#but there she's more middle of the road in archery

[gerudospiriit]

WHICH ROMAN DEITY ARE YOU?

Diana

Greek equivalent: Artemis honey I am sorry this world has not been kind to you, you were made for a different world. a way better world. the woods used to be your thing then the romans literally gave you dominion over country estates, its twisted. you're screaming and crying but you're not trying to burn it down? idk maybe try that. or just find a way to make it work. oh, congrats on remaing the god of lesbians, you are either a lesbian or adored by lesbians. just keep going and know that I love you

[bloodyknucklesforme]

Red Summer | Ghoap x F!Reader | Slasher!AU

After breaking up with your long term boyfriend you take a job working as a camp counselor in Northern Vermont. Seven weeks of swimming, volleyball, archery and hiking. There's even a hot lifeguard. It seems perfect until you find something evil is lurking in the woods

Tags: Slasher AU, Ghoap x Reader, intro chapter, nondescript reader, dark fic

Chapter 1: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

5.5k words

It smelled like Summer. Ozonic and earthy, carried into your car by the breeze as you drove North through winding roads. Montpelier was two hours behind you now. 

Despite the eighty degree heat, Vermont was lush and green. Only a couple more miles of shaded forest roads before you reached camp. At least you hoped so. Your maps app had been slow to load the last twenty miles.

The place was North, nestled between the border of Canada and the New Hampshire state line. It was gorgeous though. Anytime you thought about moving out of New England to somewhere cheaper the next season changed your mind. The trees just didn’t look as pretty in fall or the snow as splendid in winter. You just wished it was cheaper.

Suppose that’s why you took this job, as much as it didn’t appeal to you. Camp counselor for seven long weeks, the pay was shit but your food and board came free. After a bad breakup you didn’t have time to find a new lease so your life was packed up into a rented storage box with anything valuable shoved into the back of your car. 

A friend of a friend recommended it. She’d been working here for years, attended for even more. She was an old money New Englander. Boarding school outside of Boston and all that. She was nice though. Got you the job over any qualified candidates. It wasn’t nepotism but whatever it was called you wouldn’t complain.

Your car dinged. Low gas. Shit.

Scrolling quickly through the map you saw a gas station up ahead. You’d just make it… hopefully. 

You let out a sigh of relief as you pulled into the station. It was older with dusty windows and sun-faded posters for cigarettes. 

A piece of paper was taped to the pump.

“Reader broken. Pay inside” scribbled in sharpie.

You sighed and headed inside. 

It was dusty inside too. A couple aisles of brightly packaged food and walls lined with fridges filled with beer and soda. The man behind the counter glanced up from his book when you walked in.

He was handsome. Black with dark, short cut curly hair and big brown eyes. Much too handsome to be working in the middle of nowhere. He’d look more fitting in the corner of a bar, buying you a drink. He smiled up at you and your heart might have skipped a beat. 

“Pump three? How much?” He was English… strange.

“Just…uh… ten bucks.” You stumbled out. 

“It’s the accent,” he chuckled. “It throws everybody off the first time.” 

“It’s a strange place for an Englishman to be, I guess.” You swayed awkwardly. 

“I go to Middlebury. Easier to get a summer job than fly home.” He shrugged. 

“Understandable.” You weren’t an expert on Vermont geography but you swore the college was on the other side of the state. 

“Ten on three.” He said, nodding his head towards the window.

“Oh yeah. Thank you.” 

“You still got to pay, love.”

“Oh fuck, yeah. Sorry… uh… Kyle.” You read his name tag before digging through your tote bag, finding the last bit of your cash.

“No worries. What brings a girl like you out here.”

“I’m working at the camp.”

“Weldon lake, right?”

“Yeah. First time… I’m going the right way, right?”

“If you continue up the road. There will be a sign when you need to turn.” He handed you your receipt. 

“Thank you.” 

“Hey!” You were half way out the door when he called. “Stay alive out there. Heard the campers can be down right evil.”

“I’ll try!”

The rest of the journey was smooth, there was a sign just like Kyle said. Another one after that taking you down a long gravel drive and into a dirt parking lot. A couple other cars were there already. 

You made sure everything important was locked up in the trunk before grabbing your duffel bag and tote. You hoped you brought enough sunscreen. 

The sun was warm on your back as you made your way up to the main building. Two other girls were hanging around on the porch. They each wore matching white baseball shirts with red sleeves and trim, each labeled with STAFF on the back. 

“Hey, you’re Sophia’s friend, right? I’m Janie.” She jumped down from the porch fence. “I love your braids by the way.”

You’d done your hair before leaving, figuring it’d be easier to keep clean braided than fight for limited shower time. 

“I’m Natalie,” The other girl greeted. You introduced yourself, thanking Janie for the compliment.”

“I think your cabin is next to mine. I can take you over once you check in.” Janie said.

Check in was easy enough. Sign a couple more papers, show off your ID to prove you were you and get your cabin assignment, key and two staff shirts. Tomorrow was orientation before the campers arrived Monday morning. Tonight was for getting to know everyone. 

“So, where’s this cabin?” you asked, walking outside.

The girls grinned and led you down the path. Everything seemed to branch off from here. They pointed out where the dining hall was just past the main office next to the nurse’s station.

“Don’t expect much. They’re still recovering from when Covid almost killed this place.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah. They had to raise fees and a bunch of parents freaked out. Guess an extra hundred dollars really threw all the millionaires off.” Natalie laughed. 

Next was the pool, fully fenced in and surrounded by two tennis courts and two basketball courts on either side. 

“Hey lasses!” A man called from the pool, leaning over the chain link fence. Natalie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Who’s the new girl?”

He had a thick Scottish accent. Lots of transplants for the area, you guessed. He was also handsome. Muscular with a dark mohawk and light eyes. He was shirtless with very short and tight red shorts on and a silver whistle around his neck. He was dripping water over the ground.

“You say that like you aren’t also the new guy, Johnny!” Natalie called, clearly annoyed already. 

“Nat hates him.” Janie giggled. 

“It’s been three hours and he’s already tried to fuck half the counselors. He’s a dog.”

“One I’d put on a leash.” Janie laughed.

Johnny walked over, still dripping wet. His crocs squeaked with every step. 

“Johnny,” he grinned, holding out his hand to you. You introduced yourself as he shook your hand excitedly. He had a tattoo on his side, up by his ribs. You couldn’t see all of it but it looked like a heart with someone’s initials in it. S and something else, you couldn’t tell for sure. “Beautiful name for a beautiful gal.”

Your cheeks felt hot as his blue eyes traveled over your body. 

“It’s going to be a fun seven weeks with all you bonnie lasses around.” He grinned. Nat looped her arm around yours.

“Down dog. We still have half the camp to show off.”

“You know where to find me. Pool looked like the lake when I got here.” He raised his hands up as he walked backwards towards the pool again.

“Come on, before we lose Janie.”

“He’s hot!” She defended. 

“You just like him because he got your name right on the first try.”

“He’s intelligent too!”

The cabins were next. Ten white painted buildings split in half with about eight beds on each side and a shared bathroom in the back. They formed a circle around a fire pit with log benches. 

You had cabin room 14. Janie was the building next door in 15 and Nat with 16 sharing with her. They took turns explaining everything.

“Your bed is the only non bunk and the chest underneath locks so anything you don’t want the campers to find should go there.”

“Basically all your shit. I had a copy of Crime and Punishment stolen last year. Fucking Crime and Punishment like any of these kids could read Dostoevsky.”

“Showers are in the back. Hot water is sparse so if you want some, move quick and early.”

“Breakfast is at 8. Coffee tastes like shit unless you pour half a pound of sugar in it.” 

“You can vape just outside but if you smoke you gotta ask your neighbor counselor to watch your kids. At least thirty feet away or they’ll snitch too.”

“Weed is only for days off because they'll either snitch or demand you share. That goes for kids and counselors.” 

“Days off are randomly assigned but you should get one every other week.”

“I don’t recommend sleeping with other counselors but if you must, go to your car.” Natalie said. 

“We’ll leave you to get settled. Dinner is in an hour. You can meet everyone else then.”

“Thank you guys for everything.” You felt overwhelmed just a bit. 

They left, still arguing about Johnny. He was cute but the break up wounds were still fresh. You didn’t want to sneak around either. You weren’t a teenager anymore.

You haphazardly dumped the contents of your duffle into the lock chest before shoving it back under the bed. You had seven weeks to organize it. 

The bed was okay. A plastic covered mattress with an old sleeping bag. You should have brought your own pillow. Maybe a Target run on your next day off whenever that was. 

The ache in your muscles from driving all day hit hard the moment you sat down. 

There was a knock on the door. 

“Hey sleepyhead!” Sophia came in. You rubbed your face as you woke up. Out the window you could see the sky looked darker, a blue summer evening. “I’m glad you ended up coming.”

“Yeah. Thanks for getting me the job.” You stretched, your shoulders cracking. “It’s nice to get away.” 

“I’m sorry about you and Ale.” There it was. She was nice but always craved gossip. 

“It’s okay. Just wanted different things.”

You shrugged. It wasn’t a bad breakup, no arguing, just a slow and painful demise. He’d even offered to let you stay with him when the lease ended and he found out you didn’t have a place to go. You chose this instead. 

“Well, let’s get you something to eat. The food is incredibly mediocre but I heard a rumor that the lifeguard has beer and weed for the fire pit.”

She was not wrong about dinner. Hot dogs with a slice of Kraft cheese melted on top with a bag of chips as a side. 

You sat with Nat, Sophia and Janie. 

“There are my lovely ladies!” Johnny sat down, forcing his way between Cel and Sophia. Nat looked like she wanted to kill him. “Coming out to the lake tonight? Hope you all brought swim suits or birthday suits.”

“Jesus Christ.” Nat groaned. 

“I think we’re gonna have an easy night. Some of us had long drives.” Sophia motioned to herself and you. “Just some girl time.”

Johnny pouted. 

“Fair enough but I do expect all of you at the bonfire tomorrow.” He pointed at all of them, even Nat. “Especially you new girl.”

He got up and jogged off to another table of girls. 

“Am I allowed to call him a slut?”

“What happened to dog?” Janie asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Dogs can be trained.” 

You all laughed. You’d been worried that you wouldn’t fit in. All the other girls knew each other for years at this point. Janie and Sophia had been coming here since they were kids. Nat met Janie in high school and got a job as a junior counselor with her the first chance they got. 

It wasn’t a super attractive job and the pay was shit but it looked good on resumes and college applications apparently. Showed responsibility. Most of your experiences with camp were from horror films. 

The sun was still out as the four of you walked back. Sophia was your cabin neighbor, taking care of room 13. It’s where you all gathered. 

Sophia and you sat on her bed while she did your nails. 

“Red looks nice on you.” It was a bright cherry red. She’d picked it out, saying they should all match. 

The evening was spent talking and laughing. You asking questions about camp life and getting advice from the other girls. 

You had friends back home but you were glad you fit in so fast. Any anxiety and fear for the Summer slipped away as the sun set. 

“I’m beat.” Nat yawned. It was almost midnight now. Janie agreed and the two wandered off back to their cabin. 

“I’ll head back too. Thank you for being so welcoming, Soph.”

“Absolutely! It’s nice to get fresh meat every once and a while. It can be tough with the kids so some people get jaded. I hope you have fun this Summer and if you don’t you can blame me.” She laughed. 

The air was cool on the little porch out front. Most of the other cabins had their lights off by now and the center was lit up with fireflies, neon yellow dots. 

There was an orange dot out towards the back of one of the cabins across the way. A cigarette. The man smoking it seemed larger than any counselor you’d seen but it was dark and he was half hidden behind the building. It was Johnny’s cabin, you think. He was big. 

He waved and you waved back. He dropped the cigarette and stamped it out. The little corner fell dark and you went into your side.

You didn’t realize how quiet the world could be as you curled up in your sleeping bag. No hum of electronics or cars. No people yelling above or below you. Just the stillness of the stars.

It was an early morning. Johnny was running around the circle of cabins playing music to wake everyone up. He was shirtless again and his shorts seemed shorter than the day before. You wouldn’t complain. 

“So why did you choose this wonderful vista as a summer job?” Johnny asked, jogging up next to you as you made your way to the dining hall. 

“Needed a break. Get out in nature for a bit. I grew up in the suburbs and just broke up with my boyfriend so I guess I wanted to breathe for a bit. You?”

“Running from my previous life of crime.” He smiled. “Nah, just also trying to get away. Was military back home, knee injury did me in. Didn’t know what else to do. Hiked part of the Appliachian trail. You know, it's the same mountain range as the Highlands. Felt like I had to see them. Haven’t really felt like going back home yet.”

“You hiked alone?” You raised an eyebrow. You knew that it was one of the longest and hardest trails in the country. 

“Had a mate with me but I’m on my lonesome now.” He opened the door for you. Sure, he was boisterous but he seemed harmless one on one. Maybe a little dogish but he wasn’t going to hump your leg unprompted. 

“Shirts are needed in the dining hall, Mactavish!” Sophia called. He held up his hands in surrender before fishing out a cropped muscle tee that had been shoved into his pocket. It was a nice change of pace to be around a man that wanted to show off his own skin rather than try to get girls to show theirs. 

You told yourself before you got here that you wouldn’t look for that kind of distraction. It wasn’t worth it, especially not this early. You could look though. No harm in that. 

Bacon, Eggs and self-serve cereal was today’s breakfast. You joined back up with the girls from last night. Orientation was supposed to take up most of the day so they encouraged you to grab a couple pieces of fruit and a protein bar.

“Only fill up your water bottle in here. There are fountains elsewhere but I think they taste weird.” Said Janie. 

You were put in a group with Johnny, Sophia, and another guy named Warren. He and Sophia were long term counselors so they gladly took on the role of being you and Johnny’s tour guide. Johnny had been hired because of his lifeguard training so he already knew the layout of the lake and pool. You were scolded for not having proper shoes for hiking.

“What’s your size? I might have an old pair in my car.” Sophia offered. “If not I think there’s an L.L.Bean like two hours away. We can go on our next day off.”

You weren’t sure if you could afford brand new boots so silently hoped that Sophia did have that old pair and they fit. 

“Don’t want ya getting blisters all summer.” Johnny said. He was doing the hike in crocs but apparently did have boots back at his cabin. 

You didn’t do the full trail but Warren pointed out the different routes and how difficult each one was and which ones kids could do by themselves and which ones they couldn’t. The fields were next. A soccer field and baseball field were across the way from the cabins. It was a loose definition of each. One was a huge patch of grass and the other a diamond of dirt. Both looked a little off size wise. There was the sports supply shed that had all the equipment in it. Only a couple counselors had keys to it.

“People kept using it inappropriately.” Sophia smiled.

There was the art building, the rec hall, a path leading towards the archery field and riflery field.

“Riflery?”

“Yeah. We used to teach kids how to shoot. Mostly clay pigeons but it was one of the programs cut after Covid,” Warren explained. 

“Shame I missed it. Could have taught the kids trick shots.” Johnny joked, pretending to aim a rifle backwards over his shoulder. 

The horse stable was also closed. Too expensive to have horses here for even half the season. 

The Lake was the last part of the tour. It was on the other side of the road so to get there was an underpass to get there. It was large enough for five adults to walk side by side comfortably but the yellow light from the lamps gave it a sickly vibe. 

It ended a little ways before the beach. There were several rows of Kayaks and another shed filled with life preservers and paddles. 

“Wow Johnny! You cleaned it up well.” Warren clapped him on the back. For a moment Johnny looked irritated that he’d been touched but he shoved that emotion out of the way to make room for his usual excited self. 

“Yeah. Cleaned up the best I could.”

“It looks great, Johnny.” You were impressed. He’d even sprayed the kayaks down, bright clean plastic in a rainbow of colors.

“Yer making me blush.” He laid a hand over his heart. 

The lake was gorgeous. Cream colored sand feeding into sapphire waters. You could just see the beach on the other side, a small empty dock with a path leading into the woods. The camp side had a floating platform about thirty feet into the water. 

“Campers have to swim there and back to pass the swimming competency test.” Sophia explained. “If you can’t swim on your own you’re stuck in the buoyed area.” 

