Hellao everyone!!! Buttermilk Daydreams lore be upon ye!!! :D
Tagging @iiboronii ouo
There’s a lot to see when you’re on the road. Landscapes that look like they came straight out of a movie, bright and vast as you look on in wonder. Stars shimmering overhead and ripples in the lake. The way sunlight shines through the leaves, the haze of a snowstorm, the layers in the sandstone.
Coyotes nipping at your heels, getting tipsy off cactus juice, trying (and failing) to identify edible plants, using marshmallow bags for pillows. Wait, are mules the ones that can stand on super steep inclines? Or was it goats… Yeah, yeah it was definitely goats. Ouch.
It’s a wild world out there, but it’s nothing you can’t handle!
And the sweet relief of finding a town to stop by for the night! A nice breath of fresh air, restocking on supplies, eating good food, and just having idle chit chat. Not to say that mules can’t be conversationalists in their own right, but it’s just nice to be around other people.
Beaming with pride and ambition as you regale the events of your journey to put yourself out there, to prove yourself, to change the world as we know it!!
Or at least that’s what you would do, if anybody bothered to ask.
—
Your heart is bursting at the seams with creativity and enthusiasm, just desperate to be noticed!! And one day, someone does!! This gal in a light blue sweater and overalls – says her name is Artic – matching your enthusiasm right off the bat as she bombards you with questions!
How will this invention of yours work? What about the prototypes? Your mule looks so soft, what’s his name? Woahh, you can play guitar? How long have you been out on the road? What have you seen?
And most importantly… Can I come along?
Turns out she’s been on the road too, with plans of her own and eyes to the skies. She loves his ideas! And not only does she want to see him succeed, she wants to help too! Nobody’s done that before!!
And yknow, she was actually prepared for a big journey like this and packed a lot of boring useful things the Onceler miiight have forgotten about.
And so, they were off!! Melvin now has to deal with two bumbling doofuses aklsdjs
—
They discover the valley, the Onceler sets up shop and chops down the first tree, and it isn’t long until he and the Lorax get in a squabble about it. But Artic steps in, trying to find a compromise.
If we can’t stay here, where else could we go? And besides, there IS a town not far from here. If they haven’t been a problem, then surely we could find a way to stay here?
On the other hand, if thneeds do become a smash hit and people want more, then what? You’ll cut down more trees, unable to stop just to keep up. And at that rate, they’ll all be gone!
Artic lights up as she gets an idea, whispering to the Lorax about it before being given a tentative go ahead. But for the Onceler, it's a surprise and she does a cheeky wink as she runs off to the cottage.
Of course he’s all “Aw cmon! You'll tell him but not me?” and he tries to ask the Lorax what she said but he's not budging.
He tries to sneak a few glances when Artic’s tinkering away, but he can never quite figure out what she’s up to…
—
Until one day, Artic says she’s finally got it. It’s finally done! And she leaves a note saying to meet her at that super tall hill to the east!
The Onceler, the Lorax, and a buncha animals make their way up there, to see Artic with the biggest grin on her face! And straps around her shoulders and waist, and some kinda thingy on her back?
Wait, are those- FWOOSH
Big ol makeshift wings unfurl from her back, causing some of the animals to back up in surprise! She rolls her shoulders, and interestingly, her wings seem to follow the movement.
THIS is what she’s been working towards!! THIS is what she’s been working on for like a month!! THIS is what she, admittedly, had been sneaking out at night to test prototypes for-
You see, Artic wanted to make a way to grab truffula tufts without chopping down the whole tree! But in order to do that, you would need your hands free. So, she made wings that move with your shoulders and upper back!!
(Inspired by the fact that I can make my shoulder blades stick out of my back, and Artic’s wings have a wider range of motion because of that :D)
Plus having a bird’s eye view of the valley gives you an easier time seeing which trees have more tufts, which ones have nests so you don’t disturb them, and it’s just plain fun!!
—
As if on cue, the winds shift. And before you know it, she’s running up the hill, getting closer and closer to the edge until!!
She leaps off, fabric billowing as it catches the air, and she’s off!! Swooping down to a nearby tree, grabbing the tufts, and spiraling down to the soft grass below, her face just barely peeking out from the armfuls of pink fluff :D
The Onceler runs up and tackle hugs her, but she’s like “AAA WAIT” bc the wings are kinda fragile and wouldn’t handle her landing on her back too well, so the two of them just kinda spin around mid-hug to regain balance ouo
The Onceler is absolutely ENAMORED with the wings, inspecting every little part and the materials and how everything was put together and!!!!!
