#not I'm Always in This Twilight

[futuremrsdrcullen]

Heyyyy. I have some requests if you don't mind!!

you get into an accident and Carlisle finds you. You wake up to Carlisle working over you. Carlisle gives you the option to be treated at his house. He gives you the option to be changed. You are super nervous and he is super sweet and gentle and walks you through everything.

You are a friend of the Cullen's (especially Alice). You go to their house to hang out and you start having a panic attack but try to hide it. Carlisle and Jasper find you and help you through it!

First, let me say that I am so, so, SO sorry this took actually forever to write. This was the first time I was writing of my I'm Always in this Twilight comfort blanket and oh boy did I feel lost at first.

I'm not kidding when I say I wrote this 3 times, with three different settings lol

But I finally settled with something I'm content with and here it is!!! I decided to only write the first one, BUT stay tuned because I do have something like the second one planned for my version of Eclipse <3

Anyway! Enough from me! Thank you so so much for sending in such creative requests.

Thank you for reading and Enjoying my work <3

Much love

~Claire <3

Masterlist

Blurb title: Burning

word count: 1457

So many WARNINGS: Car accidents, blood, dying, pain, burning (but not actual fire just the feeling of burning) prolonged pain, wishing to die, sad.

I Promise it does have a happy ending <3 being turned into a vampire is not an easy process. Carlisle is the sweetest softest boy around.

THIS IS NOT CANON TO IAITT and will not be added to that masterlist. It's also why I didn't tag the normal taglist. Thanks again <3

Everything felt like slow motion. I took a turn too fast. I hit a patch of ice. I lost control. I don’t think I even heard the glass breaking. I couldn’t even tell what song was on the radio.

But I knew I was dying. 

I knew my car was resting on the driver's side door somewhere off the road. I didn’t think the passing cars would even know I was down there. I squeezed my eyes closed and hoped I would just fall asleep. 

I don’t know how long I stayed there, but I could feel the cool air surrounding me.I heard his voice before I saw him, I thought I imagined it.

“Y/n?” He sounded frantic, I didn’t open my eyes. “Y/n, please, sweetheart can you hear me.” 

I still didn’t open my eyes but I tried to nod my head. I didn’t think I could will my voice to work.

“Dove, I’m going to pull you out of the car, okay? Tell me if anything hurts too much.” I nodded again. I didn’t really feel anything but cold. Then I was out of the car and in his arms. Only then did I allow myself to open my eyes.  There was so much pain in his features.

He knew I was dying too.

He spoke softly “I- I can take you to the hospital…” I’d never heard him stutter, it broke my heart. I shook my head, not knowing if I would even make it there. “I can take you home.”

I gave him a look, he knew what I meant without it needing to be said. I was running out of time. “Carlisle…” His face twisted in pain. “Change me…”

“Y/n. You can’t make that choice right now.”

I tried to pull myself together enough to sound confident. “It’s what I would have chosen anyway. I want this.” I took one more steady breath. “I’m not ready to say goodbye to you yet…” It was barely above a whisper.

I think he wanted to cry. He hid his face in my hair and just breathed me in. “I need you to be sure.”

I nodded. I am sure. I wanted to tell him but the words wouldn’t come out. My heart beat felt like a timer. He looked into my eyes, he cupped my cheek, he kissed my forehead. I don’t think I felt any of it.

His voice was still shaky, but he sounded far away. “Okay- Okay. I’m gonna bite you here and-and then I’ll take you home, alright love?” I think I nodded. “Stay with me just a bit longer.” I felt his lips on mine. I held on to the feeling with everything I had left. I felt him whisper “I love you, Y/n”

As I closed my eyes, I felt his lips on my neck; The action alone made my heart quicken, I hoped that was a good thing. Then a sharp, shooting pain. Then nothing. 

~

I could feel time passing, but I couldn’t judge how much. I was out for some time, enough time to get home, but eventually the pain woke me up. I screamed and thrashed and prayed- for the first time in a very long time- that the burning would stop. How much more of me was left to burn? How was I anything more than ash?

“I’m so sorry, Y/n” His voice was broken. It pulled me to the surface, if only for a moment.

Carlisle, Carlisle, Carlisle.

