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snidgetwidgeon · 3 years

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Son of Hylia, Daughter of Farore

A roleswap Zelink AU

Art by @anxioussailorsoldier and used here with permission

This story is a one-shot inspired by the prompts from @drsteggy and was gifted to her in a fic exchange.

~~~

Link awoke suddenly, desperately trying to cling to the vision of a woman surrounded by bright light as it diminished from his foggy mind. Try as he might to enter back into the haze of his mysterious dream, sounds came louder and clearer to his ears, and he registered the rustle of the sheets sliding against his feet as he stretched, his senses slowly returning. Today would be a trying affair. He always remained fatigued after she appeared to him, ever speaking yet rendered frustratingly silent.

Perhaps he could try to lay low, hide in the library, and search yet again on the shelves he’d already scoured for something he may have missed; something to prove it was possible that he was having the visions vessels were known to have had. He just couldn’t interpret them. He spared a bittersweet thought for his late mother. She would have known, would have shown him. Or perhaps she would have bore a daughter, and there would be no question; and he could have supported his sister when they found out the Calamity was foretold to return.

But the Kingdom of Hyrule was left with a Prince at the precipice of doom. He’d never felt more useless, or more determined to do something about it. He would find a way. He would protect everyone.

Zelda shifted her feet, practicing her forms to warm up before training. She missed her scimitar. This new blade felt so different and she had to relearn how to make it an extension of herself. It was humbling when sparring partners she had previously bested came out on top. It just proved she still had much to learn and needed to become proficient with many weapon types if she wanted to be the greatest.

She recalled being a bit intimidated as her group of friends grew over the years. Where they used to be physical equals, they now towered above her; but she supposed she could be thankful for the challenge because it caused her to become an incredibly scrappy fighter, always looking for openings she could wheedle into.

This time she wheedled too far and forgot to watch her flank while in pursuit of one of her opponents. Another warrior swept in and bashed her ribs as she was on an upswing and it sent her flying. As she was pulled up, she couldn’t help but think spitefully that the same would not have happened if she were allowed her weapon of choice. She could have recovered with her scimitar but the swing on the Master Sword was different.

“Nice air you caught there,” her sparring partner teased in Gerudo. “Again?”

Zelda recovered her blade from a few paces away and declined, “I think I’ll just nurse my wounds and ego for awhile, thanks.”

“Suit yourself. I recommend you do solitary for a few days with your new acquaintance,” she pointed her chin towards the Master Sword in Zelda’s grip. “See if you two can make friends,” she winked and ran back to join the fray.

Zelda stared down at the sword with slight contempt. Urbosa had told her of the legends she’d learned from the late Queen of Hyrule, and her son, Prince Link- that the sword was wielded to protect Hylia, and how the blade itself chose its master and would even communicate. Someone being chosen meant that a shit storm was likely brewing.

Urbosa also mentioned that preparations were being made against some sort of Calamity. The word made Zelda’s blood run cold and she knew it was something to be feared. If the sword was not speaking to her, perhaps it chose wrong and she was not suited to the challenge. She had tried everything she could think of, even hours of meditation, which she hated because she didn’t like sitting still for long.

But it was all for naught.

She wove her way through the stalls and bustle of the marketplace, sword heavy on her back, and day after day it had only served to weigh her down even more. She could no longer stand it. She exited the north-western gates and ran along the outer wall. Heart pounding and sweating all over, she dug a rather shallow and pathetic hole, chucked the sword in and kicked sand over it before walking away in a huff, muttering, “Curse the day I found your infuriating silence!”

She’d been training in the desert when she discovered it, exploring further than she ever had over the dunes. Following the statues with their guiding swords, she finally came upon the last one and sheltered under her cloak at its base as a sandstorm passed. Thankfully, it was short and as she stood to shake as much sand as she could off her person, she noticed something strange in the distance. She could have sworn she’d reached the last statue of the warriors. Perhaps she’d miscounted as there stood another on the horizon, the reflection of its sword glinting brightly in its grasp.

Zelda took a drink from her ration, taking note of how much was left before deciding she could manage one more. If anything, it would improve her survival skills.

As she neared the solid figure rising out of the sands she noticed that the sword it held was elaborate. Oddly enough, a scabbard for it was slung over the shoulder which made it appear that someone had just left it there. She looked around but only saw a few cacti bearing voltfruits, perfect for carrying around extra moisture for the return trip. Some movement caught her eye behind a cactus and she ran over, pulling her scimitar, in case there was meat to be had, but she was met with a poof of sparkling petals and could have sworn she heard a childish giggle.

After investigating thoroughly, she cut the fruits and placed them into her bag before returning to the statue. It would be a shame to leave such a fine piece of work out in the middle of nowhere. She climbed the figure and slipped the scabbard off the shoulder, letting it fall to the sand before holding the neck and planting her feet against the torso so she could reach the hilt with her free hand. It did not budge. Hiking herself up, she wrapped her legs around the neck so she could use both hands to pull on the wings above the hilt.

She was straining when she heard the laugh again, accompanied by a rattle, and in her distraction, the blade suddenly came loose and they both tumbled into the sand.

She’d thought nothing of it until returning to Gerudo Town.

During a routine visit to the throne room, Chief Urbosa had nearly sent away visiting dignitaries when she spied the sword on Zelda’s back. After the meeting, Urbosa called her into her private quarters, which was very unusual. Perhaps she was to be given a special assignment.

“Where did you find that sword?” Urbosa asked with intense interest and a hint of concern.

Zelda stood at attention and replied concisely, “In the desert, Chief.”

“Zelda, have you any idea what you’ve found?”

Zelda began to doubt her decision to play finders keepers. Maybe it was a ceremonial sword or relic that should have stayed where it was. Though she had been raised with the Gerudo, she certainly did not purport to know all of their culture and was horrified by the idea that she’d deeply offended them.

~~~

Urbosa removed her bracelets and hair ornaments, letting the thick, red locks fall down her back. Making sure her tea would be in reach, she snuggled into her bed and opened a letter from her favorite Hylian. She always saved his letters for the end of the day when her attention could be undivided and she could imagine actually having a conversation with him. He was so bright and inquisitive, and optimistic- as his letter revealed. Just like her love.

~I have not given up my search. I keep thinking that surely, there is a pocket in the library I have not scoured. But then another duty and another day takes me away from it. I see her, Urbosa. It has to mean something. If only I could find evidence that there has been a son of Hylia. Why else would I be given visions? If only I could interpret them...

Do you know how mother did it? Did she ever say anything?~

He then went on to describe his involvement with the funding of the research at the Royal Ancient Lab as well as other gossip that he and Urbosa kept up on, including their inside jokes about stuffy nobles. He also wanted to hear more about the warrior who had pulled the Master Sword.

~Does the bearer of the Blade that Seals the Darkness fare well? The moment I learned of her, I hoped that it was a sliver of evidence to prove my case. If there is a woman as Farore’s chosen, then perhaps it lends weight to the fact that a man could be Nayru’s chosen. But I’m harping. Perhaps I will be able to meet her soon, though father keeps me tied up in social engagements. He has taken to parading me at events where there are ample amounts of young debutantes to vie for my attention. I’d much rather be studying.~

Urbosa wrote back early the next morning after skimming the letter again.

~It seems our chosen Hero is having trouble awakening the power within the blade. When you sent word of legends that say the sword speaks to a worthy master, she immediately felt inadequate. Zelda excels at any challenge and eventually overcomes all obstacles, so when she continually failed to connect with the sword’s spirit, she took out her frustrations in a childish manner. The other day she was witnessed burying it in the sand outside the town walls. She must have blown off all her steam because she did retrieve it later that night.

I think that learning her fate has been weighing on her. She puts on a stoic face but I can see she has reservations. Perhaps if you two came together, something will give?~

After reading Urbosa’s reply, Link laid the parchment back down on his desk and pondered her proposition. He had been wanting to expand his search outside the castle for sometime and though he enjoyed visiting the Royal Lab, it did not hold any answers for what he sought; they were just a bunch of rowdy mechanics who were a lot of fun to hang around with. But to understand his history and role, he wanted to go on a pilgrimage to the known spiritual sites of Hyrule, and perhaps discover unknown ones as well so he could be better informed on how to defeat the Calamity, and possibly awaken the power of Hylia along the way.

He would start making arrangements right away.

~~~

King Rhoam rapped his knuckles on the door of his son’s study. When Link answered with a curt nod and a polite greeting, he entered, leaving his guard detail outside. He thought it prudent to retain at least some privacy for this matter, considering the gossip it could generate.

“I hear you’re planning some sort of trip,” it came out as a statement more than a question.

“A pilgrimage. To try and find any proof of my suspicions-”

He was interrupted by his father’s large, dissatisfied sigh. “Link, you really must stop harping on about that nonsense. Hylia has only ever been reincarnated into the mortal body of a female, that’s just the way it is. A tradition that extends even far beyond what we have in written history.”

“Exactly. We don’t know everything. How do you explain my visions? Mother had them. She knew how to interpret them.”

“Perhaps they’re just dreams,” Rhoam offered again in a misguided attempt to engage.

Link smacked the book he was about to pack on the table in frustration. “I can’t believe you keep saying that, you just don’t understand.”

“What I understand is that you continue to foolishly insist on chasing dreams and fantasies rather than doing something tangible for your people. You’re wasting time, Link. You should be courting and choosing a wife so that you can pass on the bloodline to a potential Princess who will-” Rhoam saw the shock in his boy’s face and tried to change track, “We have no idea when the Calamity will strike, we should be doing everything we can to prevent disaster.”

Link clenched his jaw as a deep anger and loathing swelled in his breast. Voice trembling in rage, he rebutted, “I am not going to produce an heir just to send her to the slaughter. I will fight my own battles. This Calamity is coming down on us! I just need to figure out how to awaken Hylia’s power.” He grabbed his bag and stormed out before Rhoam could push his agenda further.

~~~

The next letter Urbosa received from Link outlined his travels. She grinned as she read through them, glad that he’d managed to get away.

