#zora may day 1

[grooviestsadpapaya]

Watch valor while I go get water <3

[flusteredfools]

lil chibi Zora Moon and Sun for the first of MerMay 2024 and Zora May! Lei's and courtship. (yes I cheated on the lei's by using a flower brush)

Please vote in my MerMay Poll for Fnaf SB DCA Mer AU's if you hadn't already! <3

[space-mango-company]

Stranger | Chapter 4

Chapter Links: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

TW: Mentions of Cannibalism, Choking

Tags: Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x Atreides!Reader, Arranged Marriage, Eventual Smut, POV Second Person, No use of y/n, Original Characters, Canon What Canon

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: Ok, so clearly I'm a big fat liar. I'm sorry this chapter also took ages. I think I'm just a slow writer lmao. Anyway, it was fun writing this so I hope you guys enjoy it. As always, thanks for all the lovely comments I appreciate them a lot. Take care and have a good one!

"Where is he?" you snarl as you march through the halls gripping Iassa's choker. "Where is the na-Baron?" Your voice a threat.

"He is doing his morning drills, my lady," Zora, your new servant chases after you, growing increasingly panicked, "he trains with the Warmaster."

You pick up your pace, "Take me to him." When Zora hesitates, you yell, "Now!"

When you arrive, Feyd-Rautha is sparring with who you assume to be the Harkonnen Warmaster in a shallow recessed pit in the center of the training room.

"Where is she?" you call from the doorway, your voice filled with vitriol.

Your unexpected presence catches Feyd-Rautha off-guard and his sparring partner manages to cut his right abdomen through his shield. He growls at the Warmaster and snaps his head to you, "I am preoccupied at the moment, my lady."

"Where is Iassa?" your glare pierces through him.

"Who?" he asks genuinely confused.

Your grip on the choker tightens, "Don't pretend. The servant girl assigned to me. You left this in my room, didn't you?" The realization he had snuck into your quarters while you were asleep quietly creeps on you. "What have you done with her."

"Ah," he tilts his head, ignoring his bleeding wound, "I thought about just cutting her tongue out." A smirk grows on his lips, "but my darlings were hungry."

It was only then you noticed his concubines in the room, lounging in a corner of pillows. Their sharp-toothed grins only stoked your fury.

You scoff in anger, "because she revealed your farce? Are you so insecure?"

Is cocky expression evolves into a glare. "Leave us," he orders, eyes staying on yours. Servants flood out of the room asking with the Warmaster but it seems his pets were exempt from this command. "Why do you cry for a girl you knew less than two days?"

He was right. Why do you care so much? You were hardly 'close' with Iassa. You've had servants on Caladan and you were never particular with any of them. Would you anger for them the same way? Why must you suddenly be a paragon of justice? And at the risk of the Harkonnens' contempt?

When you remain speechless, the na-Baron continues, "You may not be familiar with slaves but here, their death is inconsequential—save for the economics of it all."

"Is that so?" You look at his pets then back at him. Your breath is dragon-like and your tone hardens, "then relieve your concubines."

"What?" Feyd-Rautha's low voice echoes through the room. His concubines hiss at you from their raised platform.

You stand taller, shoulders back, still clutching Iassa's choker in your hand, "If I am to be your wife, I demand you take no other women."

He takes a moment to determine how serious you are being, then decides it doesn't matter. He walks up the steps surrounding the pit and you aren't given time to react before he has your neck in his grip. "You are in no place to demand such things, Atreides." His black gritted teeth at the last word match the darkness of his voice.

Your hands fly to claw at his wrist, "How dare you lay a hand on me." You struggle against his unrelenting grip, "Let go of me!"

He leans down to your ear, "You're a feisty one, aren't you, little hawk?" You feel his hold continue to tighten and panic rises in your chest. Before you can be rendered speechless, you make a decision.

"UNHAND ME."

The Voice echos from your mouth seizing Feyd-Rautha's mind and his hand releases your throat. As you gasp desperately for air, he attempts to recover from the haze of the mental intrusion. When he finds his bearings, you see the thrill in his dark eyes. Witch, you can almost hear him say.

"Aren't you just full of surprises," he smirks.

"And I will have many more," you say bitterly. Straightening your dress, you regain your self-assured stance and meet his eyes with a cold stare, "Be rid of your harpies before we are wed or I will kill them myself."

You don't spare his concubines a glance as you turn to leave. You don't see the way Feyd-Rautha looks at you, head tilted, as you storm off.

You dismiss Zora and lock yourself in your chambers. Sprawled out on your bed, you stare up at the dark gray ceiling and question what could have possibly possessed you to challenge Feyd-Rautha the way you did. You go back and forth on whether or not it was an overreaction but eventually chalk it up to the Atreides' fiery defiance. Certainly, it wasn't the brightest decision but you sense that your father and brother would not have condemned it. Your heart is still pounding from the encounter. And the flicker in Fey-Rautha's eyes—you dismiss the idea that he might have enjoyed it.

You had hoped to hide your mother's training for longer. She had trained you and Paul in The Voice and Prana-Bindu. As a high-born lady, you could have been sent to a Bene Gesserit School in your formative years, but it was decided against due to Baron Vladimir's thinly veiled aversion to The Sisterhood. So, Lady Jessica resolved to teach you in secret. You were grateful for it anyway as you didn't have to be separated from your family. You think about how your mother would be able to continue to train Paul without you. You had always been more adept at The Voice than him. Now, he has the opportunity to surpass you. The thought triggers your competitiveness against your sibling but the feeling quickly melts into melancholy. You miss him. You miss all of them.

Is this to be your life? Married to a twisted psycho who feeds his concubines human flesh and kills people you care about? You sit up and place Iassa's choker carefully in the drawer of your nightstand. You hoped she didn't fear you as she did the Harkonnens.

Your thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the door. You had really hoped no one would bother you for the rest of the day but then you feel the emptiness in your stomach. You had skipped breakfast that day to confront the na-Baron. When you open the door, Zora is holding a covered tray which you assumed, and hoped, to be lunch.

"Would my lady like to eat in solitude?" she asks after she sets your meal at the small table in your quarters. Your heart sinks. She is so young.

"Ah no, I would like you to stay if that's alright." You sit at your table and cut into your food while Zora stands politely to the side. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. The na-Baron—my fiancé—he has caused me some aggravation."

"It is quite alright, my lady," she says, her head bowed low.

After your meal, you ask Zora to fetch you various projections on the planet of Giedi Prime from the Harkonnen archives. You were hesitant to make the request considering the fate of your last servant but you hoped you managed to convince Feyd-Rautha you were not to be trifled with. Besides, what harm could you do by learning about flora and fauna.

You spent the rest of the day watching informative holograms about your new home's ecology and biodiversity. Apparently, one of the planet's greatest exports is wood from the Pilingitam tree which is prized for its pliability when freshly cut but sturdy hardness once aged and dried. It was also anti-fungal and naturally fire-resistant. It was a surprise you didn't see much of it. Everything in the fortress was cold stone and concrete. You wonder how beautiful furniture made out of Pilingitam must be when carved by a skilled artist.

That night, you make sure to lock your door and fall asleep to images of sprawling landscapes.

The following day was similarly spent, watching projections about Giedi Prime's geographical features. You were left undisturbed save for Zora's quiet knocks on your door to serve your meals. Your life as a baroness is days away so you might as well educate yourself. Although, you suppose you should probably focus on politics and history more than the planet's Obsidian Planes but you weren't really in the mood to learn of the Harkonnens' gruesome past right now. You would cross that bridge when you got there.

Come evening, you hear an unfamiliar knock at your door. Zora had already brought you dinner earlier so you are wary as you crack open the door.

"Hello, little hawk." Feyd-Rautha's tall figure looms past the doorway.

You stare him down, making no move to let him in.

He tilts his head slightly, "Would you really kill my darlings?"

Chapter Links: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

Taglist: @torchbearerkyle @austinswhitewolf @dreamlandcreations @emeraldsgirl @strawberryfieldsforevermore @bornslippys @vexis-world @aoi-targaryen @alexandrainlove

[justpoliteconversations]

About the apple merchant story (it lives rent free in my mind always): Please let me hug Link please. One hug. Just one. Please he makes me so sad dhshsjsj

For the little shadowling that came to say hello.

---

Embrace [BOTW!Link x Isekai!Reader] (Apple Merchant Extra)

What if Link had teleported home immediately after defeating Vah Ruta? (An alternative route for after Part 6.)

(Far too tired to edit tonight. I'll do it later.)

Part: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Alternate Extras: Embrace

Masterlist

TW: Choosing not to display warnings. Read at your own discretion.

Disclaimer: Don't own The Legend of Zelda franchise.

---

Blue had come to you in the dead of night (just as you were finally getting ready to sleep after a long day's travel), dressed in full sheikah armor and eyes as dispassionate as they've ever been. And maybe you'd have believed that too, had Red not confided in you all those weeks ago. And if not for the words that left her in a low, monotones whisper.

"Courageous One's beloved. I request your presence." She'd intoned, but you could hear the command in her voice even as she remained in a subservient position kneeled at your bedside. "Master Link is in need of your comfort. Lest he falter in his duties as Hyrule's Hero."

You wanted to question her as to this sudden and unexpected change of heart regarding the sheikah's intentions, but you restrained yourself. Taking that prickling curiosity at the forefront of your mind and pushing it away in favor of the unease that permeated within your heart instead.

"The zora." You mumbled quietly, letting your gaze fixate on the blankets laid warmly on your legs. Displeasure trying to crawl up your throat and take home in your thoughts. But you shook away those spiteful whispers before they could poison your heart.

You disapproved of the hatred the elder zora held towards Link (and by extension, hyrulians). It was cruel of them to lay blame for Ganon's crimes upon his victims without regard to how the story had unfolded. To use them as scapegoats when the true focus of their ire was out of reach and far beyond their power to defeat.

It was an addicting kind of self-soothing that had been left to fester throughout their long lives, fueled by their guilt and fear. Guilt for their powerlessness, and fear not just for the world's future, but for that of their beloved royal family.

As told by the grape vine that weaves thickly through the Stable System, King Dorephan had lost his beloved mate too soon (the cause was kept quiet, but rumor has it it had been to birthing complications). Shortly after the birth of their son, Prince Sidon, in fact (thier second child and their only spare).

And after her passing the King choose to never take another (a controversial decision), instead spending the rest of his breeding years grieving his dearly departed and raising their heirs instead of producing more spares to ensure the royal bloodline in those turbulent times.

(Yet, the King received only whispered sympathy from his people, and the young Prince adored all the more for his status as final heir to a beloved, departed Queen.

