#i need more zelink content

[chaiichait]

Zelink face rub

I've been avoiding rendering lately.

[veggiecorner]

ehehe writing a zelink fic

[wowowwild]

My totk polycube (more details and revisions below, i'm not remaking the picture, I already id'd it rip)

I also like the idea that Link, Zelda, Mipha, and Urbosa used to have a cube, likely of a different make-up. Big fan of cubes. Also while I don't see Zelda and Sidon being a thing, I could def see Yona and Link being a thing. What kind of thing? *shrugs and gestures vaguely*

Do we want my hcs on their relationships? I already put a read more so it's not like it's hurting anybody... Alright! You've convinced me.

Zelink: By qpr in this case specifically it's like, besties who hold hands, sleep in the same bed, go on dates (usually revolving around one of their special interests, but sometimes just a picnic or trip), and probably kiss sometimes. Hyrule is super excited about their hero and princess being in a relationship, Hyrule doesn't need to know the details. They do have separation anxiety though, especially on Link's end bc Zelda seems to disappear every time they get separated but they're all very understanding about this. Probably could have marked their line as state recognized qpr bc they probably get married for political reasons.

Sidlink: They freak it nasty style but are also big cuddlers and acts of service and quality time type of people. Muzu is the only one outside the cube to clock them for a while and he's a little mad about it, but Yona and Zelda step in to gaslight him so hard so he feels like he can't say anything.

Zelyona: a product of hanging out with sidlink (bc sidlink already knew each other) and realizing 'oh that person is super chill and very nice and also pretty??? Like really pretty??? By the goddess this can't be happening...' but in general an easy relationship, an easy love. They also probably freak it nasty style. I think they do less of the romance stuff (I hc Zelda as aromantic so...)

Sidona: Childhood friends married for political convenience but they were never against it. Like 'omg I get to marry my bestie for the good of the Domain? Pog.' Another easy relationship but whereas I think zelyona would fall, sidona just kind of naturally slipped into love and was content with that.

Yoink (ik that's not their name but I like it): They both just want their partners to be happy and bond well over that. I think they do casual affection in a platonic way but are not against threesomes or foursomes. I guess I could have put them as qpr bbs.

Sidon&Zelda (idk if they even have a name, pls lmk): They are the most platonic out of the group and it takes them a little longer to get comfortable with each other (not that they were UNcomfortable, just that they didn't know each other as well and mostly they were making time for each other to hang out with their partners so they didn't see each other as much until they started going on group dates). Sidon gives Zelda access to historical records and texts and Zelda teaches Sidon about technology that Purah makes. They enjoy making fun of Link together, and on occasion Yona, but let's be honest, Link is nearly feral so there's a lot more to make fun of.

Politics:

Sidon and Yona have to go to all of the political stuff together they way link and zelda do but it's really funny when both pairs are at the same political thing and every other political figure is like side eyeing their group trying to figure out if cheating is happening or what bc why is Sir Link in Prince Sidon's lap and why is Queen Zelda slow dancing with Lady Yona but the four of them just gaslight everyone. The people who know them know, but anyone who's not close just has to sit there guessing. It's kind of an open secret in their circles, and wouldn't be a problem in general if it weren't for the fact that one of them is a king and another a queen so neither of them or their official partners can technically be consorts of each other or in general really.

Sidon can still talk to Link the way he always has bc he's always been a little homoerotic about it (and they literally put up a statue of Link riding Sidon in town square so I think maybe Zora are just LIKE THAT TM) so they all just mimic how he speaks and blame it on the Zora-Hylian cultural exchange. Pretty much everyone in the Rito village knows, though. Tulin might have let it slip, but they super don't care so it's not a problem.

I may eventually write pieces of this idk.

[zelinkcommunity]

LOFTWING LETTERS 2024

DISCORD | TWITTER

What is Loftwing Letters?

A low-pressure Valentines-themed gift exchange! You will create a valentine for someone and receive a valentine from someone else.

You can sign up using this Google Form (closed). Signups will close on January 11 and your match will be sent on January 14. All gifts will be posted on Valentines Day, February 14! (If you have conflicts with the posting date, let an admin know and we can work something out!)

Valentines don’t need to be Zelink-related, but they should be Zelda-related!

This event is mainly being held in our Discord server: please join here! (Though we will accommodate participants who aren’t server members.)

We will also reblog Loftwing Letters content on this blog! Make sure to mention this account (@zelinkcommunity) and tag your valentine with #loftwingletters24 so we can reblog it.

What can I create and receive?

For this event, you can create/receive art, writing, and music. Your match will indicate specifics.

Writing should be 500-1500 words long.

Art should be a doodle/sketch, and coloring is up to the artist.

Music should be one minute or less.

These are loose guidelines; going a little bit over is okay. We want the event to be low-pressure, simple, and fun for everybody, which is why we set these guidelines.

Can I create/receive NSFW content?

Yes, if the gifter/giftee indicates it’s okay. We will try our best to match NSFW-comfortable people with NSFW-comfortable people and vice versa.

We will also be reblogging Loftwing Letters entries. In this case, our regular NSFW rules apply:

We will reblog NSFW content as long as it is properly tagged/censored below the read more line.

NSFW is anything that contains nudity and implications of/explicit sexual content, and extreme violence/gore.

If you��re unsure if your content counts as NSFW, contact our staff team and we can review it. (Generally, if you have to ask, it probably is.)

However, we reserve the right to not reblog NSFW content if we feel uncomfortable doing so.

If I have questions, who can I ask?

If you have questions regarding the person you’re gifting, please contact a mod/admin. We don’t want to ruin the surprise of who is gifting who early, and we are happy to ask any questions on your (anonymous) behalf.

For general questions, please send us an ask here on Tumblr!

[batrogers]

My AO3 Contents Masterpost

So I've been having some frustrations finding old fiction on my AO3, so after cleaning up my That Broken Promise masterpost I thought... I could do one for all my Zelda stuff, right?

Right.

......

This is really long (like, ~100 things) I'm so sorry. ETA: Pending me figuring out if I can get it to let me update this LOLSOB

Fics below are organized into: Long fics General Zelda Short fics PWP Art Other Zelda AUs

See the above That Broken Promise masterpost for my own AU fics.

Some notes on my writing:

I am a multi-shipper, and I write for multiple AUs, multiple games, and sometimes write mutually exclusive pieces to explores different ways the same scenario can go.

Unless things specifically say they're related to each other (and sometimes even when they do) there may be obvious or not-so-obvious contradictions in things like age, gender, body types, race, and relationships. While the broad strokes of world-building are usually the same or similar, and if not specified you can pick your favourite, I do not hold continuity to be the most important feature in what is, at the end of the day, a long-running series of one-shots.

While I will aim to make broad statements on content warnings and rating per fic below, please know that my works will run the gamut from G-rated fluff to E-rated graphic sex, death, and violence. Sometimes all in the same story.

While there is a PWP category, stories that have more plot than sex will be filed elsewhere.

MY LONG FICS:

BLUE GEM EARRINGS, (unfinished) novelization of Ocarina of Time adult era, after answering how does seven years lost make one ready to wield a sword? What if it was seven years lived in another time? Rated M, 38K. Complete up to the end of Water Temple.

THE PRINCE OF HYRULE, a “first Calamity” fic, mostly written pre-TOTK coming out with some minor trailer/game details. MCD/Graphic violence tragedy. Zelda does not know she's Zelda (trans), and Link does not know he's Link (human Zonai.) M-rated, 38K words.

IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH, a standalone Link’s Meet horror fic set in Breath of the Wild. (Temporary) Major Character Death and Graphic violence, and did I mention this was horror? E-rated, 55K words.

A CANDLE IN THE DARKNESS, Ravio’s POV of Link Between Worlds, why he left and how he took care of Link. Graphic violence, and brief references to past dubcon Ravio/Yuga. Rated M, 18K words.

JUST BREATHE, a (very old) novelization of Breath of the Wild, based off my second playthrough of the game. CW for graphic violence, temporary character death and implied/referenced past sexual abuse. Rated M, 148K words.

Related to Just Breathe, are two works:

FIVE THINGS NEVER REMEMBERED, rated M for mature themes, implied non-con, and death aftercare.

TO THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION, rated M for graphic violence and implied MCD: the story of the last four pictures of the memories.

GENERAL ZELDA: (in roughly timeline order)

[Note: some of these are listed elsewhere as That Broken Promise backstory fics, but the ones included here do not require familiarity with the AU to understand.]

