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sharlotscarletfox · 4 months ago

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Hogwarts Legacy x Patronuses

This is dedicated to the one person that wanted to see it ily. To preface this I made a thread on Animagi forms for the main Hogwarts Legacy characters and I picked those on certain characteristics. I am picking patronuses based on their spirits or souls rather.

Sebastian Sallow

For him I headcanoned a dog as an animagus form and I think he would have a Fox as a patronus. I think he would definitely be able to conjure one, he has plenty happy memories of his parents before they died and probably a lot of good memories with his twin sister and Ominis. Just because he was going through it in his fifth year that doesn't mean his entire life had been a tragedy. Unlike... our other Slytherin boy...

This quote is not exactly off the wiki, it's actually off Pottermore which is like... mid. Unironically I hate the Pottermore sorting system if you want a good sorting take the damn uquiz that one person made it's so accurate and it clocks your personality so well. I'll link it in the end if anyone's interested but I'm getting too off topic. Anyway from Pottermore:

"Associated with cunning, the fox has a place in many ancient cultures’ folklore. Foxes are sometimes thought to be tricksters, leading the unsuspecting down a path of demise. The calculating fox can outwit its enemies with strategy and adaptability."

Very much a Slytherin Patronus. Sebastian had been adapting the whole series, learning different spells and researching things in order to find a cure. He went above and beyond to figure out how to use the relic and he did succeed in it. Also a trickster he seems to live pranks and causing mischief. Foxes are also my favorite animal if you can't tell from the user. They are also solitary creatures which is not exactly like Sebastian, however he was fully willing to do everything on his own if it came down to it. He was willing to fight Ominis in the catacomb and abandon MC if she didn't talk to the keepers.

Anne Sallow

I headcanoned Anne to have a cat animagus form to be a complete complement to Sebastian and I think she would have a Brown Hare as a patronus. Also this is a complete coincidence that I ended up matching them in patronuses as well. I wish I dated my notes but I don't but I had a list of like 10ish patronuses that would match the Shadow Trio and Anne close to when I started writing my fic but then never ended up doing anything with the information and then I decided that the Brown Hare fits her the best out of all I had and I didn't even have Fox listed for Sebastian for some reason I don't know you live and you learn I guess they are matching wood. Also I think she can conjure one for the same reason Sebastian can.

From Pottermore once again:

"Brown hares are typically characterized as shy, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be bold. They often outsmart predators by hiding in incredible stillness, but they can run at formidable speeds if they need to get away. In the spring, brown hares can be found “boxing” with each other in open farmlands. Your brown hare Patronus will not hesitate to get in a fighting stance and face the Dementors head-on."

I think this fits Anne well, not afraid to fight her own battles if it comes to it but maybe shy at first. Also outsmarting opponents is a Slytherin trait, I think while Sebastian is headstrong, Anne is a bit more logical with her approach of things. Sebastian and Ominis share like 3 braincells total when they are together so they need someone with some semblance of common sense to keep them together and Anne held that position before MC crash landed in Hogwarts for sure. I bet she would attempt to summon it just so she can watch it frolicking around they are fucking adorable.

Ominis Gaunt

So as a recap again I figured Ominis would have a White Snake as his animagus form but definitely no snake was considered for his patronus. As I said I think the patronus is more of the reflection of the soul and he tries so hard not to be associated with his family so I think there is no way his patronus is anything snakelike. YOU KNOW WHAT IT WOULD BE THO? A hedgehog. Also I think he would be able to produce one but it would be really really difficult.

Pottermore quoted:

"Cute and loveable inside and out, those who possess a hedgehog Patronus may thrive on giving and receiving love and may feel they need more of it than others realize. While upfront about their endearment and affectionate personality, hedgehogs are also known to be anxious and overly cautious. They often worry about their own and others of their kind’s safety. Those around must approach the hedgehog with care and precision, though, because when defensive and hurt, hedgehogs are remembered not for their sweetness, but for their sharp spikes."

Read the first sentence like 3 times and tell me it's not accurate. He cares so much for Seb, Anne and MC but none of them seem to reciprocate the sentiment to the extent he would like it. Anxious and overly cautious. He tried to keep Sebastian from the Dark Arts even going as far as to threathen the headmaster. He was also adamant about protecting the Undercroft from MC. In addition to all that he kept in touch with Snne throughout her illness and made sure she was doing okay. Also Ominis out of all the characters seemed to retaliate the most when he was hurt by something. He was never shy about voicing his hurt. Either the Undercroft, the Scriptorium, the Catacombs all these times he stood up for what he believed in and tried to protect his friends even at the expense of his own feelings.

Now a bit more fun exploration. Another fun thing to consider here and that I considered was that his patronus takes the form of whatever the player's animagus form is. That has happened before in canon and I think it's really sweet. The fact that your soul can reflect your love for someone else. For angst potential you can maybe write/draw his patronus present as a snake first and then later pick up MCs animagus form or patronus to match it. This concept gets even more interesting I'd you headcanon your MCs patronus/animagus to be a Unicorn. Why you might ask? Unicorns very heavily prefer women, (it is also the rarest patronus but who cares enjoy the game and headcanon whatever you want have fun) but that means that Ominis would be a very special exception for both of those reasons. Although Ominis does seem like the kind and pure enough soul to get accepted by a Unicorn. (PLEASE WRITERS AND ARTISTS TAKE NOTES MY IDEAS ARE FREE)

Natsai Onai

This is kind of an hear me out but it made so much sense in my head. I think Natsai would have a Giraffe patronus because of her dad even if this doesn't exist in Pottermore but what does jk rowling know anyway am I right. Speaking of that bitch idk why we are touching the main plot and making a show for it when there is so much potential to explore maybe Hogwarts Legacy Sequel or Marauderes or more on the Fantastic beasts movies or focus on another school but no they decide to mess with the old stiff and possibly ruin it sigh.

I went as bit off topic there I'm sorry none of these are super planned i just write what's on my mind. Anyway as I mentioned Pottermore doesn't list Giraffe as a possible patronus however since Natsai's father has such an influence on her life it would make sense to have his animagus form as her spiritual guardian. Same thing as I brought up with Ominis, love changes people and that's a good thing. I think she should have no problem producing one and would probably cry when she first sees it.

Poppy Sweeting

Poppy was headcanoned by me to be a bee animagus and I kinda gave her the most Hufflepuff like pateonus but I swear it fits so well. Poppy was the one I did the most recent research on because for the Shadow trio and Anne I did this a year or so ago and Natty's just came to me in a dream. Eventually I settled on a Badger which is the Hufflepuff crest it's like giving a slytherin a snake yes I know. I think out of all our characters aside from maybe our gifted MC she would be the fastest to produce one because she is full of love and full of joy.

Quoting Pottermore:

"The recognizable mascot of Hufflepuff House, badgers represent determination. Badgers mostly keep to themselves but are aggressive when threatened. Connected to the earth, the badger is grounded and celebrates individuality. This creature’s stubbornness and instinct to protect make it a formidable enemy for Dementors!"

Like you can't blame me it just makes sense. Surprisingly Poppy wasn't portrayed to get along with a lot of her peers which is odd but it would make sense that some people would find her obsession with the animals weird especially since this is Pre-Fantastic Beasts so they have not been studied to the right extent yet. However she is never afraid to be herself and break free from the ideas that her parents taught her. She was determined to save the dragon and the snidgets and she was always making the calls that would help preserve the animals. I love Poppy she's so sweet she is definitely deserving of a patronus that represents her whole house.

Again putting MC last because as the player/writer/artist your patronus is what you want it to be and there is no wrong answer to this. In my case I gave my idea of MC as Thestral patronus because it's something unique and it also plays into what I headcanoned as her animagus form which is a Raven. Both Ravens and Thestrals are associated with and are seen as omens of death and thats a recurring theme in my mind with her.

For those curious of the description:

"Thestrals get a bad reputation as unlucky omens, probably due to their spooky appearance and association with death. The reality is that these intriguing creatures, which are only visible to people who have witnessed death and accepted its significance, are gentle and kind. Thestrals can fly at incredibly fast speeds and have a keen sense of direction. If the herd that lives in the Forbidden Forest is any indication, Thestrals can be extremely loyal to their human friends and will fiercely attack their enemies. This makes the Thestral an intimidating and powerful Patronus."

As an ending thought I think Pottermore sorting is bad however idk about anyone else but I got clocked with the patronus choice. When I took the quiz god knows how long ago it gave me the Nightjar which fits my personality incredibly well. If you were around for my post on wandlore I mentioned I would have a wand with many defensive qualities and Nightjar is also one of the more protective patronuses. For anyone wanting the quiz I will link it here. https://uquiz.com/quiz/oz0xOu/hogwarts-houses-but-pottermore-can-die-by-my-blade

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy headcanons #harry potter #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x mc #sebastian sallow x reader #ominis gaunt #ominis gaunt x mc #ominis gaunt x reader #hogwarts legacy fanfic #poppy sweeting #natsai onai

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bluebasie · 10 months ago

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Hashira Character Analysis Sexuality head canons!!

Since the canon sexualities of the Hashiras were never confirmed and will likely never be confirmed, I have taken it upon myself to come up with a sexuality head canon for each of them based on scenes from the anime, manga, and fan books, etc. This is a pretty large task and analyzing every piece of Demon Slayer media is a huge task so please forgive me if I miss a piece of information that could be interpreted as information suggesting a character’s preference for love! Keep in mind that these are just personal head canon that I wanted to share, and I will include some non-canon ships to show cases of interest. Also, disclaimer, I will not be adding a head canon for Muichiro because I genuinely don't know about him, and I don't think there is enough information about his character loving another and I also don't feel comfortable speculating about his sexuality given his age. But anyways, I will be using a series of quotes, scenes, and situations to come up with each potential sexuality for each Hashira and some may be more detailed than others due to a surplus of scenes or personal bias causing me to pay a little more attention to my favorites. Sorry in advance but I'll try and make it not as noticeable!

Starting with the Water Pillar, Tomioka Giyuu!

Starting off the bat, I really don't think that Tomioka has an interest in women. Let me explain. A huge example of this can be seen in Tomioka’s attitude towards a relationship between Shinazugawa Sanemi and Kocho Shinobu. From season one we can see Kocho’s attempts and friendship with Tomioka and just how unreceived they are despite Kocho's adamant insistence to the point of annoyance. While one could say that he just doesn't like her, it is mentioned during his soba eating contest with Tanjiro in the anime that he definitely does worry about her. Despite this he treats her like an annoyed older brother with an annoying younger sister who likes to pretend they don't care about each other but actually do. Regardless of this dynamic, Tomioka has made it clear he does not always enjoy her forced company, and he has clearly shown a reluctance to try and form a deeper bond with her. On the other hand, while Tomioka is known for being socially avoidant, he actively tries to befriend Shinazugawa where he genuinely breaks his emotionless mask that he's had on for years at the thought of closeness with Shinazugawa. He is shown to genuinely have a deep fascination with Sanemi as seen in his conversation with Tanjiro in the Light novels where they talk about Sanemi and a situation where he asked Giyuu out to eat and he rejected him because he had just eaten. After understanding why Shinazugawa had gotten angry afterwards, he smiles at the thought of Sanemi wanting to eat with him. There is also the fact that in the fanbook when it shows what each hashira thinks of each other for mitsuri it says that he thinks she shows too much skin implying that he thinks it unsafe for her without regard to the sexual implications of exposing her chest and legs due to the skirt. Also, it is said in an extra chapter looking at what each character was doing after the war, it is said that Giyuu and the Uzui family frequent the hot springs which if you didn't know are common in Japan to soak in without clothes. When in the panel at the hot springs it can be seen that Giyuu sits alone away from all of them. This again shows a small glimpse into his potential disinterest in women. Then there is the entire Sabito situation. While it is not said in Demon slayer that Giyuu and Sabito were romantically involved, it is implied throughout giyuu’s entire character story of the impact that Sabito and his death has had and continued to have on his life for years. Giyuu’s interest and want for closeness for both Sanemi and Sabito throughout the Franchise shows his preference for relationships with men rather than women in general. Because of this I would say that my head canon for Giyuu would be that he is definitely a gay man. I don't really think he’s bi just because of his lack of interest expressed in women at all in the entire franchise so I think he is exclusively attracted to men. However is implied in the final chapter that he had a ‘descendent’ implying that he ended up with a woman, he has other family as seen when we was taken away by extended family after his sister’s death and I frankly don't think it’s in character for Giyuu to find and leave a woman pregnant within the three to four years he has left with the demon mark seeing as he has little to no natural charisma and social skills as well as the fact that it would be terrible to leave a woman alone to raise a baby by herself with no close family in the 1920’s but I digress. Overall, I think that based on character interactions my final head canon for Giyuu is that he is gay.

