Hi, y'al! I'm here to chill and geek about Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, and a few other fandoms. I have a few fics in progress at the moment for LOZ, LU, HTTYD, and AOSTH. Pinned post has more details about that. Sideblog is @rhododendron-day
Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog! I’m photobookbee (she/her) both here and on ao3
I'm a fan of a lot of different things, but I tend to get stuck in 1-2 interests at a time. One day I may be mostly posting about How to Train Your Dragon or liking something about One Piece, and then I'm caught up in the Sonic the Hedgehog black hole for the next 4 months.
((Note: Some of my stuff is split between this blog and my sideblog @\rhododendron-day due to incorrectly making my blogs when I first started tumblr. I did my best to fix it but it might seem a bit confusing.))
Asks are open!
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Currently, I am mainly working on:
Sonic the Hedgehog Roleswap au (Masterpost). #dark heroes au
Adventures/Boom: A series of fics based on AOSTH and Sonic Boom episodes. (Masterpost ) #adventures/boom
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Complete works include:
Golden Blooms (tumblr): Written for the Hero of Hyrule's 40th birthday, this fic peeks into the night before our very first adventure with him. Oneshot. ~2,000 words
The Hero of the Triforce: The oldest work on my account, though not the first I ever wrote. This is an LU fic written during the Sunset arc incorporating a headcanon(?) I had seen floating around. Oneshot. 999 words exactly.
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The posting schedule for my longer one-off fics definitely reflects the fact that I get entrenched into only a few fandoms at a time. From most recently updated to who knows when I'll get back to this, my WIPs are:
Circles Never Stop Themselves (#circles never stop themselves) ((bonus points if you know that song)): This is a HTTYD fic incorporating a Soulmate AU mechanic similar to The Family You Choose by TunaFishChris (go read that one; its excellent). If your unfamiliar, by enacting some sort of ritual, soulmates are able to travel into each others' pasts as invisible guides/friends. In a story as defined by secrets and relationships as the first HTTYD movie, this is a game-changer. 9/? Chapters, ~17,000 words
Pocket Change (#pocket change): A Wind and sorta Legend-centric Linked Universe fic. Basic plot summary is that after getting separated from the group, Wind stumbles into one of Legend's adventures. Is it ALTTP? LA? Nope! It's ALBW. Due to timey-wimey shenanigans, some other members of the Chain are able to get him the info and gear needed to pose as one of the NPCs in the game--Gramps (aka Old Man Streetpass (aka commonly theorized to be the Hero of Legend himself in baseline LOZ)).
Mystic Seeds (#mystic seeds): My own Links-and-Zeldas Meet AU. Not everyone is here cause I'm not dealing with that many characters at once. I honestly haven't looked at my plan for a bit, but the first two parts are complete. Here's a link to my old masterpost.
Does this count as Wholesome Sonic & Tails Wednesday? Sonic isn't in this chapter much. That is somehow a bigger red mark than the fact that Tails is currently kidnapped. He and Cream are being cute kids, at least.
All the cries the bunny had been holding in grew and grew. She tried to breath, like her mama taught her, but it didn't work right. The sad, scared feeling took up every space it could before spilling out.
The bigger kid rubbed her back soothingly. She leaned further into his chest fluff. Slowly, her cries softened into hiccups, as the emotional outburst exhausted her
Cream played pretend for a moment. The soft fur was her mother's. It was almost bedtime, and Mama agreed to read her an extra story. The cozy embrace was her baby blanket wrapped snug around her.
The cold, heavy metal around her ears made pretending really, really tough.
Blinking open her tear-filled eyes ended the game for good. Her blankie was blue-green and yellow. She liked it because it reminded her of a young Chao. Whatever was wrapped around her was an orange y-brown with white tips, more like Chocola.
Tails. They were tails.
Cream finally looked up at the kid holding her.
"Is this a nightmare?" she said so softly it might as well have been a whisper.
The rubbing paused for a second.
The fox loosened his grip and sat back. His tails remained gently wrapped around her, which was nice.
"Sorry," he said. "We're awake."
"Oh…"
The older kit paused for a moment. He was frowning, but he also looked like he was thinking about something super hard. He tucked her into his side, half-facing the rest of the room.
"You were really brave back there," he said matter-of-factly.
The complement surprised her. She didn't feel very brave. She felt little and scared and sad.
"Really?"
The fox nodded. "Yeah! That pumpkin-head's tough and mean, but you did a good job keeping your cool."
Her eyes lowered. She wasn't sure about that, but… "Thanks."
When she didn't say anything else, he continued. "I'm Tails, by the way. Cause, y'know." He jiggled his tails a little, but not enough to dislodge her. The fluff tickled her chin and she let out a giggle.
"I'm Cream."
"Nice to meet you." His smile made the cage feel a bit brighter.
She wiped a few of the tears from her eyes. He might think she was brave earlier, but it felt easier with a friend.
Now, she felt strong enough to ask the biggest and hardest question.
"Mr. Tails, what's going on?"