MY DAUGHTER WILL NEED A SWORD, pre-Skyward Sword era. Fierce Deity/Hylia, human!Fierce Deity fic. Rated M for sex, graphic violence, and MCD.

WHERE DEMONS HAVE GONE BEFORE, post-Skyward Sword ZeLink, rated M for graphic injury and fade-to-black sex.

RAGE AGAINST THAT DYING LIGHT, post-Ocarina of Time. Implied past GanLink, renewed Civil War. Rated E for war crimes, graphic violence and MCD.

SECOND CHANCES, crackship Wind Waker Ganondorf/Fierce Deity. Rated M for near-drowning, discussion of past trauma, and consensual sex.

THOUGH THERE BE FURY ON THE WAVES, post-Phantom Hourglass/post-Wind Waker fic with CD-i Easter Eggs. Rated E for graphic violence towards a minor, among other things.

IN THE HAND OF FATE, Twilight Princess puppet Zelda fight. Rated E for graphic violence (including mouth trauma) and temporary character death.

FIVE TIMES LINK HURT HIMSELF (AND WHEN HE STOPPED) Four Swords Adventures. Rated M for interpersonal violence and mature themes.

REFLECTIONS OF AN UNFAMILIAR FACE, Hyrule Warriors, Link finds Ravio. Rated T for mature themes, and implied dubcon/noncon.

CIGAR, Hyrule Warriors, Spirit Tracks-as-Toon Link, Link shipping. First kiss fic, rated M for making out and smoking.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDERS, Hyrule Warriors, abusive Lana and Spirit-Tracks-as-Toon Link, Linkshipping. Rated M for abusive relationship dynamics, discussion of dubious consent, and attempted murder.

MINE. Hyrule Warriors Link was given a “gift” by Lana early in the war, to make him more of the Hero everyone expected him to be but now that it’s over he wants things back the way they were. Rated M for discussion of past abuse, flashbacks, and body/gender dysphoria.

KISS ON THE CHEEK, rated M

TWO PATHS DIVERGE, Post-Link to the Past, pre-Oracles, Link finished his adventure and never wanted to hold a sword again. He married, and had children, and then the Gods laid down another blow. Rated T for dark, mature themes.

SUSHI, rated M

A NEW AGE, post-Zelda I/pre-Zelda II. Link discovers the blood curse, and finally reaches out to Zelda for help. Rated M for graphic violence and mature themes.

THE LOST LITTLE BIRD, Age of Calamity sword pull, rewritten to answer why Link didn't have the sword already. Rated T for mature themes and moderate violence.

DESERVED, post-BOTW Link confronts Zelda about things she won’t tell him about his past. Who decides what he deserves to know or not?

WANTS AND NEEDS, post-TOTK. Link loses his arm to complications after rescuing Zelda and has to cope. Rated M for graphic injury and PTSD. Technically incomplete but works for now as standalone.

TAXATION IN HYRULE, Exactly what it says on the tin kind of meta analysis. Rated G.

SHORT FICTION: (in roughly timeline order)

SHE OFFERED A CHOICE (about Farore & the Fierce Deity)

SHEPHERD'S PIE (OoT MaLink)

WAGES OF WAR (Post-OoT Link & the Gerudo)

SCOLD'S BRIDLE (FSA Vio Link)

YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO GET HURT (FSA, Shadow/Vio)

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS (HW Link & Sheik)

WHO HURT YOU (HW Toon Link & Link)

A NEW FRIEND (BOTW Link & Guardian concept art)

BOTTOMLESS SWAMP (BOTW Link & Malice damage)

FLINCH (BOTW Zelda & Link)

WATCHFUL NIGHTS (LU Time & Legend)

GORE SNIPS (Collected M & E rated short violence)

FLUFF DUMP (Collected G-M rated short fiction)

PWP & NON-CON: (in roughly timeline order)

THE DEMON KING, Skyward Sword era Fierce Deity. Demise/Fierce Deity, sensual graphic violence.

ISLE OF SONGS, Link/Ghirahim non-con, Ghirahim discovers what best makes LInk squirm.

A DRINK OF THE FORBIDDEN CUP, Twilight Princess ZeLink, graphic consensual BDSM violence and sex.

ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, Hyrule Warriors. Cia/Link & Lana/Link non-con, restraint and coercion.

SILENT GUARDIANS, Hyrule Warriors. Volga/Link bad idea sex, with a hurt/comfort ending.

DULCE ET DECORUM EST, Hyrule Warriors. Zelda/Link consensual sex

MOUTHFUL OF FLESH, Hyrule Warriors era Yuga gets his hands on Spirit Tracks-as-Toon Link and has some fun. Non-con, gags, paralysis, and blood play.

DEFY AND DEFINE THE DARKNESS, Yuga/Ravio, dubcon turned noncon, torture.

LOCK PICKS, mid-Link Between Worlds. Ravio & Link, and implied dubcon Ravio/Yuga, non-con body modification and chastity play.

TO MAKE MUCH OF TIME, Bozai/Link non-con/graphic violence, implied temporary character death.

WAIT FOR ME TO COME AROUND AGAIN, Calamity/Zelda MCD non-con. BOTW bad ending.

SAW THE GOLD RETURN TO RUST, Zelda/Link & Calamity horrors, non-con/graphic violence and temporary character death. Post-BOTW, pre-TOTK.

MURDER WITH BENEFITS, bad ending post-TOTK, Demon King Ganondorf/Fierce Deity, graphic violence and dubcon sex.

SON OF THE DESERT WINDS, TOTK Ganondorf/Rauru, political dubcon turned noncon with eye scream body horror.

PRIVATE COMFORTS, Serial Numbers Filed Off Link/Link porn. Consensual sex.

ART:

WAGES OF WAR, rated E for violence, post-Ocarina of Time torture

BUT NOT LIKE THIS, rated E, comic of “Rage Against That Dying Light”

LAST NIGHT, rated E for non-con, Yuga/Ravio

OBEDIENCE, rated M for BDSM, Hilda/Ravio

JUST A GAME, rated E for violence, artwork for “Having Fun Yet?” by @triforce-of-mischief

WELCOME HOME, rated E for sex, BOTW GanLink

LINKED UNIVERSE FICS: @linkeduniverse

SHINING EYES, in which Time is possessed and the Chain must get him freed and hope the cure for what ails them isn’t worse than the illness. Rated T for moderate violence.

BREAKING THE FAITH: Time handles being back among the Gerudo, even in someone else’s world, poorly. Rated M for attempted murder and mature themes.

RAVIOLI INTERRUPTED, in which Ravio sends the Chain on to the city so he can have some alone time with his lover. Rated M for sensuality.

THE DOLLMAKER: What kind of person makes the dolls that so often saved Hyrule’s life? What would she be like? Rated M for graphic violence and temporary character death. Leads into a series all its own, ALL THE LITTLE DOLLS.

YOU'RE NOT ALONE, Wind wakes up bleeding and has to ask Hyrule what’s wrong. Rated G, talk of menstruation.

SKIN & GOLD, in which Time must save Legend from Gerudo slavers and try not to lose his composure in the face of Twinrova being... kind? Rated T for mature themes.

BROWSING AMONG THE LILIES, Time returns home and Malon does her best to comfort him. Rated E for consensual sex.

MAKE IT STOP, Ravio comes to see his lover after Warriors writes to tell him he is very unwell. Rated G.

DON'T TOUCH MY BROTHER, In Wild’s era, Hyrule catches someone talking to his brother in an unpleasant way. Rated T for brief violence and sexual harassment.

KNOWING ONLY MAKES IT HARDER, Warriors pushed himself to exhaustion until Sky drugged him to spare him further injury, but he does not take being tricked well at all. Time talks him down. Rated G

THROUGH THE VALLEY, in which the Chain winds up somewhere nearly pitch black where Wild’s Slate says they’re in the Gerudo Desert but they very much are NOT. Rated E for graphic violence and temporary character death.

IN THE DARK, POV swap of Through the Valley into Warriors POV. Rated M for graphic violence and temporary character death.

DO YOU TRUST ME, in which Legend gets pollen in his mouth from a strange plant in a strange, dark realm in Wild’s world and has a bad trip. Rated G. This fic got art from @kikker-oma during Fan Joy July!

CARMELIZE. Twilight never really wondered why Warriors watched him cook before. He honestly barely noticed he did it at all, until suddenly he moved to leave. Rated G.

SEARED AND TURNED, Warriors has a nightmare, but he doesn’t want to bother anyone with the details. Rated T, for graphic nightmare imagery.

UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, Malon writes Time with a question about how her beloved husband, who most definitely cannot get her pregnant, did so anyways. She has her suspicions. Rated M for sensual descriptions in epistolary fic.

TOO MANY QUESTIONS, Wind is curious and Hyrule’s happy to answer his questions, but some things are too specific to brush off as unimportant how he came to that conclusion. Rated M for frank discussion of sex acts.

LINK HEART-EATER. Hyrule got a nickname long before he was in the Chain, and before he ever killed Ganon in fact. It’s the kind that can come back to bite you. Rated E for graphic violence.

THINGS BEST LEFT UNSAID, in which Time, Warriors & Twilight get drunk and complain about politics and home and things some of the others never thought they’d hear. Rated T for mature themes.

LANGUAGE BARRIERS, AND OTHER THINGS. Warriors finally notices something odd about how Twilight’s Zelda speaks of him. Rated G.

MERMAID LAKE, Ravio comes to visit the Chain, and Warriors tells him Legend went off to the lake to blow off steam. Ravio knows exactly what that means. Rated M for sex.

FIRST, YOU MUST FORGIVE YOURSELF, Sky is having a hard time after being kidnapped and tortured, and Time tries to talk him down. Rated M for discussion of sexual violence.

SCOURING LIGHT, rated T

THE UNSPOKEN PAST, rated T

WIND AND RAIN, rated G

HOW DIFFICULT TO SAY, rated M

CLOSET DOORS, rated T

ALL THE HARM I'VE EVER DONE, rated M

ZELDA'S LULLABY, rated E

BAIT & SWITCH, rated T

ZARVASACE'S DARK CHAIN FICS: zarvasace

WRAPPED AROUND MY FINGERS LIKE A PROMISE, Warriors' Shadow loses a fight with Dark Sky, and has an unpleasant time recovering from burst eardrums and blindness. Rated M for graphic threats of violence.

THE TRUTH IS DROWNED, Twilight receives a letter asking for his help finding a missing member of their Shadows, and he's never been good at refusing to help kids... No matter how much Wind and his Shadow would both protest the word. Rated M for mature themes, graphic injury, and torture.

LINKED UNIVERSE x THAT BROKEN PROMISE FICS: @thatbrokenpromise

LARKS STILL BRAVELY SINGING, aka LU Time meets TBP Kokiri and things explode. Rated T for attempted murder.

GOLDEN BROTHERS, aka TBP Kokiri has to gree LU Legend from Gerudo slavers, then reaches out to LU Time for even a chance at revence. Rated T for mature themes.

NEAR MISS, aka Cia tries to fuck with the Chain & the TBP Gang at the same time, and TBP Prince is having none of her shit. Rated T for moderate violence; sequel to "I Know What Will Happen" and prequel to "At What Cost?" by @triforce-of-mischief

WIND GETS "THE TALK," where TBP Far and LU Hyrule discover the boy has questions and they are both very sure he needs to know these answers. Rated M for frank discussion of sexual topics.

RECALLED AU FICS: @recalled11

SEE SKY RUN, Creatures in the sky knock him off his loftwing and keep him down, on unsafe ground that has no mercy for old injuries or new. Rated M for near-death, graphic violence.

IF IT CAN DIE, I CAN KILL IT, Legend hates lightning, and if there’s a monster setting it off he’s going to make it pay for that. Rated T for moderate violence.

MANGLED WILD, Down in the Depths, Wild, Captain, and Sky come across a Frox and Wild forgot just how fast they can move. Rated E for graphic violence and near-death. @l3ominor did a comic of this as well!

SNAKE BITE, Legend comes up from a cave with a dead snake, and nobody’s sure if its poisonous or not. Rated T for near-death.

NOT MY PROBLEM. Legend wanders the Great Plateau, to be anywhere but near the damn gloom hands the others are handling, and finds a cave. He’s not the first of their group in there. Rated G.

KICK THE DOG, rated E

AGELESS SOUL AU FANWORKS: @ageless-soul-au

BE STILL, Wild knows their boyfriend doesn't take injury well. Rated E for graphic violence. (Has art!)

TWO OF SIX, Hyrule, Warriors, and Legend meet the Dollmaker. She’s very happy to see them, even though she’s already got company – but Hyrule is always her favourite guest. Rated M for off-screen temporary character death and coercion.

INTO THE DEEP, The Chain is in their distant past, before First was ever even alive to find answers. Unfortunately, someone else is already there too. Rated M for graphic injury and temporary character death.

[blueskittlesart]

I've seen your previous posts on Hylia and Skyward sword, so I was wondering if you go further into that? and what zelink you might prefer, botw/totk or skyward sword

i assume this is about this comic bc it's the only sksw analysis post of mine that still consistently gets notes lol. the text in that comic is actually taken from my loz analysis document's sksw zelda section! there's a bit more analysis there if you're interested, but tldr i think that sksw zelda is one of the more interesting and more tragic characters in the series. she begins her life on skyloft as a human girl and lives a relatively normal, conflict-free life up until sksw. she's the headmaster's daughter, she's got a good close friend in link, she's well-liked by her peers and community, etc. etc. the zelda we see at the beginning of sksw is a girl who is very sheltered. she's seen very little of the world and has virtually no experience with conflict outside of petty arguments between her peers. but she's also notably self-aware about this. she talks to link about wondering what's beyond skyloft, about this feeling she has that there's something important to her waiting on the surface. she knows that she's missing SOMETHING by living her sheltered life in skyloft, but, well... she's happy there. she's got the perfect life. she's all too willing to ignore that pull she feels towards the surface if it means preserving her life on skyloft with link. she's mostly content to live that happy lie forever.

obviously, she is not allowed to have that happy lie. she gets thrown down to the surface and she is told who she really is. the goddess hylia reborn in human form. she begins to remember pieces of a life that isn't hers, pieces of the person hylia once was. she learns about demise, about the goddess sword, all of it. and she realizes that everything in this world was set up, by hylia, by HER, so that link would be the one to fight demise in the end.

think about that. her childhood best friend, the boy she'd always felt drawn to, the boy she LOVED. now she knows that her whole life was a setup for this conflict. how does she know that their friendship wasn't a lie, too? how can she be sure that the part of her that is hylia, the same part that drew her towards the surface, wasn't ALSO drawing her towards link, making sure that when the time came he'd care for her enough to follow her? zelda spends so much time in sksw running away from link, and i'm almost certain this is why. once she knows she is hylia, she can no longer be certain that she really loves link or that link really loves her. it's equally, or perhaps even MORE likely that that part of her which was working to set everything in motion had been manipulating link her whole life, molding him into the hero that hylia knew she would need to defeat demise. she tries to get link to leave her alone, to go back to skyloft without her, because she understands that if he follows her for long enough he will be hylia's hero whether he wants it or not. she believes that he's only following her because HYLIA has convinced him to, that her only purpose as ZELDA in this story is to lead him like a lamb to slaughter. she believes the only way to save him is to convince him that he doesn't really love her.

but the thing is he DOES love her. it wasn't ever hylia's manipulation that convinced him to follow her to the surface. it was always his own choice. he wanted to save zelda more than anything in the world; ZELDA, not hylia. he was never fighting for the goddess. he was never hylia's hero. it was always for zelda. god maybe i should replay skyward sword

[demiboydemon]

I need more content about SkSw Zelink Training to be knights together!!

[mailrebel]

Ok, I’ll play, but first, I want to pay it forward and say a nice thing about you ☺️ Your comments have always been kind, thoughtful, and supportive. As a relatively new author, I really appreciate that, so thank you. I also appreciate how passionate you are about your own work!

Thanks for the tag!

I’m really curious about:

⚔️ Guess my favorite Zelda game

💞 Guess who my favorite iteration of Zelink is

✨ Tell me which of my works (fic or art) is your favorite! 

Hiii Missy! Thank you for your kind words. It means the world to me to know that my support and passion have such a positive affect on people 😌 And offering it is my absolute pleasure haha 😁

���️ Okay, I know a while back I asked you what your 3 favorite Zelda games were and I'm pretty sure you said BOTW/TOTK as #1. However I kind of think it's cheating for me to say two so I'm going to go the extra mile and try to narrow it down here. So, between the two, I want to say...you probably lean more towards TOTK as your favorite, mostly for the Zelink content? That's my best guess!

