#truly my favorite TP

[neon-d0rk]

James Vowles’ gentle parenting style of TP is everything to me.

[general-cyno]

I just wanted to tell you that i love LOVE all your analysis on zolu. Always happy to see new posts from you about them, you get them so right 🥺

ANONNN this is really sweet 😭💖 thank you so much! I'm always happy to ramble about these two and I love picking at the writing, so it's nice to hear I get their characters right 🙏🏼I do get a lil self conscious abt it sometimes bc I can't say I'm not biased in my opinions but yknow, I'm having fun anyway!!!

And curiously enough I was thinking about two specific things I wanted to talk about (one pertaining opla and another is from the current arc in the manga) so you'll probably see more from me soon again hehe.

[sanjism]

so sanji is my favorite character obviously but objectively zoro has literally changed the course of my life. he is the reason i started kendo and now have this important community, and met people whom i consider family. i love him, i think he’s the best written character in one piece, i think he’s so much more than just hard-boiled but is a crazy-big dreamer and just as much as an idiot as his captain and fiercely protective and although his dream sounds just as childish as more swords = better it also captures perfectly his devotion to his best friend. i love him, there will never be another character like him

[luxysspaceadventure]

all of you mentioning the pre-sequel in the tags. we are all interconnected in the fungus

borderlands is so fun when you don't have a bitch whining in your ear about how much it sucks

[maple-the-awesome]

Twilight's Calling ||

Pairing: Twilight x GN! Reader

Words: 2,544

Requested by anonymous: Heeey. First of I love your writing style! It’s just amazing! Cause twilight is my fav. could you maybe write something like xreader with him, for example they’re in a battle or smth? Only if it’s okay ofc! Thanks a lot and have a good day and week! best wishes :) Twilight may or may not be my favorite Link, too (TP was the first game I finished, so I'm a little bias, okay?). I've had this draft lying around unfinished for awhile, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to finish it. Here you go, hun 💜

Zelda Masterlist 🤎Fandom Masterlist

It's getting pretty late. 'Late' as in the sun has long set and the last time you saw any of the boys was about an hour ago when Time finally managed to herd the remaining stragglers out of the room, although he was being a bit hypocritical seeing as he still lingered in the doorway for a good minute himself afterwards (not that you dared comment on it).

Since their heavy footsteps had faded into silence - and aside from the innkeeper sometimes shuffling down the hall or a sudden 'pop' of the bedside candle - you've been left entirely alone with your thoughts as they dance on the very edge of sleep, but you refuse to lose balance. It's your shift. You promised to be a good lookout and it took a lot of convincing to even get the position, so you can't disappoint no matter how heavy the weight upon your eyelids or heart is.

You've always been well aware of the risks that would come with this mission and from traveling alongside nine heroes of legend; troublesome young men and boys who can definitely handle themselves in battle, however none immune to making possible mistakes. You expected one to occur at some point, yet never wanted the aftermath to be anything too serious.

Wild getting a decent scar on his forehead was a scare when it initially happened, but he was back on his feet within the hour - less than that actually, because if you remember correctly, his quick recovery had been controversial and resulted in quite a bit of bickering. The bottom line is that Wild bounced back with little to no trouble thanks in part to his thick skull. This is different. Twilight has yet to follow his protege's example and it's been hours.

You must admit you underestimated the situation at first due to a lack of context. It's not to say you didn't care about Wolfie when he got struck, however there's a notable difference between a wild 'pet' that occasionally trails your group and the very man you've grown to secretly admire over the months you've spent traveling together. If you had known then that they are one of the same, you would've likely shared a similar level of panic as the Champion, but instead you were left in the dark until Four finally explained Twilight's secret to you.

Even at that moment, although more worried, you figured everything would be okay. Wolfie or Twilight, a fairy should be able to do the trick to heal the worst of injuries, so one can imagine your heartbreak once learning that, for some odd reason, the state of his wounds haven't changed even under a fairy's sacred touch. That's when you truly became fearful, but you refused to show it outwardly - no more than whatever made itself present on your face, anyway.

Making a fuss won't aid Twilight's condition nor will it calm the concerns of your friends, so instead you had mostly stayed out of the way until Time announced everyone should get some rest. At that point, you made your presence known, quick to shoot your hand into the air while volunteering to take the first shift for watching over Twilight. Champion was the only one to fight you for it and honestly, you still aren't certain how you won the argument, but here you are, sitting quietly at Twilight's bedside while trying desperately to keep yourself from descending into madness as you fret over his well-being.

He's doing somewhat better after Hyrule's magic managed to stop most of the bleeding, however his wound remains deep without any further healing progress and his skin is drained into a pale, sickly color clear even through the dim glow of candle light. He looks like shit and you'd guess he feels like it, too, seeing as his face curls into a pained expression every now and again, a whispered groan leaving him whenever he slightly shifts his body (not that he moves that much).

It's gotten a bit chilly tonight, however all blankets in the room have been laid over him and you refuse to swoop as low as to steal comfort from a dying man, so you simply keep huddled to yourself, half praying the next shift will come sooner and half praying it won't because a stubbornness inside you is somehow convinced that the simple act of you being here will keep himsafe from death's hands.

You don't pay much attention to the quiet groan that comes from the bed, having already bitterly accepted that there's nothing that can ease whatever pain haunts Twilight during his nightmares, although you do lift your head when a hand shakes its way into view, barely able to carry itself to the edge of the covers where it collapses with a broken echo from its owner, "W...What time is it?"

You almost cry simply by the sight of Twilight's dull eyes staring up at you, half-lidded and only appearing bright if compared to the dark bags hiding underneath them, but you manage to hold back the tears for the sake of not scaring him.

