Be Like the Twenty-Second Elephant with Heated Value in Space

Writes, Posts, Reblogs. Currently on semi-hiatus, sorta writing on again, off again. 21/he/Canada

[siliconcat]

SURFACE TENSION - PAGE 1

Happy 6/13, the second anniversary of octo expansion! This is a comic about when Agent 3 and Agent 8 first reach Inkopolis.

| Page 2

[miniyellow5]

I just wanted to draw something sappy :)

I guess you could call this mini comic 'confession'

[phemon]

This is an old Zelink fanfic I never posted. Never ended it properly, but still want to get it out

It’s a quiet night. Far quieter than the endless months of turmoil that led to this time of tranquility. That’s something Link can say for certain. The only noises he can hear are the crackling of the fire he built; the cricket’s calls signifying the end of dusk and beginning of night; and the faint crunch of the grilled salmon being eaten by his companion.

It has been 4 months since Link and Zelda (along with the former Champions) defeated Calamity Ganon and sealed him away for the time being. Zelda decided that before they rally the whole of Hyrule to prepare for the next time Ganon strikes, she and Link deserve a vacation of sorts. Not to any high-class resort or anything, just a trip around Hyrule meeting all the people Link met in his adventures and seeing what had changed to the kingdom. The land was faring quite well without a monarchy, so a little time off wouldn’t hurt, right? Of course, Link was happy to accompany his princess and tell her story after story of what transpired after his awakening. Link was quite aware of the elongated stares the princess would give him during the tales, but he didn’t mind.

In fact, he liked it.

This particular night, while they have set up camp on the plateau of Washa’s Bluff, Zelda was unusually quiet. Usually by this time Zelda would have asked at least 10 different questions one after another. Such as “what types of herbs could be found around here?” or “Oh! Is this the place where you found that difficult shrine?” or even “Is that plateau over there where you encountered the massive Talus?”. To Link this was disquieting, and he questioned Zelda.

“Zelda?” Link called, trying to get the attention of his companion. Zelda jumped in surprise, supposedly too focused on her grilled salmon. 

“Ah! Y-yes, Link?” Zelda stammered, visibly shook. “Is there something wrong?”

Link chuckled at her question. “I could be asking you the same thing, princess.” 

“Don’t call me that.” Zelda snapped, almost childishly.

“Yes, your highness.” Link teased and chuckled again when he saw Zelda fix him with an unimpressed glare. “No, but seriously Zelda. Is there something wrong?” He parrots Zelda’s previous question, features softening.

“No- No, not really anything in particular...” Zelda drawls out, looking down and focusing on the half-eaten salmon.

“It’s not the dinner is it? I swear I cooked that right...” Link asks, attempting to deduce what’s gotten his princess in such a strange state.

“What? Oh, no no no! The salmon’s perfectly cooked and it’s quite delicious. It’s just that...” Zelda stops, unsure if she could continue.

Link shuffles a bit closer and places a hand on her shoulder. “Zelda, please tell me what’s bothering you. You can tell me anything, right?” He gives her a soft smile, noticing that the very tips of her ears have gone a slight pinkish color.

“W-well...” Zelda averts her eyes from his gaze, pressing her fingers together. She contemplates for a few seconds, nods to herself, breathes in and out, then turns to Link and asks:

“Link, are you seeing anyone?”

“What?!” Link asks out of reaction, almost falling off the log he’s been sitting on. “You mean...” He starts, making sure he heard Zelda right.

“Yes, that’s what I mean, Link. Are you currently dating anyone right now?” Zelda asks with complete sincerity.

“D-dating...” Link tastes the word on his mouth, as if it’s something new he’s never had before. “Why would you think I would be dating someone?”

“Well, while you were tending to our horses while we stopped at Tabantha Stable, I had a chat with one of the caretakers there...” Zelda recounts, telling the entire story with detail.

__________

*Flashback*

“I’ll go make sure our horses are properly taken care of!” Link yells as he guides the horses towards the stable.

“Yes please. Thank you Link!” Zelda calls, and notices that one of the caretakers at the stable comes walking up to her (female, mind you).

“We don’t even have to do nuthin’. That boy Link takes care of your horses better than we ever could!” the stable-hand mentions to Zelda, turning back to see Link do his thing and puts her hands behind her back.

Zelda eyes the newcomer warily. “Yes he does. He cares about our horses than he does most people!” Zelda jokes, though it’s most likely not far from the truth.

“Mmhmm.” The stable-hand agrees as she stares a bit too long at Link’s backside as he feeds the horses some hay. “I must say... He’s quite a catch, wouldn’t ya say?”

“Excuse me?” Zelda asks, casting a warning eye towards the stable-hand, who ignores it completely.

“Y’ know, everything ‘bout him just SCREAMS husband material. He’s a good cook, caring, strong, chivalrous and amazing with animals AND kids. All that and he’s handsome to boot. Who wouldn’t want that?” The stable-hand sighs in bliss, much to Zelda’s carefully disguised outrage. “‘Tis a shame he already has someone.” The stable-hand sighs again, but this time in sadness.

“ExCUSE me?!?” Zelda yells so loud she’s wondering if Link hears it. Link seeing someone? And he didn’t even tell me?!

“Oh, c’mon. You know...” The stable-hand gives her a sly smile, and winks as she leaves and gets back to her work. Zelda is left with this revelation of a century (lol get it?) on her mind.

*End Flashback*

_____________

“Now what little outings did you go on with your little “special someone” in order to stir up such rumors?” Zelda accuses, having told Link the story and folds her hands in front of her chest.

