open 🌻 a relatively more welcome return and some other nonsense

[multidisciplinary]

Who: Zelda and OPEN
Which: Open log, backdated to November 9
Where: Plaza, Lakeside, Dreamscape
What: November catch-all kind of thing. Zelda returns to Song (again) after trying to go home and do [spoiler] things, gets leafever and experiences a day in the life of a sylvari, and dreams about fashion
Warnings: Minor Tears of the Kingdom sidequest spoilers dreamscape prompt. (opt out of TOTK spoilers here.) Threads with major TOTK spoilers will be marked.



1. a not so welcome return the redux

Like most new arrivals, Zelda awakens in the Plaza. When she opens her eyes, she sees... nothing. Darkness, muted colors, like the insides of one's eyelids. Her heart skips a beat. Has she done it? Has she finally returned to Hyrule and fulfilled the plan she has so ardently strived for? Is she free from Songerein?

As if in answer, the wind picks up and gusts over Zelda. The darkness rustles loudly all around her, like dried leaves in an autumn breeze.

...

The princess sits up abruptly, shedding leaves from the pile that has formed on top of her. Wait a moment. What are all these leaves doing on the ground? It's still summertime in Hyrule. Zelda looks around, casting her gaze over the nearby Plaza, abustle with activity as dreamwalkers patronize the many shops surrounding it. This doesn't look like the town near the castle. Then that must mean...

She's back in Songerein.

Zelda slams her hands down in the leaves and screams out a curse at the top of her lungs. Back in Songerein? Already? But she only just left! Last night, she snuck out of the treehouse home she and Link share and went to the Wishing Well. She planned to use three of her baubles to go home. Link came to stop her—

Her mind stops abruptly as the memory plays in her mind—Link, stepping between Zelda and the well, kissing her...

A hot flush rises to Zelda's cheeks. She shakes her head roughly to get the image out of her mind. Stop getting distracted. Focus!

The princess roughly digs herself out of the pile of leaves (more of which have accumulated in the mere minutes she's been sitting here) and gets to her feet. Time to go to the Plaza and get some answers.


2. dryad ailment

It's been four or five days since Zelda returned to Songerein and she's been feeling... pretty terrible, actually. Somehow, waking up in a pile of leaves in the Plaza has caused the princess to fall ill. For days, she's been laid up at home or at the clinic, suffering fevers and body aches and the worst case of dry skin anyone has every experienced. Her body has become strangely plant-like, with skin like bark and hair like yellow leaves. If not for how miserably she's been feeling, Zelda would be fascinated by the changes.

But today, she inexplicably feels... fine. No, better than fine. Wonderful, actually. The moment she steps outside and the cold autumn sunlight shines on her leafy hair, Zelda feels her miserable affliction vanish. Her lethargy fades in an instant and she suddenly feels more energized than she's felt in days—no, in months. Suddenly, all of the worries Zelda normally carries around fade from her mind and all she can think about is soaking up more sunlight, drinking clear, cold water, and finding some delicious nutrients!

Zelda can be found at the lakeside all day, romping about in a state of undress unusual for the cold weather and uncharacteristic of the princess. She might be conversing animatedly with the nearby trees, wading knee-deep in the icy lake waters, or even (ugh) eating dirt. Really, you should have a taste of this dirt. The flavor is exquisite!


3. Interactive dreamscape - Hyrulean haute couture

Intentionally or unintentionally, tonight's dreamwalking has brought you to a town on the outskirts of Hyrule known as Hateno Village. Once a sleepy little village, Hateno has grown into a bustling township in the century since the Great Calamity, on account of its distance from Hyrule Castle. In the four years since they defeated Calamity Ganon (and when they aren't busy traveling the kingdom), Zelda has lived in Hateno Village with Link. Hateno is the 'home' she thinks of whenever she hears the word, so its little wonder that a homesick dream take place there.

Lately, Hateno has been buzzing with excitement, ever since haute fashion designer Cece opened her shop there and began selling her latest designs. Fashion-forward Hyruleans from all over the kingdom have flocked to Hateno to get their own Cece-brand clothes. Though Zelda may not be a fashionista, she isn't immune to the charm of Cece's unique designs.

