#was excited to share spirit’s mutism!

[smilesrobotlover]

Febuwhump- I still don’t know what I’m doing but screw perfectionism

Based after the prompt day 8: panic!

Spirit has a bad time!!!

Silent Fear

Consciousness began to return to Spirit, his senses coming back to him as he slowly opened his eyes, confused at what he was seeing at first. It took a moment for him to realize that it was lava he was looking down upon, and the heat immediately assaulted him. He groaned in discomfort and the ache in his arms were registered next. His arms were tied in thick ropes, him being hung by his hands tied behind his back. He looked down at the lava again, panic beginning to rise in him. He blinked hard, trying to remember what happened before, but he truly couldn’t remember what could’ve gotten him into this situation. They were in Warrior’s time was what he remembered, but they weren’t in a battle, they were in a peaceful town. Spirit was simply walking along the trail when he felt a sharp pain in his head, then nothing. He groaned again, his headache being added to the list of pain he was feeling at this moment. He looked around and saw a ledge he was at level with, covered in mysterious people staring back at him.

“So you’re finally awake?” One of them stepped forward, his arms crossed across his chest.

Spirit squinted, but all of their faces were shadowed, so he couldn’t see their features.

“You were out for a while,” he continued, “I was getting worried about you.”

Spirit scowled at him, he didn’t know what he wanted, but he sure as heck wasn’t going to give it to him. The man only chuckled though.

“I wouldn’t have that attitude if I were you boy,” the man gestured to the lava Spirit was hanging over. Spirit looked at the lava below him and the panic returned to him. That would be a terrible death, and he was several feet from experiencing it.

The man stepped a bit closer, grabbing the rope that kept him from falling to his death, which was slung over a hook on the ceiling. Spirit gulped and stared him down, trying to seem brave.

“Let’s just get right into it, ok? We’re looking for someone, but he’s hard to get a hold of. So you’re gonna tell us where he is.”

Spirit frowned. Who could these strangers possibly be after? And how would Spirit know anything? He wasn’t with anyone when he got kidnapped.

“We saw you traveling with him earlier, the hero of Hyrule. His name is Link, and he owes us something.”

Spirit frowned. He was still in Warrior’s world right? He must be the one they’re after. But Spirit didn’t know where he was specifically, he didn’t even know the name of the town they were in before he was taken. They quite literally picked the worst person to interrogate.

“Now…” the man gripped the rope and grinned, “tell us where he is. Now.”

Spirit sucked in a panicked breath, trying to think of a way out of this. Even if he wanted to give up Warriors (which he wouldn’t, obviously), he couldn’t say anything. Spirit is mute, and he only communicates by writing in his notepad. While he knows a little bit of sign language, he hasn’t had time to learn it. Either way, he couldn’t talk to them. His hands and arms were tied, and there was no way for him to communicate this to them.

“Perhaps I didn’t make this clear…”

Spirit’s stomach dropped and he screamed when the rope let loose, plunging him towards the lava. He let out a grunt when he was stopped just a few feet away from his almost fiery grave. His heart was beating a thousand miles per minute, the situation feeling a lot more real to him now. He winced at his possibly bruised chest and sore arms as the rope began to raise him up to his captor’s level again.

“You understand now boy? Tell us where that hero is or else you’ll meet your end right here.”

Spirit was panting for breath that was sucked out of him earlier. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t sign for them to stop, he couldn’t tell them that he didn’t know where Warriors was, he couldn’t do anything. All he could do was kick his legs in desperation. He screamed again when the rope was let loose again, and he landed much closer to the lava.

He let out a cry of pain when he was pulled back harshly to the ceiling, the man holding him hostage beginning to lose patience.

“Tell us where the hero is, NOW!”

Spirit looked in his direction, tears leaking out of his eyes. He opened his mouth but of course, he wasn’t able to beg them to stop. The man reached for the rope again and Spirit was dropped to the lava once again, this time, his feet brushing against the hot magma. He yelped and patted it down with his other foot, biting back a cry for his burnt toes. He was pulled back up, the repetitive motions making him sick to his stomach.

“Stubborn aren’t you?” The man leaned forward, seemingly studying Spirit, before pulling out a knife, putting it to the rope. “Well, your mistake.”

