ok here's a full proper pangolin style goron sheet!! i was inspired by @ezlo-x to try my hand at a new interpretation of gorons and i really like how they came out!!!

I love gorons so much. I drew a few in "my style" along with a young Bludo design and my oc Kazagon!! :D

ooughgh ok no but the 'you have to pat the rocks on yunobo's back like bongos to get him to uncurl' bit got me thinking about how like. have you ever played hide and seek with a little kid and just went really silly about it in a 'hmm... i wonder where they are? are they behind this giggly lump?' and then kinda played around them while pretending to look for them or whatever?? im imagining playing hide and seek with some of the goron kids (and actually maybe having to get yunobo after the first two sessions because the kids could blend in really well when they wanted to, i think) and being all "HMMMM i wonder where offrak and slergo are, these two giggly rocks couldn't be them, no way no how" and get all extra goofy about it and that just makes them laugh even more and jsut. god.

STOP THIS IS SO CUTE HELLO Okay so I'm thinking the first few times you play with them, they're in pretty obvious places, mostly because they're so excited to play with you that they don't think about where to actually hide lol You're not new to this rodeo however, so you really do go all out with the theatrics, hopping up on rocks and putting your hand to your forehead like you're looking out in the distance going "Slergo's got me good, I can't find him anywhere!" or "Hmmm, that Offrak is a sneaky guy! He's smart, I haven't a clue where he could be!" Meanwhile you can literally see both of them by the Rollin' Inn pretending to be pots in their curled up forms. When you tiptoe nearby they shake a little with their laughter and you turn to Yunobo, dramatically shouting, "Hey Yuno, do you hear that? The wind is awfully giggly today, huh?" to which the Goron champion has to stifle his own laughter - he knows the kids are loving this, and he's even more impressed with how much you lovingly lean into it. So when your fingers wiggle over and tickle them right at their sides, your quick yell of "Gotcha!" ends up with all three of you laughing. When it's your turn to hide you try to blend in just enough where you're not obvious but can still be found - and you even give them the option to ask Yunobo for help if they're finding it hard to spot you. To your surprise they manage to find you every time, with them throwing themselves at you to cling to your hands and legs in victorious laughter. Eventually you come to find that they get better at hiding, and you actually do really need to enlist Yunobo's help to find them. So as not to ruin their fun he always lets you actually find them, but man does it take you a while now. You've never been so proud though. 🥹 After your latest game of hide and seek, you can see that the pair is getting sleepy, so you and Yunobo offer to let them them nap at HQ since it's still early in the day. "They're good kids, aren't they?" Yunobo asks, carefully adjusting Slergo's curled up form in his right arm. You peer down at Offrak's sleeping face, and it makes you smile to know that you've become so close with them, "Simply the best."

It’s 11:45 PM here

I hope you all had a refreshing and revitalizing Slergo Sunday <3

YUNOBO SWEETHEART I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT

My boy not only got the best development from BotW to TotK but he

Was willing to singlehandedly revive his hometown AND DID

2. Made it possible for people in Hyrule to come to Death Mountain

3. Really wanted to help search for Link and Zelda! And he was going to after he checked on Death Mountain!

4. Also wanted to do what he could to protect his people

You go my goron dude. Keep winning king.

no fukcing way slergo from botw/totk

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Rating: G Words: 1.9K~ Summary: heart•song (n.): An expression of our most inner being, identity, and reason for existence – what twists and turns of life have led us here, to this dangerous place? And by what strength do we keep enduring? - Or: For a sage to give one their vow, first there must be vulnerability. (A collection of shorts exploring the bond between each sage and Link.)

Yunobo is my OTHER little scrunkly rock boy ;w;

Enjoy!

____

The blunt reality of the sweltering, hellish place he finds himself in this afternoon still brings him pause.

A volcano.

He— Yunobo— jumped straight into the actively erupting maw of a freakin’ volcano. What in Darunia’s cliff-splitting name was he thinking, goro?

It’s not that he doubts he can handle whatever Death Mountain can throw at him— he’s been really practicing with his swings lately, and of course the fiery roll attack he developed will be a huge boon to their offensive arsenal— it’s that he took the leap without sparing even a single thought towards all the potential consequences first. The old him… the cowering but practical him… wouldn’t be caught half molten making such impulsive decisions. The old him would’ve waited on the rim, would’ve watched Link paraglide down into the Depths with a solid wall of anxiety clawing at his core, chained to the surface by the fears of his own timidity and inexperience. Yet somehow, this time, not a single one of those thoughts even briefly skimmed across his consciousness. Instead all he could think about were the faces of his fellow brothers. His people’s plight… hijacked by their bottomless craving for marbled rock roast, wholly uncaring of all the pressing needs of their youth and elders. Oh, this is a mess, all right… and one that his own foolishness caused.

