#the fact that i was walking next to zelda had me giggling and kicking my feet 😭

[uzumakiheart]

5 hours playing TOTK and i’m already stuck finding the shrines on this floating island … send help

[solarwonux]

89.  “Just let me finish this level and I swear I’ll go down on you all night.”

93.  “Fuck…did we use protection?”

twitch streamer!wonwoo x f!reader

w.c: 3.9k (honestly I think I forgot what drabbles were clearly lol)

warnings: some angst, smut, mutual masturbation, some slight panty stuffing, oral sex (f receiving), unprotected sex, pregnancy scare, talks about plan b

note: excuse me everyone I literally love gamer and twitch streamer Wonwoo, but not everyone does. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one if you want more twitch!streamer wonwoo let me I will be happy to oblige, I have MANY ideas. Enjoy and please let me know your thoughts. 

p.s send me a prompt for either svt or bts or both. I will also happily oblige to that lol

Masterlist || Drabble game 

Watching Wonwoo play Zelda was not what you had expected when he had texted earlier asking you to come over. “Just let me finish this level and I swear I’ll go down on you all night.” He whispered against your lips in a half kiss when you walked in through his front door.

That had been over an hour and three completed levels ago. It was an empty promise long forgotten as he kept himself immersed in the game, talking enthusiastically about his day and random things his brain would conjure up on the spot. It was like you didn’t exist, and for the most part to his viewers, you didn’t. It wasn’t like you were his girlfriend or anything. Even if you were, you valued your privacy more than anything in the world. You preferred to work on your own things in the background away from his camera whenever you were over. This was something the two of you had mutually agreed to. 

Casual hangs and casual sex.

Lately, your relationship had become the product of most of your stress. You never knew where you stood with Wonwoo. Sometimes he would literally invite you over to keep him company while he streamed only to kick you out the second he finished. “I’m too tired, you should go.” He would say pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, “I’ll see you later.” 

Of course, those moments were overshadowed by the soft touches he left imprinted on your skin. By the sweetness of the words he shared with you and only you whenever he wasn’t working. It made you want more. More of him, more of his attention, and more of whatever was going on between the two of you. But that was something you refused to bring up afraid that the only one harboring feelings for the other was you. 

Heartbreak was not in your plans for life, at least not for a while. 

You sighed, throwing your phone down onto the couch. Your patience was wearing thin. Maybe it had to do with the fact you were already having a bad day, and Wonwoo’s indifference towards you wasn’t helping. When you had gotten his text earlier, you couldn’t help but feel all giddy inside. The two of you hadn’t seen each other in a few days with work schedules being all over the place and not aligning. It was something to look forward to, not necessarily because of the sex--which was always amazing. But you really just wanted to talk to him. Lay down with his arms wrapped around you while you complained about work and how frustrating your coworkers were being.

By the looks of it, you weren’t going to get any of that, not even what he had promised when you had first walked in. You were tired, your clothes were starting to annoy and you wanted to cry. If it wasn’t for the fact that his front door was in line with his camera, you would’ve left already.

Wonwoo could sense something was wrong with you. Every time you sighed it felt like you were punching him in the gut. He really meant what he had said when you walked in earlier. He also meant the quiet I love you he mumbled underneath his breath when you walked past him and into the living room. He wasn’t sure when he had fallen in love with you, just that months ago he had woken up and you were the only thing he could think of. Every time he held you in his arms the three little words bubbled up in the back of his throat, wishing he could bring himself to finally say it, but his fear held him back. Afraid that you didn’t feel the same way.

“Alright, you know what I think that’s enough for tonight.” Wonwoo smiled into the camera, trying to keep up with the chat as they begged him not to go yet. “I have to go, my girlfriend is over and I want to spend time with her. Anyway, same time next week Monday guys.” Wonwoo nodded, stopping the stream. Once he was positive that he had turned everything off he felt his shoulders relax and leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes for a second before opening them again, the panic surging through his veins was unbearable. He turned around in his chair meeting your equally shocked face.

He royally fucked up. He just confessed to his audience without meaning to confess. He had told his audience that you were his girlfriend and he hadn’t even asked you yet. The surprise and speech he had worked on all week, the reason he took a break from streaming until tonight, was for nothing. He had gotten ahead of himself and he didn’t know what to do now. Or how to fix it.

“G-Girlfriend? Wait you have a fucking girlfriend?” You stood up from his couch, blinded by anger. “What the fuck Wonwoo, when were you going to tell me? Before or after you fucked me?” You shouted, your heart was beating fast as you turned around to gather up your stuff.

Unbelievable. Here you were distracted, thinking about how cute he looked while he blamed his failure on his character. The pout that had formed on his lips as he pushed his glasses up his nose and blew out a raspberry, moving aside the strands of his newly dyed blonde hair. The frustration you had felt earlier, forgotten, replaced with admiration. Only for it to come back after what he had said, this time fiery red and ready to burn everything it touched.

“Stop, no wait, I don’t have a girlfriend. At least not yet.” He spoke fast, his words blending with one another as he quickly made his way to you. He grabbed hold of your laptop and held it against his chest.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better, did you just call me down to ignore me and then fuck me one last time before you called it quits!” You said in disbelief reaching over for your laptop.

Wonwoo turned around facing away from you. “No that’s not...that’s not what...fuck, calm down please and just let me talk.” He pleaded as he sat down on his couch, your laptop still clutched tightly in his arms. It was your prized possession, it held the first three drafts of the novel you were working on. He knew you well enough to know that you hadn’t backed anything up no matter how many times he told you to do so. So, he was positive that as long as he held onto it like his life depended on it (because it did) you wouldn’t leave without it.

You crossed your arms in front of you ”I am calm, but I don’t know if I want to listen to what you have to say.”

Wonwoo cringed, he was more nervous than what he had intended to be. He had an entire speech planned. Wrote it down, even got Jihoon to proofread it. He had performed it in front of his bathroom mirror every morning and night. He thought he had it in the bag, pumped up his chest a few times before opening his front door to you earlier. Yet, the second he saw you, he forgot everything he had planned to say. This is mainly why he had spent such a long time streaming. Hoping that the distraction would somehow help him remember.

It didn’t.

“Wonwoo, I swear if you don’t start talking in the next five seconds I’m leaving and suing you for holding my laptop hostage.”

Wonwoo sighed and slapped his forehead lightly before turning to look at you, “okay, I don’t think that’s allowed bu-”

“It is if I say that you stole it trying to steal my work, I don’t know I’ll find a way.” You shrugged, earning a glare from Wonwoo. You knew he hated whenever someone interrupted him while he was in the middle of saying something. It was something you would do to him out of spite, but in your humble opinion this time he really did deserve it. Though, it didn’t make you feel as good as you had hoped, “fine sorry, you can continue.” You sighed and sat down on his coffee table.

Wonwoo put your laptop down and leaned over his elbows taking your hands in his. “I love you and I want you to be my girlfriend. I know we agreed to just keep this casual but I can’t help the way my heart literally feels like it’s going to fall out of my ass whenever I’m with you. So yeah, I don’t have a girlfriend yet, because I haven’t asked you to be my girlfriend yet. But there’s no one else, only you, and I’m so-”

Wonwoo was cut off when he felt your body land on his, knocking the air out of his lungs. You hugged him, straddling his hips and burying your face into his chest, giggling. It felt like a weight had been lifted from your shoulders and you felt awful for assuming the worst and jumping to conclusions.

“Ask me ask me ask me ask me.” You bounced on his lap like a child. He groaned doubling over in pain.

He placed his hands on your hips to keep you from moving, “No now I know you’re actually trying to kill me.” He smirked and left a sweet kiss against your lips. A low chuckle running past his lips as he took in your pouting face, “fine, my love, my baby will you please be my girlfriend?” He cocked his head, his hands playing with the hem of your t-shirt.

“Yes, but only if you give me my laptop back and keep the promise you made me earlier.” You smiled innocently, playing with the hair on the back of his neck.

Wonwoo smirked, his hands made their way underneath your shirt. “No to the laptop, you work too much and I’m determined to back up everything on a hard drive later.” He rubbed his thumbs over the skin of your hips, slowly inching closer to the button of your jeans, “not sure I remember the promise I made earlier though, can you remind me?”

You kissed him slowly, tugging on his shirt, “you said you would finish a level before going down on me all night, and it’s four and a half levels later and I’m still waiting.” You whispered against his lips, before pulling away and bringing his shirt over his head, taking it off, throwing it behind him, aiming for the laundry basket, missing it completely, making you sigh. 

“Well you didn’t give me enough time to answer, but that can be arranged.” He pecked your lips, pushing your shirt up and over your head, throwing it behind him. “You’d have to step into my office though.” 

“Wonwoo, baby, don’t ever call your room your office.” You rolled your eyes and got up from his lap. 

He chuckled, shaking his head and stood up, “oh no that’s not what I meant, room comes later. Tonight we start in my office.” He says cheekily, pointing his thumb towards his gaming setup. Your eyes grew wide as saucers, only making him laugh harder while he pushed you towards his gaming chair. 

“Wait, you’re like not going to turn the camera on are you?” You said as he pushed you down to sit in which you obeyed. The colorful lights from his gaming setup kept you distracted as Wonwoo got down on his knees in front of you. 

“Nope, I’ve just always wanted to eat you out while you sat on my gaming chair. But maybe one day in the future if you want. You can take over my stream and play animal crossing while I secretly eat you out on camera.” He smirked, the evil glint behind his soft eyes sent shivers down your spine. The little exibitionist in him coming out. You’d be lying if you didn’t find the thought of it exciting. 

“One day.” You breathed, lifting your hips, helping him as he pulled down your pants. 

Wonwoo sent you a wink pushing your thighs apart with his hands, “We can also play overwatch together. That cute little vibrator you keep hidden in your bedside drawer, stuffed inside your pussy.” He placed his index finger over the wet patch that had formed over your panties, pushing in slightly. “And everytime you die I up the speed, see how long you can last before you have me begging to turn off the stream so you can cum.” Wonwoo kept pushing his finger in you, your panties sticking onto you like second skin. 

You threw your head back, digging your nails into the arms of his leather chair. “F-Fuck how long h-have you thought about this?” You lifted your hips as he added another finger. 

“Right now, or maybe a few times when you’re not around.” He leaned down kissing your mound lightly, “but seeing you like this, sprawled out, wet and waiting for my mouth is reinforcing those fantasies.” He worked his fingers diligently, pushing the thin material of your panties inside of you. He couldn’t wait to stuff you full with his cock later. 

You let out a whimper as his mouth traveled down to your clothed entrance. He removed his fingers licking up a stride, before taking one of your lips into his mouth and biting down on it gently. “W-Wonwoo please I want to feel your mouth.” 

“You are, aren’t you?.” He looked, staring at you through the rim of his round glasses before repeating his actions again making you whimper. “Take your bra off, play with yourself for me.” He left a chaste kiss in your inner thigh and sat back on his heels. He palmed himself over his black tracksuit pants as he watched you slowly unclasp your bra, letting the straps slide down your arms. You were teasing him, he knew this but he didn’t care. Seeing you get undressed for him was one of his favorite past times, especially because you always went extra slow for him. 

You threw your bra, not caring where it landed. You rolled your palms over your nipples, soft sighs running past your lips as you kept your eyes trained on Wonwoo. “Want to feel your hot tongue fucking me Woo.” You spread your legs even further pinching your nipples. You moved your hand down your body, your index finger playing with the seam of your panties. “Is this one of your fantasies? Me touching myself, sitting here?” You said, tilting your head to the side, moving your hand into your panties and running your index and middle fingers over your clit slowly.

“Yes.” He hissed, pushing his hand into his boxers grabbing onto his cock. “God, you make me so hard.” 

“Let me see please.” You arched your back, your fingers getting faster. Wonwoo nodded, wasting no time to free himself, his hand wrapped tightly around his length. His index finger connects with the small bead of precum that had formed, showing you how sticky and ready he was for you. 

“Want to taste?” You nodded letting out soft moans as you lifted your hips, into the palm of your hand, sticking your tongue out for him. “Fuck.” He cursed getting up on his knees, bringing his index finger up to your mouth. You closed your lips around it, swirling your tongue over the tip, savoring the salty substance. 

You pulled away with a pop, taking your fingers out of your panties and bringing them up to his lips. He took them in, moaning around them. “Do I taste good?” You said taking out your fingers from his mouth, moving them over his lips, wetting them further. 

“I’m going to have to take a closer look.” He said lowly, pushing your panties down in a haste. He spread your legs, licking up your slit, teasing your hole with his tongue. Being in between your legs was his second most favorite pastime. He savored every moment of it. Sometimes he would prolong your orgasm, keeping you on edge, so that when you came, your sweet substance would coat his lips, spilling down his chin and neck. It was the most beautiful site, one that only he had the privilege in witnessing. 

“Mmm, your tongue feels so good Wonwoo.” You pinched your nipple while tugging on the roots of his blonde hair, pushing his mouth closer. 

He moaned, slurping up your juices like you were his last meal. He wrapped his mouth around your clit, pulling it between his teeth before letting it go. “I want to be here forever but I don’t think I can last any longer without being inside of you.” He pushed two of his fingers inside of you. The feeling of your wet walls wrapped around his thick calloused fingers made his cock twitch. 

“B-But I-I want to cum.” You pouted, arching your back away from his chair, pushing your hips further into his hand. “Please, I’m so close already.” You pant, the knot in the pit of your stomach threatening to break. 

“Oh honey, you will. I’ll have you coming undone more than three times tonight.” He stated with determination and brought his mouth down again, closing his lips around your clit. He sucked harshly moaning sinfully. He fucked you faster with his fingers curling them upwards, reaching the soft mushy skin inside of you. 

“W-Wonwoo f-fuck don’t stop I-I’m so close.” 

Wonwoo let go of your swollen bud, slowing down his fingers as you clenched around them. “Look at me, I want to watch me while you cum.” You agreed with a pleasure filled sigh, watching as he pushed back his glasses. The sight almost had you coming undone. 

He put his mouth on you again, increasing the pace of his fingers. Babbles coming out of your mouth as you pulled on his hair, motivating him to go faster. The squelching sounds coming from your wet, hot pussy sounded like music to his ears. He bit down on your clit lightly, sending you over the edge, your cum coating his fingers, while you moaned his name in a sweet sinful prayer. His eyes burning holes into yours, the sight was award winning, his cock begging to be milked out. 

Wonwoo continued, riding out your orgasm. Until you felt the oversensitivity overcome your body “W-Woo, s-stop please.” You pushed his head carefully with the palm of your hand. 

He kissed the inside of both of your thighs before sitting up on his knees, taking your face into his hands. “You always look so pretty when you cum.” He pecked your lips repeatedly, before wrapping your arms around you hugging you tightly. “I love you so much.” He kissed your temple. 

“Why do you always get so mushy every time you make me cum?” You laughed gently, running your fingers down his back, making him shiver.

“You bring out in me, I can’t help it, stop complaining. I’m giving you time to recover before I bend you over my desk.” 

“Not complaining. I love it.” You kissed his cheek. “And I love you.” You whispered in his ear, taking his earlobe, pulling it between your teeth.. He groaned, swallowing hard, his getting tighter around you.

“My desk, then my couch, then my bed, then the shower, and then my bed again.” 

The sun had started to rise. It was five in the morning and your body was suddenly overcome with sleep, when Wonwoo pulled out of you one last time. He had kept true to his promise, literally fucked you the entire night, christening his apartment, except his kitchen. “If we have sex in the kitchen, the only thing I’ll be thinking about while I’m cooking is your mouth around my dick.” He said as he pushed you into the wide window of his living room, making you laugh. 

“Do you have to work today?” He placed a delicate kiss against your collar bone, laying his head on top of your chest. 

“It’s Saturday, why would I have work on Saturday?” You smiled sleepily, running your fingers through his hair. He sighed happily, pulling his sheets over the two of you and cuddling into you further. 

“You’re always working, I just wanted to ask.” He shrugged, raising his body enough to leave a chaste kiss against your lips. “Take a break today and I promise that by the time you wake up again I’ll have all of your files backed up into the harddrive I bought you.” 

You shook your head, placing both of your palms against his cheeks, squishing them. “Do you know how sexy you sound when you talk about computers.” 

“Nope, but you once told me to divide you in half when I was explaining finances to you. Now that I think about it, that statement can go both ways.” He smiled laying down on his back, bringing you along with him. Your eyes growing wide when you felt it running down your thighs. You sat up in panic, removing the sheets of your body to see if your silent hypothesis was correct.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, confused.

“Wonwoo, fuck...did we use protection?” 

Wonwoo pushed the covers away with his feet, sitting up quickly. He looked between your legs, his eyebrows furrowing in concern, “You’re on the pill still right?” 

“We changed my formula, I had to stop taking it for a few days.” You threw yourself down on his bed covering your eyes with your hands. The tears pooling against your eyes. You felt the bed dip next to you. Wonwoo took your hands in his, revealing your tearful eyes to him making him sigh. 

“Baby, don’t worry.” He kissed your cheeks repeatedly before sitting up again, “I’ll run down to the convenience store, get a plan b while you go take a bath. I’ll join you when I get back.” 

“W-What’s happens if I take the plan b and still miraculously end up pregnant, it’s only ninety five percent effective.” 

“Then I’ll be with you every step of the way. I meant what I said earlier, I love you so much and I plan to marry you and have kids with you one day. Don’t worry.” 

Your heart felt full. The butterflies erupting in the pit of your stomach. Wonwoo and you had shared many intimate dreams and desires before, but this one felt different. This was a dream the two of you shared and it made you feel at ease. “Okay, okay I will, just hurry up please.” 

Wonwoo scoffed, getting up from his bed, slipping on his sweatpants and sweatshirt. “Baby please don’t underestimate me. I’ll be back before you know it.” He leaned down giving you one last kiss before jogging over to his front door. “I love you.” He shouted, opening the door. 

You laughed sitting up on your elbows shaking your head, “I love you, now hurry I can feel your child cooking in me.” 

“Impossible, it takes roughly twenty four hours for my sperm to fertilize one of your eggs, and it’s literally been thirty minutes. Therefore you wou--”

“Wonwoo shut up just hurry.” 

“Okay I love you.” He said while closing his front door. You laughed shaking your head falling back on his bed. Your entire body was aching and though you were a little scared, given obvious circumstances. You had never felt so much warmth and happiness in your life. 

[snidgetwidgeon]

Son of Hylia, Daughter of Farore

A roleswap Zelink AU

Art by @anxioussailorsoldier and used here with permission

This story is a one-shot inspired by the prompts from @drsteggy and was gifted to her in a fic exchange.

~~~

Link awoke suddenly, desperately trying to cling to the vision of a woman surrounded by bright light as it diminished from his foggy mind. Try as he might to enter back into the haze of his mysterious dream, sounds came louder and clearer to his ears, and he registered the rustle of the sheets sliding against his feet as he stretched, his senses slowly returning. Today would be a trying affair. He always remained fatigued after she appeared to him, ever speaking yet rendered frustratingly silent.

Perhaps he could try to lay low, hide in the library, and search yet again on the shelves he’d already scoured for something he may have missed; something to prove it was possible that he was having the visions vessels were known to have had. He just couldn’t interpret them. He spared a bittersweet thought for his late mother. She would have known, would have shown him. Or perhaps she would have bore a daughter, and there would be no question; and he could have supported his sister when they found out the Calamity was foretold to return.

But the Kingdom of Hyrule was left with a Prince at the precipice of doom. He’d never felt more useless, or more determined to do something about it. He would find a way. He would protect everyone.

Zelda shifted her feet, practicing her forms to warm up before training. She missed her scimitar. This new blade felt so different and she had to relearn how to make it an extension of herself. It was humbling when sparring partners she had previously bested came out on top. It just proved she still had much to learn and needed to become proficient with many weapon types if she wanted to be the greatest.

She recalled being a bit intimidated as her group of friends grew over the years. Where they used to be physical equals, they now towered above her; but she supposed she could be thankful for the challenge because it caused her to become an incredibly scrappy fighter, always looking for openings she could wheedle into.

This time she wheedled too far and forgot to watch her flank while in pursuit of one of her opponents. Another warrior swept in and bashed her ribs as she was on an upswing and it sent her flying. As she was pulled up, she couldn’t help but think spitefully that the same would not have happened if she were allowed her weapon of choice. She could have recovered with her scimitar but the swing on the Master Sword was different.

“Nice air you caught there,” her sparring partner teased in Gerudo. “Again?”

Zelda recovered her blade from a few paces away and declined, “I think I’ll just nurse my wounds and ego for awhile, thanks.”

“Suit yourself. I recommend you do solitary for a few days with your new acquaintance,” she pointed her chin towards the Master Sword in Zelda’s grip. “See if you two can make friends,” she winked and ran back to join the fray.

Zelda stared down at the sword with slight contempt. Urbosa had told her of the legends she’d learned from the late Queen of Hyrule, and her son, Prince Link- that the sword was wielded to protect Hylia, and how the blade itself chose its master and would even communicate. Someone being chosen meant that a shit storm was likely brewing.

Urbosa also mentioned that preparations were being made against some sort of Calamity. The word made Zelda’s blood run cold and she knew it was something to be feared. If the sword was not speaking to her, perhaps it chose wrong and she was not suited to the challenge. She had tried everything she could think of, even hours of meditation, which she hated because she didn’t like sitting still for long.

But it was all for naught.

She wove her way through the stalls and bustle of the marketplace, sword heavy on her back, and day after day it had only served to weigh her down even more. She could no longer stand it. She exited the north-western gates and ran along the outer wall. Heart pounding and sweating all over, she dug a rather shallow and pathetic hole, chucked the sword in and kicked sand over it before walking away in a huff, muttering, “Curse the day I found your infuriating silence!”

She’d been training in the desert when she discovered it, exploring further than she ever had over the dunes. Following the statues with their guiding swords, she finally came upon the last one and sheltered under her cloak at its base as a sandstorm passed. Thankfully, it was short and as she stood to shake as much sand as she could off her person, she noticed something strange in the distance. She could have sworn she’d reached the last statue of the warriors. Perhaps she’d miscounted as there stood another on the horizon, the reflection of its sword glinting brightly in its grasp.

Zelda took a drink from her ration, taking note of how much was left before deciding she could manage one more. If anything, it would improve her survival skills.

As she neared the solid figure rising out of the sands she noticed that the sword it held was elaborate. Oddly enough, a scabbard for it was slung over the shoulder which made it appear that someone had just left it there. She looked around but only saw a few cacti bearing voltfruits, perfect for carrying around extra moisture for the return trip. Some movement caught her eye behind a cactus and she ran over, pulling her scimitar, in case there was meat to be had, but she was met with a poof of sparkling petals and could have sworn she heard a childish giggle.

After investigating thoroughly, she cut the fruits and placed them into her bag before returning to the statue. It would be a shame to leave such a fine piece of work out in the middle of nowhere. She climbed the figure and slipped the scabbard off the shoulder, letting it fall to the sand before holding the neck and planting her feet against the torso so she could reach the hilt with her free hand. It did not budge. Hiking herself up, she wrapped her legs around the neck so she could use both hands to pull on the wings above the hilt.

She was straining when she heard the laugh again, accompanied by a rattle, and in her distraction, the blade suddenly came loose and they both tumbled into the sand.

She’d thought nothing of it until returning to Gerudo Town.

During a routine visit to the throne room, Chief Urbosa had nearly sent away visiting dignitaries when she spied the sword on Zelda’s back. After the meeting, Urbosa called her into her private quarters, which was very unusual. Perhaps she was to be given a special assignment.

“Where did you find that sword?” Urbosa asked with intense interest and a hint of concern.

Zelda stood at attention and replied concisely, “In the desert, Chief.”

“Zelda, have you any idea what you’ve found?”

Zelda began to doubt her decision to play finders keepers. Maybe it was a ceremonial sword or relic that should have stayed where it was. Though she had been raised with the Gerudo, she certainly did not purport to know all of their culture and was horrified by the idea that she’d deeply offended them.