Actually, speaking of which, he suggests that she could've used a different type of stitch on the fabric in order to keep all these moving parts together.
To which Artic admits that she doesn't actually know how to sew, she just figured it out from watching him- So he offers to make celebratory pancakes and teach her a thing or two ouo!!
—
I’ve always imagined Greenville looking less… Suburban? Is that the word? Honestly everytime I see canon Greenville it’s a jarring experience aklsfjds
I picture half-timbered style houses, little flower planters in the windowsill, this central farmer’s market type area in the center near that marble gazebo thingy the Onceler performs at.
Maybe there’s a part where the land goes upwards into a hill, and that was made into a dirt path that goes up around the back of the town where you can look over the whole thing!
And there’s a grassy flowery field up there that makes for a perfect picnic spot ouo. Maybe a small pond too!
The whole place just feels more organic and cozy ouo
—
The two of them go into town for the first time, with Artic selling pies and people love it, while the Onceler tries to sell his thneed and you know how that goes.
The look in her eyes when she sees how they're treating him- And the fact that everyone's being so nice to her just makes it worse! They broke his guitar and everything ono
Where's that one meme of someone holding another person and pointing their finger bc THAT'S HER. Just holding this dude way taller than she is and ready to throw hands aslkfjsdf
And when they get back she offers to wash all the tomato out of his clothes and she’s just so sweet and supportive and arghrgksdfd I need to be there for him!!!!!
She finds a buncha seeds in the tomato splatter, so they grow their own tomato plant outside the cottage! Finding good even when things don’t go as planned, and now they get to make a homemade pizza together!!
—
And by this point Artic had built a second set of wings just for him, larger and more built for gliding long distances as opposed to Artic’s more angular high speed wings.
There’s this scene in my head where he’s using the wings for the first time, and he loses balance and almost crashes but Artic swoops in and saves him, and they’re just smiling at each other and akjskdf <3
—
Artic and the Onceler making homemade hot chocolate! They were originally just making it for themselves, but the Lorax showed up like “What are you two makin all this racket about?” along with some other critters, so they ended up making a whole buncha hot chocolate for everybody!!
Here we've only got one rule, never ever let it cool!!
Just this fun montage of them getting everything prepared! What do you MEAN you haven’t seen the hot chocolate scene in the Lorax movie-
Eventually they run out of mugs, so they had to use stuff like bowls and gravyboats- And they had a buncha toppings to go with it! Candy canes and cinnamon sticks and chocolate wafer sticks, and of course a buncha big ol marshmallows ouo
Artic and the Onceler clink their mugs together and everybody sips their drinks and there’s just this big collective sigh of comfort -u-
The Lorax gets a hot chocolate mustache, and if this were a real scene in the movie, I could totally see “double mustache” becoming an old fandom meme
The window’s open and it’s a bit chilly, so Artic goes to shut it, but she can see her breath a little bit. They don’t exactly have a weather forecast out there, but given those clouds in the distance they might get a snowstorm soon!! Her and the Onceler getting all excited about how they’re gonna make snowmen and have snowball fights-
Buuut they realize their little pop-up cottage situation probably isn’t built for that kinda weather. It’s certainly waterproof! I imagine it’s got a top layer of this thick scratchy tarp stuff with fabric underneath?
But either way there’s definitely not enough insulation for the cold. Not to mention the snow could build up on the roof and send the whole thing collapsing in on itself!
Luckily, these two are smart cookies with a love for tinkering. They’ll figure something out! They always do ouo
—
AAAA Artic and the Onceler are just so bright and energetic and full of life!!! Long days and bright skies and goofy little dances and the smell of fresh blueberry pancakes and going to the farmers market and stargazing and working with what you’ve got!
There's always some new invention or adventure or something to explore, just fun slice-of-life shenaniganry! The air is fresh and the sunlight is warm and everything is gonna be alright ouo
Now this whole time they’ve just been friends. Buddies! Business partners, even! But the Onceler thinks he might be starting to have feelings for her… So with no one else to go to, he asks the Lorax for advice.
Though not without a bit of searching first. Geez, where is that guy when you need him?
When asked what he likes about Artic, I mean, just look at her!
