towerofanimus | Minuet ♪ Moving

Entry tags:

Minuet ♪ Moving

Characters: Zelda and you!
Setting: Floor 3 or 19, Floor 25, Floor 14, and Floor 32
Format: Starting with action - I'll follow you!
Summary: The Princess of Hyrule going about her days while trying not to freeze to death.
Warning: ~~Sexual confusion?~~ None yet.

Floor 3 or 19
[The libraries might as well have become a second home for Zelda with all the time she has spent there recently. Ever since Ruana (and to a lesser extent, Dax) took to the network, she has been pouring over book after book, network post after network post, trying to make sense of the things she said. Of course, any success is limited at best, and for the most part, the only fruit of her labor thus far has been a stack of notes with more questions than answers contained within.

Still, the search gives her focus and drive - things she had been terribly lacking in since... the end of June, really. And perhaps that's the most valuable thing Ruana gave her that day - not information, but a will to do more than merely endure.

In any case, if you're looking for one long-eared princess, you are most likely to find her here, surrounded by her books and notes.]

Floor 25 (For

bow_of_the_galadhrim and maybe friends?)
[Of course, that is not to say she does nothing else with her time. Sometime before the chaos of October and everything else, Legolas said the elven swords he was having crafted for her were ready, and they could begin training. Sure, it's cold now and getting colder, but it's peaceful for the moment (well, for some definition of peaceful), and she needs to learn eventually.

So, looking more like a pirate than a princess in Tetra's mother's (her descendant's?) long coat and her hair tied up in a ribbon, she waits on the meadow floor for the Prince of Mirkwood. At least there's no snow on this floor.]

Floor 14
[And sometimes even she needs a break, though loathe she is to admit it. She doesn't frequent the media floor often - even after nearly a year's time in the Tower, most of the technology there is beyond her. But she does know how one piece of electronic machinery works (though don't ask her what it's called), thanks to a girl who's long since vanished from the tower walls. And it's that piece of machinery that's currently serenading her with the sounds of a certain British classic rock band as she curls up on a couch nearby, wrapped in the fluffy comforter she got as a "prize" for participating in Halloween's "game".

Pass by at just the right moment, and she might even appear to be asleep. Even back in Hyrule, music was always there to provide a temporary escape from life's hardships, and it's so easy to get lost in it...]

Floor 32
[And sometimes, given the high levels of stress inherent to the situation, it is necessary to take "taking a break" a little further.

Look up into the trees on the forest floor, and you might see a blur of blue and grey hopping from branch to branch, disturbing and sprinkling the snow that's accumulated there in its wake.

Investigate?]

(Responses for the last prompt will mostly come from

sagesurvivor.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ As impressive as Zelda looked with those blades raised in her defense, the march warden couldn't stifle his chuckle. The shadow of his hood did well to obscure his face, but Legolas' lack of urgency gave away that his identity was known. Giving the Prince of Mirkwood a quick glance, an amused smirk settled upon his lips as he addressed Zelda.

She may have thought poorly of him because of his relentless teasing, but that was no matter. The young princess could learn much from someone quite adept in blades, and Haldir planned to assist her. ]

T'was not my intention to alarm you, fair one.

[ His smirk dimmed into a pleasant smile. ]

I'm merely interested as of what you plan to do with those daggers. As small as you are, I can assume that the blades in question were made far lighter than my own. This would mean you could potentially outmatch my speed, but shall need training.

[ Deciding to discard his hood, Haldir revealed himself and greeted her with a bow. ]

[Her teeth grind just slightly as the hooded figure speaks - what does it look like she's planning to do with them? - but as Haldir removes his hood, she relaxes her stance, allowing her arms to fall back to her sides once more.

She gestures to Legolas.]

Training would be what we are doing here, yes. I have no illusion of being more skilled than someone with literally thousands of years of practice.

[Stupid absurdly long lifespans.]

[He can't help but chuckle at the exchange between Haldir and Zelda.]

