#why are you still harping on people who don’t like him??? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thecubspeaks · 4 days ago

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[there is no one at work and i've been wanting to poke at this idea... i have no idea where the plot would actually go except in the broadest strokes, so who knows if there will be more]

Karlach cries when Jaheira presses the harp-shaped pin into her hand.

She’s been crying at everything since emerging from Avernus, it’s honestly getting embarrassing. Sunsets, sunrises, grass, a guy selling cabbages, some kids playing a game in the street.

Obviously she cries when Wyll sets off– she cries about ten times on their last night together, which very quickly becomes a very drunk last night– like, singing-on-the-roof-of-the-Elfsong drunk. Not that it’s the last last: they will see each other again, but Karlach needs to be in Baldur’s Gate for a little bit and Wyll needs anything but, and he’s given up enough for her so she’d never ask him to stay, badly as she wants him to.

She takes a couple days after that to just be. She wanders the city, she eats all the food she missed, she scares the hells out of Dammon turning up unannounced and they both cry yet again. She calls on every friend she ever had: Rolan and his siblings (Lia’s a Flaming Fist now!), Alfira and Lakrissa (not married yet, but possibly finally together? Still hard to tell), Fitz and the baby (not a baby now, he’s walking around and can almost hold a conversation), Danis and Bex (who have a baby now, too), Barcus and his pals– hells, she even stops in at the Guildhall. Cries at all of them.

She buys fruit on the Wide and visits the House of Wonders, because she’s a fucking hero of Baldur’s Gate and best mates with the Grand Duke’s son, so she can actually go to the Upper City now. Doesn’t spend much time there, though. There’s too much to do in the Lower City. She spends a day hanging out by the docks. She considers Sharess’s Caress, but loses her nerve. She haggles with street vendors in Little Calimshan. She visits her parents. Definitely cries there. She lays in the grass in Bloomridge Park for an entire day, even when it starts pouring rain. Then she catches a stonking cold, and spends a few more days in bed, luxuriating in the knowledge that she can just lie around feeling sorry for herself and a bunch of imps aren’t going to try to stab her in the neck while she’s sneezing. She has a big, snotty cry about that, too.

When she’s well enough to not turn Jaheira’s place into a plague pit, she makes her way there, the last and accidentally delayed stop on her list. She hasn’t really made it past the Blushing Mermaid in this direction. She tries not to look at the statue of Balduran in the square– pity that, of all fucking things, didn’t get destroyed– and as she’s thinking it, resisting the urge to look at that face, she stumbles into someone.

She laughs at once– looking the way she does, you’ve got to let people know right away you don’t mean any harm– and hold up her hands in apology before she’s even fully turned around. “Sorry, mate, I wasn’t–”

She stops. The woman, dressed in a plain black gown, is brushing herself off with visible irritation. “Watching where you were going? Yes, obviously.” She looks up, and her frown deepens. “Why are you staring?”

Karlach blurts it out despite herself, despite knowing what a bad idea it is. “Shadowheart?”

Her eyes flash wide in surprise, then she quickly composes herself. “Is that supposed to be a name?” She gives her skirt one final flick– she’s wearing gloves, so Karlach can’t see if the wound is still there on the back of her hand, but why wouldn’t it be?

The ache of grief and guilt is so sudden and strong, Karlach feels sick. She can’t speak, can’t say anything as Shadowheart gives her a last disdainful look, mutters something about people with more muscle than sense, and stalks away. Karlach sinks right down onto the plinth, sitting there at Balduran’s feet. This is a very different wanting to cry than all the other crying she’s been doing. This is– all the things she hasn’t been thinking about. The people she hasn’t seen, because she can’t bear to see them. This is two fucking years for guilt over what he did– what they did– to curdle into certainty that it was the wrong fucking choice.

She’s never stopped thinking about it, even in Avernus where you couldn’t ever lose focus, had to sleep with one eye open and keep your mind ten steps ahead. Even in the midst of all that, her shitty old brain found time to remind her constantly, constantly, of the look on Shadowheart’s face as the Mother Superior and those creepy, evil masked Sharrans dragged her away. The look on Jaheira’s face as she stared down Astarion, like she might spit at his feet. Wyll and Astarion shouted at each other for what felt like hours that night, until Karlach and Gale just had to drag them off to separate corners of the camp.

And there was so much left to do, so much they needed each other for. So they just never spoke of it again.

They hadn’t killed her. Was that a comfort?

And on the other hand, they had killed her, hadn’t they. They’d killed Shads, Fringe, the spiky heart with a soft centre that Karlach knew, wanted so badly to know better. There was nothing in those eyes, in a mind they’d probably had to wipe clean half a dozen times since Karlach saw her last. Since Karlach just let them take her away.

I’m not usually one for making the first move, she’d said. But then again, you haven’t exactly been quiet about wanting some companionship tonight. So… shall we give this upgrade a trial run?

And she’d grinned and said, Oh fuck yes.

And Shadowheart had laughed, just the smallest bit, and said, Let’s just not go announcing it to the whole camp.

So they never told anyone.

She’s half in a daze still as she walks to Jaheira’s place, knocks on the door. She can hear the noise of all the kids tearing around inside. One she’s never seen before, an absolutely miniscule little halfling, opens the door and stares up at her with huge eyes and huge rosy cheeks like two apples.

“Hi,” Karlach says. The kid is so small, it’s really not helping her feel more anchored in reality. “Is your mum in?”

The halfling takes in a long, deep breath that puffs up her whole little chest, then yells impossibly loudly, “JAHEIRAAAAA!”

“How many times, Cheska?” scolds Rion’s voice from somewhere inside, but then she, too, is shouting, “Mother! One of your mysterious friends come to call, apparently!”

Coming here always feels like a flash of a life she could have had, and that’s really not something she needs layered on top of her present state of mind. She almost just turns and leaves right then, but Jaheira’s there at the door before she can, and must see something in her face, because she hauls Karlach right into her study and shuts the door. Then she stops short, her hands on Karlach’s shoulders.

“Let me look at you,” she says. There’s an unignorable waver in her voice.

“Jaheira,” Karlach says warningly. “I’m a fucking faucet these days, so if you start, you’ll never get me to stop. And I just…”

“Just what?” Jaheira prompts, and seems very glad to get to move past the moment of near-miss vulnerability. “You do not look nearly as happy as I expected you to. How long have you been back?”

“Just over a tenday,” Karlach says. “I meant to come sooner, honest, but–”

Jaheira cuts her off with a laugh and a wave of her hand. “You needn’t make excuses to me, of all people! Rion would tell me I am getting my just desserts. But come, sit. Tell me what’s the matter, cub.”

A voice in Karlach’s head that sounds suspiciously like Rion’s points out that clearly, Jaheira is bored. She wouldn’t be home in the first place otherwise. But that can be true at the same time as it can be true that Jaheira cares. About Karlach, about all of them.

About Shadowheart.

Karlach takes a breath.

“I just saw Shadowheart.”

Something goes dark in Jaheira’s expression, like a shutter drawn over her eyes. Karlach should wait to see what she has to say, but– well, Karlach’s always been impatient, and talked too much, and two more years in Avernus isn’t about to change that. “How did I let that happen, Jaheira? How did I just– stand there? It was like… it was like I was in Avernus all over again, in Zariel’s court, just watching horrible things happen and telling myself I was powerless to stop them, so it was more important to keep myself alive.”

“Astarion was in no place to be a leader then, and we should have been quicker to see it.” Jaheira sinks into a chair next to Karlach’s. Karlach knows she was angry about it once– she saw it herself– but it sounds like all that anger has burned away with time and just left weariness behind.

“I guess we were so used to just letting him do the talking,” Karlach says, not that the thought consoles her. “And I was so proud of him, after everything with Cazador, freeing those other spawn. I really thought he’d just– keep making the right choices.”

“No one makes the right choice every time,” Jaheira says. “And Astarion is better at hiding his grief than most. He was far less at peace with what he chose than he wished us to know. And Shadowheart paid the price for our inattentiveness.”

Karlach shakes her head. “I should have seen. I should have done something. It wasn’t too late to fight.” “You are finally free,” Jaheira says firmly. “Do not turn around and cage yourself in regrets. We were none of us thinking clearly then, with the weight of the world on our shoulders– you, with the spectre of your own death always at your heels.”

“It’s because I’m free that I have to think about her!” Karlach retorts. “I get to be free. We condemned her forever.”

Funny, to get angry and not feel the literal rush of flames engulfing her. It’s just a normal heat– well, probably still a bit hotter than normal, but not literal sparks at the edges of her vision, and– in those last tendays– not the ominous clunking and whirring that said she’d started to push too hard. But it was never just the engine that got her heated up.

“You’ve had all this time to make your peace with it, but I’ve never stopped thinking about her! I don’t regret anything more in my whole fucking life. We did so much good, and none of it even matters to me because I just think of that one evil, evil thing we let him do. That we did. I need to–” The idea’s words before it’s an idea, she says it without entirely knowing what she’s saying ‘til it’s said. “I have to do something. She’s still alive. I have to help her.”

“I should have guessed you would say something like that.” Jaheira stands up. She goes to her desk and starts to rummage through it. “I know you know the stories, so it will sound strange to you, but you remind me very much of Khalid. You have the same heart. The same passion, though you wear it differently. Nothing can crush your kindness, after a life that would have ground all the good out of most. You cannot bear injustice, despite all the injustices done to you.” She finds what she’s looking for and straightens up. She plants both hands on the desk and fixes Karlach with a long, level, unwavering look. “You know I do not say this lightly. And you also know it is not entirely a compliment. He had– you have– the true heart of a Harper.”

Karlach’s jaw drops. She’s just staring like an idiot but she doesn’t know what to say. There’s nothing to say, how is she supposed to respond to that? Jaheira thinks that she–

“I have spent the past months,” Jaheria says, “determining how the House of Grief can be brought down. There is unsettled business between Viconia and myself, and I have allowed her to prey for too long on the city’s lost and hopeless. And I–” Her voice falters, almost imperceptibly. “I saw her, too. A few months ago. She must have been given some mission outside of the cloister. But that will be our opportunity.”

“How’s that? Burn it down when she’s away?”

“We must be spies before we can be soldiers,” Jaheira says with a crooked smile. “They are too well-versed in secrecy. We must have someone on the inside, and none of my Harpers have had any success. There is only one person.” Jaheira splays out her hand. The silver harp glints in her outstretched palm. “When Shadowheart sees a glimpse of light, she reaches for it. They cannot crush this out of her no matter how hard they try. You have shown her before. I know you can do it again.”

She cries when Jaheira presses the pin into her hand.

#my fic #shadowlach

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erimeows · 5 months ago

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Answers

The wedding of King Sidon and Lady Yona is nothing less than beautiful. Link supposes he should be happy- he’s sat at the table with King Dorephan, Bazz, Muzu, and Lady Yona’s parents- a great honor. His best friend is beaming with joy, just as he has been since he was given the title of ‘king’. Sidon is proud of the hard work he’s done to catch up with his predecessors, proud of the new peace he’s provided his domain with, proud of his new wife.

Link wishes he could be just as joyous. He should be. He knows he should be, and hates himself for not feeling the way he knows he’s supposed to feel. Sidon is his friend, and all Link has ever wanted is for his friends to be happy.

Yet, as he sits at the table lined with lacy linen cloth, holding a champagne glass that’s far too large for his small hands and listening to the other guests’ absentminded chatter, he can’t help but notice how shit he feels. His stomach churns and sinks when his eyes land on Sidon and Yona.

He’s jealous. Jealous. Why is he jealous? Link stops to dwell on it, gripping his champagne glass so tightly that his knuckles turn white.

It’s not like he spent much time with Sidon before, anyway. He was always too busy; fighting Ganon, helping the citizens of Hyrule, protecting Zelda and helping her train to control her powers. Though they’re ‘best friends’ according to Sidon, and though Sidon knows him in a way that most others don’t, Link isn’t justified in feeling jealous. Yona is a kind woman, anyway- it’s not like she’d rip Sidon away from Link entirely.

Link thinks back to the ceremony itself. There were some things about it that were… Off. While Yona and Sidon themselves were beaming with joy, neither of them read any vows, and when they were told to kiss, they only kissed each other’s cheeks. Link assumed it was a cultural difference- at least until he heard Yona’s parents whispering about how ‘odd’ this ‘new age’ wedding is.

Old, outdated classical music being played by an orchestra echoes through the walls of the well-decorated palace. The piano and harp are played slightly off key, but everyone else is too blissfully unaware to notice. The decorations are gaudy and old, clearly picked by someone with far worse tastes than Sidon and Yona.

The wedding is anything but new age. The only difference between this wedding and any other arranged one is that Yona and Sidon aren’t trying all that hard to be in love for their kingdom’s sake. That realization fills Link with some relief. He doesn’t want to consider why that might be.

Sidon and Yona dance together briefly before they separate to go greet their guests. Yona’s parents excuse themselves to the dancefloor along with many other Zora who were waiting for Sidon and Yona to finish their first dance. With the open chairs at the table, Sidon and Yona come to sit between Link and Bazz.

Though Link remains silent, sipping on his champagne, Sidon’s amber eyes are less than subtle with how blatantly they’re trained on him- even as he excitedly discusses a new idea for a military squad with King Dorephan. Link is too agitated to focus on the conversation despite the topic being one that would interest him on any other night. There’s laughter ringing in the air. Link briefly hears King Dorephan teasing his son for being so work-oriented on the night of his wedding before turning to Yona to talk.

“Are you alright?” Sidon whispers when no one else is paying attention to them, to which Link nods.

He hopes that will be the end of it.

It is not.

Still able to feel Sidon’s gaze trained on him following his answer, Link stands up and leaves to go literally anywhere else. Riju, Tulin, and Yunobo hauled ass to make it to the wedding on such short notice. Maybe he could find them and get them to join him for a dance. Hell, people are paying so much attention to the newlyweds that Link suspects he could slip out of the domain and back into the wilderness where he feels he should be. The only person who would notice- or care- would probably be Sidon, in the midst of all of this chaos.

Link finds himself in a nearby corner. When he puts his back to the wall and turns around, he’s embarrassed to find Sidon weaving his way through the crowd to find him. The Zora is so tall that he has no issue seeing over all of the other attendees.

Their eyes meet from across the room, and Link panics. The panic only grows as Sidon gets closer, until he’s right there, bending down to Link’s level and placing a giant hand on one of Link’s shoulders.

He panics because people are watching them, wondering why Sidon isn’t beside his wife or with his family and is instead chasing after Link. Whether Sidon is too oblivious to notice or just doesn’t care, Link is unsure.

He panics because Sidon chasing after him like this, being able to tell that he’s feeling poorly, makes him feel special- no, loved.

And he panics because he wants to feel loved by Sidon. He doesn’t want Sidon to stop whatever this is.

Of course, it makes sense. It all makes sense now.

Link looks at the ring on his finger with that gorgeous cerulean stone on it and sighs. He leans back against the wall and slides- slides down until he’s sitting on the floor with his head in his hands.

A pang of guilt tears through Link- at least until he sees Yona and Bazz at the table together. From where Link is sitting in the corner, he can see underneath the tablecloth well enough to get a glimpse of Yona’s left hand and Bazz’s right hand, their fingers are intertwined and both hands are on Yona’s left thigh.

Link puts the pieces together.

That’s why the ceremony was so odd and why the first dance was so friendly…

And he knows that Sidon isn’t a fool. He must know if his leaving them alone and acting so platonically with his newly wed wife is anything to go by. Even during their dances, he was overtly respectful, sure to keep his hands well above her waist and to keep a reasonable distance from her- almost as if they were family, rather than lovers, which Link figures is more accurate. An arranged marriage is more complicated than Link ever could’ve guessed.

“My dearest Link,” Sidon starts, sitting right next to Link on the floor without a care in the world. It’s almost as if all he sees in this room right now is Link. That fact- that deep bond of friendship they have- is terrifying, especially now that Link is aware of how much more he wants. He doesn’t want to just be friends, he wants… He wants to be Yona right now. How embarrassing. “What is troubling you? Please, tell me.”

So blunt…

Link shakes his head again, trying to keep his face as neutral as possible. There are other Zora watching, confused as to why Sidon is neglecting his queen in favor of the measly Hylian hero who’s dressed in rickety armor. Thankfully, a lot of them are too busy dancing or drinking to notice, but the ones who do don’t make any attempt to hide their judgment- namely Muzu, who would’ve had Link dead on the floor by now if looks could kill. Link quickly comes up with an excuse and gestures to the alcohol bar near the entrance of the room with the best ‘sick’ expression he can manage.

“Oh, you drank too much? I never realized you Hylians were lightweights. I suppose you are much smaller than us… What a shame,” Sidon tilts his head curiously, eyeing the bar and then Link’s champagne glass that he left on the table. It’s still half full. If Sidon puts together that Link is completely sober, he’s at least courteous enough not to call out the lie. “Ah, I’d hate to cut the celebration short, but I could walk you back to your room if you’d like? I don’t mind at all! Actually, I’d prefer to be the one to ensure that you return safely.”

Link shrugs. Sidon takes as indifference as an invitation to lift the Hylian off the floor bridal style. He does it with such ease that Link is surprised. Sidon is so strong, so considerate, so… Perfect. Link watches Sidon’s face- his eyes go to Yona, who winks at him before turning to continue her conversation with Bazz. Link pauses. He must’ve imagined that… Right?

Link’s body aches with exhaustion as he walks towards the border of Zora’s Domain with Sidon by his side. Since solving the problems in the domain, defeating that giant monster, attending Sidon’s wedding, crying himself to sleep the same night, and staying knocked out well into the following afternoon, Link has gathered his supplies and readied himself to continue his search. With Sidon being the fourth sage he’s gathered, Link now has to find the fifth- and final- sage.

Link wants to stay. At the same time, his body is itching to leave. Staying with Sidon for the few days that he has has made him realize things that he didn’t want to. For instance, the realization that Link would throw everything away to stay with Sidon in the domain for the rest of his life if saving Princess Zelda weren’t a factor. Or, the realization that Link has been painfully in love with Sidon since that first day he rode on the man’s back. The worst one was probably the realization of how jealous he was during Sidon’s wedding, on what was supposed to be the happiest day of his best friend’s life.

