#wow i was so focused

[caralara]

Music For A Sushi Restaurant is a big FUCK YOU to the Music Industry

Okay okay okay, I watched it and I felt the holy gay spirit overcome me, give me the energy and focus to do what I procrastinate forever on to do for my uni papers: write an analysis. Guess my studies are coming in handy after all! Kindly be reminded that, with all art analysis, this is subjective and your interpretation of it is as valid as mine <3

Let’s take a look at the characters first.

Characters

Squidrry: Harry plays the mermaid version of himself - we don’t know the backstory, but we know he got stranded on a beach and has a squid tail in place of legs. Who does that remind us of? Ah, yes, his mermaid tattoo: that beauty though has her whole vulva out, making her definitively female, which is interesting because mermaids often symbolise genderlessness and genderqueerness (mermaidsuk.org.uk), and in the case of his tattoo it could be interpreted as genderqueerness with special emphasis on femininity. The little mermaid is also clearly referenced - Harry has referenced her before wearing the shirt printed with “But Daddy I love him!” on the front and “this shirt will make you look gay” on the inside. Some elements from the storyline are also picked up in this music video: losing her voice, getting manipulated into contracts...

The Discoverer: it’s the guy who finds Harry on the beach, seizes him up and immediately recognises his worth. He pulls up his phone and calls just the guy who knows how to make this fish into money. Almost like an A&R guy.

The Manager: he seems to be owning Gill’s bar. He is the one who makes the decisions as to what to do with Harry, and he also seems to have a “soft spot” for Harry, or what I would call: a fetish. He obsesses over Harry’s tail, yet he thinks the real selling point is Harry’s voice. 

The Handler: he’s the manager’s dogsbody, he does everything to his bidding. He does all the dirty work, from crushing crabs to caring for Harry. He seems to be somewhat disgusted by Harry and his other-ness.

The Woman: she is in the background most of the time, does similar jobs as the Handler, but seems to be higher up than him. She almost seems like a prop, as she does not have a proper characterisation besides being there.

The Boy: is young, handsome and wears shiny clothes. 

The Crowd: a diverse group of people that are not necessarily very entertained by Harry’s performance

Let’s go through the music video scene by scene

Shots

When The Discoverer finds Harry, he towers over the viewer, showing he’s in control & he object he looks at is at his mercy. He sees that Harry is something special, but what he sees is only the way he looks, his other-ness, not his talent. He hasn’t heard him sing yet. Interestingly, Harry is fully bearded (lol) when they find him. Is this a reference to him right now? Or is this simply a tool to show he’s been at sea for a long time (Eroda continued)?

Next we see a red crab. Is this a dig at duplishitty and the whole Sebastian drama some months ago? I remember tons of Ariel memes at the time when Harry’s character turned out to be actually called Sebastian and the larries dragged that fic through the mud all over twitter. It was glorious. Ergo a dig at hetharries’ image of him? Don’t ruin my fantasy? Your fantasy is our #1 priority?

Then we see a dirtyass industrial kitchen: it is grimey, stuff happens here that the people who enjoy their meals do not want to know about - just like in the music industry. If the people knew how bad it gets behind the literal curtain - would they still be as happy throwing their money at it? As soon as they get the call, the engine starts: the well oiled machinery of the music industry

everything is documented right from the beginning in flashing snapshots: Harry’s discovery on the beach, where he gets ‘made’ into who he will be the kitchen, closeup of what makes him special (his tail), meeting all the important people in this world. Everyone wants to be in the shot showing off their catch (the Manager at his tail, showing it off, the Woman close to his head (stunting? or maybe AnnMarie from PR who doubled as their mental health counselor, whispering into his ear?)). Is the Kitchen The X-Factor, where he proves himself and wraps them all around his finger with his siren voice? There he sees what they’re doing to the ones that are like him but don’t stand out: they’re violently cut up, produced into quick money. It is a literal competition to survive - almost like the auditions.

The crew is almost scared or weirded out at first but also entranced - Harry distracts them while he surprises them with showing up behind him or next to them, catching them off guard while taking everything in with wide eyes: he’s a quick learner, he soaks up how this world works immediately. Then the handler gets him with a bribe of fish: they dangle it in front of his face, and it’s what he wants.

As soon as he takes the bait it transitions to him performing in the venue itself. We see him with cut hair and a fancy robe, showing the Manager and Handler what he can offer. Is this Harry having to prove himself, again, as a solo artist with HS, now that he’s performing in the actual venue, where there will be eventually an audience? Or is this still proving himself with One Direction?

We see a montage of them making him feel like a star, accommodate his otherness, his tail, in a way that he truly feels like a star, and there’s so much glitter everywhere, making everything sparkly. Very interesting here: the towels they use to hydrate his tail, the thing that makes him so interesting and enticing, to keep it healthy and happy, are blue green = could be that he feels that at first they humoured Larry Stylinson - until 2012 it was not a problem and they even used the “bromance” for marketing - until they don’t anymore. While Harry’s eyes and ears are  plugged “for his own good” to relax and be distracted, you can see the handler starting to resent Harry for having to take care of Harry’s weird tail, and if he doesn’t check on him he stops actually taking care of it. In the meantime, the Manager is weirdly obsessed with the tail. Harry starts to wear a pearl necklace - the pearl is a widely recognised symbol of genderquerness (the oyster, that produces the pearl changes its sex at least once in its lifetime, usually start out male and become female).

again, everything is documented in snapshots: Harry and how the people around him feed him and take care of him

Harry becomes accustomed to the lifestyle and acts like a diva - or does he? He asks for tea which he uses to gargle, taking care of the one thing he knows is keeping him alive: his voice. He has the Manager give him a manicure while sitting in the women’s dressing room, a little white women’s chemise hung up behind him on the wall ready for him to slip into. He starts wearing sunglasses: he is shielding himself more, and he wears even more pearls, they’re on the sunglasses too now. He becomes more flamboyantly genderqueer and has the Manager help him express it? There’s even more pearly waiting for him to be worn on the table in front of him. More, more, more pearls!

He doesn’t like the music they want him to sing. But the music video synchronises with the song just in that moment and has Harry say: “whatever you want” - even though he doesn’t like the songs he will sing them, because that’s what the manager wants - and otherwise he might end up dead. In return he wears even bigger feathery gowns and boas. Pearl sunglasses are a thing now. He has glitter confetti in his hair. He is fabulous.

even though it makes it look like he’s treated like a diva, he’s still in the dingy diner with loads of filing boxes. These boxes over boxes are filled with - contracts? He is with The Discoverer in this scene. Is this Simon?

the Manager takes care of him in order to make money off of him, literally grooms him and enjoys lubing up his tail a little too much - there’s a shot that focuses on the wedding band he wears on his finger. The way the mv is shot, there is a broad sexualisation of Harry’s tail, constantly filling the frame, lubed up, glistening, primed = Harry gets sexualised, his most sexual, peculiar features on display all the time to get more people interested and enticed. And although the Handler sees that the Manager fetishises Harry’s tail, he doesn’t say anything, only judges. 

soon, Harry has dark circles underneath his eyes that he treats with patches. He is tired? Exhausted? But keeps going while becoming more impatient with everyone around him.

Another round of snapshots: food/seeing what happens to people like him that don’t stay relevant (they get chopped up and eaten), there’s beer & drinks, pretty surroundings like the coral throne for him, and a prawn dangles from string: more bribe? It’s always in front of him, even when performing

then he is finally on stage: he’s happy, wearing a pearl crown and is loaded with pearl necklaces, sings into the microphone and does his iconic whale. It’s where he’s happy. But there’s a close up shot of his birdcage tattoo = he’s still trapped and caged.

There’s a closeup of two cherries in a martini glass: Cherry, Stunts, Alcohol? Both are parts of the world he’s living in: the show biz.

when he’s performing in front of the audience, the people are not super into the performance, the ones the Manager so excitedly wants to sell Harry to don’t care too much about him or his performance, just want to watch the peculiar creature writhe. There’s a disparity between what the Manager thinks the audience want and what the Crowd actually want. The Boy asks to touch his tail (= his most sexualised feature), and Harry slaps him for it. Did people want to have Harry and he never gave himself away like that?

more snapshots: of credit cards in cash machines and cash: the Manager makes a lot of money off of Harry, the way he rejects the Boy, his performance, the musicians, him singing - it all gets documented every step of the way.

At the height of his career, his voice leaves - a nightmare coming true. The lights turn off and it gets cold, as soon as he can’t offer what the Manager thinks is profitable (his voice), his previously praised feature (his tail, his otherness) won’t save him. The Woman gets ready to dice him by sharpening her knife - she’ll take him down, too. The Handler will help cooking him, no questions asked, no emotions shown.

The Manager actually reminisces about him Harry and misses him, even though he gave the go to kill him and make him into sushi: he doesn’t see that he was the one to make the decision and instead blames the market / capitalism. Still fetishises him in retrospect: he doesn’t actually miss Harry, but what value he had for him: profit and getting his fetish satisfied (he’s swirling his fingers in the vaseline). 

Even of the process of destroying him they try to squeeze out a last little profit which they document in snapshots

I think it is an incredibly interesting choice of Harry’s to set this whole music industry metaphor in a dingy little diner lounge instead of the flashy, beautiful world that is usually chosen to show just how enticing show biz is. He isn’t trying to justify why he fell for the bait, he is way past that - he wants to remind us that behind all the glitter and beautiful lights, it is a dingy, creepy shithole. He also didn’t choose to have a beautiful, shimmery fish tail, the way we love seeing on mermaids, and have also been sexualised with their curves and the way they move, but a squishy, slimey squid tail - it’s supposed to intrigue the viewer just as much as it did the Crew and the Crowd with a little bit of disgust. Which, again, is incredibly interesting and telling as to how Harry sees his “otherness,” and - let me go out on a limb here - his queerness perceived. It also means that he cannot move around in this world just as he is - he has to be helped, carried, hauled, driven by the people around him: in this case, his Handler and Manager and Discoverer. He is dependent if he wants to survive in that world (the music industry).

 Most of the characters in this music video are men - they are all after profit, and the main trait of every single character is that they very evidently just don’t care about anything except money (profit) and sex (fetish).

It is a very clear condemnation of what the music industry is like even if you look only a little closer. 

I love that he doesn’t show himself as the Saint Victim, while still (thank god) recognising he was and is indeed a victim of the profit machine - he shows how much he likes getting pampered and enjoys the lifestyle, acting a little diva (although I would take that with a shovel of salt - Harry is known to be unfairly hard on himself and self deprecating). It still seems to be though how he sees himself there.

