#at least sage was like oh my god why would they say that. are they not hearing themselves

[house-of-daena]

al haitham is just Meant to take dick. he thought if he ever had sex with someone, he'll be the top, but when you came along with your massive arms that hooks right under his knees to pump him full with no way to escape, your massive thighs around his neck making him choke on the fat cock down his throat, and your filthy tongue whispering the most obscene things rigjt into his ears that he cant help but get so desperately turned on that he cums right away? the thought of topping gets thrown right out the window, he wants to be your pretty little pillow princess forever. he wonders how he got himself to this point, from being the cold, calculating grand scribe thats indifferent about most things and people to glancing at your lower half everytime you walk past and getting hard from just thinking about the risky things both of you could do in public space like this. how he donwgraded himself into a cock hungry whore, wanting to take you from every possible hole you can fit into. if it doesnt fit? he'll make it.

@pantalonte

IH MY GOD HI you just came out of fucking nowhere 😭😭😭 i am so normal about alhaitham .. why is he so.. fuckable to a fault...

nsfw utc

oh my god you have no idea how much i love idea of stripping him from his pride. like who would've thought alhaitham of all people would turn out such a whore for you,, people who notice wonder how you got the acting grand sage from this guy who's usually serious and cold to be looking at you with hearts in his eyes.

i like the idea of alhaitham watching you from the corner of his eye, then when you walk out of sight, to somewhere more private with a smirk on your lips, he just knows what you want, and he'd be stopping whatever he's doing, following you to where ever you went.

i hc that alhaitham has terrible oral fixation for your cock that if you don't let him suck on it for at least once a day he would go mad. he will be on his knees for hours on end, sucking your cock for all it's worth. he doesn't care if there's streaming down his cheeks, drool dripping down his throat and onto the floor, his thighs trembling, his lips all swollen and his jaw is aching. if you dont force him to stop, he will suck you until he can't anymore.

literally thinks about ur cock so much its not even funny,, like he's so addicted to it. sometimes he'd reflect on himself on how did he turn out like this, then he remembers every single filth that comes out of your mouth, and he's shamefully getting hard from it.

oh my god i bet he's read of so many books about how to take dick better. mostly so you can easily use him however you'd like. so don't be surprised for your cute lil scribe to have a plug up his ass when you bend him over his office desk :3

100% agree with you , he's just made to take ur cock no matter how much he tries to deny him :( also good i love imagining getting manhandled... yeah you're bending him in so many different positions as if he's nothing bc you just have complete reign on his body and he will never say no., he never fights it whenever you bend him like he's just some fuck doll >3<

make sure to degrade him when u fuck him! for a guy who is pretty prideful at times, his hole gets really tight when you call him your dirty little slut :3

[the-moon-files]

Aaaaa yay, you updated for Linked Universe again! 🙏 And right when the hyperfixation was coming back for me, too 👀 

I was looking over your posts for LU, and if you don’t mind, I’d love to share some of my own random thoughts with you! I hope that’s okay 👉👈

After I read your “Humans aren't just round-eared Hylians?” post I have had,, many thoughts 👀 One random difference between humans and Hylians I thought about was the possibilities of varying strength,,, You briefly mentioned how Hylians seemed lighter than they seemed to Guide!Reader, and let me tell you, it was such a small detail, but I was transFIXED. I have this image of humans/Guide!Reader just being naturally stronger than the average Hylians - and it made me think of scenarios of the Reader just effortlessly hauling around two Links on their shoulders like sacks of potatoes- And them also picking up things that are supposed to be really heavy with ease! Like, Four would make a longsword, and Reader picks it up out of curiosity, expecting it to be really heavy, but it’s actually not that bad?? (Four in the background: 🧍)

If the Reader is already pretty strong (and maybe even has a profession in fighting, like a boxer or something,, [I might be projecting slightly—]), then ooo 👀 I can see there being this one time where a bunch of monsters ambush the Chain, and as everyone is fighting with the Reader giving them advice and whatnot, a Lizalfos managed to slip past everyone and sprint towards the Reader to attack them. The others are panicking because they won’t be able to reach the monster in time, but just as the Lizalfos raised its sword, one single punch from the Reader sent it flying back into the fray, knocking it into a Moblin. Reader is just standing there with their fist still in the air like “👁️👄👁️ h u h … whY ARE YOU GUYS STARING, YOU’RE STILL FIGHTING—”

In your newest post about the Guide!Reader’s voice, you mentioned how some entities could hear them, and I don’t know if he would, but I think it’d be kinda funny if Ganon and all of his other reincarnations could hear the Reader talking to Link- I’m not sure if he remembers his past lives, but if he does and hears/recognises Reader’s voice, I love the image of him thinking “Oh god, THIS guy again??” Because Reader WILL clown on him-

Dehydrated Ganondorf: *insert evil monologue here*

Guide!Reader: Uh-huh, sure, bold words for someone whose skin looks like a prehistoric riverbed. :|

Sage: *w he eze*

As I was writing all this, I had to think to myself, “Huh,, Guide!Reader doesn’t die when they fall into lava, aren’t really affected by harsher temperatures and winds, and also can swim against strong currents. They’re environment-resistant basically. But there’s bound to be at least one weakness to it all, right?” I did come up with said weakness, and I think it’s kinda basic, BUT one idea I had was that because Guide!Reader is so resistant to the natural elements of Hyrule, they are conversely quite weak to unnatural causes in turn. If they get injured, say they get cut with a knife by a Bokoblin, then that wound would take much longer to heal than it should. Any injuries that the Reader sustains in Hyrule are harder to heal (which I feel like could make some interesting angst,, 👀); their injuries would take more magic to completely heal them, or have more healing potions to drink. I also thought of the Reader being very vulnerable to any sort of poison- Like, if they get a pinch or two (or three) of strong poison in their system, they get knocked out for like two days 💀 

So basically, Guide!Reader is very resistant to the environment, possibly quite strong, but does not have any good constitution,,

[On another note, maybe it’s just a me thing, but I personally love the thought of Wind looking up to the Reader as like a big brother figure,,]

And also!! Happy birthday!! 🥳🥳🎉 As a way of procrastination, I’ve been compiling memes with Guide!Reader and the Chain because the brain rot is hitting HARD,, I can share it with you in the future if you like! /gen /pos And sorry if this is such a long post dkjfgndf-

NOT SOMEONE BEING HAPPY I UPDATED UwU

ur ideas, ur compliments, ur bday wishes, etc. hitting me like^^

Sun: Masc!Reader (he/him) this will be default unless ppl specify otherwise! , Guide!Reader, Boxer/Martial Artist!Reader

Orbit: Headcanons-ish

Stars: Most Links of the Chain mentioned + Sage (Totk Link)! No focus/centric Link

Comets & Meteors: Content Warnings: light cussing, & Trigger Warnings: none known.

Please comment if I missed any. /gen

In reference to This Post! Wait, Humans Aren’t just Round-Eared Hylians??

YOUR BRAIN>>>????!!!

This was such a yummy treat tysm for this, sharing is caring 🫶

I absolutely think Humans could be 10x stronger than Hylians, I mean if we base everything abt their universe off of Link weighing ~8 apples lmao

that means swords, armor, broadswords/claymores, battle axes, huge shields, if those weigh abt like fake swords/wooden ones back on earth to us, then i cant even imagine what canons/horses/tree trunks/boulders weigh 💀

like props on a stage weight rather than the real thing lmao

No but how many Links can you fit in one carry??

ok u got a heavier Link on your back, like Time, Twi or Wars, then Four/Wind/Hyrule/Legend (yes he’s light/smaller side, tho he may deny) in ur arms like one Link per arm, maybe 3 Links if you can like wrap ur arms around them

so like 4 Links total? well, Wind or Four r so light/small one could possibly ride on ur shoulders, so 5 LMAO??? that's like half the Chain already AHALJFAfJLL-

on another note,

I LOVEEE ganon being able to hear Guide Reader bc spent too long around them, also i originally based that off of characters who’ve shown they're meta/highly magical kinda (esp the meta part where they may have directly addressed players/broke 4th wall)

No bc Ganon would just be SO fed up by like, Wild’s time, it would literally be EXACTLY like what u said I’d imagine:

(u just playing the game and not realizing until later they can hear you)

Ganon: “ugh that blonde twink again, god when will this plan actually work-?!”

You: “eyyy, Ganon! omg, why’s he?? Hot??? damn, botw best ganon version fr”

Ganon: “you know what maybe you should just kill me right now, hero Link.”

(the thought of Ganon never being able to escape ur voice whenever Link was near him bc u didnt have a body to fight/kill, and instead he just had to deal with ur comments is SENDING ME)

changing subjects again sorry

YES!! that's the weakness/drawback I was thinking abt for Humans in Hyrule, while yes their environment isn't that effective on us, (i like to use “inside a video game” as the reason bc i think its neat)

humans are notoriously fragile in our own world already - we get sick, we get acid-reflux/throw up from bad food/food poisoning, etc.

so it makes sense we’d be more sensitive to this new environment, but even if we got adjusted,

we’re more external-proof, not internal-proof

(u know that's another reason why it works for Hylians and not Humans, we aren’t automatically healed by food, but their world does, and even in botw/totk when u have “dubious” food, its never inedible, its just useless to eat, so technically Hylians can kind of eat most anything off of that logic, like there is no such thing as “bad food” for them)

and u could take this either way tbh,

like we’re either entirely resistant to magic/dont take to it well bc our world didnt have it so potions/fairies don't work and we have to heal naturally

or just yeah, its like ur in a new country tbh, new germs/nature/food/etc. and u def cant guarantee u wont get a little sick from that

this would definitely include genuine poison!

bro the amount of WORRY the Links would feel after realizing the human guide guy who’s physically here now can barely handle their food??

Wild’s making a thorough list of what foods work for you and what don't, like safe foods to go back on, including recipes,

the way Time/Wars would absolutely be willing to take little detours/stop by towns more to make sure you have the right food you can eat,

and even tho Wild’s cooking, Sage is constantly testing for poison, like the dish itself, the herbs/plants, every ingredient needs to be extra safe even by Hylian standards (like not eating adventurous stuff like pufferfish or smth that could possibly have poison if cooked wrong/not enough etc)

that is to say, even if Wild makes a new recipe/other meal, he always has a backup safe meal to give you instead on those nights, and just way too many in general (yes he knows it doesn't buff ur health but he cant help his Hylians instincts to stuff the hurt person’s face with food ok??)

Hyrule! Is!! Losing!!! It!!!!

he has all the healing magic in the world and the one man he wants to help the most, for keeping him from being lonely on his adventure/looking out for him/being on his side no matter what, now he finds out he can’t even help them??

mans would literally keep trying to heal u til he’s drained it all out to just try and get the wound to close, if u didnt stop him

U get injured for the first time, and while a bruise/cut taking weeks to heal (depending on how bad) is normal to you, Hyrule + lowkey everyone is Freaking Out

Wounds DO NOT take weeks to heal?? They take hours at most??? Dude, are you dying-

(Wind got elbowed for that one, purely bc he voiced Sky/Hyrule/Wild/Twi paranoia out loud lol)

that is going with the version ur mostly unaffected by magic, but u could also do the human thing where we get adjusted to things over time (at least more than nothing), including food/sickness

The way All the Links just surround you or outright don’t let you come into crowded parts of town so ur poor immune system wont make u sick again 😭

on the bright side they'd all get rlly good at preventative measures like this, and taking care of sick you lol

(yes, u bribed Wind to get little bro cuddles when ur sick, it wasn't hard, he sees u as the most genuine bigger bro probably bc ur likely hte most affectionate out of all the Links)

(should I get into cultural differences between humans/hylians like humans being more openly cuddly/affectionate? like how in humans are space orcs fandom they acknowledge its unusual for us to “packbond” so easily to so many different species? and how this could possibly apply to not only Hylians but any Friend-shaped creatures across the Hyrules?? ..nah. I’ll save that for another post)

AND YES!! feel free to shoot rambles/thoughts/not even requests my way! Id love to talk abt it or just post it for the world to marvel at too lol

ohh mY God;; YOU HAVE MEMES FOR THIS?? PLEASEEEE SHOW ME????

thank you for this, srsly /pos

Peace out,

🌙

[asurius]

Wukong with a Reader spouse he absolutely adores to bits back before he got sealed under the mountain and when Tripitaka comes to free him reader is with him and Wukong is so happy that he’ll have them with him on this journey and-

Why don’t they remember him?

Nothing they’re saying is making sense, they don’t remember Flower Fruit Mountain? Or Water Curtain Cave? All the monkeys?

This must be a case of amnesia or something, that’s it. He’s not focused on the implications of this, his spouse is in-front of him now and that’s what matters! He’ll helpfully fill in the blanks and tell them everything!

Reader is a bit put off by the strange monkey who insists he knows them and talks about things that couldn’t have happened, but he’s fun to talk to so they at least listen.

It’s not until the White Bone Demon Arc when Wukong gets banished and takes Reader with him and returns to FFM that he finds out what really happened.

A lot has happened in 500 years and not every monkey made it.

His partner died. They died years ago. From either Erlang’s fire or from one of the numerous hunter attacks.