She’s brilliant! She made wings and jumped off a cliff and it worked, how crazy is that! She’s just so… Fun! And full of energy and bright like the sun! Oh, and she makes an amazing pie, you’re really missing out- And she listens to me, and we bounce ideas off of each other, and…
She thinks I’m worth something.
Basically these two are obviously crushing on each other but they’re sooo awkward and oblivious about it and the Lorax is just in the background like “KISS EACH OTHER ALREADY”
—
They have soooo many little nicknames for each other- They don't really use "standard" petnames but they'll just go back and forth calling each other all sorts of goofy stuff
Ollie. Butterfly. Hummingbird. Bumblebee. Morning glory. Buttercup. Sunflower. Dragonfly. Dandelion. Sweet pea. Bell pepper. Sweet potato. Milkshake. Apple fritter. Cornbread. Texas toast. Egg sugar salt flour bake at 350 degrees-
—
Suffice to say, neither the Onceler nor Artic had good families. But even if their circumstances were similar, the way they responded to it are near opposites.
The Onceler still wants to believe that his family cares about him.
Given how his family lives in the middle of nowhere, maybe he didn’t leave very often. And between that and a lack of friends, he never had much frame of reference for what’s healthy and normal.
He’s so used to just giving in and doing what they want, in the hopes that eventually they’ll see how hard he’s worked and give him the validation he craves. He set out on this whole journey to prove himself to his family.
He’s always been told that family is important, if not the most important thing out there. Blood runs thicker than water, they say. He still talks to them because they’re his family, how could he ever let them go?
So he keeps convincing himself that if he just tries hard enough, everything will work out.
—
Meanwhile Artic set out to prove to herself that there’s more to life than a cluttered room.
You go outside and feel fresh air fill your lungs and you remember the world is real again. Those mountains in the distance can be touched! They can be climbed!
There’s a feeling in your chest, in your gut. All the things you never did, all the things you never said. All that pent-up energy built up into the very core of your being and left to fester, acidic and searing through anything it touches.
But it doesn’t feel like that anymore. It hasn’t ever since you came to the valley.
Ever since you left that house you knew you were searching for something, but you could never quite figure out what.
But the answer was right here all along. You were looking for home.
Home is an unfamiliar concept to you. A vague sensation, a faraway daydream, something you never thought you’d see. But it’s here now. You’ve found it.
Open windows. A sunlit room. The smell of a cake in the oven. The soft strumming of music in the air. A warm embrace under soft, heavy blankets. You’re safe. You’re home.
—
Sometimes there are long, tearful nights talking about the past. Both of them coming to the realization that their circumstances were not, in fact, the most normal thing in the world. Nor did they deserve that treatment.
Both of them have been hurting for a long, long time. But in the subtle way, the way that makes you question if you’re just overreacting. A hundred little “not as bad as it could’ve beens”, tucked away in the cabinet.
One night, during one of these talks, Artic asks if she's… Damaged goods, so to speak. Of course to which the Onceler says she's not a burden at all!
We're both fruit in the basket that's been a little battered up but if there's anything he's learned on the farm, it's that overripe bananas make the best banana bread, and sometimes the watermelons with spots and webbing are the sweetest.
Like he just goes on a tangent about ripeness and flavor in crops and it's adorable and she's just watching him with a smile <3
Because now that they’re here, they can start to heal. They’ve found home in each other, and now, they’re never letting go. Figuratively or literally, they’re so snuggly they just cling to each other in their sleep like their lives depend on it
Also Artic has pajamas similar to the Onceler’s! Except they’re pink with offwhite hearts, and with short sleeves and shorts. And socks, specifically the white ones with the gray toe and heel ouo
—
With the sharp ringing of the telephone, the Onceler’s family calls him insisting to know where he is. Not because of his invention, but because they want money from him.
This wasn’t new, and back at the house, he had a habit of hiding his stuff so nobody would steal it. But when his family found out he had been hiding money from them, they’d just guilt trip him into handing it over anyways.
But if you budge on your boundaries, that won’t satisfy them. They’re just gonna keep pushing now that they know the pressure works.
—
So it isn’t long until a trailer barrels through the forest, and boy is it a mess
His family clowning him for living in the middle of the woods and still not amounting to anything, his mom keeps calling Artic his girlfriend (derogatory), everybody’s just trampling around like they own the place.
And while the Onceler is still very intimidated by all this, his movements made stiff with stress, he is able to stand up for himself thanks to Artic’s support. But they still show no signs of leaving.
