#riju answers

[drift-phonk]

I think these days there's an issue in that Megatron is being rebranded as a protagonist and anti-hero, which means Starscream as a foil character has to go the other direction. Problem is Megatron still has to be a cool badass, so Starscream has to be weak/pitiful, which means he still comes off as an underdog. He's not meant to be sympathetic and yet by design, he's not being able to fill Megatron's old evil boots. However he's too iconic to be killed off and too motivated to be sidelined easily. So they make him do something monstrous to justify everyone washing their hands of him and have him go CRAZY to keep him too dysfunctional to be a threat after.

AND MAKING HIM GO CRAZY DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!! the terrans can just go on their merry way into terratronus but he can't find his way out?? i don't buy that for a second.

also this is fucking starscream we're talking about. cunning, ambitious starscream, who would have absolutely 0 reason to keep hanging out up there. he could have left at any point. he clearly knew his way around if he was able to find terratronus' spark chamber even after she'd been in stasis and underground for millions and millions of years. starscream, who was the decepticon second in command. a member of the elite trine. starscream, who is far more intelligent than anyone really gives him credit for because he's always seen as too weak/pitiful to be any sort of threat.

i don't even necessarily mind this trend with megatron, where they're rebranding him into an anti-hero/protagonist. as long as they acknowledge the bad things that he did during the war, and show that he's still struggling to leave behind his old ways, i really don't mind it.

i'm just so tired of every piece of transformers media giving starscream this treatment. the idw comics did GREAT with giving him character development and something of a redemption arc, only for him to (as always) get the short end of the stick. you know what happens to him in those comics? he loses his title as ruler of cybertron to windblade after confessing that he'd been plotting shit from the start, gets imprisoned for life, and then ends up sacrificing himself to save everyone. they developed him into something beyond the usual villain that we know starscream to be and they still couldn't help but kill him off and make him a ghost or ghost-adjacent.

justice for my boy. yeah he did all that stuff but the writers can't keep getting away with this.

[hollypies]

Mmm I have school tomorrow I should nt.be awake.

Uhhhh here's Riju! Also the Vai Gerudo Armor! I tried to mix the Vai and Voe set together for the armor, hopefully I got it across good :)

Anyway Rijus power now attaches to the arrow itself, but her recharge is a lot slower. It can be done midair by double tapping g the . Shoot arrow button quickly!

[unblemisheddesertflower]

[ HUG ]: sender tackles the receiver to the ground in their enthusiasm to give them a hug. for Riju in AOC bc this is too funny to pass up

Get Glomped Idiot

With the average velocity of one of Riju's attacks, she really ought not have been surprised when she was tackled by her teammate. It felt like the entire world was celebrating, despite the losses, despite the massive wounds left on the land and its people. Though she initially yelled out, she was grinning by the time the two hit the ground. 

She supposed it served her right.

"Master Kohga, you're lucky there's no more electricity in the air!" 

She teased, the implication being that she would have shocked him out of habit were it not for the massive amount that she and her ancestor had already drawn from the air in battle.

Her grin vanished as she saw yet another form looming over both of them - 

"Patricia, wait, no-!" 

She grunted as another eight hundred pounds was added to the hug pile - begrudge the noble sand seal for wanting to be involved.

[gensnix]

Wonder if now that since the art book is coming out they'll have more of a reasonable explanation why the sheika tech is gone or if they're gonna double down on it just randomly disappeared

[beastwars-transformers]

I’m gonna complete all side quests for the Yiga Clan and then turn off the game forever

[mistresslrigtar]

Please reblog for better results.

[vampire-wizard-solidarity]

@your-local-ruebit-hole-detective ok i’m sorry but. i will answer your question.

age of calamity advertises itself as a prequel but in reality it’s a fix-it au with slight differences and writing that’s pretty bad but i have grown to appreciate it for how insane it goes sometimes.

the actual plot is that as a child zelda used to have a little egg-like guardian robot that she was forced to leave behind as she grew up due to her father’s pressure etc, and when the calamity happened this little robot saw it and traveled back in time with the goal to prevent this and protect zelda, creating a branching off timeline. there’s also an extra villain who is this prophet (???? this games writing isn’t good enough for me to tell you what his deal is exactly) who worships ganon and for most of the game works with the yiga to bring him back, except he’s more insane than them and works directly with malice and also sucks at his job because when he finally gets to ganon he unceremoniously dies and everybody’s like “yeah we have no idea what this guys deal was”.

the one significant change that doesnt have to do anything with time travel shenanigans is the fact that link doesn’t find the master sword as a child, but instead gets appointed zelda’s bodyguard for his genuine skill and then finds the master sword during one of the in game missions. despite this, revali still hates him, and often times when justifying this revali cites reasons that are literal complete opposites of how his grudge was characterised in botw, cementing revali’s characterisation as just a cunt for no reason. it’s great.

the significant time travel related change is that when all the champions go into their divine beasts and fight the blights a portal opens and the new champions (teba, sidon, riju, yunobo) get teleported in and help defeat the blights. zelda also doesn’t get her power by protecting link from a bunch of guardians, the scene still hits the same beats of link fighting things off so zelda can run away except in this game how it happens is that the insane prophet shows up and literally summons all the blights against link which makes the scene ten times more insane.

throughout the game the yiga show up regularly, often times with master kohga himself showing up and being the overall goofy guy he is, except he also has a hunk of a body guard who’s name i genuinely can’t recall. multiple times in the game kohga gets defeated and said hunk of a body guard throws him over his shoulder says “it’s not over yet” and walks off carrying kohga like a sac of potatoes.

in the original game, when shit starts hitting the fan the yiga stop showing up as enemies and at some point in the story kohga shows up without said hunk of a body guard, says “the prophet is insane and the calamity actually isn’t a good thing as we’ve discovered”, highly implies that the reason for his change of heart is because said prophet killed his hunk of a body guard (who literally. doesn’t show up again for the rest of the game mind you. he legit died), and is like “yeah the yiga will help you. after this whole thing is over we’ll go back to being bitches to you but rn let’s just kill this ganon guy and then walk our separate ways”. the fact that the calamity being a bad thing throws the yiga’s whole ideology and purpose into question is never addressed.

the dlc makes the death scene explicit, also making it a parallel to zelink by, again, making the bodyguard fight all the fucking blights so that kohga can escape. the scene literally opens with the body guard limping as they try to escape. it’s so much a parallel to zelink it’s insane. im afraid do not know what the hell they were cooking.

some other choice moments from this game that go insanely hard for no reason:

1. the first portion of the game is dedicated to zelda recruiting all the champions, and when it comes to recruiting revali he for some reason assumes it’s an attack, and sends all the rito soldiers to fight the intruders off. the rito do not question fighting some random hylians one of whom is literally zelda. the mission ends with a boss fight of link vs revali, which only ends without them killing each other because zelda runs in and goes “stop???? the fuck ????”

2. the entire game has cute bonding moments with the botw champions meeting their idols and getting to spend time with them. that is, except for sidon, who spends the game saving his older sister in a parallel universe which he has to leave by the end of the game, meaning every scene involving him has him on the brink of eleven hundred simultaneous mental breakdowns. the dlc adds a scene where the little sidon who is native to said parallel universe gets to interact with botw sidon, and botw sidon tells him that he’s going to grow up big and strong and will protect his sister, and the entire time he tries really hard to not acknowledge the fact that they are the same person, and that mipha is his sister too, presumably because nobody wanted to animate sidon ugly crying. in that scene you can literally see his soul die in his eyes it’s great

3. the dlc features tulin, god knows why. i don’t know how he got there or what he’s doing. he’s just there.

4. you can make noble pursuits in the game and drink them before missions for a buff. pre-gaming defeating the calamity is a thing, i cannot stress how much it is a thing in this game.

5. there are two separate animated cutscenes where link eats rocks on screen. only one of them involves the gorons, the other is a scene where link is being discussed and as the characters talk about how great he is in battle the camera pans to him eating rocks, seemingly on a dare from the other soldiers, who all surround him and are immensely excited by the fact that he is actually eating rocks.

6. the dlc features a scene where zelda gets to cook. link is horrified the entire time. she does not belong in the kitchen. she belongs anywhere outside the kitchen. the dlc also gives her the master cycle as a weapon. she commits vehicular manslaughter

7. the king gets a redemption arc, where he apologises to zelda only after she unlocks her power. the reason he realized he was wrong was because a sheikah relic that he confiscated from zelda turned out to be an ancient shield and it saved his life from a guardian blast. his apology is literal dog shit and right after it the game forces you to play as him for a mission. it almost made me rage quit.

