#astor hwaoc

[artisticzaati]

Destiny and Fate.

Edit;

This is not ship art. Please stop tagging it as such.

[chromatoghosts]

did that meme trend thing with my blorbos :] except you can't convince me lenore wouldn't be 100% ready and willing to kill someone if she thought they deserved it lmao

[emo-eyemakeup-evildude]

The first sign of the Calamity’s return came from the little Guardian.

Chapter 24 of Long Road To Ruin is now up, and with this update the fic enters a new era

[sharlmbracta]

astorvember backstory week

i'll probably be able to properly start writing about this (if i ever manage to) after the end of this semester. but the idea itself had been around for quite a while since 2022 or even 2021 i think.

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE THEM," he screamed.

The glow seemed to be coming at him. Glowering.

A strong soul, it hummed. Amusedly.

He only growled. "You will not take them."

It chuckled. A fog seemed to be enclosing around him, it was suffocating. He could barely hear the shallow- even before the fog, already too shallow, she had been so, so strong for him, and now he was losing her he couldn't lose her -breathing of his eldest anymore.

He tightened his grip around her, one arm numb, draped around her shoulder. He felt his vision receding, his breath sweltering, the ragged feeling his youngest had described before he had fallen he should have fled the place with them while he could, he should have sent them away while he could, it was his fault- a screech, sudden, sharp pain in his torso, traveling up to his heart, clamping it tightly.

A strong soul, it echoed, reverberating in his head this time.

He snarled. You will not have it, vile thing, you slaughtered them.

That was not my doing, it laced over, the higher priestess had deemed this area unredeemable, uninhabitable. Declared it to be purged, her well-known prestige allowing it to be carried out. Quite a shame, really, it stroke gently over his heart, I'm only here to pick up from the ashes, of what's worthy to be strengthened, given new power that only the pure and strong can withhold.

He felt himself slump over. He was struggling to keep his senses erect and alarmed, but he was barely able to stay awake anymore. He wasn't sure if it was the plague, the fog, or even the emotional aftermath of sorrow anymore. Still, he kept fighting, he had to. And why should I trust you?

Your children. I can grant them new power as well, new life.

He took a sharp breath. An offer of life, not only of him, but of others, his loved ones, things that were not to be taken lightly. Even yet, he knew better than to trust any god or spirit, after everything he had witnessed in his life. There was never true compassion, free of charge, in this world, he had learnt it all by the hard way. There was always a catch. And the cost?

It grinned in the darkness. You will serve me for the rest of your life.

He snapped awake then. A brainless slave, he bit out. how unoriginal. What about the children? Will you resurrect them and enslave them as well, turning them into mindless pawns of your own? They do not need their bodies to be tainted just to be mere vessels for your bidding, they have suffered enough.

As do you, it cooed. You are failing to realize, that my offer is not a ravagement, it is a gift, a reward for your valiance. You have proven yourself worthy, to serve as my hand, to carry out justice on such transgressions like these. Balance will finally be restored, by your hand. The world will hide from its lies, no longer.

He felt something trickle into his heart. It was burning, but it was only half unpleasant. He felt like boiling over and rage again, this time externally, to everyone who had hurt the children, the horrors they had to endure, while everyone else with the power had turned a blind eye to them, all of them. He flew up, suddenly coming alive, feeling every part in his body and his blood in it, more vigilant and awake than he had ever struggled before. The liquid rage, now being felt in his veins, he wanted to lash out to everyone who had been involved in all the offence, and willful ignorance. The suppressed rage, growing out, coming back to him now, all at once. The sudden power being injected to him seemed to be feeding on his anger and grief, amplifying them more. He could do it, take the offer, and act out revenge- justice. He would serve out justice. He could do it now.

But.

"You failed to answer my question," he snapped, "What about the children?"

Ever so perceptive, it mused, with that unruly tongue of yours. He was about to snark back when he suddenly felt his entire body his blood freezing over, before being lurched forwards it was like his insides were being melted his blood being let go again, he toppled over and vomited.

