#(which could be i don't understand maps and this map isn't canon anyway)

[endiness]

this is such a copium crack theory lol, but like. what if the show uses toussaint in place of kovir. like, they both do kind of have similar qualities in that they're rich nations and that they're neutral when it comes to the war. so, like. what if instead of dijkstra going to kovir for help, it's radovid that goes to toussaint. y'know, at the same time jaskier is there. and then radskier. 🤪

[justdrawingcatsandotherstuff]

AU of an AU: BaTIM

(There's a lot to read, guys) I haven't got much sleep, so this is my justification for making mistakes in text, if there's any. (The short summary: When server has a terrible admin, so some random cheater overthrows him and takes control👌. But I didn't write where it happens yet)

(I mention violence/murder btw and I will say a spoiler for Abomination comic ending) …

The AU of an AU starts as a changed Abomination comic ending. Like more people were alive (just like in my old batim rp). So, Magenta is an Ink Demon now, and after he became him - first yet alive person who found it out was Alice and got damaged or killed, then Sammy who didn't die before also found it out or I forgot what I wrote in here. Then everyone in this timeline is dead, Ink Demon laughs and suddenly the ink server resets itself. Demon doesn't understand wth is going on and looks up. Sees Joey the original one and tries to get his attention by yelling. Joey looks at him, surprised that he can see him for he never did that before, and explains that this timeline was crap and they gotta reset it. Ink Demon doesn't get it and boom, he's Magenta again. Alive. Get's a deja vu. For a while everything looks like abomination canon, but then Magenta tries to get Joeys attention from above again. And tries to ask what he expects from this scenario anyway. But Joey replies with "I don't fcking know, it just wasn't perfect" so Magenta doesn't have a clear scenario and fcks up everything again. (I'm not the type of person who swears a lot, but judging by what texts I saw in tumblr this is the way I should write it like?) Then another reset and another correction by "God" happens, and this time Magenta argues more — "it's not my fault timeline isn't perfect, it's yours, you don't even know what you want!" This argument comes to nothing. And a few more timelines keep appearing and resetting, with very slight changes. Except for Magenta tries to argue with Joey more and more, and more while the timeline goes by, probably making anyone who sees it think that he's a bit more insane than usual 👌. Then there appears such corruption thingy as cartoonifying the timeline (or how to write this word). When he noticed that this universe it pretty much drawn he started making it more cartoony by behaving like a cartoon, which twisted the reality and caused a much earlier reset. Magenta saw it as a very funny thing while Joey said that it was even worse than usual stop it. Then they were bullying or trolling each other for 10 minutes until Joey gave up and reset the timeline again. Magenta didn't get the memo and corrupted the timeline so much that it had reset itself and wiped his memories out. Memories about such timeline. This could 50/50 either cause him to stop cartoonifying timelines or make him repeat his tricks again. … Another thing - he wrote diaries and things on walls sometimes, in some secret locations only he could normally enter, bc usually the resets didn't save all the memories and just gave deja vu or flashbacks that it happened before. So he wrote himself hints while he still tried to do what Joey asked - "create a good timeline". But nothing worked, so he just wrote the outcomes of his arguments with Joey and insults in his address. Also things for those who would find out he had diaries. … Another thing - obviously clone would eventually annoy Joey so much that he would reset even the clone himself. So kinda deleted or threw away and spawned a new and clean one. And communicated with him right away bc all clones were finding out the author exists, it's not something to reset. Also that meant he .. could give them the actual steps to follow? .. Nothing worked anyway-

Also back to cartoony timelines: when Magenta broke the timeline this much he could leave the map. Find a breach. He also had a motif - he wanted to get away from Joeys foolish control. This man doesn't even know what he wants, what's the point to follow his lead? So once he did find a breach and left the map. He wandered into a place I called "behind the fourth wall", but it's actually the black backrooms. Joey saw nothing in here, it's out of bounds, so he just assumed his clone deleted himself somehow and created a new one. While the old one was wandering this place. At first it was like an interesting adventure and finally freedom. .. But then he never found an exit and was locked in the void for eternity. Being in the void also made him lose his old looks and he looked more like a lost one than Joey. Also got a shape shifter ability. Also I will say what I forgot to mention, the main point of the AU: after many resets Magenta started to think of his identity, why tf he looks and even thinks like Joey while being not him and .. probably why he likes cartoony things that much? So he once randomly remembers that he was Bendy once, before turning into Joey to do his bidding. That makes him hate Joey on a new level and argue 3 times more. After which he probably got reset once, but regained memories again. …

And now back to our lost in the backrooms guy: He was wandering there for eternity, thinking what could he do to prevent or fix anything. And he saw that another Joey clone entered this realm, and to not repeat the story came to him and showed the way out 👌. … It did change the fate of the second clone, but didn't change the fate of the main one. So he wandered again and even entered the other timelines. It made him know the entire story and he was thinking of a plan to change everything. Again. Then was traveling the timelines and his inky out of bounds realm again, and this how he collected an army of 5 other inky creatures (btw I call this guy "Formless Inky Creature", FIC for short👌) and once again met a clone who tried to enter the backrooms. But this time he told him what happens in other timelines and that he should do something else, not what Joey said. And that he was Bendy once👌. And that he should kill both Henry and Joey somehow. …

Phew, this story is long, yes. I will also mention that these timelines can go not only as far as abomination goes, but to Henry's arrival too. And I initially started to write it since the moment he tried to get "the secret ending" and ran into the backrooms away from Ink Demon, who followed him and found out he looks like Magenta again when he's in here. And tried to find Henry, but got lost here and found a place that .. idk, works off fantasy? It gives you anything you think about, but literally anything and constantly, also it has invisible walls, you will get trapped in here and all your thoughts will materialize forever. Or there's actually a chance to get out, but then you'll meet FIC's fate. But in the first story Henry and Joey clone actually found each other, talked and Henry went to another timeline. But in the second story, which is this one: Henry got the idea he got away from the ink demon and was looking for an exit. And was noticed by FIC. FIC was angry at him bc he's the reason Joey clones even exist and suffer for idiot's sake, so he approached and pushed him to some random timeline to break the fourth wall in. And went to find the second clone to tell him to start the plan. And here I got tired of typing, so for now that's all. Oof. Also the backrooms probably give them the knowledge of everything, but I don't remember the exact amount.

[aikoiya]

LoZ - Gerudo Cultural Tidbits

Something a bit funny is that their original name was "Geldo;" However, the first Hyrulean to encounter them had been a fairly young Sheikah who had yet to learn Hylian Common. And, due to a bit of a quirk in Sheikago (the Sheikah Language) spelling, it was written as ゲルド, which would've been pronounced Ger'do by the Sheikah.

