#botw would include | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hyylia · 2 months

Text

A DRINK WITH DESTINY ──

botw/totk modern au | rated T major characters: zelda, link summary: for galentine's, zelda and her friends decide to check out hyrule's newest bar, the lost woods. word count: 1695 warnings: alcohol mentions/use

a/n: happy (late) loftwing letters @angelicgarnet! you said you like botw/totk zelink and modern au's so have this modern meet-cute story :) i hope you like it!

read it below the cut or on ao3 → here

It’s five o’clock. The Lost Woods has just opened, and it’s only a matter of time before a crowd makes its appearance. Link’s spent the last hour preparing for it: stocking the bar with an array of cheap liquor and top-shelf alike, cutting garnishes, filling the bin with ice. The Galentine’s event tonight had been his clever idea—a way of bringing in and establishing patrons for Hyrule’s newest bar.

“Go ahead,” he calls out to the band in the corner, tucked away on a small wooden stage. The head of the band, a tall woman with a dark brown bob, nods her head and readies her violin. Light, traditional Hyrulean folk music fills the silence hanging in the bar, just as the crowd begins to slowly trickle inside.

“I’ll have a Champion.” A Gerudo woman with long, red hair sits at the bar mere moments later, handing him her card between two fingers. “And a Zora’s Scale for my friend.” Her head tilts in the direction of the shorter redhead who takes up the barstool beside her. Link nods, mindlessly pulling the Champion into a tall glass, slowly falling into the motion of making drinks. “And another friend will be joining us soon. Put her on my tab when she comes in.”

“Sure,” he says easily. “What does this friend look like?”

“You can’t miss her,” the Gerudo says with a knowing smile and a wink. She takes a sip of her Champion, then nudges the Zora beside her to do the same. Link shrugs, turning away to take the order of another woman.

Eventually, a steady stream of patrons occupy the bar, groups of young women eager to celebrate their friendships and drink on a good deal. The music becomes a background to the loud chatter taking place, and at some point, the Gerudo and Zora leave their barstools with their drinks in hand, mingling with a few others they must know. He turns his attention to his work, focusing solely on getting his drinks just right.

Some time later a voice cuts through the bar. It’s soft and sweet, clear as day to him despite the noise. His attention is shattered at the sound of it. He looks up, distracted.

“Sorry I’m late!” The voice says hurriedly to the Gerudo from earlier, holding a soft blue purse close to her body. She pulls the gold chainlink strap up onto her shoulder with one hand, then runs the same hand through her blonde hair in an attempt to smooth it down into place. From far away, Link can’t hear the rest of the exchange, but he sees the Gerudo wave the apology away. She says something to the woman, then points her towards the bar. Towards him.

The Gerudo was right; he couldn’t miss this woman.

Link has bartended for years—mostly on the side, only recently full-time. He’s flirted, exchanged phone numbers, the whole nine yards. But she… She is like something out of a fairytale. Her golden hair lays in silky straight strands, bangs clipped out of her face with blue butterfly clips. Her eyes are big and beautiful, green like emeralds and accentuated by dark brown cat-eye liner. The pink gloss on her lips seems to glow, reflecting the dim light around them. She is the first woman to make him feel truly nervous.

“Hi,” her soft voice says. She stands on her tiptoes, leaning over the dark mahogany bar to speak to him. It’s unnecessary. Even with all the noise, his attention is focused solely on her. Listening.

“What can I get for you?” He says, trying to look casual as he pours another cocktail through a strainer. He sits the glass on the bar in one quick, fluid motion towards its recipient.

“Oh. Um.” Her green eyes trail from the drink and over to settle on the framed specials sheet sitting atop the bar. They scan the sheet slowly, taking in every detail. Finally, she frowns. “I’m sorry. I don’t really drink…”

“That’s okay,” he says quickly, sounding maybe a bit overenthusiastic. “Do you want something sweet or dry?”

She chews her lip. “Maybe somewhere in the middle? Probably more sweet I think. But not too sweet.”

He nods. Normally when women don’t know what to order, he makes them a classic. A Castletonian, or a simple Zoran’s with cranberry. It’s hard to go wrong with either of those, and if they don’t like it, well… then he has a better idea of what to make for them next time. Yet, for her—for this goddess standing before him—something else comes to mind entirely.

He takes a step away from the bar, conjuring the supplies up quickly from the shelf behind him. Her eyes follow intently all the while, taking in each and every motion he makes. For good measure (and maybe because he likes the feel of her eyes on him), he shoves the sleeves to his blue shirt up over his elbows before he continues. The Master Sword tattoo on his right forearm is fully visible now. She seems to smile at the sight of it.

“How long have you guys been open?” she asks. He’s grateful for her attempt to fill the heavy silence hanging between them.

“Just a couple of weeks.”

“Cool…” Her eyes fall away from him now, taking in the scenery around them. They focus on the plants filling every corner, fake vines crawling up the few faux stone ruins around the room. Finally, they land on the band playing in the corner. “I like it. The theme is really cool.”

“Thanks,” he says, sincerely. Then he shrugs. “I’ve been interested in Ancient Hyrulean stuff for a while. I thought it’d make a cool bar concept.”

Her eyes light up, snapping back to him. “Me too! Well, not the bar thing.” She rushes to explain. “That sounded negative. I don’t mean it like that—it’s a cool concept. I just… I’m actually an archeaology major at the university.”

“Really? I thought about going to school for history.”

She leans forward. “Why didn’t you?”

“I’ve always been bad in school. Trouble focusing, sleeping during class, that kind of thing. I’ve never been super disciplined, I guess.”

“I get it,” she says, but he can tell from the tone of her voice that she doesn’t. No–this woman strikes him as intelligent. She’s probably never made below an A-plus in any of her courses.

He nods without thinking and, with one final motion, garnishes her drink with a simple Silent Princess. It floats lightly on top of the light blue liquid, edible gold glitter shining with every swirl of the martini glass.

“What’s it called?” She wonders aloud as she takes the glass from his hands, peering inside.

“The Princess.”

Her eyes widen. Her mouth opens, then closes. A dark red flush crawls up her skin.

“Oh,” she says quietly. Then, as if realizing what he’s done, her eyes narrow. She eyes the glass suspiciously. “And do you make The Princess for every fair lady who enters your establishment, sir?” Her faux-royalty accent makes him smile.

“Only for you. It seems fitting.”

Despite the dim lighting, her cheeks burn fiercer. She smiles.

“Oh. Then thank you.”

“What’s your name?” he asks finally. It’s his turn to lean against the bar, resting his chin lazily on a hand.

“Zelda,” she says with a soft smile. He widens his eyes.

Zelda, like the ancient princesses from thousands and thousands of years ago. Either it’s a coincidence or—

“Are you teasing me?”

“No,” she laughs, “that’s really my name. What’s yours?”

“Link.” Her mouth falls open. She laughs harder. It’s a lovely sound and makes his heartbeat quicken.

“Like the hero?”

“The very same, actually. My dad was really into military history. Wars and stuff.”

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Hero,” she teases, holding a hand out for him to take.

“Same for you, Princess.” Feeling bold, he pulls her hand closer. His mouth lightly brushes the back of her hand. It hovers. At the very last second, before he pulls away, his blue eyes flick up to meet hers. She dares to hold his gaze.

They break away only for her to take a sip.

“Mmm! It’s perfect!”

“Good.” He gives a lopsided grin, releasing her hand. “I’ll make as many as you wish, Princess. On one condition.”

“And what might that be?”

He points his finger up in the air, towards the rickety wooden sign hanging above the bar. Drink Responsibly. Don’t Get Lost, it says, scrawled in someone’s poor attempt at mimicking Ancient Hyrulean script.

She laughs. “Clever.”

“Thanks.”

“Zelda!” The Gerudo’s voice cuts through the bar. “Come here!”

