#change isn't bad! but we should still treat it with caution

[1o1percentmilk]

i dont want to write my ethics essay what if my prof thinks it's cringe

[thenightfolknetwork]

I’ve been with my fiancé for over 8 years now. We’ve been friends for even longer and just last summer we had been planning our wedding ceremony. Now, his family hadn’t been the best supportively, not when he came out as gay, and especially not when he, a Sapio, started dating me, a giant. They then effectively disowned him after we announced our engagement. I think they might have had some weird hope he’d ’change his mind’ or that it was a ‘phase’. This was about 3 years ago now, and I can’t speak for my partner, but he admitted though it hurt, he was relieved to be away from them after all the abuse.

Anyway, the reason for this letter is about 7 months ago we had gotten word that his family had been in a serious accident and that his parents, sister and her husband had passed away and he was listed as next-of-kin and subsequently guardian for his 4 year old nephew.

Now, we never really talked about kids beyond some vague idea. But my partner wasn’t going to turn away the kid, nor did I expect him to. So, after the funeral service and sorting with social services, we brought his nephew home.

It has been an adjustment for all of us, getting used to having a kid around and him being in a new environment that’s more geared for my size honestly. and we’ve been trying to find a good child psychologist for him. but the main problem is… well, he’s afraid of me.

I can’t really blame him for that, after everything he went through, but it still hurts sometimes when he flinches when I enter a room or speak to him. Or how he looks ready to cry when I open my mouth. Even trying to hide when he sees me just reading a book. I’ve grown up in a mixed community, but the way the kid looks at me, for the first time in a very long time, I feel like a monster.

My partner has told me once when we were in bed that his ‘family’ had been filling the kid’s head with anti-nightfolk ideologies and even some rather… well, blood-libel comments. I think he was trying to comfort me as he noticed the way the kid had been a lot more skittish with me than with him. He has been trying to explain that a lot of the stuff his folks talked about was lies and really bad stuff, but it’s hard unlearning these sort of things. I had suggested we postpone the wedding, at least till things settle.

I have been trying to seem less ‘intimidating’, not smiling with my fangs and trying to look smaller than I really am. But I’m worried he might never not be afraid of me. And I never told my partner, but I’m afraid that he will be forced to pick between me and the kid, and I don’t want him to do that as I know either option will hurt him.

So I’m asking. Is there anything I can do to try and help seem less… monstrous to my nephew?

I'm afraid there are no quick fixes here, reader. Your nephew has been exposed to some seriously toxic ideologies from a very early age. That isn't the sort of thing you can fix over night.

I would caution against trying too hard to diminish yourself or your creaturely traits as part of this process. You want your nephew to be comfortable with you, not with a nervous caricature of yourself.

Instead, I encourage you to behave at home as normally as you can, being as friendly as he'll allow you to be and respecting his boundaries when he expresses them.

If you haven't already, talk to your partner about what your strategies are going to be to improve the situation. This is a long-term project that needs complete buy-in from both of you to succeed.

As much as possible, your partner should be exposing your nephew to the idea of difference, teaching him that it's OK to notice that other people are different than him, but that he still needs to treat them with kindness and respect.

There are so many more resources available today to help children learn about these matters, from books and films to websites dedicated to help you discuss these issues in an age-appropriate way.

Books like Paws, Claws and More, What's for Lunch? and My Daddy's A Mummy are a great way to start these conversations and to help introduce your nephew to these ideas in a way that is accessible for him. Talk to your local librarian for more recommendations.

The best way for him to learn to trust you is through spending time with you, drowning out the hateful ideas he's been taught through real, lived experience of being safe and happy in the company of people in the community. Make sure to set time aside for all three of you to spend time together, doing activities your nephew will enjoy.

Of course, his exposure to the creature community shouldn't start and end with you. If you can, consider getting him involved in mixed genus groups where he can meet liminal children his own age. It might be a bit of an adjustment for him, but it will a huge boon to him in the long run.

Finally, please consider seeking out some additional support for yourself during this process. This is a difficult, highly emotional situation, and you need to find people who you can talk to about it beyond your partner, whether that's to talk through possible solutions or just to vent occasionally.

