#thinking thoughts about those wind gliders

[gierosajie]

I wonder if there's a whole little ceremony to get newly made wind gliders blessed (like how people over here have their newly made fishing boats/cars/motorcycles blessed for safe travel), or if whoever made them just. straight up asks the Anemo Archon for it to work like Firnas did for the Sumeru glider

[ikeubi]

i bet on losing dogs 🕷 jake sim

📰 t͟h͟e͟ ͟o͟n͟e͟ ͟t͟i͟m͟e͟ ͟j͟a͟k͟e͟ ͟f͟a͟i͟l͟e͟d͟ ͟t͟o͟ ͟s͟a͟v͟e͟ ͟y͟o͟u͟.͟ spiderman!jake 𝔁 fem!reader  ╱ inspired by gwen's fall in tasm ; major angst, (descriptions of) character death, and overall the regular mcu warnings

Jake Sim never turns his back on a promise he's made.

When you first found out he was New York City's Spider-Man, he swore to you that he'd keep you safe from the dangers that came with being associated with his masked persona.

Out of all the promises he's made, that was the very last one he wanted to break.

Yet here he was.

The masked boy was high on adrenaline as he chased after the villain Goblin among the multitude of buildings in the city.

His energy was beginning to wear off until Goblin tilted his glider to the side for the shortest bit of time, which was more than enough for Jake to catch your hair peeking out along with the look of horror seen in your eyes as the villain's gloved hand kept you from screaming.

The vigilante swung past the buildings faster and faster.

One building.

Another.

And another.

This went on until his enemy maneuvered his glider to the top of a clock tower, Jake making his way up with great speed.

For whatever reason it may be, the Goblin just hovered merely a foot away from the masked hero's spot on the tower, his metallic green mask covering the glances he took at the overly daunting, deep inside of the structure.

Jake eyed his movements nervously and with hesitation, his gaze going back and fourth between you and the villain.

You felt the hand clasped against your mouth move to cup your cheeks as the man's laughter boomed.

"What are you waiting for, spider boy?" you heard him taunt as he moved your face from side to side.

Your gut filled with dread about what the Goblin had up his sleeve and shifted your gaze to the hero clad in red and blue.

Jake seemed to be sensing that something about to happen was even worse than the present situation as he shifted to a more alert position, eyebrows furrowed behind his mask.

"Come and get her," he continued before swiftly pushing you off his glider.

Jake's eyes widened as he immediately followed your trajectory into the tall clock tower. "No!" he screamed as the Goblin's menacing laughter echoed through the nearly hollow space.

Jake despises how time painfully slowed down in these moments. Your last moments.

He hated how everything was clearer, how he could focus on the horror displayed on your face and the tears falling from your eyes for a seemingly longer period of time as you plummeted through the tower.

But he could save you, right? He's done it a few times before, and not once has he failed. What makes this life and death situation any more different?

You wanted him to save you. But time wasn't in your favor, nor did it slow down. You didn't have the pleasure of thinking positively and only of what was overt. And you were quite sure of one thing.

Jake Sim couldn't save you this time.

Death never scared you. The only thing that did was the thought of no longer being able to have dreams for your future with Jake, as well as being able to live them.

You didn't want to start fearing the pain. And so you closed your eyes for just a moment, and thought.

You once heard that when you die, the brain stays active for a final ten minutes, letting you relive the most memorable moments of your life. It brought you comfort thinking that you'd get to see Jake smile for a final time, because it wasn't just a hunch──you knew that those last ten minutes would be a period of time that the boy you loved purely consumed.

And so you opened your eyes.

The wind whistled past your ear, and you had a feeling that sooner or later, you'd be reaching the bottom of the building.

You sent one last painful smile towards your masked lover and mouthed the words you knew he would need to hear.

It's okay. I love you.

Jake's eyes pricked with tears as he read the words coming from your lips.

Realizing his pace wasn't going to meet yours soon enough for him to use his arms to save you, he extended his web shooter wielding arm and prayed as he pushed his middle and ring fingers down on the button and as the web formula shot out and clung to your sweater.

Time returned back to its normal speed. Jake thought he saved you and subconsciously smiled to himself.

That was until he heard it.

Crack.

Jake's face dropped as he watched your body go limp under his web, mere inches away from the ground.

His hands trembled while he pulled the white string back to hold you in his arms as he landed on the ground.

He quickly took the mask off his head and scanned your face for the slightest of twitches, searching for a sign that you were still alive.

"Y/n," his voice trembled as he shifted on his knees, hand pushing your hair back before using two fingers to check the pulse on your neck.

"No," he muttered to himself after a few seconds, unable to find a pulse.

Teary eyed and refusing to give up, he reached for your wrist to try and see if he could feel the pumping of blood from there.

Still none.

Other wrist.

None.

Chest.

None.

Maybe he can check your breathing?

No. None.

Stop.

Jake pulled back slowly after it sunk in that you really weren't breathing, that you really didn't have a pulse, and that he was really unable to save you.

His eyes rimmed with tears as he watched the color drain from your face against the deafening silence of the night's aftermath.

"No," he shook his head before shaking your figure.

"Y/n, wake up,"

"Come on,"

"No you're not dead. You're not,"

A cycle of words of denial continued until the dam finally broke and his tears rolled down continuously.

His sobs echoed through the clock tower. He couldn't let any more words out. His chest hurt and so did his throat.

As he broke down for possibly the first time in his life, the only thing he could think to do was hug your figure.

He stayed like that until dusk turned to dawn.

You were the one person Jake would've traded the world for just to keep alive.

And he'd never forgive himself or never forget how he kept the world safe in return for your life.

꒰ᵕ༚ᵕ⑅꒱ mail !

i may have gotten a little angst crazy with this one.....but i still hope it was good! writing this hurt a little though, lowkey :(.

© ikeubi 2024 ✿ do not steal, copy, plagiarize, or translate a̲n̲y̲ of my work!

[kirimoochi]

good luck, babe!

₊˚ ᗢ lumine x fem!reader (x mona)

⤷ when you need a little loving, she's not there.

you can say that we are nothing, but you know the truth. you thought she might stick around longer. having found her lying in the sand with a rather obnoxious, pale-beige companion, you were the first person she met in teyvat. the first one who taught her how to use her wind glider, the one who guided her in her early battles, and the one who put faith in her. the outlandish traveler who has come to find her brother. that was who she was to everyone else. but to you, you thought from the bottom of your heart, she would be the one for you.

the times you’ve shared in dark inns and festivals were more than enough to send your feelings leaping to the top of your throat.

sending her away to liyue was heartbreaking. you knew this was the right thing for her. she was a free soul. she needed to find her brother. you couldn’t possibly keep her tied down to you in mondstadt. it was a selfish wish. an ugly one that sent your head reeling. she gave you a nervous kiss on the cheek, waving to you from the port.

you try to kiss her on her lips but she quickly dodges your advances, telling you she doesn’t want your public display of affection. she tries to comfort you, saying she’ll come back to visit you. and if that doesn’t happen, she can send you letters. 

i don’t want to call it off, but you don’t want to call it love. you have to suck everything up and settle for her short, fleeting kiss. a bitter taste lingers on your tongue. she boards the boat, making sure to wave to everyone crying their eyes out for her. when you shift your sights, you could feel your heart drop to your stomach, seeing the successor of the ragnvindr clan staring fondly at her. 

she occasionally writes letters to you, and you receive them in the comfort of your home, a place where she once took residence. it was signed and sprayed with her signature perfume, a smell that would always soothe your sore muscles. after a long day of adventure, her words are what you look forward to hearing. 

she talks about her journey in liyue. rambling about how delicious the food is, how vibrant the culture is, and how much fun she’s having with her new friends. she likes to bring up two people in particular. this strange fatui harbinger that is constantly getting on her nerves and the second, a very quiet yet protective soul that guards the land. you want to stuff the gross, sick feeling that is building at your core. you don’t want to assume anything. they could just be friends. a very chummy pair of friends, your devil argues. attached to this letter was a photo she took.

and it felt too intimate to just be friends. 

you only wanna be the one that i call ‘baby.’ she signs her name beside a heart, a subtle marking that she still thinks of you differently. you hold this letter close to your chest, ignoring the photos. 

she continues her life to inazuma, the land of eternity. not without a few more letters delivered to your front door, signed with her pretty name in gold ink.

you could only pray for her safety. inazuma was not the most welcoming country. you’ve heard stories about the archon being a ruthless warrior who imprisoned many of her people’s dreams. you want to tell her to return home (to you). you want her to stop her adventures and come back, kiss you again like she did all those nights before. remind you exactly why you’ve fallen in love with her. 

you don’t have the heart to tell her the truth. so you let her travel far and wide. like her time in liyue, she is writing to you about all the people she’s met. you can kiss a hundred boys in bars. a red and white colored samurai, a flirty detective, a kind-hearted blond, and the tea-loving clan leader. one photo after the other they flood like a broken dam. shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling. 

every single one of them influenced her in ways you could only imagine. they gave her the hope to continue moving forward. having accomplished what might be the impossible, stopping an archon’s power with two visions, you can’t help but compare yourself to her many talented friends in other nations.

her letters start to become antagonizing to you. each month they come in, detailing more and more about the things you didn’t want to hear. was inazuma better than what you provided in mondtsadt? or was it your relationship? this forbidden bond between two women. you want to ask her if she feels ashamed, but your heart and mind argue with each other.

like promised, she comes back to you after liyue’s lantern fest. and while you wanted to be the first person to greet her, it’s unnerving seeing the renowned alchemist, albedo, at the port. his eyes brightened up at the sight of her luminous hair and he rushed over to greet her. his sister klee quickly followed behind, her hand reaching out to push him closer towards the elusive traveler. he exhibited an excited expression you’ve never seen in your life, its unlike albedo.

you clutch onto the surface of your clothes, unsure of what to make of it all. 

i’m cliche, who cares? one step after the other, she pushes you onto your bed, fingers entangled. legs brush up against each other. hot breaths on your ear keeps you grounded to reality. her lips kiss the nape of your neck, the bottom of your jawline, the side of your temple. she whispers to you the words you’ve been wanting to hear and it reels your heart right out you.

you’re caught on her fishing line and she has you exactly where she wants you. its a sexually explicit kind of love affair.

and as quickly as she came, she left for the next place: sumeru. it should become routine to you at this point. you go on with your life, once a month a letter comes in, and she’ll always talk about her new friends. this time it was a very attractive scholar from a prestigious akademiya and a short, youthful boy. the latter was originally some kind of god that had been abandoned by inazuma’s archon, but now he has reformed underneath her care. she tells you that he follows her around like a lost puppy, always eager to help her out with denial trailing his every word. and i cry, it’s not fair. 

was every man in the world a better choice than you?

it hurts you to see those photos. seeing her smile so bright, waist snuggly close to her new friends’ hands, their eyes filled with the same adoration you had for her. she never took photos when she was here in mondstadt with you. so why does she do it with everyone else? was it really about you? about your relationship?

i just need a little loving, i just need a little air. she only comes to your house, eager to pepper kisses down your throat. very rarely do the two of you spend time in taverns or festivals. you’ve asked yourself so many questions. so many times. on various occasions. 

and the thought comes up to you in a nauseating wave: she was ashamed to be seen with you. you’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.

she doesn’t return to mondstadt after sumeru. immediately traveling to the next area, she’s continued to capture the hearts of every man in the nation. you wonder to yourself if she’ll ever see you the way you need. if she’ll ever love you the way you wanted. hope is dashed one letter after the other. and you’ve stopped counting. you let them pile up on your desk, unopened and unread. 

you do everything in your power to forget about this outlandish traveler. returning to your singular room, folding the bed without a second thought, cooking meals for yourself. everything went back to how it was before she arrived. at first, it was hard to go back to where you started. you couldn’t forget the soft kisses or the whispers of her voice from haunting you. your heart was still yearning for someone who would never see you properly.

but with time, things will change. you’ll move on. and you’ll love someone else. that is the way of life after all.

you fasten your weapon, booking it out the door to meet a very peculiar girl, one that could tell your fortune with just the palm of your hand. she smiles at you with bright enthusiasm. her skin feels warm when she pulls you towards the open field, her hydro vision glistening underneath the sunlight. 

you were thankful you met her on that fateful day. on a particularly hot day, when you were leaving your house for some fresh air, she was the freedom you were yearning for. you met during one of your commissions and she hasn’t left your side since then. every day felt brighter when she’s around.

she drags you out of your home to dance with her at festivals. she invites you to her place to play a game of cards. she even kisses you on the back of your hand as if you were the most special woman in the world. and most importantly, she’s not afraid to be seen with you. if anything, it fuels her with immense pride. 

it felt liberating being with someone who wanted you.

it’s no longer a surprise to you when you see the luminous traveler at the port. she’s looking left and right for you, golden eyes searching for your figure in thick crowds. she’s out of breath when she pushes through everyone. after her stressful time in fontaine, she’s been dying to see you again. eager to feel your warmth on the tips of her fingers. she wants to ask you why you haven’t returned any of her letters. she needs answers. and she needs you. 

and when you think about me, all of those years ago, you’re standing face to face with ‘i told you.’ she stops in her tracks, heels stomping on the ground as her blood turns cold. hand in hand, you’re sitting next to a woman dressed in the prettiest of constellations. lights shine above you like a halo, highlighting your natural glow. she’s leaning her head against yours, kissing you on the lips. a proud expression is written upon her face, over the moon that she has you.

and lumine could do nothing but watch.

good luck, babe.

[linkedspirit-fanartfunart]

This is the most useless random writing bit but it was an idea and I had to do it. Gosh why are there so many characters though. XD

Link's Favorite Item

-

The group of Links had settled for the night, settled by a fire. Smith prodded it occasionally, ensuring it stayed bright and fed. Glider sat beside it, eyes halfway to glazing over as they watched the flickering flames. Sky seemed halfway to dozing off while Wind and Forest had started some sort of silent face making contest. While Ordon and the Spirit had left to walk around the campsite.

Rinku was working on a device of some sort, ratcheting pieces of metal together with furrowed brows. The Engineer was watching intently, eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. Rinku ignored him in favor of her focus on the work.

"Say..." Hope started as he propped himself against Rinku's back. She glanced up momentarily to glare forward. Sky stifled a laugh. "What's everyone's favorite tools of the trade?" He asked, grinning. "I'll go first. Best thing to exist is the Magical Sword."

"That's boring, anything other than a sword or shield!" chimed Wind, hands moving sharp and quick.

Hope stuck his tounge out at him and he laughed. She sighed, thinking for a moment longer, "The Clock, then. ...man I miss the clocks."

Forest tilted his head, squinting, "Why are clocks important for you?"

"Oh, they stopped time for a bit. I could just do whatever until moving on. It was nice."

"Where did you get THAT?" Forest demanded.

"Monsters dropped em" Hope shrugged, "OK Rinku's turn." Forest gaped at the redirection, clearly still wanting to interrogate him about the time stopping clocks.

Rinku huffed, "Too many and too many different reasons for them to decide."

"Oh come onnnnn," Hope whined, "Pick the first one that comes to mind!"

She glanced down at what she was working on and raised the half done device. "Switch Hook."

