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neverchecking · 11 months

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I have a brain rot for sage, hes challenging the chain for their time with player/reader, he basically wants all His/Her/Them's attention, of course none of the chain and sage are going to "play" fair their going to cheat no matter what. the only ones he might not win against is time, FD and maybe twilight. wind, four, Hyrule, and sky would do sad puppy eyes to get cuddle time, twilight and legend turn into their animal form to get pettings, sage and wild would cook food to get points for being delicious. (etc.etc.) just some yandere shenanigans for attention. the challenges he did were sword fighting, bow and arrow targeting, sparing, arm wrestling, and so forth.

-Eevee

Okay, last one for the night! I figured since this isn't really a request, I could spitball some more of my headcanons for our beloved Sage.

Jk it delted itself so I gave up and went to bed bc last time I tried to push through I wasn't happy with the end product, so sorry for the delay!

For those of you who don't know, Sage is another name for the Tears of the Kingdom Link--dubbed Hero of the Zonai-- should we decide he is not in fact Wild.

For the Wild and Facesitting request, it's in progress I promise! I try to go in order with my requests, but like I said, this is more headcanons versus a scenario. It should be out tomorrow later today so look out for that ;)

ANYWAY-

Y'all. The amount of Sage requests in my inbox right now? You guys are feral for this man and I love it. So I'm here to feed you guys.

TotK spoilers below!

・❥・Okay, so lemme start this off by saying. I have done you all wrong. And for that I apologize.

・❥・Because our wonderful @wayfayrr has opened my eyes to new possibilities that I would've never even thought of. So everyone say thank you rn >:(

・❥・So let's make some amendments!

・❥・First off, let's talk about nicknames. I love the idea that Reader, and only Reader, can call him anything other than Sage. And calling him other herb-related nicknames? Kills me. He is a flushing red mess the first time it happens. You had deemed him worthy of a nickname? You considered him person enough to have a moniker that wasn't also a title? If he was down bad before, it's so much worse now. Because you see him as a person. He's sure the others just see him as a means to the end. The second one of them, maybe save Wind, try it, he's shooting them daggers and snarling at them for even daring to try and impeach your privilege. (I also love the Calm, Wild and Feral thing, I thought that was so freaking clever.)

・❥・And you know how each of the hero's have their own 'sword' right? Well, what if Sage's was the Master Sword Remastered? Like Sky's (Like most of their Master Swords actually) but now it's been boosted by ten thousand years worth of direct light magic. (Does the Zonai time fall before Skyward Sword or after? I have no idea where they fall on the timeline tbh.). Just a thought. It could also be a gloom sword which probably wouldn't effect him as hard in other timelines because there's no demon king to power it, but it probably does hurt the others if they try to touch it.

・❥・Now, the juicy part. Let's retouch on Wild's and Sage's relationship. I originally said that Sage was okay with him? I lied. Wayfayrr has opened my eyes.

・❥・Sage probably can't fucking stand Wild. As they said, this is a version of him that didn't have this second adventure. Got to rest and distant himself from the Hero Title. And that just pisses him off. Why did he get the shittier hand? Why did he have to do it all over again? Why when this failure got to get off easy? Why couldn't he have the same grace, huh? What made them so different?

・❥・And if we're using the past oneshot (Here!) as they're 'canon' meeting, this filth let you get hurt. You were hurt before meeting him, which means that they can't be trusted with you. Especially Wild. So Sage cannot stand you being near Wild. At all. It eats at him and he doesn't last long before splitting the two of you up.

・❥・Calamity is even worse. There is probably an active hate towards Calamity (In this Yandere world, in a normal, not toxic world? They probably work out their differences a little better). This was a version of him who didn't even have to die to complete his quest. And this just shows that Fraud has favorites and it's not him.

・❥・You know who else he probably doesn't like? Twilight. Now, hear me out. This is purely me just spitting this out, but Sage has to be aware. He listens when they don't think he does, he's awake when they think he's not, he's watching when they don't even know he's there.

・❥・So he probably picks up on all of their little secrets. Meaning he knows Twilight is Wolfie. And (I think this is Canon is LU but I'm not sure) Wild had Wolfie as a guide. Which means Sage had Wolfie as a guide. The difference? When he needed him the second time, left stumbling around like a newborn fawn crawling out of the shrine all over again, he was left alone. He was fighting robots with a fucking Stick. He fused a mushroom to a shield just to buy himself more time. At one point, he was fusing a long stick to another long stick just to fight from a distance to save his battered body. Rauru did as much as he could, but there were some times he wished he was left for dead.

・❥・Not anymore as that means he would've never met you, but then? different story.

・❥・They also brought up that Sage probably doesn't stop at just cooking your food and I agree. When on the road, he for sure goes straight to the source. If he doesn't know exactly where it came from, it's not going anywhere near his Goddess. Nope. Not a chance in the gloomy depths from hell.

・❥・He's going to farmers themselves rather than merchants for produce, hunting any protein himself, climbing trees for eggs, he probably even makes his own butter. Now, because he's also cooking savy this for sure makes the rivalry between him and Wild widen. Wild is set in his cook for the chain, not you. Sage can't trust them to not hurt you again. Whose to say they don't over spice the food? Or undercook the fish? Or drop shells into the egg?

・❥・He can't trust them and may force you to pick one of the other. Depending on who you chose, he'll either hold his victory up high or work even harder to separate you from the chain. Can't you see, Reader? They aren't good for you.

・❥・When it comes to the Gloom, he for sure uses to his advantage. You know he's been infected, but you don't know how much light he's gathered to dispel it. At this point, he's probably gotten most, if not all of it, out, but you don't know that. And he preys on that fact.

・❥・Oh, the Traveler wants to down to the river with you? But, Reader, there's something rotten in his chest and he's stumbling against trees, exaggerating his steady steps just in case to really sell it. He needs you by his side, can't you see?

・❥・Oh, the captain is trying to get you to settle with him for the night? But, Reader, he's tossing and turning, feigning sleep and acting just enough to catch your attention. He's listening, ears pricked, just to hear you swiftly apologize before your gently hands are laying on his shoulders and he's won again.

・❥・And because his Hyrule is one of, if not the most dangerous Hyrules, he's given so much ammo to keep you tethered to him. You can't trust anyone, don't you know? The Yiga uptake has skyrocketed and they are everywhere, along with Ganon's new ability to make puppets? Can't you see how you can't trust any of them?

・❥・He even entertains you when you come up with the idea to have a secret saying between just the two of you as a fail safe. (It's probably something like 'Deforestation Enthusiast' because of how the two of you met.) Anything to have you pulling further away from the Chain and into his arms.

・❥・If it begins to take longer than expected, Sage is not above letting you wander just enough in his Hyrule. Maybe you set off a bit of Gloom hands (Or maybe he nudges them in your direction, hard to tell, really) and they go charging at you. The others don't know how to deal with them, but he does. He saves your life before the others even know what hit them. He's cooing into your ear, reassuring that where the others fail, he would never dream of it. He's whispering that he knows how scary the feeling of those hands are. He knows how freezing the feeling of sudden restriction, only accompanied by the burning sizzle of malice, is. He knows and he understands, but he's right here. He'd never let anything happen to you. Not like the other frauds.

・❥・Now, all that being said, Sage for sure does not play fair. Oh no. He does challenge them in his own ways, but does it in a way that can only reflect badly on them should they call him out on it.

・❥・He's fighting (Picking apart) with Wars and Calamity on their sparring routines, angling it in just a way that should they snap back he can turn on the innocent little look with a 'But I'm just trying to protect you. I don't know how any of you fight, I'm still learning.' Just in time for you to catch them barking at him to 'Learn faster' and it just falls perfectly into place.

・❥・He's calling out Twi and Four every time they try to wander off (Probably to bring out Wolfie or split to relieve a headache of sorts) because 'The woods are dangerous, what are they doing going off alone?' and now they can't leave because all eyes are on them and he's restricting their movement without even really trying. They wanna go foraging? But he and ...Wild were their best foragers and they were busy with dinner (That was something bitter to get out).

・❥・And wow, Time, Legend and Fierce have so many secrets, can you really trust them? Sage has laid down his entire adventure to you, and regardless if Reader is a LoZ player and knows of them regardless, Sage told you. Those two are trying to hide from you. He would never.

・❥・Wind, Hyrule and that filthy disgrace want to drag you along to go Shield surfing? Reader, do you know how dangerous that is? Especially with someone's track record. Here, you wanna go riding on this motorized wagon he just happens to have on hand? (Between the Zonite in his Purah pad, he can build any component necessary.)

・❥・Not even Sky and First are safe as he uses carefully laid words to sully their once golden image towards you. Afterall, they're so close to Hylia, whose to say they aren't behind all of this?

・❥・Now, you said that the only ones he may not win against are Time, Fierce and Twilight, but like I said, I can imagine him loathing Twilight, so instead, may I suggest First.

