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sylvienerevarine · 4 months

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Sophrine Aulette's Skyrim Encyclopedia (Part 1)

Ok, an explanation: my brother bought me Philomena Cunk's hilarious reference book for Christmas, and it inspired me to write this goofy semi-fic. It's now Sylvieverse canon that Soph writes a humorous guide to Skyrim and it's a bestseller for years.

Atmora

Atmora is sometimes called the “old country,” largely because everyone from there had beards, which made them look quite a bit older. It’s also called that because the original Nords came from there thousands of years ago in search of better weather. Why they stopped at Skyrim is anyone’s guess. One of the most famous people from Atmora was Ysgramor, who was fond of killing elves and living in an upturned boat.

No one’s heard anything from the Atmorans in a while, which means they all either froze to death or their postal service is terrible.

Automatons

Dwemer Automatons are creatures made of metal that run on magic and steam. You can find them lurking around old Dwarven ruins waiting for treasure hunters to show up, and then slicing them to ribbons. This is the only game they seem to know.

There are four main types of automatons: spiders, spheres, ballistas, and centurions. Actually they’re all called centurions, but that’s confusing, so here we are. Spiders are the ones that look like spiders and are sort of cute. Spheres are the ones that look almost human on top, but roll around on a big metal ball, in which they possibly store lightning. Ballistas resemble an angry fish with legs and are horrible. Centurions look like metal giants and use a huge amount of energy, which is why they sleep in big magic arches that don’t look very comfortable.

Dwemer automatons don’t seem to work outside their ruins, which is a relief, because can you imagine running into one at the market? On the other hand, it would be very funny to have a mechanical butler.

Cheese

Cheese is basically milk, but solid. It’s also the best food to ever be invented, and features in all the best dishes: cheesecakes, cheese souffles, cheese straws, cheese omelets, and fondue. My aunt Sacha, who lives in the Shivering Isles, once taught me how to make a kind of cheese that turns all colors inside-out, but I don’t usually attempt that one.

Most cheese in Skyrim comes from goats or cows. Giants have been known to make mammoth cheese, but they’re not very good about sharing it. I swiped some once and it was remarkably chewy, but very good.

Dragonborn

A Dragonborn is a person who, through no fault of their own, was born with the wrong type of soul. Generally speaking, humans have human souls, elves have elf souls, Nords have alcohol, and so on. A Dragonborn, on the other hand, has a normal person-type body with a dragon’s soul stuffed inside.

The main job of a Dragonborn is to slay evil dragons and boss around the less evil ones. For a long time, though, there were very few dragons around, so Dragonborns had to occupy their time by becoming emperors. This lasted right up until the time Martin Septim exploded.

I am currently the only living Dragonborn, which is a very fun position to be in. There was another one hiding out in Oblivion named Miraak, but he tragically perished for reasons that were only partially my fault.

Things Dragonborns Can Do:

Absorb dragon souls

Use aforementioned souls to quickly learn Words of Power

Scream at things

Read dragon language without taking lessons

Get free garlic bread at the Frostfruit Inn in Rorikstead

Kyne

Kyne is the Nordic goddess of wind, sky, the outdoors, and probably camping. You might know her as Kynareth, Khenarthi, Tava, or Kenny (though I’ve only met one person who called her that, and he was very drunk).

In Nord tradition, Kyne was married to Shor (aka Lorkhan) and rain is the result of her crying because her husband tragically died from having his heart stuck under a volcano. It follows that the best way to get rain for your crops is to shout things like: “Missus Kyne, remember how much you loved your husband? Wasn’t it tragic how badly he was murdered?” That usually does the trick.

Kyne is also supposedly the one who taught the Dragon Voice to humans, to which I would like to respond “thank you” and also “why.”

Mead

Mead is the primary beverage, export, and religion in Skyrim. It’s made out of honey, and is therefore sweet enough that you don’t realize for a while just how strong it is, and then you’re in a bar fight with a racist old man in Windhelm. Not that that’s ever happened to me.

My husband is something of an expert on mead, and it’s his most cherished belief that happy bees make the drink taste better. I’m not quite sure how you can tell a bee’s emotional state, but I’m sure there’s a knack to it.

#skyrim #tes #my writing #oc: sophrine #hehehe #i may add more to this later

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300yearschallenge · 1 month

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After the incident with Mr. Isak Laura began speaking to Charles Elias.

It started simple enough, with simple casual remarks. A "safe travels!" here and a "you spoil that cat" there.

And then one day as Charles Elias was passing by the cow pen she gave a big groan, looked at him and pointed at the family cow with a "Have you ever met such a stubborn animal before?!"

Charles Elias stopped and looked at the very unbothered cow and back to her, before giving a small smile.

"Can't say," he said, "My family kept a goat for milk, and I dare say she was more stubborn than any cow."

"Well," Laura said, "You try milking this one and we'll see if you still think so."

Charles Elias gave a brief laugh and looked back at the still very unbothered cow.

"Tell you what?" He said. "Why don't I try petting her while you milk her, and we can see if that gets her to behave?"

It felt good. Really, really good.

The way Laura would turn her eyes to him every now and then, or the way they lit up when the cow co-operated and smiled.

It felt like making friends.

Part 1 I Part 2 I Part 3 I Part 4

#300 years challenge #sims 4 decades #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 historical #olafssons #gen 4 #charles elias park #ts4 decades #ts4 historical #ts4 legacy #simblr

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beemovieerotica · 9 months

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domestication

"To be quite honest, Mister..." the Cat Ambassador begins.

"Fell.”

"Mister Fell, to be quite frank with you, my people are not interested in being pet as much as our neighbors to the east are keen to enjoy." The cat chances a sideways glance in the direction of the Dog Ambassador, who has already prostrated himself at the foot of Mr. Fell to receive a thorough ear-scratching.

"We will take you up on your offer of nice foods," she continues, "But this excessive...touching won't be necessary."

The Chicken Ambassador bobs her head in accord. And continues bobbing.

"But once in a while is fine," the cat quickly adds, feeling she may have insulted the Dog Ambassador. He is not listening. He is receiving a belly-rub.

"Good good, not a problem at all." Aziraphale gives the dog two end-of-belly-rub pats and straightens back up in his chair to address his notes. "So, we have cats offering pest control, pigs offering food, chickens offering food and eggs, and all of you will receive your fair portion of necessary grains and food scraps daily. Now, horses, you requested...?"

"Foot care."

"Noted."

As Aziraphale scribbles away, the animals all look around the table, a simple square table in a small patch of ether, not too formal of an affair, stick-on name tags for each attendee, as this was the beginning of domestication and funding was tight. Their many eyes search the faces of their companions, half-challenging, looking for any glint of weakness as each is certain that their own deal was the deal best bargained.

"So that leaves..." Aziraphale flips through his pages, humming. The animals glance around, until their eyes rest on two so-far silent figures, and an expectant hush falls upon the room. Aziraphale stops his hum and looks up.

The Cow and Bull Ambassadors, a married pair, are hunched at one side of the square table with their bulk filling the full side and heaping out into the space around them. The Goat Ambassador looks them up and down, chewing slowly; and in accord with their distant familial ties, she elects to keep them distant.

"Bull and Cow," the bull says. "Happy to oblige."

"Well met, Bull and Cow," Aziraphale replies. "And what do you have to offer?"

"We'll give you milk," the cow begins, "more than one man could possibly drink in one day."

The goat stops chewing.

"Meat," the bull adds. "Everything you see here."

The pig snorts.

"And all the work that the horses do, but no complaints, and no shoes needed."

The horse blows a hot gust of air out of his nose and the rest of the animals turn to one another, incredulous, noises rising to an almost deafening din.

"And what do you request in return?" Aziraphale’s disembodied voice soars over the crowd. Peacock Ambassador is on the table, feathers out, blocking the angel’s face in full defiant display.

"Grass," the bull replies. The animals fall silent.

"But you already have grass. Grass is free."

"Grass," the bull repeats louder, as if Aziraphale didn't hear.

"Yes, alright, well, grass grows everywhere, that's not something I give you, you would just find it in your free time anyway," Aziraphale says.