"I-I'm not sure. After sunset," You answer slowly as to prevent any wobbling to your voice.

"And the others? Is every - everyone else okay?" Hylia, he sounds awful, his once handsome, accent-laced voice butchered by a hollow croak.

"Yeah...Yeah, we're all okay - and don't worry about the shadow. Wild managed to take it down - thanks to you tiring it out, I'd say. You sure gave that thing a run for its money there," You attempt to joke lamely. Although your laugh doesn't carry much life to it, Twilight's expression does soften a tad after the sound.

"...Good..." Is all he says before closing his eyes with a sigh through his nose. Meanwhile you fidget nervously, debating with yourself on whether you should let the conversation die off so that he can continue getting rest or keep him talking while he's able to. You sure do love hearing his voice, after all, no matter how broken it may be; it reminds you that someone as great as him is actually real and, after recent events, still alive.

In the midst of your depressed thoughts, you notice Twilight reach his hand out towards you again - or at least it looks like he's trying to. Really, he only has the strength to lift it palm-up slightly off the covers, yet you understand this movement's wordless request. Ever so gently, as if he's made of glass, you take his hand and sandwich it between both of yours. He's a bit too cold for your liking, a sharp contrast to his normally warm touch, not that you draw attention to that worrying detail.

"...Is there anything I can get you?"

He tries to shake his head, but loses will halfway through the action and instead chooses to simply let his head lull to the side towards you. From there he stares for a bit longer than he means to, his dazed brain struggling to process his thoughts at its usual speed.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on you," You allow a small smile, slowly reaching forward to help move his bangs away from his face, "We're all taking shifts throughout the night. I was just lucky enough to get the first."

Twilight hums, closing his eyes for a brief second when your fingers brush his forehead, "How'd you manage that?"

"Barely. For a second there, I thought I was gonna have to duel the Champion for it - had my hand on my sword and everything before he finally caved," Twilight makes a sound between a scoff and a laugh which makes your smile more genuine even if he does flinch in pain immediately afterwards, "The real question is how I won against Time...Actually, I wouldn't be that surprised if he's secretly standing outside the door as we speak."

A creak of old floorboards in the hallway makes your eyes dart to the door, almost expecting the man in question to walk in and call you out for your jokes, yet you calm that doesn't happen. Twilight brings your attention back to him by moving his thumb against your hand, "Don't tell 'em, but I'm glad it's you here. I like having ya' here with me..."

You press your lips, hoping it'll help you ignore the heat against your cheeks. That must be the first time Twilight has ever openly said he 'likes' anything related to you; you're certain you'd remember any other instances of such a milestone. It might not be the exact sentence you'd want him to use the word in, but it's a step in the right direction, so you'll take it.

"I like having you here with me, too, Twi...which is why I've officially decided that I'm too selfish to let you die on any of us. I don't care if I have to fist-fight Hylia for it; I'm not letting you get out of this journey so easily."

"That right?"

"I swear it on my life."

He chuckles weakly, although the sound is taken over by a fit of coughing. Promptly you pour a small glass of water using the pitcher kept on the bedside table before gently helping him sit up to take a careful sip.

It's insane for you to think that only a few weeks ago, you had been secretly watching him move hay bales at Time's place effortlessly. Now he lies here in bed struggling to hold a conversation, his muscles shaking horribly by the simply action of prompting himself up even slightly. Seeing him like this makes you feel awful, but you also consider yourself blessed to be the one taking care of him during a low point like this, ensuring that he's properly cared for and tended to almost like a spouse would.

"Seems like I'm starting to lose you, farm boy. You should relax and get some more sleep," He makes a face and seems prepared to argue, however he must not have been able to think of anything convincing to say - that or the aching in his bones has become too hard to ignore. Either way, instead of saying a word, Twilight nods droopily before inching his way back down against his soft pillow while you fix the blankets over him again.

"Look on the bright side: make it through this and you'll probably get special treatment from here on out. Get your bags carried for you, have whatever meals you're craving be made each night...If you hobble around a little I'm sure you could even get Time to fuss over you -"

" - And what about you?" Twilight quizzes and you can't tell if he's being serious or just teasing. It feels like the latter, yet the way he watches you while awaiting your reply makes you feel another way; soft and warm, but a tad anxious at the same time, "What can I get from you?"

You pretend to think, although in truth, you already know there wouldn't be any limitations for what you're willing to give. If he asked for the world right now, you'd figure out some way to gift wrap it for him...but that's too embarrassing to admit aloud, "...Depends on what you're thinking and if you can swing it the right way."

He hums, once again staring at you just long enough to make that anxious feeling really prominent. Is there something on your face that no one told you about earlier? Is he judging your messy hairdo that you had no time to fix since the battle? Did you sound too flirtatious in your answer? Maybe his injury has given him the ability to read minds, so now he knows just how desperate you are to earn his affections!

"...If I asked you to stay with me, would you?" Twilight whispers so quietly that you barely hear, yet you do. 

"I, uh...Time will be here in an hour or so for his shift, but I won't go anywhere until then, okay?" Not even your poor excuse at smiling can save your stumbled words, yet you pray he doesn't look beyond either. He's loopy from such a stressful day, so it makes sense that he's have trouble properly wording questions. It also makes sense for him to be scared to be left alone - anyone would be in such a state. He doesn't have to worry, though; between you and the boys, someone will always be by his side throughout the night. You'd expect that knowledge to be a relief for him, however Twilight only frowns and looks away with a surprisingly depressed look in his eyes. 