I could hear him pacing. I tried to cling to the sound. Tried to use it as something to ground me. I could hear him. I wasn’t dead, though I very much wanted to be. I wanted to hold my hand out to him; I must have held it out to him. I felt his cool fingers intertwined with mine. I tried to squeeze him. He squeezed my hand.

It could have been seconds, hours, days, later, but again his voice pulled me to the surface. The pain didn’t feel as deep. I didn’t regret asking him to turn me, I just wanted it to be over.

“It won’t be long now, Cara” I think I nodded, though with all the screaming and thrashing I doubt anyone noticed.

I didn’t let go of his hand.

More time passed- Probably.

I let him let go of my hand but I still felt him in the room. Eventually I could smell him in the room- Eventually I could hear him once I was able to stop screaming.

He was caught somewhere between doctor mode and husband mode. He gave me soft encouragement. He promised it wouldn’t be too much longer. I really wanted to believe him. I honestly think his presence was the only thing keeping me sane. 

I heard paper shuffling, I counted how many pages turned. I wondered if he was reading, or working, or taking notes on my transformation. I counted 388 page turns. He set whatever it was down 28 times, usually followed by a sigh, usually followed by a soft touch I hardly felt. His hands got warmer. Or, I guess my skin got colder. 

If my heartbeat felt like a timer before; Now it felt like an alarm.

All of the pain slowly moved from the tips of my fingers and toes. It still traveled through my veins but I could feel it leaving. As it moved, the limbs felt normal- no pain, no heat. I almost wanted to try breathing again. I didn’t.

Unfortunately, all of the burning moved closer and closer to my heart. Each inch it moved in my veins sent my heart wild. 

Then my chest was the only thing burning. And my heart beat as fast as butterfly wings but in heavy stomps. 

This is it… I thought. It has to be. 

I cried out once more…

Then it was over. Everything was so still. I didn’t move, so afraid the if I even wiggled a finger I would burn again. 

Breaking the silence, Carlisle’s voice called to me. I didn’t think about it, I just wanted to find him. I opened my eyes and was stunned by the light. More than that, I was so overwhelmed by absolutely everything in the room. I sat up faster than I would have ever been able to.

Then Carlisle’s arms were around me, like he was there to steady me; I had never felt more steady in my life. 

“Careful, Dove. You’re alright.” This time I was stunned by his voice. It was clear and smooth and intoxicating. It always has been, but this felt like the first time I had ever heard it clearly. 

I wanted to speak, but I had no air to carry my voice. I would have to breathe to speak and somehow that was terrifying. I didn’t know how anything could be scary after everything I had just felt. 

Instead I studied his features. His eyes were so bright and golden. He placed a soft hand on my cheek, and when I didn’t feel the chill of his skin, I took a sharp breath. Breathing wasn’t as scary as I expected, though it did hurt. 

I remember from Bella’s transformation that newborns woke up thirsty and though it had been explained to me, I never could have really imagined what that would feel like. I had never experienced thirst like this. Everything was so dry and hot. I was almost convinced I’d swallowed a lit match. The air that filled my throat fed the flames. I wanted to scream again. 

Instead I looked at him, my eyes catching his again. I let the pain pass for another moment.

“Carlisle…” I knew I whispered, I wanted to whisper it, but it felt so loud. I didn’t recognize my own voice. His smile widened. I wanted to kiss him.

“Y/n…” 

“This is all real?” I knew it was. I had to ask anyway.

He laughed softly. “It’s very real.” I nodded though I wasn’t sure I believed him. I didn't really know how to believe him. Everything happened so quickly. 

Only then did I notice the others giggling too. 

Almost all of them were there. Alice and Jasper, Rose and Emmett, Edward and Bella, they all watched me in complete wonder.

And Carlisle.

Carlisle, Carlisle, Carlisle. 

He was real and he was here and we could live happily ever after. It probably wouldn’t be as graceful as Bella’s transformation, but with all of them by my side, I could do this. Everything would be alright. The pain was over, but my life was new.

What I thought would be the end, was actually my first steps into forever.

taglist: @a-not-so-poetic-poet @jakanddexter67 @bridge597 @gaymazinglula @arg888cam

[somnimagus]

My page for @sheikahzine; about Impaz's duty to her village, empty of people and full of memories.

