#Powerful Link Building Tools

[markonik12]

https://www.markonik.com/blog/how-ai-powered-tools-are-transforming-seo-strategies-in-2024

[ai-marketing-company-pickmyurl]

Website Designing Company Chennai

Create a comprehensive strategy: Plan your digital marketing activities effectively.

#LinkBuildingStrategy #AITools #SEOAutomationTools #BacklinkAnalysis #AIpoweredLinkBuilding

[maielasworld]

🌞 Astrological Signs of Career and Business Success

🌬️If you’re searching the stars for guidance on professional achievements, business ventures, and long-term prosperity, your birth chart can reveal powerful clues. Here are some key aspects, placements, houses, and fixed stars that indicate success in career and entrepreneurship:

🌟 Planetary Aspects and Strong Placements

1. A Strong and Well-Aspected Sun

Sun in the 10th or 1st House: natural leadership, charisma, and desire for recognition.

Sun in aspect to Jupiter or Saturn: balance between luck and discipline.

Sun in Fire Signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): boldness, vitality, and natural authority.

2. Midheaven (MC) in Ambitious Signs

MC in Capricorn, Leo, Scorpio, or Aries: vocation for leadership, independence, and visibility.

Planets conjunct the MC reflect your professional energy:

Sun: prestige.

Mars: entrepreneurship.

Jupiter: growth and expansion.

3. Strong Saturn

Saturn in the 10th House or in aspect to the Sun, Mars, or Ascendant: long-term planning, maturity, and professional stability.

Especially powerful in Capricorn, Libra, or Taurus.

4. Jupiter in Favorable Positions

Jupiter in the 2nd (money), 6th (work), or 10th (career) Houses: luck and opportunity in professional life.

Harmonious aspects with Sun, Moon, MC, or Venus: abundance, optimism, and magnetism for success.

5. Strong Mars

Mars in Fire Signs or in aspect to the MC or Sun: courage, initiative, and work ethic.

Indicates independent drive and entrepreneurial spirit.

6. Venus in Earth Signs or in Strong Houses

Venus in Taurus, Capricorn, or Virgo: ability to generate value, refined business sense.

Venus in the 2nd or 10th House: prosperity through beauty, art, or social interaction.

🏛️ Key Astrological Houses for Success

2nd House: income, resources, talents.

6th House: work, productivity, routine.

10th House: career, public life, legacy.

11th House: long-term goals, networks, clientele.

✨ Fixed Stars That Favor Success

🌟 Regulus: royalty, honor, success — especially when conjunct the MC, Sun, or Ascendant.

🌟 Spica: talent, divine favor, artistic or intellectual brilliance.

🌟 Aldebaran: victory, moral integrity, lasting achievement.

🌟 Vega: charisma, high reputation, artistic gifts.

🌟 Arcturus: innovation, luck, business savvy.

🌟 Capella: mental agility, versatility, technical brilliance.

> ⚠️ Fixed stars are most powerful when conjunct personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars) or angles (Ascendant, MC)

🧿 Other Powerful Indicators

North Node in the 10th House or in Capricorn: destiny linked to career and public influence.

Pluto in aspect to the Sun, MC, or Mars: personal power, transformative drive, and resilience — ideal for entrepreneurs.

Strong Mercury: practical intelligence, communication skills, negotiation talent — essential for business.

✨ Your birth chart is a blueprint of your soul’s potential. Success isn’t just about luck — it’s about knowing your cosmic tools and using them with awareness.

You’re not just chasing a dream — you’re building it, thread by thread

[rivereverie]

I’ve just been thinking about how important Astarion’s hands are to his identity. I feel like the brainrot is taking over that I’m trying to analyze this, but hear me out. It's more my rambling thoughts than analysis.

All of Astarion’s practical skills are intimately tied to his hands. Finesse. Dexterity. He tosses daggers, picks pockets, picks locks, disarms traps. Even when it comes to his hobby of sewing and embroidery, that’s all about hands and fingers too. He rolls coins along his knuckles to show off. Astarion takes pride in what his hands are capable of.

His hands are also used against others. A way to hold someone back. Hold someone down. To have them in his hands. Touch is a power of his, practiced for decades, to pleasure and manipulate others. Wrapping them around his finger. In the palm of his hand. Hands are what we use to push someone back. To grab the collar of a shirt. To hold a dagger. They are tools of control. 

We get two lines about him being loath to “break a nail”, and as I once spoke about in an analysis post on Astarion’s expression of vanity, this is clearly an example of his mask, distracting from vulnerability. It’s not a stretch to read into these lines about his nails as alluding to his time in the crypt. Clawing in desperation at a coffin lid for the better part of a year would do much more than break nails. That year wore away so much of his identity, as it did his hands. It was loss and helplessness.

Hands can also be a symbol of violation. A hand being forced. Grabbing. Prodding. Taking. Hurting. Claws scraping. Curled fists. A bruising grip. The stuff of his worst memories and nightmares. Even gentle, loving touch does not feel safe or enjoyable to Astarion for a long time. He's used to hands only ever taking. His own included.

Hands are so often used as imagery for autonomy, responsibility, and guilt. Blood is on our hands specifically because they are considered instruments of will. It's interesting that Astarion’s story is all about these themes, too. In the end, the hands that were forced to drag so many souls into Cazador's grasp were the same ones that drove a dagger through the vampire's heart.

Hands are also meant to reach out. To hold on. To carry a torch to light the way. To caress. To link fingers with the hand of another. To create and build. To express and feel. Hands (both his and those of others) have the same capacity for gentleness, giving, and connection as they do cruelty, and that's something Astarion finally believes, by the end.

And his hands will never be forced again.

- (The dialogue screenshot above is from 'A Dream Of Silence' by abigailmoment. I'm just using it illustratively)

[makingqueerhistory]

Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind

Annalee Newitz

In Stories Are Weapons, best-selling author Annalee Newitz traces the way disinformation, propaganda, and violent threats--the essential tool kit for psychological warfare--have evolved from military weapons deployed against foreign adversaries into tools in domestic culture wars. Newitz delves into America's deep-rooted history with psychological operations, beginning with Benjamin Franklin's Revolutionary War-era fake newspaper and nineteenth-century wars on Indigenous nations, and reaching its apotheosis with the Cold War and twenty-first-century influence campaigns online. America's secret weapon has long been coercive storytelling. And there's a reason for that: operatives who shaped modern psychological warfare drew on their experiences as science fiction writers and in the advertising industry.

Now, through a weapons-transfer program long unacknowledged, psyops have found their way into the hands of culture warriors, transforming democratic debates into toxic wars over American identity. Newitz zeroes in on conflicts over race and intelligence, school board fights over LGBT students, and campaigns against feminist viewpoints, revealing how, in each case, specific groups of Americans are singled out and treated as enemies of the state. Crucially, Newitz delivers a powerful counternarrative, speaking with the researchers and activists who are outlining a pathway to achieving psychological disarmament and cultural peace.

Incisive and essential, Stories are Weapons reveals how our minds have been turned into blood-soaked battlegrounds--and how we can put down our weapons to build something better.

(Affiliate link above)

[zazaiafe2]

The power of sensory immersion for shifting

1) Why is sensory immersion so powerful?

Your brain doesn't really distinguish between an imagined and a real sensory experience

When you engage your senses (sight, sound, touch, smell...), you create .almost real signals.

This activates deep neural networks of immersion and facilitates letting go.

-> Sensory immersion helps to blur the line between CR and DR.

2) Do NOT force visualization

-> "I can't visualize" -> It's not a problem

Many shifters have noticed:

The more you FORCE the images, the more the analytical mind stays active.

The goal: let the sensations come naturally.

You don't need to perfectly "see" everything. You can:

- Feel-> Emotions, sensations.

- Hear -> Sounds from your DR.

- Imagine textures-> Your DR bed.

- Create ambiances.

3) Sensory profiles are different

We don't all have the same dominant sense. Find your strength:

- Olfactory : Imagined smells (perfume, rain, food)

- Auditory : Music from your DR, background sounds (cafes, forest, city, rain…)

- Visual: Blurred decors, dominant colors, symbols, your DR room

- Tactile: Skin sensations (wind, sheets, fabrics…)

- Gustatory: Taste of what you eat there

-> Identify which senses are easiest to invoke for you. Start with them.

For example, you can listen to this ambient sound if you shift to Hogwarts.

4) Scientific help, the role of the Default Mode Network

Your brain has a network that calms down when you immerse yourself sensorially.

This reduces internal dialogue and the "critical mind" that often blocks you.

-> The less your mind analyzes, the more your unconscious takes over, and ego identification decreases.

5) How to let images and sounds come without forcing

1) Breathe slowly .

2) Allow yourself to be blurry.

3) Start with small simple scenes.

4) Observe rather than actively create.

5) Don't look for "perfection", just try to "feel".

-> The more you let go, the more details come by themselves.

You can do a short meditation beforehand to relax and help you be in the present moment.

6) The importance of ASC (Altered States of Consciousness)

Immersion is facilitated in ASC (hypnagogic state, deep relaxation, light trance, it's not mandatory but seems to make things easier).

You can:

- Practice before sleep.

-Do gentle meditation .

- Use appropriate binaural sounds .

-> The altered state allows the analytical mind to disconnect and facilitates fusion with your DR.

Just after meditation you can put a subliminal or alpha waves for example

Julia method link

There are even subliminals that mix theta wave, affirmations and Sound atmosphere.

7) Practical examples according to your profile and what you prefer

- Auditory: Playlist of your DR during preparation

- Visual: Very simple scenes (just a dominant color at first, then an object where you are, and a room if you can)

- Tactile: Feel the sheet of your DR bed, the warmth of the sun, the texture of your DR pajamas

- Gustatory: Imagine tasting your DR breakfast

- Emotional: Feel the emotions you will have in your DR

-> The more you rely on YOUR strong channel, the more stable immersion becomes.

Examples of what people who shift on command can use

8) Do not try to control when the shift happens

-> Sensory immersion is a springboard.

The shift often triggers when you are immersed without trying to control the moment.

- Have fun "visiting" before "leaving."

- Release tension about the result.

- Obsession with the result blocks(Or at least decrease the chances); curiosity opens.

Even if you have trouble visualizing, you can rely on other things or your other senses.

9) What we learn from those who shift on command

Many report that this kind of non-forced immersion is key.

It's a balance:

->Sensory engagement + letting go = smoother shift.

Conclusion :Sensory immersion: a powerful tool, accessible to all.

No matter your profile.

You don't need to "visualize perfectly" .

You only need to play with your senses, let the experience build gently.

Remember: your brain is made for this.

[ckret2]

One of my favourite things about the book of Bill has to be how hard it has cemented that, for all the airs Bill likes to put on, he's actually awful at manipulating people. Like if you look at the just the show, on the surface his record isn't bad. 2 1/2 successful manipulations out of 3 shown on-screen is solid. ((That is until you examine it further and realize that the 2 successful ones were done to 12 year old children who 1. Weren't exactly in the best states of mind at the time due to severe sleep deprivation/a difficult emotional state and 2. he still had to trick via his power (the fake timer on the laptop/possessing blendin so Mabel didn't know it was him)) But now? Oh man! Ford wasn't just lucky, he joined a tradition dating back all the way to humanities beginnings! Bill has been trying to get people to do his bidding literally since people had gotten good enough at resource-gathering and tool-usage to be able to potentially build his portal! And he failed over and over and over again and he never learned shit! That would be bad enough but not only did he fail at manipulating several civilzations worth of people, they ALSO constantly thwarted him in ways beyond that! He got himself banished, trapped, and annoyed to hell and back and thats just the stuff he told us! Thats not even speaking of his latest and possibly greatest fumble, failing the convince us, the reader of the Book of Bill who is canonically a fan of Bill or at least Gravity Falls into striking a deal with him. In short, if I asked Bill to manipulate a child into eating ice cream with just his words I wouldn't trust him to get it done within my or the kids life time.

