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Hello and welcome to the Linked Disability creation event! There will be a list of prompts dedicated to diversifying the cast of Linked Universe. The event will run through the month of July.
There will be 15 main prompts along with some alternate prompts. They are not limited to any specific days in July.
You can combine as many prompts as you want.
There is no deadline.
There is no minimum requirement of creation.
There is no completionist prize.
Writing and art of any media are encouraged.
You do not have to create something new for this event. If you have already created something that fits a prompt, you may share it.
This blog will highlight participants who create their own post and @ the blog. We reserve the right to not reblog entries that we have determined to be excessively insensitive or ableist. Do not let this discourage you from doing your research and branching out! If you're concerned your idea might cross a line, please reach out! We're happy to help guide you in the right direction.
Please reblog this post so the event can gain visibility!
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This year's extra challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to avoid using labels and diagnoses. Try to focus on words that your characters would use for themselves as they navigate their disabilities. Start small and simple, and let your audience connect with their feelings and experiences.
From the entire mod team, thank you to everyone who participated in and supported this event! We have hopes to host it annually with a variety of prompts so everyone can feel seen!
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Linked Universe - jojo56830 (Webcomic)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Linked Universe Links | The Chain & Time
Characters: Time (Linked Universe), Twilight (Linked Universe), Wild (Linked Universe), Linked Universe Links | The Chain
Additional Tags: Nonverbal Communication, Selectively Mute Time (Linked Universe), Post-Wolfie (Linked Universe) Identity Reveal, Time (Linked Universe)-centric, Time (Linked Universe) is a Little Shit, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Dog Jokes
Summary:
Time had been anxious the first time he’d needed to take out his communication book on this new adventure.
~
I wrote this for @linked-disability‘s Linked Universe Disability Pride Month Event, with the prompt “Nonverbal communication”!! :))
For @linked-disability ‘s alternate prompt 1: Rare disease/disorder. I don’t think I can even begin to describe how I felt when I saw PNES listed as an example for this prompt. I just knew I had to make something for it.
PNES (psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, sometimes called functional or dissociative seizures) are seizures that resemble epileptic attacks but are caused by psychological distress instead of abnormal brain activity. They are a form of Functional Neurological Disorder.
It’s a bit difficult to do an art piece that properly showcases PNES, which is why I wrote the fic. But since I’m a visual artist before anything else, I made this animation to go along with it, showcasing what it feels like (for me, at least) to have a PNES seizure. One second it’s daytime, and the next second it isn’t.
Summary: Wild has an episode. His brothers call it a seizure, but Wild disagrees.
Words: 2,414
Art for this fic / AO3
For @linked-disability , alternate prompt 1: Rare diseases/disorders (PNES).
PNES (psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, sometimes called functional or dissociative seizures) are seizures that resemble epileptic attacks but are caused by psychological distress instead of abnormal brain activity. They are a form of Functional Neurological Disorder.
They are not pseudo-seizures.
This fic is based on my own experience with PNES. The information that Wild says about his seizures is the same information that I was given when I was first diagnosed. Unfortunately, that information is blatantly incorrect. Please keep that in mind while reading. (What Four says is correct)
---
Being the designated chef of the group came with some perks: while the others set up camp and argued over whose turn it was for various chores, Wild simply pulled out his cooking pot and started to work on dinner.
Of course, he wasn’t able to skip out on all the chores, but as he watched Wind grumpily follow Sky to find an area to dig their catholes, Wild was glad he was able to miss the more tedious ones.
He hesitated for a moment before pulling the last of his fortified pumpkins out of the slate. Pumpkin stew was always a hit with his brothers, and they hadn’t stayed in a village in days. They could use the boost.
Still, as Wild cut into the pumpkins, he couldn’t help but be upset that he was using the last of his pumpkins. Ever since he first picked up the slate, Wild had made sure to keep it stocked with food and elixir ingredients.
Now, though, his slate was emptier than it had been in years. He was running low on multiple of his essentials; he’d need to restock soon.
He pulled out the Tabantha wheat and began to separate the wheat berries from the stalks, mouth twisting in annoyance as he thought through his inventory.
There were a few things that he could get in the other eras. He had already stocked up on multiple bottles of Lon Lon Milk, courtesy of Malon, and Twilight had already promised him more goat butter the moment they landed in his era. Acorns, eggs. and herbs appeared in every Hyrule, even the traveler’s, and it was easy to hunt for more raw meat.
But the majority of his items were from his era, and even if he could replace them, he didn’t want to. Every time he made dinner for the group, he was sharing a bit of his home with them. If he got the ingredients from other eras, it wouldn’t be the same.
He dumped the pumpkin and wheat berries into the cooking pot. Now, he needed to add… milk? Butter, maybe? No, definitely milk. He had this recipe memorized, right? He had all his recipes memorized. It was milk.
Everything would be fine. They would visit his era soon, and he would refill his slate then. The farmers in Hateno always kept a few of their best crops for him; hopefully that hadn’t changed in the months since he saw them last.
Had it been months since he was last home? It must’ve been. It couldn’t be longer than that, Hylia wouldn’t be that cruel. He would be home soon. He would - he had to be-
Shit, he was burning the pumpkins. Where was his ladle?
He blinked,
and
His head hurt. There was a rock digging into his back. He went to sit up, and a pair of hands quickly rushed forward to steady him.
“Whoa, hold on,” Warriors looked down at him, concerned. “You back with us?”
“Back…?” Wild’s head felt fuzzy.
Wild squinted at the captain for a moment, trying to figure out what that meant. When that didn’t work, he leaned forward to peer over Warriors’ shoulder to look at the rest of the camp.
He was laying on a bedmat near the edge of their campground. Behind Warriors, he could see his brothers standing around the fire and his cooking pot, trying (and failing) to look like they weren’t staring at Wild.
“Can you tell me your name?” The captain asked, gently.
“Which one? Link or Wild?”
Warriors grinned, obviously relieved. “There you are. What’s the-”
Wild stopped listening the moment he saw Hyrule holding his ladle.
“Are you letting Hyrule cook?” Wild asked incredulously, trying to stand up. Pain shot through his head at the movement and he slumped back down into Warriors’ arms.
“Okay, none of that. You need to lay down for a while,” Warriors scolded him.
“But the soup,” Wild complained, “Rulie’s going to burn it, and I don’t have any more pumpkins -”
“He won’t burn it, the pot isn’t even on the fire,” Warriors tried to push him back down, but he resisted, looking at the campfire again.
Oh, his pot wasn’t on the fire, and his slate was on the ground next to it. Good.
Satisfied that his soup wasn’t burning, he flopped back down onto the bedmat. The pain had cleared some of the fuzz from his head, and he was slowly realizing how weird this situation was.
“Wild,” The captain stressed, and Wild realized he should probably be paying attention, “Have you hit your head at all recently? Even if it was just a small bump.”
“Uh, nope.” They were treating Wild like he was injured, but unless he had somehow gotten hurt while he was cooking dinner, he was fine.
Hm. Actually, now that he was thinking about it, this felt weirdly familiar. Underneath the slowly shrinking layer of fuzz in his brain, some kind of alarm was going off; he just wasn’t sure what.
“Do you feel sick? Dehydrated? You’ve been eating, right?” Warriors asked, pressing the back of his hand to Wild’s forehead.
“I’m not sick, I’m not dehydrated, and I was literally just making dinner for us.” Wild waved his hand away. “I feel fine. What’s with all the questions?”
Warriors sat back, clearly unhappy with Wild’s answers. “You had a seizure, Wild.”
