#use it to take Gannon's part

[wingedd20]

They should flip the scrip, have Zelda rescue Link with the power of the triforce, and destroy Hyrule in the process or something.

[m5or]

I have a small theory as to why the bulblins kidnaped the kids in Ordon while Link got left behind. Time states that Ganondorf has become afraid of children in Heroes legacy. Ganon became paranoid after his encounter with the Hero of Time.

SO back to the era of Twilight Princess. The Hero of Time has a descendant. The Hero of Time has a bloodline and Ganondorf is a ruthless man. In this vision/flashback, we see Ganon doing his evil deeds before he is banished to the Twilight realm. I think this is showcasing us that Gannon caused the ruins in tp looking for baby Twilight.

I think that this war was the start of the resistance group. The members of the resistance look for and take care of any survivors. This is where Rusl finds little link. Rusl takes the child to Ordon and raises the boy with his wife Uli. Ordon is an isolated village. The Twilight realm is a perpetual twilight, Ganondorf would be unable to tell how much time has passed, or at least have a difficult time doing so. Until he is in the realm of light again. I think at the beginning of his return is unaware that baby Link is now a young adult. So he sends his henchmen to find and capture children expecting to find a young link eventually. (wind waker style-ish) thus the children in Ordon are kidnapped. oh dear remember when I said this was a small theory.

NOW I am aware that I said that Ganondorf was unaware for a little bit that little link grew up. I have a reason, it's Collin. don't tell me he wouldn't get mistaken for a young link. The blond hair color, the way his hair is parted down the middle? blue eyes? why such a display unless you're going to parade the poor kid all the way to Ganondorf. As a way to say i found the kid you were lookin for. we the players know that Colin has round ears but it's also interesting that out of all the village kids, Colin's ears are obscured by his hair on both sides. (clarifying that the design choice that we easily see the round ear tops of the other village kids intrigues me)

[sheikfangirl]

Since you're the Queen of Puppet Zelda, what are your thoughts on these possible explanations for her level of autonomy?

Is Puppet Zelda merely made of Gloom and acts as a physical extension of Gannondorf himself so he has a set of eyes, ears, and hands that can travel and exert influence outside of his perch in the Depths, but as a higher quality puppet/projection (and therefore more taxing on his power to maintain) than the Gloom Hands and Phantom Gannons? Or is she a separate being entirely, created by him, but given her own agency, mind, and will to make her own decisions, in so far as she's still a slave to doing Gannondorf's bidding? She doesn't need constant effort on his part to control or exist, but would have probably cost him a chunk of his power upfront to create.

Could she be something else?

First, let's rectify one thing: I am NOT the Queen of Puppet Zelda. Puppet Zelda IS MY QUEEN. (But thanks for the compliment, I am blushing over here 🤭)

Secondly, thank you so much for your interest in my HC. I will happily share my thoughts on this criminally underused character that has drama written all over. This is an overview okay because I feel I could write a freakin thesis paper on Puppet Zelda 

Quick note: I am not pretending to be right or to have the absolute truth. This is my headcanon, the backstory in the back of my mind when I draw my Puppet Zelda art.

All headcanons are valid, games are interactive media, and the relationship and connections one has with a game are personal.

As you might know, English is not my first language and  visual support helps me explain things... so I made a graphic. I hope this will help understand my take of this character and why I love her so much🤣🤷‍♀️

In a nutshell:

I think Puppet Zelda is an independent minion created by Ganondorf using his magic powers. He created a shell in Zelda's image from 10 000 years ago to do his bidding and re-used her 10 000 years later to distract Link to buy himself the time to regenerate to full power.

Exhibit A: Ganondorf's Magic

If Ganondorf can spawn a whole list of monsters and gloom hands, he created Puppet Zelda too. The monsters are not continually controlled by Ganondorf, right? They do his bidding, they do what they were "programmed & designed" for, we might even say. I think it's the same for Puppet Zelda. But she is definitely a more defined and complex creation.

Exhibit B: The Hot henchwoman trope

I am not gonna lie: This is one of my very favorite tropes.... EVER! I always fall for the hot henchwomen. Ganon's quote from the glorious Sanctum scene during  the "Crisis at Hyrule Castle" scene makes me absolutely think she is indeed autonomous. "Did my puppet distract you?" Ganondorf asks Link in that chilling and subtext filled scene.

Puppet Zelda had one objective: To distract Link.

Ganon was busy regenerating. Having to control or act through someone would've been too power consuming. I don't buy it's a manifestation of him. AT ALL. so...yeah. hot henchwoman trope. Also, I'm a lesbian and I have no interest whatsoever in Ganondorf.

...HOT HENCHWOMAN TROPE SUPREMACY!! Yep. Fanservice for me.

Exhibit C: Real Zelda's Angst

This is where it's getting twistingly FUN.

This is an HC I assimilated like a borg from my ZHS buddy @kazraza  Her theory is so ***** angsty and delicious and I love it! 

At the time of King Rauru and Queen Sonia, Ganondorf created a pawn with Zelda's appearance so that it could get close to them and attack.

Then, in order to distract Link 10 000 years later, Ganondorf had to "refine" his weapon. He needed "data and real Zelda knowledge" uploaded into Puppet Zelda to ensure her credibility and the success of her mission. He wanted to make sure she could distract Link and trick him. 

And where did all this personal knowledge of Real Zelda's innermost intimate thoughts and insecurities come from, you may ask?

Well from the real Zelda herself of course!!

But when and where was this data collected?

We believe all of Zelda's Angst was leached directly from her during her 100 years mystic battle containing Calamity Ganon in this Malice Cocoon in Breath of the Wild. *GASP* Puppet Zelda was there all along in Breath of the Wild....absorbing all of Zelda's angst!!!

This is why everyone was confused and tricked by Puppet Zelda in TotK. This is why Puppet Zelda asks Link if he remembers their time at Hyrule Castle: she has Zelda's pre-calamity memories and this why Link is so tortured in my art! She can REALLY mess with him big time. I really like to think there is a part of real Zelda inside Puppet Zelda. Her dark side: Her anger, her cockiness, her jealousy, her selfishness... her desire. 

She is also kind of Zelda's answer to Dark Link.

Alright I wrote enough for tonight. To whoever took precious minutes of their lives to read this well...thank you! I am now moving on with my life too 🤣

For more HC about Puppet Zelda, her powers and influences, this should be all covered in future art

(i hope)

Cheers!! And glory to Puppet Zelda ✋

[spacelazarwolf]

if you want to answer (and i totally understand if you dont), who do you think bombed the hospital in gaza? ive seen a lot of different people talking about it and blaming different people & organizations and you seem like you know a lot aboit i/p

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: i am not a news source. i am some guy with access to the internet. please follow the links in this post, as well as doing your own research. please do not use social media posts exclusively as your source of news, and please continuously read and compare several different accredited news sources. keep on top of new sources and evidence that are being put out to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information.

it's not really about who i think did it. i feel like that centers me in a thing that is very much not about me. but i'll give it my best shot.

we still do not have confirmation of how many were killed or who is at fault for the bombing. there are a lot of numbers and opinions floating around online, but as of 4pm on october 19th there has not been a consensus on either of these things from any accredited organizations.

that being said, here are the statements that have been put out as of the time i'm responding to this:

statements about death toll:

the gaza health ministry estimates between 200 and 471 dead

the director of al-shifa hospital where people were brought from al-ahli estimates 250 dead

an assessment from the us director of national intelligence estimates between 100 and 300

an analyst with the center for naval analysis, after viewing photos and video, said the death toll was closer to 50

statements about fault:

(taking these directly from the article)

J Andres Gannon, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, in the US, says the ground explosions appeared to be small, meaning that the heat generated from the impact may have been caused by leftover rocket fuel rather than an explosion from a warhead. Justin Bronk, senior research fellow at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute, agrees. While it is difficult to be sure at such an early stage, he says, the evidence looks like the explosion was caused by a failed rocket section hitting the car park and causing a fuel and propellant fire. Mr Gannon says it is not possible to determine whether the projectile struck its intended target from the footage he has seen. He adds that the flashes in the sky likely indicate the projectile was a rocket with an engine that overheated and stopped working. Valeria Scuto, lead Middle East analyst at Sibylline, a risk assessment company, notes that Israel has the capacity to carry out other forms of air strike by drone, where they might use Hellfire missiles. These missiles generate a significant amount of heat but would not necessarily leave a large crater. But she says uncorroborated footage shows a pattern of fires at the hospital site that was not consistent with this explanation.

Visual evidence from the blast site The BBC was able to match details of buildings and the layout of the Al-Ahli hospital site with publicly available satellite imagery, to establish the hospital was the scene of the blast. Based on available evidence, it appears the explosion happened in a courtyard which is part of the hospital site. Images of the ground after the blast do not show significant damage to surrounding hospital buildings. What the images do show are scorch marks and burnt-out cars.

where the explosive came from

so far, israel, hamas, and palestinian islamic jihad have all denied responsibility

channel 4 news reported that palestinian islamic jihad had uncovered a warhead but they have not produced it

in a since-deleted tweet, hananya naftali, a social media advisor for netanyahu, claimed that it was an israeli airstrike that hit the hospital. he followed up by stating that he had shared incorrect information based on a reuters headline that refered to an israeli airstrike

tentative conclusion based on sources:

what i gather from what i've read is that the blast was likely caused by a misfired rocket originating somewhere in gaza, and the blast was exacerbated by the fuel in the rocket. BUT, as i stated before, new information is always being put out. there could be evidence released tomorrow that it was an israeli air strike. there has been no conclusive evidence yet.

and perhaps the most important section:

what you can actually do to help

if you are in the us, call your representatives and urge them to support the resolution for a ceasefire

check out this list of verified aid groups (if there is not a ceasefire as soon as possible, it won't matter what aid is sent to them and if they cannot get the supplies into gaza, so refer back to the first bulletpoint)

send a donation to your local synagogue(s) and mosque(s) to help them offset the rising costs of security

take a moment to be a human. don't think about the numbers. don't think about the politics. think about the human beings who lost their lives, and the people who are mourning them. the mothers who will never see their children again, the children who will grow up without parents. what did they have for breakfast? what was their favorite song? when was their birthday? were they afraid? were they in pain? what can we do to ensure this does not happen again?

