#I keep getting caught in loops and forgetting stuff

[palismen-charms]

Waffle Headcanons

-Like the bird she's based on she tends to cache food. Shortly after she started sharing with Hunter this habit became a bit out of hand until Hunter made some "pockets" for her.

-Also like blue jays she has a throat pouch that she sometimes stores objects in. Unlike the actual bird it is enhanced by magic and she can temporarily store more than just food. She learned from Hooty how to get around her limit of needing things to bypass her beak, though she still can't store anything bigger than herself. She is no longer left alone with Hooty, or at least as much as possible.

-Waffle likes peanuts! And other kinds of foods that have seed pods. They're the easiest to share...in more ways that one. (Thank titan for Waffle's pockets.)

-Like blue jays, but with some aspects more well known in other corvids like crows and ravens, Waffle can mimic sounds and even learns to speak witch/human languages. Though she usually keeps it simple around unfamiliar people.

-I recall a post after For The Future aired that commented on how similar Hunter and Amity's wishes were with their palismen, but how there was the nuance of Freedom vs Independence. For Waffle I imagine it to be similar: Flapjack was a choice when there seemingly none; while the wish for Waffle is about making choices on his own no matter other's pressures, how messy, even if he ends waffling (heh) on them. (And as a Palisman carver Hunter wants to extend that to others, like Flapjack did, and now Waffle does for him.)

[jollyparaphernalia]

Welcome back to the Kingswap AU Yapping. Todays topic is Party Dynamics

(What's this?) Today we focus in on Clovis (Our swapped King now in Siffrins position). As you can see, his first introduction to the party was a bit of a...mixed affair? Guy's got some anxieties (Don't worry, they caught him later) WARNING: This chatter post i'm just gonna blanket as just being spoilers all around for 'In Stars And Time', and any content warnings that apply to the game also apply here.

First things first before getting into it...WOAH THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE RESPONSE! I wasn't expecting people to resonate so much with the idea, I was maybe expecting a small handful of notes, but seeing people interested and keysmashing in the comments/tags and theorizing makes me very happy! I also appreciate all the asks that have been sent in (Don't worry. I've seen you guys who are curious about how much of a freak Isabeau is re: the Stagemaster. I see you. I love you. I will get to those soon.) But the topic today is focused on Clovis.

Hey Jolly, what's the point of focusing on all this background stuff if this AU ends up in the loops anyways?

It's MY BRAINROT, and I SAY that the Orb Quest and background stuff is ESSENTIAL to the LORE A big part hanging over In Stars and Time is the Team. The Friends. The FAMILY. It is a huge crux of the motivations of Siffrin, and for this AU I wanna sell you on the Swapped King having a place in the party, and how the others bounce off of him and interact with him. It's fun translating someone like The King into a form that is a very different role but keeping some of the themes he comes with.

So, what's the Vibe?

Clovis is an awkward wet dog. He fills a similar niche that Siffrin does, being a semi-forgetful islander who is a complete disaster once you peel back the curtains, and is different in how he intersects with the party.

A small example would be puns. He doesn't make puns - but he ends up being funny anyways

"You're telling me a shrimp fried this rice?" He forgets words a lot similar to Siffrin, and is mortified every time - but he says things so seriously that everyone has a great time anyways.

One on One, you can rank the differences between character interactions on...Do they Like Dogs or Cats More? Siffrin is Cat, Clovis is Dog.

Lets Look At The Most Different Dynamic Compared to Siffrin: Mirabelle.

Mirabelle prefers dogs. She struggles to understand Siffrin, and Siffrin struggles to understand her, and that is the crux of a lot of problems that happen in ISAT, with Mirabelle not wanting to seem nosey with Siffrins secrets.

So, she thrives alongside Clovis. A sad, wet dog she found behind a dumpster. Who is very, very intense and gives off unnerving energy.

Mirabelle leash your fucking cryptid. He's scaring the neighbours.

Clovis is slightly more open than Siffrin (Can't hide behind a hat, after all) and he willingly searched out the Party to join them on their quest to save Vaugarde (Though he's a bit cagey on answering why outside of thats what a knight would do, but thats okay). He's willingly pledged his service, and Mirabelle appreciates having someone who is unambiguously on her side without having to be asked. It also helps that he also seems a little scared all the time, but thats okay. They can be brave together. (She just wishes that he wouldn't put himself in harms way all the time)

Mira also considers Clovis to be a bit of a good luck charm, in fact - she's learned she can take him out to do errands, and for some strange reason...She doesn't get bothered nearly as much by strangers approaching her to talk with the 'Chosen of the Change God'. Going shopping is almost pleasant when he's with her!

Clovis isn't really sure why it happens either. (It's because you scare the shit out of people with your neutral expression, dude.)

Hey, wouldn't that kinda dedication be a little weird for Mirabelle?

Maybe. I'd like to think they're on a weird similar wavelength, with Clovis being so deep in his knightly sensibilities and being so polite to her. Some....secret third thing (It's friendship. Ace for Ace solidarity). Clovis would probably catch onto the papers well before Dormont, but, well. He'd probably not wanna snoop about it, cause that's rude!

(He's some flavour of Ace? You decide. shipping ain't off the table, but that's not the focus for this AU. The focus is pain and the agonies). Much like how in the artbook insertdisc5 muses that Siffrin would travel with Odile the longest, I think Clovis would join Mirabelle for her pilgrimage.

So, what about someone who is more a Cat person?

Like, say, Odile! Great topic change. Clovis steals Siffrin's spot as 'Odile's chosen for Secret Quests' because he's good at keeping secrets, though...Odile has to pay a bit more attention to Clovis when left in a book store or library on his lonesome. Guy just hones in on Headache books like candy.

As seen above with the first meeting, Clovis also keeps a lot of Siff's Sus energy. But considering how easily Clovis tends to cave under Odile's pressure, the idea that he could be an assassin from the Stagemaster is laughable at best. (And also easily disproved, considering how active The Stagemaster is in Orbquest for this AU)

You know how in ISAT proper, Odile's Susquest is incredibly hard to get naturally, and often needing a guide to achieve for the typical player? Yeah that's reversed. Clovis can't act for SHIT and Odile can read him like a book. Clovis going through the House of Dormont and has one innocent conversation with the team and you just hear*Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!* Cats can keep secrets, but you KNOW when a dog has done something they shouldn't have. (Odile probably finds that both funny and charming?)

Now, just cause Clovis can't keep a personal secret, and is potentially easy to read...doesn't mean he isn't cunning. After all...The King in ISAT proper is able to deduce that there's something fucky going on with Siffrin, and is perfectly capable of deception.

Clovis voted 'second least likely to beat someone in chess (first being Isabeau on purpose)' but the truth of the matter is he's probably cracked at that. Probably would also love Strategy Games (And is fucking awful at poker).

He'd also prolly join Odile and Isabeau in smoking a bong and going drinking. They're both prolly delighted at this (Out straight edge little knight smoking and drinking? The scandal!)

So...What's Up With Isabeau And Clovis. Is Isabeau...interested in Clovis like he is Siffrin?

WELL. THERE'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING COMPLICATED HERE.

We can't talk about Isabeau and an AU'd KING and not get a LITTLE bit into The Gender. Even in the baseline material, you can probably write essays on the compare/contrast between The King and Isabeau regarding their masculinity and how it manifests (and in fact, i'm almost sure people have!). Seriously, The King literally chose his title. An explicitly masculine title, with him specifically highlighting the ability to make decisions and force his will onto others.

There's shades of it here, but the villainous side of it is understandably no longer present. Clovis...well, Clovis has a complex relationship to his gender? Unlike Siffrin (who is explicitly said to have never done Body Craft) The King is stated to HAVE done Bodycraft at some point (even if it was to BE BIG), so...Clovis maybe has thought about it (maybe even done it?).

I like to say he's explicitly attached to being A Guy. I'm talking full on 'yippee!' if people call him Sir Clovis. Could just be he's happy to be identified As a Knight...could be something more.

I'll leave the interpretation to you.

But wait! You said it was complex, this seems straightforward?

Well. The second half of it is that Clovis...explicitly wants to be seen as a protector. He doesn't WANT to scare people, he doesn't WANT to be seen as intimidating or weird or strange and intense. He doesn't want the Party to see him as dangerous or scary. ('But you're the good kind of scary!' is prolly what Mirabelle would say, the horror loving fanatic she is.)

Not that Clovis would ever -voice- it, but he so very desperately wants what Isabeau has. And vice versa, Isabeau I think would deeply admire Clovis for being practically fearless when it comes to taking on the burdens of the adventure. Clovis takes things in stride (even if in social contexts he's VERY NERVOUS) and yet...Clovis might be anxious...but Clovis isn't a coward. Clovis knows what he wants to be. If shit hits the fan, Clovis is marching forward, focused and unafraid to use what cunning he can muster to get through the obstacle.

So, yeah, Isabeau and Clovis are definitely two bros bonding over being dudes, 100%. Maybe not super outwardly, but it's there. The whole thing smacks of Gender. They both want what the other got.

Does that translate to a crush from Isabeau that Clovis is oblivious to? I haven't decided yet (I lean towards yes? because thinking about Loop having an aneurysm watching Isabeau be an idiot trying to confess to Clovis makes me happy)

They're friends, at a minimum.

Hey Wait a Second! How is Clovis with Touch?

He's so-so about it! He has the bonus of having his armor insulate him, so, the party will casually touch his armored bits like his gloves and chestplate, but...he reacts about as well as Siffrin is to sudden touch. He'd like it! But. Uh...Well. Not like he can remember a time when someone hugged him, you know? (He'd like a hug, but that would be weird to ask for. Something something knightly distance something something.)

But Wait! There's One More Party Member! What about Bonnie?

(Yes for the timecraft from the Stagemaster, btw, i'll get into it another time)

Eye incident? What Eye Incident? Bonnies right over there, see?

Bonnies all well and go- what? You want them to turn around? Okay...Hey! Bonnie!

Turn around for us!

See? Bonnies fine. Everything is fine. It's. Fine. Maybe we'll get into the tale there another time. (That's not a typo. Bonnie calls him Cloves :) )

get out of here you cheeky twink

Anyways, what's the Conclusion here?

Clovis wants to support the party. Clovis, just a little bit selfishly, wants to be useful to them just a little bit longer, if only to make sure Bonnie gets back to their sister (and so she can yell at him profusely and maybe beat him to death with a hammer)

If Siffrin's mantra is 'i'm fine', Clovis' is 'I can handle it.'

See? He's strong. That's what knights are for, right? Bearing the burden? He can handle it. He can handle it.

SO WHY CAN'T HE HANDLE IT?!

Once again I hope you enjoyed this little journey here, and i'd like to thank everyone again for being so curious about my brainrot (and a big thanks again to the isat discords AU channel for feeding my worms)

Anyways thank you byyyyeeeeeeeee, have Clovis enjoying a parfait

[midnightwriter21]

aot hcs: them as boyfriends

characters: levi, eren, connie

warnings: i have the mouth of a sailor im srry

an: first aot fic lesss gooooooo!!! lmk if y’all want another part with diff characters!!

