#I can still view individual profiles for now

[4sturns]

BREAK THE INTERNET

camboy!chris s. x fem!viewer!reader

genre: smut

synopsis: being chris' top tipper and most loyal viewer, you're gifted with a private one on one cyber call with your favorite camboy.

warnings: cyber sex, sub!chris (reader tells him what to do), whining and whimpering, use of vibrator, praise kink (4sturns knows what praise is ????? woah ...), orgasm denial, use of petnames (mamas, baby, etc.), not proofread!

wc: 1.822

a/n: sat there thinking about how kinky i am compared to others in the fandom and suddenly had the great idea of writing for camboy!chris because god he'd be such a pretty camboy .. thank you for 500 followers too this is for you guys ❤️‍🩹 also brace yourselves because this is probably the longest fic i have ever written in all my years of writing

you're sat at your desk, your laptop propped up at an angle which conceals your face, but shows off your breasts which are clad in a red lacy bra.

there's music playing lowly on a speaker somewhere on the other side of the room, something you put on to calm down your nerves.

you bounce your leg, waiting anxiously as you wait for chris' call notification to pop up on your screen.

you've been a viewer of chris' for a while. he was the first camboy you'd ever encountered and he was certainly your favorite. something about him and how he always gives in to his tippers made you cash in on his streams. he was just so good, so obedient, and so pretty.

unbeknownst to you, you had somehow became his top tipper in the span of a couple months. what you expected to be a cumulative amount of fifty dollars, maybe sixty, turned out to be close to ten times the price you assumed you had tipped him.

even with the initial shock, you still couldn't blame yourself for giving him so much money. he was just so good for you, giving you exactly what you wanted and asked of him every single time.

a sudden and loud tone rings from your laptop speakers making you jump from the unexpected noise. the screen flashes with chris' name and his provocative profile picture, your heart rate picking up at the sight. a shaky hand reaches up to the track pad to accept the call, not before a nervous breath leaves your body.

the call zooms in to show you a full view of chris' camera. his face is out of view, similar to you, but he's sporting a white tank top and plaid pajama pants in comparison to your red bra and black silk shorts.

through your little square screen in the corner, you can visibly see your chest heaving. your mouth feels dry, heart pounding uncontrollably. normally you'd feel fine, but that was when it was chris talking to his entire audience, not just you individually.

"hey mamas," chris greets you, he sounds just as breathless as you. "god, you look so good in that set."

you crack a faint smile although he can't see it. a hand goes up to play with the necklace around your neck, relieving some tension as you work up a response.

"not too bad yourself, chris." you can see him shift around, a muffled moan piercing through your speakers gains your attention.

"already worked up? is it because of my boobs on your screen or because you like my voice a little too much, baby?" you're almost shocked at your own words, you were just shaking a moment ago and now you're taunting the very guy you'd get off to almost nightly for the past three months.

"fuck, if you don't stop teasing me i might just cum in my pants." chris moves his camera back to reveal his face. you're stunned for a second, taking in his beauty. it's not the first time you've seen his face, but you swear he gets prettier every day.

based on chris' chuckle, you're sure he saw the way your chest spiked up with the silent gasp you let out when he showed his face.

"tell me what to do, mamas. you're in control of me tonight." his words are spoken quietly, but god do they do a number on you.

"can you— can you touch yourself, for me?" you stutter slightly. you're so used to giving him commands through his chat that giving him a verbal command one on one makes you lightheaded.

without a word, chris' hand inches towards the bulge in his pants. he starts palming himself through his pants as small whimpers leave his mouth. you're sitting back in your chair, your face from the nose down is now visible on the screen. your eyes are fixed to the screen as your entire body starts to heat up.

"can i take off my shirt? please, ma." he's still palming himself, but he stares right into the camera. you can't bring yourself to speak, so you nod your head, praying he gets the memo despite how little of your face is actually showing.

thankfully he does, his free hand gripping the bottom of his top before swiftly removing the garment. his soft, long hair bounces back into place, covering part of his eyes in a way that makes him look like an angel. a sinful angel.

suddenly, chris stops palming himself, his hand going to dip past the waistband of his pants. he quickly whips out his dick before hissing at the cold air which hits his tip.

you're in awe, no matter how many times you've seen his dick before, it'll never quite compare to how good it looks in this moment. but once the feeling subsides, you quickly remember something.

"i never told you you could take your dick out of your pants, did i?" you're now leaning forward, as if challenging chris through the screen. there's no battle however, as panic quickly flashes through chris' features.

his mouth springs open as floods of apologies and excuses leave his mouth, although you're not quite picking up what he's saying. your eyes are piercing your laptop screen as you notice his tip leaking a clear liquid. you watch as his entire cock twitches when you let out a low chuckle.

"i'm sorry, please, i'm a good boy! i swear i'm a good boy." chris pleads with you, causing a wave of heat to overtake your body. you say nothing as he continues to ramble. but you know you can't keep him waiting, you'd be torturing yourself more than him.

"show me how good you are and stroke yourself for me, hmm?" chris complies almost instantly, his head nodding frantically as he wraps a hand around his hard cock. whimpers and high pitched whines fill up your speakers as you instruct him to stroke himself faster. but just that isn't enough for you.

"can you do something for me, baby?" chris' eyes open, an eager smile crosses his face as he momentarily pauses his movements.

"anything for you, mamas." his hair flops around as he nods his head.

"grab that little black vibrator, the one you know i like." you remember the first time you stumbled onto chris' live broadcast. you remember how tightly he was gripping the base of his cock as he held a vibrator right under his angry, red tip. you remember how loud his whimpers were, how much he was begging for release. the image of his cum painting his stomach white as the buzzing continues in the back is something that will never fail to make you moan.

chris comes back into frame holding the toy, a devious smile makes it way onto your face. it's caught on your camera and you can tell chris knows your intentions aren't pure from the way he visibly gulps. regardless, he sits back down infront of his screen before positioning himself to face you again.

"use it on yourself, the same way you always do." the words leave your mouth sounding more like a command than you'd like, although it really is a command.

chris takes your words seriously as he quickly fumbled with the buttons on the little toy to turn it on. a breathy moan leaves his mouth as he finally lowers it down to circle around his tip. the sight is breathtaking. chris' head tipped back as his hand grips at the base of his cock so tightly you're surprised it's not turning a shade of purple. the vibrator soon finds home right under his tip, buzzing away at his sweet spot.

you bite your bottom lip to conceal your moans, a hand sneakily sliding into your silk bottoms as you feel your soaked folds. your fingers move quickly to collect your arousal before dipping into your throbbing cunt. a whine escapes your lips right as chris lets out a rather loud groan.

you know he's close, but you can't let him go yet. not before you do.

"you're such a good boy for me, so good." you lean back in your chair, propping a leg up on the table to get a better angle, maximizing your own pleasure.

chris' eyes flicker open to take a quick peak at his laptop screen. he nearly cums at the sight. your face is now fully in frame, except it's twisted in pleasure. your fingers moved fast, plunging in and out of your soaked cunt as strings of profanity leave your puffy lips. he thought your voice was pretty, but he never expected the voice to belong to a goddess like you.

"fuck, ma. i'm so close," your eyes open to watch chris' face as he turns the intensity of the vibrator up a level. his eyes are shut tight, but you can still see the tears pricking at his eyes as the pleasure builds up.

"hold it for me, baby. be my good boy and wait for me." an anguished cry leaves chris' throat, though he obeys you and holds himself back from his release.

on your end, you're working hard to reach your own release. you've long discarded your bottoms, having thrown them to the floor somewhere behind you. one hand works diligently to draw circles on your clit, while the other drills into your pussy relentlessly.

"i can't, please i need to come so badly. i've been a good boy, right? please, mamas. i need it." chris is in tears by now, the muscles in his stomach flexing with how much force he has put in so far to control himself for you.

you can feel yourself approaching your own climax, strained moans are pulled from your body as you find the energy in you to speak.

"go ahead, baby. paint your stomach white for me like the good boy you are." through your laptop speakers, you can hear chris' loud pants and whimpers as his orgasm washes over him, a cry of your name leaving his lips in such an erotic moan that you're sent over the edge.

your legs tremble and shake as you let your orgasm rip through your body. your body feels like it's on fire, little surges of electricity rage through your body even after the buzz of your orgasm fades.

you peer over at your laptop screen to see chris has discarded the vibrator, though his hand is still working to give his dick a few final strokes before going limp. his stomach is coated in thick ropes of cum, his skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat.

"did i do good for you, mamas?" chris asks, his voice barely above a whisper, clearly spent from all his whining.

"you did so good for me, such a good boy. you're my baby boy."

[monbons]

Stitch Sunday

Thanks for the tags @hushed-chorus, @aristocratic-otter, and @whatevertheweather. Your snips were a delight!

On my end, I have FINALLY finished Shep (sort of...). Behold.

He is still barefoot because after logging too many hours on this jean jacket I was ready to move on. He will eventually have high-top style lace up shoes, but that is a project for another day.

I’ve started the next set of dolls, but they shall stay a bit of a mystery because 1) they are a new ship and I am not yet fully confident in how to achieve the look I want, and 2) they are the most collaborative set I’ve ever tackled, so I am saving updates for the fic author for now. All I can give you is this materials mood board for one of the characters, which I created while trying to decide on the right skin tone.

Since all I could provide was a peek into the process for the next doll, I figured today could be a behind-the-scenes post! What exactly goes into making a doll? So glad you asked...

First, I scour the internet for inspiration poses. When I was making Baz's beard - character, here were the poses I sent @emeryhall to choose from.

Once I've picked a pose, I turn it into body parts to create a paper pattern. I check to make sure it looks good before tracing it onto fabric and checking it again. Then, I stuff and you guessed it, I check yet again. This process is important because once things are sewn and stuffed, the scale could be off or pieces don't match up as you'd like, and you have to start again.

My favorite (and most amusing) example of starting again was Bunbaz's Simon. I'd checked and rechecked the pose successfully and then when I went to add the head---disaster! Most of my poses up until that point had been fairly flat and the dolls were meant to be looked at ONLY straight-on. Simon was fully 3D... but his first head was a flat head like all of my previous dolls. So, the profile view was horrifying.

Needless to say, I had to go back and figure out how to make a 3D head. I did internet research, tried several methods I found online---all of which resulted in unsightly seams through his face---so I settled on simple: just add a strip of fabric between the two circles and call it a day. Now I make all of my heads this way!

(As an aside, 3D Simon required almost four times as many individually, hand-sewn curls as flat Simon. That is how much I love @bookish-bogwitch)

Once the body of the dolls is complete, I go back and create the details, including clothing and accessories. Despite all the dolls being similarly sized, their positions often make it impossible to mass produce clothing (unless they are standing like a traditional Barbie). So each outfit is individually tailored to the doll. Here I am cutting up one of my own socks to give Penny knee highs.

Hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes. Maybe next week I will have some kind of update for you on the new set. Until then...

Hellos and high-fives! @raenestee, @thewholelemon, @cutestkilla (happy birthday!), @roomwithanopenfire, @artsyunderstudy

@shrekgogurt (happy birthday!), @rimeswithpurple, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @youarenevertooold, @talentpiper11

@brilla-brilla-estrellita, @beastmonstertitan, @best--dress, @thehoneyedhufflepuff, @larkral

@drowninginships, @valeffelees, @mooncello, @theearlgreymage, @iamamythologicalcreature

@blackberrysummerblog, @run-for-chamo-miles, @facewithoutheart, @ic3-que3n, @rbkzz

@supercutedinosaurs, @messofthejess, @skeedelvee, @arthurkko, @fiend-for-culture

@orange-peony, @martsonmars, @katatsumuli, @comesitintheclover, @fatalfangirl

@onepintobean, @palimpsessed, @moodandmist, @ileadacharmedlife, @theimpossibledemon

[aikoiya]

LoZ: LU - Ganondorf's Characterization Profile

I see most of the Ganons as having a similar basic personality with differences based on their personal life experiences.

CoH, OoT, TP, & WW Ganondorf are the same Ganondorf but at different stages of his life & thus, exhibits different levels of maturity based on the external influences in his life.

Similarly, FSA & HW Ganondorf are likewise the same Dorf.

Tell me if you think my assessments are accurate or not.

For his sexual profile, go to Ganondorf's Sexual Profile.

Also, please keep in mind that these ideas are all free to use.

LoZ Linked Universe Masterlist

---

I've just come up with nicknames for the various Ganondorfs in a way reminiscent of Linked Universe.

FS = Sloth

CoH = Ambition (because he's just a kid & is mostly just a rude little brat, so he isn't represented by a sin here as he's not evil yet)

OoT = Greed

TP = Pride

WW = Envy

FSA = Gluttony (pre-HW Lust)

HW = Lust or Lech (though, the only ones able to call him the second one are other Gdorfs)

TotK = Wrath

---

I actually theorize that a new Gerudo-born incarnation of Demise's hatred is born every 2000-10,000 years. If true, then by that logic, it means that around 16,000-50,000 years have passed between Skyward Sword & Tears of the Kingdom's presents.

However, I don't think that a Gerudo male still being alive really affects when another will be born. More so, it happens on a schedule. So, it's actually very possible for 2 Gerudo males to be alive at the same time.

Now, Gerudo males are still born every century between, right on schedule. They're just lucky enough to not be Demise's grudgemental stank reborn.

One thing of interest; these Gerudo males are always born on the 12th, though the month tends to change.

The Gerudo males are referred to as Centennial Kings or Mafzīnànkha Voe'attàren. However, those born of Demise's hatred these days are known as the Myriennial Tyrants or Mafzī'àlfankha Sûlfetànïren. They are also often referred to as the Vōton al’Khinzïr’è or Sons of the Boar as they are always born on February the 12th, under the sign of the Boar Constellation. Though, it took a very long time to figure that one out considering there's only been, like, 3 max.

---

Also, to keep track of each Gerudo King, they are given a birth name & a King Name. Their King Name is a descriptor of when & where they were born.

As such, Ganondorf's King Name will always end with either Khrin or Zïr due to always being born in February, which is the month of the Boar Constellation. (Interestingly, the Voe before Ganondorf is always born under the sign of the cobra constellation, meaning that their King Name always ends with Kōba.)

However, every Gerudo King has the same family name: Drāgamīr. From the Gerudàn root words, Drāga meaning noble dragon, & Mīr meaning general or ruler. This means that Drāgamīr can be translated into draconian general or tyrant.

---

Characterization:

Fairly Consistent:

His Gerudàn name is Gánōendōrfè Drāgamīr. Ganondorf Dragmire is more so a Hyrulean transliteration. It loosely translates to Warlock-Sorcerer Tyrant. So, yeah. There was definitely intent there.

Something important to note is that due to Kōme & Kotake always kidnapping him, Gánōndōrfè isn't actually his true name (which is supposed to always be given by the mother) & neither is whatever King Name they've given him. Which a birth name & a King Name are considered sacred in different ways, so this would actually be viewed as a sin & a violation in Gerudo culture. You see, these 3 names represent individualism & connection.

The Twinrova always give him a name that starts with Gá due to its relation to the Gerudo hells, Gàl'gáron, & use in the Gerudàn word for black magic, Gánō. However, it's also used as a way to suggest that he is always born in the desert, when that isn't the case.

They also consistently tell him that he was the result of the previous Gerudo Voe & a Gerudo Vai, which is generally not the case. This is done in an attempt to establish a concept of Gerudo supremacy within his mind. The reason being that the Twinrova generally looked down upon Gerudo who were born with a none-Gerudo parent.

In this way, I like to think that I've managed to showcase just how insidious this pair is.

The Villain - No matter what, so long as he is raised by Kōme & Kotake, he is always a bad person. He may have redeeming qualities, but that doesn't mean he's a "good person" deep down. He'd need someone who understands this & doesn't try to change him, but who also puts rules in place. Lines that she won't accept him crossing. Though, nothing demanding. More so just no-brainer things that you'd expect to be self-evident like no cheating, no slavery, no harming kids in any manner, "you can lie to anyone else you want, but you damn well better be honest with me." Stuff like that. Though, in that last situation, there are certain allowances made for when you're just planning a surprise. At the same time, he'd expect her to do the same. No lying to him unless it's for a damn good reason either.

That doesn't mean that he won't improve or become a better person, but it has to be something that he decides for himself rather than being something that is thrust upon him. If his Darling were to try, he'd be extremely resistant to it. Stubbornly so. And even when he does try to be better, so long as he was raised by Kōme & Kotake, it'll almost never get much lighter than medium-dark grey. He'll always be on the darker side of the greyscale.

A good Ganondorf is just something that can only happen in lives where he's raised by someone else. Period.

And if he ever does manage it despite being raised by a pair of evil witches, it'll take a very long time.

The best way to accomplish this is by simply loving him & leading by example, however “a woman cannot change a man by loving him, a man changes himself because he loves a woman.” Again, it must be his choice.

Social Darwinist - So long as Kōme & Kotake raise him, they'll raise him by a very Mandate of Heaven philosophy. One in which the strong rule over the weak & the one who prevails is the one who is right & worthy of sovereignty. That, those who win are allowed to do whatever they wish to the weak. In my hc, this is called Nīkôzeto'reqra in the Gerudo language. Which loosely translates to the "Right to Claim Victory." It is an ancient Gerudàn philosophy. One that Kōme & Kotake live & breathe, making sure that Ganondorf was raised to do the same in every life (after all, he had to learn it from somewhere). However, this same philosophy is also the one that resulted in the female-only curse to begin with. Not that Kōme or Kotake ever inform him of such.

However, just because that's how he was raised doesn't mean that it's what he truly believes. Most Dorfs only follow such a lifestyle so long as Kome & Kotake are still in the picture. At the same time, he also doesn't fight against it either.

On the other hand, Wrath & Pride are the Dorfs who actively embrace it. As such, unless he's shaken from this belief, anytime he comes out the victor over Hyrule, it will be Pyrrhic in nature & be destined to end in regret. At least, if the world is made thus via a wish. Because, in such a situation, if the weak are destined to die in his world, then realistically speaking, I see the infant mortality rate skyrocketing. After all, what could be weaker than something that is dependent upon others for everything?

This would inevitably result in the death of all life (in Hyrule if nowhere else) as the current generation aged or was slowly killed off. Thus reducing Hyrule to a wasteland, ironically, even more barren than the very desert that Ganondorf originated from.

It's dark, but based on Wrath's wish, if it were to be granted, then he might soon find that his kingdom would die out entirely, leaving him the king of nothing.

(This is why I think Social Darwinism is a load of shit. Because if it were truly survival of the fittest, then humanity wouldn't have come to prominence because our babies are even more dependent upon their parents than those of other animals.)

Would He Kill Kids - In-general, I think yes, provided that it isn’t a Gerudo kid. But in most situations other than that, there are still caveats. He'd very much prefer to avoid it at all possible, but if he sees no other option, then he will. If nothing else, he'll always choose to make it quick & painless. Will also ensure the kid gets a proper burial if he can.

Small Tusks - I just sorta headcanon that male Gerudo generally have small, not obvious tusks & even smaller upper canines. This leads to them having very slight underbites.

Straight or Close To It - Just, generally prefers biological women, no matter the iteration. Both romantically & sexually.

Yandere - Very possessive & can definitely be obsessive. However, to what degree & how evident his yandere traits are tends to vary between iterations. However, whenever he's classified as a "soft" yandere, he becomes far less likely to punish his Darling with physical pain & more likely to either punish her by holding blackmail over her head, by going after her loved ones, or via pleasure & overstimulation. It depends on the "crime." At the same time, that doesn't mean that he won't hurt her as punishment, just that he's much less likely to do so.

However, generally speaking, he'll almost always be very manipulative with her. Or, at least he'd try to.

Paradoxically, he'd actually find a woman who he couldn't manipulate, very attractive.

What can I say, he likes a challenge.

Narcissistic - Depends on the Ganondorf. Greed, Envy, Gluttony, & Wrath only have various degrees of narcissistic tendencies, but Lust is borderline NPD while Pride is just outright NPD.

However, it's because of this that a lot of them will really struggle with apologizing or even so much as recognizing when they did something wrong. The one's that have the easiest time of it are Sloth, Ambition, Envy, Pride, Gluttony, & surprisingly, Lust. Though, for Sloth, Pride, & Lust, the reasons why they are able to do so could be because they are just innately manipulative even among Ganondorfs.

Most would also be very unprepared for someone they care about & even more unprepared for a situation in which they need to say that they are sorry. In these cases, Ambition & Greed are definitely the sorts to apologize indirectly & may make excuses. Wrath would attempt to actually say it, but would be unable to say those words for a long time, then depending on just how far into the relationship he is, he might feel frustrated with himself for not being able to.

Manipulative - He's just a naturally cunning & manipulative individual with very little qualms with using others for his own gain. He also finds it easy to betray those he sees as less than him. He can even be borderline Shang Tsun (Mortal Kombat) depending on the version of him.

Metrosexual - Extremely vain. Due to his upbringing as having been raised by only women, he cares a lot about his appearance.

In Gerudo culture, jewelry is seen as a symbol of status, power, wealth, affluence, style, ect. As a result, whenever he has an active role as Gerudo King or thinks of himself as a king or even if he's just especially full of himself that life, he tends to wear a lot of it.

Has a great sense of style & understanding of fashion just due to osmosis.

Likes tattoos & piercings. Though, never to the point where he looks like he ran naked through a scrapyard. Just earings, a nose ring, maybe a tongue ring, nipple rings. He had a navel ring once, (but he'd regretted it later as navel rings were seen as slutty). Sometimes even a penis piercing or 2, though that was mostly only in a couple of lives.

He'd been... quite the character then... Plus side, his partners those lifetimes very much enjoyed it.

Much like how jewelry is a status, wealth, affluence symbol, so are piercings for a similar reason. I mean, the more jewelry, the more wealth, right?

However, on the flipside, too much jewelry is thought to be gaudy & overdoing it. Which can indicate a degree of insecurity.

He has very little interest in makeup, but will wear it in ceremonial or royal situations. Such ceremonial makeup for the king tends to really only highlight the eyes, but in such cases, it isn't generally considered feminine to the Gerudo to begin with.

It involves kohl & eyeliner, but never mascara. (Male Gerudo just don't feel the need to make their lashes bolder.) It's similar to how high-ranking Egyptians used such things. Again, it isn't really considered feminine unless mascara is added or the eyeliner is applied too heavily/in a certain way depending on the occasion (ceremonial situations will obviously allow for a bit more without being too much), but by that point, it's no longer a question of masculine or feminine, & more so a question of classiness or tastefulness. Though, there are also certain specific styles or patterns of eye makeup that can have masculine or feminine lilts to them.

Royalty & the high class are the only sorts allowed to wear metallic makeup. Sundelion gold & Argus silver kohl especially. (Argus referring to the Moonblooming Argus flowers that grow from Voltfruit Cacti, but only bloom at night. They are a shimmering silvery-white color that's very classy.)

Gold for males & silver for females.

Ganondorf absolutely refuses to wear lipstick or mascara. Not even in the tsundere way, he just straight up doesn't like the idea & sees it as strictly feminine. Ambition, Greed, Pride, & Envy specifically had a couple bad experiences from being a young Voevï (boy) where some of the Yaidjan (guardswomen) would try to dress him up as a Vaivï (girl) so he could have playmates, but even at that age, he'd found it weird.

As for nail polish, it depends on the iteration. Most wont, but the few Ganons that do would only go as far as a simple black varnish. Patterns & extra colors are too feminine for him. Might allow gold tips but even that is stretching it a bit for him. Many iterations do enjoy filing their nails into claws though. As such, those particular Ganons do tend to have a more active nail routine than others.

He also thinks that war paint is cool.

Keeps his hair well-maintained & well-groomed. Same with his beard & pubic hair. When his hair is long, he enjoys brushing it before bed. Despite this, he tends to find one hairstyle & stick with it for a good while before changing it. Needs a Darling skilled at styling hair to get him to deviate from this more regularly.

Considering how seriously he takes his appearance, this is actually a huge deal for him as it means he trusts her to do a good job with his hair & not make him look like an idiot in front of his subjects.

Doesn't really use lotions on his hands as he likes the calluses on them. They tell him that he's worked hard for his strength.

- Heartbreaker - He also especially likes to look good even after getting into an established relationship. The reason being that it gives him the excuse to be a cocky little shit by being affectionate with his Darling, thereby breaking the hearts of any who might've been ogling either one of them.

It's just one of the little ways by which he's able to showcase his jackassery.

Make no mistake, he'd never even contemplate being unfaithful. But he gets a major kick out of eliciting jealousy from others. Both from women who want him & especially from men who want his Beloved.

He can honestly be downright cruel in regards to men. Though, how he goes about it depends on the Dorf in question. Those like Lust & Wrath are more the 'show, don't tell' sorts. And will simply become very openly affectionate with his wife in front of the man who was showing his interested attention in his love, then give them a very smug expression.

Cares Deeply About How He's Perceived - This goes hand-in-hand with being metrosexual. Must always look presentable. Whether it be his looks, how he talks, how he acts. Everything is strictly maintained. Feels a strong pressure to always present himself in a regal, kingly &, most of all, masculine, fashion.

In every single life, he is always expected to portray the picture of manhood, which the Gerudo can tend to have unbelievably high expectations for when it comes to the men of their own race. They just, inherently, see the differences between male & female Hylians & believe that Gerudo Voen must be even more masculine!

Hates filth & being grimy. Yet, paradoxically, also loves working up a sweat.

Also very much enjoys a good bath. Has a lot of bathing products. Though, strangely enough, Lust actually doesn't have all that much. But, for him, it's more about quality than anything. You figure out the right ingredients for the right products & you'll only need a handful. He does have a decent number of scented bath oils though.

Always speaks in a refined manner, though some iterations can be excessive about it, thus coming across as snobbish. Lust, specifically, can be very pompous.

Corrupted Benevolence - According to Confucianism, benevolence originates from loving & caring about one's loved ones, which then extends outwards to one's friends & community. I see family being Ganondorf's emotional core, the thing he turns to when times are bad. However, what happens when someone's emotional core, the thing that's supposed to be his steady rock & support, consists of a pair of horrible old witches who hate Hyrule?

What happens when his community is nothing but women who could never understand what it means to be a man? Well, when the foundation of how one understands how relationships work comes from a pair of literal Wicked Witch stereotypes, obviously, your understanding of how said relationships work is obviously going to be very skewed.

I think that most of the Dorfs had all the potential to be good kings, but that they were basically sabotaged from the very start.

Egotistical - This is pretty self-explanatory. Though, something important to keep in mind is that ego, specifically the deadly sin of pride (rather than dignity & self-respect), is nothing more than a mask hiding self-loathing. It is a cheap imitation of real confidence, because confidence needs not be proven, nor is it easy to harm because true confidence is the well-adjusted offspring of the happily married pair of humility & self-compassion. But ego, ego demands satisfaction when slighted for its bravado is false. And any attack upon a person’s ego can result in the facade falling to reveal to the world the broken person that truly hides beneath. Very little terrifies an egotist more than such a fate.

Dramatic - He definitely has that supervillain flair. Like, he's got that showmanship goin' for him. I mean, Greed played his own theme song on a massive-ass pipe organ.

An Asshole - Again, self-explanatory. Though, much like most things, it depends on the iteration to what degree & in what way. Envy & Lust tend to be more subtle in their jackassery, being more snake-like, while Greed & Pride tend to be more overt with it. Though, admittedly Greed isn't quite as much of one, as Pride tends to be much more sadistic about it while Greed is mostly just snide, rude, & mean-spirited while still managing to be refined about it. Wrath, though, is more in the middle & it depends on the situation.

Control Freak - Depending on his iteration, he can have control issues. Part of this is due to having felt powerless as a child as his mothers tended to have him on a short leash.

Gossip - He actually learns it from his mothers, who are both raging gossip mongers. And I mean the horrible, snippy, blackmailing sort of gossip mongers. Not the cute little old ladies chatting around the kitchen table with tea & cookies. It's part of how they maintain their status as head bitches. You know, by controlling the flow of info.

So, most Ganons tend to learn how to gossip, how to sort through information, which has nuggets of truth to them & what's just rumors, & how to captivate a listener with his words, very early on. Not to mention how good it is for reconnaissance. It's always a good idea to keep your thumb on the pulse of the rumor mill.

Cowardly - Not many things legitimately scare him, but the few things that do tend to cause him to react in a cowardly manner. This mostly happens in reaction to his mothers' anger. He's gotten exceptionally good at hiding it, but if you know where to look, you can see the fear there at certain times. A lot of his desire for power stems from a desire to no longer be afraid & to exert control over his own life. That isn't to say that he can't learn to overcome this part of him, just that he'd need to acknowledge that he has things he needs to improve on first.

The right people & especially the right Darling in his life can help him to learn to overcome this through example & support.

Naturally Deceptive - A liar. He falls into the role of deceiver naturally & with great ease.

Naturally Dominant - Due to the societal pressures placed upon him at a young age as the Centennial King, he tries to project dominance at all times, especially when near his subjects.

Tyrant - As much as a lot of fans want to believe that he only did all those bad things for the sake of his people, this is not the case.

