#may i be blessed with foresight
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a coherent (probably not) thought dump about the new buddy daddies PV 3 (and additionally, PV 2)
because i'm sitting crying and need people to hear what i'm thinking about this PV i am brocken
edit: we’re making a few edits because i realized PV 2 exists and now i need to revise some parts so i don’t look like an utter clown next week (and please don’t trust me 100% with translations i’m using my very limited knowledge)
ok so starting off with this from PV 3, you can hear miri telling rei something along the lines of "Papa Rei! Get home quick, 'kay? Because today's!" before it just cuts to the next voice line
a birthday mayhaps? it might be miri’s birthday, it might be rei’s birthday, or it might be kazuki’s birthday and they’re preparing a surprise. unless it’s something else then literally please ignore this entire section
in PV 2, you can see her wearing a party hat along with streamers strung up behind her off to the side + another party hat at the corner of the screen
this means there IS a birthday (like i thought earlier before the edit) and it’s rei’s because kazuki is in the same room as miri while they’re talking
“Papa Rei looks lonely sometimes...” - Miri
“Isn’t that guy just always grumpy?” - Kazuki
moving on, kazuki saying something along the lines of "I don't like this season/weather..." and a shot of a drawer opened to reveal a polaroid in the middle of many many knickknacks
judging by one of the shots in the opening,
his wife probably died in the rain and we're getting more information about the incident because it's been hinted at in the early episodes before it became parenting focused
and adding onto this because of a nice person in the replies!
the building behind him looks exactly like aozora daycare, just not sure if its the front or back (maybe the front bc of the hint of a blue gate beside him) but there doesn’t seem to be bushes planted anywhere near the spot where you can see the hydrangeas, so maybe it got planted a while later?
considering the clothes he’s wearing, this has to be before the dinner scene and is what leads up to it... the connections are getting stronger
you cannot convince me that this isn't rei's brother and that he isn't the favorite child
even rei (as seen from a flashback) couldn't call his father "dad" and that he should refer to him as "boss", but then there's this guy fighting him that calls rei's father as "father"
and something something about "Didn't Father tell you to return to the organization?" which implies he escaped the organization and got hired by kyutaro somehow
how he managed to get an apartment? i'll probably just say kyutaro did it i have no idea if he can even make forgeries like kazuki does
additionally: in PV2 you can see more of the gunfight between who i assume to be rei’s brother (older or younger? who knows)
and i assume this is set while miri and kazuki are waiting for rei to come back because it’s his birthday and they set up a nice surprise party for him, so, hoping he hurries back home because he can’t just stand them up like that on his own birthday
OK. NOW. THE SCENE THAT SPAWNED THIS ENTIRE POST.
there must've been some kind of falling out between rei + miri and kazuki because he was screaming "I'm... not your housekeeper!" during dinner
i'm suspecting that they finally got on his nerves if they never pick up after themselves properly or just the small stuff piled up onto kazuki and he had enough despite usually not really minding the fact that he has to do most if not all of the house chores
but another theory i have is that the scene with the photograph is connected and because of the stress, it leads up to him taking it out on rei and miri. i'm distraught i don't want to see this episode but i have to. mfs gonna have a sk8 episode 7 situation and i'm powerless to stop it
already saw a post or two about this one and i also hope it's just a red herring but judging by the shirt that rei has on which is different from the shirt he wears inside the house in earlier episodes, this was probably right after kazuki's meltdown
maybe kazuki ran off somewhere? maybe miri tried following him and got sick in the process and rei had to come fetch her? i just wonder how desperate rei must've been to run to kyutaro for help even if he's not as wary about kyutaro like kazuki is
kyutaro's talking about something being a warning because the organization doesn't forgive something (possibly kazurei taking in miri and raising her)
this shot looks like it could've been a flashback from when his wife died because he was wearing a green shirt during the dinner scene
ignoring the crossed out line because it has to be during the birthday surprise episode because if it really was after kazuki’s meltdown, he has to have been wearing a green shirt. but in the scene where he’s standing in the rain looking a little roughed up, he’s wearing the same exact clothes as here
and then a shot of rei's father without the shadows mostly hiding his face from a flashback!
he's gonna be a major player in the second half and i am Not Here for it
bonus: i think karin's a spy tasked to idk infiltrate kazuki and rei's apartment and see what they're up to i just know she's gonna be a pain in the ass for them
that's all folks i just needed to get these out right now
#future yuzu i'm counting on you#may i be blessed with foresight#actually no i dont want these to come true im gonna be distraught#don't expect a high quality thought dump from me im just rambling#buddy daddies#buddy daddies spoilers#spoilers#(because of the PV)#edited because of new information i found
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Admiral, the general is touch-deprived.
✧ jing yuan x gn!reader
✧ based on the ask: "Please do one if you haven’t where Jing Yuan is severely down bad for reader and makes it known to everyone and they are just done with him"
✧ content: established relationship, fluff, make-out scene, humor, mentions of other characters
✧ a/n: where did almost 100 of you come- bless this ask for making me write needy jing yuan i love you. not beta-read again anyway buckle up this is another one of unfiltered shame for my love for one mere general with a silly thunder lord that he nicknamed shin-kun in the jp dub because the official title was way too long for this old man.
this was written in a google doc on the phone since I'm on vacation so I apologize if the formatting is messier than the first post 🫡
There's tension in the air.
"... As for Stargazer Navidia, there seems to be another onslaught of mara-struck cloud knights making their way within the area in the next few days. I'll appoint Lieutenant Yanqing to lead a few troops there by the next hour, but be sure to send a messenger cycrane if the situation gets too out of hand or you need to divide the troops up to cover more ground."
You hear a loud "Yes!" as you flip over to the next page, quickly scanning through the documents contents, purposefully ignoring the tension in the air, muttering the details lowly to yourself with a furrowed eyebrow.
It's the sort of tension you wish everyone just ignored, even though it's more difficult than it sounds.
Perhaps being fed up with your avoidance of ignoring the elephant in the room, one of the captains of the Knights loudly cough into the air before meekly addressing you, "Admiral [Name]?"
"Yes?" you look up with a smile, cocking your head to the side. A small gesture to ensure the captain that they have your full attention which makes the knight before you quickly glance to the side and away from you, although that didn't help the pair of eyes boring a hole into the side of his head, "The general…" he starts, coughing once again while glancing back and forth at you and the weapons displayed at the seat of Divine Foresight, "... Would very much like your attention, it seems."
As if on cue, the arms that were wrapped around your waist squeeze a bit tighter than normal. The sudden pressure makes you let out a grunt of surprise while Qingzu lets out another exhausted sigh. Meanwhile you glance down to lock eyes with Jing Yuan, who very much is staring at you with a small pout evident on his lips, "Oh so my darling has finally acknowledged my existence?" he jokes with a grin, meanwhile you merely stare down back at him with a neutral expression before resting your left arm carrying the paperwork on his gray head. The general uses the opportunity to nuzzle his face into your waist, playfully biting into an exposed part of your skin from where his hand had wormed itself underneath your shirt, making you squirm away from him, to which he immediately grabs your back into his hold.
"If you haven't noticed dear, you're practically leeching onto me to the point I can't even stand at my usual side, that is to per say in front of the desk and not literally quite next to you and within your arms." You whisper to him gently. Flicking his forehead before whipping your head around to address the Cloud Knights before your husband can say anything in his defense.
You ignore the looks of disbelief on some of the soldiers' faces.
"I apologize for the awkwardness this position may cause, I can only hope for your understanding being that I've been away from the Luofu for a few months helping Marshal Fua with some matters at her fleet. I've only recently come back." you explain, gesturing Qingzu over to hand over the paperwork to her before waving your hand with a guilty smile, "You're all dismissed, please be safe out there."
"Lady Fu Xuan, how may I be of assis-"
"Are you two arguing or something?" Fu Xuan interrupts before you can even finish your sentence which leaves you staring wide eyed at her with your mouth agape, "Pardon? I'm not quite sure who you're referring to-"
"The general. I'm referring to general Jing Yuan, who else would I be referring to? He sits around the seat of Divine Foresight like a kicked puppy. Which makes it even harder to get any information in OR to him because he's not even mentally present! Can you fix him? Wonderful! Let's make haste to the seat."
You're not even allowed to finish your cup of tea or give an answer before the divination commissioner grabs you by the forearms and drags you out of the teahouse.
"Jing-" you haven't even taken one step into the seat of Divine Foresight before you're surrounded by the familiar scent of your husband. A gentle hand placed by your head while an arm is tightly wound around your waist. You can practically feel the smile of utter glee on Jing Yuan's lips as he buries his face into your hair.
"Darling, I thought you had the day off today?" he mutters into your hair, sounding a bit too happy to have you in his arms again to the point he's ignoring the death glares from Fu Xuan besides you, the divination commissioner just wanting to do her part of keeping the Luofu afloat.
"I was having my day off, before Lady Fu Xuan here dragged me out because someone didn't-" you struggle free to nag at him, but your husband merely smiles softly at you before lifting your chin to give you a quick kiss, "Now that you're here I feel more energized than ever, let me finish the paperwork for today and I'll join you, we can even play a round of starchess." he suggests.
You can practically sense Fu Xuan roll her eyes in disgust, able to hear her mutter about a "lovesick fool" before walking past the two of you, Jing Yuan merely grabbing your hand to lead you towards the seat.
So much for a day off.
You can't breathe.
"Jing-" another press of his lips onto yours as you find yourself pressed on the wall beside the door, "Yanqing-" you manage to breathe out when finally able to pull a tiny bit away from him. Pressing your hand over whatever surface of his face you can reach to try to shove him away, your other hand occupied with bracing itself against the wall.
Your husband ignores your literal hand on his face, somehow having more strength to still slant his lips across your own despite your efforts, the hand he has behind your head pushing you further against him while he shoves a leg between your own to keep you still, "Train-"
There's a rather loud set of knocks on your bedroom door followed by an exasperated sigh coming from behind it, which makes you freeze but Jing Yuan ignores it, sliding his tongue over your teeth while you resign yourself to slam your fist repeatedly on his back to get him to back off.
"General! I know you missed [Name] a lot during the months they were away from the Luofu, but you know that today is supposed to be a training day!" Yanqing shouts from behind the door, and you feel sorry over the realization he's aware of what's happening beyond it.
Feeling sorry enough for Yanqing whose probably already waited 15 minutes before knocking at the door, you muster whatever little strength you have left against your husband's addictive lips to grab his ponytail and yank him off and away from you.
Jing Yuan merely grunts in irritation, looking at you with a glare and swollen lips, but you ignore him. Opening the door before Jing Yuan can grab you again and giving Yanqing an apologetic look, "I tried-"
"It's better than last time, at least." He points out to which you merely sigh before opening the door wider, "I'll give you more pocket money this month, how's that for compensation?" You suggest, shoving your husband out the door before he do anything else, Yanqing smiling in triumph at your generosity.
"You're the best! Give me extra if I manage to land a few hits on the general?"
"5 more than usual and I'll give you an extra thousand." You settle, tapping Jing Yuan on the shoulder. Your husband turns around to face you with a hum, and you lean in to peck him on the cheek, gliding your lips over to his ear, "If you're a bit nicer to him today you'll also get a reward."
Needless to say, there were two very happy boys onboard the Luofu at the end of the day.
#honkai star rail x reader#hsr x reader#honkai star rail imagines#honkai star rail x you#star rail x reader#hsr x you#jing yuan x reader#x reader#reader insert
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Yandere Dorm leaders(plus jamil) with a fem hunter of Artemis reader, basically reader had however many years ago prior to ending up in twisted wonderland had sworn herself to Artemis and became a hunter of Artemis, Reader is good at hunting, archery, fighting etc, she's also immortal and can only die in battle and oh yeah Reader had sworn to never make romantic relations with men as Artemis is goddess of virginity and had sworn off men herself and has all her hunters do the same since 'men are just distractions'.
If you're not currently taking requests you can just ignore this
Artemis Hunter Fem Reader | Yandere Twisted Wonderland
In Greek mythology the goddess Artemis stood for the pure maiden, the respectful hunt with archery, and childbirth. Back in your world, you are the closest thing to a child for the goddess. A nymph devotee blessed with her power and foresight. Where you are now is considered the belly of the beast surrounded by men who want nothing more than to have you. So the battle for your chastity and independence vs their determination and power begins:
Idia Shroud
“Ah!”
“This is not a time to be crying Idia, you’re the one who challenged me!”
“To a battle match IN GAME! I can’t compete with you on a physical level!”
“Too bad!”
It’s truly a match of brawns and brains according to Idia
Him with his constantly evolving technology to chase away contenders
And you with your physical aptitude to avoid and cleverness falter any obstacle he throws in your way
He falls in love through his screen
Witnessing your sweetness through Ortho
And your heroics through cameras he’s placed around
Is it so bad he wants to drag the hero to the underworld
He can’t decide if he wants to drag you to depravity or to fuel your image of a hero
So he settles to one day trap you
Maybe then he’ll decide
Jamil Viper
“I’ve been warned about snakes such as you!”
“And what was said?”
“That you’re not nearly as much fun to hunt!”
He often finds himself feeling the need to antagonize you
To engage in a ‘hunt’ with you
It’s not a physical one
More so mental
It’s an unspoken game between you two
And he’s not willing to back down
But neither are you
He absolutely adores playing basketball with you
Seeing the sweet create a shiny sheen over your body
It makes him excited
You’ll weirdly feel sympathy for him
Something about being bound against his will
Cruelly reminds of the poor animals poached
He comes to realize this
And he plans to use this to win
Rook Hunt
“You’re skill is far better than mine.”
“Don’t fret I’ve been blessed by Artemis. I may not have magic but I do have my bow.”
“That you do...”
“So…would you like a head start?”
Of course there's only two things can happen when two hunters meet
hunt the same prey
Or Hunt one another
Since Artemis prides herself on hunting within reason and not persecuting the weak
You decide to do the latter
After all from the beginning he’s decided to hunt for the one thing Artemis absolutely asks that you protect
So it’s only natural that there will be sparks whenever you to decide to release your arrows
While in archery you might outclass him
it’s easy to forget
He’s familiar with the terrain, with the presence of magic
He’s got just enough to properly consider a threat
But he’s so determined and so sneaky its a wonder if you’ll realize it in time
He hopes not
But at the same time he knows the hunt is about to conclude when the doe knows to run
So on second thought he hopes you do
#yandere x you#yandere x reader#lovelyyandereaddictionpoint#yanderexrea#yanderes#yandere twisted wonderland#yandere twst#yandere twst x reader#yandere#yandere twisted wonderland x reader#yandere jamil x reader#yandere jamil viper#yandere jamil#yandere idia x reader#yandere idia shroud#yandere idia shroud x reader#yandere idia#yandere rook x reader#yandere rook hunt#yandere rook#yandere rook hunt x reader
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how does zelda in your au rationalize the switch between sheik and being royalty. like when she puts on that dress for the first time in 7 years; is it him? or is sheik her? one is a disguise and the other is a role he hadn't played since he was a child. haha identity crisis my favorite.
this is interesting because i almost feel like the identity of Princess is also something zelda may have struggled with even as a kid, even before her life came crashing down? not just in terms of her canonical tomboyishness, but also in how dismissed she was by almost everyone she should’ve mattered immensely to? and how she was blessed/cursed with divine foresight in an age where hyrulean princesses weren’t taken seriously for it? and said foresight ends up having a tendency to ruin lives when she attempts to act on it? and sheik/zelda are 100% the same person to me, but in terms of the identity crises he would definitely have had, i think it would be like,,, a constant sense of inadequacy, from both directions, for not ever feeling like a Real Princess, or like a Real Sheikah, and always feeling like he is masquerading to some extent in either case, no matter the fact that they are both who she is. and even if he does happen to feel more comfortable/at home in the role of Sheik than Zelda, i feel like he still wouldn’t be able to fully embrace it as himself because it’s an identity that was expected to be temporary, a cover for who she ‘actually’ is and the role she is ‘meant’ to serve, and on some level might feel guilty if she did fully internalize it, as if she’s depriving her land of the Princess it’s fated to have. OoT Zelda is such a good character, i think her life is just like an endless sequence of crises and it’s horrible to think about but also really interesting :’-0
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'What the fuck is this supposed to be?' -Human!Reader X Madness Combat-
TW: Strong language, blood, violence (obviously)
Short stories, yay.