Fiddling nervously with your hands upon your lap, you ask carefully, "...Unless you're wanting me to watch over your for the whole night? In that case, I wouldn't mind staying if it would make you feel better. I'm sure the others would be fine with it if they could just check in here and there."

Twilight presses his lips, refusing to look directly at you. If you didn't know any better, you'd say that based on his continued reaction, you're still somehow missing the point of his question, yet no matter how much you rack your brain, you can't think of what else he would've possibly meant.

You were tempted to ask for more clarity, but Twilight speaks before you can, "...I'd like that."

"Yeah?"

He nods bashfully which melts your heart in a way you're sure would be shamefully clear if he were only looking in your direction.

"...Well, since you took one for the team -" Scooting your chair closer to the bed allows you to cross your arms over the mattress and rest your head on top of them. Desperately you try to ignore your nerves and the cute way Twilight curiously looks over at you, "- I'll stay for the night if you promise me one thing."

"Hmm?"

"Stay with me, too? Without you, I might just loose my mind. Don't tell anyone else, but you don't drive me nearly as insane as some of the other boys do," not in the same way at least.

The corner of Twilight's lips turn upwards, his hand taking it's time to move over yours. The second it makes contact, you take the chance to hold onto it, "...Sounds like a deal..."

You match his smile easily, "Get some sleep, Twi. I'll be right here when you wake up, so just focus on getting better for me, alright?"

He hums one last time, drifting off to sleep as commanded where he seems to be far more peaceful than earlier. As promised, you remain by his side until morning, eventually falling victim to quick naps yourself only disrupted whenever someone else sneaks into the room to see how things are going. You're certain you'll be tired tomorrow with an aching back after spending an entire night hunched over, but that's a small price to pay for someone like Twilight. It'll all be worth it to see him recover, granting you even more time to spend by his side through thick and thin.

[skyward-floored]

I’ve got a big mess of thoughts so here we go, analysis time!

First of all may I just say I love the siblings vibes in this entire update?? Wild is so happy Twilight is alive, his little brother energy is positively off the CHARTS here, and their bickering (while Legend looks on awkwardly) is hilarious. Peak sibling behavior.

Moving on!

I find it interesting Legend is grabbing his own scar here (you can just baaaarely see it) after it shows Twilight’s arm injuries. “I would have been done for,” huh? What do you mean by that Legend? How did you get that scar..?

The font change here has me cackling, Wild does NOT believe him a bit. It’s so funny.

“Uh-huh,

Friend”

Another thing to mention though, I’ve seen a lot of people agreeing with Wild on the whole “there’s no way she was just a friend” thing, but Twilight’s relationship with Midna is complicated y’all. It’s not just a broken romance. Twilight is probably hesitant to put a label on it, and Wild is pushing him a bit. Plus he was just thinking of Midna the night before... no wonder he’s cranky.

(I’ll also remind you that lu sticks very much with game canon and NOT manga, so don’t expect anything in the tp manga to be true in the comic y’know)

Warriors, putting on a happy face as he gears himself up to stop what he thinks is yet another fight: is somebody being cranky-wanky

(Also looking pretty fine there Wars 👀)

Makes me wonder what everybody else is doing... arguing? XD (also the little elbow cuff! They’re brothers your honor (Legend does not appreciate this))

This is one of my new favorite panels. Warriors being so stern and still annoyed at the sword thing (give it a rest buddy...) in comparison to Legend slapping his knee and making a truly ridiculous face as he laughs at Wild’s joke, it’s fantastic. I love it.

(Sorry this is basically about Warriors now)

I mentioned this in some tags, but I really like how Warriors calls Ilia by name. He doesn’t just say “your family” or “your girl”, he calls her Ilia, and I think that’s really sweet. It shows he’s been paying attention. (Also Legend’s little nod <3)

THEY’RE SO HAPPY TO HEAR HIM LAUGH look at them smile ooogghgh (And Twilight talking about Ilia! He talks about her a lot like how Time talks about Malon :)

And finally....

He’s laughing even though it hurts. The others, (Warriors especially) cheered him up, even after Twilight admitted himself he was grumpy, and I love that. He’s laughing even though it hurts. Man.

[luna-loveboop]

Linktober masterpost

Well. That was a wild ride. Fun fact- I never planned on doing Linktober this year! Because I am not the best with 2d art, I just kind of assumed I couldn't. But on the literal first. Day. Of October, my adhd brain realised that I could do an October challenge in another medium- mainly eggs. I've been doing egg carvings for years, so I figured I could just. Carve eggs.... for Linktober... and then I did it??

From there it quickly evolved into a random personal challenge to see how many different art mediums I could stuff into these prompts. I carved rocks, glass, bottles, etc... about halfway through the month I ran out of eggs and had to wait for my chickens to lay more. And then on a random whim I actually finished all thirty one days, falling behind twice. Go figure.

Links below (hehe). I crack myself up sometimes (that's an egg pun).