He’s been traveling with their reincarnation this whole time.

He doesn’t…He doesn’t know how to feel. He should be relieved right? Atleast they’re technically back with him before he even knew of their death right? It can be like nothings changed but-

But they died. Their reincarnation isn’t them. Not fully. Gods how did he not see the differences before? Because he was lying to himself. He didn’t want to see the obvious conclusion.

He mourns. He respectfully apologizes to reader and then distances himself. What would’ve been a time for celebration at his return is instead a wake for all those lost.

But reader is confused. All those stories he was telling were true? He wasn’t technically confusing them for someone else, they were that someone else! Reader has definitely been developing their own feelings for Wukong in the meantime but never acted on them because how could they? All this time they’ve thought Wukong had them confused!

But now they’re in a weird place. Wukong doesn’t know how to feel anymore, he does care for reader, he still loves them, but even if they’re so much like his reader that it hurts it’s not them, but it is? But he loves them as he’s come to know them not just as the them he thought they were. It’s too much for him and he needs time to process.

And then Bajie comes to collect them and it’s a much harder sell this time but reader convinces him they have to go back. And he has always listened to them if nothing else.

When all is said and done and Tripitaka is saved once more Reader takes Wukong to the side away from the others and sits him down.

They have a long long talk. They both want a relationship but both agree it would be better to start from scratch. And so they have a moment of proper introductions.

“Hi, my name is (Y/N)”

“Hello (Y/N), my name is Sun Wukong, Great Sage Equal to Heaven, you might’ve heard of me.”

“Oh yes I’ve heard you’re pretty great!”

“And I’ve heard the same about you! Tell you what, a couple of greats like us would be even better together wouldn’t you say?”

“I think I’d like nothing more!”

[theresawritesstuff]

Maisel: An 18 year old Esther announces at Yom Kippur that she’s changing her last name to Weissman-Bruce. Chaos ensues.

So, little personal author fun fact... While my situation was different from Esther's growing up, I very likely would have taken my step father's family name had I not gotten married right out of high school. So stepfather/daughter stuff like this is definitely has a place in my heart.

Love the prompt! Enjoy the chaos ❤️

Yom Kippur 1976

"I changed my name."

The table fell silent for quite possibly the first time in family history. Certainly the first she could remember.

"What?" her mother asked finally, swallowing down her bite of food.

"I changed my last name. I'm not Esther Maisel anymore," she repeated.

More stunned silence followed.

"When?" Mama wondered.

"Just before fall registration. I had been thinking about doing it for a while and it seemed like as good a time as any. Save the hassle of changing it later with school records, signing up for classes, eventual diplomas…"

Papa Abe nodded sagely to himself at her logic. "I do not miss the clerical errors of academia. The number of spelling mistakes I caught at Columbia…"

Pop finally got over his shock enough to speak. Unfortunately.

"What do you mean you changed your name? You're a Maisel."

"Not legally anymore," Esther countered into her wine glass. "At least not according to a lot of paperwork I had to file."

"Don't get smart with me, young lady. This is serious," Pop warned.

"Too late," Chiam muttered under his breath, prompting his mother to choke back a barely stifled laugh.

"What'd she say?" Grandpa Moishe adjusted his hearing aid.

"Esther changed her name," Ethan replied casually, returning to his chicken.

He was the only one who wasn't surprised. 

Because he was the only one who already knew.

Grandpa Moishe nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Oh. Good for you, pumpkin."

"I always thought the matching sibling initials was a weird trend," Grandma Shirley chimed.

"So what are we calling you now? Deborah?" Grandpa asked.

Esther groaned. "God no, there's so many Debbies on campus already."

"Are you one of those transexuals, honey? Because we'll still love you no matter what," Grandma Shirley promised.

Ethan nearly spit his drink across the table, earning a pat on the back from Kitty beside him.

"Just as long as you don't go parading around in an ill fitting suit," Grandpa amended.

"Nope. Still Esther Grandma. Not that kind of name change," she replied.

"How do you two know what a transexual is?" Ethan wondered, fighting back a laugh.

Grandma Shirley's eyes lit up at the chance to tell the tale. "We saw that movie! The one with all the singing and the thrusting. It was very sparkly. I think there were aliens at one point?"

"I don't know. I fell asleep around when Meatloaf showed up," Grandpa admitted, unimpressed.

"We thought we were going to see that new boxing movie."

"It was not about boxing."

"The songs were catchy though!"

"Very catchy."

Susie barely concealed her amusement as she looked pointedly across the table at Mama.

"That's so going in your act," she muttered knowingly.

Mama gave her friend a look. It was true, but not the time.

"You can't just change your last name," Pop insisted indignantly.

Her stepfather scoffed. "Why not? I did."

"Stay out of this, Lenny," Pop barked.

"We're in my house," Lenny reminded him.

"And she's my kid," Pop spat back.

Lenny tossed down his napkin and started to stand, the limits of his patience finally reached.

"Oh shit," Uncle Noah breathed, preparing for a scuffle to break out and looking a bit too excited about it.

Mama put a hand on Lenny's arm in an attempt to keep the peace. "Joel–"

"I changed it to Weissman-Bruce," Esther blurted over the mounting chaos, bringing the table to another uncharacteristic standstill.

"What?" Pop looked like he might have an aneurism.

"Really?"

Esther turned at the awe in her stepfather's voice.

"Yes."

Lenny swallowed, his eyes getting misty as Mama squeezed his hand, looking between the two equally touched.

Oh shit. Of all the people she expected to cry during the course of this conversation, her money had not been on Lenny. 

Herself, maybe. 

Grandma Shirley had been the front runner. But Lenny…

"Cool. Welcome to Team Hyphen," her little sister Lilah quipped, looking up from her book.

Esther couldn't help the breathless laugh that escaped her. "Thanks Birdie," she whispered.

"We'll teach you the secret handshake later," Ari offered, earning himself a light smack on the back of the head from Mei.

He gave Esther a wink across the table all the same, the lovable little mensch.

She smiled and gave him a nod in agreement.

It would have been so easy to resent her half sibling, to blame him for the way her relationship with their father had disintegrated over the years, for taking him away from her and Ethan. 

But she was smarter than that. She'd learned pretty quickly that the kids aren't the ones responsible for their parents' choices. 

And frankly she'd take her little brother over Pop just about any day of the week these days.

"You traded my name for his?" Pop growled, gesturing derisively to Lenny.

Mei turned to glare at him. "Joel–"

But Lenny wasn't the only one done with putting up with Joel Maisel for the evening.

"For fucks sake Pop, not everything is about you!" she cried.

"Language, young lady," Grandma Shirley gasped.

She barely registered the rebuke, venting, "It's not like I'm the only one left to carry on the family name for the next generation or some bullshit. You've got two sons. That's their job!"

Ethan looked up mid-bite. "It is?"

"That and dispatching really big bugs," Kitty confirmed in mock sympathy.

"Esther!" Grandma Rose reprimanded.

She rolled her eyes. "Grandma please. I was raised by two of the most foul mouthed entertainers in the country and had Susie as one of my primary babysitters. That is not the worst thing that has been said by a member of this family by a longshot."

"Why am I getting dragged into this?" Susie wondered through a bite of kugel.

Ari looked up. "Wait, what's our job?"

"Procreation and extermination, apparently," Ethan chuckled.

"College first," Mei reminded him in a veiled warning.

"What brought this about?" Mama wondered gently.

Esther exhaled a sigh. "I just…I'm going to be a scientist someday. And Mama, as much as I respect the work you've done to build your career, I can't walk into every classroom, interview, and workplace and hear 'oh hey just like the foxy comedienne who tells all those dick jokes! Say, you kind of look like her too'. I just can't. It's already hard enough getting anyone to take me seriously. I have always been a Weissman anyway. Papa Abe has said so since before I could read. It will make things easier and it just…felt right. So I did it. I didn't know how to tell you before."

"It's okay sweetie," her mother reassured her, taking her hand.

"So why tack Bruce on the end? People know his name too, you know. Why not just leave it at Weissman?" Pop demanded.

Her mother glared at him.

"You wanna know why?" Esther laughed mirthlessly. "Because he's earned it. I've earned it. Lenny has been more of a father to me in the past 14 years than you ever have been."

"What are you talking about? I've been there for you!"

"You've been in Chicago on and off for almost my entire childhood!"

She shook her head, so fed up she wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry.

"And you know what? I get it. You felt like you had to follow Mei when she got her residency because of true love or whatever and yeah Mei is amazing. I get you not wanting to give up on that. And then Ari came along and that made things complicated. I get that part now.  But as a little kid all I knew then was that Daddy left. Again."

To his credit, Pop did look genuinely pained by her reply. "I split my time as best I could..."

"For a while, yeah," she admitted. "But it only took a few years before it felt like you stopped trying. Even when you were here it never felt like you cared. You'd check in with Ethan but sometimes I wondered if you even remembered I was there. And don't say you didn't know how to talk to me because you never even tried. Meanwhile, Lenny…" 

She blinked back tears thinking about all this so openly. "God, even when he was going through hell fighting for his career, dodging obscenity convictions by the skin of his teeth, staying sober when it would have been so much easier to fall off the wagon, he always was there for us when we needed him. He always cared. Always. And he never once stopped trying to do right by our family. He's the one who actually taught me how to ride a bike instead of just saying 'here watch your brother do it'. He's the one who helped me with my debate homework when the thought of public speaking made me want to hurl and let me talk his ear off about music and dumb science fiction novels and what Karen said in home economics and didn't laugh when I had to wear headgear for six months. I had braces by the way. But you wouldn't know that because you ran off to Chicago and left us."

"Esther…"

"I visited. I called. I'm here now. I–"

"So that just makes it all okay? I'm supposed to feel grateful? Honored to share your name because you decided to waltz back to New York now that Ethan's back stateside?"

She shook her head, getting up from the table.

"I'm still your father."

"No. No you're not."

"Esther."

"I need some air."

"Esther!"

"Joel." Mei put a hand on his arm. "Let her go."

It was Susie who eventually broke the silence, reaching for another piece of challah.

"You guys always did know how to throw one hell of a break fast."

The fall air was a welcome reprieve from inside as she collected herself on the fire escape. 

"Room out here for one more?"

She smiled slightly as Lenny came to sit beside her on the cool metal.

They let the sounds of the city fill the silence between them, Esther eventually letting herself slump against his shoulder.

"I didn't mean to tell everyone like that. It just…" 

"It's okay, sweetie," he murmured, wrapping an arm around her.

She nodded, sniffling as she wiped at her face with the back of her hand. "I don't care what he thinks. As far as I'm concerned he lost his fathering privileges a long time ago."

"You're an adult now. You get to decide what your relationship with him looks like."

She nodded again. Somehow it didn't make her feel better.

"What you said back there…"

"I know you haven't always been perfect but at least you've always tried. You did the work. You never stopped trying to be there for us. And you've owned up to your mistakes. I don't think he's ever done that."

She swallowed, looking up at him shyly.

"Is…is it too late to ask if I can call you Dad?"

Lenny smiled softly, hugging her tighter. "You can call me whatever you want. But Dad would be pretty fucking great."

"I've wanted to for a long time," she admitted. "I did once. Not to you, just to myself for a little while. Trying it out in my head back when you and Mama first got married. I slipped up and called you dad when I was talking to him over about… I don't know, some plans we had for the weekend or whatever. He took it about like he did back there on a smaller scale. I still wanted to call you Dad but I was little and wasn't brave enough to stand up to him. I was afraid I'd slip up and set him off. I guess I grew out of that."

"You and your mother sure know how to throw down a tirade when someone pushes you hard enough, I'll give you that," he chuckled. "But I'm proud of you for standing your ground. I mean it."

"He just makes me so mad sometimes. The way he just pretends everything is fine and normal no matter how long it's been."

"Oh I get it." Lenny shook his head. "We've had a tenuous truce over the years for the sake of you kids but…"

He let out a sigh through his nose.

"For what it's worth, I've always considered you and your brother my kids, no matter what you called me. Just as much as Kitty and Lilah."

"I know."

"You gonna be okay?"

Esther nodded. "Yeah."

He leaned over to kiss her hair before getting to his feet. "Love you."

He paused at the window before climbing in.

"I'm not saying you have to forgive him or let him in your life in any capacity you don't want to…But try not to stay too mad at him forever. It's not good for your health."

She heaved a tired sigh, knowing he was right.

"Maybe just a little longer?"

Lenny chuckled. "Okay. You've earned it."

"Hey...Will you let me know when he's gone so I can have some honey cake?"

Lenny nodded. "I'll send someone out with a big slice in a few minutes. That way you don't have to fight Susie for the last bit."

She smiled genuinely at that.

"Thanks Dad."

Lenny nodded, looking a little watery again at hearing her say it. 

Finally.

"No problem kiddo."

[ryin-silverfish]

(sorry if this is misspelled, I'm helping myself with a translator).

