faesphere | [voice testing] loogie woo kreznix (don't ask)

[who da fuck

Well this guy sure did show up out of nowhere. Link has seen stranger things, yes, and honestly, he kind of wonders if this person came from the Twilight. But he doesn't seem to be hostile, nor does he look like one of the Twili. In fact, he doesn't look like anyone he's ever seen before.

Still, best way to find out is to ask. So he approaches, though he's a tad bit cautious. Seen enough people who'll suddenly turn aggressive in his time.]

Can I help ya?

[...Whoa. This place is about as unfamiliar as it gets. Glancing around, Ludger is genuinely confused in a way that he hasn't been since the very first fractured dimension he'd experienced; usually the dimensions are landmarks in Elympios or Rieze Maxia. This looks like neither. Had he gotten the coordinates wrong somehow?

Before he can pull out his GHS and check in with Vera, however, he hears the voice addressing him. The outfit the guy is wearing throws him off so much he needs a moment to think of a decent answer.]

Uh... yeah, actually. I'm not familiar with this area. Can you tell me anything about it?

[Yeah, Ludger's not the only one thrown off by the outfit. That's nothing Link has ever seen before on any other male or female in Hyrule, and he's traveled to pretty much all of it. But he does intend to give the benefit of doubt; the man isn't hostile, and seems okay even. And Link knows what it's like to be an outsider in a completely new place - plus, well... Ordon isn't really known by many people.

He gives a nod and a little grunt to go with it, then gestures behind him to the village visible beyond the pathway.]

Well... Right now, you're in Ordon village. It's a tiny place compared to everything else, but it's cozy. An' it's home.

[After that explanation, he turns back to Ludger with a little frown on his place.]

Y' came outta nowhere. [But Link doesn't mean any harm, and he tries to convey that by giving a little half smile.] I'm not gonna ask. But the rest of the village would be spooked if they saw that.

[In other words, please don't do that in front of anyone else, I can't guarantee they'd react as well as I did.]

Ah... sorry about that. It's...

[...Actually, he doesn't have a good explanation for that one. Most of the dimensions they travel to are crowded enough that no one really notices their arrival. This place is so deserted and unusual that he definitely stands out.

Probably a good thing he didn't bring Muzet along this time. She'd have been a sore thumb more than ever.]

It's a long story. But I'll try not to cause any trouble.

[But seriously, where the hell is Ordon? He's never heard of it.]

I'd appreciate it.

[He says as he eyes all the weaponry Ludger is carrying. It's all impressive, it definitely is, and a couple of those are things Link's never seen before. But it also doesn't belong in Ordon, and it'd surely raise suspicion in the village itself. A stranger with entirely different clothing strolling through, armed to the teeth?

When Link finishes his little check of what all Ludger's carrying, he gestures to his home behind the newcomer.]

How about you come inside, take a little weight off of ya? [Seriously, the weaponry has to go, at least for now, until Link can properly explain things to people.] I can cook somethin' up.

[Honestly, Ludger wants to decline. The more time he spends here getting to know people, the harder it'll be to leave when the time comes. On the other hand, with Ordon being completely unfamiliar, he'll likely need more help than usual with finding the divergence catalyst. And since he so wisely left all his allies back home...

Guess I don't have much choice.

It leaves him a bit of a sour taste in his mouth, asking for help when he knows the end result, but it's not like this is the first time. God, he hates his job.]

Sure... if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it. I'm Ludger, by the way.

[pls don't destroy his dimension Ludger there's nothing wrong with it]

I'm Link. Nice t' meet ya.

[He'll just lead the way and, well. Sorry, Ludger, but you're going to have to climb a little bit, as you can't really reach his door without climbing the ladder. He gestures, allowing Ludger to go first.]

[Are you kidding? He climbs so many ladders on a daily basis it should be included in his job description. Vines. Cliffs. So much climbing.

Anyway. Up he goes.]

I can help out with it, if you'd like a hand. I used to be a chef.

[For... half a day, kinda? Does that count? But he has been cooking for Julius his entire life, so there's that.]

A chef?

[Color Link impressed; sure, he's cooked all his life, as he lives and travels alone and thus needed to learn at an early age. But still, he's no chef. He certainly wouldn't impress, say, the princess or anything with his cooking skills.

Once Link climbs up the ladder, he opens the door to his home and waves Ludger inside. It's actually pretty nice for what's essentially a tree house, taller than it is wide, with several ladders leading to books, his bed, a window to gaze out and see the whole village, and several other things.]

It'd be a real honor to have an actual chef help me out. I could learn a thing or two from you.

Hah, well, I'm not world famous or anything. I just cook a lot.

