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viperwhispered · 1 month

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Rest

Guess what? I've got more Jamil x reader for y'all. You can also find this on ao3. No warnings, just 866 words of kinda fluffy(?) caretaking stuff with gender-neutral reader.

At this point, you know Jamil’s schedule almost as well as he does. So, when you have the chance, you head to Scarabia’s kitchen, hoping to spend some time with Jamil while he and the other students prepare dinner.

However, when you enter, it takes you but a moment to notice Jamil’s uncharacteristic fumbling and the tired look in his eyes. The way Jamil’s chopping the vegetables has you worried about him cutting himself with that knife he’s usually so adept with, and it seems it’s only force of habit that’s keeping him on track.

You frown, and when your eyes meet Jamil’s, you can already see him put his guard up.

So he knows what state he is in, huh? And still, here he is.

It seems Jamil is reading your thoughts, all of him telling you drop it before any words are even said.

At least he still lets you lean in and give a quick kiss to his cheek in greeting.

“Hello love. Do you still have a lot on your agenda for today?” you ask, keeping your tone low for at least some semblance of privacy in the busy kitchen.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” is the response you get.

Of course.

It takes a little more pestering before Jamil actually answers your question. Your lips purse. That list is far too long to your liking.

You take a moment to think, juggling your own plans and to-do list against the urgency of the things Jamil mentioned.

“Will Kalim be eating from that?” you ask, pointing at the food Jamil is preparing.

“Yes.”

“Alright, I won’t be touching that one, then. I’ve gotta do a few things but I’ll be back when you’re done here.”

“Don’t,” Jamil says with a glare, clearly aware of what you’re thinking.

Yet even his disapproving look doesn’t have the usual weight behind it.

“Yes. I will,” you say firmly, even as your heart curls inwards with another bout of concern.

Really, when did he get so tired?

And how did you not notice it earlier?

You leave the kitchen before Jamil can protest further, hurrying through the dorm corridors to find Kalim.

Soon you have an enthusiastic – and concerned – supporter for your plans. You have Kalim point out a few reliable Scarabia students to help with a few of the most urgent matters Jamil mentioned – cleaning up the common areas, delivering some paperwork to Crowley, preparing some dorm-wide notices – while you see to Kalim getting his school supplies in order for the following day. You even recruit a couple of third years to help Kalim with his homework.

You’ll see to the rest tomorrow – after all, you do also have a boyfriend to look after.

Your conversation over dinner can hardly be called anything else than an argument – despite Kalim’s best attempts at acting as a moderating force between you two. It is very tempting to ask Kalim to tell Jamil to take the rest of the day off – it’s not like Jamil would be willing to openly disobey a direct order. Still, you really don’t need to remind Jamil of his position on top of everything else that you’re already doing more or less against his wishes.

Eventually, however, Jamil’s had a square meal, the most urgent things on his to-do list are being taken care of, and you’ve managed to drag him to his bed.

“I really wish you wouldn’t push yourself so hard,” you murmur, your arms wrapped tightly around Jamil. You’re telling yourself you really do just want to cuddle, to offer some respite to Jamil. Still, there might also be a part of you worried that if you were to let go, he’d just jump up and get back to working himself to the bone.

Yet, for all his protestations, just the fact that you’ve gotten Jamil to lay down with you speaks volumes of his current exhaustion.

“I can’t just leave my duties, albi. You know this.”

“Making yourself too indispensable, is what you’re doing,” you protest.

Oh, you know it’s not so simple. Not with his background, not with all the expectations and assumptions.

But sometimes you really wish it would be.

Jamil merely scoffs in response to your words.

Still, it is undeniable that he is slowly beginning to relax in your arms, slowly bringing his head closer to yours. His eyes are starting to flutter, too.

“I will still need to help Kalim with his homework, at the very least.”

You wonder who he is trying to convince more, you or himself.

“Amin and Khalil are helping him. They’re basically top of their classes, aren’t they? I’m sure they’ve got it.”

Still, Jamil frowns.

You sigh. He really is not letting go, is he?

“Do you want me to go supervise?” you ask.

And leave you, unsaid yet hanging there right after your words.

“Don’t,” Jamil eventually says, the word barely more than a breath.

It seems he has accepted his fate.

You softly caress Jamil’s hair, listening to his softening breathing.

And when you wake up, wholly unaware of having been lulled to sleep in the first place, it’s to the lightest of touches from Jamil’s fingers.

Tagging @diodellet @twstgo @crystallizsch @jamilvapologist @jamilsimpno69 as per request If you'd like to be tagged for any future works, let me know!

#twisted wonderland #jamil viper #twisted wonderland x reader #jamil viper x reader #woop it sure has been quite the burst of creative energy lately #especially since this has apparently been sitting in my drafts since last august #but now you have it #I certainly can’t promise to keep up with this rate of writing (in fact I can promise I won't) but hey let's enjoy it while it lasts #and yes I’m hopping on the “jamil using arabic terms of endearment” train #I’ve read so many fics doing that that at this point it feels more natural than english ngl #even if english would probably be more canonical #also is it a *good* way to go about it to just pretty much just force someone to rest like this? probably not #is it sometimes the only way to get stubborn people to stop for a bit? perhaps #and is it something I might do?#...possibly #also oh boy can you tell that I'm avoiding jamil's dialogue like the plague lately?#I really need to reread so much of his stuff to get a hang of his voice again #(also if you notice typos pls tell me because they always bug me)#(or other wonkiness because I'm not a native speaker and sometimes things just go silly)#anyways hope y'all enjoy!

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deityofhearts · 9 months

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my friends love me and find me delightful

#deity dialogue #affirmations #gonna like #reblog this when I start to doubt this #it’s almost always insecure bitch hours and I’m tired of it #I hate thinking my friends dislike or hate me like idk it’s unfair to them to do that #just ends up hurting everyone #I also love my friends and find them all to be delightful #I’m gonna go hang upside down for a bit #<- random thought hanging upside down seems fun #feel free to reblog this as a reminder for yourselves

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robinfollies · 5 months

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me and the guy i pulled by accidentally implying i like jazz music

#kicking off my tumblr posting with a silly little comic i made!#billie bust up #bbu arthur #bbu aristotle #arthurstotle #robin’s art #robin’s follies #<- for my sillies. hows that for a good tag hehe #im such a sucker for arthurstotle #they’re so cute to me SORRY AGH #this is intended to take place pretty early in their relationship #this comic also kinda just. wrote itself. i drew the arthur ‘ya like jazz’ and it went from there!#dialogue might be a bit awkward because of that sorry haha #i dont think im that good a writer… but i try!!#i have fun and thats what matters #also good thing about posting this here #i got to correct a few of the mistakes in prev postings #like adding stotles eyelashes ( ik they dont have those in canon but i always draw him with those so. looks weird without em)#this gave me a headache after drawing it btw. their power is too strong!!!#anyhoo!#tags are fun i like rambling in them #i’ll leave things off here #buhbye!!! thanks for reading my thing hehe 💖#2023 art #comicfollies

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brewstersbru · 6 months

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Uh oh I'm writing again... have some wyllstarion

Wyll likes to act like the most straightforward guy in the party- and perhaps, with what strange characters have coalesced here, he may very well be. Although, Astarion thinks to himself, pots and kettles are still black, at the end of the day- no matter what they call themselves or each other.