I recently read an article explaining why wukong preferred to be called “外公” and not “爷爷”. As I understand (I may be wrong) : “外公” is your mother's father and “爷爷” is your father's father. One of the explanations that caught my attention had to do with the author's reasons, he said that many details in the story “Journey to the West” are not only a metaphor for the historical status quo at that time, but also contain the author's own thoughts and experiences. The same goes for Wukong likes to call himself “grandfather.” Wu Chengen did not have his paternal grandfather and his father died when he was young, so his son did not have a grandfather either. i guess he could not have grandchildren on his son's side either? This made Wu Chengen not very familiar with using “爷爷” but “外公” on his maternal grandfather's side. (I may have miscounted it because the article was in Chinese). How accepted is this interpretation?

Hmm. I wouldn't say SWK prefers other people to call him 外公 instead of 爷爷. Pigsy called him and others 爷爷 a lot, and plenty of his monkeys call him "Granpa Great Sage" (大圣爷爷) too, as well as very scared humans, who call him "Granpa Thunder God" (雷公爷爷).

And when a random imp called him 大圣爷爷 in Chapter 86, he was flattered too, enough to stop Bajie from killing the imp and listen to what it had to say.

You are right that he liked to call himself 孙外公 more, though, even if he does refer to himself using 孙爷爷 during the Bibo Lake Arc and Yellow Brow Demon Arc.

As for your question...oh, that involves the topic I found the least interesting in JTTW studies, yet people would not stop arguing over: "Is JTTW's author really Wu Cheng'en?"

And because I found it the least interesting, I'm just gonna sum it up with a "It's hotly debated" and move on to two specific scholarly articles.

The explanation you mentioned in your ask came from an essay called 《西游记》中孙悟空对妖精自称“外公”试析, by Su Xing. And another essay by Du Guichen, 《西游记》写孙悟空对妖怪习称“外公”说之辩误与新解, was specifically arguing against the former's points.

Namely, there was too much arbitary imagining of the author's psychological processes, familiarity doesn't always translate to using something more frequently in fiction, and Su Xing's entire argument was based on the author actually being Wu Cheng'en when the topic was, y'know, hotly debated.

Du Guichen's theory for why SWK liked to call himself 外公 in front of various demons is 1) It's unusual and uncommon, as far as sassing people goes, and thus leaves a stronger impact on readers, and 2) under the traditional patriarchy, your maternal grandfathers and uncles had a stronger disciplinary authority over their juniors, yet were also more distant and mysterious.

And I agree with Du's points: it's mostly just SWK being cheeky in a way that makes him stand out and gain more verbal advantage over whoever he's mocking.

[comfort-writing]

Crayons and Cassettes

Chapter 12: Girls Day

You are a kindergarten teacher. Eddie’s daughter, Sage, is in your class. The rumor mill around Hawkins begins to spiral. Sage goes to the movies.

warnings: this fic is 18+ in previous and future chapters- minors DNI!! no use of y/n. (please let me know if I missed anything)

a/n: sorry for not updating yesterday- I wanted to take a little break. I hope this longer fluffy chapter makes up for it. let me know in the comments or my asks if you want to be added to the tag list! requests are open!

word count: 5.2k

Chapter 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 || 14 (coming soon!)

When you got a phone call from Robin asking if you wanted to hang out with her, you immediately took her up on her offer.

You were really looking forward to just having some one on time time with a friend. Although you’d definitely been welcomed into the little group, having an invitation to just hang out one on one made you feel like you really belonged.

Robin came over and watched you do your makeup, watching carefully so she could try to replicate parts of it. You taught her how to do the eyeliner look she liked too; there was a small mishap, however, it was nothing a makeup wipe and a little concealer couldn’t fix.

Once you were ready, the two of you piled into her car and she drove you into town. You stopped at some diner, a place called Benny’s, and the two of you squeezed into a booth that had probably seen better days.

“What have you been up to since I saw you at Steve’s?” You asked her, curious to know if anything exciting happened.

She shrugged, “Well, not much. I mainly did laundry and worked. But,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper after scanning the restaurant to see if anyone was listening, “a new girl started at work, and oh my god, she is so pretty.” She smiled.

You raised an eyebrow, “Ooh.. do you think she’s…?” You asked.

“I don’t know- that’s the problem. She just moved here from Chicago. Said she and her” she added air quotes, “‘partner’ broke up and she needed a change of scenery. Why she moved here I literally cannot fathom, but I don’t know.”

“Hey, I moved here for the exact same reason. It’s a good place- not expensive, plenty of jobs.. but that’s beside the point.” You rambled, “Did she like, say partner in a casual way, or like she was trying to not say another word?” You asked, leaning in and keeping your voices quiet.

“I-“ Robin was quickly interrupted by a scrawny high school age kid who wore the Benny’s uniform, asking what you guys wanted to order.

Once he was out of earshot, Robin leaned back in and whispered, “Like I said, I really don’t know. But she totally has a vibe about her.”

“A vibe?” You asked, a little confused.

“Yeah, dude.” She chuckled, “Like, she has a septum piercing and streaks of pink in her hair. I mean, you’ve at least got to break a few social norms to do that.”

You considered it for a moment, “Yeah, I guess so. But listen, I don’t want you to get your hopes up too much.” You said quietly. “I don’t want you to get hurt- emotionally or physically.”

She nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be careful. You forget I’ve been doing this for a while.” She chuckled. Robin had grown out of her awkwardness a bit as she’d aged, though there were definitely still traces of it in the way she would talk to loud when she was excited or would say something a little off topic because her mind ran faster than her mouth. It was endearing, though.

The teenager came back with your drinks; you’d ordered both ordered waters as well as milkshakes. You played it safe and got cookies and cream, while Robin ordered some strawberry-blueberry-chocolate-banana-peanut butter monstrosity. She smiled, “I’ve been coming here since high school, and I have perfected my milkshake order. You’ve got to try it.”

You wrinkled your nose at the thought, “Sorry, Robin, but I would probably die from all the sugar in that thing.” You laughed.

She shrugged and took a sip, smiling at the taste of the weirdly dark green liquid. You had no idea how it ended up that color, but you really didn’t want to know.

“How’s Eddie?” She asked, changing the subject from her love life to yours.

“He’s good. I haven’t been able to see him since you have, which kinda stinks. He’s been working a lot. I was thinking about stopping by the record store tomorrow just to drop in and say hi, but Sage goes there and hangs out while he works, so I don’t know if he’d be okay with it.” You sighed. You missed him.

“Does he not want you around her?” She inquired.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that. But we just kinda want to know where we’re at before bringing her into it. It’s not easy on a little kid to see their parent with someone new, you know?” You informed her, sympathetic to Sage’s feelings.

“Well, how do you feel about it all?” She asked.

You furrowed your brows, a little confused, “What do you mean?”

“Like, you know… how do you feel about keeping the two of you apart from the two of them? If you and Eddie do end up working out… have you thought about what you would be to Sage?” She asked.

You’d been so caught up in being worried about Sage’s feelings that you really hadn’t considered your own at that point. You pondered the possibilities for a moment, sipping on your milkshake. “Well… I mean, I’m okay with keeping it from Sage for a while. I think that’s normal for anyone who has kids, you know? Making sure your relationship is sound before introducing the concept to a child… and I really haven’t thought about what I would be to Sage..”

“Would you ever want to be her step-mom?” She asked, “That’s kind of the end goal there.”

You hummed and focused on the black and white liquid in your glass, “I-I don’t know. I don’t think I’m against it at all, but I don’t know if I’d be a good mom. Like, yeah, I know I’m good with kids, but I’ve always kind of approached them in almost a scientific way, if that makes sense? I know there’s a method to how you should talk and interact with them, at least in a school setting, in order to help them learn and grow. But I am really only trained for kids 6 and below. And I just… worry, I guess, about like.. messing her up or something.” You sighed, your insecurities showing a bit.

Robin reached her hand across the table and patted your arm, “Dude, you are like, the most motherly non-mom I’ve ever met. I’m positive you’d be good at it. Yeah, you’d make some mistakes, but every parent does. And I’m willing to bet that Eddie and Sage would help you through the process of figuring it all out.” She smiled.

“I guess so… but that’s probably years down the line before that would actually happen, so at least I’ve got time to get used to the idea.” You chuckled.

The waiter came back with your food, and you and Robin dug in. As you ate your french fries, a familiar face walked into the door: Mrs. Robinson, the other kindergarten teacher. She spotted you and you waved. She smiled and walked over to your table.

“Hey, Mrs. Robinson.” You greeted, smiling and cordial. “This is my friend, Robin.” You said, chuckling at the similar names.

“Oh, I know Robin.” She hummed, “She was one of my students years ago.” She’d definitely aged from the time Robin had been in her class, but she still looked and dressed the same. “And you can just call me Anne outside of work.”

Robin smiled up at her, “Nice to see you again.”

“Care to join us?” You asked, trying to be polite.

“Oh, thank you, but my husband is on his way here.” She smiled, then you saw it falter for a moment, “But I do have something to ask you.”

You raised an eyebrow, scooting over so she could sit next to you in the booth, “What is it?” You asked, having no clue as to what she could possibly ask you about.

“Well, I heard a rumor.. and I really just wanted to clear the air about it. I have no doubt in my mind that it’s not true, but I just wanted to confirm with you.” She said, waving her hand dismissively at the idea.

“What did you hear?” You asked, having a sinking feeling you knew where this was going.

“Well,” she started, clothing her purse close to her and leaning in, “I heard that you and that Eddie Munson boy were dating.” She chuckled, “Ridiculous, right? You wouldn’t go out with a boy like that- he’s not.. well, he’s from the wrong side of the tracks, literally.”

You felt Robin’s eyes on you, and you could practically feel her anger bubble, but you decided to keep it simple and professional.

“Oh, actually, Anne, I am. Dating Eddie, that is.” You smiled warmly, though you kind of wanted to punch her in the leg for how rude she’d been about it.

She looked utterly scandalized. “What?” She asked, clutching her purse in her lap, “Why- why would you ever do that, dear? Is your head screwed on straight?” She’d dropped her usually pretentious manner at this point, while you remained, outwardly, cool as a cucumber.

“Well, he’s a good man.” You said, slightly emphasizing the last word to correct her use of the word ‘boy’. “He has a good job, he just bought a home, and he is kind to everyone around him. I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.” You stated simply.

She sighed, grabbing your hand and holding it desperately. You wanted to smack it away, but you refrained, “Dear, he’s bad news.. he got a girl pregnant during his third repeat of senior year in high school. He notoriously deals drugs, he listens to that awful devil-worshiper music, he’s got these horrendous tattoos, and I mean, you’ve seen the way he dresses…and I heard that he was the leader of some Satanic-cult when he was younger.” She pleaded. “I don’t know how that precious baby girl hasn’t been taken from his home- it’s not safe.”

The longer the list became, the more agitated you felt, but you couldn’t let it show. If you made a scene, you’d only spur the rumors on. You took a deep breath, “Anne, he is a good man.” You reiterated, “Sure, he may have an eclectic sense of fashion and off-beat music taste, but that’s really all there is to it. He’s not a drug dealer, I like his tattoos, and the so-called ‘cult’ you’re referring to is just a storytelling game. It’s quite dorky, if I’m being honest.” You chuckled. “Plus, he is an amazing dad. He provides everything for Sage- she literally has anything she could ever want. And he’s involved. He came to every parent teacher conference, every recital, and he read to her every night to ensure she was excelling in school. He does a great job with her, and honestly, I think it’s a shame that more people done see that.” You paused for a moment before continuing, “You judge him based on his outward appearance and silly rumors you hear around town. But, if you had an actual conversation with him, you’d know that he is kind and genuine and absolutely hilarious.” You felt Robin smile with pride at your sentiments. “It’s quite foolish to think that anyone is not worth more than what you’ve heard about them, don’t you think?”

Mrs. Robinson shook her head and let your hand go, moving to get up, “I’m only trying to help you out, dear.”

“I appreciate that, but I can take care of myself.” You said coolly. “I’ll see you in our professional development workshop in two weeks.” You said, smiling like none of this phased you.

She left to go sit with her husband, and you looked over at Robin. “Woah, dude.. you’re like, the most level headed person I’ve ever met.” She mused.

Your smile turned strained, “Well I’m not about to be. Let’s go so I can say some choice words about what just occurred.” You said through gritted teeth.

Robin smiled and nodded quickly, digging cash out of her purse and slamming it on the table as the two of you got up from the table.

Once her car was out of the parking lot and onto the main road, your hands were flying around in the air as you yelled, Robin cackling in the drivers seat.

“What the absolute fuck was her problem?! First of all, how is it any of her business who I choose to be with? I don’t give a fuck about her old bag of a husband, so why should she care what I do outside of school? Secondly, how the hell can she just judge someone based off of shifty rumors that were spread about him fucking years ago! Like, how fucking shallow can you be! Lastly, how dare she have the nerve to sit there and call Eddie a bad dad! He’s literally one of the best parents out there, hands down. Ugh, I want to show her Sage’s scores alone compared to her entire class just to shove that shit in her face!”

Robin laughed, “Yeah, literally what was her problem?” She asked, “And oh my god, you should have seen her fucking face when you said you two were going out! She looked like you’d shit in her cereal!” She cackled. “And how were you so calm? Oh my god you should take up acting! You have an amazing talent there- you should really capitalize on it!”

