▲ 001 ▲

[forhylia]

Characters: Link and whoever wishes to poke him
Setting: Room 04-04 and Floor 1, breakfast time
Format: Prose preferred, but feel free to use action/brackets
Summary: Link wakes up, completely unsurprised and unbothered that his world has ended. That's old news. Time to go eat some oatmeal and figure out where he is.
Warnings: Spoilers for the Skyward Sword prequel manga


Link was only half-surprised to be waking up. One does wake in the afterlife after death, no? But as he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, something was quite wrong. This strange suit was uncomfortable and strange looking. The room was sparse and seemed overly sterile. And how in the world did the ceiling glow? He tugged at the collar around his neck, frowning. Thankfully it wasn't restricting his breathing, but it was bothersome.

This was far from what he had pictured.

There were a few things to be inspected, though. Three other beds, all empty, as well as a nightstand with two envelops upon it. Frowning curiously, Link lifted the first one and carefully tore it open. Strange, that it did not require a seal to remain shut. There was a slight ache in his chest as he read it. Yes, he knew that his home had been destroyed. He didn't need that reminder of his failure. At least he could rest assured that his people were safe in the White Goddess's loving arms.

The second letter, however...

The further Link read, the stranger things became. All these things that were expected of him... This was where he would sleep; unexpectedly three others would be occupying the room with him. Food could be found downstairs. What was a 'network'? A postal system of some sort? Link placed the second letter on his nightstand next to the first. Perhaps he could find somebody to speak with about it.

He got out of bed, cracking the cricks out of his neck and approaching the chest that was obviously his and thankfully unlocked. He pulled it open with a grin.

"Excellent." He smiled as he pulled the Master Sword from the chest, inspecting it carefully. As expected, it had taken no damage in the battle. He pulled it partially from the scabbard, closely inspecting the triangular symbol that had appeared on the blade. He set the sword aside, pulling out his various other belongings. The ridiculous white jumpsuit was on the floor within seconds, soon to be replaced with Link's signature green tunic, hat, and boots. He contemplated putting on his mail and gloves, but chose not to. They would stay in the trunk. He was only going to eat breakfast, hopefully. Link put in his earrings, setting his gloves, sword, and armor back in the trunk and closing it. He opened his door and set out into the hallway.

Time to find out what this afterlife was all about.




Link fumbled for a moment with the elevator buttons before making his way to the first floor. The dining area was a reasonable place to look for people, and he was hungry.

He settled himself at a table with the bowl of oatmeal a worker had handed to him, taking a look around the room. There were other people milling about, chatting and eating. He dug into his oatmeal, which wasn't half bad. The food quality in Hylia had suffered significantly under the crumbling regime of the king.

Link had intentionally sat himself at one of the larger tables as if to hopefully invite company.

Comments

[oracleofseasons]

Across the room, a red-haired girl was standing in the line to pick up her own bowl of oatmeal. When it was finally handed to her, she wrinkled her nose; if this was what they welcomed people with, she sure wasn't looking forward to the food they'd get once they'd been here for an extended period of time. Generally people tried to make a good first impression on guests...

She could already tell that she was going to sorely miss Impa's cooking. Ah, well. There wasn't really anything she could do about it.

What she could do right now was sit down and get the whole "eating oatmeal" thing over with. She went up on her tiptoes and looked out at the room - ah, there was someone interesting! Not to mention a little familiar-looking, though he sure did look older than the Link she knew. She crossed the room to his table, set her bowl down with a slight clatter, and slid into the seat across from him.

"So," Din began, "You're not making faces or whining about how icky this stuff is. How bad was the food where you came from?"

...because that's definitely the best way to make friends, way to go.

[forhylia]

Link looked up at Din with a slight smirk.

"Prison food would hardly be considered preferable to anything..." He held up his spoon, slop oozing off the edges. "Even this." He ate another spoonful.

"It is the first true meal I have eaten in a very long time."

[oracleofseasons]

The girl didn't so much as bat an eyelash when he oh-so-nonchalantly mentioned prison food. She'd met people from all walks of life as part of the performer's troupe; and, well... someone who'd spent time in prison was far from the most colorful character she'd ever met.

