#we ALL deserve more zel content

[farore-or-less]

WIP for Forgotten Instincts

I'm chugging along with this next chapter, I promise! This one is a tough one because I'm making sure I get a few things exactly how I want them, and as a writer it can be difficult to articulate certain scenes into the proper words. But we are on Chapter 16 now (my god, we're 16 chapters along already!!) and we're at that rising action stage to carry on the remainder of the story and I can't thank you enough for reading, commenting, and enjoying this fic I've decided to share with you all <3

You can read Forgotten Instincts on Ao3! (Mind the tags and rating)

Spoilers and teaser below the cut:

Excerpt from Chapter 16: Sands of Indisputable Time

The snowy cabin looked just like it did when they had first arrived—when they defeated Vah Medoh and spent their first night together as an unwed couple. Everything was well organized and put away, no fire burning in the fireplace and the bed was neatly made, but as Link ventured deeper into the cabin he found new evidence of her. When he pulled the blankets off the bed and pressed them to his nose, he could smell the flowers still layered in the sheets with the spice of lust and her. Even beneath the musk and severe cold that was slowly fading her away, she lingered like a memory on the cusp of being forgotten, but he remembered. And he would never allow himself to forget. 

As he explored the quiet cabin, he came across a handwritten letter sealed in an envelope on the desk—the same one he had stood over when he discovered Zel wasn’t her real name. The letter wasn’t addressed to him, but he opened it anyway. It read,

Dear Selmie,

I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to rent your cabin. The morning sunrises were the most beautiful I have ever seen and the nights stayed warm and cozy with a fire burning. I know you said you wouldn’t charge me for the stay, but I’ve left you a pouch of rupees to show my appreciation. I hope we can meet in Gerudo Town to go sand surfing some day. 

Your friend,

— Z

Placed beside the folded letter was a pouch that Link recognized immediately. Bulbous and made of black leather, the thin drawstring rope that held it together was frayed at the ends and pulled taut to keep its contents hidden within. Sturdy yet worn with age, it would dangle off her belt for easy access or she’d tie it onto Jassa’s saddle whenever they traveled from place to place, region to region. It was Zel’s money pouch, and it was loaded with rupees. All that she had possessed.

Seeing that overly-generous display made his heart ache and his feelings turned sour like spoiled milk. He knew what she was doing. Zel was punishing herself in more ways than one, offering up all she had because she felt like she didn’t deserve anything anymore, and it was all his fault. He made her feel like more of a monster than she truly was, had backed her into a corner of her own design and if he’s unable to make things right between them, she could get herself into tumultuous trouble and he would be powerless to help her.

So he has to find her… and soon.  

[ratasum]

Ugh okay. Some thoughts. I have specifically tagged this as soto critical so that if you enjoyed it, you know what you're getting into. These are my opinions. If you enjoyed it I genuinely am thrilled for you, no sarcasm at all, but my usual disclaimer remains that I did not. I'm not gonna come at you or attack you for enjoying it, I promise; we all have different opinions and that is good and valid.

(Not that I hated it entirely; I actually love a lot about it. I just was not thrilled with everything in the end.)

I've also specifically censored names so they don't show up in those characters tags to the best of my ability.

First I'd like to go over what I actually really did enjoy:

The new maps are visually stunning. I'm on the fence about the heavy reliance on Skyscales, but they're creative and interesting to look at and fun to explore.

Love P*itha (though not like that I just think she's Neat I need to clarify that) and the Krypt*s. Really wish we could've spent a lot more time digging into the power structure there but I like that they think WE'RE the ugly ones.

I've been gnawing on the shadiness and cult-like nature of the Astr*l Ward since the jump and am really hopeful their behavior gets treated with the gravity it genuinely deserves.

It was nice to see Z*jja again, even if my opinion of how she was handled is... well. We'll get to that below.

The W*zard Vault is a HUGE improvement over the daily system, don't @ me. Love being able to spend my fun bucks on whatever I want whenever I want without being bogged down in "ugh it's x days until I can get clovers or a tome."

I'm keeping R'tch*kk, Glade, and Z*zel. Fr*de too. And L*hr. No one can stop me.

All that being said...

Glad they admitted they bit off FAR too much. SotO felt too big for its britches after the first drop, and what could've been really interesting things got shoved into closets and out windows to make way to hurry along to the next beat. Everything was equal parts rushed and a slog, lore buried in journal and hidden text over and over and over. The pacing was absurd.

To say nothing about how miserably they flubbed Z*jja's story. What could've been a really interesting dive into what she went through as she maybe journeyed into and through Nay*s with us, her going through a will she won't she until deciding in the end that maybe ascension was the best option? Nothing. Hurriedly mind wiped off screen before the second drop even hit and shoved completely out of the narrative with barely any relevance to the story as it stood, despite how loudly anet banged the pots and pans of how super big and important her arc was.

You literally could replace her with a lamp and it would change practically nothing about the story. She wasn't even relevant to the greater story at all. Why was she even there?

