#zora deserved better

[bobapril]

Star Trek: Discovery finale rant and spoilers below the fold.

I am so mad about how Zora's story ended. We all know from "Calypso" how miserable she was, for so long. And sure, it's great they at least remembered that long enough to explain how she got there - but that explanation was actually insulting, both to her as a sentient being/friend to the crew, and to us as the audience. "Sorry, Zora, we have to dump you out in the middle of space all alone. Why? Well, it's a Red Directive - that's all we can tell you. Sure, you saved our asses time and time again. You literally handed us a weapon that would let us kill you at will just so we would trust you enough to let you live. And of course, you've got all the knowledge you need to become a galactic life-destroying AI, which you helped us take away from ANOTHER life-destroying AI and then chose not to use yourself...but we can't trust you with any details on why your abandonment is so important." "Oh, and by the way, sorry for leaving you all alone on this apparently mothballed ship for who knows how long - but hey, at least that was good practice for your next ultra-important mission of being abandoned forever!" For five years, I've been defending Michael Burnham from her detractors, extolling her virtues as quite possibly the most effective officer Starfleet ever produced. And I'll continue to do so - but this last task is a betrayal of everything she stands for. Zora deserves FAR better, as a sentient, as a crewmate, and as a friend. And so do we. Data sacrificed himself - repeatedly, as it happens - and that's fine, because he made those choices, with full knowledge of what he was doing and why circumstances made it necessary. Airiam was sacrificed, but though she had no choice, she was at least given the chance to see why it was necessary and to forgive those who were forced to do it. Zora was sacrificed - and given neither knowledge nor choice.

[sunfloweraro]

Sky’s still got it

Sky plays a certain soothing tune on his harp to help Bunny get some rest. It works a little too well.

Tags: @thatonecrazysidekick and @tiredgaytheatrekid

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 .

Sky began to pluck the strings for one last song, his eyes slipping shut as he thought of his beloved back home, often troubled by nightmares after her journey, similar to the ones that plagued him. He would sit by their bed after a bad dream of hers, once he had comforted her and wiped her tears away with his thumb, and he would play her this song. Zelda would never fall asleep in the first play-through, rarely the second, but by the third, soft snores would always escape her despite her insistence that she wouldn’t be able to sleep again that night.

As Sky played the final note, letting it linger on the air sweetly, he opened his eyes, slow and calm. All around him, the Zora had fallen asleep, either leaning against each other or curled up on the floor. Four had drifted off against the railing, his relaxed features making him look much younger than he normally did. Time leaned back against the wall of the Domain, arms crossed and chin lowered to his chest, fast asleep.

And next to Sky, Bunny had slumped, his breathing deep and even as Sky had hoped it would be.

“Still got it,” Sky murmured to himself, pride glowing within his chest at having knocked out both their normally serious Smithy and the Old Man, and at having helped Bunny get some rest after such an eventful day.

“That ye do.” Sky jumped, raising a hand to his chest when he realised it was only Twilight, leaning against the railing of the stairs, staring down at him with a fanged smile. “Sorry, we didn’ mean tah scare ye.”

It was then Sky realised Wild stood across from Twilight, his slate out as he attempted to capture an image of Time, conked out against the wall. He snapped a couple before Twilight grabbed him by the back of the shirt and dragged him away.

“That’s enough. We need tuh wake ‘em up”—Twilight jerked a thumb back at the sleeping Zora—“and get this lot in bed. We’ve a busy day ahead of us tomorrow and the last thing I wan’ is to listen to the Old Man bitch about ‘is sore back.”

Sky couldn’t help but snort, raising a hand to his mouth to stifle the sound. Wild had no qualms with bursting into laughter, quickly achieving their task of waking the Zora with their sensitive hearing. Grumbles were sent his way, and they received a half-apologetic wave before they dispersed.

“Ah’ve got this one,” Twilight said, already crouching by Time. Rather than shaking him by the shoulder to wake him, Twilight carefully picked up Time, carrying him effortlessly in his arms like Time was a toddler who had fallen asleep at a family gathering. Sky couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at the thought, turning back to Bunny and Four.

“How strong are you feeling today, my dear Champion?”

“We both know these two will weigh about the same,” Wild shot back. “Your choice.”

Rolling his eyes, Sky pushed himself to his feet, dusting off the front of his pants, a force of habit from the many times he had been knocked down on his quest that he couldn’t quite shake. He passed his harp to Wild to be stored in his slate for the moment. “We both know while our Smithy is small, he’s all muscle. I’ll ask again, how strong are you feeling?”

“In that case, I’m taking Bunny.”

“Ye jus’ wanna cuddle ‘im.”

“Perhaps,” Wild said as he scooped Bunny up into his arms, cradling him close like Hyrule and Twilight always did. “Oh. Oh, I see why you two want to carry him all the time. He’s so soft.”

Twilight grinned a fanged grin. “That ‘e is. Be careful with ‘im, yeah?”

Where he might normally take the words as offensive, Wild merely nodded, as if the weight and warmth of a real, breathing creature on his shoulder gave something to Twilight’s words he never heard when he was handling an item. “I will,” he promised.

“In the case,” Sky said, not at all upset he missed out on carrying Bunny when it meant he got to ensure his close friend slept somewhere comfortable and warm. He gathered Four in his arms, grateful he had thought to consider Four’s strength rather than assuming their Smithy would weigh next to nothing with his height. “Shall we?” Sky asked, holding Four closer, smiling when Four leaned his head against Sky’s chest in his sleep, hands reaching out to grasp at the front of his shirt.

