#masked!reader

the rivets of marred skin long healed over, winding like a river over your features in a way he'd never expected.

He only stares for a second before remembering himself.

"Let's get you out of there, mi amigo."

after saving you, he watches wearily as you slide the mask back over your head. It's still hard for him to reconcile the two versions of you he's seen. how the person he had seen a moment ago, bare-faced, is the same one he's known all this time.

Mostly because he's just curious, disappointed even to see you slip the piece back over your head.

he'd like another look one day.

⑉ ᴊᴏʜɴ "ꜱᴏᴀᴘ" ᴍᴀᴄᴛᴀᴠɪꜱʜ

Soap's always joked about what might be under that mask of yours. Not-so-good-looking as he imagined? Worse? Or even better? Who's to say?... even if a small part of him wants to know.

wishes he could be trusted with the sight even.

doesn't push about anything besides that rare round of banter and teasing.

the day he sees you maskless, is... not ideal.

water rushes in on all sides of you both, and he gets a peek. The way you gasp for air, masked pulled up over your lips in a ploy not to choke. Scarred skin lighting your lips and jaw like a strike over the sky.

The image stays with him longer than he dares to admit (even to himself) but not for the most obvious reasons.

The mask comes off entirely when the two of you escape onto the gravel-strewn riverbed. Tossed off your head while you cough the freshwater out of your lungs. Lurched forward and soaked to the bone. The reveal casual almost-if the two of you had not just nearly drowned.

He can't help but stare, face flushed and sniveling with more than the icy-chill of the stream.

when you catch him staring, he takes a moment before looking away, as if its hard to remember not too. (respecting your wishes an' all.)

"come on," he supplies, tilting his head for you both to keep getting a move on, even as the sight of your bare-face slivers itself into his chest. Embedded safely between his ribs and only revisited in his mind when the nights get too dark.

⑉ ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ ᴊᴏʜɴ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇ

doesn't know how it happened, but one day your mask just lands in his lap. a 'prank' gone wrong at your expense? some sort of message? maybe it just happens to be no big deal... just laundry you had forgotten?

Anyway, Price is the one to come knocking on your door, rapping his knuckles against the wood, mask in hand, and eyes politely shifted off to the side in case you answered without something on your face.

he doesn't mind, but respects your wishes to keep your identity a secret.

for what reason you hide? he's never asked.

The answer just never seemed to matter to him.

its too late that he finds himself staring off into the distance, waiting for you to answer the door... when you do just that.

you're standing off to the side, door barely peeled back a sliver, a familiar eye tracing his figure with weary curiosity. Unmasked, and still clinging to the shadows of your room without it. The scars he can see curling around your lips and twisting the skin.

when you notice his eyes lingering on it; a strange expression reflected on his own face: distant. thoughtful even. he has to stop you before you shut the door entirely on him.

"hold on-! this is yours," he offers, holding it between the space out to you.

nothing said about the snippet he saw. nothing needed to say. you were you, a damned good person, that's all he needed to know.

so, he stands out there, wrist sandwiched between your doorframe and decision. bracing for the possibility of the door closing on his wrist or for you to take the mask from his fingers... or both.

Sure, it was nice to finally feel truly cared for after so long and all, but they seemed to underestimate you quite a bit. You wanted to help them in battle. However, either Hyrule or Twilight would pull you away. Even when you tried to help with carrying things, Time or Wild would come along and carry them for you. It was frustrating to constantly feel underestimated and sidelined by the Chain. Despite their caring nature, you longed for the opportunity to prove your capabilities in battle and contribute more actively.

It was nice being around them and being able to spend time with them, but when some of your weapons and items started to disappear, it got quite irritating. You had suspected that either Legend or Four was stealing them, and your suspicions were confirmed when you discovered a certain little Link rummaging through your bag. You had been helping a little with everyone before you came back to grab something out of your bag, only to find Four going through it and holding your favorite and most precious knife that you were gifted.

