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gliphyartfan · 5 months

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@yanderelinkeduniverse @stars-for-thought @imprisioned-in-the-hole @screaming-until-god-hears-me @crestfallenmermaidan @ice-cream-writes-stuff @linked-heroes @eternadreebliss

Hey hey folks! yes yes i know what you're thinking.

'But Gliphy! it's only been a few days since your last post! Is the world ending?'

And I agree! Buuuut I decided to throw something out there, a change of pace so to speak!

I present: TTAU Side stories! Or Side Stories in general.

The chain are still my main cast for stories. Most things will be written around them.

But, due to certain inquiries, a few characters were requested to be written~ Will that automatically mean I'll start posting a barrage of stuff for the side stories? Eh, probably only when inspiration hits me.

But I decided to have fun with dropping in characters from time to time.

For now, it's gonna be one character that a few people has asked for.

Will I do them justice? Dunno! I'll leave that to you lovely folk~

Anywho~

---

-----

---

The stench of blood was very potent here, enough to make his nose crinkle the moment he stepped into the area.

The soldier guiding Link gave his report as he led him through the mountain pass.

"This is the place." He said, gesturing to the entrance of an easily overlooked cave, his helmet tilted back to show his face. "We managed to lead him through here. Once he went through, the others distracted him while I sealed off the opening as best as I could."

The soldier stopped before the cave opening leading inside. There were crates and broken carriages turned on their side blocking the entrance.

Link eyed everything. "Impressive for one man. Though if what you said was true, blocking the path like this wouldn't have slowed him down."

The soldier sighed. "He seemed too focused attacking the nearest soldiers, I did what I could to escape and seal it off."

Warriors' eyes narrowed but said nothing of the soldier's careless admission.

"Very well, you and I will enter to confront him." Link folded his arms over his chest and gave the soldier a look when he opened his mouth.

"In the event that a battle occurs, I'll need you to be near so you can bring a detailed report back to base." The soldier thought it over and nodded.

"...Right then."

Without further ado, Link and the Soldier pushed as much of the crates out of the way and made their way in.

The cave was dark, darkening further since dusk approached. Even after stepping several feet inside there wasn't much light, it took a several minutes for his eyes to adjust.

They made their way carefully down the narrow tunnel.

...Warriors was uncertain about this situation.

While his memories of his past battles were convenient, he would be a fool to believe them to be absolute.

War was ever changing, no battle was fought with the exact method or gained the same result twice.

But this...he definitely would have recalled a situation like this. This was a new turn of events and he had to keep his wits about him.

After making it about twenty minutes in, a sudden loud bang echoed down the corridor. "I know you're there!" A male voice bellowed. The voice sounded angered. deranged.

"That's him sir!" The soldier whispered to him.

The Soldier and Link both stood still, not wanting to give away their position.

"Come out! Come out and tell me where she is!" The male's voice cracked, as if he had been screaming for some time. His breathing was loud, sped up.

His voice...frantic...angered.

With his weapon drawn, both soldiers cautiously crept to the end of the cave passage where faint light poured from a hidden opening off to the side.

An open space, the light coming from burning crates off to the side, otherwise empty, save for the scattered corpses of soldiers throughout the space.

From the state they appeared in, they had been hit a large blunt object.

There was blood everywhere.

It was splattered from the ceiling and walls onto the floor, pooled beneath the bodies of soldiers whose faces were crushed flat within their helmets.

"Goddess above." the soldier breathed, his hand clutching at his weapon tightly in terror.

Link looked on dispassionately. "I have never seen such madness." he murmured, his voice devoid of emotion.

A flash of purple caught the corner of his eye as he scanned the room.

He made his way towards it, ignoring the soldier's hushed protests.

When he got closer, his eyes widened and he froze. Blue eyes lined with gold stared back at him. Reaching down, he grabbed it brought it close.

He recognized it despite it's ragged appearance. Only one person dressed in such a fashion.

Suddenly the sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor caught his ear. Then there was a low groan of pain before it grew into a scream of anger.

The soldier looked at Link, anxiety written clear on his face as he raised his sword but Warriors, dropped the item and shook his head.

They slowly moved into the open area, eyes and ears peeled for any signs of movement.

As they advanced, the noises grew. Heavy footfall and heavy breathing.

An occasional whimper or whine as things were dragged around. The sounds came more and more frequently until, finally, a single figure came into view, slowly stumbling forward.

His hair was disheveled. Green eyes wild. Blood seeping from wounds hidden behind purple robes, dripping onto the ground.

Robes soaked in blood that was both his and not his. A large bloodied hammer being dragged behind him. His missing hood left his face uncovered.

The Hero of Warriors felt his heart jumped.

The face that stared back at him was one he knew.

But how?

It didn't make sense. What could possibly bring about this scenario? Why the hell was Ravio here of all places, alone?

He shouldn't be here, he was supposed to have joined up with them several missions prior.

(But Time had taken a different path as well...)

"Where..." came the raspy whisper.

"Where...Where is she?" His eyes were frantic and desperate, darting around.

Not once had he looked at Warriors, as if he hadn't been there at all. He looked right at the soldier, his eyes piercing into the soldier's.

"Tell me where...is she..." He growled louder, stepping closer even as the soldier took several steps back.

He looked around frantically, trying to find something in the darkness, find someone.

But why? Who was he looking for...

(...Could he...)

"I told you, I don't know what you're talking about!" The soldier shouted, his voice shaking as he pointed his sword at the unhinged man.

"LIAR!" He roared, storming closer, hammer being raised with one arm.

"You killed my comrades!"

"You all took her from me! Took me from her!" His voice raged, his path to the soldier blocked as Warriors stepped in front of him.

His eyes settled on Warriors, and his gaze became fixated upon him.

Suddenly Ravio let out a loud scream, and without a moment's notice, he swung the hammer at him.

Instinctively, Warrior raised his blade and blocked it as best as he could, even as his arms shook from the force of the attack.

"Tell me what's wrong!" Warriors cried, desperately trying to hold the sword steady as the merchant pressed his hammer against his sword.

Ravio was screaming.

"It's all wrong! IT'S ALL WRONG!!" He was screaming and fighting against Warriors, but it was useless. "I'm not supposed to be HERE! You took her!! She was supposed to be SAFE!"

Warriors' ears picked up movement behind him and he shoved Ravio away just as the soldier swung his sword at the unstable man.

"Who are you talking about?" The soldier snapped as he was pulled back by Warriors while he put distance between them and Ravio.

"She was supposed to be with safe! I'm not suppose to be here!" Ravio cried out, as if he hadn't heard what was being asked at him.

"I was there! I was waiting for her at the house! I SHOULDN'T BE HERE!" Dropping the hammer, Ravio grabbed the side of his head with both hands, shaking his head violently.

"(y/n)..." He groaned in pain, eyes squeezing shut.

Warriors felt like he had been dumped in cold water.

"What did you say..?" He whispered.

Ravio's head shot up, a wild look on his face that Warriors couldn't quite recognize.

He...remembered?

---

She was brave...

That's what Ravio's first thought of her was, when Mr. Hero explained her situation to him.

A world without magic. A world nothing like theirs.

At least there was a way for him to return to Lorule. But for her...?

But she didn't let that get her down. In her eyes, if there was a way to land in Hyrule, there must be a chance to return home.

He liked that about her, liked her more when he got to properly know her.

Her bravery, her determination.

The determination to keep going even when she had no clue how to go about things.

But that determination to return home didn't stop her curiosity.

Ravio wouldn't deny how pleased he felt when she asked detailed questions about his items. Even more so when it turned into a conversation about Lorule.

Which became a routine whenever the group came by.

The culture, the history, the economy, there was always something new she wanted to ask him about his homeland.

He was a bit embarrassed to say he didn't know too much about most things she asked at first. But she never made him feel dumb about it.

Instead, she listened attentively as he tried to explain the differences between Hyrule and Lorule. Happily speaking of her world, describing the vast differences between here and there.

They would chat about those differences for hours on end. Which turned to a talk about the people back home, which would lead to a talk about each other's hobbies and opinions on things.

Anything they both wanted to talk about really.

It was only when Link interrupted them to announce dinner or something else that Ravio would realize how much time had passed.

All those questions that made him smile brightly, and it always made her laugh. Her laugh was wonderful and her smile was bright and contagious.

It made him crave to have the answers to the questions he couldn't give her. He'd return to Lorule just to gather books on those topics and study them.

He dared to say he knew more about his own home's history and of Hyrule's thanks to her curiosity.

When she returned, he was eager to show her what he managed to find.

Though he knew she wouldn't understand everything he said, it was simply a matter of her asking enough questions to make sense of it

Her enthusiasm was contagious when she spoke, especially since she never seemed disappointed or confused.

Sometimes he wondered whether that trait wasn't what attracted him to her at first.

He hadn't realized it at the time, but (Y/n)'s arrival had changed things. Everything about Ravio had changed. Every aspect of his life seemed to shift the longer he got to know her.

And it seemed he wasn't the only one who felt the same.

Watching the way Link and his companions began to behave around her.

Their gazes turning softer, smiles forming on their lips when she approached. They would sit closer to her whenever they had a chance and listen attentively to every story and ramble she shared.

How they each wanted to spend time with her. How the group seemed so much alive with her there.

How they felt like they needed to protect her because she was important to them.

How happy he saw them being when with her.

Not that he didn't understand. Being with her made him forget about everything that troubled him.

Everything simply felt better when with her.

He wasn't some strange fellow who people looked at oddly. He wasn't a coward that many people would mock.

He was simply Ravio to her.

...He liked being simply Ravio.

And being simply Ravio meant he was more perceptive than most others. (How else had he seen through Yuga's shoddy acting when he was manipulating Hilda.)

So it was almost immediate that he noticed the way the others became...attached to her.

How they started to focus more attention to her whenever she entered the room. How they began to follow her wherever she went. Even when she wished for a moment of solitude.

How they seemed to care for her a lot more now than before.

And while it was true that they were still worried over her safety but that wasn't exactly uncommon for them either.

But the way they treated her...

They were becoming...possessive. And protective. It was almost frightening actually.

Especially when they acted that way towards one another, especially around (Y/n).

How they glared at one another with venom one moment, only to look at her with absolute adoration the next.

How they looked at her as if she were the sun itself.

As if she were the entire world itself.

...Not that he blamed them. (Could he blame them?)

She was simply...perfect.

Not to say she was a flawless person that never made a mistake. No no.

But that's what made her perfect, she was human. She was herself.

She was real and real was beautiful.

He adored the times when Link would ask him to be her company, when they had business she couldn't join them in. (Business that had them strictly tell him what areas to not take her to, business that had them returning with a faint scent of blood.)

He spoke to her, let her speak whatever was on her mind. He joined her whenever she wanted to head to town or wander the area.

And with some made up excuses and a promise that she wouldn't go to certain places and to return at a certain time, he even let her wander off on her own.

He had been nervous about doing so. Because (he didn't what to consider the possibility that she would walk into danger if he wasn't there.) Link had told him to always be by her side.

But how could he listen to him when she would ask him with a nervous smile how she wanted some time to herself.

...She shouldn't smile like that. It should be happier, more carefree.

He could listen to Link about many things. (He had done so much for him and his homeland, it was the least he could do.)

But...what was the harm of letting her have a moment to herself? (Even if it felt like he was being torn to two whenever she had to leave.)

Yet when he gave her his conditions and told her he'd keep quiet...

That strained, nervous smile would relax into one more fitting. One full of joy and excitement.

He'd watch her wave at him as she wandered off, Sheerow fluttering around him.

Her journal under her arm and a bounce in her step. Only returning to the house when she vanished from his sight.

He'd spent the whole time she was gone debating what excuse or lie he would have to give to Link.

But she returned, always. With that beautiful wide smile, the tension gone from her shoulders.

His heart was melting and he wasn't sure how long it take for him to recover from such a beautiful sight. But he never wanted his heart to recover. (Not when it was caused by her.)

It was love. That's what he, what the heroes, felt.

What other emotion would make him feel as if his heart was filled with an endless warmth. As if his chest was going to explode with affection, with happiness, with love?

He loved (Y/n), and he knew everyone else did, too.

He didn't think his heart could beat this much when he thought of her. Not this fast, not this violently.

It almost hurt. It was almost too much.

But it was never enough. He wanted more.

When she smiled at him, his heart was ready to burst. When she held him, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her pull away. Never wanted to feel that cruel coldness that always came when she let go.

When she wrapped a loose arm over his shoulders when they sat together, when she drifted off to sleep and slumped against him.

When her eyes brightened when she saw him when she and the others next returned to the area.

It was him that made her have that look. Not the others, certainly not Link. (Perhaps not for a long while.)

He wanted to keep being the reason that she was happy and relaxed. (LookAtHimLookAtHimLookAtHim)

Ravio hated when she left, the world felt quieter, colors more muted.

But he waited patiently, because each parting meant she would return soon enough.

She always seemed tired when she returned, but Ravio tried his best to offer her a quiet space for herself. Her expression of gratitude made going behind Link's back all the more worth it.

Each parting meant a return.

When he last waved her goodbye. She seemed more quiet. She still looked at him warmly. Yet much more tired. Even as the others seemed oblivious to it.

But Ravio saw.

It lingered within his mind some time after. But he tried to argue with himself over what could have happened.

When he could think of nothing, he decided that the best course of action was to ask her in person. He wanted to help her, he wanted to ease her burdens, even a little.

So he waited for her return. Waited so he could ask her what he needed to do in order to take the weight that had been pressing down on her.

Waited so she could finally let herself have that moment of peace that had been so long coming.

...

.....

But she never came back....

No one did.

He waited and waited, waiting for her to return. Waiting for him to see the light in her eyes again.

He wanted to see her smile again. To hear that musical laugh.

Yet he waited. He waited as long as he could for her to come back but...she never did.

One month became two.

And neither she, nor Link and his companions returned.

'They...They're just delayed.' He rationalized in his head. From what Mr. Hero explained, they didn't get to choose where they went. So obviously they must have found a trail and went after that shadow.

Yes...it..it was a delay...they'll...she'll return...

Two months became three.

But no one came.

'What happened?' Ravio paced in the house, wringing his hands.

'Where did she go?'

