#fictional writing

[justanotherbirdbrain-blog]

Geology of Natural Disasters and How to write them into your fictional universe.

So, you want to write about a natural disaster to advance your plot and torture your players/characters even more? Let me tell you how, accurately.

I feel like unless it is a volcano, natural disasters are a pretty slept on plot drivers, and some of them are really cool and unique! Today, I will talk to you about land slides, earthquakes (And earthquake related disasters), and volcanoes.

Landslides: Probably one I see the least in stories, but one that would be incredibly interesting to write into a plot where they believe in curses. Landslides can happen along ocean bluffs, slightly hilly areas, and highly mountainous areas, this means it is something that can happen in most landscapes. But what can trigger a landslide? Mostly all you need to trigger a landslide could be just abnormally large amounts of rain, excessive deforestation (with a little bit of rain), or an earthquake. If you don't want to use deforestation or an earthquake as a catalyst, a really cool indicator that the land is slipping and may be prone to a collapse is J hooked trees.

This indicates that there is soil creeping slowly over time, and it may lead to a major landslide.

2. Earthquakes: Probably one of the easiest things to write, earthquakes can happen anywhere, but they are most common in places that are tectonically active areas. There are about three types of environments you can expect earthquakes to be common. The first is just rugged mountains, if your landscape looks like this, you should write in earthquakes. Associated hazards could be landslides, avalanches, and large falling rocks.

The next landscape could be a thin mountain range, next to the ocean, very scenic, but very dangerous. Essentially, I am describing a subduction zone environment.

Earthquakes in these areas could equal a couple different associated disasters. Scenario one: A very large earthquake happens, and the ocean begins to recede. This is a tsunami, enough said. If you are writing a tsunami though, please, please, do not write it as a large wave, thank you. Also, a common way people are hurt by tsunami's are from them going into the ocean because they don't understand a tsunami is going to happen.

Scenario two: A large earthquake happens, your characters are in a valley and suddenly the ground begins to liquify as the ground shakes, once the shaking stops, the ground becomes solid like nothing ever happened, except everything has suddenly sunk into the now hard ground. This is called liquefaction and it typically happens in areas that have loose dirt or lots of saturated soil.

Scenario three: There are a lot of small earthquakes, they do not cause a lot of damage, but you begin to notice that one of the isolated mountains has a plume rising. Earthquakes can indicate lava moving underground and the filling of magma chambers.

The next environment that can host lots of earthquakes would be regions that have a lot of really deep valleys and small mountain ranges (not cone volcanoes), but overall seems pretty flat.

This indicates a transform fault like the San Andreas. If you want to hint at there being earthquakes in the area, you can show fence posts that are suddenly several feet out of line at a dilapidated farm or something similar.

(These earthquakes are different because they are cased from sideways movement, not an up-and-down movement this hint can only be used for this environment). Volcanoes would not be found here, but liquefaction and landslides could still occur here.

4. Volcanoes: If you thought earthquakes had a lot of information, volcanoes do too. First you have to ask yourself, what kind of volcano you want to have, what kind of eruption style? So lets break down the kind of eruptions you can have and what their landscapes look like. Hawaiian Shield volcano: This will produce a smooth fast lava, the landscape typically is pretty flat, but there will be small cones and the rocks can have a ropey or jagged texture and the rocks will be almost exclusively black to dark red.

Stratovolcanoes: These will be solitary mountains, typically, that look like perfect cones (Picture shown in earthquake section). These will have large ash cloud eruptions and pyroclastic flows, they may have some lava, but typically most damage is done from the pyroclastic flows (think Pompeii). Some hints of these, other than describing the cone features (which can be hidden by other mountains), would be to talk about petrified wood! Trees can get fossilized in the ash and I imagine it would be very strange to find this rock that clearly looks to be a piece of wood, but its a rock. Subcategory- Calderas: Used to be a large stratovolcano, but they erupt so explosively that the entire cone collapses and creates a basin.

There are a lot of kinds of volcanoes out there, so forgive me for just putting an infographic and then talking to you about these really rare types of eruptions that I feel like people should know about.

Okay lets talk about blue lava (kind of) and black lava

You will notice the lava is still red in the middle of this image, during the day these would look like a normal eruption, but at night the burning sulfur would make it appear blue. Some cool features other than this, would be that any water in the area would become very acidic and burn the skin due to sulfuric acid. This would again be really cool if you are trying to describe a 'cursed' land.

Black lava: This happens only in the east African rift I believe, but it is a carbonatite lava, but if you are writing in a rift valley (where the continent is tearing apart to form a new ocean) this might be a cool feature. The lava will cool white and will quickly erode, it makes for a very alien landscape!

Anyway as always, this is supposed to be an introductive guide for the basics of writing geology to create cool landscapes/features into dnd or fictional universes, if you are a geologist please understand my oversimplification of tectonics, I didn't want people to run away.

#geology #rocks #stem #dnd #dnd worldbuilding #worldbuilding stuff #fictional world #worldbuilding #fictional writing #writing resources #creative writing

[littleteenagethings]

And darling, you need to be patient with yourself. The pain does not vanish overnight. You heal one day at a time, one step at a time. And maybe, just maybe, in six months from now, you will find yourself enjoying a day where the pain ceases to exist. Be gentle on yourself, allow the healing process to take place.

Excerpts from the book I’ll never write #411

09.04.2023

11:17 pm.

#little teenage things #my words #my work #my writing #the girl with the flowers in her hair #the girl with the flowers on her hands #the boy with the devilish smile #prose poetry #fictional writing #healing #love #heartache #how to walk away #how to move on #self love #self healing #unrequited love #unrequited affection #unrequited feelings #unrequited romance #written thoughts #spilled thoughts #spilled emotions

[poisoned-sugar11]

The possible medical use of somnus perennis, an essay by Dr. Azalea Florist

Content warning: medical malpractice, poisoning, drugging, mentions of addiction, and religious themes (not Christianity specifically though)

Somnus perennis, colloquially known as the dreamflower, is the most effective known sleeping aid. Low doses of powdered dreamflower can be used to ensure a patient has no chance of waking up during the time of a procedure. There are no substantial side effects besides putting the patient to sleep. The dreamflower is completely nonaddictive. The alleged side effects of visions are not an issue considering their similarities to the existing nightmares of patients. With the current availability of powdered dreamflower, it's only logical to start using them medically.

There are numerous accounts of how traumatizing of an experience it is to be left awake during surgery. All major anesthetics have at least a small percentage of these cases. It is absolutely impossible for a dose of powdered dreamflower to leave a patient awake. In 101 Deadliest Poisons and How to Use Them, Ayaka Sakai writes, "after my numerous successful jobs, I can guarantee that it's impossible to wake up a victim under the influence of somnus perennis until the dose has fully worn off." Dr. Emily Wheeler of the Association of Illegal and Unethical Science has conducted further experiments that prove this to be the case. Regardless of the morality of these sources, they do show how useful powdered dreamflower can be.

The mortality rate of the direct effects of powdered dreamflower is 0%. Despite its notoriety, powdered dreamflower is completely non-lethal. There are only two noted effects of ingesting somnus perennis: deep sleep, and a strange effect on the patient's dreams. A patient being put into a deep sleep is the ideal state for conducting major surgeries. The only known risk is a patient being unconscious longer than anticipated. However, this risk can be avoided entirely if one isn't careless.

Somnus perennis is a completely nonaddictive substance. Existing anesthetics, such as slumber leaves, and daisy roots, have dedicated rehabilitation facilities related to them. On the other hand, there are no reported symptoms of any addictive disorders in patients that have ingested somnus perennis. The Black Market, a famous hot spot for mad scientists, notably markets it as a poison as opposed to a recreational drug. In How to Crime, Sylvia H. Hunter states, "it is vital to avoid breathing in any drugs you use to aid you. Slumber leaves can leave you hooked for life, and dreamflowers will leave you plagued by visions for a day or maybe even longer." There are no accounts of anyone voluntarily ingesting somnus perennis.

Those against the use of any sort of somnus perennis in medical settings often argue that the side effects are too grave. This is an overreaction. There was a survey conducted on the population of Akane Island. A staggering 86% of residents recorded that they had nightmares most nights, with 65% of those nightmares being related to the divine. The prevalence of alleged somnus perennis symptoms among a completely unaffected population is very telling. The alleged vividness of dreamflower visions are likely the only actual effect.

Many substances currently used as anesthesia are unfortunately difficult to make and harvest. It's incredibly easy to create the conditions for dreamflowers to grow. There are already many monitored dreamflower fields across the multiverse. With the existing research institutes focused on somnus perennis being owned by the same organizations that provide medical care, it would be incredibly easy to access them for medical use. Alongside the proper channels, the Black Market is home to many vendors carrying powdered dreamflower. While some might consider this to be a poor resource for those unaffiliated with the Association of Illegal and Unethical Science, it still shows how easy somnus perennis is to keep and harvest with the proper equipment.

In conclusion, powdered dreamflower is the ideal anesthesia. This is clear due to it's reliability to keep patients asleep, its nontoxic properties, it being nonaddictive, the lack of substantial side effects, and it's availability.

#writing #essay #fictional writing #world building #original writing #fantasy writing #sci fi writing #<- honestly not sure this would be considered lol #oh btw fun fact i wrote this for school :3 #poisoned-sugar11's writing #oc: azalea florist

[cheshire-silent-cat]

Calling all fictional writers,

This is a cry for help 😭😭

We love and appreciate you but can you guys please start writing stories about jun Guevara who is also a top tier attractive character with a lot of personality. It might be a challenge but please let’s save this man from the underrated jail cell he has been sentenced to

#jun guevara #fictional writing #writers and readers #fanfic writing #fanfic wattpad #18+ account #rp account #underrated #baki hanma #help #writers on tumblr #writerscorner #writerscommunity #female writers #levi x fem!reader #katsuki bakugo mha #baki son of ogre #avatar way of water #armin attack on titan #neteyam x na'vi!reader

[asprinkleofnutmeg]

Last night, on Discord, I brought out a few of my True Blood muses, and it was such a delight. 🥹 I can't wait to use Willoughby and Lafayette on here.

#fictional writing #role player #amwriting #writer blog #role play #fiction writing #literate rp

[mrneighbourlove]

The War of Fire: Ch 10. The Flame of Death Whispers...

Walking across a bridge that led from the central castle to the main tower, Princess Rinku and Princess Leere stopped in the middle of the structure. The sun was setting down on Hyrule, a marvelous sky painted by orange and yellow hues. Each of the girls leaned over the railing, taking a moment to breathe in air that was clear, and hopefully just relax as teenage girls rather than warriors. 

Pushing some of her hair out of her eyes, Leere took a long look over the homeland before. The lush green fields were vast and wide, rising up into the various mountainous peaks that Hyrule was famous for. With just the two of them here, she looked over to Rinku. “How are you feeling?”