💞 Hmm...there's a part of me that thinks you really like OOT Zelink, but I don't think I'd assume that they are your favorite. I want to say that it's probably BOTW/TOTK Zelink, and if I could go a step further, I'd probably say that you like their depiction in TOTK more than BOTW. So, TOTK Zelink final answer! Feel free to let me know how close I was lol.

✨ This is an easy one! My favorite work of yours is "All I Want is You", your TP Zelink hallmark themed story. It was so silly and cheesy but also sweet and heartwarming and pretty much everything it needed to be. It's also the first story of yours that I read so in a lot of ways it's hard for me to separate you from that specific work lol. My favorite moment in that fic is when Zelda is thinking she's about to have this really touching and heartfelt reunion with Link, only for him to give her half a glance and say "Oh, there you are, Hilda. Get to work." 😂 😂😂 That moment honestly lives rent free in my head 🤣

I also really want to shoutout "of recipes and courage" which focused on Link's mother and all the difficult emotions she faced having to raise a son who was destined for so much more than she could protect him from. I feel like that one was very personal for you and it shone through in your work. Beautiful stuff, honestly :)

Thank you for the asks, Missy, and for always being such a sweetheart. It is a joy being your mutual! 🙏❤️

[bahbahhh]

begin again

a lot of change happens in between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. let’s fill in the gaps. zelda pov | zelink | totk spoilers | rated T zelinkweek2023 | @zelinkcommunity [first] [last]

Read on Ao3

Two chapters left. There will be a little break in posting for now. I’m on vacation and will start working on the next chapter when I’m back. There is loads of great content over on @zelinkcommunity if you are eager for more. Thank you for all your comments, likes, and reboots. Seriously. I love interacting with members of this fandom. It seriously makes my creativity explode.

Chapter 5

for prompt “by a thread”

“Is that a golden horse?”

The road from Kakariko to Gerudo Town is long. Link refuses to push his horses unless he absolutely needs to and the golden horse she’s riding, that she has yet to name since the Sheikah gifted it to her when they left Kakariko almost a week ago, isn’t technically his, but it follows him like it is. So, when he turned north in the shadow of the Great Plateau instead of continuing southwest, it followed him happily in the direction of the Outskirt Stable, despite her pulling back on the reins and muttering commands under her breath.

“It would appear so,” Zelda answers, trying to adjust her gear casually so it covers the violet and gold saddle. Impa insisted Zelda take the Royal gear, along with the golden horse, for “luck”. Zelda wanted to protest, but stopped short when she caught Impa’s eyes. This was all her former guardian could offer her now. The last of her protections, presented under a gentler veil: gifts.

“Would have thought you’d be riding the white stallion, Princess. What did you end up calling him, Link?” The old stable hand asks.

“Storm.” Link drops a handful of rupees onto the counter.

“Strong name.” The old man tugs off his hat and bows his head. “My name’s Toffa, by the way. My grandfather was head groom for the Royal family a century ago, Princess. His name was Talon.”

Zelda presses her lips together. This isn’t the first time this has happened. Grandfathers, grandmothers, great aunts – only two generations separate these Hylians from her time. While she is an enigma, the people who filled her castle, who tended to her horses, who made her bed—all the people who died instantly when the Calamity emerged, evaporating every living thing inside the castle’s walls, are still remembered distantly by those who survived them.

And the only way Zelda feels like she can truly honor them is by knowing them.

But Talon, like the rest of the names she’s heard in the details people toss at her, like coins in a wishing well, doesn’t pull a single memory forward. In their reverence of her sacrifice, people have forgotten how devastatingly isolated she was for most of her childhood.

Her father never allowed her to enter the stables.

“Toffa helped me find Storm,” Link says, breaking the tension. He eases it further by helping Zelda off the horse.

“Beautiful horse. As is this one!” Toffa takes the horse's reins from Link. “Probably once every hundred years you’ll see a horse like this,” he chuckles. “Seems like you are made for each other, Princess.”

“Hm, thank you.” Zelda pulls her hood over her head and turns away from the inn where there is a small crowd forming inside. She tells herself it's because of the horse with the golden coat, but when she sits in front of the cooking pot, and sneaks a glance back at the stable, they all stare at her.

“What’s its name?”

A child, no older than eight, is suddenly seated beside her. She’s got dirt on her face, blonde hair in two short plaits, and she’s missing her front teeth. It sounds like there is a whistle at the end of every word. Zelda immediately smiles.

“You know, I haven’t named him yet,” Zelda says.

“How come?”

Because I’m avoiding anything that communicates ownership. “We are…still getting to know one another, I suppose.”

“How do you get to know a horse?” Another child appears out of thin air, a little boy with sandy hair and freckles, and drops into Zelda’s lap. The little girl, who is probably his sibling, scoots so close to Zelda that their legs touch. The sudden lack of personal space is alarming for someone who is used to her title forcing a wide berth, and yet, she knows this to be common with young children. Distance has to be taught.

“That’s a really good question. What do you think?”

“Sing him songs?” The little girl says.

“Pet his nose,” says the little boy.

“Feed him!” A third kid, who is wrapped around Link’s ankle so Link has to use his entire body to take the last step into their camp, rolls away from Link and sits cross-legged in front of her. Link quickly busies himself with unpacking their food. He might be smirking, but his face is just shadowed enough, she can’t be sure.

“Those are some really great suggestions. What do you suppose a golden horse would like to eat?”

“All horses like carrots.”

“Very true.”

“I bet this one would like carrots with honey,” says the first girl.

“Perhaps, that sounds yummy to me.” Zelda nods.

“Can we feed him?” The little boy in her lap clasps his hands together and shakes them in her face.

“Of course. I bet he’ll love that.”

“Do you want a honey carrot, too?” the little boy in front of her asks.

“Me?” Zelda blinks.

“You said it sounds yummy. Do you want one, too? Mr. Link travels all over Hyrule. If you are an adventurer like him, you should probably eat now while you have the chance. Mr. Link always eats like he’ll never see food again.”

Link stands up straight and flashes the kid a look. All three of the children giggle.

Zelda eyes the stable in her peripheral. The crowd is still there. “Do…do you know who I am?”

“A lady!” The boy at her feet shouts the answer with urgency.

“A pretty lady,” says the boy in her lap.

“With a cool horse for adventures?” adds the little girl next to her. No titles, not even her name. They have no idea who she is. Zelda could cry.

“I’d love some carrots, but only if you have some with me.” All three of the kids burst forward, scrambling over each other back to the stable to retrieve the ingredients. She doubts they will have the honey, but a roasted carrot does sound nice.

Link drops a honeycomb on her lap. He settles down across from her and continues to sort through their gear. His back is to the Great Plateau. He didn’t look up at it once as they rode by. If she squints, she can just make out the tip of the mountain the Shrine of Resurrection waits inside. To the left, the Sheikah Tower is dark against the sun. The blue energy seems dimmer than she remembers, only shining halfway up the tower, like the blue is slowly draining down into the base.

“You're good with them,” Link says. Zelda snaps her attention back to him and laughs nervously, trying to scatter her vision points like she is surveying and not gawking at the Great Plateau. He doesn’t need any added pressure from her.

Clearing the shrines remains his task to complete once the Divine Beasts are buried. Purah took the Slate back with her to Hateno for now, but it will be in his hands soon enough. She and Robbie are to stop in Zora’s Domain on the way to update the Zora about the delay in the shrine clearing and the plan to move forward with the Divine Beasts. A messenger, a tall white Rito wearing goggles Robbie repeatedly admired named Penn, appeared shortly after the rain stopped and agreed to take the same message back to Rito Village. Link volunteered to make the journey to Gerudo Town. Zelda asked to join him and the Sheikah surprisingly didn’t object. They just gave her a ridiculously flashy horse.

‘First time I was here, they stayed in the stable the entire time,’ Link continues.

“Well, you didn’t have a golden horse.”

‘True. But you also speak to them differently than I do.”

“What do you mean?”

He slowly rolls his fists, thinking. ‘You get them to listen. Really listen. You speak to them like a mother does. That could come in handy, right?’ he signs and then sets to building the fire up enough to cook. Zelda pulls out her water, but by the time she sets the jug to her lips, her mind is already spinning. Does he think she acts like a mother? Is he also imagining that for her? During their early travels, before the Summit, Impa and the Zora individually mentioned the importance of an heir should someone assume the throne. She blatantly ignored the comments at the time, tucking them away with all the other Royal duties she was in no hurry to resume, but Link was there, as always, listening.