LEVI ACKERMAN

*sigh* he's so girlfriend

starting off strong...

this man is NAWT kissing you in public lololol

he's got a reputation to uphold

however!!

he will show pda in much smaller, more subtle ways

walking down the street, he's offering his arm for you to loop yours through

or guiding you with a hand on your lower back

if y'all are walking through a crowd he is CRUSHING your hand with his grip

he's not trying to hurt your hand haha

he's just strong, can't see over peoples heads, and doesn't wanna lose you in the sea of people

he'll keep that unbothered bored look on his face but just know that on the inside that this man is stressed lmfao

alsoooo

service bf to the maxxxxx

dude is not good with expressing his feelings

especially romantic ones lol

so he expresses his love by doing little tasks for you

oh you forgot to get food for your cat?

levi already has it

can't get that jar of pickles open?

he's snatching it out your hands and popping it open

and you already know your house is about to be the CLEANEST its ever been on god

next

i feel so bad

for the person to shit talk you in front of levi

on my mama let somebody say something slick lmfaooo

he is not gonna let it slide

forget getting physically violent

this mans mouth is absolutely DIABOLICAL

in more ways than one if ur picking up what im putting down

*ahem* will make said person cry with his words alone

period.

EREN YEAGER

meowwwwwwwww

bark bark bark

*insert other animal noise here*

huh? somebody say something?

no? okay

AHEM

this man right here? cocky asf

dude is fine

and knows it too

and he knows y’all make a FINEEEE ASS COUPLE

shows you and your relationship off all the time

not a day goes by where he’s not posting you on social media

and he coordinates yalls outfits too omg

he makes sure his clothes match yours

not exactly matching ofc but the colors

if ur wearing a red dress to an event

he’s wearing a red tie

it’s a casual day and you’re wearing a blue shirt or dress?

his shoes/accessories/etc. are gonna be the same color

it’s an aesthetic that he keeps up with. period.

also he CANNOT keep ur name out his mouth

brings you up in every conversation possible

“i think y/n mentioned wanting to go see that movie too. was it good?”

“nah sorry, my girl said she wants to have a date night soon so i’ll have to pass. we can make plans another day though.”

“i gotta go to the store when i leave here. i wanna get some stuff to surprise my girlfriend, y/n, when i get home.”

and he is handsy asf

bro is touching you at all times swear

it’s impossible to walk past this man without him latching onto you and lathering you in kisses and feeling you up

in public he’s gonna keep it respectful tho

unless he knows he won’t get caught lmfao

introduces you to mikasa and armin

wants all of the important people in his life to get along ofc

i love him sm

CONNIE SPRINGER

let’s get right into it shall we?

as soon as y’all make it official

i mean the MINUTE y’all are boyfriend girlfriend

he’s calling up all his friends to tell them the news

and then he’s making plans for them to meet up so he can introduce you

i feel like he takes you on a lot of fun dates

y’all don’t jus go get dinner and then go home

that’s too lame for connie

he’s taking you to laser tag, haunted houses, trampoline parks, etc.

and let me tell you this rn

come close

connie is NOT teaming up with you for laser tag

he’s making sure he’s on the opposite team so he can’t hunt you down over and over

will not take it easy on you idc

anyways… when y’all do go to dinner

7/10 times sasha is third wheeling yall

maybe jean too lol

idk i jus think that for connie it’s “the more the merrier”

especially since dinner isn’t something that’s gonna get his blood pumping yk?

but at least y’all can all get drunk and be funny together as a group right?

connie is so incredibly dedicated to being a dumbass around you

like as long as it makes you laugh, nothing is off limits

bro is constantly cracking jokes, telling embarrassing stories, doing stupid shit in public

he wants you happy. at. all. times.

this being said

if ur sad connie is doing anything and everything to cheer you up

i’m talking getting you ur fav snacks, renting that movie you always talk about, and pulling you close for a snuggle

yeah so i want to eat him basically

[hiddenhornsclub]

Who do you think in txt would have their sub-awakening? And what do you think would make them realize it?

This is a fantastic ask and I thank you for that.

nsfw/mdni subby txt

Beomgyu is a sub. That’s it. Ok, I can imagine in a photoshoot he does, the stylists put him in very provocative attire. Pretty and thick neck adorned by a collar-choker and legs covered by a skirt. Beomgyu plays with the material of the skirt while walking to the closest mirror. He stares at the collar, instinctively wrapping his finger around the metal loop and tugging it. His adam’s apple brushes against the collar, gulping down the want, the need, for it to happen in a different setting. You, the stylist, fixes Beomgyu hair, smooth out his top, then reposition the choker. You then notice the his glossy eyes boring into you, telling you that if you touch him even more the photoshoot won’t happen.

Crediting @hyukalyptus for the idea… imagine Yeonjun’s awakening getting a tattoo. The art and beauty of tattoos catches his eyes but when he actually gets one something catches onto him. As the needle pokes into his skin, pain courses through his body yet he feels pleasure. When he squirms in his seat and you tell him to keep still. he’s stunned by your assertiveness but it makes him feel more uncomfortable in his chair. He comes back to the shop during closing and asks if you can make him feel the same things in a private room.

Soobin literally has already admitted that he’s a sub. His sub awakening was that moa yelling at everyone and he was like wow 😮 . Soobin is tall, manly, and a leader, so I think being treated differently in bed makes him feel things. Like being a respected leader weighs on him, he needs to be humbled. You stand up for him when the waiter brings him the wrong drink, and raise your voice when the waiter gives you sass… yeah… Soobin is grateful to get the cola he asked for but not grateful for the hardon you gave him.

I like to think that Huening Kai gets a little caught up in pleasure. A natural top, taking the lead, wants to make you feel good, even though he feels like he’s about to cum the second he stuffs himself into you. He can feel overwhelmed in bed and just forgets that you can take the lead. And when you do, he loses his mind. Pushing him down on the bed, his eyes big following your every move. Letting you tell him what to do, so he shuts his brain off. A whimpering mess when you tease him or do anything to him. Just lays there in bed in bliss, “can you do that again?”

Taehyun is a full on dom or thinks he is…ugh just imagine him in that full black suit, but he’s asked to wear a tie. Twisting and turning the silky material around his neck multiple times but can’t seem to get it right. You’ve asked him if he needs help but he won’t give up. Then you rush to him, pushing him down on the vanity chair. tyun goes to stand back up but before he can you lift your leg, foot between his legs on the seat and knee against his chest. He squirms, looking up at you, I’m going to do it. Taehyun bites his lip, something about you over him and voice so stern has him wishing he wasn’t dressed up. Then you purposely tie the tie tight, then pulling him towards you for a deep kiss, lipstick transferring on his lips.

[thir10th]

Je t'aime - October writing challenge day 6

summary: you already knew Emily spoke a lot of languages, you just never thought they could sound so sweet when directed at you tw: a bit smutty, super super soft, fingering. that's all i think, lmk if i miss something a/n: can you tell i love polyglot Emily?? cause i DO

Date nights are always nice regardless of what you do, but you gotta admit cooking together must be your favorite, even if 'cooking together' means Emily cooks and you watch, try stuff out, and try not to burn anything.

You sit on the counter, swinging your legs and just admiring your girlfriend cook, she looks so focused, her shoulders tense, she bites her lip and it makes your skin itchy. Nothing could make you lose interested on her right now. Almost.

"I think it's still a bit tasteless, could you pass me the salt, amor?" she says softly, almost absentmindedly.

You pause mid-reach, surprised to say the least "Amor?" you're not fluent, but you know enough Spanish to guess what it means, and your heart skips a beat.

Emily glances over with a smirk, noticing your reaction "Yeah... Amor. What? You don’t like it?"

You can feel yourself blushing "No, no… I do. I mean, I know what it means."

"Oh, so you do know. Interesting." She raises an eyebrow, clearly picking up on your flustered expression.

"It’s just… it sounds nice when you say it." you mumble, trying to play it cool.

Emily grins "Does it now?" Her tone is playful, and she steps closer to you, enjoying your reaction "I didn’t realize you had a thing for me speaking other languages."

You laugh nervously "I don't— I mean, it's not—" You trail off, realizing you’re caught.

Emily laughs softly "Mhm, sure." She brushes a hand over your arm as she passes by to grab something from the counter. "Maybe I should switch it up then. How about... cara?" She switches to Italian, her voice dropping slightly as she steps closer again. "Or maybe mon trésor?" French this time, the words rolling off her tongue smoothly.

You blush harder, heart racing "Emily!" you scold her.

Emily keeps grinning wider, she loves how flustered you’re getting "What? I’m just experimenting. Seems like you enjoy it when I do."

She leaves the spoon in the pot, forgetting what she's doing, and walks up to you, pulling you by the belt loops of your pants, drags you to her and you surround her neck with your arms.

You mumble, barely able to meet her eyes "Maybe."

She kisses you so sweetly, it's impossible to deny her anything.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.───

Over the next few days, Emily keeps casually switching between different languages when she calls you pet names, testing how much she can fluster you. It’s playful, but you can tell she’s enjoying watching you blush.

Like the walk home after dinner some days ago, when she just casually let it slip

Emily slipped off her scarf and wrapped it around your neck, noticing you shivering "Зайка, you’re cold. Why didn’t you say something?" You blinked in surprise, not fully understanding the Russian word but definitely recognizing the affectionate tone.

You blushed under the warmth of the scarf and the way Emily’s voice drops when she uses Russian "What does that mean?"

Emily smirked, pulling you a little closer as you walk "Zayka? It means 'bunny' or 'sweetheart' in Russian." She gave s you a sidelong glance, enjoying the blush creeping up your cheeks "And you’re blushing again."

"Maybe."

It's not until a week later that you acknowledge it again, but in your defense, sometimes she makes it so hard to let things go.

You’re in the hotel bathroom, getting ready for bed after a long day of work. Emily is brushing her teeth while you’re washing your face. When she's done, she leaves a chaste, soft kiss on your shoulder and turns to go to bed.

"Je t'aime." She absentmindedly says like it's just nothing.

You freeze in place, wide-eyed "Wait, what did you just say?" Your heart skips a beat. You definitely recognize that phrase.

Emily smiles to herself, turning to you "Hmm? Oh, nothing important."

You move closer, trying to catch her eye "Emily, don’t play with me. You just said something very important."

Emily bites back a smile, playing innocent "Oh, you mean je t’aime?" Her eyes glint with mischief as she repeats it, leaning casually against the bathroom counter.

"Yeah. That." you remark, nervous but excited.

Emily finally gives in, stepping closer to you, her smile softening "I love you." She brushes her fingers lightly across your cheek. "That’s what I said."

You are trying so hard not to freak out, trying not to grin like an idiot "You— you just—"

Emily laughs, absolutely delighted by your reaction "Oh my God, you’re freaking out." She pulls you into a gentle hug, still chuckling. "I didn’t think you’d love it this much."

You muffle against her shoulder "You said it in French! What do you expect me to do?"

Emily laughs, pulling back to look at you "You’re blushing so hard, all I did was say I love you in French." She gently pinches your cheek playfully.

You mumble, completely flustered "yeah, well, it already is a big deal to me when you say it in english!"

Emily smirks "Oh, do you want me to keep going? I could say it in every language I know if that’ll make you blush more."

If it was even possible, you are blushing even harder now "Emily—"

She smirks "Oh, amore mio— I love you." Italian now, and you can’t stop the way your face flushes. "Or, how about... te quiero?" Back to Spanish, her voice soft and playful.

You laugh, hiding your face in your hands "You’re impossible."

She gently pulls your hands away from your face "No, I’m just enjoying seeing you like this." She lowers her voice, getting even closer, her breath warm against your skin. "Ti amo... kocham cię... ich liebe dich..." Switching between languages effortlessly, her eyes sparkling with affection.

You are barely able to keep up, completely flustered "Okay, okay, you win!" You laugh, pulling her into a tight hug, burying your face in her shoulder again. "I love you too, okay?"

Emily smiles against your hair, voice soft "Good. Because now I get to call you every pet name I know in every language... just to watch you blush." She leans in closer, her lips brushing against your ear. "And maybe... teach you a few things."

You groan, although you're secretly loving every single bit "You’re really going to make me suffer, aren’t you?"