“Let’s.”

[kneecapsoups]

More ledgend of Zelda stuff😋😋

[lynxriderwrites]

Rating: E

Link froze, instinct prickling at the back of his neck and making his damp hair stand on end. At first, he couldn't determine what had caught his attention, listening intently for the sounds of scuffling feet, the hiss of wings, or a malicious cry in the absence of sight. But there was nothing but the burbling of dark water and the persistent thrum heavy on the air.

Link blinked and realized abruptly what he had been missing when two faint glowing pinpricks, nearly hidden beneath the flickering reflection of the master sword against the black water, blinked back.

“Sidon?” Link stuttered in disbelief as it surfaced. Had the prince somehow fallen down here with him? Had he been a part of a search party?

But before Link could relax, a massive clawed hand latched upon the shore, close enough for him to realize that its skin was far from the familiar red and it was rising, rising, rising above him, stealing his breath with a fresh wash of alarm. That. Was not Sidon.

Or: Link stumbles into the Depths before the events of Tears of the Kingdom and finds a shiny new fishman.

[rocklover719]

Do I want to finish this??? Yeah. Will it be good??? Debatable

[newly-feral]

If you are silent about your pain, they'll kill you and say you enjoyed it.

-Zora Neale Hurston

[imanisays]

Sanaa Lathan as Zora Banks in Disappearing Acts.

.

.

.

This movie and the book will forever piss me tf off. She deserved better. But she was stupid as well.🤣

[riddle-of-sphinx]

Been thinking of how sad it is that the things that were so important in BotW (sheikah tech, divine beasts) were less than an afterthought in totk, so here's an idea of what the divine beasts at least could have been in totk, if they were around.

Vah Ruta: since the zora have great respect for Mipha and all that was associated with her, I can imagine Vah Ruta being turned into some sort of mobile hospital, one that can use the waterways to go to its patients, perhaps even experimenting with recreating the tech for the shrine of resurrection or something similar. Its endless source of clean water would do well in a hospital setting, for cleaning wounds an such. In game, a quest could be bringing water from the wellsprings in the depths to make the hospital better. (these assuming the beasts would be repurposed in a way that would make them less weapon-y)

Vah Rundania: hyper mobile mining rig. Capable of climbing into the caldera of death mountain itself, the gorons would get a lot of mileage out of the beeg lizarb. A lot of new minerals could potentially be obtained using Vah Rudania. In game, a quest could be going with the gorons on a mining run, if there were monsters that needed destroying.

Vah Medoh: Merchant or Charter plane, to transport items or people long distances, or bring people up to the sky islands for research purposes. In game, a quest could be helping repair it, and either it being something you could hitch a ride on to get to some harder to reach places, or helping the Zonai research crew get in touch with the Rito for a partnership investigating the skylands.

Vah Naboris: Power plant baby. If anyone deserves to discover air conditioning and indoor plumbing first, it's the Gerudo. Using Naboris as their source of electricity, making electric lights, motors, AC, etc. would be a cool and interesting way of repurposing Naboris. A lot of electricity ultrahand puzzles could have come out of this.

Bonus: Shrine of resurrection dlc dungeon (forgot what its called lol). Make that the new sheikah lab, where you can assist with integrating zonai and sheikah tech.

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 1

Propaganda Under Cut

Joan Watson

How were BBC Sherlock shippers so rancid about a WOMAN who wasnt even in the SAME SHOW?????

Lucy Liu real life victim of yaoi despite being on a DIFFERENT TV SHOW. And everyone was so busy hating her for getting in the way of johnlocke that they ignored the massive yuri potential of Elementary :(

she wasn't even in the same SHOW as the yaoi I've been convinced she deserves to win the entire poll. I was a Johnlocker but I did watch the first season of Elementary and it was fine????? It was totally okay????? Especially in hindsight given how hard Sherlock season four flopped. Also Lucy Liu is a queen and deserved zero vitriol for *checks notes* playing a character???? A fucking fictional character???????? Oh my god we were all SO mean to this show and we (or at least I) thought it was like The Good Fight™️, like we were defending BBC Sherlock against copyright infringement and straightwashing and Jonny Lee Miller's bizarre scarf, (it wasn't a good scarf I do stand by that) but then Elementary didn't make Holmes and Watson a couple either???? And also it didn't insult its audience constantly etc etc we've all seen the Hbomberguy Sherlock is Garbage video. This is really long sorry hashtag justice for Joan Watson.

Mipha

Honestly she's not just a victim of yaoi, tbh. Basically: she canonically had a massive crush on the protagonist, Link, which consistently gets swept under the rug or ignored entirely in favor of shipping Link with her brother Sidon, their fellow champion Revali, or Zelda herself. She deserves nice things and so many people just... completely overlook her??

She has a crush on Link, but so does her younger brother Sidon, who is much more affable and outgoing. Link/Sidon is the more popular ship. Mipha gets a lot of flak for being a weak female character who's only defined by her romantic relationship to the protagonist. That's not really fair; she has her own storyline about being the golden girl from her town who everyone looks up to, and the hole that's left in the town after her death. It is unfortunate that she is better remembered as the less compelling corner of a love triangle.

The princess of the Zora, sweetheart of the Zora's Domain. Champion pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. Master healer, cut down in her prime by an ancient evil. But you wouldn't know it, because she's reduced to someone who was in love with Link (the game's protagonist), and therefore has to be sidelined and villainized to ship Link with her younger brother Sidon or her fellow Champion Revali.

