The hooded houdini listened to the Hylian, his head tilted slightly as if straining in his old age. She was a clever girl and while he could respect her cunning he absolutely despised her kind. They were the sorts who meddled and questioned the things around them rather than leaving well enough alone. He knew someone like her a long time ago. They were always poking their nose in his business despite their own lives being a disastrous mess when compared to his slothful manners and distressingly narrow social life.

As she spoke his eyes slipped closed, the corners of his mouth curling up into a crescent. His lips pulled back over his lips, parting enough to put on display his first set of shark-sharp fangs. The inhuman dentition was a harrowing sight because they were perfectly aligned with a carnivorous diet that was not just focused on fish, despite the clear dietary preference of most Zora. Her words edged close to the surface, almost breaking the illusion he so carefully wove.

At a glance the shark-toothed amphibian seemed disinterested in others and their hobbies. He did not often speak and when he did it wasn't about himself or others, but instead there was a stern focus on the present. He did not dabble in the past nor did he partake in the future by asking for names or passing his around with the casual ease of a businessman trading his homemade cards. 

His eyes remained pinched closed.

He brushed a gloved finger against the shimmering rupee before removing from the line. "Rupees contain interesting properties and are known to lure unique kinds of creatures. Different colors can garner you different effects, thus drawing different creatures." He explained.

Gao spoke, which caused his left eye to open but a sliver, his smile vanishing like a passing fog. "Hoo? It seems a valid interaction, to be sure. I wonder what triggered such an outburst that the powers that be decided to clash." He tucked his forefinger against the underside of his chin as his head tilted.

Beside him the Bokoblin babbled, accusing the humans of being in the way, but there were other things there that had little to do with men as they had no such concerns with monster wound conspiracies, but it was curious that the frog-eyed Bokoblin would even bring up mysterious treasures. Nex held out his free, left hand and honked it over the Bokoblin's muzzle, his right still tucked to his chin, the rod hugged to his chest.

"Well you don't have much time." He assured the Sheikah. "You do know what comes after such a big storm, don't you?" He opened his eyes and turned his gaze towards Alyson. "Certainly you've seen the phenomenon." He paused. "Both parties will be frantically assessing the damage done by the storm, recovering resources, tending to the injured, maimed, and dead." That would give them time to act, but not very long.

The dangling tail of Nex's cap hung over his shoulder, his brow furrowing beneath the shroud of the cap's brim. The baubles that dangled from the tail gave off an eerie chime when the tips of his clawed fingers grazed along its edges. When the pallid pony pulled to a stop he hummed to himself, recognizing the headshake and hoofie stomps as an equine warning. He reached back behind his seat and collected his satchel and dawned a deadly looking dowel, though on closer inspection it looked to be an old fishing rod with a strange looking lure.

He hopped off the cart and tossed his reins over the shivering stallion's shoulder. Stepping along he approached what appeared to be a pair of Hylians full of vim and vigor. He remembered being a newlywed in love, but his sanctity of romance looked very different. He was not bothered by their amorous affections and courteous communication, if anything it made things easier when he knew exactly what another needed and expected. There would be no need to jump through any hoops or try and articulate with a bag of rocks.

"The fog is strange." He parted his mouth, gills taking in the hanging mist, so thick and moist. "Tastes different from the kind you find at the base of a mountain." He leaned slightly to the side and let his right hand sink behind the flap of his satchel. After a moment of fishing around he would hold out a handful of small gems. "Would any of these work?" He had some left over from his trip to the Gerudo Desert, leaving him with a surplus he would rather be rid of than keep at hand as having such precious loot often summoned the keen senses of Guay and he hated nothing more than the rich-eating ravens.


He looked over when he was addressed. "Hmm, whose to say. I was along the road and happened upon a curious event and seeing as I can go no further as my nag gave in to fear, I am stuck here until this problem is resolved."

Sin relaxed when the Goron made themselves known. The warrior was expecting a fight because it wasn't uncommon for people to grow angry when he broke this or that. He wasn't the most agile and quick-footed fish so there were times where his hip found the corner of a crate or his corner toe met with the leg of a piece of furniture which soon found itself torn to shred for the offense. With the Goron put aside in his mind he turned back to Ciel.

"What are we doing?" The guppy questioned before stepping aside to peer around her shoulder, but his query was quickly met with action when the meat went sizzle snap in the pan for as soon as the chuck was chucked it chunked the oil every which way which caused the burly bream to leap. He patted his arms down where the flecks of bubbling grease met with his bare scales. Is that what oil did when it was hot? It burned flesh? His eyes widened as the tendrils at the sides of his head began to wiggle in circling thoughts.