“Sorry,” she apologizes, wincing. She hesitates to move away from him. “Thanks again.”

And like that, she’s gone.

—

He’s closing up the bar when something catches his attention. A specials sheet, removed from its frame and torn in half, sits between half-full glasses on the bar. When he peers closer, there’s text.

Thanks for everything. You were really nice tonight. I’d love to get to know you more. -Zelda

Below the text, a set of numbers is scrawled in pretty handwriting. Her phone number. Link grabs the paper quickly and wastes no time in sending her a text.

—

Her phone buzzes, just as she enters the shared apartment with Urbosa and Mipha. Warm and fuzzy, stumbling slightly from the alcohol, Zelda struggles only momentarily to pull her Slate from the pocket of her jacket. It lights up when she finally does, the notification quickly expanding on her screen.

Hey, it’s Link, the bartender. Thanks for giving me your number, I’d love to hang out some time. :)

Zelda blinks once. Twice.

“How’d he get my number?” She asks no one in particular. Had she given it to him? Did she forget? It’s possible, she muses. The Princess had been stronger than it’d tasted.

“Sorry, Zel.” Mipha is the first to crack, her voice soft and nervous. “But you should have seen the way you two looked at each other.”

“And, Princess,” Urbosa gently mocks, a wide, mischievous smile spreading across her face. “He’s handsome.”

Zelda can’t say she’s angry.

#disclaimer im zelda and i dont drink very much so if some of this doesnt make sense just smile and nod and pretend #however ive been picking up part time shifts at a restaurant/bar recently and ive learned a lot !!#hyylia lore #thats what inspired me to write this tbh link would make a bangin bartender #i wanted to include more but alas word limit #if this is received well i might add to it and flesh it out more!! i was already worldbuilding for just this little drabble which is so fun #y but thats how it goes isnt it lololol #also ok i know in botw/totk its technically hyrule/korok forest but like the lost woods is such a good idea for a bar i couldnt help myself #loftwing letters #loftwing letters 2024 #zelink community #zelink #botw #totk #my writing

27 notes · View notes

good-advice-ganondorf · 2 months

Text

#take this as a bonus round to find 2nd and 3rd #just a lil curious because these seem to be a little skewed in botw/totk's favor since a good amount of ppl have only played those #which isn't a bad thing ofc ^^ if it was a problem i would just not include them in these polls #loz #the legend of zelda #tloz #majora's mask #skyward sword #worst zelda boss tournament

25 notes · View notes

ladyrijus · 1 year

Text

I'm not sure if the creators realize, but based on its title alone, Tears of the Kingdom has the potential to turn around the entire Legend of Zelda franchise in terms of its storyline.

Let me explain.

I think we can all agree that in most of the games, there is a core narrative of light versus evil that outlines the game. Link and Zelda are the benevolent heroes of the story and Ganondorf / Ganon is the irredeemable villain. Storywriters for the franchise like to use this formula for the franchise because hey, it's worked so many times, and gained lots of reception, so why not?

But just because it has worked doesn't mean it's right or suitable.

Firstly, given the history of our world, it is problematic that the face of evil for this game series is a dark skinned man from a tribe of women who are based of the caricatures and sexualization of women raised in the MENASA regions (MENASA stands for the Islamic countries in Middle East, North Africa, South Asia) and the face of good is always two white characters who are held in the highest regard. Not to mention, Ganondorf and his foster mothers Koume and Kotake had their character designs in Ocarina of Time based on anti-semetic caricatures. This overall set-up speaks volumes already, but it doesn't stop there. The franchise decided to expand upon the lore of the Gerudo in Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess, explicitly and implicitly establishing that the tribe was, in fact, oppressed, ostracized, and underwent genocide. Some people may argue that this information is up for debate, given that a lot of it comes from Ganondorf who is an unreliable narrator; however, this argument fails to consider that even then, it never proves that Zelda and Link are any more trustworthy. After all, the victors write history. With these complexities added in, it becomes hard to discern who exactly is in the right or wrong. In reality, the matters were never black and white to begin with.

This segues to my next point: the light versus darkness trope is not suitable this time around. It's a very two dimensional, inaccurate representation of the world of Hyrule that conflicts with the goals the creators are trying to achieve in Tears of The Kingdom. If they truly wanted to concentrate on the duality between light and darkness, they've already done it with Breath of the Wild. We had Calamity Ganon, a sub-sentient manifestation of hatred that sought nothing but death and destruction, and it was up to Link and Zelda, who strove for the preservation of life and progress, to seal it. So why continue to expand on that? Why bring back Ganondorf? Personally, I see no point in his return.

Unless… the "Tears" of the Kingdom refer to the Sheikah.

"But, wait!" you ask, "All this talk about the Gerudo and for what? What does the Sheikah have to do with this?"

To explain this we'll have to start at the beginning. No, not Skyward Sword, though it shares striking similarities with Tears of the Kingdom, such as the return of the magatama relics, a character with a likeness to Demise, and the juxtaposition between land and sky. No, we have to go before even then. We have to go to the Era of Hylia.

The Legacy of Hylia

Not much is known about Hylia beyond the fact she was meant to protect the Triforce as supposedly ordained by the Golden Goddesses and the people worshipped her for it. But, notice how we learn this story through Fi, a creation of Hylia, with few additions from Impa, from the Sheikah tribe that Hylia established herself. The Triforce is seen as something to protect in this story they share, though interestingly, the relic itself is designed to be as unbiased and uncaring of the individual that seeks it out. It is, without a doubt, divine (as it quite literally is a means to warp reality), but there is also no tangible morality associated with it.

So why did the Golden Goddesses think it had to be protected? Why is Hylia chosen to do it?

…Why did Demise go for it?

If it wasn't clear enough, Hylia is much more flawed than the creators let on. She feels entitled to the Triforce, though there is no reference but the Golden Goddesses (whom no one has ever witnessed) that says she should. It's selfish, almost childish even, that she gatekeeps it away from any user. It's human. Perhaps her traits are a reflection of the time she had spent with the civilization that worshipped her. Because of this, I consider her to be a demigod rather than god. Not so distant and otherworldly like the Golden Goddesses, but a force of nature that can't be subdued but still respected. Time is ruthless, it flies and it trudges. But I digress. In short, for all that is said about Hylia and her divinity, she was certainly stubborn in her efforts to prevent anyone from wielding the Triforce so that her world could remain the way it is, perfect and idyllic.

But that's the thing, life was not idyllic like she wanted the Sheikah and the rest of the world to remember; no, it was terrible enough to spur Demise and his "demon" forces to seek out the Triforce as a means to wrest control from her. Again, I want to make it clear that Hylia and Demise go beyond the bounds of good and bad. A lot of lives were lost to Demise, to the point the humans nearly went extinct. There's little to redeem on that end. But we're never told the stories from the other side of the battle, so who's to say they hadn't suffered as much extreme casualties? Either way, there had to be something Hylia had done (or even not done) for Demise to take severe measures. The hatred he feels is all consuming, but there is something to be said about how hate does not bloom spontaneously — it is cultivated and grown. Keeping all of this in mind, I sometimes wonder if Demise's name was in relation to Hylia, as in he was her Demise, and that those demon forces of his were actually the demonized. We'll never know. But what we do know, is that the Triforce was the Golden Goddesses' way of giving hope to the mortals, to be able to use divine power to shape the world as they see fit (at least, according to the first Zelda, which is a fantastic moment of irony if you ask me) and Demise had every intention of seeing his future through.

The Sheikah's Story

Now, let's fast forward a few eons and come back to the tears. Many people have associated the tears from the title to be the magatama relics seen with Zelda, Sidon, Riju, Tulin, and Ganondorf. But the tear's symbolism in the franchise has been around for much, much longer, thanks to the existence of the Sheikah. The tear is a part of the eye symbol for the Sheikah, and according to the The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia, it represents their willingness to go any lengths so as to support their divine mission of protecting the Royal Family that possesses the blood of the goddess Hylia. Given that information alone, wouldn't it make sense that the title "Tears of the Kingdom" refers to the Sheikah?