You groaned, “Well if I was even the slightest bit rude to her, she could’ve confirmed that he was like, ‘ruining me’, or whatever else she and her friends talk about when they gawk at the freshly eighteen lifeguards at the pool.” That made Robin laugh so hard to the point where she had to pull over in a random parking lot so she wouldn’t crash her car. “She also could’ve come for my job somehow. So I really wanted to kill her with kindness. Really let her choke on it.”

“Hell yeah, man” Robin said, holding her sides as you joined her laughter. “But seriously, you should’ve seen her face when you didn’t give her any sort of a reaction. She looked like she was going to explode.”

The two of you howled in her car, eventually dying down and wiping stray tears and hiding your sore stomachs. Once the two of you recovered, you guys looked up and saw that you were actually in the parking lot of the record store and that Eddie was in the window, staring at the both of you with the most bewildered look on his face. He looked like a lost puppy, raising an eyebrow and cocking his head to the side. You and Robin made eye contact again, paused for a moment, then bursted out into peals of laughter yet again.

Since he’d already spotted the two of you, you both d decided to head inside the store. You got out of the car, shut the door, and linked your arm with Robin’s as the two of you walked in, still giggling.

“What is going on with you two?” Eddie asked, your laughter infecting him and making him chuckle.

“Sorry- it’s really not funny.” Robin sighed, “It’s actually kinda shitty, but it’s ridiculous, so it’s a little funny.”

You nodded, releasing Robin’s arm so she could go look around the store while you turned to Eddie to explain. “My coworker, Mrs. Robinson, you remember her?” You asked.

Eddie nodded.

“Well, Robin and I went to Benny’s. She walked in and criticized my choice in men, essentially.. Were really laughing at how I basically stone faced my way through it and she looked like she was going to shit her pants.” You sighed, rubbing a hand through your hair.

“Oh..” he whispered, sticking his hands in his pockets, looking a little dejected.

“I defended you, though, I swear.” You assured him, reaching out to grab his forearm gently. “I didn’t just like, let her bad mouth you. I just kind of… told her off with a smile on my face.”

Eddie shook his head quickly, “Oh, I have no doubt that you did that. I just-“ he placed his hand over the one you’d placed on his arm, “I hate that you’re catching flack for this. Hawkins isn’t an easy town for the unconventional.” He whispered, looking a little sad.

You raised an eyebrow, “Eddie, my skin is thicker than you think. I can put up with a lot of shit. And I really don’t care what other people think, as long as we’re good.” Your hand dropped from his arm to his hand, “The literal only reason I waited was because of my job. Hawkins’ opinion of me is irrelevant.”

He sighed and nodded, leaning in and kissing your forehead gently, “You’re kind of a badass.” He mumbled into your hair.

Robin overheard that statement and smiled, “Hell yeah she is, man. You should’ve seen her- so calm and relaxed while also ripping that old fart a new one. It was great.”

You laughed, leaning into Eddie‘s touch for a moment before he had to get back to work. “Hope you don’t mind we stopped in. We weren’t planning on it.”

He waved a hand dismissively as he went back to alphabetizing records, “You guys are always welcome.”

“Is Sage here?” You asked in a whisper.

He nodded, “She’s in the break room in the back. I’m sure she’ll run out here soon- she’s almost finished with her snack. I bet she’ll be happy to see you guys. The poor girl has been so bored all day, I just can’t exactly give her much to do.”

You nodded and started walking around the store, deciding to get some music while you were there. You peeled over to Robin’s stack of cassettes, which consisted of the usual pop stuff you’d hear on the radio.

It didn’t take long for Sage to wander out of the back of the store. She first ran to Eddie, who pointed to you and Robin, whispering something you couldn’t hear. She beamed and ran over to where the two of you stood, yelling your names and pulling Robin’s legs into a bear hug before doing the same to your own.

“Hey, kiddo!” Robin smiled, “How ya doin’?”

“I’m so booorrreeeddd.” Sage groaned, tossing her head back dramatically. She looked just like her dad in that moment and you couldn’t help but giggle.

“I’m sorry, Sage.” You sighed, “But, I might have something you can do.”

She picked her head up and eyed you suspiciously, “What?”

You crouched down to her level, “I need help finding some good music. Can you help me pick some stuff out?” You asked, Robin chiming in a short, “Me too.”

Sage beamed, excited to have a mission to complete. She grabbed one of yours and one of Robin’s hands enthusiastically and led you two through the store, pointing at the sections she liked, which mostly consisted of kids records. You guys played along, picking up records and examining each one and making a show out of either putting them in your pile or wrinkling your nose and putting them back, making her laugh.

You were so focused that you didn’t notice how Eddie had lost his focus. His eyes trained on you as you humored his daughter, helping her combat her boredom. The corners of his mouth twitched into a small smile, his chest swelling with a mixture of pride and joy. He loved that the two of you were friends.

Robin spotted him while you were busy making Sage giggle by holding a record up to the light like you were inspecting a dollar bill. She smirked at him, seeing how he was watching you, causing a blush to bloom across his cheeks and making him whip his head back to his work quickly.

Robin turned back to you and whispered something in your ear, and you smiled and nodded at the idea. She then walked up to Eddie, clapping him on the back, causing him to jump a little.

“Hey buddy old pal.” She chuckled.

Eddie sighed and looked down at the girl, having a feeling she was up to something, “What do you want, Buckley?” He deadpanned.

She laughed loudly, “Oh shut up, I’m trying to help you.” She took a beat before nudging him, “You want us to take Sage off your hands for a couple hours? We were planning on going to see a movie later, so we could take Sage with us so she doesn’t have to sit around here all day. It would be a great way for the two of them to bond too.”

Eddie thought about it for a moment, wishing that he could’ve been the one going with the two of you instead of Robin. “Yeah, sure. Just- we aren’t telling Sage about us yet, so could you please be on your best behavior?” He asked her.

She smiled and nodded before spinning on her heel and going back over to you, nodding her head like a little kid who’d just been told they could have a sleepover. You smiled and continued searching the store with her.

After you’d been convinced to buy a couple random cassettes by Sage, you walked over to Eddie hand in hand with his daughter, “Hey, we’re ready to check out.” You smiled.

Eddie turned and nodded, heading to the register and trying not to get flustered by your smile and how you interacted with his daughter. He’d tried to date in the past, but everyone had quickly bolted when they’d heard about his kid. So seeing you embrace her, while also liking him, felt like some kind of miracle.

You placed your items on the counter and picked up Sage and placed her there as well, “So, dad, can Sage come with us to the movies?” You asked, acting like she was one of the girls. “We’ll only let her have all the popcorn and candy and soda she could ever want.”

Sage’s eyes lit up and she looked at Eddie excitedly, “Please?” She asked, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. You copied her face, trying not to giggle.

He looked between the two of you, “You guys are going to be the death of me.” He chuckled, “But sure, Sage. You can go. We’ll just have to make sure we brush your teeth extra good before bed, okay?”

She nodded and smiled like it was Christmas morning, squealing and hugging you. You smiled and patted her back, watching Eddie put your items in a paper bag. She released you and you leaned over the counter, resting your elbows on the cool surface, “You want me to drop her off at your house after?” You asked.

He nodded, “Yeah, I get off work at 6, so I should be home by the time the movie gets out.” He handed you your bag and Robin walked up to purchase her items as well.

Once the two of you had everything, Robin picked up the bags and you picked up Sage, holding her on your hip like you’d been doing so for years. Eddie wanted to pull you into a kiss right then, but he knew better. That would’ve really confused Sage.

Robin smiled, “Well, thanks for letting us kidnap your child. We’ll be sure to spoil her so she won’t sleep tonight.” She joked.

The two of you walked back out to her car, and you buckled Sage into the back seat. “Oh, I think I forgot something inside. I’ll be right back.” You smiled before closing her door and walking into the shop. Robin knew exactly what you were doing, but she turned and talked to Sage to keep her occupied until you came back.

You walked back into the empty record shop and Eddie looked at you from the counter, “Hey- everything okay?” He asked. You smiled and walked behind the counter, then grabbed his hand and dragged him to the back room, which made him raise his eyebrows raise in shock, “What are you do-“

Once you were out of the field of view of the parking lot, you pulled Eddie down to kiss you. He was a bit surprised at first, but after a moment, he leaned into it and kissed you back, his arms wrapping around your waist.

Your arms wrapped around his shoulders and he pulled you close, melting into your presence. After a moment, he broke the kiss slowly and looked down at you, a little starstruck, “What was that about?” He asked, smiling against your lips, neither of you having backed away.

“I don’t care what anyone thinks. I like you.” You whispered, making eye contact with him and keeping him close.

He hummed, “I don’t either. And I like you too.” He leaned in once more and kissed you again, humming against your lips before you two separated, stepping back. “By the way, totally unfair that Sage gets a movie date before I do.”

You chuckled, “Our first date was a movie.”

“Yeah, but there wasn’t movie theatre popcorn.”

“Well I’m free this weekend if you want to go.”

He nodded and pecked you one more time before you turned and walked out, Eddie smacking your ass lightly as you walked away, causing you to giggle and roll your eyes as you left the store.

The ride to the theatre was filled with terrible singing, as Robin insisted on cranking up the radio and rolling the windows down. Once you guys pulled into the movie theatre parking lot, you helped Sage get out and the two of you held her hands, lifting her up and swinging her as you walked into the theatre.

You guys picked a child appropriate movie to watch, bought the tickets, then raided the concession stand, buying way more snacks than the three of you could consume within a 2 hour window. You found your seats and got comfy, passing the popcorn bucket between the three of you, Sage in the middle and having to use both hands, as the thing was half her size.

The movie started and Sage was transfixed, giggling at the obvious jokes while you and Robin chuckled at the jokes they included for the adults in the room. When she’d had her fill of the snacks, Sage sighed and leaned against you, resting her little head on your arm. You moved it and allowed her to rest on your side as you wrapped an arm around her.

You looked over at Robin, who’d noticed the sweet scene, and smiled softly. She gave you a subtle thumbs up and turned her attention back to the screen.

Eventually, Sage fell asleep against you, her head having slowly drifted to your lap with tired eyes. You played with her hair as she slept, and you and Robin sat through the rest of the movie, whispering “that’s what she said” every time the joke could’ve been set up.

Once the credits rolled, you slowly moved and picked Sage up, letting her sleep as you walked out to the car. You had to rouse her when you got in, though, as she needed to sit up so you could buckle her in. She whined, but complied, sleepy and rubbing her eyes.

The ride over to Eddie’s was quiet, the radio playing softly as you watched Hawkins pass outside of the window. Robin pulled into Eddie’s driveway and you suddenly realized that you hadn’t been to his house yet.

Sage had fallen asleep again in the backseat, so you slowly got her out, telling Robin that you had it- don’t worry. She stayed in the car as you walked to the front door and knocked, rubbing Sage’s back as you waited for him to answer.

Eddie opened the door and saw his baby girl asleep in your arms. The sight made his knees feel a little weak. “Hey.” He whispered, stepping aside to let you in.

You smiled and walked into his house. It was cozy. There weren’t many decorations, but there was a killer music collection in the living room, bookshelves lined with cassettes and records and CDs, along with a few different ways to play the music. An acoustic guitar sat in the corner, covered in sparkly princess stickers, courtesy of Sage. A bin of toys sat beside the couch, and Sage had apparently set up a stuffed animal tea party at the bar in the kitchen. You really wouldn’t have expected anything else. It was perfect.

“Sorry it’s kind of a mess.” He whispered.

You shook your head, “It’s fine.” You adjusted Sage on your hip, “Where’s her room? I can just go lay her down.”

He led you down a hallway and to a room that looked like a rainbow sparkle unicorn barfed in it. It was so cute. You laid Sage down in her little bed before you and Eddie snuck out. You stretched as the two of you walked back to the living room, “You have a good day at work?” You asked, raising your arms above your head and stretching your back.

“Yeah. The usual, I guess. Seeing you was nice.” He smiled, reaching over and placing a hand on your waist, “Thank you for taking Sage. She was so bored. I feel bad- I really can’t afford a regular babysitter during the summers, so I just take her with me. There’s a tv and stuff in the break room, but having to entertain yourself for that long when you’re five years old is not easy.”

You nodded, “Of course, Eddie. I love hanging out with her.” You hummed, “And if she’s ever bored again, you can always call me and I can take her for the day.”

“You don’t have to do that.” He said softly.

“Yeah, I don’t. But Sage is a fun kid. Plus it’ll get me out of the house. I feel like I’m rotting in there.” You joked.

He chuckled, “Thank you.” He whispered before pulling you in for a hug. You hugged him back, taking in how he smelled: dust from the record store, a stale cigarette, coffee, and cologne mixed into an interesting and intoxicating smell that was distinctly him. You backed out of the hug, then looked down the hallway to ensure Sage wasn’t walking down it before leaning up and kissing him sweetly.

“I’ll see you this weekend?” You asked, looking hopeful.

He nodded, “Of course. I can’t wait.” He smiled.

You nodded and left his house, piling back into Robin’s car and driving off, feeling warm and fuzzy all over. Maybe you could let yourself start to think about the future a little more.