She laughs, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper "Oh, absolutely, mi amor."

Emily’s teasing smile lingered on her lips as she pulled you closer in the bathroom, her hands gently cupping your face. Without another word, she kissed you again, soft and slow at first, savoring the moment. Her lips moved against yours with a tenderness that made your heart race, and you couldn’t help but kiss her back with the same intensity, completely lost in the moment.

As the kiss deepened, Emily's fingers slipped to the back of your neck, pulling you even closer, her body pressing against yours. Her lips moved more urgently now, the heat between you building as the playful teasing gave way to something deeper, something that made your knees weak. You felt her smile against your mouth when she felt you shiver, her hands wandering down your sides with a touch that was both gentle and possessive.

Still holding you, she guided you out of the bathroom, her lips never leaving yours as she carefully led you toward the bed. You stumbled back a little as your legs hit the edge of the mattress, and Emily chuckled softly against your lips, her hands steadying you by your waist. Her playful nature never fully left her, even as things heated up.

“You’re always so easy to lead,” she teased, her voice soft and filled with affection.

You laughed breathlessly, trying to sound indignant but failing as you tugged her closer by her shirt. “Maybe I just like following you.”

Emily grinned, her dark eyes locking with yours as she gently pushed you down onto the bed, her body hovering above you. She didn’t waste any time leaning back in, capturing your lips once more, but this time the kiss was hotter, more urgent. You responded in kind, your hands finding their way into her hair, pulling her closer as you both lost yourselves in each other.

The room seemed to melt away as you kissed her, the outside world no longer existing—just you and Emily. Her hands roamed your body slowly, deliberately, as if memorizing every inch of you. She shifted slightly, her knee sliding between your legs, pressing just enough to make you gasp against her lips.

Emily grinned at your reaction, kissing you harder as her hand trailed under your shirt, her fingers warm against your skin. She was always so gentle, but now there was an edge to her touch that made your heart race faster. Her lips moved from your mouth to your jaw, trailing soft, open-mouthed kisses down your neck, each one sending shivers through you.

“You taste so good,” she murmured against your skin, her voice low and sultry, and you couldn’t help but arch into her touch, her words making your pulse quicken.

"Emily," you breathed, barely able to think straight as her hands continued their slow, torturous path over your skin, her lips following wherever her fingers went.

She smirked against your neck, knowing exactly what she was doing to you. “Mmm, I love it when you say my name like that.”

Before you could respond, her lips found yours again, kissing you deeply as she slowly shifted you both until you were sitting up in her lap, her hands on your hips as she settled you against her. The shift made your heart race all over again, the new position allowing you to feel every inch of her against you.

Her hands slipped under the hem of your shirt, lifting it off and tossing it aside. She pulled you closer, her lips brushing softly against your collarbone before trailing lower, her breath warm against your skin as she whispered sweet things, making you shiver in her arms.

“Such a good girl,” she murmured, her voice both sweet and teasing. “I love the way you respond to me.”

Her words made you blush, but you couldn’t deny how much they affected you. You wrapped your arms around her neck, pressing your forehead to hers as you tried to catch your breath. Emily smiled softly, her thumb tracing small circles on your hip as she whispered, "You look so beautiful like this."

You bit your lip, feeling warmth spread through your body at her words. Before you could respond, her hand slipped between your legs, her touch slow and teasing. You gasped, clutching at her shoulders as her fingers pressed exactly where you needed them.

“Emily,” you whispered, your voice shaky but filled with affection.

She smiled, leaning in to kiss the corner of your mouth, her fingers sliding inside you with a gentle, practiced ease. Your breath caught in your throat, your body responding immediately to her touch, arching into her hand as she worked you slowly, her other hand steadying you on her lap.

“You’re doing so well for me,” she whispered in your ear, her voice soft and intimate, her breath sending a shiver down your spine. “I love the way you feel…”

You moaned softly, burying your face in her shoulder as her fingers curled inside you, her rhythm slow but deliberate. She held you close, her other hand resting on your back as she murmured sweet things in your ear, her voice a constant source of warmth and reassurance.

“Such a good girl…” she whispered again, her fingers quickening their pace slightly, her lips brushing against your neck as she kissed you softly. “I love seeing you like this, all wrapped up in me.”

You could barely respond, your breath coming in short gasps as she brought you closer and closer to the edge. Every touch, every kiss was filled with so much affection, and it only made the moment more intense. Emily’s fingers moved in perfect rhythm, her voice low and soothing as she whispered sweet, teasing things in your ear.

“You’re so perfect for me,” she whispered, her voice filled with affection. “I love you…”

Her fingers worked you just right, and it wasn’t long before you were trembling in her arms, your body shaking as the pleasure overwhelmed you. Emily held you close as you came apart, her fingers never faltering as she whispered soft, sweet things in your ear, her lips brushing against your skin as you rode out the waves of pleasure.

As you finally came down from the high, still trembling slightly in her lap, Emily kissed your temple softly, her fingers gently sliding out of you. She held you close, her arms wrapping around you as she whispered, “Je t’aime.”

You smiled, your heart still racing as you nuzzled into her neck. “You always know what to say, don’t you?”

Emily chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Well, I aim to please.”

You laughed, playfully swatting her arm before snuggling closer into her embrace. “I love you too,” you whispered, feeling safe and warm in her arms.

Emily grinned, resting her chin on top of your head as she held you. “Good,” she murmured, her voice filled with playful affection. “Because I’m never going to stop saying it… in every language I know.”

You groaned softly, but you couldn’t hide your smile. "You’re impossible," you teased, though the warmth in your chest told you just how much you loved it.

Emily kissed the top of your head, her voice filled with love and laughter as she whispered, "I love you, mon amour… and I’m never letting you forget it."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.───

[skyward-floored]

Fish pie

More of my guy Swamp Link, this is a direct sequel to this fic. I keep meaning for these to be short but then they end up so long 😭 I’m incapable of shutting up about him and Zelda, apparently.

————————————————————

Link led Zelda back through the village, crickets and birds settling down for the night creating a steady chirp of noise in the background. Zelda admired it all with a tired enjoyment, a warm breeze brushing past her hair, and she and Link walked in a comfortable silence as they neared the edge of the village.

They came to one of the huts that looked to have a tree as one of its walls, the roots weaving in part of the structure and also dipping into the water beside it. Zelda looked at it in interest, and Link turned to face her.

“Home sweet home,” he said, gesturing with the hand that wasn’t in hers. “Best house in the bayou.”

Zelda smiled, but before she could reply, she heard a splash from the water nearby.

“Link!” a lyrical voice called from somewhere behind them, and Link turned, grinning at the pale green head that appeared in the pond.

Fins poked up, and Link abruptly ran and jumped into the water, squeals and a laugh accompanying the splash. Zelda peered after him, and saw Link swimming beside a small Zora with reddish fins.

“Zelda! Come meet my siblings!” he grinned, and Zelda stepped closer, seeing two more heads poke up.

They were all about the same sizes and colors, though the shades varied, just like the adults. The younger Zora had more speckled appearances though, little flecks of color across their scales that reminded Zelda of sunlight on water. One of the children swam right over to her with Link, but the other two hovered further away, one looking anxious, the other suspicious.

“Link, what’s that?” the closest one asked, eyes wide.

“She is Zelda,” Link corrected, and Zelda gave a little wave. “She’s spending the night.”

“Hello there,” she greeted with a smile as the bolder of the three drew near, and the little Zora paused, then grinned at her.

“Hi!” he chirped back, light from fireflies making the speckles on his scales shimmer. “I’m Tad! You’re like Link, you don’t have scales! Don’t you get scraped by stuff? How do you swim with all those clothes? Do you have any fins?”

“Don’t forget to breathe, Tad,” Link said with a teasing note, and looked at Zelda as his brother squeaked in embarrassment. “This is Tad, obviously. Back there is Lilith with the pinkish fins, and her friend Webs has the darker ones. They’ll probably be a bit.”

“Cause they’re scaredy-catfish cause old Viyne told them silly stories about Hylians eating Zora!” Tad shouted in the direction of the other kids.

“Be nice, Tad. You’re right that that’s a silly story though, I don’t eat Zora,” Link pointed out, switching to float on his back. “And neither does Zelda.”

“Well Lilith and Webs believed him,” Tad huffed. “I didn’t of course.”

“Well I appreciate you being willing to meet me,” Zelda said with a smile at Tad, shifting to sit on the ground. Oh it felt good sitting down. “You’re very brave.”

Tad squeaked again, but he looked pleased, and swam around in a little loop. Link meanwhile, swam back to talk to Lilith and her friend, saying something to the both of them that Zelda couldn’t make out.

“Do all Hylians wear these things?” Tad asked curiously, drawing her attention as he carefully poked her dress with a claw.

“No, not everybody,” Zelda explained, smoothing the purple skirt out. It was a bit of a disaster after what she’d put it through today, but hopefully it could be salvaged. “Though usually other girls wear dresses something like this one.”

“Oh good. Cause Link would hate wearing this,” Tad said seriously. “He couldn’t kick his legs at all!”

Zelda chuckled. “Well, that’s what pants are for.”

Tad nodded seriously, and he moved to sit on a log that was halfway in the water, kicking his legs. A firefly landed near him, and he caught it in his hands, watching it blink for a moment before it flew away.

“So are you here because of Link?” Tad asked next, head cocking to the side. “Since he’s Hylian? Where did you come from? Do you like him? Are you gonna stay here with him?”

Zelda’s cheeks suddenly felt warm. “Oh, I’m... here to pray, I’m from outside of the swamp, from the castle. Your brother brought me here to spend the night because I got lost and separated from my group,” she explained. “I’m not going to stay long, I’m sorry.”

“Oh... that’s sad,” Tad said with a disappointed note to his voice. Then he perked up. “You’re from outside the swamp? What’s it like?!”

Zelda laughed in spite of the blush still on her cheeks, and began to describe the parts of Hyrule she was most familiar with, and details she recalled. Her knowledge mainly consisted of central Hyrule, but Tad was fascinated regardless.

He started chattering about stuff he’d learned about outside of the swamp, and Zelda nodded, doing her best to listen past her exhaustion, and glanced over at Link again, trying not to think too hard about what Tad had said earlier.

Do you like him?

Zelda rubbed at a spot of mud on her skirt, her cheeks warming again.

...Well, she certainly liked him as a friend. She’d only met Link today, for goodness’ sake.

Zelda shook her head, and looked around as Tad kept chattering. Link was still talking to his sister and her friend, and the suspicion hadn’t faded from their eyes in the slightest. She happened to catch the gaze of his sister, and when Zelda gave her a little smile, trying to look friendly, Lilith shrank down in the water.

Finally Link gave up talking to them and swam back over, shaking his head.

“They’re not budging. They’ll warm up eventually, but Viyne really must’ve scared them,” he said with a sigh. “Sheesh. What all did he say to you guys, Tad?”

“Oh, umm,” Tad said thoughtfully, tapping a claw to his chin. “...I don’t remember. I didn’t believe him so I didn’t listen.”

“Helpful, kiddo,” Link snorted, then splashed him, Tad squeaking.

Tad quickly splashed him back, and Zelda watched in amusement as the two went at it, scrambling around in the water and trying to splash and dunk the other. Lilith and Webs kept watching from a safe distance, though Zelda thought they might’ve looked a little less suspicious the longer Zelda merely sat and didn’t do anything.

...A little.

“Hey kids! Dinner!” a voice suddenly called from the house, and Link and Tad immediately stopped their scuffling, ears and fins sticking up.