However, a Hylian knight still new to Sheikago naturally pronounced the "u" where it normally wouldn't. The term spread &, due to a word of its like having existed within the Geldàn language, it sort of just stuck.

---

While the "no men" rule had been enforced since before OoT, it didn't become an official law until 10,100 years later, a century or so after the Ganondorf of FSA broke the Gerudo's law about not entering the Pyramid of Power.

Then, around 200 years later, after the 7 Heroines were forced to turn away the 8th due to him being male, the Gerudo Tokens turned from a simple membership card into a sort of visitor's pass for certain men who had proven themselves trustworthy.

In order to acquire a Gerudo Token, a man needed to prove himself worthy as a fighter or do some great service for the Gerudo.

I hc that Wild Link was given a Gerudo Token after BotW even though that canonically isn't what happened.

---

The Gerudo are blessed with a stronger than average sense of smell & they have a unique way of understanding scent. However, luckily, their senses of smell are only just strong enough that they are able to really appreciate the nuance of scents. As such, they enjoy smelling nice with perfumes, scented oils, & ungients (soothing/healing ointments). They just had… a gift at it. This also lended them a boon to cooking.

However, this also results in a degree of sensitivity to the bridge of their nose. A warning, it is considered very, very rude to touch their nose in public. Even more so if they are not in a relationship with each other or family. (Kisses on the nose are fine, but no touching the bridge.)

Despite this, a good rub there feels amazing! However, it also results in many being slightly more prone to sinus illnesses. Not to mention that springtime in a place with a lot of flowers can be hell for them if they don't come prepared (face veils come in handy then). Nothing too terribly serious unless the Gerudo happens to be particularly predisposed to allergens, though.

Anyway, they have a very large & diverse selection of these recipes. Many of which even being quite complex & labor-intensive to create. However, the oldest have been lost to time. Many perfumers have attempted to recreate them based on description, but it's very slow-going, unfortunately.

---

At the age of 18, the Centennial King is formally crowned as King of the Gerudo. As is tradition, a male Gerudo cuts his hair at the start of adulthood. The length of hair grown there after signifies his years as a man, no longer a boy. - Inspired by a really cool piece of fanart I once saw.

—

The Gerudo use a sidereal lunisolar calendar to track the days. This means that they use both the sun & moon, specifically in relation to the stars, to track time.

This is partially due to their overall reverence for the celestial bodies, which itself is influenced by how important it is to be able to read the stars when one lives in the desert. Thus resulting in an inherent fascination with astrology & astronomy.

However, this also means that every 2nd or 3rd year, they get a mysterious, disappearing leap month.

Likewise, Gerudàn soothsayers are known to use the position of the stars to predict the future. (Think Firenze from HP.)

They have many stories involving the stars, so many that their equivalent of tarot features the celestial bodies, constellations, & other astrological signs.

Their star charts & maps are often considered the best in Hyrule. And it is even believed that an ancient king of great intelligence once built a telescope so large that he could observe the moon's face itself &, with it, he later built a room dedicated to tracking the position of the celestial bodies. (Think Wan Shi Tong's library from AtLA.)

However, this was back before their home country became cursed by eternal war. As such, the myths of it are little more than bedtime stories.

---

From a Gerudo perspective, couvade syndrome is always considered a good sign.

However, in what way depends on the family as it tends to vary. Many say that if a Voe has this during a Vai’s pregnancy, then it's a sign that he's their true soulmate & was made for her. Others say that it's a sign that he’s really & truly in love with her, because it means that his body recognized her plight & wishes to help carry some of that weight.

However, no matter what exactly they think it means, it's considered almost universally a good thing.

You know, superstitious old wive’s tales & the like.

---

Long ago, it was custom that if a member of the opposite sex unrelated to the Gerudo ruler of the time manages to defeat them in single combat, then they are to become that ruler's spouse.

Of course, a Gerudo cannot become king or queen until 18 & before that, they are trained extensively as fighters.

So, one who is able to defeat the Gerudo King or Queen is typically extremely strong a/o skilled.

This is done to ensure that the next generation will be strong as well.

Long ago, it did not matter how the ruler went about doing it, whether it be through wooing, manipulation, kidnapping, or blackmail.

So long as the two were bound for life.

---

Before sexual slavery was abolished, there was just this general belief amongst the Gerudo that Voen were only necessary for the conception of Vehvïn (babies) & helping the Vàma (mother) to relieve her pregnancy urges. However, they were thought to essentially be useless after that. Unfortunately, traces of this assumption have managed to persist long after the abolishment of slavery.

As such, for quite a long time, the mothers would typically leave the fathers, cutting off all ties with him. As a result, they tended to just not be part of any stage of their child's lives.

This also resulted in a general assumption that Voen were simply incapable of raising children properly & that only Vaien are necessary in their upbringing.

However, this inevitably results in almost all Gerudo being developmentally stunted in some form or another.

It wasn't until after the Gerudo allied with Hyrule that the custome slowly began making its way out.

Despite this, they still have a ways to go as, partially due to superstition & partly tradition, at around the age of 3-5, the Gerudo tend to send their daughters back to Gerudo Town & are expected to not interact with males at all.

---

Interestingly, while Gerudo kings wear gold, Gerudo queens typically wear silver or platinum depending on whether she was queen via blood or via marriage. Which, in real life, today, may give the impression that the queen is worth less than her king, but it is actually the opposite.

See, in the Gerudo Desert, silver is actually more rare than gold & is, thusly, considered more valuable. This reflects how it is thought to have been in ancient Egypt.

Likewise, the king is often associated with the day & the sun while the queen is often associated with the night & the moon. This, thus reflects that, as gold & silver has heavy association to the sun & moon as well.

The same is said of sunstones & moonstones. Thus, royal regalia tends to reflect this.

Anyway, the reason that the queen was given such difference was due to her role in producing the next heir to the crown. While that was in no way her sole role, as Gerudo kings & queens were largely expected to divide the responsibilities of the crown between themselves, it was still considered very important.

Princes & princesses were, likewise, associated with the stars, one of which being expected to become a sun or moon themselves one day.

---

Despite Sunstones in real life being something else, when Gerudo speak of them, they are actually referring to what we call Mexican Fire Opals IRL, also referred to as Sun Drops.