Oh.
The last of the fuzz cleared from Wild’s head. The headache, the brain fog, the missing time that he only just realized was missing… he had an episode.
“Oh.” He repeated out loud.
“Oh??” Twilight repeated from where he was pacing next to the fire. “You had a seizure, we used a fairy, and you just -”
“Twilight,“ Time interrupted him. The rancher shut his mouth with an audible click.
Cold shame dripped down Wild’s spine. The others had clearly panicked if they wasted a fairy on him.
“Has this happened before, Wild?”
“Yeah.” Wild shrugged, "If it helps, they’re not really seizures.”
“That was definitely a seizure,” Warriors looked sick. “Do you have- do you know what epilepsy is?”
“I know what epilepsy is,” Wild snapped, a bit insulted. He took a deep breath before continuing, calmer this time, “I don’t have it. Zel- Flora and Purah scanned me. They said there wasn’t any sign of abnormal electrical activity or brain damage. They're not seizures, just something that happens sometimes.”
“This just happens sometimes,” Warriors repeated, voice flat, “And it’s not epilepsy.”
“Yup. That’s what I just said.”
Warriors pinched his nose with a deep sigh, and Wild instantly regretted snapping. He knew the captain wasn’t trying to insult him, but this wasn’t the first time he had been doubted like this and the sharp pain in his head was already testing his patience.
“Why didn’t you tell us about this?”
Wild looked away. Shame continued to wrap around his shoulders.
“…I found a book that talked about pseudoseizures. It said,” Wild hesitated, choosing his words carefully, “It said that talking about pseudoseizures can make them happen more often, so…”
“So you didn’t tell us.” Warriors finished. “That’s…”
“That doesn’t make sense.” Legend interrupted them. Warriors shot him a look, but Legend continued, “No, seriously. How would talking about seizures cause them more often?”
“They’re not real seizures.” Wild snapped. “They‘re pseudoseizures and they happen for attention. If you don’t talk about them, eventually I’ll learn that they don’t work and they’ll stop. You guys should’ve ignored me.”
“When did they start?” Four asked.
Wild clenched his fists in annoyance. He just said that they shouldn’t talk about them, and they were asking more questions.
He considered not answering, but the camp was silent, eight faces staring at him expectantly.
“I don’t know. Sometime during my journey.” He closed his eyes, resting his head against the ground. “I can’t really tell when they happen unless someone tells me, and I didn’t exactly spend a lot of time around people. Flora scanned me a few months after.”
“So they happen when no one’s around?”
Wild opened his eyes, turning towards Four. Their smith’s voice was strangely intense, and his normally gray eyes were rapidly swirling red, violet, green, and blue.
Wild shrugged, voice caught in his throat.
“Then how could they get attention?”
“…What?”
“If they happen when no one’s around, then how could you get attention from them?” Four continued to stare down Wild, eyes swirling faster and faster. “And if not talking about them makes them stop, then why have you dealt with them for so long?”
“I… I don’t…” Wild blinked rapidly, his annoyance quickly burning off into nothing but shame. He didn’t know the answer to those questions.
“In my time,” Four pressed on, “They haven’t been called pseudoseizures in years. They’re psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, and they’re caused by trauma, Wild, not talking.”
Four’s words didn’t make sense for a long moment. The book that Wild read was half destroyed, tucked away in one of the furthest shelves in the castle’s library. Flora wasn’t sure when it was written, let alone if it was even accurate, but it was the only information any of them had found about Wild’s condition.
So despite Flora’s concerns about the book, Wild had just… accepted it. He accepted that he was doing it for attention, even if they felt uncontrollable. He accepted that he needed to push away any thought of them. He accepted that he couldn’t ever talk about the shame he felt whenever he had another one.
“They are real seizures, okay? You’re not doing it for attention.” Four finished, voice going soft. “The next time we’re in my Castletown, I’ll take you to the library. There’s books on it there. I’ve read them.”
”…Thanks,” Wild whispered.
Four’s eyes settled into a pale magenta as he turned away, face turning light pink.
“And you still should’ve told us about it,” Warriors hesitantly broke the silence, “I understand why you didn’t, but if we knew about these in advance, we would’ve known what to do.”
Wild nodded, only half listening. He was still repeating Four’s words in his brain, barely believing them.
Warriors sighed again. He stood up and turned to the group behind him, glaring. “That goes for all of you as well. I better hear about any medical issues well before they become a problem, alright?”
Everyone avoided eye contact as they mumbled in vague agreement.
Warriors’ eye twitched as he turned back to Wild, pointing. “You need to stay here and rest. I see that look on your face, and no, you aren’t cooking either. I know you have enough leftovers in your Slate for one night. We’ll survive.”
Wild grumbled as Warriors walked away. He was fine, really, the only problem was his headache, and even that would be gone soon. He didn’t even have his slate to entertain himself.
He looked around the camp, debating on whether or not he could sneak away. The others were too high strung for him to slip away easily, especially without his stealth armor, but the treeline was pretty close…
He started shifting his weight to make a break for it.
As if he could hear his thoughts, Warriors spun around from where he was poking at the slate, glaring.
“Wild.” He threatened.
Wild threw his hands up, pretending to be innocent. “I’m not doing anything!”
Warriors raised one eyebrow.
“…I’m thirsty,” Wild tried instead. “You have all my stuff.”
“Here!” Wind rushed forward with a water skin. Hyrule was only a step behind him.
Knowing that Warriors was watching him, Wild took the water from Wind and drank some.
“Thanks, Wind.” He tried to not sound disappointed.
Wind and Hyrule both plopped themselves down in front of Wild, and he groaned internally. He might’ve been able to convince Hyrule to run off and explore with him, but Wind actually listened to Warriors.
He handed the water skin back to Wind, and accepted his boring fate.
“You called yourself Dink.”
”Uh, what?” Wild asked Wind.
“You called yourself Dink,” Wind repeated, “When Wars first asked. You said your name was Dink.”
“Huh. I don’t remember that.”
Wind shrugged. “You were pretty out of it.”
It was quiet again. Wild watched as Wars struggled with his slate, poking it and squinting.
”What does it feel like?” Hyrule suddenly asked.
“What does what feel like?”
“You know.” Hyrule waved his hand. “The seizures.”
Wild’s first instinct was to shut the conversation down, but… Well, if what Four said was true, then he didn’t need to stay quiet about it anymore.
Wind and Hyrule were looking at him, faces open and bright. There wasn’t any judgement, no sign that they thought he was strange or weak. They were just curious.
Wild took a moment longer to think about it. He had never explained it out loud, and it took him some time to gather the words he needed.
When he did start, it was slow and hesitant.
“It’s like blinking.” The words became more confident as he spoke. “One moment I’m doing something, I blink, and I’m on the floor. I don’t even realize that time has passed. If my head didn’t hurt, I wouldn’t even be able to tell they happened at all.”
He smiled slightly. “I don’t remember right before or after the seizures. Apparently, one time, I stood up and pointed at the sky before seizing. Purah thought I was possessed.”
Wind snorted. “Trust me, you’d know if you were possessed. Ghosts aren’t exactly subtle about it.”
“…You sound like you have experience?” Hyrule asked, both concerned and amused.
As Wind launched into an overdramatic retelling of his experiences with possession, Wild felt something in his chest loosen.
He had spoken about it, and nothing horrible happened. He hadn’t had another episode and his brothers weren’t looking at him any differently. In fact, Wild was pretty sure they were trying to cheer him up.