Now onto my girl the Insect Pillar, Kocho Shinobu.

Throughout the franchise it is seen that Kocho seems to have no romantic attraction to any characters in the entire manga, anime, etc. She also is shown to have no want or need for romantic connection due to her priorities is not only demon slaying but also running a hospital and planning her own death after being blinded by the idea of revenge on the demon who had killed her sister. It is also seen that her character largely revolves around family unlike Giyuu’s character revolving around friendship/love for others. Shinobu’s motives and relationships revolve around her sisters, Kanae and Kanao, as well as Aoi and the butterfly triplets. She also seems to hold a connection with Inosuke as a sort of mother figure. Clearly, we can see that Shinobu places a higher emphasis on family, including found family, which shows her character prioritizing care for platonic relationships. She also seems to not care for romantic relationships for the future because she never planned a future for herself with her plan being to sacrifice herself to kill Douma to avenge Kanae. It is clearly shown that her priorities lay in the family she has collected over the years and creating justice for the family she has lost including her sister and the fact that her reasoning for becoming a demon slayer was the impact of her parents' death. Overall Shinobu does not have any romantic feelings for others being too clouded in her mission to kill the one who had killed her sister, and she never planned to find a partner one day due to the fact that she never planned for another day after the infinity castle. Because of her preference for platonic relationships, lack of interest in romance, and opposition to sexualizing herself as seen when she burns the original female uniform given to her, I think she is aromantic asexual. This head canon is very dear to me despite not actually being aroace myself because of her serious priority to her family that just isn't seen often in shonen media with girls who are never shown to be interested in romantic love and instead have their own story and goal to focus on. If you couldn't tell at this point, I really love Shinobu’s character.

Now I'm moving onto the Sound Pillar, Uzui Tengen.

To start us off with the obvious, Uzui is polygamous. This is cannon and not a head canon so we can add that as a fact so moving on to beyond his polygamous status I guess I am mainly interested in if he is only attracted to women or also men. Right off the bat, purely based on speculation, I would say that he would be open to something like that just due to his openness to ideas that were not common during this time period or in his communities as well as his preference for the extravagant, in his words flashy. This can not only be seen with his polygamous relationship but also with his insistence that his wives put their own lives before others which was practically unheard of in the shinobi communities that they all had grown up in. While this took a long time to adjust to for Suma, Makio, and Hinatsuru, Uzui was open to this new life priority seeing as he was the one who had come up with it. He is also seen to be open to multi-gendered bathing in the hot springs with his wives and Giyuu which could further the point that he has no preference for gender or things like that and that he just wants to have a flashy time. One final thing that could possibly point towards his lack of preference could maybe be the fact that he puts a lot of emphasis on his looks. While during this time period men usually didn't wear makeup, jewels, paint their nails, and wear shiny clothes, Uzui disregards social norms to be the best self that he can so this could possibly point towards his lack of care about love between the same gender because those things just would not matter to him. Because of his supposed ‘lack of care for gender’, I definitely think he likes both genders, but I also do think he has a slight preference for women for whatever reason due to the fact that he has three wives obviously. For Uzui’s final head canon, I would say that he’s bisexual with a slight preference for women.

Now going on to the Flame Pillar, Rengoku Kyojuro.

There also isn't much to see about relationships between Rengoku and other characters but based on his dedication to his family's traditions through Hashira lineage, breathing style, and estate, I do believe that if Rengoku was to stay alive that he would have wanted to find a wife and settle down at some point like his family before him. He is shown to love being around his mother and taking care of his brother so I can definitely see him growing to be a huge family man who just loves his wife a lot. There was a small quip in a fan book where Rengoko refers to Tomioka as handsome, but it honestly just felt like a supportive bro thing where he doesn't feel ashamed to compliment his friends. Rengoku’s relationship with mitsuri could be somewhat evidence that he does not feel much attraction for women but obviously he's not just going to be into every woman he sees, and he clearly views mitsuri as a younger sister. This only proves his family man status even more with his care to those who are younger than him. Due to his constant support of others and traditions of a traditional family I feel confident in saying that Rengoku is the number one Straight ally. He would totally be supportive if any of the Hashira ended up getting together with a person who is the same gender as themselves.

Moving on to the Wind Pillar, Shinazugawa Sanemi.

Shinazugawa is one of the characters who have seemed to show interest, whether romantic or other, but interest nonetheless in both men and women. It is seen in the fan books and the light novels that he was interested in Kocho Kanae when she was alive stating that being with her made him remember his mover and his infatuation with Tomioka over the span of the series with him getting distracted by the sound of his voice, getting visibly worked up over even the smallest of actions that he does, encouraging him in the war, and being seen having a close relationship after the final war arc. Sanemi is shown to be a very expressive individual who feels a lot of feelings towards others and some of those feelings I would say are feelings of attraction, infatuation, and even love. Sanemi is also shown to be very defensive of his feelings as seen when Tanjiro walks in on his and Tomioka’s fight which is seen to be very unguarded and raw with it being a direct expression of everything Sanemi was feeling and everything he wanted to express. However, when Tanjiro views this exchange Sanemi immediately jumps to the conclusion that Tanjiro was ‘spying on them’ as if this fight was meant to be hidden and private not for the eyes or knowledge of anybody besides Tomioka. It seems to me that Shinazugawa clearly knows what he feels about Giyuu and he is scared of it and tries to hide it from others and also himself. He ends up losing this guard after the war though when it is seen that he goes out to eat lunch with Giyuu after sorting out the miscommunication between them over the years. Because of his intense feelings towards people who are both genders, I would say that he is definitely bisexual. I don't know if he has a preference and what preference he would lean towards if he had one but for now I'm just going to say that he is bisexual.

Moving on to the Stone Pillar, Himejima Gyomei.

This one is pretty simple, I think. Gyomei is a Buddhist monk so that means he is celibate. This essentially means that he would not have a romantic partner or have children in an attempt to forward his path to enlightenment. He has never shown romantic interest in anyone throughout the span of the series, so I think it's safe to say that he is Unlabeled? I don't want to say that he is aroace because I don't know if he has romantic feelings but just doesn't act on them or if he doesn't have them at all, but I guess it would make sense if he was on the aroace spectrum. I think either aroace or unlabeled would work here and are headcanons that would make a lot of sense.

Next, we have the Love Pillar, Kanroji Mitsuri.

In connection to her breathing style, Mitsuri is a very expressive and loving person to people of all types. This does also include women as well. In her character introduction in the first season this is explicitly shown where after every character introduction of the other Hashiras Mitsuri would include a small quip about some words of admiration, she has for them including Shinobu. While Kanroji did join the Demon slayers for a husband, I think that she actually does have love for everyone regardless of gender and she just really wants a husband specifically because of social norms and the fact that she wants somebody who is stronger than her and while there are very few men who are stronger than her there are few women who fit that standard as well. Other than that, I don't think that the LOVE Hashira really has a preference for gender, and she just feels a small attraction towards everybody. I think that she could be pansexual or at least under the bisexual umbrella if anybody believes she has a preference towards one gender, but I think she just feels a good amount of love for everybody and everything with a high surplus for Iguro and therefore pansexual!

Finally, we've got the most difficult to understand in my opinion, The Serpent Hashira, Iguro Obanai.

Iguro has got quite the history with a distaste towards women due to the trauma he had endured during his childhood. His lack of romantic affection had been carried with him for his entire life until meeting Mitsuri when he fell head over heels for her. Iguro’s love for mitsuri has frankly made it pretty difficult to understand or come up with a headcanon due to his disinterest in literally every one besides her. I don't think he would ever love another woman or show affection to another man which makes it difficult to come up with something. I guess I could say that he is unlabeled because he literally does not love anybody and has never loved anybody besides Mitsuri before. I could also say that he is Asexual because as seen in his entrapment, the fascination the snake demon had of him, her watching him at night, and his family overloading him with overwhelming food he did not want. This could all be seen as an allegory for sexual assault and/or grooming as a child and that might have caused him to want to avoid anything sexual and therefore I think it could be very possible that he could at least be under the asexual umbrella.

That was a lot of writing so thank you if you read this far! Keep in mind that these are head canons and if you disagree on anything please don't start a war in the comments or anything. Please. Anyways I would love to hear your own head canons and what you think of this small character analysis!

#demon slayer #kny #kimetsu no yaiba #kny hashira #giyuu tomioka #shinobu kocho #tengen uzui #rengoku kyojuro #sanemi shinaguzawa #gyomei himejima #mitsuri kanroji #obanai iguro #sanegiyuu #obamitsu #headcanon #sexuality

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missbubblesoda · 1 year ago

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early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (28)

erwin x fem!reader

chapters: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13) | (14) | (15) | (16) | (17) | (18) | (19) | (20) | (21) | (22) | (23) | (24) | (25) | (26) | (27) | (29) | (30)

summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)

notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?

content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.) slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters.) no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)

wc: 4.7k

Romance authors often portray dancing with one’s beloved as an endless joy, something that could easily last well beyond nightfall. Yet your throbbing feet, bound and constrained by the white straps of your low-heeled shoes, silently resented them for such a lie. That’s why, when lunch was served, you eagerly welcomed the opportunity to sit down for a moment or two and catch your breath before inevitably dragging him back to the dance floor. After all, when else would you have the chance to slow dance against his chest, your chin resting cozily on his shoulder, and his arm wrapped protectively around your waist?

When you savored the first mouthful of peppercorn stuffing you realized that the Koch’s definition of good food was remarkably similar to yours. Everything, from the velvety gravy soup, the endless procession of assorted biscuits, the indulgent servings of steamed pudding, and the generous dollops of raspberry jam you coronated each of them with, prompted contented hums from your lips whenever you took a bite.

“I don’t recall ever seeing you this happy during a meal, not back at the base at least,” he noted from the seat next to yours, a playful smile on his lips and a forkful of roast venison in his hand.

“Well, that’s because you’ve never actually seen me during a meal. Have you, Commander Smith?” you responded casually, eyes completely focused on the extra dollop of jam you were serving, while your mind wandered to all the times you urged him to put his pen down and join you and the others in the dinner hall, even if just for a piece of bread. “Maybe if you graced us with your presence at dinner from time to time, you would see that I enjoy the Survey Corps’ food just as much. But you insist on eating alone in your office so...” you shrugged nonchalantly before bringing a spoon loaded with pudding to your lips.

“Have I upset you, my lady?” he asked with a smile that denoted he wasn’t the least bit concerned, and then, lifting a napkin, proceeded to wipe red jam off the corner of your lips.

And what an absurd question it was. No one with that shade of blue in their eyes and that disarming smile on their lips could ever upset anyone. There was no possible way, especially not when his face was this close to yours; his caring gesture, as sweet as it was unexpected, completely dazzling you, disorienting your senses until you found yourself nodding dazedly, your own eyes hopelessly lost in his.

“How very rude of me then,” he concluded, softly brushing the cloth against your skin, and you honestly couldn’t tell which was softer: the silk or the back of his fingers.

“Mother!” you exclaimed abruptly, springing up from your chair the moment you discovered her poised frame standing beside you. “We w- I mean I was- how do you do, Mother?”

“Darling,” she sent an acknowledging nod your way. Her usual composure, evident in both her assured demeanor and controlled voice, masked any hint of what she thought or felt, and at the same time, sent your heart into a flurry. Her gaze flickered to the Commander, who rose with practiced ease, a stark contrast to your own fumbling attempt from a few seconds ago.

“Madam,” the Commander offered your mother a warm smile along with a welcoming hand, a silent invitation you desperately hoped she wouldn’t refuse.

“Commander Smith,” she replied after a stretch of silence, which you wished had been shorter, placing her hand in his with ladylike charm.

Although your heart still pounded and raced inside, a flicker of relief found its way within when you saw the genuine smile blooming on your mother’s face as the Commander helped her into the vacant seat beside him.

“Pleasure to finally meet you,” she declared in that regal tone she reserved for social occasions, and it dawned on you: how long it had been since you last heard her speak that way. At home, her voice was always so mellow, less measured, especially around you and your father. And a sting of longing shot through you, a sudden wish for more of those casual evenings shared around the dinner table. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Commander Smith,” she added.

“Not from the press, I expect,” he said, earning a hearty chuckle from your mother. And you lowered your head, trying to resist the childlike smile shyly tugging at your lips as you watched the scene unfold.

“Rest assured, Commander Smith. Despite the occasional critique about the Survey Corp’s overbaked tomato pie, my daughter’s letters are otherwise filled with glowing reports about her days under your leadership.”