Due to his Might Makes Right ideology, he genuinely sees himself as superior to the rest of the Gerudo due to none of them even being able to approach his level of power. Just due to him being born male. This is a result of him producing testosterone & being at a higher body weight than the Vaien. Keep in mind that a team of teenage boys can soundly beat an all-female team of soccer players.

As such, it's likely that Gerudo Vaien are likely only around as strong as Hylian men. However, it's very possible that they might still lose out even just based on a lack of testosterone.

However, because of this, Ganondorf always ends up leagues stronger than any man or woman regardless of them being Gerudo or Hylian. I mean... so long as their name isn't Link...

It's partly because of this, that he's grown to have zero concept of Noblesse Oblige. (For an explanation as to what that is, go to my Duty of Nobility post.) One saying regarding such says that, "Whoever claims himself to be noble must conduct himself nobly." Another is, "noble ancestry constrains to honorable behavior; privilege entails responsibility." In other words, those in positions of power have a responsibility, obligations, to those who follow them, protection at the very least. Whether that be through generosity to those around them or what-have-you.

He'd need to be introduced to the idea slowly & in a way that he'd accept much like you need to do when adapting cats to each other's presence.

Something else, Kōme & Kotake never actually raised him with the intention of him being an actual king. Rather, his soul purpose in their eyes was to act as a catalyst for Hyrule's destruction. In this way, the Dorfs's rules were sabotaged from the very beginning.

Though, if he were to ever learn this, he'd become very angry & determined to prove to them that he was something more than a glorified attack dog for a demon that couldn't even do it himself.

Traumabound - Is almost always kidnapped after birth by Kōme & Kotake & raised in the use of black magic. They are never good mothers to him as they specifically go out of their way to raise him to be a power-hungry tyrant. In this way, he's groomed into becoming what he does.

He loves them, but they don't love him back. To them, he's a vessel for their master's hatred & little else. Though, they don't make this fact obvious to him. They actually have a relationship not dissimilar to Mother Gothel & Rapunzel in that they gaslight the eff outta him.

He is never really privy to these facts, so the betrayal will always strike deep. At the same time, it'll always make sense & will cause things to line up in his head in a depressing way & it'll always make him wonder how he'd never seen it before.

Also keep in mind that the witches that they were inspired by are very specifically the sort known for black magic &, as such, they are forever influenced by that Wicked Witch trope. Which, in many fairytales, are known to sacrifice children, torturing them & consuming their blood in order to live their long lives. This is likely part of what influenced the idea that witches eat children.

Gdorf will always initially be ill at ease with this idea, but will endeavor to do so to make his mothers happy. At the same time, he'll put it off as long as possible. The idea of it makes his heart sink into his stomach.

He'd had to sacrifice a child to Demise at 14 to obtain his black magic to begin with every time they raise him, but that was merely killing the poor kid & it'd still traumatized him for life in each life. Most Gdorfs can't even fathom how he'll manage to go from just killing to outright torture.

Like, it's one thing when it's an enemy or even a traitor, but a kid??

If he ever is no longer bothered by the idea, that's a hint that he's irredeemable. Rotten to the core & should be cut out like a cancer.

On the other hand, if his mothers are ever killed, yes, he'll mourn, but some part of him will feel relief unfold inside him.

It is actually the use of black magic that causes the trio to have that particular shade of pea soup baby barf complexion. Black magic literally leaves a physical mark upon the user. Specifically, the choice to use it. It is similar to how poisonous frogs have bright colors to warn others that they are dangerous.

Twinkle Toes - Is actually a fantastic dancer & secretly very much enjoys it, but most Dorfs try to keep that fact quiet. Dancing is actually a very traditional practice for the Gerudo. It's also one way in which they tell stories.

Though, the Dorfs will be much more ready to admit how much he enjoys it with the right partner. Especially if she also enjoys it.

Cultural Appreciation - If the Gerudo Gdorfs' non-Gerudo Darling goes out of her way to learn more about his culture, especially if she learns the Gerudo language & hides it until she's good enough to have full conversations with him to surprise him, he will always be deeply touched.

Even Pride, who is arguably the worst of the Ganondorfs, will soften by a good deal.

Some will gently tease & correct grammar, others would purr their approval, others still would visibly soften. It's just an all-around good way to get past his defenses.

Invasive Thoughts - Being the vessel of Demise's hatred comes with dark thoughts. The giant ass doesn't so much actually possess him as he makes the thoughts that he can use louder & the ones that would deter his grudge, quieter. This can also include invasive thoughts. Not how actual invasive thoughts are, because IRL invasive thoughts tend to reflect the thinker's deepest taboos. That's why they make you uncomfortable.

The insidious thing about Ganondorf's invasive thoughts is that they are specifically designed to tempt him. To make him worse & more destructive.

So, you could absolutely say that he has a literal shoulder devil, but that his shoulder angel has been gaged & locked in a trunk.

The curse also comes with a natural hunger for power & a lust for fighting.

These things, plus the influence of Kōme & Kotake as his mothers, are 2 parts of how he always becomes so bad in the first place. They intentionally teach him to indulge in his power-hungry instincts & to feed those thoughts.

In this way, yes, he is pigeonholed into his role as villain, but at the same time, the choices he made throughout his life? Were still all his own &, thus, he is still responsible for his own actions. Similar to how a drunk driver is still culpable for his actions despite having committed the offense under the influence of alcohol & was thus not thinking clearly at the time.

(This is how I cause the curse & Demise's hatred to be an ever-present influence upon his life while still giving Ganondorf free will.)

He is the truest incarnation Demise's hatred via a death curse, but the thing is that a person is much more than just hatred. A human comes with all the emotions.

Not only that, but by his hatred being born in the form of a human being, that one tiny piece of the deity that Demise once was, has a chance. Especially when you take the Rin'ne into account.

However, it wasn't just his hatred. His soulmate tether came with it because Demise himself was no more & everyone has a soulmate, so the tether between Demise & his own soulmate went with the only surviving piece of him. His hatred.

King Alone - Initially doesn't ever intend to marry as that would mean sharing his power. As such, he instead has many concubines to attend to his needs.

However, this changes when he finds his Darling. At least, most of the time.

Machismo vs Caballerismo - Tends to originally classify as misapplied Machismo, meaning aggressive & overly macho. Though, even when he is primarily misapplied Machismo, he is very much not chauvinistic or sexist due to how he grew up, except against weak women. He hates weak women. At the same time, he also isn't chivalrous either. However, real, genuine love & care tends to soften him & he begins to exhibit more correctly-applied Machismo (meaning to project the features of a man, specifically stoicism, strength, dominance, resiliance, cool, virile, ect), as well as Caballerismo tendencies (such as nurturing, being family-oriented, protective, & chivalrous).

Said correctly-used Machismo will eventually become his new public disposition, thus becoming truly masculine.

However, his newly acquired Caballerismo tendencies will generally only come out around those he cares about.

Struggles With His Masculinity - Due to being raised by all women & no other men besides concubini (plural of concubinus; defined as male concubines) being allowed in, Gdorf really only had those very women's understanding of what being a man was & the concubini for examples.

It also doesn't really help that his mothers tend to encourage the more negative behaviors most commonly associated with men.

However, despite this less than ideal situation, he tends to be expected to be this pillar of masculinity for his community without much decent direction, which tends to put a lot of stress on him, especially in his early years. As such, his masculinity is actually pretty fragile & only gets marginally stronger with experience if he never gets better role models.

Even amongst his own race, he is always considered as "other" due to being a male & this results in him feeling extremely alienated as he is always forced to become innately aware of the fact that the Vaien (women) of his tribe tend to talk about & treat men as almost an entirely different, even alien, species.

He was also generally barred from visiting the more populated parts of the Gerudo settlements until after all the Vaivïn (girls, plural) below 18 had been lain down for bed. This way, none of the Vaivïn ever saw him, as per the Gerudo's custom.

However, this results in him never really interacting with other children his age, which results in him being ill-socialized. At least, until he himself had reached 18 as well, but the sudden introduction to peers without any experience with them tends to cause him to close off from them.

In this way, he doesn't really understand what being a man actually means. Though, he manages to hide the fact that he's been absolutely starved of positive male role models, potential father figures, & even male peers, rather well. However, when this fact does show itself, the reality & obviousness of it tends to be staggering; glaring even.

Generally, it just shows itself in little ways. Like not knowing how to shake hands with a firm grip properly while maintaining eye contact or how to be strong & firm, but also gentle at the same time. Or how to be competitive in a lighthearted & friendly way while not letting pride sour things. Or how to not take certain things to heart. How to be resilient in character & not just in body.

It also shows itself in how he feels the need to gain female attention. How he's become codependent of the women around him, specifically depending upon his mothers' approval in order to feel validated.

And when he realizes that his basically non-existent understanding of manhood has been made apparent to someone, he becomes embarrassed & ashamed, then aggressive.

Secretly Insecure - Hides it extremely well.

Flirty & Charming - Part of this is connected to being manipulative. He sees what he wants & will get it by whatever means necessary. Even if it means flirting with the enemy. Likes giving his beloved nicknames.

Even the straight Dorfs, if he senses that a male enemy can be manipulated in such a way, is more than willing to go that route even if he silently degrades them for their predilections.

Endearment Usage - Most Gdorfs are pretty frugal with handing out nicknames & endearments unless he legitimately cares about them.

Extremely Monogamic - The idea of cheating on someone he legit cares about would leave him shocked & aghast. This is due to the Gerudo just being an extremely romantically exclusive & monogamous people in regards to their hearts. Romance is considered something almost entirely separate from, yet still connected to, sex & the Gerudo, just as a people, are very cautious with their hearts. They also, as a culture, value fidelity.

Like, to the point where infidelity is considered a serious taboo. Even a crime punishable by death.

Dextrophile - Competancy is hot. Displays of talent or competency is an immediate headturner for him.

One of very few things that literally every Dorf has in common.

Cultural Anthropology Buff - Actually finds things like myths & legends, history, religion, & culture to be extremely interesting. Especially the study of how all these things impacts both the psychology of individuals within a culture & cultures as a whole. Though, how much he indulges in this fascination varies between Gdorfs. For instance, Greed was desperate for literature (having been taught by his mothers) due to his people being desert bandits, but for fear of his people seeing him as weak (for whatever reason; it's honestly a dumb worry, but fears can be irrational), he'd portray himself as only using the knowledge to further his tribe's success. Meanwhile, Envy indulges in the pastime frequently due to not having any reason not to.

Best Match - A strong, honest, capable woman who (quietly) demands respect, sees past all his crap, & doesn't believe his lies, while managing to be respectful at the same time, but also doesn't try to change or "reform" him. Holds him accountable & wont sugarcoat things. A woman who'll enforce rules & lines that she will not allow to be crossed between them if he wants their relationship to continue, but will also respect the boundaries that he puts in place. Who can counter all his attempts to control or manipulate her, whether consciously or subconsciously. Both humble, yet confident & proud in her own, not egotistical way. And, despite himself, he'd be deeply attracted to one with strong maternal instincts. Because some buried part of him desires a family who will love him unconditionally.

He'd be unprepared for someone so direct & unaffected by his tricks. Especially someone able to unbalance him. In this way, he would find himself charmed. These things will cause him to respect her in a way that he doesn't many others.

Which, respect is extremely important for him in any relationship. If he respects you, he is far less likely to betray you. It's even more important for a Darling to have his respect in lives where he's NPD or even just borderline NPD.

He also just very much likes 'em in one of 2 extremes: feisty badass & elegant, yet deceptively lethal badass.

Likes To See Her Angry - Thinks she looks gorgeous with that fire in her eyes. So, he very much enjoys teasing, picking on, & bickering with her.

He also just generally enjoys a good verbal duel of wits.

Wants To Be Romanced - Despite being the dominant sort, he actually really wants to be romanced. He'd legitimately melt inside if a woman tried to woo, romance, or court him. Especially if she does so using things she's learned about his interests.

Not Used To Genuineness - Most gifts he's been given throughout his lives were frivolous & superficial. Just extravagant things that look nice, but really serve no purpose. So, when given something that he truly likes or legitimately interests him or has meaning to him personally, he's both shocked & touched, but also confused. Something high-quality & handmade with care will especially make his heart flutter. It's the effort put in.

Love Language - Gift-giving & physical affection. Initially, most of his gifts will likewise be frivolous & extravagant, but the first time he gets a heartfelt gift from his Darling, he'll honestly feel outdone & will endeavor to improve his gift-giving skills. He wants her to feel every bit as touched by his gifts as he is touched by hers.

Another important one for him is time spent together, though.

Touch Starved - Is initially uncomfortable & unused to positive non-sexual physical affection, but upon getting used to it, begins to crave it like air. Loves having his hair touched or pulled or brushed or his scalp massaged or scratched.

Also, bathing each other is actually an important Gerudo bonding experience for married couples. For Gdorf, it's a very vulnerable & tender time. Is initially defensive & guarded when first doing so with his wife, but will gently unfurl his grip around his heart over time & bare it to her willingly.

He's actually a very warm & tender lover with his beloved wife. Is also a natural romantic at heart, but tries to keep this fact hidden & deeply buried. Loves it when his lover & him brush each other's hair. It's incredibly intimate to him as he takes his overall appearance very seriously. Will even let a Darling with hair-styling skills style his hair.

Actually really loves his hair or head being touched, though he won't allow it unless he trusts her. But when he does & the trust is 100%, massage his head & he may just drift off to sleep in his lover's arms.

Casual Physical Affection - When near his lover & the 2 are close, he naturally draws close to her & rests his hand on her hip or shoulder or lower back. Sometimes even just bumping his hip against hers. Enjoys tilting her chin up as he dips his head down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss.

Cuddle-Bug - Craves closeness. Often wraps his arms around his lover & even curls around her protectively in his sleep. Face pressed into her neck, shoulder, or hair. Sometimes drools in his sleep. Snores, but quietly. Occasionally snorts, but not often.

Loves Kisses & Casual Affection - He often leans down to kiss his lover & thinks that her standing on her toes to meet his lips is absolutely adorable. Will also pick her up by her waist or hold her under the ass or bridal style to do so.

Reciprocal Ownership - Initially, he is the type to want to own people, yet not be owned himself. Until he falls in love. At which point, he takes great pride in being claimed or in any way acknowledged as being hers.

Wears her marks with pride.

Often uses "my" to refer to her & might become inwardly flustered initially if she refers to him in the same way.

Breast Man - Don't get him wrong. He enjoys flared hips, a plump ass, & shapely legs too & will never say no to them, but he just can't help how much he loves a soft, pillowy bust. Not even just sexually either.

Sometimes when he's overwhelmed, stressed, or just frustrated, he likes to hold his Darling around the waist & rest his head on her chest with her in his lap & drown everything out.

Part of it has to do with hearing her heartbeat, which helps to ground him in the moment with another part just being the smell of her skin. Not to mention the feel of her skin surrounding him. He most especially loves the smell when she's pregnant or still breastfeeding. The scent of milk & and motherhood, along with her natural smell, is quite soothing. Add to that the feel of her warmth & her closeness & it's something that he finds very comforting.

Especially appreciates it if she begins to pet his head, run her fingers through his hair, or sing quietly to him. It very much relaxes him & may just end up causing him to fall asleep buried in her bosom.

He typically doesn't even mind if she starts talking to him about her day. It's nice to listen to her chatter because it can help to distract him from his own stressors. Though, if he's feeling particularly overstimulated & isn’t in the right state of mind for talk, he 'll grunt or grumble or lightly nip (without any real bite) at her skin to showcase his displeasure. I also think that he'd be particularly appreciative of a Darling who notices & acquiesces.

Part of it also has to do with a general fascination because not many Gerudo Vaien have large busts. A shapely lower-half, absolutely, but not very busty.

Now, there's definitely lust to his attraction to breasts, I'm just saying that there's more to it than that is all.

Deeply Touched When Accepted - His Beast Form specifically. It's just something that he doesn't expect. Yes, his Beast Form is a symbol of power, but it's also a symbol of inhumanity.

Typically, he ranges from indifference regarding how people react to it to delighting in people's fear of it.

But that's when he doesn't care about them. If it's his Darling, he's suddenly terrified of her reaction.

Even in the case of Pride, who likely wouldn’t let this fact show, he would be deeply hurt if the object of his affections were to react with fear towards his Beast Form. Though, he wouldn’t hesitate to use their fear to his advantage either. Not to mention, he’d begin to show that hurt in the form of anger. And while he’d convince himself that he didn’t care, it would bother him. Like, a lot.

For his other iterations, many would also try to hide his hurt, but that pain would show much more readily.

On the other hand, for the Dorfs who are in a more honest & open relationship with his Beloved, for her to accept him, even hesitantly, would touch him deeply. Her reassurance would melt his heart & he’d find himself clinging to her as he tries to hide the fact that his eyes were misting.

Even simply not being afraid of him in that form would honestly stun him. Boldly staring him in the eye unwaveringly, even defiantly, would boggle his mind, but would also impress him greatly & there would be honest relief.

The one most legitimately unaffected by these things would be Sloth.

Actually Really Wants Kids - Like, most Gdorfs don't even know this about themselves, but upon seeing his Darling interact with children in a motherly fashion, it shifts something inside him. And then there's this longing in his heart for something he'd never thought of having before. And when that baby is in his arms & he's looking down at their tiny face, not just his perspective, but the entire world seems to shift. All his goals & aspirations are now changed or altered or even outright abandoned, all to include & preserve this tiny, fragile light in his arms that he suddenly knows without a shadow of a doubt, he'd protect with his dying breath. Sees his children as the greatest gifts he's ever gotten.

The amount each one wants tends to vary, but he generally wants at least 4. However, in most cases, ideally, he'd actually prefer more. Lust, Pride, & Gluttony especially just seem to want to reenact "Cheaper By the Dozen." So, whoever they end up with better be prepared.

Now, Lust & Gluttony's desire comes more from a place of love, but Pride's would really only show up if Darling happened to be a Heroine. There's just something about the idea of turning the one who'd been destined to kill him into his personal breeding sow by which to bring his heirs into the world, that would really get him going.

Though, he'd make some excuse about needing to rebuild the Gerudo race. Which may be a tiny factor for him, but is definitely not the actual reason. He's just a cruel bastard who likes to humiliate his enemies.

He's also liable to hold the fact that she was giving him a personal army who would be faultlessly loyal to him over her head.

When his Darling is pregnant, the Dorfs might get a bit annoying with how protective he gets.

Like, he worries over every little thing. Won't let her pick up heavy things. He'll carry her upstairs. Imagine him as a very large, very concerned but doting bee that hovers around her head.

He might also get a bit flummoxed over her cravings & moodswings.

Greed especially seems like he'd be a bit of a hothead, so I see them bickering a bit more during that time.

But I do think that he'd calm down after she gives birth.

However, I also think that he'd initially be a bit scared to hold his child. His mothers raised him as a tyrant, a destroyer. So, he's not sure that he knows how to be as gentle as a baby needs.

It's one of the few things he'd be really insecure about.

He's never had a need for such gentleness before, but now he'd understand how important it can be.

Surrender Isn't An Option - Much like one of the Bushido codes of conduct, he regards surrender as cowardly. Those who do, lose their honor, dignity, & self-respect in his eyes. In his eyes, those who surrender become less than human & allows him clearance to do whatever he wishes to them. (Of course, he always does as such, but if someone surrenders, his treatment of them tends to become even more sadistic.)

Even Villains Have Loved Ones - Regardless of whether his Darling is a villain like him or a heroine or neutral or just a regular homemaker, when he loves someone, he shows it one way or another. And regardless of how he raises his kids, he'll really & truly love them no matter what & is always determined to be a part of their lives even if their mother was only a one-night-stand.

However, love doesn't just fix everything & sometimes, in some lifetimes, he'll wonder if perhaps it would've been better to be an absentee; if not for him, then for them. It depends on the iteration really.

Villainous Parental Instincts & Papa Wolf - Would absolutely kill & maim or commit outright genocide for his kids. They are so very important to him, no matter the iteration. In no way, is it a duty to him. It is a privilege.

FS (Sloth) Specifically:

Don't know much about him. I'll have to play the game or watch a playthrough to get a better idea.

Only Non-Gerudo - The first Sheikah defect. Kōme & Kotake's old mentor & father (not that they were made aware of this fact before his death), whom all other Dorfs are named after. Lived around 380 years before OoT. He was a true follower of Demise & they named the vessel of Demise's hatred after him in his honor. Possibly the only person they ever loved or respected.

The Best Liar - Which is saying something.

Most Manipulative - Again, woof.

Just Innately Snake-Like - Seriously, this man is slimy.

Most Cowardly - Not much to say here.

Treacherous & A Terrible Boss - He is just LoZ's Shang Tsun. Like, not even borderline. He IS. So conniving!

Most Magically Inclined - Yes, even more so than Greed.

Will Avoid Fighting Personally - He knows that he's a squishy wizard & will exploit meat shields.

The Most Likely To Use Minions To Do His Dirty Work - Seriously.

CoH (Ambition) Specifically:

Didn't really show up much in CoH. We really only get him playing the organ & talking.

Between 8 & 15 years old.

Something that I think is very important despite not really being pertinent to Ambition, is that I believe that when Octavo went into the future, I think that he specifically went to the Downfall Timeline just after Time is killed by Ganon. To me, Octavo softened him up a little bit, then Rhythm, Harmony, & Cadence brought it home. And them killing Ganon was vital to the Sages being able to seal away his essence. If not for them, then the Sages would've failed.

Something else of import, at least for my person hc of him, is that he is the illegitimate son of the previous Gerudo Chief, Lōkhïna Drāgamīr, & the then Crown Prince of Hyrule, Benjor Raurusen Hyrule.

Note that Benjor had suggested marriage & wanted to be part of his child's life, but Lōkhïna, evidently, wasn't ready for such a commitment & ran back to the desert. Benjor wrote to her often beseeching to be able to see his daughter. Finally, Lōkhïna told him that he could meet her once & even write to her & send gifts, but after that, until she’s reached the age of 18, she would be barred from seeing any man.

Benjor was, understandably, furious with the prospect & very nearly declaired war, but realized that if he ever hoped for peace between their races, he'd need to respect their customs even if he didn't understand or agree with them. So, this was likely the best he was going to get & accepted. However, on February 12, a son was born instead & Lōkhïna died in childbirth, leaving only Kōme & Kotake to care for the boy.

When Benjor demanded to see them as was agreed upon, Kōme & Kotake denied him the right, informing him that the Chief had died in childbirth & that “no new sisters had been added to the Gerudo’s ranks.” Which Benjor took to mean that his daughter was stillborn & he was devastated.

Due to the relationship with Lōkhïna falling through, King Rauru Hyrule was forced to find a woman to marry his son, which didn’t occur until after Octavo’s attempt. Due to Grand Duchess Zelda Harmonia Hyrule, Benjor’s second cousin, who had recently been shown to bear Hylia’s light, there was quite a lot of pressure on Rauru to put her on the throne.

The reason being that Rauru had no female heirs & Hyrule, by nature, is a matrilineal monarch. So, the 2 were betrothed & from their union came Zelda Cadenza Hyrule, or Lullaby, named in honor of the friend that Harmony (CoH's Zelda) & Tempo (CoH’s Link) made during the Hero of Music's adventure.

As such, OoT Ganondorf & Zelda are actually half-siblings.

And, since Benjor was also a descendant of Hylia, this means that Ambition (& through him, Greed, Pride, & Envy) technically has a degree of right to the throne, though not as much of one as Lullaby.

In fact, he would rightfully be given the title of Grand Duke of Hyrule.

Name - Gánōendōrfè Gáqàrkhrin Drāgamīr was the name given to him by the Twinrova. This is his true name as his mother died in childbirth before she could name him. Qàr meaning "dark" due to him being born at night.

Studious - Has deep interest in reading & learning.

Determined - When paired with his perfectionism, he can sometimes have tunnel vision.

Desperate For Approval - Especially from his mothers. This sort of goes hand-in-hand with his determination.

Brat - Like, he can be such a snarky little asshole.

Snobbish - I mean, he's basically the Gerudo's god-king of prophecy. I'd be surprised if he wasn't.

Dismissive - He has things to do. Leave him alone.

Behaviorally Mature - This is primarily due to the expectations placed upon him from an early age.

Tsundere - Wants a genuine connection, but denies it. The reason being that his mothers, & thus he himself, have convinced him that he doesn't need anyone beyond Kōme & Kotake. As such, when he has a genuine crush on a girl, he tends to come off as abrasive & a jerk.

- A Pigtail Puller (Likes To See Her Angry) - When he crushes on a girl, he's prone to teasing & bullying. He'll also argue with her. (He actually used to have a crush on Nabooru.)

Thinks the girl he likes looks really pretty with that fire of anger in her eyes. So, he very much enjoys teasing, picking on, & bickering with her.

He also just generally enjoys a good verbal duel of wits.

Ambition will eventually come to learn that she looks just as pretty when flustered, which results in him looking for ways to get the reaction out of her.

Yet, despite all this, he's actually pretty easy to fluster, too. Though, for him, it tends to come from her being nice to him, which he has no idea how to respond to. And while he can definitely be mean, it very much doesn't come from a place of dislike. Ambition likes this girl & thinks she's cool & pretty & nice, but he's all mixed up inside. On the one hand, he wants to be her friend & play with her, but on the other, he has to be tough so his Vàman don't lecture him.

And if she asks him to be his friend, he'll initially behave rudely, but will seem to wilt before turning back to her with a surprisingly uncertain, but hopeful expression. He'll fidget a bit before asking if she meant it. If she replies in the affirmative, he'll practically light up like the sun before valiantly dimming it back & replying with something like, "w-well, if you're really all that lonely, then I guess I could hang out with you sometimes... maybe..."

And, ohohoho! If she hugs him for it, he might just turn into a tomato & get a bit loud & mean for a bit, but it'd honestly mean the world to him even if he doesn't know it.

However, it will definitely take some time for him to realize that he's crushing on her.

Possessive & Clingy Yandere - But in a platonic or pg romantic way as he's still very young. As such, it still comes across as cute rather than worrying. Will openly & directly tell someone that his fixation will be his queen with the most adorable, serious expression on his face.

Like, little man has decided. This is what's happening.

Never Taught To Share - Kōme & Kotake are just very bad mothers.

Tantrums - Still has issues with losing his temper, but he makes sure to never do so around his mothers.

Actually Desperate Lonely - But he actually doesn't even realize it himself. And growing up the only boy in a society of all girls is with no other males to relate to... well, it's confusing.

It's also resulted in him becoming isolated & othered as well as placed upon a pedestal.

Gets Attached To Those He Likes, Respects, or Thinks Cool - Again. Not a lot of friends, but he'll cling like a barnacle to what ones he does have.

As such, if the girl he likes is persistent enough despite his outward abrasiveness, he'll honestly greatly appreciate any offer made to be his friend.

Initially, he'll scoff & turn away blushing, before fidgeting a bit & turning back with an oddly hopeful, but hesitant expression & ask, "really?" In a strangely small voice.

If she confirms, then the smile that will light up his face will be blinding. However, it's immediately dimmed as he tsks, quietly looking around in fear, then seems to contemplate something before whispering "w-well, if you're really all that lonely, then I guess I could hang out with you sometimes... maybe…" While blushing.

He'll still be a bit of a jerk, but he'll also become fiercely protective & possessive of her & will do a lot of nice things for her when no one's looking. Even if he does try to make it all seem like he's just doing her a favor & makes it seem like he's being put out by it.

However, he does everything in his power to make sure that his mothers never learn of their friendship. And if they ever learn of the pair's association, he'll immediately insist that she has potential to be a very powerful pawn as well as a loyal follower. And what better way to bring out such loyalty, then by pretending to be her friend? (Which, he'd been planning the conversation for a good while by this point, but somehow, insinuating that their friendship was fake even if he did not actually say that it was, still made him feel dirty inside.)

Unfortunately, the Twinrova are a pair of Wicked Witches & manipulation is their bread & butter. So, even if he was doing a good job at deceiving them, they are innately predisposed to distrusting a person's words. So, if Ambition wishes to keep his new friend, then they'll have to be more careful.

At the same time, I get the feeling that if he thinks the old women are cottoning onto his diversions too much, he's liable to break their friendship if only to protect his friend.

Doesn't Really Know How To Play - Tends to play alone, but his mothers have taken to discouraging play, so he's begun to distance himself from such things. He's also never really played with other kids as the Vàman (mothers, plural) of the tribe tend to keep their Vaivïn away from him in fear of them acting up around him & displeasing him.

Under A Lot of Expectation & Pressure - As a result, he's become pretty reserved. (Read: emotionally constipated.)

Sometimes Secretly Wishes He Was A Vai - Not in the trans way though. He just... he realizes that if he weren't a boy, he'd likely have less pressure & expectations placed upon him to be king.

But then he realizes that if that were the case, then he'd have to wear Vai clothes & other gross stuff like makeup & decides that he's fine as is. He really didn't like it when the Yaidjan tried to dress him up that one time. It felt weird.

Very Possessive - Both of people he genuinely cares about & of things he actually likes. In terms of things, this tends to include music sheets, his horse, & books, especially books revolving around cultural anthropology, mythology, & magical practice.