~The Forgotten Temple was very difficult to access, and though it did not produce any results, it was a breath taking trip. It has the largest Goddess Statue I have ever seen and I felt a peculiar familiarity while standing under her benevolent smile. I think this is promising.

We’re now at the ruins of the Temple of Time on the Great Plateau. I’m no stranger to the place of course, but the Priestess has been most helpful in providing old texts to study that were not available at the Castle. She’s even offered to assign a scribe to make copies for me.

I hope to be underway again soon and I would like to visit the Seven Heroines. I want to leave no stone unturned. I shall send a dispatch for when we expect to be arriving in the desert.~

When the time came, Urbosa bid Zelda to be an escort for the Prince across the sands to Gerudo Town. “Listen carefully, Zelda. Being the Prince is more than reason enough to keep him safe, but there may be a chance that he is so much more. The fact that you wield that sword lends weight to his theory that he may be Hylia reborn.”

Zelda’s eyes widened but she remained silent, nodding dutifully.

“I’ll need you to deliver some supplies to him so that he may enter unmolested upon arrival.”

“Chief?” Zelda asked, uncertain about the order. Hylia possibly being in a boy she could handle, but in all her time there, she’d never heard of a voe entering Gerudo Town. For Urbosa to speak of it almost as if it were done every other day was- confusing, to say the least.

Urbosa raised her brow at the question. “He is my Oten’vehvi and knows how to behave within these walls. You need not concern yourself with the politics, just act as his personal guard.”

“Yes, Chief.”

She made her preparations and checked that all was secure with the ‘contraband.’ The idea of meeting the Prince was troubling to say the least. She felt completely inadequate, bearing a sword that considered her unworthy. Perhaps she could pass it onto him and he could find the most courageous person in Hyrule. With his resources she was sure it wouldn’t be that hard. Then again, legendary swords weren’t known for choosing incorrect Heroes, so what was wrong with her?

They would just have to work together somehow.

She rode most of the way at a leisurely pace behind her sand seal until she noticed a scuffle as she neared Kara Kara. “HUP!” she directed her seal to go a bit faster to investigate.

A couple of Hylian vai shrieked when they saw her. “The Prince! Please save our Prince!” they cried as they pointed west.

There were two Yiga chasing after a nimble blond clad in light blue. She sprung after them, tongue rolling in a call to let her mount know they needed to go as fast as if they were fleeing a molduga.

The Prince was doing well for himself until he fell, a prey disposition coming over him. He scooted back but could only stare at the assassins, frozen in fear.

Zelda used her inertia to whip across the sand and jumped to land between the Prince and his attackers. She drew her sword, imbued with courage and confident that she could easily protect the boy against the likes of this desert rabble. She almost become distracted by the sword’s sudden glow before exchanging blows with the masked Yiga. They soon realized they were no match for her and dispersed in pops of red and orange light, laughter echoing in their place.

Breathing heavily, she turned back to face the Prince who was still flat on his bum. They both ogled the glowing sword.

An ethereal, disembodied voice broke the silence, “Master, it is good to see you again.”

Their eyes snapped to each other and searched for understanding. There was an immediate and unmistakable bond between them. They’d both heard it.

“I see...” Zelda began. She glared down at the Master Sword, fist clenching the handle and shaking with anger. “So you only deign to speak when your charge is present?” Her voice rose, “I wasn’t good enough for you?! You picky piece of shit!” she yelled as she hurled the sword into the dunes.

Link gaped in disbelief that his protector was so uncouth when something profound occurred to him. He fell back into the sand laughing, a massive wave of relief washing over him.

She looked at him curiously. “What? What is it?”

His laughter died down and he gazed into the sky, moisture glistening in the corner of his eye. “She’s with me.”

Zelda’s eyebrows knitted in confusion, unaware of the turmoil he had experienced regarding his identity.

Link stood and brushed himself off then held out his hand in greeting. “You must be Zelda. Bearer of the Blade that seals the Darkness.”

She accepted his shake and added spitefully, “More like the blade that won’t open its trap unless its mommy is around.”

“You know, I find it very intriguing, my mother’s name was also Zelda.”

“Yes, my mother was a big fan. It’s kind of flattering, she was a great lady. But people always joke that I’m the lost, secret princess and other nonsense.” She started to move away but he touched her arm and she paused.

“Thank you- for saving my life; but also for revealing the truth. Now that I know she’s here,” he touched his heart, “I will find her.”

Zelda eyed him like a strange bug, still unsure as to what he was on about. She patted his shoulder as she walked over to retrieve her weapon, “Good luck with that.”

~~~

A few nights later, Link and Urbosa took a stroll just outside of town to enjoy each other’s company, catching up on their daily lives. The stars twinkled brightly and the moon shone pale on the dunes, a steady breeze drifting the sands away to the dark horizon. He’d just intimated what his father would have him do to stay the coming Calamity.

She touched his shoulder in support, “And what did you say?”

“That this was our battle. And I would absolutely not have a child just to-” he sighed deeply. “I mean, I know the legends. There will always be a vessel of Hylia and her chosen Hero, but to be so deliberate and unfeeling about it, I just...”

“It’s alright. Your father has always been rather blunt, and practical to a fault. For what it’s worth, I believe in you. The visions you describe sound very similar to what your mother shared with me.”

He looked up to her with a smile, “It’s worth a lot, you’re my Oten’baba; your opinion matters to me more than anyone else.”

They continued on for a short time in companionable silence when Urbosa stopped and lifted her head to the night, listening and placing a hand on her scimitar.

“What is it?” Link asked, only noticing after he’d taken a few steps ahead.

A raucous laughter cut across the desert and as quick as Urbosa had been to draw her blade and prepare a snap of deadly electricity over her foes, two of them grabbed the Prince and held their sickles to his neck causing her to stay her hand.

“What a lovely package we have here tonight. Not only can we bag the boy, we can finally rid ourselves of the thorn in our side, Gerudo Tempest!” a Yiga foot soldier, hidden amongst the rest, spat the last two words out in disgust.

They attacked and dozens fell upon the Chief, running head on and popping up behind. A dance of blades began and Link struggled to free himself. Urbosa tried to lead her foes away but Link’s captors followed, dragging his feet through the sand.

“You’ll not be using your lightning with the precious Prince so close, will you?” gloated the same antagonizing voice.

Link cried out in terror when he saw a Yiga succeed in cutting her arm. She seethed and decked them right across the jaw. When they fell she jumped onto their back and launched herself in the air so she could shoot off a bolt.

“Oh, no! Is the Tempest in distress?” the voice goaded, and the masks cackled.

Link couldn’t tell where the mocking was coming from, they were everywhere and nowhere at once. There were too many. Urbosa was becoming overwhelmed and aid may not arrive in time- a gash landed on her leg- he was going to lose her. The laughing was getting louder, the air becoming so thick with magic that it tasted like chalk on his tongue- a slice was delivered up her back and she cried out. He squeezed his eyes shut and thought of his mother. What would she do? There hadn’t been anything he could do for her then, but he was here now for his living mother.

Link’s eyes shot open just in time to see Urbosa drowning under the onslaught and his insides fell into oblivion. They were replaced by a warmth that spread through his body and beyond. He jerked his head in confusion as those that held him fell away. He was free. Sparks akin to those he felt when he fell asleep on his hand in the library spread through his fingers and he launched himself into the foray. He clawed through Yiga soldiers to get to her and did not see how each one he yanked was thrown back with a force of golden energy.

“Urbosa! URBOSA!?” They hit the ground.

The desert was lit with a false sunrise as Link crushed Urbosa in a desperate embrace. The light washed over her, healing her wounds as it cascaded around them in a dome, their enemies lying motionless on the outside.

After a few stunned moments, they opened their eyes and picked each other up. Urbosa held his face in her hands and wiped his tears. “Just look at you,” she said, smiling proudly.

“I- I couldn’t. I was,” he stumbled over his words as more tears fell, “I was going to lose you. I couldn’t lose you too,” he cried into her chest and she held him close.

~~~

Link was a natural at seal surfing. That’s what Zelda thought before she realized that he must have actually visited Gerudo Town previously and she just didn’t know it. They had left at sunrise and arrived to their destination mid morning. After taking a much needed rest, re-hydrating and snacking, Link took a leisurely walk around the place to get his bearings while Zelda tended to the sand seals. She joined him after they were settled for a long siesta and the two of them began their research of the Seven Heroines in interest.

There were orbs scattered about the place. Very large, Link noticed. He pushed one with his foot. And heavy. The sand seals might have to work after all. He tasked Zelda with collecting any she could find and in the meantime he studied the statues, picking up rather quickly that some had prominent corresponding symbols to the orbs on various parts of their bodies. Some he couldn’t make out as they were too high so there would be some educated guesses by process of elimination.

Zelda couldn’t help being drawn into his enthusiasm, the way he took notes- the face he made when he took those notes; it was all very quaint, and a bit impressive. Having spent most of her time advancing physically, she appreciated the mental gymnastics they were doing. Where most might sit back defeated, Link pushed through with a calm determination. They tried dropping the orbs in the pedestals in numerous combinations, each with a sound theory behind them. How was Link to know that if shrines had been activated, he would have succeeded in getting a result on the first try? A fact that they both wouldn’t learn for another 103-odd years.

After the sun set, Link scrawled until the dimming light rendered the page unreadable. Zelda had already set about making camp. They could head back to town in the morning, both were knackered. Even with the help of the seals, they’d heaved plenty of orbs around for hours. Eventually he plopped down on the rug with her and heaved a big sigh.

“Wow, you been working all day or something?” she asked in jest as she turned the vegetables in the fire.

“Yeah, something like that. It’s been a long while since I’ve been out in the field.”

She regarded him thoughtfully. “What’s it like up at the castle?”

“Stuffy.”

She chuckled and didn’t press but it wouldn’t be fair to leave it at that. For all its faults, it deserved more. “I loved exploring the halls as a boy. I’m fairly certain I found long lost passages even the castle historian didn’t know about. My favorite places are the Library and the Observatory. “

“Sounds about right,” Zelda smirked.

“Ha ha. But really, the Library has books as far as you can see, you’d never finish them in one lifetime. And my mother used to take me to the Observatory. I still go there to feel close to her.”

