#TP Link 🐺

[makerspacesystem]

There’s so many. Should only be one more post: Arven, Kaldur, Danny, Jade, Krishvok, Nico, Will, BoTW Link, TP Link, and SS Link

[lavenderovercast]

An Itch You Can't Reach

pairing: midna x link // twilight princess summary: Midna helps Link when he struggles with an itch, and they both discover something new about him. warnings: none, just general fluff with my babies <33 notes: this is an older fic that was posted on my ao3, click here to check it out over there!

She had noticed that Link was dealing with an itch that he couldn’t reach when they set up camp for the night. The shadow had watched the man closely as he hitched Epona for the night, before setting up a small fire to keep the pair warm in the cold desert. Midna had come to two conclusions as she watched the Hylian repeatedly pause in setting down sticks and wood to scratch at the back of his head, toward his ear. 

First conclusion: The light world is something that is beyond her comprehension and understanding. It doesn’t make sense to the cursed princess how the desert can be so warm throughout the day, but then freezing in the night. In her world, the one that she still misses so very dearly — there’s only one temperature that her surroundings would land on, and it was an accommodating warmth that bordered on a chill that brought her comfort. At the very least, it was consistent, unlike the weather within this realm. Always on and off, always changing. 

Just like their sun, their sky — it always shifts and changes in a way that is both unnerving and fascinating. The sky would shift from light to day, and then day to night with a varying number of colors hanging somewhere in the middle of it. Her favorite time of hour proved to be twilight, though, when this world resembled hers the most — when familiar shades of oranges, purples, and blues would dance across her skin and temporarily alleviate her homesickness. Even with Midna growing fond of the light realm, although she wasn’t willing to admit such a thing to even Link… She wanted to go home. 

The longing lingering in her chest was fierce enough to bring her to her second conclusion because it brought her to a subject that made her much happier. 

Second conclusion: Link is a very, very silly man. With ruffled hair and his nose scrunched in his frustration, the imp finds herself pessimistically wondering how exactly he could be the hero of both realms. But her thoughts trail back to all of his previous efforts, his kindness, his bravery — his need to protect those around him, no matter how callous they were toward him. He would always put such a serious face forward when it came to his duty. 

He had gone as far as to save her life, even though she didn’t deserve it. Midna had seen him work, had seen his kind heart — when she had requested Zelda spare his life and let her fade to the light sickness that she was bound to succumb to, she truly believed that her home would be in the right hands with Link. But Zelda had shown the same kindness that Link did to her, and he hadn’t dared try to stop the princess. 

It had left Midna confused, at the time. If she’s honest, she’s still confused. Their sacrifices for her sake, when she only ever had selfish intentions, were… Unreasonable. Weren’t they? She can’t help tracing her fingers over the mark that Zelda’s sacrifice left across her skin, and feels her chest tighten.

Even with all of this seriousness in mind, the gravity of their situation, their titles… Link still manages to be… Silly. He often looks ridiculous in her eyes. He sticks his nose in places that it doesn’t belong in, collects bugs for a pseudo princess named Agatha, and is even willing to entertain some of the dumbest things that Midna’s ever bore witness to. Like being shot out of a cannon into a desert, riding down from a platform on a cuckoo, of all things! 

Don’t even get her started on when they run into an animal — he absolutely insists on picking them up and visiting them, even going as far as to try and convince the imp that they should take a companion with. ( Her favorite quip to that suggestion would be to tell him “Why do we need two when we already have you?”, and he would shut right up ). But her secretly least despised trait of Link’s was his need to help others, to check in on his loved ones. To make sure that no one is left behind.  That all adds to his charm, and she finds it absolutely captivating how Link can manage to be so happy in such dire times. He’s always willing to do good, to do the right thing… And she finds herself wanting to do the same thing, to follow in his lead. He inspires her. 

So when Link settles down after setting the fire up, but is still trying to scratch at the spot that he simply can’t seem to hit correctly for whatever reason… Midna decides that it’s time to intervene, and take a page from his book. It’s small and nowhere near Link’s own charity, but maybe this is a step in the right direction to following his footsteps. 

“Help with what?” He asks with that clueless look on his face, looking like the endearingly oblivious man that he’s always been. Her eyebrows lift up in response. 

“You’ve been scratching?” Midna retorts, a little bewildered that the Hylian doesn’t know what she’s talking about. “You’ve been doing it since we arrived. I hope you don’t have fleas.” The imp presses, flashing a grin in the process. 

