#PHYSICAL FENCES

[fencedits]

[dieinct]

those like white republican woman security theatre tiktoks also get me bc like you can see their houses and. lock that front door all you want but it is NOT going to keep out a determined someone with an axe or perhaps a man door hand hook.

[darkwood-sleddog]

yeah sorry neighbors your dog does absolutely *not* stay behind his invisible "fence" and absolutely does *not* listen to you.

[pangyham]

been thinking about the liyue gang and how id draw their physical builds so here are some thoughts i had for xy cy and gm in particular

- xingqiu, unsurprisingly, would be quite lanky. i like to think he has broad-ish shoulders, like a thin athlete's build? hes a long boy to me haha, long face, neck, limbs, fingers etc, so naturally hes stands (comparatively) tall at 5'6" or 5'7"

i like to think hes most physically attractive one and has that handsome princely and boyish charm to him because it adds a lot to his fuckass duality LOL

- chongyun is a lot like xiao imo! short stature but with muscular arms. he seems nimble and flexible because of his normal attack animations (which bears a lot of similarities to xiao's actually! this + the fact that chongyun's normal attacks create gusts of wind further reinforces my hc that xiao trains him). sometimes i watch high energy choreography vids on youtube and some dancers look incredibly light on their feet, almost like their body is inherently bouncy? and i imagine chongyun to have that agility to him. chongyun has a delicate face and aura and i let that bleed into my hcs for his fighting style and physical capabilities hahaha. hes kind of like a cat who's deceptively strong. as for height.. just a few inches taller than xiao, so perceptibly short at 5'4"

- ga ming my new beloved. pretty much similar to chongyun but more muscular and stronger just because he wields his claymore with ease. theres a noticeable weight different between cy and his claymore the way he lugs it up after he swings (or even other claymore users like razor who, on his last hit, bounces from impact). meanwhile ga ming literally slams his to the ground LOL. i love his movements though hes very swift and expressive and radiant.. if cy has delicate movements then ga ming's is fierce and (charmingly!) assertive

ga ming is wonderfully charismatic though, i know hes not well known in liyue harbor yet, but he seems like the type to gain a reputation from his friendliness. how could no one adore him hahaha. 5'5" for height! just between xy and xq

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

I was sitting and thinking and in my immediate thought was “water damage to fabric” because my thoughts bounce around like ping-pong balls in a hectic game of 16 player free-for-all table tennis.

Anyways the thought I’m trying to say is: in my mind bc you said the rest of the gang will eventually wake up later (sans Frank who woke up first), I imagine bc of Poppy’s size it would be hard for her to have a fully secure area.

TLDR: The end thought is “what if Poppy’s feathers on her tail and head (the big ruff I mean) are shorter in this au bc of water damage?”

OHHHH CHOICE CHOICE CHOICE i am thinking Very hard about this! because although she's stored with everyone (read: crammed in w/ everyone) in the Large Dry Closet eventually, who's to say that she wasn't exposed to leaks? or accidentally dropped in a puddle or two and then Not Dried Correctly? also there are

she could be the one to inadvertently teach Wally that hey. damage exists when water happens. avoid it / treat it correctly or your friends are gonna get even more fucked up. A+++++ suggestion im adding it to the au-canon

[cursed-40k-thoughts]

command me, cursed daddy :3

Daddy needs you to hold a spool of wire and some zip ties while he finishes fixing a fence

[pezfences]

why is it that one reel always has a clip missing? do people just take them? and why do people take clips from other reels instead of just. not using the strip? or even just tell somebody there's a clip missing? what is the reason

[torchickentacos]

Does anyone else truly HATE being excited? I hate waiting for things that I'm looking forward to. Excitement is uncertainty. It's nervousness, it's energy, it's this weird sense of dread for something that I'm REALLY looking forward to. It's suffocating. I hate countdowns to announcements to things that I want to know more about. I would rather just wake up and check my phone and see what it was through a calm outline. It's physically uncomfortable for me to be excited for things. Does anyone else know what I mean???

[goldkirk]

A Christmas-gathering-centered nightmare, a hospital-centered nightmare, and an un-fightable overwhelming fatigue despite being in imminent danger nightmare all in one night. Time to watch documentaries and give myself exactly one (1) task for the day (laundry) because it’s gonna take like 10 hours to feel like a person again

[ofwanderersin-thefourthdimension]

Finished watching 'The Meddling Monk' and in conclusion—

They have ONE session on physical defence at the Academy and in that session they teach only ONE move: how to whack someone soundly over the head (preferably with a stick).