[Inside, it's a pretty cute house; small, very oldschool - it's a freaking tree, what else would it be - and it's definitely a far cry from what Ludger is used to. The high-rise apartments, brimming with technology, was as different from this as the rest of the world he came from. He wondered what that meant. Was Ordon part of what Elympios could have been, if Maxwell had chosen their side of the schism instead of Rieze Maxia? What would the catalyst be, in that sort of scenario? It's dizzying to imagine.]

Do you like tomatoes? They're my specialty.

Haven't met anyone who doesn't like 'em!

[... Well, okay, he hasn't really asked. Usually he hasn't stuck around long enough outside of Ordon to ask what someone's favorite food is.]

I've got a few of 'em in the cupboard there - right beside the stove. Y' can't miss it.

[Hah... if Elle were here, it would be a very different story. But Ludger merely smiles to himself and heads to where he's directed, removing a couple of the most fresh-looking ones. Before he really gets to work, though, he disarms himself a bit- both of his swords and the hefty sledgehammer go up against the wall nearest the counter. His guns stay at his belt; he's not an idiot, and it would be foolish to leave himself completely at the mercy of a stranger, no matter how friendly. Plus they're a little technologically advanced for this world. He'd hate for them to cause an accident just because he left them lying around.]

I know a good stew recipe that's fast and easy to prep. I can teach you.

[Probably a good thing, as Link is the most curious about those weapons at his belt. Those are the ones he hasn't seen before, while the others are quite familiar.

Link knows he ought to decline; he'd been planning on using the time it took Ludger to make the food to make his rounds around the village, telling people that there's a new person in town, that he's a warrior like him, so don't worry about the weapons he has. But gosh, the prospect of learning a new recipe from a bonafide chef is just too tempting.

So he just nods with a smile and moves near Ludger to get a good look at what he's doing. He would leave it at that, but - ]

I know a few good recipes myself. Maybe I can teach you before y' head off again.

I won't say no to a recipe exchange. A good chef is always learning.

[And in a way, it's... kind of like keeping a part of the fractured dimensions alive, isn't it? That's what Leia said. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking.

Ugh, stop it. You'll just make it harder on yourself later.

Shrugging off his drifting thoughts, he focuses on the task ahead. It's easier to slide right into chef-mode.]

Alright, first we'll need a big pot. Boiled water, potatoes, and all the spices you've got so I know what we're working with. And a good knife for chopping vegetables.

[All Link really offers in acknowledgement is a light grunt before he gets to work. He has all of these things, all of the freshest as well, as the spoiled ones go out for compost purposes. Ordon is small and doesn't have much as a result, and so they've learned to use everything they can, no matter how fresh or stale.

Big pot, check. Potatoes, check, though he does have to scrub it off a bit. And there's a variety of spices that he grabs from the cupboard and sets down on the counter so that Ludger can check, and... there's probably some he's never even heard of before. Better taste-test some of those first.]

[It's easy to fall into a routine, once everything is laid out like this. Ludger checks over each ingredient, tastes the spices - and is intrigued by the ones he's never tried before, though some are similar enough to what he's used to that he figures they can act as suitable substitutes - and gets to chopping up vegetables. He gets Link to handle the actual heating part, mostly because he has no idea how to even turn on a non-spyrix stove. He offers up instructions and advice wherever it seems necessary, and overall, it's... fun.

Which is weird, because he hasn't had a chance to relax enough to have fun in what feels like forever. If his life wasn't such a mess, he could definitely get used to this.]

[Not many visitors come to Ordon; usually it's the villagers who go outside to visit other places, and even then, it's mostly Rusl and Link who do so, sometimes the children as well. Colin's been on the road to becoming a brave warrior and all.

But because of that, Link doesn't have many people to cook with, or just spend time with, and he's fine with that. Still, having someone new here is nice. He does his work and watches what Ludger's doing with a smile on his face, and it actually is fun. It's nice to settle down and just cook after a long journey like his.]

So where do you come from? [Because he's been wanting to ask.]

[....

Crap.]

I'm from... all around, really. I travel a lot, so there's not really an easy answer for that one.

[Slivers of truth in an evasive answer, but it's the best he can offer. The full truth wouldn't make any sense.]

[Link raises an eyebrow at that with a tilt of his head. He's a country bumpkin, sure, but he's not dumb. No one arrives out of nowhere with clothes like that.]

I travel a lot, too. Can't say I've ever seen clothes like yours b'fore, or seen someone jus' show up. [You know, unless they're from the Twilight. But he's certain Ludger's not from there. He blinks after that though, then waves a hand and turns his head away.] Sorry, I know I said I wouldn't ask. If y' don't wanna answer, then it's not my business. I've just been curious about your, er... [Clothes, the weapons at his belt. His hair.] Everything.