~~~

Urbosa removed her bracelets and hair ornaments, letting the thick, red locks fall down her back. Making sure her tea would be in reach, she snuggled into her bed and opened a letter from her favorite Hylian. She always saved his letters for the end of the day when her attention could be undivided and she could imagine actually having a conversation with him. He was so bright and inquisitive, and optimistic- as his letter revealed. Just like her love.

~I have not given up my search. I keep thinking that surely, there is a pocket in the library I have not scoured. But then another duty and another day takes me away from it. I see her, Urbosa. It has to mean something. If only I could find evidence that there has been a son of Hylia. Why else would I be given visions? If only I could interpret them...

Do you know how mother did it? Did she ever say anything?~

He then went on to describe his involvement with the funding of the research at the Royal Ancient Lab as well as other gossip that he and Urbosa kept up on, including their inside jokes about stuffy nobles. He also wanted to hear more about the warrior who had pulled the Master Sword.

~Does the bearer of the Blade that Seals the Darkness fare well? The moment I learned of her, I hoped that it was a sliver of evidence to prove my case. If there is a woman as Farore’s chosen, then perhaps it lends weight to the fact that a man could be Nayru’s chosen. But I’m harping. Perhaps I will be able to meet her soon, though father keeps me tied up in social engagements. He has taken to parading me at events where there are ample amounts of young debutantes to vie for my attention. I’d much rather be studying.~

Urbosa wrote back early the next morning after skimming the letter again.

~It seems our chosen Hero is having trouble awakening the power within the blade. When you sent word of legends that say the sword speaks to a worthy master, she immediately felt inadequate. Zelda excels at any challenge and eventually overcomes all obstacles, so when she continually failed to connect with the sword’s spirit, she took out her frustrations in a childish manner. The other day she was witnessed burying it in the sand outside the town walls. She must have blown off all her steam because she did retrieve it later that night.

I think that learning her fate has been weighing on her. She puts on a stoic face but I can see she has reservations. Perhaps if you two came together, something will give?~

After reading Urbosa’s reply, Link laid the parchment back down on his desk and pondered her proposition. He had been wanting to expand his search outside the castle for sometime and though he enjoyed visiting the Royal Lab, it did not hold any answers for what he sought; they were just a bunch of rowdy mechanics who were a lot of fun to hang around with. But to understand his history and role, he wanted to go on a pilgrimage to the known spiritual sites of Hyrule, and perhaps discover unknown ones as well so he could be better informed on how to defeat the Calamity, and possibly awaken the power of Hylia along the way.

He would start making arrangements right away.

~~~

King Rhoam rapped his knuckles on the door of his son’s study. When Link answered with a curt nod and a polite greeting, he entered, leaving his guard detail outside. He thought it prudent to retain at least some privacy for this matter, considering the gossip it could generate.

“I hear you’re planning some sort of trip,” it came out as a statement more than a question.

“A pilgrimage. To try and find any proof of my suspicions-”

He was interrupted by his father’s large, dissatisfied sigh. “Link, you really must stop harping on about that nonsense. Hylia has only ever been reincarnated into the mortal body of a female, that’s just the way it is. A tradition that extends even far beyond what we have in written history.”

“Exactly. We don’t know everything. How do you explain my visions? Mother had them. She knew how to interpret them.”

“Perhaps they’re just dreams,” Rhoam offered again in a misguided attempt to engage.

Link smacked the book he was about to pack on the table in frustration. “I can’t believe you keep saying that, you just don’t understand.”

“What I understand is that you continue to foolishly insist on chasing dreams and fantasies rather than doing something tangible for your people. You’re wasting time, Link. You should be courting and choosing a wife so that you can pass on the bloodline to a potential Princess who will-” Rhoam saw the shock in his boy’s face and tried to change track, “We have no idea when the Calamity will strike, we should be doing everything we can to prevent disaster.”

Link clenched his jaw as a deep anger and loathing swelled in his breast. Voice trembling in rage, he rebutted, “I am not going to produce an heir just to send her to the slaughter. I will fight my own battles. This Calamity is coming down on us! I just need to figure out how to awaken Hylia’s power.” He grabbed his bag and stormed out before Rhoam could push his agenda further.

~~~

The next letter Urbosa received from Link outlined his travels. She grinned as she read through them, glad that he’d managed to get away.

~The Forgotten Temple was very difficult to access, and though it did not produce any results, it was a breath taking trip. It has the largest Goddess Statue I have ever seen and I felt a peculiar familiarity while standing under her benevolent smile. I think this is promising.

We’re now at the ruins of the Temple of Time on the Great Plateau. I’m no stranger to the place of course, but the Priestess has been most helpful in providing old texts to study that were not available at the Castle. She’s even offered to assign a scribe to make copies for me.

I hope to be underway again soon and I would like to visit the Seven Heroines. I want to leave no stone unturned. I shall send a dispatch for when we expect to be arriving in the desert.~

When the time came, Urbosa bid Zelda to be an escort for the Prince across the sands to Gerudo Town. “Listen carefully, Zelda. Being the Prince is more than reason enough to keep him safe, but there may be a chance that he is so much more. The fact that you wield that sword lends weight to his theory that he may be Hylia reborn.”

Zelda’s eyes widened but she remained silent, nodding dutifully.

“I’ll need you to deliver some supplies to him so that he may enter unmolested upon arrival.”

“Chief?” Zelda asked, uncertain about the order. Hylia possibly being in a boy she could handle, but in all her time there, she’d never heard of a voe entering Gerudo Town. For Urbosa to speak of it almost as if it were done every other day was- confusing, to say the least.

Urbosa raised her brow at the question. “He is my Oten’vehvi and knows how to behave within these walls. You need not concern yourself with the politics, just act as his personal guard.”

“Yes, Chief.”

She made her preparations and checked that all was secure with the ‘contraband.’ The idea of meeting the Prince was troubling to say the least. She felt completely inadequate, bearing a sword that considered her unworthy. Perhaps she could pass it onto him and he could find the most courageous person in Hyrule. With his resources she was sure it wouldn’t be that hard. Then again, legendary swords weren’t known for choosing incorrect Heroes, so what was wrong with her?

They would just have to work together somehow.

She rode most of the way at a leisurely pace behind her sand seal until she noticed a scuffle as she neared Kara Kara. “HUP!” she directed her seal to go a bit faster to investigate.

A couple of Hylian vai shrieked when they saw her. “The Prince! Please save our Prince!” they cried as they pointed west.

There were two Yiga chasing after a nimble blond clad in light blue. She sprung after them, tongue rolling in a call to let her mount know they needed to go as fast as if they were fleeing a molduga.

The Prince was doing well for himself until he fell, a prey disposition coming over him. He scooted back but could only stare at the assassins, frozen in fear.

Zelda used her inertia to whip across the sand and jumped to land between the Prince and his attackers. She drew her sword, imbued with courage and confident that she could easily protect the boy against the likes of this desert rabble. She almost become distracted by the sword’s sudden glow before exchanging blows with the masked Yiga. They soon realized they were no match for her and dispersed in pops of red and orange light, laughter echoing in their place.

Breathing heavily, she turned back to face the Prince who was still flat on his bum. They both ogled the glowing sword.

An ethereal, disembodied voice broke the silence, “Master, it is good to see you again.”

Their eyes snapped to each other and searched for understanding. There was an immediate and unmistakable bond between them. They’d both heard it.

“I see...” Zelda began. She glared down at the Master Sword, fist clenching the handle and shaking with anger. “So you only deign to speak when your charge is present?” Her voice rose, “I wasn’t good enough for you?! You picky piece of shit!” she yelled as she hurled the sword into the dunes.

Link gaped in disbelief that his protector was so uncouth when something profound occurred to him. He fell back into the sand laughing, a massive wave of relief washing over him.

She looked at him curiously. “What? What is it?”

His laughter died down and he gazed into the sky, moisture glistening in the corner of his eye. “She’s with me.”

Zelda’s eyebrows knitted in confusion, unaware of the turmoil he had experienced regarding his identity.

Link stood and brushed himself off then held out his hand in greeting. “You must be Zelda. Bearer of the Blade that seals the Darkness.”

She accepted his shake and added spitefully, “More like the blade that won’t open its trap unless its mommy is around.”

“You know, I find it very intriguing, my mother’s name was also Zelda.”

“Yes, my mother was a big fan. It’s kind of flattering, she was a great lady. But people always joke that I’m the lost, secret princess and other nonsense.” She started to move away but he touched her arm and she paused.

“Thank you- for saving my life; but also for revealing the truth. Now that I know she’s here,” he touched his heart, “I will find her.”

Zelda eyed him like a strange bug, still unsure as to what he was on about. She patted his shoulder as she walked over to retrieve her weapon, “Good luck with that.”

~~~

A few nights later, Link and Urbosa took a stroll just outside of town to enjoy each other’s company, catching up on their daily lives. The stars twinkled brightly and the moon shone pale on the dunes, a steady breeze drifting the sands away to the dark horizon. He’d just intimated what his father would have him do to stay the coming Calamity.

She touched his shoulder in support, “And what did you say?”

“That this was our battle. And I would absolutely not have a child just to-” he sighed deeply. “I mean, I know the legends. There will always be a vessel of Hylia and her chosen Hero, but to be so deliberate and unfeeling about it, I just...”

“It’s alright. Your father has always been rather blunt, and practical to a fault. For what it’s worth, I believe in you. The visions you describe sound very similar to what your mother shared with me.”

He looked up to her with a smile, “It’s worth a lot, you’re my Oten’baba; your opinion matters to me more than anyone else.”

They continued on for a short time in companionable silence when Urbosa stopped and lifted her head to the night, listening and placing a hand on her scimitar.

“What is it?” Link asked, only noticing after he’d taken a few steps ahead.

A raucous laughter cut across the desert and as quick as Urbosa had been to draw her blade and prepare a snap of deadly electricity over her foes, two of them grabbed the Prince and held their sickles to his neck causing her to stay her hand.

“What a lovely package we have here tonight. Not only can we bag the boy, we can finally rid ourselves of the thorn in our side, Gerudo Tempest!” a Yiga foot soldier, hidden amongst the rest, spat the last two words out in disgust.

They attacked and dozens fell upon the Chief, running head on and popping up behind. A dance of blades began and Link struggled to free himself. Urbosa tried to lead her foes away but Link’s captors followed, dragging his feet through the sand.

“You’ll not be using your lightning with the precious Prince so close, will you?” gloated the same antagonizing voice.

Link cried out in terror when he saw a Yiga succeed in cutting her arm. She seethed and decked them right across the jaw. When they fell she jumped onto their back and launched herself in the air so she could shoot off a bolt.

“Oh, no! Is the Tempest in distress?” the voice goaded, and the masks cackled.

Link couldn’t tell where the mocking was coming from, they were everywhere and nowhere at once. There were too many. Urbosa was becoming overwhelmed and aid may not arrive in time- a gash landed on her leg- he was going to lose her. The laughing was getting louder, the air becoming so thick with magic that it tasted like chalk on his tongue- a slice was delivered up her back and she cried out. He squeezed his eyes shut and thought of his mother. What would she do? There hadn’t been anything he could do for her then, but he was here now for his living mother.

Link’s eyes shot open just in time to see Urbosa drowning under the onslaught and his insides fell into oblivion. They were replaced by a warmth that spread through his body and beyond. He jerked his head in confusion as those that held him fell away. He was free. Sparks akin to those he felt when he fell asleep on his hand in the library spread through his fingers and he launched himself into the foray. He clawed through Yiga soldiers to get to her and did not see how each one he yanked was thrown back with a force of golden energy.

“Urbosa! URBOSA!?” They hit the ground.

The desert was lit with a false sunrise as Link crushed Urbosa in a desperate embrace. The light washed over her, healing her wounds as it cascaded around them in a dome, their enemies lying motionless on the outside.

After a few stunned moments, they opened their eyes and picked each other up. Urbosa held his face in her hands and wiped his tears. “Just look at you,” she said, smiling proudly.

“I- I couldn’t. I was,” he stumbled over his words as more tears fell, “I was going to lose you. I couldn’t lose you too,” he cried into her chest and she held him close.

~~~

Link was a natural at seal surfing. That’s what Zelda thought before she realized that he must have actually visited Gerudo Town previously and she just didn’t know it. They had left at sunrise and arrived to their destination mid morning. After taking a much needed rest, re-hydrating and snacking, Link took a leisurely walk around the place to get his bearings while Zelda tended to the sand seals. She joined him after they were settled for a long siesta and the two of them began their research of the Seven Heroines in interest.

There were orbs scattered about the place. Very large, Link noticed. He pushed one with his foot. And heavy. The sand seals might have to work after all. He tasked Zelda with collecting any she could find and in the meantime he studied the statues, picking up rather quickly that some had prominent corresponding symbols to the orbs on various parts of their bodies. Some he couldn’t make out as they were too high so there would be some educated guesses by process of elimination.

Zelda couldn’t help being drawn into his enthusiasm, the way he took notes- the face he made when he took those notes; it was all very quaint, and a bit impressive. Having spent most of her time advancing physically, she appreciated the mental gymnastics they were doing. Where most might sit back defeated, Link pushed through with a calm determination. They tried dropping the orbs in the pedestals in numerous combinations, each with a sound theory behind them. How was Link to know that if shrines had been activated, he would have succeeded in getting a result on the first try? A fact that they both wouldn’t learn for another 103-odd years.

After the sun set, Link scrawled until the dimming light rendered the page unreadable. Zelda had already set about making camp. They could head back to town in the morning, both were knackered. Even with the help of the seals, they’d heaved plenty of orbs around for hours. Eventually he plopped down on the rug with her and heaved a big sigh.

“Wow, you been working all day or something?” she asked in jest as she turned the vegetables in the fire.

“Yeah, something like that. It’s been a long while since I’ve been out in the field.”

She regarded him thoughtfully. “What’s it like up at the castle?”

“Stuffy.”

She chuckled and didn’t press but it wouldn’t be fair to leave it at that. For all its faults, it deserved more. “I loved exploring the halls as a boy. I’m fairly certain I found long lost passages even the castle historian didn’t know about. My favorite places are the Library and the Observatory. “

“Sounds about right,” Zelda smirked.

“Ha ha. But really, the Library has books as far as you can see, you’d never finish them in one lifetime. And my mother used to take me to the Observatory. I still go there to feel close to her.”

They sat in silence for a moment when Zelda touched his forearm. “I’m sorry you lost her.”

Link nodded in thanks and Zelda started to collect the hearty truffles from the coals. “I lost my father,” she began, and Link was a bit surprised she was sharing.

“He was a knight. We didn’t have any other family close by and mom didn’t fancy moving to Tabantha Village. She hates the cold,” Zelda added as she passed Link a stick laden with dinner.

“Thanks. So she just came to the desert instead?” Link asked before blowing generously and taking a bite.

“She had a close friend here who is practically my auntie. I think she was hoping we could just get away and start fresh from everything we knew before. But then I had to take after dad. Took her a while and a lot of arguments to come to terms with the fact that I was also a warrior.” She shook her head. “I feel bad. I’ve put her in a constant fear of losing me too but... you have to do what your soul tells you, right?”

Link closed his eyes and thought of Hylia, feeling a vibration in his core. “Right.” He agreed thoughtfully.

“Anyway, then this happened,” she said, unsheathing the sword on her back a few inches and letting fall back in with a shinck. “That was not a fun conversation.”

“I can imagine,” Link commiserated as he thought of his own recent rows with his father.

Zelda took a bite of her own truffle and regarded him up and down. With no tact for manners, she said with a full mouth, “You’re alrigh’ fo’ a Pince.”

Link laughed and his genuine mirth spread warmth through Zelda’s chest. “And you’re alright for a Hero.”

[lorelylantana]

Savageries of the Heart Chapter 6; Heritage

First -Previous -Next

Chapter rating: T Overall Rating: E

Noodle turned out to be quite the escape artist, if the flickering of a forked tongue against her chin was any indication. Zelda’s giggle swiftly turned into a yawn. Noodle wriggled into her hair until Zelda lifted her head so the serpent could take her usual space coiled around her neck.

“Good morning, Dove,” Link cooed softly, kissing her shoulder as she sat up. 

“Good morning,” she said with a stretch. She leaned on Link’s shoulder to look down at the slate in his hands. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just looking through some of the messages that piled up over our honeymoon,” he said, tapping out a reply to his latest missive. Zelda’s brow wrinkled.

“Don’t you do that in your office?”

“I could do it in our office,” he admitted, and Zelda felt him smile against her cheek, “but that would mean leaving you here to wake up alone, and that wouldn’t be very hospitable, would it?”

She grinned and shook her head.

“What’s on the agenda for today?” she asked, booping Noodle’s nose. Link clicked out of his messages and brought up a schedule. 

“I don’t have many appointments today, so I thought I’d give you a tour.”

Walking through her new home felt like walking through a dream. Her breath steamed in front of her, even though Zelda fel perfectly comfortable, if not warm. Her bare feet walked across frozen stone floors as Link led her through chambers carved into the mountain. It was a surreal feeling, walking next to walls of solid ice, light filtering through in tendrils onto the floor. On her other side was a line of doors. Curious, she opened one, and was surprised to find a bedroom.

“For guests?” she asked, though she couldn’t imagine that many would willingly stay in a frozen abode such as theirs. Link shook his head.

“Children,” he clarified, then caught himself, “Not that we need them! I mean-” he sighed, “I didn’t marry you to pump out heirs. That’s not how we do things.”

“It’s how my family does things,” Zelda said. She wouldn’t say that she was a natural born mother, but there was this vengeful feeling that had grown over the years that was determined to continue her line, even if it was just to prove she could. Zelda ran her eyes down her husband’s figure. At the very least she had a strong set of genes to work with.

“In any case, It’s the one thing I can do to honor my family, making sure the weakest link doesn’t break the chain.”

Link paused then, turning to look her in the eyes. There was a tragic look in his eyes that would make Zelda bristle were it not for the rage burning quietly behind the melancholy.

“Is that how you see yourself?”

Zelda looked down, unable to bear the intensity of his gaze.

“It’s how my people see me.”

“I wouldn’t count on that.”

She looked up at him, a question on her lips, before he cleared his throat. “I think breakfast should be ready by now. Let’s go eat.”

An moment later, Zelda was seated at the table for breakfast, which gave Link an opportunity to help her settle into her new home and give her a brief explanation of what would be expected of her as a Warden’s wife. As a Mother of the Zonai she would be expected to handle domestic affairs. This included holding audiences and coordinating joint efforts between regions among other housekeeping tasks, handling the finances and presiding over festivals and rituals and whatnot. The Dragonlands were the political center of the Zonai, and marrying its Warden meant that she had an additional responsibility of leading an organization based on the Temple Mesa.

“Wait a moment,” Zelda held up a hand, “You mean to tell me the Hands of Hylia is a Zonai organization?”

The Hands of Hylia was a renowned charity that gathered resources from across Hyrule to redistribute them when needed. Their quick response to epidemics, famines, and other such disasters quickly earned them the reputation of the kingdom’s greatest first responders. Her uncle had poured a generous amount of money to the administration, if only to claim a portion of the glory and saving the castle embarrassment for it’s slow response time. 

“I don’t understand. What’s the point in helping a nation that looks down on you so?”

Link leaned back, considering before putting his thoughts to words.

“You know the Sheikah once served the Hyrulean royal family,”

“I did,” Zelda nodded, “Because of Hylia’s blood.”

“Yes, but that’s not all. The Sheikah value knowledge, and so they served Hylia’s daughters, paragons of wisdom before they were usurped by their fathers.”

“What does this have to do with the Zonai?”

“Because the Zonai follow the Hero. At least, we follow his example.”

“I’m sorry, what ‘Hero’?”

Link gave her a quizzical look, “The Hero, the one in all of the stories.”

