake of Time’s slow-moving mind the captain is, and it’s frustrating. His brother is a skilled leader, yes, but these boys are his duty and their care shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of another, no matter how strong and steady Warriors’ might be. 

  Twilight huffs a heavy breath, shaking his head and gritting his teeth as he ties off the last of the bandages and pulls Four up into his arms. “Just an old farmhouse up the road. There’s nothing else for miles yet.” 

  “We’ll have to hope the folks in the house will take pity then,” he finds himself saying, pulling himself up to his feet and offering to take Legend from the captain’s hold. He's declined, the man using his scarf to help fashion a sling to carry his brother in. “We won’t make it much further, not without medical supplies.” 

  And it’s only with great luck they make it that far. While Time wouldn’t say Hylia is smiling on them exactly, he’d dare a guess to say her favor is offering a bit of aid to keep them all breathing long enough to make it up to the farmhouse his pup had spoken of. It’s a lovely place, rather familiar really, although he doesn’t bother trying to place why. He’s got two young heroes in desperate need of care, and while not as serious, six other boys who at the very least could do with some stitching, bandaging and cleaning up. 

  They must make a sight as they knock at the door, he in the front and Warriors behind with Legend, Sky carrying Four and Twilight supporting his own protégé while Wind does the same for Hyrule. There’s blood on the lot of them and panic in their eyes and the poor woman who opens the door, teary eyed and sniffling, barely has time to blink back in horror or surprise before they’re begging for her help. 

  “Please, we need help, they’re dying and-” 

  The door makes to close, bright eyes flashing as the red-head draws back, tears still on her cheeks but hatred in her eyes. 

  It’s all Time can do to catch the door and push back against it, not entering but still asking for aid. “Please! They’re just kids, they need help!” 

  And that makes her pause. He knows that knights and armored, blood covered warriors may not be something people are keen on dealing with, but when her eyes trail over his shoulder (she’s taller than him he realizes) she seems to soften at the sight of small figures clutched close or barely standing. 

  “Wait there.” 

He wants to protest that there is no time, his boys’ every breath may be their last, but she doesn’t close the door or even step too far away, just calls into the house. 

“Momma!” 

And then another woman, one who looks much the same but slimmer, more grey but just as teary eyed, appears and takes only a look at him, at Warriors who’s come to stand beside him, at Wind and Hyrule peeking around with faces tired and eyes pained, and something glimmers to life in tearful eyes. 

“Come in, come in.” The older of the two women breathes, voice catching as she all but pulls them into the house. Within instants she’s on their younger members, guiding the group of them through a well-appointed house to a warmly lit living area which seats two more red-headed girls with drawn faces and teary eyes. Both girls jump up at the sight of them, standing and staring as the elder woman, likely their grandmother if he’s guessing right, motions Warriors and Sky to the couch with their burdens while settling Wind and Hyrule in armchairs with soft clucks of the tongue and shakes of the head. 

“Malon, fetch my med-kit. Creamia, fetch a few blankets, luv, these gents’ll need some place to sleep tonight and heaven knows I ain’t sendin’ ‘em out in the rain.” 

It’s not raining, but he wouldn’t be surprised if it did; Legend was complaining of an ache in his joints and Warriors’ tremor was worse, even Wild had said something about his scars acting up.  

Both girls dart to obey orders, eyes sharp but not a word spoken as they head different directions, the taller towards the stairs near the door and the shorter towards a door set in the wall that he doesn’t catch anything through before it swings closed again.  

While they run and fetch, his boys settle, soft groans and whimpers sounding as they adjust.  

“Ma’am, do you have any-” 

“Romani, check the kitchen for red potions, I keep ‘em up in the top cabinet, y’know the one.” 

The woman who greeted them at the door nods firmly, darting back the way they came.  

There's a clatter and clinking from the other room, but his attention is on his boys. Warriors is sitting with Legend, applying pressure to the still leaking injury in the vet’s chest while Sky does the same for their smithy. Both smaller boys are well passed out by now, be it from pain, lack of blood or worse he doesn’t know. All he knows is that what little good he can do at the moment is help Hyrule’s leg into a splint with the bandages he finds placed in his hands by a girl with a familiar face (although much younger than his own wife) and a stick Wind grabs from the woodpile beside the raging fireplace. 

There’s fuss around him. The warm, comfortable tutting sound of a worried farm-wife as injuries are stitched, potions are administered and bandages set. The woman takes no issue with ordering them about, but no one questions her. When she says for him hoist Legend in his arms he obeys, he follows her up the stairs as she carries Four, and he asks no questions as the taller of the two grand-daughters, Creamia (and do they all have such familiar names?) holds open a door at her grandmother’s command and allows them entrance to a child’s bedroom. 

There’s no child in the room, but there’s books and toys stacked on shelves. There’s a plush rabbit perched among the pillows and colorful books piled on a side-table. There's art on the walls that, while well made, is not the practiced hand of an adult (or at least, nothing like Wild and Legend’s many sketches). He doesn’t ask if the boy- because he thinks it must be a little boy's room, there’s simply just the feeling to it- will mind giving up his space. There’s something about the room, too clean smelling for a farm child, that tells him there’s no child coming back here at the day’s end save his own. 