You ought to behave, voice like knives grazed internally over him, I am not a benevolent god.

"Why not just kill me now and get it over with, god," he spat, "so I can fight you both in the afterlife sooner."

It slammed him to the ground. Mortal. Silly, silly mortal. Articulating into his skull to the ground with every syllable. You. Cannot. Defy. Me.

"I can certainly fight to try," he gasped out.

And your children will be left to forever rot for your insolence, it growled. You may be foolishly brave, perhaps even more than the arrogant King himself, but that does not mean I could swipe you and all of your children out of existence and throw you all in eternal poison while keeping all your minds to last forever, spiraling wild towards the endless loop of insanity.

It paused to marvel at its work of blood, and its success of undoing now prevalent in his eyes. There was still defiance, but now there was a hint of what wasn't there before. Fear. It would serve you well, the voice climbing up into his throat, Do not interrupt me again. Do not make me repeat myself again. I am not a benevolent god. However, the stars have aligned tonight, a natural blood moon, and I am willing to grant you mercy.

Nipping on the edges of his heart. Your children will be let go. Their souls will be intact, while having more vigor than all of you have ever imagined. They would be blessed by my touch, even stronger in the repeating nights of today. They would be safe from, and even thrive in the forces that the tainted ones call "threats."

"And what of me?" He managed to voice out. "Will my mind be ripped away by you? How would I possibly know if you actually would carry out your part of the deal if I'm not there to witness and prove it? How would I know you wouldn't just devour me at the end of the contract?"

You will still have your mind as well, it lingered, as a guarantee. You will be free to choose your most intimate actions, under my eye, but the children will be away from my eye, they would not be chained. All of you, my power granted within the dark, you will thrive. Without my dark, you will be rendered vulnerable in the light. That is the major catch, but it is my nature, and it secures a promise. I will not be able to locate them, but I will be able to sense them, as the essences are of parts of my own. You, will carry on my dark to the light, place the crumbs and sparking stones in the corners of the lightest places, by the usefulness of your physical form, a vessel of the light, while having this contract of duty you hold as my hand.

He let himself relax then, the safety of his children accepted into term. It then slid up to his chin, caressing it. Do you now concur to the contract, the union?

He took a deep breath, and firmed himself. "I do."

Very well. The process will begin.

Excruciating heat exploded from his chin where it was caressing it, spreading first to his brain to numb it, though he doubted it was working, as he only felt an absolute level of burning, as it trickled down his throat and cascaded into his organs, not even able to register his own bloodcurdling screams. There was no space left within him to think, only the white-hot pain filling him to the brim.

A voice, now much deeper than before, vibrated within his entire body, coursing through him like he was a woodwind.

You're taking this very well. Most others would have physically and irreversibly shattered by now. Just a little longer now, keep holding yourself up, and your promise will be fulfilled.

The burning current injected into his body continued to run their individual courses, back and forth, until they settled on the top of his forehead, forming a pus, then an opening, the force being exerted, while the stream settled to a simple oscillation, as if in tandem, they were singing a lullaby. His breathing calmed, it felt like he was breathing underwater, his nerves and mind detached from his body, all already sunk under the motionless layers and layers of tar, but he calmed, nevertheless, like one does when falling near and into the absolute death.

There was a still, he was solid, rooted, numb, unexisting, silence felt than he had ever before.

Then, he was ignite, a burst of flame from his heart and forehead, and he was shot back upwards, beneath the ground, he broke the surface gasping for air as he woke.

You have proven yourself by surviving.

He felt sore all over, but he felt more vigorous than ever before, as if he had been injected a tremendous amount of intravenous fluids.

He felt a warm liquid dripping on his nose, under his eye, down his cheekbones. His forehead felt weirdly cold and empty, but there was something else that stung beneath his hair that he couldn't make out of. As soon as his vision cleared, he stumbled to the children, where they stirred. If they had gone through the same level of pain as well...

Do not fret, they have mercifully been spared, exempt from the test you endured. Your subconscious, while on your metamorphosis, had pulled away the recline of them, from them, into you.

