middaeg | ( closed-ish ) tawol athodu

[ She's nothing if not punctual, so Zelda keeps things to a schedule to allow for an easy, enjoyable time. She does decide, ultimately, that if Nier is going to bond with her and his word is true— in order to help rebuild Hyrule, he will need some sway with a title. It's one that she feels, for nostalgia's sake, should be a celebration, and so she does send out small invitations. Shy as she is, she's still Hyrule's crown princess, and while her cabin lacks the pomp of the castle, it is still her home.

As far as a knighting ceremony goes, it's quiet, with less focus on a sword and more on Zelda reciting things from memory with her hand held out. Anyone who attends is asked to sit outside a circle, because this, too, is her own sort of bonding ceremony.

Once that's over, you're free to ask questions, rifle through her things (she has an embarrassing journal to read!) and there's probably a dead shade some odd feet away deep in the woods to poke. Mostly, she'll be thanking people for attending: These are meant to be celebrations, after all. ]

[ Saber finds the cabin very pleasant. Its not a castle or a palace, but it doesn't need to be. It feels as if suits Zelda and suits the situation. More than anything, Saber's pleased to be there for the ceremony. It's a bit different from the knighting ceremon she performed a hundred times, but it still tugs at her heartstrings a little. Echoes of home, recreated and transformed in this new place.

She actually has a bit of a smile on her face when she approaches Zelda after all is said and done. ]

That was well-done. And now you have a knight.

[ At some point after the ceremony, he makes an excuse to Jonas and inconspicuously slips away from the celebration to investigate the cabin. Why? Because Stiles is a nosy little shit who just can’t help himself, that’s why. And so, he wanders from room to room with aimless intent. While he doesn’t go through drawers, he otherwise has no sense of shame; when he spots the journal, his eyes light up in delight. Jackpot. If it’s unlocked, Stiles will waste no time in skimming the entries. If it is locked, he’ll attempt to pick it without leaving any evidence of his misdeed behind. ]

[ She really should have expected this, or prepared for it. Wayward heroes with self-doubt coloring their spirits have a habit of prying into her private thoughts, and this is no different— the diary in question is unlocked, if only because she rarely let people into her abode. Stiles' curiosity is rewarded with pages upon pages of her thoughts and notes, scribbles of a flower in the margins. Really, the girl should look into bullet journaling.

Of note, there's a fair few entries about Nier— unsurprising, in truth.

"I met a man called Nier last night. He is a vampire, and prefers to feed on animals over people, it seems. I found him in the act of feeding and he seemed as if he were cold; I removed my coat and offered it to him. The winter chill is still here, the ice sticking to the grass in the mornings... I realize now, that since he is a vampire, the act was ultimately useless. He saved my life, but refused to let me go home. He seemed a horrible brute, picking me up and carrying me all the way to his apartment where he refused to let me go without a good night's rest... I suppose I cannot blame him for showing concern, as I have no idea how long the Shade had been stalking me. If it had followed me all the way to my cabin, not only is my security quite vulnerable, but my magic has all but gone from me. Is it strange to think of someone as both a savior and captor? Yet, it is what it is. I only regret contacting Jonas so suddenly in the night. I fear letting him worry too much about me, there is a great deal of danger in my life... Both behind me and before me."

The entries about him seem to follow a similar pattern, though it seems Zelda had thought for some time that the man named Nier hated her. There's a few things of quick note that may stick out.

"I had thought he hated me, but he promised to rebuild Hyrule with me. He had at once claimed that it mattered not to him that I am the Princess of Hyrule, and only that I am myself... Now that I am accepting this role, the Gods have allowed me to meet someone who seems me as someone who can be my own. How strange and cruel to hear these things now..."

"I find myself seeking his company quite easily now, the discomfort having ebbed away as quickly as it came. He does not speak at length of himself but the things he does say are insightful and easy to connect into a grander picture. At his heart, Nier is someone who will always take care of others before himself... I wish to see that change, if only to support him myself. If that is something he will permit me to do, then I would do it gladly."

