Watercolour [Open]

[Owen Enders]

OOC: Apologies for the low-quality of the post, it's been a while since I last RPd...

Peaceful. That word summed up both Owen's current location and his life at the moment. The Hylian Knights had little to do with their time at the moment; there was little demand for their skills as such, which effectively summed up the state of affairs for some time now. This was something which irritated the hydromancer as someone who preferred to keep himself busy; there was only so much one could do with their spare time before they even ran out of inspiration for methods of relaxing.

Once again, Owen found himself at Lake Hylia, a place he had begun to frequent more and more as the days passed. It was only natural; he possessed a natural affinity for water and he felt more than comfortable walking alongside the edge of the lake. As natural, the lake was occupied by several Zora swimming throughout the depths, with a few fisherman and other locals seated around the water, none of which paid much attention to the hydromancer’s presence. Owen had become a fairly common face here; it benefitted him for training purposes and a place to escape when he needed a break from everyday life.

Glancing to his left, Owen smiled at a small group of young Zora playing in the water beside him. Pausing momentarily to reply with a curious look, the Zora youths then quickly returned to their activities as they dived downwards to the bottom of the lake. Chucking quietly, Owen continued on his path across the top of the lake back towards the shore. Obviously that was their first time seeing him here, or perhaps the only time they had ever seen someone walk across the surface of the lake as naturally as a normal person would on land.

Almost reaching the shore, Owen was momentarily blinded as the sun emerged from behind the clouds and caught him directly. Raising a hand to shield his vision, his gaze was then suddenly drawn to the hills ahead as he identified a silhouette making its way down towards him. Switching hands quickly with a rather screwed up expression on his face as he tried to see more clearly, he began to slow his pace whilst calling out with a rather curious tone.

”Um… hello?”

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[Dahnee Sieza]

It wasnt often Dahnee found her way out of the forest, much less out of Faron Province, but fleeing from her responsibilities as chief (if only briefly) Dahnee was prancing around Lanayru like she owned it. She'd wondered a good chunk of the western Hyrule Field, but a well worn dirt path took her through the low hills that surrounded Lake Hylia. Soaking up the sun as it peaked through the scattered clouds she strolled down the lane, the dry dirt flying up with her light footsteps. The Lake was filled with a plethora of small noises from the seagulls call to the small talk of fisherman, but it wasn't distracting, in fact it was pleasant and relaxing as though ever sounds was singing along with the lapping of of the small waves that the lake made.

"Um...hello?" A mans voice stood out to her, over the calming sounds of a nice day at the lake. Dahnee squinted her eyes to see who it was; a tall man was walking on the lake with brilliant white hair. She didnt recognize him a bit, but she was sure he'd addressed her, did he think she was someone else? She couldn't imagine there was anyone else in the whole of Hyrule and beyond with ten feet of golden blonde hair trailing behind them.

"'ello?" Her bright blue eyes widened a bit as she slowed then stopped at the bottom of the hill, just as the dirt path tapered into the grassy area that surrounded the deep blue lake, "Do I know you? She gave the man a small smile, she didn't quite know what to do but wait for a reply.

(Sorry its a shoddy reply, I wasn't too sure how to enter/its been awhile since I've RPed as well lol)

[Owen Enders]

OOC: I need to check my threads more often, and the reply's cool, I didn't give you much to work with. =P




Goddamn it, I need to get some sunglasses or something.

Owen didn't recognise the voice, much to his annoyance and directed his feelings with a momentary scowl upwards at the sun. Out of the corner of his eye, he could still only really make out a shadow in front of him, although his proximity to the person in question allowed him to clearly identify that she was somewhat shorter than he was.

But if I did, I can't get any shades like Captain Azler's... so creepy.... I swear to God sometimes that he looks like a stalker...

His scowl quickly switched to a grin as the thought of getting a pair of Azler Wilder's sunglasses crossed his mind. With that thought, it appeared that the blinding light in his eyes had lost interest in bothering him for the time-being; which was greatly appreciated, any longer being blinded and there might have been another creepy-sunglasses wearing person in the Hylian Knights. Directing attention back to the girl in front of him, still bearing the grin from the mental image he had conjured beforehand, Owen replied in an unintentionally casual tone.