So, Artic meets up with the Lorax and the animals and gets to planning. After all, they do say that intruders get cursed by the forces of nature…
Through a combination of nature and machine, a buncha little contraptions get set up in the night to scare the Onceler’s family away! And a sigh of relief sweeps through the valley-
When the trailer barreled in and outta there, a lot of trees got trampled and snapped. The leftover wood was then used for firewood, among other things.
The wood itself smells pleasantly sweet when burned, and they discovered that the inner bark makes for a cinnamon-like powder that tastes like butterscotch!
—
And for a while, things are back to normal, with the duo’s latest adventure being exploring the valley, charting it all on a big ol map! But one day…
He’s not quite sure how it happened. Artic was seemingly gone without a trace.
Both of them often split up to do their own thing, so it wasn’t a worry at first, but the day was almost over and she hadn’t even left a note. Maybe she had gotten lost in the valley? But her wings and the map were still at the cottage.
The Lorax says that he spotted her in town earlier, having what was clearly a tense conversation with someone he had never seen. He swore he only looked away for a second, but with that, she was gone like the breeze.
So with that, he grabbed his wings and set out to find her. Without much of a lead, the search took days on foot and hoof and wing alike. But eventually, he found it.
—
A regular old house, or so it would seem,
In a place where not even fireflies gleam
Grass that grickled and tickled and scratched at your skin
A well-worn doormat that beckons you in
And in the dark hues of blues in the night
Where clouds came to stifle the full moon’s light
All the windows were shut, locked as tight as they could
All but one, where a lone figure stood
There behind the curtains
Look close and you’ll see
Soft blue eyes drip, drip, dripping
—
I’m not exactly sure how her family found her in Greenville, or why they brought her back. I imagine for some kind of family event? But then there was a holiday coming up soon, and this, and this, and before she knew it she was living there again.
And she stayed there because she felt like she didn’t have a choice. That, and, she thought she could help. Her family is struggling, but if she stays any longer, this house threatens to swallow her whole.
Artic looked… Tired. Awfully so. She glanced to the side, almost yelling in surprise as she finally noticed the Onceler standing there at the windowsill sjkfsd
Hushed chatter, a quick kiss, having to hide and pretend to be asleep at one point… The hope in her eyes, accentuated with tears that sparkled in the hazy moonlight, was heartbreakingly bittersweet. I missed you so much.
…I wanna go home.
Then let’s go home.
—
When they get back everything seems all fine and dandy, but Artic can’t help but wonder.
They had bonded over their passion and spirit of adventure. For being as bright as the sun and twice as energetic. For all the ideas they’ve shared and the things they’ve made and the places they’ve been.
But what if she can’t always be like that? Would he still love her then? When she’s tired and scared and can’t get anything done? When she feels as though she could shatter at any moment? When she needs a lot of comfort and encouragement just to keep going?
She resents feeling so down, telling herself that she’s not supposed to be like this. That she’ll just bring everyone down with her.
Is it not Euridice’s fault for dying, for being the reason Orpheus trekked into the underworld? She’s terrified of losing what they have, but even more scared of being the reason it fizzles out.
But she’s brought out of her thoughts as a hand gently pushes the hair out of her face, followed by a dreamy sigh. There she is. There’s the girl he fell in love with.
—
Of course he’ll still love her when she’s feeling blue. How could he not? The Onceler fell in love with her, not just her happiness. How could he not love her in her darkest moments when she did the same for him? How could he not?
And besides, you can’t expect anyone to be happy all the time, especially not with what we’ve been through. You don’t have to be a certain way to be lovable, to be loved. You just are.
I love you. And I’ll say it as many times as I need to convince you.
—
One of these nights, they have dreams of if things were different. If the Onceler achieved incredible success beyond his wildest dreams, but it came at a cost. Of the valley, of his workers, of Artic.
Basically they dream of the Biggering AU, and when they wake up to tell each other the crazy dream they just had, they realize that the events line up perfectly. Some kinda funky shared dream situation
When they go and ask the Lorax about it, he just says that the valley works in mysterious ways.
To which the Onceler scoffs. He can believe a colorful valley and a giant furry peanut, but either of them being magic is too far!
The dream spurs conversation of what could’ve gone differently, if they would change things if they could, and if it would even be worth it.