8. thunder blight has an attack where it just swings its hair at you

9. when you finally fight calamity ganon he doesn’t have the form of the spider ganon from botw or even the boar, he is instead a buff guy made out of malice. literally just the shape of a buff non descript guy made out of malice. his boss fight is endless and the entire time you’re just beating the shit out of a non descript buff guy shape with a stick.

10. there’s a cute little side mission called something like “girls beauty contest” (in reality they all beat the shit out of each other for the title), where you’re only allowed to select female characters. that is, female characters AND gorons. think of that what you will

[erimeows]

Answers

The wedding of King Sidon and Lady Yona is nothing less than beautiful. Link supposes he should be happy- he’s sat at the table with King Dorephan, Bazz, Muzu, and Lady Yona’s parents- a great honor. His best friend is beaming with joy, just as he has been since he was given the title of ‘king’. Sidon is proud of the hard work he’s done to catch up with his predecessors, proud of the new peace he’s provided his domain with, proud of his new wife.

Link wishes he could be just as joyous. He should be. He knows he should be, and hates himself for not feeling the way he knows he’s supposed to feel. Sidon is his friend, and all Link has ever wanted is for his friends to be happy.

Yet, as he sits at the table lined with lacy linen cloth, holding a champagne glass that’s far too large for his small hands and listening to the other guests’ absentminded chatter, he can’t help but notice how shit he feels. His stomach churns and sinks when his eyes land on Sidon and Yona.

He’s jealous. Jealous. Why is he jealous? Link stops to dwell on it, gripping his champagne glass so tightly that his knuckles turn white. 

It’s not like he spent much time with Sidon before, anyway. He was always too busy; fighting Ganon, helping the citizens of Hyrule, protecting Zelda and helping her train to control her powers. Though they’re ‘best friends’ according to Sidon, and though Sidon knows him in a way that most others don’t, Link isn’t justified in feeling jealous. Yona is a kind woman, anyway- it’s not like she’d rip Sidon away from Link entirely.

Link thinks back to the ceremony itself. There were some things about it that were… Off. While Yona and Sidon themselves were beaming with joy, neither of them read any vows, and when they were told to kiss, they only kissed each other’s cheeks. Link assumed it was a cultural difference- at least until he heard Yona’s parents whispering about how ‘odd’ this ‘new age’ wedding is. 

Old, outdated classical music being played by an orchestra echoes through the walls of the well-decorated palace. The piano and harp are played slightly off key, but everyone else is too blissfully unaware to notice. The decorations are gaudy and old, clearly picked by someone with far worse tastes than Sidon and Yona. 

The wedding is anything but new age. The only difference between this wedding and any other arranged one is that Yona and Sidon aren’t trying all that hard to be in love for their kingdom’s sake. That realization fills Link with some relief. He doesn’t want to consider why that might be.

Sidon and Yona dance together briefly before they separate to go greet their guests. Yona’s parents excuse themselves to the dancefloor along with many other Zora who were waiting for Sidon and Yona to finish their first dance. With the open chairs at the table, Sidon and Yona come to sit between Link and Bazz.

Though Link remains silent, sipping on his champagne, Sidon’s amber eyes are less than subtle with how blatantly they’re trained on him- even as he excitedly discusses a new idea for a military squad with King Dorephan. Link is too agitated to focus on the conversation despite the topic being one that would interest him on any other night. There’s laughter ringing in the air. Link briefly hears King Dorephan teasing his son for being so work-oriented on the night of his wedding before turning to Yona to talk.

“Are you alright?” Sidon whispers when no one else is paying attention to them, to which Link nods.

He hopes that will be the end of it.

It is not. 

Still able to feel Sidon’s gaze trained on him following his answer, Link stands up and leaves to go literally anywhere else. Riju, Tulin, and Yunobo hauled ass to make it to the wedding on such short notice. Maybe he could find them and get them to join him for a dance. Hell, people are paying so much attention to the newlyweds that Link suspects he could slip out of the domain and back into the wilderness where he feels he should be. The only person who would notice- or care- would probably be Sidon, in the midst of all of this chaos.

Link finds himself in a nearby corner. When he puts his back to the wall and turns around, he’s embarrassed to find Sidon weaving his way through the crowd to find him. The Zora is so tall that he has no issue seeing over all of the other attendees. 

Their eyes meet from across the room, and Link panics. The panic only grows as Sidon gets closer, until he’s right there, bending down to Link’s level and placing a giant hand on one of Link’s shoulders.

He panics because people are watching them, wondering why Sidon isn’t beside his wife or with his family and is instead chasing after Link. Whether Sidon is too oblivious to notice or just doesn’t care, Link is unsure.

He panics because Sidon chasing after him like this, being able to tell that he’s feeling poorly, makes him feel special- no, loved.

And he panics because he wants to feel loved by Sidon. He doesn’t want Sidon to stop whatever this is. 

Of course, it makes sense. It all makes sense now.

Link looks at the ring on his finger with that gorgeous cerulean stone on it and sighs. He leans back against the wall and slides- slides down until he’s sitting on the floor with his head in his hands.

A pang of guilt tears through Link- at least until he sees Yona and Bazz at the table together. From where Link is sitting in the corner, he can see underneath the tablecloth well enough to get a glimpse of Yona’s left hand and Bazz’s right hand, their fingers are intertwined and both hands are on Yona’s left thigh. 

Link puts the pieces together.

That’s why the ceremony was so odd and why the first dance was so friendly…

And he knows that Sidon isn’t a fool. He must know if his leaving them alone and acting so platonically with his newly wed wife is anything to go by. Even during their dances, he was overtly respectful, sure to keep his hands well above her waist and to keep a reasonable distance from her- almost as if they were family, rather than lovers, which Link figures is more accurate. An arranged marriage is more complicated than Link ever could’ve guessed. 

“My dearest Link,” Sidon starts, sitting right next to Link on the floor without a care in the world. It’s almost as if all he sees in this room right now is Link. That fact- that deep bond of friendship they have- is terrifying, especially now that Link is aware of how much more he wants. He doesn’t want to just be friends, he wants… He wants to be Yona right now. How embarrassing. “What is troubling you? Please, tell me.”

So blunt…

Link shakes his head again, trying to keep his face as neutral as possible. There are other Zora watching, confused as to why Sidon is neglecting his queen in favor of the measly Hylian hero who’s dressed in rickety armor. Thankfully, a lot of them are too busy dancing or drinking to notice, but the ones who do don’t make any attempt to hide their judgment- namely Muzu, who would’ve had Link dead on the floor by now if looks could kill. Link quickly comes up with an excuse and gestures to the alcohol bar near the entrance of the room with the best ‘sick’ expression he can manage.

“Oh, you drank too much? I never realized you Hylians were lightweights. I suppose you are much smaller than us… What a shame,” Sidon tilts his head curiously, eyeing the bar and then Link’s champagne glass that he left on the table. It’s still half full. If Sidon puts together that Link is completely sober, he’s at least courteous enough not to call out the lie. “Ah, I’d hate to cut the celebration short, but I could walk you back to your room if you’d like? I don’t mind at all! Actually, I’d prefer to be the one to ensure that you return safely.”

Link shrugs. Sidon takes as indifference as an invitation to lift the Hylian off the floor bridal style. He does it with such ease that Link is surprised. Sidon is so strong, so considerate, so… Perfect. Link watches Sidon’s face- his eyes go to Yona, who winks at him before turning to continue her conversation with Bazz. Link pauses. He must’ve imagined that… Right?

~

Link’s body aches with exhaustion as he walks towards the border of Zora’s Domain with Sidon by his side. Since solving the problems in the domain, defeating that giant monster, attending Sidon’s wedding, crying himself to sleep the same night, and staying knocked out well into the following afternoon, Link has gathered his supplies and readied himself to continue his search. With Sidon being the fourth sage he’s gathered, Link now has to find the fifth- and final- sage.

Link wants to stay. At the same time, his body is itching to leave. Staying with Sidon for the few days that he has has made him realize things that he didn’t want to. For instance, the realization that Link would throw everything away to stay with Sidon in the domain for the rest of his life if saving Princess Zelda weren’t a factor. Or, the realization that Link has been painfully in love with Sidon since that first day he rode on the man’s back. The worst one was probably the realization of how jealous he was during Sidon’s wedding, on what was supposed to be the happiest day of his best friend’s life.

