songerein | { when it snows }

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{ when it snows }

WHEN IT SNOWS

All items on this post will last/be available for the entire month! So timey wimey shenanigans are allowed.

More details on everything can be found here. We will request any thread submissions for certain prompts during A.

I. REVEREIN

II. DREAMS

COMMENTS

I. REVEREIN THAWED

After freeing the Ice Queen from the glass shard from her chest and clearing the dreamscape, the blizzard that affected not only Reverein but the Wildlands and beyond finally dissipates and soon everything returns to…mostly normal.

A. Glitter Snow. While the freezing sleet and ice of the blizzard is no more and a more gentle winter has entered Reverein, the fresh new snow that falls is not one one might want to stick their tongue out to try and catch a snowflake. Unless one likes the taste of glitter.

🎉 Good luck getting it out. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad if the glitter melted like snow, but it does not. It sticks to everything everywhere and while some might like a splash of colors, others may not.
🔮 Dreamglobes. Some fae are passing out empty spherical glasses, suggesting those who are interested to collect some of the glitter snow into them and then set the snowglobe next to their bed before sleeping. Whatever dream they have will be captured into the glass and upon waking will create a physical representation of the dream to create a little special "dreamglobe." Hope it's a good one!
✨ Glitter Collector. There are a number of people and shops that actually want the free glitter and ask for anyone to collect as much as possible. Works well for those trying to clean up and not sure what to do with it. What kind of products will end up coming from them well.

B. Mari Lwyd and Family. Mari Lwyd has finally returned to Reverein, and she's bringing along some family she's found. However, they can be a bit of a handful. Some are friendlier than others while others are going to make full use of this glitter snow with pranks and mischief. But they all just intend to have a good time, something that everyone may be in need of after that blizzard.

💃 Little Pranksters. The young Lwydlings cannot sing or speak, but they love to dance around and make all manner of noise—they also bite if you're being a big fat party pooper in their presence, and are a lot more likely to pull a few harmless pranks than their dear older cousin Mari Lwyd is. Very quick, they have the same vanish-and-leave-you-with-bad-luck if harm is attempted on them. Have a dance off with them, or aid them in pranking those who are being big fat grumps/meanie-butts.
🔥 Bonfire. One of the merry friends looks like a very tall pile of long hair and arms, but with them they seem to be carrying a basket and filling it with sticks and other kindling. This is for giant bonfires! Help gather wood and kindling to make a great bonfire to welcome some warmth in this winter, and aid any lost to not wander in this cold.
🥜 Nurturing Gifts. There appears to be another skull-faced being wandering around with their own 'little one' in tow—and despite the horned and frightening appearance of the larger fur and hyde clad figure there are small gifts to be shared. An act of kindness rewards one with a bundle of magic beans that if nurtured and cared for will bear a great gift come spring. Great.

C. Hot Springs. The dragons are holding an open invitation to anyone who wishes to use their hot springs to warm up after that frigid blizzard. The dragons in particular will be practically living there, so hopefully others can squeeze in a spot. Rooms will be available for anyone who wishes to stay the night, and all amenities will be available: food, recreational games, etc. Just beware of the monkeys that have descended down from the mountain seeking warmth as well. They are prone to stealing things, particularly clothing—and wearing them.

D. Dream Board. This is the perfect time to do many of the Dream Board prompts, and while the full details are on the notes, here is the quick list of what they are:

Dream Board List:

⛄ Snowball Tonics: Transform into massive, different colored snowballs.
🔔 Bell Choir: Grab a bell and play for a concert!
🧣 Never-Ending Scarf: Help untangle the beautifully, extremely long crocheted scarf, dodge cats, and get the whole thing together in one place.
🍻 Keg Brawl: A game where one must carrying a keg of ale from one end of a field of ice to the other while avoiding the other team trying to stop you.
🐶 The Inugami. Help a pair of spirit dogs find each other.
🌠 Falling Stars. Make wishes upon the falling stars before they cause too much damage!

II. SHATTERED DREAMS

Although the Dreamwalkers were successful in removing the strange glass shard in the Ice Queen's chest and ended the nightmare dreamscape that caused the blizzard, the Ice Queen still has yet to awaken. Jack Frost has taken her to Orkili to try and purify her with the pods, yet it only caused an adverse reaction, prompting the Orkilins and Jack Frost to ask for help from the Dreamwalkers once more. Isolated in a separate room where neither dreamotion nor nightmare energy can enter, those who are willing to investigate the Ice Queen's dream will be able to freely dreamwalk, with the warning that she seems sensitive to positive dreamotion so everyone should take caution when using it.