He received no answer.

He got no response.

Only silence.

Silence that drove Ravio mad. A silence that only brought more questions.

Questions he could find no answers for.

(Why did they not return? Why were they delaying? What could possibly have happened?)

The silence was deafening and he loathed it.

"I...I just have to wait..." He whispered to himself, biting the tip of his thumb.

"I mustn't leave. She could return any day now." He shook his head, forcing his legs to start moving once more.

(He ignored the nagging feeling in his stomach that told him something horrible happened.)

He forced himself to stay still for a few moments. Breathing slowly. Slowly and deeply. Just...just until she returns. Just until she returns.

Just until she arrives, safe and sound, with a smile on her face and her eyes shining brightly like they had once before.

But the third month eventually led to four.

What happened? Why haven't they returned?

Had it been enemy? Had they've become trapped somewhere?

Had the heroes done something to her..?

Ravio's breathed hitched at the thought.

Why...why would he think that? He's seen how they act around her. Treating her like she created the stars in the sky.

They would never, never, do something that would lead harm to her.

(...But she's been so stressed lately.)

No. They wouldn't. They wouldn't do something like that. He knew that.

The heroes would never do something that could cause trouble between them and (y/n). They'd kill themselves before doing something that would harm her.

(But why did she only feel relaxed when away from them?)

He sighed, running a shaky hand through his hair, trying to calm the worry that plagued him.

They would be fine. (She'll be fine.)

He just has to believe that. They have to be fine.

'If anything happens, she knows she can always send a letter to me...right?.' he thought, had he ever told her that? Had he ever told her that even when traveling, she could always reach out to him?

Tears springing in his eyes as he buried his head in his palms.

What could have happened, what kept her away?

It wasn't his fault. He would never wish to cause her harm. He wanted her happy. (But he wasn't there with her all the time. The others though...)

The others...if they...if...he clenched his hands, taking deep breaths to keep himself from falling apart.

They...they wouldn't hurt her.

They may have become possessive, may have monitored her whereabouts...but they were...simply watching out for her...

...

...Right?

(But what if they crossed the line?)

A shudder ran through his body, his breathing becoming uneven again, panic starting to grip him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop his thoughts from spiraling out of control.

No...there was no way they could hurt her. (They knew better than that.)

But...what (did they do) happened...

There was no way they wouldn't be connected to it.

What...(did they do) happened?

(It's going to alright. Any day now. Any day.)

Four led into five.

What (did they do) happened?

And on the sixth month, he's unable to bear the quiet anymore.

He sits at the table, head in his hands. He long since closed up the shop. Unable to think.

Sheerow resting on his shoulder, trying to comfort him even if the little bird knew it was useless.

He needs to know why. Where is she? Is she alright? Who took her? How did they get her?

The questions ate at his heart and tore open everything he thought he had been keeping locked away.

What did they do?

Where were they? Where was she?

(What did they do? It's all wrong.)

"What did they do..." He said to himself, voice breaking. "Where...where are they?"

There was no door opening behind him.

No one to come and greet him, to apologize for taking so long.

No warm smile that would have easily soothed away the pain that had settled in his heart, placed months ago.

He doesn't notice the tears that began dripping silently onto the table.

No one was coming. But he didn't want to leave and be proven wrong.

So he stayed there, staring at the table, letting the pain overtake him. Tears streaming from his eyes and the fear and pain in his heart only growing.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped his hair tightly, staring blankly at nothing.

Everything was hurting him but he just wanted them to come back.

His heart was hurting him but all he wanted was for her to come back.

What did they do....

What did they do to her. (He wanted to find her but he had to stay. He had to be ready for her return.)

What did they do. (He wanted to go but he had to wait for her to return.)

What did they do. (He had to wait for her to return.)

He couldn't leave. (He had to wait.)

(He couldn't leave. He had to wait.)

(He couldn't leave.)

And all the while, his world was crumbling apart.

What did they do...

---

His eyes were greeted to open skies and the sounds of battle.

..He was nowhere near where he should be.

(He shouldn't be here. She could be back and she would think he forgot about her)

He was in a daze as he walked. He didn't know how long he did.

(Why was it so hard to breathe? Why did his heart heart so much? What was happening? He shouldn't be here.)

He stumbled and hit the ground hard, shaking.

"Hey! You shouldn't be here!" He heard footsteps approach. Several.

"A civilian? Here?" "Where did he come from?"

".. need to go home.." He whispered. "I... shouldn't be here."

"Well you're right about that." One said as he stood before him, Ravio could see his boots.

Slowly, he looked up at the soldier who stared down at him.

"You seem lost little man." The soldier said, a mockingly kind smile on his lips.

"Maybe you should come with us to make sure we don't bring you any more danger."

Before he could reply another spoke up. "He's weird. Look at the state of him."

"Probably is sick." Another said. "In the head I mean"

Laughter rang out among their group.

The words didn't register in Ravio's brain and he blinked, looking at the other men who surrounded him. His mind felt fuzzy and confused, he could barely hear the words that fell from their mouths.

"you think we should-"

" don't wanna escort this guy-"

"-we don'-"

"Where...is she..." he asked quietly, trembling. (He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be here.)

"Where is...she..?" The soldiers looked at eachother, then at him.

The one in front of him, their leader, chuckled.

"Aw, missing someone?" The soldier asked sarcastically.

(How could they joke about this. About her. She could be in danger.)

Ravio swallowed hard, the lump forming in his throat making it harder to breathe.

The man crouched down, smirking.

"You know we could help you find her." He offered. "For a price."

The group chortled.

"Where is she..." He repeated, his voice crackling. "Where..is she?"

He choked as he spoke.

The soldier leaned closer, staring straight into Ravio's brown eyes with an expression Ravio couldn't quite place. "You know, maybe this place has a bunch of dangerous monsters ." The man purred, a sinister glint in his eyes.

(Monsters? no no, she shouldn't be near monsters. She could get hurt...she could get hurt.)

"Who knows? Maybe she ran off, maybe she got cornered." Ravio let out a low whine at his comment, which made the group laugh again.

"That or she's dead."

'No. No.' He didn't want her dead. She had to be safe. She couldn't be dead. "No. Please, please...No." He whimpered.

The soldiers kept laughing. "Ohh. So sad. You must miss her, don't you?" He cooed.

"Please, don't say that-"

"Sorry. but that's war for you.." Their leader said. "There are a lot of casualties. She isn't special."

Ravio's breathing quickened, his body trembling violently.

(Her gone. Dead. Gone. Gone. She's not coming back.)

"What are we going to do with him..." Another soldier asked. "We have to finish patrols."

(She can't be gone. She can't. She can't be. She had to be safe.)

Their leader shrugged as he stood up.

"Where is she?" he repeated, hand reaching out to the soldier, only for him to kick it away, but Ravio didn't care about that. "Where is she?"

"Leave him. Seems deranged. Not our business." They continued walking past him, leaving Ravio in the dust.

(She's not gone. she's not. She's not.)

Ravio stood up, his breath quickening.

"Where is she.." He kept asking, His eyes widened, tears welling once again.

(Please...please, don't tell me she's gone.)

"already told you. Probably dead. Just accept it." Another soldier replied, walking past him to follow his friend. (Please...please.)

He gripped his head, shaking it.

(Nonononononononononono)

(She's not gone.)

He didn't feel himself letting go of his head. Didn't feel himself reach into his expandable pouch, the one he always carried because she told him it was always good to be ready for any situation.

Feel as he pulled out a weapon and turn to face the walking group.

(She's not deadShe's not deadThey know where she isThey are hiding herThey are trying to hurt her.)

He felt something inside him snap and suddenly, he shot out like a bullet towards the group.

The group hadn't realized what was happening, not until he was upon them, not until he grabbed the shoulder of the one who spoke to him and forced him to face him.

(What did you do.)

"Where is she." He rasped out. raising the hammer over his head with one arm.

"Where is she."

And He swung right at the soldier's head.

---

...What did you do Hero?

---

"What. Did. You. Do..." Ravio rasped out at Warriors. Frowning, staring right at the pale faced hero.

"You...remember...?" Warriors breathed.

(How was this possible? How could he remember? The probability of his sword brothers remembering was high, but the merchant?)

"Where is she?" Ravio took a step forward, never once taking his eyes off Warriors.

Warriors simply stared back, unable to properly register this situation.

"Where is she...? What did you do? Tell me, Hero. What did you do to her?!" Ravio demanded, slowly reaching down and grabbing the hammer's handle.

"..I-"

"Sir!" The soldier tried to step forward as Ravio grabbed his weapon but Warriors kept his arm up.

"You..." Ravio's voice trembled, "You were all supposed to come back. She was supposed to come back."

Warriors was quiet, trembling.

"I waited. But no one came." The Lorule merchant's lips twitched into a crooked smile.

"No one CAME! No one! Not you! Not her!" He laughed hysterically, pointing a trembling finger towards Warriors, "You were supposed to come back! You were supposed to keep her safe and happy!"

He let out a scream. His entire body shaking.

"Why didn't you come? You should have come back! I shouldn't be here!" He screamed.

"Ravio-" "Where is she!?" Warriors could only shake his head slowly at him.

"We...we-"

"WHERE IS SHE?!" He screamed louder.

"Ravio, please-"

"You promised!! You all promised to keep her safe! And you FAILED!!" Ravio screamed, he grabbed his hammer with both hands and he lunged towards Warriors.

"Get back!" Warriors shouted at the soldier behind him, dodging out to the way by jumping to the side.

"WHERE IS SHE!" He yelled, his head followed Warriors even as the hammer hit the ground, the impact breaking the surface swiftly.

"Please, listen to me!" Warriors shouted.

"I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!!"

Warriors continued to dodge as the hammer flew straight towards him. The force of the hammer hitting the wall where his head has been was felt even without touching it. A few stone shards flying across flying and onto the floor.

"Where is she? WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

Another slam. Another broken surface.

"Please! You have to listen to me!" Warrior pleaded looking back towards the other man.

"Sir this man is clearly insane-" The soldier was cut off by another slam, and another crack.

"Ravio, please." Warriors begged.

"SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE!!!" Ravio screamed. He continued to attack Warriors.

"I'm sorry." Was all Warriors could say.

Ravio sobbed, "I waited and waited." Ravio whispered, "But no one came."

"Ravio..."

"She could be back, and I'm HERE!" He screamed.

"She isn't..." Was all he could say to the merchant.

"I waited," Ravio cried, "She could have been in danger while I waited. I have to get rid of any danger. I have to find her."

"So you choose to kill our comrades?!" The soldier exclaimed, clamping his mouth shut as Warriors gave him a sharp look.

Ravio shook his head wildly again, groaning in pain.

"I have to get rid of the danger. I have to. She's not safe here."

"The soldiers...were a danger..." Warriors said, his words calm.

"Traitors..." Ravio groaned, "So many, I have to get rid of them. I have to kill them. She wouldn't be safe here. She doesn't KNOW."

"She's not here. But this place is not a threat anymore." Warrior stated, "You got rid of the enemies."

"Sir! You can't just-" Warriors gave the foolish soldier such a fierce glare, the man stumbled back.

Turning back to Ravio. He continued to speak calmly.

"You did well to get rid of the traitors," He continued, "Less enemies to harm her."

"I waited..." Ravio whimpered. "I waited so long."

"I'm sorry you did." He spoke softly, slowly stepping forward, not removing his eyes from the merchant's. "But I can explain what's happening, I can tell you how we can find her again."

Ravio looked at him.

"Find her again.." He mumbled back.

"Yes. We can find her again." He said gently, reaching out with one hand to touch Ravio's shoulder. Ravio flinched before relaxing slightly.

"You don't care about the rest of the world. Neither do I. Only She matters, right?" Ravio slowly nodded at him.

"We have to get rid of any traitors here." Warriors continued, "Get rid of any possible danger to her. We have to make sure this place is safe for her, right?"

"They...said they didn't know where she was..." Ravio said, still hesitant but less aggressive than before.

"They said they didn't know...but I knew they were lying..." He shook his head, blinking repeatedly, as if to clear his vision. "I knew better. Traitors always lie. I was going to force them to tell me, but they were stubborn, liars..."

"So you killed them." Warriors finished, nodding his head.

Ravio nodded his head again. "I...She's not here...w-where is she?" He repeated, his whole body trembling violently.

"...She's gone." Warriors replied.

Ravio stared at Warriors with wide eyes. "Gone...?"

"She...had to go somewhere.." Warriors said calmly, "We all did...it's why you're here too..."

"...Why I'm here..."

"Think about it, why would you be here?" Warriors asked Ravio, who continued to stand still. "You've been waiting patiently for her return. Why would you be here when she hasn't returned yet?"

"I..."

"It's alright. Just think. Why are you here. You remember this place don't you? Do you remember me? How we first met?"

"..War...Cia..." Ravio mumbled, his breathing heavy. Warriors nodded.

"The sorceress, the war she began. We are currently fighting her. Tell me Hero of Lorule," Warriors felt Ravio flinch under his hand, "How can you be here, how can we be fighting her if you were waiting for (y/n) back home?"

Silence filled the room for several moments, as Ravio stood there and processed everything that was said.

His gaze lowered to the ground, his eyes watering. His lip quivering.

Finally, he managed to look up at Warrior, fear in his eyes.

"She's...not.." He whispered, trailing off, but Warriors knew what he was asking.

"...She isn't..." Warriors replied, eyes softening as he thought of her, "But she is not here. You remember when you met her, right?"

Ravio nodded.

"But if you think about it, that point in time hasn't happened yet." Warriors reasoned, "So if you're here, and the point of time when you met her is farther down the line, what do you think that means..?"

"That she's still alive." Ravio answered quietly.

"Precisely."

"She's not dead." He said slowly. "She's...She's okay?"

"Right." Warriors smiled weakly.

"...Is she really alive?"

"She's not dead. That woman is very strong."

"Strong..." Ravio nodded, thinking of her. "She is very strong." He raised his head.

"What...what do we do?" He asked, wringing his bloodied hands, the fierce aggression that had been behind those eyes now settling, replaced with exhaustion and nervousness. "W-What should we do now?"

"..First we needed to meet up with the others, it's better to be around those you trust when feeling like this." Warriors explained, "Then we can decide on what to do next."