[id in alt text]

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts 3 - Twilight Town

[whereisowl]

long time no midzel, so sorry <3

[motherhenna]

Illustrations of Caleb O'Tynan--a re-interpretation of Edward Cullen from my Twilight reimagined project. I always go back to it when I feel like dabbling in gothic horror idk...we all have our guilty pleasures! [Bottom two pieces are updates of these old drawings from 2020.]

[spaghetti666lover]

New Spy X Family illustration!

we're being fed well

[rawliverandgoronspice]

In spite of the whole bonkers thing of TP Ganon wielding his own execution sword, I find it fascinating that he is using a weapon of Light to fight you --a weapon originally conceived for purposes of justice, and that light still steeps through him through the wound.

And, to top it all off, Link uses tools more aligned with darkness to fight him back (turning into a wolf, Midna becoming a eldritch horror...)

Symbolically this combo of reverse mirroring AND literal mirroring is very interesting I think

[starlight-eclipsed]

"Infiltrate the group of heroes," Demise had commanded, "and destroy them from within."

This was supposed to be a doodle.

Anyway, I sincerely recommend reading A Dark Among the Lights by LuckyLectio on AO3. It's a wonderful story in which after a long and arduous journey, our snarky protagonist has finally gotten a hug. Two of them, even!

[luna-loveboop]

Anyways crazy how Dink's blade is only charged/cursed/coward juiced when he's mad

They're not always in danger from it.

It's never cursed until someone hurts him, then he's pissed and goes after that person. He is very predictable.

It's a normal sword when Wars stabs him off a cliff, and next battle he goes straight after Wars. With the first appearance of the sword's anger vibes

And Sky sends a sword beam after him.

So Dink goes after him next, with the red blade. But then the master sword said No, and Dinky fled again

Heck yeah you go fi evaporate the red hatred sword

Twilight went after him, but the sword is just shiny metal, since he doesn't have a grudge against Twi.

But then Twi kicks his ass and he retaliates

Dink is just toying with them 'till he's pissed.

It shows what a coward he is. He brings monsters, but only fights one on one. He won't fight a group, just whoever made him mad. (I want to see him against Four, since he hasn't fought more than one at a time)

It is unnerving looking back- he had his blade ready with both Sky and Wars. They didn't know it, but they were close to getting a cursed wound like Twi's

So he has a very clear pattern: he fights, he gets hurt/mad, and he goes for revenge with the curse on the sword.

.... which is concerning to me because based on his current actions... he's going for Wild next.

[hero-of-the-wolf]

Enabling you to yap about some headcanons you have for the chain (or any animal facts that you have in store. You always have some fascinating facts)

Time and Lullaby were childhood best friends that grew apart as they got older. They start to reconnect again later in life, when Time joined the war effort against Ganondorf and the Gerudo.

(and then he dies)

Time and Malon have a little girl together 🫶

stealing this from @crazylittlejester but Time’s joints are kinda messed up after transforming so often (esp when he was y’know still growing) so his joints will pop out really easily and get really sore

Time is the OG animal lover. Where do you think Twilight got it from?

side note— I love the idea of Malon becoming something More after her death. You can still hear her singing at night if you listen very closely, mysterious bad things happen to people who hurt horses, Twilight strangely never feels alone, that sort of thing :)

Warriors was very close to his mother. She passed away during the war, and he didn’t find out until after he returned home 💔

(my first thought is that she died from disease, which always runs rampant during war. but maybe, perhaps, Wars’ home village was razed by monsters 👀)

Warriors had two close friends during the war. One died in his arms. The other one betrayed him and directly led to him getting captured by Cia 💔

depressed Twi 🫶 anxious Twi 🫶 Twi with chronic pain 🫶

Hyrule gets chronic headaches and dizzy spells, esp when he overuses his magic :)

Hyrule’s dark world form is an opossum 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

Legend enjoys knitting!! it’s a nice calming activity that helps him destress, and he really enjoys working with his hands :)

LEGEND MADE THE DOLLS FOR HYRULE. LEGEND KNITS AND HE MADE THE DOLLS AFTER HE WENT BACK HOME BC HE MISSED RULIE AND THEN HE IMBUED THEM WITH MAGIC AND HID THEM AROUND FOR HIS SUCCESSOR TO FIND

I also hc he has a lot of chronic pain 🫶

[rabenschwcrz]

PEOPLE ONCE BELIEVED THAT WHEN SOMEONE DIES, A RAVEN CARRIES THEIR SOUL TO THE LAND OF THE DEAD.