So this time, with the wellbeing of his city at stake, not only did he take the leap; he leapt first.

And isn’t that what courage is supposed to be? Shouldn’t this be a good change? It probably is, but if so, then… why does he still feel so icky inside?

Yunobo continues to pace across the course sands scattered in concentric circles beneath the lightroot his companion activated just now. He wishes he could find it within him to relax like Link is— sitting cross legged under the root’s regenerating aura as he works to tighten one of the strings on his bow— but instead his mind keeps returning to that damn mask… to the glamor he escaped from under the thumb of only hours ago. At this point, he can barely remember anything from his time under its sway. But with the way young Slergo and Offrack looked to him with such worried relief when he came to, and what little context he gleaned from them and his Hylian friend… plus the distant glimpse he caught of his city while riding up the side of the mountain… things must have been bad. Really, really bad.

Out of nervous habit, he grinds his molars together unnecessarily hard as he continues to chew over this puzzling quandary. How could he let any of this happen? He genuinely thought he was becoming a better leader. A positive role model actually worthy of all the affection and encouragement his two little tagalongs constantly supply. Maybe, though, he hasn’t grown as much as he hoped. Maybe he’s always destined to be a bumbling screw-up. Maybe he’s—

“Yunobo.”

His friend’s voice cuts through all the murk and mire like it’s little more than the thin, newly hardened crust of a cooling lava flow. Humming in idle curiosity and ceasing his paces, his attention snaps towards the Hylian’s face.

“What’s eating at you?” Link manages to coherently sign through the thick glove of his volcano-proof armor, his expression blown wide with palpable concern. His weapon lays momentarily forgotten at his side.

“I—“ he scratches at one of the patches of hardened stone jutting out form the back of his neck— “I guess I’m just thinking about what I can’t remember. Which… means I’m thinking about nothing? Or everything. Gah, I don’t know. It’s… all so confusing.”

Heaving a large sigh, he finally resolves to park himself on the ground. Just for a few minutes. Just until Link’s had enough time to recover from that last camp of lizalfos they had to take care of and fix his bow.

“But if you really wanna know,” he continues, “then I guess what’s actually bothering me is just… that mask. And the fact it could control me like that so easily. Am I…” he pauses, his brows scrunching inwards amidst the thick coils of shame he suddenly feels brimming within, “really that weak-willed, goro?”

“You were tricked,” Link responds in a few swift motions, his expression softening with empathy. “Your agency was stolen from you. That’s never the victim’s fault.”

“But I shouldn’t have been a victim in the first place!” Yunobo blurts out, throwing his arms in the air. “I’m Daruk’s descendant, so everyone’s always counting on me to be the strong one, and I—“

His voice cuts.

There’s a thousand clamorous words piling up behind the face of all this self-directed anger, but no easy way to vent them out. No way to truly make sense of them all unless he digs deep within himself and starts asking the big questions:

What is he really ashamed about?

He sinks into himself, his volume dropping lower. Meeker.

“…and I just hate always feeling so helpless,” he admits, truly feeling the weight of such a statement as he droops his head low. “My brothers need me right now, and I’ve been letting them down. I’ve been letting them down for a really long time…”

Link purses his lips, thinking for a moment.

“Do you wanna know something?” he eventually signs.

“Yeah, goro?”

“Even I feel helpless at times.”

“Wha— really? You??” Yunobo says, his tone unbelieving. “But you’re Link! You’re the hero of all of Hyrule! You never give up for anything!”

He shrugs. “Trying your best to do the right thing doesn’t mean you never feel helpless.”

“Huh. That’s… actually a good point.”

