#Return to Grace Field Arc

[fullscoreshenanigans]

(The Promised Neverland Art Book World)

Ah yes, one of my favorite genres of baby full score trio pictures: Isabella being openly affectionate toward Emma and Norman in front of Ray while being hands off with him.

(Chapter 2 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 165 | Chapter 170 | Chapter 177)

#and by favorite I mean “I am in physical agony. I am violently sobbing. I am eating the dry wall.” #Isabella before Ray's sixth birthday: man what is up with this kid he's more prickly than a porcupine (not even touching on his hair) #Isabella on January 15‚ 2040: ah. #The Promised Neverland #Yakusoku no Neverland #TPN #YnN #The Promised Neverland Art Book World #FSS Chatter #Full Score Trio #TPN Isabella #TPN Emma #TPN Norman #TPN Ray #Isabella and Ray's Incredibly Fraught and Complicated Relationship Tag #Pre-Canon #Introduction Arc #TPN 002 #Escape Arc #TPN 037 #Return to Grace Field Arc #TPN 165 #TPN 170 #TPN 177 #also with Norman's stark black & white morality this is why his reaction to Isabella's betrayal is so volatile #and why I think it's a shame his relationship with her gets the least amount of focus #especially when you think of their conversation on the way to the gate #“Hey‚ Mom‚ are you happy?” / “Yes. Yes‚ I am. After all‚ I was able to meet you.” #absolutely fucking wrecks me every time #the layers. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭 𝘢 𝘺 𝘦 𝘳 𝘴.

[rubydubydoo122]

What sort of bat story would you love to read most?

Like in comics or fic-wise?

in comics, I mean, it kinda feels like there's no more Bruce Wayne, and he's only Batman. The thing that makes Batman a good hero is Bruce Wayne, and writers keep trying to remove Bruce, but keep Batman to keep their male Power fantasy.

With the way they're currently going with Gotham Wars, I really want to see a Batman villian arc. Idk, with the current feedback they're getting, they're probably gonna retcon it, but if they're gonna do that, why not go all out?

I think it would be so compelling to see one of the most iconic heros fall so far from grace. and I think it would also be a great way to explore some of the more forgotten batfam members like Duke, Cass, and Stephanie.

idk, I just feel like he's been so far removed from the good man he's supposed to be, just bc writers want him to be a male power fantacy. And it'd be poetic the way he's been putting people in Arkham his whole Batman career just for him to end up there himself. He's never been much different than the rogues he put in there.

I mean, he dresses up as a bat and punches people instead of going to therapy. it'll be interesting to see each of the Batfam members (especially Dick) worrying about going too hard or becoming just like Batman.

I also think an interesting way to go about that way and confirm that Batman has gone to a place of no return is to make him so separated from the man he used to be that he--

fuck, Everyone's gonna hate me,

Make Bruce so far gone that he sees Red Hood back on the field again, and Batman thinking "He should not be out here, he's disobeying my orders" and then there's like a flash of a memory of Jason going too far, and then Batman just starts throwing punch after punch, blow after blow, with the intention of subdueing him, but....

Batman goes too far.

he crosses the line he told himself he never would. Because Bruce is no longer in control, Batman is. And Batman doesn't see Jason as a son, he sees Red Hood as a threat.

Batman fans, don't come at me, I just feel like this would be an interesting way to take Batman with current comics. I'm thinking it could be an elseworld.

#batman #batfam #dc comics #bruce wayne #dick grayson #red hood #jason todd #duke thomas #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #tim drake #damian wayne

[frostfires-blog]

SNK FINAL ED: ITTERASSHAI

HANAKOTOBA ANALYSIS

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

-> White Cherry Blossom

White cherry blossoms are the first flower featured in the final ending theme song credits. The cherry blossom (Prunus serrulata) is also known as the Japanese cherry and is the unofficial national flower of Japan. Its Japanese name Sakura (桜) has been derived from the word “saku” which means “to bloom”.  Its meanings in hanakotoba are “beauty of spirit”, grace, chastity, excellent beauty, gentleness, good education and the “transience of life”. In Japan, cherry blossoms are also a symbol of the “beauty of impermanence”—a Shinto concept better known as “mono no aware” (物の哀れ) as their falling petals are a reminder that although life is short, it is beautiful and should be savoured. The Japanese concept of “natsukashi” (懐かしい) likewise emphasizes the fleeting nature of cherry blossoms. This concept refers to the happy-yet-wistful nostalgia for times and things that we will never be able to go back to. We will never get to experience those moments again, just like the ephemeral cherry blossoms, which makes them even more significant. Cherry blossoms bloom from March to April which is the start of the new fiscal year in Japan. As a result of this cherry blossoms have also come to symbolise new beginnings and springtime. Given that feudal Japanese soldiers associated cherry blossoms with honour, discipline, and dignity—falling flowers were thought to be symbolic of a Samurai's death. In Western floriography, cherry blossoms herald the changing of the seasons and symbolise renewal and rebirth. They also symbolise the fleeting nature of life, tenderness, forgiveness, strength, beauty, love, confidence, peace, friendship and gratitude. White cherry blossoms, in particular, represent purity, innocence, and simplicity, as well as hope and rebirth. White cherry blossom blossoms convey joy in the celebration of new beginnings. “Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai” (AOT ED1) depicts a young Mikasa rushing about looking for Eren in a dark, gloomy landscape before shifting into her older self. “Akuma no Ko” (AOT ED7) depicts a young Eren wandering around on his own in a dark cage until he breaks free into a colourful meadow before morphing into his older self. Meanwhile, the final ending, “Itterasshai”, depicts both a young Mikasa and Eren as well as an adult Mikasa and Eren uniting in a field of flowers beneath a picturesque sunset. Given that white cherry blossoms symbolise new beginnings, hope, and rebirth, their inclusion in this montage enhances its depiction of the pair reuniting in the afterlife—effectively tying the first and seventh ending sequences together. Various concepts embodied by the cherry blossom, particularly the transiency of life, mono no aware (the beauty of impermanence), and natsukashi (nostalgia for times and things we can't return to), are also significant themes in Attack on Titan's final arcs, making the flower's placement here appropriate.

-> Red Rose

The next set of flower featured in the final ending sequence are red roses. In Japan, red roses are called benibara (紅薔薇). In hanakotoba roses symbolise love and beauty while red roses in particular symbolize affection and passionate love; while rose thorns represent “happiness in misfortune”.  In Western floriography, roses symbolize love, passion, beauty, romance and secrecy. Red roses symbolize enduring passion, desire, affection and romance. In the visuals for “Itterasshai” four red roses are seen growing alongside a white picket fence. A white bird is later seen flying with a single red rose in its beak. Four red roses are said to symbolise that “nothing will ever come between us”. While a single red rose symbolises love at first sight. This suggests that nothing, not even death, is capable of impacting the pair's feelings for each other and that they have been in love since their first meeting as children. While red roses are an international symbol of romance, passion, devotion and long-lasting love, in some cultures they symbolise sacrifice, martyrdom, bravery, and strength.  These qualities embody Eren’s character pretty well.

-> Dandelion

In the above panel, Mikasa holds two dandelion flowers in her hands. Dandelions (Taraxacum) are known as Tanpopo (たんぽぽ) in Japanese. Its meanings in hanakotoba are sincere love, separation and a prophecy of love. Additionally, in English floriography, dandelions represent faithfulness, hope, healing, light and happiness. They also symbolise joy, youthful thoughts, endurance, prosperity and healing. Given that the dandelion is a symbolic representation of faithfulness, happiness, healing, light, hope and prophecies of love—their use in this ending sequence further reinforces the concept of Mikasa reuniting with Eren in the afterlife.

-> White Daisy

Daisies (Bellis) are known as hinagiku (デイジー) in Japanese, and they hold the hanakotoba meanings of patience, purity, “secret love”, hope, innocence, beauty, peace, and faith. In English floriography, yellow daisies symbolise joy, and growth as well as a turning point or new beginning. Considering the daisy's symbolic connotations, its usage ending sequence once more accentuates the depiction of the pair finally getting a new start following the events of the series' conclusion. Its meanings of patience, hope, faith and secret love in particular highlight Mikasa going through the rest of her life hoping to be reunited after death.

───●◎●─── P.S. ───●◎●───

-> White Carnation

The flowers Mikasa places by Eren’s grave are the same flowers we see her holding after her passing. These flowers are known as carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) and are called Kānēshon (カーネーション) in Japanese. Its meanings in hanakotoba are innocent and deep love.  White carnations in particular hold the meaning “my love is love” and pure love in Japanese culture. In Western floriography, they symbolise love, fascination and distinction. Carnations are the most popular flower used at weddings in China, while in Korea they express admiration, love and gratitude. Carnations are frequently given as gifts in Japan to convey affection for loved ones or to honour those who have passed away. White carnations, in particular, represent purity and are therefore commonly utilised in ceremonies and rituals. The meaning of these flowers makes them an excellent choice for this scene and ties well into Mikasa and Eren’s dynamic. The flower’s meaning “my love is alive” perfectly encapsulates Mikasa’s feelings in the aftermath of the series and is a fitting offering for Eren’s gravestone.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

╰┈➤ Attack on Titan ED7 Hanakotoba Analysis

╰┈➤ Anime Hanakotoba Posts Directory

[I wanted to contribute something towards the fandom considering that aot/snk has finally ended but I knew that doing a full-scale review of the episode would be a bad idea. In short, I want to say a lot of things but at the same time, there's nothing I want to say... When I saw the flowers featured in the final ed I knew I had to cover them. If you guys want me to do a Q&A for the show, I'd be willing to... So, feel free to send me questions to answer...

As a side note, I didn't go into a lot of detail here and stuck to focusing on eremika since I've already done a hanakotoba post for snk/aot--where I went into greater depth on the show's general themes.]

#snk #aot #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #anime #aot final season #eren yeager #eren jaeger #mikasa ackerman #eremika #eren x mikasa #eren yeager x mikasa ackerman #hanakotoba #snk hanakotoba #aot hanakotoba #anime hanakotoba #hanakotoba analysis #floriography #anime endings #anime ending theme #anime themes #anime music #snk final season #snk eren #snk mikasa #snk itterasshai

[sciencelings-writes]

Forever Changed

AO3 Link

WC: 8318

Ganondorf was gone, obliterated into ash that fluttered down on Hyrule Field, Zelda was back, a feat they had been convinced wasn’t possible, but that didn’t mean it was over. Or that life would ever be anywhere close to normal ever again. 

Though it was a surprise that the princess could come back at all, it wasn’t much of a shock to Link when she returned with nothing between her skin and the open air. They had seen how she had transformed, even through the bright light radiating from her chest, how her form stretched and morphed into something new. Her dress and jewelry left hopelessly torn to pieces at the altar in which she sacrificed her life. 

It wasn’t a graceful transition, the hero could still hear how she screamed, though out of pain or terror, they weren’t quite sure. How that scream turned into the roar of a massive beast that echoed through the walls of the temple and sent ripples through the clouds. The last drops of humanity left falling through tears to the world below. 

By now Link was used to falling, diving through the air as it ripped through their clothes and hair, They were familiar with how to cut through it like a zora through water. Reaching their plummeting partner was a task they determined they would never fail at again. 

Their teeth clenched as their arm reached for her, they forgot how charred it had been from Ganondorf’s first attack. Rauru’s arm wasn’t there to protect them from the injury any longer. The pain that arced through it over a simple stretch made their breath stutter from how overwhelming it was. It was hardly bearable, but Link had been through far worse and such pain had never been the thing to stop them before. Especially when they were this close to getting her back. 

