Quest 01 (Open)

[newmemorywhodis]

i. Flotsam: Scouting from the sails
In any new place, Link's first instinct is always to go up. Get high, get somewhere he can see, and then paraglide to the next point of interest. Well, with no paraglider, he couldn't do the last part. But he could do the rest.

So Link will just casually climb up the mast of whatever ship he happens to be on. If there's a ladder, he'll use it. But if there isn't, he'll find a way to scamper up anyway. From there, he'll perch on the edge of the sails, looking out over the armada of ships that make up the Flotsam.

And if you don't spot him when it's up or - or feel like braving the heights to join him - well, he's gotta come down sometime. He might drop down next to you.

ii. Flotsam: Floating markets
Link can't afford anything here, but already he loves this place.

He's already mentally making a long list of things he wants to buy - that wickedly long spear! That exotic spice! The weird glowing rock that would probably be useful somehow! But it's the clothes shops that Link ends up spending the most time in. Something with a bit of protection would be best, but he can't help but also be drawn to some more decorative options. Like that nice flowy white blouse, that reminds him of the Gerudo style...

iii. Flotsam and/or the Vault: Sword practice
On the deck of one of the ships - or sometimes in the Vault's armoury, if he's feeling like a change of scenery - Link finds runs through a sequence of sword forms. They're smooth and practiced, leaving no openings or visible weaknesses in form. It's clear from the way he moves that these movements have been ingrained over many, many years.

When the sequence comes to an end, he lists up his sword and looks at it. It's not the Sword that Seals the Darkness. It's not even comparable to most of his other weapons. But it's serviceable enough. Link can fight with a stick if he has to - he can certainly make do with this.

Comments

[relentless_sentinel]

She can appreciate him not striking first; it means he understands he's at a disadvantage if he does so.

Well, if he wants to tempt her, she'll test the waters. As Link's circling closer, she uses some of the reach she has to take a light lunge at him, only leveraging the halberd's length, and not what her legs or height add in. It's not leaving her particularly vulnerable - Nephenee's just seeing what he'll do and how he'll move.

[newmemorywhodis]

He moves with a dodge to the side - a deft, nimble movement. He's clearly quick on his feet, and knows how to use what advantages his smaller stature gives him.

But he gives no returning strike, not yet. He's still getting a feel for her as well, how she moves and strikes.

So he tests her once again, staying in close enough that she might entertain attempting another strike.

[relentless_sentinel]

That doesn't surprise her; he's not exactly a stout fellow even if he is shorter than her by a good deal. It does please her, though; that much is clear from the small smile on her lips. It'll be that more of a challenge!

Alright, well, let's see what he does when she suddenly rushes into his preferred range, halberd pulled back like she'll swing it in an arc. She won't, but she does want to see if he'll take the bait and not notice the shield being slightly more forward as she dashes closer.

[newmemorywhodis]

The movement is sudden, and has Link instinctively tumbling to one side to get out of the way. This time, though, Link does take the bait - and strikes back.

But he hadn't entirely missed the shield, either. Rather than attacking head on, he shifts around her to instead aim a strike at her side.

[relentless_sentinel]

Smart man. "You're a-" But she hops to the side to avoid his strike, hair fanning out as she spins so she's facing him again. "-quick lil' fella!" And she'll bounce back on a foot to get back into mid-range.

"How long ya been doin' this?" Awhile, clearly.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link hangs back a bit, giving a little space to he can answer the question. But his answer is quick.

"Since over a hundred years ago," he says. Although with his face still largely unexpressive, Nephenee might not be able to tell that this is absolutely an impish answer.

Because sure, it's technically correct. But it also completely leaves out the hundred year sleep Link took.

[relentless_sentinel]

Helluva nap there, Link. In the present, however, the Sentinel he's squaring off with has a flash of confusion that shows in her features for a moment as she completely fails to catch his impishness.

Did she...hear that right? That translated as...{a hundred years}, yeah, unless she completely misunderstands some grammar or some nuance there.

She's back to being on her guard quick, but the look of bemusement he got is still there. "...Sorry, Ah ain't good at this language...repeat that? Ah thought ya said 'a hundred years'."

It's not unheard of for Laguz to live a long time, and he does have pointed ears...but he doesn't have any other indicators like wings or a tail...maybe a dragon, but she isn't getting that impression...

