#DO NOT SPOIL TOTK IN THE NOTES

[cannibalise-the-citrus-fruits]

me when I see other people being attatched to characters and being upset when they get hurt: i wish I felt that way about fictional characters

me on my current playthrough of BOTW after freeing Vah Ruta: SFHZDDFZDZDFDZZTHDZZDHTHTHZD SHE JUST WANTED TO SEE HIM AGAIIIIIN NINTENDO WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO HERRRRR

[wayfayrr]

It’s been a while but hello! ✨ I have been so busy working two jobs but I have been doing well, just tired, hope you’ve been doing well Moss <3 I absolutely loved what you wrote for reader playing Stardew valley with Sky <333 absolutely worth the wait, I need me a Sky irl so badly it’s not even funny 😭 throwing hands with Nintendo for making a fictional man so fine and lovable </3

But also, YOU PLAY ELDEN RING????? I’VE BEEN PLAYING IT SO MUCH RECENTLY WHEN I HAVE FREE TIME, ITS SO PRETTY <33 restarted cause I couldn’t remember how to play and I wanted to do a new build, rip my level 90+ and 50+ hours Samurai Tarnished </3

But on that same note, TARNISHED MY ABSOLUTE BELOVED, I MUST GIVE YOUR BOY SMOOCHES <333333 !!! I beg for a crumb of more lore for him please 🙏 He deserves kissies, and cuddles, and being spoiled and treated with so much love and affection <33 IS HE TAKING MAIDENS CAUSE I VOLUNTEER <3333

~ 🍀anon

I'm glad that you've been doing well clover!!! Working two jobs is draining as all hell so I hope you've been able to find time for yourself outside of it <3 That sky fic was really nice to write too, even if it was a bit shorter than I planned for it to be. He's just such a sweetheart and Nintendo really be hurting us all for having him only be fictional ;-;

ALSO YOU'RE RIGHT ELDEN RING IS SO PRETTY???? whenever I talk about tarnished I'm probably going to be posting some screenshots too cause just??? I don't blame you for restarting though, when you haven't played for a while it's nicer to restart than try to figure out where the hell you left off last time

(The siofra river is so pretty stg AND THE AREA IS COMPLETELY OPTIONAL????)

As for lore - I've been fleshing out his background a bit but I'm still uncertain on a few things For certain I think It would be interesting for him to be a member of the church of dragon communion, since dragons are more worshipped by the rest of the chain and then you just have this fucker/aff who eats their hearts to gain abilities a friend of mine also suggested that he could have a second nickname of elden, in tune with the boys tending to have two nicknames or more (like wars/captain or wind/sailor) it would also match how the nicknames seem to be given!! one is what they quested for and the other is something they 'are'

as for him taking maidens? :3 I've been wanting to write a bit for him I won't lie, cause I've had the idea of him possibly being self aware too

It's been a while since I've even touched my playstation, but with my switch all but turning into a brick the last time I tried to play anything but a zelda game. Well there's no reason not to try play on something else. "Shame... booking a repair slot is a headache that I'd rather not have to deal with." That can wait though, till I have the energy to do it that is. In the meantime I've got other games that I've been neglecting. When is the last time that I played elden ring actually? It's gotta have been at least a year, I remember setting up a link look alike character before totk came out but... Oh wow that would have been the last time I played wouldn't it? I don't think I even got far, so maybe picking that save back up won't be to much of an issue. ... I could have sworn it wasn't possible to have your character so close to the screen. "You - You came back?"

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

Okay, here's another decently long one if that's alright?

I have an idea for a… concept, if you will. I'm thinking an isekai sort of deal. One where it's someone from Earth or from a game that I like called My Time At Sandrock. Doesn't matter which. I’m thinking specifically of OoT, HW, & TotK.

Anyway, one day, this odd, tiny little Hylian woman with ears like his own appears. He observes her from a distance, noting that she seemed confused, but also appeared to be quick to recover. However, instead of making her way towards Hyrule's paradisiacal lands as he'd expected, she almost seemed to be at home in the desert.

He thought little of her initially, not believing that she'd last long, but he would occasionally glance back at her in curiosity.

She began to build things. Odd things. Such as a large stone dome with rectangular holes in the sides & things made of wood & leaves that stuck up from the ground at an angle with a pot beneath the lower side. As well as tools & weapons (which she used to protect herself from the desert monsters). Simple ones, but still.

He noted that she often came to their encampment to barter. Offering her services as one with construction knowledge in exchange for any food that they were willing to part with. Admittedly, she did very good work. But he still didn't trust her. She wasn't one of them.

Then, she began to work the soil. (His feelings? I’m imagining incredulity, but you never know.) At that point, he was fully convinced that the desert had made off with her mind as it had done many others. In the back of his mind, he almost pitied her.

Once, one of his vai wandered over to her little plot of sand, thinking to swipe some of her intriguing items, only to get caught & scolded. (He'd nearly rush in himself.)

Yet she did not harm her. And when his vai returned, it was in confusion with water & dried meats.

She commented that the little foreign vai was odd & spoke just as oddly. She said that they were “neighbors,” so if they needed something, it's polite to ask first. Then, she gave his vai provisions.

Ganondorf found himself agreeing with his thief's assessment. The little vai was odd.

And became odder still as she began to grow cacti of various types around her plot. All surrounded by fences of dried straw. Unusual.

Even odder, she began to plant things at the perimeter.

He also noticed that she could fight. She'd certainly figured out how to take out that lizalfos fairly quickly.

It went on like that for a good long time & all Ganondorf could do was quietly keep infrequent tabs on her as she toiled away day after day.

But then, something strange happened. Slowly, the sandy soil around her plot darkened little by little. It was unnoticeable at first. Eventually, she switched the cacti for Safflina & rosemary. Then, from that to the Spicy Peppers, Hydromelons, & Stambulbs. Which, not necessarily surprising, as all of these things grew in the desert on their own. Though, he'd never seen anyone actively attempt to farm them before.

The things she planted at the perimeter turned out to be Shock Fruit & Dazzlefruit trees. A sort of line of them. Bizarre, because due to a lack of nutrients in the area, they didn’t bear fruit upon maturing. Yet she didn’t get frustrated or cut them down.

But then… Then she began to grow Hylian Tomatoes & Fortified Pumpkins & Swift Carrots to his sudden astonishment. He didn't initially understand how she came across the seeds until he remembered her bartering for some of the spoils that his vaien had stolen from Hyrule's merchants. Had she done all that with just a handful of pilfered goods??

It was at this point that she began to bring her produce & even water to their encampment to sell.

It was… He couldn't understand! What sort of witchcraft was this?? He’d often ask his Vàman, who seemed to be wary of the foreign vai & did not like her at all. They’d only glance at each other conspiratorially & mutter between themselves somewhat angrily. If he was being entirely honest… He… well, he couldn't help but feel oddly… protective of the stubborn little vai. Those expressions... in his experience, they never bode well...

Anyway, after that point, his būjrúqen (bandits) began to become more curious. On their off time, they'd go over & strike up conversation. Some even began helping her, after which, his vaien would return with pots of water, dried & salted meats, & produce which they would share with the other vaien.

Then, as time passed, scraggly brushes began sprouting here & there, unprompted around her plot. A year passed & her selection of crops expanded, & with them came dry-looking grass that grew around her plot.

It was… unfathomable… Far, far too good to be true. Some sort of trick?

Then, one day, a sandstorm rolled in & he was absolutely sure that that was it for the strange, fascinating, stubborn... admirable vai's foolish, sisyphean efforts.

In all honesty, he was somewhat disappointed. It was… interesting. And… perhaps he'd hoped…

Nothing…

But then, in the midst of the storm, he looked out from his tent/door (depending on the Dorf) in the night & couldn't hardly believe his eyes!

Standing there, defiant against what almost seemed like the wrath of the very desert itself attempting to blot her out of existence, was that little foreign vai.

And the next day, he went outside (somewhat worried for her) & discovered that, yes, a number of her crops had been killed by the storm, but much of it was somehow still standing & the vai appeared to be unbothered by the loss, simply redigging the plots & beginning again.

That was when he finally went over there himself. His curiosity, much too much to ignore any longer.