Except, Bill IS good at manipulating people. You JUST DESCRIBED several examples of him being good at manipulating people.

Identifying the most vulnerable targets, the "weakest link" most likely to cave and do what you want—like children (or elderly people with dementia, or immigrants who don't understand the language well)—is part of being good at manipulation.

Identifying and taking advantage of people in a compromised mental state when they're not thinking clearly and are more likely to do what you want is part of being good at manipulation. (He didn't try to persuade Mabel to destroy the laptop, BECAUSE HE KNEW DIPPER WAS MORE VULNERABLE. He didn't approach Dipper or Ford dressed as Blendin—BECAUSE HE KNEW MABEL WAS MORE VULNERABLE.)

Just straight up lying to people—about a situation (the timer), about a person (Blendin)—is a manipulation tactic.

Fabricating a totally artificial emergency and pressuring a target to ACT NOW to prevent disaster is a common con artist trick. (See: scammers who cold call strangers, say they're from the IRS and the stranger is behind on taxes, and demand they transfer a large amount of money from their bank RIGHT NOW or go to jail—WHICH ACTUALLY WORKS A LOT, especially because people CAN'T THINK AS CLEARLY when they're panicking.)

Disguising yourself as somebody trustworthy or somebody intimidating to trick a target into obeying you is also a common con artist trick.

Not to mention ALL the work we see into how he manipulates Ford: he makes note of Ford's social isolation and how Bill can use that to his advantage; he identifies the thing Ford wants most (respect & acknowledgment for his intellectual achievements) and weaves that into his manipulation; he uses both Ford's ego AND Ford's insecurity against him; he almost effortlessly turns Ford against the one friend who adores him, making Ford think his friend's kindest attempts to help are evidence of backstabbing; and even though ultimately it didn't work, you can't say that threatening to destroy Ford's life from inside his own body was a BAD manipulation tactic.

Plus the entire muse schtick. Fooling people into thinking you're doing something magical or supernatural is such a common manipulation tactic that there's a whole name for it: "mystical manipulation." Bill does this NON STOP with Ford, and with many of his other victims.

We see him successfully talk an entire tribe into helping him build a working redwood portal—and they only turned against him when the portal started petrifying people, unleashing monsters, and creating bottomless pits. He talked the Aztecs into sacrificing 9,000 people to build a portal that didn't even work. He talked not-Disney into making a cartoon about Bill that included UNLEASHING LIVE BEES IN THE THEATER. Who the hell would think that's a good idea!

And to top it all off, he formed multiple successful cults that were ride or die for him until the bitter end. That's like the crown jewel of being good at manipulating. Bill talked a whole town into joining his cult in under a month in spite of the fact that he kept calling them plasma bags and chugging formaldehyde. Based on the dates in the document about Silas Birchtree, people were marrying into Ciphertology at least five years after Bill's puppet disintegrated and he ditched them.

Bill was good at manipulating people!

Do you know what Bill WASN'T good at? Getting people to finish and open a portal.

Largely because portals are difficult to make, and because he can only get so far into the process before it becomes obvious that this thing will destroy the world and that's usually enough to override any other threats or promises he makes.

Yeah, he says some stupid things that should obviously give him away—like talking about setting off all the nukes. He's kinda pathetic and a bit of a dumbass sometimes. But, here's the thing about successful manipulators, con artists, and cult leaders: MOST of them are kinda pathetic dumbasses. Cult leaders are idiots. There's a cult leader who preached his followers should be on minimal vegetarian diets, had his chauffeur take him out to a big fancy steak dinner, then told his chauffeur he did that to test his faith—and the chauffeur was like well okay. Cult leaders are idiots, AND YET SUCCEED. When Bill says you can get anyone to hum along with your tune if you've got charisma? He's right—that's true in real life.

Manipulators get away with manipulation not because they tell such brilliant impeccable lies that the most clear-headed rational person in the world would believe them... but because they know to tell their lies to people who aren't clear-headed and rational, and because they know using cheap tricks and false identities and lies that the victim WANTS to be true works better than a flawless story, and because they know most people tend to give other people the benefit of the doubt that what they're saying is probably true.

So yeah, he's too cocky, he's a bit pathetic, he lost a lot, he loses at the end of the book... but that doesn't mean he's a bad manipulator. It means that being good at manipulating can only carry you so far, and Bill didn't have what it takes to carry him the rest of the way.

[novella-november]

Well. I have a feeling I'm about to have a million new followers. (March 31st, 2025; not an April Fool's joke, unless Nanowrimo has very poor taste and timing)

Here's a link that explains in long video format the whole entire thing in detail:

and to sum it up:

This blog was made as an Anti-Generative AI to Nanowrimo, as well as a way to actually build a friendly, low-pressure, helpful community of aspiring writers, without the hard-fast-do-it-or-die pressure brought on by nanowrimo.

There is no official "contest" -- only a community coming together to inspire each other to write, help out with motivation by setting community goals, keeping participation motivation via Trackbear.app, etc!

The most popular writing challenge is still November for most people, but I myself have also started to keep a year-round, daily writing goal of 444 via the website 4thewords, which has been an extreme help in getting me to write a little at a time.

This year has been very hectic for everyone what with the election results so I haven't been very active on tumblr (I think everyone can understand that) but I was originally planning on also having each month of the year being a different themed writing / art challenge but got a bit distracted real life.

So, what is the Novella November Challenge?

It's a fun challenge where writers come together to write 30,000 (or your own personal writing goal!) words in 30 days, sharing tips, writing advice, plot ideas, accessibility aids, and committing to having fun while explicitly fighting back against Generative AI by using our own words and disavowing the use of scraping and generating to take away the livelyhoods of artists of all spectrums, and proving everyone who insists "generative AI is an accessibility tool" wrong by committing to our creative visions and making it easier for everyone to find the tools they need to succeed by sharing tips, free programs, and finding a like-minded community to support you! 💙

There is no official website, there is no required place to show your participation, this is a community initiative that will never be monetized by predatory sponsors or dangerous moderators abusing their power.

This blog is here to inspire everyone, regardless of experience level, to write and create the story they want to tell, in their own words, while striving to remain a fun, low-pressure challenge that doesn't turn into a stressful spiral, like often happened with Nano.

Want to start writing but not sure how? Don't have money to spend on expensive writing programs? Have no fear!

LibreOffice: An always free, open-source alternative to Microsoft Word (and Microsoft's other office suits)

4Thewords: A website (both desktop and mobile web browser) that syncs your writing cross platform to the cloud, with built-in daily word goals, streak tracking, and you can fight monsters with your word count to game-ify writing!

Trackbear: A website dedicated to tracking your writing, setting custom goals, and creating leaderboards for community participation; you can join the year-long community leaderboard with the Join Code "f043cc66-6d5d-45b2-acf1-204626a727ba" and a November-limited one will release on November 1st as well.

Want to use Text to Speech to dictate your novel?

Most modern phones have a built-in option available on your keyboard settings which can be used on any writing program on your phone, and most modern PCs that allow a microphone (including headphone) connection has some kind of native dictation function, which you can find by opening your start panel and searching your computer for "Speech to text" or "voice to text".

Want to write while on the go, but don't want to / can't use the small phone keyboard to type, or speech to text?

You can, for as cheap as $40, buy a bluetooth keyboard that you can pair with your smart phone or tablet and use to write in any and all writing applications on your phone -- this allows you to write on the goal (especially using cross-platform websites or services, like 4thewords or google docs) , and the small screen can also help minimize distractions by muting notifications in your writing time.

[circeyoru]

Shadow and Void _ Part 12

[Yandere!Sung Jinwoo x Enemy Monarch!Reader]

Arc 1: Part 1 ― Part 2 ― Part 3 Arc 2: Part 4 ― Part 5 Arc 3: Part 6 ― Part 7 Arc 4: Part 8 ― Part 9 ― Part 10 ― Part 11 ― Special Arc 5: Part 12 (here) ― Part 13  ― Part 14  ― Part 15 (links will be updated when the last part is out)

Back in the city, Hunter gathered and crowded the streets after the citizens had been evacuated to the safer regions. Some of the fighter-based Hunters remained on the streets with the Healers in the back surrounded by Tankers and Mages to be protected and continuously provide buffs whenever necessary, while the Rangers and Assassins were stationed within or atop buildings for a perfect ambush or strike if and when an enemy shows up.

A towering and giant figure walked through the crowd of humans, pushing aside any that were in his way. His eyes glowed as his fingers twitched from the excitement of what was to come. All that was needed was a trigger to start the party.

Like a reward to the strong, a prideful Hunter was bumped into by the giant and demanded for an apology. Humans and their feeble pride turned to be their undoing. So started the bloodbath that led to chaos and screams from squeamish humans. Cattle scattered like ants just waiting to be squashed under by the mighty’s feet. These humans were nothing but moving flesh to him.

How you, the Monarch of Void and their greatest tool, managed to live among maggots for so long, he had no idea. Frankly, it irritated how you were spending so much time in the human realm, he understood the need for a catered vessel due to your powers and standards, but the time after its completion should mean you returning to them, among your kind.

“Listen to me, you human bastards! From now on, I will start to hunt you down! My nails will tear your weak skin and rip fresh apart! I am the King of Animals, the Monarch of the Beasts! Try and stop me!”

In a more forestry region of Korea, Jinwoo pulled out your chair before you could sit and pushed it in when you did, then he took his seat opposite to you. The two of you barely needed any time to decide what to eat because the hotel’s restaurant staff had already arranged breakfast platters for the both of you as thanks for catching some unlucky robbers before you two could ask for a hotel suite last night. It was late when the two of you were done with the flight activity and Jinwoo didn’t want the date to end, you didn’t care since sleep wasn’t something you had to mind even in a human body.

Your eyes sparkled at the table full of food and there were more coming by the carts that were being pushed in your table’s direction. Well, Jinwoo, as a famous S-Rank Hunter, sure had its benefits, and you were loving it. There were pancakes, scrambled eggs, noodles, rice, sushi, sashimi, yogurt, cereal, and so much more that only two people could finish! 

BUT you were a Monarch. You are the Monarch of Void, the supreme ruler of space itself! Surely you can apply that power to your stomach and eat to your heart’s content! It’s not an abuse of power when you could enjoy all the wonderful delicacies humans have created over the years.

Not waiting for Jinwoo to start you off, your hands picked up the fork and spoon to get whatever you wanted into your drooling mouth. Jinwoo watched wide-eyed as you finished at least two plates of food―without even leaving him any crumbs―within the minute he was scanning through the options.

“You didn’t waste any time.” Jinwoo laughed.

All he had in return was your eyes glowing dangerously at him while the nearby knife pointed at him in a threatening way. Your mouth was still stuffed and he had a bit of issue making out what you said, “This is all mine.”

“Yes, yes.” Jinwoo merely smiled and plopped his chin in his hand, watching you stuff yourself with food. The image of a hamster came to mind, but he wasn’t about to say that to your face when everything had been so peaceful. Though that serenity was cut short with his phone ringing, he picked it up while still staring at you, “Yes, I’m Sung Jinwoo. Did something happen?”

