#traysi totk

[whimsisadie]

sure we believe u

[lucky-clover-gazette]

"Well, I'm not going to tell you how to dress for adventure, Link. I just appreciate you coming here." - Traysi, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Art inspired by my TOTK fic-in-progress, Mask Off!

[wouldyoustilllovemeifiwasawyrm]

Newsworthy

Linktober 2023 Day 21: Link Traysi crossed her arms examining Link up and down, her attention especially on the Zonai arm. “So, Link, what’s the story here? Where have you been?” Link let out a breath, pushing back his bangs with his Hylian hand. Goddess, where to begin…? “Zelda and I went down to the Castle to check out the gloom.”

Frigid wind bit into his cheeks. The archaic wraps around his legs kept him from freezing to death, but only barely. He kept a few spicy peppers in his pocket to tide him over as he trudged through the ice and snow on his way to Rito Village.

He longed for the warmth of a stable, much like the one he left that morning. If he could just make it to Rito Stable, all would be well. He could get a bowl of hot stew, sleep in a warm bed, and get to the bottom of whatever was causing this horrendous blizzard. But as Link approached the stable, something felt off.

A man in a stable uniform sat by the fire under an awning. He poked at the flaming logs with a long stick, making room to toss in another. Rather than bales of rolled hay, a handful of crates rested against the wall of the stable. No scent of roasted meat reached his nose, nor the grunting of horses to his ears.

Link dragged his feet the rest of the way through the snow, waving at the stablehand as he approached. While the stablehand acknowledged his presence, the typical offers to stay and enjoy the amenities did not pass his lips.

“You looking for the Lucky Clover Gazette?” The man asked.

Link stopped abruptly, the warmth of the fire having drawn him in. “Pardon?”

The man gestured toward the thick fabric walls of the stable. “Used to be Rito Stable, before this nasty storm rolled in. And I was its owner.” The man sighed. “But I had to sell it. I couldn’t afford to keep the doors open once the travelers stopped coming. The Lucky Clover took over management, and now I just stick around doing odd jobs.”

The Lucky Clover, huh? Wasn’t that the newspaper he’d heard about at Lookout Landing? They’d certainly sprung up fast. He hadn’t heard of them when he and Zelda left Hateno for the Landing before the Upheaval. But then, that might just be because Hateno was at the other end of the world.

“What do you know about what’s been happening to the Rito?” Link asked.

The man shrugged. “Not much. The blizzard showed up right around the time all those weird islands appeared, and hasn’t let up since. All the adults flew the coop, to use their language. They’re out searching for food to bring back to the fledglings since the rivers and lakes froze over.”

Link turned his gaze toward the pyre. Small lights flickered despite the harsh wind and beating snow, defiant against the storm. He had come at the right time, it seemed. He refused to let Hyrule’s people starve—especially the children.

A clattering inside the not-stable drew Link’s attention back to the ground he stood on.

“Watch it, Penn!” A female voice huffed. “That ink is expensive!”

That name sounded familiar. As did that voice. Link thanked the stablehand for the information before rounding the corner into the fabric-lined chamber.

A woman stood over the end of a long table on which several maps and books were laid. A tall, white Rito picked up a pot, quickly adjusting the lid. Only a little inky blackness dripped down the lip and onto the Rito’s feathers. When the pot had been safely set back upon the shelf, the Rito noticed Link.

“Hey! Little Hylian guy!” The Rito waved enthusiastically. “So you decided to come out here after all!”

Link thought back to where he had seen this Rito before. It was at the Landing, right? Did Link introduce himself? He didn’t recall whether he had. But given the admonishment from the woman, Link could guess that this Rito was Penn. Now that he thought of it, didn’t Penn say he was a reporter?

Penn waved Link over. “After Traysi cheated the owner out of Rito Stable, we’ve been using this place as a base of operations for our newspaper. Our readership stretches all across Hyrule, which means we need more reporters than ever. Traysi and I are working on the biggest Princess Zelda investigation yet. I assume you’re here for the job?”

Before Link could answer, Traysi, who had been bent over studying a map on the table, suddenly huffed in annoyance and spun around on her heel to glare at Penn. “Would you shut up?! You’re distracting me from mapping out these leads! And I’ve told you before, I bought this place fair and square! Stop telling people I cheated anybody out of anything!”

Penn jumped backward, using his wings as shields from the five-foot-nothing Hylian woman’s ire. “But, but boss! I’m just trying to recruit a new applicant!”

“New applicant?” Traysi asked. She turned her focus to Link, her gaze narrowing as she studied him. “Hang on, you look familiar…” Link was about to explain why that was, but she beat him to it. “Oh crap!” She gestured toward Penn. “Uh, Penn, do you mind fetching me some papering swabs from the back? I’ll, uh, speak to this new applicant for a minute.”