Of course, as Stiles knows, that has come to fruition with a bonding.

But there's mentions of him and Jonas, too, quite at length— it seems the princess has a great deal of fondness for the two of them. A scribble of a spider crawls across one page, and beneath it sits a paragraph.

"Though I know little of Stiles' truth, he is easy to be around and I find myself growing more and more relaxed in his presence. His kindness is oft brusque in a way. I fear he is trying to keep me at a distance, but I shall learn more about him in silence, if I must. If our shared dream comes to pass, he shall manifest as an Arachne. I fear for his changes, but he is not weak. Perhaps I trust him too much or too little, but there is no in between... He reminds me a great deal of Revali, but he has the spirit of a hero. I know this for he trusted me with that bat pup...

But above all else, he is someone I wish to be a friend to, and to know. His mysteries may be deep, but of all the people in Aefenglom, in Hyrule... Stiles is one of the few people I believe I can find common ground with. As if I, too, can simply make friends with someone."

A shorter paragraph notes, "His name isn't Stiles, apparently. How mysterious! I imagine he does not do this on purpose. He insist there isn't anything grand about him but... In truth, he reminds me a bit of Link... not in mannerism or speech, but it seems as if something is over his head. Perhaps some day he shall share what is in his heart with me. As a friend to him, it is my greatest wish to see him smile with a light heart..."

At length, his name and Nier come up the most, as well as Jonas'. In fact, the first entry that mentions him is quite to the point:

"It is not that making friends was impossible for me, but that as the Princess of Hyrule, living in the castle did not always lend easily to it. Jonas is the first person I have met that is been a friend to me because of myself... because of Zelda. The difference between his treatment of me and many others' upon finding out who I am is quite easy to notice... It is both a comforting feeling and yet it highlights the chasm between myself and others, one that I wish to cross with more confidence. I spent some time with him taking pictures, something that others in Hyrule did not have much fondness for. Having a shared hobby certainly helps."

But another paragraph, shortly after the entire Thing involving a Shade notes yet again, "It is curious that I found myself contacting him so easily and quickly... I shall make it up to him soon, in any way that I can. Perhaps some personalized clothing. I am used to embroidering my family's crest into such things but in this instance I must consider what he might like. I wonder who I could ask that?"

One last entry sticks out, if he noticed the woman who looks strikingly similar to Zelda. "My ancestor and I shall be before all these friends I have tomorrow. I wish only for people to view us as two separate people... I wish not to sully her great accomplishments with my failures, and it would be a shame to tarnish the Hyrule family name here. In Aefenglom, I only need say what is necessary...

To the people I have told the truth, I wish it does not burden you as it does me. I worry that she is disappointed in me. Her victory ruined by my own actions..."

This morning's entry?

A drawing of the same flower. Next to the journal, he'll find the live version of that flower, potted. ]

Edited (HELLO. CODING.) 2020-03-20 04:33 (UTC)

[ It’s a rare occurrence for Stiles to actually feel any semblance of guilt over snooping. Today, the earnest and sincere words throughout these journal entries have him cringing with shame. He doesn’t trust easily, has formed a dark, resigned, and cynical view of the world and its people after experiencing hell. Yet he finds himself questioning those views now after having read sentiments this pure. Fuck. Stiles flinches back the burn of tears, embarrassed by his reaction, and takes out his own notebook. There’s no way he can pretend he didn’t read these entries, convenient though it would be. The need to…to respond somehow, even if it earns him her censure, has him hurriedly writing down in his notebook, a page that he then tears out and slides into her journal. After, wiping at his face, he returns the journal to where he found it and exits the room.

When next Zelda opens her journal, she’ll find that slip of paper. On it is a drawing of a spider holding out a flower that looks suspiciously like the potted one. Below that is simply a name, the first time he’s given it to anyone in Aefenglom. “Mieczysław Stiles Stilinski.” ]

[This sort of...ceremony...is a little odd to Edelgard, given her own bonds...but then she isn't bonded to any knights. And has grown up in a very different way. She settles in silently, watching and waiting, not saying a word to anyone.