"Why cook the meat? Can't you just eat it that way?" Away from the Monastery the sock-eyed sardine was only just learning how to survive. Fire was already a far reach from his knowledge, but the reason behind cooking food was even further. Since traveling he noticed that Hylians often had the same kinds of foods he was familiar with, except they were stickier, chewier, and even fluffier than he had before experienced.

When the young woman raised the roast into his unexpecting arms the brutish broach blinked and peered down at the charred, dripping slab. With a question between his lips he shoved the meat into his craw with one fell motions, like an Octorok taking in prey.

"Wuf ish dis?" He barely chewed up the gummy, greasy goodness before swallowing it like a jellied eel. This was way more than just meat!

Nex continued to rest, but he was not unaware of the cooking going on in his presence. The smells reminded him of the open markets he once wandered and plied his trade. These days he hunted for answers in a way befitting a curmudgeon wizard. There were a lot of questions worth demanding answers for, but even more troubling the world's leaders amidst their attempt to rebuild their kingdoms. Interfereing in politics was what he did best. Perhaps he would visit the desert markets and see what he could dredge up from the sands. 

It wasn't just Raemi who provided encouragement. A vaguely familiar russet-haired figure approached Rowan, bearing a distinctive sigil on his tabard. A Keeper of the Sealing Light.

Rowan was sure they'd seen him at the stables on more than one occasion. Keepers, with their mission to travel the kingdom and assist those affected by the Calamity in any way they could, weren't uncommon visitors, even though they rarely voyaged with horses as this one did. And what a horse stood tethered a short distance behind the priest, an enormous midnight-black steed who also jogged Rowan's memory.

The cleric launched into a miniature sermon. "The Goddess did not merely construct a functional world. She filled it with colour and awe. When you create, you are echoing Hylia. You have a gift to see the hidden grace of things and bring that into the light for the rest of us. Let your heart sing through your work, and your hands be faithful to the light they were given to reflect."

A tiny, flattered smile tugged at Rowan's lips. They wouldn't describe the process of creation in such a dramatic manner, but the morale boost went appreciated. "Thanks. Not sure I'd put it that way - it's more a skill my mentor and former employer taught me to hone than any kind of gift - but yes, the intention is to honour the gods." They gestured to the depicted clouds in the shape of Malanya's head. "And to highlight beauty in everyday things that may otherwise go overlooked. Got to at least try to preserve that beauty in some way..." That last sentence bore a note of resignation. Those doubts weighing them down, they acknowledged, hadn't just been about the painting...

"I see you recognise how important horses are both to individuals and to the kingdom, though." They glanced at the gentle giant of a mare, before returning their attention to the priest. "Anyway, you here on Keeper business, or to submit something to the gallery?"

The Zora, possibly emboldened by the Keeper's uplifting words, piped up in a soft, wavering voice. "I could-... maybe assist?" She held up a hand, displaying her skill with swirling air currents and colours, shifting like afterimages around webbed fingers.

Rowan's eyebrows rose. "Huh, that's impressive. You must have quite a knack for detail." Even if she sought to help out other creators rather than create anything herself, she knew a thing or two about technique. Allowing her to correct their blunder, though... Should they? She meant well, and had obvious talent, but would her style and materials mesh well with the rest of the image?

Right away, panic overtook her once more as she feared aloud that she may have made assumptions. "It's ok, you guessed right," Rowan reassured her. "A slip of the brush just now. So... feel free to fix it up."

They were overthinking. If they continued to mull this over, or turned down the Zora's offer, that would benefit nobody, least of all her. Chances were she'd take it the wrong way, in her current anxiety state. "I'm curious though." Their eyes flicked towards the glimmering vials. "What type of material is that? It isn't something I've seen before, as pretty as it is."

Ariadne looked up from where she and Claria had ended their adventure. They had quite literally run across the floor to the strange man in the green leotard and she had purchased a couple extra tickets at the last second, completely forgetting that she had already done so earlier in the night. He had winked at them- fucking weird, my guy- and told Ariadne she had purchased the last available tickets for the night. Then he threw some glitter and walked away quickly.

After that, they had grabbed some snacks and settled into a corner. Ariadne sipped from her Naydra's whatever drink and ate something the well-dressed man with a platter had called a canapé? She didn't know what that was, but it was a very thin cracker with some random things on it. She tasted some type of cheese or cream or something, with just the faintest whiff of a flavour, and what she assumed was very thinly sliced salmon on the top. There were some herbs and other garnishes to the food, but all of it was... it was pretty much nothing. Entirely immaterial. Was this what rich people ate? She almost felt sorry for them.

