Chapter Text
“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?” that weird salesman had said. Something told Lloyd he’d be hearing it a lot more. Like it wasn’t quite going to be nearly as original and cool as it had initially sounded in his head after the billionth time.
But that wasn’t important.
The important thing was that he was in a strange new town and in a strange new body. Some blonde-haired kid in an incredibly creepy mask messed with him in a forest nearby. Stole his ocarina and spooked his dog, Noishe. Mithos, the little fairies had called him.
Why was he so mean!? Why did he pick on Lloyd who was just minding his own business? Why put this curse on him? All he wanted to do was get his stuff back…
“Hm? Hello?” a light and airy voice said. “Um… little Deku? Did you… need something? Or, um…”
Lloyd’s wooden eyelids snapped open. He looked up at the desk towering over him, at the blonde girl looking down at him with curious blue eyes. He had rung the bell a while ago, but it was too hard to see over the counter.
‘Oh, sorry! I just wanted to ask about a room!’ Lloyd tried to say, but he couldn’t form the words with his weird Deku mouth. It just came out as a bunch of awkward jumbled mumbles.
“Uh… Um…” the innkeeper looked around nervously, as if there was a Deku translator around that could save her from this awkward situation. Unfortunately, even other Dekus couldn’t understand Lloyd.
This body was so strange. He felt so stiff, so small, so… weak. He couldn’t even figure out how to talk. He just wanted a place to stay. Some little kid, Genis, told him about this inn. He was the leader of a bunch of little street orphans in something called the Bomber’s Guild… Lloyd didn’t get it. The kid seemed like a jerk, but he was also helpful? Even when Lloyd couldn’t figure out how to speak.
“I, um, I assume you must want a room, right?” the innkeeper finally blurted out, brushing a strand of hair out of her face after looking back and forth so much. “You are at an inn… that would make sense…”
Lloyd nodded as enthusiastically as he could. ‘Yes! Exactly! A place to stay would make this whole stupid curse thing not feel so bad!’ Once again, it just came out as a bunch of strange hollow wood whistling noises.
The innkeeper smiled, her face brighter than even that awful moon in the sky. She seemed to finally understand at least some of that. Man, she was really cute…
“Okay! Great! We have a room open for you! How many days would you like to stay?”
‘Hm… I think three days is all I have…’ Lloyd mumbled to himself. ‘So… three days, please?’ He held out three wooden fingers, nodding to himself, proud he could actually move these weird things and didn’t count wrong.
“Three days, huh? Just in time for the festival…” she clutched at her dress with one hand, trying to look as happy as before. Seemed the thought of the festival made her nervous. That moon… “Um, that’s fine! Usually we’d be packed before then, but not many people seem to want to come this year… so, that’ll be sixty Rupees please!”
‘Geez. Not a bad price. Let me just get my wallet…’ Lloyd reached for the pocket at his overalls, where his sheaths used to be, before realizing… ‘Oh no… my pockets aren’t here anymore! My wallet isn’t here anymore! Oh, maaaaaan!’
“Um...” The innkeeper tilted her head, eyes shining with worry. “I’m sorry if this is really intrusive of me or if I’m wrong but… do you not have the money?”
Lloyd looked down at the floor, dejected and embarrassed. He didn’t even want to see this girl’s pretty face. She must have thought he was a weird idiot. ‘Agh! I don’t. I’m sorry.’
The innkeeper’s face hardened. Those blue eyes of hers turned stern. Was she going to yell at Lloyd for being stupid? He deserved it. She looked around one more time, and this time, looked happy no one was around.
“You can stay for free. Or you can pay us back later if you get any money. It’s okay.”
Were Lloyd’s wooden ears hearing things wrong? ‘Huh!? Really?! Is that okay?!’
There was no way she could understand the strange noises coming out of his nozzle-mouth, but the innkeeper was doing a great job at guessing. “It’ll be okay. My grandma might get a little upset if she found out, so don’t bring it up oka-”
She looked over Lloyd again, noting the gibberish noises.
“Well, I guess you can’t tell her anyway. So that’s perfect!” She smiled and then frowned nervously. “I-I’m sorry! I guess, maybe that’s not perfect for you… Sorry, what a horrible thing to say…”
Lloyd waved it off. ‘Eh! It’s whatever. At least I’m getting a free room out of it!’ And because he’d been feeling a little lonely, and a little upset with this whole curse deal, he figured he could let himself have this. She wouldn’t understand. ‘Besides, you’re so cute and sweet…’
For whatever reason, the innkeeper’s face turned a shade of red. She didn’t understand him did she?! No way, right?! Oh, man, no way… Was he blushing now too? Can Dekus even blush???