Another note worthy part is the audience. To me, it shows the disparity between what the Manager character thinks the crowd wants and what the crowd actually wants. And the best (and most sad) part is: neither of them are better. The Manager thinks it’s his voice and performance, while he’s privately fetishising his tail, while the audience just wants to watch something happen, in that moment a weird person with a squid tail singing, the next day said squidperson being chopped up and served to them as sushi. They’re there for the spectacle, not the person. So neither of them are good - and it makes me sad to think that’s how Harry perceives his audiences (is he wrong, though? At least about the majority of his fans?)

I also adore just how fully packed the whole music video is with his genderqueerness. You literally cannot ignore it - from being a trans symbol itself to the accumulation of mountains of pearls to the women’s clothes to him being in the women’s dressing room. If you don’t see it by now I really can’t help you.

To me, this is such a power move - he shows just how horrible these people have been in the name of the profit, the way they see themselves (nostalgic, missing their abuse victim?!) and at the same time show them for who they really are: sad little grimey dingey people in some shithole etablissement. 

I cannot tell you with how pleased I am with this music video - Sushi for a Music Restaurant has been one of my faves off the album since the day I heard it at the listening party, and to see it come to life exactly along the lines of how I interpreted it as well as being incredibly surprising and clever is just - chef’s kiss. Thank you Harry for this masterpiece.

[coolnonsenseworld]

Samurai and Ninja in crappy pics because December here is under a constant cloud and I just want y'all to see them all golden and cute without learning how to take aesthetic pictures 🥴 💙❤️😆🥰

linktr.ee/Mezzy

[everysongineverykey]

very pleased to report that i tried literally counting sheep last night and got my first full night's sleep in like a week in a long period of sleepless nights!!

[theamazincactus]

Him!

[lilyginnyblackv2]

The Buddy Daddies Episode 12 Title Screen is Interesting! - SPOILERS!!!

Here is the title screen for Episode 12:

This title screen uses the same exact font as the series title and it also uses the text color to represent the characters like the title colors do:

In the Buddy Daddies title, the red is to represent Kazuki and the blue to represent Rei. In the other episode titles, we see that pink is used to represent Miri, and obviously in the Episode 12 title “daughter” is Miri and daddies represents Kazuki and Rei as a unit. Right, they are both her papas. 

The way the title has shifted from Buddy Daddies, where the focus was on Kazuki and Rei separately growing and learning and becoming more and more like a family, the title Daughter Daddies has two words that are family based and indicates that they are “real” family now. They aren’t just two “buddies” co-parenting a girl, they are two daddies raising a daughter.

Now, I don’t want to get my hopes up for a second season. But it is very interesting how Episode 12′s title screen and text looks so vastly different from the others:

The only one that comes somewhat close to resembling the series title is the Episode title for the 8.5 Intermission (Recap) episode: Cherry-Pick. But, It uses the episode title font, instead of the series title font. 

Now, the use of the title font for Episode 12 could just be because it is the final episode and to show the transition that Kazuki and Rei have gone through. But, what if it is also indicating a possible second season, one that would be titled “Daughter Daddies” instead of “Buddy Daddies,” because in a second season they wouldn’t be “Buddies” anymore, they would be “Daddies,” together?

I swear, if that does end up being the case, I will scream! lol I don’t want to get my hopes up too much though! 

[books-are-my-life-stuff]

Finished series, Fall 2023: Akuma-kun (2023)

"What is happiness to all humans? Are they happy if there's ample food, clothing, and shelter? Do they want self-fulfillment? Recognition from others? The psychologist Maslow said--" "Hold on. Hey, Ichiro. What is happiness to you?" "To me?"

[bg3-npc]

Wyllstarion concept I can’t stop thinking about so I’m making you all suffer with me.

Post-game get together, the scenario involves Astarion not ascending and Wyll keeping his pact with Mizora. Wyll can chose any endgame path, I personally imagine his Duke ending. The party went their separate ways after defeating The Absolute, and at least a year has passed. There’s the setup, here’s the concept causing me brain damage:

Wyll and Astarion reconnect in some way. Despite the dire circumstances, they enjoyed each other's company during their adventure. Astarion is recovering, enjoying his freedom while trying to figure out what ‘being good’ means to him. He’s experienced many things since the party's victory and seems to be steadily improving on all fronts. Wyll has been doing whatever duties come with his chosen title and doesn’t seem different. He almost seems entirely unchanged, but the more Astarion is around him he feels like something is off.

Astarion pays closer attention and notices small differences he hadn’t before. Wyll looks haggard, he fidgets and blinks constantly like he’s trying to keep himself awake all the time. He’ll lose focus and zone out so badly he won’t respond when Astarion calls his name. When Wyll doesn’t have a day full of tasks, he’s restless and almost seems to panic. He will return from missions more hurt than someone his skill level should. He struggles to concentrate during conversation, especially when it’s not centered around his responsibilities. Wyll also never drops his persona, even when the two are alone. He performs his part, but it seems more exaggerated and forced than when they first met. Whenever they’re together, Astarion never actually feels like “Wyll” is there.

A normal, everyday interaction provides an explanation for Wyll’s strange new presence. Someone starts calling Wyll’s name to get his attention. Astarion notices the person immediately, but Wyll doesn’t. After a few failed attempts, they call Wyll by his title. That method finally gets Wyll’s attention, and he’s seemingly oblivious to the previous attempts. Seeing this recurring phenomenon from a third-party perspective gives Astarion the insight he’d been missing.

Wyll reflexively, and almost exclusively, talks in the third person now. Only ever talking and presenting as his title. He will give his input on a matter, but only what’s necessary and doesn’t reveal anything about himself. He hasn’t formed any new connections or relationships since they departed, and any he has are friendly but essentially professional. Wyll is never off duty and ensures he always has some quest to complete. He’s never idle or relaxed, keeping his mind and body occupied at all times.

The issues that plagued Wyll before and during their party's journey never got resolved. He wasn’t managing well before, and by the end of everything his suffering had only increased. His situation has not improved since and the toll of everything that’s happened is becoming intolerable. Wyll refuses to acknowledge his pain but it’s overwhelming him nonetheless. He sees no end to his misery and feels helpless to stop it. In a desperate attempt to regain some feeling of control over his life, Wyll’s removed himself from it entirely. He doesn’t have to address what’s affecting his life if he’s not living it. Wyll’s abandoned his name and latched onto the identity of his title. The reason Astarion never feels like “Wyll” is with him is because he no longer sees himself as “Wyll”.

Astarion avoided asking Wyll about his pact with Mizora, but this breakthrough compels him to broach the subject. Wyll tells him he feels it’s best for everyone if he doesn’t break it, and he has resigned himself to a fate in the Hells. He truly believes it’s the right thing to do and disregards his feelings about it. He will do his duty to the people, and he will convince everyone he’s okay. He wants to convince himself he’s okay.

Wyll is doing all he can to avoid and deny any of his trauma, but his coping strategies aren't working. He's still doing heroics for the right reasons, but now they've also become a distraction. He’s even begun to use them as a form of self-harm, his reckless selflessness verging on suicidal. Ignoring the issue doesn’t resolve it, and Wyll is completely unaware he’s nearing a breaking point. Astarion has no idea what reaching it will do, but he refuses to let that happen. He cares for Wyll and dedicates himself to pulling his friend back from the edge. Astarion will help him regain his sense of self by any means necessary. Wyll is going to fight him the entire time, but Astarion has had 200 plus years to perfect stubbornness. Wyll has the capability to save his soul, save himself, but he needs someone to show him he’s worth saving.

Aaaaand from there the plot varies and mostly depends on how much suffering I want to put these two through. The amount of psychic damage I cause myself with this setup also varies day to day.

[mintjeru]

it probably wasn't the smartest decision to start an ongoing 1000+ chapter webnovel when i know it'll consume my every waking thought but here we are

open for better quality | no reposts

[obey-me-headquarters]

IMAGINE taking pet Mammon to the vet to get a vaxx. My poor baby. He would be so scared but so cute. And after that McDonald's/ new shiny stuff and a hundred billion pats. Also MC singing him "he's so brave, he's well behaved, he is not afraid" anyways auiysdvbjhdsfgisaygf (I love him)

Now you have made me consider how each of the brothers behave when they have to go to the vet….

Lucifer: one of the easiest ones to bring to the vet because he doesn’t want to appear “wild” or “childish” by throwing a fit. So you can write his vet appointment date in the calendar, and when the date rolls around, he’s perfectly fine with getting into the car. Actually, being at the vet, though?.... He’s not the most well-behaved pet…..  He’s very compliant, he sits in the waiting room and doesn’t make a word of disagreement. He listens to the vet when they tell him to sit. Just when the checkup actually starts, he gets a little testy. 

Each procedure is met with a question, why are they doing this, what are they testing, don’t they see he’s perfectly healthy? 

If he does need to get a shot, he sits perfectly still and stays quiet. Putting on a brave face and acting like the sight of the needle doesn’t bother him at all. But if you insist on holding his hand then you can feel it shake slightly. 

The worst part? When the visit is done Lucifer accepts no treats for his behavior or a way to smooth him. He views it as “beneath him” and thinks that only little pups and spoiled pets get treats for getting their health looked after. To him, having an owner that cares enough to even be concerned about his health is enough for him. 

But, if you just so happen to order dinner from his favorite place, well, he won’t complain….

Mammon: Like you said, he does not do well with going to the vet. He’s definitely the kind of pet you need to hide vet visits from, as when you openly told him about his vet visit a week in advance before, and he spent the whole day hiding under the bed and no amount of bribes or treats could convince him to leave. Crying at you that the vet will put “weird” things in him, or force him to wear a cone. Causing you to miss your vet appointment and having to beg them for another. 

So now you’ve learned from your lesson, and don’t even tell him where you’re going as you load him into your car. Mammon thinks you’re taking him to the park, or better yet, the casino (even though you gave absolutely no induction that is where you’re taking him). He works himself into a freezy, talking about all the winnings the two of you will make at the casino. 

When you pull up at the vet, suffice to say he’s a little bit betrayed (even though, again, you never told him that you were going to the casino). You have to physically drag a whining Mammon in through the vet doors and hold his hand in the waiting room so he doesn’t bolt away.

When you two go into the vet’s office Mammon is talking a mile a minute, trying to convince them that he feels perfect, that he’s a 100% - no - a 1,000% healthy and does not need to be looked at. Really doc’, you’re just wasting your time! 

If he does have to get a vaccine he is SO scared, you have to have him in your lap as one hand is holding his hand while the other is running a comforting hand through his hair. The whole time you’re singing to him that song, “he’s so brave, he’s well behaved, he is not afraid” in between peppering his face in kisses. While Mammon is curled up into a little ball on your lap, eyes squeezed closed. 

