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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[It's funny, isn't it, how time passes in a dream? Already the sun is past its highest point, sinking into afternoon light while Bennett gets the firewood stacked. Meanwhile, Link has produced a few ingredients from his bag: vegetables, rice, a whole turkey leg, somehow.]

I did. It'll take a little time to cook.

[But time is something they've got. He starts prepping the vegetables, waiting for the fire to produce some steady coals to use for cooking.]

[Bennett gives the wood pile a light, producing a flame from his thumb akin to a lighter, which briefly ignites the campfire into a glorious blaze that soon dies down into a smaller, more steady fire, perfect for cooking on.]

Fire's ready for you!

[Bennett gives Link a thumbs up. Specifically, the one still on fire. Even if Bennett's not unlucky in this dream, some things never change...]

--Ahh! [He shakes out his hand, extinguishing the fire. Then he gives Link another, flameless thumbs up.]

[Link watches curiously as Bennett lights the fire; he's not familiar with this sort of magic, and that makes it interesting, to him. Even when Bennett's finger seems to still be on fire...Link just finds himself smiling fondly in response. There's something about Bennett's energy that he really appreciates, even finds himself drawn to. He's fun to be around.

He nods gratefully as Bennett finishes getting the fire ready. When the fire dies down to a steady glow, he puts a heavy-bottomed pan over it, letting it sit there for a little while to heat up.]

Have you always been able to do that?

[He mimics the gesture that he used to start the fire.]

Oh, you mean the fire?

[He even does it, igniting his thumb like a lighter. ...And then having to shake it again to put it out. He hasn't quite mastered putting the flames out yet.]

Kind of? Us vision holders have control over our respective elements, and mine's fire, of course. We can do all kinds of stuff with it, but I've never been all that great at holding mine back. I've blown myself up more than a few times, back home, haha.

[Despite talking about literally hurting himself, he sounds pretty nonchalant about it all.]

But I've been experimenting with dreamotion here, and it's helped me a lot with getting better control over it!

[He nods, watching with interest as Bennett does it again. A faint smile tugs at his expression... not entirely because of the difficulty putting it out, nor really because of the anecdotal self-exploding. But... more because of what they represent. There's something endearing about Bennett, even if he is so accident-prone.]

Hm. That's an exciting way to learn.

[Maybe exciting is a bit of an optimistic word for it. But perhaps it matches the vibe, as the kids say.]

Dreamotion... I've had similar experiences.

[He just, uh. Doesn't say so around Princess Zelda.]

Oh yeah? It's pretty cool, isn't it?

[Bennett felt his skills with dreamotion were pretty meager, compared to what he's seen some others pull off with it. But he was still proud of what he's managed to accomplish with it so far. It wasn't much, but it was his.]

It is.

[He's thoughtful for a moment, pouring rice into the warm pot, letting it sizzle a bit before he adds some water to it. He could leave it there, easily; he's often used cooking as a distraction in the past. A way to allow himself to be quiet. But doing so as often as he does...starts to feel a bit disingenuous after a while. Especially when he's around people he enjoys spending time with.]

I never had any magic of my own, [he says finally.] So it feels quite rewarding.

[If Link had opted to sit in silence, Bennett would have gladly kept talking, rambling about whatever thought strikes his head. But he's grateful to have the conversation continue on.]

Really? [He's seen Link pull off some amazing feats. In fact, he'd rank Link as one of the most impressive adventurers he's ever seen, and if he were part of the Adventurer's Guild in Mondstadt, he'd surely one of their top stars, even without a Vision.]

Well, you don't need it. You're already an amazing adventurer even without magic!

[Princess Zelda has noted, on more than one occasion, that Link seems to be, as she puts it, "good at everything." But that's not entirely accurate: for example, he has quite a difficult time when it comes to taking a compliment. So when Bennett compliments him so eagerly, he finds his response is a bashful look and a sudden need to very studiously check on the dinner's progress as he tries to think out his response.]