"That's fair."

"No, I don't think you—what can I give you for taking your meat and milk?" Aziraphale demands.

"I don't know," the bull says, glancing at the cow. "Grass?"

Cow sighs and offers a hopeless shrug. "Mister Fell, you may as well take his balls too. God knows he's not using them now."

#good omens thing

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lumine-no-hikari · 3 months

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Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #46

I spent all day today making moussaka! And I told you that I'd take pictures and write to you about it, and so here it is! Today is the day!! So I'm gonna get right to it!!

I started off by rinsing the eggplants and peeling the onions. I always put the papery outer layer and the first fleshy layer into the broth bag, for later use! My husband sliced the eggplants and cut the onions into coarse chunks. I can technically do it myself, but since he's not dyspraxic, he's a lot better at it than I am:

If it looks like a lot of eggplant, that's because it is a lot of eggplant, hahaha! But don't worry; they get a lot smaller once they're baked because the water evaporates out of them.

You have to arrange them on a cookie sheet like this, and then put them in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of 30 minutes; you flip the slices over halfway through.

This part takes a while because my oven can fit only two cookie sheets at once, and then after they've been baked, I like to use the griddle to make the eggplant slices golden brown and crispy on the outside, like this:

Then, you get a bowl full of eggplant slices that are crispy on the outside, and deliciously gooey on the inside:

In between roasting batches of eggplant, I did the other steps. One of those steps is to use my handy-dandy veggie chopper to turn the onions and a few cloves of garlic into puree for the meat sauce!

I also zested and juiced the lemon; that's for the meat sauce, too!

Once the eggplant is all done, the next step is to cook the onions a little bit - but just a little bit. Then you'll set them to the side in favor of cooking up the ground lamb. Cooking the ground lamb will leave a lot of delicious rendered fat. So you'll scoop out the cooked lamb, and then finish cooking the onions in the fat; as the water from the onions evaporates, the resulting vacuum will cause the onions to soak the lamb fat right up!

After that, you start putting the sauce together. We will use the cans of diced and crushed tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste, and 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce. We'll stir that up with the onions and the lemon zest and juice. Then we'll add a cup of red wine:

I gotta tell ya, wine in general is GROSS!! But it's really nice when it's used in cooking. A little bit of heat makes the nasty, bitter alcohol flavor dissipate quite nicely, and you're left with a vague sweetness and a weird (but not bad!) grape-ish flavor.

After you let it simmer so it can thicken a bit as the water evaporates, you add the seasonings:

This is parsley, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, and ground cloves! I didn't have thyme yet when I took this picture, but I fetched some later to use.

Anyway, the next step is to add the ground lamb to the sauce! The result is a very thick meat sauce! In this picture, you'll see the sauce and all the seasonings I used in it:

Here, we have our very thick sauce, seasoned with oregano, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Yum, yum, yum!!

With the sauce and the eggplant slices ready, we can clear up some space by beginning to assemble the moussaka. You line a baking dish with some parchment paper, and then you put down a layer of eggplant slices:

You follow it up with a layer of meat sauce:

...And then you just keep alternating layers until you run out of eggplant slices and meat sauce. Easy peasy. I stuck it in the fridge once the layers were assembled. Then I began to work on the bechamel.

For that, it's a basic thing. You start with a roux and then you add a kind of cheese to it. I don't have easy access to kefalotyri, and I didn't feel like using parmesan or romano as a substitute, so I used that feta and that halloumi I bought yesterday.

Most feta cheese in my country uses cow's milk or goat's milk. The brand I like to get uses sheep's milk. And the halloumi made by this same brand uses a combination of sheep, goat, and cow milk. Both of them are VERY GOOD!! And it took all my willpower not to just snack on the cheese as I was trying to grate it, but I managed:

Once that was all set, I set it aside and then separated a couple of egg yolks away from some egg whites. I'll use the egg whites to try to make French-style tiramisu in the near future; it'll be good!! We need the yolks for the bechamel:

To begin a bechamel, you gotta add 120 grams of sifted flour to one stick of melted butter, really really slowly. The "slow" part is important, otherwise it gets really weird:

When it looks like the above image, that's when we add 3 and 3/4ths of a cup of milk. But again, this has to be done VERY slowly, or else instead of a velvety-smooth awesome sauce, you end up something lumpy and terrible. I made a LOT of lumpy and terrible sauces before I got the hang of it, hahaha!

Here's how it looks after one cup of milk is incorporated. You gotta drizzle it in slowly, a little bit at a time:

Here it is with 2 cups of milk added:

And here's how it looks after all of the milk is added. This is the part where we add in the egg yolks. We have to make sure that it's not too hot so that the egg yolks don't cook into hardened yellow masses upon contact with the sauce.

Then you add in the cheese. And yes, ALL of that cheese is going into the pot!! Because I am a cheese goblin!! It has been written!! It is known!! Bahahaha! 🤣

From there, you add in nutmeg and white pepper, a little bit at a time, until you can notice their flavors when you taste it. Here is the finished sauce! Isn't it beautiful? It's very, very thick, velvety, and delicious!

From there, we just dump it on our partially-assembled moussaka, it's fine! And the result looks like this:

(yes, we do get to eat whatever sauce is leftover in the pot!! it's delicious!! and if you were here, I'd share it with you, too!! and I'd give you the whisk - everyone should get to lick delicious things off a whisk at least once in their life!)

Anyway! So we take this and stick it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the top is all brown and toasty-looking! Here's how it turned out:

I've been on my feet making this and trying to keep my workspace clean since I woke up this morning, and goodness me, I'm very tired, and this rib injury makes my body hurt a lot, haha! Oh well. I managed to snag this picture of the sunset out of my window while waiting for this to bake. Here, maybe you'll like it:

...And that's the end of today's letter! Because I am thoroughly exhausted, hahaha! I can't wait to share this with my friends tomorrow!

...I really wish you could be here to try it. I know all the very practical and realistic reasons you can't, of course. But maybe somehow my wishes and all these delicious flavors will reach you anyway. Or not. Probably not, haha. But I'll hope for it nonetheless. Maybe something good will happen - if not for you, then maybe for someone else.

Please stay safe out there, okay? Please remember that there is moussaka and people in this universe who would make it for you. Please remember that you are loved and cared for. Please don't do anything that would cause you to be erased from your world. Lots of people need the light of your existence to keep on shining in the way that it does.

I'll write again tomorrow, okay?

Your friend, Lumine

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butmakeitgayblog · 8 months

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I’ve been missing home lately and reading Midwestern AU is so comforting. I’m a suburban gal but grew up midwestern enough that my best friend said “melk” instead of milk and we ran around her grandma’s fields barefoot picking through the leftover pumpkins come Halloween.

I was telling a coworker the other day about our local Cornfest- how there’d be a Giant tub of boiled corn and back in the day it was Free! You’d get in line, and they’d shuck your ear (leaving the husk as a handle of course) and then proceed to Dunk it in a vat of Butter. 🤤 🤤 oh my gosh I want some boiled sweet corn so bad I could cry.

What’s Lexa’s favorite fest/fair around town? And what’s it like when she shares it with Clarke the first time?

Melk.

The way Lexa would hang her head in shame 😔

ANYWAYYY Lexa's favorite fairs would have to be the bigger state and county fairs. I mean the state fair kinda sucks but it's a right of passage and this can't be missed. I mean where the hell else are you supposed to eat a fried twinkie, deep fried pork chop sandwich, foot long corndog, potato tornado, and a lemonade shakeup all in under an hour??? (Note to Clarke for next year. Do not immediately follow it up with a frolicking turn on the tilt-a-whirl.) Of course there's the sweet corn festivals where, honestly, it's impressive that someone as tiny as Lexa can manage to mow through so many cobs in one sitting. "Corn's a way of life here, love." And can't forget a trip to see the yearly winner of the Butter Cow exhibit. Taking an, albiet quick, stroll through the livestock pavilions so her city girl can make friends with a few pigs and pat some horses. Maybe get her sneaker bit by a goat just for good measure. "It's part of the experience, babe. You'll get used to it 😌."

