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lizablee · 4 years

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Choices (Linked Universe) pt 4 - END

Characters derived from the Linked Universe AU by @jojo56830 (@linkeduniverse)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

It was cold. Link felt like he was floating, weightless. The darkness around him was so complete that he wondered if he’d gone blind. He called out, but his voice made no sound in the void.

There was a sound, though - a small noise, like a hum. The sound grew louder, filling the air. Link felt his skin prickle. The air was vibrating, the sound growing so loud that it overwhelmed even the darkness. Link tried to cover his ears, but his arms were pinned down. The noise tightened, soaring in pitch to a high chime.

A pinprick of pink light appeared in the distance. It floated loosely through the darkness. Link tried to move towards it, but his legs wouldn’t move. He looked down to see what was holding him back, but he couldn’t see himself. He stared at the light, willing it to come closer. It bobbed in the darkness, leaving a trail of sparks. A fairy.

Memory hit him like a blow to the gut.

“I messed up, didn’t I.” he said softly. The fairy pulsed in reply. He sighed, closing his eyes. The fairy glowed brightly, shining through his eyelids, turning the world red.

Suddenly he could feel everything. Pain radiated through him, a dull ache that gave shape to every wound at once. His eyes shot open as he sucked in a breath. There were faces all around him. The air tasted like metal. The chiming in his ears stopped abruptly, giving way to half a dozen voices talking over each other. He groaned and scrubbed at his eyes. “I’m OK.” he murmured. He started to sit up, but a heavy hand fell on his chest, keeping him pinned down.

“Relax, champion. The fight’s over.” The voice was calm, steady. Link nodded. Exhaustion came over him in waves. He let himself relax.

This time, the darkness felt warm.

---

Wild woke up slowly. He shifted, getting his bearings. He was in the cave.

He turned his face to the cave mouth. The storm had cleared, and the moon was out, shining too brightly. The world was exposed in cool light, wet grass shimmering, the black ocean winking silver. Firelight moved over the still forms of his fellow heroes.

He knew it wasn’t rational, but he wanted to run away, to see the churned-up earth from the battle and the bones of his enemies. He wanted to look down into the ocean where he fell, touch the tree that had saved Wind’s life, judge how far his paraglider could have taken him if he hadn’t been so exhausted. He could have done things differently. He wondered how the other Link would have done things. He pushed himself to sit upright, biting back the pain.

Time placed a firm hand on his shoulder. Wild started. The old man crouched beside him, looking at him, but Wild couldn’t bear to meet his eye.

“You should go back to sleep.” Time’s voice was low. Wild swallowed. His throat felt raw.

“I can’t. Not yet.”

For a long moment, Time was silent. He stood, casting his eye around the room at the heroes. Some were sprawled out, exhausted and snoring. The others were clearly feigning sleep, alert even as they were prone. Legend wasn’t even bothering to pretend, meeting his gaze defiantly.

“If that is so, then we have a chance to talk. We can go outside if you wish.” His tone was firm, deliberate. Wild knew this was not a request. Time helped him to his feet, taking on his weight.

“Is that a good idea?” Warrior’s voice was almost inaudible. Time gave him a hard look. The hero’s eyes snapped shut, and he faked a snore. Legend kicked at his bedroll.

The pair didn’t walk far from the cave, moving slowly as they were. Time helped Wild to sit on the damp log of a fallen tree. He pulled a bottle from tunic, glowing with the light of an indigo flame. Time emptied the bottle onto an abandoned campfire. Wild watched the blue flame take to the wood as though it was dry. It was beautiful, and the brightness seemed to drown out the tormenting moonlight. He shivered, and was considering shuffling closer to the fire when Time placed a heavy cloak over his back. The fur tickled at the scars on his neck. It smelled like wet dog, but it was warm and dry inside. He pulled it closer around his body.

Time sat beside the fire. He looked oddly vulnerable with his back to the moon, armour discarded inside the cave. Wild tilted his head. There was something about his face that didn’t look right. Is he afraid?

No way.

Time swallowed. He looked into Wild’s eyes. Wild suddenly felt a little dizzy.

“What happened in the cave?” Time started slowly. Wild went cold. He felt pins and needles run through his skin.

The look on Wild’s face was everything Time needed to know. He drew Legend’s dagger slowly, placing it on the ground between them. The blue firelight flickered over the blade, turning the dried blood black.