“Settle them in the bed.” The elder woman orders, and he does so. He slips Legend, now breathing steady but still a bit pale, beneath the covers as Four is laid down at his side. A part of him wonders if he should remove the bunny plush from between them, but he doesn’t have time to try before the woman is catching his arm and guiding him back down the stairs, clucking softly. “Your turn now, my girls’ll have the little ones all tended by now.” 

He’s pushed down on the couch, still bloody from its last occupants, and he goes. He has no clue why he goes, but maybe it's because he’s well accustomed to having a redheaded woman order him about when injured and Malon has trained him to simply comply until his hurts are treated. It’s a good thing she did, because this other woman seems to appreciate his compliance. 

“Concussed.” She tells him, after flickering fingers and candles in front of his eyes and staring at him near uncomfortably long. “A potion can help, but lettin’ your eyes and brain rest some is best. No sleepin’ though, not ‘till I’m sure your stable.” 

He nods. “I can’t anyways. My boys-” 

“Will live.” Her smile is wry, the tears now gone from her eyes in the wake of the bustle and fuss. “They’ll rest easy in my baby’s bed,” and there’s the hint of sadness again in indigo eyes as they glance towards the stairs, “heaven knows he always did.” 

“Their injuries-” 

“Aren’t the worst I’ve seen. Scarrin’ is inevitable, but ain’t nothing that won’t heal with time. As for the rest,” she turns, and he follows her gaze to the other three women, who’ve since moved back to give his boys their space and now stand watching their elder, “Romani, what’s the state a’ things?” 

“A broken leg for the fae child, momma,” the eldest of the three reports, startling all of the heroes considerably but never reacting to their eyes turning to her. “Various gashes on the two knights, some deep, but nothin’ a potion didn’t fix. The blonde teen’s concussed too, a bit badly, but he should recover. The wolf one got a bit mangled, but again, nothin’ as wasn’t fixed with a sip a’ red.” 

The matriarch nods, firm and sturdy, shoulders releasing a bit. “Good.” And then she turns to his boys with a small half smile that’s so like Malon’s own when tired it makes him stare. Are all these women so close in looks to his wife? “You gent’s can rest up here. My husband's gone up to bed already, but I doubt he’ll take issue with aiding a few young‘uns an’ their papas as got themselves all messed up fightin’ a drove of ‘blins.” 

They didn’t even tell her. They never once mentioned what happened to them, but her eyes glitter with knowledge he daren’t question, not when it’s been used to their aid. Granted, he’s suspicious, quite a bit so, but this woman and her daughters have done nothing to prove themselves of ill intent, and had they wanted to cause harm all they would have had to do was close the door and lock the heroes into a fate that would have left them short their two shortest. 

So, he doesn’t ask how she knows, he doesn’t do anything more than sit still when he’s told to, Wild settling at his side on the worn couch and the four women bustling about as they make the others all comfortable. Hyrule’s offered a lift up the stairs, and although he moves to reject the offer, he immediately falls silent at a look from the eldest of the four. As a result, it’s not long before Wind has followed the one called Romani up the stairs, Hyrule in her arms, likely to be tucked up in another bed where hurts can heal and peaceful sleep can be found. 

That leaves five of them on the ground floor, but Twilight, Warriors and Sky seem entirely unphased with the thought of sleeping on the floor this evening. They don’t have to of course, with chairs abandoned they’re quickly pushed into them. He knows for a fact that the captain and Sky can both drift off sitting up, and have, with only minimal back or neck problems come the dawn, depending of course on what they’re leaned against. Comfy armchairs with excellent support will be no issue for the two, and already Sky’s eyes are looking heavy as he sinks down in relief. 

Twilight neglects the seats, instead settling close to Time himself and their cub, gaze wandering and wary as it trails over them, searching for signs of worsening or hurts that haven’t been tended. The rancher has nothing to do though, not with the matriarch of the house fussing about the cut on his mentor’s cheek and Wild already tended as far as he can be. 

Still, the pup still settles close, nearly on Time’s feet, gaze flickering over the rest of the room and ears flicking about. 

“Calm.” The eldest woman, the only un-named one as yet, scolds, tweaking the rancher’s ear gently and in a familiar manner that he supposes to mean her own children have met the same fate. Twilight looks more startled than offended, but considering how Ordon treats the pup he wouldn’t be surprised if any kindly farm-wife could get away with correcting the lad without question or comment. “Knights or not, there’s nothing harming y’all here. Lon Lon’s walls are the safest in all Hyrule.” 

“Yeah, far better than the castle I’ll reckon,” the youngest (he can’t think of her as Malon) scoffs slightly. 

Warriors straightens in his seat, not daring to move as a look is shot his way by the farm-wife. “We’re where?” 

He only realizes that the familiar name has been uttered when Warriors points it out. “Lon Lon Ranch,” the woman repeats, finally drawing back and giving him space, eyes critical as they sweep over him. “Best you shed that armor, hun. Poor darlin’ is bound to hurt himself leaning on all that.” 