“When I…” his friend inhales deeply, taking a quick moment to center himself before continuing. “When I lost Zelda, and lost my sword, and woke up alone in the sky, it was hard to not feel that way. But—“ he gazes out towards the vast ruins looming in the distance, nestled against the side of a cliff beyond a cluster of bokoblin encampments and a rather majestic lava fall— “life moves on. Sometimes all we can do is move on. Our enemy is powerful— ungodly powerful. So how is it fair to blame ourselves for falling victim to its influence? How is it fair to assume we need to fight this alone, when the enemy is backed up by an entire army of monsters?“

The faint glimmer of fire in the ruins up ahead easily draws his attention as he churns over what Link is saying. This forgotten fortress— forged of igneous stone that looks to have been mined directly out of the heart of Death Mountain herself— is unquestionably of Goron make, and unquestionably ancient. And given its locality, resting this far beneath the familiar slopes of Eldin, the only historic setting he can possibly connect with it is—

Gorondia.

It has to be.

Even thinking the name fills his soul with a swell of unspeakable awe, like a succulent bite of half molten rock roast warming his body from the inside out.

It’s the lost city of an era long past. The crown jewel of endless centuries of Goron artistry. A place so steeped in legend that it was only ever mentioned in the context of make-believe and fairytales. And yet he managed to find it anyways! Him! Cowardly ol’ him! Despite all the odds stacked against this quest (a two person quest all the way through, far different than last time), Yunobo succeeded where generations of Goron scholars failed, and he wasn’t even trying to unearth old history. All he wanted to do was make up for the damage he caused, but then— following in Link’s courageous footsteps— one thing led to another, and now they’ve fought their way through all the terrors of the depths right to Gorondia’s doorstep, vying to liberate his people from gloom’s control altogether. It really goes to show just how much one can accomplish with a friend by their side.

Link, for the record, seems to agree.

“This war is not one man’s fight, and I’m done with pretending otherwise,” he continues, briefly pausing as he uses his hands to push himself back up to his feet. “It’s teamwork and goodwill between regions that aided me in ending the Calamity, and it’s that same kind of companionship that will save us now. I helped you, and now you’ll help me, and if we work together with the rest of Hyrule, I truly believe we can stop this calamity too.”

He clasps his hands together, large rocky nails scraping along his inner palm.

“I… I think that’s the most words I’ve ever seen you say at once, goro,” he says with a soft chuckle. “You’re really passionate about this, aren’t you?”

Link bobs his head in an affirmative.

“Well—“ he picks himself off the ground and trundles to his feet as well— “even if I do still feel out of place, it’s pretty amazing that we’ve made it this far, huh?”

The barest corner of his mouth tilts upwards. “I couldn’t have made it here without your support.”

“And I still would’ve been dealing marbled rock roast to all my brothers if it weren’t for you showing up! I guess we have a lot to thank each other for, huh?”

A rush of emboldened warmth surging all the way from his dense, molten heart to his furthest extremities, Yunobo glances at the road behind, at the winding path they took from the chasm’s opening all the way up to this very lightroot at the highest rim of Death Mountain’s lake. Link’s right. It truly is a wonder, how far they’ve journeyed together. Companionship… all the connections he’s nurtured with folks of all shapes and sizes these past few years… they’ve forged him into the dependable, occasionally courageous (he’s still working on that) Goron he is today. Connection makes them all stronger. Knowing Link has made him stronger. Not too long ago, back when he still hid idly behind his ancestor’s protection, he wouldn’t have been caught dead leaping into the maw of a volcano, let alone working to infiltrate a whole ancient Goron city overflowing with monsters.

But things have changed. He’s changed. He doesn’t need Daruk to shield him anymore, because he’s got his own fire stirring within. That fire is what drove him towards a position of leadership in his city, and— in both a figurative and a literal sense— it’s what’s led him here into the deepest caverns of the Depths today.

So he can’t let himself give up after coming so far, no how, no way! His brothers need him right now. And he needs them. His fault or not, his earlier influence tipped his home into complete disarray, but by Din’s eternal light he swears he’ll be the one to fix it.

Together… hand in hand with his most loyal friend.

Freeing the remainder of his stressors within a deep, sonorous sigh, he bends down to grab the leather wrapped hilt of his most cherished weapon, a Boulder Breaker Link himself passed on to him that used to belong to the great Daruk.

“I’m ready when you are, goro,” he says, hefting the sledge over his shoulder and clenching his opposing palm into an assured fist.

He’ll see this quest through to the end this time, he swears it.