“Wait,” Wild said suddenly, his eyes pleading. “I know how this looks, but I can explain.”

Time looked at him evenly, giving the hero a small nod. Wild sighed, wringing his hands.

“It’s just, I was – I knew I was dying. I could feel it. I’ve felt it before. In battle.” He explained, tripping over his words. Time frowned.

“You wanted to speed it up? Were you in that much pain?” He said softly. Wild shook his head vigorously.

“No. I mean yes. But not in the way you think. I wanted to die so Mipha could revive me.” He said quickly. Time raised an eyebrow. Wild sighed.

“I’ve fallen in battle before. Sometimes, when I’m close to death, I can hear Mipha’s voice. Her spirit heals my wounds, and she vanishes for a while. It’s instant, and powerful.” It felt like he was talking over himself. “I tried to tell the others. I didn’t want them to get - you have to understand, I can’t-”

“Stop, Link. Breathe.” Wild started at his name. Time’s eye was wide, but his voice was gentle and even. Wild focused on his breathing, listening to the wind and the crackling of the fire, feeling his heartbeat slow. He face burned. Had he been yelling?

Time was like a statue by the fire. He didn’t look vulnerable any more. He looked like something steady, something permanent. Wild had a feeling that he would be comfortable sitting there as long as it took to get him to talk. He wondered if he had the strength to run, wondered if Time would follow. Probably not, and probably so. He swallowed.

“I didn’t do it to die. I did it to heal. I tried to explain.” He said helplessly.

Time nodded. “I understand.” Wild looked at the fire, thoughts drifting. The pair were quiet for a while. The sound of cicadas mingled with the distant roar of the sea. The flames burnt spots into Wild’s vision. He blinked, shaking his head. The spots danced like shapes moving in the darkness. When Wild glanced back to Time, he saw him polishing the dagger. All evidence of what he had done had vanished.

Time inspected the dagger. Blue light shimmered across the blade. “I believe you when you say that you’ve been protected. I know powerful spirits endure after death, especially those with unfinished business. I know you had friends before… the calamity.” The look he shot Wild was hard enough to wind him.

“Were you certain Mipha would heal you tonight?”

Wild looked away. “I took a risk.”

Time’s face darkened. He lifted the dagger. “Had you used this only minutes earlier than you did, no number of fairies could have brought you back. You made a reckless decision. You make a lot of those. I want a real answer from you. If your reckless strategy had succeeded, but Mipha’s power had failed, what then?” Time punctuated his words by stabbing the dagger into the earth. It was almost childish.

Wild swallowed. The moon stared down at him accusingly. He thought hard about his words.

“I would have died. And everything would have gone on just fine without me.” His hand floated to his stomach. “You’re all so strong. I’ve seen you do amazing things. What if someone had been hurt trying to save me? What if someone had died?”

“I know I’m reckless sometimes.” Wild met Time’s intensity with his own. “But I’ll never hesitate to put myself on the line if there’s a chance I can save someone. Do you get it?”

“You would rather invite death than endanger others.” Time concluded. Wild nodded. Time sighed.

“Something we all seem to have in common is our tendency to see our lives as sets of objectives. The great lie that we tell ourselves is that achieving these goals will set the world right. We fight for our world, we defeat the enemy, and live out our days in peace.” Time looked at Wild sadly. “It doesn’t work like that, not in the real world. You need to find your own peace. You, in particular.” Wild looked away, frowning.

“I understand your actions tonight, although I don’t agree with them - and nor do any of the others. You are never to take this form of action again.” Time said sternly. Wild bowed his head in silent acquiescence.

“Also.” Time got to his feet. “I’m going to task you with a new objective.” The hero took Wild by the shoulders. Wild looked up at him, a spark of determination lighting in his eyes.

“Your goal is to survive. You must preserve your life - you must fight for your life - as if you were fighting for one of ours. You can save people and save yourself. Do this for us.”

“I will,” Wild nodded vigorously. Time grinned, squeezing his shoulders.

“Think about that next time you decide to use your head as a shield.”

Wild laughed sheepishly, then yawned. “My first act of survival will be going back to sleep.” he announced. Time helped him to his feet.

He had hoped to talk more - to do more. He was worried about the young hero. He hoped he had said enough. I’ll leave the rest to the others for now. I have a feeling someone else wants to talk.

