#♛ ¦ ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀʏ ༺ ic

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁  a fortunate gift for such unfortunate circumstances , zelda pours herself over the arcanus isle compendium , finger tracing annotations left in neat cursive script . no , no , this isn't it -- and the princess hastily turns the page . for as detailed as the compendium was , it lacked any specific notation of the nightmare moss she'd been hearing of .

click . frustrated , a sigh of frustration passes her lip as she quickly presses the cover closed and looks around , reassessing her whereabout . it was one thing to be thrust into the middle of chaos . it was a challenge entirely separate to be placed in the center of an entirely unfamiliar land . sure , she had hardly scraped the surface of her own land , but uprooting oneself entirely from the familiarity was . . .

admittedly thrilling , had it come with better timing . for even if she had always carried the unspoken desire to disappear , it was not to trade tragedies nor abandon her own ongoing . but she simple had to make do the best she could and put her faith forward .

which was much easier said than done .

" excuse me , " zelda approached the reference desk . empty . abandoned . when circumstances were most dire , people sought the comfort of their homes and families . of course there were no workers left .

tap tap tap . nail bounced against the wooden desk as if calculating her next move . she could just go and . . . try and scrape a bit of it off to look at it closer . asinine . she was no botanist , and if the information releasing had any bit of credibility it was not in her interest to get close to the nightmare moss . . .

however , " it's no use . we'll never get anywhere without some risk . "

and so zelda presses her compendium into her arms , making haste towards the closed botany hall of the arcanus university campus . without risk , there would yield no reward .

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁ the aircon unit buzzes and rumbles in the background , filling the space between them with meaningless static . and maybe . . . that is a miracle or some stroke of good will by the goddess , because it helps . its rhythm buzzes , and the mind carries its rhythm with it : i believe you , i believe you .

perhaps . . . that had been what she had been holding out for this entire time . a place . she just needed him to hear her ; to know that she was here , in the same place at the same time . to acknowledge and be acknowledged for what they were : two survivors who run and run until time inevitably catches up to them or tosses them apart . like crimson , fog . . . or sapphire , waters .

a beat -- two , actually -- pass and zelda nods : okay . okay . she'll trust that he'll talk to her when he's ready . and until then , she slides her hand out across the table , palm up .

" okay . i'll still be here when you're ready . "

it didn't . . . fix anything . nothing was resolved . the room was still stuffy . . . but maybe it wasn't entirely their own fault for it . at least the thick , muggy air was no longer the only thing hiding in the room besides the two of them . they had the aircon , too , working in their favor .

THE CORNERS OF HIS eyes tightened . a divot formed just above the bridge of his nose , & . link wished nothing more in that moment than that she might leave it be . moments like these , in the space between what lay scattered & . what stayed true , were FRAGILE ENOUGH AS IT WAS . maybe link didn't want to ruin it . or maybe he just didn't want to LET IT GO just yet .

HE WEDGED THE POINT of his canine tooth into the flesh beneath his lip . nostrils flared . somehow it felt worse to to spurn earnestness with reservation . still . that didn't make any part of the truth come easy .

❝  i believe you . ❞

LINK LET THE WEIGHT of those words settle on his own shoulders . picked at the end of his pant's leg . it was truth , after all . but the idea of saying it out loud — the ache in him stung . the unease in him twisted . there were some things that still didn't make sense . like malice - twisted monsters that murdered & . maimed . glimmer of light - scales woven into carefully measured fabric . the wish of a gentle heart / no matter how bad the wound . . . & . seething anger behind : YOU'RE THE HYLIAN THAT STOLE LADY MIPHA AWAY .

the divine beast is crying once again . / awash in a pool of tears .

HE BLINKED . IT ALL grew muddy . link felt sick again .

