a light in the dark

[sageprincess]

Characters: Zelda and you!
Setting: In and around Room 1-09 and the new secret room, backdated
Format: Action to start, will switch if prose is preferred
Summary: Not letting the fact she's been in this place for two full years get her down, Zelda hangs up her regain and then plays music for the chipped units.
Warnings: None!

January 1st, Room 1-09
[Room 1-09 is typically one of the quieter dorms given the fact its sole occupant (for now) is on the calmer side (at least, externally). But about half-way through the first day of the new year there is quite a bit of noise coming from the Princess' room in the form of hammer-like banging. Investigating will reveal it's exactly what it sounds like: Zelda stands on her knees at the head of her bed, driving a nail into the wall with a hammer borrowed from the workshop. At the foot of her bed, leaning up against her trunk, is a large framed map, presumably the gift she received from Aria.

Later, once she's done preparing the wall, comes hanging the map up. Except... the thing is actually pretty heavy, and its size makes it unwieldy for Zelda alone. So, friendly faces passing through the first dormitory floor may be stopped momentarily by the Princess peeking her head out of her room and a question.]

Excuse me, would you mind assisting me for a moment? It will not take very long, I promise.

Any day after the explosion, the secret room on Floor 101
[The completion of the collar fluid research also means having a bit more downtime than the past six or so months has allowed. And after finding Aria's new home in the secret room, well...

Aria chose that name for a reason.

Those that enter the new area will likely hear Zelda, or rather, Zelda's harp, before they see her, seated as she is with a modest audience of confused but curious chipped retrieval and worker units around her. The spartan, metallic surroundings mean the melodies she plucks from her harp echo somewhat oddly, but she plays on regardless. It's a pleasant, if somewhat nostalgic use of her free time, she thinks.]

Comments

[January 1st]

[faithstaynight]

[Ruler, thankfully, chooses the perfect time to make her daily visit to her friend's room. There's a curious look on her face as she pokes her head in, no doubt confused over the sound of hammer and nail. But a small smile crosses her face when she notices the large painting, and she steps inside the room.]

It seems like I've arrived just in time, hmm?

[sageprincess]

Ruler!

[There's an uncommon amount of cheer in her voice as she pauses in her work to address her friend. Though the inability to sense Ruler's presence until she makes herself known is still unsettling after seven months of being connected, her excitement about her gift overwhelms any discomfort in that moment.

The hammer is discarded, and she quickly returns her feet to the floor so she may heft the painting up over her trunk and onto the foot of her bed.]

You must come see what Aria made for me!

[faithstaynight]

[There's a brief pause before Ruler answers, because.... wow. It's been a long time since she's seen Zelda this happy; her dearest friend has been hurt so much over the months, so it truly warms her heart to see her smiling like this.]

Alright, alright. [She approaches, head tilting a bit as she eyes the painting.] Is this your home?

[greyerrant]

[ A huge form in a white chiton looks down at Zelda, and he rumbles in response. ]

What do you need help with?

[sageprincess]

[Oh, yes, he will do nicely.]

I am trying to hang the painting I received this morning on my wall, but... it is a bit too large for me to lift alone.

[For all the presence she has, Zelda is still rather on the small side, all told.]

[greyerrant]

Easily done. [ He turns towards her room, then pauses, saying rather formally. ]

Permission to enter?

[magical secret floor - 6th maybe?]

[bloodyashes]

[Well, there's at least one person other than the retrieval units listening in. Asch is almost drowsily curled up against the wall nearby, listening with his eyes closed and a bit of a smile. He's holding kind of absently onto his hairbrush with one hand, with a pair of hairpins - garnet studded, with red gem dangles of some other kind of stone - held tight between his lips.

A few minutes pass that way before he shakes himself and finishes brushing, using the pins to pull back the hair at his temples. He'll wait for a pause in the music before speaking up - ]

Do they look even to you?

[It's the little things that matter, evidently.]

[sageprincess]

[Asch's presence is noted, but so long as he remains half asleep, Zelda doesn't pay him much attention. Her focus is on the retrieval units, and... well, she can count the number of times she's performed for an audience greater than one on one hand. Not to mention she's likely a bit rusty with her technique after six months of research.

But of course, she responds when he asks his question. She considers him for a moment, then, setting the harp to the side, she beckons him forward with a finger.]

Come here.

[bloodyashes]

[There's a slight tilt of his head, but he does as ordered, standing up and brushing a few stray red hairs off his clothes before going over to her.]

floor 101

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer had, through some poking around, found this hidden floor. He had thought to ask some questions about the recent noises, but every time he entered this floor, he had been distracted by something else, such as Aria's machine or requesting regains from her or even bumping into someone familiar. This time is no exception, since he's distracted by the beautiful music. It's been a long time since he's heard the music of a harp, and it reminds him of the bards of his homeland, just a little. He wedges himself between two drones so he can stay and listen.]

[sageprincess]

[There's a slight hiccup in her playing when she notices Lancer pushing himself into the audience. Just a short, unintended pause in the melody, barely long enough to be noticed before she continues on.

She hadn't exactly been intending to play for an audience that actually understands music. Still, her music is pleasant enough, though her technique might be a bit stiff from months of not playing. At the end of her song, she places her harp in her lap instead of starting again. A few of the units nearby clap awkwardly, only just barely understanding the gesture, and while she smiles to them, her focus shifts mostly to Lancer.]

Do you... have a request?

[The question is hesitant, betraying the fact she is not used to playing for an audience she can take requests from.]

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer claps too, more naturally, and a lot more eagerly than the retrieval units. When she asks the question, he shakes his head.]

Nah, nothing except that you keep on playing that beautiful music. Any song is fine.

