somehow I always end up making these 💙💚 (insp. here & here)

anyways,

edit: added image ids

i am many years late to playing botw but anyways revalink my beloveds!!

has anyone done this yet

Does anyone else have very complicated ways of shipping?? like when i say "i ship them" i don't mean "oh they love each other so much they kiss each other and will be together forever" i ship characters but in a way that's unique to only them and/or only in certain scenarios

Like, for example Zelink- I think pre-calam zelink was one sided, i dislike post-calam zelink, but i sort of like totk zelink (yes i know they are the same two people) but only certain dynamics??? but i also think that its the type of love that goes unsaid, they just look out for and support each other, maybe its not entirely romantic but they are closer than friends. It's the type of closeness you can only get by knowing that no matter what lifetime you are in the other will always be there. I don't think its necessarily the type where they hide behind pillars to make out, or try to stay in a committed relationship, but more of a tired love, one that has been renewed throughout hundreds of lives, each time being something different.

But take skyward sword, i believe that it's easier to see romantic zelink here

or Miphlink - I don't really ship this, but it's a tragic one-sided love story that Mipha knew was doomed from the beginning. The other woman. Was never given enough time to tell Link how she felt, yet even if she had time he might not have returned her feelings. Now he barely remembers her. Maybe 100 years later she's a little embarrassed of herself, of what she wrote in her diary. Maybe it was a simple crush, mistaken for undying love and has dwindled over the past century. But now it's a sad love, the type where she grieves for what used to be, and what never will. But after being saved from Ruta she switches her sights towards the domain. She can see how much her brother has grown and is so proud of him. She knows Link will never remember her fully, but maybe it's for the best. No matter what, she will always be there to heal his wounds.

Tbh i was dragged into Revalink kicking and screaming, but now it's one of my favorites. - Their dynamics work so well, but oh no it's so sad. Started from a one-sided "rivalry" to some sort of friendship. Link never hated Revali, he didn't even dislike him. And Revali just wanted Link to be impressed, to understand why he was chosen for his role as pilot, and he wanted Link to prove himself to Revali (honestly i can go on a on about why revali was harsh to link in botw if anyone wants me to) But over time they both start to realize that they are more similar to each other than any of the other champions. They weren't born into noble families or blessed with magic. Revali learns about the vigorous training Link underwent after pulling the sword, and Link learns that Revali isn't the son of the elder or was an important figure in his village before becoming a champion, but a simple warrior just like Link. Their friendship grows and they become a great team, surprising mostly everyone. Maybe it grows into something more. Maybe neither of them know it. Maybe they just never admit it. Revali knows Link doesn't remember him. He doesn't want him to. He tells Link not to go asking about him to the princess. It's for the best, he will still be there to help Link after all. Maybe it's cruel to keep him from knowing. Well, Revali will be gone soon anyway. Maybe he hopes that Link will at least remember good things about him.

Honestly I love revalink aus, they are my fav!!

I think of Zelimpa (aoc) like a mix of how i described miphlink and revalink but im too tired to explain it rnnnnn

oh also urbosa/zelda's mom but i think that goes unsaid

but anyway these are just a few. Most of the time i can't use words to exactly explain something pictured in my head, (synesthesia is so silly) but i tried my best

replaying hwaoc because i can’t buy totk until i finish my finals so have some out of context bitchy revali

link, trying his best:

revali: you’re ridiculous

zelda: i swear to hylia

mipha: don’t do that

zelda: what?

mipha: swear to hylia

revali: why? i swear to valoo all the time

mipha: and look where that got you

revali, looking at link: shit you’re right

~~~

revali, at his wedding: LOOK WHERE SWEARING TO VALOO GOT ME MIPHA

zelda: I TOLD YOU I WAS FINE SWEARING TO HYLIA IS THIS WHY IT TOOK SO LONG???

zelda rot

playing with the tweet generator

Revali writing in his diary while watching Link train on a dummy, glaring: I hate him.

Taking down a Moblin and Link watching with interest, Revali giving a smug little shit grin before nearly getting crushed by a Hinox and dodging out of the way in the nick of time then glaring in Link’s direction: I hate him.

Tackling Link out of the way of a monster attack: I hate him.

Flying beside Link from the Sheikah tower to a new mission: I hate him.

Grumpily pouting while Link bandages his wounds: I hate him.

Saying it was better that Link was there to fight Windblight alongside him and Teba: I hate him.

Link hugging him from behind: I hate him.

Link cooking for the Champions and smiling with a mushroom skewer in hand, Revali looking at his smile: I hate him.

Cheering Link on as he delivers the final blow to Ganon: I hate him.

Sleeping with Link in a hammock: I hate him.

Link rolls over, face peaceful and adorable. Revali is entranced: Well… maybe I’ve been wrong before.

Feathers fluff up, messing up his plumage, now very pissy: Nope, I hate him.

goes on ao3 looking for older revalink fanfics, realizes that some have been deleted, gets sad

more botw/hw:aoc and @dear-ao3

bonus totk:

Pairing: Link/Revali

Rating: Explicit

Summary:

Apparently "it's over" isn't the same as things actually being, you know, over. If only Revali learned this before he set off a chain of events that brought his ex-boyfriend to his bed.

--

Two years to the day of first coming up with the thought, here is the short version of an AoC!AU (in which Revalink's character dynamic is adjusted to account for the butterfly effects AoC forgot about.)

this mission where revali and sidon team up to duel with link is so funny because sidon is like GO ON BESTIE YOU CAN DO IT I BELIEVE IN YOU ☺️☺️ meanwhile revali is like 2 seconds away from calling link a slur

I think the a problem with the (tbh kinda stupid) shipping war between Mipha and Zelda, is that honestly, both ships have value to the people who like them. But some folks just ruin it by being really aggressive about it (some reddit threads I've been subjected to are just nasty), and then you have the "neutral on shipping" people who start making jokes about it, with posts like the food-faces, and some take it to far and take shitposts but mean and push them unironically and without joke on people. Or some other "Haha Link loves X more than either of these two. You're so dumb for shipping him with anyone." as if both weren't huge players in Link's life pre and post-Calamity. (I still cry at some of the cutscenes in both BotW and AoC) As if people can't just have fun just shipping what they do, and avoid ships they don't like. I love me some Zelink, and even I started getting upset by how mean some Zelink shippers got, and vice versa with Miphlink shippers. 😔

yeah, I'm a pretty open Zelink shipper, I've written for them and drawn them and am part of a zelink community discord server, I obviously have a preference when it comes to the two but the way that they're set up against each other in fandom spaces is so weird to me.

Both can be meaningful relationships and both can coexist in the same space but I guess it is natural for people to get passionate about things they like. Doesn't mean it's okay to attack people bc they like a different ship than you do.

I actually feel pity for Miphalink shippers bc their girl is dead in canon and has weird age discourse that can range from grossly problematic and uncomfortable to practically nonexistent. But also there's far more unwarranted hate for botw Zelda because she's not treating Link like a king and her narrative isn't centered around him.

In the end, we're both victims of the misogyny of the Zelda community and should band together to go against our real enemies, the Revalink shippers /hj