---

It's said that the original royal bloodline of the Gerudo, the Drāgamīr line, became kings due to the first having been the offspring of a Gerudo god, Gàlondo the God of War, Power, Wrath, Bloodlust, Male Verility, & the Burning Desert Sun. Before then, the Gerudo were led by chiefs or Vōltànen & Vàltànen. (Basically, Sultans & Sultanas.)

As such, kings & queens of that line were considered demi-gods chosen to lead the people & maintain order much like in Egypt.

It's also said that the Centennial Kings are always descendants of that sacred line even if distant.

---

Gerudo, however, tend to have a more negative perspective on spirits & magic in-general. Only certain people are permitted to use magic.

There are very few good spirits in the desert, most being more angry & violent.

So, to them, unless you're a Priestess of Vah Amàhrta, being able to see spirits is considered a sign of an inclination towards madness, being one of several signs that portent possession or spiritual corruption.

This is part of the reason that Vaivïn (girls) are strictly kept in town.

Though, on the flipside, if one of the few known good or neutral spirits actively shows themselves to someone, then that's considered fine & in some cases, a good omen.

The issue comes when no one else in the vicinity are able to see them.

---

Lions are actually a sacred animal to the Gerudo. One native to their continent of Baydaan far to the southwest of Hyrule. However, Hyrule doesn't have any, so they've become less prevalent over time to the Gerudo living in the Gerudo Desert.

On the other hand, the Dune Leopards of the Gerudo Desert & the Jungle Tigers of the Faron Jungle have begun to take on more significance as of late.

Another sacred animal is the Sīmurgh, their queen having been said to make her nest in the boughs of the Mother Tree of Life & protect it. Said Mother Tree is the true Tree of Life, it's fruit being used to give eternal life to those who've earned godhood, whether via enlightenment or some other means such as completing an epic journey that involved significant spiritual growth.

All other Life Trees are lesser & their fruit reduced to a mere cure-all panacea. The Mother Tree's home is in the Gerudo home country of Jiasïd within the vast northwestern Ûjia Desert of Baydaan. At the center of said desert is either a large oasis or small jungle & at the center of said jungle is a sheer, unscaleable mountain & floating above which is an island suspended by only divine magic & no technology.

This island is a lush, verdant paradise known as al'Vehlïen'è al'Wahē (the Oasis of the Gods), said to be the home of the Gerudàn Pantheon. From that island falls a waterfall that feeds the jungle below & is what allows it to flourish so. No mortal has ever gone there & survived without permission, though many a sceptic & treasure hunter has tried. None have succeeded.

---

In Baydaan, the Gerudo are much like what the Hylians are to Hyrule. Sort of a chosen people. In this way, another name that has been used for Baydaan is Gerudaan.

The reason being that not all races are created by deities. For instance, Din is considered to have created both the Mogma & the Goron, but she more so... encouraged their growth as a species. Think how in Spore, you can place a Monolith which will encourage nearby species to evolve. Similar happened here.

As such, species actually crafted by a god are fairly rare, which is why Hyrule is considered unusual as it is home to around 7 godhand species.

The original humans are one of few species in Hyrule's world that became as such with very little godly intervention.

However, Hylians, Sheikah, & Gerudo were all created to specifically be subspecies of Human even though they didn't evolve from humans.

So, from a secular perspective, it could be classified as an extreme case of artificial convergent evolution on a genetic level.

Humans, so far, come in 2 categories: Ovelian & Cuspan. Ovelians, being humans that retain the original human feature of rounded ears & Cuspans, are humans bequeathed with more pointed ones.

Originally, Gerudo were members of the Ovelian group, but due to generations of interbreeding, have taken on Cuspan features.

---

Gerudo, just as a people, are very possessive of their spouses & are a very monogamous lot.

But it's not considered unhealthy to be possessive of your spouse in Gerudo culture because it's expected that spouses belong to each other. Neither side of the equation has more right to the other.

So a voe's wife is considered his, but he is also hers. It's entirely reciprocal. Or it should be.

What is considered unhealthy is considering your spouse yours but not allowing yourself to be theirs & not allowing them the rights due to them as your spouse. This creates a power imbalance & is considered abusive.

—

Before the eternal war broke out, it is believed that the Gerudo flourished in their home country of Jïasïd. Many say that they had a vast & prosperous kingdom & that their capital city was a Gerupolis of great opulence & power.

However, if this is true & anything of it remains, it is thought to most likely be nothing but ruins now.

---

Before the female-only curse, the Gerudo were ruled by a king & a queen.

However, despite the title being inherited by blood, the heir to the crown was actually decided via meritocracy. Meaning that the best prince or princess for the job was the one who became the next ruler.

In this way, biological sex did not matter & neither did being eldest. Because of this, the next ruler was not named until all of the king & queen's children had reached maturity.

However, this often caused bitter rivalries between siblings &, in extreme cases, resulted in siblicide.

—

In Gerudo culture, there is a very strict separation between lust & love, between matters of the body & matters of the heart. This plus the fact that the Gerudo, just as a people, are extremely exclusive with who they give their hearts to results in the typical Gerudo being extremely monogamous. As such, the idea of what IRL is called "open relationships," would be considered pure insanity & a sign of a demented mind. Even royal relationships were expected to be kept exclusive. To have sex with someone other than your spouse after marriage, even common law marriage, was considered losing control of one's impulses & baser, more primal urges & was thought to be a sign of a declining mental state. These individuals were considered no better than animals. - Something they share with the Greeks who prided themselves on personal control.

The Gerudo took adultery extremely seriously. We're talking about stoning here! Not even the king or queen were exempt &, in fact, aside from via conquest, changes in the monarchical bloodline generally took place due to the discovery of infidelity between the rulers. Like, it is literally against Gerudo law to do so willingly & is punishable by death. There are, of course, exceptions in the case of rape, but afterwards, the victim is required, by tradition, to go through a sort of sacred cleansing ritual to remove the evil of unwitting unfaithfulness from their body. This is also required in situations where, say, you're tricked into thinking you're having sex with your spouse but you aren't. Which, I know, an extremely rare thing to happen, but considering the Yiga, it does happen.

The sacred cleansing ritual is performed by Gerudo priestesses of Vah Kàvtrïna, who one of her domains is fidelity. Now, she wasn't associated with these cleansing rituals until after she'd been embraced by the Gerudo culture as she was originally a goddess of Ordona, Feron, & Necluda.

Part of the reason for such strict rules regarding faithfulness is due to personal duty & accountability being very important to the Gerudo as a culture. In some ways, to an unhealthy degree.