It’s been less than a day since the wedding and Link doesn’t feel much better. All night, instead of standing by his new wife, Sidon followed Link around, trying to drag the information out of him- almost as if he could smell Link’s souring mood from a mile away. Link had to pretend that he’d drunk himself to the point of becoming sick; a lie that’s somehow less embarrassing than the truth. Link is so overwhelmed with the feelings that he chooses not to acknowledge them- at least not out loud.

He keeps his arms crossed over his chest and pretends that he doesn’t sense Sidon’s eyes on him for the entirety of their walk. One of Sidon’s hands is on his back, cool and reassuring. He guides Link through the terrain even though they both know that Link doesn’t need the help. Sidon doesn’t talk about it, so neither does Link.

When they reach where Link knows they’re going to separate, he dwells on what to do. He could forget it all, reject his responsibilities and stay here in the domain forever… But, then he remembers that really, he can’t. What would become of Zelda? Just like Sidon, she’s Link’s best friend. And how would someone as noble as Sidon react if Link failed the people he’s supposed to serve? Sidon would surely lose all love and respect for him.

Link glances at Sidon and stops in his tracks, sunkissed cheeks turning bright red when he sees that Sidon is already intently gazing back at him. He knew. Sidon has a terrible habit of staring at others without any pause, but actually meeting his eyes is… Intense. The prince- no, king, now- jumps and jerks his hand away from Link’s back as if the blond’s shirt has burned him.

Link raises an eyebrow, partially confused, partially concerned.

Sidon looks at Link for a little too long, amber eyes going wide as if he’s also realized something important. His normally pale, cool skin flushes a deep shade of purple around his cheeks. Link pauses, wondering if he should ask what’s wrong, but before he can, Sidon bows.

“I wish you the best of luck, dearest Link,” Sidon grins- that ridiculously big, ridiculously toothy grin of his. Link can’t help but smile back. “Please, travel safely. I believe in you.”

Link’s heart throbs in his chest at the warm, familiar words. He wants to say something so badly, but he just… Can’t. Not without knowing for sure that Sidon returns his feelings. Not yet.

So, he offers Sidon a nod, and then turns to leave. He barely makes it out of the domain before he misses Sidon’s large, strong hand on his back.

For now, Link is sure that things are better this way.

They have to be.

As much as Link hates to leave Sidon’s side, he finds that it’s easier for him to decompress once he’s out of the domain.

Whether that’s because he’s away from all of the people, because he’s finally ‘working’ again, or because he’s away from Sidon and Yona specifically, he isn’t sure.

Over the next few days, Link spends most of his time occupied, just the way he prefers. Between struggling to help the other sages with the lingering issues in their respective areas, fighting off gloom and monsters, and searching for Zelda, Link hardly has any time to himself. He’s grown accustomed to this, though- since becoming Zelda’s personal knight, it feels as if his life is constant chaos, constant fighting, constantly being on guard.

Most other men would become insane from the lack of rest, but Link finds comfort in what has become his day to day life. He goes to bed late, wakes up early, eats breakfast, and spends his morning helping whoever needs it. Then, he spends the rest of his day hunting down monsters, fighting them, and- currently- searching for the supposed fifth sage. After that, he eats dinner and goes to bed.

The four avatars, Tulin, Riju, Yunobo, and Sidon are with him. While Sidon’s walks by his side, far too close for comfort, the other three stay close behind- guarding. Link wonders why they take the positions they do. He wonders a lot of things about the avatars in general.

Link still isn’t used to having them around. He thinks about them constantly, theorizing about them, all while scolding himself for wasting his mental energy on something so trivial when Zelda is in Ganon’s clutches.

The avatars aren’t real, he reminds himself. They’re spiritual manifestations of his friends, here as tools to assist him in battle. They’re not living, breathing beings. They’re not feeling. They don’t need to eat, rest, or sleep. And yet… Link finds comfort in them just as much as he finds comfort in being on the battlefield. As if they’re real people.

In Sidon’s avatar, Link swears he finds more comfort than he finds in being on the battlefield- and that fact is terrifying, mostly because it makes Link fantasize about silly, unrealistic things like settling down with the Zora and living the rest of his life out in peace, with Sidon by his side.

That’s something Link tries not to think about. Sidon is married, after all… These feelings he’s had for him are inappropriate, especially considering Mipha… Link shakes his head, trying to clear it of the thoughts. Sidon’s marriage is arranged, and both Sidon and Yona had made it apparent that the two were merely friends who happened to be getting married during Link’s visit. Regardless of Sidon’s marital status… There’s no way it would work out. What’s the likelihood of Sidon returning Link’s feelings, anyway?

Link peers at the man’s avatar, who continues to walk next to him. The avatar stares back, but doesn’t smile. Link frowns. Oh, how he misses that big, toothy grin of Sidon’s… The familiar feeling of a cool hand on his back, guiding him through Zora’s domain. Link just misses him.

It’s late- two, maybe three in the morning. Link wishes he could be like the lifeless avatars surrounding him, constantly alert and ready to go, never in need of sleep or food or anything at all. But, even Link can admit to himself that he is merely a Hylian. As such, he needs his rest.

He finds a cave to camp out in, sets out his sleeping bag, and takes in his surroundings. It’s scarily dark and damp, but he knows he’ll manage just fine. He’s slept in worse.

Sidon’s avatar still stands next to him, far too close, while the other three linger near the entrance of the cave with their beady blue eyes watching over Link’s small frame.

With him sleeping alone in the wilderness, it’s not uncommon for Link to use the avatars to keep guard of his resting area. He is all too aware that it does take small amounts of energy from the sages to have their avatars active, so he only uses one at a time to guard him when they’re not traveling through dangerous terrain or in active battle.

Tonight is Sidon’s night, Link’s favorite. It’s nice to feel like he can be alone with the other man for once. Even if it’s not truly Sidon. Whether it be in a cave, in his home, or on a field of wildflowers, being with Sidon(‘s avatar) brings Link peace. And, unlike a real person, the avatar can’t judge him.

Would Sidon judge him? Link is curious. At the same time, he doesn’t want to know the answer. Not really. If Sidon knew who he was outside of the stoic, impressive hero that he sees behind his rose-tinted glasses, would Sidon still consider him his ‘dearest friend’? Would Sidon still place a hand on Link’s back so carelessly to guide him from place to place if he were aware of Link’s true feelings?

Part of Link wants to know. Most of him doesn’t, and as that- yet another realization- washes over him, he dismisses Riju, Tulin, and Yunobo’s avatars, leaving him and Sidon’s avatar alone in the cave. It’s just the two of them, alone.

If the real Sidon were here, what would he do? Would he act like he always does? Or does he also have things that he would die to do if they were alone, together, like this, without anyone or anything to stop them? Images flash through Link’s mind, so vibrant behind his eyes despite them being figments of his imagination; of Sidon, holding Link close to keep him warm through the night, pulling Link close to his broad chest, connecting their lips, and-

No.

Not right now. Not tonight.

Trying to clear his mind of the thoughts, Link lies down in his sleeping bag and sharply inhales. He gives the cave one last scan to make sure he’s safe before settling.

Then, much to his surprise, Sidon’s avatar is not only sitting on the ground, but digging through Link’s backpack. Link watches with curiosity. Is it looking for something to eat? Something to keep itself occupied while Link rests? A certain tool or weapon to use for nearby enemies?

Link furrows his brow when the avatar pulls out… A blanket. An old blanket that Zelda crocheted for him God knows how long ago. Link keeps it for comfort, but doesn’t use it often, fearing that it’ll get ruined by the elements or a midnight battle. Link jumps up to take the prized possession from the avatar’s hands, but before he can do so, the avatar is gently ushering Link to lie back down and draping the blanket over him.

Oh.

Link’s face turns bright red. He watches the avatar, whose expression doesn’t change. Instead, it turns around, sitting with its back facing Link, and crosses its arms as it peers outside of the cave to watch for any potential danger.

Flustered, Link turns around in his sleeping bag and cuddles the blanket closely. He swears he can smell Sidon on it where the avatar’s hands touched the fabric.

No. It can’t be.

The damn thing is just an avatar. It’s not Sidon. It doesn’t have feelings of its own, let alone feelings for Link.

Clearing his head, Link turns around, closes his eyes, and falls asleep.

The next morning, Link wakes up with a clear mind, summons the other three avatars back to his side, and continues on his venture. On his search for the fifth sage, he finds himself in Rito village for supplies. He knows that there shouldn’t be any conflicts arising and dismisses all four avatars as to not attract more attention to himself than he already does when he’s in the area.

Link approaches Brazen Beak and is unsurprised to find that Tulin is there, fluttering outside the front and haphazardly screwing around with a new bow and arrow that he has between his claws. To anyone unfamiliar with the boy, it would look dangerous and reckless, but Link knows Tulin isn’t stupid enough to hurt himself with his own weapon- even if he isn’t the most careful. Teba is standing next to Tulin, carefully watching. It looks like he wants to scold his son and snatch the bow right out of his talons, but he manages to restrain himself, merely crossing his wings and impatiently tapping his digits against the top of his chest. It’s apparent that despite Tulin clearly having come of age as a warrior, Teba is still having trouble treating him like he’s fully grown.

Link can’t blame him. Seeing Tulin’s tiny, fluffy body, his big blue eyes still full of so much life, Link realizes that Tulin shouldn’t have to be a warrior- even if he wants to be. There shouldn’t be so many evils for him to have to fight against. A lot of the warriors in Hyrule shouldn’t have to be doing what they’re doing right now… That’s why Link is so grateful for the avatars. With them as substitutes, Link doesn’t have to have Tulin or any of the others there in person to assist him. To know that they’re both by his side and safe at home is worth the pangs of loneliness that hit Link when he has to remind himself that the blue silhouettes aren’t the people he loves, but a small piece of them.

It’s freezing cold. So cold that Link has to wear four layers of thick clothing to feel remotely comfortable as the snow rains down onto his hood. He pulls his coat tighter around him and approaches Tulin. He’s not really in the mood to talk after the wedding and the event that took place with Sidon’s avatar last night, but it would be rude to pass Tulin and Teba without saying anything.

“Good day, Link!” Tulin excitedly greets the swordsman, his wings fluttering with joy as he returns his newfound weapon to the bow holster on his belt. “I didn’t know you’d be coming again so soon after we met up! I thought I felt you in the area, but it’s a little hard to tell, y’know?”

Link shrugs. He was in the area on his search for the fifth sage and desperately needed to stop for more armor, bows, and food. With Brazen Beak as well as a flurry of authentic Rito markets and restaurants nearby, Rito village seemed like the logical place to stop. Link almost explains his thought process, but then, he processes Tulin’s last question.

‘Felt’ him in the area…? What the hell does that mean?

“Felt…?” Link mumbles, tilting his head.

“No one explained this to him?” Teba sighs, sharp charcoal eyes laced with exasperation. Tulin doesn’t get the chance to answer before Teba turns back to Link and clarifies. “It seems the sages had a discussion about the avatars they’ve given you. They were trying to find new ways to assist you without having to leave their domains, but all they can do is put small amounts of their energy into their avatars and track your general location.”

“...So, you all know where I am,” Link nods in understanding. He never would’ve guessed. It’s not like he’s seen the sages too often. In the midst of all of the chaos, they haven’t had spare time to sit and chat about the avatars. “Can I ask something else, Tulin?”

“Of course! What is it?”

“Can you control or see what the avatars are doing?”

“Um, no, I don’t think so,” Tulin tilts his head, pausing to think. He brings a wing up to his chin and hums. “Wait, why are you asking? Did something happen?”

“No,” Link shakes his head and offers the most reassuring smile he can muster even though his face is covered by a cloth mask to keep him warm. Though Tulin appears unsuspecting as always, Teba’s eyes narrow with confusion- as if he’s trying to figure out the same thing that Link is. Thankfully, Teba has no idea about Link’s feelings for Sidon, let alone an idea of what happened in the cave or of the thoughts that Link has had about Sidon and his avatar. “I was just thinking that if you could, it would be useful.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense,” Tulin frowns. “Sorry I can’t help more!”

“You’ve done more than enough,” Link quickly replies upon seeing the disappointment on Tulin’s face. Prying for information about the avatars for his own personal use might not have been the best move, especially when his questions were directed at Tulin… Perhaps he should’ve waited until seeing one of the others. Then again, one of the others may have questioned his intentions more than Tulin is now. “Thank you, Tulin. I’ll be on my way.”

Before Tulin or Teba can object, Link ducks into the entrance of the store and lets out a sigh of relief when the warm(er) air washes over his ice cold body.

He reaches into his pockets to count out his rupees, mulling on what all he should buy (or, mulling on what all he can afford)...

A blood moon comes later that night.

After weeks of travel and tedious tasks, doing what he’s meant to do once again fills Link with energy unlike anything else. No more puzzles, no more socializing with people in places he’s not that familiar with, no more riding random horses, no more rotting away in caves, no more constant cooking over a shittily made fire- just fighting to protect the people of Hyrule with his sword and shield. The avatars stay close behind, but Link is the one who carries the battle.

He’s never liked to rely on others.

Perhaps the malice that the blood moon brings affects Link a little, too. On any other night, he’d never enjoy a fight like this. But tonight, he enjoys it more than anything. The rage, sorrow, and desperation that have been coursing through his veins since Ganon’s return are all released with each monster he strikes down and dissects for meat, weapons, and parts.

By the time Link finds a camping spot that night, a warm, fuzzy feeling of optimism is coursing through him. He feels as if he’s coming closer to finding the fifth sage as well as finding Ganon and Zelda.

His mind flickers to Sidon. Why did the avatar put that blanket on him? Was it an act of love? An instinct? Or is taking care of Link something the avatars are just automatically programmed to do? If so, why wouldn’t one of the others have done it previously? Why was Sidon the first? Oh, the things Link would give to know exactly how the avatars work… The things he would give to know Sidon’s true intentions.

Link lies out in the middle of a field on his back. It’s not snowing where he’s at now, but it’s still chilly. The coat on top of the layers of sweaters and wool pants he’s wearing keeps him at a comfortable temperature, but none of the clothing replicates the warmth of a body. He wishes Sidon were here with him now, abandoning his responsibilities to stay with Link, lying beside him and holding him close to keep him warm through the night. Even if Sidon is cool blooded, anything- anyone- is warmer than this frigid cold. Lying with Sidon would be heaven right now…

Link flushes at the thought and sits up. He’s surrounded by yellow grass and dead wildflowers. Though he’s cleared out most of the monsters in the area, the signs of the blood moon remain, drops of crimson on nearby blades of grass and a metallic scent lingering in the air to accompany the ruby moonlight that shines down on his sunkissed skin.

He dwells on the issue of the avatars as they interact on the field. Riju and Yunobo’s avatars sit in the grass to study the wildflowers while Tulin’s flies around above them. Sidon’s avatar watches them, but doesn’t smile or join them. Link doesn’t command them in any way for now, instead choosing to observe for as long as he needs to in order to figure out the answers to the many questions he has.

It doesn’t take long- at least not after considering the other information he’s collected since being gifted them.

Link quickly starts to suspect that the avatars will only do things that their respective sages would. They’re not uniform, soulless beings who are programmed to perform a strict set of actions. They’re spiritual representations of their sages, and while they aren’t capable of any actions that are especially complex, they can act of their own accord as long as it doesn’t go against Link’s commands.

Link would normally dismiss three of the four avatars before settling down for the night. This time, he allows them to stay for a little longer.

Tulin’s avatar flutters over to Link and ruffles his hair. It’s another sign that the avatars not only act for practical purposes such as combat, but of their own free will- or, of their sage’s will. While not nearly as expressive, they do have… Personality, even if it’s not very much.

Though Link has known that the avatars aren’t directly controlled by the sage’s themselves, he supposes it makes sense that the avatars would do things that their sages would despite that, such as fighting alongside him in battle or guarding him during his travels. They’re more like spirits or manifestations than they are like machines.

The same night that Tulin’s avatar ruffles Link’s hair, Yunobo’s avatar starts to cook Link a meal over a fire made by Riju’s. Admittedly, Yunobo burns the food into a big black heap, but Link isn’t sure whether that’s a result of it being made by an avatar or an inevitable happening with Yunobo being the chef.

Meanwhile, all Sidon’s avatar does is stand near the others with its beady blue eyes on Link.

Link never thought he’d miss the color amber so much… Never thought he’d miss Sidon so much.

Link wants to know what Sidon is doing right now. He wants to know if Sidon is thinking of him, too.

But, currently, he’s stuck in the middle of the wilderness with the four wisps of blue still by his side. He supposes it could be worse. At least this time, his friends are doing a good job of staying alive.

…Hopefully it stays that way.

Link forces down the food that Yunobo’s avatar ‘prepared’ (AKA decimated with fire) and sets up his sleeping bag in the middle of the field.

Technically, if he follows the rotation he’s been using, it’s Riju’s night to keep watch as he sleeps. But, Link figures he could probably get away with using Sidon’s avatar again. Sidon is a king now, anyway, busy with days full of paperwork, meetings, and other political crap if Zelda’s career as princess is anything to go by. Surely, Sidon won’t notice a little more of his energy being sapped than what he’s used to… A mere night’s worth.

Link gives all four avatars a once over before dismissing three of the four of them. Now, it’s only he and Sidon’s left, standing alone underneath the cool air of the night.

The avatar approaches Link on its own, but it doesn’t do anything. Just stands there.

Link is curious. The smart thing for him to do would be to go straight to bed. Rather than doing that, though, he finds himself tempted to test the many theories he’s concocted regarding the avatar- regarding Sidon’s avatar, specifically. What would it do if Link touched it? Held it? Loved it? Would it react at all- and if it did react, would it react kindly? More importantly, if it did react kindly, would that reaction be a reflection of Sidon’s true self?

…Would using the avatar get him the answers he’s been craving since Sidon’s wedding night?

Link takes a step closer to ‘Sidon’.