I've no doubt that Zelda has the potential to outmatch the both of us in terms of speed.

[And, truly, he didn't. The only difference would be the experience between them all, Haldir being the most experienced of all three of them.

And what's wrong with living forever? Obviously Zelda's jealous.]

[ Another chuckle rang from Haldir as he stepped towards the princess. Filled with such fire, Haldir certainly believed that Zelda could become a warrior worthy of praise as long as she kept with her training. Whether or not her skill shall someday match his own didn't seem so farfetched in his opinion. ]

That goes without saying, Legolas. [ He answered with a slight smirk. ] However, our little princess seems to lack self-confidence.

[ And with that he frowned. ]

Zelda. [ His attention was focused upon her again. ] I asked you before, what do you intend to do with these blades? Do you mean to become a warrior or do you simply wish to defend yourself? Depending upon your answer, I shall train you how I see fit in order for you to achieve your goal.

All that I know and all that I can give will be at your disposal, if you tell me what you believe these blades can do for you.

[Cockiness, she wants to fire back at that assessment. She lacks cockiness and knows all to well what tragedy can follow an overestimation of one's skills. But then Haldir is addressing her, and that mild irritation smooths over into the determination that's gotten her though seven years of hell.

Despite being shorter than them both, she straightens, pulling herself to her full height and not once letting her eyes stray from Haldir's. You want confidence?]

I mean to be whatever I must to keep those I love and those that place their trust in me safe from harm, whether that be as a leader, a strategist, or a fighter. I will not seek out battle, but nor will I stand aside and watch as those I care for fight and die.

Is that a satisfactory answer?

[ Well what's this?

Haldir was almost taken by her honorable words. Convinced by that Legolas may have indeed found a rather suitable pupil for him, the march warden's cocky tone changed to one of true sternness. If this princess believed she could hone her skills well enough to protect those she loved as well as protect herself; then he'll do anything in his power to assist her. ]

Save that needless sass for one who shall heed it, Zelda.

[ Gone was the playful imp, and replaced by the strict warden. Even Legolas himself hadn't seen this side of Haldir often. ]

To understand battle, one needs to understand the meaning of survival. There's no honor in death, and those who live to see tomorrow live to fight another day. There's no heroes or villains, only those who strive to survive.

Life here within Animus has hardened all of us by now, but you seek for a means to survive it. Whether it be the sake of yourself or others matters not, but as long as you have that drive to live, I'll aid you however I can.

[ Turning to Legolas he held out his hand. ]

You possess arrows, do not? Would it be too much to ask for one as a demonstration?

[That side of Haldir was a rare sight indeed and even Legolas found himself straightening despite how he directed his words to Zelda. He'd seen elves of Lorien in combat once before but training was another thing entirely and now he was quite curious of how Haldir handled it.

With a silent nod, Legolas reached back to his quiver and drew one of his trademark arrows and walked over to hand it off to the march warden.]

You're making me curious, Haldir.

[If only she could laugh. True, she may not have the years Legolas or Haldir possess, but of what years she does have, she's spent many of them fighting to see another dawn.

But she doesn't laugh, nor smile, nor speak of what experience she might already have. In a way... the warden's seriousness reminds her of Impa, and it feels almost natural to listen and nod.

She keeps quiet and attentive, stepping out of the way as Legolas hands over the arrow.]

Good.

[ He graced Legolas with a slight grin. ]

This would be no fun if I was predictable.

[ Now turning his gaze to Zelda, Haldir's grin faded somewhat. He could tell that she was a tad curious as of what he had up his sleeves, but he silently promises that it will be worth her time. Balancing the arrow upon the tip of his fingers, the march warden spoke. ]

Imagine this arrow to be your enemy, how would you dispatch it? A quick slash here or there to cut it down to size? I would hope not since blinding stabbing at the wind would be more productive than that.

None at all.

[Grinning still, the prince retreated several feet to give them room and relaxing his stance to watch in wonder. He truly was growing curious about Haldir's teaching methods in comparison to the methods used in Mirkwood. Most of the elves there had to learn quick so they often had trained together with an experienced warrior and blunt weapons before ever being allowed to leave.]