A motion to Wild, leaning on his shoulder with a dazed expression, helps convince him. He has to remind himself that these woman won’t cause harm, not after providing aid, but it doesn’t stop him fumbling the buckles and belts of his gear, and Twilight has to sit up and help him with them. He only realizes then that his hands are shaking a bit. 

No one comments on it.  

“I’m Mirta Lon, s’pose I outta say that afore I send y’all off to rest. My husband, he’s gone up already but he’ll be down early in the morning, his name’s Hanson. Those there are my grand-babbies, Creamia and Malon, and their momma, my daughter, will be the one who was bringin’ the chilluns up to bed.” Thin hands with long and nimble fingers (something like their vet’s really) settle on slight hips as indigo eyes glide over them all again, expectant. 

“I’m Twilight,” his pup answers in kind, recognizing whatever cue he’s missed in his haze and proceeding to do the honors of their group. “That there is Warriors and Sky, and these two here are Wild and Time.” 

Three faces, all painfully familiar and shockingly similar (although there are differences they are slight) adopt the same expression, brows raised and eyes narrowing slightly. Mirta (Miss Mirta?) at least has some grace with her hesitation though, looking regal rather than just suspicious. 

“They’re nicknames,” he explains, although they’ve never done so before and he has no clue why he’s doing so now.  

“Ah.” And she nods like that explains all. “Right then. Time, Wild, you two need to keep awake some until you’re stable. Girls,” she turns, smiling softly at her grand-daughters, “best you two head on up to bed.” 

Glances are exchanged between the two, both talking in little ways like he’s seen his boys do, done with Twilight and Legend, Warriors and Wild, sometimes even Wind. It’s the Malon look-alike who speaks, a frown on her face. “Granny, ain’t our room full?” 

“No. Why’d you think that? I wouldn’t give up your room and make you sleep on the cold floor, you know that, sugar.” 

Another glance, another frown, something flickering in brown and green as the girls glance at each other and then their grandmother. “But then what room are those boys sleepin’ in? There’s only four in the house an’-” 

Miss Mirta shifts, not uncomfortably, but in that way that says she recognizes she’s about to say or do something that her children won’t care for. He doesn’t know the woman, but he knows the mannerism, he’s displayed it enough times himself after all. ”I set them in Link’s room.” 

He doesn’t need to look to know all his boys are perking up, even Wild at his shoulder. 

“The poor darling hardly needs it anymore.” 

And down duck heads as sadness clouds multiple shades of blue eyes. A Link usually means a hero, but it would seem the one of this world is already fallen. Bitterness bites at his throat and stomach, pinching his heart as he thinks to the room being discussed, one furnished for a young child, with books and drawings and toys and things suited for someone Wind’s age or younger. 

He feels sick. 

“But Gramma! It’s-” 

A thin hand is raised, the motion not dissimilar to how Warriors or Legend will cut someone off on their better days when they feel like being mature. “Malon, were Link alive he’d tell us to use the room. These boy’s ain’t much older than he was after all an’ after heaven knows how long on a road, they’ll need it.” 

“But it’s Link’s room.” Cremia murmurs, and there’s a hint of tears in big green eyes.  

She looks her name. It’s startling to realize it, having not gotten a good glance in the bustle, but he can almost imagine himself some thirty years younger and staring up into that face as soft words are spoken of a falling moon and an envied beverage to be granted as a final promise. 

“It’s...” 

“Were Link alive and needin’ a room, would you want someone to deny him jist cuz it used to belong to the lost? These boys have homes somewhere too, families who’ll be wanting someun’ to look after them. It’s only right we do our best by them as others did for our boy.” It’s said firmly, but it’s not hard to notice that her eyes glitter a bit with unshed tears. Said tears are wiped quickly, and he can’t help but note that the handkerchief used is already quite damp. “Apologies, y’all. Our family’s been having a night of it.” 

“Are you alright?” Warriors is moving to stand again, even despite the looks sent his way. 

Miss Mirta just smiles, bittersweet and pained. “Just an’ anniversary, hun. Link’s been known dead three years today. ‘s why Romani almost turned you away at the door. Was bad enough losin’ him, but them knight types like showing up ‘round and about and take no care whatsoever for folks who’s mourning, ‘specially when it’s half their fault.” 

The captain nods, but he doesn’t look pained. Warriors may be a knight, but he doesn’t esteem ‘knight types’ any more that Twilight or Legend. Time doesn’t blame him, having fought at the man’s side he’s seen what Hyrule’s knights will be like in his future, and it seems a constant that the worlds after him feature guardians worse and worse, only Wild truly knowing a Hyrule after his own whose soldiers devote themselves to the people and not just the throne. 

“Well then,” the matriarch sighs, breathing a soft huff and offering a worn smile. “Best let you gent’s rest up. Third step from the top creaks if you plan on checkin’ the young ‘uns, and either Romani or I will check in on y’all to tend those concussions every few hours.” 

The one called Malon stares, her grandmother the object of her attention, and then moments later she’s slipping out of the room. It’s a near silent exit, but it feels like thunder. Her older sister is softer, still pained and hurt, but she offers a weak half smile of her own. “Waters in the kitchen should you need it, and there’s soup and bread left over from dinner if you’re feeling peckish.” And with those words, the older girl likewise slips away, only in the other direction. 

