Hyrule Preschool AU ( We ❤️ trans anarchy )

In which Link and Zelda care for some rowdy kids (a self-indulgent and passionate AU collaboration by Najikasun and Gaylactic-Fire)

[hyrule-preschool]

Welcome to Hyrule Preschool

This AU is a collaborative effort between @najikasun and @gaylactic-fire , two preschool teachers and BOTWverse fans with way too many anecdotes and stories from their jobs.

Hyrule Preschool takes place post TOTK (so expect some spoilers!) in which Link and Zelda open a preschool to accommodate the growing population of Lookout Landing and decide to become teachers. This AU will also contain canonical and cavity inducing Zelink - so here is your forewarning if that's not your cup of tea!

The Children

- Cassie - she / her - Zora

- Emiko - she / her - Sheikah

- Gigi - he / him - Goron

- Isla - she / her - Hylian (Lurelin)

- Kenji - he / him - Hylian (Hateno)

- Ona - she / her - Rito

The Staff

- Link - teacher

- Zelda - teacher

- Purah - emergency nurse

- Symin - substitute teacher

- (surprise guests)

If you have any questions, ideas or just want to leave a nice message, our inbox is open for asks! If we take a while to answer your ask, it could be because we are discussing it further or creating art for it! Please be patient ❤️

[hyrule-preschool]

what are zelda and link's favorite subjects to teach? is there a subject the kids like most of all?

All the children have different tastes and I don't think any of them have a universal favourite activity or subject.

Zelda, however, is always happiest when she's outdoors! She adores showing the children the flora and fauna and teaching subjects like ecology and conservation.

Everyone THINKS Link is the outdoor guy, but his favourite activity is actually cooking / baking

It can get a little messy sometimes (Link is very patient)

[hyrule-preschool]

I know you've posted very little so far but this is beyond cute and I adore the character designs! I was gonna ask how good each of the children are at sign language, but I guess Ona would have a more difficult time with it <3

Poor Ona! She tries very hard!

Sign language is a work in progress for all the kids. Of course, when you have feathers not fingers it can be quite tough! It wouldn't be a stretch to say Rito sign exists, though, and I'm sure Link is willing to research it for poor little Ona's sake.

[hyrule-preschool]

I would literally die for Emiko she's so cute and she's already my favourite. Does she know that Link has fought Lynels before and wluld he show the weapons or like horns he got from them or is that considered too dangerous for small children, and would she be interested in that or sad that they got killed?

She’s fascinated by all things lynels! I think Link has told her a few stories about his encounters with them and received quite a bit of info-dumping as a result. She’s also definitely seen a bit of Link’s collection of lynel bows and swords before, even if Teacher Zelda prefers to keep weapons away from the children. :]

I think she’s a little young to realize how Link got those, though - she knows that lynels are dangerous monsters, but probably doesn’t have that ‘death is permanent’ knowledge yet.

[hyrule-preschool]

I would literally jump off of a cliff for Isla, she’s a frickin’ cutie patootie. PLEEAAASEEE tell us more about her. I’d also love to see how the kiddos interact with each other, i’m so so SOOOO EXCITED for more content!

YIPPEE ANON!! We are absolutely sharing your excitement! It's been a blast to create for this AU so far ❤️

Isla is actually partly based off of a child I used to work with. She was an adorable, smiley little Ukrainian girl who would melt your heart. She knew English well enough that she would respond and clearly understand you, she was just very quiet and didn't speak much (although Isla is full on pre-verbal, as opposed to quiet).

My main goal with creating Isla was to make a bubbly, curious and intelligent child who just so happens not to speak. There is often a perception that there is something "wrong" with a child who can't yet speak, or that it's perhaps a sign of their cognitive ability. Isla is there to squash that idea!

[hyrule-preschool]

I skimmed through your blog and I could not fathom for the longest time why you got hate like nothing you said in any post should have triggered the response they had lmao

Because I made Zelda have a negative reaction to being asked the (invasive) question about wanting kids in the future, I am therefore a narcissist and egotistical maniac who exists only to stomp on other's headcanons/s

[hyrule-preschool]

As a preschool worker that does not want children of his own, but loves working with kids, I wholeheartedly love this. It makes me feel so so seen.

I appreciate this so much, it makes us really happy to hear that! I’m glad we can make you feel comfortable and seen. 💕

[hyrule-preschool]

I would literally die for Emiko she's so cute and she's already my favourite. Does she know that Link has fought Lynels before and wluld he show the weapons or like horns he got from them or is that considered too dangerous for small children, and would she be interested in that or sad that they got killed?

She’s fascinated by all things lynels! I think Link has told her a few stories about his encounters with them and received quite a bit of info-dumping as a result. She’s also definitely seen a bit of Link’s collection of lynel bows and swords before, even if Teacher Zelda prefers to keep weapons away from the children. :]

I think she’s a little young to realize how Link got those, though - she knows that lynels are dangerous monsters, but probably doesn’t have that ‘death is permanent’ knowledge yet.

[hyrule-preschool]

What do the kiddos think of having a dragon teacher? I bet the tail is very fun lol

Cassie is a BIG big fan of the tail! (she's just like me!)