Very rarely were exceptions allowed. One such exception being in the case of infertility or sterility. And even then it was only allowed if there were no other blood relatives eligible for the throne. If there were, then their most qualified was to be crowned the next ruler of the Gerudo.

By Gerudo custom from before the female-only curse, the king or queen were both absolutely forbidden from having romantic or sexual relations with anyone besides their spouse unless it was in specific situations such as one of the pair being sterile or infertile. And even when it was allowed, the vetting process was extremely strict for them & the final okay was to be given by the other spouse. (Basically, if the queen were looking for a Vo'màzr, then she'd make the 1st decision of who could go through the vetting process, but it was her husband who made the final decision. The same is also true in reverse.) Even then, romantic relations with Va'màziah or Vo'màzr were strictly forbidden & considered deeply taboo. In a lot of ways, they were breeding chattel in gilded cages. And even in these cases, after every interaction, the master or mistress is required to go through this cleansing ritual.

It's actually thought that touching one who has been unfaithful before such a cleansing will place a sort of hex upon them from the Gerudo Goddess of Love, Passion, & Marriage, Vah Kàvtrïna. As to which involved is hexed, none are certain, though many believe that it is the one who committed the adulterous act.

It was actually much preferred for the fertile spouse to instead take another spouse. As, though bigamy wasn't common & was thought of as odd, it wasn't despised the way that infidelity is. I say bigamy instead of polygamy because having more than 2 spouses is thought to invite disaster. Once more showcasing a desire for at least some form of exclusivity in their relationships. While far from normal, it is perfectly legal for a Voe to have 2 wives or a Vai to have 2 husbands. In such situations, they are called sister-wives & brother-husbands as the relationship between the 2 generally is not supposed to be romantic as they didn't marry each other, so much as they both married the same individual.

While Gerudo culture has always been much less accepting of same-sex relationships, there are certain situations where they're allowed to flourish. One of which is as brother-husbands to a Vai or sister-wives to a Voe. So, while homosexuality tends to be demonized, bisexuality is allowed to slide in certain situations even though it is still looked down upon to a degree.

And, despite all the strictness in regards to marriage, if a king or queen was unmarried, then they were free to have harems full of Va'màziah/Vo'màzr. The reason being that marriage itself is considered sacred to them.

And in such instances, it is fine to indulge in romantic relations with members of one's harem. Though, it isn't considered intelligent as Gerudo have a belief that a relationship between more than 3 people becomes incremently more difficult to manage with every person that joins.

Anyway, even being in a committed relationship & cheating on them is heavily looked down upon. And even in situations where a Gerudo was single, there was only a certain number of different people the Gerudo could have sex with within a year before they were considered loose.

Divorces & annulments were indeed still looked down upon, but not with nearly as much scorn as infidelity was. These were, in fact, some much more preferred options when compared to being unfaithful.

---

The founding of the Gerudo sex industry began long before the Gerudo came to Hyrule, but it became culturally integral after the female-only curse. Though not how you'd think.

It started out with the Gerudo practicing Pàras'éda Vaivàq al’Eabū (Making Womanous the Enemy; a.k.a. Feminizing the Enemy), which is a sexual war crime where one rapes their enemy. This was, of course, done in order to preserve their race.

The Gerudo later began to keep the men that they took a liking to, which resulted in the construction of the Gerudo Fortress where men were kept prisoner & used.

Quite a disconcerting number of the Gerudo at the time of OoT were actually fathered by Hyrulean men who were either kidnapped or had run afoul of the tribe.

As gross as it sounds, the likelihood is that Time (OoT Link; after timeskip) would've likely been just another one of them had he not proven himself to be too strong to reliably keep locked up. After all, if they didn't have some sort of plans for him, why lock him up instead of just kicking him out of the desert the way they did to his younger self?

---

After the curse there came a distinct need to continue to procreate, thus non-Gerudo Vo'màzren became a common part of the Gerudo culture &, in fact, it wasn't strange for the higher-ranked Vaien to have entire harems of them. Such individuals included the Chief, the captain of the guard, & the 3 Vaen, who worked at places known as Surre Qasrehsen or "pleasure palaces," but were very high-ranked individuals. There could only ever be 3 Vaen at a time. If you want to know more about them, then go to my Vae & the Spring of Talthïrï post. Warning, it's weird.

Likewise, the sex industry there, specifically prostitution where Vo'màzren also worked in the pleasure palaces alongside the 3 Vaen & often were trained by them, tended to entirely revolved around unowned Vo'màzren, which were referred to as Hra'tàkdham Vo'màzren or free-use concubini, & they weren't even really paid. Instead, their rewards tended to be food & lodging, though the most well-behaved were treated better & the best, most talented, or most experienced tended to be showered with luxury & finery. It was very much not a good thing.

Admittedly, there turned out to be a handful of Vo'màzren who seemed to "come around" to their new lifestyles, some even taking to it like a fish to water. And those were often referred to as Nebdhàhi Vo'màzren or golden concubinus. But the truth of the matter was that this generally happened due to them sort of brainwashing themselves into enjoying the lifestyle, even beginning to believe that they didn't deserve a better life. Admittedly, some truly did enjoy it, but those were few & far between.

Disgustingly, these pleasure palaces tended to have 2 draws. Sexual gratification & the right to be bred. And purchasing a free-use Vo'màzren for the night to breed with was much more costly. Though, that could be avoided by rather than renting them for one night, instead purchasing them outright as one wouldn't need to buy multiple sessions as the man would be theirs. At the same time, those Vo'màzren who fathered children, while considered sires, were still thought to be part of the lowest class & not given the authority or respect that they were due as the one who facilitated the child's existence. If they were free-use concubini, it's extremely highly likely that they never meet their daughters. The ones that do tend to already have mistresses, but even then, they aren't really recognized as fathers unless they manage to seduce their mistresses into marrying them.

Anyway, these pleasure palaces were the backbone of the sex industry within Gerudàn culture & were where Vo'màzren were trained & housed, as well as where those that were purchased as a private slaves were prepared for their new mistresses. It really was a truly rotten experience. The only chance that such men had of a decent life was through romancing their mistresses & eventually becoming her husband, which would elevate him to normal citizen status & would thus grant him rights as a free person.

Even despite this extreme change, the Gerudo retained the deeply-embedded practice of keeping love & lust separate. And, miraculously, after transitioning away from thievary, they also managed to rediscover the custom of partner exclusivity. This indicates that monogamy & partner exclusivity may be intrinsic to the entire Gerudo experience as a whole. - Because of this, the Hylian goddess of love, passion, & relationships, Karina, fit rather easily into the Gerudo's pantheon & was quickly welcomed with surprisingly open arms. The reason being that she also ruled over the domains of loyalty, faithfulness, & fidelity.