To say nothing about those really juicy drops of how shady the Astral Ward was, between the bits in the fractals, G*lrath's threat, the "something has gone wrong" status effect at the end of the third drop, and none of that was followed through on.

And I say this as someone who loved the first drop immensely, liked what we were seeing, was genuinely intrigued... and then nothing.

I really wish we could've either stuck with the ward, or had the ward be barely introduced before being tossed into Nay*s and spending most of our time there so that we didn't have all this setup that felt like it dangled.

I'm glad to see they took the criticisms on the pacing and story content to heart, though, and maybe it'll improve. Still feeling a bit stung, and there's a LOT I'm still planning on rewriting (gonna tweak some stuff with the knowledge we'll be addressing the ward again... hopefully. Z*jja's still not there though sorry not sorry anet).

I'll remain cautiously optimistic in the meantime.

[socialmediasocrates]

In honor of finally getting to write some fucking Zel Content have a few excerpts

Text and taglist under the cut

Excerpt 1:

The place is very tastefully decorated. Too tastefully decorated, actually. Everything matches, and everything has a place, and everything is /in/ that place. And it makes them itch. It feels like walking into someone's house and finding they've covered all the furniture with plastic slip covers. Yeah, they've opened their home to you, but they've also deliberately made it impersonal and uncomfortable so you don't stay for too long, and-fuck. He's even gotten to the bathroom.

Excerpt 2:

He'd gotten to the bathroom, too, and done it entirely in blacks and greys. It looks like a dungeon with toothbrush holders.

Excerpt 3:

They definitely remember the bath tub being a very nice bright green thirty years ago, and now it's grey and the knobs are...what is that, brass? He'll be lucky to keep his house key privileges for the crimes committed in the bathroom alone. What was wrong with the pink towels? They were soft. They /liked/ them. The new ones are the same inoffensive grey as the tub, and they have the nerve to be scratchy on top of that.

Excerpt 4:

Looks are deceiving, and this rug is the worst deceiver of all. Why is it made of approximately one million individual stiff, ropey threads? Why does Dalton hate them enough to install this abominable thing in their home? They have been a very good friend to him. They have enabled his never-ending antics and eaten people when needed and endured all of the poems he wrote during his literary phase in the spirit of grim solidarity, and he has repaid that with this complete nightmare of an area rug. Thirty years is not nearly long enough for him to become delusional enough to believe they would appreciate this, so they must reluctantly accept that they have just failed to see the madness growing in him. Too late. It's already manifested, and they are standing on its culmination.

Taglist:

@writing-bels @crtalley @saucysquared @subtlefires

[demonprincezeldris]

𝙼𝚢 𝙶𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝙱𝚘𝚢𝚜 (𝙽𝚂𝙵𝚆!)

ᴛᴡ: ɪɴᴄ*ꜱᴛ, ᴛʜʀᴇᴇꜱᴏᴍᴇ, ᴛᴇɴᴛᴀᴄʟᴇ ꜱᴇx, ᴘʀᴀɪꜱᴇ ᴋɪɴᴋ, ᴅɪʀᴛʏ ᴛᴀʟᴋ, ᴏʀᴀʟ ꜱᴇx, ᴀɴᴀʟ ꜱᴇx, ʀɪᴍᴍɪɴɢ, ʟᴇᴀꜱʜᴇꜱ/ ᴄᴏʟʟᴀʀꜱ, ᴀɴᴀʟ ɢᴀᴘɪɴɢ, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ʙᴅꜱᴍ (ʙᴏɴᴅᴀɢᴇ, ɢᴀɢɢɪɴɢ, ʜᴀɴᴅᴄᴜꜰꜰꜱ), ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴏʀɢᴀꜱᴍ ᴅᴇɴɪᴀʟ

𝟏𝟖+! 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐃𝐍𝐈!

“Who are my good boys?” Arthur purred as he looked down at the two men situated at his feet. Two leashes were held firmly in Arthur’s hold, trailing down to where it connected with the black collars around his pets’ necks. He reached out to card his fingers through jet-black hair, then moving over to messy blonde, hearing them purr in contentment. Meliodas and Zeldris. The two demon princes that had destroyed his kingdom all those months ago. As Arthur finally awakened from his coma, he had gazed upon the strip of land that was once filled with bustling streets, the smells of freshly baked bread and leather filling the air.

It had all been taken away from him in what seemed like the blink of an eye. His cheerful, more jovial side had been replaced by a more sinister evil that resided in him thanks to the power of Chaos. Arthur had vowed to get revenge on his dead people, and hunt down the foul creatures who were responsible for their deaths. He had captured the youngest demon first, who didn’t go down without a fight. But in time, his mind had been soothed, corrupted into serving Arthur with whatever he had needed. He was absolutely obedient to the king now, as was his brother.

