hyruleanlegends

[hyruleanlegends]

You will be staying.

Her words echoed loudly in his ears, though it also seemed like they were going to be drowned out by the pounding of his heart. This couldn't be right. What they wanted was something that was borderline treasonous. A sheikah marrying the Princess was... perhaps something that could be overlooked; after all, they were the loyal servants of the Royal Family, and a certain level of familiarity could certainly be excepted to blossom when one's job was to protect.

But that would be a sheikah of importance. Someone like Impa, though... closer to Zelda's own age and not a glorified nanny.

"What did you say to them?" He meant for his words to come out lighthearted, closer to a joke, but it was hard to keep the edge of accusation entirely out of it. Shi rose to his feet as he turned to face her, eyes slowly narrowing.

"I know them and I know they would not just agree to this. Not unless you have leveraged something against them." And starting her rule off by making it clear she was willing to threaten and bully those meant to advise her just to get her way was... It certainly would be a choice.

"They may have relented, but tell me - did they truly agree with you?"

Despite moving as fast as she could — practically sprinting through the palace corridors — the walk to the gardens felt as if it lasted an eternity. She’d wanted to get to the gardens as fast as possible, but it felt as if she was moving through molasses. It was a race against the sun, the celestial mass being pulled by a chariot whilst she crawled at the pace of a tortoise. 

But then she heard him. Heard his voice.

When Sheik addressed her by title, she wasn’t certain she hadn’t imagined it. Even now, standing amongst the rose bushes and other vibrant arrangements as the sun took its final bow, she couldn’t help but to wonder if he was a mirage. He’d stayed. She hadn’t wanted to not believe him, but there was a part of her brain that told her it was dangerous to hope he would remain — or maybe that was her heart speaking.

One. Two. Three.

The princess could have wept with joy as she counted the seconds that passed, yet he still remained. Her confirmation that he hadn’t been conjured by her mind was given as she took small but steady strides towards him, taking in the details of the man she loved—the man she might actually get to spend the rest of her life with. His hair that was so similar in color to her own. The ruby red stare that stole her breath whenever they made eye contact. Even the cowl that typically covered half of his face was a welcomed sight.

“You will be staying.” It was the first thought she was able to convey, though she scolded herself for the poor verbiage, shaking her head as she took that final step to stand before him. “Let me rephrase…you do not have to leave. Please do not leave! The court…they have accepted us.”

#ic ; sheik #sapientiiae #a moment suspended in time ; queue

[hyruleanlegends]

@shiroi---kumo asked: ❛ are you always this straightforward with strangers ? ❜ | FIRST MEETING STARTERS | Accepting

The words had Groose pausing for a moment, feeling a little taken aback at being spoken to in such a manner. All he had commented on was that the stranger's hair was an unusual color - the shade of white was something he had only ever seen before on Impa (and he didn't like to think too much about Impa; there was an ache that was left behind when he remembered Granny's passing).

His clothing was a little odd too. Oh - and the fact that he was on the surface.

Surface dwellers were becoming more and more common of late. A large portion of the citizens of Skyloft had 'taken the plunge', so to speak, choosing to relocate on the ground in the homestead that Link and Zelda had started together. Groose himself planned to make the surface his permanent home soon too, and the only thing holding him back was worry over how those who wanted to stay above the clouds would fair. They had survived for countless years, but was it really a place meant for them to live indefinitely?

"I was just asking a question." A pause. A frown. "Where'd you come from, anyways?"

#ic ; groose #shiroikumo #a moment suspended in time ; queue #[[ groose you can't just ASK that ]]

[hyruleanlegends]

@sapientiiae asked: ❛  you looked lonely so i got you a drink.  ❜ | FIRST MEETING STARTERS | Accepting

The Princess was clearly trying to do her best to ingratiate herself to the woman that would be her bodyguard, but her efforts were met with a stern, flat look in response.

"... I am fine."