It's always been easiest to demonize an unfamiliar face, after all. Easier to spit upon another race than to fault the heart of a grief stricken man and an innocent child.)

With the death of their Princess, Mipha, the zoras had lost not just a beloved healer and gracious future ruler. They lost half of their royal bloodline, their future. They who's ears reach the Goddesses' songs, or some such saying (in other words, gigantism, an inheritable trait found only in the zora's royal family line. by magic or genetic mutation, you didn't know).

And so, the zora of the time had taken their fear and guilt and unspoken grievances and shaped it into the hatred that only future generations seem to have been able to deluded from their racial conscience. Sidon, the Prince himself, being a shining example of this. And honestly, may well have been the spark for this (positive) change in the zora's newest generation as well.

There was a reason you never bothered trying to enter Zora's Domain. And it wasn't even the lizalfors. Though maybe in a few decades, you might give it a try.

Blue nodded at your quiet utterance, eyes cold and sharp under the veil of feigned disinterest. And you wondered, silently, what she was feeling right now. If she was truly so angered on Link's behalf, or if she was frustrated at her superiors for making this level of secrecy necessary (it had not escaped your notice that everyone in the stable was far too quiet for simple sleep. even the desk attendant was slumped over, quiet. chest barely moving. drugged).

Maybe even both. Even as removed from the sheikah's plotting as you were, you still understood that the girls were making independent moves outside of their given assignments. Perhaps even going against orders (their direct superior's orders, not yours. surprisingly. or perhaps not so surprising given Red's apparent fondness for your rupees, the opportunistic jerk).

None of that mattered right now though. Not even the yiga and the very real threat they still posed to your life.

All that mattered was Link, and that he was distraught enough to force the twins' hands to such an extent. That the situation was bad enough to ask permission to temporarily disregard the established agreement (bound by contract and enough rupees to tempt a saint).

"Take me to him." You said quietly, hands clutching the bedspread. Fingers twisted into silky cloth tight enough to hurt. Letting the soft, plush weight of it sooth your agitated nerves. Grounding yourself from the whirlwind of emotions that wanted to overwhelm you even as you kept your tone smooth and even. "Please."

She nodded, moving closer with eeriely silent strides and plucking you from the bed with frightening ease (you hadn't even realized what was happening until you were in her armor clad arms). The suddenness of the action nearly pulled a gasp from your lips. But it caught in your throat at the sudden speed as which she was all but flying through the moonlit fields.

She was such a a small woman. Seemingly delicate as a butterfly's flutter and soft as blossom petals. Yet you could feel the way her muscles pushed at your weight with unyielding strength.

In that moment, she felt as tall and imposing as a mountain. As solid as stone and as powerful as a hurricane ripping along the coastline.

In that moment, you were reminded that this woman (these women, beautiful and graceful and spirited both) were warriors. Born and raised. Trained until their hands bled and their bones twisted into the steel of a tempered blade.

And you had never felt more protected than in Blue's arms.

(Spit in the eye of the elders, Red had said. You were certain this woman would sooner stab them in the face.)

You just hoped that strength would be enough to protect Link until he was strong enough to protect himself. And enough to protect her as well. From whatever it was that had stolen the light from her eyes.

---

You weren't sure whether to be impressed by Blue's speed, or irritated that she managed to undo a day's worth of travel in just a couple hours (how the in world were you going to explain this to Skims and Adino? Red most certainly won't be any help. you can already tell). But one thing was for sure, you were never going to piss this woman off. That was for damned sure.

That wasn't what had your attention at the moment though. That was the sight of Link tied by the wrists to his bed, blindfolded.

And why was Red here, sitting at the table as though this was a perfectly normal thing to walk into (how had she even gotten here before you and Blue? why hadn't she been the one to take you back to Hateno if she was going to be here anyway)?

Link was awake and alert, pinched brows and down turned mouth looking just as befuddled (and maybe even a bit scared) as yourself at the current happenings. His delicate ears tracking your footsteps (Blue's were quiet, even on hardwood floors. what a scary realization) as you moved up the stairs and closer to his bed (your blanket dragging slightly across the floor, too heavy and thick to comfortably carry in your arms).

He was handsome for sure, all long blonde hair, elegantly sharp features and lithe muscle. But not quite as flawless as he had been portrayed as in the games (which was to be expected, but was still jarring. even after having come to terms with the reality of this world's imperfections).

The scars were by far the most prominent detail about him, even accounting for his noble features and toned physic. Hard, knotted patches of discolored skin sprawled across the left side of his face, shoulders and chest. Pink and raw looking, for all it was plain to see these horrendous burn marks had long since healed.

His skin too, was another thing that set him apart from his game presentation. Where as the game had shown Link to possess a pretty peach complexion with rosy cheeks, the man before you was off-puttingly pale (almost grey in the cheeks). So much so it was concerning. With the beginnings of a tan just beginning to take form on his forehead and the bridge of his nose.

Sick. You realized link was sick. No. That wasn't quite right. It wasn't sickness that seemed to be clinging to him like a veil.

Had Link ever fully recovered from his time trapped in the shrine?

Your memories of the game were foggy and unclear after so much time spent in this world. But there was one thing you did remember clearly when you pulled at the strings of your memories.

It was Zelda's voice, urging Link up from his slumber (tired and pleading, after 100 years of fighting a battle of wills). And Link, hitting the ground running. Without thought for his own wellbeing. Without consideration for his still recovering body. Just bullheaded determination and an unbreakable spirit driving him forward.

Your stomach clenched at the realization. Something that hadn't truly hit you with its entirety until you had finally cast your gaze upon the very man who had lived through it all (was still living through it).

Not a game character. Not the concept of heroism given humanoid form. But a man, small and confused and fighting to right the wrongs of a hundred years ago. Having to accept that everything he once had was gone now. And that he must now fight a battle he doesn't even remember having a stake in.

You cast a questioning (concerned) look over at Blue. But she ignored you, instead saying softly (and far less tensely than when you were at the stables) to Link. "Courageous one. Your beloved is here to offer you comfort."

Link tilted his head. Uncomprehending.

Blue cast a glance towards Red, who nodded quietly. Not even looking up from whatever she was doing at the table.

At the gesture, Blue continued. "They may not speak to you." She cast a cool glance your way, the hard glint of her eyes telling you more than a thousand words ever could. "And you are forbidden from touching them. This is to ensure you will not be tempted to- memorize their voice or distinctive features."

A moment of silence. Then confusion. And then (finally) the dawning light of comprehension seemed to line every inch of his diminutive form.

The change in him was immediate. Link's whole entire body tensed, the bonds at his wrists creaking under the pressure he was exerting on them in his stiffened state (as did the headboard. and you had a feeling only Blue's presence was keeping him from breaking free with brute force). His chest nearly shaking with the intensity of whatever emotions held him in their sway.

His face had twisted into a complicated expression. Lips taunt, scars pulled tight at the skin of his face (what was visible through the blindfold) and fair brows pulled into an almost grimace.

One breath. Two. And then, he spoke. "AM." He breathed, quiet and shaking. Raspy, dry and unpleasant (and beloved. so much so your heart ached with the feeling). "AM. I-" And just like that, his voice broke. Fractured. Shattered.

His hands tensed into fists, his teeth grit against the pull of his lips. His shoulders shook.

And you just. Moved.

Dropping the blankets, nearly tripping over the bulk of them in your haste, you fell hands first onto the bed. Barely taking the time to regain your balance before slotting yourself into Link's side (warm and solid and so very alive) and pressing yourself into his space.

You ignored his tensed form. His shudder as your night chilled clothes pressed against his own skin warmed ones. And spooned into his side as best you could with his arms bound above his head. Your upper body laid against his own, arms wrapped around his chest and head tucked under his chin. Trying to cover as much of him as possible (trying to hide him from the world and everything it demanded of him. trying to absorb all that pained his heart into your own body).

You squeezed him with all your might (pitiful though it may have been to someone physically blessed as the goddess' chosen champion), words sitting at the tip of your tongue, begging to be spoken. Unsaid and burning at the base of your throat. Held back only by the strength of your resolve, and the silent promise to do better.

To fight with everything in your power to do right by this man.

A man who had been demanded to give everything for the greater good. Even if it meant making a deal with the devil itself. Even if it meant losing himself. All. Over. Again.

You would make sure this man succeeded.

You would make sure he thrived.

His chest heaved under you, breaths coming in short, ragged gasps (quiet though, as though afraid to rise above a faint whisper). His throat bobbing under your cheek in thick, painful sounding swallows. His entire body was shaking, and you could feel the warmth of something wet soaking into the crown of your hair.

You squeezed harder, pushing every once of your care and devotion into the action. Gritting your teeth against the torrent of warmth that flooded behind your eyes, burning, demanding to be released. Demanding that you do more than just cling to him in a bid at comfort.

The tension in his body released all at once, and a ragged sob forced its way out of his throat. Long and raw and achingly vulnerable. Like nothing you've ever heard before.

And you sobbed right along with him, bitting back all the words you wished to tell him more than anything. Cursing the circumstances that had led to this moment.

And so thankful too. Thankful that you could be here in his time of need. Even if all you could do was hold him as he cried. As he broke apart beneath you.

And so, you sobbed all the harder. For the Link that had had to cry alone once upon a time.

---

Back to the shadows.

Tagging: @littlepanda7 @2000babies @danyzta

[sigridhawke]

I won't be able to do every day of #Zora May but I wasn't gonna miss day 1! I'll reblog whatever days I cannot do but please accept this shameless doodle of a scene from my fanfic Your Hand in Mine, totally counts for the prompt Courtship 💪💪

Thanks again @prisiidon for hosting this event!

[yanteetle]

Yanteetle's Art Masterlist!

Disclaimer: Firstly, DO NOT REPOST ON TIKTOK. Aside from that, reposting is fine as long as proper credit is given. Tracing and claiming it as your own will not be tolerated. If you have submitted a request, please be patient with me as art can be very taxing. Support for my work is appreciated wholly :)

Dni list: Islamophobes, tcest-supporters, pedophiles, ANYONE SUPPORTING ISR*EL, etc

Rottmnt: (Yandere Edition)

Leo:

#1

#2 (mini sketch)

#3 (300 followers special sketch)

#4 (meme sketch)

#5 (mini sketch)

#6 (mini sketch)

#7 (fluffy sketch series)

#8

#9 (Vampire!Leo sketch)

Future! Turtles:

#1 (Future! Leo) #2 (Future! Raph sketch)

Mikey:

#1 - (related blurb made by Pianocat939!)