What she does do is approach after it's all over is get up and approach Zelda with a small parcel under her arm.]

Congratulations seem to be in order, Zelda.

(stiles ditched him to take the longest dump of all time, apparently, so jonas lingers out of the way in something incrementally more classed up. marie antoinette has an eye for fashion, and he couldn't exactly put down her ideas. because he's a fucking pushover.

zelda finds her way to him, prompting jonas to look away from a weird, weathered painting. points to it, pulling a face.)

Nice. (emphasizing the gaudy frame with a rap of a knuckle, before turning to her altogether and approaching with an immediate extension of his hand to proffer a shake.) Thanks for the invite. That was like, the coolest ritual I've ever seen performed. All the others have been weirdly satanic. My alchemy professor's a bit "off."

(if she's open to shaking his hand, he's turning it into a gentle pull. time for a hug from this oversized loser.)

Seriously. Congrats.

[It's a little surreal, if she's being honest. Even outside of the fact that this is her millenia-removed descendant she's watching, and that they look even more like mirror images when they're both clad is Hyrulean blue.

It's been so long since she's attended anything like this. The cadence of her descendant's words is familiar as she recites oaths and vows that sound so well practiced, but she likely wouldn't be able to repeat them if she were asked to do so, so far removed she has been from the pomp and circumstance of courtly life. Her mind wanders to a million different little things as the ceremony progresses, but she ensures they are kept all to herself, quiet and intent as she observes.

She doesn't approach her immediately after all is said and done; she allows the various friends she's so quickly made to have their chances first and keeps herself back, not wanting to risk taking anything away from those who this celebration is truly about. Only once the majority have had their turn at the princess' ear does she step forward.]

That was a lovely ceremony.

[Not... that she has much to compare it to, but she does seem genuine in her approval. It was quiet and meaningful, and that's more than enough, here and now.]

[ She had sewn herself a simple gown, embroidered the Hyrule crest into a belt, and worn that. It's moveable, not too flow-y, for the ease of it. She may have to wear it outside special occasions after all, since her wardrobe is still rather limited presently. It's a minute detail, one that she is unable to stop fussing over outside the room where they're supposed to begin the ceremony. ]

I have been doing some research about the subject in question. [ Her voice comes as a surprise to her, for Zelda had not realized she wanted to speak until now. ] Initially, bonding was something witches did between themselves, and familiars when necessary. Apparently, a bond between witches was something that ran a strong risk... I suppose that threat has not gone away, though a union between two witches is not something I've heard of recently, I admit. [ She pauses. ]

I suppose what I am saying is that I did ask, but you have the option to leave, still, if you wish. I will bear you ill will, Nier. It is a great deal I ask of you with this... and it is your final chance.

[ She wouldn't want to keep him from making that choice if it's something he wants to do. ]

[ in turn, he is fitted in a tunic she's sewn for him, the headband in his hair missing for a change. he lets her speak, first — he finds it important to always grant her that privilege. ]

...You've never taken life. I could tell from the moment we met.

[ there's a pause. his head raises as he meets her gaze. ]

But for a long time...all I did was kill. Families, innocents, people who wanted to live just as much as I did. And by the time I was done — there was nothing left. I gave up everything for my purpose. For...her.

For myself.

[ the words escape him through slow exhales, and the ice blue of his eyes steels. ]

I chose you, Zelda. But the one who will feel the weight of this — it's not going to be me.

[ As he speaks, her heart feels heavy. She's not sure with what, but she knows that he means what he says. He believes in his heart of hearts that whatever is in him is too great to carry for her, and though she holds his gaze the entire time he speaks, she eventually looks down once he falls silent. ]

I shall not deny you the truth. You are right.

[ She shakes her head. It's true. In comparison to her, he is much more worldly, and here she is— her mother had called her little bird, and perhaps she had always been something like a bird in a cage. ]

I will carry that weight, but not for you. For myself.