Was he trying to imply this could be her purpose? Speaking clearer than what was done for her, to the next little Princess in line to inherit this fate? Even worse, was he trying to shake her loose from his side? The Master Sword is gone. He hasn’t worn his Champion blues since defeating Calamity Ganon. He’s known more for his aid than his failure now. All that is left from his past is…

His face had been unreadable when she asked to join him. Not enthusiastic, no hint of the same person who had written all those wonderful letters—flat.

Like she is unanticipated, but manageable cargo. A golden horse.

—

Kara Kara Bazaar buzzes to life with activity around dusk. There is a nice breeze off the oasis and the air is cool enough that people start to drift away from the safety of the shade. All the merchants also heavily discount the food at risk of spoiling overnight in an effort to make a final sale. Zelda has never seen Link so giddy. He grins at her over his arms, both full of freshly roasted meat, goat butter, six roasted bass, and an entire hydromelon. It’s enough to feed a family and yet when a small group of researchers asks to join their camp, he sulks, and turns back to the merchants for more.

The group calls themselves “the East Gerudo Desert Survey team”, formally, “the West Gerudo Desert Survey team”, and soon to be “the North Gerudo Desert Survey team” once they learn all they can about the Seven Heroines. They are led by an exceptionally muscular and enthusiastic Hylian named Tauro, who tells Zelda he started off exploring ruins on his own.

“I met Gagaim and Grunyon in the Shadow Hamlet Ruins in Eldin and then we rescued Wordsworth from the Forgotten Temple in Tanagar Canyon. Zazul joined after we explored the Ancient Columns in the Rayne Highlands. As you can see, we’ve gathered a few more along the way, mostly in Faron.” He gestures to the rest of his crew. They don’t try to bow to her or avoid her gaze. Formalities and forms fade away the longer you stay on the road. She remembers this well. Fondly.

Link returns and hands Zelda a skewer of steaming meat with a thick slice of hydromelon. Zelda accepts it and immediately sets it aside to continue speaking to Tauro. “You’ve researched the Zonai Ruins?”

“Oh yes, multiple times. It’s a fascinating site. I make a new discovery every time we go.”

Link lingers in front of them long enough to tug her gaze back to him. He’s looking between the plate of food she set down and Tauro. What was it Robbie used to say one hundred years ago? The way to a man’s research is through his stomach, right? She wants to keep him talking, keep them from packing up, and taking their data with them. Zelda retrieves her plate and hands it to Tauro. “Here, have mine. You must be hungry.”

“Thank you! This looks delicious. Yes, we hardly stopped for lunch. I could probably eat ten plates!” He tears into the meat with his teeth and groans. “So good.”

Link moves away finally. Probably satisfied that the food is being eaten. Tauro continues, “I started logging all the ancient Zonai artifacts several years ago. A bit of a passion project. They aren’t just in Faron. You can find them all over Hyrule.”

“Really? That’s fascinating. May I see?”

“Of course, Princess! Here, do you mind?” Tauro gestures to the spot next to her. Zelda nods enthusiastically and he slides next to her and pulls out a green notebook he keeps buckled to his belt like a dagger. He flips it open and hands it to her. The pages are filled with rough sketches of Zonai Ruins, impressions of carvings, and endless notes deciphering the contents.

“This is remarkable,” Zelda says.

“I had heard you were a bit of a researcher yourself, Princess. This is an honor.”

The fire that has been slowly dying inside her with every shrine that blinks off the Sheikah Slate map suddenly ignites. “Uh, well, yes. I mean, it was never officially sanctioned by my father, but I did study Sheikah Technology and Hyrulean wildlife.”

“You do not need authorization if you have the heart of an explorer! No one officially approved my travels and yet, I have had many! Though, it can be quite dangerous work. We ran into a molduga the other day in the West Barrens. And a few of us recently fella ill; too much time in some of the ruins that go underground. Bad air, contaminated water, dark magic.”

“I’ve been told there are lots of old places in Hyrule people should avoid.” Zelda glances over at Link. He is hastily handing out plates of food, but he catches her eye. It feels natural to want to pull him into the conversation, but then she reminders the Sword is gone and people are reaching for him. This is an opportunity to get someone to reach for her. Link’s literally handed it to her on a plate. She turns her attention back to Tauro and commits to staying there.

“Sure. Loads of them. But what’s the fun in that? To my knowledge, no one else in Hyrule boasts an expertise in Zonai linguistics like me. You think this happened playing it safe? Ha!”

Zelda smiles. “I suppose that is true. Researching requires courage in my forms.”

“Precisely! You get it! We dare to push the boundaries of what is known and go wherever in Hyrule that takes us. You should join us in an exhibition, sometime. You defeated a demon, Princess. Nothing hiding in a cave could stop you.”

Warmth glows in her ears. She smiles and flips a few more pages. There is a full page sketch of a statue resembling an owl. Two giant eyes stare through her. Underneath it, the sentence ‘Zonai deity for wisdom?’ is scribbled.

It always manages to find her.

She sighs and closes the book. “Where will you go next once you see all the ruins in the Gerudo Desert?”

“I was thinking maybe the Thyphlo Ruins.”

Link appears before them, makes a short sound through his nose, a lot like a horse, and hands Tauro another skewer. Tauro takes it and tilts his head.

“I take it that means you’ve been?”

Link nods.

“R-really? I have reason to believe they are connected to the Zonai Ruins in Faron!” What are they like?”

Link drops down beside Zelda with two plates of food. He sets one in her lap, ignoring Tauro completely until Zelda picks it up. He’s unusually close. There is a strange edge to him; she feels it along the long line of his thigh against hers. Like she's thumbing the edge of a blade. It sends a shiver through her body when he looks through his bangs across her at Tauro and signs a single word:

‘Dark.’

—

Zelda liked Riju when they met over a year ago at the Summit. Now, on her second week inside the walls of Gerudo Town, as she sits on the edge of Riju’s bed with a pink sand seal stuffed animal across her lap, and watches the Chief of the Gerudo jump back and forth across her bed giving her best impersonation of a lizalfos, Zelda decides she might just love her as much as she loved Urbosa.

The late Chief has been with Zelda from the moment she stepped into Gerudo Town. Zelda hears her deep laughter echoing in the alleyways, sees flashes of her beauty in the ceramics and gems embedded into sandstone walls, and feels her love in the warmth of her welcoming people. They permit Link to enter the village and immediately confiscate his sirwal and veil. He’s allowed to wear the corresponding voe set to help with the heat during their stay, but they tell him that it would be staying with the Gerudo when he leaves as well.

He’s training with Teake now. He’s cooled off since the awkward encounter with Tauro in the Bazaar, and although he seemed genuinely disappointed to lose both of his Gerudo sets, any gloom lingering over him disappeared when he was invited to barracks to train.

Zelda remembers it was one of the first things Urbosa would do when she met them anywhere a century ago.

Test your strength, Hero? If you’re going to be protecting my little bird, you had better be prepared.

Zelda has tears in her eyes when Riju finally stops hopping and collapses onto her stomach. The tears don’t stop when the laughter dies off. Vah Naboris will disappear into the endless sandsea in the morning and it’s like they are finally burying Urbosa’s body, too. Daruk is already resting. Revali and Mipha may already be gone, too.

Zelda pressing her fists against her eyes so hard it hurts. She feels Riju move beside her. There is a warm hand on her shoulder. For a second it almost feels like—

“I miss her so much,” Zelda whimpers.

“I was told how close the Hylian Queen and Lady Urbosa were. And when the Queen passed, Lady Urbosa vowed you would always know a mother’s love,” Riju says softly.

Zelda pulls her fists away from her eyes and wraps her arms around herself to contain the sob that threatens to shake her entire body. She sees the way Link held his hands when he told her about the Champion’s gifts. Zelda chokes and sputters out the words, paraphrasing him for the second time in a week. “I-I have to let her go. All of them.”

Voices carry up from the barracks through the open windows into the adobe. There is a mighty clash of metal and a lively and familiar call that means Link is engaged in a sparring match. Without the Master Sword, without the Sheikah Slate on his hip.

She has a vision of the Great Plateau Tower completely drained of its power and a map of Hyrule without any shrine left to clear. Link crosses Hyrule Field without passing a single guardian shell, no longer haunted by the glowing eyes that hunted him a century ago. Nothing mechanical and towering looms over the towns and cities and villages that survived Calamity's corruption.

It’s beautiful and necessary and yet, all Zelda feels is grief.

“It’s hard to explain, but a hundred years doesn’t feel like enough time. It passed through me differently than the rest of you…in some ways, I felt every agonizing second of time, and in others, with this, it only feels like it’s been a year. One year since I lost them.”