"Okay sure, but what role would they play in the game?" That's not the point. It's not the role they play now. It's the role they played in the past. Something of particular interest to me when it comes to the Sheikah is how differently the Sheikah are characterized between the games of Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Breath of the Wild. In Skyward Sword, they were a tribe who patiently for the day to protect the goddess's reincarnation and went so far as to transport her through time repeatedly. In OOT, they were agents who went so far as to secretly carry out the Royal Family's dirty work. In BOTW, they were inventors and sorcerers who went so far as to recreate divine power to protect the land.

But guess what never changes? The fact that they write history.

Above everything else, they are the storytellers, and they have seen everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly. But with the role of storytelling, they have the ability to alter it, embellish it. And in the Sheikah's case, they have a tendency to omit the negative, so as to promote support for the goddess and her Royal Family. Think about it: Impa never explains why Demise wanted to take control of the world in Skyward Sword and she's the first to jump to fix issues at the Shadow Temple in Ocarina of Time so no one has to bear witness to what the temple had actually turned into. If she did, Hyrule would surely fall into chaos. To Hyrule, the governing powers like the goddess Hylia and the Royal Family are the pinnacle of morality. That image can't be compromised.

And for a time, it wasn't, until we reach Breath of the Wild. That's when things get interesting.

In the tapestry, as shown above, a majority of it is occupied by the tale of the warrior with the spirit of a hero, a princess with divine power, and a technological army pioneered by Sheikah. That's what the game's creators want you to see. But do you see that little strip at the bottom?

Yeah, that. It's a tiny piece of the story but it's a big one. By now, most game fans know that is the history of how the Yiga Clan came to be. Cado, one of the Sheikah that stands guard in front of Impa's home, elaborates on this imagery, remarking that once upon a time, the Royal Family (more specifically the King of Hyrule) did turn on the tribe that swore nothing but utmost loyalty to them.

Of course, this seems counterintuitive. Why punish the people who protected you? What was their sin? As far as we're told by Cado, Sheikah technology had once been praised as "the power of the Gods". Now, I won't get into too much detail about this, but the Triforce, which you might have noticed isn't really mentioned by word of mouth in Breath of the Wild, is now a power of the Royal Family that is passed down. All parts of it. It's a lot to take in, given my lack of elaboration, but I recommend watching THIS video by Monster Maze who does a fantastic job exploring the nature of the whole Triforce being hosted in an individual body.

But what I want you to take out of this information is how there is, essentially, a rivalry between the Sheikah and the Royal Family, a sudden leveling of the playing field that the latter party does not want. It's eerie how similar they act as their ancestor god. The entitlement is present yet again: you cannot change the world like I can, you cannot be as powerful as I am. I have the final say. This certainly paints a more explicitly, vicious picture of the Royal Family, but it's nothing really new. After all, the Sheikah remember everything cruel that had been done to others by this family, by them, but hid it for the purpose of the "greater good". But once they become the target, everything changes. The Sheikah don't remove it from history. They remember it. Some more passionately than others.

Ties between the Gerudo, the Sheikah, and the Yiga.

Something else on the Sheikah tapestry that seemed out of place for me is the depiction of the hero.

He is clad in green, which one would imagine, is a reference to Link's green motif throughout the games. However, I fully believe that detail is a red herring — that is to say, it's meant to throw us off. And from what I have seen, most fans of the game agree. Why? Because that same individual has red hair and a sword that looks more like a golden claymore than the sword that seals the darkness. And well, given that the Gerudo are the ones who use golden claymores, plus the way the figure is drawn to have a knee bent, there can only be one person this image is referring to:

Ganondorf.

Keep in mind how the Sheikah have erased his name, but did not erase him, and that the Yiga swear their allegiance to Calamity Ganon. To be completely honest, I think the Calamity did not have the name Ganon to it 10,100 years prior to the events of Breath of the Wild. But, to explain why it suddenly does in Breath of the Wild, I do believe Ganondorf had a calling to malice, whether the kind left behind by the Calamity or the kind that was already existing throughout the land. Read THIS post by @golvio to get an idea of what I mean. The only change I would make regarding this theory is that the people did not originally see the malice as inherently evil. A little rot was needed to clear the space for new growth. But with great power comes great responsibility, and I think Ganondorf might have utilized the malice in a manner the King of Hyrule was not pleased with.

How so, and why? Well there can be different reasons to choose from for the creators, but I have a personal favorite theory that explains why the Sheikah and Yiga remember Ganondorf more acutely than even the Royal Family and why there's ruins in the Gerudo Desert: As a last resort, to protect the Sheikah who helped him defeat the Calamity, and to reclaim the technology they lost, Ganondorf used the malice to take over the guardians and to get rid of the soldiers wiping out the civilians. In response, Zelda from that time was tasked with defeating him with the help of the other "Sages" (those who possess the magatama relics/tears) and one of those sages sealed him away with the Zonai hand. Zelda's betrayal breeds the hatred that Demise foretold would reincarnate, time and time again, leading to Ganondorf internally accepting that a peaceful world is a world without the Kingdom of Hyrule, without the Royal Family, completing the cycle once more.

And so here it comes, the big storyline change that Nintendo stands on the precipice of:

To break the cycle, Ganondorf is not the one that needs to necessarily be redeemed. It's Zelda. That isn't to say that Ganondorf isn't flawed and should not repent; there are a million things he could have done better or have not done, whatever it is that lead him to be sealed. And what I mean by Zelda having to be redeemed is that even though she technically has done nothing personally to Ganondorf, it is her blood that binds her to the ancestors who spurred the very hatred that fueled the Calamity and left behind a legacy built on the maintained misfortune of others. If anything is to change, she must be the first to cast aside her fear so that the cycle cannot repeat again, and instead work on understanding her family's past and building her faith. And no, I don't mean her faith in the goddess (she has lost too much trying to), but faith in the goodness of a man who was unfairly pushed to become the worst version of himself to protect the helpless.

#i would love a change like this so that the franchise can start steering away from its racist past of “white ppl good poc ppl bad” yknow #the way i see it botw is where the royal family essentially atones for the heinous crimes they committed over eons #sort of karmic in a way #having lost most of its people history and culture just like the gerudo had in twilight princess and wind waker for example #and then botw zelda takes responsibility and lays the blueprint for a more prosperous future that includes EVERYONE to the best of her abil #now how she would convince ganondorf that she's being genuine is beyond me but someone else can take care of the details #and well. ganondorf doesn't HAVE to forgive her he just got out of being dead so #what matters is that zelda tries and no matter the push back she's not going to make the same mistake as her ancestors #loz #tloz #the legend of zelda #legend of zelda #botw #breath of the wild #totk #tears of the kingdom #ganondorf #zelda #impa #hylia #demise

81 notes · View notes

chambers003 · 1 month

Text

oot/mm link is so fucked up like.

you are a 10 year old child, living with other children, and you are different from them. you don’t know how.

you are a child, and you have found other children, supposedly like you.

you watch as your newest friend is torn from you, leaving only an ocarina and knowledge of a sword behind.

you pull the sword from its pedestal and the world goes white.

when you awaken, you are a child in a 17 year old’s body, and the world has turned to ruin in your absence.

you are a child in an adult’s body, yet you begin your quest to defeat the evil that took your friend from you.

you have gotten used to being in a 17 year old’s body, but the first friend you made in your new world has just sent you back to relive the childhood he believes was stolen from you, without even asking your permission. he does not know you’ve gotten used to this life.

you remember your previous life, in this new one. he would not have known.

you are 9 years old. you are an adult in a child’s body.

you face a demon puppeting a child’s body.

you have three days until the moon crashes. the moon crashes. you play a tune, and you have three days until the moon crashes.

you try not to think of yourself when you look at the skull kid, wearing the mask of the demon controlling them.

you try not to think of them when you tear the souls from others and craft them into masks. the agony of donning them is enough.

you do not know how old you are. you are 9 years old. you do not know how many times you have lived three days. you are not 9 years old.

you hold the power of a god in your hands.

you wear the power of a god on your face. you are a god in a child’s body.

you do not know what you are.