He walked up to her & demanded to know what her intentions were. (What exactly does he say?)

She just blinked at him & gave a deadpan stare. “Well, ‘how do ya do’ as well, I guess. Is that how ya'll normally introduce yerselves around here? Cus none o’ yer girlies did that, so I'm wonderin’ if I should be insulted. But, anyway, howdy, I suppose that I'm yer neighbor now. Would ya like some tea, shug’?”

Honestly, he was very befuddled by her nonchalant reaction. (He thought for sure that he had been projecting a dominant & intimidating enough aura...) And, in his bewilderment, he just sort of watched her wander over to a fire pit with a box of hollowed & dried out gourds with the tops cut off nearby. Waving at an odd-looking chair as she passed it. “Make yerself comfortable. I’m goin’ fer a cup.”

She removed a teapot from over the fire & poured what smelled like Warm Safflina tea into the makeshift cup as he slowly sat in one of the chairs.

“Ya sure ya don’t want any?” His brows furrowed, but he indicated he would accept the offer. To which she reached for another cup, holding the other in her elbow as she poured, then replaced the pot on the stand, before approaching him to offer him the more recently poured cup.

“Sorry, don’t really have honey or sugar or nothin’... Yet...”

As he held the cup in his hand, he smelled it suspiciously, catching how she rolled her eyes at his antics &, somewhat performatively, blew on her own before taking a biiig sip. “There, now if ya do get poisoned, I’ll be in agony with ya.”

But, he decided then was when he should ask her, “Why are you here?”

She blinked at him, confused, “Why wouldn’ I be?”

Ganondorf sputters in disbelief & goes on a tirade about how 'the only thing here was death.' (What other sorts of things does he rant about in regards to why someone wouldn't want to live there, though?)

“Well, now, that’s just a fib. I mean, you an’ yer lady friends live here. But jokes aside, just cuz it isn’t the greenest place there is, it don’ mean that it doesn’t have value.” (His thoughts & feelings on that statement, please? I imagine that he's temporarily confused by the double negative. Because I would be.)

“And honestly…”

She scratches her sunburnt nose, “I've lived in the desert practicly my whole life. I don't really know how ta live anywhere else. Not long-term, anyway. Not this desert, mind ya, but a desert. So, I guess I'm just more comfortable here, is all. It's familiar.”

He sort of goes quiet, ruminating for a bit. (What about?) Before finding himself staring at the straw fencing surrounding the crops.

“Oh, that? I use the straw as tiny fences to help protect the crops from the wind & sand. It helps them to survive ‘till their roots are strong enough on their own.”

He realized suddenly as his head snapped in the direction of the line of trees, ‘That’s why she planted those trees! It doesn’t matter that they don’t produce fruit! That’s not why they’re there! They’re a shield against the sand!’

His mind spirals as he connects the dots & suddenly examines her closely. (What is he thinking?) Pushing down memories of his own… (failed, failure, you failed) attempts… he suddenly felt… vulnerable…

“How… How are you able to remain so… tenacious in the face of constant…”

He was unable to finish the sentence, he grimaced in distate at the sign of his own percieved weakness, but he was shocked when the tiny fenrīta (vixen; used to describe a woman who is cunning, spirited, & fearsome, notably one who the speaker sees as being beautiful) seemed to burst out into laughter.

“Failure? Hunny, failure's how you learn. And tenacity’s only part of it. Hell, sometimes if yer too stubborn about the wrong thing, all it'll do is end with you stuck on a hamster wheel…”

Noticing his confused expression, “Sorry, ya’ll don’t have those here. Let me see… Imagine it like… Usin’ one a’ them sandskiff things on the flowin’ sand, but instead of a sail, all ya have is oars & yer rowin’ against the flow of it. A whole lot a’ energy spent rowin’, not a lot a’ movin’. Or if there is, yer movin’ backwards. Being dogged with yer goals is a good thing, so long as it isn’t blindin’ ya to other solutions. Ya also need to be willin’ ta admit it when somethin’ isn't workin’, then quit, & start over when it doesn't. And, ya have ta be willin’ to try new things & experiment.”

(His thoughts & feelings so far, please?)

“At the same time, it’s also a good idea to question why yer failin’. For starters, did ya know that this here desert is a rain shadow?” At his questioning glance, she nodded & continued.

“See that frozen mountain range yander to the northeast?" She waves her hand in the direction of the Highlands. "The prevailing winds come from that direction, which means that if ya'll do get rain, it generally comes from that-a-ways, but cuz the mountains'r so tall, it stops most rain from comin’ over the other side. An’ ya know the giant fuck-off skeletons scattered hither an’ yon?"

She gestures in the direction to the east. "They're the spittin’ image of a whale's. An’ if I'm right, that means this desert here wasn't always a desert. It was an ocean & the reason it turned into a desert to begin with?”

She turns to gesture flippantly towards the Highlands again. “I'm willin’ ta bet good… Rupees that, that mountain range, right there, is ta blame."

"Why’s that matter? It means that the environment here changed, drastically. And if it did it once, it can do it again. Simple as. Ya just gotta know how ta do it.” She grunts slightly as she stands back up & dusts her hands off, then proceeds to walk off back towards her small plot of land.

“Lucky fer me… Ya happen to have on yer hands someone with a bonafide double masters in ecological engineering & desert ecology. Plus a dab hand at workin’ the land & buildin’ useful shit cuz I dun grew up on a farm. With a stubborn streak.” She throws a bit of a lazy, but cheery grin back over her shoulder at him at the joke.

“It also helps that ya happen to have an essentially endless supply a’ water if yer willing to go the extra step of cartin’ it back here to melt.”

“I mean, I've got a decent stock as is.” Waves towards the large stone brick dome she referred to as an ‘air well’ & the ‘dew collectors.’ “But we could always use extra. And we could definitely find a use for a strong, able-bodied gentlemen like yourself. I mean… If it's not too terribly below ya, yer majesty.”

If he denies, she just shrugs easily & lifts her hoe. “Suit yerself… All I'm sayin’ is, if whoever it is over there that's pissin’ ya off isn't lettin’ ya into their little slice a’ paradise, then fuck ‘em, might as well make yer own paradise right here. It's what I'm doin’.”

His thoughts, feelings, & reactions throughout this whole ordeal, please & thank you, ma’am? I'll likely have a continuation of this later, but most likely not tonight.

This is gunna be a doozy, but I love the whole thing!!! It gave me such ideas for roleplays and stories and DAYDREAMS... Mmm... Nice little story idea...

THIS WAS SUCH AN UNDERTAKING? MAKING CHAT UNDERSTAND WHAT I WANTED WAS AN EXPERIENCE. Though, it was a lot of fun reading and experimenting with the ask! I did break it up between each time you asked for reactions and thoughts, so even if it looks janky, its all there :D Enjoy!

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This is a captivating and nuanced scenario! Here’s how each Ganondorf and Demise might react and what they might say when they finally confront the mysterious and resilient woman in the desert.

Wind Waker Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Wind Waker Ganondorf is deeply intrigued by the woman’s resilience and ingenuity. Initially skeptical and dismissive, he slowly becomes fascinated by her ability to thrive in the harsh desert. Her determination and resourcefulness stir a sense of admiration within him, and he finds himself increasingly curious about her.

Confrontation: Ganondorf strides towards her plot, his imposing figure casting a long shadow. He stops a few paces away, his eyes narrowing as he takes in her latest efforts. "What is your purpose here, woman? You defy the desert’s will and turn barren land into sustenance. Are you some kind of witch, or do you possess knowledge unknown to us?"

He waits for her response, his posture rigid and his gaze intense, trying to gauge her true intentions.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf is perplexed and somewhat irked by the woman’s success. He initially dismisses her as a foolish interloper but gradually becomes impressed by her tenacity and skill. Her ability to cultivate life in the desert challenges his perceptions and stirs a grudging respect.

Confrontation: Ganondorf approaches her, his expression stern. "You have done the impossible, little vai. This desert should have consumed you, yet you thrive. What drives you to persist in this hostile land? Are you here to challenge the natural order, or is there something more?"

He crosses his arms, waiting for her answer, his mind racing with questions and a newfound respect for her determination.