That's how you find yourself inside Cece's shop, trying on the hottest new style—mushroom couture. Zelda, also dressed in a full mushroom outfit, stands before you, carefully scrutinizing your outfit.

"No, I think it needs the hat," she says. "The ensemble simply isn't complete without it."


4. the wildcard option

Want a different prompt? Feel free to surprise me or plot with me on plurk (knighted), discord (triforce1960) or DM.

Also, feel free to reply in brackets instead of prose if you prefer.

Comments

[updrafting]

[Every princess needs someone to be direct with her, and Revali is perfectly happy being the bird for the job.]

The lack of wings can't be helped.

[not being able to fly, what a sad existence...]

Instead of a hat, why not fashion it into a glider? It's about as close to flight as you'll get.

[Sorry for the insult to your hard work, Cece.]

[multidisciplinary]

[ It is a sad existence, isn't it? Indeed, Zelda has fully enjoyed the very rare opportunities she has had to fly—all of which occurred aboard Vah Medoh rather than her own set of wings (or even a paraglider like Link's).

How surprising, then, that Revali should seem to read her mind at that exact moment. ]

A glider? You mean like Link's?

[ There's a sparkle of excitement in her eyes at the prospect. ]

[updrafting]

[To his credit, Revali just barely manages to hide a look of annoyance at the mention of Link. But only just barely.]

I don't see why not. If the Knight can manage it, it can't be that difficult to handle.

[...well, maybe not all his annoyance was hidden.]

It's not as if we would have you leaping from the top of Rito Village for your first attempt.

[multidisciplinary]

[ Bless your heart for even trying, Revali. Zelda knows what a struggle that is for you.

His sardonic remark gets a laugh out of her, though, as well as a thoughtful expression as this idea takes root in her mind. Revali is right—paragliding doesn't look that difficult. ]

Perhaps not. [ Although some kind Rito would probably catch her before she plummeted to her death. ] Where would you have me start, then?

[ (Cece, perturbed by Revali's unwillingness to wear her brilliantly-designed hat, quietly steps away to attend to other, more receptive customers.) ]

[updrafting]

[With Cece gone, Revali shakes out the wing she was attempting to measure for his fitting before crossing his wings thoughtfully. Where would the best place to try paragliding be? The needs of a Hylian are a bit different than even the youngest of Ritos learning how to fly.

But, thinking about it, what he comes up with is--]

Zora's Domain.

[There's enough high ledges or palace spires to practice from, he thinks. And most importantly...]

If anything were to happen--which it won't, under my watch--the water should be fine to break your fall at such a low height.

[multidisciplinary]

[ Zelda's eyebrows go up at the suggestion of Zora's Domain. She was expecting him to suggest something like the roof of a house or a low cliffside—somewhere that would result probably result in nothing worse than a few broken bones.

But now that he mentions it, having water below her to break any potential fall makes a lot more sense than trying to find a non-fatal height to jump from with solid ground below.

As this idea, firmly rooted, begins sprouting in Zelda's mind, something curious begins to happen to the dreamscape. Its edges start to look a little fuzzy, a little unfocused. The clearly defined details of the shop start to melt together, the other customers start disappearing. No matter which direction he turns, Revali will find that the periphery of his vision is fading. ]

That makes sense. The lowest levels of the Domain? I believe the shallows there are were the youngest Zora children begin learning to swim up waterfalls.

[updrafting]

[If it were Link, or some other Hylian he doesn't know particularly well, he would've suggested jumping off a roof or a small cliff. But this is Zelda, and while he's not much for formalities in general, even he knows it's poor form if the princess ends up breaking a bone while under your instruction. Plus, he has a soft spot for her, as hard-working and embarrassingly earnest as she can be at times.

Revali furrows his brow, a bit disoriented as the dreamscape distorts and the sounds of Cece and the other shoppers fade into the far distance. It's a strange feeling, and one he's absolutely not used to at all.]

That seems like a good spot to start. The more familiar you get with the controls, the higher up we'll go.