They sat in silence for a moment when Zelda touched his forearm. “I’m sorry you lost her.”

Link nodded in thanks and Zelda started to collect the hearty truffles from the coals. “I lost my father,” she began, and Link was a bit surprised she was sharing.

“He was a knight. We didn’t have any other family close by and mom didn’t fancy moving to Tabantha Village. She hates the cold,” Zelda added as she passed Link a stick laden with dinner.

“Thanks. So she just came to the desert instead?” Link asked before blowing generously and taking a bite.

“She had a close friend here who is practically my auntie. I think she was hoping we could just get away and start fresh from everything we knew before. But then I had to take after dad. Took her a while and a lot of arguments to come to terms with the fact that I was also a warrior.” She shook her head. “I feel bad. I’ve put her in a constant fear of losing me too but... you have to do what your soul tells you, right?”

Link closed his eyes and thought of Hylia, feeling a vibration in his core. “Right.” He agreed thoughtfully.

“Anyway, then this happened,” she said, unsheathing the sword on her back a few inches and letting fall back in with a shinck. “That was not a fun conversation.”

“I can imagine,” Link commiserated as he thought of his own recent rows with his father.

Zelda took a bite of her own truffle and regarded him up and down. With no tact for manners, she said with a full mouth, “You’re alrigh’ fo’ a Pince.”

Link laughed and his genuine mirth spread warmth through Zelda’s chest. “And you’re alright for a Hero.”

#breath of the wild #zelink #fanfiction #roleswap au #prince link #champion zelda #urbosa #king rhoam #Son of Hylia Daughter of Farore #snidgetwidgeon scribbles

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incorrect-natshig · 3 years

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Do you have natshig fic recs? 👀

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Natsuo is content living in the small village of Eadu, but when his brother becomes the victim of a curse, he's left scrambling for a way to undo it. Desperate for a cure, he manages to find the mysterious Magician of the Western Mountains—a man who raises far more questions than answers, especially when Natsuo finds himself volunteering to spend the summer in the mountains with him in order to aid him in breaking Touya's curse. Love had never been part of the equation, but between sweltering summer days and conversations in the dead of night, Natsuo can't say that he minds.

Love Comes Slow (and goes so fast) by Tigers101 (14.8k, single chapter)

"I’ve never been enough.” Natsuo's expression darkened. “I’ve always been the failure of a middle child, worthless and alone. I’ve never been anything to anyone." Tenko looked at him, his eyebrows creased in something close to anger. “Well, everyone else can go fuck themselves. You’re everything to me.” (natshig fantasy au + major character death)

Here Be Faeries by cafeanna (5k, single chapter)

“Terrible thing, terrible thing,” The burning man tusked and tisked. “Caught the eye of a Prince, gave a Name, and killed the King. Now he wears a crown of blooded amber and elk horn, and sleeps on a bed of thistle and roses. The King calls him frostbite, willow-boned, and beloved.”

Natsuo Todoroki walked into the woods at the beginning of summer and never came out. A month later, Fuyumi and Shouto are left in the aftermath of a missing person’s case and a growing fear of the place they grew up.

Know That You Love Me (even when I lose my head) by Tigers101 (1.5k, single chapter)

“I hate you.” Tenko grinned. “No, I really don’t think that’s the case. You wouldn’t have saved me from homework if that were the case.” (natshig roleswap au)

#fair warning but some of these are also dabihawks if that's not your cup of tea #feel free to add more!!<33 #i had to physically hold myself back from adding more hhh #this is long enough as it is #this gave me a good excuse to reread all my favourite fics💗#h2g i owe fanfic authors my life^^#thanks for the ask!!#not a quote #fic recs✨

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writingpaperghost · 3 years

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Like Father, Like Daughter (Part 13)

Chapter 13: There's a Light That Shines, and it's Power is Mine

Stuff starts really happening.

And I've hit what I have written. I... have kinda got distracted with the Ex-Aid roleswap AU before finishing this. Whoops

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22967815/chapters/82004605

After Zero finished explaining what had happened with Noa, Mayu sighed. “Okay, so what’s our plan while they do that?”

Laiha provided an answer, “Let’s head back to the Nebula House, we can have REM check in with Riku and the others,” She crosses her arms, “If they’ve found Emari’s base, then they’ll have probably found Noa.”

“That’s a big if,” Kurow says, “But…”

Mayu turns to him, “Don’t say it’s not your problem or something,” It’s not even pleading, Mayu just straight up told him not to, “You’ve helped this far. And whatever Emari’s got planned, it can’t be good for you in the long run either.”

It was hard to tell for sure what Kurow was going to say, but he responded with an insistent, “That wasn’t what I was going to say,” Though Mayu wasn’t entirely convinced, “I was going to say that Emari probably has something more planned than just Noa and whatever weapon she’d absorbed.”

“Well,” Leito began, “There’s only one way to find out.”

So the five headed back to the Nebula house. It seemed that Riku, Pega, Zena, and Moa were still out searching, since the only ones at the Nebula house were REM and the baby now drowsily peaking out from under the blankets to watch Don-shine.

“REM,” Laiha calls, “Have you heard anything from Riku and the others?”

REM responds, “So far, they haven’t had any significant progress,” Which wasn’t exactly good news, but it wasn’t unexpected, either. “But, they do think that they might be close.”

“That’s better than nothing, I guess,” Mayu notes, “We should probably go help them look?”

Kurow nods, “I can think of a few places that might be good to look,”

Sitting down on the couch, Leito sighs, “I think I’ll just stay here and help REM watch after Yuji,”

Zero quickly takes control and nods, “Right, sounds like a plan,” He’s in the process of returning Mayu’s glasses to her face for her when he adds, “Let’s go.”

Once again in the rules of splitting up, Mayu and Zero were a pair by default, with Kurow and Laiha making the other pair. Since Kurow had places he thought that Emari’s base might be, he led the way while Laiha followed. Mayu and Zero, meanwhile, had to figure out where to look on their own.

“What do you think?” Mayu wondered aloud, “Like where should we start?”

“Uh, shady alley or something?” Zero offered, “I don’t know, recon’s not really my thing.”

“Yeah,” She agreed, laughing quietly, “You’re thing is more hitting stuff.” Zero wisely chose not to mention how he’d delt with the barrier around the Earth.

“Well, I guess we’ll try your idea,” She continued, “Not like I have any.”

Zero didn’t seem entirely convinced by that, “Er, I was joking,” He said, “I’m pretty sure a shady alley would be a terrible idea.”

“Too late!” Mayu declared, “Let me find the nearest shady alley.”

The nearest shady alley wasn’t exactly close, but Mayu sure enough found one. It looked exactly like a shady alley would. Empty, with some garbage coming out of a couple of the trash cans, and little light. Mayu experimentally took a step in, then looked around to see if anything had happened. Nothing did, so Mayu figured this plan was a bust.

“I could have told you it wouldn’t do much good,” Zero commented, “I mean what proper villain just hides their base in a shady alley,” Mayu keeps walking through the alley anyway, while he’s talking. Mostly because she doesn’t know what better to do. Then she reaches the end and turns around.

“Well, that,” She begins, “Was terribly uneventful.”

“Well yeah, what were you expecting?”

“I dunno, maybe a raccoon or something?”

“A raccoon.”

“Yeah, you know, a trash gremlin.”

“I know what a raccoon is,”

Before Zero could continue, the ground shakes and a loud roar rings out. Looking towards the source, Mayu can see something in the distance. With all the buildings in the way, it’s hard to make out the exact details, even of something that large. It seemed like some sort of lizard like monster, with a frill or flower around its neck – whatever it was rather floppy.

“Guess that’s our cue,” Mayu notes, already pulling the Ultra Zero Eye out.

She can’t actually see him, but she’s pretty sure Zero nodded, “Yeah, we’ve got a Jirahs to fight.”

“Let’s go!”

---

When Kurow said that he had some ideas as to where he thought Emari’s hideout was, he turned out to be rather accurate. He’d quickly led Laiha to some shady but mostly abandoned part of the city.

“What makes you think his base is here?” She asked, warily observing their surroundings as Kurow kicked at a boarded up door.

“If you were an evil alien trying to do god knows what,” He began, finally knocking the door open, “Then wouldn’t you go to the part of the city that no one goes to? Especially if you’re trying to keep a low profile.”

She rests a hand on her sword, “If it’s that obvious, doesn’t that defeat the purpose?”

“Yeah, well, some people are idiots,”

Kurow peers into the building, then shrugs before moving on and kicking open another door. Laiha watches him for a while and lets him do his thing, already under the impression that he’d probably prefer it that way. Instead, she looks around, keeping an eye open for anything unusual or dangerous.

Soon enough, Laiha does catch sight of someone, but it’s not any aliens, at least not any she doesn’t already knows. She calls out, catching their attention and Riku, Pega, Moa, and Zena walk over.

“Laiha,” Moa smiled, “If you’re hear, then that means you found Mayu?”

Laiha nods, “Yes, Zero took care of that,” She gestures towards Kurow, “Kurow thinks that Emari’s base might be here. Zero and Mayu are off somewhere else searching.”

Zena nods, “We’ve come to the same conclusion,”

It was then that the five hear Kurow call out, “Hey, I think I find something.” They make their way over to where Kurow stood, in front of an opening in the wall, the door of which seemed to be disguised as an old refrigerator. Briefly, Kurow notes that Pega, Riku, Moa, and Zena are now there, but doesn’t say anything.

“Well,” Pega begins, almost hesitantly, “It’s definitely suspicious.”

“Very,” Moa agrees, “I guess we ought to investigate.”

The six enter the opening, with Riku in the lead, Zena, Moa, and Laiha right behind him. Kurow stayed back a bit, closer to where Pega trailed behind. The thing was, Kurow really didn’t want to get into more fights than he had to, but even with so many people here, he figured there wouldn’t be much choice. Certainly, this was where all the Magma’s had gone to.

At first, they didn’t see anyone, though that quickly changed with the appearance of one meandering Magma. Zena quickly took him out, though, with little fuss. Kurow had a feeling it wouldn’t be that easy all the time.