There was a ten by ten foot area cordoned off by buoys, keeping to the shallow end of the lake. Made enough sense. No one wanted to fish a dead kid out of the water.

“Let’s head back. We don’t want to miss lunch.” Warren clapped his hands together. 

The four of you made the trek back to the dining hall. You did feel like blisters were starting to form on the back of your ankles. You’d have to put band-aids on them later. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent going over itinerary for the following week. Campers would arrive tomorrow between ten and six. It was a day mostly planned out for settling them in with an inaugural bonfire that night. After that it was seven weeks of regular old American camp adventures. 

You went back to your cabin the moment you had free time. Your ankles hadn’t started to bleed but they were bright red and throbbing. You applied the bandaids and grabbed another pair of socks to wear the rest of the way. 

There was about an hour and half before dinner and final orientation from the camp managers, who, you had been told, often made themselves scarce throughout the summer to avoid having to do their jobs. You settled on top of your sleeping bag. A nice breeze came in through the screen door. Janie had told you that it was the best way to keep the building cool.  

You thought about Ale. His smile and deep laugh. How he’d wake you up in the morning with kisses to the back of your neck. How he loved your hair and ass. How he’d whisper in Spanish to you. You still had the English/Spanish dictionary he gave you shoved in a box back in the city. You missed him. Your cowboy. He would have been so disappointed to hear the stables were closed. Maybe you’d call him after all this. Ask to work something out. 

You drifted off daydreaming about the scent of his cologne.

“Bonnie! You’re gonna miss dinner!” Johnny was knocking on the screen door. Maybe Nat was right in being annoyed by him all the time. 

“I’ll just miss it.” you sighed, rolling over on the bed. 

“You never know which meal is your last. Best not to skip any! C’mon or I’ll drag ya myself.”

You would have thrown a pillow if you had one. How did he always have so much energy?

He jogged literal circles around you on the way to the dining hall.

“How are your feet?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“You were limping on the way back to the cabins earlier.”

“Oh…yeah just blisters.”

He tutted at you. 

“Got to get you some good shoes soon.”

Dinner was the same hot dogs as the previous night with a bonus of a bowl of lettuce, cherry tomatoes and a slice of cucumber. 

There was an excited energy in the room. Most people who’d snuck in alcohol or drugs said tonight was the best night to use it all. An unspoken competition of who could drink the most and still function when the first campers started to arrive. It could be fun, you mused. You were never a big partier in college and what was this if not a perfect chance to make up for that. 

The boys built up a nice fire, each poking and prodding their own side with their favorite stick. You sat on one of the log benches next to Sophia and Janie. Johnny was across the fire, his arm around the waste of another girl counselor. Ceilidh you think it was. Pronounced like Kay-lee, she’d said. Pretty name, Gaelic. Made sense for him to go after a piece of home.

“Glad he’s finally left us alone.” Nat chuckled. 

“I think they’re cute.” Sophia said. You pushed down the twinge of jealousy you felt seeing her giggle at his joke. 

Warren came around with a cooler filled with a hodgepodge of beer. He was his fraternity’s president and one of his responsibilities was to get rid of any extra at the end of the term to avoid trouble. Dry campus issues. 

You grabbed a Modelo. Ale’s old go to and one you’d gotten used to drinking. It left a familiar warm feeling in your stomach.

You drank, you danced, you ate s’mores, you laughed with your new friends. The stars seemed so bright and clear out here. Janie had you all lay out on your backs in the grass nearby as she pointed out each constellation.

“That’s the big dipper and above it is the little dipper but Draco is the constellation between them. If you guys tell me your star signs I can point it out for you.”

There was laughter nearby and you glanced up to see Johnny and Ceilidh sneaking in the dark towards her cabin. 

You had another beer. And another. Maybe one more after that. 

Someone offered you a hit off a joint so you did that too. 

The four of you were laughing and stumbling back to Sophia’s cabin. You had no idea how late it was. The fire was dying out. Warren said he would make sure everyone got back inside all right. The designated driver of drunken counselors. He was a good guy. 

You found yourself laying on your side on one of the empty beds. Sophia and Janie were on her bed, half asleep against each other. Nat and you were talking about your childhoods. 

“I broke a bone three years in a row, each time in May. I missed field day every time. My mom once pulled me around in a wagon so I wouldn’t feel left out,” She laughed. 

“How did you break so many bones?”

“Catholic school where the playground was just a parking lot. I was a wild kid. I broke my arm tripping and falling against the priest’s car. I dented it too. I thought I was going to hell.”

There was a shrill noise. Loud and stomach dropping. A scream cut off. You and the other girls all jumped to attention. It was silent except for the crackling of the fire outside. 

“Fisher cat.” Janie said, trying to convince herself.

“Or a fox.” Sophia added. 

“Did you guys hear that?” Warren said, coming in. 

The four of you nodded.

“It sounded close. I’m gonna check it out.”

“By yourself?”

“One of the other guys is gonna come with me. It’s probably just an animal. If you see Johnny tell him to go check on everyone. I want a headcount before we all go to sleep.”

You all watched from the window as Warren met another guy holding a flashlight and a baseball bat. Sophia turned on the porch light. They disappeared between the cabin’s across the way. 

“Johnny and Celilidh went off together. Should we try to find them?” Sophia offered. 

“Maybe we should just stay here. Safety in numbers.” Janie answered. 

“Safety from what? It was just an animal.” Nat insisted. 

“Didn’t sound like an animal.” You thought. No one else would say it but you were all thinking it. A slide show of clips from horror films played through your mind. 

Four sets of eyes darted around, looking out windows and the front door, waiting for some masked killer to seep through the walls.

Bang!

You all screamed as Johnny flew through the door, clutching his stomach. 

“We have to go now!” He grunted. Blood was pouring between his fingers.

“Oh my god. What happened? Where’s Ceilidh?”

“Dead… fuck.. She’s fucking dead. Fucker came in through the window in the bathroom. I tried to fight him off. I’m sorry.” He gulped. “We have to go now!”

“You’re bleeding. Please let me look.” Janie reached out and he pushed her hand away. 

“Don’t have time. We have to go. Get my car keys. I can fit us all.”

“What about everyone else?” You asked. There was so much blood, it was dripping on the floor now. 

“I don’t know… when..when’s the last time you saw anyone?”

There was another scream from outside. Silence took you over again.

“Please… we can get out and get help but we have to go now.” Johnny pleaded. His bright blue eyes were watery and his tan skin was stained red down his legs. 

“I’m going.” Sophia said, grabbing her backpack. “Fuck this. I’m not fucking dying like it’s a movie. We’re all going. Johnny, do you need help?”

“No, I can manage. I need to get my keys though.”

“I have mine. We can just take my car. It’s an SUV.” Sophia urged, crouching down to look out of the door.

“No…no…I…I uh…I have a gun in my car.”

“You brought a fucking gun to camp?” Nat’s jaw dropped. 

“Old shotgun. It works. I’m trained for this. Get to the car and I… I can kill him.”

“You’re bleeding out, Johnny.” Janie cried, reaching for him again and once again being pushed away. 

“Come with me.” Johnny looked at you.

“I…I…I don’t know.” You were shaking. It didn’t seem real. Too cliche. A real life spree killer running around the woods of a Summer camp. Sophia was right, you didn’t want to die like it was some movie. 

“He knows I’m weak. He’ll go after me first. We’ll get my keys and if he shows up… you take them and run.”

“You..can’t sacrifice yourself.” Your voice warbled.

“It was my job to do that. If I can’t die saving my country, I’d like to die saving a group of pretty girls.”

Johnny was pleading. He seemed to know he couldn’t do it on his own. You thought about Ale saying you needed to stand up for yourself more. You never did. You didn’t stand up to bullies in high school, rogue professors in college or shitty demeaning bosses. You didn’t even stand up for yourself when Ale said he wanted a break. 

Nat was saying how you should all just run to Sophia’s car. She had her keys. Sophia was agreeing. Janie was crying silently. 

“I’ll go.” You forced the words out like vomit. It was that or actual vomit.

“Okay.” He almost smiled. “Sophia, turn off the lights. We’ll give you a signal when it's safe to come out. Then we all run to the parking lot.”

“What’s the signal?” Janie sobbed.

“I’ll whistle.”

You were shaking so much you worried you’d fall right down the front steps of the cabin. Johnny was in front of you, shoulders hunched up, his eyes darting everywhere. Sophia turned off the lights, leaving the two of you in near darkness. The fire was nothing more than orange smoldering logs. 

“You seem like you’ve done this before.” You said quietly, finding yourself holding the bottom hem of his shirt. 

“Like I said. It was my job.”

You walked on your tiptoes, trying not to make any noise. Your heart cried for the others. Even if you didn’t know them. You didn’t hear or see anyone. Maybe they all got out? They escaped already…or the killer was chasing them deeper into the woods.

You didn’t want to die. In the movies it always seemed so prolonged. The stabbings and bleeding out. Johnny had been hurt and he was still going on, trying to save you and everyone else. 

“Stay here. I’ll go check to make sure it's clear.” He said. You’d made it to his cabin, whole body still shaking just on his porch now. Your heart leapt into your throat as the door creaked open. 

“Be careful, please.”

He winked at you before heading in. You picked at the skin around your nails, a nasty old habit that you tried so hard to kick. You could forgive yourself for this relapse. It seemed an appropriate time to scratch out anxiety.

The step behind you creaked. Any light from the fire was blocked out. A arm wrapped around your neck and pulled you flush with a wall of muscle. You screamed for Johnny as a knife cut into your stomach.

It hurt worse than you thought it would. He was stabbing you over and over. All those movies and none prepared you for the sound that came from being stabbed yourself. The rush of blood in your head. You kicked and scratched the best you could, catching the gap of skin between his gloves and sleeves. Flesh caught under your nails and tore. The knife cut sideways across your stomach. Something wet and heavy hit the floor by your feet.

“Fucking cunt.” The man growled. You could have thrown up if it didn’t feel like your stomach had been torn open. 

You hit the porch face first, no strength left to even try to hold yourself up. Blood pooled in your mouth. He stepped around you and in the corner of your eye you could make him out. 

Large, well over six feet and bulky with large shoulders. A half skull mask covered the top part of his face. His head was buzzed. He had a hunting knife in his hand and it dripped your blood onto the wood and onto your face. 

“Johnny!” Your killer called. You’d doomed him too. He could have gotten away. Johnny would die and it would be your fault. They all would now and it was your fault. 

You closed your eyes as the throbbing subsided. You didn’t want to listen. He was so nice. He didn’t deserve it.

You didn’t deserve this. 

You closed your eyes and let yourself slip away. 

You heard music. Loud obnoxious music and singing from an off key baritone scot.

You opened your eyes and you were in your sleeping bag in your cabin. It was Sunday morning again. 

Shout out to @ceilidho for being an inspiration to me to write darker fics and letting me use her name for a counselor.

[essenceofelegance]

new year’s day

Luke Castellan x aphrodite!reader

m.list

warnings: angst </3

There's glitter on the floor after the party,

He’s giving her that smile.

The one reserved for you.

The one you adored so, so much.

Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby

Luke took her hand in his larger one, leading her back to her cabin.

He laughed at something she said.

You directly your attention back to cleaning up the Aphrodite cabin after a party, alone.

Luke used to do it with you.

Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor You and me from the night before, but

While you were cleaning you own bed, you found a polaroid picture of you and Luke from a year ago, probably.

You were wearing a pink, feathered cowboy hat, you were leaning into the camera, a bright smile on your face.

Luke’s hands were on your waist, he had a pink fur boa around him to match your hat.

You would give anything to have him hold you just one more time.

Don't read the last page But I stay when you're lost, and I'm scared, and you're turning away

Of course he would like an Athena girl.

They’re smart, they can fight, and they’re pretty.

Sure, she doesn’t have that radiant glow around her like you did, but she was still pretty.

She had h/c hair, like you did.

She also had e/c eyes.

But her’s… looked so much better than yours. It glowed.

She looked better, she could fight better, she was actually smart.

Your siblings reassured you, insisting that you were a daughter of Aphrodite, there was no way she was prettier than you.

But that wasn’t the way you saw it.

And in your eyes, that wasn’t the way Luke saw it either.

I want your midnights But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

You were teaching your usual archery lessons, when you spot Luke and his new girlfriend in a sparring match.

He looks happy.

Only, a different kind of happy.

Sure, you were good with a dagger, but not sword fighting. You were never good at sword fighting, you were only good at archery.

Maybe Luke wanted something who appreciated the things he liked to do.

You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi I can tell that it's gonna be a long road

"It's not you, it never was, its just that I feel like we don’t get each other anymore." Luke said.

"Yeah, I get it." you looked down to hide your unshed tears.

"Thanks for... everything," you gave him a forced smile.

“You were great. You were a great experience,” Luke said, as if to comfort you.

‘You were everything!’ you wanted to scream at him.

But you just smiled and walked away.

I'll be there if you're the toast of the town, babe Or if you strike out and you're crawling home

You watched as Luke celebrated his capture the flag victory with his new girlfriend.

You weren’t jealous,

you just felt replaced.

How could he replace you so easily when you felt like your heart would be empty for years?

Did you really mean that little to him?

You couldn’t bear watching them anymore.

Don't read the last page But I stay when it's hard, or it's wrong, or we're making mistakes

A total of 17 guys sent you flowers.

If you were a logical person, you would have at least hooked up with them, but little old you decided that you should wait for Luke.

So, you rejected every single guy that came up to you.

All your siblings are just straight up worried about you now, they knew how important Luke was to you, but not to this degree.

You still cry yourself to sleep every night,

they find you in the middle of the night going through a photo book of you and Luke.

I want your midnights But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

Hold on to the memories They will hold on to you

You still wear the matching bracelet he gave you for your second anniversary.

He’s wearing a new one with his girlfriend.

You see them connecting their magnetic heart charm on their bracelet at campfires, while you’re here playing with yours that no longer had a match.

Hold on to the memories They will hold on to you

You still have his favourite hoodie under your bed.

You still have his favourite shirt under your bed.

You still have one of his camp t-shirts on your bed.

He caught you wearing his hoodie on you way to the bathroom in the middle of the night when you bumped into him.

He never questioned you or asked for it back.

Hold on to the memories They will hold on to you

You still have everything he gave you.

And I will hold on to you.

Everything reminds you of him.

That one bench where the two of you used to hang out on everyday,

ever your own bed, where he used to sneak in to talk to you at night.

Please don't ever become a stranger Whose laugh I could recognise anywhere

You hate it when she makes him laugh.

You hate it when you hear that damn laugh.

You hate it because it didn’t happen because of you.

Please don't ever become a stranger Whose laugh I could recognise anywhere

You hate him because he’s not yours.

-

There's glitter on the floor after the party Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby

It’s been a couple of months.

You still wear his hoodie to sleep.

like this? or want something better? City of Stars is much more heartbreaking </3

author: yay

Copyright © 2024 essenceofelegance. All rights reserved. 

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[brave-and-gentle]

Ice Sculpture date: Reader x Jean Fluff Part 1

Ya'll something came over me this morning and I busted this out for absolutely no reason.

**This has turned into an unexpected mini series. Check out chapter two here.

If you like this, be sure to check out my original character x Jean fic on A03 here

Pairings: reader x Jean

Summary: A year after graduating college in Trost, many of your friends have moved away, but you remained. Your new roommate, Sasha and her friend Connie, introduced you to their friend group. When group plans go awry, you find yourself alone with Jean.

Warnings: none, this all v cute fluff, a self-indulgence

Word count: ~3,400

You were supposed to leave the apartment 10 minutes ago. You always forgot how long it took to layer up with how cold Trost got in the middle of winter. As soon as you lace your winter boots up, you run out the front door and penguin-walk to Jean and Marco's apartment. It was only a few blocks south of where you and Sasha lived, but since it was -20 Fahrenheit, it seemed like an eternity.

It's frigid that the insides of your nose freeze within about five seconds of being outside. Your teeth chatter and eyes burn. This does nothing to help your nerves. You are going to see the ice sculptures made by local artists with a new group of friends you had only met a month ago.