・❥・Time and Fierce are both pretty burly dudes that demand some semblance of respect and while Sage has muscles, he's not overly tall. So while he doesn't bow, he may just back off from their forefront for a while.

・❥・Now, First. He's probably the only one who can put Sage back in his place of the hierarchy. It's the first in the timeline, versus the last (As of right now). And it's not pretty. They probably go to blows a few times when you're out of ear shot.

・❥・The problem is that First can only push him back when you're out of ear shot and Sage makes it a point to keep you as close as humanly possible.

・❥・And while yes, some of them may use puppy eyes, Sage is not above using pity to get what he wants because he just hurts so badly don't you know?

・❥・He unfortunately can't do anything about wolves or rabbits. If they manage to disappear before he can call them out on it, he's left bitterly sulking as Wolfie laps at your cheeks or dumb rabbits nose at your hand. He may know who they are, but not even he's cruel enough to call them out (Yet) because that would just pit you against him. They weren't his secrets to tell, you would scold, and he just couldn't handle that possibility.

・❥・The biggest difference between Sage and Wild, one that the chain will fail to realize right away, is that Sage is much more experienced. He is on his second, THIRD if you count the pre-calamity, adventure. He knows everything Wild does, and more. Wild knows how to improvise and adapt, Sage can do it faster. Wild knows how to forage and concoct incredibly potent elixirs? Sage can do it tenfold with half the ingredients. He knows all the little tips and tricks and is not only backed up by the champion's gifts-- should they have remained-- but now he has the sages with him.

・❥・Like imagine their mid-battle, they had forced you away from Sage just to create some distance (At long last) and mans comes rolling in a giant fucking robot. He's using Sidon's sage to shield you over and over again and decimating a battle field using nothing but Riju and an arrow. Hell, the bigger enemies are struck down by Yunobo crashing into them. Sage alone is enough to cut the enemy hordes in half through recall and sending their own attacks back at them or fusing together weapons they wouldn't have ever dreamed of with new abilities. Even his outfits give him benefits far beyond anything they could think.

・❥・You saw him as someone more than just Link. He wasn't just the Swordsman to you when that was who he was to everyone else. You dubbed him something far beyond what a damned sword made him.

・❥・And he would have to be four days dead before letting you go.

・❥・And as he's proven before, Not even death could truly kill him.

I am so glad I waited bc I like this one so much more than the one that was deleted.

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boardboxes · 1 year

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okay. main 4 LL baddies and what vision and weapon they’d have in genshin

Anisa- I think she would be a hydro polearm. don’t care that she has a sword. she’s a hydro polearm.

Sage- (me shaking trying not to say he’s just itto). I think he’d be a pyro claymore

Rime- electro polearm. sowwy that art of him n his weapon is so fine I’m not getting rid of that. i want him to stab me from a distance okay

Felix- hydro catalyst. or maybe electro. he’s a catalyst. his weapon is one of those smut books he has on his shelf.

#can we all take a moment and mourn for the loss of our beloved last legacy #fictif #sage lesath #felix escellun #anisa anka #rime varela

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starleska · 1 year

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Hey I saw your fainting request and thought it looked great....I have a request of my own...

Can...you do wally x reader who is autistic? Like gets distracted and/or hyperfixated on things easily, does stims like arm flapping as an example, and other stuff?

Just love wally from welcome home ever since I randomly stumbled upon welcome home! I wish they would 'find tapes of the show' so we could legit watch the episodes and stuff! Imagine the glitches and tibits they could add in! Oh I'd love it! And I adore the puppets and this adorable horror so much!

oh hell yeah, this is the ask i was waiting for!!! 🔥🔥🔥 of course i can fill out this prompt for you darling - i'm autistic myself, and it's my headcanon that every single member of the Welcome Home cast is some shade of neurodivergent 🥰💖 the lovely official arm-flapping art of both Julie and Frank is all the evidence i need!! plus, Wally sleeping on a cake...i'm choosing to believe he's a big fan of that kind of texture 😂💖 speaking of!...

Wally Darling x Autistic Reader headcanons

⭐ when you first tell Wally you're autistic, he doesn't quite grasp the concept. he nods when you give the clinical definition, but it's clear he doesn't understand why you're making the distinction. however, when you first describe your special interests, Wally's eyes light up! he grabs a pencil and his sketchbook, and quickly scrawls a crude picture of your mutual neighbour Frank, along with a host of pretty butterflies. then, right by his side Wally doodles himself, surrounded by floating apples. "It's good to be excited by things," says Wally, with all the sage wisdom of a tenured professor. ever distracted, he flips to a new page and carefully (his tongue sticks out during the process!) renders you in pencil. then, he fills in the blank space with pretty, stylised doodles of all your most beloved interests - even the obscure ones which are not easily communicated in picture form 💖 from that moment on, you know you and Wally are kindred spirits. ⭐ stimming is something Wally does regularly, and he loves it when you stim too!! Wally's most prominent stim is singing - he's constantly humming a tune or thoughtlessly mumbling lyrics to himself, sometimes from known songs, and sometimes from original compositions. Wally is also prone to pacing and threading his fingers together when he's nervous or stressed: a rare occurrence, as his outward persona is typically bright and relaxed. however, Wally never wants his pals to feel left out: if his friends are stimming, he'll quite happily mirror the movements!! Julie adores it when Wally flaps along with her, and although Frank will never admit it, he appreciates when Wally sits on the floor and rocks with him. whichever stims you prefer, he's always delighted to be a part of what helps you navigate the world and make your body and brain feel better 🥰 ⭐ Wally loves to give you deep-pressure hugs. your new neighbourhood is a kind and accepting place, but even you can become overwhelmed by its sweet, rainbow brightness. you don't know why, but one particularly hypersensitive day, you begin to approach a meltdown and have nowhere to escape. without a word, Wally slips his soft, fuzzy arms around your waist and pulls you into his chest, face-first. his strength is astonishing, and although you have an initial moment of panic, all that tension and terror starts to slip away as you inhale his unique fruit-felt scent. Wally hums to you as he holds you - and keeps you in his arms until you feel relaxed enough to slip out of your own accord 🥺 i hope this is what you were looking for, anon :3c i know we all have our unique experiences as autistic people, but i hope this was broad enough and relevant to you. have a great day 😊💖

#wally darling #wally darling x reader #welcome home #welcome home arg #starleskasks #starleskawrites #wally darling x you

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yaekiss · 9 months

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#Mailroom Open!- Hello, I would like to request a love letter for Alhaitham. NSFW and Yandere response please, and any pet names work but if you could use Habib that would be great 💖 (I hope I did this right)

_______________________

"To my favorite feeble scholar,

I hope this letter is finding you well! I have arrived safely in Fontaine and haven't known a moment of peace since I have arrived. The chaotic cocktail of getting settled into a new city, preparing for this research project, and missing home makes me yearn for the simpler times spent in Sumeru.

Especially my time spent with you.

Thats enough of my lamenting, how fare things with you back home? Have you finally shaken the title of acting Grand Sage yet? Is Kaveh being too much of a "menace"? (Also, please let him know his mother says hello and sends her best wishes to you both). Regardless, I hope you are taking care yourself. Archons know I can't ensure you are eating well while I'm nations away. I will just have to trust that you are treating yourself with the same kindness I would extend to you.

On the topic of kindness, I have a gift for you attached to this letter. I know while I am here doing my research for the next six months we won't be able to have our usual meetings at Lambad's to discuss books over good food, but I hope these books will entertain you well during my absence.

I'm eagerly counting down the days until I can see you again. I find myself thinking of you often and it is a truly vexing experience to see you on whim like I would do so before. It makes the days seem to drag on even longer, but I pray time will fly by regardless of this.

-Sincerely, your wayward scholar

[In a simply decorated box, there are three books: one is on the topic on Fontaine's hydro transportation system and infrastructure, the second is about the complexities surrounding Fontaine's judicial system, and lastly is an infamous and popular erotica anthology from Fontaine (think the Karma sutra but French)]

꩜ Letter Content: Dom! GN! Reader x Yan! Sub! Alhaitham, Alhaitham calls you "habib", lightly implied abuse of power, unhealthy possessive and obsessive relationship from Alhaitham, mentions of sex toys, lmk if I missed out anything ! ꩜ Delivery Notes: He tipped me extra and requested me to be extra careful with the delivery so I'll hand it over to you directly instead of leaving it at your door as per usual procedure! ꩜ Wanna write a love letter yourself? Check out it out here!

There’s a knock at your door when you’re relaxing in your room, opening it shows a hotel staff member who passes you a delivery. And it doesn’t take a genius to know it’s from your beloved feeble scholar.

Alhaitham sends you a simple package, nothing too gaudy or showy, just a few accents of turquoise to denote who the sender is. It’s secure and durable, perfect for weathering long and bumpy trips.