#my post #yes i he/him oot sheik. he didnt NEED to trans his gender when he went into hiding. but he did.#anyway #my timeline is #oot link was 10 and he aged up to 17 upon pulling the master sword. (pulled from the fact in botw 17 is considered adulthood)#mm link was around 8 or 9 when he was like ‘yeah no i cant wait any longer i know what’s coming and i wanna stop it NOW.’#so he did that and then mm takes place when he’s 9 #this is all just physically ofc #mentally he’s probably closer to 20-25 at this point #then ofc mm happens and Who Knows how long he was stuck in termina. and then the power of the fierce deity… he becomes the fierce deity?#how old is a god?#so he’s been around for ??? years timeloop included. and fierce deity is ???????? years old. and link himself is somewhere between those two #(the number of question marks used is indicative of how old relatively they are to each other)#the legend of zelda #ocarina of time #majora’s mask #i love oot/mm. would love to play it one day. (ive started oot but hit a roadblock rly early on)

13 notes · View notes

axewchao · 1 year

Text

A Difficult Topic To Broach

Broach (v): To raise a sensitive or difficult subject for discussion.

In which the Rito and the Hylian have a long overdue talk.

Story's under the readmore! And it's a long one, longest I've probably ever written! Enjoy the wall of text, y'all :'D

~~~

Revali could count on one wing all the times he'd been this nervous.

His first archery competition. His first flight race. The first time another Rito showed romantic interest in him. That time he challenged his endurance by flying nonstop for several hours, followed by him crash-landing on Satori Mountain and meeting the mountain's Lord face-to-face, ending with him shrieking in pure terror as he ran away.

But this… this was something else entirely. It wasn't his pride nor his life on the line, merely his heart.

It had been several weeks since he retrieved that accursed mask from the aforementioned mountain. Several weeks of replaying everything in his head, searching for any signs of deceit or truth, and giving himself a headache from his indecisiveness. Several weeks of lying awake at night with the mask in his arms, refusing to admit that he wished the mask's owner was there with him, to have those long-winded talks he'd grown so fond of.

Several weeks of avoiding the Hylian that caused all this, either hiding out of reach on Medoh or staying out of sight as much as possible when grounded by the other Champions as a group. Daruk and Mipha ended up having Revali as both backup and a sparring partner more often, not that either of them showed any complaints. If anything, Daruk in particular was overjoyed, assuming that their normally standoffish Rito ally was finally coming out of his shell. Rather than deny it, Revali for once held his tongue, letting the loud Goron think whatever he pleased.

The proud back "pats" he could do without, though.

And Urbosa? Revali never liked it when she tried lecturing him, or gave him that look that said 'I can read you like a book.' But it seemed as though this time she was just as in dark as everyone else, only commenting on Revali's shift in behavior a few times before moving on to more important matters, like the Princess' wellbeing, along with her knight's.

Speaking of that little knight…

Revali's rage over "the incident" had mostly died down, enough for him to stomach seeing the Hylian or hearing the other man's name without sneering. The knight in question didn't seem to make any effort to seek Revali out as far as he could tell, though whether it was because of guilt or indifference remained unclear. Revali's first instinct was to assume the latter; that the other boy was back to being his unemotive, uncaring, placid-faced self after his little stunt.

But those dark circles under his eyes, the signs of neglect in his hair, his ears somehow drooping even more than they already do, the overall faded complexion he'd displayed since that fateful night…

No one would take an act that far… would they?

If he truly wished to “toy” with you as you say, would he have bothered to reveal his true self at all?

That was the question Medoh probed Revali with, one he couldn't answer. Because truthfully, he was afraid.

Afraid that everything he assumed was right. That the perfect Rito, the perfect person he was able to form a meaningful connection with, was nothing more than a wicked, heartless lie.

Just this once, he wanted to be wrong.

~~~

Asking the Hylian to meet him alone was not easy.

Something always got in the way. A new monster to fight, a Yiga ambush, the knight just not being left alone for even one damn minute. For all of Zelda's efforts to get away from her appointed knight, he always found a way to keep her in his line of sight. And when she wasn't around, someone else was. From Mipha healing his wounds, to Urbosa dragging him off for sparring or lectures or Medli knows what else, to Daruk challenging his "brother" to random tests of strength. All in an effort to "get the little guy out of his funk!" in the big lug's own words.

Regardless of his "funk" being real or not, Revali had to give the Hylian credit where it was due; enduring such a complete lack of personal space for weeks on end wasn't something just anyone could do. Not without snapping, anyway. Revali would've undoubtedly started pecking at someone or plucking his own feathers by now if he were in the Hylian's talons. Er, shoes.

Was this the reason why he only appeared as a Rito at night, then? Because that was the only free time he actually had? And he chose to spend it with—

Revali forced the faint traces of hope in his heart back down. It was too soon for things like that. That was another thing Medoh told him: to not take his first guess and run with it. The ancient bird really was trying to act like a mentor of sorts, turning this into one giant "lesson" for Revali to learn.

The timing could've been better on her end. Maybe when Revali's ability to trust others wasn't in danger, perhaps? Just throwing it out there.

Now, with all these obstacles in place, simply waiting until nightfall was obviously the correct option, right? Oh, how he wished.

Even on the nights where he wasn't too tired to think clearly, all it would take is one glance at the Hylian and Revali's nerves would fly right out the window. He gave himself excuse after excuse; it's too soon, I don't know what to say, the others will hear us, he'll humiliate me. But the topic needed to be broached, whether Revali liked it or not.

It was either that or suffer in silence forever.

So with a heavy wing and pounding heart, he reached out and grabbed the Hylian's shoulder, stopping both of them from following everyone to the Highland Stable. He ignored the way the other man nearly flinched as he leaned in from behind, his beak barely brushing against a silver-pierced ear.

"We need to talk." He whispered urgently, "Meet me in Faron Woods. Tonight."

The burgundy-haired boy hesitated before nodding, not even turning to meet Revali's eyes. In a way, Revali was grateful; he felt like he would've cracked under the stress if he had to look at those darkened purple irises again. He pulled his wing away as though he'd been burned and continued onward, leaving the knight behind.

He kept walking, even passing the princess and other Champions, eyes firmly locked on his own talons.