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

A Rite Of Passage: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2k

Summary: A case brings you to a small town in Texas that is close to Mexico's border. Someone is killing people who illegally cross the border, and he's a lot closer than you think.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Season Five Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

"Where are all the deputies?" JJ asks.

"Maybe they found another head."

"No, the sheriff would have contacted us. Have you heard from her this morning?" Hotch asks JJ.

"No, sir, I wasn't expecting to, though."

"JJ, come with me." Hotch and JJ walk into the station and you follow them to see what's going on. The receptionist is on the radio talking to someone when you enter. "What's going on?"

"It's the sheriff. She's missing. She never came in this morning. Her cruiser's missing, too. The whole department's looking for her."

"Did she say anything to you? Was she working on something?" Hotch asks.

"She was gone before we left here last night."

"Gone where?"

"I thought she went home."

"I called her last night but she didn't answer. I wanted to question one of her deputies," you say.

"Have Garcia trace her cell phone and see if she had any incoming calls last night."

The CB radio the receptionist is using crackles to life and Deputy Boyd's voice comes over the radio knowing you're listening in.

"This is Boyd. Oh, God. I found her. God, she's all... Just get me some help. Hurry."

Dread creeps down your spine at his words. You have a feeling he killed her to shut her up. Your team heads over to the place where the Sheriff is. Her other deputies are already on the scene having heard Boyd on the CB radio.

"Deputy. Is that the sheriff?" Hotch asks.

"Yeah, that's her."

You walk over to her with Rossi and Hotch only to see her dismembered. Her hand is missing, her eyes are gone, and her tongue has been cut out. Everything that Omar said he'd do to send a message. No, this is all wrong. Omar didn't do this. Boyd did. His energy is everywhere and Omar's is nowhere to be found.

"This isn't the same. This is angry. It's a completely different MO."

"It's a new victimology," Rossi says. "He goes from impossible to identify illegal immigrants to a law enforcement officer?"

"We're profiling a guy who picks on the weakest in a crowd. I didn't know her that well, but weak doesn't seem to fit the sheriff."

"It's not random," Hotch says. "It's what Omar Morales said he would do to a body to send a message."

"It's not Omar," you say to Hotch. "It's Boyd. He killed her. His energy is everywhere. I don't see Omar's at all. God, I should have questioned Boyd before he went home."

"It's not your fault, but we were in the interrogation room without Boyd. He didn't hear any of what he said."

"I'm just telling you what I see."

You walk back to the police cars where everyone else is.

"Is it her?" Spencer asks.

"What's left of her. Is there anything in her car?"

"Nothing that would indicate where she was headed last night. There are no notebooks and no logs."

"Her body is mutilated in exactly the way that Omar Morales, the drug trafficker, said he would mutilate a body. Y/N thinks is Deputy Boyd. His energy is all over the place, but only Ruiz and I heard Omar say that."

"Wait, Boyd and I heard it, too. We were outside watching by the window," JJ says.

"Deputy Gannon, where's Deputy Boyd?" Hotch asks.

"He and Gentry went to pick Omar up."

You can't be too upset over them not listening to you. You're in a constant state of having to prove yourself to them. You rely on spiritual facts, not physical. They were taught to rely on physical so it's going to take a lot of time and effort on your part to make them see what you see. One deputy stays behind to assist the crime scene investigators while the rest head over to the garage where Omar lives and works. Emily calls Gentry to warn him of Boyd but she doesn't get very far because he abruptly hangs up on her. There is a dead man right outside who has not only his energy but Boyd's surrounding him.

"Reid, JJ, you two stay out here and be alert," Hotch says.

The rest of you head inside the garage with guns in hand. There is another dead body by the entrance of the place and two more when you go further in. One of them is Gentry while the other is Omar. He is lying on his stomach with shotgun holes in his back and a pistol in his hand. Gentry is lying on his back with pistol wounds in his chest and a pistol on the ground near him.

"Does this look legit to you?" Derek asks.

"Omar took shotgun hits. Gentry only has a pistol, and there's no powder residue on Omar's hands, either."

Emily finds Gentry's phone on the ground smashed to pieces.

"Oh, my God. What if he heard me?"

"Gannon, where would Boyd go?"

"I don't know."

"This is no time to be covering up. He killed your boss and Gentry."

"I'm not covering. I don't know the guy that well. No one does. He's a loner."

Everyone heads back to the car where JJ and Spencer are while you take out your phone and call Penelope.

"Pen, Deputy Boyd is our unsub. He has a police radio. Can you track it?"

"Yeah, what's his unit number?"

"Call the sheriff's station. Get the serial numbers from the dispatcher."

"Okay, give me a second."

"We profiled him as a hunter," Emily says.

"Now, he's the hunted. He'll go someplace he feels safe. Someplace he knows he can control."

"Home?" Rossi asks.

"No, I think it's a preplanned location."

"I've got him. He's heading northbound," Penelope says over the phone. "He's is not on a road at all. He's driving through the desert."

"Keep tracking him, Garcia."

"He lives in a trailer out west of town," Gannon says.

"Where is he running to if not home? Deputy, you take Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid to his house and see what you can find. I need your radio."

Gannon hands his radio over to Hotch.

"What are you going to do?" Derek asks.

"Keep him busy." The group of four leaves in one car. Hotch presses the button on the side of the radio and speaks into it. "Deputy Boyd, this is Agent Hotchner with the FBI. I know you can hear me. You have no place to go."

"This is my desert. Do you think you can find me out here? I'd invite you to try," he responds.

"Cocky little bastard," Rossi growls.

"The trouble is he's right. We don't know anything about this desert."

"I hope they can find something at his house," JJ sighs.

"Boyd, this doesn't have to end any worse than it already is," Hotch says.

"Is that right?"

"Turn yourself in. I'll tell the judge you cooperated."

"This is Texas, Agent. Do you think the judge gives a damn whether or not someone cooperated when he's handing out the death penalty? Now, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't have it any other way. That's the only way to deal with someone like me."

"Do you think he's suicidal?"

"That or he's bluffing," Rossi shrugs.

"What's north of here?"

JJ takes out a map and lays it over the hood of the car.

"A whole lot of nothing."

"He's not panicking. There's something out there and he's headed for it."

Boyd's house is where he decapitated all of his victims because his entire trailer is filled with blood and guts from his victims. The only thing they found that is of importance is a newspaper clipping from the Golden Harvest factory that makes grain and seed. The clipping is about a death that happened to foreman Fred Boyd, Deputy Boyd's father. The Golden Harvest factory, when you look it up, has a big sun painted on the side of it. The same sun that that young boy thought he saw when he crossed the border.

You, Rossi, and Hotch head out to the factory while Derek and Emily leave Boyd's house to join you. You are holding the MP-5 in the backseat checking to make sure everything is in working order.

"Try not to shoot that inside the car," Hotch says.

"Who do you think I am? You just don't want me to deafen you."

"Exactly."

"There's his vehicle," Rossi says when Hotch pulls up to the abandoned factory.

Hotch parks and all three of you get out. The sun is beating down on you but you ignore the beads of sweat sliding down your face. The hairs on the back of your neck stand and a chill runs down your spine and it isn't because of the heat. Something isn't right. You can feel Boyd's angry eyes on you.

"You take the side door. We'll take the front. Watch the windows up top," Hotch orders.

Right before you three can split up, you look at the open barn doors in the front. You hear the rev of the engine before you see the quad. You hear the bullet flying before you see it.

"Get down!" you shout.

You practically tackle Hotch and Rossi to the ground just as Boyd comes racing out on the quad with a big gun. You three are hiding behind a big tractor and wooden crates but if Boyd comes to the front then he will have a clear shot of you three. The sound of a car coming reaches your ears and you look to the right to see Derek and Emily racing toward the factory. Boyd decides to take them head-on and flies over to them while shooting. Derek takes the MP-5 and starts shooting from inside the car.

It's safe to say that Boyd doesn't get very far.

"Are you two okay?" you ask.

"Yeah. We're good," Rossi nods.

You three get up and head over to the car. Derek gets out and keeps his gun trained on Boyd even though he isn't moving. Emily stumbles out of the car with her hand on her right ear.

"Are you okay?" Derek asks.

"Yeah, we're good."

"No! Are you out of your mind? You blew out my eardrum," Emily shouts.

"What did you want me to do? He was coming right at us."

"I told you I had him!"

"He was shooting at us, Emily."

"Well, you could have given me a heads-up," she glares.

"The loaded MP-5 and the lunatic shooting at us wasn't enough? Come on."

Local police go to the factory to take care of Boyd's body, and everyone heads out to Boyd's place where he buried all of his victims. He sent the heads out as a message but he needed to bury the bodies someplace where they wouldn't be found. With your help, you found each and every grave he ever dug.

"The state's sending out a crime scene team," Hotch says after he got off the phone.

"It's going to be hard to identify the bodies without missing persons reports."

"I called that advocate, Richard Corral, and he's contacting families with missing relatives. He's gonna try and get some DNA," Emily informs.

"This is a mess," Derek sighs.

"It would have been a bigger mess without Sheriff Ruiz, and it would still be happening."

"Did she have any family?" you ask.

"I already have Garcia checking into it," JJ says.

"I'm going to call Brooklyn homicide and talk to some of the guys I know there. They'll honor her shield." She left New York to come here so there is a whole family of officers who she left behind that will honor her memory. "Let's go home."

Everyone is resting on the plane but you and Hotch. You're by the small coffee machine making a drink when he approaches you.

"Didn't want to get any sleep with the rest of them?"

"No, I guess not. How are you doing? I've noticed you're doing a lot better."

"I'm feeling a lot better," you smile.

"I see therapy was a good thing for you?"

"Yeah, I wasn't too keen on it in the beginning but she's really helped me. She really knows her stuff. Thank you for making me go."

"You're welcome."

"How are you and Jack doing?"

Hotch sighs and leans against the bathroom door.

"It's hard but we're working through it."

"If you ever need me and Spencer to watch Jack, we're more than happy to do that. Give yourself a break."

"Thank you," Hotch smiles. "It'd be nice to come home to a quiet house every once in a while."