“I-I don’t know what you said,” the innkeeper finally admitted, a hitch in her breath. “But um, it sounded nice, I think!” She shook her head, blonde hair sparkling under the rays of light from the window nearby. “Anyways, can I get your name? I’ll write you down and put in some Rupees from my own savings, so you’ll be a real guest.”
Lloyd looked up at her silently. Frustration clearly etched into his wooden mask of a face. ‘Lloyd! I’m Lloyd!... But it’s still not coming out right…’
“I’m so sorry,” the innkeeper repeated for the thousandth time now. “I couldn’t get that… can you write? I have the registration papers right up here, and an ink quill!”
‘Oh! That’d be perfect! I can write! … I think. Maybe. These fingers are still a little weird to me. But, uh….’ He looked up at the counter. He couldn’t see anything on it, much less reach it.
“Ah! Sorry,” she said again. The innkeeper quickly scurried past the counter and onto Lloyd’s side, practically tripping over herself as she did so. She bent down, bits of her hair tickling Lloyd’s cheeks, before stopping herself. “Um… sorry, I should have asked. Is it okay if I pick you up?”
Lloyd never nodded faster in his life.
She smiled, and once again, Lloyd forgot he was even cursed for a moment, lost in that warm light she radiated. With a tiny grunt, she picked him up by his arms and hefted him up onto the counter. Her touch was so soft, so gentle, even against his rough bark-skin.
“Wow! You’re surprisingly light! I’ve never picked up a Deku before…” She looked over him, now finally at eye level with Lloyd. “In fact, I’ve never seen a Deku with such pretty bright red leaves like you do! Or even the brown ones at your head… you look like you belong in fall, hehe!”
Lloyd wondered once more if Dekus could blush. He hadn’t really gotten a chance to see himself in all the chaos of everything. He worried he’d be an ugly little thing. But, this girl… she seemed to really, honestly, like him! It almost made this curse worth it.
With way more of a struggle than he would have liked, Lloyd attempted to sign his name on the paper. Blotches of ink dripped and fell and stained his bark. ‘Ugh! This is so stupid! Just…. Write! Lloyd! My name is Lloyd!’
“Mmm, are you, um… doing okay?” the innkeeper peered over Lloyd’s shoulder, straining to read what he wrote. “Um… Goid? Goyd? Is that your name?”
‘No! It’s! It’s Lloyd! I just… this stupid body…’ He sighed heavily, his wooden shoulders slumping. ‘Yeah. Okay. Fine. I’m Goid.’
She smiled again, and whatever embarrassment he had felt before melted away. “Goid! What a cute name for a Deku! I’m so glad I’m getting to know you. I’ll try my best not to forget!” She blinked, gears turning in her brain as she realized something. “Oh, I’m sorry! I’ve never told you my name! I’m Colette.”
‘Colette? That’s a pretty name,’ Lloyd mumbled aloud, pleased she couldn’t understand. Sadly, he got the feeling she wouldn’t be remembering his name for long. Something awful was going on in this town…
“Do you need help getting down, Goid?” Colette asked.
‘Not at all!’ Lloyd admitted. ‘But I certainly won’t complain if you want to pick me up again.’
“That sounds like a yes to me!” Colette said with a giggle. Her sweet breath hit his face. His head became heavy, woozy. This girl was too much for him…
His feet finally back on solid ground, Lloyd couldn’t help but feel a bit greedy. Her warm touch left him feeling so cold and hollow like the Deku he was. If only…
“Here, let me help you show you to your room, Goid,” Colette said, taking his hand in hers. “It’s up the stairs and you might need some help.” Warmth filled him again. Lloyd wondered if he was smiling. Stairs were still a tricky business with his stubby little legs…
Things might have been bad. Things might have been the scariest they’d ever been for him! Although, Lloyd got the feeling that things were scary for Colette too. Maybe that’s why she was getting so close to a strange Deku Scrub? Who knows. But meeting her had been one of the only good things to happen in the past day, and he’d be damned if he wouldn’t appreciate that.
What would become of him over the next few days? More importantly...
What would become of her?