#this was going to be me fondly remembering botw and the champions | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

athetos · 27 days

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My loz tierlist

Thoughts under the cut!

Masterpiece: Ocarina of Time is my favorite Zelda game, and I know it is at least partially due to nostalgia, but it holds up so well today and is still an absolute joy to play. Personally I think it is the peak of 3D Zelda, i give it 10/10 in every category across the board - dungeon design, overworld, plot/dialogue/side quest stuff, music, gameplay… tears of the kingdom may also be one of my favorites due to recency, and not nostalgia, but I find it very difficult to believe it will ever diminish in quality greatly over time. There is so much to do, and it really took what was good about botw and made it even better. I was in awe the entire time I played, and I will only continue to play it as time goes on, coming back to it again and again. I think there are a couple nitpicks the game could improve upon but it is an excellent early swan song for the switch. Botw, truthfully should be somewhere between masterpiece and not quite perfect, simply because totk improved it so much it’s harder to go back to it. But it was also an amazing journey.

Not quite perfect, but amazing: wind waker is a game i so desperately wanted to put in the masterpiece tier, but simply was unable to do so. There are several frustrations I have with the game that stop me from calling it perfect. I only had the GCN copy, so perhaps the Wii U version fixed these issues, but slow sailing, the triforce fetch quest, and how aggravating getting all the pictobox collectables are dampened my enjoyment. However, I want to emphasize that the dungeons are nearly on par with ocarina of time here; that the graphics are beautiful and aged well even on GCN; and that the music is a true delight. It’s why I recommend it to everyone, if you can handle these annoyances littered throughout.

A link to the past is another game I wanted to call a masterpiece, but had to settle for second best. I replayed it 2 years ago and while I had as much fun as the first time, there were surprisingly a couple parts that did not hold up as well as I remembered! Mainly, a couple of dungeons (fuck skull woods) and overworld progression. However, like wind waker, the highlights of the game are unparalleled and when the dungeon design is good, it’s fantastic. Majora’s mask is a very unique Zelda game, one that I personally champion, and like wind waker, it just has some imperfections that do frustrate me going back to it. For example, the tight time limits on dungeons (especially that godawful great bay temple) were agonizing, especially if you were trying to get every fairy. It was also hard to keep track of all the side quests, even with the 3ds journal. But it is such a special game!

Skyward Sword is a game I’m glad is being reevaluated now that it’s on switch with options for no motion controls and less of Fi. Because it’s amazing! I will never forgive anyone who told me the game was bad! Unfortunately, after games like botw and totk it makes the “open-ness” of the world feel very small and limiting; the great sky is empty and barren, and the surface being separate regions kind of hurts. Late in the game, it also gives way to padding; I think the spirit trials were terrifying and very cool, but “you’re trapped and now you need to find your gear again!” And “find all the stupid little tadpole things I forgot what they were maybe they weren’t tadpoles!” Was just so unnecessary. And I do not want to even talk about the imprisoned’s toesie-woesies!!! Kill me!!! But the rest of the game is so good it nearly makes up for all of it!!

Great, better than your average game: the minish cap is a game I remember very fondly, although not without a few gripes. I think the npcs and hyrule town are some of my favs in the franchise, and I actually enjoyed for the most part the Kinstone quests. But after playing parts of it again recently, and watching videos on it, I acknowledge it has faults that stop it from achieving true greatness. Phantom hourglass is also a game I think was great, at least partially because you made your own maps. I love making maps! And the gameplay was good! But my god, the ocean tower…. An absolute slog! A nightmare! Evil! The first Zelda is so simple, but holds up as being very fun even today, despite its shortness; of course it belongs in this tier.

Links awakening dx/hd had some amazing moments, but a few bad ones too. I either loved or hated the dungeons, some of the side quests were mehhh, but the overall game is delightful. Hd is recommended because you can have more weapons equipped at once! A godsend! Spirit tracks, it didn’t particularly stand out to me much, but I did have fun with it! And the Oracle games I am a fan of, I think they’re good but have a couple limitations from the hardware that irk me. If they had remakes, I think they would actually go to near perfection tier for me! Who knows!