(The Doctor and the Monk are SOOO silly together help. Also they have weirdly similar speech patterns so. Chewing on that a bit.)

[vampire-red]

I'm objectum but only posic for stuffed animals and the like, and bc im posic abt stuffed animals im not able to, so to speak, be objectum for them, is that weird?

[finn-m-corvex]

The FAFSA has been delayed to the 31st of December and I think it might be quicker to overcome my misery by just bursting into flames.

And the due date hasn't been extended by the colleges so guess whose spending his birthday doing tax forms and hoping to God the IRS doesn't incarcerate me.

[puntointerrogativo]

Following the Budapest Athletic Championships and right now there’s the Javelin on -somehow I always forget that, before getting serious about swimming, that’s what my mother used to do despite being even more pocket sized than me. And a bit of diving because why not? Throwing yourself off a 10m high platform sounds like fun!

[splintersfeelings]

Fighting is pretty gay (endearing)

The funniest thing is getting punched in the face Like dark humor or slapstick comedy Witty banter back and forth, riposting Content back and forth

Who are you? When you get punched in the face Is who you really are, what are you like When all those other parts of you are stripped away And your skeleton smiles at the sack of bones across from you?

Two nervous systems Neurons firing and exchanging signals Blinking like galaxies In a universe that briefly, is just a little less empty

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Secrets of the Shadows Pt 2 (Wolf Link Reveal Fic)

Summary: When Link goes missing shortly after his adventure, Rusl is worried. Preparing to leave and search for him, he stumbles onto a wolf. This has to be a sign of trouble, right? Rusl thinks it is, and the swordsman attempts to eliminate the threat... and then realizes that there is far, far more to this beast than he thought possible.

(Click here to read on AO3)

<<Part 1 // Part 3>>

Part 2

Rusl didn’t sleep a wink. Link was nestled comfortably between his arm and his chest, finally resting. Rusl spent the hours praying over and over, fluctuating between different prayers that he’d memorized as a child and his own desperate petitions to the goddesses. Link occasionally grimaced in his sleep, but the pain of his wound was never enough to wake him after the initial time, and that was enough of a miracle for Rusl to bring him some relief.

As the nighttime crickets grew silent, a soft drizzle pitter pattered on the roof. Hana decided this was a good enough time to wake up, and she began to cry. Rusl debated getting up to check on his daughter, but he didn’t dare disturb Link, and Uli awoke quickly. He watched her rub her face tiredly, having been asleep for maybe a few hours, and he felt guilt twist his heart and stomach. His wife looked at Link first, examining his state, before she silently slid out of bed to check on their newborn, carrying her out of the room. Link stirred marginally from the noise, which was simultaneously reassuring and concerning.

Was he sleeping through the cries simply due to exhaustion from everything, or had his body lost too much blood? Would he survive the trip to Kakariko?

Rusl trembled a little at the thought and refused to acknowledge that as a possibility. Of course he would survive the trip. There was no other option.

Speaking of which, the sun had to be rising soon, so he needed to leave. If he waited until the rest of the village awoke, it would be chaotic.

Especially with Colin.

Goddesses. How was he going to explain this to anybody, let alone his little boy? Colin and Link were practically attached at the hip most days, though the recent events had changed the dynamic of their relationship.

The rest of Rusl’s thoughts were pushed aside as Uli reentered, their daughter at her breast. She watched Rusl intently, and he knew there was no avoiding the interrogation now.

“How is he?” she asked softly.

Rusl glanced at Link once more, taking in the sight of his eldest resting comfortably. “I think he’s alright for now.”

Uli took a slow, measured breath, and Rusl didn’t dare look her in the eye. “Rusl… what happened last night?”

Rusl swallowed. Where was he even supposed to begin?

“I…” he tried hesitantly. He was suddenly energized and anxious, and he shifted to sit up, jostling Link. The teenager whimpered softly in his sleep, and both parents froze. When Link’s furrowed brow relaxed, so did his parents, and Rusl sighed heavily, resigned to being trapped on the bed temporarily. “I was… I was getting ready to find him. Like we discussed.”

Uli waited patiently as Rusl struggled to find the words, struggled to wrestle with his emotions on the matter. It was far too soon, but he owed his wife an explanation given everything that had happened.

“Instead I… found a wolf…” Rusl continued, feeling his throat tighten.

Uli gasped. “Like when the children were first taken?”