The vampire is not usually one to dwell on others for too long, simply because he has more than enough to worry about on his own. But something about Wyll, his righteous façade, his dedication to remaining insufferably well-meaning, even in the face of becoming an actual, literal, devil from the hells. It’s off-putting. Not quite right. Something about Wyll is just not quite right.

He becomes transfixed- gaze unwittingly wandering to the warlock whenever he’s been idle for too long. Gale notices, but he thinks it’s because Astarion has a crush on Wyll, and is too stubborn to admit it. Sometimes he’ll try to engineer a way for the two of them to be alone together, steering Tav further ahead into a crypt, or pretending to be asleep when they’re all huddled around the fire. Astarion is too embarrassed at being caught staring to properly threaten the wizard for even thinking such a thing.

His fixation is not amorous. It’s curious. What in the world could such a seemingly candid, straightforward fellow have to hide? The things that drift to mind are equal parts terrifying and hilarious. Perhaps he’s secretly some twisted murderer- although, it’s not like Astarion’s not one of those- or perhaps he has a tragic, uncomfortable rash somewhere inconvenient. That would be funny. Astarion wonders if his new devilish-ness has come with any awkward skin conditions. Horns simply cannot be comfortable on a head so used to not having them.

He’s getting into the weeds now- the point is, Wyll is strange. And Astarion has absolutely no idea how to deal with him. A fact that has become increasingly apparent, as the man- currently sweating bullets in the middle of a watership they’d commandeered- falters and stumbles over his words for the first time since they’ve known each other.

The others are tending their wounds, and those of the other prisoners they’d managed to free in the short time they’d been in Gortash’s underwater prison. Shadowheart stands over a beaten Omeluum and rests a glowing hand gently against his forehead. Halsin is kneeled on the floor of the ship, inspecting injuries and distributing salve and bandages to the Gondians gathered around him.

Wyll is staring at his father’s furrowed brow, mouth choking around pleasantries. Astarion tilts his head at the display, considering. He and Wyll aren’t that close, but the other man had insisted that they save his father. Had begged Tav to let him go; went against Mizora, knowing full-well what she is capable of. And all he can choke out, when they finally reunite, is a short, stunted hello?

Then, he catches a glimpse of the Duke’s face. The disgust is so apparent that Astarion almost recoils with the force of it. Perhaps that’s why Wyll is struggling so much.

He tarries for a moment, two, but cannot stay idle when the gruff older man opens his mouth to respond. There’s no doubt in Astarion’s mind that whatever is about to come out of his mouth will break Wyll’s heart, and for some godsforsaken reason, he doesn’t want to let that happen.

“A Grand Duke! My my, Wyll, who knew you had such lofty connections?” Astarion sidles up next to his friend, sliding a cool hand up his back to grasp at his shoulder in steady reassurance. His body moves of its own accord, without his permission, but he cannot find it within himself to regret the action when Wyll’s shoulders relax just so underneath his hand, when his brow smooths.

“Ah, well. It’s been a while.” His smile is a rueful, broken thing hanging off of its hinges. The laugh that follows creaks hollowly. Astarion cannot stand the sight of it. He turns his sharpened gaze to the Duke, smiles wide so as to showcase his sharp, pearly fangs.

“Oh, that’s too bad, my dear. That your father has not had the chance to know what a devilishly good fellow you’ve grown into.” The Duke coughs at the word ‘devilishly’ but that’s why Astarion had used it. Good. Be uncomfortable. He laughs something mirthless and sharp before continuing, “No matter. You did just save him, now you’ve got all the time in the world to catch up.”

Wyll looks at him for a moment, eyes clouded, calculating. He huffs a ghost of a laugh but shakes his head. “I appreciate your optimism, my friend, but perhaps-“

The Duke’s forceful, indignant interruption drowns out the rest of whatever he was about to say, “First you cleave my heart in twain, and now you shatter it to pieces! My son, a monster, twisted almost beyond recognition.” He stares at Wyll as if he was no better than the dirt beneath his feet, then scoffs to the side. “To think… my blood flows through those veins.” The words are forced past his lips, almost as if he’s about to be sick.

Astarion sneers at the display. Wyll only shakes his head, dispassionately at his feet.

“It’s not what you think, it never was.” His voice is small, but firm. Astarion’s long-dead heart aches in his chest. Who could possibly deny that, deny him? The Duke snarls his response, “It is exactly what I think.”

And that’s quite enough, Astarion decides. He doesn’t know where all of this animalistic protectiveness is coming from, but it’s as if a beast has been awakened inside of him, sitting on its haunches, ready to pounce at any moment. Wyll’s expression has only sunken further into despair, his eyes duller than they’ve ever been. It’s unnatural, to watch as the usual spark of life within them flickers out into a deep, yawning pain.

“I’m beginning to think we should have let you drown, Duke,” He spits the word like it’s a curse, “if this is how you’re going to treat your savior. He’s risked his life, his godsdamned soul to save yours. The least you could do is show a little fucking gratitude.” Astarion’s teeth are gritted as he speaks, his voice low and grating in ways it’s only been in the midst of battle. Wyll is looking at him like he’s seeing him for the first time. He’s frowning, but his eyes are shining again so Astarion takes it as a success.

Before anything else can be said, both Wyll and his father groan and hunch over themselves. Astarion’s own tadpole twitches at the psychic disturbance. They’re sharing memories. It’s but a few moments later that they’re shaking themselves out of it, Astarion clutches tightly at Wyll’s waist, supporting his weight as he recovers. It doesn’t hurt that he’s so warm, and fit, either.

Silence reigns for a moment, two, three as the Duke parses through whatever’s Wyll’s just chosen to show him. Astarion’s thumb moves of its own accord against the sharp jut of Wyll’s hipbone through his robe. The other man relaxes minutely, and as much as Astarion is loathe to admit it, his body knows what it’s doing better than his mind does, right now. Because his mind has not really stopped repeating whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckareyoudoingidiot for the past half hour.

The Duke nods, after a minute or so. “I… I apologize, my son. You have suffered much for your people.”

Wyll nods, his voice is just slightly wet as he speaks, “Everything I did, I did for Baldur’s Gate. I did for you.” His voice breaks on the last word, and Astarion’s heart with it. He pulls Wyll tighter against him before releasing his grip. The Duke’s eyes shine, a little bit like Wyll’s always seem to. Astarion is beginning to see the resemblance.