With an arm that quivered in agony and reluctantly moved like it was made of stone, they took Zelda’s limply outstretched hand. She was desperately pulled into their arms without a moment's hesitation. Link braided their legs together to protect hers from flailing behind them and held her securely against them as they dropped. 

It was too much to try to think of a way to save them, on top of the blinding pain and the pure unfiltered relief that she was back in their arms. Safe and with a heart audibly beating against the artery their ear had pressed against as they buried their head in the crook of her neck. Not even the vicious wind could reach where their tears met her skin. 

Link didn’t see the ground fast approaching, if they were really plummeting to their deaths, they preferred to enjoy the few moments left. After all this time all they had wanted was to get her back, at the very least they had that again. 

The shrieking of the air around them crescendoed to an all-encompassing crash before a wave of silence surrounded them. As well as the sudden rush of cool water into every crevice. It seemed as though the goddess would grant them a single mercy by not allowing them to be killed on impact. 

For a moment, they were knocked around and it quickly became difficult to tell what direction up was, even when Link opened their eyes, the movement of the water scattered light in all directions. It was only when their feet met the rocky floor of the pond that they were able to figure that they had completely flipped orientation in the chaos of the water. 

They readjusted their grip on Zelda, holding her across their chest with most of her weight falling on their good arm. They thanked Hylia for the low gravity effect of the lake, it would’ve been nearly impossible to do in normal circumstances with how the pain in their arm was only growing. 

Link kicked off the ground with enough force that it didn’t take too much more swimming to get to the surface. Thankfully the edge of the pond was nearby and the hero was able to stumble out of it before they could collapse in exhaustion. Though they weren’t that injured from the fight, the agony that shot through their arm at every slight movement sapped the little energy they had left from battlefield adrenaline.

Their knees hit the grass as soon as it transitioned out from a bed of sharp gravel. Their corrupted arm gave out the moment the tremor from nearly falling to the ground reached it. Link’s breath hitched and stuttered as the torturous feeling electrified their nerves until there was nothing left of them. 

Catching their breath gave them a moment to notice that they weren’t the only one left irreparably changed. 

Iridescent white scales lingered in patches around the princess's body, curling from under her breasts and trailing up her back to her shoulders in an imitation of armor. They led down her waist and hips, down to the side of her thighs, and got bigger the closer they got to her major joints. Beginning at her forearms and calves were black scales that covered her limbs like elegant gloves and stockings, leaving bright opalescent nails that were shaped more like talons, though were still flat. 

Horns protruded from her hairline, wrapping around her nearly luminous golden locks like waving branches from a tree. Her hair was mildly tangled in her new wild crown that shifted between the blue of a tropical sea and rich cold violet that would be rare to find amongst the most beautiful of flowers. 

Link felt the large golden scales going along her spine, intermittently being disrupted by a segmented crystalline spike, the shape of which mirrored thin flower petals and flattened when pressed down on, like a cluster of sparkling hedgehog quills set in a mosaic of shining metal.  

She had yet to awaken, yet the hero had a feeling her eyes would flutter open any second now. They braced themselves with an inhale before forcing their charred arm to move once more, controlling the movement as much as they could with their upper arm in an attempt to mitigate the potential agony that was sure to return with vigor.

They managed to unhook the Purah Pad from their belt and gently tap on an icon in their inventory. A folden piece of cloth appeared at their side, though it was meant for a paraglider, it would also work as the easiest way to prevent Zelda from waking up completely naked. It acted as a large cloak that she could wrap herself in, at least temporarily. They were pretty sure she wouldn’t love waking up from an eon’s long coma without a single shred of cloth to cover her. Even if Link was the only one that saw, and even if they had seen it before. 

The fabric had barely covered the princess's shoulders when the strain made Link’s vision white out for a moment, and leave them lightheaded. They begged for the sensation to pass as they squeezed their eyes shut. It was impossible to focus on anything but the flaring agony but they tried anyway. They tried to count their own heartbeat that rapidly pulsed in their ears or feel the cool wind against their wet skin but it was no use. 

Just a little longer, they just had to hold out a little longer. It took more effort than it should’ve, but they managed to force their eyes open again. 

At least the fight was over this time, the world wouldn’t be doomed if they keeled over. If they lost the battle against their own consciousness or their grip against the pulling force of death was weakened and crumbling, ultimately it wouldn’t matter. Zelda was back, and the dark evil was dispelled. 

Perhaps that was how it was meant to end, it certainly sounded enticing. Link knew firsthand what a relief death could be. When all they knew was agony, death had been a temporary blessing. A comforting darkness where no physical pain could follow, where terror faded and all the pressures of life released into the ever-growing nothingness. 

Death sounded pretty nice, but Link kind of wanted to survive this. They had just gotten Zelda back after so long and it might be a selfish thought, but all they wanted to do was enjoy their princess's return. They wanted so desperately to hear her voice and see her smile again after letting her fall from their grasp and losing her to more than just the pit of shadows. 

“Link? How did- Are you-” Their eyes flicked up to her face from where they had landed while they had tried to focus on not collapsing. 

They thought they had identified all the changes that had been made but one more grabbed their interest. Her irises, once a solid lush green were separated into two rings. The inner ring was that familiar emerald but the outer one reminded them of their own eye color, a seaside blue that nearly dipped into a ghostly aqua. They had a feeling most people would be disturbed by the princess's new appearance, but Link couldn’t help but simply find her even more beautiful than before. 

“It’s okay, we did it,” Their voice was quiet and strained, like their throat was being squeezed by a large ghostly hand that refused to let them go. 

“It’s really over?” she asked, sounding somewhere between hopeful and desperate. She didn’t break eye contact as she shifted to sit herself up, as if she wasn’t believing what was in front of her eyes. Link knew the feeling. 

“You’re back home now,” they avoided the question, they had a feeling they wouldn’t come out of this completely unscathed. 

In a moment, Zelda had sprung up and thrown herself into their arms, well, arm. They couldn’t bear to move the right one anymore. Her makeshift blanket dropped uselessly to the ground. Despite having forgone her mortal form for countless thousands of years, she was far more sure of her movements than Link was. 

“Oh thank Hylia, I was so sure that I’d never see you again!” Her relieved laugh was near hysterical, the way her breath hitched hinted at the emergence of a sob. 

Her arms were so tight around them, they had never felt so safe and secure in their life than when she embraced them. It was the same pair of arms that engulfed them after nightmares, forcing the residual effects away and replacing them with something far kinder. It was her arms that squeezed them so excitedly when she had been freed from the calamity and wrapped loosely atop their shoulders when joyful music found a reason to be played. 

Maybe that’s why Link let go. There was no more reason to cling so desperately to life when they were already so sure that they were safe. It wouldn’t matter if they fell because there was already someone there to catch them. 

Link couldn’t hear how her voice turned worried or how she frantically checked their pulse and seemed afraid to even touch their arm, like it could crumble to ashy pieces if she so much as felt it. She called their name, but the darkness had won its battle yet again. Once more, Link trusted their last remaining moments of life to her. Perhaps one day she will forgive them for it. 

***

No one seemed to know what to do with themselves once Link had departed to fight the so-called ‘Demon King’, it hadn’t been officially announced but Purah had made sure that everyone was aware of what was going on in Lookout Landing. They were the closest crumb of civilization to where the mummy guy had chosen to hide himself away and if it was anything like last time, they were right in the middle of its warpath. 

Many chose to hide in the royal family's emergency shelter, it was already set up to be a sturdy bunker and it was the safest place to be if something decided to emerge from the crater that once held most of the castle. 

The brave were still above ground, anxiously waiting, not daring to try and occupy their time in any significant way. Many of the warrior types had convinced themselves that they could be of use, in case any creepy creatures came crawling out of the castle's crevice, but really, they were hoping to catch a glance of something legendary. 

Time passed so slowly when there was a potential apocalypse on the horizon, but no one wanted to waste the time they had left working some meaningless job if they were all about to be decimated. It seemed like weeks had passed before anything seemed to happen. 

The whole time Purah had been glued to her telescope, pointing directly at the hole Link and the Sages had disappeared into. At some point, she had convinced herself that the sight of the telescope was too limited so she climbed up into the mechanisms that kept the damn thing stable and freed the massive scope from its prison. At least now it could point at more than just the castle, with enough additional strength of course. 

She wasn’t used to the settlement being so quiet. It wasn’t a populous place by any means but the last few hours had muffled its background chatter into an uneasy silence. She fidgeted with her recorder for a moment before jamming her face right back into the glass. Her eyes burned from refusing to blink, just in case she missed a single thing. 

Sometimes she could swear that she heard the ground rumble, like there were massive beasts deep within the depths that had decided that they wanted out. But even in the quietness, she could never be sure. Her mind could just as easily be playing tricks on her, convincing her that something was happening, making up an imaginative story to fill the empty space. 

At some point, she couldn’t blame her own delusion, the vibrations sent through the ground caused the lanterns lighting her guard tower to tremble, the wood making up the whole structure to creak and groan like it too was afraid of the coming minutes. 

Purah didn’t let the tremors break her focus, not even when her parasol dropped from the tower and bounced off of the roof. Dust from the castle was starting to crumble into the scarlet chasm. Dust and pebbles became chunks and boulders, grumbling rock became something far more akin to an unearthly roar. It was only getting louder. 

The scientist only whipped her head away from the lens when all she could see was a blur of dark smoke and blood-red fur. It was as if the whole settlement had all gasped as one, a chorus of horror rippled throughout the few that remained to see the spectacle, some voices were louder than others.

She didn’t let the shock stop her from furiously turning the telescope skyward, she needed to know what in demises name that thing was. She cursed when she could finally find its face. 

“By the shadows, Link’s in its mouth!” She exclaimed loud enough to be heard over the fading dragon cry. She could barely see them struggling to escape its mighty maw before the sky thundered once more. Not from the demon that was nearly eating their hero, but from the other side of the sea of thick clouds.

Her Highness erupted from the fluffy barrier that stood between her and what was left of the demon king. The light dragon had always been so docile, floating around at the edge of Purah’s vision at all times, but not now. Now, she was a great divine guardian sent to protect the one thing she refused to lose again. 

It was then that she knew for certain that there was still a little bit of Zelda in there, even after thousands of years in a form that destroyed all sense of who she was, she was still alive, fighting. Returning when Link needed her most. Catching them as they tumbled from the mouth of the demon who released him only to let out another terrifying roar. 

There were a few moments when the battling serpents were still low enough to see, though they had passed the limits of Purah’s telescope, why couldn’t they have the epic fight a little closer? It felt like such a wasted opportunity, she had to remind herself that her friends were up there fighting for their lives, this wasn’t some form of entertainment meant to amuse the royal court. However, she still thought it would be useful for future generations if the moments were documented in some capacity. 

Her friends… it hadn’t been just Link and Zelda who had gone to confront the demon king. Link may have gotten an expedited exit with the dark dragon but that meant that the Sages were still stuck down there. Any one of them could be injured or dying with no way to get back up to the surface, and just because she wasn’t in the front lines herself, didn’t mean she wouldn’t be of use. 

“Alright! No more slacking off! We need a rescue team headed down that hole pronto!” Purah shoved herself away from her scope and hollered down to the crowd below her. She had to remind herself that she was the leader of this outpost and she couldn’t just laze around. She blew a shrill two-toned alarm from her recorder, part of a communication code she had developed for the lookout landing project. She didn’t carry that thing around everywhere to play a jaunty little tune whenever she felt like it. 

“Let’s go people! Half of this kingdom's leaders are down there and they’re counting on us to get them out!” She slid down each ladder leading up to her tower, not bothering to use the steps. Her heels slammed against the wooden floor and she immediately sprung into action, untying the balloons they took to traverse the depths and most importantly, get out of them. She also had to make sure Josha did not sneak onto one of them, because even though it was highly likely that Link cleared out all the monsters in the way of Ganondorf’s little hidey-hole, there were still sure to be oceans of gloom in the way. It wasn’t exactly the peak environment for a child, even if she was a prodigy. 