It’s been less than a day since the wedding and Link doesn’t feel much better. All night, instead of standing by his new wife, Sidon followed Link around, trying to drag the information out of him- almost as if he could smell Link’s souring mood from a mile away. Link had to pretend that he’d drunk himself to the point of becoming sick; a lie that’s somehow less embarrassing than the truth. Link is so overwhelmed with the feelings that he chooses not to acknowledge them- at least not out loud. 

He keeps his arms crossed over his chest and pretends that he doesn’t sense Sidon’s eyes on him for the entirety of their walk. One of Sidon’s hands is on his back, cool and reassuring. He guides Link through the terrain even though they both know that Link doesn’t need the help. Sidon doesn’t talk about it, so neither does Link. 

When they reach where Link knows they’re going to separate, he dwells on what to do. He could forget it all, reject his responsibilities and stay here in the domain forever… But, then he remembers that really, he can’t. What would become of Zelda? Just like Sidon, she’s Link’s best friend. And how would someone as noble as Sidon react if Link failed the people he’s supposed to serve? Sidon would surely lose all love and respect for him.

Link glances at Sidon and stops in his tracks, sunkissed cheeks turning bright red when he sees that Sidon is already intently gazing back at him. He knew. Sidon has a terrible habit of staring at others without any pause, but actually meeting his eyes is… Intense. The prince- no, king, now- jumps and jerks his hand away from Link’s back as if the blond’s shirt has burned him. 

Link raises an eyebrow, partially confused, partially concerned.

Sidon looks at Link for a little too long, amber eyes going wide as if he’s also realized something important. His normally pale, cool skin flushes a deep shade of purple around his cheeks. Link pauses, wondering if he should ask what’s wrong, but before he can, Sidon bows.

“I wish you the best of luck, dearest Link,” Sidon grins- that ridiculously big, ridiculously toothy grin of his. Link can’t help but smile back. “Please, travel safely. I believe in you.”

Link’s heart throbs in his chest at the warm, familiar words. He wants to say something so badly, but he just… Can’t. Not without knowing for sure that Sidon returns his feelings. Not yet.

So, he offers Sidon a nod, and then turns to leave. He barely makes it out of the domain before he misses Sidon’s large, strong hand on his back. 

For now, Link is sure that things are better this way.

They have to be. 

~

As much as Link hates to leave Sidon’s side, he finds that it’s easier for him to decompress once he’s out of the domain.

Whether that’s because he’s away from all of the people, because he’s finally ‘working’ again, or because he’s away from Sidon and Yona specifically, he isn’t sure.

Over the next few days, Link spends most of his time occupied, just the way he prefers. Between struggling to help the other sages with the lingering issues in their respective areas, fighting off gloom and monsters, and searching for Zelda, Link hardly has any time to himself. He’s grown accustomed to this, though- since becoming Zelda’s personal knight, it feels as if his life is constant chaos, constant fighting, constantly being on guard. 

Most other men would become insane from the lack of rest, but Link finds comfort in what has become his day to day life. He goes to bed late, wakes up early, eats breakfast, and spends his morning helping whoever needs it. Then, he spends the rest of his day hunting down monsters, fighting them, and- currently- searching for the supposed fifth sage. After that, he eats dinner and goes to bed. 

The four avatars, Tulin, Riju, Yunobo, and Sidon are with him. While Sidon’s walks by his side, far too close for comfort, the other three stay close behind- guarding. Link wonders why they take the positions they do. He wonders a lot of things about the avatars in general. 

Link still isn’t used to having them around. He thinks about them constantly, theorizing about them, all while scolding himself for wasting his mental energy on something so trivial when Zelda is in Ganon’s clutches. 

The avatars aren’t real, he reminds himself. They’re spiritual manifestations of his friends, here as tools to assist him in battle. They’re not living, breathing beings. They’re not feeling. They don’t need to eat, rest, or sleep. And yet… Link finds comfort in them just as much as he finds comfort in being on the battlefield. As if they’re real people.

In Sidon’s avatar, Link swears he finds more comfort than he finds in being on the battlefield- and that fact is terrifying, mostly because it makes Link fantasize about silly, unrealistic things like settling down with the Zora and living the rest of his life out in peace, with Sidon by his side.

That’s something Link tries not to think about. Sidon is married, after all… These feelings he’s had for him are inappropriate, especially considering Mipha… Link shakes his head, trying to clear it of the thoughts. Sidon’s marriage is arranged, and both Sidon and Yona had made it apparent that the two were merely friends who happened to be getting married during Link’s visit. Regardless of Sidon’s marital status… There’s no way it would work out. What’s the likelihood of Sidon returning Link’s feelings, anyway?

Link peers at the man’s avatar, who continues to walk next to him. The avatar stares back, but doesn’t smile. Link frowns. Oh, how he misses that big, toothy grin of Sidon’s… The familiar feeling of a cool hand on his back, guiding him through Zora’s domain. Link just misses him.

It’s late- two, maybe three in the morning. Link wishes he could be like the lifeless avatars surrounding him, constantly alert and ready to go, never in need of sleep or food or anything at all. But, even Link can admit to himself that he is merely a Hylian. As such, he needs his rest. 

He finds a cave to camp out in, sets out his sleeping bag, and takes in his surroundings. It’s scarily dark and damp, but he knows he’ll manage just fine. He’s slept in worse. 

Sidon’s avatar still stands next to him, far too close, while the other three linger near the entrance of the cave with their beady blue eyes watching over Link’s small frame. 

With him sleeping alone in the wilderness, it’s not uncommon for Link to use the avatars to keep guard of his resting area. He is all too aware that it does take small amounts of energy from the sages to have their avatars active, so he only uses one at a time to guard him when they’re not traveling through dangerous terrain or in active battle. 

Tonight is Sidon’s night, Link’s favorite. It’s nice to feel like he can be alone with the other man for once. Even if it’s not truly Sidon. Whether it be in a cave, in his home, or on a field of wildflowers, being with Sidon(‘s avatar) brings Link peace. And, unlike a real person, the avatar can’t judge him. 

Would Sidon judge him? Link is curious. At the same time, he doesn’t want to know the answer. Not really. If Sidon knew who he was outside of the stoic, impressive hero that he sees behind his rose-tinted glasses, would Sidon still consider him his ‘dearest friend’? Would Sidon still place a hand on Link’s back so carelessly to guide him from place to place if he were aware of Link’s true feelings? 

Part of Link wants to know. Most of him doesn’t, and as that- yet another realization- washes over him, he dismisses Riju, Tulin, and Yunobo’s avatars, leaving him and Sidon’s avatar alone in the cave. It’s just the two of them, alone. 

If the real Sidon were here, what would he do? Would he act like he always does? Or does he also have things that he would die to do if they were alone, together, like this, without anyone or anything to stop them? Images flash through Link’s mind, so vibrant behind his eyes despite them being figments of his imagination; of Sidon, holding Link close to keep him warm through the night, pulling Link close to his broad chest, connecting their lips, and-

No.

Not right now. Not tonight.

Trying to clear his mind of the thoughts, Link lies down in his sleeping bag and sharply inhales. He gives the cave one last scan to make sure he’s safe before settling. 

Then, much to his surprise, Sidon’s avatar is not only sitting on the ground, but digging through Link’s backpack. Link watches with curiosity. Is it looking for something to eat? Something to keep itself occupied while Link rests? A certain tool or weapon to use for nearby enemies? 

Link furrows his brow when the avatar pulls out… A blanket. An old blanket that Zelda crocheted for him God knows how long ago. Link keeps it for comfort, but doesn’t use it often, fearing that it’ll get ruined by the elements or a midnight battle. Link jumps up to take the prized possession from the avatar’s hands, but before he can do so, the avatar is gently ushering Link to lie back down and draping the blanket over him.

Oh.

Oh. 

Link’s face turns bright red. He watches the avatar, whose expression doesn’t change. Instead, it turns around, sitting with its back facing Link, and crosses its arms as it peers outside of the cave to watch for any potential danger.

Flustered, Link turns around in his sleeping bag and cuddles the blanket closely. He swears he can smell Sidon on it where the avatar’s hands touched the fabric. 

No. It can’t be.

The damn thing is just an avatar. It’s not Sidon. It doesn’t have feelings of its own, let alone feelings for Link.

Clearing his head, Link turns around, closes his eyes, and falls asleep.