At least the drink was good. It had a minty style to it, but was also very sweet, which was more than cool with Ariadne. She liked both of those things, even if she would never have considered to put them together herself. But the important part was that it tasted like something, not just a memory of a dream you had six years ago where you tasted something but didn't really remember what it was like.

"Ooh," she nudged Claria, her outfit doing its little clickities and clackities as she did so. "Must be time for the main event."



Ariadne didn't know who that was- not really surprising, as she didn't know who most of the people here were. She knew of Lady CiCi, of course, who had put on a fabulous show. And she obviously knew Claria, her best friend. She knew that guy Ashley, the fashion designer, because she had looked up his name when she was considering how to make her outfit for this whole thing, and realised she had met him at the Yuletide festival. But it wasn't until Mabel showed up on stage in a very similar outfit that she realised oh yes, of course she had met her. She was the person who had trudged up the hill with the Hudson worker and Ariadne to rescue Gao, and then had been dancing with Gao just now.

Mabel, Mabel, Mabel she repeated in her mind, as if she would ever need to remember this knowledge. Then again, maybe she would- it seemed like the same six people showed up wherever she went. Oh right, and she knew Gao obviously, he should be on that list. Even if he was a furry now. And, and, the chef guy, the Goron. He'd been in Hateno.

Dang, maybe she did know a lo



She stopped. Like stopped everything. She didn't move, she didn't speak, she was barely thinking. After a second, she said "What?" She was in the middle of a spotlight, and things had not gone according to plan. There had been no plan- oh god was this what the raffle was for why were people looking at her?


She jumped back. "Waa-ahh!" but felt a gentle nudge toward the stage, and against her better judgment followed the suggestion. Lady CiCi had noticed her? Her?! What the actual f-

She stood up there with all these glamorous people, in her swamp wizard look, feeling a right proper idiot. At least Mabel also looked kind of silly, though her costume was obviously much more intentionally prepared. Ariadne by contrast felt like one of her antlers might have fallen off at some point, though surely she would have noticed if that happened. It didn't feel like they were there in the same way they had at the beginning of the night. The way people looked at her definitely confirmed her eyes were still bright and different colours. That was good. The suit had also held up remarkably well despite all the grasses and tinctures and doo-dads and gizmos she had stuck on it.

Still, she gave a proper, joyous smile to the assembled nobility on the stage, and turned to Mabel. Damn, but she was quite pretty, wasn't she? Though she would undoubtedly prefer to be a king, Ariadne felt she could be a queen to a king like this. "Your majesty," she said, a playful ring to her voice, as she did her best curtsey- a rare thank you to the Zora decorum classes was in order.

Robo-dude made his triumphant return, the full circle of saviour-abandoner-saviour. To assist him with the crowning, she knelt down- thank you slightly baggy suit pants- and bowed her head to him. As she stood up, she gave him a wink, no real reason, she just felt he'd think it was funny. Maybe she was too immature to be standing here wearing a tiara worth more than the entire stable and all of its horses that she'd grown up in.



Now she had crossed the border into embarrassed. The strange winking man in his leotard had returned to the stage, spun around, done some magic, and now the Count was saying her name a second time. She turned bright red, doing a little hand wave in front of her as if to say please Hylia no I can't handle this much attention on me I only barely came off as suave last time. Fortunately it seemed to come off as a little wave? So maybe she was really good at this and had no idea until now.

A week-long trip to the hot springs, eh? That was quite the prize, she had to admit to herself. It might be a bit much to invite Serana to such a nice place out of nowhere, but Ariadne did seem to have some sort of preternatural luck, so maybe everything was destined to work out. She had been given the shining path, perhaps she just had to follow it and trust everything would work out without any problems. There had been problems along the way, of course- Zora's Domain had been very much not for her, despite her father's insistence toward her attendance and her best friend living there- but she'd met Gao and Claria and YAKU WAS HIS NAME SHE REMEMBERED IT NOW during the trek to Zora's Domain, so it was clearly worth it. She had gotten several hundred rupees out of going to the Yuletide celebration with Claria, and taught her how to make a proper snow individual. And obviously tonight had gone we-


OH NO HER WISH WAS SO FUCKING STUPID. The realisation washed over her like freezing water. Oh no, she had written something that she did legitimately think about from time to time, but oh no they were going to laugh at her.

Ariadne was grateful for the glamours and makeup that had gone into her costume. It legitimately made the process of keeping her composure easier, which in turn allowed her to not have a full-on meltdown right there on stage. Oh Hylia she would never be able to show her face in Castle Town again- unless...

