#one more time: this is ghiralink only

[friendlyneighborhoodamara]

What Your Favorite Zelda Ship Says About You (for the games I’m familiar with)

General:

Link x Zelda (ZeLink): You are a firm believer in the inherent beauty of two souls coming together, again and again, through reincarnation after reincarnation.

Hylia x Hero: …see above. Also, you read the Skyward Sword manga.

Ocarina of Time:

Link x Zelda (ZeLink): You think classic Disney Princess movies are more feminist than given credit, and that Cinderella is more badass than she’s given credit.

Link x Sheik: You were absolutely fucking pissed to learn that you can only play as Sheik in Super Smash Bros. Also you are almost definitely some flavor of trans.

Link x Dark Link: Looking back on your childhood, you can pinpoint Ocarina of Time as the beginning of your crippling addiction to “Enemies to Lovers”.

(Child) Link x Saria: You really like Disney Channel movies where the popular kid’s girlfriend is nice to the loser protagonist.

Link x Malon: You just want good things for Link. And really, who wouldn’t? Also, you’re a horse girl.

(Adult) Link x Nabooru: Your favorite Champion is Urbosa.

Link x Ruto: You love the scene in Dragon Ball where Goku accidentally proposes to Chi-Chi but holds up to that promise when they’re adults.

Twilight Princess:

Link x Midna (MidLink): You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of getting dunked on. 

Link x Zelda (ZeLink): You are a firm believer in keeping things canon and keeping things wholesome. 

Link x Ilia (IliaLink): You believe that the Hero of Time settled down with Malon.

Midna x Zelda (Midzel): You hypothetically want a girlfriend who can kick your ass but realistically you just want to be bridle carried. Also, you read the manga.

Midna x Zelda x Link (Midzelink): Your solution to a love triangle is ALWAYS polyamory.

Midna x Zant (MidZant): Your AO3 history is about 50% Reylo fanfiction.

Zant x Ganondorf (Zandorf): You definitely got your start in the Star Wars fandom by writing Kylo x Hux slash fic.

Skyward Sword:

Link x Zelda (ZeLink): You have gotten into at least five heated Internet arguments about Skyward Sword being underrated. Also you cried at that ZeLink shot in the Tears of the Kingdom trailer.

Hylia x (Original) Link (Hylink): You cried at that other shot in the Tears of the Kingdom trailer of maybe Link’s metal arm holding maybe Hylia’s arm. Also you read the manga.

Link x Ghirahim (GhiraLink): You are still pissed Ghirahim wasn’t in Smash.

Link x Groose (GroosLink): Your mom told you that that mean boy on the playground pulled your hair because he likes you and you never let go of that.

Zelda x Groose (Zeloose): You are painfully heterosexual. Alternatively, you are Groose.

Breath of the Wild:

Link x Zelda (ZeLink): You are a firm believer in the inherent romanticism of shared trauma and Knight x Princess dynamics.

Link x Mipha (MiphLink): Your ideal relationship dynamic is one-sided, tragic pining. Press F to pay respects.

Link x Paya (PayLink): You just want good things for Paya. And really, who wouldn’t?

Link x Sidon (SidLink): You’re always a slut for beautiful cinnamon rolls, too good for this world, too pure.

Link x Revali (RevaLink): You love the Tumblr meme that’s like “You want to fuck me so bad, it makes you look stupid.” Also, you think people are too mean to Revali.

Zelda x Revali (ZeReval (?)): You are heterosexual.

Urbosa x Zelda’s Mom: You are a strong supporter of two women who are sick of a man’s bullshit.

King Rhoam x Literally Anyone: You think Endeavor deserves a redemption arc.

EDIT: the sequel

#legend of zelda #what your favorite ship says about you #ocarina of time #twilight princess #skyward sword #breath of the wild #zelink

[casiavium]

(tumblr said ask didn't go through so trying again) I know you said you don't like botw ghiralink (which is valid), but i'm curious for your thoughts on HW (not age of calamity) ghiralink?

I used to like it more, but now I just mostly only care about Skyward Sword. I like the story and the characters the best, and I like Link more than Ghirahim. I don't like how interchangeable the different Links are to the fandom. That's not the same guy!! He has his own love interests. HW though, because of the time travel, gets a little more leeway from me because in this case it's more that the other characters already have their own Link they're returning to so they see this one less as a replacement and more as the different person he is.

HW works for angst though, emotionless one night stands and Link knowing he's just a copy of another Link, having met a few of them. Most of the modern AUs I can think of use Hyrule Warriors, and those are fun. I'm writing a hw Link/Ghirahim oneshot rn, Ghirahim broke up with SwS Link and is self-caring in the worst way possible

#ghiralink #<- for blacklist tags mostly #ask #anon #using it as a concept for horror though #for Ghirahim resenting SwS Link making him soft and taking that out on his other lives

[maiz-of-light]

Ugh, I’m in a mood, so…

Here’s some LoZ related things (headcanons, AUs, fan tropes, etc.) that are Banned Here. Read at your own risk.

OOC/humanized Fi.

Fi is an AI-type spirit forged into a weapon for the purpose of guiding her creator’s knight. Her personality is limited to the occasional quip, and she has no feelings. Please keep it that way, and please, don’t ship her with Link. It gives off “lonely man falls in love with Siri” vibes. Gross, and weird.

Ghirahim having any sort of relationship with Fi.

That means romantic GhiraFi, Ghirahim and Fi as siblings, Ghirahim and Fi being two sides to the same sword or any other “forged at the same time” bullshit, Link dual-wielding their swords (master of both at once), and anything else even vaguely resembling any of these things.

Any version of Link being characterized as cruel or sadistic.

It’s one thing to give him a bit of a temper, or even a minuscule or temporary desire for revenge in extreme situations, but chopping off limbs and raping enemies for fun? No.

The Skyward Sword manga.

Just no.

Afab/intersex Ghirahim, especially when y’all knock him up.

Pregnancy and breeding are generally a no-no for me, but this one is especially obnoxious. I have a lot of reasons for it not being my cup of tea, dysphoria being a big one, but I honestly mostly blame the fandom for shoving it in people’s faces and calling us “erasers” when we find it unsettling.

“LinkGhira”

“But, but Maiz! You ship Ghiralink!” Yes, yes I do. I ship Link, the go-with-the-flow, sexually timid twink with the suave, catlike, power-hungry demon lord - not that watered down OOC crap where their canon characterization and power dynamic are completely flipped. Worse than the butchering of the pairing itself tho is probably the fans, again, since y’all are clearly in denial and won’t just admit that the canon compliant depictions are just that. It’s fine if you have preferences, the whole point is that it’s all fiction after all - just don’t fucking lie about it to try and save face.

Linked Universe

While I haven’t experienced it firsthand, I’ve seen and heard horror stories about this fandom. They are positively insufferable. Even if they weren’t, multiple incarnations of Link interacting? It just… the concept isn’t interesting to me. At all.

Midlink

Nothing against it, just… no. Platonic, friendshippy vibes and that is all.

“Power” bottom Ghirahim.

Please stop grasping at straws. Also, see “afab Ghirahim” and “LinkGhira.”

A quick note, there are exceptions to this rule. Some people legitimately do portray bottom!Ghirahim as a force to be reckoned with, but this is very difficult to achieve. Generally, tops have more power and versatility. Stop telling yourself differently.

Hypersexualized Gerudo.

I can’t exactly talk about racism since I am One Pasty Hoe, but I can sure as fuck talk about misogyny. Badass brown-skinned redheads showing off their abs while dominating the desert? Hell yeah! Wearing completely impractical armor obviously designed for the Male Gaze (forgive me if we’re not still calling it that)? C’mon, Nintendo. I thought we were past this. Urbosa deserves better, and so does Riju, who’s twelve.

“Ganondorf is a victim of Demise!”

Guys. Hylia incarnated as Zelda so she could stop this dude from wreaking havoc and destroying life as they know it. Demise incarnates as Ganon, does not possess him but is him, and fucks shit up unnecessarily. If you wanna complain about his “not having agency” then sorry but you’re wrong.

Sexualized OoT (Ocarina of Time) Link.

Getting hot and heavy after he’s aged naturally? Yes please. But after he’s only jumped ahead in time? Even if he’s developed an adult mentality, he’s still a child in many ways. I’m not saying don’t, I’m saying proceed with care, as this still technically qualifies as underage.

Mute Link.

Selectively mute, uses Sign, generally quiet/reserved - all good and well. Characterizing him as completely incapable of using audible speech? Please stop trying so hard.

To be clear, it’s fine if you disagree with any of these things. Just know that you’re not gonna find any of it here, nor do I take kindly to my work being associated with it.

[three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat]

I’m a little bit new; what kind of AUs do you have?

An anon also asked for a briefing, so I'll just do that 👍

There's my links meet au, which is like, fairly standard (I have a blog for it, @golden-chains-au if you want to read more), and shadow wings au, which is about TP, but if the light spirit didn't understand how Hylians worked and gave him wings (and not his arm back).

I've also got a vision au, which is lu but they have visions like in genshin impact (elemental manipulation, basically). It's not very question worthy.