He bit his lip, and his eyes flickered to the door. Cream squirmed a little bit.
Meeting her gaze, Tails explained, "That Katella lady wants to have a bunch of really unique people."
"Why?"
Tails shrugged helplessly.
"I forgot you two weren't there to hear about that," another kidnapped person interjected.
Mama said interrupting people was rude, but you sometimes had to be patient about it, because other kids might forget.
Cream turned to the older bird who spoke. Even though she wasn't a kid, the bun decided it was probably one of those times.
"Gran-gran?" Tails asked.
"She's really bored." Her annoyance shone through her tone, but she at least tried to temper it. Her wing feathers slid against the bars as she gestured. "The girl wants some entertainment and mayhem, and that's what we're for. Not a great reason for kidnapping if you ask me. No revenge, very little scandal. The money is hardly even a part of it!"
The words faded into the space between the cells. It became a struggle to breath. Cream's eyes trailed across the room, realizing just how many people were already here. In cages. Probably missing their families as much as she missed hers, all because a stranger was being mean for no good reason.
Tails nudged her head into his shoulder, resuming his calming movements. She didn't cry, but it took a moment for her float back down
"Thanks," she sniffled. She sat up beside him against the bars, only one of his tails wrapped around her. "You're really nice."
The tails around her swayed a little bit, like they were trying to wag. Tails looked down to the floor, a bit embarrassed. "I'm just tryna do what my brother would."
Her stomach sank.
"You have a brother, Tails?" Gran-Gran asked.
He nodded.
"Does he have two tails, too?" Cream added on, worried.
The question hit her new friend's funny bone, judging by his face. "Uh—no. We're not blood brothers. We're not even the same species."
"Trust me, kid," a white bear from a third cage said. "There ain't anybody like him."
They didn't sound like they were trying to be mean, yet Tails frowned anyways.
"That reminds me," Gran-Gran mused. She eyed her and Tails' cage like it was a elementary schooler's math homework. "How'd you catch Katella's attention, Cream?"
The bunny played with the end of her ear as she tried to come up with an answer.
"Gran-Gran!" someone hissed.
"What! It might be important! You saw what Katella was doing!" While speaking to the person on her other side, she gestured with her wing towards the counter..
White light bounced off a metal band near her shoulder. Her plumage hid most of it.
Tails sat up straight. They both stared at it, hearts stopping in unison.
Cream shook her head. It felt a bit fuzzy—and not in the normal way—as she tried to think. The weights on her ears pulled them uncomfortably. She fidgeted with them, feeling out the smooth, curved metal.
"Ma-Mama says that my flying is special…"
Despite her quiet voice, the statement seemed to send an explosion through the room.
The tail wrapped around her flinched and fell. Tails leaned away.
Discomfort prickled underneath her skin, where his eyes zeroed in on her arms, her ears, the metal bands. She couldn't understand the look in his eyes, nor why his brain looked like it was going a trillion miles per hour.
"Fly?" In Gran-Gran's cage, the duck's jaw fell open. Several others did too, but a few looked angry for some reason. Even the old albatross looked taken off guard.
Cream shrunk beneath all of the attention, gripping onto the end of her ear tighter. "Is-is that bad?"
"No!"
The question knocked Tails out of his trance. He noticed her grip and replaced her ear with his paw. "No, it isn't bad." He took a deep breath, holding her hand tightly. "It's just…" His mouth opened and closed several times, not finishing his sentence.
"Stranger by the day," Gran-Gran laughed quietly. The handful of people not fixated on Cream looked to her as she broke the short silence.
The last parts of the albatross's shock vanished quickly. "I'm 150 years old and I've never seen such a thing. 'Special is underselling it, little lady." She pointed her thumb to her own chest. "And I, for one, am thrilled to welcome you to the High Fliers Club. Our meetings are early in the morning at the top of the tallest tree."
Cream couldn't make that! She didn't even know where the tallest tree was!
Sonic followed the shuttle all the way to its base. Unfortunately, he had no way of getting up to the larger vessel, floating high in the sky. Over the ocean, no less.
Running in literal circles on water didn't do much for him. There was no helpful sea monster or extremely localized tsunami or underground volcano that could give him a lift either. Thus, when another shuttle boosted off the ship, he loyally tailed it.
If there was one good thing about having robots as servants, its that they could clean up without rest. As long as they were not causing a bigger mess. Robotnik chose to believe that they—or whatever gods were out there and not pissed at him yet—would make it so the front lawn was back in shape the next time he went for a walk.
That left him free to cook up a new scheme. This section of the world was in such chaos right now that it seemed a waste to do nothing. Everyone was so focused on the kidnappings—including Sonic—that they would completely miss him usurping the government!
There was an obvious problem with this plan: he also had no way of predicting Katella. She might capture Sonic, his foxy friend, or one of Robotnik's own creations at any time. How was he supposed to play ball when the bases could be ripped away at any moment?
