wickedpotions:
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ZSASZ COCKED HIS HEAD SLIGHTLY TO THE SIDE. he took the woman’s words as a compliment, even if he hadn’t been expecting them. ❝I don’t think everyone would agree with you there, but most of them are … stuck up in their ideas and morals. People who are willing to look past that tend to think I’m pretty smart though.❞
HE KNEW HIS STUFF. he knew weapons, he knew how to kill. You could put him in an empty room and he could still come up with three ways to murder someone else. At least. People like Jimbo wouldn’t appreciate that. Or Slim Jim would pretend he didn’t appreciate it because he’s ❛morally❜ ❛superior❜. Whatever that was supposed to mean. ❝ It certainly fits you well. Looks like it was something you were meant to have. And in this town, you can’t ever be too careful when it comes to protecting yourself. Most things take it as a - stay outta my way and I’ll stay outta yours. But sometimes things get weird. ❞
⊱ ──────────── {⋆⌘⋆} ──────────── ⊰
With a small laugh, Yennefer shook her head in amusement, “Yes, well, most people tend not to agree with me on many of my standpoints. No surprise there.”
While she absently examined the other weapons on the table, she thought on his words. How were people here managing to unknowingly spew things that boiled down to be about destiny? Even if it was a figure of speech, Yennefer was starting to hate the idea of ‘meant to be,’ even with something as minute as a blade. It didn’t crush her spirits too much, as she was much too pleased with her find.
His advice made well enough sense; it was similar to how certain cities were back on The Continent. People were still people, after all. Her hands retreated from the weaponry, and fingers tapped against the edge of the counter, “You sound like you speak from experience. What sort of weird?”
wickedpotions:
MERLIN COULD UNDERSTAND THAT . he’d often been dragged away from what he was supposed to be doing because he got distracted by a creature or flower or even just a tug in his powers . It’d let to some nasty shit sometimes - someone getting hurt , him getting kidnapped , you name it . But he’d found incredible things because of it too . He’d found places where magick flourish and bled from the earth itself , where animals moved with freedom and ease , where flowers bloomed in the dead of winter .
EY SHRUGGED , letting themself debate the words . ❝ I suppose you could call it an escape attempt . I couldn’t sleep , so I decided a walk out here might calm my mind enough . ❞ It might make him forget all the memories that weighed on em , that kept sleep away on nights like this . ❝ I know this probably isn’t the smartest place to walk around especially at night but … ❞ Ey shrugged . Magick was common here in Sallow Hills , but he wasn’t sure if someone else would understand why he was so drawn to the woods . There was a magick here that called to em , that begged them to come out and be amongst it . It was a magick unlike most that ey had felt and seen over the years , built so fully on chaos . ❝ I’m Merlin , by the way , ❞ ey hold their hand out for her to shake . ❝ What brings you out here ? ❞
Midna dispelled his comment about the safety of the forest with a wave of her hand. She wasn’t too concerned with such things. If anything happened, she would simply cross that bridge when she got to it. She had always been a more ‘live in the moment’ type of person, after all.
“I’ve always liked a bit of excitement, but I haven’t run into much trouble so far. I’ve had many people warn me how dangerous this place is, I’ve lost count.” The woman moved to shake Merlin’s hand. She had a good handshake. How could she not after years of lessons and even more years putting it into practice in court? A queen had to have a good handshake. If it weren’t, what would that say about the person behind it? “Midna. Pleasure to meet you, Merlin.”
She smiled at em as she let go of eir hand. Midna tried to think of a good explanation for what she was doing. It was a bit hard to put into words even to herself. “I suppose I’m just mulling a few things over. Lots to think about. The forest has been the best place for me to do that since I got here. It's the closest I can get to home. Besides, it's a beautiful night.”
picturedspells:
Missing memories. River was missing all of her memories pre Sallow Hills. Jenny was fascinated by this. She knew people with partial memory loss, and had heard about those with false memories and memories completely wiped, but she hadn’t actually gotten the chance to meet someone like that yet. It was fascinating, from a scientific viewpoint at least. Jenny wanted to learn everything she could about this town and the strange things it did to the mind.
“Oh no, it’s exactly what I want to hear!” they said hurriedly, and then bit their lip. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so eager. But the whole memory loss is part of what I’m studying at the Research Center. My main focus is the aspect of people arriving from different points in time, but I’m very intrigued by the memory issues here as well. I would love to hear about these odd flashes and gut instincts… if you’re comfortable sharing, of course.”