He didn't look back, not even when several voices called his name in concern.

~~~

Night had come much sooner than Revali would've wanted.

The sky was clear, both the stars and rising moon were in perfect view, so Revali had no need to worry about getting lost in the dark due to his damned lack of night vision. Under any other circumstance, the moonlight streaking through the trees would've been a lovely sight, but it currently failed to ease his racing mind.

As he walked (he didn't run, shut up) across Fural Plain towards the woods, Revali made the choice to wait by the entrance instead of going inside. This way, he could keep an eye out for when the man in question showed up. The last thing he wanted was to be left sitting in the woods alone like some fool.

He already made a fool of me once, no reason to let him dig the knife in.

Enough of that, Revali.

Revali nearly set off his gale in a panic. Medoh?! Gods, I told you to stop scaring me like that!!

My apologies. But my point still stands, you must stop that nonsense.

What are you talking about?

Clinging to your assumptions. You are doing it again. Medoh paused, as if sighing. And you were doing so well earlier…

Revali scoffed. I don't recall asking for your approval.

Perhaps you did not, but I will express it anyway. Medoh wasn't capable of chuckling, but Revali could practically hear it regardless. You were indeed doing well before. And it is clear that you are trying to do well now. I am glad to see that you took my words to heart.

Revali growled under his breath as he smoothed down his feathers. …Thanks.

Hm? I detect a note of… what was it again… sarcasm? Are you being sarcastic with me?

Don't give me that, you know what sarcasm is, Medoh.

Yes, yes, I am well aware. I was simply trying to calm you down with our usual banter. Medoh's tone suddenly turned to faint concern. Your mind is filled with troubled thoughts…

Revali didn't reply, his crest drooping as he looked down. He leaned against a tree and hugged himself, despite there being no chill in the air.

Are you alright?

Alright? Revali's eyes burned, How could I possibly be alright? My heart could be shattered to pieces by sunrise. How do you expect me to feel?

So you decided to confront him after all?

Aren't you literally in my head all the time?

Medoh paused again before answering, her tone switching back to that of a consultant. Revali… I understand that you are fearing the worst. But I believe that you are… how to put it… overprepared.

Revali raised a brow. What?

You have made yourself aware of the worst possible outcome. Which is, again, understandable. But in the process, you are convincing yourself that the worst result is the only one you will get. Have you forgotten what I said before?

Revali sighed. No… I haven't. But what if…

…Yes?

What if… Revali gulped, his heart picking up speed once more. What if he really is sorry? What then?

Medoh made a confused trill. I do not understand your question.

If he really was just using me, at least then I know what I'll do; hate him for all eternity, never forgive him, and never give him the time of day again. But… If he wasn't, then… Revali trailed off, reluctant to finish the thought.

I do not have the answer to that. What happens next between the two of you is for you both to decide.

Yeah… Revali sighed, I figured you wouldn't. He looked up, gazing toward the distant stable. I know he agreed to come, but…

I am not nearby, so I cannot see him. Nor can I currently see him through your eyes. But the night is young, and you left rather early.

That much was true. Revali had opted to leave for the forest as soon as he'd finished eating that evening. Everyone (minus Mipha and Daruk, who ate their own fill of fish and rocks respectively) had carrot soup this time, but sadly they weren't the godly Kakariko carrots, so he couldn't distract himself with a delicious meal. All he could do was eat quietly while the others talked, and steal glances at the Hylian when no one else was watching.

He has a name, you know.

Oh, shut it.

Yet another preparation, perhaps? Teaching yourself to stop addressing him by name in case the worst comes to pass?

Revali felt himself flush under his feathers, mostly out of anger than embarrassment over the beast's correct guess. Shut up!

You are better off waiting until after your suspicions are confirmed or denied before you try something like this. You have been refusing to call him by name for weeks now.

If he really is as cruel as any other Hylian, then I don't even want to think about his name, let alone utter it. Is that a crime now?

It is if you are doing it before you talk to him. Must you be so dramatic?

It's not dramatic! If he saw no reason to treat me with respect then I don't—

Honestly, Revali… Medoh cut him off, It would not kill you to hold off on your judgement a moment longer. Now be still and hold your tongue. Revali's vision suddenly gained a faint blue hue. The Divine Beast was using his eyes.

The stable. Look again.

Revali did as he was told, but wasn't sure what he was looking for. The blue of Medoh's presence made everything blend together. …What? What is it?

…He is coming. It would seem that much like you, he has no intentions of wasting time.

Wait, what-?! Revali's feathers puffed in alarm. He shook his head and blinked several times, willing Medoh's vision away. Sure enough, there he was, walking down the path towards the now-panicking Rito. His head was down, so Revali couldn't see his face, just locks of burgundy that were much duller than they should've been, even under moonlight.

His time was running out.

No no no no no, not now! Revali hid behind a tree, hoping his feathers would blend in with the foliage. How long has he-? I don't even know what I'll-! He grabbed at his frazzled crest, Medoh, help me out here!! What do I do-?!

As I said before, what happens next depends on you. Both of you, and no one else. I refuse to interfere.

You couldn't give me a better warning, at least-?! Revali mentally yelled as he frantically smoothed down his feathers.

Calm yourself. Be patient and listen to his defense. Once all has been said, then you may pass your judgement. And not a moment sooner. Do you understand?

I… I…

Do you understand, Revali?

Revali's eyes started to burn, and he shut them tight. After a moment's hesitation, he finally relented. …Yes. I understand.

Good. I will leave you to settle this mess. Do not do anything rash, and do not act as though woe is all that betides you.

Was Medoh really about to just leave him to fend for himself here?? Sure, he never asked for Medoh's assistance in this matter, or any matter at all before, but him not asking never stopped her from meddling anyway!

I wish you the best of luck, my Champion. And with that, Medoh's presence was gone.

Of all the times to leave him alone… why now? It felt like Medoh had just thrown him to the wolves. Damned beast!!

All Revali could do was curl his hands into fists as he tried to force himself to calm down. Keep a straight face. Don't let the Hylian know that his will was unsteady. He had to be firm and direct, like always. He could do this. He had to do this. He—

…was cut off by the sound of someone gasping under their breath.

Oh dear Zephos and Cyclos, he couldn't do this.

Revali looked over his shoulder, and there he was, just a couple feet away.

He felt a brief chill as he stared into those pupilless purple eyes. Eyes that once shone with a light pink glow, eyes that once made him feel a number of different things. They were still rimmed with dark circles, implying that the Hylian either became a night owl from doing gods know what after dark, or he simply wasn't sleeping well.

Revali was afraid to find out the answer. But he already knew that through the conversation they were about to have, he'd get that answer anyway.

At Revali's lack of a reply, the Hylian ducked his head again, looking down at the ground. He raised it back up when Revali cleared his throat.

"Well, it's… good to know that you're punctual." Gods, even that was hard to say. He turned his back, waving the other over with a wing. "Follow me."

He heard footsteps following behind him, and that was enough for now.

~~~

Faron Woods was bigger than it looked on a map.

And in a way, that was a good thing. It meant that when Revali found a decent spot to sit, the view was lovely without looking too cramped or foreboding. The trees overhead provided cover, but still let streaks of blue light through, making even the leaves resemble sapphires. It was a scene worth painting, or taking a picture with the Sheikah Slate.

If things went well, Revali could look back on this clearing fondly. But if they didn't…

His feathers ruffled at the idea. Ignoring the urge to smooth them back down again, he glanced over at the Hy-

You are better off waiting until after your suspicions are confirmed or denied before you try something like this.

…at Dalex, who quickly turned away from him. Even under the shade of the trees, Revali could still see how disheveled he was. He was almost tempted to call this little meeting off and send Dalex back to the stable to rest. But it was too late to turn back; they were already here, and if Revali forced himself to delay this once more, he doubted he'd ever be able to fully shake off the shame.

Revali is many things, but a coward is not, nor shall it ever be, one of them.

He crossed his arms and braced himself. "You… you know exactly why I asked you to come here. Don't you." It was a statement, not a question.

Dalex's ears twitched as he nodded. His silence didn't sit well with Revali.

"You can't nod your way out of this. You and I both know that you can talk." If he looked away as soon as Dalex flinched, then it didn't happen, right?

Be patient. Do not do anything rash.

Revali sighed, "For the last few weeks, I've… been thinking about what I'd say to you. About… that." He couldn't hide the anger in his voice, only lower it. "I thought I'd have everything worked out, like I always do. But… I don't."

Dalex said nothing, the only indication that he was still listening being the twitching of his ears.

"You…" He crossed his arms, "We both know what you did. I don't see any need to waste time pointing it all out." And if he did so, he'd either crack or succumb to rage, and he wasn't about to do either.

Yet again, Dalex said nothing, but his ears drooped impossibly lower.

"There… ever since you… 'revealed' yourself to me, there've been nothing but questions running through my head. So many questions. And every time I thought about asking you, I just…" He squeezed his arms, willing his feathers not to ruffle. Now was not the time for that.