Three months prior, your best friend and roommate, Historia, decided to move to the coast with her girlfriend, Ymir. Your reaction was mixed. You and Historia were two peas in a pod since you met during freshmen year orientation and you did everything together – English classes, the college newspaper, intramural volleyball team, and a few parties. When Historia started dating Ymir junior year, you were a little concerned by Ymir's abrasive personality, but she started to grow on you and she helped Historia become a little more assertive. Ymir had always wanted to move to the coast, so when she finally secured an apartment, it didn't surprise you that Historia sat you down to break the news that she was going with her, leaving you alone in the two-bedroom apartment.

You were happy for the couple. This was Ymir's dream and Historia was excited to explore somewhere new with the love of her life. And yet, there is a tiny bit of maybe not resentment, but you do feel abandoned. This completed the mass exodus of all your friends moving out of Trost. With Historia and Ymir gone, you really don't have anyone.

Thankfully, they refused to road trip to their new home until they helped you find a roommate. It didn't take nearly as much time as you expected, which admittedly disappointed you. After asking around for a few weeks, you found out that Sasha Braus was looking for a place. You knew who she was since you had gone to the same college, but you'd never had a conversation with her. All you knew about Sasha was that she started an archery club at school that apparently was still going strong after graduation. It was an easy decision for Sasha to move in with you. When you met up at the coffee shop down the street, she was incredibly bubbly and kind.

Rooming together was going nearly seamless – although you did have to label all your food in the fridge, lest Sasha get the munchies and eat everything. Soon enough you got to know her friend from school, Connie Springer, who you recognized from the soccer team. He had pretty much taken residence on the couch in the living room, and you didn't even mind. It was nice to have a living space full of laughter – and Connie's snoring.

Sasha and Connie invited you to join their friend group at weekly bar trivia. It was a large group – you'd never hung out with so many people at one time, but with how extroverted Sasha and Connie were, it wasn't a surprise. You could barely keep track of who was who for a while, but after nearly a month of hanging out with them, you think you got it down. Sasha, Connie, Marco and Jean were tight in college. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin had grown up together in Shiganshina and went to a different college in Trost. Eren had met Reiner and Bertholt at the gym. Annie had grown up with Reiner and Bertholt. You weren't exactly sure how they all merged together, but they all hung out together pretty regularly now.

You groan in relief as you approached Jean and Marco's apartment – a beacon of warmth in the frigid, dark night. Your nerves disappear, replaced by yearning for heat. This is the first time you are hanging out with the group without Sasha and the first time outside of bar trivia. It was Jean's idea to go see the ice sculptures. He was an art major in college and knew a couple of the artists. Sasha had a date with this new guy, Nicolo tonight, but urged you to go without her.

You run up to the entryway and ring the apartment buzzer, hoping that it actually works because you realized you don't have Jean or Marco's number. The door clicks, thankfully, and a heatwave washes over you as you open the door and climb the stairs to apartment 313. Or was it 315? You knock on the door only once before it opens to reveal Jean in an old college t-shirt and sweatpants with a hole in the right knee. He isn't wearing shoes. You didn't fully realize how tall this man was until you had to practically crane your neck up to look at him.

“Hey,” Jean says your name. He runs his fingers through his ash-brown hair. “Shit, I'm so sorry, I didn't have your number and couldn't tell you – everyone canceled for tonight. I texted Sasha for your number but she didn't answer.”

Your stomach drops a little. Did you come over here for nothing? You had actually been looking forward to seeing ice sculptures, especially since it was over the college's winter break – it wouldn't be as crowded with students as it usually was. At least that's what you heard, you had never actually gone to see them before. Historia didn't usually last more than 10 minutes in the cold.

“Oh,” you breath, still recovering from the cold. “I guess that means it's going well with Nicolo then.”

“Yeah,” Jean laughs, “If there's any way to Sasha's heart, it's food, and with the way that guy cooks, I think he's in it for life.”

“So where is everyone tonight?” You ask, stalling for a little more time inside. Jean leans against the door frame and counts off.

“Annie invited Armin to go to her father's for the holidays, so I guess they're getting serious. Reiner and Bertholt are sick. Marco got called in to work to cover for someone. Connie won't tell me what he's doing tonight, but I'm pretty sure he's going over to Hitch's for a booty call. And once everyone else canceled, so did Eren and Mikasa.”

“Ah,” you respond, not really knowing what to say now. You don't know Jean well enough to continue the conversation, but you really don't want to go back home. It's only six o'clock, but since it's already pitch black out, you know you won't do anything except rot on the couch all night. For once, you had plans on the weekend and were looking forward to it. You take a step back and point down the hallway. “Welp, I guess I'll - “

“Unless?” Jean interrupts you and rises an eyebrow. His hazel eyes bore into you. Shit, he's really cute. “I mean, you did come over here and you're already bundled up. We could go?” He asks, seemingly unsure of himself.

“Oh, yeah that would be great!” The words tumble out of your mouth before you fully realize you just agreed to a night alone with Jean. “I did make the perilous journey after all.”

“It is cold as fuck and you are very brave.” Jean smiles and rolls his eyes. He takes a step back and motions for you to enter his apartment. “C'mon in, I'll change quick and I can drive us over.”

~

You tense up sitting in the passenger seat of Jean's small, beater car, but as the car warms, so does your conversation. You learn that Jean is an only child and had grown up in Trost. In his art major, he focused on drawing and painting, and was currently teaching art classes at a nonprofit specializing in teaching kids from low-income neighborhoods. He tells you about how his mom drove him crazy, but he still wears the thick, royal blue mittens she had knitted for him. You give him a refresher of how you became roommates with Sasha, how all of your friends from Trost had moved away over the course of the year following graduation.

Once you arrive, you and Jean walk over the to the entrance to pay for tickets, but someone so bundled up you couldn't make out a single feature waves you in.

“For you my man, it's free! Enjoy your date!” You look over to Jean and wait for him to correct the man. Jean's cheeks flush pink, either from the bitter cold or the embarrassing mistake his friend made.

“Ah, sorry about that,” Jean says and bites his lower lip. “That's Floch, he's . . .a bit of an idiot. I know him from the nonprofit, he teaches about once a week. Pretty sure that's all he does besides live off his rich parent's money.”

“Ha, that's okay,” you answer and looked around for any sort of distraction from the awkward interaction. The stars above you shine with a brilliance you'd never seen before. “Wow.” You point up. “I didn't realize how bright the stars could be away from the city.”

“Yeah,” Jean perks up. “It's my favorite part about coming out here.” You both approach the first sculpture, a series of waves imitating the ocean. Dark blue lights underneath light it up. “Brrr, but this cold is not! Actually, I'll be right back.” You don't look behind you to see where Jean wanders off to because you are memorized by the ice wave sculpture.

It reminds you of Historia and Ymir and their new home. The first week she moved, Historia sent you a picture of them at the beach. She said once it warmed up in a few months, they were going to take surfing lessons, no doubt Ymir's idea. An ache grows in your heart, missing your best friend. You are proud of how adventurous she had become since meeting Ymir.

“Hot toddy?” Jean reappears and hands a steaming mug to you.

“Ohhh,” you moan as the mug instantly warms right through your mittens. “This is perfect, thank you.” You hold the drink up to your face, letting it defrost your nose. You breath in the mix of cinnamon and brandy.

“You like this one?” Jean nods at the icy waves.

“Yeah, it reminds of Historia and Ymir since they're living so close to the ocean now. I miss them even though I'm happy for them,” you confess.

“Good for them though, getting out of here.” He take a long sip of his hot toddy. “I've been in Trost my whole life.”

“Have you thought about moving somewhere else?”

“I have, but I don't know if I could ever leave my mom. She's got my step-dad now, but still. Plus, I think I'd really have to make it in the art world to have the money to get out of here. That nonprofit job isn't exactly paying me much.” He gazes at the sculpture, lost in thought.

“Ah, so you're a mama's boy at heart?” You tease and smirk.

“Hey now, nothing wrong with that,” Jean defends himself and tears his eyes away from the sculpture to smile at you.

The two of you continue on, losing yourselves in the towering ice and the glowing pink, blue and green lights mimicking the Northern Lights. You are lost in conversation as well. You discover you are both voracious readers and are discussing a fantasy series you had both recently read when Jean halts.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” He furrows his brows and you follow his accusing eyes to see Eren and Mikasa hand in hand across the field of snow viewing a sculpture in the shape of several large, intricate snow flakes. “They canceled on me and showed up anyway?? Typical Jaeger,” Jean growled.

You bite your lip to keep yourself from laughing. You aren't sure exactly why Eren and Jean are constantly on each other's nerves, but it was one of the first things you noticed when they argued at trivia night over which actor had won an Oscar two years in a row. Turns out, both of their answers were wrong. You had to admit that you found their rivalry a little comical.

“Would you have wanted to go with them anyway?” You press and give a soft laugh. Eren and Mikasa are all over each other all the time, so it's hard to imagine Jean would enjoy three-wheeling with them.

“No,” Jean glowers, “but still, it's about the principle!”

“Alright, let's stay away from them then and have our own fun,” you concede and place your hand on Jean's bicep to guide him away from their direction. You run your mitten-covered hand down the rest of his arm and were about to pull away, but Jean grabs your hand and pulls you closer. Your heart skips a beat.

“You uh, look cold.” He shrugs and looks at the ground. He loosens his hand, as if to let you know that you can let go if you want. Instead, you squeeze his hand and press even closer to his tall frame.

“I am absolutely freezing,” you agree. It's like you had a brain aneurysm, you are never this bold. But you are, in fact, freezing, and Jean is warm. He clears his throat and peers over at you, eyes just barely visible with his knit cap covering his eyebrows.

“So what about you? What are you doing in Trost?”

“Ugh, that's a backstory.”

“I'm all ears.” You launch into it, how you majored in English with great hopes of becoming a best-selling novelist, but the past few months you were stuck in the worst case of writer's block. Unable to find a job remotely close to what you wanted to do, you ended up working at the front desk of a pediatric medical clinic – and barely writing anything.

“You know when you have this great idea, but you realize that in order to make it happen, you actually have to sit down and you know, create?” You gesticulate with your now empty mug in hand, your other hand still engulfed by Jean's.

“Yeah, I know the feeling all too well.” He nods. “I get that way about my sketches and painting sometimes too. It's like the thought of failure has such a choke hold on me that I can't even get started.”

“Exactly! God, the burden we creatives put on ourselves,” you laugh and roll your eyes at your own mild pretentiousness. “I didn't think I'd still be living in Trost this long.”

The two of you finish the ice sculpture route and arrive back where you started. The night was going fast, too fast. You are so long in conversation that you don't see Eren and Mikasa arrive at the exit at the same time.

“Jean?? Is that you?” Shit. You don't mind Eren that much, though he's a little intense for you, and Mikasa is positively the coolest person you know, but fielding the tension between Jean and Eren is the last thing you want to do. Jean drops your hand and with it, a little piece of your heart. Eren and Mikasa approach you.

“Oh, hey,” Eren says your name and a shit-eating grin grows on his face. “Didn't realize you two were out here.”

“Hi,” Mikasa greets you by name with a shy smile.

Jean crosses his arms.

“Yeah, because unlike some people, I did what I said I'd do.” You chuckle at Jean's awkward wording.

“Technically I did too. I said I wasn't going with you, not that I wouldn't go at all,” Eren smirks and his pine-green eyes dance with mischief. Mikasa rolls her eyes and tuggs on his hand.

“C'mon Eren, let's go. Nice to see you two!” Mikasa waves at you and Jean and steers Eren away before a battle could ensue.

“God he gets on my nerves,” Jean says mostly to himself and balls up his hands in fists as the two of you walk to his car. Once inside, you check your phone to see a message from Sasha.

Omg Mikasa just told me you and Jean went to the ice sculptures together?? Just the two of you?? How cute!! I didn't even think about it but you two are PERFECT together. Come home immediately and tell me how it went.

Her message is followed with about a million heart eye emojis.

“Jesus Christ,” you mutter and shove your phone in your pocket. Although you thoroughly enjoyed your night with Jean and don't want it to end, you also don't want anyone to get the wrong idea, yourself included. Getting your hopes up had bit you in the ass one too many times.

“Everything good?” Jean asks as he steers out of the parking lot.

“Ah, I don't know. . .” you trail off, unsure how to respond. “I guess Mikasa must have just told Sasha that she ran into us here and she's demanding answers.”

“Which means everyone is going to know in about an hour. Connie's going to be blowing up my phone any minute.” Jean throws his head back in frustration before quickly returning his eyes to the road.

“I can try to correct her, that we're just friends,” you quickly try to do damage control.

“Oh, uh, I didn't mean that. Let her think whatever she wants. Or I mean, uh,” he stutters and blushes. “She's your roommate, I didn't mean to tell you what to tell her.”

“No, that's fine. I'll just ignore her and she can make whatever she wants out of it,” you give a nervous laugh.

The car ride back to the city center is much more quiet and tense. It seems to you that Jean didn't want the night to end either. Despite the tension, you arrive back to your neighborhood much quicker than you expect.

“I can drop you off at your apartment so you don't have to walk in cold again,” Jean offers.

“Sure, thanks.”

He pulls up in front of your apartment building and you unbuckle and pause to look at Jean. Fuck it.

“Do you want to come in? Sasha's probably spending the night with Nicolo.”

“Oh, uh,” Jean pauses and your heart plummets to your stomach.

“It's okay, you don't have to.” You shuffle to open the car door, but Jean stops you.

“I'd love to, actually.”

Keeping with the theme of warm drinks, you make two hot chocolates with peppermint schnapps. Both of your warm outdoor clothing is piled in a heap on the chair by the front door. You and Jean curl up on the couch and move closer and closer to each other as you talk about everything and anything – your favorite movies, your various college activities (you learn Jean was also on the soccer team with Connie and Marco), all the different places you'd like to visit, the frustrations of trying to write or draw.

“Maybe if I wrote something really great I could move somewhere else someday,” you muse. “But until then, Trost it is.”

Jean leans in and lifts his hand to tuck your hair behind your ear. You freeze and gaze into his glowing hazel eyes.

“I'm glad you're here,” he breaths your name. An uncontrollable smile spreads across your face.

“Me too.” Warmth from both flirting with Jean and the schnapps spreads throughout your body. He leans in even closer.

“Can I . . .” he trails off. You don't need words to know what he's asking. You answer by surging forward and pressing your lips to his. You both taste like peppermint and dark chocolate. You pull back and giggle. A bold night indeed.

“So, coffee shop tomorrow?” He asks. You learn that you both frequented the coffee shop down the street but were rarely there at the same time. You nod.

“You bring your sketches, I'll bring my notebook,” you promise to hold each other to creating as much as possible.

“It's a date.” Jean looks at you and grins into his hot chocolate mug.

Turns out you have lots to tell Sasha.