In the meantime, there are some other happenings going around in Orkili, including investigation into some nightmare crystals.

A. Piecing it Together. Those who enter the Ice Queen's dream will find themselves free floating in a dark void with large reflective glass-like shards with blurred, fogged scenes reflecting on their surface. They float aimlessly through the space, and a closer inspection will reveal that these shards can fit together and likely form a larger image. The goal is to now try and put the pieces together, though it's not as easy as it might seem.

🪞 Nightmare manipulation. For whatever reason, those who either have high nightmare resistance or can control nightmare energy will be able to move and be around the shards with very little effect to them.

💥 Too much of a good thing. Because the shards are dark and clearly exude nightmare energy, there will be those who will try to use positive types of dreamotion to purify the shards. Some dreamotion will be safe to use and will help clear up the image on the surface. However, too much focus will have a negative feedback where the dreamers are pushed back with a freezing gale and the shard they are focusing on will crack and break into smaller pieces. Nightmare energy can help mend the cracks, so it's better to try and use both at the same time.

💔 Blurred visions. As the surface of the shards clear up, various scenes of different themes can be seen, both good and bad. Love, heartbreak, hatred, anger, joy, jealousy, loneliness, fulfillment, family, abandonment. Those who experienced the ice mirrors in the previous dreamscape will feel a strong familiarity with these larger shards, except these are clearly towards the Ice Queen herself.

This is where we want players to come up with any scene that the Ice Queen may have experienced that could be reflected on the shard! We'll request submissions and piece together a story based on player input. Don't worry about any contradictions, we'll work it all in one way or another. The only constant is that Jack Frost and the Ice Queen do have a close, romantic relationship, which is why Jack is very worried about her.

B. Unwanted Intruder. While in the dream, a grotesque looking noctaere will appear and try to attack and consume the shards. Should it succeed, the Ice Queen will receive physical damage that everyone will be able to hear and feel inside the dream. The void will contort and turn more like sludge. Attempts to use dreamotion will only worsen it, but those who can control or absorb nightmare energy will take it away from the Ice Queen. How it affects them however, will vary between dizziness to momentary lapse in judgment and may need to leave the dreamscape.

Those monitoring outside the dream will witness the Ice Queen scream and her skin blackening as if charred by fire. Same thing applies here: those who try to use dreamotion to heal her will only worsen it, but those who use nightmare energy to either draw it out into some other container or absorb it themselves will be able to pull it out of the Ice Queen. Those who absorb the nightmare energy will have similar varying effects, from just light dizziness to becoming more irritable and hostile. Attempts to try and directly pull out the nightmare energy otherwise will be unsuccessful—it will only work when the noctaere has consumed a shard and caused the physical side effects.

No one will turn noctaere through this method because not enough nightmare energy will have accumulated.

As for the noctaere, it will sometimes appear outside the dream, and those who encounter it or deliberately try to hunt it down either within or outside the dream will find both dreamotion and nightmare based attacks effective against it. However, it's a very tough and difficult foe, so while it can be damaged, it cannot be defeated at this time. Those who investigated the claw marks from a few months ago will notice it leaves behind the same claw marks. Those who witnessed it will also find it familiar and can safely say it's the same.

I. REVEREIN

II. DREAMS

COMMENTS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It does make Malon wonder why Sheik got so confused by that exchange, but she'll let it go. He's always been a strange one.

Malon directs Sheik to the Plaza at the center of town. The sun has set, the last vestiges of its light clinging to the sky, as the city lights turn on and push back the gloom of night. This picturesque scene, with the white snow glittering in the light (don't think about the actual glitter) and the stars bright overhead, is perfect for a snowy carriage ride. Perhaps a dusting of snowfall would not be remiss, but the view of the stars is a welcome substitute.

Despite his speed (and he is fast), the carriage will already be there when he arrives, with Malon waiting beside it and looking around for Sheik. The carriage is white, as all romantic carriages should be, and hitched to two white horses with black manes and tails. An incredibly handsome pair, in Malon's opinion. She's dressed appropriately for the cold weather, with a fluffy coat borrowed from the wife of the farmer she's staying with, and a bright red scarf. In a basket beside her is a thermos full of hot tea and a few warm snacks.