But while things haven’t been perfect, they have each other, and they wouldn’t trade that for the world. The time will pass anyways, so might as well enjoy it.
They have another shared dream later, but this time it’s all sweet and fluffy with giant fruit ouo
—
Here is the playlist!!
High Hopes: The Onceler setting out on his journey, always keeping his eyes to the skies, even when the light hurts. He’s gonna shine that bright one day. Taking his mother’s words like "burn your biographies" and "light up your wildest dreams" and twisting them into something positive. This song is the embodiment of the Onceler’s optimism.
The Mall & Misery: The journey itself! Passing under archways of branches and leaves, across expanses of sand, over the rivers and through the reeds. Humble beginnings, working with what you’ve got, hope in every step. You are destined for greatness. And somewhere, a girl lives and breathes…
The Once-ler’s Traveling Madness: But yknow, even soon-to-be great inventors get bored sometimes.
World’s Smallest Violin: Meeting Artic!! Wanting to be something more, having ambitions so high it burns in your chest. I don’t think I can properly articulate the magic in this song. “Like finishing this melody / This feels like a necessity / So this could be the death of me / Or maybe just a better me!!”
This Is The Place (Tricky Version): Tricky version my beloveddddd I love how this song shows so much of his personality!! How he just carelessly hops from one thing to the next with a tip of his hat
Onceler Lorax Meet: This is also here just because I love this part of the OST, it’s so fun :D
Put Your Records On: Sunny days and a cool breeze, just Artic and the Onceler in the valley together! Loosening up a little, being goofy and free, calling each other silly nicknames! Believing in the Onceler when no one else did, hoping that his dreams come true ouo
Stars At Our Backs: I just can't help but think of this song when I think of the test flight, or just flying with the wings in general!! The spirit of adventure, the determination to try and try again and make this work, and that part at 2:35 just has this sappy romantic feel to it hehe -u-
Houseguests: Also just part of the OST bc I love it ouo
Everybody Needs A Thneed: The two of them are brainstorming songs to help him sell his thneed, and this is what Artic comes up with! There’s a little scene of her performing it in the cottage and it’s just delightful :D
Nobody Needs A Thneed: Another banger of a scrapped song!! ALSO THIS STORYBOARD IS CANON. TO ME.
Yesterday: Based on this hc!! In terms of story, this could be him still feeling down after failing to sell the thneed, playing the melodica since his guitar isn’t fixed yet.
Fine: Artic, the Lorax, and the animals cheering him up! Making him feel welcome, showing him that this isn’t the end. Another representation of his persistent optimism, and even the guitar in the song shows that it’s been fixed! ouo
September: Just soft and cozy and whimsical vibes -u-
Hot Chocolate: HOT CHOCOLATE SCENE MY BELOVEDDD :D This song is what inspired it in the first place!!
All I Want For Christmas Is You: THIS SONG. This has been stuck in my head for so long because of him. I JUST WANNA SEE MY BABYY STANDING THERE OUTSIDE MY DOOR- And the Onceler unironically loves this song, he’s suuuch a Christmas guy
Yes to Heaven: I struggle to describe what this one means. Somewhere between the Onceler being able to stand up to his family with Artic’s support, them realizing their love for each other, and how this is an AU where he doesn’t destroy the environment and it’s just peaceful ouo
With You Around: AND ALL MY LIFE I LOOKED FOR YOUUUU FOR ARMS THAT I COULD FALL INTOOOOO- If the Onceler family leaving marked the end of the movie, this is the opening to part two :D
Moon: There’s this scene where they make their way up a super tall hill that peeks above the clouds, taking in the view <3 Also there’s a single truffula fruit up there that’s the sweetest they’ve ever tasted
Search for the Girl: What the title says, the Onceler and his search for the missing Artic!
If I Needed You: Finding her and taking her home…….. Also it’s sung by Ed Helms ouo
Home: And here’s the part where I start crying if I haven’t already- They’re home now….. They’re safe….. They know each other better than anyone and the future is the soft glow of the sun peeking through the curtains on a brisk morning <3
We Fell in Love in October: I love you. And I’ll say it as many times as I need to convince you. AAAAAUGH
Go To Sleep!: Now with all that being said, it’s late and you have a bad habit of staying up. Time for eepy
Butterfly Wings: The shared dream plot! Also butterfly is one of the Onceler’s favorite nicknames for Artic <3
Strawberry Avalanche: A direct reference to the last dream with its giant fruit, just something unabashedly sweet and fluffy after everything these two have been through ouo
Sweet Little Bumblebee: Yeah I have no lore explanation for this I just like imagining them dancing to this song. Also sometimes the Onceler calls her bumblebee!