~

The next morning, Link wakes up with a clear mind, summons the other three avatars back to his side, and continues on his venture. On his search for the fifth sage, he finds himself in Rito village for supplies. He knows that there shouldn’t be any conflicts arising and dismisses all four avatars as to not attract more attention to himself than he already does when he’s in the area.

Link approaches Brazen Beak and is unsurprised to find that Tulin is there, fluttering outside the front and haphazardly screwing around with a new bow and arrow that he has between his claws. To anyone unfamiliar with the boy, it would look dangerous and reckless, but Link knows Tulin isn’t stupid enough to hurt himself with his own weapon- even if he isn’t the most careful. Teba is standing next to Tulin, carefully watching. It looks like he wants to scold his son and snatch the bow right out of his talons, but he manages to restrain himself, merely crossing his wings and impatiently tapping his digits against the top of his chest. It’s apparent that despite Tulin clearly having come of age as a warrior, Teba is still having trouble treating him like he’s fully grown.

Link can’t blame him. Seeing Tulin’s tiny, fluffy body, his big blue eyes still full of so much life, Link realizes that Tulin shouldn’t have to be a warrior- even if he wants to be. There shouldn’t be so many evils for him to have to fight against. A lot of the warriors in Hyrule shouldn’t have to be doing what they’re doing right now… That’s why Link is so grateful for the avatars. With them as substitutes, Link doesn’t have to have Tulin or any of the others there in person to assist him. To know that they’re both by his side and safe at home is worth the pangs of loneliness that hit Link when he has to remind himself that the blue silhouettes aren’t the people he loves, but a small piece of them.

It’s freezing cold. So cold that Link has to wear four layers of thick clothing to feel remotely comfortable as the snow rains down onto his hood. He pulls his coat tighter around him and approaches Tulin. He’s not really in the mood to talk after the wedding and the event that took place with Sidon’s avatar last night, but it would be rude to pass Tulin and Teba without saying anything. 

“Good day, Link!” Tulin excitedly greets the swordsman, his wings fluttering with joy as he returns his newfound weapon to the bow holster on his belt. “I didn’t know you’d be coming again so soon after we met up! I thought I felt you in the area, but it’s a little hard to tell, y’know?”

Link shrugs. He was in the area on his search for the fifth sage and desperately needed to stop for more armor, bows, and food. With Brazen Beak as well as a flurry of authentic Rito markets and restaurants nearby, Rito village seemed like the logical place to stop. Link almost explains his thought process, but then, he processes Tulin’s last question. 

‘Felt’ him in the area…? What the hell does that mean?

“Felt…?” Link mumbles, tilting his head.

“No one explained this to him?” Teba sighs, sharp charcoal eyes laced with exasperation. Tulin doesn’t get the chance to answer before Teba turns back to Link and clarifies. “It seems the sages had a discussion about the avatars they’ve given you. They were trying to find new ways to assist you without having to leave their domains, but all they can do is put small amounts of their energy into their avatars and track your general location.”

“...So, you all know where I am,” Link nods in understanding. He never would’ve guessed. It’s not like he’s seen the sages too often. In the midst of all of the chaos, they haven’t had spare time to sit and chat about the avatars. “Can I ask something else, Tulin?”

“Of course! What is it?” 

“Can you control or see what the avatars are doing?”

“Um, no, I don’t think so,” Tulin tilts his head, pausing to think. He brings a wing up to his chin and hums. “Wait, why are you asking? Did something happen?”

“No,” Link shakes his head and offers the most reassuring smile he can muster even though his face is covered by a cloth mask to keep him warm. Though Tulin appears unsuspecting as always, Teba’s eyes narrow with confusion- as if he’s trying to figure out the same thing that Link is. Thankfully, Teba has no idea about Link’s feelings for Sidon, let alone an idea of what happened in the cave or of the thoughts that Link has had about Sidon and his avatar. “I was just thinking that if you could, it would be useful.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense,” Tulin frowns. “Sorry I can’t help more!”

“You’ve done more than enough,” Link quickly replies upon seeing the disappointment on Tulin’s face. Prying for information about the avatars for his own personal use might not have been the best move, especially when his questions were directed at Tulin… Perhaps he should’ve waited until seeing one of the others. Then again, one of the others may have questioned his intentions more than Tulin is now. “Thank you, Tulin. I’ll be on my way.”

Before Tulin or Teba can object, Link ducks into the entrance of the store and lets out a sigh of relief when the warm(er) air washes over his ice cold body.

He reaches into his pockets to count out his rupees, mulling on what all he should buy (or, mulling on what all he can afford)...

~

A blood moon comes later that night. 

After weeks of travel and tedious tasks, doing what he’s meant to do once again fills Link with energy unlike anything else. No more puzzles, no more socializing with people in places he’s not that familiar with, no more riding random horses, no more rotting away in caves, no more constant cooking over a shittily made fire- just fighting to protect the people of Hyrule with his sword and shield. The avatars stay close behind, but Link is the one who carries the battle.

He’s never liked to rely on others. 

Perhaps the malice that the blood moon brings affects Link a little, too. On any other night, he’d never enjoy a fight like this. But tonight, he enjoys it more than anything. The rage, sorrow, and desperation that have been coursing through his veins since Ganon’s return are all released with each monster he strikes down and dissects for meat, weapons, and parts. 

By the time Link finds a camping spot that night, a warm, fuzzy feeling of optimism is coursing through him. He feels as if he’s coming closer to finding the fifth sage as well as finding Ganon and Zelda. 

His mind flickers to Sidon. Why did the avatar put that blanket on him? Was it an act of love? An instinct? Or is taking care of Link something the avatars are just automatically programmed to do? If so, why wouldn’t one of the others have done it previously? Why was Sidon the first? Oh, the things Link would give to know exactly how the avatars work… The things he would give to know Sidon’s true intentions.

Link lies out in the middle of a field on his back. It’s not snowing where he’s at now, but it’s still chilly. The coat on top of the layers of sweaters and wool pants he’s wearing keeps him at a comfortable temperature, but none of the clothing replicates the warmth of a body. He wishes Sidon were here with him now, abandoning his responsibilities to stay with Link, lying beside him and holding him close to keep him warm through the night. Even if Sidon is cool blooded, anything- anyone- is warmer than this frigid cold. Lying with Sidon would be heaven right now…

Link flushes at the thought and sits up. He’s surrounded by yellow grass and dead wildflowers. Though he’s cleared out most of the monsters in the area, the signs of the blood moon remain, drops of crimson on nearby blades of grass and a metallic scent lingering in the air to accompany the ruby moonlight that shines down on his sunkissed skin. 

He dwells on the issue of the avatars as they interact on the field. Riju and Yunobo’s avatars sit in the grass to study the wildflowers while Tulin’s flies around above them. Sidon’s avatar watches them, but doesn’t smile or join them. Link doesn’t command them in any way for now, instead choosing to observe for as long as he needs to in order to figure out the answers to the many questions he has.

It doesn’t take long- at least not after considering the other information he’s collected since being gifted them.

Link quickly starts to suspect that the avatars will only do things that their respective sages would. They’re not uniform, soulless beings who are programmed to perform a strict set of actions. They’re spiritual representations of their sages, and while they aren’t capable of any actions that are especially complex, they can act of their own accord as long as it doesn’t go against Link’s commands.

Link would normally dismiss three of the four avatars before settling down for the night. This time, he allows them to stay for a little longer.

Tulin’s avatar flutters over to Link and ruffles his hair. It’s another sign that the avatars not only act for practical purposes such as combat, but of their own free will- or, of their sage’s will. While not nearly as expressive, they do have… Personality, even if it’s not very much. 

Though Link has known that the avatars aren’t directly controlled by the sage’s themselves, he supposes it makes sense that the avatars would do things that their sages would despite that, such as fighting alongside him in battle or guarding him during his travels. They’re more like spirits or manifestations than they are like machines.

The same night that Tulin’s avatar ruffles Link’s hair, Yunobo’s avatar starts to cook Link a meal over a fire made by Riju’s. Admittedly, Yunobo burns the food into a big black heap, but Link isn’t sure whether that’s a result of it being made by an avatar or an inevitable happening with Yunobo being the chef.  

Meanwhile, all Sidon’s avatar does is stand near the others with its beady blue eyes on Link. 

Link never thought he’d miss the color amber so much… Never thought he’d miss Sidon so much.

Link wants to know what Sidon is doing right now. He wants to know if Sidon is thinking of him, too.