Undoubtedly, Sheik will spot Malon before she spots him. ]

[There are two things Sheik has failed to consider at length in his rush to make up for his social faux pas. The first is the weather; traveling as the crow flies, the evening's chill is biting against what little of his skin is exposed to it, and his fingers tingle every time he needs to catch himself atop some snowy roof or icy tree branch. But that much is fine - it's hardly as bad as the blizzard was last month.

The second, which gives him far greater pause upon its realization, is the exact styling of the carriage being talked about. A pearly white body with gently swirling golden accents, polished to a shine. Plush seating to encourage coziness as well as comfort. Tiny silver bells decorating the horses' harnesses. Huh, he thinks upon seeing it from atop a nearby storefront. He hadn't been picturing something quite so... intimate, so to speak, but then he supposes anything less wouldn't be as much of a treat for Malon.

Well, it's not as though he's going to leave her high and dry now. Once he's caught his breath (and he's shaken off at least some of the glitter stuck to his hands), he drops down, likely earning a raised eyebrow from the carriage driver though Malon herself should hardly be surprised.]

Malon. [He says, announcing his presence as he approaches.] You were not waiting long, I hope.

[Note to self: figure out how to rework the warp songs with dreamotion—]

[ Malon is not surprised when Sheik just drops down from Goddesses-know-where and greets her as if that's a perfectly normal way for a person to travel, but it is still weird. Especially because he's still doing it here, considering that Reverein seems to be leagues safer than Hyrule. (It makes her wonder if all Sheikah were like this.) ]

Not that long. [ She answers with a bright smile and rosy cheeks. It's only been an hour, no big deal. ] Thanks for coming with me. I couldn't reach Link either and I really didn't want to go by myself.

[ If Sheik didn't realize that Malon asked him on a date, that makes two of them, because that knowledge doesn't really click into place when she puts "romantic carriage ride" and "handsome mysterious man" together.

She looks Sheik up and down, noticing that he's not at all dressed for the winter. Do you not own a single coat? ] Why don't you get in first and I'll hand you my basket? There's a blanket up there we can use.

[Admittedly, the fact that she couldn't get Link to answer worries him a little, a sour frown pursing his lips beneath his cowl. He's certain Link would make for far better company for Malon on this little outing, so why wasn't he available?

Something Sheik will have to ask him about later. For now, he's the one who's here, and this is something Malon has been looking forward to. It's a familiar place for him, thinking of it that way. He couldn't save the ranch, but he could keep the monsters back, for the most part. With that in mind, he looks at the carriage, the basket at her side, then finally her as he considers her suggestion... but instead of following it, he takes the basket up by its handle with one hand, steps up to the open carriage door, and then turns, holding out his free hand to her.]

I believe protocol demands that I assist you in first, my lady.

["They say that Malon of Lon Lon Ranch hopes a knight in shining armor will come and sweep her off her feet someday." He can't do that, but he can pretend for a special night, if it will make her happy.]

[ Oh. This took a turn Malon wasn't expecting. Don't mind the blush that blooms on her cheeks; it's absolutely from the cold weather.

Malon isn't accustomed to being put on the backfoot, so she extends her hand to Sheik with more hesitation than she normally would, surprise plain on her face. ]

O-Oh. Why thank you, my lord.

[ That's what a fancy lady would say, right? She sure hopes so.

Gripping Sheik's hand, Malon steps up into the carriage and takes a seat, making sure to leave plenty of space for him. A soft and very large blanket sits folded on the seat, which Malon unfolds and drapes a portion of over her lap. A minute ago, she wasn't feeling the least bit self conscious about sharing a blanket with Sheik, but now she's a little flustered at the thought. Calm down, Malon. ]

[Heh. It's pretty satisfying, being on the other side of bewilderment for once. Not so much that he intends to make a habit of it, but enough to encourage him to add a bit of flourish to the act, bowing a little at the waist (~~sparkles~~ glitter falling from his hair) as Malon takes his hand and steps up into the carriage.

("My lord" sounds... strange to his ears, admittedly, for reasons only he is aware of, but he shakes it off quickly enough. It's just another role, that's all.)

Once Malon is safely inside, Sheik follows after, setting the basket down between their feet as he takes his seat. She mentioned using the blanket before, but she seems somewhat uncomfortable now, and so he's a bit more hesitant as he gestures to the folds that remain gathered between them and asks:]

... May I?

