Chapter 36: The one where you deal with technical stuff
You didn't find Wild at the weapon shop. Which was mildly said frustrating. And worrying.
And so you started to systematically comb through every single shop in the stupidly huge mall. Which were sadly, a lot.
You could already feel the headache forming.
Luckily, after half an hour of intense scouring you found him. To be honest, you'd almost have missed him if you hadn't seen him carrying his Sheikah Slate.
Why?
He somehow now wore normal, modern clothes. Plain light blue jeans and dark blue T-shirt and somehow had found a brush to wrestle the monster that was his hair into a messy braid.
You didn't want to know which poor crushing soul he scammed out of their clothes for this to happen.
And the place where you found him?
The goddamn technic store.
You had half a heart attack but miraculously he didn't seem to recognize the figure on the old Breath of the Wild posters still hanging near the entrance.
Instead he walked to the clerk and actually asked if she'd know how to get his Sheikah Slate starting again.
She looked impressed at what she must have thought of as a very detailed remake from a tablet and while she obviously didn't judge it as real it still gave you half a heart attack to see it in the stranger's hands: "Wow, I must say having made this takes dedication to a next level. But it's no wonder it stopped working." At Wild's confused gaze she gave a quick grin and quickly walked away into the back of the shop, leaving Wild to stand befuddled alone at the counter.
You took the chance and quickly stepped up next to him. "There you are."
He nearly seemed to jump out of skin at your sudden appearance next to him before stuttering out: "H-hi, Babble, no I was not disobeying your direct orders to stay put, not at all. This is a misunderstanding!"
You raise an unimpressed eyebrow.
"Okay, fine, so I did ignore your orders but I saw this store when we came in and I thought that maybe it could help me fix up my slate? I feel kinda helpless without it…" the last part came out practically whispered and you sighed, patting his back consolingly.
"I'm not sure if our technicians have it within them to fix something Sheikah made…"
"I can only hope…she said she knows what's wrong with it and…after all on their advertisement posters the person also carries a slate" he gave out with a small shrug.
Your jaw dropped open.
Weeeell…damn. He did see the posters after all.
But thankfully he didn't interpret it the worst way it could be interpreted, so there's that bonus at least. "You still worried us" you stated, trying to calm your racing heart. You really dodged a bullet there.
"Sorry" he muttered, looking to the floor ashamed.
"It's alright…I've found you know at least. Don't do so again." He nods.
And then the woman returned with a smile: "There you go, all fixed, dearie. You glued the
charging point for your tablet shut in your attempt at getting a realistic Halloween costume. It happens sometimes, don't worry, but I must say, this is the best is the best one I've ever seen. I could even use the material I cut out to gain access to the loading point to build a small flap, so you can seal it up again and still use it in water. It really is genius what you made."
"Wait what?!" you burst out and stared at Wild's Sheikah Slate, which indeed showed a basic USB loading port. "No way…no freaking way."
"Is there a problem?" the shop assistant voiced questioningly.
"N-no!" you squeaked out, voice an octave higher than usual, utterly freaked.
How could this have happened? How could Wild's Sheikah Slate have a modern-day application USB loading port hidden within?
Why did it happen?!
"Do you have another tablet just like this?" you voiced hesitantly, wondering how she would react. "You probably know which type of tablet this is, right? Can I buy it, too?"
The woman sighed, fidgeting, before admitting quietly: "To be entirely honest…yes, you can technically…because it's a new model, not build from a big company but entirely homemade…I haven't sold or made many of these yet, so it's a genuinely nice surprise to meet someone who actually has and uses one of mine…"
"You're the inventor?!" you burst out surprised while Wild tries to deny it at the same time, claiming it impossible. You quickly hold his mouth shut. This mystery was worth a few thousand dollars, you didn't even have to ask Zelda about spending it, you knew she'd agree.
"I definitely want one now."
The woman blushed and nodded, quickly disappearing into the back of the store.
Wild turned to you with a frown: "You can't seriously believe her. She's scamming you. There's no way she invented anything of my Slate."
"Possibly" you agreed. "But it's definitely worth the risk, especially because she seemed genuine."
Wild still does not look convinced.
The woman returned, looking flustered. "Here you go" she stated, handing you a plain looking devise, nothing really outstanding on it, except for a small light blue signature on the side. It truly had the same size as Wild's slate…and even the loading point at the same strange side spot.
If the situation didn't seem as impossible as it probably was, you could have sworn you held what was a proto slate in your hands…before the Sheikah were done with it, of course.
You didn't voice your thoughts, instead you paid. You paid for the tablet, Wild's Slate reparation and a portable phone charger and left, Wild being able to actually charge his slate with it, your thoughts racing and absolutely ready to explode.
What the actual heck was going on here?
"You okay?" Wild asked, touching your shoulder worried for you, snapping you out of your spiraling thoughts.
"Yes, I think" you stutter out, packing the new tablet into your backpack with a small frown.
"Let's just…let's just get to the others and pray that we get there before Zelda manages to already pay…I do not want to see you wear what she chose for you poor folks."
"Really?" Wild voices. "She's that bad? Now you've made me curious."
"No" you state with a small grimace. "She's worse."
"Now I really have to see."
Standing at the counter, paying for the clothes she chose for her come to life idols, Zelda sneezed.
"Bless you" stated the cashier, an emotionless mask hiding the pity she felt for the poor souls the blonde in front of her chose the clothes for.