It's the dead of night, the dimly lit street stretches ahead, a solitary path occasionally punctuated by the distant hum of passing cars. You've just wrapped up another long, exhausting day at work. Your sister, in her infinite wisdom, decided this was the perfect time for a meetup at some bizarre restaurant you've never heard of. Gripping your phone like a lifeline, you mutter to yourself. "Why couldn't she pick a normal place? She always has such weird taste”
You squint at your phone's screen, the glow reflecting in your irritated eyes. With your pockets feeling as empty as your bank account, you decided to save gas and hoof it. Just your luck, though – as you walk, the weather decides that no, you may not have a good day. A tiny, singular drop of water plips on your nose. Then another lands on your phone. It's not long before multiple tiny raindrops start pelting down. You groan, pulling the hood of your jacket over your head. "Great, just great. I'm soaked already. This can’t get any worse."
But wait, there's hope! You're not entirely helpless; you had the foresight to bring an umbrella. Blessings upon blessings for not being a total dolt. However, your moment of self-congratulation is short-lived. As you're strolling along, raindrops gently bouncing off your trusty umbrella, things do indeed get worse.
Your foot snags on a crack in the pavement and you unceremoniously plummet face-first onto the concrete, your phone catapulting off into the nearby bushes. With an exasperated sigh, you pick yourself up, your now damp and filthy clothes clinging to your skin like glue. Cold, wet, dirty glue. "...I should have kept my mouth shut" Grumbling and swiping at your now mud-stained clothes, you begin your quest to retrieve your precious phone. You gaze around for a sign of its whereabouts, your frustration palpable. "It’s dark as shit out here, I can’t see anything- wait." Your eyes zero in on its location, and your heart drops as you realize it landed in a ditch.
Without a moment's thought, you lurch forward, desperation propelling you as your shoes kick up mud and leaves. You scramble toward the edge of the ditch, praying you can reach your phone before it meets a watery grave. But alas, you're just a hair too slow. It splashes into the water and floats away into a tunnel within the mountain. With a helpless gasp, you watch as your beloved slips from the ledge and disappears into a yawning tunnel leading deep into the mountain.
Panic surges within you. You unleash a shout of frustration. "No, no, no!" Ignoring the darkness and your complete lack of a plan, you blindly plunge into the tunnel, your hands frantically sweeping the water's surface. Your heart races as you grope through the murky depths, searching desperately for your precious device. You keep scrambling along in the never-ending tunnel, feeling like you're stuck in some sort of bad dream.
Your fingers scrape against the wet ground as you scuffle along on your hands and knees. It's dark, creepy, and your heart is still racing from the loss of your phone. You squint through the murky tunnel and spot a faint red glow. Your heart skips a beat. You squint your eyes further, your face scrunching as you step forward, hoping for a miracle. As you approach, the only thing you are able to see is the large hole your phone is floating towards. Without thinking, you lunge forward, thrusting your arm through the hole to snatch your phone before it slips away for good.
But your fingers grasp at empty air, and you're left with nothing but failure. "Damnit!" Frustration fuels your determination, and you stick your head out of the small opening. The first thing that hits you is the sand, and not in a fun beach way. It flies right into your face, getting into your eyes, your nose, and your mouth. You grunt and stumble backward, falling back into the water with a splash.
You're now completely drenched, adding insult to injury. “Great. Just fucking fantastic.” You try to get the sand out of your eyes, but it feels like your eyeballs have turned into scratchy sandpaper. You curse your luck once more, all while sitting in the water, soaked to the bone and feeling like the universe decided to just take a massive shit on your life. Tears mix with the sand on your face as frustration consumes you. You're drenched, irritated as hell, and your eyeballs feel like they've been through a desert sandstorm. But you can't give up, not when your precious phone is at stake. The files stored in that thing are irreplacable.
You take a deep breath, wiping your face with a soggy sleeve. "Alright, let's do this." After a quick check to ensure you can get back out of the hole, you stick your legs through and awkwardly plop down. The rocks dig into your skin as you slide through the narrow gap. Your hood gets caught on the jagged edges, exposing your midriff to the cold wind as you slide through. With an undignified yelp, you dangle in the air for a moment before dropping down onto your butt with a grunt. A small smile of relief graces your face as you retrieve your phone and attempt to power it on. That smile very quickly falls into a scowl when, with trembling fingers, you press the power button, praying for a miracle, but nope. It's as dead as hell. No matter how many times you jab at the power button, it refuses to cooperate.
You let out an indignant sigh, looking around the semi-lit cave you've ended up in. Your body goes lax in defeat and you decide it's time to climb out of this strange, semi-lit cave. But just as you're about to make your move, something catches your eye. An exit, a little farther away, bathed in the same eerie red light that you just fell through. But this one, it's definitely the source of that crimson glow.
You pause, your eyebrows furrowing as you take in the unsettling scene. The silence in that direction is deafening, save for the occasional flutter of sand in the stagnant air. But that's odd; there shouldn't be any wind down here to stir up the sand. Your gut twists with unease – something isn't right. You swallow hard, the lump in your throat refusing to budge as you contemplate your next move. Your curiosity led you into this mess and it's not about to let you walk away now.
You're faced with a dilemma: A) Climb back up and save your precious sim card, or B) venture into the weird glowy exit. The answer is as clear as day, at least to your curious, slightly daft mind. You choose the latter. Crawling low to the ground, you cautiously poke your head out of the exit once more, squinting your eyes this time to block any sand. What you see makes your jaw drop "What the hell is this place supposed to be?!"
Before you stretches an expanse that can only be described as a whole ass desert. Well, you think it's a desert, given the vast amount of strange black sand, sandstone formations, and tge complete absence of trees. You're no expert though, so this might just be some really, really fucked up cave system. It’s an ominous change to the lush foliage back in your town. What truly boggles your mind is the sky – it's this strange, otherworldly shade of red.
You don't hesitate for long. You squeeze yourself out of the hole and stand up, fully taking in the surreal landscape before you. It seems almost endless, like you've stumbled into some sort of bizarre world. And you, being the curious (stupid) soul you are, feel compelled to explore it.
As you wander through this odd terrain, you start to notice more peculiarities. There are what appear to be tattered pieces of metal scattered about, and you catch glimpses of small skeletal remains poking out from beneath the sand. A heavy sense of dread gnaws at your stomach the whole time, that sense of dread soon becomes unbearable, intensifying with each step away from the cave exit.
After just a couple of minutes, you can't take it any longer, and you decide to turn back. But there's a problem – you can't find the cave. Dread sets in as you try to retrace your steps, only succeeding in getting yourself more lost. Everything looks the same, and there's not a single recognizable landmark in sight. You mutter to yourself, "Of course, this had to happen." You're in full-blown panic mode now, and that overwhelming sense of dread has you sprinting like your life depends on it. But let's be real – you're not exactly running far, just sort of scuttling in circles, hoping to stumble upon something familiar. Spoiler alert: that doesn't happen.
It becomes painfully obvious that logic is not your strong suit as you continue your amazing plan of walking in random directions. You start to question your life choices and contemplate just what made you decide to enter an unknown, dangerous looking and unexplored area with no second thoughts. "Why am I like this?" you mutter between panicked breaths. Finally, you spot something up ahead. Is that... a wall? Yep, it definitely is. You approach it, taking note that it's not particularly imposing.
It reaches up to your head in height, and you can't quite gauge its thickness. It's constructed from an odd mishmash of small metal scraps, toothpick-like poles, and a generous sprinkling of menacing barbed wire. The dread in your gut grows, but so does your curiosity. A sensible person might think twice before attempting to hop over such a fence. But are you a sensible person? Hell no.
You decide to defy all reason and logic you've chastised yourself for not having a few moments ago. Instead of listening to that tiny voice in your head that's just trying to look out for your well-being, you opt for the best route possible. Circling around the wall, you scout out a sturdy rock, clamber onto it, and attempt to scale the makeshift barrier like a newborn baby learning how to stand. Spoiler alert again: it's not the most graceful climb. Your utter lack of upper body strength becomes painfully evident, and you end up resorting to rolling onto your stomach, then flopping down onto your back, landing on the ground with a resounding THUNK.
Gritting your teeth and grunting in pain, you squint your eyes open, half-expecting to find yourself in some sort of absurd fever dream. But instead, you're met with the sight of a large... city? Well, it's not exactly "large." In fact, it's pretty damn small, but there's a whole lot of it, considering it's dwarfed by your presence.
You sit up, wincing as you rub your sore back with your palm, and take a closer look at your surroundings. Most of the buildings around you reach only up to your shoulders. "Well, this is one way to feel tall," you mutter with a bemused grin, not quite processing the absurdity of it all. Your eyes drop to the ground where you landed, and you're met with the sight of a tiny truck. A really tiny one.
Your curiosity gets the best of you, and you crouch down to examine it more closely. That's when you notice something oozing out from the crushed vehicle. It's... yellow? And is that... blood? Your eyes widen, and you can't help but exclaim, "Wait, what the hell?" Your gaze locks onto a severed hand lying amidst the gruesome mess. It's not attached to anything, and it's got an odd light gray skin tone.
You can't help but mumble words of confusion as you pick up the surprisingly heavy miniature truck and inspect it more closely. In an utterly bizarre turn of events, when you lift the truck, the hand that shouldn't be attached to anything follows it. "No way, this can't be real," you mutter, pinching the disembodied hand between your fingers and tugging at it. To your bewilderment, there's resistance.
After a few moments of perplexed contemplation, you muster up the courage to pry open the crushed roof of the tiny truck and peer inside. Your heart races as you're met with the sight of a very squished, bloody, and rather unpleasant-looking pile of mush. Or at least you think it's blood – it sure as hell smells like it. You recoil, scrunching up your nose in disgust.
Panic sets in once more, and you start to freak out. Did you accidentally squash some bizarre mutant rat creature? Where the hell even are you? And why in the world are these buildings so ridiculously small? Questions swirl through your mind as you stand there, completely bewildered and utterly freaked out.
Before you can wrap your head around the bizarre mushy encounter, the soft thuds of approaching shoes catch your attention. You whip around and lock eyes with... well, whatever the hell it is that's staring right back at you. Your jaw drops, and so does the, uh, "rat," for lack of a better term. Your eyes widen like saucers as you take in this unprecedented sight. This creature is like nothing you've ever seen – not even in your wildest nightmares. It doesn't possess any eyes, but you can feel its gaze piercing through you. It's an eerie shade of gray, maybe about 16 inches tall, or possibly even smaller. The weirdest part? It has no limbs to speak of, just two floating hands and a pair of shoes awkwardly stuck to its lower body. Its clothing is oddly fancy – a snazzy suit that's completely out of place. Its "face," if you can call it that, is just a cross on the center of its head, topped with a pair of sunglasses. Sunglasses! It doesn't even have a nose! Oh, was it mentioned that it has floating hands? Because it totally has floating hands.
Your mouth hangs open in shock as the creature points at you and screams in bloody horror. It makes a break for it, disappearing into the miniature cityscape. Honestly, you can't blame it. You would run like hell if you saw a giant, homeless looking stinky ass homosapien too.
"Wait!" Without thinking, you scramble to follow, your curiosity now competing with your terror. But your curiosity takes a backseat when you round a corner and come face to face with a gaggle of more of these bizarre beings – all of them brandishing tiny guns.
"Oh, shit."
You stumble backward just as a hail of tiny bullets whizzes past you. Surprisingly, it hurts – like getting pelted by a thousand miniature sandblasters that actually penetrate your skin and make you bleed. Your flight-or-fight instincts kick into overdrive, and you choose the latter. Again.
You spring forward, channeling your fear and a touch of anger into a dropkick that sends one of the creatures soaring through the air, colliding with the miniature buildings. But the rest of them? They don't run away. Instead, they seem even more determined to kick your ass. You quickly become outnumbered, losing count of how many times you feel one of them mounting you and stabbing at your skin with their blunt instruments.
Realization dawns on you – you can't win this way. So, in a desperate bid for survival, you do the smartest thing you can think of and should have done originally: run like a bitch. But the situation takes a turn for the worse as more of those little shits start swarming in, all armed to the teeth and refusing to let you escape. The worst part? A much larger version of these creatures joins the fray, their guns looking closer in size to what humans use. You don't want to find out what it feels like to get shot by one of those.
That's it. No more curiosity. You want out. Your clothes are shredded, drenched in blood, you're riddled with pain, hunger gnaws at your gut, your phone is still a dead weight, and you're scared shitless. You'd give anything to be anywhere else right now. So, you leap over the wall and sprint down the empty, dark desert, leaving the madness behind. Even when you've put a good distance between you and the chaos, you can still hear their war cries echoing in the distance.
Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, you come across a larger building, looming ominously in the distance. Instead of approaching it, your instincts scream at you to stay as far away as possible. Unfortunately, the residents inside don't seem to share your sentiments. A tiny red dot appears between your eyes, and you have mere moments to react before a bullet slams into your skull. It doesn't pierce the bone, but the force of the impact sends you tumbling to the ground, your vision blurring. You groan, blood now mixing with the mess of dirt and sweat on your face.
You manage to prop yourself up, your hand clutching your now even more bloodied and injured head. Gazing up at the roof of the building, you spot another one of those little creatures perched on the edge, aiming a sniper rifle right at you. This one looks different from the others, with what appears to be a black mask, red goggles, and... is that a fucking mohawk? You can't be entirely sure from this distance.
Another figure with circular goggles appears beside the sniper, smacking the rifle's barrel away from you. A spark of hope flickers in your heart, but it's quickly extinguished when the creature slides down the wall, using a knife to slow its descent, and starts sprinting toward you with a katana in hand. Mercy is clearly not on the menu.