Zelda shook her head, drawing a blank.

“You really don’t know? No one told you? What about the history books?”

“My uncle had all the history books burned shortly after he took the throne,” Zelda said, in a trance, “Anything that referenced Hyrule’s matrilineal line was disposed of.”

Link cursed before getting up and taking her hand, pulling Zelda as he walked to the same alcove they materialized in the night before. He pressed a button, and they were gone in a flash of light,

Zelda expected her feet to form on top of the sandy beach, not the stone worn smooth by eons pressing against her skin like a well trodden path. Her gasp echoed over towering walls etched with a procession of men and women making their way towards the biggest statue of Hylia she had ever seen.

Zelda felt all at once so small yet nostalgic in a way that drove her forward, paying no thought to her bare feet and the casual slip hanging from her shoulders. 

She had a place here, and she felt secure in this undeniable, instinctive sense of unity that swelled in her chest and seeped into her bones.

“What is this place?” she whispered.

“They call the Temple of Time the birthplace of Hyrule, but this,” Link gestured to the massive statue “Is where your bloodline began, when the Goddess Hylia came down to earth and brought her light to the land.”

Zelda walked with him as he led her over the uneven stone, wrapping her arms around his right. After years of precious little physical touch, going to be with her husband had been the release of a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, and found herself gravitating towards Link, who seemed more than receptive to her advances, holding her hand tightly in his while they walked upon the stone. They walked in revered silence until they finally reached the statue. Link took her hand and pressed it against the smooth folds of the Goddess’ robe. 

A gasp fell from her lips, there was a hum that resonated in her chest, causing her heart to flutter. Link’s skin burned against hers, and she felt this surge of affection for him that felt much older than their marriage. 

“Hylia’s line has survived for thousands, if not millions of years, surviving famine, disease, and several wars. Do you really think it can be extinguished so easily?”

Zelda shook her head.

“No.”

“Then we agreed,” he said, hooking an arm around her and bringing his slate around, “Now let’s go home.

Zelda had been sitting at her new desk when her translator began to chime. She glanced at her slate to see who it was.

Owlan (Resting Father of the Dragonlands)

“Owlan?” she said when the call connected. Was there anyone in Hyrule that wasn’t a Zonai in disguise?

“Hello Mother Zelda. I thought I’d see how you were settling in, and I wanted to say that you can call me anytime if you need some pointers for your new position. I was in your shoes quite some time ago.”

“Thank you, that means a lot,” she said, before clearing her throat, “How are things in the castle?”

“As you likely expected, Prince Nohansen wasted no time in commanding your old room to be refurbished for his occupancy.”

“What was wrong with his old one?” she asked. Owlan chuckled.

“It wasn’t yours, of course,” was his snide reply, “You should know the Commissioner returned from his sabbatical, he kicked up quite a fuss when he heard of your nuptials.”

“Really?” there was no love lost between Zelda and the Commissioner. Her uncle’s right hand man was adamant that she spend her days in the castle’s shadow rather than lend her talents to worthier pursuits. “You’d think he’d be glad to get rid of me.”

Owlan hummed thoughtfully, “I’m concerned he may know more about the Zonai than he’s letting on.”

“I could say the same of you,” Zelda quipped, she got a chuckle for her efforts.

“Fair enough. How are you adjusting to your new position?”

“I’m still a bit overwhelmed, but well enough considering the Zonai’s true nature,” she admitted, dragging her finger over her desk’s surface. A list of ingredients she’d ordered scrolled at her touch. Zelda had made her order hours ago, but still fiddled with the giant screen. The novelty of it all hadn’t quite worn off yet. “I must admit, the bath was divine. I’ve never seen such a lovely room.”

“I wouldn’t know, so I’ll take your word for it.”

That gave Zelda pause.

“But weren’t you Father of the Dragonlands?”

“The requirement for being a Zonai Caretaker is a family tie with the region’s Warden, what kind doesn’t really matter. It could be a parent and child, cousins, even best friends, if they sign an oath to one another. I’ve never had much interest in romantic relationships myself, but I was more than willing to support my sister as she watched over the land. In fact, I think you’re actually the first Mother who married in for quite some time.”

“Is that right?” Zelda asked. It seemed the older her marriage grew, the stranger it became. And then, before her eyes, strings of light condensed in front of her. 

“What is it?” Owlan asked when he heard her gasp. Zelda shook her head.

“Just more Zonai wonders I have to get used to.”

Owlan blew out a laugh, “I can imagine. I’ll let you get back to the intricacies of Zonai culture. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything. I’m at your service, Mother of the Dragonlands.”

The call disconnected. Zelda shook her head ruefully, looking at the piles of fruit and herbs within her reach. With a swipe of her hand, the recipe for the Zonai body paint was on screen. She reached for the nearest Armoranth. 

It was time she got to work.

[leotssukinaga]

It’s Nice to Have a Friend

Kozume Kenma x Reader

Summary: Based on It’s Nice to Have a Friend by Taylor Swift. You and Kenma are childhood friends, but something else has been blooming for a long time. Word Count: 2113 A/N: I was gonna put this song on the songfic list, but I already knew I wanted to write it for Kenma so I didn’t. Finally got round to that. Also can y’all tell he’s my favourite character to write dksdg Warnings: Alcohol and drinking.

It's been like this for as long as you can remember, even after he started playing volleyball Kenma always walks you home. In middle school you'd sit in on practice, walking home with him afterwards, and he'd often stay for dinner at your parents behest. Now you're in high school there's no need since you only live 5 minutes from Nekoma's campus. He walks you home anyway. There are many things Kenma will never admit to you, the first being that he doesn't actually have an extra ten minutes before practice, he just doesn't mind rushing if it means he knows you're safe. You'd spent the first year of high school insisting that you'd get home fine on your own, or that you didn't mind waiting, but he never listened to you. He had time, he said, and nothing about his tone suggested that it was a lie. It was, but Kuroo never teased him too much for his sacrifice (or at least if he did, Kenma just tuned him out.) Tonight though, there's no practice, and the setter waits at his desk for you to pack up once class ends. He knows you always take a moment, the array of coloured pens you use (because notes should be colour coded to make studying easier, you’d insisted in your second year of middle school) take time to put away. You tuck the note he'd passed you earlier into your pocket. You always keep them. He doesn't know that. The smile he gives you as he holds a hand out to carry your bag is barely visible, but it's certainly there, and warmth spreads through your chest at the sight. 

Snow swirls around you, settling in your hair and on your lashes as your rummage through your bag for your hat and gloves. Kenma can't stop himself from staring at you, the light reflecting off the half melted flakes giving you an ethereal glow. If you weren't half freezing to death, he'd want to stay like this forever. Your cheeks are rosy from the cold as you triumphantly wave your hat around, but your grin soon fades as you realise your gloves are nowhere to be found. Kenma doesn't say a word as he removes one of his, placing it in your hand. He's refusing to make eye contact, and given the weather it's hard to tell whether the red on his cheeks is a blush or not. You know better than to argue, slipping the glove onto your right hand and thanking him quietly. 

As the two of you reach your street, you notice a pair of colourful cat ears on a patch of ground untouched by snow. Your neighbours 6 year old had been drawing on the sidewalk this morning when you left for school, the weather having changed unexpectedly, and you pouted a little knowing her lovely drawing would be ruined. Kenma's features turned puzzled as you ran to the spot, kicking the snow away and grinning when you realised the drawing hadn't been too affected by the snow. He watched in confused amusement as you snapped a few pictures of it and emailed them to your printer. "Why?" "I thought it would be a nice thing to give to her. She's only little, she must've been devastated when she realised it would be washed away." There are many things Kenma will never admit to you, and the second is that moments like this- where you do things just for the sake of being kind, where you smile at him and explain your kindness like it's the most obvious thing in the world- are the moments he lives for. He'd give up video games to see you like this one more time. The snow is coming down heavier as you reach your front door, and you pull him under the portico to protect him. "Wanna hang out?" "Yeah, sounds like fun." Your smile is as radiant as ever as you insert the key into the lock, calling out for your parents once the door is shut behind the two of you. One day he hopes he'll walk through the front door of your own shared house, or that it will be your kids calling for you as you prepare dinner together, but at the moment it seems like nothing more than a pipe dream. For now, he's content with what you have, building things in Minecraft, kicking his ass at Mariokart, logging into Elder Scrolls Online together after practice. In the summer you could occasionally coax him outdoors, although the closest you'd gotten him to indulging in your love of camping was a tent in your back garden. (He hadn't liked it, but you were so happy he couldn't complain, and waking up in that close proximity to you had made his heart swell.) He stays the night, the snow far too heavy for him to make it home, and around 3am you roll over to face him. "Hey Kenma?" "Yeah?" "Its nice to have a friend." "Yeah, it is." The glow of your alarm clock illuminates your faces enough to make the smile you share visible. It’s the last thing you see before you fall asleep. 

When college rolls around, it surprises nobody that you'd picked the same one. Even if you hadn't made a conscious decision to go together, you've always been synchronised. Two sides of the same coin, your parents had commented more than once. Your smile had been contagious when you announced that you got in, and he'd seemed genuinely energetic for once as he announced that he had too. 

Neither of you are much for parties, too many people and definitely too much noise, but that doesn’t mean you can't have your own fun. He'd been confused and a little apprehensive when you'd pulled him up the stairs and onto the roof, but it soon became clear what you'd planned out. Several bottles of alcohol sit in the centre of the large picnic blanket that's stretched over the concrete surface of the rooftop, both of your Switches, a few board games and, of course, Uno neatly arranged next to them. A bluetooth speaker softly plays a mix of both your favourite songs, and a grin spreads across his oft emotionless face as he takes it all in. It's his idea of the ideal party- one with nobody but you- and the look on your face tells him you knew that. "What d'you want to drink?" "Whatever you're having..." You hand him a bottle of something blue, and he's surprised at the sweetness when he takes a sip. "So, 20 questions or Uno?" "Why not both?" "I knew you were secretly a genius." 

He admits, once the alcohol has made its way into his system a little more, that the stress has been piling up recently, that he really needed this to unwind, that you always seem to know exactly how to fix things even just for a moment. He attempts to retracts the statement once you kick his ass at Uno, but the way you giggle makes his heart beat and the way your lips glisten with the stray drop of vodka that lingers after you take a sip brings back the years of daydreams he's had about kissing you. The sky is turning pink, but the late hour doesn't matter anymore, not when you're in your twenties and you don't have class tomorrow. "Its pretty like this." "Yeah, you are." "Hm?" "Uh- nothing. The sky is nice." You decide to let it slide.  "Yeah, it's a really good colour. I think it might be one of my favourites..." There are many things Kenma will never admit- the third being what he’s thinking right now- that his favourite colour is the blush on your cheeks, the way your eyes shine in the light, the colour of your lips between your teeth when you're nervous. That if he had to pick a favourite colour it would simply be you. He doesn't know when he got the courage to put his hand on yours, but you haven't moved it away, and the smile on your face as you take in the sunset tells him you don't have an issue.  "Hey, Y/N?" "Yeah?" "Its nice to have a friend." He mirrors your words from a few years ago, the meaning behind it deeper than before. You grin, pink and purple illuminating your beauty, and after 15 years of knowing you he's found no evidence that you aren't an angel. He doubts there is any. "Yeah, it is."

It's always been like this, you smiling at Kenma and him smiling back- a smile that nobody else gets to see. Today, everyone sees it, though it's meant only for you. He leans in to whisper to you as you reach him, tears in both your eyes, and though the wedding is small the love and joy you feel from everyone in the room is overwhelming. When you were 10 and he invited you over for the first time to play Zelda on his gamecube, neither of you could imagine a future where you got married at all, let alone to each other. In high school, when you showed up to his games with a red number five on a sign and his spare jacket tied round your waist (when did you steal that?) he could only dream of a day like this. There are many things Kenma had thought he’d never admit, and now he wanted to tell you all of them. Starting with the fact that your first kiss, the first time he told you he loved you, the night you fell asleep with your head in his lap- none of them could compare to how he felt right now, looking at you on your wedding day.

Bells ring behind you as white confetti gathers on the ground, and from a distance it would almost look like it was snowing. You pose for photos for what feels like hours, every possible combination and location exhausted. The reception is as beautiful as the ceremony, though far less refined, and you've just sat down next to Kenma to take a break when Kuroo pulls you to your feet, insisting it's tradition to dance with the best man. You both know it's a lie, but you've been putting up with his antics for long enough to know that your better off just rolling with it. "I've never seen Kenma smile this much, you know." "Me neither, actually." "Its because of you." "I'm glad I make him happy." "Does he make you happy?" "D'you think I'd have married him if he didn't?" "Thats the right answer."

Kenma insists on carrying you into your apartment, despite the exhaustion visible on his face, and you kiss his cheek gently as he closes the door. You make your way to the kitchen to make tea, and you don't notice him behind you until he's tickling your sides, grinning at your giggles. "You're sleeping on the couch if you don't stop!" "You don't mean that." "I do!" "Prove it." He keeps going, and you eventually concede. You'd never kick him out of bed, even if he was being a little shit right now. This playful side of Kenma didn't come out too often- but you adored when it did. You reach up to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear. It's mostly black now, and tied back as usual. It suits him, you think, as you cup his cheek and kiss him with all the tenderness in the world. 

The next morning starts with light flooding through your curtains and your husbands arms around you. You can feel him gently kissing your shoulder as you reach down to take his hand in your own. "Morning babe..." "Morning love." You turn around to face him, eerily reminiscent of a night all those years ago. The smile on his face is the same as it had been then. Being this close to him feels like home. "Let's stay in bed today." "I like the sound of that." You know that when it comes down to it, you'll always have him. You wouldn't want it any other way. There are many things Kenma thought he would never admit, many secrets he now wants to spill to you and nobody else, but the one thing he wants to tell anybody who’ll listen- is just how much he loves you. "Hey Kenma?" "Yeah?" "Its nice to have a friend." "Yeah." He brings your hand up to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on each of your fingers, pausing with his lips on your wedding ring. "Yeah, it is." 

taglist: @tremendousglitterthing​ @svtbitch​ @the-fandom-ness​ @atsumumu​ (I ACTUALLY REMEMBERED THIS TIME)

[uwugirlfriend]

Please Girl Stay, ‘Till The Early Morning

A YSAG Fan Fic! Thanks @myherowritings for such wonderful work, hopefully you enjoy this!

Inspired by You Suck At Gaming

You smiled at your phone incredulously. Another night with Shinsou working on your gamer gurl skillz? You were sure to be halfway decent with all this practice. Oh, and he would make you guys dinner? What a great night to hang out!

Shinsou chewed on his lip as he waited for a response from you. Hopefully she didn’t think he was being too forward? Was it a date? Would she mind? He had been wanting to do something more intimate since their Just Dance stream. Your friends were great and all, but having you to himself meant that you might actually pick up on the hints that he had been throwing out lately. The thought also made him incredibly nervous, what if you were just ignoring his feelings because you didn’t share them? What if this pushes you away?

“Ok!!!!!! I’ll see you at 6 then??? Ready for that dank ass food 😫 We can see if your cooking skills rival Katsuki’s 😘😘💍💍”

He sighed. Smiling but also sighing. “Sounds great. See you soon kitten 🙄 and I’ll try my best.” Your responses never gave him answers to his feelings, if they were reciprocated or not. Shaking his head, Shinsou switched tabs to start his grocery list for dinner. What could he make that was woo-worthy? But also lowkey. Like he was trying, but not too much?

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

“You’re cold? Really?” Shinsou laughed, looking at your pout as you wrapped your arms around yourself sitting on the edge of his bed. You’d both drank a bit during dinner and it made you extra dramatic. His couch was currently occupied by laundry that he had only just been able to take out before you had arrived. Oh, that gave him an idea!

“I’ll fix that real quick kitten,” he smirked, coming back from the living room with one of his sponsor hoodies in hand. He tossed it to you and the face that you made was pure awe. It was one of his better ones, super soft and not too hot, the perfect amount of slouch too.

“You’re giving me one of your hoodies?!” You practically screeched as you held it up to your frame. This was prime pretend boyfriend material!

It would definitely go down to your waist and envelop you arms. Fuck you were cute. If Shinsou wasn’t so good at putting on faces for his streams, he wouldn’t have been able to hide the heat in his cheeks at the thought of you in his clothes. In his bed. Or just all of the time. He liked any and all of those options. You had already stolen one of his beanies to head home in when the snow started, wearing it often enough for some fans to notice and point it out during streams.

“Um … Can I borrow some pants too?” You asked, kicking your legs a bit to emphasize the bareness of your legs with your cute skirt. “Being fashionable was an awful idea today,” you huffed. Then you squealed as Hitoshi brought you back a pair of sweatpants that he wore on long stream days.

“Meee-ow! Grey sweatpants. The men’s lingerie” you giggled, running into the bathroom with your newly found PJs.

You couldn’t keep these, he thought with finality, these were his favorite comfy clothes– and then you walked out of the bathroom. His hoodie hung off of you in the most endearing way, maybe in that cute “wearing your boyfriend’s clothes” kind of way? He really enjoyed seeing his emblem on you. Maybe too much.

You coughed and red tinted your cheeks as his stare intensified. “Hitoshiiiii? Did you drink too much? Everything okay?” Snapping him back to reality. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, you just got me about the sweatpants” he replied, thankful that you had changed your gaze to the pants that hung off your hips and grazed the floor. He was a significant amount taller than you and it showed.

“Thinking about me in your clothes?” You teased, oblivious to the truth behind your words. “I should steal them more often! Your e-boy fashion is cute as heck.”

“Whenever you want kitten,” he smirked, ignoring the e-boy comment. He grabbed his switch and sat down on the bed, motioning for you to sit next to him. “Now this is a game that you can’t mess up.”

You rolled your eyes, sticking out your tongue at him and plopping down next to him, but not before tugging at his shirt. “You should get in comfies too! You made it sound like it’s gonna be a long night,”. His breath hitched as your fingers brushed against his stomach and you pulled your hand away so fast, your face beet red. “And y-you know, I can’t be the only one i-in scrubs!”

He sighed internally. You weren’t making this crush any easier with your cute reactions, but he loved the blush on your face. “You trying to get me undressed kitten? You don’t have to say please for that,” he smirked, caressing the hand that you’d yanked away from him and placing a kiss on the back of it.

“Shinsou!!!!!!” You squealed, face even more red, “You can’t say stuff like that until we’re married! You deviant. Not on MY Christian minecraft server!” Hitoshi rolled his eyes and kissed your hand again before getting up to grab his own pajamas. You were impossible. He didn’t know how he could ever convince you of his feelings when you were like this. He stuck out his tongue at you, walking backwards into the bathroom only to pull off his shirt to get a rise out of you, chuckling at the scream you let out. “You didn’t tell me that you were ripped?!?! How are we gonna keep up our dating image when you’re so fucking hot and I’m so ME?”

—————-

Shinsou smirked as he defeated the elephant boss in Breath of the Wild, he didn’t think you could mess up Zelda but here you were! He looked down at you—you were asleep??? He must have gotten more into the game than he realized, still buzzed from dinner. You made a soft noise as you adjusted yourself and draped yourself across his chest, legs tangled with his. He was definitely trapped now. From this angle he could see the cute pout that your lips made when he moved to get more comfortable, the way your brow furrowed in determination as you readjusted yourself. He could live like this; Shinsou thought, falling asleep with you every night, with you in his clothes, in his arms. You grabbed his arm and pulled it into your chest and he just about melted. He brushed hair off of your face with his free hand and reveled in the gentle sigh that you let out at his touch. He could definitely get used to this. “Goodnight kitten,” he mumbled, kissing your forehead before laying back into his pillows and drifting off.

———————–

Something tugged at your consciousness, making you open your eyes to see what was wrong. You were incredibly comfortable though, toasty, wrapped up and on the best pillow that was firm but warm? Where did this come from? You heard … Shinsou? Talking? You went to sit up and push the weighted blanket off of you that had been holding you in place. But it came back and gripped your side, pulling you closer to the heat in the bed.

“You don’ understan’ ” he mumbled into your hair.

You turned pale, making out the shapes in the dark. You were wrapped up in Shinsou’s arms on his bed, with his face smooshed against your hair. He sounded like he was arguing with someone about something. Sliding out from his grip, you squeaked and backed up from the bed, tripping on something on the floor and landing loudly on your butt. You were beet red and freaking out. Did you fall asleep here? Alone? With Hitoshi? In his house? Your eyes adjusted and you saw that you were in his pants too. What happened?

“Kitten?” Hitoshi sighed, leaning over the side of the bed and reaching out his hand to you, “Is everything ok? Did you fall off the bed?”

“Uh—ummmm everything is fine! I just remembered that I have. Stuff! To do! I should really get going—I’m sorry that I fell asleep here and somehow got your clothes and—” you rambled, standing back up facing the bed, when Shinsou grabbed your hand with both of his. He had sat up, looking at you with sleepy, concerned eyes, rubbing the back of your hand. “Y/n it’s late, it’s snowing and you took the train here. I would feel more comfortable if you stayed here until the morning. I’ll go sleep on the couch if you want. What happened?” He let go of your hand at the face you made, worrying him even more.

You avoided his gaze, wrapping your arms around yourself and stuttering out “I didn’t mean to get so comfortable in your bed, I’m sorry if I imposed on your hospitality…” grabbing your clothes from the dresser.

“Y/n y/ln!” Hitoshi groaned, standing up from the bed and caressing your cheek, pulling your face to look at him, “You’ve never been a bother to me. I’m very lucky to have been able to spend the night with you and it doesn’t have to be anything if you don’t want it to be.” The last part stung, but he was worried about driving you away. He couldn’t read you right now, you weren’t acting like your normal bubbly self.

You blinked at him, lips pursing as you processed what he said. “Do YOU want it to be something?” You asked softly, eyes flitting to his lips and back to his eyes. Wow, his touch was so sweet for someone who was supposed to find you a giant nuisance. And he was … So close. So smoochable. Your cheeks tinted even more.