Overall, Zelda's dragon remnants cause a lot of curiosity among the children. Some have completely accepted her non-hylian features as just being part of her, while others are desperate for answers.

Zelda's trauma is still fresh in her mind. On top of that, she's still getting used to these drastic bodily changes. She finds it hard to talk to the kids about what happened to her and Link (especially in a child friendly manner), but in time, it's becoming easier.

[hyrule-preschool]

Here’s a sincere question that’ll ruffle some feathers: are any of the kids trans?

As far as our kids go, there aren’t any that are explicitly trans, as they are in a phase of life where they are all experimenting and forming their own identities! I think the only child with strong gendered beliefs would be Gigi, who is heavily influenced by goron culture and calls everyone “brother,” lol.

As far as adults go though, Link and Zelda are both trans and queer, and many of the families of the children are non traditional!

This is a complex and fascinating question, though! As someone with 5 years in the field, here’s what I’ve experienced and researched about kids and gender, if you’d like to take a gander into real life gender development in young kids!

Children tend to experiment with gender at this age as their way of figuring out what it means to be a specific gender, and they take inspiration from family, friends, and community. These are all valid ways of young children to think about gender:

-I am a girl because my hair is long.

-I am a boy because I stand to use the toilet.

-I am a girl because I like pink.

-I am a boy because I am tall.

Many children have the knowledge that gender exists and they have been told that they are a specific gender, both explicitly and from their surrounding environment and media. And even then, kids tend to question why they are a specific gender, and experiment with gender expression in safe environments - this can be seen through playing with specific gendered toys, wearing specifically gendered clothing, taking gendered roles in dramatic play, and requesting to be called different names for periods of time.

When children insist for long periods that they are a different gender, such as telling adults and children a different name or different pronouns, especially when that is paired with distress over their birth name and pronouns, teachers tend to meet up with parents to discuss their gender further, given they live in a safe household.

For more discussion on this topic, please check out these lovely children’s books!

[hyrule-preschool]

Can’t believe you trans anarchists would use your own experiences to project onto fictional characters in a way that I personally don’t relate to. You may be “Irish” but you’re still WRONG because it is CANON that Link and Zorldo have MANY BEBBIES

/joking, btw. This AU is cute as fuck and that dipface is tripping on the most illegal of substances.

Ugly sobbing rn /lh /pos

[hyrule-preschool]

Ok, now that that's out of the way. Yes, our Link and Zelda don't currently want children and aren't ready to think about that yet. The entire purpose of this AU has always been to reflect our own preschool teaching experiences on to Link, Zelda and our OC children. As two preschool teachers who ALSO don't want children at this time (and I can't speak for Sky, but I have been judged for it!) we think it's important to depict teacher characters who are child free and happy. It has become a stereotype that teachers in media are usually women and usually mothers. We want to break free of that stereotype using our own personal experiences as reference.

If you find this?? Offensive?? I suggest unfollowing this AU

[najikasun]

I agree with Fire entirely - as another childcare worker who does not want children of their own, it can be incredibly demeaning and frustrating to hear comments like the ones Zelda received in the latest comic update! I have been told every single one of those comments to my face and the comic reflects one of the harsher truths of working with children.

I appreciate you dealing with that sudden influx of hate comments, Fire, you da best ❤️

[hyrule-preschool]

I can say as another childcare worker perceived as a women this is incredibly refreshing

Thank you! That means a lot! Solidarity for trans / NB / GNC childcare workers everywhere ❤️

[hyrule-preschool]

You guys seem to be getting some insane hate for an au that's like not at all controversial, I'm so sorry.

It's just one bigoted whackjob as far as I'm aware! But thank you for the support, Anon ❤️ We're just here to vibe and bring you funny kid stories and cheesy Zelink :]

[hyrule-preschool]

Ok, now that that's out of the way. Yes, our Link and Zelda don't currently want children and aren't ready to think about that yet. The entire purpose of this AU has always been to reflect our own preschool teaching experiences on to Link, Zelda and our OC children. As two preschool teachers who ALSO don't want children at this time (and I can't speak for Sky, but I have been judged for it!) we think it's important to depict teacher characters who are child free and happy. It has become a stereotype that teachers in media are usually women and usually mothers. We want to break free of that stereotype using our own personal experiences as reference.

If you find this?? Offensive?? I suggest unfollowing this AU

[hyrule-preschool]

Like I get your trans anarchists or whatever but it's just funny how americans like you are so narcissistic you need everything to reflect you all the time that you'll pretend your projeciton headcanon is the only right and correct one

TRANS ANARCHISTS???

ANON I'M LITERALLY IRISH??

[hyrule-preschool]

I would like this but thinking having followers on tumblr makes your headcanon canon is the most egotistical shit ever. Being popular in a specific corner of the fandom on tumblr doesn't make you an authority and better and more enlightened than everybody else. Also shitting on fanarts and fic authors who depict them with a child because it doesn't align with your personal projection/politics. Hard pass

People IRL: "Hey man what's up?"