songerein | ( CLOSED ) pretty bones.

[ If only Tifa knew that Zelda's father was a jolly man with a big belly and a white beard...

It's the barking that gets all of them to halt and stare at each, caught in metaphorical headlights. The shrill yapping of a small dog, cutting through and echoing across the whited out expanse of Reverein, the sound of an animal that doesn't realize how small it is, comparatively. Zelda looks, gaze a little wild and too concentrated, blue eyes wide with panic and raw, unsheathed determination, down and to the ground, where she spots a woman. It strikes her for a moment that she's a terribly beautiful woman, but also strikingly... normal looking?

Maybe— ]

Hello? [ The deer's knees brace, buckling like they might leap, and Zelda's hand raises to hover over the strings of her harp, as if that might help. ]

Help me! Do you know how to calm reindeer?

[ Her voice cuts through the silence again, just as sharp as the dog's barking: The effect is immediate. One of the reindeer leaps, soaring, and Zelda leaps, too, one hand coming around it's neck to saddle herself onto it's back. Suddenly, it's leaping down below, right the congregation of Tifa and her poor dogs. ]

Move! Now!

[What in the world...

There is so much for Tifa to process when she sees it. A group of reindeer and a girl she's never seen before up on the roof of her café, all of the dogs still in a tizzy and barking, and before she can even understand any of what is going on or answer her question, she and a reindeer are coming right for them. Fortunately, Zelda doesn't have to say much more than that, and Tifa's reflexes are good enough that she's quick to scoop up the smallest corgi of the bunch and jump out of the way just in time before the creature's hooves hit the snow.

But the answer to that question is...]

I've never even seen a reindeer before—

[There's a large burst of wind that blows snow at all three of them when Idris's magic kicks in, and Tifa's first instinct is to shield the girl from the worst of it, allowing her back to be sprayed with the snow before she's whipping around to shoot a scolding look at the culprit first.

And then, back to Zelda as she backs off to give the rearing reindeer some room.]

Easy now...! [Yeah. It's not working, and Idris has only made it either angrier or more scared.] What did... how did you end up there? Are you alright!?

[ The Golden Goddess must be laughing at her, dancing in their godliness and laughing as they toss more misery at Their daughter, in her chosen mortal form. That's the only explanation for the tragic series of missteps that befall them all, and it's all she can think about when the deer lands, hard, onto the ground. It bucks ferociously, kicking her off it's back and sending her flying into the ground, right near the corgis and Tifa.

Through out it all, the harp flies out of her grip, lands in the snow, and settles down in the cold, forgotten for the moment.

Rolling to a stop, she doesn't wait long to get back into action, and sits up immediately— but her line of vision is cut when Tifa gets between her and the angry deer, who responds in kind by bounding away with a terrible kick of the snow. Even so, it stays— perhaps for it's friends, on the outset of the group to stare at them all curiously. The rest of the reindeer stomp nervously on the roof still, shuffling to and fro in short, desperate steps as they try to figure out what's going to happen next.

And then, Tifa asks a remarkably reason question. ]

I— I... saw them... And the reindeer gave chase... They can fly!

[ Teeth chattering, she gives up the information quickly, stuttering only once despite the chill suddenly hitting her. Surely, it paints the picture well, right? She puts her hands down, onto the group, tries to raise herself up, and in the process, says: ]

M...My harp... Wait—

[ Searchingly, she pats the ground around her, swiveling back and forth in a panic; there's a copy of it here, sure, but it's The Goddess Harp. She can't just... just... lose it! Besides, perhaps... just maybe... ]

You and your pets, I'm so sorry for the trouble, but please... In this mood, they'll be too destructive in town. Someone will get hurt. [ Nothing moves. Not the deer, not Zelda. ]

[Tifa shoots the reindeer her angriest look as it shoves a dusting of snow at her with its hooves, and while it doesn't rush away, it puts some much-needed distance between them. Enough that she feels safe to first glance up at the roof—her roof!—where there are several more reindeer waiting and then down to Zelda, who is now surrounded completely by all eight corgis, the smallest one finding the opportunity to hop right into her lap.

The older ones, however, have taken to growling at the deer.

She rushes over to her first, shooing Melody away, and the dog departs with a low whine before Tifa's arms are going around Zelda's shoulders to share her warmth.]

They don't look like they're going anywhere anytime soon. We'll worry about them in a second.