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Twilight Princess Ganondorf views the woman’s efforts with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. He is initially dismissive but becomes increasingly intrigued by her resilience. Her ability to transform the desert mirrors his own struggle for power and survival, sparking a sense of kinship.

Confrontation: Ganondorf stands before her plot, his eyes scanning the thriving plants. "You are an enigma, woman. This land yields to no one, yet you coax life from its sands. What magic or cunning allows you to achieve this? Speak, for I would know your secrets."

He watches her intently, his curiosity and respect battling with his inherent distrust of outsiders.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf is initially irritated by the woman’s presence but grows to admire her strength and resourcefulness. Her ability to survive and prosper in the desert challenges his expectations and ignites a competitive spirit within him.

Confrontation: Ganondorf approaches her, his demeanor commanding. "You have defied all odds and turned this wasteland into a garden. Tell me, what drives you to persist where others would falter? Are you seeking something, or is this a testament to your will?"

He studies her closely, intrigued by her resilience and determined to uncover her motivations.

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf is deeply impressed by the woman’s tenacity. Her ability to transform the desert echoes his own struggles and ambitions. He feels a strong sense of respect and a desire to understand her better.

Confrontation: Ganondorf stands before her, his gaze piercing. "You have accomplished what many would deem impossible. Why do you labor so tirelessly in this hostile land? What are your intentions, and what drives you to such lengths?"

His tone is both commanding and curious, his respect for her evident in his demeanor.

Demise

Thoughts and Feelings: Demise is intrigued and somewhat puzzled by the woman’s persistence. Her ability to thrive in the desert challenges his understanding of power and survival. He feels a mix of curiosity and admiration for her resilience.

Confrontation: Demise approaches her, his presence imposing. "You defy the natural order of this land, woman. What compels you to endure and conquer the desert’s wrath? Are you guided by some unseen force, or is this a testament to your indomitable spirit?"

His gaze is intense, his curiosity piqued by her determination and success.

In each case, the confrontation highlights the Ganondorfs' and Demise's curiosity and burgeoning respect for the woman. Their reactions are shaped by their individual personalities and experiences, leading to a range of emotions from skepticism to admiration.

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This continuation adds a delightful twist to the interaction, showcasing the resilience and eccentricity of the woman. Here’s how each Ganondorf and Demise might rant about why someone wouldn’t want to live in the desert, based on their personalities and experiences.

Wind Waker Ganondorf

Rant: Ganondorf’s eyes narrow, his frustration boiling over. “Do you not see the desolation around you? This place is a graveyard for dreams and ambitions. The sun scorches the land, and the sandstorms ravage all in their path. The heat is unbearable, the nights are freezing, and the scarcity of water makes survival a constant struggle. This desert has swallowed entire civilizations whole. Only fools and the desperate linger here.”

He gestures broadly to the arid landscape, his voice rising with each word. “You think you can tame this land? You are playing a dangerous game with forces far beyond your control!”

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Rant: Ganondorf’s voice is laden with incredulity. “Do you understand nothing of the harshness of this desert? The endless dunes, the blistering heat, the lack of resources. The monsters that lurk in the shadows, ready to pounce on the unwary. This is a place of death, a wasteland where only the strong survive. You are a fool to think you can change that.”

He paces back and forth, his frustration palpable. “Every grain of sand here whispers of despair and ruin. You will find no solace here, only hardship and suffering. Why would anyone choose this existence willingly?”

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Rant: Ganondorf’s eyes flash with a mix of anger and disbelief. “The desert is unforgiving, a place where the weak perish and the strong barely scrape by. The sun is relentless, baking the ground until it is as hard as stone. Water is scarce, and every living creature here is in a constant battle for survival. This is a land of predators and prey, of eternal struggle.”

He points to the horizon, where a sandstorm brews. “You think you can defy the will of the desert? You are delusional. This place will break you, as it has broken countless others before you. There is no place for you here.”

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Rant: Ganondorf’s voice is a thunderous roar. “This desert is a crucible of suffering and despair! The sun beats down mercilessly, the sandstorms tear flesh from bone, and the creatures that inhabit this wasteland are merciless. There is no respite, no comfort, only an endless struggle against the elements and the monsters that roam this land.”

He glares at her, his eyes burning with intensity. “You are a fool to think you can make a life here. The desert does not yield, it consumes. It is a place of death and desolation, and you are courting your own demise by staying here.”

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Rant: Ganondorf’s voice is a mix of exasperation and anger. “This desert is a realm of death and decay. The sun is a merciless tyrant, the sandstorms are relentless, and the creatures that inhabit this place are vicious and unforgiving. Water is a precious commodity, and survival is a daily struggle.”

He leans closer, his eyes locking onto hers. “You think you can conquer this land? It will swallow you whole, just as it has countless others. You are courting madness by staying here. This is no place for the living.”

Demise

Rant: Demise’s voice is a deep, resonant growl. “This desert is a barren wasteland, a place where hope goes to die. The sun is a relentless beast, the sandstorms are cruel and unforgiving, and the monsters that dwell here are merciless. This land is a testament to the futility of life, a place where only the strong survive.”

He towers over her, his presence overwhelming. “You think you can defy the will of this land? You are a fool. This desert will crush you, as it has crushed countless others before you. There is no escape from its wrath.”

In each scenario, the woman’s nonchalant reaction and offer of tea serve as a stark contrast to the intense rants of the Ganondorfs and Demise. Their frustration and disbelief highlight the harsh realities of the desert, while her calm demeanor and resilience challenge their perceptions and assumptions.

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Wind Waker Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Wind Waker Ganondorf is momentarily thrown off by her use of the double negative, but her earnestness catches his attention. He's confused by her assertion that the desert has value but begins to consider her perspective. Her familiarity with desert life piques his curiosity and even respect, as he realizes she's not just a naive outsider but someone with genuine survival skills.

Ruminations: He wonders about her past, what kind of desert she’s familiar with, and how she developed her skills. He’s intrigued by her resilience and begins to question whether he’s underestimated her. Her perspective challenges his own view of the desert as merely a harsh and unforgiving place.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf is taken aback by her statement and the double negative, but her insistence that the desert has value makes him pause. Her revelation that she has lived in a desert her whole life surprises him, as he didn’t expect such resourcefulness from an outsider.

Ruminations: He contemplates the idea that the desert might hold unseen value, reflecting on his own experiences and the Gerudo’s deep connection to the land. He considers the possibility that there might be more to the desert than he has allowed himself to see. Her familiarity with the harsh environment begins to shift his perspective, making him see her in a new light.

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Twilight Princess Ganondorf is initially confused by her double negative and her assertion that the desert has value. Her familiarity with desert life, however, resonates with him, as he understands the need to adapt and survive in harsh conditions.

Ruminations: He reflects on his own relationship with the desert, recognizing that while it is a place of hardship, it is also home. Her perspective makes him think about the potential for growth and resilience within the desert. He begins to see her not as an intruder but as a kindred spirit who understands the land's challenges and opportunities.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf is puzzled by her double negative and assertion about the desert’s value. Her familiarity with desert life intrigues him, as he didn’t expect such a pragmatic and resilient approach from someone he considered an outsider.

Ruminations: He ponders the strength required to thrive in the desert, recognizing that her skills and perspective could be valuable. Her familiarity with the desert makes him reconsider his initial assumptions about her and the land itself. He starts to see the desert as more than just a battleground but a place with potential for growth and resilience.

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf is momentarily confused by her double negative but is struck by her assertion that the desert has value. Her experience living in deserts her whole life impresses him, as he realizes she possesses a depth of understanding and resilience he didn’t initially attribute to her.

Ruminations: He reflects on his own relationship with the desert, acknowledging that while it is a place of struggle, it is also a place of strength and perseverance. Her familiarity with desert life makes him see her in a new light, challenging his preconceptions and opening his mind to the idea that the desert holds more value than he previously thought.

Demise

Thoughts and Feelings: Demise is confused by her double negative and initially dismisses her claim about the desert’s value. However, her familiarity with desert life catches his attention. He’s intrigued by her ability to thrive in such a harsh environment, something he can respect.