Finding Her - Chapter 19

Link makes notes, takes photos and keeps time on his quest across Hyrule, in the hopes of finding Zelda and staying sane until he does. [ Previous | Next | First | AO3 ]

Log date: 17:35. 9th month, 18th day 104AC Location: Lookout Landing, Emergency Shelter  Weather: Overcast, drizzle 

Arm hurts, really hurts. A Yiga got me there. In a bad way, but getting better. 

Don’t know where to start or where to end. It’s Autumn already, but it was Summer yesterday. Talk of a Blood Moon soon. Or did that already happen? Head’s swimming. Losing my grip a little and then suddenly I’m

Upstairs, in the loft, dozing. Zelda’s downstairs. Where’s the flour? she asks, I want to bake something. It’s been over a hundred years! So we try but I’m a better cook than a baker and she’s a culinary mad scientist. No measuring cups, no recipes, just vibes. We’re sitting on the floor waiting for the cake to bake, flour everywhere, and then she’s on my lap, then her lips are on mine, then her apron is gone along with the rest of our clothes, and when I wake up in bed next to her, there’s still flour in her hair. 

Was that yesterday or the day before? Trying to hold on. Time flowing through me like air out a window. If I reach out I can catch moments in my palm: Standing with Scorpis under a sunshade, waiting for the rain to pass. He’s telling me it’s a family legend that his great-grandfather was a Knight, like me. Then I’m with Jerrin, getting my bandages changed. She says it’s a miracle I survived, or perhaps the Goddess’ idea of a joke. Then Muzu is insisting we train the soldiers harder, but Slergo and Offrak say people are already working their guts off. Gralens hands me the latest edition of the Lucky Clover Gazette. Buliara and Harth take inventory of my gear and weapons. Mubs reads me a letter from Garini, who says hi. 

I’m here. I’m trying to be here. They’re saying the Sages are on their way to Lookout Landing. They say victory is near. But all I wanted was her, and that future only half-dreamed. The one where we have a house on a hill and it’s being renovated to add a library. Zelda’s downstairs, reviewing the plans over a cup of tea, and I’m upstairs, in the loft, checking on the baby. He was a winter-born child, like me, so he’s strong. There’s a cake in the oven. And it’s a good one.

A photograph of the kitchen in the Emergency Shelter. It’s quite orderly, as though someone has recently given it a tidy, though some jars of flour, sugar, milk and yeast are still out of place. There is a fire crackling below the stove.

Caption: Does she prefer vanilla or chocolate icing? I should know this…

---

Log date: 19:34. 9th month, 21st day 104AC Location: Passeri Greenbelt, Hyrule Field   Weather: Partly cloudy 

Cool morning. Trees are going red now. Rode out with the Monster Control Crew at noon. There’s a camp nearby that they hit once every few weeks, but each time it gets rebuilt a little closer to Lookout Landing. We prayed at the Goddess Statue before we left. Paya is here now, leading the services. As the hours tick down, all round the clock, people pray. 

The Sages arrived two days ago. Impa and Robbie not long after that. Here to give every last Message Medallion a service, Robbie said, while Impa handed Josha a stack of ancient texts to translate. Then, an emergency meeting with the Sages. They’re fidgeting, they’ve heard the rumours. Purah starts saying something but I stop her. They won’t believe the truth from anyone but me. Don’t know what I said, only that I tried to think of how Zelda would tell them, if she were in my place. 

Felt like all hell broke loose after. Gasps, cries, bowed heads, furious tears and vows of vengeance. All that anger and grief is a torch to a powder keg. Suddenly Purah is saying we march at dawn, tomorrow we avenge our Princess and destroy the Demon King! And I’m standing there unable to breathe because I realise I'm not ready. I can’t face him yet and I don’t know why. And I’m trying to think of how to say that without freaking everyone out, because your hero isn’t exactly meant to have second thoughts… when it’s Josha who saves me one final time. 

‘You can’t go!’ she cries. She grabs some ancient book and flips through the pages, pointing to what looks like a lunar chart, with a bright red circle at its centre. ‘There is a Blood Moon tomorrow! If it happens while you’re down in the Depths, it could be a disaster!’ 

More whispers. A bit of back and forth. Purah brushes her off as paranoid, but then the Sheikah gather around a couple calendars and do a few calculations, and in the end, the attack is called off. 

So Ganondorf got himself another day, and so did I. Can’t delay forever but… there’s just something not settled in me yet. When we win this, everyone else’s lives go back to normal. 

But what about mine? 

A photograph of the night sky, clear as glass and only broken up by the pinprick lights from distant stars. Low above the horizon, almost pulsating, is a huge, crimson moon. 