And when that’s finally done? Yes, give him all the treats lol. He’s asking for McDonald’s, ice cream, cookies, a new watch, to go to the casino. He has absolutely NO shame in milking all your guilt for things. In his mind, he deserves it since he was so “brave” and “well behaved”. He expects kisses every time he complains about his arm hurting.

Levi: He’s another demon that you have to hide his vet appointments from. When you first get him, and he’s still terrified of you, he makes no verbal compliments at going to the vet, even though he’s so scared and hates going. He’ll look at you with the saddest, wettest eyes from the car mirror as you drive him to the vet. When you two get there, he actually starts hyperventilating a bit in the waiting room. And when you two actually go into the vet’s office? The vet actually asks you if he would like a treat to “calm down”. If he has to get a shot at this stage of your relationship he’ll shakingly hold out his hand and squeeze his eyes shut, fully expecting the vet to be rough as they give him his vaccine, too afraid to be grateful when it doesn’t hurt at all. 

You definitely lose some relationship points with Levi after this, and for a long while he gets very suspicious whenever he gets into your car. 

If you take him to the vet when your relationship with him is better though? He feels completely safe to whine and complain to you the entire time. You’ve learned that you have to hide his vet appointments from him after he locked himself in the bathroom on the day you’re supposed to go. 

When you successfully trick him into getting into the car, he’s still a little suspicious of where you’re taking him. When you pull up to the vet he loudly starts proclaiming that he has so many shows and games to catch up on! Don’t you know that a new chapter of his manga is dropping soon? That an online raid is happening right now?? You two have to go home right this instant!!

Also has to be dragged into the vet’s waiting room. 

He will sulk the entire time you’re waiting, curling up into a ball on the waiting room chairs as he taps away on his phone. It’s only when his name gets called does the fear return to him and he starts to shake. Even though he was sulking and refused any contact with you in the waiting room, he starts to cling to you in the actual vet’s office. You have to bribe him to sit still and let the vet do their job by promising him anime merch and that you’ll play a new game with him. 

When it’s all over he sulks for days in his room, being quite cold to you if you knock on his door. It’s only after significant treats, and the fact that he needs a player 2 for a lot of his games, does he start to seek you out. 

Satan: throws an absolute fit when you tell him that he has a vet appointment. Being an ex-fighting ring demon, he doesn’t have the best experiences with medical personnel. Most of the time the “vets” at the ring just patched someone up enough to continue to fight, and they were never gentle. In his mind he’s fine now. He’s not getting into any more fights, he’s uninjured, he’s not deathly sick, going to the vet just seems like a waste of time to him. 

You have to have many talks with him about annual checkups and how people still go to the doctor’s even when they feel “fine”. Satan doesn’t really get it until you explain to him that there could be something wrong with him but he doesn’t know about it, especially after he reads a few books about hidden illnesses and diseases. But he only agrees to go when you tell him that you also go to the doctor’s for your check ups. 

When you’re driving him to the vet he asks you a lot of questions about what will happen at the vet. Who is his vet? How trained are they? What kind of tests are they going to do? He worked himself into a bit of a tizzy thinking about all the things that could be wrong with him, so he’s fully expecting the vet to tell him that he has this rare hidden illness. 

So he’s very fidgety in the waiting room, eyes constantly scanning around the room as he looks at the other pets and wonders what hidden illness they’re harboring. 

Satan does not trust the vet at all, still half expecting the rough treatment from the vets from the ring. He asks them a million questions, where they went to school, what their degree is in, what grades they got, how long they’re been practicing, etc. Satan is still expecting to be diagnosed with some rare illness, so when he isn’t he thinks the vet hasn’t done their job correctly, asking if they’re “really sure” that he’s “perfectly healthy”. Honestly, it’s a little better when he’s getting a shot, because then in his mind this visit “meant something”, even though he still flinches at the sight of the needle. 

Asmo: He actually needs to know when his vet appointments are days in advance as he hates leaving the house without getting “done up”. If you forget about a vet appointment till the day of, he will make the two of you late when he locks himself in the bathroom to get ready. 

Asmo doesn’t have much of a problem with vet visits. Being a former sex demon, he’s used to going to medical professionals for tests. I feel like he also doesn’t quite understand what an “annual checkup” entails, as his opinion is influenced by his past experiences. So he doesn’t quite understand why he needs to go for a checkup when he’s only sleeping with you (or, alternatively, if you two aren’t sleeping together, then he’s even more confused on why he needs to go to the vet). 

It’s only when his vet appointment rolls around does he start to get a little nervous. If his usual appointment is unneeded, then why is he going? What else could be done to him? He keeps his concerns close to his chest, hoping that you think his usual check up is necessary, worried that if he brings up the fact that he doesn’t need to get checked for sexual diseases (as he was already checked before being sold to you) that you will have the vet do something else to him. 

Asmo has faced quite a few horrors from medical professionals before, but the idea of having absolutely no clue what’s going to happen to him scares him more than any repeat performance. 

So even though he’s smiling and acting unbothered in the waiting room, and when he gets into the vet’s office, you can see the way he shakes, how his eyes scan around the office looking for something. Even though he tries to suppress it, every time the vet touches him he can’t help but flinch a bit. If he needs to get a shot he actually starts crying a little bit, and you have to assure him that nothing bad is going to be put in him. 

After the appointment Asmo acts a little… off for the next couple of days. All that stress with no actual inciting incident causes him to stress a bit in everyday situations. During this time you have a better chance of actually getting Asmo to open up about why he was so on edge about the vet visit, and even after you assure him that the purpose of the visit was to only check up on his general health it takes him a few visits to really internalize that fact and get used to normal vet visits? 

When he does though? Asmo takes great pleasure in being “a pleasure to have” at the vet, and actually likes how the vet fusses over him lol. Probably one of the few demons that actually starts to like general checkups if it means he’ll get praised for acting so well behaved. 

Beel: He doesn’t have any strong opinions about the vet. Like Satan I can see him being confused about why he needs to go to the vet, but once you explain to him that you want him to go so you know for sure that he doesn’t have any hidden illnesses, he’s fine with going. 

Being a farm working demon, I feel like Beel has never been to the vet before. Outdoor working demons only go to the vet when they get injured, and even that’s not a guarantee. So he is a bit worried about the unknown, but he trusts you, if you think that it’s going to be ok, then he believes it as well. 

I feel like he only gets a little stressed if you don't double book an appointment with Belphie too, only because he doesn’t like being away from his twin. 

It’s really interesting watching Beel at the vet because it’s very obvious that he has no idea what the vet is doing, or why they’re doing it. He breathes in why they tell them to, and opens his mouth so they can look down his throat, but he does try to eat the stick they’re using to hold down his tongue. 

He does get a little uneasy if he needs to get a shot, only because he’s never seen a needle before so he doesn’t know how much it’s going to hurt. He takes your offer of holding your hand as the vet gives him his shot, and lets himself get distressed when you start talking about dinner and all the different dishes you can make for him. He gets distracted that he doesn’t even notice that he’s been shot, and asks when the vet is going to do it. 

He’s so well behaved that when he spends a full minute drooling over which loopypop to pick, the vet allows him to take the jar. 

Belphie: He’s suchhhh a brat that he throws a fit whenever he needs to go to the vet lol. He will pretend to sleep, or actually fall asleep when it’s his turn to go. Causing you, or Beel, to carry him to the car. He doesn’t trust humans at all, and while he may think that you’re alright, that trust does not extend any further. So the idea that this random human is going to touch and prod him? That he’s just going to sit there and let them perform “tests” on him? 

Yeah. No. 

When you explain to him what a vet visit is, and what a checkup entails he doesn’t like the idea at all. He’ll start arguing with you that he’s fine, and that the visit is unneeded, and unlike the other demons, no amount of explaining or scientific evidence will convince him that it’s necessary. He doesn’t believe that the vet has his best interest in mind, in his mind there has to be some hidden reason why the vet wants to check up on him, and believes that you’re being too naive to not think the same. 

In the actual vet’s office he’s garling and growling at the vet, his eyes watching their every movement, believing that any second now they’ll take out something to harm him. If he’s actually getting a vaccine, he’s firmly refusing it. He doesn’t know what’s in that! What if it makes him sick, or hurts him? 

Absolutely no amount of convincing from you can make him change his mind, as he believes that you’re being lied to. 

I feel like the only way to actually get Belphie vaccinated is to do it in his sleep lol. He’s such a heavy sleeper too that he doesn’t even notice the prick in his arm.

[nattikay]

confession: look, on the one hand, I like Spider, I do. He’s an interesting character and I agree that the hate he gets in some corners of the fandom is absolutely ridiculous. He’s not a backstabber or villainous or a flip-flopper or whatever other bullcrap, he’s an orphan kid in an alien world trying to find somewhere to belong, the hate is silly.

but.

I’m growing equally tired of seeing posts with an attitude of trying to guilt-trip people for not viewing him as a member of the Sully family. Canonically, he simply isn’t (sorry, but the movie directly, explicitly stating “he wasn’t part of our family” outweighs concept art with an “unofficial adoption” songcord bead).

The Sully family is very personally meaningful to me right now, so naturally I want to focus my energy on them. Spider is of course a close friend of the family, so sometimes he will be included just like Norm or other characters are sometimes included, but I’m not going to go out of my way to shove him in every single time...and quite frankly, the more I see folks acting like it’s somehow problematic to not consider Spider a member of the Sully family (which again canonically he isn’t), the less I want to do stuff that includes him :/

[sableeira]

Neptune by Sleeping at Last // Fifteen Manga // Fifteen LN // Fifteen LN // Dark Era LN // Fifteen Manga // Storm Bringer LN // Neptune by Sleeping at Last // BSD Manga // Eight by Sleeping at Last // Fifteen Manga // Fifteen LN // Dead Apple Manga // Storm Bringer LN // Storm Bringer LN // Storm Bringer LN // Eight by Sleeping at Last

Teen Soukoku as told by the songs Neptune and Eight by Sleeping at Last

[plinchy]

Absolutely in love with the way Marcille's Japanese VA is portraying her. Her cute "OISHII" to say the foods good to screaming "NOO"/"I DON'T WANNA" from her fucking gut. ugh its so good it makes my face hurt

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Elastic Heart Ch 5 (Linked Universe story)

Summary: When Sky goes missing, the Chain scrambles to figure out where he is and what happened before it's too late.

AO3 link

First chapter

<<Previous // Next>>

Chapter 5: Arbiter's Grounds

Link’s patience was at its limit as he stared dully at the two soldiers in front of him. “Let. Me. Through.”

“We were specifically notified that the queen would be sending a Hero with her guards,” one of the soldiers said, though with less hostility than before as Link glared at him. “T-that’s the order.”