He gazed into your eyes with the most sincere face you’d ever seen him give. “I–I don’t want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable y/n. We did get a little drunk last night and we can just call it that if you want. But–” he gulped, face lighting up, “I really enjoyed sleeping with you in my arms. I sleep so much better when you’re with me, and holding you close does these things to me that I can’t–”

You gasped, leaning closer without even meaning to and tentatively placing your arms around his shoulders. “You’re telling me that I don’t annoy the ever loving shit out of you?” making him laugh aloud. The most you’d ever seen him laugh, in fact. His smile was infectious, and you felt your lips pulling upwards before he pressed his to yours.

“Oh wait, you like me like me?! Like a real uwu girlfriend?!” You gasped into the kiss, making him pull back to give you a blank stare. “Finally,” he huffed, tangling his fingers in your hair and leaning in again.

You blushed incessantly but kissed him back, wrapping your arms around him tighter and smiling at just how dense you’d been lately. You pulled back and placed your hands on his cheeks, giving him a stern look. “If Denki was right about this, what else was he right about me not picking up on?”

Hitoshi groaned and looked up at the ceiling, “I can’t even list all of the things that you’ve been oblivious to with us.” He laughed again, setting your clothes down on the dresser and tugging you back towards the bed. “Do you mind if we go back to bed? It’s 4am and I want to get more than 3 hours of sleep. Plus I’d like to sleep with my uwu e-girlfriend in my clothes some more. She’s pretty cute even though she snores.”

You lightly slapped his shoulder as you climbed back into bed, climbing on top of him only to kiss him again and again to make up for all of the kisses that you’d wanted to give him in the past but hadn’t. “Well my uwu e-boyfriend can have whatever he wants since he asked so nicely. This is for all of the times I’ve confused your hints with kindness.”

Shinsou chuckled and rolled you onto your side to kiss you deeper, more meaningfully than before. “Anything, huh?” he hummed into your lips, the glint in his eyes making your heartrate increase as his hands found their way to your back—his COLD HANDS! You squealed out loud and tried to wriggle away as he cackled at your reaction, pulling his hands away only to put them on your stomach, aiding in your escape. You grabbed a pillow and used it as a barrier between the two of you, firmly planting yourself on one half of the bed, tucked away from him. “Gotta leave room for Jesus!” you chirped at him, pulling the blanket over your eyes to avoid his puppy dog eyes. Who even knew that he had those?! Who gave him the RIGHT to not only look THAT fine but also to be able to make that face???

He shrugged and dug himself under the blankets to maneuver under your pillow wall and snuggle up close to you, smiling into your shoulder.

“Goodnight kitten. Thanks for sticking around and hearing me out.”

You shivered at the nickname now that you truly knew how he felt about you. “You can’t just drop that now that we’re being all handsy! It makes me think you wanna just do the Doodlydoo.” He rolled his eyes and nipped at your shoulder lightly, making your eyes widen and you choke on your breath. “That’s for later, if you want.” Shinsou said coyly, his voice purposefully rough.

He was going to be the death of you.

——————

When Shinsou woke up without you next to him, he panicked. Did you change your mind? Did you feel forced to say those things? Oh shit how bad did he fuck up? He groaned and went to grab his cellphone to text you when he saw that yours was on his nightstand charging.

Then he noticed the smell of coffee wafting in from the kitchen and the sound of something popping in a pan. Were. You. Making him breakfast???

He heard you humming softly, something familiar but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Regardless, he found himself smiling and getting up to meet you in the kitchen. You were shaking your hips to something in your head, dancing around the kitchen as you made eggs and potatoes for the two of you.

Mirroring your movements, Hitoshi lined himself up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, moving with you and keeping the beat. You cried out, surprised but laughing as he hummed along and you danced together.

“You know,” he said sleepily, resting his head on your shoulder, “You never told me how YOU feel about me, kitten.”

You blushed HARD, turning to face him when he backed you up against the counter. “Was me giving you 100 kisses not enough?” you teased, trying to play it cool even though your thoughts were racing. You’re awful at voicing your feelings without emojis. You were such a dweeb.

“Ok I honestly forgot about that. I was so tired, I’m sorry” He sighed, kissing your cheek, then your jaw and moving down your neck. “Did you make me breakfast, kitten?” his eyes lighting up at the food behind you.

If you thought he was bad before, how much ‘worse’ he going tease you now that your feelings were out? You shuddered, avoiding lewd thoughts while he trailed kisses along your skin. “I figured it was an apology for waking you up at 4am, 'daddy’.” You punched back, feeling his lips curl at the crook of your neck and shoulder.

“If you’re trying to seduce me, you really don’t have to go to all of this trouble. But thank you for breakfast y/n. You’re too good to me.” He stretched, shirt riding up and your hands flew under it, a devilish smirk on your face. He’d never seen this face before, and it was killing him.

“Toshi, you think I’m capable of being seductive? Have you seen me?” You purred, running your nails along his back and hearing when his breath hitched. You got on your toes and bit at his collarbone, smiling innocently and looking up to see a flustered Hitoshi. You pushed it even further by pressing yourself against him, arms wrapped around his shoulders.

“You’re killing me baby” he groaned, picking you up and placing you on the counter. “You don’t even have to try when you look as cute as you do. But when you do try it drives me insane! Now let’s eat breakfast before it gets cold, then I was supposed to start a stream at 2.”

“That’s plenty of time!” You cheesed, hands running down his chest. “Now if you hate my cooking please be gentle with your criticism” you stuck your tongue out. “And I couldn’t find your coffee so you’re in charge of making that.”

[lost-n-stereo]

A/N: Nabrina Prompt #18 “Did i ever tell you how beautiful your eyes are?”

and I keep waiting (but I won’t say I’m waiting)

They say time heals all wounds.

That would be great if she wasn’t practically immortal, in an odd limbo where her body is barely changing but her friends are growing up and moving on.

You would think that it would hurt less as the days go by, since it’s been nearly two years since Nick sacrificed himself for the greater good and Lilith took him to hell. Except, he didn’t sacrifice himself for the greater good, he sacrificed himself for her. And that makes it a hell of a lot tougher to let go.

The first few months were the worst, when it was still fresh, always there in the back of her mind that he was possibly suffering in hell because of her. She took solace in Lilith’s promise to watch over him but it didn’t keep her from imagining horrible scenarios of torture and pain.

The Fright Club met often, dreaming up ways to go into hell to rescue Nick. They plotted ways to get Lucifer out of his body, searched tomes and spell books for clues or incantations, but always came up just a little too short.

Things changed within their friend group gradually over the last two years of mortal high school. Theo started dating a sweet girl from Riverdale and started spending less time with them. Roz and Harvey took a break in their junior year, in which time Sabrina and Harvey gave it another shot. They soon realized their mistake, that their love was one based in their past, and it wasn’t long before Harvey and Roz were back together for good.

Sabrina wasn’t waiting for Nick, exactly, but she always had him in the back of her mind. And always in her heart. She went on dates with nice boys, mortal and warlock alike, but never felt the connection she’d had with him.

“Tell me again why I decided to go to school all the way across the state,” Roz says, her voice pulling Sabrina out of her mind and back into the room her best friend is currently packing up.

“Because it’s fun and exciting,” Sabrina says, shaking off her inner monologue, as she grabs a pink stuffed bunny off of Roz’s nightstand. “Are you taking Mr. Wiggles with you?”

Roz laughs. “I’m eighteen now. Do I really need to bring my childhood toys with me to college?” She nibbles on her bottom lip and both girls speak at the same time.

“Yes.”

Sabrina giggles and sets the bunny on an already packed suitcase. “I think he’ll fit right in. Are the boys still meeting us at the diner before you head out?”

“Yeah, Theo said they would meet us around five.”

It’s been a summer full of the four of them, which isn’t to say it’s been much different than every summer since before she could remember.

Summer always comes with an expiration date. The days are long and warm, afternoons spent in Sweetwater River playing and splashing around with the kids from across the water and nights spent at bonfires and house parties. Fall is always a surprise no matter how much you’re prepared for it. She used to wait all summer long for autumn to hit. It meant her favorite season, her birthday and all the fun witchy holidays that she loved so much.

Now it’s just a reminder that high school is over and everyone is going their separate ways.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be all alone here for awhile,” Sabrina says wistfully. “Greendale won’t be the same without you guys.”

Roz stops packing, drops the dress she was holding into the open suitcase in front of her without folding it, and curls up on her bed with Sabrina. “You have so many responsibilities at the academy, time is going to fly by and before you know it, it’ll be Christmas break.”

“Winter solstice,” Sabrina amends and they both laugh. “You’re right. I’m just going to miss you all so much.”

They hug and Roz gives a watery laugh as she pulls away. “Okay, no more crying. We’re going to go have fun and we won’t be saying goodbye tonight. Just a ‘see you soon’.”

Sabrina nods and stands, wiping the corner of her eye with her thumb. “You’re right. Let’s get you packed up. You’ve got a long car ride ahead of you in the morning.”

*** The sun is shining high and bright when she wakes up the next day.

A look at her bedside clock tells her that it’s after nine, which means Roz and Harvey are already on the road and headed to their new school. Sabrina wasn’t surprised when Harvey told her months ago that he was applying to the same school as his girlfriend. Their relationship was built to last and it made her happy knowing they would have each other living so far from home. Theo wasn’t going far, only a short two hour drive away, so Sabrina knew she’d see him more often than the others.

She tried not to think about how she was losing her mortal friends to the real world. Instead, she decided to focus her attention to her non-mortal side and all of the people she still had here at home.

When Father Blackwood took off the Church of Night was left with only a handful of people, not many students at all. But with Aunt Zelda becoming High Priestess it brought forth a whole new group of witches and warlocks that were eager to study under her new leadership.

“Sabrina!”

Speaking of Aunt Zelda…

“I’m up!” She calls, popping up out of bed refreshed and ready to begin the next chapter of her life. Salem meows from his window perch and Sabrina smiles, scratches him on the head behind his ears the way she knows he likes. “You may not be a real cat, Salem. But you sure do purr like one.”

Twenty minutes later they are on their way to the academy, with Aunt Hilda and Ambrose in tow. Rebuilding the Church of Night was a family effort, one that Sabrina has not yet lived full time because of her dedication to finishing mortal high school. Now, she can not only help her family in their quest to make the church one that is wholly inclusive and thriving, but she can finish her dark arts studies without having to juggle her mortal ones.

“Conjuring today, eh Sabrina?” Ambrose asks as they walk through the doors of Gehenna Station. After passing all of her general courses last semester she’s finally able, and more than ready, to start her conjuring training.

In reality, she doesn’t need schooling or classes or spells, even. Learning you’re the daughter of Lucifer Morningstar, with power most witches and warlocks can only imagine, was difficult to come to terms with. She decided that she wouldn’t use those powers unless absolutely necessary and instead sticks to the magic used by everyone else.

“I’m excited,” she says as they pass the new sculpture in the center of the room, Lilith in her true form, beauty and power emanating from the carved stone. “Conjuring was always Nick’s favorite...”

Ambrose frowns when he sees Sabrina’s face fall. “I’m sorry, cousin. I know it doesn’t get any easier. But one day, maybe…”

“It’s a big maybe, Ambrose,” she says sadly. “Plus, there’s no use thinking about it constantly. Thinking about it changes nothing. I’m going to focus on what is happening in the here and now.”

“Good on you, Sabrina.” Aunt Zelda steps up beside her and looks up at the statue of Lilith. “I’m sure the Queen of Hell is watching over your young warlock as we speak. She knows how important he was to you.”

“Is,” Sabrina corrects gently. “How important he is to me.”

***

August turns into September and then into October with little fanfare.

She keeps in touch with Harvey, Roz and Theo over group chats and Skype sessions. There are tentative plans for Halloween, also known as her birthday, but she knows there are no guarantees when it comes to long distance friendships. They have mortal responsibilities that she just doesn’t have any more.

Besides, even if her eighteenth birthday is spent with just her aunties and Ambrose, it will still be fun.

“I love this weather,” Sabrina says to Ambrose as they walk through the woods on their way home from the academy. “The sky looks like it could crack open at any time. I can’t wait for the rain to begin.”

“Agree completely, cousin. All feels right in the world when it’s dark and gloomy.”

Sabrina kicks a small rock out of the way of the path with the toe of her boot. “How’s Prudence? Have you spoken with her?”

Ambrose shrugs and offers a small smile. “Still on the hunt for her father, o’course. I wish I could be out there with her but…”

“But Aunt Zelda needed you,” Sabrina finishes for him and he nods.

“She’s a strong girl, that one. I know she’ll find him and when she does…I’ll be there to help take him down.”

It’s been strange being at the academy without Prudence, especially considering two thirds of the Weird Sisters are still attending students. Dorcas and Agatha have been unlikely friends, although Sabrina thinks sometimes it’s her heritage they admire in her and not her personality.

Still, it’s nice to have friends.

“So what’s the big plan for your birthday this year, cuz? Your friends making the trip?”

Sabrina sighs. “I’m honestly not sure. They are so busy with school and the distance is a lot. I’m hopeful but won’t be disappointed if they can’t make it.”

“Very mature of you,” he says with a grin and she smacks him on the arm.

“Well I am almost an adult.”

Ambrose snorts, winds his arm through Sabrina’s and leads her towards their house.

“Trust me, cousin. You’re nowhere near an adult. Now your 118th birthday? That’s when the real fun begins.”

***

A knock on the front door wakes her up at 12:03 am on October 31st.

“Can’t even get a good night’s sleep the night before my birthday,” she mumbles as she climbs out of bed, slipping into a robe and a pair of slippers to save her bare feet from the cold wood floor.

No one else in the house woke up to the knock, which surprises her not at all. Her family sleeps like the dead most of the time and the knock isn’t particularly loud or demanding. In fact, she’s shocked that she heard it at all.

It doesn’t occur to her to maybe be wary of a knock sounding at midnight. There could be an untold number of dangers awaiting her on the other side but she doesn’t feel fearful at all.

Nothing can prepare her for what’s actually on the other side of the door.

“Happy Birthday, Spellman.”

Sabrina’s breath catches in her throat and she’s scared this is some kind of trick. An evil manipulation, perhaps, although she has no current enemies that she can think of. Except Lucifer, obviously, but he’s supposed to be in hell. In Nick. Except…

“Nicholas?”

“Hello, Sabrina.”

He looks exactly the same as when she last saw him, except his eyes aren’t red with the devil inside. There are no marks or blemishes on his skin, no visible signs of torture like she was afraid of.

“How…? What…?”

Nick chuckles softly. “Two very excellent questions. Sabrina…”

Her name is barely out of his mouth when she flings herself at him, her hands coming up to touch his hair, his face, his shoulders. He’s so solid and strong and real.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” she says, relishing the feel of his arms around her waist. “I don’t know how this is possible but I almost don’t care.”

“Lilith,” he whispers. “She found a way to contain him in Hell. I can explain it all to you but right now…”

His fingers card through her hair and she smiles against his lips when he presses them to hers.

“Your hair is longer,” he says when they pull apart. His eyes are intense when he looks down at her and she blushes.

“What?”

“Did i ever tell you how beautiful your eyes are? Because the memory of them has kept me sane for the last two years and now, looking into them…it’s like a dream come true.”

Her blood warms at his confession. “Nicholas.”

He kisses her again and she can feel in that single moment the amount of love and devotion that he has for her. Nothing that’s ever happened in her life thus far feels like this.

“I know we have a lot to talk about,” he says, his eyes downcast. “So much happened before I left and I know how angry you must be with me.”

Sabrina shakes her head, puts her hand on his cheek so he’s forced to look at her. “I was angry, Nick. But I also missed you terribly. And I know why you did what you did. It doesn’t make it easier or excuse it but I do understand.”

“I’m so sorry, Spellman.” He practically collapses into her when he hugs her again and she can actually feel the wave of exhaustion roll off of him. “I promise to make it up to you.”

“Stay here tonight,” she whispers. “Come with me.”

She holds her hand out and he takes it, bringing it up to his lips to kiss her knuckles.

There is a piece of parchment on her bed that wasn’t there before. She turns it over in her hands to see a simple line etched in black ink.

Happy Birthday Sabrina. I told you I’d take good care of him.

“What is that?” Nick asks, coming around behind her to rest his chin on her shoulder.

“A birthday present from Lilith,” she says as she leans back into him.

“The parchment?”

Sabrina laughs, turns around in his arms and brings his head down for a kiss. “No, silly. It was you.”

***

She wakes up hours later to her aunts’ surprised voices.

“Nicholas? What are you doing here?!”

“And in Sabrina’s bed, no less!”

“Aunties,” she says, pulling her blanket up around her and Nick. “I’m eighteen and my boyfriend just escaped hell. Can you cut me a little bit of a break?”

Hilda mumbles something about baking a cake and Zelda eyes Nick carefully.

“We’ll expect a full report of how exactly you’re back,” she says and Nick nods earnestly. “Well then, have a good morning you two.”

Ambrose passes by the doorway as Zelda is leaving. “Happy birthday, cousin.” He does a double take when he sees Nick. “Nicholas, good to have you back, friend.”

Nick laughs when the door closes again. “Your family is something else, Spellman.”

She turns so they are lying face to face. “I still can’t believe you’re here. In the flesh, lying next to me right now. I thought this day would never come.”

“Not me,” he says seriously. “Every single day I had to be away was just one day closer to being with you again.”

Sabrina sighs happily and lets him pull her body flush with his so he can kiss her. “Nick…what would you have done if I had, you know, moved on?”

“Cried.”  They both laugh and he drops feather light kisses to her nose, then her cheeks and forehead.  “It wouldn’t have mattered. As long as you’re safe and happy, that’s all I care about. You’re all I care about.”

He snuggles closer to her and kisses the top of her head.

“It would have really fucking sucked though.”

Sabrina laughs out loud, pulls him so he has to brace himself on both hands over her.

“Good thing for you the other boys I dated were so bland.”

Nick kisses her, presses his body down on hers a bit before sitting up with a start.

“Wait…what other boys?”

SEND ME A SHIP + PROMPT

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of Hyrule | Chapter 12

Link's body ached in places he didn't even know could ache. His legs in particular. There were light bruises in the places where Impa hit him, and his thighs burned from the seemingly endless squats she made him do. He could barely get himself out of bed the next morning, and the walk to school was unbearable as he dragged his feet along. During first period, he let his head rest on the desk, sighing dramatically when Mipha pressed him for information.

“What the hell is wrong with you? You've been whining all morning about being sore.”

Link groaned and closed his eyes. “Please kill me.”

“What did you do last night? Run three miles?”

“I wish.”

Mipha narrowed her eyes at him. “Were you playing laser tag with Riju again?”

Link sighed and shook his head.

“You did,” she accused. “You totally pulled a muscle playing laser tag. That's so lame.”

Link smiled. “I swear, I wasn't playing laser tag.”

“Then what's wrong with you?”

Link opened his eyes and hesitated. Perhaps he should have used Riju as an excuse. He didn't really think that through. To his relief, however, their teacher entered, calling for their attention and offering him just the distraction he needed.

The day continued on without further interrogation from Mipha, and he was too tired to keep up with his usual antics, particularly annoying Revali. His behavior, however, did not seem to strike his friends as unusual. In fact, they seemed relieved that he and Revali were not bickering, and no one cared to indulge Link by addressing his complaining about his sore body. He didn't feel like coming up with a lie, but he would have appreciated some sympathy from them.

His sore body made for a perfect excuse when it came to the end of the day, however. He found Mipha in the hallway after the last bell of the day, standing at her locker as she retrieved her bag.

“What's your plan?” she said as she swung the bag over her shoulder.

“Going to bed,” Link said with a yawn. “And icing my thighs.”

Mipha rolled her eyes. “If it wasn't Riju, it must have been Aryll.”

Link nodded. “Yup. She kicked my ass.”

“She's a little girl.”

“She has a hard kick.”

Mipha grinned. “Alright,” she said with a shrug. “See you tomorrow.”

With a perfect cover in place, Link was able to sneak out the back of the school and make his way around to where Zelda and Paya waited. Like his friends, Impa had no sympathy for his deteriorated condition and showed him no mercy as they continued his training. When she wasn't hitting his legs and correcting his stand, she was making him do squats and lunges. He lifted weights and did more push-ups and pull-ups than he ever imagined. It seemed he was doing everything but learning how to fight with a sword.

To his relief, however, their training session was shorter than the previous one, but he couldn't help but notice that Zelda had done nothing but watch and laugh at him.

“Why am I the only one suffering?” he hissed at her as they left the shrine for the night.

“Because you're the one with the sword,” she reminded him.

“So? What's your deal?”

Zelda shrugged. “I'm sure Impa has her own plans in mind for me.”

“I hope you suffer,” Link sneered.

“Hylia forbid you have to do a little exercise.” Zelda rolled her eyes.

“I've never lift more than a pencil,” Link said. “And even that's a bit much for my liking.”

Zelda pressed her palm against her forehead and shook her head, smiling. “I'm sure all the other heroes weren't nearly as lazy as you are.”

“You know what?” Link started. “I bet they were. I bet they were too busy sleeping and eating and fucking around to give a shit about some stupid destiny.”

“I'm sure that's exactly what happened,” Zelda said.

“Yeah.” Link nodded and grinned. “Hyrule needs a hero? Too bad; I'm going fishing!”

“That's the spirit,” Zelda muttered.

“Princess kidnapped? I'll get to her after I bowl a perfect game.”

“Great.”

“No one wanted to get involved in that shit. Ganondorf? No thanks.”

“Guess we'll need to put out a new ad,” Zelda said. She moved her hands across her as she spoke. “Wanted: Hero. Requirements: Must possess Triforce of Courage and know how to wield a sword. Duties include, but are not limited to, fighting monsters and defeating Ganondorf. Must not die. Payment: bragging rights. Please send resume to Zelda, Princess of Hyrule.”