A bright grin spread over Penn’s beak. He saluted her. “Roger that, boss!”

Link watched the door close behind Penn, curiously listening to the shuffling of boxes and equipment in what he assumed must be a back room. “What’s a papering swab?”

“Nothing. It doesn’t exist. I just needed to get him out of here so we could talk.” Traysi crossed her arms examining Link up and down, her attention especially on the Zonai arm. “So, Link, what’s the story here? Where have you been?”

Link let out a breath, pushing back his bangs with his Hylian hand. Goddess, where to begin…? “Zelda and I went down to the Castle to check out the gloom.”

Traysi nodded. “Yes, we know that already. The two of you disappeared almost two months ago.”

“Two- two months?!” Link gaped at her. That couldn’t be right! Wouldn’t someone at Lookout Landing have told him if he was missing for two months?!

A surprised eyebrow and a slight grin on Traysi’s face betrayed her enjoyment at sharing what was clearly juicy gossip. “Two months, Linkyboy. You and Zelda disappeared right around the turn of autumn. Now we’re about a month out from the solstice.”

Link replayed Traysi’s words in his head. Two months. No wonder everyone was so desperate to find them. He supposed he should thank them for their faith in him. Rather than declaring them both dead from starvation or exposure, they assumed Link took care of Zelda even in the wilderness. He would have, of course, and was more than capable of doing so. But it was still flattering to think that they never doubted him.

“Just so we’re on the same page, I’ll tell you what I know. I’m working with Purah, so you have nothing to worry about in terms of keeping stuff confidential.” Traysi started. She pointed to the center of her map. “You and the princess went missing shortly after the equinox. You traveled to Hyrule Castle to investigate the gloom, which at that point was mostly insubstantial. A few people got sick here and there, but gloom was easily avoided for the most part.” She waited for Link to nod in confirmation before continuing. “Then, something happens while you guys are there. You two go missing. The castle starts rising up into the sky. Sky islands start to appear, and chunks start to fall.” She sweeps her hand across the map as she speaks, pointing to each location on the map. “Ring ruins tumble in Kakariko. Strange glowing rocks appear in Eldin. Pirates attack Lurelin. Sludge rains down over Lanayru. The Gerudo go dark, no communication. Blizzards in Hebra. And a whole lot of Yiga activity all over.”

Link frowns, each problem in Hyrule weighing heavily on his shoulders. If he had been here, if he had saved Zelda and got them out, none of this would have happened. He could scarcely imagine the toll of suffering that he’d let happen in his absence.

“And, of course, that’s not to mention the weird holes everywhere.” Traysi continued. “Caves and chasms. New monsters and leaking gloom.” She shook her head. “It’s a mess.”

Link winced.

If Traysi took notice of that, she made no sign of it. She merely crossed her arms again. “So, what happened on your end?”

Link swallowed hard, his head spinning as he examined the map as if the ink on the paper were accusing him of criminal inaction. “There was…something underneath the castle.”

Traysi raised a brow, waving her hand for him to continue.

The memory of that horrific day surfaced slowly, fighting through the fog he’d put over it to get through the days in between. “We went down and found all this…Zonai stuff. Relics. Murals. Something about an ancient war with a Demon King.” He unhooked the Purah Pad from his hip, showing her the photos that Zelda took. “The princess took these photos of what was down there. I can’t make a lot of sense of them myself, but I was going to show them to the research team when I eventually made it to Kakariko.”

Traysi eagerly took the Pad, turning it one way, then the other, examining the details. “Zonai, huh? That’s different.” She swiped through the photos he’d taken, then giggled. “Um, was this one intentional?” “Which?” Link asked, looking over her shoulder. Zelda’s emerald gaze looked out at him from over her bare shoulder, the linens of their bed gathered up to cover her chest. His face bloomed, and he snatched the Pad back. “Er, no, no, it was not.” He quickly swiped away from that picture and cleared his throat, staunchly ignoring the heat in the tips of his ears. “As I was saying, after finding all that Zonai stuff, we got to a really big chamber in the center. There was this weird mummy thing in the center with gloom leaking out of it. Zel- The princess wanted a closer look. The mummy woke up.”

“Woke up?” Traysi gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “You mean it wasn’t dead?”

Link shrugged. “It looked dead to me, up until its head cracked to the side, and it stared straight at us.”

Traysi shivered, hugging herself. “Goddess. My soul would have left my body.”

Mine about did. Link thought. He clicked the Pad back into place on his hip. “When that thing woke up, it attacked us. The whole chamber started crumbling. The princess-“ His throat tightened, recalling the panic in his heart that day. “She fell.” His voice cracked despite his best efforts. He paused, gathering his strength to keep going with the story.

Traysi set a hand on his shoulder, her face uncharacteristically sympathetic.

