#viv18chatter

Of course book 4 is the only one to end on a real cliffhanger X'D Thankfully it looks like there is indeed a book 5 in the works, potentially to release, or at least have more information released this year.

Good for me, since of course we ended off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Don't mind me, I'll just be sitting here chanting "Demon-paladin roadtrip, demon-paladin roadtrip, DEMON-PALADIN ROADTRIP" with increasing excitement. I admit I got rather fond of Wisdom considering the circumstances and relatively short screen time, and I am VERY curious about what's going on with Judith. I sincerely doubt she's human, or just human, or whatever, and I am looking forward to finding out the particulars for sure (and I might have more ideas by the time the book comes out after having read more books set in this universe - I hadn't realized the clocktaur wars and swordheart were in the same setting, whoops). Also low-key hoping for a f/f relationship , as we have only gotten m/f and m/m so far and I'd love to see a complete set, as it were :P Also down for a f/??? relationship, depending on how this roadtrip goes X'D

Also hoping maybe we cross paths with Piper and Galen in their hunt regarding the Saint of Steels death - it seems very likely these two storylines will have something to do with each other, and while I was prepared to have the Saint's death be a mystery before Piper got a glimpse of His death, I am certainly not so sanguine after.

Also!! Sweet sweet vindication getting it straight from the Dreaming Gods mouth that the only reason Shane wasn't snapped up by him from the get-go was because the Saint called dibs. I freaking knew it!! Pfft, and I really appreciate Marguerite just yoinking their spy network/records keeping system in professional disgust. Delightful, both for its own sake, and for giving her something to do X'D

Ahhh, very fun series! I admit, I was a tad trepidatious when I saw it was in the authors Romance section (I admittedly came largely on the question of what do you do when your god dies, and didn't consider much beyond that lol) but thankfully it was very much to my taste. The romance was the B plot in behind the real plot, just the way I like it - I find romance tiresome if its always in my face, I need to come at it sideways to really enjoy it. And the characters are... hmm, practical? Real? Believable? Something like that - the relationships very much felt like people meeting at the right moment and making it work, not soulmates or characters being mushed together just for the sake of it being a romance book.

I will day, it might not be to everyone's taste - they do say straight up several times Paladin's are all about their guilt trips, and they aren't wrong. And to be honest most of their partners aren't doing so hot in the self-esteem area either ^^; Marguerite is the only one I'd say doesn't have those issues (she has other problems, and regarding self-esteem Shane has enough for both of them, poor man - intrusive thoughts are not a good time for anyone, let alone one that's had their soul ripped almost in two). I'm a sucker for those kind of rough edges and pining though, so.

The main setting for this is BOTW (with some TotK tie in) because it's a very fun sandbox to play in, though I absolutely pull from other games

While it's a bit of a stretch, I like to amuse myself with the headcanon that Link can naturally see - and therefore interact with - the magical and supernatural, whereas most people can't. You need to have magic/magical abilities like the Champions and Sheikah/Yiga (or divine liek Zelda... or both like Gan lol) just to have a shot, and the weaker/less trained you are the less you can see/interact. Normal people can't see shit without outside intervention, eg a device like the eye of truth or the magical being in question themselves. That's why NPC's are always so chill when you do crazy shit near them - they literally can't perceive most of what you are doing.

In that vein, this is also why no one else does stuff like harvest rupees from grass or pots - they literally can't because they don't have the magic to perceive them.

Following that, I wondered what might be a good in-universe reason for great fairies to love rupees so much. My thought, which I honestly quite like as it ties things together quite neatly, is that rupees are crystallized magic. They are inert, they can't channel any sort of powers... but for a being made of pure magic like the great fairies, they sure are tasty!

I like to think that the different coloured rupees have different flavours/magical concentration, and so part of the reason not all the great fairies have equal power for upgrading your stuff is because they favour different flavours of rupees. The weakest likes the green ones, with some blue thrown in for funsies. Are they nutritious? Not really, but damn are they tasty. The most powerful obviously likes silver and gold rupees best, though purple are tasty too. They also have more kick, so they can do more to upgrade your stuff ;)

Back to the rupees being crystallized magic, and why they appear... I think it's just another consequence of Hyrule being a literally very magical land that tends to manifest things to bleed it off (eg the stall creatures rising naturally every night). For the rupees that are visible, like under peoples houses and such, I like to think the blupees put them there for fun. For pots, I think as the clay to make the pots came from Hyrules soil it's no surprise they retain the ability to manifest rupees on occasion.

The TotK tie in with all this I was daydreaming on is a classic "What if Link was the one who went to the past" (... admittedly because in this particular AU Zelda didn't live at the end of BOTW - she was a spirit just like the former Champions and dissipated at the end of everything along with them. Sorry guys!)

Aaaaanyways, Link gets a report about weird stuff at the castle, checks it out, ends up in the past, etc etc.

Takes it pretty well (our boy knows how to roll with the punches lol) and Rauru and Sonia basically adult adopt him (he's CUTE dammit, and so carefree but sometimes he just seems so SAD, y'know?)

In this AU Gan and the Gerudo are not immediately attacking; he and a Gerudo party are in fact visiting for diplomatic reasons (aka spying because knowledge is Power and all that) though tensions are definitely high

So obviously they are a common topic of conversation between Rauru, Sonia and Link.

During one of these chats, Link mentions that yeah he can see why the Gerudo would feel the Hylians had it easier to accumulate wealth - harvesting rupees from grass is way faster than from pots and sand dunes afterall.

And Rauru and Sonia just... stare at him. Because wtf? Leading to a whole demonstration of Link whacking grass and breking pots (with permission!) and rupees sprouting up.

And some very confused civilians who can't see the rupees until they appear in Links hands lol

Raura and Sonia could always see them, buuuut they're royalty - they aren't lacking for money and they don't cut grass or break pottery for funsies, so it's never really come up.

Also had vague ideas of a scene where Gan does something impressive with swordplay (like I dunno, an exhibition where he slices through a huge boulder like butter) and Link, hanging out with some of the Gerudo party, is admittedly impressed. But not by the muscle, no; he's impressed at the precise application of raw magic on the edge of the sword to achieve that. There was no elemental bleed through even, just pure power! That's hard to do!

And once again our companion just. Stares. Because whot he fuck is this twink to be able to perceive Lord Ganons magical workings in such detail?! At a single glance?!?!

She drags him over to Gan and gets him to say that all again. Link is very bemused but gamely does so.

Gan in turn is intrigued (and begrudgingly impressed not that he'd ever admit it) because he definitely thought Link was weak at worst and strictly a skilled meathead at best. Who's have thought he actually knew so many big words, let alone had a natural gift with magic?

Sidenote Link can use any magical device with ease and channel a power someone gives him (like the magical equivalent to type O blood), but he can't craft his own magic (outside of the kitchen ;P) worth shit.

Walkies ended there so that's about as far as I got, but I think you see my vision.