[He'll be fine if not! Really! Though his teeth will probably start chattering halfway through the ride...]

[ That bow gets a small laugh out of Malon, half out of amusement at Sheik's commitment to the act and half out of shyness because hahaha that made her heart flutter a little. He always has been pretty good at this kind of thing, hasn't he? It doesn't usually fluster her like this.

Malon takes a steadying breath as Sheik climbs into the carriage after her. Get a grip on yourself. It's not like you're going on a date or anything. ]

Of course you can! [ She grabs an armful of blanket and heaps it into his lap. ] Did you forget your coat or something?

[Oh. Now he has Many Blanket. Mercifully for her poor fluttering heart, his attention drops to it, stretching it out into something that’s less of a heap. His voice grows quieter as a result—or perhaps that’s because he finds his answer to her question to be a little embarrassing.]

... You said the carriage would be here any minute.

[He didn’t want to make her wait more than she already had...! Zora's Domain was so much worse than this anyway! He absolutely has his priorities in order!

Meanwhile, the driver snaps the reins, the carriage lurching forward as the horses are spurred into motion, their tiny silver bells jingling in time with their trot. So begins Malon's long awaited Romantic Carriage Ride (that is definitely not a date)^TM.]

[ The shift in his attention and in the topic of conversation helps Malon settle back into her usual self. ]

Oh, I guess I did, you're right.

[ He makes a valid point, so Malon is willing to concede...but really, why didn't he just grab a coat on his way out the door?

Well, it doesn't really matter that much. This carriage ride comes with plenty of different ways to stay warm, and if all else fails, they can always just sit closer together.

--Which, she does scoot a little closer to him as the carriage ride begins. She was kinda sitting all the way against the far side while she was waiting for him to get in. ]

Thanks for coming with me, by the way. I know I would've been fine on my own and I probably still would've had fun, but I really wanted to share it with someone.

[Because he has only recently come into possession of things like "doors" and "coats" in the first place—

In any case, Malon's relaxing a bit, and so he feels free to be a little fussy, reaching over to stretch out her side of the blanket after laying out his own, just in case it got pulled out of place while he was getting settled. Her gratitude pulls his eyes back up to her, however. Fortunately, nearly a year in Songerein has done quite a bit for his "wild animal" skittishness; seeing her scooching closer doesn't seem to send him sprawling against his side of the carriage just yet.]

I believe I should be the one thanking you. Link would have made for better company, I am sure, but... that you would invite me to share in this thing I know you have been looking forward to is an honor I'll not soon forget.

[... Does Sheik look like a guy who gets invited to things often, Malon. He didn't even understand you were asking him to come with you until you spelled it out—]

[ Maybe if you made yourself a little more available, you would get invited to things more often, Sheik.

He might mean his words as a compliment, but they actually earns a bit of a frown from Malon. She likes Link, of course, and she did try to invite him, but it's not like she "settled" for Sheik. If anything, it would've been nice if all three of them could have enjoyed this ride together. ]

You're pretty good company too, you know.

[ That comes out a little bit sullen because she's not really sure what to do with the self loathing in his words. Does he really think Malon just tolerates his company? Is he not aware of how she always looked forward to his visits to the ranch? He's been her only friend for years... ]

... Oh.

[Sheik... blinks, as though stunned, as though he didn't anticipate that of all things to be the part she would latch onto. Because it feels like it should be a fundamental truth to the world, shouldn't it? Water is wet, the sky is blue, and Malon would rather have the bright hero who saved her home sitting next to her than the elusive shadow that did nothing to stop her suffering within it. Having a preference seems so... obvious, to him.

And yet, she's saying that is not the case. And even more than that, her tone suggests displeasure with the entire idea, souring the very thing she had been looking forward to that he had been so honored to be privy to in the first place.]

I... I apologize. I misspoke. I simply thought to say that Link might have offered a... lighter presence than my own. I'm not certain he's ever seen a carriage like this, let alone ridden one. [That is not all that he "simply" thought, but that's what feels safest to say in the moment, fearful of dampening the mood further.] But— thank you, for saying so, though.

[He needs to change the subject. He casts his gaze out to the dim, glittering streets, to the horses pulling them along, to the basket between their feet on the carriage floor. He gestures to it, his apology still clinging to his tone as he quite obviously tries to salvage things.]

You haven't told me what else you brought with you today.