---

Wild didn’t remember falling asleep, but he woke up with his face buried in warm fur. He reached out and stroked the wolf lazily. “Good boy,” he murmured. The wolf snuffled at the indignity and stood up, ‘accidentally’ slobbering on Wild’s face. The young hero exclaimed in disgust, pushing the wolf away. It bounded out of the cave mouth. Wild sat up and squinted into the bright sunlight. It looked like the others had given him some space to rest. He could hear their voices outside.

Wind burst into the cave, looking frantic. “Wild! Are you OK? I didn’t get to talk to you last night, I was out cold when you got back and then Time took me to get some fairies and then you were bleeding like crazy. There was blood. EVERYWHERE. Hyrule brought in a bunch of sand this morning to clean it up but Four said it might get in the wound and Warrior made everyone get out so we wouldn’t wake you up. Legend said you went outside last night! You should have woken me up! I’ve been waiting until you got up to go to the beach, I know you’re hurt but saltwater is great for wounds, even if it stings a bit. OW!”

Warrior clapped the back of Wind’s head. “If you stop for a minute he might be able to get a word in.”

“At least we know he’s awake now,” Legend smirked at Wild. “Glad you’re not dead.” Wild grinned back.

He had a moment to brace himself before Sky and Hyrule tackled him, talking over each other in an effort to ensure he was feeling healthy and well rested, and insisting that he eat some of the breakfast they’d prepared, which was definitely not dubious in any way.

“I made a Hearty Lizard omelette, it’ll heal you right up!” Hyrule said proudly. Wild cringed.

“Sounds great, but I’m not feeling up to lizards just yet. I could go for a baked apple though,” he said hopefully. It was hard to mess up a baked apple. Hyrule rushed to oblige.

Sky came to the rescue with an armful of potions. “I hope your stomach is together enough to take these now,” he said lightly. Wild’s smile faltered.

“I was difficult last night, wasn’t I.” he murmured, pausing to down a red potion. He felt warmth spread through his body, the pain melting away. Sky sat beside him.

“It’s alright,” he said evenly. “But next time I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Four sighed. “We were really worried about you.” Steel entered his tone. “I can’t BELIEVE you went into battle with a broken weapon AGAIN.”

“Yeah, cause that’s the worst mistake you made last night,” Legend grumbled. Warrior punched him in the kidney, sending him sprawling to the ground.

“I don’t get it,” Wind complained. Warrior ruffled his hair.

“I’ll show you where the kidney is later.”

Time and Twilight entered the cave together. Wild felt claustrophobic under their gaze. Something in Twilight’s look made him freeze up as he stalked over.

“You’re getting better at the intimidation thing,” Wild joked weakly. Twilight knelt in front of his protégé.

“I’m going to hug you now.” He said seriously. He grabbed Wild in a firm embrace.

“Ok,” Wild said, surprised. “Not what I was expecting.”

“And I’m going to kill you later.” He muttered. Wild smiled softly.

“I’m sorry for scaring you.” He said quietly.

“I’ll make you pay.” Twilight promised. Wild laughed. Pain shot through his core, and he cringed back, hissing. Twilight gave him a gentle push. “Stay down and heal up. Don’t let the kid drag you to the beach just yet.”

“I’ll give you until this afternoon,” Wind said stubbornly.

Wild relaxed, enjoying the sounds of the heroes laughing and bickering. He felt himself starting to drift off.

The sound had died down when he came to. It looked like the mid afternoon. Legend was sitting by his side, reading an ancient looking scroll. Wild squinted to see the text, but it wasn’t written in his Hylian.

“Hey, you. You’re finally awake.” Legend said quietly.

“Hey,” Wild replied. Legend rolled up the page and put it aside. He cleared his throat, inspecting some of his rings. The pause was just getting long enough to feel awkward when he spoke.

“So that wolf was hanging around outside last night for a while. Thought you should know.”

Wild nodded. “Thank you.”

Legend met his eyes. “You and the old man had a lot to talk about, hey.”

Wild smiled wryly. “I think I was out of my mind. The memory is a bit of a mess.” He hesitated.

“How many of the others were listening in?”

“Just Warrior and me. Maybe Four. I didn’t see him, but I get the sense that he knows what’s going on. The others were exhausted.” Legend took off a ring and polished it on his tunic.