Now, her favorite autumn festivals would definitely be more of the nature variety. She is a fanatic about riding around the backwoods country side to get to the best apple picking spots, the pumpkin patches that let you walk through the rows for hours with your little pull wagon until you pick the perfect ones for Jack-o-lanterns. She's like a kid taking Clarke around to all the orchids around them and letting her smell the scent of the earth in Fall.

And oh. Oh. When Halloween time rolls around? Saddling Clarke up for hay rack rides and haunted mazes, taking her to the big events like Fright Fest and Terror on the Square (it helps that Lexa of course knows everyone who volunteers, because of course she does) and walking her around while they'r booth dressed up in costumes. It's all the best parts of living where they do. It's probably not all that impressive to anyone but the people who live there, but it's what she loves and dammit it's all tradition 😤

#greentoethumbs #FOR THE RECORD I DO NOT SAY MELK 😩#and neither does Lexa... when she's paying attention

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gazs-blue-hat · 9 months

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Sunflowers and Shotguns pt.3

TW- Livestock, mentions of farmwork, 141 working with their hands. Dogs

summary: Soap knows a bit about sheep, and you find out that your dog really really likes Soap.

After instructing Gaz on how the machines worked, you took a closer look at Moosie, who had been feeling under the weather lately.

“Poor girl. You still not feeling better? I’ll give a call to the vet and see when she can come out.” You say to the large creature. She only nuzzles your hand and let’s put a soft ‘moo’

“Alright Kyle. First you’re gonna wipe them with this iodine solution and then Just take these here machines to their teats and flip this switch. The machine does everything else for them and will release once the milk is all collected.” You explained by demonstrating on Harriet who was (as always) a model cow.

“Alright ma’am. I can do that.” He said with a broad smile on his face. You rolled your eyes and put your hands on your hips.

“Don’t call me ma’am. My mom was ma’am. Call me ‘Lamb’, everybody around here does.” You remind him. He looks down with a smile and proceeds to work on the other cow. After supervising him for a bit, you catch glimpse of Soap walking out of the house and towards the pen with the sheep.

As you walked you watched as Price struggled with the hens, all clucking and mad that he was stealing eggs and Ghost off in the distance working on the fence.

You make a mental note to thank Kate for bringing these men to you. A whole days work will probably be done in a few hours. You approached the fence to find Soap leaning against the gate.

“How are we gonna get the sheep in that parlor over there?” He asked while pointing to the shearing parlor. You smiled and put your hand to your lips. You whistled once, a sharp sound that split the air. Soap jumped a bit as he saw a blur of fur running at them from the barn holding the goats.

A large Border Collie came bolting across the field and slowed once it got close to the two of you. Soap was clutching the gate so hard his knuckles were white.

“Scared of dogs Soap?” You ask softly while the dog wandered closer. He relaxed and bit when he noticed the dog slow it’s approach and sit obediently at your side.

“Had a bad experience once. It it’s alright! Who’s this lovely lad?” He asked while looking down at your dog. He couldn’t help but notice one of the dog’s rear legs was missing and had been replaced with a prosthetic similar to yours.

“This here is Nikon. He’s my herding dog. I can’t run after the sheep by self but he sure as hell can.” You say while ruffling the dog’s fur. He gave a quiet ‘woof’ in response. Soap knew he wasn’t supposed to ask about your leg but he couldn’t help but look at the missing leg on the dog.

“What happened to his leg, if you don’t mind my asking.” He said softly, bending down and extending his hand so Nikon could sniff him.

“I found him on my farm one day. I think he had been attacked by Coyotes or something. I took him to the local vet and we had to amputate his leg due to the extensive damage. I know a thing or two about missing limbs, so I took him in. Fitted him with a prosthetic and trained him to herd sheep for me.” You said with a proud smile.

Soap only nodded as he watched Nikon slowly approach him to give a delicate sniff to his fingers. Nikon soon started to wag his entire body and weave around Soap. He knew not to give kisses but he couldn’t help but press his whole body against the Scot.

“Why the name Nikon?” He asked, looking up at you while he gently patted Nikon on the back. You couldn’t help but smirk.

“Because he’s a tripod and Nikon is a camera brand.”

#johnny soap mactavish x reader #sunflowers and shotguns #to be linked

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wooahaes · 25 days

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I now really want to know what the names for the chickens are and who the only one that can handle them is? Because I lowkey think Jun would think it is him, but it is actually woozi

Also, based on that the boys in UtS are either eating completely vegan or there is at least one person ready to kill for meat/fish👀 and no cows or goats means no dairy or do they have a magic refrigerator?

(Also, also a while ago I asked for something in the ask game and I've never been a certified anon™️ but yes I would like to be 🌼 anon)

omg hi then!!! <3

honestly i haven't put much thought into names for the chickens yet but i feel like there'd just... be a variety of names. one day i'll return to this and reblog w what i'm thinkin lmao but mind blank and all i've got are my stardew chickens on the brain (the lovely squad of ladies for ur consideration: honey, biscuit, peanutbuttr, pesto, cheerios, and fruit loop) lmao

tbh. i think pretty much everyone would be like 'yeah i can totally handle this' (immediate sounds of swearing as they get chased away by the One mean chicken) and it rly would be jihoon who can handle all of them. tbh it'd probs be both jihoon And vernon bc i think jihoon would be patient enough w them and vernon's just radiating chill vibes.

they do have fish occasionally btw! its mentioned in the second part (and then never brought up again i think... oops) that they'll occasionally fish. it's just kind of a hassle to catch enough for everyone and then clean (and likely gut) said fish. there is absolutely some 'i want beef :(' n 'i want chicken :(((' thoughts n whatnot going around but they just kinda have to take what they can get.

honestly. the rules of this universe are so up in the air bc it operates on 'if i want to include it here, then i include it and excuse it as the universe just gifting it to them' hence why they just Have electricity n running water n whatnot. its kinda intentionally supposed to be questionable How they all have these things but something they never push because 'if there's an outside force ensuring that we survive, then are we gonna piss it off by questioning too much?' + the focus on just living life one day at a time and enjoying one another's company while they all have it

i feel like if i was going to include something like milk/cheese/butter/etc it'd be one of those things that if they find it and create it themselves, they'll just find that they like... never run out. like with the honey where it's absolutely had moments where it should have run out, yet it was refilled the next morning without anyone doing it. kind of a 'okay, you did the hard thing, now you can have this without too much stress if its used regularly enough' if that makes sense?

truly a world i love deeply but also a world i don't put too much thought into bc im just happy with the overall vibes haha

#wooahaes.ask #🌼anon #asks.anon

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a-d-nox · 2 years

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zeus, god of the sky (asteroids 5731 & h42)

WE MADE IT - 50 GODS, GODDESSES, AND LEGENDS HAVE BEEN POSTED!! the celebration doesn’t end here! the next post will be up in a few hours regarding aphrodite - her sign, degree, house, and aspects in your natal chart! so definitely stay tuned for my biggest post yet to come ;)!

“when talking about such a popular god or goddess i am going to for warn paraphrasing - of course all these stories have more details and all these popular gods have stories within stories. i would love to share them all/in detail but i would need a book and a lot more time to write it. my attempt in writing these posts are to inform you on the high level story of the god’s or goddess’s life. that being said if any one of the events regaled in the post pique you interest - please let me know i don’t mind giving a more in-depth tale of any of the events mentioned.”

now for the god who has been mentioned in 10/49 of my prior posts: zeus.

