As is often the case, she dreams. Or maybe, it's more like she remembers? It always comes in fragments, bits and pieces that she can only hazard a guess as to their meaning.

"...ra…"

The visions are always in the first person, glimpses through a broken looking glass as she floats in darkness. In one shard, she sees a flooded world of islands and piracy, working so long to do… something, she can't remember what. Wish for something?

"...ey…Dor…"

In another shard, a feeling of unyielding, bitter anger, and a toxic satisfaction as she watches the barrier between light and shadow grow thin. A swelling anticipation, almost excited for what is to come.

"...ey, slee…ead…"

Although these foreign feelings and memories of impossible things unnerves her whenever she's lucid enough to realize what's going on, she dares not ignore them. Ignoring the looking glass means staring into the darkness around those shards, and when she stares into the abyss for too long…

Her Demise stares back.

"Dora!"

Dora jolts awake with a gasp, heart pounding as she looks around her room. Everything's still the same as last night, all her knickknacks in place and weapons in their holding stands, her window curtain open to let in the cool morning air. The only exception is Soma, leaning into her personal space with a concerned look on her face.

"You okay, Dora? You're kinda sweaty. You better not be sick today!"

"No, I'm not sick," Dora groans, "just had another nightmare."

"Again? You really should think about going to one of the Asclepan about that."

"And what would they have for bad dreams, exactly? A club to the head, giba?"

Soma just pouts at her, getting a huff of amusement out of Dora. Getting out of bed, she stretches a bit to limber up while they talk, since she might as well get her day started while they speak.

"Bad dreams aside, was there any particular reason you barged into my room today?"

"Cause I didn't want you to sleep through the ceremony, duh!" Soma puts up a finger before Dora can do more than open her mouth for an excuse.

"And don't say you wouldn't have! I know your sleeping habits! Now I'm gonna get changed, you wash up and wear something nice. And no, your training clothes don't count!"

All Dora can do is grumble at Soma's smug look, messing up her friends hair on her way out of Dora's room in revenge. The squeak she lets out is a satisfactory exchange, she'd say. She really does feel grimy after the rough night though, so she steps into the bathroom as ordered. Dora takes her time with some cool water, some soaps and a washcloth, since she really should be presentable for today, but she still tries to be quick and efficient about it.

Once she's done, she gives her face one last scrub, looking over her reflection in the water basin for any missed spots… and maybe to double check that she's still, well, herself. A Gerudo, with a bit of a darker tan than average, tall and fit even compared to other Gerudo her age. She kind of has to be as a Mirdra member, after all! She lets out a quiet sigh of relief, though she'd never admit it, and reluctantly moves to her drawers to try and scrounge up something good enough for Soma's fashion sense.

Considering it is their day of maturity, she could probably get away with some swishy, baggier clothing to show her confidence. After some deliberation, she goes with a happi coat with nothing under it-aside from a chest wrapping, of course-left wide open in the front, secured around the stomach with a wide obi. Add in some loose salwar pants and a pair of geta, plus her normal accessories like a hair band for her ponytail and her usual gear, and Dora is pretty sure Soma will have nothing to complain about.

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Gerudo Fortress is buzzing with energy as the festival picks up, many more people out and about than there normally would be in the middle of the day. The day of maturity is a big event though, a yearly festival to celebrate a new batch of Gerudo vehvi taking on their challenge to prove they are vai. It's not quite like the Hylian birthday tradition, though those can be fun too, but this is much more culturally significant. That, and it's always nice to have a celebration every once in a while, considering how harsh the desert can be.

"No." "Oh come on! Not even one piece of jewelry?"

"Absolutely not. And don't go buying a piece behind my back, vassai duree'vana qu'sova orqure, nayutesa!"

Dora glares her friend into submission, the smaller girl pouting as the two weave through the crowded streets of the Fortress.

"Well, if we aren't getting jewelry, what do you want to do?"

"Ssah… maybe go to the sparring rings? Those are bound to be full, might be an interesting fight happening."

"You always want to go there, though!"

Soma laughs loud and proud, obviously drinking in the excited energy of the crowd around them. Not without reason either, there are merchants hawking their wares in just about every street for once, little vehvi running around and laughing without a care with sparklers and ribbon wands, even the fena'va seem more carefree than usual. And Soma had obviously gone above and beyond to dress for the occasion.