Buliara was the first to join the search team, she wasn’t shy about being protective of the young gerudo chief. A handful of warriors of all races followed her without question, one of Purah’s scientific colleagues got to work preparing the balloon for flight and everyone seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. 

Purah’s gaze kept being drawn towards the sky, though she couldn’t see the dragons anymore. Even the smaller spyglass she snatched from Muzu did little to help. She just had to hope that Link hadn’t dropped the master sword or anything. 

The rescue team departed in record time and as many precautions as she could spare were available. A group of Rito were sent to keep an eye on the dragon battle at a safe distance, though even they couldn’t fly that high. She had made sure that there were medics ready for anyone to arrive in critical condition, they prepared medicines out of sundelions and the strongest healing elixirs they had the ability to make. 

Time seemed to resume the moment she found work to do, while she was ultimately still just waiting for the battle to be over, this time she was running around making sure that everyone knew the plan for the worst-case scenario. Which was to get into the emergency shelter as fast as possible, or really any safe little corner. 

That plan nearly came into play when the sky turned a vibrant gorey red. The air around them became heavy with gloom like when the blood moon reached its peak. It burned her eyes but she knew that rubbing them would make the sensation worse, not everyone had that same foresight. 

“Baracade the entrances! We don’t want any monsters paying us a visit!” Purah ordered after a short urgent melody on her whistle. She ran to the eastern wall before she pulled out the little telescope. 

The dark dragon seemed agitated but she still couldn’t determine if this sudden atmospheric change was a good thing or a bad thing. She hoped it was the demon serpent putting everything into its final attack before plummeting to the ground. She wondered if she could get some samples of the scales it would leave behind or if she would have the rare opportunity to find out what dragon meat tasted like. 

Of course, it could also be the demon king rallying his monstrous forces upon the land he promised to rule in eternal darkness, but that wasn’t a very fun option. She didn’t like it nearly as much as the first one. 

A speck of golden light caught her eye, a flash of yellow among the sea of smoldering scarlet. It seemed to originate from the great beast's head, or at least she was pretty sure it was his head, if the gnarled thorns that surrounded the sight were his horns.

At first, it had started out as a brief flash, but it quickly grew into a bright star. The serpent seemed to writhe while the glow overtook its entire face. Purah would swear that she saw the shadow of a humanoid figure, thrusting their mighty sword into its forehead. But it could’ve been her imagination or her hope for some epic conclusion convincing her that any tiny difference in colors was something consequential. 

The distant dot disappeared into the sky, the light dragon swooping in where it potentially could’ve landed. The dark dragon fled straight up into the clouds, no longer caring about its fated foes, who kept their distance from it. 

Beams of white light broke free from the beast's long body, like it was being struck by a hundred sequential arrows. It seemed to let out one last scream before it erupted in a bright blast. Purah was sure she wasn’t the only one who was forced to cover her eyes when it happened. 

It was only as the bloody sky began to fade into a soft rosy pink that they were hit with the impact of the explosion. She was barely able to grab a nearby pillar to keep herself from hitting the ground from the shockwave. The ray of beautiful light only shrank in size, never getting any dimmer until it was just suddenly gone. 

Purah raised her telescope to the sky once more to search for the surviving dragon and her passenger. She ignored the triumphant cheers from all around her, relieved laughter, and the many who were nearly, or completely, brought to tears. But she didn’t join in. Not yet. 

The other dragon, Zelda, the princess was just… gone. There were no clouds to hide behind, though it seemed hard for a creature that size to even be able to hide. In the midst of the light show that was the decimation of the demon king, her friends had disappeared. She had gotten them far enough away from the blast… right? 

Everyone was too busy celebrating to notice how the leader of their little settlement wove between them to get back to her tower, maybe if she was higher, she’d be able to see something, anything proving that the light dragon and her rider had not been vaporized. Her ears rang, from the explosion or from the shock of her friend's second disappearance, she couldn’t quite pinpoint. 

Purah was deaf to the joy of the people around her as she searched the skies over and over and over again. There had to be something she was missing, a dragon couldn’t just… vanish into nothingness. She just witnessed what it took for one to be destroyed and it was not a quiet affair. So… where could Zelda have gone? 

Thankfully, she wouldn’t have to wait longer than a few minutes to get her answer, though it didn’t turn out to be the one she had been expecting. She had continued to scour the clouds, almost mistaking some distant floating island for the dark talons of the light dragon. 

“Director Purah,” A voice broke her concentration and suddenly her view through the telescope lens was a fuzzy dark gray. She pulled away from her scouting in mild annoyance until she saw who was speaking to her. 

“Get crowing Harth, I hope you have some good news for me, other than that we survived another almost-pocalyspe.” She delicately shortened the spyglass before folding her arms as authoritatively as she could. 

“Something was seen falling into the lake to the east, right under the battle. No other debris has been spotted and we have reason to believe that it was Link.” The black rito informed her with a curt nod. Perhaps she would’ve noticed a splash if she hadn’t been so focused on the sky, she nearly cursed herself for it. 

“I need you to take me there, we have no idea what condition they’re in,” She tried not to make it sound like an order, the worry in her voice seemingly helped with that. Harth landed on her lookout tower and knelt down before her wordlessly. She wasted no time climbing onto his back and with a quick flap of his mighty wings, they were in the air. 

With a rapid set of subsequent snaps, her telescope was back into its extended form and scanning the green hills that surrounded the nearest lake. A couple of tiny monster camps here, some ruins there, but it was a white figure that caught her eye. 

At first, Purah thought it was some sort of deity, there was an inhumanness about it. She was decorated in colors that shimmered in every shift of the light and seemed to glow golden and vivid blue at the same time, like a yellow sunset through Lurelin's clear waters. As they grew closer and the image became more clear, she was able to see the truth. 

It was Zelda. Bare as the day she was born, her nakedness was only covered by the hero she had cradled in her arms, who also seemed to have slightly more skin showing than usual. Thought she was sure that Link wasn’t unfamiliar with walking right up to their princess in reasonably revealing clothing. She was sure that if her grand-niece were here, she would be blushing hard enough to pass out. 

More concerning than the princess's odd new appearance, Link was obviously not doing well. Their arm was barely recognizable, stiffly tucked into their chest, its coloring dark and ashy like they had dipped it into lava, or something worse. Their head was resting on Zelda’s collarbone and even from high in the sky Purah could tell that they were completely unconscious. They were so unnaturally still and pale in the princess’s arms that she immediately began to fear for the worst. 

Purah lept to the ground several seconds before they had even landed. She nearly stumbled over her own shoes in the grass in her frantic sprint to get to her friends. She knew the moment Zelda spotted her, the godly stoic demeanor she wore faded into something far more human. She was afraid, her eyes were wide as she jogged to Purah, she looked to be on the very edge of bursting into tears. 

“I don’t know what happened, they just… collapsed-” The princess's panicked words stumbled from her mouth breathlessly. 

“We have medics on standby at Lookout Landing, all we have to do is get them there,” Purah promised, “We’re so close, you’ll see once we get up the hill.” The scientist wrapped her arm around her friend’s back, between spikes along her spine that she was just noticing. She hoped that the gesture came off as comforting and steadying in the midst of the intense emotions that the princess had to be feeling, Purah knew her abrasive personality could come off as offputting, she could never really tell how much was too much. Though Zelda had leaned into her supportive half-hug so perhaps there was no reason to overthink it. 

“I can’t- goddess it’s happening again isn’t it…” Zelda whimpered as Purah led them away from the pond. 

“We aren’t going to lose them, this is different.” She replied firmly, “We’re prepared, help is only a few minutes of speedwalking away.” 

She turned to Harth, who had a dark wing politely covering his eyes.

“Hey feathers, I need you to make sure they’re ready for an urgent arrival. I don’t know how safe it would be for you to fly them ahead of us, now I’m not a medical doctor but I have a pretty good understanding of hylian physiology and I’m almost certain it would be a bad idea to jostle our beloved hero around while they’re in such a sensitive state.” Purah reasoned, partially to herself as she did have the thought of sending Link earlier than them but decided to put a bit of consideration into it before making a decision like that.

“I’ll see to it.” The Rito didn’t hesitate to take off back into the sky, the flaps of his wings seemed a lot more rapid on his return trip. 

“I was wondering what that zonai arm was hiding…” Purah muttered as they made their way towards the settlement. At a closer glance at Link’s arm, it was easy to see why it had to be ‘replaced’ in the first place. The burns were deep and dark and outlined in an unnaturally vivid scarlet. She had the feeling that if she touched it, what was left of the skin would either flake off like pieces of used-up firewood, or it would feel like cold solid stone. The sight worried her greatly, Would there be anything they could do to fix it? Had it been a lost cause from the very beginning?

“Zonai arm?” Zelda asked, with each step, she seemed to be more steady on her feet, and more able to walk at a swifter pace. 

“Yeah, they said some ghost gave it to them, something about how theirs was too damaged to be healed. I couldn’t really tell if it was like some kind of glowing magic prosthetic or nifty bandaid, just covering up what was wrong without being able to do much about it.” They had managed a few dozen rapid steps more before Purah drew her arm back to check Link’s pulse. There was still a bit of color to their skin but it was hard to see if they were even breathing on top of the movements created from their purposeful jog. Their speed slowed just for the moment it took for her fingers to meet the hero's throat.

Purah let out a relieved sigh, it wasn’t strong, it wasn’t even at a steady pace, but it was there. Immediately noticeable and persistent in continuing to beat. She only needed to give Zelda a quick nod before they were back to rushing through Hyrule Field. 

The eastern gates of Lookout Landing opened as they approached, a couple of knights in training carried a stretcher between them, meeting the trio halfway. Zelda clearly didn’t want to let Link go, her iridescent claws nearly dug into their skin before she accepted that she had to release them from her grasp. 

Purah’s long outer robe found its way around the princess's shoulders while she stood frozen in place outside of the settlement's walls. The coat’s owner pulled it carefully around her body, where usually it was balanced on the edge of her shoulders, It was wrapped more snuggly around the princess, for the sake of modesty. With the way Zelda’s cheeks turned pink, Purah made the educated guess that she had only just now realized the state her body was brought back in. 

The medical team rushed to the fallen hero’s side before they had even been carried through the gate. The most qualified doctor they had on-site, and realistically one of the best in Hyrule, instantly went to examine Link’s charred arm. She was a gerudo physician with extensive experience in battlefield injuries and had been overseeing the effects of gloom-infected wounds. She knew better than anyone how to deal with the stuff and she didn’t look terribly hopeful when she lifted the hero’s alarmingly stiff arm.

“Come on, let’s give them a moment to sort everything out, and get you into something more comfortable,” Purah led the princess toward her own dwelling, she seemed reluctant to leave Link but there was a reason a patient's relatives were usually not allowed in the surgery room. The scientist pulled out the tablet she named after herself and trusted it to the princess's trembling fingers. 

“I can guarantee that they have a better assortment of clothes than I do, I know that there’s at least a backless dress in there that could work with your spine spikes, last I checked it was dyed a real pretty purple,” Purah filled the silence as she entered her quarters. It was still covered in loose papers, though even if it had been perfectly tidy at the beginning of the day, it still would’ve ended up a mess after the recent earthquakes that had nothing to do with shifting tectonic plates. Neither of them even attempted to step around the chaos, messing up piles of papers just didn’t seem very much of a worry at the moment. 