"Cheers, then," She said with a bit of a mischievous grin, holding up her bowl. "To the first of many true meals."

A slight pause, followed by, "Though it seems they've got us all holed up pretty well here, so... from one prison to another, hm? Though hopefully it's a little more bearable than the last place you were."

[forhylia]

Link grinned, holding up his bowl playfully in a mockery of a toast.

"It is much more bearable thus far. And I was able to spend some time free before arriving." But it had certainly not been for pleasure.

"Does this mean I can assume that you have only just arrived as well?"

[oracleofseasons]

"You can assume whatever you want. In this case, your assumption just happens to be right."

Din laughed and took another bite of her oatmeal once their "toast" had finished, then shifted a little in her seat. Staying in one place for too long had never been her style, and she was itching to get moving again as soon as possible. If that meant shoveling down this slop, well, so be it.

She inclined her head, studying him for a moment or two. "So... had the chance to check out any of the other floors yet, or did you come straight here?"

[forhylia]

"No, it was straight to the food for me. Have you any idea what the other floors consist of?"

Link was more than interested. One hundred floors, supposedly, each unique and fascinating in its own right. He would see them all.

[oracleofseasons]

Din shrugged. "I have a vague idea. The floor above this one looks like it's got medical supplies in it... though they're not supplies I'm familiar with."

The infirmary was a lot more advanced than things had been in Holodrum.

"And above that floor, there's a room full of books. I didn't get to take a closer look at either of them, though."

cafeteria

[fusedstars]

"There is more food available within the kitchen when you are finished with your oatmeal. Good food I mean,"and all said by Hei when he walked past Link, setting a plate of food for a random person who asked for it. Considering he was always cooking here, it was no trouble to make something.

And true to Hei's word, there was a bounty of food in the kitchen if Link went. A plate or two had some missing, mainly because Hei was eating that as he went back and forth from cooking to eating.

[forhylia]

Link perked up at the mention of more food.

"Excellent! You have my thanks. Are we fed regularly here?" To him, this was good food. Hylia's gradual demise had led to a scarcity in good food and drink, and prison food was that much worse.

[fusedstars]

"I cook at the cafeteria at certain hours for others. Aside from that, you'll have to make most meals yourself."

Least the guy was enthusiastic about eating food. Hei didn't think anyone would show enjoyment for the oatmeal.

[great_king_of_evil]

When Link would engage in the corridor outside of his room, he may happen to see a certain King of Evil passing by. One whose powers and aura may be strikingly familiar for some sort of unexplained reason. In any case, Ganondorf would stop in his tracks as he saw that man leaving the dorm-- That one.

Obviously one of the heroes, yet different from all the other Links he had seen in his homeworld or in this tower so far-- And goddesses knew how numerous they were. However, he felt a particular rush of hatred upon seeing that particular Link. Not on a personal level, after all he knew nothing of that Link yet. No, but for so long had the heroes hindered his plans, both here and in Hyrule.

But now, he had needed one of them during his latest coup against the tower, when he cursed the very tower and imprisoned a third of its inhabitants. Right when he had needed one, they all disappeared. And now that this was all over, here was one of the Heroes. Always in his way, always sent by the Goddesses to prevent him from success.

[forhylia]

A shiver passed through Link's spine as the strange man passed by. A rush of dread, a sinking feeling in his stomach. No, he could not explain why. The Hylian had no reason to feel any animosity toward this man.

But he took mental note of him anyway. Something in his gut told him to. He continued on his way downstairs, on edge for no rational reason he could quite place. He was not afraid. Link hardly feared anything (which had proved to be his greatest weakness).

He just did not like the feeling this man gave him.

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer plops down in a chair next to Link's table, not even setting his food down before tearing off a chunk of his waffle and popping it in his mouth.]

Mm?

[He stares at Link's oatmeal.]

Oatmeal? You're new?

[forhylia]

[Link looks up from his bowl of lovely, delicious slop.]

Yes, I have only just woken up in my room.

[He doesn't seem too shaken by the sudden change.]

[puppy_lancer]

And nobody's told you anything about this place yet?

[At least this guy is calm about it.]

[forhylia]

[The Hylian shakes his head.]