“Dinner!” Tad cheered, and scrambled out of the water, Link right behind him. Tad ran ahead into the house and Link looked back at Zelda, who hadn’t summoned the strength to stand up just yet.

“Are you coming?” he asked, and Zelda nodded, loathe to move, but knowing she had to. Sitting down had only made her feel more exhausted, paradoxically enough, but she could hardly sit out here all night. That would only make her feel worse tomorrow. And besides, the emptiness in her stomach had made itself known again, and she really wanted to eat.

Zelda took in a breath as she braced herself on the soft ground, then shakily stood up, focusing all her remaining energy on not falling over. Link smiled at her, but when Zelda took a step towards him, her legs didn’t want to hold her up.

Her knees buckled, but before she could even be alarmed, Link was at her side, an arm around her as he looked at her in concern.

“Whoa, are you okay? You didn’t get hurt earlier, right?” Link asked as he supported her, and Zelda felt her cheeks darken again.

They’ve certainly been doing that a lot today.

“No, I wasn’t injured. I’m all right,” Zelda tried to reassure, though it was hard to sound convincing while she was clinging to Link’s arm in order to keep herself up. Apparently she’d about reached her energy limits for the day.

“You don’t look all right,” Link said worriedly. “Did I walk too fast earlier? Ma’s always telling me I go too fast on land, I always forget to slow down—”

“Oh, no Link, it wasn’t you at all,” Zelda quickly reassured. “It’s my fault. I’m... I’m just worn out. I get like this after a certain amount of physical activity,” she admitted. Link seemed to have boundless energy, he would probably think her ridiculous from being so exhausted just because she’d walked for a few extra hours. “It’s... a little hard to explain. It’s a sort of long-term sickness, I suppose. I can’t usually travel much because of it. That’s why I kept asking for breaks earlier, and why I’m so tired now.”

Zelda fidgeted awkwardly with her dress.

“I probably should have been more upfront with you. I’m sorry,” she said quietly, and Link tilted his head.

“Sorry? What for?” he asked.

Zelda looked at her feet. “Well, I... I slowed you down earlier without saying why. And now I can barely walk, and you’re helping me...”

“Oh, you don’t have to apologize for that,” Link said, adjusting his arms so he was holding her up a bit more easily. “It’s not your fault you’re sick. And I figured you’d need breaks, I mean, Zora are really bad at traveling for a while on land. Like, really bad. I’m used to stuff like that.”

He glanced back at the water, and lowered his voice a little.

“And I get it. Webs’ dad... he has scale rot, sometimes so bad he has to spend all day in bed. But it’s not his fault, and none of us mind giving him a hand,” he said steadily.

Zelda blinked at him as he spoke, a little surprised he’d been so quick to reassure her.

Most of the castle either treated her like glass or seemed endlessly frustrated with her, and her father had been loathe to allow her out here at all. But Link... seemed to be taking it in stride.

Though should I really be surprised? He’s been nothing but kind since I met him.

Link smiled at her with that same goofy grin he’d been giving her all day, and offered a hand to her.

“And I don’t mind giving you a hand. Here,” he said casually, then when she took his hand, leaned down and swept her up into his arms. Zelda squeaked, and tried very hard not to think about how Link wasn’t wearing a shirt as he got her settled in his arms. “See? No problem.”

“I... thank you,” Zelda said softly, still feeling embarrassed, but also rather touched. It was silly of her to have to be carried inside when the door was right there, but she had to admit she felt a lot better not being on her feet.

And being carried by Link certainly wasn’t the worst way to rest them.

“No problem, lady,” Link assured again, then turned his head to the water. “Lilith! Come on, dinner! Let Webs go home, Zelda isn’t going to eat you. And if she tries, I’ll stop her.”

Zelda saw two pairs of suspicious eyes still watching her, but they reluctantly moved to the shore, slipping out and standing a healthy distance away from her and Link. Link snorted and began to walk inside, and Zelda’s view of the kids was blocked.

A warm light met them as they passed through the doorway, and Zelda looked around in interest at the Zora dwelling.

It had seemed smaller on the outside, but it was plenty spacious within, a mat of woven reeds on the floor, table with chairs to the side, the tree she’d seen earlier dotted with a few shelves and hooks to hang things on. A trail of glowing mushrooms growing up the side of the tree were providing the light in the hut, along with a cooking pot to the side, and it felt wonderfully cozy.

Zelda craned her neck to take it all in, and noticed a small pool off to the side, and as Link walked past it, she could tell it went deeper. Perhaps to another part of the house? She’d have to ask.

“Hey Ma,” Link said cheerily. “Hope you don’t mind another for dinner.”

It wasn’t until Link spoke that Zelda noticed the Zora standing by the cookpot, scales a lighter green with orange-pink fins. A smile widened across her face as she turned around and saw Link, though it turned to surprise as her eyes landed on Zelda, and her fins flickered.

“Well, look what the tide washed in. What do we have here, Link?” she asked with what Zelda assumed was the Zora equivalent of a raised eyebrow, and Link grinned.

“This is Zelda. She’s visiting the swamp, Ma, she got separated from her group, and I invited her here for the night,” he said easily, and Zelda gave an awkward little wave at Link’s mother.

“Hello,” she said, and the Zora hummed, then smiled.

“Hi there Zelda. I’m Rina, I hope my son hasn’t been driving you too crazy,” she teased, coming over and patting Link on the head. “Sometimes he doesn’t know when to quit. Though I see he’s swept you off your feet anyway!”

Zelda blushed, and Rina laughed, Link shaking his head at her teasing.

...Though did Zelda imagine it, or did his ears redden?

“Thanks Ma,” Link said with an eye roll, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Is it okay if she sleeps here? Chief said it was all right.”

“Certainly. You look like you need some rest, poor thing,” Rina said with a hum. “We’ll find you a nice spot. But in the meantime, come sit and eat, we’ve got plenty of pie.”

“Pie!” Tad crowed excitedly from his place at the table, and Zelda chuckled. Link set her down by one of the mossy chairs, pulling it out for her and making sure she didn’t fall when she sat down, and then he went to go help his mother.

“Chief told Pa to go look for Zelda’s group, so I don’t think he’ll be back for dinner,” Link said as he started moving food to the table.

“Well, I’ll save him some. Hopefully he won’t be long. It seems like more and more he keeps being— what’s that?” Rina asked, voice sharp as she suddenly snatched Link’s arm. “Is this— Link, you’re hurt! What did you do?”

“Mama, it’s just a scratch,” Link groaned as she turned his arm this way and that. Tad giggled, and Zelda watched as Rina began pulling off the cloth he’d hastily wrapped around the injury earlier, making a trilling sound in the back of her throat as she saw it.

“Just a scratch indeed, great larking loons Link, me and your father have told you to bring someone with you when you hunt monsters!” Rina accused, tugging Link over to a mossy stool in the corner of the room. “One of these days you’re gonna get worse than this.”

“I haven’t yet,” Link huffed, holding his arm out and wincing as his mother rubbed something over it. “And I didn’t have time to go get anyone, they were moving fast and I didn’t— ow!”

Link jerked his arm, but Rina kept a tight grip on him as she cleaned, Link quickly wiping the wince off his face when he noticed Zelda was watching. Rina then wrapped up Link’s arm in a much better wrap then what had been encasing it, and neatly tied it off.

“Link, you’ve got to be more careful,” she chided.

“I was being careful, but Zelda needed help and I was the only one around,” Link argued back. “You can’t fault me that, Ma.”

Rina sighed again, and took Link’s face in her hands, giving his forehead a peck. “I know, Treasure. I just worry, ‘specially with those beasts getting more and more bold,” she murmured.

She looked into his eyes a moment, then turned back around towards Zelda and Tad, clapping her hands.

“Well, we should eat before it gets cold. Where’s Lilith?”

“I think she’s still outside,” Zelda spoke up, and Tad snorted.

“Yeah, cause she’s scared Zelda’s gonna eat her. Even though she won’t!“

“Now why on earth does she think that?” Rina asked with a hand on her hip. “Have you two been listening to Viyne again? You know he’s been speaking nonsense since before you two were born, he gets crazier by the day.”

“He’s only kinda crazy, Mama,” Tad assured. “And I didn’t believe him! Just Lilith an’ Webs.”

“Well she’d better get over it, or she’s going to be eating cold pie,” Rina said with a sigh, and Link stood up and went to the doorway.

“Come on Lilith, she’s okay,” Zelda heard him say, but she was distracted by Rina handing her a platter of what looked like small hand-pies, shaped vaguely like fish.

“Here you go, Zelda. Now Tad, eat up, then get washed for bed,” Rina said, kissing his head as she walked by and sat down. “It’s late, and I know you haven’t been scrubbing behind your fins.”

“Aw Ma,” Tad whined, but Rina gestured to his food.

“Eat. And don’t whine in front of our guest,” she said pointedly.

Zelda picked up the pie as Tad grumbled something under his breath, following the example of Link’s family and just using her hands. She wasn’t used to eating without utensils, in public at least, but that must have been how the Zora did things.

Zelda took a cautious bite of the small pie, and immediately brightened, the taste of soft, flaky crust mixed with warm fish and herbs hitting her tongue. It was delicious, salty and warm and seasoned perfectly. She quickly took another larger bite, and saw Rina grin at her.

“Have as many as you like, I made plenty,” she said, and Link finally came back in, his sister clinging tight to his back. All Zelda could see were some pinkish fins poking up from behind Link’s shoulders, and she tried not to stare at poor Lilith.

“See? It’s fish pies, your favorite,” Link said as he sat down across from Zelda. “And Zelda likes it too. She’s really not going to eat you Lil, I promise.”

A head poked up behind Link’s shoulder, nervous yellow eyes peeking at Zelda. Lilith slowly moved around Link’s arm, eventually ending up on his lap, all while keeping an eye on Zelda.

Link stuffed half a pie in his mouth, and Lilith finally took one too, her mother making a clicking noise that sounded disapproving.

“Lilith, you should know better than to believe Viyne’s stories,” Rina said. “I’m thinking you kids shouldn’t listen to him anymore.”

“Aw, but he tews da beft ones,” Tad whined through a full mouth of food. “Nobofdy knows as mawny as him.”

“And he was right about part of it,” Lilith added in a small voice. “After he did his story, he said a stranger like Link was going to come here today, and he was right.”

Link and his mother exchanged a glance, and Zelda paused in her eating, looking between them. She didn’t know who Viyne was, but he’d known she would be here? She hadn’t even known she would be here.

“Well regardless of that, everyone gets things wrong sometimes. You have to think for yourself, Lilith,” Link said, polishing off his pie and licking his fingers. “I don’t eat Zora. Why would you believe Viyne if he said I did?”

Lilith shrugged, and nibbled at the greens her mother had put in front of her.

Rina sighed. “Well. I’ll go speak to Viyne tomorrow. We’ll see about more stories from him or not.”

“Aw, fine,” Tad grumbled.

“Maybe you could tell Zelda some stories for the moment,” Rina pointed out, and Tad perked back up.

“Oh yeah! Do you want to hear about the time Mama once chased a bokoblin away with a stick? Or when Link accidentally threw a frog right at the Chief’s face? He was so mad, he made Link—”

“Maybe stories about yourself, Tad?” Link interrupted, and Zelda couldn’t help her giggle at the look on his face.

Link looked over at her, and he joined her laughter after a minute, Rina shaking her head at all of them.

The rest of the evening passed quickly, and though Zelda enjoyed the warm atmosphere and getting to know Link’s family, she was having trouble keeping up with it. She didn’t contribute much to the conversation apart from small additions, though she tried to answer questions when she was asked them, and the longer the evening went, the more her shoulders drooped, and her eyes randomly slipped closed.

