You begin a swift descent through the clouds, plunging deeper into the abyss. Your life quickly flashes before your eyes. Riju squeezes at your rib cage "This might be it," she shouts. The earth is fast approaching, all you can do now is await the imminent game over screen. Before landing, Riju screams, "I've never kissed anyo-
Smacking face first into the desert. A fairy leaps out of your pocket, twirling in circles. You feel suddenly rejuvenated watching as your heart gauge fills up. Upon reawakening, your stranded in a desolate wasteland that stretches out for miles. No Gerudo town, no sandstorm, nothing but heaps and heaps of sand.
A brand new objective is added to your sheikah slate -
• Return Home
Your attention is drawn to a pair of tan legs sticking out of the ground. Riju's whole upper body is completely submerged in sand. In true gentleman fashion, you conceal your eyes from her lifted skirt. You firmly clutch onto her thighs and pluck her like a vegetable.
She sprawls out onto the turf gasping for air. She checks around frantically, still scarred from the Yiga encounter. She spins around towards you...
"You didn't happen to hear what I said, right?" Riju says twiddling her thumbs.
You shake your head no, hoping to alleviate the tension.
Riju hurries over to her backpack skimming through each individual pocket. "Good, everything's here," she says relieved. She withdraws a golden bow from the front pouch. Your intrigued by the weapon's regal design. "This is the mythical Lightning Bow," Riju clarifies. "It use to belong to my Mother. Apparently, it has the ability to shoot rays of lightning from out of thin air... but I haven't exactly gotten that far yet."
You prepare to use Riju's bow, demonstrating proper technique. You seek to impress Riju by flexing your biceps. Riju crosses her arms and puffs up her cheeks.
"100 rupees you can't hit that cactus," Riju exclaims.
You bravely accept the challenge, advertising your skillfulness. You align the arrow's trajectory with the cactus, carefully letting your fingers slip backwards. At the last possible second, Riju nudges against your shoulder throwing you slightly off balance. The arrow misses puncturing a nearby bush.
"Guess your a little rusty," Riju says grinning.
You eagerly turn over the bow to Riju, excited to observe her execution. "Don't worry, I've been practicing since Tuesday," Riju brags. She draws her bow with an unbearable form, almost tangling herself in string. "Just, give me a second," Riju says embarrassed. She closes her eyes and relaxes her grip. She fixates her eyesight on the tall plant, all the while attempting to maintain good coordination.
She inhales...
And exhales...
She releases the string, striking within range of the cactus. Her performance is bizarre, but her sheer courage is impressive. You take it upon yourself to show Riju the ropes. Gently gripping Riju's petite frame and positioning her body in the correct stance. You grab onto her index finger delicately leading back the string. Riju starts shaking frantically, unable to keep her fingers steady.
• You inquire as to why she's so jittery.
"It's nothing," Riju says tensely.
You resume poking at her figure, perfecting her shape. Riju becomes increasingly flustered the longer you jab at her posture.
• You keep questioning her anxiousness
"It's...it's..." Riju stutters.
You continuously pinch at her cheeks until she stops quivering.
"It's...because your holding me," Riju says softly.
You release the arrow, hitting the cactus dead center. The two of you pull away nervously, avoiding to make eye contact with one another. In an effort to escape the awkwardness, you quickly scramble over to the cactus. You hold your hand up against your chest, feeling your heart beating rapidly. This familiar sensation could only mean one thing...
You had a crush on Riju.