“I don't think you'll get a lot of takers for that.”

Zelda smiled and shrugged. “Anything's gotta be better than you.”

“Touché.”

*****

Back at home, Link noticed the light on in his father’s bedroom. When he peered around the corner, it was Aryll he saw, laying on his bed with her feet in the air and a picture frame in her hands. She was singing to herself, and Link recognized it as the song their mother used to sing to them. It was the same song that played in her music box.

“What are you doing in here?”

Aryll pointed at the picture, not looking up. “I like to look at this picture,” she said happily. “See how happy they are?”

“That’s because you weren’t born yet,” Link said with a grin.

“Be quiet,” Aryll hissed at him. She fell silent for a moment. “Daddy doesn't get happy like that anymore.”

“That's because you were -”

“Shut up, Link!” Aryll snapped at him.

Link put his hands up defensively. “I'm just kidding, okay?”

Aryll sighed and turned back to the picture. “When is Daddy coming home?”

“I dunno,” Link said softly. “I'll come home early tomorrow, okay?”

“It's okay,” Aryll said. “I know you're busy with stuff.”

Link pinched his lips together. “I can take the night off tomorrow.”

Aryll put the picture frame down on the bed and turned to him with a smile. “Okay.”

“Come on,” Link said, waving her forward. “Go to bed.”

“Can I sleep with you tonight?”

Link sighed. “Fine,” he said, turning down the hall towards his room.

Aryll replaced the picture frame on the nightstand and jumped off the bed, hurrying after Link into his bedroom. She jumped onto his bed and shimmied under the blankets with a sigh as Link crawled over her, laying on top of the blankets with his hands behind his head.

“So,” Aryll started. “I was thinking we should name our dog Richard.”

Link raised a brow. “That's a weird name.”

Aryll giggled.

“We're not getting a dog!”

“But!”

“Don't make me kick you out,” he warned her.

Aryll made a zipping motion over her lips. She turned over without another word and closed her eyes.

*****

Aryll was awoken by two sounds; Link’s snoring, and his phone vibrating on the desk nearby. She elbowed Link annoyingly, but all he did was turn over in his sleep, his limbs sprawled in every direction. She got up and looked at the phone, smiling when she saw Mipha’s name on the screen. She slid her finger across to answer it.

“Hi, Mipha.”

Mipha checked the clock on her nightstand. It was only eleven, but she didn’t expect Aryll to answer. “Hey, Ary,” she said.

“Link’s sleeping.”

“Of course he is,” she said with a sigh. He was not one to stay up late doing homework like she was, but she had at least hoped to catch him in the middle of a late night video game marathon. But it didn’t matter; she really didn’t have a good reason for calling. She would have said something about their assignment, but he would not have any answers for her. Mostly, she just wanted to hear his voice.

“Guess what I had for dinner every day?” Aryll said.

Mipha smiled. “What?”

“A peanut butter and banana sandwich!”

“That sounds… weird. Was it good?”

Aryll nodded. “Link made it for me. Daddy said it was Mom’s favorite.”

“Oh, yeah?” Mipha hesitated, wondering how much she remembered of her mother, or if she even knew of the anniversary of her death. “Do you miss her?”

“No, I don’t miss her,” she said. “I don’t remember her. But I know Daddy and Link do.”

“Yeah,” Mipha said, frowning. “I’m sure they do.” She leaned against the wall on her bed and turned her gaze to the full moon out hr window.

“It's okay, though,” Aryll continued. “I don't need a mom. I have you to do all the things moms do.”

Mipha smiled. “Of course you do,” she said.

“Yeah. You told me boys have cooties, remember?”

Mipha laughed, and Aryll continued on.

“And I have Urbosa and Riju. I have, like, three moms! That's way better. And Urbosa can do my hair like her's and Riju's. I want my hair to look pretty like their's.”

“I think we can arrange for that,” Mipha said. “How about Saturday? You can hang with us girls.”

Aryll grinned excitedly. “Okay! Me and you and Urbosa and Riju.” She paused. “And maybe Link, too? So he doesn't feel left out.”

“I guess Link can tag along,” Mipha said playfully.

“Okay, good. Mipha?”

“Yes, Ary?”

“I'm glad you're friends with Link. We're friends too, right?”

“Of course we are, silly. I like you better than Link.”

Aryll grinned. “Good, because I love you, Mipha. And I love Urbosa and Riju and Daruk and Link and Daddy.”

“I know, Aryll.”

“And don't forget Link loves you too.”

Mipha blushed. “I'm sure.”

“And he loves everyone and Daddy loves everyone and I bet Mommy did.”

“The world is full of love, Ary.”

“Yeah!”

Mipha laughed. “Go to sleep, now, okay? Its pretty late. But I'll see you Saturday.”

Aryll nodded her head. “Okay! Bye!” She pressed the red button on the screen and placed the phone back down on the desk, humming the song from her music box once more. She jumped back onto the bed, taking a moment to yank the blankets out from under her brother, and settled in beside him. Her voice was soft as she sang in the darkness.

“Youth, guided by the servant of the goddess, unite earth and sky...” Her voice trailed off and she yawned.

Link watched as his sister fell asleep beside him. Her breathing slowed into a steady rhythm, and after a few moments, she turned over and snored lightly. Her hand moved across the bed, resting on top of his, and she sighed softly

[lesbian-sora]

Winter Wonderland

Day eight!

Summary ~ In a last-minute attempt to get away from his family for the holidays, Dan rents a cabin in the woods of North Western America. He knows for a fact that this Christmas will be the perfect Christmas no matter how hard he tries. 

Meanwhile, Phil is running from his feelings and responsibilities by hiding out in his aunts’ cabin. He knows it’s not a perfect solution, but he needs to get away from his usual Christmas traditions. 

As they say, great minds think alike, but maybe sharing a cabin with a stranger wasn’t what they meant.

Genre ~ Fluff, strangers to lovers, family angst

Words ~ 2.3K/~10K

Warnings ~ Only swearing in this part, but referenced character death later on

Author’s Note ~ Yay! I’m gonna try to do a multi chaptered fic again! It won’t be super long, so I’ll probably be done in maybe a week, but I’m planning to get out a chapter every day until it’s done. If this fic isn’t your thing, that’s okay! I’ll still be uploading a Christmas fic every day, too. Here we go!

Next chapter!

Prompt me!

Buy me a coffee!

Yesterday’s fic!

The snow was falling lightly on the mountain, but the narrow road that wound up it stayed clear and cut a dark spiral through the white powder. A lone bright yellow cab made its slow but steady trek up. The December air was cold, but inside was warm and soft Christmas music played over the speakers. The driver just hummed and drummed his fingers against the wheel to the tune of the song, but his passenger in the back seat was staring out the window and talking on the phone.

“Dan, I can’t believe you’ve run off to America and left me here alone at Christmas,” Louise whined across the line. “You could have at least given me a warning so I had a chance to give you your Christmas present. Now I’ll have to wait until New Years to give it to you and that’s just ridiculous.”

“People give each other Christmas gifts late all the time,” Dan corrected her. Remember year before last when we were both so busy that we didn’t manage to get our gifts delivered until February.”

“That was awful! We swore we’d never speak of it again! I had a wrapped gift on my hearth for almost three months!”  

“Actually, we never swore to anything, you just told me not to,” Dan smirked. “Besides, that’s just proof that you’ll be fine keeping my gift for an extra week. If you want you can come pick me up from the airport and give it to me then.”

“You wish. I don’t give festivity deserters rides anywhere.”

“You’re so mean to me,” Dan whined half-heartedly. As he said this, the car rolled to a halt, but when he looked outside, the cabin was nowhere to be seen. “Anyway, I have to go. I’ll call you when I get settled.” He hung up and leaned forward to get the driver’s attention. “Hey, why are we stopped?”

“This is as far as I can take you,” the driver explained. “That’s the driveway, but it requires four-wheel drive, which I don’t have. Sorry, but I gotta leave you here.”

Dan quickly pulled up his maps and groaned. “But I have luggage! And it’s snowing!”

“Sorry, pal,” the driver shrugged. “Nothing I can do.”

Muttering darkly to himself, Dan paid the man and got his bags out of the back of the car, relieved that he’d left in such a hurry that he didn’t have time to pack as much as he normally would have. Thankfully, the snow was light, and he started his hike through the woods. About three minutes in, he discovered that his shoes were not at all designed for this, and all he could do was hope that his sneakers weren’t ruined.

Ten minutes later, he made it to the cabin and was surprised to see an old beat up blue truck parked outside. He assumed it belonged to a groundskeeper or cleaner and shrugged. Maybe they’d be willing to show him where everything was. As soon as he hauled his things up the last few stairs, he immediately started shedding his damp clothes and made a beeline for the lounge (or should he call it a “living room” now that he was in America?) to start a fire and get warmed up. Much to his surprise, there was already a small fire crackling away happily, so he sat down right in front of it, and let his eyes slip closed at the feeling of warmth.

“Uh, hello?”

Dan’s eyes snapped open to see a man, probably around his height, standing in front of him with a confused expression and a thick blanket. Dan smiled and offered a hand. “Hi, I’m Dan; I’m renting this place for the next couple weeks. Do you work here?”

“Uh, no, I don’t work here,” the man said, and Dan could hear a familiar accent coloring his tone. “And what do you mean you’re ‘renting’ it?”

“I mean I went on Airbnb and booked it through New Year’s,” Dan said. “And if you don’t work here, what are you doing here?”

“This is my aunts’ place,” he said. “They’re letting me stay here for the holidays while they’re in Italy.”

Dan flushed darkly and covered his face with his hands. “I’m so sorry. I must have the wrong address or something.”

The man laughed. “No problem. Who are you renting from? I haven’t been here for years, but I may know them. I could give you a ride so you don’t have to walk.”

Still a bit rosey-cheeked, Dan smiled up at him. “That would be great. I’m renting from the Moore-Davies and their place is called Badger Rest. Do you know it?”

The man sputtered. “I, uh, yeah, I know it.”

Dan beamed. “Great! Let me grab my stuff and I’ll be out of your hair as soon as possible.”

The man groaned. “No, look. I know Badger Rest because my aunts are Sara and Jessica Moore-Davies. I convinced them to name it Badger Rest because this is where I got my pet badger.”

“Jessica Moore-Davies is your aunt?” Dan clarified. “The same Jessica Moore-Davies that I’ve been chatting with for a week about renting this place?”

“Yeah,” the man said. “She married my Aunt Sara, who I talked to day before yesterday. They must not have talked to each other about letting people stay here.”

“What am I gonna do?” Dan moaned, burying his face in his hands.

“Hey, hey, don’t worry!” the man said, a twinge of panic to his voice. “I’m not going to kick you out or anything. You paid good money to stay here, I’m sure. Besides, I doubt you have anywhere around here to stay anyway. If you want, we can share. At least for today.”

Dan peered up at him through his fingers. “You’d really do that for me?”

The man grinned. “Of course! Besides, this works out. Now I can be sure that you’re not going to throw any wild house parties and ruin my aunts’ cabin.”

Dan snorted. “As if I could throw a party.”

The man chuckled and offered a hand. “Phil Lester is the name. I was about to get started on dinner. Do you have a problem eating stir-fry? I’m not the best at cooking, but I think I’ve got this down at least.”

Dan took the hand and surprised Phil by using it to pull himself to his feet. “Dan Howell. Do you want some help cooking?”

“Yeah!” Phil nodded. “Careful with the cabinets, though. I’m notorious for leaving them open and I don’t want you to hit your head on the corner or anything.”

“Duly noted.”

Together, they chopped vegetables and sauteed meat and cooked rice, chatting the entire time. There was one instance where Phil almost caught a tea towel fire, but Dan managed to snatch it off the hot eye before any real damage could be done. As they talked Dan quickly learned that he and Phil had basically the same set of interests, just with varying levels of enthusiasm. When Dan learned that Phil had brought his entire Switch system and several games, he almost kissed him.

“Dinner was great, thanks,” Dan sighed, letting his eyes slip closed with a contented sigh.

“I’d say you’re welcome, but you kicked me off the stove halfway through,” Phil teased.

Dan grinned. “I said what I said.”

Phil snickered. “Do you want to play Mario Kart? I’ll pick up the dishes if you go get everything set up.”

“You are like a gift from god.”

“Sure. Give me your plate.”

Dan did as he was told and scurried off to set up their game. Phil had only gotten to the cabin less than an hour before Dan, so the system was still in its traveling case on the floor next to the TV. Thankfully, setup didn’t take too long, and after he untangled and plugged in the wires, Dan was shuffling through Phil’s games. At first he’d thought it was adorable that Phil carried his games around in their original boxes instead of a travel case like everyone else, but soon learned that Phil was an actual demon.

“Hey, so I--”

“These are all in the wrong cases, you absolute trollop!” Dan interrupted gently chucking the box for Mario Odyssey (which contained Zelda) at Phil’s shins.

Phil just giggled with no shame. “I’m pretty sure Mario Kart is in the Splatoon case.”

Dan shot him a glare and opened the box, sure enough finding Mario Kart right where Phil said it would be. “You’re an awful, despicable person,” Dan informed, sitting himself on the couch next to Phil as the menu screen popped up. He handed the blue controler over to Phil who quickly selected the game.

“Who do you normally play as?” Phil asked casually, roaming his cursor over all the characters, not stopping on one for too long.

“Usually, I just play as my Mii, but I don’t have that here so I guess I’ll be one of the Squid Kids. You?”

“Uuuuhhh,” Phil frantically switched from character to character until he finally decided. “Tanooki Mario!”

Dan cut him a playful side glare as Phil picked a cup and course and the race started. “Is this your way of telling me you’re a furry?”

“I dunno,” Phil said, totally deadpan, more focused on the game. “Is this your way of telling me you’re whatever a squid furry is called?”

Dan laughed. “First of all, definitely yes. Second, I guess they’d be squishies or something? I mean technically furries are all manner of anthropomorphised animals, so furry works anyway.”

Phil sputtered out a laugh. “Alright, good to know. Not sure I want to know how you know that, but I guess I’m glad I do now.”

“Oh, please. It’s like you don’t even internet, Phil.”

“Stop making me laugh, this is cheating!” Phil giggled as his character was fished out of the water.

“Maybe you should just get better at Mario Kart. Wait-- Hey!” Dan laughed as Phil abandoned his own controler to try and knock Dan’s from his hands. “This is blatant cheating.”

“Maybe you should just get better at Mario Kart,” Phil mocked. They tussled for a moment before the final horns sounded on the game.

Dan glanced at the screen, gaping. “Fifth? I came in fifth?” Phil was now wheezing with laughter, so Dan tossed his controller aside to continue their miniature wrestling match, this time with more tickling.

“Stop, stop, you win!” Phil choked out. Dan backed off and they laid there panting for a moment before Phil looked over with a wide grin. “So, round two?”

*_*_*_*_*_*_*

They played Mario Kart into the night, later than Dan was happy to admit, but when Dan fell asleep mid-race, they decided to call it quits. That’s when realization washed over Dan. “Phil there’s only one bed here.”

Phil grimaced. “I totally forgot about that. Maybe they have and air mattress somewhere?”

Dan was doubtful. “I dunno, your aunt was pretty adamant about making sure I knew there was only one bed.”

“Yeah, but we might as well look.”

“Might as well. I’ll check the bedroom, you check the hall closet.”

“I’ll check the attic, too,” Phil said. “I know they used to keep all kinds of stuff up there.”

Dan nodded and wandered off down the hall to the bedroom with ensuite. He doubted there was going to be an air mattress stored in the bedroom, but you never knew. He checked the closet and under the bed, but was met with the expected clothes and storage boxes. Nothing even remotely helpful here. The story was the same in the bathroom, and Dan returned to the lounge empty handed.

Phil showed up carrying an armful of blankets, but when he saw Dan with nothing his face fell. “Well, these won’t be very useful.”

“Don’t worry about it, I can just kip on the sofa,” Dan shrugged.

“Well, that doesn’t seem fair,” Phil protested. “You paid to sleep here, the least I could do is let you use the bed.”

“You were already nice enough by not kicking me out into the snow earlier,” Dan pointed out.

“Any decent human person would do that, though.”

“You’d be surprised at how few decent human people there are.” Seeing Phil’s mouth open to argue, Dan added, “How about this: I’ll take the bed tonight, and if for some reason we’re both still here tomorrow night then we’ll swap.”

“I doubt either of us are going anywhere,” Phil mused. “There’s only one hotel in town, and since it’s going through renovations I doubt there’s going to be any available rooms.”

“Then it’s settled,” Dan decided. “I’ll sleep here tonight, and you can tomorrow.”

Phil shrugged. “I guess that’s fair.” He smiled warmly at Dan. “See you in the morning.”

“Night, Phil.”

They went their separate ways for bed, and Dan changed and curled up on the couch to sleep. It was a nice couch, but there was a metal rod that cut it in half for support that hit him right on the hip, and his long limbs just barely fit on the cushions. However, easily the worst part was how cold it got so quickly. The south wall was made up entirely of windows that overlooked a beautiful, serene lake during the day, but Dan had no idea how quickly it could sap the room of warmth with the fire doused.

Dan laid there shivering and trying to fall asleep for a good half hour before the hallway light came on an a silhouetted figure stood in the doorway. Dan sat up and watched Phil come in, weighed down with a couple heavy-looking blankets and two cup of what Dan assumed was hot chocolate.

“Can’t sleep?” Dan whispered. For some reason he felt like if he dared speak any louder, something would break.

Phil smiled softly at him. “Yeah. Plus, I remembered how cold it gets in here from when I was a kid.”

Dan took the hot chocolate offered to him, and he and Phil sat together watching the snow fall outside the panoramic window. They were silent until Dan heard a soft snore from Phil. He gently woke up the other man and ushered him back to bed. When he returned to the lounge, it seemed warmer than before.

Next chapter!

Prompt me!

Buy me a coffee!

Yesterday’s fic!

[mrneighbourlove]

Snake who Smiles: Ch 3. Miscarriage

It had been a little over three years since the twins were born. Luimaya and Turagor were adorable children who learned quickly under their massive family's tutelage. Even at such a young age, the twins were already showing signs of Lorleidian magic, not to mention an interest in learning how to fight like their cousins. While the quiet and calculative Turagor performed best with a bow and arrow much to Zelda's delight, Luimaya was rather headstrong, loving to rush into a fight with a sword. Both Ganondorf and Malik loved the fact that Luimaya had her father's fighting spirit but also her mother's sneakiness, while Turagor seemed to prefer thinking out his strategy beforehand. Either way, the twins were loved by all who met them... well, most people.

However, at the moment, the twins were so excited at the news of having a little brother. The party was full of people and they were loving all the excitement. Running up to Malik, the pair giggled as they hid from their mother behind his legs, wrapping themselves in his cape.

"Uncle Malik, hide us!"

"Yeah, we play'in hide and seek!"

Malik looked down at the kids and smiled. A genuine smile now that he was human again. It was great to see such enthusiasm and wonder in them. He wondered how long it would take Asakonigei to produce them a healthy child, a few months at most. "Alright kids, take cover."

Zarazu's belly was not as big as it was with the twins, but it was still large enough to get in the way. She walked through the crowd with Covarog at her side, looking for the twins. Of course, it was rather obvious that the two had taken up residence in Malik's cape.

"I don't suppose you've seen two mischievous little twins, have you, Uncle Malik?" Covarog inquired with a chuckle. "Someone is in trouble for eating dessert first."

"Yes, two pieces of chocolate cake, no less." Zarazu added as she rubbed her belly. Zahirog was really active tonight and if he did not stop kicking her, she'd have to go pee. Again. "They took the cook's words in the literal sense. 'Life is full of uncertain events, so eat dessert first'."

"It was Lui-Lui's idea." Turagor said from in the cape.

"Was not! It was Chef Hardi's idea!" Luimaya argued with her brother.

“I have no idea where they are." He then gives Zarazu a sharp finger to her nose. "You young lady should be the one who should be in trouble. Do not think you have been cleaver enough to escape my watchful eye. You have dining yourself on chocolate strawberries and stealing scoops of ice cream before dinner has been presented. I don't know where Luimaya and Turagor are, but you have set a terrible example for them."

"I have no clue what you are referring to, Uncle Malik, I could never be such a bad example when it comes to oh so delicious desserts." Zarazu denied it with a sneaky grin. "Besides, that chocolate is really good when you have someone to... lick it off of." She purred at Covarog who blushed.

"I guess there are some things with pregnancy that never change." Covarog ran his hand down his face. Reaching down to unwrap the twins from Malik's cape, he put both of them on his shoulders. "You two need to finish your vegetables."

"But I don't like turnip greens!"

"It looks like puke."

"Luimaya!"

"What, Mama? It does!"

Malik looked at her. He still came off a little cold with his helmet on, but he had a strong care behind his voice. Highly commanding, but wise and fair. "Luimaya. You want to be a powerful Queen correct?"

"Yeah, of course! I wanna be a good queen like Mama!" Luimaya grinned brightly. "Be nice to everybody and make lotsa friends!"

That's very good to hear. Do you think you'll be able to protect them?"

"I hope so." Luimaya nodded her head. "I wanna."

"I'll help!" Turagor told his sister. "And Mama, and Papa, and Ba'puu, and Muri'gana, and Cara'sec, and Uncle Malik too!

"Well you won't be able to. You want to know why?"

"Why not?" Luimaya huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "I can do et!"

Zarazu tried to keep her giggles to a minimum at her daughter's stiff upper lip, as did Covarog.

"Well, you won't have the body for it. Because you never took care of it."

"... I dun understand." The three year old scratched her head. "What do you mean?"

"Don't fall for et, Lui-Lui, they just want us to eat that nasty stuff."

"Vegetables hold vitamins. You know that energy boost you get when you eat those carrots you like? It fuels your body, keeps you healthy. It makes you a better fighter. Even if it doesn't feel good, it's worth it. Healthy body equals a healthy warrior. You want be big and strong right?"