(There's also two wips that I wrote a bunch for and then stopped, those being my ghiralink time loop fic (au because of... reasons) and one entitled "blind!fd!ss!link". I'm mentioning them only because of the absurdly high word count)

#also one where fi and ghirahim are switched but thats barely anything #mb and ladye zelda scream about hats

[rainisfallingwrites]

Links

AO3 (rainisfalling)

Author Website (for original fiction)

A masterlist of my works can be found below the cut.

About the novel:

This is a steamy (18+) supernatural romance novel about a boy named Kelsin who is transformed into an incubus by a mysterious man he met at a bar. Dragged to the world of devils and demons, he must learn to survive by feeding off of others, while deliberating whether an escape attempt is worth the incredible risk. Along the way, he meets a demon named Emory who shares his discontent for their supernatural condition. However, Emory is standoffish around Kelsin after a terrible experience caused him to distrust incubi.

Kelsin explores intimacy with many different characters, men and women alike. However, this story also contains heavy themes such as bodily autonomy and consent, especially in the context of Kelsin battling his hunger as an incubus and Emory healing from trauma he's experienced in the past.

Read chapter 1 here and sign up for my newsletter here!

My fanfics:

Of Soul and Spirit [E]

A year after Demise's defeat, Ghirahim comes out of hiding. Desperately, he wants revenge for the humiliation he endured at Link's hands, and he has a clever plan to change the course of the hero's life permanently. However, even the cleverest of plans are not without their complications.

2. The Compromise [E]

Set after the events of "Of Soul and Spirit." Well, Demise did say "the soul of the hero and the blood of the goddess." That means Link and Zelda need to start a bloodline. Ghirahim won't be happy to hear about this. Unless, of course, he gets to be involved

3. Just Us Three [E]

Their first effort to conceive a child bears no fruit, so Link and Zelda give it another shot. It seems only natural that Ghirahim be involved again. Zelda felt a bit awkward with him before, but this time around, a kind of synergy works itself out.

4. Honey and Venom [E]

Well, what's Zelda supposed to do? They're getting frisky right in front of her, and it's not like she can just ignore them. As it turns out, she has more in common with Ghirahim than she initially thought.

5. Ghiralink Week 2022 [T]

A collection of one-shots inspired by the Ghiralink Week 2022 prompts! Chapter titles are the prompt that particular fic is following. We'll see how many of these I can finish...

6. Stress Reliever [E]

Link doesn't expect to receive help from Ghirahim in his time of need. They get to talking about things. Then, to Link's surprise, the talking turns to something more.

7. Fade and Corrode [E]

Everything was finally as it should be. So why did Link miss the sear of a moblin’s spear across his side, and the unbearable heat of volcanic lava, and the burn in his lungs when trapped meters below the water’s surface? He knew shouldn’t desire these things. He knew it wasn’t healthy.

And since you made this far... just between you and me, this one is also my fic:

So Long as They Fear [E]

Link is captured after an unsuccessful battle with Demise and given to Ghirahim as an unwilling servant. Ghirahim is jaded by the abuse of the Demon King, but Link starts to believe there may be a kind heart under that cunning exterior. If it weren't for Ghirahim's unflinching loyalty to darkness, there might be hope for them both.

Note since I post a lot of E-rated works: Any characters depicted in sexual situations (Link, Zelda, Ghirahim, etc.) are 18+ in the universe of my fanfics. Just in case it needs to be said!

[cherrytea-afterdark]

Hi. I'm not entirely sure how to word this, as words are not exactly my forte. I just wanted to say that your fic "parce: cupit periere" is very good and I'm too much of a coward to comment on it or even say this off of anon. You don't have to reply to this or anything, just know that one particular internet user is going insane over your writing

What I would have commented would be something along the lines of how very poetic it reads as, being more of a moment in time that says more about their dynamic than anything longer could have. Not that making it longer would negate the effect, it would just make it a different one. I went back to the fic to pull quotes, but more lines ended up highlighted than not. It's like the opposite of using innuendo in a fight scene, evocative in a way I wouldn't have guessed from reading only the tags. The latin should have tipped me off, I guess.

Beautiful work, though I'm finding that that particular verdict applies to nearly everything I'm reading as I scroll through your fics. Have a lovely day

this comes at a really funny time considering my friends were just making fun of how I skew the results of any "how often do you think about the roman empire" meme stuff. i've done it to the ghiralink fandom as well. you're going to start leaving romanes eunt domus graffiti in my inbox

that aside thank you!!! I read that poem on accident while looking for other Martial stuff in class and went. ghiralink. and then didn't do anything until I remembered while trying and failing to do whumptober again. it really deserves better tags and to not be tied to a prompt challenge (the general fandom consensus is people don't really seem to like those unfortunately and they get judged just by being associated with the challenge) but like what am I supposed to say. it's smut. not really. but yes it is

anyway not at all what you came here for but given the chance I will infodump unprompted!!

here's the statue historians generally think the poem is based on, the Apollo Sauroctonos. It's a widely copied statue in antiquity so the author would have been familiar with it. It's making fun of Apollo, who is generally seen as a masculine hero, diminishing his heroic defeat of Python (massive evil snake inhabiting the best cave for hearing the future) to him defeating a lizard, as well as placing him in a more feminine position that one would typically see of an Aphrodite. So obviously not a boy, like Apollo is a full man and immortal god/hero, but Martial uses boy to diminish him like the statue does much like Ghirahim calls Link boy and sky child! Because it's not! literal!!! I would have used the right translation because "boy" works well in the context of ghiralink but given the inability of the fandom to critically think about any kind of word choice. hero it is.

There's no fucking way Martial could have ever predicted his work would be used this way (although divine sword/heroic mortal sounds a bit greco-roman-y) but I think he would 100% be up for it considering some of his poetry is straight up PORN. enemies to (not)lovers at that. it's unlikely you'll find any good translations of it online because historically they're all censored and fucked over by old white men, but this man did not discriminate. yuri couple, yaoi couple, regular couple, he saw no difference

#ask #anon #'romanes eunt domus' is grammatically incorrect for romans go home from the life of brian #which I haven't actually seen but they play that scene in just about every latin class ever lol #going to be thinking about this for a while because that was one of my favorites to write but not one that's very. popular ig #compared to other things I have written

[isalisewrites]

I'm curious about #2 and #3. Please tell me about both, or whichever one you like best.

AAAA okay okay. #2. You asked about my BABIES.

But first, #3 is my Ghiralink story in the Breath of the Wild setting. Link finds an ominous sword, Ghirahim, beneath the Forgotten Temple, taking Ghirahim with him because he'd like a sword that doesn't break. This Link is an over thinker and avoids the Divine Beasts because he knows that he failed to save them the first time around. It's kind of based on my own playing style. I love doing shrines first. It's a short story, but a romance between them.

And now #2. This concept came to me in a fever dream, man. I outlined 6 books in two days. I SWEAR I DIDN'T KNOW THORKI WAS A THING BEFORE I WROTE THESE. But DAMMIT my boys give off Thorki vibes and I have no fucking idea why. It's fine. It's fine. *cries softly* Not mad about it, just means I have a plethora of references xD

Anyway, I don't know if this will be six books, but I outlined them without even knowing their names. Only when I started writing the first book did I learn their names.

Zael and Leon.

Opening line:

---

Deep within a vast forest, in a quaint little cottage, lived a wizard who had forgotten his name.

---

Zael is a wizard bound to an area of forest, living alone in his cottage. He's trapped there, unable to leave. Time doesn't move for him either in this little section in the woods. People come and go, asking him to heal them and he does. Now, the following scene is the VERY FIRST thing that came into my head.

---

Zael sat down at the table, sighing deeply. He rested, waiting for his tea to cool, lost in his thoughts. After a while, he tested the warmth, thankful to finally take a long sip of his calming tea. It lifted his spirits. I think I shall just rest today. That is good enough. At peace, Zael brought the mug to his lips once more.

“WIZARD!”

Zael spewed his tea.

The door flung open, smashing against the wall.

“I AM IN NEED OF YOUR ASSISTANCE!”

Zael coughed and spluttered, spraying the table. His heart leapt into his throat; adrenaline rushed through his system. Affronted by the intrusion, he glared. A man stood in the doorway, very tall and rather muscular. His complexion appeared more pale than it should’ve. His dirty blond hair was shaggy, coming to his ears, with a thin, long braid on the left.

“There’s a sign!” snarled Zael. “You’re not to enter my home without permission—are you so inept that you can’t read?” He coughed once more, wincing. “Who barges into someone’s home without so much as a knock?”

The strange man opened his mouth, finger in the air. But no words came out of his mouth and he staggered to the side, hand brushing against the wall. He choked and blood painted his lips. His breathing was labored, his movement increasingly unsteady. Then, with one more breath, the man’s light blue eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the floor with a thunderous thud.

---

It was a delight to meet Leon in my head. He literally exploded to life there and I love it so much. It's a sweet, sweet romance between them as Leon keeps visiting Zael to be healed again and again. As part of my own need to grow and stop being uncomfortable about sex, I wrote my very first sex scene with these two. They're my first. They have my heart. There are so many beautiful scenes to chose from with them, but I'll go with this.