Spirit gasped as the man raised his knife ready to swing down on the rope that kept Spirit alive. Was this how he was going to die? He was only thirteen, he didn’t want to die! He let out a cry as the knife came swinging down, preparing himself for the pain he would soon have to endure.

“ENOUGH!”

The man stopped and turned around, stepping away from Spirit’s blurry vision. He squinted to see what was going on, but couldn’t see anything past his tears. He heard his captors talking amongst themselves, and some of them started yelling, but it got quiet after a while. Spirit tried to take a deep breath to calm himself down, but he was still breathing rather quickly and his heart was thudding painfully against his chest. He groaned at his sword arms and chest, not knowing if he was going to be ok or not. He was so close to straight up dying that it made him want to puke. What would Zelda say? What would she do? The thought of her mourning over him killed him on the inside. He needed to find a way out of here.

He gasped again as the rope shook, but he noticed that they weren’t threatening to drop him, they were taking him down.

He was carried onto the ledge, which was only lit by the lava, but it was enough to finally see who these men were. When he was set on the ground, he started to observe the people around him, but his heart dropped. He’s been in Warrior’s world long enough to recognize that these were Hylian soldiers. They wore the uniforms the soldiers would wear, and some still had their helmets on. Why were Hylian soldiers trying to kill him? And what do they want with Warriors? One man stood over him, one arm around him so he could sit up. He surprisingly had a soft expression when he looked at Spirit, but it quickly melted away to anger.

“You’ve been torturing a child?” The man asked angrily, turning to another one, who had a noticeable scar across his cheek.

The other man scoffed and crossed his arms.

“We haven’t been torturing him, we’ve just been interrogating him! Big difference!”

Spirit recognized Scar-face’s voice as the man who was threatening to drop him into the lava, and he immediately glared at him.

“You were dangling him over lava! What is wrong with you?”

“We needed one of Link’s companions to tell us where he is! Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yes, but I didn’t want you to torture and threaten a child!” The softer looking man’s voice raised at the end of his sentence, holding onto Spirit tighter. Scar-face huffed and turned around as Soft-guy turned to Spirit. “What is your name, kid?”

Spirit pursed his lips and frowned, looking at his tied up hands. He looked back up at Soft-guy, and his eyes widened in realization.

“How do you communicate? Is it sign language?”

Spirit shook his head. He really needed to learn that.

“Do you write things down?”

Spirit nodded, and Soft-guy nodded back. He started to untie his hands, which gave his sore arms some relief.

“Woah, woah! What are you doing?” Scar-face yelled.

“I’m untying his hands.”

“But why?”

“Because he’s a mute! We won't get any information out of him with him tied up like this!”

“But-but he’ll fight back!”

“I’m leaving his arms tied, you imbecile.” Soft-guy pulled out a stick and pointed at the ground, signaling for Spirit to write in the dirt. Spirit grabbed the stick and his stomach did a flip. They probably don’t even know how to read his language.

“What is your name?”

Spirit chewed on his lip and looked up at Soft-guy nervously. He might as well try and see if these people understand him. He wrote down his name “Link” into the ground and looked up at everyone’s confused faces.

“What language is that?” Scar-face sneered, staring at the name written into the dirt.

Soft-guy gave a frustrated sigh and took the stick away from Spirit. The young engineer figured that this would be the case. Only Windy could read his language, it made communication with everyone else very difficult, which was why he wanted to learn sign language. Soft-guy nodded at the men around him and they lifted him up, tying his hands behind his back again.

“You kidnapped someone who can’t even communicate with us, good job,” Soft-guy remarked sarcastically to scar-face, “We’ll just use him as bait. The hero has a soft spot for children anyways.”

Scar-face grumbled and grabbed hold of Spirit’s tied forearm harshly, which caused him to hiss in pain.

“Hey.”

Scar-face turned around and glared at Soft-guy.

“You don’t hurt him, understand?”

Scar-face rolled his eyes and kept dragging Spirit behind him. He looked at Soft-guy in desperation, trying to stop, but Scar-face pulled harshly, hurting his arms even more. Soft-guy may not be any better than Scar-face, but Spirit didn’t want to be left alone with him. He tried to cry out but Soft-guy turned away, leaving him alone with Scar-face. Spirit sighed and stopped resisting, hoping that he could escape before Warriors got dragged into this mess.

