simplewashingpalm

[littlesweetcake06]

Link loves to make drawings of him and his friends

[mydarlinginej]

read my full review of old flames and new fortunes by sarah hogle here.

From the celebrated author of You Deserve Each Other and Just Like Magic, a steamy second-chance romance about a magical florist’s unexpected reunion with her high school sweetheart as she fake dates his soon-to-be stepbrother.

A small, magical town tucked away in rural Ohio, Moonville is the perfect place for flora fortunist Romina Tempest to expand her shop, where she uses the language of flowers to help the hopeful manifest their love lives. After giving up on her own big romance eleven years ago, at least she can bask in the promise of others’.

So, when the shop’s potential financier shares news of his wedding, Romina jumps on the opportunity to discuss buying the business. What better place to negotiate a deal than at a wedding, even if she has to fake-date her chaotic colleague Trevor to get an invitation? But all hell breaks loose when she discovers Trevor’s soon-to-be stepbrother is none other than Alex her high school sweetheart. Her greatest love. The boy who, eleven years ago, broke her heart, and who now thinks she and Trevor are dating. 

What starts as an innocent misunderstanding becomes a week-long fake dating scheme, as Romina resolves to make Alex pay for breaking her heart. The only issue? She can’t deny their still-burning connection. Caught between proving to Alex what he lost, and coming clean and risking her business, Romina must decide whether giving Alex another chance means going back on herself, or finally releasing her hold on the past.

my review:

Ever since reading You Deserve Each Other way back in 2020, I’ve been a big fan of Sarah Hogle’s brand of chaos and romance, so naturally I immediately added her newest release to my TBR list. Unfortunately, this book was not for me in a variety of ways. A lack of foundation for the romance and strong characterization made Old Flames and New Fortunes fall flat for me.

In a small town called Moonville, Romina Tempest runs a magical shop with her two sisters, Luna and Zelda, with the help of Trevor, the now-owner. After purchasing the neighboring rundown lot, they’re in desperate need of a loan from Trever’s father Daniel. However, after a misunderstanding at what turns out to be Daniel’s wedding announcement with the entire family, everyone thinks Romina and Trevor are dating, which they decide not to clear up once they learn that both of their exes are there. The only issue? For Romina, her ex is Alex, the high school sweetheart who broke her heart eleven years ago and the one who she never really got over. Now, he’s the bride’s son so they’re thrown together constantly over this weekend, resurfacing old, intense feelings.

Typically I start a review with what I liked about the book but honestly, there wasn’t really anything I enjoyed about this book…I don’t even think it was necessarily bad but I just genuinely didn’t care for the characters or the plot (what of it that we had) or the romance. As usual, these are my thoughts, you might feel differently, etc.

The biggest issue I had was with the romance. I’m very much a person who cannot get into romances unless the couple has a decent foundation. Other than a couple random flashbacks, I don’t think we got enough explanation for why Romina and Alex’s dynamic/hatred is so intense now, eleven years later. It seemed like a pretty typical high school break-up to me; even that I’d excuse if there was a little more detail but there was such a disconnect between that and their anguish now that I could not get into their dynamic at all.

read my full review here.

[chaotomatic]

Spoilers for the Dragon tears quest line for TOTK!!

Ever since i finished this quest, the whole way i felt playing the game changed drastically

And im sure anybody reading who’s played the game can relate, everything can feel so much more depressing or empty, even when youre having fun. You forget for awhile, but then you look up at the sky and catch the light dragon in the corner of your eye. And youre like. Wow. Shes really gone, isnt she?

But i dont think anything could prepare me for just how sad this game can make me feel in the small moments.

Karin waiting for zelda outside her house, asking link where she’s been breaks my heart, as im sure everybody’s does, thats to be expected

But today i was exploring in between Akala and Eldin, and spotted some bokoblins to murder with backpacks of fire fruit

When the carnage was over, a tree had been knocked down and half the grass was scorched black

But just as i was about to leave, i spotted something i hadn’t noticed before

A single silent princess sat just outside where the flames had scorched the grass

I think i stood and stared at it for a solid minute after wards

I don’t know what it was, but i think that singular flower in the middle of nowhere made me sadder than most of the scripted moments in the game

I have a little recording of my playthrough of a 30 second clip of me running around rhe flower, bewildered it didnt get burnt, lmao

Small edit: it was actually in an area below Zoras domain. I was playing for a long time yesterday and got somethings mixed up haha 😅

[theycallmeratt]

For the ask game 👀

3. how you feel about your current wip 4. a story idea you haven't written yet

14. where do you get your inspiration? 30. share a fic you're especially proud of

3: Feelings about my current WIP

I currently have 3 that I'm actively working on.

The first, Arcanus Fisticuffus, I'm loving. It's very light hearted and silly and it's a breath of fresh air after weeks of smut and more dramatic stuff.

The second is another chapter of the Bandit Queen which is also very silly. It's a Rugan fic and I'm trying so hard to lean into him being a bad person but still charming (I've mentioned this before). It hurts so good, like picking a scab.

The third is a fic involving the thieflings from BG3, where they go into the Shadowfell to release the souls of the tieflings who died to the Shadow-Curse. I've been working on this since February and all the big stuff is written, I'm just struggling with the tinier scenes and the ending. I'm so excited for this fic, but I've definitely reached the point that I've almost built it up too much! Currently I'm stepping back and trying to hang out with more 7-10 year olds to really get a feel for how they talk.

4: Story idea I haven't written yet

So many

1) I want to write two more Zelda stories, one where Zelda is the antagonist and one where Link is. The games pretty much explore "but what if ambition was evil?" and I want to do wisdom and courage. I kind of have the Zelda one figured out; it would be set during Ocarina of Time and involve her basically trying to manipulate/frame Ganondorf as an enemy of the state using Link (culminating in Ganondorf's "execution" from twilight princess, but having his bad ass escape be a victory)

2) I just started playing Hades(the first one) and I'm obsessed. I'm not all the way through the game so my ideas might be a little silly but I'd love to do a funny one featuring Hypnos and Dusa trying to help Zag and just low key dropping the ball.

3) I have an idea set post BG3 involving Zevlor where he and Cerys (and a few others) are investigating a series of mysterious, gruesome murders where all the victims are people who were previously tadpoled/reformed members of the Absolute.

4) And Minthara and Araj teaming up to take back Minthara's rightful place in her house. Minthara would have Araj help her to request Lloth and assassinations, and eventually they would kiss.

14. Where do I get inspiration?

1) Daydreaming. Whenever I do anything physical I daydream and a lot of that is "what if this character did this?" Most of them are silly but if I get a scene I like I'll write it and that might turn into something. I try to not dismiss any idea.

2) I get it a lot of inspiration from other people. Shadows of the Lost came from a post about imperialism and the Gerudos' relationship with death/zonai came from a post about lore theories. Flowers was based on a tumblr post about flower language. Arcanus Fisticuffus was from the MMMay posts, Wine, Iron and Other Damnables from a post about enchanted weapons. Stranger Flames have Burned was from a @naughtybg3confessions post. I always try to link my sources in fics!

3) Talking with people, especially joking about things. I feel like I'm always taking my jokes to absurd levels, but in Arcanus Fisticuffus the idea for Liam and Cal to be filling everyone's heads with stories about Rolan came from a bit where they were going to make sure he won (as well as the incoming cobra kai jokes). Honeypot came from a joking demand for a thirst fic. Hornoscopes from joking about horoscopes. Sometimes an individual inspires a fic and I usually gift that fic to them.

4) Going off that, writing absurd stuff and trying to make it work, like when Astarion and Minthara crash a patriar party to make sure Wyll is getting the respect he deserves in Dance, or when I explain the "fade to black" sex scenes at Sharess's Caress... and then involve shovel (Sharess's Mess).

5) Exchanges! I've written a lot for exchanges.

6) Fixing problems I have with the story or finding solutions to things that make me uncomfortable. Like, I don't want to write overly gendered language/insults. That led to my current fic-canon (which I don't remember if it made it into my published fics but if not, I'm going to fix that) where Ganondorf being male doesn't make him the leader; it's that he's Ganondorf, the same guy, reincarnated. And that led to Gerudo having a huge reincarnation culture that lined up nicely with the lore post I linked above.

30 A fic I'm proud of

Flowers - not a team up I would expect, Lae'zel's way of speaking is hard-ish for me to write, but I love the result

Embers that Never Go Out - I'm just really proud of it :')

Shadows of the Lost - it has its problems but this fic got me going. It's like a lynch pin, without the others it wouldn't exist, and I had so much flipping fun writing it. I often think fondly of revisiting it and cleaning it up.

[ryttu3k]

Tears of the Kingdom, emotional distress edition. Thoughts and speculation based on all Geoglyph memories.

My baby my sweet girl noooo ;_; Was literally sobbing watching that last memory, especially when Link came out of it surrounded by Zelda's signature Silent Princess flowers, oh my god.

She fully expected she was sacrificing herself. She might have still been 'alive', but she knew she would no longer be Zelda. She'd just be... the Light Dragon, Restorer of the Master Sword. And that'd be okay, because she's ensured the Sages of Wind, Water, Fire, and Lightning would still be around. She's arranged something with Mineru. And Link would have the Master Sword. If they don't have her, well, that's fine in her mind.

(I suspect that, since you need all the geoglyph memories for the True Ending, and you only get the dragon memory once you get all the others, the True Ending may be restoring Zelda to herself. Otherwise I will park myself outside Miyamoto's office and cry until he takes pity on me, tbh.)

Mineru has to be involved somehow. There's that little blue flame thing that goes into the slate she's entrusting her with - could Mineru, as the Sage of Spirit, have been able to separate out a little bit of Zelda's spirit to remain in the slate? If she can ensure that the slate ends up in Link's hands, which we know it does via the Steward Construct, then maybe Mineru will be able to restore Zelda's spirit to her body.

I strongly suspect Mineru will be involved, actually, because hers is the only stone still unaccounted for. Wind, Water, Fire, and Lightning are nice and straightforward. Four original Sages, they have descendants, they build their Temples and keep their stones there for their descendants to claim when they awaken as Sages in the present. Sonia's stone was the one claimed by Ganondorf. Rauru's stayed in his hand for all that time, went to Zelda, travelled back in time with her (so the same stone existed twice), and now it's. Well. In her.

But what about Mineru and her stone? There are no Zonai in modern Hyrule, so no obvious descendant. Her descendants could have been Hylian, of course - Zelda is descended from Rauru, after all - but there's no immediately obvious successor. And Mineru's power was to separate her spirit from her body. What if she doesn't need a successor because she's still around in spirit form, her original body long gone but her spirit persisting?

I suspect that once the four basic-element Sages have been awakened, we'll move on to Mineru. She's very prominent for a character who only appears briefly in a few memories - the other Sages are fully voiced, sure, but they're not even named, whereas Mineru is a) the one who brings up Draconification in the first place, b) the one that has that interesting ability, and c) the one Zelda specifically mentions before swallowing her stone.

Yeah, Mineru has to be involved.

For now, I'm distraught how are you :D After the memory I just kinda. Hurled Link to the nearest tower and went to sit on Zelda's head for a while. (Tried to pull the Master Sword too, didn't have enough stamina, alas.) Just. Damn. Damn.

(That's not even getting into all the other memories, namely Sonia's death and Rauru's reaction. Ow my heart. This game is going to emotionally ruin me.)