You scramble to your feet, but your many injuries slow you down. The adrenaline surging through your veins helps, but it's still a challenge to get up and run for it. The creature proves to be surprisingly swift, easily closing the distance. Its first target: your heels. It slices through the tendons of your foot, sending you tumbling to the ground once more. With only a spare second to react, you instinctively cover your neck, anticipating the worst. Your arms are nearly shredded as the creature's blade flashes down in a millisecond.
All you can see are two glowing red dots staring down at you and the fluttering of a coat. Before the creature can bring the blade down on your eye, you swing your injured arm out, but it's too late. The creature leaps and dodges your rather pathetic attempt, landing on your face and impaling your left eye with its katana.
Pain surges through your body, and you let out a guttural cry. Pain engulfs you as you scream, the creature's weight pressing down, creating a scorching heat from its blade searing through your flesh. It's a level of agony you've never known, and it feels like your world is being consumed by fire.
The blade twists to the side, mercilessly slashing through your skin like it's cutting through butter, running down your eyelid and part of your cheekbone. Tears pour uncontrollably from your only good eye, the sight of the blade lifting, poised to strike your other eye, reigniting your survival instincts.
This time, when you throw your hand out, it connects with the creature, and you manage to hit it off your face, its back hitting the ground harshly. Another cry escapes your lips as you clutch your injured eye, trembling and shaking uncontrollably. Scrambling backward, you avoid the creature as it stalks slowly toward you, its gloved fingers twirling the now bloodied blade in its hands, clearly relishing in your fear, panic, and pain.
Your back hits the building you had been trying to avoid, and you look up, catching sight of the other creature observing from above. Desperation courses through you, and in a swift, instinctual movement, you reach up and grab the head of the creature in your hand. It's a race against time, and your grip tightens as the creature attacking you hesitates. "I-I swear," you stammer through your sobs, your voice quivering with fear but laced with determination, "I'll crush his damn skull if you come any closer! Back off!"
The creature slowly backs off, still harboring a desire to attack. Meanwhile, the one in your grip struggles fiercely, its strength surprising you as you grapple to keep it restrained. There comes a point when it manages to draw a knife and stab your fingers, but you refuse to relent. If you let go now, you'll lose your other eye and, quite possibly, your life.
With your fingers aching and bleeding, you slowly step backward, tossing the creature's weapons aside. Once you're a safe distance away, you pivot on your heels and break into a limping sprint, faster than you've ever run before, adrenaline coursing through your veins like a raging river.
You glance over your shoulder, confirming that the creature is still in pursuit, and the other one is struggling to free itself. Gunshots ring out, and most of them seem to find their target. Despite the searing pain you feel with each hit, you refuse to stop running; you only push yourself harder.
You take as many twists and turns as possible, desperately trying to shake off the relentless pursuer. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, you succeed in losing the creature on your heels. As soon as you're out of immediate danger, you lean against one of the many rocks scattered across the desert, clutching the creature tightly to your chest for comfort.
Overwhelmed by fear, pain, and helplessness, you can't hold back the sobs that wrack your body. You tremble uncontrollably as you wallow in self-pity, tears and blood streaming down your face. You clutch onto the tiny creature tightly, your nose pressed against its head, the hair on its scalp tickling your skin as you choke out pitiful hiccups and sobs. The creature in your hands is now silent, having given up its futile struggle a little while ago when it realized escape was highly improbable. After your intense sobbing fit subsides, you find yourself sitting in the desert, still clutching the creature you'd been struggling with moments ago, the searing pain in your eye still has not faded.
The adrenaline has left your body, leaving you drained and trembling, but you manage to regain your composure. Taking a few deep breaths, you turn your attention to the creature in your arms. "What the hell are you?" you manage to croak, your voice shaky.
The creature stirs slightly in your grasp, and it's deep, resonant voice cuts through the eerie silence of the desert. "Call me 2Bdamned," it responds bluntly.
“I said what are you?”
2Bdamned shifts his body, trying to adjust into a more comfortable position, “a grunt.” You blink in surprise at its straightforwardness.
"A grunt? Like from some weird fucked up animal?"
"Something like that," 2Bdamned replies, his tone cold and calculating. "But I've never seen anything like you before. What are you, and how did you end up here?" You take a moment to collect your thoughts before you begin recounting what you are and your bizarre journey, starting with the inexplicable fall through the tunnel and ending with the chaotic encounter with the other creatures.
"I honestly have no idea where 'here' even is," you admit, your voice tinged with frustration. “This whole situation has just been so fucked up.. And now I've lost a damn eye because of it.” 2Bdamned remains silent for a moment, processing your story.
"You’re in Nevada. You will never find anything but ‘fucked up situations’ here." he explains, sounding almost bored.
You nod, beginning to grasp the gravity of your situation. "Is there a way I can leave..?"
2Bdamned's voice remains as cold and pragmatic as ever. "Escaping Nevada won't be easy, but it might be possible if I figure out what brought you here in the first place." As you continue your conversation with 2Bdamned, you realize that despite the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds you both, he may be your best chance at navigating this surreal realm and finding a way to break free from the grip of Nevada's relentless madness.
As you sit there, trembling and lost in the madness of Nevada, 2Bdamned appears to grow tired of your sobbing and finally acknowledges your existence. His cold, calculating demeanor slowly gives way to a begrudging curiosity about what exactly you are. "Fine," he mutters with a resigned sigh, his reluctance palpable in his tone. "I'll help you, but don't expect any hospitality." You readily accept his offer, your eagerness to find a way out of this nightmarish Nevada outweighing any concerns about his demeanor. Together, you make your way back to the building, where the atmosphere is anything but friendly.
Inside, 2Bdamned confronts Hank, the grunt who had originally attacked you, his voice carrying a stern message, "Don't do that anymore." Hank, visibly displeased, gives you a death glare that could curdle milk. Despite his clear displeasure, he begrudgingly listens to 2Bdamned's command. You can practically feel the waves of bloodlust radiating off him, sending a shiver down your spine.
While you're sitting outside the building, anxiously waiting for some glimmer of hope in this bizarre desert, 2Bdamned finally emerges with news. He informs you that Deimos, another one of his mercenaries, is poring over the data and information he had provided, desperately searching for any anomalies within this bewildering desert to locate an exit, or something like that.
But in the meantime, 2Bdamned decides he should patch you up to prevent you from bleeding out and to prevent infection. With surprising skill, he tends to your wounds, you still wince and grimace at the pain like a complete baby. But you're grateful nonetheless, considering the alternative would involve a lot more bleeding and a lot less being alive.
When he's done, he offers you a miniature hotdog, which you can really only lick, it's like a damn crumb. It's a tiny snack for a big problem, but it'll have to do. As 2Bdamned starts to ask you questions, another grunt unexpectedly pokes his head out of the building. He’s wearing a cute little visor, the cap shifting as he flicks it up with his finger and eagerly informs 2Bdamned of his findings. But when he spots you, towering over both him and the entire damn base, he stares, slack jawed, "...what… the fuck…?" 2Bdamned simply gestures for him to leave, and the unfamiliar grunt’s cross scrunches with what you can only imagine to be irritation and a bit (a lot) of surprise.
Not one to pry into matters that don't concern him (for now at least), he decides to keep his questions to himself and retreats back into the building. 2Bdamned, a little bummed that his conversation got cut short, heads back inside to review the information Deimos brought him. Soon enough, he returns with a tracker and a map, indicating that it's time to embark on your journey.
The walk is excruciatingly slow, thanks to the vast difference in stride length between you and the grunts. After some time, you decide to take matters into your own hands – literally. You pick up 2Bdamned and ask him to point you in the right direction, much to his chagrin. Meanwhile, Hank, who had decided to tag along uninvited, scuffles up to you (without asking) and opts for a more unconventional mode of transportation, climbing onto your foot for the ride. (again, you did not offer. You still haven’t forgotten what he’s done to your eye and ankles.)
Eventually, all three of you reach the familiar cave entrance. You breathe a sigh of relief, grateful to have found your way back. At this point, you're exhausted beyond belief, and passing out seems like a very tempting option. You express your gratitude to the grunts for their assistance in finding your way back and for patching you up.
You turn to 2Bdamned and give him the best smile you can, though it does end up looking like a grimace, "Thanks a lot, 2Bdamned. Your help means a lot." 2Bdamned grumbles in response, still not quite fond of wasting his time on such inconvenient and meaningless things, but he does offer a nod of acknowledgment. Hank, on the other hand, has been silently staring this whole time, his unblinking gaze locked onto you. It's a bit unsettling, to be honest. You decide to give him some recognition too, albeit in an awkward manner.
You give Hank a small wave, "Uh, thanks, Hank. You...uh, did a great job not attacking me again." Hank remains silent, but he does cock his head to the side, which you take as a sign that he acknowledges your thanks in his own way. Or maybe he's just silently mocking you. It's hard to tell with this dude.
The cave entrance looks similar to the way you remember it. The walls of the entrance is barely big enough for you to fit. The air is damp and filled with a strange, earthy scent that lingers in your nostrils. With the less than pleasant goodbye to your.. Companions? Acquaintances? Weird midget alien frenemies? You're not really sure..
You take a moment to survey your surroundings. Sending a final wave to 2Bdamned and an awkward nod in Hank's direction, you decide it's time to make your way back into the cave. You leave the two grunts to their own devices, whatever those may be, and begin your journey back through the dark, damp tunnel.
Limping your way through the ditch, you can still feel the persistent drizzle of rain soaking through your clothes. It's as if the weather has decided to join in on the absurdity of Nevada. As you finally emerge from the tunnel and take that crucial step onto the surface, rain once again greets you. The shower immediately intensifies, turning from a drizzle to a downpour. You can't help but roll your eye at the timing. "Great," you mutter to yourself, drenched and shivering from both the rain and the bizarre events of your journey. "Just what I needed." Through the entire experience you just went through, you can say for certain.. You’re never walking into weird ass caves again.
Edited - 12/16/2023
#madness combat#madnesscombat#humor#writing#fanfic#x reader#xreader#madness combat x reader#madnesscombatreader#yandere madness combat#yandere x reader#blood#poor reader#madcom#Hank J. Wimbelton#Hank#2Bdamned#a tiny bit of Deimos#Nexus is mean#ouchies#run like hell bitch#Curse words#violence#eye see what you did there
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Hehe, this prompt gave me the excuse to finish this one, I wasn't quite sure where it was going until I added the prompt. @zeldaelmo Great job on the followers!
You may notice some similarities to Dear Hero. But that's just how fic writing goes. I hope you enjoy some more TP zelink, this time just after midnight.
Lanayru’s glow lit every corner of her cavern, the collapsed archways and hidden nooks, the clawshot grips and underwater plants. The lights spirit hadn’t been physically manifested for this long, in a long time. It felt nice, being allowed to truly stretch and lounge in her domain. She smiled down at the floating mortal, one of the few whose courage, wisdom, and power made it possible for the divine and mundane to co-exist.
“We’ve gone over economy, prophecies, politicians, military, agriculture, and I’ve told you all I know of the old legends and your ancestors.” Lanayru said, “What else would you like to discuss?”
“Marriage is my next important decision, I know,” Princess Zelda said, floating on her back in the cool spring water. Her white dress had been soaked hours ago, when she first dove in. “I haven’t let myself think about it beyond mental lists of people I’ve met that I don’t want beside me. I knew I wanted the decision to come up only after I claimed the throne, otherwise the decision of my husband would be highly influenced by either my father or the council. As queen, the decision is completely mine. For some reason, that almost makes the concept more frightening. I’ve asked for guidance on this decision from the goddesses, but they have yet to answer that particular prayer.”
“Of course they are silent,” Lanayru admonished, flicking her tail against the water, “When life was created, it was the goddesses, your patron Nayru in particular, who bestowed mortals with free will. They cannot violate their own laws by taking this choice away from you.”
“What if my choice is to turn it over to the goddesses?” Zelda asked, drifting to a standing position on a rock, her shoulders barely clearing the water, “What if my choice is to bow to their infinitely superior wisdom and foresight? Will they then send me a dream or a sign of my future husband? Perhaps inscribing their name or their next words to me on the inside of my wrist, letting me know that they are chosen for me?”
“That is a coward’s answer, and a fool’s,” the light spirit scolded, “Nothing is truly fore-ordained. Even your battle with the Hero against the Usurper was not pre-decided. At any point you could have made a different choice and let darkness reign. The goddesses merely know your soul and trusted you to make the right choice. When you made the right choice, then they were allowed to help you. That is the order set forth by their rules. Being afraid of making a mistake, so choosing not to choose, mocks Nayru’s gift and begs for you to be led astray.”
“So despite all my powers, despite the importance of this decision to the wellbeing of Hyrule, I must make this decision without aid?” Zelda asked with a frown.
Lanayru flicked water at the princess with her tail, “Work for goodness, and trust the goddesses to keep Hyrule from ruin. They will warn you if your decision is poor. In the meantime, while I am here, I can offer what wisdom I have. What do you seek in a consort?”
This may have been an odd conversation for most people to have with a guardian light spirit, who was most likely asexual and without gender, despite the feminine tones of her voice. Zelda imagined most women had this conversation with their mothers or other female relatives. Lacking those figures in her life, Zelda was here.
She hadn’t been sure what to expect during her Cleansing, a twelve-hour ritual before she would make her way to the Temple of Ages in Castletown, where she would be coronated by the three priestesses. Solitude, self-reflection, and possibly a visit from Lanayru, where she would ask the light spirit for a blessing, be blessed, and be sent on her merry reign, possibly.
Instead she spent time being rejuvenated, her magic and body were absorbing and rejoicing in the power of the spring, while picking the brain of the ancient being who saw Zelda as a naive younger relative. Zelda didn’t mind the implication and embraced a being who was willing to be blunt with her. It wasn’t as though she could discuss her future husband with anyone in Castletown, not without rumors sprouting.
“I want someone…who is good for Hyrule in the long run,” Zelda answered, “Someone who can bear their half of the crown well. So many proposals are based on the immediate aid they can offer Hyrule, like a noble’s wealth or a foreign prince’s trade agreement, but I want someone who will be good for Hyrule lifelong, and someone I can trust. The crown is heavy, I want someone who will be willing to bear their share, and only their share, for the rest of our lives.”
Zelda was expecting the ‘humph’ this time.
“Those sound like things that can best be learned over the course of your marriage. If you spend everyday waiting for someone to show who they will become, life will be ending when you find the right person, and they will have taken a chance and be with someone else. Try again,” Lanayru demanded.
Zelda thought a little longer, but the light spirit was patient, and it wasn’t like they were going anywhere until tomorrows’ dawn. “Very well, I want a suitor who has shown the potential for those things previously mentioned, by having enough life experience under their belt already to know they wont crack under pressure. I want someone who treats me as capable and respects my decisions. I want someone who knows how to work, but not someone too old to learn and be taught how to be king beside me.”
Lanayru snorted, but a little more good-naturedly, meaning Zelda was getting closer to the wisdom the spirit wanted to impart, “Hard work is the domain of commoners. Either marry one of them or listen to them and what they say about the suitor. Amongst other commoners, they will speak their mind about work ethics.”
“Maybe I will marry a commoner,” Zelda teased, “After all, the decision is completely mine. I know of two ancestors that did.”