The blonde princess looked over to Leere, and the presence Leere felt was as heavy as the weight of a surging wave. Did Rinku look tired? Or did she look old? Either way, her sister tried to counter the weight behind her eyes with a light smile. “My sword arm is sore. I really need to work on my shield arm some more to compensate.”

Leere felt like she could understand that. “Yeah…”

It seemed it was Rinku’s turn to delve into her thoughts. “Your turn. You look pale. And I’m not talking about your normal, pretty demeanor.” 

The young necromancer slowly nodded in response, her shoulders sluggishly rolling downwards. “I never thought that becoming a princess would mean that I would have to one day become a soldier as well.” 

Rinku had a tone that was gentle, yet firm as she asked Leere to continue. “Go on.” 

Leere turned her gaze from the fields of Hyrule and looked downwards onto Castle Town. “I am so grateful that Zelda found me and rescued me from a terrible fate. She’s been the best mom I could ever have. Ganondorf helped me learn the magic, the skills I needed to protect myself. I know his methods aren’t traditional, or some mom certainly didn’t approve, but he’s been the dad I needed. And you…”

Leere watched Rinku wait, a small tension felt between them wavering as she collected her thoughts. “...I care about you. I care about this family I was brought into. Then as grew up more, the expectations came crashing in.” She was quick to shake her head at some intrusive thoughts. “Not from mom or dad. I could handle that. But from this society that I was brought into.”

“Makes you wonder if saving the ruling class is worth it.” “It’s not just the nobility, Rinku. I feel so different. If I was just a normal Hylian girl, I don’t think I’d receive the judgment I do from others. But because of the connections I have to the kind of magic that surrounds my life, the forces that stick with me, I know that makes anyone, not just nobles, uncomfortable with me. Then there’s the fact that I’m… the way I feel- felt…”

Leere trailed off, her thoughts a tangled and complicated mess of emotions. Her cheeks started to flush and feel heavy with heat. She snapped herself out of those emotions, needing to speak, or she’d be trapped in her own head again. “It was too much. I needed to focus on myself.” 

“So you ended up isolating yourself. Did that help you focus? Or did you just feel lonely?”

Leere turned to look at Rinku again, frowning. “Both? Do you have wisdom on that?”

“More than you know.” The blonde hero crossed her arms, still holding onto the bitter memory of the argument they had before Leere left the castle. “I said it would be foolish to go alone. Being by yourself can be difficult enough for anyone, but with minds like ours, there can be consequences for such actions.”

“Like?”

“You get over the nightmares by yourself? Have you found any peace with the ghosts that haunt you?” 

“I think we have very different ghosts that try to cling to us. And the nightmares don’t go away.”

“Then what was it that you got out of leaving?” 

Leere felt her heart pull at that. The tone that Rinku held in ‘leaving’ implied that she wouldn’t return. Maybe initially she made it seem like that was the case when she did. Leere thought about her year away from the castle. Living off the land, honing her powers, and communicating with the other world. Both the good. And the bad. “I found understanding. Some acceptance I think.”

“Of what?” 

“Of what I am. The witch girl, not only adopted by the royal family, but of all of Hyrule. Its spirits speak to me, cling to me. I help them. Be it talking with them, or helping them with a task so they can feel like they can finally rest. Some of the really bad ones… I either endure until they’re gone or ward them off. They’re part of a cycle that often goes ignored in Hyrule. They also helped me realize how important life is, how many of them regret not being able to truly live the lives they wanted.” Leere looked back at Castle Town, almost being able to imagine seeing every soul that lived down there. “I think… I think I’m like you Rinku, in some ways.”

“Oh?” Rinku’s voice picked up, a warm curiosity strong in her voice. It seemed she wanted to see if Leere truly understood. “In what ways?”

“The people look to the royal nobility to help them, but for you, for most of your lives leading up to this one, you didn’t have to have a title of royalty or even fight in the army. You had the power to help others and you took up a sword to do so.” Leere looked Rinku in the eyes, taking in the age and beauty behind this young face. “I can’t imagine what it is like to remember all the past traumas you’ve endured… but despite everything you’ve gone through, you’re still you. You don’t let the nightmares drag you down, and that’s so inspiring for me. I want to help the people of this land that took me in, even if not all of them want me. I have the power to do so.” 

It seemed that Rinku, while moved by Leere’s statements, felt concern emanating as well. “But what worries you is what you’re doing with that power.”

She meekly nodded in response. “The killing. I meant what I said, that I can do it. The power I wield is a sharpened knife. It can certainly be done. But is that all I can do? Just be a killer? Rinku, I don’t want to get numb to that.” 

“No one wants that.”

“Yet it seems you are.”

Rinku waved that away quickly. “This lifetime has already exhausted me and I’m not even twenty. There is a purpose with every cycle I find myself in. Before, when my duty was complete, it was easier to enjoy my rest. Yet now, even with this amazing family I have, there’s a large part of me that thinks I need to prepare for the next Link rather than live a life as ‘Rinku’. That I’m just the tool that’s used to settle strife in times of conflict, and if I’m lucky I will have my legend told down in future generations. Except it seems that the takeaway for that legend is for people to get on their hands and knees and pray for a hero to appear and save them! For me to save them!”

“Rinku, I-” Leere reached out in a gesture of comfort, but the Hero dismissed the act of kindness. 

The princess noticed immediately the emotional pain that was caused. “I’m sorry, it’s not you Leere. I just get so tired and feel burned out whenever I have to save the world on more than one occasion in a single lifetime. These aren’t adventures. Saving the princess, the kingdom, or a loved one isn’t a happy story to live through. There are struggles.”

“But you persevere. You keep going and see those struggles to the end.”

“Leere, things don’t always work out like that. I’ve been unlucky enough to die a few times, only for a fairy or a shrine to resurrect me and give me the juice to keep going. There was one lifetime I did die and stayed dead. I found out in my next life some random stranger took up arms and beat the wizard that slew me. People mistook him for me and kept the legend going. I know it's my ‘destiny’ to be the Hero everyone needs, and I’m going to utilize all the skills I know to win this war, but there’s no guarantee that I will come out of this conflict alive. There’s no guarantee that there isn’t another conflict I have to fight in the next decade from now. It stresses me out of my mind to think about.” 

Leere attempted to reach out an arm out to Rinku once more, this time being successful wrapping one close around her. “What else are you worried about?”

“Dying in itself isn’t what I’m afraid of. I have the courage to face death. Goddess help me, I might even welcome it at times, the idea of a glorious, heroic death if it means protecting what I love.” Leere’s heart sank hearing that, but she stayed silent to let Rinku continue. “What worries me is that I’ll die, and the danger will still be alive. That with me gone there will be no one to protect those that I care about.” 

Leere nuzzled her head into Rinku’s neck, breathing slowly as she held her close. The princess of courage relaxed, allowing Leere the comfort to do the same. “Then how about we protect each other? That way we can continue to protect all of them?” 

The young necromancer felt Rinku’s heartbeat slow down, relaxing to a steady beat. “I think that’s a good start.” 

~

“All that’s right, all that’s bright, will be revealed in the light.’ Can any of you tell me which scholar said that passage from the Book of Nayru?” 

Impa sat around the children of Zelda and Ganondorf, taking a reprieve from the conflict to check in on them until Zelda relieved the Sheikah of their duty. The bodyguard had a soft fondness for the children, even if she could never fully accept Ganondorf himself into his heart. Impa had been there to see Zelda become Queen, helped raise Rinku, and she would be there to see these five Gerudo children have the chance to grow up as well. 

Princess Orana raised her little hand, speaking with a small lisp due to a gap between her baby teeth. “Is it Ma-ma?” 

“No little one. It wasn’t your mother. She knows it by heart, but she did not write the passage.” 

The next to attempt it was Prince Ralnor. “He wasn't a scholar, but a saint. Saint… saint…Mar…ch?” 

“You are very close, Ralnor. But you are off by just the name.”

Finally, Prince Covarog raised his free hand, the other protectively holding his baby sister Kanisa’s hand. “The answer was Saint Marcus!” 

Impa nodded, glad to hear that the crown prince was taking his lessons seriously. “Very good. That is indeed the correct answer.” 

By the doorway, the Sheikah saw Ganondorf entering. She gave the King a quick glance before returning her attention to the children. “But knowing what an answer is alone will not generate true wisdom. Seek the meaning behind the words, and learn from the philosophy, and you will transform knowledge into wisdom.”

The children seemed to be grasping this. At least Impa hoped so. She wasn’t sure given Ganondorf completely captured their attention as he strode in. All the kids who could stand rose to their feet, hobbling over to him. Orana in particular was vocal. “Da-dad!” 

“Hello my little warriors.” Ganondorf leaned down and scooped up Covarog, Ralnor, Orana and Kanisa in one armful, hugging them close. “Did you have a good time with your nan-nan?”

“She teach us Hylia scripture”, Ralnor said in his little voice. 

Ganondorf’s nose furled, but he remained hospitable and gentle in his tone. “So she did. Well, I’m able to spend some time with all of you. How’d you like to play wizards and knights?”

The boys and Orana cheered, with Kanisa still being too young to fully understand the game, but still smiled nonetheless. Ganondorf glanced at Impa, giving the Sheikah a quick report. “Zelda wants to see you before she departs for the tundra.”

Impa still didn’t like the fact that Zelda and Ganondorf had chosen a protection detail of his men rather than the bodyguard. Maybe she could have one last chance to protest this to the Queen herself. “Thank you for relaying that information. I will depart at once.” 

Ganondorf gave a simple shrug before turning back to his kids with an expressively goofy face. “All right! Who wants to be the wizard!” “You! I want to be a knight!”, Covarog shouted out. 

“I’m always the wizard.” 

“You make the best wizard dad!” 

Impa smiled lightly, the expression hidden behind the cloth they always wore as she made her way out of the bedroom. As long as the children were happy with their father, the Sheikah could tolerate the King. Making their way through the halls of Hyrule Castle, she gazed out of the stained glass window, admiring the art of Zelda’s past. The Sheikah bodyguard felt pride at being able to be a part of this legacy. 

Asking around, Impa discovered that the Queen was already at the stables, instructing the soldier’s that would accompany her the traveling route that they would partake on towards their destination. 

A simple set up using a cube of hay, the Queen had a map laid over for everyone able to see. She used a ruler to point out and measure relative distances. “... for the purposes of our target, we are going to call the enemy location Fort Cinder. Myself and Commander Klinge will take a small division to sneak forward and investigate why the Kikai Empire is held up so far away from our capital and why they’ve chosen the tundra specifically. While we do this, Captain Appo will take the division and work with Captain Regan of the Rito Tribe to coordinate either an assault or distraction depending on the amount of Hasai that have rooted themselves. If their numbers are too great, you need not throw your lives away needlessly. All I ask is you keep the Empire on their toes and distracted long enough for my reconnaissance to bear fruit.” 

The Hylian Captain nodded to Zelda, letting out a chuckle. “Don’t worry my Queen. We know how to put on a show. The Hasai won’t be able to keep up with our dance.”