"Four... What are you doing with my knife?"

"O-oh! I was just... checking it to see how sharp it was?..." You raised an eyebrow, unconvinced by Four's explanation. The knife held sentimental value for you, and you couldn't help but feel a surge of anger at the thought of it being mishandled.

To be completely honest, you found it quite irritating how he was not only snooping through your stuff but was also lying about taking one of your most prized possessions. You could feel your eye twitch as you stayed silent, waiting patiently for him to speak the truth as you glared at him. After a moment, he sighed, finally giving up a losing battle and speaking the truth to you.

"All right... Me, along with... Others believe it would be better if we handled the fighting. We don't want to take a chance with you getting hurt." You couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and frustration at his admission. It was true that you were no stranger to danger, but his overprotectiveness was starting to suffocate you.

Okay, now you were starting to get a bit pissed off. You were getting sick and tired of being treated as a weak and precious item. You had a lot of fight and fire in you that they didn't seem to even notice, and you didn't want to just stand by and let them get hurt. You stood still before taking a deep breath, exhaling, and pinching the bridge of your covered nose as you tried to calm your nerves to the best of your ability before you calmly walked over to where Four was with your bag and grabbed your knife from him. You readjusted the mask that covered the lower half of your face as you swiftly crouched down and placed it back in your bag before abruptly closing it and putting it back on the ground where it was.

"... Ya know, where I'm from, it's quite rude and disrespectful to go looking through people's stuff, and even more so to take their belongings without permission. I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll be back in a little..." You stated this firmly, making it clear that you were not pleased with Four's actions. As you walked away, you couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and disappointment. Taking a deep breath, you reminded yourself to stay composed and find a way to address the situation later on.

You let out a huff of annoyance as you moved through the trees and along a narrow path that you could see, only for your annoyance to increase at the sound of rapid footsteps approaching you from behind. You take a glance back to see Four sprinting in your direction, his voice calling out to you as you keep walking away from him. You let out a slight snarl as he caught up to you, not afraid to show your irritated state and how you needed some alone time.

"Hey! Slow down! Where are you even going? You know how dangerous it is out here." Four's concerned voice echoed in your ears, but you remained determined to distance yourself from him. Ignoring his warning, you quickened your pace, craving the solace of the secluded woods ahead.

"I need some time alone so I don't end up snapping, alright! I just need to clear my head so we can actually talk about the issue and sort this out, but right now it's just best to leave me be." You knew that Four cared about your well-being, but you also understood the importance of taking care of your own mental state. As you disappeared into the depths of the woods, you hoped that this time alone would bring clarity and peace to both your mind and the situation at hand.

You snatched a large stick from the ground and let out a mighty war cry, or what you would call a war cry. Using the force of your swing, you knocked out the closest monster by swinging the branch as hard as you could at it like a baseball bat. You and Four fought swiftly side by side until a single monster was left. A lone Lizalfos was the only beast left as it charged at Four while his back was turned, knocking him off his feet and causing him to drop his sword while leaving a small gash on his head from the blow.

Your eyes widened as you watched the situation unfold before mindlessly running towards him and sweeping his sword off the ground. He let out a yell you could barely hear as you raised the sword in the air and charged at the Lizalfos, only for your vision to be exposed to a blinding light.

Four looked on as you grabbed his sword and charged at the monster, making an attempt to call out to you and warn you not to do so, only for you to be surrounded in a bright light for a brief moment. Once you were visible once again, there wasn't just one of you, but four different versions of you. Each one was dressed in a different color as they each held a sword and glanced around confusedly. One of them was dressed in a deep, crimson color; another one was dressed in cyan; the third was dressed in a dark gray; and the final one was dressed in a bright, almost neon orange.

Each of them glanced at each other in confusion, clearly confused and startled by the whole situation that had just occurred. The version of you dawning the color cyan frantically glanced at the Lizalfos the second it moved and seemed to grow more panicked. The other colors immediately took notice of Cyan's fearful expression before the one in orange spoke up in a soft yet powerful voice while pointing at the crimson and gray ones with their sword.