Originally, you would have been concentrated with your wonderful meal, but your gut feeling had told you to listen in on the conversation. Not that you needed to be sneaky about it since the other end of the line, the person―Woo Jinchul―was practically shouting everything into the phone.

“An S-Class monster appeared in the middle of Seoul!”

An ear-piercing ring rang in your ears as you watched Jinwoo’s eyes glow. When it was confirmed to be one enemy, your suspicion was correct―the Monarchs have started to move. Poor timing, you haven’t been able to help Jinwoo familiarize the Monarch’s attacks and strengthen his current army, you couldn’t even force open the Gate for the true army to join the fight as much as you wanted. And he didn’t have the luxury of time on his side.

You could tell by instinct that Jinwoo didn’t believe what was reported to him, even when it was from Jinchul. His Shadows reported nothing back and there will continue to be nothing reported back so long as the Monarchs are there and actively isolating the city. Similar to that incident with former Chairman Go Gunhee, the tactic would be to isolate and strike, like a predator with their prey, only this time…it’s not a hunt but a massacre.

“Don’t waste your energy.” You told him with a serious tone. You stood from your seat and wiped your lips with the back of your hand, “After all, more and more will die by their hands.”

“Their?” Jinwoo’s confusion was valid because only one was reported to be on a rampage and Thomas Andre was facing him head-on right this moment.

“...” Your eyes narrowed with your lips pressed to a thin line, “Monarchs have made their move and they will not patiently wait for yours.” You moved to his side, staring down at him, “Monarchs will bring about destruction, more so the later you delay your confrontation. However…” You placed a hand on his shoulder before he could say anything. “You cannot imagine a victory against them at this stage. Certain death will be yours.” Your eyes glowed as mist clouded and distorted your form, “Sacrifice those humans for your survivability. Grow stronger before doing battle with them.”

“You can’t leave! I forbid it! If you leave… You’ll regret it! It’s all over!”

Jinwoo was reminded of your conversation with Ashborn before his demise. It was a sign that you care, a sign that you prefer his life over the others as you viewed his life more precious than whoever else was living. Truly, he was grateful and he was honoured. This was something that he had been aiming for, but there was that voice in his mind that questioned whether you were doing this for him or Ashborn.

“I’ll do it.”

Your eyes briefly widened and the mist thickened.

“Only if you call me by name.”

“...” Jinwoo didn’t see your expression; he doubted you made any at this point. The answer to his question was heard loud and clear though. “I’ll take you back to Seoul.”

So in the end, he was still seen as Ashborn’s vessel, no, successor. Even after everything he did for you and everything you did for him. Even after the sublime day you two had yesterday… It all meant nothing to you. What was he to do to have your attention solely on him?

“Prepare your mind and soul for a battle unlike any other you have faced before.” You warned as the mist rose to cover the two of you. “I can’t say how much of help I’ll be.”

The scenery of the restaurant changed and soon the wreckage of a city formed around him, while you appeared nowhere in sight. First things first, he blocked off an attack aimed at the disoriented Lennart Niermann and had him take Thomas out of harm’s way.

Rakan, in his giant beastly form, bared his fangs at Jinwoo with a thirst to maul him apart limb from limb. “How is it that you, a mere human, managed to carry the power of a superior being so far?”

Sillad formed from the chilling wind, “The Architect, against the odds, found a way. It’s been a long time since he and the Shadow Monarch have made a deal…”

Behind Jinwoo, the shadows of multilegged insects crawled and crowded to the new figure, Querehsha cooed with a twisted grin, “That means there’s no problem if I eat the human vessel, right? I’m curious to know what a Monarch will taste like.”

The System provided its aid in identifying the two new figures, in addition to the familiar Monarch, with windows for identifying clear enemies.

[THE KING OF THE SONS OF ICE, THE MONARCH OF ICE, HAS RECOGNIZED YOU AS HIS ADVERSARY.]

[THE KING OF THE ANIMALS, THE MONARCH OF THE BEASTS, HAS RECOGNIZED YOU AS HIS ADVERSARY.]

[THE QUEEN OF INSECTS, THE MONARCH OF PLAGUES, HAS RECOGNIZED YOU AS HER ADVERSARY.]

Mist formed around Jinwoo and concentrated on his side, a whip of a darkened mist-like tentacle slashed at Querehsha, but she made it so that her beloved children took the hit and disappeared. Your figure appeared shrouded in mist around your human vessel, “You will do no such thing.”

[THE KING OF THE FORGOTTEN, THE MONARCH OF VOID, HAS RECOGNIZED YOU AS ???.]

“Monarch of Void. Have you betrayed us to side with a mere human?” Querehsha questioned as she reformed in another spot.

“For me to betray you, I have to be your ally to begin with.” You glared at her as you stood your ground, “However, I never recall ever picking your side, vile pest. I belong to no side but my own.”

“You…” Querehsha’s grin turned to a scowl as she clenched her hands into fists. “How dare you…”

“Arise.” Jinwoo called his Shadows out. He made the first move not because it was advantageous to him, but because he couldn’t stand them treating you as if you were theirs. From the beginning, even after meeting you face to face, your iron will to stand for yourself and stay independent drawn him in, your fierce loyalty to those you care for was akin to his own.

His soldiers arose and moved to attack; however, within seconds, they were frozen solid by the Monarch of Frost’s ice. Sillad lamented sarcastically, “You really have a good number of soldiers… But they lack a good organization. Your soldiers will not be able to do anything in this prison of ice.”

You didn’t flinch, you didn’t even need Jinwoo to shield you because nothing was directed in your direction, as he should have realized and seen through. Energy must be calculated and used perfectly in battles that you can’t predict.

“And to think he wanted to use these soldiers to get in our way, how deluded of him…” The two Shadows encased before him were Igris and Iron, Sillad turned in Jinwoo and your direction as he preached, “It was an act of arrogance towards the other Monarchs. And on top of that, I didn’t think that human was capable of absorbing the full power of the Shadow Monarch. Perhaps there was some reasoning behind the Monarch of Void’s interest. Still, although the Shadow Monarch was the greatest, he should not underestimate the power of the other Monarchs.”

“Fall back while you still have the chance. A number of Humans have already fallen, what’s a little more?” You warned once more in a low voice behind Jinwoo, unmoving from your spot as the mist threatened to send him to your realm at the slightest hint of him surrendering. “Humans repopulate every other day. Talented Hunters awaken daily. Sacrifices must be made.”

Jinwoo twirled his dagger, his aura releasing as he pointed the blade’s edge at Sillad, “I will definitely defeat them, and I will at least take your head, Ice Monarch.”

Thus started the battle as Jinwoo lunged at the Monarchs while you stood on the sidelines without helping anyone or hindering anyone. Your mist dissolved all debris that came at you from their powerful attacks, from time to time, you’d glance over to Igris who was still encased in ice, then back at the struggling Jinwoo.

A bold statement.

A weak defense.

For the result was the same as your mind predicted. Because no sooner, the sight you met was one from your nightmares.

“Sung Jinwoo!” You screamed as you watched Rakan impale his long, sharp claws into Jinwoo’s back, you moved. You summoned your scythe and made a clean swipe at the insects around you to clear a path back to him, finally moving from your spot, “You back off, Sillad!”

“How you manage to win over the Herald of Favour, I think I’ll never find out.” Sillad smirked, “I will return your weapon to you.” Without missing a beat, he impaled Jinwoo’s dagger into his chest right in the center, “Alright. Now, can you heal like you did earlier?” While Jinwoo remained in shock, his blood froze over from the Monarch’s chill, “Probably not. No matter how strong you are, you are not a complete Monarch. Even when you have the Monarch of Void on your side. Is this as far as you go, human? If that’s the case, you will not be able to witness it. The moment our armies set foot in this world.”

You were suddenly blocked off when Querehsha appeared with her hideous insect pets, the smirk on her face irritating you to no end. You glared and raised your mist to cloud the area to make your move and obstruct the Monarch.

“When that happens, there will be a mountain of human corpses and their blood will form endless rivers. But this country, which you grew up in, will be different. I shall personally freeze every single human in this country myself, and make them suffer through an eternal agony. They will have to live through an eternity, not being able to die nor live.”

One by one, you struck down the creatures and devoured the bodies with your mist to prevent them from regenerating or healing with her powers. Even so, you were no closer to Jinwoo and it would be impossible to save him in this state alone. You closed your eyes and pleaded to whatever is out there to do something. You lost Ashborn. You can’t lose Jinwoo just as you have accepted him.

“Even your beloved ally, the Monarch of Void, will suffer the wrath of us Monarchs for siding with you.”

As much as Jinwoo glared at Sillad and wanted to fight back, he couldn’t. Sillad took great pleasure in Jinwoo’s struggles and pain. “So show me your endless contempt for me within your death. That will also be part of my joy.”

Still…

A little more…

Just a little more…!

Your eyes watered, Jinwoo’s eyes were bloody and blood were coughed up, no human could survive that. Including Ashborn’s successor. The one you vowed to protect and see that he rose to his place among the best. The prideful and strong-willed human you learned to 𝖑⃦̳̿𝖔⃦̳̿𝖛⃦̳̿𝖊⃦̳̿. “Sung Jinwoo!!”

[PLAYER’S HP HAS REACHED 0.]

[PLAYER HAS DIED.]

Manhwa Chapter: 156, 158, 160 (near end bit), 161 (beginning)

Note: The second-to-last arc is here! The scenes are a bit rushed and a lot is skipped over cause nothing much happens, you can follow the manhwa chapters I listed above to follow the story in this arc. The ones that are written are ones with details added with Reader's presence and/or influence. Hope you'll look forward to this arc. Happy reading!!

𝕮𝖎𝖗𝖈𝖊 𝖄.

My Works: MASTERLIST *(regarding requests, check the Masterlist to see if it’s opened or not and other info related before sending one. Thanks.)

Taglist: @rozuburedo @ariseverdark @skylar896 @o-qi-shisme @stoats-a-dork @daiyanomochi @snowy-violet @sleepyamaya @thetruepair @aixaingela @2021animeandwebtoons @mochinon-yah @rai-xxx @lilliana-14 @larettajudith @r3va-dwme @my-arietta @sikyulioness @sabrina-senpai @bubera974 @weaponxgames @m00n-estelle @beyond-the-stars-fairy @angelkazusstuff @soft-dots @dxprived4-starboys @shineinouzen15 @leviackerman2030 @dxprived4-starboys @darling-dearesttt @bubera974 @maria-trisha @stormnightingale @beyond-the-stars-fairy @notleclerc @fackeraccount

[goodstuffhappenedtoday]

Fold paper. Insert lens. This $2 microscope changes how kids see the world

November 24, 20248:50 AM ET

By Kamala Thiagarajan

Eight-year-old S. Hariraj is a Foldscope devotee.

He's used it to look at the milk from the cows his parents raise. Though the milk looks creamy, the Foldscope reveals a world of microorganisms. "It has to be boiled and cooled before we can drink it," he says. "The Foldscope taught me that the world we see around us can be very different than what we assume. It's like having a third eye."  

The 8-year-old is talking about a device that is a fully functional paper microscope.

Everything you need to construct the Foldscope comes in a pouch: a sheet of paper with four main parts to punch out to build the microscope. They're waterproof and tear-resistant — it's a similar paper to that used for currency notes.

The main part of the Foldscope is one long sheet of paper. Half of this is blue (that's the front portion) and the other half is yellow (which you fold to become the back of the foldscope). Magnets stick to each end, holding front and back together. There's a lens in the pouch — and a hole to indicate where it should go.