They wandered further, not finding anything particularly helpful, until they stumbled into several more Magmas. Kurow didn’t think that they’d be able to handle this many as easily as the first. While there was six of them, which was equal to the number of Magmas, Pega, to Kurow’s knowledge, wasn’t a fighter. Moa seemed reliant on her gun, which would only work so well in this close of proximity. Laiha at least had her sword, Kurow wasn’t worried about Zena, and he could only presume that Riku could fight given he was an Ultra. (Kurow would learn very soon that Riku was no good at fighting outside of being an Ultra.)

As Kurow dodged out of the way of one of the Magmas’ fist, he catches a glimpse of Riku’s poor fighting. Riku, who barely dodged out of the way of the Magma’s attack, wasn’t even able to hit it. At least Moa had managed to get some distance and was shooting at the Magmas, with Pega hanging out in her shadow. Laiha managed to disarm the one she was fighting, who also had some kind of sword like weapon. Kurow kicks the Magma he’s fighting’s legs out from under him, knocking him to the ground.

Through some miracle, they manage to knockout the Magmas they were fighting. Annoyed, Kurow grumbles, “Why is the Ultraman so bad at fighting?”

Riku at least looks a bit embarrassed, “It’s different like this,” He rubs the back of his head, “I don’t know why.” Kurow can’t imagine how it was different, or why Riku was worse at fighting at this smaller size, but he supposed there wasn’t much they could do about it. They still had to find Noa.

“We need to keep moving,” Zena says and they all nod in agreement. There wasn’t much time to waste. The group continues to search through the base until they come across a room, containing who they were looking for.

Inside the room, Noa was seated in a chair, not even tied up or anything. Instead, she sat with her arms crossed, glaring at one very scared looking group of Magmas that was cowering on the other side of the room. There’s something about her that doesn’t feel quite right, the energy that normally simply simmered was now boiling.

“Honestly,” She said, sounding irritated and not having noticed the new group standing in the doorway. “Some henchmen you are.” Was she seriously criticizing the Magma on their henchmen skills?

“This- this is unprecedented!” One particularly brave, or perhaps stupid, Magma protested, “You’re not normal!”

The energy bristles, then spikes when Noa grumbles, “Ugh, you guys are ridiculous,” She stands up from the chair, “Hey, how do I-?” Then she noticed the group in the doorway. An excited smile graces her face, “Hey guys!” She waves.

Moa is the first to break out of her shock and respond, “Noa! You’re okay!”

In response, Noa shrugs and looks far too casual for someone who got kidnapped, “Yeah, I went right past panic and straight to calm about… an hour ago? I’ve just been giving these guys are hard time since,” She points towards the group of terrified Magmas, “Apparently, they think I’m scary.”

“You could blow us all up,” One said in a shaky voice, then hides deeper in the huddle.

Noa doesn’t acknowledge them, “Anyway, can we get out of here?”

Riku looks a bit dazed when he answered, “Yeah,”

#ultraman zero #ultraman geed #mayu igaguri #like father like daughter #my writing

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nullanythorm-ao3 · 4 years

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Okay so bear with me, a little background on this idea of mine. As a writer, my primary love when it comes to writing is characters. My characters’ motivations, background, process of reasoning, and to a lesser extent their psychology. While I’m writing, I’ll often look for music to inspire my latest project or drive a character interaction in a particular scene. So, lately, as I’ve been working on my work and listening to a bunch of Tangled songs throughout my time working on TiSE and CiM, I came up with an idea. This idea.

But what if Varian and Cass’ songs were swapped?

This isn’t a roleswap AU or anything. Rather, it’s just as I said. A swap of their primary character/villain songs. Varian’s s1 arc gets Waiting in the Wings, its reprise, and Crossing the Line. Meanwhile, Cass’ s2-3 arc gets Let me Make You Proud, its reprise, and Ready as I’ll ever be. Basically, I realized that Cass and Varian actually have very similar motivations, they’re just skewed to different sides. They have other things that separate them as characters, but I feel swapping their songs could actually bring out other sides of their characters while still emphasising their motivations and make for some interesting emotional points where it wouldn’t have been originally.

So, I’m going to go over EVERY SINGLE ONE of those six songs verse by verse (or maybe even individual lines for emphasis sometimes) here - and tell you how I think the emotional beats of a lot of the songs still fit if they’re swapped because this epiphany has been driving me crazy and I think it’s time to put it on paper. We’ll be going in chronological order based on the order they’d be in if they WERE swapped, not how they originally are. So buckle in cuz this is gonna be a long ride!

Okay so we’re starting with

Waiting in the Wings (Varian Version)!

Oooh boy. So first and foremost, some of these songs might change where they’d pop up due to the tone of the song being better in a certain setting. Waiting in the Wings isn’t one of those, but I wanted to make that clear since for each song I’ll be specifying where in time in the timeline it’d be.

So Waiting in the Wings, in this song swap, would happen in the same place as Let Me make You Proud. Varian accidentally traps Quirin in Amber, and rushes out to get Rapunzel. It’s got a bit more of a somber vibe to it, but I think it actually really works to ramp up the emotional gut punch here. Let’s get started!

Guess we all are born with parts to play Some of us are stars and some are just in the way I know I was meant for glory But that’s never what my story brings And Yet I keep on waiting

So this first verse! I think it really could set up how Varian feels underappreciated. He really wants to stand out - get the glory and attention he feels he deserves so his dad can say he’s proud of his son for a change. Yet, others like Rapunzel, Eugene, Cass, etc are the stars. As he’s going out into the storm to get Rapunzel, he’s basically musing to himself on the fact that he’s relying on his friends again, having royally screwed up, and needing the stars of the show to fix it while he’s still waiting for his moment to shine.

That “Some of us are stars, and some are just in the way” is a real gut punch here because Varian’s always had a bad reputation. And while he’s kept trying and trying and trying to do things right - he’s starting to feel that maybe he can’t do anything on his own.

When You have the passion and the drive You expect your moment center stage to arrive I show up with heart ablazing Ready to achieve amazing things But I’m left waiting in the wings

Oooooooh boy. This boy definitely has passion and drive. He’s tried so hard to perfect his alchemy. To do great things. He wants to learn, to create, to build. Get that moment in the spotlight so he can be proud of himself, so that he can impress his dad. He wants to help others with his big brain so bad, to do something that can have him center stage - to get attention.

But every time, he gets shown up. Either his inventions go awry and someone else fixes his mess, and he’s left unappreciated and scorned for trying. Or he simply gets little attention for the things he has achieved. Not many people really acknowledge his attempts because they always fail. He’s always just been lagging behind Rapunzel and Eugene.

I hear my cue, and yet I’m kept there waiting Know what to do, and still I stand there waiting It’s always someone else who sings While I’m left waiting in the wings

So a lot of what I’ve talked about before applies to this verse. He feels like he can’t do anything without the others. Like he’s always an after thought, in the background. He wants so hard to be seen as an equal, but he’s just a kid. A smart kid wit ha brain a bit too big for his age who tends to rush into things and that leads to destructive aftermaths.

He wants to jump in, has the mind to help problem solve, but feels like he’s shrugged off by the kingdom and his father for other, brighter stars.

And so I keep on keepin on My chances come and then I blink and they’re gone Always overlooked unfairly While pretending that it barely stings

This boy. He internalizes so much of his pain. He tries to laugh it off, optimistically “keep on keepin on”, as it were. Yet every time he has a chance to prove himself, he always misses it. Whether it’s him getting ahead of himself, someone else not understanding his work and ruining it, basically any chance he has to really prove himself comes and goes so quickly he can hardly keep up.

And so he winds up overlooked. Scorned. Hated. He has a horrid reputation, but is always trying to keep going. Especially after becoming friends with Rapunzel. He feels like he really has a chance, so he keeps going. Keeps internalizing. And tries to reassure himself that his time will come some day.

But it stings, yes it stings, and -

I wanted this line on its own here. Because let’s talk about this one line. That’s probably one of my favorite lines in this song for Varian. Even before Queen for a Day. It stings. His dad constantly being disappointed in him. People discounting him because he’s small, young, rash, his inventions always blow up in his face. Even though he wants to stay positive and keeps going. Even though he wants to do his best to make his friends and, most importantly, his dad proud of him. He has to fight all the negativity that surrounds him. The POWER here, as Varian’s rushing to try to fix another of his messes, some part of him probably knowing that it wiill probably go wrong somehow, but still wanting to do good. Oof.

I’ll shed no tears, I’ll only keep on waiting If no one cheers, well I can keep on waiting Who cares how loud the silence rings

OKAY We’ll get to the last line of the song in a bit. But I want to talk about THESE THREE LINES. He doesn’t cry. He doesn’t mope. He just waits for his moment. He keeps going, and keeps triyng to find that time to shine. No matter how much he gets heckled. No matter how much he’s scorned. No matter how much he feels like no one’s on his side. He keeps pushing forward. Keeps looking for that silver lining. It doesn’t matter if they ignore him. If they avoid him. If they discredit him.

You’ll find me waiting in the wings

Because he’s always going to be there. Just waiting for his chance. No matter what, even if he’s relegated to the background character relying on Rapunzel. He’s going to find a way to get the praise he feels he deserves. That he absolutely craves from his dad and those around him. Even if he isn’t the star - as much as it hurts to not be able to do anything himself.

Waiting in the Wings (Reprise; Varian Version)

Okay so - The Reprises were the trickiest ones to work into this swap. However, with some thought, I was able to work out how to fit them in. So this is another one where the timeline of the song is the same as where his original song would be in the show. In other words, right as he came in to find Quirin fully encased. I’ll elaborate more on it later, but for now basically imagine the young Cass/Varian parts to be Varian reminiscing on the time when he was younger. Basically slipping back into his feelings as a kid and realizing that nothing has changed.

Bonus points if you can actually picture the Young Varian reminiscing parts as a tiny Varian left alone in his lab/room reading while Quirin’s out helping the villagers of Old Corona because he’s kind of a village leader-ish?