"Oh!" The Engineer gasped, "That sounds cool."

"What's a switch hook do?" Sky asked, leaning to look.

"You switch places with what you shoot with the hook." She shrugged, "I lost my old one. I'm trying to make a new one..."

"Absolutely incredible, you must be brilliant" Hope cheered, leaning his face close to hers. Rinku's face flushed, and she shoved a hand in his face making him squawk.

Engie giggled and spoke up, "Can I count my train?"

"HA, if I can't pick my sword, you can't pick your train. We all know you're the train kid."

Engie sighed, pouting as he thought some more.

"Hyoi Pear!!" Wind offered with a grin. He signed, "I can use them to control seagulls."

Rinku snapped her attention to him with wide eyes, "Excuse me?"

"That's my thing." Hope complained lightly.

"The seagulls don't mind it too much. They're mostly there for the free food." Wind said, "Plus, who wouldn't wanna fly around like a bird."

Sky nodded sagely, and Smith shook their head quickly.

"Okay, okay, I've got it." Engineer announced, "The whip!"

Several heads turned toward Engineer with varying levels of surprise and confusion.

"...What?" He muttered awkwardly, "It's a good multi-use tool. I could attach it to wood bars some birds would hold to, and it'd fly me around. Wind's thing reminded me of it."

"Ohhhh" whispered Glider.

"I expected some sort of high-tech future gadget..." mumbled Forest with a slight pout.

"I'm the one with those." Glider said with a laugh, "My favorite is the slate. Of course."

"Yeah, you're so obsessed with the thing you won't let anybody else touch it." Rinku mumbled.

"It's important and I don't need anybody messing with the settings." They huffed.

"Favorite part of the slate then." Forest demanded, smiling.

Glider hummed, leaning backward and looking at the sky. "Bombs." He concluded.

"Bombs? Dang it! I should've gone with bombs." Hope complained.

"Endless bombs."

"You can't be serious." Smith said.

"No way!" Forest shouted.

"Oh come, on why is all your stuff so cool." Engineer grumbled.

"On Hylia, how-?" Sky whispered.

"Who’s helping me steal that thing?" Wind laughed.

Rinku shook her head, though she gave a very inquisitive look at the slate.

Glider laughed, "Still not letting any of you touch it."

"Well, excuseee us for being interested in the most interesting thing you have."

"What about you, Sky? You mentioned that your time had ancient tech, too." Glider deflected.

"Oh! Er. Well there's the Beetle."

"A bug?" Smith asked, raising a brow.

"It's like a flying machine?" He scratched his head, and gestured to show its size, "it's shaped like a beetle and it gives me a view of what it sees and can pick things up."

"Now I want to see it," Glider said with a light pout.

"Can we?" Rinku asked, tilting her head.

"I don't have it with me... I would've if I knew I was going to wind up traveling across- well. Everywhere." Sky chuckled, shrugging.

"Well, I like the Pegasus boots." Smith offered, stomping on the ground twice to showcase the boots he was wearing.

"Oh those are useful," Rinku said with a nod.

"Or- well actually maybe the fire rod..." He mumbled, eyes flickering red. Va shook his head, frowning, eyes turning green, "Actually, the roc cape was really useful... fighting a wind mage and all..... or no! No," blue overtook green with a gesture of his fist, "The power bracelet!"

"OH just pick one!" Hope huffed. Rinku reached up to flick his ear. Hope squeaked, finally leaning up off her.

"They were all useful for different things!" Smith complained, sighing. "Hmm. I guess my favorite thing as a kid was the Kinstones."

"What are those?" Forest asked.

"They're magic tokens that you could match with people, and lucky things would happen.... they were a bit of a fad," Smith said with a shrug.

"Ohhhh that sounds fun." Engie mumbled. "I like matching games."

"What about matching games?" Ordon's voice picked up. Hero's Spirit followed after and settled to float beside Sky, tilting their head.

"Hope asked us what our favorite items were." Sky explained.

"Smith got magic stones to match with other people in his time!" Engineer said.

"Oh! Sounds interesting."

"What's your favorite?" asked Forest.

"Oh, hm." Ordon muttered, brows pinched "Fishing rod?" He offered tentatively.

"What?" Hope spat, "I know you're a fluffy farm dog, but at least pick something worthy of adventuring with!"

"Fishing is just fine of a thing to like," Rinku defended with a light glare back at Hope.

"Oh no I can think of something more adventurous," Ordon mumbled, "eh....the Dominion Rod was fun?"

"What does it do?" Wind asked.

"Let me control certain statues. Mostly just walk em around." He said, "not the most generalizable tool, but fun."

"You are. So boring." Hope muttered.

"Y'all are welcome." Ordon said with a smile.

The group giggled.

"I think other than the Spirit, the only one who hasn't answered now is Forest."

"Oh! Oh..." Forest frowned, pensive as he considered. "Well."

"No pressure, really," Sky said with a light smile.

Forest crossed his arms, "No, I know it. It's the Ocarina." He said eventually. "It is the single most important tool throughout the entire time I've traveled."

Hero glanced at him, their face changing to look like Forest, then an older version of him. Then they flickered to look like a much younger Smith, and a small pink haired Rinku, and back to their self. "Ocarinas tend to be important, don't they?"

"Why do you say that?" Engineer asked, glancing at Smith and Rinku.

"Oh, they just. Keep coming up in my head." They shifted to look like Engineer, clad in green, then Sky and eventually Hope, small and pensive, "Musical instruments in general, really."

A small quiet pause settled through the space. Hope, the usual one to interrupt silence, stared at the echo of his smaller self.

"Huh." Glider eventually huffed, just to fill the space. "Actually, Hero, what about you? Out of all the things you can recall, what's your favorite item?"

The Hero shook their head to clear their mind, shifting back to normal. "Oh boy. I don't really know I- ....wait. Why did so many of you have boomerangs? They're not even useful half the time."

A flurry of noise broke out at once. Rinku snorted. Hope flailed his arms, complaining as if it was a stupid question. Engineer and Wind both laughed. Ordon mumbled something about monkeys and fairies that only Sky seemed to have paid attention to, eyes going wide. Glider just shrugged.

Ultimately, Hero never really answered the question.

[mushroomwoods]

Alive and Breathing

the warrior was used to this setting, something that usually seemed so harmless, dragging things he cherished out of his hands, this time though, he wouldn't just watch as death tried to take what's his, not matter the cost or the amount of blood he had to bathe in, it would never take you away from him.

character — Warriors, romantic.

cw — yandere behaviour, kidnapping, drugging, manipulation/gaslighting, morally grey actions, vomiting, dubious consent (kiss).

I'm really sorry for the wait, ky dearies, ended up having a... troubling day yesterday which made me set off posting this sooner. I also took the liberty to make some alterations to Wars occupation in his game, but it was barely mentioned in passing, I just thought it would fit better with the whole story.

You were alive, breathing and well.

It was just a mild scratch you received while blocking a blow for the healer. You all knew how he was the most precious asset in the party should someone fall or the potions and fairies fail.

It was only natural, they all had been in this spot and even when Hyrule seemed uncomfortable with the overprotective attention, he didn't express it, knowing the end goal behind it.

Still, his mind screamed and scrambled for a way to treat it, scared of what might happen if it was to leave unattended.

He mentioned the scratch in passing, which you hadn't even noticed, chuckling at his worries and brushing your sleeve against it to remove the dried blood.

Too rough, it could leave blemishes and get infected like that.

Still, he kept his mouth shut, joking about your carelessness. He was good at that, not saying what was on his mind, keeping his innermost feeling hidden and locked like a treasure stash he was not willing to look through.

But you were alive, breathing and well.

That's what counts, right?

Until he saw you up to another gimmick with Wild or Wind, he felt his heart leap whenever you came back littered in injuries or soaked from head to toes in a especially chilly day.

He glared a warning to his fellow heroes, before continuing with his “hovering”, as the others liked to call it, drying your hair and patching any injury he could spot on your body.

You would just laugh and brush off when he said that even small things like that could make someone sick if they were outside and on the walk like you were.

He couldn't help but care about your careless and blame himself for not looking after you better.

At least you were alive, breathing and well.

Or at least he thought, before the deafening sound of an arrow bomb set off behind him, your scream resounding right after as the cliff they travelled through started collapsing under your footing.

His reaction time, often so quick, now seemed worryingly slow, his hand only brushing past yours as you fell right before his eyes.

He could take relief in the fact that the Hero of the Wilds reflexes were faster than his and thus he didn't think twice before diving right after you, glider in the wait.

After that his only job was to take care of those measly monster, those that tried to put you in harms way, he barely processed the inky black blood dropping from his hand and sword, his usually pristine stance in battle now messy as he all but pushed through the wave of infected monsters, the group barely needing to do anything as they could only watching Warriors turn into the real war captain he once acted as.

No one said a thing about how his unusually angered facade melted into a smile as soon as you were brought back to the group, a now clean hand settling onto your face as he scanned for any injury with a sickeningly sweet voice.

The way his jaw and fists clenched at any mention of the accident was enough to make the others backtrack on asking if he was alright.

Thankfully you were alive, breathing and well.

But there was only so much the man could take before his optimistic instance would crumble.

The final push for his resolution to shatter was the moment he stepped into his Hyrule, the place he knew the best just how dangerous it could be.

The place he knew the best who he could trust.

Zelda's warm welcome was immediately shut down as she stared into her friend face. She could say he was never in his topmost form while on the battlefront, however his sunken eyes and shaking hands were enough of a tell just from how deep of a inner turmoil he was.

She greeted the other heroes briefly, before excusing herself with the warrior and the general at her tail.

His blue scarf wasn't on sight even once for the next few days, the attendants that cared for the group did make sure to pass on his moves and plans, alike from any information of his land that any of you might need, however never once he showed up to tell them, even when the princess herself did.

It was only on the fourth day that he finally made an appearance, already sat by the table while having a not so friendly discussion with Impa, the scowl in the woman's face only deepening further when the group of heroes entered the dining room.

No words were uttered between the two after that, but somehow, even with the thick air around and how tense everyone was discussing what should their next move be, you slept like never before.

All whilst he just hoped you'd stay alive, breathing and well.

The strange lethargy of that day continued and worsened, the weapon in your hands heavy like a thousand bricks, something that should be easy for you to parry suddenly making your head spin and your body crumble, your hands automatically letting go of your weapon as your body fell to floor, everything you had consumed during breakfast coming up and ripping through your throat, the acid taste and smell making your stomach churn further as tears gathered at the sides of your eyes.

Your eyes closed as the world around you spun, hearing vaguely Legend's voice near you, before many other quickly approached.

A rough hand made contact with your forehead, from the corner if your eye you could spot the waves of blue falling beneath streaks of light blonde hair. Warriors made quick work after noticing how much you sweated and shuddered under his touch. He bit back a mirthful smile.

Things stayed the same for days on end, your situation didn't get any better and actually even worsened, both the faerie and the princess magic failing to heal or at least find any reason for your sudden illness.

In your hazy daze you wouldn't even be able to notice Time's side glances to the scarfed warrior or how Four bit back a curse when he would once again be denied to at least see you before departing, the princess stance rigid as she said mentioned you being a patient under strict supervision, the tea Warriors brought to you looking like anything but the supposed medicine you were supposed to be taking.

There was only so much they could do to help you, before agreeing that taking any longer would just make them lag behind even more than they already did.

The night they departed Warriors visited your room a last time, your sleeping form far more peaceful than the days prior.

A smiled spread over his face, venomous, hands brushing carefully past the scar on your left cheek before his head dipped down.

A creak by the door cut his time shorter than he would've liked, he could spend days on end just watching you, sweet, beautiful you.

“I belive it's time to go, Hero.” Impa voice sounded as imposing as ever. She didn't agree with his plan, but she was never one to go against it if Zelda was on his side.

“Unfortunately so...” His voice was quieter than ever, a peace uncommon of him. “I will be back soon my dear.”

Thus he sealed the deal.

As for now he would at least settle for having you alive and breathing.

[maximotts]

I’m thinking so hard about cowgirl!Wanda setting up a cozy hammock spot for you out back…

She’d have to be careful with it since you’re always so nosy, ordering the hammock, its posts, and other decorations to the farm office instead of home, keeping all the plants in the greenhouse and making sure you don’t stick your head in there, etc.

When time finally comes to put her plan into motion, she gets Nat and Agatha to keep you busy all day with strict instructions not to bring you back until dusk. It breaks her heart to drop you off at Nat’s cabin when you’re so pouty about it, wanting her to hang out with you as she typically did whenever she took a day off, but Wanda knew it’d all pay off.

And the poor thing works hard all day, pulling up grass and tilling dirt to lay stepping stones, stick the hammock in place, plant your favorite flowers.. Wanda even made the last minute decision to build some wood framework around two sides of the nook so she could wind those blue and white fairy lights she saw you admiring whenever you went into town.

By the time you get home, Wanda’s putting the finishing touches on, placing fluffy outdoor pillows and some new blankets in the hammock and the large glider chair she’d bought as an added place to sit. She hears you calling out for her from inside the house so Wanda rushes to greet you and you giggle at her dirt smudged denim cut offs, the old shirt she only wore around the house somehow even more grungy now. “Where have you been? You were supposed be taking a day off-“

“Don’t lecture me about resting until you see what I’ve been doing!” Wanda laughs, closing the distance between you two so she could turn you in her arms and cover your eyes with her hand, “Walk with me, bunny. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

The next time you open your eyes you’re greeted with the most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen. “Wanda, what..”

“I wanted to give you your own special place,” Wanda stepped around to face you, fiddling with her hands as she pointed out all the details and features of your new custom space. “Thought it might be nice since you were kind enough to move in with me.. felt a little bad I’ve got all my shit everywhere and you didn’t have much. But if you don’t like it o-or if you want something inside I can-“

You shut her up with a kiss, passionate and insistent, crashing into her hard enough to make her stumble back a step. Pulling away, you hold her face in your hands, thumbs brushing away the small flecks of dirt she’d gotten on her cheeks during the day. “You sweet, sweet girl… Come try out this hammock with me.”

Laying under the stars, snuggled deep into Wanda’s arms under your new quilt as the two of you gently swayed back and forth, you’re sure you’re going to burst with all the love hammering through your body. "So you like it?"

Wanda feels you nod against her chest, gently squeezing her arm in reassurance, "I love it.. love you more though." It's true, as much as you adore this spot, you know it means so much that she made it, that she thought of your needs and took so much time to create something special in an effort to make you feel welcome in your new home. As if your girlfriend didn't already keep you happy and secure everyday.

And you’re just about to ask Wanda a question about the constellation you spotted when you hear a soft snore from above so you resign yourself to closing your eyes too; Wanda’s long day and your overwhelming emotions tuckered you both out.

[stemwriter]

Pursuit of Knowledge - Chapter 1

Finally, the first chapter! Criticism is absolutely welcome here, and I hope you enjoy!

This has a gender neutral reader, and is just the regular sentience au; no cult/creator/imposter stuff. Only main difference, [Y/N] is a lore fanatic.