[skyward-floored]

Swamp Link backstory

Or a bit of it, anyway. This is that thing I was talking about posting yesterday, you all convinced me heh. Enjoy a bit of tiny Link.

———

The storm had been bad.

Thick in the swamp where Rina’s tribe lived, the damage wasn’t too extensive— a few trees had been uprooted, and the water level had risen, but nobody had been seriously injured or killed. Fishing would be difficult for a while, but they would manage, as they always did, and only a few structures had been damaged. Only one Zora had been truly hurt, and that was only because Gillian had gotten a gash in his arm trying to move a branch off his house.

Upstream though, far out of the swamp, the damage had obviously been much worse.

Another wooden slat that looked like it had once been part of a house floated by, and Rina sighed, padding across the marshy ground. It seemed like a whole village’s worth of debris was clogging up the swollen river, and she’d been tasked to go take a look and see if there was anything noteworthy in the mess.

So far, there hadn’t been much.

Rina sighed, wishing she could swim instead of having to walk. But between the rushing current and amount of debris, you’d have to be pretty stupid to swim in this section of the river. The swamp would take care of the flooding like it always did, but it would still be a bit before the current died down. At least she’d been able to swim through the calmer swamp waters to get here in the first place.

She scanned over the water again, watching a huge branch drag several bits of debris along with it, a small pang of sadness hitting her. Her tribe really wasn’t concerned with Hylian affairs, but nobody deserved this much destruction. It didn’t even look like there was anything here intact enough worth noting, or interesting enough to take home.

I’ll go up to the bend, then head back, Rina decided, and nodded as she started walking again. At least it was a nice morning, humid, but not too hot. If it had been dry, she would’ve already headed back. The last thing she needed was dried-out scales.

A heron took off into the cloudy sky, and Rina glanced at it, then went back to watching the river. Stray rays of sunshine occasionally made it through the cloud cover, and at the moment several were dancing across the churning water, making it sparkle where debris wasn’t clogging it. It was actually rather pretty.

The light caught on something else suddenly, and Rina tilted her head, watching it bob in the water. It looked like some sort of wooden box, and she stood on the shore watching it curiously.

Was it a chest?

Maybe there’s something shiny inside!

Excitement ran through her at the thought, and she moved closer to the bank, debating. The current wasn’t too bad where she was thanks to a bend in the river, and the box wasn’t moving too fast either. She could probably fish it out without much trouble, and if there was something neat inside, it would be more than worth it.

It was an easy decision.

Rina hopped into the river without another thought, and yelped, the current immediately pushing her back. Wow that’s stronger than it looked!

She grunted, trying to adjust to the roaring water, and nearly got flipped upside down from the force of it. Almost too strong...

Rina shook her head, bracing herself determinedly. Her tribe were the best swimmers around, and something as silly as a flooded river wasn’t going to stop her.

Dodging a branch that swept her way, Rina focused on adjusting to the current, cutting through at an angle to better swim through. Her strokes were powerful, but she still moved gracefully towards the chest bobbing in the current. She had to duck under several branches and other bits of debris, trying not to fight the current unless she had to, and her arms were starting to ache by the time she finally made it to the chest.

Rina leaned against it with a tired huff, letting the current carry her and the chest for a moment while she rested. Then she began to push it back towards shore.

Most Zora probably wouldn’t have gone to quite so much effort just to dredge an old chest from a river with such a strong current, but Rina was nothing if not stubborn. Not to mention insanely curious as to the chest’s contents. She’d always liked shiny things.

Maybe it’s rupees, or some weird Hylian clothes, or a special treasure—

Rina’s mind reeled with possibilities as she pushed and tugged and fought her way to the river’s shore with the chest, determined to get it to dry land. She couldn’t wait to pry it open.

Rina’s arms were burning by the time she finally reached the shore, but she barely noticed, eagerly tugging the chest out of the water and to safe ground. Visions of shiny things and treasures sped her movements, and she looked at the chest in excitement as she shook mud from her fins. Maybe this boring trip wasn’t a waste after all!

She quickly plucked some weeds off her scales before crouching down and pulling at the lock of the chest. It had been smashed in a little, probably by debris, but Rina’s claws made short work of it, and she pried the lid open with a grunt, excitedly peering inside.

Then stopped.

And stared.

Grey-green eyes stared back at her, wide and bright even in the shadow of the chest’s lid, and Rina’s breath caught.

A baby.

There was a baby in the chest.

Rina put a hand to her mouth in shock, staring down at the tiny hylian curled up in a blanket. It couldn’t have been more than a year old, and her thoughts spun as it kept staring up at her, seemingly unaware of her world currently being rocked.

“How— how did you—” she gasped, and at the sound of her voice, the baby’s delicate ears pricked up, eyes somehow getting even wider.

Then it began to cry, tears beginning to fall down tiny cheeks.

Rina, already caught completely off guard by her discovery and now the loud noises coming from the baby, began to panic. Why was it crying? What did she do?!

“Uh— hey, hey don’t cry! It’s okay!” she said hurriedly, but the words seemed to have no effect. “Stop! It’s okay!”

Having no clue what to do, and getting rather anxious from the cries, Rina quickly plucked the baby out of the chest, being extra careful not to hurt it with her claws as she lifted it up. The baby kept crying, probably displeased with how she was holding it, and Rina floundered for a moment before deciding to try what seemed to always calm down the hatchlings in the village.

Keeping the blanket around the baby, she tucked it into her arms, making soft chirps to try and calm the wails coming from its tiny lungs.

It took a few moments, but finally the cries slowed, and stopped. Rina sighed in relief. There, now at least she could think straight again. The baby blinked up at her while she mentally patted herself on the back, and then it reached out with tiny, unwebbed hands towards her face.