"Yeah..." Luimaya stated slowly, knowing that the old tale of eating vegetables to get strong never failed with adults.

"... can't we just eat corn instead of the turnips?" Turagor asked his mother with a crunched nose. "Anything but the turnips."

"You need to eat a few bites since the chef fixed it special for everyone." Zarazu poked Turagor in the stomach, causing her son to giggle. "Even Uncle Malik has to eat turnip greens."

"...they're awful."

The twins giggled like mad at the tone of distaste in Uncle Malik's voice. So it was true! Even adults did not like some vegetables!

"Why don't we all go sit and have some dinner? I want you fed and in bed before it gets too late." Zarazu told her children. "Come, Malik. I think Asa already has you a plate."

Malik took his seat beside his wife. This was a time for celebration. He was cautious though. The last time a celebration was made the party got out of hand. That's why Tulilad and Kelly did a perimeter sweep of the entire area, checking every balcony and the patting down guests for weapons.

"No means no asshole! I don't care if it's a decoration piece; you aren't going to bring that sword in." Kelly yelled her ass off at one of the guests. She would not fail Zarazu, Covarog, and Klinge again when it came to the security of this party. Why did every celebration need to be attacked? That demon Teufel showing up, the first time Zarazu was pregnant, or her damn bloody wedding.

Zarazu and Covarog had the uttermost faith in Kelly and Tulilad to keep any harm from coming to their family. As the twins sat beside their mother, the waiters served the elegant dishes to all the visitors. It seemed that most of the nobles had excepted the reality of Covarog and Zarazu being on the throne. Luimaya was to be the next queen or her brother the next king if she decided she did not want the title. Though, there were still a few that detested the family.

"I think soon enough you'll have a little one to entertain you, yes, Asa?" Zarazu questioned.

"Indeed." Asa replied with a smile. "It's nice that Zahirog will have someone to play with."

Among the group of people that hated the royal family, almost none were about Baron Victor Von Zemalocke. He arrived at the party with his six year old son, Alexander Zemalocke. The boy looked around in awe at the castle. His father’s home was dashing, but this was an all-new level. He'd enjoy it more if his suit wasn't so tight. "Father. It itches."

"You want to be a man? A true Zemalocke one day? Then suck it in." He gave his son a quick pat on the back. "And straighten your spine. Remember where you are..."

Alexander nodded indifferently, the joy being sucked out. This was the home of the 'enemy' after all. "Of course father..."

Baron Zemalocke smiled as Kelly checked him. She didn't smile back. "I'll have to ask you to leave your rapier here sir."

"Ah, a Hylian woman who knows how to do her job. Respectful. Certainly better than your masters."

Kelly wanted to break this misogynistic pig in two. She hated the way he obviously eyed her. She took his sword and gave him a wide berth as he entered.

Zemalocke waited with his son to be greeted. Hopefully these dogs hadn't thrown common guest curtesy out the window as well.

After Luimaya and Turagor finished their dinner, Zarazu made sure their mouths were clean before taking the twins around with her husband to greet people. Of course, Malik was never too far and neither was Ralnor. Even Ganondorf and Zelda attended, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity. When Zemalocke entered the room, Covarog groaned. He did not want to put up with this man.

"Who invited him?"

"You know he shows up regardless."

"I know, but still, I want to snap his neck each time I see him."

"Let's at least try to be civil, his son is with him."

"Alex!" Luimaya waved to the young boy with a big grin.

"It's funneh seeing him out of tutoring class." Turagor remarked.

Alexander smiled and waved timidly. He knew if he said hello his father would be displeased.

Zemalocke smiled like a snake when Covarog and Zarazu approached. "Evening your majesties. I hope everyone is having fun."

"As fun as they can, baron." Covarog replied without emotion, his face stoic. "Alexander."

"Well, why don't I take the children to get some hot chocolate?" Zarazu suggested, not wanting her children or little Alexander to see anything nasty between the adults. "Would you like hot chocolate, Alex? My sister makes it special for everyone with the cocoa beans she grows."

Alexander looks up to his father hopefully. Some hot chocolate would be splendid. "Father, may I?"

Zemalocke thought it over. He supposed it wouldn't hurt. "Very well. Save room for dinner. I won't have you stuffing yourself on desserts like some savage."

"Yes Father."

Alexander went with Zarazu, eager for the taste of coco.

As soon as Zarazu had the little children away from the scowling adults, she made sure to be kind to Alexander. Even though he was the son of the noble who detested her, a child was not responsible for the sins of the father. Setting out three cups, she tried to get Alexander to interact with her a little. Who knew what the boy was told by his father. Still, she would not hold it against him.

"Will you count out the marshmallows for me, Alex? Luimaya likes a lot while Turagor just wants a few. How many do you like?"

Covarog, on the other hand, was not in the mood to be pleasant around Zemalocke.

"It seems, baron, that my wife, who you love to address as a whore, witch, and savage, has more humanity in her than you do." The king narrowed his eyes at Zemalocke. "She dwells not on silly things like bloodline or race."

Alexander counts the marshmallows out. He doesn't fully look at Zarazu, intimated by her presence. "I don't eat marshmallows. Father says they are filled with nothing but filth. In fact, I'm only allowed chocolate on special occasions."

Zemalocke meanwhile looks at Covarog a little seriously now. "Let me put this into a term a simpleton like you can understand. Hyrule used to be a glorious river. Then it started to be filled with rocks. To 'people' like you these rocks are 'pretty' or 'special'. But these rocks are blocking the life supply of the river. Or how about buckets of vile toxins being dumped in this river? You are filth. You've always been filth."

"Oh? Well, you know why your father tells you that, right?" Zarazu simply smiled at the little boy as she poured the hot chocolate into cups for the children. Of course, she told them to be careful because it was hot and not to burn their tongues. She then bent down and whispered to Alexander with a small grin. "Because in reality, they're so very, very good and everyone wants to eat all of them and I'm sure doesn't want to share. Trust me, it is hard to share tasty marshmallows. I know, I love them."

"I'd prefer to be the rock. At least rocks can divert rivers to new places." Covarog told Zemalocke harshly. "But at least I'm not a beaver building a dam. You do that and the whole ecosystem can collapse. Though you would know nothing about that, Zemalocke. You and your kind will always be biased against anyone different than you. Though that's all right. Your era can die while me and my 'rocks' will create new paths for everyone to the drink from the river." He said in passing, very harshly. "You will stay away from my wife and children, or I will see to it that you pay the price, consequences or not. You have been warned." With that, he did not care to listen to another word of Zemalocke's, Malik following in close behind him. The king went to check on his family. "I trust my beloved saved her king some hot chocolate?"

"You can have some of mine, Papa!" Luimaya held up her tiny cup, a chocolate moustache on her upper lip. "Turagor and Alex says it's really, really *Blech*-excuse, me, good!"

Alexander was hesitant on eating his marshmallow at first. Father said junk food was a weakness. And weakness was to not be tolerated. When he saw how happy Turagor and Luimaya were he went with it. To his surprise it was pleasant. He enjoyed it until The King entered. Alexander wasn't sure what to think. Father had warned him that he was the devil and a...oh what was that word. He just starred at the King blankly, and it was apparent.

"You know, my husband enjoys marshmallows too from time to time, don't you?" Zarazu tried her best to lighten the situation a bit. "Even the fearsome fighter Malik likes marshmallows... well... only if his wife is eating them."

Covarog's face softened when his little girl offered her hot cocoa to him.

"That is very kind of you, Luimaya." Covarog bent down and only took a tiny sip from her cup, the white foam getting on his upper lip. "Hm... you only added, what? Ten marshmallows this time?"

"Thirteen!" Turagor snickered as he finished off his drink. "Alex has only had one."

"Oh? Well, we'll have to remedy that." Covarog offered the boy another marshmallow. "They're very good roasted too, believe it or not."

Alexander took a step away from Covarog. His father was absolutely clear. Pure blooded and half breeded Gerudo were to not be trusted. "No thank you sir."

Zarazu frowned slightly at Alexander's denial but she could not blame the boy for whatever hateful lies Zemalocke was telling him. Covarog thought the same, though, there was nothing to do to change the boy's mind if it was already made up about him. Putting the marshmallow into his wife's mouth, he then picked up both of the twins, placing one on each of his shoulders.

"Come, my dears. It is time for the announcement." He told his family. "You are welcome to come with us if you like, Alex."

Alexander nodded. "Yes sir." His father never gave him away piggy backs...

"Papa, toss me up high!" Luimaya begged her father. "So high I can touch the candle-liars!"

"Chandeliers." Covarog corrected his daughter.

"Nuh-uh, me first!" Turagor protested.

"We're at a party, maybe later, all right?"

"Hold my hand, dear Alex." Zarazu held out her fingers for the small boy. "I don't want people stepping on you so stay close."

Alexander was told by his mother to respect woman's wishes, and to never turn down a Queens hand. Meekly he took it. "Yes Mamm."

"You can call me Zarazu, sweetie." The queen escorted him over to the table, picking him up and sitting him in a chair across from Luimaya and Turagor. The rest of the children were there as well from Covarog's other siblings. All of them were busy chattering away at what their day had been like.

"May I have your attention, please?" Covarog inquired of the massive crowd as his wife stood by his side. "We are pleased to celebrate yet another prince joining the castle soon enough. I thank you all for being here, showing your support. I suggest a toast to the health of my unborn son."

Malik smiled broadly. Now that he was human, he actually fully felt the pride in him for Covarog. It was a splendid thing. When the crowd clapped, he clapped and cheered along with them.

Zemalocke just took a sip of his drink. "Smile now Covarog...."

As the visitors raised their glasses to toast to the unborn prince and declared their good wishes, Covarog's sip of his drink came to a halt when Turagor tugged on his father's cape. The king paused in his action, looking down at his son. His boy was holding up a piece of silverware.

"You didn't use the spoon, you didn't do it right." Turagor snickered. "You're supposa clink the glass with the spoon then talk."

"Well, I guess maybe next time you can remind me before I mess up, yes?" Covarog set down his drink and scooped up his son, tickling his belly. Turagor laughed and squirmed, trying to get away from the offending hand. "Though I think most of the time, people use a fork, don't they?"

"I couldn't find it, I think Lui-Lui stole mine."

"Well, we'll have to get you another one, won't we?"

Seeing that the newly imported juice was rather tasty, Zarazu decided it would not hurt if she took a sip of her husband's. She had the berry flavored one while he had one which resembled something like a citrus flavor, she guessed. Taking the glass, she brought it to her lips to try it.

Malik took his drink and smiled to his wife. "So. The emotional spectrum of fun is turning out to be highly enjoyable."

"It makes me look forward to when our own little one is here." Asakonigei held his hand with a tender sigh. "The young prince and our son will play together and grow up together... it's a nice thought, don't you---!!!"

The sound of a glass crashing against the tile floor captured everyone's attention. Zarazu looked like a ghost, suddenly as pale as a sheet. Her hands were shaking, the magic about her body swirling rapidly. It resembled something from a fireworks show. Abruptly, the magic burst in every which direction, freezing whatever liquid was in the room. There was a look of absolute sheer horror across the queen's face. It was an emotion that was rarely seen upon her features. Her knees hit the floor, hard, and she tossed up blood. She kept throwing up, gagging and chest heaving for air. The way her eyes suddenly sunk, her cheekbones, her flesh against bones was alarming. It appeared that she was turning into a corpse.

"ZARAZU!" Covarog was on the floor beside of his wife, trying not to lose control of his wits. What was happening with her?! Lorleidians were immune to poison because of their magic! He held her against him to keep her from collapsing on the ground. "Zarazu! What's wrong?! Tell me what's wrong!!!!" He nearly shook her because of his blind panic.

"M-My... m-magic---!" Zarazu continued to heave blood, splattering all over her dress and running down her chin and throat. "It... g-gone!!!"

Kelly sprung to action, waving her hands in the air. "DO NOT DRINK! I REPEAT! DO NOT DRINK!"

For those who hadn't complied. Those that did, and realized the poison wasn't in their brew kept going to stop the shock. Malik smacked the drink out of Asakonigei's hands and ran to Zarazu. "ZARAZU! Breath! Just breath!"

Zemalocke felt a kid on Christmas. He expected the King to be lying on the throne dying, but he received the better gift of Zarazu choking her final breaths. She and her baby would die. Alexander was in shock at what was happening when his father grabbed his hand and walked off. "Time to go." He couldn't stop the smile on his lips.

Most of the drinks were frozen from Zarazu's outburst of magic. The last thing she was thinking was she could not let her twins drink the same juice. As soon as the queen took that first sip, she knew something was wrong. She did not know which one Luimaya or Turagor had. So it was a manner of mind over body at that point. Coughing, Zarazu wheezed horribly, fighting for air. She had no idea how she was still alive. It had to be the work of the spirits magic, her being the queen of the Lorleidians, to endure this. With no magic, most Lorleidians died. Was it possible there was still some left in her? Either way, this was the worst pain she had ever felt in her life. It burned, it throbbed, it ached, and oh goddesses, it would not stop, it was constant. Her body jerked from the overwhelming agony, Covarog having to hold her tight. Eerily enough, it seemed her eyes were rolling into the back of her head.

"Zarazu! Zarazu, tell me what to do!" Covarog was in near tears, his heart hammering so loud he was sure that everyone could hear it. "Zarazu, I can't help you unless you tell me!!! Tell me, damn it!"

"Asa, take the twins out of here." Tulilad told her. "I'll take you to their chambers and keep you safe there with them."

After the initial seizing stopped, Zarazu fought to breathe.

"Th-The... baby..." She managed to say, her hand shakily holding her belly. "You... h-have to..."

"I have to what?!"

"G-Get... him out..."

Zemalocke snickered hearing that. It would kill their child this early for sure. Glorious! He made his way out grabbing his rapier. When he exchanged eye contact with Ralnor as the family went to assist Zarazu, the Baron had the fire of a demon in them.

"What?!" Covarog could not believe his ears, yet missed the point. "You're in labor?!"

"N-No... get him o-out... th-the... n-no... magic..." Zarazu was barely able to keep conscious at this point. "S-Save... him..."

It was then Covarog was able to put two and two together, terror going across his features. She could not be suggesting what he thought. It was unthinkable.

"I can't let you be cut open! You'll die! You've already lost too much blood!"

"P-Please..." The queen's breath hitched, coughing up more dark blood, almost looking like black ooze now. There was so much of it. The metallic taste was in the air. She was not sure how much longer she could hold on now. The blackness was surrounding her. She was losing her fight to stay awake. "S-Save him..."

Malik shook Covarog. The King needed to act and face reality. "Covarog if we don't act now I will cut her open myself!!!"

Covarog swallowed hard. Lose Zarazu by cutting her open and save the baby? Save Zarazu by not cutting her open and lose the baby? Or lose them both, potentially? He did not want to even have to think about any of those possibilities. He was praying to the goddesses, to the spirits, any supernatural being that would listen to him. Hurriedly, he dashed down the hallway to the medical bay. It was a flurry from there. The doctors had to work fast or else, the baby could be in grave danger. Doctor Boveir dressed for surgery swiftly, all of Zarazu's clothes cut off and tossed aside. She was barely breathing as it was, the situation seemed dire. The cutting was less than graceful, cutting away at the muscle and fat, then the womb. Blood was dripping everywhere.

Malik stayed by Zarazu's side. He ordered Kelly and Tulilad to have over fifty guards to protect her location. Another assassination attempt. Why did you expect any different?!

Covarog was a mess. Drenched in his wife's blood, all the king could do was stand there, numbly, hoping for some sort of miracle. He could not imagine life without Zarazu. Raising the twins by himself? How could he not drown in sorrow? He needed her here, he couldn't lose her! He prayed so hard, for so long, it felt like an eternity before he heard one tiny cry of hope. The baby... the baby was here. His son was crying, not as loudly as newborns did, but he still heard him.

"Your son is here." Doctor Boveir handed the tiny, premature Zahirog to a nurse. "He'll get his care. I'm going to try to save Zarazu."

Malik nodded. "Hurry Doctor. The Fate of this kingdom hangs on you."

There were so many healers, doctors, and Dusas in one place. It was a madhouse. While Doctor Boveir did his best to disinfect and sew Zarazu back up, the healers worked on finding the source of poison and the Dusas tried to regulate it out of her blood and any which effected the newborn prince. Everyone in the med bay had a job and was going as fast as they possibly could to save the queen and treat her son. Ralnor was trying his best to get Covarog to snap out of the shock. The spy master had never seen his elder brother like this. Nothing scared Covarog. He was fearless. The king was shaking, the reality of the situation almost too much to comprehend. The thought of losing his wife was terrifying. He need her, he could not live without her. Mere minutes felt like days. He had to know, he wanted to know if Zarazu was going to live.

"Oh goddesses, please, please, please don't take her from me." Covarog mumbled over and over under his breath, huge tears leaking down his cheeks. "I need her, the twins need her, oh goddesses, please don't take her, don't let her die, please, please..."

"Zarazu is strong, Covarog, she'll pull through, I know she will." Ralnor tried to reassure his brother. "Please, pull yourself together."

Malik hated this burning feeling of worry. He had failed his Queen. He had failed his King. He had failed his kingdom by allowing this to happen.  And for Zarazu to possibly die from a poison was undignified. No honour in it for a brave woman like herself. He hated this feeling of guilt so much he decided to change it to what he knew best. Raw Wrath. Stomping his way around the doctors he glared down at Tulilad and Kelly. "I want to know exactly how this was allowed to happen."

"Zizi is already looking into what Zarazu drank. The juice was not the problem, there was some kind of poison in it." Tulilad reported what little he had managed to gather. "We noticed that the poison affected only a few people who could use magic, causing headache and nausea, though it killed a few Lorleidians. Whatever it was, this poison, it drains the magic. Lorleidians are alive, they live through magic. Once the magic is gone... they're dead."

Malik held is head in horror. His Asa. His dear, dear Asa. How close was she to drinking from her glass? It made him all the more enraged. "Suspects. I want them and I want them NOW! By the end of this I will have someone’s head."

"Yes, sir." Tulilad went to do as told. The guards around the castle and Ralnor's spies were looking into this matter as well. No one knew how the poison went undetected for so long. Hopefully, the Zemljas might be able to shed light on this rare poison if Ralnor did not know about it. "Just so you know, Asakonigei is with the twins. All of them are all right."

Malik took a deep sigh of relief. Taking off his helmet sweet was pouring down his face. "And the Queen. What is the condition of her and the newborn?"

"That I can answer." Doctor Boveir exited the med bay to the foyer. The queen's blood covered him from head to foot. There was even some on his face, smeared across his cheek. He looked as if he had stepped out from a horror book. Shutting the door behind him, this was the one time he showed weariness. Sighing, he leaned against the door and then slid down to the floor. Taking a breath, the good doctor removed his bloodied gloves and rubbed his forehead. "She's alive... for now. We'll have to see if she makes it through the night. If she does, then I might cling to hope. The queen is in critical condition... she lost so much blood, I'm surprised her heart is still beating." For once, he appeared defeated. "The son, the newborn... he's having trouble breathing. I don't know if it's due to being born a month too early or if it was the poison. Perhaps it is both."

Malik felt his anger rise to a boiling point. Not caring he smashed his hand through the wooden door. He had the power to pound through flesh and bone. "GOD DAMN IT!!!"

"... we need an antidote to the poison." Doctor Boveir tried to settle his nerves. "I don't know if one even exists. I have seen the effects of many poisons, but this... this is something I have never seen before." Pausing for a moment, he then said. "This... this is out of my hands."

Malik busted the door off its hinges with another punch. He whipped around to Ralnor. "If the Queen is destined to die, then we will avenge her. Ralnor, do you have any leads or ideas?"

"I suspect it was Zemalocke. My spies report than he has been planning something for quite some time. However, each time we... "persuaded" the suspects for information, none of them would budge." Ralnor told Malik with a frown. "The only indications we have are the nobles which have already been convicted of plotting against the throne. All of them were in circles with Zemalocke. It only makes sense that this was his doing. I suspect he had an inside man or woman in the kitchen to slip that in the juice. Since it did not affect anyone without magic, even if Zemalocke himself drank it, he would be safe." The prince grit his teeth together. "I believe his original target was Covarog, to weaken him and then finish off the blow at a later point. Zarazu just happened to take a sip from his cup..." He nearly shuddered. "Then again, it could have been he was targeting Zarazu and... and the twins."

Malik hated himself for not noticing. "So we have no evidence to use against him. NONE! AND HE GETS TO WALK FREE!?!"

"Maybe not necessarily so." Doctor Boveir had to give his own two cents. It was the only way he could help now. "If you could trace the poison back to him, then we would have enough evidence. I'm assuming since it is rare, he would have had to pay a very hefty price for it. Only a nobleman could have purchased it, and these poison makers, these merchants, love to have some dirt for blackmail."

"Perhaps....I still want to kill him now."

"I will continue to investigate with Tulilad and Kelly." Ralnor told Malik. "For now, we need you to stay and protect Covarog and Zarazu."

Malik slowed his breath to calm down. He needed to calm down. "Yes...yes that's important right now...and the children."

"Keep us updated on her condition and I'll keep you updated on any current information." Ralnor motioned for Kelly and Tulilad to follow him. "Stay strong for Covarog."

Doctor Boveir escorted Malik back into the med bay. Things had slowed. No longer were the healers rushing about like crazy and the Dusas were not exhausting themselves trying to find a cure. A nurse had brought Covarog a fresh set of clothes and a basin to wipe off all the blood. He was clean, but still looked so distraught. Holding Zarazu's hand, he clutched it tightly. The queen had the appearance of a corpse. Her bronze skin was so pale. Slight wheezing escaped from her mouth, moaning in her sleep.

Malik sat beside Covarog. Looking down at Zarazu and seeing her in this state was unbearable. It pained him to see her like this. Seeing Covarog so full of doubt and fear was just as terrible. "Boy...how are you holding up? You can talk to me."