Zeus is the son of the titans Cronus and Rhea. As we know, Cronus had just usurped his father, Uranus, and had received the prophecy that he would be dethroned by his child. So in turn, when each of his children was born, he devoured them. Rhea was determined to save her sixth child (Zeus) after witnessing the first five get eaten (get mothering - took five cases of cannibalism smh). Rhea brought young Zeus to her mother, Gaea, who hid him while Rhea returned to Cronus with a swaddled stone in which he promptly swallowed. Zeus had a goat named Amalthea (yes, the goat (some stories have her as a nymph) from Abundantia’s story - I am sure that there is some sort of psychological insight to gain from that lol) who he received milk from (yea... definitely some thing for Freud to examine here) while warriors were made to dance and fight one another in the cave he was hidden in to conceal Zeus's infant cries (dang talk about attachment disorders and the inspiration for the little albert experiment). When he was finally old enough, he confronted Cronus and manipulated him into drinking poison that caused his siblings to be vomited up. With his sibling, he then planned a war to take down the titans - Titanomachy. With the help of his siblings and two titans (Prometheus and Epimetheus) a strategy was born - which resulted in the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires (the hundred handed primordial) being released from the forges in Tartarus. The Greek poet Hesiod believed that the Cyclopes are the ones who forged Zeus's lightening bolt as a thanks for their freedom. With the newly freed on their side, Zeus and his campaign were able to banish the titans to Tartarus and began the new era of gods and goddesses. Hecatonchires is said to be keeping watch over the titans as his form of thanks to Zeus for freedom. Gaea was irate by the capture of her children so she had another child with Tartarus - Typhoeus - who was also easily defeated. Gaea attempted to take Zeus down with giants as well but to no avail. As we know, his marriage to Hera isn't an easy one - early on she, Poseidon, Apollo, and Athena (namely) chained Zeus in his sleep and stole his bolt. It was Thetis and Briars who helped free him and get his bolt back - when freed, he used intimidation to make every god submit to his rulership and have them swear to never challenge him again. Poseidon and Apollo were sentenced to build walls in Troy (mentioned in Apollo's post), Athena got off easy because she was Zeus's favorite, but Hera suffered the most as she was sent to the void to be suspended in the sky with anvils hanging from her ankles, forced to stare into the gaze of Chaos until she swore allegiance to Zeus again. It is thought that perhaps this occurrence was the reason why he never truly trusted Hera again (and why he had so many affairs). Some of his most famed lovers include: Io (the cow myth - that was talked about in my Juno post), Europa (gave birth to Minos, you know the king from the Minotaur myth?), Leda (Zeus turns into a swan in this one), Danae (mother of Perseus - Medusa slayer), and Semele (Dionysus's mother). IN MY OPINION Zeus in a chart represents a) where you start from snatch, b) your relationship with siblings, c) where you save your family, d) where you experience trust issues, e) where you topple those in charge, f) romantic affairs, and/or g) where you are the ultimate ruler.

i encourage you to look into the aspects of zeus along with the sign, degree, and house placement. for the more advanced astrologers, take a look at the persona chart of zeus AND/OR add the other characters involved to see how they support or impede zeus!

OTHER RELATED ASTEROIDS/PLANETS: amalthea (113), athene (881), pallas (2), URANUS, poseidon (4341), hera (103), gaea (1184), rhea (577), semele (86), io (85), apollo (1862), chaos (19521), kronos (43), hepimetheus (1810), prometheus (1809), thetis (17), europa (52), leda (38), and danae (61)!

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brightgnosis · 1 year

Text

Hagging Out ⌛ Equinox Redux

This is your usual obligatory reminder (like last time) that I don't celebrate the Solstices and Equinoxes like that™; that my "Wheel of the Year" is completely different, even as a Traditional NeoWiccan, because of the nature of my own practice.

This year everything kind of came crashing down on me all at once in a way that I was terrified, looking at my calendar initially, would be an absolute Demon to deal with ... But which, in reality, actually made it a lot easier than usual to handle.

That is to say, I had 🍑 Pevitnia and 🌿 the Green ᴺᵉʷMoon and 🥮 the Vernal Equinox all fall on exactly the same day for me this year- whereas typically they'd be spread out throughout the month.

Pevitnia is a Floating Holiday celebrating Peaches (and Peach Trees) as the symbol of the Home and family; my Plant Spirit Ally in both HearthCraft and CottageCraft.

The Green ᴺᵉʷMoon is a Sabbat celebrating the Reemergence of Chava, the Lady, as the freshly-made Maiden: Our Lady of the (Spring) Green.

And the Vernal Equinox is one of the 4 seasonal points (all the various Solstices and Equinoxes) where I acknowledge HaShem semi-ritualistically as the Creator of All outside of usual worship.

Despite thinking I'd set up my calendar to be largely stationary, that's not how it's really proving to be. But so far I actually can't say that I'm hating the results; with everything all at once, it wound up making it a lot easier to pull off- but the day was still busy regardless.

Sorry a lot of this is basically just a rehash of what I've already written for the photo challenge on Instagram, ha.

⮆ First we visited the Lake where I always do my offerings and rituals, and I gave an offering of Goat + Cow's Milk, Peaches, and Honey for Pevitnia (the Peach Blossom Feast) to the Longleaf Pine I usually forage from, in lieu of no longer knowing where any Peach trees are.

I took a picture but somehow deleted it off my phone afterwards. Thankfully I have a surrogate / stand in from when I gave my "Welcoming Spring" offerings at the beginning of March- and since my offerings tend to look similar you can pretty much use your imagination.

⮆ We walked around for a bit afterwards, my humming Spring Songs under my breath and looking for Pinecones to make Mugolio with. When we felt like we had enough bottled up in the jar I brought with us (and I found a nice piece of Longleaf Pine Wood from the recent trimming they did), I said the Forager's Prayer out of my Traveling Prayer Book, and we left.

Unfortunately none of the Pinecones I found were right because I forgot what I actually needed to be looking for type-wise (though they did make pretty little Spring mantle decorations later on).

⮆ On our way home I kept feeling like something was missing, and finally pinned it down to the fact I wanted to decorate for Spring; it didn't seem right not to this year. And so my Husband stopped by Hobby Lobby for me. There, I bought a new Spring Wreath for our door- plus a small garland of Lamb's Ear, a metal vase that looks a bit like an old "Milk Jug", and some fake Tulips (because they didn't have Daffodils) for the fireplace mantle.

⮆ I decorated everything practically as soon as we got home. Then I picked out a nice "Green" scented candle (which wound up being Better Homes & Garden's 'Rosé Cucumber Sipper'), anointed it with the Summer Solstice oil I made last year during the Summer Equinox- along with the Fire in the Heart oil from earlier this month- and then lit it while saying a Prayer to HaShem.

⮆ And finally I made myself a giant Golden Milk Latte (using Goat Milk and Linden Honey). Then I sat down to do my traditional "Spiritual Year Ahead" divination with Fez Inkwright's 'Seed & Sickle' Oracle (which some of you may remember from a couple of last years' Hagging Out posts here and here).

It wasn't much- but at the same time it was actually a lot all at once for me; this whole month has bee a lot honestly. I'm impressed that I've made it through it all, especially without tuckering myself out too badly. And what pain and exhaustion I have had, has been mostly weather based and out of my control entirely.

And in return, the world has been awakening, and it's been absolutely lovely to see; the first Daffodils have been opening finally. The Speedwell's coming up. The Saucer Magnolias are finally blooming. The Henbit's taken over everything. The Storkbill's coming out.

Literally the only thing missing now is the Star of Bethlehem signaling Adam's resurrection. But our Lady Chava is most certainly awake in full force now and the world is beautiful.

🕯️“ Blessed are you, Adonai, Eternal Sovereign of the Universe, who, on the first day, created the Sun and the Moon — and on the third day, created the Earth and its many fragrant Flowers and Herbs. You have left nothing Beautiful our of your creation, and I glorify your many great names. Amein. „🕯️

This account is run by a Dual Faith «(Converting) Masorti Jew + Traditional NeoWiccan» & «Ancestral Folk Magic Practitioner» with 20+ years of experience as a practicing Pagan and Witch. If that bothers you, don't interact.