Impa watched as the crowd of soldiers all got a laugh out of that. It seemed to produce a well needed smile from the Queen. “I’m glad I can count on all of you for this mission. We leave in ten minutes. All of you are dismissed from this meeting.” 

The rush of soldiers vibrated the ground as they left the small section of the barn. Carefully, moving past them like a leaf in the wind, Impa approached both the Queen and the undead commander. While Klinge and the Sheikah never grew to like one another, there was a sense of mutual respect, least when it came to duty. Impa found Vaati too creepy and Ghirahim was unhinged in his loyalty to Ganondorf, at least Klinge could be more restrained and more blunt. Even so, Impa wished she could be alone with Zelda. 

“My Queen, you requested my presence?” 

The Queen nodded, a wrinkle on her face. “Indeed. I have a task for you. I need you to stay here and watch over my children.”

Impa felt their face heaton, but was able to keep the tone of their emotions well hidden. “I do think that my place would be better suited at your side. You’re going into hostile territory that the enemy has entrenched themselves into. As your protector, I need to be by your side.” 

Zelda smiled with the kind of brow that seemed to convey understanding. Pity maybe? “Impa, I would feel far better leaving the castle knowing that you were here to defend them. Your job is to protect the next generation. When I was a princess, it was me. Now that I’m Queen, it’s them.”

A deep concern, the only window to emotion in Impa, filled her eyes. “If that is your wish, I will follow it. But know that I will never stop wishing to protect you as well.”

“You’ve always been good to me, old friend.” 

Old friend. Impa closed her eyes, contemplating the order. The Sheikah could follow Zelda from the shadows to make sure their safety wasn’t compromised. Even with the training of heightening Zelda’s perception, Impa could do it without being caught. But a sense of shame came with that thought. It wouldn’t be right of them to do that. She would uphold her friendship with Zelda by maintaining trust. “Be careful.”

“I always will.” 

Impa shifted her gaze as Klinge stepped forward, placing a hand on her broad shoulder. When he spoke, there was always a metallic, machine-like sharpness to his voice. “Do not worry yourself. I shall watch over the Queen with the eyes of a hawk. In your absence, she will be well protected under my watch.”

How Impa wished she could see the man’s face. He was almost always hidden behind one of his damned helmets, but she could feel the smug superiority he had. Her glare was intense as he wisely took his hand off her shoulder. “Best you do. You wouldn’t want your leash yanked by our King if anything happened to her.” 

Least Impa could make out his micro expressions well enough. From the corner of her eye she was able to glance at his hand making a fist. “Best watch the castle carefully while we’re away. I’d hate for anything to happen to you as well in my absence.”

“I’ll make due.”

Zelda cleared her throat, a slight annoyance cropping up. “If you’re done commander, we have an operation to carry out.” 

Klinge saluted with a hand across his chest, like a butler. “Of course my Queen.” 

Impa wasn’t sure for certain if he spoke with sarcasm with that title or not. He was always on an edge. Vaati adored Zelda, Ghirahim would not admit she was his queen, but Klinge had a true hatred for Hyrule. Impa was sure that he could become a traitor anytime, but it seemed his loyalty to Ganondorf outweighed his hatred. For now, he was able to get away with any veiled disrespect. 

After he walked away, Impa sighed. “I don’t like that he’s the one accompanying you. I don’t trust him.”

“I know Impa, but Commander Klinge has proven himself quite effective. And I think, by working together through times of war, I am gaining his acceptance.” 

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Just remember your own training out there and rely on that first and foremost.” 

“I could never forget your training Impa.” Zelda took a breath to compose herself as she looked out a window, gazing at Hyrule castle. Looking back at Impa, she smiled lightly. “Take care of yourself while I’m gone Impa.” 

“I will. You do so as well.” 

~ Zannah was rather impressed by her brother’s airship. The blimp was incredibly large, with dozens of rooms, from a dining hall, several private bedrooms, and the engineering room where she was now. 

At a workbench, the princess was working alone tinkering on her personal quarter blade as she liked to call it. A hilt that had the reach of a bo staff when both the blades were unsheathed by the press of a button or two on the grip. The precise gyros needed had to be calibrated every so often so that she wouldn’t find herself without a weapon. 

When she worked, the other Romtan engineers gave her space. None wanted to upset her. In some ways, she was okay with the isolation. It gave her the time to just think and be at ease calibrating. But when she was done, that isolation turned to loneliness. One that she was too proud to break on her own. Seeing a glowing Sheikah core the size of a small rock on the table, she looked over some schematics and set to work trying to put together another blade. 

Breaking the silence, her groove was thrown off by the cutting voice of her brother. 

“Zannah. I didn’t know you had a fondness for engineering.” 

The princess turned to look at her brother. Those sharp red eyes, tattooed blood coloured lines on his purple horns, and curved horns with golden tips and ornaments gave him a very defined and powerful look. Placing the hilt on the table, she got up, giving him his full attention. She wondered why she felt embarrassment being found here by him. It wasn’t like she went out of her way to hide her activities. “It’s a hobby that I picked up between training.”

“Just a hobby?”

There wasn’t exactly warmth in his voice, but he wasn’t sneering at her either. “It gives me comfort.”

Picking up the hilt she was working on, Nihilus scanned her work with a machine like precision. “Do you think you’re good at it?”

“I think with time I could be.” 

“Hmm. When I become Emperor, perhaps your place at my side will be chief of engineering. It is good to have more than one skill that isn’t just fighting related.” Placing the hilt down, he turned his gaze back to his sister. Zannah could feel the intensity behind his stare, even when he was emotionally neutral. “It’s about finding balance. Balance that I wonder is still in you?”

Was she being tested? Zannah crossed her arms, not wanting to beat around the bush. “I assume you came here for me. Are we about to attack Hyrule?”

“In due time. But first, I need to test you. Go to the dojo. There you’ll find a uniform. I will be waiting for you.” 

Zannah watched as her brother left, mentally preparing herself for a sparring session. She made an effort to clean her work table, then walked through the ship and went into the locker room to change.

At her brother’s request, she was garbed in light training robes. The clothing was far less restrictive than what she was used to, feeling as light as a balloon herself. Usually the chainmail she wore restricted her movements at least slightly. Standing across from her in the center of the dojo, her brother was waiting for her in a similar fashion. 

In both his hands he had two separate bo staffs, and with a quick thrust of his hand, he threw one of them to her. Catching it with one hand, Zannah contemplated its weight. Lighter than her weapon of choice, given there weren’t any blades attached to either end, but the same principle applied. 

Approaching, Nihilus seemed to study her closely, and when he spoke, he had a similar voice to father, only without the sickly, gravely tone that came with it. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen how you can perform in a fight. The walls are sealed by a heat absorbing layer. So don’t hold back your fire. If you have any still in you after losing Seras.” 

Zannah knew that her older brother was goading her to attack. She didn’t care. With a snarl across her face, she used her bo staff to pole vault towards Nihilus with a kick. As she made the leap, she channeled fire into her kick in a ferocious display of power towards him to knock him off his balance. While her flames made contact, her foot was met with an open palm. She felt herself grabbed by her ankle, then redirected and thrown to the ground. With a groan, she landed on her backside. As she tried to get up, her brother’s tail lightly struck her across the face. 

“Get up. Try again.”

The princess rose to her feet, her green knuckles turning a shade darker as she squeezed tightly around the bo staff. With a vertical slash, followed by several vertical slashes, she struck at her brother. Every attack she made he blocked.

“At least your movements aren’t stiff. But go faster. You really think that’s enough to take the head of Link?” 

Zannah doubled her efforts, striking high and low. She was starting to get a rhythm when Nihilus made his first attack back. An overhead swing coming down on her. Easy enough to block, but she was then met with his tail latching around her ankle. Distracted for a second by the gesture, she looked down. It was long enough for him to strike at her with a knee to the stomach, bringing the princess a knee. This was rewarded with another slap of his tail to her face. Zannah felt her cheek sting from the strike, not just from the physical pain, but the humiliation behind the effort. 

“Stop that!” 

Her brother merely pointed his bo staff in her face. “You’re a princess of the Kikai Empire. Make me stop treating you like a brat and fight back properly.” 

Zannah rose up once more, digging deep into her anger as she struck back. After a few counter blows from her brother that she was able to defend against, he cracked a smile at her. “I was wondering when you were going to take this more seriously.” 

“I am taking this seriously, you prick.”

“Could have fooled me.” Nihilus threw a fist at her, but Zannah caught it with an open palm, although there was a struggle to do so on her part. “Was he like this?”

“Who?”

“Ganondorf. Overwhelming. Strength that threatened to consume you, as it did Seras.” 

Zannah’s mind flashed back to how her brother was ultimately dominated by the King of Demons. The fear that filled Zannah, the fear of being powerless, made her realize that she had to consider all her choices in combat mattered. She had options, and it was her duty to utilize them wisely. As Nihilus was pushing her back with his natural strength, she let go of her bo staff to grab the arm she was holding back. Following this motion she used her brother’s own motion and strength to throw him over her. 

The prince rolled over his Zannah. landing behind her. Even as she followed up with a knee to his face, Nihilus was already recovered. His hand blocked the strike, and he pushed her back a few feet with a push. Despite this, Zannah didn’t relent. She picked up her bo staff while kicking his weapon away from his reach. 

She struck him over and over with a variety of angles, trying to hit him in the head or stomach, but Nihilus was quick to palm her strikes away, or just simply take the brunt force to his forearms. “Excellent. I feel the venom behind your strikes, but don’t tunnel your vision.” 

Zannah took the training to heart, as she saw her brother’s tail from the corner of his eye scoop up his staff, curling around it. With a swift movement he had his weapon back in his hands, and he went on a fierce counter offense. Zannah was being pushed backwards as she worked up a sweat to simply not get hit. 

Nihilus wouldn’t let up against her, frowning at her efforts. “Fight back. Use the unorthodox. Control my central line!” 

Thrusting her hand down onto the floor, Zannah released a wave of fire against her brother. It caused him to step away, as he couldn’t quite see her in the moment through the wall of flames. With but a breath, he controlled the heat in the air around him, and gestured to the wall of flames, commanding its fire to die out. That was all the time Zannah wanted. 

She only needed two seconds to produce a bolt of lightning. Thrusting her hand forward, the bolt danced forward towards Nihilus. As she launched her bolt, she saw her brother’s eyes flash with a small glow. It all happened so fast, one moment she was unleashing a deadly bolt of energy at her brother, the next- 

An explosion of kinetic energy occurred, her lightning detonating between the two of them. The detonation forced Zannah to raise her hand to control the flow of fire to go around her. As she did, her mind was on overdrive. Thanks to this, she was able to make out the sudden and violent motion of a bo staff swinging at her neck. With her own, she was able to defend herself. Standing her ground, Nihilus stood over her, a fierce look of pride on his face. 

The smoke settled, and the prince let out an exhale. “Well done.” 

He didn’t offer a hand to lift her off her one knee. As a princess, she would have to carry herself. Standing up, she felt the air of battle dying off quickly between the two of them. Catching her breath, she held onto her bo staff for support. 