Ravio stared up at him, slowly nodding before looking around.

"...The...bodies..." Warriors looked at the corpses around them, eyes empty of any emotion.

"What about them?" He asked,

"Traitors..." Ravio muttered.

"We'll destroy the entrance to this cave..." He answered, "Lie and say an ambush took them out. They were never meant to live beyond the war anyways."

Ravio nodded, appeased by his response.

He shrugged, "Traitors don't live past their usefulness."

"How could you say that?!?" Warriors looked over his shoulder at the sudden outburst.

The soldier had his sword pointed at him. "These people risked their lives! And you decide to leave them here and take that...that monster with us?!??"

Warriors raised an eyebrow, "I don't see how you care, you abandoned them to save yourself."

"That...is not true!" The soldier shouted back, "I went to get help!!"

"You all saw Ravio here, decided to be drunk on power and harass a clearly out of sorts man." Warriors stated, turning to face the soldier, "And when he took out several of your 'comrades', despite your clear advantage in numbers, you decided escape was the better option."

The soldier, who's stance became slightly shaky, stepped backwards slightly, "Th...those are not...true."

Warrior chuckled, it was not a pleasant sound. "Oh...you didn't think I knew about your little group's power trips when left alone with any refugees?"

He looked at the soldier, "No. Of course I knew about that, I knew about the bribes you took to lie about reports, how you tried to lord your status as a soldier to get what you wanted out of civilians." Warriors tsk'd.

" What Ravio did to your comrades ...that wasn't part of your plan, was it? You wanted to use you authority to take advantage of a clearly unstable man and when it turned out to be a bad move, you abandoned your fellow men to save yourself."

He chuckled lightly, "A shame though; I might've gotten something of use out of them before I took them out myself."

"No...they-I....!" He exclaimed, sounding desperate. "I did this because I was forced to!"

"Always with an excuse." Warrior stated, looking at the soldier steadily, "But no matter, I had no plans to keep you alive the moment I realized who you cornered."

"You...You can't!"

"Traitors," He scoffed, "No matter how many of you are taken out, sooner or later, someone else will always step in to take your place."

He stared down the soldier, "So killing you really won't make much of a difference. But I suppose extermination of insects never is."

The soldier trembled violently.

"You're a monster!" He shouted at him, "You are nothing but a traitorous monster!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Warrior replied, "How very hurtful...and predictable, you all always say the same thing when you face judgement."

"Y...You'll pay for this!" He growled, lunging forward at the Hero.

"DIE!!!" The soldier shouted, raising his sword once more.

Warriors stood there calmly as the man charged forward.

But his attack never landed.

The soldier could only let out a gurgle noise as a blade pierced his neck from behind.

"One lesson I learned when dealing with traitors," Warriors said simply, as the soldier collapsed to the floor, "Always bring backup."

The soldier let out a choking gurgle, a hand trying to stem the blood escaping his neck.

Warriors slowly walked over to the dying man, staring at him.

"Hm...I just realized." Warriors commented, crouching down.

"But what was your name again?"

The soldier's eyes widened, a flash of rage passing through his eyes, but just as quickly as it appeared, it faded.

Along with the life that those eyes once held.

Warriors stared at the dead man for a moment before looking up.

"Thank you for the assistance, Time."

"You enjoy making me deal with your messes." Ravio jumped at the young voice that came out of nowhere.

He blinked, and suddenly, a young boy was standing next to Warriors and the corpse, a grey, stone like mask in his hand.

The boy was familiar...

"...The...old man..." Ravio uttered, still blinking in confusion.

The deceivingly young hero looked up at him and nodded.

"I'd say it's good to see you again merchant, but I doubt you wanted to wake up here in the first place." He said as he reached over and pulled out his sword from the corpse.

Ravio twitched but nodded all the same.

Warriors stood up, dusting his pants, "Where's Sailor?"

"Getting the bombs ready to seal up this place." Time answered, flicking the blood off his sword.

Warriors nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to face Ravio.

"We're heading out now."

"Also, here." Time reached into his pouch and pulled out something large.

Ravio blinked. Oh, his hood.

The child hero tossed the hood over to the merchant who caught it.

"Alright then, follow me." Warriors began walking away, Time following.

"Will we...see her soon?" Ravio asked quietly, Warriors didn't pause.

"We will, eventually...but for now, we need to wait just a bit longer."

Ravio shifted in place.

He...didn't want to wait anymore. He was tired of waiting.

...But this time he wasn't the only one waiting, was he?

"If she isn't at the end..." Ravio said after a moment, "...then I'll kill you"

"...And I'd let you." Warriors answered as he kept walking. Time silently following, but the glance he gave the Lorule merchant said the same thing.

Ravio was free to kill them if she wasn't there.

Absorbing that answer, Ravio silently followed them.

---

Ravio silently stared at the letter and his bracelet on the table.

The captain hadn't informed him of what were the contents within, but he said it would help his counterpart greatly.

Tomorrow he would head into Hyrule to find Link.

The war had helped him get his mind settled straight.

Guided by the three heroes, he was able to learn control over his emotions, able to have a plan to focus on. It helped, when he returned to a desolate Lorule, one without it's Triforce. One where Hilda was manipulated by Yuga.

But not that he had a problem hiding his thoughts.

Who would expect cowardly ol' Ravio?

Ravio stared at the bracelet and letter. Thinking about everything that would happen, what could happen.

Just a little longer and he'll see her again.

He just had to wait a little longer. He wasn't the only one who prayed she was at the end.

He wondered how Link was handling this. A part of him worried for his Hyrulian counterpart. (Understandable really, to be away from her was utter pain.)

He hoped she was there.

Because Ravio, he didn't want to kill them.

Because killing them meant she wasn't there.

So he hoped, hoped that he didn't have to kill them.

He didn't want to even consider the idea that she wasn't there.

So he wasn't going to kill them. Because she was going to be there. He just had to wait a bit longer.

Whatever punishment he could come up with was nothing compared to what they must all be feeling. So he will meet his counterpart with an open mind. (Only when she was back, safe and sound, would he speak to him about it.)

He sighed, setting the two items in his desk and headed towards his bed.

He fell asleep early that night, he wanted tomorrow to come soon.

Because then he's one step closer being with her again.

...

(His heart still hurt. The world was still so cold.)

#side stories #TTAU: Side Stories #linked universe #yandere linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #loz #lu ravio #Lu warriors #lu time #(y/n)#linked universe x y/n

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viablemess · 5 months

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I have a lot of feelings about the Durin Family, Fili in Particular

---Howdy folks it is that time of year again where i go absolutely feral for Fili Durin. He is underappreciated and tumblr has addressed that but i feel an URGE to add to the discourse so here I am. This post is not done, fyi. I will add more to it later.

It's 10pm/22:00. I just got home from class. I'm waiting for my ramen water to boil. There is a fireplace and some holiday lights. Let's have a (fireside)chat.

First of all, the constant tying of Fili and Kili together?? Like I get it. Merry and Pippin parallels. I love parallels (looking at you, George), but come on. Chill, just a tad. I know Tolkein didn't give you much to go by, but he didn't even write tauriel into the books or Bolg and yall ran with that anyways. Use your creative brains, pls, I'm actually begging you.

ANYWAYS. Have them develop separately even if only a little. Kili is the younger one, literally viewed younger bc he has the smallest itty bitty beard. He is not the heir, he is the spare, and could have some deep rooted personal insecurities about that as a result. He may feel that he deeply has to prove himself to Thorin bc he does not have a set role in the future like Fili does. Kili gets his romance with Tauriel, which--khgf;ushfw;e uneneccary, but I can appreciate the attempt to broaden the target market and appeal to a romance audience even if the previews did not hint at that happening at all so it would not have been a marketable trait per say but I digress. Again with the parallels of forbidden romance, poor Legolas still does not get any, we know, he was not even in the books really either, let's move on.

Kili is babied by the company, needs to prove himself, his mother made him promise to return to him so he is still deeply in the "coming of age" side of things (a lot of the company is, but that's a topic for another word vomit fireside chat). He begins to realize that he might like elves which goes against his family and he was already the spare, might as well go all in and fall in love with an elf. Fine. I can deal with that. But let's see more of Kili messing up, more so than just the trolls. Let's see him make silly goofy mistakes more. The company always tries to keep him out of the line of fire by making him an archer (heh) and keeping him off the front lines. They do everything to protect him, bc Dis is a terrifying woman, ansd if she made Kili promise to return to her, dammit, the company will return him to her if it is the last thing they do. Kili likely spends less time with Thorin and Dwalin than his brother, so here he is, questioning his own self worth and if he belongs in the party and his own abilities while coming of age and sticking out from his family even more, so why not rebel a little? why not be an archer which is not as glorified, why not consider shaving to meet cross cultural beauty standards, why not date the elf (dammit, I'm convincing myself for Tauriel's presence and I hate that). He's trying his best and messing up along the way, and is INNOCENT. Completely. He is aware of his ancestry and what happened, but he and Bilbo are the two being narrated to when telling of the Durin family history, and as a result, the differences in dwarven / hobbit culture could be explored further. Thorin has a little kiddo to watch out for, and maybe is softer around, because even Thorin knows Kili is young, maybe even too young to be here but if they didn't let him come he would have snuck after them, so we get to see a more forgiving, family-man Thorin who we do not see anywhere else (and yes we get that at the end of the movie but I'm getting to my critique of the (I almost called it a keldabe wrong fandom) forehead touch with a name I cannot recall later).

Onto his brother. Fili is the heir, okay. So, that means that he is likely raised very differently from Kili. Whereas Kili may have had some time to play and be a kid (as much as they could in the Blue Mountains as refugees, anyways), Fili likely was given no such privilege. He followed Thorin around like a lost puppy, watching his every move and trying to imitate it, because he knew he would have to do Thorin's job someday. Even if Thorin did get married / have a kid / etc there would likely still be a window where Fili was in charge before Thorin's kid came of age, and as the years went on, the chances of that happening diminished, and so Fili threw himself more and more into his crown-prince-studies. Maybe a little obsessively, just like his uncle, who had practically stepped into the role as father. Because Fili thought he had to be Thorin. Thorin, meanwhile, saw the King that Fili could be, and that King was so much better than him. Fili grew up humble as a result of them all being refugees, something Thorin did not have to learn until much later and even then he never fully got it. Fili was kind, because he saw the suffering of his people, and understood how large of a difference a small act could make. Fili also had the teachings of Thorin drilled into him, because Thorin's problem was that whenever he saw Fili, he also saw Frerin. Frerin was Thorin's younger brother, just as blond as Fili, and (I'm assuming) played a roll in Fili's name (both starting with F). Frerin died at the Battle of Azanulbizar, and Thorin remembers that battle, he remembers losing his little brother. He can understand the fear that Fili feels whenever the company encounters a fight because he has felt the same in the worst of ways. But, because Thorin understands, he pushes Fili to be better than him. Even if that pushing is too much, too hard, too fast, too young--Thorin knows that Fili can be better than him, and Thorin does not want Fili to suffer as he has suffered, so he does everything in his power to prepare Fili for what is to come, and because Thorin loves him, that is all he does. He pours that love out as motivation and pushes Fili to do more, do everything, and do it better than he did. Fili, being young, does not realize this. He just sees it as Thorin preparing him to be king, and quite brutally at that, but Thorin is the closest thing he has to a father, Fili is not going to question it, not for anything, except for his little brother. And that just hurts Thorin, because he knows that, had he had the chance, he would have died to save Frerin at Azanulbizar. He knows Fili would do the same for Kili, but they are both so, so young. Thorin fears he could lose them both in one go, if he is not careful. So he is harsh, he scares them, he is forceful, because they do not have time for care and coddling, that won't keep them safe.

Whereas the company sees Kili as carefree and fun, Fili is cold, like his uncle. He is stone, and observant, and polite. He has to be Thorin, AND everything that Thorin is not. It is an impossible task, but he has to try. That is what is expected of him, not just by his mother and uncle, but by the entire people that is behind him, waiting for him to ascend to be king. He does not get a choice. The only one who can pull him out of that rut is his brother, with whom he actually feels like he can be what he is -- barely older than a kid.

Im gonna let that sink in for a second. They're CHILDREN.

anyways.

So, Kili gets his romance plot. It's cute and it parallels. And I've established that Kili must prove himself, and Fili will bend over backwards to make Thorin happy, which likely also extends to Dis, his mother.

I imagine Dis gave Kili the river rock to come back home, and she told Fili "be safe, don't be stupid, etc etc" but HIGHLIGHTED "take care of your brother", and Thorin does the same in the movies.

So, when Kili galavants up the bridge to open the gate after the party does a little slip and slide down the river, Fili naturally goes with. He sees that Kili is about to get shot. And Fili, who knows above all else he has to be king and he has to take care of Kili, just does the normal heroric thing and jumps in front, and he gets shot.

He is chastized for it, for being stupid, but overall they both are thanked for getting them out of the mess, and there is no time to waste because the company has to leave, and Fili (like what Kili did albeit maybe with more conviction) will not let others help him, or show weakness. So Fili continues on, poisoned, and Kili has the guilt of knowing his brother took an arrow meant for him. Fili must suffer the consequences of being a hero, and Kili must suffer the consequences of being the youngest, and feeling guilty for not taking responsibility for his own actions.

This all boils over to a fight where Kili tells Fili that "I made the choice to go up there, I didn't ask you to intervene!" because dammit Kili wants to be treated like an adult and FIli just took that away from him, again.

Fili, naturally, retorts, "I just did what I had to, because you know what? mom didn't tell me to come home--all she told me, all everyone ever tells me--is to take care of you! So I don't matter, not to this family, not in the same way you do. You're a son. I'm a prince."

Which, ouch. Slap in the face to Kili, and maybe the company overhears. Kili feels slighted, but also maybe is starting to understand, he can be a kid, Fili cannot. And Fili, meanwhile, is about to break from the weight of expectations that feels heavier than the lonely mountain ever could.

So, Kili stays with Fili when they get to Bard's, because it is what Fili would have done for him. Thorin is pissed, but lets it go, because Kili isn't Fili, and ouch, again.

