Quest 04 (Open + Closed)

[newmemorywhodis]

i. The joy of cooking lizards and frogs [Open]

If there was one thing Link had learned from the battle at Flotsam, it was that he really, really needed to build up his stash of elixirs again.

So not too long after the battle - when Link’s recovered enough to stay on his feet, and limp his way towards one of Flotsam’s communal kitchens - Link gets to work.

It’s a process that involves Link cheerfully humming while he babies a big boiling pot, and some…unusual ingredients. Most notable is the big giant pile of lizalfos talons; large wicked claws that look like they’d come from some kind of large reptilian creature. These talons are an ingredient in every elixir he makes, but the accompanying ingredient varies.

Sometimes, it’s the sort of thing you might expect someone to cook with; fish, vegetables, mushrooms. Sometimes it’s flowers or herbs. And then for some concoctions he tosses in…frogs and lizards?


ii. More ingredients. MORE! [closed to Nephenee, Donnie, Shu]

The trouble with making elixirs is that he can’t just run out and find more ingredients when he needs them; all the recipes he knows best use things from Hyrule.

Which is why Link decides to seek out those people he’d given some of his plants and mushrooms to, in the hope that they might be able to grow more. If he can, he’ll try to find each of them at whatever garden patch or farm they’ve been working in.

And then say, “...Hi.”


iii. A visit to the apothecary, because maybe Link should share sometimes [Closed to Maomao]

It had occurred to Link that the other thing that might help is knowing more about the local fauna and flora - maybe there were ingredients he could find here that he could use as well?

And if there was anyone who can help…well, an apothecary seemed a good place to start. And maybe Maomao might find some of his materials useful too.

So he makes a visit to Elysium, silently slipping in through the door of the apothecary and looking around. Is Maomao in?


iv. These lizards won’t breed themselves [Closed to Ilphyl]

Ilphyl could turn into animals. So…maybe it stood to reason, that they might know how to breed them as well?

So Link tracks Ilphyl down. Reaches into his korok-enchanted pack, and pulls out a fireproof lizard. Despite being carried around in what looks like an ordinary leather bag, it is alive, and wriggling in Link’s hands.

“...I need more lizards,” he says.


v. Bees, bugs and butterflies [Closed to Iren]

The lizards might be sorted - but Link could use someone to help with his butterflies as well. But who could help with them?

Fortunately, while exploring the outskirts of Elysium, he'd run into a few locals who mentioned that someone was keeping bees. Link didn't even know you could keep bees. He'd only ever seen wild bee nests, and no one kept them.

But if someone can keep bees...butterflies shouldn't be a problem. So he makes his way to the location given to him.

When Iren comes out to check up on her bees, she’ll find Link curiously inspecting her bee houses. From a short distance away, that is - Link’s well aware of how bees can sting when angered.

Comments

I

[upupatomway]

Atom doesn't really know his way around a kitchen, and he had heard of people eating frog legs in other countries. But Link's lineup of exotic looking ingredients doesn't match anything he had seen in a kitchen before. The scene he stumbles upon, with Link stirring a bubbling pot, almost looks like a fairy tale illustration.

"Is... Is that a kind of witch's brew?" Atom asks.

[newmemorywhodis]

Look looks at the child - or what he thinks is a child - and blinks. A witch's brew?

He shakes his head. No, he's not a witch. He doesn't have any magical abilities. He's just a swordsman. And besides, what's so odd about making elixirs?

(It has not yet occurred to Link that in other worlds, using parts of monsters to make potions is not, in fact, normal.)

"...They're elixirs," he says, gesturing to some of the ones he's already made.

[upupatomway]

"Elixirs?" Atom looks where Link points at the completed bottles that are filled with mysterious liquid. Did those bottles really contain ingredients like the many reptilian talons laid out next to the pot?

"Elixirs like... Magic potions? Does something special happen when you drink them?"

[newmemorywhodis]

Link nods. Yup, they were definitely elixirs. As for whether they magic potions...he just shrugs.

But he does point to each in turn, and give a short explanation. A dark brown elixir is "Fireproof," a bright green one "Gives energy," a dark purple one "Makes you sneaky".