What if they could grant it? Oooh, now there was an idea. Okay, maybe. Yeah, maybe nobody would laugh at her. Maybe this was a normal type of request.

She clapped politely for every other prize winner, glad to see so many of the people she knew winning things. And most of all, she was glad she didn't win anything more than she already had. Ariadne grinned down at Claria, knowing one of the people she was definitely going to invite, and then turned her grin on the other people assembled on and around the stage. She was happy with what she already had.

Despite history screaming at her to banish the foreign presence in her mind, and despite her own misgivings at the thought of hosting yet another lifetime of memories within her head, partitioned or not, Sable found a sense of warm camaraderie in the strange presence of Sable.

She had been feeling strange all day, between the odd memories, the sense of melancholy and loss, stale grief, for someone she didn't recognise and felt nothing for, and the strange scene at the shop. She might be a performer of sorts, but play-acting in front of a stranger was something beyond her normal life. Her comfort zone was commanding a room, bending attention. Even the bits she did for the Beaumont ball had been exceptionally rehearsed lines and felt incredibly stupid as she was saying them.

All this to say, something had definitely been wrong, and she found the proper opportunity while Cherri and Alyson talked about the Depths to focus on it properly. Once upon a time, she would close her eyes and open them in the Dream, but she had doubled her lifespan since those days and was now capable of keeping her waking body doing something mindless while she focused inward. Her gut told her this other Sable was well-meaning. "Very well," she conceded, allowing her dreamscape to turn back fully into the cafe, "you are welcome here. I'm sorry to hear about your physical form, but if you've seen my history, you know I am capable of clearing my mind once things turn malicious."

"Of course, but you have nothing to worry about from me on this matter." She still came across as perfectly genuine. Either she was, in fact, here to help, or she was too powerful to be threatened by Sable's banishing techniques. So... this would either go well or so badly that there was nothing to gain from worrying about it. As dark shadows began seeping in from outside the cafe, providing a welcoming, soothing presence and making the space around them darker, the red-haired Sable seemed to grow brighter by contrast. Her eyes glowed, her shape became a bit amorphous and liquid, but remained identifiably her.

"Remember this, my sweet thing," came the distorted voice, its melodic accent playing with the strangely hallucinogenic properties of the smoke as her smile seemed to grow wider than her face. "Do not trust the Sheik-ahhhh."

Sable would have questioned this, but her eyes were growing heavy. She stumbled backward, blinked and was back at the bar, her drink slightly less full than she remembered but everything else more or less as she had left it. "You should heed everyone's warnings! Take care if you do go down there, sweetheart. A bright beam of sunshine like you will attract a lot of admirers." Cherri was still talking to Alyson about the Depths, meaning only a matter of seconds had passed. That was good.

Cherri offered to read some manner of fortune for Alyson, catching Sable's attention more than it would have a few moments ago. She wondered why Cherri wasn't supposed to be trusted. Cherri was certainly a strange person- she was difficult to detect on a subconscious level, and she seemed to be strikingly warm despite the chill in the air, she was always tired and seemed to be playing all the time- but nothing about her seemed particularly malicious.

"Sure, why not? I wouldn't say no to some sky-related guidance! First, though, now the celebrations have officially started, what's a birthday without a gift?" Alyson held a little drawstring bag out toward her. Sable couldn't hide her surprise, eyes wide as she wordlessly accepted the bag and pulled it open. Inside, she found a small necklace in the shape of what was undoubtedly-

"A dazzle fruit!" Sable couldn't stop herself from laughing. Now that she had found the source of the strange feelings, she felt her good humour from earlier returning to her. "Oh, this is absolutely delightful, thank you so much."

She placed it over her neck and wore it proudly. "How does it look? No, I know it looks fantastic on me. Cecili, would you be so kind as to make another Fireball for me? And anything else for the two of you? We have some food to make, but what's a day out with friends if we're not properly sated?"

She'd not give him a name. Though what she said instead rang true enough, and that sense of wonder and lingering questions perhaps were the true nature of a masked ball. The opportunity to do something crazy lay for the taking when one took up a mask.

"Well fine," He chuckled gently, "A very good dancer it shall remain."

There was nothing truly crazy about meeting a girl and sharing a dance at a ball, he conceded, but their dance was an experience in itself. Not in the least because he could feel the gentle tugs of what seemed to be the Zora-fairy's full ability. It took the thought out of the steps, it saved him from having to look at what his feet were doing and the embarrassment that could come with that. It would likely have been him making a misstep and landing in her arms instead if she hadn't taken the lead.