“I made my own way here,” Link explained curtly. He was far too exhausted for this nonsense. Just how idiotic were the knights in this land? It was no wonder Twilight held them in such low regard.

Thinking about Twilight made his stomach twist. Thinking about any of them made his stomach twist.

He had to hurry up.

As the soldier came up with some other feeble excuse, there was a screech from the sky, making all three of the men turn to see a monster flying through the air. Link watched it warily, wondering if the Shadow had sent a black blooded beast there or if it was common for the area. The petrified reaction from the guards was of little help or use - he figured they’d squeal over a critter let alone a monster.

It was fairly large, though.

Glancing at his surroundings, Link saw the flying creature, the pathway ahead beyond the sealed gate, and some cliffs. With a quick fortifying breath, he pulled out his clawshots and aimed for some ivy on the cliffside, giving himself a higher vantage point as the beast swept in to dive for the ground. The soldiers squealed, abandoning their post.

That could be his opportunity, honestly. But that would leave them to fend off the beast, which was unlikely to end well in their favor.

Goddesses above, he was growing tired of having to save everyone. Couldn’t they at least handle the small matters so he could focus on Demise?

Link shook his head. Focus. You know they can’t help it.

Well. The knights should be able to help it. The longer he watched them run around the more irritated he became. He shook his head, watching the beast instead. There was a way to handle both matters and get him to his destination faster.

Waiting for the right moment as the beast flew just beneath him, ready to climb and gain altitude, Link leapt off the cliffside, angling his body so he collided right into the monster. The winged creature cried out, dipping down a little and then flailing like an enraged loftwing. Link held on tightly, his stomach somersaulting from the thrill of it.

This wasn’t his first time taming a flying beast, after all. Some loftwings when their partners died would be enraged or go insane for a few days. They were a danger to themselves and others. Link had done this song and dance before.

He wrapped his arms around the beast’s neck, twisting his shoulders so his elbows could guide it at the wing joints. The creature shrieked in protest but obeyed to ease the pressure, climbing over the sealed gate and leaving the knights far behind. The land quickly shifted from greens and blues of the field and lake to the familiar terrain of Lanayru Desert.

Wait. No. Gerudo Desert. Whatever. A desert was a desert, anyway. What mattered more was what and who he would find within it.

The creature became further enraged and began to buck wildly, sending them both careening. It was time to get off.

Releasing his grip, Link felt gravity take hold as he free fell to the ground below. The beast twisted away to reorient itself, and he untied his sailcloth to soften his landing. Turning as he heard the monster scream again, he pulled out his bow and arrow, aiming for its eyes. The beast let out a choked cry before it finally crashed into the sand, sliding to a halt in front of him and kicking up a dust cloud.

Link watched it a moment longer, a strange melancholy pulling at his exhausted heart, and then he sighed, turning to face the desert. The sun was fairly high in the sky, but it was beginning to teeter downward for the afternoon. He shielded his gaze with his hand, looking into the wavy air and seeing structures in the distance.

Monster encampments, possibly. Either way, it was a landmark. He’d take it.

Steeling himself, Link marched forward. One way or another, this should be his final battle. Zelda had indicated as such. It was the last horde in the land, after all.

I’m coming for you, Demise.

XXX

The tranquility of Hyrule Field on an overcast afternoon was shredded with the sound of hooves and snarls as a wolf led a pack of heroes riding on horseback. They were all going at a full gallop, the wolf somehow managing to stay ahead of the rest despite bearing the smallest member of the group.

A few monsters littered the area, and the troupe quickly attracted their attention. Wild grabbed an arrow and let it loose, having pulled it back so taut that he nearly snapped the bowstring. It hit a monster in midair with ease, sending it to the ground. The pronounced thud that echoed across the field gave Wild little satisfaction, but at least it gave him some assurance that the others wouldn’t be bothered. 

Wild’s deft movements weren’t the only ones as other members of the group swiftly eliminated targets without batting an eye. Warriors decapitated a bokoblin as he passed, Four shot a few with his bow and arrows before Twilight trampled right over them with a snarl. Nothing was going to slow them down at this point.

After they’d eaten, Twilight had asked his Zelda for some steeds to expedite matters (and had to finagle his way around Zelda’s idea that he’d somehow sent Sky to defeat the monsters). Wild and Wind rode Epona together, Four was with Twilight, and the rest were provided horses from the royal stables. The mood of the group had become serious the instant they’d left the tavern; Twilight had headed for the castle while others had stocked up on what supplies they could get (Legend was still seething that potions weren’t available in the city, which meant they were limited to what they already had - Twilight pointed out that they could restock in Faron Woods or Kakariko, but no one was keen on backtracking at this point).

Thankfully, according to Twilight, Lake Hylia was just to the west of the city, so it wouldn’t take them long to reach it. Wild certainly hoped that was the case; once they began to ride no one had said a word, and though Wild wasn’t the most empathetic of the group even he could sense everyone was on edge just as much as he was. Wind’s death grip on him tightened as he encouraged Epona to move faster, and he could faintly see the glistening lake in the distance. 

When they finally arrived, Time tersely divided them into pairs so they could search the perimeter.

“We know he’s heading for the desert; this is a waste of time!” Legend argued.

“We just got here within less than half the time it would take him to go on foot,” Four fired back. “He has to be somewhere close. What if we blow right by him?”

“That’s enough,” Warriors snapped. “Pair up and move out.”

Wind and Wild quietly stayed together on Epona, trotting around the lakeshore with their eyes peeled. The Champion was just as eager to push ahead, but he also didn’t want to risk overtaking Sky. Still… it should be obvious fairly quickly if Sky wasn’t here.

His mind couldn’t help but wander in a million different directions, anxiety sealing his lips and opening his thoughts. None of it made sense, and it was making even less sense now. Wild’s main suspicion had been that Sky had been tracking the enemy and accidentally fallen through the gate. He would have to fight the horde at that point, and then he would probably head for the nearest landmark, namely Castle Town and Hyrule Castle. It would then logically make sense for him to be in the city, for Telma to possibly find him and help him until he could reunite with the group.

Except he didn’t wait.

Wild didn’t understand. He just didn’t understand . It was now obvious more than ever that Sky was actively avoiding them.

The champion shook his head. We don’t know that. He may not even know we’re here. But that Telma lady wrote to Rusl, which means she must have told Sky we were looking for him, right? Right?

Right?

Wild didn’t know what was happening anymore, but a panic was seizing at his throat, goading him to move faster and find him before it was too late.

Pulling out a telescope, Wind squinted through the lens with a sigh. “Where is he? Surely he can’t be moving that fast? There were knights escorting him, weren’t there?”

Wild shook his head, unable to reply. He didn’t know anything anymore, just that he had to find him.

By the time they had even begun their search, the sun was already dipping towards the horizon. Lake Hylia reflected its bright rays, the sky stained golden and rose, a painting that was reflected with the stretches and pulls of the water’s lapping. It prevented anyone from seeing under its depths, and it made Wild shield his eyes from the glare as he paused, staring at a gateway just ahead.

There were guards flanking it.

Furrowing his brow, he tapped lightly on Epona with his heels, goading her forward.

The guards immediately crossed their spears over each other to prevent his entry. “Only those with the Queen’s permission may pass into the Gerudo Desert.”

Wind huffed. “We’re on a mission for her! Have you seen the Hero she sent this way?”

Wild bit his lip as the guards looked at each other uneasily. He wasn’t entirely sure why they hadn’t just asked them in the first place, but as he turned, he saw everyone converging on their location.

He supposed that meant they hadn’t had any luck. His heart raced in his chest, his anxiety spiking.

Twilight, who had turned back to his Hylian form upon reaching the lake since there were people around, came to the front. “My name’s Link. I have something from Her Majesty. She sent me to aid the Hero of Legend on his quest.”

The guards blubbered a second longer, awestruck, and Warriors finally snapped, “Get to it, then! Tell us what you know! What sort of pathetic excuse for soldiers are you?”

Time laid a hand on the captain’s shoulder, and Warriors’ face, already curled in a snarl, immediately tightened and settled into a dull, cold glare.

Wild shriveled further into Epona’s harness as Wind squirmed irritably behind him.

“He didn’t pass through here,” one of the guards finally remarked. “We’ve, uh–we’ve been waiting for him.”

“He—what?” Legend stammered. “That’s—we didn’t actually pass him did we?”

“What if he’s still in Castle Town?” Wind worried.

“That place is huge,” Hyrule added.

Warriors took a step towards the guards. “You’re lying. I can tell.”

The guards immediately took a hesitant step away from the captain.

“Tell us where he is,” Time intoned, crossing his arms. His voice was certainly the most even of the group’s, but his withering glare was more terrifying than any of the yelling had been.

“Or we gut you like a fish!” Wind added, pointing accusingly at them.

“Sailor,” Warriors and Twilight immediately warned together.

“What, I wasn’t actually— ”

“It was a monster!” one of the guards finally burst out. “We–we didn’t know if he had access or not, so at first we–well… we… but a flying monster came and he–he climbed the wall and jumped on it and rode it over the gate!”

“Sky flew on a monster ?” Wind repeated. “That’s freaking amazing!”

“Maybe we should try it!” Hyrule intoned thoughtfully, looking around.

“Let us through,” Warriors ground out instead.

Twilight turned sharply and walked away as the others started frantically speaking over one another. Wild dismounted Epona to follow him.

“They’re going to let us through, right?” Wild asked, wondering why Twilight was giving up on the matter already. “I can get the gate open without their permission, the slate—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Twilight interrupted as he stared at a wooden structure in the center of the lake. “I have a way that can get us in and maybe give us a head start.”

Wild watched him confusedly. “What is it?”

“Get the others,” Twilight said as he ran towards a boardwalk.

Meanwhile, over by the gate, the Hero of Warriors was steadily losing his patience. He and Time both were steadily feeling increasing dread over the situation; they could sense that time was running out to reach their friend and family, and these guards were one more obstacle and insult to everything Warriors stood for.

Despite the captain’s desire to verbally tear the pitiful excuses for knights apart, his rage was interrupted by both the objective and the champion’s frantic waving.

“What is it?” Hyrule asked before anyone else could. Time, who still had a hand on Warriors’ shoulder to keep him from completely losing it, turned to halfway face Wild.

“Rancher wants everyone,” Wild choked out, his eyes glittering with a familiar panic. Warriors had seen it on his face when Twilight had been hurt.

It wasn’t like Wild really knew how to hide it or process it, after all. The captain was waiting for the champion to finally snap and start disobeying orders like on the battlefield a month ago.

They were all beginning to fray at the seams. What had been a bizarre and unsettling search and rescue had turned into something far more involved and worrying. Sky should have been found easily, yet here they were.

