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"Eeeek!"
The Chain's attention is called to the Sailor's squeak at the edge of camp, reeling back from some reeds at the edge of the water.
"Something wrong Sailor?" Time is immediately on his feet
"I don't know what those are in there" Wind pointed to the reeds, nothing moves.
"Hmmm," as Time approaches, most of the Chain's attention is drawn elsewhere, there's much to do in setting up camp, after all. & there doesn't seem to be any immediate danger, though Four also approaches in curiosity, & Hyrule remains alert from a distance.
Time parts the reeds to reveal three odd creatures, unnatural looking slug-like creatures in colorful shells. They might be cute if they didn't share colors with animals Time knows to be poisonous, & a body too squishy to be a normal crustacean... eyes & body too large too well formed into a distinct main body two arm-like sections to be a normal sea slug. They're bizzare creatures indeed. They're not attacking, at least, just staring up at Time Wind. Seemingly frozen.
"What are they?" Wind beathes, now that the initial scare has worn off, he bends down to get a closer look. Time stops him from getting much closer with a hand on his shoulder though, something's not right.
Too bad the Vet went with Sky to patrol the area, this is the Vet's era. He might know for sure what the creature is, but in the meantime... "Be careful," Time warns, "Whatever they are, they're likely juveniles, given they haven't moved yet. They may not attack a fully grown Hylian unprovoked, but they may have a means of protecting themselves if they feel threatened."
Meanwhile, some more of the Chain is being drawn towards their conversation, one by one.
"Looks like some odd species of baby Octorock," Four comments, eyes glinting Violet, "but with a shell, which is a useful evolutionary development..."
"Ugh, I hate Octorocks," Wild comments, approaching with his Slate in hand, taking a look, "are you sure though? Those don't look anything like any octorocks I've ever seen."
"Like I said," Four continues, "it's an odd species, but shares a few key characteristics. Namely the lower body shape, eyes... & Octorocks normally have much smaller heads & mouths when in infancy. Growing the mouth & air sacs in their head happens when they reach adulthood."
"I don't know," Twilight adds, "We should move camp. We don't know exactly what these are, let alone what the parent will be capable of. & they won't like us camping so close to where they've left their young."
"Agreed, they've got all the hallmarks of something poisonous" Time concludes as he moves to lead packing up camp.
"They're kinda cute to be monsters," Wind mumbles, but follows all the same.
"What makes you think they're poisonous?" Wild abruptly takes a few steps back from where he was taking pictures.
"The colors mostly," Time begins to explain,
but the pause is filled with the Captain’s interjection. “If it's true that these creatures are likely dangerous, possibly even a new species of monster, perhaps we should eliminate them while we have the chance.”
Wild & Time stare blankly while Wind & Twilight visibly cringe. "But they're babies!" Wind shouts. Time subtly frowns in sympathy while Wars seems to have a similar reproach.
Four, after having been thinking since Wars initial suggestion adds, "perhaps we should ask the Vet first, he'll be back soon, right?"
"He's already back," Hyrule adds as he walks over from the other side of camp with said Vet & Sky, "whatcha think Ve-"
Before Hyrule can even finish his sentence, Legend, having already caught the tail-end of their conversation, takes one look at the creatures in the reeds, activates his Pegasus Boots, grabs all three in his arms. The little creatures make a sharp squealing sound as the captain gets knocked over on his ass, Time Wind & Wild barely avoid the impact, & the others are just a bit ruffled by the magic of the Vet's Pegasus Boots.
"The fuck is wrong with you!" He screeches at the Captain. & boy, is their normally prickly Veteran a sight to behold. As he stands glaring death daggers—at Wars at first—but shifts his gaze around towards most of the others in-turn once Wars' already remorseful face satisfies. Twilight chuckles, which draws the ire towards himself now for new reasons, because Legend isn't an idiot. Twilight's thinking about how the Vet's body language resembles that of a fluffed up & angry bunny. Meanwhile one of the (potentially poisonous?) creature babies are crawling up the side of his face, eating his hair? The Vet seems unfazed by this, and unfazed by the squealing, which in contrast with the vet's angered screech a moment ago the Chain is now able to recognize as screeches of delight.
Wild snaps a picture. Because of course he does.
"I take it you know these creatures?" Time looks & sounds like he needs a nap.
Legend might need a nap soon already too. As he settles the other Maiamai to his side, then uses his now free hands to attempt prying one off his face, he mutters, "unfortunately, yes."