Good/Average: I have a confession: I am not a link between worlds lover. I enjoyed it quite a bit when it first came out, but going back to it has been hard; I don’t get very far before dropping it. It feels kind of like a lesser link to the past, but with a worse central mechanic. I liked the non-linearity, but disliked having to rent items, and it meant that the only upgrades found in dungeons couldn’t be items you need for progression, really. A shame, because the dungeons could be quite good. Four swords adventure is good, but it’s such a hassle finding 3 other players and setting it up! I was never able to complete it. The adventure of link is rather unique, but not bad; in fact I liked the metroidvania elements! It’s worth playing, but will not blow your mind. Lastly, twilight princess… this may surprise you, but I was never a big fan. It’s so slow! The opening makes me tired thinking about it. I also felt the graphics aged poorly, and while the dungeons are good, they aren’t nearly as great as other games have been. It’s all very disappointing.

Bad - tri force heroes was bad I am not explaining why. You agree.

#ash.rom #loz #I was on pain meds when I wrote some of this . a warning

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autistic-sidon · 2 years

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An attempt to explain Zoras aging

Hi! If you follow us, you probably know that we have been quite irritated lately due to the lack of understanding on Zoras aging in botw, particularly with multiple people here claiming Mipha is a "Predator" for being in love with Link. So, this is an attempt, from someone with a special interest in Zoras, to explain how we perceive their aging, and how it is not all that complex compared to how people make it. Let's begin!

Our first subjects for discussion with be Father and Daughter entrance guards, Rivan and Dunma. Let's start with dialouge for Rivan, look at this:

Rivan is over 130, so perhaps 140~ is a good range to place him at. And what of Dunma? Here is what she says:

She is less that 100! But, she clearly still looks and acts like and adult (In fact, she snaps at her father for being distracted). Some seem to think Zora don't reach maturity until 100. While I do think in Zoran culture 100 would be a huge milestone, Dunma shows that it is not when they reach maturity. So where is maturity? Well, Finley and Mipha can help us with that!

Finley states that she is at an "awkward" age where she is a young woman who hasn't hit her growth spurt. While I can quite clearly tell she is NOT a grown woman (please refrain from mentioning that gross ass side quest) she is definitely a teenager, likely just younger than Mipha was. Mipha wasn't small like Finley, so it can be assumed that she is already going through this "growth spurt."

Let's go back to Rivan for a hot second, he stated that he is "over 130" and we placed his age at 140. So, that means that 0-40~ are youth ages in zora, 40 getting on the preteen end, as Rivan states he played with Link when he was young. Obviously, he was old enough to have these fond memories, so he wasn't toddler aged. Likely a kid on the cusp of pre-teen phase. The same can be said for other characters who remember Link fondly, such as Bazz and Gaddison.

SO. Mipha here isn't fully grown, so she is likely past 40, maybe 50. She is STILL a teenager. She has very young views on the world, and again, she isn't fully grown. She is very clearly an adolescent. This should completely dissolve any claims that she is a predator, as when she knew Link as a young child, she only saw him as cute as anyone else would see a little boy. Finley, the other younger woman, is likely 30. Neither of these two have finished their growth spurt like Dunma, so the age to do so is likely 60 or 70.

Let's transition a bit. How can we determine how old a Zora is only using clues from the plot? Firstly, there is a proven method to tell a Zora's age based on the number of luminescent spots on their head and tail which I recommend reading here. (I will be calling it the spot theory!) After reading that, let's focus on what we can determine based on the plot. We have already determined solid age ranges for Rivan, Dunma, Finley and Mipha very easily using characters words alone, without immediately referencing the spot theory.

Determining their age range comes down to reading comprehension, as the only midly confusing character to place an age range on could be Sidon. Let's go over Sidon.