#REBLOG SAFE #Hagging Out #Original Content #Original Herbal Content #Original Community Content #Personal #2023 #A Direct Look At My Practice #Calendar Nonsense #Prayer & Adoration #Religion & Magic #Oklahoma #Witchy Gardening #Witches Garden #Witch's Garden

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outofangband · 2 years

Note

I keep spamming you with asks so no rush to answer, but - do you have any headcanons on what food would've been common in Nargothrond? Do you already have a post on it and I somehow failed to find it? --tolkien-feels

I love asks like this because I love doing research on botany and climate and stuff to determine what food would be available to grow, hunt, gather, etc and what would have to be traded for and how and where, etc. Anyways we all already know that. I’m just trying to give more reason to keep sending me this stuff :)

@tolkien-feels

Food in Doriath I also included here a comparison with Doriath

OK so I have some thoughts and notes on the environment of Western Beleriand here and I’ve pulled from that a lot. It also has some shorter headcanons on food there!

Nargothrond is a system of caves underneath a series of forested hills called the Taur en Foreth or Forest of Hunters in Western Beleriand. The river Narog runs just East of the caverns, cutting through the Taur-en-Foreth. The Realm of Nargothrond also encompasses the Talath Dirnen or Guarded Plain to the North of the caverns. This was a plain fortified with elvenmade hills including the most prominent, Amon Ethir or the Hill of Spies.

Most food in Nargothrond obviously comes from beyond the caves. Especially during the construction of the city, hunting and gathering were the most common sources of food with Finrod’s dwarven allies also contributing. I personally headcanon that many forms of food preservation were taught to Finrod by the Dwarves of the Ered Luin including candied fruits and salted meats. Candied fruits became a favored delicacy in Nargothrond, usually wild cherry.

Deer, elk, birds such as pheasants, grouse, and quail are the most frequent game. Trout, specifically freshwater brown trout are caught south of the doors of Nargothrond. There are...stranger creatures in the Nan Tethren and to the North but these...should not be caught or eaten.

Daylilies, wild fennel, wild carrots, crosne, parsley (leaves and roots), dandelions (leaves and roots), and wild parsnips are gathered in the hills and forests and sometimes cooked with herbs such dill, summer savory, sage, and other herbs and spices received through trade with both dwarven and elven allies. Salt and pepper were largely traded from by the dwarves of Ered Luin though there were some salt deposits in Western Beleriand. (In some parts of Ossiriand and in Nevrast for example there were warmer regions some otherwise tropical herbs could be grown and cultivated. Over the Ered Luin elves, men and dwarves also cultivated these plants).

Honey was later introduced through trade with Hithlum

As I mentioned on my previous post, once Nargothrond was built, there was a period of time that allowed for some farming and agriculture though hunting and gathering remained an important source of food. Formal gardens were rare, rather, experimentation and cultivation of existing plants and sometimes animals were more often utilized. Mushrooms and root vegetables were some of the more common flora

Rye grasses (not to be confused with ryegrasses) were nourished in the outer Southern reaches of the Talath Dirnen where there was more protection and small, hard loaves of bread became a staple, often eaten with jam from orchard fruits. The Rye seeds were gifts from elves East of Nargothrond closer to Ossiriand as part of a trade beginning.

Water plants such as pennywort and watercress were also eaten both fresh and dried.

Mountain sheep and goats produced milk that was collected by both dwarves and elves in the Eastern parts of Beleriand and East of the Ered Luin. I headcanon for example that Bëor’s folk had goats that they traded from the elves of Ossiriand during their brief stay there that they would take Northwest. Thus, while cows milk was almost never eaten inside Nargothrond or surrounding realms, there was a small population of goat and sheep in the nearby forests and hills. These were loosely tended to and were not considered a staple. Cheese making was an art practiced by a few talented innovators of both elven and dwarven peoples.

Differences to Doriath: There was definitely more meat eaten by the elves of Nargothrond, less of a variety of fruits and other plants and more hardy staples. Seasonings tended to be spicier rather than herbal though there was some of both. Salt was somewhat more common and trade was more expansive.

Similarities include some similarities in vegetables

I hope this is ok! Feel free to ask more!

#Nargothrond #Western Beleriand #The Silmarillion #the children of húrin #musing and meta #Beleriand

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jingerhead · 1 year

Note

For the WIPs, I’m dying to know about the Ever After au (specifically if it would include the iconic “you can have anything you can carry” scene)

AH I would love to tell you about it!! Thank you so much for asking, lovely! Play the WIP game with me!

The "you can have anything you can carry" scene is a MUST HAVE, it would 100% be in the fic. I've already written a "you can have anything you can carry" scene before but I'll be doing it again and this time better haha.

Some basics about the fic are that Neil was caught by his father as a teen and since then has been forced to remain at Baltimore manor. He works alongside the other servants there, trying to make it another day under his father's rule. He doesn't even care when he overhears his father's plans to take over the kingdom by getting Lola Malcom to seduce one of the princes, because if that happens then they'll be gone and he can live the rest of his life in relative peace.

But that all changes when one day one of said princes breaks into the manor's barn and steals a horse.

And that's all I'll tell you because I have a snidbit hehe!

~*~

Pulling on his boots, Neil opened the door and headed for the barn. He fed the animals first, taking on the extra job so that neither Abby or Betsy would have to. He’d come back after gathering some of the crops to milk the cows and goats, gather eggs from the chickens and clean the horses, but for now he had to prioritize. The animals needed to eat, and so did the humans inside the estate.

It was going to be a long day.

There were three other servants in the estate besides Neil: Abby the cleaner, Betsy the cook, and Wymack the stablehand. Wymack was no longer with them, so Neil took up his jobs while continuing to tend to the fields. After feeding the animals, Neil headed towards the kitchens, where Betsy was already preparing some bread. She was a heavyset woman with brown hair pulled into a low ponytail, wearing a plain light yellow dress, white cap and stained apron.

“Neil, you have smudges on your face again,” she scolded.

“I’ll wash it later,” he assured.

She sighed, but accepted it. She had to be busy getting breakfast ready all by herself. “Well, we have eggs in the icebox, so we don’t need to gather any today. Bread, eggs, and ham. And I’ll make some apple moyle. Ms. Lola was craving some and wanted it prepared today.”

“Until she sees it,” Neil pointed out, kneeling underneath the sink to find a basket. “And then she’ll want peach tart.”

“Good thing we have some leftover peaches,” Betsy said around a triumphant smile. “Now, go gather some apples. We can have some tonight.”

He listened, heading back down the pathway towards the fruit trees near the barn. He started picking them, looking for any apples too bruised to take in before setting them in the basket. It was while Neil was doing this that he heard a commotion from the barn and the whinny of a horse, some heavy footfalls getting nearer. Raising his head, Neil spotted a stranger with a cloak over their head on the back of his father’s horse, riding through the field open for the animals to graze in.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Neil said to himself, grabbing the basket and rushing closer. He grabbed an apple and raised his arm to intercept the thief, throwing the apple at just the right angle. The thief let out a pained grunt as they were hit in the face, falling off the saddle and landing on the ground in a heap. Neil didn’t give them a moment to breathe, running closer and grabbing more apples to hit them with.

The thief grunted again when Neil hit them with another apple, face and body still obscured by the dark cloak they were wearing. “Stop - “ they said, cutting off when Neil hit them with another apple.

“You are absolutely pathetic,” Neil seethed, throwing another apple. “You think you can come in here and just steal my father’s horse?”

“My horse’s shoe fell off, I didn’t have a choice - “ the thief said, finally getting to their feet and trying to hide behind the dark brown stallion.

“And then what happens to us?” Neil asked, raising another apple in his fist but not throwing it yet. He tried to circle around the horse’s front, hoping to trick the thief into walking behind it, but they must’ve known what Neil was trying to do. “We’re left to face the downfall of your misfortune? You expect us to just roll over and follow your demands - ?”

Neil quickly snapped his mouth shut when the thief finally managed to push his cloak over his head, still trying to untangle one of the ends from where it was wrapped around an arm. Neil didn’t see his face, but he saw the large crest embroidered into the white tunic he was wearing, and he knew it was the royal crest. Two foxes with their heads upturned, swords before them and a sun overhead.

Oh no, Neil thought. I just called one of the princes pathetic.

He fell to his knees and lowered his head as though that would somehow spare him from whatever was to come. “Uh…forgive me, Your Highness, I didn’t see you.”