“Princess,” Riju gently takes Zelda’s hands and pulls them away from the crushing hold she has on her body. “Just because you let them go, does not mean all that love goes away with them. You can still carry it with you. In fact, I hope you do. Grief is a reminder of connectedness; of the endurance of true love. It means Lady Urbosa kept her promise to your mother.”

Link kept his promise, too. Fulfilled his oath. It would be unfair to hold him to words they never had the chance to speak out loud. Who knows, given her track record recently, it could have all been a gross misinterpretation on her part. The pull of duty and devotion feels a lot like the inescapable gravity of love. He’s changed now, and in many ways, for the better. And with the Master Sword gone, his burden will be eased moving forward. He is as free as the Wild that saved him.

As long as she can let him go.

“You’re right.” Zelda wipes her face quickly and nods a half dozen times. “Okay, yes. Thank you, Riju. Urbosa would be so proud to know you are protecting her people.”

“I don’t know about protecting just yet. Whether Urbosa’s Fury remains within me or not once Vah Naboris is gone, my official training begins tomorrow. And I plan to, well, I guess why not just- well- hold on.” Riju scrambles off the side of her bed in a careful pattern so as not to disturb her collection of stuffed seals. She disappears into a side room and then emerges a second later with a pair of scimitars.

“Buliara had these made for me. They are an exact replica of Lady Urbosa’s. The original sword was given to–”

“Link. Yes, I’ve seen it,” Zelda says, taking one of the scimitars from Riki’s outstretched hand. He keeps all the Champion’s weapons mounted in his house in Hateno. The memory of the first time she noticed it punches her square in the chest.

How is she supposed to stop loving him? He’s here, thank the Goddess, he’s still here, but that means there is no closure. She can’t bury this love. Maybe she can channel it, take this pain and pour it into something new? Tauro did invite her to join an exhibition. Maybe he will let her join his crew or she can follow in his footsteps and set off on her own to rediscover Hyrule. If she must remain alone in the past, the least she can do is learn from it.

“You should cut your hair,” Riju says.

“W-what?”

“Vah Naboris’ time is ending. My training begins. I will be focusing all my energy, all my time on becoming a fierce warrior for my people. I can’t do that with all this unnecessary weight .” Riju flips the massive braid of thick copper hair over shoulder. “It’s time to shed what we do not need. Start fresh. Be lighter. You should do it with me!”

“What–now? With this?”

“It is the sharpest blade in Gerudo Town.”

Zelda glances between Riju and scimitar. The emerald laid into the gold of the folded guard is the exact shade Urbosa’s eyes were. In the candlelight, they flash. Wink.

Zelda takes a breath, gathers her hair up away from her face in one hand, and swipes the blade with the other in a sweeping, cathartic, and incredibly impulsive arch.

The length of her hair drops down next to her. Instantly, Zelda can draw breath deeper. The release of weight she hadn’t even known she was carrying makes room for laughter. Deep and rich and exactly like her Geurdo mother’s.

Riju squeals and kicks her feet out in front of her. “Amazing! Amazing! Okay, me next, me next!”

—

Riju’s scimitars are sharp, but they are not well suited for hair cutting. And although Riju told Buliara of her intentions to chop off her hair, a spontaneous, uneven cut with a sword is not what her personal bodyguard and guardian regent of the Gerudo tribe had in mind. Thankfully, all of the warriors have secondary skills, and surprisingly, captain Teake happens to be proficient with scissors.

Zelda turns her head back and forth, testing the feeling of hair just brushing her shoulders. Teake had to take more off to correct Zelda’s lopsided cut. Riju had been more thoughtful, using her braid as a guide.

“What do you think?” Zelda asks Link suddenly. Since the cut, she’s felt a little bolder. Courageous.

He gives her a thumbs up.

“Your hair's getting long. Do you want Teake to trim it?”

He shakes his head, pulls the thin blue headband from his wrist and wiggles it between his fingers. He gathers his hair back into a messy knot and nods.

“Yes, I suppose it’s rather convenient to still be able to do that. Hm.” She attempts to do the same, testing the new length in her hands. Thick pieces of blonde immediately fall around her face.

‘You’ll figure it out. It looks good short,’ he signs. His cheeks glow pink faintly. She tucks the hair behind her ears a few times to soothe the longing in her chest. She’s grown wise enough to know it's just the sun.

“Excuse me?” A Gerudo child tugs on the seam of Zelda’s sirwal. Zelda crouches down so they are eye level. The girl has eyes like amber stones.

“Yes?”

“Are you the same princess we met before? The one from the castle?”

Zelda hesitates, the opportunity to recreate herself, even temporarily, dangles like a carrot dripping with honey. “I am.”

“You look different. I like it.” The girl eagerly hugs Zelda around the neck and then takes off in the direction of the market.

“Children like you, yes?” Riju sets her hands on her hips.

Zelda stands and fixes her hair again. She thinks about the stable children and smiles. “I suppose they do.”

“You should teach. It’s a gift not many are blessed with,” Riju says.

Something clicks into place in her head. She looks at Link, whom she saddled with assumptions a week prior over a similar comment. Thinking the worst of it and him since.

He’s smiling. It’s almost painful how handsome he is when he looks so casually sure of himself.

The resolve to release him hangs by a thread.

‘See?’ he signs.

[triforce-of-mischief]

You cannot physically stop people from shipping in the LU fandom. As long as it's properly tagged so it can be avoided it's fine

You’re right, I can’t. And I don’t want to. I enjoy my Zelink, Malink, and Midlink (and many more) and I love to see our boys explore romantic relationships with their princesses, sidekicks, and npcs. And I always tag everything so people can avoid ships if they’re not comfortable with them.

But I’m guessing that’s not what you’re talking about.

You want to make a fuss about how I’ve made my thoughts clear about Linkshipping, in and out of LU.

So here’s the deal, once and for all: Non-LU Linkshipping is not bad. In fact, I support it! I’ve been reading @ageless-soul-au and I LOVE the dynamic between their main ship. The creator of @linked-maze is also open to Linkshipping, and has drawn ship art of their characters. 

Too often, people forget that LU is one comic drawn by one person. It’s not the only Links-meet AU and it doesn’t control the rules for every other fandom. Nothing is stopping you from creating content for a different Links-meet AU (that allows Linkshipping), or making your own. You can ship as many Links as you want, and nobody can tell you you’re not allowed to.

The difference with LU is that the one person, who draws one comic, that happened to create one fandom, requested that you respect her wishes to not use her characters for Linkshipping. That’s right: Jojo is not Nintendo. She doesn’t own all Links, but you don’t own her Links. There’s an infinite amount of Links out there for you to ship together, from established AUs to your own. What’s so special about LU that you NEED to be inconsiderate and ship her Links when you can ship somebody else’s (including your own)?

Everybody in the LU fandom is aware of the single rule that Jojo has asked us to follow with her characters. And we like it that way! Shipping discourse is almost nonexistent and it’s a safe place for people on the aroace spectrum who just want their found family content.

But if you come to the LU fandom with the sole purpose of disrespecting everyone just to give yourself a sense of power over somebody else’s creation, I don’t know what to tell you. I hope you reconsider your choice to slap the LU label on your Linkshipping content. I hope you realize how rude it is to everyone when you actively try to mess up the fandom experience for hundreds of people when you could simply avoid LU altogether and let everyone enjoy the content they came here for.

At this point, the only people starting discourse are the wannabe LU-Linkshippers themselves. The majority of the fandom is comfortable with Linkshipping AUs separate from LU, and there’s no need for us to harass non-LU Linkshippers for doing what they want while respecting Jojo and the LU fandom. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill, and for some reason you’re dead set on making it our problem too.

This isn’t what I want to be known for. I just want to be a fic writer who loves to angst Legend. I’m not going to involve myself in discourse and I’m telling you right now that if you try to bring it to my ask box, it’s over before it started. Go check out some other AUs and turn off anon if you absolutely have to continue this discussion in a civil manner.

Thank you for understanding.

[scasuallypursuits]

#3: Surprised Link

One of my better work for ZeLink. I experimented with more saturated colors than usual with some desaturated on others for some nice contrast.

Below this art are some of the stages I went through.

I was browsing youtube when I saw this thumbnail. A vision flashed through my mind the moment I saw it. So I immediately went to work with it.

Noticed how there is more line weight on the hands. I was very careful about, took a good amount of time and in return nobody noticed it. Until I pointed it now, of course. It's the same reason why you can't see LInk hands behind Zelda cuz I was conscious about it. Now in hind sight, adding the hand might had added a more feeling of surprised and embarrassment.