Link looks offended, his eyes widening before narrowing into a half-hearted glare. “Oh, ha ha ha…” The man grumbles, and then reaches around his neck, looking frustrated again before sighing in defeat. “... Yeah. I do need your help. Maybe you can reach it.” 

“Okay, then sit,” Midna states with a playful grin. “And don’t get your bugs on me, you know I think they’re gross.” The fiery haired imp teases, watching her companion roll his eyes but comply. It’s only when he’s sat down that she runs a cool hand carefully against his warm skin, nails brushing against the spot that she had seen him scratching at previously. 

“Tell me when I’ve reached it” She tells him, taking the nod of Link’s head as a sign of his acknowledgment. Eventually, she knows that she’s found the spot that’s been bothering Link because he gives a relieved sigh. 

“Right there,” The man states, sounding relieved as he leans into her touch. Midna hums in amusement at such a reaction but is happy to provide her companion some relief for the time being. That is… Until she notices his leg start moving. It’s subtle, at first, just a simple bob. But it quickly evolves into a full kick, and Link groans with satisfaction. 

“Been bugging me all day…” The man rumbles, sounding as though he isn’t aware of the reaction that his leg is currently having. Midna can’t help but grin, digging her canine into her bottom lip. Link looks a little too peaceful, his eyes lulling shut and his head leaned against her small hand. 

“I can tell,” She begins with a mischievous giggle. “But wow, I didn’t think you’d be kicking your leg like a dog — it must be a wolfy thing that you carried on over.” She watches as Link’s eyes open, confusion crossing over his features as he looks at her. Midna, in return, silently gestures to the Hylian’s kicking leg with a nudge of her head. 

When he looks in the direction that she’s looking toward, his face flushes with a violent stain of red. Midna can’t help but grin further at the Hylian’s reaction, a giggle bubbling up in her chest before escaping through her mouth. “Aw, you don’t gotta be embarrassed!” 

“Shut up,” Link barks back, sending a glare toward Midna that she knows isn’t genuine. His own lips are pulling into a smile, although his hands move to swat her hand away. “That’s… That’s enough, Mid.” 

In response, Midna places both of her hands on her hips with a taunting, playful pout. “Aw, that’s no way to thank me!” 

“For your cruelty and teasing?” Link barks back, a playful grin now etching his own features before he joins in her chuckling. She would never admit it aloud to the Hylian, but it feels good to see Link smile, to hear him laugh. No matter what or who it’s caused by. Whether he’s being silly or doing something that she deems silly. It’s so much better than seeing that forlorn or angry expression that would overcome his features in battle. 

“Exactly that. I make your life exciting, and besides… You’d still be in a cage if it wasn’t for me.” Midna retorts, shifting her weight so she can lean against his shoulder, glancing toward the fully prepared fire. The warmth that comes off of Link and the fire itself makes something crackle and pop in her heart. 

“Well, thank you, Your Majesty,” Link grumbles playfully, leaning forward to grab his satchel. He doesn’t see the irony in his playful title for her, but she does. “Whatever should I do to repay you? Make something for us to eat for the night?” 

“Why… That sounds like the perfect repayment.” Midna states with another giggle, moving away from the Hylian in favor of sitting beside him. Link hums in response and Midna is momentarily preoccupied with watching her companion look for his cooking supplies before becoming bored and casting her gaze upward.

Still hovering as she always does, the imp shifts her weight so she can lean back fully, her arms supporting her head. The night sky looks back down at her, white stars twinkling in the sky beside a full moon. Although she misses the shades of purple and oranges that the Twilight hour of this world provided, Midna can’t say that she dislikes the night sky. Not anymore. 

She can’t say that she dislikes the warmth that comes over her cool skin either, provided by the fire and the green-cladded hero beside her. Although homesickness still stirs somewhere in the back of her mind and the imp is eager to finish their completion of the twilight mirror tomorrow, Midna can’t help but feel… Warm. Happy. It’s nice to relax like this, to be beside her wolf. 

For tonight, everything is light hearted and perfect. 