Hyrule burst into laughter as Wind accidentally smacked himself in the face with a particularly dramatic gesture, and Wild felt warm. He reached an arm out to pull their youngest hero closer to him, ruffling his hair along the way.
Wind sputtered but accepted the impromptu hug, even when Hyrule launched himself against them and shoved them into a pile on the ground, still laughing.
“Does it count as possession if I’m just hosting a part of their soul in me? Because I might be possessed.”
“Wild, what?”
@linked-disability Prompt 2 - Non-verbal communication
This is part of an event for disability pride month. There are several prompts to encourage diversity and representation of disabilities in Linked universe
To @starwolfie Thank you for being such an amazing friend. Thanks for giving me the idea for this fic. Thank you for helping with injuries
Summary: Hyrule and Legend are stranded on a mountaintop. When Hyrule is injured during a fight, Legend must push past his own injuries to get them both to safety.
Hyrule hid a smile as Legend snuggled closer to him. For all Legend had said that the cold didn’t bother him, he sure acted cold. Snuggling close and holding his fire rod to keep his hands warm, though Hyrule was sure Legend would deny it if questioned. He would probably say that he was just holding the rod to feed it magic, even though that was obviously false.
It was odd how the other fae could lie. Not for the first time, Hyrule wondered what kind of fae Legend was exactly, though he didn’t dare ask. Legend seemed to get defensive about any questions in that regard.
Hyrule was distracted from his thoughts when he felt a magic outside of their cave. He couldn’t tell what exactly was out there, but experience had taught him long ago to be prepared. Reluctantly, he pulled away from Legend. “Something’s outside.” Hyrule signed. He knew that Legend preferred sign language in general and it was easier for him as well.
Legend nodded and they both got to their feet. Hyrule pulled out his sword and shield before making a gesture for Legend to stay. The other teen frowned but once again nodded.
Hyrule crept towards the opening of the cave. The blizzard had cleared up since they’d arrived but the cold air still bit his nose. Hyrule was once again thankful for the coat Legend had let him borrow. He hatted how cold this land was, he wasn’t used to it.
At first glance, he didn't see anything. He narrowed his eyes. He could still sense the magic nearby, there had to be something. He supposed it could be invis---
Hyrule barely had time to throw up a shield spell before he was surrounded by snapping teeth, slashing claws and biting teeth. As Hyrule’s heart rate increased and his breath became heavy, he felt his throat closing up. Even if he wanted to he wasn’t sure he could call for Legend. Not for the first time, he was glad that War’s had insisted on giving them whistles so they could signal the others easier. He’d thought it was ridiculous at the time, but it was certainly turning out to be useful.
Finally the flurry of attacks ended and Hyrule could see what he was facing. A pack of white wolfos circled the outside of the cave. His eyes widened when he saw the leaders. They were at least 3 times bigger then an average wolfos. Their fur glistened in the starlight, highlighting the blood frozen there. Hyrule wondered if it was theirs or their prey. He tightened his hands around his sword. He could make this work.
Hyrule smiled when Legend joined him. Hyrule summoned fire to his bland and together they took on their icy foes. For all their number, the smaller wolfos fell fairly easily. His sword met little resistance when slashing through them. The beasts would fall apart into a pile of snow allowing him to focus on the next one.
Neither of them had gotten to the larger wolfos, but they were making good progress with the rest. The larger ones always stayed just out of the fight. Hyrule could have sworn they were smirking at him. Well, they were almost done and it would be their turn.
Hyrule grinned as Legend’s rod took out two wolfos at once. His smile faded once the larger beasts began to howl.
The snow around them began to rise. It spun in the air, forming mini twisters. Soon the flurries dissipated, revealing more icy wolfos in their place. Hyrule inwardly cursed. He should have known better than to focus on the minions. It was never that easy.
Hyrule once again had to throw up a shield to protect himself from an onslaught of claws and teeth. Remembering what Warrrior had been teaching him, Hyrule gathered energy into his blade. Soon it crackled with flames, and Hyrule unleashed it upon his foes. He watched in delight as they fell away. He’d never had a chance to use the new move on actual enemies, so it was accelerating to see it work so effectively.
With the wolfos around him gone, Hyrule turned to help Legend. Hyrule hated how his red tunic hid his injuries so well. He couldn’t see how the other was faring until after the fight. If he had faced the same attack Hyrule had, he might be in trouble. The fairy in him shuttered at the thought.
However, when Legend saw Hyrule coming he shook his head violently and pointed at the larger wolfos. Hyrule knew he was right, that didn’t mean he had to like it. With some reluctance he turned from his friend and charged the three. One of them stepped forward, slashing with a giant paw. Hyrule rolled under it and stabbed upward. Unlike their smaller counterparts, their skin was thick. His blade barely grazed its skin. Despite this the monster roared.
Hyrule rolled out from under it, barely avoiding being kicked in the process. The beast lunged forward to bite, causing Hyrule to go on the defensive. One of the other beast also came forward, making it extremely difficult to get a hit in. It was all he could do to avoid the attacks.
At last he saw an opening and took it. He jumped high into the air and plunged downward, his sword sinking into the back of the beasts. It screamed and the fur on it’s back stood on end. Hyrule hardly had time to celebrate before icicles shot off it’s back. They pierced his skin with enough force to send me falling heavily to the ground.
Hyrule gasped for air where he lay. Panic filled his mind. He was bleeding. He needed to stop that or more monsters would come. Some part of him knew they were in a different land, so it wasn’t an issue, but the panic was so ingrained it was impossible to ignore.
His mind screamed at him to move. The giant wolfos was turning. It would attack at any second. But he could do nothing but gasp for air. He stared up in horror at the approaching jaws. At least his land would be safe if he was eaten by wolfos in another.
Hyrule felt Legend’s magic surround him. Everything surrounding him slowed. The wolfos in front of him stood hardly moving. The jaws above him were closely so impossibly it was hardly noticeable.. He got a good view of their teeth, the slober hanging off its tongue, and then Hyrule felt the magic start to pull. He recognized this spell, he used warp spells plenty of times. He barely had time to wonder how Legend could do such a spell from a distance before he was shifted.
Hyrule landed in the snow some distance away. He didn’t see any wolfos around him. But he could see Legend facing down the Wolfos like the Hero of Legend he was. Hyrule watched in equal parts horror and awe as Legend sent flames down the monster’s throat. A cloud of steam exploded from its body, momentarily blocking his view.
Finally able to breath, Hyrule sat up as the scene continued to unfold. Several things happened at once. The beast in front of Legend seemed to collapse inward and downwards, leaving nothing but a shriveled corpse. One of the other wolfos howled and smaller wolfos appeared around Legend. The third wolfos started after Legend, forcing the hero on the retreat even as the others began circling
Hyrule stood and started running forward. There was no way Legend could face off against so many on his own. In his heart, he knew he wouldn’t make it in time. He still felt the vice around his throat and tongue; he couldn’t even call his name.
The smaller wolfos jumped and became a blizzard around Legend. Hyrule could barely see Legend’s red tunic through it. Hyrule thought he saw a glow for a moment, but it was snuffed out when the wolfos reached into the cloud and batted Legend across the snow, worryingly close to the cliff face. Legend rolled his to soften the landing and was on his feet in a moment. Hyrule was momentarily impressed with how fast he recovered.
The smaller wolfos followed him. Hyrule grabbed his whistle and blew it trying to warn Legend. Legend turned to look his way and was tackled by a wolfos.. Together, the wolfos and Legend fell off the cliff.