She didn’t realize she’d dozed off until Link was giving her shoulder a light shake, and she startled awake, greeted by his smile.

“Hey I know our table is nice, but I think you’ll be more comfortable in a bed,” he said, and Zelda realized the table had been cleared, and she was the only one still seated.

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” she apologized as she bit back a yawn.

“Not a problem, Zelda. Goodnight,” Rina said from across the room, Tad tucked under her arm and loudly protesting the thought of going to bed. “Hope you sleep well!”

“Goodnight,” Zelda sleepily offered in reply, and Lilith offered her a tiny wave from behind her mother’s leg.

Zelda smiled, glad to have finally been deemed not a threat, and Link offered her a hand. She took it, relieved her knees didn’t buckle this time as Link helped her up, and he led her outside.

Zelda looked around in confusion, unsure as to why he’d brought her out here. But then Link took her around to the other side of the hut, and she saw a small ladder hanging from the tree that was part of it, woven from vines.

“Up there?” Zelda asked as she spotted a hollow in the tree where the ladder led, and Link nodded, smiling at her.

“Up there. Think you can climb, or do you want a piggyback?”

Zelda looked at the ladder appraisingly. It didn’t go all that high, probably not more than ten feet, but...

“...I don’t think I can get up there right now,” she admitted awkwardly, and Link nodded.

“No problem,” he said in a cheerful voice, and before Zelda could say anything, picked her up and swung her onto his back. “Hold on!”

Zelda yelped as he made for the ladder, and she clung to his neck as he quickly scaled it, reaching the small platform it led to in a matter of moments. He gently set her back down, then gestured her inside the large hollow they’d reached.

Zelda only had to duck a little to step inside, and while normally she would have been interested in looking around the room she found herself in, studying the handful of furniture, and asking Link about the shelves of dried plants and feathers and other little things scattered around, she was mostly focused on the bed by the wall, which looked soft and extremely inviting.

She started to go towards it, but then a thought struck her, and she paused.

“...Is this your room, Link?”

He nodded. “Yep. My family all sleeps in the water, and while I’ve done that, I find moss more comfortable,” he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “Plus it doesn’t come with the whole “accidentally go under while you’re asleep and wake everyone up by choking,” thing sleeping in the water does. So I usually sleep up here.”

“Oh... I can’t take your bed,” Zelda said in dismay, but Link waved her off.

“Nope, you’re a guest, you get the bed. We have hammocks downstairs for nights when my family doesn’t sleep in the water, I’ll be fine in one of those.”

Zelda hesitated. “But...”

“It’s fine,” Link repeated, and escorted her towards the bed. “Really. You’ve got to get back to your group tomorrow, and you look like you’re about to pass out, just sleep.”

“My clothes are dirty,” she half-heartedly resisted, and Link shrugged.

“I don’t mind. If it bothers you, just take the dirty parts off.”

Zelda hesitated, then sighed, and finally gave in, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She had no idea what the blanket was made of, but it was soft under her hands, and she slumped, wanting nothing more than to collapse back into it.

But she really did want to at least change out of her messy skirt. If Link was going to insist she have his bed, the least she could do was keep it clean.

“Well, if you need anything, just holler,” Link said, pointing a thumb back at the door. “I’ll be able to hear you. Oh, there’s clean water in the basin there if you need it. Anything else you need now?”

“No, I don’t think so. Thank you, Link,” Zelda said sleepily, her manners insisting she say something. “For... all of it.”

Link met her eyes, and gave her a soft smile.

“Sure thing, Zelda. ‘Night.”

Then he pulled a curtain over the door, and was out of her view.

Zelda sighed as she heard his footsteps retreat, her thoughts flitting briefly towards her entourage, and Link, and his family and all the other things she’d seen today. But her tiredness won out over all of them, and she rubbed at her eyes. She would think about all of it tomorrow.

Zelda scrounged up the energy to peel away her muddy dress and gloves, and anything else that was particularly dirty, and once she was in her underclothes, collapsed back onto the bed with a sigh.

She wrapped herself in the blanket, and was out the moment her head hit the pillow.

[basilpaste]

Act 4: Bathroom Tangent

If: No "On Command!" Ability

〔You close the door to the bathroom stall softly.〕

〔Haha! That's so unlike you, isn't it? You're supposed to be loud!〕

〔Big, strong, stupid Isabeau who slams doors and just had to use the restroom right before a super important fight! That's you alright!〕

〔You haven't actually had to use the restroom since the first time. You could just stop coming here, couldn't you? You could just do something else? But… it would feel weird to break the habit so far in.〕

〔You swallow and it feels like your tongue is caught in your throat.〕

〔Like you're choking.〕

〔Your head feels all fuzzy and your body is like lead and—〕

〔You cough down a sob.〕

〔It's not like you think it's bad to cry!!! It's just, uh, you have to be quiet right now!〕

〔Plus! You're a pretty emotional guy! You cry plenty!〕

〔Except… that's not really true, is it?〕

〔Do you even remember the last time you cried?〕

〔Okay. Maybe crying is the answer, then!!! Catharsis, y'know? It might help to finally get some tears going!〕

〔So. What's the hold up?〕

〔You almost cried a second ago, right? So what changed? Is it just that you're actively thinking about wanting to cry now? Because that hasn't stopped you before! You're actually pretty in-tune with your emotions! So this shouldn't be so hard!〕

〔Seriously! No one will even see you! So it's not a big deal!〕

〔…〕

〔Obviously just wanting to cry isn't enough!!! That's fine! That's okay. You can just… make yourself cry.〕

〔You open your eyes as wide as you can and stare at the stall door.〕

〔Seconds tick by.〕

〔Your eyes itch and burn with the effort and your vision has gone all hazy from dryness but this isn't really working! Like at all!!!〕

〔You blink. Tears coat your eyes but do not fall.〕

〔Okay! That's alright! Maybe you were wrong! You don't actually need to cry.〕

〔You're fine.〕

〔You've just gotta keep moving! That's all!!!〕

〔You need to figure out how the loops work. Understand them better than you do right now.〕

〔It's… kind of your last option? You know about the King (you don't think about it), you know about Time and Wish Craft, you know about things that don't even matter to the loops at all!〕

〔All that's left is to figure out why everything restarts when you talk to m'dame Head Housemaiden.〕

〔You don't want to assume that it's something she did! Because she's someone that your friend really cares about!!〕

〔…〕

〔Your friend.〕

〔Haha!!! Funny joke, Isabeau!!! Forgetting stuff is Sif's thing!!!!!〕

〔See? SEE?! You remember his name just fine! Sif! Siffrin! Sifarooni!!!〕

〔So why don't you—〕

〔No, no! It's okay! Sometimes when people are stressed, they forget stuff! It's not like you actually forgot her name! It'll come to you any second now!!!〕

〔She's… She's kind and clever and she's nervous a lot of the time but you've watched her grow so much over the course of her journey. You were the first one to go along with her! The two of you spent a lot of time by yourselves before meeting anyone else!〕

〔You know her name. You do! Of course you do.〕

"Um… Isabeau?"

〔MIRABELLE.〕

〔"Mirabelle!!"〕

"Oh! You haven't called me 'Mirabelle' in a while!"

〔You haven't.〕

〔"Sorry! You, uh! Spooked me, Mira!!!"〕

"I did? Oh, Change! I'm so sorry! I was just… checking in on you? You've been in there a while."

〔"Hah! I didn't even realize! Got caught up in saving-the-country thoughts, y'know? I'll be out in a minute!"〕

"…"

〔Was that… too much energy? Even you can tell that came out kinda forced.〕

"Okay!" She pauses. "I will see you! Outside of the bathroom! In a minute!!!"

〔"You've got it!"〕

〔You hear her walk away.〕

〔Wow. That was a pretty weak performance, Isabeau! That's why you should leave the acting to the pros.〕

〔Mira. Mira, Mira, Mirabelle. You know her name. You didn't forget. See?〕

〔You press the heels of your palms into your eyes.〕

〔Okay. Okay! You're good! You're alright! You've got stuff to do!!!〕

〔You're okay.〕

〔You exit the bathroom.〕

If: Yes "On Command" Ability

〔You close the door to the bathroom stall softly.〕

〔Haha! That's so unlike you, isn't it? You're supposed to be loud!〕

〔Big, strong, stupid Isabeau who slams doors and just had to use the restroom right before a super important fight! That's you alright!〕

〔You haven't actually had to use the restroom since the first time. You could just stop coming here, couldn't you? You could just do something else?〕

〔What'd be the point, even if you did?〕

〔Nothing's going to change.〕

〔You swallow and it feels like your tongue is caught in your throat.〕

〔Like you're choking.〕

〔Your head feels all fuzzy and your body is like lead and—〕

〔Oops!〕

〔If you do that, you'll end up looping back! And wouldn't it be embarrassing to do that when you don't even have to?〕

〔It'd be super embarrassing, yeah!!! So! You're fine.〕

〔You're fine, aren't you?〕

〔You're making progress. Even if it's… kind of slow. The more answers you have, the longer it takes to find new paths to go down! It makes sense! The logic follows.〕

〔For now, all you've got to do is understand the loops better than you do right now! Why stuff restarts when you talk to the Head Housemaiden!〕

(from here, the scene plays out as normal, starting at 〔You don't want to assume that it's something she did! Because she's someone that your friend really cares about!!〕)

[pekoehoneyncream]

Sergeant Kyle Gaz Garrick Headcanons

Part One

Words: 600~

TW: None (sfw)

Part Two

Y'all are powered by spite alone, istg. Gaz won the poll by one vote, ONE! I had soap's shit lined up and ready to go and y'all really said 'nah, no thank you'

Here's your prize,

Hope You Enjoy!

Gaz is slow to trust. He does not like strangers, and often feels on edge around new people. He isn't outright rude, in fact he's often downright friendly. He knows better than to alienate unknowns and make unneeded enemies for his team by acting hostile.

Ghost often validates Gaz's suspicious nature by asking him for breakdowns of potential weaknesses and if someone's likely to become a problem or a liability. 

Gaz shows a lot of love through acts of service, if there's anything that the 141 needs or needs done he'll make sure it happens, often before they even realise it's going to become a problem.

Gaz has a habit of referring to other people as NPCs. Particularly groups of people that ostensibly have a use, but only ostensibly.

Gaz cusses A Lot. He uses swearing, snark, and sarcasm as coping mechanisms, particularly in stressful situations. He doesn’t like directing his vitriol at his teammates, but situations, enemies, unknowns, strangers, acquaintances, and friends are all free game.

Cannot stand ticking or tapping noises, especially when he can't find where the sound is coming from. Rattling vents and unbalanced ticking ceiling fans are the banes of his existence. | At first he tried to be casual when he brought stuff up to Price, “So, have you noticed that the third light in the breakroom buzzes and flickers a bit when it's on?”, but now he just straight up tells Price what bothers him. (Price tells maintenance, but if they're being too slow Price has been known to just fix it himself.) | Soap, with his pathological need to bounce his legs, is on thin fucking ice. Gaz can usually ignore it if Soap keeps a consistent rhythm, but when Soap's fidgety he starts to drive Gaz up the wall.

Not great at sharing. Leaving the last piece of something, in case someone else might want it, is not something that would ever cross his mind. If someone doesn't directly ask for something, he's assuming they're not interested.

He's cannot do constructive criticism. He's got the criticism part down pat, but rarely cares enough to struggle with making it constructive. He embodies that video: Be Nice. ‘I'm finding it.’ It takes you that long? ‘It does, It does.’