You smile and leave his side to rejoin Spencer's. As soon as you sit down next to him, he shifts and places his head on your shoulder. You lean your head on his and pull out a book to read.

"Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. ... It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." - Helen Keller.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[bepisbee]

i had ideas 👀 about vio getting addicted to dark magic and being the monster instead

plz lmk if you think its worth a fic :)

He doesnt even realize it becuase he spent so long around Shadow/the dark mirror openly diffusing dark magic like a humidifier. Until after they all finish the quest and suddenly hes not around it anymore and he gets sweats, shakes, mood swings, blood pressure drops. He doesnt know why until he visits the tower becuase hes sad and misses shadow. falls asleep there. 

the symptoms are gone when he wakes up.

he does his best about it. never tells the others and never goes back to the tower. He hides between the library and his room and becomes nocturnal to avoid the others seeing him. eventually the major shock and withdrawl symptoms stop but theres still thst itch he cant scratch thats always crawling under his skin. constsnt anxiety thst theres part of him missing now.

when they get older he cant take it anymore and gives in. he spends a day at the tower with the shattered mirror and hunts for material. resources, magic wells, heavy spots, books, studies, scrolls, spells. When hes in the dark magic for more than an hour his eyes start doing weird shit. not that he knows that rifht away ofc. they turn black in the sclera and slowly the ice blue turns purple.

He doesnt return for weeks

trying to amass some sort of personal portable dark magic source thst doesnt bring about the end of the world via dark mirror power well. preferably with an on off switch. he manages to be able to condescne some into a liquid form and bottles it for testing later. planning on trying it in a space not affected by “shadow ozone” for potency and relaiablility and effect length. he stays on it longer by channeling the magic in the air through himself

the colors come to find him and they think hes fucking possesed or smth.

he ends up having to tell them or they were gonna execute him for turning evil. hes worried they still might. They warn him off building a magic well and offer to help him kick his magic addiction.

he declines. he realized earlier if he can command a small enough power well that is disconnected from the sacred realm he might even get shadow back. (using different source, twilight realm over dark world?) plus he LIKES the feel of the magic and he isnt having different thoughts than before.

colors are obviously SUPER SUS about this plan but dont want to push him away. once hes determined he WILL do it. if they disagree he’ll just do it behind their backs and be unsafe and possibly hurt himself. or worse connect it too big of a source and attract the attention of gannon or other awful evil beings. reluctantly they all agree to help or at least let him be with this with more warnings to be careful af.

super worry squad

they leave him alone so they dont also get dark magic addicted (they cant though, only vio is susceptible becuase he is the part of link that holds his bad/evil thoughts or is even capable of using dark magic).

he takes his research home when he isnt succesful by the time hes out of food and supplies. he takes his liquid shadow essences bottled up with and goes home with the colors.

theyre there to support him this time around. 

he keeps researching and testing his essence on himself and channeling dark magic and using it to create sources. on accident he overdoses himself and gives himself permanent changes (hand claws, black gradient fades into his skin tone, sharp teefs, eyes remain black sclera) locks himself in his room in shame and fear and when it doesn't go away, panic. Eventually they get vio to let them in and he tells them about it. cue supportive family moment. Red helps file their claws down and Vio practices how to talk without cutting his tongue or biting it or his lips. It’s a struggle with the claws until they get filed down. They flare back out when he gets emotional though.

This ends up giving him a boost, altering his body, altering his magic channels. He now naturally flows dark energy in his magic. he gets to making a small source from a pendant he makes. Hs fuels enough power (with permission and supervision) and summons back Shadow and uses up his source to create a shadow body of dark magic mixed with earth and light magic. (essentially a gollum/elemental ) shadows body is dependent on Vio’s magic instead of the mirror now but it's not a problem since the alterations. If he gets hurt Vio can just fix him by feeding his body magic.

happy ending vidow :) and vios the monster this time!

[nancyheart11]

Any new dad squad stuff you’ve written lately? For the WIP game?

yeah i do! :D

remember that Dad Squad dream i told you about? ended up waiting in line and got some good stuff down to start it off

Rusl was walking with his companions, Abel a clear bundle of nerves and walking much closer to Fierce than usual, but Rusl supposed it only made sense based on the fact that the horrid metal contraptions which only their 8ft warrior would ever call ‘fun’ to fight were gathered in this area before Gannon took control and used them against the very people they were meant to protect. Some part of Rusl recoiled, remembering times of Shadow, where the cold seemed to abound and permeate his bones, no matter how high the fire was stoked, stories haltingly told by children where they thought no one would hear, of shopkeepers who vanished only for strange shadowy monsters to take their place. He shook off the gloomy thoughts and smiled at the sight of the enormous trees around, verdant plant life blooming and small wildlife darting back and forth in view, the birds singing a bright song that complimented the golden shafts of sunlight coming through ample cloud cover well. He breathed in the familiar and comforting scent of loamy earth a smile breaking out on his face at the small piece of home.

return of Rusl pov woo!!

[womensworldtour]

Tour de France Femmes - Stage 2

Another sprint stage, a short one this time in the morning of day 2 before this evening's ITT. Only 68km from Dortrecht to Rotterdam, pancake flat, no mountains points—please forgive us if we think these sorts of stages are boring.

If you like windmills or Dutch road infrastructure, there's a lot to see in flat Dutch stages. If you don't care about traffic calming or pedestrian islands or raised crosswalks or trams or continuous sidewalks, then there really wasn't much to watch in this stage until the end.

For the better part of an hour and a half, the most interesting thing to happen were a few minor crashes in the bunch with touches of wheels, or Tashkent riders getting dropped off the back, and no one wants to see that. If you only caught the last 10km (or even 3km, to be honest) we wouldn't blame you.

Fast forward to the end, then, which certainly was exciting, a full bunch sprint after winding through narrow roads and roundabouts on the entrance to Rotterdam. The irony of the Netherlands is that the very bike paths and road furniture that make the country great for average people to bike make it a challenging place to race for the pro peloton. Most of the sprint teams got their riders through a series of turns and across several bridges safely, but crash near the front on one of the biggest bridges took Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) out of contention and split the group in half.

Team SD Worx-Protime led in the approach with Blanka Vas and Team dsm-firmenich-postNL did the same with Pfeiffer Georgi, and when the sprinters lit their candles, Charlotte Kool came up on the right-hand side, slipped past Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease-a-Bike) and slingshotted around Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) to take her second Tour de France Femmes stage in a row!

Kool and Wiebes were a couple bike lengths ahead of Vos, who was in turn a couple bike lengths ahead of Lotta Henttala (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek). These are the best sprinters in the world right now, and seeing them go head-to-head almost makes the back-to-back sprint stages worth it.

More racing later today in what they are calling Stage 3.

[blackstarchanx3new]

FSR Rambles 11 big brain moments

Immediately going from Gannon's rant we wake up...SOMEWHERE.

That iconic triforce symbol glows on Shadow Link's hand.

Uh oh.

Ganondorf rants to himself smth he says during the Twilight Princess manga.

Hello Ganondorf! :D

Alright let's dissect the shit Ganondorf says real quick.

Panel 1: He's talking about Link, obviously. Who unlike Ganondorf and Zelda (Sometimes...Twilight Princess Zelda outright calls OOT Zelda herself/her so...) doesn't/never seems to remember their endless reincarnation....Which I have some THOUGHTS ON WHY but we might get to that when it's more relevant. Just keep it in your back pocket that Link never remembers "His" previous adventures.

Ganondorf's the same Ganondorf from OOT in Akira's manga series, we dunno how much FSR Zelda currently knows about her endless reincarnation because she has the soul of Hylia in her,

Panel 2: Shadow Link has never seen Ganondorf in his human form. That's established with his lines of confusion. He clearly RECONIZES him either through his presence or voice though.

Panel 3: Ganondorf ignores Shadow's question to keep rambling.

"I even thought...Two can play the split ourselves in pieces game..."

He's clearly referencing the FIRST time a Link used the four sword, as there's a previous hero of the Four Sword mentioned at the start of the FS Manga. (That's my interpretation since there's two different four swords games, SOME people think he meant the Minish Cap Link but...I disagree strongly with that shit ngl and I think the ONLY reason that idea exists is because we never got a manga for the first Four Swords game but the SEQUEL for whatever reason...? As minish cap Link was a child when he went on his journey and looked NOTHING like the OOT style adult hero we saw in the "Flashback/story" scene in FS. I'm like 99% sure it was referencing the hero from the FIRST Four Swords game because the four swords manga we HAVE is based on Four Swords Adventures from what I can tell?)

Either way, in FSR he's refencing THAT Link as the reason why he...split himself in pieces.

"This game of ours gets boring after awhile...We have to make new rules...invite new players, mix things up..."

So, this is why he used Vaati. Vaati was the "New player"

Technically an old player brought directly into the Triforce gang's bullshit as Vaati used to be a solo villain from what I understand removed from Gannon.

Shadow Link could ALSO be a part of these "New players" he's talking about.

Either way Gannon's view on the endless cycle has seemingly shifted to a "Game". A game he wants to win, obviously.

If you want a reason why he'd try taking this outlook: Dude's coping hard, he keeps losing. Looking at it like a childish game makes him retain SOME sanity he's shed after getting his ass kicked so many times. As he clearly shed a LOT of his humanity to become the pig form in the OG manga without ANY PROMTING Usually that's like, a second phase of the fight Something's different about Ganon in FSA compared to usual.

Panel 4:

Ganon muses he didn't think "A part of him" would play "Their" side.

He's obviously talking about Shadow Link at this point aiding Zelda and Link. But the dread of what Gannon's saying hasn't truly set in yet.

Panel 5:

So in Twilight Princess, Spoilers Gannon just like, straight kills himself when he feels he's losing. Man is a massive piss baby.

He does something similar here. "CAN'T KEEP ME IN A SWORD IF I END MYSELF HAHAHAHA" - Gannon.

But...There's still a part of Gannon around...As he passes the Triforce of power (Something he admits he cannot stand in Twilight Princess, if nothing else BECAUSE it ties him to Zelda and Link who have Wisdom and Courage respectively.)