Once assembled the Foldscope is the size of a bookmark. It's small enough to fit in a pocket and can magnify up to 140 times.

Each unit costs around $2 to make. Foldscopes are offered for free to kids in lower income countries; various upgraded models with extras are sold as well, earning money for the charitable endeavor.

The Foldscope is the invention of MacArthur genius grant winner, Manu Prakash, and his colleague Jim Cybulski. It made its debut ten years ago. And as young Hariraj observes, it is a game-changer.

The inspiration came when Prakash, 44, was growing up in the northern Indian city of Meerut. Now an associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University, he recalls an afternoon in Grade 6 when he and his classmates were stumped by a single test question.

"We were asked to draw a microscope," he says. "None of us could because we just hadn't seen one."

much more of this story at the link!

[novlr]

Could you please give some tips to maintain flow and pacing in fiction writing?

Before diving into the tips, let’s briefly define what we mean by flow and pacing:

Flow

Flow is the smooth progression of ideas, scenes, and events in your story. It includes:

Logical development of ideas and themes.

Seamless transitions between scenes.

Natural event sequencing.

Organic character development.

Well-timed information reveals.

Appropriate emotional progression.

Getting the flow right immerses readers in the story so they can easily follow the narrative. It’s the invisible thread that unifies all aspects of your writing, ensuring each element contributes to the whole.

Pacing

Pacing refers to the speed at which your story unfolds and how quickly (or slowly) you reveal information to the reader. It’s a vital element of any narrative that affects the rhythm and tension. Effective pacing keeps readers engaged, controls the emotional impact of your story, and helps maintain momentum.

The most important considerations in pacing include:

Story rhythm: The overall tempo of your narrative can vary from fast-paced and thrilling to slow and contemplative.

Information reveals: How and when you disclose plot points, character backstories, and world-building details to your readers.

Tension and release: The balance between building suspense and providing resolution or relief.

Scene and chapter length: The structure of your story at both micro and macro levels can affect how quickly readers progress through your narrative.

Narrative focus: What you choose to emphasise in your story and how much time you spend on different elements (e.g., action, dialogue, description, introspection).

Both these elements play together to create an immersive and entertaining experience for readers, so it’s important to get them right. But how, exactly, do you do that? Here are some tips!

Vary sentence structure and length

One of the most effective ways to maintain flow and control pacing is by varying your sentence structure and length. This technique helps create rhythm in your prose and prevents monotony. Here’s how:

Mix short, punchy sentences with longer, more complex ones.

Use sentence fragments for emphasis or to quicken the pace.

Use compound and complex sentences to slow things down and add depth.

Start sentences with different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives) to keep things interesting (academic writing will tell you not to start a sentence with “and” or “but”, but I’m here to tell you it’s fine to break those rules!)

Use paragraph breaks strategically

Paragraph breaks are often overlooked but are a powerful tool for controlling the flow and pacing of your story. They provide visual cues to the reader and can be used to emphasise certain story points or create suspense.

Use shorter paragraphs to increase tension and quicken the pace.

Use longer paragraphs for descriptive passages or to slow things down.

Create single-sentence paragraphs for dramatic effect or to highlight important information.

Master the art of transitions

Smooth transitions between scenes, ideas, and events are essential for maintaining flow in your writing. They help guide the reader through your story without jarring interruptions.

Use transitional phrases or words (e.g., “meanwhile,” “later that day,” “across town”) sparingly. Clarity is best, but it’s easy to overuse them and turn them into crutch words.

Use sensory details to bridge scenes (e.g., describing a sound that carries over from one scene to the next).

Let your characters’ actions or thoughts link different parts of your story.

Create thematic connections between scenes or chapters.

Balance action and downtime

A well-paced story strikes a balance between action-packed scenes and moments of introspection or character development. This balance helps maintain reader interest while giving your narrative necessary depth.

Follow intense action scenes with quieter moments of reflection.

Use introspective passages to build tension before action sequences.

Weave character thoughts and feelings into action scenes for added depth and character development.

Avoid long stretches of either pure action or pure introspection, as it can be either overwhelming, exhausting, or boring for readers to have too much of the same tone.

Control the flow of information

How and when you reveal information to the reader is a critical aspect of pacing. Carefully controlling the release of information can create suspense, maintain mystery, and keep readers engaged.

Use foreshadowing to hint at future events without giving everything away.

Employ flashbacks judiciously to provide backstory without disrupting the main narrative.

Reveal character motivations gradually throughout the story.

Create mini-mysteries or subplots to maintain reader interest between major plot points.

Use dialogue effectively

Dialogue always seems easy, but it’s difficult to do well. But when it is done well, it’s a powerful tool for controlling pacing and maintaining flow in your story. It can quicken the pace, provide character development, and convey important information.

Use short, snappy exchanges to increase tension and pace.

Write longer conversations for character development or to slow things down.

Intersperse dialogue with action beats to maintain flow and provide context.

Vary dialogue tags and consider using action instead of tags to avoid repetition.

Create a rhythm with scene structure

The structure of your scenes can greatly impact the flow and pacing of your story. By varying scene length and intensity, you can create a rhythm that keeps your story moving smoothly.

Alternate between long and short scenes to create variety.

Use scene breaks or chapter endings to create cliffhangers and maintain suspense.

Vary the intensity of scenes, following high-tension moments with calmer ones.

Consider the overall arc of your story when structuring scenes, building towards climactic moments.

Show, don’t tell

It’s the most common writing advice for a reason. And it all boils down to using sensory language to enhance a reader’s experience. It turns a list of plot points into a story. Sensory details can enhance flow and pacing by immersing readers in the world you’ve created. However, it’s also important to use them wisely. It’s not about showing everything but showing what you need to at the right time for the best effect.

Use vivid sensory details during important moments to slow down time and increase impact.

Use brief sensory descriptions to quickly set the scene without disrupting pacing.

Choose specific, evocative details rather than providing exhaustive descriptions.

Vary the senses you appeal to, not just relying on visual descriptions.

Mini info-dumps work

Knowing when to summarise events or passages of time is often overlooked, but it’s an important part of pacing your story. While in general info-dumping is frowned on, sometimes it’s a necessary part of plotting. Not every moment needs to be shown in real time; sometimes, a brief summary can help move the story along.

Use short info-dumps for less important events or time passages.

Info-dumps can bridge gaps between key scenes.

Combine an info-dump with scene-specific details to make it feel more natural.

[fxirybun]

🍡 PAC: script shifting scenarios with your DR s/o + mini moodboards

INTRO

hey there my fellow shifters ! i have a sweet treat that i'm about to offer to you all which was already stated in the title above ^^ if you're currently struggling with writing your script or experiencing writer's block , this post is meant for you ꒰◍ˊ◡ˋ꒱੭⁾⁾  i included some mini moodboards to help you visualize the scenarios.

i would like to thank the person who gave me this suggestion ^^ hopefully they get to see this post <3

READ ME

this is a shift-related pick-a-card reading. DR means “desired reality” whilst s/o means “significant other”. scripting is a useful tool that allows shifters to write down their intentions and add some specific details about themselves and the reality they want to enter.

this is a collective reading ! take what resonates and leave what doesn't. i cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. take the pac reading lightly ჱ̒ ｰ̀֊ｰ́ )

ෆ⸒⸒ pile one🍦

these scenarios can be adapted however you like to fit the connection and dynamic you imagine with your DR s/o. it's also great for visualizing deeper moments and building a strong emotional link to that reality !

01 THE COZY CAFÉ DATE

you and your DR s/o are sitting in a cozy , dimly lit café with warm beverages as you and your DR s/o's order. the weather outside is cool , maybe it’s raining outside due to how cloudy the sky is , similar to london weather. the two of you are both wrapped in scarves and sweaters. there's soft music that plays in the background as you and your DR s/o exchange stories about childhood memories and plans for the future.

SELF-MADE QUOTES : "nothing feels warmer than the presence of your soul residing next to me".

02 STARGAZING ADVENTURE

it's a clear night outside and how you and your DR s/o are both planning to drive out to a secluded hill , a field of flowers / plants, or hanging out at the seashore. with a blanket that is spread out , you lie together with them , pointing out the constellations that you saw from the night sky , making wishes on shooting stars , and talking about the vastness of the universe , while feeling deeply connected between you and your DR s/o.

SELF-MADE QUOTES : "the stars are indeed beautiful but i'm only , i'm only looking at you're glimmering eyes whilst you're admiring the night sky".

03 COOKING MEALS TOGETHER

in a warm , sun-filled kitchen , you and your DR s/o are cooking a meal together. inside the kitchen room, you can hear laughter as you playfully argue about how much spice your DR s/o added , maybe a little flour fight breaks out between the two of you. at the end of the cooking session , you both enjoy the meal that you and your DR s/o prepared. there's candlelight on the table , making a toast to the simple joys of life.

SELF-MADE QUOTES : "“we stirred up more than just a meal—laughter , love , and the kind of joy that fills both the heart and the table”.

EXTRAS : anime world , power / influence (being famous , rich , has authority , strong connection with people of high social status) , grumpy x sunshine , with people around you , magical / supernatural , idol world (kpop , jpop , cpop , etc.) , surprise / unplanned / not much is being scripted , introvert x introvert dynamic , erotic , heart , dragonfly , moon , horse , bicycle.

ෆ⸒⸒ pile two 🍵

these scenarios can be adapted however you like to fit the connection and dynamic you imagine with your DR s/o. it's also great for visualizing deeper moments and building a strong emotional link to that reality !

01 A LAZY MORNING IN BED

it's a slow weekend morning. the sunlight coming from the outside streams in through the window , and you and your DR s/o both lie in bed , wrapped up in each other's presence. there's no rush in trying to get up—just sleepy conversation , giving soft kisses , and cuddling whilst the world outside stays still. maybe or perhaps you can even make breakfast together afterward.

SELF-MADE QUOTES : “no need to chase the day when every moment here feels like forever”.

02 A ROAD TRIP WITH NO DESTINATION

you and your DR s/o both decided to take an impromptu road trip together. the windows are up , music coming from the radio is blasting , and how the wind is brushing through your hair. you knew that there was no fixed destination as to where the two of you were going , just an adventure to look forward to. you and them stop at random spots—a small-town diner , a beautiful lookout point , or a quirky roadside attraction whilst creating memories along the way.

SELF-MADE QUOTES : "with no map to guide us , the open road became our compass , and how each stop is an unexpected chapter.”

03 DANCING IN THE LIVING ROOM

on a quiet evening inside the living room , one of your favorite songs comes on from the speaker. without saying a word , your DR s/o pulls you into a dance. you feel as if the rest of the world fades away and time slowly stops as you move together in perfect harmony , lost in each other’s eyes. the warmth of their embrace envelops you , creating a bubble where only the two of you and the music exist. each gentle sway feels like a promise for a lifetime.

SELF-MADE QUOTES : “we both dance in silence , lost in each other’s gaze , turning a simple moment into an eternal memory.”

EXTRAS : adventure , tragedy , booktok / book world , superhero / villain , thriller / horror , comic book world , magical / supernatural , alone , mythology , fairy , horse , starfish / star , mermaid / siren , anchor.

ෆ⸒⸒ pile three 🍫

these scenarios can be adapted however you like to fit the connection and dynamic you imagine with your DR s/o. it's also great for visualizing deeper moments and building a strong emotional link to that reality !