Fell to his knees. He was exhausted, but the renewed warmth in his bloodstream kept him awake, feeling each pump and cycle of his circulation. He looked to his hands, wobbling. His brain felt like it was twitching, in and out, threatening him to snap him out like an overworked power cord any second. All the sheer power would take some time getting used to. He sighed. What have he gotten himself into? This time, there was no getting out of.

The children began to stir from their slumber. A smile grew on his lips. There hadn't been a back-out option after he first decided to take them in, either, he had made himself sure of it. He had promised himself to never abandon them, and do whatever it takes to protect them.

His eldest was the first to break the surface, stabilizing herself, checking each of her senses, before sitting up. She was always determined to be ready, to protect whenever he couldn't, the most vigilant. He was so proud of her, even though he was sad, the guilt always in his chest, because she had been made to take charge at such a young age, and he couldn't do better to fix that.

"Dad!"

In his distortion, he failed to see her coming, and she crashed into him. Her eyes wide, as she knew he had always been keen on the slightest motion. She grabbed both of his hands and looked straight into his eyes, breaking his haze, pull the focus into your eyes when the other is wandering lost, he had taught her, and it had saved her, more than once, to take back her brothers and sisters. She had no idea it would ever occur that she had to use it on him, who had never lost his firmness, even when pushed over, falling down, the determination, which she swore to herself to learn and follow it through, the strength of she now called her father.

She shook herself. No. She would prove her worth, which was her form of gratitude, even when time and time again he had told her that it's okay, which she never understood and always insisted. She felt that more than ever now, especially after she had almost been lost, awoken by her sheer devotion to her family, just for her to wake up to him losing himself. No. She would not lose her family, she would not lose her true father. She would not fail again. She would prove herself to him, and make it right.

"Are you alright?!"

He could feel her, the panic, the resolve, the deeply rooted pain and sorrow he knew she couldn't even properly recognize because she was just so young to be able to process it. He knew, in her age, all the internal turmoil, when it cumulates and breaks, it would all turn towards her for her to blame herself, when it never, ever wasn't.

Emotions lurched up in his throat as he met her gaze. He was going to speak out, in conviction, that it's not your fault- when he found that his vocal cords were locked. Thinking that it was because of the lump in his throat, he took a deep breath and tried again. Locked. In fact, he couldn't move his lips either when he tried to speak to her, her gaze boring into him, her expression turning into one of the uneasy apprehension- eyes nervously darting around acutely noticing his one turning to a grimace -that he haven't seen from her quite a while.

There was a deeply rooted chuckle.

Have I mentioned that you have proven yourself untrustful?

It was his own voice, he realized, as his face turned ashen of dread. No. He couldn't have said that to her. He didn't even feel his lips, nor his throat move, yet the voice had adorned itself from within his body.

Oh, dear. Forgotten about me already?

For a brief moment of his grief, elation, adrenaline, the recede of it, and his dizziness, he had. Unknowingly, his face had contorted into one of shock, anger, and disgust, while he was still unable to tear away from the gaze of the child, her own expression turning into the one he wished he wished to never bloom upon her face his daughter's face again-

Your collateral. As I have granted to you a guarantee, you will yield to me a collateral. Your ability to flit and flick about on your dancing tongue of a show have proven to be too risky to let slide off when it is absolutely necessary for me to keep holding you in check.

-Fear.

He closed his eyes. He couldn't fight back, he couldn't talk. He couldn't snarl, lest he hurt his daughter even further. He lowered his head.

"Dad...?"

That's better, it hummed. No need to be mournful, though. You will only be locked when you try to speak with them. They are already free; why restrain them with your voice even further? No, I could not overlook the very clear possibility you have shown yourself so adamantly that your voice alone was more than enough to turn them, the gift of my own power, against me.

This was all his fault.

"Are you mad at me...?"

Your strongest, who learnt to inherit your voice, I will take them.

His eyes flew open.

If you still manage to teach it, that is. Fortunately for her, she have not completely fortified herself of you, you had wisely chosen to not completely teach her the skills of your flaunt, so she is incomplete.