One booted foot took a step closer, but Neil didn’t dare look up. “Your aim would suggest otherwise,” the prince replied. His voice was deep and gruff, probably in annoyance from being hit by apples and being called pathetic. Neil wondered if he would have a trial or be run through with a blade here and now.

“And I know for that I must die,” he admitted, because he did know. His father had laughed about it enough times, once repeatedly told the story of a man that had accidentally spilled his wine on Queen Tilda’s dress and who was publicly hanged as a result. He’d grinned at Neil and said, “Isn’t that funny, Junior?” and Neil had forced himself to laugh and say it was.

The stallion neighed as the prince took the reins once again, silent for a moment. Neil felt eyes on the top of his head, probably studying him and trying to decide how he should be killed. But the prince’s response wasn’t what Neil had been expecting. “Speak of this to nobody, and I’ll spare your life.”

What?

“Um…” Neil choked out, keeping his head down. “We have other horses if you want, Your Highness. Some faster…”

“I want nothing,” the prince said. Gold clinked as it rained down in front of Neil, who flinched at the sound, but didn’t know why. He still felt on edge, and wondered how someone couldn’t want anything. “For your silence,” the prince explained, then guided the horse forward.

#jinger answers #jinger's works #aftg #aftg wip #andreil #andreil wip

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callmemana · 8 months

Text

Duckie & Cricket’s Midwestern Dumbassery: #29

Rick: why do you love me though, Backwoods?

Duckie: you know I married you for your money and military benefits, right?

Rick:

Cricket: yeah, Duckie and I saw two Naval Pilot idiots in the bar your first day here.

Duckie: we were like, ‘this is convenient.’

Cricket: and the plan worked.

Rick & Leo:

Duck & Crick: *high fives*

Crick: *dancing while very buzzed*

Duckie: *joins her sister, just as if not more buzzed*

Crick: *laughing w/ her sister as they dance*

Duckie: *shouting over the music* shots??

Crick: *nodded and being lead by Duck to bar*

[the sisters are downing shots at the bar then stumbling back to dance floor and clumsily dancing]

Rick: Wolfie, I’m going to cry.

Leo: me too man, me too.

Rick: … Wolfie, I’m crying.

Leo: *through tears* me too, man, me too.

Enemy: we have your son.

Crick: I don’t have a son.

Enemy: then who just asked for chocolate milk with a straw and made us cut the crusts off his PB&J?

Crick: oh fuck.

Enemy: what?

Crick: you have my boyfriend!!

[at Pretty Boy & Duckie’s wedding]

Duckie: where’s Leo & Crick?

Pretty Boy: idk.

Pretty Boy: hang on a moment.

Pretty Boy: *whispering* I wonder if Crick is single.

Leo: WHO SAID THAT ILL FIGHT YOU FOR HER HEART!

Pretty Boy: there he is.

Crick: Leo sit the fuck down or after this wedding there’ll be missing posters all over town for your ass!

Pretty Boy: and there’s Cricket.

[senior year]

Leo: I’m going to fill Mr. Lennox’s classroom with rubber chickens!

Duckie: no, you’re not.

Leo: awww, Duck, come on, you’re no fun!

Cricket: We’re gonna fill the classroom with REAL chickens. And Cows. Maybe some goats, too.

Duckie: this is why I love you.

Leo: you remind me of the sun.

Crick: why?

Leo: hot.

Duckie: *turning to Rick* you remind me of a garbage can.

Rick: … um why?

Duckie: trash.

Rick: why are we even dating?

Duckie: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Rick: aww that’s kinda sweet!

Duckie: I never said I was the other man.

Leo: that’s the Duckie I remember.

Leo&Rick&Crick: *comes up with a long and elaborate plan to escape the locked barn*

Rick: I tell you what, we are incredibly smart.

Duckie: *opens the door*

Leo: …how did you do that??

Duckie: it wasn’t locked.

Leo: right.

Duckie: hang on. Three of you in one stall and none of you thought to check the door?

Crick: it should have been locked.

Leo: you know what part of you I like the best?

Crick: my hair? my eyes? my chaos?

Leo: nope, nope, and nope! It’s your smile!

Crick: but how? Yours is more beautiful!

Leo: do you know where my smile comes from?

Crick: where?

Leo: from seeing yours. So your smile is the prettiest.

Crick: *forgets how to breathe*

Leo: hey Angel, in the mood to spice things up a bit?

Crick: I can’t eat spicy foods.

Leo: no I meant in the bedroom-

Crick: I can’t eat spicy foods anywhere, Leo.

Rick: Wolfie, are you ok?

Leo: nooooooooo

Rick: what happened?

Leo: Crick, she- she-

Rick: what did she do?

Leo: she did her chores in a bikini top.

Rick: ..and?

Leo: She did her chores in a BIKINI TOP Wood!

Birdie’s Basket: @dragon-kazansky @mrsjaderogers @bayisdying @tngrace @starlit-epiphany

🏷️ list: @luckyladycreator2 @interstellarloneliness

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linksthoughtbrambles · 2 years

Text

A blanket of shifting shadows.

Part 9 of Adventure Log+ (Sequel to Link’s Thought Brambles. I highly recommend reading in order!) WARNING: This chapter is rated mature for disturbing imagery and violence.

It’s the eyes.

Now we know.

Their shrieks, like they’re the ones horrified of us. Like glass shards in my ears, but they’re not what paralyze.

Daile, stock-still, caught in its gaze.

Zelda’s arrow through its ear.

We know now. We flank them.

…Still standing. Arrows aren’t so effective against them.

I guess… putting a stick in something that’s already dead doesn’t matter much.

They don’t even bleed.

The neck again, Link. Just… do it. Don’t think about it.

Sever it.

“Mm-“ My Goddess, the sound it makes- like- like-

I don’t know- boots- sucking out of thick mud-

Stop, Link.

I’m so sorry. Whoever you were. Please, be at peace.

I guess I know, now, what I’d kill for.

Zelda? Yes. But it’s not just her.

I’d never let one of these things kill anyone else, either.

Not that I ever had a problem killing monsters.

But this…

“I’ll check inside.” Oh. I guess I can talk. “Window, Daile.”

“Yes, sir.”

I don’t even sound like I’m shaking.

I just sound… as dead as these things.

That’s a new voice on you, Link.

Straw.

Goats.

They don’t sound happy.

Bet they haven’t had new food or water in a while.

Sorry… not yet. Have to finish the check. We can… we can help you out afterward.

Empty stalls. The horses would’ve been here.

Piles of fresh straw.

No sounds or shadows from the loft.

And THAT is a very uncomfortable-looking-and-sounding cow. “You didn’t get milked this morning, did you, girl?” And not last night, either.

“Link?”

“All clear, Princess.”

“What is it?”

“The cow. It’s… been about a day, I’d guess, since whatever happened happened. She’s swollen.”

“O-oh, yes. Now you point it out, I see it.”

“Daile, let the goats out, would you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Link…what are you-“

“We’re going to talk about what to do next, right?”

“We ought to.”

“Great. I’ll milk her. You don’t want to know what happens if you stop suddenly.”

More hand-alcohol, Link. Don’t milk the cow with contaminated hands.

I can feel Zelda’s eyes on me. Is this disturbing to her? Maybe. She didn’t grow up with farm animals, though. You really do have to do this, and if you’re going to stop milking a cow for some reason you don’t do it cold-turkey. You wean them off it slow so they don’t end up bursting. This one’s already well overdue- damn. That’s a lot of milk. She’s staying still for me even though I’m a stranger. It must’ve been bothering her a lot.

Maybe this is the one kindness I can do in this place.

Maybe I should stop saving foxes.

This isn’t the same, though.

We have a few minutes while we figure our next step.

That is… if we do that. Zelda’s just watching me.

And… now she’s getting me a second bucket.

“Here.”

“…Thanks.”

“The goats seem thirsty, sir—Princess. They’re going at a pretty dry trough.”

“Yeah, they would be.”

“I think there was a pump, but- but-“

…Damn. “It’s near the malice.”

“…Yeah.”

“We ought not risk approaching it, I think. Do you agree, Link?”