At the third lack of a reply, Revali felt his patience wane. They'll be sitting here til dawn at this rate.

"I'd like you to look me in the eye when I'm speaking to you, Sta-… Dalex." His crest lowered at the near slip-up.

He felt a wave of regret when Dalex finally did look at him. A light breeze had tousled the bangs that normally covered half of Dalex's face, revealing the right side that was hidden from everyone despite looking just as normal as the left.

He looks so exhausted…

If Revali was wrong in the end, that sight wouldn't be leaving his memories any time soon.

"I suppose I will just say it, then…" His beak hung open, piles of questions forming in his throat as though they were at war over which one could come out first. In the end, he settled on the one that was there the longest:

"Why did you pretend to be the Sta-… him?"

Dalex blinked, clearly expecting something else. For Revali to yell again, perhaps? Like he did that night? Part of him wanted to. But just asking that one question took all the anger out of him, leaving nothing but hollow longing.

You were at your happiest when you were with him. If the way he acted as the Starling had any hint of truth, then I want you to be able to see that.

Revali didn't need night vision to see the hints of reluctance in Dalex's eyes. "I won't yell, or scream, or cut you off, none of that. I want to hear what you have to say."

Listen to his defense. Once all has been said, then you may pass your judgement. And not a moment sooner.

He saw Dalex's mouth twitch, and he bowed his head. "…Please."

He heard Dalex take a deep breath, and then…

"I… I just wanted a break."

Revali raised his head, confused. A… break? "From what?"

"Everything." Dalex's shoulders fell, and his breath hitched. "I've been training to be the Legendary Hero for so long… I couldn't do anything but train, no one would allow me to do anything else. Not when Ganon could show up at any time and destroy everything. I had to follow Her Highness everywhere she went, even if she hated my guts and wanted nothing to do with me. I have to listen to other knights acting like jealous little pricks because I got the Master Sword and they didn't."

Revali winced at that last statement, but thankfully Dalex had already covered his face with his hand.

"Everyone looks at me like I'm either a god amongst men that will save them all or the bane of their existence, and I just-" He stopped, his whole body shuddering. "…Do you remember what I said at Warbler's Nest?"

He most certainly did. How could he forget?

"My life had barely gotten started and I already had to give it up. I couldn't say no; my-… what I had to do, what I still have to do is too important. Is… is it wrong if I'm upset about it…?"

Revali told him otherwise that night… He held the Sta- Dalex's wing in his own and told him that it wasn't fair.

"If I were in your wings, I’d be completely furious.”

"All this time, I never got the chance to do anything unless I had a reason, a damn good one at that. If it wasn't necessary for my role as the Hero, then I couldn't do it. I wasn't… I'm not supposed to be anything but the Hero."

Were… were Revali's ears tricking him or did he just hear a sniffle?

"I… have to be the Hero. I can't be anything else. Not until Ganon's gone. But I…" He pushed his bangs away, eyes now shining with unshed tears. "I was just so tired."

You look like you're still tired. Revali thought to himself. "That's why you used the mask?"

Dalex rubbed his eyes, nodding. "I didn't- I wasn't trying to… to quit, or anything, I'd never do that. I just, I just wanted to get away from it, for a little while."

"But… surely you've heard about those things before. Many have claimed that they'll curse those foolish enough to wear them." Revali personally didn't believe in such things, but he heard it through the grapevine plenty of times, especially near the end of autumn.

"Yeah… I know. That's what I said to the guy that gave me the mask in the first place." A tear fell before he could stop it, and Revali felt a chill run down his spine at the hero's admission. "But… but that first night, I just kept thinking about everything. About my duty, about Her Highness, about Ganon, about y-…"

About… me? Revali's heart fluttered, and he couldn't fathom why.

"I couldn't… I couldn't handle it anymore. I put it on, turned into- into him, and…"

"…Bumped into me." Revali finished. He remembered that night clearly as well. He never thought a Rito could be so clumsy, crashing into him just as he reached his favorite landing. That could've been the only time they ever interacted, but… "…Why spend your 'break' with me, then?"

Dalex made a choked noise, like he was holding back a sob.

"We both know that I've made my… opinions on your status as the Hero very clear. By all means, you should've wanted to avoid me as much as the princess avoids you. Yet you sought out my company above anyone else's."

"I-I wasn't- I mean, I didn't-" Dalex stammered, rubbing his eyes. "I just thought… I thought that things would be different. If I didn't have that damn sword."

Revali tilted his head. "Different?"

Dalex suddenly glared, the tear streaks somehow making his expression even more intense. "Everything I said to you as… as him. Think about what those things were."

Revali was struck silent as memories rushed to the front of his mind, one after another.

"Revali, that was incredible! How're you able to hit so many bullseyes from so far away?!"

"I never thought your bow would have so much weight to it… you're stronger than you look!"

"You're really lucky you get to see your mom all the time… I can't wait to see mine again."

"You know, I was wondering… You've picked up a lot of blacksmithing know-how from your mom. More than I've ever heard, at least. What made you turn to archery, anyway?"

"Ugh, how can you stand carrots? They're awful! Wha- EWWW! Keep them away from me, you- you featherbrain!"

"I never thought there'd be so many uses for your feathers… You guys are like, masters at repurposing."

"Fly across the Gerudo Desert, huh… I never thought about what lay beyond all that sand… but if your dad came from somewhere out there, then yeah, there's gotta be something! It's not like Hyrule is the only place with life in it, after all!"

"Maybe the other Champions were blessed. That's all well and good, but… I have to agree with you, nothing can beat hard work to get where you need to be. And your Gale is… It's more than just a skill. It's literally the start of a whole new legacy for all the Rito."

And one memory in particular stood out amongst all the others:

"To be honest, Revali… I can't remember the last time I talked to someone about anything other than my-… my journey. How important it is, how 'honorable' and 'noble' it is… I'm sick of hearing that. I just want to talk about literally anything else, and… I can, with you. It… It's nice, is what I'm saying."

Dalex, the Legendary Hero, the Hylian Champion, the mightiest knight in all of Hyrule… had said those words right to Revali's face.

"Would you have believed me if I said them the way I am now?" At Revali's silence, Dalex chuckled. "Thought so… You know, hearing you actually have a problem with me being the Hero… it was refreshing, in a way."

"Wh-Refreshing?" Revali was taken aback, "I fail to see how-"

"You didn't like that I had the sword, yeah. But… you weren't a complete ass about it. You at least offered to let me prove myself to you a few times instead of moaning and groaning nonstop." Like that time he suggested they battle on Medoh's back, followed by him bailing from Dalex's lack of a response. Not one of Revali's better moments…

"And… I've seen the way you act when, uh, 'off duty,' I guess. 'Specially around kids. It's sweet."

Revali's feathers ruffled at the compliment. It was true, he'd been known to dote on the children back in Rito Village; offering archery lessons, cooking large meals to feed them in groups, telling stories of his battles against the more powerful monsters, and so on. He'd caught Dalex listening in only once, but that was apparently enough.

"But… whenever you spoke to me, it always came back to my title. That stupid sword. And I just…" Dalex sighed, rubbing his arm. "I thought that… maybe if I didn't have it, then I'd actually get to talk to you. I'd been wanting to, anyway…"

"Have you now…?" Something about that statement made Revali's heart beat just a little faster.

"And I did. And it was… probably some of, if not the best nights I've ever had in my life. I could finally be… me. I actually remembered how to do that, even after a decade of being the Hero." Dalex's smile fell as soon as it came. "But as time went by, and I got to know you more, I…"

"…You what?"

"I started to realize it- it still wasn't-" Dalex pinched his brow, struggling to find his words. "It still wasn't me. Not in your eyes. Could I really count as your friend when you didn't even know who I really was?" He stopped to sniffle before continuing, "That's… that's why I…"

"…You took off the mask in front of me." Revali finished for him.