There are some other details pertaining to the actual training of said Vo'màzren that delves more into the realm of NSFW. Let's just say that it was considered important to... 'assert dominance.' And they even had certain 'tools' by which to do so. If you want more details, go to the next section below this one.

The practice of having Vo'màzren has been almost entirely abolished by BotW & TotK. If you find any in this day & age, it's a sign of an illegal sex trade.

However, as mentioned above, though, even after the act of training Vo'màzren became illegal, there were a handful of men who chose, for one reason or another, to remain doing that sort of work. As such, while these Vo'màzren were freed, the industry of allowing people to purchase these men's bodies still managed to survive so long as they treated the men with rights & actually paid them. Not to mention the fact that they could quit at any time. Thus, they became merely sex workers.

Once Gerudo Town became a sexually segregated settlement, the one remaining pleasure palace relocated to Kàra Kàra Bàzaar, which later grew to become Kàra Bàzétto, which bàzétto is the Gerudàn word for a Market Town.

—

As mentioned above, after the female-only curse, Vo'màzren (concubinus, a.k.a. male concubines) became an integral part of the Gerudo everyday life.

During the upkeep of said foreign men, it was considered important to assert dominance.

Now, I won't go too deeply into it, but let's just say that pegging, as well as the use of the Amazon & Breeding Press was not unusual.

Luckily, such practices have long since been abolished by the time of BotW & TotK & are now only legally used with one's lover & only with consent.

If Vo'màzren are ever found in current Hyrule or the Gerudo region, it is a result of underground sex trafficking, thus it is 100% extremely illegal & punishable by death.

---

The Gerudo had 2 different types of servitude. Actual slavery & indentured servitude. Servitude is when you owe a dept to someone & you don't have the money to pay it back, so you work it off. It's basically like when in cartoons, if someone can't pay a restaurant bill, then the individual is made to clean dishes until he's worked it off, just with a much larger amount of money & a whole lot more time.

It could even take several years, if not a lifetime to do this, which is why many servants will teach their children their trade so that they may inheret the debt & work it off after the parent has died or grown too old to continue doing so.

Interestingly, servents were treated much more fairly than slaves as they were considered people, just working off a debt. In this way, it was considered illegal to treat one's servants badly. It could even get them taken. As such, people were required to provide their servants with proper lodging, to feed them well, & to not beat them without just cause as they were considered their responsibility. And those who have been found prolonging a service far past the point when the servant should've been released, will typically soon find themselves in prison for quite a long time.

Even long after slavery itself has been abolished, indentured servitude hasn't & is still going strong.

---

LoZ Cultural Masterlist

[beautifulterriblequeen]

B2:S - Chapter 3

Much of this series will be about the differences and additions in the novel version, and how they contribute to my understanding of story canon. But there will be character appreciation, the odd theory and headcanon, and suchlike as well.

Here be Lujanne, Callum, Rayla, Ezran, Bait, and Soren goodness!

Spoilers for Book Two: Sky below.

Lujanne having excellent fitness for all her walking around the Moon Nexus, and she's so energetic that Callum has trouble keeping up with her! She seems like those active grandmas who almost never stop moving, who have a lifelong supply of endless stamina. It makes me wonder if Lujanne will need that level of fitness for some upcoming conflict.

Callum feeling really hungry over not eating grubs and then still deciding he'd rather be hungry. It makes me wonder all over again how Lujanne got to the point where she eats grubs, considering that other Moonshadow elves we know of back in the Silvergrove don't. I still love my hc that the giant leech ate all of Lujanne's moonberry bushes and she's taking her revenge. Whatever's going on there, Callum is definitely not at that point yet.

When Lujanne asks Callum how he knows she's real, he thinks to himself that he'd put up with just about anything from someone who was going to teach him magic. That's a great parallel and foreshadowing for Viren's student/master relationship with Aaravos! And it's telling that neither student gets exactly what they hoped to get. Lujanne doesn't actively teach Callum any spells, because she believes he can't learn Moon magic at all. Aaravos does offer Viren power, but it takes him to some very dark places - literally and figuratively - and the cost is terribly high.

Callum sees a moon shape among the ruins, and Lujanne explains that the Moonhenge layout is an intricate rune that uses the structures themselves as part of its symbols and power. That's apparently a thing even with ordinary Moonshadow villages like Hollow Wood in the east, which is the coolest idea I've seen in a while: city planning as magic runes!

Yes, that's the same shape as the pendants Ethari made for himself and Runaan. Protection? Home? Feelsiness? A sense of safety and belongnig for all cycles and seasons?

Wonder what this Moonhenge rune stands for, then, and how much of this landscape is included in that rune. I bet it's more than we think!

But it makes sense now, how toppling the stone pillars would disable the spell the druids would cast to connect with the Moon Nexus lake. Breaking the infrastructure of the Moonhenge breaks the rune.

There's a physical sensation involved with the visuals that Historia Viventem brings up! When that one ghostly druid walked through Callum, he felt icy cold. Like in ghost stories. I really wonder about what exactly Historia Viventem is doing when it activates. It shows truth, "what really happened here?", so it must have some kind of time-related element, maybe tied to how the moon always repeats the same cycles or something. But it also seems to draw on the spirits of any living people involved in the flashback, because Callum could physically feel that wispy shape passing through him. So very interesting!

Orrr... is that all wrong, and there's something else at work with this spell than time? Maybe the world beyond life and death can act as an imprint of the things that have happened in the living world, and the spell that Lujanne (and later Callum) casts taps into that place, with perfect recall. I'm looking really hard at the sentence that says "dozens of translucent elf ghosts" and "phantom Moonhenge" and "lost in their own world" here.

Lujanne says more here than in the show about the world beyond life and death, being her mysterious Moonshadow-mage self. She says that "beyond" and "between" might both apply to where this other plane of existence is, and she doesn't much care which. With all the relativity swirling around this place, and not much in the way of empiricism, it's sounding like perhaps multiple conflicting ideas might actually coexist in such a place, allowing more ideas to fit there than we might normally believe is possible. Which is a fascinating bit of worldbuilding. Basically, every headcanon anyone has ever had about the Moon Nexus could all be true at the same time, for all we know.

Oh oh oh, Callum coming in soft with a secret wish! He takes one look at the Moonhenge and immediately thinks of finding a way to see his mom again! Poor boy, my heart! I'd say that could be another interesting parallel with Viren, but then, who wouldn't hold that sentiment?