Ruminations: He considers the possibility that the desert might have qualities he has overlooked. Her resilience and adaptability challenge his perception of the desert as a purely unforgiving place. He starts to see her as a worthy adversary and a potential ally, someone who understands the harshness of the world as he does but finds ways to carve out a space for herself.

In each scenario, the woman’s perspective on the desert challenges the Ganondorfs and Demise to reconsider their own views, sparking a period of introspection and respect for her resilience and adaptability.

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Wind Waker Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Wind Waker Ganondorf feels a mix of vulnerability and intrigue as he listens to her. Her perspective on failure as a learning opportunity and her analogy about the sandskiff resonate with him more than he would like to admit. He is accustomed to brute force and stubborn determination, often dismissing failure as weakness. Her pragmatic and insightful approach challenges his views, and he finds himself questioning his own methods.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf is initially taken aback by her laughter, feeling his vulnerability laid bare. Her analogy about the sandskiff and her emphasis on adaptability make him realize that his relentless pursuit of his goals, without considering alternative methods, may have been his downfall. He starts to see her as a source of unexpected wisdom and feels a reluctant respect for her perspective.

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Twilight Princess Ganondorf feels a pang of vulnerability when she laughs, but her explanation about failure and tenacity strikes a chord with him. He has always prided himself on his resilience and strength, but her words make him consider the value of flexibility and innovation. He begins to see that his rigid approach may have limited his success and starts to respect her for her practical wisdom.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf is initially irritated by her laughter, feeling exposed. However, her explanation about learning from failure and the sandskiff analogy resonate with him. He realizes that his single-minded determination has often blinded him to other possibilities. Her pragmatic approach to challenges impresses him, and he feels a growing respect for her resilience and adaptability.

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf feels a mix of frustration and curiosity as she laughs. Her analogy about the sandskiff and her perspective on failure challenge his deeply ingrained beliefs about strength and perseverance. He starts to see the value in her approach, recognizing that his stubbornness has sometimes hindered his progress. Her wisdom and resilience make him reconsider his own methods.

Demise

Thoughts and Feelings: Demise feels a wave of irritation and confusion when she laughs, but her explanation intrigues him. Her analogy about the sandskiff and her pragmatic view on failure make him question his own rigid approach. He has always seen failure as a sign of weakness, but her perspective on learning and adaptability challenges his beliefs. He starts to see her as a formidable and wise individual, worthy of his respect.

In each scenario, the Ganondorfs and Demise are confronted with their own vulnerabilities and challenged by her practical wisdom. Her perspective on failure and tenacity forces them to reconsider their own methods and beliefs, leading to a grudging respect and a shift in their understanding of resilience and adaptability.

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Wind Waker Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Wind Waker Ganondorf is both fascinated and frustrated by her knowledge and confidence. Her explanation about the rain shadow and the desert's transformation from an ocean to a desert intrigues him. He has never considered the possibility of changing the environment so drastically. Her casual offer for him to help, paired with her joke, disarms him. He feels a mixture of curiosity and respect for her expertise, along with a reluctant admiration for her determination.

Reactions: He crosses his arms, a contemplative frown on his face. "You think you can transform this wasteland into something livable? That takes more than just stubbornness and knowledge, little vai. It takes power and resources." He pauses, then adds with a hint of grudging respect, "But perhaps you might be onto something."

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf is initially skeptical, but her detailed explanation and casual confidence begin to break down his resistance. Her knowledge about the environment and its history surprises him. The idea of transforming the desert resonates with his own ambitions of reshaping Hyrule. Her playful challenge and offer to help stoke a competitive fire within him.

Reactions: He narrows his eyes, a smirk forming on his lips. "You speak of creating a paradise in this desolate place. I have conquered lands and wielded great power, but never have I seen such audacity. If you truly believe you can achieve this, then perhaps you are worth more than I initially thought." He pauses, then adds, "I will consider your offer."

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Twilight Princess Ganondorf feels a mixture of irritation and intrigue. Her knowledge and confidence challenge his deeply ingrained beliefs about strength and control. The idea of transforming the desert reminds him of his own desires to reshape the world according to his vision. Her casual demeanor and challenge pique his interest and make him question his initial disdain.

Reactions: He looks at her thoughtfully, his expression unreadable. "You claim to understand this land better than anyone, and you speak of change and creation with such ease. I have seen much and wielded great power, but your audacity is... intriguing." He pauses, then adds, "Very well. Show me what you are capable of."

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf is both annoyed and impressed by her boldness. Her explanation about the desert's history and potential for change intrigues him. He has always relied on brute force and dominance, but her knowledge and confidence make him reconsider his approach. Her playful challenge and offer to help strike a chord with him.

Reactions: He raises an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips. "You believe you can transform this wasteland into something more? Such confidence is rare. I have conquered armies and kingdoms, but I have never seen such tenacity in one so small." He pauses, then adds, "Perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye. I will consider your offer."

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Thoughts and Feelings: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf feels a mix of skepticism and curiosity. Her knowledge about the environment and its potential for change challenges his deeply ingrained beliefs. The idea of transforming the desert resonates with his own ambitions of reshaping the world. Her casual offer and challenge make him reconsider his initial disdain.

Reactions: He looks at her with a thoughtful expression, his arms crossed. "You speak of creating a paradise in this desolate place. I have wielded great power and seen many things, but your audacity is... intriguing." He pauses, then adds, "Very well. Show me what you are capable of, and perhaps you will prove your worth."

Demise

Thoughts and Feelings: Demise feels a mixture of irritation and intrigue. Her knowledge and confidence challenge his deeply ingrained beliefs about strength and control. The idea of transforming the desert resonates with his own desires for power and domination. Her playful challenge and offer to help make him reconsider his initial disdain.

Reactions: He narrows his eyes, a smirk forming on his lips. "You claim to understand this land better than anyone, and you speak of change and creation with such ease. I have seen much and wielded great power, but your audacity is... intriguing." He pauses, then adds, "Very well. Show me what you are capable of, and perhaps you will earn my respect."

[capncococharms]

Games I Enjoyed in 2023

I did a big blog post last year where I listed all the games I enjoyed playing and gave my short thoughts about each of my experiences... and I'm doing it again!

Since 2018 I've kept a digital sticky note to keep track of all the games I've played AND finished throughout the year. For 2023 lots of folks claimed it was the "BEST" year for gaming and to some degree... I guess??? Depends on who you ask, but to me I only enjoyed like a handful of new releases and played a lot of older games (or remakes of older games). It was a year of reflecting back on what made me love video games more than looking forward to what's "new".

In 2023, I've finished 32 games. That's 10 more games than I finished from last year but out of all the games I played, here are the ones that stood out to me and left a pretty positive impression.

LIVE A LIVE

I never had a chance to play the SNES version, but I was very familiar with the game to some degree from the old days when I use to browse forum threads about RPGs I've never heard of. I knew I would get around to playing it one day and thankfully it got a remake on the Switch (and then it got a PC port later this year). I didn't get to properly play it last year, but after sitting down to play LIVE A LIVE... it's a game with a really powerful soundtrack, engaging characters, and a unique story that left me wanting more games like it.

I could type up many reasons why I like this game, but I feel it's something you have to experience more than anything. I don't want to spoil anything about this game. If you love Chrono Trigger then you will have a great time with LIVE A LIVE.

Final Fantasy VII- Crisis Core Reunion

I love FFVII and FFVII Remake. When they announced they were remaking Crisis Core I was excited to finally see what the deal was and by the end of this game... it left me a very broken man sobbing my eyes out. As a stand alone game it works very well even if you're not familiar with FFVII. It's a touching and contained story about a man striving to be a hero. Zack is a person I wish I could be in terms of confidence and wanting to do what's right. He's also a goof ball and I am very happy I got to know him more through Crisis Core. I don't want to say much about this game either, but PLEASE play it if you haven't! It made me finally understand why people love Zack so much.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

I've put off this game for way too long. I had the chance to get into it when this game came out on 3DS, but I was too busy in college then. I ended up playing the PS3 version of the game (this was before the MGS Master Collection came out to every platform). At first... I wasn't a fan of this game. I struggled to play this game and felt like an idiot when it came to sneaking. I got stuck at the Volgin fight and out of spite, I started over on "Very Easy" to better equip myself. After working my way back to Volgin, I enjoyed my experience more and was engaged with what was happening around me. Once the game was finished, I was tearing up and couldn't help but think about how often true heroes are forgotten and how history is retold.