Fortunately, reader, if there's one thing children are built for, it's learning. It will take time and emotional commitment, but with a little effort, I think you and your partner will be able to teach your nephew a kinder way of looking at the world.

[thepaperpanda]

Broken Yet Reunited || Santiago Garcia x Reader

gif made by Cass - please credit us if you use the gif.

Summary:  Long after your break up, Santiago finds his way back into your life

Warnings: none, just fluff & comforting 

Word count: 2143

Pairing: Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia x fem!reader

Authors: Cass & Rouge

Hundreds of loud conversations competed with the music that dominated the atmosphere in the bar. The audience was mostly young people. Santiago made his way through the crowd to order a drink, a dark local beer. He felt someone melting their body to his from behind before the drink was poured, and he knew you had arrived. "What brings you here, Y/N?" Santi inquired.

"I should ask you that question, Santi," you chuckled as you wrapped your arms around his waist. "I would never think of you as someone who enjoys such places, but I can't blame you… All the young ladies in the room."

Scoffing, he rolled his eyes theatrically. "Stop, that isn't a reason. One for the lady," he ordered a drink for you as well. "How's life treating you? I haven't heard from you in a long time."

You shrugged as you sat on a high chair next to him, patting his shoulder. "Oh, you know, doing my things, popping in and out. This is standard fare. So, how about you? I heard you're doing well."

"Could be better," he said quickly, sipping from his pint. "Been missing ya."

"You? Did you miss me? Do you know how to do it?" You asked, slightly teasingly, tilting your head. "I'm sure your cute contacts or informants are enough for you."

"No, as you can see, Y/N," he said flatly. "You're familiar with my work. I wanted to keep you safe from any potential dangers."

"I'm a mercenary, and you think I'm afraid of some ex-shady soldier's business? My cherished softie," you tease him even more.

He rolled his eyes again as he sipped his beer. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, work is going dry for the time being, so I'm using my free time to rest," you explained, taking a large sip of your drink. "I was shot in the knee a few months ago and am still trying to recover. I'm not going to run a marathon, for sure."

He frowned, disappointed that you didn't even send him a message informing him of the seriousness of the situation. "Do I want to know about the circumstances?"

"Let's call it a team misunderstanding that results in friendly fire. That's all, but I'm still alive, so it's not all bad."

Santiago slowly nodded his head.

"How are things going for you? Was it something like neck surgery? I hope you're not running around doing crazy stuff like I am." Looking at him, you raised an eyebrow.

"I've been trying, but haven't been successful so far," Santiago joked lightly before putting his palm to his nape and smiling sadly at you.

You slid out of your chair and approached him. Your hand soon replaced his on his nape. "I think you enjoy the difficulties more than I do, Santi."

He gave a small smile, leaning into your touch. "Isn't it getting later? Could we get some takeout and come to my house?"

"Are you tired of all the pretty ladies around you?" You laughed and leaned in behind him to kiss his scar. "Takeouts and your establishment? Sounds intriguing."

A shiver ran down his spine and spread throughout his body. He nodded and hummed softly.

"Let me just pay for the drink and we'll be on our way, sweetie." You said this as you kissed his nap again before walking away.

"This one's on me," he said, nodding to the bartender and leaving a few dollars on the counter.

"I'm not returning that money to you." You cautioned him while patting his back.

"I'm not expecting this, babe."

"I'm hoping so, baby." You took his hand in yours and yanked him out of that damn bar.

Then you followed him to wherever he chose to get the food.

Santiago's apartment was small and cluttered, just as you remembered. A single man explained a lot.

"Same place, same shambles. As far as I can tell, nothing has changed." You chuckled as you sat on the couch.

"Sorry, hadn't expected guests," he apologized as he unpacked the food and offered you your portion. Santiago gathered a few boxes and relocated them to the second small room that served as his bedroom.

"You haven't had any visitors since you moved in? This place looks exactly the same after... four? five years? Typical guy," you laughed. "A woman's hand is needed here."

"As you can see, there's no line of women on the horizon," Santiago joked lightheartedly as he joined you on the couch. "I'm delighted you came. I missed the old days."

"I missed them as well," You agreed and moved your legs onto his lap. "If I may say so, this is surprising. You were always the one with the most female informants."