When you open up the package, you find a few gifts he carefully arranged so that nothing would be broken if the contents were jostled around a little too hard. Gingerly, you lift out a lacquered box which reveals a set of headphones and a music player that’s almost identical to the one he owns. It rests in its cushioned groove in the box with the colours of the device matching your favourites instead of the shades of green on his set.

There’s a small note attached to the music player, “In case you ever miss me too much, you’ll have my voice as background noise for your moping, habib.” On the back of it, he’s written something akin to a track list. Flicking through the different audio files for a quick sample, you realise there’s one for every mood. Tracks with words of encouragement (...or as encouraging as someone like Alhaitham can get), ones scolding you for overworking. There’s even a really cute one where he softly hums a love song that both of you adore, his voice low and soothing. However, the best track of all might be the one where you get to hear his grunts and moans, as if he were right next to your ear in person. The sounds are so sinful and wet, you could just picture him grinding on his dildo, trying to reach his peak. And the way he pitifully breaths out a “I c-can’t cum witho- AH! -without you!” has you yearning for him yet again.

Taking the headphones off before you get too carried away, you retrieve his letter in the package. The envelope is the one from his Grand Sage office, not that he ever really uses them for work purposes. Inside it, his reply is written on parchment, the kind that’s provided for him due to his high position once again. His handwriting is as tidy as ever, the font and formatting standardised throughout the letter. His reply reads:

“Reply for: My springtime sublimity,

I was wondering when you were going to write back to me. After all, there’s no way you would’ve forgotten me in the midst of your research or from meeting someone new, right? Regardless, you have not left my mind since your departure and I’m sure it’s the same for you too habib.

Do let me know if the gifts are to your liking. I’ve managed to recreate my headphones and they will definitely be useful in blocking out anyone else who might be getting on your nerves or when you’re trying to focus on your research. I included my latest read in the package as well. I'd like for us to discuss our thoughts on the book, even if it’ll have to be done over pen and paper. I’m eager to hear your thoughts on it.

There’s also no reason for me to answer whether I’ve managed to resign from my title as Grand Sage, as evident from the envelope and parchment used. I simply have an unfortunate one last thing to wrap up before I can do so.

Moving on, habib, you know Kaveh is always a menace. I relayed his mother’s well wishes to him earlier and he just smiled. Now he’s locked himself in his room. I never have any idea what’s in that mind of his. It’ll be a miracle if I don’t have to drag him out before he starves. Although I must ask, since when were you privy to Kaveh’s background? I don’t recall him bringing it up around us. Habib, just how close are you to him? How close has he gotten to you? Do write back to me and explain.

Now, this is where I must thank you for your gifts. They all have proven to be succinct and informative. However, I must comment on the choice of one of the books. My, I knew you were lewd before, but to send me an erotica anthology habib? Though, I never said I minded it. I am simply inspired, that's all. Perhaps, you should come back sooner and we can try some of the positions referenced in it. In the meantime, habib, I can only pleasure myself with toys, although, they’re nothing in comparison to you. I’m addicted to you, the caress of your hands on my skin, how only you can make me shudder and cry out your name. You have me wrapped around your finger.

I crave you desperately, habib. There are so many words I could use to describe you with my extensive vocabulary, but the most fitting one would be blossoming. You’ve managed to sow all these emotions in me and now that they’re blooming, you’ll take responsibility right? I’ve always been logical but the degree of affection I feel for you is irregular, all-encompassing and ever-growing. Almost as if you’re twisting the very essence of my mind, rotting and changing me from the inside out. It matches in a way, spring being the season of rebirth.

This letter has gotten too long, I will end it off here habib. I trust you will stay safe and return in one piece unharmed. I await your reply.

May your days be peaceful,

- Alhaitham -”

Setting his letter back in the package, you pick up the book he entrusted to you. Flipping through the pages, it’s littered with markings and annotations from the scribe, he even wrote some questions for you to ponder over. “What do you think about this point?” “Why would the author write this in?” But there are a few unrelated… unsettling annotations that you probably shouldn’t dwell on for too long such as, “Do you know just how much I miss you?” or “How were you able to corrupt my reason and rationality to this extent?” These annotations were left in here for a reason, Alhaitham is a smart man, a renowned member of the Haravatat. There’s a message behind his carefully selected words, waiting for you to unearth it before it festers and decays into something even worse.

Lastly, written neatly on the inside of the back cover, is a puzzling riddle, each word written in a different ancient script. After deciphering the question, an unpleasant awareness worms its way into your mind.

It reads, “Would you still extend your same kindness to me after realising what I would do for you?”

Thanks for reading! Consider supporting me on kofi if you enjoyed this or check out my other works hehe ♡

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zethwritesss · 8 months

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‘good morning babe’; a morning with your girlfriend, ellie; a very fluffy drabble/fic thingy

warnings: cursing, FLUFF!!! (idk why this is there oh well), established relationship, cuddles, mention of nsfw content.

synopsis: ellie helps get you up in the morning (+ some cuddles)

a/n: dedicated to y’all who hate mornings, figured i’d write this because i’ve been thinking abt it non stop- also i hope that the audio helps this little fic come to life a bit more!! i’ve done the audio to be read alongside the fic, or it can be just as a stand alone thing. ALSO reader is gender neutral!!

word count: 0.8 k

you heard your curtains get thrown to the side, allowing the way-too-bright sunlight to stream into your room. you decided to shove your face into some pillows and groaned.

you felt a hand lightly rub circles on your back. it took a few seconds for your senses to kick in. and fully register what’s going on around you.

you were lying on your stomach, your girlfriend sat down on your bedside.

“good morning babe-”

“elsss- ‘s too earlyyy…” you groaned, voice raspy, barely understandable as you had shoved your face into some pillows.

“i know i know… i’m not a morning person either so i get it. you were up pretty late last night huh?” ellie said, still rubbing your back.

you nod your head in response. you were indeed up late last night, sometime in-between 3-4 am. you didn’t even register ellie coming into your room, opening your curtains and sitting at your bedside.

”mhm wannagobacktobeddd” you mumbled incomprehensibly.

“hmm? what on earth did you just say?” ellie chuckled at your statement. you groaned in frustration, it was too early for you to deal with ellie’s shenanigans.

“can i have twenty more minutes of my fucking beauty sleep?”

“oh! now that gets the point across. i say ten more minutes.” ellie said, hoping you’d take her offer of an extra ten more minutes of rest.

“ten? els it’s too early for your shit. ” you protest.

“ten.” ellie said remaining firm on her stance.

“twenty.”

“what about fifteen? and i’ll join you-”

‘thank fucking god finally a viable option’ you thought to yourself.

“fine.” you grumbled.

“then move over so i have some room.”

ellie chuckled.

“but- im soooo comfyyy-“

“babe.”

“ellieee.” you cooed, your were extremely comfy in your bed, buried in your sage coloured duvet.

“well i’m making room for myself since someone‘s too stubborn to do it themselves!”

ellie shoved you over a little bit and climbed into bed, lying on her side, making sure she was able to see her sleepy partner. you were now face to face with her.

“hi!” ellie said with a slight smile.

“hi!” you reply, making eye contact with your beloved els. her sparkling green eyes, and freckled face mesmerizing you.

“how was your sleep?” she asks you, as you feel her hand come up to stroke your cheek. your felt your cheeks turn warm in response to her gesture.

“was good, needed more though.”

“don’t stay up too late then…”

ellie had a point, your sleep schedule had been all over the place.

“ellieee i know you are noooo better than me…”

ellie looked down at your statement, ashamed that you called her out.

“okay okay… yeah i think we both need to sort our sleep schedules out…”

you nod in response. you loved mornings with your girlfriend, she made them a lot more tolerable than before. ellie did have a point though!

“anddd how was yours?” you ask her.

“mine was good, glad to hear yours was good too! soo what were you up to so late?” ellie asked you.

“i just couldn’t fall asleep, your sleep talking didn’t help me… it was almost sleep yelling!” you say, giggling to yourself as you remember what ellie said in her sleep.

“well, what was i sleep talking about?”

“it was something about a horse, i think you were riding it, you kept telling it to giddy up”

ellie chuckled in response to you telling her about her sleep talking shenanigans.

“i do remember dreaming about being a cowboy- that’s probably it! didn’t think i’d be sleep talking though!”

“on this topic of riding, when can i ride you?”

you smirked, you liked to mess around with ellie. it was fun making her flustered and speechless.

“i- i- wow- wasn’t expecting that one at 11:32 in the morning… maybe later tonight-” ellie said, biting her bottom lip as her face went bright red at your comment.

“yeehaw!” you exclaim with a smirk on your face.

“up you get now-“

“but… ellie it hasn’t-”

“nuh uh- no buts. come on babe…” ellie tutted, with a grin on her face.

“whatcha-” you ask, followed by a squeal as ellie hits you with a pillow. then she quickly hops out of the bed, in case you were to retaliate.