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Alex Recommends: June Books

What an eventful month it has been! From family parties to house hunting, June has been full of future planning and more than our fair share of stressing about it.

We've had some pretty hot days where I've wanted to do nothing but sit in a cool room and read. However, I've had far too much work to do to relax. The dissertation research is slowly coming together now and I'm actually quite excited about the data collection part. Obviously I'm super anxious about it all too and worried about how I'll juggle it alongside the new job.

Speaking of which, I am just a few days into my librarian career. Everyone is really friendly and helpful so far and it seems like a great place to work. There's so much to learn and it will probably be a while before I'm confident in all parts of it but it's getting off to a good start.

As it's Pride month, this month's recommendations are themed accordingly. There's a really great selection here, full of inspiring, adorable and unique stories that I know you'll love. June is a month for celebrating our true selves and love in all its forms, so I hope you take some of that beautiful spirit from these books.

-Love, Alex x

FICTION: The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur.

Tansy is dedicated to her family's bookstore and has little time for romance but her family keep asking about her love life. So, she invents a beautiful girlfriend called Gemma, inspired by the woman on the cover of the romance novels that Tansy loves. Imagine Tansy's shock when the real life Gemma shows up at a family wedding. Gemma van Dalen is the heir to her family's publishing company but in order to inherit, she needs to marry. When Tansy's aunt reveals plans for selling the bookstore, Tansy realises that she needs a large injection of cash to keep hold of it. That's something that Gemma can help with. Let the marriage of convenience commence! I'm not sure I've read a contemporary marriage of convenience romance before but it certainly gave it a slightly different flavour than the love stories I'm used to. Perhaps it's because regency romance is where I've mostly encountered farces and relationships like this before but I couldn't get away from that historical vibe, despite it being very much a contemporary novel. There are some real high stakes involved in the narrative and some serious villains that I loved to hate. On the flip side, there is also a cast of loveable queer side characters who I would love to meet again.

NON-FICTION: A Trans Man Walks Into A Gay Bar by Harry Nicholas.

When his long-term relationship with a woman ended, Harry realised that he was in fact, a single gay, trans man. Would the gay community accept him? What would he learn in his next foray into dating while stepping into the light of his true self? This moving, coming-of-age memoir celebrates self-exploration and the embracing of a new culture that can come with that. Harry is very honest and open, as he discusses the realities of being a gay, trans man. There's a scene in a pharmacy where he is denied the morning after pill because 'the girl has to come in herself' that I think illustrates the ignorance and lack of education about what trans people go through. The book is so real and informative without being preachy, which is a fantastic feat. A must read for Pride season!

MIDDLE-GRADE: Away With Words by Sophie Cameron.

Gala and her dad have moved from their home in Spain to Scotland to live with her dad's boyfriend Ryan. Gala never wanted to leave her friends or school behind and she's struggling to settle into her new life. Then she meets Natalie, a shy girl with selective mutism. Like Gala, Natalie collects other people's words but Natalie uses them to write beautiful poems. As their friendship blossoms, Gala and Natalie begin to write positive poems for their classmates. However, someone else is leaving much nastier poems and Gala and Natalie are the prime suspects. Can they find out who is really behind them? Away With Words is a beautiful, gripping story about the power and wonder of words and language. It's about feeling alone and isolated in a place that you don't understand but finding your own comfort and strength within it. I loved the mystery aspect so much and the gorgeous idea that words are physical things. I also loved the ambiguity around whether the words really contain the colours and feelings that the girls associate with them or whether this is just how they see them. A truly unique, imaginative tale that champions outsiders alongside some stunning, magical imagery.

YA: Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko.

After the death of her mother, Coley and her father move to Oregon. That's where she meets Sonya and her friends. Although she and Sonya have an instant connection, Coley is afraid that a romance would end just like every other love she's ever had. Sonya has never had a girlfriend before, so is Coley really who she wants? It's not until they both accept their feelings and open up to each other that they can find their true happiness. This book is set in the mid 00s and as someone who was this age at that time, I can attest to the fact that the teen experience depicted here was very recognisable. It's a very heady, intense ride that tackles internalised homophobia, grief and the differences between toxic and healthy friendships. Despite its intensity, it's a clean romance, making it ideal for all tastes and age groups.

FANTASY: Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella.