Rina looked at it, soft and scaleless, no fins or gills to be seen, cold and sniffly in her arms, and something inside her melted.

This tiny Hylian had survived the storm and a flooded river besides, it was a miracle it hadn’t suffocated or drowned. Rina had no clue how far the nearest Hylian village was, but it was far, and based on the debris and where the storm had come from, the poor thing had probably been trapped for a good day or two. It must have been starving, and was probably terrified.

No wonder it had been crying.

A hand pressed against her chin, and Rina crooned at the baby again, happy to see it had fully calmed down. It blinked its bright eyes at her, then nestled up to her with a soft noise, sticking its hand into its mouth.

“Well. You’re not exactly shiny, but this isn’t a bad treasure,” she said, gently petting the baby’s head. “Ooh, that’s soft, it’s like a little patch of moss!”

She petted it more in delight, and as the baby giggled, Rina knew her fate was sealed. She wasn’t going to leave this baby here, no sir. Sure it was Hylian, and weird looking because of that, but it was cute too, and she couldn’t just leave it out here in the swamp, exposed and vulnerable.

Rina looked out at the debris-ridden water, feeling a small prickle of sadness. And wherever the baby had come from, there... probably wasn’t anything left.

“Well I guess we’ll see what Chief Baiyu says about all this,” she hummed, then tucked the blanket a little better around the baby. “Even he wouldn’t be so harsh as to just toss you out. You can come home with me, and we’ll figure out what to do with you there, okay little treasure?” Rina said, and the baby looked at her with those wide eyes again, bright and grey-green. “Yes. Good plan. Thank you.”

The baby made a cooing noise, one like some of the birds that nested in the trees by the village, and Rina smiled.

“Let’s go then, little treasure. We’ve got a bit of a trek ahead, and I’m sure you’re hungry.”

The baby cooed again, and Rina paused a moment, looking at it, then shrugged.

“...I guess we’ll just figure out what you eat somehow. Hope you like fish!”

And nestling the baby securely in her arms, Rina trotted back downriver, pretty content with the results of her trip.

[catreginae]

Thou Shalt Not Fall: Sidon and the Fancy Feast

The zora throw a feast but Warriors isn't interested in anything offered. Wild decides to help him get some blood, unaware of the fact that they weren't alone.

Wild was happy to be back in Zora's Domain. He was happy whenever they were in his era in the first place because he liked the familiarity but he was even happier to be in the Zora's Domain. He missed everything about it – his friends, the inherent beauty of the domain, the surrounding waterfalls, and the way the sun hit the luminous stones even if they weren't glowing. Of course, the domain looked spectacular at night too when the stones did glow.

The zora were throwing a feast to thank them for getting rid of the infected hinox at Ralis Pond. They served dishes made of rice, fleet-lotus seeds, crab, different fish, and wine. A lot of wine. Wine that most of them couldn't drink because Sky was on the watch, so the wine was mostly for the zora and Time because 'he deserved a break every once and while'.

After catching up with his friends, he decided that some air was in order. He found himself at the main gates, where he could see that Warriors was on the other side of the long bridge, leaning against the bridge. Warriors barely seemed to notice him coming, too in grossed watching the moonlit river running under the domain.

“Hey, Wars,” Wild said.

Warriors grumbled something in response.

“Don't like the feast?”

He turned to Wild with his red and yellow eyes. It was pretty bold of him to have his fangs out in public, but hey, it wasn't Wild's secret. Warriors could blow it if he wanted to.

“Maybe if I had some blood to drink, I'd enjoy it more.”

Wild frowned. He had daily blood when he was recovering with the vampires and while he could eat solid food now, it was obvious that Warriors was still craving blood. He got used to having a lot of blood and he still more sensitive to the sun than he used to be, so the cravings weren’t a surprise. Wild had extra blood he could give to him but Warriors understood that the blood he had was for when he actually needed it, not just because he craved it. Still though, he felt a little bad that Warriors wasn’t enjoying his time at Zora’s Domain.

“Well, if you’re craving blood, I know a place where lizalfos – the regular ones, that is – like to gather. The zora have a hard time keeping them out, so they're probably there now.”

Warriors slapped the railing of the bridge. “Let's go.”

In hindsight, they should have told somebody where they were going, but it didn't cross Wild's mind and Warriors definitely had his mind on other things. Wild led him down the path of the mountain. They didn't have to use the path when they first arrived, since the portal took them quite a bit closer to the domain, so it was his first time taking one of them down the path. He tried to avoid it, honestly. There was a lot of water and a lot of shock arrows.

It didn't take long for Warriors to smell the lizalfos ahead, or so Wild guessed. He let out a low hiss, withdrew his sword, and ran off down the path. Wild sprinted to follow him and by the time he caught up with him, there were two dead lizalfos on the ground, with Warriors squaring off against a third. A fourth burst out of the tree line and just as Warriors finished off the one he was facing, Wild filled the remaining one with arrows. He waited a moment, listening for rustling leaves and scanning the trees to see if more would pop out, but when none came, he decided it was safe.

Warriors licked the blood off his blade and then stuck it in the ground, kneeling down beside one of the lizalfos. He lifted it just enough for him to sink his fangs into its neck. With Warriors busy drinking blood straight from the source, Wild got to work harvesting blood from the others while he also got their horns and tails for future elixirs. The more blood he had stored in the slate, the better. If he got enough, maybe he could give Warriors a little bit of it to help with his cravings instead of just hist hunger.