“Zelda. I believe we have some type of misunderstanding...” Link attempts to calm Zelda down but his efforts are quenched quite quickly.

“Now, don’t tell me you didn’t do any fooling around before you went up and saved the world.” She makes sure not to add ‘and me’ afterwards to fully get across her anger. “Besides, it was the first time you were free after having the burden of following me everywhere. Surely you found a nice girl to settle down with.”

“Princess, I assure you: Helping you was not a burden whatsoever.” Link attempts to explain but is cut off by Zelda shushing him.

“I said don’t call me that.” Zelda snaps. “And I saw you poking around on your Sheikah Slate. You have a picture of her saved on that thing, don’t you? I’ve seen you stare at it right before you go to bed!” Zelda accuses, reaching over and grabbing his Sheikah Slate from his belt. “Who is it? Where is it? Your princess demands that you spill the beans!”

“Why are you so agitated, Zelda...” Link mutters, wondering what’s gotten into Zelda. “If you really want to know who it is, it’s Page 6, picture 5. It’s bookmarked, so you’ll have no trouble finding it.” Link replies, head in his hands for the embarrassment that will follow. “Better time than any for her to find out...”

“I can’t believe you Link!” Zelda yells, hot tears stinging her eyes as she cycles though Link’s album. “Hiding a girlfriend under my nose this entire time! And you didn’t even have the nerve to tell me! What do I even mean to you, you son of a-” She stops as she finds the picture.

It’s a picture of her. Still in the white dress she was wearing after her and Link defeated Ganon. She was framed rather beautifully, standing on top of a hill, with Hyrule Field in the background. She’s facing away from the camera, but the picture was taken so you can just make out her profile. Her hair is blown back by the wind, and one hand is tucking some of the hair behind her ear. She is, to sum it up in one word: breathtaking.

Zelda almost drops the Slate in shock. “M-me?” Zelda queries, turning to Link who has his head in his hands, groaning softly.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, Zelda. I swear I only look at the picture two to three times a day.” Link is rambling, attempting to not weird out the princess.

“Link...” Zelda calms herself down and pads slowly towards Link.

“I only look at it before I go to bed most days, and I mean that in a totally not creepy way.” He can’t look her in the eyes

“Link.” She sits next to Link, amused he’s still spitting out excuses.

“I mean I’m sorry I never got your permission to take it it’s just you were framed perfectly and I subconsciously took the picture please don’t hate me.”

“LINK!” Zelda shakes Link, breaking him out of ramblings. “I’m not angry at you.” She calmly states, looking directly at him.

“You... You’re not?” Link wonders, curious as to why she isn’t calling him a creeper, or running all the way back to Kakariko Village.

“No, I’m not. In fact, I’m quite the opposite.” Zelda whispers, leaning her head on Link’s, as well as intertwining her fingers with his. “That is, if it means what I think it means...” Zelda starts, unsure.

“If it means what?” Link slowly drawls out, his heart and mind going into panic mode what with Zelda being in such a close proximity to him.

“I mean...” Zelda pauses, sharing the same air as Link for a couple seconds. “We feel the same way,” She looks up and gives Link a tentative smile, shaking slightly. “Right?”

“Feel the same way...” Those words repeat themselves inside Link’s mind endlessly until he finally clues in on what she meant. Quickly, he embraces her and buries his head in between her neck and her shoulder. “I love you.” Like a spell being broken, he tells her the words he’s been wanting to tell her ever since he regained his memories. “I love you Zelda. I’ve always loved you.”

“Oh Link.” Zelda returns the hug and inhales his scent: like freshly cut logs. She feels tears streaming down her cheeks but she lets them go. “I love you too, Link. After we got to know each other better while you were training to be the Hero, I knew the feelings I felt for you were something special. And that night, before you were sealed away, when I was awoken to save you from the Guardians?”

Link maintains the hug, and nods in confirmation.

“Legends say that when a loved one is in danger, miracles can happen. I think it was then that I finally realized my feelings for you were romantic. Heh.” They break the hug as Zelda giggles to herself. With the visual cue from Link, she answers his question before he even asks it. “To think I’d have to wait 100 years for my love to be requited, huh? Life sure has ways to surprise you...” Zelda murmurs to herself, then turns towards Link with a serious expression. “Now Link, are you completely sure about this? Dating a royal member of the family, and one of the more...” She struggles to find the word. “’incomplete’ ones at that?”

“Princess, I assure you, you are not incomplete; You are perfectly fine as you are. And it would be an honor of mine to go out with you.” Link answers sincerely, putting his hand over his heart and bowing towards his princess/girlfriend.

“I said don’t call me that.” Zelda mutters under her breath, but smiles at the rest of Link’s words of acceptance. “But I appreciate the sentiment. It’s nice to know at least one person in my kingdom doesn’t think I’m a total failure.”

“Princess...” Link begins to start his usual spiel but is cut short again by Zelda’s finger on his lips.

“I know, I know. ‘What’s happened in the past can’t be changed and it’s what we do in the future that counts from now on.’ You’ve repeated that same reassuring speech so many times I can recite it from memory.” Zelda sighs, recounts something, and turns back to Link. “Oh, and just because we’re dating doesn’t mean you have to go extra-soft on me, you understand? I don’t like people beating around the bush. If there’s something wrong with my actions, please tell me.”

