#i almost mistook him for TotK Link

[luimagines]

reader and calamity pissing the chain off with their unending dance around each other’s feelings. bonus points if reader is none the wiser to how he feels due to his conscious effort to remain solemn 24/7. the links have all been there at some point, so they can read him, but reader’s out of the loop.

Sure thing! Sounds fun! XD

Masterlist

Content under cut!

"He's doing it again." Four mutters under his breath.

"Do not tell me. I don't need to see it." Wild grits his teeth, pulling his hood further over his head. It hurts his head and his heart, watching the two of them together. He cannot believe they used to be the same person.

"It's not that bad." Hyrule tilts his head. "Surely they would know that he's interested."

"Oh! Thank you, Cal." You gasp in surprise, quickly rummaging through your bag now that Cal had taken the torch from your grasp. he held it close so the light would still serve its purpose, but now you could use both of your hands to complete your purpose.

"Could he be any more obvious?" Wind groans and rubs his hand down his face. "Can't he just tell them already."

"Don't." Wild pulls the hood further over his head, straining the fabric at the seams.

"Easy, Cub." Twilight chuckles, patting him on the head. "Someone has to say something at some point, right?"

"That's what you think." Warrior snickers, even if he's cringing in his heart. This is painful to watch.

"Ok, thanks for holding that Cal." You take the torch back gently. "Sorry about calling you by your name. I'm still trying to get the new names to stick in my head. I'd call you Link but we both know why that wouldn't work."

The boy in question nods with the faintest smile on his face. You seem to get the idea that he won't take it personally.

You blush and cough, adjusting the strap of your bag over your shoulder.

Hyrule rolls his eyes so far up into his head that they threaten to fall out of it. "Why must we be subjected to this?"

"Just kiss!" Legend shouts in your general direction.

The Hero of the Calamity jolts and sends the coldest glare towards the Hero of Legend. You only seem to flush further and look away form both boys, shuffling into the group and away from Cal in the meantime. Legend for his part, doesn't seem to care less, sending a rude gesture in his direction with his tongue out, pulling down his eyelid in the process.

Time smacks him in the back of his head, nearly sending the young hero to the dirt. "Behave yourself. They're not hurting anyone."

"They're hurting me." Wild whines, wanting to blend into the shadows and ignore reality.

"S-sorry, Wild." You mutter. You also pull your hood over your head. It's easy to hide this way. At least it feels like you're hiding.

Cal comes up beside you, acting like a wall between you and judgmental looks of the other boys. He meets Wild's eyes. He's the only other hero that actually seems to fluster him. They have a lot to talk about and work through, but it's not like they want to talk about their personal lives or their lovers/lack thereof.

You reach down and take his hand. "Thank you."

Warrior blows an obnoxious raspberry and groans loudly. "As much as I hate to say it, I'm agreeing with Legend."

"Ha!"

Wild groans as well. "Legend please!"

[novantinuum]

The Ballad of Aryll: Chapter 7 Preview

I'm not posting the full thing on AO3 yet because everyone is so busy playing TotK right now, (as am I, and I still need to do my final edit pass lol), but I do want to share a preview! Here that is, a scene from the middle of said chapter:

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Beyond the rhythmic beat of hooves against the dirt path and the clanking of weapons on his back, most of this leg of their journey is awash in silence, the two of them content to sightsee and enjoy this idyllic present. Idyllic in the scenic sense, of course. With a slight frown, his glance drops to the young blonde girl sitting in front of him, her shoulders hunched uncomfortably as she attempts to compensate for the subtle back-and-forth of Makk’s swaying gait. Even an amnesiac could recognize the depth of this poor youth’s internal strife. She’s clearly mulling over something.

Sure enough, she speaks up just as they’re passing another one of those strange stone pillars.

“I wish I can see Mother again,” she says, her tone remaining upbeat and conversational despite her body language and the delicate subject matter. “I miss her laugh.”

He offers a soft hum in return to signal that he’s listening, not sure how else to respond. Especially since his hands are busy gripping Makk’s mane. Hmm. He wonders if they’ll find a saddle and bridle kit anywhere, once they reach civilization…

“She has a really good laugh,” she adds, peering up towards the sun as it dips behind a small cloud, “the kind that makes your whole tummy rumble. I haven’t heard it in a while, but… if I think super hard I can still imagine it in my head!”

Another passing silence.

(What can a person say, in response to a child’s pending grief?)

Aryll swivels her head to peer back at him, her eyes glazed with the faintest whispers of resignation when they meet his.

“Are you sure you don’t remember anything about her? Anything at all?”

He shakes his head no, his memory wholly void of such personal details. It feels as if the more he attempts to chase the impression of those lost years, they pull even further away.

“Hmmm…” she muses, pressing a hand to her chin as she contemplates this likely unwanted response. “Then I guess it’s just my job to teach you!”

Link nods his approval, the ends of his lips turning up into something approaching a smile. He’d honestly love that, if for nothing else than to pass the time on their ride.

His sister’s face lights up with glee. “Well… I guess we’ll start with Mother. Mother’s name is Kelra,” she says, her voice becoming more energetic the longer she monologues. “She’s like, really, really tall, the tallest in the family. And her hair is so blonde that it almost looks white when she’s out in the sun! But that’s just because she’s part Sheikah, y’know? ‘Coz the place we’re going? Kakariko? Our grandfather was actually born there! But Grandma Lilree’s not Sheikah, she’s just a Hylian. Sometimes I wish I was full Sheikah, though. Like, did you know that a lot of the Sheikah can do magic? They have a natural sensitivity to…”

The young girl continues to happily babble for the next duration of their trip. Most of it’s about daily life with her grandma and mother, scattered facts about their family tree, or random stories about the places she’s traveled to a century earlier. For instance, Gatepost Town— a sizable settlement that once sprawled at the foot of the Great Plateau— used to host a grand festival around this time of the season: the Festival of the Sages. A celebration famous across the lands for its colorful firework displays, multicultural cuisine, elaborate costumes, and public combat tournaments featuring the best and brightest of all Hyrule. Her parents took the two of them when they were really young, according to her story, and she got lost in the marketplace. Apparently she accidentally mistook another man in royal guard attire for her father, and followed him for three blocks before realizing he was a total stranger.

They make a few more stops along the road that day— once to eat a quick meal and let Makk graze, and three times for one of them to relieve themselves. On the whole, the ride is brisk and peaceful. Not a monster to be seen. Beyond all the brash, territorial bokoblins he had to take care of just off the plateau, they’ve spotted no encampments near the roads so far. He wonders why. Do these nasty creatures— far more acquainted to company than a bokoblin on the Great Plateau would be— make a conscious effort to avoid travelers, or have they simply gotten lucky today? It seems there’s no sure answer. Before long, the sun begins to set behind them. The air grows crisp, a faint shiver riding up the back of his neck.

It’s around then that he begins to smell the scent of slightly burning meat wafting across the breeze.