But, currently, he’s stuck in the middle of the wilderness with the four wisps of blue still by his side. He supposes it could be worse. At least this time, his friends are doing a good job of staying alive. 

…Hopefully it stays that way. 

Link forces down the food that Yunobo’s avatar ‘prepared’ (AKA decimated with fire) and sets up his sleeping bag in the middle of the field. 

Technically, if he follows the rotation he’s been using, it’s Riju’s night to keep watch as he sleeps. But, Link figures he could probably get away with using Sidon’s avatar again. Sidon is a king now, anyway, busy with days full of paperwork, meetings, and other political crap if Zelda’s career as princess is anything to go by. Surely, Sidon won’t notice a little more of his energy being sapped than what he’s used to… A mere night’s worth. 

Link gives all four avatars a once over before dismissing three of the four of them. Now, it’s only he and Sidon’s left, standing alone underneath the cool air of the night.

The avatar approaches Link on its own, but it doesn’t do anything. Just stands there.

Link is curious. The smart thing for him to do would be to go straight to bed. Rather than doing that, though, he finds himself tempted to test the many theories he’s concocted regarding the avatar- regarding Sidon’s avatar, specifically. What would it do if Link touched it? Held it? Loved it? Would it react at all- and if it did react, would it react kindly? More importantly, if it did react kindly, would that reaction be a reflection of Sidon’s true self? 

…Would using the avatar get him the answers he’s been craving since Sidon’s wedding night?

Link takes a step closer to ‘Sidon’.

Sidon matches the action and takes a step closer to Link. 

Link commands him to kneel, so he does.

And then, Link is practically throwing himself into the avatar’s arms. It catches him, holds him tight, and pulls him into its chest for a tight hug. Link melts into the touch, a shaky sigh of relief flowing through him as he’s affectionately spun around in the cool night’s air. Then, ‘Sidon’ is gently placing Link down on his sleeping bag, sitting next to him, and pulling that same crochet blanket over his frame. 

Link sighs. His heart races, pounding hard and fast against his chest. He can’t remember the last time someone has hugged him, let alone in a way so… Affectionate. So close. There are so many things he wants to ask, but he knows that the avatar won’t answer the questions Link has for the real Sidon.

Link tries not to overthink this like he overthinks everything else. It’s an avatar, and from his understanding, the sage’s connection to them is minimal. They don’t know what the avatars are doing at any given time, just their general location, so Link could use them for any purpose. With the information provided by Tulin, Link is fully aware that Sidon has no way of finding out about what happened. Link should feel better, but he doesn’t, because the hug from ‘Sidon’ isn’t the answer he assumed it would be.

Friends hug each other all the time. 

Link wants a definite, concrete answer. A kiss, maybe a verbal confession- even though the avatars can’t talk. He wants something that, if he were to gather the courage to bring it to Sidon’s attention, Sidon wouldn’t be able to deny the romantic implications. 

The only solution is for Link to test the avatar again… In a different way.

Right?

~

Link puts it off forever. He runs around, doing meaningless tasks; fighting Yiga clan members, helping a little girl trying to travel to Gerudo Town, taming different kinds of horses, the usual things. 

Finally, on another one of ‘Sidon’s’ nights, Link decides that it’s worth pushing his theory about ‘Sidon’- or, about the avatar of him. The hug, while not too suggestive, was intimate and intense for Link. Maybe it was a hint to Sidon’s true feelings- maybe, if Link takes this further, he’ll get confirmation that Sidon is in love with him- that is, if his theory about the avatars only responding to situations the same way their sages would is correct. 

Link decides to test the avatar a second time. He tells himself it’s merely to confirm his theory. Deep down, he knows it’s because he wants that intimacy again. He’s getting greedy. He can’t bring himself to care. The avatar doesn’t smell like Sidon, and it certainly doesn’t speak like him, but the avatar is part of Sidon regardless and Link loves it for that.

Perhaps it’s wrong of him to abuse Sidon’s ‘vow’ like this, but Link has done many questionable things since the calamity and figures that there’s no harm in continuing to do so. The avatars aren’t people, anyway. This isn’t hurting anyone except for Link himself. Best case scenario, the avatar reacts the way that Link hopes it will and returns his affections. Worst case scenario, the avatar doesn’t, and though it will hurt, Link will at least have his answer. 

The others are gone and Link is alone with ‘Sidon’ in another cave he’s found to set up camp in during his travels. Sidon is sitting by the entrance, his back facing Link as his broad, blue frame blocks any potential enemies from coming in.

Link commands Sidon to come and sit by his side, so he does, blankly peering down at Link.

Link doesn’t remember when ‘the avatar’, ‘Sidon’s avatar’, and ‘it’- turned into ‘Sidon’; into ‘him’, but it’s already happened and he can’t stop it, can’t keep himself from getting out of his sleeping bag and climbing into the avatar’s lap. His logical mind screams at him to stop, reminds him that he will regret this forever no matter how the avatar responds, tells him that he’s stupid for fawning over Sidon when Princess Zelda is still out there somewhere. But, the part of him that loves Sidon, the part of him that’s so illogical, manages to win for long enough that Link has the time to throw his arms over Sidon’s shoulders and pull himself up to kiss the Zora.

It’s odd- bizarre, really. The avatar’s lips don’t feel like lips, rather like wind ghosting over Link’s own. Link doesn’t question it, though. If this is the only way he’s going to get to kiss Sidon, he’s going to relish in it; relish in the way that Sidon’s big hands thread through his hair, in the way that Sidon kisses him back and easily puts him on the floor of the cave- wait, what?

Link breaks the kiss to admire the position Sidon has gotten him into. He’s on his back, with one of the avatar’s knees between his legs. The other knee is beside one of Link’s hips, keeping him pinned. Sidon’s elbows are on the ground on either side of Link’s shoulders and his hands remain in Link’s blond locks. Link realizes that, if this were Sidon and not the avatar, he wouldn’t be able to get out of this position. 

The avatar opens his mouth, as if to say something, only to fall silent.

Link curses to himself.

The avatar can’t speak.

What would it say if it could?

…What would the real Sidon say right now?

‘Sidon’ leans down to kiss him again. Link kisses him back, only to feel one of those large hands slipping underneath his shirt and groping his chest. Link gasps and curls into the touch.

When was the last time someone touched him like this? 

Sidon looks up at Link, but it’s not him. Not really. The amber eyes that he’s used to, sparkling and full of so much life, are pools of emptiness. The blush that he imagined would be there, the big toothy grin, they’re both nonexistent. Reality slaps Link in the face. 

This isn’t Sidon. And whatever he wants, he’s not going to get it out of Sidon’s avatar. He has to get it out of the real Sidon. The hug, the kiss, neither of them are ‘true’ answers like he thought they would be. His theories, while probably correct, haven’t brought Link any peace. Not this time.

Link panics and scrambles to dismiss Sidon- no, the avatar- as fast as he can, before this situation gets any worse.

Almost as if he weren’t there in the first place, Sidon’s avatar vanishes into the cool night’s air in a flash of blue light. 

Link sits up and hangs his head in shame. 

Just what has he done…?

~

A week passes. Link desperately tries to keep himself occupied. He has so much to do that staying busy isn’t hard. He manages to find the fifth sage, Mineru, and defeat the Seized Construct with her help. Now, he has to find wherever the hell Ganon is hiding. Despite all of it, Sidon lingers heavy in the back of his mind. The other avatars circle around Link as he tries to find a good place to settle down for the night. 

Sidon’s, however, is noticeably absent. Link can’t look at him- at it- after what they did in the cave that night. So, he hasn’t used Sidon’s avatar since then. He’s too embarrassed, too ashamed, too… Too scared that he’ll push this further than he should.

Link sees a cave in the distance and feels heat consume his body from head to toe.

He doesn’t want to sleep in a cave ever again, even if it’s much, much safer than sleeping out in the wilderness. He thinks he’d rather sleep in a pool of gloom than sleep in a cave again after that night…

He raises a single hand up to his face, brushing his fingers against his bottom lip. Even if it was the faintest sensation, he swears that when he dwells on that kiss for too long, he can still feel the avatar’s lips.

The climate in Central Hyrule is at least decent at this time of year. As the night falls, it’s pleasantly warm with a peaceful breeze. The next blood moon shouldn’t be for a few more days and despite the gloom that lurks here and there, the area is more peaceful than it has been. Link lays out his sleeping back and gets ready to dismiss the avatars, only to hear heavy footsteps.