"You two. Go distract and weaken the monster. Cy, come help me with Four." Crimson and Gray nodded in agreement, their expressions determined as they turned to face the Lizalfos. Cyan hesitated for a moment, torn between fear and loyalty, before finally mustering up the courage to join Orange.

Orange returned Four's gaze before swiftly walking over to him, Cyan close behind and crouching in front of him, their gaze piercing through his soul while also providing him with comfort. Orange wrapped their arm around his back and gently raised him up, carefully supporting him while leading him away from the battle to safer ground. Orange and Cyan examined him after Orange carefully placed him down beside a tree on the ground in front of them.

It was simple to distinguish between the various forms of you, especially Orange and Cyan, since Cyan appeared anxious and stood slouched, but Orange stood confident and upright in a reassuring, protective, and even parental manner. Four noticed connections between the Crimson and Gray versions of you as he returned his eyes to the battle. Crimson appeared to be the more aggressive of the two, standing in a dominant and powerful stance before charging at the Lizalfos with their sword raised high, whereas Gray appeared to be slouching and nearly unstable, cackling maniacally to themselves with a trace of insanity in their voice.

Each version of you wore a mask similar to the one you normally wear, but each one differed depending on the color they were wearing. Crimson wore a mask with aggressive, lightning-marked markings that reflected their violent mentality. Gray, on the other hand, wore a mask with swirled, complicated patterns that seemed to reflect their unstable personality. Regardless of these distinctions, both versions emitted a distinct aura of force and determination on the battlefield. Cyan wore a mask with a pattern similar to bandages covering their mouth, reflecting their quiet and stressed personality, whereas Orange wore your normal mask design, reflecting their protective and assertive nature. These various masks showed the distinct personalities and characteristics of each color, adding to the complete aesthetic.

Orange crouched down in front of him so they could see eye-to-eye as they swiftly pulled a red potion that Hyrule had given them for emergencies. Cyan cautiously returned their gaze to the combat raging between the Lizalfos and the other versions of you, who were viciously and brutally striking the monster. Orange instantly handed the potion to Four and placed it in his hands without hesitation.

"Drink this. It'll take care of that wound for now while we deal with this little issue we have. Cy, keep an eye on him so I can go finish the monster off. Four, stay put and don't even think about getting up and trying to help, got it." Orange's voice was firm and protective, leaving no room for argument. Four simply nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation and far too enamored with you to argue. With a determined look, Orange sprinted back into the chaotic battle, ready to face the Lizalfos head-on and protect their alternate versions as well as Four from any further harm.

Crimson was about to reply with a sarcastic remark but was quickly stopped by Orange speaking in a gentle tone while placing their hand on Crimson's shoulder. "Don't let them get to you, alright, Crimson. Anyways, I suppose I'm the part of us that usually takes care of others and ensures everyone's well-being. It's just my nature to be protective and nurturing." Cyan stood anxiously behind Orange and looked up at them with a nervous glance before lowering their gaze once again. "And Cy here might be our anxiety and other emotional vulnerabilities. They tend to worry a lot and overthink things, but they also bring a sense of caution and carefulness to our decisions." Orange said reassuringly at Cyan, offering them comfort and support.

"So, how the hell do we get back to normal, huh? There some weird cult ritual shit we need to do or something?" Crimson said it in a passive-aggressive way, rolling their eyes. "Now that you mention it, how do we get back to normal? Does it have something to do with the swords, like how we got into this situation in the first place?" Orange said as they looked down at Four, each version of you holding the swords to their sides except for Gray, who was waving it around like a crazy person.

"Mhm. The swords should return you to normal when you hold them in the air with their points touching one another." Four said as he looked at each version of you, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. Gray snickered at Four's words and finally stopped flailing their sword around as Cyan anxiously backed away from them, with Crimson shooting Gray an aggressive and dangerous look. Cyan looked around hesitantly before returning their gaze to Four and Orange, giving them a nervous nod of understanding.