“I do.” Goddess knows if that stuff’s seeping into the ground. What happens if you drink contaminated-

Contaminated- “Zelda?”

“Yes, my love?”

Woah! Yeah, she whispered, but Daile’s- oh. No, he walked outside. Probably peering around for a watering hole.

She's smiling at me. It’s a small one, but still.

Contaminated. “I just killed two people.”

Did I say that?

Smile gone. Just like that.

You know, Link, you thought if you ever did something like this, you’d be miserable. Crying with guilt. That’s not what it’s like at all.

I don’t feel much of anything, do I? Even my hands are kind of numb, just going through these plain old motions. Guess I can make those difficult decisions after all. As long as there’s enough incentive.

No tears.

Father would approve.

Bucket’s almost half-full already.

Contamination. “We don't know what happens if that stuff gets in the ground water... or the crops. This is a farm.”

“...Indeed. I’m torn whether to make haste to other nearby farms or to hurry toward the tech lab at once. They ought to study this malice.”

“Real carefully if they do. We don’t know how those… corpses were made to walk. Or how they died in the first place.”

…Quiet…

“I did not see any obvious wounds on them. Not- not when they first appeared. …Did you, Link?”

“There weren’t any.”

“I’m concerned this may be what happens if malice is touched. Fi?”

Malice can kill, Princess. It burns. A single touch would not cause what you observed today—it would require prolonged contact. Malice can, however, animate a body once its life functions have ceased.

“Do you have any idea where this substance may have come from?”

No, Princess. However, I estimate a 97.8% probability it was placed in this location intentionally.

“I concur. It's suspiciously close to our usual route to the lab.”

I bet she’s expecting me to be freaking out on the slate.

I’m not.

“I was, yes.”

“Yeah.”

“…What can I do to help?”

“Nothing, Zelda. I’m fine.”

This poor cow. Bucket number two. “Are we going to discuss where to go?”

“…I’m rather leaning toward sending Daile to ride hard south. I must imagine Purah will have sent a team our way hours ago at this point. He can guide them.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. We… hph. Seven horses.”

“Yes. I was wondering about that, too.”

“There aren’t enough stalls here for them.”

“And, it would seem, only three people.”

“…Unless more escaped.”

“Or… wandered once- once walking again.”

More of them. We could check- “Beds. In the house.”

“Indeed.”

“Then, we circle wide. Check all the neighboring farms.”

“It shall take most of the night, most likely.”

“Yeah.”

Almost done. “Good girl. Sorry you were hurting like that.”

“We shall miss our appointment with Zuho tomorrow morning.”

Definitely. Mom’ll be worried…

“Purah will send word to the castle… and to the logging village, if she’s any sense.”

”She has sense.” I think.

“…I also hope she sent more than a handful of people in our direction. We shall need watches.”

“Double-watches. No way anyone should be awake alone with things out here that can paralyze you with a glance. Or… whatever made that muck appear.”

“Jeralt would suggest triple-watches.”

“Yeah. He would.” If it were just us three, no one’d sleep- “three- Zelda, Zelda, did Daile-“

“No, not yet!”

Okay, cow, milk aside, sorry-

It’s not just me, Zelda’s hurrying, too-

“SIR DAILE!”

“DAILE? DAILE!! F@#$, Zelda, did you see which way he went?”

“East, I think!”

S#@$, s@#$, s@#$, it’s only been a few minutes only a few, he can’t be far, he can’t be far, Link, but he didn’t answer he didn’t answer, I’m a goddess-damned idiot and a s@#$ty captain, that’s what I am! “DAILE! DAILE! …DAAAILE!!”

“SIR DAILE!”

“DAILE, COME ON MAN-“

“I’M- HERE!”

“Oh- oh, thank-“

“Goddess-” Toward a downslope. Looking for water. Lower elevations.

There was something odd about his voice.

There- coming out of that grove. He doesn’t look hurt…

?! “Daile, are you alright?!” Why’s he have his hand against his nose like that? Foul smell?

He’s not even nodding. Won’t look up.

“Sir Daile. Please report.”

She managed to say that kindly, somehow.

“Hhh. Hhhhh. There was another one.”

“Was?”

“Yes, sir. I- took care of it.”

“We didn’t hear it shriek.”

“It didn’t. I was quiet. Knew I might not be alone out here. I saw it… I…I ended it quietly. Sir.”

“…Back there?”

“Yes, sir.”

Zelda’s moving—I should go, too, just in case-

“Princess?”

“Yes, Sir Daile?”

“It’s- not easy to look at.”

A tiny nod and fraction of a smile and off she goes.

You too, Link. Quietly.

Three guesses, Link, why Daile would be even more upset about this one.

Please don’t let it be a kid.

Please.

Please?

Hylia. Zelda must see it… she stopped.

A bunched hand to her mouth.

It’s a kid, isn’t it?

…It’s going to be a kid.

You have to look at some point, Link.

Just step beside her and look up. It’s that easy.

So small.

At a tiny watering hole.

Maybe catching frogs.

“Hh-hhh.”

“Zelda?”

“Hh-hh-hhhhoh.”

Oh no, no no no- “Zelda- it’s-“ no, it’s not okay, Link, don’t be like that. It’s not at all okay. “Come here.”

“Hh-hh-hhh-hhh-hhhhhhh hhhh hh.”

She’s whisper-crying. Trying so hard to be quiet.

“Hhhh. Hhhhhhph.”

I’d’ve thought it would be me.

“Hhh h.”

Wet shirt. Dry face.

“Hh-hhh-“

Hold her tighter.

“Hhh.”

“We’ll stop this. We will.”

“Hhh- What if they’re all like this?”

“Then we. Will. End. Whatever caused it.”

“We must go. We must go. Now, Link.”

“Yes.”

“Sir Daile!”

“Yes, Princess!”

“Ride south immediately. Ride hard and scour the plain as well as possible so as not to miss our allies.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Do NOT engage anything suspicious. If you encounter no one, make for the lab. Link and I shall check the house briefly, then ride to the nearest farm east first. Then we shall circle northwest, then southwest, until we have reached due west of here. Then we shall follow the opposite path but one farm outward. With luck we shall stop whatever did this from progressing further. It would be wise for you to guide the others northwest to meet us at the other end of the semi-circle if possible. Link and I shan’t rest until we find… what did this.”

“Yes. YES, Princess!”

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone run so hard.

“Oh- SIR DAILE!”

“YES, PRINCESS!”

“BE WARY OF ALL WATER SOURCES! THE PUMP AND THE WATERING HOLE—PERHAPS BOTH TARGETED!”

“YES, PRINCESS!”

Smart.

Water.

It could be a coincidence. The… the kid might’ve been there already when… whatever found them…

I’m breathing hard.

Getting ready to run, I think. To find whatever sprang from the unknown demonic depths of darkness to do this. Maybe I’m just unbelievably angry. The red might be from sunset but it could also be the blood rushing through me.

“Link.”

“Yes.”

Running. Barn first. Just… make sure the animals’ pens are open. Animals are smart… they won’t drink contaminated water.

If we had more time, I might try and drive them south a bit, but we don’t. It’s up to them.

“Do you have bottles?”

“Wh-what?”

“In your pouch. Do you have any empty bottles?”

“I- well yeah, I do, but-“

“The cow’s milk.”

“You’re worried about the milk going bad?!”

“Link, if the water in this entire area is contaminated, milk is frankly better than nothing.”

“Oh.” Once again, your Princess is way smarter than you are.

Okay, get the bottles out get them out get them out, hand them over-

“Yes- thanks-“

“I have more.”

“Truly?!”

“Heh. Yeah.” Dear Goddess, Link, how can you huff-laugh at a time like this?

Canteens. Am I insane? Do I collect things for no reason? Maybe I collect things because I have a magic pouch and I can stick anything in there I want. (Almost).

Either way, she’s now holding four bottles and an empty canteen. “That’s it.”

“Excellent.”

She fills. I tie gates open. Hope the animals don’t decide to stay here. Who knows what ‘malice’ does if it’s around for a long time. The surface moves. Maybe it can slither or-

I don’t even want to know.

I have to know, though, don’t I?