NIhilus circled her slowly, his tail flicking up and down. “You have the skills needed to win this war. I have no doubt about that. Perhaps the power to. That was some impressive display of lightning.” 

“You said to use the unorthodox. Would you have preferred a smaller dose of power?”

“No. What do you think would have happened had you hit me?”

Zannah’s gaze sharpened. Anyone else, maybe a closer range, she would have. “You would be dead.”

“Or critically injured.” Nihiuls stopped his pace right behind her. She could feel him looking right down on her. “Do you think your actions were appropriate in hindsight?” 

Zannah cleared her mind, choosing to speak from the heart. “If you had, all you would have demonstrated is your weakness in the face of a half hearted attack on my end. In your absence under such weak will I’d gladly take command of both the mission and the Empire from you.” 

A pause. Zannah wondered if she had made a mistake. But all her brother responded with was a chuckle. “Half hearted? Impressive. But you are right about one thing. We cannot afford to show weakness. Our enemies will take no hesitation in exploiting it.”

“That’s why we need to manipulate their weaknesses to our advantage.”

Nihilus was putting away his bo staff, but kept an eye on Zannah. “What do you have in mind?”

“The hierarchy of Hyrule acts as a family unit. By bleeding that family, we can have them disorganized long enough to make them create critical, deadly mistakes.”

“Two of their warriors you encountered are sisters, correct?” When Zannah nodded to her brother, his eyes went to a cold, impersonal place. “Then we tear them apart.” 

Standing in the dojo again, he raised his hands in a fighting stance. Zannah braced herself, knowing that her brother was incredibly proficient in hand to hand combat. “Before we break between now and the mission, I’m going to spend the next ten minutes teaching you a few techniques. You will not fail against them again. Don’t hold anything back.” 

Zannah gritted her teeth. Failure would not be a part of her foundation as a person.

~

The journey into the Tabantha Tundra was cold and turbulent. Riding on horseback, Zelda pulled up her balaclava as the snow started to come down on her forces. Checking her compass and map, she knew it wouldn’t be long until they started to get into a potential firing zone. 

Holding up her hand and putting it into a fist, her soldiers came to stop. Strotting past the calvary to the front of lines, Commander Klinge and Captain Appo rode up to each side of their queen. Zelda’s steel gaze checked over the map before pointing out key sections to your chosen lieutenants. “The tundra is vast and wide. On the other side is the ravine that leads to the valley that marks a divide between our border with Labrynna and Danjur.”

Captain Appo nodded a little with a bit of shake. Zelda had sympathy for the man. All that armour must have made him feel as a cold as a polar bear. Yet Commander Klinge was still as a statue. “How do you wish to proceed?”  

“Captain Appo, you will approach in a straight angle. When you see any Hasai, lead them to you. As for the commander and myself, we shall travel in a curve from here to here along the base of the Hebra Mountains.” Reaching into a bag, Zelda grabbed a tube, handing it to Appo. “Captain, take this.”

He grabbed it, almost pulling off the white cap. “What is it?”

“Careful captain. It’s a device that we were able to get through customs from Danjur. This new invention is used for non magic users to alert your allies by shooting a fiery flare into the air. All you have to do is pull the white cap off at the top and hold it into the air. When you engage the Hasai, pull this first one. If you feel that your forces are ill equipped, or that you need to retreat, pull this second one.”

Captain Appo nodded, taking both flares. “Neat invention. You can count on us, my Queen.” 

“Good. Commander Klinge, I trust you have chosen a scout force to join us?”

“Indeed. This is Fang and Lash.” The Darknut pointed to two icy Lizalfos that blended in rather well with the snowy area. “They are excellent at camouflaged warfare, particularly in this kind of environment.”

“Excellent. Zelda turned to her forces, speaking loudly and firmly. “Ladies and Gentlemen. Be on your toes. The very tundra is against us. We can hope that our enemy has gotten acclimated, but we can not have any guarantees in this life. Stay alive! Now march!” 

Zelda snapped the reins on her horse, marching her forward. Behind her, Klinge’s own mount ran behind her, flanked by the two Lizalfos. The tundra’s cold winds were sharp against Zelda’s eyes, but she persisted forward. It took about twenty minutes of galloping before she could make something out in the horizon. Positioned ahead was a makeshift camp. 

Carefully getting off her horse, Zelda walked forward in her Sheikah garb, the special material of the cloth keeping her well insulated as she marched through the snow. She could hear the thud of Klinge jumping off his horse, but afterwards, he was remarkably silent for someone of his size. Getting closer to the structure, Zelda noted the material. Metal walls about twenty feet high. They made a pretty well fortified cube that dug into the mountain. “Commander Klinge. What do you make of this?”

The Darknut slowly scanned the area from left to right. “I would guess they’ve been here for a while. Latest I would say could be at least the start of the war. Knowing how isolated this area of Hyrule is from civilization, even the Rito, it could have been longer.” 

Zelda felt both fury and curiosity bloom in her. If the Kikai Empire had been here even before the start of the war, that meant the security of her country had been exploited and abused long ago. But now she wanted to know the reason. What had brought the Hasai people to her country. 

In the distance, a bright red light caught the attention of everyone in the area. Shortly after, what sounded like a gong echoed from the base. Following this, sharp gears turned and a door opened from the side facing towards the tundra. Zelda and Klinge immediately dropped to the ground and watched as Hasai soldiers raced out on mounted rides, ranging from horses to boars. The Skurge yelled to one another, Zelda was unsure if it was orders or merely hyping one another up. But the force that went out had to range from twenty to thirty men easily. She hoped Captain Appo would be prepared for enemy reinforcements. 

Looking back at the walls, she studied them for any structural weakness she could spot. Atop the wall, there was some kind of metal wire with little barbs placed throughout. No doubt if someone tried to scale them, it would be painful, perhaps even deadly to be caught up in them. But the wire itself did not look thick. 

Turning to Klinge and the Lizalfos, Zelda motioned to the wire. “Do any of you have a way to discreetly get past that?” 

The commander held out his hand, then with the snap of his fingers in his other hand, he revealed an item of interest. It appeared something akin to a pair of pliers. “Take this. Fang and Lash can stick to walls. They’ll give you a boost up wards. Cut where you want.” As Zelda reached out for them, Klinge held them back. “Be careful, they’re sharp.” 

With a smirk, she took them when he offered the handle. “So concerned.” 

“I just don’t want you making a mess of the snow.” The Queen disregarded his sarcasm and made her way up. To her soldier’s surprise, she was able to scale the wall just fine. All it took was a running start to start kicking upwards. Despite this, both the Lizalfos were beside on standby in case she needed assistance. With a few precise snips, Zelda clipped away the wire. Thankfully, Klinge was able to grab it quietly as it fell to the ground. 

Able to get a better look over the wall now, Zelda observed small metal boxes set up and drilled into the snow. Portable housing for troops and personnel perhaps? It seemed that all the doors were structured to go towards the center of the encampment, so that Hasai would either travel out of the gates into the wilderness… or into the cave the walls were built into. 

Hopping down inside the camp with a soft thud, Zelda waited as the Lizalfos carefully crawled up and over. Finally, after about half a minute, Klinge had managed to hoist himself up with a hook. Carefully, he too scaled the wall back down instead of jumping. 

Motioning her guard to follow her, they walked along the wall towards the cave. Sure enough, two guards were standing by, facing towards the gate on the far end. Zelda then grabbed some snow off the ground and imbued it with a little magic. Flicking it, the snow flew outwards, blowing past the two Skurge guarding the entrance. Turning direction, it blew into the cave, altering Zelda to any would-be additional guards. Luckily, there weren’t any. With a single gesture, she instructed the Lizalfos to take out the Hasai.

Rushing forward, the monsters were lightning fast in their approach. Before the Skurge could turn to retaliate, or even let out a cry, the pair of reptilians already had their jaws sinking into the necks of the soldiers. They used their hands to quickly pin them to the ground as their teeth shredded their lungs from their throat. It was a ghastly sight for Zelda, so she was quick to turn away. As quickly as they were killed, the Hasai were already having their bodies dragged away behind a tent to be buried under the snow.  The queen had a sickly feeling that had more time been allowed, they would have eaten the bodies. 

Quickly looking around, she waved for the commander to follow her into the ice cave. He made a swift order to the brothers to wait at the entrance. If anyone tried to enter, they had permission to kill on sight. Going through the cave, Zelda took note of how it curved upwards, how the wind barely echoed. Wherever they were going, it was leading to a massive excavated area. That knowledge gave the Queen severe pause. How long would the Kikai Empire have had to be here for? 

It seemed that the commander felt similarly. When he spoke, his voice was pensive. “If the danger turns out to be too perilous, we turn to leave immediately.”

“Only if it comes to that.” 

“Zelda, as Queen of this country, it is my job to protect you.” 

The Hylian didn’t stop her pace, but her attention had shifted just enough. “Can’t help but notice you did not say ‘my queen’, Commander.” 

“You are my Queen.”

“By technicality and marriage to your master. But not in your heart.”

The undead commander’s fist clenched as he walked forward, but his voice held its composure. “I serve Ganondorf. He is my King. I am a humble servant, but he is not my master.”

“Ghirahim doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he’s an actual blade while you named after one. You serve the same function.” 

“The Demon Lord has far more fanatical ideals than myself. He would have burned the world for Ganondorf, for the darkness that rests in his heart.” 

“And you? What would you have burned?”

“I would have killed the rest of Hyrule for the atrocities that your people did to mine.” Klinge stopped just before the next curve of the cave. Zelda didn’t waver in her gaze against him. There was a hidden sense of bloodlust that came from him, and she was suddenly aware of their isolation. Yet, as quickly as that bloodlust came, it fell away to apathy. “However, I am not King, and you seem to have been set on keeping your word in creating a better era for Hyrule. I fight for that better future. If you are necessary to fulfill that future, then you must live.” 

Zelda supposed that would be the best comfort of loyalty she could muster out of him for now. However, whatever thoughts she had about Klinge were completely dashed as they rounded the corner of the tunnel to the vast openness of the ice cave. The eyes behind the commander’s eyes went wide as almost dropped his sword in shock. The Queen let out a gasp at the sight before them. 

“What in Hylia’s name?”

Before them, a massive construct stretched across over a mile long, ancient and modern metal fused together to create a dreadful beast. It was like a massive serpent stretched outwards, with bizarre cylinders that acted as joints for arms periodically placed at key points on its sides. At the head of the construct was the frame of a dragon, glass over the eyes and a forked tongue behind the jagged teeth. 

All around, dozens of Hasai were stationed on both the ground level and high on rafters close to the titanic creation, but amongst them were also strange darkly green machine creatures. The constructions had a strange energy flow through them that made the parts that made up their bodies detached, yet still able to work in tandem. The more Zelda looked at them, there was more than scientific curiosity egging her mind, but an odd familiarity she couldn’t shake. 

This familiarity was drilling so hard in the back of her mind, she didn’t even notice a glow coming from her hand right away until her commander spoke up.