He continued petting their heads for a few moments longer, watching to see what their reactions would be. Zeldris was the first to break, whining pitifully as he swayed on his hands and knees. Arthur raised a brow as he looked at him. “Why the whine, my love?” he asked, his hand stopping its movements. Zeldris didn’t speak, his tongue hanging slightly out of his mouth as he continued. Arthur knew exactly what he wanted, but refused to say it. He wanted to see Zeldris suffer, growing desperate as his hips started moving, grinding into the dirt as he stared up at him.

Arthur’s hand reached out, cupping his chin as he whispered, “I think I know what you want. You want to skip this silly foreplay, and get to the real action, is that it?” Zeldris’ loud whimper in response gave Arthur all the confirmation he needed, and he leaned down to whisper in his ear, “You want to be filled, right? You want me to push you onto my cock? Make your brother watch as I pound your ass. Is that what you need?” Zeldris nodded, his eyes hazy with lust as he replied, “Yes, sir. I want it, I want it all.” Arthur’s gaze darkened as he stared at the youngest demon. “Get up.”

Zeldris immediately stood up, his hard cock in full view, no clothes on his body anywhere. He saw Meliodas’ eyes slide to the side, focused directly on his brother’s ass. Meliodas licked his lips subtly, but stayed silent as Zeldris walked forward into Arthur’s embrace. Arthur allowed Chaos to summon another arm jutting from where his other arm had been severed, trailing his hands down to rest on his backside. “You’ve been such good boys these past few days,” Arthur murmured in Zeldris’ ear, cupping his cheeks and bouncing them in his hold. His eyes trailed to Meliodas, who was watching intently, waiting for Arthur’s next command.

“You both deserve a reward for it,” Arthur said, his hands harshly grabbing Zel’s ass, wringing a cry out of him as he spread his cheeks, his puckered hole on display for Meliodas. The eldest wasted no time, and darted forward to shove his face in between Zeldris’ legs, his tongue working furiously against his brother’s anus. Zeldris shuddered in Arthur’s hold, his hands gripping for dear life as his brother ate him out. “Ah a-ah! B-brother, fuck you’re t-tongue feels so- AH- so fucking a-amazing!” Arthur allowed both men to chase their pleasure for a few more moments, before he reached out, pushing Meliodas’ head away. Without waiting for Zeldris to catch his breath, his hands gripped the underside of his thighs, lifting him up and situating him over his hard, aching cock.

With a swift move, Zeldris’ ass was seated against his hips, his cock fully inside his pet. Zeldris threw his head back, releasing a cry as pleasure raced through his body. Arthur shuddered at the feeling of his tight walls squeezing him, jerking his hips up to push himself deeper into the demon. After a few moments, he began bouncing Zeldris up and down, hearing him moan as he was constantly moved up and down on his master’s cock, constantly being filled by Arthur. Arthur looked down at Meliodas, speaking to him through his grunts and pants. “Such a g-good boy you are, M-Meliodas. So patient. You can pleasure me a-as well if you w-want.”

Meliodas stayed where he was, his eyes laser-focused on Zeldris’ ass, watching as it was pushed up and down. Arthur made a noise of realization as he looked at Meliodas. “You want more of your brother, I assume?” he groaned, watching as Meliodas nodded. He heard Zeldris groan in his ear at the mention of Meliodas also fucking him. Arthur turned to whisper in his ear. “You want both our cocks inside you? Filling you up to the brim with cum?” Zeldris whimpered in response.

Arthur leaned in closer, his warm breath fanning over his ear as he slowed his hips. “Do you want both me and your brother fucking you at the same time? Is that what you want? For your ass to be filled with both our fat cocks? You’re such a good cockslut, Zeldris. Wanting both our dicks inside your tight ass.” Zeldris moaned loudly as Arthur purred in his ear the naughty things the demon would get to experience. As Arthur watched his pet writhe in his arms, his mind changed, and a cruel smirk twisted on his face. He quickly lifted Zeldris off him, dumping him on the ground. Zeldris looked at him in confusion, a whine leaving his throat as he stared at Arthur in sorrow. Arthur smiled as he pet Zeldris’ head in reassurance. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, my pet. You’ll get what you want soon enough. But first it’s my turn.”

He grabbed the leash off the floor, tugging him so that he was face to face with his cock. “You know what to do,” he murmured, “If you do a good job, you’ll get a reward.” Zeldris licked his lips and quickly got to work, wrapping his lips over the head, slowly easing down to swallow the entirety of his master’s cock. Arthur moaned at the sensation, leaning his head back as Zeldris began swallowing around him, sending pleasure soaring through every nerve of his body. As the youngest worked, Arthur looked over to Meliodas, jerking his chin behind himself. Meliodas immediately took the hint, situating himself on the other side of Arthur, the head of his cock sliding between Arthur’s cheeks and pressing against his opening.