01 CAMPING UNDER THE STARS

you find yourself in a serene forest by a lake , camping with your DR s/o. after setting up a tent , you decided to sit by the fire roasting marshmallows , sharing stories , and how laughter can be heard. the crackling flames and the gentle rustle of leaves create a soothing backdrop for your connection. later on , you and your DR s/o fall asleep , feeling safe in each other's presence. in those moments , the worries of the world fade away , leaving only the warmth of love and the beauty of the stars above.

SELF-MADE QUOTES : "under a starlit sky , “By the firelight, laughter echoed in the serene forest, as we held each other close, wrapped in love and the magic of a starlit night.”

02 CELEBRATING A SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT

you just accomplished something important in your DR , whether it’s personal or professional , and how you considered it to be a big milestone for you. Your DR s/o found out about this exciting news and decided to surprise you with a small celebration—a homemade dinner , a handwritten letter , or maybe just their heartfelt words of pride and love for the person they love which is you. this moment feels special for the two of you.

SELF-MADE QUOTES : "your support in my achievement made the victory sweeter , but it’s your love that makes every moment feel truly complete.”

03 A DREAM VACATION

you and your DR s/o are about to embark on a vacation to your dream destination. wether this location or trip to a tropical beach , a walk in a european city, or staying in a mountain cabin. you found yourself immersed in spending days exploring , taking a quick relaxation , and even discovering new things with them. there are moments of awe at observing the beautiful landscapes , and feeling connected to the world. your Dr s/o decided to take you to a quiet , romantic dinner with a breathtaking view , making the vacation feel more magical.

SELF-MADE QUOTES : “with every step we take , the world whispers its beauty , but it’s your gaze that holds the most radiant horizon.”

EXTRAS : shoujo , main waiting room , superstar life (singer , dancer , music-related , famous) , surpise / unplanned / not much is being scripted , fan-fiction / au , platonic soulmates (friends , siblings , family , etc.) , slice of life , josei , sci-fi , squirrel , rose , tree , moon , star.

[morlock-holmes]

On the one hand the "environmental justice" and similar framing probably did make stuff like that sewage program more of a partisan target than it should've been. On the other hand ... come on, man, are you really going to make this into the fault of the left for not playing the right language games? Do you honestly think there was any way of packaging a program that mostly benefits poor black people in Alabama that would save it from conservatives now or in the past?

Honestly I don't think so, no.

But I think that culturally, a lot of ordinary left-leaning people had no idea that there was this constantly building demand for Republican Wokeness.

Left-wingers tend to think of standpoint epistemology stuff, or various kinds of language policing, as a kind of consolation prize for minorities in an economically and legally subordinate position. Scouring grant proposals for non-inclusive language, pointing out microagressions, asking people to defer to your lived experience, these are tools for non-dominant minorities to begin to build the case for economic and legal equality. The dominant majority doesn't need those things, the idea that the dominant majority would be jealous of those tools and want to use them is absurd.

But like, years ago I noticed that a lot of people who were into Gamergate thought of it primarily as a cultural appropriation scandal; these outsiders are simultaneously calling us ugly, petty savages and trying to make money off of the culture we built. There was a little scandal about the live-action Little Mermaid casting a black actress and I never found another left-winger who understood that part of the impetus was to satirize #ownvoices. I mean, shouldn't a story that is so closely linked to the culture of Denmark be told by people of that background?

I think to a very large extent left-wing culture in the US was totally unprepared for that kind of jealousy. Because they sort of thought of themselves as underdogs it was really hard to process the idea that right-wing culture contained a ton of people who desperately wanted to be underdogs in the same way, who didn't view those things as scraps left over by the powerful, but instead thought of it as what power looks like.

And so now we have the fucking Politically Correct Right in charge, scouring grant proposals for non-inclusive language and creating an environment of fear where everybody feels they have to toe the political line or get fired.

This is not the fault of the left, but to a large extent a lot of left-wing culture has been caught flatfooted by this phenomenon because they didn't see it coming at all. They don't understand where the psychological impulse comes from and so they have trouble understanding how to fight against it.

[makingqueerhistory]

Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice

Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

In this collection of essays, Lambda Literary Award-winning writer and longtime activist and performance artist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha explores the politics and realities of disability justice, a movement that centers the lives and leadership of sick and disabled queer, trans, Black, and brown people, with knowledge and gifts for all. Care Work is a mapping of access as radical love, a celebration of the work that sick and disabled queer/people of color are doing to find each other and to build power and community, and a tool kit for everyone who wants to build radically resilient, sustainable communities of liberation where no one is left behind. Powerful and passionate, Care Work is a crucial and necessary call to arms.

(Affiliate links above)

[wehavekookies]

Dear Kooks, do you have some tips to play D&D alone or some solo RPG? I want to play it so bad, I have a lot of characters sheets ready because I’m so excited, but none of my friends are interested. If you know and could tell me is there some online platform to discover groups to play?

Thanks always!

Hello!

(First of all I need to start posting a bit more about solo rpgs and solo gaming in general cos I gathered some really cool materials and games over last months, so thank You for reminding me of that. Just need some more free time but it's coming, oh it's coming)

I don't have experience playing specifically DnD solo, but I know there are tools for it people recommend. The GeekGamers YouTube channel has TONS (and i say it both as an encouragement and as a warning, because it can be a bit overwhelming) of advice materials, also regarding soloing DnD and solo roleplaying in general. She also wrote a book on solo gaming called Solo Game Master's Guide which if I recall correctly has a chapter on DnD specifically as well. I know people are recommending Mythic Game Master Emulator as a good tool, but I haven't personally tried it yet.

What I can recommend tho is... Ironsworn (check the link, the pdf for the first main game is free). I have been playing it solo recently and I find it very fun and satisfying. It's a system based on Powered by the Apocalypse rules framework, so not that close to DnD rules, but if you are looking for a solo rp with some more rules structure I recommend taking a look at this game because it is designed specifically for solo playing (but it can be co-oped and GMed too). You can alter the world of the game freely (and the author encourages you to do that) or use the rules in existing setting, so you can adjust it to your liking (tho i do encourage you to try the setting offered by the book first, together with its world creation process: 1) it's very cool, 2) you will get a grip of the rules in their natural environment)

I found I need a couple of additional oracle tables aside of the ones the book has, but these you can pick up as you go according to your needs, there is plenty online, and a lot of free ones too. Other than that everything you need you have in the free book.

I also recommend taking a look at some actual play of an Ironsworn game (or other games, you can find some examples of actual solo plays on GeekGamers channel too) to get a bit of an idea how people think about running a solo session and how they build a story on their own, and perhaps taking something away from it for yourself. For Ironsworn specifically I super enjoy and highly recommend The Bad Spot podcast. It has several seasons of Ironsworn: Starforge game (Ironsworn's younger brother set in space, but the rules and the idea of how the game runs are basically the same) but also some loose talks about solo gaming in general.

OTHER THAN THAT: I encourage you to look around and see what the solo gaming scene has to offer. There is so many interesting games (some with more rules structure, but also journaling games, choose your own adventure-like games, solo hacks for existing systems, and more etc etc, a whole new world to discover really), it's worth checking regardless of having a group to play with or not. I will try to get back to posting more actively on these topics, cos there is a lot of stuff I would love to share, so fingers crossed I won't get distracted lol.

Cheers!

[puddlestories]

Traditional Complications

Four x GN (no gendered pronouns or description)

Idea: some head-canons on the different ways Hylian affection may be different to us humans, as well as a small fic: you and Four clearly like each other, however, due to the courting expectations in Hyrule, it may be a bit more complicated than you expected.

CW: mentions of injury but no description, courting expectations, lack of historical accuracy despite attempts /lh, inspired by other writers.

8.4k words; not proof-read

Starting off at the basics, it’s important to display what type of time period we would currently be in: it’s stated as part of the Zelda wiki that the series is most likely be set within the medieval periods within Western Europe, so I’ll bring details of this into the writing for some world building. Specifically, the courting ideas will be based on middle and late medieval periods.

For certain boys their jobs can have different impacts on their quality of life, for example, for Four, being a blacksmith would have held him in a respected position within his village, being extremely important to the crafting of tools and weapons. Living within the borders of Castle Town, he’d be considered as more of an urban blacksmith meaning a much more likely demand for guilds/ military needs, meaning more demand for, still, weapons, but also armour, though this would likely be more specialised- already seen by how Four focuses primarily on weapons and likely tools, though I like to believe his grandfather was likely armourer considering his respect from the crown themselves, paired by his son’s high position among the knights as a Captain.

Now, a captain of knights could be seen as either a Lord or a man promoted to his position, not necessarily a separate rank; within our medieval knowledge this would basically mean that this could be a similar pay grade to the other knights but increased respect within social circles, especially considering he has links to the crown, enough so that his son is even Princess Zelda’s friend. Whether Link’s father is a Lord or simply a knight, their household is certainly not struggling for money: Grandpa Smith would have been a skilled labourer and received what would be close to a payment when he stopped his service, especially if stopped due to injury, Father getting a skilled labourer’s wage for being a knight, and then Four earning both for whichever career path he chose, plus both if we follow my head-canons that the colours gain their own jobs and interests- Blue and Green definitely becoming knights, Blue possibly even following his father and becoming a Captain or even higher, training the new recruits.

Plus if we go medieval England then we can argue further about his Lordship, considering the title of Lord could be gifted to high-ranking military or was even used when gifting land to those who were trusted and in allegiance to the crown, aka the title of Lord simply meaning you were close with or served the crown, as well as usually owning land, for example the feudal system. This also adds reason for why Link may have possibly been able to become friends with Zelda, not necessarily for an arranged marriage as children but possibly a power alliance between the Lord and King, especially if the Lord was a trusted solider in a time of unrest. This also adds to the idea of Vaati creating chaos/ unrest and how the King had such military power despite the small size of Castle Town (also how Castle Town earnt its name of holding the King’s castle since other members of the feudal system where able to have castles), having military families in nearby or surrounding land, and how he had the ability to make Link such a wanted man, betrayal of the crown.

Before I get carried away with these ideas, I shall simply separate into sections of how being the son of a Lord (for simplicity), a blacksmith and a Hero may differently affect his levels and standards of courting, but more specifically the social expectations.

If Four himself was to be a Lord or high-ranked knight, then there is immediately an expectation among other Lords and Ladies that the person he was to marry would be someone able to help manage the land and possible settlements along that land, as well as other outward pressures that don’t hold as much meaning to you nor Four, such as social status and what your union could bring to benefit the land and family, something that is only a shallow reason among nobility for those who would want to benefit from your family or any possible children. Four’s actual family however is very accepting, his grandfather at least, a few issues stemming from Four’s attitude from his adventure creating a small rift during his early teens of attitude and teamwork expectations to become a knight also applying into his title, a young, very cocky lad spoilt with love who wanted to prove himself but expressed it the wrong way, however, those issues are fixed now- so if you met as children then his father would worry about his behaviour, however, as adults he’s very happy about his sons’ development and how you make them/ him happy, he understands the pressures and is willing to protect you both.

As a Lord, he would have access to a far greater amount of money, likely starting his courtship being taught to set an expectation of how he can provide and be a better man, to set himself higher than the rest, meaning you would likely be given very expensive gifts such as jewellery with large gems, dangling chains whether separate or as part of clothes, soft and rich fabrics such as purple dyed clothing and silks from distant lands, including many hand laced items such as laced sleeves or a smaller favour such as a handkerchief (plus although they weren’t too common in this time period, I’d love the idea of him commissioning a hand fan for you made of lace to match your nicest outfit).