(Young Varian) Guess by now I oughta know my place Do your humble duty with a smile on your face

I should state. I by no means think Quirin is a bad parent. This is the big separation between the original reprise and Varian’s version. The original was focusing on how intentionally neglectful and emotionally manipulative Gothel was. Here, it’s more the mental state of a young/teenaged boy raised by a single father with a lot of responsibilities and who’s often worried, concerned, and frustrated at his son’s experiments.

In these lines, Varian is reminiscing on how even when he was younger, he always seemed to defy the expectations his dad had for him. He never learned to stay collected, and wasn’t a leader the way his dad was. Couldn’t just follow along and “do his humble duty” and follow what the kingdom says while smiling and ignoring what he wanted to do.

My dad knows how much I love him But he’s always doing other things So I’ll keep waiting in the wings

The pain. Quirin’s a single father. But he’s also, like I said, sort of the leader of a village. Or at least someone who’s very well-respected within the village. So naturally, he gets called on for a lot of things. He has a lot of problems he has to solve. That on top of the work he has to do in the fields? He doesn’t always have time for his son, as much as he might want to make time. I feel like that would go doubly for the fact that Varian is so clever for his age, Quirin has a hard time keeping up with all his science-y talk and alchemy experiments. So from the time Varian was young, he probably didn’t get much time with his dad.

So he was left to himself, reading thick alchemy books and Flynn Rider, performing experiments, and hoping that maybe one day his dad wouldn’t be so busy and would pay him a little attention.

(Varian) I craved so much, and yet I kept on waiting One glance, one touch, and I just kept on waiting

All he wanted was a sign. He wanted to know that his dad understood, even approved, of the things he did. He still does, even as a teenager. He kept on craving, and craving, and craving. And every little chance he got to spend even a little time with his dad, he hooked onto. Told himself that it was only a matter of time. He always knew his dad loved him, but still felt unappreciated whenever he tried to do something to help.

(Young Varian & Varian) And when it came, it came with strings

Now this line. This line was hard to pin down. Again, Quirin isn’t gothel. He genuinely loves his son - no strings attached.

But. Due to how lonely Varian was, and still is. Due to the mind of a child feeling underappreciated and wanting more time with his father. The fact that oftentimes, when Quirin did pay him attention, it was lecturing him about his alchemy. It was disappointment. It was was him seemingly ashamed of all the trouble his rambunctious boy caused. Those strings tied Varian down and kept him striving to get praise and a positive reaction for all the work he did.

(Varian) So I kept waiting in the wings

So this line. Whereas with Cass it was again, her talking about her relationship with Gothel. With Varian here the line is twofold I think. Though directly, the line could be about how he kept trying so hard to be praised to no avail. It also brings us back to the present. Where he’s kept waiting again - for any kind of help he can get. And knowing he’s just going to get scolded for the problems he caused everyone again.

So, before moving on to the next song. I want to bring out one big difference between the two reprises at this point in time. So, with the original Let Me Make You Proud reprise. The song was ominous. It was signaling after everything that happened, Varian was in a dark place. It hit us over the head with “your baby boy is going villain now”. But imagine if, instead we were left with this reprise? Varian ruminating on how even now, things haven’t changed from when he was young. He was till holding out hope for that one bit of praise. That one moment to shine. He was still so desperate to please his father, but had failed again, and could only wait on the good graces of the princess. Crying and desperate. No sign of him turning villain, but a heartbreaking place to leave off. And then we don’t hear from him agian until The Search for Varian, where he’s calling out for help yet again. We’re left hopeful for a reunion between Varian and Raps and for them to make amens. Then, when The Alchemist Returns happens, we’re initially glad to see Varian reaching out. We’re probably on his side when it comes to stealing the flower, because we’ve seen that Quirin hasn’t been the best or most reliable authority. And we want to see Varian get what he wants - free his dad. Rapunzel wants it too, so she agrees to help. But then, over the course of the episode, we see that’s not the case. We see that he’s been manipulating Rapunzel, he’s doing things the wrong way, and he’s starting to take the wrong path. This is the first warning sign. Then the end of the episode - and Varian’s last song for his arc!

Crossing The Line (Rapunzel & Varian Version)

That’s right! instead of Ready As I’ll Ever Be in Secret of the Sundrop, Varian’s big villain song happens during The Alchemist Returns. The way I see it, Crossing the Line works the same as it does originally. Raps sees a friend going down the wrong path, and tries to talk them out of it. This whole song happens in the room where the sundrop was being kept - and oh boy do some of these lines hit differently if you take Varian into consideration.

(Rapunzel) This has to stop now, whatever it is that you’re going through We’ll face it together, me and you. Just like we’ve always done (Varian) No! This has to stop now, this thing where you think that you’ve been my friend And don’t even see how you condescend, the way you’ve always done.

Hoo boy. I feel like I should say this out of the gate - Raps is my second favorite character in the series next to Varian. While I do think she has blame for some of the things that happen in the series, and the way two of her good friends turn on her, I don’t think it’s entirely on her shoulders. It’s in the way these two internalize the conflicts (more in common!). The way Varian is treated by the Kingdom in general not Rapunzel, and Cass’ inferiority complex due to her strained relationship with Gothel.

That said, seeeing the path Varian is going down, Rapunzel wants to try to keep him from going too far. She wants to free Quirin. She wants to help him, and she wants them to be able to do this together. She’s trying to pull Varian back in, and doesn’t want to push him away. She wants to understand what happened and what he’s been going through.

Varian, however, is having none of it. The way he’s rationalizing things right now, he feels dejected and left behind. He feels like Rapunzel’s just like everyone else, who’s condescended and abandoned him for so long. He’s angry, and at his breaking point.

(Rapunzel) Varian, listen (Varian: I’m listening) I know it isn’t true (Varian: Isn’t it?) Just look into my eyes, now (Varian: Well?) I know you feel it too (Varian: Perhaps I do)

Rapunzel is steadily trying to get through to him, and it’s working. Varian doesn’t actually hate her. He doesn’t want to be the bad guy. He loves Rapunzel like a sister, and he can see she’s trying to get through. He thinks that, just maybe, she’ll be willing to help him. He’s willing to reach out one more time, and he’s doubting his choices. He has been ever since he found his dad fully encased in amber.

(Rapunzel) Varian, listen (Varian: I’m listening) I swear it’s not to late So before another line gets crossed And everything we’ve had is lost. Just wait.

Cue Rapunzel’s tendency to say the entirely wrong word at the entirely wrong time. She’s almost through to him. She doesn’t want him to take the whole flower. He’s already lied to her, manipulated the whole kingdom. But there’s still a chance to make amends. They can apologize still, make things right, if he just leaves the flower. She doesn’t want to lose their friendship.

(Varian) Wait? No I won’t wait

But Varian refuses to wait again. He’s already waited. Rapunzel hasn’t kept her word so far, and at this point he can’t take agreeing to be a good boy only to wind up waiting for help that won’t come again. No, he’s going to take matters into his own hands now.

There’s a line between the winners and the losers There’s a line between the chosen and the rest

So this verse is going to be split up into a lot of small pieces - oops.

This kind of shows the way Varian thinks. He’s always had a bad reputation. He’s always felt like he’s a nobody. Like he’ll never do anything right. And he’s always around people like Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cass. He’s seen the stark contrast between the treatment he gets compared with him.

They’re the winners. They almost always get what they want. They succeed in their big dreams. Meanwhile always feels like there’s such a wide gap between others and him. While Rapunzel and the others try to bring up and support others to achieve their dreams - Varian, who’s always beaten down, feels that some people just don’t have the luck to win in life.

And I’ve done the best I could, but I always knew just where we stood Me here with the luckless, you there with the blessed

He sees his lot in life. At this point, he’s given into a lot of desperation and negative feelings. He and Rapunzel are on different sides of that gap. He always knew they did. He always seemed to make things go wrong, and Rapunzel and her friends always seemed to fix them. He’s resentful. Rapunzel gets everything. Her happy ending, her friends, her family. Meanwhile he’s left alone to sort things out.

And that line between the beggars and the choosers Is a line you never let me quite ignore

THIS LINE. This line. Hits different. You know why? “Rapunzel... I used you! I begged you and this kingdom for help. Everyone turned their back on me! It has to be this way”. He literally begged. He tried, begged to get the kingdom’s help. They weren’t exactly in the right position to help at the time, but to him the inaction alone was the same as choosing to abandon him.

This one line was actually one of the driving reasons for this whole post. Because honestly when I first thought about them fitting each other’s songs, and gave them all a new listen with the other in mind. This. Line. Hit me. Like. A truck. He feels abandoned, and like Rapunzel just keeps putting him and his goals on the backburner for everything she wants to do, no matter how much he begs and pleads for her help in his hour of need. Of course, again, it wasn’t really Raps’ choice to throw him out. She does have fault in this, she’s no perfect angel, but I feel there’s plenty of reasons she wouldn’t be able to go straight to him. Varian’s mind, however, is clouded by pain, loss, and resentment.

How I’ve tried to jump that great divide But I’ve never got the chances you were given

He’s tried so hard. He wanted to do something himself. He wanted to do something right. He wanted to be seen as on equal footing with Rapunzel and her friends. To be someone who could work with them. For his mind and alchemical know-how to be useful, somehow.

But all his chances fell flat. Comapred to Rapunzel, who’s lucked out of or worked her way out of every problem she’s faced, Varian just keeps getting dug deeper in. Things just keep going wrong.

You don’t know how much I’ve been denied Well I’m not being patient anymore

Even before meeting Rapunzel, he had a bad reputation. She doesn’t realize how hard he’s fought, and how hard he’s fallen. She has no idea how hard his life has been. How much he’s been left waiting or struggling or trying to find his way out of the negative image he had in the kingdom. He’s done being patient, he’s done doing things the nice way. He’s going to take matters into his own hands and taking action on his own to try to do something to help.

I’m crossing the line, and I’m done holding back So look out, clear the track, it’s my turn I’m taking what’s mine Every drop, every smidge

So this is a fun verse. The first couple lines don’t really mean much. It’s the same energy as the original Crossing the Line. Varian’s putting his foot down. He’s done listening to everyone else, and he’s going to do things on his own terms.