After a steadying breath, Link continued. “I jumped after her. That thing in the gloom destroyed my arm. I wasn’t able to reach her. But then there was this…rock. A little teardrop-shaped rock that she found. It fell off the mummy and she picked it up. I think, and I’m not sure how, it saved her. When she picked it up, it started to glow, kind of like the princess’s sealing power. That glow got brighter as she fell. And then she just-“ He mimicked a small explosion with his hands, spreading his fingers wide. “Poof. Gone.”

The reporter in Traysi refused to let that be. “Gone where?”

Link shrugged. “I have no idea. But I saw her again, back at the castle.”

Traysi’s eyes widened, and she punched Link in the shoulder. “Why didn’t you start with that?!”

Though the punch didn’t hurt, Link still rubbed his shoulder anyway, a bit annoyed. “Because she didn’t stay. I saw her across the ramparts. She looked right at me, at the guards who were looking for her, and then sparkled away.”

“Sparkled away?” Traysi asked, not trying to hide the disdain in her voice. “What in Hylia’s name does that mean?”

Link gestured vaguely. “I don’t know. She just started sparkling, like she did when she fell. She sparkled and flew up into the air and just disappeared. I don’t know how else to describe it.” He paused. “Ask Captain Hoz, if you want a second opinion. He saw it, too.”

Traysi clicked a pen, quickly writing that down. “Oh, I will.” She shook her head in disbelief. “No wonder you came out this way. Purah told me she wanted to get to the bottom of the weirdness happening because of the Upheaval. She believed it may be connected to Princess Zelda, and after hearing that, I think she may be right.” She again pointed to the map. “We’ve been receiving reports of strange princess sightings as well, especially in areas heavily affected by the Upheaval.”

The markers on the map, only a few of which were placed so far, called to him like beacons. If Zelda was at any of them, he had to check. He’d tear Hyrule apart to find her, if necessary. He traced the routes around the kingdom. He would start with Hebra. Whatever was plaguing the Rito had to be stopped immediately. He would not let children starve. He just hoped that the other tribes would be able to hold on long enough for him to get to them. Maybe Eldin next? Or Lanayru?

“We’ll put your name in bold on our next headline. Hyrule will be thrilled to read about the hero’s return!”

Link looked up at her abruptly, his blue eyes set like steel. “They won’t hear about it.”

Traysi jaw hung open. “Wh- Why not?! This is the best news they could receive since the Upheaval!”

Why is he studying this map? He had a terrible memory. He unclipped the Purah Pad one more time, snapping a picture of her map for reference later. “Don’t publish a word about me until I bring her back. Until the princess returns, Link doesn’t matter.”

[elephant-in-the-pride-parade]

Tears of the Kingdom really made "fuck around and find out" its whole game philosophy and I'm living for it.

[asterionstarryeyed]

link building devices that work for about a minute and can't be reproduced with hyrule's current technological capabilities: broke

traysi non-anachronistically innovating and bringing about the advent of mass print media in hyrule: bespoke

[zelda-photography]

[zarvasace]

girls & gazettes

Welcome. This is silly. I'm shipping Traysi and Meghyn in this one, specifically TotK-era but with very very minimal spoilers. (the only spoilers are for the bright mushroom haven quest and where Traysi is.) It's just crushes. That's it. It turned out really well, actually? Why did I write this.

---

Meghyn isn't as into mushroom hunting as her sister is, but she *is* really into the girl who runs the Lucky Clover Gazette. Her crush is not quite as subtle as she thinks it is.

AO3 link here. 3.1k. Traysi/Meghyn! XD No warnings beside the spoilers.

---

Pale sunshine filters through the patterned canvas of the low tent walls, not doing much to warm up the interior. Meghyn tugs on her other boot and tries—again—to not grumble about the cold and the hard ground. It's been a few weeks since she and Nat left home, a few weeks that were fun and miserable in turns. It's more miserable right now, in the freezing early morning. 

She can hear Nat outside the tent, frying something that honestly smells delicious. Meghyn slides on her coat and starts to clean up their bedrolls for travel. The two of them divide the chores here the same as they do back in Hateno, with Nat doing most of the cooking and driving forward, and Meghyn cleaning and dragging her feet. At least they'd camped on a dry patch of ground last night. 

"Perfect timing!" Nat says brightly from her spot by the fire as Meghyn emerges from the tent, rolls of blankets under her arm. "Breakfast is about ready."

"Give me a second." Meghyn ties the rolls to their packs and starts to disassemble the tent. Thank Hylia for collapsible stakes. 

By the time the tent is packed away again, Nat has the fire snuffed. She hands a skewer of meat and mushrooms over, which Meghyn takes happily. She might grumble about her sister's insatiable appetite for mushrooms, but Nat really does do an excellent job cooking them. 