Prone To Jealousy - Yet, he also tends to keep it to himself. However, that causes it to simmer until it boils over.

Catty Bitch - But he tends to say it behind people's backs or grumble it under his breath.

Cocky - Youthful overconfidence.

Prone To Boasting - Self-explanatory.

Adorably Easy to Fluster - :3 Like, he seriously hates how red his face gets.

Audiophile - Very much loves music. Also has an ear & talent for it. As well as the dedication & discipline to back it up. Also seems to be curious & intrigued by the power that can be found in music.

Craves Love & Affection - But not as much as Lust or Gluttony.

Deeply Traumatized - It was only recently that Kōme & Kotake had him kill some poor kid from Hyrule to obtain black magic from their master. He doesn’t even know the entity’s name, but he is not coping well. Suffers from nightmares & insomnia as a result. Ever since then, he’s begun to have odd thoughts.

Refuses to let anyone see him cry. Especially his mothers as they… they don’t tend to react well… Doesn’t realize that the way he’s treated isn’t normal.

OoT (Greed) Specifically:

I generally classify Greed as 18-21 at the beginning of OoT & 25-28 at the end. This is partly due to the headcanon that in Gerudo culture, a Voe cuts his hair when he reaches the age of 18. The length of his hair after that represents the years that he's been a man. For a king, this happens at the moment of his coronation & thus, his hair's length also represents the years he's been king.

As such, I think that he only became king recently. Then, 7 years later, his hair is longer.

Also important, all that was said of Ambition also largely counts for Greed, seeing as he's Ambition, but older.

Name - Gánōendōrfè Gáqàrkhrin Drāgamīr was the name given to him by the Twinrova. This is his true name as his mother died in childbirth before she could name him. Qàr meaning "dark" due to him being born at night.

Tsundere - Wants a genuine connection, but denies it. It isn't that he thinks he doesn't deserve it; in fact there isn't much that he believes he doesn't deserve. However, his mothers, & thus he himself, have convinced him that he doesn't need one beyond Kōme & Kotake. As such, when he has a genuine crush on a woman, he tends to come off as abrasive & a jerk.

Oddly, if he realizes he likes her like that, he'll start to switch back & forth between being a bit of a bully & surprisingly flirty. Though, he isn't very good at being flirted with, especially when it's someone he likes & she's earnest about it. In this way, he's only gotten better at hiding how flustered he gets.

Very Possessive - Both of people he genuinely cares about & of things he actually likes. In terms of things, this tends to include music sheets, his horse, & books, especially books revolving around cultural anthropology, mythology, & magical practice.

Secretly Perverted - Can range from flirty to downright lecherous (but not chauvinistic), however he tries to keep this fact a secret, which results in him being tsundere. Will sometimes stalk his Darling & is prone to apodyopsis through the eyes. Can also be quite the tease.

Catty Bitch - But he tends to say it behind people's backs or grumble it under his breath.

Manipulative & Eliminating Yandere - Gets very jealous & even kinda needy. Wants to be the center of his Darling's attentions & will do damn near whatever it takes to do so. Will take out anyone he thinks might be trying to take his Darling from him.

Cocky - Youthful overconfidence.

Audiophile - Loves music. Very much has an ear & talent for music. As well as the dedication & discipline to back it up.

He's also very likely to use the scant amount of acoustomagy that he knows to get what he wants. Though, the majority of his music spells tend to be Charm or Enchantment based.

Such as using music to cast something like the Friends or Suggestion spells from DnD.

At the same time, they work best when performed subtly, especially if there's already a certain degree of amiability between himself & the target as it allows the magic to latch onto something concrete.

In the case of using one on a Darling, I can definitely see Greed singing “Music of the Night” as done by Ramin Karimloo while playing the organ. Which, BTW, I think he'd have a naturally operatic voice.

However, the way this specific type of spell works is that it latches onto pre-existing feelings of attraction & bolsters them. But if the target is already fully & genuinely in love with the caster, then the spell doesn't take hold at all. The reason being that real, genuine love is far, & above, much stronger than synthetically induced attraction.

Those under this spell are compelled to be obedient to the caster & are much more likely to accept said caster's advances. They are also far, far more likely to believe anything the caster says. It also induces an eagerness to please.

The most effective, yet unpredictable, way of breaking this particular enchantment is through heartbreak. Especially if the target is particularly monogamous. It could be by her learning that Greed has placed a love spell upon her, that he's only using her, that he sees her as little more than a pawn, (though, these have to be from his own lips), or even just seeing him in the loving embrace of another.

And yes, Lust very much is jealous of this ability.

The Family That Slays Together - The sort who is more likely to raise his children to be as much of a villain as he is. This being because he doesn't really know any other way without a good influence in his life. At the same time, he'd grow to regret it due to genuinely loving his children & wishing that he'd set a better example.

TP (Pride) Specifically:

Remember that this is the Child Timeline where he was ratted out by a pair of children & was discovered to be treacherous.

However, I tend to believe that the Hyrule King didn't initially believe Link or Zelda &, instead, sent Impa to investigate in an attempt to assuage his daughter's paranoia & prove that her & her new friend were just worrying over nothing.

He didn't expect for Impa to actually turn up evidence of a legitimate coup.

Which, keep in mind that unless Zelda specifically sent Link back to before he even woke up in his treehouse, then at the very least, Greed had still sent Ghoma to infest the Deku Tree, which resulted in him dying.

And depending on whether or not the same is true of his attempts to attain the other Spiritual Stones, then there'd be eyewitness testimony to Greed's treachery. Hell, Darunia himself said that Ganondorf told him to "give me the Spiritual Stone! Only then will I open the cave for you!" And, keep in mind that, according to Darunia, the king is his Sworn Brother. So, even though I don't think that the king would believe a couple of kids, he'd likely believe the word of his own friend. Which, all Link would have to do would be to tell the king to "ask Darunia." And, bringing up Ruto could also help, because even though she too was a child, the fact that yet someone else was insisting that Greed was after their Spiritual Stone, would only further cement his suspicions. Hell, the mere fact that Link has the Kokiri Emerald should at least raise a couple of red flags!

And the fact that Greed was specifically after the Spiritual Stones, the keys to accessing a holy relic of the country that he was supposedly trying to form some sort of alliance with, would raise some freaking alarm bells, I'd think!

As a result, the king likely kept the fact that the investigation was prompted by a couple of children quiet as not only would it reflect badly upon the Royal Family for not having investigated until then, but it'd paint a target on both the kids' backs.

As such, no one, not even Pride, actually knows that it was the children that snitched on him. He knows that the princess didn't like him & he assumes that the boy in green was one of her little friends, but thinking that it was them would most likely be a bit of a logical leap for him regardless of whether it was true or not. Part of the reason that he betrayed Zant is due to the mistaken belief that someone close to him betrayed him. As a result, he became extremely paranoid of those working under him.

Anyway, after Greed began to suspect that the jig was up, he escaped before he could be caught. This resulted in a 7 year long war (which is why Pride has longer hair during the execution scene). At the end of those, Link defeated him in battle & took him to face his crimes.

After Greed was sealed in the Twilight Realm, his ardent Gerudo followers (excluding Kōme & Kotake) were all executed while the rest were banished. (Which leads into Gluttony.)

However, he actually isn't aware that the rest of the Gerudo were banished & legitimately believes that they were all killed & thus he is the only Gerudo left. And the state of the once Spirit Temple does not help in any way.

So, despite having not truly cared for them, he's still extremely angry about the believed genocide.

Name - Gánōendōrfè Gáqàrkhrin Drāgamīr was the name given to him by the Twinrova. This is his true name as his mother died in childbirth before she could name him. Qàr meaning "dark" due to him being born at night.

Would He Kill Kids - Yes, but Pride has far fewer caveats to it than other Gdorfs. In a lot of ways, I see Pride as Gdorf at his worst. He just no longer really cares. Like, he still doesn't enjoy it, but he cares much less.

Much like with a lot else, he'd obviously change depending on whether he's still in charge or has been utterly defeated to the point of humility.

Isolating & Eliminating Yandere - Due to having been just sort of given the Triforce of Power even though he hadn't gotten it himself in this timeline, he's gotten a huge ego boost & doesn't take rejection well. This results in him being affirmed of his "Mandate of Heaven" ideals & believing that he's the chosen of Din & that she selected him to conquer not just Hyrule, but the world.

Much like all Gdorfs, he's also very selfish & greedy, wanting his Darling all to himself. It's just to the extreme here. Insanely possessive & jealous. Will punish his Darling physically if he believes she's defied him in any way. Seeks to isolate her from those around her. I can't reiterate more how extremely possessive & jealous this man is. As such, he'll have anyone he views as a threat to his relationship with her, eliminated.

And, in his sadism, if he believes this individual to be someone Darling cares about, he's not opposed to making their death a spectacle.

The Ganondorf most likely to imprison his Beloved in a tower & rape her at his leisure.

Audiophile - Loves music. Very much has an ear & talent for music. As well as the dedication & discipline to back it up. Though, he hasn't had the chance to play in a while.

He's also very likely to use the scant amount of acoustomagy that he knows to get what he wants. Though, the majority of his music spells tend to be Charm or Enchantment based.

Such as using music to cast something like the Friends or Suggestion spells from DnD.

At the same time, they work best when performed subtly, especially if there's already a certain degree of amiability between himself & the target as it allows the magic to latch onto something concrete.

In the case of using one on a Darling, I can definitely see Pride singing “Music of the Night” as done by Ramin Karimloo while playing the organ. Which, BTW, I think he'd have a naturally operatic voice.

However, the way this specific type of spell works is that it latches onto pre-existing feelings of attraction & bolsters them. But if the target is already fully & genuinely in love with the caster, then the spell doesn't take hold at all. The reason being that real, genuine love is far, & above, much stronger than synthetically induced attraction.

Those under this spell are compelled to be obedient to the caster & are much more likely to accept said caster's advances. They are also far, far more likely to believe anything the caster says. It also induces an eagerness to please.

The most effective, yet unpredictable, way of breaking this particular enchantment is through heartbreak. Especially if the target is particularly monogamous. It could be by her learning that Pride has placed a love spell upon her, that he's only using her, that he sees her as little more than a pawn, (though, these have to be from his own lips), or even just seeing him in the loving embrace of another.

And yes, Lust very much is jealous of this ability.

Social Dawinist - As much of one as Wrath, but the worst part is that by being just given the ToP, he'd basically been assured of his own perceived "right" to dominate Hyrule.

Perverted - Not even secretly at this point. Just downright lecherous to the point of chauvinism & doesn't even try to hide it. Will sometimes stalk his Darling & is prone to apodyopsis via the eyes. Makes some downright obscene comments sometimes.

Can honestly be very lewd & crass.

Objectifier - Especially if she's Hylian or Sheikah/Yiga. In such situations, it even takes on a feeling of racial fetishization. Takes simple joy in humiliating her.

Most likely to dress her up all pretty & parade her around as a sort of living trophy.

Endearment User - However, he tends to do so in objectifying, possessive, or mocking ways.

Will often refer to a woman that he's made into a concubine as Bensinï, Benzenï, Kinzanï, all meaning "my treasure." Vesginï to mean "my jewel." Hiahxàlnï, meaning "my prize." Làbanï, translating to "my toy/plaything." Ghànjnï, "my pet." Morizī, "pretty one."

Or, in the case of Darling being a Hylian or Sheikah, he will regularly use Bensïrénï, which refers to the spoils of war or thievery, thereby giving it a meaning similar to "my trophy." Will also use Bīvt’vuré, Kāvjih’vuré, & Kàx’vuré, which mean “chained bird,” “bound bird,” & “caged bird” respectively. Will switch between the possessive use of -nï & the prefix yà- to mean “little or small,” sometimes also adding mori for “pretty” as well. The use of these specific vuré endearments are almost entirely used by slave owners in reference to or when addressing their sex slaves.

And, surprisingly, Tzhamdnï, translating to "my sheath." Which, is an innately sexually charges endearment by nature, however if this was said in privacy, whispered in the ear, or even just said with affection, then it takes on a very sweet & wholesome meaning. As it can mean something similar to Baynï or Amïnq'tonï, which mean "my home" or "my sanctuary or safe place" respectively. Though, while whispering can still have that sort of feel, the act of making it secretive, will cause the endearment to be edged with seduction or promise.

However, because this Gdorf calls her such out loud regardless of someone being present, with an abundance of smugness, & very little tenderness. It actually causes it to take on the more euphemistic meaning due to Tzhamd also being frequently used to refer to a woman's cooch. Specifically without the more tender meanings, because the 2 sides can be utilized at once. As such, his use of it would be considered outrageously lewd, very bold, & even just downright shameless to a Gerudo listener. Not to mention quite humiliating to the individual in question.

Catty Bitch - Very in-your-face about it too. Unlike Greed, he doesn't say it behind a person's back. He'll say it to your face.

NEVER Intends To Marry - He's just become the sort who doesn't believe that anyone is worthy of him. He also refuses to share his power, so even if by some miracle he did marry, he's most likely to take up the old Hyrulean custom of having his wife become the princess-consort instead.

God Complex - Like, holy shit. If he were to say that his shit smelled like roses, I honestly wouldn't be surprised. I wouldn't believe him, but it would not be a shocker that he made such a declaration & I may even wonder if he actually believed it himself. Like, it isn't even borderline anymore, he just outright has Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Though, what concerns me the most about his delusion, is the fact that he actually chose that hairstyle of his. I don't care what anyone says about them being "dreadlocks," those are granny rollers!

Just Generally A Bad Guy - Self-explanatory.

The Family That Slays Together - The sort who is more likely to raise his children to be as much of a villain as he is. This being because he doesn't really know any other way without a good influence in his life. Pride, though, would be proud of his children following in his footsteps & would only experience regret for it in the dead of night as he stares up into the darkness & wonders how he failed them.

WW (Envy) Specifically:

This is the Adult Timeline, which means he experienced being at the top & nearly achieving his goals (even being King of Hyrule for a period of 7 years) before being toppled like a stack of dominoes. This humbled him to a degree & has had a strong effect on him.

Envy keeps his hair short due to perceiving himself as having failed as both a king & a man, thus he doesn't really see himself as a true man, let alone a true king, anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I don't actually think that Greed really cared about his people as much as some assume. Because if he had, then why were the Gerudo still all living in the desert? Why did he have them brainwashed? In this way, I think that he keeps his hair that short mostly due to failing himself & his own lofty ambitions.

As such, if Envy does feel guilty for having failed them, then it isn't for as selfless of a reason as some like to portray it being.

It's possible that he is genuinely regretful, but the likelihood of it only being because of his own personal failure, is actually very high.

Name - Gánōendōrfè Gáqàrkhrin Drāgamīr was the name given to him by the Twinrova. This is his true name as his mother died in childbirth before she could name him. Qàr meaning "dark" due to him being born at night.

Soft, But Manipulative & Unassuming Yandere (Borderline Sane) - Having been humbled so, he tends to have a stronger hold on his yandere tendencies. As such, he is more subtle in his machinations. "Soft" means that he'll often regret or feel guilty over the bad things he does to his Darling, but that doesn't mean that he'll stop.

One of the 3 Dorf most likely to use pleasure & overstimulation as punishment. As likely as Gluttony.

Prone To Jealousy - Yet, he also tends to keep it to himself. However, that causes it to simmer until it boils over.

Surprisingly Self-Aware - First off, let me remind everyone that he was, for all intents & purposes, Hyrule's king for 7 entire years & all he seemed to do was most definitely kill 2 people (the Deku Tree & the King) & possibly kill 6 more (the Sages). He then ran a little girl out of her ancestral home after murdering her father & while it might be going pretty far to suggest that he planned to kill her, he certainly wasn't planning to let her escape on horseback. If nothing else, he'd wanted the Ocarina of Time, a relic of the native people. He then invaded the holy sanctum pertaining to the main religion of the native peoples, took a piece of what was essentially the Holy Grail to them. I don't think a lot of people really understand what he did. If the theory that he had just sworn fealty to Hyrule like in TotK is true, then this was treason. And, if not, then he committed theft of cultural property, one of significant cultural value in relation to Hyruleans' cultural identity & heritage as a people!

Then, during the next 7 years, he ran the residents of Castle Town out of their homes at the very least, possibly had others killed, destroyed the country's capital, invaded several holy sites & desecrated them. He also attempted to feed the Gorons to a dragon, froze the Zora, let his mothers brainwash at least Nabooru (& possibly other Gerudo just by the use of other Iron Knuckles), used necromancy to control corpses (which is at the very least desecration & highly immoral), then proceeded to sit, playing sinister music menacingly in his Tower of Ominousness. Yet in those 7 years, he did not move his people into Hyrule. Why? Was he waiting to obtain the full Triforce? Whatever for? He was already king of Hyrule. Perhaps he feared the little girl whose father he murdered, chased out of her own ancestral home, then destroyed that very home to replace it with that gothic wet dream he calls a castle.

Also, something to keep in mind is that Envy doesn't say he wished to have Hyrule for his people, & he definitely did not say that he wished for it so they could flourish, merely that he coveted Hyrule's "winds," which can be a way to suggest that he coveted Hyrule's fortune & prosperity, it's lands, just Hyrule in-general. Yes, it is very possible to interpret it in such a way, but that interpretation is at odds with the reality of his actions. So, either he never cared or he did at one point, but he changed & that was no longer the case. Regardless, the facts still stand, this Dorf was not a good king.

I will say, though, that he's the first Dorf to acknowledge that Hyrule wasn't rightfully his by the simple use of the word "covet.”

Which is defined as "desiring (specifically something that belongs to someone else) wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others.”

So, provided that he realizes this & that he's sort of telling on himself, it sheds a more introspective & self-aware light upon him.

Catty Bitch - But not overtly. He's able to be fairly subtle about it. At least, when he wants to be.

Audiophile - Loves music. Very much has an ear & talent for music. As well as the dedication & discipline to back it up. And due to his time in his Fortress, he's been able to indulge in it, as well as refine his talents quite a lot.

He's also very likely to use the scant amount of acoustomagy that he knows to get what he wants. Though, the majority of his music spells tend to be Charm or Enchantment based.

Such as using music to cast something like the Friends or Suggestion spells from DnD.

At the same time, they work best when performed subtly, especially if there's already a certain degree of amiability between himself & the target as it allows the magic to latch onto something concrete.

In the case of using one on a Darling, I can definitely see Envy singing “Music of the Night” as done by Ramin Karimloo while playing the organ. His voice is actually quite operatic.

However, the way this specific type of spell works is that it latches onto pre-existing feelings of attraction & bolsters them. But if the target is already fully & genuinely in love with the caster, then the spell doesn't take hold at all. The reason being that real, genuine love is far, & above, much stronger than synthetically induced attraction.

Those under this spell are compelled to be obedient to the caster & are much more likely to accept said caster's advances. They are also far, far more likely to believe anything the caster says. It also induces an eagerness to please.

The most effective, yet unpredictable, way of breaking this particular enchantment is through heartbreak. Especially if the target is particularly monogamous. It could be by her learning that Envy has placed a love spell upon her, that he's only using her, that he sees her as little more than a pawn, (though, these have to be from his own lips), or even just seeing him in the loving embrace of another.

And yes, Lust very much is jealous of this ability.

Gossiper - The most gossipy of all the Gdorfs. Borderline little old lady. Literally has a special tea blend.

Secretly Perverted - Can range from flirty to downright lecherous (but not chauvinistic), however he tries to keep this fact a secret &, if nothing else, he at least puts in the effort to be polite about it. Will sometimes stalk his Darling & is prone to apodyopsis through the eyes. Can also be quite the tease.

Social Dawinist - However, both he & Gluttony tend to lean more towards the side of a resigned one. Meaning that though he's absolutely convinced of this being how reality works, it doesn't mean that he's happy about it.

A Foodie - Much like Gluttony, he's also quite fond of food, but not to the same degree.

Good Dad - Or at least he tries to be. He was raised in every life to be an evil overlord by some iteration of Kōme & Kotake or another. And they're just never… they're not good mothers in any respect, okay? Regardless, he loves his children with all his heart.

Evil Parents Want Good Kids - He lives & breathes this. Yes, he wants them to be strong warriors & be able to command respect, but he also doesn't want them to be pigeonholed into the position of tyrant like he was raised to be. He's one of the most likely to be able to manage this aside from Wrath.

Though, it actually has very little to do with being good & more so the fact that the tendencies his mothers encouraged in him just weren't healthy. Not to mention abusive. He refuses to put his children through that. Yes, he'll be tough on them, but never outright cruel unless absolutely necessary.

FSA (Gluttony) Specific:

Don't know much about him. I'll have to play the game or watch a playthrough to get a better idea.

Either way, this is a reincarnation of Pride (meaning, Pride died & was reborn as someone new) & he's affected by the fact that his people were banished from Hyrule, so he likely has ideas of revenge rolling around in that head of his. (Not sure if learning that they were banished because of his predecessor's actions would change anything, though.)

Name - Gánōendōrfè Gárorrzïr Drāgamīr was the name given to him by the Twinrova. Orr to mean "night," suggesting he was born at night.

This is not his true name. His true name is Àkram Màtnālàquàrkhrin Drāgamīr. Àkram is an old Gerudan boy’s name meaning “most generous.”

Meanwhile, for his King Name, Màtnālà is short for Màtu'nālàk. The Màt refers to Màtu, meaning "love" & Nālàk indicates that he was born on a mountain by the sea as Nā refers to a mountain while Làk is the Gerudàn word for "sea." Màtu'nālàk is very explicate as there are only 2 sites in Hyrule it could indicate: Tuft Mountain & Ebon Mountain. However, if it were Ebon Mountain, he'd have likely been named Nàtnālàquàrkhrin or Ghunālàquàrkhrin. Nàtnāl being short for Nàmàtu'nālàk & Ghunālà being short for Ghusàm'nālàk meaning "seaside mountain of heartbreak," which... let's just say that such a name would be considered a very bad omen for his love life. That, plus Quàr, which literally means "break" in reference to Aaquàr, meaning "daybreak,' would've likely caused the more superstitious Vaien to believe that he was either destined for great romantic tragedy or to become the breaker of many, many hearts. (Which, admittedly, wouldn't have been incorrect.) Anyway, the use of Quàr says that he was born specifically at daybreak.

Anyway, thankfully, that isn't the case, as in reality, his specific King Name is very auspicious. Many in Gerudo culture would take the Màtnālàquàr part of his King Name as a sign that he was blessed by Vah Kàvtrïna, goddess of love, passion, beauty, ect. The reason being that the word Màtnālàk is almost exclusively used in reference to Tuft Mountain, which is said to be one of Vah Kàvtrïna's holy sites. The use of Quàr would only cement the idea as Tuft Mountain is believed to be the sight of the most beautiful sunrise in Hyrule.

Ergo, it's very possible that his father may have been from Lurelin or that his mother had simply wished for her child's first sight to be that of the most beautiful sunrise in Hyrule. Regardless, this name shows very distinctly that his mother loved him greatly & wished good things for him.

Which is very sad because he doesn't remember her as he was kidnapped only a month afterwards.

Very Possessive - Both of people he genuinely cares about & of things he actually likes. Even more so than Greed.

Smarmy Asshole - Overly flattering, but tends to be thus in a fake or sarcastic way. When he doesn't need anything from someone, he lets his insincerity be evident. However, when he wants to manipulate someone & wants them to actually believe him, he's able to make himself sound genuine.

Flowery Language - Even amongst Ganondorfs, he speaks with refinement. Though not as bad as Lust. Can be rather poetic. Which, BTW, he enjoys literature, including poetry & epics. Borderline bibliophilic.

Outwardly Gentlemenly - Behaves in a very refined, almost Hyrulean upperclass-type of manner. However, this is mostly to hide his true intentions.

Indulgent - He enjoys luxury. Even more so than all the other Ganondorfs. Especially food. He loves food. Actually, a surprisingly good cook. But also a bit of a snob when it comes to what he eats.

Hedonistic - Seeks out pleasure in whatever way he can. This goes hand-in-hand with his indulgent tendencies.

A Pervert - Honestly, can be every bit as much of one as Lust, but he hides it about as well as Envy does. The reason he's a pervert is simply due to the nature of gluttony. It isn't just about eating too much, it's about overindulgence & that goes for everything, including sex.

Ergo, he overindulges in his partners' bodies. He does seem to have an oral fixation though.

Very Cuddly - Is secretly a hugger.

Methyphile - Very much appreciates the work that goes into making alcohol & sometimes overindulges. Doesn't drink excessively, but when he does drink, he prefers it to be the good, high-quality shit. As such, he tends to be a bit of a snob & has a refined palate when tasting.

Sweet Tooth - Actually quite enjoys sweets. If his Beloved enjoys baking, then he very quickly becomes quite the fan of her cooking & especially enjoys indulging in the sweets she makes.

Foodie & Gourmand - Again, he loves food & enjoys cooking. And if his Darling does as well, then it's a 50-50 shot of whether they will use cooking as a bonding method or if they'll bicker over how best to prepare a dish. Admires a Dear who's skilled with knifework.

Chunky - While still extremely buff like most other Ganondorfs, he has more of a figure reminiscent of Thor from God of War: Ragnarök.

Social Dawinist - However, both he & Envy tend to lean more towards the side of a resigned one. Meaning that though he's absolutely convinced of this being how reality works, it doesn't mean that he's happy about it.

Soft Yandere - He's one of the least likely to punish her with pain & as likely to do so via pleasure, overstimulation, & humiliation as Envy, but not as much as Lust.

Really Wants To Be Romanced - Despite being the dominant sort, he actually really, really wants to be romanced. He'd actually melt inside if a woman turned all that around on him & tried to woo, romance, or court him. Especially if she were to do so using things that she learned about his interests. May inwardly swoon as a result. Even more than other Ganondorfs. At the same time, he doesn't really know how to pursue a genuine & healthy relationship.

A Sucker For Romance - Most of the novels he enjoys reading that aren't in some way related to cultural anthropology (history, culture, myth, theology, ect) or war/strategy, tends to be smutty romance novels. (If a book has all of those things, though, then he's found a new top pick.) Though, he's a bit of a literature snob as he honestly can't stand badly-written literature.

If he were in any other situation than the one he was in, he'd ship the hell outta ZeLink. However, because he is in his current position, this is one instance where he hates the Destined Princess Saved By Her Knight trope.

Craves Love & Affection - More than any other Ganondorf, he wishes to find that woman who he can spend the rest of his life with. In a way that's somewhat reminiscent of Vlad Masters from Danny Phantom. Despite his own tendencies & habits, he's also one of the ones who'd find it the easiest to transition into partner exclusivity. And with the right guidance, he's one of the quickest of the lot to take up more healthy relationship habits.

Most Likely To Spoil His Kids - Especially if he doesn't have a Darling to act as a balance.

One-Time Cannibal, Now Recovering - It was just the once & it wasn't by choice, but more so necessity. Kōme & Kotake abandoned him in the desert to test him in a very cruel way & they may have even subtly led him to someone lost. The 2 had actually become friends after a fashion, commiserating over their horrid fates.

They rationed their food the best they could, Gluttony would regularly beg for his mothers to come & save them. But they didn't. It was during that time that his new friend suggested that his mothers were despicable monsters based on the fact that they were willing to leave him to suffer in the desert. And this was the first time that he'd truly contemplated it.

Eventually, the pair ran out of food despite their rationing. They were starving...

Then Gluttony's new friend collapsed. Just died of heat stroke... & I'm sure you can guess... And not even all that long after... he finished... his mothers showed up, praising him for surviving, but Gluttony only wanted to vomit & sob uncontrollably, but knew better than to show any form of weakness to his mothers...

He was never the same. The traumatizing event had an odd reaction on him. After suffering thus, he wanted to enjoy his life as much as possible because he never knew when the twin witches would find another horrifying way to "test" him. Yeah, this Gdorf is not okay...

Suffers From Anxiety - Though he hides it well.

Fear - He fears the Twinrova more than any other Ganondorf as he's realized how truly awful they are & how not normal their parenting methods are.

Good Dad - Or at least he tries to be. He was raised in every life to be an evil overlord by some iteration of Kōme & Kotake or another. And they're just never… they're not good mothers in any respect, okay? Regardless, he loves his children with all his heart.

What's truly horrible though, is that he often has horrific nightmares about either his mothers returning & sacrificing his kids, forcing him to eat them, or the absolute worst of all; losing his mind & devouring them by choice.

It always results in him bolting up straight in bed before running to vomit everything in his stomach up as he sobs pitifully.

After those sorts of nightmares, he becomes oddly reluctant to eat for days. Especially meat that he hasn't caught & prepared himself.

Despite this, if the Twinrova truly were ever to so much as attempt such a stunt, they'd be dealt with in the most excruciating manner possible.

A Bit of a Juggernaut - One of the most physically strong on the Dorfs.

Evil Parents Want Good Kids - He lives & breathes this. Yes, he wants them to be strong warriors & be able to command respect, but he also doesn't want them to be pigeonholed into the position of tyrant like he was raised to be. He's one of the most likely to be able to manage this aside from Wrath & Envy. However, he can tend to be a bit of a peahat parent.