“Taking what’s mine” though is a fun line in regards to the Sundrop Flower. If it will save his dad, he’ll take whatever needs. One petal isn’t enough, so he’ll take every bit he can get his hands on. This is his chance. It’s his opportunity to save the day, he finally has it.

And he’s going to take it.

If I’m burning a bridge, let it burn But I’m crossing the line

Okay, so this is simple enough. He’s really making his point here. He’s going full villain, and he doesn’t care right now. He’s getting what he wants in life no matter what he has to do to get it, at this point. He doesn’t care if he loses his friends - he’s made it without friends before. He’s been hated by plenty of people, a few more never hurt. It’s not as important as his dad.

So this is about where I imagine Eugene, Cass, and the guard coming in.

And for us if we’re over that’s fine I’m crossing the line

And so the song ends. I feel him looking directly at Raps as he says this. He does care, deep down. He’s scared, and worried. But he tells himself it’s fine and hardens his resolve on the last line. I kind of imagine him throwing down the smoke bomb right after that bit - because it’s too perfect okaaaay?

So this does unfortunately mean there’s no big showdown musical number for Secret of the Sundrop. But that finale has plenty going for it so I think it’s fine. Unfortunately this setup means Eden won’t get a chance to exercise her singing voice until season 2. But she has plenty of chances to sing after, so ultimately I think it’s fine to let Varian get the spotlight after this. Since he won’t really get another primary singing part outside of an ensemble other than Nothing Left to Lose.

So, we’re on to season 2 and Cass’ arc! Hope y’all are ready cuz I’ve got some good ones for this one too. Starting with

Let Me Make You Proud (Cassandra Version)

So Cass’ version of Let Me Make You Proud is a bit interesting. Because Varian’s main motivation is making his dad proud and doing right in his eyes. For Cass, taht’s a player - but at this point in the story, and her character arc, this song is more her pleading for Raps to trust her. Yes, her dad and the Corona Royal Guard and her dreams of becoming part of them is another element to it. But go into it with the line that Raps and the group’s trust and respect is first, and her dad and the guard’s is second.

It happens in the same place as Waiting in the Wings - as the gang is resting in the Great Tree, kind of stewing in her resentment toward Adira and desire to get the attention of the others.

Maybe I make things a mess And maybe you’re right to have doubts in me Maybe, but nevertheless If you for once could just trust me

So, Cass is a bit bitter lately. She hates that Rapunzel has been relying on Adira so much, and wants so much for her to rely more on her, like she used to. Sure, those issues have caused her to be snippy and that might have caused some tensions and trouble. Sure, they’ve had their problems, but she just wants Rapunzel to trust her and take her side once. She’s been siding with Adira the whole way through the tree, and though Cass doesn’t trust her, Raps isn’t considering her opinion at all.

“If you for once could just trust me” I think really sums up Cass’ feelings at this point. She’d thought she’d proven herself. Shown she was capable. But still, Rapunzel keeps leaning to Adira’s logic rather than following Cass.

Just this once, let me come through for you The way that you want me to

She knows Rapunzel has always been rooting for her. She knows she’s been relied on plenty, and she knows that Rapunzel understands she’s capable. Yet, lately, she’s been so enamored with Adira that she hasn’t given Cass the chance to prove herself, and she hasn’t listened. All she wants is once, one time that she’d let her logic be right and choose her option over Adira’s. She doesn’t want want to be overshadowed. Eugene did great in the wilderness, Adira knows the local area, and she’s falling behind. But she can still do this.

She wants to be able to protect not just Rapunzel, but all her friends. But Rapunzel is too fixated on not needing to be protected at all.

Let me make you proud Let me show you the best in me Let me give you a reason to believe that I can stand tall

She wants Rapunzel to be proud to call her a friend. She wants to show everyone what she’s capable of. Show them she’s reliable, strong, and that they need to have her around. No more sidelining - she wants to be able to stand among them and say she’s made valuable contributions. That they can give her the chance to be right about something - because she really feels she’s right in distrusting Adira.

And when we return, and I’m more than you dreamt I’d be Maybe then, you will realize that you never actually knew me at all

So this can take two forms. It can keep up the Rapunzel route. Basically saying that once this journey is over and they’ve achieved their goals, maybe Rapunzel will see that she had been right all along. In the thick of it, maybe she’ll finally understand that Cass has been struggling and working to protect Rapunzel, but also to be seen as her equal (a funny theme between Cass and Varian. They just want to be equals).

Rapunzel doesn’t see what Cass wants. She doesn’t understand who Cass is. She’s almost certain she needs to find away to step into her own and get Rapunzel’s attention. And once she’s larger than life after having helped Rapunzel jump hurdles to get to the moonstone - maybe she’ll finally understand.

Secondarily, it could lead into the small part of Cassandra that still yearns for her dad and the guard’s recognition. After the Varian arc, she’s kind of earned it, but she’s not an official guard yet. She wants this to be her chance to really show her worth and show her dad she’s more than just his daughter - she’s a fighter.

She wants to be more than he’d ever expected by going on a major adventure like this and coming out on top. This is her big chance in more ways than one.

Sure I’ve made lots of mistakes I know that I’ve disappointed you Still though, whatever it takes I’m gonna fix it just watch me Just you wait, I’ll make it up to you If it’s the last thing I ever do

So I’m lumping a whole verse together here, because it kind of has the same vibes. It’s basically just Cass talking to both Rapunzel and her father. Saying that she knows she’s made mistakes in the past. Both during the first season and up through The Great Tree. She’s messed up. She’s distrustful, she’s caused a lot of trouble, but she’s dedicated and devoted.

She’s going to show them what she can do, make up for all the mistakes she’s made. She’s going to come around and make everything up to Rapunzel and her dad. Making things up to them and trying to reconcile their differences and show them that she can be trusted. She’s determined to find a way to make it work, and it doesn’t matter what happens as long as she gets through to them.

She’d do anything if it meant getting Rapunzel and her father’s approval.

I will make you proud I will make you have faith in me I will prove that the way I used to be is all in the past I will save the day and go back home triumphantly

So this is a big verse. It comes off a bit different with Cassandra than with Varian, I feel. With Varian, he’s being a smol bean determinator here. He’s trying to push back all the trouble he’s caused and problems he’s created and is so determined, he’s saying he’s definitely going to get over this hurdle.

With Cassandra, I think some of that determinator vibe is still there. But it’s also a little... angry. She’s been shoved off to the side for Adira the last time. She’s at her tipping point, and she’s absolutely going to make Rapunzel listen to her. She wants so hard for Rapunzel to trust her that she’s becoming forceful and angry. But she’s going to prove to Rapunzel, and to everyone, that she’s done taking orders and being overlooked.

She’s going to be triumphant. She’s going to return home with her head held high and with the respect of thsoe around her. Whatever it takes. She’s going to do it.

Cause I long for that look of surprise when you see that I’m rising at last The pride in your eyes when you see that I’m rising at last

This is what she wants more than anything. She just wants to be able to achieve her goals. She’s got big ones, but she knows she can do it. And she wants her dad and Rapunzel to understand her. To trust her. To confide in her in a way they just don’t right now. She wants to be a protector, a friend, someone they trust to get things done.

She knows, that once she’s done with this journey, she’ll have that. And she’s going to have everything she’s always dreamed of. She loves Rapunzel, and her dad, but what she really wants is to rise to a position where she can prove to them that there’s more to her than what they’ve always assumed.

So we’re swapping out tones here. Varian’s character song is the more somber “waiting in the wings”, and Cass’ is the more hopeful “let me make you proud”. Honestly, I feel like this fits each of them very well. I think the best part of these songs is that they both have balances of both somber and positive moments. But whiel I do think it fits Varian’s more positive personality to be more optimistic and hopeful, while Cass’ cynicism shows through in “waiting in the wings”, I think swapping up the songs brings more to both characters.

Varian’s a cute, bubbly boy in the beginning, sure. But he had a bad reputation. He’s caused a lot of trouble with his alchemy, and he’s at his breaking point. Cass is a cynic and a realist, sure. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have hopes and dreams of her own. And she loves Rapunzel and her kingdom and wants to protect them so badly - giving her a little optimism I think works out really well. And, like Varian, her hopeful tone is dashed when Rapunzel uses the Decay Incantation again despite her warnings, and she yet again gets shelved for Adira’s and Rapunzel’s judgement.

She harbors that for a while until eventually, she meets Zhan Tiri in the house of yesterday’s tomorrow.

Let Me Make You Proud (Reprise; Cassandra Version)

Yeah. This reprise was honestly the bane of my existence planning this out. As I said before, the reprises were the trickiest ones I had to place, and the last two songs I was able to properly figure out a swap for. But this one in particular was really tough, because it’s VERY situational. The lyrics were really hard to work with, but I came up with what I think to be a good workaround for it that really helps bring Cassandra’s reasoning home.

As compared to the original reprise, which acts as the big moment where the fans figure out Varian is going bad, the fans already know Cass is turning on Rapunzel at this point. So there’s less of a surprise element here. But it really hammers home the emotion in Cassandra when she does step over that line and decide to become a villain.

So rather than talking to someone specifically here, I feel that Cass is talking more to herself. Rather than the Waiting in the Wings reprise that leads into Zhan Tiri convincing her that she needs to take the Moonstone, this happens after that. It’s just before we come back to the present.

I will make you proud Get the answers and set you free Don’t you worry Whtever it might take, I’m finding a way

So I mentioned Cass was talking to herself here. Rather, she’s talking to the vision of the younger her that Zhan Tiri is showing her. It’s sort of her way of deciding she’s going to make things better and free herself of all the people pleasing and being strung along. She’s tired of playing second fiddle. She’s going to solve this problem, stop playing second fiddle, and do whatever it takes to break free of the pain of being underestimated.

She’s promising herself, the younger version of her, that she’s done feeling trapped. She’s done waiting. She’s done following along. It’s time to stop doing what’s best for others, and do what’s best for her.