---

“Thank you,” murmured Leon.

Zael hesitated, before he patted Leon lightly on the shoulder. He grabbed the pillow and slowly removed himself from the bed, helping Leon lie back against the pillow. As Zael turned away, a strong hand grabbed his left hand.

“What happened?” asked Leon, his voice a bit strangled as he stared. “Your hand, what happened?”

“Nothing to worry about,” said Zael, trying to pull it away from Leon’s grip. But Leon held all the more tighter and Zael went limp in his grasp. “Leon… It’s fine now.”

“But it wasn’t.”

“No.”

“Tell me,” whispered Leon, his eyes beseeching. “Tell me, please.”

Who was he to deny such a plea?

“You know I am bound to this place,” said Zael in a low voice. “There is a barrier that I cannot cross. And you… you lay dying outside of the barrier, just barely out of reach.”

Leon’s eyes widened.

Zael couldn’t look at him. His eyes shifted downward, his chest expanding in a deep breath.

“I pushed my hand through the barrier to get to you,” whispered Zael. “By the time I managed to grab you and pull you through…” His voice tapered off. He didn’t care about his hand. It was healed mostly now. Recovery was on the horizon and he’d have to baby it for a bit, but it would be fine. Any more details of what happened and Leon would feel bad, obligated even.

Zael hadn’t healed him for payment.

He’d healed him because he couldn’t bear the thought of him dying.

Leon lightly tugged. Zael’s eyes trailed upwards, meeting those tender, entreating eyes. Zael sat down on the edge of the bed, near and close, leaning over his form slightly. Leon still held his hand.

“What did the barrier do to your hand?” asked Leon softly.

Zael stared into his eyes and he found himself saying, “It burnt through much of the flesh, until bone showed.”

Leon closed his eyes, visibly pained.

“You were dying,” said Zael, trying to justify it, hating that expression for some unknown reason. “There was no other choice. I’m a… I’m a healer and my hand is healed. It’s over and done with.”

A thumb stroked his knuckles. “Doesn’t it still hurt?” Leon asked.

Zael inhaled greedily. “I’m fine.”

With slow, deliberate gentleness, Leon brought the hand to his lips and kissed the side of his small finger. Zael forgot to breathe. Those chapped lips trailed against Zael’s knuckles, parting once to kiss the back of his hand. With excruciating slowness, Leon turned his hand over, his lips never once leaving skin. Zael’s fingers brushed against the stubble on his chin.

Those light blue eyes, now filled with a piercing light, locked gazes with Zael. “Is this okay?” Leon whispered, breath heating skin.

Zael nodded. “Yes,” he rasped out.

The kiss against the palm of his hand sent butterflies to swoop within Zael’s stomach. They landed lower, fluttering madly with a heat hotter than a roaring fire.

“This hand saved me,” whispered Leon. Another press, another kiss. Lips parted, tasting. The butterflies grew wild. “You saved me, Zael. Thank you.”

His eyes slipped closed, his lips never leaving Zael’s skin, his fingers curled around Zael’s fingers. His hand turned again. Lips parted once more, teeth scraping, warm tongue branding: the kiss on the back of his hand heated Zael’s core.

Leon breathed deeply, eyes still closed. And then strength slipped away as sleep claimed him. Zael sat there, until his lungs expanded suddenly and he gasped softly for breath. He covered his mouth with his other hand to muffle his voice. Carefully, he extracted himself out of Leon’s grasp, a sudden coldness casting over his skin, and stood up, staying long enough to draw the blankets over Leon’s chest.

Zael fled.

He shut the front door behind himself as quietly as possible and tore into the forest that lay beyond the homestead, his legs pumping beneath him. He ran and ran, bursting through the trees and the brush. He came to an abrupt stop, dropping to his knees, and collapsing over a fallen tree log. Hunched over, bark digging into his stomach, Zael gasped for breath, chest heaving.

He could still feel those lips on his hand.

This means something.

It means something.

What it was—Zael squeezed his eyes shut, chest twisting painfully. He put a hand to his heart, fingers digging into his tunic, heart pounding wildly there. He trembled.

There was no running from this. He couldn’t escape. There was no pushing Leon away. He could be the ultimate of cowards and hide in the forest, but how ridiculous that would be. Zael had to face what this meant, how he felt deep within his heart, and how Leon felt about him. And if there was anything to be understood by the reaction his body was giving him now…

Damn it.

Zael pushed himself up, flopping onto his back, rocks and branches digging into him. He didn’t bother moving. He stared up through the canopy of trees, little rays of sunshine shining through the leaves. Birds chirped above him. 

He’d fallen for Leon.

Perhaps from the beginning, in a way, he’d had fallen for him, for the brash hero who wasn’t dissuaded by Zael’s sour, cranky attitude. He never ran away from Zael, even when he’d been downright rude to him. He always came back with stories, kind words, and even a gift or two.

He’d known about Zael past and came back regardless.

Leon had become a light in the monotony, a ray of hope with his bright nature and enthralling stories. His winks, his smiles, his kindness - they had all melted his heart.

I don’t want him to leave.

But…

He always leaves. He can’t stay. He’s an adventurer, a hero to other towns and cities.

My time is limited with him.

The tears burned against his cheeks with cruel sorrow as the birds chirped their cheerful song.

#mywriting #wild child #ghiralink #ghirahim #both link #original work #Zael/Leon #the wizard and the hero

[skyview-temple-spring]

Title: Damage Control (originally called by the prompt title Please...) Rating: T Pairings: Ghiralink and Ghiralink only (though past Zelink is fine too) Warnings: Implied Character Death, Mild Body Horror Summary: Canon Divergent Dark! Link AU (but not really)

"It's just a precaution. A safety measure. I'm sure you understand."

He does. He agreed, after all. It was a condition of joining, a fail safe to make sure he wasn't a double agent. (Even if he is. If he can go through with it.) Ghirahim's idea, one he had been lucky to convince the demon king would work. Link nods slowly, stiffly, back straight and hands folded in his lap. He's not going to back out now.

"Besides, think of the power you'll have! Near immortality, invulnerability, increased strength, and you don't even have to lift a finger!"

It is very appealing. He wants it, really. He's still scared, of course, still terrified of his own actions and unsure if he's made the right choice.

"It won't hurt too much. I promise. You'll survive. It will be wonderful." Ghirahim steps closer, taking Link's head into his hands. Link doesn't flinch, doesn't move, doesn't acknowledge Ghirahim's presence, even when a kiss is pressed to his head.

You were late, hero.

You were late, and you failed her.

In the end, it was the best decision for everyone. Zelda was no longer counting on him, after all. He wasn't giving them false hope. This way, maybe he had a chance at some sort of damage control.

Ghirahim sighs, brushing his fingers through Link's hair. Another reassurance is on the tip of his tongue, Link can tell, but his motions still. Looking back to the door, he rests a hand on Link's shoulder.

"It's time."

His heart couldn't be beating faster, his nerves strung any tighter. Not that it will be a problem soon. Ghirahim takes his hand, guides him to his feet, and kisses him again.

"I'm so proud of you, darling. You won't regret this."

It's as if he's outside of his body as they make their way down the hall. It's not him anymore, not Link as Ghirahim guides the ex-hero through the castle, twisting down, down, down dark hallways until the soft light of the moon is no more, the torches snuffed out as the demon passes by. Link shivers in the cold, and reminds himself that won't be a problem anymore, either.

"We're here, dear."

Ghirahim pushes open a foreboding door, the intricate patterns springing to life with a red glow. It means nothing to him.

Link walks ahead, as if marching towards his own death, and for all intents and purposes, he is. The boy from Skyloft is long gone. The hero is no more.

The chamber is dark. Demise is waiting for them, new sword in hand. Distantly, Link recognizes that as his future form, the vessel his soul will be trapped in for the rest of eternity.

Ghirahim is behind him again, coaxing him forward towards a stone table, glowing with the same red runes as the door. The whole room is alight with this magic, shadows dancing across the ceiling and walls as the glow flickers like flames.

The sword spirit's hands are light on his sides. Ghirahim had been unusually kind to him, after he came, broken down, to his doorstep, begging for a way out. He had been gentle, soft, even, caring for him as he sobbed and shook, pleading and admitting he was in over his head. He had kissed him for the first time that night, sealing the pact and trapping Link in his web.

He didn't mind Link's distant attitude after, long bouts of motionless silence followed by a hunger for attention, needy pleas and cries for affection. He gave it willingly in return for roughness, bruises and cuts and marks that Link didn't mind.

It was his idea, in the end. To become a sword spirit.

Ghirahim helped forge the sword, choosing from blades and hilts like they were wedding dresses not weapons, a special occasion he should be happy about, and it had to be perfect.

But for Link, this was an execution. A sacrifice. A rebirth.

Ghirahim presses another kiss to his neck before beginning his ceremonial spiel, presenting Link as a willing participant to his master, bowing and groveling and flattering the demon king with all he had, trying to keep him appeased and calm. Demise couldn't care less.