“Will do, princess.” Link salutes, his days of Zelda’s bodyguard still present in his muscle memory. “Though I don’t think you’ll do anything overly wrong in the upcoming events...”

“That’s just it. I’m not perfect, Link.” Zelda huffs. “You seem to have this preconceived notion that I’m faultless and can do nothing wrong. Like I’m some priceless artifact on a pedestal that can’t be tainted. I’m human, Link. I make mistakes. Mistakes that even I don’t realize. I’ll need you to help me with those.”

“... I’ll do my best, princess.” Link states, making a mental note to be more critical in the future. 

Zelda stares at Link’s unwavering face for a second. “And another thing we need to change is your habit of calling me ‘princess’ all the time. I don’t...” Zelda stops, mentally preparing herself for what she’s about to say. “I don’t want my boyfriend to be addressing me the same way a court official would be...”

“Okay...” Link closes his eyes and ponders for a moment. Zelda moves to ask him what he’s doing when he turns to her and says: “Then, sweetie?”

“I’m sorry?!?” Zelda asks in bewilderment, not believing that word just came out Link’s mouth.

“Well, we need another term of endearment, yes? Dear, dearest, honey...” Link lists off in complete sincerity.

Zelda gets progressively redder with each consecutive term. “L-L-Link, that really isn’t necessary.” Zelda tries to stop him, feeling the blush creep along her cheeks.

“Honeybun, sweetcheeks, ‘love of my life’, ‘my bride-to-be’...” Link continues, completely oblivious to Zelda’s turmoil.

“LINK!” Zelda yells, covering his mouth with both her hands. He turns to her in confusion. “I think just ‘Zelda’ is perfect for the time being, okay?” She lets go of Link’s mouth and moves one of her hands to Link’s, intertwining them. “Call me the thing you’re most comfortable with, yeah?” She smiles softly at him.

Link smiles back, squeezing the hand he’s holding. “As you wish, prin- Zelda.” Zelda catches his muck-up and gives him a stare. “Sorry, it’s going to take a while to get used to that.”

“No matter, we’ve got all the time in the world.” Zelda brushes it off, and changes the subject. “Oh and that reminds me: Can we go to Satori Mountain and check on how that sapling’s growing? That one you mentioned planting during one of your travels?”

“Sure. It’s not too far from here. If we leave tomorrow morning we’ll be able to make it to the orchard by midday.”

“Great! I wonder if the other trees have bared fruit.” Zelda comments as she lays beside Link and rests her head on his shoulder.

Link tries his best to respond appropriately, shifting slightly and draping a hand over her opposite shoulder, in a sort of half-hug. “I’m sure they’ve had to by now.” Link comments casually, seeing Zelda stifle a yawn. “Tired, are we? Then we should probably get to bed then, right?” Link yawns as well, stretches and realizes it’s much later than he expected. How long have they been talking? He feels something tugging on his sleeve. “Yes, Zelda?”

“Can you say it for me?” Zelda asks, giving him the puppy-dog look.

“What?” Link asks back, genuinely curious.

“Th-that you love me, and that I’m your girlfriend.” Zelda blushes hard, hiding behind her hands.

Link sighs. He places both hands on her shoulders and looks her directly in the eye. “I, Link, am in love with you Zelda. And you are my girlfriend.” He watches as Zelda’s smile gets even bigger somehow. “Is that fine?”

“Perfect.” Zelda closes her eyes and lets the phrase roll around in her mind. “Link, can you please tell me that when I wake up tomorrow? I want to make sure this all wasn’t one unbelievable dream.” She calls as she gets ready for bed.

“Your wish is my command, princess.” Link jokes, also getting ready for bed.

“And if you keep up the ‘princess’ shtick I’m dumping your butt.”

“As you wish, your Highness.”

“ARGH!”

“Good night, Zelda. I love you.”

“Good night Link. I love you too.”

Link takes Zelda to Satori Mountain, shows her the sapling, and suggests they plant another sapling beside it. They name the saplings “Link” and “Zelda” accordingly. Link suggests if he ever abandons Zelda or breaks a promise she has his permission to chop down his sapling.

They come back to the orchard 10 years later, still together to find the two saplings have merged together, intertwining the trunks together and creating a massive apple tree, nicknames “The Royal Lover’s Tree”. Unbeknownst to them, local legends say that if you confess under the tree, both you and your partner will experience as great of a love as the two lovebird of the princess and her “knight”.

[bbbrianjones]

jim henson, frank oz & don sahlin showing off how to make various characters with a “whatnot/anything” muppet, 1969

[yuukei-yikes]

Okay, I need help finding an old harutaka comic. I can't for the LIFE of me find it and I'm fearing it's been deleted. It starts with Haruka and Takane entering an arcade and the clerk jokes "hey you two look like a couple", Takane blushes/yells up a storm and Haruka laughs it off (but thinks to himself "I'd like that but I don't have much time left")... TIME SKIP post-str(?) Harutaka go back to the arcade with Haruka in a wheelchair, clerk stops them again and apologizes for the joke. Haruka brushes it off, holds Takane's hand and says "don't worry, we're dating now!" If you have any idea on what this comic is, who's the artist, or where I can find it, I'll be very grateful. P.S. love the art!

i didnt even need to finish reading. i immediately knew what you were talking about. https://69hrtk96.tumblr.com/post/180437869741/be-me-spend-all-of-my-freetime-on-drawing-a-very and while at it, all the harutaka this person has drawn are amazing!!!! i recommend going thru their tag hehheheh trouble with harutaka findings? no worries. i gotchu.