“Politics and governance can be brutal. If you do pick someone unaccustomed to it, ensure it is someone either charismatic enough to win over your court, or someone who can call a nest of vipers home.”
Zelda kicked off her rock to float on her back again, “Sound advice. Although, it sounds as though you already have a type of someone in mind. Are you willing to share? Or is that too close to relying on the goddesses’ wisdom to be my own choice.”
Instead of the expected eyeroll, Lanayru was serious as she continued, “My final piece of advice is not to discount affection, as you have thus far. Much of what you will need your consort to be can be achieved if they care for you beyond your power.”
Zelda treaded water to look up at the large serpent. The serpent nodded at Zelda’s unasked question.
“Another is coming, and while his presence does not drive me away, the goddesses call me back to the sacred realm as midnight strikes. Go forward with my blessing, Your Grace, Daughter of Din, Farore, and Nayru, our Beloved Hylia. I predict you will reign with courage, wisdom, and power, my friend.”
Zelda swam to the center stone platform and raised her hand to touch the snout of the light snake with care. “Thank you for speaking with me, for setting me on a good course. Return home now, Lanayru, may you go with peace. Until we meet again.”
The spirit’s eyes closed and the body faded under Zelda’s touch. The scruff of a boot against gravel brought her to the other part of Lanayru’s parting message.
Another is coming.
Zelda took a silent but deep breath and slid under the water. She didn’t know what she was going to do, and she needed time to prepare. There were guards surrounding the cave, no one should have gotten through. They were stationed to have visual in every approachable direction, but far enough away that they would not be able to hear her.
This danger would have to be faced alone.
Her fingers pressed into the vines that grew down into the water, anchoring herself. Zelda’s magic wasn’t an issue at this spring, she could summon a Bow of Light, and she had enough knowledge of water magic to hold herself into the air.
Come out ready to attack, assess the threat, then dispose of it.
Zelda swam to a spot where she wouldn’t catch on any plants and set her plan into motion. A surge of water at her feet, air rushed around her and into her as she breached the surface with water continuing to support her, and she didn’t give herself more than a second before summoning her weapon, twisting in air to locate the intruder, aiming for the head.
“Link?” she gasped. The half-naked hero gaping broke her concentration. The Bow of Light dissolved from her fingertips and she flopped into the water below with a yelp. Water rushed into her nose and mouth as she involuntarily sucked in a breath, and it took a couple of seconds of treading water to expel it.
After wiping her face clean of tears and snot, she swam to an underwater pillar for standing, the water only coming to her knees here, and glared at the still gaping hero.
“What-what are you doing here?” she coughed out, her voice scratchy with the recent water intake.
“I…I can’t remember,” Link said, clearly flustered, “Ah, apparently I was being attacked by a water goddess, Milady.”
“Don’t mock me,” Zelda huffed and coughed out a bit more water, “I have seven guards surrounding every possible entrance to this cave, did you not think to ask them why?”
Link blushed and couldn’t seem to meet her face, “Oh, er, I didn’t see anyone because I swam directly to the spring entrance from the water temple. I didn’t mean anything improper by it, honest. I’ll just leave now.”
The clothes he had already discarded belonged to a set of Zora armor, that part was true enough. He turned to don the tunic again and flinched.
“It seems you remember your purpose for coming here,” she said, her voice amused now. The hero of her land was another human Lanayru said could commune with the light spirits with ease, especially now that Twilight has left his shadow. It was some mystery of the goddesses why Lanayru had to leave.
“Er, I was in the water temple cleaning up something nasty that had settled there, Ralis asked me to. It’s a small injury though, a red potion and some sleep will cure it just as well. I’ll leave you to your business Princess,” he explained, giving up on dressing in front of her and starting to limp towards the entrance with his clothes in his hands.
Zelda watched him for a moment, then shook her head. Four hours of conversation with Lanayru was already a strange purification ceremony beginning, might as well try for consistency if normality was unattainable.
“Come in the spring,” she encouraged. Link stopped hobbling away, “What I’m doing would be rather sullied if I refused the healing powers of the spring to another.” His brow pinched, but he softened when she smiled and gestured to the water. “As you can see, there is clearly enough space for two.”
Link hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the entrance to the spring, before limping towards the water. None of the pain he must have been feeling could be seen on his face, the only evidence was his uneven gait. At this angle she could finally see the injury, a large gash that started near his knee and carved a jagged line up to his hip, and another bloody line from the tip of his right shoulder across his collar bone.
Slowly, he made his way to the side of the cavern, where he could just drop in. Too slow, some water magic would pull him in quicker. No, that would be rude.
Once he was in the spring, Link couldn’t look at her, or speak, and he seemed to have decided that the best course of action would be to obey her commands while pretending not to exist.
If Zelda had tossed him into the water, there would at least be disbelief, possibly indignation, instead of painfully awkward silence.
“So, do you still spend your days solving problems for other people?” she asked with honest curiosity.
As a princess that among her greatest skills would be getting people to talk and listening to them. Her second greatest skill would be using that information well. Her third greatest skill would be talking so that others would listen and obey. Link’s discomfort with her presence would be dispelled before he was healed, she would make certain of it.
He jumped at her voice, and tilted his head, “Pardon, but what do you mean by ‘still’?”
“Midna was often irritated with your efforts to help others, much of the time she felt the bigger picture of saving Hyrule was neglected as you spoke with and aided Hyrule’s denizens. And something about petting cats. She was often irritated with your progress, but wise enough to not comment. I was wondering if you still spent your days listening to people and helping them when you can.” Zelda explained.
Link’s eyebrows rose and his mouth fell open as she talked. Apparently, Midna had never explained Zelda’s presence and limited awareness during the second half of their adventure. She waited for his answer.
“I suppose I do,” he said slowly, turning away from her to talk at the wall. “Someone’s got to help the little guy.”
“Midna was irritated with it, but I never was,” Zelda clarified for him, her eyes drifting to the wall as she recalled that time, “I was glad. I was glad that the chosen hero knew how to serve others, that it is a way of life for you. Growing up in a community as small as Ordon, everyone must have helped each other.”
“Yeah, I reckon so, Princess,” Link said, and she saw him start to tap his fingers. His body was almost turned towards her, but he kept his eyes in the other direction. His fingers stilled, and his body turned back to face the wall.
Eventually he sighed and looked away. No good.
Well, no good for conversation, but it would be a lie to say the sight of his bare back to her was entirely unwelcome.
“You may call me Zelda,” she said.
He spun around, “It wouldn’t be proper, Princess!”
Zelda smiled, letting her eyes crinkle, “Neither is calling Prince Ralis by his first name alone. Titles are verbal signs of respect, while lack of titles, when respect is present, signifies closeness and… familiarity. Do you extend this closeness to Prince Ralis, but deny me?” Her voice was light, teasing.
Hopefully she got her tone right. She hadn’t been able to speak like this since her father died. Back when she was a woman first and a monarch eventually. Back when marriage was her largest decision, and she was concerned with flirting and diplomacy over power and politics. It seemed like an age, instead of a measly three years.
Link’s gaping mouth was enough of a reason to keep going. Marriage was once again her largest decision, it wouldn’t hurt to practice flirting, she reasoned. He was certainly handsome enough to warrant a little of it.
“I-um, I didn’t mean,” Link stumbled over the words, eyes drawn downwards as a flush crept upwards. “It’s just you’re my princess, and Ralis—I mean Prince Ralis and I didn’t want-I didn’ mean you’re mine like a possession—”
Zelda laughed, softly, cutting him off.
“Don’t fret, I’m only teasing.”
Zelda swam closer to where he was leaning over the ledge. She gripped the vines beside him. He blushed redder and redder the closer she got. She pulled herself up to mirror his position, their elbows touching.
“Please look at me,” she asked.
He forced his eyes upwards.
“I would like for you to call me by my name, Link.”
Link swallowed, his throat bobbing, “O-okay, Zelda.”
Zelda smiled and nodded, then dropped back down into the water, hooking her foot around a vine to anchor herself near him. She wasn’t looking at him now, but his eyes were still on her.
Good.
She took the time to play with her unbound hair in the spring water, waiting.
Link spoke next, “Er, can I ask what you’re doing here? And who you were talking to?”
Ah, that had been his question. She released her hair and looked over the cavern.
“I was consulting with the Light Spirit Lanayru,” Zelda said, imagining the warm serpent that had been there minutes before. “It was her voice you heard. My coronation is tomorrow, and spending the night bathing in a sacred spring is a purifying ritual to prepare me, as well as seeking the blessing of the Light Sprits over my reign.”
“Apologies!” Link said, shaking his head, “Thousand apologies, Milady-I mean Zelda. I didn’t mean to interrupt something so grand!”
“You didn’t,” Zelda quieted him, “Lanayru has spent the past three hours counseling me, it was time for her to return. As for the purification ritual, well, I was planning on meditating for the next several hours, which is as boring as it sounds. Stay and talk for a while, please?”
Link seemed to struggle, but eventually said, “If you’d like, Princess.”
Despite his agreement, he seemed content to heal, tense and silent beside her, instead of speaking.
“Tell me Link,” Zelda said eventually, “I was a little cut short with Lanayru when I asked her about the proper qualities for a King. What are your thoughts?”
“A king?” Link asked, his eyebrows pushing together, “A ruler should be concerned with the needs of his people foremost. They should be someone that can make alliances, and someone who prefers peace, but is prepared for conflict. You are already all that and more, P-Zelda,” he forced himself to correct when she made a face, then repeated, “You are already that and more, Zelda.”
Zelda pulled herself out of the water to sit on the ledge, taking a moment to wring out her hair, “I’m glad you think so highly of me,” she smiled, hopefully hiding the way hearing him say her name made her blush.
Link had turned to face the wall as soon as she pulled out of the water, but his shoulders were relaxed as he responded, “All of us in the kingdom think that highly of you, I’m just one of the lucky folk that get to see it for myself on occasion.”
Zelda never seen a man completely undressed, and despite the wound splitting his thigh and hip, Link retained the Zora greaves. Zelda had seen soldiers practice without their shirts occasionally, and, if memory served, Link was muscled differently than most of her soldiers. A breadth and sturdiness that must come from farmwork as well as swordsmanship. He was certainly shorter than many, but the picture of coiled power rather than a runt. Broad, strong, and hair like the wheatgrass that covered Death Mountain’s foothills in summer.
Zelda shook her head, wringing her hair some more. A couple of minutes of practice flirting and she was back to silly daydreams.
“My question wasn’t concerning the qualities of a good ruler for myself, per se, but rather, what qualities I should seek in a husband. I was hoping you would have some insight as to what makes a good couple, possibly a good match for me. What should I take into account when deciding on a consort?”
He had tensed up again, and Zelda refused to entertain the thought of massaging his shoulders for more than a moment. There was flirting, then there was abuse of her station and harassment.
“Why would a husband be on your mind?” Link asked carefully, still staring at the vines climbing the wall in front of him, “Lots of folk assumed that you fought so hard to be crowned unwed so that you could guide Hyrule without a king trying to tell you how to do it, but I want to know from you before I say anythin’.”
There were many answers to his question. One prominent answer was that Zelda only wanted the choice for herself, and she wasn’t foolish enough to leave Hyrule without a successor forever. Dismiss the question by saying Hyrule knew little of her motives. Explain the greater political position being crowned while unwed would give her in the future, as her husband would become a prince consort and need her approval to become king, rather than both her coronation and her husband’s being at the discretion of the Council. All these answers were true.
Something about the moment drew out an answer far more personal. Maybe it was the lingering peace from the light spirit, maybe her already soaked appearance and his half-dressed state encouraged vulnerability. Or maybe it was the fact that he was one of the few people who asked questions about her reasoning before telling her what to do or what she was thinking.
“The decision is entirely my own now. As a queen, no one could possibly have authority to decide for me. And . . . and I think I’m tired of being alone,” she said softly, combing her hair with her fingers and staring at a dripping stalagmite across the spring. “I have proven to myself and my kingdom that I am worthy of my crown, that I am strong enough alone. I know I don’t need anyone. But I want someone. Is that…okay? Am I allowed to wish for someone to serve Hyrule by my side? To want . . . to want to be loved as a wife is?”
Zelda glanced at Link, who was finally looking at her. He seemed to be studying every aspect of her face, committing it to memory, and she felt pinned in place. No, he wasn’t trying to memorize her, he was shifting his image of her. This had happened a couple of times before, with very special people, when they realized that there was a person behind their princess. She let out a breath and gave a smile, letting him see her, forcing herself not to shy away.
“Rusl and Uli,” Link said at last, looking away abruptly, his ears turning pink at the tips. “When I think of marriage, I think of this young married couple from Ordon. Rusl taught me how to fight and hunt, Uli taught me everything else. They just…love and respect each other so much. Though they have different responsibilities and skill sets. They complement each other, and listen to each other, and they have the same goal for a happy home they are both always working towards.”
She let his words hang in the air, and she knew that one day soon she would have to meet these two. Perfect complements. Rusl of Ordon sounded familiar though, maybe she had already met one of this pair. She shook her head.
“I believe that you choose who you love,” she said, letting herself slide onto her back and stare at the ceiling, “My current plan is to pick someone who will be good for Hyrule, someone who I know respects me. I will choose to love them each day for the qualities I originally admired and look for new things to love about them each night. Is that possible, do you think? Will that give me a relationship as supportive as Rusl and Uli’s. Or is that an Occa’s milk dream?”
There was nothing but the sound of water for a while. Her feet dangling into the spring, she laid on her back and watched the mysterious light of the spring reflect through the water and dance upon the ceiling. The one daydream she allows herself still, one that had supported her through the worst of the Invasion, to lie beside someone she loved with perfect peace.
“Love always seemed more like blowing up a boulder to me,” Link said at last, and Zelda raised herself and twisted to raise an eyebrow at him. He shrugged and continued, “Telma, for instance, she was making her way through life, then met Renaldo, and boom, she sees things differently, a boulder is cleared from her path, letting her be somewhere new, someone new. You can’t re-wind time so that the boulder isn’t smashed anymore, you’ll always love that person from there on out. Renaldo didn’t have a boulder smashing moment, so Telma’s there alone, grown some and in a new place, until another boulder smashes and she goes somewhere else, hoping that person meets her there.”
Zelda couldn’t help it, she giggled. She couldn’t force it into a more respectable laugh, and was stuck there, giggling at the Hero of Twilight, “Love is like blowing up a boulder. I love it.” She turned around and flipped onto her belly and folded her arms to match Link, only she was out of the water completely while he was still soaking his body. Their faces a foot apart. “So, have any boulders blown up for you?”
Link huffed and turned his head to look at a wall, “Okay, so I stink at metaphors. Point is, there are parts of it you can’t control. I think your way of thinking and acting would forge a really strong bond and partnership. A steady love with a solid foundation, but pick someone that affects you and is affected by you. Makes you guess, makes you think, makes you shiver occasionally, otherwise there’s nowhere to go and nowhere to grow, as Uli would say.”