[lemonlurkrr]

holy shit tp link art *latches onto his leg like a chihuahua*

GRRRWGAGS RUFF RUFF BARK RHGRHHSS

🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺 OUGH 🐺

(I need to get back to my roots at some point I miss drawing that twunk)

[hawkepockets]

Hello I am secretly Zelda Lore Nerd and I must know your thoughts on like. The story progression and plot beats and how it's all put together in Twilight Princess because I've only ever watched playthroughs I haven't played it myself and I'm invested in your liveblogging of this now.

omg hi yaaaaaan

^ u n me rn

ok so im ONLY on the death mountain dungeon right but so far in terms of story structure & level design i love this game. i feel like it hits a real sweet spot of being a little perplexing but never punishing yk like u get to use your noggin but it’s easy to progress.

like i mentioned already i LOVED the tutorial ramping you up for a horseback adventure to hyrule castle as a human guy with a sword & slingshot and the power of speech only to take it all away with the wolf transformation and hurl you directly to the twilit castle so the journey you were promised is instantly fulfilled, and stolen, and given back much harder, darker, more complicated.

you haven’t spent much time with/as link atp but it HITS like. his screentime as a guy has been so well spent in establishing his relationship with ordon village, both animals & people, and hyping you up for him to prove himself and see the world in a way that he then isn’t allowed to. the transformation feels authentically violating—it’s fun to play as the wolf, but the first time you try to talk to a familiar npc and they scream, or to open a door and find it’s an unnavigable barrier to you in this form, the realization that just as link doesn’t know how to move through the world in this body, you don’t know how to move through the game without most of the mechanics you just learned… like it hits it hits!

the spirit cleanse 🐺 -> dungeon 🧍 -> spirit cleanse 🐺 -> dungeon 🧍 pattern works really nicely. keeps things fresh, means you didn’t really waste your time in the tutorial, and also alternates the dimly lit, easier but utterly lonely wolf phases with the brighter, more social and challenging human phases in a way that characterizes the twilight itself as a threat imo? it’s melancholy, it’s peaceful, it consumes without killing, it’s vast and feels like a natural disaster… but it’s also easier to reverse than more mundane instances of greed, corruption, and violence. the motif of link with and without a community is repeated over and over. it’s yummy!!

i like that the dungeons seem to have their own characters beyond just the set dressings too. the forest temple felt a bit like a memory pair matching game with a lot of backtracking to previously explored rooms with new context for what you found in there. the goron mines seem to be a lot more timing based, with a lot of speed checks and, so far, more linear forward progress. so the elemental character of each region goes into like. what’s the most challenging quality of each dungeon, instead of just everything getting harder across the board. wood & air for flow, growth, renewal, return. metal & fire for enthusiasm, impulse, persistence, and rhythm. YUM!

midna of course is a nonstop delight. it’s not always clear when she’s available to help mechanically, like it took me forever to realize she’ll only warp during twilight phases, but that’s ok—i’ve never regretted hitting the button to talk to her extra times. (ㅅ´ ˘ `)♡ to me, she’s the perfect fusion of TP’s dark and silly elements. it was love from the first time she yanked on link’s ears and told him to be a good boy. um. mm. hhehe.

literally my only game design complaints are that the day/night cycle isn’t explained in game and isn’t very intuitive (time doesn’t pass in every map), and since it does determine enemy activity & merchant availability i feel like that shouldn’t be smth you have to ask reddit for… and on the wii soooo many things are bound to the A button, and the console is NOT good at interpreting which function makes the most sense for a given situation. it makes some tasks a lot harder than they should be. ah well. forgiveable!

#1 best feature without contest or dispute:

that’s my 2 cents up to this point!

[hanayori89]

{I meannn I could do a pic here but the theme of Hyrule Field in TP deserves to make an appearance because it is TOP TIER. At least, for me 😁🐺👑 I bet you’re humming it now too. 😉}

Hidden in the Sunlight

*Hyrule Field*

Had he seen them? You sat quietly behind the rancher who went by the title "Link." Both of you were straddling a striking mare he called "Epona." The Realm of Light used weird denominations for its citizens. Although you recognized that the Realm of Twilight would be just as unusual to them. 

Not much conversation had been exchanged between you both. You sat in silence, ruminating over the fact that your Twili markings had slipped out. You saw how Link's eyes rested on them, bemused. You had promised Midna you would protect your identity at all costs. Here, it was not even a full day in this realm, and you already let your secret slip. You were grateful for the fact that Link didn't mention them. You were also grateful that he stopped trying to pursue pleasantries with you. The less he knew, the better. 

Midna gave you a few rules that must be obliged while you spent time within the light. First, you must not let your Twili markings show. Midna cast magic upon you to disguise you as a Hylian. You never paid attention to what was known as your "vessel" or "body." The Twili did not care about such superficial things as appearance. But standing there in front of that mirror, you couldn't help but be smitten with what you saw. Smitten with yourself. For the first time in your minuscule existence. 