"I'm sorry, Dad..."

But she is versatile, volatile; clever, dangerous. I will keep watch on her by the eye I have on you, and any one step out of line, I will take her.

"I apologize, Father."

Not only of her, but of the rest of your children as well. Their senses, liable to forfeit, one by one, by the failure to fulfill your side of the agreement.

"It's- it's my fault."

But I would not be breaking my pact, as they will still be free from my rule. These inconveniences that I have spoken of will be in no need of actual use, if, you choose to behave.

"I should have been stronger, more vigilant, to protect them, all of us, like you have, like you have taught us. I failed- I failed, Father. Again."

He shot up, then crumpled on his knees just as quickly. After the one-sided preachment had finished drilling into him, he was violently let go, thrown onto the ground, all the presence of the fog leaving him, the binds that had tightly clasped him together forcefully falling apart, effectively leaving him a broken mess of thick, hungry-sentient blood, swollen flesh, and a bleeding forehead. His entire body was throbbing, vaguely being recalled of the oscillations that had thrummed so strongly within himself mere moments ago. He shook his head, finally shaking himself back into reality, and pulled her close.

It's not your fault, he wanted to say. It never was, and never will be your fault. But he couldn't, he knew now, he never could anymore, and so he held her tighter, coaxing her sobs into him, eventually his mixing into as well, each note he could never soothe anymore whenever she froze up, numb, only able to cling onto his voice as her guidance back out. I'm so grateful you're alive, the mixture of grief and blood dripping on his fingertips, desperately clutched and stroking on her back in an attempt to assure her, oh how he pleaded to assure her with his own voice one last time, I love you. I love you and that will never change. I will never be angry at you, and I will never, ever hurt you. I am sorry it had turned out this way, I should have been more careful, it is my own fault of carelessness, not yours- never yours. Don't you ever blame yourself again. I love you, and I am so, so proud of you. "I am- so proud of you, my daughter." He choked at then, and the last restraint of him broke. He couldn't anymore, no longer had control of his own self, anymore.

Well. At least it had granted him to get that one out. Vaguely, he could feel it, somewhere within his pulse, laughing, cackling, while it was witnessing him come completely undone in front of his children he had been so strong for. He shook his head. No, he couldn't risk anything more that would cost from his children. He decided to be grateful. He had sworn to protect them, whatever it takes. Even if he couldn't talk to them anymore, even if they would come to hate him for not bothering to explain anything to them anymore. Even if he had to let them go, and realization struck him.

He really did have to let them go, didn't he? They weren't safe here, with him, not anymore. When it was watching them through him, their every move, through the newly-made gape in his forehead. He wouldn't dare think of covering it, not because of the pain, but because of the consequences he- the children- might have. His children weren't safe with him anymore. It pained him, to his core, that the words he had needled into others so long ago were coming back to him, piercing him more than he had ever wished upon the false, ignorant adults. It was almost enough to cause a meltdown on its own, but he stayed put. He didn't want his children- would he be able to call them his own anymore when he finally left them for good like all the others who had hurt them, all the same to them in the end he was just the same, no good, another no good to forget -to remember him as the weak-minded rat who fell apart after a measly plague, abandoning them, too afraid to bear the weight, the responsibility of taking care of them anymore. He couldn't do that to them, and so he only firmed his resolve, held her, weeping out only the waves that he just couldn't hold. He felt the child returning the gesture, the uncertainty clear on her palm on his back, but the gentleness she exerted was correct. He managed a titter, then. She was always a quick learner, this part of her care he would never forget. The opposite, he couldn't bring himself to wish for her. For them.

I will always love you, never forget that. Never forget that you are loved. Even when they eventually grow up forgetting himself.

Unbeknownst to Astor, the younger children were staring at him, witnessing him weep like them, fright and sorrow and confusion in their eyes; but also sheer adoration, because he was with their sister, who never cried as well, but together now, both of them crying, but also smiling, which they couldn't understand, but she was smiling too, so it meant that she understood, right? They could understand their big sister, somehow, even when they didn't.

