I didn't see you coming /Maude

What was Maude doing in the zora's domain? That was a good question and the totally not contrived reason her dear author came up with was that she was swimming of course. What else do you do at a lake really? What was that? Why didn't she swim at the spring close to her home and instead go several miles to the lake? ......b-because she liked the atmosphere more? shut up.

It actually was a pre-established trait that Maude enjoyed swimming. Dear Josh had first tried to teach her with... unsuccessful results, but she'd stuck with it for one reason or another. It hadn't been a graceful process and it took quite a while to even get used to being an the water. She wasn't some talking fish. Being wet felt weird to her. Josh wasn't the last to try and help her. At one point in time this little farmer had a.... well I don't want to say close or even good, but a kind a of relationship with the new tyrannical ruler of the fish empire. Nex teaching Maude to swim had not been a comfortable experience for either of them. Maude didn't know all that much about zoras and had always been a pathetic victim of a phobia of the unknown. Nex scared the crap out of her is the point, but now a days Nex scared the crap out of most people so that was ok.

Either way she found a nicer spot in the water to do some laps. Maybe she'd found it during her travels or something. True, it was a bit close to the locals, but she had been relatively unbothered until now. It seemed Maude noticed the zora before they noticed her. She crept up to the shore and watched. The hylian had a small natural curiosity. It had faded a lot since she was young, but always seemed to show back up when there were zoras about. Maybe she was more interested in the species than she lead on. Someone ought to teach her more about the culture than cynical Nex did.

Wasn't this a role reversal? A hylian hanging out in the water, watching a zora on land practicing with a hylian weapon. For now, she just observed. She'd never seen a zora with a bow and arrow. She figured they had special fish weapons or something. Maybe something that worked in water, right? That would make sense, but maybe they were more like hylians than she thought. If she wasn't noticed sooner or later, she might get enough confidence to draw nearer.

@anastasia

Maude found this amusing, though her face didn't change from casual interest. Why ever this zora was afraid of her was kind of beyond her. She hadn't even puffed her chest yet. She hadn't even said anything! Maybe she shouldn't scare the stranger with a weapon actually, but this zora looked harmless enough.

Maude went ahead and popped herself out of the water, sitting on the edge of the shore. "Uh, hi? Didn't mean to interrupt.... I was just.... in the area....." She pointed awkwardly at the water. Why did she approach this person, honestly? Maude didn't like people! What was it about zora that caught her curiosity?

"I saw you and I...." That train of thought was going anywhere. Make casual conversation, Maude, damn it! "What uh... what are you up to?"

Nailed it

She supposed it was getting a bit late, but Maude wasn't so careless to come out here without a way to get back, "Oh, don't worry about me. Trust me, my boyfriend wouldn't allow to be in danger even if I tried. I'm just out for a swim" she kicked her legs awkwardly in the water for emphasis, "I can make my way home." Maude hoped that didn't scare the poor thing again. The zora seemed awfully jumpy. They were the one with the weapon after all

With a bit of the new-person jitters out she tried to make more meaningful conversations, "I uh, saw the bow of yours, thought it was kind of funny..." Maybe not... maybe not that funny. "Aren't bow more of a hylian weapon? Don't zora have special weapons and things for themselves?" This wasn't coming across as rude right? She didn't mean it too. She was just genuinely curious...

Maude laughed awkwardly, "I can take care of myself pretty well, but uh thanks?" Maude would continue to stay put. She thought it was ridiculous how frightened this poor fish was, but she didn't have any intention of scaring her more. Look at him just inch closer. Maude didn't like or trust people either, but my goodness, show some bravery!

"Oh is it? Did you make it yourself or?" This was one stiff conversation. Maude felt bad we she scaring the zora and killing any sense of friendliness without even trying. The fish seemed interested in her weapon though. Maude guessed she'd just keep pressing until something good came out of all this? She didn't know what she was doing....

Oh Goddesses help her! She forgot the most important and fundamental part of introducing yourself! No wonder she never got past the introduction with most people, "O-OH! Right, uh My name is Maude Lif." She stook, perhaps a little too suddenly and offered a hand to shake. That was how this usually went, so she didn't see anything wrong with the gesture. Maybe zora culture had different ways of saying hello? "How are you doing?" Didn't she already ask that? Oops... This was uh.... this wasn't the smoothest meeting was it?

"Oh once. My hus-" seems something suddenly got caught in her throat, "My boyfriend uses one to hunt for us. He's better than I could ever be, but I don't think he's very skilled at it quite yet, more of a sword wielder that man. He made some point about how I should be able to hunt if something were to happen to him" Why did Josh always bring up some morbid topics.... You know upon further consideration the answer seemed obvious, "I don't recall being much good. I wouldn't call myself very.... good"