Impa knew that the Princess was just trying to do her best to be nice. That this was how... normal people interacted. And had Impa not been raised with the knowledge that she was going to be the bodyguard to the Royal Family, perhaps the niceties would not have been lost on her. But this was their first meeting. She was not about to allow herself to slip up and become sloppy so soon.

#ic ; impa #sapientiiae #a moment suspended in time ; queue #[[ i'm sorry meg this is terrible my brain just did not want to write and yet ]] #[[ here i am ]]

[hyruleanlegends]

My weekly headcanon moment:

Groose is definitely neurodivergent. Some type of learning disability, maybe ADHD? He has strong 'cannot learn well in standard school settings but is an absolute genius when he's able to do things his own way' vibes.

In fact, is it even a vibe when that's canon to the games?

#headcanons ; groose

[hyruleanlegends]

"That ain't true!" Oh, it was true. He was supposed to be the hero. He was supposed to be the one saving Zelda. And it was Link who was able to come and go as he pleased, without any explanation over how he was doing it.

It was infuriating, and almost felt like it was being rubbed in his face, and Groose was not going to stand for it.

"What about you?" The words came out accusingly as Groose lowered himself, hands pressed against the surface of the table as his eyes narrowed at Sheik. "She's your sister and you're just sittin' up here reading children's books. Don't you want to get down there to help her?"

And maybe the answer was staring them in the face. Link made it to and from the surface... maybe they just needed to follow him?

That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? How do you get to the surface. It was almost stupidly annoying how simple it seemed. Clouds weren't solid. In theory they could just dive through them, but that was a fools errand without a Loftwing, and Loftwings didn't go near the cloud barrier. If one ever drew close they would rear back.

Not that he knew, considering a loft wing never chose him, but... Zelda had stories.

"I haven't missed anything, but unless the Goddess herself is okay with you piercing the barrier or some other force from the surface pierces it there's no way through. In theory it would be as simple as jumping off a cliff and diving through it, but I have a feeling you'll just end up as a pancake on the Surface instead."

Sheik gritted his teeth and Groose's poor attempt at an insult.

"... And you're only here cause you're jealous Link is down on the Surface with my twin and you aren't. No wonder the Goddess won't let you through the cloud barrier..."

#ic ; groose #mizunoserenade

[hyruleanlegends]

i feel this is his standard expression when a certain princess is around

#ic ; sheik

[hyruleanlegends]

me: man i don't want to icon izek for shi icons meg: i can do it me: i mean if you really want to but don't feel pressured meg: i can do it : ) me: okay well! do it when you're bored or smt there's no rush meg: i can do it : ) : ) three hours later she comes back with over 150

#ooc ; out of character #[[ absolutely crying rn ]]

[hyruleanlegends]

It was clear that not knowing was upsetting Sheik, but telling him the truth... what good would it do? It would only result in more frustration and, worse, potentially guilt. How would Sheik really feel if he knew all that Shi had given up for him while being unable to remember him at all?

But... they were his memories. Even if he could recall them, was it Shi's right to continue to withhold the truth from him?

"Shi is what people call me." It was hard to say it was a name, but that was more complexity than he thought Sheik would understand. "I was. I..."

A sigh.

"Do you really want to know?" Red eyes met Sheik's, Shi's gaze piercing. "You can't... unlearn it. What if the truth is too much?"

It was odd to have someone check up on him. They had to have some sort of relationship, but he couldn't remember... But all of the healers said that was normal for his condition. Those memories had been lost to the magic of the gloom. He was lucky he was alive at all.

It was difficult to say if he truly felt lucky though. Everyone looked at him with either disdain or pity. It was frustrating. Even Zelda, his supposed sister, couldn't help but glance at him with eyes so full of shame and pity when he thought he wasn't looking.

And Sheik feels a sense of distrust. It feels ingrained in him, like he has to hide away from the other and keep him at a distance.

"Shi... was your name right? You were there when I woke up. You obviously know me if you're this worried. Who was I to you?"