And they could understand that their dad loved them, somehow, different from the other moms and dads that had left them.

[silverjirachi]

silverjirachi’s Works and WIPs Master Post - 2023

I have a lot in the works and a lot to be completed so I figured I’d put an updated list all in one cohesive place. This will also be available on a page on my blog directly, in case you want to check in.

---

Pokemon Fandom

The Dead Sea Trilogy, @the-dead-sea-trilogy

Pokemon RSE / ORAS

Pairing: Archie & Maxie

Book 1: The Devil and the Dead Sea (complete) - 76,000 words

“So, where would you be, Mr. Sunshine, if the blistering sun dried up the raging sea?"

The first book in my hardenshipping trilogy, The Devil and the Dead Sea, focuses on Maxie's desperation to reach the Seafloor Cavern. After his own plans fall through, he must enlist the help of his enemy in order to reach his goals, and joins hands with Team Aqua in order to reach the cavern.

But along the way, a hidden romance is discovered between the two teams, and Maxie must bring his team - and his own sanity - back under control, lest he lose everything he's ever worked for in the process.

A traditional Enemies-to-Lovers - featuring many parties Maxie does not want to be at. Gossip, nonsense, sad feelings, and sea shanties ensue.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Maxie, Archie, Courtney, Tabitha, Shelly, Matt, Groudon & Kyogre, original Team Magma/Team Aqua crew, Maxie and Archie fighting and falling in love on a ship.

Link to AO3

Book 2: Icarus and the Blistering Sun (being updated actively!) ~ 100,000 words

Thanks for instilling dreams in me, Max. I’m off to pursue mine. See you when I awaken the great and mighty KYOGRE!!

The preqel to The Devil and the Dead Sea, Icarus and the Blistering Sun tells the story of the beginnings of Archie and Maxie's relationship-turned-rivalry, and how there once was a close partnership and even a friendship therein - and how it all went so bitterly, catastrophically wrong.

Follow a young, aspiring, college-age Maxie as he strives to find his calling. He and Archie--along with one other peculiar blue-haired scientist--travel the region to chart and discover the legendary Pokemon--inadvertently feeding this information directly into the hands of Team Rocket.

Featuring Even More Parties that Maxie Does Not Want to Be At, and Colress, who is only there to break rules. There is some light Maxie/Colress content, a peculiar and disastrous ship I am referring to as FeralScienceShipping

Featured Characters/Concepts: Maxie, Archie, Colress (B2W2), Petrel (HGSS), Domino (Team Rocket, Mewtwo Returns), Archie's encounter with Jirachi, Maxie's backstory, and the inception of Team Magma

Link to AO3

Book 3: Mother Earth and Her Infinite Sky (wip) ~ 100,000 words (probably)

“Thwarted by two twelve year old kids." Maxie paused again.  “Hm.  I don’t like that this is a recurring pattern for some reason.” “It’s like every region’s just linin’ up waitin’ for their next apocalypse,” Archie laughed.  “Who’s next?  Kalos?  Alola?  Sinnoh?” “Please don’t talk like that.” “What?  Why?” “Sinnoh is home to creatures far more powerful than Kyogre and Groudon.”

The third book in the Dead Sea Trilogy, in which Archie and Maxie (and their third wheel, Colress) are working together to build something new from the ashes of their two retired teams. They join forces with their mutual parole officer (Looker) to keep themselves out of jail, and to a stop to an emerging threat in the Sinnoh region.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Maxie, Archie, Colress, Looker, Matt, Shelly, Courtney, Tabitha, Team Galactic, Archie and Maxie's fledgling romantic relationship, Courtney's weird computer thing, and the Creation Trio.

Spinoff: Ophelia and the King’s Madness (wip) ~ 140,000 words

"N's heart is pure and innocent. But there is nothing more beautiful and terrifying than innocence."