Dalex nodded, crossing his arms. "You… you deserve a real friend. Someone that can actually speak to you without needing to hide behind a mask the whole time. When I realized what I was doing, I… I had to stop it. I was being selfish and I was hurting you and…" He stopped to take a breath, then raised his eyes to meet Revali's. "And I'm so sorry."

Had… Had Dalex ever apologized for this before? Revali couldn't remember; most of that night became a blur due to his heartbreak and rage. He wouldn't be surprised if his outburst prevented Dalex from doing just that.

Hearing it now, though… it felt real. Revali wanted it to be real, so badly.

"You… you don't have to worry about me using it anymore. The mask, I mean. I threw it away." Dalex briefly looked away to growl under his breath, "Whoever finds it can have it, for all I care…"

Now the former, Revali remembered hearing Dalex say, before Revali silenced him with a gale as he fled. And thanks to a little (er, big) birdy, Revali had undeniable proof that Dalex had completely abandoned the mask. It took a fair bit of strength to not admit that he knew already, and that said mask was now hidden away in his own home.

As for what Revali could say… was there anything? Dalex had said his piece, so…

Listen to his defense. Once all has been said, then you may pass your judgement.

"…I would say that I knew what to think about all of this… but frankly, I don't." He ran a wing through his crest, "If I hadn't blown up at you when I did, then maybe you would've said all this already. Maybe we'd already know where to go from here. Or have an idea, at least…"

Dalex fell silent once more, ears twitching at his words.

I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but… Medoh was right. I was too prepared. Now I don't know what to do.

"I… don't know if I forgive you yet. Or even at all." He didn't see Dalex wince. He didn't. "But… It doesn't seem like you're lying, at least."

He did see the stunned look cross Dalex's face. Once again, it looked as though he was expecting Revali to say something else. An accusation, perhaps? A blatant disregard of his reasons behind everything that's happened between them?

When Revali thought about it, Dalex hadn't so much as tried to beg or fish for forgiveness in the entire conversation… Was he preparing for the worst too? If he was, then that would mean he…

The possibility is there. You know this. That he truly felt remorse for hurting you so.

Revali rubbed his temples as he felt a headache come on. The constant mental back-and-forths haven't been doing him any favors these past few weeks. He was so tired…

"Are… are you alright?" Revali heard the concern in Dalex's voice, and waved it off with a wing.

"I'm fine." Without giving Dalex a chance to reply, he started to stand. "…We should head back."

It was an abrupt end, Revali knew this. And he was pretty sure that they'd have to talk about this a bit more before Revali could make a decision. But again, he was tired. This whole conversation was probably the most exhausting thing he'd experienced in weeks, and all he'd mostly done was sit and listen. At this point, he just wanted to curl up in a cheap stable bed and sleep.

He was so tired, in fact, that he didn't even think twice about offering his wing to Dalex, who took it without uttering another word. Nothing was said when he gave that smaller hand a mild squeeze, and nothing was said when he held onto it, only letting go once they exited Faron Woods.

It wasn't the wing Revali held at Warbler's Nest all those nights ago. Not even close.

But… it still felt the same.

24 notes · View notes

this-user-has-been-erased · 9 days

Text

I feel like I'm the only person who doesn't like Ganondorf's design in TotK, especially his "Demon King" form. In my opinion he's not supposed to be 'sexy', he's supposed to be menacing. At least in TP his cool design kind of made up for his lack of character, as well as the fact that he's the same Ganondorf from OoT. In TotK he has no character and no actual motivation that isn't the most generic anime villain bs. Also, what was the deal with Calamity Ganon??? Where did the Sheikah tech actually go? Why did they get rid of the Sheikah Slate and the Shrine of Resurrection?

And, WHY are we relying so much on Zonai technology, after the Calamity destroyed the kingdom USING ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY??

#loz #totk critical #i have too many thoughts and theyre all jumbled sorry #also rauru and sonia and mineru to an extent are SO BLAND AND BORING OMFG #every character from totk is bland and boring actually including zelda who was actually interesting in botw #maybe im being irrational but i just WISH nintendo would put a little more care into loz and its lore #they dont need to stick to the timeline or whatever #nintendo fanboys can whine all they want but loz has lore and it has a universe that's been built up gradually and a lot of people like it #i get that loz games have never been very narrative-focused but that DOESNT mean they dont have meaningful stories and interesting worlds #and for the love of hylia PLEASE CONTINUE MAKING 2D LOZ GAMES PLEASE

2 notes · View notes

thezoraprince · 1 year

Text

Inconveniences - Link (botw) x reader

“If this goes against your guidelines don’t worry about doing this, but could I request Sidon and Link hylian s/o being very busty? … I’d prefer this as a headcanon, but if you want you could do a scenario instead. Whichever you’d prefer. As for how the reader sees herself, she’s not super insecure about it, but she’s does see it as a nuisance, since she likes to travel and fight, and it’s a bit heavy on her chest. She mostly try’s to ignore the fact that she’s heavy on the chest, but sometimes people notice, because it’s a little obvious that her chest is big. But she has a curvy and slim body, and Sidon and Link will of course think she’s beautiful. Thank you!💚” - anon

and here’s Link!

enjoy <333

(Sidon can be found here)

Link ADORES you

and whenever you two are together, there’s never a moment he’s not gazing at your beauty

“Link…”

oh how he blushes when you catch him staring

he knows how much of a nuisance your breasts are

and he wishes he could do more for you

he does as much as he can to help

he takes some of your clothing to the great fairies

and they enhance your clothing, giving each top maximum breast support

it absolutely helps with compression and the feeling of heaviness

and you feel so much better when you’re traveling with Link

when you’re in more populated areas of Hyrule, some people do take notice of you

Link is extremely observant, and catches on rather quickly

and he’s SO PROTECTIVE

he wouldn’t say anything

he would just stare them down until they stop ogling you

and who wouldn’t be intimidated by the hero of Hyrule staring them down like that?

when you’re resting, Link loves to snuggle up with you

he lays his head on your chest

and it does feel quite comfortable

especially for him

not to mention how he drools over you when you wear your Gerudo set

again, Link loves every inch of your body

and he wants you to feel as comfortable as you possibly can

#link #link botw #link botw x reader #link x reader #botw link x reader #link x reader fic #link x reader fanfic #link x reader fanfiction #link x reader headcanon #link x reader would include #link x reader fluff #link x reader imagine #botw #botw x reader #loz: botw x reader #tloz: botw x reader

637 notes · View notes

amiharana · 1 year

Note

i know you made a post of links singing voice but since you write link with dialogue what do you imagine his normal speaking voice to sound like? as a whole seeing how different people write link speaking is so fun, do you think link is more witty or stoic, rambly or to the point, loud or quiet, vulgar or formal.. 🤔

you're right this is a very fun ask anon let me kiss u /p. after ingesting this ask, i of course started having a flood of ideas in my brain so i wrote . a lot . again. so get comfy, sit down, and have a snack!

i can't remember where i saw this or if it's even considered canon, but i remember seeing something about botw link being from the country, and as you might have guessed from reading one of my recent previous posts, i am very much a link's-hometown-was-hateno-village truther. i believe in-game bolson's text about the house in hateno pretty much implied that link might have been the previous owner prior to the calamity, but my take on it is that it was link's family home and the guy who left it behind was actually link's father, who sold the house and took link with him to hyrule castle. anyways regarding link's voice as a kid, besides probably sounding like a high-pitched little brat, i like to imagine that kiddie link probably had a heavy country accent. i'm clutching my stomach in laughter as i type this, but i thought about that topher kid from that one tiktok as what kid!link would sound like. god this topher kid is so fucking funny sdkjfjdkfkj i bet this paragraph didn't end how you thought it was going to

from here on, we know that pre-calamity link somehow got a hold of the master sword when he was like 12 or something, and sometime between then and being chosen as zelda's knight, he chose to remain silent because he knew the entirety of hyrule had their eyes on him, which is a very nerve-wracking situation to be in. since moving to closer to hyrule castle town with his father to join the knights, link's country accent slowly faded since the noble kids would make fun of him and call him farmboy and that he was dirt poor :/ so link carefully trained himself to talk in the standard dialect, but his accent slips if he gets too emotional or upset. when he got a hold of the master sword, the nobles were real fucking mad, saying stuff like The Master Sword is meant for legends, not a pathetic farmboy born in a pigsty like you. yeah i do not like these fake hylian nobles i just made up very much lol...