❝  . . . i just— . . . give me time . ❞

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁ it had begun with holding an empty canister open to the skies that cried their sweet silver music , praying for the goddess to spare her another go-around . being displaced had been difficult enough the first time around . thrice was no longer coincidence , but curse . now , days later , she tasted nothing but lead in her mouth . delirious , broken breaths beaten by the eternal twilight . . .

run . run , little bird , whose voice is so small without no one to hear it . mud caked to her boots , with each step zelda drudged up the memories of hyrule's endless night . she ran along raquiesper creek's , dodging trunks , she fled central hyrule's burning corpses rising from behind her .

their numbers were . . . increasing lately . the mosquitos . the bodies . the lizalfos . . . ?? ʞɔi|ɔ , ʞɔi|ɔ , ʞɔi|ɔ . y e s . . . the lizalfos which danced in malice's delight -- their speed unmatched . she ran from the lizalfos that wished to have her , who wished to devour her . for zelda on her own was worth no more than a meal , and yet feared being taken by their razor teeth .

and as arms pumped , willing zelda away . . . she dared to look back at her demise . not with courage or strength , but with the wisdom to fear . and fear , she should , for the lizalfos's tongue lashed out , tying to her ankle just like the red string of fate that the goddess put on her at birth : except that her better half wasn't there on the other end this time .

instead , the lizalfos's grip pulled taut enough to draw blood as she hit the ground . and as the monster dragged her along the muddied sticks and leaves , arm raised to shield herself from the sight of her own death . she's seen enough .

@liightaga | campaign : omerta nostra

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁  " sir badou . i've a need for a moment of your time . " zelda's hand beckons the man over to show him what she's made . inside her bag is an innocuous looking potion of indiscernible ingredients , thick and earthy green -- not unlike that of the underside of a leaf .

for better or for worse , it was certainly natural .

" you see , your health has been fitfully on my mind , and in consideration for your . . . ghostly paled complexion , terribly dark bags under your eyes , and -- . . . well , i digress . simply put , i've concocted an elixir that will provide you with energy . "

@brokeassgoing

[silentaura]

" -- i often wonder , what more i could have done for him , my father . "

the premonition she'd received the very night of her 17th birthday that she had withheld from everyone -- even her most trusted companions . perhaps , in hindsight , she could have been more forthcoming . her father had most certainly been correct on many fronts , including her failings . was it fitting that , above all else , she'd failed him ??

" i know the past eludes you , but do you . . . perchance remember him at all ?? king rhoam bosphoramus hyrule : it was he who ultimately appointed you to my side . he had always thought quite highly of you , and for good reason too . you were an exemplary knight and even more , you carried the master sword as if it were a fifth limb . in stark contrast , he . . . " thought very little of her .

sipping from an empty cup if only to anxiously fill the space left between her thoughts -- as if she was uncomfortable with the topic of conversation but compelled yet to talk and further test the boundaries of link's memories .

" . . . he rests heavy on my mind these days . "

@windsofcourage

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁ " asgard . . . ?? so you might know of thor . brawn and stubbornness are inseparable twins . although , the same could be said for scholars . "

oh , stubbornness would be her folly . she's been scolded as much for not listening to others with open heart and mind .

" wisdom might dictate time be better spent , but link is not a picture of wisdom . the worst bit of it all is that i actually possess several pairs back at my homestead . these particular ones won't be missed in the long run . "

zelda pinched the loose string in her pocket . but running up to tell the boy that now . . . is it spoiled of her to find peace in these moments because the serve as a reminder that despite his lost memory , he still manages to care enough to climb the tallest trees for her ??

lips pinch , holding secret back . such a thought was unfitting of a princess .

" i'll patch his wound when he scrapes his palms . i'll purchase him a meal . i'll do all the things i am supposed to do to make amends . but most importantly i'll thank him , because he goes out of his way for me and i do appreciate it dearly . i like his stubbornness because it is well meaning . "

Expectations were a powerful motivator. The desire to please came from the inherent desire to be affirmed, noticed, cared for, wanted, whatever sort of word came to mind. Out of duty or lack thereof, it was a boon and curse all at the same time.

One did not need expectations to thrive, and yet, there was no greater feeling in the world than to hear the affirmations of someone who had noticed you had done great things. It was addictive. Particularly when there was so little of it to go around. One didn't have to be mindful when you were changed to feed off of it.