Word count: ~3.3k

So there you were, sitting in your bedroom waiting for Genshin Impact to download. You had heard that it was a huge game, but for some reason your screen only said that there were only around 10 gigabytes of data. ‘I guess 10 gigabytes is pretty big for a mobile game,’ you thought, as the progress bar slowly made its way to 100%.

The stone doors opened, your screen went white, and the opening cutscene you’ve seen a million times before in all those video essays began to play.

Outlanders, your journey ends here.

You’d thought about which sibling you would pick before. You loved seeing Lumine as the villain, and so without hesitation, picked the boy, named Aether.

You’d seen some gameplay before, and you already thought the graphics were good, but this… This was astounding. It was better than what you’d seen before online. Your character didn’t look exactly realistic so to speak, but everything looked extremely high quality. How was this game free? You guessed the difference between this and what you remember was because you were playing on PS5, and began to move on through the story.

After getting the power of Anemo and seeing the Anemo God himself, you met Amber. You spammed through the dialogue, just wanting to get to Mondstadt.

“Ah! A hilichurl!”

“Quick, get it!”

She said “Get it!” like that hilichurl was no more than a bug in someone’s house, about to be killed for no reason other than being there. That… worried you, considering what hilichurls once were. You knew you had to kill this camp of hilichurls to progress the story, but you told yourself that starting now, you wouldn’t be killing any hilichurls unless you were forced to by the plot or you really needed resources.

After a mildly annoying amount of walking, you entered the city and ran to the Cathedral plaza to get your Wind Glider. Amber gave it to you, and you glided across the city, which seemed different, somehow, although you couldn’t tell what was wrong. You were then promptly thrown into the sky, shooting wind projectiles at a dragon. 

“I’m preventing your fall with the power of a thousand winds!”

“HOLY CRAP! It’s God!”

“Concentrate on this! See yourself grasping the wind. Harness its energy.”

You listened to Venti instruct you on this gamemode you didn’t think you’d ever use again, making ‘pew pew pew!’ sounds as Dvalin’s HP bar slowly decreased.

It was the moment you’ve been waiting for. The Traveler lands, and the camera cuts to that blue-haired eyepatch man, one of your favorite characters, Kaeya. You waited until he finished his dramatic introduction, and yelled “WOOOOOOOO!!!!” at the top of your lungs. You thought about playing an audience cheering sound effect, but realized it’s too late now and you don’t even have your soundboard open. You should get that ready in a minute. You’ve already heard this before, so you skip through the dialogue. Well, at least Amber’s lines. You let Kaeya finish everything he has to say. 

‘From afar? Is that all we know of them?’

“Surprisingly, yes.” You said, thinking about how you know so much about everyone in Teyvat yet know close to nothing about the main character. You knew they were older than 500, and they had a sibling, but just who were they? You focused back on the game, sighing after hearing Kaeya say he understands being separated from family, feeling your heart growing heavy as you remember his backstory. “You need someone to talk to, man, I’m all ears.” If there was one thing you really knew about his personality, it was that he needed a therapist.

You entered the HQ and listened to the group devise a plan. You still didn’t know why you were only taking care of 3 temples, but you would eventually figure that out, right? Right? You pulled on Noelle’s banner 10 times, only getting her, a sword called… Flute? and some 3 star weapons that you figured wouldn’t help you for long. You equipped The Flute on the Traveler, tested it out a bit, and set off to the three temples.

 By the time you were done with Amber’s, you decided that you were absolutely not going to follow any instructions the system gave you. No one can tell you what you can do!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaeya was… perplexed, to say the least, when he prepared to walk up to Amber and a traveler she was with. For a split second, he could have sworn he saw everything turn gray, and strange, colorful, circles appeared around everyone’s joints. Already, he wondered if he was hallucinating, but then he heard the sound of someone cheering that felt as if it was coming from the traveler, but he didn’t open his mouth. Amber didn’t seem to react to it, either. That meant either neither of them noticed it, or he was seeing and hearing things. Assuming it was the latter, he continued on, making a mental note to keep watch of it.

“Hold on Amber, are you perhaps forgetting to introduce us?”

“Oh… right. This i- Thes-”

‘From afar? Is that all we know of them?’

“Surprisingly, yes.”

That voice! Again, but this time, it directly replied to his thoughts. Was it not a hallucination? Just what in Teyvat was this? He had a strong feeling that it was connected to the Traveler, but how could it see what he was thinking  just then? He needed to investigate this, that’s for sure.

“Long st-”

“I see. Welcome to Mondstadt - though you haven’t arrived at the best of times, I’m afraid.”

The Traveler had been separated from his sister, and came to Mondstadt looking for help finding her. He knew how he felt. When Diluc left Mondstadt for all those years, he spent every day worried, wondering if he would ever return.

“I understand the anguish of being separated from family. I’m not sure why you’re looking for the Anemo God… but everyone has their secrets, right?”

“You need someone to talk to, man, I’m all ears.”

The voice was… comforting him now? Interesting.

Who was this traveler? He certainly wasn’t your average tourist. He’d taken him, his… companion, and Amber to the Knights of Favonius headquarters to see Master Jean, and while that conversation went somewhat normal, the atmosphere quickly became… unnerving as soon as it ended. The others stood still in the room, not saying a word. After a few moments, the Traveler left the room, and Kaeya could swear he saw him swinging a weapon in the main hall, but if he was, why didn’t any of the other Knights stop him? 

Waiting at the Temple of the Wolf, he thought about his experience earlier. He realized that Amber never finished a sentence, but somehow he understood everything she said. Amber never told him the Traveler’s story, yet he knew it. Did that have to do with that voice? That strange presence? It didn’t seem like it was intending anything bad by the way it spoke to him, but this whole situation was just so… strange. 

Kaeya walked around a bit and cleared the area of any potential threats, and after what felt like an hour, the Traveler finally arrived at the temple. He honestly was expecting him to take longer, considering he likely helped Amber first, but it was a surprise to not have to wait quite as long as he thought. How long did it take him to get there? He was a long way from the city of Mondstadt, yet he couldn’t even remember the journey to get here now. Could everything strange he’d experienced be caused by that presence? Hallucinations, memory issues; just what was going on?

“You’ve arrived,” he said, slightly hoping that voice didn’t respond and that it really was all in his head. “Come closer. Do you smell that?”

Unfortunately, it was not, in fact, all in his head.

“How in the world do you burn a Pyro Slime?”

‘It’s the smell of burnt Pyro Slimes.”

How did it know what the Traveler was going to say before he said it? Could it be… influencing him in some way? He continued on, wanting to get these temples taken care of so he could have time to investigate this, whatever this is. He watched as the Traveler walked up to the doors of the domain, and… teleported through them? ‘This day just keeps getting weirder…’ he thought, before entering the domain himself.

“Let me show you how the Knights of Favonius conquer our adversaries,” he said. Although he was about to fight, his body relaxed, and a chill went down his spine. He tried to snap himself out of it, but he found he couldn’t move. The hell…? After a couple of seconds, his body sprinted forward, as that voice said “Alright, here we go,” with a sigh. It was behind this, too? What was this? His heart pounded. He was powerless. It could do whatever it wanted with him, and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. No one would know other than those affected… Why did he not mention this to anyone before? He tried to fight against it, but he still couldn’t move a muscle.

 It felt as if he wasn’t fully in his body, as if he was only watching as his body was being puppeteered by some unknown entity. What did it want with him? The Traveler really was being influenced by them, wasn’t he? Was he too, being possessed by it? It seemed the entity could only use one body at a time, but while it was using one, the other completely disappeared. 

Forget waiting until this Stormterror crisis was over, he needed to do something as soon as possible, before anyone else was affected by it! It couldn’t keep its hold over him for too long, right? He needed to get back to Mondstadt as soon as possible, to at least tell someone before it takes control of him again. He didn’t want to leave the Traveler like this, but he would have to if he was to do anything about it.

He calmed down a bit, as it didn’t instantly try to harm him, but he started to get concerned for his safety again when the entity made him jump over a pit of spikes in water. The water could very easily be frozen and walked on, avoiding the spikes entirely, and yet it made him jump over the pit. Nothing bad happened, though. Was it that confident in its, and to an extent, his, abilities? Or was it planning something more… violent? After the crystal was destroyed at the end of the temple, he felt like he was back in his body again, the entity no longer having control over him. Still, he didn’t want it to know he was trying to get away, so he started to speak as if nothing out of the expected happened. But why was it laughing?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You knew of a little trick you could do in this next cutscene, the one where Diluc comes out of nowhere and obliterates an Abyss Mage. You chuckle to yourself as you pull up a video.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind OST - Giorno's Theme『il vento d'oro』

03:45 ━━━━━━━⬤──── 05:27

As the Abyss Mage comes out from the shadows, you hit Play on the video and watch as Diluc charges in, the song syncing to his movements. You could swear you saw a confused look on his face, but you assumed you were either seeing things, or that you just misremembered the cutscene. You didn’t remember every single detail, after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…Of course that didn’t work. As soon as he left the temple, he fell into the entity’s control once again. It didn’t help that he never saw Diluc leave the temple. If he did, he might have a chance at getting him to notice something’s wrong. It also appeared that he and the Traveler were not the only people it had decided to use as its puppets. At various times, he would be thrown out of his body completely and watch as it uses another. He noticed not only the Traveler, but Amber, Noelle, and for a short while, Lisa. 

It encountered a Ruin Guard at the Thousand Winds Temple. It used Amber to destroy the automaton’s core, stunning it, before using him to counter the Pyro element on it. It got back up again, but it wasn’t up for long before it was defeated, falling to the grou-

*lego breaking noise*

*metal pipe falling*

“*snickering* God, I love having a soundboard…”

What were those noises? Those didn’t come from the Ruin Guard, did they? Were they made by that “soundboard” thing? 

After that, there were an abundance of strange noises, almost always accompanied by the entity laughing. 

 He also realized that it wasn’t killing any monsters; in fact, it even knew some Hilichurlian. Whatever this entity was, it didn’t appear to be intending to harm anything. It wasn’t killing any monsters, and it was giving him equipment that felt like it made him stronger. Did it even know it was controlling him like this? If not, would it continue if it knew?

Regardless of if they knew or not, they continued on, at one point using him to cross the ocean to an island he had never seen mapped before. It took a fair bit of time, considering how far out it was. After a few minutes, what sounded to be a recording of someone’s voice began to play, likely by this entity to prevent boredom.

At the beginning, it brought up what he believed was happening to him now, and went on to say how it might work. How gaining a “character” means the Traveler can now connect to the essence of the person, harnessing their abilities, and how getting more “constellations” gives a deeper connection. He had heard of people having their own constellation, but he couldn’t make any sense of it in this context. While he was very concerned on how people knew any of this, it only further confirmed his theory that whoever this was using his body had not a clue on what they were really doing.

The recording ended up discussing very intriguing things. He was confused on why they were referring to people as “characters” at the beginning, but the whole time, they were referring to Teyvat and its past, present, and future as if it was nothing but a fictional story, constantly mentioning the “plot”, “chapters”, “roles”, and such. Is that what this was to them? The recording mainly focused on the “fate” of Teyvat, and how it could possibly be changed. It had been a topic he had been endlessly thinking about, and this left him with… mixed feelings. On one hand, the Traveler may be the key to changing fate, and it gave him hope that things might actually end well for him. But on the other hand, would he really have to rely on someone else to decide his fate?

They found many chests on the island, and discovered someone’s notebook, which said that something strange happens here in the very early morning hours. The entity seemed confused for a bit, appearing to be looking for something, before sounding disappointed. They did another lap around the island, making sure they collected everything, and then teleported back to near Windrise, still seeming a bit confused. 

They went north to the Stormbearer Mountains, and headed towards a watchtower, likely to get a better view of their surroundings. They weren’t about to get up there without a fight, though. Crossbow-armed hilichurls surrounded the place. Instead of taking them out then and there, they tried to just walk by, finding a good time to climb. He could tell they weren’t prepared for this, that they were overwhelmed. They shrieked as a Pyro hilichurl shot at him, trying to run away from the projectile.

This should be common sense, but one thing he knew about combat; when you dodge, don’t go running directly into the attack.

A flaming arrow hit him right in the jugular, and he was met with a world of searing pain. He didn’t know if it was this entity making him do it, but he let out a scream as it hit. The arrow had disappeared. He stood there, now choking, though his body did not react.  Would this be how he died? By an arrow shot from a hilichurl he could easily take care of if he could just- 

Time seemed to stop for a moment. Suddenly, everything was fine.

No pain, no wound, and he had the taste of chicken in his mouth.

They healed him from what was very easily a fatal wound just like that? That was why they were being so reckless, wasn’t it? 

It had seemed like whatever was in control of him had no clue what they were doing, but how? How could they not know? Surely they must notice that something’s off, right?

At one point, they tried to climb up the Knights of Favonius building with Amber and fell, which caused her to disintegrate. He panicked, but soon after, she appeared again as if absolutely nothing had happened. Apparently, they had the power to revive people they were using, as well as heal fatal wounds. Sure, that was great that neither he nor anyone else this was happening to would have to fear dying, but that meant that if they wanted to, they could kill and revive someone under their control over and over again. It was a good thing they seemed to have no intentions of doing such a thing…

They were exploring for hours, during which time Kaeya’s thoughts mostly consisted of reactions to things they were saying or doing, with a little existential dread creeping in every now and then, wondering if he was ever going to gain back control. The sun went down, and soon after that, they said “Alright Teyvat, I’ll be back to conquer you tomorrow! I’m gonna go pass out!” That was a bit… direct, and he wasn’t entirely sure if they were joking by the “conquer” bit due to the events of the last couple of hours, but regardless, it was over. He nearly fell over after they left, not expecting to suddenly gain back control of his body again. Now, the question is, how does he go about solving this? Before he thought about that, he decided he needed a drink since he had some time to spare, and so he headed to Angel’s Share.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After finishing Lisa’s temple, you were free to explore Teyvat. You spent some time exploring Mondstadt, collecting Anemoculi, before going back to where you started. You knew of that unmapped island, and now that you had the power to ice bridge, you were going to go there. You knew it would take a while, so you put on another video essay explaining a Genshin theory to listen to, and began the journey. 

Unfortunately, you couldn’t do everything. You were able to get a bunch of chests, but the quest there needed the time of day to be between 2 and 5 AM to progress. You remembered there being a time skip button, but you looked everywhere and just couldn’t find it. So, you had to go back to the mainland, defeated. Come to think of it, how long was the day/night cycle? It’s been over an hour and the sun’s barely moved. Was the in game time synced to real time? If so, why the hell would they make a quest that can only progress in the middle of the night? You figured that you’re just missing something, and started thinking about something else before you got too stressed out. 

You played for a couple of hours, getting used to the combat system. It was fun, but you felt like the enemies did a bit too much damage. Seriously, one arrow from a low-level hilichurl shouldn’t almost one-shot your character! You felt pretty tired, and not wanting to struggle to keep your eyes open, you decided to log out, and continue your Magical Adventure™ tomorrow.

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

And pass out you did, falling asleep as soon as your head hit your pillow. You ended up sleeping for a while, so by the time you got up, it was already pretty late in the morning. You had some errands to run, so you showered, got ready, and took care of them. 