I imagine Bofur helps quite a bit, he has a kind soul and listens better than most, and while Fili is delirious with fever Bofur talks him through it. Kili gets to be more coherent with Tauriel, and we get to see if their relationship actually holds up outside of a "she saved my life I love her" style of interaction which bleh is cliche as all get out.

and PLEASE when the dwarves do get out of Bard's house, they get to actually help Bard deal with the dragon. I read a fic a long time ago (if I find it I'll link it and the author below) where Fili had to be Bard's arrow anchor instead of Bard's son and I just chef's kiss. The dwarves who are left get to help the humans, and they feel more sympathy for them. Maybe they witness more death, and so when the dwarves do turn their backs on the humans later, Fili, Kili, Bofur, Bifur & crew are like "wait wtf they have suffered enough" unlike their future indifference we see in the movie.

and THEN all the dwarves arrive at the mountain, and Fili and Kili actually get welcomed home like the family they ARE, but it's stunted, because something is wrong with Thorin. He is glad to see Kili and Fili, but barely spares them a glance. They've heard the rumors and stories, of gold sickness. They begin to wonder, and we get to see them talk (probably with Bilbo) about the concept in secret where everyone is looking for the arkenstone. We get to see Kili with his hero worship refuse to believe Thorin would fall under a gold thrall. We get to see Fili, who is afraid of becoming like Thorin, too scared to enter the treasury unless immensly pressured to do so, and even then someone is always with him, because he worries. He still holds the ruby Thorin threw at him, and he keeps it in his pocket. He holds it so tight the edges cut his palm, and the pain seems to distract him from the wealth that surrounds him. I always wondered if Thorin gave Fili that ruby because he was the heir, or the only dwarf with so much gold about their person, with his hair. It was what Thorin saw first, not because it was his nephew, but because he looked like the very thing that already clawed Thorin down into his own demise.

AND NOW the war starts. and this needs to be another post bc ffs I'm losing my shit this is much too long.

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azures-bazar · 1 year

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A Man From Another Time

A new one ! No need to remind you about my very strange writing schedules lmao This one came out of a corner of my mind as I asked myself "what if Arthur travelled with Francis Sinclair to 2023 ?"

I think I'll be doing a whole series of Modern!Arthur ! I just love picturing him trying things from the 21st century and being like totally thrilled by his discoveries !

And look at these absolutely gorgeous blue dotted socks

Modern - Arthur Morgan x GenderNeutral!Reader

Word count : 3.1k

Short summary : Somehow, Arthur has time-travelled with you to your own era, and discovers a world he never thought about.

A/Note : It’s based on a French experience, forgive me if it’s inaccurate.

Tags : cute, Arthur being like a kid, modern technologies, where are horses ?, overwhelmed boah, time-travelling, from 1899 to 2023, Francis Sinclair, post chapter 6

******

"Where are the horses ?"

This was the very first thing Arthur asked when you took him out in the city you were living in. His arrival at your place was rather strange and sudden as you woke up one night with him standing in your living room, completely unfazed and scared about something that might have happened earlier on. You had switched all lights on, absolutely terrified by this tall man wearing a union-suit, covered in bruises, coughing blood, unarmed, who looked at you with fear in his eyes. The only thing which made you keep your calm was Francis Sinclair, who was with him, holding him by the shoulders.

"We need some help here !" Francis had told you

You had met Francis while having a drink at the bar. He had first told you about time-travelling, you did not expect it to be true until he made you go through a door which led you straight to Saint-Denis, somewhere in 1899. Francis was a very peculiar man who had enjoyed playing with your thoughts about time-travelling. You never expected to move from an era to another, being somewhat scared to cause a paradox which would lead to some serious issues in your own time. You had watched many movies about paradoxes and did not want ending up into one of them.

The very first thing Francis had explained you was that Arthur had a tuberculosis, leading you to rush to your car in the middle of the night to drive to the nearest hospital. Arthur was absolutely mortified when he got inside, not saying a single word, even when you got to the hospital and dragged him inside. He coughed, still shaken and limping. Francis kept explaining him that you were going to see a doctor, but Arthur felt scared by what was happening. He had followed Francis into this strange door leading to your place, and there he was, with all these folks wearing white blouses and masks surrounding him. He had to remain at the hospital for a few days for his health to stabilise itself with the set of antibiotics given to him. You heard his voice for the first time when he got surprised by the doctor’s response to his illness.

"Tuberculosis has a cure ?"

Yes, his illness had a cure, there was enough hope for him to survive with the modern medicine. If Francis had decided to leave him behind in 1899, Arthur would have died on the top of that mountain in Roanoke Ridge. Francis had brought him to you right after Dutch had abandoned him, and Arthur was still devastated by this set of events that had happened a few minutes ago. In fact, he unexpectedly tried looking around the room to spot you nearby, afraid someone else was about to abandon him. You could not do that, you could not leave this poor man behind.

"You’re gonna be okay, sir." a nurse told him. "What’s your name ?"

"Arthur…" he groaned. "Arthur Morgan... I…I was…-"

"It’s okay, you’re okay."

Tears started streaming on his cheeks as they put an oxygen mask over his bruised face, you had watched him from distance while Francis had explained you the whole situation about Arthur’s old gang falling apart, his father-figure turning against him, his overall sacrifice for his brother. You felt the need to take care of him, Francis did not bring him to you by mistake, he knew you would help.

"It’s alright Arthur, we’re gonna take care of you." the nurse had told Arthur to calm him down

You had spent that night next to Arthur’s bed at the hospital, holding his hand while he was coughing, sobbing while remembering these past events, the way Dutch had betrayed him. You had tried your best to calm him down all night long, almost feeling devastated for this man you did not even know, ready to give up a piece of your own freedom to nurse him back to health and, probably, make him forget about his former life. He was certainly going to have some hard time to accommodate to this world, 124 years ahead of his time.

****

You had been taking care of Arthur for weeks already, Francis having been gone somewhere, leaving you alone with this peculiar roommate. You gave him your room, sleeping on the sofa of the living room in order to provide him with his own personal space and not bother him while you were either cooking, doing your laundry, watching tv or even working from home. For the first few days, Arthur hardly left your room, feeling constantly tired and mostly unable to walk around your place, only making it to the bathroom. These antibiotics given to him were certainly a cause to this permanent exhaustion, but he did not mind. He thanked you for nursing him back to health and being so kind with him perhaps twice a day.

His attitude was sweet, if not downright clingy at times. Arthur’s overall trauma following Dutch’s abandonment led him to develop a permanent need to have you around him, you could not spend a whole day at your workplace because you knew how much your guest longed to have you with him. After searching on the internet, you had found that Arthur was most likely suffering from a severe PTSD, but you did not mind. In fact, you enjoyed having Arthur near you, knowing he was feeling relaxed by hearing your footsteps, your voice, or by just seeing you.

Arthur had put all his trust on you since you brought him back from the hospital. Despite displaying his usual rowdy behaviour at times, he still obeyed your rules. You liked his overall presence at home, it made your life more enchanting to know that you were not going back to your empty place, but were going to see Arthur. It certainly brought the two of you quite close, enough for you to start displaying some physical affection towards him., something he had mostly forgotten following his arrival at your place. Sometimes, you would run your fingers in his hair, and he adored that. He adored everything you were doing to him. You were like an angel, his saviour. The one who almost brought him back to life.

Some moments were certainly funnier than others. When Arthur started feeling better, he finally had the occasion to take a shower instead of rubbing some wet cloth on his body. Poor man spent about ten minutes trying to figure out how your shower worked, absolutely shocked to feel hot water coming of it. You could hear him laugh, not used to this peculiar feeling it gave him. It tickled him ! Sometimes, he would even sing under shower, humming a few old songs with his rather raspy voice. At some point, he nearly broke your hairdryer, not fully understanding how it worked. Oh, and also your coffee machine. Arthur was not good with modern technologies yet.

You had seen him glance through the window for days, looking around your room, reading some of the books you had on your shelves. Once he felt better, he even walked inside the living room and was absolutely amazed by the TV, looking around to see where the projectionist platform was. He had jumped back when you switched it on, swearing at your TV for being so loud. When he first saw your phone laying on the counter, he took it between his hands and genuinely believed it was some piece of decoration.

"What’s that ?" he had asked, not understanding what this device was, looking like a very tiny TV screen

"It’s a phone. I’ll get you one, someday."

"That lil’ thing’s a phone ? You gotta be kiddin’ me !"

"You can even take instant pictures with it. And record stuff."

"Instant pictures and record ? But can you still call folks ?"

Arthur’s rather childish fascination for the modern world was fun to watch. It took you about a week to explain him how your TV worked, how your laptop could be switched on, how he could use your keyboard, having been used to typewriters… or to his own hands. His face, whenever you were switching your phone or your laptop on, was absolutely priceless ! You saw him randomly gaze the ceiling, trying to understand how your light bulb worked from up there. At some point, he kept playing with the switch, being mesmerised by how quick your lights could switch on and off.

"What a progress !" he exclaimed

You had introduced him to 20th century music, he seemed to be fond of rock and roll and awkwardly had danced on some songs from The Doors or The Rolling Stones. At least, he was doing much better than the day Francis brought him, even when he was listening to sad songs like the ones from Johnny Cash. His overall fascination for modern music was beautiful to witness, he even shed tears while listening to some songs he found sad. It was so hard for him to accommodate to this world, but listening to modern music made it easier.

At some point, you decided to take him out to show him the world you lived in. You had bought Arthur some clothes from local thrift stores after explaining him how men were dressing themselves up. He loved tee-shirts and sweatpants, you had mostly seen him wandering around your place dressed in those. Knowing you were going outside to take a walk, Arthur decided to ditch his sweatpants to wear some jeans instead. It suited him well ! You had trimmed his hair every three months, no one would have thought that man was from 1899 at first sight… until he would start talking.

As soon you left your place, Arthur felt overwhelmed by the world surrounding him. He had not stepped a foot outside your place since you brought him back from the hospital following his diagnosis. His first remark was quick to come, he came from 1899, when cars were far from being as popular as they at your time. Where were the horses ? You took your time to explain him that these shiny metallic figures on four wheels were the equivalent stagecoaches, and that motorcycles could be seen as the modern version of horses. At first, Arthur believed horses were all gone.

"So you killed all horses ?!" he gasped, looking somewhat angered and shocked

"Of course not !" you chuckled. "We just don’t use them anymore, but we don’t kill them. Cars are way faster than horses, so that’s why they got built. For us to travel faster."

"What’s the point of goin’ faster if you can’t take time to look around ?"

"Our society makes us want things fast, and cars are one of the tools which allows us to be faster."

Arthur nodded. What an overwhelming sight, a massive amount of information to process ! He wanted to analyse one of the cars parked nearby and moved on to the road to gaze at the wheels, a bus nearly ran into him as you jerked him towards you. Arthur looked petrified when as the bus passed by so fast, clinging his fists onto your shirt. He was obviously not used to see vehicles move at such speed!

"Good lord !" he gasped. "I nearly got killed right here !"

"Alright, I think you’re going to hold my hand."

Arthur did not respond, he did not even react when you grabbed his hand. You started walking on the sidewalk, keeping Arthur close to you while he kept looked around, nearly stumbling a few times, not looking where he was going. You almost felt like you had a giant child with you as he spent about a third of his time asking you what this place was, why there were green and red lights, why the buildings were sometimes this high, where were the sherifs. At some point, he even stopped your walk to glance at the store, exposing clothes for women. Some casual high-waisted shorts with black shirts.

"So women only wear underwear now ?" he asked. "They ain’t covering their ankles anymore ?"

"Some still do. Depending on your cultural beliefs, you can cover your ankles, your hands, or your head."

"And women walkin’ around in their actual underwear is acceptable now ?"

"No. Men and women can’t just walk in their underwear."

You were not ready to explain him anything about swim wear, he would probably confuse bikinis and boxers with actual underwear. Arthur was discovering a new world, enough for you to smile at him when he was stopping to look at casual things which were not this casual in his time. He even got completely amazed by a screen moving on a nearby billboard, showing an image of a Neil Armstrong going during the landing on the moon. An exhibition about Apollo 11 was currently available in your city.

"What’s that ?" he asked, pointing at the image

"What ? The rocket ?"

"I get it’s a rocket, but why is thy feller going down ? Where was he ?"

"Oh, that’s Neil Armstrong about to set foot on the moon. There’s an ex…-"

"Someone set foot on the moon ?!"

He was shocked by this, as his core memory was still focused on 1899, with electric chairs still in progress and planes being only prototypes. Arthur would have been around 106 years old in 1969, provided he did not have tuberculosis, survived two World Wars, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Military Administration until 1944. You decided to take him to the exhibition for him to learn more about the events which led to the Apollo 11 mission, Arthur did not let go of your hand, asking you several questions about the short movies displayed, spatial suits, even what a rocket looked like. His puppy eyes glancing around the exhibition made your day more bright, he was almost not the same man the one Francis had brought you months ago !

After the exhibition, you took a break in the park. Arthur casually took a cigarette out of one of his pockets. He was looking at people walking by, families and simple town folk, dressed so differently than people from his own era. For months, he had not left your place, he barely knew what people looked like and how they behaved. He still tried greeting them, but a vast majority of them did not respond to his peculiar politeness. People did not greet each other anymore, at least in cities, and it somehow made him sad. Arthur suddenly turned back to you and pointed a plane passing above your city.

"Y/N ! What’s that ?!"

I"t’s a plane, Arthur." you smiled. "People take them to travel faster. Faster than cars."

"Can we try goin’ on a plane ?"

"Sure thing, but not now."

"That’s so amazing ! I wasn’t born in the right era !"

You wanted to contradict him. As far as you knew, you had experienced numerous financial crises, were on a brink of a new war and had gone through a global pandemic. You deeply wanted to tell Arthur that he was somewhat wrong, but the sheer innocence he kept displaying made you change your mind. In no way could you spoil this moment, stop the discovery of this new world.

After a day wandering around the city, Arthur felt exhausted. He had not walked this much for weeks, still trying his best to remain in shape while being around your place, carrying the groceries from your car to the kitchen, sometimes doing the laundry for you, cleaning the plates when you were not home while watching TV. He enjoyed watching documentaries to learn more about the your own world and like sitcoms like F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and Malcolm, often asking you to watch these with him. You still requested him to help you to prepare some food, to which he obliged. He loved doing this and secretly loved being with you.