Rusl blinked. Considered that night a few months ago. Remembered his thought process from last night before he’d landed the blow. Blinked again.

Goddesses. Was it…?

He felt cold, drenched in the icy realization that yes, that probably had been Link back then, too. Why else would a wolf just wander into town? A black wolf with markings on its forehead, so distinct from the few grey and brown counterparts Rusl had seen anywhere remotely close to Faron Woods.

He pulled Link more tightly to his side while simultaneously wanting to scream and keep the boy away from him for Link’s own sake.

“Uli…” he whispered, horrified.

No, no, no, he’d done it twice, he’d hurt his boy more than once goddesses what had he done—

It was no wonder Link was scared of him at this point.

“Rusl, what happened to the wolf?” Uli pressed, resting Hana against her shoulder and patting her back.

Rusl felt his throat close with the overwhelming dismay and dread and anguish that filled him. He barely remembered that night so long ago, he’d been so injured and out of sorts himself, but he distinctly remembered swinging his torch and sword at a wolf, its ears peeled back and its tail between its legs.

Just like last night.

“I didn’t know, I didn’t know,” Rusl nearly whimpered, not sure who he was trying to convince. He pulled Link closer, his heart racing.

Uli clearly didn’t entirely understand what was going on, but she could interpret his reaction well enough, and her expression grew disturbed. “Rusl…”

“The wolf—he—Link—” Rusl spluttered, practically hyperventilating at this point. Link shifted, moaning, and it cut through Rusl’s panic like a knife. He moved to readjust the boy, his hands trembling as he did so.

“Did the wolf hurt Link?” Uli asked, though her tone implied that she was beginning to wonder if Rusl was responsible for the injury. She had grown three shades paler in the dull lamplight.

Finally, Rusl spat it out. “The wolf was Link.”

Uli stared at him. Then the words processed, probably being spun around in her mind multiple times. Her jaw shifted as she tasted them in her mouth, working through what he’d just said. “Honey, that doesn’t make any sense.”

“How much of my journeys have made sense?” Rusl fired back, almost hysterical, though he kept his voice low so as not to disturb their children. “What part of any of the most recent journey has made sense? Dark beasts? Dark magic? A shadow king usurping the queen, an ancient evil being resurrected, Link bearing a sword of legend—since when has any of it made sense, Uli?”

“But how—?”

“I don’t know,” Rusl shook his head desperately, tears stinging his eyes as he shot up into a seated position, filled with terrified energy. Link hissed, curling in against Rusl’s side, distracting him.

Uli, however, was focused solely on her husband. Her face grew steadily more horrified as she finally put all the pieces together.

“Oh spirits,” she muttered, eyes wide.

Rusl shivered, pulling Link onto his lap in an effort to ease him back to sleep as the teenager grimaced in pain. He hadn’t meat to jostle him so much, but by the goddesses he was—he couldn’t—

Uli’s hand was firm, squeezing his shoulder and dragging his attention to her. She was crying now, petrified. “Are you sure?”

Rusl looked down, unable to meet her gaze. “I saw him… transform. From wolf to Hylian. He… I…”

Uli practically collapsed onto the bed, dragging him (and therefore Link as well) into a hug. She was trembling almost as much as he was. Link squirmed between them, moaning uncomfortably, his cheek pressed against his sister tucked in Uli’s arm. Uli pulled away after a few moments to rest her forehead against Rusl’s, her eyes on Link between them. She ran a hand through the teenager’s hair, tears falling silently down her face. Then she looked firmly into Rusl’s eyes, and he almost had to avert his gaze.

“You didn’t know,” she said quietly, sympathy and sorrow radiating off her. Her voice was steady, bearing that silent strength that she always had despite the circumstances. His wife could weather any storm, no matter how much it made her heart break, and he loved her dearly for it.

Rusl choked up, swallowing hard and hiding his face in his boy’s hair. The statement was freeing in a way, but at the same time it still didn’t fix the current predicament.

And he still felt like hell for what had happened.

But her words gave him motivation enough to move. He had to help Link. He stood, bringing Link with him in his arms, still completely unwilling to let go of the boy. Uli watched him worriedly, their daughter cooing against her shoulder.

“I have to take him to Kakariko,” Rusl said. “Please… don’t tell anyone until we get back.”

Uli held his gaze for what seemed an eternity, understanding and pain swirling in her eyes, before she stepped towards her husband and planted a soft, loving kiss on his lips. The couple rested their foreheads on each other, eyes closed, drawing strength from each other, before Uli pulled away and placed Hana back in her crib.