You had nothing else to do today, so you decided to open Genshin again and continue your adventure. The world loads in, and there you are, with your team of Aether, Amber, Noelle and- hold on where’s Kaeya? Maybe you removed him for some reason. You were pretty tired. You go to the party select screen, and select hi- 

*This character is busy.*

What the hell does that mean?

[yoon-ssi]

the traveler in hsr

gn!traveler x honkai star rail

warnings: none, (just nostalgia), comfort (by Jing Yuan)

word count: ~bit more than 2k

a/n: noticing shit in HSR and connecting it in GI made me do this, also Jing Yuan has me in a chokehold help (characters mentioned subtly/fully or included (spoiler alert): Herta, Asta, Mona, Pom-pom, Himeko, March 7th, Dan Heng, Sampo, Arataki Itto, Paimon, Yae Miko, Gorou, Tingyun, Welt, Yanqing, Xiao, Jing Yuan, Kazuha)

description: what if the traveler continued their journey with the astral express after Teyvat… here the traveler is in place of the trailblazer.

You were walking in Herta's space station getting familiar with your surroundings before it was time to leave with the Astral Express crew. You were sure you were not staying here with Herta so she could lead experiments on you, you didn't need to get experimented on. Moreover, just the thought of it reminded you of a certain Fatui Harbinger you met in Sumeru. The modern aspect of the whole station was something new you haven't seen in a while. It was interesting to see such different technology. Once you heard they had a museum at the station you wished to see it before leaving. You made your way into the big room, it was filled with various objects some of the past, some of other worlds, and some you didn’t recognize. Trying to understand your settings and your upcoming travels, you stopped in front of each of the relics. Once you finished reading a quote under one of them and went to move on to the next one, you caught a glimpse of something all too familiar. It immediately pulled you close Unable to control it yourself, you rushed to it, your eyes staring through the glass. The black feathers of the wind glider shined. The glider looked like it had worn before and had flown in the sky. You felt overwhelmed, not expecting to see it here, reminding you of everything and everyone you left behind… Your eyes dropped to read the description. As the words described the nature and surroundings of Monstadt you felt your heart tighten, a surge of pain and nostalgia pulling you under. You gently put your hand on the glass. Slowly you sat down leaning your head on the cool metal, allowing yourself to feel those emotions. You had your wings back now, and while they felt amazing; being reminded of how you used to glide down the Liyue mountain peaks, the Sumeru desert… so many places with the wind guiding you. It… hurt. You asked Herta if you could perhaps borrow it or just take it with you when you leave the station but were rejected. Not that you expected her to allow you something like that, but you had to… just had to ask at least. While fighting certain enemies the lead researcher Asta fought alongside you. Through spending more time with her,  you couldn't help but giggle at her behavior. Her constant mentions of the stars since she is an astronomer and her spending habits reminded you of a certain astrologist who was once your close friend. So standing in front of the pink-haired girl with her shorter subordinate as she complained about her funds being unavailable you couldn't help but smile to yourself. She noticed you were looking at her endearingly and asked about it.

„Hey, trailblazer is everything okay?“ she smiled, „you're looking at me kinda strange“. You smiled in response your eyes turning into little crescent moons and answered „Ah.. it's nothing. I was just thinking of someone. You reminded me of them.“ You nodded as you ended your sentence. Asta nodded as well, smiling, and then continued the previous conversation.

The express crew seemed nice. Pom-pom was quiet but caring, Welt's way of speech reminded you of a certain older Archon, March 7th was sweet, Himeko seemed to be a very knowledgeable person and Dan Heng said he'd be happy to help with anything you needed from the archive. You assume the journey with them while... trailblazing would be enjoyable.

As the three of you set foot on Jario VI the snow felt comforting, reminding you of your adventures on Dragonspine. You were expecting to experience the effects of the sheer cold and leave in a short amount of time or find a heat source, but March and Dan Heng assured you it's normal and you wouldn't grow to be that cold. A goofy man is the first person you meet and his way of speech warms your heart reminding you of a certain Oni from Inazuma.

At one point you were walking around the Overworld and walked to a rail. You were gazing at the trash can since it was looking at you strangely but you did nothing about it, being a polite and respectful person. The guard looked at you weirdly and once you tried moving on past the rail he informed you it's not allowed at this moment.

In that moment you remembered how Paimon would always say „How about we explore the area ahead of us later?“ whenever you two would wander off too far… You looked down on the rail, then at the guard, and turned away. You were looking at the ground on your way back to the hotel. You kept seeing faces that seemed so familiar that it brought you comfort and a smile to your face, the way you'd see your friends in other people. And you continued to see similar people to them in the way they would talk, walk, behave, or simply their personality.

All the fights were normal something you already got used to before, and the life of trailblazers made sense. You were glad that it was also obvious that your goal was to help the nation or in this case the planet with their stellaron problem.

Xianzhou Loufu came as a breath of fresh air as well. Seeing Tingyun reminded you of the comment Yae Miko made to Gorou that if he took better care of his tail it could even be fluffier. You wondered if his tail would look like Tingyun's. The happy thoughts and memories helped you get through each day. The next day you were chatting with the general, Welt and March while standing in front of the hotel. As you were used to (so far) you were listening, paying attention to their words, this time there was no one above your shoulder to state shared thoughts and opinions. It felt quiet, an empty space that used to be filled. Occasionally, they would look at you to comment, and you'd say a few words but mainly keep quiet. So used to having a companion who spoke for the two of you. Especially since this language wasn't your native tongue, Paimon was helpful in these situations. It was an enjoyable conversation learning some information about the structure of the Luofu and the further plan for catching the Stellaron hunters. What you didn't expect was a smaller boy with blonde hair, the hairstyle just like an Adeptus general to run up to your conversation. He had a big smile on his face and a sword around his waist. His bright personality shined as he spoke and introduced himself. It all made you immediately think... he looked… he looked like… If you and Xiao had a child that's how you think the kid would look… and in that moment it broke your heart. Seeing someone like Xiao wouldn't break it because that isn't him just someone similar to him. But seeing a kid that looks like a son of you… You couldn't help the tears filling up your eyes. In that moment you knew you'd protect that boy with your life although looking at him breaks your heart.

Luckily the conversation seemed to be coming to an end as you were trying to fight the tears. Just before the first tear decided to drop the conversation ended and you managed to turn your face and walk away as the first tear fell.

You didn't notice the general looking at you the whole time since you set your eyes on Yanqing. He noticed your expression change, your smile turn fake, and your eyes fill with pain and tears. As he said his goodbyes to the others he quietly followed the direction you left in.

You sat on a bench a bit further away from the hotel. Your face in your hands, quiet sobs escaping your lips as your emotions and memories flood you. You softly mumbled his name once. „Xiao.“ Knowing you're not in Teyvat and he wouldn't come when you called… That fact alone made you sob harder, hot tears streaming down your cheeks as the pain cut you deep. You pulled your legs closer and leaned your head on your legs. In a couple of minutes, soft footsteps could be heard making you look up showing your face just enough to see who it is and if you're in danger.

You looked up and your honey-colored eyes met golden ones. The general had a worried look on his face. „Hey… mind if I sit?“ You nodded, wiping your cheeks and sitting properly again. As he sat down he looked at you „Are you okay? Your expression changed when you saw Yanqing.“ You took a moment to breathe and calm down your voice. „I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to worry you.“ He looked at you with the softest eyes and offered a smile „I assure you it is no trouble.“ He spoke with a deep voice that soothed your ears. You sighed. Your intuition said he is a safe person to talk to. And so far you were never wrong so you decided to chat openly. „He, Yanqing looks like if me and a… ah..“ Your voice trailed off trying to find the right words. „If me and a person who means a lot to me had a child together.“ You knew how strange that sounded so you quickly added „His small face, hairstyle, wavy hair, and eye color are exactly like his, but the golden hair color is like mine…“ The general nodded and gently put a hand on your shoulder. „I understand you're not having an easy time adapting… some of my assistants said you are new to the Astral crew and spent years somewhere else before this.“ You nodded to his words. He took note you didn't speak much unless necessary, he was much more observant than you expected. You two sat in silence until you calmed down a bit.

He had many thoughts processing in his head, running through the things about you that seemed interesting and different in a way. Like the sword, you kept your hand on at all times. The blade seemed dull, without shine, old, used and it didn't make sense to him. You fought like a very skilled swordfighter, and your technique impeccable. He thought about offering a new sword or maybe offering a polishing up for the one you had but seeing how capable in fights you were he decided not to comment on it, an extraordinary fighter as yourself would have a good reason to use such a sword and he decided to not doubt you.

„After so many years of living and ah..“ You spoke softly, your voice soft and pained. „I connected to the last place I was. The people..“Your voice trailed off again and you sat in a comfortable silence which you desperately needed. Just someone to be there as you process your feelings.

Once he heard you say 'many years of living'  he came to realization the you were closer to age that he was rather than the one your appearance claimed and your current crew thought you were. In the way you carried yourself, the few words you spoke it all confirmed that you were much older than you looked. After all, a person with a long life span can easily recognize another one like them.

The artificial sun started to set and you leaned your head on Jing Yuan's shoulder. He gave your head a few gentle pats as you two enjoyed the silence. Even for him, there weren't people of similar age. Both of you were just calm and sitting on some sort of leaf of peace in this storm that is life. You looked to the side and you felt a soft breeze rustle your hair and you swear for a second you hear a soft voice recite a haiku about the sea. You missed him too… as you took a deep breath in you leaned further onto the general. Maybe you would find some comfort in each other. You remained like this even when the sky got covered in bright stars.

It doesn't feel like what you had so far. The trailblazing was fun and you're enjoying it, the worlds, and the planets are nice to explore. You're making some friends and memories along the way (though, the friends didn't feel like the ones you've made so far) You tried to find hope in it. As fun as it was you didn't expect nostalgia to hit you this much. Furthermore, you didn't expect you'd ever be close to somebody like you were to people in Teyvat again. Yet here you were getting comforted by Jing Yuan. A new friend who seemed like the one that would stick around. Still as amazing as this all was, the Luofu, the Underworld, the Station, the Express… it will never feel like that, like Teyvat, this will never be that.

It will never feel… like home

(maybe you will hold on a bit tighter to Jing Yuan. So your breathing will get easier)

[baileys-writing-desk]

Wild’s paraglider

Hyrule finally gets to do what he wanted for so long: to glide through the air like a bird.

AO3

Hyrule has never had this much fun in his life.

It is something he’d always wanted to try, since joining the chain, and something none of the other Links would ever let him do.

Only Lanayru would let him.

And the group is here. In Sky’s era. With Lanayru.

He thinks of the mischievous grin on the dragon’s face as he departs from camp, the Champion’s glider in hand. Although he may have gotten permission to borrow the item, he never specified exactly what he would use it for. There are cliffs in this area, sure, but not much higher than ten feet. Wild trusted him to use it for those heights only.

Creeping through the trees like a cat, he notices the yellow and brown in the distance and chuckles. This was his idea, he reminds himself, but Lanayru had approved of it last night. If anyone else finds out, he can blame the dragon.

The sun is high in the sky now, the brilliant blue filtering through the towering tree branches. Birds chirp in the distance, and small animals rustle in the bushes, nearly distracting Rulie as he resists the urge to stop and investigate. But the other Links might come to him…there is no time to dawdle. He is reminded of that as he finally reaches the Thunder Dragon’s clearing, walking up to a mischievous smile and outstretched claw.

“Ho- Rulie, you got it?” Lanayru asks, keeping his voice as quiet as possible. “Here, climb onto my hand.”

Running up to the dragon, and readying the glider on his back, Hyrule obeys. The adrenaline courses through him, heart racing in his chest at his upcoming feat. I can’t believe he’s willing to do this!

“What if it doesn’t work?” he asks suddenly, having not quite thought about it before…

“Then I’ll catch you. I’m not letting you fall a bajillion feet through the air, you silly!”

Oh, right. He might not have considered that, but of course Lanayru did. Surely, the dragon has let him do risky things, but not that risky.

Hyrule takes a deep breath, attempting to calm his excitement, as Lanayru slowly lifts his hand, bringing him all the way up to meet the dragon’s eye level. He then lies down, face-up on the palm so Lanayru can wrap his fingers around his body in a tight grip.

I’m doing it! Hylia, it’s really happening! I’m gonna fly!!

He’s been this high before, in fact much higher, but he doesn’t dare look down. This, after all, isn’t a cuddle session in Lanayru’s beard or a ride on his back. This is much different.

“Alright, you ready?” the Thunder Dragon asks.

“Yep!”

Lanayru chuckles, and a whoosh of air meets Hyrule as the dragon gears his arm back, ready to throw the traveler across the sky, and soon he will be-

“WHAT THE FUCK, LANAYRU?!?”

Oh shit!

Hyrule gasps. Lanayru follows suit, nearly jumping in surprise, but thankfully still manages to keep his grip on the traveler. Who the hell was tha-

“Ah, Link! Wasn’t expectin’ you here!”

Sky.

“What the fuck are you two doing!?” the Skyloftian shouts, loud enough for Hyrule to hear clearly from this height. “Lanayru, put him down-“

The Thunder Dragon lowers his hand slightly, nearly making the traveler’s head spin. “I promise, this is harmless. Just watch.”

“Uh-huh, yeah- like I’m gonna be fine with you chucking Rulie through the air like- one of Groose’s eggs to my face!”

That was…a weird comparison.

“I’m fine, Sky!” Hyrule yells. “Trust me!”

“Lanayru. I swear to Hylia if you-“

The Thunder Dragon simply cackles. Turning his head away from Sky, he rears his arm back once again, Hyrule in his grip.

“LANAYRU—“

Ah, yes, it seems like he’ll still get to fly after all!

“No, don’t, Lan-“ That is all Hyrule makes out, as he is suddenly hurled forward, out of the dragon’s grip and sailing through the sky. He screams with delight as the wind rushes into his ears, blowing his hair every which way.

This is AWESOME!!!!

Of course, this moment is short-lasted, as he quickly begins his hurtling descent. In one swift motion, he opens the glider above his head, holding onto the straps tightly with both hands. He stalls midair, the speed of his fall having dramatically decreased.

“It worked!!” he shrieks, giggling. “Look, I’m doing it! HAHA!!”

The view of the forest below, of the green pointy trees and luscious grass stretching out for ages, almost takes his breath away. He may have seen it all while riding Lanayru, but nothing will ever match this feeling, of floating through the breeze on his own as if he has wings. Letting the glider slowly carry him towards the ground safely. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he would experience this unique sensation.

…And judging by how Sky reacted, this will likely be the only time.

“Great job, Rulie!” he hears Lanayru’s voice call out from behind. “See, Link, I told you it would be alright!”

Whatever the Skyloftian says in response, Hyrule doesn’t hear. He has drifted far into the forest now, approaching the tops of the trees…and now he must focus his landing so he doesn’t faceplant right into one. Carefully he tilts the glider strings just slightly, barely missing the top branches of a large oak. Lanayru would not be pleased if he crashed, and most certainly not Sky.

At last, he slows to a stop and his feet touch the ground. Closing the glider up, he makes a mad dash back to Lanayru. The yellow of the dragon’s robe flashes in the distance. Holy shit, I flew far!