In one quick thrust, his cock was seated inside Arthur, the force of the thrust causing Arthur’s hips to jerk forward, slightly gagging Zeldris from the sudden movement, tears appearing at the corners of his eyes. Both brothers worked for a few moments, chasing both their pleasure as well as Arthur’s. As Arthur watched his pets work, he silently called upon Chaos to summon another thing that would aid in their pleasure. He watched as thick tentacles appeared in front of him, weaving silently in the air. Both Zeldris and Meliodas were too busy pleasuring Arthur, not noticing the tentacles as Arthur situated them both on the backsides of either demon. Twin gasps escaped both as the tentacles instantly forced their way inside their asses to the girthiest point of the appendage, forcing their asses to accommodate for the sudden intrusion.

Meliodas’ hands gripped Arthur’s sides, his fingers digging into his skin as he moaned loudly, feeling the tentacle slowly thrust inside him, spreading his legs underneath him to allow the tentacle to work its way deeper inside his ass. Arthur watched as his fingers slowly slid around his waist to grip Zeldris head, his fingers digging into his brother’s scalp as Zeldris continued to suck him off, albeit sloppily thanks to the sudden, but very welcome, intrusion to his backside. “You didn’t think that I would leave you to pleasure me without your asses being filled,” Arthur cooed between heavy pants.

All he received was lustful moans from both brothers. Arthur allowed himself to fall into pleasure, his ass being filled from Meliodas, and his dick being sucked by Zeldris. Soon enough, he felt his orgasm approach, and he began jerking his hips as he chased it. All three men moaned in tandem as all three were pleasured. It wasn’t long before Arthur felt his release crash over him, and subconsciously as he came in Zeldris’ mouth, he made the tentacles cum inside the brothers as well. He felt Meliodas’ fingers turn into claws of darkness, and he dug them into Arthur’s hips, snarling in satisfaction as he was also filled with cum. Zeldris also let out a gurgling moan, desperately trying to swallow Arthur’s release.

As Arthur’s breathing slowed, he felt both pull away from him, collapsing on the ground. Their stomachs were slightly extended from the amount of cum that he had allowed the tentacles to release into them. But he wasn’t done with them yet. He felt Meliodas’ release dripping down his thigh, and saw the pool of cum from Zeldris at his feet, and his eyes narrowed as he stared at both of them. “You came without my permission,” he growled, both brothers looking up at him as they realized the weight of his words. “We couldn’t help it, master! We were just in so much pleasure and-.” Zeldris was stopped as Arthur held up a hand.

He smiled down at Zeldris, leaning down to caress his cheek, staring into his wide eyes. “You came without my permission. Both of you did.” He looked over at Meliodas, grabbing his leash and jerking it, causing Meliodas to gasp as he quickly crawled over beside Zeldris. Both were silent, waiting for their punishment that awaited them. “Meliodas, get on your hands and knees, legs spread apart, ass facing me,” Arthur ordered. The blonde quickly did as Arthur asked, the king getting a clear view of his cum-stained ass, his anus stretched from before as cum dribbled onto the ground below. Arthur looked down at Zeldris, and told him to do the exact same thing, but face the other way.

Arthur called on Chaos again, making a makeshift cockring to put around both Meliodas and Zeldris, strapping their dicks together, forcing their asses to press against each other. In a few seconds flat, both were blindfolded, gagged, and handcuffed by the ankles as Arthur summoned a new tentacle. This one was even bigger than the last, and was pointed on both ends, serving as a double dildo. Arthur watched as it slowly worked its way inside Meliodas, hearing his muffled moans of pleasure, then forcing its way inside Zeldris. As both moaned and shuddered, Arthur began to talk. “This is punishment for cumming without my permission, boys. You won’t get to cum at all, while the tentacle penetrating both your asses right now will. Over and over again. All this will end when I come back. Then, and only then will you be allowed to cum.” He turned around, waving over his shoulder as the tentacle began to thrust and move inside both demons, hearing their moans as they started to receive pleasure again. “Have fun you two! I’ll be back in a few hours.” With that said, he walked away, the simultaneous moans of Zeldris and Meliodas echoing throughout the room as he made his way to his room.

[luckykoneko]

"does anyone here know more than one of my fandoms actually" You challenge me??? Alright, gimme Slayers!

[here]

I should know better than to challenge you XD had to think about this one for a bit 'cause I haven't been active in this fandom for a while, I REALLY need to rewatch Slayers (and we REALLY need to do a Slayers watch party sometime)

anyway here goes

the first character i ever fell in love with: Zelgadis, hands down.

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: Filia, I guess? She's a neat character but I don't care about her as much as I did when I first watched the series.