So while not outright CONFORMING FSR Link and FSR Zelda HAVE the Triforce, it's heavily implied they do. Zelda at least, had it on her hand earlier in the comic. (With an outdated design of her haha but it still counts here. Haven't been any major ret cons as of rn in FSR and I'd mention any if they do come up hah)

Ganon not so subtly references the conversation Vio and Shadow had about the Triforce where Shadow admitted he wanted it to make his wishes come true.

Which just, with current context really puts into perspective that little desire of his.

Also, it's even FUNNIER that he says he wants to touch the Triforce...While being all over Vio. Who has a piece of the Triforce of courage.

Yes that was intentional and yes I was laughing my absolute ass off while drawing/writing those scenes...I was shaking that I couldn't mention that for so long lmfaooooooo.

He's a part of Gannon. Of course he wants the Triforce.

Shadow still looks like he's comprehending shit. I mean this is a LOT to take in. All this time he assumed he was NOTHING but Link's shadow. But NOW we know he's not only Link's Shadow, but a part of Gannon as well.

Ganon congrats our little man.

He gets to wield the title of the Demon King AND the Triforce of power! :D HOW LUCKY...HE GOT TWO THINGS HE WANTED! :D

BEING THE KING AND THE TRIFORCE!!!

Oh...Shadow isn't a fan of that. Especially at Gannon's prospect that he should destroy Link.

Lines that are hilarious with this new context go brr:

Haha- Well he IS A KING-

Vio just look to your left.

"I've done infinitely worse in past lives pal-"

Literally this entire scene has new meaning with how VISERIALLY ANGRY he is at the prospect they just gotta do what they have to because "it's what we're supposed to do".

Shadow Link's behavior in general in current day in FSR is just, makes much more sense with the context he KNOWS he's a part of Gannon.

His desperate urge to be nice, seemingly TOO NICE?

Well, he's trying to reject the idea he has to destroy the heroes and wants to be helpful and good.

Translation: "I don't have to be Gannon if you don't have to be Link"

Also smth you'll notice in the Gannon talks to Shadow pages: Shadow's eyes are red the whole time just like when was talking to Vaati.

Shadow's ending state in FS was a form of torture and you can't convince me otherwise.

He's in misery.

Fucked up thing to note: Shadow link feels he deserves to suffer.

We're not given his full thoughts on WHY but we can either assume because of his actions in the FSA manga OR because he's Gannon.

That's just sad.

Link's catatonic like usual.

Shadow likens Link's state to a corpse that's rotting which is, disturbing.

Unlike Gannon, he isn't getting any pleasure watching the Hero rot away mentally.

Oof. Yeah. What good's the Triforce of power when you can't use it to save someone?

You'll notice Shadow defaults to waving to get people's attention. What else can he do?

Link notices and touches him.

Which again: We know from Shadow's brief breakdown in the temple this isn't something he did a lot.

We can venture to guess from these pages, Link was usually just, not there mentally a lot of the time to notice Shadow Link and he wasn't filling the gaps because Shadow couldn't talk, because Link went mute after awhile.

Either way Shadow cherishes the times where Link acknowledges him.

If you go back and read the pages where Shadow's talking about his time with Link the main thing he talks about is how LONELY he felt.

He doesn't actually talk about Link's behavior in a negative way per say...Mostly that HE was lonely.

Like from the wording he isn't exactly BASHING Link for ignoring him, just expressing how it made him feel in the moment.

And from here we can see Shadow understands just how poorly Link was doing.

He wants to hug him-

Shadow wants to be comforted and to comfort but can't do or get either.

Poor dude is suffering.

Shadow dissects his feelings.

Vio's promise struck a cord with this dude for a lot of reasons, partially because Gannon as we know from Twilight Princess REALLY wanted Zelda to join him/another Triforce user to join him cobbled with Shadow Link himself loneliness and inability to trust his teammates led to Vio's promise of ruling the world basically made him explode with joy lol.

Gannon's literally always playing this "Game" alone. Shadow Link is lonely from his own experiences and from Gannon's. He actually doesn't MIND the idea they're all gonna be spending eternity together forever, he just doesn't wanna be locked in fighting them lmfao.

Art notes: Shadow's eyes look like Gannondorf's eyes in page 207 the "I want to be close to you Link" panel.

Zelda and Vio/Link have had a positive affect on Shadow Link as a person, so instead of 100% hating them like Gannondorf does he has a mixed bag of emotions towards them.

Another art note:

Page 208 Shadow's eyes look like the Malice eyeballs from BOTW/TOTK

Shadow Link interprets his own feelings as him wanting to be close to Zelda and Link/Vio due to his own loneliness. He's the new demon king and he doesn't want to further their fated connection through hatred alone.

Shadow's further thoughts on being Ganon and the affects it has on his behavior going forward are for sure going to be present so if something wasn't brought up here/expanded upon, it probs will later.

Something to note is Shadow's KNOWN he's a from of Gannon for 7 years and HASN'T Told any of the gang yet...Which is interesting.

Not like he could SAY that before and they've still only been separated for a day but still.

More art notes: The way they're structured in 208, is in the shape of the Triforce. Shadow on "Top" representing the Triforce of power, Zelda to the left representing wisdom and Link to the right representing courage.

It is interesting to note how Vio and Link are interchangeable in Shadow's mind at least in this instance...

From his further thoughts in 209 it's implied he's SPECICICALLY talking about Vio, but Link is still pictured...So Hm.

So it bares repeating Vio booked it to Shadow Link the second he saw him because of their unfinished business hah.

Further idea:

Shadow doesn't purely means "Vio's here" as the "dream" he's talking about.

He has a physical body again after 7 years. He's not a prisoner to his own mind anymore and has the ability to affect the world around him.

He was completely stripped of agency and ironically enough "Power" for 7 years.

Like Vio, someone he loves being there is nice too but I don't wanna understate how important Shadow's relationship to Link himself is either.

As in the series so far Shadow's blatantly done the things he stated he wishes he could have done for Link in the pages previous TO Vio because, he has the ability to now.

Basically: We don't need to shoot down Shadow's 7 year long relationship with Link just to bolster Vio and Shadow's.

Stalker lmfao.

So it's interesting to note he CRIED from Shadow's memories.

Weird moment for Dark Link. It's odd he even cried at all. He has an actual personality outside of just batting people's anxieties and fears back at them after all.

He himself seems rather calm but if you notice, his chest eyeball looks deeply emotional over it.

Question to ask: Is he crying from joy or sadness? Or some third thing?

Did he even realize he was crying? He didn't wipe his tears away.

You'll note, instead of just purely calling Shadow "the traitor" as he did earlier, he switches to calling him his title + traitor lmfao. "Treacherous demon king" he changes his language to be more accurate to his new information about Shadow Link.

Another thing: Dark Link isn't INTERACTING with Shadow Link here like he did with Vio. How he approached it was purely as a spectator.

He's not mentally fucking with Shadow here.

Which shows an odd sense of, genuine interest about Shadow's past that didn't exist earlier with Vio when he purely only said things to make Vio break down.

HE was watching those flashbacks with us and soaking in the information. He has a better understanding of Vio AND Shadow because he can see from BOTH their perspectives as you noticed...and Vaati's.

But that cute little fact isn't important rn.

And with all that word vomiting we will pick up again another time.

[snowmaze1969]

ok so rant containing spoilers for the dragon tears quest in totk so yeah

Anyway, I've seen a couple posts talking about how they didn't like the whole draginifacation thing. They say oh, it doesn't make sense that botw zelda would do that! for one, she's to logical to just spur of the moment to swallow thestone, and two, she already sealed herself before and she saw how that tuned out! And some of them will say that it would make sense if it was a different link and zelda but I'm going to prove that it makes sense. For one, it is totally in Zeldas character to sacrifice herself and swallow the stone.she was raised with one reoccurring theme. Sacrifice. She sacrificed her time, her life, everything for her kingdom. Then when the calamity came, she sacrificed herself to seal away Gannon. Because she knew. She knew that she was the only one who could do it. And maybe in some sort of selfish desire she wanted to be useful. To do something other then sit and pray. And she knew. That maybe. Even if she didn't kill Gannon herself she could make sure link would have time to heal and kill him himself. She knew that she might not make it out but she still did it. Then in tears if the kingdom zelda is sent into the past. She watches the people who she has grown to trust die. Killed right in front of her. That would do something to a person. And just like in botw she knows. That this is her only option. Because she can't just die, and pass on the stone. Because she knows that gannondorf will find whoever has the stone. Kill them and then take over the stone. She knows that she cant juat sit and wait. That sacrificial part of her is burrowed deep. She is the only one who can do this. And she believes in link as well. And she knows this time is different. This time she's not comming back. She knows that. But isent that all she knows? Sacrifice after sacrifice. Left to a destiny of being second best to the hero. To be rescued and self sacrificed. Because history repeats itself. Even if the history isent covered with a curse.

Whatever tho. Come yell at me or Start a discussion. I would love to hear different thoughts about the whole thing!

[geezerwench]

Republicans want the courts to kick 225,000 voters off the North Carolina rolls by the end of next week.

The North Carolina Republican Party and the Republican National Committee said in a lawsuit filed Monday in Wake County that the State Board of Elections failed to act when resident Carol Snow complained about violations of a federal law called the Help America Vote Act. Snow said the state had used registration forms that failed to require a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number.

Republicans and far-right groups are seeking voter purges in states around the country, including the swing states of Arizona and Pennsylvania.

In an email, state Board of Elections spokesman Pat Gannon said the lawsuit asks the impossible. Federal law prohibits removing voters so close to the election, he said.

“Despite being aware of their alleged claims months ago, the plaintiffs have waited until two weeks before the start of voting to seek a court-ordered program to remove thousands of existing registered voters. Federal law itself prevents such removal programs if they take place after the 90th day before a federal election, which was August 7. So, the lawsuit is asking for a rapid-fire voter removal program that violates federal law.”

This is the second lawsuit Republicans have filed against the state Board of Elections in less than a week.

In a statement issued Tuesday morning, state House Democratic Leader Robert Reives blasted the lawsuit as part of an ongoing GOP strategy to use “intimidation, chaos and even outright disenfranchisement” to limit voting rights.