#2 - (platonic yan! ft. the brothers)

#3 - (mini sketch)

#4 - (fluffy sketch series)

#5  #6 - (stalking sketch)

#7 - (Vampire! Mikey Sketch)

Raph:

#1 (Valentines Day Sketch <3)

#2 

#3 (fluffy sketch series)

#4 (meme sketch)

#5 (mini sketch)

#6 (Vampire!Raph sketch)

#7 (tw:blood)

Donnie:

#1

#2 (tw:needle)

#3

#4 (mini sketch)

#5 (meme sketch)

#6 (fluffy sketch series)

#7 (tw:blood, injury, angst)

#8 

#9 (Guilty Donnie Sketch)

#10 (Donnie + Leo plotting against y/n)

Teets (rottmnt self-sona):

#1 (initial concept)

#2 (self-sona introduction)

#3 (meme art)

#4 (reaction art)

#5 (hospital recovery)

#6 (mini sketch)

#7 (meme sketch)

#8 (what weapon does she use?)

#9 (oh wow she’s kissing y/n-)

#10 (hand kisses)

#11 (Teets in a suit)

#12 (Teets and Zora lore)

#13 (more Teets and Zora)

Miscellaneous art:

#1 (baby Leo in jar)

#2 (older!Raph interacting with human!child)

#3 (speedrun sketches of turtles!)

#4 (scrapped Mikey art)

#5 (vampire!Donnie sketch)

#6 (more scrapped Raph Art)

#7 (Small Teets animation)

#8 ( Yan Mud dogs!) #9 (Concept for Future!Mikey)

(more to be added)

FOR NEWCOMERS: 

Please take note that I do not have a writing masterlist since I am not a writer, so if you want to surf through my blog to see my written content, please make it easier for yourself and block this hastag [ #teets blockables ] ! It will make the sifting process much easier since I will be using this hastag when interacting with anons and regulars in here! Alternatively, you may check this hastag [ #yanteetles writing ] to view most of my writing work! However, I cannot guarantee that all of the work will be inside.  

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[wheelsgoroundincircles]

This Day In History, April 23, 1996 Zora Arkus-Duntov, Belgian-American automotive engineer, known as "the Father of the Corvette", dies at 86

Zora Arkus-Duntov (December 25, 1909 – April 21, 1996) was a Belgian-born American engineer whose work on the Chevrolet Corvette earned him the nickname "Father of the Corvette." He is sometimes erroneously referred to as the inventor of the Corvette; that title belongs to Harley Earl. He was also a professional racing driver, appearing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times and taking class wins in 1954 and 1955.

Arkus-Duntov joined General Motors in 1953 after seeing the Motorama Corvette on display in New York City. He found the car visually superb, but was disappointed with what was underneath. He wrote Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole that it would be a pleasure to work on such a beautiful car; he also included a technical paper which proposed an analytical method of determining a car's top speed. Chevrolet was so impressed, engineer Maurice Olley invited him to come to Detroit. On May 1, 1953, Arkus-Duntov started at Chevrolet as an assistant staff engineer.

Shortly after going to work for Chevrolet, Arkus-Duntov set the tone for what he was about to accomplish in a memo to his bosses. The document, "Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders and Chevrolet", laid out Duntov's views on overcoming Ford's lead in use by customizers and racers, and how to increase both the acceptance and the likelihood of success of the Chevrolet V8 in this market. In 1957 Arkus-Duntov became Director of High Performance Vehicles at Chevrolet. After helping to introduce the small-block V8 engine to the Corvette in 1955, providing the car with much-needed power, he set about showcasing the engine by ascending Pike's Peak in 1956 in a pre-production car (a 1956 Bel Air 4-door hardtop), setting a stock car record. He took a Corvette to Daytona Beach the same year and hit a record-setting 150 mph (240 km/h) over the flying mile.[citation needed] He also developed the famous Duntov high-lift camshaft and helped bring fuel injection to the Corvette in 1957. He is credited with introducing the first mass-produced American car with four-wheel disc brakes.

A conflict arose between Duntov and Chevrolet chief designer Bill Mitchell over the design of the new C2 Corvette "Sting Ray" model. Mitchell designed the car with a long hood and a raised windsplit that ran the length of the roof and continued down the back on a pillar that bisected the rear window into right and left halves. Duntov felt that the elongated hood interfered with the driver's view of the road ahead, and the rear pillar obscured the driver's view rearwards. The split rear window was widely criticized, and a one-piece backlite was put in its place the next year.

[catyo90]

Fighting Fate: Chapter 2

Ch.1,

(Wow you guys really wanted a continuation of this....well who the heck am I to deny yall. Consider this a confirmed series that I will write out. Enjoy!!!)

-

Ganondorf smiled to himself as he overlooked his kingdom, to see the women and children going about their days as the sounds of the desert surrounded the area with the sun beginning to set for the day. He looked over his shoulder to see Zelda at his desk writing out a letter to be sent to all of the realms as to inform of the union that would come to pass. He couldn’t help but find it a bit funny that she needed a plush pillow in order to sit properly as the desk was much bigger.

He knew that this union would be a difficult one to accept, but if he was truly to insure his peoples freedom then he would be willing. But in the back of his mind he knew this union was not entirely unwelcome. She was a fair and wise girl for such a young age and his attempt to wed Sonia was never going to come to pass, he scoffed at the memory of when he first saw Queen Sonia when both of them were teens. She was just as beautiful as she was now, but years of being apart caused them to drift apart, especially when he found out her betrothal to the Zonai. A memory that would haunt him for the rest of his days.

A small tap on his arm made him flinch ever so slightly as he looked down to see Zelda holding the finished letters.

“You wished to over look the letters did you not?” She asked as he nodded to her and took them to read them. In short they were a simple and none showed of any fear or warning of their union. The ones to the Zora, Goron and Rito were straight to the point and offered comforting words in showing that the union was agreed by both parties. The one written to the hyrulian though were written more as a sign of peace, saying more how the Gerudo were treating her fairly and how no hostility was found with him. It was strange to see how she wrote positive words of his people when many hyrulian saw most Gerudo as thieves and warriors with no mercy.

“They are acceptable. I will have my fastest riders send them to your guards at the border then they can deliver them to each realm.”

“Before you do there is one matter you still need to do.”

He gave her puzzled look as she handed him the quill. 

“A show of good faith with your signature and mine on each of them will show that there is no hidden agendas or tricks for the others to worry for.”

He scoffed.

“As if they would care for what I think. They will never truly trust us.” He gestured out to the kingdom.

“Then make them. I promise you...it will help. They will see that you truly wish for peace, trust me on this matter King Ganondorf.”

He was about to speak out once more but he knew there was no point, she was quite headstrong and stubborn, she would make a better Gerudo than Hylian with such traits. He walked over to the desk and signed his name at the bottom of each letter and she signed her own name next to his.

“Perfect, now they may be sent out. She said walking up to one of the women guards who kneeled down and took them bowing her head to both of them leaving them in the room by themselves.

Ganondorf simply shook his head pinching the bridge of his nose realizing that there would be even more political matters in the future. Something a warrior king truly hated...maybe even more the idea of swearing fealty to Rauru.

Zelda turned her gaze to him and softly coughed to get his attention.

“If you would be willing...I would like to see more of your kingdom. Perhaps a walk around the city before it gets too dark.”

He thought on it for a moment before walking over to the throne grabbing his blade in hand. As he motioned for her to follow him. She did so trying to match his speed, every step he took would be equal to three of her own. She watched as he walked ahead of her down the main stairs to see the women guards she had come with were being offered some fruits and drinks as some of the Gerudo women placed fabrics down on the ground clearly showing good faith. The guards noticed her walking with him and for a moment were about to stand up at attention until she waved a hand at them for them to be at ease. It pleased her to see that not all of the Gerudo seemed to hate the Hylians, perhaps staying in his domain would truly help the kingdoms relations.

They both turned at the corner of one of the alleyways to where she saw a few of the small shops, most with food and clothes where she saw other traveling hylians offering trade. She had heard that Ganondorf was open to the trade of the people who were wondering the deserts as not all Hylians were sworn to the crown and preferred the life of being on the open road.

“King Ganondorf!” She heard the sound of multiple small footsteps running their direction to see many young kids run up to their king were he leaned down smiling at each of them gently rubbing their heads messing up their hair in the process. One of the children snuck up behind and climbed up his back making him sigh as they tried to topple him over with no success. Zelda smiled and couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. She saw his gaze fall on her for a moment before the children stood behind him looking over at her. Clearly a bit nervous to see a hylian of her stature. She could see them whispering to him and suddenly he chuckled to himself as he pointed to her and whispered them something that made them all smile and run up to her.

“Lady Zelda come with us! Please you’ll want to meet them.”

“Yes please miss you with love them they are the cutest sand seals.”

“oh I suppose...alright...woah” She said as the girls gently pulled her hand forward and some gently pushed her legs forward. The sigh made Gannon smirk to himself as he walked behind them carrying two of the girls on his shoulder as they gripped his hair laughing as he walked.

Zelda saw the children bringing her to a side stable where a large pen was. The children let go of her hands and ran to the fence to look at the sand for any vibrations. Zelda as well was a bit curious as she looked at the sand with them until a small rumble could be seen but then disappeared.

“Aw no fair, they must be sleeping.”

“Well perhaps all they need is to hear his call.” one of the children said looking up at Ganondorf. He rolled his eyes for a moment as he spoke.

“They are not sleeping children...they are simply waiting.”

Zelda looked curiously at her and then back at the sand when suddenly two of the biggest sand seals she had ever seen pounced out of the ground bringing their heads to the top of the pen.

“In the name of the goddess...they are huge. I never imagined they grew this big” Zelda said as the children laughed and smiled as they walked up to them giving them pets. Ganon walked beside her putting the two children on his shoulder on the ground.

“They have to be, they are mine to command and ride. None of the smaller ones could handle me.”

“Oh...” She said as got a better look at them as they licked the children's hands and faces. One had much more grey than brown fur with a red mane with larger tusks than the other. The other while the same size had blueish fur with a white mane to match. She saw one of the children pick up a whole melon from the side of the pen and offered it to them, eating it in one big bite.

“Miss, here  here your turn.” one of the children offered a smaller piece of melon to her pulling her closer to them. Zelda smiled as she broke the piece in half offering both of them. The seals hummed to themselves as they each ate them so quick that it almost surprised her. They licked her hands and gently nuzzled their mouth toward her hands trying to lick up the juice left on them. She started to laugh at the feeling as she watched the children smiling and laughing with her. Ganondorf watched with a bit of surprise and curiosity. 

Most hylians were not used to sand seals yet she seemed to be completely at ease around them, it was as if she had seen them before yet he knew she had never been to his kingdom before, he simply chalked it up to her having seen them when she arrived but still it was a bit odd.