Hyrule froze for a moment, unable to process what he had seen. Legend couldn’t turn into a fairy like he could. He couldn’t fly. He wasn’t Sky or Wild, he didn’t have a sailcloth or a glider to slow his fall. Hyrule tried to think through Legend’s items. He couldn’t think of one that could save him from a fall like that. His eyes filled with tears.
When the wolfos turned their attention back to him, his grief turned to anger. Gold flickered around his peripheral as he thought about how he’d never see his brother alive again. Blood roared through his ears. He raised a hand and snapped.
Lighting split the sky. Small wolfos evaporated. Another large beast fell. With a cry of pure rage, Hyrule started after the others. The smaller wolfos tried to surround him, but his magical flames consumed them with ease. Steam engulfed him but Hyrule ignored it all, focusing only on the remaining large wolfos. They had killed Legend; he would destroy them for it. He didn’t care how much energy it would take. He ignored the weariness that was sinking into his bones.
The last wolfos glanced at him and then jumped off the cliff. Ice jutted out of the snow making steps that only lasted long enough for it to leap to the next one. Hyrule screamed in frustration that his prey had gotten away. And then the realization hit him. Legend was down there. It was going after his body. It was going to feast on his flesh. The very thought made his blood boil.
Somewhere, he knew he didn’t have enough magic to reach the bottom safely. He found he didn’t care. He leap from the cliff-face. He closed his eyes and gathered his remaining magic to shape his body into that of a fairy.
As someone currently recovering from anorexia, I wanted to try my hand at this prompt✨
This is such a cool initiative happening this month, those of you who don’t know about it should totally check it out! <3
Wild makes some delicious stew, and everyone’s enjoying it- until Legend realizes Rule hasn’t eaten in days.
Ficlet under cut!
Warmth. That was the word to describe much of Wild’s cooking- warmth.
He grinned and spooned a mouthful of stew in his mouth, making sure it was just right before handing the spoon to Time to try.
“Mm, that’s very nice, Hero of the Wild.” Time acknowledged, handing the spoon back to him. “Perhaps your best one yet.”
Wild smiled and began serving up nine wooden bowls with spoons, all hand-carved by Sky. “Dinner’s ready!” He called over his shoulder, and everyone stopped what they were doing and rushed over to Wild and Time.
“Thanks!” Wind said chirpily, taking a bowl and heading to the base of a tree to eat it at.
“Thank the Goddess you’ve recovered.” Warriors said with a quiet chuckle. “I was starting to miss your stew.”
Wild blinked. “Recovered from wh- oh, yeah.” He chuckled and held up his hand, curling his fingers toward his palm and extending them again. “I forgot.”
“How can you just ‘forget’”? Twilight asked, tipping his head back and letting the broth warm his throat. “It wasn’t exactly a minor injury.”
Wild laughed awkwardly. “It’s just not something I think about.” He glanced back down at the log that the bowls of stew had been balanced on. One bowl was left. “Hey, who didn’t get some?”
They all turned toward each other. “Not me,” They all echoed.
“Wait, where’s the traveler?” Sky asked, looking around the clearing.
“Over here,” a voice called from behind a tree.
Wild scooped up the remaining bowl and carried it over to him. “Here you are,” he said cheerfully, holding it out for him to accept.
“Oh, no thanks.” He said shaking his head. “I’m not hungry.”
Wild shrugged and walked back towards the group, dumping the contents of Rule’s bowl into his. “His loss!” He said before downing the thing.
Legend stared into his bowl, his eyes squinting as he tried to recall something. Slow realization crossed his eyes, and he quietly set his spoon in his bowl and went around the tree to where Rule was still sitting, sketching a flower in front of him.
“Hey,” He said, making Rule look up. “You need to eat.” He held out his bowl. “C’mon.”
Rule shook his head. “No, I’m-“
Legend took a step farther. “Come on. You need to.”
Rule froze, staring at the warm bowl of savory-smelling stew. He shook his head. “I already said I wasn’t hungry.”
Legend stooped down and blinked slowly. “Listen. I know you haven’t been eating. Why, I have no idea, but you need to.” He set the bowl down beside him, nudging it closer to Rule’s leg. “Come on.”
Rule sighed and picked up the spoon, dipping it in the steaming bowl and bringing the smallest helping of broth to his mouth.
“There, happy?” He said, irritated now as he dropped the spoon back in the bowl.
“Why won’t you eat?!” Legend snapped, his brow furrowed. “Stop being such a child!”
Rule scoffed and motioned to himself. “Look at me. Do you really need to ask?!”
Something dawned in Legend eyes- a slow, careful glint that shone off comprehension. “You think you’re overweight.” His voice was gentle now.
Rule scowled. “Isn’t it obvious? You can go away now.” He stood up to leave himself, but Legend grabbed his arm.
“Traveler, look, you’re not overweight. I’m being sincere.” Worry flashed in his gaze. “Trust me. Just eat something.”
Rule hesitated. He avoided Legend’s eyes and sighed again. “Fine. Just a bit.”
although people with monocular vision (only one eye) can still perceive depth and distance, it’s less accurate than people with binocular vision (and especially with close objects)
time probably doesn’t struggle with this as much as he would’ve when he first lost his vision, but this isn’t the first egg he’s lost and it won’t be the last. he’ll have occasional issues like this for the rest of his life, and it’s extra difficult since he lost his eye relatively recently (every time jojo draws him as a young adult he has both eyes, so it happened in the past 5-10 years)
all of the posts that i’ve made for the linked disability event so far have been about things that i or a family member experience. legend’s joint pain is from me, four’s migraines are based largely on my brother, and time’s depth perception is my dad!
this comic actually is based on a somewhat common occurrence in my house: my dad was born blind in one eye, and although he says it doesn’t affect his day-to-day life in huge ways, it does mean that he has to pay more attention when cracking eggs.
time would probably experience more problems than my dad, but ultimately monocular vision is something that the brain can adapt to! time will just need to be more mindful, and probably relearn some things about fighting.
i have a couple more little comics that i want to make inspired by situations with my dad (my siblings and i loved to mess with him and i know the chain would 100% do the same) but no promises on those lol
although not everyone with migraine experience auras, they’re pretty common! they’re basically warning signs for migraines. the most common type of aura is visual, but there are also sensory auras (typically tingling/numbness spreading across part of the body) and aphasic auras (difficulty with speech and talking).
visual auras are temporary visual disturbances that happen before (and sometimes during) a migraine. they can be blurred vision, bright colors, flashes of light, or other similar things. visual auras are seen in both eyes.
retinal migraines (sometimes called ocular migraines) are a much rarer type of migraine where someone experiences temporary visual disturbances and vision loss in only one eye. the pain of a retinal migraine is usually felt right behind the affected eye, and can happen before, during, or after the vision loss. retinal migraines are typically shorter than other migraine types.
it’s kind of hard to visualize migraines in a drawing, so i went with the easiest option of literal visual migraines. plus i experience them!
migraine runs in my family, but i mostly get silent retinal migraines (silent = no headache, just the other symptoms). they’re definitely weird and stressful, but i consider myself much luckier than my other family members who end up bedbound when they get hit with a migraine. they’re also fairly rare for me and are just a sign that i haven’t been taking care of myself properly (lack of sleep + eye fatigue are the biggest factors).
my migraine experience is usually a growing black spot with chromatic aberration, but my brother sees colorful jagged lines as his aura! i combined both of these and then stylized it to make this piece. this is definitely much more dramatic than any aura in real life, but i think it looks pretty cool :) i also added static and a grain texture over the entire thing because my vision gets a bit grainy. this piece was super fun :)
(and yes i’m being stereotypical and drawing four with a migraine, but it just works so well and especially with the colors in an aura so i’m not sorry)
Summary: Legend has a headache, but it's really not that big of a deal. Malon thinks otherwise.