Oh my, is this another breath of life into Ye Olde Ley Lines headcanon? Lujanne mentioning the Nexuses again, so soon after talking about the runic design of the entire Moonhenge, makes me wonder if the six nexuses are in fact giant runes. On Earth, the places where ley lines cross are called nexuses, and there are those who believe those points got marked with ancient structures, like Stonehenge and many many others. If Xadia were crossed with magical lines which naturally formed nexus points where they met, and if powerful magical runes were built across those entire areas, well. That would be cool beans, fams. Can I smack a map of Xadia and release a spell like Luz Noceda does? Because ngl that is my first instinct here.

Lujanne has got to be missing some grandkids to spoil, right? The way she's always whipping out cake and ice cream for Callum, and she's so grandma-ish about it. Headcanon about her being Runaan's mom aside, she is canonically lonely and she's very sweet to Allen and Ellis and I think she's missing whatever family she once had in the past. She may never get to have that family back, so she's finding a new one among the humans who live nearby, and I think that's sweet. Found family isn't just for the young.

But Ellis is straight up gonna be her fave, I bet, because she didn't turn up her nose at Lujanne's illusion food!

Ezran and Bait have a lot more to their relationship than was visible in the show, and I'm so excited by it! Ez can tell by looking at Bait's colors that he's not truly jealous of Zym, even if he's really grumpy about the dragonling taking up his favorite human's time.

And Ez thinking a lot about his dad and the things he's taught him. They're soft leadership material, and I love that so much! "Pick your battles" and the importance of encouragement. Ahh, my heart. Ezran, you're going to be such a good king.

But wait a second: both times that Bait gets extra grumpy in Zym's first training session, Ezran has just mentioned something about flying. Guys, I think Bait wishes he could fly, really badly. And that's his biggest problem with Zym, and with Ezran teaching Zym to fly, instead of Bait who doesn't have wings so. Bait is so old that his secrets have secrets, and I'm really curious how flying fits into them now!

Rayla, Dramatic Assassin: "I need to patrol for dark forces." That's what Lujanne called the source of the purple wisps that found them. I wonder if that's an official term all Moonshadows know, or if Rayla is just taking her cue from a veteran Moon mage. And I wonder how far Rayla is falling into the apparent pattern of "one mage, one assassin", since she does spend a lot of her time patrolling without being asked.

When Callum tells Lujanne that he was bad at prince stuff, and she asks if he didn't give up and got good at those things anyway, it's an opportunity for Callum to embrace subverting his parents' expectations in favor of seeking his own path, which is a primary theme of the show. But Lujanne is a couple generations older than Callum, at the very least, and I have to wonder what her upbringing was like. Is her version of success the one she took? Was she bad at magic once too, but she persisted? She is very soft and doesn't want to kill anyone.

Maybe Lujanne had dreams of doing something else with her life, but she felt she had to pursue the destiny that others handed to her, so she studied magic as hard as she could, and she did get good at it, but using it to defend Xadia from humans is not what she wanted to do with her life. Whether there's a parallel between her and Ethari on that point, there's one between Callum and Ethari, I think. How much of your life are you willing to let others direct for you?

LISTEN I WAS DYING AT THE EAR BREAD SCENE OKAY

This is my new favorite Soren and Claudia moment ever. Soren loves him his bread, okay. Even as earplugs for Claudia's sleep ocarina tune. The fact that it's "super effective" makes me think of a Pokemon defense. The fact that he learned it at camp, where he also learned about Moonshadow Madness, is hilarious. Later on, Corvus doesn't know Soren by name, but I still love the idea of Corvus being a kind of Strider-esque camp instructor, filling the ears of his young charges with all kinds of useful tactics like ear bread for magic spell songs (which actually seemed to work as intended), and warnings about the enemy elves' blood-themed tactics (which may or may not come back around in BH)

I thought they were gonna go in a kind of deep direction when Soren still wanted his ear bread back, but then he just. Eats them. Just noms them. I love this kid. Give Soren all the bread!

[kaaytea]

Yaku Morisuke x reader

Summary: Yaku insisted that he didn't need your help, but the sound of glass breaking over the phone said otherwise.

Warnings: none

A/n: Yaku canonically has 2 little brothers now🥰 this is basically a gift for bug anon and @hikari-writes​ anyways enjoy mwah!!💖

----------------------------------------------------------

"Hi baby!" You happily chirped into the phone, "I'm excited for our date! It's been a while since we've gone on one."

There was a pause on the other end, you could hear shuffling and a few muffled giggles.

"Stop it you two! I'm sorry (y/n) but we're gonna have to postpone our date, my Aunt fell ill so my parents asked me to watch Yuji and Shiori While they go look after her. I'm really sorry I know how excited you were"

You let out a small laugh and shifted your phone to your other ear as you went to pick up your bag, "It's ok Mori, we can just reschedule for next weekend. How about I come over anyway? It sounds like you'll need the help."

"Ah you don't have to do that, I can usually handle them and I don't want you to-"

Yaku was cut off by the sound of a glass breaking followed by two voices

"ooooo Oniisan is gonna kill yooooou"

"No! He's gonna kill you because I didn't do it!"

Mori let out a tired sigh, "On second thought some help would be greatly appreciated."

"I'll be over in ten minutes, sit tight sweetie!"

<< --------------------------------------------------- >>

The Yaku family home wasn't too far from yours, being only a little over an eight-minute walk away. You'd been there plenty of times throughout the years after befriending Morisuke in junior high; your younger self would probably explode if they knew you'd end up dating that cute boy with pretty eyes and wavy, toffee hair who walked home the same way you did. The Yaku's basically became your second home at this point so helping Mori watch his little brothers wasn't that rare of an event.

You hopped up the steps to the humble house and knocked on the door, which swang open a few seconds after revealing a flustered Yaku Morisuke.

"Thank you for helping (y/n), I’m sorry.. this isn't exactly what I had in mind for us today," he said as you walked in, pressing a kiss to your cheek in the process.

"I don't mind helping you out Mori, sure it's not the same as a dinner date but we always have fun when watching the boys," you offered him a smile, which he returned, and followed him into the main room where you were immediately tackled by his brothers.

"(Y/n)-chan!" Yuji jumped up from his seat, abandoning the gaming controller he was holding leaving Shiori to win the game they were currently playing, and bounced over to you to hug your waist. Shiori followed closely behind his older brother and latched on to your waist as well.

"Hey you two!" You wrapped an arm around both boys and hugged them back, both of them looked up at you with big smiles.