And I swear right now that no matter what comes of me Anybody who stands or has stood in my path They are going to pay. They. Will. Pay

This is a more aggressive turn than the original Waiting in the Wings reprise. She’s decided from this point on that she’s going to fulfill her own destiny. She’s not going to just follow Rapunzel around to help with hers - she’s going to make this her story.

And it doesn’t matter who stands in her way. She’s finally going to get what she wants for a change, instead of sitting back and letting others have their way. Everyone is going to pay for underestimating her, and they’re finally going to see what she’s capable of.

I know this section is a bit short - I’m really sorry about that. But the reprises are short, this one in particular. And the Let Me Make You Proud reprise is fairly straightforward as it is. But dooon’t worry, because I saved a fandom favorite for last

Ready As I’ll Ever Be (Songswap Version)

So this is an ensemble song so it’s not really ANYONE’S version. BUT I think it would really hit differently in Plus Est En Vous, either replacing or not long after Through It All. A big final rallying cry to free Corona from Cass and maybe turn her around - all the while Cass is fighting her own inner battle.

So let’s get into it.

(Cassandra) Believe me I know, I’ve sunk pretty low But whatever I’ve done, you’ve deserved (Zhan Tiri: Cassandra -) (Cassandra: Quiet!) I’m the bad guy, that’s fine It’s no fault of mine and some justice at last will be served (Zhan Tiri: Just focus)

So I’m sure one big thing stands out here. We all know the original context of Ready As I’ll Ever Be. However, the context in songswap is different. So one key character has changed. Arianna is replaced with Zhan Tiri. Rather than a pleading captive, Zhan Tiri is egging Cass on. She’s trying to get her to do what she wants, and while she’s mostly succeeding, Cass still wants to do things on her terms.

At this point, she doesn’t care if she’s the bad guy. She might not have considered herself as such before, but now she has to face the facts. Still, if it means getting respect and

Now it’s time to step up, or it’s time to back down And there’s only one answer for me And I’ll stand up and fight, cause I know that I’m right And I’m ready, I’m ready I’m ready Ready as I’ll ever be

She’s backed herself into a corner, now. She knows there’s only one thing she can do. There’s no going back and getting the kingdom’s forgiveness, now. They’re against her, and she’s ready to fight back. If they won’t accept her, then she’ll play the role of the villain.

She knows she wasn’t wrong. She knows this isn’t her fault. They turned on her. She tried to correct things, but the kingdom had already turned on her. She’s come too far to turn back. So she’s ready to do what she has to - defeat Rapunzel and prove herself stronger and better. She’ll be number one for a change.

(Varian) Now it’s time to rise up, or it’s time to stand down And the answer is easy to see Our home will be restored! If you’re in get on board! Are you ready? (Eugene: I’m ready! Lance: We’re ready!) Ready as I’ll ever be

Varian gets to be a charismatic leader yay! He’s working together with Eugene rallying the troops here. After everything he’s done, the people of Corona trust him enough to help fight off Cassandra - and now he’s ready to prove himself once and for all.

Bonus points: Rather than Eugene and the Royal Guard doing the “We’re ready”s I made it Eugene and Lance. Lance is a more major character here, he can have his own line! Also, rather than the more grim motion of Eugene, Lance and the guard taking up swords. There’s a slightly more optimistic motion of the two of them backing up Varian as he rallies everyone with his infectious optimism. Finally, on Varian’s ‘ready as I’ll ever be’, Quirin places a hand on his shoulder and gives a proud smile cuz his boy is finally proving himself. Need to pack in those redeemed baby feels.

(Frederic) Are you quite sure we can do this? (Rapunzel) Together we will, guaranteed!

Another one that’s a BIT more hopeful than the original. Not by much. Frederic’s still a worry wart, and their whole kingdom is at stake, after all. However, the whole Royal family is together, and they’re ready to take their kingdom back. Just a small note in there, since this section doesn’t really change much!

(Cassandra) I’ll make them hear me (Varian) Prove they can trust me (Rapunzel) I’ll save my home and family

So this section was another big reason I made this post. It’s another one of those lines that has me super passionate about this song swap, because think about how different these lines hit at this point in time. Honestly? I think it really works in this context more than the original context.

Because Cassandra is out to make herself heard. It’s not a revenge plan being concocted out of momentary anger, like Varian. She’s doing this because she felt underappreciated. She’s going to make them hear her. She’s going to make sure that she doesn’t go unrecognized again by proving she’s better than Rapunzel once and for all.

Meanwhile, Varian’s out to prove himself for real. Compared to the original context of Cass proving herself to her father and the guard - which was huge in season one - the stakes are even bigger here. Varian’s out to prove himself to an entire kingdom. To the people he’s wronged. To show that he’s really turned around, and that he’s someone the kingdom, his friends, and his dad can be proud of.

Rapunzel’s hits mostly the same. However, right now, the ‘home and family’ line is on a bit of a larger scale. She’s out to save her entire kingdom. And her family - including her friends and subjects. Compared to Varian’s plan that more directly targetted hte royal family, Cassandra and Zhan Tiri are targetting the entire kingdom - and Rapunzel, the little ray of sunshine she is, is determined to protect all of it. Because it’s all her home and everyone in it is like family to her.

(Eugene) And I’m ready (Varian) I’m ready (Royal family) I’m ready (Cassandra) Ready as I’ll ever be

So I omitted the big Ensemble’s part to focus on the smaller “I’m ready”s and the previous three lines here. That doesn’t mean The ensemble isn’t present in these parts. It just means that I didn’t want to focus on them. Their part doesn’t really change the context of the song at all. This part doesn’t, either, really. But I wanted to close the song out cleanly, so you get a proper ending here. That being said, this project was HUGE. While I wrote up the post itself in the span of a day, I’ve been thinking about this and trying to figure out how each song would work in the different context throughout my work on my current ongoing projects, since the ending of the series. It started as a small epiphany I shared with friends, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it - so here we go.

Cass and Varian are both amazing. And I think it’s so amazing that their motivations and thought process, though different in certain fundamental ways, align enough for these songs to work no matter which context they’re in. I don’t know if anyone else noticed or thought of this - but it was a blast to write and I’m glad to finally have it on paper.! Thanks for taking the time to read this monster, to everyone who made it all the way through.

#tangled #rapunzel's tangled adventure #rta #varian #cassandra #tts #song swap

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tren-fraszka · 5 years

Text

Hate Exchange Letter

Dear creator,

Thank you for taking your time to check my requests. I know my requests can sound a bit tricky, but please don’t be discouraged. I wish you will have good time writing first and foremost!

My AO3 is Tren, if you wish to check it out.

Likes: comedy, casefics, canon compliants, AUs, time loops, bodyswaps, roleswaps, “being hoisted by your own petard” plotlines, snark, pettiness, rivals, enemies to friends to lovers, violence, friendships and character bonding,

DNW: explicit sex, A/B/O, mpreg, rape depicted as positive (so no “it’s okay, because the other person enjoyed it/it was what they truly wanted”), trans headcanons, soulmates, stories ending with surrender to fate/destiny, fourth wall breaking in canons where that doesn’t occur.

Also, I included what ships I’m okay with in each fandom. Please do not include any ships that aren’t canon and I have not allowed in those sections (if you feel really strongly about a ship, you can ask through mods just in case, if I didn’t include my opinion on it).

Additionally, while I almost never request fanart as possible medium, because I prefer my main gift to be fic, I would be very okay with receiving fanart treats.

REQUESTS

PERSONA 5

Hate that ends

Hate that exists and continues

Hate that starts

Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira

I’m a big sucker for party traitors, so it isn’t really a surprise that I walked out of my Persona 5 playthrough with a new shiny ship. I love how messed up it is with both of them planning to outplay each other in a deadly game and yet still forming an emotional attachment. I also really love how they are mirror images of each other. They are extremely similar, and yet they are also each others opposites. There’s just something fascinating in watching them interact.

I’m okay with all takes on hate for this ship. Akechi has canonically very love-hate relationship with the protagonist, so you can spin this however you want. You are also free to make Akira as bitter about the whole thing as you want. I’m always a game for Akira having all the regrets about Akechi’s death and hating Akechi for leaving him with all the emotional turmoil.

For the story, I’m very okay with some in-between the canon flirting with the obligatory dash of scheming and mind games. I’m also all about different ways their confrontation could go down. Maybe it’s Akira who dies and Akechi lives through with his hateful feelings not coming any closer to being resolved? Or Akechi can’t keep his feelings in and slips at some point?

AUs

I don’t mind AUs, just be aware that the messed up relationship between the two of them is a huge draw for me, so I would definitely opt to preserve that part in some form. You don’t have to do the exact same scenario, but at least make them childhood friends, who ended up on the opposite sides of some conflict. Or undercover spies who got in relationship without knowing each other true identities and they really should kill each other since they work for different clients. The exact setting is of secondary importance to me, so choose whatever you feel would work best. AU Divergences are also welcome. I’m always a game for Akechi surviving. Especially, if he gets to shoot the final boss in the face.

Akechi Goro & Self

He has so many issues you are practically spoiled for choice. Bastard by birth, believes himself to be a reason why his mother died, spent years in foster home system which just enforced his belief that he isn’t worth of love, became a supernatural assassin despite having strong sence of justice. And did I mention having to kill the only person he had formed a legitimate connection with? Yeah, just one of those things would be a great self-hatred fodder, but all those things together mix to create a true picture of self-hatred. You can’t go wrong with it.

There are so many prompts you could potentially use for this in Akechi/Kurusu segment above (just take out the potential shippiness if the pairing is not your thing), I don’t think there’s much point in repeating myself. You are free to AU as much as you want and have fun.

Hate that ends

Sakura Futaba & Self

I loved the chilling exploration of Futaba’s problems in her palace and further revelations we get through Sojiro’s social link. I would love insight into her deteriorating self-worth post her mother’s death and then followed by slow improvements once Sojiro takes her in.

I would love insight into Futaba trying to figure out the truth about her mother’s death, her initial refusal to believe that it is her fault, followed by slow acceptance over the time, as she fails to find any evidence to the contrary.

I asked for Hate that ends, because I would prefer a take that is compliant with the canon story. I know this is pretty constraining, but at the same time it means that you don’t need to concentrate on the improvement factor. As long as the story ends heavily implaying that Phantom Thieves are about to help her with her issues I will be satisfied.