The two of them were so focused on their tasks that neither one of them noticed the footsteps. There was a flash of red and silver in Wild's peripherals but it was too late.

“There you are, Link! I heard that you and a friend ran off, so I just had to see if you two were- oh my.”

Warriors dropped the lizalfos like it was burning him, staring at Sidon with wide eyes. It took him a moment to start wiping away the blood on his chin but he still had his blood-covered fangs out and his clearly not-Hylian eyes.

“I am unsure of why you're drinking blood but if it's blood that you need, then I insist you drink mine! I cannot, in good conscious, let a friend of Link's drink blood from an overgrown lizard.”

Warriors looked down, then back up. “The overgrown lizards are fine. Please don't fret, Your Highness.”

“Please, just call me Sidon, and I must insist! What kind of host cannot cover all the dietary needs of their guests?” he said, flashing Warriors the biggest, toothiest, smile. He even shot his arm out with his thumb up, offering it to Warriors. The captain looked to Wild, his eyebrows raised.

“Just indulge him, Warriors.” It was Sidon. He wasn't going to drop it and he already caught Warriors drinking blood. They couldn’t walk it back now. “Just be aware that he's probably had some wine.”

“I’ve had several glasses of wine!” Suddenly, Sidon whirled around to face him. “Link, does that make my blood unsuitable?”

“Probably not, he's just a light weight.”

“Says the person who still looks seventeen and can’t buy any!” Warriors hissed. “I can handle some wine.”

“I bet if I had anything to drink, I would be fine.” Wild couldn’t really argue against him though. He was technically of age but nobody, in an era, seemed convinced. It wasn’t his fault he was asleep for a century. Wild snorted when Warriors rolled his eyes at him. The captain then leapt to his feet, grabbed his sword and decapitated the lizalfos he was drinking from. When he was satisfied, he wiped his sword with a rag and sheathed it before approaching Sidon.

“Are you sure about this, Sidon? It's not painless and I don't want to get in trouble for hurting the prince.”

“I wouldn't offer if I wasn't serious about it.”

Warriors chewed on his lips as he grabbed Sidon’s outstretched arm, then bent down, placing his teeth on the inside of Sidon's arm. He hesitated for a single moment before pushing his fangs through his skin. His eyes lit up and he seemed to clamp down a little harder, pushing his fangs in deeper. If Sidon felt any pain, his face made no indication of it and he even kept his thumb up as Warriors drank. He merely watched Warriors, with a slight tilt in his head and wide eyes.

After a minute or so, Warriors pulled back and retracted his fangs. Sidon hummed to himself.

“I have to say, that was an interesting experience. I may not know Hylians very well-”

“I'm not Hylian,” Warriors said, looking away from them. “And please don't tell anybody that I need to drink blood. Just pretend that I am actually Hylian.”

“Don't worry, your secret is safe with me!” Sidon said, flashing another smile. “Now, how about we return?”

Wild fell in step with Sidon while Warriors was behind them. Then, Wild thought better of it and moved to push Warriors up so he was beside Sidon. He had no idea how long it would be until Warriors felt the affects of alcohol since he wasn't there when they first decided to test it out but it was probably a good idea to prepare for it just in case.

“So, if you aren't a Hylian, then what manner of being are you? If you don't mind me asking of course.”

Warriors paused. “Well... I am half-Hylian. I was born Hylian. Now I'm half-vampire, half-Hylian because I'm cursed and curses are... stupid.”

Wild raised an eyebrow. The captain wasn't wrong, curses could be stupid but that definitely wasn't how Warriors usually spoke. Maybe there was something about the alcohol already being in somebody's blood that just hit him harder and faster. Warriors did seem to perk up rather quickly once he got some blood, so maybe anything in blood affected him faster than it would if he had to digested it on his own. Of course, they would have to see how he reacted to normal, untampered alcohol to see how long it would take for him to feel it.

“Is there anything that can be done about it?” Sidon asked, looking both at Warriors and at Wild. Did Sidon notice the difference too? He was pretty sure that neither one them talked before the zora prince went out to look for him, so he wasn't sure if Sidon had a solid grasp of who Warriors was without the alcohol.

“Not that I know of. It’s fine. Well, not really, but I am dealing with it. I’m kind of use to it at this point. It’s been like three years. Wild, did you know it’s been like three years?”

“I am aware.”

“Water!” Warriors shouted as he ran up to the cliff and looked down. “We should go swimming! I never get to swim anymore.”

He was just about to jump down the cliff when Sidon grabbed him by the waist and tucked him under his arm like he was a sack of flour. “How about we wait until later?”

“Sidon! Let me go! Now is the perfect time to go swimming. The sunlight hates my skin and if I go swimming during the day, I’ll turn as red as you!” he shouted as he tried to wiggle out of his grip. “I’m not supposed to be red,” he added like Sidon wouldn’t know that Hylians weren't normally red.

Sidon looked to Wild but he just waved his hand. Later. He could explain vampires later with the help of the group. Time was the best at it.

“We should get him to bed,” Wild mumbled. Warriors hissed in response but that didn’t deter Sidon or Wild. “Aren’t you tired, Warriors?”

“Hmmmm, a little. Are you tired?”

“Yeah, a little bit. We can share a bed, if you want. Wind was your sleep buddy last time, right?”

He wasn’t that tired but if Warriors wanted a sleep buddy, then he was okay with being a sleep buddy. He was more concerned with getting Warriors settled and in one place than he was about staying up longer.

“Then we shall all go back to the domain to rest!”