Words: 480
AO3
Please reblog to show your support, likes do nothing on their own! Do not reblog to communities.
It was one of those days. Legend woke up and the sun was too bright, his brothers’ snoring was too loud. His head hurt, and he pinched the bridge of his nose until the pain receded far enough that he could stand. Hopefully breakfast would make him feel better.
It didn’t, of course. If anything he felt worse, surrounded by smell and sound and people and food. He ate mindlessly, only growing more nauseous until he gave up and went back upstairs. There were plenty of chores around the ranch, but plenty of people to handle them; nobody would miss him if he didn’t volunteer.
He slunk back to the guest bedroom, closed the curtains and slipped into his sleeping bag. He wasn’t planning on going back to sleep- that would be stupid, the day had barely started. He just needed a few minutes to shake this headache, and a dark, quiet corner always seemed to do the trick…
Somebody knocked on the door, a sensation comparable to a hammer smashing his skull. Malon’s distinct voice followed. “Legend, are you in here? Lunch is downstairs if you want it.”
Legend pushed himself upright, his head screaming at the movement. The sun was bright behind the curtains; he had fallen asleep. Dammit. He dug his fingers into his temples, trying to eradicate the feeling that his brain itself was being squeezed. Momentary relief got him standing and to the door, where Malon was still waiting.
“Hey, Legend,” she said, then got a good look at his wincing face. “You feeling alright?”
“Headache,” Legend mumbled, and Malon tutted at him.
“Well that’s no good. Anything I can do for you?”
Legend blinked. “No? I mean, all I ever do is lay down somewhere dark and quiet. Sometimes I sleep for a few hours, sometimes I throw up from the pain, but it goes away eventually.”
“And how often do you get these headaches?” Malon asked slowly.
“I dunno, a few times a month?” Legend said with a shrug.
“Nayru have mercy,” Malon muttered. “Hon, those are migraines. There’s better things you can do than just sleep it off, okay?”
“They’re not that bad,” Legend grumbled.
“Not that bad?” Malon counted on her fingers, “Legend, you’re sensitive to light and sound, the pain makes you sick, and they’re chronic. Call it what you like but this isn’t some small thing.”
All Legend could say was “Oh.”
Malon put her hand on Legend’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “Now, let’s start with a cold cloth for your face and some tea. You let me know what works, and keep it in mind for next time. And next time you find a potion shop, ask if they can brew something up for you so the migraines don’t get so bad in the first place.”
“I- thanks, Malon.”
“Don’t mention it, hon. I just want you all feeling your best.”
******
Thanks for reading! If you read all the way through, don't forget to reblog! 💜
the best part about being an artist is that i’m able to draw characters suffering from the same exact issues as me.
and so, because my own joint pain has been flaring up, here’s a very self-indulgent drawing of legend wrapped in kinosio tape!
i took a lot of inspiration from risograph printing for this, which means i only used 3 colors on separate layers to make this. i think the individual color layers look pretty cool, so here they are :)
After his torture by the dregs of the Zantian partisans, Twilight doesn't want to talk to or deal with anyone on the crew while he feels contaminated by what they did to him. Because of that, an unexpected stop is made on Twili's sister-planet Ordon, one Twilight never would've asked them for: he's not so sick he needs to go home like a child.
Rated G, brief self-harm urges and some self-loathing about a mildly body horror side-effect he's dealing with. Follow-up fic to Star Star in the main series.
The tumblr masterpost for Linked Nexus is here.
This fic also pulls on stuff I worked out about the Twilight Princess Rebellion, analyzed here if anyone wants it.
(Belatedly ETA @linked-disability entry for "Community Support" to this, because while that wasn't the intention it really wound up being a major focus of the fic with Twilight's light allergy in this AU, huh?)
No one - except Wind and Wild, the former of which was used to the humidity and the latter of which just didn't seem to care - was fond of the humid parts of Wild's lands, be it the hotter Faron Region, or the cooler Lanayru Wetlands where they were right now, but Legend had a special sort of distaste for it.
The humidity made him hurt.
And an oncoming storm was only going to make it worse.
AKA I inflict Legend with my chronic pain issues and hand Time some mild arthritis as a treat. Half the group gets to do some crazy climbing to shelter under a tower (RIP to those guys), and the rest of the gang gets to shelter under a shrine.
Written for @linked-disability
Also here on ao3
Walking through the portal, the group was hit with what felt like a wall of thick, cool air. There was a chorus of groans.
“Oh, joy,” Legend said with a scowl.
Warriors looked torn between taking off his scarf and pulling it closer to his neck. The air here wasn't just wet, but also chilly. An annoying combination to say the least.
“It's so humid here,” Four bemoaned, pushing his headband up a little higher to keep more hair out of his face so it wouldn't cling to his cheeks. His skin was already looking damp as the breeze blew moisture against them.
“It's not that bad,” Wind said.
“You live in an ocean world. You never think humidity is that bad,” Four retorted.
No one - except Wind and Wild, the former of which was used to the humidity and the latter of which just didn't seem to care - was fond of the humid parts of Wild's lands, be it the hotter Faron Region, or the cooler Lanayru Wetlands where they were right now, but Legend had a special sort of distaste for it.
The humidity made him hurt.
Already, as they began to walk down a sloped path in the direction of the river, Wild leading the way and promising to get them out of the area and to the Trillby Plains, he could feel a soreness starting to form in his fingers and knees. It would no doubt soon become full-body aches. If only they could stop just long enough for him to make some tea…
But the sooner they could leave the area, the better.
He withheld a groan, the sound coming out more like a grunt of air as the path steepened a little, each step jolting up his legs. The pain was coming on even faster than usual, and worse than usual too. He couldn't even help the continuous, nonverbal grunts each time the ground dipped and his step dropped a little lower. He was glad the sound of footsteps seemed to cover it.
“Wild,” he said after a couple of minutes. “Is there rain coming?”
That was one of the nifty parts of Wild's Sheikah Slate - it somehow knew what the oncoming weather was.
Wild pulled out his Slate to check. “Oh! Oh. Thunderstorm, actually. How do you always know?”
“Magic,” he said through gritted teeth.
“We're not going to be able to get out of the area before the storm hits,” Wild said, a small frown tugging at his lips.
At that, everyone with armor started stripping it off, and weapons and shields that weren't wooden were put away. Thunderstorms in this era came with lightning; lightning that was very fond of anything metal. It made everyone uneasy, not having their usual weapons out, but getting fried wasn't worth the risk. Wild had made that very clear the first time a thunderstorm had rolled in while they were in his time, and honestly, Legend hadn’t wanted to get struck by lightning again if he could avoid it.
Begrudgingly, he slipped his rings off, save for the Green Holy ring, having to fight yanking them off a little more with his fingers swelling. He rubbed at his hands and looked at the champion, who was studying his map as thunder started to rumble in the distance before turning around and weaving through the group.
“We're going back?”
“We won't outpace the storm if we keep going that way, and there's nothing close enough in that direction to shelter anyone. There's a shrine not too far behind us, and…” Wild tossed a glance over his shoulder. “And a tower pretty close to that, since not everyone would be able to fit under the shrine's overhang. But uh, there's gonna be a lot of climbing to get to the tower.”
“We know you have to climb the towers, Wild, you don't have to warn us,” Sky said.