Using the Spot Theory on Sidon, he has 10 spots, 11-10 is 1, so Sidon is over 100. I thought immediately to place Sidon in younger ranges where characters like Ledo and Laflat are, adult characters that don't have concrete memories of Link, but seem to be over 100. They would like be 110~ as that would be too young to retain any information. However in Sidon's case, this didn't quite add up.

Take Age of Calamity, look at all the things Sidon was able to do as a "toddler." He was able to escape Zora's domain (twice!), hold a spear, identify a Lynel, and in the botw champions ballad DLC, he understands what Mipha is implying by, "Should fate ever part us." That last example is what got me. I don't care how bright you think your toddler is, there is NO WAY they will right off the bat (Sidon needed no hints, he understood what Mipha meant immediately after she said it!) understand a euphemism for death. Sidon did, and I now believe Sidon is a bit older than even I first thought, and significantly older than what the fandom believes.

I believe Sidon is still a little younger than say Rivan, however not by more than 5-10 years. "But tumblr user sidon-lovrr! Sidon can't remember anything from his early childhood like Rivan can! He must have been a toddler orherwise he wouldn't forget it all!" I get it, that's what tripped me up too! But Baby Sidon is waaaay to smart to be a silly little toddler and we both know it. I believe that, due to the intensity of the great calamity coupled with losing your sister, your father being the King, you now being the heir to the throne, and the overall high stress environment Sidon would have been in at such a young age compared to Rivan and others, Sidon experienced Dissociative Amnesia. Or more simply, has memory issues of that time period due to traumatic events. There are other questionable things, such as Sidon's "youthful" personality and baby Sidon being nonverbal. In my opinion, these can be solved by concluding that Sidon got smacked hard in the head with the Autism stick. (We're autistic don't smite us for that joke!!)

Sidon is likely in the same age group as Rivan, maybe 10 years younger. 130 is a safe place to put Sidon in my book. All of this I determined only referencing the spot theory once, which confirms my previous statement that understanding Zoran ages comes down to reading comprehension. I will end this off in sharing what ages lie in what stages of life to help clear up misconceptions.

0-20~: Infant to toddler

30~: Classic kid, not a teenager yet but has already learned and developed basic skills. They will remember things!

40-50~: Teenager! Mipha lives here!

60-100~: Fresh adults, Zoran society may not officially label them as adults until age 100, but they are physically mature before 100. This is Dunma's range!

100-150~: Young adult transitioning into the beginning of "middle aged" which is very broad and long for Zoras. Bazz, Rivan, Gaddison, and most likely Sidon are here. This category is a bit cloudy, but younger than 130 is likely still a young adult.

200-240~: Mid to late middle aged, nearing elder approaching 240.

250-300~: Early elder, not quite on the verge of death yet.

350-400+: Peepaw range, old ass motherfuckers. Think Muzu and Dorephan, who both have 7 spots 11-7 is 4.

That's about all! Stop calling Mipha a predator, but other than that contine to go crazy with your OCs and theories!

#loz botw #botw #loz #zelda #sidon #prince sidon #hw aoc #mipha #botw link #Phew!!#needed to get this out for a long time #enjoy!#club analysis #-🔥

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comradelup · 3 years

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50 general with Taako and Lucretia!

50. “every time i think i’m close to finally figuring you out you end up surprising me.”

my botw au is constantly living in my head rent free so i thought i’d write some of that :0 for context, taako is link and lucretia is impa but a bit more fleshed out/involved with the champions

Taako marches decisively through the little village, up the tall set of stairs, and through the door to Lucretia’s house.

She’s at her desk on the opposite side of the room, as she nearly always is. Papers are neatly placed about and she’s reading one in particular. Beside her desk, the Bulwark Staff stands upright on its own, occasionally pulsing out a near transparent wave of magic.

Lucretia looks up at Taako’s entrance, and a smile that is one part joy and one part relief spreads across her face. “How did it go?”

He crosses the room and— on top of her papers— places the Temporal Chalice. “How do you think it went?”

She looks pleasantly surprised as she observes the cup, and Taako doesn’t really get why. It’s not like he hasn’t already gotten two other relics. Hell, he’s even wearing the Gaia Sash right now. And the Oculus is around his neck!