[phemon]

tysm, my “like” of it got buried under the 3800 OTHER things I’ve accumulated over the years. I really need to go through my backlog and actually reblog things

[jayrockin]

What football will look like in the future

Something is terribly wrong. Something is terribly wrong. Something is terribly wrong. Something is terribly wrong.

Everyone do yourselves a favor and click on this link to have a transformative media-based experience

[misdrunk]

I don’t need to. The Detroit Lions will still suck and I’ll continue betting on them because I’m stupid.

[jayrockin]

No you…. really need to click the link

[phemon]

Just to let you know, that lesser known waifu you submitted is just Nue Houjuu from touhou. Now go and swim in the thousands of pics of fan art of her

Oh dw, I know it's Nue Honjuu! I suppose I should've clarified in my lesserknownwaifus post. I'm a massive Touhou fan and finding out about t+pazolite's works made me a bigger fan. Ty for letting me know in case I didn't!

[phemon]

Hiatus (Update)

Okay, so here’s the update on my self-imposed hiatus. I previously stated that the reason I stopped writing about Friskriel was because I didn’t like writing essentially “blank slates”. For more information, please read this

OK, read it? Good. Now, in order to keep you up to speed with my thoughts, read this excerpt from the user PastaGuy on Ao3, concerning my Hiatus. I cut out the portion of the comment that has no ties with what I’m writing.

I find the blank slate thing to be a bit exciting actually. I think that it opens up so many possibilities for different characterization between alternate versions of themselves without the restrictions that other characters in fanfictions of other works of trying to stay in character. I like seeing the differences between two different versions of Frisk or Asriel. 

Now what this user has said (thanks for that, btw.) I agree with wholeheartedly. I do like it when you have your own spin on characters. Its what defines “headcanons” and what this whole sub-genre of writing is based on.

“FAN”-fiction. AKA, fiction made from a fan’s interpretation. A crossover where Frisk is the new mayor of a town comprised solely of Undertale characters is exactly the type of thing that a fan would create, and I’m happy I’m bringing my ideas out to the world.

Now, as for what happens in the future, I don’t know. I will say that I would REALLY like to continue Undercrossing. I want to continue Determination: The Fanfic, and show what I interpret as the way that Asriel gets out of the underground. But will it be written?

For one, I’m not sure if anyone even READS my stuff anymore. I’ve known since 2019 that the spark of Undertale has been steadily dying, and there might not even be an audience for my works.

But, I still want to write it. I don’t want to stare at my unfinished works with a heavy heart, knowing they’ll never see the light of day. 

Now, something I want you, the reader, to do. Did you read my fanfics way back when? Did you wait with bated breath for every update? Would you be excited, knowing that I may be getting into updating Undercrossing? I’m not ego stroking, I just want to know if you, personally, will appreciate my fanfics coming back. Because trust me:

Someone else’s praise goes a long way.

[phemon]

After Our Lives

Aaaand part 3 is finished! sequel to “Reaping the Benefits”

Boy, it felt good to get this out. I have an update to that Hiatus statement I had a long time ago (aka the reason I stopped writing) that I’ll post sometime after this. I noticed that these fanfics got (literally) no traction on Tumblr, but massive amount on Ao3. Either Hololive isn’t as big on Tumblr? Or my account got shadowbanned, whatever. I’ll keep posting my random ideas here for the sake of keeping a record, in case Ao3 goes under.

Amelia and Gura never thought what happens when you go to the afterlife; but they realize now that it doesn’t really matter. It’s happening now. After getting transported via Calli Airlines, they’ve arrived in a cloudy, surreal area with large, imposing gates in front of them.

“You know, I always imagined pearly gates, but I never thought they’d ACTUALLY be made of pearls.” Gura remarks, staring up at the gates.

“They’re marble, idiot. C’mon.” Amelia rolls her eyes, taking Gura’s hand and head toward the gates. As they approach the gates, they notice someone sitting behind a pedestal of some kind, reading a newspaper. They’re an oni: red skin, horns, everything including a white robe. Along with a halo adorned on top his head. They stop for a second to notice that they too have halos.

They go up to the oni, and he stops reading his newspaper. He gives Amelia and Gura a long look, sizing both of them up, which they squirm under his gaze. He pulls out a slab of marble, which seems to have something written on it. 

“Amelia Watson?” He finally asks in a tired tone, looking over to the detective.

“Uh, present?” Amelia responds dumbly, kinda blown back by what’s happening.

“And Gura... Watson?” The oni makes a face at the last name, but addresses Gura the same way.

“Right here.” Gura also responds, giving Amelia’s hand a reactive squeeze.

“... You’re clear, go right ahead.” As soon as he finishes his sentence, the large marble gates open, signaling their admission.

“Uh... Thanks.” Gura thanks, eyeing the oni quizzically.

“Wait, you.” He stops Amelia, and heaves a long sigh. “We were wondering when you were supposed to show up, Mrs. Watson. Time-travelers always screw up the filing system.” The oni remarks then goes back to his newspaper. “That’s all I wanted to say. Enjoy the afterlife.”

“Uh, okay! Sorry for the trouble.” Amelia apologizes and gives Gura a shrug. They continue on through the large gates.

.

Amelia and Gura arrive at some type of plaza, and some large metal doors close behind them as they arrive. The architecture is very Greek; stone and clay buildings, tiled colored stone paths, an exit on the other side of the clearing, and  a large tree in the center of it all. And sitting under the tree, reading a book is...