Instead of her quite logical suggestion, Zelda chose the outfit Link first appeared from the sky in, a tunic made of loosely wrapped cloth in a rather ancient style. With a little bit of readjustment, it seemed to work just fine for the returned princess. She still looked like some kind of timeless god of the wild but now she was a little less focused on hiding her skin. 

Purah was untangling Zelda’s hair from her horns when one of the medics knocked on her door, she hoped that because they didn’t barge in frantically, Link was likely not dying or something. Or perhaps she was just being too hopeful. 

“Princess? Director Purah?” The voice was muffled by the solid wooden door. Zelda sprung up instantly, nearly sending her friend flying. 

“Yes, yes, come in, tell us everything!” Purah whipped open the door and motioned for the young man to enter, though she couldn’t recall his name she remembered that he had become determined to become a doctor after one of his parents succumbed to gloom sickness before anyone even knew much about it. 

“Good news, their vitals are stable and we were able to stop the infection from spreading, at least, temporarily. Bad news… the damage sustained to their arm was too severe, Dr, Nanoa said that the best thing to do is amputate. Even the greatest Zora healer wouldn’t be able to revive a dead limb.” He explained quickly, sensing the urgency of his message. 

“That gives me an idea! They have healers at the domain, how long are you guys able to keep him stable?” Purah glanced at the large map hanging behind her. 

“Not long enough for a road trip…” the medics assistant muttered. 

“The Purah Pad can transport multiple people at once,” Zelda uttered after being unable to speak since entering the settlement. “I can take Link and the doctor with me, will that leave enough qualified medical staff here?”

“I believe so, they’re definitely our top priority right now,” With Purah's acceptance, Zelda was renewed with a new wave of determination. Her back straightened and no one could stop her from heading out the door. 

The Director wanted to go with her friend, of course she did, but she was the leader of Lookout Landing, and just like Link and Zelda’s battle hadn’t ended with Ganondorf’s defeat, neither did hers. The sages were still being recovered from the depths, and Purah was determined to meet them the moment they arrived at the surface. She knew she could trust Link’s life in Zelda’s hands, they were safe and accounted for, but she needed to focus on the Hyrulians who weren’t. 

Yet. 

***

The skies glowed a serene soft champagne yellow, the air carried a chill like she was at the top of a grand mountain, but the long golden grasses around her seemed to generate their own gentle warmth. She couldn’t help but want to sink into the rippling strands and bask in the quiet melancholy that this world seemed to be filled with. 

“Link?” The princess called out into the lonely field, they should be here somewhere, this was their dream after all. 

Getting to this point had been a blur, she had used the Purah Pad to transport the unconscious hero and the Gerudo doctor to the shrine beneath Zora’s domain and had ignored the reaction to floating to the main structure of the Zora city without a passing glance to the ladders that seemed far less convenient. 

With Link cradled in her arms and a set destination in mind, she made her way to the infirmary, Nanoa scrambling behind, she didn’t have the luxury of taking a shortcut directly through the air. Her vision swam with fuzzy splotches of blue as she refused to even perceive the civilization around her. Most of the people in her way managed to dodge her firm path, but she did end up bumping into a few less fortunate Zora. 

She could barely hear Lady (Queen?) Yona’s worried voice over her own slightly distracting internal screaming. Thankfully by that point, Nanoa had caught up and willingly explained the situation to the domain's lead healer. Since the moment she arrived, Zelda was a single solitary stone in a stream of moving parts that she could barely keep up with. The only thing that stood still with her was the unconscious swordsman in her arms, their grievously injured arm bandaged in warm yellow salves and sundelion petals laid in a way that mirrored her own scales.

At some point, they were swept up in the storm and she found herself laying her protector's limp form on a stone bed and standing near their head. She vaguely registered that the healers worried that Link would wake during the procedure, as they weren’t awake to be given an oral anesthetic. 

Zelda didn’t know how she knew how to do it, just like she didn’t realize she could float above the ground when she just followed instinct to get Link where they had to be. Without much thought, she placed her pointer and middle fingers on the hero's temples. She was well acquainted with projecting her voice and her memories into their mind, there was a door that she sent things through, but never thought to enter herself.

Somehow she knew that with her unexplored connection to their mind, she could keep them asleep for as long as they needed it.

Now she woke up in a heavenly pastel world that failed to resemble a single place she had ever been, though somehow, it still felt oddly familiar

She was about to call out their name once more when she noticed a discrepancy in the long grasses. A slight smudge of darkness as if something had bent the stalks to hide there. She wove through the soft grass until she found what she was looking for.  

“So that’s what Purah was talking about when she said Zonai arm…” Zelda sat next to the dazed figure mostly hidden by the lush golden meadow. They didn’t look fully awake, they were making the face they usually made when their princess woke them up too early on a day she was teaching and they just wanted to sleep until noon. Their eyes were a little unfocused and took a moment to really see her.

She took their strange hand in hers and immediately recognized it as Rauru’s. The deep gray flesh beneath the strange metal and turquoise ornamentation was soft like velvet or the dense short fur of some kind of semi-aquatic mammal. The fur thinned out near the palm of their hand and the underside of their fingers, leaving coal-black callused skin and long dark nails that grew to a point. 

“Are you real? Is this a dream?” Link rested their head on her shoulder, reluctant to escape from their state of semi-consciousness. 

“Both can be true, I’m here to keep you company for a little while,” She was reluctant to fully divulge their condition, she knew she would have to warn them before they woke up from the surgery but no version of her bringing it up seemed tactful enough. How does one tell someone that their dominant limb had to be cut off? How does one tell a swordsman that they would never be able to wield a sword comfortably again?

“That bad?” the hero asked, Zelda did her best to not react, both to Link’s acceptance of their fate and the stinging smell of medical alcohol reaching her nose from the waking world.  

“Yeah… our first encounter with the demon king had some… long-term effects. We-we had to… to make a difficult call to… um-” Her voice stuttered and if she had been more than an extension of her consciousness projected into her knight’s mind she would be sweating right through the clothes she had borrowed from them. 

“It can’t be saved… can it,” Link moved their borrowed arm, flexing their fingers and squeezing her hand while they still could. By then, the metallic smell of blood had started to seep through into the dream, pungent and inescapable. Thankfully her protector didn’t seem to notice, but they did have a particularly well-practiced poker face. 

“No… it can’t,” Zelda sighed, “Even if we could reverse the damage caused by the pure gloom, your body has already stopped providing blood to the area and shut off all the nerve endings. Two-thirds of the arm is already dead, you’d just be carrying around a zombie limb which carries its own set of dangers from my understanding.” 

“I-I get it,” They muttered, “When I first woke up in the sky, Rauru told me my arm was too damaged to be saved, so I’ve thought about what would happen once he took his arm back, if there would be anything left of it.” 

“I’m sorry. if it makes you feel better, I can work with Purah and Robbie to make you a prosthetic, I think they were experimenting with incorporating sheikah technology into Hyrulian-controlled automaton, obviously, we’re hesitant to make them fully independent…”

“I’ll think about it, it feels like a bit of a waste to spend our first conversation since we lost each other on my stupid arm though,” Link’s voice came out weary, like they were falling asleep. Zelda remembered that their consciousness could only exist in one place at a time, and if they fell asleep now, they would wake up in the Zora’s Domain in the middle of getting their arm cut off. Which was not good. 

“I wanted to get it out of the way, it seemed a little important,” She knocked their head off of her shoulder as she began to stand. Without letting their hand go, she rose from the pale golden grasses. They didn’t seem too enthused to be involuntarily pulled to their feet, their vivid blue eyes wandered lazily across the bright landscape but ultimately lingered on her. 

“Do you recognize this place?” the hero prompted, it sounded too hopeful to be just a simple question. 

“I’m not sure, it feels like I’ve been here before but only in a dream. It’s so peaceful,” Zelda replied after breathing in the crisp mountain air. 

“I came up here a lot once I figured out what happened to you,” Link admitted, “Every time I saw the light dragon floating in the sky, I couldn’t help but find the most efficient way to launch myself up to visit,” Zelda’s eyes widened as the unusualness of the world around her began to make sense. 

The long soft tufts of grasses weren’t foliage at all, but thick blond hair that floated through the wind without the burden of gravity. Though it had no physical effect, she could still detect the lightness of the air, higher than any floating island she had visited before swallowing that cursed stone. Even the thin atmosphere carried a profound quiet sorrow. She couldn’t tell which one of them the feeling had originated from. 

“I missed you too, that’s why I did it you know… any price was worth paying to get back to you.” She smiled.

“Even if there was no guarantee you’d ever be yourself again?” 

“I’ll always be myself, the state of self is always prone to change. Even if that change comes in the form of an eternally living dragon who can’t speak and whose consciousness is debatable. I don’t think I was ever really lost, just… asleep.” Zelda swung Link's hand in hers, like they were taking a casual walk through a flowering meadow or strolling through the autumnal forests of Akkala. 

Link seemed to have other plans however, they pulled her into their arms a little frantically, and though it wasn’t the first time they had embraced since her return from the mindless dragon form, it was the first where they were both awake for it. Perhaps she should’ve started their real reunion with something like this…

The dense ball of mind-numbing fear that had made a home in her chest ever since the hero went limp in her arms was finally beginning to lose its grip. She had done her best to ignore how much agony she had been in, it was no use paying any attention to it while Link was dying and her world was falling apart. But now they were in her arms, in a glowing sky that was proof that they were still alive. 

“We’re going to be okay,” Zelda vowed through a whisper in Link’s ear after a moment of silence that could’ve lasted anywhere between a few minutes to a few eons. 

Time passed and they refused to let each other go. As the air around them seemed to turn red with the smell of blood which eventually thinned out and stopped altogether. It didn’t matter how long it took, she never got tired of hugging him. She should’ve gotten bored of the stillness and the lack of conversation but it was perfect just knowing that they were there, that the worst was likely over. The silence that should drive her insane by now was surprisingly more of a comfort than she had expected. 

It was tranquility, there was still a long road ahead, one that wouldn’t be easy and Zelda was surprised to have so willingly accepted that. Even if she had a choice in the matter. In swallowing that stone, she had prepared for an ending, but it was nothing of the sort. Life continued on, and it would always bring new challenges. 

It scared her, that everything was so prone to dramatic change, but she knew that she was never alone for it. She would always have Link as an anchor, a goal to rush toward in crashing tides, to hold her in the dark nights when her memories taunted her like vengeful ghosts. The world would go on and even if they were apart, she was never left alone. Maybe that was why it was so easy to make peace with it. 

Eventually, they would return to the world outside of Link's mind, they would see what remained of their arm. As much of it that could be saved, was. Nearly black gloom-scarred skin surrounded the newer incision, though enough Zora healing power had been poured into it that there wasn’t much left behind other than a thin line. 

Link would want to go home, but that wouldn’t be wise, and they would be too weak to fight the unamused glares of two queens and one Gerudo warrior. Their friends would arrive after hearing about the hero's condition, even though they sported their own wounds. Save for Mineru, who was still a robot and couldn’t really bleed. She would refuse repairs, as there would be no need to have a working body with her purpose finally complete. 

After several slow days of recovery, the sages would make one last journey together. The final Zonai that remained in the land of the living would leave behind one last gift. A final piece of her people, into the outstretched hand of the hero. The sage of spirit would live on, and with the fall of the old kingdom, a new one was destined to rise, just as it has many times before. 

Finally then, it would be time for them to go home, a swordsman unable to wield a sword like they used to and a Hylian queen who could barely be considered hylian anymore. To the mushroom and fashion-obsessed village, across a natural bridge, to the cottage they shared at the edge of civilization. Everything was just how they left it.

Their lives didn’t end with the calamity, or when Link’s life literally temporarily ended, they didn’t end when Zelda was irrecoverably stuck in the past or when she sacrificed herself to become a dragon with no expectation to return, and they wouldn’t end now. 