It's a beautiful morning, if any morning can be called that. The snowy mountains sparkle like diamonds around the hollow they'd camped in, with a few trees adding color to the landscape. The few cylindrical stones fallen from the Upheaval stand out like rather dull flowers on the mountainside. Meghyn isn't much of a morning person, so she focuses more on eating and walking than admiring the landscape. 

"You know, I've been thinking," Nat says as they start down the path between two cliffs. "There's only one other person who knows where the mushroom haven is, that one kid."

"Mhm," Meghyn responds, her mouth full. 

Nat has far too much energy in the mornings. She all but bounces as they walk. "And you just know that it's the perfect conditions for all those mushrooms to grow back in a month or two. So, what I'm thinking is that we might be able to start selling mushrooms and mushroom tours! Package them up all nicely and have a wagon to take people out there and show them the cavern."

Meghyn raises an eyebrow, intrigued but wary. She knows Nat has a lot of ambitious ideas. 

"We could market them as extra-special mushrooms. Nat and Meghyn's Bright Shrooms!" 

"That sounds like drugs," Meghyn says as she finishes off the last of the skewer and tosses the long twig off to the side. 

"No, it doesn't! Okay, well, what about Fancy Fungus?" 

"That's worse." 

Nat doesn't seem to hear her, caught up in starry visions of mushrooms and rupees. "I know! MeghyNat Mushrooms!" 

"Can we go back to the drug name?" 

"Stick in the mud." Nat rolls her eyes. "Anyway, I'm picturing, in the far future of course, an entire spa built around those hot springs, maybe an inn and a restaurant, all mushroom-themed!  We could team up with Cece, even, people love her!" 

Meghyn sighs, though it's fond. She doesn't know if Hyrule has a tourist trade big enough to support a niche, out-of-the-way attraction like that. The stables themselves are just getting big enough to consider expanding, and even a few of them are closing down, selling to other companies. 

Like the Lucky Clover Gazette. Meghyn smiles to herself as she thinks of the odd office and the staff that works there. Penn is exuberant. He and Nat feed off each other, escalating until they're both screaming in excitement. Juannelle is sweet, if a little reserved. And Traysi, well. 

Something cold and hot flutters right under Meghyn's ribs when she pictures Traysi. Even that huge old parka couldn't hide how… cool she is. She clearly found her niche, running a newspaper and a growing intelligence network with hard-won skill and admirable ruthlessness. Meghyn and Nat are technically part of that network, passing on information and gossip to Penn when they find him, or to Traysi herself when they find themselves at the Gazette headquarters. Perhaps Meghyn can convince Nat that they should head that direction again… 

"—listening to me?" Nat says, waving a gloved hand in Meghyn's face. She pouts.

"Of course." Meghyn blinks back to reality and watches the vapor from her words float away. "Hey, we should go to the Gazette. We're in the area."

Nat's eyebrows rise in a smile that tells Meghyn she missed something. "That is where we're going, silly."

"Wait, it is?" The fluttery feeling in Meghyn's stomach returns, but it isn't an unpleasant one. "Why?" 

"Where better to advertise our new business than in the Gazette?" Nat answers. She looks at Meghyn sideways as they fall into step again. "Why did you suggest it?" 

"Uh… for the same reason," Meghyn lies. 

"Riiiight." Nat doesn't believe her, but that's fine. She'd never guess the real reason. "Well, we should be there soon. By my map���" She pulls out the well-worn parchment and flips it open to navigate. She's usually pretty good at that, though they've gotten lost before. "Right around that bend, so another hour, I think."

An hour is all? Meghyn stops walking for a few seconds, then jogs to catch up. She looks down at herself and wishes that she'd bothered to wear her cleaner blue tunic today, instead of saving it. Her hands feel hot in her gloves, and she tugs them off to wring them in her fingers instead. She should've done her hair today, too. Is her face even clean? What would Traysi think if Meghyn came running up covered in dirt and sweat? Certainly nothing flattering. 

Nat goes off about her ideas, heedless of Meghyn's miniature crisis. She talks about the ad she wants to run, and the bottles they'll need to source from Rito Village. Meghyn hums in acknowledgement when Nat gasps and says that they should make truffle oil, too, from the recipe their grandmother gave them. Nat's ideas are grand, but if Meghyn focuses, she can see how they can be broken down into something that'll actually work. 

She's not focusing right now. 

The smoke from the stable-turned-Gazette puffs above the nearby pine trees, and the path turns to something more trodden. Meghyn tucks her gloves into her coat pocket and runs a hand down her hair, that fluttery feeling multiplying. 

A call from above stops both girls in their tracks. Meghyn shades her eyes to look up and watch Penn land in front of them, blowing cold air into their faces from his wings. 

"Hello, you two!" Penn looks ready for another trip across Hyrule, decked out in his goggles and bags. "Right on time, things are ready for—" He cuts off. His eyes watch Nat, standing behind Meghyn. 