“Just so you know. Some of us have been where you are.” He held the ring out in the light, turning it to inspect every shining angle. “I know doing crazy stuff is kind of your thing. Just… being with these idiots has made me think that accepting help might not be the worst idea.”

Legend went quiet, pulling off another ring to polish. Wild closed his eyes.

“I think being alone for too long makes people go crazy.”

“I think having friends makes people crazy.” Legend retorted. “Being alone is one thing. Having someone to care about, and losing them… that’s when things get weird. Makes you wonder if it was worth it in the first place.”

Wild looked carefully at Legend’s face. There was something about his eyes that made him feel a little sad. He sat up. “Can you grab me a red potion?” Legend rolled his eyes. He reached into his bag and pulled out a pair.

“Here you are, princess. Drink up.”

Wild took a bottle and raised it. “To surviving.” Legend broke into laughter.

“Don’t make a habit of this,” he joked, clinking the extra bottle. “Take this one too, you look like crap.”

Wild grinned as he downed the potion. In a quick movement, he hopped to his feet.

“Take it easy,” Legend laughed, alarmed.

“I’m going to the beach,” Wild announced. “And you’re coming!”

“Hold on,” Legend protested. He was dragged to his feet, staggering after Wild. “I was reading that!”

“I’m going to show you how to fish with bombs!”

“I’m going to sic the ranch hand on you.”

“Changed my mind, see you later!”

“Too late now, you’re doomed.” Legend grinned.

Wild grabbed a shield. “Can’t kill me if you can’t catch me.” he smirked.

Legend paused, raising his eyebrows. Wild froze, looked down at the shield and laughed sheepishly.

“Actually, maybe I’ll walk today.” He put the shield back carefully. Legend applauded.

“There’s the survival instinct the old man’s looking for!” Wild stuck out his tongue. Legend clapped him on the back. “Come on, let’s go make the kid’s day.”

---

According to Wild, the following beach day was ‘worth falling off a cliff’.

---

End notes:

Thanks for sticking with me! This has been my first fanfiction. It started off as something very different and has evolved. There was a lot more I wanted to get into around Wild’s character, but it was getting pretty heavy-handed. I like reading slice-of-life fics as well as angsty stuff, and I hopped between genres as I was writing. I hope you got a kick out of it. I love this AU, I think there’s a lot of room for wholesomeness in there. Most of all, I love that it gives all the Links voices. When I think of BOTW Link now, I feel pretty sad for him. He’s very alone. It’s nice to imagine him interacting with friends who really understand him.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Thanks again for reading!

- Diecasual

#linkeduniverse #linked universe #jojo56830 #angst #first fanfic #fanfiction

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talonted · 7 years

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There are few phrases that stick in my craw as much as ‘summer ready’. It is often used to imply the panic and pressure women feel to lose half their body weight, remove every strand of hair below the neck, and have perfect, glowing skin so they can follow the ubiquitous ‘just throw on some BB cream’ make up tutorials. Let’s all eye-roll together.

This year I’m rejecting all that nonsense. I have put together my picks of products that help me to just feel that little bit more confident… with no rice cakes in sight.

The easiest way to perk up my mood is an incredible fragrance and my current favourite is Runaway by Karen Walker*. I could be wearing the most basic outfit, with the minimum amount of make up and my hair in a messy top knot, but as soon as I’ve applied this I feel so glamorous. It’s described as an ‘intense oriental’ scent and is designed to ‘evoke the atmosphere of a midnight forest stroll, with scents of campfire, incense, crushed pine needles and night blooming jasmine‘. This makes it sound quite autumnal/wintery but I think it’s perfect for warm summer nights. The bottle is shaped like an inkwell and the dark emerald and gold packaging give it an incredibly luxurious feel.

If you’re not a perfume fan, or wanted a more affordable way to make yourself smell delicious, the next recommendation will be right up your street. Run, don’t walk! The Body Shop Piñita Colada range is back. I was ADDICTED to their body sorbet last year and if you want to smell like a fruity cocktail then I would suggest you stock up now. It is the perfect summery fragrance, as soon as I put it on I feel like I’m on a beach somewhere. The formula is gel-like, which means it not only sinks in quickly but doesn’t leave a horrible sticky feeling on the skin – the last thing you want in hot weather is to slather yourself in heavy body butter.