“INA!!!” Gura and Amelia rush up to their old friend, giving her a hug.

“Amelia, Gura! I was wondering when you two were going to show up!” Ina reciprocates the hug. “I knew Gura was going to take a long time, but I didn’t think Amelia would take just as long!”

“Well...” Amelia and Gura relay the whole story.

“Aww, that’s so sweet, so you decided to die in each other’s arms together?” Ina remarks, which the two blush at. “Man, you two are still adorable. Hey Kiara, Amelia and Gura are finally here!”

Before Amelia and Gura can even react, they’re taken down by an orange blur and are faced with a hug from a (former) phoenix. “AME, GURA! I MISSED YOU TWO SO MUCH!”

“We missed you too, bird-brain.” Gura chuckles, hugging her back. “I kinda knew what happened to you after I couldn’t find you in the real world, but Calli never gave a proper explanation. You’re a phoenix, how the hell did you die?”

“Oh, that!” Kiara lets go of the two. “Well after Ina and Amelia disappeared, Calli lost her human body, and you stopped communicating with me...”

“I feel we both needed some time alone...” Gura defended sheepishly.

“Hmm. Well, I gave up Hololive and just flew around the world, trying to find something to occupy myself. Turns out, I wasn’t thinking well and died a couple stupid ways. Getting run over, hit by a plane, mauled by bears, tripped into a volcano...” Kiara sweatdrops.

“Geez, kinda morbid, don’t you think?” Amelia winces.

“Hey, we’re all dead. What’s the harm?” Kiara states matter-of-factly. “Well after the 15th or so death, Calli chastises me for dying so many times so quickly. She mentioned that my phoenix soul didn’t have enough time to rematerialize in the real world. She equated it to me losing all my lives, like in a videogame.” Kiara chuckles to herself. “I was kinda sad to leave Calli, but she mentioned I could keep Ina company until you two showed up! Plus she gave me a hug right before she reaped me! If I knew I’d get a hug after killing myself for realsies, I would’ve done it a long time ago!”

“Jesus, Kiara. Care a little more about your mortality, please?” A 5th voice appears behind the group, surprising all four of them.

“CALLI???”

“Hey guys. Sorry I had to be last to the party.” Calli apologizes. She’s in casual attire: no tiara, no jacket, no familiar scythe on her back.

“CALLIII!!!” Kiara practically takes down Calli, whom grunts from the impact. “How are you here? I thought reapers couldn’t go to the afterlife? Can I hug you more?”

“First off: No. Get off me, you stupid bird, and I’ll explain everything.” Kiara lets go reluctantly and Calli dusts herself off. “Well, to explain how I’m here: Reapers can’t hold feelings for any of the souls they reap. Ever since I had to reap Ina, my powers have slowly been diminishing since then and have completely disappeared once I reaped you two.” Calli motions towards Amelia and Gura. “Needless to say, you four made quite an impression on me during my career as a part of Hololive.”

“Aww, we love you too, Calli!” Gura exclaims, holding Amelia’s hand harder.

Calli smiles at this. “So I contacted Death Sensei and asked him about a reaper “reaping” themselves. He was surprised, as a reaper has never requested this before. But my request was accepted, on the grounds that I’d lose my powers altogether. I accepted that, and here I am.” Calli finishes her explanation and breaths in slightly. “And now that that’s done: Yes Kiara, you can continue hugging me.” Kiara squeals and latches onto the former reaper again.

“Aww, she’s finally being honest.” Ina remarks, staring at the two happy couples.

“You shut your face.” Calli retorts as she puts an arm around Kiara. “I was kind of worried I wouldn’t be able to find you four, but you didn’t even make it past the entrance.”

All five of them stare at the opposing exit. “Yeah, we were waiting for you guys.” Ina mentions as she stares at the exit. “I wonder what happens now...”

“Well it doesn’t matter.” Gura states. “Now that my wife’s back by my side, she ain’t leaving it!” She pulls Amelia closer, and Amelia pecks her cheek.

“I forgot you two got married...” Calli off-handedly mentions, then stares at the former phoenix still bear-hugging her. “Sounds like a good idea...” She murmurs under her breath.

“You say something, Calli?” Kiara pipes up, having her face inches away from Calli’s.

“You didn’t hear anything, you stupid bird.” Calli pushes Kiara’s face away in a dismissive gesture.

“I hope you two aren’t going to act like this the entire time.” Amelia teases, getting a death glare from Calli. “Almost flirting is going to get boring after a while.”

“Well, no time like the present, right?” Ina chimes in. She grabs Gura’s hand (who in turn is holding Amelia’s) and Calli’s hand (who in turn is still being overwhelmed by Kiara). “Let’s find out together! As a family!”

“Yeah!” The four others exclaim.

“It sure is going to be awkward when we find our actual families.”

“Oh god, don’t make me think of that!”

Amelia, Gura, Calli, Kiara, and Ina never thought about what happens in the afterlife; but they realize now that it doesn’t really matter.

Just as long as they’re a family.

[phemon]

“Reaping” the Benefits

Sequel to “Fading”, a tribute fanfic to the Ao3 series “From Ame to Same” by FinnGalaxy

And sequel out! A lot shorter than the first, but it really is just a transition chapter. Final chapter should tie up all loose strings, and be a definite conclusion to this series. 

Gotta say, I’m real happy I’m getting back into writing. I’m seriously thinking of attempting to continue Undercrossing and maybe D:tF. But I’ll probably talk more about those once this trilogy’s done.