[louwhose]

louwhose art masterlist

Instagram | Drawing tag

Commissions

STUPIDLY PRETENTIOUS

The Legend of Zelda

Zelink Week 2024: (SS) Under the Stars, (BotW) Fading, (MC) Blooming, (EoW) Enchantment, (AoL) Spellbound, (OoT) Sealed Fate, (ST) Reunion

Fable/Legend DTIYS, Idiot hair Link, Heaven's DTIYS, Twi's Skyrim AU, ALBW Rumors,  ghost link/ witch zelda, LU camping, ladye’s daybreak, lively bunch, LOZ sketch dump

Breath of the Wild

Zelda in Shining Armor (my comic)

Zelink Week 2022: One Last Look, Age, Rainy Day, Statue, Sparring, Rituals, Healing

Swords and Storms Cosmere Inktober: Puppet, Weapon, Glass, Chains, Flame, Miscreant, Lantern

Linktober: miniature | adventure pouch | boat/ship/vessel | nostalgia | secret | link | boss | storm | dream | zelda | deity | botanical

Link, Link but in a cool pose, March of the Koroks, Zelink Reunion, Zelink braids, Divine Zelda, Champions meme, Zelink in Gerudo outfits, Calvin and Hobbes Zelda and Link, Zelink kiss comic, Tebasaki Tackle, You are my Sunshine, "Pure" friends, Stained glass monster, Speedrunning a century meme, Anne AU, Swords and Storms AU, S&S incognito, Zelda pixie cut, Zelink reunion redraw, Witch Zelda, Fall Under Your Spell, Battle & Overgrown, Halloween Scholomance AU, I’m Not That Girl, Link would be best dad, Christmas zinc, link_inofficial, The Fallback Plan DTIYS, Physical Touch for Keik, Redraw, Loftwing Letters Zelink, Down Bad Christmas Link, OoT Parallels, Written in the Stars, chrsmsmsmss, Redraw (again), A Mother’s Love

Tears of the Kingdom

"BotW 2" with BACKGROUND, Dramatic BoTW 2 Link, Feral Link BoTW 2 prediction,  BotW 2/ LOTR animation, After the announcement, Ghost, After February Trailer, Journey, Save Him, B’s DTIYS, fond goodbye, Ruben’s Study

Ocarina of Time

Starting struggles, Zelink meet CUTE

Play-by-play sketchdumps: first, second, third + Shink, fourth, final

Expression meme: Link, Sheik, Golden Trio

smol zelink, Ending sad, OoT/ Stormlight, OoT 24th anniversary, 100% cannon secret marriage mistletoe kiss, Skipping Stones | Zelinktines Day 20: Meet Cute, OoT Zelink flangst, Zelink/Deku Mountain Greek inspired, Impertinence, BoTW Parallels, butch impa, wedding shink, magical girl, shink kiss, 200 DTIYS, masks, Sheik-xedo mask, fireboy and water girl, Impa drawing meme

Skyward Sword

Zelink at the start of the game, Groose on the surface hehe, Link with Nightblood, Loftwing Sunset, Sky sandals, Zelink hug, Play with Me, angy link, sweet DTIYS entry

Wind Waker

telink redesign, ocean adventures, Watery Smile, fancy goth vibes telink, recruit uniforms, telink dynamic

Spirit Tracks

Hand holding, birds, Ethereal

Minish Cap

Minish Cap Beginnings

Ren Faire Week: (1) Meeting, (2) Market, (3) Token of Favor, (4) Tournament, (5) Archery, (6) Dancing, (7) Until Then

Sousou no Frieren

sketches

Dwight in Shining Armor

Expression memes: 1, 2, 3, 4

Shining Smooch Week 2023: Yesterday, Marigold, Crown, Gothic, Heart, Wanderlust, Hero

Dwetta, A kiss like fireworks, Dwetta christmas, Baldric’s Koi fish, Sir Dwight, gotta kill this guy meme, Cow Advocate, Pie Knight, Dwetta (A2), Bald x Hexy F1

Cosmere

Swords and Storms Cosmere Inktober: Puppet, Weapon, Glass, Chains, Flame, Miscreant, Lantern

Rithmatist characters, Vin, Fancy Vin, Vin and Elend flirting, Melody + Icecream, Link with Nightblood, Miraculous / Stormlight Crossover, Swords and Storms AU, S&S incognito, OoT/ Stormlight, Soaring through the mists, rithmatist pose

Other

Hamin's Flower (Seasons of Blossom), Totally not a king Hesho (Starsight), That dallymart scene in turning red, Yona and Shirayuki, The spy family!!, Anya Smirk/punch (SPY x FAMILY), Anya Peanuts (SPY x FAMILY), Scholomance The Last Graduate vibes, Sesshomaru, TwiYor snuggles, Goblin, El and Orion <3 (Scholomance), FMAB Expression meme, Cecil (Answer Me, My Prince), Edwin, Defiant, slugs and delvers, Wonka, Volo and Akari, Ides of March, Apothecary diaries, Normal jk mafuyu, sketch dump

My Stuff

Fantasy OC???, Witch, Villainess Idiots (OCs), Mermaid Unicorn, Villainess Expression Meme OCs, sky island dragon

[moresaints]

Philippa knocks on the doors leading to the sovereign's personal chambers, suddenly uncertain about what to do, wehther or not she should effectively be there or --- no, no. She knows Zelda would want her there, even if she may be surprised at first: after all, the gesture is wholly uncharacteristic of her.

When she opens, she thrusts her hand forward, holding a single lavender rose. "I'm not --- fond of traditions, as you know." She starts, lips downturning slightly, but she wipes her displeasure away immediately. Her gaze falls from the woman to the single flower she holds. "Love at first sight, a flower meant for royalty." The owl ring she wears suddenly feels scorching hot on her finger, like a promise. "I couldn't think of something more fitting that this for you."

@martyrshe

Vizima was awash with anticipation for the coming Valentine's feast, but no one was as excited for it as she was. Every year, at the ardent command of their monarch, the palace celebrated the Feast of Saint Valentine, and her excitement for its marking was so palpable that all throughout the palace its people were feverishly affected. It was the one day where men and women could publicly express their desires for one another, and no one cared a fig if those romantic gestures were grand and garish… or even filthy.

Zelda's tunic was a deep green, dyed with woad, and its edges were trimmed with golden thread in a pattern of interlocking knots. The gold embroidery followed the length of her sleeves, all the way down to the gold cuffs at her wrists. She hummed a light tune whilst her attendant fastened a belt around her waist. A small purse, stitched with a dove which held between its beak a single red rose, hung at her thigh. Zelda opened the purse and took out a brooch in the shape of a golden heart, and pinned it to her collar.

“The scabbard, your Grace,” said the attendant, presenting the ceremonial piece with her head bowed low in reverence. 

Zelda dropped her eyes to the weapon, its sharp blade tucked into an ornate leather sheath. Only the scabbard's jeweled handle was left visible. She should have requested an ornate bow and a set of heart-tipped arrows instead, she thinks, and played the part of Love.

She tied the dagger to the belt and let it rest at her hip. “How do I look?” She asked, presenting herself.

A depiction of courtly love had been sewn into the tunic front, its two lovers entwined. One of the lovers wore a beautiful corset patterned with owls and studded with a thousand tiny crimson jewels. In the flicker of candlelight, the lovers came alive.

“Very dashing, your Grace,” replied the attendant. She was holding out the king's cape when there came a knock at the door. 

Zelda glanced at the palm sized box on her desk, crafted from polished wood and lined with soft velvet. Inside lay a large Temerian sapphire, the stone perfectly cut, with facets that reflected light at every angle; its blue depth as deep as the sea.

“You may leave me now.” She told the young woman, not unkindly.

The young woman curtseyed and left through the hidden servant's door, concealed by a latched wall painted with animals.

Zelda waited until she heard the click of the latch before she opened the door. The light from inside cast a warm glow across her visitor's face, and Zelda felt a gentle heat blossom in her chest.

A honey-warm smile spread across her lips.

“Philippa,” Zelda said, resting the side of her head against the door. “I thought to surprise you, not the other way around.”

She need not ask why the mage was there. Her eyes had already fallen to the lavender rose held intimately between them.

Love at first sight, a flower meant for royalty.

“Not fond of traditions...” She murmured, mesmerised by the flower. But fond of me. And passionate, so passionate. In all you do, in all you believe, in all you love. And hate. They had that in common, that fire. Even as the flames burned from opposite ends of the wick.

From what garden had Philippa plucked such a flower? Zelda had never seen the like, not in Temeria. Its delicate petals were a soft shade of lavender, with a subtle gradient that faded from a pale hue at the edges to a rich, deep purple at its core.

Zelda pressed her face to its velvet-like petals and drew in its sweet fragrance, her eyes fluttering shut. She placed her fingers over Philippa's where she held its stalk, her index gently resting over the mage's gold ring with the owl on it. Perhaps it was a trick of her imagination, but the band felt hot to the touch.

She plucked the flower from her fingers, brushed her lips against the silk smooth petals, then reached across and kissed Philippa.

“Thank you,” she whispered against the mage's lips. Zelda's breath smelt like the sweet, floral aroma of the flower. “I will wear it tonight, during the feast. In the pocket at my breast, closest to my heart.”

No one would know what it meant except for the two of them.

Zelda stepped back into her room, leaving the open threshold between them, and viewed the mage thoughtfully. Her deep eyes went up and down, up and down; a slow inviting curl to one corner of her mouth. She twiddled the flower between her forefinger and thumb.

“I have something for you too, if you would like to come in.”

[legend-of-zelda-voices]

"Tsuyoku, Yasashiku, Utsukushiku" from Go! Princess Precure!

Translated title: "Strongly, Gently, Beautifully"

LoZ: Zelda/Princess Zelda (SS, BotW)

LU: Sky's Zelda (Sun), Wild's Zelda (Flora)

This song is for the character Haruka Haruno/Cure Flora and three others.

‎

Translated English Lyrics:

Strong; my heart flower will never wilt just because of the raging storms

This belief of mine is what keeps me from failing

Kindness; I wish for my opponent to embrace the life the ocean breathes

All I want is to heal whatever pain is left within you

Beautiful; no star in the galaxy can compare to my radiant aura

Just being alive is what makes me a glamorous shining princess☆

‎

Go! Go! Go! GoGo! Go! GoGo! Wow!!

If I were to give up now, my goal would disappear forever

Go! Go! Go! GoGo! Go! GoGo! Wow!!

Now is the time to make that move to open that door to my future!!!

I will go beyond the "impossible" with pride. I awoke Wow!!

‎

Our wish is to become strong, kind and beautiful

That phrase is what motivates us all

With these pros and cons in mind, we'll be able to become better people

& My wish is to change as a person? These thoughts will awaken my ever-changing flame

As I continue to seek for the dream I want to hold - Go for princess!

‎

Go! Go! Go! GoGo! Go! GoGo! Wow!!

When push comes to shove, us girls can do anything

Go! Go! Go! GoGo! Go! GoGo! Wow!!

We'll overcome these scars and tears of regret together

'Cause no matter the time, being a Pretty Cure comes from within. Complete.

‎

Go! Go! Go! GoGo! Go! GoGo! Wow!!

Instead of crying, we'll head towards the future with a smile

Go! Go! Go! GoGo! Go! GoGo! Wow!!

Delicate to touch, I have a dream that has yet to blossom

Go! Go! Go! GoGo! Go! GoGo! Wow!!

Protecting the world and those we love is how we'll become stronger!

(From the captions and the pretty cure fandom website)

[linkedspirit-fanartfunart]

[Image Description: A 11 panel full-color Legend of Zelda AU comic “Linked Spirit”. Panel 1: Groose and Sky snuggle against each other while Groose holds him. Sky smiles, eyes closed and asks, “Ever gonna put me down jerk face?” Groose is nuzzled into Sky’s hair, “Ever gonna ask nice?” Sky says “Nope” with a heart drawn in the dialogue bubble.  Panel 2: Hero’s Spirit floats next to Zelda, arms crossed, looking at her with suspicion. Zelda rolls her eyes with a fond smile, “You two are dorks.” Panel 3: Groose puts Sky down, hands on his shoulders, “So! Gonna talk about the “Link”?” Sky squints, and mutters (in hand written dialogue), “Uhhhhh, What do you want me to-” he trails off. Panel 4: A close-up of Sky’s face, his eyes wide, as a blue spirit flame turns into a red.   Panel 5: Zelda looks concerned, one hand raised, “Link?” Behind her, Demise grins over her shoulder, one hand near her neck touching her hair, and the other hand holding up the Spirit Vessel. The background is endless greyish water and thunderclouds. Panel 6: Sky looks shocked, frozen. The background fades from orange into a tealish blue, a lightning strike behind Sky’s right. Off-panel, Zelda asks, “What is Groose talking about?” Panel 7: A flashback to the Spirit Trials- Sky is in the center of the Spirit Trial Gate, holding the spirit vessel. Panel 8: Hero’s Spirit, only the lower half of their face and torso visible. Their arms crossed, with a hazy teal blue aura. The symbol on their chest and the flower on their scarf echo the designs of the Spirit Trial Gate and the Spirit Vessel. Panel 9: Flashback- Sky holds the Spirit Vessel up gently. Panel 10: Sky holds his hat in aer hands in front of him, arm shaking. Aer eyes aren’t visible as he says “I’m... Tired actually.” Panel 11: Hero’s Spirit floats next to Groose, looking determined, pushing past him. Groose looks back over his shoulder, skeptical. Zelda looks distant, concerned, one hand outstretched and lowering. She says “Oh. Ok.” End ID]

masterpost

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[minty-mumbles]

Night Watch

Short fic loosely inspired by this post by @habibi-queer, specifically the one of Time. I love the art style, it has a really whimsical and kind of dreamy quality, and gave me a bit of inspiration.

