Quest 07 (Open + Closed)

[newmemorywhodis]

i. Making new, wolfy friends [Open]
In the wild areas near Elysium, Link’s been exploring. It’s a common activity for him. There’s mushrooms and flowers to pick, game to hunt, monsters to fight…

…Then one day, while he’s up in a tree collecting some bird’s eggs, he spots a wolf. A big wolf. A really, really big wolf. It’s as big as a horse.

And once he makes that mental connection, Link immediately thinks, I could ride that.

Which naturally means Link now has to find out if he can. He pulls out a Sneaky Elixir, and swiftly swallows it - demeaning the sounds of his movements. Silently uses his paraglider to move from tree to tree, getting closer. And then carefully drops down behind the massive, monstrous wolf.

He crouches down. Creeps forward. Slowly, slowly. Until he’s right behind the beast, so close he could reach out and touch its fur.

And then he leaps up onto its back, and grabs on.

The wolf yelps and snarls - but Link’s got a good position, and he doesn’t let it twist back and bite him. He just directs the beast to run, and keeps a good hold.

What do you know, he can ride it!


ii. A retrieval of memories [locked to Shu]
Shu had spoken to the Admiral. They’d tracked down the Imperial Commander who’d been given Link’s Purah Pad.

And then they’d sneaked onto the Commander’s warship and completely trashed his quarters.

Well, Link had trashed his quarters. Shu was a bit too dignified for such wanton destruction, but Link wasn’t. And he didn’t regret it either, since in the process, he’d found the Pad!

Now, their getaway was nearly complete. Here in a small alleyway in Elysium, they were far from the scene of the crime. The Crimson Portal wasn’t far off.

But Link had to pause. He hadn’t had a chance yet, but - he had to see. Were all of his pictures still on the Purah Pad? Were they safe?

He pulls out the Pad, and turns it on. And turns to the photo gallery.


iii. Link has a slide show and he’s gonna make you watch it [semi-closed]
Later, Link thinks of all the new people he’d met. People who’d helped him grow plants from home, or who’d shown interest in things from his home. Shu wasn't the only one who he knew would like to see his pictures.

Before, he hadn't had any way of sharing these images of his home. But…now he could.

So Link tracks those people down. Says, “Hi,” when he finds them. And then shoves the Purah Pad - with a picture from Hyrule that would interest them on the screen - right in their face.

[[ooc: this prompt is for Nephenee, Ilphyll, Donnie, Maomao and Atom - but could be open to others if there's a reason for Link to decide to share]]


iv. Wildcard!
[[if you'd like something not on her, contact me!]]

Comments

[singlemilletgrain]

Link's chaos gremlin energy was a sight to behold (why did he smash everything that was remotely round-ish large enough to fit a gold coin by throwing it at the ground as hard as he could?), but after Shu's initial surprise, she assists by methodically sweeping everything they've already searched to one side of the room. By the time they find the Purah Pad (which, somewhat surprisingly, was just sitting in a small place of honor on top of the Commander's desk, a fact which they had both managed to overlook), the room is thoroughly destroyed.

They have probably earned the enmity of someone vaguely important, but that is a problem for another day.

As they pause in the alleyway to catch their breaths, Shu glances over Link's shoulder.

"Oh -- it's a camera."

Link's explanation was a little confusing, but she sees now that it is similar to the devices that the Nongye Tianshi use to automate crop production.

"What is that there?"

[newmemorywhodis]

The picture on the screen is one of his most recent. Taken after the Upheaval, after the Demon Dragon. After Zelda came home.

Link is standing in front of a house. A small cottage, really. Next to him is a young woman, with short blonde hair braided at the crown.

They both look tired. Like they've just come home from a long journey, and haven't yet settled in back at home yet. But they're smiling, and holding each other. It's a happy picture.

Link holds the Purah Pad, and...looks. He doesn't say anything yet. The picture consumes all of his attention.

[singlemilletgrain]

Of course, after the Dongzhi Festival evening she had shared with him, it is impossible not to recognize the scene. Exactly as he had described it. Shu allows him a few moments of silence with his tangible longing.

"...She is very beautiful."

They have similar eyes. Vibrant and luminous as an unclouded day.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link nods. Yes. Yes, Zelda is beautiful. She always has been.

There's another moment of silence, as he just looks. But then he gathers himself. And realises that now that he does have the Purah Pad, there's something on here that he knows Shu would really like to see.