He's an only child. His mom, Gemma, is a Biomedical Equipment Technician, and his dad, Arthur, is a Semi-Retired English Professor. He was mostly raised by his dad, as his mom's job kept her out of the house most days. His dad actually became Semi-Retired to be a Stay-At-Home-Dad and raise Gaz. Arthur Garrick has published a few textbooks and still goes in for the occasional guest lecture.

Gaz's bedtime stories were books like Le Morte de Artur, the Iliad, Lord of the Rings, the Robert Frost Compendium, and Narnia.  

When Gaz was learning to write his dad taught him cursive, leaning towards calligraphy. To this day Gaz's printing looks like a ten year-old's. Meanwhile, his writing is very pretty to look at, but nearly illegible. His signature is completely unreadable, it's just a very elaborate pile of loops and slashes.

Occasionally forgets the words for things. His brain does this thing that he likes to call Playing Wheel of Fortune, where it will let him remember the meaning of the word, and sometimes what the word rhymes with, or its first letter. | These moments all go something like this: “You can’t pin that on me! You've only got… fuck what’s the word, where its a person in a place and they're getting blamed for something. It’s like a lawyery thing.” A court? “No no, it's like they got caught, but they were in the wrong place and it’s only if you put it together a certain way it looks bad. Like a bad impression, but serious. It’s a long word. I think it starts with S… Circumference? No. Situation? Something like that.” Circumstantial? “Yes! Circumstantial! Circumstantial Evidence!” I saw you eating my crisps, that's not circumstantial evidence.

Thank You for Reading!

PekoeHoneynCream's Headcanons

[iminyourwallsbabe]

Arcane characters as different types of kpop enjoyers

Not stans, you'll see later.

Jinx- Hardcore noise music girlie. The more obnoxious the better. If the beat makes you audibly go "what the fuck is going on", she's eating that up. That's groups like Stray Kids, Ateez, NCT (don't ask which one, the answer is all of them), etc. She also likes G-Idle because Isha fucking loved Queencard and Wife and has since put those songs on Sevika's arm, much to her annoyance. It's grown on her though, since Isha quit being a trainee at Breathing entertainment (GET IT BECAUSE SHE'S-)

Vi- I don't think she'd like any particular group, if she comes across some kpop and it sounds good to her then it's whatever. She's shown some consistent interest in BTS' earlier music (so from like 2 Kool 4 Skool to The Most Beautiful Moment in Life). She doesn't understand the obsession some people have with it but she respects it to some extent. However some people think she's a huge kpop stan because she keeps going out to buy albums for Jinx. She used to just steal them but then she decided to date a COP and now she has to "obey the law" or whatever. Kinda cringe.

Caitlyn- Christian horse girl music. For the uninitiated, this is an unofficial sub genre of kpop. It's literally just the most squeaky clean, probably heard it in a kdrama type songs. So GFriend, Berry Good, Lovelyz, a little bit of Loona, April, Apink, WJSN. No this is not all she's ever been allowed to listen to, she acquired this taste herself. She's a basic bitch at heart and we love her for that ♥️

Jayce- Caitlyn may be basic, but this man is BASIC basic. knows two BTS songs and it's Dynamite and Butter. But good news! He's not completely out of the loop. He knows about the Butter remix with Megan Thee Stallion. He also liked Neva Play by Megan Thee Stallion, RM just happens to be on that song. And he listened to the Mamushi remix featuring Twice. Mamushi, by Megan Thee Stallion. Are we seeing a trend here, perchance? Anyway, besides that, remember when Jungkook was popping off in the states for his solo stuff back in 2023? He was into that too. In fact he still consistently listens to the Golden album. At some point he wanted to get into New Jeans but then he googled how old they were and said FFFFFFUCK NO. (Go ahead, look up how old they were when they debuted. Also, on that note, FUCK HYBE, WE'RE BOYCOTTING THEIR ASSES- or at least we were supposed to for the past year because they can't help but hire Zionist weirdos but people didn't get the memo till they fully fucked over New Jeans so)

Anyway, on with the post!

Viktor- He is all the way a Red Velvet stan. Their music is just calm enough to where he doesn't find it distracting and just hype enough for him not to find it boring. He's the type of guy who puts on music to hear it, not to forget it's playing. He usually keeps songs like Bad Boy, Feel My Rhythm, and Psycho in rotation. That's really all the kpop he listens to but he loves Aespa's aesthetics and lore. Does he understand what's going on? Vaguely. He doesn't have the time to do a deep dive but he knows enough to think it's cool. Jayce does too, mostly because of Viktor.

Heimerdinger- He's a Once, next question.

Mel- I'm not too sure how to categorize this, all I'm gonna say is that her taste matches her tax bracket. She's listening to Kiss of Life, IVE, Le Sserafim, Mamamoo, Chungha, and she's fully caught up on the scandals. She could tell you who Hyuna's married to and why that's a problem, she knows who shat on the floor at that one award show, why Jimin and Jeongyeon had beef, she can explain kpop pipelines you didn't know existed. Jayce will listen to all of this very intently even though he has no idea who the fuck these people are. Like at all. He's lost. She knows he doesn't really understand but she appreciates that he gives her the time of day. She's also the type of person to decorate her photocards, all the decorations are gold.

Ekko- He likes a lot of the same groups Jinx does but in a different way. The way she likes their insane, loud songs, he likes the ones that are a little more chill. But sometimes when he misses her, he'll play the songs she likes. So, that being said, it's entirely possible that he cried his eyes out to fucking Sticker by NCT 127 (I think? Idk I be forgetting). Like from the other room you'd hear some weird ass recorder noises and violent sobbing. Besides that, he also enjoys really obscure groups. He's the nugu king. Some of the artists on his Spotify wrapped have like 10,000 streams combined. Where did he find this? Nobody knows. He also likes K/DA and his bias is Akali. That makes more sense when you remember True Damage exists

[catboybiologist]

Hi, I'm a silly trans kid (any pronouns) who's finding the scene and perception of trans people to be increasingly intimidating and messy when hearing these arguments.

So, if you don't mind, I would like to hear every bit of biology you know, that validates our existence.

Especially if it's instances beyond human life. Like animals. I don't know how much information on that exists, but if you have info on it, I would personally LOVE to hear it- (because transphobes forget humans are a part of nature by default so uhh use nature against them too-)

I think we need more people who actually know how to debate in the conversation so when I form an argument, I want to be able to rely on facts I know to form a logical argument. [(Just kidding I'm going to shout over the other person with random tidbits /hj (no but i just might if they have a megaphone. Thatd be fuckin hilarious-)]

Sincerely, a frustrated trans kid.

I dealt with exactly this, but for now, all I have is a non-answer.

I got burned out writing stuff like this a few months ago, because every time I said some small detail, it always generated questions and misunderstandings about what I wasn't saying in that moment. If I start talking about transition, HRT, and sex/gender science in general again, I want it to be a very complete version of my thoughts on the matter. So this is something that I want to talk about in extreme, verbose detail, and it's become a too-big megaproject of sources and scripts that I keep on subdividing to make some kind of essay or podcast. I did some work on it while in the backcountry, though, and I hope to have SOMETHING produced of it all in the next few months.

In the meantime, however, you might be interested in one of the books I read this summer: Evolution's Rainbow. It was written by a transgender ecologist, Joan Roughgarden, who was grappling with exactly what you are.

My word of warning, however, which is also stated by Roughgarden- don't fall into the naturalistic fallacy. Your existence does not need to be "validated" by what's "natural", partially because nature is so wild and varied that you will never find one constant state of nature.

My preferred approach is therefore from the genetics and molecular biology aspects which show our existence as dynamic systems that aren't defined by what's "natural" or put in place at birth. I mean, I'm studying molecular biology, so I guess it makes sense I would tackle it from that angle.

I want to talk about all of this in more depth at some point, but again, if I start down this hole on Tumblr again, I just get caught in a loop of incomplete thoughts addressing incomplete interpretations.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Anon Advice Asks - May 5

(un)grounded anon, australia anon (new), complicated situation anon (new), midnights anon

(un)grounded anon

Guess who got ungrounded?!?!

ME

After over a MONTH of no phone, now computer, NOTHING, I finally convinced my mother. Se did start like.. sobbing tho

I'd why

Also sorry if my previous ask made you uncomfortable. I know I'm really bad at oversharing and I am trying to not do it but yeah.

Anywho, ty for answering my asks. I believe my hel is over!

-Grounded Anon

Hi! I'm so happy for you! And no need at all to be sorry! I'm glad things are looking better for you, but you're always welcome to inbox me if you need to! Good luck! <3

___

australia anon

Oh, the woes of being a trans, gay teen in rural Queensland 😔

(There's literally not even 500 kids at my Prep-Yr 12 school - called a college in Australia)

Hi <3 I'm just sending you some love and a reminder you're welcome to inbox me any time. It sounds like that could be incredibly lonely, and I'm here for you!

___

complicated situation anon

Hi,

I've never used this ask thing before, but I've got a bit of a problem

I don't really know how to explain this without making myself sound like a transphobic asshole (I swear I'm not but it's a complicated situation)

So my friend, we're gonna call them A, and I have been getting closer than we used to be and like hanging out more, and I've caught feelings (terrifying). I think it's reciprocated, but I'm way too scared to make a move (problem #1), especially because we're both in the same friend group, and I don't want to cause problems if it goes badly.

Also- I think they're nonbinary? But I don't know, because our friend group uses she/her and their birth name for them, but they had a different name and they/them pronouns on their Instagram.

I totally get like being afraid to come out (same), but our friend group is like half gay. And I don't really know how to bring it up without it being weird or awkward or whatever- it's really scary to me for some reason (problem #2). I get that it doesn't sound as bad as it is, but I keep overthinking it

If you have any advice, I'd really appreciate it! Thank you so much.

Oops, this is kind of long, sorry <3

(PS I LOVE LOVE LOVE your writing, it's genuinely helped me through so much and it's beautiful <3)

Hi! This isn't transphobic at all! Honestly, I would get them alone and be like "hey I saw you have a different name and they/them on your insta. Is that something you want me to use for you, because I want you to feel comfortable!" And if they say yes, ask who you should use it around- just when you're alone, just around friends, are adults okay, etc.

The feelings...well, I can't know for sure, but maybe bringing the name/pronouns topic up will make you guys closer, and make the feelings topic easier too. That's not the reason to do it, of course, but it could be a positive side effect.

___

midnights anon

Hello! It’s midnights anon again :]

Thank you for answering my other ask, sometimes I forget that I’m still mentally ill, and that no amount of self reflection can “fix” being neurodivergent or having mental illnesses.

I was wondering if you had some advice for something?

Every week I feel like I’m in a loop, especially on the weekends. I do work every day of the week (as in homework) and Saturday is the only day I take time to myself, but it gets me so anxious and stressed and worked up, like, if I take one day off each week I’ll fall apart! Like, I have homework to do and I have job applications to fill out and I have people to message/follow up with and I have to wash my hair and stuff and so I do it all on Sunday. But it gets me so scared and terrified for no reason! I know I can handle it, I know I can do all the homework. I know I deserve at least ONE day a week for a break, but it still kinda hurts? It’s like, catholic guilt but instead of Catholicism it’s “the grind mindset” that everyone online seems to have.

Maybe I should just, tough it out on Fridays and do my homework on fridays as well? Should I just, not do my break thing on Saturday? It seems to cause more trouble than it’s worth. I’m just so stressed out all the time and it sucks.

I can’t wait for summer.