{Day- prompt: subject, medium/material}

Day one- mirror: sksw link, egg

Day two- friend/companion: midna and wolf link, egg

Day three- zelda: sksw zelda + harp music and loftwing, egg

Day four- night/dark: remlit, egg

Day five- sacred: totk secret stone, x smoll egg

Day six- horror: ww redead, blue glass pane

Day seven- royalty: mipha, egg

Day eight- tunic: bunny lu legend, egg easter bunny reblog

Day nine- mystery: math meme + timeline lu wind, egg

Day ten- species: ww fishmen, opaque blue glass pane

Day eleven- dance: totk riju, brown glass bottle

Day twelve- favourite game: skyward sword + fi link duet music, blue glass pane

Day thirteen- link: the master sword, a fucking rock

Day fourteen- fairy: lu fairy hyrule, glass bottle

Day fifteen- sword: the master sword and triforce, duck egg

Day sixteen- time: totk zelink, poem and ink art

Day seventeen- dragons: farosh, doodle

Day eighteen- shopkeeper: beedle, doodle w/ words

Day nineteen- reward: purple rupee, carved and painted inside duck egg

Day twenty- mask: lbl puppeteer, egg

Day twenty one- spirit: tp skull kid and sarias song, green glass bottle

Day twenty two- favorite character: marin, a rock

Day twenty three- element: the wind waker, egg CONT. on egg day twenty nine

Day twenty four- deity: demise, egg

Day twenty five- ganon: ooa trident, egg

Day twenty six- echo: twilight princess music, egg

Day twenty seven- rest: lu wind yeeting onto sky, egg Meme reblog

Day twenty eight- bones: botw bokoblin's campfire, egg

Day twenty nine- deku: ww link deku leaf, egg CONT. on egg from day twenty three

Day thirty- mount: sksw zelda and loftwing, egg

Day thirty one- free for all: cucco with eggs and lu chain with words happy linktober 2024, egg

I did finish them all in October! The last couple posts' timestamps might say November first, but I posted them right after midnight. Anyways. I'm proud :D

Everyone has been so very kind and encouraging- thank you guys. Truly. I love you, my friends.

Thank you to everyone but mainly my trusty pink sweater, that somehow made the perfect background for pictures of eggs.

Link to my favourite post I've ever made. Please remember you are loved

Happy Linktober guys!!

:)

[giggly-squiggily]

UEHHSGSHBSS I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG FOR U TP FINALLY SEE YUKKIII

jehnxhsbs j love him sm hes so prettyy ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝)

do you perchance have any headcannons you would like to share of him (/ω＼)

AHHH YEAH!! Gonna be real: of all the newbies introduced, Karasu's my personal favorite; but Yuki is truly delightful! (He IS!!! Ugh, I can see why he's a model!)

Sure! :D I don't have too many yet, but I can give you a few! :3

Yukimiya Tickly Headcanons

(He's too pretty to exist it's not fair-)

I've said it before and I'll say it again; The man's got ticklish hands! I couldn't tell you why, but something about him screams it to me. His palms, the sides of his hands, even the knuckles are sensitive to the lightest of touches.

Also-ALSO; ticklish ears! The rest of his neck and collar are immune, but tracing them or blowing on them will get him giggling like crazy! Once Nagi wanted to know what "model ears feel like"- thus leading to the discovery.

He's got the softest of laughs EVER. Like- breathy and gentle; little puffs and snickers that warm the soul like a cup of tea on a winter's evening. It's almost too quiet to hear, but if you go for the ears, you'll get the full experience!

He's SUCH a gentle ler- the man's got fingers made out of cotton candy; it's so soft of a touch! He's fast too- the king of the ol' "Tickle and go" while walking behind someone.

Loves verbally teasing people; he's so sweet about it though. "Oh how precious- you have the most lovely of laughs!" "I could sit here and listen to you all day, it sounds so pretty." "Your smile makes my entire day! Keep doing that for me, won't you?"

He's the one who brings you water and aftercare items post-tickle wars. Kind of a mother hen, he'll check in on everyone involved to make sure they're comfy and having fun. He's just overall a sweet dude!

I'll probably have more as the season continues; thanks for asking friend! :D

[mare-sanguis]

Jihyun and Jaewon at the library

The whole scene with them together at the library touched my soul but the one that really tugged at my heart the most was when Jihyun waved at Jaewon with such a big fond and happy smile.

And yet again, besides its beauty, it has so so many hidden meanings. From the way they sit in the shadow or the light, to how the camera is placed and how much focus is put on Jihyun.

We see Jaewon sitting across his ex- all covered in a dim light, sun catching the left side of his face. Paired with the things he says, or doesnt say, to his ex its as if he is trying to leave the mask behind he so hates to wear. The light is searching for him.

We get a shot of him from the side, where he is illuminated by soft golden light- his clothes and movements dimming the scene, showing us clearly how he continues to struggle with his mental health. But still, theres something on the horizon foreshadowed by the light shining on him.

Right after this, we get to see Jihyun sitting on the other side of the library- we get to see how happily he waves at Jaewon, with that adorable smile. The scene? Bright, not really colorful but white and clean. The color of innocence, purity and most importantly?

Hope.

Jihyun is bathing in the sunlight- in white. He is Jaewons hope

The track towards Jihyun is straight, without any obstacles- except the shadow on the left side to the corridor- its what they both need to overcome to meet face to face. For the scene, they again picked the OTS/TPS (over the shoulder/third person shot) they picked for the shower scene- to make it clear we are Jaewon. To make us feel what he feels.

Above Jihyun hangs a painting, representing both characters very well; its colors are:

Blue- for Jihyun its the color of trust, security, loyality, honesty and reliability. For Jaewon its the color of depression and passivness.

Green- for Jihyun its the color of harmony, safety, growth and health. For Jaewon its the color of jealousy

Yellow- For Jihyun its the color of happiness, optimism, inspiration, creativity and warmth. For Jaewon, its the color of fear, betrayal and cowardice

Orange- For Jihyun, its the color of youth and upliftment. For Jaewon its the color of insincerity and pessimism

The painting is a sunrise. The very thing Jihyun represents in Jaewons life

Its not just a cute and adorable scene, but also highlights so much about their characters, shows their personality and inner thoughts without even saying anything. And with the scene having no background noises or music, except the light buzzing, paper rustling and Jaewons soft laugh, its as if we're watching something so intimate, almost holy.