“Zelda, your triforce.”

The Queen looked down at her hand. The lower left triangle was indeed glowing on and off. The feeling she felt rattling in her skull was warning and dread. Her own reincarnation was unlike Ganondorf’s and Link’s, for whenever she came into a new life, memories of past lives never came back to her. Zelda always had to look to history for past knowledge. Yet, in this moment, it was as if the triforce was doing its best to remind of her a past danger in one of her lives.  

Squeezing her fist, Zelda turned to Klinge, a slow moment of panic filling her. She needed more intelligence on what was being built here. “We will make our retreat. Now.” 

“Agreed. You don’t make something this big under your enemy's nose unless it's a weapon.” 

As the Queen and the commander were turning back around, loud alarms were suddenly set off. Red lights swirled around the work site and the Hasai were suddenly running around like hornets in a nest. For a moment, Zelda wondered if they had been revealed to the enemy, but from a glance, that was luckily not the case. But that didn’t give her any comfort as she saw walls opening in the mechanical monsters for the Hasai to rush inside. 

“All personnel, man your stations. Van Kiryu takes off in t-minus 5 minutes.” 

The voice of a Hasai echoed from the head of the mechanical dragon, vibrating around the ice walls around them. 

“Repeat. All personnel, man your stations. Van Kiryu takes off in t-minus 5 minutes.” 

Not wanting to stick around, Zelda and Klinge ran back to the entrance of the cave. Other soldiers of the Kikai Empire were scrambling out of their cabins, marching out onto the snowy fields towards central Hyrule. Reaching the twin Lizalfos, the Queen gripped the flair at her side. If she used it now, they would have a fight on their hands. “We can’t wait here. But we can’t call for backup until we make some distance from here.”

“Then it is in our hands to return.” Klinge snapped his fingers to the Lizalfos to get a move on and spoke quickly in a few clicks and clacks. “Stay close, I’ll flank you to guard our backs.”  

With one more nod, Zelda braced herself. They needed-

That was when the mountainside started to shake and rumble. The ground beneath them vibrated as the Hasai inside the mountain were ready to make their grand entrance. Zelda and her team ran as far away from the cave and mountainside as they could. Rock exploded outwards and snow came following downward in a haze of confusion. 

The Queen and the commander coughed through the debris as they kept marching forward. A large boulder came rolling down, unfortunately crushing Fang in the process. Gritting her teeth, Zelda channeled her magic to summon forth a large crystal shield just big enough to keep herself, Klinge, and Lash safe. She could feel more rocks bounce off the protection ward, but did not drop her guard for a while. 

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was her breathing and the wind of destruction around them as the earth settled. Through the haze of the mountain snow, she saw something come from the digsite. Curving around the rest of the mountain side like a snake, Zelda could make out the last of a mechanical frame as it disappeared from view. 

Pushing the dread in her voice down, the queen steeled herself. “Commander. Get us back home, now. The country is in more danger than ever.” 

~

Grand Admiral Bellum checked a pocket watch, flicking it closed as a grin flashed across his grin. Van Kiyru being activated for the first time was everything he could have hoped for. The vibrations of power that went through the entire war machine was exquisite. Years of discovery, understanding, luck, building and preparation led to this. And soon, very, very soon, the destruction it could unleash would be on display. 

First, however, key pieces needed to be put in place. Prince Nihilus, Princess Zannah, and T0-D would just about be making their way over Kakariko for the assault. Yet before even that, he needed to order an assault of his own. Feeling his hand over the speaking stone, Bellum admired the magic in such a small and simple little rock. Rub two or more together, and you’d have the ability to communicate with others over any distance you wanted. Speaking into it, he calmly asked for an update. 

“General Oppo. Are you and your troops ready?”

A dark voice filled with anticipation answered back. The Skurge considered himself the Grand Admiral’s opposite, a rival perhaps even, but so long as they both served their emperor faithfully, the general would obey Bellum’s orders. “Yes. We are positioned just over the clouds.”

“Then land your craft and begin the attack.” 

Putting the speaking stone away, Bellum took a breath as he watched the craft ascend into the air. Soon, the Empire would ascend to such heights as well again. Ironic. The decline came with the death of the dragons. Now it would be a dragon of his creation that would give his people their newest golden age. 

~ Ganondorf sat on his throne, fists clenched as he finally had a moment to sit down. The afternoon had been hectic, running about looking after his children and ordering troops to rout out Hasai camps. Truthfully, there was some concern that weighed on the Gerudo King’s mind. Reports brought back to him found that only skeleton crews had been purged. Where was the bulk of the empire’s army? He knew that they weren’t diminished quite yet.  

The creek of the throne door echoed as a familiar face walked in. Ganondorf paused, his gaze freezing on Rinku. Truthfully, while he loved her as his daughter, there was now always this slight air of tension that could rise up between them now that they both knew who she really was. The war certainly didn’t make their relationship blossom. He knew that it brought the worst of himself in her eyes. 

Still, there was so much good ground they had grown between them. He tried to not be the one to drive a wedge between them. “Rinku… are you well as of late?” 

His daughter looked a little pained in her eyes, then shook it off rather quickly. “Of course. Bit of downtime is all I need, then I can get back out there and do what I do best. Kicking evil’s ass to high hell and back.” 

Ganondorf watched as Rinku made a swing of her arm and a punch upwards to emphasize her words. The King could feel the true weight behind those words, however. Leaning forward with both his hands collapsed together, even so far away from each other across the room he was a towering presence. “Rinku, I’m not asking you to be my soldier.” 

That seemed to strike the wrong nerve with her, a frown and a shrug being returned his way. “You sure about that? Because I saw the posters you printed of Leere and I. Props on getting our good sides.” 

“Those are to raise morale. You’ve already done so much for this kingdom. Just your presence on a parchment on a paper can inspire so much hope.” 

“You know that’s not my style.” 

Ganondorf sighed, slowly closing his eyes and breathing deeply. “I know. Despite that, I don’t want you to burn out in this war of fire.” 

“And what about yourself?”

The Gerudo tilted his head, curious. “What about me?”

“You aren’t worried about the flames of war eating you up?”

“My child, I doubt that these Hasai could kill me.” 

“That’s not what I’m referring to.” Rinku walked closer, feeling the side of her head as if she had some sort of headache. “I don’t like seeing you on the battlefield. I don’t like the way you seem to live for bloodshed.” 

Ganondorf felt his face stone up. Lifetimes of combat, rage, and, unfortunately, cruelty, flashed through his mind. Those lifetimes all ended violently by the one speaking to him now. Did she have the right to speak to him about bloodshed? The arrogance? Yet, looking at her, he saw more of his daughter who was concerned than an old nemesis who wanted to contain him. 

Gripping the arm rests of the throne, Ganondorf leaned back in his seat. “Do I? Conflict is something that I have become a master of. I know that looking at the way I condone myself can be frightful from an outsiders view, but it is-”

“A necessary evil?” Ganondorf frowned at Rinku beating him to his point. “But why commit an act of evil in the first place?” 

The Gerudo sighed, but felt a different kind of fatigue with this line of conversation than he usually had with Zelda. There was more sincerity with Rinku than with his wife. No, not sincerity. Innocence? Determination? It was hard to quantify. “What would you have me do? My power has never been gentle. Our enemies would never show mercy to us, so how could I afford the same.” 

“Ganondorf.” She spoke sharply, a surprise to the King. His instincts jumped and he felt his old rival’s come out of his daughter. As quick as it came, however, it passed as her expression softened. “I don’t want to see my dad turn into a demon to fight other monsters. You’ve proven that you can be better than that now.”

Ganondorf rose from his seat, a wave of emotion following over him to prove her right. “Rinku, I-”

Suddenly, a servant bust through the doors, flanked shortly by two guards. “Your majesty! Princess!!! Castle Town is under attack!”

“What?!” The King and his daughter didn’t hesitate to rush out the door to look out through the window overlooking the town. Descending like demons, several war blimps were landing over buildings of the town as Hasai troops were unloaded. Glaring with a deep ferocity, the King roared out to the castle. “Everyone! Man your stations and expunge this plague upon OUR HOME! VAATI, GHIRAHIM!!!” 

It took no time for the Demon Lord to heed his call, appearing in a dazzling puff of smoke and dark sparkles. “I am at your command master!!!” 

“Ghirahim, I want you to go protect my children. I will not have another kidnapping occur under our watch. You are my best blade.”

“An honour that I will see to.” The Demon Lord couldn’t help but throw a cruel job at Rinku before disappearing. “I’ll show you how one protects a child, hero.” 

It took a few more moments before Vaati appeared, running around the corner in a hurry. Ganondorf loathed the rat on a personal level, but as a wizard, the King had been convinced of the need for the wizard's skills. “My liege. I assume that this is the about the Kikai Empire attack?”

“Vaati. Use every source of power you know to knock those blimps out of the sky. Rinku and I will be launching an assault at the ground level.” 

“I will do all I can.” With a flick of his robe, Vaati was on his way. 

Turning to his daughter, Ganondorf looked to her, wanting to give her assurance. “Not for glory, not for enjoyment, but for the needs of the people.” 

Rinku could only nod in response. Rushing through the castle, the two of them made a quick stop to the stables to ride their war boars, making a fast paced march towards Castle Town as the gates of Hyrule Castle were opened. Holding up an open palm, Ganondorf channeled his magic into a glowing sphere. When it was ready, he unleashed the might, firing the blast towards one of the blimps. The magic flew through the aircraft with enough force to tear a hole through metal and cloth. The aircraft had to turn and collapse outside of the town as it came slowly crashing down. 

Inside the town wasn’t much better. Citizens were running around to hide inside homes, but many were running out as Skurge soldiers were setting fire to rooftops with pyrokinesis or throwing bombs through windows to set blazes. Hylian soldiers were fighting fiercely against the invaders, and here in the heart of Hyrule, the Hasai had to face a large cast of diverse and furious people. 

Goron smashed with fists as large as the torsos of many Hasai, crushing bones with ease. Zora commanded water to douse out the flames or to knock the Hasai off their feet. One with shark-like features tore into the throat of one Skurge soldier as they were locked in face to face combat. Hoping off his war boar, Ganondorf roared as he slammed into the ground with an open palm, forcing a shockwave to knock several Hasai to their feet, or some that were closer to be blasted into the stone work of several houses around them, shattering their bodies. 

From a pool of darkness, Ganondorf summoned forth two dual blades, snarling at the Hasai around him. “Get out of my country.” 

The invaders who could immediately responded with fire, blasting a combination of explosive flame towards the Gerudo. Placing both of his blades together, Ganondorf could feel the metal heat up as the fire was reflected to each of his sides. With a roar, he dashed forward, cutting left and right as the screams of gutted Hasai filled his ears. 

As he took the lives of these invaders, this was the hardest part for him. The feeling of pure vindication in taking these lives. With another swing, he dueled a Skurge soldier for about five seconds before his opponent made a mistake in his movement and was decapitated. Ganondorf moved like a demon, swift, ferocious, and the most powerful player on the field with sheer might alone. 