(also, I was planning on making the title “Death and Taxes” but I realized it didn’t fit that well)

Amelia and Gura never thought about what happens when you die; but they realize it doesn't really matter. Just as long as they’re together. People always have different interpretations of what happens. Some say that it’s like sleeping but you never wake up. Some say it’s an unimaginable pain then nothing. Some say that your soul goes to a garage in Buffalo.

What Amelia and Gura didn’t expect, however, is to suddenly be sitting in front of a slightly ticked off reaper they know all too well. “Calli?!?” They both exclaim in surprise, as they both expected to see at least a different reaper.

“Took you two long enough.” Calliope mutters indignantly. “Not just you Gura, even Amelia left me waiting for over 1000 years. If I could revive you two I’d do it just so I could kill you two again for wasting my time.”

“Well nice to see you too, Calli.” Amelia greets back sarcastically. “I see it’s 1000 years later and you still sound like you just got out of bed.”

“You have no right to complain, time traveler.” Calli shoots Amelia a glare, then softens when she turns to Gura. “And Gura, I’m sorry I suddenly stopped communicating with you so many years ago.”

“Yeah, what gives!” Gura pipes up, almost forgetting that her one consistent friend up and disappeared like all her others. “After Ina and Amelia left, I thought things couldn’t get any worse!”

“I sincerely apologize for that.” Calli starts, giving Gura a small bow. “You see, once I lost my human body, my connection to living beings slowly diminished. As a reaper, I could only easily communicate with either soon-to-be dead beings, or dead ones, as you two are now.”

“So we really are dead now.” Ame comments dumbly, then thinks for a moment. “Wait, you said you were waiting for us two? So is Ina really dead? Wait, what happened to Kiara? Isn’t she a phoenix???”

“One question at a time, Amelia. As you suspect, Ina passed away soon after her stream announcement. Seems undertaking eldritch powers took a toll on her body, much like your antics with time-traveling. As for that stupid bird...” Calliope goes silent for a moment.

No words are needed to convey the fate of Kiara, so Amelia and Gura stay silent.

Calli shakes her head “It’s not important now. Besides, the time we have right now is limited. You two are here for a reason.”

“Well yeah.” Amelia nonchalantly replies. “We’re here to get ‘reaped’, right? Where do you go, if you know?”

“Steal my thunder, why don’t you...” Calli mutters under her breath. “Now, even I’m not sure where you go when you get ‘reaped’, so your guess is as good as mine. On another matter...” She coughs and turns to the couple, and smiles slightly. “I’m happy to see you reunited with your ‘sunshine’, Gura. You were pretty choked up about her every time we had ‘commune’ication.” she chuckles at her own pun.

“Yeah, it only took 1000+ years, but it was worth it when it happened.” Gura states, giving Amelia’s hand a squeeze.

“Gotta say, it’s pretty cruel to let her wait that long, Ame.” Calli remarks, deciding to chastise Amelia a little longer.

“Hey! You said yourself I had limited travels left! I wanted to make them count.” Amelia defended sheepishly.

Calli smiles at that. “Very true. Now, before I do the deed: Have you two any regrets left over? Anything you wish you did differently? It may hinder you passing over successfully.”

Amelia and Gura look at each other, and give the hand between them another reassuring squeeze. “None.” They say in unison.

Calli smiles and raises her scythe. “Then I wish you two eternal happiness and safe travels.” She swings it through the two and they disappear near instantaneously. Calliope stands there for a while, realizing the epilogue is almost upon her and her friends. She takes a deep breath and pulls out her cellphone, made specifically to communicate with other reapers. “Hello, Death Sensei? I have a favor to ask.”

[phemon]

Fading

Wow, okay this is out of left field. After *checks last fanfic* jesus, 3 YEARS of not posting any works I come out from the shadows with a new fanfic.

Weird thing, it’s not Undertale, it’s Hololive shipping. Yup, that new trend that I still do not understand completely (basically streamer but Live2D face-tracker anime girl?). I got into a ship from the 1st gen (specifically Amelia and Gura, and a bit of Kiara and Calliope)

For the record, I don’t condone the act of shipping ACTUAL PEOPLE together, but the AmeGura art and actual things they’ve done together is too cute to pass up. I hope that whomever enjoys this ship enjoys what I have to offer (and two more sequels are planned in the very near future. In fact I’m most likely going to start writing them after posting this)

For context, it’s my take on the “ending” of a series of works called “From Ame to Same” by FinnGalaxy on Ao3. They will be properly credited there when I do post it on Ao3. In a sense, it’s technically fan-fanfiction lol

Also, the title is a reference to the stellar Friday Night Funkin’ mod Smoke Em Out Struggle, which I was listening to the entire time I was writing this.

Enjoy.

Gura never thought about what happens when you’re about to die; but she realizes now that it doesn’t really matter. She’s seen multitudes of colonies, societies and cliques rise and fall, all while she watches in the background, wondering if it’ll ever happen to her. She’s never known another of her species long, so she has no clue of the lifespan of an Atlantean. All she knows is that it has taken way too long; but it’s finally happening.

She’s finally dying.

She hasn’t heard from any of her friends from the old times in a long time. Ina was the first one to suddenly disappear. She mentioned something about meeting the Elder Ones during her last stream and hasn’t been seen since. Of course, Calliope happened next when she lost her human body. Gura used to commune with Calli whenever she had time off from her reapings; but those occasional communications also ceased for whatever reason. Gura felt no ire, she’s sure Calli had her reasons. She never met her in the human world again, so Gura concluded she wasn’t able to find another body to occupy. Kiara was last seen flying through the air aimlessly with no plan, and Gura expected she needed some time alone. A lot of time, apparently.