[The Princess spares a glance between the two elves as the exchange is made, then turns her attention to the arrow. She frowns in thought, brows furrowing as she concentrates. She can't help but think that Haldir wants a specific answer - one she simply doesn't have yet. So the best she can do is hope that she doesn't make a fool out of herself in her ignorance.]

... I would wait until it was resting out of your hands, when it cannot be pulled away from my attacks so easily.

[Spoken like a strategist, if not a warrior.]

[ Just in that moment, Haldir realized that Zelda was possibly three times wiser than she seemed. She won a nod of approval from him. ]

You are most wise.

[ He tossed the arrow into the air before catching it easily in his left hand. He made sure to avoid the pointy end, of course. ]

Far too many times young warriors, such as yourself, would blindly thrust themselves into combat without accessing the situation first. The art to combat isn't always about showcasing your might, but also your mind as well.

[ He balanced the arrow upon the tip of his finger again, pointing it towards the sky. ]

Seeing that you already know this lesson, then let us begin with the basics. Let me see your form, try to cut this arrow down.

[He almost smirked at how Zelda answered, surprise concealed behind his interest of this training. Legolas could see Haldir and Zelda having a better second impression through this than the mischief of the network.]

Even when outmatched in power, one can turn the tide of a battle if they have wisdom and courage.

[She responds with a quiet smile to her eyes, as though she knows more than she's letting on with that statement. Wisdom is kind of something she's known for, after all.

Regardless, she does as she's instructed, raising her blades in front of her in her defensive position. She has her doubts she will be able to even touch the arrow, much like she believed she wouldn't be able to lay a scratch on Legolas, but she'll certainly try. After remaining quiet and still for a moment, thinking, her left arm swings out towards the arrow in a wide horizontal arc, followed by her right after a few seconds. With any luck, maybe pulling the arrow away from the first attack will put it in the path of the second.]

[ Zelda's guess was most certainly correct. While Haldir did admire the princess' form and technique, she wasn't able to cut the arrow in half. That was because in the last moment the elf moved his hand. It may not have seemed like he did, but that first strike barely even graze the arrow. Her second strike, however, managed to do the deed but almost barely. It would see that there was a method to some of Haldir's madness, and this lesson would focus more on technique than strategy. ]

Well done.

[ The elf commented as he picked up the two halves of the arrow. The piece within his right hand looked much longer than his left. ]

Quite uneven, but well enough. Had this been your enemy, you would've grazed him badly but perhaps not enough to kill. You see, had you been wielding a sword--this would've been enough to kill. However, you're using daggers instead. Precision is key when using such a weapon.

[Watching quietly still, Legolas applauded at her tactic and made a note to tease Haldir later about having to replace his arrow. At least the head of it and feathers were intact so he could reuse them.]

[Instinctively, she glances over at Legolas' applause, not... really seeing anything to be clapping over. She managed to cut the arrow, yes, but as Haldir said, it was an uneven strike. In an actual battle, wouldn't that have been the difference between life and death?

Perhaps that's just her survivalist tendencies talking.

Returning her attention to Haldir, she bows her head slightly.]

Admittedly, my past training focused more on creating an opening to escape than to kill. My technique is lacking in that regard.

[ Haldir's gaze darted over towards Legolas for a brief moment once he heard the applause. He couldn't help but smile at the prince for that. It would seem that Legolas' presence during Zelda's training would be a positive one. ]

She is truly worthy of praise, isn't she?

[ His smile grew more before he glanced towards Zelda again. ]

That would certainly explain your lack of technique, but impressive nonetheless. Now, shall we try this again? This time keep your eyes focused upon your target once more.

[ Giving Legolas an apologetic glance, he held out his hand for another arrow. ]

Forgive me, I shall make up for this charity tenfold.

She has potential. Were she born in Middle Earth, I would dare to say she'd have been a welcome addition to the wardens of Lorien or to Mirkwoods army.

