A DRINK WITH DESTINY ──
botw/totk modern au | rated T
major characters: zelda, link
summary: for galentine's, zelda and her friends decide to check out hyrule's newest bar, the lost woods.
word count: 1695
warnings: alcohol mentions/use
a/n: happy (late) loftwing letters @angelicgarnet! you said you like botw/totk zelink and modern au's so have this modern meet-cute story :) i hope you like it!
read it below the cut or on ao3 → here
It’s five o’clock. The Lost Woods has just opened, and it’s only a matter of time before a crowd makes its appearance. Link’s spent the last hour preparing for it: stocking the bar with an array of cheap liquor and top-shelf alike, cutting garnishes, filling the bin with ice. The Galentine’s event tonight had been his clever idea—a way of bringing in and establishing patrons for Hyrule’s newest bar.
“Go ahead,” he calls out to the band in the corner, tucked away on a small wooden stage. The head of the band, a tall woman with a dark brown bob, nods her head and readies her violin. Light, traditional Hyrulean folk music fills the silence hanging in the bar, just as the crowd begins to slowly trickle inside.
“I’ll have a Champion.” A Gerudo woman with long, red hair sits at the bar mere moments later, handing him her card between two fingers. “And a Zora’s Scale for my friend.” Her head tilts in the direction of the shorter redhead who takes up the barstool beside her. Link nods, mindlessly pulling the Champion into a tall glass, slowly falling into the motion of making drinks. “And another friend will be joining us soon. Put her on my tab when she comes in.”
“Sure,” he says easily. “What does this friend look like?”
“You can’t miss her,” the Gerudo says with a knowing smile and a wink. She takes a sip of her Champion, then nudges the Zora beside her to do the same. Link shrugs, turning away to take the order of another woman.
Eventually, a steady stream of patrons occupy the bar, groups of young women eager to celebrate their friendships and drink on a good deal. The music becomes a background to the loud chatter taking place, and at some point, the Gerudo and Zora leave their barstools with their drinks in hand, mingling with a few others they must know. He turns his attention to his work, focusing solely on getting his drinks just right.
Some time later a voice cuts through the bar. It’s soft and sweet, clear as day to him despite the noise. His attention is shattered at the sound of it. He looks up, distracted.
“Sorry I’m late!” The voice says hurriedly to the Gerudo from earlier, holding a soft blue purse close to her body. She pulls the gold chainlink strap up onto her shoulder with one hand, then runs the same hand through her blonde hair in an attempt to smooth it down into place. From far away, Link can’t hear the rest of the exchange, but he sees the Gerudo wave the apology away. She says something to the woman, then points her towards the bar. Towards him.
The Gerudo was right; he couldn’t miss this woman.
Link has bartended for years—mostly on the side, only recently full-time. He’s flirted, exchanged phone numbers, the whole nine yards. But she… She is like something out of a fairytale. Her golden hair lays in silky straight strands, bangs clipped out of her face with blue butterfly clips. Her eyes are big and beautiful, green like emeralds and accentuated by dark brown cat-eye liner. The pink gloss on her lips seems to glow, reflecting the dim light around them. She is the first woman to make him feel truly nervous.
“Hi,” her soft voice says. She stands on her tiptoes, leaning over the dark mahogany bar to speak to him. It’s unnecessary. Even with all the noise, his attention is focused solely on her. Listening.
“What can I get for you?” He says, trying to look casual as he pours another cocktail through a strainer. He sits the glass on the bar in one quick, fluid motion towards its recipient.
“Oh. Um.” Her green eyes trail from the drink and over to settle on the framed specials sheet sitting atop the bar. They scan the sheet slowly, taking in every detail. Finally, she frowns. “I’m sorry. I don’t really drink…”
“That’s okay,” he says quickly, sounding maybe a bit overenthusiastic. “Do you want something sweet or dry?”
She chews her lip. “Maybe somewhere in the middle? Probably more sweet I think. But not too sweet.”
He nods. Normally when women don’t know what to order, he makes them a classic. A Castletonian, or a simple Zoran’s with cranberry. It’s hard to go wrong with either of those, and if they don’t like it, well… then he has a better idea of what to make for them next time. Yet, for her—for this goddess standing before him—something else comes to mind entirely.
He takes a step away from the bar, conjuring the supplies up quickly from the shelf behind him. Her eyes follow intently all the while, taking in each and every motion he makes. For good measure (and maybe because he likes the feel of her eyes on him), he shoves the sleeves to his blue shirt up over his elbows before he continues. The Master Sword tattoo on his right forearm is fully visible now. She seems to smile at the sight of it.
“How long have you guys been open?” she asks. He’s grateful for her attempt to fill the heavy silence hanging between them.
“Just a couple of weeks.”
“Cool…” Her eyes fall away from him now, taking in the scenery around them. They focus on the plants filling every corner, fake vines crawling up the few faux stone ruins around the room. Finally, they land on the band playing in the corner. “I like it. The theme is really cool.”
