You Know, As Someone Who Adores The Four Swords Adventures Manga, I'm Always Confused By Green's Characterization.

Headcanon time! Here is:

What would happen if a different link were split by the four sword?

I posit: the colors/elements are assigned to different traits based on what each color/element is associated with. Ex: Four sees fire as warm and comforting, so his red link, associated with fire, is a warm and comforting individual. I shall also give them all names. We're starting with Skyward Sword Link, aka Sky here!

Red Sky: Magma. Having grown up in Skyloft Sky never had much experience with fire, so it's very much a new surface thing that's incredibly dangerous. Magma is a very curious type, that doesn't really know their own strength. Taking all of Sky's wonder at this brand new world, plus his pretty great strength, and putting it into this bass of energy.

Green Sky: Twister. Sky, despite living in the air, really doesn't have a good experience with active winds. A twister just up and launched his gf onto the surface man, and they're a hazard when flying on his own loftwing. As such, Twister is harsh, violent. All of Sky's rage, plus some really good swordfighting skills.

Blue Sky: River. Water's actually a pretty nice constant in Sky's life, though Faron didn't do a good job keeping that image. River is a calm, soothing type. Maybe a little overbearing, surrounding the others on all sides and making them feel claustrophobic. Sky's mother hen tendencies condensed.

Violet Sky: Dune. Leaning a bit more into the associations with the color purple this time we have a lot of the love for Zelda plus the ever-shifting nature of the dunes of Lanayru desert. Dune is pretty all over the place, emotionally. He's the one most likely to express them, too. He's sorta Sky's emotions but that's not entirely accurate, because the others still have a lot of emotions. Also gets to play the harp, helps center him.

With their dynamic, I imagine River falls into the leader role. In the sense that they keep everyone on track and not dead at least, Twister is their battle strategy. River doesn't really mind the role of leader? None of the others are really vying for it. Twister kinda tries but every time the others are like "no, you're still in time out for X." Dune and Magma are just happy to be along for the ride, though there is no guarantee that they won't wander off somewhere. Magma because something looks interesting and Dune because they're just following the highest energy person right now.

If they had to be given combat roles then Magma is the tank, Twister is the rogue, River is the Healer and Dune is the distraction. Dune is perfectly fine just running around irritating their opponents and catching their attention so the others can get good hits in, so I guess support in a way?

HHHHGIHJHJJJL GREAT NYX THIS IS AMAZING!!! Ough augh this looks like absolute torture, especially for Ren. Stuck with the cheery detective prince but without any of that deeper Akechi. Just.. something wrong, wearing his face, insisting everything is fine.

Something seems off about Akechi lately...

aftermath

ERMMM this takes place after long winter au third semester.... it could honestly vary but i think sometime btwn 5-10 yrs. sumire is abroad, akira moved back to tokyo after finishing hs/college, goro is. around

SORRY ITS 5am again so ill make this quick . again

QUICK DISCLAIMER this is kinda like a lot of me projecting LMFAOSDOGKJSDHFK@#)40 so like dont read into this tooooo much bc idk royaltrio cld be insnanely ooc here but. YEA.

started thinking abt akira constantly calling up goro and sumire even after 1) goro dies (so they think) and 2) sumire distances herself post-third sem. i elaborate on this on my shusumi fic........ sorry subtle shilling

^ tldr i think these 3 kinda drift apart after the snowglobe world crumbles, that false reality that ironically brought them so close together..... back in reality, things feel Different (but this is Our reality right? why does it feel so strange now?) and so. well its just not the same, no amtter what

the. the “the love was there. it didnt change anything. it didnt save anyone. there were just too many forces against it. but it still matters that the love was there” tumblr post

even though they loved each other and knew it too, there was also some sort of looming feeling that it won't last - but it does, still. it exists, in some meaningful sense-

akira sees and thinks about sumire and goro in everything he does, his day to day life, worries about them, wants to tell them about all he's doing, wants to hear about what they're up to. so he does so by leaving voicemails (although in this case sumire changed her number LMFAO. he does it anyway)

in the same vein, sumire thinks about all the things she'd like to tell goro, but with no address to send it to, it's useless. but she writes them anyway - more and more as a solace to herself, conversing with the memory of goro in her head, making him live on in that sense. and with akira i think it's a little more subtle. here she's trying to find a coffee shop that measures up to lebalnc, and of course she doesn't. there's only one leblanc and only one akira. but yeah like in sumire's case she kinda goes these "roundabout" ways in her Missing Them. theres also the added thing of her wanting to be more independent (from goro and akira and kasumi and tokyo and etc etc etc. also elaborated on in said fic)