It's fair to say that Brian is struggling with adulthood. He spends his days working a regular restaurant job alongside his friends Nik and Darby and his nights browsing Grindr and hiding his monthly transitions into a werewolf. Then charismatic fellow werewolf, Tyler headhunts Brian to be a part of a new movement aimed at taming the werewolf's wild instincts. However, something sinister appears to be lurking underneath it all. Bored Gay Werewolf follows a likeable, relatable and thoroughly flawed protagonist with a very snarky voice and sense of humour. The book touches on gay prejudices and assumptions but it is predominantly a criticism of capitalism and how it brings out the worst in people. There is a lovely twist at the end that sets it up to be a new queer, paranormal series that I'm really excited about. I can't wait to see what's next for these characters!

[robininthelabyrinth]

Wangxian prompt: wei wuxian born deaf. Lan zhan who says very little and has a really hard time expressing himself(especially his feelings for wei ying) learns to express himself by learning sign language.

“We’re here to find a cure for it,” Sect Leader Jiang was telling Lan Wangji’s uncle, who was frowning. He wasn’t aware that Lan Wangji was listening from behind the door. “Wei Ying can’t hear at all – I’m not sure if it was a recent accident or not, but I don’t want it to interfere with him living a good life…”

“Have you considered that it may be inborn?” Lan Qiren asked. “The boy seems happy and healthy – not everything requires a fix, Sect Leader Jiang. Some things require only accommodation, and understanding.”

“I was under the impression that the Lan sect was willing to share its wealth of healing knowledge,” Sect Leader Jiang said, and his voice was cold, making Lan Wangji shiver. “Are you refusing to lend your aid –”

Lan Wangji decided to leave. He knew what grow-ups arguing sounded like, and he wasn’t interested in that.

Besides, he’d already gotten the information he wanted: the little boy he’d clashed with earlier that day, the one with the eye-catching smile and the penchant for breaking rules, was from Yunmeng Jiang.

And he was deaf, too.

Really deaf, not the way people sometimes said that Lan Wangji was mute – they were usually being mean when they said that; since they knew he could speak sometimes, they assumed he could speak however much he wanted all the time. But he couldn’t, he really couldn’t; no matter how much he wanted to, sometimes the words wouldn’t come.

Lan Qiren had fancy words for it – selective mutism, he called it – but in the end it just meant that the other children didn’t want to play with him, who couldn’t speak to them.

Just like they didn’t want to play with Wei Ying, who couldn’t hear them.

Lan Wangji thought about it for a little, then went to go find him.

Wei Ying was still playing by himself by the little brook, his back to the children playing happily on the other side – his shoulders were a little lower than they’d been before, his smile a little fainter, but overall he seemed determined to have a good time.

Lan Wangji went up to him and held out his hand.

Wei Ying looked at it, and then him, and blinked, clearly confused. Lan Wangji waited with his hand outstretched, breath caught in his throat, hoping Wei Ying would accept the offering even without any words to explain to him what it was.

After a moment, Wei Ying put his hand in Lan Wangji’s, and Lan Wangji smiled at him.

For some reason, Wei Ying flushed pink.

Lan Wangji turned and started leading him away, tugging on his hand so he’d follow, and he took him back to the jingshi that was mostly Lan Wangji’s now and would be entirely his in the future.

Lan Wangji settled Wei Ying down on one side of his guqin and settled himself down on the other. Wei Ying wouldn’t know Inquiry, of course, but – the principle was the same. It’d been a revelation for Lan Wangji to realize that he could ‘speak’ using the guqin, and he thought he could show it to Wei Ying, too.

Wei Ying was frowning, though, and he pointed to his ears.

Lan Wangji shook his head, indicating he already realized the problem, and reached out to take Wei Ying’s hand, putting in on the board of the guqin.

He played – still a little clumsily, but with enough spiritual power to convey meaning. It was the spiritual power that made Inquiry work, not the actual sound: most spirits didn’t have ‘ears’ either. Wei Ying would be able to feel the vibrations, and his spiritual energy would be able to translate it into what Lan Wangji meant.

Hello, he played, over and over again. Nice to meet you.

At first, Wei Ying was frowning, but after a while his eyes started to widen, excited.

My name is Lan Zhan, he played. And I like you.

Some things were easier to say in music.