[Now he can't help feeling a little guilty. Here he is taking advantage of this guy's (admittedly willing) hospitality, eating his food, sharing his home, and soon will hopefully be making use of his openness to find a catalyst that will destroy the whole fractured dimension, and he can't even offer much information in return. It isn't very fair.

Nothing about this is fair. That's why getting to Canaan is so important, right? So we can end all of this.]

Sorry. It's... personal, that's all. I can't explain it. If you can't accept that, then I'll understand if you want me gone.

You're joking, right? I don't mind if y' don't tell me, and I'm not gonna kick you out for no good reason.

[Link could never be that mean. Not to people who don't deserve it, anyway.]

We've all got our secrets, and there's nothin' wrong with that. Besides, I can't let ya leave without a recipe swap!

[You're so trusting.

You might regret that, later.

Ludger's not going to complain, though. He offers up a slight smile and stirs a dash or two of one of the unusual new spices into the pot, checking the taste.]

I think that's as close as I can get it to the usual flavour. Give it a try, see what you think.

[ Unfortunately for Ludger, he was advised to take a certain someone along this time. Ivar is full of energy, and surprisingly competent, but also not terribly patient. ]

So. [ From the top of a tree, Ivar scouts ahead. They're not too far from Nia Khera, but the Catalyst isn't supposed to be there. ] What's the game plan? Did the boss give you anything to go on?

[This is weird. This is super weird. It's not that he dislikes Ivar or anything - the guy's been pretty helpful on occasion, and when he's not trying to start fights with Jude, he's surprisingly friendly. Ludger appreciates how he treated Elle, especially.

But.

Why the heck are they suddenly being paired up by Spirius, exactly...?]

"Find the catalyst." That's more or less all they ever give me.

[It's not the most specific instruction ever, but at least the catalyst tends to trigger when he's in the vicinity.]

[ He hops from one tree to the next, grabbing onto another branch and swinging himself up higher. From here, he can see the outline of the familiar trees and houses that he'd once called home.

Welp.

Definitely not setting foot in there. He stands up straight, folding his arms and tapping a foot against the branch. ]

Great. No wonder these things take so long. Hey, I could send a friend in there to check things out.

[And Ludger, in his infinite understanding of the techniques of all his other battle partners... has no clue what Ivar is even talking about.]

A friend?

[They just got here, how the hell did Ivar make a friend already?]

This friend.

[ He gestures above them.

It's a fucking dragon. ]

[THAT'S A FUCKING DRAGON

And Ludger immediately whips out his pistols, because of course he does, it's a fucking dragon. Holy crap.]

I don't think that's a friend!

Hey, woah!

[ ARE YOU READY FOR A TINY BROWN MAN JUMPING ON YOU TO SMACK THE GUN OUT OF YOUR HAND! because that's whats happening. ]

He's a friend, relax! Okay so, maybe not my friend specifically, but if he's here then he's a friend of the other Ivar and so he's also my friend too.

[OW GODDAMMIT

Ludger grimaces and rolls, shoving Ivar off. He could have just said not to shoot.]

You can talk to monsters?

[ He springs back to his feet, striking a pose - one finger thrust truimphantly up in the air. ]

Of course! I am a master of beastcraft.

[what

does that even mean]

Is that some kind of spirit arte?

[Rieze Maxians really do have some strange abilities.]

Right. I keep forgetting how deprived you all are.

[ He rests his hands on his hips. ] The arte of beastcraft is a very specific and rare spirit arte. You have to be born with it to use it. And I, as it just so happens, was born with it. I can hear and understand the voices of animals and monsters as easily as I can hear humans.

["Deprived" is really not the word he'd pick - he does okay, as a matter of fact - but whatever, he doesn't want to pick a fight.

Of course you have to be born with it, though. Seems like everything that's happened recently is all about who you are and where you come from. Why would Ivar be any different?]

Well... cool, then. So you can send it into town?

Yep.

[ He calls up into the sky. The dragon flaps its wings and turns toward town. ]

That should be able to tell me what's up.

It's not usually that easy, but... it might help.

[Can't hurt to get a feel for the place.]

The divergence catalyst is almost always the cause of whatever made this dimension significantly different from the prime dimension. We need to focus on that.

[You shut it with that cryptic nonsense you newb

Link leans over to take a taste of his own, and his expression lights up a bit. Well dang, he really is some kind of chef!]

It's really good! And that's all ya put in it?

[wow attitude bro relax

Ludger smiles, pleased that his choices have been approved despite the unknown spices he'd tried. He nods.]

Just add a bit of love and practice, and you've got it.

[...God, that was totally Julius's influence.]

[voice testing] loogie woo kreznix (don't ask)

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