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

I hope you take this as the compliment it is intended to be, but you strike the same chord of irreverence-as-love, jokes-to-showcase-sencerity that I get from Chuck Tingle, and I adore both of you.

You have bestowed the greatest honour upon me.

[funsizedcrow]

Link is Hylia's specialist little boy (this is not a good thing for him)

(stills under the cut)

[teleport-warning]

Page art for the @khxpokemonzine

[circusjuney]

meet emmy allovit, the founder of my fresh everything legacy challenge ⋆⭒˚｡⋆

[forevercr1nge]

BLOOD WARNING

Remade something I did last year!! :D

[thegreatyin]

this nemesis ambition started out a little slow but I am getting closer to finding that bastard who killed my wife, and I’ll not rest a minute now that im far closer to on his trail

sorry got in character for a second

Anyways fun ambition so far very fucked up though

congratulations on joining the murder club anon!!!! depending on who you ask the name refers to either people who have murdered or people who have witnessed murder. usually both. actually extremely often both. it's a swell time you'll feel right at home (don't mind our collective skyglass knife collection in the back)

[fluffypotatey]

To be honest I am a huge Nalu shipper. But the thing is I want to know the difference between the way Natsu cares about his guildmates and Lucy. Like what is the obvious difference since that boy sees every as Nakama so how can we say that the wag he cares about Lucy is different?

Like even when Erza passed away? (All the way back in first season there was a segment where the guild was gathered at her grave and all) Natsu was still very reactive. Plus he was also said to be depressed even when Lisanna passed.

What's the difference between all of them and Lucy?

the fact that he stayed. the fact that before he met Lucy, Natsu wasn't one to stay in a group or even want to work with anyone besides Happy at the start of the story. hell, he was ready to just file Lucy down as "New Guildmate" once they reached Fairy Tail

but then, Lucy doesn't leave. she follows him on his mission to save Macao despite her not needing to or even really understanding everything about it. she stays and then fights with him and saves him. it's no secret that Natsu is strong and can take care of himself really well. he's been going on solo missions for years now, and no one has really stopped him, but that means he's been in a lot of sticky situations where he and Happy are on their own and have no backup. and yet, without asking, Lucy offers it

and i think this is the moment when Natsu considers that maybe it's okay to have someone there to have his back (sans Happy)

"but Natsu only needed Lucy for the next quest because of the requirements," well, Natsu also wouldn't have taken or even considered that quest if it weren't for Lucy, yeah? he was not a team player (in the picking job's sense) or really wanted other people to help him on his quests sans Happy. and then he goes and picks a job that caters to their team whilst ensuring that Lucy can't say no

or maybe i'm reading too much into it 🤷🏻‍♀️

or maybe Natsu's got horrible abandonment issues that he will latch onto people so fast (Igneel & Lisanna) but also cause him to distance himself so far when left behind (his 1st time at the guild, Lisanna's death). Erza and Gray are Natsu's closet friends after Lisanna and yet they cannot reach him when he closes himself off. and then we have Lucy, who stuck by and had his back, so who is to say Natsu didn't make some contingencies to ensure whether or not she'd join him?

but maybe it's the rose, colored ship glasses i have on

because yeah, Natsu cares for all of his guildmates. the power of friendship is his biggest motivator. when we meet Natsu, our first introductions of him is defending his guild's reputation from Bora (who was using it as a guise for human trafficking) and saving Macao. and our 1st big arc (Galuna Island), where Natsu adamantly refuses to allow Gray to use Ice Shell and sacrifice himself despite how antagonistic they've been to each other. we get Natsu 100% at Erza's defense throughout the Tower of Heaven and he is even ready to defend Wendy though they only met hours ago

Natsu is a character with a bleeding heart and cannot help but wear it on his sleeve, but we don't really see him allow others to fight his battles or have his back until Lucy comes in. to be honest, i don't even think he had his heart on his sleeve until Lucy. he still has a bleeding heart (i don't think anything could stop that), but he was not ready to be open in receiving company because he was so used to it being ripped away from him

that being said: of all the characters he interacts with, he finds Lucy to be someone compatible enough for him to start going on team missions and inviting her on them (for example, his 1st S-class mission, which he stole, he went to her house to show it to her. the fact that part of the reward was a celestial key might be a coincidence, but i wouldn't doubt it as Natsu and Happy's trump card in case she refused)

but yeah, the difference is that he stayed and didn't push her away at the beginning, but instead continued to invite her along with him to the point that doing a mission without Lucy wasn't his regular anymore. compared to the rest of the guild, of whom he spent most of his childhood with, even if he spoke to no one, they would still be around and talk to him anyway. he might not invite them on job and only challenge them to fights, but the guild is his home and a constant in his life, a constant he needs (bc heavy abandonment issues).