Adding the brown hand as Ganon's would had also been funny as well.

Here is the line art. You'll see a some text faded in. Those are my notes.I tend do my art stuff in small intervals cuz I have other shit to do so often I have a layer called notes to remind future me on what to do and what other cool ideas to think of. It's been helpful and sometimes, I kinda like how it looks. Like it reminds me I'm some kinda of scientist peering through human anatomy, it's fault and how to improve it.

The in between rendering. Here you can see that Link is finished but not Zelda. I start with the slightly desaturated flat colors first then make a simple gradation based on lighting. Even with just the gradation only, it gives so much more 3D look of it. Since I started with some desaturation, when I do a more saturared color shapes, it pops out more. At least in theory.

Also added that red line. Like in those manga to convey motion and stuff. I like it. It's quite neat-o.

Here is the finished product you saw at top. My way of picking gradient background it usually just picking they're 2 most dominant color.

I then needed something to contrast the heads better since I want the focal point to be there stronger, I added a neutral color to it as contrast. Great at adding some marks there as well. That's why I added my signature and I had some fun and made a korok and a hearth looking stickers. Took like 20 minutes top. Though I do feel like the korok could be cuter.

Here all the of them at them side by side.

Last of my better looking art. Hopefully by next week, I'm done cooking something up. I'm also doing an secret santa art gift so my time are quite split between. I draw slow, so that's why I only add stuff here weekly cuz I'll run out of content here fast.

[raysdrawlings]

Hi! I look forward to reading your Zelink comic as soon as it comes out! Are you planning to do any more in the future?

Thanks so much, glad you enjoy it!! <3 I'm definitely thinking about it!

I've got like- 5 short comic ideas in my notes app (keeps expanding everyday)- and one I could turn into a longer series IF I wanted to, but- It definitely wouldn't be at the speed of this one- at least not for a few months. This comic was an experiment for me to see if I could write and draw an 100 page comic- and I have! Woo! I wouldn't suggest doing it in a month's time like I did, I just have time constraints because of the other work I have, and I need to finish that now before I can start making long form content again (Likely end of August) - but that doesn't mean I can't make one-off comics in spare time!

If anything, this comic series has taught me to be WAY faster in how I make comics, and way less polished- so who knows, I could be making more comics sooner than later- but I need to finish work for my deadlines first.

Cuz this was really great, and I learned a lot, but I basically spent a month worth of work on this series without pay (Because I wanted to, to be clear!!)- and while I'm hoping that that will eventually even out with sales of the physical/digital book, that also wasn't my goal when making the book either- so I'm happy no matter what. The only thing sales will show me is if this (Making comic content online) can be something I can actually reasonably do financially- Something I could invest more time into.

Uhhhh sorry this was a long way of saying:

Yes! I will definitely be making more in the future! I won't be able to post like I currently am now for a bit, while I fulfil my current contracts, but I still have ideas I want to draw, just short form. I might be able to focus more on making this more a part of my career in the future, but that all depends on financials!

Thanks for the question, sorry for the loftwinged response!

[amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet]

Amelia's Zelda Calamity Quintet Resource List

Hi there, I'm Amelia (she/they). You may also know me as Hart or Echo (my old handle was echosound). This is a master post of links for my works as well as all the tags I use on this blog. This post will be pinned on the blog and I will update it as needed so check back if there's something new.

You can find my profiles here: AO3 - Wattpad

Expanding Hyrule Community Discord (16+)

Quick FAQs

Is this a main blog? This is a side blog, my main is @amelias-hart. To keep this blog mostly to fic updates and as a reference tool, I reblog LoZ stuff on my main, to include art and fics.

Can I draw fanart of your characters? Yes, absolutely. I should clarify. You are more than welcome to draw art based on the descriptions in my fics and the resources I put out for them. I work with other artists though for most of my character art. If you are going to use those designs, make sure you're familiar with their opinions on fanart.

What kinds of LoZ fics to you write? All of my fics are fully original legend and long form stories. My average chapter length is 3k and the shortest of my fics (not in a series) is currently drafting to be like 100 chapters.

How adult/mature are they? It ranges, but typically it's pretty tame. I don't really handle gore and explicit scenes, and I'm not a fan of dark fantasy generally as a writer. If fics are rated adult/mature, it's typically because the characters are largely adults.

Is there romance? We're on that Zelink train, absolutely! There are no explicit scenes, again, so the range here is fluff (GoS, RA) to some more mature flirting with some innuendo being about the most serious content (DAD). Maybe a more intense kissing scene once the slow burn gets through to that (MoaH).

How do you write so much? Autism baby. Got that clinical hyperfocus going.

Do I need to read your fics in a certain order? No, all of them are stand alone but they do share a linked timeline in the following: GoS -> MoaH -> RA -> CoL -> DAD (And honestly it's really just GoS and MoaH with any "serious" timeline lore connections)

What's the Convergence? To the previous point, it's referring to GoS any time it comes up. Really only a thing in MoaH and MoaH does try to explain it within the text.

Will add more as they come up. If it's not here, it's probably below. If not, send it as a reply or an ask and I'll add it!

Other Custom Tags List

#originallegends/#lozoriginallegends - Pending community tag for Legend of Zelda fics about original iterations of Hyrule. Check out @expanding-hyrule for more details.

#moahmemes - This is for memes and quotes redone with the MoaH cast for fun, mostly for character exploration and cause it's funny.

#moah worldbuilding - In character worbuilding snippets about various topics for the MoaH era of Hyrule.

Open Ask List

I'm always open to asks, but I have a few prompts I figured I'd throw out if y'all want ideas.

Web: Asks for an update to the MoaH Obsidian web

WIPWednesdays: I'll post a snippet of MoaH, very likely will contain spoilers for a later part/book than is out.

Star: I'll give ya a random factoid about something in one of my fics, you can add fic tags if you'd like a specific.

Character asks: I don't have art, but you can absolutely send in character asks for the cast. I love these, they're great character voice practice. Please keep to one question per ask, but you're welcome to send as many as you like.

Fic List

Goddess of Secrecy (Complete on Wattpad, New Edited Chapters On Wednesdays & Saturdays To Both) - #goddessofsecrecy, #gos, #gosspoilers

Hyrule has only ever dreamt of an end to the resurrection of Demise. With the returning of an ancient power, that dream could finally be fulfilled. Can the Hero of the Fourth Goddess save Hyrule once and for all?

Fic Links: AO3 - Wattpad

Mark of a Hero (Updates on Tuesdays & Fridays, 1 of 9) - #markofahero, #moah, #moahspoilers

Hyrule is at peace, or so the Royal Family would have its people believe. Something is afoot in the kingdom, and someone needs to do something about it. Least likely would be Marksmen Link Sayre- a mercenary and monster hunter doing his best to get by. Until a job goes wrong, and he gets roped into the secret plans of Hyrule's princess. Now Link must play the part of the Hero to dive deeper into the mystery, and maybe stumble into a legend of his own.

Fic Links:

Book 1: AO3 - Wattpad

Book 2:

Book 3:

Book 4:

Book 5:

Book 6:

Book 7:

Book 8:

Book 9:

Series Link: AO3

Arc Progress & Spoiler Reference

Character Reference Page

General Setting Resources Page

Restoration Age (Hiatus) - #restorationage

Hyrule has grown. The fairy tale kingdom that has endured for eons is no more. And while historians argue over what history needs to be preserved, Hyrule endures and thrives in the modern age. With the proverbial guide book gone, where will the kingdom go now? And what would a Hero mean for a country that no longer needs a Hero?

Fic Link: Wattpad - Not yet imported to AO3

Cinders of Life (Hiatus) - #cindersoflife

Hyrule has burned. No more is the vibrant kingdom that was once protected by the Hero. Now is the reign of evil, an evil without end. Hope is a word used without meaning, and hero is all but lost. Could one even stand if the people of Hyrule don't even know what they would be calling on?

Fic Link: Wattpad - Not yet imported to AO3

Day After Destiny (Hiatus) - #dayafterdestiny

Hyrule is beginning its new golden age. The king and queen prepare to hand their crowns to their daughter and her husband. It is a union out of legend, though legend is far from anyone's mind in Hyrule. For who would call upon ancient war heroes in a time of peace? The wars for Hyrule have been won.