Sidon matches the action and takes a step closer to Link.

Link commands him to kneel, so he does.

And then, Link is practically throwing himself into the avatar’s arms. It catches him, holds him tight, and pulls him into its chest for a tight hug. Link melts into the touch, a shaky sigh of relief flowing through him as he’s affectionately spun around in the cool night’s air. Then, ‘Sidon’ is gently placing Link down on his sleeping bag, sitting next to him, and pulling that same crochet blanket over his frame.

Link sighs. His heart races, pounding hard and fast against his chest. He can’t remember the last time someone has hugged him, let alone in a way so… Affectionate. So close. There are so many things he wants to ask, but he knows that the avatar won’t answer the questions Link has for the real Sidon.

Link tries not to overthink this like he overthinks everything else. It’s an avatar, and from his understanding, the sage’s connection to them is minimal. They don’t know what the avatars are doing at any given time, just their general location, so Link could use them for any purpose. With the information provided by Tulin, Link is fully aware that Sidon has no way of finding out about what happened. Link should feel better, but he doesn’t, because the hug from ‘Sidon’ isn’t the answer he assumed it would be.

Friends hug each other all the time.

Link wants a definite, concrete answer. A kiss, maybe a verbal confession- even though the avatars can’t talk. He wants something that, if he were to gather the courage to bring it to Sidon’s attention, Sidon wouldn’t be able to deny the romantic implications.

The only solution is for Link to test the avatar again… In a different way.

Right?

Link puts it off forever. He runs around, doing meaningless tasks; fighting Yiga clan members, helping a little girl trying to travel to Gerudo Town, taming different kinds of horses, the usual things.

Finally, on another one of ‘Sidon’s’ nights, Link decides that it’s worth pushing his theory about ‘Sidon’- or, about the avatar of him. The hug, while not too suggestive, was intimate and intense for Link. Maybe it was a hint to Sidon’s true feelings- maybe, if Link takes this further, he’ll get confirmation that Sidon is in love with him- that is, if his theory about the avatars only responding to situations the same way their sages would is correct.

Link decides to test the avatar a second time. He tells himself it’s merely to confirm his theory. Deep down, he knows it’s because he wants that intimacy again. He’s getting greedy. He can’t bring himself to care. The avatar doesn’t smell like Sidon, and it certainly doesn’t speak like him, but the avatar is part of Sidon regardless and Link loves it for that.

Perhaps it’s wrong of him to abuse Sidon’s ‘vow’ like this, but Link has done many questionable things since the calamity and figures that there’s no harm in continuing to do so. The avatars aren’t people, anyway. This isn’t hurting anyone except for Link himself. Best case scenario, the avatar reacts the way that Link hopes it will and returns his affections. Worst case scenario, the avatar doesn’t, and though it will hurt, Link will at least have his answer.

The others are gone and Link is alone with ‘Sidon’ in another cave he’s found to set up camp in during his travels. Sidon is sitting by the entrance, his back facing Link as his broad, blue frame blocks any potential enemies from coming in.

Link commands Sidon to come and sit by his side, so he does, blankly peering down at Link.

Link doesn’t remember when ‘the avatar’, ‘Sidon’s avatar’, and ‘it’- turned into ‘Sidon’; into ‘him’, but it’s already happened and he can’t stop it, can’t keep himself from getting out of his sleeping bag and climbing into the avatar’s lap. His logical mind screams at him to stop, reminds him that he will regret this forever no matter how the avatar responds, tells him that he’s stupid for fawning over Sidon when Princess Zelda is still out there somewhere. But, the part of him that loves Sidon, the part of him that’s so illogical, manages to win for long enough that Link has the time to throw his arms over Sidon’s shoulders and pull himself up to kiss the Zora.

It’s odd- bizarre, really. The avatar’s lips don’t feel like lips, rather like wind ghosting over Link’s own. Link doesn’t question it, though. If this is the only way he’s going to get to kiss Sidon, he’s going to relish in it; relish in the way that Sidon’s big hands thread through his hair, in the way that Sidon kisses him back and easily puts him on the floor of the cave- wait, what?

Link breaks the kiss to admire the position Sidon has gotten him into. He’s on his back, with one of the avatar’s knees between his legs. The other knee is beside one of Link’s hips, keeping him pinned. Sidon’s elbows are on the ground on either side of Link’s shoulders and his hands remain in Link’s blond locks. Link realizes that, if this were Sidon and not the avatar, he wouldn’t be able to get out of this position.

The avatar opens his mouth, as if to say something, only to fall silent.

Link curses to himself.

The avatar can’t speak.

What would it say if it could?

…What would the real Sidon say right now?

‘Sidon’ leans down to kiss him again. Link kisses him back, only to feel one of those large hands slipping underneath his shirt and groping his chest. Link gasps and curls into the touch.

When was the last time someone touched him like this?

Sidon looks up at Link, but it’s not him. Not really. The amber eyes that he’s used to, sparkling and full of so much life, are pools of emptiness. The blush that he imagined would be there, the big toothy grin, they’re both nonexistent. Reality slaps Link in the face.

This isn’t Sidon. And whatever he wants, he’s not going to get it out of Sidon’s avatar. He has to get it out of the real Sidon. The hug, the kiss, neither of them are ‘true’ answers like he thought they would be. His theories, while probably correct, haven’t brought Link any peace. Not this time.

Link panics and scrambles to dismiss Sidon- no, the avatar- as fast as he can, before this situation gets any worse.

Almost as if he weren’t there in the first place, Sidon’s avatar vanishes into the cool night’s air in a flash of blue light.

Link sits up and hangs his head in shame.

Just what has he done��?

A week passes. Link desperately tries to keep himself occupied. He has so much to do that staying busy isn’t hard. He manages to find the fifth sage, Mineru, and defeat the Seized Construct with her help. Now, he has to find wherever the hell Ganon is hiding. Despite all of it, Sidon lingers heavy in the back of his mind. The other avatars circle around Link as he tries to find a good place to settle down for the night.

Sidon’s, however, is noticeably absent. Link can’t look at him- at it- after what they did in the cave that night. So, he hasn’t used Sidon’s avatar since then. He’s too embarrassed, too ashamed, too… Too scared that he’ll push this further than he should.

Link sees a cave in the distance and feels heat consume his body from head to toe.

He doesn’t want to sleep in a cave ever again, even if it’s much, much safer than sleeping out in the wilderness. He thinks he’d rather sleep in a pool of gloom than sleep in a cave again after that night…

He raises a single hand up to his face, brushing his fingers against his bottom lip. Even if it was the faintest sensation, he swears that when he dwells on that kiss for too long, he can still feel the avatar’s lips.

The climate in Central Hyrule is at least decent at this time of year. As the night falls, it’s pleasantly warm with a peaceful breeze. The next blood moon shouldn’t be for a few more days and despite the gloom that lurks here and there, the area is more peaceful than it has been. Link lays out his sleeping back and gets ready to dismiss the avatars, only to hear heavy footsteps.

He braces himself for combat, placing a hand on the butt of his sword only to further tense up when he sees a blur of crimson red and bluish grey in the distance.

Sidon…?

“Link!” Sidon calls out as he runs closer.

Link takes his hand off of his sword and stands there, confused, all while dismissing the avatars. Sidon is notably alone, running through the night with flushed cheeks and sweaty scales. He pants as if he’s out of breath from running for a long time.

“Link!” Sidon doesn’t hesitate to run to Link, practically collapsing onto his knees in front of the Hylian so they’re eye level. Link is too stunned to do or say anything, especially when he notices tears in Sidon’s amber eyes. As Sidon reaches forward and places his hands on Link’s shoulders, the tears fall from his eyes and down his cheeks. “Link, you’re okay-”

Link nods, furrowing his brow. Why is Sidon here? Why is he crying? Was he… Under the impression that Link was in danger? Before he can talk himself out of it, Link reaches forward to wipe the tears from Sidon’s face with his thumbs.

“Link, my lo- I mean, my dearest friend,” Sidon starts. “My scouts informed me that you were spotted nearby, so I came right away!”

“What?” Link questions. He can’t remember the last time he’s seen another Zora, meaning that they must have been hiding from him on purpose if they were nearby. Why were they even sent this far out? Link can’t think of a good reason for them to be away from the domain right now. “Is there something going on?”

“No- well, yes- I couldn’t sense your location with my avatar for days!” Sidon explains. His voice is shaky with relief. He manages to stop crying for long enough to smile. “I was so worried. Thank Hylia you’re safe.”

“Wait,” Link pauses, struggling to process that Sidon has been actively tracking his location with the avatar to the point that he freaked out and traveled across Hyrule upon noticing that he wasn’t able to. “Why are you here? What’s going on?”

“Oh, w-well, um-”

As Sidon struggles to explain himself, which is already unusual, Link notices the blatant lack of royal guards. Normally, when he’s at the palace, Sidon is allowed some freedoms, but especially now that he’s king, the council would never let him leave the palace unattended. Link understands the need to get away, but for Sidon to leave with no protection… God, he could’ve been assassinated and no one would’ve had any idea.

“Where are your guards?” Link demands.

“Not here. I sent the scouts away after they reported your location to me as well,” Sidon confesses rather sheepishly. “I may or may not have snuck out. Lady Yona is covering for me back home. That being said, what is going on with the avatars? I’ve been able to feel where you are almost every day since I gave you my vow… This is odd.”

Link winces.

Sidon was unable to find Link’s location, and thinking better of Link, assumed that it was some sort of malfunction. Link wants to lie to him more than anything, but he just… Can’t. His conscience aside, he needs answers. They need to have this talk. And if it goes poorly, he can leave, and they can both pretend that it never happened.

“I dismissed yours.”

Sidon’s eyes go wide.

“Did I do something wrong? My dearest Link, I-”

“No, no, it’s nothing to do with you, I-” Link interjects. “I did something stupid.”

Sidon waits for Link to explain for a ridiculously long amount of time. Two minutes, maybe three, pass by. Link can’t find the words to explain his actions, let alone his logic behind them. Thinking about it in depth, the way he tested Sidon’s avatar was actually quite violating, even if it’s not technically a person.

Sidon pulls away and sits down on the ground. Link sits by his side. Silence, again, and then Sidon is placing a hand on Link’s back and asking-

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” He answers. “I, uh, I hugged your avatar. Sorry.”

“And? That is fine,” Sidon, bless him, continues to see the best in Link. He practically beams with affection and rubs Link’s back. Link’s skin burns at the contact. Now, with everything that’s happened, with the avatar, and tonight, Link realizes that the hand on his back was never platonic. He has his answers. The hard part is going to be giving Sidon an answer of his own. “The conditions you travel in must be lonely. I’m honored that you wanted my avatar as your company.”

“Right…”

“I came out here to make sure you were well. It seems you are fine, but why did you dismiss my avatar over a… Hug?”

“It’s not-” Link clams up, squeezing his hands into fists and placing them in his lap. How does he tell Sidon about how he found out? How does he confess his feelings? He’s never done anything like this before. Hell, he’s never felt like this before. “I’m not…”

“What is it? There’s something you’re refusing to tell me,” Sidon frowns, shaking his head in disapproval. “Honestly, it’s dangerous of you to dismiss my vow for so long. The Link I know would never act so foolishly, especially with you searching for Ganon. If you would’ve found him without me by your side… I don’t even want to imagine it. So, what is it that’s important enough for you to have dismissed me? Was it the wedding? I knew something was off, but you wouldn’t tell me-”

Link sighs.

“It made out with me,” He mumbles, and then clarifies- “The avatar, I mean.”

“Made… Out?”

“Kissing,” Link covers his face with his hands. Even through years of being defeated in battle, doing embarrassing things for his job, being in uncomfortable medical situations due to injuries, and so much more, he’s never been this humiliated in his entire life. “We kissed.”

“Oh,” Sidon whispers at first, and then yells. “Oh!”

Link clasps his hands together and bows his head. His bangs cover his eyes to spare him from having to look at Sidon.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? I’m sorry! Why, I don’t know why my avatar would do such a thing! To violate your autonomy like that, what a heinous-”

“Sidon,” Link cuts Sidon off before he can finish the guilty, apologetic ramble Link knows he’s about to go on. “I… Kissed it first.”

Sidon tilts his head in that oh-so-curious, oh-so-adorable way that Link fell in love with all those years ago.

“Excuse me?”

“The avatars- they, um, they act like you would in most situations. I figured that out. So, I tested it… Tested you… By kissing it. And it kissed me back, and I’m sorry.”

“But why?” Sidon whispers.

Link can’t tell if the man is horrified or merely confused.

“Long story,” Link murmurs. “If it were the real you, would you have done the same thing?”

“My dearest Link,” Sidon’s eyes fall shut as he reaches over to place a hand on Link’s knee. It’s so warm, so strong, so reassuring. Link would kill to melt into his touch right now, but he can’t bring himself to do so without hearing the answer he needs said out loud. “You must know the answer to that by now.”

“You think I would’ve done any of what I did with the avatar if I knew? I need to hear it.”

Sidon reaches forward to hold Link’s face in his hands once more. He tucks a loose stand of hair behind Link’s ear. Such large, strong hands, yet so gentle, they caress Link’s cheeks and handle him like he’s something to be cherished. Sidon leans closer, leans further down, and rests his forehead against Link’s.

“Then, I’ll tell you the truth… I’m in love with you. If it were me rather than the avatar, I still would have returned your affections, and quite frankly, I’m jealous that that thing got to kiss you before I did.”

Link shrugs, averting his gaze to the grass beneath them.

“You still can… Kiss me, I mean,” He tentatively offers, and much to his surprise, Sidon doesn’t hesitate.

Their lips are connected again in an instant. Link reaches up, grabs Sidon's cravat for purchase, and kisses the Zora back. As much as he loved that kiss with the avatar in the cave, he loves kissing the real Sidon much more; loves the sensation of Sidon’s gentle hands cradling his face, of Sidon’s thumbs stroking his high set cheekbones, of Sidon’s soft and solid lips tenderly moving against his own, of the real Sidon. By the time Link pulls away, he’s breathless. But before he can say or do anything else, Sidon is speaking.

“Please, come home with me,” Sidon pleads as he stands up and pulls Link to his feet. “Just for tonight, so you can rest and so I can know that you’re safe. Then, in the morning, when you’re well rested and fed, resume your search.”

Link nods, and with that, the two are walking side by side and hand in hand back to Zora’s Domain.

95 notes · View notes

batsyforyou · 6 months ago

Text

Random Pet Peeves: Feanorians Edition

Tags: Pet peeves (things that annoy people)

Pairings: None

Author's Note: I have Eonwe coming up as well as the pokémon one. Just thought to post this while I was at it.

Taglist: @asianbutnotjapanese

Curufin

Fidgeting. He hates it, between the noise it can bring and the constant movement it drives him insane and causes him to lose focus. Like when you're on your last nerve and someone keeps making McDonald straw music insane. Like just stop already!

Maedhros

Jokes about his height and comments about his missing hand. The 'How's the weather up there?’ jokes and the constant questions about his hand from those less informed drives him crazy. I mean honestly, how many times can you hear the same thing before it gets old? Now imagine being an elf with centuries of experience with these things.

Celegorm

Open mouth chewing. Most of the time Celegorm doesn’t care about anything anyone does but when it comes to eating and everyone is at the dinner table it's gross and noisy and he is sometimes convinced that their saliva food spatter somehow got in his food. Which he will promptly make a scene for and refuse to eat.

Even worse is when he is feeling overwhelmed and stressed and chewing noises begin to drive him nuts like, oh my word, I’ve been there.

Caranthir

Mud and dirt tracked all over the floor. Especially if Celegorm is the one who couldn’t be bothered to take his shoes off before coming inside.

Maglor

When someone touches his stuff. Most of the time he can handle it with grace and be completely chill with finding his harp being moved into a different room. Because while it is annoying it isn’t world ending. So he’ll just roll his eyes, sigh and politely remind the culprit *coughs* Celegorm *Cough cough* to not move his things around.

But if you really want to get his goat do what parents (and some absent minded friends) do best.

When he goes to show you a journal with his music notes and ideas, flip into the area he didn’t show you. Like when you show someone a photo and they start SCROLLING THROUGH EVERYTHING.

That will get him raging mad lol.

Amrod and Amras

They both hate it when they get called by the other's name. And I don’t mean like when a stranger, like a servant, just makes a mistake (they are very understanding about this) I mean when they’ve known this person for literal years and they still can’t tell them apart.

They also can’t stand it when family members confuse their hobbies with the other twins. While it isn’t big it doesn’t really feel good and can really upset them on days they aren’t doing well mentally.

Celebrimbor

When someone refers to his family as the monsters under the bed and uses them as scary ghost stories. Yeah, his family did kinda do it to themselves but that doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying. Especially when they get the details wrong like, “No, Maedhros didn’t have dark hair. His hair was red and curly.” Like if you're gonna try and scare people using real life people at least get the basics right.

It also sucks because people will also turn him into a story character as well. Coming up with different assumptions and making weird rumors about him eating worms or something. It can be really bothersome and isolating.

Besides all that he still loves his family and remembers them more as people with troubled pasts rather than monsters that hide under beds.

His Uncles and Atar are way too big to hide under beds anyway.

Feanor

When someone questions his work and decisions. Not just once out of curiosity but over and over again. It grates on his sanity.

Nerdanel

When someone talks about her children and husband leaving and doing all those horrible things. Like honestly can’t they have some class and not shove it in her face? Or even when someone asks her how she didn’t see Feanor’s behavior change or why she didn’t try to stop him sooner or the classic, “What did you ever see in that elf?”

She loves her family very much and hates when people act all snotty about things.

masterlist

#tolkien #silmarillion #feanorians #house of feanor #sons of feanor #feanor #maedhros #maglor #celegorm #caranthir #curufin #amrod and amras #amrod #amras #ambarussa #nerdanel #silm headcanons

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jjsstars · 1 year ago

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random school bus graveyard headcanons

// with aiden/ashlyn & ben/taylor & logan/tyler <3 //

warnings: weed/smoking, swearing

[cut off cause this got rlly long whoops]

Ash is bi & Aiden is pan

Taylor & Ben are both asexual but also hopeless romantics

Tyler is bi & Logan is gay

Taylor does Ben’s nails on weekends

Tyler tries to teach Logan how to play baseball (he’s semi successful)

Ash is paramore fan (p sure this is just canon atp)

Aiden loves all those dystopian movies and forces Tyler to watch them when he finds out he’s never seen them (ie hunger games, the maze runner, divergent etc.)