“No, there's a lot of climbing to get to the tower,” Wild repeated. “Hard climbing.”
He turned to scan the group, walking backwards as he did so, and Legend looked over everyone as well.
Hyrule and Warriors weren't very good when it came to climbing. Legend wasn't either, even when he wasn't hurting so badly.
Wind was a fine climber, so was Twilight; he'd be even faster with his clawshots once they reached the tower itself. Sky was alright, low stamina aside, but he'd seen platforms dotting the sides of every tower they'd ever passed while in Wild's era. Plus, the champion had stamina elixirs for anything else. Four had a grip ring that helped him climb like a pro that he'd proudly shown off once on one of Wild's towers just for fun, and everyone knew Wild himself was a climbing beast as long as the surface was dry.
Time never seemed to have too much trouble climbing either, so Legend was surprised when he said, “If it's all the same to you, I'll stick to the ground level group.”
Wild nodded. “That's fine. Hyrule, Wars, Legend, and you should all fit alright under the shrine's overhang. It'll be a bit of a squeeze, but I think you guys can manage. It's on the way to the tower, so we can drop you off there, and I'll lead the rest of you guys to the tower.”
The pace was picked up as the sky slowly darkened, Wild continuing to glance at his Slate to make sure the group would make it in time.
“Down here,” he said, sliding down a short, rocky ledge to where the shrine waited. Everyone followed him down, Legend biting his lip as his boots hit the ground.
“The rest of us go over that bridge.” Wild pointed to a small bridge with two intricate-looking watchtowers next to it, stone tips glowing a faint cyan. “Almost everything from there onwards is climbing. Good thing the monsters in this area were cleared out, or getting up there would be an even bigger pain.”
Pulling out his longhook, Legend handed it over to Wild. “Just in case.”
They had long ago found a workaround for areas where there was no choice but to climb. It was convoluted and slow-going, but it worked as long as there were enough landings big enough for a person to stand. Wild would climb up to an area where he could stand and then switch out with someone below who couldn't climb. He'd climb up again, past that break point and to another, then switch again. Rinse and repeat until they reach the top.
It was a good thing the champion seemed to enjoy climbing, because he sometimes had to do it for more than one person.
“Thanks,” Wild said before leaping off the ledge and paragliding to the ground below, waving an arm. “Pick up the pace, guys! We gotta beat the rain!”
The others made use of what they had - Roc’s Feather, Sailcloth, and Deku Leaf - to safely and quickly reach the ground. Twilight opted for four paws and a lower center of gravity to traverse the bumpy rocks down to the ground. He nudged Four and ducked down when he reached the bottom, who huffed in annoyance but climbed aboard, leaning his torso flat against the wolf’s back and getting a good grip before Twilight took off at a faster pace, the others jogging as another rumble of thunder filled the air. Legend watched Wild hand Sky a bottle as they crossed the bridge before grabbing Twilight by the ear and yanking him down to his height long enough to tie a bandana around his head.
Eventually, the group disappeared around the corner of a cliff. Still, the four left behind - Legend, Time, Warriors, and Hyrule - stayed at the ledge and watched, waiting to see the group appear at the top of that cliff.
“There really is a lot of hard climbing, huh?” Warriors remarked. Legend nodded.
The small figure of Four appeared at the rocky, sloped top in no time - oh, how jealous Legend was of that grip ring - but he peered down, something in hand.
The longhook, Legend realized, as Sky appeared at the top in Four's place. Seemed they'd decided to have the faster climbers swap with the slower ones to shave off a bit of time.
“Catch!” Four's shout carried across the small valley.
“Got it!” Wild called. Moments later, he clambered over the top, leaned over the edge, longhook in hand. Had he caught that while climbing? The champion traded places with Twilight, their other slower climber. Legend may not have been great at climbing - in truth, his arm strength wasn't superb, and he just wasn't great at finding purchase on walls - but even he knew the way the rancher climbed was outright weird. It worked, sure, but it was slow and looked absolutely ridiculous.
Wind reached the top just a few moments before Four got there a second time, Wild right behind him. Twilight and Sky had already gotten a start on the next cliff. This one at least had a platform not far off from the group, enabling an even faster swap out as Wild practically jumped his way up the cliff towards the rock jutting out. Wind had just gotten started, so it seemed the champion opted to swap with him. When Four reached the top, he offered a hand to help Sky up to the platform while Wind sat on the ground behind him, arms around Four's torso for stability. Four's strength never failed to amaze Legend, but he supposed one needed to be pretty strong to be a smith. The three stooped low and careful on the sharply angled platform to keep from sliding off, then worked together to hoist Twilight up and out of the way so Wild had room to join them.
Idly massaging his fingers, Legend didn't envy the climbing group at all. It looked like tough work, and they still had one more short cliff face to climb, plus a whole tower after that.
The group made their way up, helping each other along, before disappearing out of sight, leaving those by the shrine with nothing to look at but massive, curved bones jutting up from the ground and dark, rumbling skies.
“Do you think they'll make it before the rain starts?” Hyrule asked.
“Worst case scenario, Wild warps them,” Warriors said, and everyone in the group made a face - even Time seemed to wince a little. There was nothing comfortable about having one's entire being unwoven and rebuilt in another location. Wild said it didn't feel all that weird to him, and Legend suspected his one-hundred-year-long soak in the “Sheikah juice”, as the champion called it, had something to do with it.
“Maybe his body is more conductive to their warp technology,” Four had once theorized, and Legend was inclined to agree.
It took longer than expected to see Wild stand up on one of the lower platforms of the towers. Were there monsters up there? A smaller cliff to climb that they couldn't see from their angle?
Whatever had slowed them wasn't an issue anymore as they resumed their pattern of teamwork-climbing, steadily making their way up the tower.
Legend flinched as something cold and wet hit his nose.
“Uh-oh,” Hyrule murmured.
Everyone on the ground began to hold hands over their eyes to shield them from the occasional drops to keep an eye on the tower. Twilight pulled himself up with his clawshots, and Four disappeared up the hole behind him and onto the tower's platform, out of view. A moment later, Wind vanished and Wild appeared in his place. Everyone but Wild and Sky were on the platform now, but the rain was picking up, forcing everyone at the shrine to back inside, out of the water.
Though they were just tiny figures, getting blurrier through the rainfall, they could still make out Wild doing his best to climb up the last stretch of the tower, but he slid back down, and Sky reached to steady him. Wild made a lot of gestures, pointing up - probably trying to convince Sky that warping up there was a lot better in the long run than staying in the pouring rain, if Legend had to guess - before the two crowded together and disappeared in a faint blue wisp of light.
“Poor Sky,” Hyrule said.
“He'll survive,” Legend replied, trying to back a little further out of the rain. The wall of the shrine was cold, damp from the humidity, and awkwardly curved against his back. It didn't take long for him to sink to the ground, tugging his legs as tightly to his chest as he could. Time followed suit not long after, while Hyrule and Warriors opted to stay standing for now.
“You're in pain,” Warriors commented, and everyone's attention swung to him, some to see who he was talking about, and Legend to give him a glare for noticing and mentioning it. But his next sentence surprised the veteran. “Both of you are.” Both? “Legend, you keep rubbing your hands and shifting and grimacing. Time, you were putting less weight on your left leg while walking.”
“Are you guys hurt?” Hyrule said, hands raised at the ready.
“Not an injury,” Legend assured him, giving a quick, sour look at Warriors. “I just… get achy sometimes.” To ease concern, he quickly added a fib. “Only when it gets stormy.”