At least Warriors knew he was still alive. But the true matter now was, why was he running so desperately? Was he running towards something or from it?

An old paranoia crept up from his gut into his skull, icy and chilling and terrifying, reigniting thoughts he had already dismissed yesterday.

No , he shook his head as he walked with the others to the boardwalk where Twilight awaited them. I know Sky. He wouldn’t. Something else is going on.

Originally the captain had thought Sky was simply being foolish, following his apparently-faulty intuition rather than his head. It would fit for a teenage hero to do so, even though in all their time together Sky had generally demonstrated more maturity than the others.

Well. On and off, at least. Sky’s seeming laziness had gotten Hyrule and Warriors hurt when he couldn’t keep up with them. He dozed off all the time, dragged his feet with chores… it had never particularly bothered the captain, except the one time they ran into a monster camp and could have used his help. He still held the slightest annoyance over that matter. But… none of that coalesced into a logical explanation for what was happening now. Sky was slow and steady, this panicked rush of his was completely against his nature as Warriors understood it.

Maybe you don’t understand him, then, the paranoid voice whispered.

“For Hylia’s sake,” he muttered under his breath. That’s enough. Sky isn’t a traitor, there is a rational explanation for this and I will figure it out.

At this rate he felt like he and Time were the only ones thinking rationally. Well, and perhaps Twilight.

Twilight watched their approach, arms crossed. He jerked his head behind him. “I found us a way in that’ll help us catch up quickly.”

Time raised a questioning eyebrow as he glanced beyond the Ordonian. “I’m assuming you’re going to explain, then?”

“It’s a, uh…” Twilight faltered and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Then he sighed. “It’s a cannon.”

Legend’s eyes widened. “What?”

“You want us to blast our way through the gate?” Warriors asked confusedly. Great Farore, he didn’t hate the guards that much.

“No. Over it.” Twilight explained. “This is how I always got to the Gerudo Desert.”

Wind gasped. “Oh! I’ve done that before! Let’s go!”

Hyrule watched Wind rush ahead, bewildered. “You… were blasted out of…what??”

“Am I the only one worrying about the landing part ?” Legend threw his hands up in the air.

“No, you’re not,” Warriors remarked, raising an eyebrow at Twilight. “How did you land?”

Twilight shrugged. “Fyer knows where to aim so you land in a soft space. I swear the sand there is like a pillow, it’s like the one place where you’ll be fine. Just, uh, be sure you roll.”

Warriors cocked his head to the side as he scrutinized the Ordonian hero. “So you just got launched in the air and prayed you didn’t die.”

“Yeah, basically.”

Mentally, Warriors scratched Twilight off his still a rational member of the group list.

The captain groaned, pinching his nose. “How did anyone ever assume you were the responsible one?”

Four and Wind rushed ahead as if this were a normal occurrence, making the captain debate if Four was still rational as well. Wild was already anxiously waiting by the entrance, where a strangely dressed man was eying the group warily.

“Fyer,” Twilight greeted as he approached the man. “We need a lift to Gerudo Desert.”

“All of you?” the fellow questioned. “That’ll cost you extra, you know.”

Warriors unclasped his wallet and dropped it into the man’s hands. “Hope this suffices. Let us pass.”

Fyer stared at the pouch with surprise, stammering a response and opening the door for them. Wind easily swiped some rupees back as he passed. When Warriors raised an eyebrow in the sailor’s direction, the kid shrugged. “He doesn’t need all of them.”

“How do you keep getting so much money, anyway?” Four asked, squinting at him. “I remember when we were at that inn you couldn’t buy anything because you’d paid for our room and board.”

“The room full of pots, of course,” Warriors answered easily.

Wind gasped. “Yours had rupees?!”

“What did yours have?”

“...More arrows. A lot of them didn’t even have anything! It was so disappointing!”

“Mine had a frog in it.”

“Oh, one of mine—”

“Focus.” Time interrupted.

“Does this hurt?” Legend asked uneasily. “It usually hurts on the receiving end.”

“Protect your neck,” Twilight advised. “The whiplash isn’t fun. Beyond that… as long as you land well, it’s fine.”

“As long as you—”

The doors slammed shut, drowning them in darkness. Warriors instinctively huddled closer to his brothers, bumping shoulders with Time.

“This wasn’t exactly how I was expecting this day to go,” he said quietly.

“At this rate, is there even a point to having an expectation for any given day?” Time countered, his usual gentle mischief absent in his tone.

The captain sighed, and the cannon fired.

XXX

Four really wished he had Ezlo. It would make landings much easier.

At least, he figured that’s why he missed Ezlo. Strangely he didn’t remember landing, but he was lying in the sand nonetheless.

What…?

“Well maybe you should’ve mentioned that!” some voice over him hissed as he was slightly propped up by arms.

“I don’t think he’s ever fired that many people together…”

“That’s enough! Cut it out, all of you!”

“Hey, he’s waking up!”

Four groaned as orange light pierced into his vision when he fluttered his eyelids open. Legend was directly over him, holding him gently, eyes filled with worry. Twilight was across from him, also supporting him, and Wild was peeking over his shoulder. Wind was at his feet, expressive face pinched in concern as Time stood behind him with Hyrule. Warriors was directly over him, seemingly kneeling behind his head.

“Hey, Smithy, you with us?” Twilight asked gently.

“Mm,” Four replied, trying to figure out what in the world happened.

“Here,” Legend offered, holding a bottle to his lips. “It’ll at least make sure nothing’s broken while you get your head on straight.”

Four sipped the potion reluctantly, coughing a little at the bitterness as it went down. His world came into better clarity, aches he hadn’t noticed dissipating entirely.

“What happened?” he asked blearily, sitting up of his own volition as the other heroes hovered over him.

“A few of us crashed into each other before the landing,” Warriors noted, and Four saw that the captain was sporting a small cut by his left temple. “Nothing too terrible, but it threw you off balance and you got knocked out on impact.”

Oh. That was probably why Ezlo had come to mind. Maybe he should have shrunk down for the launch, it might have at least reduced his speed and made him less likely to hit anyone.

“How long was I out?” he continued, slowly standing and testing out his body.

“A few minutes, nothing major,” the captain answered dismissively.

“He could have died!” Legend snapped.

Another argument broke out between Legend and Warriors, with Twilight trying and failing to play mediator, garnering Wind’s ire while Wild and Hyrule watched hesitantly. Four rubbed his temples at the oncoming headache, growing steadily more irritated.

“Boys!” Time finally yelled, silencing everyone. When they all stared at him, he crossed his arms, holding their gaze. “Get yourselves together. Every second we stand here arguing, Sky gets farther away. No more talking for a while unless a pertinent question is being addressed.” Directing his attention to Four, he asked, “Smithy, are you able to walk now?”

Four nodded, grateful for the silence.

“Good. Ranch hand, you lead.”

Twilight, sufficiently schooled and looking very small under his elder’s gaze, slowly got to his feet. Four felt a little bad for his friend, who clearly felt guilty over what had happened. He would reassure him if he wasn’t convinced Time would incinerate him right there with his glare the instant he uttered a sound.

Shifting into his beast form, Twilight led the group carefully, sniffing the ground every few paces. Four could see Legend, Wild, and Hyrule all growing impatient, with Legend stiffening while Wild and Hyrule grew fidgety. Eventually, the traveler pointed ahead. “Look!”

Everyone whirled on him, ready to hiss for his silence before Time could get a hold of him. The traveler was unperturbed, huffing, “I see a trail!”

“A trail?” Four repeated, following Hyrule’s finger. Trail was a strong word for what he saw - there were divots in the sand, like a little stream had carved a path, but its lingering imprint was being quickly overrun by wind pushing sand into the crevices.

“You think Sky’s wind item could make such a trail?” Time asked the group as a whole.

“Probably,” Legend answered. “Which means he had to be here recently - the sand will cover it up soon enough.”

Four perked up. That meant Sky was very close!

The group picked up their pace, Twilight still at the lead to confirm Sky had indeed passed through. The silence gave Four time to think and center himself, which he appreciated since his mind had been whirling since this entire ordeal had started.

After all, none of it made sense. Initially, Four had assumed Sky was captured. It was what made the most sense - everyone knew that if they were on watch they were supposed to awaken the group if there were monsters. There had to be some kind of miscalculation on Sky’s part, and somehow he’d ended up in danger and unable to alert them. He’d probably gone to investigate a noise and only discovered too late that the horde was unnervingly close to camp.

At least, that had been the initial assumption. Four had seemed to be the only one thinking it, which was frustrating, but he’d kept his mouth shut. Hearing in that letter that Sky was safe and resting at that tavern had reassured him greatly, but it had also made him start to question things.

Did Sky get himself out of trouble? Was he never in trouble in the first place? If so, what in the world would compel him to do what he had done? Four still had an inkling that his dear friend was hurt somehow, maybe was addled from his experience and trying to find his way back to the others.

What if the Shadow had managed to corrupt him somehow? What if he’d tortured him during his capture? What if Sky was part of the horde now?

Four shook his head, trying to shove the terrifying thoughts out of his mind. It didn’t quite fit the objective details, at least.

That still didn’t stay the worries in his heart that Sky had been captured, though. That somehow Sky had escaped and was trying to find them as desperately as they were trying to find him. That the longer it took them to get to him the more likely he was going to get captured again.

Though the blacksmith was on the quieter side in the group, he wished they’d taken some time to discuss this issue. Outside of the initial concern when they’d found the gate, the group had been treating this situation like a regular mission when it was, in fact, so much more.

Their brother was missing.

Frustrated tears stung in his eyes, and he balled his fists tight enough to dig his nails into skin and distract himself. He absentmindedly followed his brothers, praying that Sky would be fine when they found him. Because they would find him. They were close, as Legend pointed out.

Four nearly crashed into Wolfie, yelping a little as he stopped abruptly. The shadows that encased the wolf were nearly imperceptible in the oncoming darkness as the sun finally hid its shining face behind the dunes. When Twilight emerged from the darkness, he was stiff and very closed off. Four was about to ask what was wrong when he noticed they had ended up at a structure of some sort.

“What is this place?” Wind asked quietly.

Twilight didn’t speak.

“He’s asking you, wolf brain,” Legend grumbled as he stepped forward to investigate the area. “We don’t know this land, remember?”

“Is it a Gerudo fortress?” Warriors questioned.

“N-no,” Twilight finally answered, his voice barely a whisper in the wind. “He… he’s inside.”

“Sky?” Time confirmed.

“Yeah.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Hyrule piped up, catching everyone off guard. “Let’s go.”

The sailor and the traveler moved ahead quickly with Wild on their heels. Warriors paused for a moment and then followed alongside Four.

Twilight stood still, the long shadows of the building consuming him.