"... they aren't sure if Zarazu will make it through the night." Covarog spoke, his voice thick with emotion. "Our son, our little Zahirog... he's having trouble breathing, though there's a chance he can get better." He took a shaky breath. "I can't lose her, Malik..."

Malik put his arm around Covarog and held him close. He hated to see him so defeated. "We won't. I promise you that."

"How can you be sure? I've... I've never seen her like this..." Covarog kissed Zarazu's knuckles. "Even when Vul'kar attacked her, she survived. But this?" He closed his eyes and held her hand to his face. "Goddesses..."

"Covarog...on the darkest days in the blackest nights, we must have hope. As long as you have it, it will burn bright. Zarazu needs us to believe in her." He gives his shoulder a pat. "I think it would be best if you were with your children. They need someone to comfort them. I will watch over Zarazu."

Covarog really did not want to leave Zarazu's side. He was afraid if he took his eyes off of her, even for a mere second, she might no longer be here. Yet, the king knew his twins were scared for their mother and wondering what was happening. He would have to explain the entire ordeal to them as delicately as he could. How could a three year old understand that someone wanted to kill their mother? Or try to kill them? Goddesses, Covarog was not sure how to handle this entirely.

"... you won't leave her side?"

Malik nodded simply enough. "Never."

"If something changes or she wakes, come get me immediately." Standing from his seat, Covarog kissed his wife's forehead. He had to swallow his emotions. If he lost his composure in front of the twins, it would only go downhill from there. The twins had to look to him for strength and he had comfort them. It was hard for him to leave, almost hesitating in the doorway. Exhaling slowly, the king finally left the room.

Malik down on the Queen and brush hair off her face. He didn't pray to them for often, having damned to hell in the past, but he hoped the gods would listen. He'd gather the Triforce if he had to save her. Zarazu didn't deserve to die. A woman like her was too pure. "Rest easy my friend. You can fight this."

~

Zarazu slept for nearly three days straight. The newborn, Zahirog, had the nurses taking care of him. Several times throughout the day, the entire family came in to check on the queen and the little boy. Covarog had to explain what happened to Zarazu to the twins. It was needless to say the twins were absolutely terrified of losing their mother. At least for now, Ganondorf and Zelda were keeping the twins occupied. At Doctor Boveir's insistence, Covarog finally went to sleep after staying awake for nearly three days straight. On either side of him, rested Luimaya and Turagor. Exhausted before all means, Covarog barely moved an inch. It was in the dead of morning, at nearly the crack of dawn, that Zarazu finally opened her eyes.

When she did Malik was on her like a hawk. Very, very gently he took her hand. "Zarazu? Are you feeling alright?"

The pain was still there. In a way, Zarazu was grateful for the discomfort. It allowed her to know she was still alive. She could not move and it hurt to breathe. Her midsection felt like it was on fire. Evidently, the good doctor removed Zahirog before any major damage could hurt him. The scariest sensation of all was not being able to feel her magic around her. It felt so foreign and left her feeling vulnerable. Her memories were fuzzy, but all she could recall was the blood and her magic suddenly disappearing. She did not even remember arriving to the med bay. How long had she been here?

"Malik...?" Zarazu sounded so weak. "Where's... my baby? Are the... twins... Covarog?"

"All alive."

The relief washed over Zarazu's pale face. Her family was all right. Zahirog was alive and well. Yet, the pain was not going away, not even subsiding a bit. Groaning, her eyes watered.

"It hurts... the doctor?"

"Don't move. Doctor Boveir had to cut out Zahirog. It was a long and painful process." Malik had a look of concern though on his face.

The queen could barely keep her eyes open or think to formulate speech. She was not sure if her last minute magic trick succeeded. If all the liquid did freeze... maybe she saved some the agony. Was her friend all right? The Kovina was pregnant.

"Asa...?"

Malik shakes his head, but still holds regret. "No, Asa's all right. It's regarding your newborn son. Because of the poison and birthing process, he is having trouble breathing. It's not good."

"Can I see... my boy?" Zarazu asked Malik as she tried to turn her head to look around the room. She did not see his basinet or hear him. It tugged at the queen's heartstrings that she had not even been able to see her newborn yet, much less hold him. Knowing he was ill only added to her guilt. If only she had not picked up that drink...

Malik nodded and patted her hand. "Hold on one second. Don't move." Malik went to the door and peaked through the slit. "Captain Kelly. I want you to acquire Covarog immediately. Bring the newborn."

Kelly's eyes widened. "The Queen! She's-"

"Now."

Kelly picked up the impatience in his voice and moved out. She arrived to Covarogs chambers and gave a knock. "My King. Are you there?"

Deep in dreamland, Covarog nearly jolted off the bed when he heard Kelly's voice. Groggily, he managed to maneuver out of the bed without waking the twins. For a moment, he feared the worst.

"Kelly? Is... is something wrong?"

Kelly kept her voice down as to not wake the children. "King Covarog, Queen Zarazu has awakened. She wants to see her newborn."

"She's awake?!" Covarog's eyes lit up, a spark of life returning to them. "Can you stay with the twins? I'll go to her now." Zarazu wanted to see Zahirog, of course. The first thing she would ask about was her newborn. He alerted the wet nurse and guards in the nursery. Taking his tiny son in his arms, he noticed Zahirog was sleeping soundly. His breathing still was not as well as the king would have liked, but his boy was a fighter. The doctors and healers both thought he would recover with time. Entering the med bay, Covarog felt hope and guilt combined. His wife, the other half of his soul, she looked so weak. It almost made him crumble to his knees.

Malik gave Covarog an understanding nod. He motions him to talk to her.

"Covarog...?" Zarazu heard the door creak slightly. It hurt to move, but she still tried to turn. More than anything, she just wanted to see her newborn son. She had to make sure he was all right. "My boy...?"

"I'm here, love, I'm here." Covarog walked to her, Zahirog cradled in one arm. His wife was awake... she was not well, but she was still here. "Our boy is alive. He's not breathing as well as we would love, but he's alive. He's a fighter, just like you."

"I... I want to hold him..." Zarazu looked at Malik. "Prop... me up."

Malik was hesitant, but very carefully lifted her up. "Covarog. Zahirog."

Zarazu gritted her teeth and tried to keep her groans of discomfort to a minimum as Malik moved her onto a stack of pillows. Her arms were shaking. Covarog carefully situated a couple of pillows under her arms before placing Zahirog into her hold. The queen, despite her weariness, managed to smile. Her little boy was here. His hair was darker than she expected it to be and his cheeks were puffy. Zarazu could tell his breathing was not exactly steady but he was here.

"He's... perfect..."

"Would you want to be left alone?"

"No... stay..." Zarazu told Malik as her fingers gently touched the little tuffs of hair on her son's head. Zahirog snuggled against her breasts for warmth. Covarog felt a bit of relief when the small boy yawned while his mother held him. The king sat on the bed beside his wife, brushing the strands of hair behind an ear. She looked at Covarog, her eyes so tired. "It's... not your fault... so don't... look like that."

"... I thought you were going to die." Covarog told his wife, voice shaking.

"You know... I won't leave you... that easily..."

"Ralnor and I are working around the  clock on finding the culprit. Although we have a damned idea who..." Malik settled into his seat. He was glad to see Zahirog alive and well and in his mother's arms.

"Malik..." Zarazu was starting to fall back into slumber. Her arms locked underneath Zahirog, just in case. It was a subconscious motion, a maternal instinct. The damage done to her body would surely have a long road to recovery. "Protect... my boy... my Covarog..."

"Zarazu, I'll be all right." Covarog whispered to her softly. "I'll be right here with you."

"I've been protecting him since before either of you were born. I won't stop now."

~

Zemalocke overlooked the view of his land with glee. He had never felt so much satisfaction in all his life. Zarazu was on the death doors and the King would soon follow. Probably slit his own neck or throw his sorry hide off the tallest tower out of grief. He never imagined this working as well as it did. It was marvelous! Sure he had to punish his son for being worried about those animals, but it was damn fine week. He hoped this high would never leave. Sipping his wine he waited patiently for the news of her passing.

Harry wondered why it was always his luck to deliver the news to Zemalocke. He did not necessary care for the man. Twisted and malicious, the baron would do everything in his power to make his enemies or the innocents miserable. Still, the baron employed him and paid his wages, however little it may be. Knocking on the office door, Harry decided it was best to get it over with now rather than later.

"Baron? I have some news for you."

Zemalocke smiled broadly, his eyes filled with fire. Sitting on his throne he swirls his wine. "Excellent! Tell me!"

"... the queen survived." Harry managed to say after gathering his wits. "As did her newborn. The doctors reacted quickly enough and cut her son out of her. Most did not think she was going to make it through the night but... she survived."

The happy fiery glee in Zemalocke's eyes turned to an icey glare. His grip on his glass tightened. No. No this wasn't supposed to be happening! He needed more information. "Give me more information. What is her condition."

"From the whispers in the castle, the queen is very weak." Harry elaborated. "She is bedridden and unable to care for herself presently, evidently looking like a corpse. Besides the usual blood loss and damage to her body, it seems her mind is still intact. The magic loss left her near dead but somehow she managed to hold on." He took another breath. "The security is up all around the castle. It's on lockdown currently."

Zemalocke took in the information. "I see. The Queen will be protected as of now to make a move on her....you said all that's left is her mind?"

"It's still too early to tell if her magic will return or if she will recover to her previous state." Harry told Zemalocke. "As of right now, the situation still looks dire. Doctor Boveir, the healers, and the Dusas are attending to her every hour. The twins are under constant guard as is the newborn. Even Lord Malik refuses to leave the queen's side for long. She has many allies."

"Then if her body is to die, her mind must first...."

"It will be very difficult to even get close to the queen now, baron." Harry informed Zemalocke with a frown. "Not to mention, since this incident occurred, no one is allowed to enter the castle. All political meetings have been moved to city hall."

Zemalocke rises, a sinister thought coming to mind. "Oh yes, the Queen is quite impossible to reach now. But her sisters aren't."

"Her sisters?" Harry repeated, a bit confused. "Zizi works in the royal gardens and has her own plantations for many herbal remedies and teas. Zolori is up in Glacier's Forge, an ambassador for the Lorleidians."

"I know. Imagine the grief it will give Zarazu when something happens to her sisters."

"Both of her sisters have magic, but I do not know how powerful." Harry admitted. "All I know is the younger one controls plants and the one in the North has fire at her fingertips."

"Who said anything on killing them? Or at least just doing that. From basic chemistry plants don't work well with fire, and I've gathered information that Zolori, the middle child, had a traumatic sexual experience with a friendly group of pirates. I think a repeat experience is just what she needs. I've got some professionals for both jobs. Imagine the shock Zarazu will have from not being able to protect her family.” A large toothy grin filled Zemalocle’s lips. “I bet it will just kill her finding out.”

[lady-nevermore]

Checklist, Dreams, and Fourth Therapy Session

Before we get into what happened this session, I wanted to write down this checklist of sorts, regarding a few bouts of anxiety I had these last two weeks (and how I dealt with them)....My therapist did after all (give me homework last session) / and highly advised me to write down any situations that may have triggered or have caused my anxiety-levels to start rising/or skyrocketing. So here we go.

6/8/17 - Thursday

It was the day (more like early evening) before my cousin’s Jay’s Graduation, and that was when I noticed that I had misspelled my cousin’s name on both her graduation-card, and on the envelope of said graduation-card....I felt my heart freeze and an immediate sense of anxiety (and me fretting over whether or not I should fix it with white-out or not) ...I definitely felt my heart race in fear (beating loudly, to the point I could feel my heart beating/pulsing in my eardrums)....The reason for my fear: was because i felt that my Aunt C was going to take great offense, in the fact that I had misspelled my cousin’s name (My Aunt C is quite a prideful woman, and very easily angered/offended.....and the fact she traumatized/ emotionally abused me when  I was 5, def. left/instilled that sense of fear in a way.....even now).....It wasn’t until a little bit afterwards that I started to realize how my anxiety was quite an irrational reaction on my part, and how silly it was to be freaking out over this, ‘twas in realizing this that i calmed down and chose to let it go (aka I passed along my gift to my dad, who works with my uncle aka Jay’s Dad, so that Jay would receive said gift on the day of her graduation); I was rest assured when my dad told me that the gift had successfully made it’s way to Jay, and I sighed in relief. 

6/9/17 - Friday

My little cousins ended up spontaneously coming over for a visit / aka My Aunt Juanita (one of my kinder as well as fave aunts) needed me and my mom to babysit them for a bit. .....See, here’s the thing (call me high-maintenance or whatever) - But I don’t do well in regards towards spontaneous things, such as: Unexpected visits, unexpected plans to hangout (like the last second, in this very moment types), unexpectedly meeting a friend or acquaintance our of the blue (like when shopping for groceries or something).....stuff like that really tends to raise (sometimes even sky-rocket) my anxiety levels.....mostly cause I wasn’t prepared for it. But yeah, so minutes before they (my little cousins: Bryan and Izela) were to arrive, I sorta became a wee bit frantic (because I needed to make sure my room wasn’t a total mess and prepare my gamecube console and games, to keep them entertained, [and keep in mind, as a nerd i have most of my videogames and anime/nerdy stuff in my room] so yeah, I started to feel hella rushed and a bit stressed, cause it was soo last minute; which didn’t help my anxiety levels: Cause they just skyrocketed (to the point where my hearing-senses/audio-hypersensitiveness started to kick in, such as me getting irritated my hearing the clinks of the dishes accidently clanging against each other ......but yeah, It wasn’t until they got here, that i noticed that their rowdiness sorta low-key irked me (them trying to talk over each other by raising their voices and stuff) but I got over it quickly enough; their cuteness/adorkablness was more than enough to take my mind off my anxiety, and even made me smile. It was fun babysitting them; Izela was having a blast with harvest moon: a magical melody (though she sorta got the hang of it but was getting hilariously frustrated with the game itself and she kept giggling/laughing when she kept running outta time and losing track of where she was going, which I found to be absolutely hilarious, to the point where i started laughing my ass-off along with them), but then Bryan wanted to play something else, so I introduced them to Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which was really fun watching and guiding/ helping them walktrough the game (especially once we finally got them into reaching the Deku Tree, aka the first dungeon). I may have felt a wee bit drained once they left (they dropped them off here at around 6PM and didn’t leave till like 10 PM), but I did calm down in the end, plus it was fun :)

6/14/17 - Wednesday

Left at 11:45 Am and went to go see Wonder Woman and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell no Tales; Not gonna rewrite what happened here cause I already made a post about this here: http://lady-nevermore.tumblr.com/post/161840007484/saw-ww-and-potc5-today  ....But what I will write about is a few things i forgot to mention that had also happned: After seeing WW (it ended around 3 PM), I wanted to wait and watch POTC5 another day instead, so i walked home......the thing is I have a real bad sens of direction, and well long story short  i got lost (and let me tell you I felt disoriented and felt anxious as I was lost) so I decided that the best thing to do was to calm down and backtrack, and end up back at the mall.....and from there i decided: “Well fuck it, I might as well go see of RWBY4 is out yet on bluray....which it wasn’t, so I left Best Buy and headed back towards the Theaters (all of this btw is inside the mall: The Theaters, Bestbuy, etc)....That was when I decided to go and watch POTC5 around 3:35 PM (and the movie didn;t end till around 6PM), but by the time it ended, I decided to call my dad to pick me up, but yeah I enjoyed myself (both films were great) and it was a nice day. ^^;

6/18/17 - Sunday

Dreamt of an old friend (let’s call him Wolf); he was chasing me in my dream (I was running away and felt such a cold sense of fear and a lot of anxiety in the dream).....See, Back when I knew him, he was dealing with a lot of anger-issues.....We didn’t really end things on a good note when we parted ways either.....Last time i saw him was when we were playing ping-pong ball, and he was obviously hella pissed-off/angry at me (cause a few days before, I told him that I no longer felt safe/that I felt uncomfortable being around him....something that was a long time coming, years even).....He obviously didn’t take this well, cause the next/and last time I saw him we were playing ping-pong ball with a couple of friends of ours, and he was so succumbed by his anger that he kept hitting the ball with such force at me..... it was obvious that he was trying to hit me (I remember cause the look in his eyes was terrifying, it was filled with pure hatred towards me); a mutual friend of both of ours at the time: Cisco-kid, had to pull Wolf over aside (Wolf reacted towards this via throwing the ping-pong paddle to the side with such ferocity, outta anger) but nonetheless he was reluctantly pulled-over to the side and was told-off by Cisco-Kid, with him asking him what the hell was wrong with him, and telling him to knock it off.....This was about 4-8 years ago (sometime around then)...I wrote more about this here: http://lady-nevermore.tumblr.com/post/162055039454/dear-wolftbh-our-friendship-was-doomed-from (in my Letters to No One, therapy side-blogs)....but long story short, I ended up cutting all ties with him without so much as a word (this was simultaneously during the time that my mentor/friend passed away, and when I had my nervous breakdown, and fell into a deep depression).....This hasn’t been the only time I’ve dreamt of him (most dreams are of happier, fun, friendship-wise times)....this one was not. :/

6/18/17 - Sunday

Surprised my Dad with some French Toast for breakfast (with a side of some delicious: fresh and juicy strawberries, banana slices, and sausage links) ‘twas delicious, which I’m glad it turned out so well (I love to cook in a calm and serene environment, it always calms me down and takes my mind off things, plus it’s fun).....But anyways, I went to a chinese Resturant with my folks for Father’s Day on Sunday; haven’t been to that place in years (since like my young teen years)....Felt a small sense of anxiety/nervousness/restlessness before shortly getting there. But that quickly went away and we had a nice time once we got there. ^-^

The Fourth Session

Finally - Onto the Fourth Session.

6/19/2017

Today we talked about the checklist I’ve made here above, mostly about the situations that caused my anxiety and how  i dealt with/reacted to it; I’ve told her that once I’ve realized how irrational/silly my overreaction is to something (that is causing my anxiety), i can quickly calm down cause now i realize that it’s not me that’s reacting this way, but rather it’s the anxiety that’s taking control and choosing to react for me; That distinction, i feel will help a great deal in the long run.

We focused a lot on my old-friend Wolf, and talking about what i would say to him if he was here, and how to let him go, and how to let his shadow (of me feeling anxious of running into him) go. We talked about my mom and me worrying over her cause she has an appointment on the 22nd cause she’s had this chronic cough and me worrying it’s throat cancer, which led us to talking about my pessimism and me jumping to the worst possible conclusions, and how I need to try to stop myself from going there, and just try living in the present (in the here and now), rather than worrying on what could or might not happen. 

We talked about my progress thus far, and I told her I feel hopeful (something I haven’t felt in a very long time), especially due to my online-friends here on tumblr (especially those  i chat with - you know who you are), but most especially: @theamazingflyinglion, @angelotics, @th3-d0rk-kn1ght-d0t-exe .....you guys have no idea how much your support and company has helped me; it’s given me hope, and that’s something I haven’t felt in over 4-8 years. 

My Therapist has told me that there’s so much i can still accomplish, but that I need to remind myself that i am allowed to do it at my own pace (and that it’s really important to remember that I do not owe society, my former high-school teachers/mentors/classmates/friends, even my parents anything in regards towards meeting their standards/expectations.....The thing is this is such a difficult thing for me to do, and is something I’ve always struggled with, especially when it comes to meeting high standards in academia/my pride in academia, being a perfectionist, or having my life together (especially by age 25)......It also doesn’t help that i have an inferiority complex, I’m always afraid to feel inferior or look inferior (which is why why pride stings if my intelligence is questioned, or why  i get competitive in trivia games, or why i get high-strung/slight snobbish if  i feel slightly threatened by another’s intelligence.....which is such a horrible trait to have, and have mostly broken free of it (it was worse during my teenage years, believe me)....thank god I’ve matured, and grown hella, like hella more liberal and open-minded in my views in life, or else even i wouldn’t have been able to stand myself, Christ! o.o

But yeah, it just weighs soo damn heavily on me.....i feel like I’ve wasted my life away, like I should have accomplished soo much by now and it scares me shitless that i don’t.....that i’m soo damn uncertain.....and that I’ll fail again. it scares me cause, I’m afraid I’ll run into someone I knew from my high-school days (the people who knew me as the perfect teacher’s pet, the person who had their shit together, the person who was on top of it all) and that they’ll see what a pathetic person I’ve become.....My Therapist keeps telling me that it’s not too late to fulfill my accomplishment, to fight for my accomplishments......and to be honest, I’m sorta feeling like a little glimmer of hope, it’s small......but maybe just maybe, that tiny glimmer will grow into a passion/motivation into finally feeling capable of meeting/accomplishing my goals (but at my own pace). 

Speaking of goals, I told her that my goal/dream is to become a teacher (and english teacher); the main reason is I’ve always loved/enjoyed helping my formers classmates/friends/little cousins in opening their eyes in wonder via discovering or noticing something the didn’t note before, especially in regards to storytelling, which is why I wanna be an english teacher (helping students understand and view literature, especially the archetypes and overall concept of the hero’s journey, in a new light). The second, and most personal reason, as to why I want to become a teacher, is to honor my friend/old mentor’s memory (may he rest in peace), cause he too was a young teacher himself, and i remember him telling me how much joy he got outta teaching, how much energy and how alive it made him feel despite his battle with colon-cancer....which is why my I desire to be a teacher myself, so that I can follow in his footsteps, and carry-out what was taken away from him, and make him proud. :’)

She asked me how i felt about trying to go back to community college, or learning how to drive, whilst I;m currently going to therapy......I told her I dunno if i feel ready yet.....still dunno (it makes me nervous just thinking about it....not impossible, but just nervous). >_>; ....She said that’s fine, and that she’ll be here supporting me regardless, stating that her goal is to be here for me and help me get through this. But yeah, like I said - I don’t feel ready, but who knows, we shall see. Hmm, we’ve also talked about me dealing with depression (and she’s asked me if i noted that maybe it’s during when I’m menstruating...I mean yeah sometimes I PMS, and that’ll trigger it, but i told her it’s manifested itself outside of my menstrual cycle as well).... i told her that i view it as an analogy to the weather or a lingering cold......it comes and goes (and I’m like *sigh oh great it’s you again depression, how fucking long are you gonna stay with me this time around).....I’m aware it’s bouts are temporary, and i can deal with it.....but bouts of anxiety on the other hand is a lot more difficult, because I’m so sensitive to it,cause daunting more instinct-base aka it’s soo in my face, and it get’s in the way of how  i react to things, socializing, etc, and it’s def. more of a struggle for me. But anyways.