“OKAY- OKAY. I’M UP!” you exclaim, sitting up on your bed.

“there we go- okay so now that you’re up i’ll leave you be. if you’re ready in fifteen, breakfast is on me!” ellie teased, before heading out of your bedroom.

you used to hate mornings, they were slow and draining at times. but with ellie they’re much more manageable, minus ellie’s tactics with a pillow.

“ALSO I’LL GET YOU BACK FOR HITTING ME WITH A PILLOW” you yell at your girlfriend, whose light chuckles could be heard from down the hall.

taglist: @elliessknife @little-star-bun @no-nameno-face @anchoeritic @solaceocean @winfleurs

#tlou fanfiction #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams fanfic #ellie williams fluff #zethwritesssfanfic

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dxstopiaa · 1 year

Text

Gratifying Gambit

Synopsis: Playing Genius Invocation with your lover seems to evolve into something quite heated.

Characters: Al Haitham, Kaveh, Cyno and Tighnari x Reader!

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, otherwise none. [ Apologies for such infrequent updates <\3 P.S do know how difficult fighting cyno in tcg windblume was? that feeling when i finally beat him. (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞]

Al Haitham

Al Haitham has been defeated!

You couldn’t possibly of expected the Grand Sage to be in peak condition after keeping him awake for so long. It was evident he would rather be in his own company, reading before getting early rest.

Al Haitham’s eyelids drooped slightly— teal irises clouded with the urge for slumber. But he pressed on, insisting that his sleep didn’t matter as much when it came to spending time with you, even if it wasn’t exactly quality.

“No, it’s alright, it’s your turn.” Your lover murmured, resting his head in his hands. No problem, this is only one night of many, he’ll get his rest eventually.

“Haitham? I’ve conceded my round already…” You raised a brow, arm outstretched to brush his tresses from obstructing your view of him. Ah, that’s the issue. No wonder he had lost these past matches.

His eyes were fluttering shut, drifting off to the abode of dreams until he forced himself awake again. An all too familar cycle with yourself, but one which didn’t synergise with the Scribe.

“Dear, are you…sleeping? I didn’t think i was that boring!” You huffed, tone tinted with slight offence but amusement nonetheless. Al Haitham couldnt retain the hushed smile creeping up his face. You were too lovable for your own good.

Another unusual occurrence, your beloved’s laughter. It was sweet— carefree and adorable for a stoic man such as he. Either your heart almost flipped in place, or your brain short-circuited.

“Quite the opposite actually, go on, i’ll play one more game with you.”

You have been defeated!

Strategy, the foundation of card games. The secret to winning every match was to be adaptable but reliably balanced in strength and defence, Al Haitham had read such in a handbook, a little foreign to his tastes but interesting nonetheless.

He was determined to prove such tactics correct— that he did, with grace. A stubborn man like him, you expected him to stick to his dendro team compositions, yet he took you by surprise.

“Are you not going to…” You trailed off, glaring at his deck of cards which weren’t in usual order. Only then had you recognised your mistake.

“Hm? Oh this, i figured i should alter it more often, i’ll start.” Al Haitham’s smirk could be heard through his tone, folding his arms after already reducing your health far below healthy standards. Appears like the luck was on his side too.

You tripped over your words in an attempt to condone your poor performance, phrases like: ‘My hand slipped!’ or ‘Wait, i’m not ready!’

“Haitham!” But he knew, regardless of how many times you whined his name with exasperation, it was just a way to cope with your unfortunate loss. Just like the Scribe was attempting to conceal that stochastic fluttering in his chest from the nickname.

“I win, my reward is for you to call me that name for the rest of our time together.”

Kaveh

Kaveh has been defeated!

“Hey! Give me a chance at least!” Kaveh groaned, throwing his cards quite aggressively upon the table in defeat. To think that he called himself skilled at TCG just an hour ago— now there was no denying he felt embarrassed.

The young architect, better known as your husband, breathed out an exasperated sigh when you merely giggled at his suffering. Kaveh didn’t know where he went wrong, he had prepared himself for this yet he still couldn’t beat you!

You, on the other hand, found the situation humorous. He just looked so lovable with that pout on his lips— eyes screwed narrowly whilst he scrutinised his attempt at deceiving you.

“Sorry, love! I just thought you’d want better competition for your amazing skills.” You teased, mocking him for your own amusement. The look upon his face was something much more than just disapproval, as if he wanted to strangle you (lovingly, of course.)

How did you know all of his moves, he asks? Well, playing a tactical game with someone who shares a bit too much detail whilst intoxicated was not a sensible choice. And you may of just coerced him into informing you of his playstyle by rewarding him with a kiss.

Such information should remain hidden, keeping your irked lover in the dark wouldn’t hurt, right? Nothing other than his sanity, anyway.

“Again? Dear, can you read my mind?”

You have been defeated!

You shouldn’t of done that— hoping the blonde opposite you failed to recognise your poorly thought mistake. A shame that Kaveh was a discreetly intelligent man, a satisfied smirk growing over his face.

“Wait, I didn’t mean to do that!” You exclaimed, trapping your husband’s hand under your own, nearly falling from your chair. He cackled mercilessly, finishing off your deck in one turn.

It was his concept of revenge, you had won all previous matches, it’s fair enough. It’s too bad for you, now Kaveh had no choice but to smear vanquish over your streak. The game prior to this beheld a score of six to zero, at least your husband didn’t walk out with that quite embarrassing score.

“Dramatic does not mean dumb, sweetheart.” Your lover admitted, leaving his seat from the table to collect the remaining dice— and partly to tower over beside you to witness that solemn expression.

Eagerly, you seized his collar and brought him down face-level, gifting a chaste kiss to his lips before turning away as if you never had.

“You can’t just leave me like that, come here-”

Cyno

Cyno has been defeated!

“Don’t get cocky.”

Something that he shouldn’t of said to you— rather some advice he should of taken himself. For a supposedly lighthearted card game, Cyno took it very seriously, to the point it became comical. After all, he’s never lost to anyone before.

So when you slammed your card upon the playing table, your new tactics you had learnt had proved to outmatch the uncrowned archon of Genius Invocation. The plan? Delay your actions until you could utilise elemental reactions and one-shot every last card of his once vulnerable.

Quite expectedly, your boyfriend appeared mortified, not only did he gasp as if he had been physically injured, but his mouth flew ajar. Cyno wanted to express his resentment, but that became increasingly challenging with how proud you looked.

“See! I told you i’ve been practicing!” You giggled, leaving your seat at the table and wrapping your arms around his neck, swaying the seething general to and fro. No matter, you already knew how much he adored seeing you as contented as you were.

It wouldn’t take long to crack that false shell of offence, sporting a gleeful grin at last. Cyno sighed, resting his elbows on the table whilst he massaged those restless crimson eyes of his. Another card drawn, another hour spent away in his company.

“You win this time, but you want to see what i’ve been practicing too, love?”

You have been defeated!

Cyno wasn’t that malevolent to defeat you in his favourite card game so soon; you were only a beginner, that wouldn’t be necessary. That was until you began to grasp the concept of it rather quickly.

It was endearing how you were so keen to conquer your boyfriend, of course he had to let you win the first couple of rounds. Your virtuous grin when you inflicted damage greater than he had expected alone was a sufficient reason.

“Hmm you win again, how about i increase the difficulty, darling?” Cyno proposed. You shouldn’t of hastily nodded your head, you later found you underestimated him a little too much.

A fault of yours was your predictability— the customary vaporise deck, a common choice he often saw. Perhaps you were playing it safe? Standard set up too, simply apply hydro and then pyro. Too bad your lover could counter that in no time.

Turn by turn, your cards were disintegrated before your very eyes. No amount of healing or event draws could repair the damage done in that round— or to your morale for that matter.

The general braced his deck, peering over it to witness you frowning at the ‘unfair’ move he made. Stifling his laughter was becoming increasingly difficult, wearing an upturned smirk instead.

“Cyno! Stop the mockery, it’s not funny!” You whined, resting your head against the table in defeat, not desiring to get your pride handed back to you once more.

There’s always a next time to achieve victory. For now, just enjoy your boyfriend tidying your hair away from your chagrined countenance.

Tighnari

Tighnari has been defeated!

You were more than just delighted to reveal your new deck to your boyfriend, or more specifically—a character card of his own. He wore a cute expression, eyes gleaming with motivation and pride whilst his illustrated lips curved into a cheeky grin.

Endearing you find it, and glad you had pre-release access to the card which was intended to be announced to the public in a week. Rightfully so as his lover.

“So…you’re telling me that this card of mine, will grant you luck?” Tighnari hesitated, analysing the card between two fingers. He found the depiction of himself to be slightly inaccurate, but he brushed it off with a light sigh.

“Yes! ‘Nari, please?” You requested, smiling softly when the chief forest ranger surrendered to your pleads. You gleefully sat opposite him, board infront with dice scattered over it. You rolls seemed to be the first indicator of your luck, all dendro and electro—just like your team.