While they had continued their dance, after the grand show of the evening's hostess, the Zora's eyes briefly flashed to the same spot her attention had been when he had first caught her in the crowd. He would have followed her gaze to see what it was that kept grabbing her attention.
However, shrugged it off when the last turn of their dance came to pass and she leaned in to kiss his cheek to thank him for the dance. For a second he looked surprised, but quickly took her hand in his.

"The pleasure was all mine." He said, bowing deeply and gallantly, the mechanical arm tucked behind his back. If he hadn't been wearing the trademark cloth mask he could have considered returning the favour with a kiss on her hand, instead he just very nearly touched it to where his lips would be. "Thank you, for taking the lead." Looking up at her with a silly smile playing around his eyes.


Once again the lighting shifted to announce the coming of the next - and final - segment of the evening, the dancing couples slowly winding down to pay attention to the stage.

Firstly Mabel took the title of King. And Axel had to admit the radiant crown that was awkwardly and painstakingly placed on her head by the little construct looked good on her. He didn't recognize the Queen, but she was picked by the hostess herself and was too bestowed a magnificent crown, and the raffle's third prize to boot.


Collin took a moment to enjoy and let in all of the crazy things happening around him. Wondering who he'd meet out of costume at the next possibility and would he even recognize them? Who was present in the ballroom he should know, but didn't recognize? Who had he missed that he could have had fun with?

For now the phantom casually strolled around with the stolen tray of drinks, handing them out every now and then with a sweet smile and courteous nod. It was amazing how much freedom was begotten by simply becoming invisible in plain sight. None of the other guests seemed to notice or care that he wasn't actually part of the waitstaff. At the start of the night he'd cooed over the sentries, they proved to be only there for show. Thus he had swiveled and picked another three targets for want of something to do.


At some point Mabel had fallen head over heels for Axel and he hadn't exactly been tactful about any of it. Just as he hadn't been tactful about the two Kakariko sisters, it turns out.
He wasn't a bad kid - even though Axel had well reached his twenties, he would always be that kid - he didn't do it on purpose, Axel had it in him to be very sweet. At the very least he looked like he enjoyed himself. The mermaid he found that found him had turned out to be a siren indeed as well as a very good dancer.


Truth be told Mabel could fall for anything, especially if the subject was anything close to how she imagined the ideal man - big, strong, gallant, wellspoken - whatever the favourite novel of the week told her it should be.
And she could herself be as indignant as the noble ladies in her books, which didn't seem to be the case at present. Mabel and Malanya too had joined in a dance, even though it ended abruptly, Malanya being called back to service.


The only one, curiously enough, that Collin never worried about making friends or other connections was Ashley, he was honest, always well intentioned and pretty capable as a socialite. As much as the tailor had been in a tizzy at the start of the night, he was enjoying a dance as well. With the fabled Feyranger of the wild, no less. She had proven as dutiful a hero as she had claimed to be, she was helping others clean up even through the merriment around them before.


Getting at least those three into a dance was only easy because he knew them and what would get them moving in the right direction. Besides, he hardly had to try, both Axel and Mabel had only needed the slightest intervention. And Ashley had only needed some extra reassurance about the night.
He'd only taken what he'd learned of her and had rolled with it. She was always gonna beat him in her percepting of people at a glance. Heck, she had him pegged down alright.


While that realization hit him, he wasn't granted a second to think about it and felt caught without a potlid near a guardian when the spotlight hit him. Even though the mask hid most of his startled expression, he still hid the by now emptied tray behind his back rather unsubtly.

He'd missed the start of the closing ceremony. And was as bewildered as he was about hearing his own name getting called out as he was about finding Mabel on stage.


Ashley revelled in the dance with Alyson, they left a trail of glitter everywhere they twirled. It would take another cleaning crew to get all the tiny leaves out of the room.

She had softly commented on the wastefulness of it all, her eyes quickly showed her to realize she'd spoken it out loud. The way she reacted to her own words did make him feel like that drink she downed so quickly was to blame.
There was something about Ciel's show that suggested something better could come from destruction, did that really make it a waste? Despite the corners Ashley figuratively - and where necessary literally - had cut making the dress, it was still made to the best of his ability. The dress had served its purpose and it had been a glorious sight either way. Not in the least because Lady Ciel and the fox companion pulled everything off masterfully.

Still, there might be Tea to spill in the words Alyson hadn't spoken and he'd have to remember that for a next time they'd meet. Speaking of Tea, Mabel had found herself the effigy of the studhorse god. Now that he had his head back together he was gonna have to tell Mabel how he figured that went hear all about how that went.