Tag List: @mcueveryday @bebe0701 @emma77645 @edsforehead @manda-panda-monium @nina211544 @wendyfawcett @whisperinthewoods07

[serpentinesheldonserpentine]

Attitude. Duende. SWAGGER.

Pete Hamil and Jimmy Breslin. When giants walked the earth.

"Back in the day, I mean, you would buy the paper to see what Jimmy Breslin's saying. You know, what Pete Hamill [says]. I mean, those guys were like superstars.”– Spike Lee.

For the better part of four decades they roamed the city, talking to regular people and pounding out hundreds of thousands of words on deadline, becoming as noisy and funny and infuriating and integral a part of the city as the subway. What Breslin and Hamill did not do was wait around in hallways to be handed the official version of events. — Chris Smith writing in Vulture, 2019

Our friend @culturaloffering lamented the absence of swagger in today’s newspaper writers. While Breslin and Hamill were columnists, not newspaper beat writers, they both worked at major dailies and on deadline.

Today Breslin never could have an exchange in the pages of his paper with the at-large Son of Sam Killer, complimenting him on his use of a semicolon and asking him to surrender. “Too risky, an editor would advise. Legal says we might get sued”.

And Hamill? Oh, my. Adam Gopnik captured Pete perfectly: "A storyteller and man of the world, civil-rights activist and music critic, Brooklyn-bred but Manhattan-bound (as the Brooklyn-bred were for so long), Pete was the kind of figure who could be called, on the morning of his death, and in the Daily News, no less, “the Bard of the five boroughs”—called that straight up, no chaser, without the least trace of an ironic wink."

In Philadelphia we had Pete Dexter, a guy who appeared seemingly from nowhere, actually from the Dakotas and later, Florida. Dexter was a must read in a tabloid of must-reads. I remember the erudite and wise Chuck Stone, former aid to Adam Clayton Powell and tireless advocate for civil rights. Many on the lam Black criminals surrendered to Chuck, fearful of the notorious Philly cops. Jack McKinney, friend of boxer Sonny Liston. Jack would go away to The Troubles in Northern Ireland and write what he saw. Or to Latin America. Or the Greater Northeast ( a Philly neighborhood). He also hosted radio and TV shoes where he specialized in making everyone feel seen, heard, respected. He was a giant.

Where did I come in? Oh, yeah. Dexter. Pete Dexter wrote columns that delighted and infuriated people in equal measure. Pete was so good that he was beaten, almost to death, by a crowd of unhappy readers. It happened in a Grays Ferry Bar Pete visited to further explain his viewpoint from a recent column. Rather than complaining to the paper Ombudsman, the patrons locked the door and went at Dexter, some swinging rebar. They rarely missed.

I have a short honor roll of columnists I read as a man in my twenties. Breslin. Hamill. Dexter. McKinney. Jim Murray, the baseball sage from California. His column about losing his vision still produces a catch in my throat: "I lost an old friend the other day. He was blue-eyed, impish; he cried a lot with me, saw a great many things with me. I don’t know why he left me. Boredom perhaps.”

I don't think the Soy Boy Eunuch crowd at what passes for "the papers” as we called them can stomach reading these greats, much less trying to emulate them.

Great writing is always in short supply, but my God has it deserted the dailies?

[l0serloki]

ever so pampered chamber with a reader that doesn't take care of herself?

Chamber x Reader

WC : 710

Summary : You’re too caught up in other things to take care of yourself. Good thing Chamber is here to save the day.

CW : self doubt, self neglect, passing out

A/N : i swear to god I’m getting pissed off,, I’ve tried to upload this twice and tumblr said fuck you. Anyways, I loved the idea and had two ideas for it. Maybe in the future I’ll write the other. Thank you for the request!!

You loved Chamber. He was what kept you looking forward to the future. To say you spoiled him was an understatement - you would do anything he asked. He was always setting his head down in your lap asking for head pats or rubs on his back. You pampered the man with massages and kisses, even making him dinner sometimes! You didn’t want him to have to worry much about you with the stress he went through at work.

You hadn’t really noticed the lack of sleep, food, or really care you were giving yourself. Busy with working on projects with KJ during the day and getting your most out of your time with Chamber, it was your least priority. That was until you had passed out.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” KJ’s voice floated around your head, your eyes unable to open. That was the last thing you remember before waking up.

“Y/N! You’re awake!” You turned to face Sage, eyes groggy with sleep. “Why am I here?” You questioned the woman and she hummed.

“You are not taking care of yourself, that is why. You passed out in KJ’s lab and have been asleep for the past 12 hours. It’s about 10 am now - you should go home. Chamber was really worried about you but I kicked him out. I also talked to Brim for you two to have the week off, don’t let it happen again Y/N.”

You weren’t surprised but it was a bit embarrassing that it hadn’t gotten to this point. You thanked Sage before walking out to make your way back to your apartment.

Unlocking the door, you walked into your shared apartment. You were met with the sound of Chamber’s classical music filling the air.

“Oh mon cœur, you’re finally home.” Chamber had ran towards you, pulling you into a tight embrace. “I was so worried about you. I talked with Sage. You should’ve told me you were stressed! I’m sorry I didn’t even notice sooner..” His voice trailed off, arms rubbing circles in your back. You kissed at the flesh of his neck, glad to be in his warmth.

You felt like crying. You hadn’t wanted him to worry about you but yet here you were, stuck in this predicament. Could you not even do simple tasks right?

“To be honest, I didn’t even notice it much myself. I just really wasn’t focused. No reason to feel bad - I just need to be more on top of it.” Your voice wavered, tears threatening to fall.

“My love, there is no need to cry or feel bad. I would be in the same boat if it weren’t for you. You always spoil me and keep me on schedule.” His warm hands wiped at your cheeks, delicate lips smothering you in kisses.

After standing in each others embrace for a few minutes, Chamber spoke up. “Well I will be watching out for you more. You mean a lot to me and I want to pamper you. I should’ve been doing this more often anyways. I love you.”

“I love you too, Vin.” You could feel yourself coo at his words, honored that he cared so much.

“On another note, I made dinner for us. Come and have a look.” Vincent shuffled you along to the kitchen, the table set up even with candles and wine glasses.

“Well doesn’t this look lovely..” You pecked his cheek as you sat down, getting comfortable. “I sure hope so. I tried my best with it!”

The two of you talked about past dreams and random mishaps in life, downing a bottle of wine in the process.

“I wasn’t trying to get you drunk mon amour, I just wanted a nice little date night.” He cheekily picked you up bridal style, carrying you into the bedroom. “Yeah well it’s my week off mister, I’ll drink if I want to.” You booped his nose as his hands slid the sheets over you. “I suppose you are right, rest easy ma belle. We have a good week ahead of us.” The two of you met in a heated kiss before he pulled away. You could only smile - you did have a good week ahead of you.

[evilminji]

Okay they've haunted me enough. I've gotta share um or I'll go insane.

✨️HUMAN SUMMONS.✨️

Because Homosapiens(prob spelled wrong) are animals too! And you CAN NOT tell me.. CAN NOT, I SAY! That the MONKEY'S have a Contract but there would be not consequent HUMAN Summon!

Now, this does not mean they are still ALIVE. But I'll get back to this in a second.

First? What ARE the Summons?? What purpose do the SERVE? I theorize they serve as Minor Gods. No real or great power, Cosmicly, but meant to regulate and allow the circulation of Chakra through... well, EVERYTHING.

It was a great and all encompassing delegation. Sheep focus of the Chakra of sheep. Oak trees focus of the Chakra of Oak trees. And Humans focus on the Chakra of Humans. Who, at the time, could not ACCESS it, but lived off it none the less.

A closed and arguably balanced system.

Then? Hey? What's that in the sk- OH FUCK PARASITE TREE!

A HUMAN eating parasite tree from fuckin space starting EATING the planet. Everyone's freaking out. Summons are pulling back. Trying to FIGHT back. Dying.

The Human summons? We return to what happened to them. The fuckin TREE happened. They get sick. Get consumed. Try to rally their children against the abomination. Their Chakra, the Chakra of HUMANITY, gets tied up in the tree.

The Sage happens.

Trust them with "their own lives".

He's left holding Humanity's very life force with no where to put it. The people literally MADE to watch it are... gone. There really is only one alternative.

Much like OTHER animals who no longer have gaurdians. New ones will form though, surely, The Sage must think. It's temporary. But a good chance for the world to grow. Like acorns sprouting after a terrible fire.

Except? Babies can't happen from Nobody Left and the Human Summons STAY extinct.

But!!! Is there truly NOTHING that can be done? I here you ask?

Weeeeeeell....

I mean...................

You COULD try and rob the Hokage?

Your dumbfounded silence is both expected and entirely justified. Yes. THAT Hokage. The Professor. Old as BALLS and surround by stab happy, mask wearing, psychopaths.

Now I hear you ask, questioning my sanity, "Why the fuck would I do that?"

Never SAID you would succeed! Now did I? Of course you won't! That's not the objective here! No, see, the Hokage has a Summons contract. Specifically, for the Monkey King. VERY handy that...

Useless to us though.

Close but incorrect. Made on the right paper with the right ink, it doesn't even contractually bind the summoned monkey to hear you out. They can just immediately leave. And that's on TOP of it summoning "A Sapien". Quite literally ANY saipan.

However! A LOT of people want it. Including many of his relatives. And you would not BELIEVE the number of people willing to go to truly suicidal lengths to get that scroll! Utter madness. And utterly useless, seeing as it's stored IN the Monkey's realm.

But! To keep people from tearing his public facing office apart looking for a scroll that doesn't exsist? From targeting his children, his GRANDchildren? Attacking his home? Well... He had Enma make a dummy Scroll.

At least... that was the THEORY.

No one would be DUMB enough to USE it though. And ANBU would never let anyone get far enough to TRY. Honestly, it was just as likely the scroll would simply explode. Improper fuinjutsu is no joke.

Buuuuuuuuut? If you WERE skilled enough? And say, everyone was distracted enough? By someone stealing a small child from the Hyuuga? Then for the glory of Kumo you could TOTALLY do it!

Get caught.

Then chased half way across the village.

Maybe panic. Remember you supposedly have a Powerful New Summons and sign your suspiciously blank scroll in blood. Be laughed at by the anbu chasing you.

Baffle the Anbu chasing you when you go to summon something and it works.

And there is-!?

Some Lady! In her sleep shirt. With a toothbrush still in her mouth because you literally JUST kidnapped her from her bathroom. (O. O ) mmmph?! She says. Stumbles back from the nearest Anbu, (who, to his credit DOES try to catch her) falls OFF the roof, hits a window ledge on the ways down... HARD... and~ *POOF* A Summons has been sent back?

Kumo dude books it.

That contract will be causing PROBLEMS.

For you see~ Reincarnation is a very much CONFIRNED fact in this reality! But where do Summons go, when they die? They surely can't be allowed to STAY! They held FAR too much power amongst their species. The risk they run of becoming corrupted by it is too great. The need the nice, balancing effect of being Just Some Dude.

So? You move they sideways! Pick um up, turn towards a neighbor, and swap minor-god souls. That way you won't be tempted to favor them or intervene. Gotta let them grow on their own. That's the POINT.

Exceeept? If someone were to make a Contract. That effectively called for THEM SPECIFICALLY. But... they are dead. Gone. Except of course they're not. That's their soul right over there! Who are you trying to fool? The list of Human Summons says that's one of the souls you can call upon. And since NO ONE HAS UPDATED IT?

Because everyone was dead?

Yoink!

Confused office worker! Sitting in the ruins of the Human Summons Realm and NOT their apartment. Wondering if this is divine punishment for their pre-teen weeb phase. Then some OTHER guy just... *POOF*s in. Then a third. A forth.

And they're all trapped. In what looks like the overgrown, half sunk ruins of a giant futuristic city. Except for the parts that aren't? As they look around its like every culture and age of humanity was smushed together and drowned. They have endless resources. Literally. Since the city keeps slowly shifting and changing around them, piles of junk endlessly refilling.

But... They're trapped. And just as they finally think they are getting a little settlement up and running? The PROTAGONIST *Poofs!* in and nearly lands in the cooking fire. Scares them all half to death. That?! That is a whole ass child! Small! Tiny small baby child! Why is he HERE!? Why is he hurt!? AaaaaAAAA-*everyone panics*

Naruto? Having a GRAND time. He has no idea where he is, but everyone here like him. Feeds him and listens to him. And wants to be his friends! That "poof a friend" jutsu was the BEST just he EVER copied! He's GLAD he stole it!

Back home? Konoha is losing its shit. Kakashi is 👌THIS close to snapping like a twig in a typhoon. The Uchiha are literally shaking people upside-down from roof tops demanding answers. The Nara are actually AWAKE. No ones happy and many things are on fire.

Ultimately, Naruto refuses to leave without signing a contract (good GOING Andrew! He's supposed to sign with the TOADS!) and no amount of begging or bargaining would work. They... they were threatened with tears, man. It was like looking at the saddest kicked puppy in the universe. So NOW?

Now Naruto is on the SACRED mission... of Find The Asshole With That Contract That Brought Us Here. Then Burn It. With the SUB mission of get them a meeting with the Monkey King so they can yell at him and/or kick him in the balls. Either or. Both work. In return?