Aiden’s best subject is math and his worst is English, Ash is the same way

Taylor’s best subjects are science & math, her worst is art (she just can’t draw okay)

Tyler’s best subject is gym but as far as academics go he’s pretty good at history, he sucks at science tho

Logan’s best subject is obvi science, he honestly does good in everything, but he doesn’t like language that much

Taylor carry’s extra ear plugs/headphones/notebooks & pens for Ben & Ash (or anyone who might need them)

Tyler can braid better than Taylor can (he would do her hair growing up)

Aiden & Ash are adhd vs autism

Logan and Taylor hold hands when they’re anxious

Aiden can play the guitar & drums

Ben can also play the guitar but he prefers acoustic whereas Aiden likes electric

Tyler can play guitar but he prefers to play the trumpet (he’s rlly good)

Taylor can sing but she only does around Ben - he totally doesn’t cry nope totally not -

Ash can play the Harp (stealing that from someone else’s hc post <3) but she can also play violin & piano (multitalented queen)

Aiden & Ash link pinkies while sitting on the bus if Ash is feeling particularly pda strong

the whole group goes to cheer on Tyler’s baseball games

Logan now has a first aid kit in his locker from dating Tyler and being friends with Aiden

Aiden has a medical card for medical weed and he definitely abuses that shit

the first time Ashlyn gets high it relaxes her so much she’s convinced she’s dying for a hot minute

Logan & Taylor don’t like being high, Ben is indifferent to it, Aiden, Ashlyn & Tyler enjoy it throughly

It calms Aiden & Tyler down a lot

Taylor & Ben are the only ones capable of sitting in a chair like a normal person

Aiden & Ben smuggle good food into the hospital for Tyler

Tyler gives Logan forehead kisses

Ben kisses the top of Taylor’s hand

Aiden kisses the tip of Ash’s nose - Ash kisses his cheek

everyone is always finding Ashlyn hair in everything cause she sheds so much

Logan & Ben are Star Wars fans

Aiden is the first one to get his official license - to everyone’s horror -

Tyler is the last one to get his license (he’s so mad about it)

Ashlyn still sleeps with a stuffed animal and has a tote of them in her closet — she hides this for months until Ben finds them one day and casually adopts them all with Taylor

Aiden runs like a space heater as does Taylor

Ash & Ben both run superrrr cold

Logan and Tyler have normal temperatures, the freaks /j

Ben carry’s an inhaler because Aiden got asthma attacks as a kid - he hasn’t had one since he was like 7 but Ben likes to be prepared

If he gets hyper focused enough Aiden will go non-verbal / won’t acknowledge the outside world to the point of Ben having to write down responses for him

Aiden & Tyler can skateboard

Taylor can rollerskate & she teaches Logan how to too

Ashlyn is a god at ice skating

Ben prefers to stay on his own two feet thank you very much

Tyler’s terrified of dogs and screams for Taylor anytime one comes near him

Animals naturally love Ashlyn, Taylor’s jealous

Aiden is one of those people that will spend five minutes in a backyard and pick up three frogs, a lizard, a scarily big spider, two beetles and point out where a snake is

birds really like Ben - he doesn’t know why

Aiden & Ben are really good at art, but with totally different styles

Ben prefers realism and charcoal pieces

Aiden prefers more stylized art, markers & paints

Aiden did graffiti for a while and still would if he ever had the time (stupid phantoms) - when Ash finds out she lets him tag the buses in the graveyard and he’s so excited about it

Aiden & Tyler play basketball together on the weekends while the others watch/mess with them the entire time

If Tyler’s being particularly cocky about winning against Aiden then Ben will step in cause he’s naturally really good at basketball

Taylor and Logan always giggle watching Tyler’s face fall seeing Ben stand up

Ashlyn doesn’t mind when Aiden loses because then she gets to use it as an excuse for them to go get ice cream to “make the loss easier” (aiden knows she does that every time because she also asks to go out for ice cream if he wins to celebrate)

Taylor lets Aiden try on her lip gloss once and now he has his own collection and keeps some on him at all times — mostly just clear ones or sparkly light pink ones that aren’t super noticeable but still leaves a shine

Tyler uses like ten separate hair products daily - him & Ash take the longest to do their hair out of the whole group

#jj writes #my headcanons #school bus graveyard #aiden clark #ashlyn banner #ben clark #taylor hernandez #tyler hernandez #logan fields #ashlyn x aiden #taylor x ben #tyler x logan #sbg (webtoon)

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luminarystag · 24 days ago

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Was Harry right to be mad at Ron and Hermione in the start of OOTP?

This is something that I think is a big debate in the HP fandom. Was Harry misplacing his anger, or did he have a point?

Let’s look more closely at what Ron and Hermione do right, and also what they do wrong, in their attempts to support Harry post-graveyard

What they do right:

Starting with the night of Harry’s trauma, Ron and Hermione immediately storm to the hospital wing and are part of the group (with Molly and Bill) who are demanding to know where Harry is. Then they are with Harry for the rest of the night in the hospital, and don’t push him to tell them what happened. This is obviously the right move, as Harry is currently in shock and severely disassociating, it would’ve done more harm to have him re-live what just happened to him for the third time that night. They also continue doing that for the last weeks of the term

Telling Harry they’ll see him soon and he won’t stay long at the Dursley’s is another thing they do right. Putting it in their letters is also right. They were trying to reassure him he won’t be alone with his abusers for long

However, that’s when what they do right ends

What they do wrong:

This sentence is the first time Ron and Hermione are mentioned in Order of the Phoenix-

“If he was lucky, there would also be owls carrying letters from his best friends, Ron and Hermione, though any expectation he has had that their letters would being him news had long since been dashed.”

Let’s read that more closely:

You don’t have to be a genius to know what is being implied. Ron and Hermione aren’t really sending him any letters. They are leaving him alone in an abusive household after he was kidnapped, tortured, and watched someone be murdered. Now I know what you’re about to say. How can Ron and Hermione have the authority to remove Harry from the Dursley’s. They don’t, but that’s not the point. The point is that they didn’t really write to him all summer. Harry only got a letter from them if he was lucky. Even at 15, they should know to be checking on him multiple times at week

But the contents of the letters are also damaging. People love to harp on Harry for thinking he’s done more than Ron and Hermione and call him arrogant even though this is a trauma response. Harry has done more than Ron and Hermione against Voldemort, and he isn’t thinking this in a vain way. He’s thinking it in a “I’ve been kidnapped and watched someone be murdered, and yet I’m stuck here in the dark about what’s going on even though I was the one taken by him- no don’t think about it” way

And regardless, Ron and Hermione’s letter examples seem like they are trying to sound like they know what’s going on to Harry and are important figures in it (we’ve been quite busy, but I can’t give you details here/there’s quite a lot going on), even though when we get to Grimmauld Place with Harry, that couldn’t be further from the truth. They aren’t even allowed in the meetings, and have to spy for information. Again, at 15, you should know better. In what way would this comfort Harry at all?

What makes it even worse is that in Harry’s inner narration, the book clearly states that is why Sirius’ letters are so much better, Sirius’ letters at least contain words of comfort, vs Ron and Hermione’s. So canonically, Ron and Hermione never once offered comfort in these letters. Never once told it was okay. Never once told him, “I can’t imagine what you’re going through. You’re so strong, and we need you to stay strong.” They never once asked, even a simple, “Are you okay?”

Yes, they are still children. No, I don’t expect them to be therapists for Harry. Yes, I know they were never going to handle it perfectly being so young. But asking if someone’s okay is literally the bare minimum, and they didn’t even do that. 15 isn’t young enough to not know that asking Harry if he’s okay is a good idea

So yes, Harry is right to be mad at Ron and Hermione. His anger is not misplaced. He was let down by his two best friends when he needed them most

#harry potter #ron weasley #hermione granger #ron weasley critical #hermione granger critical #harry potter and the order of the phoenix #harry potter meta #hp meta #harry potter defense squad #order of the phoenix

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darkness-and-books · 10 months ago

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Spock fluff alphabet

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?

Not to be weird, but your face, he just enjoys how expressive it is. When you laugh, smile, sigh in irritation, roll your eyes, or yawn. All of it, he just thinks you’re an adorable human 😍🥰.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

Not at the moment. He only wants one if it seems practical for the current situation. He loves you, but he’s still hyper-logical. He’s not itching to have kids either, so if you don’t want them he doesn’t mind.

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

He’s not really a cuddler himself, but he understands why physical affection is important to you so he won’t stop you from being affectionate. He’ll definitely reach for your hand though if he starts having uneasy feelings (not that he’ll admit to having feelings most of the time). He’ll never stop you from touching him, but he is a bit hesitant to initiate contact.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

Doesn’t really do dates, but does teach you to play the Vulcan harp. He mostly does it as an excuse for you to sit in his lap 💚😳💚

E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

Reason. He says that you are his Reason, not like his reason to live, but like his reason, his logic. Highest compliment honestly, he will turn bright green if you mention it.

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

Basically instantly, or at least there’s an instant attraction. You just radiate this energy that’s unlike anything he’s ever encountered. At first he tries to convince himself that it’s just curiosity and nothing else.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Incredibly, you know until he’s not. He tries to be aware of your feelings and such, but he does have a knack for accidentally hurting people’s feelings with his blatant honesty.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Nervously and with your fingers interlaced . It’s a bit of a nervous habit for him. It could also be that he feels that either he or you are being threatened.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

He’s absolutely enthralled. The way you carry yourself and the way you act, it’s like no one is watching, or maybe that you know everyone is but it doesn’t matter to you. He can’t believe the confidence.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous easily?)

He sees jealousy as illogical as long as he can tell you care for him still. Although he will get a little fidgety if other people touch your hands.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

Rarely, but when he does it’s full of feeling. When he kisses he means it and it’s the only thing he’s focused on. He makes an experience of it, it’s not just a passing thing he does.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

He does because he does. It’s true so why wouldn’t he say it, it’s one of the times when his blatant honesty comes in handy.

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

He loves just to have you around, so his favourite memory is probably the first time you asked if you could spend the night in his quarters. You just couldn’t sleep so he read to you some before you curled into him and fell asleep.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

No, not only does he not see the point in it, but it would also take up a lot of space that neither of you really has in your quarters. Although, on occasion if he sees you eyeing something he’ll buy it for you when you aren’t looking and gift it to you a bit later.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

It’s pink, that same shade of muted pink that can be seen under your fingernails. It’s because (at first unintentionally, but now on purpose) you always seem to find a way to be fiddling with his or your hands, almost entirely because you know it’ll make him a little fidgety too.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Definitely uses T’hy’la quite often, but also uses Darling (almost overly annunciates the whole word). Although he probably just calls you by your name or rank when in public, unless provoked by jealousy

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

Books, but also sheet music, I think the two kind of go together. He’ll read to you from whatever newly acquired book he’s got at the moment. While he’s something of an organised person, I also see him leaving books and sheet music just scattered about his quarters, but in an aesthetic way (🤷‍♀️)

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

He’s either going to spend that day reading or you’re going to find him playing some dreadfully melancholic tune on his harp (I don’t make the rules).

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Will list every reason why it is currently illogical to be sad. If that doesn’t work, as it usually doesn’t, then you can hug him until you feel better. He’s not the best hugger, but he’s really good at letting you hug him.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

He is really more of a listener, but if you ask him a question with an answer that he knows anything about, he’s a lecturer, will talk for hours about why this button does that.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

Probably talking, but not with a purpose. He likes the kind of conversation where you’re talking about everything and nothing, sometimes you’ll stop talking for a few minutes and it’ll just be silent, but then you’ll pick up again like you didn’t stop having the conversation.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Honestly, I don’t think that he’s super into himself (if that makes sense, like he generally has good self worth, but he’s not very interested in himself, I dunno) point in case it’s you. He’ll go around the Enterprise doing the Vulcan equivalent of “Look what my SO did/made!”

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

You’re probably alone, he’ll preface with how it’s not really important to him, but he understands that the tradition is important to humans sometimes, and then he’ll just flatly ask if you like to marry him.

X = Xylophone (what’s their favourite song?)

I have other ideas, but ever since reading this fic, I think it might be

I just can’t stop thinking about it, leave me alone. I have this entire playlist of Spock type music if anyone cares to have a look. Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Sort of, sometimes, but mostly he focuses on what needs doing right now. It is a thought has frequently though when he’s finally got time to himself.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

He doesn’t really see the point in having a pet. If you want one though he’ll be okay with pretty much anything that isn’t reptilian. Probably ends up with a cat that he won’t admit he loves.

#Spock #tos #star trek #spock x reader #fluff #fluffy stuff #fluff fluff fluff #fluff alphabet #this took way too long

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verkomy · 1 year ago

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okay so I’m rereading the hobbit and I want to make a list of my favorite quotes and parts so here we go:

“bilbo (…) got something a bit queer in his make-up from the took side” I chuckled

“mr. baggins was very fond of flowers” of course he was he’s a blorbo

“it was a beautiful golden harp, and when thorin struck it the music began all at once, so sudden and sweet that bilbo forgot everything else” bombastic side eye

“as he lay in bed he could hear thorin still humming to himself in the best bedroom next to him. bilbo went to sleep with that in his ears, and it gave him very uncomfortable dreams” criminal offensive side eye

“the explanation did not seem to explain” my brain 24/7 (but also when someone’s trying to explain the rules of any board game to me)

“bilbo was wearing a dark-green hood and a dark-green cloak borrowed from dwalin. they were too large for him, and he looked rather comic” bilbo in dwarven clothes, just throwing it out there

“bilbo baggins, a bur — a hobbit,” said poor bilbo, shaking all over, and wondering how to make owl-noises before their throttled him” this one made me laugh

“trolls simply detest the very sight of dwarves (uncooked)” this one too

“his house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all” I want to go to there

“dori, who was at the back next to bilbo, and a decent fellow. he made the hobbit scramble on his shoulders as best as he could with his tied hands, and then off they all went at a run. (…) that sent them on faster than ever, and as poor bilbo could not possibly go half as fast, they took it in turn to carry him on their backs” WE WERE ROBBED

“why, o why did I ever leave my hobbit-hole!” said poor mr. baggins bumping up and down on bombur’s back “why, o why did I ever bring a wretched little hobbit on a treasure hunt!” said poor bombur” comedic duo

gandalf answered angrily “I brought him, and I don’t bring things that are of no use” we love a supportive friend

“(gandalf) gave bilbo a queer look from under his bushy eyebrows” live gandalf reaction

“you ought not to be rude to an eagle, when you are only the size of a hobbit” good life advice

“here they sat on wooden benches while gandalf began his tale, and bilbo swung his dangling legs and looked at the flowers in the garden” a short king <3

“that only makes eleven and not fourteen, unless wizards count differently to other people” I LOVE BOOK BEORN SO MUCH and this whole chapter is probably my favorite by far

“the hobbit felt quite crushed, and as there seemed nothing else to do he did go to bed” what a mood

“long noses are sometimes useful you see” do with that information what you want

“they knew only too well that they would soon all have been dead, if it had not been for the hobbit; and they thanked him many times” AS THEY SHOULD, too bad thorin didn’t see any of what happened

“he did not like being dependent on by everyone, and he wished he had the wizard at hand” honestly, same

“never laugh at live dragon, bilbo you fool” another hopeful advice

“you are more worthy to wear the armour of elf-princes than many that have looked more comely in it. but wonder if thorin oakenshield will see it too” ouch

“then bilbo turned away, and he went by himself, and sat alone wrapped in a blanket, and, whether you believe it or not, he wept until his eyes were red and his voice was hoarse” this one hurts

“he was in fact held by all the hobbits of the neighbourhood to be queer” of course he was :D

#this is going to be a long post #hope you’re ready #the hobbit #the hobbit book #the hobbit reread #tolkien reread #tolkien #favorite quotes #text

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medra-gonbites · 3 months ago

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Baldur's Gate 3 Companion Head Canon Music Edition

Ok soooo ! Recently my bestfriend and I wrote and composed a song about BG3 (which we might release one day) and it got me thinking about the Tadfools (as if I don’t already think of them 15 times a day) and imagined what their band would look like and which instruments they would play and thus voilà my rendition:

Karlach | Drums

Look at her and tell me she does not play the drums. She would sometimes have to be asked to stop because she would not notice everyone has stopped playing but her. She just has the proper energy, rhythm, not to mention arms, to rock that drum set and start a solo Whiplash style.

Lae'zel | Harmonica

“What is this shiny rectangle? “whistle metallically” Oh. This sounds… beautiful. Like the screeching of a blade on a sharpening stone, but… Better!” And that’s how Lae’zel picked up on the harmonica, true story, I was the harmonica!

Wyll | Main Vocal and Violin

Yes, Wyll would absolutely sing and dance and become an icon on the Sword Coast. He also plays the violin. I don’t know, maybe it’s the horns, but I could also see Duke Ravengard enrolling him at conservatoire at age 6 to play the violin. He writes most of the lyrics

Shadowheart | Bass and Back-up Vocals

Shadowheart is a bass player. Look at her smoky eyes and her pout: she obviously plays the bass! She matches her nail polish to the colour of her bass (black, purple, white). She is always down to jam and she also provides Wyll with beautiful back up vocals when he needs it. Her timber is quite ethereal as well.

Astarion | Electric Guitar

Astarion has massive rockstar energy. He did try to play with his teeth on more than one occasion but that breaks the strings. He has several guitars, guitar straps, dedicated stage outfits and hundreds of guitar picks (which he does not even use but hoards like a dragon).

Gale | Synthesizer

Gale is a piano player but why constrain himself to a regular piano when he can make it sound like space music. Or any other instrument really. Fender Rhodes with a distortion and reverb to the max? Yes, please. He tried the keytar and while he does like the funkiness of it, he prefers the horizontality of regular synthesizers. I also believe he’d compose a lot of the songs.

