Title: The Hyrule Polarization
Author:
nightfire_kvalaRating: PG
Summary: Written for
this glee fluff prompt. Sam and Kurt have a fundamental difference of opinion.
Kurt entered the choir room a few minutes early, breathing a small sigh of relief that he had remained un-slushied for the entire school day. He was surprised to see Sam already sitting in one of the chairs; he would not have pegged the tow-headed young man as a person who’d be early for anything. Shrugging, he went to sit next to their newest member. Even if Finn had told him off for wanting to duet with the boy, he couldn’t be faulted for wanting to get to know their newest member.
As he drew closer, Kurt frowned. Sam had not looked up from his hands since Kurt walked through the doors, and he was normally (from what he’d seen anyways) a courteous enough individual. It finally dawned on Kurt why he was being ignored as he caught sight of what was held between Sam’s hands. A Nintendo DS. Kurt cleared his throat, alerting Sam to his presence, and he looked up and smiled at Kurt before snapping the DS shut, pausing whatever he’d been playing.
“What were you playing?” Kurt asked, trying to start a conversation. After all, he had dumped Sam without much of an explanation earlier. He might as well try and make up for it now.
Sam shrugged, colouring a little. “I was replaying Phantom Hourglass. I mean, it’s not as good as Wind Waker was, given the change in platform, but it’s fun nonetheless.”
Kurt quickly glanced at the closed door and the clock above it; chances were not even Rachel would be entering for another five minutes - she was normally the first person here, but Kurt had seen the tell-tale signs of a slushying near her locker. He was about to admit his closest guarded secret to Sam. He drew his chair closer. “You’re a fan of Zelda then?”
The taller boy relaxed and smiled earnestly. Clearly, now that Kurt had admitted to knowing what he was talking about he had no problem chatting about it. He nodded, “I admit, I wasn’t really into the earlier games, but my parents bought Wind Waker for my tenth birthday and I was hooked!” He looked at Kurt, a little frown on his face. “You like the games?” The subtle emphasis on ‘you’ was not missed by Kurt, who rolled his eyes.
“Just because I love show choir and fashion doesn’t preclude the possibility that I enjoy video games Sam.”
The other boy shrugged. “Sorry. Just didn’t seem like your kind of thing.” He paused, glancing at the other boy. “There are more than four sides to you right?”
Kurt huffed. “Who told you that? God. I’m never living that one down.”
Sam chuckled, idly tapping the DS with one hand. “No worries man. Like I was saying, the Wind Waker was the first game I got with my GameCube, so not only are there sentimental feelings, but it was literally the best game I had ever played. I had to get the newer ones once they came out as well.”
“You haven’t played the older versions?” Kurt frowned slightly. He reassured himself that it was more likely that Sam had received a copy of the Wind Waker, without the deluxe version Kurt had bought that included the Ocarina of Time.
Sam shrugged, dismissively. “You mean like Seasons and Ages? Or the Ocarina of Time? Yeah, I played them, but they weren’t as good as Wind Waker.”
Kurt froze. Surely he hadn’t heard what he thought he had. “I’m sorry. Did you just say that the Wind Waker was better than Ocarina of Time?”
Sam snorted. Kurt took back anything nice he had ever thought about him. “Like that’s even a contest? Dude, that game came out when we were like five. Wind Waker is totally where the best one in the series.”
“Really? You’re a fan of cel-shaded cartoons and boring expanses of ocean?” Kurt crossed his arms.
“And, what, your favourite is…”
“Ocarina of Time. Which is, without a doubt, the pinnacle of the Zelda franchise.”
Sam shook his head. “It might have been cool when it came out, but you’ve only got to compare the level of detail in the plot and graphics. It was really just a nice spring-board for the clearly superior Wind Waker.”
Oh that was it, Kurt thought, and stood up. “The Ocarina of Time revolutionized gameplay as we know it. The plot of the Wind Waker is a clear derivation of the Ocarina’s. And of course the graphics are going to be ‘better’” the finger quotes Kurt used made Sam narrow his eyes, “the technology to create them has improved! However, if you think that the cartoon version of Link is in any way superior to the realistic design of Ocarina you have got to be kidding.”
Sam scoffed and rose, towering over Kurt. “When are you going learn, just because it was first doesn’t mean it was best?!”
They barely glanced at the door as their fellow students started trickling in. “And when are you going to figure out that simply because it’s newer doesn’t make it better!”
Finn tried to intervene. “Dudes, what’s your -”
The stereo, “Shut up Finn.” probably wasn’t necessary, but as they devolved into fast paced bickering, no one else bothered them.
He was distantly aware of Mercedes’ incredulous expression, but Kurt could not stop now. He couldn’t believe that Sam could even think that the Wind Waker was even a fraction of the magnificence of the Ocarina of Time.
The scathing look Kurt sent Sam as he proclaimed the Wind Waker’s extensive gameplay and intricate plot was enough that Mr. Schuester, who had just entered the classroom, to try and calm them down.
“Hey now guys. What’s the matter?” He looked ridiculous, smiling congenially as another sweater vest blinded Kurt, but he was still on thin ice with him for that Britney Spears escapade, so he subsided.
“Nothing, Schue.” He mumbled.
Sam, it seemed, couldn’t leave well enough alone. “Yeah, that’s right. I win because you have no argument.”
Kurt clenched his fists. “Just because you couldn’t possibly understand the complexity of it does not mean -”
“Hey, calm it down guys!” Mr. Schue glanced at the both of them, then appealed to their audience. “What are they fighting about?”
Mercedes, still looking at Kurt like he was an alien, answered, “Some video game I think.”
Both Sam and Kurt turned to look at her, flabbergasted. They looked at each other, uniting against a common enemy.
“Not just any video game Mr. Schue.” Sam told him earnestly. “The Legend of Zelda series revolutionized game play as we know it today. The creators have consistently put out top quality games and started a phenomenon of RPG games.” Sam looked over at Kurt, relaxing out of the stiff posture he had chosen.
“And they’re accessible at most levels of maturity. I got my first game when I was like ten, but it’s still enjoyable now.” Kurt looked over at Sam, and dropped his arms. Clearly they were the only sane ones in the room. They should be united in their love of the games, not divided.
Mr. Schue looked confused as the two boys smiled at each, sitting down and chatting amiably about the other games they had loved. He would never understand teenagers.