“Thanks,” he says, sincerely. Then he shrugs. “I’ve been interested in Ancient Hyrulean stuff for a while. I thought it’d make a cool bar concept.”
Her eyes light up, snapping back to him. “Me too! Well, not the bar thing.” She rushes to explain. “That sounded negative. I don’t mean it like that—it’s a cool concept. I just… I’m actually an archeaology major at the university.”
“Really? I thought about going to school for history.”
She leans forward. “Why didn’t you?”
“I’ve always been bad in school. Trouble focusing, sleeping during class, that kind of thing. I’ve never been super disciplined, I guess.”
“I get it,” she says, but he can tell from the tone of her voice that she doesn’t. No–this woman strikes him as intelligent. She’s probably never made below an A-plus in any of her courses.
He nods without thinking and, with one final motion, garnishes her drink with a simple Silent Princess. It floats lightly on top of the light blue liquid, edible gold glitter shining with every swirl of the martini glass.
“What’s it called?” She wonders aloud as she takes the glass from his hands, peering inside.
“The Princess.”
Her eyes widen. Her mouth opens, then closes. A dark red flush crawls up her skin.
“Oh,” she says quietly. Then, as if realizing what he’s done, her eyes narrow. She eyes the glass suspiciously. “And do you make The Princess for every fair lady who enters your establishment, sir?” Her faux-royalty accent makes him smile.
“Only for you. It seems fitting.”
Despite the dim lighting, her cheeks burn fiercer. She smiles.
“Oh. Then thank you.”
“What’s your name?” he asks finally. It’s his turn to lean against the bar, resting his chin lazily on a hand.
“Zelda,” she says with a soft smile. He widens his eyes.
Zelda, like the ancient princesses from thousands and thousands of years ago. Either it’s a coincidence or—
“Are you teasing me?”
“No,” she laughs, “that’s really my name. What’s yours?”
“Link.” Her mouth falls open. She laughs harder. It’s a lovely sound and makes his heartbeat quicken.
“Like the hero?”
“The very same, actually. My dad was really into military history. Wars and stuff.”
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Hero,” she teases, holding a hand out for him to take.
“Same for you, Princess.” Feeling bold, he pulls her hand closer. His mouth lightly brushes the back of her hand. It hovers. At the very last second, before he pulls away, his blue eyes flick up to meet hers. She dares to hold his gaze.
They break away only for her to take a sip.
“Mmm! It’s perfect!”
“Good.” He gives a lopsided grin, releasing her hand. “I’ll make as many as you wish, Princess. On one condition.”
“And what might that be?”
He points his finger up in the air, towards the rickety wooden sign hanging above the bar. Drink Responsibly. Don’t Get Lost, it says, scrawled in someone’s poor attempt at mimicking Ancient Hyrulean script.
She laughs. “Clever.”
“Thanks.”
“Zelda!” The Gerudo’s voice cuts through the bar. “Come here!”
“Sorry,” she apologizes, wincing. She hesitates to move away from him. “Thanks again.”
And like that, she’s gone.
—
He’s closing up the bar when something catches his attention. A specials sheet, removed from its frame and torn in half, sits between half-full glasses on the bar. When he peers closer, there’s text.
Thanks for everything. You were really nice tonight. I’d love to get to know you more.
-Zelda
Below the text, a set of numbers is scrawled in pretty handwriting. Her phone number. Link grabs the paper quickly and wastes no time in sending her a text.
—
Her phone buzzes, just as she enters the shared apartment with Urbosa and Mipha. Warm and fuzzy, stumbling slightly from the alcohol, Zelda struggles only momentarily to pull her Slate from the pocket of her jacket. It lights up when she finally does, the notification quickly expanding on her screen.
Hey, it’s Link, the bartender. Thanks for giving me your number, I’d love to hang out some time. :)
Zelda blinks once. Twice.
“How’d he get my number?” She asks no one in particular. Had she given it to him? Did she forget? It’s possible, she muses. The Princess had been stronger than it’d tasted.
“Sorry, Zel.” Mipha is the first to crack, her voice soft and nervous. “But you should have seen the way you two looked at each other.”
“And, Princess,” Urbosa gently mocks, a wide, mischievous smile spreading across her face. “He’s handsome.”
Zelda can’t say she’s angry.
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GOOD MORNING (now evening)
today i awoke and chose violence. i wanna talk a bit about the AU @bishicat and I have. ~inspired~ by the 5 songs, 3 outfits taggame!
EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD
Welcome to your life
There's no turning back
Even while we sleep
[...]
We will find you
It's my own design
It's my own remorse
Help me to decide
Help me make the
Most of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world
[...]
There's a room where the light won't find you
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
When they do, I'll be right behind you
I'm so glad we've almost made it
So sad they had to fade it
Everybody wants to rule the world
[...]
I can't stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the—
Say that you'll never, never, never, never need it
name of the AU, basically it's about change, within oneself, within a friend group, within the world. and about accepting that change - or fighting against it. each member of the trio (or V³ as we like to call em) thinks their way of living is the right one.