Suspicious, Meghyn whips around, but Nat's just standing there with a wide smile on her face, holding the top of her backpack straps. Her smile falls suddenly into surprise, and even Meghyn can tell it's entirely fake. 

"Oh, no!" Nat says. "I left my pan back at the campsite! I have to go back to get it!" 

Meghyn frowns. She does almost remember seeing something like that left behind… "Your nice one?"

"The only one I brought, silly! I'm gonna need that. I'd better go back for it." Nat heaves a sigh. 

"That'll be another two and a half hours—" Meghyn begins. 

"No! No, I'll be fine, you go on ahead! I know you don't like the cold."

Somewhat confused, Meghyn puts her hands on her hips. She's fine in the cold. Doesn't Nat know that? "It's too dangerous to go alone, Nat."

"Yes, but—" Nat looks imploringly at Penn, who raises his wings in surrender. 

"Don't look at me. I got places to be, chirps to hear. I'm headed out right now."

Nat frowns, but then her face lights up. She reaches out and somehow snatches an entire person out of what seems like thin air. Her elbow wraps around his and pulls him closer. 

He looks startled, blue eyes wide and mouth opening, but he calms when he recognizes them. His shoulders drop, and he just looks baffled. Unlike the last time they'd met, he's not wearing a parka and Rito corset, just a sleeveless blue tunic with odd designs. It looks nice. Maybe Meghyn should ask where he got it. 

"The Link lookalike will come with me!" Nat announces, smiling widely. She leans in and covers her mouth with a hand to whisper something to him, and Meghyn narrows her eyes. 

The Link clone's eyes burn with the light of revelation as Nat whispers, and when she's done, he grins and holds a thumbs-up with his weird hand. 

"I don't know…" This is very fishy, but not unlike Nat. She thrives on dangerous spontaneity, and Meghyn really would prefer to get to the Gazette rather than go back for Nat's pan. She doesn't know this Link clone, but she does respect him for finding the bright mushroom cave first. Maybe Nat can talk him into an exclusivity contract. 

Nat sticks out her bottom lip and flutters her eyelashes. "Come on, Meghyn! He'll protect me from any monsters, I couldn't be any safer. Pleeeaase?"

The Link clone nods vigorously and smiles brightly, agreeing. He almost looks like he's laughing. 

Meghyn stares at the two of them for just a moment longer, remembering the way Nat had tried flirting with him earlier. Things are taking shape in her mind now. She sighs, letting out a cloud of vapor, and rolls her eyes. "Fine. Go have fun."

"Yay!" Nat bounces back up to full height—a head or so taller than the Link clone—and pulls him back onto the path. "You too, Meghyn! Bye, Penn!" 

"Be safe!" Penn calls as the two of them disappear around the ridge. 

"She's really crushing on that kid, isn't she?" Meghyn says to Penn. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean, she clearly set this all up so she could go on a date with him."

Penn starts coughing, and Meghyn turns, unsure if she'd be able to help if he's choking, but he gets over the fit quickly and stands straight again. "Yep. Really stuck on him. Anyway, I should get going. See you around!" 

Meghyn waves a hand and waits until Penn is a speck in the distance to turn back toward the Gazette's smoke and picture her next step. 

Oh, Hylia, she's going to go meet Traysi alone. It's a very exciting prospect, but also terrifying. Traysi is… a whirlwind, to say the least. She's aggressive in pursuit of news, and so put-together, and pretty… Meghyn bites her lip, imagining herself sweep dramatically into the Gazette, a rugged adventurer. Traysi would be there alone, and Meghyn would say something entirely dashing, Traysi would snap at her, but as the day wore on, they'd both soften and end up cuddling around the fire, and maybe Traysi would invite her in…

Meghyn feels herself blush bright red at the thought. No, no. Nat would be here soon, three or four hours max. Juannelle would probably be there, or one of the younger Rito teenagers employed to distribute the newspaper. Meghyn and Traysi would not be alone, and who's even to say that Traysi would be open to… something like cuddling around a fire? With Meghyn, no less? She probably stinks. 

That brings Meghyn back to the present. She looks down at her hands, then at her dirty tunic. She can't get to Rito Village without passing the Gazette, and she really does want to maximize time away from Nat right now, so a bath is out of the question. Still… 

Meghyn finds a hollow in the cliff nearby, shielded from the road and everything else by evergreen trees. The late morning sun shines right into the spot, giving her light. Quickly, so as not to expose herself too much to the cold, Meghyn changes her tunic into the clean blue one and takes a bit of extra time to lay down her vest and belt nearly on top. She digs into her pack and pulls out her travel mirror, and uses a handful of snow to wash her face. There. That's as nice as her appearance will get, out here. She'll be content with it. 

Nervously braiding a section of her hair, Meghyn walks back out to the road. The closer she gets to the Gazette, the worse her butterflies become. 