“Someone’s a romantic,” Zelda teased, and watched his cheeks and ears grow red again, all the while thinking about what he said. It was uncomfortably familiar. More seriously she replied, “Lanayru said the same thing, or close enough. Her advice was to remember that affection and attraction can build the rest of the qualities I would like to see my future husband display towards ruling the kingdom, and it would make me happier, knowing he found me beautiful and loveable.”
Link fidgeted, but it was a much shorter silence before he asked his question, which Zelda considered a roaring success.
“What guys are available for you to consider? Is there a pre-approved list somewhere?”
Zelda giggled, and then sighed at the thought, her head coming down to rest on her folded forearms. “I suppose it is important to have suitors before choosing between them. Several people presented themselves as suitors for me before the council, but all were rejected at my insistence that my energy was needed for re-building, not courting. After my coronation, any potential suitor would have to come before me on my throne and ask permission to court me. It would certainly be a test of courage.”
“So men have to present their suit?” Link asked, raising an eyebrow. “Seems like a poor system, those who go after power are rarely those who should be trusted with it.”
Zant and Ganondorf were present in both their minds.
“I could always go a courting,” Zelda mused then laughed, ducking her head to hide her smile. “That would be hilarious. Nerve racking surely, but men have been doing it for ages, I’m sure I have enough courage in me to try my hand at it.”
“You mean…” Link asked, trying to picture it.
“Exactly,” Zelda said, laughter still evident in her voice, “I go knocking at his door, gift in hand, and ask for permission to court him from his family. I invite him on rides through the countryside and I ask him to dinner. We discuss families and politics and friends. I’ll brag about my scars from the war and he’ll ohh and aww over my grit. Then I ask him to marry me. A perfect fairy tale, right?” She laughed again, eventually having to put her head all the way down to quell the snickers. “Oh my, the man willing to let me court him would certainly have enough humor to be king.”
“I think it’s a brilliant plan,” Link said, grinning at her, “You’ll stay in control of the relationship without forcing anyone to do anything, like it would be if you asked straight out as queen. You would know they respected you and your decisions, and you can practice finding things to love about them before anything is irreversible.”
Zelda started, “You really think so? I assumed a man would be embarrassed to let the relationship be so far out of his control. Would you let a woman court you, instead of the other way around?”
“I’d be flattered. I’d want a bit more a say though, so maybe we switch off choosing and organizing activities, show off some of my own scars. Though if I didn’t like her, I’d also be okay with sayin’ no during one of the dates.”
“Hmm,” Zelda said, closing her eyes and letting herself imagine it. Knocking on a little house (say it was in Ordon) The nerves of being turned down combatted by the fluttery feeling of not being alone as he opens the door. (Link smiles because he said he’d be okay with it and this is just an example imagining anyway.) Of taking control of her life and going to court someone, asking only for their time in the beginning. (Maybe they could ride Epona together, it had been exhilarating last time, though much of that due to the battle.) She stayed in her day dream for a minute, feeling warm and safe, then she felt a small splash.
“Link?” she asked, dragging herself onto her elbows.
“Of, Er, sorry,” Link said, shaking out his hair, “It’s just, I think I still have some slime from the monster in my hair. I was trying to rinse it without bothering you.”
“I don’t mind,” Zelda said, shaking the relaxation out of her eyes, “I’m not supposed to fall asleep anyway, and I was fairly close. Do you have any other questions to keep me awake? Do you need soap from your pack?”
“No, I’m fine,” he said, blushing.
Zelda sat up again, shifting to put her feet back over the water. “So Link, you’ve told me that you want a complimentary and respectful relationship modeled after your friends Rusl and Uli, but what does that mean for you? What would you like to see in your future spouse?”
“I’m not quite sure,” he admitted, “Give me a second to think and get this slime out.” Zelda nodded and he disappeared under water. While she waited, Zelda used light magic to make figures of light above the spring.
Once upon a time, Zelda would have been scolded for doing so, her teachers demanding she treat her magic with reverence and save her power only for the most dire of circumstances. But Zelda wasn’t a student anymore, she wasn’t a child, and with the constant magic rejuvenation of the light spirit’s spring, there was no reason not to practice. Using beams of light, she drew a triforce, then the Master Sword. Hyrule’s crest came next, a ladybug on a flower. The ceiling looked like her notepad after one of Councilwoman Myra’s excessively long rants about the Gorons and how difficult trade was with them because they didn’t need the same things that Hylians and Zora needed.
That was when Link surfaced. The portion of the Zora armor he was wearing must have expanded his ability to stay underwater, but not indefinitely without the full set. Her light doodles were reflected in his eyes as he glanced between her and her creation.
“That’s beautiful,” he said, letting himself drift back next to her.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile, then let the light disperse, “Sometimes I like to remind myself that magic can be used for more than life and death. Now, do you have an answer for me yet, or do you need more time?”
Link sighed and pulled himself up to sit beside her. A quick glance showed the cut on his thigh had become a thinner red line, their time would be up soon.
“I said I wanted a complement, but I don’t know what that means for me,” Link admitted, “Someone as independent as me, I guess. I have lots of friends in lots of places, and I wouldn’t want a wife who would keep me from visiting them. She could be willing to come with me, or be fine on her own while I go out helping people and visitin’. I want her to have her own hopes and dreams, something to work towards, and I could help her with. I want to know that she’s fine when I’m gone, but happy to see me, because I’m me and while she doesn’t need me, she wants me.”
“A woman of ambitions and goals? I could see that,” Zelda said, smiling at the thought of Link’s partner being a force for good, just like he was, but with direction.
Link laughed, “Really? I’ve felt like it’s a stupid idea. I feel tired a lot of the time, and logically the cure for that is someone who’s peaceful, knows how to make a home to come back to. But a larger part of me says that ain’t right, that when I’m somewhere peaceful, I enjoy it for an hour before I feel un-needed and move on. I know what a home looks like, thanks to Rusl and Uli, but they aren’t my home. I guess I want my company desired on a personal level, but not needed, and my abilities needed on a different level, but not always wanted. So not only am I a romantic, I also seem to be real picky.”
“I wouldn’t consider someone picky because they wanted a partner of ambitions and goals,” Zelda argued back. “Those are the most interesting people.”
Link made a noise of agreement, then changed position to float on his back in the water. Zelda made herself slip back into the spring, to help her stay awake and cool some of the blush in her cheeks.
Zelda might not be the most experienced in relationships, but the only thought on her mind when Link spoke about someone with ambitions and goals, was I have ambitions and goals. She was twenty-two, she was the literal bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, and it was still a little embarrassing to admit she and Link had basically been describing the other.
She let herself look over his floating form, safe from him knowing about her assessment. Was the answer both so simple and so complex? Did Link realize what he had been describing? Could he ever be interested?
Tired of these thoughts, she took a deep breath and dove under the water. On the stone floor, she let out the rest of her breath and folded herself into a mediation pose, closing her eyes. Leaving her sunk. Here, she could hear her heartbeat. Here was a warmth to the spring. When her lungs grew tight, she used her hands and a spell to draw air from the water, separating the molecules at the edge of her lips, and took a breath to sustain her peaceful meditation.
Her heartbeat. Her rule. Her family.
The goddesses would not let her stray down wrong paths. She had a plan, even if just her silly courtship idea. Zelda could meditate properly now, eyes-closed, magic being expended at a sustainable rate, and she could truly think about all the things she had talked about with Lanayru. The kind of person she was, and who she needed to continue to become to be the queen the people of Hyrule needed. She wanted to build. She wanted to research and start a university. She wanted to build up trade with Holodrum, and start political relations with Termina. She wanted to build two new bridges now that the old—
Her head was thrust forward, and foreign air forced into her lung through the press of lips. Her eyes burst open, only to be covered a second later as a helmet was jammed on her head, and she was pulled upwards.
“Zelda! Princess Zelda!” Link yelled, as soon as they hit air, hauling her onto a pillar only a few inches below the water level.
She slapped away his hand, startling him into being quiet.
“What are you doing?” she demanded and yanked his Zora helmet off. Angrily, she then had to yank all her hair out of her eyes to glare at him properly. It took only a second of looking at him to realize what had happened. In her efforts to get away from thoughts of him, she hadn’t told him her plan. He had seen her, looking lifeless at the bottom of the spring, and had done everything he could to save her from drowning.
“I, er…” Link fumbled. Zelda knew she should calm down, it was a perfectly reasonable assumption to make, and all actions taken were for the preservation of her life, but he had kissed her to breath air into her, and he was still shirtless, and they were both bright red and she didn’t feel like calming down. “I thought you were drowning,” he said at last.
“I figured that out,” she said haughtily and opened her mouth to say more, but Zelda didn’t have a logical continuation of the thought. Nor was this the proper road to take if she wanted him as her friend. Certainly not if she ever wanted him as something more.
Taking a deep, obvious breath, she slowly released the air, making her focus on that. A better course of action.
“I’m sorry I lost my temper,” she said, her cheeks burning. “I had cast a spell that allowed me to extract air from the water around me, and I should have told you to keep you from worrying. I’m sorry.”
It was the best she had come up with in her flustered state. Link let out a breath of his own, though it looked like they were back to square one in terms of how comfortable he was with her. She needed something better.
“I could show you,” she offered hesitantly. It was common curtesy to never bespell anyone, and rude to even ask. It was all she could come up with, as flustered as she was.
He looked at her and her cheeks flushed. This time her eyes darted away, remembering the brief moment of warmth and air when his lips breathed for her. She couldn’t look him in the eye, and for some reason, that made him relax.
“Sure, that sounds like an interesting experience,” Link said, and she glanced up at him. This time he was smiling, trying to put her at ease.
Sitting on the edge of the underwater pillar, Zelda took a couple of extra breaths to steady herself, regain control and focus. When she was ready, she started making the proper motions and pulling at the magic inside herself, the magic that sang through her blood.
Link was sitting beside her, watching her hands, and she hesitated only a moment before reaching forward and brushing her fingers against his lips, laying the spell there. He blushed again, but didn’t do anything else as she finished.
“It’s pretty pure oxygen, so unhealthy for an extended period of time, but it pulls it directly from the water and releases the hydrogen in bubbles,” she explained while crafting a second spell for herself, “While I can support one person indefinitely in this spring, we should be good for ten minutes, with me supporting the spell for the both of us.”
“I just dive?”
“Breathe normally. You’ll feel water at your lips, but only air will enter your mouth.”
“Here goes,” and Link slid off the pillar.
Zelda took another few steadying breaths, reapplied the spell to herself, then slid after him, her skirt was carefully tied to her thighs to prevent it floating up too much.
Link smiled as she joined him in the center of the spring. He hesitated, then asked, “Can we talk?”
“Yes,” Zelda answered needlessly, “How does it feel?
Link examined his fingers, “It’s different than Zora armor. Your magic feels…bright. Bright and clean. I like it.”
“How did Twili magic feel?” Zelda asked.
Link shrugged, “Zant and Ganondorf felt clogged and confusing, like the spells didn’t know what to do, just that it wanted to harm. Kinda like the Castletown sewers. Midna’s felt deep, I think. Old and deep, like being in an underground temple. Kinda musty. Sorry, but that’s the best I got.”
“No, I understand what you mean,” Zelda said, thinking about her own experiences with the respective magics. She shook her head, and let out a flirty smirk, “Want to race?”
“I still have the zora greaves on,” Link said, flicking the fins on his feet.
“Well, what do you usually do while under water?”
Link shrugged, “Get to wherever I’m going, usually. Sometimes watch the fish if I’m taking a rest. I’m not normally underwater with someone else. What do you do when you’re underwater with someone, besides racing?”
Queen Rutela had been the one to teach her this spell during her nineth summer at the Domain. Zelda had learned to swim, they had played with metal ball toys, and . . .
“Were you taught how the Zora dance?” Zelda asked.
Link shook his head.
“Would you like to learn?”
He searched her face for something, and evidently found it, because he nodded.
“I’ll teach you the simple step, since there is no music,” Zelda said. “Maybe I can teach you more if you are going to Ralis’ coronation at the end of the summer. But for now, take my hand.”
His hand was wider than hers, his fingers thick with callouses. Zelda arranged them in the proper grip and stepped slightly out of alignment with him.
“The dance is meant to be accommodate currents and circular within this singular space. The best dancers don’t move out of a six foot radius from their starting position during the entire dance. These hands press flatly,” she said, holding up her free hand, which he pressed lightly against hers. “And think of this like a scissor step. We both move our right feet out passed the other’s hip, then snap our legs together.”
She did one, and Link was slowly dragged through the water by their held hands, until they returned to the starting position.
“Step 1-2, Snap 3,” she paced the motions to the count. “Step 1-2, Snap 3.”
She repeated it until Link caught on. First over spinning them, then off count, making her laugh as she was accidentally flung wide. His greaves were the real problem, but she didn’t mind, she was having fun as they figured out the medium of his steps. Then the reverse when Zelda’s right leg grew tired. Zelda taught him how to counterbalance the movement so you didn’t go too far towards the surface or the floor.
Finally they were moving on count, and Link grinned at her, breathing heavier for the workout. Zelda automatically reached forward and touched the corner of his mouth, checking her spell work.
She caught his eyes in that moment and froze.
His breathing didn’t get lighter as her fingers continued to linger there. Zelda knew she was taller than him on an intellectual level, but at that moment he seemed to engulf every part of her vision, and part of her thought that this was how he would always look, if his outward appearance reflected even a smidge of the greatness he had found inside himself since the first time they met.
Her eyes drifted down to his shoulder, where the wound was long gone, then back up to his eyes. A wolf, for all that they were in the terrain of fish.
Link’s free hand copied her motion, his thumb pressing against the corner of her mouth.
“Is this the next step you’re going to teach me?” he asked.
“No, I wanted to check my spell,” she said, dropping her hand. He dropped his at the same time. “I don’t remember the other moves well enough to teach you.”
“Then I suppose we’ll learn together at Ralis’ coronation party,” Link said. “Though I should probably go tell him he can use the temple for it, now that it’s cleaned out. He couldn’t plan anything until I killed the scalera there.”
“Oh, of course,” Zelda said. “You are healed, and you should probably find a way to leave through the lake, my guards might take issue with your presence, should you be noticed.”
He nodded, and began to swim upwards, Zelda a beat behind him, only letting go of hands once they reached the surface.
They both climbed out of the spring, and Zelda turned her back to allow Link to re-don his zora armor.
“Thanks for the dancing lesson, Zelda,” Link said, and she turned back to see him all packed up. “And for letting me use the spring even though you’re here for something special.”
“Of course, any time,” Zelda said, a little helplessly.
He gave her a last smile then headed for the exit.
No, Zelda was brave enough for this.
She got to her feet and latched onto his gauntlet. Link turned back to her. The words she wanted to say shriveled on her tongue.
“Prince Ralis is attending my coronation, you won’t find him at the Domain this eve,” Zelda said instead. “There is a seat for you, during my coronation I mean, if you wish to attend. You can inform Prince Ralis there of what you have accomplished.”
“Oh, alright then,” Link said. “Why would you have a seat saved for me?”
Because there is no Hyrule without him? Because she hoped he’d come, even though he hadn’t set foot in Castletown since dropping her off after their return from the desert? Because if he did come, Zelda wanted him to see her accept her crown, and so he needed a spot she would be able to find quickly.