❝ Oh, quite the contrary. ❞ He laughed shortly. ❝ The Asgardians are renowned among all the realms for their stubbornness. All would throw themselves into battle for their pride. ❞ He was not so different from that. Pride was all that he had, and truly Loki had the least of it.

❝ The objects that boy seeks are replaceable, but he still continues on... out of duty as you say. ❞ Loki shakes his head, thinking of a boy so reckless and stubborn for the finest apple in the garden that he climbed to the highest part of the tree just to grab it. ( Mother had scolded him for being too reckless, but Thor was praised for the achievement. )

❝ Would the time not be better spent traveling to the store to collect new gloves for your frosted hands? ❞ Loki nodded towards the hands she kept in her pockets now.

[silentaura]

❛  why do you ask these questions?  ❜

𝑺𝑰𝑿 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑫 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺.

−−−  ꧁ need her curiosity an explanation ?? the princess folded her arms : " simply put , i am fascinated by your stories . there are some ancient abilities passed down within the sheikah tribe of my world that . . . mirror some of what you've mentioned being capable of . "

all things considered , zelda possessed a strong admiration for the sheikah and their culture , having learned much from impa over the course of years . every trip to the kakariko village proved to be a lesson in history of one of hyrule's oldest and persevering cultures . deidara had stoked a similar yearning to learn from the princess -- a feeling that perhaps he too . . . was interesting .

either way , she knew where she could potentially find her answers .

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁ to the dismay of those tasked to be her watchers . . . the princess could always make herself into a whisper lost to the wind . she can take up surprisingly little space for a girl who came with so much trailing behind . it was easy , when she was able to tap into her experience , and the ease with which zelda could now navigate through the city speaks to how . . . long she's been around .

she's left early enough to be missed , but not so early that she's beaten the morning dew . it still kisses the bottom hem of her cloak .

hands pinch at the fabric of her cloak , twisting and gathering restlessly as she comes to a standing beside the moonview springs . a mirror to the heavens , but also one to her face , despondent and muted . brows knit .

" they say that you listen regardless of how far we may stray ; however i often find myself wondering if that's true . for i fear that i have done something to upset you . i only wish . . . that i knew what it was that i have done to earned your silence . "

she speaks to water . its still , glassy surface doesn't return the favor . for the most part , prayer was intended to be meditative ; however , occasionally . . . zelda spoke her invocations aloud and tried to speak directly to the goddess . and probably , maybe , that was why . . . her prayers always left her feeling more alone than connected :

" i . . . don't even know if you can hear me . "

the same question she's carried with her for years -- the question she's slept in springs looking for an answer to .

" truth be told . . . i feel as if i have abandoned you . "

pious , she should be . at the very least , it was how she was raised : a faith in the goddess to guide her through her birthright and inspire the necessary wisdom needed to fulfill her duties to her king and kingdom . but somewhere along the way , her prayers stopped .

a beat passes , consumed with the silence that surrounds her .

" -- i have been here for nearly a year's time , " fingers continue to twist into fabric , cutting the circulation to her fingertips as the prickling a mania picks at her composure : " and at times , a day feels a month -- but at other times a month is but a day . and i have yet to figure out . . . what it is that i am meant to do here , because the entire time , i have this reoccurring dream that i am continuing to avoid death . "

of hands that reach to her and comforting voices that tell her to escape ; has she not already escaped too kindly ?? squinting , her vision in the crystalline springs blurs : " can you tell me , have i a people still to return to ?? "

silence .

" because i miss them all . "

and that there laid the source of zelda's autumn time anxieties : the melancholy that had swept her off her feat and followed her around the harvest . grief -- postponed by a need to distract and delay the inevitable -- had been mulched by the falling of leaves : and she's been mourning without even recognizing it .like the mysterious tightness that comes to her chest whenever she thinks of her mother -- a grief still harbored close to her heart .

a leaf floats on the surface ( when had it fallen ?? ) sending ripples through her reflection . blink , and she's back shaking her head : waking back up .

sharp inhale of morning chill fills her lungs , reorienting zelda . pulling the cloak's buttons so that it might embrace her tight , zelda was a cocoon before the goddess , who she knew to know everything she was meant to know . and she was still no more wiser than when she came .