Jenny smiled nervously and took another sip of their tea. “To answer your question though, I’m not from here. I think I’m from a different universe entirely actually. I sort of… travel through time and space, looking for people to help and planets to save. Or at least I used to, before I got stuck here.”
River considered, and gave a nonchalant shrug. “No offence taken. If my memory loss can be helpful to someone, I don’t see the harm in sharing any of my experience.”
She was ever so slightly unsettled by Jenny’s past, purely from a historical standpoint. A time traveler had the potential to disturb the course of history, which River found improper, but she wasn't about to say anything. It didn’t throw her off too much. She had heard about the different universes people here came from many times before.
“That's an impressive resume you’ve got there. I’d assume it’s helpful in your field of work.”
shallowmagics:
As much as Laurie loved dogs- and how much they loved her back- she couldn’t risk having one. If she didn’t get out of the house before sunset and had to turn in the middle of her living room… Well, they weren’t going to have any potential pet see the giant, hulking wolf as a threat. Laurie had near full control of herself when in their other form but when attacked they could get just a little feral.
No, a plant was a far better option.
Doing research beforehand had been dizzying. Lists of “10 Most Poisonous Plants for Pets” and “Keep These 5 Plants Away from Dogs” had made their head spin. Laurie had almost abandoned the whole endeavor, before deciding to actually ask the people at the nursery. They should know.
Standing in the middle of the nursery now, hands clasped in front of her and eyes tracking any one of the plants that could potentially poison her, made her reconsider that earlier resolve. Pollen would be her biggest issue but wasn’t that how plants grew? Or spores? They didn’t know, there hadn’t been a need to pay attention in biology when her very existence broke the rules of science.
“Hi, um, I need something that’s not poisonous,” Laurie paused. Would just standing in the nursery effect them? “For dogs. And preferably something without pollen so… I guess it can’t flower?”
⊱ ────── {⋆⌘⋆} ────── ⊰
From the moment he focused on her, Sam could tell she was on edge. He didn’t know why, and he had no business inquiring, but he decided it would be his goal to make sure that they were exceedingly more comfortable by the end of this. Nodding and rolling up his sleeves, he offered a kind smile.
“First time buying a houseplant then?” he asked, a lightness to his voice. He could tell by the line of queries that this was unfamiliar territory, but this was his job, after all, and he was more than happy to be of guidance. “Right, I think we can figure something out for you. There are actually many flowering plants with little to no pollen at all, but many flowers can be difficult to maintain, especially in these parts, and it wouldn’t do you well to get discouraged right out of the gate. Finding something dog-friendly shan’t be a problem neither.”
From there, Samwise’s mind began to reel as he began to narrow down the options. A mental list was already coming together, now just to slim it down. “How often are you home? You have a lot of spare time in your day?”
ofmvoonlight:
Placing their hands over their stomach, they sighed. Even though Zelda was back up on their feet, they could still feel the pain every now and then. It came in waves. One second her stomach didn’t ache and she could move around and then the next it felt like if they made one move they would fall over. So it would be best to just sit still for the time being and let Samwise help them.
“Oh Samwise. I am certain that you will find someone” they then fell silent for a couple of seconds. “Unless.. there’s already someone” arching a brow, the princess couldn’t help the giggle. She was eager to learn more about the other and if this meant that she would have to poke around then so be it.
“Oh? Do tell”
Sam’s eyes darted to Zelda’s hands for a moment before he spoke. He wanted greatly to ask if she was feeling alright, but he knew what her answer would be. His eyes quickly met their gaze before it became anything too noticeable.
With a slight smile and a shake of his head, he chuckled, “I do already have someone, Zelda. I mean, look at me.” He playfully gestured to himself. “Two someones, actually, but they're… well they aren’t here. I've looked.”
He did his best to not sound too sad about it, despite much it hurt to think about. He had been around Frodo his whole life, so the adjustment to their separation was a bit much at times. He did his best to get by despite that, though.
“Yes, well, it's not completely new, but it's much clearer than it was. I figured out I used to be the mayor of my home town,” a tiny smile graced his lips, as it usually did when he thought of home. “Nothing big, I know, but I never had a clear word for it before.”
wickedpotions:
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SAMWISE. he was fucking the samwise gamgee. He had to tell Lily. Remus kept that excitement buried deep, but he knew the moment he was home, it’d all come out. He remembered reading Lord of the Rings as a kid, clinging to the magical escape when he thought he’d never get to be a part of his father’s world. Even once Dumbledore had let him in, the books had been a comfort when things were too rough. His mother used to read chapters to him after full moons, and he still heard her voice sometimes when he re-read them.
