songerein | [open] fear’s only a choice

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[open] fear’s only a choice

Who: Link [OPEN]
Which: Interactive dream (with a passive dream option)
Where: ~it was all a dream~
What: Link sure is having some feelings about home right now
Warnings: some dark themes and big freakin monsters in prompt 2

i. it seems i have lost my way

a. [The sun shines down on you, warm in a gentle sort of way, but the more you move, the more you begin to feel a prickle of sweat beginning to bead. You remember some advice, though you don’t really remember getting it. One hand at a time. Find a place for your foot, and then a place for your hand. Make sure it’s sturdy. Your pace is slow, but manageable, and you know for certain that if you fall, there’s a gentle slope waiting to catch you not far below.

You are climbing a mountain, and you are nearly at the top. Your companion is already there, though you can’t see him anymore over the last few feet of rock. You take a moment to breathe, find another handhold, and— rattle! A few rocks come loose, clattering down the slope. Suddenly, your handhold doesn’t seem nearly as secure as it did before, but just as you start to worry that the rock beneath your fingers is going to fall, a hand reaches down for you. Finally, you see your climbing companion again: Link leans over the edge, extending his hand to help you up.]

Here. I’ve got you.

[Satori Mountain is beautiful, with its pink-blossomed tree and the small pond beneath it…but not nearly as beautiful as the view when you look outward from the mountaintop. Almost all of Hyrule stretches out before the foot of the mountain: towns, stables, ruins, and in the distance, another range of mountains. It’s picturesque and peaceful, marred only by the dark swirling shape that surrounds the castle in the distance.]

b. [On Satori Mountain or in other locations around Hyrule, you might find oddities to explore and investigate. Stumps with the shape of a leaf imprinted on them, a lone rock in a suspicious place, a red pinwheel that looks notoriously out of place, or even a weird bullseye balloon hovering in the air. There seem to be no limits to the tricks of the Koroks, and Link seems particularly determined to find their hiding spots. You’re more than welcome to join him in finding these puzzles, or any others.]

c. [Later in the evening, Link can be found outside of a town, hunkering down by a fire and a cookpot. Nothing’s on the menu just yet; for now, he seems content just to sit and watch the stars begin to light up the night sky. If you approach, he first gives you a momentary analyzing look, and then offers a nod in greeting.]

Care to join me?

[The breeze begins to turn chilly for the night; might not be a bad time to sit by the fire.]

ii. i’m being shadowed by my past

[The sky is dark, a a blackness that feels oppressive and all-encompassing. Clouds slink murkily across the sky overhead and an overlarge moon begins to rise, blood-red, casting red light across the land. Those who were here for Princess Zelda’s blood moon dream may recognize the effect, but the rest of the dream is quite different.

Link stands alone on the red-tinged field of ruins in front of Hyrule Castle, watching a dark, miasmic shape circle its highest turrets.

He’s not the tallest to begin with, but this monstrous form dwarfs him even further. For a moment, he almost seems to feel that, hanging back, clutching the Master Sword as it glows an ethereal blue. He takes a few deep breaths, steadying himself. Then, he steps forward, and the standstill is broken; the creature circling Hyrule Castle lets out a terrifying, earth-shaking roar, charging downward until it looms just overhead. The effect is menacing; Calamity Ganon is large from a distance, but up close like this, it’s utterly enormous, blotting out the blood moon above. Creatures begin to appear out of the darkness in overwhelming numbers. Link backpedals by a few steps, turning and locking eyes with you, unfortunate dream-sharer. His eyes are wide; is it surprise at your presence or apprehension at the foe in front of him? It’s impossible to say.]

You’re not supposed to be here.

[Or, if you’re not in a fighting mood, this dream can also be viewed as a passive recording, ending abruptly as the monsters and Calamity Ganon begin to swarm and outnumber Link.]

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[ Susato is breathing heavily, repeating that advice in her mind like a mantra with every reach. As a result, she is slow-going, but as long as she keep her companion in her sights, she doesn't panic. Even when the rock beneath her fingers starts to loosen as she tries to pull herself up, there's just the smallest of gasps.

Wait, did her foot just slip a little too? Or did she just imagine it...?