Time approached his pup slowly. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Twilight sighed, shaking his head. “We shouldn’t let them get too far ahead, there’s a dungeon in there.”

“I figured, just based on the appearance. Where are we?”

“This… this place is called Arbiter’s Grounds,” Twilight explained as the pair walked together to catch up. “It was once a… well, I guess a prison for Hyrule. It’s been abandoned for a long time.”

Time glanced back at the building thoughtfully. A Hyrule prison in Gerudo territory? Had they formed some kind of alliance? “I suppose the Gerudo are farther into the desert.”

Twilight glanced at Time from the side of his eyes, saying nothing.

That… didn’t make the eldest Link feel pacified on the matter.

When the two reached the rest of the group at the entrance to the dilapidated building, Time glanced around at the surroundings. The architecture looked… vaguely familiar. And not in a Hylian way.

Wonderful. As if his unease at Sky’s situation wasn’t bad enough at this point.

“Be on your guard,” he advised everyone as a slight breeze blew in their faces. “This place will likely have infected beasts.”

“And Sky’s swimming in them,” Legend added worriedly. “So let’s go.”

The veteran hero was right. The longer they lingered, the more likely they were to lose him again. Time wasn’t repeating that error. Whatever was wrong with the young knight, they had to find him before it got worse.

At this point that was what he was convincing himself. Nothing else really made sense. Sky had interacted with the people of Castle Town, even the queen , and instead of hunkering down to wait for them, or even trying to return to where the dark portal had been (was it still there? Time didn’t recall seeing it when they’d passed through the field again), Sky had continued on to hunt more beasts. 

For whatever reason, the seemingly sweet and gentle knight had gone rogue.

Given Time’s understanding of the Skyloftian, it made little sense, but at this point nothing else made any sense. He knew all his boys were capable of being reckless; Sky was simply a late bloomer.

And of all the ways to bloom… Time was going to have grey hair by the time this was over. He was certainly going to demand an explanation out of the boy when he found him.

That was that. Sky was being a reckless teenager. There was no possibility that he’d decided to leave the group, to leave all of them, to leave—

Time shook his head. Projecting his old wounds onto this situation was not going to do him any favors. The longer Sky was missing, the worse it got. He felt angry at himself for even making this about himself in the first place, and it was certainly decreasing his tolerance for the others’ outbursts. They needed to find the boy. Time was growing more concerned by the moment. If his main theory was true, after all, then Sky was likely to get himself killed. 

Well, honestly, no matter the theory, Sky was likely to get himself killed. They needed to move.

“Stay together,” he advised the group as he led them into the dungeon.

The instant they walked into the entranceway, Time knew this was going to be an unpleasant dungeon. The stifling air held a stench to it that was pungent and uncomfortably familiar. Time was instantly reminded of the well in Kakariko and the Shadow Temple, the smell of brittle old bones and flesh turned to dust. Back home it had been punctuated with a moldy, earthy scent, moisture and soil trapped in a manner that made him feel like he was going through more graves. The dryness of the air here sped the rotting process, making the actual scent of decay lesser while also making the entire place far more stifling.

He couldn’t imagine any of this was pleasant on Twilight’s heightened senses.

He also could quickly figure out what might have happened here. Warriors’ grim, knowing expression implied the captain knew as well. 

Time scanned the room and quickly saw a purchase for his hookshot. Leading the group, he held on to Wind as the pair let the item pull them to nearby sturdy ground, avoiding the quick sand that was consuming flesh and bone alike. Once they passed a whirlpool of sand, they were left with what looked like the remains of a cell to the left and a sealed gate that blocked their progress.

Warriors glared at the door. “There has to be another way in. If Sky came through here it wouldn’t still be locked, unless it’s a facade. Or there’s a way to get overtop it.”

“It probably is locked,” Wind surmised, jiggling the large bars. “Just means it had time to reset. But I swear we were catching up to Sky. We’re sure he’s in here?”

“Reset?” Warriors repeated. “What are you talking about?”

“We need to find the dungeon map,” Legend interrupted. “We’ll waste less time that way.”

Four glanced at Twilight. “Where do we find it?”

The young man shifted awkwardly, rubbing his sweaty palms on his tunic. “I… don’t remember.”

Wind’s eyes widened. “How could you not remember where the map is? You’ve been through this dungeon!”

Wild looked between the pair confusedly. “There are maps?”

Warriors glanced at Time questioningly, equally lost.

The champion then turned to Legend. “Is that why you’re always so insistent on having a map?”

Hyrule shrugged, eyes trained on the floor. “I don’t get the fuss, I get by without them.”

“The point is ,” Time interrupted before this deteriorated further. “We need to find it.”

Hyrule looked at the hero, brow furrowing in frustration. “But—”

“No , we’re not proceeding without a map. It’ll waste too much time,” their leader insisted, agreeing with the veteran.

“Can’t you just follow his scent, though?” Warriors asked, looking at Twilight.

Twilight ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. “I wish it was that simple, but these places require a certain order of events to progress. If I just follow Sky’s scent, we’ll end up in front of locked doors with no way through, like this. We have to do this the old-fashioned way.”

“I still can’t believe you don’t remember where the map is ,” Legend grumbled.

“It’s been a while, okay? A lot has happened since then, I can’t possibly remember all the details of every dungeon!” Twilight finally snapped, losing his patience.

“The good news is that the closer we get to Sky, the less likely it’ll be a problem,” Wind thought aloud, staring at the locked door. “Because if we catch up to him, he’ll still be solving things and we’ll get through them before they can reset.”

“How long is that?” the captain questioned.

“Don’t know. Never timed it.”

“Usually if you get knocked out it resets,” Time offered.

“Look, I may not be as experienced as you all,” Hyrule interrupted. “But I can still follow clues. The key to this door is over there.”

Everyone followed the traveler as he pointed towards a chain coming out of the wall with a handle attached.

Twilight blinked. “Ah. Right.”

Legend gestured dramatically towards the chain. “This is literally the only thing in this room and you didn’t even remember that?!”

“I didn’t see you noticing it, Vet!”

Wind rolled his eyes, rolling through the quicksand to get to the chain as another argument started. Just as he hit solid ground, the ground shifted, and two gibdos dragged their bony bodies out of the earth, spears at the ready. Wind yelped briefly before quickly slashing through them.

“Great,” the sailor said with a quivering tone. “This is one of those dungeons.”

Time looked back at the traveler, who still hadn’t taken his eyes off the ground aside from pointing out the pulley. When he traced the teenager’s stare, he saw what had tipped Hyrule off in the first place.

Specks of blood trailed intermittently from the gate to the pulley that Wind was desperately yanking.

There was still a touch of moisture to them, their innermost circle sitting atop the stone rather than having crusted into it.

Sky was close, but they could lose him if they stalled any longer.

Twilight quickly joined Wind and grabbed the handle, pulling the chain with a sharp jerk, and the gate split and opened, granting them access. Time didn’t comment on the blood, but it was evident who had and hadn’t noticed. Hyrule was already filling up empty bottles with lantern oil and shoving them into people’s hands, face set in determination. Twilight was a shade paler than usual, Four looked terrified, eyes frantically scouring the earth for more signs of Sky’s injuries.

Wild immediately went for the solitary treasure chest in the other corner, pulling out a key. No one needed to comment on it as there was only one locked door in the room. 

Time glanced at Twilight questioningly. This dungeon was unusually simple.

Then again, it could be because Sky was already clearing it.

Legend froze in mid-step, making Four yelp as he crashed into him. The veteran didn’t seem to notice, crouching down with his lantern in the darkness of the next room. Twilight stiffened, clearly on edge, and Time detected movement in the room.

“Vet, watch it!” Wind chided as he squinted into the darkness.

“There’s blood on the floor ,” Legend said, his voice worriedly rising in pitch. “Sky’s hurt! What if he’s dying, what if–”

Twilight and Time swung their swords in unison as otherworldly shrieks filled the air, their blades chopping through a wave of gibdos that had emerged from the quicksand. The rest of the group jumped as Warriors pulled out his borrowed fire rod, and Time and Twilight hastily ducked out of the way as he dispatched the rest and simultaneously lit the torches on the other side of the room.

The bars over the door on the far side of the room opened, and everyone tore ahead wordlessly. Legend reached the next place first, pausing in the center of the large room. Time took in the sights, seeing four stone stands around a large staircase. There were several entrances, he could tell from a swift glance and from changes in air pressure moving throughout the room. The stairs led to a closed door, and two out of the four posts had blue fires lit on them.

In the center of the room was a large cloak and hood, and a broken lantern.

“A poe,” Time surmised aloud. Larger than one he’d ever seen, but it seemed a fair guess.

“Yeah,” Twilight said slowly, looking ahead. “Of course they took the flames again.”

Time was reminded abruptly of the Forest Temple in the Lost Woods, and he looked at the two flames again.

Two flames. For four posts.

“Sky’s halfway solved it,” he whispered.

Wild, with his sharp hearing, turned to look at him. “Solved what?”

“You need the flames to open the gates,” Twilight explained. “And the poes steal the flames. If there are two lit, then he’s defeated two poes.”

Legend toed the tunic hesitantly, sword at the ready. “Uh, yeah. I can tell. But where are the others? This place just got a lot bigger.”

“I remember where the map is,” Twilight said flatly, catching everyone’s attention.

Time glanced at him, confused by his tone. “Where?”

Twilight pointed to an already open chest. Its contents had already been taken.

“Sky has it!” Wind realized.

“Great,” Legend groaned. “That just gives him the advantage.”

“Are we going to talk about why Sky’s actively going through this dungeon instead of trying to find us?” Four piped up, crossing his arms and looking ready to start another fight.

Wind whirled on him. “You want to do this now ? You think we haven’t been wondering that too? Something obviously has to be wrong!”

“Or maybe he’s on to something,” Hyrule offered. “Could be trying to puzzle something out.”

“Only you would assume it’s reasonable to just abandon the group to solve a puzzle.” Four sighed heavily.

“Look, what matters right now is that Sky’s actively hunting the poes,” Twilight said, waving his arm to get them to pay attention. “Which means all we have to do is track them . We can find him!”

“How do we track the poes?” Warriors questioned as he stared at the tattered remains of the fallen ghost.

Twilight shifted into his wolf form wordlessly, sniffing the large robe.

“Okay, but if they’re ghosts how do they even have a scent?” Wild wondered.

“The cloth should,” Four surmised with a shrug, a little put out over how quickly his discussion had been terminated.

“Do ghosts all wear the same cloth, though?”

“Is there a guide to poe fashion we need to know about?” Warriors muttered absentmindedly.

“Bet it smells like crap, though,” Wind said with a shudder. “Yuck.”

Time watched his pup sniff in circles a moment before charging through a door to the side, and everyone followed hastily.