Thankfully, Warriors cooperated the rest of the way and Wild and Sidon were easily able to get him into the shadiest bed so that Warriors could sleep without burning when the sun came up. He ended up joining him, not just because he offered, but to make sure he actually stayed there. Last time, he wandered and ended up under Malon’s dining table. Besides, somebody had to babysit whenever one of their brothers wasn’t quite himself and this time, it was Wild’s turn to babysit.

When he woke up, Warriors was still in bed but he was completely buried in his blanket. Wild poked him in the back and received a growl in return.

“How are you feeling? Need some blood?”

“I am dying of shame, Wild. I can never show my face here again.”

“You need to do more than get drunk to bother Sidon.”

“But he knows! And the others knew I was drunk! I swear, I could handle some wine before I got cursed,” Warriors said, keeping his voice low. He tried unsuccessfully to bury himself under the blankets even more.

“I think alcohol in blood just hits you harder than alcohol you drank yourself,” Wild mumbled. “You weren’t that bad last night though. You just talked a lot and tried to jump into a lake.”

Warriors just groaned. Just as Wild was about to hop out of bed to go look for some emotional reinforcement, Sidon poked his head into the inn. He smiled and walked inside.

“I’m just coming to check on you two!”

“I’m fine. Warriors is dying of shame though.”

“Don’t tell him that!” Warriors hissed, trying in vain to kick at Wild from under the sheets.

“Because of last night? Please don’t fret about that! You were only drunk because I insisted that you drink my blood, so the fault lies with me. To make it up to you though, I know of a spot where you can swim without the sun bothering you – under the domain! It might be a little chilly but there’s a ladder, so you can get up and down on your own!”

Warriors shot up, though he was still buried covered in blankets. “I can handle some cold. Wild, is my mask still around here?” he asked as he waved his arms, probably in an attempt to get himself out.

It took Wild a moment to find but he did locate it among their things. “Do you really need it? You won’t be in the sun for long.”

Finally, Warriors emerged from the blankets, his hair pointing in every direction. In any other circumstance, Wild would attempt to catch a picture of him but he didn’t want Warriors to retreat into the blanket again.

“I would prefer it,” he mumbled as he stepped outside of bed and threw on some clothing – basically enough to keep himself covered but he wasn’t bringing any of his gear. He also fixed his hair, not completely but enough that a picture wouldn’t be so funny anymore.

“Are you coming?” Warriors asked.

“Sure, why not?”

[ilidaeandquill]

All Is Fair in Death and War - Character Analysis/Notes

Jalala - Depression

Alright really quick I want to do a little exercise with you:

Imagine a character who is known for being easily frightened, creative, and overall, pretty amiable. She's super adorable, loves her friends and family, has the healthiest romantic relationship of all the couples in her story, and strives for peace above all else.

Got her in your mind? Great.

Now give her a glock.

All Is Fair in Death and War - Chapter 1 - IlidaeAndQuill - Cult of the Lamb (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own] (Jalala's ideal character development for this story lolol.)

Primary Motivation: Overall, Jalala strives for peace. She's happy with her brother, her girlfriend, her farms - which is all thrown out the window when she accidentally becomes the Witness for an amnesiac God of War. Her desire for peace morphs with her new position. Simply wanting peace isn't enough: she needs to learn how to protect it, no matter the cost.

Character Traits: Courageous af - not fearless, but courageous. She is still terrified of the world, but she learns to act around that fear.

"No need to be humble, friend,” the Lamb stated. “Courage is not the lack of fear, but rather, feeling fear and acting anyway. It is an admirable trait. You should be proud.”

THAT. THAT RIGHT THERE. THAT'S THE WHOLE THEME OF HER STORY. DO YOU GET IT? DO YOU SEE IT? PLEASE BRO PLEASE.

Oh shit I still need to write her other traits - Jalala is shy around strangers, but bold and a bit sassy with the few she trusts. Classic introvert. Overall, she's very sweet.

Theme Songs (Lyrical): "notre dame" - Paris Paloma, "Softly" - Clairo, "brutal" - Olivia Rodrigo

Theme Songs (Instrumental): "Rage Beneath the Mountains" - Yu-Peng Chen (I like to imagine the electric guitar symbolizes Goatfrey's influence on her), "Zora Park" - The Legend of Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom

Voice Claim: Sally - The Nightmare Before Christmas (just pretend Jack isn't there lol)

Dialogue Pattern: Dainty and soft, like she's from a classic Disney movie. She tends to stutter a bit when she's nervous.

Outfit Inspiration: "She wears the cultist outfit :D" is what I would say if I was BORING-

Just between you and me the cult uniforms are so fucking ugly I wouldn't want to be caught dead in those things. So, because she has a different canon outfit (and eventually gets a new outfit to represent her role as Goatfrey's Witness), she gets the privilege of a cute costume change.

Which means violet. Lots of violet. And dresses, because she deserves a pretty dress.

Of course we can’t forget her new prized possession lol.

Also this is canon in my game. She went up to Goatfrey unprompted and demanded a better outfit lolol.

Jalala is a supporting character in AIFiDaW, assisting with the depression stage of grief. This is portrayed through her feelings about becoming a Witness, primarily through her fears and anguish surrounding the role. Additionally, she is a crucial asset for assisting with learning more about the curse, another symbol of the depression stage.