”Don’t think we’ve met before, but I’m always game for meeting new people. Name’s Owen, Owen Enders. Yourse-“

He stopped mid-sentence, which was the moment he finally turned his gaze back from the clouds to look at the person before him and immediately regretted not doing so sooner. Within a couple of seconds of looking at Dahnee, Owen was almost 100% sure of who he was speaking to, despite the truthful statement he had uttered only a second ago about having never met her. The advantage of travelling so much around Hyrule was meeting people who told stories about the other races and Owen had heard numerous about the Minish and their current chief. The trail of golden hair flowing behind her was unmistakeable, upon realization of her identity, Owen’s expression changed from calm and carefree to one of shock. Instantly, he followed up his sentence.

”The Minish Chief! Apologies for my tone, I was completely unaware!”

Forever the diplomat, Owen had no idea how Dahnee would react to his lack of respect when addressing her previously; after all he had never encountered her before. Bowing his head quickly in welcome with a foolish grin, he followed up with another question with a curious tone, matched by his expression.

”But, I can’t say I’ve seen you outside of the forest… or at all, what brings you to the lake?”

[Dahnee Sieza]

Dahnee fidgeted as she watched the man move closer, a somewhat cookey smile on his face. The sun moved back behind the clouds and she was able to untwist her face and see straight which was far more comfortable to say the least. The man started as if he had no idea who she was, which she gathered he didnt, she was a long way from home, but then he stopped abruptly and he quickly addressed her as the Minish chief. She couldn't help but smile big and bright, she felt a little like a celebrity, being recognized at all was fun and it made her feel important, which of course she was.

”But, I can’t say I’ve seen you outside of the forest… or at all, what brings you to the lake?” He was certainly a personable fellow, Dah liked that, there were to many shy and unsociable people in the world, it was good to meet someone who wasnt afraid of conversation.

"Haha, I'm just enjoying the sites is all," Dahnee repressed the urge to pick on him about how his face had looked when he noticed who she was.

She took a few bouncing steps forward and stuck out her hand, she held it at an upward angle for him to shake since he was easily a good foot and a half taller then her, "You can call me Dahnee, and what can I call you?" she gave him a good once over quickly, "You're clearly a knight, I havent met a knight up close and personal before," She smiled a little wider, the little dimples at the corner of her mouth showing themselves.

[Owen Enders]

Didn’t I just…?

Owen paused momentarily with a suspicious look on his face in response to being asked to introduce himself. That said, the hydromancer did possess a habit of rambling when he spoke, mumbling at a fast and incomprehensible pace, and should probably take more care with his speech when addressing royalty. Chuckling nervously whilst scratching the back of his head, Owen then extended his other hand to accept the handshake before introducing himself again.

”Owen Enders, Lieutenant of the Hylian Knights… but just call me Owen!”

Deciding quickly that it may not be the best idea to comment about how much he towered over the Minish Chief, an observation which amused him somewhat, Owen maintained a pleasant expression as he shook Dahnee’s hand and then continued in response to her comment about his military status.

”Heh, I didn’t realise it was that obvious! Not that it’s something I try to hide or anything… though I do like to keep a low profile around here, especially with this being a day off.”

Whilst not rambling this time, Owen revealed another speech habit; constantly contradicting himself as he spoke. He hadn’t lied though, he held great pride in his position among the Hylian Knights, as someone who had worked their way up through the ranks to one of the most respected positions; a true working-class hero. However, Owen’s purpose for being at the lake was to ignore his duties for the afternoon whilst times were quiet and the water served as a relaxing influence on him. After retracting from the handshake, Owen promptly took to take a seat on the grass as to ensure he didn’t accidentally intimidate with his height. Clearing his throat, he turned attention back to Dahnee.

”I can kind of understand why you must like to explore around here, must get a bit boring and samey around dealing with royal affairs and all that. What’s it like being the Minish Chief?”