[rubykgrant]

Because of REASONS, I remembered my Scooby-Doo character designs from a few years ago. I decided to touch-up the picture a bit and fix a few things. So, here they are again! If I were to totally make my own “dream version” of Scooby-Doo, this isn’t exactly the “style” I’d prefer them in (something a little closer to the classic), this is just a cute and simple style I use when I want to get an idea for basic body-types, hair, and outfits. As for the story, I’d toss together all my favorite things from every previous version, but the basic plot would go like this; the kids all originally met when they were very little, trick-or-treating on Halloween, and solving the mystery of some mean older kids who were stealing candy. During middle school, they wound up moving away from each other for various reasons... but all reunited in high school! They had a fairly normal time, solving mundane mysteries and such. After graduation, they decide to take a road trip together, and THAT is when they truly become Mystery Inc. A mixture of the old-school plots, some new adventures, and yes- sometimes the spooky things ARE real! I’d honestly aim for it to be PG-13, it doesn’t need to be turbo-edgey and grim-dark, but they can say swears. There would one F-bomb in the whole show, and Freddy gets to say it~

(some character notes below)

I drew Velma first because I’ve always wanted to update her outfit as sort of a sleeveless sweater-dress kind of thing. I gave her red shorts instead of a skirt, and I think it somehow made her look more sporty but still cute. Some orange high-tops sort of bring it together. I wanted her hair to have something like a flapper-girl style, and I kept classic style square glasses because she works them (and still can’t see without them). Velma is easily the most adorable. She’s still the “smart one”, but she doesn’t know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING; history, science and chemistry, literature, and math are what she excels at. She also has a near photographic memory, and although she understands a lot about technology (in terms of software/programming/coding), she isn’t too great with machines. Some background for her; Velma is mixed Japanese/Mexican and Jewish. She’s also trans and a lesbian~

I knew I wanted Daphne to look really fashionable, but also in something simple and comfortable. I gave her a purple halter top/skirt with a leg-cut on one side, and loose lavender jeans. She almost never has pants in her main outfit, but I think it gives her a fun nostalgic look of the 60s and 70s. I moved her green scarf up to her hair, and gave her matching green earrings. I like the idea that because she’s a little clumsy (Danger-Prone-Daphne) she’s taken lots of athletic lessons to try and make up for it; she’s done ballet, gymnastics, Karate, boxing, archery, played different sports like soccer/basketball/baseball/tennis, swimming lessons, and equestrian classes. Basically, when she’s in “alert-mode”, she could probably handle just about anything… but when she’s not paying attention she tends to trip (though, she’s kinda of backwards-lucky by stumbling into clues this way). Daphne can speak several languages fluently, she’s got perfect pitch, is super sensitive to textures so she can recognize any material, and has a gift for being very charming and intuitive. Some background for her; her dad is Iranian, and her mom is Scottish. She’s also bi~

I always wanted to give Fred a blue jacket. I just think it suits him. He’s also got light-blue jeans, and a white long-sleeve shirt (with a red collar to replace the ascot haha). He’s got a little bit of a farm-boy vibe (hence the belt and work boots). He’s all about cars and other machines, a real  Mr. Fix-It, and he loves taking stuff apart to see how it works. As a result he’s pretty good at his other hobby besides mechanics… TRAPS. Fred also practices being an escape artist, so if he ever gets caught he’ll be able to get out of almost anything. Although he’s certainly not “stupid”, he has a tendency to be a bit oblivious and a little too headstrong. He’s got a heart if gold though, and everybody who knows him would agree that he’s endlessly kind. Some background for him; Fred’s parents went missing around when he younger, and so he’s had a few different foster families. He doesn’t get reunited with his folks until much later (learning more about his family, he finds out he’s mixed Italian/Norwegian). He’s also bi~

Shaggy doesn’t need much changing (if I altered too much, he just wouldn’t look like Shaggy anymore). I have him a white long-sleeved shirt under his classic green one, changed his brown pants into cargoes (all loose fitting, Shaggy likes it baggy), and gave him some black sneakers. He’s naturally still got long hair and a scruffy chin (plus some sideburns). Even though he’s a well known scardey-cat, Shaggy has a deep love for horror movies and fictional spooky stuff doesn’t seem to bother him. His various fears and phobias have actually made him a safety expert; not only does he usually carry a back-pack with a fully stocked first aid kit, he knows how rescue somebody who is drowning, all the safety procedures for different vehicles/aircraft, CPR, and survival tactics (he actually knows more medical facts than Velma). Despite being so thin and lanky, he is almost always eating, sometimes thinking with his stomach rather than his head. He’s always happy to share though, and he even cooks great meals for his friends (mindful of allergies and what-not). Some background for him; he’s Canadian First Nations and Jewish on his mother’s side. He’s also trans, bi and ace~

Scooby was maybe the most difficult to draw… he’s so iconic, and I wasn’t sure how to draw him in this style but still make him look like Scooby. I’m not sure if I succeeded, but I think the result isn’t too bad. Shaggy found Scoob as a pup, and they have been best friends ever since. Like Shaggy, Scooby loves to eat and hates to be afraid, but he’s only a coward when something threatens him; if a monster or villain is going to hurt one of his friends, Scooby always comes to their defense. People forget that he’s actually a very big strong dog because he’s usually so gentle and silly. Scoob knows all sorts of trick from the typical “sit/roll-over/shake” to more impressive stunts. Although he loves attention and praise, the best way to get him to do anything is to bribe him with a Scooby Snack! He’s a very smart animal, and the fact that he can communicate when he smells or hears something suspicious that people might miss is a real asset for solving mysteries. Like any good dog, Scooby is loyal and lovable~

[afarcryfrommymain]

Far Cry OC Tournament Round 1A

Esther Seed v Orayani Ragadio v Wesley Beltran

Voting and little about our contestants under the cut!

Esther Seed (@vampireninjabunnies-blog)

About: Esther was born on March 20th 1994, in a very small rural community outside of Atlanta, Georgia to the local pastor David Shea and his wife Mary. She's the youngest of three, her sister Sarah is ten years older and Michael is four years older. She didn't fit in very well as a child due to being skipped ahead several grades. Her parents did the best they could to make her childhood a happy one and for the most part succeeded despite their deep poverty. She graduated from Harvard University at eighteen with her Ph.D in Psychiatry, focusing on childhood and religious trauma. Esther participated in competitive archery while in University and was champion three years in a row. She met John Seed in a nightclub not long after, and they dated for a year before she moved to Montana. During that year she'd worked as a social worker but quit from burnout when the systems flaws kept her from saving a child in an abusive home. She and John married and lived very happily for around two years despite her passive aggressive conflict with Joseph. Until one night after an argument with Joseph went too far. She and John attempted to leave Eden's Gate and Hope County but Joseph ran them off the road into the river. Now three years later the Reaping is in full swing, John and the rest of the county believe she's dead. And she's trapped in a bunker by Joseph with her children working to escape. Esther is 5"0, 98lbs, long copper red hair, big brown doe eyes. Fair skinned and covered in freckles with an hourglass figure. A fairly small, delicate woman. She has two tattoos given to her by John. The Seven virtues in latin under her right breast and a small bumblebee with John's initials on her pelvis. Later in her story she has the word PRIDE carved into her left shoulder blade by Joseph.

Does your OC have anything to share?: "Esther is an accomplished archer and equestrian. She is quite good at mounted archery and being as petite as she is she favours stealth and ambushes if she has to fight."

Orayani Ragadio (@broken-balance-baby)

About: She's from the post-canon au of Far Cry 3 where Jason becomes a merc! Filipino Aeta girl, she's also a starting journalist and meets Jason and his team in the middle of a warzone in Southern Philippines. she's very sweet, polite and always optimistic, she also doesn't seem very smart because of that but she is. she knows how to handle a bow and arrow and Jason teaches her how to use guns in their story.

Anything else we should know?: "she's very small! like say about 5'1 or so. so it's possible she could use her size to her advantage LOL"

Wesley Beltran (@stacispratt)

About: wes beltran considers himself a generally calm person, and this is true until his friends are in danger. staci and joey are his only family in hope county, and he'd do anything for them. after the seeds take them from him, his singular goal is to rescue them at any cost. at first, he agrees to help the resistance, because the more people fighting the cult the better, but the second any task doesn't directly help him get joey back from john (his first goal), he'll ditch it. he doesn't want to waste time, he wants to get right to joey, and also get his hands bloody punishing the people who have hurt her. after he gets accustomed to his brand new bloodlust, he prefers to use knives/blades/shovels to kill cultists over guns. it's more personal and painful for them. this is especially so with john seed! killing him from a distance with a gun would take all the reward out of killing john. also, it turns out that john seed's obsession with him scratches a very particular, desperate, life-long need inside wes to find someone who loves him more than anything, and his priorities after he rescues joey starts to blur into something that includes soaking up john's obsessive love forever and ever so he can (maybe, possibly) finally feel so full of love he'll never starve for it again! that's not to say john and wes don't beat the shit out of each other, because they do, most notably at wes's confession where wes beats john over the head with a metal pipe to rescue joey, and at wes's atonement, where john tattoos wes and then wes hunts john down until john gets the upper hand and steals him away to his bunker where, you guessed it, they beat the shit out of each other again. when marshal burke dies, wes blames the resistance. staci suffers near-death torment at the hands of jacob seed, and wes can't reconcile this with the idea that the resistance cares at all, because he's so sucked up in the well-being of his own two best friends. eventually, consumed with his mutual obsession for john seed, wes joins the cult and becomes john's right hand man and favorite chosen. he doesn't particularly take pleasure in torturing or killing innocents, but his loyalty to john has cemented itself and he'd do anything for him, just as he'd do anything for joey & staci. plus they still get to make each other bleed without politics also boomer is his bestie :)

Anything else we should know?: corruption arc through obsessive love babey.

[starlinggore]

➤𝔽𝕒𝕝𝕤𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕤 𝟙

༄To dream is a privilege, a memoir of thoughts an recollections combined into a performance set to replicate life

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Long days have progressively grown shorter after Master Eiji took in Mizu; Inori still didn't trust the old blind man, but she decided not to leave Mizu alone, so Inori would visit frequently. Day by day, Inori would come back with more trinkets and tricks. Inori's newest trick was her accidental discovery of archery at the age of 14.

Inori discovered this new hobby after watching a traveling street performer, who had coincidentally been performing in Kohama. That fateful day Inori was out scavenging for something to do since Mizu had been busy helping Master Eiji forge yet another sword as always; Inori could recall the pounding of the metal through her conscience, as-well as the burning heat that radiated throughout the house while those two forged.

Inori never enjoyed the smoldering heat from the fire. 

Too much heat would always put Inori in a haze of thoughts, as if her mind was unconsciously trying to sweat them out. Memories that she would relive in those moments were mostly ones with her mother; The sour look plastered on her face whenever she saw Inori was the only one she could remember. Inori always tried her best to whisk away those recollections, only to be met by more. 

"Why won't this come off?!" Her mother cried as she continued to scrub Inori's skin, "Oh how have I angered the gods...these will never wash away, What have you done Inori?" Silence followed her mothers desperate preaching, Inori's skin now red from all the scrubbing; the hot water splashed against her face once more than her mother continued to get rid of the patches that littered over Inori's skin, but still nothing worked...

Nothing, ever worked

Present day, Inori now shuffled through a crowd, getting knocked in the face a few times before reaching the center of attention that was causing such a mess in the middle of the makeshift road in Kohama. Inori watched the performer draw his arrow with precision, aiming at the moving targets his assistant was juggling; Inori had only blinked for a second, but what she saw astonished her... All three apples the assistant was juggling had an arrow right through the center of them. The rest of the performance was beyond anything Inori could imagine. She felt the interest practically rush through her veins as she stared intently at the miniature show.

Soon the sun set over them, the performers packed away their supplies, and the crowd disbanded. The only person left in the street was Inori; from the corner of her eye she caught something...The performer throwing away his now, what seemed to be broken bow. Inori, confused but also curious, waited for the men to exit before snatching the bow from the pile of trash, then making her way back to Master Eiji's.

As she traversed through the woods with a bow in her hand, she wondered how it could even be unusable.. everything seemed normal from what Inori knew about the subject. The bowstring was intact and the wooden part of the bow itself was in perfect condition; still, not thinking much of it, she continued back to Master Eiji's with a soft smile plastered on her face.

When Inori finally arrived, the sight of Mizu training met her. As usual, Mizu never told Inori why, but she still never stopped wondering why Mizu was so dead set on training. Succumbing to her impulsivity as usual Inori yelled out ecstatically to Mizu, "Mizu!! you will not believe what I saw today, it was incredible-" Inori paused after a sword being pointed her way, Mizu hadn't recognized Inori at first, even though no one else usually came running to Mizu with such a bright tone. After processing the person was Inori, Mizu lowered her sword and sheathed it. "You shouldn't run towards me while I'm training. I could've hurt you by accident if I had not recognized you in time. " Mizu's cold demeanor still kept the same as they spoke. Inori took a second catch her breath before responding to Mizu's warning, "Okay, okay, I get that your worried but you have to listen!! there were performers here in Kohama, they did an amazing act and the archer threw away this bow!! this is a sign Mizu..!!" 

"A sign you say...? i guess you could learn but it would take you some time before you got the hang of it..."Mizu met Inori's very...'Happy' gaze, "Do you have any arrows...? oh! oh! we can make arrows too-" Inori suddenly blurted out but was cut off once again, but this time by Mizu throwing some old arrows they had found from the storage bin to Inori. "Just, clean up your mess okay, and don't accidentally shoot someone" Mizu responded before picking back up the sword they had been training with and continuing their routine.

"Thank you Mizu, I really appreciate it"

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"Its hard to believe that was almost 6 years ago"

"Right Mizu?"

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►False Reigns, Chapter 1 End✧༄

Word Count: 856 words

A/N: Here is a little inside look to the beginning of the chapter "False Reigns" I plan to make 4 parts to this chapter each over 800 words!! please be patient!! Also Constructive criticism is always aloud!! just please be nice if you do give any<333

-Have A Nice Day/Night-

READS HERE ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED!!

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Azula x Kai Series: Part Three

Part One Here, Part Two, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six and Part Seven. 

The group had well and truly found the Avatar and the chase was on. Team Avatar kept escaping on their furry ride but the sky bison had to sleep sometime with the tank didn't. They were wearing the Avatar down and when they reached a river, the trail seemed to go one way. Clumps of fur were dotted alongside the bank and it seemed pretty straightforward which way the Avatar had gone...almost too straightforward. "The Avatar is trying to give us the slip" Azula said noticing the pattern the furs had been placed in "Mai, Ty lee you follow it, Kai and I will go this way" she said gesturing to a dirt road leading through the forest. Kai was surprised Azula had told him to come with her but he was pleased. Every action Azula did was calculated precisely so her taking him with her was a compliment. Kai noticed Mai roll her eyes slightly at Kai’s smile and he smirked at her. Kai ensured his pack had everything he needed and with a nod to Mai and Ty lee took off after Azula. They rode for an hour in silence before coming to a town. There were clear footsteps leading to the centre and Azula told Kai to go around to the side and wait. "But shouldn't I come with you?" Kai asked. Azula shook her head "your best skill is your bow which is a ranged weapon. You will find a good position and wait. If I raise my left hand like this" she said demonstrating what looked like a casual hair brush "then fire at the Avatar and aim to kill. I'm expecting Zuko to show up and if we start fighting it's your job to decapacitate him, got it?". Kai thought back to their conversation the other day where Azula admitted she trusted Mai completely around Zuko but not so much Kai. It suddenly occurred to him that Azula bringing him wasn’t a compliment, this was a test. She had chosen him to see if he could handle it and he wasn't going to let her down. "I've got it" he nodded and he ran off to go scale some buildings.

 Azula waited a few minutes for Kai to get into place and then approached the Avatar. Kai didn't hear much of the conversation but he could tell Azula was fine by how relaxed her body language was...and then Zuko appeared. He jumped in the middle of the two of them but Azula just fire-blasted him into a building and went after the Avatar. Kai got the message and quickly sprang down from his hiding spot. Zuko hadn't noticed him yet and went to run after Azula when Kai fired an arrow at him, pinning his shirt to the wall. Zuko jumped as the arrow only just missed stabbing him and turned. "Kai...I should've figured. Wherever Azula goes you always follow". Kai shrugged "good to see you too Zuko, or not so good for you given the circumstances, how banished life been treating you?" he smiled. Zuko shook his head "you seriously think you can beat me in a fight?". Kai raised his bow and aimed at Zuko's head "yeah I think I can, unless...". "Unless what?" Zuko spat and Kai smiled "we know I'm better with a bow and you have firebending so how about we make this even. One-on-one sword fight" he said taking his sword out of his sheath with a satisfying ring "no firebending or archery. What do you say?". "I say you're on!" Zuko cried brandishing his own swords. Kai smiled knowing he'd peaked Zuko's temper. He swung his weapons around a little and got into an aggressive stance "bring it on Prince Zuko...or is it just Zuko now you're a disgraced mess?". Zuko yelled and leapt into the attack. Kai could immediately tell this wasn't Zuko's best performance. He hadn't been travelling comfortably like they had and it showed. Zuko was weaker from his time on the road and inconsistent meals. His attacks lacked sustenance and Kai decided to enjoy this. "You know growing up, all the boys wanted to be you. The Prince of the Fire Nation, heir to the throne, favourite of the Queen...so beating you is going to be very satisfying". "You haven't won yet" Zuko replied and attacked more rapidly which only made him sloppier. Kai actually smirked at the desperation coming from the Prince. He sidestepped Zuko’s attacks and let Zuko think he was pushing him into a corner. Zuko was getting cocky and when he started to smile that’s when Kai knew he’d won...but he wanted to play with the prince a little more. 