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: Xellos/Filia. Don't get me wrong, I still like the ship, but I don't actively ship it anymore and don't actively seek out content either. It just exists.

my ultimate favorite character™: Zelgadis, hands down. (Zel counter: 2)

prettiest character: I was going to say Zel before he became a chimera (Zel counter: 3) but honestly? Xellos is pretty af and honestly enby goals.

my most hated character: Tough question... I don't really hate any characters? Except for characters that are only relevant for like three episodes anyway. I guess Amelia's dad (I can't even remember his name) is mostly just obnoxious so I guess he counts.

my OTP: Rezo/Eris. Those two deserve each other and tbh her having a crush on him is really heckin cute. If only he actually felt something for her.

my NOTP: I don't think I have one, apart from crackships that I've never seen anyone take seriously anyway.

favorite episode: Tough choice, VERY tough choice. I think the finale of Evolution-R is my favorite, but all season finales are Good.

saddest death: Either Rezo or Eris. I can't choose. Both made me cry. Though the first one to come to mind is Eris so I think she wins by a tiny little margin.

favorite season: The first one, though I also have a weak spot for TRY. But all seasons are Good.

least favorite season: I think Revolution. I don't care all that much for Pocota in most of that season and I also didn't care much for the plot when I first watched it. Honestly I didn't give it a fair chance at the time. I should rewatch it.

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: Pocota, I guess. Also Naga? I don't know how I feel about Naga because I only watched one of the OVAs so idk if she counts.

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: Xellos. I think the entire fandom can agree on this, he's not just a piece of trash, he's the entire freaking dumpster, but we all love him anyway.

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: Not going to say he's a beautiful cinnamon roll because he Isn't, but, Valgaav deserved better. Also Zelgadis deserves all the good things because holy frick that boi suffered enough for three entire lifetimes. (Zel counter: 4)

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: Valgaav/Filia if it ended up happening in canon 'cause he's a freaking mess and would not treat her right. But if we're going for Redemption Arc Valgaav like I like to do, I can see it becoming kinda cute in the long run. As long as he starts off by already wanting to be better than he is in canon.

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Zelgadis/Amelia. They're cute, I like seeing fan content, but I don't actively ship this. I see it as more of an one-sided crush from Amelia's side. Zel is too much of a mess to get emotionally invested, imo. It is the ultimate post-canon slowburn material tho. (Zel counter: 5)

[zilithlesbianing]

Hello! So...I’ve been thinking for a while about writing y/n stories, and when Miranda’s husband posted this picture from when Darcey was born, I got an idea.

I’ve been inspired to start these ff by wattpad one shots, but a lot also by @hallospaceboyy (hope you don’t mind ♡)

This is basically fluff where reader is married to Zelda and they decide to start a family. I’m such a sucker for Zelda finally being a mom, she totally deserves it!

Fingers crossed that my writing isn’t that bad..🖤

Our Little Family

You and Zelda have been discussing starting your own family for a while, the redheaded witch has always had it in her, merely cut out to be a mom. Of course she’s raised Sabrina, Ambrose and, for a short period of time, also Leticia, but a child of her own…that would change everything.

You make your way up to the bedroom you share with Zelda, finding her sitting on the floor, tears pouring down her cheeks. You immediately kneel in front of her figure, cupping her face so she can look at you. “What’s wrong Zelds?”

Your voice is full of concern, but when your eyes met, you’re surprised of the lack of pain in your wife. You rarely see Zelda being vulnerable, when it happens it’s because something has truly hurt her, so it is very strange for her to cry only ‘cause she feels like it.

“Nothing sweetheart, absolutely nothing’s wrong.” She aims a genuine smile through her tears, gazing down at her lap. You follow her gaze and the realisation suddenly hits you. A positive pregnancy test is laying in the witch’s shaking hands, and you can already feel tears threathing to spill from your own eyes.

“Yo-you’re...Zelda..”

“Yes. Yes, Y/N. We’re going to have a baby.” You’re definitely joining her crying now, what you two wanted so badly, what for the last month has been on your mind day and night, is finally coming true.

You throw your arms around her neck and hold her tight to your flesh, feeling her hugging you back with the same intensity. You both don’t say another word, eyes and touches speaking louder than ever, you simply keep the other one close, loving the intimacy of the moment.

~

Three months have passed since you’ve found out about Zelda’s pregnancy, and the swell on her stomach is definitely visible now.

She looks marvelous, it’s like it really is her destiny to be a mom and you cannot be more content to see her this happy. Every time she glares at herself in the mirror, gently touches her belly and smiles at it, your heart skips a beat. You wouldn’t want anybody else to have your children.

All of the Spellman’s are now in the living room, today the gender of the baby would have been revealed. You and Zelda stand in front of everyone else, look at each other tenderly and then hold hands. With your eyes closed you chant an old spell, used by witches and warlocks for decades.

You repeat the enchantment three times, each one louder than the previous, until you’re all looking at your hands shining with pink light.

“It’s a girl! I knew it...Ambrose, give me my 20$!” Sabrina yells, and her cousin rolls his eyes.

“Fuck, I really needed a boy around this house with all these women..”

“Aw, a baby girl! I’m so happy for you two!” Hilda excitedly exclaims, eyes wet from unspilled tears. She rushes to hug you both, making you giggle. She is so adorable.

“Did you see that, Zelds? We’re having a girl!” Deep down you’ve wished for a female, not that you would have loved a boy any less, but a daughter has always been your secret dream.