It hadn’t been an ending or even a new beginning. Life continued on, just like it always did. It would be difficult, and it would be different, but what a pleasure it was to experience it at all. 

#totk spoilers #zelink #fanfiction #dragon zelda #tears of the kingdom #amputee loz link #totk #trans link #nonbinary Link #loz #loz fic

[lets-try-some-writing]

For artificial prime: Optimus becomes a sparkeater during the unicron arc.

Heck yeah, an excuse to ruin my boy more.

Most relevant post here.

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙

The perfect machine. Optimus Prime was expertly designed to mimic a living Cybertronian and possess all the cognitive abilities of one. He had no spark, but the false Matrix served as both his power regulator and strategic aid. He believed he lived, and that was all that mattered. Ratchet wallowed in his guilt and his creation marched ever onward following the calls of war.

Then Unicron woke, and everything went to slag.

Optimus was not a true Prime, he couldn't be. However he most certainly had the visions of one. Ratchet created a false key to Vector Sigma as a failsafe for his use. If Optimus's false Matrix ever fell apart, Ratchet could use the data stored on the key to restore its databanks. That was the whole point. But Optimus believed the key to be real, and so his plan almost entirely revolved around throwing himself into danger to try and use the false Matrix to force Unicron back into stasis. Ratchet only managed to drag the plan out of his creation through the use of some of his well hidden coded commands, but once he had it, he knew he could not let it be. Optimus was going to use the Matrix and there was no getting around that. But Ratchet could alter it, he could make Optimus's plan work through subtle uses of technology.

A quick jab of sedatives in the dead of night, a quiet dissection of the faux Matrix, and a swift integration of an EMP field generator was all that was needed. Just like back on Cybertron, not a spark was suspicious. Optimus's memory was carefully altered to show that he'd come by for recharge inducers before heading to his berth, hence his helm ache and sluggishness. Then, just to be safe, Ratchet copied his creation's AI onto a drive he specifically designed for such a scenario. He would not be caught unprepared, especially considering the likelihood of his creation not coming back was quite high.

Optimus marched toward what Ratchet could only guess was certain death. While it hurt the medic's spark to see the only remnant of his oldest friend throw himself into what was likely to be his doom, he did nothing to stop his creation from going on. He had his failsafe, and while it would certainly be a trial to create another frame, he could do it... he had the knowledge needed to make it work... and yet, Optimus had long proven to be able to feel, if only because Ratchet made it so. The part of Ratchet that saw the being before him as his progeny in a twisted sense could not bear to let Optimus go without a farewell. As such, before the false Prime left, Ratchet held Optimus's servos in his with a gentle smile and offered what words he could.

"Come back to us alive, Optimus. We... I cannot go on without you."

Optimus was surprised, but he took Ratchet's emotional response with grace. Ratchet for his part grit his denta and stood firmly as his creation, with Megatron by his side, went through the groundbridge. Ratchet did not waver, he did not allow himself to as he kept dutiful tabs on the vital signs of the team until he could no longer trace them. He remained with the children, praying to Primus for the first time in his life since he created Optimus that all would be well. When the ground shook, he gathered the children around him while continuing to hope and shielded the small humans in the event that the worst come to worst.

Then it all stopped.

The ground no longer shook. The tides returned to normal. Tornados dissipated and volcanoes fell dormant. Optimus had succeeded, and Ratchet could not have been more relieved when his creation's vitals came back online. However that relief was short lived when the team returned without the machine Ratchet had spent so long cultivating. Megatron had dragged Optimus off and the team had been unable to stop it. According to the reports, Optimus's memory seemed to be largely shot, leaving him with only recollections of his time as Orion. For Ratchet, that translated to one horrible horrible situation.

Optimus's AI was shot, and considering he went with Megatron, his faux Matrix likely was as well. There was only one way forward, and Ratchet already hated it. The false key would fix the faux Matrix without issue. But restoring Optimus's AI? It was likely an impossible task. He would need to be captured, then Ratchet would need to see if his mind was salvageable. If not, he would need to be purged and the copy implanted. The issue with that plan? The upload of an AI copy would be a highly delicate procedure. One wrong move and the AI could be corrupted. There was no room for failure as Ratchet issued orders to begin retrieving the missing Prime.

Thankfully, they did not have to do much to get Optimus back.

Not even a week after he went with Megatron, Optimus Prime came flying out of a ground bridge in the middle of nowhere. He was covered in energon, cuts, and wounds, but he was alive. The team, Bumblebee especially, were relived beyond words when they dragged Optimus back and plopped him onto Ratchet's medical berth. However that was when things went wrong all over again.

Up until that point, Optimus had been unconscious, his AI likely overwhelmed from whatever he had gone through. However as Bumblebee came near to try and check on his Sire in all but bond, Ratchet's creation shot up, and Bumblebee dropped to the ground totally immobilized. The team could hardly comprehend what was going on until Optimus's entire frame seemed to warp and cables whipped out from somewhere beneath his plating. An unholy shriek echoed from his vocalizer before he leap and his jaw unhinged, his gaze firmly on Bumblebee who remained prone on the floor. The team prepared to open fire in pure terror, but Ratchet stepped forward first.

"OPTIMUS! EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN! CODE ORION.P.2229!"

Just before Optimus could lock in on Bumblebee or cause any damage, he froze and dropped like a bag of bolts. The team fell still, Bumblebee scurried to his pedes, and the Prime lay on the ground without so much as venting. His gaze was lifeless and Ratchet could only groan as he dragged Optimus onto the berth yet again. Scans were run as the team watched, and it was not hard to figure our that the creature of legend was now what made up the husk of their leader. Optimus's AI was totally corrupted without a trace of any sentience left. His very CNA had been altered to match that of the notorious spark eater. The only salvageable part of him was the faux Matrix, but even that was nearly impossible to even attempt to remove with how much Optimus's frame had warped.

There was no saving him. Unicron's taint had permanently devastated the frame Ratchet had so perfectly crafted. He did not have the means or the materials to make another, much less fix the faux Matrix. He had Optimus's uncorrupted AI, but it would do him little good with Optimus's nature still a secret. Waking the AI on a computer would be traumatizing for Optimus and would reveal everything all at once. There was no winning. Either Ratchet would need to somehow pull something out of his aft and fix the feral sparkeater enough to be usable, or he would need to snag a protoform from the Nemesis, alter it, get a new power source, wake Optimus's AI and get him up to speed, and THEN put him in it with the correct codes.

An impossible battle.

Ratchet warded off the team with assurances that he would fix things, all the while he strapped the spark eater down and watched it flail once the shutdown wore off. He held the datastick with Optimus's AI in his servos as he watched, contemplating. The team needed their leader. Ratchet couldn't just produce one out of thin air as he had on Cybertron. Deals with Megatron were out of the question and the team needed the wisdom of Ratchet's dutiful creation. The secret would need to come out, preferably before Optimus's AI was activated. Then hopefully, if they didn't kill him on the spot, they could find a way to get Optimus up and moving.

Surely they would see reason? Surely... they would understand... right?

Ratchet could only pray as he gathered around with the team, showed them the datastick, and began one long explanation.

#transformers #maccadam #transformers prime #optimus prime #team prime #ratchet #bumblebee #megatron #sparkeater #artificial prime au #angst #artificial intelligence #yaaaaaaay more angst for my boy #i could keep messing with this alternate route if requested or get back to the main #whatever yall want

[duckietine]

fun fact Norman actually didn't shoot a single bullet in the Return to Grace Field arc he was just running around with the gun and giving orders

#fucking nerd #like omfg bro wants to be part of the team so bad #the promised neverland #tpn #norman tpn

[yogoodfella]

YGORarepair week Day 2: Duettoshipping!

@ygorarepairweek

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. I invented a ship name for two Monsters who had no fanwork together. Until I came along.

I'll briefly present myself with this: I am the author of "A Blossoming Legato", an ARC-V what-if focusing on Duel Spirits and Bloom Diva as Yuzu's spirit companion. However, that relationship is entirely platonic, so I strongly doubt it counts here. So... I made a ship up as I feel, based purely on handholding to heaven, that Aria the Melodious Diva and Sonata the Melodious Diva have a strong bond together. I presented my first work on ARC-V Month, the link to that will be in the comments. Right now, here's my entry in the Hurt/Comfort category (with a slight amount of Kiss).

If you don't recall some events of the anime that are mentioned there, those are changes I made to my fic. Don't worry, they'll be few.

Also I usually make these side things a chapter of Arias of Florescence, the spinoff series, but this... Is really short. Maybe I'll include it as part of a chapter, I dunno.

Comments and criticisms are appreciated, as always!

The Conservatory… One of many places in the Duel Spirits’ World, but one which was distinctly home for the Melodious Monsters, dear companions of Yuzu, who would support her with all their grace and singing prowess whenever they would be called to the Stage that is the Duel Field.

However, ever since Yuzu was thrusted into her misadventures across the dimensions, there would be many happenings in which the Monsters simply had no control over, only being able to know through Bloom Diva’s words, who became Yuzu’s Duel Spirit. Some moments were quite hard to bear for the Monsters, especially the ones they couldn’t understand.

One such moment was shortly after Yuzu was saved by Yuya from the clutches of the mad Jean Michel Roget, which was relayed from Bloom Diva and sparked great joy amongst the ensemble. Said joy would be brief, however, as a violent shake in the Portal which led Bloom Diva to Yuzu’s mind, prompting the Choir to rush to her aid as she, unbeknownst to the Melodious, was separated from Yuya and the others once again because of a wormhole which brought her to the Fusion Dimension.

Great worry and incredulousness filled the usually calm air of the Conservatory, and the Melodious could only pray for Yuzu’s fate, trying to steel themselves with hope, knowing at least that the presence of the portal meant that she was still with them.

However… Aria the Diva, one of the eldest members of the Ensemble, struggled to cling on to hope, as she separated herself from the others to try to soothe herself with silence, perhaps trying to find inspiration to sing… But she just couldn’t do it. She attempted to breathe deeply, to maintain a graceful and upright posture, preparing to sing… But it only ended in an exasperated sigh that brought her to her knees, without the energy to even cry.

Sonata slowly came up to her and reached her, having an educated guess of why she was like this: the Melodious had fought many Duels these last couple days, with few wins and more losses which got harsher and harsher for Yuzu, leading to her apparent demise at worst. With that, Sonata addressed Aria with this approach:

“Yuzu’s fine now. Much worse happened to her, and we all got through that together. Bloom Diva’s with her so rest assured… She’ll be fine.”

“I-I’m…”

Aria could only mutter that in return, and Sonata sat down in front of her and listened to her somewhat unsteady breathing. Without saying even a word, the azure Diva merely lent her hand forward for the bronze Diva to gently put hers forward, and she put both, reaching for her companion’s comfort. Sonata was as willing to meet both her hands with Aria’s as she was to listen to her, at her pace.

“I’m… So exhausted…

I’m exhausted because we’ve all performed a lot… I’m exhausted because our Maestra went through so much… At this point, will we be able to end this war…? Will we be able to even fight?”

Sonata completely understood her companion’s plight, having performed alongside her as recently as last night, a Duel against Barrett to save Yuya which ended up in a curbstomp courtesy of Sergey, as his Earthbound Servants annihilated their fused form, Schuberta. They didn’t have much time to rest at all after this…

“Aria… I’m worn out too.” Sonata responded. “We’ve gone through so much… The most we’ve ever had to endure in our lives. But we’re still here, despite everything. You’ve also come this far with us, I know you’re strong.”

“No… I’m not strong enough… Not strong enough to reach Yuzu!”