Tighnari, on the other hand, was a bit more unfortunate, having to reroll with multiple event cards just to play a skill. With every fallen character, he slumped further into his chair with disappointment.

“Alright, how is my own card luckier than me?” Your lover complained, plucking it from your hands and hiding it away in his pocket.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it back, i don’t want you to favour a fake rather than the real version infront of you, dearest.”

You have been defeated!

“Love, did you drink too much? You’re usually better at this than me.” The forest ranger questioned, an eyebrow cocked upwards at your quizzical behaviour.

It was already the third round yet you hadn’t played any meaningful action at all. One could argue that you were simply stalling— but that was not an ample excuse.

Your palm struggled to keep the weight of your head upright, giving out from beneath it and opting to slouch over the table. That didn’t stop the incoherent mumbles from spilling out your lips, now batting your eyes at your boyfriend.

“Nari, you’re so cute…i’ll let you have the win whenever.” You whined cheekily, observing Tighnari scoff, attempting to hide the scarlet flush developing with disregard. Just what has happened to you today?

“I appreciate it, but you need to get some rest, you’re scaring me.” He muttered, leaving his seat to aid you upstairs, with much difficulty. Reminder: Don’t leave alcohol around you again.

Neither of you had exactly lost or won, but you could say that you were the first to fall deeper for another.

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dragonzzilla · 10 months

Text

Tears of the Kingdom's underwhelming narrative had rich potential

I'll preface this with a confession: I have not played Tears of the Kingdom. As a matter of fact, I haven't played any Legend of Zelda. I simply never had the opportunity while growing up, so my interest in the series has always been satellite. As such, I do not have the perspective of someone who has. My opinions are formulated entirely in what little I have seen or sought out. I'm coming at this with the perspective of an outsider looking in. But I'm not looking for a fight. My aim isn't to bash the new hotness out of jealous spite, or to convince people to feel bad about liking this game that, I've otherwise heard, is really fun. The reason I care, even though I'm not a part of the fandom, is that we all deserved better.

This is a much anticipated sequel to a smash hit from one of the biggest names in the industry, sold at a whopping $70—and having watched for free a YouTube compilation of all the cutscenes pertaining to Ganondorf, the much advertised central antagonist of TOTK, I felt robbed. This was my legitimate reaction:

Disregarding all my other feelings for a moment, I was dumbstruck to see a Nintendo game—released in our year of 2023—use what is essentially the same cutscene four times while explaining the backstory. I recognize TOTK has modular progression, allowing you to reach the Sages in whatever order you please. But once you've seen the first one, the other three will offer you no more valuable information. I'm willing to stretch my suspension of disbelief pretty far, yet even I recognized on first viewing how formulaic the Sage cutscenes are. It wrenched me out of the story.* Hearing different perspectives about the same events can and should be interesting, but the Sages relating these events barely qualify as characters—possessing neither names nor even faces, thanks to their uniform masks of Zonai design...

* I'll acknowledge: Within universe, there is reason enough for the Sages to repeat what is essentially the same story to their respective successors to apprise them of the situation. I can certainly see Link having to sit through the same spiel several times so everyone is on the same page. But it felt really unnecessary as a member of the audience. And unlike their BOTW counterparts, the Four Champions, the Sages don't stick around long enough to endear themselves any further, instead passing their abilities and function onto their successors.

… Which, I feel, represents the Ancient Past Storyline as a whole. Despite the number of bodies involved, no one felt alive. Queen Sonia—this continuity's founding mother of Hyrule, where divine power is explicitly matrilineal—amounts to nothing more than meat for the fridge to motivate the real star of the show, Rauru. Everyone else, including Zelda and the other Sages, are merely bit players in the conflict between him and Ganondorf. But it's a conflict without teeth. Ganondorf displays nothing but a mad, naked lust for power. Opposing him is Rauru, the quintessential Good King and benevolent god figure who would never abuse his power, but would sacrifice it all to seal away the evil invader who killed his beloved martyr-wife. There is no interrogation of the 'gentle' imperialism Rauru represents. His way is textually presented as the only righteous way. The world of this continuity revolves around his legacy and its preservation; anything else is not merely deviant, but indicative of evil. Only someone with the blackest of hearts would oppose this order. The narrative requires Ganondorf to be nothing less than the epitome of evil.

Which is… really disappointing, to say the least. Because I happen to like Ganondorf. His character and his place in the mythos have always been the forefront of my interest in the series; forget Link or Zelda. Naturally, I was drawn in by TOTK's marketing about Ganondorf's return as a human antagonist after a 17 year long hiatus. Given how much of a reinvention BOTW was for the series as a whole, I was disappointed back in 2017 to learn that Ganondorf existed only as a mindless force of primordial evil. "How lame," I thought, "but I guess it's not really Ganondorf." Calamity Ganon was just that: Ganon. And Ganon's always a full-blown monster, divorced from any nuance possessed by his OOT, WW, and TP selves. Then the first teaser for TOTK dropped, placing Ganondorf the man (if a little worse for wear) front and center. Intrigued, I enjoyed the explosion of enthusiastic fan art that followed, as well as the speculation regarding the role he would play. Surely, he would be more than a one-note villain! My expectations rose as Nintendo revealed more about him. His new design didn't immediately scream Dark Lord; and in his first speaking role, he draws attention to the fact that he has returned (within universe and meta-wise) and he has a vision for the world. I couldn't want to see the final product! Yet here we are.

It's a strange thing to fixate upon, when I don't have any skin in this game. But I'm passionate about storytelling. I enjoy rich narratives with nuanced characters, and I respect those that fully commit to the ideas they present... whereas stories that try to have their cake and eat it too, well, those pique my interest as well. Whenever I see untapped potential, my writer's mind cannot help but ponder the age-old question of "What if?" And I intend to do just that, in the cut below (this rant is long enough as it is).

Of course, no amount of brainstorming can change the reality of a product. A ship's structural flaws only become apparent once it's left port, but there's no recalling it then. Nonetheless, there is value in the discussion. We should always critically analyze what corporations give us, desiccating their products to discern the messages (whether intentional or not) contained within—especially when the product is aimed toward a young audience that might not have the cognitive tools to decipher those messages for themselves. Even if we cannot affect change in a monolithic company like Nintendo, we can still draw lessons from their missteps to improve our own writing.

If I have such grievances with TOTK's story, why bother with a rewrite? Because:

Playing within the limits of another's sandbox can help to build creative muscle.

I believe TOTK has all the right ingredients for a compelling story, if this new series wasn't so afraid to challenge its narrative roots the way it has its gameplay.

A few more things to note: I am not a professional writer, nor am I a veteran of the series. I'm working strictly with what TOTK brings to the table. I'll make no efforts to reconcile the continuity errors between BOTW and TOTK (though it deserves mentioning), or even attempt to fit this in a single cohesive timeline with the rest of the franchise. I am not that brave lol. What I propose below is simply how I would use these toys; YMMV. I hope this inspires discussion more so than congratulation or wordless agreement (though my ego will accept compliments all the same, especially since it took no small amount of spoons to organize my thoughts like this). As Ganondorf says:

A Modest Rewrite of TOTK's Ancient Past Storyline

Zelda is still flung to the past, but she awakens not to a picturesque golden age under the magnanimous rule of an infallible demigod. Instead, sadly reminiscent of her own age, the land lays in ruin, in the immediate aftermath of its own calamity. But this isn't the fault of Ganon. The blame lies solely with the Zonai.

The Zonai were understandably viewed as gods. A people who live up in the sky on floating islands, in possession of miraculous technology (including killer robots to protect their interests!), and magical artifacts that in the wrong hands can unleash cataclysmic power? A civilization as powerful as theirs doesn't suddenly end without a very good reason. Yet as far as I know, no explanation is provided as to why Rauru and Mineru are seemingly the last of the Zonai. No mention is made of a rival power that could've taken them down; certainly none of the terrestrial races. Remember, the Zonai were seen as gods. If you were to ask me? A civilization with that great of a power at their disposal, and apparently so much of it that Rauru has four more Stones (not including his own, Sonia's, or Mineru's) to pass out as he sees fit... can only destroy itself.*

* I know the Zonai are depicted in text as a purely enlightened and benevolent race... but as far back in the franchise as OOT (which TOTK draws a lot from), not even Hyrule—the standard by which all civilization in LOZ is judged—was above a civil war, orphaning Link. War Within LOZ clearly isn't waged solely against primal forces of evil that can, must, and should be destroyed. And that's good! A story is made richer when even the Designated Good Guys can fuck things up, when characters are allowed to contain multitudes—good and bad qualities!