⸻ A STUDY IN: Everything black, love and loss, death and resurrection, grief, revenge served cold, talking to the moon, cold and lonely nights.

【 . . . 】 If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.

✞ ⁰¹ 『rules.』 ✞ ⁰² 『about.』 ✞ ⁰³ 『starter.』 ✞ ⁰⁴ 『inbox.』 ✞ ⁰⁵ 『writings.』 ✞ ⁰⁶ 『edits.』 ✞ ⁰⁷ 『tutorials.』 ✞ ⁰⁸ 『credit.』

#RABENSCHWCRZ, a singlemuse blog for MICHAEL CORVIS, original character, inspired by the movie THE CROW (1994), as resurrected by 𝚖𝚒𝚍𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝. Crossover-, multiverse-, and multiship friendly. Very low activity, semi-selective, german preferred. English is fine for short interactions. Mdni, 18+ only.

[ryllen]

My Mint

[greenerteacups]

Hi GT,

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but I absolutely love the recs you've given (you've introduced me to tomione, and I love it!) and I was wondering if it's possible to give you some recs in return? There are some books and fics that definitely have dramione / got vibes, and I was wondering if I could share them with you!

So glad you've enjoyed them! Feel free to rec me anything you want. I've read most of the classic recs in terms of fic and adjacent content (Cruel Prince et al), but I'll try anything that's well-written. My tastes run towards weird and/or audaciously creative stuff, and I can forgive a lot of weaknesses in plot on the grounds of (1) ambition or (2) character work. My turnoffs are instalove, protagonists who can't fail, and most Y/A (I'm not a hater, I swear, I just need characters who can say "fuck" when their leg gets chopped off.)

I'm also a fan of weird and fucked-up dynamics.(Wuthering Heights was my favorite book for a while, and as a teenager I wrote an AU in which the book ends on a long sex scene where Heathcliff fucks Cathy's ghost and then immediately gets murdered by Catherine 2.) Obviously, I am very normal.

[not-poignant]

Sorry this is so long I literally cannot help myself:

I’ve been a reader on ao3 for a long time. This year, for the sake of giving my brain something new and in order to be a mysterious hottie on the metro, I’ve challenged myself to read some published books. It has been a really fun and very interesting experience. I could write essays of personal and literary reflections.

But, favorite author mine, one difference I did not expect, and in hindsight it should have been obvious, was the vast, essentially ideological difference in what is called smut.

I started reading the Court of Thorns and Roses series and it’s good, I’m having a good time. But the thing is, everyone calls it faerie smut. And I guess it must be. When I heard faerie smut and decided to give the series a try, my faerie smut background came from ao3, namely fae tales and the ice plague.

“With each thrust I felt his love and saw the stars” really has nothing on “my entire family burnt and now my lover has his hands in my mouth and up my ass while he heats me up so thoroughly I’m basically delirious and then our sex mentor wine aunt was hungry and told me I was doing good while he drank my blood and his lover who is also the king casually reads nearby likely with bits of flesh stripped off him as an act of sacrificial love.”

The thing is, the sex scenes I’ve read in Sarah J. Maas’s series don’t really… do much. Regardless of crazy scenario, essentially every of the many erotic scenes in the fae tales verse either moves the plot forward, is essential to character development, or showcases emotional intimacy. (Which, tangent, is why you’re more recent works that generally showcase way less sexual content still feel so similar because the plot is still moving forward, characters are still developing, and the emotional intimacy is still so delectable.)

So anyway, reading book books has been really nice and a surprisingly reflective experience. I kinda forgot how little is considered scandalous by so many.

(And also, compared to ao3 which I usually read on my phone, it’s very difficult to read physical books while horizontal. Another plus for ebooks?)

Hi hi anon!

I'm glad you're enjoying the experience of reading 'book' books! :D I've heard many good things, and while I'm not likely to read it (I don't read cishet m/f if I'm not being forced to), I think it's awesome that it's going so viral and getting lots of folks into fantasy :D

As for the ACOTAR sex scenes, I haven't read them, but I feel like they fall into a certain kind of spicy sex scene being written right now that falls under 'explicit' for readers not used to seeing this stuff in fantasy, but absolutely kind of doesn't for people used to reading smut on AO3.

