#im also terrified to speak my mind on things im passionate about so pls be gentle if you have a differing opinion

[lluvguts]

i saw this one post circling tloz twitter about link and i just think it’s so absurd. warning for some small totk spoilers. this is a big post because tloz is my special interest atm and i have things to say  

people are berating the devs for botw/totk for not giving link enough personality or outstanding attributes to his character, or “putting his exuberance in his personality in the wrong places” (i.e. link’s excited gestures and expressions when cooking, excited over the pony points in totk, generally any small bit of narrative that is not drawn toward the central plot versus his near expressionless face, stoic demeanor whenever zelda is in a cutscene with him in it) and i actually think, whether it was intentional or not, it’s completely understandable why link’s character acts the way that it does. 

this is the direct link to the twitter post in case the screenshots are difficult to see. no hate to op i will just write my opinion on my own blog because twitter is ruthless and stupid about people who don’t believe the same things as them lol

i know the devs aren’t trying that hard when using link’s century-long sleep + amnesia as a focal point to his character arc, but they should, because his entire personality in these two games literally is justified because of this. he’s one of my favorite reincarnations aside from oot and twilight princess link, because i feel as though the absence of this lore behind everything is even more reason to further his development and understanding of him as a fucking character. 

i headcanon link as neurodivergent, for many reasons, but i will only mention this as a small point in the overarching reason but anyway

these small scenes where link’s personality show through while interacting with people who do not directly interfere with his trauma, and have nothing to do with zelda and/or ganon/calamity, because there is no traumatic influence that would make him feel as though he has to hide what small bits of his own inner self that is left 

in these scenes where link is with zelda in present botw and in his memories on the slate, link is silent, blank face. in reality, for someone suffering from amnesia, and autistic, this will be the blueprint for this character to go, “hmm, i really don’t know anything about myself right now. but these pictures and glimpses of my past are the only way i can understand who i was before this happened. so i will only act on the behaviors i understand from memory.” 

totk link seeing zelda outside of his tiny bits of memory irl, and people are angry that he’s not expressive enough in the game? he just reunited with the person he is sworn to protect, and he’s supposed to feel all lovey-dovey, happy-feely?? I would assume link must think that zelda hates him, tbh, because we don’t GET this conversation in the game, all that link understands is the weight of his own responsibility and his own fuckups

this silent suffering knight is not link’s character. this is not his personality. this is the person that he thought would best suit this situation, much like how many neurodivergent people can quickly read a room, and chameleon themselves to best fit the people around them, and make them happy. the bits and pieces we see when link is not directly interacting with people associated with his past and trauma are the glimpses into his true self imo

link doesn’t try to bond with any of the other characters outside of the ones in the linear plot probably because he doesn’t fucking know how to. almost all of the memories in botw (i haven’t played totk yet but i know at least 50% of the plotline) link is either practicing fighting, guarding zelda, or just being zelda’s silent guide and companion, because yes, that’s his job, but that is also the only persona that makes sense to him. 

he wasn’t given his position to make friends with every other person in the game, screw the devs just because link got excited over the damn pony points apparently

in botw link very obviously doesn’t have any grasp on his own personal identity and the role he plays in the fate of humanity because of his memory loss, the fact he is thrust into this world that has essentially forgotten of his existence is pretty fucked up 

do people really expect a switch in link’s brain to go off and for him to suddenly assimilate this strong, knightly bravado, now with 1000+ unique expressions, just because zelda gave link very small bits of his memories back? just because he can see her face to face now? hell no. amnesia and trauma responses don’t work like that 

botw/totk link had NO backbone on how to move forward in his own character arc, because the only people that new about his existence other than zelda and the elders of the hyrule regions, were dead. like. would link really be smiling and excited around zelda and everyone else after the fact? 

OP in the tweet had mentioned that SS link behaved much differently than botw link does, he had life and was much more excitable and had complex emotions written on his face. well. obviously. because this is not the same link as SS link, they are in a different life path whereas SS link was not killed and then preserved for 100 years with all of his memories forgotten. SS link was still a young adult, a child even, he had fun character traits and cute expressions because could still enjoy life in skyloft and be a kid before fated responsibility and demise hit. like, at least oot link had a second chance at his childhood, botw/totk link was probably thrust into responsibility before he could even fathom what types of roles he would need to play when he grew up. 

link remains silent and because of this, probably masking his inner emotions 

he doesn’t know or think that anything other than his vow of silence is the best option. he’s probably terrified of fucking up again even if it means just expressing verbal or physical concern, sadness, joy--literally any emotion. i really can’t think of this link having any other thought processes other than this one. he isn’t a silly, mindless child. he’s an adult, or at least was forced to act like one before he was ready. 

anyway thank you to anyone who read this :> i write fics if anyone wants to indulge a shameless self promo after i word vomit/defend botw link

[kaonite]

Can we hear about your Misraaks headcanons pls?

hahahaaha ahah okay so this turned more into picking him apart rather than headcanons but i mixed them in there ::3 (im so sorry, i cannot be coherent at all and gushed profusely. i promise my writing is way different than the way i type this out.)

for some reason it wont let me add tags??? so i hope no one is upset by that!