[His words are a bit flirtatious, but his tone is very sincere.]

SEKRIT RUM 2nd January

[frilliance]

[Edgeworth was about to investigate the secret room properly when he heard the music and even he could not help but stop to listen when he spotted where the music was coming from. It does sound quite pretty.]

[sageprincess]

[She continues playing, seemingly not noticing Edgeworth's presence until the end of her set, when a few retrieval units wander off, revealing him. She smiles lightly in greeting, though there's a hint of embarrassment at having been caught, so to speak.]

Ah, good afternoon, Mr. Edgeworth.

[frilliance]

[Yeah....the way she reacts seems as if she had already known he was there. Why didn't she say so before? ] Ah....it seems I have disturbed your playing. My apologies.

[no_longer_a_king]

[Arturia has come to explore the secret room now that her strength is beginning to return to her and the injuries from her run ins with the plague doctors are beginning to heal. It is once she's inside it that she hears the music and finds Zelda, surrounded by confused and curious chipped units.

Arturia gives them a wave as she approaches them and takes a seat nearby. She only speaks up when Zelda finishes her piece.]

The music was lovely. Have you played for a long time?

[sageprincess]

[There are few people Zelda feels sufficiently relaxed around to not feel a bit of stage fright upon finding her playing, and luckily Arturia is one of them. She looks down at her harp when she answers, her fingers tracing lightly along the ridges of its design.]

I have not practiced in a long time, but... music was one of the more pleasant ways to pass time in Hyrule.

[Given she had little to do but wait and survive after Ganondorf's coup, it's safe to say she's been playing for quite some time.]

Hidden Floor - After the explosion

[neverbeamemory]

[An access point on Floor 101.

Sephiroth has never seen much point to the floating garden floor with it's infamous sapling but Aria's announcement over the intercom demands at least a single look in, if nothing more.

Upon being teleported, the music being played can't be missed. Each pluck of the harp resonates strangely around the floor from where it's source was seated with a curious gathering of those units. Sephiroth scowls to himself a little, wondering how far the idiocy of some of the residents of the Tower was even capable of going.

Though, the music is pleasant enough and it's something seldom heard in the Tower at all and so as he's intently peering around the floor, Sephiroth approaches the crowd - peering between heads and bodies to only then discover that he does not know the musician. At least by no means personally.

Eventually drawing his arms up over his chest and waiting for her to finish the melody, it's rude to interrupt after all.]

[sageprincess]

[With a presence like Sephiroth's, it's hard to miss him. Even when she first met with the version of him that was still a stalwart general all those months ago, she could not help being somewhat intimidated.

Times have changed, however, and so has she. She recognizes him from Ganondorf's team during the assault on the administrative levels, and so any fear she might have is locked down deep in her heart. She does not know how much the Evil King has spoken of his enemies, but best not to take any chances.

Far be it from her to start confrontationally, though. Upon finishing her song, she places the harp in her lap and bows her head gratefully to the few units that have enough mind to clap, before finally looking up to acknowledge Sephiroth's presence.]

May I help you?

January 1st

[warriorscribe]

*Zelda would find Enoch dragging a shiny, small, two-wheeled vehicle along the hallway when she pokes her head out. Enoch props his own present up on its kickstand, seeming invigorated.*

Of course, Princess. What is it?

[sageprincess]

[Sorry, that thought will have to be put on hold as she stares at the thing Enoch is dragging around with him.]

... Pardon me, but what in the world is that?

Secret room, sometime around the 12th maybe??

[silencetoreason]

[France finds himself in the new room after a fair bit of wandering. He's confused at first - the gut-churning displacement of his body has him wondering if he was out of it enough to step on one of the existing teleporters without realizing it, but when he looks around, he can see that's not the case.

His harsh metal surroundings would seem far more frightening, more intimidating, were it not for that music being played. He's got a rapier strapped to his side now, and his hand reflexively goes to the hilt. When his eyes land on Zelda, though, he's able to let out a breath of air.]

Princess. Princess Zelda.

[His voice lacks its usual dramatic inflection. It's no longer confident and loud, but quiet and tentative. He realizes that those are the first words he's said to someone living and breathing (Pierre notwithstanding) in weeks. For now, he doesn't bother to say anything else, just stares at her with a trace of a smile on his face.]

[sageprincess]

[The melody stops then, as she looks up at the sound of a faint yet familiar voice. One look is all she needs to know that the other has been through some form of hell recently, and the harp is quickly set aside so she might stand and move towards him. The look in her eyes is clearly concerned, but she doesn't reach out just yet, not wanting to be presumptuous.]

France, are you all right?

[Obviously not - she's been here long enough to know lack of liveliness is never a good thing, but she also knows sometimes people don't want to talk about their grief.]

jan 1st so late i'm so gomen

[keepscalm]

[England hears the banging from down the hall, and after the intense disturbance that was the expansion of the Tower, he can't help but wonder if it's some continuation of that upgrade.

He opens the door and glances up and down the hall, eventually ascertaining that the sound is coming from the direction that Zelda's room is in. That's enough to draw him out, trying not to make the concern too obvious on his face as he approaches.

But, apparently, all is well and good with the princess, as she emerges partially from her room just as he's almost upon it. With this, he waves off his suspicion and answers her call.]

Certainly, my dear. What is it you require?

[sageprincess]

[Zelda's polite smile breaks into a wide grin (a rare enough occurrence in this place already) upon seeing Arthur, and perhaps he shouldn't have waved off his suspicion so quickly, because in an instant she has his wrist in her hand and is trying to drag him into her room.]

Aria gave me the most wonderful gift, Arthur! You must come see!