He braces himself for combat, placing a hand on the butt of his sword only to further tense up when he sees a blur of crimson red and bluish grey in the distance. 

Sidon…?

“Link!” Sidon calls out as he runs closer.

Link takes his hand off of his sword and stands there, confused, all while dismissing the avatars. Sidon is notably alone, running through the night with flushed cheeks and sweaty scales. He pants as if he’s out of breath from running for a long time.

“Link!” Sidon doesn’t hesitate to run to Link, practically collapsing onto his knees in front of the Hylian so they’re eye level. Link is too stunned to do or say anything, especially when he notices tears in Sidon’s amber eyes. As Sidon reaches forward and places his hands on Link’s shoulders, the tears fall from his eyes and down his cheeks. “Link, you’re okay-”

Link nods, furrowing his brow. Why is Sidon here? Why is he crying? Was he… Under the impression that Link was in danger? Before he can talk himself out of it, Link reaches forward to wipe the tears from Sidon’s face with his thumbs. 

“Link, my lo- I mean, my dearest friend,” Sidon starts. “My scouts informed me that you were spotted nearby, so I came right away!”

“What?” Link questions. He can’t remember the last time he’s seen another Zora, meaning that they must have been hiding from him on purpose if they were nearby. Why were they even sent this far out? Link can’t think of a good reason for them to be away from the domain right now. “Is there something going on?”

“No- well, yes- I couldn’t sense your location with my avatar for days!” Sidon explains. His voice is shaky with relief. He manages to stop crying for long enough to smile. “I was so worried. Thank Hylia you’re safe.”

“Wait,” Link pauses, struggling to process that Sidon has been actively tracking his location with the avatar to the point that he freaked out and traveled across Hyrule upon noticing that he wasn’t able to. “Why are you here? What’s going on?”

“Oh, w-well, um-”

As Sidon struggles to explain himself, which is already unusual, Link notices the blatant lack of royal guards. Normally, when he’s at the palace, Sidon is allowed some freedoms, but especially now that he’s king, the council would never let him leave the palace unattended. Link understands the need to get away, but for Sidon to leave with no protection… God, he could’ve been assassinated and no one would’ve had any idea.

“Where are your guards?” Link demands. 

“Not here. I sent the scouts away after they reported your location to me as well,” Sidon confesses rather sheepishly. “I may or may not have snuck out. Lady Yona is covering for me back home. That being said, what is going on with the avatars? I’ve been able to feel where you are almost every day since I gave you my vow… This is odd.”

Link winces.

Sidon was unable to find Link’s location, and thinking better of Link, assumed that it was some sort of malfunction. Link wants to lie to him more than anything, but he just… Can’t. His conscience aside, he needs answers. They need to have this talk. And if it goes poorly, he can leave, and they can both pretend that it never happened.

“I dismissed yours.”

Sidon’s eyes go wide.

“Did I do something wrong? My dearest Link, I-”

“No, no, it’s nothing to do with you, I-” Link interjects. “I did something stupid.”

Sidon waits for Link to explain for a ridiculously long amount of time. Two minutes, maybe three, pass by. Link can’t find the words to explain his actions, let alone his logic behind them. Thinking about it in depth, the way he tested Sidon’s avatar was actually quite violating, even if it’s not technically a person.

Sidon pulls away and sits down on the ground. Link sits by his side. Silence, again, and then Sidon is placing a hand on Link’s back and asking-

“Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine,” He answers. “I, uh, I hugged your avatar. Sorry.”

“And? That is fine,” Sidon, bless him, continues to see the best in Link. He practically beams with affection and rubs Link’s back. Link’s skin burns at the contact. Now, with everything that’s happened, with the avatar, and tonight, Link realizes that the hand on his back was never platonic. He has his answers. The hard part is going to be giving Sidon an answer of his own. “The conditions you travel in must be lonely. I’m honored that you wanted my avatar as your company.”

“Right…”

“I came out here to make sure you were well. It seems you are fine, but why did you dismiss my avatar over a… Hug?”

“It’s not-” Link clams up, squeezing his hands into fists and placing them in his lap. How does he tell Sidon about how he found out? How does he confess his feelings? He’s never done anything like this before. Hell, he’s never felt like this before. “I’m not…”

“What is it? There’s something you’re refusing to tell me,” Sidon frowns, shaking his head in disapproval. “Honestly, it’s dangerous of you to dismiss my vow for so long. The Link I know would never act so foolishly, especially with you searching for Ganon. If you would’ve found him without me by your side… I don’t even want to imagine it. So, what is it that’s important enough for you to have dismissed me? Was it the wedding? I knew something was off, but you wouldn’t tell me-”

Link sighs.

“It made out with me,” He mumbles, and then clarifies- “The avatar, I mean.”

“Made… Out?”

“Kissing,” Link covers his face with his hands. Even through years of being defeated in battle, doing embarrassing things for his job, being in uncomfortable medical situations due to injuries, and so much more, he’s never been this humiliated in his entire life. “We kissed.”

“Oh,” Sidon whispers at first, and then yells. “Oh!”

Link clasps his hands together and bows his head. His bangs cover his eyes to spare him from having to look at Sidon.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? I’m sorry! Why, I don’t know why my avatar would do such a thing! To violate your autonomy like that, what a heinous-”

“Sidon,” Link cuts Sidon off before he can finish the guilty, apologetic ramble Link knows he’s about to go on. “I… Kissed it first.”

Sidon tilts his head in that oh-so-curious, oh-so-adorable way that Link fell in love with all those years ago.

“Excuse me?”

“The avatars- they, um, they act like you would in most situations. I figured that out. So, I tested it… Tested you… By kissing it. And it kissed me back, and I’m sorry.”

“But why?” Sidon whispers.

Link can’t tell if the man is horrified or merely confused. 

“Long story,” Link murmurs. “If it were the real you, would you have done the same thing?”

“My dearest Link,” Sidon’s eyes fall shut as he reaches over to place a hand on Link’s knee. It’s so warm, so strong, so reassuring. Link would kill to melt into his touch right now, but he can’t bring himself to do so without hearing the answer he needs said out loud. “You must know the answer to that by now.”

“You think I would’ve done any of what I did with the avatar if I knew? I need to hear it.”

Sidon reaches forward to hold Link’s face in his hands once more. He tucks a loose stand of hair behind Link’s ear. Such large, strong hands, yet so gentle, they caress Link’s cheeks and handle him like he’s something to be cherished. Sidon leans closer, leans further down, and rests his forehead against Link’s.

“Then, I’ll tell you the truth… I’m in love with you. If it were me rather than the avatar, I still would have returned your affections, and quite frankly, I’m jealous that that thing got to kiss you before I did.”

Link shrugs, averting his gaze to the grass beneath them.

“You still can… Kiss me, I mean,” He tentatively offers, and much to his surprise, Sidon doesn’t hesitate.

Their lips are connected again in an instant. Link reaches up, grabs Sidon's cravat for purchase, and kisses the Zora back. As much as he loved that kiss with the avatar in the cave, he loves kissing the real Sidon much more; loves the sensation of Sidon’s gentle hands cradling his face, of Sidon’s thumbs stroking his high set cheekbones, of Sidon’s soft and solid lips tenderly moving against his own, of the real Sidon. By the time Link pulls away, he’s breathless. But before he can say or do anything else, Sidon is speaking.

“Please, come home with me,” Sidon pleads as he stands up and pulls Link to his feet. “Just for tonight, so you can rest and so I can know that you’re safe. Then, in the morning, when you’re well rested and fed, resume your search.”

Link nods, and with that, the two are walking side by side and hand in hand back to Zora’s Domain.

[jullbnt]

Hi, I really love your designs for the ballet AU

Maybe you could do ballet versions of Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom? Just the main characters and Sages/Champions, though.

I’d also love to see a crossover with Princess Tutu, if at all possible.

Thank you!!

I have to say "just the main characters and Sages/Champions" is a lot of work! I went the easy road and did something with Riju and Urbosa (they are my favorites anyway). Designing costumes for the other characters would be much more difficult but it could be interesting, maybe I’ll try something when I have more time!

I also have sketches of BotW/TotK Link and Zelda in my WIPs, but that’s for later :))

I didn’t even know what Princess Tutu was so… sorry about that :/

———————

I won’t accept more requests at the moment! This is a request I received for my 500 followers celebration and I still have a lot to do :)

Answered art requests

[blueskittlesart]

So my first LoZ game was TOTK. I got it as a gift and I just recently obtained BOTW. After watching the Echoes of Wisdom trailer, I have a few questions and figured considering the document u could prolly answer.

