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towerofanimus2013-10-03 04:54 pm
sageprincess) wrote in towerofanimus2013-10-03 04:54 pm
Entry tags:
it's just another war
Characters: Zelda and the poor unfortunate souls that have to deal with her.
Setting: Dorm Floor 1, around the Tower, ending with Floor 25; backdated to October 1st
Format: Starting in action, will match.
Summary: Someone very important to the Princess has left the Tower. She tries to keep herself from swan diving off the handle with moderate success.
Warnings: Fighting monsters in the last prompt, general character instability and depression
Morning; outside Room 1-01
[The warm bath was all well and good, but after a week of being locked out of her dorm, what Zelda truly needed was sleep. And sleep she most definitely gets, even staying in a bit longer than usual in order to recuperate from the fatigue one is treated to when they fail to rest in their own bed for several days in a row. It's late morning by the time she emerges from her room to see if she can't catch the last few servings of breakfast.
That's when she notices a change in the nameplate of a familiar room.
She's been here long enough. She doesn't need to see the gravestone that has inevitably appeared on the forty-eighth floor to know what that means.
Her Hero is gone once more.
Time passes, and she seems to be unaware of it as she stands there, silent, a grim expression on her pale face, her hands clenched into white-knuckled, trembling fists. She stares at the nameplate for far longer than is necessary, seemingly lost to the world and anyone who might pass by.]
Throughout the day; various
[After recovering from the initial shock, the Princess slips back into the routine she had before the explosions with all the ease of someone who has been within these walls for far too long.
She can be found in the cafeteria at lunch (and, later, dinner), having been too late to catch breakfast. Distantly, she recognizes she should probably be more upset about having nothing but pumpkin to eat for the month again, but she cannot find the will for it, and so eats quietly and without complaint. Afterwards, she heads to the workshop where the green collar fluid research team has set up, once again helping with organization and data compilation, as is her role. When she has done as much as she is needed for (or is able to), she moves to the library to spend the rest of the day with a book she has likely read once or twice before.
No matter where she is, however, she is quieter than usual, and easily drifts off into her own little world. Her movements also reflect (or perhaps betray) how she is not all there today, seeming more like she's just going through the motions rather than with her usual focus and poise.]
Nightfall; Floor 25
[As evening approaches, she does not return to her room as she usually does, however. Instead, she retreats to the meadow just as its more sensible occupants are likely filing out, and waits, alone with her thoughts.
A dangerous thing, that.
She could have gone to the ninety-sixth floor, and wiped herself clean, letting blissful ignorance take the place of the loneliness she has come to despise so much. But she is Wisdom's child - such things are not fit for her - and she has been on the other side of that kind of amnesia, besides. She could have gone to the eighty-seventh floor, and let peaceful unconsciousness consume her. But such things are temporary, here, and she would only be back where she started, with an hour of sleep paralysis to do nothing but scream inside her own head and think about that which she does not want to. She could have gone to the forty-eighth floor, and quietly mourned over an empty grave. But what right does she have to such a thing when surrounded by the dozens, hundreds of names representing the souls she has damned?
What in Nayru's name has she been fighting for, anyway? She has seen the past and the future thanks to this wretched Tower. She has seen that even if by some miracle they restore the worlds, her country is still doomed and her soul is destined only to repeat this endless cycle of tragedy until the end of time.
"I will find you again. And again. Over and over, if I must, when the time is right. I will make sure things are set right. You are my friend, after all. I will not let you be alone any longer."
Has she been a fool all this time, to think that promise could be kept? To think that all the pain could be worth it, in the end? To think that maybe, just maybe, they could be more than what destiny had demanded of them?
The glamour sun sets, and she trembles with grief and anger begging to be released. Thankfully, in this instance, the Tower provides. The first wave of miniblins is quickly destroyed before they can even draw close in a wide arc of sacred flame, stronger than is necessary for such a weak mob and more encompassing than its wielder's precise style would typically demand. She flexes fingers that sparkle with magic, entire body faintly aglow with a divine aura as she, for once, allows the restraints on her emotions to fall.
She could have done many other things, but she is a princess, so if she must go down, she will at least go down fighting, even if she no longer knows why she is doing so.]
Setting: Dorm Floor 1, around the Tower, ending with Floor 25; backdated to October 1st
Format: Starting in action, will match.
Summary: Someone very important to the Princess has left the Tower. She tries to keep herself from swan diving off the handle with moderate success.