Lucretia shakes her head fondly and looks back to Taako. “Every time I think I’m close to finally figuring you out you end up surprising me.”

Taako shrugs, taking back the cup. As he attaches it to a loop on his belt, he says, “Heroes of Faerun have to be mysterious somehow.”

She chuckles. “You’ve always been an enigma.”

“As I should,” he says. “Oh! I almost forgot!”

“Hm?”

“Magnus says hi.” He says it dismissively, even if it’s possibly the most important message he’s carried; but isn’t that appropriate? He doesn’t wanna make a whole big deal of this. He sits nonchalantly on her desk, crossing his ankles. Suddenly, the dirt under his fingernails is the most interesting thing in the room.

Lucretia is silent for a beat. “How was he?”

“He’s fine,” Taako says and, fuck, his voice is all emotional and shit now. “besides the ‘spirit trapped by an apocalyptic monster’ part, obviously. He said that he knows you probably blame yourself but you shouldn’t. Either way, he forgives you.”

Wow! Heroes of Faerun shouldn’t have dirt under their fingernails! That’s just plain unheroic. He better get to cleaning that up.

“…He does?” Lucretia asks. Taako nods, not looking up from his now squeaky clean nails.

Lucretia sighs, and he knows her well enough to know her head is in her hands, elbows propped up on the desk. It’s weird, he doesn’t remember seeing her do this, but he doesn’t feel as though it’s a new thing. Magical memory loss is weird.

“I think they all do,” Taako says, dropping his hands into his lap. “They weren’t upset when they saw me. They were just… sorry.” He forces a small chuckle. “How’d I get surrounded by such do-gooders?”

Lucretia sighs again, heavier. Her voice wobbles as she says, “They don’t deserve this.”

“No shit,” Taako says, pulling his legs into a criss-crossed position and turning to face her. Papers get crumbled and quills fall off the desk, but neither of them seem to care. Taako sure doesn’t. “This is The Hunger’s fault. Not yours.”

Lucretia curls her fingers into her palms, staring up at him. “I couldn’t protect you.”

“Bullshit,” Taako responds immediately. None of that self deprecating bullshit while he’s around. “I’m still here. Lup’s out there. The rest of them are in the Beasts.”

“They’re dead. Lup’s fighting off the apocalypse on her own. You died. I was supposed to protect all of you.” Lucretia gestures to the Bulwark Staff. It’s currently projecting a large field around the tiny village of Phandalin, keeping it safe from anything that would do the IPRE harm. She hasn’t taken it down in one hundred years.

They all have their scars. Taako supposes not all of them are physical.

He takes a deep breath, composing himself. If he’s gonna be sincere, he’s gonna word it right. “A lot happened. I still don’t really remember it, but I know things were crazy. You did the best you could and, yeah, it wasn’t enough. But you saved me, and you saved Phandalin. You can’t be blamed for the Blights, no one knew they would be there. Even if you did know, they forgive you. Don’t go moping around blaming yourself for something no one else blames you for. You aren’t The Hunger, you aren’t the Shadow Brethren, you didn’t do any of this. Actually, you’re the only reason I’m alive right now. If Lup had to bring me to the shrine, she wouldn’t’ve made it to the castle in time. Thanks to you, I have a chance of saving my sister. And the rest of the world, I guess.”

Taako looks down into his lap. He’a not the emotionally vulnerable type, and he’s certainly not the pep talk type. He feels awkward, and he doesn’t like feeling awkward.

Then he feels something else: arms wrapped around him. It’s clumsy, because he’s sitting and she’s reaching over a desk, but Lucretia’s pulled him into a tight hug, head buried in his shoulder.

“Thank you,” she says, voice quiet.

Okay. Um. Taako gently reciprocates the hug. “No prob, Bob.”