“So, Mother! Where’s Father?” you blurted out abruptly as soon as the Commander turned to look at you, a questioning eyebrow raised above a widely amused smirk that spelled ‘I knew you didn’t like our food!’ on his lips. “I was hoping he could meet Commander Smith today.”

“Your father? I was under the impression that he was right behind me,” she sighed in disappointment, glancing around in an attempt to find him among the partygoers. “Guess I shouldn’t have assumed. Maybe one of his… secret society buddies snatched him, or maybe the government finally got him,” she spoke with a touch of nonchalance that made you huff, shaking your head in playful disapproval of your parents’ bickering as you exchanged a smile with the Commander, who seemed downright entertained by your mother’s presence.

“If those bureaucratic buffoons you call ‘our government’ were to find us, color me surprised,” a masculine voice emerged from behind, and you didn’t need to turn in order to know who it belonged to. “Let's just say, Hansel's neck would be on the chopping block way before mine. We can worry about this head above my shoulders after they scrape his off the floor,” with that, your father materialized beside you, snatching a piece of bread from your plate and biting the best part off.

“Father,” you rose to your feet in greeting, gesturing towards the Commander with your hand, “This is Commander Erwin Smith.”

“You bet he is!” he yelled enthusiastically, the bread he had previously shoved into his mouth now getting in the way of his words, so he tried to wash it all down with an indulgent sip of his apple toddy. “What a momentous occasion! Today will go down in history as the day we finally crossed paths, my Commander,” he declared, a wide grin splitting his face.

My Commander? Since when? You thought, a silent snort almost escaping your lips. You wouldn't dare say it aloud though, not wanting to disrupt the moment or make the Commander uncomfortable. You knew time had softened your father's stance on the Survey Corps, especially towards their leader, but it was just too comical: to think this was the same man who, not too many seasons back, used to rant every week about the government wasting their funds on the Scouts.

Regardless, you were glad he had come to see him in a new light. Because Erwin Smith, his people, and the sacrifices they constantly made deserved nothing less than the utmost respect.

“Well met, my lord,” the Commander replied with a cordial smile. Standing right by his side, you blushed at the height difference between you two. There were moments when you felt genuinely small next to him, and this was one of them, but it always brought you a strange sense of security. And suddenly, you found yourself longing to experience that comforting feeling again, to be held in his strong embrace once again today, like the first time, that late summer afternoon in the forest of Giants Trees… To feel even smaller and overpowered by him, his solid muscles, his manly scent... Yes, that would be the perfect ending to a truly fantastic day.

“I have heard a great deal about you from your lady daughter,” he added, his eyes crinkling at the corners with genuine warmth. “She even mentioned your... unique ability to interpret nature's signs.”

“Is that right?” your father turned to you, pride shining in his round eyes. “Do you know what wisdom Augusta’s azaleas are revealing today?”

“Unfortunately, my lord, I wouldn’t be able to interpret such… botanical pronouncements,” the Commander replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. You weren’t surprised by his skepticism. By now, you had made peace with the fact that a man of science like him would, most likely, always remain in disbelief, no matter how many times nature proved you or your father’s predictions right.

A hearty laugh erupted from your father. "Ah, but perhaps they whisper of blossoming relationships today! Maybe even lifelong bonds taking root, huh? Wouldn’t you want to know, my Commander?" he winked at you, causing you to immediately duck your head in an attempt to hide the kaleidoscope of reds your face had become.

The things he says! Since when did he even-

You took a deep breath, exasperation and affection wrestling within your chest. Classic Father, you thought, always saying what’s on his mind, even if his comments leave everyone a little flustered. You mentally made a note to apologize to the Commander for not warning him about this side of your fa-

“Lifelong bonds. An interesting interpretation, sir,” you looked up, his blue eyes choosing to share a moment with yours even though his words were aimed at your father. “They are a treasure worth cherishing, indeed,” he said, warmth blooming in your chest the longer his gaze lingered on you. And… was that longing in his eyes?

Was he thinking about those days too?

We used to spend hours collecting wildflowers by the stream near our cabin, drinking fresh lemonade in the summer, making love with the bedroom door ajar and the rainiest of mornings ahead of us…You reminded him in silence, surprised by the sudden urge to share with him the memories of your future together. And you swore you saw a ghost of a smile touch his lips before he chose to replace it with words.

“Perhaps some things are best discovered through experience, rather than foretold.”

His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning, tightening your throat with bittersweet nostalgia, and blurring your vision with vivid pictures of memories you were yet to create. Blinking back potential tears, you looked away, a blush creeping up your neck as you realized it was probably your turn to respond. So, taking a deep breath, you hid your longing with a smile.

"Perhaps they are, Commander Smith," you whispered, your voice barely audible amidst the backdrop of laughter surrounding you.

“Are you enjoying the reception, sir?” The Commander asked, and you knew him well enough to recognize this as his way of diverting attention from you, giving you space to steady yourself.

“Greatly,” your father replied, taking a hearty gulp of his drink to freshen up his throat. “And now that they've started serving apple toddies, this whole thing’s gotten a lot better! Ha ha! Although, to tell you the truth, the food can’t hold a candle to my wife’s cooking,” he added, trying to appear unassuming as he swirled the amber liquid thoughtfully, and you could vividly picture the discreet eye-roll your mother had answered him with. “Her green tomato pie is absolutely heavenly… Tell you what, Commander?!” he suddenly looked up, a mischievous glint appearing in his face, and while you didn’t know exactly what idea had crossed his mind, you certainly recognized the sparkle it had ignited in his eyes. “How about I show you my sincere appreciation with a proper dinner? Consider it a thank you for looking after our precious daughter.”

Your heart skipped a beat, hammering completely off rhythm against your ribs, the butterflies in your stomach swirling uncontrollably, creating a wave of nervous excitement that destructively washed over you. Surely, he couldn't be suggesting...

“I’m sure you’re a busy man, but I also know you are a highly intelligent one, which makes me think you have already assessed the situation, and identified this as probably the only opportunity you’ll have to enjoy my wife’s phenomenal cooking. In the nearby future, at least,” your father declared, leaning forward, his proposal making your stomach clench tighter.

Your gaze flickered to the Commander. He was about to respond to your father, but paused to steal a glance at you, a silent question exchanged between your eyes, unspoken… yes, but you believed you understood.

"Father, that's not necessary! Commander Smith is much too busy—" you blurted out, the memory of the Commander’s dismissal of Angelika Wald’s invitation still fresh in your mind. And you weren’t brave enough to risk facing the same rejection. “He has a long journey back to the base and… needs to leave shortly after the reception.”

“Is that so?” your father asked crestfallen, his shoulders slumping slightly as he turned to the Commander, and you had to admit he wasn’t the only one feeling dejected over the situation. Even though it may seem you were a little too eager to discourage the dinner, in truth, you were just doing your job, making it easier for the Commander to decline unnecessary appointments.

“My duties require a swift return to the base indeed,” he interjected, his words awakening a dormant discomfort in your chest, a faint ache you felt guilty for even having. Of course, he had responsibilities waiting, a mountain of paperwork and a whole base relying on him, to be more precise. Not only that, but he had already generously given you Sunday free, insisting you spent the entire weekend with your family. What else could you ask of him? Nothing. Doing so would be selfish, an indulgence you couldn’t justify.

“But perhaps…” he added unexpectedly, leaving you momentarily breathless, “Perhaps I could manage to find a way to fulfill both my obligations and experience your wife’s legendary cooking?”

Your chest rose and fell in rapid motions, trying to keep up with the beating of your heart, which had been hammering a frantic rhythm against your ribs just moments ago, and now soared with a lightness you had only felt when you were together with him… secluded in your imaginary cabin in the woods.

“Only if it wouldn’t be an inconvenience for her, of course,” the Commander clarified, gesturing towards your mother. “I wouldn't want to impose on your hospitality, sir, madam."

A radiant smile bloomed on your face, threatening to split your cheeks in two, as the weight of your earlier anxieties now seemed to melt away slowly, getting gradually replaced by a giddy anticipation that bubbled up exactly like the fizzy contents of the bottle you knew your father would pop open for dinner tonight. And you couldn't help but steal a glance back at the Commander, the warm smile he gave you in return held a knowing glint, a silent confirmation of your suspicions: He knew exactly how happy he was making you. And suddenly, although still a little guilty, you felt the uncontrollable need to hold his face in both hands and kiss him. Yet the image of what your mother would do following such events, quickly destroyed that notion.

“Nonsense. Allow us to treat you to the relaxed evening a hardworking gentleman like you deserves every now and then. Right, pumpkin?” your father said, turning to your mother for confirmation.

“Consider yourself most welcome this evening, Commander Smith,” she replied promptly, a subtle smile gracing her lips, and an inviting warmth unfolding in her voice, both very reminiscent of home. And you hoped the Commander could feel it too, you hoped he could understand: Just how welcome he was.

“Lovely! We shall expect you at the entrance within the hour, my Commander,” your father concluded, his voice filled with genuine enthusiasm. “Until then, please enjoy the remainder of the festivities.”

With that, he walked away with your mother for a final indulgence in refined mingling. As you watched their backs blend into the crowd, a soft smile played on your lips, cherishing the heartfelt kindness they had enveloped the Commander with. Maybe he needed it, maybe not, but you definitely wanted him to have it.

“So…” he leaned in to whisper in your ear once your parents were out of sight, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “We overbake our pies…”

“I never said that,” you countered with a hint of innocence, meeting his gaze with the unwavering confidence typical of someone who has no secrets to hide. Although a mischievous grin betrayed your amusement. “I called it ‘enthusiastic baking.’ Mother may have taken some creative liberties with her interpretation,” you added, wrapping several biscuits in a cloth napkin for the carriage ride home.

“Surely, my Commander, the situation is as clear as day," your father's booming voice resonated from the tearoom at the other end of the hallway. Even if by the time it reached the kitchen, it had softened to a murmur, neither you nor your mother needed to understand the exact words in order to know what he was talking about. The sheer excitement in his tone was a dead giveaway. "The true power lies with a hidden hand, content to manipulate a puppet king while they themselves remain hidden in the shadows. Their motives you ask? One can only speculate.”

The conversation, which at this point risked becoming your father’s monologue, sharpened as you neared the end of the hallway, the crinkling of porcelain against your fingertips accompanying the sound of your heels against the floorboards.

“However, unlike that old gossip Hansel," your father chuckled, a hint of disagreement lacing his tone, "I believe the answer lies in preservation."

“If the public, or some foreign power were to set their sights on this so-called king…” your father continued, his voice dropping to a dramatic whisper.

“The true royal family, whoever they may be, could remain untouched, veiled in secrecy and free to continue their reign… from the shadows,” the Commander interjected, and you arrived just in time to see a flicker of genuine curiosity cross his face. “I see your point, sir, a most intriguing notion indeed. This 'so-called king' would serve as a convenient buffer, deflecting any public discontent or potential threats aimed at the true power behind the throne.”

The Commander, you knew, had a liking for devouring dusty tomes on royal history. Did he, perhaps, find amusement in the conspiratorial air of the conversation? Or was there a spark of something deeper behind his words, a thirst for uncovering the truth about the hidden hand your father, and his own late father perhaps, believed controlled the Walls?

“Precisely, Erwin. I may call you by your given name, right?” Your father checked again, his question painting your cheeks warm shades of red. At some point between Lord Koch’s front door and your own, the Commander had been promoted from ‘my Commander’ to just ‘Erwin’, as if sharing a carriage ride automatically granted your father the right to address him by his first name.

As you placed the silver tray on the small table in front of them, you stole a glance at the Commander, curious to see his reaction, which came in the form of a smile, quietly playing at the corner of his lips as he inclined his head slightly, a silent acknowledgment of your father's request.

“It’s a solid theory, wouldn’t you say?” the mischievous glint in your father's eyes hinted at a newfound understanding between them, perhaps forged over their shared interest in royal intrigue rather than whatever gratitude your father claimed he held towards the Commander for saving your life in the Forest of Giant Trees. “Now, here’s where Hansel and I disagree,” he continued, leaning forward in his chair with a conspiratorial air. “He thinks it's all about keeping information locked away, some dark secret they desperately want hidden,” he paused, clearly for effect, his gaze flickering around the room as if checking for eavesdroppers.

“A dark secret, sir?”

Your father nodded, leaning in even closer, his voice now a low rumble. “Hansel believes it’s about manipulating the very fabric of history itself. Imagine," he said, his eyes widening with a dark intensity, "rewriting the past to suit their needs, erasing any trace of their true origins or some terrible deed they committed."