Now for the one who are not part of the band but do play an instrument:

Minthara | Band Manager

Sorry I do not see Minthara as a musician. She’d be an amazing band manager or music producer though. If I must attribute her an instrument I would say the harp as she canonically has a lute but I imagine the discipline it takes to learn the harp is quite in character and would be a funny contrast; the angelic sound it makes, opposed to… Well, Minthara.

Halsin | Bansuri

And he made it himself from bamboo or wood. He plays it during his session of guided meditation or when he is alone in the forest. Usually attracts dozens of critters and little animals and it makes him look like a Disney princess (Although he has never seen a Disney film himself.)

Jaheira | Steel Drum

She learned during her hippie phase in college back when she would travel to Puerto Rico and/or Jamaica twice a year. She still has her old steel drum and will take it out if you nag her long enough or if she is in a celebratory mood. She might play it at your LuAu themed birthday party if requested.

Minsc | Triangle

It is the only instrument that he can play. It looks relatively simplistic but it is actually quite tricky to play as it requires great timing and a little bit of technique. Minsc is a natural at both. He likes being part of an orchestra and finds the agitated man with a stick the funniest of all people.

Boo | Church Organ

I have no argument to justify this but the hilarious image of a miniature giant space hamster playing the phantom of the opera on a huge cathedral organ.

Gortash | Acoustic Guitar (but not really)

Gortash will claim he plays guitar. He will claim it even faster if he is flirting (approximately 2 minutes into the conversation and/or maybe before even asking your name). He, however, does not. What he can do is play one song (wonderwall or alleluia take your pick) that he learned by heart back in highschool specifically to brag at parties and bag dates. In adulthood it works way less.

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bobbin-buckley · 11 months ago

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In The End, You Were My First Love ❤️‍🩹

Chapter 1

He’s Back

Tara Carpenter x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Smoking, mentions of Ghostface/murder, Amber being an ass, mentions of Abuse/Neglect, slight Homophobia

A/n: Not spelled checked 🙃

•———————————•

“He’s Back”

Flipping through the daily news

Even if it was a new era, you could basically get the news on tv more or on phones, but you, yes you, didn’t have a phone only a house phone.

You lived in a trailer in Woodsboro, were the classic murders of the famous Ghostface lived.

Boy were you glad you weren’t involved, but that might just take a turn.

Sitting on your singular chair in your living room, looking at the papers in your hands as it talked about another Ghostface attack has just happened last night.

The person you was attacked happened to be a friend. Not just any friend, your crush.

Tara Carpenter.

God damn she was gorgeous, her dark brunette hair that almost looked black, tan skin that looked so soft, and those eyes…you loved her eyes. You loved pretty much everything about her. You guys were that close, but Tara always seemed to talk to you a lot but it was cut short when her asshole best friend Amber Freeman appears.

She was your enemy, Amber hated you. You weren’t sure why, all you did was call her a skunk behind her back but- she hates you, and calls you names whenever Tara isn’t around. Maybe Amber likes Tara, or she’s jealous of the fact Tara talks to you more.

You had zero clue, Amber was hard to understand

But looking at the news made you try not to bark out a cry, Tara was the first victim. Your Tara

You sure damn felt bad, you wanted to go check on her make sure she was alright. But your gut was telling you not to, worried her friends will shoo you away.

It was Tara, Mindy, Chad, Liv, Wes and Amber. That was the friend group you always noticed sitting on the benches outside of Woodsboro High. You don’t have any friends other than Tara, you never stood out and people always thought you were weird.

Tara saw you as the good kind of weird, but everyone else thought the bad weird.

Was is because you had abusive parents don’t have parents anymore?

The question made your stomach turn

Your parents left you when you were 15, leaving you without much money, no car, and not a good house. You were barely surviving, surprised you could even still be in school. You aren’t sure where your parents went, they never told you where they’d move, they just blocked you out and disappeared.

It didn’t upset you too much, you knew it was going to happen eventually. You came out to them, they called you a disgrace and a burden. All because you couldn’t help who you like.

What a shame, you tell yourself

Keeping things positive wasn’t easy. Every time you’d try the positive, it’ll become negative the next minute. It always does.

The only person who kept you mainly sane was Tara and your neighbor.

The neighbor was Dewey Riley, yep, the Ex-Deputy and Husband.

He was a good man, he was involved in the very beginning of the Ghostface attacks. You never harped on him about it, and he liked that. Anyone who’d recognized him would jump to conclusions about his past, making him sad. Which you were a little upset about, and you felt the same way. Amber would tease you about your parents abandonment.

Ugh…you hated the raven haired

•—————————•

WoodsBoro High

It was lunch break. You were now sitting alone outside on a brick wall. Headphones on as you sketched anything around you in your notebook, even though you were supposed to be doing homework

Feeling as if someone was staring at the back of your head, you turned and made eye contact with Amber

Well shit

Let’s just hope to the gods she doesn’t approach, you were actually having a good day she hadn’t bothered you once!

You swiftly turned your head away, still feeling her drill her eyes in the back of your head.

“Why do you hate Y/n so much Amber?” Liv asked.

“That’s none of your business.” Amber turned her gaze from you to the pink haired.

“We’ll okay jeez..” Chad wrapped an arm around Liv’s waist, making Liv feel better. She smiled at him.

“Yeah, Liv’s right.” Wess spoke, looking up from his lap, “what’s your beef with Y/n? She seems nice.”

Amber scoffed, “that thing? Nice? She always gives me these weird looks and she doesn’t talk to anyone.” “So?” “So! For fucks sake she could be Ghostface! She’s been talking to Tara and look where Tara is now!”

“Amber!” Mindy yelled. “What!?” “You can’t just go off accusing people! And Y/n is not a thing!”

“Well…I mean- Amber has a point,-” Liv hits the back of Chad’s head. “Ow! That was mean!”

“Well how do you know for sure Am? She hasn’t done anything to you has she?”

“That little shit has a freaky obsession with horror movies! And you think she’s not Ghostface?” Amber points at you, “that weirdo more than likely loves Stab!”

“But I’m obsessed with horror films, and love Stab. What if I’m ghostface?” Mindy points out. Amber rolls her eyes

“Whatever guys, it doesn’t matter because we’re all suspects. Including you Amber.” States Wess.

“Psh- well don’t come crying to me when one of you gets murdered by weirdo.”

Everyone groaned

You knew they were talking about you. You were well aware of their presence.

Though you weren’t sure if Amber’s friends even liked you. It seemed as if Wess and Liv were defending you, maybe Mindy but did that mean they liked you?

Who knows…all you knew is that there were some likes and dislikes. Chad seemed to be for both, he wasn’t defending you of not being Ghostface, and to your surprise Mindy was. I guess just because your a twin doesn’t mean you think the same.

•—————————-•

It was the afternoon, you rode your bike to Dewey’s for your every night hangout. But this time it was different.

When you arrived you noticed his car wasn’t the only one sitting outside. Someone else was here.

Dewey’s front door swung open revealing two young adults. Quickly you hid behind Dewey’s truck, tossing your bike down.

Both of the man and woman got into a car and drove off, leaving you confused. Getting out from behind Dewey’s truck you see his front door open and he walks out, he stops when he notices you.

“Y/n what are you doing here?” He asks, you just step closer to him. “Dewey, who were they?”

He sighed, rubbing his temples. “Just…stay here kid, I’ve got something to do.” He said sternly.

Dewey walked past you and opened his truck door, you turned around and got into the passenger seat. “Wh-what? No kid, stay here.”

“No, I’m going with you.”

“Y/n-”

“No. I’m going whether you like it or not.”

Dewey just nods, starting the truck and driving off to wherever your adventure may lead…..

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

A/n: this is short chapter but I needed to finish it 😭

Sorry for the long wait but here it is ✨

#tara carpenter #jenna ortega #tara carpenter x female reader #scream 5 #jenna ortega x fem!reader #wlw

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xo-zozo · 8 months ago

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Rohan headcannons?

a/n: oof, i can try but you’ve been warned… it’s not gonna be good (because we don’t know too much about him) and it's not gonna be really long... credit to @x-liv25-jamieswife for helping me

| tags: @urbanflorals @reminiscentreader @nqds @annamatix @x-liv25-jamieswife @sophiesonlinediary @lyrakanefanatic @thatrandomlemononyourcounter1 @fortunatelyjollybeliever @123letsgobestie @off-to-the-r4ces /

he’s a BIG wine drinker and if you give him any kind of wine he cane always identify what kind it is and everything

he has a stepsister that he grew up with but now he’s not close to her and he thinks about it all the time

he a HUGE germaphobe and he was always has hand sanitizer and wipes with him just in case

he can play the harp (or some other fancy instrument but no one knows because he thinks it’s embarrassing

even though he’s actually really good at it

he wears a lot of rings and other jewelry on occasion (why am i low key falling for this man 😔)

speaks a bunch of other languages that he’s kinda just picked up over the last couple of years

he used to pickpocket or something for the fun of it but he would always find a way to return it because he would end up not using it

he learned how to fight by himself (bro still lost to jameson tho)

he definitely had some crazy ex-girlfriend or something that was obsessed with him (and still is??)

not a hc but who do we think his love interest is gonna be because i have no idea

whenever he was bored as a kid or needed to distract himself he would study maps so now he just has a bunch of random countries and their locations memorized

he buys a lottery ticket like once a week and he usually doesn't win anything but once he actually got like 300 dollars

lets be honest tho he probably lost the money within like a week from all the gambling and betting that he seems to participate in

has a bunch of secret social media accounts under a fake name so that he can look at what people are doing

he knew who avery was before it was brought up at the devils mercy but he originally thought that she was a gold digger (like grayson did yk)

can we talk about the fact that he had like a crush on her in the brothers hawthorne and it kept making jameson mad like that was so funny

he has a really unique music taste but it's actually kinda good (yall can choose who he listens to because i'm tired)

nice hands... like don't even with me right now

he's always messing with his hair whether or not he's upset or not, it's just a habit that he has since he was younger

a/n BRO I'M SO FAST WITH IT RECENTLY ANYWAY MY INBOX IS EMPTY SPAM ME

#rohan #the inheritance games #jennifer lynn barnes #the hawthorne legacy #avery kylie grambs #the brothers hawthorne #the grandest game #grayson hawthorne #jameson hawthorne

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shadowqueenjude · 1 year ago

Text

TOG characters meet ACOTAR characters part 1

It was the annual Yulemas celebration, and all of Aelin’s friends + Lorcan had convened in Terrasen’s palace. Everyone from Ansel of Briarcliff to Manon Crochan Blackbeak came. Even Yrene with her abdomen that was now showing had come. Aelin and Rowan’s home had never felt more full. It was an amazing feeling. She wondered if this was how it would feel to have children.

She pushed the feeling aside. As much as she wanted children, she wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment yet. Terrasen’s rebuilding came first.

Aelin was wearing a shiny silver dress while her mate wore green armor (sigh, when was he going to start wearing normal clothing?) that brought out his eyes. Fenrys on the other hand, was having way too much fun dressing up. He’d shown up in a full-blown white toga, paired with a golden laurel and golden waistband. He’d tied half his hair up and left the rest to cascade in waves around his shoulders. He seemed just fine as he went to annoy Lorcan, but Aelin could sense the sadness radiating out of him. Aelin just wished she knew how to fix it.

Lorcan was not in black (gasp!), but rather it seemed he had been forced into dark red robes by his wife, who wore a matching dark red dress. It never failed to amuse Aelin that one, his name was Lord Lorcan Lochan, and two, he willingly followed the small, delicate young Lady of Perranth’s every order. He had been teaching her how to read while helping rebuild Perranth, so Aelin would sometimes catch Elide reading children’s books out of the Terrasen royal library.

Chaol was awkwardly standing in a corner with Manon, of all the people. Dorian was dancing with Chaol’s wife, leaving the two standing near each other. Chaol looked slightly pale and constantly stared at Manon’s hands, as if waiting for the iron nails to unsheathe themselves. Aelin decided to spare her old friend and come in between them.

Once she was within earshot (since she was Fae, she was still quite far from them), she heard Manon hiss in his ear, “Agree to dance with me Chaol, so that Dorian thinks I’m playing nice with his friends.”

“Are you playing nice with his friends though?” Chaol dared to ask.

“Do I look nice to you, human? Come, let’s dance.” Manon grabbed his hand.

“Mind your manners, witch,” Aelin said coolly, stepping towards them. There was a glimmer of relief in Chaol’s eyes as Aelin interfered. “I’ll keep her from doing anything murderous, don’t worry,” Aelin said, patting Chaol on the arm. Then they began to dance.

Manon had very little grace, but Chaol made up for it with his own steering.

“No interest in dancing, my queen?” Rowan suddenly appeared in front of him, offering a tattooed hand to dance. Aelin snorted. “Still pretending to be a gentleman, I see.” But she accepted the hand and let him pull her to the dance floor.

Aelin swished and swayed around, and Rowan laughed. “Are you drunk already, my queen?”

Aelin shook her head. “No, the floor is just unsteady.”

“Why would it be unsteady?” Rowan asked. But then he suddenly tilted sideways. “Oh shit.” Aelin had no time to react when she and a majority of the guests at her party got sucked into a vacuum in the ground like a black hole. Meanwhile in Velaris… Gwyn rolled her eyes as she trained with Emerie and Nesta. “Merill has become more and more obsessed with her otherworld theory ever since you used the Harp. I don’t know how she found out about it, but��” Gwyn swiped low with her sword and aimed a kick at Emerie, who dodged it quickly. “She’s convinced she’s found a way she can actually look into other worlds. I told her she’s barking, and she got mad.”

Nesta snorted. “I’d be pretty irritated too if a little priestess called me crazy.”

Gwyn elbowed her, and the three of them laughed. Merill’s experiments were ridiculous anyway.

Lucien was just strolling through the streets of Velaris when he was hit by flying fae.

The Mother must really hate him, he decided. He’s just minding his own business on any other day and of COURSE he’s hit in the face by a body.

“That’s it, I’m done with this shit,” Lucien grumbled, pushing the body off of him. He found himself staring into the eyes of a beautiful female. Her eyes were a turquoise with a ring of gold around the pupil, with long flowing blonde hair that fell to her waist. She was wearing an elegant crown along with a silver dress so sparkly Lucien almost had to look away. But that wasn’t the strangest thing. No, the strangest thing was that…

“I can smell the flame on you,” he said. The female just stared at him, confused. Then she replied back in a foreign language.

Lucien recognized it from a class he had taken ages ago. He was probably the only one of his brothers who would ever recognize it, as he had had the most thorough education as the youngest child. He was pretty sure there would never come an occasion where he’d need to converse in such a dead language, but here he was.

“I can’t understand you,” she had said. “No one has spoken that language here in thousands of years,” Lucien replied back in that old tongue. His words sounded strange, like they were spoken by a different person.

The blonde girl gasped. “Oh no. I must have traveled between worlds.”

Lucien raised a brow. “Impressive. How’d you manage that?”

The girl shook her head. “This was not supposed to happen. The Wyrdgates are closed.”

“I have no idea what Wyrdgates are, but I’m pretty sure there are multiple ways to cut across worlds.” The girl stared at him. “Where am I?”

Lucien shrugged. “Prythian.”

“My friends- they must have fallen here with me. Where are they?”

Lucien shrugged. “I don’t know. I only saw you, as you literally knocked me down.”

The girl winced. “Sorry about that.”

Lucien smirked. “There are better ways to get my attention than sitting on my face.”

The girl smirked back but replied with, “You’re hot for sure, but I’m married.”

Lucien stood up, brushed off his clothes, then offered the girl a hand. “I was only joking. I’m a mated male.”

The girl took it. “What a coincidence. I’m also mated. What is your name?”

“Lucien. You?”

The girl grinned. “Aelin.”

Lucien and Aelin searched around Velaris for her friends. It wasn’t hard to find most of them. They were all dressed in strange attire and looked extremely disoriented. Lucien soon met Aelin’s mate and husband, a male who looked as if he’d fit right into the Summer Court with his white hair and tanned skin. He later found a male he could only describe as golden. Golden hair, golden skin, golden on his clothes. He gasped when he saw Lucien. Lucien had raised a brow. “Is something wrong?”

The golden male had replied with, “Wow…your hair. It’s so bright, and thick, and colorful, and long, and shiny!!!!!” He’d turned to the white-haired male and said, “I want red hair now, Rowan.”

Lucien had to stifle a laugh. “Thanks.”

“How do you maintain your hair?” The golden male, who Lucien soon came to know was named Fenrys, kept asking him about his hair care routine and it occupied them until Aelin found their other friends.

Lorcan groaned as he got off the ground. He was covered in snow, having landed in a nice, clean patch of it. He panicked for a moment, searching for his wife before he realized he hadn’t let go of her hand. Elide was right next to him, and she looked a little winded but otherwise ok. On Lorcan’s other side several feet down, he could see Manon, Chaol, Dorian, and Yrene getting off the ground. Yrene was frantically patting her womb, trying to ensure that her baby was still alive. Lorcan resisted the urge to shout that her baby was just fine. He had no idea what sort of enemies were here.

He got up and gently pulled his wife with him. Together, they began to walk towards the King of Adarlan. Just then, he saw Aelin walk around the corner with Fenrys, Rowan, and a strange male with red hair and a scar that added a dangerous edge to his handsome face.

Together, Lorcan and company walked towards Aelin.

“Who the hell are you,” Lorcan asked shortly of the redhead.

Aelin tsked. “Sorry about him, Lucien. He’s a miserable bastard, but don’t let him put you out. You ever need him to do something, just ask his wife, Elide.” She gestured to the woman whose hand Lorcan still held.

Lorcan scowled, but the male who Aelin referred to as Lucien looked him over and grinned.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lorcan demanded. The male with glossy red hair and a wicked scar to go with the metal eye on one side of his face only grinned and replied, "You're taller than Cassian."

“Who the hell is Cassian?”