They were looking more and more like Morisuke each time you saw them -which was understandable seeing as they're all brothers.

Yuji, the older of the two, shared the same toffee hair as his elder brother but Shiori's, while similar, was a few shades darker than Mori's. All three of them had the same chocolate-colored eyes and delicate freckles dusted on their cheeks though.

"Alright get off them, this might surprise you two but they need to do this thing called breathing," Yaku said from where he was leaning against the couch.

Both boys pulled away, Shiori lingering a little longer, and then dragged you over to the couch to play videogames with you.

Videogames were the most popular form of entertainment whenever you came to watch them. Yuji was scary good at games and almost always won when the four of you played; he could honestly rival Kenma's abilities.

Because there were only three controllers Shiori always sat on your lap so the both of you could take turns, but you had a sneaking suspicion it was because he was a little more attached to you and liked to be near you.

"Are you sure you don't want to play (y/n)-chan?" Shiori looked up at you from his spot on your lap with an innocent look.

"I'm sure Shi, I'm having much more fun watching you play," you leaned closer to him and whispered," Plus, I can help you beat your brothers this way."

He grinned at you and looked forward again to the tv. It seemed as though today's game of choice was Smash Bros Ultimate.

The three brothers started the game with Yuji instantly knocking Mori off the map resulting in him to yell out in frustration. Yaku could be very petty when he wanted so he spent most of the game targeting Yuji, leaving Shiori to sit safely on the sidelines. The game was coming to a close with Mori and Yuji both having one life left. Mori took a wild chance and ended up hitting Yuji off the map making the younger boy cry out in shock. That's when you guided Shiori over to Mori's character and won the match.

"No fair! (y/n)-chan helped you Shiori!" Yuji whined.

"I have no idea what you mean Yuji," you gave him a smile as he pouted at you; he took gaming very seriously.

"Ok ok, stop attacking (y/n) and Shi, why don't we go outside for a bit? The both of you have been in here playing games all day," Yaku got up and turned off the gaming console and tv then turned back to look at the two boys.

"Oooook," they both said before racing to the door. They pushed at each other in attempts to sabotage the other causing you to laugh at their antics. You were so engrossed in the younger boys race that you didn't notice Yaku standing in front of you until he flicked your head.

"You totally helped him win, didn't you" Mori stated with a playful glare.

You got up and pressed a kiss to his nose, "Maybe I did maybe I didn't. Why? Do you want me to help you win next time?" Mori blushed at your response then teasingly hit your shoulder.

<< --------------------------------------------------- >>

You and Yaku sat on the wooden porch together watching the younger boys kick around a soccer ball. Mori's arm was around your waist, his thumb occasionally rubbing soft circles into your hip.

"Niisan?" Shiori had diverged from Yuji and now stood in front of Mori and you, nervously fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"What's up bud?"

"Can...can you teach me how to play volleyball?"

Mori honestly looked like he could cry when the words 'teach me to play volleyball' left his little brother’s mouth. He'd been hoping that at least one of his brothers would become interested in the sport and it seemed quiet Shiori would be the one.

Mori stood up with a grin on his face, "Sure Shi! Come on, we'll teach you how to receive first."

You smiled watching Shiori run after Morisuke; Yuji and Shiori really looked up to him, it's like they think he hung the stars in the sky himself.

"Yuji!" You called out. The boy looked up from where he was kicking around the soccer ball, "Wanna come help me make dinner?"

"Yeah!"

Yuji happily trailed after you to the kitchen, hopping around from foot to foot as he blabbered on about a Tv show.

You honestly didn't know where he got all his energy from, everyone else in his family was significantly less hyper; though, his cheery attitude was one of your favorite things about him.

"Alright Yuji, what should we make?"

He stopped his bouncing and brought a hand to his chin, his face scrunching up as he pondered his options.

"Ramen!"

You gave him a nod and searched through the cabinets for the noodle packets you were, oh so familiar with. You pulled out enough for four people, placing them on the counter. You then moved to the refrigerator -just eating the packaged noodles wouldn't be the healthiest, so you decided to put your own spin on it. After a quick once over of the fridge you pulled out some carrots, spinach, and a few eggs.

"Ok Kiddo, I'm giving you a really important job. I want you to wash the carrots and spinach, think you can do that for me?"

"Yep!" Yuji gathered the vegetables in his arms and brought them over to the sink to start his job. Once you were sure he was safe, you started looking around for a pot and cutting board. You'd been to this house so many times but if there was one room you weren't familiar with it was the kitchen. Yaku's mother always insisted that she had everything handled and for you to go enjoy your time with Morisuke.

"(y/n)-chan I'm done!" Yuji called over his shoulder. He had perfect timing as you had just found a pot big enough to cook the noodles in.

You walked over to the sink, pot in hand, and gave Yuji a pat on the head -he was absolutely beaming at your approval.

"looks good, I'm gonna start cutting the carrots, fill this pot a little over halfway and then we can start making the noodles," Yuji nodded up at you and started filled the pot while you started cutting the veggies.

You were fully concentrated on your task, you didn't even hear the backdoor open.

"Careful!" You looked over your shoulder to find Mori taking the filled pot from Yuji, the latter had a slight pout spread over his face.

Yaku placed the pot on the stove top and turned back to the younger boy, "Don't do that next time, alright? You could have gotten hurt...it's ok to ask for help when you need it."

Yuji nodded pitifully, he's eyes down casted on the floor in a mix of shame and embarrassment. Mori huffed and ruffled Yuji's hair making him perk up a bit, "I think (y/n) and I've get it handled from here buddy. Go play with Shi, we'll call you both when the foods done."

"Ok!" All previous sadness had left Yuji as he instantly reverted back to his happy self, he bounced out of the kitchen and in the direction of he and Shiori's shared room.

"Thank you for helping Yuji!" You called out. His head popped out from the side of the doorway with a large smile on his face.

"you're welcome (y/n)-chan!"

<< --------------------------------------------------- >>

After dinner and a few more rounds of Smash, Mori and you had tucked both boys into bed for the night.

You stretched your arms high into the air with a hum, "I should probably start walking home."

You felt Yaku latch onto your back, his chin resting on your shoulder and his strong arms pulling you into his chest.

"Nope you're staying here, I don't want you walking home this late."

You chuckled at him and leaned into his hold, he's always looking out for you.

"Ok...that means we're gonna go cuddle in your room, right?"

"Duh"

Being curled up with Mori was one of the best things on earth. Everything about the action was soft and warm; the embodiment of comfort.