Its truly beautiful and next to the shower scene my favorite one so far

In this post, I mentioned how Jaewon sees Jihyun in a dim light- notice how it shifted to something light over the past episodes? Jihyun already helped him overcome some shadows

[izunias-meme-hole]

Link Designs Ranked

Zelda 1/Adventure of Link

There is not much to talk about here. The design is the base for every Link in the series, and it actually the best out of the NES era triforce trio designs, mostly because the simplicity works surprisingly well here. 5/10

A Link To The Past/A Link Between Worlds/Oracle Games

This is an improvement over the NES design. Not much has changed, but the change in tunic and artstyle truly helped benefit Link this time around to create a truly iconic design. However it does suffer from being outclassed by some of the later designs for the character. 9/10

Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask (Young)

Beautiful. It’s simple, it’s instantly recognizable, and it’s fitting for the younger incarnation of The Hero of Time. Instant 10/10

Ocarina of Time (Adult)

While not my favorite design for Link, this is still one of his best designs. It’s the classic tunic, but with a white undershirt and white tights. However the context makes this design work better than it should. 9/10

Fierce Diety

What you think of when you’re thinking about Hyrule’s Hero, but it’s a sick design regardless. 10/10

Hero’s Shade

He looks like a frickin’ Eldin Ring character, but I cannot ignore how fitting this design is. 8/10

Toon Link

This is my fifth favorite design for da boi, primarily because of the artstyle, the coloring, and the simplicity of his design. He’s the literal embodiment of “he’s just a little guy,” and it works in his favor, especially since Link is pretty much usually just a guy before he becomes a hero. Instant 10/10

Twilight Princess/Smash Bros

I like the extra detailing, and the more knight-like feel, but the darker colors don’t do it for me. Regardless it’s pretty cool. 9/10

Skyward Sword

The more detailed design from Twilight Princess got altered into this, and I’m all here for it. The brighter colors, combined with the expressiveness Link has in that game instantly sells me on it. Instant 10/10

Hyrule Warriors

The foundations that Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword set up have been brought to their final evolution. A more knight-like Link with a big ol’ blue scarf and a vibrant green tunic. Beautiful. Instant 10/10

Ancient Hero

I’m intrigued, but… this unfortunately is an 8/10

Breath of The Wild/Age of Calamity

Link looks so great in blue. As for the attire itself, it’s yet another simple yet effective look. Instant 10/10

Tears of The Kingdom (Champion Tunic)

Not much has changed, but the design does have a similar knight-like aura to what we see in TP, SS, and HW, Rauru’s arm definitely looks cool. Still, this isn’t the best Link design in the game. Instant 10/10

Tears of The Kingdom (Archaic Tunic)

Between the return of the green, the rugged feel of the tunic, the little triforce shapes on the side, and the unkempt hair, Link looks perfect. The design is drastically different to anything we’ve seen, but in a good way, and I’m all down for it. Instant 10/10

[blueskittlesart]

So, the discussion about Twilight Princess got me thinking, and I can't help but feel like that game was very much trapped in a "We can't do another Wind Waker, that was too cute, we need something dark and gritty and mature and grown up, like the other seventh gen consoles!"-kind of mindset. And how much that mindset limited what the game could have been.

I mean, just look at it: Low contrast browns and greys and greens everywhere? Check. Agressive Bloom levels that will sear your retinas right off? Check. Large but Empty open areas? Check. Story and Characterdesigns that REALLY try to be more "grown up" and "mature" and "gritty"? They are everywhere. Spectacular bossfights against huge enemies that look awesome but often end up rather straightforward? Yep.

I don't wan't to dunk on TP too hard, it still has lots of good elements in it, heck, I actually enjoy most of those bossfights, BECAUSE they look and feel spectacular! Some of the armor and weapondesign in this game is really good (whenever you can actually see the armor and the sea of blurry, low saturation colors, that is.).

Midna is the best.

But it feels so much like a game out of place, that was made as a knee-jerk reaction instead of truly considering what would and what wouldn't work on the Wii.

yeah. all of this. I think that tp definitely suffers from the devs attempts to make an overtly grown-up and gritty game, not necessarily because gritty, dark, atmospheric games are BAD, but because the zelda franchise is not a franchise targeted solely at adults. these games are very often coming-of-age stories centered around children and young adults. they are bright and colorful and very narrative-driven because they're meant to be enjoyed by anyone who is old enough to pick up the controller. children who can't enjoy the more difficult dungeon and fighting mechanics will still be captivated by the story and characters. some of my favorite zelda-related conversations i've ever had were with my three-year-old student who LOVED the vibrant characters and story of botw. (revali was his favorite.) twilight princess, in its quest to read as more gritty and adult, lost both its visual appeal AND its narrative appeal. what story it did have relied on nostalgia and plot from oot, alienating younger fans who hadn't yet had the chance to play that game. in order to compensate for its lack of narrative direction it padded itself with filler which showed off its willingness to go darker and scarier in terms of subject matter (look! we're going to kill this child if you don't rescue him!) so much so that the pacing and cohesiveness of the game noticeably suffered. so many elements of tp feel as though they were just thrown in because they looked cool and dark and freaky (the hero's shade, the bokoblin bridge fights, the aforementioned child-stealing segment, hell even the fucking wolf form didn't have any real narrative weight or significance!!!) with no thought to how they might actually impact the pacing and theming of the story. what results is a game with great dungeon design and boss fights but... not much else to speak of. we're left with a poorly-told, barely-comprehensible story that seems almost as if it was an afterthought, held together by some good dungeons. and it's fine if you like the dungeons and don't CARE about the story that much, but insisting that the game has a well-written narrative is just. wrong.