[ It's a good thing Sheik changes the subject, or Malon would have challenged him on the assumption that Link's is a "lighter presence" in comparison to Sheik's. He and Link are two different people-- which Sheik clearly understands, but he seems determined to measure them both by the same rubric. It's like trying to compare two apples, but one of them is actually an orange. It just doesn't make sense to Malon.

But Malon also doesn't want to ruin this nice winter carriage ride, so she accepts his apology with a nod and allows him to change the subject. ]

Oh, that's right!

[ At his prompting, Malon leans forward to collect the basket from the carriage floor and sets it on the seat in between them. Inside the basket are three stoneware mugs (she planned in advance in case she managed to invite both Link and Sheik), a tall thermos, and a smaller basket wrapped in several towels. ]

I have mulled tea and mince pies. [ She points to each respectively, her tone light and conversational in attempt to lighten the mood again. ] I tried to bake them smaller so that they wouldn't be too awkward to eat by hand, but they might've already gotten cold because of that.

[Oh, thank the Goddesses, that worked. He's not sure what he'd do if Malon insisted on arguing that point. Probably jump out of the carriage and disappear into the night, never to be seen again.

Anyway. Sheik leans in to look inside the basket while Malon explains, long bangs swaying in front of his face with the gentle rolling of the carriage and as he tilts his head amiably.]

I'm sure they will still be good regardless of whether or not that's true.

[He's hardly a picky eater after seven years as a fugitive, and Malon's baking is undoubtedly better than anything he's managed to cook for himself since awakening in Songerein. He reaches for the thermos and one of the mugs.]

May I pour a cup for you, my lady? [Gentlemanly! We are getting this totally-not-a-date back on track!]

[ A successful save! Not-date salvaged! And hopefully a valuable lesson learned about making self-degrading comments within earshot of Malon. ]

Why thank you, my lord! I would ever so enjoy that.

[ Her attempt to speak like a fancy noble lady is undercut by the very un-ladylike giggle that follows it.

As Malon waits (it feels weird not to be the one doing the serving, but Sheik offered, so she'll play along), her gaze drifts past him to the scene beyond. The carriage is leisurely winding its way through town. Even though night has fallen, the streets and shops are lit up with elecrystal lights, making the snow glitter (even moreso with the actual glitter in the snow). Many of the Christmas decorations have yet to be taken down, and with the people bustling about, it still feels like the festive holiday season is in full swing. All that's missing is a gentle snowfall and it would be perfectly picturesque. ]

Edited 2024-02-27 20:51 (UTC)

[It is a very cute giggle and one that he is relieved practically beyond words to hear, so the lady can be forgiven for not being quite as reserved and demure as a proper lady ought to be.

(He can only hope the Princess will be offered the same courtesy, when it is time for her to show herself once again.)

The tea smells heavenly as he pours it, slowly and carefully as to not risk spilling it all over the blanket while the carriage rolls along. Only once he's done pouring her drink does he allow his gaze to follow hers across the cityscape. It's been nearly a year since he awakened in Songerein, but seeing her eyes sparkling at the sights makes the familiar streets feel novel once more.]

... It all feels like such a fantastical sight, doesn't it?

[Beautiful, peaceful, festive. All things Hyrule has not known for a long, long time.]

It's just like a storybook. [ She nods, a quiet wonderment in her voice.

Malon pulls her attention back to Sheik, offering him a smile in thanks as she reaches out to take the filled mug from him. ]

It reminds me of when I was a kid. [ She curls her hands around the mug. ] Back before the castle fell, Dad used to take me to Castletown for all the festivals, and the midwinter one was always one of my favorites. I don't know if you ever got to see it, but the whole town was decked out just like this. There'd be this parade, where all the knights and their horses were dressed up all fancy, and they'd be escorting the King and the Princess while they rode around in a beautiful carriage just like this one.

[ Malon's eyes sparkle with delight as she recounts the precious memory. ]

One year, Mr. Ingo even went with us and he lifted me up on his shoulders so I could get a better view of the royal carriage when it passed. We were all waving and the craziest thing happened-- the Princess actually saw me and waved back at me! [ She laughs. ] I know, I know, it sounds fake, but I swear to the Goddesses, it really happened!