You ate before the TV, watching an old romantic movie you could not even name. Arthur nearly fell asleep in the process while his arm carefully moved around your shoulders. You smiled as you noticed him slowly drifting into sleep, still strong enough to make a very first move towards you. He had done that before, mostly preferring short embraces or resting his head on your shoulder at times, allowing you to kiss his forehead or his cheek. This was a big move !

"Arthur, go to bed." you smiled, gently passing your hand through his hair you had cut yourself

"Hmmm… yeah…"

Arthur rose from your couch and limped towards your bedroom, getting his jeans off to fall on the bed. His legs were so painful, enough for him to struggle lifting them up ! You calmly approached him, dragging a blanket above him, his eyes remained open.

"Care to join me ?" he smiled

"Well… why not."

You took a few clothes off, slipping under the blanket as Arthur dragged you into a very sudden embrace. You had almost forgotten how your own bed felt like, being used to your sofa. His warm body made you feel safe, very safe. His arms were wrapped around your waist, he had forgotten how great it felt to have someone to embrace. He kissed the top of your head as the two of you drifted asleep, leading you to wake up alone the next day. You glanced around, stretching a little as you heard the faint sound of your coffee machine in the living room, leading you to leave your room to come face to face with Arthur standing before the counter, having prepared you a warm coffee.

"Mornin’ darlin’." he smiled. Made you some coffee.

Arthur looked delightful, wearing a large white top with a pair of green boxers you had thought would be cool on him. He was also wearing these funny winter-themed socks you had offered him on a random occasion ! A pair of red socks with Christmas trees and stars on the. He first thought they were ridiculous, but came to enjoy them, cherishing them like any gift you were willing to offer him. He had even baked a chocolate cake !

"Morning." you smiled, kissing his cheek while he was sipping his coffee, causing him to blush. "Didn’t know you could use the oven !"

"Well… I tried some stuff." Arthur answered with a large smile. "Red a book and cooked."

You smiled even more more at Arthur’s sudden pride. He did really well, the cake tasted great. At first, you had forbid him to use the oven, being persuaded he would cause much more trouble than expected. You did not want to come back from work and find out that your place was one fire because Arthur was not able to understand how your oven worked. These past months were fun and you looked up for what was ahead. Arthur was just a man from another time, lost in a world that was not his… but, at least, he was no longer ill and was doing alright, mostly !

to be continued, maybe, maybe

#arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #rdr2 #gender neutral #arthur morgan fanfiction #rdr2 fanfic #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption fanfiction #red dead redemption au #azurestales #our modern boah #modern arthur morgan #my gifs

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lilavatilikeslemons · 4 months

Text

Lacuna

A gap, or a missing part.

Reminder: this is a work of my imagination, and is not meant to hurt anyone's sentiments.

---------

As Sita looked over at the Prince breaking the bow, everyone could feel the Earth shaking- to its very core.

Lifting that bow was no easy feat. And the one who did, they couldn't even string it, let alone break it. After all, it was the Great bow of Mahadev.

As he broke the bow, her eyes widened, as a sense of joy unfurled in her chest. She could not believe it.

It was the very prince she had seen in the garden, a few days ago. The very prince, who she heard had made everyone's heads turn, the second he stepped foot in their city.

His name was Ram, they said.

And now, that very prince was going to be the man she would wed.

Many kings had come. From the Mountains of the north, to the coasts of the South- many had tried their luck at winning her hand in marriage.

But to no avail, everyone failed- except this very prince.

As their eyes met, it felt like the world came to a stop. Not a single beat of rhythm- except her pounding heart.

It was as if they knew each other already, and had just seen one another after a long separation.

Both of them had always been called ideal- perfect, even, by everyone around them.

But something had been missing.. a lacuna, of sorts.

And it was at this moment, that this lacuna had been filled, with nothing but a mere glance, the smallest moment of contact.

----------------

YES!

finally, posted my first short little writing:)

It's not much, but I'll try expanding my writing more soon.

I plan to edit this piece of writing, perhaps at a later time.

Constructive feedback and criticism are always appreciated!

Stay safe, hydrated , healthy and happy, folks!

#hindublr #sita #ramayana #ram #fluff #fanfic #omg my heart #BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS OUT FOR A WHILE #wooo #now time to go back into hibernation

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theboarsbride · 1 year

Note

Hi! Just saw your rant review of ACOTAR and thank god someone else felt the same way. As someone who really loves Celtic/Brythonic folklore, there's something that felt very icky and disrespectful about SJM taking a folktale told by the people, for the people, and saying "Not hot enough, it needs be more s e x y." And this is definitely partially inspired by the Twilight series' interpretations of vampires although I am much more forgiving of the latter. While the vampires in Twilight felt de-fanged, if you will, historically, vampires represent the unknown, the dead coming back to life being an affront to God, etc. And that is something Twilight, at the very least, partially explores and expands on the traditions before it. The fae folk can be thought of similarly; remnants of an old, pre-Christian, pagan world full of darkness, danger, and beauty. However, the fae folk in SJM's world felt less of an almost unbeatable force of nature that rarely is defeated and more like. A group of (very racist and deeply misogynistic) elven Edward Cullens acting on their petulant and childish whims. It removes what makes the superstition of the fae so powerful in the British Isles. That was what made the original Ballad of Tam Lin so compelling to me; it is a story about a young woman who fought against the manifestation of the dark and unknown and WON. And SJM's interpretation of the Beauty and the Beast/Hades and Persephone trope is also one-note and surface level. First of all, the Ballad of Tam Lin is NOT a Beauty and the Beast story and to change Tam Lin from being a man trapped by the supernatural to the one doing the trapping is so gross. And, in my opinion, the more compelling Beauty and the Beast retellings re-examines the transformative power of love trope. Instead of the heroine being so virtuous as to change the Beast, both parties involved come to a mutually understanding of each other and love each other for being themselves. Love shouldn't transform, love should bring about mutual understanding. Which is honestly a better lesson than "I can fix him". Just seeing the Ballad being deeply misunderstood like this personally hurt me because it is very formative to me in my younger years. If you want really good stories with Celtic folklore, check out Sargentum and Mias and Elle, they're on Tapastic. (Although Mias and Elle is a Hades and Persephone inspired story which comes with its own problems and is very dark and heavy but at the very least passes the very low bar of not condoning the male lead's actions as hot or sexy and actually punishes him). I'm so sorry this is super long but I have a lot of feelings about ACOTAR and I essentially grieved over the fact that *this* will now be more known than the original Ballad.

OH MY GOD ALL OF THIS YES!!!!! You've worded this so much better than I ever could!

SJM is disrespecting so many folklores, mythologies, folktales, fairytales, traditional stories, etc. for the sake of having faeries that are sexy and hot and got MASSIVE dicks. Her fae don't feel FAE! She forgoes the reason WHY faeries exist in folklore and their significance within their respective mythologies just so she can make 'faeries hotter.' All of her writing especially in the realms of her 'retelling' these fairytales is so, so shallow and unnecessary. She cherry picks what she likes and finds 'hot' from mythologies rather than being respectful to the source material, and it's so disheartening to see!

Because 'Tam Lin' is a really great story of overcoming the supernatural for someone you love! Beauty and the Beast, at its core, is about kindness and mutual understanding! ACOTAR DOES NEITHER OF THOSE!! Sure, Feyre goes Under the Mountain to save a man she loves, but all of her tasks are physical ones - one of which Rhys helped her cheat - so it's not like she can outsmart or overpower the supernatural ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE IS GIVEN A MOMENT TO 'OUTSMART' THE SUPERNATURAL VIA AMARANTHA'S RIDDLE! And in the end, it means nothing because Tamlin isn't her TrUe MaTe. Thanks, I hate it.

And I REFUSE to call ACOTAR a retelling of Beauty and the Beast because aside from there being a beast (that is only on-page for a handful of pages before he is a hot guy for the remainder of the book) it has nothing to do with the original story nor does it really do anything to ELEVATE or reinterpret the fairytale. It literally encompasses everything I hate in retellings.

I will forever detest the trend of turning Beauty and the Beast into an 'i can change him!' narrative, I fucking hate ITTTTTTT!!!!1 And SJM turns it into just that, ESPECIALLY in ACOMAF! (which, ugh, I couldn't even finish ACOMAF because it pissed me off sm)

I too grieve the fact that this toxic, poorly written, shallow, one-note 'retelling' of 'Tam Lin' has become more popular than the original Ballad, it's a legit travesty!!

thanks sm for this ask!! AND DONT APOLOGIZE IT FOR BEING SO LONG!! I LOVE THESE TYPE OF RANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad there are more people that share with me a hate for SJM!

#anti sjm #anti sarah j maas #anti acotar #anti acomaf #anti rhysand

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majickth · 1 year

Note

i love your hermit hollow au! as someone who both grew up in a superstitious, midwest mountain area and has a love of folk/cryptid horror, it's super cool to see the genre getting love.

do you have any ren (and/or martyn, if he makes an appearance!) lore crumbs to share?

also also, was gem's role inspired at all by the "Im a Search and Rescue Officer for the US Forest Service" anecdotes? it made me grin like an idiot when i realized, but i'm curious if it was on purpose?

I’m glad, thank you!! And yes, the staircases in the woods are a big inspiration lmao

As for Ren and Martyn crumbs:

The first time Martyn meets Ren, he’s lying face-down on Martyn’s porch, butt-naked and unconscious. Which is— so it’s not the most concerning thing that’s happened to Martyn, which in of itself is worrying, but it’s pretty up there. What’s more concerning is when he decides to drag the man into his home, throw him onto the couch, and toss a blanket over him. He thinks, for a moment, about calling someone to handle…whatever the hell he’s gotten himself into, but it disappears when the stranger begins to wake up.

His name is Ren. It’s the second he says to Martyn, right after, “Oh my god, dude, I am so sorry, oh my god. You didn’t see anything, did you? Yeah? Oh, oh no, I’m, like, so sorry.”

Turns out he’s a local, which is more than what can be said for Martyn, whose trips to the Hollow always seem to land in the winter. It’s not the first time Ren’s found himself on someone’s property, naked and afraid — a fact that baffles but does not surprise Martyn — but it’s the first time he’s really been caught.

“I don’t mean to, swear it, but I just…I’m not myself around this time of month, y’know, dude? And I do have a guy that keeps an eye on me, but sometimes he keeps the leash a bit too tight and I told that I’d snap it and—y’know what, man, thanks. Just, thanks.”

Martyn just nods numbly to Ren’s rambling, because he in fact does not know, but the guy seems nice enough so whatever, might as well hear him out. He gives Ren some spare clothes and waves him off once he’s recovered, with promises of never mentioning or repeating the incident ever again.

It’s kept for about a month. Because the next time Martyn and Ren meet, it’s Martyn staring into the glowing eyes of a giant hulking hairy thing wearing the clothes he’d once leant to Ren.

#hermits hollow AU #majickthasks

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elmorinn · 3 months

Text

Sketchbook page dedicated to my OC Véronique 🌙

Meet Véronique! (ah yes the fancy french spelling, I keep calling her Veronica in my head anyway)

Alongside her on this page can be seen: a pale little boy named Somerville, a shy dark-haired lady by the nickname of Vöglein and a mysterious man with whose name I haven't yet come up...

Lore dump ahead :>

This whole story takes place in an isolated 1800s something city built on a damn huge mountain. It's freezing cold here so the only appropriate conditios are in the palace that's within the mountain, and people who live outside of it are obviously poor and miserable. Society here is divided into three classes:

the nobles, colonizers that occupied the territory and enslaved the local folk, they live in the grand palace inside the mountain;

the local folk, indigenous people to this area that lived by the mountain before being colonized. After the nobles came, most locals became slaves and were forced to work to build the palace;

people in between, slaves that gained their freedom, mixed race children, nobles that lost their status. This is the smallest class, unrecognized both by the lords and the slaves

Véronique is a noble girl, her family moved to the city when she was very little and it took its toll on her health, she has troubles walking or being on her feet in general for longer periods of time. Her father is a total jerk who kind of made her hate herself for that when he always said she wouldn't get married to a good man because of her disability. And he's also a slave owner that controls the construction of the Palace.

When Véronique was around 15, she started to sneak out into the outer part of the city and discovered her dad's business. She was terrified to see what was done to make their living, and she felt extremely sorry for the workers, but also powerless because she couldn't do much to help them. She started bringing food to the slaves (because the portions they received were practically nothing), and they had mixed feelings about her, some thought she was kind of nice, others thought (justly) that she's not much different from her jerk of a father.

Somerville was one of the workers despite being really young, as he had to care for his sick mother. Other slaves didn't all like him because there was a rumor about him being a noble man's son, essentially a bastard. Véronique was kind to him and became his only friend, whenever she came to the slaves, she would comfort him and tell him how when they're both older, she would get married and take him to her new home. Sweet poor children <,3

There's more lore which I don't feel like getting into, but in short, Véronique and Vöglein were engaged, but their marriage didn't happen because the unnamed mysterious man appeared out of nowhere and was instead wanted as Véronique's husband. Somerville grew up and escaped the city, a revolution happened (the characters I mentioned aren't directly related to it... yet, I might change some things) and the local folk regained their power over their land, happy end 🌟

Tbh this universe deserves its own novel and one day, one day I will consider it...

#artists on tumblr #original character #oc art #sketchbook art #pencil drawing #my ocs #sketchbook #traditional drawing #traditional art

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randomwriteronline · 10 months

Text

@howl-osullivan

He’d started visiting the Highlands much more often since... Well, since he had decided to change up his morning training regime from five laps across the Icelands while dragging Avaluggs on his shoulders to a more leisurely run up the mountain’s nearly vertical cliff walls ever other day at a nice 50 kilometers per hour pace.

It just so happened that he would stop right at his fellow warden’s hut and have a kindly offered bite before making his way back.

Pure coincidence!

He definitely wasn’t doing this specifically to see the man he’d just gotten engaged to in secret (mostly out of boyish embarassment) and get a chance to kiss him awake since he so disliked getting up early.

What a silly assumption.

So silly.