Be brave.
“Because I had hoped you would come, even if the invitation I sent to Ordon went unanswered,” Zelda said. “Is that alright?”
“Oh, uh, yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I guess I haven’t checked my mail at home for a while. Thanks for saving my seat. I’d love to see you take up your crown. Though it’s not like anyone else could after the light spirits acknowledged you as the rightful ruler.”
Awkward. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.
“Is . . . uh, that it?” Link asked, lightly tugging on his hand to remind her she still grasped it.
BE BRAVE.
“No, could I . . . may I call upon you in Ordon?” she said, unable to keep the red from her cheeks. “Perhaps, two weeks from now? During the day, not just after midnight.”
Zelda helplessly watched Link put it all together, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. Hoping she hadn’t been imagining things and that he hadn’t just been polite.
Slowly, his lips spread into a smile. “I’d like that, Princess.”
#tp zelink#zelink#just after midnight#zelelmo prompt#Flirty zelda for once#TP Zelda#TP Link#Princess Zelda
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Samhain Masterpost - Spoonie Witch Friendly
Samhain, Halloween as we know it. Celebrated on October 31st to November 1st (May 1st in the Southern Hemisphere). Samhain is a cross-quarter fire celebration and the halfway point between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice.
Samhain is the 3rd and final fall harvest festival. This day is also known as the Witches New Year.
The veils are believed to be thinned, allowing the dead to return to the earth. Samhain is celebrated in many different cultures around the world. An important holiday to most.
Correspondences
Colours
Black
Deep Purple
Silver
Grey
Orange
Gold
Dark Red
Herbal
Sage
Mugwort
Rosemary
Garlic
Hemlock
Belladonna
Marigold
Red Roses
Cedar
Cinnamon
Edibles
Apples
Pumpkin
Spiced Cake
Gourds
Squash
Mulled Wine
Corn
Mead
Nuts
Cider
Seeds
Fermented Food
Animals
Cats
Spiders
Moths
Wolves
Owls
Crows
Ravens
Scorpian
Bats
Vultures
Rats
Swans
Crystals
Moonstone
Amethyst
Carnelian
Obsidian
Black Tourmaline
Bloodstone
Silver
Iron
Onyx
Spiritual meanings & intentions
Transformation
New Journeys
Ancestors
Heritage
Death
Sorrow
Loss
Afterlife
Rebirth
Knowledge
Insight
Foresight
Relaxation
Recuperation
Divination
Planning and preservation
Shadow Work
Thinning of the Veil
Fae
Scents
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Cloves
Honey
Pine
Star Anise
Sage
Pumpkin
Gods / Goddesses / Spirits
The Morrigan (Irish)
Hekate (Greek)
Demeter (Greek)
Hel (Norse)
Freyja (Norse)
Persepone (Greek)
Cerridwen (Celtic)
Rhiannon (Celtic)
Psyche (Greek)
Osiris (Egyptian)
Anubis (Egyptian)
Hades (Greek)
Cernunnos (Celtic)
Loki (Norse)
Dionysis (Greek)
Need some suggestions to celebrate? I got you covered.
High energy celebrations
Cleanse
Do a release ritual
Divination
Connect with ancestors
Carve a jack o’ lantern
Make a besom
Create witches bottle
Visit a graveyard and give your respects (be respectful!)
Low energy celebrations
Leave offering for ancestors
Chat with the folk about family history
Light incense
Burn something you’d like to let go on a piece of paper
No spoon celebrations
Eat pumpkin or any sort of squash
Leaving some of your food aside for the ancestors
Any sort of mischief. Telling a joke or pulling a prank
Remember that it’s okay if you cant do much while you are unwell. That you come first and you simply existing is a blessing.
How you celebrate the holiday does not matter. You can choose to do any activity that feels right. These are only suggestions and remember that you're enough no matter what.
#samhain offerings#samhain association#samhain#wheel of the year#samhain correspondances#spoonie magic#spoonie witch#spoonie withcraft
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make their words a doom irrevocable
(On Míriel Therindë, her descendants, and flawed prophecies.)
It's generally accepted that foresight is a particular gift of the House of Finarfin. Finrod has it in spades, as does Galadriel. The House of Fëanor, on the other hand, is often portrayed as the opposite: blindly caught in their own doom, with no foresight or wisdom to cut their way free. I'd like to advance an alternative headcanon that I'm rather fond of: many of the Fëanorians had a sort of twisted gift of prophecy, where they saw parts of the future and, in their eagerness to prevent the events they saw, ended up causing them – kind of like anti-Cassandras, if you will.
Let's start with Míriel herself, who doesn't have a lot to say or do in the published silm (although I understand there's more on her in the Histories). One of her two lines of dialogue, however, absolutely haunts me: "But hold me blameless in this, and in all that may come after." This is what she tells Finwë prior to going to Lórien, where she eventually dies. Míriel knows something of the terrible things her son will do or cause to happen. That's chilling! Is that part of why she's so weary – she's afraid of what Fëanor will do? But if she hadn't died in the first place, would Fëanor have become the person he did? Did Míriel's knowledge of the future, and her reaction to that knowledge, actually cause it? I think so!
Thesis established, we'll move on to Fëanor himself. The text is pretty unambiguous about Fëanor's foresight. A few examples:
On the making of the Silmarils: "For Fëanor, being come to his full might, was filled with a new thought, or it may be that some shadow of foreknowledge came to him of the doom that drew near; and he pondered how the light of the Trees, the glory of the Blessed Realm, might be preserved imperishable."
On the exile to Formenos: "Thither also came Finwë the King, because of the love that he bore to Fëanor; and Fingolfin ruled the Noldor in Tirion. Thus the lies of Melkor were made true in seeming, though Fëanor by his own deeds had brought this thing to pass; and the bitterness that Melkor had sown endured, and lived still long afterwards between the sons of Fingolfin and Fëanor." (emphasis mine, because !!!)
From his speech in Tirion post-Darkening: "Shall we mourn here deedless for ever, a shadow-folk, mist-haunting, dropping vain tears in the thankless sea?" Hmm who does that put me in mind of, Fëanor? Your own second son by any chance?
After the Valar exile him for his Oath: "Such hurt at the least will I do to the Foe of the Valar that even the mighty in the Ring of Doom shall wonder to hear it." That certainly happens – but Fëanor isn't the one to do it.
Drifting into speculation, why does Fëanor make the breathtakingly idiotic decision to burn the swan-ships? Does he maybe catch some glimpse of a future where his host and Fingolfin's sit divided an opposite shores of a lake, and so seek to consolidate his own position as leader of the Noldor by abandoning those who would betray him? But in burning the ships, he eventually causes the kingship to pass to Fingolfin. Perhaps flawed foresight and terrible judgement strike again!
What about Fëanor's sons – do they inherit his foresight too? Before I drift completely into headcanon territory, I'd like to argue that there is one son who canonically fits this paradigm: Curufin. From the Nargothrond Incident: "And after Celegorm Curufin spoke, more softly but with no less power, conjuring in the minds of the Elves a vision of war and the ruin of Nargothrond. So great a fear did he set in their hearts that never after until the time of Túrin would any Elf of that realm go into open battle". But actually Curufin is kind of right? When the Elves of Nargothrond do eventually go into open battle, the realm falls. Building the bridge was a bad idea. In fact, even the company that Gwindor leads to the Nirnaeth all tragically die there (with the exception of Gwindor himself, who's taken captive)! But, on the other hand, if Curufin hadn't scared the entire kingdom out of fighting, the Nirnaeth might have been won in the first place.
Okay now have some headcanons completely unsupported by anything textual.
Consider Amrod on the crossing to Middle-earth, watching the dark mass of this strange new continent approach. He hasn't heard his mother's prophecy, "one at least will never set foot on Middle-earth"; all the same, he knows with sick bone-deep certainty that Beleriand will be the death of him. He cannot stay here. He has to sail back to Aman, as soon as he can. When they finally come to land, he slips away below deck instead of coming ashore to sleep, and tells his twin that he'll be more comfortable on the ship – how can he say, I will die if I stay in Middle-earth? He doesn't wake up again.
Consider Celebrimbor and Gil-galad talking at the very dawn of the Second Age, as the last remnants of broken Beleriand are swallowed by the Sea. "The wrath of the Valar," says Gil-galad. "How can they dare aid us again, when they know what destruction it has wrought?"
"They will not come directly," says Tyelpë, with a sudden flash of insight. "They will send emissaries instead: Maiar, to guide and counsel us."
He remembers that odd certainty later, when one calling himself the Lord of Gifts comes to Eregion.
And now consider Maedhros, the original maker of misguided decisions, pondering Morgoth's offer of parley. His instincts tell him it must be a trap, but he also has the feeling that it is not strength of arms that will save the Noldor now, but diplomacy and political savviness – all the qualities he was known for in Tirion once. And he is right! It’s his good sense and willingness to compromise that effect the reunification of the Noldor, a reunification that might never have happened had Fingon not rescued him from Thangorodrim in the first place.
Similarly, when he’s putting together the Union of Maedhros, does he know that all his efforts are doomed to fail? Or does he once again see too far into the future, to the plains of Dagorlad and the victory, against all odds, of a Last Alliance of Elves and Men against a Dark Lord in his fortress? “It is only by uniting all the Free Peoples that we can hope to prevail,” he tells his doubtful brothers, and insists that the sons of Ulfang are to join their alliance.
And also consider a time in Himring, not long after the Dagor Aglareb, when Maglor has ridden over for a quick visit and is explaining, cheerfully, that it’s a good thing his captain managed to dispatch that one orc from a recent raid before it could lop his head off: “Nobody else can command the cavalry, if I died you’d have a terrible gap in your defences, you know!”
But Maedhros grabs his wrist with sudden force and says vehemently, “Káno, you will never die—”
—Maglor thinks about that, later, by the Sea.
#silmarillion#meta#my meta#the line of miriel#miriel#feanor#curufin#celebrimbor#maedhros#idk is this anything#I’m attached to it either way
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I'm a slut for the Valyria lore, so of course I loved the bits of dreamer lore in this chapter. Which Valyrian gods do you think have "chosen" the different dreamers in Stormbreak?
Hehe I have indeed thought about this, so I'm happy to elaborate! There are also a bunch of people (Viserys, Daella, Rhaena, etc.) who aren't confirmed dreamers in book canon but who I think very well might have had the ability. This list will deal with the confirmed dreamers between FaB canon and Stormbreak (not including ASoIaF). These connections may or may not end up explicitly confirmed in Stormbreak, certainly not for every single dreamer mentioned. But know that the connection is there.
Daenys was blessed by Tessarion, the goddess of nature. Her dream was directly related to the natural disaster that wiped out Old Valyria, after all.
Aegon I was blessed by Arrax, the goddess of day and the sun. His dream, the Song of Ice and Fire, pertained to the struggle between day and night, after all. About the triumph of light and fire over dark and cold.
Helaena was blessed by Meraxes herself, the goddess of the future and foresight. This is meant to emphasize how Helaena's connection to her dreams is more powerful than any other character's, since she has the most direct connection to the ability to see the future. Remember, Meraxes is the mother of Shyrkos, who sends dragon dreamers their prophecies.
Aemond was blessed by Vermithor, the god of victory and achievement. This is meant to emphasize his life's journey, which is an exercise in resilience and overcoming obstacles, as well as finding inner strength. Also that he is Vhagar's baby boy.
Jaehaera was blessed by Balerion, the god of death and transformation. This is meant to emphasize her twinship (Balerion is one of two twins within the Valyrian gods), and also her status as the other. She's a little separate, a little uncanny, from most others around her. Also, girly named her dragon "death" in High Valyrian so you know she's a little emo. (If you read my post associating characters with the Seven, you'll see the parallels between her and her father here).
[REDACTED] was blessed by Terrax. This is meant to emphasize him having a stronger connection to his dragon dreaming, though not quite as strong as Helaena's, since Terrax is the other parent of Shyrkos, who gives the dreamers their gifts. It also suits his quieter personality.
#fic: stormbreak#fic#stormbreak#hotd#house of the dragon#ask#asks#answered#stormbreak chapter 22#daenys targaryen#daenys the dreamer#daenys#aegon targaryen#aegon i targaryen#aegon the conqueror#aegon#aegon i#aemond targaryen#aemond#aemond one eye#helaena targaryen#helaena#jaehaera targaryen#jaehaera#[redacted]#tessarion#arrax#balerion#terrax#meraxes
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Rhaenyra
Imagine/AU
Summary: Alicent Hightower was lonely and depressed for most of her life living in the secluded manor in Styria. Until a mysterious woman appears who she swears she's seen before.
Warnings: Mature themes, blood, religion, vampires, nightmares
Word Count: 2k
Note: Literally the plot of Carmilla but with my favorite closeted lesbian. Also, I wasn't sure if I should label this an imagine or a headcanon sooo here we are.
-Alicent Hightower had never truly felt frightened. Not when she was young and her mother died, she barely recalls it. Not when her father and her moved to a solitary yet picturesque castle in Styria. Not when she realized she would be forced to live in isolation, the nearest village was miles away. Not when a pack of wolves surrounded their carriage on their first trip to the manor.
-Alicent had never truly felt fear until she was six years of age. She was in her bed tossing and turning unable to sleep. When the eerie feeling of being watched became too much, she pried her eyes open. A woman, the most divine woman she had ever laid eyes upon, stared at her from the edge of her bed. Her hair was stark white and nearly reached her hips. Her eyes were strikingly beautiful, violet orbs that pierced through Alicent’s very soul. It was a beautiful nightmare at first until her eyes wandered down her figure.
-She moved slowly until she was at the edge of the bed and crawled her way next to Alicent. She was completely frozen in fear, unable to talk, breathe, move or even think. But she was gentle, softly combing the hair out of her face and whispering sweet nothings. It was so… Comforting. The threat of danger slipped out of her mind. A gentle kiss was pressed to her temple and she found herself being lulled back to sleep. It was the most peaceful night's sleep she had in months… Until the sensation of two sharp needles punctured into her breast awoke her.
-She woke up, releasing a blood curdling scream, the girl in her room disappeared under the bed. The nurse-maid and her father came rushing in only to find her alone. They thoroughly checked her bed chambers and found nothing. No wound on her breast, no monster under the bed, just little Alicent in her bed. However, what he did not say was that the left side of her bed was warm to the touch…
12 years later, Styria, Hightower Manor
-Alicent had grown accustomed to the solitude though it did not ease her loneliness. She had no friends, only her nurse-maid, father and neighbors from miles away who came and went. The monotony of her everyday life was slowly driving her up the wall. Truthfully, if she ever managed to meet a girl her age would she even be able to befriend her? She didn’t have enough experience talking to others to determine that.
-Otto, her father, promised that one of their distant neighbors would be bringing his niece to come visit. He said they were the same age and promised they would get along… Except she never came, in fact she had died before she ever arrived. An unknown accident took place claiming her life, preventing a friendship from blooming. Alicent felt the gods may be punishing her for unknown reasons.