He laughed. "It's not my fault that I'm attractive and women treat me this way."

"Nonetheless, none of them stayed. A slew of bitches... Of course, no offense intended," you said this before you started eating.

"You're talking about yourself as well?"

You raised an eyebrow as you looked up. Things were getting interesting.

"Pardon me? First and foremost, I was not your informant. Second, you ignored me on your own volition, love."

"I told you about my motivation, and if I recall correctly, you sold your mates twice."

"I swear Santi, if we're going to pull dirt on each other, you'll end up with that fork in your eye and you'll never see me again," you warned, playing with a metal fork. "According to what I know, you took four of our buddies to rob a drug lord and only three of them returned, so don't pretend to be a saint, darling."

He rolled his head back, resting it on the back of the couch, and set the food down. "True. It's been a fucking disaster. Tom was far too avaricious."

"He was never perfect. Of course, I don't think he deserved it," you sighed and popped some food into your mouth. After a brief pause, you shrugged slightly. "I have a feeling he didn't even like me. I didn't like him very much; he had a difficult personality."

"I'm afraid he never truly liked anyone," Santiago replied, rising from his seat and walking to the window, where he sat on the windowsill and peered out.

You walked over to him, placing food on the small coffee table you had obtained. You wrapped your arms around him and nuzzled his shoulder without saying anything.

"I'm still not over that fucking failure. I lost a friend, so screw the money."

"I know," you gave him a gentle squeeze while whispering. There was nothing else you could say because nothing you said would make things better. Actually, you've been feeling bad since you brought up the subject.

"Return to eating, darling, it'll get cold," he said, tapping the bridge of your nose. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Yours will as well; I'm not returning to it unless you return to me."

He let you pull him back onto the couch where he was sitting, grabbing the box containing his meal to finish it. "Hey, did you meet anyone?"

"I did, in fact," You nodded and smiled at his slightly disappointed expression. "But don't be concerned, Santiago. You're not going to get a wedding invitation anytime soon. I abandoned him, so I am mostly alone. You? Are you sure you're not keeping some pretty girl from me?"

"I'm not," he assured, more like he'd be assuring himself as well. "No girl could stick with me as long as you actually did." Santiago indeed felt an unpleasant sting in his chest when you mentioned having someone, but thankfully it was a past thing.

You hummed loudly while chewing your food and nodding your head. "Don't give me that look, my tolerance for 'Santiago's bullshit meter' is not too high. It's something I made up with the Millers."

"What?" He cast another glance your way. "Come on, for a change, stop being a jerk."

"I am not a scumbag. If you don't believe it, ask Ben "You lay down and ruffled his hair gently. "You should know that I don't mean it negatively."

"I don't know anymore," Santiago hissed, jolting up, his palm resting on his nape.

"You okay?” You asked worriedly. "That neck, huh? Can I do something?"

"It's fine," he said but it clearly wants fine. He crossed the room to reach the bathroom, and with a shaking hand, he opened the box with pills, instantly swallowing two.

You, of course, followed him, and your palm was gently placed against his nape. "It's really that bad, huh?"

As you looked into his reflection in the mirror, he gave a slight nod and a single tear streamed down his cheek.

"C'mon. We're going to sleep. "The bed is still in the same room?"

He nodded and walked into the small room that served as his bedroom.

You walked alongside him and, once in the bedroom, you removed items from the bed. This man didn't seem to change much. You were the first to lay down when it was finished. "Please come here." You muttered.

He laid down beside you, taking an almost embryonal position, grunting a little with pain.

You moved closer and wrapped your arms around him. "Is there anything else I can do to assist you?"

"It's fine this way," he said quietly, his eyes closed, taking in your warmth and presence.

You nodded and carefully placed your hand on his nape, covering the scar. "Did you miss me that much?"

Santiago silently nodded. "When you spend your entire day alone, you have plenty of time to think. And I've been thinking a lot about what we talked about recently. I missed your presence and the relationship I should have given more thought to. I'm sorry I didn't pursue you."

You wanted to say something, but your knee was acting up, so you hissed. "Fuck..." You stretched your leg in the hope of some relief, muttering more curses. "To be honest, I missed this relationship as well. To be more specific, I missed you, which is probably why I never stayed with anyone. They weren't you."