She doesn't know when Link had reached the ledge (or top), or when he stopped to help. But she grabs his hand tentatively, trying to will it not to sweat quite so much. ]

...Thank you. [ What else can she say? For now, there's a sigh of relief as she hoists herself onto solid ground. ]

[Link exhales quietly, admittedly slightly relieved. He's not very used to climbing with a companion; it's making him alternate between the quick pace he's used to --as if he's forgotten he's not alone-- and trying very hard not to hover or fuss. It's quite a learning curve.

He nods at the word of thanks, giving her a moment to get her feet back on something level.] Steady now. You did it.

[And what a thing it is, too. Mountain climbs are no small feat, especially with that last bit getting a little uneven. He tilts his head.]

Feeling alright?

[ You did it.

The words make her smile, though she is still catching her breath at the moment, and she's barely stopped to admire the view. She can feel the sunlight overhead, the sweat on her brow. The weather is beautiful, though there is a chill in the mountain air to indicate how far they've climbed.

She sits for a moment longer, looking up at him. ]

I feel wonderful. The exercise and fresh air are exactly what I needed... Though that isn't why we're here, is it?

[ The beast rounds on them, directing its malevolence towards them with all the ferocity of a moving mountain. The beast seems to dwarf the castle itself, casting its shadow upon all those below. Somnus, who appears in his armored form once more, does not move from his spot.

In one of the princess' previous dreams, Somnus had seen the same beast envelop a castle. Back then, it had been her desire to engage the calamity, face it with her power, while asking for assistance. It had been a dream, after all, one depicting a fate already forfeit in her world. But--

"You should not be here." ]

Very well. [ The words cut clearly through the developing catastrophe, unperturbed by the beast's roars. As far as he knows, this knight has yet to confront this evil on his own. Let this be a trial, then. ]

Your strength, against the might of this behemoth.... [ Somnus raises a steel-covered hand. The decorated knuckles of his gauntlet glint red with the light of the blood moon as he gestures toward the beast. ]

Let us witness it.

[No matter how many times he does this, it's always a bit unnerving at first. Opening your eyes somewhere entirely new, entirely foreign, feeling the difference between the waking world (and maybe even the actual waking world) and here.

He's definitely in a dream. But again, it's not his.

The owner becomes clear as Sorey stumbles into the lit clearing, a campfire crackling beneath a suspended stone pot. Thick logs are arranged catty-corner to each other beside it, and upon one of them is seated a small figure. Link.

Sorey shifts uncomfortably as Link looks up at him. Does he know it's a dream? Does he recognize Sorey in this dream? It's a toss up whether or not he will, but regardless this feels...invasive. Like Sorey has walked into Link's home without knocking first.]

...sure, [he says quietly, and takes a seat on the other log. Maybe he can sit here quietly by the fire with Link and not pry into his thoughts or his past any more than is necessary.]

[ Zelda is standing in the middle of a perfect circle made out of stones---almost perfect, that is. There is an gap where one last stone should sit to complete the circle, but said stone is nowhere to be found. ]

This cannot possibly be naturally occurring.

[ The princess turns slowly in a circle, scrutinizing the formation. What is the deal with this? ]

[For a moment, the expression on Link's face is unreadable as he scans Sorey's features, but it's not long before recognition sparks in his eyes, and a small but perfectly friendly smile follows. It's hard to say --even for him-- whether he knows how he met Sorey, whether he knows this is a dream...but for now, he seems to be operating using standard dream logic. Nothing is too strange or too out-of-place.

He pushes a stick into the coals of the fire, adds a few small pieces of kindling to get it going again, then pauses and looks at his newfound companion.]

Everything alright?

[He's looking a little worried. Or uncertain. Or something. Link is not exactly a pro at this emotions thing.]

[If he's being honest, perhaps Link needed the fresh air, too. He has very much missed home, in this way. Not necessarily the battles, or the quest for survival --though there's nothing wrong with those, at least for him-- but...this. Traveling. Exploring. An adventure just for the sake of it.

Perhaps that's all anyone can ask for.

Ah, but Susato is right -- among the many reasons to visit this particular place, exercise is a little far down on the list.]

Not exactly. We're here to take a picture.

[Well that explains exactly nothing.]

[It's a familiar dream, unwelcome though it is; not frequent enough to be recurring but all the same, familiar enough that he knows how it goes. And seeing an armored figure --so familiar, at that-- shakes him out of the familiarity. This...this is an unexpected twist. It's not how the dream usually goes. He's supposed to face this alone, he's supposed to--

Let us witness it.