His curiosity was genuine; Owen had never had the opportunity to venture into the Minish Forest despite his travels, he’d always ventured around through fear of trespassing somewhere within if he travelled the wrong route. As he stared outwards across the lake, it occurred to him that it could possibly be one of the very, very few areas in Hyrule he hadn’t visited. Perhaps he would have to do something about that when he had more free time.

[/blockquote]

[Dahnee Sieza]

(I face palmed irl, I feel like a dumby for overlooking that lol sorry)

When the man addressed himself it occurred to Dah that he'd said his name, she just hadn't been paying good attention. She shrugged to herself as she shook his hand which was quit a bit larger then hers, it didnt bother her in the least, most people were bigger then her, even most Minish choose to be taller or stouter, but Dahnee liked being small. She listened as Owen spoke and as he sat down on the lush green grass that surrounded the lake she plopped beside him, her legs tucked up underneath her.

"A lieutenant, eh? Thats pretty impressive, you look really young to be so high up on the food chain," Dahnee chuckled, even though the mans hair was stark white, his features we that of a young and lively man, barely out of boyhood. Not that she could say much, she looked barely old enough to walk on her own let alone run an entire race.

she looked out at the lake, the sun poked back out from behind the clouds for only a moment, the light making the lake sparkle; Dah would have to make the Lake a more regular visit, it was far from home, but there was certainly no comparison for sites and she had an itch to explore what was under the surface of the water. She thought briefly it she'd be able to coax one of the zoras into giving her a scale, the had a feeling she could get away with it, then she could swim with out restriction.

"It is a great place to explore, there's defiantly plenty to see, though I wouldn't know about getting away from my duties. There isn't much for me to do in the forest anyway, just silly stuff like badgers eating our crops or silly things like that." Dahnee sighed, a few blonde locks crept towards the lake and dipped into the shallow water, "Nothing exciting ever happens in the forest...Do you get to do lots of exciting things as a knight?" Dahnee looked up at Owen, she bet that being a knight was very interesting, getting to travel the world and fight bad guys; Dahnee chuckled as she imagined herself as a knight, the helmets probably wouldnt fit, but she'd certainly be a site to see like daddy's little girl playing dress up.

[Owen Enders]

[OOC: No worries, lol. I was gonna overlook it, but I decided it made for pretty good comic value, so I kept it in. =P]

Owen smiled at the comment regarding his age. It was true that the knights of the Hylian army were getting younger and younger, an indication that the intense training the youths dedicated themselves to was worth their time. In particular the lieutenants, Owen himself had become a lieutenant during his late teens, already possessing a reputation among the other knights and was certainly considered a prized asset of the army.

Listening to Dahnee’s tales of the regular occurrences within the Minish Forest, Owen contemplated what lifestyle he would be experiencing if he had grown up there. How much different could the location make to the person? Owen was naturally a grafter; hard-working and grateful for every opportunity he got as well as being an optimist; constantly looking to extend himself and his capabilities. Perhaps he could have reached similar heights among the Minish as he did within the Hylians. Life certainly sounded more laid-back in the Forest.

Staring blankly for a second as he thought about his past as a knight, Owen shrugged slightly as he replied.

”Life’s fairly quiet at the moment. A few scuffles every now and again to break up, but we haven’t had any major trouble like that for a while. I’ve never been in a major war or anything like that, so I’m no war-hero or anything like that…”

His expression soon changed to a smile as a few memories crept back into his head, changing his tone to a far more positive one as he continued.

”That said, there are moments when you realize how much people appreciate your position. Fighting off bands of rogues when they attack is always a crowd-pleaser; even if they’re not much of a challenge.”

Turning to Dahnee again, Owen paused for a second in reflection of her previous comments before putting another thought out in the open.

”Times might not be exciting, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I guess. Excitement for us would be dealing with stuff like conflict… which isn’t exactly great for our communities, wouldn’t you agree?”

Leaning back as he finished, Owen then cast his gaze back over the lake as he watched the Zora he’d passed earlier continue to play. Blinking slowly, he then closed his moment of thought with another questioning statement.