All of human progress that they can scrounge up. Let's see if Zetsu can survive industrial plant killer. Fuck those guys who won't sell to you baby, save your money, here's a crate of FANCY Ramens. Have a solid gold brick. We literally have no use for it. We were using it as a shiny paperweight.

And so, with the power of "I Know A Guy" and "let me check the trash pile"! The day is.... made more interesting! Saved maybe!

And yes, these summons are free to as many good writing homes as want um! Just tell me so I can read.

[ginneke]

already too late (if we arrive at all) - #3

It's a little late, sorry, but here's part three! I know it's late, but firstly, I wasn't at my best yesterday. Secondly, it's longer. Those are my excuses.

Technically no Revali in this one, and only indirect Link. We've got some other perspectives this time. (Including insight into a certain character that some of my readers have met before, in a different story. Minor perception check ahoy for A Seed of Song.)

Note: there's hints at [hylia / the spirit of the hero] and zelink in this one, but only hints.

–

Pairing: Link / Revali Rating: T

(A soulmate AU, sort of.)

– Prompt #3: was it something i did? –

It is said that once, a very long time ago, so long ago that any records have faded into legend, and legend slowly morphing into myth…

Once, a long time ago, a goddess fell in love with a mortal.

But while she gave up her divine powers and came to live as humans did, for love of that brief life, still she could not overcome his mortality. He fell in battle and her hands could not turn back the blow, nor stem the fast elapsing time that raced towards a sunset when her own lifespan was an eternal dawn.

She grieved. Oh, how she grieved: for a goddess, half-mortal yet still half-divine, it must have been the first she felt of such an emotion. Sorrow, for the love she’d lost. Yet joy as well, for the happiness even a few short years had wrought.

And so it was writ upon her, a hope and a prayer to be reunited with that lost soul again as fate’s wheel turned; and to know, this time, just how long they might have: that she might know to be grateful for each day, and not waste time waiting for that inevitable end, hands spinning out a spool without knowing where the thread might snap.

—

Ah. But then the marks started appearing on others, too.

—

Link is twelve years old when the mark appears upon his wrist.

It's the first time in a very long time that one of Hateno's children has been so blessed, and some people point out -- well, of course it would be that child; why, he'd been marked out as special for so long already, since the day he claimed to see mighty Naydra in the sky above the dragon-god's mountain home; to say nothing of his strange self-possession around weapons, the one thing that everyone agreed was odd, but some children were like that, figuring out their interests from very early on and clinging to them tightly, without deviation. 

Well, that's besides the point, really. The point is this: at first, Link's soulmark is something positive, something innocent. Nobody in Hateno has the skill to read the threads, and there's no time to detour all the way to Zora's Domain, where their priest and their princess both have a reputation for being able to understand the mark of years, the unspooling thread and the countdown of time. How long the mark might bear the touch of gold, and just when the span of potential time would fade to ashen grey.

Bless her, but Hild tries to advocate for that anyway. Vicente knows her well enough to see through to the ulterior motive — to give Link the chance to see his friends among the Zora youths, since he's… always struggled, somewhat, at connecting with other Hylians. (The army’s cadets tend to see him as a threat.)

But duty calls, and Vicente cannot be away from his post much longer — and there are, at least, still options, even if they’re not the choices his wife thinks best. Still, he makes his promises: Hild is stubborn, and won’t be satisfied unless he agrees to have Link’s soulmark read. He has to know, she says - insists really - and Vicente can understand why. 

There might not be anyone capable of reading the threads here, in Necluda, but it’s different in the heartlands of Hyrule. So many hold the potential of the sages’ bloodlines, there. Better that they find answers for LInk soon, and from friendly quarters. 

Still, it isn't until their return to Central Hyrule that Vicente learns just how mixed a blessing the soulmark really is.

He argues for and wins a day’s leave further, long enough to take Link to the temple on the banks of the Regencia, and the sage who meets with them blanches at the sight of the gold around Link’s wrist. She’s quick to bid the boy sent away; she refuses to proclaim it within his earshot.

…The thread, she whispers to Vicente in hushed tones, is... a lot shorter than any other she's seen or heard of; why, she fears it won't even last six years.

--

Link's ears are sharper than the sage suspected. 

Link is, understandably, quite upset.

These things… aren’t unknown, though. And so Vicente can only repeat something he heard, once, from his own father, whose wrist had been marked by an ashen smudge by that point — “Not every bond is one of romantic love, lad…”

Link looks at him with an expression of fierce betrayal and refuses to talk to him for a sennight.

…Vicente should have seen this coming. A child like Link, so unlike the other children his age, would surely be attached to the thought of his bonded even without the reality of that person in front of them; and to know that that person wouldn’t survive much past his own entrance into adulthood…

Link always has had such a strong sense of justice.

Still, though there’s always that faint sense of a strain in their relationship now, his son does lapse back into obedience for a time; and if he refuses to speak to Vicente about the soulmark, well — that’s something he probably deserves, and something he hopes to fix with time…

Then his son goes missing.

Sending him to the training camp near Eldin was a mistake; it almost leads Vicente to blows with the man who’d ordered it. For all Link’s adaptivity, for all his skill and all his certainty with each and every weapon that finds its way to his hands — he’s just a boy, and Hild was right: he’s too young by far to be here. 

Vicente pleads to be allowed to leave his post; his commanding officer refuses. He petitions somebody else, and his requests fall on uncaring ears. 

He’s on the verge of leaving anyway, duty be damned, when Link reappears, a full week later, trailing an unfamiliar sword that’s almost as tall as he is. 

Unfamiliar to Vicente. The kingdom’s Sheikah allies, steeped in the histories and the dark whispers of their nation’s past, recognise it at once: Blade of Evil’s Bane. The Sword That Seals The Darkness.

The blade which, according to legend, answers to but a single hand.

If anyone still doubted the portents of the Calamity’s return, there’s no doubt now. Not now that sacred sword has been found. They drag Link in front of the young princess, who echoes the pretty words of ceremony and looks at him with pain shadowing her eyes: it’s been over five years since Her Royal Highness, the Queen, passed away; and despite her heartfelt efforts to awaken the sealing powers she’s meant to inherit, still the princess’ birthright eludes her. Vicente’s son must be a living symbol of everything she has yet to achieve.

Vicente can only try to watch out for the boy as best he can. 

He writes to Hild. She replies to him with silence. Still, at least Hild does write to Link; Aryll as well, in her clumsy six-year-old hand. Link shares the letters with him, the way he always did, and he doesn’t suspect a thing.

Vicente bears it quietly, the crumbling wilderness that his marriage has become: he reflects, and thinks it fair. Hild had never wanted this for Link. For him to be a soldier was the extent of what she could accept; she never wanted him to tread the path of knighthood. This is something out of a nightmare. There’s no chance at all that Link will be allowed to live out a quiet life in Hateno, now or at any time, and even the opportunities to visit home, which were always few and far between, will soon be beyond them.

The mistakes are his. He let Link follow too long in his shadow.

…But that’s not the only thing.

It would be one thing if it was just the sword. But soon a whisper starts to surge through the court, eyes trailing after Link with suspicion and fear. Not for anything he had done, but because of the mark on his wrist. The bloodline of the Goddess and the warrior fated to wield the Master Sword are entwined throughout history and legend, their destinies following the same path.

Princess Zelda is but eleven years old, still weeks shy of her twelfth birthday. Too young, yet, for any answering soulmark to appear upon her. But if it does —

If it does, and she is tied to Link —

If so, Princess Zelda has less than six years to live. 

—

“What did I do wrong?” Link wants to know, twelve and scared and overshadowed by the fears of the adults around him, and Vicente holds his son like he hasn’t since he was a tiny child, just seven years old. He’s still tiny, tucked into Vicente’s side and shaking like a sapling in a storm. “What did I…”

Nothing — Link did nothing wrong, and it’s cruel, so cruel, for these children to bear such a fate and the burden of an entire nation’s fears. But all Vicente can offer is this. He holds his son and lets the force of Link’s emotions shudder through him, lodging behind his ribs like blades.

He prays — not to Hylia, but to Hild’s ancient goddesses instead. Spare him, he pleads. Isn’t this enough? Hasn’t the soulmark brought Link enough pain? He doesn’t even know who his fated match is, and yet…

Spare him. Please.

—

Vicente’s prayer is answered.

The day of the princess’ twelfth birthday dawns, and her wrist remains quietly empty.

Princess Zelda is the only person disappointed by this. To hear the rumours, she thinks it is just another way that Fate has looked at her and found her wanting. Under other circumstances, Vicente might have felt some sympathy for the girl. But he, like so many others, can only feel relieved, even if his reasons stem from a different source.

The pressure on Link eases, the stares subsiding as though they’d never looked at him or his soulmark and seen the stain of treachery in them. But they can’t pretend it never happened. Even if he’ll never be allowed to act on it, Vicente remembers and quietly nurses the start of a lifelong grudge.

So does Link. Too-young Link, passionate enough to feel an impotent rage over the way they looked at him and inexperienced enough to show it, until Vicente has no choice but to take him aside and to bid him to try to temper his anguish, if but a little.

But Link can’t accept that. He turns wild eyes upon his father and demands, with all the premature grief of a loss Vicente cannot spare him from, “Why?”

Why. Oh, why indeed. What can he say to his son, that might explain the fickleness of people’s hearts? To  the experienced or the jaded it is obvious; because she is the princess of Hyrule, and its last remaining heir. The last potential claimant to the only certain power that stands between their country and the nigh-guaranteed destruction that awaits. 

But that’s not what his son is asking, is it?

In reality, it is only because she is of the royal line, the last of the royal line, and so she matters more, in the eyes of the kingdom, than some nameless, faceless someone.

Link stares at him like he’s a stranger. 

“They matter too,” he insists, that indomitable sense of justice raising its head again and stoking Link to a fury. “They matter!”

“They matter to you,” Vicente agrees. 

But he’s never had the gift of gentle speech, and what he means is this — he’s proud of Link. Proud of him for caring. Proud of Link’s principles and his unflinching sense of justice. He’s so, so proud and he wishes more than anything that he’d been granted more eloquence; maybe then Link would understand him.

That’s not what Link hears: to him, Vicente’s words are the blunt blow of reproach. He sees the way Link goes rigid, and doesn’t know how to prevent the distance that rips its way between them in that moment.

Link pulls away.

This time his silence doesn’t last a mere sennight. A fortnight, a month goes by, three months, and by the time Vicente realises that Link’s newfound silence goes far beyond stubbornness, it’s been more than a year and comes far too late. Link doesn’t speak to anyone, anymore. His secrets are locked up tight behind an impassive mask he learned to wear too young. 

Vicente suspects his anger still burns as fiercely as it ever did. But he cannot say for sure: the young man forming behind his son’s face is a stranger to him, and Vicente has long since lost his trust.

All that’s left to him is his duty and his prayers.

Let Link find that person soon.

Let the legends be true

Let him find a way to value the time they have, and not mourn the lost potential of years.

It’s a foolish hope. But for his son’s sake, Vicente hopes for it all the same.

[robot-thighs]

rank the dragon age companions by how likely they are to fuck a transformer and which one. you pick the game.

oh my god. this is so powerful.

you KNOW I have to go with DA2. Starting from least likely to most:

#9 Sebastian: His body is for the Maker only 🙏

#8 Carver: He won't let himself be open-minded enough, for one thing. And I don't think he'd get off on multi-million year old war criminals. I don't think he would fuck Armada Starscream, but I think he should fuck Armada Starscream so they can work out their inferiority complexes together.

#7 Fenris: He's so bitter and intolerant I can't imagine him getting this close to a robot but given the opportunity... IDW Drift.

#6 Aveline: I mean, I feel like she'd shoot the idea down initially, but if she were properly wooed, she could definitely get down with a good robot fuck. She likes 'em boring and honorable. Definitely IDW Ultra Magnus.

#5 Bethany: She's tenderhearted and open-minded. She would definitely fuck a Cybertronian if they showed her some kindness and understanding in turn. Also, mages aren't shy about xeno in my humble opinion. TFP Arcee. -nods sagely-

#4 Varric: He's down. It would make a good story. Like how can he even top a story like this. TFP Predaking for pure virtue of the fact that he's both a robot and a dragon and that makes the story even better.

#3 Anders: He's a tortured soul but he's got his kinks so I'm gonna say TFP Soundwave.

#2 Isabela: Naturally. Why wouldn't you fuck a Cybertronian if you were given the chance? Like, just to say you did? Right? Someone high profile, too. But still sweet. She would be the one to land IDW Optimus Prime.

#1 Merrill: This freak would fuck Unicron himself.

[luescris]

No okay you guys listen listen I realized this a few hours ago

You know what the main theme of Frontiers is?? Do you know. It's fucking love.