"Alright then. Let's get this over with so we can get back to normal." Crimson said aggressively, their arms crossed impatiently, before skillfully and quickly spinning their sword into the air, the point of the blade pointing into the sky. Gray snickered as they approached the area where Crimson stood before speaking. "You know, you really are impatient. It kinda proves that you are our spite and rage, Crim." Crimson shot Gray a sharp glare, their eyes filled with fire. "Shut the hell up, ya dipshit."

Orange sighed softly as they pinched the bridge of their nose before glancing over at Four. "I assume this is similar in some way to how your colors act?" Four nodded in agreement with a small hum, confirming Orange's odd yet correct query. "Hm, how interesting. Well, I guess we should undo this whole split before we head back to the group and before Gray and Crimson start a fight with one another. Come along, Cy." Orange finished as they looked over to Cyan with a soft and kind look in their eyes before walking over to Crimson and Gray with their swords in hand.

Orange chuckled slightly as they saw how the others were ready to get back together and reunite into one. "Alright, is everyone ready?" "Hell yeah!" "Mhm." "Yup! Oh, can we keep this?" Gray said as they held up the torn-off claws of the Lizalfos from earlier in one hand. Crimson facepalmed as they groaned in annoyance, while Orange just sighed and spoke again. "Yes, but make sure it doesn't make a mess. It's still leaking blood, and it would be best if we didn't get it everywhere." "Yes! Thank you!" Gray said excitedly as they lifted their sword in the air. Crimson raised their sword as well, followed by Cyan and Orange, the points of all the swords connecting before a bright light enveloped them.

You opened your eyes once the blinding light had dissipated, your vision coming back and seeing no other versions of you standing around. It seemed that the fusion had been successful, and you were now the sole embodiment of your existence. Relief washed over you as you realized that you no longer had to split your mind and body with multiple versions of yourself. You patted yourself down to make sure you were completely whole—a subconscious act that proved you were whole once again.

You sighed in relief as you felt a weight lift off your shoulders. The confusion and chaos from that situation were finally over. You looked back at Four, who was staring at you as if you were some sort of divine being, as if you were the highest and purest living thing that could ever exist. You calmly walked over to him before carefully handing his sword back to him, his expression showing surprise and adoration for you. "Sorry about that whole situation. It was really weird, but still quite interesting." You said softly as he took his sword back with great care.

Four's eyes sparkled with gratitude as he replied, "No need to apologize. Your bravery and quick thinking saved us, after all. And I'm sorry for going through your stuff earlier." You couldn't help but smile at his genuine appreciation, feeling a sense of connection forming between the two of you. As the tension dissipated, you both stood there for a moment, silently acknowledging the unspoken connection that had been forged.

You chuckled softly after a moment before looking down at him with a sweet look, your voice coming out in a gentle and kind melody as you spoke to him. "It's alright, I forgive you. We should probably get back to the group before they start getting worried about us." Four seemed to snap out of his trance of adoration before letting out a little chuckle, his own voice coming out a bit smaller and more soft than usual. "Yeah, I guess so." He would never admit it, but he would much rather have more time with you and only you, not the other Links or anyone else.

Four made an attempt to get up to protect you and finish off the Lizalfos, only for Cyan to frantically and silently gesture for him to stay down. Cyan's eyes were filled with worry and urgency, knowing that Four's safety was just as important as each of yours. Four reluctantly obeyed, understanding that their role was to support and protect from the sidelines, trusting in Cyan's expertise and strategy.

Orange rushed into the battle with an odd amount of speed that no normal person would be capable of, effortlessly dodging the Lizalfos' attacks with swift and precise movements. Their agility was mesmerizing, leaving Four in awe of their skills. It was clear that you had some hidden abilities or training that you hadn't revealed before.