”Depends what kind of excitement you want from life, I guess.”

[Dahnee Sieza]

Dahnee, pulled her knees up and leaned forward, resting her elbows on them with her chin in the palms of her hands, Owen had something there. She'd never really thought of excitement as something cruel and horrible for the general populace; it occurred to her that if some horrible monster arose from the depths of the calm, beautiful lake, while exciting prehaps for herself and the knight, all the innocent Zora's who were unprepared and possibly ill equipped for such an attack would be hurt if not killed.

"I suppose you're right, one mans excitement is anothers peril," Dah's hair pulled back from the water and the ends shook them self almost like a wet dog, "But not all excitement has to be based on danger, what about the simple pleasure of discovering new and uncharted lands, finding new plants and animals or just the subdued excitement of being lost,"

Dahnee laughed as she looked out on the water. There had been a point in her childhood that she'd purposely run into the forest blindly just to get lost, all for the excitement of finding her way home. Even after her terrible experience with the spider Dah still found pleasure in not being found.

"Have you traveled far?" She smiled up at Owen, surely a knight of his statues he'd seen much of the world.

D: I am so sorry this took so long! I just started a new job and I lost track of time so horribly! ): I'm sorrrrry T^T

[Owen Enders]

[OOC: Heh, no worries; new jobs are pretty important stuffs. Gotta say, I’ve only just noticed that there was a reply here. =P]

Nodding in agreement, Owen stood up before then gently brushing the dirt from his overcoat from where he had been sat. For those who sought adventure, Hyrule had much to offer; the various provinces had numerous secrets to be uncovered by those who were willing to explore just that little bit further from their comfort zone. He had met numerous people through simply travelling that extra mile or so just to satisfy his curiosity, as well as bearing witness to some beautiful natural features throughout the regions. His expression changed to one of calm, bearing a nostalgic smile which remained as he answered Dahnee’s question.

”I know Lanaryu and Eldin Province very well, I’ve explored most parts within those provinces and I know Faron fairly well too… haven’t really travelled much further than that though.”

Ordon Province was one he had meant to explore for some time, especially the Minish Forest which his current company hailed from. Owen had purposefully refrained from doing so until the next time he had some time off from duty; he wanted to leave some parts of Hyrule unexplored for a while rather than seeing it all at once. However, there were provinces other than the southern-most one that he wished to explore.

”I want to check out Peak Province. All that snow must make for some amazing views. The only other place I haven’t been to, aside from Ordon, is the Desert Province. Dunno if I wanna go there though, heard it’s pretty hot there.”

In all honesty, the slightest bit of heat bothered Owen intensely, which meant that the likelihood of him actually going to the Desert Province was very low. Peak Province certainly interested him though, albeit not just for viewing pleasure. Any trip to the north-east would be more than just for tourist purposes. Turning back to Dahnee, he smirked as he questioned her own travel experience.

”Guessing they don’t let you travel too far from the forest if they can help it? You’re missing a lot by being cooped up in there.”

[Dahnee Sieza]

Dahnee looked up at Owen as he spoke, his expression was touching, it ws the look of someone who'd seen a lot and loved a good deal of it. She had heard only briefly about the other provinces, of course it was part of her studies to learn about the leaders, but there was only so much a book could teach you and Dahnee was very much a hands on learner. She wasnt much for heat herself, but she couldnt bear the thought of never at least visiting the desert lands, she wanted to see all parts of this land, good and bad, and all the lands beyond this if she ever had that chance.

"Ahh, don't I know it. Truth be told this is the farthest i've ever come from the forest," she looked out over the lake, while the sights where amazing, breathtaking even, it was tinged with fear of the repercussions, "My father is going to be so angry when I get back, I've been gone two days already..." he voice trailed off and after a few minutes she stood, brushing the dust from her purple dress.

She looked over her shoulder at the path she'd taken down to the waters edge. It was well traveled, so man men and women had tread that path to come to the lakes shore and her feet were only one of millions. She dreamed of being the first footprints in a foreign place, to be the first to tread in undiscovered lands, but as it was she was forced to travel the road most common.