[Sheik sets to pouring his own drink as Malon speaks, soothed just as much by the familiarity of her storytelling as he is by the warmth that seeps into his hands through the mug. Such is how his infrequent visits to the ranch would often play out; Malon spinning a yarn about some memory or event and Sheik listening intently, unable to share his own but no less interested for it. Sometimes, like now, when she talks about the time before Ganondorf's plot, he tries to line up his own fleeting memories of Castletown with the picture she paints, and imagines sketching in a young girl with cropped blonde hair running alongside her.

Except... he doesn't have to do that here. He realizes it the moment that Ingo's name comes up that he knows how this story goes, a chill settling in his stomach far colder than the midwinter air.

(She loved those festivals, loved getting to go out and see all the people even if the etiquette she had to follow while at her father's side was so strict and made her feel so stiff— and one year, there was a girl with blazing red hair sitting up high above the crowd upon a man's shoulders, and she looked so excited and maybe could have been about her age, Zelda thought, and before she knew it her hand was already out of her muff and waving back—)

Sheik shudders, a little, his breath creating a cloud of fog in the night air as he comes back to himself.]

... I remember.

[Ah. Wait, that's not... quite what he should say—]

The festivals. I wasn't always able to go to them, but I remember the town being so much busier around those times. [He buys time for his thoughts to settle by drawing down his cowl and bringing his mug to his lips. It helps, some, with grounding him in the present.] ... I can picture how you would have caught the Princess' attention, though. You would have been of a similar age, would you not?

[Not that it's actually in question now.]

[ His words do take Malon by surprise, but not for the reasons he might think. It's hard to picture a mysterious Sheikah boy amidst the normal, everyday folk of Castletown and the revelation that he had been in town back in those peaceful days raises a dozen questions in Malon's mind. Did he live in Castletown back then, or did he just visit a lot? Did he serve the Royal Family back then, even though he would've been just a kid? Did he know the Princess? Wouldn't the two of them also be around the same age? Did he ever see Malon during her regular trips to Castletown with her father? If he did, why didn't he ever come and say hi?

But Malon just shoves these questions down, because she knows that even if she asks them, Sheik won't answer them. Or he'll give her some kind of deflecting non-answer, as he's so good at doing when she asks him something that's even tangentially personal. For someone who has known one of the elusive Shadow Folk for a number of years, Malon feels like she knows almost nothing more about them than she did before she met Sheik.

So since she knows he won't elaborate on his time in Castletown, Malon is content to elaborate on hers.

His remark that she would have caught the Princess's attention brings a little blush to Malon's cheeks. Imagine, a princess noticing a farm girl! That's a nice thought, even if it is a little far fetched. ]

I think we were, yeah. [ Malon attempts to obscure her rosy cheeks by digging into the basket for the mince pies. ] That's what Dad said. I always figured she was a couple years older than me. She always looked so grown up anytime I saw her.

[The streetlamps and moonlight provide just enough light for Sheik to notice the flush his comment causes to rise in Malon's cheeks, though the reasons for it elude him somewhat. He's only speaking the truth, after all. Even if he's obscuring the exact depth of that truth, mere flattery is the furthest thing from his mind.

At least she doesn't seem to be taking it negatively. He can content himself with that. He watches her rummage around in the basket, a huff of something like amusement forming a fleeting cloud in the cold air at her assessment of the Princess' maturity.]

An effect of the etiquette she would have had to adhere to in public, most likely. [It could be so stifling sometimes, especially as she got older and more confident, less preoccupied with doing everything "correctly" and more curious about the wider world that was so close and yet so far away.] I recall hearing a rumor that she was actually something of a tomboy back then, despite the image she put forward. One can only imagine what must have happened for that sort of gossip to start circulating.

[He can think of several inciting incidents up to and including skipping rocks across the castle's aqueducts or building a snow fort in the middle of the hedge maze in the courtyard, though he can hardly say for sure which one got people talking enough for the Gossip Stones to pick up on it.

Idly, he considers asking Malon which version she thinks she would have preferred - the elegant princess or the energetic tomboy - but he thinks better of it quickly enough. He raises his mug to take another sip of tea instead.]

[ Malon makes a thoughtful noise as she listens, selecting two (still warm!) mince pies from the basket and wrapping each in a cloth napkin. Etiquette, that makes sense. Her father used to remind her about that whenever his young daughter whined about always having to work so hard on the ranch. "Even Princess Zelda works hard, so you should too." If only he lived up to those words himself.

As she straightens, pies in hand, her eyebrows go up. ]

The Princess? A tomboy? [ She offers one of the pies to Sheik, her tone incredulous.