This is set in my Flowers and Fountains AU | Read on AO3

~~~

Hyrule is worried. He’s worried about the other heroes, worried about himself, worried about this quest, worried about his Zeldas, who he disappeared on with no word on where he was going. 

There’s not a lot he can do about most of his worries.

But there is something he can do.

He'd taken the second watch tonight, like he often does. The others don't seem to like it. Hyrule thinks they feel oppressed by the silence, but he loves it. It's so hard to find true quiet nowadays. He's constantly surrounded by his fellow heroes, who aren't a quiet bunch. Not that he begrudges them for it. He's even grown fond of their noise. He'll miss it when it's finally gone for good.

But. The quiet is nice too.

This time of night is always the stillest. Nothing moves except the flames of the fire. Everyone is asleep like they usually are at this time of night, unless they’ve taken the watch as Hyrule has. The night owls of the group have finally succumbed to sleep, and the early risers are still hours away from stirring. Wild, who had taken the first watch, has long since fallen asleep.

Of course, there will always be bad nights, just like there are bad days. They've been through too much for anything otherwise. Some nights, someone might just be unable to sleep. Someone might startle awake from nightmares. Someone might be kept up by phantom pains.

But not tonight. Tonight, all his companions sleep peacefully.

The silence is the perfect cover to slip out of camp, just for a little bit. If anyone woke, they would think he left to do a perimeter check. In reality, he's doing another kind of check, although one no less pressing to his mind.

It's a little bit of action to escape the confines of his own brain, a little bit of doing something to assuage his worries, to tell his thumping heart: “look, see, there’s no hurt or pain here, I’m making sure of it.”

It’s part of his nature that he worries over others. It’s always been ingrained in him, a part of him that speaks deeply to his fairy heritage. He worries over others, even those he doesn’t know. Recently most of that worry has been transferred to the other heroes. There is something he can do to ease that worry, though, whenever he is assigned middle watch and everyone else is sleeping.

Once he’s far enough away from camp, he stops and closes his eyes. Taking on his fairy form is easy. He knows Twilight complained of the pains that came with taking an unnatural form. But to him, this other form is anything but unnatural. It's as much a part of him as the Hero's Spirit he hosts.

His body settles into it, his magic shifting and changing to fit the form he’s taken. The magic purrs like a contented cat, humming behind his fingertips. It fills him until it spills over into the world surrounding him, dissipating in a soft green glow around him. If any Hylian looked at him, the glow would partly shield him from their eyes.

His task would be easier if he had some of his sisters with him, he thinks. He’s more powerful than the average fairy, (it's reflected in his brighter-than-normal glow, his unusual green color, the way the Great Mothers seem to favor him,) but fairies always work better in groups, combining their power to heal more, soothe more hurts, drive away more dark forces.

But he doesn't have any of his sisters with him today. It's just him. And that will be enough.

He flutters out of the woods, a small glowing speck among the leaves. He doesn't try to hide. Fairies aren’t known for being cautious, and glowing makes it particularly difficult to conceal himself anyways. If any of the heroes see him, they will be blinded by his glow. They wouldn’t see his true form unless they managed to get very close, and even then it would take concentration that they wouldn't spare a stray fairy in the middle of the night.

He lets the night breeze carry him along for a while, floating effortlessly through the camp. He alights on a leaf here, someone's pack there, but doesn't rest long. He has a purpose.

He starts with Twilight. Since Hyrule left camp, the rancher had grown restless in his sleep. The markings on his forehead are creased with his distress, sweat beading on his brow, sticking his hair messily to his skin. Wind, who had been curled up next to the rancher the last Hyrule saw of them, had subconsciously twisted away from the other's restless movements.

This is something Hyrule can help with. He didn't know what bad memories haunted Twilight, preventing sweet dreams, but Hyrule could help even if he didn’t know.

With careful hands, he smooths down Twilight's mussed hair, stroking it away from his forehead. The power that hums just below his skin pulses insistently at the tips of his finger, pounding through his veins. It longs to surge forward, but Hyrule reigns it back. There’s no great injury that needed all his power to heal. There are only small aches. He allows a small amount of his power to slip through his tight control. It seeps from his fingers to meld with Twilight's own natural magic, soothing his mind from its nightmares.

The glow that surrounds Hyrule pulses gently, both him and his magic satisfied with the job well done when the creases on Twilight's forehead ease and he shifts towards the warmth of Wind next to him. Hyrule lets his magic twist around Twilight’s form. Besides the grief he was feeling until Hyrule’s intervention, there is nothing else that pains the rancher, nothing that needs healing. Twilight, at least, is good at avoiding minor injuries.

Hyrule hums a happy tune as he drifts off, letting the breeze carry him to his next target. None of the others appear to be having trouble sleeping, so Hyrule lets it take him where it will.

He ends up at Wild's bed roll, which he rolls his eyes at.

He gets along with Wild very well, but the champion can be clumsy with his health. He’s cautious where it counts- on the battlefield, mostly- but in everyday life, Wild was remarkably clumsy. 

Or rather, he was willing to take small risks, willing to do things where there was a high chance he would get injured, as long as the injury wasn’t too bad. 

Which meant Wild was often covered in bruises and small wounds that were too small to waste a potion or fairy on, but caused him pain, regardless of how much he tried to shrug it off. Hyrule knew that all of the heroes had had much worse pain than bruises, but pain was pain, and pain made Hyrule worry. He could read how uncomfortable Wild was in his stiff movements after he’s fallen out of a tree, or the way he would favor his arm after burning it on the cooking pot, or any other minor injury he would sustain. 

When he alighted on Wild’s chest, his magic coursed through Wild’s body. Sure enough, he could instantly feel the irritation the champion was feeling. There was a cut on the bottom of his foot- which made Hyrule pause to wonder how the Champion had managed to do that, as Hyrule hadn’t seen him take off his shoes recently- and a large bruise on his upper arm. It barely takes any magical power to heal things like this. Healing bruises and cuts was child’s play to him by now. His magic twines around Wild’s body, and the injuries slowly knit themselves back together. 

It doesn’t take long before all that’s left is a small greenish bruise on Wild’s arm that would no doubt disappear by morning. Satisfied, Hyrule took to the air once more. 

The next closest person was Time. He was laying between where Wild was curled up near the fire and the edge of the woods. He was the furthest from the fire, and his form was cast in deep flickering shadows. Time was laying stiff as a board, and for a second Hyrule worried he wasn’t even asleep, for as tense as he was, but he was quickly assured by the deep, even breathing coming from the old man. 

Hyrule fluttered closer to hover above Time’s face. 

The marks on Time's face look like smears of blood in the dying firelight. Hyrule has to resist the urge to reach out and try to wipe them away. He can't chance touching Time. The old man was always a light sleeper. Even the soft touch of a fairy may wake him, and Hyrule didn't want to disturb the rare good night’s rest the man was getting.

That was one thing Hyrule couldn't help with, after all. He could ease the sleep the heroes had, make it easy for them to find solace in oblivion, but he could not make them rest, could not coax away the dark circles under Time's eyes. 

He concentrated, letting his magic pass over Time’s prone form, inspecting him for injuries, just like he had done to Wild and Twilight. He was so engrossed in his search for injuries that he barely notices the fluttering of Time’s eyelid.

The voice comes as a shock, as distracted as he is. “You must be careful, my friend, or you’ll end up in a bottle.” Time’s breath brushes against him, as close as he’s hovering over Time's face. Hyrule suddenly becomes intensely aware of how close he is to Time’s mouth, and how small he is compared to the other hero right now.

He’s quite skittish by nature, especially in his fairy form, and the shock of seeing Time awake makes him flutter backwards before he even sees the hand coming up towards him. When he does see it, he retreats even further, fearing a hand swiping him out of the air and depositing him in a bottle.

It’s only when Hyrule's several feet away from Time- the hero would have to sit up to grab him now- that he sees the man’s eye is still half-lidded. He’s watching Hyrule flitter about, but his gaze is unfocused and content. His hand falls limply back to his side, making no more attempt to reach out to Hyrule. Time's body is still under his blanket, muscles relaxed and not quite as stiff as he was before.

A small sigh escapes the elder's lips as his eye flutters closed. He does not open it again, and Hyrule knows that Time is asleep again, if he had ever been fully awake in the first place.

Hyrule darts off toward the forest to change back, his heart still pounding against his ribs to the tune of his adrenaline rushing through his body.

He wonders what Time will remember of this in the morning. Will that moment warrant a thought in his mind? Will he recall the face of the fairy that gazed down on him and put the pieces together? Or will his recollection be twisted by the soft glow of the firelight and the sleepy sounds of the forest, leaving Hyrule's secret to be safe for another day?

There would be more time for the other heroes later, more time to soothe hurt and ease aches tomorrow night. For now, it was time to resume his watch.

[deiliamedlini]

In Plain Sight

Summary: The Kingdom of Hyrule has a strict no-magic policy; any magic user could be put to death if they’re found out... even if that person is the Princess.

~Generic AU. Zelink. Mild/moderate violence range.~

Word Count: 8436

Or on Ao3

~~

“Keep it secret. Keep it hidden. From everyone, especially your father.”

Zelda kept her hands behind her back, her mother’s voice echoing through her memory as she stared at the pyres in the distance, flames roaring with the vengeance that her father poured into every witch hunt. There were three this time, and Zelda was grateful that they were far enough away that they couldn’t hear the commotion that always accompanied such events.

“This is barbaric,” she whispered, as she did every time she was forced to attend.

“This is justice,” her father, King Rhoam whispered in return. “They are a blight. The greatest evils in this world are caused by these creatures, and they must be purged.”

Zelda said nothing, simply sighing and keeping her eyes on the ground until it was over. The grass wasn’t terribly interesting. It swayed in the wind every now and then, but there was little else to occupy her. She counted the intervals between gusts. They were uneven and unequally spaced out until they stopped all together.

She glanced up. The spectacle was still taking place, and she needed to stay entertained to get through this.

Biting her lip, she took a brief glance at her father before curling her finger behind her back and immediately feeling the wind return, a bit stronger so it could caress her face and move her hair and whip at their royal cloaks. She turned into it and closed her eyes, letting a smile rest on her lips as she felt the magic in it as poignantly as if it were a physically tangible thing. She knew this was something only people like her could feel.

She hummed in contentment, lost in the distracting feeling.

“Wind’s picked up, eh?” her father mumbled, tugging his flapping cloak against him.

Zelda felt a prickle on the back of her neck, which always happened when someone was watching her, and her eyes immediately glanced around until she found the source of the attention, because her father’s eyes were rapt on the scene in the distance, even when he spoke to her.

One of the knights, her favorite, in fact, had his eyes on her, softly watching her enjoy the breeze. She never mistook the gleam in his eyes as anything other than simple attraction, as she was sure he’d noticed in the way she lazily watched him go about his tasks as well.

So when their eyes met, they both smiled at each other for the briefest moment, forgetting where they were and who was around before he regained his better senses first and proceeded to look straight ahead at attention, as he was expected to.

“Can’t we leave yet?” Zelda asked, letting the wind die down slowly so as not to seem suspicious.

“Stop asking me, Zelda. You’re a Princess, and you must endure long events without complaint.”

“Yes, court hearings and council meetings. But watching people die? Please… I…uh…. I have a delicate heart,” she said quickly, unsure what else could get her out of this. “And these events so easily break it.”

King Rhoam looked at her and sighed. If nothing else, he did love his daughter. He had a terribly odd way of showing it, but he did. And to him, she was still just a fragile child.

“Link!” he called, and Zelda’s favorite knight stepped forward. “Take the Princess back to the castle.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Link said, bowing first to the King and then to Zelda as he followed behind her.

When they were far enough away, Zelda visibly shuddered and turned over her shoulder for a final look at the smoke in the air, praying that no one ever found out her secret, or she would be up there herself.