You see Zelda dry with her thumb a single tear streaming down her cheek, the cutest sigh you can ask for. “Yes darling...a little witch is really growing inside of me..”

“Auntie Zee, you’re going to make me cry too!” Sabrina shouts, getting up to hug her aunt as well. “I’m so happy for you auntie, you totally deserve it! You’re gonna be an amazing mom as you’ve been for me.”

~

Nine months have passed by and now you’re spooning Zelda on your bed, gently caressing her belly, as she’s starting to feel the first contractions. It’s 3:30 am, but you cannot care any less. You want to be with your wife through it all, you know it’s gonna hurt a lot and just wanna be present for her and your child.

“Y/N..”

You immediately grab her hand, assuming the pain is probably getting worse. “I’m here, Zelds.” Your lips softly brush on her temple and leave a sweet kiss there.

“I-I’d lie if I said I’m not a tiny bit scared..” She doesn’t want to sound vulnerable, but can’t really help it now. “I’ve been a midwife for many women, I know how everything works when you give birth, and maybe because of that I’m more aware of what is going to happen..”

“I know Zelds and it’s normal. Who wouldn’t be?” Your hand previously on her belly, starts to stroke her hair, something you know always calms her. “This may sound stupid or sugar-coating, but you won’t be alone for a second. I’m not going anywhere, even if not physically, I’ll do anything to help you emotionally, give you some strength when you feel like it is starting to fade away.”

Zelda turns to look at you, a genuine smile on her face, and she connects your lips in a soft kiss, which breaks when a vigorous contraction hits her. You let your foreheads touch, waiting for the witch to open her eyes again, and you place a hand on the swell on her stomach. “I cannot wait to meet her, Zelds.”

After hours and hours of painful labor, it is finally time for Zelda to push. Your hands are intertwined and you let her hold it to the point you can feel her nails scratching you, but you don’t care, just want to reassure her in any way possible.

Hilda has taken the role of the midwife for her sister, acknowledging anything she could from the redhead witch in those nine months.

Zelda is mid way through it, your child is about to see the world for the first time, but she’s clearly very worn out. “You’re doing wonderfully Zelds, you’re amazing.” You gently brush the hair glued to her forehead away, trying to transmit her some strength.

“Y/N...I don-don’t think I can take this anymore..” Her voice is barely a whisper, if you could take her place now, you wouldn’t think twice.

“Zelda, love, you’re almost there. You can do it!” This is one of the rare moments Hilda sees some type of vulnerability in her sister and, just as you, she wants to be there for her all the way.

“Hilda’s right, Zelds. I can see her, just think about her. We’re so close to finally hold our little witch in our arms.” You gently kiss her temple, stopping right next to her ear. “I love you endlessly, Zelda Spellman.”

Zelda takes a deep breath, gathering all the strength left in her body, and before you know it, a loud cry invades the room. The redhead witch falls limp on the mattress, finally feeling some relief to her pain.

“Y/N, come here love.” Hilda calls you, so you can cut the cord. When she places your child in your arms, tears of joy immediately pour from your eyes.

“Does she look like us?” Zelda’s low voice distracts you from your daydream, making you realize she still hasn’t seen your daughter. You go back to your place next to her, gently placing the tiny baby in Zelda’s arms. “She’s so beautiful..” It’s clear how happy to finally be a mom your wife is, it’s all over her face, and it makes your stomach flatter.

“She is. I’m so proud of you Zel-“ You cannot finish what you’re saying, as Sabrina’s voice resonates from outside the room.

“Is she born yet? Can we see her?”

You all chuckle and tell them they can enter. Sabrina and Ambrose make their way next to you, admiring their new cousin who’s now calm in her mom’s arms.

“She’s so tiny..” Ambrose softly says, gently caressing the baby’s little hand.

“Can I take her?” Sabrina asks, and Zelda slowly places the newborn in her niece’s arms. The little witch whines at first, already missing her mom’s scent, but immediately grows comfortable in her cousin’s embrace. “She’s the prettiest, auntie Zee!”

“Have you decided for a name yet?” Hilda softly asks, afraid to ruin this special moment.

You and Zelda look at each other and answer with one voice. “Darcey. Darcey Miranda Spellman.”

[delightful-mystery]

Interview with Oya of VODUN!

Super excited about this one! We managed to catch up with the band that MOJO described as “like Aretha fronting Royal Blood after imbibing ayahuasca” (this is one hundred percent accurate, by the way).

Tell us a little bit about how your band was formed…

The Zel & I had been working together before in an earlier outfit called ‘INVASION’, and after the demise, we wanted to put together a cohesive body of work that highlighted a mix of heavy rock, afro rhythms and bluesy soul. 

How did you decide to focus your lyrical content on voodoo?