[upupatomway]

"Does the fireproof effect extend to the clothes you wear too? Or just your body?"

He can't help being curious about that particular kind of magic after burning the shoes off of his feet during the mine evacuation. Ever since, he's been walking around in some very basic sandals that would be easy to replace if they met a fiery end.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link nods. Yes, it did protect his clothes too, funnily enough. Just don't ask him how that works; he hasn't a clue.

Although, there was one exception.

"...But not weapons," he adds. "Wooden ones still burn."

Something Link had learned the hard way, the first time he tried to trek up Death Mountain.

[upupatomway]

"Amazing! I expected magic to be impressive, but I'm still surprised the more I find out. It's amazing these ingredients can result in those kind of effects. Are the body parts from creatures with special powers?" He looks over the lineup of body parts and dead frogs on the counter. "I'm familiar with animals that look similar, but these don't appear to match any species I've seen before in my world."

Sorry Link. He's caught up in a starry-eyed train of thought. Any minute now he'll realize what he's doing.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link however, isn't annoyed or irritated at all. In fact, something in his gaze turns a little fond.

Because Atom's curious enthusiasm and wondering chatter reminds Link of Zelda. She often gets lost in similar trains of thought, talking out loud to herself as she follows whatever line of scientific inquiry has caught her interest.

Link always liked listening to Zelda talk. He's happy to listen to Atom too. And give a few answers, where he can.

"Lizalfos talons," he says, pointing to the pile of body parts. "Elixirs need monster parts."

[upupatomway]

"This reptile is considered a monster? What makes an animal a monster?" he asks. It could be a casual title, or it could just as easily be a strict scientific category.

His finger darts out to curiously poke at one of the lizalfos talons, but he catches himself and pulls his hand back before he makes contact. Right. This could be considered the equivalent of touching food ingredients about to go in a pot, even if these weren't the kind of things people at home normally consumed.

[newmemorywhodis]

At that question, Link...pauses. Tilts his head to one side. Thinks, for a long moment.

Huh. What does make a monster a monster?

In the end, Link can't really give a definitive answer. So he just shrugs.

And while Atom might be concerned about touching the Lizalfos talons, Link isn't. They all go into the pot anyway. Any potential diseases will get boiled away. But he can see that Atom is curious, so Link casually picks one up and holds it out for Atom to take. Really, Link has plenty - he can spare one.

[upupatomway]

Atom grins and takes the offered lizarlfos talon. "Thanks!"

He turns it over in his hands, unconcerned with any risk of being cut. "How big is the monster this is from? It seems like it would be quite large if its claws are this big. Did you slay it yourself?"

[newmemorywhodis]

Link pauses. Looks up above him, before taking the sword from his back - and using it to indicate a point several feet above the top of Link's head.

Lizalfos, it seems, are reasonably big. Though it's nowhere near the biggest monster.

As for whether Link slayed it himself, that gets a decisive nod in reply. He certainly did! And all the other ones that made up the rather large pile of talons.

[upupatomway]

To the approximately four foot robot, that's more than tall enough for something called a monster. Surely it would scare most humans and other organic people. Link's use of a sword to demonstrate also leaves quite the impression. Atom gets a good look at the sword, and his visual scan notes the signs of age and wear, as well as tending.

"Oh wow..." Atom gapes for a moment. A monster slayer with a sword? "Are you some kind of knight or warrior back home?"

[newmemorywhodis]

It's not a sword Link's had for all that long, really. Having all his previous weapons taken away by the Empire, he'd had to acquire this one in the market. Secondhand.

(Not his Sword. Not the Sword that Seals the Darkness. But Link had plans to get that back. And soon.)

And as Link returns the sword to the sheath on his back, he nods. Yes, he is some kind of knight or warrior.

[upupatomway]

The way Link sheaths his sword so smoothly, while simple, solidifies his skill in Atom's head.

"That's so cool! You must help protect your home from these monsters, right?" That would also explain the elixirs with effects fitting for battle. Atom looks at the spread of monster parts again. "Did you gather all of these ingredients yourself on your adventures then? Which ingredient is the hardest to get?"