Warnings: Fighting monsters in the last prompt, general character instability and depression
Morning; outside Room 1-01
[The warm bath was all well and good, but after a week of being locked out of her dorm, what Zelda truly needed was sleep. And sleep she most definitely gets, even staying in a bit longer than usual in order to recuperate from the fatigue one is treated to when they fail to rest in their own bed for several days in a row. It's late morning by the time she emerges from her room to see if she can't catch the last few servings of breakfast.
That's when she notices a change in the nameplate of a familiar room.
| 1-01 Xion Sola-ui Nuadha-re Sophia-ri EMPTY EMPTY |
She's been here long enough. She doesn't need to see the gravestone that has inevitably appeared on the forty-eighth floor to know what that means.
Her Hero is gone once more.
Time passes, and she seems to be unaware of it as she stands there, silent, a grim expression on her pale face, her hands clenched into white-knuckled, trembling fists. She stares at the nameplate for far longer than is necessary, seemingly lost to the world and anyone who might pass by.]
Throughout the day; various
[After recovering from the initial shock, the Princess slips back into the routine she had before the explosions with all the ease of someone who has been within these walls for far too long.
She can be found in the cafeteria at lunch (and, later, dinner), having been too late to catch breakfast. Distantly, she recognizes she should probably be more upset about having nothing but pumpkin to eat for the month again, but she cannot find the will for it, and so eats quietly and without complaint. Afterwards, she heads to the workshop where the green collar fluid research team has set up, once again helping with organization and data compilation, as is her role. When she has done as much as she is needed for (or is able to), she moves to the library to spend the rest of the day with a book she has likely read once or twice before.
No matter where she is, however, she is quieter than usual, and easily drifts off into her own little world. Her movements also reflect (or perhaps betray) how she is not all there today, seeming more like she's just going through the motions rather than with her usual focus and poise.]
Nightfall; Floor 25
[As evening approaches, she does not return to her room as she usually does, however. Instead, she retreats to the meadow just as its more sensible occupants are likely filing out, and waits, alone with her thoughts.
A dangerous thing, that.
She could have gone to the ninety-sixth floor, and wiped herself clean, letting blissful ignorance take the place of the loneliness she has come to despise so much. But she is Wisdom's child - such things are not fit for her - and she has been on the other side of that kind of amnesia, besides. She could have gone to the eighty-seventh floor, and let peaceful unconsciousness consume her. But such things are temporary, here, and she would only be back where she started, with an hour of sleep paralysis to do nothing but scream inside her own head and think about that which she does not want to. She could have gone to the forty-eighth floor, and quietly mourned over an empty grave. But what right does she have to such a thing when surrounded by the dozens, hundreds of names representing the souls she has damned?
What in Nayru's name has she been fighting for, anyway? She has seen the past and the future thanks to this wretched Tower. She has seen that even if by some miracle they restore the worlds, her country is still doomed and her soul is destined only to repeat this endless cycle of tragedy until the end of time.
"I will find you again. And again. Over and over, if I must, when the time is right. I will make sure things are set right. You are my friend, after all. I will not let you be alone any longer."
Has she been a fool all this time, to think that promise could be kept? To think that all the pain could be worth it, in the end? To think that maybe, just maybe, they could be more than what destiny had demanded of them?
The glamour sun sets, and she trembles with grief and anger begging to be released. Thankfully, in this instance, the Tower provides. The first wave of miniblins is quickly destroyed before they can even draw close in a wide arc of sacred flame, stronger than is necessary for such a weak mob and more encompassing than its wielder's precise style would typically demand. She flexes fingers that sparkle with magic, entire body faintly aglow with a divine aura as she, for once, allows the restraints on her emotions to fall.
She could have done many other things, but she is a princess, so if she must go down, she will at least go down fighting, even if she no longer knows why she is doing so.]
Workshop
Right now, they're alone. Zelda is transcribing the notes she took in a more easily read manner and Arturia is putting things away. Throughout their work today Arturia had noticed how distant Zelda seemed. Almost mechanic. It has her worried. She's seen others here like that, but there's been no one else she's been inclined to truly ask about it.
So she approaches her friend, letting her concern show on her face.]
Zelda.... are you all right?
no subject
[Her reaction is delayed, to say the least. She blinks slowly at Arturia, needing a moment to pull herself out of her daze to understand what's being asked of her, but when she finally does, she simply looks back to her notes. Arturia will call her out on it if she lies, so she doesn't, but her tone is unnaturally even when she speaks, matching her carefully neutral (if a bit melancholy) expression.]
A friend is gone. I will be fine.
[She doesn't know that, not for sure, but she has to say it. Her position doesn't allow otherwise.]
no subject
In the long run, Zelda might be. About as fine as Arturia is or anyone else who has lost someone here, knowing the danger those left on their worlds are now in. Arturia rounds the table to stand closer to Zelda.
