[OPEN/CLOSED DEPENDING ON PROMPT] Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All the Way!

[lonelysmiles]

Who: Alastor and you!
Which: Log, Open/Closed depending on the thread prompt
Where: Around Reverein in general for the open prompt, Alastor's home for the closed one
What: Christmas presents and a private Christmas party!
Warnings: Standard Alastor warning weirdly coupled with some potential sugar and wholesomeness.


Merry Christmas to all!

Comments

I see no late person! ^^

[lonelysmiles]

"Ah, Miss Zelda! I was hoping to see you today! If I hadn't bumped into you by later this afternoon, I would've come knocking at your home."

He flicked a finger to wreathe her package in his magic to levitate it for her.

"Perhaps I can assist you with your shopping? I've two parcels for you here, but I think you'd have some difficulty managing with your hands full!"

[multidisciplinary]

Up goes Zelda's package, floating right out of her arms. Instinctively, she reaches up after it—it's not a fragile item, but it is important!—but realizes what she's doing and forces her arms down to her sides. Alastor (most likely) isn't going to harm it.

"You would be correct," she says lightly. "Actually, I have completed my shopping for today, so if you would like to walk home with me, you are most welcome. That—" She points to the floating package. "—is my last Goddess Day gift."

[lonelysmiles]

"Ah! Very fortunate!"

He carefully lowered the package back down so he carried it for her in his hands. A way of assuring her that he wasn't going to be wreckless with it.

"Then by all means, lead the way, my dear! You can catch me up on what this Goddess Day is in addition to what you've been up to!"

[multidisciplinary]

Zelda visibly relaxed as he decided to carry her package the more traditional way. Even if he had somehow magically dropped it, it would be perfectly fine. But it was her gift for Link, one that she had been fussing about until it was absolutely perfect, so it was difficult to let go of it (pun intended).

With a nod, Zelda started down the street towards the residential district. "It is an annual midwinter holiday in Hyrule celebrated in honor of our patron goddess, Hylia. We traditionally bestow gifts upon our loved ones as a show of Hylia's generosity. As I recall, Songerein's upcoming Christmas holiday is remarkably similar."

[lonelysmiles]

There we go. Much better. He didn't know what was in the package, but she'd clearly been distressed by him just using telekinesis on it.

He easily followed along, ears twitching as he listened.

"That it is! My, my, there certainly is a lot of overlap between worlds, isn't there?"

[multidisciplinary]

"It is quite strange, isn't it?" Zelda nods emphatically.

"Rather like how there are so many worlds called Earth, wouldn't you agree? And so many of them sound quite similar to each other. At one time, I theorized that the world of Earth has a long history, rather like Hyrule, and that the many dreamers who hail from there all come from different points in time. And yet, so many dreamers insist that their Earth is completely different from anyone else's. Very strange!"

And yet, strange though it is, Zelda doesn't sound put off in the least. She actually loves to delve in to this sort of thing—especially lately, since the arrival of Zelda of Skyloft. Her world seems so much like the Hyrule of the ancient past, and yet there are differences between the two that are impossible to reconcile. Do the dreamwalkers from the different Earths get this confused too?

[lonelysmiles]

"Could be a little of both Column A and Column B. Different time periods of Earths that made different choices," Alastor mused. "For example, some of these Earths use steam- or magic-powered technology. My Earth also used steam quite extensively for a time but has long since moved on to internal combustion though they're experimenting with other sources of power. Yet both worlds have some sort of automobile equivalent despite that version of Earth having never discovered internal combustion."

[multidisciplinary]

Zelda had lived in Songerein long enough to know that the way Alastor (and many other people) used the world 'automobile' did not line up with how she used it. He referred to a specific type of automotive object, something rather like a horseless wagon or carriage, while she understood the word to mean any manner of mechanical object capable of self-movement. Much of Hyrule's ancient technology, both those of Sheikah and Zonai origin, were auto-motive.

But that linguistic curiosity was neither here nor there. Zelda's attention was caught by something else.

"Your 'version of Earth?'" she repeated. "Then, it is true—not all Earths are one in the same."