Warriors glanced just past Legend's head and let out the tiniest scoff. The veteran's eyes narrowed before he decided to turn his attention to Time. He hadn't been paying enough attention, distracted by his own sore body, to notice Time's troubles.
“What's your deal?” he asked.
Time sighed. “My knees act up on occasion. Left one especially. Guess it comes with age.”
“You really do your best to live up to the nickname, huh, ‘old man'?” Hyrule remarked with a crooked smile while Legend dug into his bag.
Time chuckled. “Guess so.”
“Here, try this.” Legend held his Fire Rod out past Hyrule and towards Time.
The man reached for it, then hesitated. “What about you?”
“I'm going to try my Ice Rod. Which one helps - cold or heat - depends on the day. If these don't work, we can swap,” Legend said.
“And if only one works for both of us?” Time questioned.
“We'll cross that bridge if we come to it.”
The man sighed and accepted the Fire Rod. Legend took out his Ice Rod and did his best to tamp down the chilly temperature with his magic. He knew, with this sort of weather, with this sensation in his fingers, that heat would soothe the stiffness and pain, whereas cold would probably just make it worse.
That was likely the case for Time, too. If he was wrong, and Time wanted to swap, that would be ideal, but if not… Well, Legend had a feeling the only way the old man would accept the help was if Legend insisted he had other options.
Sneaking a glance over at Time, he could see the way the man slowly seemed to relax as he pressed the warmth to his troublesome knees.
He discreetly adjusted his grip on the Ice Rod, lifting the few fingers that were out of view of the others off just enough so they wouldn't be directly on the rod, though the weapon seemed to radiate a cool sensation into the air an inch or two around it. The sky lit up, and Hyrule “oohed” over the lightning before a particularly loud boom of thunder resounded in the air. Legend flinched, hands tightening on the Ice Rod before quickly loosening them again. Even so, as fingers of lightning spread across the sky again, he couldn't help but tense. Lightning always put him on edge, and while low rolls of thunder didn't bother him too much, sudden, loud claps of it made him feel rattled.
“How's yours doing?” Time asked without saying anything about how the rod helped him, which meant he was planning to swap if the Ice Rod wasn't helping Legend, even if the Fire Rod was helping Time.
Stubborn old man.
“Just what I needed,” he lied smoothly. “Guess it's an ice kind of day. How about you?”
“It's helping,” Time admitted. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Though his fingers were cold, the side of his head was burning; a glance across the shrine's small cove showed Warriors staring at him. Why? Did he somehow know?
But if anyone would catch him on his bluff, it would be him, wouldn't it? As much as he ragged on the captain, he loved him, but love did not stop Legend from being driven up the wall by several things about him.
First and foremost was how observant he was. Was it too much to ask to remain unperceived? If he wanted to lie about his well-being, that was his choice, and the captain could keep his perfectly shaped nose out of it.
Thankfully, if Warriors knew, he didn't call him out. However, after a few beats, he said, “I've heard that swapping between cold and hot can help pain.” The man said it casually as he leaned against the wall, eyes moving to Hyrule. “Hyrule, you have a candle, right?”
“It doesn't provide a whole lot of heat, though,” Hyrule said as he rummaged in his bag and pulled it out.
“But enough to cup hands around, right?” Warriors gaze swung over to Legend pointedly.
“Oh, yeah! I'd think so,” Hyrule said. “It's kept my hands warm plenty of nights in the past.”
In a battle of stubborn wills, Legend stared at Warriors, and Warriors stared back at him, quirking a sharp brow.
“Pass it over,” Legend said, putting his Ice Rod away. “I guess I'll give it a go.” Just to make it clear he was definitely unsure about this whole thing and was totally, absolutely fine using just the Ice Rod, he added, “But if this makes it all worse, you have to give me a hand massage.”
“Okay,” Hyrule said.
“I was talking to the captain.”
“Oh, right.”
Legend took the candle and carefully propped the flat disk between his knees, then cupped his fingers around the flame. He tried to keep his breath of relief from being too obvious.
After a few minutes had passed, he realized he should probably say something. “I don't think it's making it worse. How long should I use heat for? Do I swap back to cold later?”
“I'm not sure,” Warriors said, and Legend couldn't decide if he was telling the truth or not. “I suppose you'll just have to listen to your body and decide.”
He rolled his eyes with a huff, but he didn't mind the answer. Any excuse to keep the heat a while longer was good enough for him… though he'd probably have to give in and switch back to the Ice Rod at some point if he was going to maintain the facade. Unless he could pretend the ice and heat were helping equally.
If only the warmth of the candle hit his knees better. And his calves, and ankles, and elbows, and-
No use dwelling on it, he thought, resting his head on the wall. Even with his eyes closed, he could tell when lightning flashed through the skies, and he couldn't help but tense a little each time, anticipating the next sound of thunder. But as each rumble remained just that, he relaxed a little.
Until another crash shook the ground and he jerked, the candle tipping between his legs. With a curse, he made a move to grab it as it tumbled, but yanked his hands back with a hiss as the flame licked at his fingertips. The candle hit the ground, and Hyrule quickly righted it, moving it aside, before reaching over for Legend's hands.
“Did you burn your fingers?”
“I'm fine,” Legend said, pulling his hands away.
Stubborn, Hyrule stretched across him and grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands back towards him to investigate. “You burned yourself.”
He pulled them away again. “They'll be fine. Don't waste your energy on this. I've got an Ice Rod.”
“Legend,” Hyrule scolded. “There's no sense in leaving your fingers burned!”
“At least drink a potion,” Time said.
“I'm not wasting a potion on a minor burn. It's two fingers!”
“Which means it won't use up much of my energy at all to heal!” Hyrule insisted, taking Legend's hand again.
Grumpy from pain and feeling particularly hard-headed, the veteran made to pull away again, but another boom roared through the skies, pulsing through his bones. He found his fingers wrapping tightly around Hyrule's as every muscle seemed to constrict at the sound.
Hazel eyes flicked up to his, and Legend lifted his fingers, looking away. Something warm and tingly spread across them, and he yanked his hands away at the same time Hyrule let them go.
“See? All healed up. Easy.”
The best he could summon was barely a scowl. His friend was just trying to help. He knew he shouldn't be harsh over it, but…
He still tilted away from him and curled in on himself, staring out at the ringlets the raindrops made when landing in the puddles of water spotting the ground.
A small, disappointed sigh he clocked as being from Time sounded behind him, and he sank down a little, scowl deepening. The old man was in pain too, but he wasn't lashing out at others. Why was he like this? Why couldn't he be more like… like Sky? Everyone liked Sky.
A warmth suddenly pressed to his side, and he nearly turned to tell Time he didn't need the Fire Rod, but he realized the warmth was soft, molding against him, not a hard staff, and his gaze was met with Hyrule's, who gave him a knowing smile.
“I'm chilly,” he said with a smile a little too cheeky for Legend's liking.
With a sigh, he turned back and wrapped an arm around his successor, who threw his arm across Legend's middle.
“You're welcome,” Hyrule whispered, and Legend barked out a small laugh.
“Thanks,” he grumbled dryly, even as the corner of his mouth turned up. Everything hurt, and the thunderstorm sucked, but Hyrule at his side made it all a little less awful.
And if the Hyrule grabbed onto one of Legend's hands, giving it the gentlest of squeezes every time a particularly loud boom of thunder sounded, or an especially close strike of lightning hit the ground, neither of them said anything about it.
Later, Legend found the opportunity to corner Warriors and ask him the question that had been burning in him. “How did you know?”