“I’ll talk to the mayor and get you a wagon,” Uli said quietly, anxiously wringing her hands. “You get Link ready.”

Rusl nodded as he watched his wife leave the room quickly, and then he was left alone with the children. Sighing, he glanced down at Link, his mind planning for the trip ahead, giving him something to focus on aside from his worry and guilt. Hana made a distressed noise from her cradle, and Rusl glanced between the two before walking to his daughter.

“Don’t worry, little one,” he said softly, shifting Link so the majority of his weight was distributed to one side. It gave Rusl enough ability to briefly reach into the cradle and caress his sweet daughter’s cheek and comfort her. “Your brother will be better soon.”

Link groaned, uncomfortable in the awkward one-armed hold due to his size, and Rusl quickly slid him back into a gentle carry in both his arms. He swayed in place briefly, trying to get his thoughts together and falling into a familiar comforting gesture that had always worked to settle all of his kids.

I’ll need a change of clothes for both of us, and whatever food I can bring. Broth, maybe? I can get him to drink broth. We’re out of milk. Blankets, we’ll need blankets and pillows for the wagon. I’ll need my bow and arrows for any dangers. His dressings—

Spirits above, his dressings.

Rusl turned and settled Link on the bed long enough to pull his shirt up and check the bandages. They were still clean. Thank the goddesses.

By this point, he was growing worried for another reason. With all the movement and pain, Link should have woken up by now. Rusl had to check that he was alright, at least once, before they left Ordon.

Tapping lightly on his boy’s cheek, Rusl whispered, “Link. Wake up, son.”

Link squeezed his eyes shut more tightly, turning his head away from the touch. Rusl was tempted to persist, but that was honestly enough of a reaction to satisfy him for now. Link at least had some semblance of awareness to his surroundings.

Rusl honestly wanted to pick the boy back up immediately just to be sure he was safe, but he couldn’t carry Link around the house and pack at the same time, so he reluctantly left the boy on the bed while he began to gather supplies. When he had finished his task, he quickly returned to the bedroom to find Link’s eyes open and gazing around in a daze. He dropped his bag of belongings in a heartbeat and rushed to his boy’s side. “Link?”

Goddesses, he looked so pale. Link’s gaze settled distractedly on Rusl for a moment, and he furrowed his brow as if he were going to say something before his eyes looked elsewhere. Rusl followed his gaze to see if there was something concerning, but he was just staring at the wall. Link wasn’t lucid.

That wasn’t good.

Rusl brushed a hand over the boy’s forehead, then his cheeks. He didn’t feel particularly warm. No fever, then. It was likely just blood loss and exhaustion, but the swordsman couldn’t be sure.

They had to leave.

He heard footsteps in the doorway, and Uli miraculously was there right when he needed her. Goddesses he loved that woman.

“The wagon’s ready, and Epona’s waiting.” Uli reported softly as she walked up to the bed to look at Link. She noticed his gaze, and she approached him from the other side, sitting on the bed beside him and brushing a hand against his cheek. Uli dipped down and kissed his temple as Rusl grabbed the supplies he’d packed and headed for the door, knowing his wife would keep Link safe while he set everything up.

Rusl hastily tossed multiple blankets and pillows in the wagon to make a comfortable bed for Link, and then he stuffed the rest of the belongings in the corner, tying them down so they wouldn’t get jostled. Epona nickered nervously, clearly picking up on his anxious energy, and he took a calming breath, slinging the bow and quiver of arrows over his shoulder. He prayed he wouldn’t need them, but it was never a completely uneventful journey across Hyrule Field.

Reentering their abode, he found Uli gently carding a hand through Link’s hair as his head rested on her lap. She whispered softly to him, smiling gently, her features sharpened by an edge of worry.

“Has he said anything?” Rusl asked.

Uli looked up at him, her eyes sorrowful. She shook her head. Rusl tried not to let it overwhelm him. He had to stay focused. Approaching the pair, he slid his arms under the boy and picked him back up. Link’s eyes hovered on Uli for a moment longer before he closed them, exhaling a little sharply as the movement pulled at his wound. Uli rose as well, pulling the two into a tight hug and whispering into Rusl’s ear, “Please, be safe.”