If Four remained in his role as a blacksmith, taking over the business from his grandfather, some of the colours following in their father’s steps and becoming knights, then he would be solely free to do as he wished to pursue you within your own boundaries. He would be a very busy man fulfilling the requirements of the royal guard and private guild requests and commissions, but he would be able to provide you with a good and secure life, especially even in retirement later in life. As a smith, I see him taking days away from the forge as a blessing to be shared with you, taking you on many more nature dates and walks, exploring areas together and bringing you back rare of simply pretty flora or rocks that remind him of you.

As a Hero, Four would have many eyes looking over him and his actions, one may think he’d have freedom of choice having connection to the crown, but he is partially pinned- freedom of money and experience across Hyrule and connections but not time nor space from society. However, even with all his new-found insecurities and restrictions, especially if you’ve been together since you were young and saw his life before, he wants to prove his love and devotion to you, and shall show it every way, and every moment he can.

I’ve heard of scenarios of receiving a blade from your significant other as a sign of marriage or to begin a courtship and I can certainly see this being part of a custom but more in the way that you are given an object of significance, or protection. Now, wedding rings can hold this same meaning, signifying a union between you both or even simply showing someone’s wealth and ability to provide. Other examples of a gift may include: a hand-crafted gift for physical meaning, a gift showing how one may provide or have financial security such as demonstrating their land (e.g. a cow, or goods from a farm), providing material means, deeds for a house or upgrade etc. Other methods are forms of protection, such as a blade, enchanted item such as jewellery or a bounty from a monster etc. Basically, something that can provide the metaphorical or physical meaning of: I love you, I can protect and provide for you.

For Four specifically the idea of forging a blade specifically for you, with metal engravings and a custom sheath, crafted lovingly and with a lot of stress and perfectionism, is very fitting, however, I also see him acknowledging our human customs and trying his hand at silversmithing and trying to craft you a ring to the engrave though it would be a simple metal band, gems too out of his skill level but the thought very much there. Another act of strength and “look at me” energy from him, but not specifically as an offering of marriage or to begin the courtship is for him to kill many monsters during his adventure in front of you or to attempt to beat the boys at different skills, fights, and to basically flaunt himself etc.

Medieval ages were very religious, which I can, luckily, easily apply into Hyrule, whether casual faith or devoted religion through the fact that Hylia, Demise, the Triforce goddesses (Farore, Din and Nayru), and sages are very common legends and stories told throughout all of their history from Skyloft to the Wilds- statues, glass window art, paintings and stories passed among generations. In a way we could even believe that there are certain people who believe in smaller deities in comparison, for example the Fierce Deity and Majora existed so someone must have believed in them, even if eons ago, so there will be other, my main idea is that there would be people who see the stories of Hylia’s descendants and Heroes as deities, considering their stories are foretold through the ages as a prophecy, appearing in their time of need to save Hyrule, the same soul reincarnating, or the Goddesses bestowing their blessings in the forms of people or the Triforce etc. the story changing between each family or smaller group of worship circles.

I don’t personally see Four as a religious individual, especially not towards the Goddesses or any deity, but more so a respect towards previous heroes, especially the Hero of Men, a large stained glass memorial hidden away within a wing of the castle that once acted as a chapel or gallery, a place where he found comfort in his troubles, at the peak of when he had doubts and wished to prove himself. (A piece I love from the artist @kaenith for years)

Castle Town itself doesn’t have a chapel nor a statue used for worship, however, they do have sages and the Four Swords Sanctuary, so whilst it may not be a place for a wedding for others within the town, it may have been a place for the both of you, even if not a proper wedding then at least of moment of the day spent there due to its significance.

Now, slightly unrelated but because I love the head-canons of Hylian’s expressing affection differently, (especially this piece by @the-moon-files though please be warned it does have a NSFW section) so:

The idea of Hylian ears being extremely intimate is already an idea I’ve had and seen reciprocated throughout the fandom, just everyone wants to touch their elf ears and make these lads a mess, plus it links nicely into the fact that it is canon that Hylian’s believe that the shape of their ears is so that they can be sensitive enough to hear the whispers of the Goddesses, to deliver their message. Due to this they could also be seen as a religious symbol.

It’s already a massive demonstration of trust to give a vulnerable part of yourself to someone by allowing them to touch that part of yourself, especially if we get a little bit freaky of nibbling their ears but that’s far more marriage material, so to add a spiritual importance to that makes it even better, the fact you’re trusted with their literal gift from the Goddess themselves.

There aren’t too many situations where someone may accidentally touch another’s ears aside from fixing their hair or a hat, or any other item of clothing; maybe even washing their hair or face if you’re already close. So, with moon’s example of cupping their ears to protect from the cold, I’d like to add in those adorable earmuffs/ covers I’ve seen drawn, so instead you’re helping them adjust the fabric or tie their ribbon whilst their hands are too shaky from the cold.

Immediate bright red face, hands pausing for a moment, they know it’s an accident and considering your own different ears and the fact you’ve already shown many cultural differences, which I’ll also expand on, that it’s unlikely you know what you’ve done, especially if you give no apology nor general reaction; later on if you knew you’d ask permission to help and then apologise at even the slightest touch.

Another example of when apologies may need to be given involves when meeting with certain roles and titles, the most likely example being knights within towns or Princess Zelda herself when attending meetings with the chain as formal measures would be expected in front of the court when asking council of the princess to discuss the black blooded monsters. Meeting the princess and forgetting to bow, take a knee or place your hands in certain positions depending on the custom, especially avoiding eye contact as a sign of respect since for humans we are taught differently.

Linking back to our medieval theme, it also wouldn’t be too common to have certain casual touches without an established relationship, relationships including friendship, not just romantic, but it would be very funny if the others in the group believed that you both were courting and took you both on chaperoned walks to spend time together. Just imagine Time or Warriors, even Legend, walking slightly behind you both as you talk, trying not to listen but having heartfelt concern and dedication of wanting you both to be happy and work- this may even be during the group hikes, you both walking further back but always having someone else at the rear of the group, the others further forward to give everyone space.

When it comes to the other’s reactions within the group it all comes down to two scenarios: Four discusses among the group for advice about what to do and how to approach you and whether you like him, and then the other, Four tells no one of his wishes to court you out of either embarrassment or a wish to maintain a form of “dignity” (he’s just shy) and, therefore, they see your actions and assume you’re both courting and possibly trying to keep quiet about it, ensue the chaperoning and wingman-ship.

The afternoon sun filtered through the canopy of leaves overhead, casting dappled shadows across the worn forest path, small pebbles and trampled grass leaving only bare dirt in a man-made pathway through the trees, the occasional wooden stumps and parallel lines in the soil showing where carts had made space to travel before you. You adjusted the strap of your small pack, still a reasonably small size of a small satchel, but large enough within after some very helpful magical enhancements by Legend, feeling the weight shift more comfortably against your shoulder, the thin leather strap no longer digging into your shoulder. It’d taken you six months of daily talks and bonding with the men in front of you, one by your side and another behind to learn and acknowledge their titles as heroes throughout timelines, the trust between you all now solid, now the status bestowed upon you of being another key member within the group despite your lack of belonging to this world, only having been brought here by powers and circumstances out of your control. Traveling together on this sprawling quest, destinations unplanned and unknown to you all until brought upon you, you had found yourself among them, developing skills and knowledge valuable enough to warrant inclusion and importance, especially with the added advantage of applying knowledge of your own world into this, whilst advanced in magic, more medieval style land you’ve been place in.

Your gaze drifted forward to where the others walked in loose formation, Time led at the front, his tall frame and commanding presence a natural vanguard, ironically reinforced with a more sentimental reassurance of concern and protection by his wife's scarf fluttering at his neck as he consulted occasionally with Twilight beside him. Despite the warm sun, a cold chill had picked up as the afternoon progressed, not warranting many extra layers, but a small, simple comfort to the older man, similar to your own short, thin cape, lovingly provided by Four beside you- formerly Roc’s cape, though he said he held no need for it, your own comfort more important to him. Warriors and Wind followed, the former regaling the younger hero with what was surely an embellished tale of one of his conquests, if Wind's sceptical expressions were anything to go by at least, until Wind gained a smirk of his own chin falling over his shoulder as he told his own tales, the Captain’s face now scrunched at his brow. Unlike the others Sky, Hyrule and Wild walked together in a comfortable silence, the latter occasionally pointing out edible plants or animal tracks; Legend strode alone, slightly apart, his pink-tinged hair beautifully bright against the forest greens but he still held a smile overhearing the occasional comment from Wild or outburst from the two in blue further in front.

Then, behind them all, there was Four.

Four walked just a few paces ahead of you, occasionally looking over his shoulder to engage in a conversation with you, though it felt much more like checking in, which was very sweet, you’d see his eyes a familiar violet shade that seemed to shift hues depending on how the light caught it- sometimes you swore his iris would flash red, blue, green, or violet in quick succession, much different that his usual slow rolling wave of colours. His movements were measured and precise, his squire training and days with his father spent as a knight shining through in small ways, even in something as mundane as walking telling the story of his life and what different lives you both have led. There was something slightly different yet still mesmerising about his movements, only now noticeable to you after your previous discussions of his adventure and what it entailed for him physically, as though four different minds had to deliberately think and vote on the most efficient way to place each foot to maintain a steady gait and façade. Something was troubling him mentally to the point it was affecting his coordination, and it wasn’t due to a portal, the last one you’d seen being over six days ago.

Later down the trail came a different issue: behind you both walked Sky, who had drifted back from his conversation with Wild when he noticed the two of you falling behind, his presence was both comforting and frustrating, acting as a silent chaperone to interactions that never quite crossed into the territory you both seemed to be circling.

"We should reach the village by sundown," Four said, glancing back at you with those striking eyes that seemed to hold more colours than should be possible, before releasing a groan as he recalled a moment from earlier in the day “assuming we don't encounter any more of those moblins from this morning."

"I hope so," you replied with a laugh at his theatrics, quickening your pace slightly to walk beside him rather than your previous position of being slightly behind, "I'm not sure my boots can take another day of this terrain in their state."

Four's gaze dropped to your feet, more so to your worn leather boots, what should have lasted you years with the thick leather and skilled craftsmanship but instead where beginning to fray at the seams after a bad trip through Death Mountain the week previous in Wild’s world, the vast temperature difference wreaking havoc on your gear’s lifespan. "The stitching on the left one is starting to give way, I could repair it for you tonight, if you'd like,” his eyes twinkling at the opportunity to do something helpful for you, to prove himself useful even though he’d done far more than that each day, “I have some tools and thick thread in my pack."

The offer sent a flutter through your chest that you tried desperately to suppress, everyone was aware that Four's craftsmanship was legendary, quite literally pun intended, you’d be silly to deny such a thing, the grandson of a renounced smith who trained him, as well as his own work known across Hyrule, working with those of high status in Castle Town and even the crown personally. Having him personally tend to your boots would be both practical and, in a strange sense you couldn’t truly describe, intimate, in a way that made your cheeks warm- possibly it was the way that he’d offered so quickly to help you or the unknown vulnerability of him handling your footwear of which you relied on heavily for your travels, your comfort in his hands and a trust you shouldn’t need, stories of creeps tingling quietly in the far back of your mind, the information not needed here, this was Four, you trusted him not to even think of such a boundary crossing act, never mind enact it.

"That's very kind," you answered, perhaps a beat too late, caught up in thought and a slight daze looking into his eyes, “but I wouldn't want to impose."