[newmemorywhodis]

Don't feel bad, Nephenee; considering the fact that Link has the rather bad habit of not visibly emoting much, it's not really not easy to tell when he is being impish. Because unless you know him very well, his face doesn't really look all that different.

But the impishness absolutely continues.

"Over a hundred," he says, as he takes the opportunity to dart in for a quick attempt to side-swipe her knees.

[relentless_sentinel]

She's confused, Link, not off her game. The Sentinel does a quick backflip out of harm's way.

"The heck are ya, then? Ya look like a Beorc like me, 'cept them ears." Meanwhile, she lunges in to swipe at his core in an arc, shield coming up to cover her weak spot. Thankfully, she's used to fighting sword users.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link has no idea what a Beorc is. Maybe that was the name for people with those weird round ears? But he answers he easily enough.

"Hylian," he says, with a quick dodge to the side, before darting around to move behind her, making her have to spin if she wants to try and strike at him again. "Not elf," he adds.

A few people seemed to think he was one of those. Link could almost see why. But he could tell just by looking at the people who were 'elves' that they weren't the same as Hylians.

[relentless_sentinel]

Well, she knows the other term for her species, what people here would use, but it's got a bit of history her way, so she's not exactly used to using it...

She'll spin around, though it's more to keep from exposing her flank to him, and her shield comes around to either block or bash. She guesses they look similar enough, now that she thinks about it...but she's still not exactly familiar with elves to comment too much on that. "Hylian, not elf...Pardon me for sayin', but Ah ain't sure o'the differences there."

This is a strange conversation to be having while sparring, some might say. But if it gets them actually talking...incidentally, it doesn't seem to affect either of them fighting. "We don't got neither in Crimea. Or maybe in Tellius." She's not sure about the last one.

[newmemorywhodis]

"Ears aren't the same shape," Link says, as he continues to circle. Neither was the structure of the face, actually.

Though perhaps the differences weren't so obvious to her as they were to him - all he'd had to do was look at one of the local elves, and it was all too clear to him that they weren't Hylian. Very similar, yes - but not quite the same.

Another strike, but this time it meets her shield - she'd been too quick in her turn for him to edge around her defences.

[relentless_sentinel]

Wait til he finds out she thought he might be a Laguz. "Ah'll take your word for it. That the only difference?"

That shield's as much a part of her as her lances, and it's long enough to be fantastic for the exact sort of thing she's using it for. She'll just use that bounceback there to help her shove him back with it into her favored range, about six or seven feet out. Shoo!

[newmemorywhodis]

Link shrugs in response to that question. He doesn't really know that much about elves, so he can't really say what other differences there might be.

And besides, he really should be focusing on this spar right now; Nephenee's not an opponent to sneeze at, it turns out.

She pushes out from close range, and - perhaps unusually - Link allows it. He stays just a little bit further out, circling. Apparently looking for another opening.

♪Let's do the timewarp agaaaain♪

[relentless_sentinel]

The spar goes on for awhile with them taking each other's measure; But when the sun's getting a bit closer to the horizon, they've reached an agreement that they're both formidable in battle, it seems, and she's grinning brightly, her breathing a little heavier than normal as she wipes her brow. She suspects he might have better stamina than her, but no telling without more intensive sparring, and she'd like to plan for that first.

And besides, she's getting hungry. "Hey...you're pretty good, fella. What's your name?"

[newmemorywhodis]

Link has visited every Shrine in Hyrule at this point. After completing all of those trials, he's got plenty of stamina.

But if he does have more than she does, he doesn't make a point of it. He just nods, to end the sparring session, and sheathes his blade.

"Link."

[relentless_sentinel]

If they find some Statue Frags, she'll get better at it. Don't ask her how, it just will.

Regardless, she gives him a respectful nod and smile. "Nephenee, Sentinel o'Crimea. Nice to meet ya, Sir Link. Say, ya wanna grab a bite to eat with me? Ah'm startin' to get real hungry from all that sparrin'."

Now that they're not in the middle of things, he might catch that the heat coming off of the woman, like a furnace - one of the downsides of a stupid high metabolism.

Wrap up around here, shall we?

[newmemorywhodis]

Perhaps if Link were more socially aware, he might wonder if she was trying to ask him on a date. Alas, Link's always been rather oblivious to that sort of thing.

Also, he's now immediately focused entirely on the prospect of food. Never one to turn down the chance to eat, he nods.