Link waits patiently for Ghirahim to finish, absently wondering if he will pass out early and not have to feel it for long. He never had a high pain tolerance.

Finishing his monologue, Ghirahim catches Link off guard with a push forward, sending him scrambling to catch his balance. The spirit's finger's slip underneath Link's shirt, snapping him from his dissociative thoughts.

"Hey! You never said anything about...." Link gasps, tucking his arms in on himself until Ghirahim swats them away.

"You'll be stuck with them forever if you don't take them off—stop fussing."

He protests still, whatever is left of his “unbreakable spirit” choosing to rear its head now, of all times. Ghirahim sighs, and lets go.

"You don't want to end up like your spirit, do you?"

Honestly, he wouldn't mind. No emotions means no emotional pain, no anger or sadness or frustration. It’s a possibility he will accept. 

Link mutters his indifference, quivering as Ghirahim scoops him into his arms.

"It'll be over before you know it. Stop struggling." Ghirahim coos, laying Link down on the cold slab. His hand drifts over his chest, where in a few hours time, a gem will appear.

Link's breathing speeds up. He is feeling the onset of panic, having second thoughts that maybe this isn't the only option, maybe he should have tried to fight harder. Words he doesn't understand invade his ears, motions that are a blur to his frantic mind pass by, his heart is pounding in his chest, blood roaring in his ears as black spots dance across his vision and—

Everything stops. All he focuses on is the blade held high above his chest, pointed down and ready to strike.

"Wait—!"

It's too late. Link screams as it plunges into the place a gem will form, excruciating pain spreading from the wound, burning away at his skin, magic eating at his core and changing his very being. It hurts, it hurts more than he can take, it is worse than death.

"Stop! Please!" He cries, but the blade only seems to burrow in farther. Ghirahim is by his side, stroking his hair as he sobs and writhes in the torture, whispering praises and reassurances.

"You're doing so well, Link. Let it happen. Let it go. It's almost over. I can already see your core forming, isn't that wonderful? It's almost done. You made the right choice."

"No! Get it out! Hylia, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, please, goddess, forgive me!"

He cries helplessly, knowing he will be ignored. He had agreed to this. He told them to do it. He can't stop now.

Link pants harder, struggling for each breath. It feels as if his lungs are solidifying, everything in his body shutting down and stopping, ceasing functions he needs to live. His blood is turning to molten lava, his eyes are glazing over.

As it goes on, he feels more numb. Maybe he is dying, maybe this is the end. This is his punishment. Maybe it won't work, maybe he'll wake up in his bed on Skyloft and it will have all been a nightmare. But as his limbs grow heavy, his eyes feel hard to keep open, and his mind grows empty with a desire to serve, Link focuses on Ghirahim's smile, his whispers meant only for him.

By the time it is over, Link can't feel anything. He can't move, frozen in place, nearly blind and deaf. He feels nothing, not even his heart beating.

The sword is drawn from his chest, clean of any blood.

"No more...."

And no more comes.

---

When he awakes, he is still on the stone slab, but the room is brighter. Fire light illuminates the dark figure at his side, kneeling with head resting on crossed arms upon the table.

"Oh! You're awake!" The demon snaps up, grabbing onto his hand. Link turns his head to see black against green, a shimmering diamond pattern synching up with each other's hand.

"See? It wasn't that bad, was it?"

It had been. It had been so much worse than he imagined, but it was over now, at least. Shifting his head back, he lets it rest on the stone, becoming aware of how everything felt.

He can still feel, emotionally and physically, which is a surprise. He is stiff, like rock, and his chest is sore. It's a different kind of feeling, not one he is used to, and he feels as if he is lacking something, desperate for a missing piece.

Ghirahim smiles down at him, gently stroking his hand. His gaze washes over his body, something akin to pity filling his empty white eyes.

"You're really very pretty, Link—an emerald sort of green. Green and gold, and your gem is gorgeous. Like the sky."

Link only nods. It hurts. Everything hurts. He makes to sit up, but cries out as his limbs crack, creaking like a rusty gear. Ghirahim rushes to press a hand behind his back, helping as Link swings his legs off the table.

"Oh, careful, careful, not so fast! It's difficult to get used to, yes, but before you know it you'll understand. And this!" Ghirahim brushes over his new gem, Link wincing at the touch, "You'll love this! It's so sensitive, wait until our Master first pulls your sword from it, or it heals so that soon," He smiles down at Link, taking his befuddled face into his hands. “soon enough, I'll teach you to shift forms. Not now, don't even try now. You need rest, to heal."

Ghirahim helps him stand, Link wobbly as he holds on for dear life. The other spirit laughs gently at his struggle, sighing when Link glances forlornly towards the exit.

"I expect you're feeling lost. I was too when I woke up, but Master was there for me. Unfortunately, he had matters to attend to, but I can take you to him now. The ache will dull, eventually, and you'll be able to stray further with only a weak bond, but for now, you yearn, don't you? You simply ache with the need to serve? To be used?"

Link nods, finally putting words to what he feels. It is like... like he has a purpose, one purpose, one goal now. All that matters is finding it.

That, and the spirit he is clinging to. Ghirahim seems to feel the same.

"Come now," The sword coos, taking Link's arm with his own, "It's time I introduce you to our Master."

#this has been edited a little bit #when I do finish this I'm posting it as two different stories. one E rated so I can go ham and one T with no ships for my sfw only account #and they may have different endings #my writing #ghiralink #skyward sword #ghirahim #link #one more time: this is ghiralink only #this is not s v*rse this is not s v*rse this is not s v*rse this is not-- #one AU ruined any possibilities for good dark! SS Link #don't talk to me i'm mad again. if I see ANY of y'all bringing that back in 2021 #tw body horror #body horror #cw body horror #I mean. he turns into metal #edit: I KNOW they're ooc I'm sorry. i can't fucking write Ghirahim I'm insecure about it stop telling me ;-;

[scrawnytreedemon]

ghirahim and the sexy guy with all the limbs?? love to know what they'd think of each other, from what I've seen you say about the leg guy

GOD very late thanks to a variety of hangups, but let's gOOOOOOOOO!!!

I'm presuming, ofc, this is about ~Godrick~ (wow~ guy obsessed with arms and guy obsessed with limbs teaming up??? no way~ <333)

To get the most likely (and boring) possibility out of the way, I think if Ghirahim were to ever be dropped in the Lands Between, after little preperation he'd make a beeline for Godrick and gank him instantly, taking his Rune-- He'd probably insult him to shit, too, calling him a 'hapless whelp' or 'grotesque patchwork' or some shit.

(Ow, dude.)

Now with that outta the way, let's assume Ghirahim has to work with him. The best way to do this is to take a page out of 80% of postgame Ghiralink fics, and, say it with me folks! Have it so that in order to sustain himself, Ghirahim must take Godrick as master.

In this scenario, having heard of his horrid misdeeds and how everybody fucking loathes him, Ghirahim determines that within the local area, this guy's his best bet.

This is... extremely hilarious, and sad, in a number of ways.

Godrick is a guy who, having grown up incredibly weak, sought power. He's twisted himself into something almost irrecognisably inhuman, but has done so in a way that is just... extremely inefficient. There is a fucking reason most of his extra arms are grafted to his back; much as I bemoan the even further batshit boss-potential, it's clearly intended to show that, despite the resources at hand, Godrick still manages to fuck up and make a waste of all this brutality. Even the Grafted Scions, which look like the epitomy of every overgrown amateur-project we've all unwittingly roped ourselves into one way or another, are arguably far more efficient at what they do.

That fucking sword would be a boon to him; one Ghirahim realises quickly he struggles to handle.

Godrick is also a... questionable leader(something Ghirahim is all too familiar with himself). While Stormveil's troops continue to patrol Limgrave, it's also very clear the fortress' influence is weakened. So not only is Ghirahim tasked with the usual magic and reconnaissance duties, but also leadership; acting as an advisor for things he, quite frankly, did not anticipate. There's also the fact that in more civil matters, for all his constructed-decorum... Ghirahim was a wartime leader; and a brutal one, at that.

The result would be that while Stormveil's military endeavours would vastly improve, the civil sector would continue to flounder. Infact, under Ghirahim's iron-fist, the situation could worsen; I don't think it'd take long at all to find him completely loathed, and if this were to go on long enough, in a way that might get people to almost yearn for pre-Ghirahim Limgrave.

On the topic of military enhancements, Ghirahim is shown multiple times throughout Skyward Sword animating lifeless matter. This combined with grafting would lead to some incredible feats of batshit engineering. I think solely-grafting would still have its place, but under the new model they'd be able to construct sentries out of much hardier substances - Possibly using the grafting as a base, or continuing to build with it. I think that the stability of Godrick's resources and Ghirahim's discipline would mesh well in this regard.

That being said... let's talk about the more personal aspects.