" i'll . . . come to speak to you more often , " the princess barters , willing herself back into the whisper she came as , " if you could do me a favor -- "

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁ it was a place without a name . at the very least , zelda hadn't known what to call the location by anything other than the note ' 𝓅𝑒𝒸𝓊𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓇 𝑔𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓌𝒶𝓎 ' written in hasty , half legible script in her pocketbook . peculiar seemed a fitting title , because upon first visit , it pulled out nothing but questions from her .

a gate , old and rusted , concealed a decrepit hall lost to time . in a way , there was a beauty to it , seeing the the overgrowth reclaim the structure as it returned to nature . she should be wary , with the nightmare moss now prominently written into her compendium in red ink . this is just the sort of place it might thrive in the wild .

goddess only knew what else was in the air .

as a precautionary measure , she wraps her winter scarf over her nose and mouth to act as a filter . resuming her explorations , zelda proceeded to examine the pathways boarded up with stone .

" it seems to be yet another dead end ; however , its curious that the entrance wasn't boarded up as well if all passage ways are nevertheless blocked . " the sound of trains passing overhead echos in the abandoned station . " whatever this structure was , i can tell that at one time , it was once rather grand . . . "

zelda pulls out her phone , opening up her camera application to take a picture of the painted ceiling , stained with the evidence of leaks . as she presses her finger to the brightly lit screen to capture the image , she's caught off guard by the sound of heavy footsteps entering the abandoned building .

: ̗̀➛ @liightaga

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁ fingers tucked wafted hair from her face , incessantly stubborn in keeping her hair neat . . . or at least stuck in the cycle of tidying it . waiting was a miserable thing , only she knew that if she arrived on time . . . she would likely be already late . so , dutiful as ever , zelda lingered out of sight and out of mind to pass the time .

and to not think about it . the feeling that festers .

the pounce that she's greeted with ( despite watching it coming ) jostles her , stiff from her lookout . unaccustomed to embrace , the princess is caught unprepared and inexperienced , choking out an oh !!

" resilient . " she settles on , cheeks plump into a tight , stretched smile , " and a little surprised by your strength . i . . . i hope you've fared well in the meanwhile . "

warm and genuine .

" should we -- shall we select something to accompany us ?? it will be my purchase , of course . "

@liightaga continued from xxx

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁ the gloves had proven to be a wonderful investment , sparing her soft hands the brunt of the harvest's ware and tare . as it turned out , rare were the princesses accustomed to spending afternoons bent over , toiling in the dirt . tilled earth smeared across her knickers . in another life , she would have been looked at sideways for getting herself so . . . involved .

but for now , with no one left to judge , zelda had found herself inspired by the women living in the rural corners of the kingdom , strong and capable . rough hands and fierce hearts .

but admire as she may , zelda was not a rural woman . . . and her muscles ached as she rubbed out the stiffness of her shoulder : " my limit might be met . "

a commendable defeat , too .

" i do wonder what it is they plan to make with the gourds . i do so hear they make a fine soup in the autumn time ; although , a fire roast would be equally as divine . "

@magnusmodig¦ yestereve starter + fall festival

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁ for as long as she could remember , zelda had been called little bird . a term of endearment passed on from person to person until she was the only one left who knew that she was a bird . a little one , at that .

lips purse .

birds are symbolic for a great many things , zelda mused , leaning upon the crated table outside of the corner mooncents . taste of autumn still sits on the tongue . she'd never bothered to ask what sort of bird she was , but in hindsight she should have .

a moonlight crow perches on the seatback of the chair opposite to hers .

" are you an omen ?? " she asks her company , brow quirked . " you're a very pretty omen at that . "

@mischiefmodig ¦ yestereve starter + totem alter

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁  " of course he is here , in one way or another . " zelda shakes her head at sora's tumbling about , eyeing him as he catches up to her side , " and now i feel that i must make you a pillow as well , if only because your circumstances now remind me of his . "

or would an entire bubble be more fitting for the boy who tripped on mere pebbles ?? that is , he possesses the grace of a goron . but grace wasn't what made the goron so charming , so it wasn't exactly a slight . zelda mused , amused in how utterly boyish sora is , toppling around in spirits only matched by the daruk . perhaps sora has been jostled in a similar way to link . in all , she's in no position to diagnose . . . but the similarities are compelling enough to incite speculation .