Her father loved her, but there was no doubt that he hated magic more. Other royals in the past hadn’t been exempt from the law. Her own mother had been one of them, and her grandfather had carried out the sentence himself.

Zelda had been under more scrutiny in her youth when they were watching to see if she’d inherited her mother’s magic, but Zelda heeded her mother’s words and kept every impulse to herself, fighting not to use it at all. Now, it practically called to her, begging to be used, like a siren calling a sailor into the sea. She simply couldn’t help it at times.

At night, she’d pray to the Goddess, begging Her to take away Zelda’s powers. She wanted to feel safe in her own home, and to lose the one thing that made her special. She wanted to be normal. Ordinary. Unassuming. Uninteresting. Safe.

The Goddess never listened, and Zelda’s magic only grew stronger over the years.

“I hate those events,” she muttered to Link as he hurried up beside her.

“I know.”

“Why do you do it?” she asked, glaring at him.

Loyal to a fault, Link was one of the knights who was responsible for bringing in many of the magic users who’d eventually be put to death. It was an order from the King. And Link never refused an order.

“His Majesty commands that I do so.”

“What if I command that you stop?” she asked, already knowing his answer.

“I’m sorry, Princess. Your father’s commands supersede your own.”

“I know,” she whispered as they reached their horses. Link helped her onto hers before they both made their way across Hyrule Field.

Zelda was in no hurry to get back, and Link matched whatever pace Zelda set.

“But why?” she asked again, a little more frustrated. This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation, and for some reason, she expected his answers to change.

She’d long since commanded him to ride and walk beside her when they were alone. She welcomed his company when she had it, and him walking behind her always frustrated her while trying to hold a discussion.

“If I don’t do it, I’ll be killed, and someone will replace me. My noncompliance will not change a thing. And if I can be honest, Princess, I’d rather be alive to be your guard than die in vain protest. Your father doesn’t care for me. I won’t be a martyr. I’ll just be another fallen soldier.”

The trees passed them by, and they rode into the wide expanse of the truest part of Hyrule Field, where the mountains in the distance were unobstructed by trees or castles or buildings. Small streams took the place of lakes, and the field was calling them closer with the light colors and gentle swaying grass.

“Have you ever let anyone go?” she asked, turning to him.

He looked at her with wide eyes. And though he knew her better, it almost felt like she was attempting to trap her into admitting something that could get him killed, and he immediately defaulted to defense, like the soldier that he was. “I would never! My command is to bring in all magic users for questioning. From there, it’s not in my hands. I cannot disobey my orders. If anyone found out, I’d be strung up beside them.”

“’If anyone found out?’” she asked curiously and uncompromising. She could see him squirm, and she didn’t care. She wasn’t trying to trap him, and her curiosity had gotten them both into far worse situations in the past. “What if you could guarantee that no one would ever find out. Would you do it?”

Link shook his head and made a contorted face that betrayed his stress. “I don’t know. It’s not a situation that will ever happen, so I don’t need to consider it. Besides, I am loyal to the monarch of Hyrule. I will not disobey, no matter my beliefs.” He turned to see her disappointed expression, and it pulled at something inside him that he often tried to ignore. He longed to comfort her, but this conversation could be treason. So he spoke true words that were still carefully cultivated to keep him safe. “Now, if you command me to stop when you’re Queen of Hyrule, I’ll have no choice but to gladly obey that command.”

Zelda smirked at him, blushing under his stare but let the conversation drop and returned her attention to the field. Too much prodding was suspicious, but she was allowed this much after watching the deaths. There was nothing suspicious after coming back from such a horrific event.

Suddenly, Zelda gasped and signaled for Link to stop and dismount with her. She ran over to a tree that stood alone in the field and fell to her knees, crawling over to the base of it. “Link, look!” she called behind her.

Two Silent Princesses bloomed fiercely, their blue and white petals enticing her over with the force a predator might attract prey. And with this flower, her absolute favorite in all Hyrule, she would happily be its prey and stare at it, study it, observe it.

The hair on her neck pricked again, and she knew that Link was looking at her, not the flower.

It wasn’t an unpleasant or even distracting sensation. She felt it so often as the Princess that she was able to tune it out in larger crowds. But when there were fewer people, she was more attuned to the feeling. And when she was just with Link, she felt it often.

“Link—” she said, twisting around to beckon him over, unsure if he simply hadn’t heard her. But she felt her cheeks immediately burn when she realized that his gaze was decidedly not near her face.

His eyes darted up to hers immediately, but there was no denying that he’d been caught. He grabbed the hair at the back of his neck and fisted it tight, cursing as he felt himself flushed and ready to die a little. Suddenly, the grass became terribly interesting, because he couldn’t stop staring at it, unwilling to let himself look at her again because she already knew where his focus had been. He debated apologizing or holding on to that last sliver of hope that she hadn’t actually noticed.

Zelda let out a nervous chuckle as she folded her hands in her lap while she sat back. But once she felt the nerves pass, she waved her hand dismissively and held one out to Link to encourage him to join her. “Come here.”

He was more than grateful that she didn’t bring it up. Link even debated taking her outstretched hand to let her pull him beside her, but after that, he couldn’t let himself slip around the Princess of Hyrule once again, and he knelt beside her, one knee down like he was bowing.

Zelda wished he could get comfortable around her, but she couldn’t blame him. He’d gotten too comfortable for a moment and been caught just seconds ago.

One thing that she liked the most about Link was that he often forgot himself around her. He treated her like a person, and not just a figurehead. And Link felt the same, basking in the rare courtesy that someone showed him. Zelda knew he was just a human, fallible, and imperfect.

They were each other’s haven when the rest of the world expected too much of them. Link was not a pawn, and Zelda was not a princess. They were simply friends.

“There’s two of them,” she said instead, hoping to take his mind off of things, to coax that easy friendship back out of him. “They’re so beautiful. It’s a shame how fast they wilt when indoors.”

“They’re your favorite,” he said simply, running a gloved hand over the petal. It wasn’t a question.

“They are. You knew that?”

“I do.”

She stared at him for a while longer before accepting that he wasn’t going to elaborate on how he knew. This wasn’t the first time she’d dragged him from his horse to look at flowers, mushrooms, bugs, or even frogs, so there was nothing to give her away by her reaction. He simply knew. He knew her.

Resting her chin in her hand, she stared at the flower. “Convince me not to run experiments on one of these in an attempt to domesticate it. Convince me to leave them both here.”

“I’d never think to try to deter you from your research, Princess.”

She grinned in his direction before biting her lip, one final consideration before she uprooted one of the flowers carefully from the ground and returned to her horse with Link beside her.

Days passed with little success in her experiments. The flower was withering quickly, and the edges especially were shriveling. Link returned to his other duties, and she to hers.

Nearly a week after taking the flower, it was near death, and she wished he had convinced her to leave it where it belonged.

“Princess?” Link’s voice called from outside her door.

Zelda stood up from her desk and looked around, flicking her fingers at some clothes until they moved into her closet, and then again at the bed that she’d taken a nap in that the maids had never fixed—unbeknownst to them that she’d slept at all. The blankets returned to their pin-straight smoothness, and the pillows carefully arranged themselves. She stood in front of her door and waited for them to stop moving before turning the handle for Link.

“Hello,” she said pleasantly.

“Princess,” he greeted and stepped into her room, looking around.

It was a nightly inspection for anything amiss, something her soldiers had done since she was a little girl. She was used to the invasion of privacy for the sake of her safety by now, but when it was Link on guard, it always gave her some time to talk to him, even if it made her slightly embarrassed to have him go through some of her things. But shame was something she’d long-since set aside when it came to this nightly ritual. At this point, half the guards in the castle knew what was in her room from this task.

He began in her closet, looking intently enough to make sure there was no hidden assailant, but fast enough to avoid invading her privacy too much.

“How was training?” she asked curiously.

Link chuckled and turned to her, calling her out on that question. “Why do you ask? I saw you come by.”

She blushed and tripped over her foot before steadying herself. She hadn’t realized he’d seen her. She bit her lip, following beside him as he made his way around her room. “Well… from a knight’s perspective, I mean.”

He stopped his search for a moment to look at her, his eyebrow raised suspiciously, and—dare she even think it—a little bit flirtatiously. The corner of his mouth lifted slowly. “It was fine, Princess.”

He returned his attention to his search, walking beside her desk, his eyes trailing along her open books, quills, the wilting flower, and her bag. He then looked under the desk before moving on.

“I’m so bored,” she whined, leaning against the wall beside him. “Give me more details than that. Humor me, at least.”

“You’re bored? I couldn’t tell,” he snorted, this time a full smile gracing his face. “Unfortunately, there are no details, Princess. It was just… fine.” Then he got onto his knees to look under her bed.

With him on his hands and knees and his upper half hidden under the bed, Zelda understood the appeal of letting her eyes linger low on someone one considered attractive. Though it was not for the first time that she admired him, she did connect her thought back to the way she’d caught him just a week ago staring at her.

She crossed her arms, and both cursed and praised whoever had come up with the form-fitting design on the royal guard uniform pants. He wiggled a lot too so he could see all angles under the bed, and Zelda bit her lip as she indulged in the moment, probably more than Link had the other day when she’d caught him ogling her. Zelda was, after all, a scholar who loved to observe her specimens.

Link always moved quickly in everything he did. It’s why he was primarily appointed to guard her so often: his reflexes, his skill, his speed; he was all but a machine. It was no surprise that he was quick to search under the bed as well, always courteous to keep her privacy as untouched as possible. So, he efficiently removed himself from under the bed and turned to Zelda before she had the time to look away.

Blushing viciously, Zelda, unlike Link, managed to keep Link’s gaze, undeterred by being caught. Link had gone red, but as he pushed himself to his feet and started to walk to her windows, he let his arm brush hers, a sly grin on his face to match her own.

Zelda bobbed her head to the side triumphantly, following him to the balcony, as she always did.  He looked over the edge, and Zelda looked as well, wishing she knew exactly what ‘signs’ he was looking for. Was there meant to be a person on her roof?

She felt that sensation on her neck again, only this time, she let herself pretend not to notice until she’d swept the entirety of the roof with her eyes before meeting his.

They were soft as they watched her.

She turned towards him and hesitated for a moment. “So? Am I in danger?”

“You’re safe, Princess.”

“Thank you. Will you be in for the morning round? Or are you going to see your mother?”

“How do you know—”

“You mentioned it a few weeks ago.”

His eyebrows went up. “You remembered?”

“I do listen when you speak, Link.”

He took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, I’m most likely going to ride out for the day, but I’ll be here in the morning.”

“Okay,” she smiled, following him back into the room as he made for her door. “I’ll see you then.”

“Goodnight, Princess.”

“Goodnight, Link,” she said, closing the door.

She leaned against it and took a deep breath to steady herself before returning to her workbench and her wilting flower.

“I shouldn’t have done this to you,” she whispered to it as if it could hear her apology. She set to stroking the petals gently, and as she did, color went back into it, straightening the stem out, returning the petals to their softness and former glory, flourishing and beautiful and alive. It made her giggle, as magic sometimes did when it felt good. Breathing life back into something always felt particularly special.

She stood up, satisfied, and closed her eyes to picture an outfit as she ran her hand just in front of herself. When she opened her eyes, the clothes she’d been wearing had swapped places with the pajamas on her chair, and she was comfortably ready for bed.

The magic was practically bursting from her, and once she ducked under the covers, she passed a ball of light between her hands, letting it hover as she did. It soothed her and let her release a lot of her magic at once, which made it easier to control in the long run.