Ahahah, ahah, ahahahahah, ahahahahah, ahahah ahah, ahah, ah-ha.

He was so lucky his absolute insanity in regards to exercise had nobody questioning his motives for choosing a different method of physical flagellation, because he would have betrayed himself instantly otherwise.

Of course, Gaeric didn’t think about any of this as he was running up Mount Coronet; he thought of his partner still sleeping as still as a stone, face up, snoring his nose away, and the image distracted him long enough not to realize he was trying to walk his way up a rock wall that was literally perpendicular to the ground.

Not that it would have stopped him from running up it. He only wasn’t able to at the moment because he wasn’t concentrating.

He still arrived at Ingo’s hut a little later than he usually would. Not that it mattered much - the Pearl clan was much more lenient with hours and schedules than those impatient folk of the Diamond clan - but maybe his fellow warden would have protested a little at not “having gotten his engine revved up” at just a few minutes after dawn, whatever those words meant in the grand scheme of his cloudy mind.

A familiar cry put him on high alert just a few meters before the small stretch of flat land his partner had made his semi-permanent residence: he knew there were Machokes by the river, but a Machamp? So high up on the mountain? Even the Alpha specimen in the Icelands wouldn’t have dared.

His worry spiked at the sound of a human grunt.

Powerful legs speeding across the rocky terrain, Gaeric rushed over to help just in time to see... Hm!

Well! He was definitely seeing.

And describing what he was seeing as surreal might have been... Perhaps on the diminutive side.

First of all, the sentient mass of muscle that was the Machamp was flailing its four arms to catch its opponent in them to little avail, powerful legs locked in a strong grip and sturdy body held up in the air.

Secondly, Ingo was the one hoisting the beast up on his back and shoulders, struggling under the weight a little but showing otherwise no discomfort of fear.

Finally, with a loud groan-like yell, the fairly average bodied warden adjusted his hold onto the much more powerful creature and hurled it at the ground with the great precision that comes from carefully practiced technique, yet still maintaining an admirable control over his own strength so that the Pokémon would not get too hurt when impacting the dirt.

Ingo fanned himself with his cap for a moment as he bent down on his knees. Maybe he’d gone a little overboard with that, which was why he felt like the breath got knocked out of himself...

He turned to find Gaeric staring at him with eyes wider than Almighty Sinnoh.

“Oh!” the foreigner noted, face lighting up: “Beloved! Hello!”

“Hello, love,” his fellow warden greeted faintly before getting to the point: “Did you just throw that Machamp?”

“Ah, yes! You did mention I should have exercised more to help me overcome my morning drowsiness, so I thought perhaps some friendly sparring might have done the trick!”

“With a wild Machamp?”

“Oh, goodness, no, she’s been part of my team for ages! You must have seen her last before she evolved.”

Machamp did grin at him and wave with great familiarity, and it had been a while since he’d gotten a good look at Ingo’s team on account of them being always cooped up in those apricorn spheres of his.

Still, Gaeric insisted: “Are you sure it’s safe for you?”

“I can assure you I’ve run all necessary safety checks beforehand, as I always do, so I have solid proof that this activity is perfectly within my limits,” Ingo reassured him, only to casually hit him with a complete curveball out of absolutely nowhere: “Additionally, Fighting types tend to still be notably less hazardous that Dragons, so the dangers to my person are heavily limited.”

“Wh- Dragons?”

“Yes, I have mentioned Dragon types. Would you like some tea?”

“You wanted to wrestle Dragons?”

“Truthfully I believe I was trained to wrestle Dragons specifically - I’m finding it strangely harder--”

“Trained?”

“--To do the same with Machamp despite her being very much built for it.”

“You were trained? To wrestle Dragons?”

“It’s only a supposition, but it would explain why I thought of Dragon types first.”

“To wrestle them?”

“Yes - are you feeling alright? You seem a little breathless. Come in and rest a little before you go back, will you? I’d rather you don’t faint on your way back.”

He managed to drag the strangely bewildered man into his hut and get him to drink a cup of tea before he fell over due to what appeared to be a dangerously low glucose level in his blood stream. He briefly wondered, handing him a Razz Berry, if he had perhaps forgotten to have a little breakfast before setting out today. It was unlikely, though - he was absolutely unhinged, but not enough to forget basic safety measures.

“So you could throw me,” Gaeric suddenly said.

“Oh,” Ingo replied in an instant, no hesitation whatsoever: “Easily.”

His partner looked at him with huge eyes again.

Then he took another sip of tea, swallowed it down as his face reddened with blush, and smacked his lips as though to collect his thoughts better.

“That’s hot,” he commented.

Ingo blinked; then he smirked, very pleased, making the sturdier man fumble and hide his face behind his hands in embarrassment.

#pokémon #pokemon legends arceus #submas ingo #warden gaeric #snowmobileshipping #machamp #random writing

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aurore-parle-de-ses-idees · 7 months

Note

12 and/or 20 with...... with.... who vibes?? whoever vibes

delirious/fever/hallucinations/sleep paralysis and/or incoherence/babbling

it's my turn on the agarnaith plinko :) rhadrog is not having a great time

He leaves them at the edge of the swamp, speaking with the strange, short folk who had come out of the mountains once the Eye was gone. Or trying to, anyway. Viznak leaves them to it; he knows enough of different languages already.

Green-cloak is looking worse by the time he gets back. Ah, he thinks. It’s gonna be like that then.

He had thought it might be different, Rhadrog being a Man and all. It had even seemed like it, for a little. He got better after he drank the swamp-brew, even if it wasn’t by much. The other two will be ok- they got the brew before they got really sick. Poor Rhadrog won’t be so lucky.

“Viznak,” Rhadrog wheezes once he catches sight of him. “Are you-” he breaks off to cough wetly into his arm. “Are you quite sure this is going to help?” His eyes are bright and his face is flushed nearly the color of the waters near Seregost.

Viznak sits easily beside Rhadrog. “Yep! Not gonna be fun, though. Almost worse than just being sick, but you’ll be alive at the end.” Probably.

“Great,” Rhadrog groans. He tries to curl up on his side, but he starts coughing again until he’s out of breath and rubbing at a throat already growing painful. “Damned mushrooms,” he rasps. He gingerly lifts himself upright and rests his head in his hands. “What awaits me while this runs its course?”

“Lot of coughing,” Viznak says after a moment. “And you’ll get real hot. Belly will feel gross, too, but your throat won’t take much but water anyway.”

Rhadrog coughs. “How long will it be?” Viznak considers. He doesn’t really remember much. It was all a blur.

“Don’t know. Few days, maybe.” Rhadrog looks at him, and he wonders if it’s true what the orcs say, that the Men beyond the mountains have mind-magic to see right through you. Skies know there are enough like that this side of the dark mountains. “It’s good your friends will be busy,” Viznak adds with a not-quite-grin. “I don’t think Grumpy likes me very much anyway. He would probably blame me for this.”

“Yes,” Rhadrog says softly, pressing a hand to his chest. “I’m glad Faeron isn’t here for this.” He sighs, and it catches in his throat and he clenches his teeth against more coughing. “You know quite a lot about this,” he says when he stills again. Viznak tries not to tense up.

“Good thing, too! Otherwise we’d all be dead.” His laugh is weak, for him, and Rhadrog’s eyes are far too sharp.

“How did you come to be out here alone?”

“Ah! Boss orc didn’t like me too much. Too smart.” He talks and talks, about the orders he didn’t much want to follow, about what happens to you when they want to get rid of you, about the exile from Udûn. Rhadrog falls asleep at some point, he thinks, bent over himself with his arms crossed over his knees, breathing shallow but even. Good. Better to sleep through it, if he can. Viznak keeps talking, just in case. About the others who were thrown out with him. About how they learned how to survive here. “The ones who made it past the sickness wanted to leave. Dunno if they ever really made it out. I was just fine staying here; it’s not so bad, once you get used to it, and no one comes looking for you, either.”

“Sounds lonely,” Rhadrog says, and he really does sound half asleep. Viznak blinks.

“I guess. Beats taking stupid orders.” Rhadrog laughs, just a little. Then he starts coughing again.

It doesn’t really get better from there.

It’s no natural thing, the swiftness with which the sickness comes on. How the swamp-brew counters it, he really can’t say- he wasn’t the alchemist in their little crew. Rhadrog hacks until he can’t anymore, and Viznak gives him what fresh water they have before he falls asleep. Rhadrog tosses about restlessly, muttering, and Viznak does his best to keep himself busy sorting his little collection of trinkets and tools on the far side of the hideout. Once, Rhadrog’s eyes open and he says something in a language Viznak doesn’t know. He tries not to remember the things he saw when it was his turn.

He woke alone. The others had either left or died.

These tall folk aren’t so bad, he decides, wrestling an unseeing Rhadrog back into the hideout after he gets it into his fevered head to go for a walk. Even Grumpy. Sure, he wasn’t much fun, and Viznak didn’t particularly enjoy the way he looked at him early on, but he isn’t mean the way some are here, and he watches his friends with some bright intensity Viznak only distantly recognizes.

“You’re a good kid,” Rhadrog says, clearly and suddenly enough Viznak nearly jumps out of his skin. Rhadrog is still staring about like he isn’t seeing the branches of Viznak’s little home, though, and his face is damp with sweat. Rhadrog laughs, the sound rough from his throat. “We’ll see you in Ithilien before too long, I’m sure.” Almost Viznak asks what Ithilien is, but he knows the question will go unheard.

“Go to sleep,” he says instead, prodding Rhadrog’s too-warm cheek. “Better that way.” Rhadrog only bats blindly at his hands, grumbling about some kid again. Viznak sits back. Soon, the grumbling changes to something sharp and fearful, things about sewers and forests and horrid flying things. Viznak sighs. “Told you so,” he says.

“Stay beneath the trees,” Rhadrog says. “Don’t let those flying things get you.”

“No kidding,” Viznak says. ”They’re the worst.” Rhadrog doesn’t seem to hear him yet. Weary suddenly, Viznak sits beside him and pats his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you company. You should wake up before Grumpy gets back, though. I don’t think he’ll like my explaining very much.”

#ask games #lotro #my stories #i care about viznak a normal amount #he's! trying!#he does not know much about this whole 'helping someone who's sick' thing but he will hang out at least #ty friend <3 #viznak #rhadrog

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 5 months

Text

🎵 Martinaise, Terminal B

2. "I don't know, Kim, it just *feels* special."

KIM KITSURAGI - "It's a cargo container, detective. Just like all the others." He doesn't even look at it.

"We're not here to interact with containers -- we're here to get the body down from the tree."

Knock on the door.

Open the door.

Nothing more to do here for now. [Leave.]

CARGO CONTAINER DOOR - No reply.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Medium: Success] - The knock produces a hollow ring of metal. Doesn't sound like there's anything inside the container.

2. Open the door.

CARGO CONTAINER DOOR - You attempt to turn the handle, to no avail. The doors seem to be mechanically locked.

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Trivial: Success] - To your left, the lieutenant considers your actions -- with some puzzlement.

3. [Rhetoric - Impossible 18] Persuade the door to open.

+1 Erratic, yet thorough. +1 Been in the world for two days.

RHETORIC [Impossible: Failure] - Why are you even trying to open a door with rhetoric?

"Because getting physical wasn't an option!"

"Yeah, why *am* I?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Why are you what?" The lieutenant looks startled.

"Anything at all."

"Never mind."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Now is not the time to get philosophical, detective. You can do that after hours."

4. Nothing more to do here for now. [Leave.]

The shipyard ahead is oddly quiet. The great machines are sleeping.

+1.10 real

This speaker tower is silent. There is no work to organise in the yard below.

The musk of oil and rust comes from the chasm in front of you. Smells like blood.

FALN "ULTRA" SERIES GLOVES

+1 Half Light: Unfiltered contact

For ultimate performance efficiency these FALN Ultra series gloves come fingerless and with a grippy padding covering the palms, making these ideal for quadrupedal movement – or for lifting cargo.

Not strictly better or worse than our gardening gloves, in terms of stats. I like Interfacing better so I keep the gardening gloves on.

Industrial sized thermos. Smells like burnt coffee.

+1.10 real

+1.41 real

The banner sags under the weight of rain and show: white waves on red.

EASY LEO - "Container, container, I'll turn you nice and red. Container, container, put the logos on..."

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - The lyrics to this container-song are being made up as he goes along.

EASY LEO - "Container, container, used to be Wild Pines. Container, container now belongs to Evrart!" The tiny man is so engaged in his work he doesn't notice you.

"Hi!"

Do not interrupt the little man in his joyous activity. [Leave.]

EASY LEO - "Evrart, Evrart, Evrart, he looks after everyone. Huh... well, hey there!" He smiles. "How can I help you, mister?"

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - The look in his deep blue eyes is as sincere as you've ever seen. Kind of makes you feel like an asshole for no apparent reason.

EASY LEO - "I see you are not a Union man, mister. Did you get lost? You're not one of them scabs, are you?" A shadow passes over his kind face.

"What is it with you people and scabs?"

"Actually I am, yes."

It happened a very long time ago, but this is referring back to our conversation with Manana.

EASY LEO - "I mean, I don't personally mind, folks is just folks, you know -- and folks gotta eat..." He doesn't seem to be waiting for you to answer.

"Just, some of the other guys don't look too kindly on the scabbing-kind, if you know what I mean, mister."

"What are you doing with the containers?"

"Where is everyone? The harbour is empty."

"Do you work here?"

"Are you the Leo, who wrote the note to make more banners?"

"What's in that container over there?" (Point to the container suspended from the crane arm.)

"I'm looking for the leader of the Dockworker's Union."

"Okay, I'm off." [Leave.]

EASY LEO - "Oh I'm just making some covers for them containers here, yes I am, yes I am... So it's easier for the crane operators to spot them." He waves at the containers towering behind him.

[Logic - Medium 11] "What's going on here?" (Look at the mountain of containers rising behind him.)

"Sure. Let me ask you about something else?"

This check might be easier if we come back to it later, but...

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - The containers in the yard are green in Wild Pines livery and the mountain rising behind Leo is all red in Union colours.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Easy: Success] - It's like some red infection was spreading outwards from the container yard's core.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] - There appear to be cisterns underneath the Union container covers.