"okay, but he still pushed her away after he watched Igneel die right in front of him. and he left the guild for a whole year, too. so what's the difference there?" you may ask.

so 1) Natsu never thought the guild would disband. he returns to Fiore after a year and is the last to know that they disbanded. he assumed, like all the other times before and while he and others were sealed for 7 years, that Fairy Tail would still be there when he returned. he assumed that his disappearance would not impact so hard because the guild would still be around and Lucy would have the others with her

which, did not happen :)

and like, so many guild members go off on jobs, quests, or even just leave for an indiscriminate amount of time (which i, personally, believe was his rationality for leaving), so him being gone for a year was nothing! right? no harm, eh? his plan was never to be gone forever :))))

2) he just watched his father die and lose any chance of having some semblance of a long term reunion with Igneel. he literally lost one of his main driving motivations for getting stronger and taking jobs. before Fairy Tail, before anyone, it was Igneel. and to learn that a) Igneel was always with him to begin with and b) he only got to see him for less than a day after 14 years of nothing......i would feel lost too ngl

man's needed space from everybody. and he also needed comfort, but Natsu has been shown not to really be the character who asks to receive comfort (and when he does receive it, it's usually when he's already emotionally compromised). he is in the habit of shutting people out after being abandoned or losing someone close to him, with his next rationale being to "get stronger" in order to prevent what happened in the past to ever happen in the future.

anyway

what makes this different? well for one, he sent the letter only to Lucy (or it's implied since no one else is shown getting one) because of how the two spend most of their time together. even the line that goes with the panel makes it sound like Natsu is unsure on how the note will be received (maybe even hesitant? but that could be my own hopes)

and one of the 1st people he reunites with after a year is Lucy and we get such a similar parallel to the first chapter of Fairy Tail between the two as if the narrative itself is slotting them together to say "ah yes, now everything is back to normal and new journeys can begin"

but yeah, this is just a long way of saying, that Natsu does love his friends and guildmates but even when he is close to them, he kept to himself (and Happy) and sort of stayed in their orbit but always with some emotional distance because of his fear of abandonment. and then you have Lucy where he will stay for and allow her to orbit around him and he will invite to new adventures no questions asked

that's the difference

[goldiipond]

BLAST IT TO THE BACK ROW!!

[necrotic-nephilim]

Do you have any more ideas about the dead dove vampire!dickxtim au you wrote a while ago? It's lived in my head ever since and I'd love to know more.

first of all thank you so much that's so sweet! second of all, i have SO many ideas you have no idea. that fic ate at my brain for like a month before i found the time to write it so i had plenty of ideas i didn't fully explore. i'm adding a read more just bc. that was one of my more fucked up fics so i don't want to subject anyone to a necro kink jumpscare

so one of the big ideas i've thought about with that fic is Tim dealing with the aftermath of it, right. bc he's of course going to hide it from everyone. the Batfam all just neds to hold onto the hope that they can save Dick somehow, and knowing what Dick did would kill any lingering hope that there's anything left of Dick Grayson in the walking husk that he's become. so Tim has to deal with the worst of it alone, probably not even mentioning he ran into Dick.

the fun part tho is that above everything else, Tim wouldn't be able to let go of Dick's comment about fantasizing about Tim before being a vampire. Tim knows the comment was made just to get in his head, but that doesn't stop it from working. he spends hours pouring over old footage of him and Dick training, hanging out, on patrol, anything he can find. just to like. try to find evidence of Dick's gaze lingering. it eats Tim alive not knowing one way or the other if it was a lie. if it's true, at least it makes it easier for Tim to move on from the memory of Dick. but not knowing is worse. and he never finds anything that satiates the question so like. that'd destroy Tim the most. (the real answer is that Dick genuinely didn't feel attraction to Tim before being a vampire, *but* Dick is convinced he did bc being a vampire fucked him up so badly that he's become his own unreliable narrator. so it's both true and untrue, and in the end, it doesn't matter either way bc Tim is fucked up by the thought of it and even if they "fixed" Dick by curing him, i think Dick's romantic feelings would linger in the horror of what he did.)

i'm really just. in love with Dick's feelings toward Tim in the fic. the most difficult part of the fic was figuring out how to end it, bc sure as a sexual fantasy Dick is obsessed with killing Tim, but he's also deeply in love with Tim, so it's difficult to follow through on. Dick wants to make Tim a vampire more than anything, but he is genuinely worried about how well it'd take for Tim. the fic doesn't really go into who's on Dick's side as a vampire, but i personally believe he's turned most of the Titans. probably some of his own rogues as well, i could see him turning Slade. i can't explain why, those are just the vibes.

it is important to me just how much of Dick's feelings for Tim are based in him not wanting Tim to live under Bruce's thumb. like the whole vampire brain has convinced Dick that Bruce is somehow the villain in this, and it was Bruce's control keeping Dick from being the person he wanted to be. it's a very warped reality and if i continued the fic i'd love for the second part to be from Dick's perspective just to have fun with the unreliable narrator of it.