Ganondorf finished this unit of soldiers flawlessly enough, flicking a scratch of blood off his cheek. As he wondered about looking for a new batch of enemies to kill, his mind thought of Zelda and Link. Being warned of enjoying the slaughter and the rush war gave him. Even now, he could feel his own excitement rising. In the past, he would have zero doubts. Here, he was acting as a hero to Hyrule instead of its conqueror. He should have felt more vindicated than ever. Yet their presence in this lifetime had shifted his core just enough. 

The Gerudo King nearly stopped to contemplate this, but the timing was not ideal. For now, he would act in the ways he knew best for the sake of saving lives. The weight of his actions and how he felt would be sorted later. 

~

Nihilus finished putting on his gosoku armour, feeling adorned in a snow white chest plate. The last piece he placed on himself was the face mask, a covering that made him look like a demon, but still allowed his eyes to be seen. 

Behind him standing in the launch bay with him, Zannah was adorned in similar armour, but opted to go without the helmet or mask. If his sister felt speed was better than protection, that would be her call to make, or mistake to regret. 

Each royal child of Malakath had their own beast to ride into battle. For the deceased Seras, he was happy with a basilisk. Zannah had taken after her mother, able to tame the incredibly brutal Manticore that she named Raam. Nihilus, however, had a far more deadly creature tamed. About 40 ft in length, the monster he tamed was known as a Baraki, known in other tongues as false dragons or fell beasts. From a glance, this reptilian beast with wings on sharp claws and fangs could be mistaken for a dragon, but its ilk was far more violent and animalistic in nature. He named his Makuta, bringer of ill tidings and spewer of green flame. 

The blimp made its way towards Kakariko Village, and the crown prince watched as the bay doors opened. Stage one was ready to begin. With a slap of his reins, Makuta let out a deep snarl as he took off into the air. Behind him, his sister followed closely. 

It didn’t take long for Nihilus to see Sheikah and Hylian villagers taking notice of them. Before panic or understanding could settle in, the prince landed on the rooftop of one of the houses, the weight of his Baraki shifting. With a snap of his finger, he commanded the slaughter to unfold. With vile power, the fell beast spewed dark, green crackling fire on the village below. 

People screamed in terror, others in deathly pain as flames consumed them. Dismounting off his mount, Prince Nihilus jumped three stories downwards, as he was 10 ft from the ground, flames shot out from his feet, the force safely decelerating him as he made landfall. Already, the surprise seemed to be wearing off as Sheikah warriors started to surround him, holding short swords and spears. From a glance, Nihilus could feel that these warriors were experienced, or at the least they felt prepared. He would show them just how futile their preparations were. 

Two of the warriors charged him, and Nihilus answered the call. On each of his forearms were bladed gauntlets ready to slice and dice his enemies. He danced around his enemies, palming away one man, then after blocking the strike of another, retaliated with a slice across the throat, spraying blood outwards. The red scarlet liquid stained his chest armour, giving the prince his desired intent of fright. 

Satisfied by his initial warmup, Nihilus looked to the sky as his sister descended upon the village, firing a bolt of lighting to cause the door to one house to explode before she dive bombed inside. Looking at another Sheikah, the crown prince gestured with two fingers for the man to come face him in combat. The Sheikah drew something from a pocket throwing it at the prince, and there was suddenly a blinding flash. 

Nihilus closed his eyes and let his instincts take over as he relied on his ears and sense of smell. The Sheikah were incredibly light on their feet, running at him with the faintest of pressure against the grass beneath them, but it was enough. With a dodge, Nihilus ducked low, his tail lashing out as the man missed a swing over his body. The appendage grabbed the man by the neck, squeezing around tightly. With a wicked twist, there was a defining snap as the Hasai broke the man’s neck. Opening his eyes, Nihilus took a deep breath as he released the body to the ground. Putting both his arms together in a cross position, he quietly let out one word as the rest of the Sheikah charged at him all around him.

“Burn.” 

Releasing the energy building up in him, Nihilus thrust both his arms outwards to his sides, and a dome of fire exploded outwards from his being for 15 ft in all directions. The fire completely devastated his attackers, turning their bodies into burning corpses as they fell to the ground in flames, their lungs bubbling and death being quick. 

The crown prince looked at the burning village in front of him as the flames flickered in his eyes. Above him, his war blimp hovered above, allowing his soldiers to descend from rope and cables. Warriors in shimmering black armour made landfall, the fire reflecting in their uniforms. With hand signals, Nihilus’ Theron Guard quickly made their way through the village, shooting down villagers with crossbows and systematically killing every citizen they could find. 

Breathing in the air, Nihilus started walking towards the largest house in the village. On this day, he swore to himself that he would burn a scar in Hyrule so devastating that the land itself would never recover from. Fire was pain, devastation, and suffering. And he would share his fire with this country. He was Dorami, dragon in human form, and his fire would be known to all. 

______________________________________________________________

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Previous Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/737698189393739776/the-war-of-fire-ch-9-the-crown-prince

Next Ch.

#the war of fire #Hasai #Legend of Zelda #Fictional Writing #War #Rinku #Link #Ganondorf #Impa #Vaati #Ghirahim #Zelda #Klinge #Leere #Zannah #Nihilus #Bellum #Comments appriciated!

[littlejuicebox]

What is your fic writing process?

Curious to know how everyone else pursues writing. Here’s my general approach.

1) Define the end goal for the character for that chapter. Where do I want them to end up? I don’t tend to have every major plot point for an entire story mapped out before I start. I have a general idea and then sort of go with the flow and let the characters and their likely behaviors direct.

2) Write out the general action points, plot points, and dialogue that gets the character to that designated end goal for the chapter.

3) Add in more of fluff and descriptions, make use of metaphors and themes that I run throughout the story or chapter (this is often heavily influenced by the song I pick as the inspiration piece and lyric-themed title, if I go in that direction). If anyone happens to read my WrenxAstarion fic, I would love to see if you notice it and where. ;)

4) Edit it. Add in some more supporting character dialogue or actions if I feel I need a bit more fluff and description to make it more immersive. I don’t really like when the story just revolves around the main characters and does nothing to flush out the support.

5) Painstakingly re-read it over and over and then finally post it even though I’ll never be fully happy with it.

6) Probably re-read it obsessively and throw in a few more things or change a word here and there for the next week until I’m onto my next chapter.

#fanfic writing #writers on tumblr #writing process #bg3 brainrot #bg3 fanfic #fanfiction #fic writing #process #bg fanfic writer #fictional characters #fictional writing

[baddieladdie]

FO4 Companions react to Sole's chem addiction

@falloutchicken Alright! Finished it~ Sorry it's a little long, I had an idea for a different format style and I ran with it - but I love how it turned out <3

tw: addiction, drugs, trauma, chem-use as an addiction

Rated - M (mature themes)

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

While trading at the Diamond City market, the Sole Survivor of vault 111 overheard folks whispering over their steaming noodle bowls about an abandoned shopping center filled with valuable loot. The only barrier between them and the score of a lifetime were the supermutants inside. The gossiping locals didn’t have the fire power for such an altercation, but the sole survivor did. And they certainly would not be going alone.

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

Selecting your companion:

Cait: I’ll come, but just don’t make me wear anything stupid

Curie: “Oh! Shopping!” She mused delightfully, her voice ringing with pleasure.

Codsworth: How delightful, mum! I do so miss shopping expeditions and, please pardon my saying, but your jumpsuit is looking rather drab. Off we go, miss!

Deacon: Sounds like my kind of dig! I could always use some new disguises.

McCready (sarcastically): Oh, we better hurry. I hear clothes practically fly off the shelves with their discounts.

Piper: Jesus, Blue. Sounds dangerous. Something wrong with the clothes you already have?

Preston: Absolutely, General. I wouldn’t want you facing this on your own.

Hancock: *heh* Thought you’d never ask. Let’s get the fuck out of Diamond city.*grumbles, muttering under his breath* Never understood how these bigots can sleep at night…

Danse: I advise against putting yourself in unnecessary danger. The gossip of strangers isn’t worth risking your life, but I’ll be damned if I let you face this alone.

Nick Valentine: Well, if it’s worth your time kid, than it’s worth mine *grabs his hat and coat before locking the detective agency door behind them* Lead the way

X6-88: I agree. We might find something useful. A large shopping center may have valuable pre-war goods. Right behind you, ma’am.

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

The Sole Survivor walks out of Diamond City with their companion, combat shotgun in hand. Though well armored and stocked with plenty of ammunition, they carefully made their way south through the ruins of Boston. Sole and their companion had not walked far from the Boston Police Rationing Site when they heard the unmistakable sounds of feral ghouls, clumsily kicking tin rubbish and bones left on the broken streets. Sole and their companion crouched behind the remains of a building’s wall. Daring a look, sole peaked above the wall, only to notice the dirty, ruined faces but unmistakable faces of her pre-war neighbors, Mr. Donoghue and Mrs. Donoghue. Sole immediately felt sick and dizzy watching the two ghouls stumble down the street aimlessly, eyes white and staring at nothing. Mr. Donoghue and Mrs. Donoghue were expecting a child as well. Sole had spent hours in their kitchen, chatting about the excitement of parenthood. They swapped ideas over coffee and pie. 200 years after the bombs dropped, while sole was safe in a vault, her neighbors had been turned into radiation monsters, void of the humanity they used to possess. Alive in a physical sense, but her neighbors were lost. Sole had no choice but to put them down and out of their miserable experience. It’s what they would have wanted…

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

Your companion reacts:

Cait: Jesus Christ, not a way to go. At least you had the ‘ol Vault-Tec treatment, eh? *Cait notices tears filling in sole’s eyes, rapidly decides to change her approach* I - er - um…..I know this must be difficult for you…I…I am here if you need to talk, or something.

Curie: One must wonder, what causes the deterioration of this ghoul condition? Some "ghouls" are in possession of their mental faculties. Others are not. I wonder why Mr. Donoghue and Mrs. Donoghue became feral while many other ghouls have maintained their mental capacities [Sole - Those were my neighbors, Curie. Not a science experiment] My apologies, sir/madam, I didn't mean to offend you. Grief can be managed with a well balanced diet, exercise, and spending time with loved ones!

Codsworth: Oh dear *emotional processors cracking through his speakers* Is that…the Donoghues? Mum, I’m…I’m so sorry *offers a hankie*

Deacon: Well, that was terrible *sigh* radiation, you unbelievable bastard.[notices how upset sole is] Ah..Look, I’m sorry. This…I mean, what you’re going through, I can’t even imagine. If you wanna talk or something…[trails off]

McCready: Oh man…*He pauses, letting the information sink in regarding sole’s neighbors* I’m really sorry. We can turn around if you want. That department store isn’t going anywhere. 

Piper: You okay, [sole]? You seem pretty shaken up. Why don’t we rest for a bit.