“Over here, thunder man!” he shouts, nearly out of breath. “Look, I made it! I totally stuck the landing—phew!” His cheeks become hot and sweaty as he steps back into the clearing. Lanayru is beaming with delight, but Sky…Sky still does not look content. Whatever the dragon said to him earlier apparently hadn’t mattered.

“Okay, whose idea was this?” The Skyloftian glares at the two, arms folded across his chest.

Unwilling to admit it was his own, Hyrule immediately points at Lanayru. Of course, the dragon does the same to him…We must look so stupid right now-

“Rulie, don’t lie like that,” Lanayru teases. “Take the blame.”

Hyrule simply scoffs, lowering his hand. “Liar liar, pants on fire!”

“Sweet Hylia, am I gonna have to separate you two?!” Sky exclaims, throwing his hands up in frustration. “It’s like I’m dealing with five-year-olds!”

“Oh, come on, boy!” The Thunder Dragon chuckles. “We were just gettin’ the fun started. I was gonna have him try it from up in the clouds next!” He pauses at the horrified look on Sky’s face. “Ah, don’t worry, I’ll bring Eldin to catch him if something goes wrong.”

Wait what-

He isn’t quite sure if that’s something he would like to try…Lanayru’s ambition is strong, but the traveler has his limits.

“Lanayru!” Sky shouts the dragon’s name for what seems like the fiftieth time today. “I swear to the Golden Three, if you do that—“

“Okay, okay, I won’t! You caught me, Link.”

Phew.

“Well, good.” The Skyloftian sighs, appearing a bit more content. “Man, you two are just- I love you both to bits, but ugh!!” He giggles slightly, and Hyrule figures he isn’t truly mad at them. And separating the dragon and hero, when their time together is extremely limited, would be incredibly mean and unlike Sky at all.

“That’s our goal!” Hyrule exclaims. “Right, thunder man?”

He hears the dragon’s booming laughter in response. They only mean to annoy Sky lightheartedly; it’s what siblings do. At least it must be, or else the chain wouldn’t be teasing each other on the daily.

Sky approaches him, hands outstretched. “Here, I’ll give this back to the Champion.”

Oh, right. The glider.

He slowly hands it over, wondering what else he could have done if Sky hadn’t caught them. Definitely not Lanayru’s idea, though…I’ll bring Eldin to catch him? He hasn’t even met Eldin, let alone ridden him!

“I should probably head to camp…” Sky briefly glances behind him at the openings through the dense forest. “But you better not do more crazy stuff while I’m gone.”

“Can’t guarantee that, boy,” Lanayru replies, earning a teasing stare from the Skyloftian.

As Sky begins to turn away, Hyrule glances up at the Thunder Dragon, and they both give each other a cheeky smile.

It had gone reasonably well.

[ystk-archive]

[Translation] L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer interview (BARFOUT! magazine vol. 122, Oct. 2005)

(Yes, there's really a long-running arts and culture magazine in Japan called Barfout. Click here to view full-page scans of the feature, and feel free to contact me with any questions/comments.)

What surprising developments took place on capsule's new album!?

I'm crazy about capsule's newest album, L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer. It includes "Flying City Plan" [Soratobu Toshikeikaku] — featured in a collaborative music video created by Ghibli subsidiary Studio Kajino and directed by Momose Yoshiyuki — for a total of ten songs (perhaps I should mention that video is on the same level as many sci-fi films!). capsule is a creative unit made up of Nakata Yasutaka (producer) and Koshijima Toshiko (vocalist). The two have been entertaining listeners with their extremely poppy releases that'll take you on a virtual joyride through a world of music inspired by interior design and mass-produced goods. That said, I was taken aback by the song "Glider"! Even with their cool, plastic charm, capsule launched a dramatic pop track with a melody that tugs at the heartstrings the minute it begins. If I had to compare it to works by other artists, it's got a similar feeling to Quruli's "Wandervogel" and Supercar's "YUMEGIWA LAST BOY." Geez, I've really been wearing this song out! (At this point, "Glider" is going at #1 on my top ten favorites of 2005!) Including a club-oriented track with an enjoyable guitar sound, capsule's new album is filled to the brim with groundbreaking songs that overflow with human emotion. It'll definitely add a certain je ne sais quoi to your own space!!!

Original interview text by Fukushima Ryutaro, translation by ystk-archive

"From outerspace to the ocean, I wanted it to have a sense of vastness" (Nakata)

barf: How in the world did you arrive at something like L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer? Nakata: All the tracks on this album definitely make me go "hey, I can make good songs too!" (laughs). barf: The jacket photo is a picture of grass. Nakata: It's fake. The clothes we wear in the "Glider" video are also made out of that. I'm not much of a nature enthusiast, but in Japan we sure do have a lot of state-manufactured parks, don't we? The album cover's aura is sort of like that, how it's natural but somehow artificial at the same time. barf: The first track, "Flying City Plan," was used as the basis of a short film, following the examples set by "Portable Airport" [Portable Kuukou] and "space station No.9." They're even screening it before the movie Touch. Nakata: The first short "Portable Airport" showcases a fantasy town in capsule's type of aesthetic. After that was the resort concept for "space station No.9." So for this third one, we aimed for it to be more visually spacious and panoramic. From outerspace to the ocean, I wanted it to have a sense of vastness, so that's why I went with "Flying City Plan" for the music. barf: It has a majestic feel. Nakata: I tried to give it an easygoing sort of speed. When you're flying in an airplane, you can't feel the wind, but you know it's going by extremely fast outside. So the music follows along those lines, with a relaxed pace, kind of giving off an executive's suite type of vibe. And they retired the Concorde planes, so... (laughs) barf: Did you have any thoughts on the video, Koshijima-san? Koshijima: It's dramatic. She's a damsel in distress (laughs). barf: The second track "Teleportation" sounds so much like capsule's usual while simultaneously feeling quite new. Nakata: That's because, in a rare move, I played the guitar. I've used it before but only for riffs and whatnot, this time I played it more messily. barf: Speaking of guitars, the third track "Lounge Designers Killer" is rather rock-influenced. Nakata: To be totally honest, I was given a guitar. So I was just thinking like, "What if I use guitar sounds for this album?" There wasn't a deep reason behind it (laughs). barf: What kind of guitar did you get? Nakata: The one I used in the music video.¹ After we finished the shoot for "Glider," I added guitars to the song (laughs). Originally I thought it'd be interesting that the video was going to show a guitar being played with no guitars in the music, but since we went through the trouble of getting it, I threw some in the song after the fact. barf: That would've been a bizarre visual element (laughs). I get the sense that capsule is strongly influenced by cool instruments. Nakata: I really like changes of scenery and instruments. With bands, new ideas are sparked by the members interacting with each other, right? I pull my inspirations from instruments and checking out stores I haven't been to before.

"capsule does things without focusing on whether or not it's 'too late' to do them." (Nakata)

barf: "Glider" really comes to life as the seventh track following the science fiction-esque "Antenna." Nakata: I tried to make the transition sound unnatural. There used to be a sense of flow even though songs weren't actually connected to each other, but nowadays there's a high possibility that people will import albums into a computer and listen to everything out of order anyway. I wanted to put something there that would make the listener go "huh?" when the song changed over. "Antenna" starts and ends abruptly: the intro begins and cuts off halfway through, giving the impression that it's broken; it's the same type of weird feeling you get when the TV channel suddenly changes. So I put that in there to make the connection between the songs worse, not better (laughs). barf: "Glider" stands out strongly. Koshijima-san, how was it singing this song? Koshijima: Honestly, my voice was in really bad shape during recording and it was at its worst when we got around to "Glider" — it wouldn't come out at all. But when I got to listen to the song in the studio, I was struck by how long it's been since I heard something so good, and because of that my voice somehow managed to power through (laughs). barf: The title of "Progress and Harmony for Mankind" [Jinrui no Shinpo to Chouwa] feels a bit out of place, doesn't it (laughs). Nakata: It's from the 1970 Osaka Expo. barf: Really!! I didn't make the connection. Nakata: It's so like us to not use the theme from this year's Expo (laughs).² The Osaka Expo happened during a time when people really valued science. They thought like "with science, anything is possible!" Along with the ecological issues, I think the idea of creating another earth is fascinating (laughs). barf: With the kind of rhythm it has, the song's got a cool spacy feel to it. Nakata: That track is close to the type of music that pushed me into doing music. I felt like how I did in junior high, making songs like this when I started recording at home. Koshijima: You definitely did material like this when we first met. It was pretty heavy (laughs). Nakata: That's why when I listen to recent releases, I feel like I've gone back in time. These days, a lot of the songs I hear that people say are "good" are nostalgic. Bands have started making house and electro-ish music with '80s sounds and I wind up thinking, "Can they really do that?" barf: It has gotten like that. Nakata: capsule does things without focusing on whether or not it's "too late" to do them. It's not that I'm bitter about it though; that's just what happens when you do what you enjoy. barf: But if that's how you naturally go about about things, then it's okay. Nakata: It's not a recent phenomenon, but I do think people who create things feel confined. If they do this genre, then they have to use certain sounds — they have so-called rules like that. I make music thinking it'd be nice to ignore those rules.

¹ Nakata owns a Yamaha RGX A2 which he "played" in the Glider music video. I think. I was told that it was actually a different guitar but I guess not! ² 2005 was the Aichi Expo with the theme of "Nature's Wisdom." He's saying this in reference to his disinterest in nature.

[alieinthemorning]

Lonely| Shikanoin Heizou

Prompt: “I think it’s okay to be lonely sometimes. I think that’s when you learn the most about who you are. And who you want to be.”–DEEPER CONVERSATION PROMPTSft. some inspo from random shit i’ve written [@leneemusing]

Content: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Retrospective, Spoilers for Unreconciled Stars Event, POV Second Person

Pronouns: None

Reblogs: Let me know that you enjoy my work and want to see more, so don’t forget to like and reblog (and comment in the tags. I love seeing people’s rambles in the tags)!

This work’s concepts, plot and original characters are my own which means I do not allow any sort of creative theft nor do I allow my work to be entered into any sort of A.I. bots. Thank you for respecting my space and boundaries.

You often found yourself gliding across the gaping chasm of Mt. Youugou, across from the Grand Narukami Shine to a little electro charged floating piece of land.

Finding peace while gazing out at the false sky. Watching as the clouds fizzled in and out of existence.

In a way, they reminded you of yourself. A being that existed, but also didn’t. You were here, but not always in the moment. And if you were in the moment, you weren’t really there.

Like a being resurrected from the Ley Lines memories. Something that was there, but no longer here.

But who was that something, and where did you go?

You didn’t know.

Twas the world of Teyvat after all. A world of unknown mysteries, waiting to be unveiled. And yet, everything came with a price. So would unveiling yourself mean to lose this false sense of self you’d built up, or something else?

Just as the God’s Eyes watch, so does the castle in the false sky.

Your train of thought was broken at the sound of another's glider being folding back into itself. The footsteps were light, had a bounce to them, but were also slow and cautious.

The person sat beside you.

You didn’t look away from the now reddening view.

So he spoke, “I knew I’d find you up here. All alone.” Heizou paused for a moment, tasting his next words on his tongue.

Not too sweet, not too spicy, maybe savory, but all parts truth.

“I think it’s okay to be lonely sometimes. I think that’s when you learn the most about who you are. And who you want to be.”

Your gaze met his. Green like leaves that blew in the breeze, falling from the only home they’ve ever known. Dancing in the wind until they reached the other side of the stage, falling behind the curtain.

You wondered would you show your dance to those in the false sky’s kingdom, or would you never leave the branch, waiting and waiting until the tree met its end.

You supposed you’d have to find out where that journey would take you.

“No matter how long you need to be alone. I will always be a home for you to return back to.”

Ko-Fi | Commission | Masterlist

[ask-de-writer]

QUEST FOR ANCIENT CANTERLOT!  An  RP : PAGE 2, A New Plate, Old Memories!

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

Return to Role Plays with De Writer

QUEST FOR ANCIENT CANTERLOT!

An RP by @wind-the-mama-cat​ and @ask-de-writer

Scene setting Part 1 :  LUNA AWAKENS CELESTIA

Scene setting Part 2 : AIRSHIP!

Scene setting Part 3 : ONE LAST VISIT

Scene setting Part 4 : SCOUT’S PRIZE

Scene setting Part 5 : REBOOT / START UP

Scene setting Part 6 : CELESTIA AND LUNA GO TO MEET TWILIGHT

PAGE 1, THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!

PAGE 2, NEW PLATE, OLD MEMORIES!

As usual for a developing story, new text is in BOLDFACE type.

© 2021 by @wind-the-mama-cat​ and @ask-de-writer

Role Play begun 05/26/21

All rights reserved.  This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

///////////////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

@wind-the-mama-cat

Learning to Fly

Wind watched as Choco and Rose put their heads together to design the potential wing suit. As she watched, her eyes drifted to Rose's wings. Once upon a time, from what she recalled from her memory files, her Unicorn overlords once tried to give her sisters a means to fly.

She shook her head silently at what she 'remembered”.

One of the Unicorn engineers had come across an ancient picture, which, interestingly, showed the Rom Pegasus Angel with her artificial wing. Using that as a basis, and nothing else, the Usurper King thought it would be a good idea to give the battle droids wings.

The results were disastrous.

During the first round of testing, the wings where too small, as they made them proportionately to Pegasi wings. They lost 20 droids.

The second round of testing went no better. While they made the wings larger, they didn't anticipate the increased power draw. They lost 30 droids.

Dark nudged Wind back to reality.

“Wind?” The black mare asked quietly. “What's on your mind?”

Wind looked down at the mare. “Just recalling somewhat painful memory files.” She nodded at Rose and Choco. “Did I ever tell you how the Unicorns tried to give their droids wings?”

Dark shook her head. “No. You never did. However, we did get reports from Princess Twilight and her scouts about falling droids with reported wings.”

Wind snorted. “The idea had merit, honestly. Instead of using ships to transport the droids, they could simply fly into battle. The way they went about it was foolish and pointless. Now that I think about it, that tends to be how they do most things.”

The earned a chuckle from the small horse.

“Where you thinking of making wings for yourself, Wind?” She asked curiously.

Wind nodded. “Aye. Perhaps.” She tapped her chest. “I'm very heavy. Even with my new legs that you gave me, I still weigh over two hundred pounds. Two hundred and fifty, if we're being specific. The wing suit that those girls are designing won't work on me.”

“So, why don't we design wings that would work for you?” Dark asked. “Thanks to the dismantling of the Renaissance, I have a surplus of material to use for pretty much anything. Even with the demands of the Hammer, I have lots of carbon fibre, copper, steel, aluminum... you name it.”

“Well, a fixed-wing style would work best, I think.” Wind said. “But I don't want permanent wings.”

“So, a backpack that straps to you, and the wings fold up and extend?” Dark asked. “That you can control with your hands?”

“Right.” Wind said with a nod.

Rose's ears quirked. “You guys are designing your own glider?”

Wind sighed. She had forgot how sensitive Rose's ears were. “Now that the cat is out of the bag... yes. Not a wing suit like your design, Rose. More of a backpack shaped glider, like your wings, but not powered.”