While he guided Alyson into doing one last big twirl he enjoyed the look of ever more glittering leaves trailing from her figure and the twirling ribbons. To see how a costume of his making was worn and enjoyed by someone was the highlight of the night.

"It may not see use outside of this setting, but I hope it may remind you of a good night." He bowed for her once more and kissed her hand, "I enjoyed it thoroughly, may we both go forth from here to release more sparkle into the world."


When the Beaumonts rang in the closing ceremony and Mabel was called to the stage, Ashley took it as the highest form of flattery. One of his dresses would have been on stage regardless, but to see two up there was a dream! He couldn't want anything else. And there was more to come, his uncle won the second prize in the raffle and the first prize went to Alyson.

"You won the raffle!?" He squeezed Alyson's hand as he bobbed with electric energy. "Congratulations!" If the night's woes hadn't dissipated yet, they surely had now.

When the announcement of him and Alyson also winning a wish came his energy shifted into something that resembled trepidation, still excited, but uh... In the crowd Ashley found his uncle - an easier task this time around, as an attendee had just made his way with the second prize. Between them they shared a glance, Collin shrugged. Yeah, they kind of rigged that, unintentionally, but rigged was rigged.

"Oh - I uhm, I - what?" He stammered, "I really can't." Both the wishes Ashley had written down were already granted - so to speak - they hadn't been fully selfish, either. The dress had survived until the moment, the night was a success, both for his sake and Lady Ciel's.

But truth be told there was something he'd want, outside of this night progressing without a hitch.

Collin traded the tray for the shimmering ticket with the staff member that had found him in the crowd and returned the Count's blazing grin with a courteous nod. After he had shaken his pondering and got up to speed with what had been going on around him - for a second he had thought he got caught red-handed.
He then found Ashley's gaze stuck on him, only to shrug when he figured what that was about. Rigged or not, a wish was a wish.

More people left the night with something more than just memories. But Collin would still hold the memories over this treasure he received, he had no real need for the prize he won. But he knew someone who did and sauntered on, without the tray but with the ticket in hand.


Without a word Collin presented the shiny ticket to Axel, he would know not to argue.
The phantom's attention however, was on the Fairy.

"I do hope you enjoyed your evening too." Collin smiled at her, while Axel took the ticket out of his hand with a roll of his eyes. "My apologies for earlier, I didn't mean to come across so crass."

Although Alyson would always prefer Sable's drinks in terms of both flavour and visuals, Cecili was no slouch when it came to mixing. Alyson sipped the offered Winter's Breath with its sweet chill of mint, then the Fireball, her eyes going wide at the contrasting spiced kick flaring in her throat. "Speaking of flavour explosions, this one's aptly named! Good stuff! And that Winter's Breath is deliciously minty fresh!"

Taking a drink of water to cleanse her palate, she leaned in, Cherri's description of the unique biosphere in the Depths piquing her interest. "That sounds pretty spectacular! And it's ok, some places are like that, captivating in a way that stays with you. Like the skies, with their golden trees and grasses, their arowana pools... and there's nothing quite like their views of the kingdom spread out below you through the clouds." Her gaze briefly flashed towards Sable. "Plus, of course, those fruits make for some tasty recipes."

For a moment, Sable appeared to have spaced out, something wistful shadowing her expression as her smile dimmed. No wonder, given what she'd revealed about her mother, the bittersweet childhood memories this village must hold for her, what a novelty it was to celebrate a birthday. Did the nervousness have yet to fade? Or had Alyson's and Cherri's presence helped in that regard?

Alyson reached into her belt pouch, yet her attention remained on Cherri, whose playful demeanour returned following her warning as she offered to put her divination skills to use. Although Alyson had never put too much stock in those purposefully-vague sections of the Gazette, she'd heard astrology to be important to many a Sheikah, and a reading would be fun to interpret if nothing else. Besides, who knew, it could point her in a new and exciting direction. "Sure, why not? I wouldn't say no to some sky-related guidance! First, though, now the celebrations have officially started..."

With a lively twinkle lighting her eyes, she pulled out the little drawstring bag, holding it towards Sable. "What's a birthday without a gift?" Inside, Sable would find a handcrafted necklace, its cords loosely braided in the style popular with most Rito. It bore a wooden medallion carved into a many-pointed starlike shape, painted white with yellow-to-green gradients at the tips, as well as the spots where tips would be if it were three-dimensional. A design the bartender would recognise as a Dazzle Fruit. She was, after all, partial to shimmer effects.