As Orange charged towards the monster, Crimson and Gray each lifted their swords just as Orange did, preparing for the final strike to kill the beast. Crimson let out a loud growl as they swung their sword at the Lizalfos, followed by Gray, who was laughing maniacally, and Orange, who remained silent as they landed the final blow with a skull-shattering hit. The monster let out a deafening screech as the combined force of their strikes brought it down. The victory filled the air with a sense of accomplishment as they stood over the lifeless body of the slain monster.

Each of them took deep breaths as they regained their composure and surveyed the aftermath of their battle. The beast lay lifeless before them, its once menacing presence reduced to a mere carcass. As they exchanged glances, a shared understanding passed between them—they had proven their strength and unity in the face of danger. Orange was the first to speak up after they all calmed down a bit.

"Well, this sure is interesting. To think that you two could get along so well in the heat of battle. However, knowing you both, it was probably only because of your shared love for violence." As Orange chuckled, Gray and Crimson exchanged playful glances.

"Oh, come on now," Gray retorted with a smirk. "You know how far in the deep end we are when it comes to our bloodlust." Crimson chimed in, roughly nudging Gray. "Yeah, it's like a twisted bond we share. But hey, at least we can finally channel all that negative energy into something useful." The trio shared a laugh, their unity evident in their banter.

Four and Cyan watched as the three chatted before Cyan slowly and nervously walked over to join the group, with Four following behind. Orange immediately saw their approach and talked in a pleasant and caring tone, almost like a parent would to someone they care about. Orange was clearly the dominant personality in you, followed by Gray and Crimson, who were slightly tied for second, and Cyan, who came in last.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you both. This whole ordeal was quite troubling, wasn't it? Thankfully, it's over now, and everyone is safe and sound now." Orange gestured for Four to join the conversation, acknowledging their presence. The group gathered around, their expressions filled with relief and anticipation as they prepared to delve into a thorough discussion about the way you were split now.

"So, I assume you were well aware of this effect that your sword caused? I guess it makes sense with your nickname, Four." Four nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, my sword has always possessed this unique ability to separate individuals into four parts of themselves. It's a power I've come to understand and control over time."

"Ya know, this wouldn't have happened if you just respected our damn boundaries. For fucks sake, we told you that we needed some alone time, but no, you just had to follow us and keep pushing our buttons." Crimson spoke in an aggressive and irritated tone as they glared at Four, their fierce gaze piercing through him. Gray let out a mischievous giggle as they poked Crimson's face, which only made Crimson's anger shift to Gray.

"Easy, Crimson. Well, it's good to finally know about this situation." Orange spoke softly as they glanced back at Gray and Crimson, who were roughhousing nearby due to Gray messing with them. "It must have been quite the journey for you, learning to harness such a powerful weapon. I can only imagine the challenges you faced along the way."

Cyan nervously stood by Orange as they continued to talk, feeling a mix of curiosity and concern for Crimson and Gray's escalating conflict. Eventually, the two stopped fighting and got back up, with Crimson returning to the conversation between Orange and Four while Gray made their way over to the carcass of the monster and started picking at it, occasionally giggling to themselves.

"Hm... Remember how I said that the sword splits the user into four different parts of themselves? I'm curious about each of you and which parts of you all are." Four spoke up, his voice tinged with a mix of intrigue and curiosity. Orange and Crimson exchanged glances, unsure of how much they were willing to reveal. Meanwhile, Gray's curiosity seemed to be piqued as they abandoned their poking and joined the conversation, eager to explore the depths of their own fragmented selves.

"If you can't tell by now, I'm pretty sure Crim over there has our anger issues and spite." Gray said while giggling a bit, Crimson snarling and glaring daggers into Gray. "Not to mention their rage and hatred for monsters and some people that come with it, hehe." Orange, sensing the tension in the air, decided to diffuse the situation. "Let's not forget that Gray also has their fair share of inner demons," Orange interjected calmly.