Once she’d tired out, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Until hours later when there was a knock on her door.

“Princess?”

Zelda groaned and cracked her eye open, scowling at the bright sun coming through her window. “Is it morning already?” she called back, faceplanting her pillow.

She could practically hear Link chuckle. “Unfortunately, it is, Princess.”

“Ugh!” she groaned, covering her eyes with her arm. “Give me a moment.” She closed her eyes again, and at once she felt her heavy eyes thank her, completely at peace, as if she could fall immediately back to sleep.

“Princess?” he knocked again.

She sat up with a start. She knew Link would never knock twice in a row after she asked him to wait. “Link? Did I fall back asleep?”

This time, she was positive he laughed. “I believe you might have.”

“I’m so sorry,” she hissed, grabbing her robe off the bedpost and wrapping it around herself, stumbling for the door. “I’m sorry,” she said again when she opened it, nearly falling into Link as she tried to get her sleep-addled brain to work.

He came into the room and looked around. “No need to apologize. This can’t be the most fun wakeup call to have to go through each day.”

She cleared her throat and carefully waved her finger quickly in front of her, ensuring that her breath didn’t smell of sleep before she spoke. Link turned to her and she felt the prickle on her neck, but she was still bleary eyed as she tried to talk to him. “It’s understandable. Ever since Twinrova, I don’t hate this routine as much as I used to. Though I would like a little bit more sleep in the mornings.”

Her eyes finally cleared enough to realize he was staring at her, his eyes looking her over in a way that she’d only seen a few times from him, and mostly when he thought she wasn’t looking. Last time he’d looked at her like this, she’d been wearing a ballgown.

This time, she realized suddenly, she was standing beside Link looking a mess. She’d normally remembered to tame her frazzled bed-hair or change clothes before the guards entered in the morning, but she’d forgotten. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it was the first time she’d forgotten with Link as the guard. And he was the only one that she blushed around.

She was in her light robe, her heavier ones put away for the season; her shirt was too small on her, riding up over her stomach, but she welcomed that and a pair of shorts in the summer heat. Feeling her hair, she gently smoothed it down, though she could feel the wild tangles from a fitful, warm night. She tugged the robe closed and bit her lip, blushing as she closed her eyes and turned away, cursing herself again.

“Sorry,” she finally said, when she had the courage to look back at him. “Excuse my appearance.”

He took a deep breath and cleared his throat, finally coming back to himself. “You look…” he didn’t finish, and laughed softly to himself as red spread along his neck. Then he simply nodded at her and hurried to her closet to start his routine.

When Link’s back was to her, Zelda covered her eyes and groaned, wondering if she could tell him not to look at her long enough to at least switch into pants rather than shorts. But then she would be announcing that she’d be changing behind his back, and that made her feel distinctly less comfortable than simply enduring her embarrassment from looking like a bridge troll.

Link passed her, his eyes sweeping over her almost subconsciously before he kept up his search. He reached her desk and stopped, his fingers trailing along the stem of the Silent Princess.

Zelda watched him as she tied her robe closed rather than holding it before going over to him. “That’s the one we found last week. My experiments are slowing the decaying process.”

“Slowing?” he asked carefully, rubbing the petal lightly. “Was this here last night?”

“Ye—” she started before she froze. Last night, it had been withered and shriveled. And Link was keen enough to know that. Her heart raced until he finally glanced over at her, curiosity burning in his eyes, his hand still on the flower.

“No,” she finally said. “I had a different flower here that I was looking at. One that didn’t survive an experiment. I worked a little longer after you left.”

He stared at her for a long moment, but not with the same look he’d had when he’d seen what she was wearing. This was distinctly pensive, and she could see the wheels in his brain spinning rapidly. For once, she cursed that he was smarter than everyone gave him credit for. He thumbed the flower one more time before circling around the room to get to her bed.

She followed behind him so he couldn’t see the absolute stress on her face, or the way she kept fisting the roots of her hair as she thought about her carelessness.

He knelt down, and turned to her, catching her in her worried state. He froze on his knees, his brow furrowing. “Are you alright this morning, Princess?”

She let go of her hair and nodded. “Just tired. Are you excited to see you mother? When was the last time you visited her?”

Link took a deep breath and shrugged as he looked under the bed. “I’m not going. I was called on another… assignment.”

Assignments. That’s what they often called apprehending magic users.

Zelda sat on the bed and heard Link groan before he pulled his head out.

“Sorry,” she said quickly.

Link leaned an elbow against the bed and watched her from his knees. She grabbed one of her fringed pillows, needing something to distract her hands until she finally turned to him. “Is there any situation that you’d defy my father and just not do it? Just let them be in peace, or refuse to go despite your orders?”

“No,” he said, too quickly.

“What if it was just to make me happy? Would you do it then?”

That stopped him, and he hesitated, staring at her as he thought. She could see the conflict warring in him. He was like her in that he truly didn’t want to apprehend magic users unless they posed a threat, like anyone else. But his loyalty to the crown… it went beyond his loyalty to her, and she knew it. The answer to this question would only hurt them both, and she knew that too.

“No,” he finally said, looking away, ashamed of his own answer. He stood up without another look at her and went to the window and balcony.

She didn’t follow him this time, sulking on the bed instead, as if she’d expected a different answer from him. And when he returned, she looked back at him. “Do you think they’re all evil, like my father does?”

“No,” he said, again too quickly, too certainly. “I think we’re all capable of great evil, magic or not. The measure of a good person is one who doesn’t succumb to the pull of that evil. Magic isn’t involved in that decision.”

“So, you think I’m capable of great evil?” she asked, only partially teasing him.

“You’re the only exception,” he said with a grin.

She smiled and nodded, but it was laced with sadness. “Thank you. Be safe while you’re out there.”

He nodded in return. “I should be back by about midafternoon.”

“Okay,” she sighed, and he left without another word. Her head slammed back into the mattress and she longed for a way to protect more people like her.

She glanced at her desk where she could see her Silent Princess and groaned. She could barely keep herself safe. How could she protect others?

Zelda was sorely reminded of her powerlessness when her father made her go to the magic user’s ‘trial’ the next day, a trial that was preceded over by the King himself.

She stood on the balcony with Link behind her as she watched her father in his throne, head of the proceedings. There was never a fair trial, and the accused were almost always found guilty.

This time though, it was a little harder to deny.

“You are sentenced to burn at the stake until dead,” her father said after hearing everything he needed to. No matter how many times he said it, it was still spat with as much resolve and vigor as the first time he’d uttered those words.

“No!” the man yelled, rattling the chains around his bound wrists.

Link took a step forward as the room shook with the man’s rage.

Literally.

“No!” he screamed again, this time, his eyes darting to Zelda and then back to her father. “You and your family will die for what you’ve done to us!”

Zelda sucked in a breath and shuddered, but she gasped when she felt Link’s hand slide into her own. His other hand was on the sword at his back, always ready to move.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and he tightened his grip reassuringly, which she returned before they both watched the man’s fit before the throne as soldiers tried to get near him, only to be thrown back against the wall by the unseen force of his magic.

Biting her lip, Zelda debated whether or not to intervene, but her decision was made for her when she saw the man turn his attention to a display of weapons that began to shake loose and hovered at the ready, like projectiles.  

Zelda clenched her free hand, holding on to the weapons to prevent him from flinging them anywhere. It was difficult to hold so many objects still, but she kept them tight as she felt his magic tug against hers.

He was visibly rattled by the intervention, his head whipping around to try to find the source. But the distraction gave a guard the opportunity to try to apprehend him.

The man went to jerk his head, to send the guard flying, but Zelda dropped the weapons and curved her wrist, holding his head still so the magic was derailed, and the force hit the wall instead, sending a picture crashing to the ground, but not a person.

Gasping in shock, the man tugged at his chin. But the magic was like a hand, and he followed it straight to her eyes. He scoffed, his wide and accusing glare chilling her to the core.

Her hand fell and she let go of him, her heart stopping completely in that moment. He knew it was her.

She and Link tightened their grip on each other as soon as the man’s attention went to her, but the man let out another scream. This time, flames roared from his mouth, and straight towards Zelda.

She didn’t realize she was on the ground until she saw the flames above her. Link had her cocooned between him and the stone balcony, his head shielding her from the worst heat of the fire.

His reactions were fast though, and he pulled her to her knees, dragging her beside him to get her off the balcony. Zelda noticed a flag above had also caught fire, but Link had her out before she could discern any other damage. He didn’t care if the whole castle caught fire; Zelda was his priority.  

He pulled her behind him as other guards ran into the room, likely to deal with the fire. But that wasn’t Link’s responsibility.

He grabbed a passing guard. “Hey, tell the King I’m bringing the Princess back to her room for safety.”

“Sure, Link,” she said before hurrying into the throne room.

Link said no more until he’d practically pushed Zelda all the way back to her own room. Zelda was still rattled, and she let him guide her as her thoughts were stuck on the way that man had looked at her. What was he saying now? She couldn’t focus on the halls or the doors.

So she was beyond surprised when Link gently placed a hand on her cheek and let the other run through her hair.

“Are you okay?” he breathed, looking her over for any wounds or injuries. “Were you burned?”

“No, I’m fine. Are you?”

“Yeah, I am.” He stopped and stared at her, eyes wide as he breathed through an unfamiliar sensation that threatened to steal the air from his lungs.

Link had been a royal guard for years. He’d worked closely with Zelda for quite a while. But he’d never been in a situation where she’d actually been in danger. Sure, he’d cleared bandits off the road, or taken down a bokoblin hunting party before they could reach the Princess, but he’d had those situations entirely under control. This? The flames had nearly hit her. If he’d been any slower…

“Thank you,” she whispered, stopping his train of thought when she took the opportunity to lightly brush back some of his hair that had fallen loose of his ponytail and into his face. She tucked a strand behind his ear and let her hand trail along his skin while he watched, too nervous to move with her that close.

Her door swung open, and Link was in front of her with his sword drawn before she could even gasp.

But he quickly sheathed it and dropped to his knee, head bowed as King Rhoam rushed in and grabbed Zelda.

“Are you okay? They’re taking that demon away now for an immediate execution. He was raving, threatening you. Saying it was your fault as they dragged him away. Link, I want you to stay alert for the rest of the day and night. Don’t leave her side, do you understand? I don’t trust him, even in death.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Good. I’m going to deal with that monster. I don’t want you there today, Zelda.”

“Okay,” she muttered as Rhoam stormed back out of her room, slamming her door violently.

She was glad she wasn’t going to be there. Rhoam was going to make it hurt.

“He said it was your fault?” Link asked, his brow furrowing.

Zelda shrugged and leaned against her desk, staring down at her Silent Princess. “He said it was the Royal Family’s fault. He must have meant me indirectly.”

Link moved up beside her, his eyes lingering on the flower as well before she felt the prickle of his gaze. “You’re trembling. You should sit and breathe. Deep breaths.”

She sat on the bed and pulled her legs up, adjusting the bottom of her dress over her knees. “I wish I could have been born normal.”

Link knelt beside her. “If you were normal, we’d never have met, so I’m glad you’re not.”

She smiled as he misinterpreted what she meant. She let him. He was cute, his eyes still wide with worry. “Yeah, that’s a perk.”

Link was on her heels the rest of the day while she did her tasks and entertained herself in the library. He was quiet and far more watchful, and Link’s orders were reiterated to him by the King that night at dinner.

Rhoam pointed his fork threateningly in Link’s direction where he stood. “You do not leave her side tonight; do you understand?”

Link now stood in the corner of her bedroom, staring at the wall like a punished child while she changed.

“My father was literal, huh? Not to leave my side,” she mused, opting for a longer pair of pants this time.