He rolled onto his back and extended his arm to you. "Come on in, doll. Maybe I should go to the pharmacy and get some pain relievers or ointment? What about your knee?"

You nuzzled closer to him and sighed deeply. "No, I've got mine, but I kind of shoot myself in the knee, pun intended. Because I can't mix them with alcohol, I'll just have to wait." You laughed as you rested your leg on his. "Oh, Santi, we're so broken. "Where have all the good times gone?"

He gently rubbed his palm over your aching knee, whispering soothing sentences into your ear. "I guess they're gone."

"Wow, and I was dubbed the 'team's biggest pessimist,' guess you took after me, huh?" Before looking at him, you moved your hand into his hair, sadly smiling. "Santiago?”

His eyes were closed as he got lost in your touch. "Yes, doll?"

"Let us try to make good again in the coming days. Together. What are your thoughts on this concept?"

"Mhm," Santiago hummed softly, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck, his hand soon stopping rubbing your knee and lying still.

"Santi? Don't leave me like that, sweetie," you kissed the top of his head softly.

He reluctantly opened his eyes and smiled at you. "You're a tease."

"This makes me very happy. I'll be your pillow for as long as you want." You kissed his brow and gently cupped his cheek. "Maybe I should move in since we've already been together?"

"Where do you keep your belongings? I'll go get them for you."

"Well, I live with a friend now, and all my belongings fit into a box and a traveling bag, so I'll get them myself, but I was wondering what you thought about such an idea?"

"I'll make you a room in the wardrobe and the bathroom," he chanted happily.

"So eager suddenly. Look at you. Where is that sleepy pessimist that I was cuddling just a moment ago, huh?” You couldn't help but laugh.

He raised his head and his lips met your jawline.

Turning your head, you smiled and simply kissed him like during good old times.

He hummed softly. "Esta vez no voy a dejar que te vayas de nuevo."

"I hope so. Try it and I will kick your ass before leaving," you warned him with a short laugh.

[himbeaux-on-ice]

Hello! I was wondering if you could please explain to me what Robin Lehner said yesterday about vaccination and competitive edge? English isn't my 1st language and from what I gathered NHL and PA promised VGK that if they get vaccinated the restrictions on them will lessen and they can freely leave their houses. And when they players got vaccines, NHL changed their promise and said players can't do that until all of the teams across the league are evenly vaccinated (shitty move from NHL, 1/2

2/2 as always). But what did Robin mean talking about competitive edge? I rewatched the video 3 times and I still don't understand :( Did the league make it a competition between the teams? "The sooner you all get vaccinated, the sooner there'll be no resctions on you?" I hope, I'm not completely missing the point, sorry about that. Big respect for Robin for speaking up and calling out the league. I'm really happy seeing players speaking up for themselves and their teams

Hi anon! I’ve spoken about this already a bit here and here, in case you haven’t seen those yet and think they might answer some of your questions. But I’m happy to elaborate further! I hope I can clear this up for you.

First, just as a note: Right now it doesn’t seem to exactly be clear what the NHL and NHLPA did or didn’t promise players in terms of easing restrictions, but it seems like Lehner was definitely given the impression by somebody that a team getting fully or mostly vaccinated was the ticket to not being under such strict isolation. The NHL for their part seems to be claiming they promised no such thing, but it’s hard to know right now whether that’s just them covering ass, or if there was just a misunderstanding somewhere in which what they actually said was not fully clear to the players. [Elliotte Friedman voice] More news may be yet to come on this.

Right. So as far as “competitive edge” goes, I can definitely explain that. You’re only a little off the mark. What he means in this case is that the NHL is concerned that letting more fully vaccinated teams live under a less intensely restrictive set of internal rules (regarding things like dining together, exercising together, sitting next to each other on planes and busses, having more group off-ice social time, sharing hotel rooms, having in-person coaching meetings again, etc) will lead to that group having an on-ice advantage in their play over other teams who are less vaccinated and still have to live under full restrictions.