Also, I mentioned the 5 year plan thing a while ago (or recently, I can’t remember) but it’s going pretty okay! (redcated-but yayyyyy!) I’ve brushed my teeth and showered regularly (even on weekends), I’ve gone out to more social events, I text my friends more often, I talk to them and hang out with them after school sometimes, I’m being normal and finding my style, I’m trying to embody my new motto (“Jack of all trades, master of none but oftentimes better than a master of one”) by brushing up on all my hobbies (bike riding, going outside, photography, guitar, ukulele, language learning, reading, magic tricks, collecting). The next year’s plan is to focus on personal style and college applications. Right now I want a style of like, a weird book character? Like, a ton of shiny rings, a carabiner with my keys and shiny keepsakes, doc martens, oversized jackets, shiny hair accessories,

I think I just really like shiny things o_O

Maybe it’s just the Saturday euphoria, but I just feel really like myself. Sometimes I can forget about life being stressful and actually feel like myself. I don’t feel like this at school, honestly. I want to though. I want to be me, and I’m not sure how to but I’ll try

Thank you for reading <3

Hi! I'm so glad things are going well for you! Okay I have two pieces of advice for this.

What if you do ONE thing on Saturday? That way you still feel like you got things done, but it doesn't eat up your whole day?

ALso...why is taking time for yourself less productive than things on your list? This is something my therapist asked me recently and it really made me think. Like...taking time for yourself IS productive, and it's just as important as other things on your list. If you don't take time for yourself, you won't be able to do other productive things. So try to look at it as you ARE doing something productive, so you don't need to feel like you're wasting time.

I know it's a hard change in mindset, but your relaxation is important!

[hdseungho]

POKÉDEX TITLE: THE CHARMER on Route 9 RUMORS ABOUT LEE SEUNGHO: – once caught a scyther with a broken pokéball and a wink. – has been banned from three pokécenters for "accidental flirting." – his blastoise refused to evolve until seungho said "i'm proud of you."

🎒 TRAINER DOSSIER: Saved to Memory Card 1...

📌 SECTION I — TRAINER IDENTITY FULL NAME: lee seungho AGE: 22 ROLE IN THE POKÉMON WORLD: trainer (barely) / unofficial bodyguard of the team's campfire cooking pot BADGE PURSUIT? no (but he says "maybe later" a lot) CONTEST CIRCUIT? no (but gets dragged into doubles for "aesthetic synergy") PREFERS TO: travel chill, protect pokémon, hang out with his lady, "whatever she’s doing, i'm doing too"

🧢 SECTION II — TRAINER PROFILE TRAINER CLASS: the young couple (♂) pairing w/ @hdmiru TRAINER AESTHETIC: – loose white tank top with a thunder badge stitched into the hem – muscle tape on one shoulder, sometimes fake, always flirty – wears a black backpack covered in mismatched keychains (none of them his) – handmade friendship bracelet from a previous pokécamp kid still tied to his belt loop – carries two Pokéballs in his mouth when climbing

MOTIVATION: honestly? hust wanted a vacation after the academy. but now that he's here, he's pretty much been ride-or-die for the crew, his partner, and whatever this elemental prophecy is trying to throw at them. he's not aiming for glory. he just doesn't want anyone to go through it alone.

PERSONALITY IN THIS WORLD: still seungho, lazy grin, reckless loyalty, says the dumb thing on purpose to make someone laugh. but the pokémon world sharpens him a bit. less "fuckboy," more "fiercely protective older brother with a bat on his shoulder and emotional damage under the surface." softens up around his partner. thinks he's a side character, but might be the heart of the team.

🐾 SECTION III — STARTER BOND

STARTER POKÉMON(S): – Gengar (♂) 👻 – Eevee (♀) 🌟 – Blastoise (♂) 💦

NICKNAME(S): – Gengar: N/A – Eevee: "Chili" – Blastoise: "Crash"

NATURE / PERSONALITY: – Gengar: bold nature. annoyingly affectionate. phases through walls just to startle him or pop up in the reflection behind his mirror selfies. sleeps in his shadow. sometimes steals his snacks. – Chili: adamant, scrappy little thing. hyper-competitive with other cute pokémon and gets mad if someone calls her "adorable." once tried to square up with a salamence. – Crash: quiet, fiercely loyal. timid nature, always a step behind seungho like a bodyguard on low battery. doesn't like strangers unless they bring snacks. occasionally forgets his size and knocks stuff over.

NOTES ON BOND: he found gengar as a gastly during a rainstorm — it kept licking his face every time he tried to sleep. swore he'd release it if it did it again. spoiler: he didn't. chili bit her last owner's hand (his older brother) and refused to leave seungho's side. crash was rescued from a collapsing pier during one of those freak weather events, soaked, shivering, and tiny squirtle. now, he's a tank. they're all a little odd, a little ride-or-die, and very much his.

🌋 SECTION IV — LEGEND LORE CONNECTION WHICH ISLAND ARE THEY MOST DRAWN TO? ⚡ Thunder Island (Zapdos)

DO THEY FEEL CONNECTED TO THE LEGEND? Not yet but he's been waking up at odd hours with his ears ringing and a weird pressure behind his eyes. he jokes about it. he jokes about everything. but the lightning has started sparking closer. and all of his pokémons keeps looking at the clouds like it knows something.

DOES THE WEATHER AFFECT THEM STRANGELY? yes. when the wind picks up, he gets quiet. thunderstorms bring insomnia and strange dreams, something about wings and cracked glass and a voice calling from far, far away.

📎 BONUS — POKÉWORLD FLAIR AU CONNECTIONS TO OTHER MUSES: – he's definitely the laidback, ride-or-die boyfriend in the double battles. – known across the orange archipelago circuit & seoul as "that guy who keeps losing his shirt and winning hearts." – MAY or MAY NOT have a past rivalry with a gym leader back on the mainland. there's tension. there was a kiss once. – weirdly good at calming wild pokémon. like… eerie good.

[camotherogue]

i promised ocs so here they be

the left is Constable Wes Matthew Kinsey, and the right is his sister Dorothy Marianne Kinsey. As youc an see they are VERY different people, with Dottie (Dorothy's nickname) being very reserved and definitely nervous in general (shes only in her 30s, but she started graying early because she has the stress tolerance of your average cheetah) and Wes being a massive dipshit. I'm not sure what occupation Dottie has (secretary, possibly?), but she used to bail him out all the time when he'd get into trouble with the Ploughboys, who he ran with as a kid. He got himself away from them, with her help, and went on to become a Constable, and now he's only SLIGHTLY less of a dumbass. She still has to grab him by the ear occasionally though.

i havent decided if theyve got a few years difference or if theyre very close in age (possibly twins?). Wes looks a lot like their mother, and Dottie their father. But you'd never be able to tell theyre related unless you knew them both, they have very similar behaviors in some ways (speech patterns and nervous habits, as well as other things).

Dottie however is at a bit of a moral dilemma, and she's caught in a loop of remembering things, going off her Joy, getting close to the truth about the disappearance of an old friend, and then getting put back on her Joy somehow and forgetting it all, only to remember again a few days or weeks later. Poor girls seen the horrors but she keeps forgor

And Wes, well, if he ever found out his sister was a Downer, he'd be torn between doing his duty to Wellington Wells and arresting her, or to doing his duty as family and protecting her. He doesn't know just yet, though.

Some little facts about them below the cut, trivia and all

Wes has dysgraphia, so he has god awful handwriting. When they were kids, Dorothy would write his stuff for him so he could read it later.

Dorothy has one or two nervous tics, her Joy keeps them down but if she goes off, stress can make them pop up again.

Wes can play electric guitar, and learned bc "ladies love a guitarist right".

Dottie used to deliver packages around Wellington Wells, before settling into her current job once the new mailboy took over.

Dorothy once knew Davey Hackney. They don't talk much but she'll give him a hello if she sees him on her rare visit to the Parade.

Because her brother is a Constable, Dorothy has a bit of a positive reputation among the Bobbies as well, and they much appreciate her company when she stops by to drop off the lunch Wes forgot again

Wes would kill to protect his sister.

[caffernnn]

thanks for tagging me @celesteeal !!! 🫶🏻✨ (gotta jump on this before I forget oops)

favorite color: greeeeen 🫒🐊🌿 love me a good green. also partial to the other cool colors and browns, although deep oranges and ochre/honeyed yellows have been calling out to me lately!

last song: “all i know” by nightlife 🕺🏻

last movie: family wanted to watch the matrix trilogy recently, so I’d say the first matrix was my last movie iirc!! (It’s hard to actually sit and watch anything with my family, so I caught some of the second and third movies while they started them ~without me~)

currently reading: a few different things!! The library has a summer reading challenge going, so I’m trying to get back into the swing of things 😅 out of the library books I have checked out, the ones I’d say I’m actively reading through rn are “Beloved” by Toni Morrison and “Care Work” by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. I also have perpetual holds on “Unmasking Autism” by Devon Price and “In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love” by Joy James that loop back around to me every other month, so hopefully I get a few essays or chapters farther in those before my holds lapse again 🏃🏻‍♀️ OOH AND MANGA STUFF: I’m almost at the end of my library’s physical collection of Blue Exorcist (they stop at v13, so we’ll see how far we get into the Illuminati arc), and I check on new chapters of Sakamoto Days as translations become available.

currently watching: sibling bonding time is anime time, and we’ve been watching dunmeshi and demon slayer. Recently we finished bocchi the rock as well. Uhh, otherwise? I watched Tale of the Nine-Tailed and The Victim’s Game (first seasons) pretty recently. Idk, I’m inconsistent with keeping up with shows, even though my list of watch-laters keeps getting longer

currently craving: I keep seeing tteokbokki pop up (previously mentioned kdrama, random youtube shorts, “I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki” memoir) and I just want to tryyyyy iiiiit. So I’d say that or some good yakitori or something 😩

tea or coffee: I don’t drink either with any real regularity, so I’m kinda open to either at this point. Maybe tea? I got to try some cajun stuff this week (jambalaya and cornbread my beloved) and had sweet tea with that, if that counts for anything!

tagging (no pressure) @sage-nebula @reikunrei @lithopsy @tonfea @shenyaanigans @roses-and-nightingales @ahobbitincamelot @shounenlord-sama @criticalgay @suhmayzooka and anyone else who wants to join!!

[unknownjpegs]

poisoner

The man sits dead, across from her at the table. Slumped back with his jaw dropped open and his eyes rolled back. A little bit of red has slipped from his nose and the bit of it from his mouth is pink from the foam that drips off his chin. He looks waxen and horrifying with the candles lit on the dining table slowly flickering to their own death.

Nomi fidgets with her necklace, a thin thing of gold that looped prettily around her neck, as Nick walks into the room.

“Ah!” He steps toward the corpse, adjusting his glasses. Get them fixed, she wants to snap at him. Just fix them, so they stop sliding everywhere, but she’s well aware that he won’t. Has been living with those over sized glasses for however long his beautiful witch wife has kept him alive. She thinks, he likes it because people think he looks soft. Owlish and demure when he keeps having to slide them back up.

Wolf in sheep’s clothing. Or worse, maybe. Least wolves only killed for food.

Nick taps the mans head, watches it loll forward. Nomi scoots slightly from the table, as if he might spring to life and curse her. You! He’d scream. You killed me!

“Did you use the entire vial?”

“Only half, like you said.” She pulls it from out of her sleeve and holds it aloft. The liquid inside is completely clear. He’d told her that it would have no scent, and hardly dilute the wine at all. He’d taste nothing but the alcohol as he died—quickly. Nick had promised her quickly. Which, it had been. One minute, flirting heavy handed and dark, the next, convulsing and sweaty and foaming and then dead. Real dead.

“Ah,” Nick taps the glass of wine she hadn’t touched. “Clever girl,” he compliments and Nomi tugs harder on her neck. “You knew he was left handed?” Otherwise, she would have had to poison both cups, and only pretend to drink, in the way he’d shown her. Could have still caught herself, bad. Poison can get into your body through your skin, she’d learned. Doesn’t need to be ingested. Terrifying stuff, Nick taught her.