I think Ghirahim would begin to regret his decision very soon; it would come to pass that Godrick, all things considered, is one of the weaker ills of this land. Even still, Ghirahim has bound himself; until death do us part, that kinda shit. His investment in Stormveil would at once be a source of extreme stress and utter pride; having someone who trusts his word, whom he can rely on to provide resources which he can use to further strengthen their predicament; perhaps there's even a hope that, through his sheer will, he can make Godrick into a truly formidable foe: someone capable of controlling Limgrave, and even creeping beyond. I could see Godrick being a far looser master, someone who depends on his agency instead of leasing it only in times of utter loss.

As for his more personal sentiments regarding Godrick... We'll get to that.

Godrick, on the other hand, is intensely admiring; Ghirahim is a being, a contraption the likes of which he, and possibly the Lands Between as a whole have never seen. He is brutally efficient, with a sculpting sublime to suit. Honestly, if it weren't for their wholly incompatible biologies as interdimensional beings and Ghirahim's efficiency as a standalone agent through their bond, he'd graft him on, I'm sure.

To draw a more ingame parallel, think about how Godrick's utter awe over the dragon corpse his men brought for him; the way he mutters, croons, awes-and-ahhs over it; how he admires its rarity; its strength; its beauty.

Now imagine that took on a more personal context.

Yeah.

Godrick admires, but he also objectifies; ultimately, he cuts off his own left arm and slips the stump into the dragon's decaptitated neck-- And in a sense, here, in this little AU, what is Ghirahim other than Godrick's very own hand? Right or left needn't matter; he's flesh to him, an extension, if only wrent by the incompatibility of their bodies.

I've talked before, building off of ideas presented by those like Golvio, how Ghirahim's boasting, his self-admiration, isn't even wholly for himself. It's about this utility; how efficient he is; how beautiful he is for it; and like...

How do you think that'd be coloured, when he realises Godrick is doing the same, but from the outside?

Like, he should be happy, right? It's admiration, admiration for his efficiency; a sign he's doing what he does right; that he's important; wanted; needed.

But he doesn't feel happy.

How could he be, when Godrick is just... so repulsive. This bitter, cackling, failure of a man who's had to build himself off of the bodies of countless others; the runt of his litter, desperately clawing himself up by any means possible.

(Ghirahim has to wonder if that's what he looks like, too - But not for long. No, never.)

And you know... I have to wonder, would Godrick's obsession take on a more affectionate light? A more romantic one, even. Seeing Ghirahim as this thing that completes him; his domain; the ultimate graft... Why not make that marriage literal?

Why not take Ghirahim as consort?

And Ghirahim holds off; hums, hahs, busies himself, plays coy, delays; pretends he doesn't know what it means, when Godrick leans against the wall of his study like that, all clumsy, towering bulk, and croons to him in a voice of shrill-gravel flowering affection; that when he brings him actual flowers, branching, muti-headed, thickly-petaled things of red and gold and white, that it's merely as thanks for all he does; all he continues to do, for him.

Because they're bound; because Ghirahim couldn't wait, and search for another; commit himself to the studies of Raya Lucaria, or offer himself up to the Luminary Mohg, the upstart of a dynasty that reminds him painfully of his own; of his maker's; his master's.

To death shall we part,

And he has to wonder, does it even make a difference? Whether they're married or not? He's sworn to him... why can't Godrick be happy with just that.

But he knows.

He knows all too well.

Godrick is lonely, and he is beautiful; Godrick is lonely, hungry, and Ghirahim is what will fill the hole; Godrick is an ailing apple-tree, and Ghirahim is the perfect graft of sweet-sour cherry.

And how they'll blossom; how they'll bloom. The sweetness and the stench, all mingling in the musty Limgrave air.

He wonders if whatever's gripped Godrick will grip him too; if it's not just weakness, but sickness; if to stay is to rot, and become something less.

Perhaps Ghirahim runs. Perhaps Ghirahim stays.

Perhaps before he's ever able to make the choice, a Tarnished, bright and foul, will come gallavanting into Stormveil despite all he's done to armour it, and solve it for him.

The flowers dry in his scrapbook.

He doesn't know if this is loss.

If despite it all, he wants it back.