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As one of the Yido clan, she's paler than anyone from the other subordinate clans, and her dark hair is pulled up in a fancy bun, two ornate-looking hairsticks keeping it up. Pale gray tights and shirt are mostly hidden by a fancy-looking embroidered furisode, plus some jewelry just like she'd been trying to get Dora to put on, all shiny and stuff. Don't get her wrong, they look good on Soma, but it just seems superfluous to Dora. Her eccentric friend even removed her favorite mask from its normal place tilted on the side of her head, though it and several other masks could be seen clinking away at her waist as she walks.

"If we aren't buying accessories" Soma continues, "and we aren't going to the sparring rings again, how about we get each other a gift?"

"What, like a birthday gift?"

"Yeah, why not? It is basically a big birthday party for a bunch of people!"

Dora scoffs, but it does sound like a good idea. She'd wanted to get something for Soma's birthday two months ago, but she hadn't had the funds and had to go with something else. Now would be the perfect time to get it!

"Alright, fine, we've got…" The Gerudo looks around and spots a public sundial, worn by ages but still usable.

"Two hours before we have to be at the east gate, so how about we split up to find something and meet up there once it's time?"

"Savaas, dinu! I'm gonna knock your socks off with mine!"

"I'm not wearing socks."

Soma's smug aura is too thick for Dora's dry wit to penetrate, so she settles for hip-bumping her friend, which quickly devolves into a game of shove-it until they reach one of the the main squares of the Fortress. They split off from there, quickly losing each other in the crowds, but Dora doesn't worry. Despite Soma's bubbly personality, she can take care of herself easily.

Apparently Gerudo Fortress used to be a lot smaller before the Upheaval, but that was a long time ago. Nowadays there's a whole ring of more commercial buildings around the old inner wall, still sandstone construction but bigger, roomier than the core of the Fortress that's had to build tall over the years where the outer circle could build wide. And around the cardinal gates of the outer walls are the main squares, where any market stalls and more permanent businesses set up shop. Whether it's the Gerudo-side storefronts of trade caravans bring curios and luxuries in from Kara Kara Bazaar, or local businesses like the blacksmith sector around the southern square, it's pretty much always loud and busy.

Of course, there are always the exceptions, such as the alleyway that Dora finds herself walking down. Neighbors gossip as they put laundry out on communal hanglines, some of the vaba watch over the younger vehvi that can't run around without supervision, and Dora slips through them all and into a quiet store settled into a dusty corner. A ceramic wind chime clatters and clinks as she enters, and a muffled voice calls out from a back room of some kind.

"Vasaaq! I'll be out in a moment!"

Dora takes the time to look around, preferring to make the stop quick so she can go to the ring-er, take in the ambiance of the festival. Despite clay for pottery being so rare in the Gerudo Desert, the shopkeeper obviously does good enough work to keep afloat, vases with intricate artwork baked into its sides and surprisingly identical sets of plates being the main products Dora can find in the shelves. Eventually though, she finds herself near the back of the store where this place first caught her eye 2 months ago, over a table covered in intricate masks.

There's a couple classic ones, masks of the three dragons, ones that have more intricate paintings on them, but the one that catches her eye is the one of a Molduga. It's surprisingly realistic, like the maker somehow captured the essence of one of the great sand wurms right out of the dunes in one go. And even though the pricetag makes her wince, she can at least actually afford it this time. Plus, it's… sentimental.

"Find something you like?"

The voice behind Dora breaks her from her thoughts, and she turns to the shopkeeper, an older vai, maybe in her 50s.

"Yes, I wanted to buy this mask in particular. Did anyone reserve it or can I buy it now?"

"Nope, so long as you've got the rupees I can ring you up now!"

The easy smile the older vai falls into drags a smile of her own out of Dora, and it's a simple transaction from there. A quick thank you and goodbye and she's set to go, which means it doesn't take her long to coincidentally wander over to the rings. Vai are out in full force, both the younglings of all ages wanting to show off and older Gerudo, like off-duty warriors here for the festival and looking for a workout. No one who will be participating in the ceremony though, as much as Dora would love to have a fight to burn off some of her nervous energy. You can never tell what exactly the challenge you get will be, so anyone participating are 'strongly encouraged' to save their energy. That goes doubly so for Dora, with what she has planned.

Eventually though, the bell towers ring, and it's time for her and all the other hopefuls to gather up at the gate. Along the way, at some point in time that Dora can't figure out, Soma sneaks up beside her and elbows her in the ribs.