Legend froze yet again just as he looked up at the platform ahead. Time was about to finally get on the veteran hero’s case when Legend’s entire body went rigid before he drew in a deep breath. “SKY!!”

The entire group whirled , and, sure enough, their brother-in-arms was on the platform, sword drawn and stained in black blood, ready to head to the next room. He barely moved, standing in profile to them as if he’d been in the motion of leaving when Legend had yelled at him.

Time felt the steadily growing suffocating knot in his chest loosen, though it didn’t release entirely. Sky was there, alive and within such close reach, and Time felt like he’d never had so much solace seeing one of his wayward boys.

“Sky! You’re okay!” Twilight exclaimed, relieved.

Sky swallowed thickly, his face pale and worn thin. In the lighting he looked almost gaunt, like one of the beasts crawling through this dungeon. Based on the amount of blood on his blade, it seemed Sky was the reason the others had met such little resistance so far, as Time had unfortunately suspected.

The young knight shook his head at the group, seemingly unable to speak, and just as Warriors was about to ask something, he rushed through the door.

“Wait! Sky, what are you doing?” Four called after him.

Legend was the closest and immediately pulled out his hookshot, looking for a perch since there wasn’t a clear path between the stairwell to the platform and the other side of the fallen chandelier that blocked the walkway to where Sky was. When neither the veteran nor Time could find a place for their respective hookshots to latch on, Wild ran ahead, clambering up the rock itself, though he slid quite a bit in his attempt to climb it. Legend sprang forward, using Wild as a step off to jump up to the platform, and Wild groaned, falling to the ground level just as Twilight reached out to catch him.

“Thanks, Vet!” Wild grumbled as he started to climb again.

Legend’s voice echoed from the next room. “Sky, get your sorry ass back heeeaaaaaAAAAYYYYY GIBDOS GIBDOS SHIT SHIT SHIT—”

“Come on!” Twilight called, already pulling a lever attached to yet another chain. “Let’s go!”

The group waited as Twilight hoisted the chandelier into the air, and the instant there was enough clearance they started to tear through. Wind was first, eyes fierce, and Time brought up the rear alongside Twilight. Despite their haste, the large wooden beams with spikes on them didn’t escape Time’s notice.

This place was like the Shadow Temple, then.

Pushing the thought aside, he focused on getting to Sky, and Legend’s yells were easy enough to follow. By the time they reached the veteran, the gibdos were disintegrating into ash and dust.

Legend didn’t spare them a glance, running ahead when a scream tore through the air, chilling them to their cores and making them freeze .

It wasn’t as if fear had stopped them in place. It was… well, it was fear, but a different kind, one that sank into one’s very soul and shook it with dark magic.

ReDeads.

Wind let out a whimper, stumbling backwards when he could use his legs once more, and Warriors reached out to catch him. Twilight immediately transformed again and tore ahead on all fours, teeth bared as he leapt cleanly into the air and slammed one of the beasts (were they always that short? Or was it just that Time was taller now? They still were easily a head higher than him, but…) into the ground. Its claymore clattered on the stone and Legend sank his tempered sword into the beast’s head.

Time quickly dispatched the other ReDead with fire blessed arrows, leaving an uneasy silence in the air.

“Where the hell did he go?!” Legend snapped. “Damn it!”

“Why is he doing this? He just—did he just run through the monsters and leave them to us?” Four asked the room, eyes filled with hurt.

“I don’t understand,” Wind muttered, huddled near Warriors, who had his hands on the sailor’s shoulders. “He—this doesn’t—did he—?”

Warriors’ grip tightened on the youngest Link, knuckles white. He was looking down at the ground, his eyes dark, face stony.

The entire group felt lost, standing in a haze of confusion and pain, and Twilight looked at Time helplessly.

Time tried to organize his thoughts as best as possible. They would all be looking to him for guidance.

He didn’t have any to give.

But what he did know was that he needed answers . Sky’s behavior had gone from erratic to downright dangerous. Time tried to parse it out as best he could, but the more he examined it the more he recognized that he really didn’t understand that boy. Termina had taught him to recognize that everyone had a story of their own that guided their actions, but he was only just realizing that he truly didn’t know Sky’s story at all.

Did any of them know Sky’s story? Wild was like an open book with his wounds, Warriors’ stories and remarks were always carefully interwoven with key details missing, Twilight and Hyrule’s dismissal of the importance of their adventures often left more questions than answers, Wind’s exuberance was shadowed by his very apt ability with the sword for such a young man, Legend’s knowledge spoke for itself most of the time, Four’s face spoke more than his words yet—

Time knew so little about all his boys, but he still knew something about each of them. He had slowly become the secret keeper of the group, sharp enough to catch little hints and private matters they tried to keep to themselves, understanding enough to keep his mouth shut. Some trusted him with secrets, such as Twilight and Four, others danced around the issue but didn’t deny what he might or might not have seen and heard. A silent understanding lingered between him and his boys, an understanding that he knew more than he let on but wouldn’t approach the subject until they were ready to do so.

Well. That understanding was with almost all his boys. He’d never quite had such an understanding with Sky.

The Skyloftian knight had always been warm and welcoming, kind and empathetic. Everyone went to him with their hurts, and he always seemed to know when he was needed. He was among the first to defend those who were injured, he was the first to speak up to soothe tears and anger alike.

But Time knew next to nothing about him, except that he had made that cursed blade, he was blessed to have never dealt with Ganon, and that he was in love with his Zelda. He had made those aspects of his story known.

But that was it. A person’s story was far more than three facts.

So what was Sky hiding?

A door slammed somewhere in the far distance, echoing with a haunting reverberation around the room.

“We need to keep moving,” Time finally said.

Slowly, the group came alive again, following Time with a somberness that hung heavily in the air. Twilight quietly trotted ahead, sniffing hesitantly, when he froze and started growling.

“What is it?” Wild asked, stepping forward before yelping and ducking as a blade came out of the darkness to try and take his head off his shoulders.

A bokoblin, clearly from Wind’s world based on its attire, came screaming out of the darkness alongside a lizalfos and a wolfos. Warriors quickly went to the lizalfos while the champion began to fight the ‘blin. Twilight went toe to toe with the wolfos, both snarling at each other. Time assisted his pup, helping him corner the beast while others jumped in to assist their brothers. The beasts fell quickly enough, and Time’s trained eyes noticed more signs of battle, as if these were stragglers from another fight.

“Sky’s not in league with them,” Warriors muttered with what seemed to almost be a sigh of relief .

Legend turned slowly, eyes alight with fire and bewilderment, aghast at the implications of such a statement. Twilight barked loudly just as the veteran opened his mouth, and Wind stomped his foot.

“This is stupid!” the sailor pronounced. “This is so stupid ! Why is this happening?! What’s Sky thinking?!”

Hyrule ran ahead without a word, making everyone yell after him and hastily follow. Time felt his own control of the situation quickly slipping, and it was making him extremely agitated. One of his boys was already in danger; he didn’t need the rest of them putting themselves in perilous situations.

This group was slowly falling apart, and Time felt powerless to stop it. The soothing, quiet, constant, and gentle seam that weaved between all of them and bound them together was fraying apart and rushing ahead into danger, making the rest of them unravel.

They reentered the large chamber that held the torches and sealed gate only to find that the gate was now open, with all the torches lit brightly.

“How did he—?!”

Hyrule’s question was interrupted as enemies pulled themselves out of the quicksand flanking the staircase, and before Time knew it, they were surrounded.

Wild stared ahead at the stairs and the open gate, eyes desperate.

“Champion, no!” Time called, but it was too late. The scarred hero rushed ahead, though his progress was halted by a large moblin bringing its weapon down to bear on him. Warriors helped block the attack, knocking him off balance enough that an arrow grazed his leg. He hissed and Legend froze the moblin in place with his ice rod just as Wild shattered a blade against its legs, crippling it. Time was too preoccupied with the two lizalfos in front of him, gritting his teeth as they moved with more speed than should have been possible.

Hyrule sent a sword beam flying towards one of the lizalfos, knocking down the beast when the blow really should have gutted it.

Wind let out a battle cry as he leapt off the stone railing of the stairs, getting an aerial advantage and sinking his blade into one of the lizalfos’ heads with deadly accuracy. The beast fell, and the sailor bashed the other away with his shield. Behind him, Time heard Twilight yelp, and he whirled to see the wolf get cut deeply into his right shoulder by a stalfos. He quickly pulled out his bow and fired an arrow between the creature’s humeral head and elbow joint, temporarily pausing its attack and preventing its arm from moving, giving Twilight time to limp backwards and regroup with his ancestor. Time swept his large blade up diagonally, shattering bones and armor alike, and the stalfos clattered to the ground in pieces, giving him a moment to appraise the situation.

The group was chaotic and uncoordinated, anger evident on some faces while others continued to be distracted by the obvious path Sky had taken. Four rolled between two bokoblins to avoid an attack, slicing one of the ‘blins while doing so. Warriors had managed to get a few more cuts but was fighting well enough, back-to-back with Wild, who now seemed to be fixated on protecting the captain after getting him hurt. Though Wild’s expertise with the blade was more than proficient, archery was his main specialty, and being so close to the captain in the center of the action was wearing him down quickly. Hyrule was halfway up the stairs, watching the situation while holding his blade tightly in his hands, face focused, making Time uneasy. Legend had swapped weapons and was instead fighting with his blade once more, yelling a curse at the lizalfos that was slowly cornering him as keese began to fly over everyone. Wind was—

Wind was about to get hit .

“Sailor!” Time shouted in warning as he rushed to the boy’s aid. Wind was too busy eliminating a flock of keese to notice the bokoblin behind him, ready to strike—

Warriors yelled as Wind turned, but it was too late. The blow made contact, and Wind went flying across the room, out cold.

The room broke into pandemonium now. Hyrule cried out, his blade set ablaze with magic, and he easily felled the swarms of keese, making fire and small burnt bodies shower down on everyone. Time raised his shield to block the grisly precipitation while Legend swatted them away instead, distracted and getting punched clearly in the gut with a bokoblin club. Warriors killed the beast in retaliation, turning to run towards Wind as Wild covered the veteran while he regained his breath. Twilight was also tearing towards their youngest, his limp slowing him considerably, and Time turned to face the last large foe alongside Four, who was patting flames on his tunic and hissing.

Four dove ahead before Time, attracting the enemy moblin’s attention and giving Time an opportunity to dive in. The beast had bent downward to reach its small opponent, exposing its neck to Time’s blade. As the two leapt out of the way of the beast’s crumbling form after the blow, they saw that the others were picking off the remainders of the horde with a fair amount of ease.