Onwards he goes; perhaps he'll find something better for himself.

~~~

WOW HOLY S H IT that ended up being alot more than I anticipated. Thank you, Cesium, as always, for being a generous contributor! The things you put forth, I swear... *mwuah~*

#ghirahim #godrick the grafted #skyward sword #elden ring #fromsoft #ask game #scrawny rambles #scrawny answers #my analysis #meta #HERE WE GOOOOOOOOO BABY!! #another thing i want to note more in full here #is how ghirahim and godrick are both creative intelligent people #who fall short of their full potential due to personal failings #ghirahim's being his attempt at chivalry and tendency to underestimate #and godrick's being his... jesus fucking christ i don't know #what gets a guy to implement his ONE perfect solution like THAT??? #megalomania? #again this is assuming that godrick either invented or heavily built upon the method of grafting #and like... i could see ghirahim admiring him for that on a more distant level #but again it's so tangled up with his rancid character flaws that they overshadow it #meanwhile godrick's so tangled up WITHIN that megalomania that ghirahim only serves to embolden #that he can't help but fall straight(haha) into obsessive infatuation #in other words... I'VE DONE IT AGAIN FOLKS!! #i've created yet another horribly one-sided mutually-codependent pseudo-relationship! #i'm so smarf~ #<333 #ghjjkfghdjkh snkkkkkkk #sst - [fic] #spinning straw thread

[ghirahimbo]

"2. Suddenly pulling them in for a dance." - Ghiralink, perhaps? (Sorry incase that's not really your thing anymore! Feel free to pick another ship <3)

Yeah… yeah, that’s still my thing T-T lol, thanks for the prompt! This one was fun 😊

Post-canon, vague master/sword AU, ghiralink-ish

—

The spirit maiden danced with a grace befitting her divine origins, little though Ghirahim liked to admit it. Moving so lightly through the lively steps that her feet might have been floating, he could almost believe that she still bore Hylia's feathered wings on her back, tucked somewhere outside of physical sight. Link danced like a log in comparison—though on second appraisal, Ghirahim had to give him more credit than that. The boy wasn't stomping on Zelda’s toes, after all, unlike Fledge dancing nearby with poor Karane. Link's style consisted of accuracy without artistry, though with enough enthusiasm to almost make up for it. How odd that all his light-footedness seemed reserved for the more violent dance of swords, where he moved nimbly enough to keep even Ghirahim on his toes… a nod to his true calling, perhaps?

Privately savoring the notion, Ghirahim lounged against the wall of a newly erected building, only half noticing the wary looks he received as he watched the festivities unfold. These Skyloftians-turned-surface dwellers still feared him, despite the months he had served already as their hero's sword—a primal fear, perhaps, unless that fool Groose had secretly run off at the mouth. Link and Zelda had agreed from the start that certain aspects of Ghirahim’s past were best kept hidden, his previous master and role in Zelda’s disappearance highest among them. He had certainly not done anything overtly threatening to the residents of this tiny, budding village—and yet, they feared him.

The whole situation fell well beneath his notice, though he’d caught Link frowning over it more than once. Link was frowning at him now, Ghirahim realized, directing it over Zelda’s shoulder as they turned in sync, and he met it with a scornful expression of his own. What had Link expected him to do here tonight? Mingle?

The music finally paused as the lively song wound to its end, prompting the dancing couples to bow and switch partners (in Karane’s case with remarkable alacrity). Link leaned in towards Zelda, whispering something in her ear before vanishing into the milling throng, and Ghirahim half raised an eyebrow. Likely he'd just gone for more food, though Link might have finally tired of this tedious celebration. Compared to the more demonic gatherings Ghirahim knew, this less raucous human affair contained a disappointing (if expected) lack of bloodshed—though of course, those had often erupted haphazardly in the throes of battles won. Not like this one, which commemorated nothing more than the laboriously slow growth of food and its eventual harvest.

Another song started up, slower than the last but no less cheerful. Fledge had moved on to his next victim, some girl in a bandana and horrifically flared pants whose name Ghirahim had never bothered to learn. Zelda had produced a harp, wandering to join the musicians with plucked out harmonies that flowed from her fingers with ease, and Link…

Ghirahim frowned when Link’s bobbing green hat still had not emerged among the dancers. The food tables remained conspicuously absent of green, as well. If Link thought he could escape on his own while leaving Ghirahim here waiting—

A hand grabbed his arm, pulling him from his perch by the wall, and if he hadn’t had that hand memorized from the hundreds of times it had gripped his hilt, Ghirahim might have expressed his surprise in regrettably drastic fashion. Instead he let it pull him through the crowd until they reached their apparent destination, and it slid down his arm to grasp his own blackened hand, while another reached up to rest lightly on his shoulder.

Ghirahim blinked. Link smiled blandly up at him.

"Care to dance?" he asked, a bit too late for etiquette's sake considering that the dance had already started. Link's cheeks shone pink from the exertion of tromping around with Zelda, and his messy hair, mercifully absent the hat that always covered it, felt deceitful in how easily it had disguised his presence. Sweat clung to the base of those dark blonde locks—the reason for the hat's removal?

Ghirahim's legs moved automatically through the simple steps as he considered his young master, who made a brave attempt at leading with that unfortunate portion of his usual grace.

"Presumptive of you," he murmured, just loud enough to be heard over the din of laughter and music. "Any particular motive for such impertinence?"

Link had the nerve to look confused.

"You like to dance," he said, as if that was answer enough. Perhaps it was. Link wore his cheerful naiveté like a cloak sometimes, and even Ghirahim couldn't always sort out how much of it was real, and how much artifice. "Someone had to ask you?"

The hint of a question?

A number of potential reactions ran through Ghirahim's mind, considered and discarded in quick succession. He could extract himself easily enough, leaving Link clutching nothing but vanishing diamonds. He could also stand stubbornly still, refuse to dance, and let Link discover just how easily he could drag around a sword that didn't want to move. He could reject Link quietly—dramatically—at knifepoint, even—but…

A quick glance around revealed their audience. Though most had the sense not to stare openly, nearly every couple surrounding them shared the same nervous, almost scandalized smile, as if they feared the consequence of making their amusement too obvious. The spirit maiden in particular watched him closely, keeping a pointed eye on him over her harp though her lips shared the same bland smile as Link.

There would be no consequence, of course—Ghirahim wouldn't risk this precarious arrangement with Link simply to save face in front of some humans—yet neither could he let anyone think him scared off by something as innocuous as an invitation to dance. The steps themselves were straightforward enough, easily gleaned through his brief time spent observing… and as Link had pointed out, he did enjoy it.

His lips curved into a grin.

"I accept your request," Ghirahim said, and the moment Link started to relax, added, "but I will not be led."

Link's eyes barely had the chance to widen before Ghirahim spun him around, reversing the position of their hands.

Backpedaling to match Ghirahim's smooth advance, Link's startled face swiveled between watching Ghirahim and his own two feet in a desperate attempt to avoid being trampled. Lack of practice in this secondary role made him even less sure of his steps than before, though Ghirahim managed to steer them without incident through the greater pattern of dancing couples, humming in amusement as Link fought with surprise against an unexpected dip backwards.

"Come now, Link, have I ever allowed you to wield me with so little poise?" he hissed, the tip of his tongue whipping out mockingly as he raised Link back up. "If you favor only my sword with your attempts at finesse, I will begin to be jealous of myself."

Face red now from more than mere exertion, Link opened his mouth as if to protest—and closed it again, his lips forming a thin line of determination. An abrupt change swept over him, as drastic as if a switch had been pressed, and his stance shifted along with his center of gravity. Back straight with just a hint of fluidity, eyes blazing with the same defiance that had caught Ghirahim’s interest from the very start, Link danced, the superior reflexes he showed in battle at last made manifest.

Ghirahim's own eyes glowed. So Link had finally remembered that he held a sword.

"You've been holding out on me," he whispered, uncertain if Link could hear him or not. Experimentally, he directed Link with a light hint of pressure through a gliding spin, and found him as responsive an opponent as ever. "I should punish you for that."

Except that Link had held out on the spirit maiden first, and only for Ghirahim revealed his true potential. There was a pattern to that, he decided, glancing once more at Zelda and relishing in her look of surprise. Her chosen hero could never have defeated Demise without trying himself again and again on Ghirahim's sword first, and he hoped at times that his necessity haunted her.

The music picked up in pace and volume, the steps coming quick and intense. Link said nothing—he never did in the midst of battle, as silent as stone and just as unyielding—but perspiration broke out in beads along his face, trailing down the edge of his jaw. His hair swept and stuck in strange patterns across his forehead, disheveled but not wholly unappealing. Link might still have lacked a certain flair to his movements, too direct and to the point for Ghirahim's taste… but style could be taught. Idly, Ghirahim considered other dances he might teach this man if he was amenable, of perhaps less wholesome origins—dances whose quick, subtle movements pushed the bounds of even his own abilities, requiring strength in muscles Link likely didn't know existed. What was a dance without challenge, after all… without something a little more physical?

For now they moved through this tamer dance of Hylia's people, both withdrawing and rejoining as the pattern of steps demanded. The outer world fell away as their attention narrowed in on small details—the clash of eyes and brush of skin—blue on black and flushed tan on cool, steely gray—

And the music ended in a moment of silence that rang out unexpectedly. Laughing chatter burst to life, as abrupt as it was unwelcome, and the spell between them broke. Panting, looking slightly dazed, Link gave Ghirahim a bow that he returned with almost his usual smoothness, convincing himself that he had not been nearly so affected.

"Satisfied?" he asked softly, with the hint of a smirk—and was taken aback by the positively sly look Link gave him in response.

“Well…”

Brushing his hands together and placing them on his hips, Link gave a show of looking around meaningfully, and only then did Ghirahim realize how the tenor of the voices surrounding them had changed. Those glances sent his way felt more curious now than wary, and the bubble of instinctive fear surrounding him had all but vanished—his presence made human in their eyes at last by his part in the harvest dance.

"It's a start," Link decided, wiping sweat from his brow and settling his pointed green hat at a jaunty angle on his head. "I’m done dancing for the night, but you keep going if you want. You looked like you were having fun.”

With a wink, he turned to leave, and Ghirahim couldn't help but admire his exit. Link really was as conniving as any demon he’d ever met at times, though to completely different ends.

A nervous cough caught his attention, and he glanced down to see Fledge looking up at him anxiously. From the flurry of motion around them, it was time to switch partners for the next dance.