Suddenly the sound of a spear hitting the ground was heard as two women stood behind looking to the children.

“Children the moon is out, you should head home for the night. You will all need your rest to become great warriors.”

The children looked a bit disappointed as they simply nodded as Ganondorf held a hand out to the warrior women giving the children a moment before leaning down to them and putting his blade away from their sight as he opened his arms out to them and offered a giant hug making each of them smile and laugh as he lifted them from the ground as if they weighed nothing. They all laughed as he placed them down on the ground running off into the directions of their homes. he smiled to himself before looking over to Zelda who was utterly shocked.

The demon king that she knew would never have done that, heck it was almost impossible for her to even imagine. Yet here he was offering them kind actions like a father would to his children. 

“So surprised to see such acts from their King...” He said a bit coldly to her thinking the look she gave him was one of judgement.

“No. Its...its just nice to see they are enjoying their childhoods...I never really had such an option.” She grew a bit saddened as the memories of her father constantly criticizing her for her interests in the tech and the loss of her childhood when her mother passed. She honestly couldn’t recall the last time her father made her smile like that. 

He looked ashamed of himself for what he said. He should have known that being related to the royal hyrulian family was no easy task, after all the responsibility was not unknown to him. She looked to see Ganondorf facial expression change as he looked at his sand seals and then out at the gate leading into the desert and immediately a thought came to his mind.

“Did you still wish to see the lands of my kingdom?”

‘Of course.”

He hummed to himself for a moment as he whistled to the his seals that perked up their ears and immediately ran to the front of the gate. She watched as Ganon tied a small supply back on to the back and checked the ropes tied to the gigantic sled, he stood on it and checked the ropes before offering his hand to her.

“Your not afraid now are you? Tough girl.” He said with a small smirk.

She shook her head as she took his hand letting her stand in front of him with his arms on either side holding onto the handle of the sled. He kicked up the reins and in an instant the seals ran off into the vast ocean of the sand. She felt her whole body hit into the front of his as she tried to keep herself stable until she felt his arm wrapped around her midsection. She couldn’t help herself by grabbing his arm, to be both surprised and maybe perhaps a bit welcome at the gesture . The sand seals rushed into the dunes past multiple sinkholes almost too close for comfort, jumping out of the sand so quickly made her whole body lift off the sled a bit making her laugh but also scream surprisingly as she saw them climbing through the thick desert sand up the hills to see a small oasis that seemed to be void of any people. The cool desert air pricked her skin as she felt the grains of sand cling to her skin and clothes. The seals stopped just a bit short of the small oasis shaking off their fur as Ganondorf looked down at her only to laugh loudly at the sight. Her hair was slightly a mess and still she clung onto his arm with her legs shaking a bit.

“That was....that was not what I expected.”

“Hahaha. Perhaps you would want to try it again so you get used to it.”

“No, no, I'm fine with us stopping here...” She said looking down at her hand on his arm, immediately feeling her ears getting a bit warmer as she quickly moved it to fix her hair. 

“You...you can let go of me now.”

“Are you sure about that?” He said moving his arm lower so she was sitting on it lifting her up to his eye level.

“I wouldn’t want my new bride to hurt herself.”

“Y.....yes I am very sure...please.”

“As you wish.”

He smiled to himself as he placed her back on the ground as he stood off of the sled untying the ropes allowing the seals to drink from the oasis. He looked behind him to see Zelda looking out into the now illuminated sands by the moon. The wind howling into the night as the faint hue of the kingdoms lights could be seen. He breathed in the night air, moments like this reminded why he was fighting so hard for his people. He knew what the other realm thought and in truth he couldn’t have cared less. All he really wanted was freedom, both for his people and himself. For years he hated that the knowledge of Demise’s curse flowing through his blood made all those who looked upon him as nothing but a monster. The moment from his birth he was told that he would lead the people to their true value...yet he would be hated and feared by all. Perhaps it was foolish of him to hope that he could change his fate. 

Suddenly he felt his sand seals leaning on him offering a comforting nudge of their heads as he pet them. He leaned over to the sled and untied the rug that he kept with him in case he was to scout for days on end along with his troops. He placed it down on the hard ground as he watched his older seal sitting behind him as the  younger seal lay down beside him breathing slowly knowing fully well the children must have fed them more than they thought they could handle.

As he looked over Zelda and noticed she was shivering. The moon light glazed over her skin making her look almost like a holy spirit as the dress she wore which was lightly covered in sand blew in the air in time with her hair. Yet she was still a sight for sore eyes, truly one he didn’t expect to enjoy.

“Lady Zelda...” He said seeing her turn around gripping her arms as she noticed him sitting down beside his seals with an arm gesturing to the spot next to him. The moon illuminating his body in a low glow as the gold accessories he wore gleamed in the light. His vibrant red hair surrounding his frame as the loose Gerudo clothes blew in the wind. She was now completely nervous. Why was he being like this to her? They were not wed and yet he was acting completely differently than she ever expected. This man was the reason for all the pain in her time, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali and Daruk. All of them died by his hand, the pain inflected on her kingdom and Link.

Link... She had almost forgotten that he was searching for her in their time. But she knew the choice she made was for the best. By marrying him, all the deaths and suffering that happened will never come to pass. But then again there was no true guarantee that it would happen...after all with the blood of the goddess in her veins and Demise in him...fate might be cruller to them than any past incantations. She would not allow such a fate to happen again...not if she could stop it. 

“You’ll freeze if you just stand there.” He said this time patting the rug as if it were no big deal.

She simply nodded in agreement as she sat next to him as the younger of the seal cuddled up to her allowing all the warmth to return to her body. She looked up at Ganondorf and spoke.

“...Thank you. In truth I did not think you to be like this to a woman you barely knew...seeing as we both have strange fates...”

“You should know by now that I am not a complete and utter monster. I am a man first and a king second. Whatever the other realms see in me...I will change that fate. No matter how it must be done.”

He looked down at her.

“I can see in your eyes that you wished at some point that you never had the blood of the goddess in your veins...for what reason you need not tell me...but clearly your family sees you as thing to be relished on a pedestal...a holy figure.”

She saw him look up at the stars and sighed. She knew what he meant, living a normal life was never going to happen. She had to grow up fast and learn to fight off the Calamity since she was very young. While the protecting the realm was more than enough a reason to do it...it was never truly enough for those around her. Only the champions and Link truly understood her and yet...here she was sitting with their enemy so to be wed and in truth felt that he too understood her struggle. 

“I do hope that this...” She gestured to both of them.

“Will truly work.”

“We will have to wait and see.” He said leaning back. When he felt her lay her head against his arm which surprised him seeing her gently petting the younger seals head making it hum in appreciation. He could feel his heart beat ever so quickly at the sight as a small blush came upon his face as he ran a hand through his hair trying to ignore it. 

“King Ganondorf....”

“Hmm.”

“I meant to ask, what are there names” she said pointing to the seals.

He pointed to the bigger one and then to the smaller one.

“ Cerbofog and Tuguk.” the seals moved their heads in response but soon calmed down and layed back down in the sand.

“Really...Huh...”

“What? They are Gerudo warrior names. What would you name them?”

“Well...personally they look more like Blubber and Flipper to me...”

The look on his face was one of pure cringe at the idea of the names for him being so...casual. It didn’t help that when she called them that they actually looked up with wide smiling faces barking in excitement. 

“See...even they like the idea of nicknames like that.” She said rubbing their fur causing them to roll over in pure joy as she ruffled up their manes in a friendly manner. He was never gonna the hear the end of this from her. But the sight of her laughing as the newly appointed Blubber and Flipper loved on her even more than before made him sigh to himself...for once...in a very long time did he feel peace.

[ourprecioussushi]

Day 4 of Zora May, Today's prompts are:

Tears

Dragonification

Roleswap

(Spoilers ahead)

This was fun. Yeah. I know it doesn't technically have any Zora in it, but little Linny must count, right?? Also, I imagine this really epic scene playing out where Link is transforming into a dragon, but it's just because he ate the Stone day 1 no hesitation.

[kaisers-house-of-desires]

Yo! Just saw your blog pop up on my reccomended feed to read and saw the fics you write! I love the portrayal of nonbinary and neopronouns in all your fics and thought, "hey, I'm a trans dude who uses enby pronouns, lemme read." So far, I'm in love!

If possible, may I request one for LoZ? I thought it'd be neat to read a fluff piece with Sidon x trans masc reader, who's perhaps a little clumsy and gets Sidon's help via dance lessons? 👀 I may request something with Ganondorf later so keep an eye out, anyways! Have a wonderful day/night/whatever time of day it is for you! Kachow!

Thank you very much! I hope you have yourself a wonderful day as well! Please enjoy your order~

Title: 1-2-3. 1-2--Oof!

Characters: Sidon x transmasc!reader

Contains: fluff <3, dancing

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda

Full request below the cut

All characters are 18+

MINORS, FEM ALIGNED, AGELESS/BLANK BLOGS DNI (This may not be smut, but I still want the above to be followed)

Reblogs > likes

"Alright, the steps are simple." Sidon cued the director, who tapped his baton.

As the music started, he put his hands into position on your waist and hand. You followed suit, grasping his hand and putting your hand on top of his arm due to his height.

How did you end up dancing with the Zora Prince? Well, you had always wanted to dance, but the instructions never felt clear. That being said, Sidon took it upon himself to being your teacher, especially after you asked if he knew how to dance. He wouldn't dare miss up a chance to give his assistance.

"One two three, one two three." The music was slow, and Sidon's steps were clear after he gave the instructions. Move your foot like so, one. Step down, two. Move your body. Three. Going this speed, it wasn't so bad. You could actually move with some semblance of grace. "Yes! Wonderful! You're doing amazing!"

Sidon's praise made your cheeks a rosy pink, a shy smile growing on your face. "I-It's still slow. This really isn't much."

"Shall we go faster?"

"W-Wait--"

Sidon raised a hand, signaling the director to pick up the speed. With increased tempo came increased movements.

"One two three, one two three."

"O-One two three, one t-two three."

You tried keeping up with Sidon, the slight increase of speed already messing with your stepping. Your legs became tangled, and while trying to fix it, you stepped on Sidon's feet.

"G-Gh!"

Panicked, you stumbled back, hands over your mouth. "I-I'm so sorry, your highness!"

Chuckling, Sidon hopped on his good foot for a moment, lifting the stomped one to gently rub at the spot. "N-No worries, friend! It all comes with learning!"

A sense of guilt began to wash over you. Was this a bad idea? Did Sidon think you were too clumsy at this point to learn? After all, you barely just now got the slow steps down. How were you supposed move faster after just learning that?

"Shall we try again?"