Kai let his grip falter and gave Zuko hope that his disarming strike was going to hit...then he quickly readjusted his feet and knocked Zuko's sword from his own hand. He kicked it away and aimed at his neck "I win" he smiled. Zuko’s eyes were a ball of rage but he of course always had someone to step in when he failed. 

Kai felt the fireball just before it reached him. He dove out of the way and turned to see Azula's uncle the disgraced Iroh. "Should've known you wouldn't have gone anywhere without a family member to fight for you, first it was your mother and now your uncle huh Zuko? When are you ever going to fight your own battles?". "That's enough!" Iroh called "we don't want to hurt you Kai, set your weapons down carefully". Kai heard Azula still fighting and shook his head. There was no way he was surrendering while she still needed him. "Fat chance old man" and he fired a smoke bomb at the floor. That gave him the time he needed to run off and he was way faster than Zuko or Iroh. He whistled letting Azula know there was danger and hurried back up the buildings to get a good look at the situation. 

He spotted her immediately and realised she was in a bad position. She was being cornered by 6 people including Iroh and Zuko but still she was putting up a good fight. However even the brightest flame can be extinguished with enough force and so Kai waited anxiously, bow at the ready. He could take out the Avatar, he had a clear shot at him but Azula mattered more. So when she gave the signal he fired his last remaining smoke bomb straight into the yard. Azula leapt out of the way but Kai saw Iroh aim for her, trying to stop her from escaping so he quickly fired another bow right at him for good measure. He didn't have time to see if either hit its mark but based on Zuko's scream it did. Kai rushed down the buildings to the mounts and got there at the same time as Azula. "I thought I said to take out the Avatar" she said. "I know but they would’ve captured you” Kai said getting his mount ready. “So the Avatar would be dead!”. Kai shook his head “but I wanted you to get away more! With Zuko and Iroh there, I couldn't let them capture you Azula I just couldn't!" he cried more emotionally than he meant to. Azula paused shocked by his outburst before she looked away "come on let's go". He nodded composing himself and they rode off as quickly as possible. 

They returned to their designated meeting spot to find Ty lee and Mai waiting...dripping wet. "So...how did it go?" Kai asked and Mai shot him a look. "Not good" Ty lee said "we had them beaten and then the Avatar's bison swept us into the river". Azula shrugged "that fur ball is a real inconvenience but no matter, we can guess where they're heading and I have the perfect plan to finally break that city once and for all". Ty lee blinked and Kai could see she was confused. He was going to mouth the name of it to her when she whispered "what city?" to Mai. Azula heard and rolled her eyes "come on Ty lee! What famous stronghold might the Avatar flock to in order to gain support and weapons?". Ty lee blanked "erm the water tribe?". Azula swore and Kai sighed "Ba Sing Sei, he's heading to Ba Sing Sei". Azula nodded "thank you! Atleast someone has a brain!". Azula rode away and Ty lee struggled not to tear up. "Don't cry, you know she hates that" Mai whispered before following Azula. Kai frowned and walked up to Ty lee "here" and passed her a tissue. "Azula didn't mean what she said, she's just mad because I didn't take the shot at the Avatar and chose to save her instead". Ty lee sniffed "you did? Wow that's brave". He shrugged "not really when the other option was letting a girl I care about get hurt. Sometimes you have to be brave and put yourself in danger to protect those you love". Ty lee nodded "yeah I guess you do...thanks Kai". Kai nodded to her and then walked away. Something about his expression softened and then tightened again made Ty lee remember how difficult it was to care for royalty. 

*Flashback*

Kai left to join the archers 2 weeks after Zuko was banished. Mai was understandably gloomier than ever to be without her brother and her boyfriend and so it was just Ty lee and Azula for a while. They’d grown closer during this time, to the extent that Azula would even talk about Kai to Ty lee. 

They were walking through the training school together which Azula liked to do often. She liked to assess the other students and make sure nobody was close to her level of skill and this had apparently extended to Kai. She watched some teenagers fire a bow and only half of them hit a bullseye. Azula snorted as the coach praised them “it seems without Kai around this now passes for archery”, Ty lee laughed and Azula smiled. “When he gets back they’ll think he’s a god because he can actually hit the target board”. Ty lee laughed again “you’re right, when does Kai get back again Azula?”. “Well he won’t be back officially until atleast a year but he will be back home for the winter solstice in 4 weeks. It will be pleasant to have him around again...maybe Mai will actually smile” Azula said. Ty lee had read that absence can make the heart grow fonder and she adored the effect Kai’s absence was having on Azula. She spoke about him often and complimented him more than Ty lee had ever heard. So she was sure the minute Kai arrive back Azula would ask him to be her boyfriend! She couldn’t wait for Kai to return and the weeks whizzed by until he was here. 

Ty lee rushed to the docks with Mai to await Kai’s return. When they got there she pushed to the front and looked around expectantly. “Where’s Azula?” Ty lee asked and Mai raised an eyebrow “probably back at the palace, why?”. “Well won’t she want to see Kai?” Ty lee asked. Mai shook her head “when has Azula ever come to see anyone off or welcome them home? It’s beneath her”. Ty lee shook her head “no..she likes Kai, she’ll be here!” but the ship appeared and all the travellers walked off the ship with no sign of her. Kai appeared and Ty lee and Mai called to him. He grinned when he saw them and rushed to hug them. “You’ve grown!” Ty lee said shocked and he laughed “maybe a little...”. “That’s an understatement” Mai replied and Kai shot her a look “you know i’m pretty much the same height as you now, give me a week and i’ll probably have you beat”. Mai didn’t like that and the two siblings bickered but it was a nice sound after Mai’s stormy silence had been present for so long. 

Ty lee was sure Azula would meet them at Mai’s home or maybe send them a note to come to the palace but nothing. When she hadn’t appeared by the next day either Ty lee thought perhaps Azula had forgotten so went to go and find her. She found her in her room pouring over some battle strategy books. “There you are!” Ty lee cried and Azula raised an eyebrow “am I supposed to be somewhere else? This might be a holiday for the slackers but I still have work to do”. “I know but can’t you take one day off from your studies?” Ty lee asked “Kai’s back!”. Azula didn’t react “and?”. “And it would be nice for the four of us to spend time together”. Azula shook her head “not today but maybe tomorrow”. Ty lee was crestfallen but pretended she wasn’t. 

The next day Mai, Kai and Ty lee hung out in the royal gardens. They were allowed to use them when Azula wasn’t there as friends of the princess and it was a good thing too because there had been no sign of her. Every noise or servant that walked past made Ty lee look up hopefully but nothing. Then finally around dinner time she appeared. “Azula!” Ty lee cried and Kai immediately sprang to his feet. She nodded “yes i’m here no need to shriek”. She stopped in front of the group and her eyes went to Kai. “Princess” he said bowing and she nodded “Kai...how has your training been?”. “Very good thank you” he said “and your studies?”. “Excellently” she nodded and Kai looked down “I brought you something...it’s not much but they’re rather rare” and he took out a small flower which almost seemed to glow. “They’re called the mighty dragons as they only grow on volcanic sites in the fire nation once a decade. We got to harvest them while we were gathering rocks for our bows. I wanted you to have it”.  Ty lee looked at Azula for a blush or any sign of approval but she just nodded “well it’s rather impractical”. Kai nodded “of course...I just thought as our nation's rarest flower, you should have it”. Azula took it from Kai’s hand “I’ll see if I have somewhere to put it” and that was that. 

The rest of the day Azula was rather cold to Kai and paid no particular attention to him. When Azula left, Ty lee was sure Kai must be upset. “I’m sorry Azula didn’t like your flower Kai” Ty lee said later, feeling like someone ought to comfort him. He shook his head “it’s okay, she liked it really”. Ty lee frowned thinking he was delusional and Kai noticed “she did, she took the flower with her. If she didn’t like it she would’ve trodden it into the ground or left it on the grass but she took it with her”. 

Ty lee wasn’t too sure and when Kai left the following week without even a goodbye from Azula she was sure he’d been wrong. Then one week later she happened to go into Azula’s room to look for her. She quickly realised Azula wasn’t in there and went to pause when she saw a light coming from a dark corner. She stepped closer and saw, placed carefully on a hidden shelf in a vase with water, was the flower Kai had given Azula. As healthy as the day he gave it to her. Azula had indeed kept it and was caring for it this whole time. She realised Kai had been right all along and thought it sad that royalty couldn’t express their love and happiness as other people could. Azula might be a princess and Kai a handsome fighter just like in the fairytale...but their lives were very different. 

*End of Flashback*

Azula's plan was a huge drill! She planned to break the "impenetrable" walls of Ba Sing Sei once and for all. The drill was impressive and so far any earth benders that tried to stop it had been pushed aside. Mai and Ty lee also went out and faced a whole shipment of them and came back with little more than sand in their shoes. So everything was looking pretty straightforward and successful. Kai was feeling pretty good about everything and was sure the Fire Nation would succeed. The idea of him being part of the team that broke in Ba Sing Sei made him dizzy with excitement and so he tried to keep busy patrolling the hallways and ensuring the inner mechanisms were working...that's how he discovered the frozen engineer. Azula immediately suspected the Avatar and with Ty lee and Mai in tow they searched the machine. "It's a really good job you noticed the engineer Kai, otherwise they could've been here for ages and we wouldn't have noticed" Ty lee said. "It's no use if we don't find out who did it and quickly" Azula said when she heard a noise from down in the ship's lower mechanisms. "This way!" she called and they stumbled right upon the Avatar. As soon as Azula attacked, Team Avatar fled but the teens were in hot pursuit. They chased them down a corridor where the group split. "You two go that way" Azula said "Ty lee and I will go this way". Kai was momentarily confused why she'd taken Ty lee and not him. He wondered if it was punishment for what happened back at the town against Zuko but if anything it just made him even more determined to do better this time. He nodded and sped around the corner with Mai only to find the two kids from the Watertribe jumping into a sewage vent. Mai groaned "I'm not going down there". Kai shook his head "we don't have to...that leads to the outer side of the tank and we can get there without trudging through sludge" and he kicked open an escape pod. "How did you..." Mai started when Kai smiled "I've been patrolling this thing non-stop, you notice things". “I’m actually impressed” Mai replied dryly. So Mai and Kai hopped out of the pod and ran right around to the underside, right as the water tribe siblings were setting up their plan. They hadn’t even spotted them as they were expecting them to come out the same way they did. "Go for the girl, she's the bender" Mai said and Kai smiled "no problem" and aimed one of his paralysing arrows at her. He just released the arrow when the boy yelled "Katara" and a boomerang knocked his arrow aside. "Nobody hurts my sister" Sokka growled and in response Kai just smiled "I'd dare you to try and hurt mine" gesturing to Mai who threw 5 knives at the boy. Mai pinned the boy to the floor pretty quickly and the siblings turned to the Water Tribe girl. She quickly readied some water and Kai knew considering she had a lot at her disposal they'd have to put her down fast. "The usual?" Mai asked and Kai nodded. They trained together hundreds of times and knew how to work together. They both stood on either side of the water tribe girl spreading her concentration. Mai would trap her with her knives and Kai would nick her with his paralysis arrow. It would've all worked perfectly if the earth bender didn't show up. She quickly knocked Mai and Kai to the side, freed the brother and backed up the waterbender. Mai and Kai knew their attacks weren't that useful against an experienced earth bender so after a few attacks to distract them, they escaped and went back inside, hoping to find a way to shut off that part of the tank. Azula found them while Kai was still pouring over the plans. "There has to be a way!" he cried when the door opened "it's over, we've lost". Both she and Ty lee were covered in mud and looked defeated but Azula never stayed beaten for long. "They've kept Ba Sing Sei...for now" she said and Kai smiled at her tone. He loved her endless determination. So it was back to the drawing board and that involved patrolling the outskirts of Ba Sing Sei to try and capture any important people trying to enter the city. That's when Azula spotted some familiar fur in the forest... The group set out on their Mongoose Lizard and quickly found the Avatar's bison and some friends. "My my you're easy to find, it's really astounding my brother hasn't captured you yet" Azula said after a spectacular entrance. Kai knew who the women were on sight, the famous Kyoshi Warriors known for their strength and skill. It was only fitting the best of the Earth Kingdom would go up against the best of the Fire Nation. The fight started pretty quickly and Azula went straight for the leader. Kai stayed back with Mai for a few seconds and fired some arrows/knives at the group. Then they charged in too. To put it simply, they wiped the floor with the warriors! They couldn't compete with Mai's knives, Ty lee's agility or Kai's arrows and Azula decimated the leader. The bison got away which was unfortunate. Kai did try and bring it down with some arrows but the leader of the warriors stopped him before Azula stopped her. After the bison escaped the warriors were quickly rounded up and Kai arranged to have the tank come and collect them. "What do you want us to do with them?" Kai asked but Azula didn't reply. She was staring at the leader's uniform and badges. "Azula?" Kai asked and she looked at him "tell the commander of the tank to bring some prison uniforms...I just found our ticket into Ba Sing Sei".

[lennjamin-o7]

🌯🗡️ back again just to say once more, FUCK MIELLE. I reread the chap again and I cant believe I forgot to include her forgetting Techno fucking exists in the novel. Sis he is only 4 fucking years younger than you and he's achieved what you were literally MADE to do!

Your whole existence hinges on Phil deciding one day "hmmmm me want baby for wife" and you were so unlovable that the second he saw you he stood in the middle of the fucking road for like 5 hours because of how rancid your vibes were until the perfect sonboy known as your baby brother came up and fixed the vibes!

I just wanna see Mielle get her ego ripped to fucking shreds at this point. She's had it too good for far too long.

Felix isn't off the fucking hook either Mr."I should turn you and your horse into fucking glue" isn't nearly as innocent as like I first read him as. Like I tried give him just a smidge of wiggle room and he decked me in the face for it. I hate the both of them so much, Techno will need so many snuggles when the custody battle is over.

I have no idea how I missed that shit, I must've been in fucking shock at these egregious actions against the perfect baby boy. If they act like this here imagine how they acted at fucking home. Techno trying to copy his brother?? And then being mocked for it????? I'm in shambles. Shattered.

Both Techno's siblings are utter dogshit and its a CRIME that they even have a similar appearance to Tommy and Wilbur. Brown fluffy hair? Wilbur Sootification. Blond hair blue eyes? Tommy Innitification. I don't make the rules. Would Wilbur lose an archery contest to a 12 year old while he's like 20? ABSOLUTELY. Would he ever be anywhere near this mean to Techno?? Never in a million fucking years.

Simply cannot wait for the boy to get got. Yoinking needs to initiate immediately. SOS as Save Our Souls? Nah bro its Save Our Sonboy. Save him from these crimes committed against him, Philza Minecraft, patron saint of son stealing.

Idk how but all that has only just set in for me, but anyway, enjoy this small additional side meal of rage flavoured brainrot. A rare 🌯🗡️ anon delicacy!

Yeah, but did Mielle ACTUALLY forget or did she do that because she knows that it makes Techno feel bad. The world may never know...<3 <3 <3 <3

Bro, Phil was standing there SO LONG. Just completely flabbergasted that Mielle actually existed and acted like that. Who does that? Who is that rude? How dare they????? ABSOLUTELY rank vibes.

Mielle has lived a pampered life for sure. Literally, never had a bad day.

Yet.

Felix I try to write as that one person you know that says hateful things like they are joking. You know the kind. They laugh at it and make it sound like a joke so that when you are actually hurt by it, they can brush it off as "I was just joking".

The similarities between Tommy and Wilbur were not intentional lololol. But it is a very funny parallel.

<3 <3 <3 <3 I loved the brainrot. Feel free to send more whenever you get the chance.

[stupsi6565]

My Call of Duty OC

I've made an Cod OC a whole back and if wanted to post it :)

Also if you want to read the back story here:

Till the age of 3 he was an only child and then his younger brother (Miika) arrived. At first, he was really happy to have a brother, but then it started to go downhill. Through the years he noticed more and more that he wasn’t the favourite child, more the other way around.

When he turned 6, he really got to know what it’s like to be forgotten, his parents forgot his birthday. At the same time, he meets his childhood best friend named Leo, he lived a couple houses down his street. His family moved in a few weeks before his birthday.