It's about how much Sonic loves his friends. How he would literally do anything for them. I mean it wasn't just about that but it was clearly part of it and it's even better when you realize they were all different kinds of love. Like

For Amy, it was more of a romantic kind of love (DONT COME AT ME YOU CANT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE ABOUT THIS OKAY). LIKE LEGIT. SHE TALKED ABOUT HOW SHE WANTED TO SPREAD LOVE ACROSS THE WORLD. AND THE KOCOS WE HELPED. ONE WAS LOVERS ISTG

For Tails it was a brotherly love because oh my god the amount of times Sonic said he was worried for Tails even right to him I just. Aghhhhh he was so concerned and so attentive to Tails's emotions and not only that he told him he was proud of him and aaaaa im going to sob

For Knuckles it was like a rivalry kind of love. Can't say much about Sonic's interaction with this because it was more focused on like. Backstory stuff I think but it was VERY clear they respected each other. And the way Knuckles was like "I can't loose this!" when talking about a part of his ancestry and Sonic made sure he didn't I just. jajshdbshsgs

And it's not even only just that. Even Eggman (Although I don't like him in the least but can at least understand how/why he would have like. A daughter in Sage. He literally made her with his own hands). had Sage, who saw him as a father. And was the one to point out the love between Tails and Sonic. And it changed her motive. It's the fact that Sonic did not stop, no matter how much pain he was in, until he was acting made to and on the verge of death. No matter what happened to him. All he wanted was to save his friends because that's just how much he cared and I am going to cry about it.

This wasn't him saving the world this time. Like it sort of was at the end. But in general, all he wanted was his friends back.

I am so fucking happy that we got to see that side of Sonic. I mean I knew before he did care for them there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he did. but this game it was just. So much more profound and there and it makes my heart MELT.

[gifted-cardinal]

Success and fails of the sleepless nights - Tighnari x Student Reader

"If you don't take care of yourself, there will be no paper that you can finish"

TW: University, sleep deprivation, self-doubt, good ending.

WC: 2 872

Summary: scenario about platonic Tighnari helping poor, sleep deprived student Reader. Slight angst to comfort I guess

__________________

Learning is exhausting.

Scratch that.

Learning is not exhausting in itself, you used to be very fond of it.

Academy is exhausting. And not even the institution itself, it's the people. Especially the current, oh so mighty, Sages.

Scratch that again.

It's not even solely about the Sages. It's about hierarchy. Everyone with a title higher than yours is entitled to treat you like air or lesser of a person than they are. Those who once have been treated this way now have taken over this "privilege".

Just push yourself a bit more, at least finish this paper and you will submit it again and then it all will be okay.

How weird. You really used to be curious about the world, willing to explore it and it's laws. Sit with the book you found interesting. And now you only hope to be done with this whole Academiya and never touch a book again.

Where did you go wrong?

Anyway, such thinking is for when there's time for it. Paper. Finished paper is all you need now. Just submit the paper and be done with this

Scratch this again and scratch that again

Submit the paper.

Only for it to be denied again, because your professor decided that his subject is so complicated and important that only ten percent of each year can pass it. With the lowest grade acceptable. Propably not even God of Wisdom would get the highest mark.

Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scra...

"Be silent, do you think people come here to listen to you demolishing papers? I come here at night so the likes of you don't disturb up my studies" a shillouete appears on your paper and you look up at the man standing just before you. Another scholar. He's not even looking at you, his eyes gaze at your paper, reading, then he grimaces "They'd be better used in toilet anyway I see" he scoffes and before you can say anything, he makes his way out of here.

Ah, right.

You're still at library.

You sigh and fall back into your chair. Exhaustion and frustration finally let themselves be fully known to you after all those hours you've spent here. Your head and legs feel as numb as if they disappeared altogether. You grimace as you try to find another, comfortable position on that chair. It didn't do much. You're still exhausted and your drink has run cold a long time ago. You take one last sip of your coffee. Bitter and cold. But maybe you will visit those merchants near the Academiya to get yourself something to eat and a hot drink. You know you need to hand this paper tomorrow morning.

Just a few more lines until it's acceptable to be submitted. Then screw it all and wait for the verdict. Maybe the Celestial grace will take pity upon you and you will pass.

Or you will be forced to pay money for the retake like majority of this madman's students.

You grab your things and get ready to leave. You pass through the silent library and then the corridor. It's no surprise that these corridors seem more desolate than ever. It's middle of the night and even a thought of laying down on these cold tiles is tempting. Anything for a wink of sleep.

"Was that Tighnari?" you hear and stop to look at two students talking near you. That was a name you haven't heard in a while.

"Yeah, he was called here by the Sage to join them in their project, but he refused again" says other shocked student. First one sighs and shakes his head

"I can't believe it, if I were him, I'd be happily join them, even with no pay"

"And that's why you're not me" a voice sounds from behind you. Two students look shocked at Tighnari, he stood just beside you, at the doors. Tighnari narrows his eyes and crosses his arms

"M-master Tighnari...we didn't mean to insult you..." starts one of them

"You know what, do make yourself a favour and consider if you really would join them" says Tighnari with a frown "You'd happily wag your tail even if they told you to forsake your lives for their plans, wouldn't you?"

"B-but Academiya's projects are done to improve all of our lives...!"starts the other student, but under Tighnari's gaze, he retreats with his words.

"It's not my buisness. Neither are you, go and be a mindless zombie" he adds in harsh tone and two students hurry off as they glance behind themselves. Tighnari then looks at you and your sleep deprived form. "What? You too?"

You think of what does he mean but your brain feels mushy and your stomach decides to play the song of drums. The botanist sighs as he looks at cup of dried coffee in your right hand and papers in your left.

"...when will you fools understand that humans aren't machines. You don't pour coffee into yourself like you pour oil into some device and expect it to run for days" he says with an annoyed sigh.

Now, this is embarassing.

A senior of yours, a man who became a graduate at such young age, is looking at you struggling to even keep your position in the Academiya as a student. He talks about somethings, his tone not getting any gentler. But you don't hear him anymore.

People like him are far beyond your reach. You can't even get this fucking paper done. And now you can't even stop your tears from leaving your eyes as they stain your hard work. His face is a blur for you now, you can only see how one of his ears twitches, propably annoyed with your emotional outburst. Your hand turns into a fist as the papers get crumpled, something you already regret. You look shocked at the paper and open your mouth begging the paper to be okay.

"Is this why this all fuss is about?" asks Tighnari, in neutral tone. You shield the paper from him. Too ashamed of yet another person seeing your work as a disgrace to a research field. "Come on, show me that" he says, and you neither do give it to him or hold it to yourself.

You'd gladly melt into the background, along with all your worthless papers.

He takes it from your hand, and you don't stop him anymore. You just do as always, when you hand in your papers.

You look down, until he gives a silent verdict, tears the paper and tells you not to waste his time.

You used to take pride in your projects. And now at the thought of these projects from this man's lessons...you freeze.

"Ah, so you're a student of his" says Tighnari as he narrows his eyes to be able to read informations from the damaged paper "This bastard...which retake of yours is it, eh?" he asks as he looks at you. Struggle and tell which one it is and he will humm "So you've got to hand it tomorrow...tell me, [Name] do you think this paper will pass?" he asks as he looks at you.

Wait, how even did he know your name? You didn't personally know him, just heard of him.

And how did he know you had to hand it in tomorrow?

"I've read it on the paper, you lummox" he says as he waves the paper before your eyes.

Ah, right. There was your name and tomorrow's date.

Tighnari looks at you, as you try to race your thoughts through that sleep deprived brain of yours. He sighs as he crosses his arms.

"How about it then, I will submit it tomorrow on your behalf. And you will take some rest."

Thought of thanking him for that ran through your head. But what will happen then? The two of them will have the laugh of their lives?

Irresponsible. You are irresponsible.

"No, you're just exhausted" says Tighnari "I mean it" he waves the paper again "I will be here tomorrow morning, just in time to meet your teacher. I will hand it in for you. Don't worry about it, I know him."

Corruption? A word from another person for you to pass? If that makes you pass, you might as well take it. At this point you just want to get it over with.

You ask Tighnari why would he do it and he sighs

"I'm no random, I too learnt here I guess you know about it. And I guess I grew nostalgic, maybe I'm searching for a reason to talk to him" he says as he glances at the paper. "So? What do you say?"

You agree and he nods, hiding the paper in his bag. He glances at the window outside.

"Actually I was already leaving the Academiya. So let's leave together, okay? You look like you'd pass out any moment" he says and you follow him. He was a good observer, you really were in a bad shape. Random trip on the stairs, knocking your head into the lamp pole or almost walking off the path seemed to be your exact thing that night.

"So, you live in the Dormitory or somewhere else?" he makes sure and seeing your nod, he nods to himself "Good, it's near enough" he adds as you two see the familiar buildings with Akademiya's signs.

"Remember to have some sleep and drink a lot. No coffee, just water. While you're at it, get some medications and vitamins as well, okay?" he tilts his head as his one ear flops a bit and you've got to hold back from trying to tap his ear. He only blinks slowly. "Go and have some rest" he only adds and leaves you.

---

You wake up, feeling the hot rays of sun on your skin. You stretch your arms until you get a cramp in them and sharply roll to the side. You wait for the pain to pass and then get up, panicked as you see the hour. You woke up two hours after your lessons have started.

Lessons with that guy too. And you don't have your paper.

You barely remember your meeting with Tighnari. It's a memory foggy enough for you to consider it a hallucination because of your sleep deprivation. You were still in your school uniform as well. You might have just crashed here and made it all up.

Worst thing - there's no paper. You must have lost it somewhere. You're fucked.

You grab your bag and run off your dormitory, feeling the exhaustion set in again with each of your steps. Tears appear in the corners of your eyes as you rush through people and into the Akademiya.

But as you run towards the doors of your class, you see people walking out of it.

It's done. The final term passed and you didn't hand your paper. You might have made it, but now it's impossible.

"...haha yeah, that was amazing. I can't believe we don't have to look at that asshat anymore" laughs one of your classmates to another as they pass you.

What.

You get in front of them and ask them questions. What the hell did they mean? Why is everyone so happy when they just quit his classroom?

They gave you weird looks and ask whether you're alright.

But it's no time to ask this!

"Chill [Name]" says one of the students "Ya see, we all passed. And we won't see that asshat anymore, it was the last lesson with him."

They passed? They just passed because they were present that day? You were present almost everyday and it never happened! What the fuck have you done

"Hey, I told you, chill. You passed too" he says and you look at him like at some idiot. "I mean...we passed thanks to you, mostly."

What.

"Your paper was a joint project with Master Tighnari. He was the one defending the project"

"That guy was roasting mr Asshat nicely! Seriously can't believe he's round our age!" another student jumps in with a huge grin as they hook an arm around the other student's neck "Mr "Asshat was supposed to review us all in those two hours, but picked you first and then that fox kept talking and talking and asking him questions...he had him in there, defeated! Should have seen that...!" he starts

"Hey, if you're going to talk about me at least classify me correctly" the student's face dies a bit as he looks back and steps away, revealing Tighnari "I've got no connections with foxes. Valuka Shuna is a race that shares Large Desert Dog's features. Not fox." he narrows his eyes and the student chuckles a bit nervously.

"I'm...sorry sir Tighnari"

"Whatever, run off now" says Tighnari and the students cheer in excitement for their luck in classes and leave the Akademiya. "So...did you sleep well?" he looks at you

Man, this too is embarassing. So embarassing that you can feel the burning shame run through your back and arms...

Wait, that's no embarassment.

That's another muscle cramp

"For real?" Tighnari sighs as he grabs your arm and bends it a bit, you feel a little bit of pain and then relief. You sigh out as you thank him "As I thought, not only are you exhausted but dehydrated as well...take some care of yourself, seriously" he says.

You thank him now for helping you pass, you almost can't help the grin that tugs at your cheeks, despite tiredness.

"No problem, you see, I really did seek out the way to meet up with that teacher of yours. He has been Akademiya's scarecrow for some time by now. It annoys me how people like him treat students, people who are here willingly to learn, right? Besides, I've asked another researcher in that field and your paper was really alright" he looks at you and then thinks a bit "Since you've passed...Do you have any plans for the summer break?"

Summer break? Does he mean 'crash in your room for months and try not to think of yet another year of academic torment'?

But you answer him truthfully, you don't. He nods pleased.

"Good. You will help me"

You help him? How in the world?

"I have a shortage of Forest Watchers you see, I will gladly get someone into our team. You need not to worry about housing or food for that time. I don't really expect you to do more than you can. You will help my other trainee, what do you say?" he asks.

There goes your staying in the dormitory room. You almost sulk at the idea of having yet another scholar to answer to.

"What's with that face? It's not a life sentence. If you don't want to, just tell me" he says

And you can't push yourself to answer him in one way. You're good with writing papers just before the deadline and being stressed out. Will  you be able to do well as a Forest Watcher?

"Not the Forest Watcher but a trainee. You will just help around" he says and sighs "Personally I too think it would be best for you to rest from this place. Humans aren't used to living in such conditions...and no, I don't mean my kind. People. Overall. It's noisy, you have how little sleep now at your academic year? Five at most?" he scoffes and shakes his head as he looks outside the window, his one ear tilts

"You will understand once you stay a bit outside of here. If you decide to go back, I won't stop you. Just give yourself a chance to see how your mind will react to another environment, okay?" he looks back at you.

How could you say no? Not only did he save your ass, he also feels concerned about you. And being a scholar, he does know his stuff. Maybe he's right and this summer break will be a good rest for you?