Power does not defuse conflict. It only escalates the scope of destruction once it's unleashed. So, for whatever reasons the Zonai gave themselves then clung to, they started fighting each other. Using their flying machines and automatons, battles were fought upon and between their sky islands, the detritus of war raining down on the lands below—the inhabitants of which can do nothing but watch as a war rages in heaven—until finally the full power of the Stones is unleashed in an exchange that guarantees mutual destruction. The sky islands all plummet to the earth, wreaking mass destruction. This is the world Zelda finds herself in—where the land has been cracked wide open, the skies are choked with dust, and no one gets along... so unlike the world she knows.

Zelda still comes into the care of Rauru and Sonia, but Rauru is merely Sonia's consort—he holds no power as king. It's evident from the start that Sonia is steering the direction of Hyrule—a humble territory in this age—in this tumultuous time, although Rauru is backing her. It's thanks to Sonia that Rauru and Mineru survived the fall of their sky island, brought back from the brink of death. It was during this time that Rauru fell in love with her; and to repay her, Rauru revealed that, between himself and Mineru, they have three intact Stones (a small homage to the Triforce since it doesn't matter in this continuity) with which they can secure Hyrule's place in this brave new world. Importantly, this isn't portrayed as any more righteous than a nation acquiring a clear advantage over its rivals. Indeed, Zelda's thrown for a loop to learn that in this era, the other races like the Gorons and the Zora aren't merely independent from Hyrule but have a history of conflict—something she never learned in her history books. And tensions are only rising, as these rival nations find Stones of their own after much scavenging, shifting an already fraught balance of power. The gods are dead, their empire shattered—yet slivers of their strength remain, for those daring enough to claim them. By using one of these Stones, a tribe could secure its borders, reclaim ancestral land... or conquer new territory. This is where Ganondorf enters the picture.

This Ganondorf is still a villain, but there's room for nuance. He's ruthless and prideful, and certainly antagonistic toward Hyrule; but the narrative respects him as much as his fellow monarchs. He cares about the success of his people, because his entire identity is shaped around being their king. Remember that a male is born to the Gerudo only once in a hundred years. Ganondorf is but the latest in a lineage of kings, with the heavy burden of expectation that carries—he has a legacy to uphold or surpass if he can help it. And ever since he was a boy, he envied the easy lives and green lands of Hyrule, so as a man he has made it his personal ambition to conquer it... but at every turn, he has met his match in Sonia, who is every bit as skilled of a commander and a magician. The two of them have clashed so many times that they've become the most intimate of enemies, hard pressed to hate each other because they both know what's at stake. For years, they've been evenly matched... but the downfall of the Zonai changed everything. In spite of the Gerudo's best efforts, they haven't been able to find a single Stone to make up for the fact that the crash of their local sky islands kicked up terrible sandstorms and drove monsters from their usual habitats. The Gerudo are more desperate than ever. Then Ganondorf learns that his oldest enemy is housing two living Zonai underneath her roof, and has a total of four Stones at her disposal. He cannot battle Hyrule as before, lest he risk annihilation—if not by Sonia's hands, then another tribe that is more willing to coup de grâce a decimated competitor, or they might perish to monsters, or the desert might finally claim them, the dunes swallowing up their bones and burying their accomplishments. He could bend the knee—throw himself at Sonia's feet and hope for the best, sacrificing Gerudo independence to share in Hyrule's bounty. But his pride will never allow that.

He grew up in the shadow of detached gods, was raised on tales of how they were the ultimate arbiters of truth and value—almighty in their judgment and unassailable—and he saw for himself that they would only ever come down to earth to indulge their curiosity about the quaint groundfolk or harvest what their sky islands could not provide, most notably Zonaite (of course they named it after themselves...) to fuel their miraculous machines, the secrets of which they refused to share with anyone 'because they weren't ready' and would in fact use those same machines to keep the groundfolk from overreaching. Ganondorf is the first king in generations to glimpse a sky—and a future—uncontrolled by the Zonai. Though he was raised to be a king, the very definition of absolute power and privilege, only now is he truly beholden to no one. Finally, he is free to shape his own destiny. And he's not about to relinquish that freedom on account of his dearest enemy getting in bed with a fallen demigod—no, not a god... the Zonai's civil war proved they are not infallible. Without their technology, without their precious Stones, they're flesh and blood, the same as anyone else. Mortal. And what is a man to a king?

Despite the bad blood between them, and the generations of strife between their peoples, Ganondorf is able to convince Sonia that he is willing to bury the hatchet for the sake of his people, that his desire to enter the protective embrace of her kingdom, given the dangerous new world they find themselves in, is genuine. His true intentions are not so painfully transparent, but still Zelda does not trust him. She can't stop wondering how this man becomes the source of the Gloom in her era, even if the hateful creature she encountered in the depths below Hyrule Castle hardly seemed human at all. But she cannot act on a suspicion of duplicity due to future events. So for Ganondorf's entire stint in Sonia's court, Zelda tries to weasel out the truth—and in so doing, builds a relationship with the future Demon King. Once Ganondorf catches on to the fact that Zelda sees right through him, it becomes a game of 4D chess. Who is this girl, a member of Sonia's court that he has never heard before yet is trusted enough to bear a Stone, and why is she so certain of his true motives? He's smart enough to suss out that it isn't simple bigotry. It's a fine line Zelda must walk, because she has a secret of her own—she hasn't told anyone that she's from the future, out of a rational fear of disrupting the past and changing history (but at the same time, she can't abide doing nothing, and these interests war within her).

Despite Zelda's best efforts, Ganondorf succeeds in his plot. In a single stroke, he eliminates an old enemy, deprives her nation of its leader and a Stone, and finally secures a Stone for the Gerudo. But claiming the Stone doesn't immediately transform him into an Almighty Demon King. The surge of power is great, but not so much that he's willing to engage three other Stone bearers—two of which are Zonai who of course have experience using them—so he wisely retreats, though not before telling Rauru: "No point in crying over this one. She's not the first victim of your arrogance. And we both know she won't be the last." He's made powerful enemies, but it's a battle he can fight on another day, and at least now he's on equal footing with the other factions and can take their Stones until he can finally conquer Hyrule. But Ganondorf severely underestimates the lengths Rauru will go for revenge. In killing Sonia, before Rauru's very eyes no less, he has made another enemy for life (and beyond).

Understand that Rauru survived the destruction of his people and their way of life. That's traumatic enough. But now, the person who saved his life, and gave it new meaning, is dead. Murdered. By someone he had come to trust. Because he put a target around her neck. He should have seen this coming, he should have listened to Zelda, perhaps then he could have stopped this. But it's far too late now. Before, he was content to merely support and serve—a just penance, he believed, for his small part in breaking the world. Now, he has a new purpose: To secure Sonia's legacy by any means necessary. He binds his fate to Hyrule, which will never be safe so long as Ganondorf lives. This isn't a wise and beneficent King of Light opposing a terrible darkness, but a grieving widower—who's also a skyborn demigod that just lost his one earthly tie.

After taking command as regent, Rauru does not invite the other races to a grand alliance; he brings them to heel through force. It's not enough for Rauru to immediately counterattack Ganondorf. He wants to destroy him, and what better way than to turn the whole world against him? Additionally, by consolidating the power of the Stones onto his side, he denies Ganondorf the opportunity to pick them off one by one. Zelda is witnessing history, the birth of Hyrule as she knows it, but there's nothing noble about it. It's simple imperialism, and she has to grapple with the fact that she's a beneficiary of it. If the peoples of Hyrule were united through bloodshed, does this invalidate the friendships she's made among those peoples in her present? She's confronted with deep questions which possess no easy answers.

Meanwhile, Ganondorf hasn't been sitting on his laurels. He sees Rauru is stacking the deck against him, such that even the Stone's power won't be enough to win the coming war. The Gerudo are outnumbered and outgunned. So Ganondorf turns to darker magics, begins to press monsters into service, etc. His search for ever greater power takes him into the Depths, where he finds a dangerous substance called Gloom. According to legend, it is the ichor of a demon god who was struck down long ago and sealed away in the bowels of the earth. It drains the life-force of whoever touches it, that much is certain... but Ganondorf reckons it is possible to access this stolen vitality to perform feats of magic hitherto thought impossible. Through his mastery of dark magic, amplified by the Stone, he is able to harness the Gloom. First he tests it upon monsters... then dissidents, those reluctant to oppose Rauru's growing army. He makes examples of them, siphoning away their life-force to show those who will not fight will still serve their king. But this barbarous act only creates more dissent among the Gerudo. Tradition appointed Ganondorf as king, but that doesn't mean they have to stomach his tyranny. Even if he manages to win this war, this new power could allow him to reign forever, and he just demonstrated how little their individual lives mean to him. Worried for the future of their people, Ganondorf's second-in-command, Nabooru, sells him out in exchange for clemency, enabling Rauru and his Sages to capture him. Instead of slaying him on the spot, Rauru declares his intention to haul him back to Hyrule for a public execution in Sonia's name. Nabooru insists on coming along; if the King of the Gerudo is to die on foreign soil, then one of his own should observe his passing.