“How did I know what?” Warriors asked a little too innocently.
His eyes narrowed. “Don't screw with me. Back at the shrine. How did you know?”
“What, that you're a big, self-sacrificing, hypocritical liar?” Warriors asked.
A flush spread across Legend's face. Not how he would have preferred that to have been worded. “The old man does enough for all of us. The least I could do was let him be the one to use the Fire Rod. But how did you know?”
“That's why I didn't say anything back there. For Time's sake. But you have a tell when you lie,” Warriors said, eyes sparkling with amusement.
His brows furrowed. He did? He thought he was a pretty smooth liar. What would he have-?
Warriors reached out and tweaked his ear teasingly, and he swatted him away before freezing as he remembered that one woman's off-handed comment in Lorule.
“You lying? Cuz your ears twitched real funny there. Mine do that when I lie.”
Ears twitched sometimes. When things were too loud, if a tickle was felt there; it was just part of life, so he hadn't put much stock in her words, but…
His hands rose to cover his ears, embarrassed heat radiating off of them.
No way, do they?
Warriors started laughing hard, clapping a hand on his shoulder as he moved to pass him. “I wonder how long it'll take for the others to notice.”
He stared at Warriors as he walked past, and as his cheeks burned, he wondered if it was possible to train his ears into keeping still.
“So how did you lose your eye?” Wind asked one night as they sat around a small fire.
“Wind!” Warriors scolded from beside him as Sky sighed and Four shook his head.
“What?” He asked, looking confused. “Pirates love it when you ask about their war wounds! It’s a mark of honour.”
“Times not a pirate Wind,” Legend said from the other side of camp, fond exasperation in his term.
Time chuckled, not at all offended by Winds comment.
“I could be a pirate if I wanted to.”
The captain scoffed.
“Only if Malon agreed to go with you.”
“Miss Malon would be a great pirate,” Wild interjected.
Time nodded.
“Thank you Wild.”
“Definitely better than the old man.”
He sighed.
“Thank you Wild.”
Have children they said. It’ll be fine they said. Although to be fair, most peoples children aren’t reincarnations of their soul from throughout time. That did make it a bit more complicated.
“So if you could be a pirate, will you tell us about your eye?”
Wind was certainly persistent. A fact that Warriors didn’t seem to be appreciating based on his long sigh.
Time smiled good naturedly.
“Lost it in a card game.”
Over time, Time learnt how to adapt to the lack of vision on his right side. He still occasionally walked into doorways or missed something when he went to pick them up, especially when he was tired, but he was significantly better than he was when it first happened.
Which is why he always succeeded in catching his boys when they tried to sneak up on him from that side.
Ever since the night when Wind had first asked about his missing eye, the rest of them had taken it a lot less seriously, no longer walking on eggshells around him about it. Which was good, he saw no point in pretending they hadn’t all been through grievous injuries. Time couldn’t use one eye. It is what it is.
However, that newfound comfort led to the younger ones trying to sneak up on him from his right side.
Time was sitting on a conveniently sized stone a little ways away from the main camp. It was one of their rare down days. There were no monsters to fight, nowhere to travel, just time to relax and recuperate.
He knew that Warriors, Sky, and Twilight had gone off to spar somewhere.
Wind, Legend, Four, and Hyrule were having a very heated discussion by the lake that Time was reasonably sure would come back to bite him in the ass later, but that was a future him problem.
Current him was just going to sit in the sun and take in the sounds of nature.
There was a slight sound from just behind him on his right, like a footstep on grass.
Time sighed. There went his opportunity to just sit and relax.
The sound happened again, slightly closer. Time glanced to the ground. He had specifically positioned himself so that the sun was behind him, and looking at his shadow showed a smaller one beside it.
“I know you’re there Wild.”
Wild groaned as he stepped into Times line of sight.
“How did you know?”
Time just smiled innocently. Wild clearly hadn’t been attempting to be as sneaky as possible, if he wanted to he could almost completely disappear, but he was being sneaky enough that most wouldn't have seen him, but Time was used to people trying to sneak up on him from that side. He’d adjusted. Plus he had a feeling that his hearing had gotten better since his sight got worse, but he had no way to test that.
“Clearly you're not as sneaky as you think you are.”
Wild pulled a face, before walking off. He headed straight to the group of the others.
“Hey guys! I have an idea!”
Yeah. That would be a problem for future Time.
Time really loved being home. There was a part of him that would belong to the forest, but there was something about LonLon ranch that soothed his soul.
“Link!” Malon called out as they approached the house.
He ran forward, embracing her. He stood there for a while, in her arms, just breathing. He was home.
Someone cleared their throat behind them.
They seperated, and Time looked down to see the rest of the chain staring at him impatiently.
“Can a man not reunite with his wife?” He sighed.
“Not right in front of the door, no,” Legend said.
Time just rolled his eyes, and Malon chuckled.
“Come on in, I’m sure you’re all tired.”
Everyone trudged inside, collapsing in the lounge room. Him and Malon stood next to each other, observing their boys.
Eventually she walked forward.
“I suppose I should start cooking dinner. Anyone want to help?”
Wild got up.
“Sure, I think Wind wants to as well.” Everyone turned to wind, who nodded.
“Yep! I want to help!”
Time and Malon shared a look. That was unusual for Wind. Malon shrugged one shoulder.
“Sure, the more the merrier.”
They walked off to the kitchen.
“Alright everyone, get comfortable.”
Time left the room, heading to him and Malons bedroom to change and freshen up.
When he was finished, he went back to the kitchen. He leant against the doorway, just observing them for a while.
Wind was covered in flour for some reason, and Wild had what looked like spinach in his hair. Malon was spotless, as always, with a fond smile on her lips.
She looked up, and saw Times reflection in the window. She winked.
“So Wind, what made you suddenly so eager to help out in the kitchen?” Malon asked lightly.
“I have a question, and Time won’t answer it.”
Oh for the love of the golden three.
“Oh? What is that?” The amusement was clear in her voice.
“How did Time lose his eye?”
Malon met Times eye in the reflection, pressing her lips together to stop herself from laughing. Time had an amused smile himself.
“Let’s just say there’s a reason why I don’t let him help in the kitchen.”
Alt Prompt: Disabled family
@linked-disability
I'm not sure if this fits the prompt exactly, but I wanted to draw the chain with the disabilities I'm using for the disability prompts
Everyone there has something, just some are more visible then others.
I failed to plan properly, so Legend and Hyrule are on a different page.
Listing what everyone has below.
Warriors has burn scars on his left hand that cause him grip issues. He uses varies grip aids to help with that.
Wind has a facial difference. His left eyebrow is swollen over his left eye. This does limit his vision in that eye.
Time has a facial scar over his left eye. He is half blind. He also has a movement disorder. I am basing him off of a person I knew in my neighborhood when I grew up. I'm not sure what that person's exact diagnosis was. He can walk but it is noticeably different in gate.
Spirit has diabetes.
Four has sickle cell disease. Some complications of that causes him to have anemia, hip problems and he is going blind. He uses a cane and a guide dog.
Wild has scars that cover part of his face and body. He also has celiac's disease.
Twilight is missing his left foot below the knee. He uses a prosthetic most days. He sometimes has phantom pain as well. On painful days he will use other mobility aids.
Sky has sensory processing disorder, the under responsive kind.
Hyrule has selective mutism and will sometimes get cluster headaches.
Legend is missing his left eye, making him half blind. He also has damage in his throat and vocal cords. He finds it easier to sign but will also speak using esophageal speech.