The area around the Gazette headquarters is exactly as she remembers, if a little more deserted. A campfire burns merrily out front, and two horses rest in the attached stable. Meghyn can't see Juannelle, though, or anyone else. 

She can hear someone yelling, muffled. 

Meghyn falls into a run, worried. The yelling is coming from inside the Gazette, along with banging. It stops after a moment, and Meghyn pauses in the Gazette's main office. Maps, documents, and notes cover every inch of table and wall space. Some of the scattered pencils have chewed-off ends, very clear evidence of Traysi's presence. It's a bit chilly, even in here, but the shelter from the wind helps. One very obvious folded note stands out among the clutter, and Meghyn picks it up. 

I'm going to stay the night in Rito Village! (The key is in cubby 6B!) -Juannelle 

Oh. Meghyn frowns. No Juannelle, no Penn… Where's Traysi? Did Nat really go so far for a dumb little date with the Link clone? What did the note mean, key? 

One of the employees-only doors rattles suddenly, something heavy slamming into the other side. Meghyn jumps at the sound, eyes falling on the heavy chair wedged under the doorknob. Someone has to be trapped inside. On purpose? 

Meghyn locates cubby 6B and finds a little brass key quickly. Whoever's on the other side of the door smashes something else into it, something that sounds like it shatters. The door rattles again as Meghyn struggles to pull the heavy chair away from it. 

"Ow!" It's definitely Traysi trapped behind the door. "Juannelle! You're not getting the week's bonus for this! Let me out!" 

"I think she left," Meghyn says loudly, hoping her voice gets through the door. She gives another tug, and the chair comes away, though the door remains shut tight. The momentum sends her crashing down to the floor. 

"Wait, who's that?" Traysi demands. "Where's Juannelle?"

Meghyn grunts and stands back up to fit the key in the door. "There's a note that says she went to the village for the night. It's Meghyn, you know, Nat's sister? We hunt—"

"Truffles, yes, I know." Traysi goes quiet for a moment, shuffling around. "Can you get me out?"

"I'm trying." Meghyn wiggles the key in the lock, but it refuses to turn. Is it the wrong key? She scowls and tries again. 

"You have to lift the handle while you turn it," Traysi says, sounding closer. "It's old."

"Right. Who locked you in there, anyway?" Meghyn gets the key to turn a little, her heart leaping, but it sticks, so she pulls it out to try again. 

Traysi huffed. "Juannelle. I don't even know why—oh." 

"Oh?" Meghyn lifts the handle as hard as she can and gently turns the key. The lock finally clicks. 

She opens the door and freezes. Traysi is standing right there, with that huge parka on but unbuttoned. Her dark eyes glitter in the ambient light, and strands of her brown hair have flown away from the tight braids she usually keeps them tied in. She's red. Why is she red? Meghyn stares for a second, then stumbles back, swallowing. 

"Right, um. There you go."

"Thanks." Traysi steps out of what looks like a storage room, avoiding Meghyn's eyes. 

This is a disaster. 

"I'm so sorry," Meghyn says. "I think Nat went a little too far, trying to get a date with that Link lookalike—"

"Link lookalike?" Traysi spins, caught on the scent of gossip like a sunflower to the sun. "Nat set herself up? But… wait. Meghyn, are you jumping to conclusions? I don't think we have the full story here."

Meghyn pauses. She thinks over what she knows again. "Penn met us on the road and said something was ready. Nat insisted I go on ahead, because she left her pan at the campsite. I said she couldn't go alone, so she snatched the Link lookalike from somewhere and he agreed to go with her. I got here, found a note from Juannelle about her being gone and the location of the key, and then… well, rescued you." 

"My dashing adventurer," Traysi says, headed to the table to look at the note Juannelle left behind. Meghyn freezes. She pictures herself steaming from the ears at those words. She needs to sit down. Her stomach feels… like it's full of sunshine or something. Summerwings, maybe. Did Traysi really just say that? Meghyn's not really thinking clearly. 

After reading the note, Traysi sighs and turns, hands on her hips. She meets Meghyn's eyes and flushes. "I don't think Nat meant to go out with Link. I think they all worked together to set us up."

"What?" Meghyn bursts. She's elated, she's dreadfully embarrassed. She wants to sink into the ground and have dark dirt surround her on all sides. Her hands fly up to cover her face. "Oh. Traysi, I'm so sorry for Nat, she's enthusiastic, and—"

Traysi takes a step closer. "Meghyn, calm down and don't apologize. Do you see me complaining about being here alone with you?" 

Meghyn peeks out from between her fingers. Traysi's smiling, amused, if still somewhat red. "...no?" 

"You're right. I'm not complaining, not one bit. Unless you don't want to be here?" 

"No, no! I mean, I do!" Meghyn scrambles for words, but Traysi's looking at her like that, and… 

"Good." Traysi's smile could cut through a thousand lies. "I do, too. Do you want tea?" 

