Disclaimer: No I don't own the Legend of Zelda. Or any of it's characters. I also don't own Chubbies or Ray-Bans (both the brand and the actual products - shit's expensive yo). Look I probably don't own anything in this story, ok? Except the plot. Don't take that. K, I think I've got my ass sufficiently covered.
Rated M for: Occasional swearing, adult themes and situations (in later chapters - talking about sex, drugs, drinking, the usual. Young ones might wanna steer clear.)
"This is fucking lame," I hear someone mumble behind me. I'm currently sitting with a group of fellow freshman – my orientation group - as we listen to our orientation leader give us pointers for surviving our first year of college. We've just finished the "fun" part (those stupid ice-breakers they make people play that no one ever likes) and have been sitting silently under a shady tree for the past five minutes. I look around to identify the speaker and my eyes scan the small crowd; every single person is fanning themselves with the orientation packets they gave us at check-in. Now, who made the rather loud and rather rude comment? Ah, it's hair boy. What was his name again? Goose? Grease? "I'm Groose", hair boy loudly whispers, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. I take a few moments to fully "appreciate" his appearance: he's a pretty big guy, very muscular (wait, is he really flexing right now?), and is wearing a pair of bright orange Ray-Bans, a sleeveless shirt, and a pair of Chubbies. He also has one of the most ridiculous hairstyles I've ever seen on a person. It's bright red and styled into a pompadour. People seriously still wear pompadours in the 21st century? I politely offer a grimace to hair boy, hoping it indicates that I've acknowledged his comment but do not wish to further engage in any type of conversation with him. He doesn't take the hint. He squeezes in between me and the girl sitting next to me, plops down, and starts asking me all kinds of questions. They start off rather innocuously, and not wanting to seem like a bitch on my first day of college, I answer him.
"What's your name?"
"Zelda."
"Hmm, pretty name for a pretty girl. Where are you from Zelda?"
"New Hyrule City."
"Ooh a big-city girl."
"Yep." I'm starting to get annoyed. I mean, this orientation group is admittedly kinda lame, but I do want to hear what our orientation leader is saying. What if I miss something important? Plus, it's so fucking rude to talk when someone else is speaking. City girl's got some manners.
"So, Zelda, do you have a boyfriend?"
Okay, this guy is really pushing it. "What's it to you?"
He chuckles. "I like a girl with a little fight in her." Gross. I try to ignore him, but this guy is really persistent.
"Are you going to the dance later tonight?" Ignore.
"Some friends and I are pre-gaming in my room before we go. We've got tons of beer, vodka, rum, chasers. We're gonna get plastered. You should come over!"
Ugh. "No thanks."
"Come on Zel, don't be a tease. Here, tell me your number" He whips out his phone, and I am seriously so annoyed with hair boy at this point. Fuck first impressions, I'm ready to tear this guy a new one.
"Sorry dude, Zelda's hanging out with us tonight" I hear another male voice off to my left say. I whip around to locate the source of the voice, and that's when our eyes meet. He looks meaningfully at me, and I momentarily forget the douchey guy that's vying for my attention. Holy crap, his eyes are crazy blue! Wait, what does he want? It takes a few moments for me to realize that his eyes are darting back and forth between me and Groose. Aaah, I get it.
"Yup, already hanging out with my buddy here. Sorry." Groose looks disappointed, but he backs off soon afterwards. Thank god. I look back to blue eyes and offer him a thankful smile. "Thanks" I whisper. He grins back. "No worries", he says. I turn my attention back to the orientation leader, just in time to hear her say, "So that's really all the important stuff you need to know about Hyrule U." Damn it. She looks at her watch. "Alright, you guys can go get lunch now. And don't forget what I said about tomorrow!" Everyone gets up and starts heading towards the cafeteria. Damn it. What did she say about tomorrow? Gaah stupid Groose.
"Have any plans for lunch?" I hear behind me. I swear, if this is fucking Groose again I will punch his lights out. I turn around, ready for a confrontation, and oh, it's blue eyes.
"No, do you?"
He grins. "Come on, let's eat!" He stuffs his hands in his pockets and starts walking the opposite direction. Uhh, does he realize he's going the wrong way? Pfft, freshman. "Hey, I think food is this way," I point towards the cafeteria, a smirk on my face. "There's a pretty sweet Zora restaurant a few blocks off campus. Let's go!" I hesitate. Zora food is pretty good, but I have all this meal plan money loaded on my student ID. It would be stupid to waste real money on food. "I promise, this place is reeeally good. Miles better than campus food." "I don't know man. I mean, we have all this meal plan money to waste," I say. When he sees that I'm not gonna budge, he gives me puppy dog eyes and starts poking my arm. "Come on. Come on. Come on. Please?" "Alright, alright! Let's got to your stupid restaurant." He looks briefly startled, but grins once he sees my smirking face. I dunno, normally shit like this would irritate me to no end, but there's something about this guy that I find slightly intriguing. Besides, if I don't follow him I'll have to eat by myself. It's not like I have any friends yet.