i like to think that when he felt more comfortable with the champions and zelda, he started talking a little more with them but mostly stayed quiet and communicated nonverbally. my first instinct was to say that link's voice would probably be rough and dry from disuse since he wasn't speaking very much, but i remembered my roots as a singer!link supporter and now i'm thinking about him humming to himself as he cooks himself a pumpkin stew like he does in-game, or whistling whatever notes come to mind, or (get this) singing quietly to zelda's batch of silent princess flowers in her private greenhouse in the castle gardens as he tends to them because he think that will make them grow stronger and healthier. he has never spoken to the king because he outright refuses to, tbh, but if he had to, i think link would do his best to sound stoic and formal. i doubt that he ever received like. "noble linguistics" training or some more classist bullshit like that, but when he and zelda get closer, link actually makes fun of her royal accent once or twice. he'd be doing shit like this video of bts namjoon's british accent and zelda is facedown on the floor laughing her ass off.

overall, i think pre-calamity link is very quiet and soft-spoken when he feels comfortable enough to talk, so quiet that daruk feels like he has to stop breathing to try to listen to what link is saying. don't get me wrong though, link isn't meek or shy (unless he's around revali teehee it's like his brain gets rewired around the rito). he simply just doesn't feel the need to broadcast his voice to everyone in hyrule. i also really like the idea of link knowing sign language, but he only likes to use it with zelda when he prefers to communicate nonverbally and later on, with the other champions (revali takes extra care to study as much hylian sign language so that he can understand link :> ).

now post-calamity/resurrection link... whew! it's pretty clear in the game that link has some method of communicating with everyone else in hyrule since we're given dialogue options despite link not having an actual VA saying words. i have chosen to believe that link becomes a vocal menace when he gets resurrected. since he wakes up with no memories, he obviously doesn't remember his whole History Has Its Eyes On You mentality (sorry for the h*milton reference) and goes apeshit on his own vocal chords. mf is running around the great plateau screaming and shouting and cursing (that's the one part of his memory that was kept intact). he also ends up talking to himself a lot, because for a lot of botw, you're alone. yes, you go to villages and meet travelers along the way, but for like 80% of the game you are . alone. so link has to keep himself entertained one way or another, to make sure he doesn't go completely crazy, and yeah you know what? he does get rambly sometimes, because he doesn't spend a lot of time with people as he traverses through hyrule so he doesn't really know the best times to start or stop talking. he gets a hang of it though! he told a random traveler once who was interested in getting up into the great plateau that he woke up on the plateau, an old man made him go get these dumb purple balls in those shrine things for the paraglider that he just knew needed to be with him, turns out the guy was the ghost of KING RHOAM BOSPHORAMUS HYRULE, and then he jumped off of the plateau using the paraglider. the traveler dude looked at him like he was insane, so link was like yeah i'm never talking about this to anyone else ever again.

now when link remembers memories of the past as he travels... he goes unnaturally silent for a while. of course, if he gained this memory while talking to someone, he still continues to talk to them, just... with less words. but when he's out there in the wilderness by himself get psychologically assaulted by shattered and frayed images of people he can hardly remember, memories getting replayed in his head and tattooed behind his eyes, all because this neat alcove under a tree in the rain looked kinda cool... his throat locks up and his mouth dries and he remembers even for a sliver of a moment, what his past self must have felt like, choosing to stay silent despite all the pressure trying to crack his ribcage open like a tree nut. those memories are on replay in the forefront of his mind for a couple days and he can't sleep. it was even worse when he went to rito village to fight windblight ganon, and link started have full body pains as he received memories of revali all at once, collapsing in pained sobs in saki and teba's roost. why did his heart so much? it didn't hurt like this when he remembered daruk, or even mipha...

also from the in-game dialogue options, link is very sassy and that's so #real of him. some of those options really spoke to me, like the dumb puns he makes ("Let's seal the deal!" oh you think you're funny huh?) or when he demands the paraglider from the old man ("Hand it over!" #throwback to my post about the paraglider). idk sometimes i can only imagine link with crossed arms and a hip cocked out and an eyebrow raised like yass come on mean girls! imagine meeting the hylian champion and you call him pretty and he's like awh thanks you too! and you're like omg thank you :D and he's like. so you agree. you think you're pretty? so yes link is a little bitch sometimes LMAO

i also think it would be funny if link came up with his own curses as he travels and when he curses in front of others, they're standing there like. what just came out of your mouth????? because link is out here saying shit like Suck my lynel guts you fuckheaded shitshroom Like dude is just stringing words together from what the hyrule compendium told him when he took pictures of the ingredients and items he was finding. just making shit up and saying whatever words he wants based on vibes and whatever feels right. impa takes him aside and gives him a list of proper/modern curse words, but link will still fight bokos and be like I'm gonna shove this ancient core up your ass and roast you on a spit shroomfucker. his accent definitely bleeds back into his voice when he does his weird version of cursing too, so link will save random travelers from monsters and sometimes yell at them while he's fighting them off if his emotions are running high, and the travelers are just like Who is this guy and what is he even saying

i think that link would still retain his soft-spokenness after some time, especially post-calamity fight when the champions are revived. like a lot of what i just said are more kind of special cases; screaming on the great plateau is a perfectly normal response to waking up with amnesia and then there's these red little pig-faced guys trying to bite you. and of course i'm not saying link is always talking to himself as he travels across the map. his horse would have kicked him off long ago from being irritated. but when he stops to rest and make food for himself and his horse in the wilds, he hums or sings quietly as he cooks, because it's comforting to him even if he doesn't remember why. sometimes he'll take a nap in some random cave or just sit quietly under a tree listening to the sounds of the rain falling around him. (link calms down considerably when the champions are revived, and he gets revali back, because now he's able to properly deal with his memories and eventually regains most of them peacefully. revali is horrified though when link stubs his toe and link starts hissing like Ah fuck this you keese-faced gutfucker Like HUH? EXCUSE ME?)

overall, post-resurrection link is just a traumatized little guy with no inhibitions and lets some his impulsive thoughts win. he's a chatty, charismatic prettyboy who also will go completely silent and stare with dead eyes and definitely jumpscared beedle like that once.

#loz #botw #loz botw #legend of zelda #amihan's headcanons #amihan's botwverse #amihan's revalinkverse #ask #we're adding my revalink tag because i made this about revalink too #i swear to god i write way too much #i might come back to this post and change stuff who knows #anon i am so sorry for how long and unhinged this is #for anyone who hasn't read my post about link's singing voice #i personally hc him as sounding like bts jungkook's cover of tori kelly's paper hearts #i didn't include that in the actual post because i already used up my one bts reference per zelda post #but yeah jungkook's voice is very gentle and clear but powerful in that cover so i think link would sound very much like that too #should i try to find a voiceclaim for link #that topher video takes me out every single time like that child actually looks like a little gremlin #link would be a gremlin baby too i think <3 #link but he's topher #👁️🦷🦷👁️ y'ALL ALREADY KNOW WHO I AEHM uhm my nayms Lank. and.#i theink zeylda ☝️🙁

8 notes · View notes