Hamtaro Credits: Artic finds some old Hamtaro DVDs in town so they watch some episodes together and it’s just nice and nostalgic. I picture them trying to do the little credits dance, and it makes for a cute end to the playlist ouo
—
And lastly, if you made it this far, here's an old sketch of the hot chocolate scene that I really wanna fully draw someday :D
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Okay, so I've read a couple of Revalink soulmate AU fics but I can never get through them because honestly I've never really liked the concept. And honestly, I feel like there's a decent chance Link would feel the same.
I mean, you've got a guy who didn't really get to choose almost anything about his life - he's a knight because his father was, he's Zelda's guard because he was selected by the King, he's the chosen hero because he's destined for it - and then he doesn't even get to choose who he falls in love with? And in most soulmate AUs probably has a literal physical mark on his body constantly reminding him of that fact? That's not romantic, that's existentially horrifying!
This idea might already be a thing but I've never really read fanfic before about a month ago when I got the Revalink brainrot so I don't know, but here's an idea I call the anti-soulmate AU.
Basically Revali doesn't have whatever soulmate-identifying mark exists in this story, and Link does, which is part of why Revali resents Link while Link is in some ways envious of Revali for the opposite reason. Somehow they end up actually talking to each other and grow close, and eventually Link basically decides "fuck it, I don't care that there's some destined perfect partner for me, I'm choosing to be with this guy." And even though they provably aren't soulmates and their relationship maybe isn't perfect, they still love each other and are happy together.
There can be some angst about Revali feeling insecure since there is someone out there who objectively would be a better partner for Link even though Link doesn't actually want to be with them, and about how this is basically depriving Link's soulmate of their perfect partner. Who that person is doesn't really matter, but making it Mipha would add even more to her whole "tragic one-sided pining" thing. Or it could just be some random person, like I said it's kinda unimportant.
Anyway the Calamity happens, and since Link kinda-sorta-dies whatever soulmate mark he has goes too and he's finally totally free from it. I have no idea if that's a thing that happens in these AUs, like I said I don't really read them much, but it kinda makes sense and fits this story so whatever. Maybe have Revali be revived after Ganon's defeated so there can be a happy ending.
Revalink as a concept is always just a little bit contrived. You have to mess with the timeline of the backstory if you want them to be a thing pre-calamity, you need to change how the Champion ghosts work to have them be a thing mid-game, or you need to have all the champions come back from the dead in order to have them be a thing post-canon, and you almost always need to mess with their personalities to have it be even slightly plausible. It's always kinda messy and doesn't totally make sense, and in this story that would basically be true in-universe and that's exactly why Link wants to be with him. He's pretty much the exact opposite of a perfect, destined partner who fits together with Link flawlessly.
Sorry for basically writing the entire synopsis of a fic that doesn't exist and probably isn't even that good of an idea, but as I mentioned I have the Revalink brainrot and I have no friends who I can send ideas like this to and I need to tell them to somebody.
so first of all, NEVER apologize to me for writing a whole fic synopsis in my askbox. my friend, are you familiar with my blog? all i do is write the longest fic rambles in the world here instead of writing full-fledged fic to upload to ao3 ☝️😭 so please do not even worry!!! i like ur fic idea a lot and it's good!!! and if you'd like, we can be friends and u can do what crow cryiling (affectionate) does and spam my inbox or messages w your ideas whenever you want 🤍 i luv to hear about revalink always
i honestly really love soulmate aus because i'm a hopeless romantic 😭🤍 SORRY but i do agree that to write a really good soulmate au for revalink, you can't just put any soulmate au template on them. like revali himself will actively break the fourth wall to fight against it because it just doesn't fit their dynamic; their whole relationship is built off of defying fate, re:your second-to-last paragraph. canon botw doesn't outline a clear path for revalink to ever be together in the way it might for zelda, mipha, or sidon even, so we'll always have to bend or break the rules of their universe for even a glimpse of future where they can be happy together 🥹 but it's the best part of their dynamic: they weren't supposed to be together, but goddamn it do they look good together.