[skyloftsword]

Ranking Zelda stories because I am bored

Happy Easter and Trans Visibility Day! I'm bored and wanted to rank the stories of the 3D Zelda games. Spoilers of course. Ranked from favorite (top) to weakest (bottom). I also won't be including WInd Waker because I never beat it (not the game's fault, I bought HD during the Switch's lifecycle and got tired of the Wii U gamepad). A lot of my problems are just personal gripes and not really criticisms.

Tears of the Kingdom: Controversial placement, I know (I have been literally harassed SEVERAL times over this take, I am disappointed in humanity). It has its issues, but like, what thing DOESN'T have flaws? Everything is flawed, it came free with your entertainment. The plot beats for Tears of the Kingdom are absolutely insane. The Imprisoning War and the events leading up to it all felt connected and relevant to each other and the events in the present. Not to mention watching stuff like the Molduga memory and the Imprisoning War itself was extremely hype. Seeing the interactions between Sonia, Rauru, Zelda and Mineru got me really attached to these characters. The events in the present also feel meaningful and urgent. Your friends from the previous game are ACTUALLY in trouble in this game and not just being stalked by a giant robot that's doing nothing. The Sages also felt more connected than the Champions ever did. The camera not being locked behind a backtracking quest this time was cool too. Overall, this game's story hit the hardest, especially with the Dragon Tears quest.

Skyward Sword: Great story with a great cast. Backtracking is a bit of a pain and could have been handled better, but I love the events of the game. Groose's character development is truly excellent. Link and Zelda having a connection also assisted in making the adventure hitting harder.

Twilight Princess: As a former Twilight Princess hater, I would like to apologize to this game. I had a biased hatred against the game because I thought it was just TP fans that were toxic when in reality its just the Zelda fanbase as a whole that has a massive toxicity problem (not all Zelda fans are toxic). The whole beginning segment with Ordon Village and the Twili Realm sets up Link's quest perfectly. The story as a whole is really great until Ganondorf. Ganondorf in this game is genuinely really weak as a character, same with Zelda. They at least have the manga to help them but still...

Majora's Mask: I love the concept for this game's story and for the most part its really well done. Its just short and a lot of the interesting stuff is in the side quests. This is totally fine because it helps get me invested in the world, but most side quests are just... meh. Anju/Kafei, the grandma stories and the Romani Ranch quest lines (including the Ranch Race with the Gorman Brothers) are really great though.

Breath of the Wild: Man... This game's backstory is SO, SO, SO GOOD. Like wow is it good. I just HATE how its told. Stuff that would be cool to see is NEVER shown. Like why not show us Zelda and Link vs Calamity Ganon? Not to mention the Camera backtracking quest... I will say, at least it made the Champion's Tunic plot relevant. TotK should've made the Leathers important. Also the Divine Beast quests just don't sit right with me (outside of the Gerudo one, that one was really great). The Divine Beast fights are incredible though, they make up for the atrocious dungeon bosses.

Ocarina of Time: Too boring and unoriginal for me. Yes, TotK takes a lot from BotW's style of story, but it at least builds upon it and has unique aspects like Crisis at Hyrule Castle and Mineru's entire questline. I do like how Ganondorf mocks Link, especially in the Forest Temple, as it makes him more relevant. Ganondorf waiting until Zelda gave Link the Light Arrows just was incompetent though.

Alright, that's my ranking of each 3D Zelda story I have an opinion on. I very much expect disagreement (especially with TotK) and that's fine, just please do not attack me over this stuff. Its just opinions. I've been harassed way too much over my takes on TotK, its tiring.

[dreadfutures]

Would you ever write a fairytale AU? If so, which would you do (and for which fandom)? c:

I love, but am very picky about, fairytale aus. I tend to be more attracted to fairytales about responsibility and personal heroism than ones about marriages and seeing someone truly, etc.

I really love @rosella-writes "Green Knight AU" of Virelan Lavellan red is the colour of lust (but green is what lust leaves behind), for example.

One genuine fairy tale I have had knocking around are Mighty Mikko: The Story of a Poor Woodsman and a Grateful Fox. The story has a personal interpretation that means a lot to me, about giving until you have nothing left, for the sake of someone else's happiness, about "you can't pour from an empty cup." In my version, the fox gives its own pelt to Mikko's new wife, and Mikko never realized that that's where his dear friend the fox disappeared to. The fox would be the main character, of course. This one feels like it would be a Zelda fic--thinking of both OOT Link, and TP Link, and how they sacrifice everything for Zelda and get nothing in return in the end but grief.

And it's not a traditional fairy tale but it's written as one (in verse): The 13 Clocks by James Thurber would make a really fun one to adapt. The 13 Clocks is one of my favorite stories in the world, period. I don't know what fandom it would be for -- at the moment I don't have any damsels I want to lock away in a tower.

[plantwithoutplot]

Some ASL headcanon just for you ❤️

- Making is their big sister

- Out of the three of them, Luffy has the best eyesight

- they're so used to sleeping together that now they can't sleep if they're alone

- each of them had a favorite bandit in the Dadan Family

- Ace and Sabo only talk about Luffy with people they trust

- Ace actually loves hugs he just doesn't know how to ask (= he's afraid people will refuse)

- Ace refuses to accept that his little brother(s) are taller than him, thank you very much

- Sometimes, they miss their treehouse

(kdjdnd hope you like it!!!)

FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU FOR ALL THESE AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HELP ME STAY MOTIVATED 😭😭🤧💕💕💕

― Makino is totally their big sis HELL YEAH!! Either that or y'know when you have a cousin who is way older than you and they're a cool adult in your life while still giving you sibling vibes??? That 🫶🩷 Gosh yknow what would be amazing?? Fics where we see Makino being a teenager and playing with the trio and all 🥹 like not just being the Reasonnable Adult™ but also a young adult playing pranks with her younger brothers, teaching them dumb stuff and tricks and just being that older sibling who sneaks you treats behind your parents' back or share their wine glass with you when the adults are looking away 🤣🤣👌

― Ooooh this isn't a headcanon you see often 👀 (eheh, get it? See-) I would love to know if there is a reason why you have this HC??? ヽ(・ω・*)ノ

― THIS! YESSS!!!! 🪇🪇🪇 I always imagine how weird it must have been for all of them once Sabo 'died' because?? They always fell asleep under their own blanket and woke up entangled in a cuddled pile... And then one of them is missing. And then Ace and Luffy build their own 'countries' outside of Dadan's house. And then little Sabo, even without his memories, doesn't sleep the same anymore but he can't pinpoint why why why―

They are a set - do not separate 🥲❤🩵💛

― Ooooh definitely!! These boys are 300% the type to be selfish and play favorites lmao Though they all have a soft spot for Dadan (while still being Ace's favorite 🤧)

― Oooooh this ain't a HC you see often, I am very very very curious about why you picture it like this? The overprotectiveness, perhaps? 🤔🤔✨ (I always imagine the contrary so I am genuinely curious lol because I imagine these idiotic older brothers to talk about Luffy to anyone they meet, and then people are confused because they know more stories about Luffy than they do about Ace/Sabo 🤣)

― THIS BOY IS A HUGGER PLEASS DO HUG HIM (plus he must be so so so warm and give the best hugs even though he would be awkward at first because he is shy aboit sumb stuff)

― THIS IS A PAIN ONE MUST EXPERIENCE TP UNDERSTAND 🥲🥲🥲 It's okay Ace I know it is hard tp accept your younger sibling growing taller than you but I promise Denial Land is an amazing country to settle in!

― 🥲🥲🥲🥲 why must you attack me like this- (lies lies lies i love the angst) They do because it truly WAS their safest place. Nothing bad ever happened in that house. They built it for themselves. They were always COMPLETE, there. They were safe and sound and where their dreams were nothing to be laughed at. Their freest haven, up till they found their chosen families. Even if none of the brothers are the type to dwell onto the past for too long, their minds do wonder back to it when they need to remember what 'home' and 'safe' means to them.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR MESSAGE 🥺 I managed to write some today and move past the bit that my brain had blocked on for the past two weeks!! I will keep working hard so that you get to enjoy more of Speak Up, Boys! soon ٩(๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑)۶🩷

[heal-the-ashes]

Welcome to my blog! Hello! Oh, and I guess this is important: My blog will cover spoilers for all the media I talk about. I am a writer, literary editor, musician, beginner artist, beginner coder, and I somewhat consider myself to be a baker. I'm also learning French and other languages. I like puzzles and mysteries and murder mysteries. I am autistic. I like sharing quotes I make. And talking about games/characters I like, especially character analyses and the psychology behind actions and all of that. I like science and like to do extensive research on things. I am also deeply emotional though it may take me a while to show it. Evocativeness is easily achieved with me when talking about special interests. (Especially PL at the moment.) I will post various types of media [art and text] but I do not think I will post videos. The franchises I like and the specifics are below.

The Professor Layton Series: I have played all mainline games. I have not played the crossover. I have read a few books and the LBMR manga. Eternal Diva is my favorite movie. I do not dislike any character except Bronev and Bill Hawks. Most of my posts will likely be related to this series. And I will most likely get excited with ideas, for I truly do love this series and it has changed how I view the world and I am deeply thankful for that. I will be sharing thoughts about headcanons as well as canon. The Fire Emblem Series: I have played every game that has released after Awakening, and have watched Path of Radiance. I will admit I'm not caught up with FEH because I'm not interested at the moment. However, my favorite characters are the MCs of the games, and Alear is probably my most favorite one. The Kirby Series: Played every mainline game after the release of Return to Dreamland. Air Ride too. I quit Amazing Mirror and Mass Attack halfway through. Magolor is my favorite character. The Zelda Series: Played most mainline games except for the really old ones. Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass I have not played either. Wind Waker I sort of played but not really. Favorite game is Breath of the Wild and I do not really like Tears of the Kingdom. Favorite character (I'm basic) is Link. Favorite mangas are Four Swords and Twilight Princess, though I only have the Four Sword one. Can't find the TP ones. The Cookie Run Series: I am a Cookie Run Kingdom and Ovenbreak player. I have played up to the Silver Kingdom and now I do not play the story anymore. Favorites are Pure Vanilla Cookie and White Lily Cookie, and yes, I ship them. The Sherlock Holmes (BBC) Series: Watched up until Season 3 and I will not watch Season 4. The Hounds of Baskerville and A Scandal in Belgravia episodes are the ones I remember most. Honestly, probably won't talk about this much, but it's something I've sort of recently been interested in. Undertale and AUs: Glitchtale and Underverse are the AUs I follow(ed?) most. I have played Undertale once and did not go back for other endings. Favorite characters are Chara and Gaster. Genshin: I have played up until Fontaine. Some of my favorite characters are Albedo and Furina. I am also into Pokemon, Mario, kind-of-sort-of getting into Persona. I also read (one of my favorite books is Howl's Moving Castle. Also watched the movie but that was at least 10 years ago.) I will also talk about other games/franchises and other things as well. Feel free to interact. And feel free to ask me for writing tips and grammar corrections. I do like doing that. Tags are the series/franchises I will most likely talk about most. In no particular order except PL is the first one.