Lucien shrugged. “Nobody important. An annoying, bratty, overgrown bat.” Lucien turned to Aelin. “I’m assuming you’ll want a safe place to stay temporarily with all your subjects.”

Aelin raised a brow. “Subjects?”

Lucien snorted. “I don’t think ordinary citizens walk around with that kind of glamour or with crowns on their heads.” He gestured to all of them. “I have a residence in this city. I’ll take you all there.”

Lorcan wasn’t sure if they could trust the male, but he seemed decent enough. Lorcan could smell no ill will on him. He wondered at the scar on his face. Fae did not scar easily, and for him to have a metal eye like that…he must have survived unbearable cruelty. He immediately thought of his wife’s ruined ankle, a product of the tower she had been locked in for ten years, and he clenched his teeth. What kind of fucked up shit went on in this world?

#lucien vanserra #pro lucien vanserra #lorcan salvaterre #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #fenrys moonbeam #elide lochan #manon blackbeak #dorian havilliard #chaol westfall #yrene towers #anti cassian #nesta archeron #gwyneth berdara #emerie of illyria #the valkyries #fanfic

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pianostarinwonderland · 1 year ago

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Hellooooo! I’m so glad that you’re still active and making insightful posts. Piggybacking off a thought from the recent tsum event, do you think Jade also has thoughts regarding individuality? Like, it’s obvious from Floyd that he wants to be seen as his own person and not always compared to his brother. But Jade? I’m guessing that he doesn’t care, but I think it’s partly because a lot of people who don’t know him personally think he’s the better twin and doesn’t need to compare him to Floyd because why would they?

Also, do you think that’s why the twins bonded to Azul in middle school? Not just because of his deals and magical prowess, but because he was clever and observant enough to tell them apart? Or do you think he learned to tell them apart after they had several chance meetings that later evolved into friendship?

It’s an important aspect of their relationship that I don’t think gets enough attention because I’ve seen fics or headcanons where the tweels switch and no one can tell them apart—not even Azul! This is just a nice crumb that I think really delves deep into their relationship without meaning to, but still leaves us wanting more.

Apologies for the ramble! I just wanted to know what your thoughts were!

rubs hands gleefully ohhh my dear, i am so glad you asked. :) And thank you so much for the kind words, even though I haven't been too active. I'm trying to get posts up and asks answered while things are much more free at this time.

It's been months since this ask came in oops, and iirc this ask is referring to tsum 2. In one of the stories in the main event, Floyd and Azul talked about when Azul and Jade found their respective tsums. That time, Azul was like, "Oh, did Floyd's tsum come back? No wait, upon closer inspection, that's Jade." Floyd then asked Azul how he was able to tell them apart, and his answer was something like, "I'm a businessman, I have to be good at knowing people." And Floyd's like, "Suuuuure."

Now, Floyd cares about individuality, that much is established. You see this in Floyd's School Uniform vignette and even in the beginning of his Platinum Jacket vignette.

But what about Jade?

So we don't really have a lot to go for since Jade is not the type to be open about these things. But I do agree that individuality is not in Jade's interest, not like Floyd. Rather, what I think is happening here is the "different yet the same" theme that has been at constant play with the tweels.

Okay, let's explain what this "different yet the same" theme is. Basically, it's Jade and Floyd doing different things, having different desires, yet it all connects to the same thing.

This is explicitly seen in Beans Day 1 and 2. Jade challenged Azul by making him think that Jade would shoot from there and thus lure him away from the harp. However, when he reached the tower and met Jade, Azul found that he had an empty bean shooter, and the real target was actually Yuu. Nevertheless, because he had no beans, Azul was able to tap him out.

Meanwhile, Floyd went fuck the rules and fought Azul (and Jamil) with empty bean shooters. It was against the rules, so it ended up being a fight where the harp no longer mattered. He ended up being caught by Azul as well.

And after capturing Floyd, Azul makes this comment:

Azul: Seriously, though. I can't believe BOTH of you challenged me to battle with empty bean blasters, just in different ways. You and your brother really are two peas in a pod. [From EN localization of Beans 2-38]

Jade and Floyd went about challenging Azul in different ways, Jade using mind games while Floyd was more of a physical brawl. But the commonality is that they used unconventional and even rule-breaking means: by using empty bean shooters.

You also see this theme in their Platinum vignettes. In particular, this is about what they do when they're interested in something and what pushes them to toss things away.

Platinum Jade vignette reveals that Jade disposes of things when he loses interest in them. It's also revealed that his interest in something is manifested in collecting numerous things of a fixation.

Jade: I suppose so. I don’t often choose to wear accessories as much anymore. Jade: Although, I do recall collecting a few hundred pieces… Riddle: A few hundred!? If you had collected that much, then I’m sure there would be some that still suit your tastes now… Jade: Perhaps. However, I have since disposed of all those accessories I collected back then. Riddle: Disposed all of them…? Even though you had so fervently collected them? Jade: Correct. Keeping things that no longer interest you is simply a waste of space, wouldn’t you say?

Jade: Ah yes, actually, there was something that caught my attention when I came to the surface, as well. Jade: It is nothing unusual, and in fact can be found pretty much anywhere on land… Jade: Once I took note of them, I could really feel the intention behind those that made them, as well as their various designs. It is profoundly fascinating. Riddle: Hmmm, nothing comes to mind. What is it that caught your attention that much? Jade: Fufu, well, that would be… manhole lids. Jade: Some lids are designed to show off local specialties or attractions. Jade: Of course, there are no manholes in the ocean. So my interest was piqued as I was searching up on what use they could possibly serve… Jade: For a little while, I did find myself collecting a few hundred various merchandise of manhole lids with unusual designs, as well. [TL by @mysteryshoptls]

Meanwhile, Platinum Floyd vignette (sort of) reveals that Floyd loses interest in something when it breaks. He also opens up that his interest really comes out when he's hunting for something that's hard to find.

Floyd: I once found this silver ring online that looks like an eel is wrapped around your finger. Kalim: Woah! I've never seen a ring that looks like that before! I bet it'd look good on you. Floyd: Riiight? But the manufacturers had already discontinued it. I wouldn't be able to find it so easily. Floyd: And when something is hard to get… doesn't it just make you want it more? Floyd: So, after that, I went looking for it, big time. Floyd: I went 'round to a bunch of second-hand shops that carry the brand, and even asked my pops to reach out to some of his connections who'd know about stuff like that. Floyd: I get bored pretty easily, so I usually don't try that hard trying to find just one thing. Cool, huh?

Floyd: When I put it on, it totally felt like the ring was made just for me! And I got super attached to it. Floyd: So then, I wore it pretty much all the time after that, even when I exercised or took showers… Floyd: It ended up getting a ton of scratches, and got all tarnished, man～

Floyd: Silver stuff tends to degrade pretty quickly if you don't take care of it, but the ring's design was a bit complicated, so it was way too annoying to clean. Kalim: Then, what if you remake it in platinum or white gold? They don't tarnish that easily. I can introduce you to one of my family's craftsmen! Floyd: Naaah. Kalim: Eh, why? I thought that was a pretty good idea… Floyd: C'mon, Sea Otter-chan. I was all happy because it was hard to get my hands on. Floyd: If I had someone make it for me, then that's not the same thing. Floyd: It's 'cause it took a ton of hard work and searching for it was fun that I like that specific ring. Floyd: Maybe it's a pain to clean, but I like it. So I'll use it until it breaks. [TL by @mysteryshoptls]

They like to find the thing(s) that pique their interest, just that Jade collects many, while Floyd hunts for one thing that's difficult. They stop caring or dispose of those things when they are no longer interesting. It's just that Floyd loses interest when it's broken, which may take a while. Jade loses interest rather quickly, and then he disposes of those things or abandons it if it's a hobby. Different ways of going about it, but the same at their core.

So now that we established that, what does this mean about what Floyd and Jade value? And what does this say about their relationship with Azul?

So we know Floyd values individuality and doesn't understand how people mix up him and Jade, as seen in his Platinum vignette. The way that I'd interpret it, he wants to be accepted as his own individual, as his own person. I think he values Azul for being able to recognize the person that he is, rather than just being Jade's twin. Floyd wants to be recognized and accepted as who he is.

Jade, on the other hand, I don't think he values individuality. Rather, I think he values connection and community. There are plenty of reasons why I think this is the case, and it needs its own post to be honest. But to make it short, the best proofs of this is, funnily enough, the game itself and the Platinum vignettes. Jade and Azul have been together in four events: Beans 1, Halloween 1, Camp 2, and Tsum 2. And in the current New Year event, Jade's card not only shows him wearing an outfit resembling Azul's uniform, but his elements are double Water, the same elements as Dorm Azul card. As for the Platinum vignettes, notice how Floyd describes having interest in one object that's hard to find, which may allude to individuality. Meanwhile, Jade collects multiple of the same thing, alluding to community.

And I think Jade values closeness with another because it means that the other has accepted him enough to allow him within their inner circle. And Jade in turn would allow that other person within his own inner circle. Thus, it creates a community that may be small but is trustworthy.

In short, where Floyd may value being seen as his own individual, Jade would value connection. But in the end, I think they both want one thing: acceptance. And Azul can and does give them that.

I also find that Azul is such a nice balance for the tweels who tend to sit on opposite ends of a spectrum.

Floyd, who tends to do things more physically, can connect to Azul, whose strength under the sea is admirable. Floyd, who enjoys obtaining things that require hard work, can connect with Azul, who works hard to obtain the things he wants. Floyd, who values his individuality, is interested in Azul, who wants to become the best version of himself.

Jade, whose energy is more focused on plotting and mind games, can connect with Azul, who's witty and able to manipulate things to his favor. Jade, who collects various things that interest him, is interested in Azul, who has his own growing collection of coins that has stayed until now. Jade, who values connection, wants to connect with Azul, who also wishes to connect with others, not just in a business sense, but also on a personal level with select folks.

It's a big part of why their teamwork works so seamlessly. Azul being able to connect with both of the twins allows him to make plans and schemes that can be done with both of them by his side. And while he acknowledges that he can't control the twins, Azul is able to get them to follow him willingly because of that connection they share.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst jp #azul ashengrotto #jade leech #floyd leech #ask

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themadlostgirl · 1 year ago

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Mine Alone

*Surprise bitch! I live!

Yes, after an extended hiatus I return! And I bring requests that have been haunting my inbox for months? A year? Sheesh. I will be getting the others out soon but gotta start with the one that was waiting the longest.*

Pairing: Felix x fem!Reader

Prompt: Felix smut. (That's all it said.) So enjoy you dirty little freaks!

---

You hadn’t really understood what was happening until it was too late. If that wasn’t the story of your life.

It had been a good couple of years since you came to Neverland. Even way back then you had been a little slow on the uptake. Nothing you did ever seemed that significant so you weren’t too worried about anything you did being noticed by anyone. No one ever gave you big jobs to do or positions of power you had to maintain. You just ambled along. It wasn’t that you were stupid, just a bit spacey. As a result you didn’t realize when something was wrong until it was well past the point of correction.

That was part of the reason you ended up on Neverland. Unloved kids came to dance around a bonfire late at night. You did too. You didn’t think anything strange of it, especially considering how many other people were there. So when the leader, Pan, offered to take you away from your boring life in your little town you agreed without much thought. Who would notice if you disappeared? There would be no great hunt for you. No people mourning you. No jobs that needed doing that only you could do. It was an easy decision on your part.

Despite it being years ago you still held some of that feeling of insignificance inside. There were so many other Lost Boys and Lost Girls on the island. Would your presence really be missed?

Then, along came Felix. Felix was one of the most prominent of the Lost Boys and Girls. He was Pan’s best friend and second in command of the island. He did something that only Pan had done once and hadn’t really again. He noticed you. Even more than that, he liked you.

What had started as an acquaintanceship turned into friendship and that friendship eventually became love. Your days were spent mainly with each other. You even shared a tent so you each could be the first thing you saw in the morning and the last thing you saw at night.

You once asked Felix why he had approached you all those years ago. What was it about you that made him want to be your friend? He never really answered it. He just said there was some pull he felt towards you. Like he was a ship on a still ocean and after years of being marooned, a breeze had finally come to push him to land.

“You had such a bright and open smile that you shared with everyone.” he had said, holding you close as you watched the waves crash on the sand. “I didn’t realize how strong it was until you turned it on me. I couldn’t stay away from you if I tried after that. Everything else came later.”

“Everything else?”

“Everything.” he said, “Your laugh. Your sense of humor. Your kindness. Your selflessness. I loved how passionate you got about little things. I love the little humming noises you make when you work. I love how tightly you hug. I love how fierce you can be when you need to be.”

“Wow. That’s a lot.”

“There’s a lot to love about you, dove.” he pulled you closer to his chest. “That was only the beginning.”

“You can be real romantic when you wanna be.”

“Yeah yeah, don’t go harping about it to the others though. For your ears only.”

“Yes, sir.” you gave a little salute. He scoffed but didn’t say anything else.

Since meeting Felix and starting your relationship you had come more out of your shell as well. You had become a lot more sociable with everyone else on the island and had made some good friends amongst them. You were still a little slow to catch on to when something was happening though. Which is where the problem really began.

You had been having a normal day when you met a boy named Andrew, Andy to his friends. You vaguely recognized him. He wasn’t new but he wasn’t an old inhabitant to the island either. Mainly you spotted him here and there but never really talked to him. The only reason you had approached him was because he was joining your fishing route to help you pull up traps.

Most of the time you spent together was walking the east half of the island checking the fishing traps. It was a long and boring job so you had got to talking. Turned out you had a lot in common. Your senses of humor were also similar so your time checking traps was spent laughing a lot. You didn’t think much of it. You were good friends, nothing more.

Felix was not as keen about your friendship though.

One day when you were out doing your route with Andy, Felix had showed up. You jogged up to greet him. “Hey, what are you doing here at this time of day?”

“I could hear you laughing.” he glanced past you at where Andy was standing. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, it won’t make a lot of sense if I try to explain it. Just a stupid inside joke.” you waved it off without a thought. “Have you met Andy yet?”

“In passing.” Felix muttered. “I didn’t realize you two were so close.”

“Yeah. We’ve become good friends.” you grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “Come say hi. I think that you’ll really like him.”

Surprising no one but yourself, Felix did not like Andy. Every time Andy made a joke, Felix’s scowl deepened. Every little touch had Felix seething. Whether it was when you ruffled Andy’s hair or Andy put an arm around your shoulders, everything seemed to make Felix mad. You didn’t understand why. It wasn’t anything different then how you acted with your other friends. Why did it make him so upset when it was with Andy of all people?

Then one day you got your answer.

You were doing your normal route checking the traps with Andy when he asked you to stop for a minute and take a break. That was fine with you. It was an especially hot day so you could do with some cooling off.

You waded out into the ocean, the cool water bringing your temperature down immediately. Andy swam after you and you floated on the surface of the ocean together.

“Hey, can I tell you something?” Andy asked, breaking the peaceful silence between you.

“You can tell me anything.” you said.

“So, we’re good friends, right?”

“We are.”

“And we get along great. We laugh all the time. I feel like I can talk to you about anything.”

“Yeah. That’s what being friends is.” you weren’t sure where he was going with all this.

“What I guess I’m trying to say is that I--” before he could finish his sentence a large wave crested over you and pushed you down under the water.

You broke the surface and Andy was sputtering for air. “Ah! I got water up my nose!”

“Ha!” you pushed your hair away from your face. “I guess that was the island’s sign that we should be getting back to work. Come on.” you swam back to shore with Andy behind you.

You got out of the water and grabbed your boots. You were still too wet to put them back on.

“Hey, wait, I didn’t get to tell you my thing.” Andy sloshed out of the water.

“Oh right, what did you need?”

“I wanted to tell you that I…I…” Andy was clenching and unclenching his fists by his sides. “Wow, I didn’t think this would be that hard.”

“What is going on? It’s just me.” you squeezed his shoulder, “You know you can talk to me.”

“I know.” he grabbed your hand. “I just…I’ve wanted to tell you for a while now that I…I really…”

He was taking forever to say whatever it was and your focus shifted behind him where you saw someone coming out of the jungle. Oh, it was Felix! That wasn’t surprising. He made a habit of coming to find you once your route was done. A smile stretched on your face after seeing him.

“Can I take that to mean you feel the same?” Andy asked.

You cursed yourself for losing your attention and focused on him again. “Hm? Sorry, I spaced out. What did you say?”

Andy deflated a bit before his chest puffed up again. “Perhaps I should just show you.”

He pulled on your hand so you were drawn closer to him and he cupped your cheek. His face was getting way too close! You pushed him off you. “What the hell are you--”

Before you could get another word out Felix had charged down the beach and tackled Andy, murder in his eyes. He didn’t even say anything. He just started wailing on him.

You shook off your shock and pulled Felix off. “Felix! Calm down!”

“I fucking knew it!” Felix seethed. “I knew there was no way you liked her just as a friend!”

“Felix--”

“You were so fucking pathetic! The way you just dogged after her. Did you really think she’d want a wet rag of an idiot like you!”

“Felix!” you snapped and he turned his attention away from Andy. “It’s okay. Nothing happened.”

“Nothing?” Andy wheezed as he sat up. “I know you like me. You’re so nice to me and you laugh at everything I say. You touch me like we’re more than friends.”

“I’m nice to everyone and I don’t touch you in any kind of special way. I’m a lot more touchy feely with the girls I hang out with than I am with you. Did you really think me messing up your hair was an invitation to kiss me or something?”

“You were flirting!”

“I was not! What about what I did made you possibly think I was flirting? Also, why would I flirt with you when I’m already with someone?”

“I figured you wanted someone you actually got along with. He doesn’t even act like he likes you. Why the hell are you with him?”

“Wow. It is almost like my love life is my own personal business and you don’t get to make assumptions on how much I like someone by your very limited point of view.” you snapped. “Find someone else to do this route with you. I don’t want to hang out with you anymore.”

You grabbed Felix and started to walk away but Felix quickly took the lead and pulled you along back into the jungle. He wasn’t saying anything but from how hard he was squeezing your hand you could tell he was still upset about it all.