He leaned back again, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. “Think about it. Controlling the past is the ultimate power, wouldn't you agree, Erwin? By messing with the records, they control what everyone knows, they keep people blind to the truth, forever dancing to their tune. Thank you, buttercup,” your father said when you added two cubes of sugar to his tea. You mockingly mouthed a silent ‘buttercup’ at the Commander across the table, who tried to hide an amused chuckle behind a raised teacup.

Despite his apparent amusement, however, you recognized the struggle flickering behind his eyes. Concern, perhaps. After all, royal calumny was supposed to have claimed the lives of many, including his own father. Or was it an even heavier burden? A reminder of all the unanswered questions he had voluntarily inherited from him, those haunting mysteries he had vowed to unravel on his behalf.

“Aren’t my daughter’s pastries fantastic?” your father boomed, switching the mood with a hearty laugh. “I think the Survey Corps kitchen could’ve used her talents more than your squad, wouldn't you agree, my Commander?” he joked, a proud smile splitting his face as he dunked the corner of a freshly-baked biscuit in his tea, “no dangerous expeditions for her, just pastries and biscuits for everyone at the headquarters. A win-win situation for each one of your soldiers, wouldn’t you say?”

The Commander dipped his head slightly, a barely perceptible smile gracing his lips for a fleeting moment before it vanished. He took a measured sip of his tea, his eyes locking with yours across the table before he murmured, in a voice so low it brushed only your ears, “Everyone except for one.”

A faint smile, almost imperceptible, tugged at the corner of your lips. Two. You answered in your head, a conversation flickering between the two of you without a single word spoken.

It was a secret message only he could decipher, similarly to how the hint of affection now hidden in his gaze was something only you could see. This was your secret language, born from shared peril on the field, one you had perfected through stolen glances, clandestine touches, and secretive moments like this.

“Goodness! I should invite Erwin more often!” your father jumped excitedly, his eyes widening at the sight of the overflowing platter your mother brought in. “I'd ask what the occasion is for all this hospitality, but it’s not every Saturday we have the Survey Corps commander over for dinner, is it?”

You chuckled as you carefully arranged the small pies your mother had brought on individual saucers, each one holding their very own miniature piece of sunshine: the vibrant yellow slice of tomato you had placed on top.

"Don't forget your vegetables, everyone," you teased, placing a dainty silver fork beside each pie.

Though they weren't exactly an everyday treat, tomato pies were a familiar comfort you enjoyed quite often. They were simple, nourishing, not particularly difficult to make, and your mother could practically whip them up in her sleep. Today, however, you understood your father’s surprise. His favorite treat was still familiar in taste, yet transformed in appearance, which you had taken special care with this afternoon, an unusual twist meant to be a delightful surprise for the Commander.

"These look fantastic, Madam," he remarked, taking the plate your mother was offering.

"All credit goes to her," she replied, her hand gesturing your way.

You met his gaze in the middle of the tearoom, another silent exchange passing between you as your lips offered him a small, furtive smile in return.

"A delectable surprise, indeed," the Commander said, a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes before they returned to the pastry, his gaze leaving a lingering warmth on your skin as some sort of ‘thank you’ note, perhaps. And then, when he took a bite of the buttery, brandy-infused crust, and the taste made those same lines beside his eyes deepen, a quiet yearning started to bloom within your chest.

Here, in your parent’s tearoom, bathed in the gentle afternoon sunlight and the comforting scent of baking, he seemed a world away from the horrors he faced daily. This was the kind of life he deserved, wasn't it? Quiet, comfortable, a far cry from battles with flesh-eating giants and the mangled pile of bodies they left behind. An afternoon tea with a nice conversation, and a plate of perfectly golden, tomato-topped pies – these were the simple pleasures he rarely, if ever, experienced.

As you watched him savor the pie in quiet appreciation, a sting of possessiveness, sharp and unexpected, twisted in your gut, as you found yourself desperately wishing that you could be the one to create these peaceful moments for him, not just this once, but for a lifetime.

"Sir, Madam," he began suddenly, bringing you back from the sea of thought you drifted to ever so often, "your daughter has a real talent for making the simple appear..." He paused, letting his deep, husky voice please not only your ears, but a secret, sensitive path down your body—a path that, though hidden beneath your dress at the moment, he happened to know very well "...utterly delightful."

The steam escaping from the teapot wasn’t a match for the eager summer now burning between your legs; his lips, as well as the smirk tugging at them, acting as a delicious reminder, both tempting and frustrating, of a desire you couldn't indulge, not while your parents were present at least.

"Thank you, Commander," You answered, your eyes still indulging in the sweet curve of his bottom lip, “but it's truly not difficult when the produce is this beautiful," you said, gesturing towards the vibrant yellow decoration atop the pie. And it was true. The Lemon Blush were a gentle variety. Sweet, sunshine-colored things, their bottoms blushed in lovely sunset pink. “Truly a pleasure to work with," you finished, your smiling lips tainted with a bit of mischief that betrayed you weren’t referring to the fruit exclusively.

A soft chuckle escaped his in response. Like honey on a summer afternoon, you loved the way it lingered in the air: the sound of his laughter, a sweet reminder that beautiful things still existed, a melody you always replayed in your head, long after it was gone.

Still wearing the same smile on your lips, you settled beside your mother, whose vigilant eyes you suddenly became very aware of, and when you turned to face her, you were not met with her characteristic warmth, but with the unreadable mask she now wore over her features. Your entire face started to mirror the blush of the tomatoes themselves upon realizing she had been watching you intently, it was unclear how long, but it was certainly long enough to make your joyful demeanor falter, your smile vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

Luckily for you though, your father, always blissfully immune to any type of awkward tension, unknowingly came to your aid with a hearty chuckle. "Don't let her fool you, Erwin. Most nights, it's a way simpler fare in this household."

You flashed him a playful glare, his intervention momentarily making you forget about the weight settling within you.

“Seems ages since my darling daughter graced us with her culinary flair. Last winter, wasn’t it? Can you believe it? Ha! How long must a poor old man wait for his sweet buttercup to spoil him again!” your father continued, a touch of mock-hurt in his voice, and your eyes involuntarily rolled at his words.

“Admittedly, it was a special occasion back then too,” he conceded, his voice adopting that pretentious tone he reserved for embellishing stories, for making them grander than reality. The playful glint in his eyes gave away the exaggerated version of whatever tale he was about to tell, even though his lips were yet to utter a single word. “Hansel’s nephew, a fine young lord, came to formally request my daughter’s hand in marriage,” he finished with a conceited smile, his mouth blissfully stuffed with cake and a large crumb clinging to his beard, sweetly oblivious to the way his words had dragged your heart to the very pits of your stomach.

next chapter

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! 😊 If you’d like to support my writing, you can do so at ko-fi/missbubblesoda 🫧

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vicolette · 4 months ago

Note

would you write a Guille Fernandez fic of him trying to do readers makeup?

Love u 😽

Makeup Adventure !

– A/N : Ty for the request!! Love you too anon<33

– Warnings : English isn’t my first language, mentions of y/n & pet names, idk

"C'mon, stay still."

Your boyfriend’s charming smile made you raise an eyebrow at how confident he was about this – about doing your makeup. You weren’t going outside anyway and he had the day off of training, so Guille was quick to stay for a sleepover at your house.

Now, as he gestured you to take a seat on your bed and opened your makeup bag, you felt a bit unsure about all of this. Sure, he wasn’t going to hurt you in any way, shape or form, but it still made you nervous.

Firstly, Guille took your moisturizer and applied some on your face to help you get a smooth base before applying any makeup. Secondly was sunscreen, which made him raise an eyebrow, since it was barely even spring, but he still used it.

"Is this necessary?" Holding up the Primer a bit too close to your face, you facepalmed at him, before he pulled it back to let you take a proper look at it.

"Nope."

"Alright." As he put it back inside the makeup bag, Guille put foundation on your forehead, cheeks and chin, making him smile at how silly you looked like from above. As he continued your usual routine, with you giving him some hints and tips, he shrugged it off, saying that he was a pro at this.

What really made you flustered were his teasing compliments, such as "I can make you blush, so you don’t need it." or "You already look like you're shining, baby. Is highlighter important?" . Even if it was natural for him to tease you like this, it was what made you feel appreciated – that he was genuine about his own words.

Now came the tricky part: your eyes. At first, Guille just stared into your eyes for a whole good minute, before he smirked and suddenly kissed you. It caught you by surprise, your hands flying to his shoulders on instinct. He pulled when you couldn't breathe anymore, then proceeded to act as if it was nothing.

"Bastard..." The teenager chuckled in response, holding up an eyeshadow palette for you to choose the color. One glance at it, and you immediately pointed at a rosy pink.

"Seems like you love the color." Everyone could see how much you've used it, just barely using any other shades unless if it wasn't for an everyday look.

However, you couldn’t help but snicker as you watched him shakily hold an eyeliner afterwards, closing your eyes while Guille tried to master this and miserably failed.

"I give up."

"Loser." A dramatic gasp left from his mouth at that moment, pouting while he opened the mascara. Even with your eyes closed, you could probably imagine how Guille looked like right now.

The final touch came as he only searched for your lipstick, only to find some lip balm, lipgloss and...

"Is that a pencil?" Guille held up a lipliner, showing it to you, as if you didn't know what he was talking about. Once you nodded your head in amusement, he bursted out laughing. His laughter filled the room with noise and after a short while, you sighed softly while shaking your head at your boyfriend’s attitude sarcastically.

"Okay, okay- how do I use this?"

"Around the lips, silly." His genuine curiosity made you smile as he firstly put on some lipstick, once again letting you choose your color, before moving to the lipliner, decently mastering it.

"No lipgloss?" As he handed you his phone and let you see yourself, you thought that it was actually pretty good – almost as similar to your everyday look, if it wasn’t for the messed up eyeliner.

"Nah, don’t want my lips to get glossy." Before you could even properly process his words in your mind, Guille quiet literally jumped on you, pinning you down to the mattress. A grin blossomed on his face, before leaning down to kiss you repeatedly.

There was a lipstick stain on his face, letting you grab his face and press kisses all over him, yet he didn’t mind the clinginess. Guille loved seeing you like this, even if he was usually the one to tease.

"And? Did I do good?" Once you pulled away, your hands still cupping his chin, you saw how he looked a little bit more relaxed than before. Your lipstick was probably messy, but none of you two cared.

"Hm… totally."

"Are you being sarcastic?"

– A/N : acc loved writing this but I have absolutely NO experience with makeup sooo….

#guille fernandez #Guille Fernandez x Reader #Guille fernandez x y/n #guille fernandez x you #Guille fernandez oneshot #guille fernandez imagine #fc barcelona #fc barca #football #footballer #footballer x reader #footballer x y/n #footballer x you #fluff #no experience whatsoever #oh well

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acourtofthought · 4 months ago

Note

Hey, just popping in with some thoughts! Based on your post last.

So, I totally get the frustration with the whole Elain/Lucien situation, but I feel like the argument that "because Elain said so" isn’t a valid reason kinda misses the point? Like… that’s actually a very important reason! Just because something is a major trope (angsty rejected mates, slow burn suffering, etc.) doesn’t mean SJM has to explore it every single time. Maybe the whole point is that Elain gets to choose, even when the universe tries to shove her into a predetermined path. 👏 Girl. Has. Agency. 👏

And honestly? Not every story needs a full-blown love triangle or 500 pages of emotional turmoil. Maybe SJM just doesn’t think an Elain/Lucien romance serves the larger narrative. We already know mating bonds don’t have to be romantic, so maybe Elain’s arc isn’t about tragic rejection but about defining love on her own terms. Revolutionary, I know.

Also, why do we assume Lucien has to be central to Elain’s story? His whole journey with Vassa/Jurian and his identity crisis (Beron’s kid? Helion��s kid? Future High Lord???) is a lot, and maybe that’s his story, not one tied to Elain’s decisions. If SJM is holding off on Lucien/Elain, it could be intentional because she’s setting him up for something else.

All that said, if Maas completely ignores the bond without any meaningful resolution, then yeah, wasted potential. But maybe, just maybe, the point is that fate isn’t the final word on love. 💖

Curious to hear your thoughts! 🫶

This feels a bit like a copy and past messages because none of my recent posts dealt with what your referring to. It also seem you've either accidentally stumbled upon the wrong page since I'm clearly Pro Elucien or you're baiting, which I hope not.

However, the tone of the message was friendly enough so I'll definitely respond and tell you all about how I disagree.

I'm going to tackle one of your later points, "why do we assume Lucien has to be central to Elain's story."