Malon unwraps her own pie and studies it for a moment, trying to picture what the beautiful young Princess Zelda would look like as a tomboy. The image her mind conjures is of a barefooted girl with short messy hair and dressed in rumbled boy's clothes, brandishing a long stick like a sword and challenging other boys to fights.

It's so unflattering it just about makes Malon choke as she tries not to laugh. ]

I'm sorry! [ She covers her mouth through a coughing laugh, trying to suppress a smile. ] I promise I'm not laughing at the Princess! I just.. I never would've expected that, you know?

[He'd expected disbelief, given the way she had spoken of the Princess earlier, and, to some extent, he'd expected denial in the moment after, a refusal to believe that the dignified girl of her memories might have preferred catching caterpillars in the courtyard to something more fitting like painting or embroidery. The Royal Family's image in those days was certainly quite curated, tied up in the need to strength and stability following the chaotic years of civil war. If Malon had chided him against spreading such baseless rumors, Sheik wouldn't have been surprised.

What he didn't expect was for her to laugh so suddenly she nearly chokes. His pie-free hand finds her back as she coughs, patting gently with no small amount of concern, at least until she explains. Only once it seems like she's caught her breath does he find himself chuckling softly as well, her amusement as contagious as it is baffling.]

I take no offense.

[Sheik answers, bemused. There are worse ways she could have reacted to that idea, he supposes.]

... Though now I have to wonder what exactly it was that you were picturing.

[He tilts his head then, brow lifted and challenging. Come on now, Malon. Share with the class what you think about Princess Zelda.]

What? [ He wants her to tell him what she was imagining? Malon looks downright mortified at the thought. ]

Oh no no no, I couldn't! I don't want to be rude! [ Wait, that implies she was imagining something unflattering-- ] I mean, I'd never think something rude about the Princess, but--! Sheik!!

[ The more Malon fumbles for excuses, the more flustered she becomes-- and the more flustered she becomes, the brighter she blushes. He should know better than most that you can't just say bad things about the Royal Family!

Malon raises her mug to her lips, letting its warmth and calming scent sooth her ruffled nerves. Maybe she's overreacting. It's not like anything she says here could possibly get back to the Princess, right? Even if she is still alive (and no one really knows for sure), this isn't Hyrule.

She casts a hesitant look back at Sheik. ] ...Promise you won't tell anyone?

[ You, especially, Mr. Probably a Servant of the Royal Family. ]

[Mr. Probably a Servant of the Royal Family should know better than most, shouldn’t he? But far from being insulted on their behalf at the mere idea of Malon potentially thinking something remotely negative about them, Sheik laughs - actually laughs - as her flustered flailing reaches a fever pitch. He can't help it! She's just trying so hard! Does she really think whatever she imagined could be worse than what he's thought himself all this time?

Ah, but of course she does. It's not as though he's ever spoken with her at length about the Princess like this. His chuckling subsides quickly enough, rare as it is, save for one final giggle as she seems to concede to his request on one condition. He schools his expression into something more sober, though his eyes still sparkle a little with amusement as he places his free hand over his heart.]

This shall ever remain between us. Upon the Goddesses, I'll not breathe a word.

[If only she knew! But if she did, he would never get to speak with her casually like this. Solemn oath declared, he turns his attention to his pie, debating how to go about eating it. As an afterthought, he adds:]

I do owe you for your own discretion all these years with regards to the ranch hand, besides. [Ingo finding out too much about him would have been Bad—]

[ Malon snorts in amusement at that added remark. ] Of course not! I wouldn't rat out my worst enemy to Mr. Ingo.

[ Even though her worst enemy probably is Mr. Ingo.

Ahem.

Sheik did promise not to tell, so time for Malon to hold up her end of the agreement...

Not that she doesn't already look incredibly embarrassed before she even starts. ]

So you know how boys always run around barefoot all over the place and spend all their time wrestling or play-fighting at being knights and stuff?

[ Wait. ]

I mean most boys. [ She scrambles frantically, turning red. ] Village boys. Not all boys. [ Not Sheik. ~~Malon can barely imagine Sheik as a young child at all, let alone as a rambunctious boy.~~ ]

A-Anyways, [ She looks away guiltily. ] that's what I was thinking of when you said the Princess is a tomboy...

[ Face cherry red with embarrassment. Twirling a strand of red hair around her finger, purposefully avoiding Sheik's gaze. Goddesses please make him keep his word. ]

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