V(alerie) is hellbent on not backing down and staying right where she is
V(incent) thinks getting away from the city and the people who hurt him is the best choice
V(ivienne) wants more from life, money, fancy clothes and power
TOWNIE
There's a party and we're all going
And we're all growing up
Somebody's driving and he will be drinking
And no one's going back
'Cause we've tried hungry and we've tried full and
Nothing seems enough
[...]
I'm holding my breath with a baseball bat
Though I don't know what I'm waiting for
I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be
name of the pairing for V³ - the song is about growing up and changing. (AGAIN)
bishi actually picked that one and i was on board right away, it was important to me that we pick a song we both like (the more rock-y feel of that song also helped lmao)
RYAN & DAVE
Ryan and Dave are rabble rousin', teenage cousins
Difference is Dave has an off switch, and Ryan doesn't
20 years later now Dave behaves rank and file
And Ryan's a burnt out adult, last gasp, wild child
guess what this one is about! CHANGE! (are you tired of it yet?) mostly it is about viv picking a different path than v though - one stayed exactly where she has always been while the other chose to change.
ALSO in the music video they are DOGS and we love a dog motif
6:26 in the morning, didn't need alarm
I couldn't sleep a wink, I'm betting my whole farm
Left Dave's place at eight, just drove, didn't really talk
I shook his hand and popped the door to make the walk
Applied for admission at the detox shop
Got to the door it said open, ten o'clock
It's freezing out, no way that I can make it to ten
Look back at my truck at my only real friend
some time ago we talked about viv helping v on her healing journey (girlie cannot catch a break from being a babysitter even after she got johnny a body LMAO) and even though v never ends up at rehab (maybe that will change) it still fits pretty well.
NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN
I'm taking a ride with my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
He knows where he's taking me
Taking me where I want to be
I'm taking a ride with my best friend
[...]
We're flying high
We're watching the world pass us by
Never want to come down
Never want to put my feet back down on the ground
[...]
See the stars, they're shining bright (never let me down)
Everything's alright tonight (never let me down)
V³ had a pretty big fight at one point. viv was always going to leave for arasaka but v never understood or accepted it. they argued for hours and when vincent didn't chose her side, v stormed off to go on a weeklong bender.
when she returned the flat was empty, both her siblings had left -and betrayed her.
naturally, viv also felt betrayed by her childhood friend, all she asked for was support but instead she got called a traitor.
i like to imagine this song plays on the radio one day after their reunion
THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT
When we were young, the future was so bright
The old neighborhood was so alive
And every kid on the whole damn street
Was gonna make it big and not be beat
Now the neighborhood's cracked and torn
The kids are grown up, but their lives are worn
How can one little street swallow so many lives?
TO ME this is THE streetkid song but it hits hard especially in this universe.
as i mentioned before V³ thinks they picked the right path, they aren't gonna be beat (and honestly vincent is the only one who succeeded).
viv had a good run but then she got kicked from the corp, lost her newest best friend, DIED and now has a whole other person stuck in her skull.
v was stubborn, was homeless for a bit and is overall in a bad way (but then again, that's the only way she knows how to live so it's not as bad TO HER)
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
THIS IS A BIG ONE SO BUCKLE IN FOLKS
bishi and i had been talking about a personal quest for v and we ended up on this:
one day they are driving somewhere while listening to the radio when a host teases a special treat! they have exclusive rights to the music of NC born and bred band Rotten! (yeah you guessed it! V's band)
naturally this fills her with pure rage and viv knows this isn't going to end well (babysitting time!) v knows exactly who did this and is hellbent on rectifying this (there is more but yall are gonna have to wait for the day i decide to write it lmao)
As Above, So Below is the name of the job! it is a song that v wrote but only she knows about it.
while viv wasn't a band member she was there for it's founding and a few first concerts, she filmed a lot of it and even ran the merch stand a bit
I won't lie, it's quite temptin'
Your handouts and your bones
I won't lie, they're quite empty
Your promises and your stones
If you sell, they'll buy
Don't feel, just sign
If you sell, they'll buy
Don't think, stay blind
Give me the control
Just sign on the dotted line
Give me the control
He whispered softly
Give me the control
You're crawling inside my mind
Give me the control
Don't you fight me?
As above, so below
What you reap is what you sow
What you give comes back three fold
As above, so below
YES the song is about v not wanting to sign with a label and it is her final fuck you to the world of music. in reality that song is incredibly underproduced since by the time it was recorded the band had already broken up. v did ALL of it: singing, instruments, songwriting. editing magic made it come to life.
depending on how it ends (yes there are multiple outcomes) viv will receive a shard with ALL of rotten's music, including THIS unreleased song and even some backstage footage from way back in the day when viv was still around.
See I've danced with the enemy
We have secrets, no one knows
Yeah, I've danced with my enemy
I wore her skin and her clothes
honourable mention because this part is very viv coded
instead of outfits i present you! some soul crushing quotes! i hope you enjoy! :3c
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