Leo and Finn met on the old playground in that street, they played together and since then they would always meet each other there and play (they grew closer every day).

(In primary school he hasn’t had any friends, just outside of school; Leo and Alma (met them at an ice-cream store after first grade and lives next to Leo)).

At the age of 8, Finn and his family (mother; Eliisa, father; Rikkard and his younger brother; Miika) went on a summer holiday trip, they were going camping. They were in northern Finland and spend there a week, it was in the middle of nowhere, but it was an official camping spot. After the week was over, his parents left him there, the packed their stuff in the early morning and left Finn sleeping in his tent. His brother asked about him, of course, but they could not give his brother a straight answer.

Finn surely panicked and cried out for help; however, nobody was around. He remembered that one gas station on their way up there and stared to pack a few things and made his way to the “main road”. He eventually found his way there after 2 days or so, and the worker there mediately called the police, she was also really nice and gave him water and food and finally the police arrived and took him home (he knew his address).

His parents then had problems with the police and government (youth welfare office) and all that, Finn was too young to understand any of that still his parents blamed him for this and started to get more abusive than before. His brother Miika (now 5) was glad that he was “save” and home, the always had a better relation than Finn to their parents.

As soon as he was in middle school, he started to realize what had happened back then and all the things his parents do that aren’t normal to others. He made a few new friends but not really close ones. He still had Leo and Alma the were his family as he called them now, and they would still hang out as much as possible.

At 15 his self-questioning began and he struggled to find himself. He did out himself as Bisexual first but then came to terms as Pansexual. A little later he questioned his gender (he/they – Demiboy) but didn’t really say anything about it (his Parents found another reason to hat him, his brother and friends support him).

At age 16 he moved to his (trans)-uncle Jack in Turku and got a part time job as a salesman in a bookstore nearby. He still was friends with Alma and Leo and he would text and call them as much as possible, also Alma and Leo were in a relationship by now. He was happy because now he knew someone who was in the same community and also outed himself to his uncle (who was veryyyy supportive and took him to his first pride pared in Turku, he too bought him his first pride flag).

Finn also found out he was demi-aro/ace, through a failed relationship.

With 18 he joined the military, because he needed money and his uncle was struggling himself financially. Jack had to ask him to leave his apartment and find his own. He thought that joining the military was the best way to get enough money for him and maybe help his uncle out a bit.

At the beginning it was really hard for him, since he didn’t do much sports. His hobby was archery, he joined a club when he was 16. Other than that, he hasn’t done much, he was a few times at the gym otherwise nothing. He was one of the best in basic training (About 10 weeks) and met George when he was moved to Austria. He was moved a lot in his first years, but always with his training group (Where George was there).

He went on a lot of missions and sometimes beryl got out alive, as result George would always teaching Him a Lesson and joke about it after a few weeks.

At 24 he got to join the 141 …

(George is the OC of my friend)

I know it's not perfect, because English is not my first language and I'm not that good at writing, but I hope you can enjoy it.

[concisely-confused]

Hey bud you gotta explain those Sigourney Weaver post tags

Oh! Yeah so when I was doing my wilderness survival training with the boy scouts I was deep in the Adirondacks. On the west side of Tupper Lake to be more specific. On my last night alone in the woods I fell asleep next to a gravel road that I planned on using to orient myself since I was worried there'd be cloud cover in the morning.

I awoke in the morning to see a somewhat concerned and confused woman standing over me asking if I was ok. I realized that this woman had found a teenager wrapped in a tarp sleeping by the side of a gravel trail in the middle of the woods and was understandably concerned. I explained I was a scout doing my wilderness survival training as I flipped the tarp off of me to reveal the troop shirt I was wearing. Thankfully this eliminated any concern on her face and only half of the confusion.

She explained that she had stepped outside for a walk and that the gravel trail I was sleeping next to was essentially a very long driveway to her cabin just around the bend. I expressed my apologies and made a joke about doing this to have an excuse to stare at the sun. This returned some of the confusion to her face. Seeing that I was otherwise ok and intentionally wandering the woods like a maniac she asked if I wanted some water. I said yes without thinking. I would later realize this was a problem since it would technically violate the terms of my test to receive aid from another person. She said she'd be right back and walked back down the road.

I wandered the local area in the meantime looking for edible plants and had gathered myself a good handful of dandelions for breakfast by the time she got back. She graciously handed me the water bottle and we chatted briefly about edible plants. I had shortly finished the water bottle and sheepishly asked if I could hand it back to her since I had about a 25 mile walk back and didn't want to litter on the way. She said of course and with a thanks I handed her the bottle back, gathered my tarp, and walked back into the woods while eating dandelions.

When I returned to the camp to debrief my scoutmaster, in a fit of conscience I also admitted that I had also received a water bottle from a woman who looked an awful lot like that one actress from that movie with aliens. Mind you, I was 16 at the time and hadn't watched the movie yet. My scoutmaster pauses and goes "Alien, you mean the movie Alien? The one with Sigourney Weaver?"

To this I reply something along the lines of "Uhhh I guess so? I havent seen the movie and I don't know actors." At this point my ex marine scoutmaster is unusually invested in this and has climbed on top of a large rock in order to get a good cell signal. After a short image search my scoutmaster hops down off the rock and shows me a picture of the same woman who had handed me that water bottle. I confirmed that it was indeed the woman I met. He went on to explain that she has a vacation home on the west side of Tupper Lake, and that was definitely Sigourney Weaver that I had run into.

Sheepishly I asked my scoutmaster if the water bottle would disqualify me from getting the merit badge. My hulking ex marine scoutmaster laughed and told me to try not to encounter a celebrity for my archery merit badge, but I would indeed still be getting my wilderness survival badge.

[ledenews]

Dreams Coming True at The Highlands Sports Complex

There were 2,000 wrestlers, 125 basketball teams, and two soccer clubs from several states that competed at The Highlands Sports Complex. Last month, right? In March? Wrong. In fact, those statistics were tallied just this past weekend. General Manager Harvey Greenidge reported the Viper Pit Wrestling Nationals, the Slam Jam Basketball Tournament, and the Beadling and Victory soccer clubs all competed inside and outside the $30-million, 200-square-foot facility that opened less than four years ago in the middle of The Highlands. After all, there are six basketball/volleyball courts, full-sized indoor and outdoor turfed fields, four batting cages/pitch tunnels, a play-climb area, an arcade, a café, meeting and event spaces, and a second-floor mezzanine level so parents, coaches, and college scouts can watch from above. The interior of The Highlands Sports Complex can be configured in many ways for different events. This supercenter of sports in Ohio County employs around 100 employees with 10-15 full-time positions, and this past weekend more than 5,000 individuals entered and exited the building. So, OK, just a busy couple of days, right? What about this upcoming weekend? Well, Greenidge predicts much the same foot traffic for the Wheeling Area Chamber Home & Life Expo, the KC Productions Spring Craft Show, and the 2024 OVA Country Roads Volleyball Classic. “For this time of year,” Greenidge said with a smile, “this is normal for us. We typically have two or three tournaments or programs running at a time on Saturdays and Sundays, and we’re hoping for much more this summer. We want to keep raising the bar because we know our team and this facility can handle it. “People from across the country have visited this facility since we opened, and that speaks to the quality of what we have here,” he said. “Plus, we’re surrounded by so many stores and restaurants, so it just makes sense for the folks who come here.” The Highlands Sports Complex is an enormous structure in which fields, courts, and batting cages are located. The Commercial Count Just ask her and Christine Thomas from Quaker Steak & Lube will tell you. “When The (Highlands) Sports Complex is busy, we’re really busy here at Quaker Steak & Lube,” the eatery’s marketing manager said. “It’s really easy to explain. The sports complex is the best thing that could have happened for us after the pandemic, there’s no doubt about that. “We see the teams and the parents from all over the place,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect when I first heard about it, but what a great thing it is for us here at The Highlands.” There also is a multi-purpose turf field on the exterior of The Highlands Sports Complex. The multi-purpose development site right along Interstate 70 has been growing since Cabela’s Outfitters opened in 2004, and the sports complex added a tourism dimension that packs restaurants and fills hotel rooms 12 months a year.   “It’s a terrific facility for a lot of different reasons, and it’s become a great source of traffic for all of the other businesses at The Highlands,” said Don Nickerson, the president of the Ohio County Commission. “I think it's a huge benefit to the restaurants and the hotels and even to the retail operations up there. I would have never imagined the sports complex could become what it is today, but the people who were commissioners before had that vision and it’s been very successful just like The Highlands has been through the years. “From a personal standpoint, when my daughter is playing basketball or my son is shooting archery, we always visit other businesses at The Highlands before or after their competitions,” he said. “And you always see the kids in their uniforms and with their parents at the businesses and restaurants, so there’s no doubt the sports complex is having a direct impact that’s been very positive.” Supply, Demand, and The Bottom Line “Incredible.” “Awesome.” “Amazing.” The Highlands Sports Complex is pleasing and popular among AAU tournament directors, sports camp directors, exposition organizers, and professional franchises like the Wheeling Miners, and the one comment the facility’s general manager hears most is, “Sure wish we had one of these back home.” “I hear that from our out-of-town people all of the time. Everyone who comes here wants to take it home with them because it’s a very nice facility,” Greenidge said. “But these facilities are regional so the children who live locally really are the lucky ones, and we do have a lot of local student-athletes that come here because of everything you can do on the inside. Birthday parties for local children are very popular at The Highlands Sports Complex. “The Highlands Sports Complex is really a great place for birthday parties, too, because we have a great arcade and the climbing area,” he said. “Kids have a great time here, that’s for sure.” Dollars and sense, Commissioner Nickerson explained, will determine when expansion should take place. “There have been conversations about what could be next at the sports complex and we have had requests for some outdoor baseball fields,” Nickerson explained. “And we’ve heard about ice and about a fitness center, too, and right now it’s a matter of economics because the sports complex still doesn’t pay for itself. The (Ohio) County Commission still subsidizes it. “And we knew that was going to be the case for a while after it opened, and we were told it would be probably a five-year break-even point and it’s close to four years at this point,” the commissioner added. “So, it’s just a matter of the economics when it comes to expansion.” The large arcade at the sports complex adds new games as they become available. Read the full article

[iviarellereads]

The Eye of the World, Chapter 13 - Choices

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Staff icon) In which the farm boys think that's a city.

Moiraine relieves the humans' fatigue, they sleep an hour, and Rand wakes feeling like he's had 3 days' rest. The journey to Baerlon takes another week. On the way they ride well around any settlements, though once they catch sight of a farm, and Mat insists it must be different from the farms in the Two Rivers somehow, just because they're north of the Taren, while Perrin insists it looks just the same. Rand can't decide between the two positions.

Lan uses the evening stops for basic combat training. They're all deft with bows, but he points out that a bow is useless in close quarters. He teaches Perrin and Rand some basics of how to use their weapons more effectively, and when he tells Rand to empty his mind, Rand asks if he means the flame and the void, the trick his father taught him to help with archery. Lan gives him "an unreadable look", but moves quickly past the subject and on to another.(1)

Egwene talks and trains with Moiraine in the evenings, away from the men. One morning, she unbraids her hair to brush it, and then doesn't braid it back up again. Rand confronts her about it. He says she's waited her whole life to be allowed to braid her hair, and now she's giving it up so quickly. Egg points out that Aes Sedai don't braid their hair unless they want to.

Rand says she's not Aes Sedai, she's still Egwene al'Vere of Emond's Field, and the Women's Council would be no end of upset if they saw her now. Egwene says she WILL be Aes Sedai when she gets to Tar Valon. Rand asks if she wants to be a Darkfriend that badly, and Egwene asks if he thinks Moiraine is a Darkfriend. The argument goes on another few exchanges until Lan chides them both for being so loud.(2)

Two nights later, the trio are discussing maybe not going to Tar Valon, maybe turning south after they reach Caemlyn, seeing Illian, or maybe going further. Perrin asks what's so special about Illian, and Mat's in the middle of saying it's not full of Aes Sedai when Moiraine and Egwene return from their training session. Moiraine is angry, and asks if they've forgotten Winternight already.

"Whatever the Dark One wants, I oppose, so hear this and know it true. Before I let the Dark One have you, I will destroy you myself."(3)

Another night, Rand sneaks off from camp to eavesdrop on the women's training session. The conversation leads Moiraine to slip and say that she's sure two women from a single small village haven't had access to the Power in a very long time. Egwene is shocked and demands to know to whom else Moiraine refers. Moiraine says "her road lies another way", and to forget she said it.(4)

Egwene's question before that was about whether it was just the men who had broken the world, or all Aes Sedai. Moiraine tells her that the men were insane, not evil, but becoming Aes Sedai doesn't change who a person is, if they're kind or cruel, strong or weak willed. Egwene blurts out that she was worried that access to the Power might change her, and asks all in a rush why the Trollocs were in Emond's Field. Moiraine's eyes swing right around to Rand's hiding place. Rand tries to sneak back off, and fears he made too much noise, but Moiraine gives no indication she knew he was there.

The journey continues on. One day, as Mat is showing off his juggling, as Thom's been giving them lessons in entertaining along the way as well as Lan's combat training, they all spot Baerlon. It's the biggest city any of them have ever seen, bigger than they really had framework to imagine. Thom is dismissive of their gawping.(5)

Moiraine warns them not to mention Trollocs or Myrddraal, and not even to think of the Dark One, within the city walls. She tells them the false name she uses in Baerlon, and tells them not to draw too much attention.(6)

They make their way into the city of Baerlon, learning from the gatekeeper that some of the Children of the Light are in the city.(7) The Children hate Aes Sedai as much as they hate Darkfriends. Their excuse is fighting the evil raised by the war in Ghealdan, but that's far south of Baerlon, they're just marching around and trying to intimidate honest folk.

The gatekeeper also tells them that this Dragon claimant in Ghealdan is moving his army (which he's calling the People of the Dragon) toward Tear, in the southeast. As they leave his earshot, Rand asks Thom why Tear is important. The Karaethon Cycle, a set of prophecies about the Dragon, says that the Stone of Tear, the fortress that guards the city, will never fall until the People of the Dragon come to the Stone, and the Stone will never fall until the Sword That Cannot Be Touched is wielded by the Dragon's hand. Thom doesn't know what the Sword is or why it can't be touched, though he knows it's somewhere inside the Stone.(8)

Rand asks why the prophecy seems so impossible, and Thom says a prophecy easily fulfilled is hardly worth making. Then they arrive at their destination, an inn called the Stag and Lion.

=====

(1) Even more suspicious than usual outta this guy. It's definitely the same thing, right? Well, have a look, too, at how he's been using "sheepherder", almost affectionately. At first it was more of a mean nickname, and now he's using it in camaraderie. And, however gruff, "I can't make you a blademaster in an hour but you're promising enough, I might be able to stop you hurting yourself" is practically a compliment. (2) Bickering like an old married couple much? Certainly, fighting as only two who know each other too well can. But, it IS a big deal that she's giving up this sign of her home. Especially after the Ravens prologue, we know what a big deal it is to her to be considered an adult. Now, she's giving up that symbol, why? Because she wants to get used to it before she arrives so she won't stand out? (3) What was it said a few chapters ago about Aes Sedai never lying, but not always telling the full truth plainly? These words don't leave much room for interpretation. (4) How odd. It's not like we met many other women in town, especially not women who could be referred to as "girls". Though, I suppose Moiraine did call Nynaeve "child" when they first met, so perhaps her sense of age is a bit skewed. (5) If you grew up in a village you thought of as a large community, seeing a place where your village could fit several times over is gonna feel huge, Thom, c'mon now. (6) Now, why would she use a false name in Baerlon, but give the Two Rivers what seems to be her real one? Perhaps so that they might trust her better when they learn that she wasn't lying to them. It's a calculated risk. Still, funny that she'd choose "Alys", like Alice Through the Looking Glass. And if you combine it with "Andra", you could almost make it "Alexander" (7) The Children of the Light are a very interesting lot, but we don't know enough about them yet for me to comment further. I will say, the evil of human choice is not necessarily dependent on the evil of an actual satan/devil figure in our world or Rand's, and there are many evils in this fictional world that have nothing to do with the Dark One, despite that he is a real influence on events. (8) The Karaethon Cycle/Prophecies of the Dragon will come up a lot, since as we've already established, Rand is definitely the Dragon Reborn. So, in this tidbit, there's a Sword That Cannot Be Touched inside a Stone. Are you sick of Arthur references yet? You have to admit, it's an interesting twist on the expectation, since the Stone is a fortress, not a physical single rock, as far as we're told. And, it's not the Sword to be pulled from the stone, but a Sword that can't be touched. How can you wield a sword without touching it? So many questions to be answered.