I find for myself, I can't handle these kinds of sex scenes because they're often over in like one or two pages and they feel very empty to me. They're not empty to many readers and I'm not trying to say they're empty overall, I just need a lot more emotionality, meatiness, and often character-based stakes.

Or I think about it this way: I've written sex scenes that are easily 6,000-9,000 words long. That's a tenth of a written standard-length novel. That's too long for novels. This is why you never see these kinds of sex scenes published anywhere except for erotica, and in erotica there's pressure to make the sex scenes shorter anyway. The only place where I know I can safely write sex to the length and breadth I want to is in serials, on AO3.

Authors in the mainstream book-writing world are kind of forced into a shape that fits the length of the book they're writing. If they write three very deep/lengthy sex scenes of the length that I write at, firstly they'd be thrown into the erotica dungeon (can no longer be searched for on most distribution websites), and secondly, that means they lose a lot of space for writing story, which for many of these writers does not happen during or because of sex scenes.

Authors can still sometimes write very hot sex scenes in a few hundred words, or one or two pages, don't get me wrong! But the vibe is different. I've never really liked sex scenes in anything published except for erotica, because it often feels... idk, like for example this line:

"“With each thrust I felt his love and saw the stars”"

Idk if this is canon to the book, but for me this means nothing. Why is the character feeling this way? What is it about the thrusts? What is it about the pose? Is it about eye contact? (And is this innately comfortable? How neurotypical is this character?) Undulation? Does he linger at the end? Is it because he circles his hips a certain way? Because that's not love, that's just talent.

I suppose for me, as a reader, I need explanations that let me understand why emotional shifts are happening in a sex scene. In the same way that I would need them in any other character change.

Other people I think can suspend their disbelief better and think 'wow that sounds amazing and hot.' I'm like 'I don't get it.'

And that's very much a me-problem! It's just a me-problem that I think I share with quite a lot of other readers, which is why we're all out here enjoying much longer sex scenes and then realise we can't really find them anywhere except for like... AO3, and some manhwa and manga and published erotica lmao. (I do think you're actually also more likely to find it in like f/f and m/m of any genre).

Anyway, on the flipside, some people find my sex scenes way too long and don't see the point. So all this stuff needs to exist for everyone! I just yeah, really like sex scenes where character stuff is happening. I can't write them otherwise, likely because I'm ace, and don't really find 'look at hot body = want to have sex' a thing that's relatable.

[catdoingblep]

Post-CK Nina Zenik as

Because

[summertimemusician]

Linktober (Shadow) 2023

Spirit

Welp turns out my exam season throughly steam rolled through my general Linktober plans, so you get this VERY late thing for now folks who find this, at least until I decide whether to continue this until I finish it even though it's no longer Linktober or if I'll make whatever other stories come later their own thing after exam season is over (mostly because the original for this one is my preferred draft, and that I feel the one for the Link/Dark Link prompt would be kind of wasted if it just sat there collecting dust cause I worked hard on the tension and horror there lord darn it, along with a few others mainly involving Fae Hyrule, Twilight, Time, First, among other Links like Legend, Sky, Warriors, just all of the boys, I wanted to give them all proper spotlight and still want to do that in any way I can). Welp. *Downs coffee like a shot* Also really need to find out how to make a Masterlist on mobile, figure out how AO3 works and answer asks.

Anyway, not really any warnings this time besides Reader Not Being Okay (par the course really) and angst.

As always can be read as either romantic or platonic, Reader is gender neutral on purpose, technically is meant to be read as either Hero's Shade Time x Reader or First x Reader mainly, but you can interpret it as any Link really lol

Good reading!

This corner of Faron Woods was quiet this time of year.

The woods were solemn in this Hyrule, the sliver of moonlight barely enough of a guide through the mist, it was silent but for the soft padding of animals through the underbrush and the howl of a wolf in the distance (not Wolfie's, not musical enough). The stars were your only company as you were separated from the group, the air was cold agaisnt your skin as you attempted to find your way.

Being alone in the forests of Hyrule never spelled anything good for anyone, but as you felt the brush of a hand tenderly twined in yours, the ghost of leather and the faint clinking of steel, and a faint glow of pale gold and ivory cutting through the veil of the night, mindful of roots you may trip onto and never flickering too far out of sight you couldn't feel safer, even  if instead something like melancholy threatened to lock your throat with the chains of silence, you felt as warm as the soft twilight glow and as frigid as ice, frostburned with the bitter cold of your own warring emotions.