...Should you? You nervously rubbed your arm, shyly looking away. "I-I think...maybe this was a stupid idea..." You took a step away from him as he approached you with an equal step.

Sidon's face fell into a look of hurt. He was hurt by your words, but not on his behalf. It was more like a worry for you. You had merely asked for assistance, and the way you were changing your mind startled him. He motioned for the band and director to take a break, telling them that he'll come and get him when they were ready. As they did, you found a seat on a large, nearby rock, facing away from the prince. You sat there alone for some time until Sidon sat beside you on the ground.

"...You want to know something?" he asked softly. "When I was learning how to dance, I stepped all over my sister's fins"

You kept your gaze ahead, but you listened.

"Yes I was much shorter than her, yet I insisted on learning the proper way. Such an inistance led to her poor feet being covered in little bruises from me stepping on her. She offered to hold me and take me through the motions, but I told her I wanted to learn properly."

You wondered why he was telling you this. At the moment, it just wasn't clicking in your head.

Sidon looked over at you, giving you one of his comforting smiles. "What I'm saying is, no one is going to get things right away. There will be trials, there will be hardships, even with something as simple as dancing."

You started to understand, sighing out and rubbing the back of your head sheepishly. "I-I just...I don't want you to see me as some klutz...I want to seem elegant to you, match the energy you have..."

"Oh, my dear. I am far from what elegance you think I have." Sidon let out a chuckle, gently rubbing your back for reassurance. "Trust me, I often wish the same from my father, to be as elegant and dignified as him. I still work on it everyday."

Sidon? In a similar position as you? It felt impossible but...well...it did feel reassuring to not be alone. And he was right, these things take time after all.

"So...Shall we work on our steps again?" Sidon asked with a more signature grin of his, holding out his hand.

You gazed at the extended limb, sighing out with a small smile.

"Y-Yeah. Let's try again."

[sunset-peril]

Hyrule's Final Stand - Masterlist

Lore and Worldbuilding Overview (may have errors)

An Oversimplified View of ToZA's Royal Family

Hateno Village Social Makeup (TotK-era)

Wolfbred: The Affection Coded Beast Tribe

So Why Did Mipha Make the Zora Armor?

The Infected Dreamscape - Concepts and Lore from "Trial of the Zora Armor"

No Way to Forget - The Tragedy of Midna Marie Imperial

Testosterone Imbalance Disorder (Failed Mating Syndrome)

Wolfbred Social Titles

Hyrule's Caste System

Hyrule's Caste System - List of characters and their castes

Character Masterlists

*coming soon*

Book Covers

Trial of the Zora Armor

Saying Goodbye

Successors

Other Art

Link and Zelda Original Reference Sheets - Trial of the Zora Armor (disclaimer - Link is missing his facial scars due to them being added later on)

Link's Reference Sheet

The Wolfbred Chronicles - A Short Story Collection

The "Lost" Tribe - Part One - Moonlight, Markings and Musings

The "Lost" Tribe - Part Two - To Zora's Domain

Trial of the Zora Armor

TOZA Chapter One

TOZA Chapter Two

TOZA Chapter Three

TOZA Chapter Four

TOZA Chapter Five

TOZA Chapter Six 

TOZA Chapter Seven

TOZA Chapter Eight

TOZA Chapter Nine

TOZA Chapter Ten

TOZA Chapter Eleven

TOZA Chapter Twelve

TOZA Chapter Thirteen 

TOZA Chapter Fourteen

TOZA Chapter Fifteen

TOZA Epilogue

Saying Goodbye (readers recommend tissues...)

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Successors

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue 

Link, Wolfbred King

Chapter One

Chapter Two

One-shots and Ficlets

Khosha, Wife of Revali

Kabre's Tale

Guilty as Ganon

Guilty as Ganon - Epilogue

To Heir is Champion - Urbosa

Monthly Events (-tobers, May events, etc)

2021 Shiptober - Day 1 - Enemies

Zora May 2024 - Sentimental/Tears

Other

Link actually had knight friends (based on AoC content)

This discussion about Wolfbred lore that I'm shoving here until I get less lazy and write it down neatly in another post