“Mhmm,” he mumbled.

“Are you going to sleep at all? Swap guards?”

“No.”

Zelda crawled under her blankets. This wasn’t the first time a guard had to be in her room overnight to watch for a threat either, but again, it was the first time it was Link. “You can turn now.”

He hesitated before carefully looking at her. “I’ll just patrol the room throughout the night. Any footsteps you hear will likely be mine, so try to sleep through it.”

“Okay,” she said, familiar with that speech from the past.

He nodded awkwardly before heading out to the balcony. He turned to her once more. “Goodnight, Princess. I’m glad you’re okay.”

She smiled at him, trying to reassure him that this was normal for her. “You as well, Link.”

But she couldn’t sleep.

She heard his footsteps, sure, but for the most part, she was distracted by that prickle on her neck brushing over her often, letting her know that Link was watching her. Each time, her heart sped up, and she cracked her eyes open if she wasn’t facing him. She was usually better at ignoring it, but she had a feeling it was distinctly because it was Link, and she was hyperaware of him anyway.

She’d finally drifted off, but she awoke again some time later. The prickle was there, but it was different, and almost entirely foreign to her. In fact, she knew he wasn’t looking in her direction because of how different it felt. This wasn’t the same sensation at all. Her hairs stood up on her arms and the back of her neck, and she was immediately tense. But she sat up and opened her eyes, blinking the sleep from them and rubbing them as if that would wipe away the memory. Perhaps it had been a bad dream that stirred her.

Then she felt Link looking at her. That was familiar.

She turned to where he stood half in, half out between her room and the balcony, leaning against the frame. He was silhouetted by the light of the night sky, so she couldn’t see his face, but she didn’t need to.

“You alright?” he whispered.

“Yeah. Just felt weird. Probably a bad dream. It was so strange.”

“Okay. Don’t wake yourself up taking to me,” he chuckled.

“I like talking to you.”

He smiled at her, his teeth catching the moonlight before he turned his head into it. “You too, Princess.”

She watched him for a while, admiring the way the light framed him and drew her eye. Her chin was against her pulled-up knee that she hugged close to her. It was strange to realize that she could watch him for so long without feeling bored or embarrassed, enjoying the many different ways the moonlight caught his face.

But then, she felt her neck prickle again, and she sat up straight. Link turned at her sudden movement.

“Link, come here!” she said, too frightened to whisper.

He was by her side in an instant, sword drawn from her tone. “What is it?”

“Someone’s watching from the dark,” she breathed, this time, too hushed for anything but Link’s ears.

“Where? Did you see them?”

“No, but they’re there. Trust me.”

He glanced at her for a second before he nodded and held his sword ready in his hand while he searched the room slowly and carefully.

But the feeling never went away from her neck, even when he wasn’t looking. She covered her mouth, unnerved by how strong it was. Like they were right behind her, breathing on her skin, drawing every goosebump out of hiding.

She shot forward with a shriek, crawling to the end of the bed before turning to stare at the empty space in front of her. The sensation was burning.

Link was at the foot of her bed, sword raised, waiting for the threat.  

She could feel it, this time right in front of her, hovering just in front of her face. She whimpered and started to crawl back until she’d run out of room, and then leaned back into Link while he watched her, confused. To him, there was nothing. There was no sensation, no prickle on his neck, no goosebumps. The only fear he felt was because Zelda was in such a panic. He almost wondered if maybe she were still dreaming.

“Zelda?” he whispered, one hand snaking around her waist to support her as she kept moving backwards until she was flush against him, even pushing him off balance in her attempt to keep moving back.

“It’s here. It’s right here. Link… please…”

He held her tighter, his arm completely wrapped across her waist, his eyes fluttering around the empty space on her bed. But he could feel her shuddering violently. And he trusted Zelda, even if he didn’t know what for.

In a single motion, he spun Zelda off the bed and thrust out his sword into the air.

An inhuman figure screeched out into the darkness, taking shape as it writhed in its pain.

Link jumped back at the sudden appearance, but he recovered fast enough to push Zelda back when the creature slinked onto the floor and began to crawl toward them. Link stabbed it again, and it howled.

“Where are the guards?” she yelled as Link kept pushing her towards the hall.

But at that, he stopped her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her behind him instead. They’d have come in with all the noise. Either they weren’t outside for some reason, or they were killed.

The creature calmed down again and stood taller than any person Zelda had ever seen. Link stepped forward with his sword, and this time, the figure sidestepped his stab and backhanded Zelda, sending her crashing into the wall with inhuman force before turning its attention to Link. Sharp claws pried at the chain-link armor Link wore while he struggled to get up, screaming as the claws began to pierce straight through the armor and started tearing at his skin.

Zelda blinked and crawled away from her wall, pushing the hair from her face so she could see. And she could see Link bleeding.

“Link!” she screamed, her hand flying out on instinct. The figure was thrown back as she released her power, and Link sat up, one hand over his wound as he stared at her in shock.

She stumbled, her head throbbing from the impact, but she made her way to stand over Link while he gawked at her.

These consequences were ones she was willing to deal with later. She wasn’t going to let Link die just to keep her secret.

The creature hissed and crawled up on to the wall before flinging itself at Zelda, taking her down to the ground with ease. Its sharp fingers, no longer a full claw, dug into the skin at her neck and she tried to pry it loose with her magic, which was stronger than her actual grip. But the creature was strong too.

Until it was screeching again.

Fingers slackened their hold on her, and Zelda looked up to see Link’s sword through its head as he clutched his bleeding wound. It slithered back and rematerialized on the other side of the room.

Link stood over Zelda. “You okay?”

She checked her skin, her hands coming back bloody. “I don’t know yet.”

It let out a roar as its shape changed again, and suddenly there were tentacle-like appendages, one going for Zelda and pinning her down, and the other clawing at Link’s armor again, the tip a sharp point that was relentless in its attempt to reach a vital organ.

Link screamed, stabbing futilely at the tendril as the metal of his armor kept being torn away like chipping paint.

“Link!” Zelda yelled again, managing to gather enough magic to push the creature’s arm off her. She scampered to her feet, slipping in a small pool of blood before she stood between the creature and Link, flinching back nervously.

She closed her eyes and drew from Link, feeling his gaze on her, feeling his presence. Feeling his wound. She was exposing herself for his sake, and that drew her powers behind her, rearing up.

Her eyes fluttered and her head throbbed, but when she opened her eyes, the creature was outlined perfectly for her rather than a dark mass of limbs, and she sent a burst of bright light at its center, holding it there until it became too much for them both. But she shook with effort, keeping it there a moment longer.

And the creature burst apart into darkness, disappearing like smoke.

She collapsed, and heard Link hit the floor right behind her.

Despite his injury, Link’s eyes were wide on her.

“You?”

“Me.”

The door burst open, as if the creature had been holding it shut, and a hoard of guards poured into her room, followed shortly by the king himself.

“Zelda!” he yelled, pushing past everyone. “What happened?” he shot a look behind him, “Get the physician! They’re hurt!”

Zelda turned to Link, her eyes wide and fearful. He clutched his wound tightly and forced himself to his knee, to bow before the king.

“We heard screams. What happened?” Rhoam asked again, looking around in an effort to find a body. “Was this magic, or did someone escape?”

Link turned to Zelda over his shoulder and saw a tear run down her cheek as she looked at her father, and then at Link.

“It was magic,” Link breathed, realizing just how much it hurt to talk.

“Someone was in my daughter’s room?”

“They…” he froze and turned back to Zelda and then to Rhoam. “It came through the wall behind the Princess’ bed. It was a figure at first, and I stabbed it, but it completely reformed as something else, like it wasn’t really alive. Each time, it got a bit stronger and then…” he stopped and winced, taking a breath and another opportunity to look at Zelda. She was shaking.

“It had the Princess down on the ground, its… arm thing on her throat. And I stabbed it through its head, which made it… well… die, I suppose. It turned to nothing and disappeared. Once it did, its hold on the door must have released because that’s when you came in.”

Zelda’s eyes were locked on Link, wide and afraid and surprised and thankful all at once.

“Link,” she breathed before relieved tears started to rush down her cheeks, and she threw herself into his arms. “Thank you.”

He returned the gesture, biting down the pain it was causing him to do so as one of his arms still covered his bleeding wound. “You’re safe,” he whispered, and she tugged him tighter at the secondary meaning.

Rhoam put his hand on Zelda’s shoulder comfortingly until the physicians ran in and began to take care of the both of them.

That was the last Zelda heard of Link for two weeks while he recovered. She’d spent about a week of that time recovering herself, but it wasn’t until the night shift when she heard his voice sound out behind her door.

“Princess?”

“Link!” she called, hurrying to the door and whipping it open. “You’re back? You’re okay?”

He nodded and patted his chest, as if that proved that it no longer hurt. And with that, she pulled him against her and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

“Thank the Goddess!” she breathed, letting go to close the door and to back away from him, to give him space from her. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“I… you must… I’m… do you remember what happened?”

“Yes.”

“All of it?”

“All of it.”

That almost made her more confused.

“You didn’t tell my father. You said you wouldn’t disobey his orders, even for me. You were meant to tell him about me. What I am. What I can do.”

“You were never the one in danger while I was obeying orders.”

“You’re not… afraid of me?”

He took a step forward and held out his hand to her. “I could never be afraid of you, Zelda.”

She smiled, relief flowing through her just before the rush of butterflies hit. She took his hand and squeezed it, and a deep, unfamiliar longing settled over her. For the first time since her mother died, someone knew about her. And he wasn’t running.

“How long?” he asked. “Have you had… magic?”

“Forever. My mother helped me before she was killed.”

“You had it then? When they ran all those tests?”

She nodded and let go of him so she could sit on the bed. He sat on the other end.

“I saw the flower. That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. Was my story that easy to see through?”

“No. I believed you.”

“Just like you did when I told you that thing was in front of me. Why?”

He ran a hand along his face. “I don’t know. I just trust you.” He chuckled to himself. “A lot makes sense now: your attitude towards the deaths, the flower, that day with the horse…”

“You noticed that?”

He grinned. “The tournament?”

She grimaced. “Yes, but he was going to kill that man!”

“That dinner a few months ago?”

“Okay, but she deserved that!”

“My mother getting better?”

Zelda looked away and nodded.

“Thank you. You risked exposing yourself for my family.” He scooted a little closer. “Did you actually do something to that fire breathing guy?”

“I did.”

“You’re incredible.”

“I’m dangerous,” she scoffed, glancing at her door as if her father might pop out at any second.

He reached out and ran his knuckles lightly along the side of her neck where a discolored scar marked where the creature had grabbed her. “I trust you.”

She flinched before settling into his touch. “I think it goes without saying that you can’t tell anyone. My trust, and my life, rest entirely in your hands. And as uncomfortable as I am with that concept, you’re possibly the only one I actually trust with my life.”

Link smirked and blushed, but he tried to play it off. “You don’t trust your other guards?”

“I do, but if anyone other than you had been in here with me, I believe they’d have told my father about me.”

“Well,” he said, standing up. “You don’t have to worry about me. I wouldn’t tell the Goddess herself if She asked.”

He looked in her closet, remembering he had an actual job to do.

Zelda followed him, as she usually did. “If the Goddess asks, you’re allowed to tell.”

“You don’t even need guards, do you? If I wasn’t there, you’d have been fine.”

“Well, I couldn’t find it, so I did need you to stab it. And you’re a very good distraction.”

He stopped and raised an eyebrow in her direction.

“Oh, no, I meant you were good at distracting it! Not that you’re a distraction to me.”

One of his full-toothed smiles graced his face. “I didn’t take it that way, but now I know.”

Groaning, she regretted how often she talked, especially to him.

The path around the room was familiar to her by now, so as Link went to check under her desk, she waved her finger and pushed the chair out of the way for him.

He froze, and it was her turn to be triumphant.

Link gently placed a hand on the chair and glanced under the desk before pushing it back in, determined not to look at her, not to give her that satisfaction.