Random Trivia/Facts: - Not to brag or anything but I wrote the first Jalala/Rinor fic, ahaah (I'm so lame). - She fled to the Lands of the Old Faith with her older brother, Yarlen, to escape a godly war occurring on her homeland. She arrived a year after he did at age 16. Five years have passed since then, making her 21 in AIFiDaW. - This does mean she was getting drunk and high as a teenager but whatever. - Speaking of her getting high: she lowkey hates those mushrooms but will always wonder what creative endeavors she could complete under their influence. Maybe I'll do something with this idk. - She and Rinor are both lesbians. Zero interest in men lol. I don't usually hc sexualities for characters, but I will for these two. - Taking inspiration from the decorations from Pilgrim’s Passage, I based her unknown homeland on China, specifically the Qing Dynasty (some of the tech in CotL, like Berith's phonograph, suggests the game takes place in the late 1800's/early 1900's). - Because of her experience with the shipwreck, she has an intense fear of open waters, including Anchordeep (that’s a surprise tool that can help us later). - Oh did I mention the war thing? - Yeah. - She fled from a war. Just thought I should note that again. For no particular reason. :)

Thank you for reading! I LOOVEEE Jalala so much, she's just so perfect. She deserves nothing but the best, which is exactly why I kinda fuck up her life in AIFiDaW. Oops. She does also have her own fic: "I’ll Place My Heart in Your Hands, Swear to Keep It Safe." I need to go back and edit it though, it's very obvious I was using this fic to get myself back into writing.

I'll do that sometime. Hopefully. Maybe when classes let out for the summer :,)

Theme

The Goat/Goatfrey - Narinder - The Lamb/Lambert - The Curse

Leshy - Heket - Kallamar - Shamura

Jalala - Rinor - Fena - Aym & Baal - The Mystic Seller

[asktheritochampion]

Revali!

How does... how does this look! This was what I wore during my time in Lurelin with my human family. They were... unfortunately killed by a wandering Lynel. I must tell you this Revali, but Lynels aren't 'mindlessly' killing anything. When they kill or injure hylians, gerudo, ritos, zoras or gorons, they do it for FUN. I appreciate you ending my species. They killed those that taught me how to read, write, talk, cook, plant, and so many other things. As I mourned, the Lynel that slaughtered the ones who nutured me to who I am laughed in my face and told me I was a fool to love and care for Hylians. That Lynel told me that all life that wasn't a Lynel was nothing but dust under my hoof. I yearn for their deaths. If I die under yours or your mens wings, then so be it, I would be more than proud knowing at least you helped me defeat an enemy of yours and mine. I need your help. Once the Lynels are dead, and they hopefully don't ressurect, I will be more than happy than to give my soul for Rito training. Please accept my request. And don't feel bad about the blood of Lynels on your wings. They DESERVED their deaths.

Walk with me.

How much do you know of philosophy and ethical studys?

Once upon a time, in very ancient days now, Rito were considered 'savage beasts' to Hylians because they did not understand out ways. They hunted us, and so we began to hunt them back. Our two races were violent and cruel to one another, both beleiving the other was a race of unintelligent beasts killing our people for sport.

The truth is, we were all beasts. Those flightless apes killed our women and took our children to study like animals for fun. We would hunt them from the sky and play games shooting down their people - even families. That is what our people had been taught. It's what their parents did, what their grandparents did. They didn't know any better.

Now - much study has been done into Bokoblins. Horrid little beasts - but easy to capture. They do not breed, they have no families. The creatures spawn from Ganon's malice. They feel no complex emotions, no one is entirely certain whether they even have free will or thought. They eat one another, kill anything they see, and truely appear to live only to serve the demon king as mindless puppets.

Typically is no ethical worry about killing Bokoblins. They aren't people - they are barely creatures, mere figments of Ganon's wrath.

This was thought the same for all monsters - at least at first. Now days there is more study being done into Lizalflo - they seem to be capable of forging metal weaponry - something which requires skill and design - suggesting they could have some form of sentiance.

Then there's you. A Lynel that was raised by Hylians to be 'good'. To repress any violent urges, and to live a peaceful life amongst others. If you are capable of being re-conditioned - that suggests that all Lynel are capable of free will and congative thought. Perhaps they do kill for fun - but perhaps that is all they know. If other Lynel were raised in different enviroments, who's to say they also couldn't asimilate into a society? Suddenly - there is our ethical dilema.

We're no longer killing an animal. We're killing a person raised in a bad situation.

However - regardless of this ethical conundrum, I personally have no qualms about revenge murder for the killing of loved ones. Thus, if you take me to those who killed your Hylian kin then I shall gladly do my duties as a warrior to smite them.

Still, your presence here is something I must discus with the Princess regarding how we move forwards with Lynels as a whole. On the one wing, attempting to force them from a young age into more recognisable practises to our own is colonization which I shant stand for, however we simply cannot allow them to assult and kill innocent people either. We must research another way to find peace between us all.

[f-oighear]

Fanfic writer interview!

tagged by @ashenaura. Merci bien ! ;)

How many works do you have on AO3?

145.

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

I'll Follow

Where The Heart Is

Your World

Everything and More

Brittlest

(... yup, it's all SAU and those numbers will never not shock me)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Of course. It might take me forever (my inbox is staring at me dead in the eyes), but I will respond. It means the world to me and if anyone makes the effort, they deserve a response. Easy.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I need happy endings with my angst so... yeah. I think... Yesterday I died (tomorrow's bleeding) is quite sad.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I guess the SAU has the happiest ending. Everything And More's last chapter is literally sunshine and calmness which, yk, is needed after the whole thing.

Do you write crossovers?

I've just gotten into it! I didn't see the hype before but um that was because I never tried to mash together the right verses I think. The Arkham Horror x Black Clover crossover is very dear to me.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

*touching wood* Nope.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I've written steamy but never full smut. Well, I've written bits. But they're unpublished and I don't think I ever will publish them soooo yeah.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, no.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Someone translated Her Most Precious Memories in Russian (Её самые драгоценные воспоминания).