Time rushed to where Twilight was guarding Wind, bending over Warriors, who was tending to the sailor. Wind’s hair and half his face were stained with blood, and despite the captain’s gentle nudges, he remained motionless. More blood stained his cheek as Warriors tapped it lightly, and Time saw that their captain had a not only acquired more injuries, some were deep enough to break his armor. He held his shield arm to his chest protectively.

“Captain—”

“He needs a fairy,” Warriors interrupted. “We don’t have time sit around and wait for him to recover.”

“Or you,” Time added as he pulled out the last of his fairies. “Rancher, help me sit him up.”

Twilight shifted back into Hylian form, kneeling beside Wind and propping him up. The Ordonian’s own shoulder wound was far more evident now, staining his tunic red. Time uncorked the bottle with the precious healing gift, and the fairy hovered between Twilight, Warriors, and Wind before the elder heroes motioned towards the sailor. The pink light brightened around the fairy as it worked its magic around Wind’s head, and the sailor stirred.

Legend walked over, his feet shuffling as he downed half a potion and took a deep breath, the first Time had seen him take since the hit to his chest and gut. Then the veteran held out the remainder to Warriors. He gave a sharp command before the captain could even get a word in, and Time’s stern look was enough impetus to push him into compliance.

Wind groaned, rubbing his head wearily as he opened his eyes. “What happened…?”

Warriors quickly went to the boy’s side as Time replaced Twilight in supporting him. “You took a bit of a hit there, kid.”

Wind soured at the nickname, but was apparently too woozy to argue. Time gave him a reassuring smile before glancing at his descendant. “You should—”

“We need to preserve what potions we have left,” Twilight interrupted immediately, having predicted what Time was going to say. “We were already running low on supplies—”

“We just stocked up in Ordon Village,” Time reminded him.

“We stocked up on some supplies in the village,” Twilight fired back. “We don’t have potions in Ordon.”

“There’s milk.”

Twilight bit the inside of his cheek, clearly trying to come up with an argument before sighing in defeat. “Fine. I’ll drink some milk.”

“Does anybody wonder if that stuff ever goes bad…?” Four asked in the background as the Ordonian downed half a bottle.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Time said with a half smile.

“You drink poes. Your opinion is invalid on the matter.”

Wind giggled, still a little addled. “Why couldn’t you drink the big poes here?”

“Maybe next time,” the eldest Link replied, brushing sweaty hair out of the boy's face. “Think you can stand?”

Wind huffed proudly. “Of course I can stand! I’ve had much worse!”

To prove his point, the sailor leapt to his feet with gusto, and then hastily stumbled backwards into the wall.

“We have to go!” Legend called. “Some of us aren’t waiting!”

Time turned and saw Hyrule and Wild already running up the stairs, and he bit back a groan. There was no stopping them at this point. Warriors steadied Wind and the rest of the heroes rushed after their impatient friends.

“I remember this part,” Twilight muttered. “If Sky didn’t get too far ahead, we can—”

“Sky, wait!!” Wild cried up ahead. “Guys, help!”

Everyone doubled their speed only to find themselves caught in a new horde of monsters, with Sky in the center, bathed in black and red blood alike. The room was filled with stalfos, gibdos, keese, bokoblins, skulltullas, and lizalfos. A few were slain on the ground, but most were converging on Sky, while Wild immediately brought out three bomb arrows at once.

Time held out a hand, alarmed. “Champion—!”

Wild aimed straight for a large skulltulla, loosing the arrows. Time immediately dove for Sky, knocking the young knight to the ground just as the arrows made impact. The blast temporarily blew out his hearing, making the world seem vaguely distant while a high pitch ringing drove him insane. Time groaned, coughing and gasping when Hyrule’s boot slammed into his vision as the traveler blocked a monster attack that would have likely crippled him. Sky squirmed under him, clamoring for an escape route. Time pushed himself up, hastily moving aside as Sky shot out from underneath him. He managed to snag the boy by his sailcloth just as his hearing returned, sending him crashing back into reality.

Everyone was in the room now, fighting and pushing monsters away from the center where Time and Sky stood. Worried glances were thrown their way, but now that they had all regrouped and Sky was seemingly alive and okay, everyone was finally on their game once more.

Well, except for Sky himself.

The teenager twirled, turning himself around to face Time, knocking his hand off his sailcloth, but Time grabbed him by the wrists.

“Please,” Sky wheezed a frantic, tear filled plea. “Please, you have to leave.”

Time furrowed his brow. Of all the different scenarios running through his head, the boy begging them to get away was not the first one that had come to mind upon their reunion.

The sharp interrogation that had been brewing inside of him fizzed out like water escaping a dam, and instead his heart filled with worry. Sky’s eyes were wild, his face sweaty, his body trembling with exhaustion. Time had never seen the boy this frantic and unwell. “Sky… what’s wrong ? Let us help you.”

“You can’t help!” Sky replied, twisting his wrist so much he was likely hurting himself to get out of Time’s grip. “Please, I—”

Wind suddenly used his wind waker to blast a flock of keese into the wall, and the force of the air sent Time and Sky flying right into a half crumbled wall. The stones gave way when they slammed their shoulders into it, and Time felt pain shoot from his shoulder blade all the way into his fingertips.

It’s a good thing I wear armor , he thought dully as he groaned. His mind reoriented quickly, a frantic sense of urgency pushing him to look for Sky, who had fallen entirely into the room beyond the wall. It was a large circular area, covered in sand except for a platform in the center.

The monsters slowly seemed to be pushing the others towards the room as well, and Time hastily sprang to his feet to stop a lizalfos strike from tearing into his already injured shoulder. His body was not happy with the overhead maneuver. When he glanced back, Sky was finally pushing himself into a standing position once more.

Something dark materialized between Time and Sky, and the eldest Link felt his blood run cold.

“Sky!” he cried out in warning, garnering everyone’s attention, but the one person who needed to hear him was distracted, and the dark shadow rammed into the teenager, who stumbled right into the center platform. 

As soon as Sky fell backwards onto it, the Shadow coalesced into a figure, walking towards him slowly as the platform rose into the air.

“No!” Time yelled alongside Twilight, who tore ahead, pulling out a bizarre looking device and slamming it into some grooves in the wall. He hopped onto it, and the strange spinning top started to ascend the wall alongside a cut out path. There was the remains of a stairway jutting out in the wall, and Twilight seemed to be heading for it so he could leap off and get to the centerpiece, but skulltullas were crawling to that point as well. Time felt his heart in his throat, terrified at both what the Shadow could do to Sky and that Twilight might get injured again. He pulled out his bow and arrows to assist the rancher when a lizalfos from behind drew his attention instead. One of Wild’s bomb arrows blew by him to eliminate the skulltulla, and Twilight yelped, leaping off the spinner just as the arrows killed the skulltulla… and the platform Twilight had been heading for.

Time turned to yell at Wild (mainly for almost blowing Twilight up… a selfish part of Time was thankful his descendant couldn’t reach the Shadow alone now), but the champion was already watching sheepishly in realization. He held up an appeasing hand as he put his bomb arrows away.

“We have to find a way to get up there,” Time said loudly over the din as the champion examined the room. “The Shadow has Sky pinned down.”

“The Shadow?!” Wild repeated.

“Damn it, Champ!” Twilight swore uncharacteristically, face pale with worry. “Sky’s up there!”

“What?! Sky’s up there?” Four yelled as he leapt off a wall to give himself some extra speed and height, driving his blade through a moblin’s heart.

Legend rushed over, an unfamiliar cane in his hands. “Get me up there. I’ll protect him.”

“That’s just it , I can’t get up there with if Champion keeps blowing up the platforms— ”

“Solutions now, blaming later!” Warriors barked from the other side of the room.

The monsters all stopped fighting. Everyone froze in mid parry or attack, confused.

What were they…?

There was a harsh, dark laugh that echoed around the area, making everyone look up at the platform. Sky was barely visible, staring at something they couldn’t see.

“What’s happening?” Wind asked slowly.

Legend groaned. “Oh, no. He’s about to monologue, isn’t he?”

“Let him,” Warriors muttered. “It gives us time to find a way up there.”

“Not so loudly, though!” Wind hissed. “What if he can hear us?”

“There’s no way he can hear us all the way down here,” Wild pointed out.

“I can hear you,” a voice echoed down to them.

“WELL THAT’S GREAT BECAUSE YOU’RE A COWARD!” Wind suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs. “GET YOUR SORRY SHADOWY BUTT DOWN HERE AND FIGHT US LIKE AN ACTUAL WARRIOR!”

Twilight and Warriors were both eying the path that his spinner had climbed. The two slowly crept towards the wall.

Footsteps bounced around the area, building a strange dread in Time’s chest as he looked up and felt his heart stop.

His own face was looking back at him, eyes red and skin grey, as if he had been rotting away in the Water Temple for years.

The Water Temple.

This shadow… was his?!

“You…” he muttered.

His Shadow smiled. “Me? Don’t make too many assumptions yet. Now excuse me. I have someone to talk to, and your noise was far too deafening for a civil conversation.”

“Just get out of here!” Sky suddenly yelled, rushing to the edge of the platform. “I’ve got this!”

“Try anything foolish and my beasts will finish you off,” the Shadow advised before swiping at Sky with his blade, making the knight disappear as he jumped back to dodge it. Time snapped back into focus, stepping forward with alarm, as the Shadow walked away.

“So, uh… should we just kill the monsters while they’re not attacking?” Wild offered.

“That doesn’t seem right…” Hyrule noted uneasily. Lowering his tone, he said, “Besides, if he thinks we’re just stuck down here, then we can sneak up. If we attack them they’ll just start fighting back, and then it’ll take longer to get to Sky.”

“He definitely can’t hear us saying that, right?” Wind whispered.

The group waited. There was silence.

Time glanced upward. At least that meant the pair wasn’t fighting yet. He didn’t know how that shadow version of himself from decades ago had managed to grow so powerful, but…

Goddesses above. It had almost killed Twilight. It was going to kill Sky.

“Whatever we’re figuring out, we need to do so quickly,” he said softly.

Hang in there, Sky. We’re coming.

[jaggedwolf]

I keep forgetting that the first Ace Attorney game takes place in 2016 and not 2001, and to me, that makes it even more likely that Ema's "intellectually attracted" comment isn't that this sixteen year old doesn't know what gay people are but specifically that in her head Lana Does Not Date, Lana Has Never Dated Duh

[gillianthecat]

Actually I would like to revise my response to the question of "BL characters I want carnally." There is one (1) BL character I want carnally:

His gold necklace is driving me insane. Charn, the things I want to do to you. Everything's an act and the act is working on me.

[chocolateydinosaur]

me denying the lee allegations but the thoughts of neck tkls have slowly been taking over my mind day after day