At first, we were attracted to the mysticism of Vodun, and then I thought it would a good idea to shine a light on an Ancestral folklore practice that had been demonised and contorted via time, the Catholic church and slavery – which has let us arrive at the negative Western view we hold of Voodoo and it’s related practices today. Taking something usually seen as dark and evil, and asserting that it’s as positive and as well-meaning as any other spiritual belief system we’re more familiar with. Having people become aware of the practice, aware of the distortion and aware of its true standing pleases me.

And the stage make up?!

The idea behind creating stage personas helps channel our energies for our performances. Finding Spirits/Loa’s who we felt generally matched with aspects of our personalities and trying to embody that on stage, so that’s where the stage makeup comes into play.

What makes you proud about being a woman working in the music industry?

Being able to speak about an experience of a pretty niche group of people within the heavy community, which is ultimately not dominated by women or people of colour, but dominated by white men. I think it’s important to be represented and to take up positive space in these environments, as you just might encourage others to live their truths too.

Check. Out. This . Vocal.

Congratulations on being named on Bandcamp’s rundown of the best clean vocals in metal! Very well deserved! How did it feel?

It was very unexpected, and very exciting! We suddenly started to receive lots of orders through Bandcamp, and we couldn’t work out why, until someone showed us we were on their home page.

You’ve recently changed your drummer from Zel to Sabo. How important was gender when making the decision for who to pick next?

Gender was very important. I wanted to try to keep the same ethos of the band, which was again being in roles that are often underrepresented.

I first heard about you from your support slot with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. They seem to be an example of a good ally in the industry since each time I’ve seen them they make sure to have a support act with at least one woman in! How was that tour and how has life changed for you guys since then?

I find myself working with so many great bands, artists and producers, which I love. Getting to record with Uncle Acid several years ago was a pretty great as it was back at Toe Rag studios, where we had recorded the Invasion album several years before. Kevin has made such a specific sound with Uncle Acid that it was lovely he allowed me the freedom to try out a few different ideas for the backing vocals. That then led to the tour, which was fantastic, as the guys in the band were lovely, and we were able to play some fantastic venues. Life hasn’t changed much, but we did pick up a few more fans, which we appreciate.

Let’s not get too negative here. We all love Download Festival, they just need a bit of a nudge in the right direction. What would be the best result of getting more women to play there, and even headline one day?

The result would ultimately be, anger (I fear – initially anyway), then acceptance, then positive promotion, then an increased number of women on the stages & taking up roles where they have previously felt were inaccessible to them. Representation is everything, which is hard to tell someone who’s been constantly catered for forever, so I definitely hope this happens soon.

Thank you so much for taking the time out to answer these questions, Oya! Follow Vodun on their social media for updates on live shows and new music, and make sure you sign and share our petition below!

@vodunband on Instagram

@dlgrl2021 on Instagram, or search #DLGRL2021 on Twitter. facebook.com/dlgrl2021

https://www.change.org/p/get-a-woman-to-headline-download-festival

from Interview with Oya of VODUN!

[herotheshiro]

ok so i’m gonna actually write out a post instead of reblogging and commenting bc i expect to go a little longer than i have patience for via tagging. EDIT: ok yes this did end up becoming a monster of a post. i apologize to those who actually try to read this/manage to read the entire thing

so this manga is called will you marry me again if i am reborn, it’s abt a couple who meet when they are 5yo and 9yo respectively (if i remember correctly, i just know their age diff is 4 yrs) and they basically have feelings for each other from day one so they get engaged at 26 and 30yo (synopsis basically of ch 1 lol). the manga consists of basically one-shots covering both the mains’ experiences growing up together and the experiences of the fam/friends around them. (i say one-shots bc the “story” usually gets resolved in 1 ch, there technically is a linear plot connecting the chapters but the main meat of the ch is usually not covering that plot specifically but rather talking abt things that come up due to that plot. this makes more sense if you actually have read the manga)

classic me decided to look this up on a whim despite having schoolwork to do after seeing it while going through my IG saved (i had seen this manga at least a yr or so ago but never looked it up) and damn ngl i was expecting it to be a one-shot but nah it’s 4 volumes and ongoing .......

at face value, i do like this manga ... the main couple is sweet and i’m weak to cute scenes, the women in this manga are badass and physically and emotionally wrecking havoc (not in a bad way, just like in a headstrong way) while the men weep (not like in an abuse way, just like they’re uselessly crying abt stuff), and i think the way the manga covers the history of this family/related ppl is interesting (i.e., it’s not a completely linear way, like 1 ch is this person. now the next ch is their mother. now the next ch is their father, etc etc). this manga does take place in japan in the 40s though, so note some social things still remain despite the switching of stereotypical gender roles (e.g., everyone is married at 25-30yo. like i kept getting caught up on this one like ‘why the fuck is every character married. like chill, you don’t gotta be married--oh wait nm i forgot back then ppl tended to get married p fast/early’).