Hearing that from Aria, Sonata was slightly surprised. Only slightly as many of the Melodious members wanted to properly meet Yuzu and talk to her. So far, only Bloom Diva could. After that brief thought, Aria continued to speak up.

“It all seemed to be over! Yuzu got finally out of that accursed Roget’s claws and it seemed she could finally be truly happy again, but no! Fate just has to make this ordeal endless! Fate’s just making her suffer! I want to support Yuzu, I want to tell her personally about how I… No, all of us want only the best for her! But I don’t know what’s happening anymore and I-”

Sonata quickly sang a low tune to lower Aria’s rambling slowly. It all worked as their years of singing in sync paid off and Aria’s tune matched Sonata as it became more peaceful, but weary, until it became quiet. The azure Diva knew of this about her companion: her insecurities were always stuck in her somewhat, like an old scar, that the bronze Diva didn’t even remember when it came. But Sonata would always be there for her, and while this was slightly different, she knew how to alleviate Aria’s plight.

“You can tell Yuzu through dueling, Aria. And if I’m called beside you, I’ll help you with all my heart.”

“With dueling…?” Aria then quickly thought and somewhat recomposed herself: “Right… Dueling. Forgive me, I was so caught up in all of this that I… I kind of forgot about it. Our last Duels were so chaotic that I hardly even got the idea of it… But will our Maestra even duel?”

“Of course, Aria!” Sonata then brought the portal to Aria’s attention. “As long as that portal’s still there, Bloom Diva’s with her. As long as Bloom Diva’s with her, she’ll be fine. As long as she’s fine, she will fight and she WILL duel. She’s promised this to everyone, because she’s there to save her friends lost to Academia.”

“And… As long she she will duel, we will perform with her!” Aria suddenly flared up a tiny bit and met Sonata’s warm gaze with a determined one of her own… Only for that to immediately mellow down as she let her head fall to the side, squarely on Sonata’s chest. The azure Diva gently patted Aria on the head as she apologized.

“Of course… That was obvious! Forgive me… How could I have said such foolish things?”

“You didn’t say anything foolish, Aria. You were just tired, that’s all.” Hearing that from Sonata, Aria detached from Sonata’s chest to meet her gaze with hers, and her shoulders with her hands. She couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit, having calmed down.

“Well… There’s another occasion of me needing help… I thought I’d gone over it, but it seems not! Then again… I know you’re here, and I can’t thank you enough for it!”

“It’s never wrong to ask for help, Aria!” Sonata warmly responded. “You’ve also helped everyone a ton, too… We’ll be there for one another until the end, this I know.”

As Sonata gently lent her hands on her, Aria ran out of words to say, as she knew that were the case. Maybe all she needed was some comfort from those who cared for her, and the ideal one came to aid. Maybe… Simple warmth to contrast these cold, tiring misadventures.

And so, Aria pushed herself forward to meet her lips with Sonata’s, and the other happily obliged, resulting in a tender kiss between the two divas as they thoroughly embraced one another, their arms reaching the other’s back for a warm hug. The two had performed together so much, especially in these tiring times, and it was easy to see how they simply needed each other to revitalize themselves, so they could sing to their heart’s content until the end.

“Feeling better, Aria?”

“Yes, I am… I especially feel better when you do, Sonata!”

Sure enough, as they were finished with the kiss, both Melodious found themselves in better shape than before… A thing which Shopina also noticed.

“I am grateful that you feel revitalized, you two!”

“ACK! Shopina?!” Sonata hastily exclaimed as both felt flustered. “My apologies, but were you watching us?”

“No, I just arrived here… I knew you would reach one another for comfort, so I let you be… Until now.” Shopina’s tone grew more serious, prompting Sonata and Aria to rise to their feet, and the bronze Diva to ask:

“Until now? Are we called to perform?”

“Indeed we are, Aria! Let us get going!”

That signal from Shopina meant that Yuzu was to Duel once more, and they all hastily returned to the main hall, but not before this quick exchange started from Aria.

“Well… I guess it’s time! I wonder if I’ll be called to perform!”

“Well, if you aren’t, I’ll simply sing it for you, Aria!” Sonata warmly responded. “After all… We’re all in this together!”

#yugioh arc v #arc v #melodious #aria the melodious diva #sonata the melodious diva #ygorarepairweek2023 #YGOrarepairweek2023 #hurt/comfort

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 59

Chapter 59: “Choose Your Weapon”

I really wanna know what what going on in WM’s head when he decided it was okay to hoard all sorts of weapons for children to use. Yeah it might not seem too bad for kids from Glory Bell & Grand Valley who could have older shipment ages than those from Grace Field, but still so dangerous. And I love it. But clearly the anime didn’t.

Do you wish to know what truly is heavy? All the sadness in my heart from never being able to see our best girl armed in season two. Bows & arrows are decent, but you can’t expect me to believe they fought through all those later arcs in that final ep slideshow with absolutely no fire power.

Naturally RE follow Sonju’s teachings in the upcoming chapters, but I also remembered Don follows this advice in ch138 as well.

Bunker dad may not give them any pointers for choosing what weapons will suit them best, but they do pretty darn fine in figuring out what they’ll need and what will be helpful for them all on their own. Ray’s little thumbs up is precious.

Please speak up Ray, I don’t think the anime heard you about only using bows & arrows. I was surprised up rereading this chapter just now that they also have a supply of shields, bombs and barbed wire, but even a medieval flail? This armory truly has everything imaginable. Again, nothing children should be using but eh, that’s where the fun comes in.

“Quite useful” is such an understatement! Take this! Hold onto it dearly! Never let it go! For it is a literal lifesaver!

The only mildly amusing part of this scene being cut from season two was seeing how confused anime-onlys reacted to see Ray’s ear in later episodes. Thinking he also cut his off like Emma did was a fair assumption I’ll admit, but she did clearly state in ep11 (with scalpel in hand) that she was just gonna remove his tracker. They actually had time to do so while Emma had to rush to remove hers between her fabulous performance and running away from Isabella and the burning house. Still sucks because we missed out on more medic Anna though. But aah, my boy, you need to stop giving such adorable smiles. I wanna pinch your cheeks.

Sigh, I seriously thought it was this panel the “Identity” OP was referencing the first time I saw it, even though it clearly shows Emma after the time skip (thanks to the hair clips). Still had a small hope they would’ve filled that empty space with Yuugo and not... Norman. (listening to the song again just now and can confirm that it still hits me with many emotions.. season two may have been a train wreck but the OP remains an absolute banger of a track).

They care for her (and Ray) so damn much it makes me soft! AAHH! Especially the part about her not hiding any injuries to the point she collapses like she did in the demon’s forest. Poor Yuugo is so sick of all these mushy feelings. At least he’ll be away from it all for a couple days.

YESSS GILDA! Gotta say it’s one of my favorite moments of hers.. it’s just badass and the threat actually works! He’s absolutely terrified upon his return in ch96 because of how totally serious she was.

Favorite panel/moment:

BAZOOKA EMMA BAZOOKA EMMA BAZOOKA EMMA BAZOOKA EMMA BAZOOKA EMMA BAZOOKA EMMA BAZOOKA EMMA BAZOOKA EMMA BAZOOKA EMMA BAZOOKA EMMA

#the promised neverland #tpn manga #182daysoftpn #chidoroki used chatter

[socialpoison]

The Phyrexian Arc where my ocs are concerned:

-Traenor went on a revenge quest for the friend he thought he lost to Jin-Gitaxias, Endry.

-He enlists Klaus and Andra to help him out.

-Traenor and Klaus went to New Phyrexia and helped the resistance for a bit.

-They investigated Kaldheim, then Kamigawa, where they met Avon, who was investigating consortium leads that led her to Tezzeret's trail.

-They try to follow up on leads that bring them to Elspeth's homeplane, New Capenna. They meet walkers from the Order of Heliud , Lys Ora, Vanya, and Constance. Lys Ora blames Andra for initiating their homeplane's eventual destruction (andra is unaware) and she chases Andra off. Vanya joins the gang.

-They go to Dominaria, after reports of Phyrexians invading. Vanya takes them to the Serran Order of Grace, her order which had been infiltrated by Sleepers. Avon helps root them out, until she accidentally mind melds with a sleeper, and turns against them, nearly destroying them all. Avon is captured and left to recover, though they do manage to save the Order.

Around here, Ellidus is captured and compleated, and the Order's listening post on New Phyrexia now monitors planeswalker travel for New Phyrexia.

-In BRO they meet with the Gatewatch formally. They prepare their homeplanes for invasion. Traenor finally gets his second knighthood.

Around here, after months of the Listening Post being used to stop planeswalkers from messing with Phyrexia, the Order hires a certain Metathran to take it down. Ellidus is punished for losing it, and to try and make up for it, they help augment the Phyrexians' new anti-planeswalker field, with their body as a component.

Also Ora discovers Andra never intended to kick off the growing of Axin's aetherstorm, and would have stopped it if she could. They return to the gang.

-In ONE, the gang go to New Phyrexia to try and run interference for the Planeswalker Strike Team, and achieve a secondary goal, which is to try and find how the Phyrexians are compleating planeswalkers.

But Klaus is separated on arrival and captured. His immunity from Melira is bolstered by some Halo he takes, so he isn't compleated at first. However they do put him into a pod to access his memories and magic. While he's under, he dreams a journey through the layers of Phyrexia, where he sees people he knows being either captured or compleated. He's rescued just before he dies or gets compleated.

Ellidus is probably separated from Realmbreaker, left helpless.

#mtg #ocs #fanwalkers #klaus henrikson #andra oc #traenor blackwood #lys ora #vanya oc #hillard constance #ellidus

[glowyjellyfish]

Is there still a Ducktales fandom here? Most of the blogs I followed around the 2017 times have either changed subjects or gone quiet. Well, anyway, if anybody’s still here:

I started rewatching Ducktales 2017 over the holiday, with the intent of finally finishing the last few episodes! I’m in the middle of s2 and very excited. So I went through and started editing my playlist, which hasn’t really been updated since season 1. And I’m wondering if any other fans out there have any song ideas. I’d like to have a fairly equal amount of songs for each major character, and so far my favorites tend to be over represented.

Here’s what I have so far:

General amusement songs:

Ducktales theme song

Quack Quack Quack! Donald Duck

The Three Caballeros Song

Scrooge

The Saddest Story Ever Told by The Magnetic Fields

Hazy Shade of Winter by Gerard Way

Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man

Inside Out by Eve 6

We Are the Champions by Queen

Donald

Trouble Loves Me by Morrisey

The Worst Day Since Yesterday by Flogging Molly

Come With Me Now by Kongos

Battle Cry by Ludo

Return by OK Go (although it’s about Della, from his perspective)

Della

Song of the Sea by Cake Bake Betty

Got to Fly by Marian Call (the best Della song)

Rocket Ship by Kathy McCarty

Huey

The Trail We Blaze by Elton John

Overkill by Colin Hay (I kinda want to replace this one)

In Too Deep by Sum 41

Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara

Dewey

Ready for Anything by Skyway Flyer

A Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley (the Megamind cover)

Ghost by Mystery Skulls

Louie

Plan B by Five Iron Frenzy

Heist by Ben Folds Five

Here It Goes Again by OK Go

Natural by Imagine Dragons

The Future by Mystery Skulls

Webby

Kids in the Dark by All Time Low

I’m Ready by Angela Michael

Try Everything by Shakira

Beakley

Have You Got It In You? by Imogen Heap

Launchpad

Crash Goes My World by Cadence Grace

Flying by Blue Rodeo

Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

All Star by Smash Mouth (the best Launchpad song)

Bud Like You by AJR

Holding Out For a Hero by Bonnie Tyler (favorite recent addition, it’s both perfect and hilarious)

Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters

Gyro

Build the Robots by Doctor Steel

Still Alive from Portal

Fenton (should note that his section is a bit of a mess and may include songs that don’t work very well because I was just tossing songs in there to see what would stick)

Rocket Man by Elton John (although it works better for Classic Fenton than 2017 Fenton)

A Better Son/Daughter by Rilo Kiley

Freaking Out by Mystery Skulls

The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats (haven’t tested it yet, but the idea amused me)

Hero by Chad Kroeger

Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons

Mighty Little Man by Steve Burns

Consequences by Buffering the Vampire Slayer

We Are by Ana Johnson

Lena

Opheliac by Emilie Autumn

Glomgold

Opportunities by Pet Shop Boys

Reprehensible by They Might Be Giants

Mark Beaks

Whipped Cream by Ludo

Welcome to the Internet by Bo Burnham

Gladstone

Life Has Been Good To Me by Randy Newman

…and that’s it. As you can see, it does not feel like a complete playlist, covering neither every character nor any full arcs. …except maybe Launchpad who’s pretty well represented with some good and great songs for him. My sister has suggested I try Let the Games Begin and The Good Part by AJR, as well as You Won’t Make a Fool Out of Me by Flogging Molly for Donald, but I would like some songs I haven’t heard by different artists, if possible. Also, please note that I haven’t seen the last five or so episodes of the series yet; I have approximate knowledge of The One Thing, but otherwise am avoiding spoilers until I finish.