back to the porn tho. Dick would seek TIm out again. probably in Tim's own apartment, just bc he wants to destroy every safe space Tim has. getting into Tim's head is an important part of breaking TIm down. the fear of Tim fighting back against being a vampire is one that Dick is trying to figure out how to manage and his current plan is to break Tim mentally. it's why he brings up wanting to sleep with TIm before being a vampire. he *knows* it's gonna fuck up Tim. and the more he puts these little cracks in Tim's psyche, the more he's sure he's breaking Tim down enough to be able to turn him. so going to Tim's apartment and proving that at any point, Dick can easily find Tim and fuck him. always holding the threat of killing Tim over his head. and Dick knows Tim didn't tell anyone when days pass after their first meeting and no Bat comes after him so like. Dick really just pushes the limits. i think he would brand Tim just bc he can. i also got a comment on the fic that mentioned Dick stabbing Tim and fucking the wound and i canNOT get that image out of my head either-

and the necro/snuff kink just. Dick playing the long game, so it takes maybe months of stalking Tim, going after him. sometimes he fucks Tim, sometimes he just fights and taunts him. and all the talk about killing Tim fucks with Tim's head a little bit. i think it'd be fun if it killed Tim's ability to have vanilla/normal sex with someone else, like Kon. it's hard for Tim to understand anyone being attracted to him in a way that doesn't involve him being a dead body. i don't think he develops the kink fully, but he does end up convincing himself being a corpse is the only way he's attractive bc of all the things Dick has said to him. it all plays into Dick psychologically breaking Tim.

i am a lover of fucked up/unhappy endings so. for me. the ending would be Dick following through on his plan to kill Tim and turn him. it'd take months for Dick to work up the courage bc TIm was absolutely right when he pointed out that Dick was too scared to actually follow through on his fantasy. Dick tries, multiple times. he convinces himself no less than five times that this is going to be the one. this'll be the time he really does it. but just as Tim starts to die, Dick panics. i think it's especially fun if once Dick even gives Tim CPR bc of his cold feet. so Tim does "die" for a second and has to brutally come back while Dick is buried inside of him.

but when Dick does it, his fears manifest in that Tim does *not* take being a vampire well. he's constantly trying to kill himself (in the time it takes for Dick to break Tim, Tim probably does figure out what poison can kill a vampire) and Dick ends up having to keep Tim locked up so Tim doesn't kill himself. would truly love to try to write Tim as mentally shattered as possible. part of him loves Dick, but he's fighting himself so hard he's not even sure if it's the vampire side that loves Dick or the human side. he's kept like a human pet, bc Dick is convinced he'll get Tim to accept it sooner or later. just a very fun, very fucked up sort of ending. i say this about all the fics i write but this one specifically i do *really* want to continue someday. i know exactly the direction i'd take it, and it could turn into a pretty long fic with a lot of fucked up porn, a lot of unrequited love, and an eventual mind break for Tim.

[0rchidm4ntis]

Respite

[a2zillustration]

It's almost time for Art Fight!

I've added Croissant to my Art Fight profile, and I think this year I'm going to make an effort to draw mostly tavs! If you're participating and want to toss me a link to your character's AF profile, feel free to do so in the replies 👀👀👀

[tennessoui]

mermay part two is posted 🌊

i am honestly so surprised that i posted this on the day i said i would. i have not been that accountable for an update in ages lol cause for celebration

but anyway part two is now up on my ko-fi!! i know i said part two would get into the romantic relationship of obi-wan and anakin, but that's going to actually be in part three (there will be a part three 🎉)

in this part, anakin fucks up. but good thing obi-wan is great at fixing his mistakes!

here's a little excerpt:

“You loved a human,” Obi-Wan says, cutting him off with a firm, wicked shake of his head. “I knew a child. We have both outgrown those people. All we are to each other now are strangers—” Anakin feels wild with his anger, sudden and heady as it is. “No,” he snarls, and he is moving forward, faster than he has ever moved in his life, and he is sinking his teeth—-his fangs—into the unprotected and vulnerable skin of Obi-Wan’s shoulder. Deep enough to bruise. Deep enough to bleed. Obi-Wan makes a terrible noise, something torn between a shriek and a whimper, and then there’s space between their bodies once more. Then Anakin’s teeth have released from his shoulder, his jaws no match for the powerful muscle of Obi-Wan’s fin as it slams into him, forcing him to pull away. Blood, thin red wisps of it, floats in the water above Obi-Wan’s shoulder. Both of them stare at it as the ocean dilutes the evidence of the injury and carries it away. The furious, possessive fire in Anakin’s chest flickers and cools. He can taste Obi-Wan’s blood in his mouth. The creature in his chest purrs. Mine. But Obi-Wan looks horrified, hand hovering over the bite mark. “Anakin,” he whispers in the human tongue. “What have you done?”

uh oh! guess you have to marry him now (no joke).

part three will be posted on may 31 to round off mermay <3 as a quick reminder, the gallery is set so that you have to be a monthly supporter to access the pictures there. the google doc links are in the description of each picture. if you'd be interested in reading them, i think it really is worth it at this point to subscribe and then cancel (or don't cancel! :D if you want). you'll have access for the whole month and can read all 11 posts there!