This is it.

This is what I’m supposed to be doing.

Not hanging around in a castle playing guardsman.

And… the Princess was meant to do this with me, too.

I am also meant to be with you, master.

“Heh. Yes. Thanks, Fi. I… I’m sorry our plan is in tatters already.”

I have never known your plans to be otherwise, master.

“…Thanks.”

Any time, master.

“Hph.” You twinkled.

Oh?

With amusement.

You are entertaining, master.

You don’t seem as upset by what we just saw as Zelda and I.

…The dead of long past are as innumerable as the silent stars keeping dark watch on ages long lost from our world.

“Wh- what does that even mean?”

“Link, I apologize in advance. I’m making quite the mess of your bottles.“

“…Don’t worry about it.” Bottle mess. Not important. “I’m almost done.”

Easy to talk about, though.

“As am I.”

Easy. A lot easier than other things.

Don’t- just don’t. “Done.”

“Yes. Here. Beds.”

“Right.” Bottles in pouch while walking no no “No, Zelda, don’t run, wait for me. Not alone. Never alone. Okay?”

“Y-yes.”

Just one sec, last one in- “Okay, run. You flank.”

“I can-“

“I got bitten already. Let me take the risk. Besides—sword.”

…She’s nodding. Good, good. Not the front door, malice there, around back. Back door? No. Windows, though. Darker now. Can’t see through the window well. No movement.

Low window… easy—no malice on the floor. The stuff… glows. I’d see it. I can see some of it out front through another window.

Glowing red-purple mud. Fluorescent flowers gone fluid.

That’s it. That’s the smell, isn’t it?

Bile.

Stomach fluid.

Mixed with…

With ash.

And more-

“Link?”

“Hh- sorry. Thinking.”

“It’s alright.”

Table’s set.

For four.

…No more kids, then.

Or anyone else.

Un-unless-

Upstairs?

“Clear here, Zelda.”

“Yes.”

She’s in.

“Stay to my side if at all possible.”

“Yes.”

“Hh-hhhh.” Stairs. “Hhh- hhhhh.” Get a hold of yourself.

Keep. Hold.

Hard to flank on these. She’ll just have to stay well behind me. She can watch me go up… follow after…

Bedrooms.

One double bed. Empty.

Nothing else. “Hhhhhhhh- hh.”

Keep hold.

Zelda stairs creaking.

Next door. Still no sounds. None.

Two small beds.

That’s all.

Floorboards. So loud. No sneaking in this place, not really.

I hear everywhere she is.

One more small- no. It’s a water-closet.

...No crib.

“Hhhhhhh- hhh- hhhhhh.” No crib.

Praise Hylia. Praise praise for that. For that. Yes. Thank you.

I don’t know if I could-

I just don’t know.

Closets.

Just in case.

Clothes.

Not a lot.

One nice set. For special occasions.

No.

Don’t.

Just go.

“Zelda.”

“Clear?”

“Yeah. We ride.”

“Yes.”

Out. Out of here as fast as possible. Her, too. I can see it in the flurry of her movements. Not just urgency. She- she doesn’t want to be in here.

The lives here.

They were fine.

They were fine not at all long ago.

What if we’d left a day earlier?

What if-

Just.

Don’t.

So much darker now already.

Didn’t seem like we were in there very long.

Maybe it’s not the Sun and sky that changed a lot in the last few minutes. Maybe it’s me.

What’s wrong with me?

I don’t feel right.

The horses hear the whistle. Rionee knows this drill. She probably doesn’t realize I’ll wait for Zelda, though.

UP, girl. Good. Zelda…?

Wow. She’s up fast.

And we fly as fast as we can. “GO girl!”

“On, Tass!”

This morning, the plain was beautiful. An ocean of swaying gold.

What is it now?

A blanket of slinking shadows over the earth.

An endless sea swallowing remote islands, specklings of life at each one. Just as vulnerable as any sea-level hut near shore.

If there’s any life left.

The cow. Full udders.

It’s been a day.

A day.

Hylia, please have mercy on us. On them. Please.

Please, let this not happen fast, whatever it is.

Tass is like the wind.

Rionee’s fast, but… she can’t keep up this pace forever.

We can’t move faster than this.

It is how fast it is and we’re how fast we are and there’s nothing we can do, nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing if it’s happened already.

Nothing.

“Link!”

“Zelda?”

“I love you!”

“I- love you, too. Wh- why now?” When we have to half-shout over the horses!

“I shall remind you whenever I see that look on your face!”

“E- eh. Hhhh.”

“We shall prevail!”

That’s what I said earlier. That’s not the issue, is it? Not really. Whatever did this, we’re going to kill it. I know it already. I don’t have any doubt about that.

The issue… is how many people are already dead.

How many USED.

…By what?

Will we recognize it when we find it?

What made that sludge?

Look at her.

The look on her face.

Those guardian-laser eyes.

Like the first time I picked the slate up.

She’s focused. Determined.

Angry.

That’s what angry looks like on her.

That’s what it's always looked like on her.

She stays… calm.

Hardens.

That time she got so pissed at her father her lips twitched, too.

Too dark to see.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they are.

She doesn’t scream and shout. Doesn’t go into a rage.

She’s like-

Like an islander hawk.

Like Chee calls me.

We’re alike, aren’t we?

We’re alike, but she’s smarter. More willful.

What am I?

What are you, Link?

Why do you hold the sword and she doesn’t?

She should have a weapon far more powerful than that bow on her back.

No comment on that, Fi?

The Princess has access to magics which you do not, master.

Does she?

Yes. They… have not yet revealed themselves.

How can we reveal them?

They must appear in their own time and in their own way.

Cryptic. Very you.

I will take the opportunity of time afforded by traveling to remind you I will not be able to automatically strike at long range. You have injuries, master.

...Yes. I know.

You may, however, use me as you did the training sword during the melee.

I hadn’t thought about that. I was desperate, then.

Desperation is unnecessary, master. Focus is important—to will your energy into me.

So, you can do that, too?

YOU can do that, master. I am in tune with you. The effect through me will be amplified. You will find your spin attack to be most useful.

Will the- the- upward one work, too? Where I held the sword in the air?

The skyward strike will function under most circumstances.

… Like these circumstances?

It would function now if you tried it, yes. I cannot guarantee it will work when we meet the enemy which caused this.

Why not?

I do not know the properties of the enemy’s magics.

You think the enemy’s magical?

I’m certain of it, master. Malice and ReDeads do not appear via non-magical means.

R- re…

ReDeads. Yes. A name from times long past. Near the beginning.

The beginning…?

My Goddess. Fi, these things have been around since this whole… Calamity thing began?

Nearly.

Is there anything else you can tell me?

There are many things I can tell you, master.

About other things like these, particularly. Monsters that might… show up. That have something to do with this malice.

…Yes, master. I will describe all that I can. Then I will resume my analysis and reorganization of information if time allows.

Right. Ye- Wait! “Zelda?”

“Yes!”

“Watch the slate.”

“What? Hooves—too loud!”

“Fi- watch the slate for Fi! She’s going to tell us… about… about creatures of malice!”

Glittering green eyes in the darkness. Algae pools on moonless nights.

I’m… definitely thinking strangely.

“Very well! If I must read, you must watch, I’m afraid!”

“I would’ve anyway!”

“I know! Link?”

“Yes?”

“I love you!”

Oh. I must look like something. I don’t know what. Some kind of mess. “I love you, too! Zelda?”

“Yes?”

“I love you more than anything or anyone who’s ever lived! I’m… yours!” The answer to my question to myself earlier. That’s what I am. I’m hers. Anything she needs of me.

More glittering. Searching me. Wish I could see her expression well in this dark.

“And I am yours, my extraordinary knight! Link, my love, look me in the eye!”

I already was. I’ll look harder.

“We SHALL prevail! We shall end whatever did this, as you said!”

Yes.

But-

“Do not dwell on those who may not yet be dead!”

“That goes for you, too!”

“Ah- hhhh- I shall try, Link! FI!”

Yes, Princess.

“Begin!”

Yes, Princess.

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