Any ideas?

#Ducktales 2017 #Ducktales

[fullscoreshenanigans]

Totally not biased by these roughs of the volume 20 cover.

#tfw Demizu caters to me specifically #FSS Shenanigans #The Promised Neverland #TPN #The Promised Neverland Art Book World #Return to Grace Field Arc #Human World Arc #TPN Concept Art #Full Score Trio #Norrayemma #Noremray #Ray #Emma #Norman #Posuka Demizu

[cosmocorvid]

History Short (tbh this one is kinda long ngl) # 3: Josh White and McCarthyism

Howdy folks, in this installment of "History Shorts" I'll be discussing one of my favorite guitarists of the folk revival era. The supremely underrated Josh White.

Biography:

Born in Greenville, South Carolina on February 11, 1914, Josh started singing in his church choir at the age of five. While a standard upbringing for the time, it would not last long. Josh's father would throw a white bill collector out of his house in 1921 for spitting on their floor and would be beaten nearly to death. He would then be imprisoned in a mental institution where he would die. Josh would leave his home and travel with a local street singer named "Blind Man Arnold" two months after this. Josh would lead Arnold around the south while collecting coins from his performances and Arnold would send two dollars ( 31 dollars now) to Josh's mother. Eventually Josh would learn to dance, sing and play the tambourine and have his services rented to other blind singers such as Blind Blake and Blind Joe Taggart. These singers would keep Josh shoeless and generally disheveled to attract sympathy from onlookers. The look of poverty wasnt far off from Josh's reality in which he slept in cotton fields and horse stables on an empty stomach. From these musicians he learned to play guitar in their respective styles and his skill was finally recognized when he became a session guitarist for "Paramount Records" in 1927. Still, all his recording money was sent to Taggart and Arnold until producer Mayo Williams threatened to have Taggart arrested for indentured servitude. Mayo Williams started his own record label and Josh was finally being paid what he was worth. He recorded prolifically in Chicago before returning to South Carolina to help his mother take care of his siblings.

Rise to Prominence:

In 1928, A&Rs from ARC Records in New York convinced Josh mother to sign a contract for the underaged Josh under the condition that he would only record religious music. Josh White "the singing christian" would record religious music but "Pinewood Tom" or "Tippy Barton would record blues songs. Things were going very for Josh. He was recording with blues legends such as Leroy Carr, Scrapper Blackwell, and Lucille Bogan. But in 1936, he would contract gangrene in his left hand after punching through a glass door during a bar fight. Doctors recommended amputation but Josh refused instead opting to squeeze a rubber ball to try to regain feeling in his hand. Forced to retire due to injury, Josh would work as a dock worker until regaining feeling in his hand and starting to perform again at private parties in Harlem. At one of these parties, he was spotted by broadway director Leonard De Paur. De Puar had been searching a guitarist to play the role of Blind Lemon in his latest production, "John Henry." Coincidentally De Paur had been searching for "Pinewood Tom" or Josh White to play the role. The resulting fame of this performance would give Josh a working relationship with Paul Robeson, Woody Guthrie, Lead belly and many others. The most controversial of these collaborators would be Libby Holman. Not only was Libby white, she allegedly killed her husband in 1932. The duo would tour previously segregated venues and were even recommended to give an overseas concert for the troops by Eleanor Roosevelt but were deemed too controversial due to the fact that the armed forces were still segregated. In 1940, Josh and the Golden Gate Quartet would perform at the Library of Congress's Coolidge Auditorium to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the thirteenth amendment. One month later, they would perform at FDR's inauguration. This was a turning point in Josh's career. He was no longer a young up and comer. He was a national icon as an artist that appealed to both black and white audiences. In the 1940s he record his biggest hit "One Meatball." It became the first million selling record by an African American man.

Fall from Grace:

Not only did Josh record pop hits such as "Jelly Jelly" and "St. James infirmary," he recorded political songs that spoke on the rampant segregation in the military and around America. Songs such as "Bad Housing Blues" and "Jim Crow Train" were forced upon southern white radio stations and met with outrage. This outrage got the attention of FDR who asked white to give a command performance. After the performance, Josh would have a discussion about the segregation and music. By 1950, Josh had reached the peak of his career. Touring Europe, acting on Broadway and starring in two films. However in June, while on tour in Paris his manager notified him that a right wing propaganda network had labeled him a communist sympathizer. He immidiately turned to Eleanor Roosevelt to help but it was a fruitless endeavor as Eleanor was already under suspicion due to her friendships with non whites. That night he told his manager he would be returning home to clear his name. After being accosted by the FBI, he would have to appear in front of the "HUAC" or be arrested like others who refused to testify. It was a no win situation for Josh. Josh's political activism was motivated not by communism but by his tough upbringing and early life but his progressive fan base assumed that he had snitched on communists ( he hadn't) and anti communist Americans assumed he was a communist (he wasn't). It also did not help that he vocally disagreed with Paul Robeson's statement that Black Americans would not be willing to fight against Soviet Russia and he disagreed with the implication that Paul Robeson spoke for all black people. All of these factors would cause work to dry up for Josh in America. His recording contract was dropped and he was not allowed to appear on TV until 1963. Unwelcome among left leaning folk circles as well, he relocated to London.

My Guitar Is As Old As Father Time:

In London, he hosted a BBC radio show called "My Guitar Is As Old As Father Time" and continued to tour around Europe to much success. In 1955, he got the opportunity to record in America again when Jac Holzman helped him record "Josh White: 25th Anniversary Album" which helped establish "Elektra Records". Slowly, Josh was finding a new audience in America. He also helped create the first instructional blues guitar book. His television blacklist ended in 1963 when JFK invited him to appear on "Dinner With The President." He also performed at the March on Washington on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. His health began to fail him in the 60s as he was diagnosed with progressive emphysema and a calcium deficiency. His heart had also weakened and the only option was surgery to replace the valves but the surgery failed and he would pass away on September 5th 1969. His legacy lives on in his influence on many artist such as Eartha Kitt and Bob Dylan. Additionally he was the first African American to have a signature guitar.

The most important thing: The quote that I think Josh White should be remembered for is the following :“As long as my voice and spirit hold out, I shall keep on singing of the hope, joys and grievances of  ordinary folk.”

#music #music history #history #black history

[bakersstreetirregulars]

Meet Cream Unicorn Cookie… Again!

⚙️ That couldn’t be the router going on me again…! Should’ve known that module was a prototype… It’s why we couldn’t get this in sooner and why I couldn’t post my experiences of me at that fairytale party! …and it’s also why the office’s perched raven’s rethinking her banner too. That will get resolved somewhere in the near future.

About the unicorn, however, Cream Unicorn Cookie is a Healing Cookie that stands in the Rear. They’re also the only Healing Cookie to be added to the roster as of now after the premiere of Pure Vanilla Cookie… which was the same arc as when I came in last year!

…Look. We might be neutral at best because he introduced me to Clotted Cream Cookie for his interest in my genius, but I hold no regrets in testing Gingerbrave’s party with my Wafflebots, even though I had to rebuild them all over again after she had me hoodwinked! Nobody hoodwinks Strawberry Crepe Cookie! NOBODY!

…just roll their story while I reboot my professional algorithm. The idea of Dark Enchantress Cookie tricking me and leaving me for crumbs has gotten me steaming inside again. *click*

A desolate amusement park lies in darkness. Lights flicker on one by one. A merry-go-round begins to rotate slow and steady to a bygone song of the past. The park magically returns to life as a lone pony, embraced by the purest of rainbows, opens their eyes. The silky mane and creamy tail turn into elegant locks of hair. Decorations spring to life as fluttering sugar butterflies. Cream Unicorn Cookie flies around the park with the sugar butterflies in tow. After floating among the attractions, a graceful landing on top of the Ferris wheel concludes the course. A whisper escapes while gazing upon the entirety of the park. "In the end, all that shines are memories and stars." A flashback of the glee and joy of young Cookies running towards the merry-go-round plays before wistful eyes. If only it could turn for eternity...A dream to be a part of the happiness and laughter of children has manifested as a unicorn. The dream never stops, regardless of night or day.

⚙️ Gearbox fixed, let’s move on. Cream Unicorn’s skillset is twofold based on field testing. As a healer, their targets are your friendlies. Unlike everyone else in the healer class, Cream Unicorn Cookie casts Damage Resistance on friendly units when using their standard heal, and this buff can stack multiple times if they have to heal a specific Cookie multiple times in several seconds.

✨ DMG Resist: -5% for 12 seconds, can stack up to 3 times

⚙️ As for their advanced smart-activated skill “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, they’ll turn into a unicorn that looks like it flies much faster than a jet. They’ll fly over everyone to leave a trail of butterflies that heals everyone on your team, and that healing increases for any missing HP on their targets while also providing critical resistance. Critical resistance acts like damage resistance except it only protects against critical hits. As an added wake-up call, they’ll even silence everyone on the enemy side of the field!

Silence: Silenced targets can’t use their skills (for Cookies you control, their portrait will be obscured for a short time to prevent you from activating a skill by clicking their portrait), and any skill that’s currently on cooldown will pause. A recent tweak to the Silence debuff is also a silent buff for anyone that uses it like Latte Cookie and Chapter 13’s Frost Spirits.

❤️ Healing: 39.6% ATK + (0.54% per level) + (1.6% ATK per 1% of HP lost)

💥 CRIT Resist: -17.5% Critical Damage for 10 seconds

🕰 Cooldown: 17 seconds

🌫 Silence Duration: 1 second

⚙️ For the purposes of their abilities and rapid multi-hitting heal skill, it remains in the Editor’s best recommendation and written in this script to equip them with a full set of Swift Chocolates to accelerate their cooldown (and the ability to recast the CRIT Resist and Silence effects much more frequently).

If you find yourself in a pinch and don’t have open access to collecting them, Solid Almonds can work as a stand-in since their position in the back as a healer will make them an open target for rear-targeting enemies and Cookies such as Vampire (who is often seen in countless Arena setups) and Red Velvet. Both such Cookies can surgically remove your unicorn healer in Arena in seconds if your Cream Unicorn was left unfortified.