Because the NHL is intensely obsessed with “parity of sport” (trying to make the conditions of competition the same for all teams regardless of outside factors wherever possible), they always in as many situations as possible want to eliminate any potential leg up one team could have over others. This is why we have things like the salary cap, rules about scouting players, rules about how draft picks are distributed that try to make sure struggling teams have a chance to draft well, rules against signing your best players for 20-year contracts so nobody else can have them, etc.

In general theory, being parity-oriented is good! It aims to make sure that the success of teams on the ice and in the standings is determined by the hockey play/skill alone as much as possible, not by franchise wealth or other things they did to get an unfair jump on the competition. And that should make the games more fun and less boring/predictable in most cases! As far as sports leagues go, the NHL has pretty good parity of play overall — there are only a few REALLY good teams and only a few REALLY bad ones, and everybody else performs within a pretty similar range most years. This is why back-to-back Cup wins are so rare in the current era, because due to all the rules to enforce parity there are relatively few teams that are THAT dominant over the competition for a long stretch of multiple seasons in a row, and the odds of any given team winning each year are much more similar. (As compared to like that period in the late 70’s when it was like “who won the Cup? oh surprise surprise it’s the Habs AGAIN 🙄” lol).

However, sometimes the NHL gets unrealistic in its pursuit of making sure everything is exactly the same for all teams. We’ve seen it already this season with the stubborn insistence on making sure the Canucks play a full 56 game season like everybody else, regardless of whether it is safe or reasonable to do so in the time they have left.

This time, the fixation on parity seems to be rearing its head in the form of the League insisting that even if a team has most or all of their players and staff vaccinated, they still have to maintain the same intense restrictions within team spaces as other teams which may be WAY further behind in getting everyone vaccinated, rather than getting to benefit from the lowered risk that being thoroughly vaccinated brings within a closed group like that. And they seem to be insisting on this not because it would be unsafe to change things for vaccinated teams, but rather because of concern that doing so might make that team perform better as a hockey team.

That’s the key part here: The NHL seems to consider getting to (safely) return to a mode of team life that is somewhat more similar to what these guys have been habitually used to pre-pandemic, to be something that could translate into an unfair on-ice advantage in the quality of their play, over other teams who are still doing it all “the hard way” under strict restrictions because they haven’t been vaccinated yet. And because of trying for parity, they want avoid giving teams that “advantage” by basing restriction changes around each team’s individual situation, and instead plan to ease restrictions for all teams at the same time at some point once all teams are similar levels of vaccinated.

Now, US teams seem to be getting vaccinated faster and faster every day, but Canadian teams probably have not started vaccinating their players or any team employees under age 50 at all yet, because Canada’s vaccination process has been painfully slow. So waiting on them to catch up could leave US teams who are already mostly/fully vaccinated still stuck in those restrictive mentally draining conditions for quite some time before the other teams catch up — again, not because it isn’t COVID safe to ease their restrictions if done properly (that doesn’t seem to be a problem), but because the League sees the improvements to their mental state and team morale/cohesion that would come from living a less restricted life together and getting to return to familiar off-ice hockey routines as gaining a “competitive edge” over unvaccinated teams, which would lead to them playing better hockey to a level that can’t be matched as a result.

Which, Lehner is right, is a pretty fucked up way to look at it! “It’s an unfair advantage for you to not be miserably alone and depressed by that and frustrated and doing everything with 16 extra steps you’re still not used to, it’s an unfair advantage to get to actually act like a team off the ice when playing a team sport, so no, we’re not gonna let you eat lunch together or share hotel rooms or whatever” is not exactly a compassionate argument!

Anon I’m also really glad Robin said something about it, and I was glad to see VGK captain Mark Stone put full and vocal team support behind him when asked about it last night on the broadcast too. The mental price of these intense restrictions is something that has been weighing on my mind ever since I first heard they would have to spend all their time on the road locked in hotel rooms alone when not playing and thought “oh god, five months of that is going to be psychologically devastating”. It’s a relief to hear it acknowledged.

I’m not fully sure what the best solution is here, but that mental wellbeing factor absolutely must be discussed in all decisions. It would be fucked up if the League is treating that as something purely technical to be controlled like the salary cap, rather than as a key determinant of health and life (in the short and long term) that is just as important as COVID safety. The old hockey culture of “just suck it up” cannot cut it anymore.