-That same day though, Laura and her father spy a carriage coming toward them, but it crashes near their castle. They rush out to go and inspect the scene but all they find is a girl, Alicent’s she, fully unconscious. Alicent is over the moon that someone her age just crashed into her home. Finally, she might have a friend and her father agrees. She is beautiful too, ethereal almost, it would be a blessing to be able to keep her.
-The nurse declares that the girl will be fine and will wake in a few days. Alicent spent nearly everyday visiting her chambers and patiently awaiting her to wake. She looks oddly familiar… Perhaps she had seen her in a distant memory. Maybe she was blessed with foresight like the witches… No, she was too religious for that.
-Rhaenyra, that’s her name. It’s the first Alicent learns when the girl wakes up. The second is that she is the same girl from her nightmare all those years ago. No one could forget those violet eyes that pierced your soul. Rhaenyra quickly realizes she remembers Alicent too! She had a similar dream but their roles were reversed. They decided it was fate and they were always meant to be friends.
She’s completely awe-struck by her
-Rhaenyra is nothing like any of the other girls Alicent had met. She is very open, warm and demonstrative with her affections. She is impressed by the way she carries herself, not many women of their day and age could do the same. In the back of her mind there is a tiny bit of repulsion, most likely caused by the misogyny around them. She purposely ignores it and lets the attraction overwhelm her.
-They end up spending the majority of their time together, arms interlocked and bodies as close as possible. The gardens are their favorite place, Alicent reads her tales of old and Rhaenyra lays on her lap and pretends to listen. When the snow started to fall their outings became less and less until one day Nyra dragged her out into a far corner of the woods. She looked like a goddess compared to the lush white snow that surrounded her, Rhae’s silver hair blending in with the snowflakes. It was there they shared their first kiss,
-Alicent quickly learns that Rhaenyra has some odd habits about her, locking her dock from the inside, not waking up until the afternoon, and becoming fatigued randomly. She also has an extreme passion for Alicent that no one else had before. She kisses and grasps her constantly, once they got in trouble and were forbidden to do it again but that didn’t stop Rhaenyra. It wasn’t ladylike and Alicent was told it wasn’t normal but she couldn’t help but return the affection.
-Rhaenyra doesn’t tell anyone much about her. She never answers where she came from, quickly changing the subject whenever brought up. When they go to church Rhaenyra never prays, though she claims to be baptized. On a few occasions she voiced her annoyance at the peasants praising god and singing hymns. She is superstitious, purchasing a charm from a traveling hunchback against the vampire in the region and forcing Alicent to wear it.
-Otto eventually realizes Rhaenyra is descended from the Targaryens. An ancient, rich, noble, and incestuous family with very defining features. This only makes more sense when a portrait from across the sea is brought to the manor revealing Countess Naehyra, a distant relative with striking similarities to the girl. It didn’t matter, their lineage was nearly extinct anyway and they held no titles anymore.
-Eventually, news spreads to the manor speaking of deaths of young girls in the area. All of which are similar to the girl who Otto promised would be Alicent’s friend. It was concerning to say the least, so he had both young girls confined to the land in which he owned.
-Alicent begins experiencing strange nightmares that plague her every night. The most recent one scared her enough to tell her nurse. A black cat-like monster creeping onto her bed and sinking its teeth into her throat. When she awakes it’s gone but a female figure lingers, extremely still and ominous. Then it disappears into the darkness of the room and she’s left in tears. The nurse claims to see a female wandering the tree line and this place is haunted.
-When Alicent gets the courage to tell Rhaenyra she claims the same happened to her. She now forces Alicent to wear the charm to ward off any unwanted evils… Her nightmares end there but not her melancholy. Rhae is more devoted than ever tending to her, even waking up earlier in the day to spend time with her. Her dreams morphed into something else, she would speak to people whom she can’t remember.
-Rhaenyra became extra affectionate that night. Her hands traveled to places that others deemed unholy. Alicent rejected it at first, fearful of being scorned by her father if he found out but once again Nyra always got her way. Her charms were impossible to reject especially since they made her feel so good. It was gentle and loving, not at all like how it had been described to her in the past. The feeling of euphoria consuming her whole… Rhaenyra had a wicked tongue.
-The night wasn’t as peaceful as it started off. The second they drifted off to sleep together another nightmare attacked Alicent. Though, this time it was her mother warning her of an ‘assassin’ sharing her bed. She woke up to find Rhaenyra gone and became frantic, waking up everybody in the house. It took hours before they found her wandering the halls, awake but unconscious. Otto described it as sleepwalking.
-Otto finds a doctor for both girls. Rhaenyra is fine though her lack of sleep is causing her to behave strangely. However, Alicent’s condition seemed to be severe as he berated her with a hoard of questions. The doctor warned them all that she wasn’t to be alone, not even for one second. The air in Styria was becoming thick and the world had an eerie feeling.
-Her father, Otto, receives a letter soon after from the uncle of the girl Alicent was originally intended to be friends with. The general is arriving soon and he wished to visit the old tombs of kings. For now, only Alicent, the nurse, her father and the general will be going. As of recently Rhaenyra has been sleeping consistently, rarely waking even for food.
-Alicent doesn’t like the general, the carriage is filled with his animosity towards whoever killed his niece and is draining her energy.
He speaks of how he must have vengeance against the fiend that killed his niece. Otto asks what exactly is going on but the general says they will not believe him. Instead he informs them they are going to the tombs of an ancient family and he is going to unearth them to be rid of the monsters.
-His story is far-fetched yet eerily similar. The General and his niece meet a beautiful young woman, Ahneyra. She claimed she knew the General from the past and has memories and stories to prove it, though he has no memory of her. Ahneyra comes to their home and almost immediately, his niece’s health begins to decline. She complains of dreams and nightly sensations such as being pierced and strangled. He called a doctor to check on her health and he claimed it to be a vampire… That same night he saw the girl he invited into his home feasting on the blood of his kin.
-When he finishes his story they arrive at the tomb of kings. Filled with dead Targaryens and other nobles kept close to them at court. It is a gloomy, silent and morbid place but the General seemed excited to be there. Perhaps he would be able to take his revenge on the creature he believes killed his niece. Alicent calls over a nearby woodman and asks how it came to be so empty and unkept, and the woodman tells him about vampires ravaging the place.
-Laura grows gloomy hearing this, the generals story and her recent ailments are all too similar. Being in this place brought her absolutely no comfort. Her world suddenly brightens when she sees Rhaenyra drawing near. The peace and the warm smile on Rhae’s face fades just as quickly as it came. The general charged past her, shoving her to the floor as he jumps to attack Nyra. An entirely different side of Rhaenyra is shown, she looks brutish and fiendish as she defends off his attacks. The area erupts into chaos and before Alicent can process it, Rhaenyra is gone into the abyss of the dark forest.
-The general behind declaring that is Rhaenyra, Countess Naehyra, and the one who destroyed his niece, Ahneyra are one and the same. Alicent's heart shatters into pieces when she learns this. Before she can combat the theory her father urges her to return home.
-At the manor a priest is on guard outside her room at all hours. Once again, she is completely secluded from the outside world.
She has no idea where Rhaenyra is and is worried endlessly. Alicent takes it upon herself to sneak out to the old library and try to dig up information about the Targaryen’s and the vampires.
-Word by word she realizes what exactly has been haunting her, a real vampire. The reason the Targaryens have such noticeable l features and we’re able to stay in power for so long was because they were monsters, created by the devil to spite god himself. However, some things didn’t add up. If Rhaenyra was such a monster why would she gift her a charm to protect her? Why would Nyra starve herself instead of just feasting on her blood? Why did she stay longer with her than any other girl? Why did she lay with her and not take the opportunity to kill her? Her symptoms were that of a starving vampire who desperately needed to eat to survive, she knew how to cure herself and yet she didn’t.
-Alicent came to the conclusion that maybe everything wasn’t a lie. Maybe Rhaenyra truly fell for a human and tried to go against her own nature to try and be with her. This only made her feel worse. How could she love such a monster? How could she be such foolish prey to a creature who goes against the god she worships?
-They all set out on a mission to destroy Rhaenyra once and for all. Alicent tagged along hoping that this was all falsehoods and her lover was simply misunderstood. A strange man joins them, he claims to have devoted his life to pursuing vampires. He claims he will bring the law of god to the tomb and end the Targaryen bloodline once and for all. He brings a book, a stake, a cross, holy water and ‘the protection of god’ with him.
-It took a full week of exploration through hidden tunnels. They stumble upon a dark and cobweb ridden room with a golf tomb in the middle. As the group gathers around the coffin preparing the strike Alicent begins tearing at her fingernails. She says a final prayer that when it opens Rhaenyra won’t be inside. Her lover is not a monster and they’re meant to be together.
-Her prayers went unanswered as they opened the tomb. Rhaenyra laid inside, rose colored cheeks and warm flesh as if she were alive. She was sleeping peacefully surrounded by a pool of blood. Alicent wanted to scream out but the men moved quicker, plunging a stake into her heart. For a moment, Rhae’s eyes opened in shock and she let out a gasp as she stared at Alicent. An unmistakable look of betrayal on her face. The general swung his sword decapitating her and Otto threw a match into the coffin, burning any that remained of her friend.
-Alicent concludes her narrative with the strangers' after he visits her home for a few weeks at, during which he shares with her father numerous stories and accounts of vampires. The countess apparently had a lover long ago whom she was forbidden to be with. When she committed suicide, her lover feared she would become a vampire and so they moved her remains and her tomb. When they were older, they realized this did not, and could not, work, so they wrote about the location of the tomb and a way to destroy her, but died before getting to do so. That’s how the man was able to discover her tomb and kill her.
-She cries every day since the incident. She struggles to eat or sleep or simply live. It felt as though a part of her died in that tomb as well. Otto forced her out of bed today and made her see their 'guests' off. Before the stranger leaves he turns back to the mansion and gives Alicent a solemn smile. He tells her to not mourn the dead, which seemed like a comfort until his final sentence, “You look like her… My ancestor I mean.” Once again, Alicent feels completely secluded from the world. The pain in her heart was like a wound that could never heal.
-She finally realizes her dreams were not her own and were that of a woman from the past. A woman who once loved the monster she shared a bed with. It explained why she spoke to people whom she could not remember. Maybe there was a chance that Rhaenyra loved Alicent for what she reminded her of. Maybe Ali was the reincarnation of an ex-lover and that is why Rhaenyra kept her alive for so long. Maybe that's why her dreams felt like distant memories. It didn't matter now; she was gone and Alicent was left with her ghost.
-Alicent and her father decided to go back to Oldtown for a year to forget what happened, but sometimes Alicent still hears light footsteps as if Rhaenyra is outside her door, coming back to haunt her. Though her presence is still not terrifying, it is warm and comforting as it always had been.
#rhaenyra targaryen#alicent hightower#rhaenicent#rhaenyra x alicent#rhaenyra imagine#alicent imagine#hotd au#hotd imagine#rhaenicent au
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TODAYS COLLECTIVE 3 CARD SPREAD
#33 The Raccoon and Sycamore - curiosity
#48 The Dragonfly and Pansy - balance
#29 The Squirrel and Chestnut - preparation
The order in which I pulled these cards went curiosity, preparation, and balance. But I put them in this order because it’s how I read the message….
You need to balance both these two elements (curiosity and preparation) to fully align with your manifestations.
Balance allowing yourself to be free and curious while grounded in physical reality. Consciously attend to the life you’re manifesting in the 3D while subconsciously imagining your best life in the 5D.
Affirmation: “May all my actions match my intentions, in the highest and best good for all.”
The Dragonfly is a descendent of prehistoric creatures such as dinosaurs (and dragons if that’s what you believe in) and carries with it tons of spiritual wisdom and knowledge. The dragonfly reminds us that anything’s possible as long as you’re willing to do the work and show up for yourself. Make sure you balance the endless days you spend sitting in bed, starring out your window listening to music with getting up out of bed and physically creating the life you want.
You don’t want to just be daydreaming forever.
You can look at it like a balance of autumn and spring.
In autumn you put away the lessons you’ve learned over the years (some lessons being disguised as trauma) and let them transmute themselves to use to your advantage as tools and gifts in the spring.
It all comes back to Yin and Yang energy ☯️
A balance of light and dark, feminine and masculine energy united as one.
Brighter days are here. Do the work for yourself and believe you will be gifted and rewarded in return.
Blessed be ❤️
Card meanings from the guidebook:
The Raccoon and the Sycamore - overall meaning that curiosity is rewarded. “Calls us to explore a thrilling new interest, idea, or opportunity.”
Upright - “You are well-equipped to explore uncharted territories. Climb high into the tree of your interests, bounding from branch to branch. Now is an auspicious time to discover new truths about yourself and your abilities.”
Reversed - “You may be feeling bored, left out, or like nothing piques your interest. Take time for rest and self care. We cannot feel curious when our most basic needs are unmet.”
The Dragonfly and the Pansy - a symbol of balance. “Nimble and attuned as a dancer, it (the dragonfly) moves effortlessly through the air, shifting direction with ease. Pansies are named for the French word pensée, meaning thought, and were given by the Victorians as tokens of thoughtfulness. Together, the dragonfly and pansy indicate a harmony of thought and action.”
Upright - “Like a dragonfly hovering above water, you are healthy and confident. Your physical skill is matched by your mental and emotional strength.”
Reversed - “You have stumbled into an unhealthy obsession. Recall the way a dragonfly shifts direction with ease and aim for the same nimbleness of thought”.
Be conscious of where you are focusing your energy. You are in control of your own energy.
The Squirrel and the Chestnut - “careful preparation will often yield riches”
Upright - “You have prepared well and can expect to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Your resourcefulness and foresight will be rewarded.”
Reversed - “Prepare for the winter ahead. While fun and games are necessary parts of life, don’t become so distracted that you forget to provide for yourself.”
Remember you have to fill your own cup first before you can fill others! Prepare to be the person you want to be.
This collective reading was from the 52 card oracle deck & guidebook “Woodland Wardens” by Jessica Roux.
Please ONLY take the messages that resonate with your gut and intuition. Always trust yourself first.
Personal readings can be purchased on venmo or cashapp :)
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Mini Blessings: Full Moon in Cancer
Feel free to choose the pile/s that call out to you. Some details may not resonate with you since this is a general reading. As always, nothing is set in stone, so please don’t take it too seriously. ✨
Card 1 - The Star
Renewed hope and healing. A refreshing new outlook in life. Nourishment of the body and soul. Finding time to do both. Prioritizing rest and play. Shining aura in a room full of people. Overflowing creativity. All of it came from you, and you emerged from the darkness brighter than ever.
= = = = = = = = =
Card 2 - Queen of Swords
“I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time.” Rolling with the punches with a can-do attitude. Boundaries. Seeing the silver lining in every situation. Information that would greatly benefit you. Being able to read between the lines. Gracefulness in the face of criticism and judgment. Recognition from your superiors.
= = = = = = = = =
Card 3 - Knight of Swords
Carpe diem. A great, inspired action that will have a domino effect. Coming up with solutions to problems left and right. Getting that job done– no ifs, no buts. Intellectual stimulation. Tunnel vision towards your goals. Pushing through even on the slow days. Ride or die. Facing your fears head-on.