goro! i think there's smth so poignant about visiting your own grave (i wrote sumire doing htis in another fic. thats an aside) hair cut, mask on, no gloves, he's a different sort of goro akechi but not really in any meaningful sense either. he's just different. sumire leaves the scarf (i think w sumire, she learns from goro like. omg im blanking on the word. LIKE reliability..? thinking realistically? smth like that.) so shes subconsciously thinks oh ill get him something useful like a scarf to keep warm (and a lil more subtle on the love aspect). akira gets him a lovely bouquet, straightforward and honest w his love/adoration, never afraid to spell it out. smth abt goro needing to live a new life now but also he keeps looking back - but this time, there's love when he looks back. there's still love

a kind of "youll always have home with me" sentiment btwn these 3. even if we never return there, youll still have a place in my heart

like "i dont think ill ever have that kind of love again. but i had it once. and even if i couldnt keep it, its still important." THIS IS HARD TO EXPLAIN

anyway tldr theres just some sentiment w royaltrio w Wanting to move on but also holding onto your past, and learning how to reconcile with the horrible parts but also the tender and lovely parts. sometimes there's stuff you gotta leave behind and grow past, grow around, even if it's good. even if it's good, you still have to push forward. <- a lesson that i'm trying to teach myself currently so thats why this is very. projecting. LMFAODSJKHJKSDKW sorry im crnge goodnight

these notes are horrible dont read these.

Honestly top tier update, look at him

He's amazing

Four Swords Returns Pages 493-496

Shadow can't stop getting into custody battles when it comes to Dark. XD

Reading this and then reading the comments and reblogs feels like people are deliberately missing the point and continuing to describe the places where shuake's 'toxicity' is on display. Mainly, the interrogation room. Y'all, y'all, they're enemies in the interrogation room. Akechi has no choice but to kill Joker in the interrogation room, because Shido wants Joker dead. The interrogation room and all the lying and manipulating each other outside of it all happen because they are doomed. They're both pawns in a twisted game, manipulated against each other to suit their respective roles. We never technically see them in canon outside of some sort of doomed context (even in third sem) but they still manage to make each other better even when they're doomed. Akechi gives up his revenge plans for Joker, and Joker lets go of an 'ideal' reality with Akechi to respect Akechi's wishes. They both improve after meeting one another, it's definitely not toxic.

common misconception is that shuake is toxic: WRONG. they are doomed. it is not them that fucks up their relationship; in fact, they actually are shown to improve each other rather than detriment. its their circumstances that fuck them up so so bad. literal god pit them against each other. they love each other but the world does not love them

Theatre kid Joker agenda spotted in the wild, absolutely correct and perfect idea ❤️

Joker would have been a theater kid

The whole outfit, the mask, his tendency to pull his gloves, the acrobatics, he's described as a "show-off" in one of the beginning cutscenes, he has theater kid written all over him. Shadow Okumura even calls him "pompous," to which he probably responded with a smug smile.

Had Shido not gotten him arrested, he would have become the darling of the stage, name spread far and wide for his theatrics and exuberance in every detail. He would have put on the best musical this town had ever seen. He would have stolen heart upon heart, in a slightly different way. If Shujin had a drama program, he would have been running it within the week, regardless of his criminal record.

At some point in time, he probably began reenacting plays in the attic, occasionally halting production after getting a call from Sojiro asking him what the hell he's doing. Futaba would have watched every second from her surveillance system. Had he discovered his true calling, he may have become warped by the allure of the stage, only to develop a Palace of his own against all odds. His appearance in it would constantly be changing to match whatever character he's adopted at the moment, even switching what language he's speaking.

Joker would have been a theater kid. He could have been the avatar of all theater kids.

This looks amazing!! I love all of them

Some Minish variations for my AUs

I wanted the Minish to look a bit more mouse like and to have some more interesting variations for different habitats! I'll do some designs to show off hair/clothes/ect at a later point but these are just ideas for body types.

I mean if u wanna share more lore you know none of us would say no, I absolutely adore the fact that Four shrinks to Minish size to make sure Hyrule is ok. And the fairy lore in general is top notch, WORLD BUILDING FOLKS!! Gosh just an absolute treat of a loredump, TYSM for answering my ask!

Hiii, I ADORE your chain as Cryptids AU, all of your art is gorgeous and every character is wonderfully unique, I wanted to ask for a lil more lore if possible? While Four is my favorite character we have not had nearly enough asks for Hyrule! And fairies in general, in your au are they more fae-like with some trickster tendencies or very kind and giving like the Minish? Thoughts on bottles, etc? TYSM!

Oh boy oh boy do I have some Hyrule Thoughts. And some general fairy thoughts as well!

(Under the cut because this is gonna get long)

For this au, I’m thinking of just Zelda fairies. Little glowing balls of light that flutter on fragile wings, iridescent and magical and gentle. Fairies have an affinity for magic: all kinds of magic, though they’re best known for their healing abilities. There isn’t a single archetype of what a fairy’s behavior will be. Some can be tricksters, some can be kind, some can be shy, some can have the most ill of intentions. Fairies are like people, really, in that they’re not just all one thing. (This is what separates them from spirits, really. They’re just on the cusp of ascension, but unlike Koroks or Blupees or Dragons or anything like that, they cling to their mortality and allow themselves to grow and evolve. Because of this, Hyrule is not a part of the telepathy circle).