...Thank you, [he says quietly, only after a moment's consideration. Then, after a pause, he adds more:] Have you always been so passionate about adventure?

[It's something he seems to talk about quite often. It must mean a lot to him.]

[Bennett sits back and smiles, watching the flames as Link does his thing with the food.]

Basically ever since I was old enough to talk. Maybe even before then, haha.

[There's a pause, as he observes the flames. The red Vision at his side seems to pulse and glow as if in tandem with the burning embers.]

I was orphaned as a baby, but an adventurer risked his life to find me. And then my dads who raised me... They're all retired adventurers from the Adventurer's Guild. So I guess you could adventuring is all I've ever known!

[Another pause, and then.]

But it's more than that. Because of all that, I wanna be as great of an adventurer as the people who got me here, maybe even greater! I think that's the best way I can show my gratitude for them.

You were born into it, almost.

[Link offers a fond smile. The particularities are different, but some parts of it don't sound terribly unlike his own story -- so maybe he understands, a little bit. You grow up wanting to impress a parent and follow their path...and then that path becomes your own. I want to be just like them. How many times had he thought the same thing?]

That sounds like quite an adventurous life already.

Haha, I sure hope so.

[It's what he's always strived for, living life in a way that would suit an adventurer, even despite his bad luck.]

Living a life full of adventure, up until the very last moment... That sounds like the perfect life to me!

[A life full of adventure...there's something quite poetic about it, isn't there? Link's response is a nod before he returns his attention to the cookpot long enough to dish the food onto a pair of plates.]

Here, [he says, handing one to Bennett.] Looks like it's ready just in time.

[Indeed, as he gestures toward the sky, the sun begins its slow descent toward the horizon. From their position on the mountaintop, they can see most of Hyrule bathed in its glow, shadows stretching longer over the hills and structures. Even the swirling malice encasing Hyrule Castle seems dwarfed by it.]

[Bennett gratefully accepts the plate of food. He wasn't sure how Link did it considering what they had to work with, but he definitely cooked up something impressive. Or at least it seemed impressive to Bennett, who usually had to live off of rations or the land itself when adventuring.]

Mmm, thank you!

[He looks out at the sight that was forming before them. It was truly an impressive, magnificent sunset. It reminded him of the sunsets at home, but it was somehow even more grand. Perhaps maybe because it was a new sight for him. ]

Wow... it's beautiful...

[The faint warmth of the campfire, the smell of a hot cooked meal, and a clear view of the sunset. For a moment, Link forgets that he's in a dream at all, thrown back into his memories of traveling across Hyrule. How many months has it been, now? ...How many more months will it be before he's able to rid the country of the scourge looming over its castle?

He feels a faint pang of homesickness...but even so, he finds, surprisingly, that he's glad not to be alone. He turns his attention back to Bennett, offering a grateful expression, the very faintest hint of a smile.]

Thanks for joining me for this.

[Bennett smiles back at Link, his much more prominent and noticeable. The warmth of a campfire, the sight of untold wonders, sharing it all with a friend... This is what adventures were truly made of.]

Thanks for in-- [He pauses, stumbling over his word choice.] Well, I guess you didn't invite me, I kind of invited myself in. [It was a dream, after all.] Um! Thanks for letting me join you here. How about that?

[It feels like Link has seen this view a hundred times, looked out over countless setting suns, watched the shadows move day after day...and yet, somehow companionship makes it all feel different. New. For that, he is very grateful, even if it is a dream.

This is the sort of adventure he'd like to have more of. Once Hyrule is safe...maybe he'll finally have that chance.]

That works. [His smile broadens, even as the quality of the evening seems to thin, like ink fading from paper. The dream must be coming to an end. Before it does, he glances back at Bennett.] I hope there'll be a next time.

[Another dream. Another adventure.]

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[open] fear’s only a choice

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