Iconic Queen Zelda quote that's going here for whatever reason

Link's Social Relationships - TotK era

TotK Era Headcanons/Trivia

"Perfection" aka "Failure" the "Perfect" Ancient Wolfbred

This TotK Sage Link Idea That I Got Struck With

King Rhoam's Contrition (courtesy of @aikoiya)

~~~~

Yes, you are permitted to make fanart/fanfiction of anything linked above.

[bahbahhh]

I had chosen to ask this way. 😎 I have three (3) questions for the Depths A.U.

One (1) - Were Link's companions ever able to see the Light Dragon before this, during the events of The Upheaval?

Two (2) - Did everyone learn that Ganondorf was a Gerudo and the Gerudo were the ones who joined him, initially I think judging by the Tears Memories, and that they attacked while Zelda was there? If so, how does that effect Riju and Gerudo Town? Considering she and Champion Urbosa helped save Hyrule but even the Older Zora held grudges towards Link for Mipha's death before he helped change their mind.

Also cause The Shiekah may not have much trust cause of the Yiga so I hope if there is tension, the others can back the Gerudo and Shiekah up.

Three (3) - The most important question....Where is Best Sand Seal in the world. 👀👀 I have a load of Hydromelons for her. 👀👀

Sorry this is long and I hope you are too taking care of yourself during this and your beautiful work!!

💪😎💕

Thank you so much for your questions!!

I’m going to put my response under the cut because it contains totk spoilers!

No, at this point, Link is the only one who can see/has seen the Light Dragon and that is purely because of the master sword. If Zelda hadn’t taken the master sword literally as a part of her and healed it, there would have been no “tether” to her dragon form. I really wanted the Zonai warning to be grave. I wanted to expand in why it is so forbidden. The three dragons (Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh) have a different origin than the Light dragon, but essentially, because she willingly consumed a secret stone without any formal ritual, she lost herself in more ways than one. She is truly the stuff of legends now. The Legend of Zelda. Ganondorf does the same and during the final battle, the sages do not see him in dragon form either. Link is able to because of the gloom connecting them.

Oooooooooo, great question! Yes, the history of Ganondorf the Gerudo King is brought to light. Riju and the Gerudo of present day continue to follow the path of the sage of lightening. Link is a fierce and long time friend of Riju’s and quite honestly, no one wants to cross the Hero of Hyrule. But there is some concern if another king will be born now that Ganondorf broke free of Rauru’s seal and was defeated.

I firmly believe the Sheikah deserve their time in the light. They are leaders of Hyrule’s restoration at this point. The Yiga… well 😈

JUST THE GOODEST GIRL. I’m going to have to make sure she makes an appearance in the story somehow…

[vilandel]

Not A Rival

Summary Surprising her boyfriend at Headquarters seemed like a good idea, but little did Vanessa know that 1. three captains were going to find out she was dating Nozel Silva and 2. that they weren't the only secret couple...

A/N Wrote this two years ago, one of my first oneshots for Black Clover... So, it was way before the famous Lucius plot twist, which is why Julius makes an appearance here

Ao3 link

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

“Nozel, stop, it tickles.”

“I highly doubt that this is the reason why you always laugh when I kiss you there. And… may I doubt as well that you really want me to stop?”

Gosh, that sounded hot. Vanessa swooned a little. Well, more than a little. He was right, she didn’t want him to stop. Nozel just let a smug smile appear on his lips before he lied them back on her neck. She couldn’t help but to giggle again.

Well, it was true, it didn’t really tickle. Maybe a little, but that wasn’t the reason why Vanessa laughed. She was just happy. Happy to be in Nozels arms. Happy to see him again after three days. Just happy.

It wasn’t easy to be in a secret relationship with a royal. Even more with a Head of House, who happened to be also the captain of the Silver Eagles. Not to mention that a relationship between a prince and a witch wouldn’t be well received within royal and noble circles. That was one of the reasons why Nozel and Vanessa kept their relationship a secret for now.

One day, they will make it official and be out in the open. Face those rules and all those stupid things that were expected from royals. Vanessa might be a tiny bit sorry for all those nobles with daughters they would have loved to see engaged to the Head of House Silva. That she could understand, Nozel Silva was a catch. But at the same time, Vanessa wasn’t sorry at all. It would be arranged marriages, no place for love. Nozels heart was hers and her own was his. She refused to give that up.

But right now, Vanessa didn’t want to think about nobility and those stupid, complex circles full of bigotry. Nozel was far more important to her and his lips way more enjoyable. They made their way across her jaw before finding her lips. Nozel didn’t waste any moment, kissing her deeply. Vanessa put her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. Heavens, she missed his kisses so much!

“You should relax more often, honey. It does you good”, she giggled as they parted.

Nozel simply tucked some of her pink curls behind her ear, a soft smile on his lips. Vanessa sighed happily. She could swoon for that smile. They were together for a few months now. Getting used to see those genuine expressions on his face, usually hidden behind his cold mask, had been surprisingly easy.

“It is very easy to relax, when you’re with me.”

They kissed again, much softer, but still passionate. Vanessa was decided to savour any moments, to not miss one single second.

Three days without seeing each other, that was long. Vanessa had been on a mission at the border to the Diamond Kingdom, but most of the time, Zora, Gordon and herself had been more preoccupied to stop Luck to destroy anything. And when they came back, she just had learned that not only there was a captains meeting, but that all nine of them plus the Wizard King had been called for a meeting with King Augustus, because… well, the reason was most certainly something stupid and forgettable.

This had frustrated Vanessa quiet a lot. She hadn’t seen Nozel for three days and even worse, she didn’t have the chance to really say goodbye.

But then, a chance appeared. Noelle wanted to go to the capital to meet up with her sister, so Vanessa jumped on the occasion to accompany her.

Noelles bond with Nozel had become better and stronger, her relationship with Nebra was also on the way for betterment. Noelle was taking one sibling at the time to mend those broken bonds. After some awkward meetings, the relationship between the Silva sisters became slowly better, today Noelle and Nebra were on good terms.

Vanessa left Noelle with her sister at some noble but nice café, pretexting to go shopping at the Black Market. Nebra had made a confused face and Noelle began to explain while her squadmate let them be. But of course, instead of going shopping, Vanessa went headfirst to the Magic Knight Headquarters, determined to finally see Nozel again.

She just came right when the first meeting was over and when the captains had a bit time before the second one with the King. Surprising her boyfriend of a captain right when he was alone in a hallway, Vanessa dragged him into an empty room, where they fully enjoyed their reunion.

“Don’t you have a meeting with the king coming soon?”, Vanessa asked innocently as they parted from another kiss.

“That’s not of importance”, Nozel answered quietly, before rubbing his nose against hers.

But just as they were about to kiss again, the door to the room opened suddenly.

“Wha-… Oh, my! Oh my!”

Nozel and Vanessa turned abruptly towards the intruder, who was none other than Dorothy Unsworth, captain of the Coral Peacocks, very much awake, for once.

The other witch looked very surprised, but had still the biggest smile on her face.

Vanessa saw Nozel turning beet red and she suspected to be a bit flushed herself. Until now, only the Wizard King and Nero knew about their relationship; as well as Gordon, but he learned it by accident. Which had been enough for now, both weren’t ready yet to go out of secrecy.

Although, with captain Dorothy here, their secret was at risk to be no longer one.

“Oh well, that is unexpected. But how cute are you two! I mean, I suspected you to have a lover, Nozel, but I’ll never would have thought this person is a fellow witch! Congratulations! Aww, did I mention that you’re both cute together?”

“Yes, you did.” Nozels voice was calm and he straightened himself, like a proper royal. But he was still blushing a lot and he didn’t let go of Vanessa.

“How… did you had suspicions?”, the Black Bull witch asked. She didn’t know what else to ask.

“Oh, it’s subtle, but I had the feeling that Nozel was more relaxed those last few months. Happier too, he smiled more when he thought no one was looking. Besides, he took much more free time, which says a lot. Did you two knew that it is a mystery my squad wonders about right now? Why would captain Nozel Silva of the Silver Eagles take more free time? There’s a few bets concerning this and it seems that I won mine.”

Dorothy babbled, chipper as always. Vanessa was blushing again, though she couldn’t help but smirk a little. The thought that some Magic Knights had running bets about Nozel being in a relationship or not was a funny thought.

Her boyfriend, on the other hand, didn’t seemed very pleased. “Dorothy, I would be most grateful if you would keep to yourself what you saw.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll wait until it becomes official, I’m patient. And you know me, Nozel, my lips are sealed. You at least asked me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, you’re actually the second secret couple I discover today. That’s way I came here in the first place, to take cover.”

But before Nozel could ask what she meant, there was a voice thundering through the hallway, “COME BACK HERE, MISS POINTY HAT, WE’RE NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!”

One moment later, a very angry Yami crashed in. Vanessa flinched. That wasn’t good. Her captain was surely one of the last persons she wanted to find out about her relationship with Nozel. Looking at the silver haired man, she just knew that he was thinking the same. She sighed. Hopefully it won’t be too difficult to continue to meet.

But then, captain Charlotte appeared just after Yami. Holding his hand.

Oh… Oh. Oh!

In that case, it maybe won’t be too difficult to continue to meet. She just needed to don’t screw this up.

“Listen well, Sleepy Hat. If you ever dared to tell anyone one single word about what you saw, I’ll personally-“

“Yami, please, you can ask her nicer.”

“Rule number 1, Prickly Princess, NEVER take any risks! I don’t want my entire squad coming after you. Or your fangirl getting overly upset every time she sees me.”

“We’re not there yet. None of our squads knows.”

“I know my brats, there’s only a matter of time until one of them finds out. And besides your fangirl, all your girlies might discover it soon as well.”

Dorothy just interrupted them with a cherry giggle, “One of your squad already knows, Yami dear and it has nothing to do with me. At least directly.”

“Dorothy!”

Nozels warning came a tiny bit late. Both Yami and Charlotte realized that Dorothy wasn’t alone. Slowly, they turned to the other couple in the room.

It was a bit an intense yet awkward silence. Vanessa didn’t know if she felt excited or embarrassed. Maybe a mix of both.

While Dorothy smiled like she had the time of her life, both couples just looked at each other, slowly trying to understand what was happening.

Silence.

Dorothy giggled.

More silence.

“What the fuck!”

That was exactly what Vanessa was thinking. Nozel and Charlotte probably had the same thought as well. But none of them would have said it out loud like Yami did.

“Hello there, captain Yami. Captain Charlotte, nice to see you.”

She had a joyous voice, but Vanessa knew that her cheeks were still burning. Hopefully, the other two wouldn’t notice it. After all, they were also flustered.

“Um… nice to see you… too… um, Vanessa, wasn’t it?”, Charlotte stuttered. She looked like she didn’t quietly understand.

“What the hell are you doing with a member of my squad, Bird Braid?”

Nozel straightened himself again. Despite the blush and the fact that he was still holding Vanessa, he looked very royal.

“Probably the same that you did with your own… girlfriend, Yami.”

“Girlfriend?”

Both Yami and Charlotte looked like their minds went blank. Which was quite a sight to see, but Vanessa was still a bit too flustered to laugh. Not like Dorothy, who couldn’t stop giggle right now.

Vanessa looked up to Nozel, a happy smile on her lips. “So… does that mean that I’m your girlfriend?”

“What else should you be?”

The captain of the Silver Eagles was still blushing, but when he looked at her, he was softly smiling. Vanessa couldn’t help but put a kiss on his lips.

She heard Charlotte gasping and Dorothy letting out something that sounded like an aww.

“For fuck’s sakes!”

The couple parted as Yami yelled.

“What is even going on? Braids is smiling and you hug him, kiss him? Did I miss the end of the world or what?”

“If it were the apocalypse, we wouldn’t be here, Yami.”

“Shut up, Birdie, I wasn’t talking to you!”

Nozel sighed, tightening his hold on Vanessa. Holding her helped him a lot to calm down.

“So… you’re together?”, Charlotte asked, a bit pale and probably still processing what was going on.

“Oh, come on Lottie, no need to ask, it looks pretty obvious, don’t you think? I mean, look how they still hold each other, even after getting caught.”

“Lottie?”

Yami forgot shortly Nozel and Vanessa to look at Dorothy, apparently stunned that she had such common nickname for his girlfriend. But Charlotte didn’t react to Lottie, she simply continued to stare at the two love eagles, who were indeed still holding each other tightly.

“Since a few months.”

“Months?”

Yami stopped to look at Dorothy to glare back at Nozel and Vanessa. Well, mostly at Nozel.

“And how long have you two been together?”, Vanessa asked, before either Yami or Nozel would say something insulting.

“Well… a few… weeks. Not as long as… you both”, Charlotte answered, with a very stuttering voice. Vanessa frowned a bit. Why was the captain of the Blue Roses this shocked?

“Oh, in that case… congratulations, captain Charlotte.”