“You sold your soul to save Baldur’s Gate- and I cast you out for it. You gave yourself to the hells eternal fires so I might walk free. By the gods! Can you ever forgive me?” He seems close to tears himself. Good. Astarion thinks, and only feels a little bad about it when Wyll responds in kind.

“There’s nothing to forgive.” Astarion disagrees but remains quiet, they’re having a moment. “You only wanted to protect the city, and I only ever wanted the same.” Wyll is a much better man than Astarion could ever hope to be, he would have said ‘I told you so’ and spit at his feet. Perhaps that’s why Wyll is the Blade of Frontiers and Astarion is not. The Duke seems to concur.

“You are a better man than I. A better son than I deserve.” A few seconds pass as the two take a moment to look at each other, for all that they are, and all that they wish they were, before drawing in and crushing together into a violent, giddy hug. Astarion sighs to himself, contented.

Both of them are crying and Astarion pretends like he doesn’t notice. He makes to walk away after a bit, but before he can make it very far the Duke is calling him back. “Wait, vampire!” Oh hells. Not this again. If the fucking Bitch-Duke tries to stake him after he’d just helped save his ass, he’s going to be quite cross. And Wyll just might have to reconcile with not having a father. Oh, who is he kidding. He’d die before being the reason the other man’s eyes were dulled. Still, it’d be extremely inconvenient.

Astarion sighs, but turns on his heel. “What could you possibly need from me, your Duke-ness. I thought you and doe-eyes here were having father-son bonding time?” Wyll recoils a bit at the description, as if no one’s told him how large and shiny his eyes are. Pity, that.

The Duke looks at him like he’s an especially tricky puzzle. Good. He likes being difficult.

“I wanted to thank you. For setting me straight.” Astarion sighs and inspects his nails, trying not to let the thanks sink in. They always feel strange and hot in his gut. Bubbly and uncomfortable.

“Well, someone had to and little miss martyr here wasn’t going to do it.” Wyll smiles and offers a similar thanks. Striding forward and pulling Astarion into a gentle embrace.

“Thank you, Astarion. You truly are a gift.” He whispers the words, low and sincere into his ear as he clasps a warm hand tenderly across the back of his neck. Astarion hates and loves it. He��s so fucking glad to be dead and hungry right now, because there’s not enough blood to show the warmth blossoming across his cheeks and onto the tips of his ears. He coughs.

“Yes, well, aren’t I always. I’ll leave you two to it!” And with that, he scurries away. Perhaps more confused and intrigued than ever, but understanding more about Wyll than he ever has.

What a strange, strange man. But gods, he is cute.

#bg3 #astarion #wyll ravengard #wyllstarion #astarion x wyll #bloodfrontier #bloodpact #whatever the hell we're calling it #the sillies #astarion is such a bitch and i love him so much #feat wyll's mega father problems #cross posted on ao3 as always bc i crave attention #wherein wyll is a full character and not just a prop for astarion !#daddy issues uh oh #astarion bites #of his own admittance ! hes a biter #wherein i use some game dialogue bc it inspired me #i was like oh juicyyyyy!! (after u save wylls dad hes a little bitch for a bit)#bg3spoilers

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nalpurex · 1 month

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i got souyo brainworms again and i gotta share some thoughts i have

this ones a long one so ill put a 'keep reading' thing here just in case yall dont wanna scroll past a wall of text

basically some headcanons about a healthy mix of chad narukami and normal yu, injecting loads of gap moe into this guy

(and it eventually devolves into some weird semi-story because my brains really spiralling here)

okok so, hear me out, chad narukami isnt that bad as an idea...? maybe as a more calm iteration, just another layer to yu

in the p4 manga, we get to see some of yu's backstory. (its been a while since ive read it so i might get some details wrong but) his parents are very busy people, always working and moving around, so yu's always moving around with them

because of this, hes a very independent but also lonely kid. poor guy doesnt talk much with his own mom and dad, and he never really have a good enough chance to form lasting friendships

so when he moves to inaba and starts making friends there, hes like 'oh i really want to keep these guys around...' so he starts putting up a bit of a persona (hah), some cool, unfazed guy that everyone can rely on thinking thats what people might like more. to his credit, it works pretty well, but its a bit stifling for yu himself. hes never had this many friends though, so he'll keep it up

we all know yosuke admires him quite a fair bit as is, just as a dependable friend and a strong leader. he looks up to yu in these aspects, thinking hes basically the perfect guy. (and lets never unpack that thought.) talented, charming, 'gets all the ladies', that kind of stuff

at some point its just the two of them, maybe walking home from school or something, yu gets pretty comfortable and his facade slips a little. maybe he says something completely silly, or heavens forbid theres a stray cat along the road! ("awww look at the little guy, cmeree, pspsps- oh- ahem- uh, its pretty cute...") it surprises yosuke quite a bit. he's thinking about it a lot as they part ways, it was... definitely a new side to his partner, but its also not a bad thing...

after that, yosuke starts noticing more small things about yu. whenever he invites anyone to share his lunch, its always something they like. whenever the IT are talking, he makes sure no one feels left out. he likes cats, a lot more than hes willing to show, and he loves nanako a whole lot too. his partner's... a bit of a softie under that calm and collected vibe, isnt he?

(alternatively, it'd be really funny if the entire IT knew? like "yeah, hes got a straight face all the time and sparkles fly around him whenever he strikes a pose, but hes got a dedicated schedule for hanging out with us and hes always asking when we're free. hes a big puppy, really.")

anyways, yosuke tries to encourage him to show more of this other side of him. stuff like "c'mon, we'll think you're cool either way!" and yu at first is a little hesitant, so yosuke suggests he just try it out with him

he feels some pride about it, because hes the first to learn about this side of yu! his partner trusts him the most, hes the most comfortable around him! (whats this strange other feeling? hm. dont like that.)

yu takes a little more time with the others, but theyre very welcoming about it nonetheless. specifically, they find it very charming! (making cute shapes in your bento? sewing cute stuffed toys with kanji? playing with literally every single stray cat you lay your eyes on? hell yeag.)

of course the facade doesnt completely shatter, because some parts of it are still true to yu. its just that he'll now crack the dumbest joke youve heard in your life with the same old straight face

(aaand now to derail for the sappy stuff huhuhu)

because yosuke's usually the first to be exposed to whatever new shenanigans yu's up to, eventually he starts getting some... weirder things. he brings some of it up to the other IT members and he looks insane, like:

"what? he hasnt been giving you guys origami?"

"why would he? i mean itd be cool, but thats just his part-time job isnt it? hes probably sick of paper cranes!"