This is one of only three quotes uttered by Concordia in the entire game. Ophelia tells the story of Ghetsis' lesser-known children, Anthea and Concordia, and how Concordia came to the conclusion she did. It explores Team Plasma as a cult, Ghetsis as its leader, and the two sisters as sheltered prisoners in their own "heavenly" home.

The story centers greatly on Concordia and the secret, romantic relationship she develops with Colress, who hides a great portion of who he is while continuing to experiment with Team Plasma and Project Genesect behind her back.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Anthea, Concordia, Colress, N, Ghetsis, Project Genesect, the logistics of Team Plasma as a cult, Ghetsis' manipulation of Anthea & Concordia in order to "correctly raise" raise N.

LINK TO PREVIEW: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28881342/chapters/70850358

Currently Unnamed: Dead Sea Trilogy one shots collection (brainstormed)

This will be a collection of related stories and one-shots featuring the cast of characters from the Dead Sea Trilogy, similar in vibe and feeling to Stories from Exile.

---

The Legend of Zelda

Exile//Vilify (complete) ~ 150,000 words

The boy was special, and he intended to find out why.

An origin story for Astor from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Exile//Vilify tells the story of those that are chosen, and those who are not.

Astor has trained since childhood to become the next Royal Seer, but he is plagued with a dark secret: a prophecy that states that he will one day be expelled from the castle, sent into exile, and devote his life to Calamity Ganon.

General fiction, no extensive ship content. Featuring Astor as the royal seer, Astor having a deep, meaningful relationship with Zelda's mother, and a Fate-worshipping cult that calls themselves the Royal Order of the Seers.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Astor, Zelda's mother, King Rhoam, Master Kohga & Sooga, original Hylian characters, a deconstruction of the concept of fate & predestination, and an exploration of Astor's cult/eventual worship of Calamity Ganon.

Link to AO3

Stories from Exile ~ 50,000 words (ongoing)

In which Kohga and Sooga are really just friends.

Stories from Exile is a collection of one-shots, short stories, and other just general snippets, some much more serious than others, that are related to the world of Exile//Vilify. Majority focuses on "evil" Astor - aka, his time spent in exile - and his misadventures with the Yiga Clan, although there are a handful of stories of Royal Seer Astor in Hyrule Castle, including a few heartwarming ones with the baby Princess Zelda.

The Totally-Platonic relationship of Kohga and Sooga really takes the cake here though, and a great handful of stories also focus on Yiga-Clan shenanigans. There is a table of contents at the beginning so you are able to sort through and find what you'd like.

Updated sporadically as new ideas strike me, all canon or semi-canon to Exile//Vilify.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Master Kohga, Sooga, Astor, Lady Urbosa, Princess Zelda, the rest of the HWAOC crew. Antics.

Link to AO3

Trouble Will Find Me (wip)

"If I stay here, trouble will find me // If I stay here, I'll never leave." -The National, "Sea of Love"

Trouble Will Find Me stands as a prequel to Exile//Vilify. It is a story that focuses on Astor's mentor, Thelem, and what brought him to the Royal Order of the Seers, and to the events that take place right before his first meeting with Astor.

This is Thelem's origin story, featuring the formative years he spends on Satori Mountain, finding himself, his meeting and relationship with Azelphir, and a more in-depth look at the culture and religion of the Order of the Seers.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Thelem, Azelphir, deeper lore of the Order of the Seers, Thelem's origin story, Thelem and Azelphir's underlying feelings for one another. Blupees, Koroks, Hyrule's other supernatural phenoma, and the Lord of the Mountain.

PREVIEW - AO3

Rewoven into the Stars (complete) ~ 8,000 words

And this new king before him, he wasn’t like the old one.  He was stubborn and sweet.

Rewoven into the Stars was a gift/commission for a friend, which falls in the Stories from Exile universe. A portal opens through space-time and sends a rather strange (and kind) Ganondorf through. He and the formerly-royal seer spend the following weeks growing closer, even falling in love.

Featured Characters: Astor & Ganondorf from the Born Evil universe by @sherlocktheravencat

Link to AO3

Prophet to a Gerudo King (wip)

“Are you willing to vow your undying loyalty to me?  From not just now unto death, but into all your future lives to come?"