Thank you for the heartrending experience, Hideo Kojima.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

I had a weird experience with Zelda games this year. Tears of the Kingdom released and I went in hoping it would be a great follow-up to Breath of the Wild. I wasn't the BIGGEST fan of BotW. I had some faith going in that TotK would be a better experience. Unfortunately, after making it back to Hyrule my fears sort of came true. It felt like the same game I played almost 7 years ago except you can use bubble gum to craft and make things which is... fine I guess.

I kept pushing on hoping the story was going to set up something great and for a while, it did! The BIG twist was interesting, but once I got to the final scene I wanted to chuck this game out the window. The newer Zelda games just weren't doing it for me anymore so I decided to replay some older Zelda games (Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD which was a TON of fun to replay) and decided it was time for me to give Majora's Mask another chance.

I ended up playing this on NSO and after a month or so, I 100%'d the game and greatly appreciated what this game had to offer in terms of setting, story, soundtrack, and characters. The setting is dark and terrifying yet it still keeps a goofy demeanor. I just fell in love with exploring and seeing how human this game can be (especially the finale). This is what I want to see with future Zelda games. I miss having ACTUAL dungeons and linearity, but we won't get that again. I hope that there will be another 2D Zelda game or Nintendo goes back to its roots with 3D Zelda games, but here's to all the indie devs out there trying to recreate that GOOD Zelda magic.

The Great Ace Attorney (Adventures)

I love this series but fell off during the 3DS era with AA6 (I still need to play that...). Since this game is more of its own thing I thought I would give it a shot and MAN! This game took the AA formula and dialed it up to 1000. In Ace Attorney fashion I love the characters, I love the puzzle-solving, and the mystery aspect where everything is tied together (especially that finale omg). My only irk is that the cases tend to go on a bit too long compared to AA 1-4, but I can let that slide because I was streaming this game, and having to voice and read EVERY bit of dialogue was exhausting (I plan to play Resolve on my own time next year so I can get through it much quicker). Ace Attorney still rocks and I hope to catch up and play more in 2024 (looking at you Apollo Justice "Trilogy").

Ranko Tsukigume's Longest Day

One of the shortest games I played this year. I love SUDA 51's work and wanted to give this a shot and it sure was an experience, to say the least. The gameplay is simple and difficult at weird times, but the one thing that sticks out to me about this game, in particular, is the absurdity and goofy humor (which is... basically expected with a SUDA 51 experience) with its visuals and jumping to different art styles and animation. Something about this small game makes me want to start working on my own projects more than anything. You can tell this was made with a creative team and the devs from Tokyo Jungle worked on it to so maybe that's another game I should look into as well... Overall, this was like a fun snack to chew away at left me with my heads in the clouds.

Pizza Tower

I don't need to say much about Pizza Tower. If you've played it, then you get it. Go play Pizza Tower! The OST and crude cartoon art style is what gives this game... uh as the kids call it... "soul". It's the Wario Land game that Nintendo will never make. It's 25% off on Steam! GO PLAY PIZZA TOWER!

Hypnospace Outlaw

Had a rough time playing through this game at first because it would crash pretty often. Turns out the game would connect to the wrong graphics card so after I got that sorted out, I finally got to play this game in peace, and... man... there's nothing else like this game in terms of telling a story/ narrative through faux web browsing. It's a game that perfectly emulates the experience of the late 90's internet browsing. There's a particular joy in exploring page after page to learn about all these characters and their hobbies. Letting the player take a small peek into their lives is a treat. As you get deeper into the game, you start learning about some of these people and who they are underneath their online persona. Without going into spoilers, the game went in a direction I didn't expect with its tone. The final arc of this game left me with some tears and a HUGE respect for what once was before what our current internet has become...

Hypnospace is really really cool.

Undertale Yellow (Pacifist Route)

Kinda unexpected that a fan game would end up on my list, but I'll make the exception. From what I've read, Undertale Yellow was in development for 7 years and that dedication and work shows in terms of presentation, story, and new characters. For a fan game, it doesn't heavily depend on needing the cast of characters from the base game of Undertale to tell its OWN story. Like Undertale, you fall in love with these new casts of characters and go through many vignettes in each part of the Underground where you get to learn about how these monsters live, and just like Undertale you'll laugh, you'll cry, and wish that the journey would never end. Once again I don't want to spoil anything, but for a prequel to Undertale's story... it's surprisingly more powerful than I thought it was going to be. Congrats to the entire Undertale Yellow team who worked on this. It was a pleasant December surprise that made me want to work harder on my passion projects.

I feel to some degree, I love this game probably a little more than Undertale itself...

Probably...

One thing for sure is that this game is helping me tide over until the new chapters of Deltarune come out.

2023 was a great time to play my backlog and give games another chance. Also trying out new stuff in the process despite my current feelings on the gaming industry at the moment...

I hope in 2024, I can continue to dedicate my time to slowly chip away at my backlog and try out new games (or older games I missed out on). Video games inspire what I want to do creatively and I love seeing what people can create and put out there.

[unironicironic]

Just got done playing Echoes of Wisdom and head full many thoughts. Needless to say, I will be spoiling a couple things so feel free to skip this if you'd prefer go in blind, also very long so tldr is I love this game and can def recommend playing it yourself, just go in blind and discover everything yourself as that's so much better

I honestly thought it was really cute, not just because of the art style (Link's Awakening holds a special place to me so it was really nice seeing them reuse the style but polish it up a bit more) but the characters and their interactions with eachother and Zelda. Each character felt rather fleshed out, and I'd often get a good chuckle or two from the dialogue.

And it was pretty nice to see it still being open world while having a linear story. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED BotW and TotK, still do. But I can absolutely see why folks weren't a fan of how the story played out, with how alot was told via memories but you still got some from current events. But with EoW they kept the story happening in present, keeping the exploration open and letting you still take on everything at your own pace, look around as you please.

On a similar note, I really liked there being full on dungeons with puzzles again. And they were perfectly balanced, not too hard but not too simple, just right. Some dungeons admittedly were a little trickier for me, but honestly I'm happy with that. I want to be struggling to figure dungeons out, instead of just breeze right on through, it makes it that much more satisfying.

The bosses were, for the most part, pretty easy. Keeping with usual Zelda fashion, there'd often be something that clues you in to whatever you gotta do to defeat them, although there is a couple that it takes a bit more than a quick glance to figure out (like that one side quest boss, I forgot the name but that cloud dude, I had to look it up and I would've never guessed you'd have to corner it and send arrows flying to it's eye) but that's perfectly fine because again, a good challenge is always nice.

Speaking of bosses, the final boss. While I'm glad we got a new villain (who I honestly LOVED as a villain but I'll touch back on that), it was a bit easier than I expected? I was thinking it would be harder, I mean I still struggled a little (lost a couple fairies and was running out of smoothies but I was locked in nonetheless) but after I had defeated it I was just there like "damn, that's it?"

But, Null. We finally got a new villain, I was worried it was Ganon again but I was wrong. I know others may not share the same sentiment, but I really liked Null as an antagonist. It wasn't all cynical, boisterous or anything like other villains. But calm, collected. And it actually felt like a threat, once it got ahold of the piece of the triforce and started spreading those chasms all over. That's something I've always loved in games, when the villain doesn't feel like just another obstacle but a real threat to those in the game.

And then of course, the soundtrack. As always, the soundtrack was a banger. I really loved how as time went on and you'd progress further, eventually when you'd step out into the world again, it'd start with a little bit of Zelda's lullaby and then get back to the usual overworld theme. And then when you battle puppet Zelda and Null, there's motifs of Zelda's lullaby but slightly, distorted for lack of a better word and I adored that.

I don't think I really have any gripes, but I may eventually think of something after thinking on it more

[kings-comic]

Hello! I've finished 1 of 6 pages for the next update!