And Amelia. Gura kept telling herself that that fateful day when her sunshine left her that final letter was not the last time she’d see her; but she knew she was lying to herself. Gura kept on making excuses like “Oh she’s probably jumping the time streams, searching for the answer to longevity and she’ll be right back when she’s done.” but lying to yourself for over 1000 years straight gets old. She only wished she could’ve kept the letter Amelia left for her, but like everything on this damned rock, nothing lasts forever and has decomposed. She didn’t think much of it anymore, she knows her memory’s not going anywhere.

Gura picked a quiet, serene place to die: an abandoned beach. Nice place to watch both the sunset and the ocean. She remarked that she gets to see her two favorite places that remind her of her two favorite things: The sea, from whence she came; and the sun, representing the place she left her heart, with Amelia. 

No-one was around to spend her final days with, as she never kept anyone close to her since her first friends. No need to form any relationships if they’re just going to dissolve once they die, she figured.

“Stupid Ame.” Gura muttered to herself, hugging herself closer to keep warmer. “Are you really not going to meet your wife ONE time before she dies? You really are cruel, you bozo...”

“Hey, you’re still badmouthing me until your last dying breaths? You pain me, sharky.”

“Great, now I’m hallucinating her voice right before I die, what a pai-” Gura stops halfway and whips around to find an all too familiar figure standing in front of her. “A-Ame?”

“Long time no see, Gura.” Amelia remarks nonchalantly as she walks up to Gura. She pushes her back down as Gura stands up to greet her. “Stay down, save your energy right before you die, right?”

“I.. I don’t get it. Why are you back? HOW are you back? Why are you back now?” Gura has so many questions she doesn’t know where to start. 

Amelia heaves a grunt and sits beside her. “I suppose I do owe an explanation, huh?” Amelia ponders a moment before starting again. “Well, your memory’s still sharp, right? Do you remember why I left in the first place?”

“Of course I do!” Gura almost shouts, but realizes she doesn’t need to raise her voice when Amelia’s right next to her. “I remember everything in that goodbye letter you wrote. Lots of cheesy lines in that, BT-dubs” Gura jokes which Amelia chuckles back at. “Sorry I couldn’t keep the letter; paper only lasts for so long.”

“Hey, I’m not the only one with the cheesy lines. I got your letter from Calli, she was somehow able to find the right me; despite me time-jumping all over the place.” She pulls out a small piece of paper. “Decomposing doesn’t matter to a time-traveler, so I still got mine. Anyways, I left because I wanted to find a way to be forever with you. And suffice to say, I didn’t find it.”

“Yeah, I gathered that when you left me alone for 1000+ years.” Gura commented dryly.

“Can it, shorty.” Amelia bit back. “Well time-traveling back and forth multiple times without resting took a massive toll on my body, and I was informed by Calli,” Amelia mutters “figures” under her breath “that I had only a few time-travels before it would be it for me. I pondered going back to see you one last time and dying in the timeline I met you guys.”

“On one hand, I’d be happy that you did return. On the other hand, you dying in my arms...” Gura thinks of the possibility and shudders. “So what you’re saying...”

“Yup, this is my last time travel. I went forward in time and found out when the last Atlantean Shark died, and figured it was you. Only hard part was finding out where you decided to die. Thank the stars you didn’t decide to sink to the bottom of the seabed alone.”

“And you figured that I’d want to die somewhere with some memories.” Gura concluded and Amelia nodded. “You recognize this place? We went on many midnight strolls down this beach.”

“Well the landmarks are certainly different from our time as Hololive members, but the geographical position is similar.” Amelia comments, looking at the surroundings.

“Yup, still our special place.” Gura smiles and intertwines her hand with Amelia’s. “So, now that you’ve explained why and how you’re here, I can finally say what I’ve been wanting to say.” Gura places her head on Amelia’s shoulder. “I’ve missed you, Sunshine.”

“The feeling’s mutual, sharky.” Amelia squeezes the shark’s little hand. “You know, I expected you to look radically different in 1000 years. But you’ve barely changed, save for a couple lines around your eyes.”

“I look the same because my heart left with you when you disappeared.” Gura gets up and whispers into Amelia’s ear.

Amelia turns several different shades of red. “Okay, how many years did it take you to come up with that corny ass line?”

“Couple hundred.” Gura jokes, then returns to her position beside Amelia. “I suppose when I arrived at Hololive I was already an adult. And you...” Gura sits up slightly to get a better look at Amelia’s form. “You still look the same as when you left me. What, you didn’t find the secret to immortality but found eternal beauty instead?”

“Well, by my own personal timeline, I say it’s only been a couple years since I left you, so I guess I haven’t changed mu-” Amelia attempts to explain how old she is but is cut off by Gura.

“Ha, trick question! You’ll always be beautiful in my eyes.” Gura faces Amelia and gives her a toothy grin.

And tomato red goes Amelia again. “I should NOT have left you that long if all you were going to do is come up with cheesy one-liners.”

“Damn straight!”

“Which begs the question.” Amelia shuffles into a more comfortable position and stares at the slowly descending sun. “Apart from coming up with the one-liners, what HAVE you been doing for over a millennium?”

“Oh, I’ve got a bunch of stories to tell you, Ame.” Gura starts, preparing her vocal chords. “But they’re going to take some time.”