Aside: I think it’s also worth mentioning while we’re here, that I think I do understand why players may be angry about have been talked into getting the vaccine because they thought it would lead to eased personal restrictions, and why I don’t believe that anger necessarily represents an “anti-vaxx” mindset. There are reasons they may not have planned on getting vaccinated just yet which aren’t necessarily “anti-vaxx” cult thinking (though that doesn’t mean they’re smart reasons lol) and would likely seem reasonable to players in-context. I’m gonna put that under a cut though bc this is already really long!

First, there’s the fact that we don’t know what medical conditions some players may or may not have which could make them hesitant to get some of the vaccines out of an abundance of caution. More prominently you also gotta remember, these guys are athletes currently competing their way through an extremely intense and extremely important part of the season as they try to secure playoff spots, playing sometimes as many as 4 games a week. Looking at it that way, it’s understandable why some of them would be hesitant about getting a shot at this particular time which we all know is going to whammy you with a nasty little bout of mild-moderate side effects that hit you like a bad cold for as much as a week. They probably don’t feel they can afford to be laid up with muscle aches, sinus suffering, fatigue, and all the other little fun (and eventually harmless in the end!) things that your body runs through while activating that initial immune response — because in the couple of days that it throws them off for, their team could play 3 or more REALLY important playoff-clinching games, which they could end up underperforming in or having to sit out.

If that is the situation you’re in, and you already feel like the current League restrictions are doing enough to protect you, you can see why you would say “I think I’ll wait and get it during the offseason/during the week break between regular season and playoffs, and just suck it up for these last few weeks dealing with the same ol lonely isolation restrictions I’ve already gotten used to dealing with all season long, rather than be hit with that curveball of possible temporary vaccine side-effects during this time when I need to give it my all every game.” That may sound like a selfish mindset, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that is how at least some of these athletes are approaching it, especially ones who may be single guys without families at home to worry about protecting. (Lehner, for the record, has a wife and two young kids).

BUT, if the League told you (or it sounded like the League told you) “Hey, if enough of your team gets vaccinated quickly, we’ll be able to lift some of the internal restrictions for you guys and let you like hang out and do stuff together within the team again”, and if you were REALLY struggling with the mental stress of that isolated living style, you might weigh the two options against each other and say “Okay, I’m willing to power through a week of potential side-effects and get vaccinated with the fellas if it means I won’t have to be so goddamn miserable and depressed every day.” and then you get the shot(s).

And if you did that, and THEN the League said “lol no, even though your team is fully immunized you still have to sit in your room alone every night and eat by yourself and not leave your house, because it’s not fair to other teams if you guys are no longer mentally miserable like them”, well now you find yourself in the worst of both worlds — still stuck in isolation, AND you’ve still got to play through all the potential vaccine side-effects that will leave you a little off your game during some of the most crucial games of the year.

Plus, that leaves you not feeling like you got to give informed consent — you agreed to get vaccinated (ie undergo a medical treatment) under the expectation that there would be certain rewards to be gained in terms of relief for your mental health, which made you decide it was worth the potential dent in your performance for a few games and any other worries you had about the vaccine, because the prospect of that relief was so worth it. And now, you are told by the League “that payoff you expected never existed, we never promised that, what are you talking about? we can’t change things for your mental health because that might make you better at hockey than the depressed unvaccinated teams”. I can understand how that turn of events could leave someone, as Robin expressed, feeling like they were “tricked” or “forced” into making a choice that they may have done differently otherwise. They felt that they were promised something in return that they didn’t get.

Note at the end of all this: Again, we still don’t know whether the NHL and NHLPA actually made any promises, or if they simply weren’t clear enough in communicating expectations to teams and the players misunderstood what was said to mean something else. Regardless, using the idea that being freed from having to be miserably isolated to an even greater degree than most of the US general public is an “unfair competitive advantage” to now justify not allowing reasonable adjustments to the restrictions for fully vaccinated teams is fucked up, and treats mental wellbeing as just another gameplay-impacting factor to be controlled rather than a deeply impactful part of a person’s overall wellbeing which can even threaten their life. The players must be treated as people.