There are many communities of Fairies, and they tend to group up around a Great Fairy as their leader. There are some colonies that are independent of Great Fairies, though, but they are rare to find, as they are at a much higher risk.

You see, while Fairies are magical, they’re very fragile. Usually, a typical Fairy wouldn’t posses enough magic to defend themself against a Hylian captor. Docile and tiny, they’re quite easy to bottle up and carry off, and easily discarded once they’re used. Great Fairies are much more powerful than the average Fairy, and even more powerful than a Hylian, so sticking around them is preferred. They protect the others.

Hyrule is a very unique case. You see, he was born with the Spirit of the Hero. For this au, the Spirit of the Hero acts as an enhancer for any kind of spiritual or magical power a Link already possesses. For example, Twilight is only able to shift because he’s descended from a God and possess the Hero’s Spirit. (Otherwise, one of his parents would have had God Powers TM too, and they probably wouldn’t have died so soon).

In Hyrule’s case, having the Hero’s Spirit grants him much more magic than a typical Fairy- almost as much magic as a Great Fairy herself. All of this power in such a small frame… no one is the wiser. Hyrule has enough magic to properly defend himself (if he had any sort of training… which, as a child, he didn’t) and most importantly, he has enough magic to hold a Hylian disguise for a LONG TIME. His glamour can change the way that he’s perceived but cannot change his actual shape. Others can see and even touch his changed form, but it is not real.

ANYWAY. Yeah. Bottles. Fairies are afraid of them, are afraid of Hylians. And Rito and Gerudo and Gorons and Zora and monsters and literally everything under the sun. When you’re two inches tall, everything is a threat.

Fairies are hunted mercilessly by Hylians, mostly. They’re never killed, not outright, but they’re taken from their colonies and shoved into a tiny bottle, sometimes for weeks and months on end (Fairies don’t starve as quickly as other species would, able to expend magic to keep their little bodies functioning). That being said, they often do not survive captivity. A tiny little bottle, often shoved in a bag and jostled around, no light, no food or water, all alone, just glass on all sides. It’s no place for a Fairy. Even if they do make it out (after expending magic to heal whatever wound they were abducted to treat), they will rarely make it back to their Great Fairy before succumbing to magical exhaustion or being captured again.

On the topic of magical exhaustion: Fairies have a limited amount of magic they can expend before they have to recover. Even one as powerful as Hyrule has their limits. Recovery almost always means rest, and it can mean their body does a forced shut down and simply stops working for days at a time. Often, Fairies are more hungry when they’re recovering, as magic can no longer be used to sustain the body.

Hyrule is less vulnerable to this than other Fairies would be, but when he’s standing next to the Chain? And every single one of them is hurt? After a fight where he’d used his magic to take down dozens of monsters? All while keeping up his glamour? Yeah, he’s gonna be feeling that one.

Telltale signs of magical exhaustion before it gets to the point of actually passing out: Physical exhaustion, drowsiness. Headaches, sudden hunger. Feeling cold. Often, the other heroes might notice Hyrule picking up an extra serving at mealtimes or ask to huddle up with someone at night (oftentimes Sky, as his wings are very warm and he doesn’t bat an eye when asked to cuddle). Hyrule sleeps longer, but never seems to gain any more energy.

Magical exhaustion, if pushed too far, can be fatal.

ANYWAY. When Hyrule first joins the Chain, he forces all of them to free any Fairies they might have. He enforces that rule as others join, and is hesitant to lower his glamour. I’m think that for a long time, they don’t even know he’s a Fairy. He’s terrified that if they find out, they’ll bottle him up and use him for healing and never let him go. For. Long time, he’s terrified of them. Fairy Bottlers surround him. It’s not until he physically cannot keep his “Hylian” form up that the others find out what he is, and he never expected them to be so understanding. So… apologetic. Actually legitimately regretful of their Fairy Bottling pasts.

ONE MORE THING. Four can turn Minish sized. When Hyrule works himself to magical exhaustion and passes out, he goes back to his True Form, the two inch tall lil Fairy. And of course, when that happens, it’s really really difficult for the Chain to move him or help him without accidentally hurting his tiny body. So Four will shrink down and help him to bed, check to make sure that he wasn’t hurt when he fell unconscious, and stay with him at their size so he’s not alone when he wakes.

I have many more thoughts but this is getting actually so long. I apologize!

I've been doing a lot of sketching of this specific character, trying to get a design I like. Idk if I'm quite happy yet, but have some more Link

WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M NOT COOL ENOUGH FOR YUKARI?? I'm going to riot and return to the only person in this entire school I respect, uhhhhh what was his name again? Scott the woz?