[joywindsong]

The Seductive Bandit Pt 7

It's the middle of the night in Eversong Woods. A young Alyarus stands watch over the road just outside Fairbreeze Village. She is wearing a ranger's uniform with her hair tied back, leaning against a tree on the side of the trail. Her eyes are heavy and she's nodding off in the moon lit forest. A hand grabs her shoulder and she jolts awake aiming her bow at her laughing brother.

"Gotta pay attention Ranger Alyarus." Moraliuen teases.

Alyarus rolls her eyes leaning back on the tree. "Yeah right. Nothing is coming up this far. I don't know why they have me stationed all the way back here and expect me to stay awake."

"You're a novice ranger. You're not gonna be seeing any real action." Moraliuen says tying his hair up that is barely long enough for a bun. "But, we all have to do our part for our city. Maybe one day you'll be on the frontlines but... you're definitely a long ways away."

"Yeah, literally a long ways away. I'm barely outside of the city. Sure hope a rabid lynx doesn't try to snatch someone's baby." She looks her brother up and down admiring his chainmail under armor. "Being a paladin seems so much more exciting. If mom and dad were gonna make me do something why couldn't they let me go with you to train?"

"Because you lack discipline. The light is a difficult power to wield without incredible devotion." Moraliuen lectures to Alyarus miming talking with her hands.

"You've told me all this. I'd rather be challenged like that than do archery drills all day, and then sit here bored all night." Alyarus crosses her arms. "Why are you here anyways? Weren't you and the others supposed to head back south this morning to the chapel?"

Moraliuen's face turns from light hearted to serious.

"Not much I can tell you. We received a letter this morning that something is going on in the human kingdoms and it's better for the elven paladins to stay in Silvermoon until further notice." Alyarus looks bewildered.

"Something going on?"

"I reiterate: not much I can tell you. The details I was given were minimal, but sensitive. It's best for me to keep quiet until there is an official statement from the High King." Moraliuen says sternly to his yawning sister.

"I'm sure Windrunner will say something to us at dawn if it's that serious. I know better than to try cracking you 'oh devout paladin.'" Alyarus teases.

"Well this devout paladin needs to go get some rest for training at dawn."

Moraliuen puts his arm out and Alyarus steps forward from the tree into her brother giving her a one arm hug before turning and walking away. Alyarus leans back on the tree and looks up the road. Reminded of how heavy her eyelids feel, she struggles to stay awake. A spot of light is fuzzy off in the distance as her vision blurs.

~Alyarus...~

~ALYARUS...~

"ALYARUS!"

The high elf awakes on the jungle floor. Vontez standing over her with his cloak covering her body and a finger to his mouth.

"OH ALYARUS!" A blast of light followed by the crash of a falling tree can be heard in the distance. "Come on out little sis! You've run too far and for too long!"

Alyarus sits up, her head is aching. She scans her surroundings. The sky is turning orangish purple as the sun sets. They're on high ground as Moraliuen is slicing at narrow trees below. Moosehead's bag is on the ground next to her. She is reminded of what she last remembers and looks to Vontez keeping her voice low.

"What happened?"

"I grabbed you and ran for cover but by time you got here you were unconscious. I tried to heal you but I don't think it was a physical injury." Vontez explains close to Alyarus' ear as the crashing and yelling persists.

"ALYARUS!?" CRASH.

The high elf stands up and accounts for all of her equipment. Long sword at one side, dagger on the other, revolver concealed but ready. She looks out at the commotion below and takes a deep breath.

"Alright. I guess this is the situation I'm in." She says to herself.

"Are we retreating to the ship? We're still a ways away." Vontez towers behind Alyarus watching her pull a green flask from her boot.

"No. The only reason he hasn't found us is because you had to stay put. Once we're on the move he'll definitely track us down and I'm not endangering the rest of the crew." She pulls the cork from the flask with her teeth and starts coating her blades. "We've already had too many casualties today and I've spent too much time running."

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Vontez questions.

"Forget what you saw from me back there. I'm not the scared little girl who deserted her home and I've accepted that I'm not his cherished little sister either." She removes her cloak. "If it's him or me, then I choose me."

"Let me go in first. We have the two on one advantage and he's too strong to face alone. He's driven by divine purpose right now to call upon greater power and his retribution seals are going to return your damage back and then some." Vontez explains stepping forward. "If I'm protecting you, I can use that purpose to call upon greater power as well and withstand whatever retribution he deals as you break him down."

Alyarus sighs.

"As much as this is my fight, I'm not a fool... Go engage him and stall as long as you can for me to get into position to strike."

Vontez nods before leaping down to the lower level of the jungle with light glowing on his impact. He pushes his hair back and marches forward towards the bursts of light.

"That's enough blood elf!"

Moraliuen turns to face the barrel chested human entering the artificial clearing.

"I've had enough of you... where is my sister?" Moraliuen points his sword at Vontez threateningly.

"I never had a sister, or siblings. But if I did, I couldn't imagine harboring such evil in my heart to want them dead for trivial reasons!" Vontez swings his short sword in challenging manor.

Moraliuen lowers his sword and tilts his head.

"Evil? Trivial? I am enacting order on the world as it should be. I am a servant to the light and that comes before blood." Moraliuen looks down at the ground. "My sister made a choice on the darkest day of our lives. That choice was to commit treason."

Moraliuen lowers his hips and wields his sword to settle into a combat stance.

"She turned her back on her people!" Moraliuen yells "The strong survived and if she was too weak to see the end of the battle then she has no right to walk among the blood elves! She has no right to live in this world!"

ZISHING!

"GAH!" Moraliuen jolts forward. The tension of his chainmail armor popping away is immediately followed by a sharp burning sensation running deep up his back. He feels light headed and the taste of copper comes from the back of his throat. He sees blood splattered at his feet before looking up at Vontez still standing as he was.

Alyarus pulls the bloody knife from beneath the plate under his shoulder blade and watches the gaping wound start to cauterize itself as Moraliuen takes deep heaving breaths.

"So you think I'm weak? That's a sad thing to think of the sister who's going to kill you."

[powdermelonkeg]

Hyrule Brochure: A Potential for BotW’s Future

Hyrule’s map in BotW is pretty sparse as far as cities go. Yes, it’s got more than any other Zelda game, but it also has like, 90% of its map being pure dead space.

So I decided to play around and make what I imagine Hyrule would look like, as far as cities go, if it were allowed to properly rebuild and not get totally wrecked by Ganon again.

Credit to Eragon2589 on DeviantArt for the free-to-use map icons. I love these little buttons so much.

So, these are the canon towns we get in BotW; Hateno, Lurelin, Tarrey, Zora’s Domain, Goron City, Korok Forest, Rito Village, Yiga Hideout, and Gerudo Town. I’m counting Yiga Hideout as a town because if the Yiga were a little nicer, it WOULD be marked one.

Adding the various stables on makes the place look MUCH less empty, but still; what can we do with this?

Well, I’ve spent the last several days locating all the significant ruins and landmarks, with one or two extra things thrown in, that I think would make this place much more populated.

Maps are free to use if you want them, btw. Have fun!

As a general rule of thumb, I want to make the towers and stables their own cities. The towers are a good landmark and beacon of safety, and the stables have all the building blocks to start building up a village.

If I’m particularly inspired, I’ll give some background on what the town is/does!

Starting off with the Rito! Their village has grown into a town, and the stable at its foothill is its own village now. I called it “fledgeling” because that’s where the Rito and Hylians would intermingle most, so the Rito aren’t exactly flying around here.

Beacon City is built around Tabantha Tower; the Rito have turned it into a sort of lighthouse, reflecting light off into the distance to help guide nighttime fliers home. Because of this, it’s a very popular stop for mail carriers, and where they go, development and cultural mixing follows.

Kaysa Town is built around Great Fairy Kaysa’s fountain; it’s a popular tourist attraction, and she gets plenty of offerings, so win-win!

For the Gorons, we’ve only got two more cities: Silversmith Village and Din’s Spire. Silversmith is built around the culture in the southern mines, and it has down-the-road access to the Goron Hot Springs. Din’s Spire is less of a town and more of a landmark, due to the sheer cliffs all around it, but the huge (and notably not in the burning death zone) hot spring lake makes it a popular rest stop for people on their way through.

I decided not to rebuild the northern mines; they’re pretty busted up and lava soaked, so my assumption is that they were abandoned either due to hazards or due to the ore being stripped out.

Korok Forest wouldn’t change much, besides the Royal Family declaring it a protected area. The Koroks don’t seem to have much interest in expansion, and they, as far as I know, don’t live in houses.

Gerudo Territory is MUCH more expansive than the others so far, and with good reason.

Gerudo Town itself is now Gerudo City, and the Kara Kara Bazaar has grown into a town. Canyon Stable has developed a village (mostly full of Gerudo husbands so they don’t have to travel a million miles just to see their families).

The Gerudo have control of one of the towers in their region, and the town built around it is Overlook Town. It mostly serves as a training grounds for young Gerudo warriors.

The City of the Seven developed when the Seven Heroine statues were recovered and restored; the town around them was built to honor them, and then it got a LOT of foot traffic from those wanting to see the legendary statues.

Tera Town rose up much in the same way Kaysa Town did up in Rito territory, centered around the Great Fairy Fountain.

Mesa Village and West Gerudo Town are both smaller Gerudo settlements; West Gerudo sprung up out of access to snowmelt from the Gerudo Highlands, and Mesa Village, because of its relative safety from Molduga and access to oasis water.

Finally, Gerudo Valley, in reference to Ocarina of Time. This town is a Gerudo-only zone, and is more a fortress than a town. It exists both to keep an eye on the Yiga and to gain control of the mountain pass, making people go through Canyon Village to get to Gerudo instead of avoiding Gerudo customs.

Speaking of the Yiga, they’ve taken two new spots for themselves; Gerudo Tower, which they’ve renamed Kohga Tower in honor of their late Master, and Banana Labyrinth, which serves as their highest security area. Imagine if you’d had to go through the LABYRINTH to get the Thunder Helm back.

Up next we’ve got the Zora. Truthfully, their territory spans as long as Zora river and WELL into the ocean, but these are the only cities that, technically, a Hylian with adequate gear can enter.

Mipha’s Landing is an above-water city built expressly for doing trade. It got its name from the late Mipha; since the tower reaches up into the sky, it was hoped that someday, her spirit would sit atop it for a rest and see all that her people had been able to do thanks to her sacrifice.

Lakebed Village is in Lake Hylia, and it’s actually a slowly-repopulating Lakebed Temple, from Twilight Princess. Meanwhile, Great Bay City is a port town above water and an aquatic metropolis below, full of music and dance and exotic wares.

And finally, Hylians.

Hoo boy.

I’ve split this up region by region but

THIS is how many living spots they’ve got.

Silver stars indicate military towns. Red stars indicate military outposts.

I USE THE TERM MILITARY VERY LOOSELY HERE. Hyrule, since it doesn’t interact with its neighbors, only has the Yiga and the various monsters to fight against. Anything labeled “military” means that it’s staffed by royal employ, meaning knights and Sheikah and the like.

Let’s start with Akkala. The northeast labyrinth has been converted into an emergency bunker, in case Calamity strikes and people need a safe place to hide. Not only is it difficult to break into, it also has a completely empty lower level that’s PERFECT for long-term seige.

City Tempest got its name for being near-constantly wracked by storms. Despite this, though, it remains a popular vacation spot for people who don’t mind a little rain; the Skull Lake and the giant flowers are worth it.

Valley Town rose up out of both East Akkala Stable and Robbie’s workshop. It doesn’t get too much foot traffic, but it doesn’t really need to.

Midna Village, I built where the ruins of Shadow Hamlet are. I figured it was a fitting name, and the area is almost constantly covered in the shadow of Death Mountain.

Four Brothers’ Base is a knight outpost that’s up extremely high, spanning huge bridges between the four Tingle isles.

Then Parapa Palace, in reference to Zelda II: Adventure of Link, was built in place of the Akkala Citadel and functions as a mini Hyrule Castle + Castle Town. In real life, monarchs would have several palaces to go between, kind of like how well-off people nowadays would have a summer home. So, I followed that trend! This is Zel’s summer palace.

And you guys know what Tarrey Town is. Although interestingly, as it expands, it goes vertical into the stone column it was built on.

Onto Central Hyrule.

Camp Rauru is training camp and lodging for new knights. Rebonae Village and Kasuto City were made out of the Wetland and Riverside stables respectively, though Kasuto (also an Adventure of Link reference) gets substantially more foot traffic due to being on the way from Castle Town to Dueling Peaks.

Outset Town got its name, lore-wise, from the fact that it’s the first bit of land Link from BotW visited after leaving the Great Plateau, and meta-wise, because it’s the starting point for Wind Waker Link.

Aquame City surrounds the Coliseum, which is how it grew to be so popular. The grand stage holds sparring matches and various other shows regularly, and it’s a pleasant boat trip from Castle Town to get there.

Saria Town was built out of the old exchange ruins, and it’s in walking distance of the ruined Sage Temple—which, at this point in time, would have been rebuilt—and its existence is both an AoL reference and an OoT one (but mostly AoL, I’ve kind of fallen in love with its map).

New Mabe is where you can find the new Lon Lon Ranch! The ruins there are actually called the Mabe Town Ruins in game, and they’re right by the Ranch Ruins!

Eldin’s pretty sparse as far as Hylian towns go. It’s got Gut Check Camp, where Sheikah train for endurance and elemental resistance, and Windfall Town, a place that sees a LOT of gemstones pass through, freshly mined. That includes rupee ore, mind you!

Faron Province is a little more spaced out, due to the nature of the region. Lurelin’s grown since BotW, becoming a trading bay; meanwhile Cora Lake’s Sheikah Tower has expanded into Parache Town, and the Highland Stable has become Malanya Village. Both of those locations are VERY fond of horses, and they’re a bit competitive, especially during archery season.

Ordona Hamlet is a tiny village tucked away into the middle of Faron. It came about due to the Lakeside Stable, and it’s named that because I am STILL salty that the Zeldevs didn’t put an Ordon Village reference in the game.

Eventide Outpost is more of a testing ground for boats than anything particularly significant, population-wise. The even tides that gave the isle its name make it an ideal location to work out the kinks in new watercraft (and occasionally, the lieutenant in charge of that base demonstrates how to launch a raft into the sky with octo balloons).

Hebra’s the most militarized area of Hyrule, and ideally, it functions as a reserve of men and tech in case Calamity rises again. If there’s anything that BotW’s era learned, it’s to never underprepare for Gann’s return.

Fort Lomei is a converted base, just like the Banana Labyrinth is to the Yiga. This one, though, is patrolled diligently by knights who use daily-changing codes, and it’s impossible to navigate without the locals’ help.

Fort Pikida is situated in that weird stone cavern-y area, and it’s a supply stach and Hebran monster patrol site. It’s the soldiers there’s job to make sure that the Lynels that like to roam the region don’t get too close to residential areas.

Hia Miu Outpost is a training spot for knights sent to the Hebra region; any new soldier to the area has to prove they can handle themselves by going into the Hia Miu shrine and taking on the Major Test of Strength Trial. (Fun fact, did you know that the X-test-of-strength trials reset themselves every blood moon?)

Snowpeak Fortress exists both because it makes a fantastic secondary base for the Hyrulean royals to plan, and because i am once again salty about the lack of Twilight Princess in this game.

Sturnida Resort is built around hot springs! It’s a nice spot for people living around Rito Town and Fledgling Village to take a vacation without having to trek all the way across the country to do it.

Snowfield City came from Snowfield Stable, and it’s the Windfall of Hebra; it sees a LOT of people coming in and out of the region, and the view of the northern lights you can get from there? You’d be hard-pressed to find a Hylian that didn’t have it on their bucket list.