Caption: She was right, the little rebel. 

---

Log date: 10:00. 9th month, 22nd day 104AC Location: Sanidin Park Ruins, Hyrule Ridge Weather: Fine 

They’ll have realised I left by now. I put a note on my pillow promising to come back by sun-down. Have to keep moving in case they send scouts after me. 

Not abandoning them. Would never dream of it. But I promised myself to chase every lead and this last one is for me. 

Read through the Lucky Clover Gazette this morning and a headline on page 8 caught my eye. WINGED WRITER HANGS UP HIS FLYING GOGGLES. Penn? He’s leaving the Gazette? He told me that Traysi loved his work. I have a great all-weather climbing set to show for it. 

Might be stalling. Might not. Just want to figure this one out. Penn was looking for Zelda too, after all. And maybe searching for something else along the way – a reason to wake up each morning, get back on the trail, and soar long… 

He deserves to know what happened, or at least for someone to thank him for his hard work. Or maybe I just want to see a friendly face, before the end of it all. 

A photograph of the said Lucky Glover Gazette article, held up for the camera, the greenery of Hyrule Field just visible in the background. There is an illustration of Penn literally hanging up his goggles, with a pantomimed look of resignation on his face. 

Caption: You can take the man out of the newspaper… 

---

Log date: 15:50. 9th month, 22nd day 104AC Location: Great Sky Island, Central Hyrule Archipelago  Weather: Clear

I found Penn on Washa’s Bluff, in a gazebo where an old friend and I sat once. Kass would sing until the sun went down, and as thanks I’d make us both dinner. His songs still carry on the wind if you know how to listen. They’re the songs of the land, after all. 

We talked for a long time. I told Penn we made a great team, that his leads were invaluable, and that chasing them down kept me on my toes. Sure, we didn’t find Zelda, but we told the stories of her people and should be proud of that. He said he’s still leaving the paper no matter my flattery. Spoke about having lost his touch, that his instincts were gone. A reporter without instincts is like a Knight without a sword. It didn’t help when he noticed that I did, in fact, have my sword back. 

‘Don’t worry about me, partner,’ Penn said. ‘I’ll get back in the air, someday.’

But I was worried. I didn’t want Penn to lose hope… I didn’t want to lose hope. And in that moment, it felt like waking up. Like surfacing from beneath deep waters. I wanted to be alive. I wanted to live a good life. I knew I still did, even without her, even with all the pain.

So I said to him that maybe wanting to be better is its own instinct. Maybe trying to find something or someone or some meaning to it all is what keeps us going. And maybe we don’t have to do any of that alone. Penn sat with that for a long time, and then pulled out his notebook.

‘Would you want to write a column for the Gazette?’ he asked. ‘Our readers would love it. I’ll edit it, of course.’ How could I say no? We shook on it then and there. So much for his sabbatical.

It’s nearly time. I bid Penn farewell, then came here. Wondered — if I could choose how to spend one last afternoon, what would I do? The answer was easy, though it took a little while to coax Zelda to join me. But now we’re here and we’re ready: for a nap, with the sun on our backs, and nothing else but us and the quiet moments we can still share. 

I miss you, Zelda, even though you’re right here. I miss you more than I could ever say. But I’m going to keep on living. I’m going to live enough life for the both of us. I think it’s what you might have wanted. 

If nothing else, I consider it a duty. What is a Knight, if not a devotee to his lady? 

A photograph of the Light Dragon, coiled around a hollow tree stump that sits atop one of the atolls of the Great Sky Island. Three Korok wind-fans are placed in front of her snout – a makeshift lure, and apparently a successful one. On her mane is Link, resting comfortably on her hair. Together, they doze. 

Caption: You deserve all the rest in the world. 

---

Audio log transcription date: 104.09.24  Time: 9 minutes 45 seconds.

LNK | 08:00 Gloom’s Approach in sight. All units report. Vanguard?

MIN | 08:00 We will lead the charge. 

YNB | 08:00 Launching on your command, Link!   

LNK | 08:01 Flank? 

RIJ | 08:01 Static charging as we speak.

TLN | 08:01 With some guidance. Arrows ready. Any monsters down there won’t know what hit ‘em.

LNK | 08:01 And rearguard? 

SDN | 08:02 I am here. If you are hit, fall back to me. 