Because Sarah has literally laid out Lucien's future journey for us while simultaneously laying out Elain's future journey while simultaneously laying out Az and Gwyn's future journey's and the journey's only line up when we're considering certain pairings. Elain was not part of the crossover in anyway, shape or form. She has never once been connected to time travel, been mentioned as being interested in time travel, had nothing to do with learning the history of Prythian. But Az was written to be interested in those things, was written to find out about the Asteri from other planets, was written as staring after the orb Bryce showed them even after it disappeared (just like Lucien was written as staring across the continent as if setting his sights on Koschei), and was written as learning about the history of their world when he was with Bryce. The only one of his possible love interests that was written as having done research on the past and time travel is.....(drum roll please), Gwyn! Not to mention Gwyn is a Valkyrie and SF told us Cassian and Az planned on continuing their training whereas Az never onced offered to help Elain train her powers.

As far as Lucien, he is now PERMANENTLY stationed in Spring. He is friends with Vassa who is soon to be called back to Koschei, he met Elain's father and with the retcon in SF of when he met up with him should now be aware of what bargain her father made. He's also the only male who can tell Elain what the last days of being around her father were like. In ACOWAR, Elain was given visions of Vassa and Koschei, in SF, she was written as being made for Spring, as having her scent linger like a promise of Spring, she was written to look like she had the life sucked out of her in NC black, was constantly sitting at the sunniest windows and said herself that what she needed was sunshine, while Sarah wrote her losing the color her face had gained once winter set into the NC. (Spring and Day don't seem to have winter!). Also, Elain and Lucien are mates and no matter what you think will happen the text specifically tells us the bond will ALWAYS TRAIL ELAIN FOR THE REST OF HER EXISTENCE. That's a long time. No matter what, Lucien will always hold some part of her and she him.

The question is not why Lucien has to be central to Elain's story, it's how could anyone not realize he is going to be Elain's story forever, no matter what her decision is.

As far as your whole choice argument, this is an author who loves fated mates, who feels that from the very first moment she laid eyes on her husband she knew he was the one. Was that a choice or something that felt like destiny? And Sarah has written Elain and Lucien, from the moment they laid eyes on one another, as knowing that they were mates. Now this is a book so of course it has to be a roller coaster before the HEA but I have no idea why you'd think an author would prefer to write about mates rejecting one another, knowing they'll always feel a draw to one another (even though the authors has written them as being absolutely perfect and extremely compatible for one another and you're lying if you pretend otherwise) all to say "but choice is so much more important than fate or destiny even if that choice says he hasn't thought of you beyond his sexual fantasies and didn't give you credit for the king and doesn't think you could handle the trove but thinks your sister can). If choice was more important than destiny than Frodo would have never destroyed the ring because he definitely would have preferred being back in his hobbit hole many times on his journey.

Elain has had nothing but choice when it comes to whether she decides to be with Lucien because he hasn't forced a single thing on her.

This particular author literally told us Elain chose Lucien. How she thought he'd always be with Nesta until she realized that they'd worsen one anothers wounds but then Elain took BOTH Sarah and Lucien by surprise. Elain's character spoke to Sarah, she literally told the author what her story would be then Sarah just went and added the drama.

It seems you believe Elain doesn't have some sort of say in who she ends up with and it'll be more powerful to break free of that so she can "pick who she wants" when she's clearly been free to do whatever the hell she wants over the last two years. She literally begged Graysen to still love her. But not once in those two years has she chosen to reject the guy who you are so convinced she doesn't want and yes, though Elain does not owe Lucien her body or time, she does owe him a formal rejection because they are linked and you and I and everyone in this fandom knows that. Author's don't have characters like Elain leave characters like Lucien in a weird limbo two years without having a real conversation with him if she's always known the plan is for Elain to reject him without ever interacting so you can bet your ass Elain's book is going to have a whole lotta Lucien.

And you're right, not every story needs pages upon pages of a love triangle and that's why Sarah wrote Elain returning Az's necklace then never again looking his way in the 4/ 5 months after Solstice. E/riels setup is over and Sarah can now focus on the true romantic arc of Elain's character which has always been Lucien and their bond. Az will be ok though because he's already got admiration and amusement going on for another girl.

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flowerwiththemachinegun · 1 month ago

Text

GunsmithReaderxTseng Drabble 2?

Gunsmith!ReaderxTseng drabble. In which you’re just perched on his desk, taking care of things he’d rather let you do so he can savor your presence. Man just loves making work for you in order to keep you around him more often.

“Why do you allow your gun to get so filthy? As if it isn’t your primary weapon.” Removing the slide from the base, you examine the inner assembly of his firearm. You release a sigh you hadn’t realized you were holding in.

Disappointment riddles you to the core as you see lint tangled in the springs. Taking a closer look at the frame only helps you notice the dirt tucked into the crevices of the grips. Even hiding the serial number located on the back of Tseng’s gun.

“I truly expect more of you, Tseng,” You hop off of his desk, just long enough to fetch the cleaning kit from your bag, reclaiming your place on the edge of his desk. “You’re not usually so…you know. Dirty.”

It was Tseng’s turn to sigh. He wasn’t genuinely annoyed with your presence. Quite the opposite, but if he had known you would spend the majority of your time badgering him about basic firearm maintenance, he’d have locked it away in a drawer. “Do you see the pile of paperwork on my desk? This is what I have you for. Right?”

Tseng lightly pinches the side off your butt upon noticing you settled on a couple of forms he needs to go over. A playful smile forming on his lips as your head snapped over to meet his gaze. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes and chuckle at his flirtatious actions or the shrug he offered as he retrieved the forms from under you.

Humming in response, you begin cleaning it as thoroughly as possible. Taking your time to remove everything you were able to without the necessary tools to ensure it was as clean as possible. Or at least far better than its current state.

“I thought you had work to do.” It was impossible to miss the way Tseng leaned back in his chair, ignoring his work to stare at you.

“That I do. Though I’d rather take my time to appreciate you. Or is this a problem as well?” One thing about Tseng. He absolutely adores watching you work. No matter how simple the task, you never failed to captivate him. He loves watching how focused you become as you take your time to look over the little details he wouldn’t stop to notice. The slight furrow of your brow as you adjust the pins back into place. While all of your work was exemplary, Tseng would always notice how you seemed to pay extra attention to his equipment more than others.

“No. Never a problem.” You'd have to make room for at least one time out of the week to come by and make sure his gun was taken care of. On the plus side, it means more time with Tseng.

#kind of forgot how enjoyable writing short things are #tseng x reader #tseng ff7 #maybe that's what I'll do for a chunk of wips #I'll see

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autistichalsin · 1 year ago

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bloody claws in the dark

Please note: this is a trauma vent story, which is to say it's based on my own experiences as a survivor projected onto the character. This may not be as in character as what I typically write and due to the personal nature it might be uncomfortable for some to read. This is doubly so because this is extremely dark and deals with revenge fantasies. Please keep this in mind before reading. Thank you.

Summary: in his mind, he's killed his captors a thousand times.

In the real world, they died once. Quick, but probably painful, knowing Drow. Quick, and painful, and out of his sight, while he was busy escaping.

He doesn’t regret escaping. Not for a moment. He wasn’t going to let them be the reason he died. It brings a smug satisfaction, really, thinking about the fact that their worthless stupid pet bear, ugly darthiir outlived them. Got to see them die.

But it isn’t enough satisfaction. Isn’t enough that they died, or even that they died violently.

And that is where the split begins.

Halsin doesn’t normally think about revenge like this. Or at least, he hadn’t before. He had a big heart, so others said. He wasn’t always sure, though he tried his best to make it true. But whether he was or wasn’t good enough to be good, revenge was certainly on his mind now.

In his mind, they haven’t died once. They’ve died thousands of times, all at his hand. He sees it when he closes his eyes. When he meditates, when ghosts of memories spring unbidden into his mind, when he sees chains or hears a bear’s roar that sounds just enough like his own.

He sees it, then. Sees it so painfully real that his jaw aches from clenching. He roars, sometimes silently, sometimes out loud; sometimes with an elf’s snarl and sometimes the mighty, warning snarl of a bear, not even having realized he had wildshaped.

It was worse in bear form. Then, he’d have to fear losing control. That his thoughts would turn real before he could stop it. The bear controlled his body more than himself, after all.

But in elf form he could close his eyes, grit his teeth, and growl. He’d see that bedchamber again. See their hideous infuriating laughing faces, hear their voices, that damned laughter.

His hand would clench, his breath speeding. Oh bear, what’s the matter? You can’t pretend you didn’t want this. I felt so sorry for you, you know, so worked up and so needy-

A cry of frustration. He’d fall to his knees, the anger spiking, spiking. Their voices would grow louder. Their faces clearer. He’d feel it. Lips on his. Tongues on his neck, lapping, making him shake, marking him, making him shiver in disgust and nausea grow in his belly-

And finally, when he couldn’t handle it anymore, would come the new images. Another death to add to the collection of ones he’d created in his mind.

Bear claws would tear their throats. They’d gasp and choke, the sound of blood sliding into their lungs and gurgling in the air.

He’d break free of the chains, and wrap them around their throats. Sometimes the deaths are quick. Other times he lets them faint and wake as many times as he wants. Makes sure he sees it register in their eyes that they’ve finally lost control of their pet bear. That their pet bear is going to kill them, but only when he decides.

Other times he has a knife. He’s never fast with the knife. He slides it inside of that man's stomach first, because stomach wounds are the slowest and most painful way to die. He chops off the man’s cock and balls, and then shoves them down the man’s throat. Lets the man choke to death on them, sometimes. Other times he makes him swallow it, and then stabs, again and again and again. But shallow. Not frenzied, controlled, because he’s in his elf form, and an elven hunter is methodical with their tools. He knows where to stab, where not to, what arteries will grant too fast a passing. He kills the man slow and painful while his matriarch watches, bound as Halsin always was, helpless to stop it.

And then comes her turn. He savors her screams, her cries as he stabs her too. He lies her on the man’s body, lets their blood mingle in a mockery of the bond they claimed to share. He stabs through her palm. Stabs through her and into his body. He breaks her wrist, savors the crunch of bone and the agonized wails. What is this, Mistress? He snarls at her, lip upturned. Couldn’t control your pet bear anymore?

And he stabs, and stabs, and stabs, the red covers it all. Until he can’t breathe, can’t stand, and his knife falls from his hand. Until his vision blurs, the red and the tears obstructing everything else, and he shakes with it. Trembles like a leaf falling from a dying oak.

In those moments he thinks maybe he is dying, the way his heart pounds, but he always seems to come back to himself eventually and his heart seems to calm.

And then there comes the strangest part. He feels angry and calm at the same time, after those deaths, somehow furious and yet detached from it. So overwhelmed with feeling that he can’t feel anymore, and yet he can, he does, it builds up inside him all over again and makes him want to kill kill slaughter them all again. Like a cycle he can’t stop, like the storm that stops and leaves a false, unnatural calm before resuming, as turbulent as ever.

And then come more deaths for his captors. More relished screams, more blood.

Until he comes back to himself, exhausted, entire body aching. Not satisfied, never satisfied, because it will never be real, and yet close to sated, having lived this fantasy for a while. He closes his eyes.

But then comes the reality, crashing back into him again. He never killed them. He never made them finally fear him the way he feared them. He never did anything but run, run, run.

Reality, clarity, all returns to him and with it is a new horror. Oakfather preserve me, fist over his heart, hand shaking with the motions, what is happening to me because how could he, how could he think such a thing? He isn’t supposed to want to torture someone, even them, isn’t he?

But that’s just what he thought of, again and again, and he doesn’t know what to do with it. Those feelings.

And then comes the bear. His only safe place, his only solace. He does’t have to control the bear. The bear can maim, kill, and it’s accepted that it’s just his nature. The bear isn’t good or evil, gentle or cruel.

He runs. Sometimes he hides. Hides from the other Druids- first his peers, and then, one awful day, his subordinates. Lets them think whatever they want, that he’s weak, running, hiding. An Archdruid who can’t control his wildshape? The new recruits ask, eying him with suspicion, even derision.

He cares not.

He gives himself over to the bear, until he is ready to be an elf again. Lets the bear have his violent side, his emotional side, his hurt.

And for his elf form, he leaves nothing. He leaves the crushing sadness and loneliness, the darkness.

One of his selves is nothing, is emptiness and pain, and the other is rage revenge fear pain.

He curls up in a cave in the Grove, sometimes alone, and sometimes with another cave bear- there are so many over the years- at his side. He never tells a soul what he’s done in his mind, for that would require telling them why he did it. He tells them a half-truth instead. That he can’t tame the beast. It’s true enough, even if the bear isn’t his only beast.