So he taps at the screen a few times. When he's done, he moves it around to show Shu - and this time, it shows a series of small thumbnails, at the moment showing various Hyrulean animals. The Compendium.

iii. Link has a slide show and he’s gonna make you watch it [semi-closed]

[spacetogrow]

"Hi... what's this?" For whatever reason, the people in Faerun have never turned magic into capturing images in items. So Ilphyl has to take a moment to figure out why Link is shoving something into their face.

[newmemorywhodis]

It is, in fact, a selfie. Link is in front of the camera in what loos like climbing gear, his hand on his chin in a contemplative pose.

A hand that looks...rather odd, actually. It's like his right arm had been dyed a deep black, and there were odd metal geometric shapes encircling his arm. Link's arm doesn't look like that at all anymore - although if Ilphyl's ever seen Link Fuse something, they'll have seen brief Ethereal echoes of it.

More important, however, is the fact that on the background behind him are several sticky lizards.

Link does not answer Ilphyl's question; it's clear that he considers the picture itself explanation enough.

[spacetogrow]

At this point, Ilphyl has started to expect that Link doesn't really do explanations unless asked specific questions, and you just need to accept that is how Link is. They do notice the arm; Link might have noticed that one of Ilphyl's arms has an almost metallic-looking tattoo, albeit one less geometric and more like someone had written elven words in silver ink from wrist to shoulder. That tattoo may or may not persist when Ilphyl is in another shape.

"It's a picture of you. And... did you want to show me the lizards?"

That is really touching.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link had noticed the tattoo. Thought it had looked pretty, wondered what it would be like if Link got a tattoo too. But while Ilphyl's might be able to persist in different shapes, whatever had happened to Link's arm clearly hadn't persisted at all.

In response to the question he nods his head rapidly. Yes, he wanted to show Ilphyl the lizards. And something else, too.

Pulling back the Pad briefly, Link taps away at screen. Until he finds what he's looking for, and twists it around for Ilphyl to see again.

Now, the screen shows what looks to be a small encyclopaedic entry on the Sticky Lizard. There's a small picture, and the words: The suction of its toes allows this lizard to easily cling to walls. It could be an asset for a climber on wet surfaces if it were mixed into an elixir..

Wildcard

[straykitty]

[ One day, while out and about Flotsam, Link might start feeling intense... not exactly "killing intent", per se, but an extremely dangerous glare fixed upon him ]

Re: Wildcard

[newmemorywhodis]

Perhaps it's not an intent to kill, but it's a sensation that reminds Link all too much of the Yiga. He almost half expects to spot a bunch of bananas nearby.

He can't see any bananas, but Link knows better than to disregard the danger. He pulls his shield from his back, as his eyes scan his surroundings. What is the source of the sensation?

Re: Wildcard

[straykitty]

"Well. Here you are."

Renne is sitting daintily on some nearby rigging, gazing down at Link. Her voice drips with venomed honey.

[newmemorywhodis]

Ah. He remembers her from the mission. But this meeting feels…strange.

“…Hi,” he says. And then just waits, and stares.

Maybe she does like bananas. She’s reveal it soon enough, if she does.

1: Making New, Wolfy Friends

[bearsperminute]

Kanna had had to wrap up quite a bit to even come to Elysium-- her face and name are known, after all-- and had felt grateful for a chance to really explore and come to know yet another climate.

Not only that, she felt a bit honored to have come along with Link, whose prowess she'd witnessed during the escape from Vindess.

This, though-- this was on another level. She'd been ready to punch the giant wolf, and didn't quite feel like this was a particularly safe situation, so she grimaced and took off after him. "Oi. OI!"

... Ah, right.

Where there is one wolf... There are others... "... Should've been worried about myself, huh? Okay..."

[newmemorywhodis]

The problem with accompanying Link on trips to the wilderness was that - unless you were Zelda - he tended to forget that he was with other people. He tended to wander off. Climb trees. Get distracted by interesting looking plants. And in this case, wander off and start riding wolves.

But then she's yelling after him, and he remembers: he's not out here exploring on his own. Whoops.

He blinks in her direction. The wolf paces, agitated.

"...You want a wolf?" Maybe they could find her one to ride too?

[bearsperminute]

"Looks like we've got several, actually." She eyes the treeline. Three, to be exact, including the one Link was riding, all about the same size. She spotted their presence in various places in the underbrush. "Normally I'd toss 'em around a bit and that'd be that, but..."

She'd leave it up to Link; he was the one riding a wolf, after all.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link leans down on the back of his wolf, looking over towards the rest of the pack. Could he catch another one? He thought he could. Well, he could try.