[A bit amused, Legolas drew another arrows and took it to Haldir. His eyes assured the other that he'd make sure his arrows were well avenged.]

Shall I just give you my quiver?

... Is cutting an arrow truly worthy of such flattery?

[Help, she doesn't know how to deal with this praise. She just did what was asked of her...]

[ He gave Legolas a slight grin before mouthing a quick apology in Sindarin. Haldir knew he would have to make this up to him sooner than later. The prince was quite proud of his handmade arrows. ]

No, no! This shall be the last one, I promise you.

[ Goodness, Zelda! You're a princess. Princesses should be used to compliments by now. ]

Ease your fretting, Zelda. You'll do more to impress us over time.

[ Holding out the arrow towards her again, Haldir welcomed the princess to try her hand at cutting this arrow in two. However, this time he expected them to be cut perfectly in two halves. ]

With what we've just discussed, do your best to even your strike.

[Oh yes, he was quite proud of them, he'd collected all of his arrows after each battle during the War of the Ring, but at least everything but the shaft was kept intact. All he would have to do was carve new ones.]

I do hope so or I may be left with nothing to use for hunting.

[He teased, of course, nodding at Haldir's silent apology before going back to sit and observe. He really just finding his methods interesting.]

[Princesses also should not have to be ninjas for seven years, but, well. Them's the breaks.

For now, she disregards the praise, focusing on her next task. Taking a deep breath, she readies her stance once again, this time trying to steady herself as much as possible before making her move. Precision and accuracy...

Drawing her right arm across her body, she lets it swing before her in a wide arc, keeping her arm as straight and level as she is able.]

[ Haldir already made a mental note to repay Legolas for his good charity by creating two new sturdy arrows for him. Despite the limited materials here in this tower, the march warden was confident he could creature two new arrows for Legolas. It's just a shame they don't have a single mallorn tree here. Haldir always preferred the white bark of the mellyrn over anything else.

Watching with interest as Zelda steeled herself for her next try, Haldir made certain to study the girl's form. Earlier, Zelda seemed to be slightly off center when she struck the first arrow. This time, however, the princess seemed to gained some more confidence in herself and cleanly cut this arrow in two near perfect halves. ]

Well done, I see you've managed to keep your balance better.

[ A thoughtful hum escaped him as he quietly asset the girl. ]

You're right-handed, yes? Then I suppose we will focus on that for now before training you to be just as balanced with your left.

[ He smiled somewhat as he playfully tossed the feathered end of the arrow at Legolas. ]

If I may ask, friend, what were you showing her earlier?

[Catching the half of the arrow smoothly, Legolas tapped it against his knee as he continued to sit.]

I was observing her skills and noting that speed and accuracy would be a better technique for these weapons than strength. I did not intend to work too much today with how cold it is getting.

[He gestured towards the kindling he had gathered in case Zelda grew too cold.]

can't stop won't stop

sageprincess - 2012-12-23 06:12 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Minuet ♪ Moving

Oh please! Haldir will be on his best behavior

"best" behavior

The very "best" right?

Absolutely~!

I've a feeling her definition of best and his are rather different |Da

Oh boo! Unfair~

Legolas is mostly just gonna chinhand and fanboy a little now

keep it in your pants, elf-boy

legolas, please. we have company

i'm not THAT indecent but haldir should stop being so amazing if you're so worried

boys pls she doesn't want to see that kind of sword fight

/DEAD.gif

they are THAT indecent, goodness! unless Zelda really does want to see ;)

um excuse you she has a harem of her own she can go to if she wanted that

my my zelda has some interesting hobbies

she's been collecting them since before Legolas got here

TRIFORCE OF /SWAG/ B)

Pimp Master Zelda? I mean--wut?

OMG I AM DYING

hey it's useful for army gathering

how fiendish!

tetra obv. has the best role model

absolutely

/shakes head at the both of you

ya know ya love it

can't stop won't stop