For a moment, Link does not move. He knows this is how it's meant to be. He knows this is how it must be. And yet...there is a part of him that does not want to face this alone. That is, perhaps, afraid of what the outcome of this fight could be. But that part of him is not big enough or vocal enough for him to protest. So he tries to swallow his fear and his trepidation, clutching the Master Sword and plunging forward into the dream, same as he always does.

Calamity Ganon menaces the skies and then turns its attention to him, the lone Hylian daring to face him. It descends from the castle, almost the size of the castle itself, unleashing a mighty, glass-shattering roar across the ruins of Castle Town. Dark, toxic pools of malice begin to collect and coagulate, spreading slowly outward from the castle, and as always in this dream, Link doesn't see it. Doesn't see anything but the massive, tusked scourge.

After nearly a century of waiting, finally he is here, facing off against the menace one on one. Alone, he takes a decisive leap, plunging his sword into the darkness. The rest of him quickly follows.]

[A faint smile tugs at his face as he watches the princess puzzle out the circle of rocks surrounding her. If he allows himself a moment of honesty...he's wanted to show her things like this for a long time. Especially this. There's something so innocent, so simple and peaceful, about these puzzles, something he's come to rely on to sort through his own thoughts...

Ah. Hm. He does have quite a few of those to sort through, recently, doesn't he?

But that's for another time. He doesn't respond with much, just an audible hmm. Hands on his hips, he turns his attention from Princess Zelda to the rolling fields around them, scanning the nearby hillside for...ah, there, just near an apple tree. Another rock that looks suspiciously similar to the ones in the circle. He doesn't point it out just yet, though. Part of the fun of it figuring it out yourself, after all.]

Oh?

[ She did not think much of it when she was invited on the journey. It just seemed like Link needed help with something, and she was available to assist; but then the dream seems to subtly fill in the blanks—or at least try to. ]

Yes, of course, a picture.

Of...? [ She closes her eyes, like she should know this one. Did she forget? ]

[ Nightmare or dream... Xiao would think that this leans more towards the first rather than the second. This is not something pleasant to recall. It would appear that there are many brought to this place that do not necessarily have the most relaxing of pasts. Things may, indeed, hang over head.

It doesn't matter to Xiao if this is some sort of nightmare and if the creatures or the being in the sky can't really do much in the way of bringing about permanent harm -

Well maybe he just doesn't want to see someone suffer for longer than what is needed by their past. So Xiao plunges down from the sky. ]

I'm okay, [Sorey replies cautiously. He takes a moment, hands pressed together between his knees, to look around. It's nice; quiet, removed, the fire neither too warm nor too small. Beyond the crackle of the flames devouring tinder, Sorey can hear the calls of nocturnal birds and beasts off in the wilderness. The stars sparkle brilliantly overhead, patterns he'd never seen and likely never will again.

He looks back to Link. The shadows from the fire make his face look older. Seventy years, Zelda had said.] I don't want to intrude on a private moment, [confesses Sorey, though he's not sure if Link will understand what he means in this moment.]

[ Zelda hasn't looked up at Link. She's completely focused on these rocks.

Perhaps they all need to be turned so that they're facing a certain way. Zelda moves to grab a rock, then pauses, both her hands outstretched towards it. Wait, what way is the front of the rock? She can't change the direction they face if they don't have a face to begin with.

She returns to the center of the circle. Counts the stones. Tries to divide that number by two, then three. Darn it, it's prime!

Zelda huffs. ] Perhaps the extra space needs to be divided amongst the stones so that they are all equidistant.

[ She's definitely overthinking this. ]

[Norimune's looking at the stacks of perfectly cube shaped stones. Some of them are piled atop of each other. Each one showing a part of a pattern on one side, but seemingly incompletely... as if they're a puzzle waiting to be solved.

He tilt his head, tapping his folded fan at his chin. The solution seems obvious, but there's the matter of "moving the stones".]

Hm... whatever shall this old man do?

[Now that she asks, Link wonders -- did he ever tell her what they were looking for? To be honest, it wouldn't surprise him if it had slipped his mind; he's not really used to having company on quests like this. But...this is good. He should get used to it. Someday, perhaps someday soon, he won't be traveling on his own anymore.