"cranes... haha, yeah..." (as he thinks about the row of stupid paper animals sitting on his windowsill)

yu over time starts getting real sweet with yosuke, and he kind of gets the feeling he should just... keep this to himself...? especially when he doesnt see him acting this way with anyone else, and a small part of him wants to keep it to himself. all of this, just for him.

but that would be kind of gay, wouldnt it? hes not gay, is he...? he gets pretty happy whenever yu smiles at him, whenever he does something for him, but its just because he appreciates him as his partner... right?

eventually it all comes to a head when yu invites him to that... that spot high up in inaba. (ykno the one, its got the railing and shit.)

yosuke's climbing the hill, wondering whats yu gonna tell him, and at the top he sees him already waiting there as the sun's about to set on a nice breezy day

he kinda jokes a bit about it, like "damn did you ask me to come here now for the atmosphere?" but yu's strangely quiet

so they kinda just stand in a bit of an awkward silence before yu clears his throat... and confesses to yosuke.

...

they just. stare at each other for a bit. yosuke's at a loss, heat slowly rising in his cheeks, because what the hell?

and then yu explodes into a flustered mess, bumbling about "hey yeah man you dont have to accept if you dont wanna, i was just saying things yknow? you dont really have to-"

yosuke cuts him off, sighing a little. he tells him its okay, hes kinda had a feeling he felt the same way but he wasnt ready yet... and now his partner's confessing to his face, he cant really put it off anymore, can he?

("by the way, did you plan this? like, the timing and everything?"

"i... had a hard enough time saying 'i like you' with a straight face as it was, i kind of had to..."

"... ah.")

#ive never done this kind of headcanon dumping before so it feels kind of embarrassing???#like my attitude going into this was “hell yeah! im gonna expand on yu so much because he has a lot of potential and i adore him!”#and i came out of it thinking like how i always do #sappy fluff and making dolls kiss 🙄#i cant even guarantee ill remember my own damn headcanons bc ive always been one to prefer lighthearted silly stuff #hence me avoiding writing dialogue when i can... especially that confession bit #eugh...#anyways i just hope yall enjoy my thoughts haha #persona 4 #souyo #yu narukami #yosuke hanamura #farts and sharts

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kaidanalenkosprmanager · 13 days

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THE BEST OF GRISSOM ACADEMY

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, EDI, and Jack With: Flight Lt. Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Lt. James Vega, Ens. Jason Prangley, Ens. Rodriguez, David Archer, and Kahlee Sanders I never had a family- and these guys... Anyone screws with my students and I will tear them apart. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

#mira makes gifs ✨#james vega #sophie shepard #jeff joker moreau #EDI #jack #subject zero #david archer #kahlee sanders #mass effect #mass effect 3 #me3 #mass effect legendary edition #dailygaming #grissom is literally my favorite side mission in ME3 so i was so excited to make this omg #it just has it all- good plot + solid witty one liners + an awesome bunch of characters + a nice emotional moment like #and it stars jack who’s like one of my favorite ME2 squaddies so ??? it’s just an all around iconic mission #EDI has so much good grissom dialogue too and she looks mighty cute in her lil hunter hood! 🥹#james has a few really good lines too but none of the ones i liked were in the cutscenes so it was sooo hard to get more of him in the set #i will say i forgot how much good jack dialogue there is in grissom like i just love and stan my girl so much #and now when i see her i think of saoirse and seamus every time like that’s THEIR GIRL KICKING ASS!! ✨✨#her lines with prangley and rodriguez are top notch too honestly #but honestly my favorite moment is still shep and EDI’s conversations with david #like EDI’s soft little ‘no apology is necessary’?#when david says ‘the number of days you lengthened my life’?#i tear up a little bit playing grissom every time bc overlord is the best ME2 dlc and you cannot change my mind #also soph once again eating in cleric’s fabulous guardian armors for shepard (which will always be famous✨)#like the shoulders?? the omni mark?? the set is just talented. brilliant. incredible. show-stopping. spectacular. beautiful. iconic.#and soph's usually rep'ing the purples/deep reddish pinks but did i make the omni mark blue so we could rep spectre alenko colors?#i’ll let you be the judge ✨

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cacturne · 4 months

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“Carmine is not the worst” and “kieran is not the worst” are statements that can and should co-exist

#Its always either “carmine did nothing wrong kieran is a stupid unhinged brat!” Or “kieran did nothing wrong carmine is literally abusive!!”#No. Theyre not. Neither of them are. Theyre just nd/mentally ill and cope with it badly #Its really not that hard come on #Also as an older sister with a younger brother a lot of the mean dialogue is pretty typical #Obviously that doesnt negate the fact that for kieran it hit him in his issues but he never spoke up about it and kept it to himself #And carmine is pretty dense and a bit in her own head so it makes sense that she wouldnt notice without being directly told #And with her specifically its made clear in dialogue throughout that she does care about her brother #She thinks about how in her mind things might affect him and chooses what she thinks is the option that wont hurt him. Though obviously #shes not the best judge there. But thats understandable she isnt very good at reading people #And kieran just doesnt know how to cope with his problems. When stuff gets too much he bursts and lashes out. A normal thing for a teenager #Obviously this now frightens carmine and she starts backing down distancing herself and generally just closes up around him #Because while she is abrasive she doesnt really *realize* she is. And its easy to see kierans abrasiveness as something inherently hostile #(Because even if he doesnt really mean it it still is aggressive)#Hey wait a second why am i infodumping about kieran and carmine pokemon in my tags #This is like the worst way to do it. Sorry cutting it short ty for reading if you did #ghosts howling

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thedevotionaltour · 2 months

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even for period typical ableism it still drives me nuts for karen to go oh poor matt how can he deal and get around as if he hasn't been blind most of his life at this point and living on his own by himself as an adult for his entire adult life after college and has also lived in the city his whole life like girl use your damn brain he can get around by himself just fine. good god. like take five seconds to use your brain. literally adult man who lives by himself if nothing else that should tell you he is fine and when he needs assistance has the knowledge and ability to go get it you act as if he can't even walk on the sidewalk by himself. he literally shows up to work by himself. it drives me up the wall sometimes how she sees proof of him functioning fine independently literally witnesses it on the daily and still thinks these things. like again foggy isn't great either bc again the period typical ableism (and just general ableism in the world outside of this period as this is a common attitude of viewing disabled people as helpless and unable to function even if they are people who do live independently (and im not touching on people who do need extra support and caretaking in this context. as this post is about these characters in the context of a story. so im talking about what we see there instead of any truly meaningful nuanced way) but the writing here is like. Particularly this way due to the time) he has a modicum more of understanding that matt is literally a capable grown adult man. literally told karen matt is a big boy who can handle himself and then karen went b-b-but you forget he's blind as if foggy hasn't known him for years of his life and is his best friend like PLEASE SEE HIM AS AN ADULT. I AM GOING TO GO INSANE. PLEASE RESPECT HIM IF YOU LOVE HIM SO DEARLY. AND EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T. JUST RESPECT HIM AS A PERSON!!!!!!

#i think it's particularly maddening bc we have seen characters be able to understand civillian matt is like. more than just Blind Man.#i am always highly aware of period typical writing and can remember the context etc etc but sometimes.#sometimes it truly. truly does drive me up the wall. especially when other characters have been capable of not being That Level #of infantalizing. again foggy still isn't much better in a lot of respects he is just as capable of and has been as infantilizing #and insulting as karen has been. for sure. on multiple occassions. no questions asked. but i dont think he does it to the extent karen does #as in we dont see it on page just as much. it's just a bit less. so we see karen focus on it far more. to an almost exaggerated extent #part of that is the romance plot of ohhh i cannot possibly love a blind man while foggy is matt;s best friend of many years #so of course it will be in the way of the stan lee and old romance comics schools of writing that this goes down and is written like this.#of course we see her focus on it a touch more in a different way bc she's still getting to know matt and hasnt witnessed him #for about like a decade(? they met in undergrad right?) function on his own the way foggy has. but jesus christ man. good god.#at a certain point even with the period time context it does just still leave a bad taste. at certain points it becomes less eye roll #and far more maddening and hard to push down. bc it is gross. no matter what time period it is.#again. both of them are pretty disrespectful towards matt about it at this point even if mostly in their inner monologues or dialogues #with each other and not super to matt's face about it every time. but still. sometimes karen drives me far more crazy about it than foggy.#becase at least foggy can in fact recognize every now and then. matt is a perfectly capable grown man who can function and thrive.#and is someone who lives independently but also can know how to get assistance when needed.#while karen at this point has never really once given matt the benefit of that assumption despite witnessing his capabilities.#because even with his act of trying to fit the image ppl have of him. he still functions within that! and shows he can do things!#and ask for help when he needs it! even within his act of making himself smaller and quieter for others.#he's still like. adult man who lives his life. and does stuff on his own time.#i cant really speak about matt on any more deeper level than that in regards to his disabilities. i am not disabled.#i only speak as a reader and someone watching what these characters do and have proven to be able to do and how they act.#so i can only talk about karen and foggy's behaviors and attitudes in that regard.#and also as a person with like. basic understanding of other ppl living their lives. that all ppl live their own damn lives however it is #like most ppl on planet earth.#i apologize if any of my wording here is bad or if i dont talk on it well as none of this in the real world stuff is my lived experience #and you are free to go hey. incorrect. think about that or word that differently.#ok i promise im done now it's just. EUGH. UGH!!!!!#static.soundz

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paunchsalazar · 9 months

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more Dragon Age, got to Unrest in the Alienage

#in my head my warden told him but the in-game dialogue options have him surprised #so in my head she told him but perhaps it was a bit confusing and he just assumed she meant her cousin’s wedding and he didn’t want to pry #a lot going on and the dialogue options are like 'we can talk about this later' or 'he died' but i think my warden would want to explain...#and alistair has been kinda lied to his whole life she does not want to be in that club #dragon age #dragon age origins #da: origins #alistair theirin #Alistair #kinda rewarding as a city elf to help them out of the situation she feels she causes..#and cool to see shianni bold and outspoken as ever…. I think she was always the outspoken one and the warden was afraid she’d get hurt #but couldn’t help but follow along to make sure she was okay… and I think soris is the nervous one who was always saying it’s a bad idea…#my art #warden tabris #tabris #my comics

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smilesrobotlover · 6 months

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Whumptober day 31- emptiness, setbacks, take it easy

Read day 30

Happy Halloween!!! Thank you so much for sticking with me with month! This was a fun challenge and I’m so proud of myself for pushing through it 😊 I hope you guys like this one, it’s kinda mid imo but it’s pretty intense I suppose.