#taako’s not good at Emotions someone come help this poor amnesiac boy #taz #taz balance #taz fic #balance #taako #lucretia #botw au #writing #ask #anon #long post #JUST got done helping my sister with her mountain of late work so now i feel incredibly responsibility free #which means fic time >:3

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lord-of-shadows · 6 years

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drinking on a beach with (you all over me)

this is my second [published] botw zelink fic. post-calamity; based on the taylor swift lyric. thanks to @amxthystfan for beta reading even tho she knows nothing about zelda. read on ao3 here or under the cut. hope you enjoy! :)

It was only a week after she had sealed Ganon away, and Zelda was quick to return to her diplomatic duties.

She had immediately reunited with Impa, her dear friend that had always remained by her side ever since her mother passed away, and formulated a plan to visit each of the races and reunite them under one nation in order to finally begin the process of restoring Hyrule. She noticed that the light on Vah Ruta on the Sheikah Slate had gone dark––a perfect reason to visit Zora’s Domain and begin her task.

It was over a year after Link had awoken––over a year it had taken to rescue his princess and drive the beast away from Hyrule Castle once and for all. His memories were slowly returning to him at closer intervals now, perhaps due to Zelda’s new presence, and he was beginning to understand his past self.

He always had this goal to work towards––freeing Zelda from the Castle––but now that it was accomplished, an invisible weight was lifted off his shoulders, and he wanted nothing more than to crawl into his Hateno bed and fall asleep for the next millennium, despite being asleep for an entire century.

However, he would never leave his princess, and wherever she suggested they go next, he followed––not because of his duty bestowed upon him centuries ago, but because of her.

He made sure to remind her everytime he found her doubting herself.

It has been a week since they were reunited, a week full of Zelda reconnecting with the land, of her meeting old and new friends, of her planning an entire journey. It will be like old times, Link! she had exuberantly exclaimed while showing him the map on the Sheikah Slate, their path already laid out. He smiled––if his princess was happy, then so was he.

But alas, Link was tired, and he knew from the way Zelda had dark lines under her eyes and slouched her shoulders when she thought no one was looking, so was she. It made sense, after all––she was sleeping a lot lately, but long hours of sleep could not erase away the fact that she was trapped in a battle with Ganon for the past century.

And so, the day before they were scheduled to depart to Zora’s Domain, Link had approached Zelda with the Sheikah Slate and pointed towards a location.

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Lurelin Village?” she asked, taking the Slate, and he nodded. “Why there?”

“They are having a festival in two days to celebrate the end of the darkness,” he signed. “We can get away.”

“As in, a break?”

He nodded.

He watched her consider, a thousand thoughts roaming in her mind, trying to plan. She was chewing on her bottom lip, and Link almost wanted to lean in so she would just relax.

“I suppose it would be beneficial. I am quite exhausted, and attending this celebration will allow me to get a glimpse of how Hyrule’s citizens have functioned in the hundred years without a central government. It would be…nice, I think, to indulge in their customs before setting foot in the political madness.”

Link was nodding vigorously, a smile beaming on his face. When Zelda met his eyes, she was nearly taken back––she hadn’t realized Link was truly wanting this short break. She immediately felt a wave of guilt for not considering the fact that he must have been worn out this entire time. He needed to rest, especially after defeating the dark beast––she reprimanded herself for not allowing him to do so.

He noticed the look on her face, and his smile vanished, his hands flying, “It’s okay––it’s not your fault. I understand your dedication to the restoration project, but you need to relax. You never had the opportunity to, not even before.”

Before. When her father insisted she maintain her daily devotions and visit every spring, every holy relic in this land in order to awaken her powers. She had worked tirelessly ever since the age of seven training––an entire decade without a break. Link was right, she realized. They both needed this.

She didn’t say anything as Link traced the path from Kakariko to Lurelin, instead offering him a grateful smile. Goddesses, how lucky she was to have this man in her life.

They had planned on arriving in Lurelin in the afternoon so that Zelda would have enough time to be introduced to each of the villagers before celebrations began that night. Leaving their horses at Lakeside Stable, they walked the rest of the distance, enjoying the breathtaking views of the trees brimming with life. Zelda admitted it was quite humid and sweat was beginning to build on her neck, but as the entrance to the village came into view, and with Link’s close presence next to her, she knew she did not regret their decision.

