So in Radiant you're going with AoC canon where Link hasn't drawn the Master Sword yet? How different has his life been? Is Irma still pissed off at Roland and eyeing Urbosa?
Yes indeed! Let’s just say Terrako went “back and a little to the left” rather than just back
Some sort of spoilers below, proceed with caution, you know the drill 💕
Link’s life has been quite different; the Link we will first meet in Radiant will have some pretty big differences from the Link of Luminous and Iridescent
As for Roland and Irma…Things are still very tense between them. They wouldn’t be the Hallow family without emotional issues plaguing them. The Master Sword was never the problem there; Roland’s distance and perfectionism was the problem, as well as his inability to just say “I fucked up but I love you all, I’m sorry and I’ll do better/seek therapy”
Irma and Urbosa. My beautiful queens. I have plans 😏
I have a question based on something you said in response to a comment from the latest chapter of Luminous. Hypothetically, if Irma’s Sheikah heritage was uncovered (say in an Age of Calamity timeline) would her biological family have been discovered? Would it by chance be this universe’s version of Lianna and her ilk?
Genuinely, thank you for this question, because I'm having so much fun rambling about Irma and her Sheikah heritage ✨
Now, let's get into it!
Even if Irma's Sheikah heritage was discovered pre-Calamity, figuring out who her bio family is would be a harder task. After all, there's no real evidence of who they were. Pre-Calamity there'd be a bit of a witch-hunt among the more devout (and/or fanatical) Sheikah to find them and demand answers, even if Irma herself doesn't actually want to find them. (Although, with that revelation, some members of the tribe might begin to put gossip and dates together, maybe begin to notice certain physical traits, and begin to piece together who her family was.) It's unlikely they would have come forward at all, unless Link was already proclaimed as Hylia's Chosen Hero.
If it's Age of Calamity/Pre-Calamity (in which case, everyone involved with Irma is obviously alive, Irma herself is alive and Link knows his mother) then there's a chance they'd take the risk to try and lay a claim on Link (and mostly just him) for the status boost. In which case, they'd try to claim they didn't know about Irma and her abandonment, and they'd be forced to try and play nice with Irma. (And she's not buying it)
Some members of the family would want to keep quiet no matter what for fear of backlash and the reaction of the tribe. In this 'verse, the Sheikah are sworn to guide and protect Hylia's Chosen, just as they are with the Blood of the Goddess. Who wants to admit that their family abandoned Link's mother? Who wants to admit that, if not for them, Link could have been raised among the Sheikah? The tribe's pride and joy would have skyrocketed if Hylia's Chosen was considered "one of them." It would have been a huge symbol of hope for them. (Which would be even more pressure on Link, sorry to Link and his anxiety)
Others would want to take the risk, chasing after that clout and status. (Which would backfire terribly)
It wouldn't be Lianna, but they'd certainly be similar people to her. Even if they didn't know about Irma's abandonment, I see her Sheikah relatives being terrible snobs; proud, narrow-minded and unfortunately, passing that terrible mindset down through the generations until someone manages to break that cycle of abuse. There's good people among the family, but they're pressured into keeping silent and doing what's "best for the family." Even if they didn't know about Irma's abandonment, they're not people that Irma would want to associate with or have anywhere near her children.
The survivors and descendants a lot more likely to come forward post-Calamity, when everything about Irma's birth is even more muddled than it already was and Link's memories of her are so few. They'd still be in for a nasty surprise, because Link wouldn't be happy to find them. He'd be absolutely furious. Link loved (and still loves) Irma so much; even though these descendants wouldn't have anything to do with Irma's abandonment (and a lot of the original family members would have died in the Calamity), he'd have no patience for them. And if/when they tried to pull the "family" card, he'd be so insulted. He's already got a family, thanks very much and child abandoners do not make the cut.
Now, if they were genuinely oblivious about Irma's existence, that would be another matter. Then Link would at least give them the time of day and Irma would be curious about them. Then certain members of the tribe wouldn't be out for blood and there'd be a lot more sympathy and a sense of tragedy.
But honestly? They were responsible for her abandonment.
*plays "The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird" on repeat and thinks about Irma*
Anyway, I love her a normal amount, can't you tell?