[novantinuum]

gnawing at the bars of my cage

can we please Stop telling SU blind reactors all the fandom drama and SU crit that came out of every episode so we can allow them to just enjoy the show like a normal person at their own leisure and make their Own opinions thank u

[thedogofchristmaspast]

underrated dynamic i think is peter and dave’s implied rivalry. like they have History

i like to think that since peter was so strangely good at his job the company wasn’t eager to lose him and kept reusing him for many different locations even if multiple closed down. and those locations ended up with dave at them a LOT. we know that dave filled One of them with hot cheese. and peter is at least aware of dave’s crucifixion. and dave knows him well enough by the time he’s building the fazbunker that he knows about his fear of clowns and red-haired girls (dee……). dave hated Him in particular

i think not enough is done with this it could be Such a fun dynamic they HATE each other. Worsties you could say. opposites subtract

[crescentfool]

so you want to use OBS

hello! i’ve decided to compile information on my OBS setup and some resources that have helped me along the way.  this is mostly for personal reference, but maybe others can make use of this information!

some notes before i get into it:

i use OBS for both offline recording and (twitch) streaming. any footage i record is edited using DaVinci Resolve 18, which is free.

most of my OBS captures are of video games (through a USB capture card, specifically elgato), and the occasional screen/application capture (like clip studio paint, and sometimes PC games).

as such, the information here is reflective of these experiences. this post is not comprehensive to all of OBS’s features- this is just an overview of the settings and configurations that are most relevant to me.

with that out of the way, all the information will be under the cut!

Basic Setup

file format:

how to change: settings -> output -> recording -> recording format -> press “apply” once finished!

I save most of my recordings as .mkv files- it supports multi-track audio! i prefer .mkv over .mp4 because if your power goes out, you still have a recording to work with. 

.mkv files can be read by DaVinci Resolve without an issue- but for Adobe software, they'll need to be remuxed to .mp4 within OBS! (file -> remux recordings -> press the … to select a file -> press the “remux” button)

video resolution and framerate:

how to change: settings -> video -> output (scaled) resolution

my obs canvas is @ 1920 x 1080p (16:9)

i switch between 720p and 1080p as needed! if you're concerned about space, you can probably just go for 720p. i also record at 30 fps, simply because that’s what my capture card supports.

video bitrate:

how to change: settings -> output -> encoder settings (located in both the streaming and recording tab) -> press “apply” once finished!

bitrate is a bit of a doozy to explain, but the most important thing to know is that bitrate affects your video’s quality. lower numbers = lower quality, while higher numbers = higher quality. 

generally speaking, you'll want higher bitrate when you're recording things with high depth of information (e.g. you’d want a higher bitrate for something fast-paced like splatoon, compared to a slower-paced game like animal crossing).

my video bitrate is either set to 3000 or 4000 kbps! and here's some of my other (related) settings while i'm at it:

you can put your bitrate at much higher values than me if you're a stickler for quality- but keep in mind that a higher bitrate means:

bigger file size

more information to upload (when streaming)

your computer will need to encode more

i’d recommend reading twitch’s guidelines on encoding, bitrate, resolution, and framerate to get an idea of what values to pick. for people who are doing offline recording or streaming on a different platform, i suggest googling the appropriate resources!

multi-track audio:

this is mostly applicable to anyone looking to do video editing!

multi-track audio basically allows you to separate your audio sources (e.g. discord, game audio, and your own microphone) into different tracks. 

this is an immensely helpful tool because it lets you adjust audio levels in post-production (editing). some examples of how this can be used:

increasing someones microphone volume if they speak too softly

increasing/decreasing game audio

muting swear words/sensitive information

completely muting voice call + microphone if you want to upload a no commentary video

and more!

to set this up, take a look at your audio mixer panel, and press the ⚙ icon. this will bring up advanced audio properties.

by checkmarking a track box, it puts the audio on that track. to make the above screenshot easier to digest:

track 1 consists of ALL three audio sources- desktop, elgato, and microphone.

track 2 only has the microphone audio.

track 3 only has desktop audio (i use this for voice calls)

track 4 only has the elgato capture card audio (game audio). the volume has also been lowered so that any speaking voices can be heard clearly.

tracks 5 and 6 are unused.

you might be wondering, “why do all three of these have 1 checked off?” this is what i call the universal audio track. i recommend having a universal audio track for a few reasons:

when you stream from OBS onto twitch/youtube- you have to select ONE audio track.

it’s also a nice backup in case you didn’t separate your audio correctly.

if for whatever reason you need to move around your individual audio tracks in editing, the universal track acts as a nice reference point.

mark off your audio tracks for each audio source as you see fit! once you’re finished with the advanced audio properties, go to settings > output.

for the streaming tab, you’ll want to have the number of your universal audio track selected. in my case, that will be audio track 1.

for the recording tab, checkmark all the audio tracks that are applicable to you (in my case, audio tracks 1, 2, 3, and 4). by default, only audio track 1 is selected.

if you don’t check off the additional audio tracks in the output > recordings section, you will not have access to those audio tracks in editing, and you won’t be able to edit your audio tracks independently of each other. so don’t forget to do this! 👍

custom browser docks

custom browser docks are a great tool for when you’re streaming and want to have access to your twitch chat and/or activity feed! (or if you wanted to have some other web browser on OBS).

to create one, go to docks -> custom browser docks.