Meghyn isn't daft enough to not realize that she's head-over-heels. She's known about her crush for a while, and thought it was just that. A dumb little crush. She could admire from afar. She could. She hadn't realized that Nat could tell, though. And apparently Traysi liked her back, to the point where her friends would conspire to give Meghyn a shot. 

Well, she wasn't about to waste it. 

"Yeah. Yeah, tea sounds nice."

[blocodibujo]

47 days until Tears of the Kingdom releases

Here’s drawing 14/60: Traysi

[fuck-em-up-your-grace]

FROGGY SET??? NO SLIPPING IN RAIN??? THIS GAME IS PERFECT

[tenshiharmonia]

After a brief detour by ZDR, I've finally launched myself into Tears of the Kingdom. Having made it to Rito Village and the Lucky Clover Gazette, here is a fun tidbit that I wanted to share with you. You see, in the French version, Traysi is known as "Bourgette". Now, the thing is, exploring Hyrule in Breath of the Wild would also lead you to meet two other girls named "Florette" (a tourist in Zora Domain who mentions being a merchant) and "Fruguette" (investigating the skeletal horses near the Snowfield Stable)*. From there, we can see there seems to be a pattern : Bourgette (bourgeon/bud), Florette (fleur/flower), and Fruguette (fruit). With that in mind, I always thought that the intention was for the three of them to be seen as sisters. Sadly, aside from "Fruguette" commenting something along the lines of "as the eldest, I have to set an example", the game never brought any attention to this potential connection. But look who I meet when arriving at the Lucky Clover Gazette's premises : Traysi and "Fruguette", implying that the intrepid reporter is now working with her sisters. I don't know if the game will elaborate on the topic as I progress through the Gazette's questline, but still, I wanted to share the thought with you... :p

* Sorry, I don't know what their English names are...

[lepartiprisdeschoses]

It's nice to see her going from the "Rumor Mill" to running a fully-fledged newspaper.

Traysi's Recommendation: ♥♥♥♥♥ [5 hearts]

[fabledteeth]

KASS???!!!!????

[lucky-clover-gazette]

Mask Off 🍌

Traysi, head editor of the Lucky Clover Gazette, has been kidnapped by the Yiga Clan! Will Link be able to save his friend before she falls victim to his not-greatest-but-still-somewhat-frustrating enemies?

Chapter 2/3 (12,563 words)

“A lot of people owe me favors,” Traysi says with a loose hand wave. “Got intel on Tabantha Frontier conditions from those mushroom hunters by the st—base of operations, made it to the bridge with half a day’s brisk power-walk, hitched a ride with this traveling band all the way to Outskirt Stable, took a quick break to interview them for a comeback story in the Gazette, and then promised a trio of Gerudo women free space in the personal ads if they’d escort me through the canyon. Not my preferred way to find a partner, but they seemed to like the idea of going hands-off with the whole courtship thing. Honestly, those gals seemed much more interested in the journey of finding a man than actually finding a man. If only my sister felt the same way—but nooooo, she says she’s in love, and now I have to tolerate Ponnick hanging around the stabl—base of operations, it is a base of operations, flirting all day like an imbecile while I’m editing down Penn’s alliterative headlines to the three per issue he’s permitted in his contract.” Traysi takes a deep breath, then raises an eyebrow at Link’s stiff posture. “What? I’m just telling you what happened.”

Read the rest on ao3 because this chapter is very long >:)

[traysi-of-the-hyrule-rumor-mill]

Rumor Mill Vol. XIX

Hello, faithful readers! A lot has happened recently, what with the downfall of that dark beast that showed up in the middle of Hyrule Field... and the rebuilding of Hyrule... and the return of Princess Zelda and her champion, Link...

... and the giant upheaval of the castle and other areas that got launched into the sky.

Can't forget that.

There are giant shards of land. Islands in the sky. And the princess and her champion disappeared again. And there's talk of a mummy at the castle now.

There's a lot of new news to be discovered, and you can bet I'll be at the forefront!

If you want to see for yourself, then don't read my journals, go explore. But for you faithful readers that live vicariously through my rumor mill... REST ASSURED, I WILL GET YOU THE NEWS YOU NEED!

Traysi's Recommendation: ★★★★★★

[hyrulepublications]

Historia: A Comprehensive Guide to Hyrule's Oldest Places- The Faron Region

Note that anything in italics was originally written by @two-turtleducks

In the wilds of the Faron region, there are strange ruins with carvings depicting boars, owls, and dragons. These ruins are associated with various sets of armor and ceremonial garb that seemed to belong to a tribal society of warriors who were adept at various types of magic. The most puzzling thing about these ruins and clothing is that they are some of the oldest in all of Hyrule, and for all appearances, the people these belonged to are no longer in existence, as if they quietly fizzled out. There are no known descendants of this mysterious "Zonai Tribe", and none of the peoples of Hyrule can lay claim to their presumed territories (even if they technically belong to the Kingdom of Hyrule). Archaeologists to this day know next to nothing about this civilization, and it is one of the most debated areas in all of Hyrulean academia.