Though, it actually has very little to do with being good & more so the fact that the tendencies his mothers encouraged in him just weren't healthy. Not to mention abusive. He refuses to put his children through that. Yes, he'll be tough on them, but never outright cruel unless absolutely necessary.

Matricidal - He killed Kōme & Kotake (same pair from OoT). I'm not sure how, but I know it was just before he went to steal the Trident of Power. I know that, in their Twinrova form, they smiled wickedly at him & told him that they were proud of him.

Of course, that was a partial lie. They were proud of how ruthless he became to kill his own mothers, but they were furious that he betrayed them.

But if it were true that they were just proud of him, they wouldn't have said so. Rather, they said it because they knew what it'd do to him. Knew it would fuck with his head to such a degree that it would cause him to lose his mind. Which, the desire for control was what led him to break his people's law & steal the trident.

See, he had such conflicting feelings regarding them. One the one hand, they were his mothers & they raised him. He loved them.But on the other hand, the idea that he had done anything to make people like them in any way proud… Well, it sent him into a frenzy of “I’m a monster.” So, he became one.

HW (Lust or Lech) Specifically:

Don't know much about him. I'll have to play the game or watch a playthrough to get a better idea. But so far, I'm getting that Hyrule Warriors was the catalyst for the 3 timelines merging by creating an event that was inevitable in all 3. A.k.a the Era of the Wilds. (Note that only other Ganondorfs are able to call him Lech & get away with it. Hates it. When especially t’d off at him, they’ll also refer to him as Surmúta, meaning slut or whore or harlet.)

Name - Gánōndōrfé Gárorrzïr Drāgamīr was the name given to him by the Twinrova. Though, this is not his true name. His true name is Àkram Màtnālàquàrkhrin Drāgamīr.

Smarmy Asshole - Overly flattering, but tends to be thus in a fake or sarcastic way. When he doesn't need anything from someone, he lets his insincerity be evident. However, when he wants to manipulate someone & wants them to actually believe him, he's able to make himself sound genuine.

However, he becomes slightly less confident when he has a genuine, romantic interest in a woman, but he quickly adapts. Ironically, being a naturally duplicitous individual, he finds difficulty in sounding genuine when he actually is genuine. In this way, because he doesn't normally give genuine compliments, they tend to come across as fake.

In such a situation as he wants a woman he very much likes to know his true feelings, the best way for him to do so & be taken seriously is by cutting the crap & delivering it bluntly & in a straightforward manner, which is something that he'd struggle a lot with & would need to learn how to do.

Flowery Language - Even amongst Ganondorfs, he speaks with refinement. So much so that it can be off-putting, flamboyant, & honestly quite pompous. Can be rather poetic. Which, BTW, he enjoys literature, including poetry & epics. Borderline bibliophilic.

Outwardly Gentlemenly - Behaves in a very refined, almost Hyrulean upperclass-type of manner. However, this is mostly to hide his true intentions.

The Most Vain - Lust & Pride sort of represent 2 different sides of pride. Pride represents the typical "I am superior" narcissism & Lust represents vanity.

Like, every Dorf takes pride in their appearance, but Lust is just next level. The best hair-care routine of all his incarnations. He's just downright neurotic about it, but in a surprisingly endearing way. (Think Eugene from Tangled the Series.)

Amazing Kisser - Self-explanatory.

Secretly Perverted - Can range from flirty to downright lecherous (but not chauvinistic), however he tries to keep this fact on the relative dl from his subjects &, if nothing else, he at least puts in the effort to be polite about it. Will sometimes stalk his darling & is prone to apodyopsis via the eyes. The biggest tease with the most perverted mind out of all the Gdorfs.

Methyphile - Very much appreciates the work that goes into making alcohol & sometimes overindulges. Doesn't drink excessively, but when he does drink, he prefers it to be the good, high-quality shit. As such, he tends to be a bit of a snob & has a refined palate when tasting. Actually, brews his own as a hobby. Also enjoys mixology.

Sweet Tooth - Actually quite enjoys sweets. If his Beloved enjoys baking, then he very quickly becomes quite the fan of her cooking & especially enjoys indulging in the sweets she makes.

Foodie & Gourmand - Again, he loves food & enjoys cooking. And if his Darling does as well, then it's a 50-50 shot of whether they will use cooking as a bonding method or if they'll bicker over how best to prepare a dish. Admires a Dear who's skilled with knifework.

- Health & Fitness Nut - Since being sealed inside the Four Sword the first time around, he’s become much more health conscious. Now, he still indulges every once in a while, but he also goes out of his way to keep himself fit. In this way, he’s actually learned a lot of restraint. He still very much enjoys good food; he just doesn't overindulge as often as he used to.

However, that indulgent energy has now been redirected towards vanity & more... carnal pursuits.

Catty Bitch - But not overtly. He's able to be fairly subtle about it.

Endearment User - Rather flippantly refers to his sexual partners with stereotypically romantic endearments, even just one-night-stands, though he usually uses Hyrulean ones.

It's when he starts using Gerudàn endearments in his native language that you know that he's legitimately affectionate with & is attached to someone.

Homme Fatale - A seductive & charming, but manipulative & dangerous man. A cereal one-night-stander. Despite this, he's extremely romantic & suave, which is partly how he gets laid so often.

An Incorrigible Flirt - As mentioned above, he's very romantic, very suave, & very charming. Knows that he's attractive & flaunts it. Often using it to his advantage to get what he wants.

Unbothered By Nudity - Doesn't care who sees him in the buff. Absolutely shameless.

A Subtle & Unassuming, But Very Dangerous Yandere - He keeps these tendencies hidden, but doesn't stop from indulging in them. Extremely manipulative & a definite gaslighter. So good at hiding it, in fact, that extremely few would believe his Darling if she were to try & tell anyone. This would result in her becoming isolated & lonely, thus becoming vulnerable to his machinations. Which is exactly where he wants her. Wants her to be dependent upon him. Genuinely believes that he's doing it for her own good.

Lust is most likely to go from simply obsessing over his Darling to genuinely loving her as he gets to know her, thus causing things to become more complicated.

Once he's grown to trust her, he isn't the type to believe that his Darling is cheating on him without some damn strong & condemning evidence. Yes, he'll start off as the suspicious sort, but as he begins to get to know her, he'll begin to trust her more, especially if she's just generally the honest & fidelous type.

Rather, he tends to not like it when she pays other men more attention than she does to him even if she's just being friendly.

Though, he also realizes when she is just being friendly & thus doesn't take it out on her. More so becoming an intimidating presence to the other man by casually, yet not overtly exerting his dominance.

"Soft" means that he'll often regret the bad things he actually does to his Darling, but that doesn't mean that he'll stop. And, he's also the least likely to punish her with pain & the most likely to do so via pleasure, overstimulation, & humiliation.

Really Wants To Be Romanced - Despite being the dominant sort, he actually really, really wants to be romanced. So, even though he's charming & suave & romantic, he'd actually melt inside if a woman turned all that around on him & tried to woo, romance, or court him. Especially if she were to do so using things that she learned about his interests. May inwardly swoon as a result. Even more than other Ganondorfs. At the same time, he doesn't really know how to pursue a genuine & healthy relationship.

A Sucker For Romance - Most of the novels he enjoys reading that aren't in some way related to cultural anthropology (history, culture, myth, theology, ect) or war/strategy, tends to be smutty romance novels. (If a book has all of those things, though, then he's found a new top pick.) Though, he's a bit of a literature snob as he honestly can't stand badly-written literature.

If he were in any other situation than the one he was in, he'd ship the hell outta ZeLink. However, because he is in his current position, this is one instance where he hates the Destined Princess Saved By Her Knight trope.

Craves Love & Affection - More than any other Ganondorf, he wishes to find that woman who he can spend the rest of his life with. In a way that's somewhat reminiscent of Vlad Masters from Danny Phantom. Despite his own tendencies & habits, he's also the one who'd find it the easiest to transition into partner exclusivity. And with the right guidance, he's the quickest of the lot to take up more healthy relationship habits.

A Beast Who Thrives In Battle - In a strange way, it’s his zen. Much like Wrath, it’s where he feels most in control in spite of the bloodlust that he is often consumed by.

A General Born From Adversity - The skill of leadership does not come to him naturally & part of the reason for this is due to the fact that he hadn’t been raised as king the way that other Dorfs have. As such, he had to learn to lead on his own.

The Family That Slays Together - The sort who is more likely to raise his children to be as much of a villain as he is. This being because he doesn't really know any other way without a positive influence in his life. At the same time, this doesn't mean that he intends for it to happen. In fact, he'd grow to regret it deeply due to genuinely loving his children & wishing that he'd set a better example. He'd agonize over it for years.

Evil Parents Want Good Kids - This is what he wants, but that doesn't mean that it's what he'd get without help. If he doesn't, then it'll be the sort of thing that'll keep him awake at night, believing that he'd failed them. However, it wouldn't really hit him until after they were all out of the nest & the fact that he hadn't been able to help them become more well-adjusted individuals would torment him & eat him up inside for the rest of his life.

Though, it actually has very little to do with being good & more so the fact that the tendencies his mothers encouraged in him just weren't healthy. Not to mention abusive. He refuses to put his children through that. Yes, he'll be tough on them, but never outright cruel.

TotK (Wrath) Specifically:

Name - Gánōndōrfé Gárorrzïr Drāgamīr II was the name given to him by the Twinrova.

Again, not his true name. His true name is Wàndrāgr Nāfïtàrrzïr Drāgamīr. Wàndrāgr being a Highland boy's name meaning "lordly or protector." Its etymology originates from both Gerudàn & Norse names & words; the Gerudàn name Wandàg, the Highland word Drāgr, which itself is an acculturation of the the Gerudàn word Drāga & the Hebran word Dreki or Dregr. This gives his name a distinct Highland lilt to it. While Nāfï indicates that he was born on a snowy mountain & Tàrr indicates a nighttime birth, specifically, the night of a crescent moon.

When all put together, his true name heavily implies that he was born to a Gerudàn mother of the Highlands & a Hebran father.

Soft, Manipulative, Unassuming, but Eliminating Protective Yandere (Borderline Sane) - Very possessive, protective, obsessive, & is prone to jealousy. However, he's extremely unassuming, even to his Darling. As a result, there's a possibility of a real, healthy relationship growing between them if he's careful. And, once he's grown to trust her, he isn't the type to believe that his Darling is cheating on him without some damn strong & condemning evidence. Yes, he'll start off as the suspicious & paranoid sort, but as he begins to get to know her, he'll begin to trust her more, especially if she's just generally the honest & fidelous type.

Rather, he tends to not like it when she pays other men more attention than she does to him even if she's just being friendly.

Though, he also realizes when she is just being friendly & thus doesn't take it out on her. More so becoming an intimidating presence to the other man by casually, yet not overtly exerting his dominance. He also doesn't tend to be anywhere near as overt in his yandere tendencies as most in the trope are, being an overall duplicitous individual & thus, being the sort to instead try & subtly manipulate his Darling into loving & trusting him. If his Darling reciprocates, then his yandere tendencies will tend to only make themselves known occasionally. However, this can change relatively quickly if he's repeatedly rejected.

As a result of this, Wrath is most likely to go from simply obsessing over his Darling to genuinely loving her as he gets to know her, thus causing things to become more complicated.

Also not the sort to hold his Darling captive specifically unless he's rejected too many times. He will, however, quite readily eliminate anyone who tries to get between them, even if it's a woman who wants to get rid of his Darling so that she can be with him. Especially then.

"Soft" means that he'll often regret the bad things he actually does to his Darling, but that doesn't mean that he'll stop.

Very Possessive - Both of people he genuinely cares about & of things he actually likes. In terms of things, this tends to include his horse, his weapons, & books, especially books revolving around cultural anthropology, mythology, & magical practice.

Social Darwinist - Specifically, he's a Struggler (Go to TVTropes). Meaning that he believes that struggle, suffering, & competition make both an individual & a society superior. However, while he is sincere in his beliefs regarding such, he’s not so sincere that he would accept his fate with dignity if he were to lose.

In this specific life, Kōme & Kotake have made it a point to drill a very Might Makes Right philosophy into him. One in which the strong rule over the weak & the one who prevails is the one who is right & worthy of sovereignty. That those who win are allowed to do whatever they wish to the weak.

Wrath specifically seems to hate peace as he believes that the people of Hyrule have grown too soft. In this way, he desires a world of infinite conflict. As such, unless he's shaken from his beliefs & shown the consequences of such a world, any victory he could have will inevitably become a Pyyrhic one.

He'll need someone who is able to speak with him logically about it & who sees a practical use for peace. After all, after you exercise, you then take time to rest, which allows your muscles to build back stronger than before. If you were to try to train every second, your body would break down, thus weakening you. She'd need to be able to present the idea that such peace is like the calm at the eye of a storm. Just a resting point before another inevitable conflict. Which, when framed as such, I believe would be easier for a bellicist like him to understand.

Dark vs Light - He seems to associate light with safety, possibly even weakness, which he doesn't appear to see a use for. In this way, he most likely wishes for a world where people earn the right to live. So, a bit of a radical meritocrat.

However, considering the fact that he's a desert native, he should realize that light can be every bit as harrowing as the dark. The only difference is that, in the light, you can at least see your enemy coming.

In this way, it's possible that he only sees Hyrule's light as such, because the light of the desert very much isn't like this.

Grudgemental - He just has a lot of hate & anger inside him. If he feels slighted, he'll hold onto it for a long ass time. And he does plan on exacting "proportional" vengeance.

Though, his idea of "proportional" is extremely skewed.

God Complex - Something interesting about the way he speaks in the Japanese version is his use of Ware (我). It is a pronoun meaning “I.” However, very specifically, it's used to emphasize one's very existence & is typically used by anachronistic or deity-like characters. This implies that, in some sense, he views himself as a deity. And, while I have yet to investigate this part, another fan has noted that the way he speaks indicates that he views others, or at least Hyruleans, as animals compared to himself.

Sheikahphile - Not in that he has some weird fetish for Sheikah. More so that he just finds their culture & warrior traditions fascinating. The reason being that, in a lot of ways, they remind him of his own culture, but in other ways, they seem almost entirely alien to him & this makes them extremely interesting. It puzzles & enthralls him that 2 different cultures that don't often interact can be so similar in certain ways, but so different in others. If they weren't such dogged Hyrule loyalists, he'd actually be quite the fan.

Knows a lot of little tidbits about the Sheikah & has even been trying to learn the language. Even had the robe he wears designed to meld the Sheikah haori design with Gerudo patterns & colors.

Though, he's not a weeaboo-level fan, thankfully.

Methyphile - Not an alcoholic, but very much appreciates the work that goes into making it & also enjoys indulging every once in a while. Doesn't drink excessively, but when he does drink, he prefers it to be the good, high-quality shit. As such, he tends to be a bit of a snob & has a refined palate when tasting. Actually, brews his own as a hobby. Also enjoys mixology.

Sweet Tooth - Actually quite enjoys sweets. Initially believes that cooking is servant work, but quickly changes his tune if his Darling is a good cook herself & he actually tries it. At which point, he becomes quite the fan of her cooking & especially enjoys indulging in the sweets she makes. Though, he's careful not to consume too much.

Teacher's Assistant - Ya'll saw how quickly Ashei roped Link into helping her teach the Voe & You class once she knew he had the Chief's vote of confidence! There's no damn way that the Gerudo of Wrath's time didn't do the same thing with him!

As a result, he actually learned quite a lot about what the Vaien actually think about men, as well as how to woo Gerudo Vaien specifically. Which, honestly? I think is exactly how he managed to get so many Gerudo to follow him into a coup against a much larger, much more powerful kingdom with far more resources & technology thousands of years more advanced than their own.

I'd bet my last Rupee that all those Gerudo? Ganondorf's fan club that he slowly built up throughout his tenure as the Voe & You class' teaching assistant & learned to manipulate & command to do his bidding.

Which actually makes him a hell of a lot more intimidating when you think about it. Just imagine what Sasuke Uchiha could've accomplished had he learned how to control the parasitic vampire-harpies that stalked him all through his youth!

Gambling Man/Calculated Risk Taker - Recall the fact that this Gdorf sent a swarm of Molduga to attack Hyruleans... who were standing on a mountain... So, the Molduga wouldn't have even been able to get to them, most likely. Because Molduga can only swim in sand.

However, instead of this being a legitimate attempt at invasion & him being a dumbass, I think that he actually used them to get information. To test their defenses & draw out their trump card.

The fact that Hyruleans & the Gerudo were at odds with each other at this time & based on implicate evidence in the original Japanese version, they likely hadn't been on good terms in a very long time either; it's likely that not many Hyruleans traveled to the desert during this era. Thus, it's possible that the fact that Molduga can't swim on solid earth might not have been common knowledge within Hyrule.

Which the Gerudo, especially Ganondorf as their King/Chief, who actively live in the desert & have most likely hunted Molduga many times before, would absolutely be aware of. As it’s one of the most viable ways to fight them.

If I'm correct, then Wrath was probably using them as cannon fodder by using their big & intimidating appearance as well as their large numbers to bait Rauru into showing his trump card. Because, to someone who didn’t live in the desert the way that the Gerudo did, how would you react if an entire swarm of these whale-sized assholes came at you like that? Personally, I'd panic & call the guy I had the most confidence in being able to know how to handle this.

Which is precisely what they did.

Ergo, I actually think he got exactly what he wanted from that encounter.

1) A bead on the locations of some of the Secret Stones as well as who might have them.

2) A gauge of how powerful they might be.

This is very much a possibility due to the fact that not only did he not in any way seem surprised by the fact that they were taken down so easily, nor was he surprised by the amount of damage that Rauru dealt, but also the fact that he said "the Zonai's Secret Stone." Meaning that he knew about them beforehand.

However, the fact that he was willing to risk looking like an idiot says that while he's a good strategist, he's willing to take a certain degree of risk.

As such, I'm gonna take this & run with it.

He actually very much enjoys both strategy games & luck-based games that involve bluffing or maintaining absolute control of his visage.

Because of this, I actually think that he might be a bit of a card shark & that he actually doesn't mind cheating every once in a while. Like, he'd rather not (because where's the fun in that), but he will.

Because of this, I see him being good with sleight-of-hand.

He'd probably enjoy playing strip poker with his Darling. Would also absolutely teach her how to hustle people.

Also enjoys making bets. And while he's okay with cheating, if he makes a bet & he loses, he's actually very firm on keeping to said bet. Though, he may use loopholes in the wording used, whether his or theirs.

Stuck in the Past - Before Rauru ascended the throne, the land that had once been & would be rehylened (ha!) Hyrule was at war with itself. During that time, Ganondorf thrived as he had known nothing else but battle his entire life. When Rauru brought with him an era of peace, Ganondorf was suddenly faced with change that he was not ready for. He began to scorn this peace & long for the time when he flourished most.

Uncomfortable With Change - A stubborn, bullheaded man who was most comfortable when he was fighting. So, he feels ill-fitted in this new, more peaceful era brought on by King Rauru of Hyrule. He believes that it has caused people to grow soft & complacent, but in truth, he's projecting his own fears about himself should conflict not return.

In a lot of ways, he doesn't really know how to adapt to not being always in combat. It sort of drove him stir crazy.

Like, fighting? He understood that. Conflict? Totally got it. War? May as well have been his middle name.

Peace, though? Does not understand. Has no idea how to function in such circumstances & just does not see any inherent value in it.

Doesn't realize that calm is every bit as necessary to life as conflict is. Because life, by its very nature, is in a constant state of flux & change. To remain in a singular state in infinitum is tantamount to inviting stagnation, entropy, & eventual destruction regardless of whether that state is peace or war.

Good Dad - Or at least he tries to be. He was raised in every life to be an evil overlord by some iteration of Kōme & Kotake or another. And they're just never… they're not good mothers in any respect, okay? Regardless, he loves his children with all his heart. Though, that doesn't mean he'd take it easy on them. He still wants them to be warriors & be able to stand on their own.

Evil Parents Want Good Kids - Initially, he's a Family That Slays Together-type, but as he falls in love with his Darling, his desires will shift dramatically, especially if he learns the truth of Kōme & Kotake. At which point, he'll live & breathe the Evil Parent Wants Good Kids trope.

Yes, he wants them to be strong warriors & be able to command respect, but he also doesn't want them to be pigeonholed into the position of tyrant like he was raised to be. He's one of the most likely to be able to manage this aside from Envy & Gluttony.

Though, it actually has very little to do with being good or bad & more so the fact that the tendencies his mothers encouraged in him just weren't healthy. Not to mention abusive. He refuses to put his children through that. Yes, he'll be tough on them, but never outright cruel.

---

LoZ Linked Universe Masterlist

[knightyoomyoui]

Jeongyeon x M/F Reader - "Won't Go Home Without You"

HAPPY 1000 FOLLOWERS TO ME ON TUMBLR!!!

As my way of saying thank you and sending back the love and support that you guys have given me to my works and to me as an author, here's a DOUBLE UPDATE, one for a Set 6 main entry and one special one-shot both featuring Jeongyeon!

Hope yall enjoy reading these two updates of mine! Gladly, I was able to finish both of these today because I don't have classes and it's been over a year since I made a double update at the same time. Here's my Ko-fi account where you can drop your donations or ask for a commission. You can check it out on my Tumblr profile too!  Buy knightyoomyoui a Coffee. ko-fi.com/knightyoomyoui - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get support from fans through donations, memberships, shop sales and more! The original 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page.

Twiceland has never been at rest since the incident, which has imprisoned the inhabitants inside their own nightmare. Every day, the people go about their lives feeling empty-handed and uneasy about potential threats that may arise at any time.

However, yesterday grew much worse, making it difficult for individuals to focus on what they do as they were all gathered about in their own homes, with the designated spectators keeping an eye out for the arrival of a group of people to whom they owe their lives the most.

They are the annihilators of their land, swore to protect and avenge those who are fallen and victimized, for the sake of the people and the nation's freedom. They are composed of eight warriors, all of them are female. Technically, they were nine of them, what happened to one of them will get to that later.

While the watcher is sipping tea and rolling the butt of his gun on the sandy ground, he saw some figures approaching from the shadows on the distance. He patted his fellow watcher who is sleeping and alerted him, pointing at those figures.

All of the watchers began directing their firearms at it until the familiar count of people made them slowly decrease in relief.

However, that doesn't mean that it was now assured that it was the annihilators who just arrived, because from the look of one of them, something happened really badly.

"QUICK! GET HER SOME AID!" The oldest of the group, Nayeon shouted at the officials as they all saw one of the members unconscious and being carried by her fellow member.

They all ran immediately to search for the rescuers. Placing down their comrade's damaged condition on the blanket, they all let out a huge sigh of defeat, exhausted from the life-threatening battle they just participated earlier.

"I can't believe it." Jihyo spoke first, shaking her head in disappointment. "She really did it. I never thought there would come a day where she would turn her back and forget everything we've done together for this land."

"From the look of her face earlier, it's not the Jeongyeon I've known before." Sana said, with a fear and shiver in her voice as she remember her contact with Jeongyeon during the battle. "It's completely different. Oozing with cruel and evil motivations is what fills her up inside now."

"I'm not gonna be shocked." Tzuyu reacted seriously. "Just look what she has done to Dahyun-unnie. Do you all really think that she's still the friend we knew? She would never dare to inflict pain to one of us in case it's needed for trainings. That, right there... is her pure intention."

"So what does this mean now?" Mina inquired. "Are we really going to view her now as our enemy? We're just gonna let her add more problems to us? Is it really over now to-"

"No." Chaeyoung stood up, staring at Mina then glares around at the rest of the members. "We're not going to let our eyes peeled off on unnie. Our target is still on the downfall of the Emperor. She's just a distraction."

"So what do you have in mind, Chaeng?" Momo asked, curious at what the younger is insisting for them to do.

"We continue on taking down the Dark Side while at the same time, we also try to distract Jeongyeon to not get involved too much at this chaos."

"How?" They all questioned.

Chaeyoung paused and lowered her head before exhaling and glanced at them with determination. "We have to find him. He's the only one who can manage her."

"But Chaeng, we don't even know where he's at now?"

"Only some of you, but not me." Chaeyoung stated. "I think it's time that get some back-up into this ongoing mess, but first we're going to prepare a lot of convincing."

-------------------

Miles away from their town, a certain person is training some children who are aspiring to be the future warriors of the sacred land. The kids were following every fighting moves and listens to his/her masterful advices he/she provides on the lessons in order to provide assistance for them.

During their break, the tutor was reorganizing the weapons they used when a villager called your name before barging in to the tent.

"What is it?" You asked without even looking at the guard.

"Master YN, I've come to inform you there are outsiders from another town who wants to see you."

"How many of them?"

"Four, sir."

"And what do they want?"

"I'm afraid they didn't mentioned-"

"Then I decline. Please, get them out of here." YN glanced at the guard, rotating your eyes on you while the latter saw cautious and well-aware you are of any possible danger these strangers might brought to you, but more importantly, to your people.

"But sir, one of them said you all know each other. And they have something very important to tell you."

You gave the guard another glance again, sensing that he's telling you that everything is going be fine with his communication at these mysterious people.

With all trust, you gave up and sighed. "Fine. I'll be out for a while."

You stepped outside and waved the tent's canvas to let it open. You were shown to be correct when bright lights suddenly blinded you for a brief period of time before gradually disappearing and making everything clearly visible once again. You were familiar with the individuals in front of you, and as was always the case, you felt compassion and never dread for them.

"Chaeyoung." You muttered as you stared at the smallest girl out of the four before looking also at the rest of them. "Girls? W-what are you doing here?"

"Long time no see, YN." Chaeyoung greeted him. "And we're here to talk with you in urgent."

------------------------------------ Many different types of spacecrafts were seen flying around outside the Star Destroyer, a moon-sized space station floating in space which is used as the ultimate destruction weapon of the Galactic Empire, a mighty military force influenced by the Dark Side of the Force.

This serves as the Imperial officers' headquarters as well, where they formulate plans and carry out the commands of the formidable and evil Emperor Jeonghan, the commander of the Knights of Doom, whose only goal is to subjugate new territories and destroy their enemies, the Jedi. Yoo Jeongyeon, the high ranked leader of the Sith and called as the Dark Lord of the Knights Of Doom , was inside the station polishing her bloodstained helmet before slamming it on an ovular tray filled with the ashes of the Empire's fallen victims. She recalled what she done to Dahyun as she looked in the mirror, realizing that she was the one who had injured her friend and former group member. She just followed through on her obligations, knowing that by doing so, she would gain the Dark Lord's complete trust and be granted her proper position within the organization. But when the soldiers told her that Emperor wanted to meet her, an anxious expression came to her face. The troops marched beside her as she went. As she continues walking in the path that would bring her and the Emperor of darkness to the same location, her heart begins to race.

They reached the door, the troopers escorted on opening it, and Jeongyeon was let to enter the room first. There, he saw Jeonghan eating at the head of the table.

"Come on, have a seat and eat." He invites Jeongyeon who kept on watching him just busily devouring his food.

She followed and eat, the helpers assisted her to eat comfortably before they left her alone with him.

It went for some few minutes of silence as they gave more time to satisfy their hunger before Jeonghan initiated the first move to start their conversation.

"The status report has reached to me that you were this close on your mission." Jeonghan said, gesturing the size of her chances of accomplishing that given mission she had to finish in success.

"But I'm afraid it didn't go well as expected."

Jeongyeon shuts her eyes and curses herself in disappointment and frustration. "I-it was them. They are becoming more aware now of our next move."

"I know." Jeonghan said. "And we both know it doesn't have to go that way further. We have to compromise a plan that they cannot avoid. It's their fate to die in defeat with our own hands, and soon we will rule the entire galaxy... together." He glared at Jeongyeon, she felt his sincerity and hoped that the day of that to happen will come by sooner.

"But I'm not here to express my letdown or disgrace what you've done. In fact, I should be rather... impressed."

Jeongyeon became confused, furrowing her eyebrows. "F-for what, sire?"

"You managed to disable one of them, am I right?" Jeonghan said, referring to what she did to Dahyun. Jeongyeon became guilty, her face became interestingly fell as she got reminded again of what she did to her former friend.

"Y-yes. She tried to defend a family against us. She got on my nerves and... I-"

"You don't need to explain, I know. Pests can be a lot irritating." Jeonghan calmed her down. "I congratulate you for not holding back on your desire, my Lord. You remained dedicated on the plan, on your mission. It didn't matter to me if you didn't completely made the mission done, atleast to me... learning that they suffer on our wrath and prove who is the bigger threat here is enough to me."

Jeonghan stands and walks towards Jeongyeon who is still unmoved and staring at her plate. He held her shoulders and gently squeezed it. "You can feel it now, don't you? Let it all in and control you, Jeongyeon. Soon, you'll finally become one of us and then... like I told you, everybody will respect and treat you highly unlike you've never seen before, and I will be there for you to provide all of it. Embrace the dark side."

He gave her few playful pats on her cheek before walking away, leaving Jeongyeon who shivered in her touch, speechless as she kept her composure despite being uncomfortable, resulting to develop a sudden longing sensation from somebody she knows who could do much better than what Jeongyeon is trying to make her prove.