The second rule was that because Midna was using such heavy magic to keep your identity protected, you must succumb to the twilight. This meant that by midnight in the Realm of Light, you would lose all your Hylian capabilities. This would give Midna's magic a rest. It would also help prolong your time in the other realm. Once the clock approached 12 a.m., your appearance would revert to your Twili form. You would also no longer be able to converse again until the morning hours, beginning at 7 a.m. As far as language, you studied the language used by Hylians in confidentiality. You divulged your secret to Midna, who wasn't exactly pleased. You could understand what they spoke of, but the words still seemed to stumble out of your mouth. You tried your best to communicate confidently while saying as little as possible. Simply because you were insecure about the way you spoke. As well as making you afraid, it was another gimmick that could give you away. The most paramount rule Midna gave you was to protect the shard from the Mirror of Twilight at all costs. 

You were pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was to share silence with Link. You inhaled deeply, enthralled by the different aromas that were in the air. You kept a hood over your head, as you weren't used to the mighty rays of the sun. You weren't sure if anyone at the village had noticed, but you couldn't fight the impulse to constantly squint. You did an exaggerated inhale once more; this time you could smell the fresh dew that mingled with the wild grass. Link must have heard you because he once again tried to assist in small talk.

He kept his eyes ahead but slightly turned his head over his shoulder, speaking in your direction. "I'm sorry. You must think I smell like a farm. I didn't want to keep you waiting; otherwise, I would have changed." 

"Oh, please. Thank you for your time." Why was he worried about his appearance? He had mentioned it a few times. You also noticed an odd red tint tinge his face. Blushing. That's what you heard it called. If he saw your true form, he wouldn't worry so much about how he looked. You suddenly felt morose. You thought of Midna and the Hero of Twilight. Any person you met in this realm would never accept your true form. They all loved this beautiful Hylian costume you were parading around in. Well, at the very least, you could enjoy the attention you were garnering. You've never been given much attention back in your home realm.

"What business do you seek in Castle Town?" Link did another quick glance over his shoulder, aiming his question at you.

How should you proceed to answer? You told Midna you wanted to meet Princess Zelda. You wanted to see how the Princess of Light compared and contrasted with your own. Midna was very fond of Zelda. You also suspected there was a hidden level of flattery. After all, you were making a pilgrimage to meet one princess and hear her opinions about the other. Truthfully, you also wanted to go try Hylian things. What did people do here for fun? What was it like to eat the things they ate? What did they do as part of their normal routines? 

You decided against mentioning Princess Zelda. Besides, how could a simple rancher accommodate you with a quest like that? You needed to get rid of Link. He was a threat to the mystery you were trying so eagerly to keep shrouded. Although you had to admit, he was very pleasing to look at.

You don't know where the thought came from, but you remember feeling the raw strength of his arms holding you up. Never has anyone made you feel so safe. You also kept thinking of the way his feathered, blonde bangs curled into his blue eyes. You couldn't look at the sky in this realm without seeing his eyes looking at you. 

Yes, it would be best to get rid of Link. 

"I am seeking out some family." You made sure to continue giving him clipped responses. You felt Epona's hooves topple over the cobblestones. You realized you were crossing a rather antiquated bridge. Beyond the bridge, on the distant horizon, you could hear the humming of energy. Peaks of splendid buildings jutted into the skyline. You must have been getting close. 

"Well, you will be reunited soon enough. We are almost there." Link's answer matched the glib energy of your own. You were so excited to meet the princess. 

Who knows? Maybe you would meet the Hero of Twilight as well.

*

Link lowered himself off of Epona. He looked up at the stranger who had been riding with him. She had put a hood over her head. Link's curiosity was mounting by the second. He knew for a fact that she couldn't have family in Castle Town. If she had, how could she get so easily lost all the way to Ordon Village? No, this woman was lying. Link wanted to know why. 

He also felt a pang of disappointment. She was so guarded that Link couldn't help but take it personally. His whole life, it was easy for him to make friends. He was very likeable; numerous people throughout his life told him that. It was also a blow to his ego. He was used to women flirting relentlessly with him. He had never had a woman treat him like he was repulsive. It seemed silly for a hero to take such trivial matters to heart. He just couldn't help but feel insecure. Maybe that's why he was convinced this woman was keeping secrets. It was just his ego trying to get back at her. 