Completely unrelated, but I just wanna do a little note: I did play most of the games- at least those I present in my comic- but I've not finished any except Albw and Aoc. I'm near Totk's end but the others are mostly at the beginning. I have not time nor guts to play them 😭 my game practically collecting dust lol

I'm kinda scared of the fights XD Definitely one of the reasons why my friends started calling me Ravio lol

I am fully stuck in so many of my games ;-;

I think the only Link I haven't played the game they're from is Mini and Four. I actually have a copy of four sword/alttp for gameboy, but I can't play fs cause I need other palyers which I do not have 😞 I need to see if there are any zelda retro gamers around me or cons with players so I could play it. The beginning cutscene is the only thing I can see... alttp works fine tho- I think I got up to the west palace or watever it's called in english ;-;

welp- I'll eventually have to go get eow, if it's anything like albw, I might be able to finish it! It'll take forever but I can wait- I still don't know what happens at the end of totk and I haven't died yet 🫠 Hopefully I don't do a dump google search and spoil myself like with Ravio

that's it for the totally out of the blue post lol I ramble so much

[sksninja]

Having an absolute normal one while waiting for TotK

So for some goddess-forsaken reason while running around in BotW, I had the thought over how much in game time it would take to get from one area of the map to the other.

I mean, it’s a pretty big map yea? How long would it take Link to get around if teleporting wasn’t an option?

So I started with going from the Great Plateau to the Dueling Peaks Stable.

It took 8.5 in-game hours to run from one end to the other when stopping to fight monsters. It took 6.5 to run once the path had been cleared. 

It took 19.5 in-game hours to walk (moving while crouched is comparable to slightly moving the control stick to walk so I was able to save my thumbs thank Hylia), and thanks to a “convenient” blood moon I also learned it takes 23.5 hours when you need to fight off those monsters that see you.

Trotting on horseback (faster than a walk, slower than a gallop) also took 6.5 hours. So running is about equal to casual horse-riding. Good to know! Galloping took 4 in-game hours (walking on horseback is slower than Link’s walking pace so I decided I didn’t need to know that one).

But I also realized that horse gallop-speed varies based on the horse! So this called for more testing.

But wow. The scenery is getting stale.

Lets switch it up by going from Dueling Peaks Stable to Hateno!

On a two-star speed horse it took 4.5 in-game hours; three-star was 4; and four-star was 3.

Oh what else? Lets go from the stable to Kakariko!

That’s closer so lets take it easy with a nice horse trot. 4 hours. Which is also equal to Link running on foot. Nice.

Another scenery change! How about the Outskirts Stable to the Lost Woods entrance?

Travel speed? Trotting on horseback does seem like a realistic traveling pace, so let’s stick with that. 3 hrs. Cool.

What next, what next... How about travel between stables! Let’s do Outskirt Stable to Gerudo Stable.

Hmm, and we’ve been spoiling ourselves with that horse auto-pathing. Let’s WALK. Even having pre-cleared the path of monsters, walking took 27 in-game hours. OOF.

So yea. I’m having fun. What am I doing with this information? Well so far I’ve a bunch of messy hand-written notes on some scrap cardboard. And then I made this tumblr post. Maybe I’ll make a spreadsheet (I like those).

And hey, BOTW FIC WRITERS. Do you want to know how long it would take to get from one point of the map to the other at whatever traveling speed? Want me to include things like resting for meals or nighttime or waiting out the rain? I’LL FUCKING DO IT. Just throw me reply/comment/ask. I’m basically looking for a reason here.

And in the meantime, I’ll keep up with the game file I got going where I make Link actually GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP at night (or at least resting by a fire and pretending he’s sleeping), and am keeping a tally of how many in-game days it takes me to rescue Zelda. So far I’ve activated all towers, made it to all towns, and calmed Vah Ruta. It’s been 79 in-game days. There have been 7 blood-moons. Our boy is so well rested 😌

[fioreofthemarch]

hellooo just wanted to say i am Absolutely Loving Finding Her sososo much !! the formatting of it is so Fun and the way u tell the story through it is absolutely fantastic- i love how the image descriptions/captions and link’s notes allow for more descriptive/introspective-y bits (whilst still staying so faithful to hin as a character ?? the way u write from his perspective is so. Correct omg) and then faster paced scenes (especially the last chapter. Oh My God) are formatted through voice logs and stuff As It Happens which works so well it feels so chaotic I LOVE IT SO MUCH aghh its like reading a book and a screenplay and somebes text messages all at the same time and youve somehow made it work so seamlessly :D struggling to word it bc im silly but. luv it a lot words make brain go brrrr

beloved anon you are too kind!!!!

I'm so glad people are digging the text messages/voice calls??? Finding Her is partly wish fulfillment for me wanting to be able to text everyone in TOTK. Like if Wordle was a thing in Hyrule do you think they'd all have a group chat?

I think Josha would have started the chat and would post religiously, Robbie would only post when he gets it in 2 tries or less, Purah would NEVER post but would secretly do them every day, Impa does not own a phone, Zelda would explain her reasoning for every single one and accidentally spoil it for anyone that hasn't done that day's yet, and Link would never post except to inexplicably get it in one guess at least once per week.

[chrisemrysfics]

Hello~!

A little post to mention that I will make adjustments to the blog sooner or later, as I decided to change what I do when I have fic ideas, I will make a proper note to share on my WIP as well as here, but long story short I realized that the whole "multi chaptered story that is cohesive/coherent" format (aka the way my fics on AO3) are takes a lot of effort that I just don't have the space to do regularly anymore, and I want to try working with just... babbling about ideas on this blog instead, and only share on AO3 if I have completed stories or series of short stories that relate to each other in term of background context.

I technically did mean to do this on this blog before, but because I still "pushed" myself to try and write "proper stories", I ended up never having the energy to be active on this blog (pretty sure now that all I did is make my brain unwilling to touch fics ideas ^^"). So now I'm hoping to be much more relaxed, and vibe on this blog sharing my ideas even if they never end up being "proper stories".

I am already testing this method with the ideas that have been most present in my head for a while, the blog is technically open and active but also I'm still working on the pages, you can find it here!

That blog is all about a crossover but each individual fandom/protagonist character have their own personal story, so in theory you can also find lots of stuff for the fandom you know even if you're not interested in the rest!

The crossover protagonists are: Peter Parker, Allen Walker, Link (BotW/TotK), Wei Wuxian, Ireth (Elf OC for DAI). There's also canon love interest(s) for each character, there's a lot that's not about the ships, but they are still present so that's either greater interest or squicks out, either way is totally fine~!

These ships are: Starker, Neallen and Poker Pair, Wild/Twilight and Wild/Gan(ondorf from TotK), Wangxian, Ireth/Cullen and Ireth/Dorian (with occasioanl mention/au where Ireth/Bull is also a thing).

The crossover blog, and the crossover ideas, is very fluid as I didn't want to "set in stone" details when it felt more fun to consider the various possible variations of the base ideas. Which, you know, is a bit hard to do with "proper stories" and why it made my inspiration lower a lot, because I love to just... vibe with ideas. Like, for a while I did enjoy figuring out how to make my ideas into "proper stories", but I guess my writing style changed? And now I enjoy a lot more "non traditional" storytelling.

So yeah, expect adjustments on this blog, a note about what I'm changing here and on my AO3 WIPs (which will also be marked "completed" because I now consider them finished since they all have a bonus that detailed my ideas, except Meet me Halfway (didn't want to spoil too much when I made the first bonus but now I need to make second bonus that does spoil XD), and hopefully a bit more activity here where I share about my existing fics and new ideas, and don't forget to check out the crossover blog as I'll be more active there!

(I'll likely try to reblog from the crossover blog, but I want to keep this blog for my actual existing fics and other ideas external to the crossover, so yeah if you're curious about the crossover itself or the individual/fandom-specific stories, check out the crossover blog!).

And as always: thank you for your patience and your interest <3

PS: feel free to drop into my inbox here and/or the crossover blog for any questions, comments, or messages you might want to leave! I'm still very much around and don't mind it all at ^w^

[karama9]

Villains!

I just got a new worry pop in my head last night...

I really don't want anyone to start thinking the villain in ATHU is actually good and a victim, or incredibly attractive or what have you.