“For you… as well, Vanessa…”

“Oh, for fucks sakes, to hell with the congratulations!”

“Language, Yami dear.”

Captain Dorothy seemed really to have too much fun right now.

“Vanessa, really? Hanging out with Braids for months? Come on, you have better taste than a wall of bricks!”

“Excuse me?”

Nozel was about to retort something, but Vanessa was faster.

“Captain, who I’m dating is my business, not yours. And Nozel is anything but a wall of bricks. Trust me, I already get countless proofs that he’s not made of stones, given how many times we-“

“Vanessa!”

Nozel put a hand on her mouth, while blushing even harder than before. But it was too late. Dorothy, Charlotte and Yami perfectly understood what she was going to say.

Charlotte blushed furiously, Dorothy giggled again and Yami looked like his mind went blank, surprisingly.

“Wait, Bird Braid. Does that mean that you’re not prude?”

Silence.

The two witches burst into laughter. Well, Dorothy already had a lot of laughs in the last few minutes, but this time Vanessa couldn’t help it, despite how flustered she still was. She didn’t even know if it was funny and why, she just laughed.

The other three captains didn’t laugh, though. Nozel simply sighed, resigned, flustered and still holding his girlfriend of a witch. He softly caressed her rosewood curls and seeing Vanessa this happy helped him to calm down a bit.

“Vanessa, would you please don’t speak about… this in front… of others? This is very… private.”

“Sorry, honey. I just don’t like that he insulted you, so I got heated a bit.”

“Not only is Bird Braid not prude, but he said please?”

Dorothy burst into laughter again. She really seemed to have the greatest time ever. All she needed at this point was popcorn and to sit down.

Just in this moment, the door opened again and Julius came in, visibly content. “Ah, there you are. Good news, I managed to persuade Augustus that the second meeting wouldn’t… Oops, did I interrupt something?”

“No, nothing at all, Wizard King. I just discovered that three of my captain colleagues are in a happy relationship and one of them even with a fellow magic knight witch.”

Dorothy couldn’t help it, it seems. She was lucky that the Wizard King knew about her and Nozel, but what if it had been someone who didn’t know? Vanessa knew that her boyfriend wasn’t eager to tell any of the captains for various reasons, especially Fuegoleon. But he had admitted that if one captain would not so much of a problem, it would be Kaiser. For Nozel to came to such a conclusion and to admit it, was already big.

Vanessa looked at Yami and Charlotte. They weren’t really disturbed by the present of the Wizard King, it seems. That might would mean, that Julius knew about their relationship as well.

Where there other captains in secret relationships he would know about?

“Vanessa, nice to see you. You’re really lucky, the second meeting won’t happen, so Nozel can take you directly on a date. Which is really less, less boring than the meetings, even for him, I’m sure.”

“Wait, Julius, you knew that Braids was dating one of my brats?”

“Yes.”

“So why didn’t you tell me?”

“They wanted to keep it secret, just like you and Charlotte.”

The Wizard King answered with a very happy smile, so that even Yami couldn’t bring himself to retort something. So, he decided to glare at Nozel again.

“Okay, but listen, Birdie, if you-“

“I know!”, Nozel replied, interrupting the captain of the Black Bulls. “If I hurt Vanessa, you are going to hurt me, no need to tell me. But it is not in my attention to hurt her. Besides, she can defend herself. She’s a very capable Magic Knight, after all.”

“Thanks, honey,” Vanessa chirped, kissing his cheek. Nozel blushed again, but he couldn’t repress that a small smile appeared on his lips.

“I can’t even threat you properly, Braids? No fair!”

Dorothy laughed again, clearly having a very fun time. This time, she was joined by Julius.

The couples, on the other hand, were still looking awkwardly at each other. That is, until the captain of the Blue Roses seemed to get a hold on herself.

“There is something I need to clarify. Vanessa, since you and Nozel are… well, in a relationship, that would mean… um, that you’re… not a rival, right?”

What was Charlotte talking ab- Oh!

Their contest at this Star Festival when the Black Bulls came in second. Back then when she and Nozel weren’t together yet, not even really acquaintances. When her crush was still lingering and given how she challenged the captain of the Blue Roses back then while she was already a bit drunk, Charlotte must have come to this conclusion.

Vanessa looked at Nozel and from his glance, she knew he understood as well what Charlotte meant. Of course he knew, she had told him about this crush on Yami. He had been a bit jealous, but he made big efforts to fight against it. After all, that crush was the past and Vanessa had countless occasion to prove him she was now his. And her feelings for Nozel weren’t a crush.

“Rival? What kind of rival?”

Of course Yami would ask. He had been oblivious to her crush on him and for someone who was able to read Ki, he had been wrong for long about Charlottes true feelings towards him. Even today, the captain of the Black Bulls seems to have no idea what his girlfriend was talking about.

On the contrary of Dorothy and Julius, who had known basically nothing about this, but still seemed to have put the dots together. The captain of the Coral Peacocks was still smiling cheerily, but now with a knowing glance. The Wizard was still smiling as well, but there was some worry in his eyes and he seemed ready to step in if something might happen.

Alright, time to put this non-existent rivalry back where it belongs.

“No worries, captain Charlotte. I’m not a rival and given the circumstances, I might never had been one. I found my luck somewhere else and I couldn’t be happier.”

Relief washed over Charlotte and for the first time since she entered this room, she smiled.

“That’s good to hear. I mean, um, well… I’m happy to hear it. And sorry that I think… that you were… well, my rival. Well, what I mean-“

“I think I get it and there’s really no need to apologize.”

“But when I believed it, I thought kinda badly about you and I was afraid that you would take… well, I’m sorry to have believed it.”

“Well, sweetie, you won and I’m really happy for you. Although I don’t consider myself as a loser, on the contrary”, Vanessa smirked while looking at Nozel with a wink. He smiled again softly, but not without getting flustered.

“Wait, Prickly Princess, what kind of rivalry did you had with Vanessa? Who’s the better knight or what?”

“Yami, for someone who reads Ki, this could sound rather stupid coming from you”, Charlotte sighed, slightly blushing and now holding his arm. Dorothy and Julius burst into laughter again.

Vanessa felt Nozels arms tighten around her. Oh, he must still feel a bit jealous, maybe. She grinned, leaning into him. She wasn’t mad, he made such efforts to come over it, even though it was in a Silva way. And even better, it would give her one more reason for staying at his place this night and prove him again that she was now his, only his. Something she loved to do.

“Don’t worry, honey. Even if he finds out today or another day, it will be not such a drama. I’m sure of it. Consider it something that you know and he ignores.” This made Nozel smile softly. “And I’ll show this night that I’m yours only.”

“Your place or mine?”

“Yours, we’ll clearly need some privacy after this.”

“Good, but let me take you out on a date first.”

“I’d love that, honey.”

“Oh, sweet love eagles, what are you whispering over there?”, Dorothy called out, causing Yami, Charlotte and a very grinning Julius to turn back at them.

“Just sweet nothings, captain Dorothy,” Vanessa chirped, leaning more into Nozel.

“Ugh, gross- Ouch! What was that slap for, Prickly Princess!”

“You never find it gross when I say sweet nothings to you, so stop being so contradictory!”

“I’m not contradictory, since it comes from Braids, after all. It doesn’t suit him!”

“It doesn’t suit you as well on the first glance, but you’re still doing it when we’re alone, my dear Dark Knight.” Somehow, captain Charlotte managed to sound angry and flirtatious at the same time.

The captain of the Blue Roses seemed more confident now. Was it because of the relief that after all, she didn’t have a rival to Yami’s heart? Vanessa couldn’t help but smile. She was really happy for them.

And she had something to use in case Yami would made some difficulties about her dating someone he respectfully didn’t like. After all, Vanessa loved Nozel, she wanted to be with him and she won’t let anyone take this away from her, not even her squad.

“So… who knows about those juicy little secrets? Besides me and Julius dear, of course,” Dorothy asked, with the biggest grin on her face.

“Well, Goldie Guts knows. He might have even known before Charlotte and I did. And that fat, winged Blue Rose there. Molly Something, I don’t know.”

“Yami, please, don’t call her fat! And her name is Puli, not Molly. Puli Angel! And don’t you dare whatever me, she was a great help for our relationship and still is.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Vanessa, Dorothy and Julius burst into laughter again at the couples bickering. Even Nozel was smiling a bit.

“In our case, it’s Nero. I don’t know how she find it out, though. And Gordon, he stumbled on us by accident, when Nozel visited me at the Hideout.”

Vanessa still had no idea how Nero found out, but she was glad that this dear, silent girl did. Nero’s own story with the first Wizard King was heart breaking. Even more that the black-haired girl wanted to help Vanessa with her own prince. Her words. Vanessa has been very touched by Nero’s story, so that she offered her to be there whenever she needed to talk about her lost love.

As for Gordon, it had been an accident. He basically caught them in a heavy making out session while they were in one of the rare, not so crowded places of the Hideout. But it didn’t cause any problems. Vanessa couldn’t imagine if it had been Gauche, Magna or especially Noelle. Gordon at least was a silent guy, even genuinely happy for them. After giving them his congratulations, he had promised to keep the secret and left them alone. The next day, Vanessa got a glimpse of a new doll in Gordons collection.

“Don’t tell me you invited Braids to our Hideout?”

“Alright, I won’t tell you.”

Dorothy giggled.

“Did you never invite Charlotte at your place?” Nozel asked, as calm as possible. He was probably trying hard to not start a stupid fight. He was really trying so much and Vanessa was ready to generously reward him tonight, as thanks.

“Sometimes, but… well, it needs acrobatic measures to have some privacy back there.” Yami looked like he was himself trying to not start a fight. The fact that Charlotte was holding his arm tightly might helped.

“I have to agree on that.”

“Hey, don’t you dare insult my Hideout, Braids!”

“I swear, I didn’t mean it as an insult.”

“Leave my boyfriend alone, captain!”, Vanessa pouted. “He was just stating a fact and I agree on it as well!”

“Me too, actually,” Charlotte added and that made Yami close his mouth.

“How amazing! Nozel, Yami, what a treat to see you agree on something!” Julius exclaimed, clapping his hands.

Nozel and Yami just looked at each other, not sure how to react about that statement. Vanessa sighed, those two might never change in their opinion about each other. At least, they respected one another and that was a lot already.

Charlotte looked at Vanessa, who looked back. There was some resigned acceptance and understanding in their eyes, probably due to their respective partners. But also a new affection. Maybe now that this non-existent rivalry question was out of the room, maybe they could become friends. Vanessa would be happy about it.

“So, um… We agree to not tell anyone about our little secrets? At least, until we’re ready,” Charlotte suggested.

“Yes. I love my squad, but I’m not ready for them to learn about my relationship with Nozel yet,” Vanessa giggled. Oh yes, she definitely wasn’t ready for that. Well, Nozel and Vanessa were talking lately about to finally tell Noelle about it – a topic that Nero and Gordon were coming up as well from time to time – but they were still postponing. Noelle was surely going to have a shock learning this and well, she might overreact a bit like the Silva she was.

“Yep, you can count on me, cuties! I won’t say anything!” Dorothy added, making a peace sign. She was having so much fun, obviously.

Nozel only added in agreement. Yami said nothing, glaring at the captain of the Silver Eagles, but at the end, he nodded as well.

“Okay, I won’t say anything. But I’m not over with you two!”

Vanessa sighed. Like every Bull, she appreciated that Yami was protective of his squad. But sometimes, like now, she was maybe slightly irritated by it.

“Captain, please worry about your own captain. And just in case, leave Nero and Gordon out of it.”

Yami gagged a little. Either he didn’t even think about Nero and Gordon or he might had thought about scolding them as well. One day.

Nozel sighed, before he straightened and turned to the Wizard King. “Since the meeting with Augustus is luckily cancelled, Vanessa and I will take our leave. Have a nice evening.”

He took delicately her arm and lead her out of the room, like she was a real princess. Vanessa smiled happily. Nobody else treated her that way and she came to enjoy it a lot since she started dating Nozel.

They were out of the room, when Vanessa turned one last time. “Oh, captain, just so you know, I might not coming home this night, so don’t wait for me. Good night, everyone!”

“Bye, love eagles, have a good night!”

This undertone in Dorothy’s voice. She was really having too much fun. Vanessa was ready to bet that was going to tease Nozel, Yami and Charlotte endlessly during the future captain meetings.

Charlotte and Julius waved, the first with a small smile, the second happily grinning. As for Yami, he shot Nozel a warning glare, before sighing and giving them a nod. The door closed and they both were now alone in the hallway.

“Can I borrow one of your pigeons, please? To warn Nero and Gordon, just in case.”

“Of course.”

Oh, what a sweetheart. Vanessa really considered herself lucky with that boyfriend. She might have won the lottery. As thanks, she went on her tiptoes and kissed Nozels cheek quickly.

The silver haired man blushed a bit, but a small smile appeared on his lips. Yes. Charlotte has Yami while Vanessa has Nozel and tonight, she’ll will show him how happy she was to be with him.

[papasbaseball]