"This looks like a massive redecorating operation, Kim."

"Leo, has anyone told you *why* you need to change the covers?"

"What is underneath these red covers?"

"Thanks, Leo. You've been very helpful!" (Conclude.)

KIM KITSURAGI - "Yes. They're hiding it from the inside. All the red containers have the Débardeurs' Union logo on them."

2. "Leo, has anyone told you *why* you need to change the covers?"

EASY LEO - "No, not really." He shrugs and continues merrily: "Mr. Evrart doesn't tell me all the big things. Says I go and tell them to everyone."

3. "What is underneath these red covers?"

EASY LEO - "Oh I don't know, mister. They say it's some *chee-mikals*. Most of them have labels on them I think."

4. "Thanks, Leo. You've been very helpful!" (Conclude.)

EASY LEO - "Oh no trouble at all, mister, noooo trouble at all," the little guy affirms merrily.

+5 XP

2. "Where is everyone? The harbour is empty."

EASY LEO - "Oh, most of the guys are down at the gates, keeping the scabs from coming in..." He leans in with a confidential look...

"We're on a *strike* -- the whole union is! You don't have to work when you're on strike. Ha -- we haven't worked for two months now."

KIM KITSURAGI - "So *no one* is working?"

EASY LEO - "Not everyone is down there of course," he chuckles, "Mr. Evrart is in his office, where he always is, and Jean-Luc is guarding the gate..." He pauses to think.

"...but Titus and his boys got into some drunken trouble and Evrart sent them on a nice vacation. For a week or so..." He stops -- but seems eager to tell you more.

"What kind of trouble did this... Titus and his friends get into?"

"Got it. But there were other things I needed to discuss..."

EASY LEO - "Oh... I'm not really supposed to talk about that. That's Union business." He smiles and leans closer.

"Him and his boys stirred something up in town. Probably drank too much and got into a fight or something… I heard Mr. Evrart telling them to take some time off…"

SUGGESTION [Easy: Success] - Don't go all *bad cop* on this simple friendly fellow.

"But what did they actually do?"

"Really? Did they kill someone?"

"I have another question."

EASY LEO - "I guess the boys got a bit too rowdy and had to let out some steam. I don't really know the details. That's just how boys are you know..." Another chuckle. "I haven't been in a fight since I was in middle-school..."

+5 XP

KIM KITSURAGI - "Easy, Leo, let's keep this on the Hardies." He looks to you for assistance.

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #easy leo

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m0r1bund · 2 years

Photo

[Image: A poster from the Canyon F/Hall Music Festival, held annually in North Mountain. It depicts a frantic collaborative performance featuring the old folk heroes, Dai Hei and Sadren, and some members of the younger generation, Brun Nakamura and Sinuk Vauntariaq.

Hei shreds on a ruan-like instrument in the foreground. He’s shirtless, showing off a bare chest that’s almost as brawny as it is fuzzy. It seems like they got him to wear pants for this performance, at least. He also wears a traditional mask styled after a boondog, an animal that’s sort of like a cross between a dog and a mandrill. The mask is burnt black and snarling, with a chipped ear and missing fangs.

Sinuk is on her knees in the middle ground. She’s a scrappy, lanky woman with cropped black hair and an aquiline nose. All across her face are shrapnel and acne scars. She bends backwards so far that her head touches the stage floor, belting into the microphone that she’s brought down with her.

Brun whales on a taiko drum in the background. She’s short and stocky, wearing a flannel t-shirt with a huge leather coat tied around her waist. Her eyes are covered by her black bangs, and she wears her short hair up in a shitty little ponytail. She’s having a great time.

Sadren is in the background, behind the drum. He’s a tall, gangly man with a gaunt profile and very long black hair, which he wears in a high ponytail. The upper half of his face is covered with red paint, and he wears a sooty grey and red shawl. He holds a mic vertically, not unlike the hilt of a sword, and backs up Sinuk as her fellow vocalist.]

◆

Back to our scheduled Moribund programming…

I recently saw Coldplay in concert again (again) and decided it was time to revisit the piece I made back in 2017, when I first saw them perform live. That was so long ago that Sinuk and Brun weren’t even the main characters of Mercasor yet. But 2017 was also only two minutes ago, you know??

Anyway. Goofy band poster. This didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to at all, but whatever. Hei and Sadren are like old heroes of myth, so it’s very fun to throw them at the resident babies and have them do anachronisms together. When the time comes for Sinuk to ask “COLLAB BRO???” of /course/ they say yes.

I also made a signed version of this, because of course I did. That’s over on my website.

#sinuk vauntariaq tag #brun tag #dai hei (moribund) tag #sadren tag

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novemberthecatadmirer · 1 year

Text

@saurons-pr-department @shrikeseams

That’s a brilliant idea now you have given me some stupid cracky thoughts

(Making a new post because length)

(I hope these all are not offensive! Also apology for not being able to write well)

…You know it can be arranged if we be VERY shameless and crumble Canon into a ball

and treat the Aman part of the Akallabeth as not-entirely-reliable history patched up by Elendil based on limited sources

When Ar-Pharazon’s troops sailed, Noldor got warned by the Valar; of course they evacuated this time. They learned their lesson

Tirion was a LARGE city! It took time to evacuate and it took time to hide the trace

And it took time to set up all the traps

We don’t know how far exactly was Tirion from the shore? It took 1 Valinor year for Noldor to reach Alqualonde; that’s like 9 sun years but they were mostly civilians not experienced for long distance travel and they were marching in the dark.

It did not seem to take long for Earendil to reach there from the shore. However everything about Earendil reaching Valinor was so tricky, maybe the Valar intentionally made the road shorter for him and Elwing

The Valar had no intention to make the road shorter for Ar-Pharazon’s troops

Let’s say it took at least a few months?

Did Ar-Pharazon even have a Valinor map?

Maeglin jumped out of nowhere: Hi there I can show you the way to this white city filled with wonder and wealth if you let me be a lord and marry my beautiful princess cousin

Ar-Pharazon: Obviously that’s a very convincing reason to turn traitor That’s a man of culture

Maeglin took them into the mountains avoiding all the small elf settlements along the way

They did not notice they were walking in circles because Aule subtly changed the landscapes from time to time and many trees in Valinor could move on their own

Sometimes some of their soldiers just disappeared and never be seen again.

Bad for morale, but people assumed those just fled because most of them were slaves

Food poisoning further delaying their march

“I’m awfully sorry I did not know those fruits and mushrooms are poisonous to mortal men” (He knew)

Meanwhile back at shore, elves ambushed the ships they left behind

Noldor: …It feels awful to say this brings up memories

Teleri: It’s not stealing they abandoned all those pretty ships behind it’s just aggressive adoption we will treat those poor babies as our own

Sindar: You know what I definitely heard this argument before

(Meanwhile there was probably some Numenor evacuation going on)

(Tuor finally got a chance to free some slaves and fix some wrongs his descendants had done, and save those of his descendants that still wished to be saved)

(Seriously, the grandfather of your first king used to suffer as a slave then you started enslaving other people what’s wrong with Numenoreans)

After it was done Earendil sent some signals through his flying ship

“Okay we are close! Tirion is just behind that mountain. I know a good place to set up the camp.”

Ar-Pharazon made his speech to a very empty city

Under the lovely hills around Tirion there was a lovely cave complex

Earlier, House of the Mole: Yes let’s get some mining explosives to set up a trap

Sinkholes happened and trapped most of the troops

Somehow Ar-Pharazon did not fall into any of the traps which ended up with him and Maeglin wrestling at the edge of a sinkhole, trying to push each other down the edge

Maeglin: Okay this is definitely familiar at least this one does not bite

(He did not need to as king of Numenor he had a very sharp sword.)

(Elros would be VERY disappointed.)

Then a crack opened beneath them and swallowed them both

(People still argued whether it was divine intervention or the land was just being unstable after explosion. It was a little bit convenient.)

Folk of the Mole dug them out in time.

(Some of them landed quite a few kicks on Ar-Pharazon’s face in the process and ‘accidentally’ broke his arms. They argued “he’s dangerous we must disarm him first”)

Dior and others came and sang the trapped troops to sleep

Eventually everything was done

“What should we do with all the political fallout? Now we have their king and most of their troops but Sauron is still there and... do we go on to war against him?”

(Some people immediately started yelling “no that’s a terrible idea don’t start the fire again”)

“What if Sauron take this opportunity to make himself king of Numenor and get his whole control over Middle Earth. I bet he has been plotting for this result all the time.”

Then the whole world started trembling and Aman got separated away and Numenor sank and Sauron drowned

“At least Sauron got drowned that’s the silver lining?”

(Some extra-mean Maiar had secret party afterwards celebrating Sauron losing his pretty face)

I think Sauron was definitely plotting something by sending Ar-Pharazon and his strongest troops and likely the most loyal generals away to invade Aman... While he himself stayed behind.

It was like, he knew they would fail in some way and he was expecting it and actively encouraged them to believe they had a chance

I don’t think he liked Ar-Pharazon at all... (all the “getting defeated and taken as hostage” part.) I think his plan was always to make himself king of Numenor after Ar-Pharazon got dealt with in whatever way in Aman.

He could tell Numenoreans that now the gods view them as enemy and only he could save them all. It’s not like he had no experience taking over someone’s legacy? No shame in picking low hanging fruits

Also I feel he was using Ar-Pharazon to test the water... Like, how hard could he push the buttons. And what kind of reaction he could get. It would also be nice to potentially lure some Maiar or even Valar into hurting the Children. Would be neat to make a few Ainur fall.

(Of course, always extra fun to fuck some elves up. They should not be allowed to feel safe in Aman!)

Anyway Sauron was using the move to achieve multiple goals. (He was SMART! And COMPETANT!)

The only thing he did not expect was the Valar would call for help from Eru and there was actually an response and the response was EXTREME.

Look, I don’t believe any of the Ainur even the Valar would be able to even imagine it’s possible to turn the world into a BALL...

----------

Okay, listen to more of my stupid cracky ooc headcanon

The elves and Ainur spent a while to figure out what to do with the captured mortal men

A lot of effort was spent on figuring out what type of mindset they were on

Some of them were slaves who got promised freedom for them or their family as reward for fighting in the army

Some of them joined the army out of desperation for money.

Some of them truly believed the Valar would come to kill them all if they did not fight back (learning that their island just got sunk did not help)

Some of them had aging family members and really wanted to make their family immortal

Of course there were the awful ones came here for power and pretty elves

(Tuor tried to have a TALK with Ar-Pharazon and failed.)

Even a lot of those who came for more innocent reasons had done war crimes before

Slavery and Colonization had been very thoroughly weaved into the late Numenor society

It was a MESS

Also it was not healthy for mortal men to stay in Valinor at all

Much of the “figuring things out” part happened in Tol Eressea

Later on some little islands raised by Valar further away

Anyway

It ended up with a few mortal men settlements at the edge of the sea

Multiple islands. The troops split into multiple groups that refused to live with each other.

Lots of therapy sessions (as best as elves or Ainur could offer, which probably was not always enough)

The awful ones were banned from leaving their island

(The former slaves now living on the neighboring islands took shift monitoring them very carefully)

(Some water Maiar patrolled the area in case someone tried to kill someone or started to burn down houses. There were a few assassination attempts.)

Some of the worst ones including Ar-Pharazon chose to be put into sleep because PRIDE

Eventually the mortals left in Aman learned to build ships

Elven ships could not pass the border of Aman

Somehow the ships built and sailed by the mortals was able to leave (It was pure chaos when it happened for the first time)

Nobody knew how it worked. But also, nobody knew how the elven ships found their way to Aman as well.

Most of mortals eventually left on the ship back to the mortal world.

Some of them chose to stay. Including many former slaves who only had bad memories out there; it helped with healing when you were a world away from your past nightmare.

But many of their children desired to leave when they grew up.

Also half elves happened and not everyone chose immortality.

(There was a whole world out there to explore! Life is short for mortals.)

(And the world beyond the world after they took the Gift.)

So every once in a while there would be a ship departing from those islands, going to Middle Earth and never return.

Istari reached Middle Earth on one of those ships

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ghostboyjules · 1 year

Text

weeeeellllll hey folks! Finally back again - after ages of promising this - with Hob's playlist. I'm definitely not gonna be as wordy this time, mostly because I am Tired™, but hopefully these songs and their lyrics speak for themselves better than I could anyway. I'd like to dedicate this beast to these particular wonderful humans; @wordsinhaled, @wizardofgoodfortune, ily'all 🥺 y'all keep me creative <3 and to @landwriter for the amazing title inspo and just being super dope and having excellent Hob Gadling character takes in general.

This playlist is a lil more structured than Dream's was, so I don't recommend listening on shuffle, at least for the first time through, lol. I also have marked in my notes which songs relate to which like. Span of years, but tbh that could be kinda flexible, so use your heart ig asjhfvafbab Without further ado, below the cut will be my lyric selections and small note thingies. If you've read even this far, I thank you *mwah* (yes there's 30 songs I'm SORRY I can't be stopped 😭)

1389 –

Avi Kaplan – I’m Only Getting Started

[Verse 1]

Eyes clouded, blood on my face

No mercy coming my way

Yeah, I'm only getting started

Cracked knuckles, fist shaking

These rivers run, but I'm staying

Yeah, I'm only getting started

OKAY... thought this was kind of a cool one to open up with, plus the interesting thing about making this playlist is that I feel like I have a very linear sort of character progression to work off of, which is fun.. so this song speaks to me of that rough and tumble merc/bandit Hob of 1389... been through some shit, lost family,

Alice In Chains – Rooster

[Verse 2]

Walkin' tall machine gun man

They spit on me in my homeland

Gloria sent me pictures of my boy, mm-mm

Got my pills 'gainst mosquito death

My buddy's breathin' his dyin' breath

Oh God, please, won't you help me make it through? Mm-mm

[Chorus]

Here they come to snuff the Rooster, aw yeah

Yeah, here come the Rooster, yeah

You know he ain't gonna die

No, no, you know he ain't gonna die

this gives me very much merc or soldier Hob, kinda unhinged a lil bit cause he definitely should have died a few times there…but he didn’t.