He has many beasts inside him. A caged one. A rabid one. A calm one. A reliable, caring one. An escaped pet.

None of them are happy beasts, but they keep him steady enough to keep him from being a monster beast. They let him keep those thoughts inside, limited to his memories of his captors and their endless deaths instead of someone real.

Maybe one day, someone will hear his pained roars, even the muted ones, and remove the proverbial thorn in his paw instead of fleeing. Maybe then, one day he’ll stop seeing his captors. Or maybe he’ll at least be satisfied by the deaths he creates in his mind.

He hopes.

#halsin #halsin silverbough #bg3 #baldur's gate 3

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t0yac1d · 1 year ago

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Afterglow I (C.Springer x Fem!Reader)

Warnings: Smut, grinding, oral (female and male receiving), praise, p in v, smoking, degradation(?) (reader calls herself a whore :) ), dirty talk, light hair pulling, slight face fucking, light choking

Notes: In honor of school being cancelled again!

Word Count: 1,601

You can't feel anything right now, you're relaxed and happy, the room foggy and your mind cloudy. You look over at your friend, your eyes as low, red and hazy as his. He's smiling at you, "You're so fucked up" he chuckles. Usually that chuckle wouldn't have done anything, but now it has you feeling warm and your stomach doing flips. "Not as much as you" you bite back.

You don't know if it's the weed or if it's you, but you're craving him right now. You lean close to him, he's not aware of anything happening beside him, until he slightly turns his head to you. "What's up?" he asks and you're quiet, "Nothin'.."

He quirks a brow, "You sure?", you're staring at his lips, "Yeah, it's nothing.."

He licked his lips, fuck you thought, "I want you" you muttered under your breath, "Huh?" Connie said, you shook your head, looking away from his lips and away from him. "I know I'm not hallucinating, you said something. What was it?" he asked, wanting to know what it was you muttered.

"You know you can tell me anything right? Like, I won't judge or get upset."

You sighed, "I said, 'I want you'..."

He stood silent, his face was relaxed but his mouth was slightly open, jaw slacked. He brought his hand up to your face, gently caressing and moving it to the back your head, cradling. He brought his face closer to yours, lips close, grazing each other. He leaned in, his lips molding into yours. You sighed into the kiss, you felt Connie's tongue swipe your bottom lip, asking for permission, which you obliged feeling his tongue now on yours.

Tilting your head, you deepened the kiss. It was sloppy for sure, but you had to break it, needing air. You looked up at him, eyes low, red, glossy and full of lust, pleading, "I want you, so bad"

He smirked, pulling you so you'd be on top of him, straddling him. "Trust me, I want you just as badly. You drive me crazy.."

You grabbed his face, pulling him in for another deep kiss. His hands slid down and gripped your hip, pulling you closer. You broke the kiss once more, kissing his cheek, jaw and down his neck. Biting and sucking, leaving marks all over. He groaned at the feeling, fingers and nails digging into your waist and hips. Feeling highly impatient, Connie lifted your shirt up and off your body, tossing it somewhere around his house. He kissed and nibbled at your neck and chest, dark circles forming on your soft skin.

One hand rested on his shoulder and the other on the back of his neck. You pulled his head closer when he bit and sucked on that one spot, groaning, you began to slowly grind on his growing bulge. He softly moaned, his cock growing harder beneath you, "Mm, don't stop, fuck"

You palmed him through his sweats causing him to groan and arch his hips into your hand, trying to create more friction. "Lemme get some more, mamas. Please" he whined. You smiled and got on your knees, still palming him, "You sound good when you're all whiney"

You pulled his sweats down along with his boxers. Connie let out a gasp as he felt his cock spring free, "Oh...fuuuck" You wrapped your hand loosely around his cock, slowly pumping him, "How long have you wanted this? Me on my knees, about to suck your cock like some whore." He shivered at your touch and at your words, his breathing becoming ragged. "Ever since we became friends. I've been fuck aching for your touch and now I have it.."

You smiled, licking up the base of his cock, swirling your tongue around the tip. Connie let out a moan, throwing his head back. "God, that felt good" He ran his fingers through your hair, urging you to continue. You took a breath before taking him in your throat, hollowing your cheeks and sucking. With his other hand, Connie gripped the cushion under him, his body filled with pleasure. You used a hand to cup his balls a give them a gentle squeeze along with his cock. His moans grew louder as his hips bucked, "Oh fuck"

He lightly tugged at your hair, pushing and pulling causing you to gag a bit. You moaned at the feeling, enjoying having Connie, whose just supposed to be your friend, use your throat to cum. His hips bucked uncontrollably as he pushed your head down, your hands on his thighs, gripping them. He let out a long and loud moan as he came. You swallowed his nut and wiped the saliva that's been dripping off your mouth and chin. "Sorry, did I hurt you?" he asked, "No, even if you did I wouldn't have minded" you chuckled, straddling him again.

"Lay down for me, pretty" he muttered. You laid down on the couch as Connie slowly pulled your pants and underwear off your body, moving back up to undo your bra. He discarded the items and kissed a trail down your body, stopping just above your pussy. He grazed his teeth across the inner part of your thigh, his breath fanning over your pussy making you whimper and whine for more. He made his way back up to your lips, leaning down and kissing you hungrily, his hand caressing your skin and groping your tits, pinching your hard nipples.

You wrap your arms around his neck, bringing him closer to you, wanting to be closer to him. Wanting some sort of friction or relief, you slightly lift your hips up, grinding against his cock and quietly moaning at the feelings. Connie grabbed your hips, keeping them on the couch, leaning close to you and whispering in your ear, his voice sultry and deep, "You gotta be patient..only good girls get to cum"

He bit your earlobe and trailed his lips down your neck, making his way down between your legs. He kissed your thighs and gently pushed them open. His index and middle fingers spreading your pussy lips, looking in awe at how she clenches around nothing, evidently wanting him to stop teasing. He lowered his head, and licked a stripe up your pussy, "Damn, you taste so fucking good" he used his tongue to flick your clit, causing your body to shudder.

Your placed a hand on top of his head, pushing his head down and his face closer to your pussy. Shoving two fingers inside of you, curling them and sucking on your clit. "Cum for me, baby. Cum all over my fingers." Your eyes shut tight, your thighs closed around Connie's head, The euphoric feeling washing over your body as you let out a loud moaned, "Fuck, Con!"

He watched in admiration, your face contorting in pleasure. He continued to pump his fingers and tongue in and out of your hole, helping you ride out your orgasm. "Turn around for me, ma"

You turned around on all fours, slightly arching your back. Connie grabbed your hips and without warning thrusted in you causing you to lurch forward. "Sorry baby, couldn't help myself"

The room was filled with slapping, the skin on skin contact filled the room. His balls slapping against your pussy, his pelvis meeting your ass and sometimes his hands. The room also smelled like sex, just hot and sweaty. He reached around, rubbing circles on your clit and thrusting at a faster pace, eager to make you cum for a second time. "H-harder...please..fuck me harder" you begged. back arching and head dropping.

"You're so fucking sexy when you beg, want you to cum over and over again til you can't take it anymore."

You nodded your head, at nothing in particular, just too caught up in your pleasure. Connie slid a hand to your throat, using it to pull you up and towards him, your hand gripping at his arm and your back on his chest. "Look at me, ma. Lemme see that pretty face."

You turned your head, meeting him for a kiss, as his pace grew more rough and faster. "Your sucking me in, fuck, literally sucking me in"

He kissed your neck as you began to feel that knot in your stomach forming, "Con, I'm so close" his fingers and hips never stopping, "Cum for me, baby"

Feeling your core tighten you shut your eyes closed tight, a wave of pleasure washing over you, the euphoric feeling encasing you. His kept his movements steady and gentle, feeling your body shake in his arms. "Did so good for me"

He kissed your forehead and slowly pulled out of you, laying you down on his couch and grabbing a blanket from a closet. "You tired? Or wanna go for another round?" he asked, "I'm tired, wanna lay with you."

He smiled and got on the couch, pulling you close to his chest, almost protective.

You woke up in the middle of the night, high worn off and eyes adjusting to the darkness of the house. You sat up and felt the cold air against your naked body, "What the fuck did I do?" you panicked, carefully getting up and off the couch not wanting to wake up the man sleeping peacefully next to you. You grabbed your clothes and put them on as fast as humanly possible and grabbed your phone and your shoes. You left the house, rushing to your own and panicking.

"What the fuck are we now? And what the fuck was I thinking?"

#fluff #smut smut smut #smutty #connie springer smut #smut #connie springer #connie x you #connie x reader smut #aot x reader #aot smut #aot connie #aot #afterglow

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zelbits · 3 months ago

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Prologue: The Cycle Must End

Rating: M at its worst, I'm trying to keep it T. Depictions of gore, violence, themes of depression, war, battles, and some steamy scenes later on but nothing outright spicy, some strong language but nothing too explicit

Summary: One year after the events of Tears of the Kingdom, a mysterious man by the name of Sheik shows up on Link's doorstep telling him of a new incarnation of Ganondorf-- a once-great man being transformed into a wicked warlord in present time. Unwilling to allow the cycle to continue if he can stop it, Link recruits Zelda's head researcher and caretaker Asahi, a Sheikah warrior, to their cause. On the first leg of their journey, they are ambushed by bokoblins led by a shadow version of Link, who can match his every move. His knowledge too great to simply allow him to leave or end him, they decide to bring him along and limit his power with the use of Sheik's magic. Despite the warnings, Asahi and "Dark Link" find themselves drawn to one another. Unbeknownst to Asahi, her closeness to the shadow brings out a side she never knew she had, a side which may reveal that she's more than just the caretaker of the princess. For Dark Link, their growing bond may ruin his hidden agenda, the very reason for his existence. As far as Sheik is concerned, their relationship may spell the destruction of the entire quest, which may have been doomed from the start: After all, in order to stop the Curse of Demise, they need more than one incarnation of the Triforce and a weapon that never existed.

TL;DR: Link decides to put an end to the Curse of Demise with the help of a strange time-traveler Sheik, his best friend Asahi and a shadow-version of himself; Asahi and the Shadow are growing dangerously close while unlocking secrets that could end their quest to find a weapon to end the Curse.

Trigger Warnings: PTSD, gore, violence, mild steam, angst, forbidden/taboo love, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, probably more I haven't thought of yet.

Word Count: Unsure

A/N: Asahi's appearance and name are loosely based off of Asahi from The Water Dragon's Bride, my favorite manga (besides Zelda, ofc). I've had this story in my head for a very, very, very long time and I'm really excited to finally be putting it out there, even if it's not in the comic form that I had originally wanted to do.

Media: Written for now, with some art and hopefully redrawn in manga form later on when I learn how to do it well.

Releases: Monthly, if possible. I work full-time and am in the midst of preparing for college, so I'll try to release chapters every other weekend alongside my usual content.

Anytime you see an embedded link (pun intended), it leads to related soundtrack.

The sky was a deep, soft orange when Link stepped out in the morning.

Sunrise was always his favorite time of day. It reminded him of peaceful mornings spent with Zelda before... everything. He stretched his arms over his head until his spine popped before he let them fall to his sides. Ruffling his hands through his long hair, he pulled out the tangles, enjoying the sensation of the dewy grass underfoot as he walked to the pond behind the house.

The little spring was warm compared to the chilly morning air, and as Link washed his hair and soaked in the early morning sunlight, his mind wandered.

It had been a long, difficult year, especially for Zelda. He was still getting used to his new arm, and sometimes he still got confused when he looked down and saw fur and claws, or when he felt phantom pains from an arm long gone. He was also still trying to process that he'd had to save Hyrule not once, but twice. He wondered if any of the other past heroes had slept for 100 years, defeated an eldritch abomination, then did it again barely seven years later. A bitter smirk played on his face before he dunked beneath the water.

But Zelda, gods, poor Zelda. She wasn't herself even now. After so long of being a dragon, she had lost much of who she once was. She complained of feeling her body dying, and of missing something. He would catch her staring at the sky for hours with an emotionless expression on her face. Not even researching interested her anymore, not for long. Sometimes something small would spark excitement, but it rarely lasted more than an hour.

In her dreamlike, catatonic state, she was in absolutely no place to run their kingdom, and neither was he. He needed to care for her 24/7, and he would. He appointed Purah and Paya to look after their affairs, trusting them enough to form a responsible council and make good decisions. So far, he hadn't had any complaints about the way they ran things; Hyrule was peaceful.