Uli picked up Hana and followed Rusl outside into the dark pre-dawn air. The drizzling from earlier had thankfully stopped. He gently laid Link in the pile of pillows and blankets and swaddled him tightly in them, knowing the boy had to stay warm. When he made his way towards the front of the wagon to sit behind Epona, Uli stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.

“You didn’t know,” she said quietly with the same gentle but firm certainty as before. Rusl bit his tongue, his entire body trembling at the words, at the reminder, at the emotions fighting just below the surface. He dipped in for a quick kiss with her and then wordlessly climbed onto the front of the wagon. Uli headed back to the entrance to their house and watched him depart from there. He gave a small nod, and she nodded back.

Epona whinnied impatiently, and Rusl urged her forward. Ordon, Uli, Hana, and that damned spring were quickly left behind, and Rusl grabbed his bow, ready for danger as soon as they exited the woods.

Surprisingly, the journey wasn’t as eventful as he’d feared it might be. The occasional bokoblin appeared over a hill or around a tree, and Rusl’s sharp aim and quick reaction eliminated them before they ever even drew near enough to be a threat.

Epona guided them into Kakariko Village by midday, and Rusl immediately made his way to Renado. His worried expression and hasty Link’s hurt, I need help was all the explanation the healer needed.

When Rusl moved into the wagon to take Link into the healer’s home, he found the boy wiggling in the blankets, clearly trying to either get comfortable or get out of the bundle entirely. His eyes immediately locked on to Rusl when he got closer, and a light sheen of sweat glimmered on his forehead. His gaze, however, was sharp and clear. He was wide awake now.

Rusl swallowed, suddenly lost for words.

Link’s breath quickened and he squirmed even more, and Rusl found himself moving. He stopped short of putting a hand on the boy, guilty and petrified and disgusted with himself all at the same time. The gesture made Link shrivel further into the blankets, and Rusl wished with all his might that he himself had been the one nearly struck down, that he himself was in pain and Link never would have to worry about being afraid of his own family ever again.

“Rusl?” Renado called from juts outside. “Do you need help getting him inside? I can have someone bring a stretcher.”

It was honestly tempting, leaving it to someone else to handle carrying Link, to handle looking him in the eye and explaining what was happening. But Rusl was not someone to cower behind excuses, and his boy needed help now.

“I’ve got him,” he said softly, not really caring if Renado heard. The Ordonian swordsman bent forward, trying to ignore Link’s flinch as he wrapped him in his arms. He whispered, “It’s okay, Link. We’re in Kakariko. You’re going to get help here.”

Link remained silent but didn’t fight as he was carried into the healer’s home. His eyes were downcast, looking down Rusl’s neck and onto his tunic and lap. He never met anyone’s gaze as Renado guided Rusl to a bed. The healer grabbed supplies and brought them over with a small table. Rusl sat down on the bed beside Link, letting his leg serve as a pillow for the boy as the healer stood over him. Wordlessly, the swordsman pulled Link’s shirt up to show the bandages. Then he explained, “It’s bad, Renado. I did what I could, but he needs more than what I can provide.”

Renado nodded. “I’ll have to see what I’m working with, but a potion should be able to help. What happened?”

Rusl’s gut twisted as he helped Renado pull Link’s shirt up a bit more to fully expose the area. “Sword got him.”

Just spitting out those words nearly made him vomit, and his world spun a little. He blinked rapidly, trying to reorient from the dizziness. Movement caught his attention, and he looked down to see Renado removing the outer bandage from the wound.

All that was left was the packed gauze.

Which was going to be the most painful part.

Renado bent over carefully, tenderly picking at the tip of the gauze to start pulling it. Link hissed immediately, his legs kicking up and his feet planting on the mattress to push himself away. Rusl quickly took his hands, and despite how he didn’t deserve to be the one reassuring the boy, he whispered, “It’s okay, Link, he’s going to take it out so we can give you a potion. Just hold my hands, you can squeeze as tight as you want, okay? Don’t move. It’s going to be over soon, you’re going to be okay.”

Link obediently took his hands, much to Rusl’s surprise and relief, and the teenager tried to prepare himself as Renado continued. He stared at the ceiling, eyebrows scrunched together in fear. For a little while Link only winced or twitched, but as the healer progressed deeper into the wound, Link started to gasp and whimper, squeezing his eyes closed. His hands immediately clamped down on Rusl, who huffed a bit in surprise.

“Shit,” the swordsman cursed softly. Renado glanced up at him and he shook his head, gritting his teeth. “It’s fine. My boy’s got a strong grip.”

Renado gave a small smile. “That’s a good sign.”