 Footnotes:

My Therapist highly advised me, dude, she even made me write it down, to:

Not allow other people’s expectations nor society’s to take control and affect me; that I don not owe other people (former friends, classmates, teachers) an explanation as to why i did not meet said standards.

And to remember that it’s the anxiety that’s making me feel and react this way, not me; that this anxiety does not have permission nor my consent to take control over how i chose or choose not react to things.

^This is her third piece of hw (in a way) to write these down on a sticky note or somewhere I can see them, and read/integrate them into my psyche once a day (especially when my thoughts linger towards not feeling accomplished or when i’m in an anxious state); She says that changing my thought-process like this will help in the long run.....and to be perfectly honest, it def. makes sense. 

Fourth Piece of hw, she gave me a couple of adult-coloring book pages (hell, she even handed me a box of colored-pencils) and she asked me to color these whenever I’m feeling down, anxious or whenever, that it’ll help me to relax.....I'm assuming this is some sort of art therapy? But either way it made me smile in slightly soft-amused way (I used to love art classes, drawing, coloring back in my elementary, and middle school days, it was my side-hobby so to speak as a kid)....plus not gonna lie, but it sounds hella therapeutic and my sorta fun....def. looking forward to it lol. (^-^)

 Side Notes: 

 I didn't wear my light hoodie/sweater today, ‘twas hella effing hot, and since it’s just my therapist and me there, I thought I’d forgo it (I usually feel very insecure with it, cuz i’m slightly chubby, especially around my tummy area, and covering myself with my jacket sorta makes me feel less insecure for some reason.....yeah yeah, I know I’m weird, plus I’m also a creature of habit, so once I started doing something routinely, I sorta feel reluctant to change. ^^:

I burned my finger while I was cooking, sucks but thank god I have aloe vera growing out in my garden (along with spearmint for spearmint tea, and fresh rosemary and oregano for when I’m cooking). It all makes me feel hella fortunate and happy, yay! ^-^

*looks at the clock - Damn, it’s already 9PM!* :O

But anyways, that’s all for now, TTFN! :)

- Lady Nevermore

[junker-town]

17776: Questions and answers

17776 is a strange, sometimes confusing universe, and people have asked a lot of questions about it. Here, Jon bumbles his way through some answers.

Hi, y’all! Thanks to you, 17776 has achieved more than 100 page views. That’s not a typo: one hundred. It is officially the most-viewed story on the Internet, and in recognition of my achievement, the government has mailed me a ceremonial sword. I am going to sell this sword at the pawn shop, but before I do, I thought I’d take some time to answer some of your questions about the story.

Thank you so for all the questions you sent in. Unfortunately, I could only get to a few of them, but I tried to answer them as well as I could. They have to do with a) the idea, b) the process, c) the format, d) the rules of the world, e) the world itself, f) the games, g) the probes, and h) the future.

And before I go any further, I just want to thank all of you for being on this ride with me over the past couple weeks. Every time I sat down to write 17776, I thought about the person on the other end. I wanted to make something that meant as much to you as it did to me. I hoped you were out there, and you were.

It just might be the most fulfilling project I’ve ever worked on, and y’all lend purpose to it. You’re the reason it means something. Thank you.

The idea

What encouraged you to dabble into longform again? I know you said after The Tim Tebow Chronicles that you wouldn't attempt something as massive as that, but what changed your mind?

- Ryan Kolsch

I didn’t expect to, because I had moved on to other projects that I found really fun and interesting, but I kept thinking about the absurdity of a distant future where nothing much was different. I loved the concept, but I loved the concept of the Tebow Chronicles, too, and I think in that case I prioritized that concept over the actual quality of the story. So I made a deal with myself: whenever I thought of an idea for this untitled story, I’d write it down. And if I ever got the point at which the world was built well enough to make it into a story, I’d go for it.

Over the next two years, I slowly piled up a collection of documents.

On November 8th, 2016, the world’s dumbest famous person was elected President. On November 9th, 2016, I stepped on a subway train and it felt like a morgue. Nobody was talking. At least a couple people were crying. It was the same story at the bank, at the coffee shop, in the corner stores. I had never experienced an entire city full of people whose hearts were ripped out.

The near future was destined to be terrible, so I thought about the future beyond that, the one I’d spent the last couple years thinking about. I thought about some of the most popular long-winding stories our culture had produced in recent years — 24, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, etc. — and how miserable their worlds tended to be. Everything was going disastrously wrong, everyone was dying in horrible fashion. It was death worship. I really like some of those shows! But they are dread-porn.

I wanted a world to escape to once in a while, and it couldn’t be one of those. I didn’t want a utopia, by any means, but I wanted a world where I could dwell on things that were bizarre, fascinating, and maybe even funny. If I wanted that world, I thought, maybe some other folks out there want that too, and maybe it would make them happier by a fraction of a percent.

So I started to move it to the front burner. Once I got other projects out of the way in mid-April, I got to work.

What was your inspiration for this?

- anonymous

I’m not sure whether this was the intent of the question, but I’ll use this to talk about a few creative inspirations that helped to spur me along. The first, as usual, is Calvin & Hobbes, which brazenly ignored every expectation anyone ever set upon it. Established conventions and rules were nothing more than passing curiosities to giggle at for a moment before kicking down the hill.

To me, Calvin & Hobbes was not really a happy story nor, exactly, a sad one. It was about the struggle to find happiness and hold on to it within a world that is often cold, and dominated by rules and expectations, and arbitrarily populated with cruelty. That definitely rings a few bells within me these days.

I also read Atlas Obscura a lot. This site is a seemingly endless catalog of the little oddities that are scattered across our planet. I didn’t actually use anything I read here in the story, but it did serve as a reminder that there are far more wonders in America than anyone could ever get around to taking in.

About a month into writing 17776 full-time, in an effort to stop myself from working on it 90 hours a week, I picked up The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s at least as great as everyone else says it is. It might be the best video game I’ve ever played. It was compelling in the same ways I wanted 17776 to be compelling: you see some weird structure or mountain far off in the distance, you wonder what the Hell it is, and you spend the next 20 minutes trying to find out. I liked that feeling, and I’m not sure whether it gave me the idea, but I sort of did the same thing in 17776 — I’d incidentally mention some dramatic human event, like the oceans rising, and not even mention it for another 10,000 words.

Breath of the Wild is also about exploration for its own sake. You could get lost in that game forever without even bothering to achieve the main goal. (You might notice that nobody in 17776 ever scores a touchdown.)

How'd you get from "Okay, cool, we're gonna talk about football after 15,000 years, where no one dies anymore, and it's just all about living life without limits," to "Oh yeah, and the main characters are three space probes, two of which were launched before I was born, and one that hasn't been built yet."

- @tbridge

About a year and a half ago, I made my first attempt at really sitting down and writing this (A few thousand words in, I threw it in the trash because it was bad.) It took me way more time than it should have to realize that the story needed to be centered somehow. There needed to some way to help the reader along, and some sort of character to ask some of the questions the reader wanted to ask.

So I wrote one central character: a guy hosting a small-town, AM-radio talk show in the middle of the night. He took calls from listeners around town, and he would tune in to various games across the country whenever something interesting was happening, a la NFL RedZone. I found it to be really compelling -- if you’ve ever driven through the country in the middle of the night and listened to whatever AM radio picked up, you might get it. There’s a sort of quiet, beautiful eeriness to it.

But even then, I decided it wasn’t quite enough. In March, our baseball editor Grant Brisbee asked me if I wanted to write a short piece on the future of baseball. Coincidentally, I had been reading about deep-space probes, and I found them fascinating. I mean, humankind’s most distant ambassadors are technological cousins of Pong. That’s ridiculous. Pioneer 10 is out there right now, whizzing through space at more than 26,000 miles per hour. That’s amazing.

In a sense, I think change is a necessary component of any future. Pioneer 10 hasn’t changed, and won’t for the foreseeable future, so does it really have a future at all, or is it just confined to an eternal present? I decided that it shared that fate with baseball, and wrote “There Is No Future of Baseball.”

Once I wrote it, I sat back, looked at my baseball column, then looked back at my story drafts. And then I was like, “ah, shit. Yep. Let’s kill the future.”

Why football? This is the second project where you've taken the sport and turned it into something recognizable but completely different; do you think it's more receptive to messing around than other sports? Or do you just like it the most?

- @henrydruschel

I see a really clear parallel between America and football: both are beautiful, and both destroy people. This is a recent development in neither case: they are designed to create misery. They are both institutions that I want to love unconditionally, but can’t possibly.

I can only appreciate either if I retreat into fantasy, filter out what I hate about them, and present a distillation of what i love about them. If you distill American into the land itself, and if you distill football into the game itself, and you populate them with the people who make them both beautiful, you end up with a world I find pretty amazing.

A lot of people compare your work to Homestuck. How do you feel about that?

- Tori

I’ll admit that I’ve never actually experienced Homestuck. There’s no particular reason why I haven’t, aside from the fact that diving into a seven-year labor of love seems like it would require a lot of time to appreciate.

If I have the right idea about Homestuck, it shares some things in common with 17776: it’s a sprawling mixed-media project that creates entire new worlds from ostensibly very ordinary beginnings. (One key difference is that I think Homestuck is way, way bigger.)

While I respect the art, Homestuck wasn’t an inspiration for 17776 in any manner. A lot of people interpreted Juice as really similar to Dave Strider, a Homestuck character. Juice actually hearkens back to some characters I helped write in The Dugout, a made-up chatroom in which baseball players make fun of each other, between 2004 and 2009. The serialized long-term story format is something I’ve tried several times, most recently with the Tim Tebow CFL Chronicles in 2014.

The process

What was the process like behind the scenes? Did you write it all and hand it off to a coder? Did SB Nation just say yes to the concept up front or did you have to pitch it with a sample (and what was the reaction)? I'm so curious how it all went down.

- @hemantmehta

I coded it all myself, which worked out fine because most of the code is really simple. I’d originally just uploaded raw HTML files to our server, but that wasn’t going to work, because I would have had no way to link the pages to one another. That was kind of a fascinating problem. Fifteen years ago, when I first started taking Internet writing and site-building seriously, you could go to the back end of your site, look up a page, edit it, and put it back without changing the page’s URL. On our back end you can’t do that anymore (which is understandable, because modern outlets have way more sophisticated means of putting things online).

That’s where Graham MacAree came in. He’s our editorial engineer, and you would not have read 17776 without him. Graham designed an app entirely from scratch that would allow me to dump in raw HTML code and hit a little green button that said “build,” and when I did, the app would automatically construct my code into the proper format. It made my job a million times easier.

Sometime in early April, I sat down with our editor-in-chief, Elena Bergeron. I probably did a terrible job of explaining the idea I had. I at least managed to describe some of the themes I wanted to explore. She got it, and told me to go for it despite the fact that there were some questions about it I just couldn’t answer. I think it’s pretty unusual in this line of work for an editor to grant someone that much room to work. But she did, and you wouldn’t have read 17776 without her, either.

If, hypothetically, Google Earth did not exist, how would you have told this story differently?

- Tom Patterson

This is a reeeally good question. Google Earth was more than just a visualization tool, it was an essential reference source. So much of 17776 is anchored to the map. If I couldn’t do that, I’d probably rely more on making fictional documents — newsletters, flyers, pages of imaginary books, etc. I think it’d be a fundamentally different story.

The format

How did you get started as a writer for SB Nation? It's weird to think that your absurdly existential writing experiments are being exhibited on the same website that people go to check news for NBA and NFL and MLB and every other sports acronym, but it's also the perfect place to be exhibited because of how much more weird it makes your writing. Related question, how much overlap do you think there is between your readers and SB Nation's usual readers?

- @tcipdawq

I started at SB Nation in 2009 as the lead weekend editor. SBNation.com was brand new, and we had to assemble the nuts and bolts before we could move on to other things. I live-blogged a lot of games from just about any sport you can think of. I posted recaps, I wrote little 150-word posts about funny things that were going on. It’s the kind of stuff you see on the site now, except the people who do it now are far better at it. After a couple years passed, I got to the point at which I could attempt the sorts of things I’d been doing online in my pre-SB Nation days.

I really love that this is the place I got to do this. I love to genuinely surprise people. My hope was that I could keep people curious for long enough that they’d get invested in the world and the people in it.

Audience-wise, we’ve seen a lot of overlap with everyday SB Nation readers, but 17776 has also found its way to totally new audiences. That makes me really, really happy.

Why is there a Teddy Bridgewater clip?

- @hoopdata

For those unfamiliar, this the black-and-white animation shown in the final New York chapter. This took place during a game against Cincinnati. Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater’s pocket collapsed, and defenders were all over him. He was out of room, it was like the ground around him had just disappeared. And he responded by throwing one of the most beautifully-thrown footballs I have ever seen. It fit perfectly with the narrative I was trying to get across.

Teddy Bridgewater is a good quarterback. He’s by no means the best quarterback, but he is far and away my favorite quarterback at any level of football. Watching him is an absolute delight, and football is beautiful because of players like him.

Do you think weird experimental stories like this have a future in sports writing or was this a singular event?

- @Crazyeyesdave

I hope so. Maybe not distant-future sports sci-fi, but that’s only one of a thousand lanes.

I could go really, really long on this answer. I’ll keep it short: There are countless different ways to write, and things and ideas to write about. And the Internet offers a kaleidoscope of different formats, media, tools, sights, and sounds to tell your stories. And most of us are not even trying to scrape the surface of any of it. We’ve got to start thinking of the Internet as something more than a glow-in-the-dark newspaper.

(When Graham read this, he thought I stole his line. It turns out that both of us have independently said the exact same thing before.)

The rules of the world

There is a time gap between 2026 and when nanos were perfected. Given how much they state nanos changed everything was there a significant difference in life in those early pre-perfected nano years?

- Lilly

I’d imagine so. That’s a huge chunk of history that I intentionally left unexplored, because I didn’t really have much I wanted to say about it. There are a lot of elements like this. Such as:

What happened to dogs? (And other living things, but especially dogs.)

- @beccaworby

I just couldn’t decide, because any decision would inevitably carry giant implications that I’d have to spend lots and lots of time figuring out. After a while, I realized it was hopeless for me to try to answer every important question, and I allowed myself to focus only on the details that I needed to tell the story.

The world

Why did you choose Livermore? The lightbulb?

- None of [our] dang business

I first read about that light bulb years ago, and I’ve been fascinated by it ever since. I’m fascinated by really, really old things that still work -- centuries-old bridges are another example. It’s like they’ve stopped being artificial creations, and evolved into natural features of the planet.

Is the computer parts story true?

- @dren_braves

So this was kind of wild. It was an adaptation of a story a friend told me at least a decade ago, which he said a friend had told him. It was so specific and weird that it seemed like it would be true.

Just the other day, someone tweeted to tell me that he had heard a very similar story from a friend. I did some digging, and as it turns out, it’s an anecdote that’s been passed around for years and years. Who knows if it’s true or not? It probably isn’t, but now I’m even happier I put it in there.

Why did Burger King GIVE Nancy money?

- @redheadzeb

Post-capitalist systems are weird, y’all.

What are the duties of the president in 17776, now that war, famine, poverty and death have been eradicated? Also, do now president rules still apply? 2 terms, 4 years, all that?

- @woodmasterfresh

Yeah, term limits pretty much still apply. The office of the President is largely ceremonial. There’s actually an anecdote sitting in my drafts about one President who just woke up every morning and mowed the South Lawn every single day. That’s all he did, and that’s all he cared about doing. He was re-elected.

The games

what has happened to other sports, such as baseball or soccer? have they raised in popularity, gotten more big picture or have they stayed the same? have they gotten weirder as well?

- @k0korin

They’re still around. Some of y’all might have noticed that baseball diamonds can be spotted in various animations and videos. Someone even tried to build a baseball diamond inside of the Broncos-Steelers game. I think traditional baseball is still played, and a thousand variants of bizarro baseball are also played. None of that’s been decided, but I might explore it someday.

If they played football in that gorge for 12,000 years, couldn't they eventually wear the cliff away? Like how water makes a canyon drip by drip, except with football players.

- @monty_ashley

Well dang! Yeah, they probably could. I think we might have to give them a longer timeline than 12,000 years, but that’s a good thought. It’s also unbelievably dark and funny as hell.

Why Seward, NE? That's my home town which really weirded me out!

- Alex

I picked it absolutely at random. Honestly I just spun around the globe and landed on it. In so doing, I was trying to test the hypothesis that would later become Nancy’s: that you can’t go far in this world without running into a story.

To test this hypothesis, I had the tornado throw her in a direction that was also completely arbitrary, found the town of Bee a couple miles north, and read all about the story of Vlad Sobotka, the WPA chief who feverishly stayed up all night drawing blueprints for an eccentric building built entirely out of sidewalk parts. It doesn’t look like anything else within 500 miles of it, and it’s still standing as a monument to Sobotka’s determination to give his builders some work.

Over and over again, over the course of writing this story, I kept being proven right: There’s Weird Shit Everywhere.

do ya think there's any more detmer balls out there?

- Amelia

I really don’t know. I want to think there are a few that have been sitting forgotten in peoples’ attics and whatnot. If there are, it further exhibits what I found to be the funniest thing about people in this world: even with all the time in the world, a lot of them don’t bother to re-organize things in their own homes, let alone anything else.

What was your favorite chapter to write?

- Reesa

This is a tough one. I think the one I’m most satisfied with is the Livermore chapter, with Lacrecia and the light bulb. Even though I wasn’t concerned with suspense throughout the course of 17776, I did enjoy writing suspenseful elements with this one, and kind of juxtaposing it with the most normal, ordinary, everyday shit you can imagine.

The most fun to write was probably Game 27 in Denver. This was the chapter in which I first really came to understand Juice. From the outset, I’d imagined him as a deeply thoughtful, stupendously bored eccentric weirdo who delighted in some of the dumbest bullshit imaginable. Once he had his own chapter, he really let loose.

The game itself was really fun to build. I uploaded a hideous assortment of various polygons into Google Earth, and while doing so, I was satisfied with none of it making any sense. It wasn’t supposed to make any sense. We only really understand two points: the start point of the game, reflected by the normal confines of Mile High Stadium, and the absurd end point. What happened in between? God only knows. God probably doesn’t even know.

I have to bring up Calvin & Hobbes again. In one strip, Calvin begs his dad to read him Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie for the thousandth time. His dad says no, because he’s so tired of it. Calvin keeps begging. His dad finally relents.

Hamster Huey has been beheaded. None of us will ever understand how.

The probes

Why did you pick those three space probes?

- @sailracer

Juice was honestly just chosen because I liked the name, but the real-life origins of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer ended up coincidentally being really useful. Juice is currently being designed and built in France, so he has a little bit of a different perspective on things than Ten, who comes from California and Florida.

Pioneer 10 was the one I happened to read the most about, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about the final, faint signal it sent in 2003. It’s further out in the cosmos than any human might ever go, and some thirty-plus years after it was supposed to stop working, it let out a message that may as well been, “oh, hi y’all! I’m still here.” And we never heard from it again.

Pioneer 10 looks more or less what you’d expect a space probe to look like. Pioneer 9 absolutely doesn’t. It looks like a beer keg with a bunch of golf clubs sticking out of it. On one hand, it’s easy to see it as Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree, you just can’t help but love it. On the other hand, though, Pioneer 9’s design exhibits a deep understanding of the space it’s in. In space, it doesn’t need to be aerodynamic at all. It defies our aesthetic ideas, because it’s flying through a different plane entirely. It’s too sophisticated for us.

I was also haunted by this sentence from this Wikipedia entry, which has since been edited to a different phrase: “Only Pioneer 9 is definitely dead.”

Seriously though, Nine is dead at the end right?

- anonymous

Nope. I guarantee Nine is not dead. Nobody’s dead.

does nine have any set pronouns?

- Remi

Nope, not really. Some of y’all noticed that Ten once referred to Nine as “she,” which was an accident on my part that I edited out once I realized it. Nine is presently non-binary. That could change someday, as Nine is still pretty new at being a person.

To be honest, I wanted to be able to establish at least one human character as non-binary, but I felt it important to do so completely matter-of-factly. I wanted to normalize that. For example, I didn’t ever bother spending a second explaining why half the best football players are women. Like, of course, why wouldn’t they be?

I wish I could have done the same for a transgender character, or someone who identifies as neither a man nor a woman. I just never figured out a way to do so effortlessly, and I didn’t want to screw it up. I guess I know what I need to work on next.

The future

Will you expand upon the story in the future, or is this it?

- @flowerscreech

I’d really like to! I already have some ideas.

Would you consider 17776 a work of fiction or a prophecy?

- Reesa

I think 17776 might get one thing right about the future: we’re never gonna leave the solar system. Humanity’s technological advancement over the last 150 years has been almost frightening, but that’s a very small speck of time. I think we’ll eventually hit a wall, and that wall will be, “we can’t travel into deep space ourselves.” Too much distance, too much radiation, and too little incentive.

If that ends up being the case, we’ll have nothing to do but solve our problems on Earth. I’m being really optimistic when I guess that we might someday. After we do that, we’re gonna want our games, our art, and each other. One day, we might see those as the only reasons we’re here.