"It's no issue, truly," he tried to reassure you without need, Four's voice was soft but certain, he began to speak again but hesitated, glancing back at Sky who was pretending not to listen to your small conversation, though his slightly reddened ears gave him away. "I enjoy working with my hands, it helps me think."

You wondered what thoughts needed sorting in that complex mind of his- more than once, you'd caught him seemingly arguing with himself in hushed tones, his expressions cycling through emotions rapid-fire before settling into composed neutrality when he noticed anyone watching.

"Then I gratefully accept," you said, offering a smile that you hoped conveyed just the right amount of appreciation without revealing the depth of your feelings, you still weren’t too sure on Hylian customs and didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, especially your first incident of trying to help Wild tie his hair and learning instead a lesson of Hylian affection, calmly taught to you by Time, Wild and Hyrule adding in his own ways of learning in his different Hyrule as a reassurance you didn’t do wrong, all the men very delicate with your feelings especially if you panicked and cried under pressure.

Four returned the smile, brief but genuine, before his attention was drawn to Legend, who had stopped ahead and was squinting at something in the distance.

"Hold," Time called back, his voice carrying without shouting, a skill you'd always envied though made a lot of sense when trying to command without alerting possible dangers, he gave you more light-hearted ammunition for dad jokes every day. The group halted, hands instinctively moving to weapons.

"There's a strange light beyond those trees," Legend reported, pointing to a shimmering distortion about fifty yards ahead.

"Another portal?" Warriors questioned, cautious, his dominant hand already on his sword hilt, the other rested light on Wind’s shoulder, the younger boy also ready to fight with his sword drawn.

Time shook his head as he approached, maintaining his site on the light in question, what now showed itself to be a strange pillar amassed in moss and brambles, with multiple different carvings, a small purple light coming from a thin stream of running water within. "Doesn't have the same aura. Wild, your Sheikah Slate might help identify it, it’s shown it’s knowledge, and your land has proven itself full of strange magics we haven’t seen before."

As Wild moved forward to investigate, Four unconsciously shifted slightly in front of you, not completely blocking you, but positioned such that he could move to protect you if needed. The gesture wasn't overt enough to suggest he thought you incapable, but rather born from instinct; you found yourself feeling touched rather than offended.

"It's Sheikah technology," Wild confirmed after a few, long minutes of scanning the object and consulting his slate, “though, it seems modified in comparison to the pictures in my databases, like it’s corrupted somehow."

"Like the shrines in your Hyrule?" Twilight asked.

"Similar energy signature, but twisted, the lights are usually blue for the Sheikah, orange when left inactive or stationary for too long from what I’ve seen, though some guardians were also orange,” he pondered in a mumble, finishing his statement with a nod, “we should approach with caution, either way."

You felt Sky move closer behind you, an intimidating presence when paired with the straight look upon his face, his hand now resting on the divine sword at his hip, a small light pulsing from within at his touch, the spirit within dousing the imminent area for possible danger, talking to the man. The three of you- you, Four, and Sky- had somehow formed a unit within the larger group over the past weeks; it hadn't been intentional, but traveling together had a way of revealing natural alignments.

"Perhaps I should take a closer look," you suggested, aware of your particular talents for magical assessment, or more so your ability to identify and feel which era certain technology came from, your current view obstructed by the shrubbery before you, the swirl of forest magic strong within the aged trees, unable to compare to the images you’d seen of the shrines at this distance, though, they didn’t need to know that part, you smiled. "If it's corrupted technology, I might be able to see what's wrong with it whilst Fi gets a closer radius to sense anything, too."

Four turned to you, his expression carefully controlled, an attempt at a mask of control, heroic bravery, courage, but you caught the flicker of concern in his eyes as well as a brighter swirl of red and violet directly around his pupil before settling back to their usual evenly mixed hue.

"It could be dangerous," he said, his tone measured.

"Everything we do is dangerous," you countered gently, you knew he was concerned, you weren’t meant to be in this mess of heroes, but you could help, and help you would, "but this is why I'm here, isn't it- my sensitivity to magical fluctuations? Let me be useful to you," you whispered, leaning slightly into his space to transfer the message.

Four looked like he wanted to argue but couldn't find a logical reason to do so. His protective instinct was battling with his respect for your abilities- he trusted you too, besides, you’d more than proved yourself and your knowledge during this adventure. "I'll go with you," he finally said, a compromise that seemed to satisfy the warring expressions that had briefly crossed his face.

Sky cleared his throat softly behind you. "I'll accompany you both. Three sets of eyes are better than two."

The implication was clear, he would maintain his role as chaperone, even in the face of potential danger- the customs around courtship in Sky's era were more formal than most of the others, and he took his self-appointed duty seriously. You'd never explicitly discussed your growing feelings for Four with Sky, but his gentle presence whenever you and Four were alone together suggested he'd noticed what neither of you had voiced.

As the three of you approached the anomaly with the rest of the group hanging back in strategic positions, Four walked slightly ahead, his four-sword drawn but not raised. You followed close behind, your hands ready to weave the protective spells you'd mastered, while Sky brought up the rear, the Master Sword glowing faintly with its divine light.

The corrupted Sheikah technology looked like a small, vertical shrine partially embedded in the earth, but veins of moss and malevolent purple energy pulsed through what should have been a calm blue light, the carved stone a light grey, bleached from the sun. As you drew closer, a sensation similar, but not exact, like static electricity raised the hair on your arms, like a wild animal approaching from between the trees, hackles raised, the low hum of energy acting as a sharp growl in your bones.

"There's definitely something wrong with it," you murmured, unsettled, "It feels, I can’t describe it properly but... hungry, like cramps of an empty stomach and danger beneath my skin, like I’m light-headed."

Four nodded, his expression intensely focused. "The corruption reminds me of Vaati's magic, when I was at the Four Swords Sanctuary, not the Wind Temple, more like, before he took Zelda, but different; more mechanical."

You knelt down, careful not to touch the object, and began to trace the symbols carved in the stone, your finger weaving through the air, roughly an inch or two away, the air between you thick with static, burning sharp at your hand. With practiced confidence, you began to trace your own sigils into the air, the thick static acting like a soft mould, your indents clear, the diagnostic spell was simple, taught to you by Hyrule, but would tell you more about what you were dealing with.

As your magic connected with the corrupted energy, several things happened at once: the purple veins flared brightly, a high-pitched whine emanated from the device, and a shock wave of energy pulsed outward; Four shouted your name and lunged toward you as Sky called out a warning. In those few seconds of panic at what had occurred and processing your environment and situation, you felt Four's arms wrap around you as he pulled you back, turning his body to shield yours as the wave hit.

In disorientating flashes, the world went stark white, then a void of black, and for a moment, you felt as though you were floating in nothing; then, with jarring suddenness, solid ground returned beneath you, and you found yourself sprawled on the forest floor with Four's weight partially covering you, his arms still protectively positioned around your shoulders.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice tight with concern as he quickly moved off you, though his hands remained on your shoulders.

"I think so," you replied, taking stock of your limbs and finding everything intact, if a bit bruised, though luckily no scratches, you didn’t feel like dealing with a foreign infection today. "What about you? You’re the one who had the brunt of a shockwave hit against your spine, that couldn’t have been good."

"I'm fine," he said, helping you to sit up, his eyes scanned your face intently, as if searching for any sign of injury or possible distress.

It was then, looking around at both Four to ensure he was okay, and at your surroundings to see if the others were okay, that you realised Sky was nowhere to be seen, in fact, none of the other heroes were visible. The forest around you looked similar but subtly different, the light a strange amber hue, the vegetation slightly off in colour and texture from what you could feel of the grass beneath your hands, fingers splayed through an almost velvet feeling.

"Where are the others?" you asked, a tremor of worry in your voice.

Four stood, offering his hand to help you up. "The device must have transported us somewhere, or some-when considering the nature of this adventure, though I’d certainly hope not." His grip lingered on yours a moment longer than necessary before he reluctantly let go to also survey your surroundings.

"Sky was right behind us," you said, turning in a circle, “do you think he was caught in the transport too? I don’t see why not."

Four shook his head slowly. "I'm not sure. I reacted on instinct when I saw the energy building, my only thought was to protect you."

The admission hung in the air between you, weighty with implication. In the absence of the others, particularly your ever-present chaperone, the dynamic between you shifted, becoming charged with possibilities neither of you had allowed yourselves to explore.

"Thank you," you said softly. "For protecting me.” You allowed yourself to suppress to a small blush and a smile to accompany it, you didn’t think he meant to say that part out loud, especially not in such a firm and commanding tone as he did- it was quite attractive if you could say so yourself, especially the dark blush upon his own face.

Four met your gaze, and for once, he didn't look away or temper his expression, “always," he replied simply.

The silence that followed was neither awkward nor comfortable, but expectant, like the pause before a lightning strike, Four took a small step closer to you, then stopped himself, conflict evident in his features.

"We should..." he began, then frowned, as if arguing with himself, “we need to find the others."

With a sharp nod, you agreed, though part of you wished to remain in this moment, suspended between what was and what could be. "But which direction? This forest seems similar but different enough that I can't get my bearings, do we return down the path we followed as a group, that doesn’t seem right, like we’d lose progress or that the others wouldn’t be there."

Four closed his eyes for a moment, and you could almost see the internal dialogue taking place. When he opened them again, they flashed distinctly green before settling.

"This way," he said with surprising certainty, pointing east, “there's a clearing not far from here where we can get a better view of the surroundings."

"How do you know?" you asked, falling into step beside him.

A small, mysterious smile played at his lips. "Let's just say I have different perspectives on the situation."

As you walked together through the strange forest, you found yourselves automatically matching pace, shoulders occasionally brushing, without Sky's watchful presence behind you, the space between you seemed to shrink naturally, as if you were magnets slowly overcoming resistance. It wasn’t anything against Sky, not that his presence wasn’t welcome nor appreciated as a friend, but sometimes, you just needed some time alone, some privacy, even if it went against the standard beliefs, a bit too intimate and private before your courting became official.

"You've never talked much about it," you ventured after several minutes of companionable silence, “the four sword, I mean, and how it affected you."

Four's step faltered slightly, you both knew it was a personal question, perhaps too personal, but the unusual circumstances made you bold, you wanted to know all about him. Wasn’t that the point of a courtship- to get to know each other in preparation for marriage? I f you were to love a man you wanted to love all of him, his positives, his negatives, his charms and his flaws- you wanted him.

"It's,” he hesitated slightly, trying to think of the correct words, what he considered correct, “complicated," he replied, carefully picking his way over a fallen log and offering his hand to help you across. "Imagine having four different versions of yourself, each with their own dominant traits, all trying to agree on every decision."

You placed your hand in his, noting how perfectly it seemed to fit, “that sounds overwhelming." You knew you could have your own overstimulated moments, the idea of a constant panic attack or stimulation episode being even too much to think about, to be in such disharmony with no solution or rest.

"It was, at first," he admitted, not letting go of your hand even after you'd safely crossed the obstacle, "people tell me of how they see us together: Red is emotion, Blue is temperament, Vio is intellect, and Green is... well, he's the leader, I suppose, the balanced one., but we’re far more than that, we’re people of our own, we all hold an important role but we also have far more behind us, what makes us, us."

"And how do you feel now?" you asked, genuinely curious.

Four looked down at your joined hands, seeming to notice for the first time that he hadn't released you, a blush coloured his cheeks, but he didn't pull away.