“Yes, when he was eating. His fork was in his left hand, so—” She gestures toward the wineglasses, her brows pinched in hard. The lord had sat both glasses down, filled them himself. He’d looked at her with such suggestively heavy eyes as he did that Nomi felt like a bath would never wash that gaze off. “I figured he would go for the one on my right. I—Was that a good guess?”

“Well, he is dead. So, oui, Nomi. Perfect guess.”

Otherwise it would have been plan b. Which, Nick had a wire in his pocket to garrote the man, distracted as he’d be with Nomi as his dinner guest; but this was less mess. And her master preferred things easier to clean up. Nomi tugged the necklace again and it caught his eye.

“Feeling guilty?” He rounded the table to stand beside her. Sometimes, she forget that Nick was an intimidatingly tall man. He rounded his shoulders often, leaned forward when he talked to people. Made himself smaller. All these little details of him that seemed to slide past peoples eyes. Nomi hadn’t moved, since the man had died. Sat there and looked at him, hands occupied with little things to keep her mind busy while she stared at that pink white foam.

“No. He was a bastard, weren’t he? You—You told me what he did to those servants.”

“What if one day we get asked to do this against someone who is no bastard?”

Nomi snorts, tugs her necklace once more and then drops it. She wrings her fingers together until they look red and aggravated.

“What if one day I get to sit and eat cakes with ladies and indulge in court gossip?”

“Nomi.”

She looks up at him, fingers still tangled together. She’s dressed in finery, that he’d put her in for this night. A dark, velvet gown that had made her feel pretty, until she knew she was meant to be pretty in a way that would make a man want to be alone at a dinner with her. With no guards, no servants. She missed her rough wool dress. The sleeves of this dress clung, form fitting around her slender arms; and that one detail made her feel oddly exposed.

“Your father was a butcher.” It stung, put a little needle into her heart to hear him say it. Like she’d forgotten the smell of it, the slap of meat on a block to be carved. “And he tried to sell you to me for three gold coins.” Nomi bristles further, shoulders hunching up to her ears.

“I will slap you, Nicolaj,” she seethes out her teeth but it only makes him relax more, lean further to look at her. He’s leaned up against the table, his back to the dead man. One of his ankles crosses over the other, his hands in his pockets as he maneuvers himself closer to her.

“Would you not rather be the one who starts the court gossip?” He tilts his head down, those glasses sliding to the end. “Who pulls the strings of those vapid women eating cake?” His hand slides from his pocket and she doesn’t flinch, like she usually does, when he gently takes her chin. “There are three things in this world, Nomi. Un. There is a dog in the street with a cut of meat. Deux. There is a bigger dog, who is going to kill that one for the meat.” He shakes her head in that soft way he does.

“Trois. There is the nobility, who laugh the whole time.”

She wets her lip with her tongue, brows drawn and furrowed. A fly settles on the eye of the corpse.

“What are you then, Master Toussaint?”

“I will be the dog that bites those nobles in their fucking necks. And the King will pay me to do it,” he says it so confidently. So knowingly. All according to some plan. Endlessly, he serves only one master; love. For his wife. But there is something dark inside him that seems to call to his chosen career. And kingdoms have need for men that do this. Women, she supposes, who do this. “You can come, if you would like.” He straightens then, to that full, looming and swaying height. The doctor fixes the glasses on the edge of his nose and begins to go for the door.

“Nick.” Nomi stands from the chair. Her knees don’t feel fully there, but she still manages, one hand braced on the table. She looks at it, watches the tremble against her pale skin, blue veins standing out fine and ugly. She curls it into the white tablecloth and then smiles. “Maybe, one day, I will be both dog and lady. I like cakes, is all.”

He laughs, hand on the door knob.

“Beautiful. First, though, we will sharpen your teeth a bit.”

[wolflover33100aj]

My Roommate is an AI Cartoon Raccoon Mascot ( Indigo Park fanfiction )

Story: Rambley becomes real and Ed takes him home, chaos ensues.

AO3 link: chapter 2

Chapter 2 summary: Ed takes Rambley to the store and an unexpected visitor comes by

Chapter 2:

Ed woke up the next morning, he looked at his alarm clock, he forgot to set his clock, or he was deep into sleep that he didn't hear it go off. 10 am, he could still deal with that.

He got up and got ready, he needed to make some breakfast and go to the store. He feels like he's forgetting something, but he'll figure it later. He made his way out of the room, headed downstairs, into the kitchen-

And noticed Rambley sitting in one of the chairs at the table, staring at him. That's what Ed was forgetting! How did he forget that he brought a living mascot into his house?

" Hey, buddy! " Rambley greeted. " I was wondering if you were ever going to get up! I was letting you sleep! " He said cheerfully.

Ed stared at Rambley for a minute, then went to go make breakfast.

" Want any eggs? " Ed asked.

" Of course! " Rambley said.

Once the eggs were done, they sat at the table and ate. Could he trust Rambley alone while he went to the store? Maybe he could take him. " What are we doing today? " Rambley asked, his tail swishing behind the chair.

" I was planning on going to the store. I have to get some food for the week. " Ed responded.

" Is it okay if I came with you? " Rambley asked.

" I knew you were going to ask! And yeah. But you'll need a disguise. " Ed said.

Ed got up and walked to his closet and pulled out a jacket, handing it over. Rambley took it.

" Wear this and keep the hood up. " Ed ordered.

After they got done with breakfast, they got ready to leave. Rambley skipped all the way to the car. They got in and drove off.It didn't take long to get to the store, Ed parked in the parking lot and Ed looked towards Rambley.

" Please don't do anything crazy, we're just going in to get some things. " Ed warns.

" I won't! I'm sure of it! " Rambley declared.

Ed hoped so. They got out of the car and headed into the store. It was one of the bigger stores Ed likes to shop at, they have tons of selections, he needed get some more eggs, cereal, paper plates, bread, lunch meat and paper towels.

Rambley looked around, amazed at all the stuff they had. Ed grabbed a shopping cart and they began walking in the aisles. Rambley was tempted to get inside the cart but he decided to walk with Ed instead, even though it was very tempting.

They got into the cereal aisle and Ed started looking around for what to get.

" Such a shame they don't have Rambleberry Crunch! " Rambley muttered, looking around.

" I used to love that as a kid! It came with a collectable stickers of the characters as the prize! " Ed stated.

" I still have some back at the park!..... But they're probably stale by now.... " Rambley sighed.

" Or moldy. " Ed commented.

Ed picked out a couple boxes, ' Unlucky Marshmallows ', and ' Oops! All Sugar! ', and put them in the cart.

Rambley looked at all the options; Chocolate Loops, Fraudz, Captain Chew, Honey Rocks, Fruit Thins, Sour Sticks Crunch, Frosted Ashes.

" What weird names for cereal! " Rambley commented.

They continued to go into the next aisle. Ed picked up some eggs, bread, lunch meat, paper plates and paper towels. Rambley slid away, he wanted to try something.

Ed already rung up and payed for his items, he looked back and noticed Rambley missing, he looked around frantically, searching for any sign of him. Couldn't see him.

Oh no. Where did he go?

All of the sudden, he spotted a shopping cart coming his way, fast. He quickly stepped out of the way. While he stepped away, he caught a glimpse of a purple tail in the cart, the tail he was supposed to be kept hidden.

Ed knew this would happen, but was slightly amused by how happy Rambley looks while he was speeding by in the shopping cart.

Rambley crashed into a produce shelf and knocked the produce over.

" I'm okay! " Rambley shouted, sticking his thumb up from under the produce.

Ed tried not laugh but he had to admit, that was some antics cartoon characters get into. Rambley got up and shook himself off. Before security could come, Ed grabbed his bags and grabbed Rambley's arm and pulled him as he ran out of the store.

" It was worth it! " Rambley declared, while they ran.

They got into the car and Ed started to drive off. Rambley looked at Ed with a proud look on his face. Ed wanted to smile but he had to be responsible here. Okay. That was kinda entertaining.

" What was all that about? " Ed asked.

" That cart was tempting, Ed! I couldn't help myself! " Rambley explained.

" What if someone noticed you? Your tail was sticking out! I'm surprised your hood stayed on! " Ed stated.

The rest of the drive home went smoothly, Ed pulled into his driveway, he got out the bags and carried them inside, closing his door back.

Rambley helped unload the bags and put the items away. Once they were done they both sat on the couch. They sat there for a awhile until they heard a knock on the door.

Rambley ran upstairs and hid while Ed opened the door.

It was Laura. Oh. That's right! He forgot to call her to let her know that he's back home from the park!

" Hey, Laura! " Ed greeted, leaning over the doorway.

" Hey, Ed! " Laura greeted back. " Forgot to call me last night? " She teased.

" Uh, yeah! Sorry about that! I got.... distracted by something else..... and I was tired, I planned on calling you after I went to the store. " Ed lied.

" Right... " Laura teased." You always know when I'm lying. " Ed admitted.

" To be honest, I did get distracted and I was tired! " He defended.

" I believe you on that. " Laura settled.Ed felt a little relieved, but then Laura leaned in the door.

" Can I come in? " She asked." Uhh, sure.... " Ed reluctantly said, peering up at his stairs.

He opened the door wide enough for her to come in, closing it back.

" So... How was the park? " She asked.

" Oh! Uh, it definitely looked abandoned! " Ed lightly joked. " The tunnel almost fell in on me but I managed to get out fine! " He said proudly.

" Were the rides still working? " Laura asked.

" Some of them! I rode on the train, Rambley's Railroad! " Ed responded. " Though, the rubble covered up most of the sections. "

" At least it still worked! " Laura noted.

" Yeah... " Ed sighed.

" Did you see any of the mascots? " Laura asked.

" Uhh.... " Ed started.

There was a loud crash coming from upstairs. Ed and Laura jumped.

All of the sudden, Rambley came tumbling down the stairs and crashed into the door.

Ed and Laura quickly got up and went towards him.

Laura's eyes lit up.

" Oh my god! Is that really THE Rambley the Raccoon?! " She asked, excitedly.

Rambley got up and shook himself off again. That raccoon needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap.

" The one and only! " Rambley declared proudly, pointing a thumb to his chest.

Laura looked to Ed, who had an amused look on his face. He shrugged.

" Rambley, what happened? " Ed asked.

" I was trying to get the jacket off and tripped over a cord, sorry about your lamp by the way, and bumped into a rack. " Rambley explained.

" Wait- THE real Rambley the Raccoon is in your house?! " Laura repeated.

" Who else would it be? " Rambley retorts.

Laura turned towards Ed. Ed sighed.

" When I went to the park, I met him- " he pointed towards Rambley. Rambley waved. " He helped me navigate the park without getting hurt. I was going to head home for the night and he asked if he could come with me. Guess you know what happened next... " Ed explained.

" You just took home a mascot? " Laura asked, amused.

" Living mascot! " Rambley corrected. " We actually went to the store together..... And he immediately caused chaos.... " Ed informed.

" It was worth it though! That was fun! " Rambley remarked.

" You took him to the store? " Laura asked.

" Well, he wore my jacket, covered his ears and his tail. " Ed explained.

" Did anyone notice him? " She asked.

" Nope. But we did run off before security came. " Ed responded.

Rambley's stomach started rumbling.

" Heh, guess it's time for lunch... " Rambley said.

They all went into the kitchen and made up some sandwiches. They sat down and ate, they talked about the park as they enjoyed their food.

Maybe having Rambley around wasn't so bad, now that Laura knows, she could help him out. Ed hopes so.