You can't help but chuckle a bit whille holding a old scabbard close to your heart, it's a wry sound, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

There is no answer, of course there isn't, but you don't mind, you know he'll listen, thorns wrap around your heart and crawl up your throat, the smell of lilies and steel coats and sticks in your throat like honey, or maybe blood, "... I didn't think you'd show up, you know? I always considered the possibility but..." You trail off, you feel something brush your side, you can only see him in the corner of your eyes or with a passing glance, there but not, existing but gone, so you keep your eyes on the road and in the flicker of light, so you carefully don't look to your side, you don't think you could contain the shaking in your heart otherwise, to stare at inevitability and prophecy, "... I know, I know you're fine. At least for now, I apologize for all the trouble I gave you."

'It's alright. It could never be a hardship aiding you.', the voice echoes in your ears, and you swallow thickly, breath hitching, the warmth of the sun in the fields of Hyrule, the wind caressing your hair, the song of the animals in Faron Woods, someone holding you carefully, fondly. The warmth of your hand in his. Not really here, but not gone either, more feeling than true echo.

You chuckle, and try to pretend it's not a bit breathless, something like a wounded keen, "... You're too kind. Too, too kind, thank you."

Spirits in Hyrule never spell anything good, in this wild land of light and shadow in a gestalt of divinity. There are some exceptions though, even if it hurts to witness then. So you follow him through the dark, certain that as you've guided his way once, he'll lead you now to where you need to go.

----------------------------------------------------------

... The clearing he leads you to is open, but by no means truly quiet among the trees, there is no peace to be found for the armored skeleton here. You choke on sorrow, on unfinished business, on the cruelty of being brought to ruin and being denied peace, and you stumble towards the familiar figure, almost in a trance as your vision blurs, roots and thorny vines wrap over rusted armor and a thorn cape, the skeleton's void sockets piercing through your soul, illuminated by the solemn gaze of the wretched moon and it's uncaring maids of honor in the stars.

You fall to your knees near the decaying skeleton, biting back against the wounded sound that attempts to leave your throat with enough strenght to bleed, you lay the scabbard by his side with a bouquet of lilies and shiver at the gentle, phantom touch, so soft, so loving it almost leads you to ruin all over again.

'... It's foolish to grieve for someone who isn't gone yet.' the thought comes to you, yet you can't help it. You still hurt for him, you still hold onto the fury at the heavens themselves for denying them quietus. For denying them rest over and over and over again. To watch this cycle and be helpless to stop it all due to the will of uncaring gods.

Alive. Dead. Alive. Dead. Denied full rest over and over again, to watch the chance at rest to the kindest of souls found in this world you found yourself in.

You barely register the touch to your cheek, ephemeral as it is, as you can't help but shed tears, can't help but grieve. Because if you don't, who will?

You know by now that some wounds can never heal, some rifts can never be mended. Even with the guarantee of cyclic, eternal rebirth, some things never return to how they were. And reminding yourself of this inevitability to them will never not hurt, even if you know it's futile to blame anyone but the one god who started this, and maybe the goddess who stood complacent to it. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth that it'll one day come to this, that the frost of death and the sharpness of pain will leave a mark the sands of time can't scar over.

You reach a trembling hand towards the one in your cheek, try to find catharsis in the remains of decayed, dead yet ever eternal, ever growing love. And you breathe.

'We'll meet again. So do not mourn for me, please.'

You don't think you could deny him if you tried. Not when you know he's trying to soothe you, to thaw your sorrow. To allow your heart's healing to fallow.

"We will, I know. I'm sorry for making you worry." You chuckle, leaning into the cold, trying to brand the memory of the shadowed, but not gone love given to you so you can return it in kind. Just until you meet again, just until you can give all you can to his not yet decomposing self, grasping onto what remains of him, "I love you."

'I love you too. Until we meet again.'

The cold is gone, the echo of love leaves. And you breathe, and pretend you don't feel empty.

(When you see Link again, reuniting with the Chain on the next day's twilight. You hug him as tight as you can, and hope you he doesn't notice the tears in your eyes. And that you don't feel the lingering traces of a frigid embrace.

When no one is looking, you wave goodbye to the shade. And pray he dreams of warmer days until he finds quietus.)