Then Link thought about Ilia. How she was so loud and boisterous compared to this woman. He never sat in silence with Ilia. He never felt the sweetness of simply existing. She always had to fill it with chatter or noise. Riding through Hyrule Field with this woman had been the most relaxing experience he had had in a long time. With nothing but the sun beating down and the sound of Epona galloping freely. 

"Well, this is where we part ways." Link held his hand up to aid her landing off of Epona. Again, she avoided his hand, simply jumping down herself. What was it about him that made her not want to touch him? It was maddening. 

"Um, well." Link wanted to look at her face one more time. "Can I help guide you anywhere? I am very familiar with Castle Town. I recommend pulling your hood down; there are many people, and it may be hard to see."

She reluctantly lowered her hood, swiping some of her strands from her face. Then she covered her eyes with her hand and squinted at Link. 

"Sensitive to the sun?" Link gave her a friendly chuckle. He noticed she was squinting quite a bit at the ranch, too. He returned his thoughts to the markings on her shoulder. Link knew they had to be Twili markings. He wished he could ask, but she didn't seem like she wanted to engage with him.

"Yes. It's so bright he-" She began to whine, then stopped herself cautiously. "I mean compared to where I am from. But again, thank you for your generosity. Link, was it?" 

Well, at least she remembered my name. Link thought callously. "You're welcome. Take care of yourself." She gave Link an absent nod and scurried away.

It's so bright where she's from. And where exactly is that? Link pulled a carrot from his bag and fed it to Epona. "Stay here, girl. I have some business I need to attend to in Castle Town, it seems."

Link was ready to drag this girl and all her secrets out into the sunlight. 

Edited 10/23 /22

The secret you are so desperate to keep is being threatened by an overtly curious rancher. Can Link pull your secrets out into the light or will it take the darkness to reveal them?

Check out my other completed Zelda work- No Woman Beyond

[brightmoontrigon]

for botw/totk: the barest minimum amount of tp references. Kind of. not really. I'd say the games reference Skyward Sword a lot more in their history and things, but otherwise they really are just kind of in their own little world.

Honestly I just approach the series like final fantasy at this point, where everything is mostly it's own thing (unless the continuity is directly notable, like with the wind waker/spirit tracks titles and such.) Nintendo/zelda team has made it clear that they actually just really don't care to think about such stuff even if they were toying with the ideas in the past.

ahh okay, thanks for the insight! I sorta figured as much, and @ taupewolfy also mentioned approaching it like final fantasy where references are made to past games mostly without chronological continuity or implications. but before today I didn't know some of the games besides BotW and TotK actually were direct sequels! I've always been interested in playing Majora's Mask too but perhaps I should look into playing Ocarina of Time first then, hm…

In any case I think it would be cool if they played a bit more directly with parallel timelines affecting each other or something. and also if they let Link be a wolf again. come on. let him indulge in wolf violence wednesday once more 🐺🐺🐺🐺

[marzipan-memories]

For anyone who isn't also following the blogs i have connected to this one, but might still be interested in interacting with the muses on said blogs~... Feel free to comment on this post with the emoji i've assigned to said muse~♡

💗= Angel Dust { @in-toxi-cant }

🐺= TP Link { @lykofxs }

[phunny-loz-aus]

my versions of sky (left), wild (right) and twi (bottom)! sky's color is usually blue and wild's is usually green but i might change that a lot- also all of their hairs are a lot longer than what's shown here i just had to shorten it so you could actually . see them

i'll probably redraw this later-;;

(link shippers or whatever you guys call yourselves please dni!!)

[legend-of-zelda-voices]

"Song of Healing", "Requiem of Spirit", "Prelude of Light", "Zelda's Lullaby", "Song of Heroes", "Ballad of Gales", "Ballad of Twilight", "Horse Grass" Howl (Epona's Song), and "Hawk Grass" Howl from Twilight Princess

LoZ: Link (TP)

LU: Twilight

Huh? What's this doing here? That's not Akira Sasanuma!

(It's still TP Link "singing" though.)

Lyrics:

🐺ooOOOOOO-oOooOo-ooooo

🐺ooOOOOOO-oOooOo-ooooo

🐺ooOOOOO-oooo-OOOOooooOOOO

ooOOOOOO-oOooOo-ooooo🐺

ooOOOOOO-oOooOo-ooooo🐺

ooOOOOO-oooo-ooooOOOOoooo🐺

---

OOOOOOOOOO-ooooooooo

oooooOOOOooooo

OOOOooooooOOOOOOooo

---

OOOOOOoooooOOOOOOoooo

ooOooOOOO-ooooOOOOOoooo

🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺

...What am I doing?