New Tabantha was built on the ruined spot of the original Tabantha Village; you can visit there in-game! It’s a quiet town that raises highland sheep for a living, and its team won the Hebran Triathlon three whole years in a row.

Then, the Tanagar Restricted Zone. If you’ve ever been there, you know EXACTLY why it’s restricted.

Most of the Guardians inside have been dealt with, but the ruined temple remains a hazard testing ground for new tech. It’s off limits to everyone but those with the HIGHEST clearance; I’m talking a direct letter from Zelda herself.

The Thyphlo Secret Camp is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a place for Hyrulean lieutenants to meet for top-secret missions, and it’s one of those places that you need to be SERIOUSLY high rank to even KNOW about.

Over on the edge of Lanayru, we’ve got New Goponga, built where the old Goponga ruins are, and the Crenel Garrison. The Garrison was built to take care of the Lizalfos problems in the waterways, keeping it safe for Hylians and Zora travelers alike. Goponga, on the other hand, is what Lurelin was in game; nice, friendly, and centered around fishery.

In Necluda, we’ve got New Deya where old Deya was ruined (I think BotW Link was born in old Deya!), Watchtower Village built around the lakeside of the Dueling Peaks tower, and then Dueling Peaks City, a HUGE trade hub that was once the Dueling Peaks stable.

Kakariko Village is now a Town, Hateno has grown into a full blown trade harbor, and a tiny village has started to form around the Hateno Tower, making Firly Overlook.

But what I most love is the City of Hylanay.

Back in the game, it was the ruins of the Lanayru Promenade. So I had the promenade rebuilt, then people moved in around it, and now, Hylanay’s basically Hyrulean Venice! I want to visit it.

On the Great Plateau, we’ve got Aboda Town, named after Spirit Tracks’ Aboda Village in reference to the starting point in each game. This Town has access to the original Temple of Time, but because of the nature of the isolated plateau, it doesn’t see a lot of new faces often.

Over around Thundra, we’ve got Tanagar Village overlooking the canyon, built out of the old Tabantha Stable. The village actually builds downwards into the canyon; people have windows carved right out of the cliff face!

Thundra Village is built into the rocky slopes surrounding Thundra Plateau and the Ridgeland Tower. Their houses are built in the shelter of the giant mushroom things that grow so well in the area, and they’re famous for their signature dish of escargot.

The Serenne Exchange is up north, encompassing both the old Serenne Stable and the Maritta exchange ruins. You can buy practically ANYTHING there; if ever there was a supermarket in Hyrule, it would be right there.

The Royal Lab was rebuilt out of its ruins post Calamity, and it’s directed by Purah, who still hasn’t cured her immortality yet. It’s not uncommon to hear explosions as you pass by that place.

And then Camp Rutile is a small observational outpost, meant to keep track of the activity on Satori Mountain. Supposedly, the mountain’s health reflects the state of the rest of the kingdom, so the researchers assigned there are tasked with monitoring it EXTREMELY closely.

And Hyrule Castle. It’s Hyrule Castle.

Now completely bolted into the ground! :D

If we put all these locations together, we get a very nice, very well populated Hyrule, with LOTS to see. This is how I would design the future of BotW’s Hyrule.

Thanks for reading!

[cyraclove]

“I hit you with my car and was the only one to visit you in the hospital” with modern BotW Zelink would be amazing :') (you can choose who gets hit and who visits! it works very well both ways)

Link stared into the windows of the flower display, his eyes traversing the plethora of multicolored blooms for the hundredth time. He’d been standing there for a solid ten or fifteen minutes, the tinny muzak of the hospital’s gift shop threatening to drive him out of his mind. The furled petals of a bouquet of yellow roses shook softly as the refrigerated case’s motor kicked on, looking almost as though they were laughing at him.

He decided against those.

Swallowing hard, he absentmindedly rubbed his palms together as he took stock of his ribbon-bound options yet again.

Sweaty. Why was he so sweaty?

Just pick some, you idiot, barked a voice in his head.

“Excuse me, sir,” said a foreign female voice that startled him from his thoughts, “Do you need some help?”

He turned to see an older, brunette woman with the roundest eyeglasses he had ever seen smiling pleasantly at him, her hands clasped behind her back. ‘Alma’, her nametag read.

He shook his head, scrambling for words. “Oh, uh…no, ma’am,” he stammered, attempting a sorry excuse for a smile, “I’m just…browsing.”

“Are you looking for something specific?” She asked, peering into the cooler. “We have flowers for just about any occasion. Flowers can say a lot just on their own, you know.”

How about some that say, ‘Sorry that I hit you with my car, complete stranger,’ he thought to himself. Link chuckled uncomfortably, knowing that he was definitely going to have to lie to this woman. “I’m here to visit my, er, friend. She was…in a car accident.”

Read on AO3

Alma nodded solemnly, clucking her tongue. “Oh, how terrible. I’m very sorry to hear that. People really can be such careless drivers these days, can’t they?”

“Yes,” he said through his teeth, “they certainly can be.” His eyes were drawn to a bunch of sickeningly pink ‘It’s A Girl!’ balloons, a nearby oscillating fan causing them to bob violently every minute or so. The screech of the colliding mylar made his stomach churn, and he silently wished for death.

“Well,” Alma began, a cool burst of air escaping the display when she opened the door, “I’m sure that we can pick something perfectly lovely that’ll have your friend feeling better in no time.”

The woman pursed her lips as she surveyed the case, humming thoughtfully. She eventually gathered up a bouquet of light blue lilies, their pointed petals tipped with white.

“What do you think of these?” she asked, “We just got them in from Necluda. This variety is called the ‘Silent Princess’, I believe.”

Before he could answer, Link’s phone began to ring, the shrill tone making him jump a bit. He grinned sheepishly at Alma as he fished it from his pocket, groaning inwardly as soon as he glimpsed the screen. Tapping his thumb on the red ‘ignore’ button, he tucked it away.

“Those are great,” he replied, “I’ll take them.”  

Alma smiled brightly, motioning for him to follow her the checkout counter. “Excellent,” she chimed, “Can I put them in a vase for you?”

His phone rang again. Link felt his eye twitch.

“Uh, sure. I mean, yes, please.”

“Would you like to add anything else? We have these precious sand seal plushies that would be just ador—”

“Just the flowers will be fine, thank you,” he said, more hurriedly than he’d intended. Snatching his phone from his pocket, he turned away from the counter and held the cell to his ear.

“What do you want?” He hissed.

A jovial cackle came from the other end of the line.

“Well, if it isn’t CHU’s resident asshole.”  

Link pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as he inhaled deeply. This was, decidedly, the last thing he needed right now.

“You called me, Revali,” he snapped, “Do you actually need something, or did you just want to be a dick?”

“You wound me, Link,” the other young man drawled, “Oh, no—wait. I’m not the one who’s wounded, am I?”

Link clenched his jaw, the snip of Alma’s scissors on the flowers’ stems suddenly and inordinately loud. He glanced up at the woman only to have her swiftly look away, feigning focus on her task.

“You’re quite the hot topic on campus,” he heard Revali sigh, “I’m almost envious, what with the way everyone’s got your name in their mouths.”

“Who’s talking about it?”

“Who isn’t talking about it? Link, you hit a woman with your car. In the quad, for the love of Hylia. How’d you even manage that, anyway?”

“Okay, look,” he nearly seethed, “It was not in the quad, it was the intersection next to the quad. And it was an accident! I had the right of way, I didn’t see her, and the—the walk sign wasn’t even on!”

“Was she on the crosswalk?”

Link balked as he conjured up the memory from the other day. It had all happened so fast; one minute he was putting on his turn signal, and the next a young blonde woman was sprawled out on the road in front of his car. “I mean…well, yeah, she was on the crosswalk.”

“Then she had the right of way. Pedestrians always have the right of way, genius.”

“I’m hanging up now,” he muttered, disconnecting the call to the sound of Revali’s raucous laughter in the background. His near equal on the university archery team, Revali and Link were self-proclaimed rivals; well-known ‘frenemies’ to the rest of their teammates. While Link undeniably respected him for his skill, he could also be a real pain in the ass.

Releasing a weighty sigh, he faced the counter again, only to be met with a piercing glare of disapproval from the woman standing behind it. His blood ran cold as he and Alma locked eyes, hers narrowed in wordless acknowledgment of his sin. Approaching the register, Link flipped his wallet open and removed his credit card before sliding it toward her across the grey acrylic.

“Ring up the seal.”

-

The ride up the elevator was gruelingly slow, the jarring ding! of the door opening on what seemed like every damned floor made Link’s head throb. The air inside the garishly carpeted box was stuffy and stagnant, the scent of antiseptic stinging his lungs with each inhale. He looked down at the overpriced stuffed animal in his arms and frowned, its judgmental button eyes boring into him. The sluggish chug of the ancient machinery as it whined to a stop was nauseating, jostling him just enough to make him dizzy.

He finally stepped off and onto the tenth floor, referring to the clumsy, smeared numbers written on his palm in red pen. Link wandered down a white linoleum hallway, the idle hum of incandescent lights buzzing overhead as he peered at room numbers; the water in the vase sloshed softly as he went. With the plush tucked under one arm and the flowers cradled in the other, he raised his fist to knock tentatively on a door marked 1003.  

“Come in,” responded a quiet voice from the other side. Link instinctively held his breath as he pressed down on the door handle, inching it open.

The room was cold and clinical, painted and furnished in subtle greens and dull blues. Aside from several dim wall sconces, a large westward-facing window adorned with heavy curtains was the only source of light. Pushed up against the center of the back wall was a slim hospital bed, and in it sat a woman that Link had seen only once before—unconscious on the asphalt in front of his sedan. Her eyes flickered up toward him as he entered, darkening with realization mere seconds afterward.

“What are you doing here?”

Link froze, his thoughts scrambling as both his legs and tongue refused to move. All he could do was stare at her, eyes trained on the clunky, neon-green cast that enveloped her left arm. A purply-green bruise around the size of golf ball sat just below one of her eyes, swallowing the tiny freckles that peppered her cheeks. Her bottom lip puffed out, an angry cut splitting it vertically down the middle.

She looked awful.

And she had somehow managed to be strikingly beautiful at the exact same time.

“Well, I came to, uh,” he started, his words leaving his mouth before he had time to appropriately process them, “I came to see…how you were feeling.”

The young woman scoffed, turning her head towards the window. It was then that Link noticed the sutures running along the underside of her collarbone. Guilt roiled in his stomach for the millionth time that day as she began to speak.

“Let’s see; I’ve got bruised ribs, a couple of chipped teeth, and a concussion. Oh—and my arm is broken,” she replied in a biting tone, “So, I’m not great. Thanks.”

After a moment, he took a few tentative steps nearer to her bedside. He watched her gaze gradually slide in his direction, meticulously studying his movement. Link sighed, looking down at his feet with a shake of his head. His chest felt suffocatingly tight, as though someone had his lungs trapped in an ever-tightening vise.

“Look, I know that nothing I say right now is going to make any of this less shitty,” he told her, “and I’m sure that I’m the last person that you wanted to see today. That being said, it would’ve been even shittier of me to not at least try and come apologize to you. Because I messed up, big time, and I’m really, really sorry.”

The young woman said nothing in response, absentmindedly picking at her fingernails as she considered his repentant declaration. Her brows knitted above her sea-like eyes, consternation marring her delicate features. Link’s resolve just about shattered when he saw the impending tears brimming at her waterline.

“And I brought you this seal,” he blurted out, placing the patchwork creature on the bed near her legs, “You just seemed like, uh…a seal person.”

To Link’s relieved surprise, the corner of her mouth quirked up as she looked at the stuffed animal. Picking it up and setting on her lap, a watery giggle burbled from her chest as tears slid down her cheeks. The chuckle soon morphed into a full-on laugh, a bright, contagious sound that filled the room. Unable to help himself, Link smiled, and was soon laughing with her despite not entirely knowing why.

“It’s cute,” she sniffled, wiping at her eyes.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s really cute. Thank you.”

They smiled through the remnants of their laughter as it faded out, leaving the two in silence again. The setting sun bathed the room in rosy amber and cast fractured, pinkish shadows on the walls. Unsure of what else to do, Link set the bouquet on her curiously empty bedside table. It was then that he paused to take stock of the rest of the room, realizing that it did not resemble what he imagined the hospital room of someone who’d just been hit by a car to look like.

It was devoid of any other flowers save the ones that he had brought, and missing were cards and balloons from well-wishing friends. He furrowed his brow, and his heart sank when the most likely reason for the lack of gifts dawned on him. She must be in Central for school, he thought, and all of her friends and family were wherever home was. Or, even worse—they were around, but couldn’t be bothered to come and pay her a visit. Turning back to face her, he gestured to her plaster-clad arm.

“No one’s signed your cast,” he noted.

She gave him a queer look. “What do you mean?”

“Uh, that’s the thing to do isn’t it? Have your friends write their names on your cast? And put, uh, I don’t know…stickers on it.”

She shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never broken an arm before,” she replied, shooting him a sly look. “I haven’t got many friends, either, I guess,” she added under her breath, face falling.

“Do you have a Sharpie?”

“Oh, um, I think I have a few in my backpack. It’s just over there, on that chair. Should be in the little side pocket.”

Link made his way over to a grey pleather armchair and unzipped the pocket in question, reaching inside to pull out several permanent markers. Returning to the bedside, he held them out to the blonde, presenting her with her choice of color; black, red, or blue. She looked up at him from beneath delicate lashes, grinning as she selected the blue one. She extended her arm, and he sat on the edge on the bed as he gingerly braced it with his free hand. After popping the cap off with his teeth, he scrawled his name on the lime-colored cast as gently as possible.

“Link,” she murmured when he’d finished, “I just realized that I didn’t even know your name until now.”

It was true. He knew her name, simply because he’d had to ask for it at the front desk, but they had never been properly introduced. Not surprising, considering the circumstances under which they came to know one another in the first place. He’d never seen her around campus before the other day, leading him to assume that they must not run in the same circles. That had to be the case, because hers was not a face that he would’ve forgotten.

“My name is Zelda,” she said, “Even though you probably know that already.”

“I do,” he admitted, “but it’s nice to officially meet you. Zelda.”

Her eyes crinkled at their corners when he reached out to lightly shake her fingers that poked out of the cast. He stood up from the bed, shooting her a quick smile before crossing the room to return the markers to her bag.

“Thank you for the flowers,” he heard her say from behind him, “Oh, and for my seal.”

“It’s the least I could do, I think,” he responded, “I mean, considering.”

“Still,” Zelda went on, “It was kind of you to come. I just…I appreciate the company. It was getting a bit lonely here.”

Link stilled at that. So, she really was alone. He almost didn’t want to believe that not even her own parents had bothered to stop by, that not a single friend had sent a card. It had to be a mistake; there was no way that such an enchanting person had no one to call on.

“The, uh, food here must not be very good, huh?” He tried.

She cocked a brow at him. “What?”

“Hospital food. It’s notoriously bad,” he clarified, attempting to mentally signal to her that he was, in fact, going somewhere with this. “If you want, I could bring you something. Later, I mean, for dinner. I think I probably owe you that, don’t you?”

It could have been the sunset, but Link swore that a blush darkened her cheeks ever so slightly when she smiled at him, nodding. “That sounds great, actually.”

“Alright, it’s a date, then,” he announced without thinking, wincing immediately afterward, “I mean, uh, sounds like a plan.”

“Here, let me put my number in your phone,” she offered, holding out her good hand. He fished it from his pocket and handed it to her, watching as she tapped in her contact info with her only her index finger. After a short discussion about what kind of food she’d like to have, they said their goodbyes with the promise of seeing one another later that evening. Link closed to door carefully behind him, glancing back into the narrow window to see Zelda admiring her flowers.

He shuffled into the elevator, wedging himself in between a group of nurses and weary-looking man with a fussy toddler on his hip. It was humid and it was loud, and anyone else might have wanted nothing more than to go home and go to bed. Link stared at Zelda’s name in his phone as the elevator made its agonizingly long descent back down to the lobby, already counting the minutes until he’d get to ride back up again.

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I adored this prompt so much, I made it its own thing on AO3. Thank you for the ask! This was so much fun!