"My parents don't understand the world, they're complacent to tend their gardens and watch over the other minish," there was a sting on bitterness in her tone, "My people... their so boring, no sense of adventure, no longing for the world beyond our borders," Dah smiled, giggling softly to lighten her own mood as she looked back to Owen, "They picked the wrong girl to be their leader."

[Owen Enders]

Owen chuckled slightly at Dahnee's comments. For someone who didn't travel much, Lake Hylia was certainly a fair distance from the Minish Forest. The Chief certainly appeared to be an adventurous type considering her position within her race. It also seemed that she was expected to uphold the traditional role as a leader, from the words she spoke about her father, simply watching over her race and not straying too far from the safety of the Minish Forest. Perhaps it was to be expected if all of the previous leaders had performed the role in such a similar manner, the expectation of the people and the elders would be to follow suit.

Dahnee was right though, she was certainly too much of a free spirit to be kept confined within the forest for the rest of her life. Pondering for a moment, Owen then suggested a course of action.

”Perhaps… you could convince your father that your actions of… travelling beyond the Forest as being good for the Minish.”

Nodding as he finished the sentence, he paused again to think about the best way for Dahnee to approach her father. There were definitely some benefits for her race to allow their Chief to travel around to the various provinces; gaining more knowledge about the other races as well as meeting with the other leaders and strengthening diplomatic relations. It was an argument that would work well in her favour, as well perhaps allowing Dahnee some more experience in the role of a leader.

”You could travel around and visit the other leaders and form some alliances or just make sure you’re still on good terms with the other leaders. Then you could explore to your heart’s content whilst still being a good leader. Surely your father would see the logic in that?”

It was pretty clear that Owen’s suggestion, as seemingly innocent for Dahnee to put forward as it was, was formed purely with the intention to just convince her father to give her a little bit of freedom. In all fairness, it was a reasonable request to make; there was little harm in letting Dahnee travel around if she had some protection from some Minish guards or other allies. It would all depend on her belief as to whether she could convince her father to grant her wish.

[Dahnee Sieza]

Dah gave a soft, sad chuckle, but she heard Owen out, she wished such an innocent and simple explination would have been enough.

"You must not know my father," another sad laugh, "There is very little room for reasoning, I even tried to have him pass the role onto my little sister, she's such a homebody, but he wouldn't hear it," Dah crossed her arms and puffed out her tiny chest, scrunchy her face up to mock her father, speaking in a gruffy voice, "You belong here, I wont go changing the rules just for you,"

Dah let out a big sigh, then smiled up at Owen, the same defeated smile she gave her father, only half there, "He's under the impression that the Minish are completely self sufficient, he's says we don't need anything from the world outside our forest. He'd never tell the Princess Zelda this, but if he could he'd have seceded from Hyrule a long while back."

Dahnee had had many length conversations with her father about the world outside their borders, she'd come with ever argument she could think, but he'd never acknowledged the benefits such a connection could have. "He'd never admit it, but if you ask me he's afraid of the rest of the world; he's always saying how poisonous it is, as if the rest of the rest of Hyrule was truly Toxic," Dah sighed, looking out at the lake, she'd have to come up with something to tell her father, there's no way she could let him know she had come all the way to Lanayru Province.

[Owen Enders]

[Two weeks is an incredibly long time to have to wait for a reply, I am really sorry, but a few threads have seriously slipped my mind. I blame Azler for over-working me. =P]

Despite Dahnee’s comments about her father, Owen was filled with a newfound determination to change matters for the Minish, even if it was slightly beyond and against his role as a Hylian Knight. It was none of his business to interfere with the affairs of any race aside from his own without official command or consent, but Owen thought the least he could do was offer some form of support. What had effectively confirmed the decision in the mind of the lieutenant was the smile he had just received from the Minish Chief; which showed very clear signs of accepting defeat as far as being allowed to experience life outside of the borders. Owen was reluctant to admit being beaten just yet.