---------------------------

"So, what do you want to talk about?" YN said after giving them food and water as his treat to his surprise guests.

All four of them looked at each other before Jihyo, the leader of the annihilators nodded at them in signal. "It's about Jeongyeon, YN."

You stared at her and escaped a bitter smile at the mention of the name before it vanished and went back on being serious. "What's with her?"

"She's now being controlled by the Dark Side, YN; and she is now following orders under Dark Lord Jeonghan." Nayeon reported. "She even hurt Dahyun during the battle."

"Wait what do you mean hurt?" It grabbed your attention. "How is Dahyun doing?"

"Still recovering from her wounds, but that huge slash that Jeongyeon did on the skin of her arm with her lightsaber might put her out of action once the troopers arrives again and try to destroy the town."

"YN, Twiceland is next. The previous town was badly damaged by them few days ago, and I suppose they are now coming for us in return for ruining their goal." Chaeyoung said to you.

YN wasn't shocked to hear any of this being caused by Jeongyeon, but rather you are heavily disheartened and dismayed at what she has become. You knew it already that her betrayal would go this way, but still you couldn't help yourself to put all the blame to yourself for what happened to her.

"You know, until now, I still feel like I didn't do better enough to be her friend, which I know all of us are definitely feeling the same but... the effect of that on me was worse because... you know what I mean, girls. She meant more to me already. I could've been there to observe closer and prevent Jeongyeon get abducted and be manipulated by the scheme of the Dark Side." You expressed your own fault at the girls as you remember how she started to slowly change whenever you talk to her, the lovely smile, her adorable laughs, the color in her mood were all gone. She became even more secretive on her own worries to you. You could've just done better for her, from what you believe in.

"We understand, YN. We all know we wanted to change and hope that all of these should've never occured but what else can we do? It's now here, and all we have to do is to face the consequences." Jihyo said. "But... this doesn't mean that time is already out for us to do something that will grant us... redemption."

"YN, we all know here that you are the one who is most capable of protecting and saving Jeongyeon." Chaeyoung said. "We have this feeling that even if she thinks that she already has found the place where she belongs, there's something that-"

"Icks us inside? Yeah, I've been having that, every single day." You admitted. "Last night, I woke up from a nightmare. She appeared in my dreams and it was very fast, but all I could witness is that she's in trouble."

"So you have it on your own too. Don't you think that... this could be a sign? That Jeongyeon isn't really going to receive the better treatment she seeks for?" Nayeon suggested. "And this is a right timing for us to come here and request if you could... join us for one last time?

You looked at all of them who has their eyes now glued on you as they wait on your response. "YN, we all want to do better, and this is this time that we make a move for it." Chaeyoung said. "This is not just an ordinary battle, but a bloody, horrific war once they step foot into our land. Everybody involved will not be assured of safety BUT, it's better to die trying than let them achieve control over the entire galaxy and watch millions of innocent people suffer in their reign."

"Jeongyeon is THE key here, YN. If they think they just took the biggest advantage for our downfall, they have to be proven wrong, and we cannot do that without you, YN."

Chaeyoung pleaded at you and gave you the exact encouragement you need in order to participate in this plan.

Your mind started to get occupied again with the thoughts of Jeongyeon as you watched the kids and the people just doing their business outside the camp from the plastic window.

"The real her is still there within her. I know it, I can feel it, and I couldn't wait anymore to see again that Jeongyeon that I once loved."

You turned at them which they are now standing on their seat.

"I'm going with you all. I will save her and bring her back to where she belongs. To us."

-------------------------

The following days, the group with YN now on their side tries to trespass into the Dark Side's base and steal the chip that contains the information and destroy the power core that activates the entire planet.

They went to proceed to the mission, but due to Sana's clumsiness of getting bumped with a trooper, they were accidentally discovered by them. YN was alone on doing his task when he heard the siren.

They got separated from each other and tries to find a way escape. YN ran as he tries to figure out the paths until you unexpectedly crossed paths with none other than Jeongyeon, now in his Dark Lord appearance. She is now wearing an all black hood with a tight fitted suit that accentuated her perfectly sculpted figure, her hair all sprayed down and her menacing helmet that hides her beautiful face.

Startled and tension arise between them as they finally met once again after a long time, YN stopped on her tracks as he finally comes face to face with the ghost of his past.

"J-Jeongyeon?"

"YN/LN. You are under arrest for trespassing and committing a crime of stealing a confidential information. Stay where you are and don't make any move."

You just stared at this... unknown figure in confusion. She doesn't sound like entirely at all like her. This is a complete different being. It's like a new evil persona was put into her to disguise and enslave her in order to make her fall in line with them.

"Stop acting like you don't know me, Jeongyeon. I know you in there!" You shouted. "I'm not going to follow or be intimidated to any of your orders. I came here with a sole purpose and nothing will do to stop me. And that is to put the Empire down!"

"If that is what you came for, then you just made the biggest mistake for costing your life." Jeongyeon takes out her red lightsaber and wielded it.

"Snap out of it, Jeongyeon! Please, can we just talk and listen to me? You have to take a closer look at the bigger picture here. Don't you see what you're doing? This isn't the Jeongyeon that... that I know." You stammered at the last words. Behind the mask, Jeongyeon felt like her heart was tugged on it's string with your acknowledgement of witnessing her unwanted transformation.

"Don't try anything stubborn that might get us in the hard way here, YN." She tried not to listen. You sighed and shook your head. You released your blue lightsaber and wielded it.

"I don't want to hurt you, Jeong. Please. Don't make me do this."

Jeongyeon was certain of her decision, so she sprang and lunged at you, threatening to slam the lightsaber in your face, but you deflected her attack by protecting yourself. After that, you two clashed in a lightsaber combat in which she tried to strike and you just let her, being care to defend yourself. Since you are aware that you are unable to truly harm the lady you love the most, you were speaking the truth when you said that you didn't want to hurt her.

Jeongyeon uses her force but you countered it, forming your hands and clenching all your finger tips as you aimed it on her, making each of you to be tangled within each other's force field. A tug of war of your own powers, none of the sides wants to give up.

Both of you screamed in rage before the force field went stronger that results to the two of you getting flung away in the away, crashing to the metal bridge painfully. Just as when YN was about to stand up, you were surprised by the arrest of the troopers as they quickly grabbed your arms.

You tried to resist before your vision went dark.

------------------------------

As Emperor Jeonghan walks into the detention cell, he is pleased to discover YN still and handcuffed with high tech steel cuffs, having been brought in by Jeongyeon, who had captured you like a rat that had attempted to get into their territory. As this is going on, the group manages to escape and notifies the town to prepare for a fight. They are aware of the consequences now that awaits them as they were unable to recover the chip.

Back at the base, YN was brutally tortured by the troopers, hitting you with their space guns, turning you into a punching bag, and electrocuting you while you are hanging in the ceiling with your arms still tied.

It may not be seen in her face clearly because of her helmet, but Jeongyeon didn't lasted long to stand there, listen to your screams of despair and watch you get abused. She went outside of the room, halted in her steps, her breathing became ragged under the helmet as your shouts of desperation echoes in the background.

Jeongyeon on the other hand, was enjoying it and finds it hilarious to see the woman still have the soft spot for the man, encouraging him to do worst things possible for the man.

Hours later, YN was back in your consciousness and in your surprise, you find Jeongyeon treating all your wounds and bruises. This time, her helmet was off, and you can see her face again. She didn't changed at all. She may look like she became even more angsty and cold, but she was still gorgeous. In fact, she looks even more stunning than before, you never thought you would admire her a lot now with her new short black hairstyle.

"You're awake." She noticed before applying aid again on your bruise which made you hiss in pain. "Don't say I didn't warn you. You should've listen to me."

"I don't much care about it." You said. "They can torture me however they want, but my mind won't change. Soon, the empire will crumble and the Dark Side will end."

Jeongyeon smirked and mockingly pouted. "If you say so. Goodluck with that then. I'm telling you that it will hard."

"I know, but I'm here to try, and I'm not doing this only for the sake of Twiceland... but for you."

She looked at you, her face softened for a second before she switched back in her monotonous demeanor.

"I don't need your help, YN. I never asked for you anyway so just leave me alone."

"Jeongyeon, what has gotten to you?" You wondered. "That day. There's something wrong happened between you and the girls. I know because they mentioned to me about it, but they never got to expand the reason for me to understand it."

Jeongyeon stopped on what she's doing before she turned back and prepared the equipments. "Oh really? I thought they would make me sound like I'm the one who's being troublesome."

You squinted your eyes, suspicious of Jeongyeon's bitterness over the girls. "I don't really get what you're trying to say, Jeongyeon. But why? How can you do this to them?"

She slammed the kit on the table and sighed deeply, her anger starts to boil her blood but she tried to be calm, wanting to match your state. You were taken aback at her aggressiveness, and you just had to watch her take her time to control her emotions that you might've urged her to feel by revisiting the moment that led her departure and betrayal. "Fine, I did turned their backs on them. I didn't want to do it, but their constant mention of my disadvantages has what threw me into my breaking point."

She indicated that the actual cause of their altercation was a misunderstanding between her and Jihyo, the group leader, which made her feel disrespected and insulted, making her believe she was the weakest and least important member of the group. She was under a lot of stress and pressure at the moment trying to figure out how to meet their expectations. She had been feeling as like she didn't really belong in their group for a while until Jeonghan occurred to see her in a gathering talking about what had happened. As he learnt about Jeongyeon's situation, he offered her a help, promising that if she learns how is it like to stand in their side she would become more powerful and hold more purpose than she ever has in their group. She declined the offer at first, but then Jeonghan didn't gave up on her, still letting the offer stand. That thought had lingering around Jeongyeon's head for quite some time.

"Then that day arrived, when a battle emerged between the group and the Knights, I just suddenly snapped when Jihyo started to command me and...all I know after that was I threw her to the tree with my force field. I walked out with the group staring at me in utter confusion, letting them in grave danger as I joined the troopers." Jeongyeon continued as she stares at the wall, in terror as she lets the flashback run in her head. "I arrived at the base, Jeonghan welcomed me with open arms, and he started to do exactly what he promised for me, something that the group could never do to me."

"Yeah, and that is to manipulate and take you for granted." You glared at Jeongyeon who knitted her brows at your change in aura, twisting her words. "Whatever fight you two may had, I know they never intended to hurt your feelings and they just want the best for you."

"You don't know what you're talking about, YN." Jeongyeon said. "Don't sympathize for me."

"And why I shouldn't be? Jeongyeon, you're my friend and so as they."

"BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T THERE WHEN I NEEDED YOU!" Jeongyeon yelled at you, her eyes watery and reddened, both her face and fists clenched in anger and heartbreak as she got recalled again of that another memory. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!"

You stared at her, confused from the blame that was put to you by Jeongyeon. You can see how it hurted her badly and knowing that this time, you are responsible for making her feel like that made you instantly owe a sincere apology to her.

"I was at my low when I am having trouble on improving myself, I didn't want to talk to any of them at first, and so I remember that I had you." Jeongyeon started to cry between her words. "I had you, YN and I felt fine at first that I know I still have someone to share my problems and seek comfort but... when I started to look for you, you weren't there.

Every day I waited for you, hoping that atleast I could be happy being with you just like you always do whenever we're together but... why, out of all times, you suddenly disappeared when I needed you the most?

And now you here again, trying to understand a problem of mine that I already buried and wanting to save me when I don't need it anymore? Tell me, what else do I need to have from you?"

You stayed silent, now completely aware of the pain you inflicted on her. It was never intentional to hurt such a pure woman like her, you wanted to explain but you believed that there's something more important that has to be done first."

"I'm sorry, Jeongyeon... for all of that." You muttered. "I know I couldn't fix what I broken, but... I don't want to waste my purpose of putting myself in this situation, with you."

You reached for her hand laying on the vacant space of the bed beside you, Jeongyeon teared up more on your touch, she wanted to admit that she missed it a lot, but what you did would still take some time for her to process. "I'm going to make things right, Jeongyeon. I may have not showed up at the time when you needed my back, but believe me when I say that I never gave up on you."

Jeongyeon stared at you and gently shake her head before she used her force field to make you fall asleep. She emotionally watches you in your peaceful slumber, while thinking twice about his proposition as she remembers all the memories she shared once with the girls, especially Jihyo.

In order to put an end to this once and for all, the annihilators prepare Twiceland for the Knights' arrival during the ultimate battle. When they arrived, Dark Lord Jeongyeon led the troops' charge as they watched the battle unfold, with Emperor Jeonghan keeping watch from his position. The troopers started shooting every peasant and combatant they came across. Additionally, they started using their lasers to demolish the structures until the annihilators started taking out the adversaries one by one. Additional troops march from the ship while others use their spacecraft to take the fight into the air. They started shooting at anybody below, without really caring who they hit in the process.

Their attacks stopped when strange set of lights aligned from the dim distance until they were all startled when one of it fired a destroyer spacecraft and exploded. An X wing then immediately appeared and flew towards the another, blasting it with a laser cannon.

The war was taken below and up above the sky. Emperor Jeonghan and Dark Lord Jeonghan were spooked at the arrival and unexpected alliance of the Rebels and the Annihilators to protect Twiceland.

"Send the scum here." Jeonghan instructs a trooper and went out of the base for a while before returning with his comrades, carrying the injured YN on his arms.

You were brought at the center, near the window where they forcefully had you watch the brutality and destruction that is being unleashed on Twiceland.

"No... w-what are you doing? Leave them a-alone!!!" You tried to scream despite of the pain and exhaustion you feel but then Emperor Jeonghan zapped you with his electricity.

"SILENCE!"

Even Jeongyeon couldn't deny that it stings her to see her beloved hometown and the people being put through hell by the Dark Side.

Jeonghan looks at Jeongyeon. "And now, for your final task, you must claim Twiceland, capture all the people, take those pieces of junk out of the sky and kill those worthless Rebels! With these, you can now fulfill your destiny of becoming the rightful Dark Lord not only by the Empire, but by the entire clan of the Sith." He proudly presented to her.

Hearing the biggest and most difficult task she has ever been given to that involves her hometown and her former friends that stood as her first family, Jeongyeon hesitated on that command.

"Jeongyeon, no don't listen to him. Please! YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!" YN hurriedly pleads on her again as he recalls all the good things they have done for her.

Jeonghan fights back by striking him with electricity, attacking YN. "This is what you get for your lack of faith and vision that we have for the galaxy. Your convincing is the same as your powers, all have no match for the Dark Side!" He said before releasing another tingling shockwaves of electricity to YN, twitching intensely in pain.

"Remind you that we have a promise Jeongyeon, you said it yourself! The desire you have led you standing here with the power you wanted to possess, so why bother throw it away for a half-witted scum like him!"

The disarray of it all was beginning to aggravate and anger Jeongyeon. She then glanced at YN, whose clothes was now smoldering from the amount of electricity you had taken, and she instantly felt a sorrow in her heart. Memories flashed across her mind: when Jeongyeon and YN initially became friends, they vowed to stick by one another through hardship and to support one another through it. She knew you failed, but you are too irresistable for her, mainly brought by the feelings she has blossomed from your connection with her. A series of explosions rocked the town as multiple destroyer fleets fired lasers at anything below, destroying all that was left, including the structures and every beings scattered in fright and madness.

"YES... MORE! MOREEE! MOREEEEEE!!!!" Jeonghan's eyes sprung up in excitement, his face crunched creepy as he shouted and laughs in rage and sinister.

As he continues to harshly electrocute you until you get toasted alive, Jeongyeon walked away beside him as she has made up her decision, removes her helmet, threw it at the wall, grabs her lightsaber and slashes Jeongyeon's back, falling unconscious.

The Knights that were all standing around them in the room shocked at Jeongyeon's betrayal. They began cornering her and unleashed their blazing staff, in which she prepares her fighting stance and gripped her lightsaber tighter.

"Come on, you sons of bitches." Jeongyeon gestured at them to come at her and all of them did, in which she prevented them all by attacking them at once.

Jeongyeon shielded herself from a lightsaber smash before throwing the Knight away with a force through the midsection.

She went into a clash with the second Knight before catching his hand and twisted her lightsaber, yeeting his staff and cutting both of his hands effectively before snapping his head off with her force.

Jeongyeon felt a kick on her back as the third Knight surprises her with a blindside attack. The fourth Knight cooperated, about to slash her head off but she spun aside, the staff hit the floor instead.

She did a kip up, slashing the third Knight to his waist, cutting him in half before rotating the lightsaber backwards, stabbing the fourth Knight behind and pull lightsaber upwards as it slashes his torso open.

The fifth Knight threw his staff on Jeongyeon, she was aware but it was too late. It hit the handle and got thrown away from her hold. She collapsed on the floor and the Knight walks towards her, ready to kill her.

She was about to ran out of energy and get outnumbered before suddenly, the fifth Knight kneeled as YN went back up by grabbing Jeongyeon's lightsaber and stabbing his knee. Jeongyeon then force choked her until his neck snapped.

Jeongyeon slowly stands up and looked at you from above, she lends her hand and you looked at it before focusing on her face. There it is, the same old Jeongyeon that you once knew is finally back in control.

Without any further do, Jeongyeon immediately hugged you tightly and cried on your shoulder. You reciprocate her embrace and patted her back.

"I'm sorry, YN." She sniffed on her tears. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm glad you're back, Jeongyeon." You said with a smile on your face. A teardrop finally escaped in your eye.

You seperated her from your body and looked at her closely. You wiped off her tears and swayed away some strands of her hair. "You asked me what I want from you and I want to give you my answer fast."

"Hope is hard, I want you to believe it's still there. I know the damage has been done but there's always a time where you can start all over again and avoid repeating the same mistake twice. That's why I don't want you to keep on running because... it's harder to stay, Jeongyeon."

"I want to make you feel okay. I failed before but that didn't made me give up on you." You said as you said it to her from all of your heart. "Let me save and protect you again, and this time; I want to make sure that it will be the best thing I ever did. I love you, and please come back... because I won't go home without you."

Jeongyeon cupped both of your cheeks and pulled you closer to her, bringing you to a kiss that you once always imagining to share with her, and now it's here, with her turning it into a reality. It may have been done in a wrong time and wrong setting but, being with her will always going to be special.

"Then take me with you, I have no other plans to leave anymore."

They proceed to make their way escape to the planet as they set it into self destruct. You two encountered more troopers, in which both of you fought them all side by side. Jeongyeon was the one who push and pull them off while you are the one in charge of stabbing and slaying them through their deaths.

As the path were now cleared and continued to make your way out, you ached as you felt a burning sensation on your thigh.

"TRAITOR!!! WHO SAID BOTH OF YOU CAN LEAVE!"

It was then you found out that Emperor Jeonghan is stumbling on his feet, he just fired a lightning on the part you felt the sting. He slowly making his way towards them. Jeongyeon pushed him away with her force field.

"Jeong, listen to me. Go without me and help the group fight the troopers."

"What?!" Jeongyeon was astounded. "No, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying with you."

"Jeong, we're running out of time here! I'm injured, it will take much time for us to get out." You said to her. "I'll be here to take care of him."

"No, I'm not going to leave you here alone! But how about you?!"

You stared at Jeongyeon who is about to cry again, the panic and worry of your condition triggering her emotions.

"I'll do my best." You smiled. "Just please, save yourself for me. I came here for you,  right?"

Jeongyeon pressed her head against yours. "Damn it..." She hiccuped on her sobs, irritated that there's nothing they can do. She quickly kissed you again. "I'll be waiting for you out there, YN."

You nodded and she immediately ran towards the airbase where she can retrieve some destroyer fleet from there.

Now back on their feet, YN and Jeonghan stared at each other with deadly eyes. "Let's finish this."  The tension brought them opportunity to attack together, turning it into a brawl as the two beats the hell out of each other. Jeonghan threw the first blow, a ball of electricity about to bump on your face, but you dodged it and made a spin with a swing of your lightsaber.

Meanwhile, Nayeon was hiding behind a tree, struggling to face three troopers who are looking for her. She was about to build up her courage and whisper "May the force be with me" before she heard grunting and shrieking sounds.

All she know after that is that the troopers are down, and a familiar figure is standing between them.

Nayeon points her lightsaber in fear at her but the latter just smiled and lets out tears as she slowly walks towards the older member and her former friend.

Nayeon turns off her lightsaber and started to look back at her emotionally. "J-jeongyeon?"

She nodded and softly smiled before she hugged Nayeon, the two shared an emotional moment while the rest of the members watched them. Jihyo was the most relieved out of them all.

As she got reunited with the group she instantly became worried that YN isn't showing up yet as the planet slowly crumbles.

With half a minute remaining before the destruction, you finally killed Jeonghan by slashing his hand gripping on the rail, making her fall down to the energy core of the base. However the heavy injury you took unabled you to quickly escape the planet.

You looked at the timer and sat at the middle of a metal bridge. Pulling out the necklace you wanted to give to Jeongyeon after this, you wore it instead around your neck as you went back at the time where you first fell in love with Jeongyeon.

And when you saw her again, you could see the same tenderness in her face but this time it was evident that it was almost the same as what he's feeling. The same love that you've been keeping from her throughout these years.

He smiles in a bittersweet defeat as he accepts his fate.

"Jeongyeon, where are you going?!" Nayeon shouts as they saw Jeongyeon start to sprint away from them.

She continues to run ahead back to the planet but in a flash of a second, everything turns red and yellow as she was splashed away by a huge airwave, a loud explosion could be heard in the background.

--------------------------

A week later, Twiceland is slowly being repaired by the villagers. The group entertains the children while also serving and assisting the villagers on what they need. In addition, they celebrated the defeat of the Knights and the fall of the Dark Side, freeing the galaxy into the peace it deserves.

Jeongyeon who is now recovering from all the trauma, finally made amends with her friends and her hometown, and learned also that the cause of your short disappearance when she was looking for you was that you were sent to another planet to search for more materials through barter and tutor more children to fight. That explains why you have an idea on what she did to the group but never had the chance to learn the reason behind all of it.

She walks through the top of a hill to take a visit at YN's grave. Wearing a black dress to grieve, she sat down and traced her engraved name on the tombstone with her fingertips. She lets out a faint smile for that.

She viewed the heavenly sky and breathes out, preparing herself to engage in a talk with an imaginary YN, who might be peeking at her from the clouds above, a wide grin and delight in your heart to see her finally back to where she rightfully belongs.

"I know I haven't been able to say this to you, but I know you're watching me and I'll just take the chance to say this only for you." Jeongyeon then glanced at your grave. "I love you too."

She couldn't contain it, her voice broke. Head hanged low, her vision became blurry as tears welled up around her eyes. "I'm still attached to you, and you were pulling me apart from them, having me conflicted if it was truly the right decision that I joined them."

"I was lost. I didn't knew which way I'll go. What side do I belong to. Fortunately, even without your presence, your existence was still helpful enough to help me at my worst. I couldn't even say this to you too but... thank you and I already forgave you, for everything YN. And I'm sorry if I also put you along with them to suffer with my wrong doings. We're fine now but, still I'm gonna be able to forgive myself for that."

Jeongyeon pursed forward, her tears dropped the grass as her tender hands pressed against your name. "I could wish you're here beside me, hearing it directly. I still couldn't sink it within me that... I went back home without you, forever." She muttered.

Jeongyeon rose up and straightened her clothes after nearly an hour of giving you some of her stories about rejoining the villagers and the group. She grabbed the necklace the villagers had crafted for her before turning to leave him. Based on one of your notes where you drew when they were recovering from your items that were given to Jeongyeon to be kept safe, the design was identical to yours. She looked at the necklace appreciatively, knowing that the other one is in your possession since she remembered you wearing it when you saved her.

[shina913]

Stalemate, Part 2 | MYG

Stalemate (Mini-series)

Definition:  (1) Chess. a position of the pieces in which a player cannot move any piece except the king and cannot move the king without putting it in check. (2) any position or situation in which no action can be taken or progress made; deadlock

Pairing: Woodworker!Yoongi x Fem!Reader

Rating: M 🔞; NSFW

Genre: breakup!AU; toxic relationships; angst; fluff; smut; heavy drama

Summary: "The truth is, I'm not afraid to take that gamble anymore...in the off-chance that I get lucky again and feel the way I felt when I was with you. I'd happily make that bet over and over."

Word count: 8K+ words

Warnings (more written in individual chapters): ANGST; problematic exes; relationship insecurities; alcohol consumption; cussing; miscommunication; past infidelity (reader had an affair with a married man but not detailed); vulnerable confessions; jealousy; verbal confrontation; lots of crying; it just gets really dramatic

A/N: Okay so...now this final installment is just...ANGST...but with payoff (I think)??? Anyway, this is un-beta'd so I hope the story makes sense!

Now…

“You think he’s still butthurt about the whole thing?” Hyejin asks.

“I don’t know what to think.” You shrugged and took a sip of your drink. “I thought we had a clean break.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s what you think. Is this the first time you two have seen each other since things ended?”

Narrowing your lips into a thin line, you nodded. Her eyebrows lift in disbelief. “Wow…really?”

“Yep,” you say, popping the ‘p.’

“But how is that possible? He still hangs out with Namjoon and with the gallery’s construction–”

You shrugged. “I don’t know, Hye…somehow, our meetings with you guys never overlapped.” You figured part of it was due to Namjoon’s very meticulous planning.

Hyejin’s eyes widened. “Damn. And is it true that you both unfollowed each other on your socials?”

You let out an exasperated breath. “Come on, Hyejin. Isn’t that just sort of a natural thing to do after you break up? How many of your exes do you have on your socials?”

She grimaced. “Uhm…a few of them?”

Now it was your turn to bulge your eyes at her. “What?”

“Yeah. They’re still on my list.”

Your mouth falls open. “Do you ever view their profile, lurk, and see what they’re up to?”

“No, not like that,” she says. “They pop up because they’re on my feed but not because I actively seek them. They’re just there…it’s like a useless appendage or something.”

“But why even keep them there in the first place if they serve no purpose?”

“I don’t know. It’s just not a huge deal to me. I don’t bear any ill will toward them and I hope they think the same of me.”

“What does Namjoon think about all that?”

“It’s whatever. His ex is still on his list but it’s not something that keeps me up at night,” she explains. Then she gasps, looks at you, and remembers something. “Shit, I'm sorry. No offense, babe.” She reaches across to squeeze your hand assuringly.

You smile and appreciate her consideration. “None taken, babe.”

Hyejin smiles back. “Anyway, Joon and I have an understanding that all of those relationships are done. It’s about us now.”

You sigh in frustration, recalling how things went down with Yoongi. “I guess I wish everyone was in the same mindset as you both are.”

“Put it this way—I’m not bothered by it and neither is Namjoon. But if one day, he suddenly asks me to delete them off my list then I would do it, no question.”

“Really?” You did your best to hide your skepticism. Hyejin normally didn’t allow her man to dictate what she could and couldn’t do in her life.

“I would do it out of love and respect for him. If I asked him to do the same, he would too. It’s not about trying to prove a point or compromising your beliefs to please your partner. This person, whom you love, is setting clear boundaries. The question is whether you love that person enough to set a new boundary so you can honor theirs. It all depends on the situation!”

“I don’t know, Hye–you’re always so headstrong, though.”

“And so are you, YN. It’s why we’re besties,” she giggles. “But you know, when you find the right person,” she looks off into the distance and catches Namjoon’s eye, making her smile fondly, “…You wouldn’t mind loosening the reins a bit.”

You took a long swig of your drink. “Wow…you’ve changed Ms. Ahn.”

“Yeah, sometimes we need to embrace change. Although, I do miss my hoe-ing days every now and then,” she winked at you.

Truthfully, you envied her. When you and Yoongi were together, she would tease you about monogamy, yet she was always so supportive of your relationship.

You shook your head. “Well…personally, I feel like cleaning out your social media timeline is a way to move on.”

“That’s just part of it, babe. If a person wants to move on, they can and will…with or without social media.” Just then, she looks past your shoulder as something new catches her eye.

You turn your head in curiosity to find Yoongi craning his neck through the crowd as if searching for someone, until his eyes land on you. You locked gazes for a few seconds before he started moving toward you. You quickly turn away.

“Looks like he wants to talk,” Hyejin remarks. As Yoongi closes in, you see him from your peripheral vision.

“I’m gonna go check on Namjoonie,” she says with a small smile at you. Before she walks away, she gives Yoongi a quick nod.

Then…

After a marathon of morning calls and virtual meetings, you took advantage of the lull to stretch your legs and maybe attempt to have lunch with Yoongi. He’s been insanely busy with projects as well and though you stayed over at each other’s places often, you barely spent quality time together in the last week.

You emerge from the room and hear anxious mumbling by his workshop.

“Hey,” you poked your head from the corner to see him in the middle of a tense conversation with Namjoon.

“Hey, YN!”

“Joon! Yoongi didn’t mention that you were stopping by!” You walked over to give him a hug.

“Oh, it was just a pit stop for me, among other things I'm supposed to do today,” he smiled.