"I love your brothers but they really are a handful."

"Try living with them," Yaku responded dryly.

You slapped his shoulder lightly causing him to chuckle at you.

You sighed, enjoying the feeling of Mori tracing random shapes on your back, and nuzzled further into his chest.

"How did Volleyball with Shiori go?"

"It was fun. He's not that bad of a receiver, though I think he'd make a better setter than a libero."

You hummed and placed a kiss on his jaw, "He does have the aspects of a good setter in him, liberos need to be a bit aggressive and crazy to throw themselves around and receive."

"Wow thanks babe," he deadpanned causing you to giggle at him.

"I loooove you~"

"Yeah, whatever you say," Yaku rolled his eyes then tickled your sides changing your giggles to full-on laughter. You shifted and twitch in feeble attempts to escape Yaku's grasp.

"OK OK IM SORRY, Y-YOU MADE YOUR POINT!!"

He stopped his attack and watched you with a soft look as you calmed down. That's when a sliver of light cut through the room like a knife making both You and Mori look towards the door.

"Oniisan...we heard a scary noise outside," Yuji stood in the doorway with Shiori behind him clinging to the back of his shirt.

Mori sat up, he may complain that his baby brothers were annoying but he still loved them with all his heart and couldn't stand to see them upset.

"Do you guys wanna stay with us tonight? (Y/n)-chan and I will make sure nothing scary comes to snatch you away"

Both boys nodded and rushed over to Yaku's bed; their brother was like a beacon of light and the bed a safe house, the childlike fear of standing in the dark room unprotected lapped at their minds.

You all had to squeeze to fit onto the bed but eventually, everyone got situated and relaxed. Both kids laid between you and Mori; Shiori was clinging to your waist with his face pressed into your stomach and Yuji was facing Mori hugging his arm.

Both Yuji and Shiori fell asleep instantly once in the comfort of You and Yaku.

You ran a hand through Shiori's wavy hair, you looked up to find Yaku watching you; he looked starstruck, an almost loopy smile on his face and a warm glow in his eyes. He reached over Yuji and Shiori and grabbed onto your free hand, his thumb ran up and down the back of it prompting you to close your eyes and start to drift off.

Everything was warm and cozy, nothing but the distant chirps of crickets and the soft breathing of the two sleeping boys filled your senses; the feeling of safety and protection evident in the air.

This single moment in time was better than any date Yaku could take you on.

[ericvilas]

Zelda timelines? In the year of our lord 2021?

It's more likely than you think.

Anyway hear me out. Two canons. Not two timelines, that's a different matter, but two *canons*, two *different canonicities*. One revolves around Ocarina of Time, the other revolves around A Link to the Past. One has mostly 3D games and is made up of direct sequels and prequels, the other has exclusively 2D games and is made up of the retcon shenanigans Capcom concocted to give ALTTP a place.

Ready? Here we go:

(I apologize for making this an image, but Tumblr's formatting destroys any attempts to make this using text. It's the standard branching timeline of the 3D games).

This is just straightforward. TP is implied to be a sequel to OoT, WW and MM are direct sequels to OoT; PH and ST are direct sequels to WW.

I included SS because I think that SS was mostly created with OoT-TP in mind.

In fact, I would even go so far as to argue that you could actually include Breath of the Wild in here, far off in the future of the Adult timeline. You don't have to, of course - BotW is designed to be separate from the rest of the timeline, so far in the future that any timeline is but a distant memory. And that's fair and valid! But if you wanted to place it in the 3D timeline I'd argue it fits in Adult better, as long as you consider the EX DLC treasures as noncanon (which I do).

Either way, this post is not about BotW, and you could get deep into the weeds with the original 2 Zeldas as well, so we won't do that here, and we'll consider those 3 to be "place them wherever you feel they fit best, if you wanna place them anywhere at all".

Now, for the fun part.

Long ago, there existed a prequel/sequel connection between OoT and ALTTP. OoT represented the Imprisoning War, and ALTTP represented the escape of Ganon. However, there were some major inconsistencies. And it all went to hell when Nintendo decided to make a completely new sequel to represent the escape of Ganon: Wind Waker. So ALTTP was left prequel-less.

Enter Capcom.

Their first order of business was to create the Oracles games. Due to the way they ended, it's hinted at being a direct prequel to LA. Or, alternatively, a midquel between ALTTP and LA (the fact that Ganon is dead and Link leaves in a boat, for instance).

Then they made Four Swords and connections between FS and ALTTP, which they then solidified by pulling the same trick they pulled with the Oracles games and creating Four Swords Adventures, a game which they created as a retcon prequel to ALTTP - same map, Ganon wielding the trident of power, Ganon having the same form as in ALTTP...

So many people get mixed up because the Ganon in FSA is almost the Ganon in OoT... but isn't the Ganon in OoT. Honestly he could just be yet another incarnation of the cycle Demise put in motion, one with a more balanced heart that can wield the full Triforce....... But I think it might make a bit more sense for him to be a part of a different canonicity altogether.

And then there's TMC and ALBW, the "ultimate Capcom prequel" and the "ultimate ALTTP sequel", to cap off the ends of the timeline.

So here's my proposal:

TMC - [time passes] - FS - FSA - ALTTP - OoS/OoA - LA - ALBW

This fills in another hole I always wondered about: why Din/Farore/Nayru are the fucking world-creating goddesses in some games but just "oracles" in other games.

And here's the kicker:

All 8 of these games can easily happen without Ocarina of Time.

That is definitely not something you can say about, say, Twilight Princess.

and, similarly, all the 3D games can easily happen without any of these 8.

So that's why I think there's 2 canonicities:

and

And hey. If you really want to merge them, if you feel like they must be combined, because this is Zelda goddammit - I have some good news for you.

See how each of those two have a "time passes" gap right after the first one?

You can interweave them, if you really wanted to. Pick a timeline for FS to go in (I find that Child would work best, leave a big gap after Zant kills Ganondorf for the new cycle of Demise to show up) and just. Slot them in. If you wanted to, why not?

I personally think it works better if you don't actually do that, tbh, but. To each their own.

And I will continue to put BotW at the end of Adult, because fuck it I like Vah Ruta, Vah Nabooris, and Vah Rudania to refer to our Ruto, Nabooru, and Darunia. But I can understand people who don't.

Anyway, that's what I got.

I've been thinking about this for WAYYYYY too many years and honestly? I like this conclusion. No third split, no unnecessarily convoluted plots, no dismissal of everything, it feels right. To me, at least.

If anyone finds any holes please let me know.