[ She places a hand to her chest. ]

The person I see is someone whose encumbrance I wish to carry for no reason other than I believe he is worth it, even if it will be heavy. Your heart is worth a great many things, Nier. I see strength in it, perhaps where you do not.

[ So she places a hand over her heart. ]

A bond is a pledge to a new start to one's life and a pledge to walk that path together. Lunar tears grant wishes, but I wish to create my own life, and I see no one more worthy of standing with me than you.

[ he’s here too, standing in front of the very vibrant and teal two tier cake he made, accompanied by a jug of lemonade. because what is an event without food! nothing, that’s what. ]

Edited 2020-03-09 22:34 (UTC)

[Edelgard doesn't know Nier, but if he's important to Zelda, then she should at least greet him. So, a white haired, purple eyed woman wearing dark reds with several eagle emblems is approaching with a nod.]

Congratulations on your bond, sir.

Ah...thank you. [ it's said a bit sheepishly, a hand now moving to rub at the back of his head. ]

You're a friend of hers, right? I'm glad you were able to support her.

I am.

[She smiles back, muted, restrained as always.]

And I could do no less. She's a sweet person. Kind, and clever. The least I can do is support her.

(never mind the fact that he stills thinks zelda was held against her will by nier... if she says it's alright and she's willing to bond with him, then how bad could he be? he helped her away from the dead shade out back, and knowing it's there is surprisingly comforting. like a stinky, bug-eaten corpse that links them all together. aw...

jonas is admiring nier's cake with a quirk of a brow before offering him a half-smile and an open hand. we shake like men.)

Congrats, "Sir" Nier. (good one, jonas.) ... I'm really happy for you two.

[ the handshake is accepted, even if it is...more formal than he's used to. medieval settings and the end of the world, you know the drill. nier's grip is firm — a little rigid before it eases into something lax. ]

Thank you. [ he says with a nod of the head, his smile an amiable one. ] I'm just glad that she has friends who want to support her. If you could keep treating her kindly, you'd have my gratitude.

Say no more, dude, (raising a hand to stop him right there, determined to prove that he will,) Zelda's been such a constant. She really helped me out and I think we get on pretty well, so– you know, she's got me.

(this, however, isn't solely zelda's moment. nier's here celebrating with his cute cake and jonas isn't stopping at a handshake.)

I don't have anything to toast you with, so I'll just... uh, say it outright. Anything you need, you've got me too. Any Bonded of Zelda's is a friend of mine.

Edited 2020-03-15 15:58 (UTC)

She's a kind person — and she feels the same way about you, too. Zelda cherishes the friends she's made here. So long as you let her be at your side, I think she'll be happy.

[ nier's eyes brighten, and he raises his hands in submission, as if to handwave away any worries. ]

Ah—...I'm fine. I'm a mercenary, so...my blade is yours, if you need it. An ally of Zelda's is an ally of mine, too. If you find yourself in trouble, you can call for me.

[ or her and she can tell her murderous vampire of a bondmate that her friend needs something killed — it's fine, and his features haven't at all faltered. ]

That's really sweet, (don't try to choke him up, okay, he swore he wouldn't make a scene tonight.) I guarantee she'll always be welcome. So, I guess that's our duty to her... just making sure she's content here.

(the shrug's mirrored, before a hand's outstretched to clap down on nier's shoulder in a brief, warm pat. solidarity.)

Man, it sounds so knightly when you say it like that. ("my blade is yours," oooooh my.) You really are cut out for this gig. I'll definitely do that, 'cause I'm totally accident prone. Are you settling into the vampire life well? Like, you doing okay and everything?

It isn’t your duty. [ he says with a very, very light laugh. ] She’s your friend, and your hers. You and... [ give him a moment, he’s recalling... ] Stiles? She may be a princess — but she’s still Zelda.

She likes you both. Come see her when you can, okay? It would make her happy.