You agree and he smiles at that. You two hear the footsteps and see the teacher you have been having so much headache about lately.

He was carrying some boxes with papers.

"Going on a break professor?" asks Tighnari with a hint of smugness

"Fuck you Tighnari." hisses the lecturer and walks out of the academiya.

"Interestingly enough, I too have offered him that summer break session" he says and you look at the fox man with horror. He grins amused at that "I'm just joking, don't worry. He too was long time burnt out. I know he's been only looking for an excuse to leave and go join his brother at a farm"

Farm? Is he joking?

That asshat? All crops are going to wither.

"In two weeks Collei will come to the city for some resources and she will collect you on her way back. Ah, right. Collei is a trainee Forest Watcher. Your soon to be colleague too. Take good care of her" he adds as he walks out. Call out to him and he will turn around

"What? Can't wait two weeks? Then make haste and come with me now."

This will be an interesting summer break.

-----

-----

A/N: And yes, I will propably make another one based briefly on this one. Something along the lines: "Tighnari oversees reader's reconvalescence and the two grow close".

If anyone wants to support sleep deprived student, here's my kofi:

Ko-Fi

[pttucker]

"Stories should be permitted to even those who have failed." The ones that had forgotten about themselves weren't even allowed to enjoy the opportunities of the scenarios. The < Star Stream > gagged them, and made sure that their words would become incomprehensible to others. […Is that what you truly believe?] Douzhanshengfo asked, his unreadable eyes still locked on me. No, more correctly, he was looking at the power of Chaos rising out from my body. [And you wish to sacrifice your whole being and become an 'Outer God'?] "…That's correct." The Great Sage was yawning with a bored face during my answer and once he was done, spoke his opinion. [Are you done with your confirmation? I told you, didn't I? This guy's really like that.] […Indeed.]

Lmfao I love that everyone who gets to know Dokja is just "no seriously that's just how Dokja is" while everyone who hasn't been watching this wild, scheming little baby Constellation / Nebula run amok is like "no surely he must not understand the consequences."

Oh, he does. He always understands the consequences. He just does it anyway.

Hmmm but the whole thing with failed stories and "ones that had forgotten about themselves" thing again. Dokja has been talking about failed stories for so long now, in bits and pieces here and there. And we've had the idea of people forgetting themselves waaaaay back since Peace Land. Or, actually, even before that if you count the people who read TWSA forgetting themselves and becoming characters. (Man, haven't thought of those guys in forever.)

So I know that this is all building up to something really big but I'm just not certain what.

Besides me still vaguely theorizing that Dokja has gone through this story before and forgotten it, due to his story being ORV and ORV being a novel, and thus something that can be re-read, or Dokja being a part of Oldest Dream, who regretted what he did to Joonghyuk by giving him the power to regress and started the story over as Dokja.

Hmm, maybe Dokja is the one who failed?

Except I've always pretty much thought that Joonghyuk was the one who "failed" because Dokja has always hinted that TWSA ended on an unhappy note and he wanted to change that. And now we have confirmation that it actually did end with everyone but Joonghyuk dying. And for no reason since there's nothing beyond TWSA, meaning Secretive Plotter saw the "end" and it basically just...stopped. The epilogue hadn't been written/read yet.

And now Secretive Plotter wants to change that... supposedly.

I guess it could be quite literal. The ones who "failed" are the ones who died along Joonghyuk's turns and were forgotten in the end by everyone but Joonghyuk himself and Joonghyuk's final reader, Dokja. Just like the story is literally saying.

It's just I've gotten so used to ORV having so many layers of text and subtext so I'm like...there has to be something else to all this "failed stories" and memory issues stuff. Right???

Hmmmm.

Oh, but on another topic, I guess Dokja is Sun Wukong now??? At least one of him? Part of him??? Uh...permanently or...

And at least part of Sun Wukong is an outer god, but apparently that's nbd to him. 😂

Oh, and I guess I didn't realize that all of the outer gods "belong" to Secretive Plotter??? Like, obviously he is the most powerful of them all but I didn't realize that he is literally their "king" or that Dokja becoming one would make him "belong" to him as well?

Or, at least that's seemingly what the Wenny King believes, though it doesn't seem that Sun Wukong becoming part outer god has in any way stopped him from wanting to throw hands with Secretive Plotter so...

I thought that Dokja's deal with the Wenny King was somehow to the Wenny King's benefit but I guess it would have been to Secretive Plotter's? Or both? Thinking about it, I'm not entirely certain why either of them would even want Dokja as an outer god versus just killing him. I suppose it has something to do with Dokja being able to understand the other outer gods? Perhaps something to do with all the stories he's built up? Would Secretive Plotter be able to control him and get him to do something that he needs him to do???

Or maybe if he publicly became an outer god that would shift public opinion and possibly allow them into the story since he's too much a part of this story and he hasn't destroyed everything like Secretive Plotter did so there's still story to belong to, just like how one piece of Sun Wukong becoming an outer god immediately shifted the shares of Journey to the West. Just like Dokja thought it would.

idk...a lot is happening right now. 😂

[odsont]

I tried to fight my inner demons as hard as I could but...

Why I think Wanderer would be a better archon then Kusanali

(By not a lore player, if you disagree with anything I say, please explain why, I would like to hear, trust me, I try as hard as I can to find at least one good thing about Nahida's character so if anyone has anything to say I would be so glad to hear it)

(Didn't mean to offend anyone)

(Unless you're Nahida)

So I come up with some reasons why Baladeer would be a perfect archon (based on personality, God criteria and official genshin writings and lore), why Kusanali is not supposed to be an archon at all (based on personality and archon criteria and on lore of other gods) and why having Lumine fighting sages and helping Wanderer to become a God would make the game and Nahida's character so much better (based on my opinion) and now I can't stop thinking about it

(Nahida is so selfish and noone knows it because of her acting like uwu anime cutie who cries for no reason all the time and saying that she likes hooman while girl literally manipulated her person just to make her believe in Nahida's views, used Katherine's body without her consent (and got it damaged, broke Katherine. (I care about her and her creator a lot, ok?) Saying that it's fine cuz she's a puppet (Katherine was showen as someone who's a living creature many times and even if she is just a souless puppet, she's still Sandrone's property), took away Scaramouche's gnosis with no hesitation even tho bro begged her not to (he was technically her enemy but taking away his heart was too personal, beating him up or anything wouldn't be.)

Listen..maybe I'm being too empathetic to a fictional charcater, but when she said she only kept Wanderer to use him, it was fine, if she killed him it was fine, but the moment when she talked about breaking his heart just to scare Dottore (she could've done the same with her gnosis, she wasn't about to actually break it anyway) really made me feel so so bad for him. Like I'm a bitch and I would bever do smth like that??

Another thing that people say is that "Scaramouche is evil" "he tried to take Sumeru away from Nahida" so is/did Barbatos?? Morax?? Ei even in her own quest was a bad guy (literally a part of Inadzuma quest was about Inadzuma needed someone more empathetic then Ei's puppet, oh, what a shame that Ei never made a puppet that was actually kind, understanding and incredibly good at politics/s)? Rukha too ig?? Archons are evil in one way or another, Scara said himself that their fight was an archon war (because Archons also fought each other for territories) And Nahida obviously lost (would have if traveler wasn't there).

We literally have 2 more canonical confirmations that Scara would be a good archon.

We saw how much he loved Haypasia and *cough cough*

"But those of this world who call such a being a "false deity" misunderstand the true meaning of the word. Shouki no Kami now understands countless things and shoulders unassailable might, and may be said to surpass mortals. If gods must love mortals, then Shouki no Kami, who grants failure in equal measure to humanity, loves them also. If gods must watch over humanity, then Shouki no Kami, who has borne witness to infinite love, hatred, partings, grudges, and maddening anger — thus does he watch over mortals".

Dide literally fits the "archon criteria" perfectly??? Nahida doesn't (expect for her loving her people but I already said why I disagree with that but I believe my point was too subjective to actually count it) I'm pretty sure I forgot some of my arguments but I'm too tired to write it anyway lol. In my personal opinion Sumeru would be better if we just fought Sages and then helped Wanderer become a good God, Nahida could be a better character since this way she would be allowed to be silly child

(I just realized interesting thing that both Nahida and Wanderer were created (most likely from irminsul) destined to be a God but not being able to achieve this at first, hey, maybe they both could be Gods, we got 100 updated about desert, no way a baby can handle it by her own + desert people were treated as less "human" then others for ages, Scaramouche would feel so much empathy towards them!

[luvring]

for @poisonouswritings : sage, dialogue 9, scenario 20, gn!reader "you know you have to let go of me eventually.", haunted house meet cute(?) where person a accidentally clings to person b instead of the friend they came with

OH EM GEE!! thank u for requesting this scenario i wanted to try it at least once orz

rule 1 for visiting haunted houses: don't lose your friend.

the wood creaks beneath your feet and you hold out your arms to avoid bumping into anything. you can’t tell where your group has gone at this point. you had gotten turned around, the maze of walls and props in the dark got you separated, and now all you can do is trudge forward alone. you’re still waving your arms around when your hand finally reaches something—someone—and you hold them, thinking it was the jacket of your friend.

“god, there you are. seriously, why the fuck did you bring me here?” you whisper angrily. but the voice that responds wasn’t the one you expected, and your next words die at the tip of your tongue when the figure speaks.

“while i’d love to say i was the guy who brought you here, i think you’re talking to the wrong person.”

“fuck—” you jump back, pulling your hands to your chest. you still can’t really see who spoke, only noticing his long hair. “who—”

a crash comes from somewhere in the house and you let out a yelp, accidentally bumping into the stranger again. “here,” he coaxes, slowly reaches for your arm. you pull back a little and he stops. “hey, while this isn’t exactly a regular meeting, i’d rather you hang onto me than have guilt on my conscience for leaving you to fend for yourself. and if we find your friend i'll, uh, pass you over. we should be near the end anyways."

it’s a weird offer. you didn’t know who he was and the entire thing seemed like it was asking for awkward apologies and hesitant moves—especially when you can barely fucking see who’s offering to walk with you. yet you weigh the benefits and cost, knowing walking alone would be awful in another way, and decide to move closer in the end. you clear your throat before speaking, "thanks." if the stranger smiled or did anything, you couldn’t tell. he doesn’t come toward you, allowing you to choose how close to move.

you shuffle close enough to gingerly hold onto his sleeve and he lets you before beginning to walk again. and know you’re only together for a few minutes at most having gone through the majority of the house already. but the weird tension of wanting to cling onto him at every thud and flickering light while knowing he was a stranger made everything feel longer than it was. it doesn’t seem like the guy minded, though, or at least was better at hiding it.

he suddenly pulls you closer into him. “watch out, you could have tripped.” looking down, you spot the props on the floor and mumble a thank you before continuing on. "how the hell did you see that?"

"i used my eyes?"

"thanks." he breathes out a laugh at your response. you stay close enough that you could easily wrap your arms around him if you wanted, and you’re vaguely aware of his arm positioned in front of you in a protective manner.

your proximity only grows as you walk, getting used to his presence. your eyes flicker toward the walls of decorations as you take another turn. “hey, look. see? we made it.” you feel a few taps against your arm and look up. there’s a light up ahead that makes you let out a breath. “thank god.”

but you make the same mistake you did at your meeting—thinking you’d be safe.

you start to pull your companion with you, steps speeding up as you get closer to freedom. by the time you realize what’s happening, it’s already too late as a worker jumps out from behind a wall beside you. you manage to catch a glimpse of their tattered, bloody, outfit before letting out a scream, moving to grab and hide behind the nearest thing. it’s when the thing pulls you along, away from the actor, and speaks that you realize your second mistake.

“did you just try to use me as a shield?”

“i…sorry, i—” you move away a little and stutter as he starts to laugh. “that was seriously a reflex. stop laughing, oh my god, i’m gonna kill you,” you threaten him, though the whine and choked laugh render it empty.

“no, it’s—it’s fine,” he continues to laugh. “i’m the one who told you to hang on. and a knight in shining armour can also be a great wall, i guess.”

“shut the fuck up,” you snort. he’s still grinning as he offers a half-hearted apology, choosing to keep walking towards the doorway with you groaning against his sleeve. once you step outside, you squint at the sudden light and blink. the both of you pause as the sound of crowds become louder—you’re free.

“and, y’know, while i don’t dislike your company,” the newly familiar voice interrupts, “you know you have to let go of me eventually.”

“what?” you look beside you, then down and realize you’re still clutching onto your new ‘friend’ and jump back—just like the first time. “god, sorry.”

“thanks for, uh, letting me hold onto you…” you trail off.you never asked for his name. but he smiles a little, as if he had read your thoughts. “sage. and it’s no problem.”

he has a nice smile. and now that you can finally really see him, you realize how attractive your acquaintance is and feel your face warm. but you clear your throat and do your best to keep eye contact. “is there anything i can do to repay you?”

sage takes a deep breath and hums. he scans the attractions around you before speaking. “it isn’t really as physically affectionate as a haunted house—" you groan at his joke and he turns to you with a grin. “and i know we should probably find your friend, but did you want to maybe grab dinner at some point?”