No, but I was assuming it is a sort of afterlife. [A slightly wistful look comes over his face.] I already knew that most of my home was gone.

[The letter had hardly been a shock.]

[puppy_lancer]

[He gives a dry laugh.]

Well, this ain't heaven. But most of the people in here don't deserve hell.

[forhylia]

[Link's eyes narrow.]

Would you say that this is hell, then?

[It doesn't seem it. Free food, a library, an advanced infirmary...]

[puppy_lancer]

Nothing of the sort.

[He slowly shakes his head.]

Well...you could say it sort of is, given that our souls are stuck here. But it won't be hell for long. Not if we have anything to say about it.

shhh I'm totally not late to this and gomen for tl;dr

[sageprincess]

There is something strange about falling back into routine after the past... what, three weeks? It has felt like the world has constantly been shifting and shattering beneath her feet, and the most she has been able to do is hold on and hope for a foothold.

And yet, here she is once again, putting together a morning meal before starting the rest of her day. The choice of food is odd - so much chocolate and sugar! - but it's a welcome change from the constant strawberry pink of last month. Still, for now, she's content to go on with this routine - this false sense of peace...

... Until that green catches her eye.

It's been so long since she has last seen it, she hardly believes what so plainly sits before her. But the vision is persistent, it doesn't fade in and out of the corners of her vision, and for a moment, her heart races with the thought that maybe, just maybe, her Link has been returned to her.

Closer inspection proves this not to be the case, of course. This boy-- no, this man is taller, broader than the hero she knows, and there's a hardness in his eyes that she hopes dearly that her own Link will never have. But... there is this vague, ancient sense of familiarity in her heart, and despite knowing that this Link has no reason to know who she is, she crosses the cafeteria to place her plate across from him.

"... May I sit here?"

No you're never late and tl;dr is beautiful okay

[forhylia]

When Link heard a woman's voice ask to sit, he glanced up from his oatmeal to respond, but paused. It was the same feeling he had gotten when that man walked by him in the hall earlier, but somehow the opposite. The familiarity was there, but it was of the opposite sort. It was not dread that pooled in his chest, but a strange sense of reverence and... respect, was it? He couldn't tell. Perhaps it was something this place did to people, a synthetically induced feeling.

But goddesses, it felt as real as the mediocre slop in the bowl before him.

"Certainly." He finally found his words after a moment of foolish, open-mouthed staring. As he got a better look at her, something in his subconscience decided that she was younger than he remembered.

Younger than what, though?

sweet uwu

[sageprincess]

Zelda smiles politely in response, both in gratitude and to shake off the mild embarrassment that comes with being stared at. It's odd, though, the staring. He makes no reference to the Royal Family like many others have done upon meeting her, yet there is awe there that she cannot quite place.

Curious. But with permission granted, she takes her seat, momentarily glancing down at his meal before looking back up to the hero that sits before her.

"You have recently awoken here?" She asks, but it's more statement than question. She likes to think she would be one of the first to know if a Link was present in the Tower, and even besides that-- "Most who have been here a while will at least attempt to flavor the oatmeal with berries or fruits from the forest floors."

[forhylia]

"Yes, this is my first morning." He gave a slight laugh. She's the second person to make a comment about the oatmeal.

"I did not think it was too bad, but apparently I have simply been missing out on the good stuff!" Again, prison slop for four years left an impression on a man! He felt like he was dining like a king!

Her comment about forest floors caught his attention, but he let the conversation flow as it would. There was no point in bombarding her with questions.

[sageprincess]

"Hah, well, when there is something to be offered besides oatmeal or nutrition bars, most will take advantage of it," she says lightly, though there's a hint of nervousness in her tone that suggests something sinister about only having oatmeal and food bars to eat. She's not unfamiliar with having to scavenge for a decent meal, but Goddesses above, it's nice when she doesn't have to.

"But it is for the best, most likely," she continues. "New arrivals need to eat the oatmeal before anything else, lest they wish to, ah... become sick."

... Yes, that's a polite way to put it.

[forhylia]

Link raised an eyebrow at that.

"You get sick if you do not eat the oatmeal?" Good thing he didn't protest, then.