-misraaks doesnt know how to be 'normal' per say, barring the fact he IS an alien(this goes with my super personal headcanon that the wolves just breed some ODD eliksni. 110% there’s something SUPER up with the wolves (or gentle weavers) as a whole. there's something in the ether turning the wolves into human simps) and is just a weird guy? Who 'turns their back' on their own without being a little fucking odd? i mean if i saw a almost 7ft tall lady and she dragged me away from my attempted suicide (thats some baggage already) and offered peace in a my cultures way id rethink my ideals too (theres more to it i know but humor me!) Also unlearning ALL you've been taught was rough and trying but he was a young mind and to be honest... that's probably for the best (no doubt sjur did use him against the wolves but i really feel their friendship was genuine, full of a lot of love and respect after he stopped being an angsty vandal with unresolved mommy issues)

-he puts on this show of being strong and unyielding but if he trusts you he just crumbles and is bare to the bone about everything. misraaks isn't afraid of being honest per say, he may come off brash but he's just telling it like it is... no sense in beating around the bush. he's not an asshole but being raised the way he was uh... some tact had be learned. 

-no no no it's not bc his mother may have been strict and terrifying to some degree so he has to be the strongest  or he feels he'll fail everyone he knows. so when someone breaks down his walls he's just a soft, sappy individual who just wants everyone to have a peaceful life together while trying to be strong for everyone else at his own mental expense. hes so passionate, charismatic and driven even with all the odds stacked against him, the fucking STRENGTH in that. (DREG STRENGTH GO! even tho he's not a dreg u get my meaning, everyone so far has deemed him as such) what a king! ❤ (praksis u call him foolish again i'll break every one of the generators in your lab)

-brings me to my next headcanon that the nightmare in the moon, horkis? Is his mother and all the teachings that she and others brought upon him as a child up until meeting sjur concentrated into one being. that if he doesn't bleed for the cause, die for the cause, then he has failed his people.  OOPS! IT'S ALL DEEP SEATED TRAUMA! 

-also headcanon she was the one to dock him? to make it extra good when he thinks back on her in the misraaks lore tab 

(I normally don't slander moms bc damn if anyone slandered my mom id throw hands but bungie gave me the scraps and im working with them and misraaks seemed like he had a pretty standard, though super strict, upbringing ::) )

-he appears haughty, self-assured and a bit cold though that's just how he projects himself... he's not actually that way? I mean, hes pretty calm and collected. he expresses a deep  loyalty and love for Sjur and cares for his fireteam immensely. He trusted his fireteam enough to take them to her resting place, how is that not vulnerability we otherwise don't really see? 

He'd throw down for his friends and loved ones because that's just how Eliksni ARE. kin is everything, even friends. he just has a different way of showing it. 

-misraaks... okay i have to say he's into poetry, or talking poetically. the way he speaks is almost... romantic (not in a bad or spicy way!) i just know that boy really SPEAKS in such an eloquent, thoughtful sense. there's a lot of meaning and love in his words. he doesn't just SAY things to fill the silence. every word has a meaning, a purpose. i love that about him. 

-okay maybe i headcanon his fireteam being all around goofballs with him at times of respite, softening out his sharp edges. making him loosen up and enjoy the little things in life rather than worrying about the bigger picture. (bungie where's that getting drunk with his fireteam lore tab? i would like to see it. you have it with the yw and crow... it's the least you could do for the misraaks stans...) i just feel its hard for him to sit and do nothing, just to fool around, be a "normal person" due to the fact his whole life up to his moment of wanting to create house light has been death and war. He was MADE for war. it'd be hard for him to adjust to a 'happier' existence without a little prodding

-he doesn't care about glory, or is doing what he does for selfish gain. he genuinely just wants to help, to create peace. so if anyone approached him with the kell of kells title he'd promptly tell them to shove it (sorry misraaks... you're in the same boat with the young wolf... you can't escape your destiny)

-can we talk about how much misraaks unlearned from sjur then YEARS later is with dusk, meets the young wolf (that annoying bastard of a guardian! :) ), they spare him then it seems like something unlocks in him. like we were the final catalyst to his dreams being real. no longer did he want to be canon fodder, or use his crew as such, he wanted to lead... to be better, to do better for his people along the guardians. maybe he could be better than just another solider dying for a cause they didn't even know at that point. he could be everything his kind rallied against and be GREATER than he was taught to be , not stepping on those deemed less than him. his MIND 

-can i just shoehorn something in real quick. I don't believe he'd practice docking after everything. I just can't see it and i always see him having trauma around docking so why would he wish that on others as a treatment under his kellship? It took him A LONG ASS TIME to unlearn how fucked up it is and how their society as whole is (ie. he literally fantasized about his mother docking him. how is that not absolutely insane to hear?)  also it'd be useless at this point, he'd need people at their prime, not missing two arms for an old, unnecessary dark practice. he doesn’t want people to fear him, if your people fear you are you truly a leader?

*cuts this ask open with a knife and lets loose a character interpretation more than headcanons* OOPS

am i projecting? maybe but bungie gave me crumbs and i am going to use them

im holding back a bunch of thoughts bc most of them center around much more personal headcanons bc this is my emotional support eliksni :') plus ive written so much already im pretty sure you all think im insane.

If anyone has anything to add feel free! Id love to hear it, you may have some ideas/headcanons/interpretations i didn't list or i never though of! of course... most of this is projecting, who doesn't do that to their fave?

and honestly, i am so open to talking about him in depth, if you want to, shoot me a message! I'll get to it! :3