“U-um,” he managed to squeak out. His face, torn between pale white and deep red, had settled on both in splotches. “Everyone else is, so do you… I mean, are we supposed t-to…?”

Ghirahim snapped, leaving Fledge gaping at vanishing diamonds, and as he left caught the edges of Link's laughter. Conniving indeed, he thought, though at least in that as in so much else they were equally matched.

#writing prompts #ghiralink #ghirahim #my writing #I’ll probably post this to ao3 some time tonight

[jcmorrigan]

Link

Twilight Princess Link is the one I know best but Skyward/Toon might blend in here

1: sexuality headcanon - BABY BI BI BI. Look, I just get the vibes that in TP, the people he finds just drop-dead gorgeous are Ilia, Zelda, Midna, and Shad. (I'm not gonna do my essay on why ShadLink is a super emotional and fun side ship but rest assured I have one.) I don't really care about BOTW but I hear that he has a crush on a big fish man and good for him. It's what he deserves. Skyward Link is probably in a state of "OH NO HE'S HOT" about Ghirahim's flirting, like "This man wants to kill me, why am I staring at the biceps when he does the dramatic poses, please brain not this man." But! Girls! Oh my God women are so beautiful to him! Midna was an AWAKENING. I'm not big on Zelink (except weirdly in Minish Cap) but I can see how it flavors canon. And Skyward? I, uh...I like Link/Peatrice. I know it's a whole "test of honesty" sidequest but I like to think that if you choose to confess to her, it's because Link DOES mean it, because she's always waiting for him when he has items to check and he probably can't help but tell her about some of his adventures when he does and then oh no she's too cute when she does the happy dance and Link has a weak heart that gets crushes way too easily. Link goes around his daily life like "The boys are pretty. The girls are pretty." And I don't know of a character we can canonically call nonbinary (except maybe Link himself?) but I'm SURE he would also find enbies also too pretty. And no, I don't see him as a horny perv type. Link is a BLUSHING AWKWARD MESS who tries to sweep all his crushes off their goddamn FEET so he can spend quality time with them.

2: otp - I don't know anymore for TP Link because I juuuuuust broke up my longtime love of MidLink (listen...the cinematic parallels between Midna and Lailah Zestiria were too strong, and now MidLailah is a thing and oops, Midna is ALSO bi as fuck) and I just said ShadLink was lovely but I also have nostalgia for Ashei/Shad so Iunno. But Skyward Link definitely is destined for PEATRICE. Listen, the dynamic of "chosen one hero who goes on the adventure x the one shopkeeper you have to meet up with basically every time you set out for a mission" SPEAKS TO ME, OKAY?

3: brotp - Midna. Zelda. Linebeck. Ashei. Agitha. Colin.

4: notp - There's not really any one ship I haaaaate for him. Even GanonLink could be fun if you do it right. I'm not a fan of the way most people play GhiraLink admittedly - you do you, but I always feel like Ghirahim needs somebody more VICIOUS to match his evil energy (I feel very strongly about villain4villain ships). But it's not BAD and it has some basis in canon subtextual dialogue. I guess the only ship that would gross me out upon sight is if you put him with Epona in a scenario where Epona did not gain human-level communication abilities.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head - I just like to think that after the events of Twilight Princess, Link realized that he loved the thrill of the journey more than he did just kicking around home, and though he does still have a permanent house in Ordon where he grew up, he will also take any excuse for a ROAD TRIP ADVENTURE.

6: one way in which I relate to this character - Taking the weight of the world upon our shoulders.

7: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character - Sumo Link in the iron boots. Because I would become an embarrassed mess if I had to wear that little fabric and so then I of course have to imagine wearing that little fabric and become an embarrassed mess just thinking about it. He is a braver person than I.

8: cinnamon roll or problematic fave? - CINNAMON ROLL

#link #legend of zelda

[thespeedofmeme]

Have you been into ghiralink for long? Any fav stuff?

I've been into it for a few years now... probably since HW though only because I missed the original hype train. But I'm only now coming forward on Tumblr. I don't really use Tumblr. I never liked the format of "blogging." I'm only forcing myself now because I want to meet the Ghiralink community.

I mostly RP it because I get lost on Fanfiction/AO3 trying to find the stuff I want... but I do have a few artists I really liked. A few on Twitter I follow who still post. AUs tend to be where I get the most mileage. "Ghirahim in BoTW" type stuff and other "what-ifs." My favorite thing from these past 12 months has been a comic where BoTW Link uses magnesis on Ghirahim. I'd link it but the artist privated their Twitter and I'm not sure they'd want me sharing their Pixiv on Tumblr.  

I have seen/have made a lot of headcanons/theories. Especially ones surrounding Ghirahim. I tend to like content that involves sword spirit physiology. I've seen stuff where people write Chocohim's weak point as extremely sensitive and I-- //////I like stuff that paints the relationship as "rocky, but they eventually discover how to work as a team." They have a lot of differences that may seem to set them a part but I can also see many things that would change their dynamic if the other knew. I will say this though... there are better "Links" to ship with Ghirahim than Skyward Sword Link. BoTW Link has some GREAT potential. So does OoT, post Majora's Mask adult Link. Lonely Links who don't want to be a disappointment. I can see Ghira really jiving with that.

They'd probably still try to kill each other at first and it wouldn't look pretty. Even once they've reached an agreement I can see them butting heads. But they'd (as in Wild and Time) would have a lot more in common than most other pairings. And they would be able to bond over loss and inadequacy. 

I know they (Wild and Time) never even interact but that's what I get for shipping something for that long. The ship kinda grew and changed with me.

Sky Link and Ghirahim still have potential... but I honestly like him and Zelda just a smidge more. I know one thing I don't care for is when people write her out to be some big villain. Like... I love her. Be nice. She's baby. You could at least write it that she and Link realize that breaking their friendship would be too awkward. It just feels more natural.

I think with Sky it would be a lot more Ghirahim coming to terms with his own weaknesses and might dip into some "one sided" stuff. If Link were to ever return the feelings it would have to be a version of him that has experienced a bit of loss (losing Fi and maybe drifting from Zelda.) Ghirahim would be that unchanging bit of nostalgia he would reach for. This works.... but I like me my angst.

And then there's just "AU Link" that my partner crafted combining all my favorite aspects of the Links. I find him ideal for shipping.

If you have any questions about headcanons or anything else I will ALWAYS answer.

#Ghiralink #Anonymous

[casiavium]

I'm sooo bored at work but having ideas beyond my energy and time so. Ghiralink AU loosely based on Orpheus/Eurydice

Link literally plays a lyre so. Orpheus

Ghirahim as Eurydice but instead of being dead he's left without a master and acts more like Fi at the beginning of the game, emotionless and blank. He's Hylia's sword before Demise's but betrays her or Demise steals him. Post game Link wants to bring him back to the light side or whatever

Demise and Hylia as concepts/spirits/disembodied entities (??) Would exist in a plane of existence of their own that's like the Underworld but not quite since they're deities that can't "die". Maybe connected to the Master Sword.

This makes them Hades and Persephone. they're divorced even though they were never married. It's funnier this way

The Hylia part of Zelda's soul separated from her when Demise was sealed in the Master Sword and that part now exists like how there's gods for rivers and mountains and cities and they're a god but also the land itself . She's like that for the Surface/future Hyrule

Part of how Hylia keeps Demise sealed is by being trapped inside the Master Sword with him which would give Hyrule seasons

Also Hylia as Persephone (as opposed to like. Fi who is already in the sword) is good because Persephone was seen as the cruel one out of the two. She opposes Link trying to get Ghirahim back because he had a chance and betrayed her

Fi serves as the spirit of the River Lethe because I want her to. The Master Sword acts as reverse invulnerability: it's the Achilles heel of the incarnation of Demise's hatred and the only thing that can seal the darkness

This has nothing to do with ghiralink I just like Greek mythology

Link makes a deal with Demise & Hylia to bring him back, has to guide him out of somewhere (like Skyview Temple maybe) by only playing the goddess harp to remind him of 1. When he was Hylia's sword and 2. Trying to resurrect Demise by chasing down Zelda. He can't look back to see if Ghirahim is following and he doesn't actually see Ghirahim, just his sword, so he doesn't even know if the spirit inside is listening

Idk how it ends. It doesn't have to be 1:1 mythology but I think ending with him looking back would be less tragic than the original myth? Because Ghirahim was never his to begin with to he's not really losing anything

#still thinking about my Eros/Psyche dinluke au that I wrote 500 words for and left to die #maybe I'll take a break from dc/us and write this. after the other wip I'm working on. that is also not really a wip more a list of ideas #ghiralink #skyward sword #Ghirahim

[aschenink]

Wait what. Zelda fanfic??

Me, seeing this in my inbox: “my sins have caught up with me” 

I feel obligated to start this with the disclaimer that the reason I really started writing (ie actually committed to a project and started developing any inkling of skill) was so I could write unrealistic gay smut Zelda fanfic when I was 13. Also, I’ve got a Navi tattoo on my foot so I’d like to use this opportunity to just go ahead and declare the LoZ-trash throne for myself. 

So yeah! I’ve been quietly working on this gigantic Skyward Sword canon-divergence/post-canon story for a couple months now? I was at my parents’ house for spring break in March and on a whim set up the Wii to play SS, which was a weird experience since I hadn’t played it for several years and on loading it up was faced with the reminder that I’d named Link “Baby~” to get a kick out of Ghirahim saying it, and after all the cringing that invoked, I was drop-kicked by the reality that my memory’s not entirely faulty and Ghirahim–and honestly all of SS–really just Is Like That.

And once I got over that bout of cringing I realized Ghirahim actually still vibes with me and 13yo me knew what she wanted and was onto something; I simultaneously redeveloped my hatred for SS!Zelda and figured I should shove all of that into one fic, because, why not? And then the stars aligned and I didn’t sleep for three days because the fanfic writer in me had taken back over and punted me to 2012.

Anyway the concept for my fic is under the cut to spare innocent souls but unrelated takeaways: 

This fanfic is the only writing project I’ve literally ever had where I’ve sat down and been able to plot the entire thing in one go and have it make sense and I’m… still overwhelmed by that. 

I wrote 30k in 4 days because of this bad boy *slaps fic*

I love writing for Legend of Zelda. The fandom itself is very chill and that’s great but, imo, more importantly the characters are perfect to write for. There’s so little canon characterization (esp. for Link) that you’re really just given a few core concepts and get to run free with the characterization–canon is huge so there’s infinite space to run there and, simultaneously, the vague characterization makes it easy to transpose into AUs.

Skyward Sword spoilers under the cut but it’s 2019 sooo ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Okay secondary (& tertiary) disclaimer: it’s absolutely a GhiraLink fic because it’s what 13yo me would have wanted and it’s what current me wants too tbh but Ghirahim is out of character because… man, I love him, but his canon behaviors are just A Little Too Much for me and I’m incapable of recreating that (and unwilling to try). Imagine if Ghirahim was like… five years more mature. And looked like Matteo Martari. And had at least five brain cells. 