We're en route to the restaurant and the sun is overwhelmingly hot and bright. It's the end of August, and temperatures in Old Hyrule remain in the high 90s until at least the end of September. That's one thing I really miss about New Hyrule City. It's pretty warm year-round, but never oppressively hot. Sure, some people make fun of our lack of seasons, but I see that as a positive. Well, for starters, it means I can go to the beach whenever I want. Even in the dead of winter. I'm walking alongside blue eyes, miserable in the heat, when I realize I still don't know his name.
"So uh, what's your name?" Smooth Zel, real smooth.
He laughs. "I'm Link. Sorry, probably should have introduced myself earlier."
A beat of silence.
"Link, it's pretty fucking hot out," I lament. He chuckles. "I promise, the food is so worth it." It better be. We walk in silence for a few minutes, the hot sun baking my brain and preventing me from forming any coherent thoughts. I look over at Link, who's walking with a relaxed and casual gait. How is he handling this heat so well? I think he's slouching a little. Cute.
"So, where are you from Zelda?"
Oh are we doing this again? Thoughts about Groose's attempts at a conversation come to mind, but I dismiss them. I don't think Link is trying to hit on me. At least, I hope he isn't. I mean, it's my first day of college, and I don't even have friends yet. I want to at least make a few friends before I even start thinking about dating. Gotta have my priorities straight. Wait, what did he ask me again? Oh, right.
"New Hyrule City. What about you?"
"Ordon Town. It's a really small town right next to Kakariko City."
Ordon Town, huh? I've never heard of the place. "What's Ordon Town like?"
"Full of goats." I laugh. "It's a tiny place. There's never anything to do around there. In high school, if we wanted to go to a concert, watch a game, or really just have any semblance of fun we would go over to Kakariko. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's home and stuff, so I do miss it a little. But it's not the most exciting place." He blushes a little as he rushes through his words and I notice that he's fidgeting with his hands. Odd.
"So what's New Hyrule City like? Is it as wild as all the movies say?" He asks.
New Hyrule City – or just Hyrule, which is what us native Hyrulians call it – is a huge city. It's also the entertainment and music industry capital in the country. There is always something to do, and yeah, I guess it really is as exciting as all the movies portray it. Movies that are all filmed in Hyrule. It can be pretty glamourous, but it's also comes off as really hollow to me. But I guess I only think that because both my parents are entertainment lawyers, so I'm constantly surrounded with all these shmoozy, shallow, superficial industry people. Most people in Hyrule live away from all the glitz and glamour and live normal lives, but I guess that isn't as interesting a story for all the tabloids. Anyway, that's why I decided to go to school in Old Hyrule. After living my whole life in such a fast paced city I decided that I needed a change in scenery. I talk about my hometown with Link, who listens to my mini-rant with interest.
"You know, I've always wanted to visit New Hyrule - "
"No! Tourists are the worst!" I interject.
"No, I don't want to go see the stars or anything," Link laughs. "You guys have a bunch of really cool hiking trails, and all kinds of caves tucked away near the mountains, right?" he asks me.
"Yeah, but those are more near the outskirts of the city. People don't normally come to Hyrule to hike. Are you into nature and stuff?" I ask clumsily. I really am the smoothest talker aren't I? Link lets out a small laugh. "I guess you could say that. Yeah, I really like exploring stuff and just being outside. I guess it's a good thing I'm an archaeology major huh?" he says, scratching the back of his head.
Ah, that must be why he decided to go to Hyrule U. Hyrule University has an incredible archaeology department, one of the best in the country. Students are constantly taken on digs throughout the world, where they assist professors and upper-division students sometimes even help lead sites. It's serious shit. I myself would be an archaeology major if I wasn't so enamored with history. That's the real reason I chose to go to school in the old country. It's beautiful and full of ancient ruins and temples from eras long gone. The Hyrule Castle ruins are only an hour away from campus, and I am so excited to finally get a chance to visit them. Link and I continue to ask and answer all those awkward, stereotypical questions that all brand-new freshmen ask each other when they're trying to get to know one another. He lives in Forest Haven Hall, which is all the way across campus from my hall, Skyview. We learn each other's class schedules for the semester (we don't have any together, bummer). We talk about high school and how cool and over it we were as seniors. Before I know it, we've reached the Zora restaurant.
I'll admit, I'm a bit put off by its dingy exterior. There's a tiny table outside with a very hole-y umbrella, which doesn't seem to be doing much to protect from the heat. The paint on the walls - which must have been a bright, yolky yellow in its heyday but has since faded to an ugly, stain-looking color - is peeling off and they don't even have a proper sign for their name. Whoa, I definitely sound like a stereotypical stuck-up Hyrulian brat. I mean, I know I shouldn't judge a book by it's shitty cover, but come on now! We walk inside and it looks...festive. Each wall is painted a different color, each shade intensely brilliant. Red, blue, green, and yellow. Purple and orange streamers and paper decorations are hung haphazardly around the place, along with many strings of colorful Christmas lights. I hear upbeat, Zoran music playing from a stereo nearby. It's a tiny, empty place; I count only 4 tables. Plus, they don't have any air-conditioning! It's so hot and muggy, and I literally feel like I'm drowning in the humid air. "They have more outside seating in the back," Link says as he leads me towards another door. We step back out and, thankfully, all these tables are covered by functioning umbrellas. We sit under the shade and begin to peruse the menu. I finally see the restaurant's name imprinted on the menu in a large, loud font: Zoradora! I'm not kidding, the exclamation point is actually part of their name. "Zoradora?" I ask out loud. "No, no, you have to say it like this: ZORADORA!" he exclaims, waving his hands with a flourish. "Emphasis on the '!' ." I let out a chortle, "What does that even mean?" "I think it literally means 'party' in native Zoran," Link remarks. "Explains the decorations I guess..." I mumble.