Rusl knew that, and he was thanking the goddesses in his mind over and over, but that didn’t detract from the fact that it hurt. His boy had strength to break bones, and Rusl was certain he himself was going to need a potion so his hands wouldn’t be deformed when this was over.

Not that he deserved that kindness.

Pushing that thought aside, Rusl focused on the moment. Renado had returned to removing the packed gauze, and Link wasn’t appreciating it. Tears started to leak out of his eyes as some of the gauze clung to jagged, sticky tissue, and he whimpered. Rusl bent over, pulling Link’s hands to his chest, his heart breaking at the sight of his boy suffering and trying so hard to stay still. He rubbed his thumbs over the back of Link’s hands, massaging them as best he could in the boy’s iron grip. “Deep breaths, Link. You’re doing great. He’s almost done.”

Renado moved swiftly, pulling the last of the gauze out. Rusl glanced up enough to see the wound and felt a little nauseous. It didn’t look as messy as last night, but seeing it in the daylight with all its depth and varying kinds of tissue exposed to the air made him nearly pass out. He’d seen grizzly wounds before, but it was entirely different when it was on someone he loved so dearly.

And it was his damn fault in the first place.

Renado tossed the gauze in a bin and held a bottle with a familiar red liquid in it. Rusl hesitated for a moment, knowing that Link would have to be sitting up for this, knowing that his now exposed wound was going to twist and bleed and burn and scream when he moved him. Taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth, the swordsman pulled Link up to sit on his lap, and the boy’s head lolled on his shoulder as his back was up against Rusl’s chest. The teenager’s entire body convulsed and he cried out before slumping weakly against Rusl, gasping for air.

Rusl fought back the tears that threatened to escape.

With Link’s torso sufficiently propped up, Renado held out the potion. Link’s eyes were unfocused, though, and Rusl gave him a gentle nudge. “Link. Link, son, take the potion.”

His boy glanced around in a stupor, panting and clearly exhausted from everything he’d endured. Eventually his eyes settled on the bottle and his left hand shakily rose, making it about halfway before it started to slip back down. He was trying so damn hard despite the agony he was probably in, but it was clear he wasn’t going to be able to do it.

Rusl leaned forward, bringing Link with him, and he took the bottle instead. “Here, I’ve got it.”

Bringing the bottle to the boy’s lips, Rusl said gently, “Drink up, Link.”

Link obeyed, cautiously swallowing the red liquid, growing steadily more somnolent. Eager to ensure he drank the whole potion before he fell asleep, Rusl tipped the bottle back a bit more, his heart racing. He didn’t want his boy to be in any more pain. Link tried to keep up with the pace, but he coughed a little, and Renado reached forward to pull the bottle back a bit.

“Easy, Rusl,” Renado advised with a sympathetic smile. “I know you want him to feel better, but he has to be able to drink it.”

“Sorry,” Rusl apologized softly, trying to calm down. “We’ll go slowly, Link.”

This time, Link had gotten enough potion in his system to shakily grasp the bottle alongside Rusl’s steady grip, bringing the swordsman immense relief. It was amazing what potions could do. Link’s hands trembled too much to hold it by himself, but he was at least trying to guide it in so he wouldn’t choke on it. It felt like an eternity, but soon enough the teenager had finished the contents, and Renado took the bottle away as Link leaned heavily on Rusl, sighing. He turned his head to the right so he could better see the healer.

“Thanks,” Link mumbled, trying to give a smile. Ruls’ heart sang at hearing the boy’s voice, consoled at the thought that he was actually doing better.

Then Link tipped his head up to Rusl, and the swordsman felt his heart clench. Dread and worry filled him, not knowing what sort of reaction he was going to get. Link’s small, weak smile that he had directed at the healer grew a little, his face warming. “Thanks, Pa.”

That… that had not been the reaction he’d expected. Rusl melted right then and there, tears streaming out of his eyes as his lip wobbled pathetically. Two simple words, spoken softly with all the strength the tired teenager could muster, were enough to reduce the stalwart resistance member to a penitent husk of a man, holding his boy so, so tightly.

Rusl kissed Link’s forehead and buried his face in the boy’s hair, too overwhelmed for words.

He was going to be okay.

[mariocki]

Fat Man on a Beach (HTV, 1974)

"I'm going to read some more poems now. Erm. It may be that if you want to go and have a cup of tea, this would be a good time. I know that's what you masses are like. The mention of poetry and off you go."