you’ll be given a table interface that asks you to put the dock name and URL. for streamers who want to have chat and alerts available, do the following:

on twitch’s homepage, go to the upper right and click your icon

then, click creator dashboard

once you’re on your dashboard, go to stream manager

click the vertical “...” on my chat OR activity feed.

press “pop-out chat” OR “pop-out activity feed”

copy and paste the link into the table back into OBS

press apply once you’re done

click and drag the docks around at your leisure to put them where you like!

if you ever decide you don’t want to have something on your OBS dock (or want to bring something back), go to the toolbar, click “docks,” and click the appropriate dock!

third party things

a section of optional things that you may enjoy having.

streamlabs alerts

this is basically for anyone who streams and wants to have their chat and/or follower notifications visualized on screen!

streamlab alerts can be added to OBS by adding a browser source into your scene, and the specifics can be customized on streamlabs itself. it’s pretty self-explanatory, so i’ll just leave a link to streamlabs website, where you can log in using the streaming platform of your choice: https://streamlabs.com/

discord overlay

this is a browser source that can be set up to show people who are in a server's voice chat and who speaks. i recommend this to people who make multiplayer content- it can help viewers distinguish who is who but also it can be helpful in editing.

to set this up, go to https://streamkit.discord.com/overlay, click “install for OBS,” and after logging in with discord, go to “voice widget” and click the server and voice channel you want.

you are able to apply CSS if you'd like more control over the visuals, but the standard layout tends to work fine for me! a search of “discord overlay css” on youtube can help you get more information.

veadotube mini

this is a pngtuber software that a friend recommended to me! no webcam is required- mouth opening and closing is based on your microphone input!

you can download it here (it’s pay what you want!): https://olmewe.itch.io/veadotube-mini

for a proper tutorial on how to use it, i recommend checking out the app's documentation, which you can read here: https://veado.tube/help/

source record

have you ever wanted to stream something with a chat overlay/layout, but wanted your recording to ONLY be the gameplay? or maybe you wanted to record BOTH your gameplay AND your webcam so that you can have a crisp zoom-in on your webcam!

source record is a third party plugin that can help you with that!

the general gist of source record involves applying the “source record” filter on either a scene or source, and customizing the encoding settings accordingly. the exact details of how to set it up is beyond the scope of this post, so I'll just direct people to this video instead (it was very helpful to me):

⚠ a quick note about source record: this plugin can be intense for your computer. be sure to do test recordings and the like to see what your computer can handle (and see if the recordings come out the way you like). it took me a few tests before i settled onto something i liked!

you can download and install source record here: https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/source-record.1285/

vdo.ninja

have you ever wanted to do a collaborative video or stream where you feature someone else’s video on your stream? or maybe you’re doing a multi-person streaming event! vdo.ninja is the perfect tool for you!

vdo.ninja turns your OBS virtual camera into a browser source link- which your collaborator can add on their stream! this is a new tool that i’ve added to my arsenal recently- since my friend and i are planning to stream a side order challenge together! i’ve still got to iron it out a bit more, but i like what i’ve used of it so far.

try it out for yourself at their website here (with documentation and demos available on the homepage!): https://vdo.ninja/ (no downloads required!)

ok! i’m set up! what now?

and with that, that’s all of the settings and tools that i thought would be worth mentioning! while most of my setup was written with video games in mind, some of these plugins and setups may be applicable to other types of videos (e.g. tabletop gaming with a physical camera)!

now that i’ve outlined all these settings, i have one more thing i have to say: regardless of what you're using OBS for, do a test recording before doing anything “official” with it. this recording can be as short as 30 seconds. it’s a good habit to develop that can make sure your streams/recordings turn out the way you want them to!

here are the kinds of things i like to check! it’s not an exhaustive list, but this can be a starting point:

video:

does my video look the way i want it to (and can my computer handle that)?

can my computer handle the load of encoding? - OBS will note in the bottom if the encoding is overloaded. if it can’t handle it, turn down your bitrate or adjust other encoding settings (e.g. i had to toggle psycho visual tuning OFF because it was causing lag)

this is especially the case if you're recording PC games- you don’t want to have slowdown on either your game or the recording!

audio:

are my audio sources (e.g. desktop audio and microphone) correct? - if you plug/unplug devices a lot, be sure to check this (settings -> audio).

are any of my audio sources muted? - make sure you don’t have anything on 🔇 if you don’t want it to be muted! otherwise the audio will be lost forever… (i lost my friend’s VC audio once… it was sad)

are my audio tracks separated properly? - requires you to boot up your editing software, but it's worth doing! for the test recording, just have something from all your sources playing at once, and see if your editor has things separated into tracks.

can i hear the voices clearly? or does the music and/or game overpower them?

if for whatever reason your OBS crashes, or you want more information on anything “critical” or “warning” worthy in your set-up, you can go to help > log files > upload current log file > analyze. crash logs currently can’t be analyzed by the log analyzer- but they’re a valuable tool when asking for help on the OBS forums!

and that’s all! for real, this time. i hope that some of these tools and settings can help anyone wanting to get more out of OBS. there’s definitely other things i didn’t touch upon (e.g. audio filters for noise compression, suppression, etc.), so i suggest doing your own research and trying things out!

happy recording/streaming, and thanks for reading! ✨