We fall silent as we look through the extensive menu. I eventually settle for the Red Coral Rolls, while Link orders the Reekfish platter. Our food arrives pretty fast, but that's probably because we're their only customers. "I've never been brave enough to try Reekfish." I say, wrinkling my nose at his plate of food. "It's actually not as bad as it sounds," he says in between mouthfuls of food. "I mean, it smells really bad when it's fresh and is absolutely disgusting raw, but when it's cooked with native Zora succulents and Chu Jelly it loses it's bitter taste and becomes a lot more savory and flavorful," he explains. Wow, for someone from a supposedly small town he sure knows a lot about native Zora cuisine. I nod thoughtfully and take a bite out of my coral rolls. Dear god, these are delicious! These are seriously some of the best coral rolls I've ever had, and I'm from New Hyrule! We have some of the best food available there from all kinds of different cultures because of our incredibly diverse population, so trust me, I know what I'm talking about. "So, what do you think of the food?" Link asks with a sly smile. "It's decent." Link raises an eyebrow. He's not falling for it. "Ok, ok, it's really good. Crazy good, actually," I admit. Link says nothing, but he has the smuggest, most pompous grin plastered on his boyish face, feeling validated about his superior taste in food. I roll my eyes and kick his chair, making him laugh. I take this opportunity to check out my fellow companion. Yeah, I'm checking him out. I know I said I wasn't interested in dating just yet, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate when someone looks damn good. He has shaggy, dirty blond hair, with bangs that skim those crazy bright blue eyes of his. He's wearing a dark green flannel shirt that fits his tall and lanky frame really well, with the sleeves rolled back to reveal his lightly tanned forearms. Wait a minute, flannel? In 90 degree weather? Is he serious? I'm wearing a pair of denim cutoffs and a plain sleeveless shirt, and I feel like I'm still wearing too much. "How have you not died of heat exhaustion yet?" I ask in disbelief. "This is nothing. In Ordon, almost every day of summer is in the triple digits. This seriously feels like heaven right now," Link says as he leans back in his chair, arms behind his head. "Oh that's right, you're from New Hyrule, where the weather's always perfect. I'm sorry it's so hot, princess," he teases, wearing a big, shit-eating grin on his cute, stupid face. I make a face back and kick at his chair again, causing him to let out a strangled yelp as he nearly falls out of his chair. We both break into an uncontrollable fit of laughter and I apologize profusely, in between our stupid giggles. "Don't worry about it Zelda," he says as the laughter subsides. "Are you ready to go back?" I look at him thoughtfully for a few moments.
"Call me Zel."
Alright, alright, alright. Hey everyone, PMart here. This is going to be an absurdly long author's note, so bear with me. So this is my first story on FF and I would really appreciate some feedback on it. First off, I absolutely love the Legend of Zelda series. I also love AU Zelda stories, but I've noticed that a huge majority of them place the characters in high school. Now I'm not knocking any of these stories or authors - a lot of the stuff I've read is pretty well-written - but I just don't relate. I wanted to write a story that I can relate to as a young adult who sometimes thinks she has life figured out and then realizes that oh wait, no I don't. I'm gonna draw some stuff from my own personal experiences to try to make this as realistic as possible. Just a fair warning, later chapters will definitely allude to sex and drug use, so if those topics make you uncomfortable you might want to jump ship now. I have a rough sketch already planned out for this story, so I will definitely be updating. I don't plan on abandoning my first story (but that's what everyone says, right?). Also, I'm gonna try to stay away from falling into that cliched pattern I see so often here, where all the main characters are best friends and they all end up together in the end. That just doesn't happen in real life. I might have a few characters hook up now and then but I seriously doubt I'll be putting them in relationships with each other. So if you were expecting a Sheik/Midna ship (I don't really get how that's a thing; they weren't even in the same games!), or maybe some Pipit/Karane, I don't know what to tell you. Ok, I might do a little Pipit/Karane, but I'm not making any promises. Uuhhh, let's see, am I forgetting anything?
Yes! A quick couple of notes on this chapter:
*Chubbies: they're a brand of shorts that are very popular with the frat guys at my school. So in my mind, chubbies = frat bro. Same with Ray-Bans.
*All temperatures are in Fahrenheit. Because I'm 'Murican.
*New Hyrule City is basically a rip-off of Los Angeles.
*I love flannel. It's an unhealthy love. I expect Link to be wearing plenty of flannels throughout the story.
*I love food, but sadly I can't cook it. So my apologies if this got a bit too food-intense towards the end.
And I think that's it. So, review the story, yeah?