LNK | 08:02 Last not but least, intel? 

JSH | 08:02 Reporting in. We’re here to help from Lookout Landing, however we can! 

LNK | 08:04 Alright, listen to me. Zelda gave us everything she had for this, but she also gave me an order: protect you all. If anything happens, you get yourselves out. Everybody lives, do you understand me?

MIN | 08:04 Link… 

TLN | 08:04 What about you?

SDN | 08:04 Zelda would not want you to throw yourself at death!  

LNK | 08:05 That’s not happening, not when I have her power right here with me.

RIJ | 08:05 Then give us your orders Link.

YNB | 08:05 We’ll do whatever you say. 

LNK | 08:05 Fight smart, hit hard. Don’t touch any Gloom, keep your Sundelions in reach. As soon as we have a visual on Ganondorf, we do whatever it takes to finish the job. Clear? 

[All answer: ‘Clear’]

LNK | 08:06 And whatever happens… I’m glad to have spent this time with you.

RIJ | 08:06 Likewise, Link.

MIN | 08:07 Yes, it has been an honour. 

TLN | 08:07 We’ll finish this together! 

SDN | 08:07 For the Princess!

YNB | 08:08 For Zelda!  

LNK | 08:08 For Zelda. Any last words? Josha? 

JSH | 08:09 Nothing at the moment, but the further underground you go, the weaker your signal will be. I’m going to disable a few processes to conserve power, like the audio transcription. Let’s hope we don’t need it.

LNK | 08:09 You heard her. Make it count. Or at least live to tell the tale.

LNK | 08:10 Okay, heading in. See you on the other side.

Day 32: Secrets, Satori... and Koroks

The track network in the tunnels down below Crab Island is immense. There are monsters aplenty - and a shrine!

I ascend out of the central lava island and find myself in a bright morning, not too far from the tunnel entrance. That was less of a diversion, geographically, than I thought it was going to be. But I need to get on to the geoglyph. 

Coming up round the back of YunoboCo HQ makes me feel like I haven't got very far in a day or so of travel… but I find a korok at the top, and a secret tunnel hiding Yunobo's diary.

He writes that the Gorons were sick and upset when the eruption stopped and the area cooled down. I guess they're used to heat. Yunobo founded YunoboCo to get the city booming again, to help everyone. Those two kids, Slergo and Offrack, seem like his biggest fans. He went to investigate the Gloom to keep everyone safe… and whatever that imposter is caught him. Poor guy. 

I climb back out, and head on my way.

I keep seeing these little chunks of vertebrae about. I can't work out where they're from, or what they might be used for. Could I build a skeleton? Maybe one day.

I come upon another of those Satori blossom trees.

I offer an apple, and the Satori reveals the caves nearby. 

I can see so far across the lava fields. But all the caves are in the opposite direction as the tower I've just seen. I mark them for later. 

A korok requests help in reaching a friend, and as I look for a safe route through the scope, I spot something on top of a tall rock formation. It looks like part of a geoglyph. And of course, it looks like that's the bit with the tear. I sense climbing in my future. 

I sort of… bowl the korok down the hill… and straight into a monster camp. So much for a safe route. I defeat the bokoblins, and unite the koroks. They're camped right by a shrine, so I deal with that as night closes in.

Mild TOTK spoilers but like are Slergo and Offrak supposed to be Yunobo's kids?? Or just little dudes who follow him around?? How the fuck do Gorons reproduce??

love how slergo and offrak (the bb gorons) r just yunobos kids now. he said fuck it yr our tourism ambassadors now and also my sons

SO REAL I find it rlly cute u_u

totk spoilers for the sequence right after you complete the regional phenomena main quest but. this is driving me absolutely insane

for one I think it’s exciting to have all the characters leave their towns suddenly and be interacting. yunobo’s check-in with slergo and offrak made me laugh too, and ofc everyone was showing some level of concern. but from this, Tulin is the seemingly the only one with injuries. it hits different than seeing Riju and Sidon being boisterous/saying they’re fine because Tulin is in a different situation than the rest of the group— he’s younger, not already a leader or a company’s president. makes me wonder if he feels like he has something to prove, even if this is just a one-off comment. and of course to a kid being told “oh, you’ve gotten bigger!” feels like condescension even if it’s more about the adult— what they’re missing, how they’re aging, or just how the world is changing. from Harth’s comment about this being a sign of the times, I think it’s that last one for him. all of the ‘elders’ here express worry, but Harth is the only one we get commentary or thoughts from, apart from yunobo’s little “you’re being good right?” to the goron kids which is obviously different. anyway. this game….