It's..... awkward. Being like this, wanting to reach out. It's been so long since she tried to help someone like this that Arturia isn't quite sure how she'll manage it.
She remembers the look Zelda had when her mind had gone, when she had questioned if she had only just awoken in the Tower. The shock, the pain, followed by the shutdown and then the sheer relief when Arturia--then, Arthur--had explained her situation.]
....Would you like me to stay here with you a while?
no subject
Please.
[Another moment of quiet passes, enough for Arturia to grab a chair, perhaps, before Zelda speaks up again. Her voice is smaller, more uncertain, as though treading thin ice.]
... Could I ask you about your life?
[She's never tried asking Arturia for advice before, knowing how poorly her counterpart had reacted to even being reminded of her kingship. But now, she feels so lost and weak, deprived once more of the light of hope that kept her going during seven years of darkness, and maybe, after all they've been through together, Arturia will understand.]
no subject
....it's Zelda. The woman looks so utterly hopeless. She's just a maiden, only a little older than Arturia had been when she took her throne. Despite her confidence in her ability to save the Kingdom and lead, Arturia had spent a great deal of her early rule nervous as scared and had moments where she'd wondered if she'd gotten in over her head.
If Zelda wants to know about her life, it's fine. Arturia makes herself relax and nods. For all they've done together, they really don't know each other that well. Perhaps it's time to change that?]
....All right. What is it you wish to know?
[As painful as her life has been, as many awful things as she's done, she will not lie or sugar coat it. Zelda wishes to know the truth.]
no subject
Just... how did you do it? Stay so strong for your people, despite everything?
[Maybe the stories she heard from Arthur (the nation, not the king) had been idealized and embellished over time, but... Arturia clearly did something right, if the descendants of her people would look to her as the Once and Future King that would rise again whenever they needed her. With Hyrule doomed to a watery grave, Zelda hardly believes she would ever achieve such a thing. But... perhaps, if she could just grasp a sliver of that greatness...
Her gaze returns to her papers, though she's not looking at them so much as she is looking through them.]
I have only been in a kind of leadership position for a few months, but...
[She's already so tired.]
no subject
[She sighs, looking to the ceiling now. It's hard, talking about it, but there is no way she can say no to Zelda. Not after all they have been through.]
My country was on the verge of collapse with raiders coming from every direction tearing us apart. The previous king had died some years previously. Many had believed him childless, so there were many lords fighting against one another for the right to rule. No one, not even myself, knew he had had a daughter he did not want. It wasn't until several years after the start of my reign I even knew of my relation to him.
[She can still picture it, the people who would pass through Ector's estate seeking shelter, their homes having just been torched and raided and not knowing who the culprit was: barbarians or a rival lord or even bandits. Times were hard and somehow Sir Ector had made sure those who lived on his small estate had wanted for nothing and been safe. To this day Arturia has no idea how he managed it.]
In such a time of hopelessness, the thing the people needed most was someone to unite behind, someone willing to fight for those who could not fight for themselves. I was.... a little younger than you when I took the throne. Fifteen, no head for politics at all, and not quite understanding what it meant to be a King. I knew that it would end in heart ache. Merlin made sure I knew because of how young I was, but....
....but to be a King means you need to be willing to throw away even your compassion at times. Especially in such desperate times. You have to force yourself to be the ideal you wish to be to lead the people and inspire hope in them to go on.
Despite that.... I had people close to me. My brother and father--er, adopted brother and father--to keep me grounded. Truthfully, I think not having a head for politics at the time is what got me through the first years. I didn't understand nor care about what the warring lords wanted for themselves or the significance of their feuds. All I cared about was that the people were suffering and was willing to do anything to make it stop. Anything to make that country into a beautiful utopia I had seen in my dreams.
I had to learn quick, however, that also meant no longer being human in any way. There are simply some problems that are not as black and white as they appear and.... well....
....if I hadn't, I very much doubt I could have handled the realities of war. [Not at that age, not when her first true war was over her claim to the throne.]
no subject
How arrogant she was, to think she could measure up to such a person. She no longer thinks she could do the same, now that she's grown to rely and confide in people after years of not being able to.]
Ah... I-- I see. ... It must have been terribly lonely, to act as though you were without a heart.
[Only act, notably, because from what she's seen, she's certain Arturia never truly threw her heart away. She's too kind, too noble to only have a hole where empathy and compassion should be.]
no subject
[She cannot deny that. Not anymore.]