❝ I SUPPOSE THERE ARE WORSE THINGS PEOPLE COULD ASSUME. still, the human-centric view of many people is frustrating. Like in science fiction - why is it humanoid? Why not just bi-pedal mammals, or some other descriptor? ❞
HE SMILED, JUST FAINTLY, DOWN AT HIS PLANTS. then he looked up and took sam’s hand in a shake. ❝ I didn’t end up following her path. Some people in my world are not the most open minded. But I remember all the healing spells, and I practice them regularly. I’m happy just being a copy editor at the paper right now. ❞
Sam had no idea what Remus was talking about. He attempted to look as least confused as he could by giving a nod. Hobbits didn't know much about science or philosophy as they had little need for it. The only areas of science they were educated in had to do with livestock, farming, and brewing ale. Sam was bright enough, so he ventured a reply from what he could figure. “I venture people like seeing themselves in interesting tales to distract them from how tired life can get. What they don’t know is how much more tiring it really is to be one of those stories.”
Spells– so Mr. Remus was another one of the wizard folk. That made the purchase make a little more sense in his mind. Sam had a small clientele who were of that sort, and those types usually proved to be the most loyal of his customer base. With a small tilt of his head, he continued, “It's alright not to follow the path of your parents– I sure didn’t. Well, not for a while there. Copy editing sounds like a mighty important job, though I’ve no real idea what that entails.”
⌘Midna & Link⌘
for the loveliest @shallowmagics
The sun was going down when she arrived. The long shadows cast by the waning light enveloped her in a sort of embrace that you cannot comprehend unless you’ve been a creature of Twilight. The woman– pretty, willowy, regal– swiveled her head around, looking for someone, anyone, to ask questions; for she did not know where she was, nor how she had arrived there. She had simply woken up beneath a tree, and started to walk. She was heading away from the sun, for even in an uncursed form, the brightness of it was uncomfortable.
Finally, a light in the distance gave her a direction to head. By the look of the few buildings there, this was human territory. Farmland most likely… yet there was a strangeness to the air. Midna used to be able to taste the magic in the air of Hyrule, but that wasn’t present here. Maybe this was another place entirely. The idea made her slightly nervous, fiddling with the end of the patterned veil that restrained her fiery hair from her face.
The air was cool, getting colder by the minute. It was starting to get to her, as her skirt was long, thin material with a slit up the side and her top was cropped with a little decorative shawl draped over her shoulders. An outfit which was clearly not meant for an evening in Wales, even for someone with a high tolerance to the cold. She was thinking of teleporting when a figure caught her eye a bit further down the path.
“Hey! Hello! Hey! Could you hang on a minute?” she called, extending a hand upward in a wave. Midna quickened her pace to catch up to him. “This is going to sound crazy, but I have no idea where I am, and I was wondering if you could tell me–” Her voice got lost in her throat when she saw who it was. Her beastie, her hero, her best friend, the one person she had wanted to see for years, but couldn’t reach. Grinning, she picked up the pace until there was no distance left between them. “Link!? Is that you? Oh this is perfect! I told you I’d see you again!” she giggled, before tossing her arms around him, though she quickly pulled away. “You smell like shit.”
wickedpotions:
HE KNEW IT WAS HARD , even if he didn’t have children of his own . Being able to let go , to let someone you care about do what they need to do . Hell , there were things he’d done for Oswald in an effort to protect him that had just made things worse in the long run , like trying to take the fall for the murder here in town . ❝ She’ll come home to you , I know it . You’re her family . ❞ Even if he’d seen what had been said in the town text chat (both the smartest and dumbest thing he’d seen)
He beamed, leaning forward a bit . ❝ I’ve been doing good . Oswald is remembering more and more , which is good . I’ve apologized for what I did to hurt him , long ago now , so we’re past that . Now it’s just him remembering the good times . ❞ And Edward , but that was something to deal with slowly , to help Oswald let him go . ❝ It’s good to see those parts of him again , you know ? ❞ He loved Oswald , any version he got , but he’d missed some of the devious ambition he’d known in Gotham .
Family… even though Yennefer knew it to be true, hearing the word spoken aloud still left her feeling an inexplicable happiness. It had been something she spent decades searching for, and she cherished every little moment of it since.
She sipped her cocktail, smiling a bit as she did. Most wouldn't be able to tell, but Yennefer liked to see those she cared for be happy. And despite how long it took her to admit it to herself, she did care for Zsasz. It warmed her to see him start to gush about Oswald.