Warnings: stabbing, blood loss, hopelessness, kind of an unhappy ending oops 😬 everything’s fine tho it’s fine

~~~~~~~

Age couldn’t help but hum along with Kass, Benji, and Linebeck’s music. They were playing some of Linebeck’s sea shanties, and it was getting more and more chaotic. Kass and Linebeck were remarkable singers, but Benji was pretty terrible, but they all sung loudly, laughing like maniacs at the end of every song. Age listened to them, laughing along whenever they erupted into laughter after a song. Age’s father walked up to them, looking like a mess and very frustrated.

“What are you all doing?” He asked angrily, a pitchfork resting on his shoulder while his prosthetic arm rested on his hip.

“Singing!” Kass answered, “care to join us?”

“No! I’m too busy working on the farm! No thanks to any of you!”

Benji gave an awkward chuckle but looked away while plucking his guitar. Linebeck gave a sigh and leaned back.

“Ammon, I’m a sailor, not a farmer,” he said, and the others nodded.

“Well I’m a soldier! But I’m still trying to make sure Talon’s farm doesn’t get ruined!” Ammon shouted.

“Man, I don’t get why both Talon and Rusl had to leave the farm,” Benji muttered, continuing to pluck his guitar. “They’re the farmers, we don’t know what we’re doing.”

Ammon sighed. “Talon is understandable, I’m not sure why Rusl left as well, but no matter! It doesn’t mean that you can just sit around lazing the day away!” He shot a look at Age, who sat up straight quickly. “What are you doing?”

“Ah– uh– I’m sorry father, I was just resting,” Age said quickly, and Ammon narrowed his eyes at him.

“Goddesses, what do you want from us Ammon?” Linebeck asked.

“I want some help! This farm work isn’t easy to do!”

Kass stood up, walking over to Ammon who was seething. “Now now, Ammon, tell us what to do and we will try to help. I’m sorry,” Kass said gently, which calmed Ammon down. Age was almost surprised at how calm Kass was in every situation, he was perfect for dealing with Wild’s… well… wild personality.

“Right, right,” Ammon let out a sigh. “I could use help grooming the horses, I’ve milked the cows, but if someone could feed the cuccos and clean the house, that’d be great, and also–”

“LOOK OUT!”

Age’s father was interrupted by Wild, who was chasing a round pig that was sprinting towards the men. They all shot up and moved out of the way as the pig nearly plowed through them, watching it run and stop just outside the ranch.

“Hey, don’t move towards it all at once,” Wild said breathlessly, resting his hands on his knees.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Link,” Kass said, “did that piglet escape?”

“Yeah, and I need to hurry and grab it before the others escape too!”

Linebeck let out a sigh of relief and crossed his arms. “You’ll never catch a pig by chasing it kid, you need to sneak up behind it, and then grab it before it knows what’s going on.”

“Oh great! You can catch it while I keep an eye on the other pigs!” Wild suggested with a smile. Linebeck looked at him in surprise.

“W-what? Noooo no no no my Link was always the pig catcher not me.”

“No, I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Ammon grinned, “Make yourself useful.”

Linebeck frowned then took off his overcoat, throwing it somewhere safe as he hesitantly walked over to the pig.

“Oh I need to watch this,” Benji said, running after the sailor. Age grinned and followed as well as his father grumbled. Linebeck was a good distance away from the pig, crouching down and crawling from behind the pig, being as quiet as possible. Benji snorted and Linebeck shot him a glare, cautiously moving closer to the pig.

“Oy, I thought you guys were going to help with the farm wor–”

“Yeah yeah, after this Ammon, shut up,” Benji interrupted, not taking his eyes off of Linebeck.

Ammon grumbled again, but he stayed with the others as they watched Linebeck. The sailor was close to the pig, and he quickly went to grab it, but it slipped out of his fingers, jumping over his head and onto his back. Linebeck let out a yelp as he went face first into the ground, getting dirt and mud all over himself. The others started laughing as he attempted to wrestle the pig, getting more and more dirty. Finally, he grabbed the pig and held it over his head, panting and glaring at the laughing group.

“Weren’t you guys going to do farm work?” He yelled. He looked at Wild who was still with the group. “Weren’t you going to keep an eye on the pigs?”

Wild scratched the back of his head while Benji snorted laughing. “It’s not my fault you’re so entertaining to watch.”

Linebeck grumbled and marched right past them, heading to the pig pen. “If one of those pigs escaped I’m not catching it!”

They all watched as Linebeck grumbled, and Kass smiled at Wild.

“It’s best to leave him alone while he blows off some steam.”

Wild shrugged. “Well, he can deal with the pigs then, if he’s gonna be such a grump.”

Kass chuckled and Wild’s gaze lingered over to Ammon, who was also watching him blankly. Kass quickly jumped in front of them, blocking off the view.

“Let’s go help with the horses! You like horses don’t you?” He suggested, and Wild agreed, the two walking towards the horses. Age sighed sadly. Ever since Wild met his father, he’d been pretending that he didn’t exist, but there were moments where he watched him for too long, and he would spiral. Thankfully, Kass was helping him through it, but it was very hard on his father. Age gave his father a small smile, who smiled back, but it quickly disappeared.

“Uh, ok, what the heck happened?” Benji asked, plucking his guitar strings. “Why are you and Kass avoiding each other?”

Ammon shook his head. “Me and Kass aren’t avoiding each other, it’s just… Wild.”

“Oh, right, your twin,” Benji looked at Age who shrugged.

“He’s not my twin, we’re… technically the same person.” Age sighed. “It’s hard to explain, but he’s from a timeline where evil won, he’s been asleep for a hundred years and… um…” Age looked at his father who was staring ahead.

“Oh, I get it now,” Benji said softly. Age gave him an awkward smile.

“Yeah…”

It was silent for a long moment until Ammon moved away.

“Let’s finish the chores, alright?” He said softly, and the other two followed him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey! Hyrule, can you hear me?”

Hyrule groaned as consciousness began to return to him. He opened his eyes and saw everyone huddled around him, with Windy holding a magic potion.

“Oh yeah, that’s definitely Benji’s kid,” a man next to Twilight chuckled. Hyrule frowned.

“How d’ya know m’ dad?” He said weakly, his words slurring. The man grinned at Time, who was next to a woman with red hair.

“Well he knows his dad, that’s good,” another man he didn’t recognize with a big nose said. “Are ya good to drink this potion, little one?”

Hyrule squinted at Windy who started to uncork the bottle. He nodded and let the others sit him up. He drank the potion carefully, being able to drink it himself as he felt his strength return to him.

“Thank the goddesses you’re doing’ better, Hyrule,” Windy said when he finished the bottle. “We were getting worried about you!”

Hyrule smiled, then looked at the people he didn’t know. “Who are they?” He asked, pointing at all four of them.

“Hyrule, this is my father-in-law Talon, and my wife, Malon,” Time introduced the both of them.

“Huh, Malon and Talon, that’s cute.”

Talon chuckled. “Gotta keep that Lon Lon name, yeah?”

Malon laughed and nodded. Hyrule smiled and looked over at the man who was side hugging Twilight.

“Oh! Hyrule, this is my pa, Rusl.”

Rusl waved at him and Hyrule tilted his head.

“You don’t look like him.”

“I’m adopted.”

Hyrule made an “oh” sound and looked at the serious looking man behind the colors.

“This is our father!” Red introduced him. The man gave a nod at Hyrule.

“The name is Leon.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Hyrule smiled at them, and Windy grabbed his arm, helping him up. “Uh, so you mentioned my dad?”

“Oh yes!” Talon pointed to a ranch in the distance, “He’ll be so happy to see you!”

“Is that where he is?”

“Yep! At Lon Lon ranch! We’re almost there!”

Hyrule nodded. “Now I get the Lon Lon name…”

Time chuckled and nudged him towards the ranch. “C’mon, we don’t want to dawdle now do we? Let’s find your father.”

Hyrule grinned, beginning to register the idea of seeing his father again. He truthfully didn’t know him very well, he was separated from him when he was ten years old, being apart from him for so long that he almost forgot everything about him. He’d only just reunited with him, and though it felt weird calling him father, he still found familiar comfort in him, and he was excited to see him again. He started walking, still feeling weak, but determination to see his father again kept him going. When they reached the entrance, Hyrule jogged towards the horses despite his dizziness, and he looked around, spotting Wild next to a giant bird man.