[spaceless-vacuum]

I've been thinking about the possibility of reader being a touch starved god/goddess of death and that they maybe the reason they couldn't physically help the links against their battles and put foes like Gannon who should be dead is because hylia getting jealous that reader is giving so much attention to first more than her that she seals reader to her and having reader stick to her side by force, causing reader unable to save first from being locked up and later died. What if the reason first was able to reborn as sky was of readers help like reader having the abilities of both death from puss in boot and hades and having both their personalities since hades in the myths should him to being actually a lot more nice and fateful to his wife than his brother as he allowed Hercules to get his friends wife back after he told him about the couple that made hades feel bad. And maybe them being their for each of the links was because hylia wasn't that bad that she wouldn't allow her darling to talk to them at least and the fact that most of them are orphans or at least have seen someone die I still remember that legend had to see has uncle die and they do have many enemies and monsters dead by their hands that makes reader have to somewhat follow them and maybe reader before being sealed to where ever hylia is made a weapon like maybe be a bow or sword that fit the abilities hylia had or maybe before sun and sky got in that tornado because hylia wouldn't need first to always be their to fight for her when reader isn't there or because sun was training to become a knight as that was the school sun and sky were in but apparently Nintendo forgot about and so we don't see any zelda welding any weapon like a sword so and somewhat trying to get the zeldas learn how to fight before any big bad comes like Gannon and so being their for the zeldas too as even tho they are related to hylia they aren't her and so taking a liking to them and probably met fierce since he is a war God making him had at least killed someone and maybe the reason he was sealed in a mask was because hylia didn't want to share reader with someone who wasn't a link or zelda. And maybe the reason legend was able.to be in the dreams of that whale God and see marine who is dead because the affects of being near or giving him the gift of seeing the dead to help him and others and feeling bad for him seeing his uncle die as a kid and so being able to meet old and dead friends again and the reason chain and zelda was able to finally see reader was because hylia fought that after taking care of her battles and reward she allowed them to have reader for a short time.

And maybe the reason fierce goes yandere for reader is because they were a constant presents that didn't judge him for being the god of war. And I'm just picturing reader looking like this as this would kinda be funny to see the reaction of the stricter yanderes seeing what reader is wearing. you ignore this part and hope you have a good day and my friend your content is art but please have a break when you're feeling down.

“Do you ever get tired of your job?” He asks.

“Do you?” You counter, being put on the defensive by the strange question. You never thought about changing jobs or trying out anything else. You were the god of death. You had never thought about being anything other than what you were. The first hero’s comment didn't upset you. It was hard for anything he said or did to make you feel anything more than confused. It had been weeks since the mortal first stumbled into your realm, badly wounded and strength leaving fast he was left on death's door; both literally and metaphorically. Defying death as not impossible, hard to shake, but not impossible. Fairies, healers, and potions were tricks anyone could use but not everyone could afford them.

These tricks were wonderful when you had them available, but he didn't not have any of those. He had managed to pull through by sheer strength of will and some care provided by a wandering god. You didn't have to stay by his side afterwards, you didn't even have to offer help. It could be seen as a trap to force him into a bond with you; but that wasn't the case. He gladly accepted your company while he healed and the two of you had spent the days talking while he rested and regained his strength. He just woke back up from a nap and the two of you were sitting together in a field outside of the makeshift shelter you had help put up. 

First didn't answer your question. Instead he looked across the field of red flowers across from the two of you, eyes always wandering searching for something or someone; he couldn't help but think of what else could be over the horizon line.

“You seem to have recovered well.” You said. It was incredibly true that he was almost fully healed and had no need to stay here any longer than he wanted to; which made you wonder what it was she was after. Your company was not much but he seemed to enjoy it, and you enjoyed his. It was an odd choice. He looked down at his chest where a set of claws had drilled deep holes through his armour and scoured the flesh. It still looked somewhat fresh but it no longer needed bandages to always cover them.

“If I'm lucky it won't scar. I have some cream that works miracles, no clue what's in it but it works great.” You nod and smile down at the flower you're toying with in your hands. He had walked over and selected it from the field, taking time to choose the ebay one he could find. It didn't look any different than any of the other flowers but he had a selection process and it passed with flying colours in your eyes. Even if only because he thought so. Twirling it around in your hand made you happy. Like the same feeling of sitting in a ray of sunshine. The hero was such a sweetheart and so thoughtful.

Mortals who knew of you and what you were were afraid of your presence, and even more were afraid to come close, but he spent the time picking a flower for you. How thoughtful! You look over to find him staring at you. His head tilted, his lips pulled up into a smile, his eyes full of hope he was the picture of beauty. If you had the words to tell him that you were sure you would have tried. You were too afraid to say anything or move so you just smiled back at him before looking once more at the flower in your hand.

"When you go back, promise me you'll take better care of yourself?" You asked after a few minutes of silence.

"No pressure." he replied in a dry tone. You turn to look at him but hews staring off into the distance again. Is it getting worse out there? Being a hero was a risky job but could he not even spare the time to take care of himself anymore? 

"Please don't die."

"Easier said than done, however I will try my best. I don't plan on dying but I would like to see you again before I go." he laughs and shows you that wonderful smile again.

"Tell you what." You place the flower in his hands, careful as to not touch him, and lay your hands in your lap. "When the time comes that you come close to meeting your end once again I will show up, both as a warning and to herald your soul into the afterlife.”

"What's to stop me from throwing myself off a cliff then?" he stated matter of factly.

"What?" you stared in disbelief unsure what he meant by his comment. He lays down in the grass with both of his hands resting behind his head.

"If I go up to a cliff, with the full intent to jump, and right before I fall you show up and stop me, what happens then?" You stare at him with a mixture of horror and shock on your face.

"I mean, I could go up there and start to jump, jump back, and you're there either way. We talk and meet again and because I’m not dead we get to do that same dance over and over. I mean I could do this for ten weeks straight. What stops me from never ending our little talks?" You start to laugh and within seconds you're tilting your head back belting out laughter. It spills from your lips and it feels good to let it all out. He wants to see you again; so much so he would think about ways to cheat the system you just put in place.

"I wouldn't really do that to you, but I think if you really want to see me you should just show up. I won't mind." You wait a second or two before responding; trying to find the right words is harder than it seems.

"Will you be free next weekend then?"

"Is that a date?" You blush, and he laughs before saying his goodbyes. “Please don't be a stranger. Good people are hard to come by and I would love to be in your presence again.”

“I promise not to be a stranger.” It will be such a shame to see him go, but this is the start to something new is it not?

. . .

“The fighting is just getting worse. The enemy is appearing more frequently and each time I encounter them they seem to only be stronger and better prepared.” You reach out a hand and gently pat first on his  arm, being careful to avoid his wounded shoulder. It all seems a  little unfair. With all the fighting he's done and with what's to come. You know he does it for a just cause but would the world spare him this once? It has to be done but for right now he could stay here and rest. Some time here was all you could currently offer.

“I don't know what the future holds, if this place will all be destroyed or who's at the centre of all this chaos, but I will defend this land and its people with my life!” He had a strong sense of justice and cared deeply for those around him. You knew of his other friends, both Hylian and human, and his worsening anxieties over who would live and who would die were only growing worse. First had also talked about a goddess called Hylia and the name sounded familiar. 

“If all goes well I’ll be back in town by friday to see Lord Dagianis about helping us get more recruits to help when we face the inevitable tide of war." You nod along. You had heard the drums of war for a long time. Few people heeded death's tidings so only a few people had been warned about the coming terror. It would be a long battle yet and there was nothing more you could do to help with your limited access to mortals. It hurt to hear him talk about all that needed to be done and being held powerless to help in any meaningful way.

For now you would help by providing comfort. The hero rested his head in your lap. You run a finger through his hair and the touch calms you both. It’s been too long since you've felt like this; had such a calm peaceful moment shared with another like this. Years and years ago you brushed the hair out of someone's face, and now you're doing it again. Strange, this doesn't feel like how you would comfort a stranger. First has grown on you and you're reluctant to let him go. Destiny calls, but it can wait for a few more seconds, fates be willing.

Hylia watches the two of you share a private moment while she stands far away from it. All of this feels strange. What is this? The feeling she had wasn't fair by any means and the only thing she could think of was some form of jealousy or rage. Apathy to her own emotions was a simple facet of her being; she had people to lead and a job to do, she couldn't allow her emotions to get in the way of her work. Something about standing there made her feel something.

She doesn't want to just watch you two from the sidelines! She has to step in to stop First from staying by your side from now on, but she doesn't want you out of the picture. Not quite. Plans started to form in her mind and she knew it was only a matter of time and slight pushes of effort before they fell into place. Plans take time and she has the patience to wait.

. . .

It's late and you are walking through a densely packed forest. The night sky is mostly blocked out by the canopy and there is just enough light for you to see where you're walking. The moon is bright overhead and Hylia looks at you as you stop to stare at it. Maybe tonight is the night? No one is around to see and First is almost at the gates, once he reaches them the guards will be ordered to stop him and take him to the dungeons by any means necessary. If she doesn't attack you now you will surely go to help him and she needs him to be locked up.

Hylia does not reveal herself before striking. Summoning her bow of golden light she takes her time aiming her shot. She has to make the first one count or else you might have enough time to get away or flee to your realm. Which is why she aims for one of your legs, so you can't get away. Harming a god is difficult to do but in no way impossible. If any one would know the techniques it would be her; she's been studying different ways to seal power and lock it up for ages now. Demise was her true target but you, darling, would look just as lovely shoved into a sword wouldn't you?

You’ll be safe this way she coos to herself, and before she releases that arrow she stops and wonders why she wants to do this so badly. It’s such a foolish idea to attack another god for no other reason than personal interest but she has to. You're too good to leave wandering the surface alone and forgotten while Demise takes everything over. Once safe by her side in the sky you can spend your days shielded by her light. You'll never be able to stray far from her. This act counts as an act of devotion and love. For her it seems the two go hand in hand.

. . .

Years come and go. The world slowly heals from the wound Demise’s army had left on it; like a stain that could never be lifted, evidence of his rage was left everywhere. Even as life started to return to the surface in the face of the uncertain future Demise and Hylia gathered up strength for one final battle over the triforce. It was interesting to watch it all with the power you still had left. Hylia for her part was good at keeping you by her side and relaying information to you, but you knew she wasn't being entirely honest. Why she wanted to keep you in the dark wasn't hard to infer. Demise’s power was growing and it was worrying her.