Ganondorf doesn't respond well to this betrayal. After everything he sacrificed, they would still rather roll over and show their bellies—surrender their freedom and pride—to a foreign lord. Who are these people, to abandon the courage of their ancestors? These are not his Gerudo. Ganondorf disowns them, swearing vengeance upon these cowards even as he is taken away in chains. The journey back to Hyrule gives him time to brood on his destiny. He was born to be a king, yet the place of his birth has forsaken him while the rest of the world wants him dead. Most people would crumble, succumb to despair. But his pride will never allow that. He will keep fighting, like he always has. He will crush any opposition, even if it's the people who gave him birth. He will rule, even if he must reign as king of the undesired. There's a saying: 'The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow.' And Rauru has blazed oh so fiercely. To oppose him, Ganondorf must become nothing less than the King of Shadow.

At the moment of his execution, he draws upon the Gloom to transcend his mortal limits, finally becoming the Demon King. In this form, he's able to battle all seven of the Sages, but he's still not almighty. In theory, Rauru is able to slay him... but he chooses not to. Imprisoning Ganondorf isn't done as a last resort; Rauru wants him to suffer. "Killing you would be far too kind. I will make you wish you could die. You won't. I will hold you here. We will build our kingdom over the lands you tried to burn and pillage. And you will rot here, trapped in this moment, long after you have faded from its memory." And he sincerely believes that he'll be able to contain Ganondorf for all time—because he was able to ascertain that Zelda is from the future, after examining her Stone (his Stone, as it turns out) and piecing together her strange accent and unusual notions, even though she has the pointed ears of a Hylian. He doesn't understand the power, but he does take it as proof positive that his victory is guaranteed and Hyrule exists well into the future... without ever learning the whole truth of it. Rauru is directly responsible for the cycle of Calamity Ganon, as Ganondorf's resent and hatred transformed the Gloom into Malice.

Rauru's pride is an actual flaw, one that is fully explored in the modern day. Just like Ganondorf says, thousands of years passed in the blink of an eye; Rauru hasn't had any time to process his rage. He only saves Link to make him a vehicle for his revenge; sticking around past the tutorial as Link's spectral companion, constantly pushing him to ignore all distractions to destroy Ganondorf ASAP, yet unable to control him directly. In staying with Link, Rauru learns of his legacy; that he created a lasting kingdom, but harmed future generations by inadvertently creating Calamity Ganon—Ganondorf's disembodied anguish and hate, nursed over thousands of years. His selfish decisions created more harm than Ganondorf could have in a single lifetime. Just as the Zonai destroyed the world once before, Rauru managed to destroy it again and again. Hyrule no longer even exists as a kingdom, destroyed by Calamity Ganon 100 years prior. Yet Link continues to fight—not for himself, but to protect and help those he cares about as well as perfect strangers. Rauru gives a touch of the divine to Link, and in return Link reintroduces Rauru to humanity.

In contrast: Ganondorf broods in the Depths, alone. Although he still has a corporeal form, he's just as much of a ghost as Rauru is. He's more isolated than ever, having awakened to a strange world where nothing is as he remembers it. The geography is different, the flora and fauna is different, the people are different. Especially the Gerudo. They don't remember him as ever having been a person at all, believing the monster of their legends merely adopted the form of a Gerudo. But that doesn't sting as much as how tame they've become in his absence. These Gerudo have no fangs; they're fully in bed with Hyrule in every sense of the word, and it disgusts him. Nothing in this world is right. Everyone has forgotten their pride and their history; no one remembers a time when Hyrule wasn't be-all and end-all. Unable to accept this future, he terraforms Hyrule in the image of what it used to be, so it might become a crucible once more. The strong will adapt and survive, while the weak rightfully perish. He will create a world that rewards might and daring above all else.

Ganondorf is none too pleased to learn Link is running around with the arm of the man who sealed him for millennia, and assumes that he has become Rauru's puppet (even more hand symbolism)... but that's a key difference between Ganondorf and Rauru. Link essentially drags Rauru through character development, rekindling a sense of humanity within him. Ganondorf has no one to break him out of his rut. His only company down in the Depths are monsters and the Yiga Clan, who revere him as the source of Calamity Ganon—for his power and opposition of Hyrulian supremacy—but do not see him as person, a king in need of counsel. Ganondorf is more alone than ever, but he refuses to address this. To despair is to admit that the world has power over you, and he is the single strongest being in the world. Gods do not weep. And in that final confrontation, Rauru addresses Ganondorf: They're both ghosts of the past, stubbornly trying to shape the future to their liking; but the present belongs to the living. They both need to let go. But Ganondorf's pride will never allow that. To admit defeat is to admit someone has power over him, and he cannot allow it. It becomes clear to him that the only option left to him is to not play at all.

He swallows his Stone and becomes a dragon, but this doesn't lead to another boss fight (to compensate, the third phase would be a more classical Ganon fight; a friend suggested the name of "Scourge of Hyrule—Apocalypse Ganon"). Instead, in line with what was established earlier—that to become a dragon is to lose yourself to the process—Ganondorf ascends to the sky... and bears no more malice toward Link or Hyrule. He becomes the ultimate in power—immortal and at last truly divine—at the cost of his ego. He's still dangerous since he radiates Gloom, but he doesn't attack, just like the other dragons: an idiot god. He returns to the Depths out of instinctual comfort, but will occasionally surface and usher in a Blood Moon. And like the other dragons, you can harvest rare materials from him to make the best Gloom weapons or whatever. + Leaving Ganondorf in this state leaves a door open for fanatics to try and restore him in a sequel.

So, that's all I got

There's a lot of things I didn't address. Like whether the line of succession was broken with Sonia's death (so is Zelda descended from a relative of hers?), what sort of characters the Sages should be, or what Zelda does after Ganondorf is sealed away by Rauru (I'm personally not comfortable with her waltzing up to the Sages and in a stable time loop binding all the races to Hyrule), how weird the Draconification plot point is (and how Zelda is restored to her human form by Good Ending ghost magic), how Zelda is restored in this version (sequel hook same with Ganon?), how disconnected I feel Link is to the Ancient Past storyline as a whole, whether my version of Ganondorf actually ever learned about him, I didn't really dive into the aforementioned imperialist message in TOTK (others have already done so better than I), etc. Thing is, I'm not a professional writer. I do it for the love of it, and that's what this is. A messy labor of misplaced love for a franchise I've never played, all because I was upset they didn't treat my blorbo the way I like. You know how it goes. My brain didn't know when to let go, but at least now it's out there and not rattling around solely in my noggin, making an awful racket. Maybe now I can work on other things. If you've made it this far, cheers.

#legend of zelda #my writing #tears of the kingdom #tears of the kindom spoilers #rewrite #posting this now even if it could use another pass or two #kinda exhausted with the whole thing at this point #it's taken a lot of spoons over many days #ganondorf #rauru #zelda

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jullbnt · 7 months

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Linktober 2023 – Day 10. Zelda

I'm late but here's our beloved princess! My fav is actually OoT Zelda but I felt more inspired by ALttP (using the game's designs as a frame was too tempting). I'll have to do something for my tragic queen later, I want the complete Seven Sages collection anyway.

I know Zelda's hair is tucked under her crown in the official art, but I just couldn't make sense of it 😅

Previous (Day 9. Deity) | Next (Day 11. Monsters)

Linktober 2023 Masterlist

Linktober 2023 A Link to the Past

#linktober #linktober 2023 #loz #zelda #loz fanart #the legend of zelda #princess zelda #alttp #a link to the past

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onesweetworld18 · 5 months

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Our beloved Louis Tomlinson is up for Handsomest Man over at @weareheadoverfeels and he has some stiff competition!

Please vote for our boy who has had the most amazing year and has absolutely conquered it in terms of success and looking like a fucking snack. In case you need a visual reminder:

#louis tomlinson #Louis #28

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s7-evermore · 7 months

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The Boyfriend Contract Series

Azul Ashengrotto x Fem!Yuu.

Yuu has been working at a port cafe in the foothill city at Sage Island during weekends and she’s been getting a lot of attention from the locals for being a sweet and beautiful girl. However, attention comes with its own consequences, and some guy who can’t get the memo has been obsessively pursuing her. Out of panic and desperation, she accidentally kisses the first familiar face she sees— and that face is none other than NRC’s most calculating businessman and well-known ass, Azul Ashengrotto. It would have ended there, with only (maybe) a small debt to the notorious Octavinelle housewarden, if it weren’t for the fact that not everyone in the cafe was a stranger… With rumors flying in the skies of Night Raven College and Azul becoming greedy for a particular business prospect, he presents Yuu with a business proposal. She was very skeptical at first, since there’s always a catch when someone makes a contract with Azul… and that catch might just be her heart.