Are the Rito a staple of the game? They don't appear to be in EoW.

Are Sidon, Riju, Yunobo, and Tulin/Teba similar staples? Do their tribes appear without them, the characters changing?

What are Deku? Are they korok alternatives?

Finally, where do u think the game would fall on the timeline?

Thank you so much.

omg yaaay i havent talked at length about zelda lore/theories in a while lets go

Rito are a relatively new addition to the franchise. the only games which feature them are wind waker (2002) and its sequels, and botw (2016) and its sequels. the canonical explanation for why the rito just showed up is that they evolved in the thousands of years between wind waker and the game that came before it on the timeline. Based on the general vibe of eow i've seen in the trailers, it looks like it probably comes before wind waker on the timeline or exists in a different timeline entirely. so i think the rito probably haven't evolved yet. because the rito haven't been around since the very beginning like other races in the games, the devs seem to have more freedom to pick and choose whether they want them around, so i wouldn't exactly call them a staple race in the way that zora and gorons are.

While the RACES of hyrule are staples of the franchise, the specific champions we see in botw/totk are not. those characters don't reincarnate the way link, zelda, and ganon do, so they only exist within that one specific link's time. So while we'll definitely zee zora and gorons in eow, we almost definitely aren't going to see any familiar characters.

Deku are a race of forest spirit-adjacent. things. their first appearance was in oot iirc. the great deku tree, as you may remember from botw/totk, is a very old, very powerful forest spirit who rules over the forest. in oot, deku scrubs were usually hostiles you had to either fight or negotiate with, and in mm, link could become a deku scrub via a kind of terrifying mechanic we don't have to get into here. based on the eow trailer, in this version of hyrule the deku scrubs are korok/kokiri substitutes. the race that lives in the forest is one of the most inconsistent pieces of overarching zelda lore, so yeah tldr you can just assume theyre basically koroks.

the timeline question is. well. before the most recent trailer I was almost completely convinced that it was going to be on the alttp timeline, somewhere after link's awakening. but that was based solely on the vibes and the bare glimpses of the hyrule map we got in the first trailer. now that we've gotten a much more extensive look at the map and the races of hyrule, I think it's a little more likely that the game takes place sometime before oot. the map looks similar enough to minish cap while featuring races and regions that made their debut in oot, so I think that it makes sense for the game to fall somewhere in between the two, and I think that a lot of the choices they made sort of lend themselves to the game being a transition between minish cap/4 swords and oot. the crack theory is that it takes place AFTER botw/totk, purely because of how visually similar bind looks to ultrahand and the appearance of certain races being super similar to botw/totk, but i think the pre-oot theory is MUCH more likely.

[ganondoodle]

"bc i find it weird and uncomfortable how nintendo treats and comments on Riju and the gerudo as a whole"

Could you elaborate on this? Outside of men perving on the Gerudo (which is honestly just representative of real life scenarios) I can't think of anything problematic in regards to how they or Riju are treated. (Her being put into power at such a young age is questionable but that's just one of the downfalls of hereditary ruling I think.)

This is genuine, I'm not trying to be sarcastic or obtuse or anything! I never noticed anything overtly concerning so I just was curious what you were referring to. (Sorry I'm sure there's a post or something I missed where you were talking about it.)

so, this ask comes off as a little weird since the Gerudo are very overtly orientalist/racist stereotypes and you can just .. .research it instead but, given that i recently got an ask from someone saying they were 14 i will answer it bc i know sometimes you think first about asking someone about something instead of looking it up yourself

so, mind you, i am not a person of color, and the issues are a giant can of worms i cannot possibly go into every detail of nor know every detail of

the Gerudo, both in older games and new ones (botw/totk) are basically a bunch of stereotypes about black and arab people rolled into one, they are based on a mish mash of middle eatern cultures together with popular stereotypes about them

they wear stupidly impractical sexy clothing for people living in the desert, its very skin exposing (something that is the opposite of what you do living in an environment like that) and based on the wrong but popular idea of the 'belly dancer' outfit- an outfit that isnt sexual but was popularized as something akin to a strippers outfit by western people (colonizers im pretty sure .. who else) and is STILL used as that, they also wear high heels ... in the desert ......... a sand desert .... and wear heavy make up (like hylian women dont)

even worse then that the EXACT SAME outfit is used for the children as well, they too are put into heels, heavy makeup, and that 'belly dancer' outfit which is very VERY uncomfortable if you know what that oufit is largely seen as .. (even if youd try to argue that Riju wears it to seem more like a competent leader, it falls flat bc the children wear the same damn weird outfit as everyone else)

the Gerudo are also all very muscular in a way that no other women is in the game, which plays into the stereotype of black women being more masculine/mannish than uwu frail little white women and thus, among more, less women, or being able to feel less pain (yes that is an actual belief wtf??), while at the same time still sexualized

now in OOT they were thiefing evil women (thief being yet another stereotype for arabs as well as evil) whos only 'good' one both rejecting some of their tradition (kinda playing into the idea of those tradtions being wrong and adhering to the "good" traditions of western people is what makes you good) and is also abused throughout the game; in botw/totk they are not eviiiil but live in a closed to all men city and their entire society revolves around finding a hylian man to marry, their only goal in life is basically to find a man and have a family which i HOPE i dont have to explain why that is problematic (misogyny anyone) while it is treated by other NPCs as something to be conquered, something alien and other that beckons them to invade, they constantly try to get into the city where all da sexyyyy women are (hello????????????) and its less treated as disgusting and more like a haha little joke (in botw theres a guy circling around the city at all times??? excuse me?? and in totk the same guy is SNEAKING ON THE ROOFS OF THE HOUSES IN THE CITY LOOKING TO GET IN?????????????????)

the argument of that just being real life is ... not all wrong per se but the thing is, ONLY the Gerudo are treated like sexy things to be oogled at (both in OOT and botw/totk, possibly even more but i am not as familiar with all games in the franchise) and no other women from any species is eyebrow raising to say the least, and it never really gets called out either beyond making fun of that one guy by scamming him out of his boots by .. pretending to be a girl (pretty sure link is the only non Gerudo that is oogled at by anyone and its the creepiest creep)

then, with Riju in particular its made even worse that she is not just young but VERY young (which also begs the question why the fuck the Gerudo would put someone so young into the seat of leader of their entire region- something also no other race does), shes only 12 in botw and yet, like all the other children too, put into the same kind of outfit, but then theres also the commentary in the concept art book saying that "gerudo age faster than hylians and thats why shes got a mature air to her" which, among being a way to make how shes sexualized (both in outfit and at times camera angles- also applies to Urbosa) seem more okay (its not) and plays into the stereotype that people of color are quicker to gorw up and thus be treated as adults despite being children like any other child- hence why often in the news when a black child is shot they dont call them a child but "young man", using that to subtly shift it to seem more okay (like we are currently seeing in the genocide of palestine, news calling a murdered SIX year old palestinian "YOUNG WOMAN" while calling a 19 year old white soldier lady who got a little bruise an abused child)

and it also applies to Ganondorf, he is the epitome of evil arab men stereotype, power hungry abusive and ruling over lots of women (in this case its his entire race...), (with a hint of antisemitism too, his hooked nose being both used as an overemphasized feature for arabs and jewish people as a sign of their connection to the devil/sing of evil and to other them from white 'good little noses'- (((i want to yell about this so much bc big and hooked noses are so cool and beautiful argh))) and his skin tone being always some strange greyish-yellow color no one else has and even worse mint green in totks official art, despite him being very dark grey in model- green skin being yet another antisemitic trope PLUS playing into the whole idea that being evil means you also LOOK evil, whichs is often, who would have guessed- anything that isnt the traditional western beauty ideal of thin thin white and young)