You had asked her to be honest and she always danced around the question. Stomping down any suggestions by avoiding the subjects as to not come off as actually shutting anything down. It was a hard to play game and she made it look easy; but it didn't stop any of her problems down below. Just meant you couldn't do or say anything to help. She was planning something. You just wouldn't be made aware unless you were part of her plans.

“I need your help.” was all she said. Her words cut sharper than any blade you had ever met and she looked down at you. This form was not ideal to be stuck in, and despite being able to summon a more physical form, You didn't have enough power to do so right now. Being around the goddess made you feel weaker. As if being around her drained you of your energy. It’s probably just the knowledge that if you did show up out of this form she could just smite you down and all that effort would be wasted. You didn't respond to her question, you were at her mercy regardless, but it was the fact that she could have at least said hello first.

“You are in no position to complain.” She picked your sword body up and you could feel it as she ran a finger along your surface. Checking her finger as if looking for dust she smiles and stares down at you with a smile on her face. This wasn't your body but it was at the same time. The feeling that it left in you was akin to a shiver running down your back; but you weren't sure if it felt unpleasant or not. What worried you was her smile. She looked so happy to have you here with her. Here, alone, with no one else who could see or talk to you besides her.

“What do you need from me?” it was best to get to the point. Keeping a goddess waiting was not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

“I need a soul retrieved.” A knot formed in your stomach; you knew what she was about to ask for. This could be the start to something good but you knew better than to get your hopes up too much.

“That's not an easy task-” you started to talk but she cut you off. No anger in her voice, just a small statement of fact.

“I don't need all of him, just a small portion. Enough that a fire can be started and the rest will be taken care of by-” I cut her off this time.

“So you want him to be reborn.” She sucked in a breath and didn't speak. Maybe I was being too hopeful but I couldn't help it. The idea of being able to see First again made my heart jump with joy. Hylia set the blade down and could not complain over your happiness; it was so lovely to see you in such a mood. Her eyes bored holes through you and you could the slightest glint of hunger in her gaze. 

“No; again this will not be him. Rather this new soul will be like his.” There was a pause as she turned away from you. “I need another hero.”

“Another one?”

“Did I say something else?” 

“Do you really need one so soon?”

“Demise isn't dead yet.” Hylia hated having to repeat herself. It was true that he was still around but it’s been so quiet in your heart since first passed. Could you handle someone being so much like him; or to witness what the path of the sword can do to another soul? Hylia turns back around and leans over your form. You know for a fact that she knows more than you. She isn't telling you everything and never was. A new hero and look at where you're at. Stuck here alone except for when it pleases the goddess. The only way you would ever be set free is through her good graces.

“I will help, on one condition.” It’s now or never. “I need to know that the soul is safe after I bring them back to life for you.” To your surprise Hyli agrees without hesitation.

“I would expect nothing less from you, you always did have a soft spot for him.” Memories of First come flooding back to you, it all feels so long ago but it hasn't even been a hundred years yet. One day the time will come that thinking of him does not hurt but for now it is an open wound still spilling arterial blood. Her comment on what she does and does not expect doesn't go over your head as well. Always a step ahead of you even now. Your own thoughts don't even seem to be your own anymore, and with a simple gaze she can see what it is that's on your mind.

“I miss him more than you know.” Her voice hasn't changed from its low tone this entire conversation. Hylia stands up straight and moves away from you. Taking a few steps before pausing to look behind her. “I care… more than you would know.” With that she takes her leave. It feels so cold without anyone here. The goddesses' last words linger in the air and it feels like a double edged sword was left here along with you. She cared a lot about the first hero, and that was so true. Even now the evidence of her love lingers; but  he wasn't all she was talking about.

. . .

“I haven't checked up on him in awhile yet, how is he doing?” Hylia's voice holds nothing but concern for her hero. Even if this path and destiny was one she chose for him it’s so different to see the carnage first hand. To have to deal with the blood on your hands and the death of people you loved.

“I have never seen Link so despondent.” You state. It’s a sad fact that he's barely spoken since the incident and while he has been arriving at town as swiftly as ever he isn't acting like himself. it doesn't take a god to see this. “He hasn't eaten anything in a few days besides an apple.”

“I know.” Hylia’s voice breaks and you feel your heart drop into your stomach. The hero struggles along his path alone. He still does his job and does it as well as ever but it's heartbreaking to watch him struggle with grief while having to shove his own emotions aside just to get this job done.

“May I go to him?” You offer. “Even if just for a few moments being able to let him talk to the soul he lost, it might help him overcome his grief.”

“The hero was never offered any form of closure for why it had to happen like this or what powers were at play. Letting him see his family once more will do great things for his spirit.” Hylia and you agreed on that point; however agreeing and understanding are two different things. The goddess had never once said if it was her setting his family members up to fall. For all you knew it could have been one of the three or circumstances. Regardless, it happened, and she had a hand in it either directly or indirectly; and her involvement on the matter would do little to change how you responded to Link. he was a person and people needed comfort and closure.

Being stuck to this weapon form unless Hylia brought you someplace, or on the rare occasion you regained enough energy to break free for a short trip, did nothing to help you bridge the gap between you and the living. Familial connections were something you weren't used to. On paper you could understand it but you had no real drive or connection to the underlying problem. The closest you had was whatever was here with Hylia and the hero’s. The meetings with Link over issues beyond his mortal sight were always so welcome.

Setting your plan into motion you sneak a few extra souls into his dreams. Offering closure in this way was not hard. Giving him time to talk to his family during his sleep would allow him a peaceful rest, and some time to talk. Hopefully this would help the hero rest properly from here on out.

. . .

“Thank you.” The voice made you jump out of your skin, as always it was Hylia, but you hadn't been aware you were followed. The feeling of unease never fully went away when around her but she was a welcome sight nonetheless. It was better than no company at all. You stood solemn in the remains of a monster camp. Their dusty remains still littered the ground and you walked slowly around the circle as Hylia slowly made her way to your side.

You looked back over the horizon and saw the hero making his way to the next part of his quest. He had finished with this battle and was on his way to the next. Being the god of death meant you could afford yourself some power to show up in places like this, even if monsters did not fall under your domain you could still walk here where the dead may lay, monster or not. You were impatient to follow after the hero and hopefully say a quick hello but you knew better than to walk away from someone so demanding of your attention.

“He’s getting better.” You remark. Remembering the quick speed he had used to run though camp, kill everything, and leave.

“You're avoiding the subject.” Hylia spoke and her voice held some note of ransom, as if by avoiding what she said you had to pay up in full next time you spoke. She knew how to speak and her voice commanded all the same. It dawned on you that she might be upset you changed the subject to Link rather than give her all of your attention. You turned to look at her and for a moment you thought you saw her suck in a breath, as if being gazed at by you was breathtaking. She paused before regaining her composure. Was she upset you had seen her like that? She often liked to appear cold but not cruel. Sharing emotions was never a strong suit for her.

Checking herself over once more she straightened out her clothes despite the fact that there were no wrinkles in her white dress. Her face returned once more to that perfect;y cool stone mask it always was; the same face that makes you question if there's more underneath the surface of what you're seeing. The depth she had was confusing. She served Hyrule and its citizens first and foremost and so much so that she was willing to sacrifice two souls for the lives of many. No matter how much she cared she had to put the many above the few; but did she reserve the same coldness to herself? What a sad way to treat oneself.

The goddess herself was not oblivious to the nature of what she was doing and knew on some level how terrible it must be for herself and her chosen two but she trusted it would all be worth it in the end. The many over the few. This was something any good ruler would do, and yet here she was getting so personally attached to people she was willing to sacrifice. Hiding her true feelings just to serve some purpose that not even you could speculate about. She sacrificed herself just as much she did Zelda as it was the same knife for both wounds. When was the last time she did something if it wasn't for work? Off putting and anti-social I knew that she was so much more than the mask she put on. Seeing this side of her was considered an honour but it was also so confusing and you could never make heads or tails of it.

You would have to bridge this gap yourself because she never would.

“I love hearing you talk.” It was the first thing you could think of. Those words made her stand up straighter and you could tell you had her attention now. “You're always watching over your people with a dedication that can only stem from a pure and kind heart, thank you for all the work you do. Just don't forget to show yourself the same king of mercy that you offer them.”

“And you. You're always watching over Link with a dedication that can only stem from one form of love or another. It’s very kind, thank you.” She countered, reaching for information on how you truly felt about him. True this hero was not the same as First but you could see something in him as well. Was this soft spot love? Is that what you would call this emotion? It couldn't be, you didn't know him as well as you wanted to.

“No need to thank me, I��m glad to stand by your side as I do this.” That seemed to make her happy. She relaxed and moved by your side. Each step a long stride that ended with her being right beside you. Puffing up her chest and straightening her shoulders she puffed up much the way a bird showing off its pride would. The regal motion reminded you of the mighty Loftwings. Such a pure emotional response from her was just so joyfully shocking that you burst out laughing. Her shoulder brushed yours and it had been so long since you made contact with another in physical form you forgot how to breathe for a moment.

You tried not to seem too eager as you leaned into her touch but you could tell from the smug satisfaction gleaming off of her that she knew of the reaction that the touch had. She moved away first, happy to keep you hungry for more.

. . .

Oh my goodness I finally got the first half done. My god! I loved this ask so much and went far deeper into it than I ever meant to. Ok so I have little bits written for everything you talked about but I have so many ideas running through my head for this idea that I couldn't put it all in one post lol. I haven't even finished writing everything else out and it all still needs to be proofread but I am happy with this so far and will be posting the rest at a later date in another post.

I can't say how soon it’ll be until i post the rest but I got the first half done about the part with Hylia. I stopped right before I got to the part where Sun wields the sword because I felt like that was a good break in the writing, and it also is the break in where we see less and less of Hylia.