Or: Yuu accidentally kisses the first familiar face she sees, which happens to be Azul, and shit goes down from there. Thoughts and prayers to our beloved Prefect.

AO3 Link

CHAPTERS

Ch. 1 - The Cost of Opportunity Ch. 2 - The Economics of Rumors Ch. 3 - Terms and Conditions Ch. 4 - Tender Performance Ch. 5 -

Inspired by the multiple romcoms I’ve consumed. This includes The Love Hypothesis, Business Proposal, and other books and mangas. And also, my delusions.

#twisted wonderland #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #azul ashengrotto x yuu #azul ashengrotto x reader #twst azul #azul ashengrotto #The Boyfriend Contract - TWST fanfic

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year

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✨ Blog Event!! ✨

Night Raven College cordially extends an invitation to you, the family members of those in our student body.

Come to NRC for Family Day!! Tour the historical campus, meet our esteemed faculty, pay a visit to your beloved children and maybe leave a generous donation on your way out; we happily accept cash, credit, and checks!

The family members of NRC’s students have landed in Sage’s Island for this special school event!! This is your chance to interact with them ✨

From now until the 14th of May (Mother’s Day) 11:59 pm EST, the inbox is open to NRC Family Day requests~

Just submit dialogue or an interaction with the family member of your choice! I’ll write an in-character response to your ask.

This isn’t limited to just family member and reader/self insert/Yuu interactions!! You can also request interactions between family members (Mama Spade and Lilia Silver’s Dad, Cheka and the Clover Siblings, etc), between family members and a TWST boy; whether related or not (Papa Zigvolt and Sebek, or Mama Rosehearts and Trey, etc), and between family members and NRC Staff (Crowley and Papa Asim, etc).

2 family members maximum per interaction!! (TWST boys, NRC Staff, and Reader/Self-Insert/Yuu do not count toward this number.)

Please avoid interactions that amount to asking family members for their approval to date/marry the boy of your choice; I’m restricting this kind of interaction because I worry it will otherwise be the bulk of the writing requests, and I don’t want to write similar responses again and again.

Don’t act rudely/violently toward any family members!! I know Mama Rosehearts and a few others are particularly disliked, but don’t go out of your way to fight them. (Sarcastic and snarky remarks are still fair game though, just don’t go too overboard!)

Don’t give parenting advice! The ones most likely to receive it probably won’t take it to heart.

All other blog rules still apply! (This means no OCs, no NSFW, avoiding certain topics, etc.)

The available family members to interact with are (This list does not include ALL known family members. I mainly included those with enough characterization to write, but I did also try to include at least 1 family member per boy):

Mama Rosehearts / Big Bro Trappola / Mama Spade / Clover Parents / Younger Clover Siblings / Older Diamond Sisters / Falena Kingscholar (with Kifaji at his side) / Cheka Kingscholar / Granny Bucchi / Younger Howl Siblings / Mama Ashengrotto / Stepdad Ashengrotto / Mama Leech / Papa Leech / Papa Asim / Younger Asim Siblings / Viper Parents / Najma Viper / Eric Venue / Hunt Family yes, they’re a hivemind / Marja Felmier / Papa Shroud / Maleficia Draconia they didn’t forget to invite her / Lilia Silver’s Dad / Mama Zigvolt / Papa Zigvolt / Baal Zigvolt

***NOTE: Though I will do my best to stay true to canon, we aren’t given the same amount of information for every possible family member. This means that I will have to take creative liberties with the interpretations of some characters, such as the Maleficia’s personality or how the family members may look.

Please also be aware that as new TWST content comes out, my portrayals may become outdated or inaccurate!!***

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neverchecking · 10 months

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Guess who’s back ✨

Cinderrr!! 🩵🩵🩵🩵 I’m loving the NSFW alphabets so far, I can’t wait for the next one! No rush of course 🩵 But also what you wrote for Quickie in Time’s NSFW alphabet— “Maybe he's fingering you in the dead of night and hoping that you can stay quiet enough to not wake anyone.” Got me thinking.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve been drinking so I currently have no shame and am anon ✨ but I am,, not the loudest during sex. Literally no noise. Am 🔇. I grew up in a large family and with barely any time to myself, not to mention I lived in an apartment for most of my life with my large family, so shit kinda stayed with me even during sex to be as silent as possible.

Ofc not a request but more so me just wondering, who in the Chain would have the most fun making Reader— who is silent during sex— make the loudest noises? Also I know I said whenever I talk about Chain, it would automatically include Cal and Sage, but Cinder, my beloved, you’ve made me fall in love with Courage and Koridai 🩵

This can be done in list format if you’d like, it doesn’t have to be, I’d just love any thoughts you have on this ^u^

— 🫐 anon

Welcome back, 🫐anon! There's no shame here! We're all little Deviants! Bc, honestly, me too. I also have to stay quiet because our walls are thin.

Drink some water, bestie, and take care of yourself! But also have fun!

Most fun:

Courage. He loves teasing and dragging all forms of noises out of his lover. He takes it as a challenge. And he's playing dirty. He's biting and pulling and nipping and- Having the absolute time of his life seeing if he can pull those delicious noises out of his lover.

Sage. Also sees it as a challenge. Not only that, but he sees it as a way of marking his territory. If everyone can hear the way his silent prince(ss) cries for him and him alone, based on the pleasure only he can bring them, it marks them as his. And there is nothing more perfect than that.

Hyrule. This may be controversial, but hear me out. Hyrule has this overbearing fear of disappointing you running him ragged every chance he gets. But if he can get you to cry out for him, breaking you from your silent streak, it's like a breath of fresh air. He had done that. He was good enough to break you from habits that have been growing from the start. And if that isn't just a pump of pure self-confidence.

Fierce. He's too quiet himself. He needs to hear something, and getting you to sing like the song bird you are? Music to his ears. He loves getting you to cry out his favorite tune. Especially since it won't be competing with his own silence any time soon.

Wild. It's a game to him. Especially if your out in public. He loves seeing just how far he can go with you, plucking your strings until your either forced to muffle your noises or letting the whole world know his name.

Four. He loves using all sorts of methods to pry those noises out of you. It's not so much a game to you, rather a...scientific experimentation. He's using different methods with different tempos or severities just to see what you respond to. And when he gets even the slightest reaction, he's amplifying it by ten.

Koridai. He's all for exploring new territories, including what makes his lover bend and buckle. He wishes to do it more often, but this subby little man can barely get through his own babbles, nevertheless get to yours.

Sky. He loves hearing his lover. It's the wordless praise that keeps him going, euphoria curling his every nerve ending. Of course, he won't go looking for it, that's his lover's prerogative, but when he gets even the slightest hint of noise? He's latching onto it. He's diving for more. Now that he knows it's possible, he's yearning for it. Like a hit of pure fucking dopamine to his lust riddled brain.

Twilight. Loves playing with his Lover. A part of me thinks that he also had to learn to be quiet, because everyone just came and went whenever in Ordon. He never knew if the kids were playing around with his training dummies or Rusl and Mayor Bo were coming over for a talk, so he had to learn to be quiet and listen. Once he has a partner though, he realizes how badly he needs to hear those noises. To let them sink into his skin in his own personal symphony. He'll even let his own out to encourage you! How sweet <3

Time. He has a reputation to uphold. That's the only thing holding him back whatsoever. If you're somewhere private, he doesn't care. He's getting those noises out of you. But unfortunately, you're never truly alone. The boys are either down the hall or somewhere nearby. But sometimes, he loves playing those games with you. Just to see how far he can take it.

Legend. Don't get him wrong, he loves all the noises you offer him, he's just much more focused on how you feel. He's taking in every one of your physical reactions, the way you squeeze around him, the way you claw at his back, all of it and using that instead to alter how he acts. He doesn't need noise to let him know you're making him feel good.

Warriors. He's a captain. He's got people needing his attention everywhere. Meaning he's never really alone. If it's in the dead of night, of course, he's digging for those noises, if only to make them loud enough for him to hear. But when it comes to quickies in his office or in the barracks? He unfortunately isn't allowed that privilege. Doesn't mean he won't make up for it later.

First. Knightly here adores the noises you make for him. But he's so duty bound it's hard to let himself go to truly appreciate these noises. But how he wants to hear them. He wants to let them echo in his ears over and over and over again. A hymn for his ears alone.

Calamity. So me and @mrswritter have come to the conclusion that our poor baby here is a virgin before you two meet. How lovely is that! So he hasn't yet mastered the art of pleasing his lover and not blowing his load within two pumps. You get off, no doubts, but he hasn't quite reached the level of getting past the suffocating grip you have on him after your own release without going through his own. After some more experience however...He'll get the hang of it.

hnng I'm on such a cal kick rn i just wanna hear everyone's hc on him please-

#cinder rambles #🫐anon #yandere linked universe #yandere linked universe x reader #linked universe x reader #linked universe #yandere legend of zelda #legend of zelda #linkeduniverse #loz #link x reader

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