The Mountain Goats – Up the Wolves

[Verse 1]

There's bound to be a ghost at the back of your closet

No matter where you live

There'll always be a few things, maybe several things

That you're going to find really difficult to forgive

There's gonna come a day when you feel better

You'll rise up free and easy on that day

And float from branch to branch

Lighter than the air

Just when that day is coming, who can say? Who can say?

makes me think about maybe after a long time at war or fighting as a merc or any plethora of things honestly, he’s like struggling with that.

Emigrate, Cardinal Copia – I’m Not Afraid

On the street that I remained

Some have made another hole

Could it be that I'm to blame?

When the ground has turned so cold

Can it be an audacing?

Can it be a guarded hole?

And what we say is just a game

The one we play 'til we get old

All, all the hands I have laid

All written along my face

I'm not afraid of anything

I just let it go

And now I take on everything

To get out from the hole

maybe avoiding thinking about things just so that he’s able to be the kind of man he wants to be rather than the kind the world is wanting to turn him into…but then he has to think abt them to come to terms with them (also no matter what I do,it will not recognize 'audacing' as a word but I googled it and everything so...lmao)

1489 -

Ryn Weaver – New Constellations

[Verse 2]

There's no walls and no ceilings as far as I know

Just the echoes of scars and the unbeaten road

Trip the gun on cautions that I've been sold

'Cause it's hard to believe that it's wrong to want more

Than the truest of blue and a love like a roar

I will run to wherever I want to go, oh

[Chorus 2]

Charting Neptune by the fire of the Sun

I'm looking for new constellations, new constellations

[Verse 3]

So keep callin' me crazy 'cause I never learned

You should stop loving fire because you got burned

Now it feels like I'm living some sick déjà vu

Like the answers were there when I stared into you

"What if there's more? What if there's more?" The more I look into this the more I want to cry about 1489 Hob and all the things he's seen.. I was on the Wiki page for ‘Spherical Earth’ and the years it was giving me... god he sure was just. there for that. the number of things we know to be just. absolute FACT, now that were kinda up in the air for the majority of his 600+ years??? are you kidding me? the maps the books the science the

Dawes – Living In The Future

[Verse 1]

I know all of my exits

I'm always planning my escape

It's the most aggressive symptom

Of this collective phantom pain

And the more that you ignore it

The more it makes you go insane

Just look around

[Chorus]

We're living in the future, so shine a little light

It may not make it any better, I'm just hoping that it might

I'm not talking about forever, how about just getting through the night?

We're living in the future, so shine a little light

ANXIETY… doesn’t wanna be caught being immortal…but also amazed and trying to see the brighter side of things, wanting to learn

Good Tiger – Salt of the Earth (Acoustic)

I tightened my grip

Around my bow

I'll try to save you all

Knuckles turning white

Blood runs cold

There's a boy with no face

I don't feel there's much separation

I'm an animal

Hope leaves when the waves come crashing

I've never been a religious man

But I'm slipping under drowning

In your eyes

I've never been a religious man

But I'm slipping under drowning

In your

More themes of being animalistic.. kinda nightmare-ish huh … this makes me think of maybe him having nightmares trying to help him understand how he really felt about all the killing he’s had to do, while also hungering so so deeply for more. More life, more knowledge, more people, more experiences. An animal wanting ..

1589 –

Hozier – Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene

[Verse 2]

Feeling more human and hooked on her flesh, I

Lay my heart down with the rest at her feet

Fresh from the fields, all fetor and fertile

It's bloody and raw, but I swear it is sweet

[Verse 3]

In leash-less confusion, I'll wander the concrete

Wonder if better now having survived

The jarring of judgement and reason's defeat the sweet

Heat of her breath in my mouth; I'm alive

I’m looking at this song as him falling in love with Eleanor, and I really like whenever they’re depicted as having this kind of.. definitely unconventional type of relationship for the time, and also maybe both being just a smidge unhinged, because Hob certainly is and I could absolutely see him being smitten with Eleanor because she’s maybe, kind of odd or something.. who’s to say..

Fair to Midland – A Seafarer’s Knot

[Verse 1]

Lucky are the leaves of the clover

She's digging for chemistry with the butcher's tools

Shifty are the eyes of the gambler

He's making his tricks his trade, and a job well done

[Pre-Chorus]

Through the motions, waving wishes

To your confidence and eloquence

[Chorus]

He's turning a-green from these envious glorious things

Applied ambitious faith that can keep us all safe

Invoking a blue that's meant for us too

What small amazing things we will turn to rain

Fair to Midland is one of my favorite bands of all time, so I was saving them for something special lol. A lot of the time Darrow’s lyrics don’t make.. a huuge amount of linear sense, but I feel like these are straightforward enough to take enough meaning. This, to me, feels like an examination of what Hob did to get to 1589, and perhaps some of the feelings behind that.

(bonus, made me think of the toast scene…ow)

[Bridge]

Gather 'round, hold your glasses up high

Drink to love while we wait for high tide

Keep it short, keep it brief, you have my word

Gather 'round while we wait for high tide

Everything Everything – Blast Doors

[Chorus]

Down in my beast heart, I build an empire

Whenever I'm blind, I open my wild eye

(repeated)

[Bridge]

I hear the death rattle of a time wasted

Time wasted

You know that I believe in it

But I'm wasted

Back again with ‘animal hunger’ Hob. With this one I was really thinking about how… he really wanted to impress his stranger… only to be barely spoken to and then walked away from with no explanation. Like yes that hurts initially, but I’m thinking about all of the things he had to do to get there, I’m sure he didn’t like a lot of it.. and then to find out he pretty much wasted a lot of his time for an idea that had turned out to be wrong? oof

Ray LaMontagne – Such a Simple Thing

[Verse 2]

Take it if you want it

I'm so tired I just don't care

Can't you see how much you hurt me?

It's like I wasn't there

[Chorus]

Tell me what your heart wants

Such a simple thing

My heart is like paper

Yours is like a flame

I mean… -motions to lyrics- asfjvnfnb. Teehee abandonment issues lolololol

1689 –

40 Watt Sun – Stages

If I was only wise enough

To know everything sure and true about myself

You would not be here

What have I brought you to, my love, that you have followed me?

It is all my heart is worth

And more than I would ask of you

Y’all I’m so sorry that this is a 16 min song aldkfjgadj feel free to like, just look at the lyrics if you don’t have the brain space for the full thing, but I kind of forgot that it was so long until after I was so set on it 💀

Sleeping at Last – Jupiter

[Verse]

Wrote it down in the winter of 1610

Just a secret under lock and key until then

While collecting the stars, I connected the dots

I don't know who I am, but now I know who I'm not

This song always has and always will ruin me,, I just love the line “I don’t know who I am, but now I know who I’m not” honestly just everything about that song… make my messes matter, make this chaos count.. (also had to include because.. 1610 lol)

Gregory Alan Isakov – If I Go, I’m Goin

And I will go if you ask me to

I will stay if you dare

And if I go, I'm goin' shameless

Let my hunger take me there

This house, she's quite the talker

She creaks and moans, she keeps me up

And the photographs know I'm a liar

They just laugh as I burn her down

This song just has very Hob energy, like I feel like he would like it, as well, but also just OOOOOOFFFF this do be hurtin….

The Moody Blues – Melancholy Man

[Chorus]

I'm a melancholy man, that's what I am

All the world surrounds me and my feet are on the ground

I'm a very lonely man, doing what I can

All the world astounds me and I think I understand

That we're going to keep growing, wait and see

Another case of -motions to lyrics- tbh

1789 –

Sleeping at Last – Pluto

[Chorus]

Until one day I had enough

Of this exercise of trust

I leaned in and let it hurt

And let my body feel the dirt

When I break pattern, I break ground

I rebuild when I break down

I wake up more awake than I've ever been before

“I rebuild when I break down” this is put here specifically to signify his,, literal rebuilding of himself after the struggle of the previous century,..

The Deep Dark Woods – The Place I Left Behind

I'm a good ole ramblin' boy

Now that's just what I am

This fair land that you call yours

I do not give a damn

I've got the ramblin' fever down in my bones

And everywhere that I wanna go

The only place that I ever loved

Is a place I left behind

Discontent, I think, with where he’s at currently. Still missing and grieving his family, I imagine he probably spends these years pretty alone, and that could be why he seemingly turns his goddamn brain off -_-

Tunng – Fatally Human

Fatally human

We hover in the world

Fatal someone

We flounder in the dark

Take hold of another

Go mad in a moment

The soil and the wonder

Sway to the terror

There’s not really a lot I can say here, but. Yeah.

1889 –

The Oh Hellos – I Have Made Mistakes

I have made mistakes

I have made mistakes, I continue to make them

And the promises I've made

The promises I've made, I continue to break them

And all the doubts I've faced

All the doubts I've faced, I continue to face them

But nothing is a waste

Nothing is a waste, if you learn from it

This song sounds like how Hob looks when he makes that little jab at himself about making and learning from mistakes… couldn’t get that idea out of my head. Plus this song just really hits.

Greg Puciato – Through the Walls

Winter, I'm out of tune

Heating frozen stars

I'll keep spilling my guts out to you

Wherever you are

Dragging my anchor through you

I want you to know

Me before this night is through

Then you'll never go

Careful to not disappear

Offering dreams to the dawn

Nothing's impossible here

Still we can't go on

I didn’t want to make anything TOO outwardly Dreamling, but like… this song, omg…

Tubeway Army – Are ‘Friends’ Electric?

[Chorus 1]

So now I'm alone

Now I can think for myself

About little deals and S.U's

And things that I just don't understand

Like a white lie at night

Or a sly touch at times

I don't think it meant anything to you

[Verse 3]

So I open the door

It's the 'friend' that I'd left in the hallway

"Please sit down."

A candlelit shadow on a wall near the bed

Made that last comment and then there’s this song WHOOPS sdkfgadfbaasfjghfb

1989 –

Marina – To Be Human

[Chorus]

All the people living in, living in the world today

We're united by our love, we're united by our pain (Ooh)

All the things that I've done and I've seen

Still, I don't know, don't know what it means

All of the little name drops and the meanings and.. it just gave me very much the century flying by so violently but also colorfully and SO much happening..

Orville Peck – Dead of Night

[Verse 3]

Six summers down, another dreamless night

You're not by my side

Scratch on the moon like a familiar smile

Stained on my mind

Some other town, someone else's life

Dead in the night

In the night

Ofc I had to add Orville… this song and it’s placement… I wanted it to feel purposeful, and I hope it does. Character and theme-wise, and also like irl things happening in those decades..

Danny Schmidt – This Too Shall Pass

[Verse 3]

We think too big, we think our self is one whole thing

And we claim that this collection has a name and is a being

But deep inside when every cell divides

Well, it sets upon the rule that states self-interest is divine

[Verse 4]

And cancer too lives by this golden rule:

That you must do unto the others as the others unto you

All for the best, because it's all that life accepts

And so we kill it like a buffalo: with awe and with respect

This song also gives me overall Hob vibes, musically and lyrically, but.. I just think about the kind of friends he made and the things he tried to do in this century. Helping the people he could and loving those he couldn’t help. The knowledge that yes, this too shall pass…

1990’s-ish – Went on a lil’bit of a bender

Alice in Chains – Would?

[Verse 2]

Drifting body, its sole desertion

Flying, not yet quite the notion

[Chorus]

Into the flood again

Same old trip it was back then

So I made a big mistake

Try to see it once my way

I feel like after 1989.. and the overwhelming barrage of a century that was, I feel like he has some, emotions to sort through. N and I talked a lot about grunge phase 90’s Hob and like yes very much influential here, but I think I’d associate him with Alice in Chains, regardless. Stone Temple Pilots too, I think.. there’s more lmao

Def Leppard – Animal

[Verse 1]

A wild ride, over stony ground

Such a lust for life, the circus comes to town

We are the hungry ones, on a lightning raid

Just like a river runs, like a fire needs flame

Oh, I burn for you

[Chorus]

I got to feel it in my blood, whoa, oh

I need your touch don't need your love, whoa, oh

And I want, and I need, and I lust, animal

This man fucks. Obvi

2022 –

The National – I Am Easy To Find

[Verse 1]

How long have we been here?

Am I ever coming down?

I need to find some lower thinking, if I'm going to stick around

I'm not going anywhere

Who do I think I'm kidding?

I'm still standing in the same place where you left me standing

[Chorus]

I am easy to find

The National will always be my favorite sad Dad band, I cherish them. I feel like Hob would also like them, but this song of course had to be added because. “I am easy to find.” …. ach

The Narcissist Cookbook – Joy! Joy! JoooOOY!

[Verse 2]

Tonight let's turn the shower on

Full blast and hot

Lie down in the bath like it's a casket or a cot

We'll try to sleep

But we won't sleep

I thought writing it down might make me wanna stop

But I want more and more

And more of this

Til there's no room in me

There’s not a lot I can say about this one either, just.

Broken Bells – Perfect World

[Verse 1]

Oh, London moon, help me stumble home

Let me lose myself along the way

I've got nothing left, it's kind of wonderful

'Cause there's nothing they can take away... away

[Bridge]

But it's another way to win a useless fight

You've been lying so long don't know when you're faking

See the water on the rise

Just another day into a useless night

I've been pushing so hard now my hands are shaking

See the water on the rise

This song is beautiful. I think I had a religious experience when I heard it for the first time a few years ago,,, it’s also just very much a Hob song to me. Not overly optimistic, but still down for life.. the struggles…

Avi Kaplan – Song For The Thankful

[Verse 3]

Goodbye evening, hello to the night

I'm not seein' the wrong from the right

Walkin' blindly on a path without an end

Then the morning comes and leads me out again

I thought this would be the perfect song to end on.. I hope I’m right.

#holy SHIT #the formatting for this one was fighting me tooth and nail so I'm terribly sorry if it looks like complete shite asdfadsf #if anyone has any thoughts on this pls pls pls yell at me abt them..#also if i made you cry with any of these choices pls also let me know that >:)#alright love y'all but i'm going to go eat something and probably pass out for 10 hrs <3 #the sandman #hob gadling #jules.songrec✨#jules.intothevoid✨#i can't think of anything else to tag but i'm sure i'm missing something but ig i'll figure it out later 🙃#kay bbyyyee #Spotify

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