[yourcreepyneighborhoodelftwink]

As the Hero fell upwards through the sands of time, the days rewinding like the gears of a clock, he landed calmly on the cobblestones of Clock Town Square, at the dawn of the first day. He had been through this many times before, and had grown accustomed to reliving the same 3 days, helping the same people with the same schedules, slowly making more and more progress each time. At least he didn't feel an enormous time crunch, even with the threat of the moon hanging above him, he was always able to rewind the days, and could take days to rest, to sleep or ride Epona or play with the inhabitants.

He rarely did, but it was nice that the option was there.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Tatl getting his attention with a soft tinkling sound, looking over at the stand near the Deku flower, and the note pinned to it.

"That's certainly new…" she said cautiously as they approached, Tatl reading aloud to Link.

The pair exchanged a confused and frightened look. It wasn't signed, but they knew exactly who left the note for them.

BEN sat on the edge of the field, their boots hanging over the barrier where the grass turned into sand, looking out at the canyon leading to the beach. It had been so long since they had entered their game, only playing it from the outside. Perhaps they had been showing too much love to Breath of the Wild lately and not enough to the dark masterpiece of their former prison, or perhaps it was the only world they could enter that felt truly real, where the sun was warm and the wind blew. They HAD become a bit spoiled, learning that adding weather effects and random wind blowing did wonders to immersion when they entered a game.

They closed their eyes, speaking up before looking behind them.

"You didn't have to rush over here. "as possible" doesn't mean "instantly", you know…" BEN said gently, lowering their ears with a guilty smile.

Link frowned softly, keeping his distance from the elf. He couldn't draw his sword AND sign, after all, so he would have to make due. "You didn't specify. I've learned better than to provoke you."

BEN couldn't exactly blame his caution. It's why they were here, after all. "My bad. I'll be more specific next time. But I suppose it's neither here nor there now…"

"...is there something you want, BEN? " Link asked, clearly a bit anxious by being asked to meet.

"...a few things. I won't lie and say there isn't a favor I'd like to ask the both of you-"

"Like you have any right to ask Link for anything, at this point!" Tatl quickly interjected, turning red in anger. "You've terrorized us for no good reason, revealed truths we didn't need to know, and then just left us alone one day!"

"-BUT," BEN continued, "that isn't my main reason for being here. First and foremost... You're long overdue for an apology from me."

Link and Tatl looked at each other in confusion. "...pardon? " Link questioned.

"...I've been doing a lot of thinking and self reflecting lately. Especially because I finally have reason to want to improve myself. And I think I've gotten pretty far in trying to right the wrongs of my past, and try to change as a person. But I still never gave the both of you a proper apology, or even an explanation for how I treated you…" BEN sheepishly said.

Link looked down at the seated person, absolutely dumbfounded. All the times he had been attacked by BEN came instantly into his mind, only to not even be able to so much as scratch them in return, even the might of a Goron doing nothing to them. All the times he had been followed and told he was insignificant, worthless, a joke of a hero, told he was nothing more than a bland, boring conduit for the player of a game in a world far grander than his own. Only for BEN to just... Disappear one day. Gone. Vanish into thin air, and only return occasionally, seemingly at their leisure. Something... Didn't add up to him, and he wasn't sure what on Earth made them suddenly stop tormenting him, and now want to make things right.

"...I'll hear you out, at least," Link finally said, stepping forward to sit next to him. If nothing else, were he going to harm Link, BEN would have done it by now.

"Not that it makes us all hunky-dory yet," Tatl offered, settling on Link's shoulder.

BEN smiled softly, letting out a relieved breath. They stayed quiet for a moment, deciding their words carefully. "I'm not... Sure where to start. So much has happened to me. I guess I should start when we first met. When I first entered this game. It was my favorite game, and with me when I died," they started.

Tatl interrupted, jingling softly. "...when you died?"

BEN nodded softly. "When I died. I was just about your age, Link, about 12. More specifically, when I was murdered. Father simply... Got tired of me, I suppose. He tricked my religion's leader- we refer to him as The Father- into thinking it was my time to Ascend when it wasn't. The whole explanation of my belief system isn't important in this, just that I was robbed of something very important and sacred to me because of it."

"That sounds horrible," Link signed.