A one-shot that muses on the pact between Astor and King Ganondorf, with Astor acting as Ganon's royal seer. Semi-canon prequel to Exile//Vilify, depending on how you look at it.

Featured Characters: Astor, pre-Calamity King Ganondorf

The Rhoam Cucking Chronicles (complete?) ~ 4,600 words

"He fucked my wife." -King Rhoam, in the games (real)

A shitpost about Astor fucking Zelda's mom, the Queen of Hyrule. Based in the world of Exile//Vilify / Stories from Exile. I (might?) add more silly portions to it someday, although it is unlikely. I can be bribed to do it, however, as I can be bribed to do many things...

Featured Characters/Concepts: Astor, Zelda's mom, King Rhoam, Astor fucking Zelda's mom (obviously)

Link to AO3

Hyrule is Doomed! (ongoing)

Hyrule may be in a lot of trouble, yes. But under Link's professional, expert, and yes, even reckless care -- it certainly will not be doomed.

Hyrule is Doomed! is a SILLY collection of one-shot stories that detail my chaotic, shirtless himbo playthrough of BOTW/TOTK. Featuring tales such as Link scaling the castle naked and with six hearts (and beating Windblight Ganon), going west instead of east off of the Great Plateau, and the ever-beloved Guardian Tipping.

Updated as ideas and the memories come to me, or when I do something stupid in BOTW/TOTK again.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Link being silly

"Link" to AO3

[daily-dose-of-dopamine]

Hmm 3

First part

Second part

Part the fourth

[daemon-404]

joe schmidt or something

[sheikah-simp]

Exile//Vilify: The Final Update - The Work is Complete!

(5.30.22)

The final update.  There is a LOT I could say here, but I’m just going to let it rest for a few days and speak for itself before I say anything further.

As a reminder, this update is not just one chapter, it is three parts.  A final chapter, an epilogue, and another little vignette at the end.  Make sure you read through to the end!

Content Warning: it should be obvious by now, but there is a major character death in this chapter.  There is also a pretty graphic description of Astor’s final transformation.  Take care of yourselves and take breaks if you need!  It’s emotionally heavy, but I think the end is very beautiful.

It’s been a fantastic journey with you all.  I’ll have a longer post about this later.  Thank you all for going along on it with me.

Link to AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28086507/chapters/98433576#workskin

[prisiidon]

No wonder Astor had a Ganondorf cult that dude simped harD

[arkon-z]

I'm gonna say it:

Astor (AOC) was a bigger threat than Ganondorf (TOTK) was, in regards to the gameplay. Yes, I know The Calamity was the ultimate threat and not Astor, but that's just lore. What matters is that when the AOC plot said, "It's time to get serious about this story now," it actually got serious. Rather than TOTK's idea of "boy, it's sure going to get serious once you hit this area and trip an event flag!"

Like, TOTK Ganondorf's idea of being 'evil' was to make a puppet Zelda and go around and mess with Hyrule, doing everything from pranking some of the stables to summoning monsters to invade the temples. And because the game is open world, it makes for some really weird tone shifts. Things ranging from "our city is being overrun by unkillable monsters" to "there's a talking chicken spreading rumors." And where was Ganondorf? Down in the core of the earth, being evil. The biggest AND ONLY threat he ever directly posed to Link was in their final fight. There was nothing in the story itself to suggest that he posed any kind of threat. Especially because he made it look like Zelda was the one behind it all.

But Astor! We saw him working with/manipulating the Yiga in his plans. He lured the gang into the Lost Woods as a trap and sent the Hollows after them, coming within inches of killing Zelda. He managed to release the Calamity early. He tore the souls out of the Yiga to re-summon the Blights! He went after Zelda himself! And when it happens, it feels impactful, because of how the story unfolds in the game play. The tone shifts; you lose access to the Champs from every game menu once they're trapped in the Divine Beasts. When the Calamity hits, the tone of the entire game shifts. You're not on some action-packed adventure fighting off the Yiga clan anymore; now the apocalypse has happened and you're still alive, trying to find a way to reverse it. And throughout everything, you know that Astor is the one behind it and he's the one you have to stop. Even with the Calamity as the greater scope villain in the background, Astor is still the focal point.