But she already had it.

[littlesweetcake06]

[theycallme-ook-v2]

Im tired but ily and thamk uou so much for alwasy acknowledging me as Tommy my heart just jumps when I see my name because SOMEKNE USEING MY NAME ITS ME AHSHHSHSHAHHA

Anywa here's some headcanons for Terry and Dana!!

Terry has ADHD! They don't mind most pronouns but prefer they them! Definitely Pansexual! Favorite games growing up was the skylanders and the zelda series! Hates sticky or mud like textures. They had a catgirl faze and definitely still has the warrior cat books!! They used to hiss at people during that faze (lmao im projecting I did this all the time)! Loves Dana ! Drinks their respect women juice daily. Best friends with Max and they both need over video games and occasionally sea creatures :) Terry likes warm colors. Terry also bites people but we both already know that lol

Dana !! We stan!!! Dana is very capable and strong but she's generally not in super dangerous situations. Took karate classes whne she was a kid! She her pronouns! Bisexual!! Wasn't super into video games but does enjoy them! Dana likes trying on new clothes and such and baking because it gives her a nice warm feeling and she just likes to enjoy herself! Also teaching Terry to cook complex meals. Definitely talks smack about Terry with Matt. Dana likes to drag Terry on nature walks outside of Gotham. She loves the smell of the flowers. Not afraid to take a stand or defend herself (remember the flaming stick she beat up rats with) . Knows her own self worth and knows when something isn't working for her !!

Its kind long but my hands are getting sloppy bsksjsn I love Dana so much she's so cool just like you I LOVE YOU PLATONICALLY MWAH MWAH SLEEP WRLL!!!!

BRO I♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ LOVE U!! UR SCHWAY AND COOL AND VALID!! also ofc!! Anything for my genderfluid comrades ♥️

and bro YES to ur amazing hcs we are on the same wavelength!! (Lol I used to be iffy abt Ter and Dana's relationship until I remembered that canon is dead to me and I can make it Better ™) And!! Here's a WIP of mine featuring these two cuties :)

Muchos besos to you my broski 😘♥️♥️♥️♥️

[venomlion3]

Second batch of Pride 2021 HC doodles! More info under the cut!

Midzel

💙 Princess Midna - Agender lesbian who uses any pronouns! Very snarky and sarcastic, loves teasing their wife but has moments of genuine tenderness. A good leader of his people, a good parent to its children, and the type of person who would knock out a homophobe/transphobe without question (and with a smile on her face). A big ol lesbian birb 💙 Twilight Princess!Princess Zelda - Cis pan woman who uses She/her! Dunno what else to really say about her? She’s a chill wife, mom and queen and is the shortest family member inbetween her tall partner, her hulking child and her daughter who wins by an inch or so. Much like Midna, she has a no-nonsense policy when it comes to discrimination, and uses her power to protect the helpless/those in need

Lunaflashburst

💙 Princess Luna - Nonbinary demisexual bi alicorn who uses any pronouns! Very tall compared to its golden hubbies, but still shorter than its sister. Writes flowery love poems about their partners, often in Old Ponish, and is known to belt out a sonnet or two comparing them to flames of passion and the like. Used to be very awkward about giving affection but has grown more confident as time went on. Probably flirted with Sunburst by comparing them to a Gazania, more specifically a Sunburst Gazania, and tucking one of the flowers under their ear (which I would LOVE to make a mini comic about one day). Also, she’s a royal alicorn, which means she has 2 sets of wings (shoutout to lieutenantcactus on dA for the wonderful HC), but it would take up too much space if I drew both pairs open, so imagine the other pair is on her back somewhere :] 💙 Sunburst - Demiboy pan stallion who uses He/they! The Royal Wizard of the Crystal Empire, met Flash via Twilight as he was previously one of her guards, and was later restationed to be one of Luna’s. Got a big goofy crush on him the instant they met, and did so with Luna as well. He’s still as flustered around them as he was when he first met them. Prior to getting with Luna and Flash, he was Shining Armor and Princess Cadence’s boyfriend for a period, and their eldest child, Flurry, is very fond of him still! 💙 Flash Sentry - Trans bi stallion who uses He/him! A chill guard who occasionally plays the guitar and has a very lovely singing voice. A big ‘ol himbo who loves his partners and their kids, and is especially close with Luster Dawn, daughter of Luna and Sunburst. Is rarely angry and often solves fights inbetween his kids and niblings. A notable ex of Twilight

Zelpaya

💙 Paya - Trans demisexual bi gal who uses She/her! Paya being a trans girl came to me in a vision so I’m going with that. Crushed on both BOTW!Link and Zelda but was too shy to approach them about it. In my verse Link gets with Prince Sidon and Gaddison (a Zora guard NPC who I’ve always been fond of), so while her crush on Link didn’t fade her heart focused on Zelda since she was the only one still single (she never expected anything to happen between them though). That of course changes when Zelda begins coming to her about artifacts and they form a closer bond. Is still flustered when her wife gives her attention but has grown more confident with her help :]

💙 Breath of the Wild!Princess Zelda - Cis bi gal who uses She/her! A grease monkey scholar who loves learning and tinkering with things, and who just so happens to be a princess as well. Very much in love with her wife, even though she initially came to her for educational reasons. Despite Paya’s confidence boost over the years, she’s still the one who gives the most physical affection (although Paya is bold enough to initiate a kiss between them every so often). Loves her family and never stops thanking Paya for blessing them with their child, Zaidee

[writingstarling]

Sweetness in Tranquility (BOTW Zelink)

Zelda was strolling through a small forest a little outside of Castletown; embraced by the sweet air nipping at her skin. She had taken the chance of her knight attendant’s absence to enjoy this moment of solitude. Perhaps she had finally been acquainted to her knight attendant and was treading on friendly terms, but once in a while she missed the feeling of solitude when often times so many eyes were on her with expectations. Of course, she didn’t think of her knight attendant as one of them, but she never really could feel at peace with that thought.

The slight rumble of her tummy brought her out of her intense research on the flowers swaying powerlessly at the mercy of the wind. She considered returning to the castle, but she didn’t want to let her peace escape her fingertips just yet. With that in mind she decided to search for some berries or fruits to satiate her hunger, even if it was just temporarily. It didn’t take long for her to discover a delectable scarlet fruit dangling on a thin branch.

Her relatively small hands took hostage the lowest and second lowest branches to propel herself higher with the help of her legs. Branch by branch she rose, until finally she reached the desire of her rumbling stomach. With one arm outstretched and the other encircling the nearest branch, she tried to reach the bright red apple. Zelda’s brows furrowed in focus, legs forced to push herself further. The literal apple of her eye was before her just a few inches away. Bit by bit she began to release her grip on the branch in order to go further. Finally, with only her hand holding onto the branch, she managed to capture the desire of her heart.

A feeling of accomplishment flooded her chest and a warm buzz snaked its way to her. In the slight instance her tense muscles relaxed, she was left careening down with little to no less registration and nothing to catch herself with. Her eyes clenched in preparation as her arms shielded her face the best it could.

Zelda felt her body collide with something. Too tense and well-structured to be a convenient bush nearby; too soft and comforting to be the ground she had her feet planted on minutes ago. She shifted her arms to create a gap and peeked through. Before her was… an almost indescribable figure with the head of what seemed to be an ancient entity and the body of a normal – slightly well-built – human. He was fashioned in a simple cream hylian tunic paired along with a pair of basil green shorts. The mask – she decided to assume – the person wore was one that would fascinate her if she weren’t so befuddled with its existence.

“Thank- thank you, can you, please put me down?” Silently the figure complied, gently placing her leaned onto the base of the tree.

On the ground, Zelda grasped at the chance to take the mask her saviour wore under deeper scrutiny. It was shaped similar to a heart as the base with spikes sprouting from it, two on top and four others on each of its lower sides. Each horn goldish-yellow with a smudge of different colour on every one, twinning only with its neighbour across. The heart was a mix of several colours; much of its higher part is coloured a royal purple and the rest of it mostly a crimson red, lined with intricate and ancient designs of various colours. Lastly, the most nerving feature of said mask was the pair of parakeet eyes boring at her with its flame coloured sclera.

The time she took letting her curiosity feast upon its new interest distracted her from the hand drawn towards her with the goal of her little journey and near pain resting comfortably on it. She voiced her gratitude before releasing her saviour from his small additional burden. Her stomach yearned for her to the very least have a nibble at the scarlet fruit, but her mind was keen and too well-trained in mannerism to allow herself to display such rudeness. Instead she merely placed the fruit on her lap and endeavoured to strike a conversation with her saviour. Perhaps even inquire him of the origins of his mask.

“Would, you like to sit down?” Zelda gestured towards the space beside her.

The figure remained silent – contemplating her offer, perhaps – before giving her a nod and shuffling towards her; settling down, nuzzled by the lush greenery with a respectful distance between them. They rested under the graceful shade of the vigorous tree, silence enveloping them in an awkward, yet somehow comfortable ambience. Zelda toyed with her apple, rolling and rubbing it whilst her mind travelled far and wide for a solution to broach the subject of said mask.

It was then that she came to a sudden awareness of her discourtesy, “Uhm, if I’m not too bold, would you mind as to give me your name?”

A pregnant pause followed her question and Zelda had nothing else to do, but be in the mercy of the mask’s vacant stare. Frankly, the stare of the mask’s eyes sent a chill crawling through her spine. It wasn’t quite simply due to its horrendous design itself; there was something else deep within her that squeezed and twisted her heart each time it was directed towards her. It was as if those same pair of eyes had stared into her very soul and–

“Do…,” his voice pierced through her train of thought, “Do you not recognise me?”

His voice was hoarse and brimmed with much hesitance, as if one mistake would cost him his life. Is her title that intimidating? was the question she tucked under her tongue. However, there was also a sense of familiarity in his voice that Zelda recognised despite the assurance she had that the voice was one she was not entirely familiar with. Perhaps it's caused by the mask, she reasoned.

“My apologies, but I do not seem to recall ever meeting someone with such a mask.”

“Mask…?” his hand shot up to the aforementioned cover. Frantically, patting away on it with something that Zelda could only deduce as sudden realisation.

A giggle threatened to burst free from her throat. For one to not realise they were wearing a mask of that size was more humorous than it was befuddling for her. Despite her pressing urge to unleash the flurry of giggles threatening to escape, the princess held her poise and regally coughed her laughter away to the side before offering her pardons.

“Pardon me, Princess,” the figure spoke, straightening himself up. His hands reached towards the mask, fiddling with the strings attached until it freed its grip from his head.

Streams of auburn hair peeked through as the mask started to unravel. A familiar shade, Zelda noted. The process unfolded in slow-motion before her eyes and a mixture of feelings was unleashed upon her in realisation. Afore her stood her knight attendant – in casual clothing, her mind supplied.

“Link?! Y-you–!” her eyes were wide as dinner plates; the finger that once toyed with her fruit was solely focused on pointing aim at Link’s figure as her body arched back by a few inches; her other hand supporting her weight and her apple rolling away, forgotten.

Link offered her no other response than a respectful bow on his knee. They remained in silence. Link unwavering in his position and Zelda taking the time to regain her lost grace and composure. Exhaling deeply, Zelda huffed before returning to her once more refined conduct.

“Link, you may rise.” The hero did as such, his body looming over her and casting another shade over her form. He stood with the squared shoulders of a well-groomed soldier. Ever so dutiful, always on guard.

“Please, sit down.” Again, the hero complied. Placing himself a tad farther than he was before, expanding the gap between them.

Zelda watched him with the intensity of a researcher, her eyes boring at him in hopes to receive – at the bitter least – some scraps of information. Alas, her knight was ever stoic in his countenances. However, other than his sapphire tunic, which she had crafted for him, she felt something else to be amiss in his appearance. Her eyes scanned him like a well-oiled machine. Determined to satisfy the mystery her mind had provided.

Then, it hit her. “Where is your sword?”

“With the Great Deku Tree. For safety,” his gaze was locked over his shoulder, where the Master Sword would usually reside. Faded grey clouds covering his brilliant sapphire eyes.