“Wow, you’ve sure been on some adventures, Gura.” Amelia remarks, not shifting from the spot they’ve been sitting for the past couple hours. The sun has been slowly descending past the horizon and is minutes away from plunging the surroundings into twilight.

“Well, we’re not going anywhere, Gura. Let’s hear them.”

---

“I’ll always say this, they will never top the time I spent with you guys.” Gura stretches and lets out a big yawn. “Think it’s about time for me, how about you?”

“Thinking about the same, Gura.” Amelia feels the most tired she’s ever been, and that includes the massive amount of time-travelling she’s done. “Let’s hope we’ll meet again once we go through... Whatever the hell happens when you die, huh?”

“Oh please. Now that you’re back by my side, you’re not leaving it, alive or not. Afterlife or whatever it’ll be, I’m making sure we’re never separated.” Gura struggles to keep her eyes open.

“I’ll hold you onto that, sharky.” Amelia gives her wife’s hand one last squeeze. “From now on...”

“Until forever...” 

“‘Till death do us part.” They say in unison.

...

“Wait, we’re dying right now. Maybe we shouldn’t’ve said that.”

“Don’t ruin the moment, dork.”

[lesserknownwaifus]

[phantomrose96]

The key shortcut of "windows key" and "." held together has changed my life

like

emoji access? supremely powerful 🙂💖

But

Kaomoji ?

The year is 2013 and I am unstoppable ヾ(•ω•`)o o(*￣▽￣*)ブo(*°▽°*)o

[phantomrose96]

[smash-64]

Thank god I found someone other than Alpharad that is actually happy that Pyra/Mythra's in Smash. They're not an anime swordswoman, they're literally an anime sword. Bonus points the fact we never have to hear Rex while playing them (thinking of co-maining/secondary them, never using Smash Ball ever. Fuck Rex's VO)

Heck yeah I’m excited! All people ever said was how Pyra/Mythra would never be in Smash, and I was convinced, tbh. I could barely even believe it was real when people started messaging me about it (shoutouts to my friends who knew I’d be pumped!). I’m not exaggerating when I say that the announcement has fully reawakened my interest in Smash!

Although I do have to say that I don’t think it was necessarily Rex’s voice actor who did a bad job. Skye Bennett, Pyra/Mythra’s voice actor, said that they had almost no direction when they were recording dialogue. And direction is probably more important than anything else, tbh. If you don’t know anything about how the line should be delivered or the motivation behind it, you can’t be expected to put on a brilliant performance. I think Rex stood out so much because he was the protagonist, so he was always around. It’s far from a masterful performance, but I like to think it wasn’t the actor’s fault.

[phemon]

Exactly. If I was a VA, I’d want at least some context when recording a line.

Apart from being a character I’ve really wanted from my favorite RPG on the switch atm (If you don’t count the Blaster Master series which is AMAZING), they also look like a really fun, deep character. The mode switch between a slower, more powerful Pyra and a zippy, weak Mythra is giving me major Melee Shiek/Zelda vibes. But, you know, actually done right, instead of one being obsolete because of the prevalence of fast rushdown top tiers. 

One of the things I’m really excited for is the alternate costumes, I’m really hoping for a Pneuma (whoop spoiler) alt and see if they really add the swimsuit alts lol. I’m hoping for a lot of references to the other prominent Drivers and Blades in the XC2 universe.

The OTHER thing I’m very excited for is music. I was super bummed when there was no XC2 music in Ultimate, but here’s hoping they put in all the bangers: The Main battle theme, Counterattack, and my personal favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1weNnjzaXbY (I didn’t fully play through Torna but that battle theme is SO GOOD)

[smash-64]

Dude, I LOVE Whisper of the Heart! It's one of my favorite Ghibli movies! Fav's still Laputa, since it's what got me into Ghibli in the first place. Do you have a Top 10 (or at least, top 5)?

I so rarely hear people even mention Whisper of the Heart but it was such a cute movie! I actually never saw a Ghibli movie before 2019 lol But I’ve watched a good dozen or so since then! I have an extremely different opinion on what ones are my favorites compared to what the general consensus is, but my Top 5 so far would be:

1- The Secret World of Arrietty 2- When Marnie Was There 3- Whisper of the Heart 4- Kiki’s Delivery Service 5- Castle in the Sky

What are yours??

[phemon]

Nice, it’s nice to know that people are watching ones that aren’t watched by EVERYONE (like Whisper of the Heart) I always hear Spirited Away, Kiki’s, Howl’s and that’s it. My top 5 are: 1. Laputa, Castle in the Sky 2. Nausicaa, Valley of the Wind 3. Howl’s Moving Castle 4. Whisper of the Heart 5. Princess Mononoke 

My top 3 are like that because I love the designs of everything (environment, ship design, wildlife, magic in general) and the lore. Laputa especially. The concept of a lost kingdom in the sky (as opposed to sea, like Atlantis) protected by a massive evergoing storm is so interesting to me.

I need to go on a Ghibli binge again. Certainly got the time now that my job’s been eternally postponed (I work at a stadium so it’s obvious why I’m unemployed). Thank god for Employment Insurance.

[phemon]

Glad to see that Tumblr hasn’t changed in these trying times

[kanayastrider-deactivated201506]

[queen-of-xerneas-deactivated201]

iWAS LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR THIS POST

[marshona]

FIRST EVER ACNL POST I REMEMBER

[wizardshark]

this was literally posted on the launch day of new leaf look how far its come