“WILD!” He yelled out, sprinting towards him, but he felt his legs weaken, and he suddenly started to fall face first into the grass. He let out a yelp, but something caught him and helped him up. He looked at his savior confused, and grinned when he recognized his father, beaming at him.

“Orchid!” he cried, and pulled him into a tight hug. Hyrule buried his face in his neck and melted into the embrace.

“H-hey dad,” he mumbled, his voice wavering. He got a lump in his throat and he blinked back the tears when his dad started running his hand through his curly hair.

“I’m so happy to see you safe, Orchid. Too many times we’ve been separated.”

“Yeah.”

The two held each other for a while until he heard people come up behind him. He saw Wild and the bird man who were smiling.

“Oh my goodness!” The birdman looked at the two. “I can see the family resemblance!”

Benji chuckled and gestured to Kass. “Orchid, this is Kass. Kass, Wild, this is my son, Orchid.”

Wild narrowed his eyes. “‘Orchid’? Is that like… your real name?”

Hyrule nodded shyly, and Wild chuckled.

“Why didn’t you say that when we came up with nicknames? I’m sure it beats ‘Hyrule’.”

Hyrule shrugged. “I don’t know… Um… you have a bird for a dad?”

Wild looked at Kass in shock, and he laughed nervously. “No! No! He’s uh… he’s Kass and he’s a good friend! Has great songs. Can dance really well too.”

It grew silent and they all glanced at each other awkwardly. Time walked up to them and smiled at Wild.

“Wild! You're here! Are the others at the ranch as well?” He asked, with everyone else joining them (and Twilight scolding Hyrule for running off). Wild shook his head.

“Just me and Age.”

“Oh my!” Talon chuckled at the sight of Wild. “You must be Ammon’s kid huh?”

Wild’s smirk faded, and a sense of unease filled the air. Hyrule looked at his dad who had a blank expression on his face, then at Kass who had his wings resting on Wild’s shoulders, who surprisingly looked upset. Talon looked at everyone’s reactions and frowned.

“Was it something I said?”

“No, no Talon you’re alright um,” Kass looked back at the horses he and Wild were taking care of, “let’s finish the job, shall we?”

Wild nodded and ran over to the horses. Hyrule watched, realizing who Ammon is. The group knew about Wild and Age’s situation, but Hyrule always forgot about how serious of a situation it was, and how much it affected Wild. Benji looked at Talon and the others, who all looked concerned.

“It’s complicated, Talon, so don’t worry about it.” Benji looked at Windy and smiled warmly. “So you must be Linebeck’s then, huh?”

Windy’s dark expression lit up. “Yes! Where is he?”

“Over at the pig pen. Careful though, he’s kinda pissed off right now.”

Windy giggled. “When is he not? I’m gonna go find him!” The little sailor turned and sprinted in the wrong direction.

“The pig pen is the other way,” Benji called out to him, and Windy quickly turned around and sprinted in the correct direction. Everyone laughed at him as he ran by, clearly excited to see his own dad. Or at least, Hyrule assumed this Linebeck guy was his dad.

“Well, guys, how about we find Ammon and his kid and make some introductions,” Benji started, eyeing the different Links, “I’ve been dying to meet your guys' kids.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Linebeck finished washing all the mud and dirt off of him, grumbling about the stains on his pale shirt. He put his hair in a ponytail and watched the pigs play around. They seemed to be fine, no risk of another one getting out, but he wasn’t in the mood to see the others. He’d be forced to do farmwork, and he hated farmwork. He grabbed his coat and shook it off, making sure it wasn’t dirty, until one of the pigs gave a desperate squeal and he spun around, looking at it weird.

“What’s wrong with you?”

The pigs started to back away into the corner of the pen and Linebeck frowned.

“What are you pigs doing?”

He knelt down and tilted his head at the pig’s strange behavior, but something cold and sharp touched his neck, and he froze.

“Scream and I’ll slit your throat,” the familiar voice of the man who’s caused this mess whispered in his ear.

“You,” Linebeck growled, not moving with the knife up against his throat.

“You know, it took me a long time to find you and your friends, and to find you here, goddesses, it's infuriating,” the puppeteer sneered, and Linebeck rolled his eyes.

“What do you want, you big baby.”

The puppeteer scoffed. “You and your friends have been nothing but a thorn in my side! Always trying to ruin my plans and getting in my way! And then you suddenly disappear, somewhere where I can’t find you,” the puppeteer spun Linebeck around with his sword pointed at his neck. Linebeck glared at the one eyed mask he wore. “I’ve had enough of you, and I want nothing more than to kill you all.”

“So then kill me, why are you monologing when you have me right here with your pretty little knife pressed up against my neck?”

The puppeteer didn’t say anything, his grip tightening on Linebeck’s shoulder. He looked behind him, checking to see if anyone was there, and he returned his attention to his hostage. “I had no idea that the Links were all your sons,” his head tilted, “perhaps you all could be of some use to me.”

Linebeck’s eyes widened. “If you think you’re gonna use me against my kid—“

“These Links have truthfully been a pain as well, and if using their family to get them to listen is what I have to do, then so be it. If it’ll mean making you all suffer, then so be it.”

Linebeck kicked the puppeteer in the chest as hard as he could, trying to dig his heels in his ribs. The puppeteer grunted as he fell back, holding his side, but before he could do anything else, a battle cry was heard, and he jumped away before Link was able to slash him with his sword.

Wait, Link.

Link?

“Link!” Linebeck shouted, not believing his eyes when he saw the boy that he’s been looking for standing right in front of him, pointing his sword against the puppeteer.

“Oh, you’re here too. Isn’t that just convenient,” the puppeteer snarled and swung his sword at Link, who blocked it with his own. The two fought, Link being calm and collected while the puppeteer was enraged and messy. Linebeck just watched the two of them, his heart beating a mile per second.

Come on you idiot, help him! He thought to himself, looking around for anything that he could use as a weapon, but he found nothing. When he looked back at the two, the puppeteer had grabbed Link and threw him over his shoulder. Link landed with a painful thud, and he let out a cry.

“Link!” Linebeck called out again, more worry in his voice. Goddesses, why couldn’t he do anything to help him? Why was he so useless?

“You know what? I don’t need all you Links to be alive!” The puppeteer shouted, pointing his sword at Link, “I can make do without one!”

Linebeck gasped and finally moved. He sprinted towards the puppeteer as he thrusted his sword at Link, and he jumped over his kid, trying to tackle the puppeteer before he stabbed him and—

Linebeck grunted as he felt pain explode through his abdomen. He was face to face with the puppeteer, and when he looked down, his sword sunken deep into his stomach.

“Well, that wasn’t supposed to happen,” the puppeteer said breathlessly, and he kicked Linebeck to the ground, pulling the sword out of him.

“Linebeck!” He heard Link scream, and he saw him enter his vision, horror apparent on his face. Linebeck groaned at the pain, and felt the world spin around him as he felt the hot blood pouring out of him. He heard shouts and swords clanging, but Link stayed by his side, putting pressure on his wound. Linebeck stared at him, the boy that he was stuck with for so many months, the boy that saved his life countless times, the boy that he’s spent hours stargazing on his ship. Tears poured out of his eyes, and he reached out to him.

“L-Link,” he said, struggling to speak. Link turned to him and looked over his face.

“Linebeck, I—I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” he started to cry as the blood poured out of his wound.

“I’m—I’m glad you’re alright, green monkey,” Linebeck reached out to cradle his round face, but he saw the blood all over his hands, and a wave of nausea and dizziness overwhelmed him. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting his hand drop. “Oh goddesses…”

He heard people talking, and another set of hands helped with the pressure.

“We need Hyrule! He’s losing a lot of blood!”

“Hyrule is busy right now, Windy, I’m sorry.”

“But he’s going to die!”

Linebeck heard rummaging and cursing, then a cheer.

“I have a red potion! It’ll have to do alright?”