“Hey,” you said as you quickened your steps to keep up with his long strides. “I’m sorry about what happened back there. I had no idea that he thought that way about me. I should have realized sooner what he was trying to get at. It should never have escalated to--”

“Stop.” Felix came to a halt, his back to you. “It wasn’t your fault. You were just being yourself, he was the one who--” he cut himself off. His whole body was tensed like a tightly wound spring that would break free at any moment.

“Felix…” you touched his shoulder. He whipped around, grabbing you tight by the shoulders.

“You’re mine. You’re mine and mine alone. Not his! Not anyone else’s! Mine!” It was then that you saw it. There was something like fear in his eyes. You had never seen Felix afraid of anything. But here and now there was something so desperate in his gaze that broke your heart.

“Yes. Yes I am.” you hushed him. You stroked his arms up and down in a soothing motion. “You know that. I don’t want anyone else the way I want you. You’re the only one I feel this way for. It’s alright. Take a deep breath.”

“I know…I know. I just--I can’t--” he was shaking slightly. “Do I not do enough? Do you wish I was more outwardly affectionate or something?”

“You do plenty. I love our relationship exactly as it is. I don’t need you to be glued to me all the time or make big romantic gestures.”

“If I did though, then they wouldn’t feel like they can just take you from me.”

“Is that what you’re worried about? Are you scared that someone is gonna take me away from you?”

He didn’t say anything. “Oh Felix.” you hugged him tight. “No one else will have me. I don’t want anyone else.”

“I love you.” he said, his voice quiet, “But I want to--it just feels like I have to--ugh!” he rested his head on your shoulder.

“It feels like you need to make sure I’m yours? Prove to everyone who I belong to?”

“You don’t belong to me, dove. You’re not a possession, but I just…I need it. I need to make sure I’m still yours.”

“You are. And I am yours, in every way that I can be. And if you need to “reclaim me” to put your mind at ease, then I’m certainly not going to complain.” you pulled dragged his hands down your body and settled them on your hips. “Claim me, Felix.”

He picked his head up, eyes boring into yours. “You sure?”

“Yes.” you pulled him down for a kiss. He kissed you back hungrily, his grip on you turning bruising as he covered your body with his. He dipped to start kissing your neck, sucking on the supple skin that still tasted like sea salt.

“Mine?” he mumbled against your pulse.

“Yours.” you reaffirmed.

He sunk his teeth down where your neck met your shoulder. One of his hands slid past the waistband of your pants and cupped your cunt. He began teasing your clit until you were moaning freely and bucking against his hand.

He stepped back from you just enough to pull your pants down and toss them away. “He had his hands on you. Tried to kiss you. Tried to kiss what is mine.” he muttered, his words barely meeting your ears. He stayed knelt on the ground, one hand splayed on your stomach to keep you up against the tree while the other hooked one your knees over his shoulder.

You grabbed at his choppy blonde hair as his mouth descended on your pussy. He might as well have been dying of thirst with how greedily he lapped up your arousal. You tried to grind against his face but he kept you firmly in place.

He looked up at you from between your legs, eyes dark with a feral lust. He worked you over with his tongue until your chest was heaving and your legs were shaking. “Felix! Please!” your voice was barely more than a whimper.

His nails bit into the flesh of your thigh and he sucked harshly on your clit. It was enough to send you over the edge and you came on his tongue.

You had barely started to blink the stars away from your vision before he was on his feet and shucking your shirt off over your head. In the back of your mind you knew that perhaps you should have moved to somewhere more private. It was a big island but that didn’t mean no one may come across you. That worry though was far from your immediate thoughts at the moment though.

You were quickly ridding Felix of his own shirt but it was hard to get up past his head on your own since he was so freaking tall. He ended up just taking it off himself before pressing his body up against yours.

“Feels like forever since the last time I properly fucked you.” he muttered in your ear as he freed his cock from his pants and rubbed it across your folds. The heat of his erection so close to your cunt had you squirming trying to impale yourself on it.

It had been a while since the last time you two had sex. Maybe that was part of the reason he was so pent up. And you as well for that matter.

He pressed his forehead to yours. “I can’t be gentle with you.” he stressed through his teeth, “Not right now.”

“I don’t want you to be.” you told him. “Now are you going to fuck me so hard I never forget who I belong to or not?”

“Fucking hell, dove.” he kissed you hard. He pushed inside your pussy, filling you completely. He didn’t give you a chance to adjust to the size of him before he was pounding into you. Taking what he wanted from your body without mercy. You clung tight to him, your nails scratching angry red lines across his back as you took the harsh fucking.

“Ah…Felix! Mmm!” you bit your lip to keep from crying out. It was hard to tell where the pleasure started and the pain began. Your back was being scratched to death by the bark at your back but the friction of his cock relentlessly thrusting in and out of your already sensitive pussy felt like heaven.

“Mine.” he murmured against your lips. “You. Are. Mine.” he punctuated each word with a particularly hard thrust.

“Yours. I’m yours.” you whimpered. He swallowed the sound of your moans as your body was being driven steadily closer to a climax.

“Fuck!” his hips snapped against yours even faster. “Dove, I--I--fuck you feel good!”

“Cum for me.” you wrapped your legs around his hips, keeping you close. “Please Felix! Cum for me! Cum in me!”

“Yes…yes dove…gonna…gonna--” he was cut off by a low guttural moan as his cock pulsed and spent itself inside you. He was still fucking you though even as he was cumming.

“Oh god!” you could feel his cum leaking out of you as his cock kept going. How was he still hard after cumming so much?

“More.” he said, his voice hoarse from pleasure. You were sure what he meant but were surprised when he pulled out of you and all but threw you to the ground. You turned to see what he was doing but he flipped you back onto your stomach and hiked your ass off the ground. Oh! You weren’t expecting that. At least the ground was soft so it’d be easier on your knees.

He grabbed you by the hips and pushed back inside you. It felt like he was reaching even deeper inside of you from this position.

Your nails dug into the warm soil of the jungle floor as he went back to fucking you. He was hitting a sweet spot inside you that had you panting and clawing at the ground for some kind of tether to reality. Your legs spread wider to allow him better access to your cunt.

You could feel him bent low over your body, hands splayed on your hips as he rutted against you like a beast in heat. You could feel the fringe of his hair tickling the space between your shoulder blades. A single word grunting past his lips with every sweet shallow thrust. “Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine!”

You squirmed and kicked as your body was driven into a state of pleasure that was overloading your brain. You couldn’t tell if you were trying to get away or push yourself closer to him. Felix answered by dragging your legs back so they rested by his. He was so incredibly close it was hard to tell where his body began and yours ended. Not that you could tell up from down in this exact moment.

Your words were nothing but hot blubbering sighs and garbled calls of his name. Hot tears streaked down your face. Still Felix kept chanting that one word over and over. “Mine!” it got louder and louder until he was practically shouting it.

When he came you came with him, a scream of pleasure so raw it tore your throat apart. Your chest was heaving and your whole body was twitching as it tried to reconcile the orgasm you just had.

Felix was incredibly still except for the heavy breaths you could feel him taking. His voice which had been so loud a moment ago was now quiet and hushed with whispers. “Mine…mine and mine alone…my dove…mine…”

You collapsed onto your sides but Felix kept you pressed close, his softening cock still wedged in your pussy as you caught your breath. His arms wound around you, holding you tight. “You…are you okay?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Yeah. Are you?”

He pressed a soft kiss to the back of your neck. “Yeah. Thanks for letting me get that out of my system.”

“It was my pleasure…literally.” you responded. He sighed which let you know he was fighting back a smile.

“Felix?” you turned your head as far back as you could to look at him. Your nose bumped against his. “Mine.”

He smiled. “Yes, dove. Yours.”

#ouat #long post #felix imagine #felix x reader #ouat felix #smut #neverland #peter pan ouat #request

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undertheopensky · 1 year ago

Text

We Are But Children 3

Whumptober Day 21: Restraints

Characters: Time, Legend, lil bit of Hyrule and Warriors

Trigger warnings: Violence to a child, mild body horror, minor character death, don’t worry it’s no one you care about, I was going to say it’s not graphic but SOMEONE had other ideas

Read on Ao3!

Late to the party? Read Part 1 and Part 2!

-----

Blinking, the newly-babyfied Time glances around. “Well this is inconvenient.”

Everyone’s tense, almost too afraid to breathe. Four had panicked and cried; Legend had panicked and grabbed a weapon. No one wants to know what Time will do - or accidentally scare him into doing it.

It’s Wars who approaches him. Calm, and smiling, and visibly praying he’ll be recognised. “Hey, bud. Nothing fazes you, huh?”

“Why would it? I’m used to portals and weird wizzrobes at this point.” Baby!Time squints at his own hands. “I admit it’s been a while, though.”

“Okay,” says Warriors. “What’s the last thing you remember, Mask?”

Baby-fine hairs glimmer in the firelight as the child raises one eyebrow. “Been a long time since you’ve called me that, Wars.”

Warriors’ face screws up, losing the steady gentleness that was making Legend’s hair stand on end. “What?”

“I’m fine, Wars, I didn’t lose anything. Weird wizzrobe, not the first time, I’m going to be very short for the next three days.” Adult!Time’s amusement at their bafflement looks creepy as fuck on Baby!Time’s face.

“Wait,” Legend demands, “why the hell does he get to retain his memories while I spent three days embarrassing myself?”

“I am the Hero of Time, you know,” says Baby!Time, with unbearable smugness for such a tiny child.

Legend makes an outraged noise. “Excuse you, I have definitely fucked around enough with the Harp of Ages to –”

Exactly what he was going to say is drowned out by Warriors squawking “LANGUAGE!” and clapping his hands over Baby!Time’s ears.

“He is thirty –”

“Ah-t-t-t! I don’t care! He is like seven and you will watch your language!”

Legend fumes silently but has to drop the argument.

Baby!Time wrestles Warriors’ hands away from his head. “I dunno why you bother, I already learned all the good curses from the soldiers.”

“I’m trying not to make that problem any worse, thank you.” Still, Warriors lets him go. “Now - you sure you’re okay? You’re not sore, or dizzy? You still remember everyone?”

“It’s strange.” Time spreads his arms like a bird. “I still have all my adult memories, and sensations, but they’re less… relevant, somehow. Not as close to the surface.” He takes a few steps, without so much as a wobble. “I don’t feel off balance, or anything.”

“That’s interesting, actually,” says Hyrule, wide-eyed. “When people go through growth spurts they’re often really clumsy until they get used to their new height or reach – I would have thought it would happen in reverse, too.”

Baby!Time nods thoughtfully. “It’s not, though. Maybe all the adult stuff is being held down by the magic too?”

“You’re taking this pretty well,” Sky observes.

Baby!Time shrugs. “I did say I’m used to it.”

“I’m not,” says Warriors. He keeps rubbing at his eyes like they’re bothering him. “My brain is not coping with Baby!Time.”

“You could just go back to calling me Mask.”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“I mean, if it makes you feel better,” Baby!Time says. “A nickname’s a nickname. You all call me ‘old man’ half the time, anyway.”

“Ohhhh, that’s so weird,” Twilight mutters, looking vaguely horrified.

Legend snorts. “All in favour of calling him ‘Mask’ for the next three days?”

“Aye,” comes the chorus.

“Well if that’s settled, can we maybe make a plan on what to do next?” asks Wild. “Because I definitely saw some of the moblins making a run for it while we were distracted with the wizzrobe.”

“Can’t leave those running around,” Wars agrees with a sigh. “Twi, see if you can fetch Wolfie, we’ll need him for tracking - wait, fuck. Mask. Twilight can you introduce Mask to Wolfie while you’re at it? I know he’s great but he’s a wild animal and I do not want any mistakes.”

“Sure thing,” says Twilight, with an impressive lack of inflection. “C’mon, kiddo.”

Baby!Time - Mask - shrugs, and runs after him.

They don’t catch up with the monsters that day, despite Wolfie’s best efforts, and make camp deep in the woods when they lose the light. Wolfie could have kept leading them - he’s not following visible sign, after all - but no one wants to wander blindly into an ambush.

In the morning, Legend rouses to the not-unfamiliar dulcet tones of Warriors cursing. “Why are you allowed to swear and I’m not?” he says.

Warriors makes a strangled noise of surprise. Legend grins, still without opening his eyes. “Because until three seconds ago I thought I was the only one awake!” he hisses. “Goddess above, Ledge!”

“Not my fault you have shitty situational awareness,” says Legend, and sits up. “What’re you swearing at?”

Warriors gestures angrily with the flopping leather in his hand. “My boots don’t fit!”

“They can’t possibly have shrunk overnight, and I doubt your feet have swelled that much, they’re not your head.” Still, Legend leans over to take a look. They… definitely look too small. And too short, actually. Wars has fully fitted calf-length boots with buckles for plates to be strapped on; these would barely cover his ankles even if they were the right size. What the hell?

While they puzzle over this the rest of the camp has started to wake up. Twilight - always up with the sun - is gently shaking Wild, while the champion mumbles a constant litany of ‘five more minutes’. Sky is yawning and stretching. Hyrule, last on watch, is packing away all his gear and making sure Sky doesn’t fall asleep again.

“What are you guys doing?”

They both look up. Wind’s standing over them, trying to look stern and managing something closer to ‘delightedly baffled’. “Where’d you get those shoes, Wars? Why? They’re never gonna fit you! Do you have a kid we don’t know about?”

“What?! No!” Warriors makes a garbled noise, caught between embarrassment and indignance. “Why would you even -? No, they’re not mine! I don’t even know where they came from!”

Wind huffs. “Then whose are they?”

“I suspect they’re mine,” says Four, stumping over in boots that are clearly about six sizes too large.

“How the fuck did that happen?” says Wars. They’d been sleeping on opposite sides of camp, for Nayru’s sake. There’s no way their boots could have gotten mixed up in the dark.

“I don’t know and I don’t care, just gimme my shoes.” Four kicks off Wars’s boots and grabs his own, sitting down to put them on properly and adding, “You better not have split any of the stitching with your massive clodhoppers.”

“I stopped trying when I couldn’t even get my toes in!”

The bickering would probably have gone on a lot longer if Hyrule hadn’t started making anxious noises about getting a move on. It’s not safe to stay in one place for too long in this area, he tells them. And he is the expert, so they get a move on. Wild hands out rice balls. It’s not the first time they’ve had breakfast on the go.

It sends a bit of a jolt down Legend’s spine, every time he glances up the line of heroes and doesn’t see Time’s broad frame near the front. It’s disconcerting.

Mask doesn’t have the same movement patterns, either. Besides the obvious, not being Time, he also doesn’t lead the pack. He follows at Warriors’ heels, or sticks close behind Twilight, or walks so near to Hyrule it’s a miracle he doesn’t get stepped on.

Then Sky turns around to ask Wind a question, spots Mask, and nearly trips over himself with a shriek.

The whole party stumbles to a halt.

“I’m sorry, I thought you knew I was there!” Mask says, while Sky frantically tries to apologise for almost stepping on him. “I’ll be more careful, I’m sorry.”

The thing is, it keeps happening.

Legend wonders about that. Mask had said his adult memories were less relevant, somehow. Does he feel more vulnerable, as a child? Like he needs to be closer to the adults to be safe?

Whatever the case, it’s fucking annoying. Four startles badly whenever Mask’s shadow falls on him – towered over by even the literal child. Warriors jumps about a foot in the air when the wind briefly tangles his scarf around Mask and he feels it tug. Wind offers to give him a piggyback ride, since that’s clearly what he wants if he’s standing so close, which lasts a hilarious but short five minutes before Wind admits defeat. Mask is small, but there’s a lot of muscle under his tunic.

Finally, after Wild does an awkward somersault to keep from landing on the boy, Twilight comes up and plops him on Epona instead. Mask seems happy enough with this arrangement. Legend just breathes a sigh of relief that he doesn’t have to worry about the kid stepping on his shoes anymore.

They make good enough time that by evening, they don’t need Wolfie dropping in and out to keep them on the right track; the trail left by the fleeing monsters is enough for any Hylian eye to follow. At this point, though, they’re even more suspicious of an ambush.

“Everyone okay with stopping for the night?” Warriors calls, as the sky fades to duller shades of orange.

“I’m hardly going to complain,” Sky says, slumping almost on the spot. He’s nearly grey under the flush of exertion. Their pace has been a little much for him, though he hasn’t said a word of complaint. Legend marks that, and hopes they catch up tomorrow.

Wind also collapses more or less where he stands, and starts pulling his boots off. “I hate walking,” he complains, not for the first time. Unlike Sky, he will gleefully inform the world at large of every small discomfort. “Give me a boat any day. Ugh! I have blisters!”

“Were you wearing socks?”

“No! They’re itchy!”

“For the love of Nayru, sailor…”

While Wars patches him up and scolds him over foot care, the rest of them set up camp. “No fire tonight,” Wild tells them, “smoke’s too much of a risk.”

Legend makes a face - cold dinner tonight - but no one argues. It’s at least not cold cold out here. Their bedrolls will be warm enough without the need for a fire to keep from freezing to death.

As Twilight hauls his bedroll down from Epona, he staggers a bit under its weight. And it’s bulky, for sure, but not heavy, not to someone who slings goats around for a living. He must be tired from running back and forth all day long. Legend keeps an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t collapse or something, but Twilight’s just frowning as he lays out the thick padding, struggling with it more than usual. Then, he flips open the top layer.

His bedroll is full of rocks.

Twilight stares. So does everyone else. “What the hell?”

It’s not easy to read Adult!Time - he nearly always looks placidly amused.

Mask’s poker face isn’t nearly as good. Despite having all Time’s control and experience, the softness of his face gives him away. His eyes crinkle at the corners and his lips go tight trying not to smile.

Twilight spots it immediately. His eyes narrow. As he turns to flee, Mask starts laughing, which both gives him away and makes escaping impossible. Twilight catches him with ease.

“You little gremlin!” Twilight shouts over Mask’s laughter. He shakes him, gently, where he’s dangling him upside down by his ankles.