"You love us papa Link!"
Half the chain chokes, due to in-part to the mere fact that the creatures speak as much as the content.
The Veteran, however, ignores the Chain, & instead glares at the giggling creature he's pried off his face, "No! I am not your papa! & what are you all doing here? I thought your mom took you to a different dimension!"
"Well, yea!" One from having climbed up on his shoulder speaks up, "but we dimension hopped some more! Then looped back! Now we're playing hide & seek!"
Unbeknownst to Legend, Wild perked up a bit at this.
"I think some of the younger ones got genuinely lost though," a third muttered from his hip, " it's been way too long."
Vet's eyebrow twitched, "how many?"
"Why, 99 of course! Silly"
"I mean, how many of you are likely genuinely lost. I don't have time to play games."
"Hmm," the one on his shoulder hums while the one in his hands chips in, "probably like, most of us, honestly,"
The one on his shoulder finishes, "at least 80."
Legend sticks the one in his hands on his knee as he sits down on a rock, puts his hands on his face, & groans.
Still grinning a bit, but also very confused, Wild steps up, “Okay, this is cute & all, but,” Wild is undeterred from Legend’s glare, “what are they?”
“Yeah!” Wind, having settled down on the rock next to Legend, scooting close to be daringly face to face with the shoulder Maiamai, grinning widely in wonder as it waves its little arm-like blobs at the Sailor, “& why do they call you Papa?”
Shifting his glare towards Wind, as the Maiamai on his knee makes its way over towards said Sailor, Legend explains, “this one does, because it’s a brat,”
Turning away from Wind & back towards Legend, shoulder Maiamai supplies, beady eyes narrowing in delight, “Sara & Jimmy call you papa too.”
“Thought this one was Jimmy!”
“No, that’s Tristen, silly!”
“Um, Wars sheepishly cuts in, gesturing towards Tristen, now inching his way onto Wind’s lap, “Veteran, I hate to interrupt, but some of us are in the dark here… what are these creatures?”
Time tiredly adds, “and are they poisonous?”
Legend’s eye twitches, “No! Do you honestly think I’d let them crawl all over me like this if they were!?!”
“Rly,” Twilight drawls with a snicker & a grin,
Before another fight can break out, Hyrule interrupts, “they’re Maiamai, right?” Legend pauses & raises an eyebrow in genuine surprise. He watches the Traveler meet the outstretched lil arm from the creature settled in Wind’s lap with a finger of his own, doing a sort of handshake, examine the creature in wonder.
“Uh, yea,” Legend confirms. Stunned that anyone outside his own era could know of their existence without having actually met one. Because if he’d met one, he would’ve recognized it right away, & the entire initial misunderstanding would’ve never happened, right? Before he can dwell on this any longer, however…
“I have a question,” Sky raises his hand.
“Shoot,” Legend replies, accepting that it’s esposition time.
“Did um…” the Chosen glances at the Maiamai on Legend’s shoulder, “your friend say there’s, what, 99 of em? Is that like a whole flock?”
“Nah, they’re all from the same birth,”
The Skyloftian evidently hasn’t expected this answer, “what.”
Four snickered, “Must be aquatic or amphibians then, most of those lay a huge amount of eggs at once, sometimes up to the thousands.”
“Fish don’t raise their kids though,” Wind added, “they mentioned a mother?”
“Yeah,” Legend began, “They’re very intelligent creatures though, & normally when a species becomes intelligent enough, they become more community-oriented, & therefore likely to stay with their young at least till adulthood, often longer depending on the culture… even if they’re aquatic. They’re like the Zora.
Course, the ones that still have larger egg loads are likely to be nomads, where the young leave to start their own family elsewhere once they’re old enough. Purely for practicality’s sake, well,
As practical as you can get with like 100 kids, anyways.”
“We better get cracking then”
The Chain shifts their attention towards Wild, Slate in hand… typing(?) away furiously. A determined & manic glee in his eyes rarely seen by the Chain as he grins.
One more button is pointedly pressed as he looks up towards the Vet & the Maiamai on his shoulder, “how many of you are there?”
”99!” comes the cheerful reply at Legend’s shoulder.
”That includes the three of you?”
”Yup”
”Got it.”
More typing, & well,
Legend’s just glad he’ll have some help in this absurd sort of collection quest for once.