However, if you do dig the hope aspect I will love some quality Sojiro & Futaba family interactions and her slowly acknowledging that maybe she deserves more than a slow death in seclusion and decides to seek help form Phantom Thieves.

Ships

I ship Akira and Goro, and don’t want them shipped with anyone else. I’m okay with including pretty much any other ships, except for the ones between the characters who are still students and adults.

GOLDEN KAMUY

I’m reading manga chapters as they come out, so you are free to incorporate any new developments into the story. I will definitely be caught up.

Hate that exists and continues

Ogata Hyakunosuke/Sugimoto Saichi

If you know this canon I probably don’t even need to explain to you what I want. They hated each other from the very beginning of the story and the world may end, but their hatred would still live on. You don’t have to be too shippy with this, if you don’t want to, I mostly want to just get more off their passionate hatred we get in the canon.

For the prompts, I would love if they had to work together (just the two of them, or maybe with Shiraishi as a suffering third wheel), because someone kidnapped Asiripa and they had to get her back. Or chasing someone who stole the skins from them.

Alternatively, I would love petty matches over Asiripa’s attention when they act perfectly nice to each other, because she is there, but keep competing for her attention to annoy each other.

Also, this canon is ripe for tropes like huddling for warmth, or sharing one blanket, and would definitely encourage the hate-filled take on those. Also time loops with those two nd how much of a disaster it would be.

AUs and ships

I’m all for canon divergences or changed settings. You want Sugimoto and Ogata as coworkers in modern setting? Go for it. I would love any messing up with the story, because there are so many things that could have gone differently here.

I have no strong ship preferences here as long as Asiripa is not shipped with anybody. Also I prefer Sugimoto to have no romantic experience, aside from his canonical one-sided crush, before he started to have feelings about Ogata.

THE RISING OF SHIELD HERO (ANIME & MANGA)

I watched anime and read manga, but have not checked light novels. So please, no spoilers for anything beyond manga.

Hate that starts

L’Arc Berg/Iwatani Naofumi

Naofumi spends a lion share of the plot having terrible trust issues after Myne’s betrayal and you can’t convince me that he isn’t extra salty about L’Arc.

L’Arc is literally the first person Naofumi willinglu opens up to after spending majority of the plot avoiding trusting anyone, so the fact that this person turns out to be his enemy must sting. While L’Arc isn’t a type to keep grudge, Naofumi certainly is. Which is why I just want Naofumi being all bitter about his feelings for L’Arc after the betrayal.

I would love some more adventures of those two before the Wave happens and everything goes to shit. Or maybe they meet after the Wave with Naofumi having been separated from the party and struggling with something, and L’Arc runs into him and helps him out (because he’s not the type of guy to stab someone in the back). Which just prompts Naofumi to be even more bitter, because he wants to really hate L’Arc, but unlike Myne he can’t just label him as completely evil.

Or Naofumi going through all the memories he has of L’arc wanting to find good reasons to hate him more, but just coming with more reasons why he loved him in the first place.

AUs and ships

Setting changes and canon divergences are all fine, as long as you keep the element of betrayal.

I’m okay with Naofumi also having some feelings for Raphtalia for an awkward romantic triangle, as long as his complicated feelings for L’Arc are the focus of the story. Other than that I don’t want either of them shipped with anyone else.

GINTAMA

I have watched anime up to Gintama': Enchousen, so please no spoilers beyond that season.

Hate that starts

Hate that exists and continues

Hijikata Toshirou/Okita Sougo

I loved their vitrolic relationship from the very start and the more we got of their backstory, the more I loved it. I would be okay with the story not being very shippy, as long as I get plenty of their amusing interactions.

I love how well they understand each other, including the reasons why they don’t get along, but somehow it is easier for them to maintain that animosity than to try and repair their twisted relationship.

I always enjoy small tidbits of how terrible they are at working together when it comes to solving anything that isn’t Shinsengumi-threatening emergency. I loved that episode which was just showing Hijikata and Okita attempting to do normal police stuff and utterly failing to have any sort of law-abiding integrity while they were at it.

If you want to go to the backstory and how they already didn’t get along in the dojo I’m also all for it. Any involvement of Mitsuba to add oil to the already bright flames of mutual dislike is welcome. I love how her presence mellows both of them when she’s there, but in the long run it just made their relationship even more of a mess, because they both wanted the best for her in their own way.

For shippier request I would love a date attempt by those two homicidal idiots. There are just so many ways this could go wrong. Or Gintama staple of handcuffed together with Hijikata constantly having to stop the dismemberment attempts.

AUs and ships

I’m open to any sort of setting or canon divergence. Then again, I dare you find a cooler setting than samurai police in alien infested Edo.

I don’t want the two of them shipped for anyone else, except for maybe acknowledging Hijikata’s canonical feelings for Mitsuba (because that just makes Hijikata and Okita’s relationship even more of a trainwreck). For other ships I enjoy Gintoki shipped with either Otae or Tsukuyo, and Kagura and Shinpachi as two characters who are not yet ready for relationship, but would make a nice match once they grow up more.

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

I read the manga chapters as they come out, you can assume I’m caught up on all new developments.

Hate that ends

Bakugou Katsuki/Uraraka Ochako

I love how different the two of them are, but at the same time how well they compliment and understand each other. Also, while I love them as a pairing I won’t mind if you write them as friends, as long as you don’t pair them with other characters.

For this exchange I would love a more conflict driven beginning of their friendship. Bakugo says a few words too much about Midoriya? Uraraka tries to talk to Bakugo about how he treats Deku or just about how he acts in general and accidentally pokes his terrible inferiority complex? Or they run into each other before the UA entrance exam and somehow end up having a more bitter relation? All of that is good.

I would love if then they were forced to then acknowledge each others strengths as heroes, but possibly still feeling somehow bitter. Maybe they end up working together when UA is attacked? Or incorporating their duel during the sports festival (which I love, it’s what started this ship for me). Or maybe Uraraka gets kidnapped together with Bakugo during the camp and she ends up revising her opinion of him while they are in captivity together.

For more prompts I would love having them complete some sort of exercise or exam together. I would love to see them pretend to be villains for the sake of exercise and butting heads, because they dislike each other. Or they work together on something for school festival. Like making a perferomance together. Alternatively you can go for a future fic where the two of them take part in an action to stop villains as full-fledged heroes, but they can’t let go of all the hang-ups they have about each other from when they went to school together.

AUs and ships

I would very much encourage any future fics for this pairing. I love seeing characters as fully-fledged heroes. I’m okay with other setting changes, though I would prefer for the competence aspect to still come in play somehow in them (with Bakugo being stupidly talented and hard working, while acknowledging Ochako’s potential). I’m also very okay with canon divergences.

I don’t mind past Midoriya/Ochako if you want to incorporate it into the story, but I’d rather not get any love triangles for this pairing. Either have Ochako’s feelings sizzle out or have them date and break up at some point in the past. When it comes to other pairings I like Midoriya/Todoroki and Eraserhead/Mic, but have no strong feelings on other characters pairings, so you are free to do whatever I guess.

FATE/ZERO

I’m well versed in Fate franchise so if you wish to expand beyond Fate/Zero to include either some parts of Fate/Stay Night or El-Melloi II Case Files I will be very fine with that.

Hate that exists and continues

Kotomine Kirei & Self

Kotomine Kirei and his self-loathing is unironically one of my favourite ships in Fate. I loved Kirei’s internal monologues in the novel, as he slowly inched toward the self-discovery that he is in fact the very thing that he was taught to hate the most.

Give me all the religious guilt. All the nagging thoughts that follow Kirei’s enjoyment of ruining other people’s lives. Kirei already thought of himself as lacking before the events of Fate/Zero and watching his doomed pursuit of finding something meaningful in his life was great.

Kirei was basically doomed to suffering, either by continuing his empty life or by embracing his true self and plunging himself into depth of self-hatred. And I’m all about that freefall, sponsored by the ancient king Babylon. So give me Kirei struggling within the confines of Holy Grail War, trying to find himself, yet suspecting that nothing good will ever come out of it.

AUs and ships

I’m okay with canon divergences, less about setting changes due to how deeply Kirei’s issues steam from his specific situation, but if you can make it work I will be for it. I would be very excited for canon divergences. Maybe Kirei making slightly different choices during the Holy Grail War? Maybe alternate timeline when he decides not to betray Tokiomi, but somehow still ends up on path of evil despite his efforts. Maybe he summoned a different servant, who influences Kirei differently? I’m always surprised by how interesting alternate scenarios people come with for Holy Grail Wars, just give me your take.

For alternate timeline takes, you can make my day by including wreacking Matou’s mansion and/or killing Zouken. Even if it’s just a footnote.

I very much ship Kirei both with his dead wife and Gilgamesh. You are free to incorporate both of those ships.

Hate that exists and continues

Waver Velvet & Self

Another contender for the biggest self-loathing in the franchise. El-Melloi II anime reminded me just how much I enjoyed that aspect of Waver.

I would love an alternate take when Waver and Keyneth actually had a more proper face-off other than their first meeting on the battlefield. I would love if Waver saw Kayneth wheelchair-bound and blamed himself for that.

Or something more canon-compliant exploring Waver’s feeling of uselessness and guilt he has. Either is good. For extra self-loathing you could get the family Waver is staying at caught in the crossfire of one of the fights. Or Waver gets used by some other master to attack another and only belatedly realizes that he was nothing more than a tool used for murder.

Just give me some quality Waver suffering and self-blame whether dislpaced or not.

AUs and ships

Similarly as above, I’m stocked for any canon divergences. Maybe Waver summoning a different servant? Waver making different choices as to how proceed with the war. Maybe making an allience that doesn’t work out for him in a longer run?

For alternate timeline takes, you can make my day by including wreacking Matou’s mansion and/or killing Zouken. Even if it’s just a footnote.

I don’t ship Waver with anyone, so I would prefer no romantic plotlines for him. I find his relationship with Rider interesting and definitely important, but can’t see it as romantic.

#exchange letters

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