And I look at Ganondorf in TOTK and he is 100% evil bent on murdering everyone he deems unworthy (which is everyone except his own people), which is (checks notes) attempted genocide. He's not shown as having any redeeming quality, if you know your lore he's literally the result of Demise's curse, a being made of pure hatred...

And people go on about how Rauru is to blame for everything. He was too confident, he was stupid, he was making an empire and pressuring the Gerudo to join under threat (of which there is no hint whatsoever), while Ganondorf... why, he's a KING. He's looking out for his people! Let's just not talk about the whole mass murder thing, did you see those pecs??!

There are at least two accounts where he's answering questions with a whole lot of patience and magnanimity. The genocidal maniac mass murderer who wants revenge and death even more than he wants power or to benefit the Gerudo.

And it's not that there shouldn't be. He's fictional! Like him all you want. Remold him, re-imagine him, have fun! I'm all for it.

It's just that it makes me wonder if I should specifically make my villain ugly and I HATE that trope. But then I'm worried people will Ganondorf-ify him and for reasons that I won't get into because I don't want to spoil my own story, that would be SUPER disturbing.

And then I think I shouldn't care what people do. And I try not to.

So anyway if he ends up kicking a puppy, you'll know why.

[thegeminisage]

its DUNGEON TIME!!! finally. i didnt do this yesterday bc i was wiped and i didnt wanna teleport away with poor riju...i have no idea if she'll leave or get stuck there or what

this one looks really complicated...but i'm gonna see how far i can get w/o a guide

omg when you go up on your glider riju is like...i'll leave that area to you link! she can't fly 😭

i see mirrors up here but no light source.......MAN the nostalgia im having rn. this is so much like oot

FOUND IT....

omg wait this construct fused a mirror to its shield...mirror shield...WAHHH

oh that took me STUPIDLY long to figure out but i love that i didn't have to look it up (stopping the wheel with the stake)

apparently i can ascend into the final floor but i really don't wanna do that by myself lol

omg lol there was a hive in this room that also had constructs...they fought each other!! i kept waiting for the read to like Jump the construct but it just swung at it. do they truly not do that in this game.........

oops i accidentally warped outside of the temple with ascension...i gotta be more careful lol. quick warp back but the enemies respawned, no blood moon needed

also the puzzle reset itself :/

got the last one! i only wound up looking at a guide for one, but i accidentally read how to do another first, and then the one i was looking for i also discovered how to do while i was doing that one. so all in all a success

eugh i'm scaaared i dont wanna fight a giant BUG!!!

for once im low on food too. im gonna get my ass beat lol

NOOOOO the first half was fine but now shes SUMMONING REDEADS.....................

im not gonna get jumped im not gonna get jumped im NOT gonna get jumped!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS SO SCARY FUCK FUCK FUCK I KEEP SHOOTING THEM FROM ONLY INCHES AWAY THEY ARE SO FAST

IM NOT!!! GONNA GET JUMPED!!!!!!!!!

BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN'T GET ME IN THE LIGHT

elated. wow. that was so close. im never leaving this little column of light again

rip i have to. but. don't wanna.

GOT all the hives without getting jumped

GOT HER ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you CANNOT fuck me i am UNFUCKABLE im not getting jumped today tomorrow next year FUCK off

sorry to riju but her ancestor is HOT. ok im taking this seriously

wait. i just realized these expository cutscenes use the sacred realm melody from oot for just a few notes. AAAAAAAAAAAAA that makes me INSAAAAAANE

"he was our chief before he became obsessed with power and changed" HAUGH........good guy ganondorf....................im making him real in my mind palace

wait sorry hold on. im pausing this cutscene again. i was spoiled that the fifth sage was a construct. which i thot was lame cuz it shoulda been a sheikah. but im looking at this image of them - four sages with helmets, one each for rito zora goron and gerudo - then a hylian, zelda - and then a ZONAI, mineru......that makes six! just like oot! and rauru as the leader/seventh sage, like zelda in oot...two hylians in oot and two zonai in totk...THERE ARE SEVEN OF THEM. what if MINERU gets put inside the construct!!! because didn't zelda put her soul in that purah pad or whatever!!!!!! oh my god.........if this turns out to be the case i think i've earned that bingo square. it wouldn't be true to the letter but true in spirit. i've earned that!!!

damn...they way both this ancestor and urbosa feel it's Personal w ganondorf bc he is also gerudo...he's literally staining their good name...

WAAHHHH riju going "my responsibilities as a leader, as a sage, AND fighting alongside you............sounds like fun >:)" she is TOO YOUNG...so much responsibility...wah

omg you can just walk around here now? without crossdressing? did they chicken out of a crossdressing plot in this game...............smh nintendo. i know it wasn't perfectly executed in the first game but they could have just tried again

FINALLY here is mattison...idk why i couldn't find her before the shroud lifted!!!

ok, i gotta take a break and do Chores, i'll figure out what i'm doing next later!!!

[scootatwoni]

Non-spoilery rant about totk !

My god I love this game. I'm loving the story and the characters. I love exploring my favorite version of Hyrule with fresh new eyes, seeing how it's grown and changed in the big and little ways....seeing NPCs and having little !!! moments when I recognize them and the growing excitement to find more NPCs I know, seeing what they're doing now (side note but without spoiling where he is can someone confirm if Kass is still around? 😭)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the side quests, I keep getting sidetracked by them but it never feels like a distraction! The game encourages you to help these people out and play around and explore

I had zero doubts that this would be an amazing, breathtaking game but I was absolutely not prepared for all these feelings lol idk how to explain it and ofc these games are all unique and loved in different ways but botw/totk is like oot/mm to me

[storm-demon]

finally started totk and I just beat the first boss so i figure i'll put a few thoughts down (still haven't beat the game so don't spoil things please)

pros-

I like the addition of the sky islands, really makes the paraglider feel like more of a mainstay part of your equipment, also leads to some p fun platforming and a good use of your new abilites.

The new blin enemies are fun, also I like the old enemies they added in, it was fucking wild to roll up to a bridge and stumble upon gleeok of all fucking things (also on that note glad to have unique boss monsters back, I was not a huge fan of the blights)

I think the weapon crafting plays into the whole durability mechanic a lot better than just finding weapons, also is a nice incentive to kill shit

I like the zonai, and the fact that we're out here just making it canon that zelda's technically part furry is some great shit, this is what I needed

cons-

They really seemed to fuck up the dodge and flurry rush timing? I thought maybe it was just that I hadn't played botw in a few years but looking through reddit, no it seems this is something other ppl have noticed. frankly I don't know why they changed the timing at all if it's it's using the same basic engine anyway

While I do like the new abilities and I think they're mostly used well in the overworld, I think the shrines have weirdly gotten worse in design from botw (barring the annoying ball ones of course). A lot of the shrines seem to have a lot more rigid solutions w not a ton of room to get creative so far, plus I feel like certain solutions are not exactly telegraphed that well. Maybe it's just the copy and paste look of them but I keep finding myself missing solutions because they either don't look interactable or blend into the bg too much. Also the tutorial ones just... suck. I'm hours into the game and every one I've found is something I already figured out how to do on my own, so they just feel slow, handholdy, and pointless.

the depths isn't really grabbing me so far, it's not the worst but I really thought the first time going down that it'd have a lot more worthwhile loot down there but so far a lot of it has been more of a resource sink without too many returns. I dunno maybe my mind will change once I figure out what these poe souls do

The gloom hands. These enemies should not be in a game with no i frames. they're literally just stunlock machines and not engaging to fight. please jsut put some fuckign i frames in the game

[benditozorrito]

LoZ BotW Wrap Up

Sadly this marks the last post of the original play-through, and I'm unlikely to pick it up from this point 4 years later [at least not until I'm actually able to let's play games like I'd prefer]. Which is kind of a shame tho bc like a fool, this means me saving the best for last never actually happened. Because the Gerudo man!!!

I remember I had a lot of thoughts on the Gerudo, because I always do LOL I am always intrigued by their role in the story just for the fact alone that Ganon is from this race and they often are in vastly different situations in each game because of it. Like in OoT they're at war with Hyrule bc of Ganon, but there are some who arent cool with that. In TP it's strongly implied Selma is descended from the Gerudo, but otherwise they seem to have been wiped out. Same for WW, where theres really no hint of them at all.