Someone lifted up his head and he opened his eyes, seeing Rusl sitting over him.

“Ok, Linebeck, I need you to drink this,” he said, and he put the red potion to his lips. Linebeck tried to do just that, and as he sipped the potion, he felt a warm tingly feeling go through his body as some of the pain left his body. He felt like he’d been drinking the potion for forever though, and Linebeck couldn’t drink it anymore. He suddenly went limp, and Rusl cursed under his breath. “You’re not done, keep going, please.”

Linebeck felt the world go dark around him, and the voices grew muffled. He heard shouting and crying, then darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Age groaned as another wave of monsters charged him and his father. He didn’t know what happened, he was greeting his friends when the puppeteer arrived and sent monsters after them. The Gerudo guards, Time, and Talon took Malon inside, and the two men guarded the home, Hyrule and Benji were fighting off a pack of Lizalfos, Rusl and Twilight ran off to help Linebeck who got hurt, Kass and Wild were busy with bokoblins, and Leon and the colors all went after the puppeteer. He and his father were being bombarded with wizzrobes, and they were never ending.

“When did the puppeteer show up?” His father grunted as he killed a wizzrobe.

“No idea, he always shows up at the worst times!”

The wave of wizzrobes were finally killed by the two, and Age spotted the puppeteer running from Leon.

“C’mon.” Age took off where they were, and soon the puppeteer was surrounded.

“Nowhere to run you bastard,” Leon growled, pointing his sword at the puppeteer. The others copied him, pointing their swords so that the puppeteer had nowhere to run.

“What are you going to do now that I’m caught, hm?” The puppeteer asked, tilting his head. “Are you gonna get on your knees and beg me to take you home?”

Leon grabbed his throat and slammed him against the wall. “Shut up! Make the monsters go away or else I’ll–”

“What? You’ll torture me? Not very virtuous, first knight.”

Leon tightened his hold on his neck, and Age glanced at his father, who looked mortified. All the colors had unease written on their faces, and Leon sighed, loosening his grip. But when his hand pulled away slightly, Age saw goop fall off his neck. Leon jumped away as the puppet melted, and he spun around.

“That was a decoy! Where is the puppeteer?”

They all looked around frantically, and Age spotted the real puppeteer watching them. He lifted his hands, and a bright light assaulted his eyes. He yelled out in pain, feeling his skin burn from the light.

“Link!” He heard his father call out, and he felt a hand grab his arm. He reached out and embraced the person near him, feeling the world around him spin and change.

And then he opened his eyes.

He was lying on his back, and he knew that he was no longer in Lon Lon ranch. He sat up, noting that he was in a forest with thin trees littering the ground, and he saw the colors, calling out for their father. He looked around, confused on where his own father was. He was right there. Age was hugging him, he remembered. Where was he? He shot up and looked around frantically, but his father was gone, as was Leon. Age heard loud sobbing suddenly, and he searched for whoever was crying. Green spotted Age and ran up to him, with the others following.

“Age! What happened? Where’s my father?”

“I don’t know. My father is missing too.”

Red was crying and he stared in the direction where the sobbing was coming from. “Did we… did the puppeteer teleport us away?”

“Obviously you idiot!” Blue shouted. “The ranch looks nothing like this place!”

“Hey hey,” Age rested his hands on the two, speaking in a gentle voice, “let’s try to find the others, alright? The last thing we need to do is fight each other.”

Blue grumbled and followed Age when he jogged in the direction of the sobbing. There was a small clearing with fallen trees, and they saw Hyrule and Time huddled up next to each other, the traveler looked upset, while Time looked devastated. His head was resting in his hands as he stared blankly at Twilight, who was holding a sobbing Windy. Twilight was rubbing his back and whispering reassurances to him as he cried.

“What happened?” Red asked, and Twilight gave him a solemn look.

“He… his father got stabbed, but it’ll be alright. He drank half a red potion, which is better than nothing,” he said firmly, mostly to Windy than anyone else, but the sailor continued to cry. Age winced at every sob he made, Windy was such a strong young man. Seeing him this hysterical, it was hard to watch. The group heard running and they flinched when someone arrived, but it was just Wild. He looked relieved to see everyone, but he still had a desperate look in his eye.

“The puppeteer is nearby, we need to go. Now.”

Time stood up, fury apparent on his face. “Good, then I can deal with him once and for all.”

Age ran up to him and stopped him from moving any further. “He’s too strong for you, we need to see if we can find the others, alright?”

“That man took me from my home twice. My wife could give birth soon and I won’t be able to be there for her!” Time snapped, his voice cracking at the end. Age took a deep breath and rested his hands on his arms.

“I know, I know, but think about it, he sent us away from Lon Lon so we’d be away from everyone. He wants to isolate us, we must stay together and find help. We—“ he gestured to Windy “—are not ready for a fight against the puppeteer.”

Time glared at him for a moment, then the anger left his eyes, and helplessness took over as he stumbled back. Age grabbed him and held him steady.

“Woah, hey, take it easy, Time.”

Time let out a shaky breath and sat back down next to Hyrule. “Malon…” he whispered, burying his face in his hands.

“Guys… I know it’s hard, but we need to leave.” Wild looked behind him. “The puppeteer can’t find us like this.”

Everyone nodded and stood up with Twilight helping Windy, who was shaking. Wild and Age stayed in the back, listening for anything that could be chasing them, while watching the upset heroes in front of them. Age only hoped that their fathers were safe.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Where’s Link?”

Malon’s voice was shaking as Rusl put a bloody and unconscious Linebeck on the table. Benji stood near Talon, who was shaking pretty badly, looking confused and hurt. He had a deep scratch on his arm, and he stared at Linebeck in horror. It was chaos since the puppeteer attacked, Benji was with his son one second, and the next, he was gone. All the Links were gone, along with the puppeteer and his monsters. The men’s focus went to Linebeck who was practically dying from being stabbed. Rusl said that he drank some of the red potion, but the wound wasn’t fully healed, and he lost a lot of blood. Talon went to try to help, but Benji stopped him.

“Talon, maybe you should sit this one out,” he said softly.

“B-b-but he’ll d-die and I h-have to do something–”

“You’re shaking, and this is way out of your league, you know it.”

Talon took in a shaky breath, and Risa stepped up. “We can take care of him, you voe should go outside, alright?”

Talon nodded and headed for the door, with Malon following, asking where Link was. Benji looked at Linebeck who was pale and unmoving. He sent a quick prayer for his recovery, and went outside.

The men were all devastated in one way or another. Leon was cussing out and kicking the ground in fury, Ammon and Kass were comforting Talon and Malon, who were panicking, and Rusl…

The farmer went outside, and silent tears went down his face. Benji stared at him for a moment, then walked over to him, wrapping him in a hug. Rusl didn’t say anything, he just melted into the embrace and cried silently. Benji should be upset too, he’d lost his son three times now. First time, Orchid was only ten-years-old. Living with the guilt of losing him and possibly subjecting him to a terrible life was hard, but to see him alive and well six years later, it was a miracle. And then the puppeteer stole him away, and it felt like he lost him all over again. But now…. He just felt empty. He buried his face in Rusl’s shoulder and let out a sigh.

Now what were they going to do? They were back to square one, and this time, they weren’t in the same dimension as the Links. He thought that everything was going to be ok when he saw Orchid, but that didn’t last. It never did. He could tell the others felt a sense of hopelessness for finding their sons as well. And on top of that, they didn’t know if Linebeck was going to make it or not.

Their only hope was for some miracle to happen, but Benji didn’t think it would happen anytime soon. He just prayed that his son would at least be alright.

Please let him be alright…

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