“Why don't you stay for lunch? I’m making–”

“That won’t be necessary,” Yoongi says curtly, making you recoil. Yoongi sees the worried expression on your face and tries to remedy it. “What I mean to say is, Namjoon was on his way out anyway and he just told me that he’s got a full afternoon ahead.”

You turn to Namjoon, who grimaces. “I…appreciate the offer, YN but Yoongi’s right. I’ve got a lot of errands to run. Maybe next time, huh?”

“Sure, of course!” You look at him and back at Yoongi and decide not to push any further. You already knew that one of Yoongi’s clients has been extra demanding so you were on a need-to-know basis.

You leave the workshop and walk into the kitchen to check the pantry. He hadn’t gone grocery shopping in a while so instead of trying to make something, you just pull up the food delivery app on your phone to order something more convenient.

“Jagi, is there anything in particular that you’re craving for?”

“No, baby. Surprise me,” he answers distantly, continuing his conversation with Namjoon.

While placing the order, you couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their argument through the divider.

“Bro, I don’t know how you could have just let the deadline pass. Jiwon placed the order months ago and I get here and you’ve got other orders getting picked up for shipment. Orders that were placed after hers. You said that it was totally doable–”

“I know what I said, Namjoonah!” He lets out a frustrated groan. “Look, just tell Jiwon that we ran into a supplier issue. I’ll fucking fix it, okay?”

“What the fuck do you expect me to tell her?”

“Can’t you figure that part out? Isn’t this why you’re the client relations half of this business?”

You hear footsteps approach in your direction so you retreat back into the bedroom and pretend that this was just a regular business squabble between friends.

Namjoon lets out a grunt of annoyance.

“Okay, look,” Yoongi relents. “Just stop stressing out. I’ll call Jiwon myself later to let her know that her shit will get done. Alright?”

Namjoon nods. “Thanks, man. She’s in a pissy mood. Better you than me.”

******

The weekend finally arrives and you and Yoongi have plans.

You were such a nervous wreck that you start to flap your elbows as if they were wings to cool your sweaty armpits. You were meeting Yoongi’s mom tonight for dinner. She lives a few hours away and rarely visits. She was looking forward to getting to know the new woman in her son’s life.

You make your way in front of the mirror, fluffing your hair and doing some final checks on your makeup. You lean in closer and flash your teeth, making sure that you didn’t have any lipstick stains on them.

“How much longer do you need?” Yoongi asks while he leans against the doorframe. Looking at his reflection, he was handsome as ever with his hair pulled back in a ponytail and a casual look. As much as you enjoyed him dressed in his coveralls while he worked, you always considered his date-night looks a treat.

“Two minutes.” You smooth your dress one more time and turn around to make sure that your skirt didn’t have any creases on it.

“We’re just meeting my mom for dinner, not the queen.”

“I know that. I just want to make a good impression,” you rationalized. “How do I look?” You turn to him and put your hands to the sides, presenting yourself. 

“Beautiful,” he says with a soft smile.

******

Your laughs ring through the restaurant after Yoongi’s mom make a cheeky joke at her son’s expense.

“Eomma…” He warns.

“Lighten up, adeul! It’s just a little joke.”

“Sure, ma,” he responds dryly.

She sipped on her wine and turns her attention to you. “You know, YN, I really like you! You’re just so…gah…the word is escaping me right now!”

You tensed up in anticipation of the next word that would come out of her mouth.

“Refreshing! That’s what I meant to say. You’re such a breath of fresh air!” She exclaims.

Your shoulders visibly relax at the compliment.

“Thank you, Mrs. Min–”

“Please, call me eomma,” she smiled warmly. “Let’s skip the formalities! Even better, we should get together for drinks sometime–” then she puts her hand up to the side of her mouth as if to whisper in an exaggerated manner to you, “You know, without Mr. Grumpy Cat here,” she mumbled.

You both giggle like close girlfriends while Yoongi rolls his eyes.

“I’d love that, eomma! Why don’t we exchange numbers after this and we can get something on our calendars?” You proposed.

His mom beamed. “Excellent! The sooner, the better!”

You smiled excitedly at how well you were warming up to Yoongi’s mom. You had a very different idea of how this night was going to turn out. The server comes by to check in, asking if there was anything else that they can get you. You picked up your wineglass and polished off whatever was left in it.

“Can I please get another glass of cabernet?” You ask him.

“Of course, miss.” He asks the rest of the table, to which his mom requests that her glass be topped off as well. Yoongi declines.

“You know, I should say–I’m shocked that Yoongi let you order that second glass of wine.”

Your brows creased in confusion. You cleared your throat, “I…beg your pardon?” You ask slowly.

“Well, back then, Jiwon–Yoongi’s ex–she didn’t drink much. On the rare occasion that she did, Yoongi made sure to cap it at a glass. She was always uptight, that one. Nice girl, very formal, comes from a good family. But oof…so uptight. Unfortunately, that’s Yoongi’s type though…” she remarks flippantly. 

Yoongi shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “Eomoni…please!”

“Was there something wrong with what I said? Are we not supposed to talk about Jiwon? We’re just having a conversation here.”

You shift your attention to Yoongi’s direction, where he keeps his eyes low. Yoongi himself had never mentioned her name to you, but you knew of their history.

You’d heard that name before…it was the same name of the person that he and Namjoon were arguing about recently. 

Deep down, you sincerely hoped that those were two different Jiwons.

******

The rest of dinner goes on without any further awkward conversations about certain ex-fiancees. You bid his mom farewell and promise to give her a call to schedule a girls’ night when she’s back in town.

Yoongi, on the other hand, looks exhausted when you get in the car. “I can drive if you’re too–”

“Nah, it’s fine. You had a couple glasses. Besides, it’s a short ride, I can manage.”

After a few minutes of silence, you break the tension on the drive back to his place.

“Your mom is so adorable. I love her!” You beamed excitedly.

“Yeah, seems like you two really hit it off. I didn’t realize you had a lot in common,” he says wryly.

You laughed. “What’s the matter with you? Aren’t you glad that your mom and I are getting along well?”

“Of course I am,” he replies, still looking straight ahead down the road, his expression unreadable.

“If you’re happy then why do you look like someone just kicked your puppy? Was it because she mentioned Jiwon?”

He lets out a frustrated groan. “Please! Can we not bring that up again?”

“Is it because she’s a princess who doesn’t drink and obeys everything that you ask her to do?”

“YN, please!” He smacks his hand on the steering wheel. “Please…just…let’s not hash that out, okay?”

You hold your tongue and cross your arms over your chest, seething the rest of the way back.

When he pulls into the driveway, he turns off the engine, then steps out of the car while you remain in the passenger seat.

“Are you throwing a tantrum?”

“No,” you say shortly.

He gets back in the car and coaxes the information out of you. “Come on, what’s going through your mind?”

“I was just thinking–maybe I shouldn’t have ordered that second glass of wine.”

He lets out a sound of exasperation and grips his forehead. “Are we still on that?”

“No, really though…maybe…” you shrug, “I don’t know, maybe I should be more like Jiwon? You know, a good girl.”

“What is your point, YN?”

“My point, Yoongi, is…why are you with me?”

“Why am I with you? W-what do you mean?”

“Why do you love me?” You press him.

He stares at you, taken aback by your interrogation. “Why do I love you?” He repeats. “What kind of a question is that?”

“A legitimate one!”

He scoffs angrily. “I don’t have time to deal with this shit right now, YN…I’m stressed, and I’m–”

“Okay. I get it,” you huff. You grab your coat and purse and step out of the car.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” He barked.

“I’m calling a rideshare to take me back home!” You spat over your shoulder, pulling up your app to summon a car.

“YN, you’re being ridiculous!”

“Just leave me alone. It seems like you need a little bit of space. So I will give you that!”

At half past 1AM, your phone buzzes while you lie awake in bed. You picked it up off the nightstand to see Yoongi’s name and face flashing on your screen.

You second-guess answering…but you were the idiot who picked a fight with him. You press the green button and hold the phone to your ear, saying nothing.

“Baby…come home, please,” he begs you.

“I don’t know…I just need some time,” was all you say before you both hang up.

After another half an hour of pathetically staring up at your ceiling, you sat up and swing your legs over the edge of the bed. Like a lovesick puppy, you put on your sweats, call another rideshare to take you back to his house, where you crawl to bed and into his waiting arms.

Now…

“Hey,” Yoongi says awkwardly as he approaches you.

“Hi,” you say icily. You couldn’t forget the comments he made to Namjoon about you while you were in the bathroom.

“Uh, listen…I just wanted to apologize.”

“Apologize? What for?”

“Y-you know,” he stutters. “I didn’t mean what I said.”

“Which part exactly?” You ask him. “That I’m loud and bring too much drama with me? Or that I’m a bad cook?” You scoffed. “I used to cook for you all those nights when you had no time to make yourself a meal because you were so busy with work. You used to say that you loved my cooking!”

“You weren’t a terrible cook,” you counters. “I just…I was being stupid.”

“Oh, I know,” you tell him and laughed softly.

Moments of uncomfortable silence later, he asks, “So uh…how’ve you been?”

“I’m good,” you answer sincerely. “You?”

“Great,” he replies. “Are you…here with anyone?”

You chuckled at his forwardness. “No, but I’m supposed to meet someone in an hour.”

His lips parted slightly, “Ah, I see,” he smiled tightly. “Like…a date or…a boyfriend?”

“What’s it to you?” You smiled enigmatically. 

“Just trying to make conversation...and I was just curious.” He looked like he wanted to say more after that but he looks away and takes a swig of his drink.

“What about you? Did you bring a date?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t spent enough time with anyone to bring them to things like this.”

“I see,” you answer. “So, just casually dating, huh?”

“What’s it to you?” He returns your question.

“Touche!” You both chuckled.

“I thought you were going to start mouthing off to me and Namjoon earlier by the bathrooms,” he laughs.

You swat the air. “Old YN may have but…I’m a changed woman now.”

“Oh, really?” He asks.

“Yeah. You know, it’s been a while and I’ve changed my ways. I try to watch what I say these days.”

Yoongi smiles guiltily.

“Besides, I used to talk shit about you all the time so…I think we’re even now.”

“Oh you have, haven’t you?”

“Oh yeah…many times! A bitch was bitter back then,” you laughed.

“I’d love to hear this!” He leans in excitedly.

“Hear what?”

“Tell me what you used to say about me.”

Chuckling, you eventually relent. “Hmm…okay, let’s see.” While you try to recall all of the angst that you used to spew at Hyejin, you are briefly distracted by his fingers, drumming lazily on the bar’s surface.

You blink away memories of his hands and other things that they were capable of. “Well, my biggest issue with you was that you had trouble letting go of the past.”

“Interesting,” he remarks.

“That, plus you were a pushover,” you added.

He doubles over in laughter. When he calms down, he says, “So…I get too hung on up on the past and I’m a pushover. That’s why you left me?”

You cock your head to the side and turn serious. “C’mon. You know exactly why I left you.”

Then…

You drive down Yoongi’s street to find a sleek SUV blocking his driveway. You didn’t recognize it but figured it may have been a client trying to meet with him to oversee their order’s progress. Not a huge deal, you thought. You parked a block away instead.

You walk through the door with a box of pastries that you picked up on the way from your place. Yoongi loved their almond croissants so you grabbed a couple extra as a treat.

You caught sight of him standing in the workshop, deep in conversation with some unseen guests who were obscured by the divider.

With a big smile, you walk toward him to greet him. He sees you out of the corner of his eyes and a look of panic mars his features. “YN…hey.” He was surprised to see you.

You turn your attention to the two other people in the room–Namjoon and an unknown female who was crouched down, closely inspecting the legs on these accent chairs that Yoongi had tirelessly worked on for weeks.

“Hey, YN,” Namjoon greets you, while you are yet to be acknowledged by this persnickety client dressed in a designer shift dress and equally expensive heels. Her hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail...not a strand out of place.

A chill ran down your spine, making you wrap your arms protectively around your chest.

“Why are the legs uneven?” Were the first words you hear out of her mouth. “And it looks like a few of them don’t even have any finishing coats yet.”

Her voice was small, but firm in tone. It sounded like the type that was used in professional settings or presentations. It was also the type that turned shrill when provoked.

She looks at Yoongi pointedly, awaiting his answer.

“Uh, by the way, this is Jiwon, my client. Jiwon, this is YN.”

You arched an eyebrow in realization. “Oh…hi there,” you say a little too loudly. You stuck your hand out to her, offering a handshake. Her eyes flicked down to your hand while her face remained stiff. There was a slight wince in her nose, as if she smelled something bad.

Before you withdraw your hand in embarrassment, she clasps her hand in yours to shake it gently. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too. I’m Yoongi’s girlfriend,” you add.

She smiles tightly and proceeds with her inspection on the products.

Namjoon stands there, breaking a sweat, seemingly stuck in limbo. The tension in the room was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

“I brought some pastries, by the way. I got you your favorite, ja–” 

“That’s great. Uhm, could you just put in the kitchen? We’re a little busy here,” Yoongi says, while closely following Jiwon’s every move.

“Oh.” The shortness of his tone stung you, but you soldier on, marking your territory.

“Anyone want anything to drink? Coffee, maybe?”

“I-I’ll take one,” Namjoon says.

“What about you, Jiwon?”

“She doesn’t drink coffee,” Yoongi answers for her.

Jiwon turns her head toward you. "I'm good, thanks for the offer," she says, before continuing her inspection.

Your chest feels tight all of a sudden but you don’t make it obvious. Instead, you smile politely and leave them to do their business.

You move into the kitchen to set your box of pastries aside then set up the single-brew machine to make some coffee for Namjoon.

Distantly, you hear their conversation through the wall.

“I don’t know. I’m really disappointed in the quality. Even the upholstering is mediocre. They look and feel rushed." She narrows her eyes at him. "What’s going on?”

Yoongi nervously clears his throat. “Nothing. All that stuff's fixable,” he says evenly. "All I need is a couple more days to do it.”

“If I give you an extension, can you actually deliver on the quality this time?”

“Of course! You don’t need to worry about a thing,” he answers confidently.

“Alright," she says with a hint of reluctance. "How much time do you need? And is this going to cost me extra?”

“I’ll, uh…I’ll eat up the cost since it was an issue on my end. And regarding timing–”

“How are you gonna get this all done? Are you sure that you can do this?”

“Yes, I told you–there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll hire more guys and pay overtime. We’ll get this done for you.”

You notice how he doesn't mind calmly and patiently reassuring her multiple times, no matter how many times she asks the same question to him in different forms and verbiage. Meanwhile, he starts getting annoyed when you ask him what he wants for dinner multiple times, after deferring to you to decide.

She's seemingly satisfied with his affirmations, she relents. “Okay. I guess Namjoon and I can just circle back?” She turns to Namjoon, who nods in agreement.

All three of them walk toward the front door.

“Yeah, just call him. Or you can call me directly to follow up, too.” Yoongi offers.

“I’ll just reach out to both of you, I guess,” she answers dryly

You peek from the kitchen just in time to see her give Yoongi a lingering hug. “Thanks again, Yoongi. I really appreciate this.”

“Of course…anything for you, Jiwon.”

With that, your heart sinks to your stomach and you suddenly have the urge to vomit. You retreat into the bathroom and hurl but nothing comes out.

******

Later that evening, you were working late on the restaurant revamp contract. You had to place a call to your other supplier to make sure that their quote was still good since the client had asked for it to be adjusted, for the fifth time.

It was a good thing you’d work with this supplier for nearly a decade now. You pretty much had the owner on speed-dial.

Unfortunately, Yoongi was planning on pulling an all-nighter so he could finish one project to make fixes to the other project that he messed up.

“Jagiii!” You yell out from his bedroom, hoping he’d hear from all the loud banging he was making.

“Yeah?” he bellowed from his workshop.

“Could I just have five minutes for a phone call?”

“Can’t you just take your call outside?” He responds.

That was weird, you thought. You could, technically, take the call outside but you needed your laptop and documents in front of you in order to make changes in real-time. 

You walked out of the bedroom and into his workshop. “Please? It’s only for a few minutes. I just really need to sweet-talk this supplier so I can get this contract sealed.”

“No!" he bristles. "I’m so behind on this project already. Every minute counts!”

You scoffed. “Seriously? What’s five minutes? This project’s already delayed. Not to mention that your backlog is nuts–”

He looked up at you and snapped, “Exactly! Do you think my work is easy? Do you think any of this–” he waved his arm at the room, “...is easy?”

You chuckled at his abrupt change in tone. “What the hell crawled up your ass?”

He huffed out a breath. “I’m saying, that I hate how you think that I can just chill every time and pull me away from my work–”

“Woah-woah,” you stop him right then. “I never said anything like that. I’m literally asking for five minutes and you’re here getting your panties in a twist.”

He tosses the mallet and piece of metal sheeting haphazardly on his work table. He raked his fingers through his hair in exasperation. “See, this is why I can’t get this damned thing done–”

“You can’t or won’t?”

“What?” He asks, utterly confused.

“You can’t get it done or you don’t want to get it done because you want to delay it further? Because getting it done means the end of your contract with her.” You walk away from the workshop and into the living room.

“Are we really going to argue about this again?” He asks, still standing in his workshop.

“Yes!” You say loudly from the other room.

Seconds later, you see him round the corner and join you. “Why? Why do we need to argue about this? What’s the point?” 

You let out a sharp breath scowled at him. “I heard the way you talked to her! Going out of your way to pay your guys overtime, moving your whole schedule around to deliver her shit…and that goodbye hug?” You let out a pained, mocking laugh.

You held off for as long as you could but you were already deep into a jealous rage. The way he spoke so gently to her, trying to assure her that she didn’t need to stress off her order. Offering to cover the extra expenses, was too much.

“She’s a client and we just happen to have a history. So?”

His flippant comment further incensed you.

"That's the point! You have history!"

He groaned. “You're getting pissed at this? When it was pretty much the same situation from when we ran into your married guy.”

“My married g—" You scoff at him. "Now you’re turning this conversation about me? My past?”

“Well, yeah! You acted all weird when we saw what’s-his-face!” He retorts.

“Right, but in my case, that was the first time I’d seen him in a while. Have I seen him again since then? No. But you? You are working with Jiwon, day in and out!” You exclaim angrily.

“‘Call me directly…’” You say mockingly. “‘Anything for you...'”

“We have a professional relationship, okay? She is my client.”

“Couldn’t you get different clients? It’s not like you have a shortage in your backlog.” You countered.

“Jiwon has been my longtime client. I’ve made many connections because of her.”

You clenched your jaw and seethed.

“You go out to dinners and have drinks with your clients all the time! You come home late after partying all night,” he scolds.

“I am not partying!” You argue.

“Sure,” he says sarcastically.

“At least I was never engaged to any of my clients,” you countered bitterly.

He glared at you. “So she’s my ex-fiancee, big fucking deal! The operative term, being ‘ex,’ okay? What is your point here, exactly? Why are you getting all worked up about this?”

You stood up from the couch and angrily stomped toward him. “Because it hurts my feelings! And I can’t help but think that you still want her.”

“But I don’t! I love you!” He insists.

“Why do you love me?” You asked in a sudden, calmer tone.

“What?” He’s taken aback by how unreasonable and ridiculous you were sounding.

“I’m asking--Why. Do you. Love me.” You punctuate each phrase. “Why are you with me? Are you with me just to prove to yourself, or to her that you’ve moved on?”

“Why are you being like this? We’re arguing in circles here!” He yells out in frustration.

“Okay, fine. I’ll make it easier for you then. Let me ask you this–are you really over her? Because if you’re not…fuck…just tell me and we can put a stop to this craziness right now.”

“I’m with you, aren’t I? What else do you want from me?”

Heat prickled at your forehead and you start to taste bile in the back of your throat. What else do you want from me? Like he was doing you a fucking favor?

“What I really want to know from you is–why is it that my ex is a problem for you? So I ran into the guy. A guy whom I haven’t had any contact with at all since I ended things and still haven’t had contact after the fact? And yet, you expect me to be completely fine with you communicating regularly with your ex? ”

The silence is deafening as he’s despondent for a minute. At this point, the tears flow freely down your cheeks.

“Don’t you think there’s anything wrong with that?” You ask him pointedly.

“I don’t see it that way.”

It wasn’t the answer that you were expecting so you drive your point home. “And you wouldn’t consider breaking off a working relationship with your ex-fiancee even after I’ve told you that the amount of access that she has to you makes me feel insecure and uncomfortable?”

Yoongi shook his head slowly. “I just can’t drop a longtime client like that.”

“You mean you won’t drop her.”

“Please, just listen–”

“You know how I feel right now?” You interrupt him. “I feel like a shiny new thing that you’re just using to prove to yourself that you’re over her. It makes me feel like a piece of shit.”

He squeezes his eyes shut, a pained expression on his face. “You think I’m using you as a rebound? Is that it?”

“Aren’t I? Maybe you only liked me because I’m the complete opposite of her! You know, I’m loud, I like to go out…I drink…I’m fun…” You swipe at the tears that spilled out of your eyes. “I’m not the type you bring home to mom. Not the type you’d marry, right?”

“For fuck’s sake…can you stop thinking that everyone’s out to hurt you?”

“Do you really love me?” You ask him point blank.

He returns your gaze and held it there for a minute before answering. “Yes, of course I do.”

“More than you love her?”

He is dumbfounded by your question. It was unexpected but you needed to know…desperately. You needed to know to help put your fears aside. Unable to meet your gaze, he looks away.

His reticence told you that you were at an impasse. Locked in a stalemate, without any moves left.

Swallowing what felt like glass shards down your throat, you say, “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” You turn on your heel and walk off.

The next morning, you packed up your things and left.

Now…

“So who did you love more, me or Jiwon?”

Growing flustered by your invasive question, he panics. “What is this, an interrogation?”

“Oh, come on…” you say in jest. “We’re just two people having an open conversation here.”

“Are you serious?” He laughs, his gummy smile in full display. “So I really have to answer that?”

“Do I look like I’m kidding? It’s not like we have ties to each other anymore. We’ve had enough time apart, time to think things through.”

“Why do you need to know so badly?”

“Because! I feel like I’m entitled to that information,” you say in a light, joking tone. Then, you turn a bit more serious. “Also…we used to care about each other at one point in our lives. I feel that I’ve earned the right to ask.”

He shifts his weight between his feet, taking a sip of his drink–you hoped–would help give him the extra push to answer. Except, he doesn’t and instead grins shyly.

“Still no answer, Mr. Min? Alright, fine!” You raise your hands in defeat. “I’ll give you easier one.” You cleared your throat. “Are you still scared?”

He finds your question humorous. “Scared of what?” He clarifies.

“Repeating the whole process. To start from scratch again–the whole getting to know one another…falling in love…only to be faced with the possibility of it not working out. We talked about that a long time ago, remember?”

His face visibly relaxed. “I do…very clearly, in fact, now that you mention it.”

“And?”

He moistened his lips and stared straight at you. “The truth is, I'm not afraid to take that gamble anymore...in the off-chance that I get lucky again and feel the way I felt when I was with you. I'd happily make that bet over and over.”

You feel your throat tighten in an instant. Your mouth opens to suck in a sharp breath. “Damn.” You start to fan yourself…now you were all flustered.

He kept his eyes on you. They wordlessly profess everything he’s been feeling all those years that you spent apart.

“And I agree that you’re entitled to know that I loved you more.”

You were at a loss. All that pomp and confidence that you felt had shriveled up at his confession.

“Well, you asked. So there you go.”

You laughed. “I know…I deserved that,” you say uncomfortably.

Your speechlessness makes him smirk triumphantly, making you both chuckle and effectively breaking the tension.

From a distance, the music fades under the chatter while Namjoon’s voice booms through the microphone. “Good evening, everybody!”

You and Yoongi turn your attention to the middle of the room, where Namjoon stood along with Hyejin.

“I just wanted to thank you all for coming out tonight. I’m so happy that I have great friends and partners who are huge supporters of local art. We have so much talent here that we need to foster and grow. I’m glad that we have a space to promote this art so that other people can familarize themselves with it and appreciate it as well. I’d like to thank my friends who have enabled me and listen to me whine about this concept for years–it’s finally happening! And of course, my fiancee–Hyejin…baby, thank you for being patient with me and supporting my dream. I love you so much!” The crowd gushes as he pulls her in for a sweet kiss.

“And with that, let’s keep this party going, huh?” Namjoon hands the microphone back to the DJ and the music swells once more.

Yoongi turns to you suddenly. “Do you want to dance?”

You laugh, “Seriously?”

“Why not? It’s the least you can do for me after I bared my soul to you,” he says.

You roll your eyes playfully at him. “Alright! Just one song,” you say to him.

You both make your way to the makeshift dancefloor and start bobbing your head to the beat. You sway your hips to the music while you both sing along to a song familiar to both of you.

As the music plays on, the crowd gathers around you, pushing you closer together.

Although you are hyper-aware of his presence and proximity, you continue to dance to the beat. You vaguely feel his hand on the small of your back, in a sort of protective stance while the crowd closes in. At a certain point, your hips were nearly fused together, and your faces were mere inches away.

And there it was, that familiar scent of pine and citrus. The memories you had locked away years ago had resurfaced once more–coming at you in a flash while you stared into his eyes. You felt yourself fall deeper into them. The inches between you decreased…and soon enough, the tips of your noses brushed against each other.

Then, you unexpectedly jump, startled at the sound and feel of your phone blaring from your pocket. You fish it out to see the name ‘Wooyoung’ flashing on the screen.

You decline the call but send a text message, saying that it was a little loud and that you’d call back.

You back away from Yoongi, suddenly desperate to enforce some distance between you two lest you completely lose the last shred of self-control that you were clinging onto.

Once you were finally away from the crowd and into a more open, quiet space, you say to him apologetically, “I have to go.”

He pursed his lips as if trying to hold himself back from saying something. You stand there, waiting and wondering if he would change his mind and just come out with it.

After a few beats of silence, he forces his mouth into a smile, then nods. “Alright,” he says simply.

You blinked slowly. It was a pathetic effort at a reality check for you. He said the right words and gave you the absolute closure that you needed for your relationship. A small part of you wondered what would have happened if Wooyoung hadn’t tried to call you. Would you have gone in all the way to kiss him?

Sadly, it didn’t work out that way so you’ll never know. “It was good to see you.” Your smile didn’t reach your eyes.

“Yeah…” he breathed out. “It was good to see you, too.”

“Well…I guess this is goodbye.”

You don’t wait for him to respond and instead, you turn on your heel and walk toward the exit. You tried to search around for Hyejin and Namjoon to say your ‘goodbyes’ but they looked like they were deep in conversation with another patron. You decide to shoot her a text when you got to your car instead.

Once you step out and the cool air hits you, you release one, big breath that you felt that you were onto for so long.

******

You sat alone in your car, contemplating the events that just unfolded minutes ago. You never thought you’d see him again–never. But, as fate would have it, your best friends managed to link up. How fucked up was that?

Your phone pinged, signaling a text. You lift the screen to your line of vision, seeing a name that was suddenly unfamiliar to you, with a text that said, ‘Headed to the restaurant now. Can’t wait to see you.’

You face falters at the promise. You sighed and leaned against your car’s headrest and closed your eyes.

What was he trying to pull back there? Making you yearn with all that talk about risking it all just to get a chance with you again. Who talks like that in real life?

Two knocks to your driver-side window startle you back into reality. You glanced over and see his cat-like features peeking through the glass.

You roll your window down and try to sound as casual as possible. “Hey! What’s up?”

He smiles shyly. “I…walked around the parking lot out back then down the block, hoping to still catch you.”

“Oh?” Your voice goes up slightly. “Haven’t had enough of me yet?” You tease him.

He chuckled at your cheekiness. “Yeah,” he sighed heavily, “I... didn’t like how we left things back there. You just ran off.”

You were incredulous. “Really? I thought we were good. I didn’t see anything wrong about the whole exchange. I said goodbye–”

“Yeah, exactly that,” he cuts you off. “You said ‘goodbye’.”

You chuckle awkwardly, confused by his remark. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say when you leave?”

“I know that but…I didn’t want you to leave.”

Your stomach does somersaults. You close your eyes for a second to internally smack yourself in an effort to keep it together. “Uhm…I…I don’t…I d–” You stutter.

“I didn’t want you leave.” He repeats firmly. “I can’t let you walk away from me again.”

“Y-Yoongi–”

“I fucked up. I should have gone after you that day.”

You feel your nose start to sting so you swallow thickly and grip your steering wheel tightly. Yes, you wished that he had called you or stopped you from leaving. But after enough time had past, you just thought that whatever he believed then was stronger than how he felt for you. Thinking about it more, you didn’t reach out to call him either to talk things through. At the end of the day, you just thought that it wasn’t meant to be.

“We weren’t good for each other then.”

“Because it wasn’t the right time for us then. We both had shit to work though–I know I did. And I realized that I’d rather do this with you than anybody else.”

You inhale sharply, trying to choke back the tears while hanging onto your last shred of self-preservation. “You hurt me,” you barely whisper.

At this point, he crouches by the driver-side door. “I know. And I’m truly sorry for what I did. I can’t change my actions or my words from that day and that’s something that I’ll never live down. But I promise to make it up to you this time…if you’ll let me.”