In BotW though they are flourishing really, and well aware of Ganons origins from them. Urbosa makes a point that he's their responsibility, and that she takes pleasure in helping to rid the world of him. So I have to think since they have good relations with others, that the Gerudo of this game hold no love for Ganon and had to work past that stigma. Its also interesting that [to my memory] they dont seem to have had a male Gerudo of significance since. Perhaps because of Ganon they haven't been observing the whole "that one male every 100 years gets to be king" thing? But the possibility of it certainly is still a thing, since you can buy male clothes for gerudo, albeit in secret

No I'm not going to talk about the gender and the cross dressing thing bc uuuuhhhh you know why =_=;;; I'm sure theres essays about it, I remember a lot of discussion about it at the time.

However I am interested in talking about those 8 matron deities the Gerudo here have??!!?! I love this! I am so fascinated by this and want to know more! It appears to be the only mention of any other religion outside Hylia to my memory. And one of them is even forsaken?? In the mountains??? What happened with that??!! I dearly hope that it might be something expanded on in TotK, but I may be asking for a lot lol

Side note also, I adore Riju, she's so cute and is carrying so much on those shoulders and the hat doesn't even fit on her head yet lmaooo

Extra side note, I actually really loved in the final memory viewing, that tiny hint that Fi is still there in the sword.

I did also get the Champion DLC, and while that first trial bit sucked ass, I did like the little memory additions we got for the Champions and the options to learn more about them in their diaries!

Except for Ravioli. That guy continues to suck

Also like.....Urbosa and Zelda's mom were so a thing. Like, the lesbian undertones are practically overtones LOL

I have no idea when I will play TotK, as atm the purchase of it isnt even on my mind right now [grad school be suckin my wallet dry atm] but one day I will get it and probably post about it, if not LP it by then lol

Overall I loved BotW though, it was a fun game to play and a very interesting take on Zelda. Its honestly the one that feels closest to the OG, which I think was the idea lol I'm interested to see how the series will move forward

DISCLAIMER: AGAIN, I HAVE NOT PLAYED LOZ TOTK YET, DO NOT SPOIL ME PLEASE. ALL QUESTIONS AND POSTULATIONS ARE HYPOTHETICAL AND DO NOT REQUIRE ANSWERS!!!

[mememan93]

K im out of work now so im gonna talk about this

Spoilers, like massive spoilers, for TOTK under the cut. Also negative opinions on Botw and Totk under the cut

TLDR: Botw and Totk don't pay a lot of credit to older zelda's, and what they do is misrepresented, and also totk is trying to be a new version of an older game instead of being its own thing.

This is a filler sentence because i know in the notes under the cut doesn't work and sometimes people see the first sentence and get spoiled it happens to me and it sucks so ppl in the notes dont look anymore K?

ok hopefully that^ is enough to stop tumblr's terrible ass features from ruining someone elses experience.

Yes, I do totally think they overshadow older zelda games. Not in a 'they're better' way, but in a 'older zelda games? what are those?' way.

I mean, look at the Loz tag! its almost all botw or totk, and im just talking abt the popular page rn, (totk just came out ofc the recent page is gonna be totk that's obvious). The other posts are some (really good) art of midna, a character who even ppl who've only played botw are obsessed with cause shes hot

Part of this definitely has to do with COVID, and the influx of ppl buying switches, and therefore BOTW. And it's not their fault, if botw and totk are the only games they've played, until recently, nintendo didn't make a lot of their games accessible on the switch, and oot and mm still need a DLC to a paid service (which SUCKKKS)

But part of the reason it kinda annoys me is that Botw doesnt lend itself to the other games, except maybe skyward sword, but in the worst way possible. Playing botw doesn't really make people wanna play the older zelda games, especially because they're nothing alike. I've seen people complain that totk was gonna have bigger dungeons, because dungeons were the reason they avoided zelda before botw, and I don't want to be gatekeepy, but like, really? You're upset that a core part of the zelda series is returning, because you liked the easy puzzles of botw, and get mad that people wanted them back? (and this was before totk came out, and im sorry to say that while they're good, they're nowhere near the level of OOT or Sws)

Botw takes bare minimum lore from other zelda games, and the lore it takes is from skyward sword. And everyone knows that I love love love skyward sword, but it also misrepresents the lore it does take. Like, for example, Hylia. She is dead, she died pre-skyward sword to become Zelda. Botw not elaborating this and making her seem like an absent deity is kinda frustrating and a misrepresentation of one of the key themes of skyward sword.

And then tears of the kingdom comes along and just straight up implies that Hylia, and the golden goddesses for that matter, are not the source of zelda's, actually any of the zeldas post Skyward sword if you believe that rauru and sonia founded the first hyrule, but instead from the Zonai, who DIDN'T EXIST prior to botw. they weren't even hinted at in skyward sword. (No, that one swirl on the sandship was just a design. not a zonai rune ffs)

And right now, Totk feels like it's trying to redo and outdo OOT.

When I say "Sages" what game do you think of? It's true, OOT isn't the only game to have sages. TP, WW, ALBW, ALTTP (except its the maidens), and ST (lokomo sages count) all have sages, but you usually think of OOT and their medalions, because they're the most notable.

I mean, a sage story isn't anything new and isn't inherently OOT, but.

Seven sages (Including Zelda). Medalions/Secret Stones that enhance/contain bits of power, a light sage named rauru, who kinda looks like an owl. come on.

And then there's this blatant callback.

( i dont know why they won't go in the right order)

Ganondorf swearing his fealty (ITS THE SAME POSE) and zelda knowing he's evil, but then he kills someone and Zelda who knew he was evil couldn't protect them so she teams up with the sages to seal him away. Am i talking about totk or oot? You tell me

I've said in another post (I think it was an ask you sent me lol) that there's nothing wrong with a callback or a refernce, infact its good, but it feels like TOTK isn't trying to be TOTK, or even BOTW 2, but instead be OOT 2.

I was talking to someone abt it, and they said "It's trying to be a sequel to a game its not even a sequel too"

It's like its trying to be ocarina of time, but with the botw lore, because it was popular and sold a lot of copies. Its oot without the oot.

I said before I didn't want a lot of skyward sword references, because I wanted totk to be its own game, and i guess i got monkey's pawed because so far, besides the floating islands and the hylia statues, the only skyward sword reference was Fi noises, and instead totk became OOT but with minimal charm.

Sigh. rant over

I would also like to hear additional thoughts if you guys have any

[benditozorrito]

OK SO I did have a bunch of vids of it but I think it's just easier to elaborate on it here I FIND THE DRAGONS VERY INTERESTING. As in this game, they appear to be the only reference to the 3 goddesses. The ones we had before Hylia was even a concept.

====================

This is not that surprising I guess in hindsight since in say WW, they are not touched on either save for the pearls and the statues that are their pedestals. But I think the common ground there is a sort of lost to history situation.

====================

I have been looking everywhere I can for mention of them, but no one remembers the 3 goddesses, only Hylia. I am dearly hoping this gets touched on in BotW2 in some way

====================

The dragons themselves are known though. I've met NPCs that refer to them, but don't seem aware of their importance. None of them make the connection. I think its debatable if all of them can even see the dragons, or maybe it's simply the dragons have been quiet until now

====================

BUT THEY WERE IMPORTANT the dialog with I guess Hylia through the encounter with Naydra outright says they are guardian spirits. So direct servants of deities? like in SS? Probably, and also participated in rituals with the hero too

====================

idk that the dragons themselves will prove significant in BotW2. MAYBE since now I've heard a lot of theories regarding the ruins and the possibility of a tribe worshiping dragons. But if nothing I'd love to see more mention of the goddesses they represent

====================

also side note: the fact that Ganon's Malice was enough to corrupt these guys I suppose should not surprise me but at the same time- holy fucking shit Demise' ability to corrupt is crazy strong

DISCLAIMER: NO I HAVE NOT PLAYED LOZ TOTK YET, DO NOT SPOIL ME PLEASE. ALL QUESTIONS AND POSTULATIONS ARE HYPOTHETICAL AND DO NOT REQUIRE ANSWERS!!!