Rose thought for a moment. “Well, they would have to be powered. Considering your weight, an unpowered winged glider would have to have a wing span of at least 22 feet.”

Wind and Dark shared a look.

“Yeah. That math checks out.” Wind sighed.

“Now, if you were to power the backpack-glider-thing with a single, central jet turbine, that would provide enough lift for the wings to be smaller.” Rose said. “Not as small as mine, but small enough to fold up.”

“A jet turbine could work.” Wind said in agreement. “Like you wings, I take it?”

Rose nodded. “Only with 3 fans stacked on top of one another, spinning and causing thrust.”

“Right.” Dark nodded. “Really small fans. But how would you power it?”

“Not with my central crystal.” Wind admitted. “It powers me and has a high power output, but I doubt it would power me and a... jet engine.”

Choco was frowning. “This all seems very complicated.”

“I certainly am.” Wind agreed. “As a result of a combination of mechanical parts, crystals – both magic in nature – and Soulblade, I am very complicated.”

“So, why not make your glider like Fenrir?” Choco asked. Upon hearing his name, The wolf stood up from beside Dark's shop and wandered over to the group. The small horse giggled. “Oh, hey Fenrir.”

Dark kneeled in front of the wolf and placed her hand on his cheek. “You're just like Wind, Pup. Technical and magic in nature.”

He blinked slowly at her.

“So, a separate crystal to power my wings.” Wind nodded. “Sounds like a good place to start.” She looked at Dark. “Now, a large egg-sized crystal would be impractical. One the size that powers me would be best.”

Scout giggled. “Except your chest crystal took most of my magic to charge, and it's maintained by your food processing systems.” She pointed out. “A jet pack with wings would require more power.”

“Well, my crystal is the size of a lemon... and Fenrir's is the size of a dragon egg. So...” Wind thought out loud. “Say somewhere in between.”

“A phoenix egg.” Dark said. “As for charging it? We can use my solar charger. It worked for Fenrir after all.”

“Right.” Scout said. “We can all work together on this project. If Wind is going to be testing this new technology, and Choco is going to be testing hers, safety is paramount. Lots of prototypes and testing and scale models, just like Dark said earlier.”

The five girls got to work on their glider project. Rosie and Choco worked on their wing suit, while Dark, Wind and Scout work on theirs. Occasionally, the two groups would stop and share notes, and miniature models, and other ideas.

Eventually, after a week of testing, Choco's first prototype suit was ready for a test flight.

Wind's jetpack however was far from ready, as it was more complicated.

On the morning of the day that Choco was ready to go up, with Rosie's help, that is, Dark got a call on her mirror.

“This is Dark.” She greeted the other Rom.

“Dark? This is Nala of the Topographical and Plate Locator Scout Team.” Nala greeted. “We discovered a new plate, just below plate 16. We're calling it plate 17 for now. It's three plates below your plate.”

Dark nodded. “Have you scouted it yet?”

“Not yet.” Nala answered. “It's mostly desert. Naturally desert, to be honest. Not like the desert plate like plate 1, which formed when the unicorns took the water with them during the shift.”

“Wait.” Dark said suddenly. “Are you saying that plate 17 is originally desert?”

“We are.” Nala nodded. “It does have a stream however, which wasn't affected by the shift either, surprisingly.”

Dark blinked. “Well... that means...” She nodded. “Don't worry about scouting that plate. I'll go and scout it myself.”

“Roger that, Dark.” Nala smiled. “Nala out.”

Wind and the others looked at Dark. “Dark?”

The small mare smiled coyly. “Wind... you have Wind's memories. What's the one location that is desert, but has enchanted water that no magic can affect?”

“The desert that the Rom originated from.” Wind answered. “Where...”

Dark smiled when Wind trailed off. “Marchhare's original resting place.”

“Whoa.” The gathered Rom gasped.

“We'd have to go and look for ourselves.” Dark said. “But I'll bet a hundred bits that it is there somewhere.”

“Isn't that also the location of the Lost Wood mines?” Choco asked. “It's a story that we Forest Horses grew up on.”

Dark shrugged. “I'll have to go and see.” She looked at Wind. “Wind? I'll need you to come too. Your scanning systems and memories will help me.”

Rosie nodded. “That makes sense. As old as I am, I won't really be of help. Besides, I want to stay here and work on my suit.”

Scout pouted. “And since Midnight has me on stress-rest, I can't go either.” Wind smiled and hugged her.

Dark smiled. “We'll have to hire a glider team.” She looked at De Writer as he, Tia and Midnight came wandering over to help with the glide test.

“Some good news, De Writer...” Dark said as she explained the call she just got.

@ask-de-writer

Old De Writer thoughtfully stroked his beard as he thought through the news.  Nodding, he agreed, “That MIGHT be a portion of the old Sunset Mountains and Celestia's Anvil.  The many disruptions caused by the Shattering did actually open some new springs, so what was seen might not be Sha Ja Shehan. “There appears to be a modest river with a valley on the opposite side from the observed desert. It would not be at all unlikely that it is part of the old Red Branch and fed by the Maze.  If so, it could even hold Morton's Swale and the ancient Wood Mines.”

The others were staring at him and slowly realizing what they knew but never really had to grasp.  The amazement showed on their faces as it came home to them just how ancient De Writer was.  He was speaking of those places and times as if they were recent memories.  Places and times that were lost in the mists of time, thousands of years BEFORE the Shattering.

Choco looked over to Dark, whose eyes had gone puffy with tears and slowly sorted out, “Dark, if you find Marchhare's Lake, do you think that maybe he is there?”

Wings shuddering with suppressed sobbing, Dark sat and shook her head. “No, Choco, not really.  After he came back from the Lake of Paradise, we could never speak to him at his Lake.”  She gave a slightly broken smile as she snickered at the memory, “Unless he was right there beside us laying a stone for himself.  The first time that he did that the Rom had been on the Roads of Equestria for 844 years.  He thought that laying a stone for himself was a great joke!”

Putting her face in her hands, she wailed, “I miss him so much!”

Choco looked on helplessly.  Knowing that Dark was immortal did not prepare her for the consequence of carrying grief that could last five hundred years and still be this raw.  She quietly sorted out that Immortality had some serious drawbacks.

Midnight crouched down and simply wrapped Dark in her midnight blue wings, holding her and gently rocking the weeping pegasus.

She murmered, “We know, Dear, we know.  Tia and I Laid the Stones for him ourselves.  Sometimes with him along side us, cracking a joke. He was always serious about the actual Stone Laying and saying that he was glad that we were taking such good care of his bones.”

Dark looked up from her crying and wondered, “Even if we find the right place, will there be anything left?  Five hundred years is a long time for his bones to be un attended.  He could just be weathered away to nothing.”

It was Tia who thoughtfully answered that.  “Dark, dear, if nothing else has scattered his bones but weathering, there should still be traces.  Teeth should last and some other larger, heavier portions of bone.  His harness had metal fittings.  As dry as that area always was and, according to scouting reports, still is, those should still remain.

“There is another there that we might find as well.  On the old river course side of the mountains was the Wayside where Sando went to the Lake. Finding him would be a wonderful treasure.”

Dark nodded slowly, “That is true.  If this is the right plate, it holds a number of treasures, some of them are more valuable than just physical things.”

De Writer looked about and suggested, “We are going to need a big cargo glider to carry this crowd.  I suggest that we all set up packs of supplies for exploring and then contact Air Trafic Control to see about getting a large enough glider to carry this expedition.”

It was Midnight who pointed out, “We mustn't forget to take along at least a pair of Stones.  One for Sando's Lake and one for Marchhare's.  It has been too long since they got that simple bit of respect and our love for them.”

Dark had to grin and pretend to calculate, “Let's see, five hundred years, at at least two visits a year, that makes about a thousand stones EACH.  Me, Wind, De Writer, Midnight, Tia, and Choco makes about SIX THOUSAND STONES to carry.  I don't think that there is any glider on any Rom plate that can carry that much along with us and our supplies!”

Midnight snickered and suggested, “Maybe we that have wings could carry the stones, IF we flap REALLY HARD.  Then, the glider could be a lot smaller!”

De Writer snorted, “If you all were mimes, you couldn't find your way out of a box that isn't there!  Let's all go and pack for the trip.”

Back at De Writer's Fair, the old pony quietly took Dark into his arms and gently rocked the small black pegasus.  Softly, he offered, “All of us that knew him, miss him dreadfully, Dark.  I wish that I could tell you that he will be there, waiting for us at his Lake.  Not even I can tell you that without a lie.  Wherever he has gone, I am certain of one thing.  He knows how much you love him.”

She quietly sniffled, “I do know that, De Writer.  It must sound really nutty to say this, but I want to show him how much I love him by playing Poison Grandpa one more time.”

De Writer nodded gravely as he agreed, “I actually do understand that, Dark, my dear.  With you, it makes perfect sense.

“Now, about packing for this little expedition.  We are going to need cartographic equipment and supplies to map the new plate.  Let's see, a first aid kit, a tent and sleeping bags.  Anything else?”

Dark grinned her shark like grin and retorted, “Food.  You don't really need it and I can survive without it, being immortal, but I really detest starving.”

De Writer snorted, “Right.  It is a comfortable habit and the others might not really like it if we forget it.  Some of them will starve without it and Tia and Midnight just recovered from starving for five hundred years.  They might not appreciate doing it again so soon.”

Dark was quickly to work packing things into neat bundles.  She casually added a pair of picks and shovels.  “Might need to dig some if that plate is where the old wood mines ended up.  Could be useful for other things as well.”

@wind-the-mama-cat

Holding Close

  Wind watched her “cousin” Dark gather their supplies. She knew that the Rom gliders were big, and could carry a lot of weight. However, with over six thousand semi-precious stones, and mining equipment, and food and water, not to mention 4 adult sized Rom, and Dark, they would need three gliders to get to the new plate.

She walked over to her now Wife, Scout with a thought.

“Scout?” She asked, as she sat down next to the Horse in the shade of their caravan, “I don’t suppose there’s a spell you could use to make all of our supplies feather weight, by chance?”

Scout shook her head. “Spells like that would need to be in constant use. Even for someone like Tia and Midnight, it would be exhausting.”

The cat-bot pursed her lips. “Darn. Looks like we will need to go with three gliders then.” She sighed heavily. “Not to mention, getting back up once we’re done with our exploring with all the added weight.”

“It’s a shame Auntie Esper isn’t here.” Rosie chirped as she doubled check Choco’s wing suit. “Out of all the Rom, thanks to the Spirit that lived within her, she could teleport unlimited weight miles and miles without breaking a sweat.” She shrugged. “She could move all of you down to the new plate, and all the equipment.”

Wind looked at Scout. “She could?”

Scout nodded. “From what I was told be De Writer, the first week Esper came to the Rom, she shifted 10 caravans and all the horses about 2 miles, all by herself.” She smiled at the thought. “Not even Black Lotus could have done that.”

Rosie looked at Choco. “Are you ready to test our first prototype, Choco?”

The young mare nodded. “Roger.”

The pink cat pulled the shoulder straps of the parachute tight. “I’ll be right up there with you, but it never hurts to have a back up.”

Choco nodded in agreement. “Better safe than sorry.”

Rosie pointed up. “I’m going to fly you up to the Ponyville plate directly above us.” She scooped Choco up Bridal style, spread her wings, revved her turbines, and took off.

Wind stood up. “I’m going to go help De Writer pack.” She bent down and kissed Scout on the nose. She walked over to the Blue horse’s caravan, and opened the door. “Need help, De Writer?”

He looked at her and smiled. “Can’t seem to find my Pre-Shattering maps.” He said as he shuffled through his bookshelves. “Mind going through my chest?”

Wind shrugged. “Sure.” She knelt in front of De Writer’s chest, and opened it. She gasped as the inside of the chest appeared to be as large as his caravan, and deeper. It also appeared to hold everything the Old Horse ever owned over his entire life. She looked inside it, and did a double take at the outside of it. “Uh…”

De Writer chuckled. “Just think  about what you want, and it will appear in front of you.”

Wind thought about the maps, and lo and behold, a green, ordinary looking, shoulder bag appeared in front of her. “What the hay?” She grabbed the bag and stood up. “So, uh… I thought of the maps, and this old looking shoulder bag, um, appeared.”

De Writer walked over to Wind, and took the bag from her. Tears played at his eyes as a serene smile a came to his face. “Oh my… I had forgotten that I had this.” He looked at Wind. “This is Wind’s bag of holding.” He chuckled. “She took this bag everywhere with her. In fact, it was this bag that helped me design my chest.”

“It’s larger on the inside?” Wind asked.

“Much.” De Writer answered. “You are familiar with the concept of infinity, yes?”

Wind nodded.

“Well, this bag of holding… is infinite.” He explained. “Or more like a gateway to a self-contained dimension of infinity. She could put anything in this bag, any object of any size, of any weight, so long as it could fit through the opening, and carry it with her.” He smiled. “And to find an object within the bag, just like my chest, all you had to do is think of it.”

“And the bag… wouldn’t get heavier?” Wind asked.

De Writer smiled. “Exactly.” He reached into the bag, and pulled out his maps. “Here they are.” He set them on the table, and then reached into the bag again. He pulled out a pink, well worn, cloak. “Oh my…”

Wind’s forehead crystal flashed. “My cloak.”

De Writer sniffled and set the bag down on the floor. He then held the cloak with both hands and held it at arms length. “Yes, Wind. This is your cloak. You remember it, don’t you?”

“I…” Wind but her lower lip briefly. “Mama Dragon gave it to Wind… on her 16th birthday. It belonged to Shia, her other mother.”

“Indeed.” He brought it closed to his nose and sniffed it. “Wind loves this cloak. She wore it that night she… passed to the Dream World.”

“Passed to the… huh?” Wind blinked. “She didn’t travel to the Lake of Paradise?”

“No.” The blue horse said. “Even though she was a Rom, first and foremost, she was the Watcher of her World. Watchers… don’t really die. When they find their Dragon, their life force becomes connected to the Source. As they use the source, their Dragon, they age, grow old, and when the Source is used up, they simply fade away.”

“Where do they go, if not the Lake of Paradise?” Wind asked gently.

“The Dream.” De Writer answered. “They join the other Watchers, along with their mates.”

“So, Wind and Penny… are together again?” the cat asked. “In the Dream? Along with Mama Dragon?”

“I can only guess, but I certainly hope so.” He smiled as he handed the cloak to her. “Here. She would have wanted you to have this.”

Wind took it and draped it over shoulders, fastening the brass clasp. “Thank you, De Writer.” She looked at the bag. “De Writer… I think we have the solution to our weight problem.”

“Weight problem?” He repeated. “Oh, with all of our supplies.” He looked down at the innocent looking bag. “Yes. I do believe you are correct, Wind.” He picked it back up and held it out for her to take. “This is as much yours as it was the other Wind’s.”

Wind took it and held at arms length. “Is there anything else that once belonged to Wind? I mean, with Rosie here now, should she not get some of her mother’s belongings?”

“I understand what you’re saying, Wind.” De Writer sighed. “I actually do have something for Rosie, that once belonged to Wind.” He walked over to the chest, rustled around some, and pulled out a silver looking chain shirt.