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Just like crossovers, I'm just getting into it. And just like crossovers, I'm absolutely loving it.

@kalolasfantasyworld knows. We've written that Olympics Swimming one, Silver Scorching Interdimensional Slash: the Magical Medley Relay of Doom, and we're writing the most wonderful Formula for a Crush.

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

All time favorite... royai probably.

it's just the angst... it's just the sillies... it's just the war criminals... there's a dog... they're both so stupid... i love them...

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

fhjfhds all of them. If I start a wip it's that I want to see it finished (because I want to read it). Sadly, I often don't have the motivation to. The wip list is ever growing.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and internal monologues, I think.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Besides everything syntax and grammar-related because what even is English, I'd say description, especially of action scenes. It takes me forever to even dare put down a few words and I always feel like I'm describing like a 7yo would (no shade to 7yo but surely with 20 more years on this planet I should be able to do better).

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I did it in Formula for a Crush for Vanessa and Helena because Helena typically does it so it felt normal to As long as it's one word or one expression I don't really mind. (my Italian is non-existent and my Spanish is uhhh not good so, there's that.).

In my own work, I prefer to keep it in English and italicize. Less risk to completely fumble a whole language.

(I just realized that Zora doesn't even utter one word in French in FFAC and I'm French [I dare think I can speak and write the language relatively well]. so it's less down to messing up a language than personal preferences in writing ig..? I never really thought about it.)

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Nothing comes to mind. Rarepair Week was a great occasion to tick some of these boxes too.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I've had this question ten thousand times and I think I reply differently every time dhjfdjskj. It's a tough one.

Right now I'm having a lot of fun with Formula for a Crush (nah, you can't tell with how much I'm talking about it).

what even is football anyway will always be very dear to me and I'll probably say it's this one.

Blue Hours (and its sequel, I might even like the sequel more simply for the rant about the dishes) is special because I loved the concept and I experienced a bit with the narration.

Thicker Than Blood because it's a longer one and it was a really non-pressure kind of fic (I expected no one to read it so I really had fun)

Yesterday I died (tomorrow's bleeding) and posing questions to a silent universe (my very thoughts a curse) for some nice Mia angst.

Lost in a storm, It’s a big office, chief, for some nice Phoenix angst.

Tell Me About Cruelty means a lot to me.

(you might realize: I cannot choose. I'm looking at the 145 fics and I'm like. they're all special to me in some way. even those I wish I could erase from the face of the earth I'm like. I like that line, that scene, that hug. it's terrible and it's wonderful.)

--

tagging (no pressure, do it if you want) @kalolasfantasyworld (because ofc I'm tagging you), @wildflowerwoodsworld

[vilandel]

Just a random thought I had, I apologize 😅

*After an exhausting royal gathering, in the kitchens of the Silva Palace* Vanessa: This was really dreadful. Nozel: I apologize, you didn't deserve that. Vanessa: You neither and don't forget, I only came because I didn't want to leave you alone with that bitch nearby. Asta: But isn't that also Rosettes sister? Rosette: It's deserved, knowing what piece of work Athénaïs is. Zora: I like that energy. Vanessa: Anyway, as delicious this hot chocolate with whipped cream is, I would also love a bath later on. Nozel: I can have the royal baths ready for you, if you want. Vanessa: And help to get rid out of this clothes. Nozel: Do you need one of the maids? Nebra: Is he Asta stupid or just tired? Vanessa: And a giant bed a specific kind of cuddles. Asta: We can have a group cuddle later, like you always want the Black Bulls to do, but are there really different kinds of cuddles? Vanessa: *pouting* But I don't want a group cuddle, I want one only my handsome eagle can give me. Asta: Huh? Nozel: *slow realization* Oh... if you mean... You know that the Library is nearer, right? Vanessa: Finally you get it! Oh, I love the hunger in your eyes. *makes out with him* Solid: Really, in front of my hot chocolate? Noelle: You didn't need to come with us if you want to do that... Oh my gosh, you're doing actually THAT! Nozel: Sorry, we finish our cups and then we go! Zora: Better get out right now, otherwise Little Miss Royal here is going to be in a bad mood for the night. OUCH, what was that for? Nebra: How dare you say that I'm going to be in a bad mood? Zora: Is not my fault that your big bro is thirsty about the wino! Asta: Huh? But they aren't drinking right now? Solid & Noelle: STOP, PLEASE, WE'RE DRINKING HERE! Nozel & Vanessa: *slowly taking second cups of hot chocolate while trying hard to keep their hands from one another* Nebra: It is YOU who puts me in a bad mood! Zora: Oh, wanna work this out! Your fucking bedroom, then! Nebra: Let's settle somewhere else, last time you broke my bed! Zora: We broke your stupid bed, you where there too! Solid & Noelle: Not you too, please... Nebra: You still owe me that bed, you were too wild! Zora: You didn't complained back then, princess! Asta: Oh, you did some workout on the bed? Solid & Noelle: NO, THEY DIDN'T! AND I DON'T WANNA KNOW! Rosette: Well, this weirdly entertaining.

[zoe-hartfelt]

*Since Zora left Zoe hasn't come out of her room. The door being locked so if anyone tried to come in they can't. Zoe's losing it. She just sits there on the floor, her knees in her chest, rocking herself back and forth..*

(mind:.... she's gone...she left me...good...she deserves better...everyone deserves better...