#ic ; sheik #mizunoserenade #[[ think carefully sheik you can't unhear words ]] #[[ well you can but you'll probably die ]]

[hyruleanlegends]

They're my everything!!

#reflections ; sheik #[[ this is. the closest to how sheik looks and i hate it LMAO ]]

[hyruleanlegends]

One day I'm gonna drop my [redacted] muse. It'll happen. I swear.

#ooc ; out of character

[hyruleanlegends]

@sapientiiae asked ❛  you look like you could use a hand with that.  ❜ | FIRST MEETING STARTERS | Accepting

He had known it was risky trying to sneak into the castle grounds. The young sheikah wasn't even sure if there would be anything for him to find there. It was the castle, the home of the royal family, but only idiots would have anything of actual valuable out where it could be easily nabbed. But--

But he was desperate. And hungry. Even if he couldn't find something that he could use for monetary value, maybe he would find food.

And he had been in the act of trying to pilfer as much as possible from the kitchen, stuffing rolls down the front of his shirt and in his mouth as quickly as possible. The voice had him suddenly freezing in place, ice-water filling his veins, and he turned slowly to see a

A... girl.

He swallowed painfully, forcing bread down his now-dry throat. "... No. I'm... I'm fine."

#ic ; sheik #a moment suspended in time ; queue #sapientiiae

[hyruleanlegends]

@hyruleanlegends asked: (last kiss): unsure if they will see each other again, sender kisses the receiver before distracting enemies so receiver can escape. royal, fantasy romance & spice

It was difficult evading Ganondorf for seven years while Link's soul slumbered in the Sacred Realm, but the challenge grew significantly once Link awakened and needed to be guided to the temples. Sitting by doing nothing for seven years had been painful, and she’d be damned if she allowed herself to continue to do nothing while Link and Shi risked their lives. 

So she intervened—more so once Impa was revealed to be the Sage of Shadows. Her Sheikah nursemaid had made it clear just how opposed she was to Zelda stepping out of hiding, but she’d at least trained her well in the years leading up to that moment. Now, with no one to loom over her shoulder at all hours, Hyrule’s Princess had grown more bold.

Or perhaps it was more reckless. 

She’d wanted to help wherever she could, and Ganondorf was growing more demanding of Shi, making it harder to relay information amongst their unit (Zelda from the shadows, since Link hadn’t known she was actively a part of that unit to begin with). They were close, with only the Sage of Spirit left to awaken—too close to give up now. If she could only help to carry some of their burden, they might still have a chance of saving Hyrule.

They’d arranged to meet under the cover of night, thinking the darkness would help conceal their coming and going. The edge of the Lost Woods had seemed like the best choice of their limited options since they could use the thick canopy of the trees to further camouflage themselves from the prying eyes of Ganondorf’s spies (ironic considering Sheik was one of those spies). 

She’d thought their meeting was going to plan; they were exchanging their last bit of information between one another before they would part ways. So she hadn’t anticipated a Club Moblin would show up to put a kink in their plan, not here anyway. They were too far from the entry to the Forest Temple for her to have thought to worry about such a creature, and yet she swore she felt the earth tremble beneath their feet as it charged towards them.

It’s grunts and world shaking shockwaves seemed to attract the attention of its companions, and before long they had two Moblins added to their chase. Goddesses, was this the end? Had they made it so far to fail here? At the hands of three Moblins of all things?

Shi seemed to understand her thoughts — register the flash of panic in her stormy gaze. Lips parted as she prepared to tell him they would go down fighting together, but his mouth was on hers before she could utter the words. It took the Hylian by surprise, now frozen in place by something entirely new (and dare she say comforting, despite their current situation). His lips lingered over hers for a moment—two—before pulling away. When they parted, Zelda speechless, she found his crimson gaze filled with a mix of resignation and determination.

And then he’d pushed her.