Raphael x Tav (Clubs and Spades: Chapter 1)

Pairing: Raphael x F!Tav

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Alcohol

Summary: Tav finds herself on the bad side of the President of the Fae Run Country Club. She agreed to work there as a favor, but he's determined to make her life a living hell. Will they both make it out of the summer without catching feelings?

Word Count: 2,187

Notes: I changed some of the names to help blend in the characters better with the AU setting. Here is a translation if you would like to know:

Tav - '' "Tav" Baldur

Karlach - Karlie Ackerman

Raphael - Raphael Hope

Mizora - Ms. Zora

Wyll - Will

AO3 Link

If all the stories were true, the president of the Fae Run Country Club was the Devil himself. I’d had the fortune of not running into him all summer, enjoying the close proximity to what otherwise might be considered ‘good people’, as I served drinks, folded towels, and did whatever else my manager had sent me to do. That particular day, I limped after my coworker Karlie — the cooler filled with ice and Evian between us making us as useful as a horse with a lame leg — as we brought the beverages out to the 8th hole of the golf course. The community carts had been forbidden from use, much to the dismay of my shoulder.

A quarrelsome two stood beside the green, too rich to stop their argument for us. The one’s shoulders were cast back, face tilted up as if God was also privy to the conversation he was having with the pink-faced man. I’d seen a dozen of his type infesting the green lawns of Fae Run. What set him apart was how quickly he cut down the man with words I’ll never know, courtesy of the lawnmowers. Weak arms were quickly uncrossed and the WASP wannabe buzzed back to the safety of the clubhouse hive.

“Ha!” Karlie scoffed, setting her end of the cooler down with a hard rustle of ice. “Bob had that one coming for a while.”

There were a half dozen members named Bob, but she came to know every one of them over the 8 years that she’d been working there. I’d barely met any of them and I’d been there for 2 months.

“Is Bob a problem?” I asked, setting my end of the cooler down. The ache of carrying it almost a mile thrummed in my arm, thrilled to have been released.

“I certainly wouldn’t want to be his server at dinner,” Karlie said. Her face fell and quickly she was tucking her polo back into her khaki pants, slicking back the wild fly-aways the walk had earned her.

“Ladies.” The remaining man approached us, his shirt unbuttoned past regulation to show off the tan earned from hours spent by the poolside. “Less chatting more working, yes? I would hate to have to speak to your manager about disciplinary action. I want this golf course as immaculate as possible.”

“Yes, sir,” Karlie replied.

“You’re breaking the dress code,” I offered, nodding to the undone button and soft curls of chest hair it guarded. If he wanted everything to be perfect he could start with himself.

He whipped off his sunglasses, mouth disgusted as he gave me a once over. “What is your name, girl?”

“Tav,” I said.

“I doubt that.” He hooked the glasses into his illegal shirt and turned to Karlie. “Ms. Ackerman, does Tav have somewhere to be?”

She stumbled over her words, unable to make eye contact with him.

“I know you are short-staffed,” he cut in, “but I could make much better use of her as my personal caddy for the day.”

“That’s not the job that I applied for,” I said. I had no interest in following some dumbass who only got to his position in life because his daddy foot all his bills and covered up all his mistakes. It was bad enough that I was working here — I owed my friend Will a favor — but I refused to sequester myself to such agonizing mediocrity.

“All employees of the Fae Run Country Club are required to know how to perform any duty they may be called upon at the drop of a hat,” he said. “Clearly you’ve missed training in more than one area.”

I opened my mouth to shoot back a retort when I heard Karlie’s voice tremble.

“Mr. Hope, please.”

She could have poured the chest full of ice over me and it would have been less bone-chilling than those three words. My eyes dart over him, trying to place those features to the portraits of board members that hung in the hallway leading to the main office. Maybe the sunglasses and casual attire had fooled me, but the disappointed frown was unmistakable: I was standing before the Devil.

“Tell your boss to make the necessary shifts,” he said. “I will take care of our darling Tav, here.”

Karlie tucked tail and turned back to the clubhouse. The sun baked a degree hotter with each step of hers, pushing me further into the custody of the Devil of Fae Run. The urge to run after her pressed itself, but I held it back. I couldn’t get myself fired: I still owed Will for lying for me, getting the charges dropped, and scrubbing my record. I just needed to get through this summer free and clean.

“Don’t worry, I will take good care of you,” he said. The words reeked of lies, but I tailed after him anyway. His cologne whipped back with the breeze as I followed him to the golf cart. The sweetness and warmth sent a shiver through me. It must have come from abroad, the undernotes speaking of warm sands and late-night dinners, and probably costing twice my seasonal salary.

I hesitated as I slid into the fine leather seat next to him, not any further than I had to, and watched as he turned the key.

“You really think I am going to bite you?” he said. He pressed the pedal and the cart jerked forward.

I slid further into the seat as I saw the sharp grass zipping by the floorboard more quickly than I would like it to. His chuckle at this was quiet under the whine of the cart. It was going to take more than the threat of turfburn for me to take his treatment lying down. I couldn’t refuse his orders, but I didn’t have to like it.

“You were threatening to fire me and Karlie a few minutes ago.”

“Was I?” he asked. “You’re not very good at listening, Tav.” The corners of his lips pulled back in disgust. “What is your real name? Tav sounds like something you’d call a dog. Although, you would make a pretty picture fetching my golf clubs.” He paused at the thought.

“My friends call me Tav,” I said. Mr. Hope steered the golf cart back onto the path and I almost gripped his leg to steady myself as the cart wobbled back onto its steady charge forward. I tucked my hand quickly under my black golf skort, taking comfort in the weight of my thigh.

“I’m not your friend: I’m your employer.”

“If you want to know it so bad, why don’t you just look it up when we get back to the clubhouse?” I should have bit my tongue, but Mr. Hope was not going to be calling me by my government name if I had anything to say about it.

The cart coasted to a stop, the clubhouse within sight. “If you want me to call you like a dog then you can get out and run after the cart like one.” He nodded for me to step out. “Go on, Tav.”

My legs were still twitching from the hike out to the 8th hole and I was maybe enjoying the custom fans on the cart a little too much. But between that or telling him my full name, I stepped out, cringing as the sun baked my skin once more. It didn’t take long until he was pressing the cart forward. He drove it just fast enough that I was always on his heels, no matter how hard I ran.

As my sneakers thumped the white pavement I imagined they were stomping that stupid handsome face of his. It looked all-natural – there was a small scar on his forehead and plenty of wrinkles that cut from his amber eyes – but the soft curl to his hair and all-linen outfit told the world that he could afford plastic surgery if he wanted to. He could probably afford to buy the plastic surgeon too if the rumors were true.

Mr. Hope parked the golf cart with the herd of others after what felt like a day of running. I heaved heavy breaths in and out, hands on my knees as I considered a nap on the blinding concrete.

“I’m surprised that you made it, Tav. Such a good girl.” Mockery highlighted his voice, but the words caught me off guard. I turned them over in my mind, wondering what other sweet praises the Devil liked to stab with.

“It was a piece of cake,” I lied.

He turned and headed towards the clubhouse, tossing a come-here whistle over his shoulder. I scrunched my face up, swallowing the nasty names I was already starting to come up with for him. I’d share those later with Karlie and Will.

The clubhouse wrapped its welcoming chill around us. I didn’t even mind the goosebumps on my arms, rubbing them only once as I followed him back to the foyer. He pulled out his phone and shot off a quick text before stopping a server carrying a saran-wrapped tray full of chicken salad croissants to the meeting room.

“Have you seen Ms. Zora?” he asked.

“I’m right here.”

Ms. Zora’s white polo and black skort could have gotten her mistaken for club staff if it wasn’t for the glowing pearls that encircled her swan-like neck. She was the secretary for the board and seemed to have a habit, I noticed, of showing up when you least wanted her to.

Raphael waved off the server, not even watching as she scurried away, head down muttering a prayer of thankfulness. He gestured to the walls and ceilings of the foyer.

“Where are all the banners that we ordered?” he asked.

Ms. Zora rolled her eyes, huffing a sigh of exasperation. “Supply chain issues. Don’t worry: I got us a full refund and have contacted that little print shop down the road.” She laughed, “You should have seen how grateful they were that I wanted everything ASAP and at a discount too.”

“I do not care about a discount. I want this foyer decorated now,” he said.

“I’ll give them a call,” Ms. Zora smiled. Her cunning gaze soon fell on me, her smile dropping with it. “Is there a reason why you are here Ms. Baldur?”

“Oh, so she does have a name?” Raphael laughed. “Ms. Baldur is my caddy for the day. I do have to say, I have grown quite accustomed to calling her Tav, though. It has a certain peasant charm to it.”

My clean-cut nails bit into my palms as I balled my fists up. Just get through the day, that’s it. If he used my name any more times I might have to start going by my full name just to get the stink of him off of it.

“I need to go make that call,” Ms. Zora excused herself. He didn’t watch her leave, instead smirking and staring hungrily down at me as if I were the chicken salad sandwiches.

“What are you looking at?” I asked.

“Ms. Baldur,” he said, rolling the r with a flourish. “Such a nice ring to it. Maybe I’ll call you that if you do a good enough job today. Please me and I’ll please you.”

“I-“ He knew he had turned my nickname into an annoyance. I expected him to sprout horns any minute now. “What makes you think that I want you to please me? Can’t I just do my job?”

He turned, heading back out to the golf course. A group of men had managed to gather in the few minutes we’d been inside, chattering and guzzling Bud Lights as if they were college frat boys born again in the heat of the summer.

“Raph!” one of them exclaimed. “What took you so long?”

“I was just making sure everything was ready and attending to a few stray animals.” He looked at me with that remark, before continuing, “Nothing exciting.” He popped his sunglasses back on as the cloud cover retreated. My eyes were drawn once more to the unbuttoned violation. I stared a bit too long as I found his eyes peeking out the peripheral of the shades, waiting for mine to see them. He gave a smile and I went off to his golf cart to sulk in my rosy cheeks.

They chatted and chatted until one of them finally clapped his hands together in anticipation. Beer can after empty beer can clunked into the trash can, and one by one the carts started.

“Out,” he said.

“What?” I said.

“Do you have cotton in your ears? Out. You want to be named like a dog, you’ll run like a dog.”

I got out, folding my arms as I watched him get in. “I thought we were done with all this.”

“Oh, I’m sure you are, but I’m not done with your lesson, Tav. If you keep up, I’ll drive you back after the 18th hole.” And with that, he backed the cart out and zipped off after the pack.

[wizerdbattle]

Another chapter of Mipha at Sea for Zora May day 3. I'm going to go back to more one-shots after this. And maybe shorter works because I'm a bit tired. I'm still having fun, but I might need to ease off slightly.

[whostoleallthecookies]

i stumbled into a particular botw rabbit hole which is the sixth hylian script used throughout botw and totk because i wanted to transcribe zelda's journal into hylian script and i found some absolutely fascinating things and also some potentially groundbreaking lore revelations like THE MONTH OF APRIL AND APRIL FOOL'S DAY BEING CANON

(in depth findings under the cut)

image and translation source https://zelda.fandom.com/wiki/Hylian_Language_Translations/Breath_of_the_Wild

1) it seems that the hylian script is the official writing system throughout hyrule. the gerudo have their own script but you can find written hylian script in gerudo town too. even the zora signposts are in hylian script although the zora seem to have their own script too

2) hylian script has little to no punctuation

first page transcription:

april first

today was a dry hot and sunny day i went to school this diary is

very important document

second page transcription

april second

yesterday was fools day

everything that i wrote was false

that is all

see you tomorrow

sometimes a new sentence will start from a new line but not always; the title is separated by an empty line, and an empty line may be inserted to signal a paragraph break. notice also the lack of commas, full stops and apostrophes.

3) APRIL FOOL'S DAY IS CANON IN BREATH OF THE WILD AND TEARS OF THE KINGDOM. (and also the month of april.)

4)

here the small text is too blurry for me to decipher but it gives us immense insight into the hylian script text structure. a new paragraph, even the first one, may be indicated by an indent; in here, a new sentence within a paragraph seems to be indicated by a new line.

although it seems that you can just go buckwild and do whatever you want.

5) hyrule has not had a government or any kind of formal education for 100 years so it's a wonder the literacy rates are still so high despite all that; even in the little farming village of hateno, written notices and accounts are posted on walls and noticeboards. literacy must be highly valued among the common folk if the parents are teaching their kids to read despite living off of manual labor mostly

6) the sheikah use the same script but written top to bottom, right to left the same way as japanese text is written, which i find fascinating