But it was what the people needed at the time and.... well. It's hard to have a heart when you have to choose between villages to settle your troops nearby, knowing their drain on resources could devastate it. But if you do not do it, then that means barbarians could pass through and raid the three villages beyond that one and then get out of control. It's....
[She takes a deep breath, looking down at her hands.]
There is no easy way to rule. No way that is not painful. A crown is a burden and a responsibility no matter how you look at it. You have a better chance at handling it than I, having been raised to it. You know better what it is your country needs. Mine? Mine needed a hero. A general. A hero. Someone to look up to. Something I could manage very well.
And when peace set in and there was no wars or battles left to fight, it needed a politician, something I was woefully inept at. [Because when there was no war, no enemy to unite the people against, the people wound up fighting one another, followed by the lords once they realized the people were against her now, too. Arturia could handle being a 'God of War' as she had been called toward the end of her reign. She could not handle her own people--her own son (?)--turning against her.]
In the end, I was just not enough to keep the Kingdom peaceful and I saw it burn to ash before my very eyes. [In more ways than one.]
no subject
[Said simply with the slightest ghost of a smile crossing her lips, for no matter how Arturia may deny it, she knows that fact to be true. After all, it was her country who first told her of the legend of King Arthur.
The hint of encouragement in her tone quickly vanishes however, as she addresses something that doesn't sound right to her ears.]
... But you are wrong about me knowing better. It is true I was born a princess, but... I have not acted in such a capacity for a very long time.
[And it is her turn to sigh and look down, recounting the most unfortunate parts of her past.]
A usurper slew the King, my father, when I was child. My attendant and I escaped, but we were forced into hiding, lest we meet the same fate. My country needed a hero as well, but I was not it, so we waited for seven years until that hero appeared.
In truth, my skills at this time have more to do with merely surviving rather than ruling a kingdom.
[And maybe they'll never improve, no matter how much she tries, given the fate that ultimately awaits Hyrule.]
no subject
If she knew a way to undo her wish, she would. But what can she do now with no way to gain her freedom? The world is dead and should it ever be revived she would return to being a puppet with not even the Grail War to save her as it potentially could have for Archer.]
But you know people with experience in ruling who can help you, yes? People willing to work with you instead of seeing you as the usurper?
Though I suppose your skills with survival are what has you best suited to this place, as little comfort as that brings to you. Though I am surprised you waited for a hero to appear instead of going looking for him once you were old enough. ['Being that hero' not being in Zelda's cards she could understand. Zelda had only been a child when it first happened, after all.]
no subject
[Her answer is simple, but with a certain amount of distance to it. The last thing she needs to remember right now is Impa saying goodbye before rushing off to the Shadow Temple. Perhaps the sages weren't dead in the truest sense, but they likely won't be doing much advising from their place in the Sacred Realm.]
As for the Hero... his location was not a secret. Rather, he was inaccessible.
[Deep breath. Even now, it's hard not to feel guilty about Link's time in stasis.]
You are familiar with the idea of certain blades holding great power. In Hyrule, there is a sword known as "The Blade of Evil's Bane," The Master Sword, capable of defeating any evil that should plague the land. Link drew the sword from its pedestal in the Temple of Time after my flight from Hyrule Castle in hopes it would help him stop Ganondorf, the usurper. But... he was also only a child at the time, not yet ready to bear the burden of his destiny. So the sword sealed him away somewhere safe, where he would then sleep until he was old enough to face the Evil King.
[She stops there, her brow furrowed, inner conflict evident in her eyes. She should have known, she should have warned him, but she didn't, and everyone in Hyrule suffered for it.]
no subject
[And everyone around Zelda who could possibly help her is gone. A sad smile comes across Arturia's face as she reaches out to rest a hand over her friend's.]
I.... I do not know the best words for such a thing. But you are a strong person, Zelda. Unlike me you have managed to come this far without having to give up your heart. [Zelda can't just flip a switch like it feels like Arturia can at times.] You succeeded in saving your Kingdom. I am sure you will be able to find good people to help you in rebuilding now that Ganondorf is....
[That's when it hits her. She had known Ganondorf and Zelda were enemies before, but is the one in the Tower the same one?]
....It's the same man we worked with, isn't it?
no subject
Perhaps in that way, it's fortunate Arturia shifts the subject. The inner conflict in her eyes melts away, replaced by hardness. Her voice is similarly terse.]
Yes, it is. He comes from hundreds of years in the future, but nothing outside of his appearance has changed.
no subject
[She hadn't even realized they were from similar worlds.]
no subject
[She sighs, losing some of her steam.]
It is not something I like to think about.
[Hylia and the Demon King, Ganondorf's own curse upon her descendants... is there truly no escape from this endless tragedy?]