He pulls out the Sheikah slate, making sure it's ready for this picture quest.]

A Blupee. It looks like a small blue rabbit.

[Call it a favor for a friend. For the moment, the mountain is still and serene, but Link doesn't spot any small, glowing creatures just yet.]

They startle easily.

[Bennett feels his foot give out underneath him, his hand start to slip from the rocky face he was climbing. It was a pretty gentle slope, and yet... Bennett couldn't help but feel one wrong step could spell disaster, at least for someone like him.

But then he hears Link speak out to him and offer him a hand up, and it helps to steady his thoughts and keep him focused on the climb instead of the fall.]

Ah... Thanks!

[he reaches up and grabs ahold of the hand offering to pull him up.]

Phew... I would've been a goner there without you. Even if nothing bad happened, I'd still have to start all over again!

[His breath comes in quiet gasps as he stares up at Calamity Ganon. Perhaps in this case it would be most accurate to say that he is facing down his future, finally coming to blows with a foe that has colored every moment of most of his life. The scourge's prophesized return has haunted his life --and the life of every Hyrulean-- for as long as he can remember. And now...

... It's so much bigger than he was expecting. Louder. And if he's being honest, scarier.

Link, the Royal Knight and Chosen Hero, wielder of the Master Sword, has never been so scared in all his life. Perhaps this was why he closed himself off, because it was so much easier not to feel that way when he didn't allow himself to feel anything. Now? He's almost too afraid to move. That's when he hears Xiao descend from the sky, and his eyes widen almost imperceptibly.]

Who...are you?

[For the moment, Link seems to think nothing of being paired with a stranger for this challenge. He's puzzling it out in a similar manner, looking at the blocks, glancing around the area for other clues. It's hard to tell from his expression whether he understands what to do, but instead of making any move, he glances at Norimune.]

What's the problem?

[A private moment...? Link watches Sorey for a minute, searching his own memories and recollections. It seems to click all at once -- it's a dream, and it seems it's being shared. Those words make more sense, now, and Link gives him a bit of a sympathetic look, shaking his head.]

Sharing dreams...it feels strange, doesn't it?

[Awkward, too. It's not his first, though, and even if it were, this isn't exactly the worst dream that one could share. A broadcast of private thoughts, or a nightmare...that would probably be harder to deal with.]

[If he didn't know her so well, Link wouldn't be able to pinpoint that moment -- the moment when it turns from thinking to overthinking. As it is, he can see it as she counts the stones, as she works out the math...ah, yes, there it is. The overthinking. He can't say he doesn't sympathize, though: it took him plenty of time to work this puzzle out the first time he came across it.

Alright, alright. Clearly, they're going to need to work together. He softly clears his throat and tips the stray rock on its side, rolling it closer. It would be just as easy to pick it up, but he's wondering if she'll be able to work it out as he rolls it.]

A Blupee...

[ Susato repeats thoughtfully, and for some reason, she finds her gaze drifting skyward. Rabbits don't fly, however, so she finds herself looking at Link again, and the Sheikah slate. She's seen that before, a long, long time ago.

When she first met Zelda. ]

Can they be lured with treats? [ Something on the mountain that they eat, perhaps? ]

[He looks over at the young looking man. Norimune gives a smile, as he casually speaks.]

Oh, I was wondering if I can solve these. But I worry about hurting my back.

[Norimune haven't test his limits, yet, in the world of dreams. But he should be strong enough to lift the rocks... Whether he wants to is another thing.]

[ His noise is enough to break Zelda's concentration and pull her out of the rabbit hole she's going down trying to figure out this puzzle.

The moment she notices the rock beside him, it all clicks. Of course, the gap in the circle is because there is a rock missing. Why didn't she think of that sooner?

A small laugh escapes her lips. ] I should have known that the spirits of the forest wouldn't devise a game that requires mathematics.

[ She steps out of the circle and heads over to Link, a hint of an embarrassed blush visible on her cheeks. ]

[ Fortunately or unfortunately for the young man who is presently dreaming, Xiao isn't likely to answer. Not while his focus is to drive away the creatures that are too aggressive to be left alone. The eyes of his mask glow and the Anemo energy about him swirls in black and teal hues. ]

Dream or not, these beasts need to be driven out.

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[open] fear’s only a choice

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