"It was... And I was only 12, and not the greatest at understanding or expressing my emotions... I was so angry, absolutely furious at losing that chance, as what had been done to me. I've always had a strong sense of justice, if you can believe it. I don't easily stand for people wronging me. But when I died, my spirit was trapped in this game. All that rage bottled up, with nowhere to release it... Until I started releasing it on you. Very unfairly."

"I'll say," Tatl said, though there wasn't much bite behind her words.

"Eventually, someone played the game, and I was able to break free, find someone else to torment. And after that, start lashing out at everyone who had hurt me, making them

PĄŸ,"

BEN continued, their voice glitching out just a bit at the final word.

"...i moved on to more innocent people after that. I was out of control. To the point where my goddess, Luna, intervened. She stopped me herself, gave me a new body, made me into a young adult so I wouldn't be trapped as a child forever, and I carry the souls of everyone I hurt in my blind sadism, until I join her again one day. And I've worked hard to be a better person now. I've found so much to make my life wonderful, and to make the most of my second chance…" BEN trailed off.

"...but you still want to make amends to everyone you've hurt," Link finished for them.

"...I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't think I can be forgiven. But I really AM sorry for how I treated you. Both of you. Of everyone I've lashed out at, you're the least deserving of it. No matter WHAT'S happened to me, it's NO excuse for how much I've hurt you. And even if you never forgive me, I would love the opportunity to make it up to you…" they finished softly.

"...would you excuse us for a moment?" Tatl asked, flying a slight distance away. Link glanced over at BEN before rising to his feet to follow, and speak with the fairy alone. BEN politely stayed looking forward, allowing them the privacy.

"...do you believe them?" Tatl asked.

"...yeah. They seem genuine," Link admitted.

Tatl nodded softly. "I do, too. There's much simpler ways to trick us or convince us if that was their intention. Even if they said they wanted a favor, this is a lot of lengths to go to for just that…"

"I wonder what they want," the hero mused, glancing over at BEN.

"...maybe ask? Perhaps you can also ask a favor of him, test his sincerity," she said.

"What would that be? " he asked.

"Well, you've said you're curious about his world, whatever it is that our entire world is only a game in, a small part of. Maybe you can ask to explore his world. It'd give you the opportunity to spend more time with him and let him earn your trust, anyway," she offered.

Link nodded softly, then whistled to get BEN's attention. "Alright, BEN, we've talked it over. First, I want to know what favor it is you want…"

"Actually, it's a favor specifically from Tatl," they explained.

"Wait, me?" she questioned.

"...my daughter has watched me play this game a lot. And she's absolutely fallen in LOVE with you, she ADORES seeing you on screen. Her first birthday is in a few months, and there's... Circumstances about my life, and now hers, that will make her very different from other children, with so many secrets to keep. She could really use having a companion by her side, a friend to offer wisdom and company and help when she needs it. A copy of you, like how I copied Epona, to watch over her and make her feel less alone…" BEN said.

"...you have a daughter?" Link asked.

"And a boyfriend. Soon to be husband," BEN explained, holding up their hand to show off their ring.

Tatl let out a soft chime at this. "Well... I'm certainly flattered you think I'd make a good companion to her…"

BEN smiled softly. "I don't expect an answer today, don't worry. There's still a few months before her birthday. And I understand if it's not something you're comfortable with…"

"...we have a proposal for you, in that case," Link began. "You want to make amends to us. We're admittedly curious about this world outside of our own. So, let us explore. Show us your life, and what lies outside this "game", and earn our trust. Then we'll consider it."

BEN thought this over. They'd have to be careful, but this wasn't impossible… "...I can't completely remove you from the game. I'd have to copy you, then merge the copy and your true self after. It's basically the same thing, though, you'd keep the memories and everything. And you'd have to do EXACTLY as I say, I... REALLY can't have attention drawn to myself or the people I live with. If there's something that catches your attention, you can't gawk, just stay calm and ask me. And there's going to be a LOT, the real world is nothing like this one. Hylian sign doesn't match up with any sign language in my world, so you'll at least be able to speak freely. But if you can do that, and trust that I'm keeping us both safe when I tell you to do something... I'll happily show you around."

Link considers this, then nods. He holds out his hand to BEN, who shakes it.

"Then we have a deal."