"So? What'd you get me huh?"

"Nope, you go first. Otherwise I might just keep your present for myself."

"What?! No you wouldn't!"

Dora looks down on her imperiously from the corner of her eye, and Soma returns it with a completely flat look.

"What am I talking about, you would absolutely do that." Soma mutters something that sounds like 'mightful witch', sighing overdramatically. "All right, fine, your royal highness, here is my lovingly prepared and excellently crafted gift, please forgive my impertinence!"

Dora chuckles at the dramatic genuflection, but takes the gift in good humor, pulling it from its wrapping as they near the east gate. She actually pauses at the gift, before jolting back into walking so she doesn't get shoved by the people behind her. It's a ceremonial harvesting dagger, with a viss'uva leather grip dyed with the Mirdra clan symbol along the strips, little diagonal lines inside curved ones that give the appearance of a fanged grin all along the hilt.

"Did you get this custom made? There's no way you just found this in the market."

Soma just snickers 'mysteriously' and refuses to answer, because she's just like that. Dora wouldn't have it any other way though.

"Ahem! Ssah, sarqso fari. Anyways, I feel a little bad since I didn't get anything custom, but I still think you'll like it."

Dora shoves her own gift into Soma's hands, unwilling to handle her smug look at getting a reaction out of her. She does look over when her friend gasps, just a little thing, but that's still a lot coming from a Yido. Soma looks almost entranced by the mask, one hand tracing the scoop-bone at the bottom, and she's quieter than normal when she speaks up.

"It's… I mean, it's perfect! But, are you sure you don't, you know, regret-"

"No." When Soma looks up, Dora looks her straight in the eye, resolute. "I've never once regretted it."

There's a moment of tension, understanding, and then the moments gone as Dora grins arrogantly.

"Besides, who else could say they survived a run-in with a Molduga as a vehvi and survived? Did me a favor really."

She draws her thumb across the bridge of her nose, and the sheer audacity gets Soma cackling, the mood between them lightening. Finally, they reach the gathering point for all the Gerudo-hopefuls. They take a moment to smooth out their clothes, Soma moving off to socialize with the others in the crowd. Dora, on the other hand, takes a couple deep breaths, focusing on what lies ahead of her.

The Seven Heroines ceremony, only done on the day of maturity, where everyone who turns 18 that year gathers to pray before one of the seven heroine statues to receive a suitable challenge from their chosen heroine. The rest of the day is a festival while the hopefuls try to complete their challenges as fast as possible, since you're only considered an adult once you've completed your challenge. Of course, it's not bad if you need to take weeks or even a few months to complete your challenge, but it's seen as auspicious when you can complete it in a day, or even the uncommon chance of having already done something challenge-worthy and getting an automatic pass.

Of course, what not many other than the older generations know is that there's another way to go about the ceremony, one that's gone out of style thanks to its difficulty. The last Gerudo to actually do it was otte'va Urbossa, but Dora has never been one to back down from a challenge, and if she manages it… her concentration breaks when she realizes that a gap in the crowd has opened up around her, and she looks around in confusion for a minute until her friend pops back up from behind her.

"You're doin the thing again!"

"Ssah?"

"You know, the thing!" Soma starts acting out her explanation, as uncannily accurate as always. "That thing when you get really excited about like, a fight or something, and you get that evil grin on your face."

"It's not an evil grin, that's just my face!"

Alas, Soma has long gotten used to Dora's sour looks, so she keeps on mocking the Gerudo about it. Eventually Dora has enough and uses Soma as an arm stand, getting a squawk out of her as Dora interrupts.

"Alright, enough! How about a bet to pass the time? I bet that I can do something you won't expect during the ceremony."

"What, like pray to the Heroine of Gentleness?" That gets a snort out of Dora, but she shakes her head.

"Nah, nothing that easy. And no hints from me either! So, what do you want to bet on it?"

"Hmm…"

In a move that is too sneaky for Dora to notice, Soma ends up on the Gerudo's other side, making a show of mulling it over.

"How about… loser takes whatever chores the winner doesn't like for a week?"

"Deal!" Dora grins, but only for a moment before Soma pokes her cheek, talking about her doing it again. The two of them ramble and bicker for a while longer, until finally, a hissing rattle sounds out that quiets down the crowd.

The ceremony of the Seven Heroines begins.