Bouncy Caramels COULD work if you would prioritize ATK SPD to spam DMG Resist casting, or Sweet Candies to amplify their healing factor and buffs for your team, but don’t try this. These small percentages don’t scale enough to make your buffs reasonably stronger than they are at base value, nor do they increase the heal per cast by a serious amount. If you were to consider healing per cast a priority, just use Searing Raspberries. The Raspberries’ higher ATK boost percentages compared to the Candies’ heal/buff percentage boosts grant a better bonus to your healing per cast of Unicorn’s standard heal AND skill.

#cookie run #cookie run kingdom #cream unicorn cookie #they always debut when devsis does something big

[claire-starsword]

Bloodline of the Sacred Dragons - Chapter 1-1

[Read from the start]

Chapter 1: The white Sacred Dragon of Dragonia

Besides the little birds chirping, something else made a noise. Or maybe he had just imagined it.

One way or the other, Bleu didn't care. So he didn't even turn to check what it was.

Besides the sounds in the wind, he had his voice inside his own head. There was no reason to use it out loud. Because he had no one to talk to.

He was the last survivor of the Sacred Dragons, no one else of his tribe remained. He was very well used to being alone.

All he wanted was some peace and quiet, and time had given him more than he asked for. A quiet life of indulging in books. It was a tranquility that most people had trouble to associate with a wild dragon.

For some time now, Bleu had been entertaining himself with pen and paper. As if trying to draw feelings he could not put into words. Eventually, he grew tired of it and returned the pen to its inkwell.

He had always kept the habit of writing on his diaries, though he took breaks from it at times. So long had him been writing them that the volumes filled a couple of his shelves. But lately, there had been many days like this one, where there was nothing to write about. How long had this gone on for? It shouldn't be that hard to remember.

To relax his back after sitting on the stool for so long, he stretched his long neck, turning it all the way to his back. To his surprise, he saw a girl, looking upside down due to his position.

"Bleu."

Breaking the silence as she called his name, the human girl wrapped her slender arms around his neck.

Bleu just barely avoided to fall off the stool like a klutz, and was grateful for that small blessing. With his strong neck he pulled the girl up as he fixed his posture, and then turned around on the stool.

"It's you, Karin." A name he was very used to say. "When did you come in?"

The tall girl, who reached up to Bleu's shoulders, looked up at him brightly. The hunter clothes were a good fit for her strong and graceful body. To come to Dragonia, she certainly had to cross fields and the forest. Bleu gently picked out the dead leaves entangled in her hair with the tips of his claws.

Sacred Dragons were big, but not gigantic. Unlike other inferior dragons, they walked on two legs. When it came to height, a human's head usually reached up to the base of their wings.

"Don't surprise me like that," said Bleu. "Geez. You haven't dropped this habit of hugging me either," he complained a bit, not wanting to be treated like a kid forever.

"Oh, it's your fault for not noticing even as I entered the room. I can't picture you having been once in that Shining Force," she replied with a slight pout.

Shining Force, the army of light that once saved the whole continent of Rune. Bleu had been a member of it, but it was merely a title of the past to him. Hearing the name made the tip of his nose itch. Besides, he didn't expect Karin to bring it up.

She pulled away from him while stroking his neck, and turned away. Her light brown hair, tied up in a single ponytail, made a swift arc with the motion. Inside the quiver on her back, over her leather clothes, a bunch of arrows clacked in disarray.

"Oh, right. I shot down a copper pheasant on the way here. We can make a great stew for dinner with it."

Linking her arms behind her back, she gave a glance over her shoulder, suddenly making a cute face. Then she ran away without waiting for Bleu to reply.

"A stew, does that mean you want to stay over again?"

Bleu made a dejected face just from thinking of the time and work it would take to prepare the meal. It would be night by the time they finished, wouldn't it?

"You don't want me to go back alone to Rudo at midnight, do you? Besides, there's plenty of rooms so you don't have an excuse," she answered, already out of sight.

Good grief. In his head, Bleu waved a white flag.

Karin came to visit once a month, from the village of Rudo in the west. The very picture of liveliness, this human girl was someone Bleu couldn't go against. His power was far superior, yet when it came to words he had yet to win even once.

As a kid, he had grown up among Karin and the other children of Rudo. Daughter of the village chief, Karin was, then and now, Bleu's only friend. Childhood friends, if you could apply the expression for a human girl and a dragon child.

When the demon army assaulted Dragonia, Karin again was the only one to come after the Shining Force and help him. She worried more about him than the danger she could face. That's why Bleu joined the Shining Force to protect her.

Even once he returned after the end of the war, with her fearless nature, Karin continued to be like a big sister in his life, in both age and spirit.

The changes she would bring into his life showed him that time never stands still. Any moment with her was noisy, hectic, and full of energy. Bleu liked all these sides of her.

He let out a deep breath that wasn't quite a laugh nor a sigh.

Closing the diary he had been working on, he got up from the stool quietly.

Eventually, their late dinner was ready.

They ate face to face with each other as usual, the bowl of stew on the dinner table between them.

"Krin comes back tomorrow."

Karin brought up the topic suddenly, looking up to meet Bleu's face.

"Really? Krin, that walking encyclopedia?" Bleu asked back, jerking his head up from the glass of wine he had been drinking. With the harsh movement, the wine in the glass spilled onto the table and his jaw.

"Hey, watch it. You've always had such terrible manners."

Karin got up from her chair, and wiped Bleu's mouth with a cloth.

"Stop it, we're not kids anymore, isn't this embarrassing?"

While clearly ashamed and displeased, Bleu stood perfectly still. Perhaps that was more of a reflex than a habit.

"Nobody's watching. Besides, I used to do this always back when you were a baby."

When he was just a newborn, Bleu's mother could not produce milk, so the people of Rudo fed him cow and goat milk in her place. Karin insisted that she had done it a bunch of times. Bleu didn't believe her, because she was only three years old back then. She must have been making it up. Whenever he contested it, she would start giving a bunch of details on how things were back then. Since he had no memories to compare, it was always his loss.

Not putting up with that, he tried to get back on topic. "So, about Krin coming back."

"Right, right, that."

Karin sat back on her chair.

"I heard that she went to Manarina to study magic. But she's finally coming back then."

Bleu let his mind wander to memories of Karin's younger sister. While Karin was the amazon running through hills and fields with a bow in hands, Krin was the opposite, a bookworm. The sisters were a perfect split of introvert and extrovert.

Krin was the one who looked for accurate accounts of the Manual within old books. Her knowledge had been praised even by Advisor Nova of Guardiana. Currently, she knew more about the Manual than Bleu himself. After all, he hadn't had any chance to see it, as it had been sealed within a shrine until Darksol stole it.

"Of course, you're coming with me to welcome her back."

Bleu wanted to say she was springing this on him too suddenly, but she had her hands clasped together, and her lips stretched a bit.

"Right…" he answered, a bit hesitant. He had no problem with seeing Krin. However, to do that he'd have to leave for Rudo Village.

"Krin actually asked for you to come. She said she has something important she wants to tell you directly."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"She said that in a letter brought by a carrier pigeon from Uranbatol, and nothing else. Seems to be something she wants to say face to face. Honestly, does that girl have no faith in her own sister?"

Karin sulked, and Bleu laughed as he tried to cheer her up.

"It's Krin, she might have been worried that the letter could get in other people's hands. Which means it must something really important. Guess I have no choice…"

"No choice?" Karin's reply sounded just a little bit angry.

"No, no, I'm also happy to come along," he added, laughing like a fool. His words were only half true.

Thus, Bleu left the land of Dragonia for the first time in years. It was the start of a new journey.

To next part>

Translation notes:

Bleu's mom also used to write diaries, which you can find in game.

The idea of Sacred Dragons being the superior dragons has been around before. Neither of these texts acknowledge dragonewts though, who are also bipedal. I'm unsure if they are being excluded on purpose or if the writers just forgot.

Now, the elephant in the room. Karin's appearance:

This does not look like a brown haired girl with hunter clothes, bow, quiver and hair in a ponytail to me. Not even close. There might have been some wack miscommunication between writing and illustrating the novel.

The ponytail description is slightly closer to her NPC sprite, not that it matters much since it's been ten years and this is somewhat generic sprite shared between the whole Important Little Girl Trio.

She also has a ponytail in the GBA version, though that's likely a coincidence, as this seems fully based on the original sprite, and I've already seen Krin's description in the next part, it has nothing to do with her GBA incarnation. I still have to bring all of this up to laugh back at the good old days where I boldly declared the novel had given her a proper design.

(While we're nitpicking, Bleu's eyes also seem to be red in the cover, are he did not have a striped belly in the original game.)

#shining series #shining force #shining force novel translation #bloodline of the sacred dragons #sf bleu #sf karin #sf krin #anyway i'm still skeptical of the romance but i do enjoy the writing a lot #the characters play off each other well and you do feel the intimacy #it's very cozy and lively #my skepticism is solely about will bleu's clear issues actually get addressed #or does he just have to put up with it all and Be The Hero Get The Girl Make Babies #i have some spoilers that make me believe it does get addressed but i wanna see how believable the development is #my expectations for m/f romance are not even on the floor okay they're on the depths of hell #i have nothing against karin herself though she's a girlboss dipshit and it's funny #bleu is just in too sad a position for me to enjoy her near him #i hope both get to interact with more people #also it's very interesting to see bleu as a protag i legit can't think of anyone better from the first game #because he has to have the hollower ending of all them #like yay we beat darksol! guardiana is rebuilt! but what about him who's gonna rebuild his life #the only people who remain in his life are people who simultaneously put him in a pedestal and also boss him around somehow #i am very sad. i hope this grows into something better than just 'they make some babies and now there's dragons again' #long post

[revivantes]

Coffee

I came across my sanctuary on the way to the mountain. It was a small wooden cabin nestled at the edge of a frozen lake. It marked the point less than a mile from the base of the mountain where the scramble uphill would begin. I saw my familiar friends, the trees that bracketed either side of the cabin. I called them winter willows due to the graceful arc of the branches as they swayed downwards under the weight of the recent snowfall.

I opened the door to go inside and dropped my gear. After throwing a few logs into the fireplace, I boiled up some water, threw three packets of instant coffee into my metal canteen holder and stirred up a thick soup of bitter, black coffee. There were fancier ways to make a coffee but I loved this version whenever I was out in the woods.

I threw my coat on to keep some of the chill out and stepped back outside the cabin to grab a seat on the steps. I blew gently on the surface of the coffee before taking a sip and closed my eyes.

I went back in time, back to the trench I had just finished digging as a young army officer in the field. I was hungry, dirty and exhausted working on no sleep. I scrambled up my dinner including a wicked brew of instant canteen coffee feeling sorry for myself. I grumbled as I eased myself to the edge of the trench to take a quick break before getting ready for night patrol.

But as I sat at the edge of the trench with my combat boots dangling inside, I felt the rays of the early evening sunset bathe the field in front of me. I took my first sip of coffee and in that moment, I felt good, I felt grateful and I realized, how lucky I really was. For the first time in my life, I had peace.

As I returned to the present, I leaned my head back slightly and let my shoulders drop. The mountains have always taught me how little I really needed to be happy and to help jog my memory, this simple cup of canteen coffee was always my first step back.

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #coffee #memories #simplicity

[dojoliveblogs]

Hurray! They’ve finally gone and accomplished their goal. It’s so nice to see.

It’s my boy! It’s my fucking boy! He’s back! All praise Phil!

This is so freaking heartwarming, but God damnit, May 10th? That’s so far away! I better be seeing a detailed version of their reunion. God, I’m so excited, and it seems like the series is going to be coming to a close soon, just a few more unanswered questions left and then it can wrap to a close. So I’ll see you all next month!

#The Promised Neverland #TPN #TPN Chapter 175 #Return To Grace Field Arc #Liveblog