songerein | log 🌻 the one left behind

Who: Zelda and others
Which: Log with open and closed prompts in the comments
Where: Around Reverein- Wild Harvest, Archives, and Wishing Well
What: Zelda wakes from her sleep coma and is big sad about her bf being gone
Warnings: Usual TOTK spoilers, possible themes of self-sacrifice

[ Zelda wakes slowly, opening her eyes to sunlight filtering through the window, playing on the rafters crisscrossing above her head and illuminating a few dust motes drifting in the air. The ceiling of her bedroom in Songerein.

She lets out a slow, defeated sigh and closes her eyes again.

She failed again.

The day Zelda woke to discover Link gone, she laid down in her bed and willed herself to go back to sleep. His departure did not come as a surprise, but that did not make it any easier to bear. He had told her that he would soon return to Hyrule, as if he knew-- no, not just knew, decided to go, as if that conviction was all he needed to break free from the shackles the dream world placed on its residents. It was time for him to return, he said. He was going to bring her home too. Nevermind the permanence of the draconification transformation. Nevermind the obstacle of the Demon King, looming insurmountable over Hyrule. He was going to overcome it all.

He was going to bring her home.

If Link could escape Songerein simply through sleep and conviction, then surely Zelda could as well. Why stay, when staying meant being without him? She only agreed to set duty aside and live for as long as the two of them were together. Link was gone; time for Zelda to fulfill her duty and become the Light Dragon.

And she partially succeeded; the princess managed to slip into a sleep coma of her own volition, where she spent the entirety of a month. But of course, escape still eluded her. Three times, Zelda has tried to wake of her own volition. Once by trying to swallow her secret stone and force the draconification transformation. Once by throwing enough baubles into the wishing well to grant her passage back to Hyrule. And now, by forcing herself to sleep. All three times, Zelda has failed.

Really, she should not be surprised. Leave it to Link to succeed in something like this the moment he puts his mind to it, and for Zelda to struggle and fail repeatedly. Such has always been the way for the two of them, hasn't it?

Zelda continues to lay in bed for awhile, wondering if she should try again, until the bedsores all over her body become too much for her to bear. No, she needs to get up. She needs to do something. If she doesn't find some way to occupy her mind, her thoughts will drift to Link... and whenever they do, it feels like scalding knives driving into her chest.

The pain of being the one left behind. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ If BRC noticed the shock she accidentally created within Zelda, she doesn't comment on it - or maybe she didn't, too focused on her own task. Regardless, she stays silent, having to walk back and forth a bit to properly read the page.

Finally, she nods. ]

Yes, this is a good start. Place it down, and I will read. I give you my word we will not disturb you during my studies.

[ After all, she has to study here... she can't very well take it with her, given her size and strength! ]

[ Zelda takes the book to a nearby table and sets it down so that it is still open to the table of contents. ]

I appreciate your consideration, but please do call on me if you require assistance in anything.

[ She holds her hand flat beside the shelf BRC is standing on, an offer to carry her to the table where Zelda placed the book. "Anything" means "anything," regardless of whether it's related to research. Although BRC is clearly capable to getting around on her own in spite of how much larger her surroundings are, surely some help getting around would make things easier. ]

[ An offer that BRC will take. She walks onto the hand, and Zelda will undoubtably notice that she weighs as much as a Cookie, and smells like one too.

you know you wanna ask, Zelda. don't fight it. she's heard it all before. ]

My thanks. I may need to return to these archives again and again, so I can better know how to master Dreamotion.

... I don't suppose, if you've been here for some time, you can give me any advice or tips?

[ BRC definitely feels (and smells) like a cookie... It's honestly rather uncanny and reminds Zelda vividly of the way the kitchen staff at the castle would bake armies of cookie people and animals during the midwinter holidays.

...That feels like a rather insensitive thing to bring up, especially on a first meeting, so Zelda will carefully suppress that memory for now.

Besides, she's actually more amused by being asked for advice on dreamotion. Imagine, Zelda, who could count on one hand the times she successfully used dreamotion during her first year in Songerein, being asked for assistance with dreamotion. ]

I have been here for several years, yes. [ Zelda lowers her hand to the table so BRC can hop off. ] Perhaps you could tell me what you've tried so far. Dreamotion is... finicky, and differs from person to person.

[ Oof she hops! And all the Raisin Crows flutter around BRC, with one sitting on her shoulder. The birbs be chillin'. ]

I've only tried to use Dreamotion in two ways. The first was for food and drink... while I can eat what's here, I didn't want to take away anything essential from someone else. So I've been content to make myself jellies and soda water.

[ ... Because. that's normal for Cookies??? ]

The second is my height... which, I've said, I've been struggling with. Even a few inches would be a great boon.

[ (Why... why does a cookie need to eat and drink? Eating aside, wouldn't additional liquid just make a cookie soggy??) ]

And have you experienced any successes in your efforts?

[ It sounds like BRC has been managing to create food just fine, but unless she started out as a significantly smaller cookie, she probably hasn't had much luck increasing her height. ]

[ Wait until Zelda learns Cookies bleed. And there are Cookies smaller than her!

A heavy sigh follows.]

As you can see, it hasn't been working. I can't tell if it's because the magic of this place is so difficult to master... or if it's... somehow my fault. Something holding me back.

[ Sad little caws from the birbs. No, mistress, it's not your fault! ]

[ Do not tell her that cookies bleed she will not be able to handle that. ]

Know that I mean this as kindly as possible, but when it comes to dreamotion, the problem is likely a bit of both.

[ Zelda pauses for a moment as she thinks how to explain. No matter how she says it, it's going to come off kind of harsh. ]

Dreamotion hinges on 'intent,' essentially, and part of intent is the conviction that you will succeed. Dreamotion relies on positive emotions and confidence in those emotions. If you are plagued by doubt, even subconsciously, your dreamotion will not manifest as you want it to. [ She regards BRC sympathetically. ] This exact problem plagued me for my first two years here.

[ First two years?! Yikes! BRC staggers a bit, almost saying something, but forces herself not to. She closes her eyes, and releases another heavy sigh. ]

Then... that would explain everything. Doubt has been plaguing me ever since I first stepped first in this place. Being among all these giants, constantly being told I could be their food source, powerless against the dangers here...even when I'm at my most confident, I still feel those chains weighing me down.

... Perhaps in the end, this was a fool's errand.

log 🌻 the one left behind

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