Almost immediately as they walked in did two little kids jump out from behind the palm trees, racing towards Link and nearly tackling him to the ground. However, he was not the Hero of Hyrule, fearless Knight of them all, for no reason, and he managed to stand his ground as the kids began to bombard him with questions.

“Link!” the one in the blue shirt exclaimed. “It’s been forever since you were here! Did you find the ruins? What were they like!?”

“No, Zuta!” The other kid said, pushing him aside. “Let Link tell us of you going to the Castle like a strong knight! That was you, right?” Link gave a hesitant nod, and the kid shrieked in joy. “I knew it! I knew it! What was it like? Did you rescue a pretty princess?”

Link sheepishly scratched the back of his head, unsure how to respond. They had agreed to keep Zelda’s true identity secret for now; she wanted to immerse with her people, not watch from afar.

“Kinov! Zuta! Leave Link alone and return to your mother! I hear she needs help preparing seafood paella!”

Zuta gasped, and his attention was immediately whisked away. Grabbing Zuta’s hand, they dashed back to the house where their mother was sat by the cooking pot, both of them waving at Link as they left. Link and Zelda turned around to see the man who sent the kids away approaching them. He was holding a fishing spear, and he extended a hand out to Link, clasping it on his shoulder.

“Link! It’s good to see you, buddy. Here for the celebration, I assume?”

“Hey, Numar,” Link signed. “Yes, we are”––he gestured at Zelda––“In fact, this is her first time visiting.”

“Is it, now?” Numar smiled. “My name is Numar. I keep watch over the village, and I’m also the Chief’s son.”

“Oh!” Zelda exclaimed. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Numar! My name is Tetra.”

“It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Tetra. Now, if you two would excuse me, I must help finish the preparations for the celebration. Do feel free to converse with the other villagers, however. You will see that everyone here just about knows Link!” He laughed.

Zelda laughed as well. “Link has made himself quite a popular person around Hyrule. It is no surprise he has done the same here.”

She could see Link’s face flush a little at the comment, and she stifled another laugh as Numar walked away. Link grabbed her hand, leading her inside the quaint village.

They spent the next few hours or so talking to each of the villagers; Kiana, Zuta and Kinov’s mother, told the story of how Link had helped her prepare seafood paella for dinner, and ever since that day, it was all her children craved. She and Zelda shared a laugh when Kiana noted how rapidly Link devoured his meal––as if he hadn’t had one in days!––and Zelda fondly remembered the day she discovered Link was a glutton. It turned out all she needed to do to get him to open up to her was to feed him!

Next, they encountered the fisherman Sebasto––also Kiana’s husband, Zelda noted––who thanked Link earnestly for opening up the fishing spot on Aris Beach once more, then began to tell Zelda all about how Link had heroically taken out all of the monsters that were plaguing the area. Zelda listened intently, pride swelling in her chest––Link could never resist extending a helping hand when needed, whether it be cooking dinner or defeating monsters. He was truly the Hero of Hyrule, on both grandiose and minuscule levels.

The rest of the faces were a blur as the celebration was drawing near––Zelda remembered Link introducing her to Armes who was busy preparing the fish, Mubs who was the shopkeeper but was currently assisting Numar with decorations, Cloyne whom Link didn’t linger too long on––he’s a bit shady––and lastly Charissa who showed them to their rooms in the inn.

There was only one left for it seemed as if Link and Zelda were not the only outsiders to attend the grand celebration at Lurelin, but no one seemed to mind that they were sharing a room. Link decided to continue wearing his Champion’s Tunic, but Zelda changed into a light, flowing dress that Kiana had given her. There was a beautiful, intricate design of the horizon meeting the sea, a clashing of various shades of blues and golds. She could not help but be entranced by the dress.