:’) I pretend I’m bigger than this but I’m not, and we should all know it. 

Anyway the premise is basically: What if Hylia wasn’t necessarily a benevolent goddess and Demise wasn’t necessarily a world-eating demon, and it was only portrayed this way to convince the bearer of the Triforce to side with her and keep the world under her influence? What if Link wasn’t necessarily destined to be the bearer and it was essentially a role up for grabs, one that Ghirahim desperately wants for himself? What if they’re equals? What if--

What if none of that is necessarily true either, but it’s what Ghirahim tells Link to further his own plans?

And it sort of goes on like that for a while. 

It’s super long and starts out with canon and follows the entire game with minimal divergence, with the exception that Ghirahim works with Link to temper Fi’s blade because Link is slow, Ghirahim can’t do it himself, and also it’s kind of fun for both Ghirahim and I to watch Link torment himself about having Friendly Feelings for his rival only for Ghirahim to stomp on his throat. Also, Ghirahim rather bluntly comes out and warns Link that he’s being used and Link, who’s reasonably resentful about how Hylia’s using him and his feelings for Zelda, sort of just goes

Alas, it’s not enough, Link is a Good BoyTM and Demise gets sealed away and Hylia wins, canon as usual. Except Link likes Ghirahim an embarrassing amount and Ghirahim manages to bind to him before Demise can completely crush him, which is great!

Because now we’re like 90k in the hole and finally getting somewhere!

Ghirahim’s in an absolutely horrid state after the battle with Demise and Link, after his own recovery period, is pretty desperate to get away from Hylia, so they (angstily) agree to do whatever it takes to repair Ghirahim, which is basically to temper him the way Fi was tempered but with demonic flames instead. The flames are in temples based off of Ocarina of Time’s Shadow Temple, and Twilight Princess’s Temple of Time & Snowpeak Top.

So they’re alone on the road together for months, and: Emotion! Angst! Saving each other’s lives! Several deadly sins, but especially lust! Slow reveal of Ghirahim’s Tragic BackstoryTM! Quicker reveal of Ghirahim bathing because emotionally I’ll forever be 13 years old and will never get over my desire for stupid flamboyant villains! Ghirahim reveals magic that doesn’t just throw kunais, like heating spells that require them to cuddle when it’s cold and they’re camping in the wild!

What. I already said I’m trash and not above anything. Cuddling is the fastest way to a hero’s heart and that’s the hill I’m dying on.

Oh. Important: I headcanon that Fi doesn’t actually have to physically manifest to speak with Link, and could just talk to him in his head--so now that Ghirahim is sword-bound to Link, he’s the one in Link’s head. That generally goes about as well as can be expected and is why Ghirahim is almost constantly physically manifested, because Hero Trauma has made Link’s head a MESS

Hylia also happens to be able to weasel into Link’s head, which is a source of Big Angst, bc Link has definitely caught feelings for one (1) stupid tall demon, and Ghirahim...

I mean, I said Ghirahim has five brain cells and at this point that’s more than even I have, so he’s got a plan that’s much bigger than what Link knows of. One way or another, he’s going to be one to pry that Triforce from Link, he’s going to be the one to live forever in a reincarnation loop, and he’s going to be the one who decides which way the world tilts in the grand scheme of things. 😈

I’m not posting it anywhere yet because honestly I’m an overwriter and self indulgent and frankly it’s a huge concept!!! I’m convinced this fic is gonna be at least 250k words so I don’t want to post it until it’s completely written bc the odds of me drafting half of it and then giving up are Very High. But like. I have so much fun with this project (currently titled En Passant, after the chess move, for, uh, symbolic purposes I guess), it’s super relaxing to work on in comparison to original fiction 😍 

If you’ve read this to the end I owe you my soul and I am so sorry for my nonsense.

#im sorry this is Not the answer you were looking for but i lost my self control #this is SUCH A LONG ANSWER IM SOOORRRYY aklsfjahshfljwkafj #im such a wreck #can you smell the repressed loz fangirl all over this post? #hoo boy #skyward sword #ghiralink #aschenink #fanfic #ask #klywrites #legend of zelda #en passant

[skyofskyloft]

The next contestant (GhiraLink SFW)

----I judge by what he's wearing just how many head I'm tearing off of assholes coming on to him. (Each night seems like it's getting worse) I wish he'd take the night off so I don't have to fight off every asshole coming onto him. (It happens every night he works.)----

Ghirahim sighed from his usual spot at the bar, swirling his drink in the glass as he watched his little skychild at work. On his days off, Ghirahim like to spend the day with Link, even if he was at work at the time, usually. He really shouldn't though.  Link, being one of the only male servers in a gay bar, was constantly being hit on. it didn't help that the other two males were big guys, so no one really messed with them, but even though Link was no weakling himself, he was much less threatening and more... Touchable. He knew Link ignored the comments and occasional touching of his back or shoulders, but he could tell Link was quickly getting annoyed with the customer at table seven. Oh that man was touchy, and no one got to touch Link's ass but Ghirahim.  He rose a bit, only to have the bartender, a friend of Link's, touch his arm. "...Ghirahim, no..." Zelda hissed quietly. "Let it go... Link will let us know when enough is enough..." The silverhaired man made a little snarl, but sat back down at her request, accepting another drink from her. Zelda wasn't stupid. She knew that Ghirahim could easily be employed as a bouncer of sorts if he would stop working at that boutique of his. The only problem was that he would probably kill someone if they upset Link.

----They'll go and ask the DJ and find out just what would he say if they all tried  coming onto him. (Don't they know it's never gunna work?) They think they'll get inside him with every drink they buy him as they all try coming onto him.----

Link often got bought drinks by the 'interested' patrons of the bar. He always politely explained that he couldn't drink on the job, but they always insisted. So Ghirahim and Link never actually had to pay for their drinks. In actuality, bar owed them money for how many drinks were bought for the youth a day, hense why Ghirahim never had to give Zelda any money.     Of course. Link was probably the best waiter the bar had. Guys came in every night, like clockwork, when the skinny blonde clocked in for the day.  He knew he rarely had to deal with more than the occasional touch  or lewd comment, but tonight was different. Table seven had a new face. Tall, muscular and built like a tank, this guy was fresh out of boot camp for a bit of vacation before being shipped off. He'd had a few too many to drink. "Sorry, sir. But you've hand enough fo the night." Link informed him, struggling to keep a smirk off his face.  "Maybe I could interest you in some soda, or an appetizer this time?"     The man scowled, eyes darkening when he was denied what had to be his seventh beer. "No," The man slurred, a cocky grin spreading across his face." But how about, instead, you come sit with us for a little while, cutie?"        Link fought the urge to roll his eyes, shaking his head. "No, sir. I'm on the clock, and besides, I'm not interested. Now, if there's nothing else I can get you, I have other tables to take care of. " He glanced to the man's companions, making sure they were all set before heading to the back to see if the food for table three was ready yet. This was not the answer the man had been looking for, and he watched Link with hungry eyes.          Ghirahim watched the man stand and follow Link towards the kitchen, raising from his own seat and setting down his glass. "Ghirahim..." Zelda warned again, only ro be waved of by the already irritable demon. That man meant harm to his Link. He set a quick pace to reach them before...

                           ---(This time somebody's getting hurt.)----

  Link yelped, barely heard over the music, as the tank roughly grabbed his wrists, pinning him to the wall in the darkness by the kitchen. "Get off of me!" Link snarled.  The man just grinned, leaning forward, no doubt aiming to steal a drunken kiss from the blond. Link was ready to lash out when there was a tap on the man's shoulder. "Huh? Tha' fuck you wa--" The being he came face to ace with was not human.

          ----(Is that your hand on my boyfriend? (I wish you'd do it again.) Is that your hand on my boyfriend? (I'll watch you leave here limping.)----

White eyes livid with fury and a metallic sheen to his skin, Ghirahim grabbed the man by the back of his skull and rammed his head into the wall behind Link.     Seeing a fight with their mate, the entirety of table seven stood up, just as drunk, and made a beeline for Ghirahim. Letting the man go, Ghirahim nudged Link to the side, away from danger. The first attacker he simply stepped to the side to avoid, letting him crash into the wall and crumple into a pile on top of the other. The second threw a punch that Ghirahim caught, then preceded to crush in his vice-like grip. With the second attacker disabled, Ghirahim threw him into the path of the remaining two, tripping them up on their already unstable feet. Just to add injury to insult, Ghirahim snapped, levitating an empty table and dropped it onto the pile of unconscious soldiers. 

                               ----(There goes the next contestant.)----

The fight concluded, Ghirahim huffed, turning to Link. "Are you alright...?" He whined, pale eyes brimming with worry. "Gh-Ghira, I'm fine-- Hey! Ghirahim!" Link suddenly protested as he was lifted over the demon's shoulder." Oh for fuck's sake, Ghirahim, I'm not a porceline doll!" He groaned, leaning on his hand as Ghirahim took him to the back room to check the waiter over wor injuries.

Zelda, meanwhile looked at the mess left behind. "You both are cleaning this up!" She hissed after them.

[therandom88]

I don’t like Zelink in most Zelda games(there are a few exceptions and its not the only pairing I don’t like.  I seriously don’t understand Ghiralink or Zelgan but I wont get into that.) because outside of games like Skyward Sword, Wind Waker and a few others there was very little development of the relationship and the interaction the two had was limited.  These few games actually tried to set up a relationship between these two characters unlike the majority of the series. There are a few exceptions to my Zelink dislike, one of which is Tetra and WW Link.  I find it cute though I am not sure if I would call it romance since they are still children.  

For example games like Twilight Princess and heck even in Ocarina of Time where you talk to Zelda like one time before you she sends you the telepathic message to teach you the song of time.  After that you don’t see her in her regular form until the very end of the game and her interactions with Link as Sheik are limited to “tell Link to go to this temple, say some cryptic shit and teach a song and disappear”.  There was absolutely no relationship development in any of these meetings and Link didn’t even know it was her.  There are many more games where the interaction between these two is so limited.  Reason I am irritated with this?  I run into so many people who are like “you have to ship Zelink, otherwise you don’t deserve to be in this fandom”, etc. Then get told that I should die, that I am heartless, compare people who don’t ship Zelink to Cia from the non-canonical game Hyrule Warriors, assumptions that people who don’t like Zelink must hate Princess Zelda(even though a lot of us don’t),etc.  Also the assumption that not liking Zelink in some games is an attack on them.  I don’t care about who you ship unless you specifically attack people who don’t like it.  I can’t stop anyone from shipping Zelink nor do I care too.  Just don’t be rude to people who disagree with your pairing. 

#Legend of Zelda #Link #Zelda #Anti Zelink #sort of anti zelink #fuck toxic shippers