on that note. probably my biggest complaint with this manga though is (spoiler) the pairing of chizuru and toyokichi. who have an age gap of 7yo and 32yo (AT STORY INTRODUCTION. thankfully they don’t get together/are really romantically involved until later but hold on let me say what i want to say first before i go into that). that’s right, what i thought was a joke premise (‘a pathetic man like you is still single rn? well i’ll let you marry me once i become of age if you’re still alone’) was NOT actually a joke bc later chapters reveal that they did get together as adults. which is FUCKED UP !!! like sure i feel like there are het couples irl who have huge ass age gaps and these relationships are for the most part accepted (or tolerated) then in the 40s and even now but that is so fucking weird that this man 25 yrs a girl’s senior still for whatever cursed reason married the girl in the end. (like legit. when the girl said that statement above, the man was like ‘damn i’d be committing a borderline CRIME if i did that’. not in a romanticized way though, like he was weirded out and that is so damn sad that i feel the need to clarify that. i have read too much shit and unfortunately some ppl do like that) 1. i don’t understand why ppl need to pair up all of their mains/introduced characters so bad. like... if needed it’s ok to introduce a side character who doesn’t get much focus. you don’t need to pair everyone up ages be damned; 2. the acceptance of such shit ... idk. i’m not saying older generations are all necessarily fine with such age gaps but also idk if maybe that shit just flies with older ppl and it’s not a big problem (i say that bc the adults in the story don’t really seem to be saying much abt it). then again, i haven’t seen what their getting together story is yet (we’ve only been seeing them together as they are in present time aka as adults) so idk if maybe ppl were against it but they still got together but man. that shit rubs me the wrong way.

as of right now, the ongoing story is focusing on the effect of ww2 on the mains’ and their families. tbh i was kind of surprised at how this story turned into a war story; i mean it’s to be expected if your story is in the 40s, i think most stories around the world that take place in the 40s HAVE to talk abt ww2 bc it’s not really something that can be glossed over easily since it really did impact daily life so much. but also i didn’t expect it ... i don’t really enjoy reading war stories, not only are they sad to read sometimes but also i feel like sometimes it’s glamorized to some degree. i don’t feel like this manga glamorizes it but i’m gonna be real i’m always kind of uncomfortable bc i’m used to hearing/reading abt nationalistic depictions (aka “hell yea go [insert native country], we are the best and fuck everyone else. also look at our causalities, we deserve to fight the other side for doing this to us”) and i never know if the author is suddenly gonna go in that direction. based on what’s been presented i don’t think it’s gonna veer in that direction but yeah.

otherwise, i think this manga is a cute read. it’s well-written enough that i kept going despite the hiccup covered 2 paragraphs ago, and i think emotional parts are handled relatively well. i think the characters are enticing for the most part, however i do feel that characters get paired up too fast (or the implication that they’re gonna get paired up). i understand that many of the characters’ stories are really only covered in 1 ch so you gotta just pair them up quickly, but for example the burned eye girl and the ex-yakuza ... i wish they hadn’t INTRODUCED the burned eye girl as being romantically interested in the latter even if it is true esp since their story is ongoing and wasn’t just limited to 1-2 chapters. like i get there’s history and we’re looking at “present day” where she’s head over heels for him but like ... idk. i’ve never been a huge fan of stories where it’s basically stated outright ppl have feelings for one another, like tangent but that’s why i didn’t really like j*son x p*per from the HoO series (i never finished this series btw lol. i think i only read up to h*ouse of h*des and even then i’m unsure if i even finished that book) bc they were basically introduced AS a couple and i’m like bro i barely know these characters, let me figure them out first before i pair them together. yes they took a break for a bit bc j*son literally lost his memory but all of their interactions from early on were then romantic to some degree as a result and i’m like bro. (on the other hand, that’s why i liked h*zel x fr*nk better. yes i believe fr*nk was introduced as having a crush on h*zel but i feel like their early development was relatively separate. also i’m censoring everything bc i don’t want the risk of pj0 ppl coming at me) i’ve also only been reading BL recently so i’m like ‘damn ok too many het pairings and not enough lgbtq content’; i mean it’s the 40s but also gay ppl weren’t invented afterwards or anything lol (that’s sarcasm. supposed to be a reference to that one tumblr post i saw where they’re like ‘we can’t have black ppl in this period piece’ ‘what, were black ppl not invented yet?’)

next paragraph despite same point bc these paragraphs are literally becoming walls. but while i think it’s cute, i prob won’t be actively following. i feel like it’s pretty standard fare for genres/topics like this despite the more unconventional storytelling. it’s relatively well done but there’s not really much new grounds being covered with this story so i don’t feel particularly inclined to pay strong attention. now that i’m at the end of this review, i’d just like to say godDAMNIT (spoiler) kenji died, and the irony hurts that kenji was like ‘kind ppl like you will die in war’ but then he ended up dying bc of his own kindness towards toyokichi ... i mean i knew he was gonna die, that’s just how the story was going but also damn it ... also if main guy’s older bro doesn’t personally meet main girl’s older bro in the story ... wtf. everything is pointing towards that happening