You rubbed your eyes in annoyance. You were incredibly frustrated with him and frustrated at the thought that was another man who was excitedly awaiting your arrival at a restaurant a few miles away. You even jokingly imposed a stupid 5-date rule before sleeping with him, but he respected your decision and you liked that about him.

Tonight was the fifth date. The night he was expected to seal the deal with you–and yet, here you were with your ex, seemingly at a stand-off.

You look straight into his eyes. “I don’t think it’s fair that you would back me into a corner like this. That’s just not–”

“I’m…I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to lose my chance again. For the longest time, I kept telling myself that if the opportunity presented itself, I would take it. And tonight…I…I just didn’t expect tonight to happen. And I know that you have plans but…I just knew that if I let this moment pass again, then I’m no better for it.”

You pursed your lips, unsure of what to say to him even though a thousand thoughts were running through your head.

“What do you want me to do? What are you asking from me?” It was all you could manage to cobble up. You were a mixture of confusion and irritation. You just wanted him to be straight with you.

“I want another chance. I want to give us another shot because…I still love you.”

At that point, his admission pushes your tears off the brim.

“Please don’t cry. I don’t mean to make you sad. I just wanted to tell you the truth. I’ve been miserable without you.”

You waited so long to hear him say those words. For a while, you agonized at the thought, wondering if he actually ever loved you. If you were even someone worth choosing.

“Why tell me now after all this time has passed?”

“I couldn’t love you as the old me then. The old me who let you down and made half-ass promises. I had to get myself together.”

“Oh, so now you’re ready?” You ask sarcastically, swiping at your cheeks.

He stares at you earnestly. “Yes,” he says firmly. “It took me some time to realize that I was being stubborn. I thought that I didn’t need to change anything because I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. And it took me that whole time to really get what you were trying to say to me….what you asked me to do for you.”

You let out a chuckle. “I’ve had plenty of time to think about that, too and realized that I was being unreasonable back then.”

“Maybe. But…the more I thought about it, I realized that you were asking me for assurance and I refused give it to you…when I really should have.”

“Look, I shouldn’t have questioned the way you ran your business,” you demurred. “I crossed a line—“

“But that wasn’t it, though,” He insists. “In reality, there was no other logical reason as to why I kept a longstanding contract with Jiwon. I was trying to torture myself because I believed that I could totally look past that history and keep it strictly professional.”

Years ago, you would have pointed and laughed at him, and done a victory lap on your vindication.

“I was completely delusional back then and I needed time to figure the rest of my shit out.”

“And have you?” You ask him.

“Yeah, I have…and I found out that I still very much have trouble letting go of the past,” he concluded wryly.

You both chuckle at his honesty. Minutes ago, you had your hand on the ignition, ready to leave him…again. 

“Yoongi…”

“I know, I know…I have the worst timing,” he says ironically.

It was the understatement of the century. When you walked out of your door earlier tonight, you had no idea that you’d run into Yoongi, much less receive a proposition from him.

You couldn’t argue against the fact that he hurt you badly last time. You wanted him to go after you when you walked out on him…But just the same, you had to work through your own issues, too. The time apart was necessary to do some growing.

Truth be told, you were perfectly fine at the start of the evening. You were having fun, taking trips down memory lane.

But there was always something about him. Something that no amount of time or distance would fully make you understand the hold that he had on you.

You had moved on from past lovers without incident. But you fell for Yoongi so deeply in the shortest amount of time. When it all ended, you wondered every now and then, whether the untapped potential of your relationship was what made that ache linger…or perhaps it was just him.

The tension is broken when your phone rings again. You glance at the screen and it was what-his-face’s name flashing.

You look up at Yoongi, whose face falters slightly but he relaxed his shoulders and stood up from his crouched position. He still bends down a little, leaning on the window frame.

“I know you have somewhere to be so…I guess I’ll just leave it at that. You can call me…or whatever. I just didn’t want to let this moment pass without getting that off my chest.”

You sighed heavily at the option he’s left you with. You glance at the missed call notification that flashed on your screen.

“Please get home safely, okay?” He taps his palm on the roof of your car softly and with a soft nod, he begins to walk back to the venue.

You were torn–torn by the sound of the unheard message alert that sat in your voice mailbox and Yoongi’s fading footfalls.

But deep down, you already knew what you wanted. Your mind and heart had already decided for you the second that you saw him from across the room this evening.

Now, all you had to do was propel your body to physically execute that decision.

You swipe at your phone screen to make the notification disappear then push your car door open.

“Yoongi, wait!”#

◤Part 1 | Main Fic Masterlist

You've reached the end, thank you for reading! If you loved it and/or curious to learn more, please comment, reblog, or send me feedback! 📩. I love hearing from readers! If you didn't like it so much, I would still like to hear about it💜

Tags: @internetjunkdrawer @itdoesntmatterwhy @yoongukie-ff @deepseavibez @miksancheese @shesoldbutcute @yu-justme @joonschocochip @starbtslove

[softxsuki]

Hello! I have a request for Valentines day letter event! I would like one with Shin ah from Akatsuki no Yona x fem reader. I don't mind about pet names, so it's your choice. We’re in an established relationship for a few years (maybe we lived in the same village, friends since we were teenagers and now we are a couple, reader is in the Yona's team too). I want to see it fluff. You know, Shin ah is soo shy and doesn't know how to impress his feeling to reader with words and he writes her a letter about his true feelings, like everything he can't tell by words. Location: anywhere, somewhen while our adventure. I feel that he will silently give the letter to the reader before splitting into 2 teams. That's everything! I requesting for events for first time, I hope it's fits to the rules, thank you!!

Shin-ah's Love Letter to His Lover

This event is now CLOSED, but you can view the masterlist for the other letters here.

| Pairing: Shin-ah x Fem!Reader| Genre: Fluff| Post-Type: Letter | Word Count: 960 |

Warnings: kissing

Note: Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you enjoy your letter from Shin-ah! This was one of my favorites to write <3

Yona had suggested to the group to split up in the upcoming village so they wouldn’t get too many suspicious glances. There were already enough bold individuals in your group, so low profile clothes and hats to cover their colorful hair was a start to concealing your identities.

You were set to go off with Zeno, Hak, and Yona while Jae-ha, Kija, Yun, and Shin-ah went the other way. You had wanted to be in the same group as your boyfriend, Shin-ah, but when you brought it up, you could see his ears go red behind his mask as he quickly shook his head.

Slightly disappointed, you let it go, but you couldn’t understand why he didn’t want to split up with you in his group, was he upset with you? 

Just as you’re about to head in the direction your  group was set to go in, you feel a tug on your sleeve, and spin around to see Shin-ah. There’s a piece of paper rolled up and tied nicely in his hands which he quickly hands to you. He holds your hand briefly, giving it a squeeze before he runs back to his group. Jae-ha watches him with a teasing smile, smacking him on the back once Shin-ah reaches him, causing the blue-haired man to rush away from him quickly.

You can’t help the fond smile that appears on your lips, turning your attention back to the paper in your hands. Yona tells the group to start walking, which you all do, and you begin to unroll the paper and read its contents as you walk, careful not to trip over anything;

My Star,

Jae-ha told me that today was a day where men and women in his old village would come together and tell each other how much they love one another. Showing extra love, exchanging letters, and buying gifts for the one they love. I wanted to do the same, so here is my letter to start with. I’m not very good with my words, so hopefully I can convey my heart's passion for you in this writing instead.

If I am the moon, then you are my star. My sun, igniting me and giving me the light that I now have. Without you, I’m nothing but a dark mass, void of anything. Invisible to others until your light reaches me once more. My star, you shine brightly always, drawing everyone in and leaving your warmth behind. 

You were my hope back in our old village when I was hidden away. Never allowing me to be on my own and treating me like a human being the entire time when others saw me as nothing but a monster. You encouraged me to finally be free from the shackles I placed on myself and helped me experience true happiness in our new group. I don’t know how or why you decided to be my other half, but it is something I will always be grateful for. 

I know I’m not good at saying these things to you. I still can’t find my voice or courage to use it as much as I’d like. One day, I’d like to say all these beautiful things to your face as you hear me say them. I promise I will, just give me more time to find my courage. 

My star, I love you and I thank you for loving me back. I’m sorry for declining your request to split up together…I guess I’m a little embarrassed about giving this to you, but I hope you like it. Thank you for existing and being my light.

Love,

Your Moon.

You can’t control the silent tears that flow from your eyes, landing on the paper in your hands as you read over his words, two then three and four more times. No one had ever done something so romantic before. You didn’t even know he had these beautiful words about you in his heart, but you were beyond happy to read them. Perhaps the quiet ones really are secretly the most passionate. 

You tuck the note safety into your bag that was slung around you, wiping the stray tears from your eyes as you smile to yourself. You couldn’t wait to meet back up with your group so you could show your lover some of your own love for him.

You all safely make it through the village, stopping at some stalls for food or other resources that we needed to continue our journey. Yun was probably stopping in the other group to get medical supplies and other necessities he’d need as well. It didn’t take too long before you met up at your designated location, waiting for the other group to arrive.

And that’s when you see him. A sliver of blue hair beyond the trees with the rest of his group, walking towards you. You can’t help the explosion of emotions inside you, as you run the rest of the way towards him, straight into his arms, making him lose his balance for a moment before he holds you, steadying himself.

You grin from ear to ear, leaning in to press a kiss to his exposed lips,

“Your letter was beautiful, Shin-ah,” you whisper against his lips, you feel his arms tighten around you as you speak. “Thank you. I love you so much”

You see a hint of pink reach his cheeks as he lets you go and digs around in the pocket inside the cloak he was wearing to disguise himself, pulling out some flowers.

“I found them on our walk here,” he says softly, handing them to you. “I love you, too”

Your shy lover was not only sweet, but incredibly thoughtful and 1000000% yours.

Posted: 2/24/2024

[kolachess]

Star Struck - Explaining the conflict and cultural nuance

Those of you who have seen the Korean BL, Star Struck, probably thought it was a(nother) mediocre school BL. In a year with more and more BLs from South Korea (yay!), it might have been an easy pass.

BUT, if you’re like me, you will have really, really appreciated the refreshingly realistic taste of a friends-to-lovers dynamic, complete with a conflict that is not just over one-sided or mutual dislike of each other for once! (Which is not to say I didn’t love the BLs that had that... they’re all great. But I do think expanding scope is always admirable!)

I realized that part of the reason why what seemed to me a rather thoughtfully constructed set of characters and plot development comes across as plain boring to many others might partially be a cultural nuance issue.

So, here’s my attempt to bridge that gap and give it a little more credit than it got (at least, so far). Of course, that’s not to say I think this drama is perfect... I do think a lot of pacing / editing could have done with some improvement. And at the end of the day... it is a coming of age sort of school drama, so it’s not going to be crazy complex. And I’m also writing this after episode 4, so there will be spoilers through episode 4. 

Disclaimer: I am not Korean, nor did I grow up in South Korea, so I definitely do not have complete authority on this subject matter. However, I feel like a lot of what was happening in Star Struck might have been... unfairly overlooked or otherwise not understood by audiences who are less familiar with Eastern Asian cultural values, so as a Chinese American, I wanted to do my best to add a bit of perspective.

So. What is the root of SHJ (Seo Hanjoo) and JYJ (Jo Yoojae)’s conflict?

Certainly, SHJ’s (seemingly) one-sided crush on JYJ and JYJ’s reactive jealousy is a large part of it, but the other big part is a newfound wealth gap and how that translates into what esteem they hold each other in.

From the get-go, we can tell SHJ is very (self-)conscious about money. He knows how hard his mom has to work, and he feels guilty and early on already tries to justify to himself (and others) that some costs, like the cram school he saved up to attend, are not worth it. He’s too prideful to honestly mention his money troubles to anyone.

Although SHJ doesn’t know JYJ’s rich yet in this scene, JYJ’s financial circumstances still was better off than SHJ’s. But he’s clearly uncomfortable with the idea of his best friend paying for him like that. And here’s where I’ll do some cultural breakdown.

In East Asian culture, the collective identity comes first, and the individual comes second. Meaning, people take more pride in what school they graduated from, what company they work for, what their family background is, more so than people in many other cultures. I’m not talking school pride like, ‘I’m proud to be a <insert school mascot>!’ kind of spirit. I mean that everyone in your life, in society, will measure your worth first and foremost (and often only) by the primary institution or family background you came out of. And with SHJ’s sort of background - poor, single-mother - that’s a big stigma. He’s still a rational human being though, so at least he doesn’t blame his poor mother for their circumstance (which some kids do, given all the pressure of society). But that all said, this clearly weighs on him - how his lack of money reflects on him. And if money is viewed at all similarly to how it’s viewed in China... it’s basically a measure of your capabilities and standing in society. The inability to be generous with your money is ‘losing face’ i.e. embarrassing. And so... yeah. It’s a lot of ‘dings’ in SHJ’s social profile. The kid is understandably a bit self-conscious, though he clearly tries to not let it get to him.

Fast forward to when he finds out JYJ is now ‘rich’... Obviously, he’s upset at not being told because they’re supposed to be close friends. However, he’s clearly super self-conscious about being seen as someone who’s that sensitive about money. Notice how he hasn’t actually commented / asked about JYJ ‘moving out’. (Note: I wasn’t 100% sure if this carried the implication that JYJ might be moving away, but the text message made it sound like that? Correct me if I’m wrong.) He immediately assumes JYJ didn’t tell him because he’s pitying him or otherwise worried about how he’d react because of how it involves money. And he hates that. (Which... he’s not totally wrong about. JYJ might not pity him like how SHJ is thinking, but he definitely worries a bit about how SHJ will perceive things, and it becomes this death spiral of misread intentions.)

And of course JYJ starts to comment on SHJ’s family, which just confirms all of JYJ’s worst fears. He suddenly ‘realizes’ that his best friend who he has a crush on actually walks on eggshells around him because of his money situation, which is a blow to his self-esteem, because what does that mean? That there’s a meaningful gap now in their social status and JYJ looks down on him and just never said? That JYJ sees SHJ as too delicate to be able to handle this new reality? (His insecurities and perspectives, not necessarily what JYJ thinks, of course.) 

It’s like having a close friend say something that makes you suddenly wonder if they were actually judging you this whole time, and your mind goes into overdrive analyzing every past interaction you’ve had and reading in between the lines to see if you were actually blind all this time. To SHJ, who is already a bit self-conscious about all of this... it’s a major blow. And although he says he’s only ever felt inconvenienced by his poverty... I’d say he’s being a bit dishonest with himself. Again, he’s clearly not the shameful type to blame his poor mother, but he clearly has trouble admitting his circumstances to even his closest friend.

Meanwhile, for JYJ...

...the guy is clearly struggling too. He obviously cares for SHJ and extremely mindful of his money situation, hence previously wanting to just pay for SHJ at the cafe. However, he also doesn’t want to hurt SHJ’s pride even more, so he ultimately still tosses his pair of perfectly good shoes he no longer wants despite wanting to give it to SHJ.

Once SHJ cools down a bit, and JYJ extends the olive branch, they both apologize to each other and come to an understanding. However, as is with a lot of human emotions... getting over it in the moment does not necessarily mean getting over it for good if you haven’t addressed the inner demons that spawned these bad feelings in the first place. And it’s not long before we see another issue pop up.

At this point, SHJ has had to move into the side house (and hides it from JYJ). He finds the Gucci receipt in the pocket of the jacket JYJ lends him, and JYJ immediately tries to wave it off saying it was pretty much something his mom made him buy.

He’s clearly worried about SHJ feeling bad again. He definitely doesn’t seem to care for the materialistic things as much as his parents seem to, and he even seems a bit embarrassed by it. So when SHJ brings up his big new house, he immediately tries to make light of the situation by joking about how indeed, the one good perk is that he can no longer hear his parents fighting. So that’s clearly another thing that weighs on him. SHJ is seemingly rather sensitive to JYJ’s money situation, but JYJ doesn’t really want anything to do with it at all. And the thing he really wishes could be new and shiny - his family’s relationship - is not something their newfound money could buy. In fact, it’s possible he’s even a little envious of JYJ for having such a caring mom.

Later, when he finds out SHJ has moved into the little side house / shack, he’s understandably upset that his best friend had chosen to hide this from him, that he didn’t see JYJ as understanding enough to be honest with him. He obviously also aches for SHJ’s circumstances. 

Gift-giving is a big part of East Asian culture, but there’s casual gifts between friends, and there’s gifts between everyone else. When you’re gifting gifts to someone less close, you definitely don’t want to go for things too cheap, so people tend to skew for expensive and unnecessary things because it’s part of social gestures and having ‘face’. While well-intentioned, sometimes receiving (and continuing to receive) gifts, especially more expensive ones, can make the receiver feel like they have to reciprocate in kind and continue to stand on ceremony or otherwise have this formal distance between the other person. It’s a big game of chicken sometimes, but some people’s ‘face’ won’t allow them to take a more casual, intimate approach first. This is not the main reason why JYJ gets upset of course, but it is an element.

All that compounded - he’s hurting already on SHJ’s behalf, yet his best friend seemingly doesn’t trust him enough and still tries to save face. And what’s worse, SHJ seems to think JYJ is materialistic and chases expensive things, when that couldn’t be farther from the truth - he dgafs about this kind of stuff. So to have his best friend essentially woefully misunderstand his character, continue to hold him at arm’s length / treat him with non-intimate courtesy, make sacrifices that hurt himself to give JYJ something that makes him seem materialistic and puts even more distance between them due to their economic gap... he’s pretty hurt and furious.

Of course, in reality, while SHJ not telling JYJ might be partly due to his pride, the expensive gift was purely because he was crushing hard. And cue the confession tumbling out.

-

So actually, I feel like there was a wonderful build-up of their tension, oriented not entirely on SHJ’s romantic feelings towards JYJ, but a very real issue between two people compounded by the complexity of romantic feelings.

Although I grew up away from the frontline influence of these sort of social gestures and expectations, it was still a big part of my upbringing. And I feel the agonizing indecisiveness over what to say, how to react, etc. You read intention into every gesture and word, because that’s how Asian culture operations.

I was rather surprised to see people comment that this drama was boring, but upon analysis, I did consider that part of it might be because a lot of this tension goes over the audience’s head if you weren’t brought up in that context. What seems like beautifully nuanced dance of well-intentions-turned-sour might come across as a jumbled mess of ‘being upset over unnecessary secrets’. That, coupled with some abrupt scenes that might not be tied in too smoothly, might have led to a lower evaluation.

Or it’s just my bias for a non-romantic-feelings based tension haha.

-

Anyway... curious what others think!

[circulars-reasoning]

PluralKit

Had a few seconds in a discussion today about PluralKit and accessibility. Ironically enough, due to accessibility issues caused by PK, I had to step away from the conversation, and my thoughts have been buzzing. I wanted to get them out here!

This post may be interacted with by any side of syscourse, to any degree. Please enjoy some discussion on the topic!

(And, fair warning - I'm pretty sick at the moment, so I'll be trying my best with words here!)

TL;DR: I don't view PK to be an accessibility tool, as I frankly do not understand how it fits the definition, and I'm a bit concerned by the amount of people requesting it be considered as one. However, I do acknowledge it as a good supplementary aid for communication, which is very different than an accessibility tool. I also think it’s important to acknowledge the very real criticisms of PluralKit, as well as the benefits it can have for systems. At the end of the day, calling it a communication tool literally harms nobody, and the usage of accessibility tool really isn’t needed.

PluralKit as an Accessibility Tool: Yes or No

I do not understand how it fits the definition of an accessibility tool. Accessibility tools, in my eyes, are assistive devices or aids that make a previously inaccessible place accessible, within context of the situation. For instance, screen readers are an accessibility tool; they allow those with the inability to read a screen the ability to do so - they can now access that space.

PluralKit does not do this. It does not add something to Discord that makes something that was once inaccessible, suddenly accessible.

The conversation that prompted this included numerous arguments for why it was an accessibility tool, but none of these actually showed me something being needed.

PluralKit allows for people to change their usernames and profile pictures.

This is not accessibility - it's comfort. I change my name using the nickname feature, and I find that, like anyone else in the world, I don't need an individualized profile picture for every particular state of being I'm in. Numb is just as happy being a yellow triangle PFP as Debbie is - that's just a picture. It doesn't have to represent us. And even if we did have a stronger emotional attachment to our image... It still wouldn't prevent us from accessing the space.

PluralKit helps people track switches, and if you change your nickname, it changes who said what earlier in the conversation.

This is not accessibility - it's growth, healing, and comfort, rolled into one. Being able to see who said what from a specific system is an absolute bonus, for sure - but even for us, a system who has had to work out their own way of tracking switches (hello, tumblr post sign offs), they aren't a requirement for accessing the space. We don't absolutely need to know who said what at any given time in order to be able to speak in a Discord chat. Yes, being able to read back through and know who said something is a big benefit, and could help a system in their growth. I'm not saying PK is bad - I'm just saying it's not an accessibility tool.

PluralKit allows systems who have large fronts, more frequent co-fronting, or regular switches feel like themselves.

Comfort - not accessibility. You can still talk in that server, even without PK. Also, speaking as a user who is at almost al times co-conscious with the others in my system, with such ease of switching right now that we can blur and blend seemingly at random... the nickname feature can be used at any time. If I want to feel distinctly like myself, I change my nickname to my name. Takes less than a minute to change my name in all the servers I'm out in (Currently around 10 servers).

PluralKit allows system members to talk to each other rapidly.

Again - why is PK necessary for this? When this happens to us, we just have the other person write (Like This - signoff) or they just. Say it, without even bothering to sign off. PK isn't necessary, meaning it's a comfort, not an accessibility tool.

And that's the extent I've seen for why it's an accessibility tool. Sadly, I just can't agree. The terminology I would accept far more is a supplementary aid - it's something that can supplement an already existing space, to make it better, but it doesn't provide accessibility.

Jeeze, Circ, Why Are You Being A Words Lawyer About This?

Primarily because "Accessibility Tool" has a lot of connotations. Let me think of an example...

I work in a middle school with numerous students who have individualized education plans, or IEPs. One accommodation (AKA, something that is absolutely required for the student to access the material) I provide is speech-to-text software. This is considered an accessibility tool. It is inherently part of every device students use. If it is not currently able to be used, I in turn must provide alternative accommodations, so the student is able to access the text.

This differs strongly from supplementary aids. An example of this in an IEP would be something like Manipulatives in math. Do you remember ever playing with things like these?

These are Manipulatives. They're in schools to help students have a visual and tactile way to access the material. These are not an accessibility tool, because the student can still access the material without it - they just can occasionally access the material better if they have these aids.

Now, if I do not have manipulatives on hand one day... that's alright! I try my best, and I find other ways to help the student. It's not perfect, but I can still help the student. I go to the parent and say "Just so you know, So and So could not fulfill this supplementary aid today, as I didn't have the materials, so we did X instead." It's a sad time if the student struggled more, but the fact is, the student doesn't need this aid - they just enjoy it more and learn better with it. It is always preferable to have the aid, but sometimes it just cannot happen for various reasons (lack of resources, lack of time, student refusal, etc).

If, however, I do not have speech-to-text accomodations... I cannot teach that student this material that day. I MUST provide that student an alternative - whether it be an accessible version of the assignment, a scribe, or an alternative location where someone can provide the accommodation. They need this to access the materials. If I go to the parent and say "Just so you know, SO and So could not fulfill this accommodation today, as I didn't have the materials," I could easily be sued where I live for not meeting student needs.

So why am I rules lawyering the term so much? Well. If PluralKit is an accessibility tool, then I should not be able to deny people access to it in servers where it's "needed." It would be like denying someone wheelchair access, denying deaf interpreters at a hearing event, denying my students the ability to use crutches when they've broken their feet.

And I'm worried that's where a lot of the "PK is an accessibility tool" talk is trying to lead towards.

How "PK is an Accessibility Tool" Can Be Harmful

Accessibility tools are tools that are required to be there for people to access a space. So what happens when a server can't or shouldn't add PK?

For instance: I am sure there are systems out there with epilepsy, migraines, or similar "flashing-lights-cause-me-problems" kind of things (forgive my wording, the illness is making this part harder). I am one of those systems, actually, and I had to leave a chat about this topic today due to the nausea caused by me accidentally watching chat when 3 systems sent PK messages at the same time. The flash of the double messages triggered the migraine nausea - it had been a particularly bad day at work, with other triggers for my migraines, so this just happened to be bad luck today. I try to be good about not watching the chat like a hawk, particularly in busy chats, but I forgot this time around.

Now, let's imagine this was a server for epilepsy. Should PK be there? Probably not! But if it is an accessibility tool, then it should be there, or else the space is not accessible. There isn't a conflicting need with things like screen readers and wheelchairs - but there is a conflicting need with PK.

By suggesting it's an accessibility tool, it's laying credence to the idea that PK should be required in spaces, regardless of if it actually needs to be there. This is an argument I’ve actually seen a lot - if anyone recalls that movement awhile back for Discord to add “plural functionality to all servers” for “accessibility.” And there's a lot of problems with this that I can see.

Aforementioned conflicting needs (migraines, epilepsy, etc)

The chance for systems to accidentally out themselves via accidental proxies (hello, muscle memory)

Related to above: this could be incredibly dangerous in spaces where it’s not safe to be visibly plural. For instance, my students often form discord servers to talk about school. If PK was an accessibility tool, the need for it would be there, and a student accidentally proxied, that could lead to bullying, outing them to administration (which could get parents involved), and harassment.

The pressure to fit in is strong, and as someone who has been in a system spaces for a bit of time - I always felt pressured to use PK when I started out. It felt like I was faking if I wasn't presenting every aspect of myself at all times, and trying to differentiate myself from the other alters. I had a constant fear of being fakeclaimed for not being "system-y" enough.

Related to above: Now further in our healing, we don't struggle with this nearly as much, but I also have come to realize how much differentiating ourselves came to harm us so much. By focusing so heavily on who was fronting and when, on who we individually were, our own personal identities -- we often let our collective identity fall to the wayside, and ignored the compromises that needed to happen. Our system got so much healthier when we found a balance of individuality and collectiveness, and I fear PK has a tendency to encourage that differentiation to a harmful degree (not inherently, but socially).

This leads to a major "Cancel-Culture" problem for those who do experience issues with PK and cannot have it present; I've been called ableist for less egregious things than "not having a bot in a server." I have seen people say before that it was ableist to not use PK in system servers, disregarding the potential for conflicting needs. If I ran a completely unrelated-to-systemhood server, and someone asked to add PK, I would feel pressured to do so, even when I know it's going to make things much harder for me. (And actually, this isn't a hypothetical! I did do this in a server I helped moderate.)

And this is where we get to the crux of the argument, I think.

Should PK Be In System Servers?

duh

But seriously, it's a great tool for communication purposes, and it helps a lot of systems! I think that a system server should likely use it, particularly when requested.

But it shouldn't be required!

And by using the term "accessibility tool," it comes with the inherent connotation that it is required for the space to be accessible, when it really is not. It's required for some systems to feel comfortable. That's a big difference!

And I really do think comfort is a major factor here, and why a lot of systems try to argue that it IS an accessibility tool - because "Without it in a server, I won't feel comfortable accessing it!)"

Without my noise cancelling headphones, I don't feel comfortable "accessing" stores. It makes me anxious and nervous and I can sometimes melt down or run away when I don't have them. I recently had to run away from ALDI because I didn't have my headphones.

But I could still walk in. I could still be in that space. I could access the store. I even bought groceries that day. Just not comfortably, and not to the fullest extent.

That's all, Folks!

[moondaeznuts]

Debut or Die episode 52 behind the scenes

There's a massive spoilers for manhwa readers (mentioned on the first page) so I'll make the spoilers on page 2 red so you can scroll past it if you like

Soheun Episode 52 Behind the Scenes> Episodes 51 and 52 featured a lot of new characters. Those who have read the novel will find it new, and those who are reading the webtoon for the first time will probably have guessed various things. I received the appearance and information about these friends in advance around the start of webtoon episode 10, but it was left unused for a long time… The character design itself has been decided for a while, but I am finally able to show it to you. I hope you enjoyed watching it.

The first appearance of Chaeyul in the webtoon was Jang Jin’s idea. “Chaeyul is a center member of VTIC, so I think the public over there will mainly recognize VTIC through Chaeyul’s image. How about showing Chaeyul first so that they can see the public’s views over there as well?” There it is. I thought it was really fun and a good idea, so Chaeyul was the first member of VTIC to appear in episode 28. There is a lot of content that could be a big spoiler after this, but there are names and other information that have not yet appeared in the webtoon, so if you don't want to, please skip to the behind-the-scenes page and read it.

2. Below is some of the information about VTIC that I previously received from Deoksu. I'm sharing it with permission :D *

Chaeyul - Depending on the concept, the tribes are already divided into desert foxes and arctic foxes. When the concept was intense, it was given the additional nickname of desert fox, and when it was inactive and its cheeks were slightly puffy, it gave it the additional nickname of arctic fox because it made it look lovely and happy.

Judan - He has a neat appearance, but he has a mole around his mouth like a point. Currently have auburn hair.

Shinoh- The costumes are the most exposed.

