GAMES: Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Hyrule Warriors
DIRECTORY: Height ref, #character tag
A young wanderer who has little to say to others and less to say about himself. Though generally obliging, he avoids meaningful connection and maintains a strict, careful distance with strangers and friends alike. Used to the lonely weight of being the Hero of Time who won't be remembered and hyper-independent for it, he often goes his own way.
WEAPON: Gilded Sword and Mirror Shield. Ever since a particular incident post-Termina, he's taken a hard stance against the two-handed power of the Great Fairy's Sword and has returned to preferring the versatility of one-handed offense and defense. Trains regularly and thoroughly — very much so gives the older party members a run for their money.
GEAR: Traveller must-haves. Beyond the equipment acquired over his adventures and those generally necessary for life on the road, Grasshopper carries a set of wood whittling knives, a sewing kit, and more seasonings than any of the party would expect. His transformation masks are kept well-guarded mysteries and he still has the Ocarina of Time.
SKILL: Magic user. Raised in Kokiri Forest, Grasshopper has a well of natural magic he can make use of directly (as with cast spells, runes, and usage of catalysts) and indirectly (as through inherent resistance, direction, and sensitivity). He's added to his repertoire of spells since last learning Din's Fire, Nayru's Love, and Farore's Wind.
SKILL: Transformation. With his masks, he can turn into four additional forms — a Deku Scrub, a Goron, a Zora, and the Fierce Deity. While helpful, continuous usage is taxing on his mental livelihood, as these masks can exacerbate his sense of depersonalisation, identity issues, and are never truly painless to put on. (Sometimes, they're just as painful to take off.)
LANGUAGES & COMMUNICATION: Hard of hearing. He understands Kokiri, Hylian (Old and Modern Syllabaries), Terminian, conversational Common, Goron, and Zoran, and a limited amount of his era's Hylian Sign Language. As with some of the others, in this alternate Hyrule, he's mostly counting on Patches' interpreting services. Situationally non-speaking and functionally illiterate, he tends to use body language and gestures to communicate.
As Mikau, he fully understands Zoran (Great Bay dialect). As Darmani, they fully understand Goron (Snowhead dialect).
He'll occasionally draw in his notebook if he feels there's a thought that needs to be understood.
There are very few people he's okay with speaking in front of. "Other Links" are currently not included.
SECRETS: Not that he's the only one with them, but Grasshopper is so defined by what he won't share that his secrets perhaps stand out the most amongst the party. Even Sailor — who arguably knows him best — can (or will) barely comment on anything beyond the Fierce Deity Mask, an injury that seems to have miraculously healed, and his competence as a lone traveller.
PERSONAL TIMELINE: Went through the events of Ocarina of Time when he was nine-years-old, Majora's Mask when he was ten-years-old, and Hyrule Warriors when he was twelve-years old. Or so he would say. He doesn't know nor think about how old he is (or how old he's supposed to be). It's been at least a year since.
NICKNAME ORIGIN: Given by Romani, from his time in Termina. It's the only nickname out of the many he has that he's okay with the general public calling him. Cori signs this as is ("grasshopper"). Patches, Knight, and Linh fingerspell (alphabetically, "G-r-a-s-s-h-o-p-p-e-r").
[tentatively slides in here] New Links Meet AU...new Links Meet AU...new Links Meet AU...!
From left to right (plus bonus fact that doesn't really matter but is fun all the same):
Patches (ALBW/TH) got into dying their hair with Irene's influence sometime after their first journey. The pink was half-accidental and half-intended to be a prank, but he liked the look of it so much that he's kept it ever since.
Dusk (TP) has an iron gut — second only to Knight's — and the favoured Chu Jelly flavour to show for it (purple).
Knight (AoC) is an older sibling and has Complicated Feelings about it. To be fair, they have Complicated Feelings about a lot of things at the moment—
Sailor (WW/PH/HW) is an experienced participant and enjoyer of special handshakes and high-fives. He's great at clapping games too!
Linh's (ST) handwriting is the best of the party. This doesn't mean as much as they'd like it to.
Grasshopper (OoT/MM/HW) does not keep any bottled fairies in his inventory. Emergencies are handled either with potions or the hope that a fairy fountain is close by.
Cori (MC) has been banned from using Roc's Cape in conjunction with his Pegasus Boots in so many areas of Hyrule Town that he's taken to only wearing one or the other out of habit.