“Wind’s mithril shirt.” He said as he stood up. “Her birthday is next week, and I was going to give it to her then.”

“Oh.” Wind said. “I…”

“Rosie is not the jealous type.” De Writer said simply. “Sure, when she first met you, she was a little sore about Soulblade, but she understands that the blade is not inherited, She chooses herself whom she goes to.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Wind was my daughter, and I want you to have the cloak and bag. Rosie has no need for them, trust me.”

“And she won’t think I’m… trying to emulate her mother?” Wind asked. “Become more like her?”

“No.” De writer assured her with a gentle tone as he put the shirt away and closed the lid to the chest. “But come, let’s go help Dark pack for our trip.” He picked up his maps, and The two Rom headed out of his caravan. “Speaking of Rosie, where is she?”

Wind pointed up. “Choco is about to jump of the edge of Rom plate #2, to test her wing suit prototype.”

9 miles up, standing on the edge of Ponyville plate #2, Rosie watched as her marefriend tested the flexibility of her wingsuit.

The wings were made from a very thin, yet strong, carbon fiber cloth, and held together using a light-weight from of rom wood grass. Each wing was ten feet in width, and in theory, could sustain flight, when not being pulled by a Pegasi, for 18 miles.

“So our goal today is to fly straight.” Rosie reminded her. “No maneuverability tests. We’re just seeing how the wingsuit performs under weight, and checking for stress points.” She smiled. “And testing a smooth landing.”

Choco nodded nervously. “Roger.”

Rosie pulled down her goggles, and watched as Choco did the same. “I’ll be right beside you.” She pointed to the Edge of the Rom Plate #1. “Aim for the Rom Gunner Battery. It’s about 18 miles away.”

Choco gulped and nodded, and spread her wings. “For science…”

Some time later, Rosie landed at Edge Battery #10 and looked up to the sky. She watched as Choco angled her body to slow her decent.

“Knees bent, Choco!” Rosie encouraged her. “Slow yourself, just like we practiced!”

Choco landed a little faster and rougher then she had planned. Rosie acted quickly and caught her.

“I’m shaking…” Choco said through chattering teeth as Rosie hugged her.

“That’s the adrenaline.” Rosie said softly as she stroked Choco’s back. “It will wear off in a minute.”

Choco took deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. “That’s one heck of a rush. You know… flying. Or falling with style.”

Rosie giggled “I felt the same way when I tried to fly for the first time. I was one. You get used to it the more you do it.”

Choco giggled too as she slowly stopped hovering.

“Hey.” A voice said suddenly.

Rosie looked to her left. It belonged to the Wrecker captain, Nala. A beige mare Pegasus with long red hair.

“We had sights on your flight the entire time.” Nala said with an approving nod. “You did really well, Choco.”

Choco smiled “Thank, Nala.”

The Captain examined the suit. “So, you girls are just going with a personal glider approach, huh? No sustained flight?”

Rosie let Choco go. “We discussed that. We just want to make a personal, short-range glider to use on the Penny’s Hammer.”

“18 miles is short ranged?” Nala asked.

“Yeah.” Rosie nodded. “Most large wing gliders have a glide ratio of 4 to 1. We were 9 miles up. So, we got a glide ratio of 2 to 1. Not bad for a prototype.”

Nala looked towards De Writer’s fair. “So, um, how are you guys going to get back?”

Rosie smiled and scooped Choco up bridal style again. “I’ll fly her back.” Her wings revved up as she took off.

18 miles later, she landed back in De writer’s fair and set Choco down gently. “You okay Choco?”

Choco nodded absent mindedly. “Huh? Oh. Yeah. Okay. Just… feeling overwhelmed.” She removed her parachute, handed it Rosie. She then unzipped her suit and stepped out of it. “I think I just need a nap.”

Rosie nodded in understanding. “Oh. Sure. Want me to wake you for lunch?”

Choco smiled “Sure.” She handed the suit to Rosie. “We need handles on the wings. Holding onto the wings by the top bar was really difficult.” She yawned and headed into her caravan.

Rosie watched her go, and didn’t notice Scout sidle up to her. “How’d the test go?”

The Catter started for a second. “Gah!” She calmed down and looked at Scout. “It went well. I have to make some changes to it, no surprise there. It is work in progress after all.” She looked towards Wind, De Writer and Dark packing for the trip.

“Is… that my mother’s…” She walked over to the group and up to Wind. “Is that My Mama’s bag?”

Wind looked down at her. “De Writer took it the night your Mother passed on to the Dream. He gave it to me.”

Rosie nodded “Well, that solves your weight issue.” She looked to De Writer. “Are you guys leaving soon?”

@ask-de-writer

TO BE CONTINUED 

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

Return to Role Plays with De Writer

Scene setting Part 1 :  LUNA AWAKENS CELESTIA

Scene setting Part 2 : AIRSHIP!

Scene setting Part 3 : ONE LAST VISIT

Scene setting Part 4 : SCOUT’S PRIZE

Scene setting Part 5 : REBOOT / START UP

Scene setting Part 6 : CELESTIA AND LUNA GO TO MEET TWILIGHT

PAGE 1, THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!

PAGE 2, NEW PLATE, OLD MEMORIES!

[bloomchemy]

Between candy and a warm fire

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. Fluff/comfort .

. Gn reader .

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Disclaimer: Reader is not traveller || mention of fire

Note: An incredible person helped me with the translation of this one-shot. Thank you so much Algol for your help!

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*

Soon, you could see your friend's camp, inserted in a large hole in the mountain. You crossed the broken bridge with your glider (you always wondered why he never tried to repair it) and, after a tortuous journey, managed to reach Albedo's camp.

The harsh weather in the mountains, for some reason, was never kind to you. Every time you had to undertake a new trip there, the fog thickened and the wind rose, not to forget the snow storms that caught you up in their gales whenever you set foot there. You always had to carry extra provisions in your backpack, which made it weigh twice as much as recommended for trips like these, but all that effort always paid off.

Considering the good taste he was known for, that camp was pretty… precarious. A couple of shelves full of unknown substances, books full of indecipherable texts, an alchemy table that emanated a certain aura of mystery (perhaps because you didn't know how alchemy worked, despite your friend explaining it to you a hundred times) and so many other scattered items that it would be impossible to enumerate them all… Apparently order was not a priority in his laboratory.

Upon reaching the cave, you decided to head in directly, since another of Albedo's great mysteries was: Why didn't his laboratory have a door? Wasn't it cold during those frigid nights and icy snowstorms? You preferred not to think too much about the matter, you would ask him later.

Glancing around the lab, you quickly managed to spot him on one of the desks. Concentrated on perhaps writing his conclusions or some procedure, he did not notice your presence, so you decided to call his attention.

"Knock knock" you called it in a singsong voice. Immediately, Albedo snapped out of his trance and gave you a small smile, as a form of saying 'welcome'.

It was strange to see him without the usual coat on him, especially considering the icy wind that was blowing through the place.

"Oh, you made it. How was your trip?" he asked with curiosity

"Tough, but safe. This time no hilichurl attacked me" you mentioned letting out a small laugh.

You tried to get closer to the fire that kept the place warm inside, but immediately your friend called you.

"Did you bring the materials that Sucrose received?" 'Oh, that's right' you thought.

Faced with such a reminder, you removed your backpack from your shoulders and extracted from it materials of strange origin, mainly flasks full of unknown substances and boxes with suspicious aromas.

"Put them on the table" he indicated.

And you did it just as he asked. After a couple more orders regarding his requests, you began to relax, and with the relaxation came a small gust of wind that made your body shake. You wrapped your arms around yourself to feel some warmth; you thought about asking your friend if he could give you a potion, a blanket, something to keep you warm, but he looked so focused that you didn't want to interrupt him.

"Please, hand me that book over there, the one with the green spine", "look in chapter four for the properties of this mineral I have here". With each request, you began to feel like an assistant more than a friend, which made you somewhat sad, since after that long and tedious journey, you received little or nothing of importance.

Suddenly an idea popped in your mind. You stood behind Albedo and began to give him a little massage, since that was a good way to tell if he had rested during the last few days. As expected, his back was far from relaxed. He, on his part, was startled for a moment by feeling your touch, so he decided to question you.

"What are you doing?"

"It's not obvious?" you responded rhetorically, with a sassy tone, to then ask him in a gentler voice "How long has it been since you slept?

Albedo took a moment to respond, unsure of his answer. After a few seconds of silence, he decided to speak.

"Three days"

His answer didn't surprise you at all. You knew well that his sleeping habits were not exactly healthy due to the dedication with which he treated his work. Because of this, a new objective crossed your mind: Operation 'Make Albedo rest', whose first step was to make him get up from his seat.

"Hey", you got his attention. "I'm a little cold, don't you want to come with me to the campfire? I brought sweets to share"

You weren't telling a single lie, the cold you felt was real and the sweets were waiting patiently in your backpack.

"Sweets, you say?" Your friend took the bait.

"Yes, and I'm only going to give them to you if you get your ass off the chair and come with me"

Albedo sighed, surrendered. His sweet tooth could be seen by far, so it wasn't too difficult to make him take a little break to recharge his batteries with a candy-flavored treat.

"Okay, but only because it's you" and finally he got up. "Are you saying you're cold? I have some blankets here, give me a minute and I'll look for them."

The ash blond disappeared under a desk and returned with a small stack of fluffy blankets. While your friend was looking for the blankets, you decided not to waste time and looked among your things for the sweets and desserts that you packed with great delicacy.

Once both of you were ready, Albedo offered you a hot chocolate to, as he said, 'warm up your body', to which you gladly accepted. After preparing the drink, you both sat on the ground in front of the campfire of his laboratory and covered yourselves with blankets to enjoy a well-deserved rest.

You raised your head slightly to look at him; his eyes were closed, possibly wanting to enjoy his well-deserved rest with you and your delicious gifts. You smiled sweetly at the adorable sight he was giving you. His closed eyes, his mouth half-opened, his disheveled hair after several days without fixing it... you wished that moment would never end.

Night began to fall, and with it your tired eyes, which were impossible to keep open after such an adventure through the mountains. The heat of the campfire and the warmth of the aquamarine-eyed boy's body didn't help, since they gave you a relaxing feeling as well as pleasant; it wasn't every day that you could rest your head on Albedo's shoulder, or receive the caresses of his soft hands on your scalp, much less feel the rapid beating of his artificial heart.

To your surprise, after a while he decided to say something.

"Suddenly I no longer want to continue working…", he declared. His words took you by surprise, since that situation was most peculiar.

"Do you want to sleep?" you asked softly in your voice.

"Maybe so…" he answered before letting out a yawn and raising his arms in a stretch. That movement made the blanket fall, for which you laughed a little. "Sorry", Albedo covered you with the warm cloth and proceeded to look for some pillows to finally get that much-needed sleep.

Returning with the pillows and, additionally, a mattress so you wouldn't sleep on the hard stone floor of the cave.

"Klee insisted on bringing this" he said referring to the mat, implying in some way that he didn't really use it.

After throwing the mat and pillows on the floor, he indicated you to lie down on it. Next, he imitated your actions but behind you, so he could loosely hug you. Immediately afterwards, he covered you both with the blanket.

"I hope we don't lose body heat like this" he mentioned.

Despite his carefully chosen words, you could tell his true intentions by feeling his heartbeat. What a beautiful melody.

You both cuddled together by the fire, enlightened and warm. You yawned at the same time, action that made you both laugh at such an unexpected synchronicity. You snuggled into his warm chest to feel his heartbeat and his calm breathing. He, on his part, began to caress your hair again, so the cold no longer existed, just that warm moment shared with your favorite person.

. ________.________.

Masterlist

[manlyquail]

Netflix Avatar

I've got many thoughts I want to get out and so why not just make a "nobody asked and nobody cares" word vomit about my opinions on the Netflix Avatar series!

It'll be below the cut, but let me say I thoroughly enjoyed it but am on the fence about if it did need to exist or not given how perfect the original is. I could go either way honestly, and would watch more if more came out, but I'll explain more stuff in spoilers below.

I'll break this into a few sections, Positives, Negatives, Neutrals, and some sort of summary for my thoughts, but there is probably going to be some overlap since some things could fall into a few categories.

Positive First:

So this could stem from trauma from the last time things came around, but I thought the bending in the series looked way better (for the most part...). The opening scene alone felt like an atonement for how done dirty Earthbenders were in *that movie* and everything felt really fluid.

The characters in general all felt really true to themselves (again, for the most part). I was skeptical at first when news came out about Sokka's removed sexism, but honestly with the way his character arc played out based on the pressure to be a leader and a warrior I think it still worked out fine.

There was a surprising amount in the series that I thought would be material that would just get cut out, which was simultaneously a pro and a con. It was good to see a few certain story elements (SECRET TUNNELLLLL) but the way they overlapped in order to get several things in at the same time makes some of them a pro and some of them a con.

The payoff for "MY CABBAGES" had me rolling. 10/10

For the most part, every time I saw a character I knew immediately who they were. Costume and character design were great, sets and backgrounds were beautiful, everything on this front felt good.

One highlight is tied to the changes made around Zuko's backstory and his crew. His belief in not sacrificing the soldiers and them being assigned to him (and Iroh's telling of this fact to the questioning soldiers) was a great addition in my opinion. It added more depth beyond just the sympathy originally given to Zuko because of his scar.

Each (recent) Avatar getting their own spot in the light was fun. Roku's personality was enjoyable even if he was only around briefly.

Finale was super fun to watch, the effects of the moon changes across all the characters and the spirit rage had me pretty hyped.

In general the balls to burn so many people alive caught me off guard as far as ratings go, but I won't complain!

The sexism addressed in the North was a good bit of development for a few characters, although without Sokka's sexism through the early parts and a moment that really felt close to 'She has help' I'm a little on the fence about the impact it had there.

Absolutely loved June.

There's probably a few smaller things I missed here or there but in general lots of positives, thought with those comes

Negatives:

I'll get this out right away because this was honestly the biggest gripe I had out of anything else. I was not entirely sold on Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai. For me they personally looked too young, the rounded cheeks felt too innocent didn't sell me on the fierce and sharp features Azula demonstrates in the show, but I'm really trying not to get too hung up on this element. Azula is honestly an impossible standard, and I think what was demonstrated was still okay, but I'll be brutally honest that her victory at the very end over Omashu took a lot of the wind out of my sails, especially following the dramatic war of the North. I think maybe the actresses could grow into the characters, but when I picture scenes like the desert standoff with everyone versus Azula it just doesn't vibe.

Airbending when it was first shown felt a little too 'wee I'm on a wire and special effects!' which was somewhat painful. The combat aspects of it felt a lot better and the glider scenes worked, but I was pretty nervous when Aang first made his way down from the towers.

The Kiyoshi scene while cool at first felt brief and somewhat underwhelming. We saw some guys get grabbed by water tentacles and then a big swirl tornado of all the elements but that was really it. People got tossed around and the instant they retreated the state ended. It was cool to see Kiyoshi but I feel like the badassery could've come through at least a little more.

They really nail over the head 'Friendship is magic!' almost too much. Each Avatar basically told Aang not to have attachments or get too close to people because its bad juju, and the lesson 'I only got this far because I work with my friends' got old fast.