When the bells rang indicating the beginning of the festival, Link took her hand and led her to the center of the village, where every villager––and some more––was gathering around a large, dancing fire. They all sat, Zelda and Link next to Kiana and her family, and Zelda gazed around to see Numar and Armes with instruments, filling the air with livened music. Charissa and Mubs handed out drinks and plates, and Zelda recognized a few individuals whom she hadn’t met on her trek with Link––a Gerudo, whom later she would learn was named Flavi, and a traveler named Letty. When everyone was settled, the music came to a slow stop, and an elderly man stood.

“Greetings, friends and visitors! As you may know, my name is Rozel,” his eyes met each person, carrying a demeanor about him that made it seem he was talking to you individually, “And I am the Lurelin Village Chief.” Zelda smiled––so this will be the person she will be meeting with once she begins the restoration process. She was glad; he carried himself with kindness and ease.

“I thank you for coming together to prepare our village for this momentous night. As you may know, the evil blight that plagued our land is no more. Monsters no longer roam our beaches and roads, and our people are free to traverse once again.” There were whoops from the crowd, and Zelda was ecstatic with them. The amount of trade and travel decreased significantly in the prior century, not only due to monsters but to the fact that the population of Hyrule decreased significantly as well. People tend to stay within the walls of their village––only a few dared to leave and travel to other towns. Link had told her that even though he explored all of Hyrule numerous times, he only encountered a handful of merchants and travelers repeatedly, some of them being members of the Yiga Clan in disguise. It was one of the top priorities on Zelda’s list: to open the trading routes and free the roads from all harm.

“Tonight, we celebrate the end of the Age of Calamity, and we feast for the dawn of a new, prosperous age.”

He hadn’t mentioned who brought upon this end, but all eyes turned to Link anyways, and she felt him move back a bit as if hiding behind her.

She squeezed his hand, and in order to divert the attention, lifted her drink and cheered, “To the end of the Calamity!”

Everyone’s eyes were on her now, and to her relief, they all smiled and repeated her motion, chanting, “To the end of the Calamity!”

Link loosened next to her, and with a grin on his face he joined in, and the moment passed. Everyone began to share stories of their experiences of the darkness, encouraging Link to pipe in whenever he could, and Zelda sat and listened, watching Link’s face as his hands moved and his expressions reflected his words, and Zelda reiterated for those who did not understand sign. She felt a swell in her chest when Link gazed at her while she was talking, one which she pushed down lest a blush crept on her face.

Suddenly, Kinov piped up, pointing a finger at Link. “Link! Tell the story of how you killed the evil monster!”

All eyes were back on Link again, and Zelda couldn’t do anything in fear she might be discovered. Link stilled, looking at Kinov, then to everyone’s amazement––including Zelda’s––he whispered, “Okay.”

So he began to iterate how he defeated the Guardians storming Hyrule Castle, swam up the waterfalls and explored the different rooms that were now collapsed––Zelda blinked away tears before Link could notice––found rare treasures and weapons, and killed all of the monsters before heading to the Sanctum, where a ginormous egg was stuck to the ceiling and suddenly burst, revealing the hideous, terrible blight that was the cause for the devastation of Hyrule. Zelda stared at her drink, watching the liquid gently swish, her grip tightening. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy Link’s stories––they kept her entertained for hours when they were traveling together in the past––it was the fact that she had spent this past week doing whatever she could to banish all memories of Ganon from her mind, and Link’s telling was bringing forth the utter darkness she felt while trapped within the beast’s consciousness. When Link began to tell of the Divine Beasts assisting him, she felt at lost for air, her heart aching for her fallen friends, and excusing herself, she walked away from the fire and the people surrounding it––none paid much attention to her departure, all too focused on Link’s story––and decided to take a walk around the shore, gazing up at the constellations and stars and willing her body to relax and take deep breaths.

She knew she couldn’t run away from Ganon anymore. She had fought him relentlessly for the past century, and yet, she still awoke at night screaming at the nightmares he infiltrated. She was burying herself in the restoration project, and she had hoped this little vacation would do her good, but it was reminding her more and more of how the people of Hyrule had suffered, and how they were slowly recovering, and how she had so much more left to do to make the nation safe once again.