" his name is link , and he was my assigned knight , actually . we often travelled like this . at times , even on paths as untrodden as these . sometimes even moreso . " zelda pursed her lips , proud to have at least been a well travelled princess , unafraid of taken uncharted paths . " its . . . a testament to how little he remembers of himself to have gotten this far without his shadow tailing behind us . "

and far they have come : the leaves thick enough to keep one guessing what they conceal , a deep lush forest green . even the smells is heavy and green . with how high the trees reach above them , it was difficult to say for certain how close or far from the cliffside they were . . . or how close to any peak they might have climbed in the time since they first entered the deep fanalea .

" did you have any companions with whom you travelled before arriving here ?? "

"Memory loss?" Sora asked simply.

A little bit of a chuckle escaped Sora's lips as he continued to whack the tree branch against bushes and trunks. "He sounds really special yeah? He must be a good friend..."

"I don't know if I have amnesia or memory loss, but I know I'm supposed to thank this Namine person. She sounds familiar, yet I have no idea who she is."

Sora's shoe got stuck behind a rock, causing him to trip forward. He caught himself with a bounce but continued, catching back up to Zelda so he was shoulder to shoulder with her. When she offered a pillow for him, he shook his head and smiled.

"You don't have to do anything for me! I'm just happy to join you! I was looking for an excuse to go out anyways so it works well for both of us!" Sora didn't think of this adventure as a job, or of a favor from or for Zelda. To him, this was just two friends enjoying themselves.

"Oh, who's this friend you're talking about? If you're making a pillow for em, does that mean they're here too? I could have already met him! Maybe!"

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁  in her hands are two water-proofed cards of bingo , each unique with an assortment of lagoon fish to find . the cove itself boasted a rather lively crowd of parents and children gathered for the festivities . at first , she feared she might have aged out of the event , unable to participate due to her height amongst those with snorkels . . . but her fears were assuaged when the event coordinators handed her a snorkel as well .

not too old for fun , she seems .

" illumenoctopi . . . they appear most delicious , do they not ?? " zelda handed Cucumber his card , " i wouldn't mind earning a charm for my satchel . "

@magiccuco | sunflower festival starter

[silentaura]

i know the triforce doesn't necessarily translate neatly into botw . . . but i love the idea of the zelda that lacks wisdom . the zelda who is expected to embody wisdom but just . . . isn't quite there yet . who gains wisdom and journeys to get there through trial and error . its very in a researcher's nature to ask questions and venture out to learn . . . and fail at times in pursuit . i saw a note once where someone mentioned something about how courage can be innate , and strength can be intentionally built , but possessing wisdom is something outside of anyone's control and is not something anyone is just . . . naturally born as . it is the force that just takes time . not to gush over my muse , but i love playing a zelda who is undeniably intelligent but also a little dumb and immature in her feelings and ways of navigating through life . she really is at that "coming of age" point in her life .

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁  princess , you touched it !! zelda remembers being scrubbed viciously by her nurse for nearly half an hour , bemoaned for being tainted by a critter as vile as a lizard . her skin screamed as her nurse alleged her to have become carrier for every disease known to hylia for the mere childhood act of hiding a hightail lizard in her room . rolling eyes of a princess far wiser in the ways of critters -- zelda knew that lizards were common residents of their kingdom and not blights of infestation .

maybe it was that utter disdain by the staff that had triggered an everlasting ( contrarian ) fondness for the gross , slithery , slimy reptiles and amphibians of hyrule . or perhaps it was their tiny feet and large eyes that captured her heart . regardless , she'd certainly never stopped bringing them home .

" lizards of any kind regulate their temperatures with aid of the sun . with any luck , we might find one bathing in the light this time of year ; however , they're skittish and will likely put on a chase . tell me , are you quick on your feet ?? "

@ttauriwanderer