[ Image Description: Randall Ascot from Professor Layton is smiling and gives a thumbs-up. His hand is on the right. End Image Description. ] Please let me know if I did the image description wrong. Thanks!

[adoctobepullet]

Refleksi ngajar; orang tua, pendidikan, dan karakter anak

Ngerasa ga si dunia pendidikan ((TK-SMA)) udah mengalami pergesaran? Banyak orang tua yang preferensi sekolahnya cenderung ke sekolah swasta daripada sekolah negeri, tapi kalo kuliah PTN masih menjdi favorit, baik prodi saintek atau soshum ((tapi seleksi dan saingane)) ketat wkwk.

Banyak faktor yang mempengaruhi sih, kek kurikulum, sarpras, kinerja guru, sampai biaya, yang tentu akan berdampak pada iklim belajar. Nah dari pendek kacamataku, sekolah swasta (setara SD) -aku berkecimpung- di Jogja kurikulumnya terintegrasi dengan nilai islam, ada kelas iqro, tahfidz, PAI, bahkan bahasa arab, yang notabene tidak diajarkan di sekolah negri. Selain itu, sarpras di sekolah swasta juga cukup memadai, SD sudah ada LCD, AC, ruang computer, dan ruang music (literally beneran ada gitar, piano, angkung, dll) yang bisa menunjang minat bakat mereka, po ga keren! Makin yahut lagi kalo gurunya, ngajar nggak sekedar ngajar tapi juga transfer of attitude yang akan membentuk karakter anak, pinter akademiknya dapet, nilai agamanya nggak lupa, dan budi pekerti luhirnya nggak ketinggalan. Truly Menyala.

Nah tapi masalahnya adalah, hal hal tersebut nggak bisa terprovide dengan baik, tanpa biaya pendidikan yang mumpuni. Like my curcol before, SPP SD Swasta non boarding di Jogja minimal 1/4 UMR lebih, haha. Itu juga biar fasilitas good, gurunya makmur, ngajarnya optimal, dan kualitas KBM berjalan baik. Mugkin bukan suatu masalah jika anaknya terlahir dari keluarga menengah ke atas tapi kalo middle to low ya sangat effort (kadang ada orang tua yang berpikiran gapapa buat anak, salut sih).

Mindset pendidikan sebagai investasi jangka panjang is a must. Ga gampang juga buat membangun hal seperti itu. Buktinya aja kemarin pas pemilu, banyak yang milih makan gratis dibading pendidikan gratis :” Gimana Indo mo maju kalo kek gini, rakyatnya gampang disetir karena literasi rendah. Back to main topic, sekolah swasta lebih digandrungi daripada sekolah negri, dalam jangka yang panjang akan ngaruh ke disiplin, akhlak, dan moralitas anak. Di SD islam swasta, masuk teeet jam 06.45 WIB, lanjut dhuha baru KBM. Wali kelasnya mandatory memastikan tiap siswa ikut dhuha. Jam 09.00 WIB ada snacking dan jam 12.00 sholat lanjut having lunch. Sesetruktur itu. Pas zamanku, sekolah negri nggal ada tuh kewajiban dhuha, hafalan, snacking, atau sesederhana buku pengubung kegiatan buat ngerecord kamu sholatnya rutin belum, belajar apa, tilawah atau hafalan nggak.

Mungkin bisa dikatakan, harapan orang tua menyekolahkan anaknya di elit swasta itu sebagai wadah pembentukan karakter dan kedisiplinan sejak dini kali ya, walaupun nggak mutlak tapi mayoritas begitu. Eh tp ada juga temen w yang sekolah negri tapi ketika dewasa karakternya kuat dan balance antara akademik, agama, dan sosial. Truly mesti penanamannya sejak kecil, sampe akhirnya jadi karakter, kebiasaan saat ini (tirakat orang tuanya apa ya?). Selain faktor eksternal (sekolah) ada yang lebih urgent dan mendominasi, yap faktor internal (hadinya orang tua), karena bagaimanapun orang tua adalah garda terdepan dalam mendidik dan membentuk karakter anak. Sebagus apapun pendidikan sekolah yang dienyam, ketika internalisasi dalam rumahnya kurang, maka nilai nilai yang masuk juga nggak efektif. Misal, di sekolah diajari hafalan ini itu, eh di rumah orang tuanya ignore, nggak dimurojaah. Wis bablas. Di sekolah dibiasakan sholat berjamaah, eh di rumah orang tuanya sholat malah entar entar, bablas juga. Jadi sebenernya sekolah itu cuma wasilah, garis terdepan adalah orang tua. That’s way, ibu sebagai al madrasatul ula.

Jadi refleksi kalo umur segini (gtau tar lagi) belum fokus buat cari parter urip ya salah satunya mikir, pendidikan anak yg bonafit di masa depan semakin mahal, tantangan zaman semakin gila (ghazwul fikr dan salah pergaulan nggak pandang bulu), kalo kita nya nggak bener, dalam artian ilmu dan amal (kerja) ya gimana mereka kedepannya bisa dapet pendidikan yang proper, kecuali mereka high selflearner tapi satu banding berapa sih yg kek gitu atau lu harus jadi ibu yg care parah (multitasking). Makanya ayo sekarang usahakan keluarga impian yang berbasis ilmu dan amal itu se-mastato’tum- nya. Belajar yang bener dan kerja yang berkah. Ga perlu neko neko dulu.

Allahuma baarik🙏✨