Preston: Oh, I’m really sorry, General. *he removes his hat, holding to his chest, tired eyes looking away in respect* Take all the time you need. I can help you bury the bodies if you would like to give them a proper burial.

Hancock: Ah shit. Old neighbors, huh? Hey, let's just get outta here. I hate seein’ you so broken up like this.

Danse: You’re awfully quiet. Want to tell me what’s on your mind? [listens intently to what Sole says about the feral ghouls they had recognized and killed] I see. Take as long as you need, soldier. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now.

Nick Valentine: “You seemed to recognize those two, who were they?” [response from sole] “Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss,” he spoke softly, placing a supportive synth hand on sole’s arm.

X6-88: Those were your neighbors? My condolences.

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

The sole survivor heaves in grief, but is eventually able to continue on, intrigued by the elaborate wooden welcome sign to Fairline Hill Estates. They had toured the gated community long ago when looking for a house. Sanctuary Hills, the houses of tomorrow, had captured their attention more, with all their technologically advanced features the estates lacked. But all that remained now were the corpses of friends turned into monsters from nuclear radiation and two lazy yao guai, chewing on the bloody bones of rotting brahmin.

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

Your companion reacts:

Cait: Oh! Such fascinating creatures! Shall we get a closer look? I wish to study the effects of radiation on these beasts

Curie: You’ve got be fucking kiddin’ me. yao guai? That’s the last thing we need right now.

Codsworth: Oh dear. You don’t think they can see us, right mom?

Deacon: That is disgusting *he giggles* How do you want to play this, boss?

McCready: *Chuckles gleefully, silently pulling out his well polished rifle* This is where the fun begins.

Piper: Well that’s just great. Breaking news: Diamond City reporter torn to ribbons by a giant, stupid, irritated bear.

Preston: Dammit, I think we're in trouble here *pulls out his musket, at the ready* I’m with you, general.

Hancock: We ain’t alone *drops shotgun ammunition into the barrels of his gun* Those yao guai are mean bastards, they hit hard. Just lemme know when you’re ready and I got your back.

Danse: Yao guai..Not to worry, we’ll send those monsters right back to hell [Charges, heavily clad in power armor, laser weapons firing away, breaking the silence of a sleepy afternoon] Die, you godless heathen! Die!

Nick Valentine: There’s no getting out of this without a fight *loads his 10mm with a satisfying click* You ready, kid?

X6-88: Good, I was starting to feel a little bored. You ready to engage, [sole]? This shouldn’t take long

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

The Sole Survivor and their trusted companion gawk at the yao guai corpses, bleeding from their many fatal bullet holes. Sole sighs in exhaustion, dropping to squat and holding their face in hands.Their companion rubs their back sympathetically and suggests the tempting idea of spending the night at Fairline Hills Estates. The area was relatively safe now, with Mr. Donoghue & Mrs. Donoghue and the yao guais dead. Keenly aware of the mental torment they both witnessed and given Sole’s fragile state, their trusted companion led the way to the southeast house. Sole collapses weakly on the sunken couch and watches as their companion wanders into the brokedown kitchen to prepare dinner for the night. They ate the meal peacefully without many words to be said about the days’ events. The sole survivor turned down every request to talk about the killing of her neighbors and the close call they had with the yao guai in what used to be a highly sought after gated community. Their companion accepted that sole just wasn’t ready to talk about. They offer to take the first watch to let the sole survivor get some much needed rest.

Once their trusted companion shuts the door to the house to begin their watch, the sole survivor slinks away to the attached garage. They had noticed the chemistry station earlier and knew exactly how to use it. There were piles of dead leaves everywhere, a natural fertilizer. Using the leaves along with the plastic from some junk lying around the house, sole knew they could craft jet - lots of jet. Sole gets to work, tinkering feverishly at the chemistry station, sweating from the withdrawal and desperate for relief. The Sole Survivor sighed in contented satisfaction, admiring their own craftsmanship. Not even bothering to step from the chemistry station, they begin taking hit after hit of jet. Sighing happily as the pain of memories and her broken heart eased into comfortable numbness. Sole wanted to take jet until they couldn’t remember who they were, much less what had happened to them. Sole stumbled back slightly, the room a spiraling blur. No matter, they take another hit and watch the world slowly rise until they felt their back hit the floor. The stared blankly at the ceiling, surrounded by empty jet cartridges. Hearing the loud THUD sole’s companion rushed into the room, fearing the worst (an intruder, a kind of murderous threat) only to find in their horror, a close friend in indescribable pain.

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

Your companion reacts:

Cait: “*tsk* Havin’ a good time now, are we?” Cait teased, pointing on the jet in sole’s hand as they slouched against the chemistry station. Cait’s eyes scanned the scene further, noticing the familiar signs of a serious addiction problem.Given the amount of empty jet canisters scattered on the floor around sole, it was a miracle they were even still alive.] I think you’ve got a wee bit of a drug problem, [sole]. Which ain’t right, especially after everythin’ you watched me go through. Why would you let yourself get hooked on the stuff? Can’t believe you’re doin’ this to yourself?!” She shouted, breathing deepling like sole had taught her to calm down. “You’re an idiot, [sole]. But I’ll help ya, just like how you helped me. Let’s go, we’re getting you cleaned up”

Curie: She stares curiously, “I have more than enough data on the physiological effects of chems, there is no need to provide me with more data, sir/madam.” She notices the dilated pupils, racing heart beat, the sweating… “Are you alright, sir/madam? I believe you should see a doctor, we cannot treat your condition here.”

Codsworth: “Are you well, mum?!” Codsworth panicked, desperately trying to assess the situation. A Mister Handy bot was designed for household duties, not crises.

Deacon: Wow, looks like you’ve been partying pretty hard with out me. Miiiight want to lay off cause I think you’ve enough.

McCready: *Slaps the empty get out of sole’s hand, they glare at him angrily, demanding an explanation* That crap is gonna rot your mind. This stops right now (Dad-mode activated)

Piper: Ooooookay (nabs all the empty jet cartridges) I think you’ve had enough, Blue. (Stares at the insane amount of jet in the room). I think we better get you to a doctor. I just hope it’s not too late (she sighs heavily, emotion tightening around her neck hotly) This is why I wanted to talk, Blue! So you - you wouldn’t do anything stupid! Arg! What a mess. Come on, (she lifts sole up) let’s get you to a doctor.

Preston: This is how it ends, [sole]. You keep this up and I’ll have to bury a friend. The Minutemen need you. I need you. And you don’t need those chems. You have people who love and care about you.

Hancock: “Woah!” Hancock froze, staring at the used jet scattered about the room. 2..4..6..three over there, that makes 9…pile of 5 in the corner makes…14? 14! How are they alive? Hancock glanced at the sole survivor, slumped pitifully against the chemistry station, empty jet still in hand. They just kept staring at his boots, completely unresponsive, but he could see the steady rise and fall of their chest with each shallow breath. Hancock began to sweat, panic sweeping in, staring at sole’s chest. What if it they stop…what if they breathing stops - he’s mayor, not fucking doctor.”H-hey, stay with me, now! Look,” He turn’s sole’s face to look at him only to be greeted with dull and empty eyes. “Hey, sunshine. It’s me, remember? Hancock. D-don’t go, you can’t do this to me. I need you, please. Don’t leave me alone.” Tears welled in the crevices of Hancok’s face as he sat beside the sole survivor, holding their hand. He gasped as a familiar smooth hand rested on his. “I could never forget you, Hancock.” The mayor choked back sobs, gripping sole’s hand like it could fade away any moment. “Don’t you ever do this again. Never trip alone. We’re getting you help. Like, now now.” He takes sole’s arm and wraps it around his shoulder’s, pulling them to their feet.

Danse: [Stares in stunned silence mixed with disgust and concern] He crouches beside sole, pushing the drugs away, and whispered angrily, “How can you fight when your brain’s clouded with those drugs? You’re going to get yourself killed. And I’m not just gonna stand here and watch brotherhood’s best, my friend, die unnecessarily. We’re getting you clean and that’s an order.”

Nick Valentine: “SHIT!” Nick hissed under his breath. He'd see a lot of folks at their worst in his line of work. He’d seen this scene too many times before. A case closed in an overdose. There were even some rare occasions where he found Mayor Hancock after a few too many chems. But usually, there were warning signs. How could he call himself a detective when he couldn’t even save his friend from themselves. Nick crouches beside the body, holding their limp wrist in his. A pulse, weak but still there. “Alright, now you’ve done it, kid” He scooped up the sole survivor into his arms. “We need to get you to a doc.”

X6-88: Oh god…[composes himself] You don’t look so good sir/ma’am, Might want to lay off the chems for a while. I’ll be throwing these away (disposes of all the chems the Sole Survivor made and had on their person)

The Sole Survivor wakes up in a familiar bed at the Castle, a stack of addictol was left on the nightstand. This was certainly a more permanent detour to Fallon’s Department store than they planned for. Sole’s companion apologizes for moving them and delaying their trip to the department store. But sole’s close friend promises profusely that it was and always will be for the sole survivor’s own good. They promise again and again that they do not feel any different about them and still deeply appreciate the relationship that they share. So much so, they couldn’t bare to lose their friend to addiction. After some time and regular check-ins with the Minutemen Surgeon General, The Sole Survivor will finally leaves thre Castle and continuing their journey.

#fallout 4 #fo4 #fictional writing #fo4 companions #fallout 4 companions #agnst #fallout #companion reacts #hurt/comfort #ao3 #ao3 writer #fanfic writer #fanfic writing #baddieladdie #john hancock #fo4 deacon #paladin danse #fo4 curie #fallout wiki #sole survivor #gender neutral sole survivor #nick valentine #xdreamwriterx #robert joseph maccready #robert maccready #preston garvey #fo4 jet #X6-88 #tw: addiction #tw: gore

[occultusprodigium]

— I heard the angels weep for me. There's no place to hide down here.

21+ • Dead Dove Do Not Eat • True Blood RP • Fanger • Backstory Here

#original character #fictional writing #true blood oc #true blood role play #true blood rp #writing community #1x1 rp #group rp #pretty little dead dove #dead dove do not eat #dead dove rp #dead dove roleplay #friendly writer #a dash of nutmeg #Spotify #graphics by me

[maledictussanctus]

— My heart's been beating all the time. To help this broken body live another night.

21+ • Dead Dove Do Not Eat • TVD RP • Human

#elena gilbert #elena gilbert rp #fictional writing #writing community #1x1 rp #group rp #roleplay #the vampire diaries role play #a dash of nutmeg #tvd roleplay #tvd rp #au rp #crossover friendly #Spotify #independent portrayal #dead dove do not eat #dead dove rp #dead dove roleplay #pretty little dead dove #mirrored replies #experienced writer #am writing #crossovers loved #mdni #21+ only #graphics by me

[itsmeagaindiary]

This blog is dedicated to a series about finding ones self through the hardships of life. This story is partly fictional, but has a few truths taken from diary entry's of my own journal. I like so many other people find that journaling as a way of being able to release frustrations and very raw emotions helps to cope. I wrote this series as a way of being able to let go of some of my own experiences but also tap into my own creative flow. There are many sensitive and dark topics spoken about in this series. please read with caution *In this series there is mentions of: Depression, Suicide, Death, Eating Disorders, Sexually explicit content, and Abortion* If there is anyone who needs a safe space to release trauma or speak to someone who will not a. give you a "solution", b. compete for who is the most sad, c. respond at all if you want to just get your own truth out in the world, then allow for this blog to be your own personal diary.