Aang additionally didn't do any learning with Katara during her waterbending training headed North. I'm on the fence about this because a lot of extra drama was cut out (no Bato, no pirates and the questioning about morals of stealing a scroll, no jealousy of Katara from Aang's training, etc.). Additionally one weird change (I know I noticed this as a positive earlier), but the Cave of Two Lovers was entirely a Sokka / Katara scene, and the narrative was compressed a little bit so that their 'sibling love' on an emotional level was the reasoning the badgermoles escorted them out, as opposed to either music or following the lights (which they brought up the lights but then made it a red herring?). On that note this cave appeared in Book 2 on the return trip to Omashu, but here it just showed up to get Katara and Sokka into the palace (warned about Palace Guards which I guess also weren't a problem, and this was at the top of the city but tunnels under... anyways...).

A small nitpick but something I remember laughing at; Katara does a training scene where she hits herself in the face with water and proceeds to try and wipe it off, but she's entirely dry, so that... just felt funny.

Avatar Roku didn't get much time in the light either (not even a dragon), and several spirit moments were crammed into one. Yue is a fox spirit that was randomly in the forest, Wan Shi Tong was there to (only heard by Aang) give an ominous warning that his friends would be in danger, and then Koh was also there to... just be a creepy cannibal centipede? These all showed up during the Hei Bai plot thread which didn't even get resolved (the villagers got brought back but I don't recall ever seeing the spirit again; cut for time?). The Koh thing felt out of place as well because this was the motivation for Aang to go all the way to the fire nation to see Roku, who told him to just let them die before Aang took an idol from Koh's mom back to trade for a whole bunch of people. During this 'Koh will feed soon' period Aang made it all the way to the fire nation, did his Roku meditation, got kidnapped by June and turned in to Iroh and Zuko (presumably all the way back on the mainland?), got kidnapped from his kidnapping by Zhao, spent time in prison, then the entire Blue Spirit rescue, with Aang hiding out even longer from fire nation patrols before making sure Zuko got back to his ship safe, and then made it back in time to save everybody from hungry hungry Koh. Honestly just so much here that it made the whole segment feel a tad clunky.

Neutral:

Now this is a list of things that I'm on the fence on and could probably go either way on.

Bumi being the biggest thing here.

Now Bumi's character changes at first were jarring. His identity being revealed immediately was a surprise, but his throwing a big fancy party and seeming like a weirdly hedonistic bad comedian felt off. His original personality I think showed through just enough to keep this from being a negative, but the fun of Bumi was how he was messing with Aang to try and provoke a memory from him while also just being batshit crazy. This would sometimes crop up, and the fight between the two was pretty slick, but otherwise it felt like Bumi was more of just a jaded old man. It became about Aang teaching him a lesson and not the other way around, which in the way felt justified with Bumi being consistently at war for 100 years, but on the other didn't feel like Bumi. I guess I leave this neutral purely on the grounds that this is a reimagining and not just the same story vomited back out in live action, but it's still one of the tougher changes to adapt to.

Another small change is that Aang did zero bending of any of the other elements outside of the Avatar state. He didn't train with Katara as I mentioned, nor did he have his interaction with Jeong Jeong to give him mini trauma about fire bending. Not the biggest deal but still noticed, which makes me wonder how they'll handle his bending in the future.

Azula being Zhou's contact and source of resources felt a little off, as did his learning about the spirits. Zhao was downplayed so much to be a random nobody in the live action version and then he 'needed an edge' and learned about the spirits (and how to kill them with a spirit knife?) right before the siege. Honestly the original of 'I stumbled upon this information unintentionally back when' wasn't great justification either but still.

Several of the Ozai scenes were a little offputting as well. Right before dying (to Iroh instead of the spirit, which again, random change) Zhou mentioned that Zuko only existed as the flames to forge Azula, but there was a lot of sorrowful emotion in Ozai's actor that made him seem oddly sympathetic in a lot of scenes. Lines as well which change context after the 'revelation' are hard to get a feel for as well, such as Ozai's reminders to Azula that it was Zuko and not Zhao that discovered the Avatar. In scenes like this it feels like Ozai is actually trying to defend and support Zuko, but with the motivational thing for Azula was this just him poking the bear? Either way, maybe a subsequent watch will change my thoughts on this, so for now its neutral.

Summary:

Overall I honestly had a good time with the series, but it really just drove me to go back and start the original all over again. It was by no means bad, I'd recommend it as a watch even if just for the numerous easter eggs, but I really don't know if it's good enough to justify existing. There were some changes I really liked, such as the change with Zuko's crew, and some others that I think have potential as reimaginations such as Bumi's narrative, but others like the cave, the Koh stuff, Yue being a fox that showed up in the forest felt like they should've just been left out.

Anyways, I do recommend watching it all the same, especially to get you in the mood for the original and to at the very least set a different standard for live action Avatar than what we had in the past.

Thank you all of nobody for coming to my TED talk. I really just wanted to get this all down somewhere for my own sake but I'd be interested in other's takes on it too!

[rotting-genshin-brain]

Have a fic oneshot thing i wrote-

I enjoy the idea that aether and lumine had no clue what the god said before trapping them in teyvat.

Includes: mention of scars, outbursts, Wanderer half flirting the whole time while also being a shoulder that Aether needs, Aether being OOC just bc he's talking a lot really

Wanderer was perplexed. The traveler joined the teapot awhile ago. They're all notified when he appears. So where was he? No one had seen him. Even Paimon didn't know.

So there he was, opening every door in the mansion to find the sunny boy. Or, he did anyway. He's finally reached the last door. It was his room. That wasn't an overstatement either. He practically lived in the teapot too. So it was within time for him to get his own room. Soft noises stopped Wanderer in his tracks and he leaned against the sliding door to hear better.

"Crying?" He murmured, sliding the door open silently.

The traveler was curled in his bed, back to Wanderer. His shirt and torso accessories were discarded to the side and two large angry red scars showed clear as day running parallel down his back. A destroyed wind glider laid not to far away as well. It looked to be an act of unchecked rage and pain.

Wanderer crept closer to get a better look at the scars before freezing in his tracks. "Did the traveler have wings?" Not much else made such distinct and perfect wounds.

He realized why the traveler had come to his room. It was the last room and furthest from the stairs. He was least likely to be disturbed here. Creeping forward a little more he gently touched a spot between the scars without thinking. And for that he nearly had his neck snapped as the traveler flipped and pinned him to the ground with his hands on his neck and no second thought. It took a moment to register who it was but when he did register the traveler got up, brushing himself off.

Wanderer's eyes traveled over the traveler's torso. Scars from his battles decorated the pale flesh. Jagged from lightning, solid from sword slashes, round from hilichurl arrows, spiked from burns, they each told a story. He didn't realize that the traveler was talking. He snapped back to attention only to catch the traveler being angry at him. He glowered. "Well you're in my room so..." He quipped then gestured to the mess. "Whats all this?"

The traveler fell silent and made no attempt at a response, resigning himself to getting up off of Wanderer and picking up his top. A quiet, irritated grunt left his throat when he saw he had ripped it. Wanderer sat up, watching.

"That, god, you talk about. The one that took your sister. She took something else, didn't she?" The indigo haired puppet glanced at the destroyed glider. "Not much will make scars like those on your back." He understood to an extent the feeling of losing a piece of you. Dottore loved to take from him in the beginning. Anything he could. However, the doctor was careful never to take a limb.

He got no response from the traveler. An exasperated sigh left his lips as he walked over to his bedside table and pulled a sewing kit from it. "Give it here." The traveler was still grumbling over his ripped shirt. If he learned anything about the sunshine boy in Inazuma, it was that he could have a very one track mind at times. And any questions would need to wait.

The traveler silently handed the shirt over and Wanderer's experienced hands started on the stitching.

"I had wings." The traveler finally spoke. He sounded unlike himself, almost unsure of his words.

Wanderer hummed, not looking up from his work. "I know. Like I said, those scars are telltale. And I've heard of you before we ever met. About how well you took to the glider even without having ever glided before." His nimble fingers guided the needle through the ripped fabric as if it was an extension of himself. "Everyone has heard of the famous traveler, the man who saved one of the four winds of Mondstadt, helped deliver the killing blow to an ancient god, defeated the eleventh and eight harbingers in a face to face battle. Who fought a literal goddess face to face and won." His eyes flicker upwards for a moment, peering at Aether through his lashes while pausing his stitches. "Who reformed the whole of Sumeru and took down a Fatui plot to replace the dendro archon." A smirk played on his lips as he went back to sewing. "You've many titles. Honorary Knight, Enemy of Eternity, Captain of Swordfish II, First Sage of Buer. But I wonder, which you prefer." He was just making conversation as he stitched.

The traveler paused. "My name is Aether." His voice was shaking a bit and there was almost an indescribable accent to how he said his own name. As if he wasn't speaking the common language of Teyvat as he said it. Wanderer glanced up, surprised. The traveler–Aether–had his golden eyes trained on him. Eyes that spoke of millenias of experience. For a brief moment, the puppet felt as if he was in the presence of a being older than the world itself.

"Aether." The word rolled around in his mouth like candy that wasn't too sweet to his tastes.

Aether looked at the destroyed glider. "When my wings were taken, it felt like the molten metal from the blacksmith was used to replace them. It was painful. And at that point it was only me, I had yet to fish Paimon from the ocean." Wanderer sets his sewing down. He was finished but he was listening to Aether. "I woke up with my sister nowhere to be found, this horrible pain down my back and no knowledge of this world or even any way to communicate to start my search for my sister. I didn't even know why I was still here or why that god attacked us." Aether paced as Wanderer looked on. This, all of this, must've been eating at him if he's unloading it on the former Harbinger like this. Aether's tone steadily became more frustrated as he continued. "We were just, attacked! We couldn't understand a word she said. And when I fished Paimon out if the ocean she started talking and I to this day don't know what she said. I can only guess she was thanking me for saving her."

With a huff he sat heavily on the bed, causing Wanderer to bounce up a bit and fall sideways against him. "Then I got my glider from Amber after Paimon taught me how to speak and understand the language of this world and it felt so nice to be in the air again."

The boy at his side stared at him and only then did he pull himself from his tangent. He said something under his breath in a language Wanderer could not recognize but which sounded like a curse and sighed. "Don't, tell anyone please. I realize that my request probably holds no substance and you can very easily use this against-"

"I won't tell." The ravenette cut Aether off. "You know my tale. Now I know yours. Fair trade." He dropped the fixed shirt in the honey eyed boy's lap. "You sounded like you needed that, though. And that's honestly the most I think I've ever heard you speak. At all. It was, strange." He stood and stretched, starting to clean up the mess Aether created earlier. "In a good way I suppose."

Aether watched in surprise as Wanderer picked up the glider pieces as sat them in a pile, long sleeves tucked out of the way in his waistband. He wasn't the Kunikuzushi or the Kabukimono of his memories, but he wasn't the Balladeer either. He seemed to be an even mix of the two. The star born boy stared and mused to himself over this.

"Are you gonna keep staring at me with those pretty eyes of yours or are you gonna help me clean up my room." The blue clad boy finally glanced at Aether again. He had a broom in hand now and was cleaning a smashed pot that had been caught in crossfire. Aether grimaced, realizing he'd have to go to Tubby and get a new one made.

He got up and hurried over, grabbing another broom and starting to sweep up wood chips with his head down. He heard Wanderer scoff behind him. "Hey Sunshine, look at me for a moment." Aether turned only to be met with soft lips against his own. His eyes widened then fluttered closed until Wanderer pulled away. "Now go put on your shirt and let me know new time you plan on breaking things in my room?" His footsteps faded and Aether opened his eyes, blinking.

"What the hell?"

[aries-rp-corner]

As Baron drifted off to sleep, he felt himself floating in the air waking up to find himself facing a watery surface. Swimming up as he emerges and climbed out, looking around to see a familiar starry sky, a sea of trees, and orbs gliding in the sky…making him feel a deep longing to fly again… “Nasrin… Did I die in my sleep?” He asked as he turned over to face the woman, only to find she is not here….

“Nasrin? Nasrin!” He called out, looking around to see if he can find her… until spotting a figure in the distance. Walkng over closer and closer to see… “No…you can’t be… Cornelius?!” Baron began to shake and run to the figure, tears streaming down as he ran with his might. “Brother! Cornelius! I’m sorry! I know you told me to protect Mom and my family! But I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you!” Baron cried out, reaching out his hand to grab his brother for one final hug… only… now he found himself tripping and meeting the water again…only now it feels like mud as it was dragging him down. “No! No no no NO!! Not again! Let me speak to him!!” He cried out now fighting to run pass the Lake of Stars to reach his brother. “Please!… Let me speak to him! One last time! Please!!” He held out his hand to try to grab something…anything!…

Baron felt a hand holding his, looking to see his brother. Giving a supportive smile as it soon turned into a goofy grin. Yet…there was sadness within it as Cornelius’s face softened. “I left Aries a message for her, you, and Mah in it. I forgot to tell this to Hana, my fault there…which is I’m going to say it now. Baron, don’t stay earthbound forever. Use those wings of yours to fly once more! Go forth with no fear, and go forth with swift justice! Just like the old times! Show them and Aries why I, our family , and the rest of the Rangers called you The Silver Comet. Never be bound by sorrow, I did it so Aries won’t have the heartache of losing two people she loved dearly… Use those wings to soar in the sky once again. Morning is coming little brother…and so is my message. Take to the skies as a way to remember me. I love you.”

Baron had tears falling more, before he was about to question him Baron found himself sinking back down as his hand was freed. Falling into darkness once more… looking up to see the stars fading, yet he didn’t feel fear…but a desire to fly. Smiling warmly as he shut his eyes, feeling at peace after so long. Now awakened with a soft gasp as he looked at the ceiling, and looked over to see a sleeping Rina. “….Cornelius….” Baron whispered, looking over to the alarm clock to see its almost dawn. Feeling the determination to fly once again.

Quietly getting up as he grabbed his tools and equipment. After that, he quickly called his Uncle… “Hugo, you awake?” Baron softly asked as the Blacksmith barked out.

“BOY!! It’s 5 in the Morning!! Rina told me you were asleep! Go back to bed and wait for ya daughter!” Shouted the tired and angry Blacksmith, “And I thought my shift was coming up next week to make sure she’ll respond back!”

“I know! But there is something I want to ask! Would you like to help me fix my glider? I’ll explain everything when you get here! But please keep it down!” Baron sheepishly spoke in return. Keeping his voice down to not wake up his wife, but also covering his phone thanks to the outburst.

“….Fine. Let me grab my equipment and tools. And sorry for the shouting there…I’m tired lad…but honestly, I think we all are…including Aries. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.” Hugo was honestly tired and angry he was waken up, but he know Baron long enough if something comes up…especially the stress and worry.

The two hanged up as Baron raced over to his barn, opening the doors to see something under the tarp. Carefully removing it to reveal his wind powered glider, now dusty and possibly some damage within it due to not using it anymore. “Alright Core, one last time in the sky… for you and everyone. Like the old days. The Silver Comet shall Sore the Skies once again.”