[multidisciplinary]

[ Zelda doesn't appear to notice the way the dreamscape is changing. In fact, it's most likely that she doesn't realize she's dreaming at all; her mind has been blessedly clear of the innumerable worries she usually carries around. For one rare moment since her and Link's expedition below Hyrule Castle, the princess is simply enjoying herself.

The dream shifts, morphing around them like colored paints blending together in water, then solidifies into Zora's Domain. Very specifically, the lower levels of the Domain, precisely where Zelda was thinking of.

But the weirdness of the shift doesn't end there. As Zelda looks around, Cece inexplicably reappears and approaches the pair. In her hands is a paraglider just like Link's, but outfitted with mushroom print fabric. ]

For you, Your Highness. My latest design.

[ Wow, how convenient! A paraglider and a high place to jump from! ]

[updrafting]

[Rather than allow for Zelda to take it, Revali takes Cece's paraglider from her to inspect it from a safety and construction standpoint. Has he ever had to use one? Nope. But he knows better than Cece, he's sure, about what is or isn't aerodynamic enough to stay in the air.

So if Cece is offended, well, he will just ignore any arguments. Instead, once he's satisfied that the mushroom paraglider isn't going to collapse, he hands it to Zelda.]

You've seen... [it's so much effort to use his name] Link do this often enough to know how to hold it, right?

[multidisciplinary]

[ Zelda is just reaching out to accept the paraglider from Cece when Revali intercepts it. The fashionista bristles, uttering a "Why I never!" at the audacity of this particularly rude Rito fellow to swipe her carefully crafted gift for the princess. She glowers at Revali as he examines the paraglider. The nerve of him, thinking a Cece-original would be anything less than perfect!

Cece sticks around just long enough to make sure that the paraglider eventually makes it to the princess's hands before stalking off in a huff and once more fading from the dreamscape. Zelda—who watched that exchange in stunned silence, lest she accidentally make the situation worse—lights up the moment the paraglider reaches her eager hands. Now it's her turn to inspect it, turning it over and around in her hands and examining it from all angles. It really is just like Link's! ]

I believe so. [ Zelda places her hands on the handlebars and angles the paraglider to show Revali her grip. ] Something like this?

[updrafting]

[Dream or not, Revali takes his position as Champion seriously, even if he can't really let other people know that, because that would make him seem too soft. But he'd be derelict in his duties, and even just a poor friend in general, if he just let some strange mushroom lady do things her way.

And speaking of taking things seriously, Revali leans in close to get a better look at Zelda's grip on the paraglider. Hylian hands are totally different from a Rito's wing, but he's seen a paraglider in use often enough to know what a proper--or at least functional--grip looks like. He tugs at the device a little, to make sure her grip is secure, but at least at this comparatively low height and over a safe cushion of water, he thinks it should be fine.]

Looks secure. If you glide too far off course, I'll help you to land.

[multidisciplinary]

[ It's a good thing someone is taking things seriously, because Zelda can't hold back the giddy smile spreading across her face. It's finally happening! She's finally getting to try paragliding all on her own!

Zelda nods in affirmation that yes, she heard Revali, but her attention has already turned towards how best to take off. Just stepping off the platform probably won't work; she'll need momentum if she wants to glide rather than just fall slowly. Better make it a running start.

She heads towards the back of the platform, then turns and faces the spot she's going to leap off from. She takes a slow, steadying breath to calm her jittery nerves. It's easy. She's seen Link do it a dozen times. Just dash forward—

—and leap!

Zelda throws her arms up as she jumps from the platform and a convenient burst of wind inflates the paraglider, buffeting the princess forward. She's doing it! She's gliding! ]

[updrafting]

[There are no doubt at least a dozen other people that might have a problem with the Princess of Hyrule trying to paraglide, but too bad for them. Revali thinks he has this under control here, and if she wants to do it, she may as well give it a try. She's been through so much already that she deserves to have fun doing something she wants to do.

So, he stands back and watches closely, looking out for any sign of anything going wrong in her flight. So far, so good.]