Tsk, tsk, we'll fix that.

Some slight TOTK spoilers below

It was subtle at first. A skipped breakfast here, an hour less of sleep there. Yet when business began to rise, there was more and more to do. He enjoyed helping people, as someone with his title should. The people of Goron City and all its passerbys were important to Yunobo, especially when the town's economic renewal rested ultimately in his hands. A responsibility he was more than willing to take on no matter the cost. Even now, as he ran himself ragged some days, did he not notice that the cost would be him. That he would have to skip meals to take care of a business matter or lose sleepover the long hours of mining he chose to partake in. But you noticed. You didn't know Yunobo to be as soft spoken as he was now. His tone delicate and heavy with sleep. His eyes, even sleepier as you began to notice the deep crags sitting under them. Of course you'd ask him if he was alright, his answer always usually an enthusiastic "Yes! Just fine!" but the exhaustion in his voice and the immediate slump of his back afterwards was more than enough for you to know he wasn't being honest. It wasn't until you quite literally found him asleep at his work desk, stomach angry from hunger that you knew something had to give. You took it upon yourself to make several arrangements for the next few days. Quiet conversations about what's been going on with your Goron beau turned into friendly helping hands. For all that he's done for Goron City, they were all willing to give back. Upon wake up the next day, Yunobo began his routine as he usually would. Boulder Breaker at his back, he made his way to the entrance of HQ to prepare for another lengthy day of a some trade deals and plenty of mining. "Hold it, Sage of Fire" your voice called after him, stopping him in his tracks. He froze at your words, you didn't ever really call him by his goddess written title, so he knew you were serious. Your arms were crossed over your chest, though your smile was far more gentle, "You're not going to work today." Yunobo tilted his head in confusion, "Huh? But I have such a busy ahead." Your hands slowly slid into his; with a worried brow your voice grew quieter, "Don't think I haven't seen the way you haven't been taking care of yourself, Yuno...you barely sleep anymore, barely eat even. And I know what the importance of a rockfilled belly to a Goron is." His large fingers curled around your smaller ones, guilt bled into the roundness of his face. You leaned over, trying to catch his falling gaze, "I've already arranged for Slergo and Offrak to work with the crew and take care of a few things for the next few days...everything else Bludo promised to step in for." The sigh Yunobo lets out is lengthy, but you can see in the way he looks at you that he understands he's not escaping your plans. He nods with a small smile, "Okay, okay. I'll take a few days off." In those few days you make sure he gets three square meals - all taken care of by Cooke, who was eternally grateful for the timely supplies of stone cuts YunoboCo he receives on a weekly basis. The hours he spends chipping away at the mines is spent instead soaking in the hot springs, a much needed luxury to ease the tension and tiredness that plagued him. You would find out from Yunobo that he spending all that time in the mines to give his crew a break. Meanwhile, a little digging let you know that the YunoboCo team was actually also concerned their boss was doing too much work (and that they were more than willing to do their fair share) - they just didn't know how to bring it up with him. On the third day of Yunobo's staycation, you were pulled into a extraordinarily warm embrace, "...Thank you for all this, really. It's been nice to take a breather." Your heart rattles in your chest, and you try to will yourself not to tear up. He really does deserve to rest with how much he’s done not only for you but for everyone in the city. Returning his embrace you lean your head on his chest, " I’m glad...keep in mind I'm not the only person you're important to, Yunobo...there's a whole community that depends on you." He begins to explain that he knows, and that that's exactly why he's been going as hard as he has - but you put your finger to his lips, "But they won’t have you if you don’t take care of you first.” Yunobo sighs once more, but it ends in a knowing smile. You’re right and he admits it. Your hand finds his cheek, “You do so much already - you don’t need to everything all at once.” His palm lays over your hand, you can see endearment swimming in his irises. His opposite hand lifts you easily at your lower back and you’re swept in a quick, tender kiss. When he lets you go, he still holds your frame close, his expression soft as he scans your face, “I think I needed the reminder.” 

I hope you all had a refreshing and revitalizing Slergo Sunday

Slergo Sunday

*finishes that one sketch*

decided to draw slergo cus I need practice drawing gorons (also wanted to test out textures too!!!)