Sable sat in a trendy cafe in the heart of Castle Town. Her table was near a window, the muted chatter of the young and trendy clientele mixing with the pitter-patter of rain on the glass mixing with the muted clip-clop of horses trodding on the cobblestones outside. She rested her chin in one hand, watching the activity outside. There was streetside seating, of course, and some brave souls were sitting out there in the rain, but she couldn't afford to be so frivolous. The troupe's contract with the theatre had stipulations for their public personas. So here she sat, looking sufficiently introspective, the large, round, tinted glasses and stylishly dishevelled red hair giving the effect of being off the clock. But she was still coated in makeup. Her glasses didn't hide dry eyes or dark circles; there were no signs of fatigue or physical wear.

She had always wanted to be an actress. Sable had learned so much about theatre while she was in school. She had attended so many plays, even participated in several as a fledgling. She had envisioned public adoration, want, desire. Her mind still held those childish notions of cheering, applause, and the joy that would come with it. Never had she been told of required activities outside the acting itself. She didn't know about approved codes of conduct, of residency contingent upon very strict rules and behaviours. She had never considered that she might be paired with one of the greatest leads in the history of the art, only to find him to be a repulsive person, knowing that she was good enough to pretend she didn't despise him and being forced to do so for five years.

She didn't realise that she would get everything she had ever wanted, and that it would make her want to die.

'Better than you deserve, monster.'

She closed her eyes, took a breath. There was a bit of a waver to it as she released.


She looked up, giving her signature, coy smile to the barista standing with a trendy cup on a trendy tray. "Chai latte, one shot of espresso, with just the smallest amount of vanilla?"


"I will, darling. Promise." She winked over the top of her lenses.

Tena blushed a bit, and quickly walked to the back of the cafe, where Sable could hear her giggling with one of the other employees. She smiled to herself and looked back out the window, sipping at the committee-approved drink. It wasn't that she disliked it, but it was never something she would have drank before moving to Castle Town. She'd had a particular blend of green tea grown outside Symmetry City she would make back in Haven. With just a dab of honey it was more than perfect.

'Too plain,' they had said. 'Stop pretending,' she had said.

She sighed again. The rain obscured the turrets of the distant Hyrule Castle, but she had sat outside often enough to see its towers, its curves, in her memory.

"Who are you and why are you here?" came the cool, caressing tone she had been obsessed with hearing recently. With it came the warm breeze, sea air. Sable turned to see Sable in all her glory, standing atop Dragon Roost with Valoo behind her. A simply-dressed but incredibly imposing figure in traditional islander clothing. Her perfectly-styled ringlets with that one blue flower, those sharp golden eyes. The adorable, simple Rito beak from her version of Hyrule, proudly positioned over a mouth doing its best to not show too much anger.

"Hello beautiful," she countered, taking another sip of her latte. "I'm Qilzaku Sable, " she gestured behind her, "Castle Town's very own."

"Curious," the chieftain responded. With a proper look at her for the first time, Sable was quite impressed. The easy confidence, the authority. Magnificent! "I didn't realise there was another."

"I imagine that, if you looked hard enough, there are more. Surely none so desirable as us, but the two of us come from three separate realities, so it bears to reason that more than just those exist."

"Nonetheless, that doesn't answer why you are here, in my mind."

Sable grinned, stood from her seat, leaving the drink behind. She stepped forward, circled the mountaintop maiden, sizing her up. She leaned in to whisper in her ear. "And what happened to the other, I wonder?"

Sable rounded on her, a glare of very sudden and very aggressive anger. Sable eased backward. "There is no other, I am Sable of Dragon Roost and Sable Atelia of Castle Town."

"Ohoho," her eyes glowed through the tint, a red luminescence making their surroundings seem somewhat less bright. "My heart, I know you do not believe this. I've been watching you for some time. All time, in fact. I heard your cry of anguish from my home here in Castle Town- my Castle Town, that is to say- when your beau was killed." Her smile left her, a genuine expression of sympathy replacing it. "I am sorry, for what it is worth. I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but I do not believe this is so. Regardless, I found you in that moment, and I have been with you ever since."

Her good humour returned as she added. "And ever before!"

The golden Rito deflated. She seemed conflicted, and Sable wished to give her a hug. She refrained, but she did so hate to see the poor thing in such a state. Instead, she delicately concluded with "If it shows my good intentions, I pulled you back through the dreamscape to the Gerudo hospital."

"That was five years ago," Sable replied. "Why have you only appeared now?"