[Besides, the corgis would do a good job protecting them.

Honestly? Surprising that they haven't flown off or tried to attack the dogs. Rather, they stand, imposing with their antlers, and watch. She can hear their hooves stomping impatiently, but she ignores them for now.]

You mentioned something about your harp?

[ A corgi hops into her lap. In surprise, Zelda's arms swing past her and land palm first into the snow. It yaps up at her, and she thinks it looks... very much not like a Remlit, though the stature is quite similar. If she weren't overwhelmed with the want to do something to help, then she might even have reached out to pet it.

Thankfully, Tifa's arms come around her to center her more. Okay, relax. This is fine. They can talk for a moment now— the deer seem too curious to leave, yes, and she had mentioned her harp, so she nods, blond hair bouncing. ]

There's only one of it in the world. [ Two, here, but she doesn't mention that. ] It's very special. [ ...For a specific reason. This also goes unsaid.

But most importantly: ]

It's the last thing I have from home. [ Even her clothes are dripped in memories she can almost distance herself from. But that harp, you see, is something given to her by her father in preparation for a ceremony back home; the final remnant of Zelda, not the holy spirit in her body.

A beat. ]

If I distract them... will you look for it? [ The corgis will probably listen better to her, and eight sniffers looking for it plus Tifa is more than she can give at the moment. ]

The deer?

[Tifa looks to one of the corgis who wags her tail happily and steps up, immediately sniffing any part of Zelda that her little black nose can find.]

Why don't we leave the finding to the dogs? You and I can take care of the deer.

[The corgi barks, and Tifa motions to her in her calmest, most soothing voice.

The last thing she has from home. She can't imagine what that might feel like, and so despite the snowstorm blustering around them, Tifa tries to keep her centered, a warmth filtering from her fingertips to keep the girl warm.]

This is Aerona. Our best digger and sniffer. She's got paws that can dig up just about anything.

[ The deer must be fascinated by the sight of two women surrounded by enough dogs to pull a sleigh on their own. Maybe they linger for that reason alone. Zelda couldn't begin to guess, but she imagines there must be a reason they remain, and she knows that time must be running out for their patience. A brief moment overcomes her when she looks up, and stares into the dark eyes of the deer; they are big and black like olives, and she doesn't know how long she has until it decides they're not worth it's time, so she lowers her head to Aerona, hands clasped in desperate prayer.

She doesn't mention she has to keep possession of the harp to hold it down to her descendants so they, too, can accomplish what Link did with it. ]

It would mean the world if you could find it for me. That harp is very special, and can help grant wishes. I'm sure if you wish for hundreds of treats, the goddess will give them to you... as long as you find it.

[ Raising an arm, she holds up the bell sleeve of her white gown for the corgi to sniff; it probably smells like Zelda? Maybe? ]

Now, then, miss. [ Turning her head to Tifa, Zelda smiles gratefully, and says, ] What do you know of catching Remlits?

[Aerona gives the offered sleeve a sniff, and as if she can understand every word that Zelda is saying—she can—she gives a bark, a wag of her tail, and bounds away into the snow with Caerwyn following after her to ensure that she doesn't get lost and makes it back safe.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tifa sees the movement of the deer, but she pays it no mind, not wanting to provoke it any further... yet. Just going to keep trying to remain as calm and collected as possible.]

Well, if I knew what a Remlit was, I might be able to tell you.

[With an apologetic smile.]

[ The Goddess Harp, in truth, is not that terribly hidden. Under a layer of snow, scattered a fair few feet from them, it waits to be found, golden and glimmering and wearing the scent of the Goddess' maidenflesh. The dogs can take their time, if they wish, for it knows they'll find it.

Zelda, on the other hand, lets out a gentle noise of shock, hand raising to her mouth. ] Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot the surface has different animals for a moment... [ Hm. ] They're like your pets. [ Actually, quite similar, if a little more angular in the face, now that she considers. ]

Ah... do you have any food for them on you now, actually?

[Did you know that she has a special pocket in her apron that holds dog treats? Well, now you do. And Tifa's eyes widen as she unzips it, the sound making every head turn to her.]

I do.

[And she'll dig through and hand her a small handful of little doggie bone treats, though she had better be careful because now all the eager eyes are on her. Including the deer's.]

... What for?

( CLOSED ) pretty bones.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject