A dinner party

[ordinarycitizen]

WHO. All off-worldlers
WHERE. Liselotte's flat in Light
WHEN. Sometime before the plot starts
WHAT. A dinner party, and sharing information
WARNINGS. N/A

Louise sends the invite out in a timely manner to Bramble, Stone and Phillip, though when everyone arrives, they will find that Louise picked up a new face or two on the way while running a last errand (or perhaps someone else has brought a guest along).

The table is set for six, though one chair is a kiddie chair. A few different dishes will be served, as Louise doesn't know if anyone has limitations as to what they can eat, and a few candles have been placed on the table to give a nice ambient light.

Comments

[lamentingly]

Unfortunately for her, Gohan hadn't been raised in a court. As such, he couldn't help but blink at the way she offered her hand, staring down at it with some confusion. It took him a couple of more seconds to realize that he'd read about this, about the proper etiquette when it came to presenting oneself to royalty.

But he'd never really done it. Which was why he looked a little awkward as he dipped down, and kissed her hand. "Um... you too, ma'am."

[forhyrule]

A couple seconds in, Zelda began to realize that she had misinterpreted his gesture. She was just about to adjust to shake his hand when he awkwardly leaned forward to kiss the back of her hand.

She laughed softly, at herself and the foolishness of the whole situation. "I fear I must apologize again. I spend so much time at court lately that formalities have become habit."

[lamentingly]

Gohan waved off her concerns with a smile, even if he was still a little embarrassed. He'd spent so long focusing on survival and training, that he couldn't even remember the last time he did something like that. "You don't have to apologize for that. I'm pretty sure we all come from different backgrounds, so it's fine."

[forhyrule]

"To say the least," Zelda agreed. It was rude to pry, but the different backgrounds intrigued Zelda. In the last few days, she had learned that there were many other worlds completely unconnected from her own, a fact contrary to any knowledge in Hyrule.

"I would quite like to hear about your background," she admitted, surprising herself a little. "As fate has thrown us together away from our homes, perhaps we would do well to know more about each other."

[lamentingly]

That... struck a chord with Gohan. Not a bad chord exactly, but... definitely something that made him take pause, and realize the reality of the situation. He was in another planet, potentially in another dimension. Surrounded by people of different backgrounds, who come from various different places, and have different definitions of what was normal.

How many suffered no hardships? How many still had families? How many lived in peace?

"... It's not a happy one." He finally said, his expression a bit somber. He tried hard to not make it seem like an unapproachable subject, as much as he was just trying to warn her.

[forhyrule]

Zelda could almost hear her father scolding her for that misstep. A woman of more sense would not have risked compromising a first meeting with such personal questions.

She tried hastily to backpedal. "I shan't pry into personal matters, then," she replied. "I do beg your pardon."

[lamentingly]

"... It's fine." He said, looking every bit as tense as he felt. It wasn't exactly fine, but he couldn't exactly blame her for being curious, what with the tattered clothing, and the missing arm. Maybe one day, he'd feel comfortable sharing it.

But right now? He... still needed to come to terms with the fact that he was here, and not dead. "I'm not upset at you. It's just... personal." A pause, as he offered a soft smile. "How about later, maybe?"

[forhyrule]

"Of course," Zelda agreed warmly, returning his smile. She could see how tense Gohan was and she searched quickly for a change of subject.

"Rather than revisit the past, perhaps we should look to our present," she offered. "It is what brings us together, after all, and places us on equal ground regardless of our backgrounds."

[lamentingly]

She wasn't exactly subtle about the topic change, but he appreciated it all the same. His smile widening, as he got a little more comfortable in his chair. "Alright, that's fair," He said. "So then, how are you liking it here so far?"

[forhyrule]

Zelda breathes a silent sigh of relief, grateful that Gohan isn't completely ill at ease with her.

"It is incredible," she says emphatically. "To look up and see not sky, but land, above one's head is somehow frightening and breathtaking all at once. I've seen little beyond the Administrative Zone and the Light faction's lands, but the architecture is stunning. Even the grandeur of Hyrule Castle seems dwarfed by the majesty of the Light's cathedral."

[lamentingly]

Gohan smiled at her enthusiasm, finding it a bit infectious. He was mostly excited to find people actually living, but he wasn't about to share that.

"Yeah, this is the first time I've ever seen a functioning Dyson sphere. My friend's talked to me about it before, mostly as a hypothetical, but I've never really considered it something I'd realistically live to see."

[forhyrule]

It wasn't difficult to infer that 'Dyson sphere' referred to the White Moon itself.

"I must admit, I struggle to comprehend it," Zelda replied. "It seems much more like the work of gods than a feat of engineering." Or perhaps it was harnessing the power of gods that allowed men to complete such a task.

[lamentingly]

Good thing Zelda could pick up on that, because Gohan's already dumbing this down from how Bulma would explain it.

"Honestly, I can't even wrap my mind around it. The amount of resources, and upkeep, and time you'd have to spend making something this massive..." He can't even picture it with his own abilities, much less at normal human levels.

[forhyrule]

"It has functioned this way for many years, as I understand," Zelda pointed out. "I am quite surprised the lands upon the ceiling have not fallen in all this time."

[lamentingly]

"... Wait, what?"

That comment took Gohan by surprise. The man blinking, as he turned to look at the woman directly. He... must've heard wrong.

[forhyrule]

Zelda tilted her head. "The lands above," she said again. "It must take a terrific force to suspend them above the ground."

[lamentingly]

"... Do you... mean gravity?" he said, carefully. He didn't want to come off as condescending, but... he was starting to get a sneaking suspicion that she might not know how celestial bodies worked.

[forhyrule]

"Is gravity not what should be pulling them down?" Zelda retorted. Science was one of the many subjects she studied as a girl, but not one she was ever allowed to pursue beyond the fundamentals. Complex scientific study was not necessary to statecraft, as Zelda was told.

[lamentingly]

"W-Well... we're on a spherical celestial body, so..." Gohan started, before he paused. Narrowing his eyes for a moment, as he started thinking out loud. "Wait, no... that'd only work if we were outside the shell... theoretically, we should all be falling up toward the sun in the middle if this worked like a normal planetoid..."

Then, after a moment. "... Maybe the shell syphons energy from the sun in the middle to artificially generate gravity. That, and the centrifugal force of the shell spinning."

[forhyrule]

Zelda quickly lost track of Gohan's train of thought.

"I fear this is beyond my limited study of science," she admitted apologetically.

[lamentingly]

Well, now he just felt embarrassed.

"S-Sorry, I just realized that the way gravity normally works wouldn't apply here... we um, we usually live on the outside of a planetoid, on its surface. I know how gravity works in that context, but... not to much on the inside of the planetoid..."

[forhyrule]

"A planetoid..." Zelda repeated slowly, searching her memory for the meaning of the word. It's evident that she still isn't following him.