The sudden shove onto a separate path felt as if her world was flipped upside down, eyes wide as Shi angled his body between her and the three enemies she’d intended to fight alongside him. Even from this new distance, she watched the determination fade from his eyes as he took one last look in her direction, softening to what was unmistakably an apology.

He knew she’d be livid, and her anger might very well pick her apart later, but he’d chosen to use himself as a sacrifice to distract their foes so she could escape. 

A strangled sob was all she could manage, watching as Shi turned back to charge towards the three beasts without hesitation, leaving her no choice but to honor the sudden plan he’d set in motion for them both.

And so she fled.

#sapientiiae #saved;

[hyruleanlegends]

Groose wasn't stupid. The Groosinator - an incredibly stupidly named invention of his own design and build - was proof of that. Not many would have been able to build their own cannon in such short time, especially doing it from scratch and without following any guidelines laid out by another. All things considered, it was a technological marvel, and while there was always going to be a part of him that felt guilty hearing such praise, it was true that Link would not have been able to defeat Demise without his help.

The context was important - because he wasn't stupid. So it was not a lack of intelligence that made it hard for the red-haired male to take in the woman's words - a woman who looked enough like Zelda to have him pausing and frowning, but not enough like her for him to suspect any level of relation. And he could, in theory, understand what she was saying. Something happened and so heroes were being gathered. That made sense in a strange, cosmic-horror type of way.

But-

"I'm not a hero."

There was a time that he would have felt ashamed saying those words. Now it was just simply the truth that he had learned to accept. His strength was meant for elsewhere, for helping beyond the battlefield and not on it.

Arms crossed over his chest as Groose stared down at the woman. "I'm... from Skyloft. I don't know what you're talking about with reincarnated heroes, but I was there when Link and Zelda sealed away Demise. Is... was the portal meant for them?"

Probably. Except neither had been around, and it had sealed shut as soon as he stepped through.

@hyruleanlegends asked: " can you try to explain ? " the sounds of nightmares

“I have! Twice!”

The Princess of Hryule had always believed herself to be a patient person, especially when she considered what she had to put up with daily between new recruits and soldiers underestimating their opponents. Sometimes she think Impa relished at the sight, snickering under her breath because she believed it payback for the asinine behavior she’d have to put up with as general of the army.

This time, however, a situation had unfolded that surpassed her daily frustrations combined. 

How was he still not getting it? 

The battles they’d fought over the passing weeks had started to blur together. Portals had opened across the land, with allies of Hyrule’s heroes past once again stepping forward to defend the kingdom. Thus far, each warrior they’d come across had been exactly that…a warrior. Each new face demonstrated promise on the battle field — efficiently wielding a weapon or magic to do their bidding. 

So where had he come from? Or a better question: why was he here?

Despite wanting nothing more than to let out an audible groan, Zelda refrained. She did, however, temporarily turn her back to the man that looked as if he had a red shark’s fin for hair, using the moment to kneed at her temples in an attempt to ebb the approaching headache. 

Perhaps the third time was the charm?

“Strong magic has been tampered with, which has resulted in various portals opening throughout Hyrule. Each time someone has stepped through, it has been a person from the past that knew one of Hylia’s reincarnated heroes. It looks like you happened to step through one of those portals, which is how you ended up here. Where are you from? Any details you can provide would be helpful.”

Maybe someone else he knew was here. Then he could be their problem.

#ic ; groose #sapientiiae #a moment suspended in time ; queue

[hyruleanlegends]

The line of his jaw twitched with her words, making it clear that the Princess had struck a nerve. The shade wasn't good at withholding how he felt; a flaw that would have been disastrous had he ever actually wanted to try to be an actual threat to Hyrule. That was what he had been designed to be, after all. Dangerous. A monster.

... he had tried to be one. There had been an attempt. But none of it felt right, and he was left feeling disgusting with himself for his actions. The impulses and urges, all of it - that wasn't him.