My skin is so pale that I often refer to myself as ‘translucent’. When you factor in my rosacea – and super-sensitive skin that burns within a second – the chances of me achieving a natural tan are slim to none! Until a few weeks ago, I had never tried to do my own fake tan and had only ever had one professional spray tan. Having a subtle bit of colour gave me a little bit more confidence to wear summery clothes and made me look a little bit more healthy. I was pretty nervous when I was sent the Skinny Tan Express Mousse 1 Hour Tan* (I want to address that I HATE the name – I think it’s totally unnecessary and ridiculous – but the product itself is great which is a shame as I know a lot of people are out off by the name). I didn’t want to end up orange, or streaky, and worried that the tan would fade in obvious patches, but I liked that it was designed to develop naturally in an hour so I thought I’d give it a go. It’s dispensed as a foam with an olive green tint (don’t be put off, that gives it a more natural tone so you don’t go orange!) which helps you to see the sections you’ve already covered. I used a mitt and found it surprisingly easy to apply and there was no nasty smell. I panicked and washed it off after 45 minutes but I wish I had held my nerve, because although 45 minutes gave me a lovely subtle bit of colour … it was probably a little bit too subtle! Next time I think I’ll go for 90 minutes. However, there were no streaks, no dark patches, and no Oompa-Loompa-esque colour, so I am a convert (although I still wish it had a different name…)

You should all know by now that I am the biggest advocate of SPF. You should wear it every single day, with no exceptions, but you should also be topping up throughout the day if you are outside. I absolutely love the concept of the Bioderma Hydrabio Eau De Soin SPF30 as it’s light, easy to use, and feels really cooling on my sensitive skin. I wouldn’t recommend this as your only SPF but this is a great top-up product to throw in your handbag to ensure that you are protected throughout the day.

My rosacea reacts to heated hair appliances even in the middle of winter, so when it comes to the warmer months I gravitate towards no-heat hair styling. Recently I’ve been letting my hair partly air-dry, then separating it into four sections, before twisting and pinning the sections up to dry while I do my make up. My hair is prone to frizz if I don’t smooth it with hair straighteners, so before I separate my hair I apply the Klorane Leave-In Cream. Not only does this smell deliciously summery but it keeps everything looking sleek and polished.

Have you noticed a theme with my Instagram pictures recently? I'll give you a clue… 🌈 Today I'm trying out the yellow gel eyeliner from @inglotuk – a bit tricky to use but not bad for a first try! 🍋🍋🍋 Also, when my hair was drying today I put it into 4 twists and pinned it up – I'm really pleased with how it came out! Swipe across to see a better shot of my hair 💁🏼 All brands tagged 😘

A post shared by Lex – Rosacea/Skincare/Beauty (@talontedlex) on Jun 10, 2017 at 9:06am PDT

And finally, one of the quickest and easiest ways to feel summer ready: a bright lipstick or eye-catching nail varnish. A bright orange, a shocking hot pink, a perky coral – you cannot underestimate how quickly these can lift your mood. My favourite lip products for the summer are Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks (they don’t budge, even in high temperatures and come in some beautiful shades) and the nail polish brand I reach for more than any other is Essie. They’re quick drying, have a long-lasting finish, with wide brushes for easy application, and an extensive colour range.

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What are your tips for feeling flipping amazing for summer? What are the quick ways you boost your confidence or change up your look so you feel your own version of summer ready? Let me know in the comments below!

Lex

*PR samples. Links may be affiliate. For more information please see the Disclaimer tab at the top of the page.

My Own Kind Of ‘Summer Ready’: How I Boost My Confidence There are few phrases that stick in my craw as much as 'summer ready'. It is often used to imply the panic and pressure women feel to lose half their body weight, remove every strand of hair below the neck, and have perfect, glowing skin so they can follow the ubiquitous 'just throw on some BB cream' make up tutorials.

#bioderma hydrabio eau de soin review #bioderma hydrabio eau de soin rosacea #bioderma hydrabio eau de soin sensitive skin #bioderma hydrabio SPF spray review #bioderma hydrabio SPF spray rosacea #essie summer polishes #Karen walker runaway review #kat von d everlasting liquid lipsticks #kat von d summer shades #Klorane Leave in conditioner review #Skinny Tan express mousse review #summer perfumes 2017 #The body shop pinita colada body sorbet review

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