Cheongryeo - Bihan, Shinoh, Chaeyul - Judan there is a one year gap between them.

I have to say this now... So, the profile picture of Chaeyulmanul (social media) that appeared in the webtoon was a desert fox.

I've also written about other behind-the-scenes details, but I've tried to keep them short to avoid spoilers and not spoil the experience.

The next episode is with the Azusa contestants again. I look forward to! XD

After Chaeyul's first appearance, Cheongnyeo with completely contrasting color and temperature appeared, showing the charm of the group called VTIC, and further showing that the real power is the leader, Cheongyreo. These days, individual fandoms are becoming stronger among idols, and the method of creating unity through members rather than world views seems a bit classic. However, VTIC is a group with experience, so I wanted to create the dignity that comes out of this classical music.

I'm going to upload the cuts I liked from here....

After passing the big mountain casting call, there are still bigger mountains left… Azusa is also in its final stages…! I'll do my best to work on it. Please be careful of catching a cold this cold winter and I hope everyone stays healthy.

This one explains which VTIC member is who

[graveyard-party666]

Blood & Wine

Perfect image

I've been working on this chapter for quite some time and it still came out mediocre.

I might change a few things later.

Also, now I'm introducing you to a new character. :3

Working with the person you deeply admire is probably everyone's dream. Or at least almost everyone's. Red got the opportunity to work with the person she admired, thanks to Kate Laswell. That woman had her own ways that people probably shouldn't question for their own sake.

Psychologist didn't know how to react to the fact that now she'll be working with her criminology professor, who kindly agreed on helping his ex-student to do the profile of a dangerous terrorist and his associates.

That one professor in his forties who she always had a soft spot for. The one who liked his coffee black, who's smile made wrinkles around his eyes when he smiled and who's French accent was really nice to listen to. Yeah... Red definitely had a thing for accents... Especially for a certain Mancunian accent if she's being completely honest.

Abel Benar was amazing at his job. There was no one better than him, probably. Yet... Red was scared to work with him. She knew she created an image of a perfect man and working with him might shatter that perfect picture.

The fear of working with someone you admire stems from a mix of psychological factors, including imposter syndrome, fear of disappointment, and heightened performance pressure. When you admire someone, you often place them on a pedestal, viewing them as superior or untouchable. This perception can lead to self-doubt and anxiety when faced with the prospect of collaborating or working alongside them.

Imposter syndrome, characterized by feelings of inadequacy despite evident success, can intensify in such situations. We may fear that our abilities will pale in comparison to the admired individual's, leading to a fear of being exposed as fraudulent or incompetent.

Moreover, the fear of disappointing the admired person adds to the pressure. You may worry that you won't meet their expectations or live up to the image you believe they have of you, leading to anxiety and reluctance to engage in collaborative efforts.

Additionally, there's the fear of losing the admiration or respect of the person you admire if you fail to perform at your best. This fear of judgment can hinder the ability to work effectively and confidently, as you may constantly second-guess yourselves and strive for perfection.

The fear of working with someone you admire is a complex interplay of psychological factors, including imposter syndrome, fear of disappointment, and performance pressure. Overcoming this fear requires recognizing our own worth and capabilities, understanding that admiration does not equate to superiority, and embracing the opportunity to learn and grow from the experience.

But did she have a choice? Not really. She just had to accept the fate and use her mantra... 'I LOVE MY JOB!'

13:50

Red knew that if she sits in her office any longer she might be late for the meeting with the team and professor. She could only let out deep sighs once in a while, hoping it might calm her nerves at least a bit.

Loud knock brought her back from her thoughts, making her jump a bit.

"Come in", her voice sounded shaky. She felt even more anxious now that someone is seeking her out.

Soap's bright smile came in before he did, that was the feeling Red had, seeing Scottish soldier in her doorway.

"Bonnie, you might be late if we don't hurry." His voice was lively, joyful even. "Frenchie is already here. Let's go meet your professor. I want to ask him some embarrassing stories about you. Or maybe even ask him your real name."

Red can't help but chuckle, hearing MacTavish's words and seeing the teasing smirk on his handsome face.

"I don't really won't to go. I know him. He knows me. I don't think my presence there is necessary." She feels like a teenage girl right now, being that unreasonable.

"Come on, Red. Are you scared of yer own professor or something? Me and Gaz can give him a talk if that's true. We can ask Ghost too if ye want."

Soap leaned on the doorframe, tilting his head slightly, looking kindly at the girl.

She only chuckled. "No, it's not like that. It just feels awkward. He is that famous professor who's been known for helping to catch many criminals. And I'm his ex-student."

"Awkward? Oh, lassy. You're just as cool as that professor of yours. If not cooler."

MacTavish who slowly came closer to her while speaking, is now reached down to take her hand, pulling her up from the chair.

"Let's go meet up with yer Mylène Farmer"

"She's from Quebec."

"Whatever. Come on"

Red just laughs as she followed Scotsman, feeling much better and more confident.

"Yeah, let's go, braveheart."

14:06

She still felt a bit anxious as they walked through the labyrinthine corridors of the base to the briefing room. Yet, she also felt as if it's time to put aside her doubts and act like a professional that she is. It's time to listen to Soap's supportive words and show everyone that she's not just a pretty face.

Finally both of them reached to the destination. Surprisingly Red didn't even feel that anxious anymore. Weirdly eager. Eager to finish the meeting as soon as possible and relax for a moment.

Soap opened the door in front of the psychologist letting her in first. Red took a step in the room.

Professor was already there, speaking to the Task Force 141 and Laswell in a calm tone. Room's attention was now on late colleagues.

Psychologist greeted Benar with a slight nod, receiving a smile in return.

"Sorry for being late," 'i didn't want to come' - she thinks, "Please, continue."

Woman sat on the chair next to Gaz, looking down at her file as if trying to hide behind it, catching curious looks of the team.

She couldn't help but look up at Ghost who's eyes were looking at her through the eyeholes of the skull mask. His gaze would probably make the biggest, scariest soldiers fold. He nodded at her as if telling her that it's okay. 'Oh, Soap... you are such gossip'. She only once before today mentioned her thoughts about meeting the professor again and Sergeant already told Lieutenant. Snitch.

Red only raised an eyebrow looking at Soap who just innocently shrugged his shoulders as if telling her he had no idea what she thinks about. Cheeky bastard.

"I asked professor Benar to help Red with the psychological profile on Hassan. General Shepherd agreed that it will be a good help to our psychologist. " Laswell said, introducing new addition.

'Oh, Kate, just say it as it is: Shepherd thinks I'm not doing my job good enough.'

"For this mission Red will be assisted by professor Abel Benar"

'Oh, sweet, sweet, Kate. Wants me to feel in charge. Not me assisting him, but him assisting me. Good psychological trick though, i give you that.' Red shook her head.

The meeting soon ended. She heard nothing new. 'Hassan bad. Terrorism bad. Abel Benar good.'

But at least she didn't feel anxious anymore. Tired? Yes. Anxious. Not really.

But to be honest, tiredness and anxiousness is her constant state, something even pills can't cure. Maybe it's just her personality traits.

She stood up, picking her files. Men started leaving the room and Gaz, who was sitting beside her, just gave her a slight pat on the back, smiling gently before following his teammates. Red followed everyone out of the room, but right before she could reach the door Laswell, who was taking to both Price and Benar, called her. Well... guess Red just needed to face whatever Kate brings her way. And her professor too. And his kind eyes too. And his fluffy hair... too.

"Red, I'll ask you to show Professor his office for now. He will be your neighbor for now. The door next to you is office too, so please show where it is." Price spoke in a hushed tone. Red stands close enough to smell the cigar that he probably had smoked before the meeting. Weirdly enough the smell was great. Inviting, masculine. Yes, Soap was right, Price did have a smoking problem.

Kate only gave a nod, looking down at her watch, noticing the time. "I'll be leaving."

Woman leaves quickly, followed by Captain Price, who only winked at confused psychologist, leaving Red and Professor Benar standing in the briefing room.

"So... You go by Red now?" The man asked after a short pause, looking at the readhead.

Trying to explain why she uses the nickname is annoying. Now she understands why her colleagues don't talk much about the origin of their aliases. Completely understandable.

"For safety purposes. I'd ask you to not mention my name, professor. At all. My anonymity is what might keep me and my family safe."

Red's tone was completely serious, stoic. She probably took that from Ghost. His behavior was definitely leaving it's influence on her.

"I understand," he nodded slightly, smiling, "Red it is. And please, just Abel. We are colleagues after all."

His french accent sounded nice. Friendly.

"Abel it is."

14:30

Red spent some time showing professor his new working place. She had a feeling as if universe was just making fun of her. Readhead just wanted to go sit in her office, silently starting into the wall.

Which she was doing now as professor left to get a cup of coffee.

There is nothing she haven't seen or heard before. So how this man, her ex-professor is any different from men she's working with? They are now equals.

She sat in her office chair, swinging her high-heeled leg slightly. The sound of the message coming in on her phone brings her back from her thoughts. Soap asking if she will be down for lunch because apparently everyone is curious about that professor. And apparently Ghost is more grumpy than usual. Funny. Red thought it all was too funny.

Tag list: @cloudofbutterflies92 @chloekistune @justasmolbard

[shenniere]

5, 8, and 12 with cilan :3?

Ohh you're making it unreasonably hard for this one .. Cilan is so much further beyond his canon self to me now. you know this

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

So this one is kind of tricky to answer since I don't have a very creative musical profile for characters, nor do I think of them as one specific song, but one that I think relates to Cilan a lot is "Squaring Up" by Sir Chloe. The line, "Don't want to waste my time on a feeling, but you're not listening" in particular can really speak about him a lot. Viewing that lyric or that thought process through his perspective is very interesting and can offer some insight into how he views relationships with other people and/or what he could get out of it

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Hmm. What is something the fandom does that I despise.

Something I've noticed is that people like to make Cilan both very mature while also being intimate with people seen as more developmentally immature than him. Notably in fanfics with female characters, like Iris and Burgundy, the fandom seems to treat him like a father figure and the emotional rock the character needs while also being close in the way a friend or partner (respectively) would be. This isn't to say more mature characters cannot be friends with those less mature than them, but there's little to no real distinction on what his role in the character's and his dynamic in the relationship is, and the misunderstanding comes off as him just being creepy.

I think parts of the fandom view his role in the show as a well-educated "caretaker" of Ash and Iris and see his wit with others to mean he's above them in age or maturity. To them, he is then coded as much older and therefore boundaries should be put in place on how he interacts with people who are not similar to him in that sense. Yet, those same corners of the fandom still decide to put him on the same level like he isn't being imagined or written as an adult (or at least a much older individual) and it reads as very.. odd, to me.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I have so many. Lmao. But one that I've discussed rather recently is Cilan being mixed between Unovan and Johtoian. I think it's intriguing how out of all the locations to compete in fishing contests, he chose to go to the one in Johto. I can't see there being a shortage of contests to compete in, so the idea that he's fond of visiting specifically that region because he's from there is very interesting! There's some kind of connection to that region that the writers wanted to include, even if they didn't mean it in this way exactly, and seeing it through this lens puts a different spin on it than just chalking it up to zero significance.

[navy-leader]

Hot take but I’m hoping PRAYING even that Victim stays a villian through and through this season, I’m even leaning towards Dark staying evil as well though I can still see him having some sort of redemption, that redemption being just cutting ties with everyone and becoming his own person since his entire existence revolves around Chosen, but then again he literally wanted to commit mass genocide just because so probably not, but Victim, no he’s to far gone In my opinion, I love you Alan but Kings redemption was absolute rush trash, NOT EVERY VILLAIN NEEDS A REDEMPTION sometimes people are just bad people and you can’t really do much about It, Victim so far Is a good example, I want him to go down fighting and screaming till the very end the little bastard, and dragging the hero’s down with him If he must, like I’m so tired of this “Everyone can change” mindset Alan has going for the series thus, sure It can work BUT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.

I LOVE YOUR THOUGHTS.

TBH I HOPE VICTIM STAYS A VILLAIN ALSO. Like yes i feel itd be cruel to make the character whos whole gimmick is Being Dead to simply Die at the end of this but ill be honest it feels... Fitting. That route might send the wrong message but its allll in the execution. Will say that Victim's demeanor likely stems from a place of deep hurt hence the vendetta against Alan, like the guy created him JUST to torment and play with him like a Toy, not to mention THE NAME. Thats gotta do some damage. And SO FAR, we have only seen it hurt sticks (directly or indirectly) that are connected to Alan and those who are in the way of his mission. Not to mention the organization he's made seems to actually make products that are beneficial to stick society? From the TVs we saw in AVM30, the vehicles, and the sale rates we saw in the end scene of the recent episode. Whatever his intentions are for the rest of stick society are Unsure, but he is still benefitting them some way.

But other than that SO TRUE SO TRUE IM PRAYING THAT HE GOES DOWN SCREAMING AND FIGHTING TOO 🙏🙏🙏

On Dark, so true so true youre so right. I always thought of Dark and Chosen's relationship to be one thats unhealthily codependent, to me theyre all they had for those 8 years and never really interacted with the world theyve found themselves in (likely to keep a low profile). And the best way for their characters to develop imo is to seperate them for an extended period of time, so they can explore the world Individually, find things out about the world, how they view it, and find new things about themselves. But ofc the situation Now is very uhhh BAD (for Chosen) and unsure (for Dark).... so we'll just see i spose...

[ticklystuff]

Profile Tag Game~

Hello - Why, hello there! I apologize for the disturbance; my fanbase (@lovelynim, @ticklygiggles, @xsezzie, @keru0, @mythiczer0) can be quite noisy at times. Hopefully playing this little game can quell their enthusiasm for the time being.

Chat: Tickling - Don’t.

Chat: Health - Eat well, sleep well, poop well~ Three easy steps to bettering one’s health! You only have one body; it’s important to take care of it.

When It Rains - Perfect timing! I’ve been blessed with the minor inconvenience needed to cancel today’s obligations~

When It Snows - Yes, I’m perfectly fine wearing shorts in the snow. No, I’m not cold. Please stop staring at my legs..

When the Sun is Out - Ugh, too bright..

Good Morning - … … ………

Good Afternoon - Mind keeping it down? My nap time requires absolute silence.

Good Evening - Ah, I’m just going for one of my nighttime strolls. … Err, I suppose you can tag along, but I really prefer my alone time… Just keep talking to a minimum, okay?

Good Night - Hm? Can’t sleep? Well, I have the perfect advice for you, ehehe. Wanna sleep like the dead? Try a shot before bed! Cheers!~

About Me: Color - The term “colorblind” is a misleading one, as it perpetuates the belief that individuals, such as myself, possess the inability to see color, but that is simply not true. Instead, I often mistake certain colors for others. Red and green are the usual cases, but blue and purple are tricky for me to differentiate as well. Most people view this as a disadvantage, but personally, I disagree. Being colorblind just means that all stoplights are green to me, ehe~

Something to Share: Jobs - If you had all the money, time, and skills in the world, but still needed to work, which career would you choose? This is a question I often enjoy asking people because not only are the answers creative, but they can really give you insight into the person that’s answering. As for myself, I’d personally enjoy being a judge for a cooking show. I’d get to enjoy so many tasty foods, without having to actually be the center of attention. Also, people would have to serve me under my scrutiny, ohohoho~ Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Anyway, since I’ve shared mine, it’s only fair you share yours, no?

My Hobbies - Sleeping is great because I don’t have to talk to anyone while unconscious, mhm~

My Troubles - Ah, I’m sorry, but I can’t hang out today. I already visited another friend last week and I’m still burnt out.. We’ll see how I’m feeling in the next week or two, yeah?

Favorite Food - Rice due to its unmatched versatility. It can be enjoyed as a side dish, a main dish, a dessert, even a beverage, and can be presented in many flavors. Tofu, likewise, is of similar caliber.

Least Favorite Food - I’m not a picky person and enjoy most foods. However, my intolerance to lactose does create some…. potential problems when consuming dairy products. This does not stop me from enjoying them, though, as these issues are for future me to address.

About @fuwahua - Not only is she a fellow ChiLi enthusiast, but a fantastic writer as well! I was so happy when she agreed to doing a collab with me and I can only hope we find another chance in the future~

About @otomiyaa - I still remember reading her fics all the way back in 2016 and, despite not being familiar with most of the fandoms, I still enjoyed them all the same. Oh, and we can’t forget to thank her for all fun games she’s created, including this one!

Birthday - Happy birthday! Your present this year is a shopping trip on my dime~ I know, I know, so generous! … Wait, what do you mean “no thank you”? Ugh, accepting the offer won’t make you greedy or selfish, if that’s what you’re afraid of. Likewise, turning it down doesn’t make you any more humble and if anything, I personally think it’s quite foolish. Now, come on and get dressed; a long day of food and gifts await you!

—

thanks for reading lol that was fun~ most of my mutuals have already been tagged or did the game so my victim list will be @fuwahua @ppystkposts @skayleay but feel free to say i tagged you if you feel like playing!

[naiamaree]

Im very grateful to see the art that you share ,i think you talked about making a neocities i honestly think thats the ideal option at this point,there doesnt seem to be a way to not be negatively affected when posting art on socialmedia.....

Thank you for talking about art and sharing what you make its impactful and feels like a reminder to me i am really happy to see it...... I don't know if you have a neocities blog or not right now but if you do i would love to see it..

Have a lovely day regardless take care Stay safe 💗🌱☀️

A little about this while I feel like writing something. Many alt web people probably know about Yesterweb closing recently and on Sadness' main website in her new manifesto she makes a very good point: because of its social features (followers and following back, which is prominently displayed on profile + view counter which is shoved in your face even on dashboard screen); neocities is pretty much social media too. now luckily anyone with basic css knowledge can either find or make a user end script to hide all of that shit (in fact mothershipreconnection made one that i will link to this post later in a reblog); but it should still be considered about what kind of thinking is going into the ethics behind something like neocities with those types of features. is it an improvement over other options? yes. do I think it is a definitive answer to the crisis artists and creatives are currently facing in net space? no. and unfortunately im not the person with a magic answer. in fact before January this yr i couldnt code even the simplest webpage. but if i have gotten anything out of my LEARNING to code (i have gotten many things from it actually) it would be the awareness that anyone can make progress into new creative/ethics territory w their art just by thinking on these issues and having a basic application skillset its tricky because i dont necessarily think gemini protocol is the right answer either. its easy in theory to say that tearing down the framework and making a new one is the most direct solution but realistically outside of country-locked net space we are probably on THIS web for the foreseeable future. the other thing that stood out to me from the yesterweb debacle however was the concept that people operating under a directive are always going to be more effective at creating counterculture then people who see movements as badges of honor or something. i think that progress against the current dilution and domination of the web + creatives can be counteracted but it will take individual organization and action and small but concrete ethos/pathos.. if anyone has more thoughts on this please submit them via an ask id love to talk about it but i dont check tags or notifs i only check the asks

[djuvlipen]

Hi @wild-wombytch💞, I am replying to this post here because I did not want to derail the OP as what I am going to talk about doesn't have much to do with the census.

The reason I am replying is because I have very often seen people choosing Romani people to represent a group that could be considered either PoC or white depending on someone's point of view, alongside Jewish people. This surprises me as Roma and Jews are absolutely different groups. Jews are an ethnoreligion, Roma are a South Asian diaspora, and the challenges we are facing today are very different from the challenges Jewish people are facing.

The vast majority of Roma don't look white, they have brown skin. Those who don't usually are mixed with white. When Roma do a DNA test, we typically get a fairly even split between South Asia, West Asia and Europe. In the Balkans (where a considerable % of the romani population live) South Asian DNA can go up to 60%. That’s significantly not white.

It is true that some Romani communities are light-skinned. The British Romanichals usually are light-skinned and many of them are white-passing. The same holds true for Scandinavian Roma. Even in my group (the Sinti), it’s not unusual to have light-skinned, very pale Roma. Among my relatives, some of them are clearly brown, but some are white-passing. In some places of Eastern Europe, there are Romani groups who have a pale skin too, because of sexual abuse during slavery, which lasted 500 years. Quoting The Pariah Syndrom here: “The offspring from these unwelcome sexual unions automatically became slaves. It was this exploitation, as Colson noted, which was largely responsible for the fact that many Gypsies are now fair-skinned; Cohn (1973:63) estimates the mean percentage of white genetic mixture as 60 percent.”

The thing is that all the groups I have listed (the Romanichal, the Scandinavian Roma, some individual Sinti and Eastern European Roma) make up a minority of that worldwide population. For 15 million Roma on Earth, there are 225.000 Romanichal, 75.000 Norwegian and Swedish Roma, and 17.500 Finnish Roma. If we are to count the Sinti (once again, most are unambiguously brown even if it’s not that uncommon for us to look white), we’d add 200.000 more people. That’s a total of 517.500 (estimate) white-passing Roma, for a global population of 15 million. Why should we take this tiny percentage of white passing Romani people to invalidate the fact that the overwhelming majority of Roma are brown?

Being brown has always been relevant when talking about anti-Roma racism. Ian Hancock has shown that Romani people being of a darker skin than Europeans helped Eastern Europeans enslave us; dark skin meant “Gypsy” and spotting someone with dark skin helped you recognize who was a slave and who wasn’t, making it harder for Roma to escape slavery. During World War II, the Nazis on the Eastern front used to arrest and shoot anyone with dark skin because that’s how they’d recognize “Gypsies” (source: Anton Weiss-Wendt's 'The Nazi Genocide of the Roma'). Once, they arrested all the darkskin people at a market in the North of France because darkskin meant “Gypsy” (source: Germaine Tillion's Ravensbrück). Still today Romani people having a dark skin is used to racially profile us, leading to police brutality, and to bar us from accessing healthcare, employment and housing.

And the same treatment is given to the Roma who live in the USA: in the US, police departments have developed units dedicating to fighting 'Gypsy' crimes and that consists in racially profiling Roma.

As Ian Hancock wrote in The Pariah Syndrome, American Roma first arrived in the US as slaves; they were recognized by Europeans as Romani for their skin colour. Recognizing the importance skin colour played in the designation of Roma as scapegoats, slaves and 'internal enemies' by white Europeans is vital to understand anti-Romani bigotry as a form of racism that has remained unchallenged for centuries and that remains the most widespread form of racism in Europe today. I am adding some examples of past and present racism against Roma below,

[ambyandony]

Cloud Nine Contrails: Main Protagonist; Limbo Adkins

Context for Cloud Nine Contrails

Limbo Adkins

(リンボ・アドキンス Rinbo Adokinsu) ✈ 17 years old ☮ female, she/her ☮ ~ 160.02 cm (5'3") ☮ Metro Popper ✈

Modified transcription of above profile:

Could be a distant relative of the Joestars, but there's really no evidence to suggest it, so who knows? She's never been shown with the star birthmark, but she's never been shown without it, either.

Though her father is Japanese and her mother an Englishwoman, Limbo was technically born American, even if she doesn't consider herself as one. Due to her parentage and upbringing, she speaks Japanese and English as a native bilingual.

Similarly to her brother, Limbo's Stand potential and face birthmark were apparently inherited maternally; their father is the only non-Stand User in the immediate family although he's well aware of what Stands are.

Her parents are separated; she lives in Detroit with her Standless father while her older brother and mother live somewhere in Europe, supposedly Eastern France, near the Italian border.

A rising indie musician, but works under a pseudonym online and only ever performs behind the anonymity of a full-face mask, so nobody really knows it's her.

Diagnosed with and medicated for ADHD-C. Has undiagnosed anxiety. Goes to therapy but what the fuck am I supposed to tell my therapist about stand-related issues??? Fuckin'... guess I'll take it to the grave!

Vastly knowledgeable about aviation and aerodynamics. Has a long-standing hyperfixation on aircraft.

Never wanted to end up in a gang, but it's not like she can just leave…

Still in high school. It's hard juggling crime, classwork and Stand conflict, even harder when you're trying to keep your dad out of it.

Limbo lives with her now-single father Tategoto and their puppy Kumori. Her mother, Aurelie-Adele, and her brother, Josh, live in Europe.

Coloured and uncoloured full body references, back and front; profile and 3/4ths view headshots!

Abbreviated personality description from my wiki page for her:

"Limbo is a typically soft-spoken and well-meaning individual. She has a gentle demeanour but chaotic sense of humour ... typically abstract ... [and] borderline Dadaistic. ... [When] put under large amounts of stress, she tries to twist the situation into some form of comedy.

She's incredibly insecure, but rarely speaks about it ... [A] large part [of her insecurity] can be attributed to ... rejection-sensitive dysphoria. ...

She is incredibly modest and polite, sometimes to a fault. ... She is overly apologetic ... be the wrongdoing minor or major, real or perceived, or not her fault at all ... [as] a result of her anxiety ...

She generally likes her privacy ... [to] the point of [wearing a] mask ... to keep her "work" and "personal life" separate. ... [She] doesn't want to be associated with the Metro Poppers any more than she has to.

Though capable of ... and having enacted it on multiple occasions, she greatly dislikes [violence] ... only [harming] others in retaliation and under extreme distress. She seems ... [like] a pushover and ... [as] she's settled into the position, putting her foot down isn't an easy task ...".

why yes, i did just discover the joy of ... and [ ] in quotations!

Design notes for Limbo to help me stay on model! dont mind the gap at the bottom i overestimated how much blank space i needed and also I ran out of things to write. same applies to all of these pictures

「Cloud Nine」

Cloud Nine - Stand of Limbo Adkins

Modified transcription of above profile:

Cloud Nine's ability is to detect, disrupt and disconnect signals. A signal can be defined as an intangible and invisible connection (generally) between two or more things. Cloud Nine's ability applies to anything that is considered a signal or can be defined as a signal by that criteria, be it mechanical, organic, or anything else. It takes the form of a small plane, reminiscent of a drone in size, resembling a commercial jet liner with a few minor elements of a fighter jet. It's not combat oriented, nor is it really suitable for combat, as it's not armed with much beyond a single rotary turret hidden by the central landing gear, which can only wound superficially. It cannot--or at least generally does not--create new signals other than communication signals by radio wave.

Power - C

Speed - S

Potential - A

Range - A

Durability - D

Precision - C

not that stand stats mean anything-

Modified transcript:

Cloud Nine combines elements of a fighter jet and a commercial jet liner. Specifically, the Airbus A320 and the F-18 Super Hornet.

Cloud Nine is similar in concept to Aerosmith, it is a small, roughly toy-sized plane. Beyond that, there are few similarities.

It's a jet, so it uses turbines to fly, meaning propellers would be obsolete and, given its sleeker design, would only get in the way of any artillery. However, it's very lacking in armaments, possessing only one small rotary turret underneath it by the landing gear. Because of this lack of firepower, it possesses a set of propellers to function specifically as a weapon, doing more significant damage than the turrets can.

It does not appear to have propellers, because the propellers typically retract into the nose, and only emerge when they're needed as a weapon.

...It does disrupt its ability to fly if any "viscera" gets caught in its blades, however, so there's a good chance it needs to be cleaned off sometimes. It's a bit gross.

There's a little shadow visible through either windscreen, and it does seem to move sometimes, but it's not clear if this is just a visual effect or an actual entity.

It has two cockpits, one as intended for commercial aircraft and the other as intended for military aircraft. It also features a false canopy on the bottom, which only mirrors the upper cockpit.

For reference, Cloud Nine is a bit smaller than Aerosmith, up to around half of Aerosmith's size, but it may just look that way largely because it's a lot sleeker.

It has antennae-like protrusions underwing on the ends of both wings. These have an indicator light attached to the tips. The antennae are by default retracted and unlit, but when its ability is in use, the antennae extend and the lights switch on. The lights display green when detecting or restoring signals, and red when disrupting or disconnecting them.

Cloud Nine has a headset. Whenever the Stand is summoned, this headset typically appears already over Limbo's ears, or around her neck. It's a fair-quality over-ear aviation headset with good noise reduction as well as a movable boom mic, facilitating two-way communication. When giving orders to her Stand, Limbo speaks to it through the mic.

Interestingly, Cloud Nine actually shows a degree of sentience and is also capable of actually speaking, which is pretty rare for Stands (presumably all Stands can telepathically communicate (or facilitate their Users to do so) but only a few are able to speak non-telepathically, like Spice Girl, Sex Pistols, and Whitesnake); however, it can only speak through the headset. Anyone who can put the headset on can hear and communicate with the Stand, not just Limbo.

It's very rude, though, especially to Limbo herself, and it always sounds like it's yelling. The starts and ends of transmissions are usually marked by a sound like a walkie-talkie.

It relays signal information to Limbo through the headset as dynamic auditory indicators and coordinate info, which Limbo is able to visualise as a sort of "radar grid" to easily determine where and what signals are. It's an effective system Limbo has acclimated to and mastered over time. So, to anyone else, the report is nigh indecipherable.

Another defence mechanism is the ability to spread thick clouds from its contrails, creating areas of low visibility and dense air that's hard to breathe. How it pulls this off isn't made explicitly clear, but in theory, it manipulates some kind of chemical-environmental signals that are meant to dissipate clouds as would normally happen, causing the vapour to condense. Limbo jokingly refers to it as 'making a cloud nine'.