Not only were they reliable enough to run the country, but they had also appointed Link some much-needed help that he was too prideful to ask for. A young Sheikah girl had been assigned to help Link care for Zelda, and thankfully they had all been friends long before that fateful night. Asahi was probably the one person from the modern age that Zelda had been friends with, having met on an expedition three years prior to the Upheaval. An expert on Hyrulean history, her knowledge had been a great help to him during the whole ordeal, although he'd refused every attempt of hers to join him. He didn't want her to get hurt.

A bright, lovely young woman with deep red hair with black ends, and golden eyes, she looked nothing like the Sheikah; even her attire was different. Unsatisfied with the typical whites, reds, and beiges of Sheikah wear, Asahi wore deep mauves, reds, and browns. Purah told him that she had been adopted by a Sheikah couple who couldn't have children, and that she had been in an orphanage until she was three. The reclusive tribe never treated her any differently, however. Asahi was a capable warrior as well as a scholar, her knowledge on par with what Zelda's would have been if she were back to her old self.

Asahi's presence, teachings, and therapeutic sessions had certainly helped Zelda to cope. She smiled a bit more now.

Link left the bath, allowing his body to air-dry as he went back inside. He didn't have much planned for today. Besides some menial work in the gardens and cleaning the tack for their horses, Link had nothing to do but spend time with Zelda, which gave Asahi a much-needed day off. He glanced out his windows at the Bolson houses across the bridge. The smaller one, on the right from where he was standing, was Asahi's. Her lights were off, and he saw no movement; he chuckled a bit. She must be sleeping in.

Like someone else he knew. Turning around, Zelda was fast sleep in the bed, in her cozy pajamas and snoring ever so softly-- although she would vehemently deny that if he ever had the audacity to bring it up to her. Link dressed in some comfortable clothes and gave Zelda a kiss on the cheek before heading back downstairs.

Outside, it was already warming up. Summer in Hateno was still chilly thanks to the breeze from the frozen Lanayru mountains, but it was decent today. Link paused in the doorway and smiled in the sunlight, enjoying the sensation of the warmth on his skin. The sound of commotion across the bridge drew his attention to the Hateno children recklessly chasing some hot-footed frogs. At least they had an excuse today, more often than not they would linger on the other end of the bridge until Link or Asahi shooed them away, worried about the status of their teacher. Before the Upheaval, Zelda treated them as though they were her own children, and now...

She just didn't seem to care.

Link shook his head to clear his mind as the children followed the frogs down the path, making his own way to the stalls against the house. Here were there horses, comfortable in their own stalls: Prince, Link's white stallion, and Star, Zelda's golden mare. They both nickered eagerly at Link's approach, excited for breakfast. Happily, Link fed them each their own mixture of oats and hay flakes, petted them a bit, then made his way to the shed behind the house, where their tack was stored.

He had only just started cleaning it when movement near the pond caught his eye. His head shot up, and he froze. Zelda. Hair disheveled from sleep, still in her nightgown, she slowly walked across the field, as though in a trance.

Immediately, Link put his tools away. So not to scare her, he snuck up quickly behind her so that he could follow closely, unsure if she was sleepwalking or experiencing an episode-- it had been a week since her last one, and Link had started to get hopeful. His heart hammered in his chest as he followed her all the way to the edge of the cliff-- where she let out a sudden, violent scream as she tried to walk off the edge.

Link lunged, snatching her by the waist and yanking her back, causing them both to fall. Zelda instantly snapped out of her trance, sobbing profusely. "I was flying, Link, I was flying--" she inhaled sharply, burying her face in her hands as Link held her close. "Link... Help me... I'm dying! I'm dying!"

"Asahi!" Link's shout hopefully carried far enough to wake her; often, it took Asahi and Link both to calm her after an episode like this. Link squeezed Zelda's frail body, knowing that the sensation grounded her in reality sometimes.

The sound of running footsteps brought his attention to Asahi. She too was still in her pajamas-- a pair of old, worn trousers cut off at the knees and an old shirt. Her odd hair, short like Zelda's, was sticking in all directions. She had clearly been asleep, and Link thought it odd she was here so quickly. "I heard her scream," Asahi breathlessly explained, kneeling beside them. "What happened?"

"Another episode," Link managed to say around the lump in his throat. Goddess, please save her...

Asahi gently pulled Zelda's hands away from her face beaming at her-- he wasn't sure if it was her Sheikah training, or simply her personality, but she could hide her worry better than he could. "Princess, are you troubled again?" Her voice was soft and gentle, soothing even to Link.

"I'm dying!" Zelda cried, slumping over into Link's arms. His heart shattered as he pulled her close.

"We all die, princess," Asahi said softly, "I'm dying, too." It was all Link could do not to start sobbing alongside the princess. Often, he felt like he never should have rescued her from her dragonic form. She would not have known who she was, or even that she used to be a Hylian. She would simply be, for eternity, and wouldn't have to feel any of this pain. As though sensing his guilt, Asahi laid a hand gently on his arm and said softly, "Let's take her inside."

Without hesitation, Link scooped the grieving princess in his arms and carried her back into the house, Asahi following close behind.

It took them nearly all day to calm Zelda.

Asahi made a soup of mushrooms and Sheikah spices, techniques used by her people to cure madness. He didn't like the idea of using such things, implying Zelda was mad, but... She almost was. After several hours, Link had made Asahi leave so that she could eat and properly dress while he watched over Zelda, who, when she finally did stop crying, laid on the bed and stared out of the window, straight at the bleak, stormy sky in a catatonic state.

Ever since her episodes began, they had moved the bed so that she could easily see out of the windows. Sometimes the sight of the sky calmed her.

Others, it made her frantic.

In her lucid moments, Zelda couldn't remember her episodes at all. She didn't even want to try to think about it. She would make food, then stay snuggled against Link until she ultimately fell into a peaceful sleep.

It was as though she were asleep even now. Her eyes were open, but even if Link started yelling he very much doubted if she would be able to respond. He watched her, eyes trailing along her face and taking in every detail. It should be me. He was the hero. He was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. Why couldn't he have been thrown back in time, forced to turn into a dragon to restore the Master Sword? If given the chance, he would switch places with her in a heartbeat.

A knock at the door got his attention. Asahi must be back. With one final glance at Zelda, he jogged downstairs and opened the door, wincing against the sudden onslaught of rain, expecting her arms to be full as she rarely ever knocks--

--his hand went to his blade at once. "Do I know you?"

The mysterious visitor only narrowed his eyes. "No, you do not. Not yet."

Link tensed his body, preparing to strike if needed. The man was clothed fully from head-to-toe in close-fitting, off-white clothes, leather, and light armor; the Sheikah eye was emblazoned in gold on his chest. Deep brown eyes cut through Link like daggers, and sandy blond hair hung from his tight-bandaged, sky-blue cap, falling to his shoulders and in front of his covered face. A curved, golden harp hung at his lower back, and a long, faded blue scarf was wrapped around his neck. "Who are you?" Link knew pretty much all of the Sheikah in Kakariko, and they never wore attire like this. Yiga, maybe? But here? Now?

"Hello, Hero of Wilds," Answered the visitor, his voice deep and smooth. Link tensed, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. "I have waited a very long time for our meeting." He showed Link his gloved palms. "I am no threat to you, nor your princess. I come bearing a message... and a request. You may choose to hear me, just as you may choose to deny my request. This is up to you, hero."

Link regarded the visitor carefully. "Where do you come from?"

The man replied, "I will happily explain everything. I am willing to meet you elsewhere if it comforts you."

Slowly, Link nodded. "I'm waiting on someone. When she returns, I will hear you." He wasn't sure why he agreed. Maybe some small part of him hoped that this message wasn't bad news, although he felt in his heart that it could be no other kind. He refused to move from the doorway, however; he stood on the balls of his feet, prepared to strike if necessary. Whatever happened, this stranger would not take Zelda. He trusted Asahi's capabilities to keep her safe in his absence.

As promised, she hastily returned, carrying a couple of books and a half-eaten sandwich which she still munched on as she hurried across the bridge and up the path to the house. She paused behind the visitor, brow furrowed; he turned, breaking the staredown with Link. Much taller than her, he glowered down at her; Link braced himself, but Asahi only turned to Link, a bit confused. "Link, who's this?"

"I don't know," He answered, ignoring the visitor as he snatched his cloak. "But I'm about to find out. Can you take care of Zelda while I'm away? I'm sorry to drop her solely on--"

"Shut up. Go." She brushed past him, eyeing the visitor with a suspicious glance before closing the door behind Link. Unwilling to risk a brawl in front of the citizens of Hateno, Link escorted the visitor to the beach, empty due to the weather. The rain was lighter now, but still dreary enough to keep people away.

"So who are you?" Link demanded. "First I would know your name, and where you're from."

"I am called Sheik," Said the visitor, to which Link turned to face him. The name sounded... poorly imagined, at best. Why would he only take the first part of "Sheikah?" What's his real name? "And I am from very far away."

"What does that mean?" Link challenged.

"If I wanted you to know, I would tell you," Sheik responded coldly, to which Link balked.

"You said you'd explain everyth--"

Sheik interrupted him swiftly. "I said that I would explain everything, yes, but about my purpose here, not my personal details."

A spark of anger ignited in Link's chest, the emotion bellowing out before he could stop it. He took a couple of menacing steps toward Sheik, and in an explosion of light like he'd thrown a dazzlefruit, the warrior disappeared. Link gasped and struggled to regain his eyesight, furiously blinking away the afterimage of the flash. He drew his blade. "Where are you?!"

"I told you I wasn't here to harm anyone," Sheik reiterated, from behind him now. Link whipped around. The warrior was standing a short distance away, on top of a massive pile of driftwood that the villagers had been gathering for months. Lazily, he plucked at the harp, a single, beautiful note pealing from the instrument before fading into silence. The calls of the gulls overwhelmed the ending. "But if you come at me with violence, then I shall return the favor." His amber eyes, alight with a deep ferocity, cut through Link like a blade. The warrior shook his head, evoking another note from his harp. "Do you know of the Cycle of Resurrection?"

Link didn't sheath his blade just yet. He had no idea what this man was capable of. Instead, he stayed right where he was. "...Yes." How could he not? 10,000 years ago, Ganondorf became the Demon King, and was sealed before returning as Calamity Ganon, and then again in his newly revitalized form after that. And apparently, it had been happening for far longer than just 10,000 years, if Asahi's deep dives into Hyrulean history were to be believed.

Another note, this time off-key. "Do you know how it started?" When Link was silent, Sheik glanced at him before closing his eyes, then began to play a beautiful, haunting melody. Softly, Sheik began to sing.

"Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess,

Unite Earth and Sky

And bring light to the land."

Sheik glanced at Link, whose body had frozen in place. Link's skin crawled with chills, a deep knot of nostalgia rolling in his core. "...Sound familiar, hero?" Link could only stare, speechless. Where have I... heard that before? "Music is powerful in Hyrule. More so in the ancient ages. It could turn night to day, summon violent storms, heal a soul, change the season... Reverse time itself. Hyrule has forgotten its roots."

Link swallowed hard. "You mentioned the Cycle of Resurrection. What of its beginning?"

Sheik stared at Link for a moment longer before turning his gaze to the ocean. "In the beginning, there was no such thing as Hyrule. The world's citizens simply coexisted peacefully after the Golden Goddesses created the land. Din, Nayru, Farore; they left, leaving in their wake a legendary artifact with a power that would destroy the world time and time again. This artifact--" He plucked a string, "Was called the Triforce."

Link's heart skipped a beat. His mind went to the motifs present in the throne room of Hyrule Castle, even the champion's gear and Zelda's royal attire. The symbols, the statues of golden triangles with three parts. Wisdom, courage, and power. Granted, he knew very little about it until he came to know Zelda more, and they both learned more from Asahi, but knowledge on the Triforce was limited indeed. He said nothing, allowing Sheik to continue.

"The gods could not touch it. The Triforce and the Kingdom was watched over by a lesser goddess, Hylia. Peace lasted for many years, until a vengeful Demon King known as Demise brought forth his armies in a vicious battle for the Triforce's power. He was defeated by a hero clad in green chosen by the Goddess, and sealed away. Knowing that he would return, Hylia shed her holy form and was reborn as a mortal girl, able to wield the Triforce against the Demon King.

"Reborn alongside her was the Chosen Hero. His name," here Sheik turned, meeting his gaze. "Was Link."

Link's heart dropped. "When Link and the goddess reborn, Zelda, faced the Demon King, he was defeated once and for all; or so they thought. With his dying breath, Demise swore that he would return time and time again to confront those with the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero. For eons, this cycle of bloodshed has continued ceaselessly." Sheik began to play a mournful ballad; Link sucked in a breath.

How long has this been going on for?