But then he pauses. Looks at Kanna, looks at his wolf, and then looks back at her. His head tilts to the side, and he asks an unspoken question:

Does she want to ride Link's wolf?

iii

[purplexing]

Donnie's not difficult to find. He only has so many haunts in he Vault, and he hasn't been back in the Armory since they'd returned from the mission.

He'd almost started to doze off in his little garden, hands curled around the watering can where he's settled after finishing through a row. Having someone suddenly show up when you're not expecting it is certainly one way to chase off his lethargy. Link really has to work on his startling people like that.

Yelping, the turtlekin fumbles the watering can as he straightens up, the vessel tumbling across the ground, water spilling across the dirt.

"Link, you need to- what is this?"

It seems to operate like the screen of an ENC, but it's thinner, and there's no keyboard that he can see.

[newmemorywhodis]

"Purah Pad," Link says promptly. And then pushes it further into Donnie's face, because it's not the Pad Link came here to show Donnie - it's the picture.

And indeed, on the screen is a picture of a large bird-shaped stone glider. Four elogated cylinders have been attached to it, and each of them is blasting green fire from one end. In the middle of it all is Link.

Apparently, Link liked this particular contraption enough to take a picture. Or maybe he just wanted to get the nice aerial view. Either way, it's a picture of rockets.

[purplexing]

"Hey!"

Donnie grabs at the pad, more out of irritation at this point, but he holds it at a more suitable viewing distance if Link allows him to take it.

"Is that like...a chunk of someone's floor?" he can't help but wonder allowed, because the 'glider' doesn't look at all very aerodynamic. Yes, he's judging it. But he does eventually focus on the actual important part of this image, lifting the tablet closer to try having a better look at one of the pointed shaped things.

"Is this what I think it is?"

III

[relentless_sentinel]

Link. Link, you gotta know how surprising the Sentinel's gonna go. Nephenee's just minding her own business gardening, and you pop outta nowhere like that? Yeah, there's a yell and jump to the side when he speaks and tries to shove something her way.

It might say something about her being used to him and feeling safe around him that she didn't react his presence in the first place before that. Or maybe to how relaxed and in her element she'd been.
...Let's be honest, probably more the former - The girl doesn't have an off switch for her nerves.

In the quick moment, she's already dropped her trowel and brandished a knife she had handy...before realizing it's him. "Gosh darn it, Link..." She lets out a sighed whew as she lowers it. "What in tarnation are ya doin', shovin' somethin' at me like that?"

Despite her tone, Neph's not mad, by any stretch - her adrenaline's just surging now!

[newmemorywhodis]

Link does not even blink at the brandishing at the knife. In fact, he appears utterly unrepentant about startling her.

Instead, he just waits patiently for her to actually look at the Purah Pad. On the screen is a picture of a Silent Princess in a lush green field, with distant mountains behind. A picture from his home.

She'll notice it eventually, Link figures.

[relentless_sentinel]

Well, considering he was shoving it at her...but first, the unrepentant Hero gets a very mature Sentinel quickly sticking her tongue out at him, because what else can she really do when someone she views as a brother is being a brat?

Now that that's done, she looks at the device, her brows furrowing in thought. That isn't the device they use for communication, but...it has pictures? She recognizes the flower immediately, since she grows them for Link, but not the background.

The wheels visibly turn in her head as she quietly puzzles that out...when the conclusion comes, she shoves down a sudden pang in her chest, trying to not let it show. She's mostly successful at keeping it from being too obvious, but only because the Wall comes up so she doesn't worry him. She doesn't look up from the picture as she asks, "...Is this...from your home? From Hyrule?"

[upupatomway]

"Oh, hi Mr. Link!" Atom greets him when he sees him approach. He blinks in surprise when the device is held up without warning, but his eyes quickly focus on the screen.

"What is this? It doesn't look like any of the ethernet devices I've seen." He asks as he takes in the photo that doesn't look much like their typical surroundings either.

[newmemorywhodis]

"Purah Pad," Link says promptly. But then he shakes the device slightly, as if to say: Look!

And there on the screen is indeed something that Link wants Atom to look at. Link himself is in the foreground, standing on a rock in the middle of a desert.

Before him is an absolutely colossal beast. One that somehow looks to be swimming through the sands.

[upupatomway]

Link standing in a sandy desert. What is that? Atom squints at the photo, having never seen anything like the beast before. He almost thinks it's a strange looking rock formation because it's clearly so large, but it's clearly something with a mouth.

"Is this a picture of that sand beast you told me about?" he asks, surprised not only by the appearance of the creature but the fact Link now had a photo on hand. "Amazing! What a great thing to recover!"