She took another deep breath, willing the thoughts away from her mind, and felt a presence next to her, familiar footsteps echoing on the sand, and without even looking she knew Link had immediately ran after her.

“This is nothing like the wine they served during those grandiose balls at the Castle,” Zelda reminisced, a slight frown on her face as she gripped the glass in her hand. He knew she wasn’t focusing on her words, trying to fill the silence as her thoughts battled elsewhere. “Even though I’m sure it was rich in value, this one just tastes better. More…” She trailed off once they reached a scatter of trees, turning to face the water; however, Link took her hand, turning her around so she faced him instead. She was staring at the glass on her hand now, anywhere except his face.

She felt the texture of rough hands on her chin, marveling at how gentle he was as he lifted her head. Her breath caught on her throat––cerulean eyes reflecting her own, a mixture of concern and worry and something else dashing across them.

“Zel, I’m sorry––I didn’t mean to––”

“It’s okay,” she said, her heart wildly beating at him calling her Zel. “I’ve been trying to forget, but perhaps––perhaps I should recognize what happened and move on.”

Link nodded, pressing his forehead against hers, taking slow and steady breaths so she could relax. “You are not alone,” he said, looking her squarely in the eye. “I will be here, every step of the way, and so will the people of Hyrule. We will get through this, together.”

She nodded, and at that moment, a sudden feeling in her chest seized her as he slowly grew closer, and she wanted nothing more than to lean in and capture his lips with hers, to let that feeling she constantly pushed away explode––but as soon as she began to close her eyes, he pulled away. Zelda blinked, wondering if she had done something wrong, or if she simply imagined he was about to kiss her. She was feeling a little tipsy, but she was usually more tolerant than this. Usually.

But then he set down her glass of wine by the base of a tree, and when he turned around, there was fire in his eyes.

One moment she was standing still, and the next, his hands were cupping her face, traveling down, down, until they rested on her hips, squeezing her gently in comparison to the way his lips were pressed against hers, as if she were a feast he could not resist devouring.

“Zelda,” he whispered breathlessly as he pulled away, and she broke.

Her fingers tangled in his hair, her other hand drifting behind his neck, pulling him closer, her head tilting up a little bit––when did he get taller?––to recapture his lips feverishly, allowing herself to get lost in this moment, to forget all of her duties and only focus on the chorus in her mind that screamed Link, Link, Link.

He picked her up suddenly, and Zelda let out a little yelp of surprise as his arms snaked under her knees and back, setting her against one of the palm trees. He climbed over her, and Zelda wondered how long, exactly, he had waited for this moment.

He planted kisses on her neck, careful not to leave behind any marks, and she squirmed as his hands came to rest at the hem of her skirt, his eyes meeting hers as she waited expectantly.

Instead, he kissed her chastely, and she whimpered at his loss when he rolled next to her. She turned to face him, her mouth opening to ask Why did you stop? but he seemed to anticipate this, as he propped himself up and began to move his hands.

“This isn’t the best location,” he signed, then paused. “Not that far away from the village, either.”

Of course. Zelda blushed. She had forgotten it was nearly midnight, and the celebration was still alive and well, with the lights twinkling and the people jumping into the water not that far away. They couldn’t see her and Link because of the darkness, but––Zelda’s blush deepened––they would certainly hear her.

Link laughed at her flustered face as she sat up, and he handed her wine back, allowing her to take a sip from the glass, but not before he whispered in her ear, “Next time.”

She whipped her head around, and he was laughing once more, hands pulling her close, lips tracing patterns in her skin.

She raised the glass to her lips, relishing in the way the cool liquid burned down her throat, as her eyes fluttered closed and her skin was ignited by the feel of him.

It was going to be a long night. Not that she minded.

i don’t wanna hurt you (i just wanna be) drinking on a beach with (you all over me)

#legend of zelda #breath of the wild #zelda #link #zelink #zelink fic #botw zelink #zelda fanfiction #zelink fanfiction #botw #it's not as spicy as the title makes it seem

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