= = = = = = = = =
Card 4 - The Hierophant
Keeping your standards. Something has been endowed to you from your family tree. Fitting in, right where you belong. A rite of passage. Mastering yourself at all levels. Unconditional protection, wherever you go. An epiphany related to something only you can offer to this world.
= = = = = = = = =
Card 5 - 5 of Pentacles
Overcoming lack and the mindset that something will always be standing in the way. For every loss, there is a gain. The only way to go from rock bottom is up. More opportunities to be grateful about. Foresight for future challenges. Redirection. Blessings in disguise. Light at the end of the tunnel. Answered questions. Waking up and seeing all the help and support that surrounds you.
= = = = = = = = =
Card 6 - King of Pentacles
Flourishing craft or business. Laying solid foundations. Making the most out of what you have and achieving results beyond your expectations. Being seen and established within your community. Material comforts. Boss energy. Hall of fame elevation. Like attracts like. Everything you touch turns to gold.
= = = = = = = = =
Card 7 - 5 of Swords
Humility and acceptance. Picking your battles. Understanding of your blind spots and cutting ties with weak links. Focus on the bigger picture. Getting unfinished business over with. Being able to lay all your cards on the table. An important compromise.
= = = = = = = = =
Card 8 - 6 of Swords
The calm after a storm. A big sigh of relief. Leaving unwanted things of the past behind. Walking away for good from what no longer serves you. Knowing when to quit for your greater and long term benefit. An opportunity to start anew. Healing in quiet and solitude.
= = = = = = = = =
Card 9 - 10 of Swords
The dawn that comes after the darkest hour. Nothing has been done in vain. Coming to terms with the inevitable courses of life. Emotional and spiritual purging. Someone close to you may not have your best interests in mind. Forgiveness for yourself. The worst has passed and it only gets better from here.
= = = = = = = = =
As always, thank you for taking the time to go through this reading. Feel free to let me know how you found it, if it resonated in any form or not. I’m always open to hear feedback and comments you feel like sharing!
Take it easy, everyone. Take care! ✨
#pick a card#pick a pile#general reading#pac#tarot#tarot messages#tarot reading#pick a card reading#pac reading#tarotblr#divination#tarot community#blessings reading#blessings#blessings for you#universe message#spirit guide
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Halsin (Baldur's Gate 3) Banter Starters
(feel free to edit as needed)
I am ready, whatever may come.
Nature shall be defended, at any cost.
Such attention... I never realised I was so popular.
Unwise, perhaps, to poke a bear this much...
Admirable stamina, yet terrible priorities.
Calm yourself. There is plenty of me to go around.
Optimistic, to think I can fit through there.
Jest all you will. I believe now in your honest heart.
For your sake, I hope some of it is just a fantasy, deep in your heart.
Still though, when you are expecting nothing but desolation, even a small glimmer of hope fills the heart.
Perhaps I can yet turn hindsight into foresight.
Dispensing advice on matters of the heart would be like swapping boots - what suits me may be a poor fit for you.
Yet there is a burden to being the survivor… the witness to others' tragedies. It only grows heavier with time.
I doubt many will seek to surrender. But if they do… mercy costs us nothing, _____.
Folk of our stature can be a lure for drunkards seeking a brawl, I have found.
Some radical thinkers claim that peace is a valid option, you know.
This place reminds me of a magpie's nest. Random baubles, doodahs, and what-have-yous, all jumbled together without a care.
I cannot help but feel that destiny is tightening its grip on our forward path.
Nature affords us few greater powers of healing than what love can provide, _____.
You sound like a student - reciting words for a test without considering their meaning.
You are among friends. Whatever lies ahead, we shall face it together.
They say that history does not repeat, but it does rhyme, now and again.
When you care about something deeply enough, it consumes every thought and word.
Do I note some trepidation? Spirits are but echoes of nature's cycle.
I welcome all of nature's blessings, whether they come to me one at a time, or in multitudes. There is no shame in it.
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Hi :)
Can I request Zatanna platonic head canons?
Z is mentoring a child who wants to learn how to control her abilities and get stronger, child has powers of fate ( can control/alter fate and fates of others and can see future in her dreams)
The Child of Fate (8/3/23)
Platonic!Zatanna Zatara x reader
SUMMARY: Zatanna is mentoring a child on how to control their powers of fate. An awesome friendship ensues.
A/N: thanks to @diavolosbaby who requested these headcanons! Hope you enjoy :)
…
- you had come from earth, but your powers had come from a godly being of a distant planet
- Seeing your potential early on, they decided to bless/curse (you decide!) you with the power of foresight and fate control of yourself and others
- The intention was for you to become a very powerful being who could control the destiny of the planet
- You were struggling with the prospects of this mammoth task, but luckily you found someone who could help
- You met Zatanna one day when you were in the park, trying to practice changing people’s fates
- You must have looked like you were in pain as you were concentrating extremely hard
- She was practicing magic tricks close to where you were
- When you saw a kid about to fall, you sprang into action, jumping up and throwing your hands out to try and stop it
- You did, and Zatanna watched in amazement
- She jogged up to you, sat down and told you her name
- ‘Hey! I’m Zatanna, you?’
- ‘Y/N. Good to meet you.’
- ‘Hey Y/N! Good to meet you too. Hey, what you did back there was pretty cool. What was it?’
- The godly beings had told you not to tell anyone about your powers, but this woman gave off a vibe that just made you trust her
- ‘Well, I saw that the kid was about to fall, so I changed their fate, so they didn’t. It may look easy, but trust me, it’s anything but!’ You laughed
- ‘Wow! Pretty cool. So, you said you’re struggling? I can show you a few things if you like!’ Came the reply
- You were slightly concerned, but again you felt you trusted her completely
- ‘I do magic’ she said, as if trying to convince you
- ‘Okay, show me.’ You replied
- She grinned, and began to give you tips on how to control your powers
- ‘So, project!’ ‘No, this way!’ ‘Try not to project TOO much…’ she laughed as you accidentally made a woman fall over
- But, you kept trying, and you were getting better and better
- Soon it was late, so you agreed to meet same time same place the next day
- The next day, she sat smiling at the bench, ready for you
- You were determined, and each day you got more powerful
- One night you had a dream which made you toss and turn. It was Zatanna, and she was in trouble.
- You knew that your dreams predicted the future, so you were instantly worried
- You knew the woman’s “wavelength”, as you called it, so you tried to examine her fate
- However, you weren’t yet strong enough to see that far into the future in that much detail, which worried you. The woman was very important to you - you had bonded over the few months you had been practicing together
- Each day you tried to go further, and managed it with her help
- One day, you saw it
- It was sudden, just as the two of you were sitting on the bench
- She was going to be kidnapped, and soon
- You told her, panicking
- She seemed fairly calm, but a little worried
- ‘Hey, Y/N, you can fix this right?’ She said anxiously
- You nodded, and focussed intensely
- You were nearly there, so nearly there… finally, the vision faded away and was replaced by one of the two of you on the bench
- You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding
- ‘I did it!’ You shouted, fist pumping the air
- Zatanna jumped up and hugged you; you’d never changed the outcome of such a big event before
- ‘Hey, you’re amazing! I think you’re going to do great things, kid’ Zatanna was proud of you, and it was the best feeling ever
- months and months passed, and it was you who was now reaching Zatanna new tricks
- You had finally lived up to the prophecies of the godly beings, and you were prouder than ever
- Your powers were so strong, you could see the fate of anyone you wanted, in even the most far-flung corner of the earth
- You felt ready to take on the challenge of protecting the earth from intergalactic threats
…
A/N: thanks so much for reading! You guys rock!
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✧ @resolutepath asked: Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what? & What would you say is the most unique trait about your character?
Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what?
To answer this I will focus more on the fandom perception or portrayal of him rather than HYV's, as there is nothing I can say to dislike about the way they're managing him other than his poor screentime— which I presume is because he's too lore-driven that makes it dangerous to have him there for too long, this in combination with lore aspects he's connected to like Khaenri'ah and Irminsul, but also the power from beyond Skirk mentioned as making someone be praiseworthy if they possess it.
I think that the most prominent thing I've seen is that people ship him with Lumine based on a line of the Travail trailer that it's assumed by part of the community that is related to her (while he could be referring to someone else, which is my personal thought— HYV has a way of throwing out there voiced lines that can be quite misleading with the images that are playing at the same time and it's a regular thing that happens in many trailers from my own observations) in combination with the fact that, if we take Aether as the Traveler based on what HYV has been announcing always, Dain traveled with Lumine until they fell apart. I'm positive that the knowledge that she was made princess of Khaenri'ah within the Caribert AQ must've fed a lot more this ship. The thing is that I'm not necessarily against this ship per se if I ignore my own particular headcanons, what bothers me is the way Dain is treated pretty much like a lapdog. That in many of people's tendencies to have him lick her boot, he's reduced to nothing but a servant without autonomy when in reality he's obviously neck deep against the Abyss Order and against her deeds by extension.
This ship talk can be applied to Kaeya too in the instances where people have him take the route of the Abyss Order by betraying Mondstadt even though, as per my own personal view, he'd rather side with Mondstadt despite his lineage and he himself said in the Caribert AQ that getting confirmation of what he apparently suspected won't change his animosity towards the Abyss Order.
Another thing that bothers me that isn't any less important than the shipping aspect is that many take for granted that he's automatically lying because he never spills all the beans, when in reality his character suffers from deliberate vague or incomplete speech that I can only assume is, in great part, on HYV so that he doesn't say everything and those topics are revealed little by little instead. Thankfully, I'm starting to see more people pointing out to those who say he lies that he isn't and that he just doesn't explain things in full, but that doesn't make it any less true what he says. The one topic I find questionable is his claim that it is impossible to get rid of the curse whereas Chlothar seems to have broken free from it. For this in specific, I think that while Dain tried to find ways to break free from it himself without avail, some variable played in Chlothar's release and potentially that of his descendants that either Dain wasn't aware of or didn't think it would be possible, only to find out years later that it is.
What would you say is the most unique trait about your character?
The first thing I would say is his connection with Irminsul due to the wisdom he possesses not only of the past, but of the future too. But there are other characters linked with the tree that one way or another can too (at least to some extent or part of it, for example Nahida in seeing the past but perhaps not the future as she refers to it as ultimate knowledge; the princess of Sal Vidagnyr who was blessed with foresight through dreams that later on she would draw in frescoes). As mentioned earlier, maybe one thing that makes him unique is that most likely than not he's in possession of the power from beyond that Skirk mentions and that Dain talks about in order to defy this world using a "we", which includes him.
If we're to leave out the power aspect of his character, the one thing I'd highlight of him is that he's been able to endure the corruption for this long without succumbing yet, even if it was shown in multiple instances that it can be relatively easy to do that (be it due to negative feelings, to fall to temptation of a greater power as the Abyss Order tried to lure Andrius in, among other aspects). It could be because of some "it" we don't know about when he wondered how is it possible for Halfdan to have retained that limited degree of self-awareness after five centuries, or it could be out of willpower. If we combine to this his self-imposed solitude that he admits to not relish, I firmly believe that he has a perfect recipe to succumb to corruption but he doesn't. And I think that this is partly what people use in order to make work the aforementioned ships, by erasing this praiseworthy willpower that brought him to where he is today.
#resolutepath#◟༺✦༻◞ what use has the veil of falsehood? ┊ask.┊#◟༺✦༻◞ what lays behind the mantle of faux stars ┊ooc.┊#thank you for sending in!#I rambled a bit forgive me jfhjfg#it happens every time I talk about him
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Dionysus and Apollo Thoughts (MC ocs)
This is a continuation of my V/Illager talk. This pertains to my ocs :0)
Now, onto my ocs n such bc i am thinking abt them. I have two that are an Evoker and a Witch. Evoker is named Apollo (early 30s|he/him) and the Witch is named Dionysus (mid 30s|she/her). Dio runs a small tavern/inn on land she owns, she's made it a very clear safe space for all non-human mobs. Any mob, peaceful, neutral and hostile may come and stay, no fighting though.
A simple witch brought up in a somewhat well off family. They lived humbly and dedicated their lives to an Illager cult that granted them protection if any monsters were to approach them. However, as time grew on and Witches began to get hated more and more in some circles, a massacre took place, Ancient Builders destroyed the landscape of Dio's home and she was left orphaned from a very early age. Illagers quickly came by and brought her to a woodland mansion where she struggled greatly to interact with the other children, making her an outcast. Although she felt alone, she used her emotions as a starting point to learn magic and witchcraft. By the time she was older, she had become the most powerful witch on Raid Divisions. Dio had even made an Evoker friend, Apollo. He struggled much like her, so as thanks for the friendship and to help someone who was suffering the same fate as her, she helped teach him magic. Eventually they had enough of the cult-like living spaces in the Woodland mansion and escaped, being exiled by the Illagers. They were hunted down for a while afterwards, but knowing that Dio had her own private land that was cursed to tread upon (witch superstitions exist in this world too. Witches are said to be blessed by all 3 divine spirits [knowledge/action/foresight], making their land [passed down by family] incredibly valuable, but dangerous to those that are unwelcome) they decided to give it up and let them go free, but they were both banned from ever joining or making deals with Illager kind, and that Apollo (an evoker) was essentially dead to them.
Dio is an incredibly powerful witch too, but chooses to keep things low key unless trouble is rising. She's happy and bubbly and tends to talk everyone's ear off, loves performing magic acts and singing and dancing at the tavern too!!! She struggles a bit with dealing with angry customers or those that come to cause trouble, though she can usually see right through them and cast a spell so they can just chill. She is in LOVE with the Nether and loves the wildlife in that dimension, but struggles with the heat a fair amount so she can never stay too long.
Apollo is Dio's bestest friend in the whole world. They were both assigned to Raids when they met, and Apollo was already disliked amongst Illager kind. His mother was a Pillager, but his father was a Villager, and that set many of his group against him. Even so, he was blessed with very good skills as an Evoker. He struggled to gain the same respect as one though, and Dio offered to teach him different ways of using his magic, but Witches weren't permitted to talk to Evokers unless given an order to. So they met every night and trained in the Dark Oak Forests that surrounded the Mansion Apollo lived in. After a long while Dio brought up the idea to escape from that way of life, however, Apollo only would agree if he was allowed to make the plan. They talked for weeks but it was all for nothing as their captain, a Vindicator, had seen them meet before. Seeing no other means of escape other than their plan, they decided to just go for it and see what would happen!! They would up being free from the cult-like Mansion they once lived in, free from all the turmoil and harassment.
Even so, they were hunted down for a good while, they were traveling constantly to get back to the safe land Dio's family once owned. A beautiful swamp/mangrove biome. With them both settled and excited to build a new life for themselves, they were officially exiled from their former lives. Content with their new ventures ahead of them.
That's all for these guys right now!!! if you have any questions please ask :0) meant to post this last week but i didn't finish their refs until this week so yeah :0
#minecraft oc#minecraft oc art#minecraft#minecraft evoker#minecraft witch#artworknotask#artwork#art#artists on tumblr#my art#digital art
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