"..."
"..." Revali's eye twitched.
"..."
"... Would you say something?!" Revali snapped. He wasn't sure why Link never said anything, but it was grating on his nerves. The Hylian Champion wasn't mute, but rather actively chose silence. Out in public, it made sense. Revali had seen and even heard citizens misquoting him and starting rumors as a result. It was incredibly frustrating that no matter how he tried to ensure that he made himself clear and quick to correct any misunderstandings, it seemed like some were eager to misrepresent him. It didn't matter how much he was sacrificing to help defend the kingdom.
Oddly enough, he found himself more annoyed about the things being said about Mipha and Daruk. As confident as he was in himself, he could understand why some people found him unpleasant. The Zora and Goron Champions, though, were too kind for their own good. It was aggravating seeing people trying to shame them.
Some people were just that petty. And as a result, he had followed Link's example and stopped speaking in public nearly as much.
What did get him, though, was that Link carried that silence into private conversations. None of them would have told a soul what he said, yet he maintained his cool, silent demeanor. It was almost as though he thought he was above the rest of them. A silent onlooker rendering judgment on them all.
It was infuriating.
Link couldn't have possibly known how many hours he had spent practicing his techniques, how many times he had slammed into the ground, or how many lonely nights had been spent continuing to train while everyone else was at home with their loved ones. What right did the "hero" have to judge him?
Maybe the boy's silence would have bothered him less if that same silence was used with his private conversations with Mipha and Daruk. But he had heard him chatting quietly with both. They had even gotten him to laugh!
But around Revali, he refused to say a word.
Was he trying to force the Rito out of the group?
He had tried to ask the others about the issue. Daruk had scratched his head in confusion and suggested he tried telling jokes. He didn't normally have time for humor, and he definitely wouldn't be trying it out with someone who couldn't be bothered to have a conversation with him. Mipha, on the other hand, had been a bit more cryptic. She had squinted at him as though trying to discern his intent. Then, after a few moments, she had tersely asked him if he'd tried to actually speak with Link himself.
It was an odd question. Hadn't he tried time and time again?
Here he was now, sitting across from Link after a hard training session, giving him plenty of room to speak, despite all his misgivings.
And all Link was doing was staring back at him blankly.
"... Something."
Revali blinked. "What?"
"Something," he said again with a shrug.
Revali narrowed his eyes. "Is that some kind of bad joke?"
Link nodded.