I will write the rest up later but this whole idea is taking up so much space in my brain I couldnt do much else until I got it out of the wip folder... also I need to get this out of the way before the next part. oh the next part!!! The next part I'll post after Sun finding the sword and showing it to Link and training with it is that part about Yandere!Fierce meeting the reader. I have a wonderful snippet of Yandere!Hylia and him fighting over you with Hylia turning out to be a more intense yandere than I would have thought? Idk I wrote her as being heavier into her toxic tendencies than Link and the others.

I just adore that part so much I can't wait to see what you think about it. Point is, is that I'll get that up and posted as soon as I can!! It’s already over three thousand words long and I haven't even gotten it out of the draft phase yet, I just wrote a bare bones idea and now I have to edit it two or three more times blegh. Hate that part of the work.

Honestly I want to make this it’s own AU because I have so many ideas for it. I would love to hear what you would call this because the name I have settled on is To kill A God Au but that implies you're dying,,, which I meant it more figuratively? everyone falls for you, Hylia, Zelda, Fierce, Links, and all the while you're stuck in a sword unless you have enough power to phase out. Honestly you and Fierce make a good couple like that.

Still I would love to hear more and if not that's ok I am making enough content for this niche idea for myself :P I have several smaller works set in this au that I need to second draft before I publish it. mostly with Hylia and Fierce deity but im working on several other thigs for this.

[number1yisuchongfan]

My full version of Cmedic aka Dr Rubén Pacifico Jabir Rodríguez

Some info on Cmedic:

His personality is a mix between Spy from Tf2, Aracade Gannon from FO:NV, and Augustus Sinclair Esquire from Bioshock 2 + that “smoking army doctor” stereotype. He’s 5’6, second shortest (the shortest is Fred, who’s 5’3) and 3rd youngest (the youngest is Greg aka CScout who was born in 1906 making him 24 by the events of tfc), and is by far the most sane out of them all.

He’s can be very sarcastic and pessimistic at times to the point it pisses people off. Cheavy has been “accidentally” used as his personal ashtray at times as well but Cmedic always makes it up to him. He also tends to stay away from alcohol when the tfc mercs ever went out to bars, mostly just dancing to take his mind of it.

He can be very nice but most of time he’s too tired or just doesn’t care enough to deal with anything more than picking up a few papers and smoking (his clinical depression makes this worse). Cheavy and CSniper or Virgil worry about him constantly, Cheavy as a romantic partner and Virgil as an older brother figure.

He came to New York City from Panama with his parents (His father is Honduran and his mother is Panamanian), who were doctors themselves but found it tough to keep jobs in the US. He ended up being a provider for his family, much like Scout, and is a lil momma’s boy and while he and his dad became strained (they still love each other).

Cheavy actually got to meet them for Christmas once and got so embarrassed around Cmedic’s mother he could barely stay in the same room as her (he is over a foot taller than her). No matter how many Cmedic explained to him that his mother actually thinks he’s quite a nice man; Cheavy worried she hated him. Cmedic gave up after that.

His story after tfc is.. convoluted. He and Cheavy ended up getting married but he had a sense that something was going to happen, so for nearly 8 after their marriage in the summer 1939, they were at peace, started growing old together. Until one day he got a call from the Administrator, who he knew from his work with Mann Co., and she forced his hand into up and leaving his life for her. He had rejected at first, leading to many near death experiences for Cheavy in the weeks after the call. Cmedic realized if he wanted to protect Cheavy; He had to leave him. So he divorced him, the whole thing coming as a blindside to Cheavy, and became the Administrator’s spy. He recruited Engineer to become a part of the group after the teams disbanded.

He’s also very gay, and I mean GAY. He doesn’t let people really know he is (for safety reasons) but the rest of the mercs but Cheavy (he realized two weeks later) clocked him as as gay guy

Now have some art of him + Cheavy:

[crazylittlejester]

Heyyyyyy how y’all doiiinnnggg…..

It’s been while, hey siri play “DEAD” by Melanie Martinez -

A) from that old post about what I would want to see in the fic: lwk I’m cool w/ whatever I put in (what I though was at the time) a prompt for like 500 words and did not think this far ahead 😭 lol I trust ur judgement on whatever gets added I’ll eat it up like those rlly yummy life saver mints

B) I’m back babyyyyyy the Ao3 curse works harder but I’m harder >:3

may or may not have almost died but that’s okay it keeps me on my toes. I have new medical insight on how to improve my whump 💪🤩😍

C) I’m abesolutely so sorry about that anon (ik I’m super late to the party) what they said was so out of line and I cannot think of what you could have even possibly done that would (unjustly) cause such a reaction?? People are assholes especially when they can abuse anonymousy online. I’m glad u seem to be doing ok 💜

D) I know i say this every time and blah blah blah but please make sure to not push urself over creating content and pleasing followers. I will (likely) not be dying anytime soon and I can wait as long as necessary for the Cia fic dude I make the prompt with the understanding that with you as the writer I would be meeting your needs/criteria for my silly little mentally ill twink to get sent through the meat grinder. Take as long as you need 💜

On a much less feely note:

E)

(No hate to you or anyone really who has this opinion)

Theory/hot take/opinion/etc:

Echoes of Wisdom (new game coming in sept) Zelda ≠ Fable (from SNES + game boy games)

Like, I get it, on a surface level it makes so much sense because the EOW game is in the same artsyle as the Links Awakening (remastered) game. Nintendo doesn’t really use the same artsyle with games (atleast since the N64) unless they are direct sequels, prequels, or otherwise linked (BOTW & AOC). New game but with the same artsyle as previous game? Obviously linked!

Except, no??? Here’s where that opinion doesn’t hold as strong:

the main peice of evidence here is that the Zelda in the trailers is the Zelda from OOT.

(I really wish I could put pictures as anon 😭)

Verbatim. That is her. She is wearing a pink dress, trapped in a pink crystal, while link fights and eventually cracks open said crystal. It’s hard to see the dress because of the crystal obscuring it, but in another clip (when the staff is first seen i believe) you can see her in the dress and it’s her.

Even if it’s not, it’s definitely not Fable.

There are two (?) versions of the Zelda’s that fall under “Fable”. one is in a blue dress (ALTTP) and one is in a white dress white a pink over apron-thingy. While its arguable that the crystal makes it look pink, or its too dark to see anything, ultimately the tabard is not the same and the top being two parts is not there, so no, its not Fable.

Which is really weird, because the Link is in fact the same link as the SNES + Gameboy (I call it the “Pixel Era”) Link. Brown Longsleeved undershirt + green sleeveless dress-tunic over it. Even weirder, he wield the hylian sheild. WHICH DID NOT EXIST BEFORE OOT. Again, not Pre-3D link.

It does exist in ALBW, meaning if you are into LU then it works with legend being the same person in all those games, but ALBW is canonically the “successor” to ALTTP

BUT GANON IS HERE?????? Hellooo????

(Fun fact: Gannon is what his pig/beast form is called while gannondorf is what his Gerudo form is called! :D)

Gannon only exists in the pixel Era games + ALBW. All of the 3d games use gannondorf. So this is such a weird thing to exist.

EVEN MORE CONFUSING, THE ZORA!?!??!?

If you don’t know what im referring to, for like literally 2-5 seconds there is a clip of the zora of this game. Ok, cool. Zelda game, with water, therefore there’s obviously gonna be zora.

(This is a “duh” moment for older fans but pls stick with me lol)

There are two versions of the zora: pre-OoT and post-OoT. TLDR; pre-OoT they look like horrifying fish monsters and try to kill you, Post-OoT they become hot and even get shipped with link in the later games. Hyrule historia (which is not the most reliable sometimes) explains it better but it has to do with the big Triple Timeline. The difference in zora design depends on which timeline you’re looking at, one of the timelines doesn’t have them at all.

So what’s so confusing? Is does the zora design not fit?

Yes!! You know why? BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO OF THEM. BOTH ZORA DESIGNS. IN THE SAME GAME. CLEARLY INTERACTING IN THE FIVE SECOND CLIP.

Also this was pointed out by my sibling: in the beginning, the hood long wears is eerily similar to the Hylian Hood in totk/botw. Later on in the trailer, my cousin pointed out a canon that looked “like it was zonai tech” but it was just a green cannon so tbh that’s more loose.

The Gaurd designs are also kinda weird to me? I can’t tie them back to any of the games bc of the weird helmet shape, and their uniforms look exactly like link’s first outfit in Hyrule warriors, though that seems unintentional.

Anyways. This game is. Something. I really don’t think it’s related to previous games (I hope not for the sake of lore holes it could tear up) but what we do know is:

- OoT Zelda has been taught Ctrl C + Ctrl V by magic yellow orb and uses a staff.

- Likely Takes place in the downfall timeline due to artstyle, the fact that the enemy zora exist, and the fact that Gannon is here in beast form

- atleast some inspiration from botw/Totk with the copying and open exploration mechanics

- there is maybe some alternate space/dimension bullshit from that one clip of Zelda moving blocks of water like she’s Moses

- takes place where the Hylian shield exists and therefore likely the story of a hero is still a thing

- takes place where BOTH ZORA meet and interact with eachother

This is driving me crazy. My dad says it’s the Zelda multiverse 😭

Sorry for the word vomit, I rlly needed to info dump ✌️

Your favorite void crawler,

Mandarin Warriors 🍊

OH MY GOD HEY, HI, I WAS GENUINELY WORRIED ABOUT YA

a. alskkddk okay 👍

b. oh my god I really hope that you’re doing okay dude, or at least that you’re feeling a bit better 🫶🫶🫶 sending hugs and love your way my guy

c. people sometimes suck and I considered turning off anons for a bit after that but i have too many wonderful anons and id hate to lose any of em because of one idiot

d. it’s going to be the next thing I put up when I come back from my so called ‘mental health break from writing’ 😭 (i literally can’t seem to stop writing, i am glued to my google docs 💔). Im not sure if you saw the post (and its totally okay if you didn’t, youve clearly been going through a lot and i genuinely hope that you’re okay) where I said part of why it’s takin so long js because I’m writing two separate versions of the fic because it’s heavy enough I feel it should be rated mature, but I’m making a ‘watered down version’ for people who were really waiting for this fic but dont wanna read anything rated higher than teen. I don’t write explicit things, but we’ve crossed the line from ‘implying things’ and into the ‘traumatic past events are being discussed’ zone and if im gonna write about trauma I’m gonna Write About Trauma, an’ yeah

i really hope you don’t die anytime soon anon, i don’t know what it is exactly that you just went through and you do not have to tell me, but i sincerely hope you’re doing okay, and if not okay, at least feeling better. I really was worried about ya 💜

and to yap about EoW:

IM GLAD IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO SAW THE HOOD AND THOUGHT OF THE ZONAI STUFF, IT REMINDED ME A LOT OF TOTK

i think itd be really cool if it was a new Link and Zelda. I love the like, art/animation style they chose, and I doubt nintendo is ever gonna tell us which Link this is 💀 but we can always have our theories 💔

NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR YAPPIN, ITS WHAT THE YAP BOX IS FOR! FEEL FREE TO INFODUMP WHENEVER DUDE I LOVE IT HEAR IT, AND YOU SERIOUSLY HAD A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS TO SAY

i know this is like the fourth time im saying this but again, I hope you’re alright. I missed ya, it’s good to hear from you again 💜

[lilflowerpot]

not to be "that person" but the implications of calling half-galra/mixed galra/part galra, "hybrids" feels dehumanizing.