Sheik continued without pause. "Through time, twilight, floods, even the Calamity, Demise's own chosen one-- a Gerudo boy, born very rarely-- is entirely unable to resist the influence of the demon, just as the hero is unable to fight the goddess's lead. Again and again, individuals are used by the gods to battle for an artifact they recklessly left behind. This, Hero of Wilds, is where you come in.

"In all of my travels, I have not yet met an incarnation of the hero and the goddess so similar to the original. Many incarnations have been deeply bonded; the Era of Time was a distinctly pivotal moment in Hyrule's history--"

"Hold on," Link interrupted breathlessly, trying to process everything he was hearing, "What do you mean, that you've met? What sort of travels?"

Sheik regarded him carefully, then rolled his eyes. "I wasn't finished, but... You recall me informing you that music has power-- or rather, had power. It seems that this era of Hyrule has forgotten that, as I've said." He rested a hand on the top of one of his harp's arms. "This harp is a replica of the one that the first incarnation of Zelda used. It is what allows me to travel so effortlessly across vast distances of land, sea, sky... and time."

Resentment, cold and ugly, reared its head. What was so difficult, nigh impossible, for him and Zelda to overcome, what effects her even still, is so easily done for this mysterious newcomer. With a harp. Link wanted to scream. He wanted to activate ultra-hand and send the pile of debris flying with Sheik on top. His growing anger didn't stop Sheik from continuing as though nothing happened.

"Your extensive trials, and Zelda's transformation into the dragon, has made for an impressive duo. You both have obtained new powers, the likes of which few incarnations have seen. You are also one of few heroes to witness the rise of Ganondorf twice-- soon to be three times, if we do not act fast."

"Stop!" Link cried, heart racing. "What are you talking about?! You're insane!" Surely this was some Yiga's ploy to frighten and disorient him. No way in Hylia is anything he's saying true.

"Am I?" Sheik hopped down from the debris pile. "You do not trust me, clearly. But shall I show you?" He extended a hand toward Link. His hand tightened on his blade.

"What exactly are you going to show me?"

Sheik was silent. "I could show you the first battle that started it all, the Imprisoning War, or take you to meet one of your predecessors. It's entirely up to you, hero. I will give you your choice."

Link hesitated. If this was a Yiga...

But if it wasn't, and what he was saying was true, then there may be a way to end the cycle. Their descendants would never have to worry about Ganon again. Sheik's hand remained extended. Link did not take it, did not sheath his blade. "Show me what I did this morning."

"Very well," Said Sheik, and played a melody on his instrument that chilled Link to the bone. The world flashed a deep, slate gray, and it was over in the blink of an eye. Physically, he felt no different, but something was definitely... off. The sky had darkened.

It was dawn again.

The rain was gone, and all was dry.

Link shuddered. Simple Yiga magic, probably. He's just trying to scare me.

"Come with me, hero." Sheik led him back up the way they had came. "Your past self cannot see your present self. It is one of the many rules of traveling through time."

Reluctantly, Link sheathed his blade and followed Sheik through the streets, wondering how in the world the warrior could navigate them so well, especially the back roads. Eventually they came to crest a ridge, where Link and Sheik could look down on the village of Hateno. At first, he saw nothing out of the ordinary besides the change in day; until he saw Zelda, leaving the house. She drifted across the field as though in a trance, and he recognized the events of this morning playing out before his very eyes.

Link flinched and turned away as Zelda's cry rang in his ears. I'm dying! He hated hearing her say those words. "Traveling through time is not easy, hero. If you decide to join me, see if our first recruit will tell you of his own travels. He waits for us at the edge of two eras."

Link whipped around. "So what exactly is your plan, then? Just gather a bunch of incarnations of the hero and fight this new Ganon one-on-one?"

"If it were that easy, we would have already done so," Sheik countered, following Link down the hill. "My travels have led me down many paths, and in all my years I have found only one lead. It is this one lead which has led me to take action." Link heard the rustling of old parchment and turned, finding Sheik pulling a small scroll out of his pocket. He unrolled it and read it, a shimmer of hope in the warrior's eyes.

"In realms unseen, where monsters dispel,

Fragments of courage, wisdom dwell.

Gather them, a scattered gleam,

An army born, a mighty feat.

The Demon King, a shadow's blight,

Seeks to consume the fading light.

But hope remains, a flicker bright,

A weapon forged in darkest night.

No blade of steel, no arrow's flight,

But whispers born of ancient might.

Find it in a place beyond time,

Following the spirit guide.

A bond unbreakable, a love so true,

To break the curse, and see it through.

The cycle ends, the blood shall cease,

When courage finds its final piece.

Wisdom's light, a guiding hand,

Will lead the way to a free land."

"It is poorly written," Sheik admitted, "But it is the only reference to the end of the cycle that I've found. I discovered it quite by chance; centuries after your era, and Hyrule still knows peace. It appears that something must have happened to stop the demon's spirit from continuing its hateful wrath."

"Can't we just wait for it to happen, then?" Link countered.

"It's not that simple," Sheik told him, and showed him the parchment, pointing to a corner in the bottom of the page.

Link's heart dropped. "That's--"

"Your signature, yes?" He wasn't sure if he imagined it or not, but Sheik smirked. "You wrote this, hero. But not yet. When you write it, we will have already long since undertaken this journey, discovered what we needed, and found an end to the Cycle. But your cryptic message makes it impossible to simply translate and find what we need."

Link sank to the ground, sitting on a rock and letting his head fall into his hands. The sensation of claws on his right hand made him want to throw up. "So you're telling me I have no choice?"

"You have the illusion of choice," Sheik corrected, "But the gods have plans for you yet, hero. And that princess of yours."

Link jumped to his feet, immediately defensive. "Zelda is in no condition to travel."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Sheik returned his harp to its place on his back. "But what of the girl?"

"Asahi?" He wished he hadn't said her name, who knows what this traveler might try to do with that information? "What about her?"

Sheik shook his head. "Do not think you are the only one I've been watching, Hero of Wilds. Asahi is a Sheikah. Not only does her combative prowess make her a prime candidate for an adventure such as this, but her knowledge of Hyrulean history nearly rivals that of Zelda's; and your princess is in no way up to the task. We cannot wait for her recovery, either."

"You said that I'd face three incarnations of Ganondorf," Link breathed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "What did you mean by that?"

Sheik paused briefly, then explained, "Due to the Calamity, the Gerudo were very careful about having a male child. Their efforts were in vain. A boy was born, Ganondorf, around sixty years after the Calamity. He was banished as an infant and raised by twin witches in a hut in the middle of nowhere. He went by a different name and started as a good person. He traveled Hyrule, was well-read, and had many friends. No one knew he was a male Gerudo. Recently, however, due in part to the Calamity's return and the Upheaval, Demise's grasp has taken hold of him and is slowly crushing his humanity. He is building an army in the Depths, though he does not understand why. He is losing himself to the madness of the curse, and he cannot stop it. If we do not, then he will rise as another incarnation of the Demon King, and your blade will be called upon once more."

Link's stomach churned. He felt like he was going to be sick. His skin felt cold and clammy, his vision swam. Not again. Sheik patted Link on the shoulder as he walked by. "This would be a difficult decision for anyone, hero. Do not think your predecessors leapt at the chance, either. I will be in the inn for three days. If you do decide to join me, find me there."

Before he left, he played another quick song; Link grimaced as the sun violently shot from one place in the sky to the next before being hidden by cloud cover. Rain came pelting down. Sheik pulled up the hood of his scarf and headed back toward the village, leaving Link to wrestle with his own conflicted feelings.

Hylia, what do I do now?

When Link returned home, it was nearly nightfall. His heart and head heavy with everything he had learned-- and been shown-- by Sheik, he spilled all of the information to Asahi, his only source of friendship. Zelda, thankfully, was asleep finally. He told Asahi in the tool shed, unwilling to allow Zelda to overhear anything that might upset her.

Asahi stood in the doorway, chewing anxiously on her lip and curling the rope necklace she wore around the fingers of one hand, stroking the amber pendant with the other. "Goddesses, even though he used that powerful of magic, how are we supposed to be believe he's being truthful about everything? What if he's just a really powerful sorcerer looking to trap you in the past so that he can get rid of you and Zelda?" Her eyes widened. "And he knows I'd protect her in your absence."

"But if what he says is true," Link pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Then Ganon is coming back for another round, and I honestly don't know if either of us can handle another battle like that. Zelda certainly can't. Not right now. And if I know Ganon, he'll strike before she's ready at all."

"So what do we do?" Asahi questioned softly.

Silence filled the shed, broken only by the soft pattering of rain. Link and Asahi dwelled on their choice of options... or, rather, the illusion of choice, as Sheik had so wonderfully put it. "That... prophecy, or whatever it was... It really did have my signature on it."

Asahi couldn't stifle her smirk. "He said it was 'poorly written,' so, I believe it."

With an exaggerated roll of his eyes, Link stood. "Should we sleep on it?"

Asahi shrugged, letting her arms fall to her sides. "I'm with you, Link, whatever you decide to do. If that weirdo wants me along too, then... Oh well. Purah and Paya are more than capable of protecting Zelda."

"They aren't the most deadly Sheikah in over 100 years," Link countered playfully-- Asahi beamed, her eyes squinting shut as she did so. Her bubbly nature hid a very powerful, bone-crushing kick, sharp skill with a blade, and an array of Sheikah magic. "Still... I'll try to sleep on it."

Asahi only shrugged again; she gathered her things before she left, and Link patrolled the house dutifully for hours-- no, who was he fooling? He was pacing, up and down the stairs, around his living room in circles, up in the bedroom... That paper had his signature on it. Even if Sheik was watching for much longer than he let on, how would he have gotten close enough to copy Link's signature when he'd only used it a handful of times in his life? He paused at the top of the stairs, freezing as Zelda stirred. Her brow furrowed and she whimpered softly; the beginnings of a nightmare, but hopefully it would pass.

His mind wandered to all those before them, if what Sheik says is true. How much pain and agony they must have suffered. If Ganon really does come again, how would Zelda survive such an onslaught? She wouldn't, he realized grimly, I doubt if she would even be able to summon an ounce of power. Link couldn't do it by himself. If Ganon came again, Hyrule would fall, for good this time.

His heart skipped a beat.

Link snatched his cloak, locked the door, and ran across the bridge. He raced up to Asahi's door, raising a fist to knock, when it opened--

Asahi, but not in the comfortable tunic and leggings she had worn earlier. Already, she wore the snug Sheikah attire, built for stealth and dyed a deep black. Her face was concealed by a mask, a crimson wrapping around her head and fingertips. An armament of kunai blades hung at her hips, and he knew hidden in her gear was an assortment of weapons and tools galore besides that. A bit of her reddish hair stuck out from under the cap, and Link was struck by how similar her attire resembled Sheik's. "Figured you'd decide to join him, buddy. Decided I might as well get prepared."

A smile slowly spread across Link's face. "We could be going straight to our deaths, y'know."

Asahi raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to deter me?" She waved him on. "Go get the warrior. I'll make preparations to teleport Zelda to the Sheikah village in the morning."

At her words, Link tossed her the key to his house and raced through the empty streets. Rainwater splashed from puddles, soaking his legs and the hem of his tunic. He was nearly out of breath when he pushed open the doors of the inn, lungs heaving for air as he scanned the room, ignoring the surprised stare of the innkeeper as he jolted from his sleep. Sheik wasn't hard to find; in his white and blue armor, he stood out like a sore thumb. He sat at one of the tables, calmly sipping on his drink, as Link rapidly approached and plopped down on the seat across from him. "We'll join you," Link rasped, struggling to regain his stamina from the sprint down the road, "But we leave tomorrow, after we send Zelda somewhere safe."

Sheik leaned back, lounging in his seat. "Excellent," His amber eyes crinkled as he smiled beneath his mask. "What changed your mind, hero?"

Zelda. Our ancestors. Our descendants. If there really is a way to stop this... "The cycle must end."

"I make no promises," Sheik told him. "None whatsoever. We have a mere glimmer of hope that we can even put an end to this cycle at all. This letter could mean nothing, or we may not figure it out, leading to a branch in the timeline... Regardless of the outcome, I will return you to this time, hero, and I will help you stop Ganondorf if it comes to that."

Link felt a bit of relief, but he tried not to show it. Sheik extended his hand to Link once more. "Are you still so sure about this decision?"

This time, Link took it, shaking his hand firmly. "I will do whatever it takes to keep any incarnation of Zelda from facing this suffering again."

Sheik smiled. "Then we will leave as soon as you are ready."

Link's heart hammered in his chest with the adrenaline of such a hasty decision. He could only hope that he made the right choice; for everyone's sakes.

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