So yeah, from a gameplay and story perspective, even if Astor was a flat character, he at least acted like he was trying to destroy Hyrule. Ganondorf did fuck all in TOTK. All his action scenes were flashbacks. Lazy ass man couldn't even be bothered to trek up to the surface and destroy a village or two to show he meant business.

[edgy-dragon-trash]

Astorvember day 2 and 3 combined - Celestial and Divination

[mememan93]

Y'all remember when we just had this still of astor

and we all thought he had white hair

[lize-the-prophet]

Greetings Astor fandom.👋🏻🏳️‍⚧️

[emo-eyemakeup-evildude]

Hi friends! Here's a thought that's been rattling around in my head for a minute

I was planning on using November to work on Astor-related projects I've been neglecting, and I thought I'd expand it into something everyone could join. More info below

I'm envisioning this working like a combination of Linktober and Astor Week, since Astor Week hasn't been announced for 2023. Make and share whatever you'd like! Art, crafts, photography, writing, memes, cosplays, etc. Each week has a theme and each day has a prompt, so feel free to create something for every day, once a week, one thing for the whole month, come and go as you please.

Week 1: Prophet of Doom, generic character/aesthetic prompts 1. Prophet 2. Celestial 3. Divination 4. Jewelry 5. Braids 6. Robes 7. Makeup

Week 2: Backstory, give us the info we should have gotten in the dlc 8. Malice 9. Astrolabe 10. Circlet 11. Hometown 12. Fortune Teller 13. Cult 14. Chosen

Week 3: Age of Calamity, fandom week for the game that gave us our cardboard man 15. Harbinger 16. Calamity 17. Demon King 18. Monster 19. Thread 20. Blood Moon 21. Doom

Week 4: The Future of Hyrule, headcanons and theories about Astor in the larger Legend of Zelda universe, plus less specific bonus prompts 22. Post-Calamity [Peace] 23. Time Travel [Crossover] 24. Breath of the Wild Universe [Wild] 25. Tears of the Kingdom Universe [Ruins/Zonai] 26. Victorious AU [Victory] 27. Redemption AU [Redeemed] 28. Barbie Astor [Headcanons]

Week 5: Wednesday 29 & Thursday 30, the final days. Show us your favorite companion. Canon, non-canon, and original characters all welcome! And a free day, do whatever you'd like or share your visions for what Playable Astor could have been 29. Companion 30. Free Day [Playable Astor]

All creative works are welcome, as are all subjects. Just make sure everything is posted on a platform that will host it, and make sure everything is appropriately tagged so other fans can avoid things they do not want to see.

[sharlmbracta]

you know what? i don't really use this anymore.

and you know what? do whatever you want with this. i won't care.

this is the "full setup" of the shaders and the character controls that I customized. I figured you guys would probably have a lot more fun than me with him now.

the shader is the customized cel shader that I hope is tweaked well enough to preserve the depth of the color feel but I know some of you guys hate the cel style so I left the original shader in as well.

the + shaped objects are targets and the yellow rings are paths. Targets are used for more intuitive control than directly controlling the bones. You can either remove the path and control the targets yourself, or you can use the circular path rings to control the bones.

and this is where you can choose and edit the materials I guess. A little more information about the cel shader I use is this (you can ignore the "skin" shader in that post)

I've disabled the selection for mesh objects for the convenience of controlling the bones. You can re-enable them in the outliner panel

so... have fun I guess. here have an old banana as a treat (and a really old one as well)

oh god I had really had fun with him haven't I

it's been fun for the past 2 years. thank you, flat cardboard villain written to life by the sheer passion of the yarn cult and the love of the untold hand-made history novels.

* for legal reasons, please do not distribute the file elsewhere. file usage for personal use only.

[silverjirachi]

underrated lines of Exile//Vilify