[ nier’s voice brims with warmth, although there is the slightest (involuntary) flinch at jonas’ touch. he relaxes into it after a brief moment, and his features turn a bit bashful at being praised. ]

Fighting is what I do. That’s all. I protect my allies no matter the cost, so don’t hesitate. [ one of his fangs grinds against his teeth. ] Been fine. There are places for us...and animals do the trick too. Was there a reason you asked?

I'm only kidding, don't worry. Gotta' stick with tonight's theme.

(his only "duty" is to this cake, am i right. jonas eyes it and points, checking back on nier in a silent "can i?")

I've never met any princesses back home, so it's pretty easy for me to– not ignore it, but I guess... forget she is one? Not having any prior experience with friends helps, too. I think we're both bumbling around trying to get used to this kinda' thing. (he's glad nier seems ready to correct him, hoping he'll continue to do so in the future. he'd never want to accidentally hurt her feelings—or anyone else's for that matter—by using the wrong terms.)

It seems rough to go through the changes. Being a vampire, or other kind of Monster, must be hard. I'm glad you've been alright... that's all the reason behind it, actually. My friend keeps a bunch of rats, now.

Oh! Right.

[ his expression is that of a dumbfounded dog’s. a real airhead, through and through. ]

She’s a princess, but it seems like she wants to be a normal girl too. There isn’t any difference between you two besides blood. One of my closest friends was a king, and all that separated was us how nice his house was. Ah...

What a nice bathtub...

[ anyways... ]

You’ll both get used to it. There are a lot of nice people here. I think they’ll like you, too. [ a lax smile as he slices a piece of cake, gesturing it towards him. ]

It’s been hard on some of us. Some of the natives here don’t...hm, like our kind? I’m fine with it — I go where I want to go...but it makes surviving harder for the others. Just make sure your friend hunts regularly. And if they need blood, I can give them my game too.

(accepting the cake with a quiet "thanks," brandishing one of the forks set aside.)

You're a tub man, huh? I respect that. There's nothing like a nice, long bath. (now that he's thinking about it that's all he wants to do, planning to soak later when he gets back to the cottage. as for kings, queens, princesses, and whatever other titles people like to sling around:) We've got royalty in our world, but they're kind of a joke now. It's super outdated.

I'll respect her position, but I'm not gonna' treat her any differently.

Just like I'm not gonna' treat any of you Monsters differently. (that's not his modus operandi, particularly fond of most of the ones he's met.) I'll let him know about your offers. I'm like, pretty sure he'll say no... but it's still super thoughtful of you. I can't imagine having to drink blood or, uh, not being able to eat your favourite foods anymore. Is there any way to make it taste good...?

Blood wine? Blood pudding? Blood... ice cubes?

[It would be rude not to meet the in-laws, now, wouldn't it.

The other Zelda approaches Nier sometime after the mingling portion of the celebration has gotten well under way, a polite smile on her lips.]

... I would wager that formal introductions are not strictly necessary. [Given that his Zelda said his name several times during her speech, and she's wearing a gown that very nearly matches the other princess' own.] But I would like to thank you, for watching over my descendant.

[ the woman before him strikes an uncanny resemblance to his bonded. there's a pause, and he offers her a courteous nod, having recalled that zelda said she would invite her ancestor. ]

It isn't any trouble. Thank you for supporting her. [ the words come easily, but slowly and surely do his bonded's stories — the ones she'd told him of how her lineage had defined her, how there were other zeldas, each and every one expected to take the place of the other — begin to weigh over his mind.

carefully: ]

...Is your name Zelda too?

[Ah, yes, she supposes she should get used to this sort of conversation. Uncertainty flickers around the edges of her expression, but she nods, gesturing to herself with a hand placed above her heart.]

It is, yes. It is tradition for all firstborn daughters of the royal family to be named Zelda, after the founder of our kingdom.

[A pause, and then, her hesitation becoming more pronounced.]

... I apologize in advance for any confusion that may cause during our time here.

( closed-ish ) tawol athodu

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i'm sorry zelda

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CLOSED — NIER

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