“Why didn’t you take it with you to your home town?”

Link shrugged, facing her once more, “Didn’t think I’d need it.” Didn’t want the attention, were the words that lingered in the air despite never leaving his lips.

Zelda hummed. The words that were left hovering in the air between them was something she understood well. After the day he had poured a piece of his heart to her in the small moments of vulnerability they shared behind prying eyes, she started to see the similarities between them. The hero she had berated so much was a lot like her in many ways, including his fears. The weights abruptly placed upon his shoulders were the same as hers after all.

Funny, however, she managed to receive warning. She had known her destiny since birth. It was her birth right; her legacy. She knew of what’s to come. Link, on the other hand, never had such privilege. His destiny caved upon him like a sudden boulder spat by Death Mountain himself, and even that had more apprise than what Link had received.

“That mask, might I ask where you got it?”

Link opened his mouth to speak, before his teeth met and his mouth clamed shut. But again he tried, his voice smaller than usual, “I found it in the storage of my home.”

Zelda quirked a brow. Her knight never sounded so timid; even when he spilled his deepest fears and held his heart boldly upon his sleeve, his voice held the integrity and force of a well-deserved captain. Zelda took it as cue to let her questions rest in the back of her head and deprive her curiosity of satisfaction.

“I see.”

Again they fell in silence. A silence that occurred many times before she had come to terms with him, uneasy and out of place. Zelda shifted her attention to the leaves loyally shading them from the scorching sun's glare. Drinking up every detail she could until she halted at a particular leaf.

The tips of it were shifting in colour and becoming out of sync with the rest of the flock. Summer was coming to a closure and autumn had begun to announce its arrival. It meant that the harvest crops were going to change, her meals would also shift into something more supported by the weather, and that time was passing by her fingertips as Ganon's awakening marched closer.

The thought sent shivers crawling up and down her spine. Her prayers had yielded no progress and fruited nothing but disappointment in her father's gaze. No matter what she did, she felt no power coursing through her veins; no voice in her head; and absolutely nothing other than the freezing chill that stubbornly clung onto her courtesy of the springs' waters.

But what else could she do? She had scoured every theory, practiced every method, spent hours on end standing in icy waters praying to a goddess who turned a deaf ear no matter what she did. There were no longer any cards or tricks she could even fathom to try. All she could do was pray. Pray to a statue who smiled to her in indifference to her pain.

A hand came a few inches to her face during her time staring at space. In the hand was her hard-earned fruit whom she had forgotten in the moment. She directed herself to her knight; his hand tentatively awaiting her response and a miniscule smile that whispered a thousand encouragements, more than anyone had ever given her. Her heart forgot its normal tempo.

Zelda exhaled; all of her frustration, stress, anxiety, fear, and self-deprecation in one swift breath. The other breath was her gratitude towards her companion and a smile, soft and private touched her lips as she brushed her hand against his and retrieve her appointed snack.

In this moment, there were only the two of them. No darkness sealing sword, no endless search of power, no weight forced upon their shoulders. In this moment, it was just her and her friend. In this moment, she could sit under the shade and enjoy the fruit she had rightfully earned and just breathe. In that moment, she took a bite.

It tasted sweet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, so... this took an unexpected turn. I actually started this about a few weeks ago and after that I only continued it about a few days ago so it's probably confusing bc I forgot what I planned to go with this. So if you're confused it's alright! Bc I too am lol. But I posted it still bc after rereading it I think it would still make sense? So here it is.

Btw, this is my first LoZ fanfic so I hope this went well with you all. Cheers!

[themanicnami]

Willow’s Pop Culture Spell Masterlist

A long organized list of all of my pop culture spells organized. 

Updated as of: 4/9/2020

Digimon:

🌟 “88 Call” Friendship Spell (Funbeemon Inspired) to strengthen the connection between your friends

🌟 Lilithmon’s Wicked Beauty Glamour Spell (Digimon Inspired) to appear dark, captivating and mysterious

🌟 Kudamon’s “Cool Under Fire” Spell (Digimon Inspired) to remain calm during trying and stressful times

🌟 Kyukimon’s Winds of Offense Protection Spell (Digimon Inspired) air spell that is both defensive and offensive to keep supernatural forces at bay

🌟 “Ocean Love” Binding Spell (Marin Angemon Inspired) to remove hostility from another individual or group

🌟 “Sunshine Beam” Enchantment Spell (Sunflowmon Inspired) to enchant an object with the energy of the sun

🌟 “Swipe Steal” Hex (Fangmon Inspired) to cause a target to misplace and lose things

Disney:

🌟 “Almost There” Career Success Spell (Disney Inspired) A spell to bring success and advancement in your job

🌟 Aurora’s Love Dream Divination Spell (Disney Inspired) A spell to help one dream of future romantic partners

🌟 “Honor to Us All” Honor Spell (Disney Inspired) a spell to have your peers show you respect 

🌟 “Kiss the Girl” Glamour Spell (Disney Inspired) to encourage a consenting person to kiss you

🌟 Voice Theft Curse (Disney Inspired) a spell to stop hateful words and send the negativity back to the person

Legend of Zelda:

🌟 “Din’s Fire” Toxic Person Banishing Spell (Legend of Zelda Inspired) a spell to cut ties from toxic and draining people

🌟 “Nayru’s Love” Parasite Warding Spell (Legend of Zelda Inspired) a spell to deter and ward against emotional leeches and leeching spirits

Neopets:

🌟 Grey Paint Brush Hex (Neopets Inspired) a small hex to give someone a bad day

🌟 Psellia’s Winds of Protection Warding Spell (Neopets Inspired) air spell to create a safe and protected space for magic and rituals

🌟 Sasha’s Emotional Strength Spell (Neopets Inspired) to help one endure brutal emotional trials and times

🌟Shadow Usul’s Night Invisibility Glamour Sachet (Neopet’s Inspired) glamour to help one go unseen and unnoticed at night time

🌟 Taelia’s Winter Cleansing Spell (Neopets Inspired) a spell to cleanse oneself during winter time

🌟 Vira’s Toxic Kiss Curse (Neopet’s Inspired) a curse to cast onto cheaters and adulterers 

Ni No Kuni:

🌟 Give Heart (Ni No Kuni Inspired) to bring a friend joy and uplift them

Pathfinder:

🌟 Blood Money (Pathfinder Inspired) spell to bring financial gain

🌟 Blur (Pathfinder Inspired) to go unnoticed by others

🌟 Enshroud Thoughts (Pathfinder Inspired) protects oneself from divination and scrying eavesdropping of others

🌟 Invisibility (Pathfinder Inspired) spell to go unnoticed and travel unseen

🌟 Itching Curse (Pathfinder Inspired) cause a person to feel the discomfort they have caused you

🌟 Nightmare Curse (Pathfinder Inspired) cause a person to suffer nightmares

🌟 Shield of Wings (Pathfinder Inspired) to guard against negative words and comments

🌟 Tears to Wine (Pathfinder Inspired) turn one’s sadness into happiness

Pokemon:

🌟 Aroma Veil (Pokemon Inspired) A spell to protect user from negative people and attract the attention of positive people

🌟 Aromatic Mist (Pokemon Inspired) to bring protection to a loved one

🌟 Aqua Ring (Pokemon Inspired) A bath spell to bring emotional healing and emotional serenity

🌟 Bubble (Pokemon Inspired) A spell to send your wishes out into the universe to seek for them to be answered and granted

🌟 Chandelure’s Hypnotic Flame Curse (Pokemon Inspired) to make another’s life go dull and for them to lose enjoyment in things

🌟 Charm (Pokemon Inspired) A spell to improve your charms and flirting

🌟 Cosmic Power (Pokemon Inspired) Cosmic spell to prepare you for divination and/or astral projection

🌟 Dazzling (Pokemon Inspired) to dazzle and stun someone trying to bring negativity to you and redirect it back

🌟 Endure (Pokemon Inspired) to give you emotional strength

🌟 Fairy Aura (Pokemon Inspired) to bring your inner beauty out to the surface

🌟 Flower Shield (Pokemon Inspired) to bring a space protection from malice and negative forces

🌟 Future Sight (Pokemon Inspired) improve psychic clarity while doing divination work   

🌟 Gravity (Pokemon Inspired) a curse to weigh someone down emotionally  

🌟 Heart Stamp (Pokemon Inspired) a spell to strengthen passion between you and a consenting lover

🌟 Heatproof (Pokemon Inspired) to help you remain strong under pressure and stress

🌟 Honey Gatherer (Pokemon Inspired) to encourage others to compliment you

🌟 Leer (Pokemon Inspired) to bind a person who is trying to intimidate you

🌟 Lock-On (Pokemon Inspired)  to make another more vulnerable to your curse

🌟 Lunar Dance (Pokemon Inspired) banish negativity from yourself after a bad day

🌟 Metal Claws (Pokemon Inspired) to protect against baneful magic

🌟 Milk Drink (Pokemon Inspired) promote beauty

🌟 Moonblast (Pokemon Inspired) to make your target more vulnerable emotionally to the mundane and curses

🌟 Morning Sun (Pokemon Inspired) a spell to lift your spirits

🌟 Moxie (Pokemon Inspired) to bring the caster self-confidence

🌟 Musharna’s Vivid Dreams Spell Sachet (Pokemon Inspired) to bring vivid dreams to one’s sleep

🌟 Phantom Force (Pokemon Inspired) a curse to return all of the negative things someone has caused you back at them

🌟 “Powder Snow” Spell Jar (Pokemon Inspired) to remove one’s own romantic feelings for an ex or a toxic lover

🌟 Purugly’s Spell for Intimidation and Protection (Pokemon Inspired) to protect oneself from threats and danger by making oneself appear intimidating and not worth it to approach

🌟 Quilava’s Flames of Intimidation Spell (Pokemon Inspired) to make the user appear more intimidating and ferocious 

🌟 Rest (Pokemon Inspired) bring deep, restful sleep

🌟 Saladit’s Ward Breaking Spell (Pokemon Inspired) to weaken and break wards of others

🌟 Serene Grace (Pokemon Inspired) to boost the effects of a positive spell such as a healing or calming spell

🌟 Shell Armor Warding Spell (Pokemon Inspired)  to ward yourself from curses and baneful magick

🌟 Soundproof (Pokemon Inspired) to keep harmful words and rumors from affecting you

🌟 Sunny Day (Pokemon Inspired) a spell to bring a sunny day

🌟 Sweet Scent (Pokemon Inspired) To attract a new friend

🌟 Zapdos’s Thunderstorm Power Storage Spell (Pokemon Inspired) to cast during a thunderstorm to gain power from it and store it into a rock to use for later

Sailor Moon:

🌟 Deep Submerge (Sailor Neptune Inspired) to submerge another in their own negativity

🌟 Passion of the Rose Spell (Tuxedo Mask Inspired) a spell to increase passion between consenting lovers

🌟 Pink Sugar Heart Spell (Mini Moon Inspired) a spell to promote cuteness and radiance

🌟 Sailor Uranus and Neptune Soulmate Attraction Spell (Sailor Moon Inspired) to help attract one of your soulmates into your life

🌟 World Shaking Curse (Sailor Uranus Inspired) cosmic curse to emotionally shake and shatter someone

Shadowhunters:

🌟 Parabatai Spell (Shadowhunters Inspired) a spell to forge a bond with another consenting person to always be connected

Star Wars:

🌟 “The Force” Energy Work Preparation Spell (Star Wars Inspired) a spell to help prepare for intense energy work

Steven Universe:

🌟 Like a Comet (Steven Universe) to motivate self in achieving and reaching for goals

🌟 Open Your Mind Peridot Spell (Steven Universe Inspired) a spell to open your mind and relieve stubbornness 

🌟 “Strong in the Real Way” (Steven Universe Inspired) spell to bring you emotional strength and courage

Totally Spies:

🌟 Anti-Gravity Propulsion Ring (Totally Spies Inspired) enchant a ring to aid you overcome obstacles and challenges

🌟 Butterfly Barrette Bomb Enchantment (Totally Spies Inspired) a portable, wearable protection ward

🌟 Chameleon Eye Shadow (Totally Spies Inspired) a spell to evade unwanted attention from others

🌟 Cherry Lip Bomb (Totally Spies Inspired) to bring confidence in your voice and to overcome vocal obstacles

🌟 Ice Queen Breath Spray (Totally Spies Inspired) a spell to halt someone’s romantic feelings for you

🌟 Lip Stick Glamour Spell (Totally Spies Inspired) to help make your words ‘stick’ with people

🌟 Red Hot Lozenge (Totally Spies Inspired) makes your words more fiery and intimidating

🌟 Retractable Razor Nail Spell (Totally Spies Inspired) a spell to unbind yourself

🌟 Spiderclaw (Totally Spies Inspired) grab the desire and attention of others

Winx:

🌟 Breath of Spring Offensive Spell (Winx Inspired) to stop and deter a specific target from harming or manipulating another

🌟 Dazzling Spiral Defensive Spell (Winx Inspired) to deflect negative entities who are trying to invade your home or personal dwelling

🌟 Golden Pollen (Winx Inspired) binding to prevent another from doing things to emotionally harm you

🌟 Illuminate (Winx Inspired) A spell to bring light to a situation (done before divination)

🌟 Shield (Winx Inspired) a spell to guard against offensive magic

🌟 Sound Cage Binding Spell (Winx Inspired) A spell to keep someone from being heard 

🌟 Web of Confusion (Winx Inspired) cause confusion to anyone trying to pry into your life after you asked them to stop

W.I.T.C.H.:

🌟 Hay Lin’s Carefree Flyer Dream Spell (W.I.T.C.H. Inspired) a spell to bring on dreams of flying and weightlessness

🌟 Irma’s Fog Calling Spell (W.I.T.C.H. Inspired) a spell to conjure up some fog

🌟 Power of the Heart Self Love Spell (W.I.T.C.H Inspired) a spell to open your heart up for self love

🌟 Taranee’s Fire Divination Spell (W.I.T.C.H. Inspired) A spell to improve and empower fire divination/pyromancy

Yugi-Oh:

🌟 Graceful Charity Spell (Yugi-Oh) to bring good fortune in desperate/hard times

*All are from my digital and physical grimoires, all spells written by me

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