”What if we came to you and spoke to you with your father?! We could like negotiate some kind of alliance or something, which means you guys won’t need to leave the forest to see us and we could try and impress your father and see if we can convince him to change!”

Enthusiastic was an understatement for the tone of Owen’s voice, and though it was clear from the speed of which he spoke that he was rambling a little bit with his idea, the hydromancer seemed to manage to at least speak some sense. Surely he could convince the Princess to allow some people to go as part of a special envoy to the Minish Forest to negotiate an alliance and impress the elders. He would most likely bring someone else with him to try and assist him with his convincing, although exactly who escaped him right now. Captain Azler was a fairly convincing person when he spoke, he would be an idea choice if he was available.

Nodding approvingly, Owen then continued.

”Whaddaya say? It could work, we could pull out all the stops to impress your father and make us look amazing in his eyes and then he might let you do stuff. Do you reckon that’d work?”

[Dahnee Sieza]

((Haha, yes it is, but it was no big deal, i know you're busy. And I blame Az too, he's a good scapegoat lol))

Dahnee listened intently, she crinkled her nose as she contemplated this plan, she was certainly flattered that this almost complete stranger would be so willing to make these kind of plans in an effort to free her from the forests metaphorical chains. There was certainly a seed of doubt in her, but the enthusiasm of Owen's voice set it to the back of her mind and kept it from passing her lips.

"Would you really go through all that trouble for me?" Dah's voice was chipper, if anyone could open the borders of the forest the knights could, maybe there was some hope after all, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try, but my father can absolutely not know I had any part in this," Dah thought about it, she very much wanted the Knights to form an alliance with the Minish. There was an unspoken bond of leaders, just as all the others, but there was no set relations between her people and the rest of the world; her father had seen to that.

"I was never supposed to be here at the lake, therefore I shouldn't know you, would there be some way to arrange your visit without making my father suspicious of your visit?" Dah thought of ways, nothing seemed very good, all her ideas were shoddy at best and her father would see right through them.

[Owen Enders]

Owen nodded very quickly in response. Even though he had yet to speak with the other knights and the Princess in addition, he was certain that there would be little issue with the proceedings. If he could get Azler in particular to assist him, it would be perfect. Plus, diplomatic matters would certainly suit more than the current activities of the Knights, which consisted of very little in particular aside from clearing up some small issues around Castle Town. Not only that, but Owen was always looking to strengthen ties between the Hylians and the other races to prevent friction or trouble rising between them; this would be the perfect start for such relations.

”I’m almost certain the other knights and the Princess would be game for doing this!”

With an assured and determined tone to his voice, Owen smiled as he considered the outcome of events. A pleasant meeting between the two races, the elder Minish being enamoured by the charms of the Hylians and their appeal for an alliance and everyone getting on brilliantly. Whilst unrealistic in truth and events more likely to be quite serious and lengthy in discussion, Owen was momentarily oblivious to this, as he pictured celebrations between the two races.

Still formulating ideas in his head, the lieutenant then reassured Dahnee with a more logical thought about approaching her father.

”Allying with other races would be in the best interests of the Hylians, I think, so we could literally turn up in a week or so and just state that we want to talk with the leaders of the Minish. We wouldn’t have to mention meeting you here at all, if you definitely want that kept quiet!”

[Dahnee Sieza]

Dah gave the knight a big smile, her heart was beating erratically in her chest, this could possibly work. The idea of change in the forest was thrilling, if the princess brought an alliance right to their door how could her father undermine her in front of the princess' own men.

"This is wonderful! I can't even begin to express how glad i am that I met you here," Dah looked towards the sky briefly, the sun was starting to set into the early evening, she had to make her way back if she was going to keep her dad from being too suspicious of her whereabouts the last few days, "I have to be going, but I look forward to your visit," Dah stood on tip toes and threw her arms around the mans middle excitedly, giving him a big hug.

"Ta~" The minish chief gave Owen a wave as she darted off up the hll she'd come down only a little while before, but now she made this trip with new hope and determination.

[EXIT]

((Sorry for the delay, I know its not a very good post, but its done, lol)