“Good, good, that's so good. I’m happy for you both,” she set her empty glass down on the little napkin in front of her. “I do know, indeed… my experience with memory issues is a bit more jaded than yours, but I’m glad it's going so well for you both.”
Looking down at her empty glass, she gave a pitiful little sigh. Getting up for another seemed like such an effort. “Do you need another?”
ofmvoonlight:
“Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if I am actually human. I have been used as a vessel for deities so many times I can’t help but feel like I lost my humanity long ago” Zelda mused. Those words had always been on her mind but never uttered out loud until now. They never wanted to tell Link how inhuman she sometimes felt. How it felt like her body wasn’t her’s but the Goddesses. Those feelings would always linger no matter how many years would pass.
“Your Frodo. Did you ever tell him how you felt? How devoted you were to him?” it was nice to switch the focus of the conversation onto someone else. Talking about herself became so draining after a while. Being the centre of attention had never been Zelda’s cup of tea yet it seemed like fate had different plans for them. Time and time again the princess would be in the spotlight and every single time they felt discomfort.
“I hope Frodo will end up here in Sallow. You deserve happiness, my dear Sam”
Samwise didn’t have a good response for that. He had never come close to a deity in the way Zelda had, and he couldn’t hope to come up with something that wasn’t grasping at straws. But he tried anyway, because Sam would never let anyone he cared for go uncomforted. “I can’t say I know much about your background, but I do know you. I know you’ve got a big heart, and a level head, and you’re stubborn beyond belief. I think those are very human qualities indeed.”
Finally stepping back to resume cooking, Sam chuckled a bit at her question. “I did tell him, yes. I told him all the time, for years of my life, though it did take a long while for me to figure out just how deeply I meant it. I worked for him, you see, and its common to pronounce your devotion to the one you serve like that where I’m from. I realized it at a bad time, but we were lucky enough to get the chance to be with one another when we returned to the Shire. He sighed a little at that, vegetables going into a pot on the stove to soften. “You’re too kind, Zelda, but I do too. I really do too… You know, its funny. You remind me of him quite a bit sometimes.”
endlxssnights:
The shove was expected. A little bit of a lighter retaliation than Link had expected, but it had been seven years for Midna. Link was struck by emotion, something that rolled uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach. Link playfully knocked into her shoulder, burying the emotion deep.
‘You saw us interact maybe four times. Including the possession.’ Yet another thing he didn’t like talking about. Something that still gave Link nightmares, despite having years full of even more horrific experiences. ‘You couldn’t have seen it that quickly.’
‘Lifetimes. I’ve been reborn at least three times since you left.’ Most likely four or five, but Midna didn’t need to know that confusion. Everything was- mostly- there. ‘Ten thousand years. It’s not that much, compared to the rest.’
There came that emotion, rising up again. Link pushed it back down.
Midna was still smiling when Link returned the shove. It was enough to make her have to regain balance, but far from anything that would actually make her stumble. She shrugged, nonchalant, as he signed. She didn’t need time to see what was between Link and Zelda. For her, who had grown to know every aspect of her adventuring partner along their quest, all she needed to see was his body language to know that he had it bad for the princess of light.
“I saw what I saw. I'm good at that kind of thing,” she made a gesture with one of her hands to emphasize just how obvious this was. ”And I was right, soooo…”
Her jest was cut short by his next revelation. Midna’s face fell into something nearly unreadable as she attempted to process it. ‘lifetimes.’ ‘at least.’ ‘ten thousand years.’ That wasn’t possible. People didn’t just get reborn as the same person they were before (was he still the same?). People couldn’t cheat death like that. There was no way for anybody to– oh. Oh but there was. “You– it's them isn't it? Its those stupid, wretched goddesses. Isn't it? Is that whose fucking with you? Those entitled, irreverent, disgusting excuses for-” Midna growled in frustration. She was never one to think of the goddesses of Hyrule in a respectful light. They were the ones who banished her ancestors to the Twilight after all. But this was something bigger than that. She met his eyes again, attempting to push down her anger to the goddesses, yet when her own anger was moved, the anger she felt on his behalf came up in its place. “Link I’m so… Are you, well, are you okay?”
It was probably a dumb question. How could someone be okay when they were thousands of years old? Midna reached out and gently cupped his cheek, as if steadying his face would help her get a better read on him. It didn’t do much to help. There wasn’t anything else she could think to say, so she pulled him into another tight hug.
“I’m so sorry.”
"I think you know how to love better than any of us. That’s why you find it all so painful.”꧁Sallow Hills mumu꧂Cecil Palmer & Sasha James & Sam Winchester
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