"I haven't!" she exclaimed. "Did Ioras never teach you? There is such power in the dreamscape, you can pass the time however quickly or slowly you wish. You can go forward, you can go backward, you can jump about. Like so." As she said this, the scene outside her cafe window changed. First it showed Rakzhou's shop in Hateno, then the Gem and Enchanting Shop in East Clock Town. Xane glowered through the window, then Komali and Medli.

To prove her point, Sable showed a very specific scene. A back alley in East Clock Town, a tangential, material creature of feathers and eyes and fangs slashing at a Sheikah wielding a bow made of shadow. As the battle ended, the Sheikah lying dead upon the cobblestones, the demon began to dematerialise, only for Sable to appear behind it, embrace the creature, and both disappeared together.

"I do not come to cause you strife or any further bother," she continued, placing her cup on the table and stepping closer once more. "You are my sister, and we can accomplish so much together, no?"

"Why do you keep putting memories into my head of your life?"

"Please forgive me for such things," she purred, placing a hand on the proud Rito's pale cheek. "I have been through pain of my own, and it is difficult to contain all of it within without my own... roost, I believe you would say. This is me, nothing else anymore. My body is gone."

The beautiful Rito paused at that, seemed to weigh her thoughts for a moment. She looked up at Sable with genuine concern in her eyes. Sable felt her heart race, what excitement! Nobody had looked at her with such genuine understanding in so many years. "I'm sorry," Sable replied. "What's going to happen to you?"

The glow returned to her eyes, her smile was slightly too wide for something of flesh and bone. But, in her defence, she was no longer something of flesh and bone. "I have so much to teach you, my love. For those of us with the ability to walk in dreams, our bodies need not cage us. If you are exploring in the dream when your body is killed, you are not. For those without control, of course, they are unable to hold themselves together. But I will persist in whatever form I wish for as long as I wish it. Unless..." she pouted, as fine a pout as she had ever produced. "you forsake me.

"No," she continued after a moment, smile softening. "I can see your feelings. I will stay here, keep everything clean and tidy for you, yes? For now, you should return to your friends. I will do my best to keep my thoughts to myself, I promise. Happy birthday, sweet thing."

Surprise widened Raemi's gaze, her bewilderment soon crumpling into concern. What a sad statement to make, and an even more sad voice in which it was made: the artist's face coloured with bitter resignation. The Zora felt her heart twinge, her once smiling lips pressing into a firm line of sympathetic discomfort.

While she held no personal attachments to horses herself, the idea of landlocked races beginning to neglect them was... puzzling. A rippling consequence of all this new technology she'd been hearing about perhaps? Her own ignorance rendered her mute, a shadow of shame averting her gaze as she groped for meaningful words in which to comfort the artist with. Fortunately they changed the subject. Even more fortunately, another stranger then approached, their crisp, pale robes gleaming under the sunlight in warm reverence. He knew exactly what to say, and Raemi could only quietly marvel at his gentle eloquence - as much poetry as it was wisdom.

...How was she supposed to follow up on that?

"I could-... maybe assist?" Her voice was quiet and almost broke as it rose, but the artist's welcoming manner encouraged her that her presence was not entirely unwelcome. At least, not yet. Nor would any advice be outright shunned, given their open invitation of constructive criticism. "While arts such as these are quite beyond my expertise, I-." Raemi's tongue caught on her teeth. Then her teeth caught on her lower lip. A hum of thought echoed against the anxious tightening of her heart as it sought to strangle all escaping sound.

The worst thing you should fear is regret.

Recalling Carmie's words, the Asparan drew in a bigger breath and outspread a hand. Around her talon-tipped fingers the air seemed to warp - just a touch - a colour of motion weaving in between them, veils of ribboned currents plaiting through rings of coral and pearl. "Admittedly I am not here to create, as such - just to offer materials - but I could-... maybe, remove that stroke of yellow?

"A-Assuming it was accidental!!" The Zora then startled with another flare of panic. "I only assumed as much because of the-... well..." Eyes drifting with her withering voice, in the end she simply cleared her throat and began again. Her expression hardened once she locked eyes with Rowan for a third time, a stern and determined severity bracing her usually soft features. "Feel free to say no, of course."  She insisted. "Art is precious and I'd never dare lay a hand on any of it, if it would make you feel uncomfortable."

They were many - MANY - more things she could say after that, but her cheeks were beginning to stain again, her scales burning with insecurity. The more Raemi heard herself speak, the more she realised how incredibly stark a contrast she painted next to Hylia's chosen clergy in all his ease of nurturing wisdom. In all honesty she had half a mind to flee right there and then, but she knew she'd only lay in escaping sleep later that night, tossing and turning in the tides with regret if she didn't at least offer.