---

Fylysyti here! Now, I'm not entirely sure what is in the Faron region either, but the amazing ruins and everything included are SOOOOO mysterious! I heard from a little bird that there is some super structure deep within the bowels of Lake Floria... I wonder if anyone is planning to investigate it?

Word on the Wind

Thermals rest your wings, birds of a feather! Word on the Wind is that the priests and priestesses of various divine dedications have been watching the skies with shock and awe! No confirmation yet on what exactly they are watching for, but we will keep our ears to the air and update you when possible!

Oakie's Navel

Note that I, Fylysyti, found a really weird acorn with strange markings on it! I have absolutely zero clue what is written on it, but I decided that I would share it anyway! No clue what made me think of the name "Oakie's Navel" though...

🌻🌼🌱☘️ 🌿🍀🦜 🌤️🌛

🎋🍂 🍁☘️ 🍄🐚🐾 🌷🌾

💐🥀 🌸 🌳🌿🌲 🎋 🍁🍂

🍃🐝☘️🌱🌴🌻🌼🍀🍁🌲

🐓🐛🦋🍁🍂🍀🌱🎋🌳🍃

🌾💐🥀🌿🌻🌸🌼🍀🌞🌳

I hope that this is fun to read for whoever is wanting to read it!

Fylysyti out!

[azuresage]

It gets talked about a lot but I still can't stop nerding out about Link's characterization in TotK. It's done through his many creative dialogue choices and his expressions of course, but it's also done so subtly through what he *doesn't* say. Notably, he doesn't talk about himself. And this is why nobody recognizes him unless they've already met him. Because he doesn't tell them when they've got the wrong impression of him.

The meme about Link having Tony Hawk syndrome is so real. People will look at him and straight up say, "Wow, you look exactly like Link!" without a hint of irony. Lookout Landing has a detailed picture of his face in their watchtower and the search party still doesn't recognize him. Penn works with Link for a long time and thinks he's unlucky that the Yiga keep "mistaking" him for the Hero (granted, Traysi asked him to deliberately keep quiet, but Penn still didn't put two and two together himself). I think the reason for this, aside from it being really, really funny, is that Link just doesn't talk about himself. He doesn't feel the need to.

Characterization isn't just about what we see a character doing, it's also about how other characters respond to them. Link is so unassuming and humble that he doesn't match people's expectations of what "Link" should be like. The three Gerudo ladies hanging out around Outskirt Stable are one of many perfect examples. Link stands in front of them carrying the Master Sword, but they expect the Hero to be taller than they are, with a giant glowing sword, so they don’t believe it's him. Obviously that's not the reality, but they don't know that. Link doesn't correct them, either. Again, he doesn't feel the need to.

This is also why many NPCs from BotW don't recognize or remember Link. To them, he was just a passerby that did them a good turn once 6+ years ago. Nobody's going to remember a person like that for so long after. They had no way of knowing he was the Hero, unless it came up for story quest reasons. When they hear stories about the Princess's Appointed Knight who woke up from his 100 year nap, defeated the Calamity, and rescued Zelda, they imagine someone larger than life. Then when they see what Link actually is like, they can't put two and two together.

This is true even during the Hyrule Restoration efforts. Link always follows behind Zelda as her shadow, which she notes in her diary, but the people in the stable investigation quests and in Hateno don't recognize him either, even though he went everywhere she did. Link is just that unassuming. He resigns himself to being a shadow, allowing Zelda to take the lead and do as she pleases but always staying nearby to support and protect her. He doesn't need to be recognizable to do his job. And we know from both BotW and now TotK that he's wholly devoted to her. He's content with this. Many people more eloquent than I have spent many paragraphs elaborating on this. I just wanted to focus on what it says about his character.

Link is humble and unassuming, so much so that nobody believes that he's the Hero unless they already know him. He's devoted to Zelda, so much so that he's willing to do anything to chase even a glimpse of her. He doesn't talk about himself or correct people who have the wrong impression of him. He doesn't need to do that to chase his Zelda. He is a person of great humility in spite of his station. I think that's so interesting and neat how the comedy of him being unrecognizable also tells us all this about him. It's also cool how this is only one aspect of him; all the dialogue choices and expressions he makes during cutscenes and actions out in the world show a whole other, lighter side to him that meshes with this. It's all so good. I am in love with it. It always kills me inside when people dismiss his characterization as being nonexistant or flat just because it's not spoonfed to them or when they say Link being unrecognizable is lazy writing instead of a deliberate choice. I am biting and gnawing and gnashing over him and his relationship to Zelda. I love them so much.