#writers on tumblr #creative writing #writing community #self help #mental health #safe space #fictional writing #self love #self care

[justanotherbirdbrain-blog]

Writing about Mines in your Fictional Universe: A Geology Introduction

Hello! I'm Bird, and I am here to guide you on a journey about different mines that exist, what materials are being mined, what those materials might be mined for, and what rocks/what processes might make these areas mineable. I will also touch briefly on the idea of gem quality, the commonness of the material, and what these things might look like fresh out of the dirt!

First things first, lets talk about the what types of things we might want to mine for in a fictional universe! There are a lot of things that are used daily that require mining, but there are a few that I see written about the most: Gold, Gemstones, Iron, and Coal. I personally would love to see this idea expanded on a bit, so lets talk about some mines that would definitely be necessary but overlooked! First one is pretty easy, glass! those beautiful stained glass windows are useless if no one is mining quartz to be made to glass, and I imagine it would be quite a profitable business seeing as glass, in general, was a luxury in ye olden times. The next thing we need to address is Abrasives! want to sand and polish stone and metal? Want to sharpen your blades for battle? May I introduce you to abrasive minerals! garnet, corundum (Ruby and Sapphire), and yes, diamond! Why are we using such beautiful gemstones to polish other things? Simple, even if you are to find a deposit of these gemstones (garnet being one of the more common ones) most of the time they are inclusion rich, ridiculously small, an undesirable color, or all three of these.

Finding gemstones that are good quality is hard, your character will not stumble upon it, pick up the rock and immediately know if the location is good enough to mine gemstones. If you are determined to make it a gemstone mine, have your character hold the mineral up to the sun/a light source and let them be able to see light coming through, though it is considerably thick.

Moving into metal mining! Metal mining is both easier and more complicated to write! Why is it complicated? Because unless it is gold or silver you are unlikely to see the desired metal itself. Why is it easy? welllll, I am going to try to make it easy. First things first, a lot of metals are chromaphores, this means that when the element is present, it will influence the color! Copper is an excellent example of this, old pennies oxidize and turn blue/teal/green, so do most rocks bearing copper! Looking for iron? It will probably stain the rocks dingy and brownish red. Things to note: copper and iron can be found in mineable amounts together! If you do this, iron will be present in the form of pyrite, or fool's gold, this has a nice cubic shape and can be described as such, the copper will typically leave a teal residue or veining across the rock, which in this case will almost exclusively be black to dark gray (Its basalt) but it can be found as the mineral chalcopyrite also (looks like fool's gold but it doesn't make cute crystals). Malachite is also a copper ore, in my experience I have never seen malachite from a mine that has looked like some of the stuff I have seen in gem shops, azurite (A darker blue mineral) can be present also, but again, these are usually very fine grained and would not be able to be used as jewelry, but obviously, in some places it must happen, just much less frequently.

Another thing I will briefly mention is that, if you are writing about metals remember that these metals will require a smelting process to extract a pure metal, this usually requires some other material (For iron, it is charcoal). Also remember alloys! Most useable metals are a mix of different metals to make them harder. This even includes gold jewelry. Last comment about metals, a very interesting plot for a fictional universe would be the use of lead. Lead ore was a hot commodity before we knew it was toxic, the side effects (Being nuts) could really create some tension.

Lastly in terms of mined material, I will briefly mention coal and stone in general just to say, coal is a sedimentary rock, distinctly different from the typical environments necessary to form most gemstones and heavy metal deposits (Yes, there are exceptions). Coal is dark black/gray, which is quite uncommon for sedimentary rocks which tend to range from reds/tans/browns/grays. When coal is lifted it will feel much lighter than you anticipate, which is the polar opposite of what happens when you lift a metal rich rock, which will feel immensely heavy. Finally, Coal will not turn into diamonds in nature, diamonds need mantle pressures and temperatures to form, there will be no diamonds under a coal mine unless there was a mantle derived eruption that got covered in a swamp, that became coal and as they dug they exposed the kimberlite pipe (I mention this because I just read this in a story and it hurt my feelings). Finally, If you want to write about a mine that is definitely necessary but want the content to be pretty low-maintenance, but profitable for whoever owns it, owning a granite/marble/ or really any desirable stone quarry would be perfect.

Now I will move onto what kind of mining exists today, I will not talk about every exclusive mine, but I will talk about ones that are common that are on my radar. First up, the one everyone talks about in books, underground mining. Underground mining is used when you are getting the material from the 'primary'/original source. The rock is rich in copper? Lets mine said rock. However, mining underground is the most dangerous form of mining, there can easily be a lack of oxygen because of insufficient ventilation (That's why people will carry something with an open flame when going into abandoned mines; if the flame goes out there is not enough oxygen and you have to turn back). There can also be lots of collapses due to overhead rocks, enough said. Cave mining is primarily done when the amount of rock above the deposit is too great to strip mine.

Now lets talk about strip mining! Strip mining is when you just mine on the surface, and dig deeper and deeper into the ground to obtain your desired resource whether it be stone, coal, gemstones, or anything else. It truly is less glamorous, but it is safer than digging a tunnel. That said it has its own issues, sure the oxygen is good, and you don't have to worry about the rocks collapsing over your head, but oh wait, the rocks can collapse over your head. Landslides can occur due to the over steepening of sides, excessive rainfall, and most importantly, old faults or planes of weakness that happen to be facing towards the mine (the diagram will help this make sense). Both of these types of mines can also create ecological damage, which can be mitigated nowadays, but then maybe not so much. Namely acid mine drainage, I will not talk much on the effects but a quick google search will give you plenty of information that might be useful for writing.

Now both of these are trying to mine a targeted rock, but sometimes its best to let nature do the work so we can do less. Diamonds, gold, corundum (rubies/sapphires), and garnets all have one thing in common. They are dense! So when erosion happens, and that sediment makes its way into a river, everything will separate based on its density. This is just because faster moving water can hold heavier sediments, and slower moving water will drop those heavy sediments leaving only the lighter sediments within the water. Lots of places that mine the things listed above will pan/sieve in active rivers and streams, or they can surface mine where rivers and streams used to be! These are called placer deposits. There is one setback though, the gemstones will not be perfect crystal shaped, they will be rounded due to being thrown around in a river (like beach glass). These are sapphires, but they have been rounded over time in the river.

Final thoughts, writing about a mine can seem nerve-racking, intimidating, or just something that you want to briefly mention and move on from, but truly I think going into the weeds could really add something to a story! Even if stories are slightly inaccurate about information, I am still 100x more excited to see it mentioned in more detail than to see it as a sentence. Besides it is fantasy, it doesn't always have to be exactly like earth.

#geology #rocks #stem #science #creative writing #dnd #dnd worldbuilding #fictional world #worldbuilding #worldbuilding stuff #crystals #gemstone #writing resources #writing #fictional writing

[softsweetwhispers]

Vanessa’s house is the biggest on the block. It sits at the top, overlooking the rest, a beautiful white gate growing unidentifiable purple flowers that change to yellow and blue as the year drags on. The gate is always locked, but the contrasting garden that thrives in the front yard makes it all seem welcoming anyway. I’ve never been inside, but the rumors say that there’s a life-sized painting of Vanessa’s great grandaddy hanging above the real fireplace, that Vanessa has a trust fund in her bank account, that the only reason they live here, instead of somewhere where they’re surrounded by people like them, is because of Vanessa’s daddy’s work. 

Her’s may be the biggest, but Charlie’s and oSamantha’s are pretty close. They were no small feats, even looming next to Vanessa’s, with their tall structures and shameless flaunting, even more so considering the other buildings they stood near. The rows of houses get bigger and bigger the further you drive up the hill. The people are haughtier, and the grass, in an almost funny way, is literally greener on the other side. 

We live at the bottom, and not very proudly. Stock gray tin roof that causes water to run down its tilted surface, across the rusted gutters, into the house in a way that drip, drip, drips into the bowls we place on the concrete floor. There are only a few houses that look like ours, and the kids sit at the curbs and play jacks and trade dimes and nickels for quarters at the corner store. Past that, the road tilts at an almost 45 degree angle, and another layer of wealth is added for every new house. 

It was hard to get used to at first. In Illinois, there wasn’t a Vanessa’s house or a Charlie’s house or a Samantha’s. Our old neighborhood wasn’t divided from those with money and those without. Everyone there had the same gateless front yard where nothing but weeds grew, the same hole in the big toe of their shoe, the same fifty-cent deck of cards to entertain themselves. 

I never used to be ashamed of where I lived, because I never had to worry about looking good in front of kids with money, but ever since we moved here, it’s been different. Vanessa told me I could pretend her house was mine, so the embarrassment isn’t as bad, but that doesn’t change the fact that I know where I live. No, I say, pointing to the sad, poverty-wracked building, that’s not where I live, I actually live there, and I’d point from my bus seat to the top of the hill, admiring the way Vanessa’s gleans in the sunlight like gold underground, feeling pride in a place I didn’t even live in. After Illinois, when Mom needed a change of scenery and Daddy needed a reason not to drink, that’s the place we picked. The biggest house on the hill. The one that overlooks the rest.

| k. - @nosebleedclub prompts. march v. drive up the hill

#the nosebleed club & its inspirations #drawn from the life around me #musings of moments in a life that comes of and brings nothing signficant #writing #poetry #original poetry #story prompt #original story #writing prompt #prose poetry #original writing #prose piece #soft poetry #creative writing #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writers and poets #prose poem #poem #poetryblr #poets on tumblr #original poem #prose #poetic prose #original prose #fictional writing

[allen309]

Going through an uninspired phase again. In this post I introduce Mallory from the Tenebris Universe. I have a few parts of the story written, and am still in the process of writing the rest of the story.

I don’t mind reblogs, but absolutely no reposting please. Feel free to ask any questions about any of my characters.

Link to the Beginning of Tenebris: Start Here

Link to my other writing’s:

Click Here

#My Writing #my fictional world #OC Writing #My OC’s #Writers on Tumblr #Female OC #OC’s #Horror Writing #Horror Story #Apocalypse #World Building #Character Building #Fictional Writing #Writer’s #Writers

[svviirgo]

dialogue snippet (november of 2022)

#my post #my writing #internal monologue #writers on tumblr #writeblr #writers and poets #fictional writing #writing dialogue #dialogue ideas #dialogue snippet #philosophy #family relationships #literature #writing blog #writing mutuals #deep feelings #why does time go so fast ??

[asprinkleofnutmeg]

#current weather #weather #rain #rainy #writer blog #fictional writing #writer account #heavy rain #rainynight