"Oh," he sighed. "If only…"
DING DONG
Pulling up a camera sent Robotnik feinting into his chair.
Katella the Intergalactic Huntress was here! Standing at the front door with a hand on her hip, visibly two seconds away from busting the entire thing down.
Robotnik immediately closed all the tabs of her face on the screen and pressed a button to let her in.
"Madam Katella! What perfect timing…"
"Save the pleasantries," she said while walking down the hallway, knowing he could hear her over the security cameras. "I've been told that your the worst villain in town. I wanted to come by to make sure that we are not stepping on each other's toes."
"Hardly," Robotnik assured. "But I am always happy to have you here. I'm quite the fan of your work."
Katella smirked. "Likewise. Unfortunately, I have to admit that you only showed up on my radar recently."
"I'm flattered regardless." Robotnik spun around, readying himself to greet her. "And I am honored to welcome you to my lair."
Katella, in all her exquisite beauty, strutted through the door with one hand locked on her hip and a smirk fully loaded. "I suppose the pleasantries were warranted after all."
Robotnik laughed and pulled up another chair for her, like a gentlemen. She ran her hands over it with delicacy, before sitting down.
"With you? Always." Robotnik put a hand over his heart and bowed slightly, as was befitting a gentlemen. "May I offer you a drink?"
"Some grape juice, if you have it."
The doctor slammed a fist against the control panel. "SCRATCH! GROUNDER! Bring some grape juice to the control room! I want it YESTERRRRR-DAY!"
"Y-huh-since-"
He silenced the reception and turned back to his guest with a polite smile. "It will be just a moment."
Katella ignored his words, eyes on the panel. "Scratch and Grounder? Two of your creations?"
"Why, yes! Though I sometimes wonder if they were switched at activation—"a single raised eyebrow set him off course—"Yes!"
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he remembered who he was talking to. Leaning against the control panel, he stuck out. "If you are looking to take them, I am not opposed to making a deal. No need for duplicity, as fun as it is."
"I have a different definition of necessary than most." Katella tucked her knuckles underneath her chin. "Regardless, I came for the conversation, not the circuitry."
Robotnik's blood was pumping. At this rate, his face was going to be as red as his suit. It wasn't every day a person as beautiful as the ginger-haired fiend sought out his company.
The door to the control room SLAMMED open.
"Here you go, boss!"
"No, I want to be the one to give it to him!"
Robotnik threw his arm out. "Just set it down!"
"YES-" Scratch saluted.
"SIR!" Grounder pulled a table and chilled bucket out of his chest. When he closed the compartment, both he and his counterpart spontaneously sprouted bow ties. The chicken set a two bottles with long snouts into the bucket and began rolling them over to Robotnik and his guest. He bowed.
Grounder used his nose to pull out the cork of a third bottle.
"I asked for grape juice." The doctor hid his face in one hand.
"Yeah! We grabbed the juice bottles with grapes on them," Grounder said stupidly. "There was an entire room of them in the basement!"
"See—oh wait. This says… Chenin Blank?" The chicken looked around, as if a friend could give him an answer. "That's a kind of grape juice, right?"
Robotnik's countenance was growing redder. He waved a fist at his creations, prepared to go on a rant.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Katella threw her head back into the chair cushion, screaming laughter to the heavens. Her legs kicked up and down, boots loudly clicking against the floor. Holding her stomach through her cackles, her joy blinded Robotnik t everything else in the room.
The two robots looked at each other, before simultaneously turning their gazes to their boss and then his guest.
While gasping for air and trying to hold onto her stomach, Katella stood up from the chair and walked towards Robotnik. He leaned back on the consol as his eyes went wide. With both hands, the huntress grabbed his and clasped them in the air between them.
Little Links epilogue part 8! One more page to go and then we are done 🥺 Well, with the main story at least. I still have plenty of things I want to explore in this world. In some ways, the typical Links meet au has just begun ;)
I just got hit over the head again about one of my favorite episodes of Sonic Boom and now you all have to suffer with me.
So, the entire reason I decided to continue with the series of AOSTH/Boom rewrites after Brain Freeze was so I could expand on a singular Boom episode: Where Have All the Sonic's Gone?
I will never stop thinking about it. The one time. The ONE TIME the series actually plays with the Tails-is-raised-by-Eggman idea and its in an 11 minute comedy episode where they share less than two minutes of screentime and maybe as many lines of dialogue.
PLUS there's ample opportunity to explore Sticks as a leader and Amy as her right-hand. I love their friendship, and this episode really has a chance to highlight it given that they are the only two main characters who manage to stay on the ground. And Sticks makes a lot of sense as a leader in this situation!! She's incredibly paranoid and used to living in the wild which makes her a great match for a island-sized panopticon / robot apocalypse. But the fact that her side lacks support and raw power means that they still can't make a whole lot of headway. It's a really interesting situation for her character. After all this time, Sticks' preparedness is completely justified--respected, even--and makes her the most qualified to lead long-term. She isn't any saner but manages to be the most reasonable person on the island.