"Then you should know that nothing can leave the temples if they're meant to stay in there." It wasn't really an answer to her question. More just a statement of fact, and tacit acknowledgment of the truth that he wasn't from the Water Temple. He may have been housed there, born and grew, but it was from the magic of an interloper. Ganondorf. Fighting his shade had not been a trial set forth by the Goddesses, but a trial given by the Gerudo King.

A deep breath in. Deep breath out. "I have done nothing wrong. You have no reason to be bothering me."

He was already a pale creature to begin with, which was why it was so surprising to see any remnants of color that existed drain as well. It left her to believe he was uncomfortable with the question, one of her brows rising in response. Had he believed he could show up and she wouldn’t at least ask about the Water Temple? About how he’d made it out despite the temple’s complexities?

“Is it not my duty to know about Hyrule and the temples it houses as best as possible?” A question with another question, although she expected this game would grow tedious at a quick rate if they kept it up. She supposed it was up to her to break away from that pattern.

“I have done a lot of reading in my years — Hyrule’s history is practically engrained in my memory. I am also connected with the Sages from each of the temples, and then there is Link…” Her voice trailed, head tipping to the side as she looked him over. “Or was that a name you were not expecting to hear?”

#ic ; dark link #sapientiiae #a moment suspended in time ; queue

[hyruleanlegends]

@aryll-of-the-wild

His duties had been rather vague when placed into the Shrine. He was meant to watch over the Hero in another time of need, and that he would be awoken when that occurred - and that was it. Sheik knew that this punishment was a way to ensure there would not be a scenario where a future Hero was left on his own should everything else fail, and he had done enough in his life to know this was what he deserved.

So he slept. If he dreamt, he didn't recall.

And when he awoke, there was no Hero.

It was clear that something horrible had happened as he climbed out of the shrine, dressing in sheikah robe that had been kept safe and preserved. The shrine was dark save for the small illumination where he had slept, though it hadn't been hard to find his way out into Hyrule proper.

And it didn't take longer for him to see that something had gone terribly wrong.

The world was... damaged. Towns were in ruins, some even still actively burning, and there were so many... dead. No one seemed to give him even a second glance and he was glad over that; Sheik doubted he could possibly come up with any form of a cover story to explain just who he was, or where he had come from, as his mind was grappling with what he was seeing.

His footsteps led him to a town that seemed to have be less damaged than the rest of Hyrule, though he could still hear the sound of people crying through the pain of their loss. It was there he saw a house, one that he felt almost compelled to walk to.

"Hello?" The house seemed empty, though he did spot a young girl, somewhere in her teens, sitting not far. "Do you live here?"

#ic ; sheik #botw era #aryllofthewild #[[ this is set right after the initial calamity but it can be edited! just lmk ]]

[hyruleanlegends]

@elegit

"State your business."

The words came out sounding crisp and cold as Impa crossed her arms over her chest. Hold your tongue, be polite. Thoughts she had to keep firmly in mind as she eyed the would-be ambassador.

There was distrust there, though it wasn't aimed at the fact that this stranger was Gerudo. To Impa, that hardly mattered; the actions of one person did not discolor the acts of someone else who shared a trait with them. Ganondorf may be evil, but that was a decision he had made for himself, not one made for the Gerudo people.

But it was on the heels of Ganondorf's actions that her wariness remained. Strangers had been all-too-common in Hyrule lately, and strangers had caused more than their fair share of problems.

Zelda already had enough to deal with - Impa wasn't going to allow someone else to add to her plate.

#ic ; impa #elegit #a moment suspended in time ; queue

[hyruleanlegends]

Fret not, dear heart, let not them hear The mutterings of all your fears The fluttering of all your wings

Formalized Curiosity— An in-depth portrayal of Princess Zelda from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, featuring novella-style roleplay, world-building, AU’s, and more, as portrayed by CC ▲▽▲ banner by @pertrahe ▲▽▲ carrd ▲▽▲

Welcome to the storm, I am thunder Welcome to my table, Bring your hunger

#promo