while also in totk, he as well is sexualized with his new revealing outfit and the weird constant emphasis on how he is meant to be sexy to everyone alike (and it not being apparent in the game nor used in it) in multiple interviews with the main people in charge of the franchise- and his evilness being what all the Gerudo must atone for, they birthed this eviiil man (who is evil from birth i guess bc thats totally fine and logical) and they have to bear that sin for all eternity (as in dialog about him in the gerudo sage cutscene, plus the whole idea of the closed off city, despite there having been no ganondorf in thousands of years, being closed of to men as to shut out any potential Ganondorf or similar evil? though the latter im not sure how supported it is .. i cant remember every line of dialog ok) while the hyrulean monarchy and its uwu blonde god descdendants are never even confronted with the horrible shit they did, bc its fine if they torture and murder people (OOT and possibly more), chase them into the void or persecute their own servants bc da king got afraid they could rise up against him- with their only choice being give up their tech and knowledge to live under the royal rule (botw/totk ancient shiekah- shiekah, and its presented as a good thing, we are all happy beign the eternal servants of the monarchy :)))) or be killed, and the ones resisting are eviiiill and now a cult and also very stupid and silly and not to be taken seriously (yiga) while its mentioned once as a fun fact and never ever mentioned again, bc, the hyrulean monarchy is all god descendant uwu white blonde people that are so good you guys, everything they do is in the name of good uwu and neva to be questioned uwu bc obviously everyone that opposed to them is evil bc they are the perfectest good guys uwu

youd think, and i hoped, they would do better by now, in botw, the gerudo are not well done at all, different than before but still bad, but at least they introduced other people with darker skin tones that arent Gerudo so they are not the literal only people with non white skin anymore- but with totk espeically, they had the chance to make Ganondorf into an interesting villain with a point, maybe not even full blown villain, bc he has a point- he does but its not treated as such, its treated as if he is the most blatantly flat evil guy ever- even more flat and one note evil than all his previous appearances, which is frankly, quite insulting to say the least

look i wanted to keep it short but here we are, i dont know if this anon was genuinely being genuine or not (since bigots like to act all non offensive and like to ask you to explain your very obvious point ..) but i dont htink i ever talked about it as a whole so eh- i probably missed stuff but anyway, heres a good video about it for zelda in particular

[breannasfluff]

Fierce looks around the flat desert with a grimace. “What…exactly are we doing out here?”

Wild is bouncing, but he’s too excited not to share this activity. “We’re going to hunt Molduga! There’s supposed to be some out here! And since it’s just the two of us, we don’t have to hold back.” He flushes, glancing up at his mentor. Please think it’s a good idea, pleaseplease–

“All right, if you want to, little Cub.”

“Ok, but before we kill it I always try to ride it. One of these days I’ll make it in time and then I’m rubbing it in Riju’s face. I bet she’ll give me a prize.”

Fierce smiles and strides forward, seemingly at ease in the heat despite his armor. “Want to scare it up for us?”

“Yes!” Wild waves and runs out into the sand, letting his aura go. The molduga senses it and changes direction, jumping with a roar. The champion changes direction, darting across the sand as the beast pursues. It dives again, but Wild rejoins Fierce before it jumps again. 

The deity answers with a roar of his own and runs for it head-on. Wild is about to call out a warning when he jumps–higher than Wild can–and plants one foot on its snout. He pushes off and the momentum carries him up and over to the top fin. Fierce lays a hand on the bone and muscle and the molduga…settles. Then it moves under his direction, half swimming through the sand in a wide arc.

Wild hisses. How did Fierce do that on the first try? He’s been trying for so long! 

The molduga circles back and Fierce grins down from his perch. “Want to join me, Cub?”

He glares at the sky, glares at the sand, and imagines ripping the still-beating heart from the molduga’s chest. “...yes.”

To be fair, hunting it with Fierce ends up being almost as much fun as riding it together.

For @screaming-but-also-not 

[unblemisheddesertflower]

Olive branch for Riju in AOC!

Fancy

To many, Chieftain Riju was a happy-go-lucky, optimistic sort who took every hit on the chin and wouldn't hold it against them so long as they came to a solution. That was certainly to her design, and something she did strive for - but it was hardly the whole story.

There were few who she held a grudge against for long. She was the first to defend moldugas' rampages during breeding season because they couldn't help it, and would put in pounds of prevention to prevent the tons of cure that would be required if she allowed her temper to get the better of her during diplomatic negotiations.

Perhaps, then, it was Kohga's bad luck that he was one of the few people Riju could truly throw her anger at with no consequences. Well. No consequences other than what he wrought, and frankly, that would happen regardless.

So now, captured and waiting reinforcements in the depths, perhaps it wasn't a surprise that the smile had finally vanished from her face, replaced with a  hard line as she eyed the infamous Master Kohga. He'd started out his usual half-jester routine, but after her not speaking a word for hours, and only the dull crackle of electricity that her entire familial line had inherited when tested for company, perhaps he was coming around to a bit of anxiety.

She allowed her gaze to flick to the cup he'd put before her - she guessed mint, but wouldn't be taking it until at least she saw him drink from the same pot - before lazily following back to his masked face.

[ezdotjpg]

I have a silly little question about your silly little comic!! I love your versions of the Links so much. Loft is such a mood FOR REAL!!

anywho,

How did you come up with the original concept? If this is somewhat spoilery- then don’t answer it. But i’m more so wondering what let you to go

“i want to make a comic about the silly links accidentally breaking and fucking everything up. also trauma lots of trauma”

Did you come to the understanding of, looking at other peoples AU’s? Or was it something in the games itself? I’m just curious on what your thought process was when brainstorming originally yk?

Also, small bonus question/comment thingy

when making backgrounds- like Zelda and Wilds house or Lofts home with Zelda and Groose- did you base the backgrounds on your own ideas of what the characters would live in? Like if they’d have clutter or silly little notes in the background. I love how your backgrounds are just- chefs kiss- so simple but shows us a glimpse into the characters mental state (as all good rooms do *stares at my messy one*)

that is all, i very much so enjoy your comic. it’s gotten me through the bad Wednesdays of highschool. Keep going!!! i am excited to see it’s conclusion.

waugh thank you so much!!!!!

And I guess the answer to that first question is all of them above? Bonus Links is, of course, an extremely derivative work. LU was my first introduction to the links-meet-au format, so I’d be remiss not to give credit where credit is due! Probably many ideas I’ve absorbed from fics I’ve read, and headcanons I vibe with that come from the wider fandom. The idea for Bonus Link’s actual plot though originally started from my fascination with Skyward Sword’s lore. I know not everyone’s a huge fan of how much that game retconned, Demise’s “curse” in particular, but there’s a lot of ideas in that game that I find REALLY interesting, especially in ways that the game doesn’t really acknowledge at all. How would Skyward Sword Link feel, if he found out he truly didn’t finish the job? That the cycle continues on and on beyond him? That was the jumping off point.

Because it’s a cycle, I get a lot of ideas from like, which Links have experienced similar events, and how their experiences compare and contrast. What becomes history, and what actually happened? And I also use a lot of my own experiences playing the games as inspiration! I’d played as many as I had access to when I started the au in 2021, but I’ve made it my mission to play every single game a Link is featured in before they get introduced in the comic lol. Still got a few more to go, but I’m almost there!

As for the second question, absolutely! If I’m showing someone’s home in the comic, I try really hard to add details that tell you something about them. At the very least, I want them to look lived in lol

like, Slate still having the champion’s weapons on display in his house. Zelda’s mostly taken over the first floor as her workshop, even adding a Sheikah tech furnace somehow. She’s filled her room with pictures she’s taken on the walls. She’s got a sand seal plush from Riju, a Sheikah jacket from Impa. Her workspace is a little cluttered!

On the other hand, Slate’s room upstairs looks a little less personal. He’s got some pictures on the wall, and some plants growing from around hyrule (that Zelda has kind of commandeered for research lol) but otherwise he’s left it how Bolson and co furnished it. If anything, it’s mostly just for storage. He doesn’t actually spend much time sleeping here, but Zelda still doesn’t want to take it from him.

Loft, Groose and Zelda’s room is very cozy ( I should have added more blankets. Imagine like 4 times the amount of pillows and blankets) and tidy, but there’s still a little mess— shoes left out, basket of poorly folded clothes, etc. Cute knickknacks, mostly made by loft and groose! It’s not in this sc but groose’s comb is somewhere I think lol

Idk if iced shared this detail before, but Loft put a lot of effort into designing and carving (probably with some assistance) these columns for the house! Even though carving’s hard for him these days. It was his biggest contribution.

anyway, those are some of my thoughts!! I’m so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the comic! Thanks for reading!!

[mortalorder]

So Age of Calamity has this quest called “EX Liberate the Ancient Lab” where you have to fight Master Kohga with Riju and Urbosa as part of it. When you replay the level after beating it, you can chose to play as a different character, and they’re allowing me to play as Kohga, so I wonder, what will they do in this scenario.

The answer is: let you fight Kohga as Kohga