i remember reading a fic where link and revali did have soulmate-identifying marks (i forgot what it was called but link's soul mark was revali's entire monologue in the revali's flap memory, and link hated him for it LMAO), but the idea that link would despise seeing the mark is so 🥺💔 i'm imagining maybe link was so excited to have one as a child, but after pulling the master sword and becoming a knight of hyrule, he now sees how he's doomed his soulmate to being tied to him and how he's responsible for their future or whatever. link has gotta develop some sort of altruistic complex about how he has to serve the people even at the cost of himself, i can't articulate it well right now, but i hope you get what i mean??? but that influences his resentment at the existence of the soulmark — not that he resents the person who is his actual soulmate, just the fact that he has one because he views himself as a burden on his soulmate as a result of his current position in life.
revali being born without a soul mark makes me so sad 😭 mixing this with my hc about him being orphaned, but revali getting bullied for not only not having parents but also not having a soulmate 💔💔 some of these rito kids are dickheads talking about "the goddesses wouldn't grant you even one person who would love you, haha!" and it definitely influences his workaholic tendencies training to become to most powerful warrior ever. he copes by saying he thinks soulmates are ridiculous and that there was no way there was another person in the world who could be perfect for you, that you should be given the ability to choose who you wanted to be with (but deep down, revali wants to know who the goddess would have chosen for him, if he did have a soulmate ㅠㅠ)
what do you think the conversation between link and revali would be like when they decide they want to be together, soulmates or not? what about the moment they fall for each other? who falls first? would it be mutual pining and trying to resist at first, because revali knows link has a soulmate who he deserves more than revali and link holding back because he knows what revali feels about the whole soulmate thing? or do they fall in love without holding back anyway, with link not caring for his soulmate at all like you mentioned? making mipha link's soulmate........ so tragic i feel bad for her fr if link resented her for being his soulmate kJDFKJD 😭 i lowkey wanna write these scenes tho idk HAHAHAH
the soul mark disappearing after link "dies" and is put in the shrine of resurrection is a really interesting idea though! like what's the mechanics behind that? i feel you'd have to go back and decide how the soulmate system works; is it a mysterious magic that no one can figure out? is it decided by some god of fate or love, hyrule's counterpart to aphrodite/eros? how did the magic decide that because link was "dead", he can't have a soulmate anymore/disconnected him from his soulmate? or what if link's soulmate died during the calamity before he was put in the shrine and soulmate-logic was like 'if your soulmate is dead, the mark disappears' so link's mark fades mid-battle and he doesn't realize it? and furthermore, link waking up in the shrine a century later and looks at his hand or some shit where the mark used to be and either (1) feeling a strange sense of melancholy at the empty spot on his skin or (2) looking at it but feeling nothing at all, and continuing with getting out of the shrine.
you could also explore how soulmate dynamics change throughout the hundred years he's gone. i'm sure plenty of people died during the calamity and lost their soulmates, so how does that alter the whole societal norms and culture surrounding soulmates? are people still born with soulmates after the calamity? do you think it becomes a taboo, that it's dangerous to meet your soulmate because what if you lose them? or do they see it as a mark of fortune, that love still prevails even in this near godless world after an era of tragedy? and then how does link interact with the world following his awakening, to find out that people have soulmates and look back at the empty, unmarred part of his skin and wonder, did he have one too? who were they? did he love them, and did they love him too?
AND ANOTHER THING, if mipha was his soulmate back then, does she still have her soul mark on her ghost?????? what if she did because well. it's her spirit and not her actual body, so when link meets her again post-waterblight, she's saddened by not only link's lack of memory of her but also the fact he's lost his soul mark. and also remembering that link would still probably resent her if he had his memory.
furthermore, there's two scenarios that instantly come to mind when i think about post-calamity revalink here. (1) revali seeing link post-windblight but link doesn't remember and revali having a similar reaction/feeling to mipha, but is having an internal conflict about whether or not he should be happy that link no longer has a soulmate he's bound to or sad that because of that, he'll never have another chance with link again because he's dead </3 or (2) champions are revived but link still doesn't remember his time with revali pre-calamity so revali is trying to give link an out and let him go to be given the chance to love someone else in his new life, but for whatever reason link is still drawn to him, moving to rito village and practically living in revali's shadow. it's another slow-burn of them falling in love all over again and maybe link gets his memories back?
if you ever plan on writing this, my friend....... feel free to send it to me because i'd Love to read it. like fr. there's so much potential for this one
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