"All of them. None of them. I've learned to exist as a whole while still honouring their parts," his thumb absently traced a small circle on the back of your hand, “they're all in agreement about some things, though."

Your heart quickened. "Such as?"

Before he could answer, a familiar voice called out from ahead, a shout of your name, followed by Four’s, “praise Hylia, you're both alright!"

Sky emerged from between the trees; relief evident on his face, his tunic was slightly singed at the edges, and a smudge of dirt streaked one cheek, but otherwise, he appeared unharmed.

Four immediately dropped your hand, taking a small step away from you as if the stinging static had returned, the moment, whatever it might have become, had passed, interrupted.

"Sky," you greeted, ignoring the pang of disappointment, yet still happy to see him returned and mostly, hopefully, unharmed, “are you hurt?"

"Just a few scrapes," he assured you, coming to a stop before you both. His eyes flickered briefly to the space between you and Four, now conspicuously wider than it had been moments ago; if he noticed anything amiss, he gave no indication. "The others are just beyond that ridge. The device seems to have transported our entire group to, well, Time believes we're in yet another Hyrule, one none of us has visited before. Legend and Warriors believe it may have been a strange combination of a portal attaching to a similar magic field within that Hyrule, making it instead require activation, most likely the feature of the pillar itself, then into the portal, not simply forming as we would usually expect- it’s quite interesting really, I’ll tell you both more later, the others can add in too"

"Is everyone accounted for?" Four asked, his voice returning to its usual composed tone, though he was unable to hide the light darkened tone across the bone of his cheeks and tips of his pointed ears, lowering towards his collar and partially hidden by his straight hair.

"Yes, though Warriors took a harder hit than the rest of us, Wild is tending to him now." Sky gestured for you both to follow him. "Come, Time wants to regroup and form a plan."

As you moved to follow Sky, Four caught your elbow gently, holding you back for just a moment.

"We'll continue our conversation later," he said softly, his voice carrying a promise, then, louder for Sky's benefit: "watch your step here, the ground is uneven."

Sky glanced back, waiting patiently with that same gentle awareness that had characterised his chaperoning. Four released your arm, fingers lightly tracing against the cuff of your sleeve, but the warmth of his touch lingered as you made your way toward the rest of the group.

The ridge Sky led you to over-looked a vast, unfamiliar landscape, a sprawling field stretched out below, dotted with strange ruins that resembled neither the Sheikah technology of Wild's era nor any ancient civilisation you recognised; in the far distance, a mountain belched ominous red smoke into the sky, while closer at hand, what appeared to be a village huddled near a winding river, currently untainted by the ashes so close by.

The other heroes had established a makeshift camp in a defensible position along the ridge. Time stood surveying the landscape with his good eye, a small white mask cradled within his hand occasionally lifted to his face as he looked back and forth, while Twilight conversed quietly with Legend. Wind was helping Wild tend to Warriors, who sat propped against a tree with a bandage around his head. All looked up as you approached.

"Good, you're safe," Time acknowledged with a nod, “now we're all accounted for."

"Any idea where we are?" Four asked, falling easily back into the role of strategic team member rather than the more vulnerable person who had nearly opened his heart to you in the forest.

"Not exactly," Time replied. "The architecture of those ruins doesn't match any Hyrule I know. Wild thinks some of the plant life resembles species from his time, but further evolved."

"It's as if someone took pieces from all our worlds and stitched them together imperfectly," Legend added, his usual sarcastic tone tempered by genuine concern.

"The corrupted device," you mused aloud. "Could it have transported us to some kind of composite reality?"

"That's our working theory," Twilight confirmed, “the question is how to get back."

As the heroes began to discuss possibilities, you found yourself standing slightly apart, processing not just the bizarre circumstances but also the interrupted moment with Four, you were so lost in thought that you didn't notice him approach until he was beside you.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, his concern evident. "That was a powerful magical surge you were exposed to."

You nodded, not mentioning the fact he too had been exposed, if not to a greater level considering how he’d tried to protect you, but you wouldn’t mention it if he didn’t want you to. "Just trying to make sense of it all. I feel like I was on the verge of understanding something about the corruption before we were transported, like it was telling me something through physical feelings, it’s aura had an imprint of something I couldn’t grasp."

Four studied you with those beautiful kaleidoscopic eyes of his, feeling clear on his face, he never was good at restraining himself, you didn’t mind. "About the device, or about something else entirely?"

The question hung between you, layered with meaning, but before you could respond, Time called everyone together to outline a plan of action.

"We'll make camp here tonight," he decided, “then in the morning, Wild, Wind, and I will scout toward the village to gather information; the rest of you should try to locate any similar devices in the immediate area, they might be the key to our way home or at least to progress further."

As the group dispersed to set up camp for the night, you found yourself assigned to gather firewood with Four while Sky helped Wild prepare an evening meal. It seemed your chaperone was giving you a small measure of privacy while still keeping you within sight of the camp, a subtle acknowledgment of the unspoken courtship dance you and Four had been engaged in for weeks, if not months- you had an inkling of  suspicion that Four had possibly discussed this before considering you yourself didn’t previously know of courtships and rituals within Hyrule.

"Here," Four said, handing you a small knife from his belt as you ventured into the tree line, another shy sparkle within his eye, there was something you didn’t know, but you were patient “for cutting kindling."

Your fingers brushed as you accepted the blade, and neither of you rushed to break the contact.

"Thank you," you said, feeling the weight of words unsaid between you.

Four nodded, his expression softening, “we should stay within sight of camp. This place feels unpredictable, so to say."

As you gathered fallen branches together, working in comfortable tandem, Four seemed to be gathering his courage as well. Several times, he appeared on the verge of speaking, only to redirect his attention to a particularly suitable piece of firewood.

"You were going to tell me something," you finally prompted, straightening up with an armful of kindling, embracing your opportunity of privacy one more, “before Sky found us, about what the four aspects of yourself agree on."

Four set down his gathered wood, dusting his hands off on his tunic before meeting your gaze directly, fingers lightly catching on his embroidery, eyes quickly darting down at realising what he did, quickly brushing of the remaining dust with hasty swats at the cloth.

"Yes," he acknowledged, taking a deep breath. "It's not... it's not proper, I know, and without formal declaration or," he gestured vaguely back toward camp, where Sky was visible in the distance, “without observation, but I can't keep pretending that I don't--"

A shout from camp interrupted him, Wind was pointing excitedly at the sky, where a strange aurora had begun to form, ribbons of light in unnatural colours, neon blues, greens, pinks and purples, weaving across the darkening heavens.

Four's expression cycled rapidly through frustration, resignation, and finally resolve. He turned back to you, and in a swift, decisive motion that surprised you with its boldness, he reached out and took your hand firmly in his, the dry callouses of his hands tingling against your skin.

"I don't want to wait anymore," he said, the words coming out in a rush. "When that device exploded and I thought you might be hurt, I realised how foolish I've been, following customs from a Hyrule that w aren’t even in anymore, customs changing everywhere we go, judgement for our actions no matter what we try- customs you aren’t even familiar with,” he bowed his head and shoot it vigorously, hair waving and bouncing against his cheeks. “So I'm asking now, without ceremony or chaperone: would you consider a courtship between us?"

The directness of the question, so at odds with the careful dance you'd been performing for weeks, left you momentarily speechless, Four's grip tightened slightly on your hand, his vulnerability evident in the tension of his shoulders. "I should have asked properly," he continued, misinterpreting your silence. "With gifts and declarations and, well, just anything you may understand, I know you said gifts were common in your culture and spending time and, and--" he began to stutter and ramble, brain twisting in a panic of what to say, what would be right and understandable- what would express what he felt.

Leaning forward, you slipped a hand free to cup at his face, lifting him to look into your own eyes, hair falling against his ears once again, with Four still blubbering and panicked, you leant forward further, nose running along his in a gentle caress, and gave him a soft, short kiss.

"Yes," you interrupted, finding your voice at last, slightly breathless from your uncharacterised confidence, “yes, I would consider it, more than consider it,” you stuttered now yourself, the gloss in his eyes and flushed face making you nervous, “I accept, and yes, before you question yourself, I know what this entails,” you smiled bright, stretching at your cheeks and crinkling your eyes, “I accept.”

The smile that bloomed across Four's face was like sunrise after the longest night, radiant and full of promise, for a brief, breathless moment, you thought he might close the remaining distance between you, again, courtship customs be damned.

Instead, he lifted your joined hands and, with deliberate care, turned your palm upward. From a small pouch at his belt, he produced a tiny object that glinted in the fading light: a delicately crafted silver ring, set not with a gemstone but with a lovingly carved coil of vines and small circles of fairies, wings glossy with shined metal.

"I made this," he confessed, placing it in your palm and closing your fingers gently around it, “months ago, I just knew,” his blush darkened even further if it was even possible, spreading down his neck, “I've been carrying it, waiting for the right moment, the proper time according to tradition, but I'm realising that in our line of work, waiting for perfect circumstances is a luxury we can't afford."

You opened your hand to examine the exquisite craftsmanship of the ring, imagining him trying to perfect it, the time and effort it took, the stress of the perfect gift. "It's beautiful."

"It's a promise," Four explained, his voice low and sincere. "That no matter how many parts make up the whole, all of me is devoted to this path we're starting down, If you'll have me, of course."

From the camp, Sky's voice called out, summoning everyone to dinner, Four looked back, then at you, clearly torn between propriety and the moment at hand.

"We should join the others," you said, slipping the ring onto your finger with a small smile and zero hesitation, “but Four," you called softly, taking his hand once more, squeezing it gently, “the answer is always yes. I'll have you, all of you."

The look that passed between you contained volumes: relief, joy, anticipation of what was to come, as you gathered up the firewood and began walking back to camp side by side, Four's shoulder brushed yours deliberately.

"You know," he said with a small smile, "Sky is going to be insufferably pleased with himself when he realises what's happened."

You laughed, feeling lighter than you had in months, “let him be. He's earned the right to a little smugness after all his patient chaperoning."

As you approached the camp, the strange aurora overhead cast everything in an otherworldly glow, the faces of your companions both familiar and transformed by the unusual light. You were stranded in an unknown composite of realities, facing uncertain dangers and an unclear path home.

Yet somehow, with Four's presence beside you and his promise literally in your hand, you couldn't bring yourself to feel afraid. Whatever this new world held, whatever any world held, you would face it together, no longer separated by unspoken feelings or traditional restraints.

Sky met your eyes as you entered the circle of firelight, his gaze dropping briefly to the ring now adorning your finger. A knowing smile touched his lips as he nodded almost imperceptibly, his role as chaperone evolving into something new: witness to the beginning of your journey together, almost like a blessing from a God himself.

Four looked at you one more time before you joined the others, his expression more unified and peaceful than you'd ever seen it. In that moment, you knew that whatever trials lay ahead, across time, space, or composite realities, the greatest adventure had already begun.

As long as you were together, all would be okay.

---

As always, thank you for reading, all criticism is welcome!

Fun facts:

I'm terrible at keeping to head-canons and bullet points, I simply had to add a small fic at the end, it was calling to me, plus despite many ideas my brain wouldn't focus enough to bullet point them all- massive respect to people who do bullet-points, and remember to check out @kaenith and @the-moon-files they're both great.

Also, RIP my old Tumblr which was basically all kaenith art and Four Swords content, o7. Apologies to everyone @ 'd in this, I apologise for the notification but I'd love to point out great people in the creative space.

Also, extra fun fact, I shall hopefully write another scenario with Shadow!