Mask seems unconcerned by this. He’s still laughing, gleeful and unrepentant in the face of Twilight’s brotherly wrath. “Your face! That was the best, I’m so glad I didn’t do it to Wars he’s so boring about people messing with his bed -”

“What gets me to sleep faster, freaking out about it or fixing the problem?” says Warriors, without looking up.

“See?” Mask complains, giggling as Twilight shakes him again.

“You little gremlin,” Twilight repeats. “I can’t believe you. Come on, then, you’re helping me get all the rocks out.” He flips Mask the right way up and scrubs a rough but friendly hand through his hair.

“‘Kay,” says Mask cheerfully.

It’s not a difficult task - all they really need to do is upend the bedroll and shake it out. Mask hadn’t used any stones smaller than a thumbnail so there was no worry about things getting caught in the corners, and they were all too smooth to damage the fabric. The bedroll is clean and ready to go in less than five minutes. Twilight sighs in relief. “Alright, menace, I’ll let you off the hook - but don’t do it again, y’hear?”

Mask blows a raspberry at him. “It’s no fun doing the same thing twice!”

Then he runs off, jumping on an unsuspecting Wind with a war cry.

Ignoring the wrestling match that breaks out, Twilight asks, “Was he always such a hellion?”

“I think he was actually worse,” says Wars.

-----

This time Legend comes to with a massive fucking headache. Also, the floor is moving, which he does not appreciate at all. It’s making his stomach feel so much worse. He groans in protest, and hears an answering groan from nearby. Fuck, that means he needs to wake up more and be functional.

What had happened? The expected ambush hadn’t been challenging. The moblins were black-blooded, yes, and smart enough to set up shop in the least defensible spot in the region so the Chain had no cover when they attacked, and wound up split off into smaller groups. But between his ice rod and Hyrule’s Thunder spell they’d cleared out the moblins, and the out-of-time lizalfos that showed up to investigate, and he, Hyrule, and Mask had been headed for the last place they’d seen the others when -

Nothing.

So something probably happened in that nothing.

Goddess, his head hurts.

Thinking about it isn’t getting him anywhere, so Legend braces himself to crack open his eyes.

Fortunately, it’s dark, so his head doesn’t do more than thump briefly about the new stimulus before settling down to sulk. Hyrule is the first thing his eyes catch on.

Even in the dark it looks bad. He’s an awkward tangle of limbs in unconsciousness, blood all through his hair and tunic torn over an untreated wound, stirring vaguely when Legend calls his name. Through the gloom, Legend can tell his eyes aren’t quite in focus. Damn. “C’mon, Rulie,” he coaxes, “talk to me.”

Hyrule groans again. “M’head…”

Yeah, that’s fair. Legend looks again at the blood, reminds himself that Hyrule’s at least mostly conscious, and tries to shake off the nausea. Though maybe that’s from the rocking floor. Hopefully Mask at least had gotten away -

“What hit me?” Mask grumbles from behind him, and there goes that hope.

“Fuck this shit,” Legend says, or slurs, rather, and fuck, Rulie’s not the only one with a concussion. No wonder his head is killing him. He tries to roll over - and realises his hands are trapped behind his back, hard-cold-biting-edges pinning his wrists together. His blood goes to ice.

The darkness – the moving floor – the restraints –

It all adds up to captured.

Hyrule’s in the middle of the same realisation – foggy eyes going wide with panic. He thrashes, fighting whatever has his arms pinned, booted feet thumping against the wooden wall.

It’s instinct to lunge forward. Legend discovers too late that his manacles are actually hooked to something, brought up short by the yank in his shoulders. He curses instead, and tries to calm him with words alone. “Easy, easy Rulie, it’ll be okay, we’ll get out of this -”

Hyrule kicks the wall again.

“Please Rulie you’ll hurt yourself -”

The floor jolts to a stop.

Hyrule gasps. Legend’s stomach lurches – partly from the rolling motion ceasing, partly from anxiety at whatever was about to happen. The manacles dig in painfully as he leans back on his arms to roll into a sit. (And ignores the way his vision goes white, then black, then slow, spotty grey, as the pain crests and fades back.)

Footsteps, muffled; crunching on gravel, coming around to the door of the carriage. There’s a long moment of rattling metal. Keys in a lock. Then the door swings wide.

Legend doesn’t let the blinding, nauseating light stop him from barking, “What the fuck d’you think you’re doing?”

Shackled to a wall, concussed and listing, he doesn’t make for a very threatening picture. He only gets laughter in response.

“Whad’you even want with us?” he demands, all too aware of the two behind him. Just as trapped, just as helpless. He’s the oldest, here, the veteran hero; it’s up to him to find a way out.

The bandit grins at him, silhouetted in the doorway.

“Knew we’d get a good haul outta you, didn’t we? At first we was just gonna take your magic stuff. One good quality fire rod can go for thousands to the right buyer. Then we saw ya throwin’ lightnin’ around, an’ realised - just how much more would we get, for real live magical creatures? Ones pretendin’ t’be Hylian, walkin’ among civilised folks? We ain’t dealt in live cargo in a while, but we still got the stuff for it.”

Legend’s only half-listening. As he adjusts to the glare outside he’s scanning and assessing, and does not like what he sees.

A least eight people visible, all in the same sort of hard wearing, mismatched clothing. More surrounding the cart; he can hear muttering and laughter from out of view. Everyone’s hard-eyed and alert, and everyone’s armed. Not with the usual rusty shit bandits tend to scrounge up, either. There’s quality steel on some of those backs. Not good.

“You should let Mask go, then,” Legend argues. “He’s just a kid - he’s got no talent for magic.”

The bandit snorts. “Anyone who can keep up with things like you two’ll be worth somethin’. And those marks? If ‘e ain’t fae-touched, then I’m a chuchu.

“We’ve got a long ways to go yet, so just sit back an’ enjoy the ride. An’ quit kickin’ the walls – ain’t no one out here to hear you, an’ I don’t want you damagin’ the merchandise.”

With one last black grin, the door to the carriage slams closed.

“Well that sounds like bullshit.” Mask sits up, and Legend sees that he’d been bound in rope rather than iron. He hopes, vaguely, that that means these fuckers don’t usually capture children-sized people, and so had to improvise. Whatever the case, it meant a flexible, squirmy child was able to wriggle free, before the carriage even lurches back into motion. “Obviously we’re not gonna stick around here, so what’s the plan?”

“I want my shit back,” says Legend, doing his best not to slur the words. “An’ I’d rather not go through the black market for it.”

“We probably shouldn’t leave these guys to steal things and sell people, either.” Mask makes a face. “No offence, though, you two look like shit. You’re in no condition for a fight.”

Legend growls, but can’t really argue. His headache has not been improved by the rising stress of the situation. If he tried to stand up right now, he’d probably fall, and maybe pass out into the bargain. Hyrule has blood running down his face from the blow that knocked him out, and Legend suspects his successor feels even worse than he does right now. The kid’s barely even following the conversation. “So, what? Think you can jump out of here and find the others in time? Don’t even know where we are.”

“Nah, I’ve got a better idea.” Mask frowns, then, chewing his lip in a way that Warriors would definitely have scolded him for, before saying, “Don’t freak out, okay? Wars always does, but it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

“That is the most concerning thing you could possibly have said,” says Legend, but no one can reach to stop him as he shoves a hand down his own tunic to reveal –

A carved wooden mask.

That’s hardly surprising - Adult!Time has quite the collection, after all. Though why Baby!Time had opted to stash one in his tunic is anyone’s guess. It’s also not one Legend’s seen before. Shaggy white hair, the angles of a Hylian face marked with bright colour, and dark voids where the eyes should be.

A chill runs over him. “Mask - what is that thing?”

Mask hesitates. “Don’t freak out,” he repeats, lifting the wood to his face.

“Mask stop!”

Too late. Mask curls in on himself and keens, high and strangled. There’s a crunching sound like bones underfoot, the squelch of raw meat tearing.

Legend’s shouting. Hyrule’s struggling against the shackles to come and help. But they can’t reach him. Mask is alone, as the sickening noises stop, and his stifled cries go quiet.

“Mask?” Legend calls, suddenly and terribly afraid. “Time?”

Slowly, he turns, and Legend tries not to be visibly alarmed. He’s – too tall to be Mask, and too short to be Adult!Time; he looks Legend’s age, despite the shock white hair. But it’s not that, or the hair, or even the newly-mirrored markings on his face that make his stomach turn. It’s the eyes – pure white, and strangely reflective, like polished porcelain.

They’re empty.

The – being – Legend’s not confident calling them ‘Time’ anymore – glances around the carriage as if taking it in. Their head tilts. Considering. Then, they put one hand over their shoulder to grasp at the air like they’re grasping for a sword. And suddenly there is a sword, nearly as long as he is tall, with two blades intertwined in a strange spiral pattern.

Legend breaks out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, the being’s not even looking at him. All the intensity of their focus is on the door, contemplating it like a complex dungeon puzzle. Legend’s almost too afraid to breathe, lest it draw the looming mountain of their attention.

Their other hand goes up to the hilt, and they draw.

Legend can’t help it - he scrabbles back, feet slipping on the cool wood. The being doesn’t so much as glance his way. They lift the blade, studying its smooth curves, with no sign of the effort it should take to lift its bulk, and their head tilts again.

Then the sword flashes, and wood explodes outward.

Bandits scream in surprise. Legend can’t see; between the blinding light and the splintered remains of the door his view’s restricted to a sliver, but the being is no longer in the carriage with them and there’s all the sounds of a fight outside. He curses and struggles with his manacles again. Legend hates feeling useless, but here and now, all he can do is listen to the screech of metal on metal, the shouts and curses of the gang, and strange, wet-sounding thumps as heavy things hit the ground and don’t get back up.

Something strikes the cart with enough force to set it rocking. It’s followed by the distinctive sound of a blade thrust into flesh, a boot sucking free of deep mud. Hyrule jolts at the noise, and squints across the wagon at Legend to check him for injury. Legend would laugh if he wasn’t wound so tight.

Eventually, things go quiet, except for the nervous stomping of the carthorse. Legend’s heart is thundering in his ears. He feels like he was the one fighting, the way his breath comes in short, trembling huffs. And with the shouting gone there’s no way to tell what’s happening -

There’s a noise of irritation. Then there’s a crunch, and what’s left of the door wrenches free, letting sunlight stream in unimpeded. Legend squints, but doesn’t turn away. (Hyrule does, burying his face in the floor. Kid must have one hell of a headache.)

The being with Time’s face appears. They are, not unexpectedly, doused in blood. More unexpectedly, the flat expression has relaxed into something not quite like a smile.

It is not reassuring.

The being hauls themselves up into the wagon. Hyrule grunts at the vibration of their boots hitting the floor - now that Legend’s looking, they’re wearing half armour, plates over the chest and legs and heavy armoured boots, completely unlike the child’s tunic Mask had changed into.

“Time?” he tests, deliberately rocking up onto his knees.

As planned, the being’s eyes shift from Hyrule to his movement. “I am not the Hero of Time.” Their head tilts, identical to the way they’d looked at the door, seconds before it turned to matchsticks. Somehow, though, Legend’s not afraid. The sense of constrained energy that had set his teeth on edge just… isn’t there, anymore. “You are bound. I will release you.”

Using the massive sword as a cutting tool seems like overkill, but it gets the job done. There’s a shriek and a crack, and some of the pressure on Legend’s hands releases. When he pulls them around, the band of metal holding the manacles together is cut through.

“If you’re not Time, or - Mask, then - where is he? He better be okay.” The last part comes out forlorn instead of aggressive, which pisses him off.

“The Hero of Time is asleep, young one,” the being tells him. Hyrule’s restraints get the same treatment, letting the dazed hero sit up properly without the chains caught up around their mooring pole. “He will not wake until my task is done.”

“And what is your task, exactly?” Legend moves to check on Hyrule - he’s been way too quiet, even after riding out a panic attack.

“To fight until the fighting is done. That is always my task: to fight the battles the Hero of Time cannot win.”

“Wait, so if he’s had you in reserve this whole time, why hasn’t he ever used you before now?”

The thing wearing Time’s face smiles, slow and cruel.

“He knows better than to call on me for such paltry matters. The cost would be far too high.”

Legend’s heart freezes. “Cost?”

“I am a god of war. And war always takes its price. Where it gets it is of no concern.”

“What kind of cost? If you’ve hurt him -”

“The Hero of Time has always been very aware of the price some things demand. For that reason alone, he would have been one of my favoured.” The being sighs, still smiling that terrifying smile. “But… my work is done, and the penance is paid. Farewell for now, heroes.” They lift one hand to their familiar-alien face.

The change back is quicker, somehow. A rush of air and magic power draining away, and suddenly it’s Mask’s hands holding the carved wooden face, smiling up at Legend. He looks tired, but not wrecked, as Legend had feared when he’d heard the enchantment boiling to life through his bones. “So, was he nice to you? He better have been. I yelled at him the last time he scared Wars.”

“I don’t think ‘nice’ is the right word to use,” says Legend, still a little stunned.

Mask groans. “Did he at least solve our bandit problem?” He hops back out of the wagon to check. Legend, after taking a moment to collect the still-unsteady Hyrule, follows.

Outside is sheer carnage. It’s less ‘bodies’ than ‘pieces’, and Legend has to look away and swallow hard. He’s not used to this kind of aftermath - doesn’t usually fight people, just manifestations of hatred that can’t hold corporeal form once killed.

There’s so much blood.

Mask ignores it with an ease that Legend’s going to find upsetting later. He leads them around to the front of the cart, where the carnage is less; the bandits had all rushed to the main source of the fight, not hung around waiting for it to come to them. The bay mare hooked up to the wagon snorts at them, eyes and nostrils wide.

“He left the horse alive,” Legend says blankly. He’d heard it, even after the sounds of battle faded, but somehow hadn’t quite conceptualised it.

“Well sure. It’s not her fault she was owned by assholes.” Mask steadies the mare with a few gentle words and a firm hand on the bridle. “Besides - she can carry us a lot further and a lot faster than we can go on foot. Now c’mon, help me search this thing for our bags, ‘cause if they dumped them somewhere it’s gonna make our lives so much harder.”

Legend does in fact find their packs, in a poorly-hidden compartment under the driver’s bench. Which is great, because now he doesn’t have to go hunting his gear down. It’s even better because there’s still half a red potion in here somewhere with Hyrule’s name on it.

Hyrule’s eyes clear as the potion does its work, though there’s still a visible knot above his ear. “Legend, what - you okay?”

“He’s fine, I’m fine, we’re all fine except the bad guys,” Mask interrupts. “More importantly: how are we gonna get back to the others?”

“I say we head back the way we came and make a decision when there’s a split in the road,” says Legend. He really just wants to be done with this day. Sleep sounds fantastic right now, so it’s a pity he’s got long hours piecing together the bandits’ route ahead of him. He hates backtracking. Backtracking on other people’s bullshit is even worse.

The horse doesn’t care about backtracking; the horse is all too eager to leave the blood-soaked stretch of road behind them, once they get her turned around. In hindsight, Legend’s really glad she didn’t take off when people started dying loudly and messily nearby. He wouldn’t have blamed her, but he also doesn’t fancy being chained up in the back of a runaway cart.

Miracle of miracles, they’ve been on the road less than half an hour when they start seeing flashes of colour through the trees. Hyrule squints. “Is that Four?”

“Aaand Wolfie,” says Mask with a sigh, as frantic barking becomes audible.

“Thank Nayru, Din and Farore,” says Four, flinging himself off Wolfie when the canine skids to a halt. “We were so worried, are you all alright, are those manacles - fuck, Ledge, you’re bleeding -”

“What, still?” says Legend blankly, touching fingers to scalp.

Wolfie glances up from where he’d been sniffing noses with the carthorse and gives a disapproving ‘boof’.

“Shut up, there was more important shit to deal with,” Legend tells him.

Four makes short work of the manacles - someday Legend’s going to ask just how he manages to keep a mini-forge on his person at all times - and he’s just pulling off the last one when the rest of the group comes jogging up.

“Goddesses, Mask, what happened?!” Wild exclaims. “You’ve got -” he gestures to his face - “all over!”

“Oh yeah, I forgot he does that when I’m little.” Mask runs an absent-minded finger over one blood-marked cheek. “The markings are protective. In places where they’re known, bad guys won’t risk touching me. Even Ghirahim thought twice, and he was a grade-A creeper. Sorry, Sky.”

“Why are you apologising, you’re right,” Sky protests. “Also what’s this about you dealing with Ghirahim, oh my god-”

Honestly, Legend hadn’t even noticed that when the being faded away to leave Mask in their place, the facial markings had stayed, instead of the half-version he was used to seeing on Time. He touches his head again with a frown.

“Legend needs a potion!” Hyrule calls.

“Hyrule needs another one!” Legend shoots back.

Warriors rolls his eyes and hands them both a bottle. “Things must have been pretty dire if he had to use the Fierce Deity, and to be honest you both look like hell.”

“Fuck you too,” Legend grumbles. In truth, the potion is working wonders on the stabbing pain behind his eyes. He hadn’t even realised how sore his neck and back were until it all starts to fade, leaving him wrung-out and tired. It’s almost worth the horrible bitter taste, not at all hidden by the wildberries Wild had tried adding.

While they were getting medic-ed the conversation had gone on without them, which means Legend is treated to the hilarious and context-free picture of ten-year-old Mask being toted around on Sky’s hip like a four-year-old. Mask is clearly resigned to this, if not exactly pleased.

He’s even less pleased when Warriors starts questioning him. “So what’s this I hear about letting Fierce Deity out to play without a minder?”

“Oh come on, he’s fine!”

Legend thinks back to waiting chained up in near-darkness, wet gurgles and the choked cries of the dying outside with no way to know if they would be next, and has to hold back a shudder.

-----

Inspired by this amazing piece of art!

#whumptober 2023 #linked universe #lu time #lu mask #lu legend #lu hyrule #lu warriors #just a bit #skies writes #as usual not supposed to get this long #i stg NO ONE wanted to shut up #this took FOREVER.#i am not entirely happy with this but i also very much am sick of looking at it #day 22 my beloved here we come!

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