Fic Link: Wattpad - Not yet imported to AO3

[daynightshipping]

💚 Welcome to Daynightshipping 💚

Wowee I’m finally making a pinned post to explain all this!! My name is Ares, I’m 22 and extremely gay. I’ll warn you now I am the literal manifestation of 30 mental illnesses and banned from most public spaces. As John Mulaney once put it, “I also dont want me to be doing what I’m doing”. I’m ADHD and there’s probably some autism in there as well I don’t know anymore. My brain is not normal basically lmfao.

I ship with Jesse Glenn from Bakugan Battle Brawlers. I have loved this fruit since the moment I laid eyes on him at like 12 years old or however old I was when I watched Bakugan lol. About a year ago I got sick with covid, rewatched the show and fell absolutely head over heels again…. I definitely attribute him to being my gay awakening (even though I thought I was just a really fucked up weird straight girl up until after I graduated high school). This blog is for the ship between my self insert and Jesse, although I may refer to my s/i and myself interchangeably.

What is the ship?

Jesse Glenn x Aires Gallo. Aires is a boyfailure brawler who meets Jesse in Bakugan Interspace and finds himself in love and also entangled in an interplanetary war! Fun! Lots of angst potential here if u know the source material lmao

Why the name?

It’s inspired by the song When The Day Met The Night by Panic! At The Disco

DNI?

I don’t really have a DNI just don’t be an asshole about me self shipping or anything lmao. It’s honestly rare I block anyone but if ur being shitty enough I will 💀

As far as like content and sharing f/o’s and stuff I’ve always been of the opinion that it’s not my place to police anyone and if I don’t like something I may complain bc I’m a complainer, but in reality it’s not that big of a deal and more of a personal preference or something I just need to get over. Obviously not into going out of my way to harass people as long as they don’t harass me lol. That being said, I’m not the biggest fan of Jesse in m/f ships (and just most m/f ships in general UNLESS it’s your self ship or Zelink then I love you mwuah) so, not that I really think anyone would bc this character is so niche in general, dont like tag me or send me that type of stuff. TLDR, keep it at a distance ig lmfao.

Other stuff???

My headcanons aren’t exactly 100% clear and I do like to imagine different scenarios between these 2. One of the divergent paths is where they have a kid together, Zephyr, so I’ll of course post him too. Idk this started off as more of a selfship dumping zone and it still is kind of that.

I have a NSFT blog (gummysharksafterdark) where I do post some selfship stuff too that’s obviously 18+ only.

My ask box is always open, and my dms are too to some extent, although I don’t answer those as often usually. My main is gummy-sharks666 which is mostly Bakugan right now bc that’s what I’m hyperfixated on atm and other general fandom stuff. I look forward to interacting w other oc/canon shippers and selfshippers, esp ones with anime or hobbyani f/o’s, and also obviously Bakugan fans if u care this oc/canon stuff at all uwu.

That’s about it, so yeah

(Art at the top gifted by @ / freaquin)

[carpisuns]

Hey sorry reddit refugee with a quick question, I dont really identify with the super-fandom side of tumblr. A lot of my feeds get a lot of random like (character)x(character) fanfics and I'm wondering if there are a few common tags i could block to minimize seeing them?

Hey there, welcome to tumblr! Sorry if I tell you something you already know but I think this info is really important for curating your experience here.

While tumblr does have an option for a feed based on an algorithm, I’d say like 90% of users don’t use it. We use the “following” option, which shows only posts from people you follow, in the chronological order they were posted—with no additional posts chosen by an algorithm. If you’re on mobile it looks like this.

I just wanted to make sure you knew about this because if you are not interested in seeing certain kinds of content, I’d say the best way to not see it is to not follow people who post it a lot. Fill your dashboard with content you enjoy by following people who post the kinds of things you like.

That being said, of course no one is gonna share your taste 100% and the people you follow will likely post about things you don’t care about. Blacklisting tags will definitely help with that. People usually tag fandom posts with the fandom name or an abbreviation for it. so for example if you don’t want to see posts about the owl house you could block the tags #the owl house and #toh. (Also, if that’s the case, you should probably unfollow me, since I post about that a lot lol.)

Most shippers use a specific ship name, usually a combo of the two characters’ names, so figure out what it is and block it if you don’t want to see that ship. So for example, #zelink for zelda x link. I think that’s a much more common way of tagging ships here than character x character or character/character.

When you come across a post you don’t like, it might be helpful to check how the reblogged or the op tagged it and then block those specific tags.

If you don’t know how to block tags on mobile:

Tap the person icon on the bottom right of the screen. Then tap the gear icon on the top right. Go to general settings > filtering and add each individual tag you want to block. (On desktop I recommend downloading XKit—it has a lot of helpful customization options.)

There really isn’t a way to guarantee you don’t see any shipping fanfic posts on your dashboard in general, but again, if you don’t want to see that, don’t follow people who post it a lot. And don’t feel bad about unfollowing if you need to. I feel like the culture here is a bit different from something like twitter or Insta because our follower counts are private so they’re less of a focus. I wouldn’t worry too much about someone being offended that you unfollowed. Most people understand that we’re all trying to curate our experience.

Hope this helps! Have fun :)

[jackatlas]

commission info!

hi, i'm kay! i'm an english BA & creative writing MA graduate who is opening fic & poetry commissions via my kofi! i have a few different tiers:

fics/original prose is priced at the following: 200 words - £20 1000 words - £50 2000 words - £100 5000 words - £150 (please message me regarding any alternative lengths)

poetry is priced as below: short form (2-3 stanzas/one prose paragraph) - £10 long form (4+ stanzas/two prose paragraphs) - £20 (please note that rhyme schemes are an additional £5)

please send a message with any questions or requests; i'll do my best to accommodate!! see below for extra information.

if you do not see anything on this list, please ask about it! i probably haven't thought of it lol. feel free to message regarding anything i will write with limitations too. please see here for fandoms/ships i will not write for.

here are some things i am happy to write:

prose, poetry, lgbt content (especially sapphics!), romantic ships, platonic & familial relationships, horror, mild gore, smut (with limitations), kink (with limitations), fics with your ocs (includes oc/canon), self-insert (not x reader, sfw only), any pov, letters from a fictional other (sfw only), mecha (sfw only), fantasy/sci-fi, monster of the week concepts (includes original monsters), vampires, werewolves (sfw only), genderbends (trans headcanons, cis-swaps - please specify), historical fiction (with limitations), fics based on songs/albums, age gaps (adult/adult only), mild violence, angst, dubcon (nothing too intense though), characters from media i don't know (please provide info!!), polyam ships, AUs, crossovers, pregnancy (sfw only)

things i will not write:

incest, underage smut, adult/minor ships, noncon, suicide, dead dove, smut for minors, aging up minors for smut, zoophilia, rpf, hard gore, hardcore kink (please ask if you need clarification), furries, mecha nsfw, x reader, nsfw self insert, hard violence, major character death, over 1000 words, multi-chapter (with exceptions), human/non-human (excluding vampires), omegaverse, zombies, prison aus, royalty aus, sex worker aus, slavery aus

some fandoms i will write for:

yugioh (duel monsters, gx, 5ds, zexal), the x files (seasons 1-3), death note, doctor who (seasons 1-4 of reboot), superstore, how i met your mother, madoka magica, fire emblem (sacred stones, awakening, fates), legend of zelda (botw/totk), marvel (mcu up to phase 3, + dsmom & wandavision), howl's moving castle (studio ghibli movie), classic literature (rebecca, wuthering heights, sherlock holmes), pokemon (most familiar with gens 1 + 5 and original anime run), avatar (atla), twilight, five nights at freddys (no ships), sabrina the teenage witch (seasons 1/2), stardew valley, + more as i think of it

ships i enjoy writing:

my faithshipping, mulderscully, doctorrose, lawlight, gx rivalshipping, matsuda/misa, peachshipping, violetshipping, scoopshipping, amy/jonah, lily/marshall, barney/robin, zelink, howl/sophie, chrom/robin, chrom/frederick, bella/alice, leo/takumi, bella/rosalie, bella/edward, ironstrange, stevetony, peppernat, tonynat, pepperony, palmerstrange, homura/madoka, frostiron, strangefrost, wandavision, doctor/jack/rose, misa/rem, doctor/jack, matsuda/light, mello/matt, gameshipping, mastershipping, fianceshipping, chaseshipping, puzzleshipping, thiefshipping, sherlock holmes/professor moriarty, dragonshipping, wishshipping, heathcliff/catherine earnshaw, edward/jacob, katara/zuko, katara/aang, sokka/zuko, + more as i think of them