In a real-world context I'd be inclined to agree with you, but within the realms of the narrative there are several elements at play as to why I personally choose to use the term hybrid—chief among them being that race as we define it is a social construct (see below), whereas Keith & Lotor's status as hybrids very much has a biological basis—but let us first start by clarifying the key components of the topic at hand.

A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society.[1] The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of various kinds, including those characterized by close kinship relations.[2] By the 17th century, the term began to refer to physical (phenotypical) traits, and then later to national affiliations. Modern science regards race as a social construct, an identity which is assigned based on rules made by society.[3][4] While partly based on physical similarities within groups, race does not have an inherent physical or biological meaning.[1][5][6] [1] Barnshaw, John (2008). "Race". In Schaefer, Richard T. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society. Vol. 1. SAGE Publications. pp. 1091–3. ISBN978-1-45-226586-5. [2] Roediger, David R. "Historical Foundations of Race". Smithsonian. [3] Amutah, C.; Greenidge, K.; Mante, A.; Munyikwa, M.; Surya, S. L.; Higginbotham, E.; Jones, D. S.; Lavizzo-Mourey, R.; Roberts, D.; Tsai, J.; Aysola, J. (March 2021). Malina, D. (ed.). "Misrepresenting Race — The Role of Medical Schools in Propagating Physician Bias". The New England Journal of Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society. 384 (9): 872–878. [4] Gannon, Megan (5 February 2016). "Race Is a Social Construct, Scientists Argue". Scientific American. Springer Nature. ISSN0036-8733. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023. [5] Smedley, Audrey; Takezawa, Yasuko I.; Wade, Peter. "Race: Human". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Retrieved 22 August 2017. [6] Yudell, M.; Roberts, D.; DeSalle, R.; Tishkoff, S. (5 February 2016). "Taking race out of human genetics". Science. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 351 (6273): 564–565.

The dictionary definition of a hybrid is pretty clear-cut across the board, but I've included several different sources, for the sake of both clarity and peace of mind.

​Oxford: [1] (of an animal or plant) Having parents of different species or varieties.​ [2] That is the product of mixing two or more different things. Cambridge: [1] A plant or animal that has been produced from two different types of plant or animal, especially to get better characteristics. [2] Something that is a mixture of two very different things. Merriam-Webster: [1] An offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, species, or genera. [2] A person whose background is a blend of two diverse cultures or traditions. [3] Something heterogeneous in origin or composition. Collins: [1] A hybrid is an animal or plant that has been bred from two different species of animal or plant. [2] You can use hybrid to refer to anything that is a mixture of other things, especially two other things.

So yes, the term hybrid is much more commonly used to refer to plants and animals than humans, with Merriam-Webster's definition alone being the only one to specify "people", but all the above agree that it is a term that references anything that is a mixture of two different things (heterogeneous). Scientifically speaking, humans are never this; we are all of the same species—homosapiens—and our perceived "race" is actually a societal construct born of phenotypical traits. So while objectively we can argue that Keith as a character was written as biracial, within the narrative he is very explicitly born of parents of two different scientific species: the term hybrid isn't being used to other him, it's,,, literally a genetic fact.

But let's approach this from Lotor's perspective. Our favourite galra prince is a scientist with "a modest background as a geneticist, [his] particular field of study being the rather niche subject area of galra hybridisation" (LB:ch13), meaning it's hardly surprising he'd feel comfortable using the scientific terminology. If ever the term hybrid was used in imperial circles as a slur intended to dehumanise (degalranise?), then Lotor as a hybrid himself has reclaimed it in much the same way that n-slur has been reclaimed the black community. I, myself, am not black, so I can't really speak to that experience, but I do not imagine the reclamation of that word to be dissimilar to that of queer by the queer community. Approaching it from this angle, I am personally happy to identify as queer, and equally happy for other people to identify me as queer; that being said, there's still intent to consider. Though I've no problem with (and in fact quite like!) the word queer, if a homophobe were to throw it at me with obviously malicious intent, it would still sting—not for the word itself, but the fact that the person using it is aiming to other and dehumanise, which begs the question: does the Empire consider hybrid to be a slur?

Personally, I don't think so. I certainly don't write LB with that in mind, but what I do do is apply that sort of a weight to "half-breed" given that canon made particular use of it as a derogatory term, most notably with Throk in s3ep01—"Worse than that, [Lotor's] top generals aren't even pure galra, they're half-breeds at best. He has no honour."—and Haggar in s5ep04—"The blood that so bolsters your claim is also what quells it! You are not full galra, you are a half-breed."—both of whom put a distinctly unkind spin on this term with both their tone and the context within which they use it (to discredit the inherent "worth" of hybrids). In Little Blade, it has thus-far been used twice, both by Lotor and both when he's evidently echoing cruel sentiments that he himself suffered in the past:

“Impure half-breeds we may be, but weak we are most certainly not.” It’s a cold sort of pride. - Lotor, Little Blade, chapter 15 “Any commander worth his quintessence would be able to subdue a mere cadet with ease, especially one so small as you.” the amused lilt Lotor says this with fades in favour of something sweet and deeply saddened, “As for the rest of it—the neglect you suffered as a child—that would never have happened had you been raised galra. Even if we are half-breed whelps, our value is in our blood: it is an irrefutable part of us.” blue eyes turn baleful, “The Empire, for all its faults, would not have forsaken you.” - Lotor, Little Blade, chapter 24

So no, within the context of LB, hybrid is not a derogatory term, but a scientific one that Lotor, his generals, and Keith all identify with and use to encompass the rather unique experience of their lineage in a universe where both sides of their parentage are likely to other them for simply existing as they are.

[lunarsilkscreen]

The ShadowForce

I was briefly considering how to approach the appearance of the dark Triforces, like that in "A link between worlds" where Hilda (Zelda-Black) is trying to restore the Triforce in her own realm, and so Zelda makes a wish on her Triforce to restore it.

And then I thought; That is way too far in "having to write a completely new Zelda story" instead of just talking about the content that already exists.

So Instead, we'll talk about the light and dark aspects of the Triforce.

The first is the obvious one; Power. The power to do what you want. The dark aspect is forcing others to bend to your own will. If this was a straight forward case of self-defense, then forcing people to bend so that you can "stay alive" is straightforward.

But, what happens when you abuse that power. Or even find yourself ina. Situation where *you can't be weak* so you continue exerting the power you do have, to the detriment of others, or even the world.

Examples are farming land without thought on retaining it's fertility. Or fishing lakes and ponds until there are no fish left. Or Hunting for sport, instead of hunting for food.

Or blaming all those of a particular group based on the ministrations of a few that kept you and people like you oppressed. Or, being a part of that group of oppression and doing nothing about it.

It's not that Power corrupts absolutely (even though it does) It's that you don't stop using that power even when it's in your own benefit to do so.

Ganon wanted to help his people, and so he was given the power to do so. But after he stopped the oppression of Hyrule, and had the ability to meet with kings and create peace treaties and trade deals, instead, decimates Hyrule in order to try to rule everything himself. Making the world worse for everybody, even the people he was trying to save.

The second is Wisdom, taking time and patience to discern what the truth is. Time to study, to learn. And to really understand or get to the bottom of a situation in order to solve a standing problem.

The Shadow aspect is inaction. Either taking too much time to study a problem before acting (which causes a problem to exacerbate and into neverending propagation.)

This is depicted in Z64 as Zelda knowing what the problem is, but being too young and too powerless to do anything about it.

The Third is Courage, the ability to bypass fear and anxiety in order to take action. The correct action.

Some suggest that the Shadow aspect is Fear Itself, Link often depicted as overcoming his fears, and in a link between worlds, Shadow Link (Ravio) is seen as being anxious. Or in A link to the past, when you enter the dark world, you become a Bunny Rabbit.

I don't think it's that. I think the shadow aspect of Courage is *don't give a F*.

Think about it; if you can bypass anxiety. Then the conclusion that you come up with isn't the fear of acting, or anxiety. But the refusal to act.

The refusal to act can balance out power like with Gannon's overexertion. OR it could cause inaction when paired with a "wait and see attitude". Or, not having an immediate threat means there's no reason to defend yourself at all.

See having a Triforce piece denotes that you've already overcome an aspect of yourself to achieve it. Ganon overcomes his own weakness to become King and achieve power, but the downside of that power isn't *weakness* it's abuse.

Like in Twilight Princess, with Midna's help and entering the Twilight realm, Link overcomes his anxiety and becomes the Wolf, which is emphasized as his Triforce of courage *activating*..so while link may still have anxiety, he has the Courage to overcome it. So the negative aspect is that overconfidence that nothing bad can happen.

Each piece of the Triforce balances the shadow aspects of the others.

Ganon might be powerful, but he is neither courageous, nor Wise.

Zelda might be Wise, but she is neither Powerful, nor Courageous.

And Link, well Link is neither Wise nor Powerful. Just full of endless pluck.

"how can Ganon not be courageous with so much power?"

Because once he reaches the Pinnacle of the world, he never stops punching down.

Like Link using downward thrust in Zelda 2 after getting the Triforce of power himself and searching for the Triforce of courage.