[newmemorywhodis]

The answer to whether Link helps protect his home is yes, but Link just shrugs in response. This kind of response from people isn't something new to Link, but...he's still not necessarily keen to go around boasting his exploits.

But he's happy to answer what's the hardest material to get. Although the answer might not be of the kind Atom's expecting.

"Bladed Rhino beetles."

[upupatomway]

Link's lack of a reaction besides shrugging at the idea that he's a brave protector only makes Atom see him as too humble to brag. Just as a great warrior should be according to the samurai stories of old. This guy is the real deal!

It really isn't the answer Atom expected, but he's excited nonetheless. Bugs and insects are among his absolute favorite living organisms. Humans were number one, followed by dogs and cats, then bugs. Though he better add the intelligent species he now knows in this world to the top of that list with humans.

"Wait; a type of Rhino Beetle? Is it a large beetle with some kind of horn in front like this?" He holds up the lizalfos talon in front of his nose, curving upward.

[newmemorywhodis]

A shame Link didn't have his Purah Pad - otherwise, he could have shown Atom a picture of it from his Compendium. Instead, they'll have to settle for descriptions.

Something Link was really not all that good at.

But he does not - Atom was right, they did have bladed noses like that! And then he holds his hands up, indicating a distance about the size of his palm apart. "This big."

[upupatomway]

"Wow, that species is huge! We have the kabutomushi species in my country. The males only get up to this long including the horn." Atom holds the fingers of one hand apart at an accurate 33 mm, nothing compared to what Link was indicating. "Your Bladed Rhino Beetle is about the size of the largest known species of Rhino Beetle in my home world."

Atom chuckles. "Between that and the giant lizard monsters, it's starting to sound like a lot of things come super sized in your homeland. I wonder what about the environment encourages that... You don't have giant cats by any chance, do you?" He must ask so he can tell his sister whenever he finally returns home.

[newmemorywhodis]

Giant cats? A faint furrow appears in between Link's eyebrows, before he shakes his head. No, they don't have giant cats.

Link raises his hands, holding them up to indicate something about the size of a normal, ordinary house-cat. But that does raise the question - how big are cats where Atom comes from?

"...Your cats are big?" He asks.

[upupatomway]

"Pet cats are the same size as yours. But most wild cats are larger. The biggest one in my world is the Siberian tiger. The males measure about..." Atom improvises by setting the talon on the floor to mark one end and shuffles back from. He holds a hand up to mark the other end and he raises his other hand up to show the height. "That long head to hind- not including the tail. Head up to here. They're a really impressive sight- they're orange and white with thick black stripes."

[newmemorywhodis]

Link's eyes go wide. A cat that big? That was practically horse-sized!

"...Can you ride them," he says, driven by the sudden and imperative need to know.

[upupatomway]

Atom goes to pick up the talon and as he stands up he thinks for a moment that he misheard Link's question.

"Can you ride a tiger?" he repeats, just to be sure. He laughs uneasily. "I wouldn't recommend it. Tigers have never been domesticated, they're powerful enough to injure or kill an adult human, and I don't know if their backs would be strong enough to carry an adult for very long either. Maybe a kid. That would probably make the tiger mad though."

He can imagine his sister pulling it off, however. He better not tell her about the idea or she'd want to go to the zoo to ask the tigers immediately, even if it was simply to pose for a photo.

"Why do you ask? Do you ride large beasts at home?" Atom has to ask where this curiosity is coming from.

[newmemorywhodis]

So someone child-sized could perhaps manage it? Well...Link was small, even if he was an adult. Maybe he'd manage it. Maybe.

As for what he rides at home...

"Mostly horses," Link replies. "Sometimes, skeleton horses. Deer. Bears. Sand seals. Lynels. The Lord of the Mountain."

[upupatomway]

Skeleton horse sounds wild enough on its own. Atom wants to ask what it is, but compared to the other things on the list, it quickly starts to sound less bizarre. Skeleton horses are most likely what they sound like. But the last two...

"I've never heard of someone riding any of those, other than regular horses. We don't have skeleton horses, or... Lynels? What's the Lord of the Mountain? It sounds important!"

He really does ride beasts! Maybe a tiger would work out for him.