middaeg | so now, what should i do

[ Spring weather brings people out in crowds, bakeries alike all drawing crowds in the mornings and evenings as commuters make their way through the city. This particular Monday morning had been nearly catastrophic as all hands were on deck to get sweets and breads and pies and cakes and who knows what else pushed through the door before anyone had a mind to complain. Zelda hardly has the capacity to move away from her station now— which is where you come in.

The chime from the door opening directs her attention from an order form she's cross-checking with some notes, for some reason. If nothing else, at least she tries to keep record of everything. Immediately, her brows raise and she swings the counter open to approach, fists to her chest as she leans in. ]

Have you gotten the flour?

[ Any slice of cake you want for free if you bring her a bag from the shop several blocks over had been the deal— and it looks like, from the way her gaze is narrowed with concern and hope, this is of great importance and needed posthaste. ]

[ An absolutely massively thick tire comes hurtling out of the shop, directly for your face.

Zelda is, for the moment, nowhere to be seen.

What do you do? ]

[ It happens that Zelda is of the opinion that the best way to get a job done is to go all in. When Pile says he has work for her, and then offhandedly mentions paying more for flora from outside the city, beyond the walls, where things might be a little stickier, it seems like something she's ready for. She does, after all, live in a cabin out in the woods— danger is a possibility that she's courted many nights this week alone. Probably.

Okay, she still takes the suggestion of a partner to venture out with. She's used to an escort, to an extent, though she does give Pile a scrutinizing look for implying she isn't capable of caring for herself. The woman he tells her might be available for it is someone who does, to be fair, look like she's seen a fair few battles. Briefly, Zelda wonders if it'll be in their best interest to explain what isn't poisonous out there, but she doesn't look foolish, at least. Byleth and Zelda take to the world outside the Wall, and within moments Zelda is already in the dirt, fingernails scraping at soil and grass, plucking greenery from the Earth, roots and all. ]

Have you seen this plant before?

[ She cups a flower in her hands, mud rolling from her palms, and the root hanging from between where her hands meet. The tear drop shaped plant is a deep, midnight blue like the night sky from the center, and it bleeds into white petals. Zelda presses it closer to Byleth's face, eager to share it with her. ]

The Royal Blue Calla Lily! They're quite rare, and difficult to breed, but they're beautiful, don't you think? In my homeland, Calla Lilies were used for bridal bouquets. The shape is rather unique to this genus, but...

[ She tilts her head. ]

It quite matches your hair, Byleth! [ She smiles, then, overcome with her excitement. It looks like coming out here really wasn't a bad idea. ]

[ byleth says little beyond the initial introductions, really. she hasn't missed mercenary work, but a simple escort job for retrieving plants? it sounds... nice. like an interesting change of pace. something about meeting another blonde-haired, pointed-eared young woman named zelda is a surprise...

but this girl seems very different from the hylian princess she's met already. she can't quite imagine the zelda she met on the night of the meteor shower scrabbling in the dirt to uproot a flower. ]

Ah... you think so? [ there's a fractional smile at what she... thinks? is a compliment, along with zelda's enthusiasm being fairly infectious. even in her dark armor and well-armed, she just... looks like a sort of awkward young woman. here in aefenglom she's finding that it's... nice, to be treated like a peer. no baggage or deference. ] I'm not sure that I have, but... I do like it. I took to cultivating flowers at home, and I grew dozens of lilies... but none like this. How are calla lilies different?

[ they certainly don't look like lilies. or the lily of the valley plants she grew occasionally, either. ]

Edited 2020-04-14 05:05 (UTC)

[ A silent companion is certainly nothing new to Zelda, who spent days and weeks and months in Link's presence. In truth, what had once been a discomfort has become a source of pleasant nostalgia. She has a lot of experience with those silent protagonists, for sure. ]

I believe so. [ Holding it up over Byleth's ear, she tilts her head and hums thoughtfully. The edges of blue leaking into the white turns a lovely sea foam color, one that glows almost golden when held against the sun's ray. ] I am sure Pile won't mind if we take a bit for ourselves. [ Without a second thought, she pulls the roots from it, and slides it over Byleth's ear. ] There we are.

[ As Byleth explains that she grew lilies, asking about the differences between the common ones and the rarer ones, Zelda continues to smile. She thinks of another person, someone who had grown her a special flower not too long ago. She glances at the other woman's hands, and then explains in a matter of fact tone: ]

This particular color is quite rare. You don't see them often, and the bulbs will go for quite high. I'd say this alone is a discovery worth returning over. In addition to their beautiful color, they way callas grow is distinguished from their canna cousins. Canna lillies will grow from the spikes, but the calla do not.

[ Fingers laced and back straight, Zelda nods. ]

The flower suits you. It takes delicate hands to grow flowers.

[ It is a small kitten that carries her over to the abandoned theater. It looks too tiny to be left alone, out here among the Cwyld where anything could happen. Surely there would be a way to care for it easily and if she needed help, she could ask someone. It would be easier. Perhaps Jonas...?

It leads her down a hill and across an empty field where it is littered with wood and the remnants of trees, the blooms settling in for Spring still. It is the chill of winter keeping them in their beds still, but the promise of life always breaks through. The little life that leads her away from the trail comes to the doors of the theater, where it begins to scratch and mewl relentlessly, begging for entrance. ]

Come now, [ Zelda says, panting. She stops just behind the kitten, hands on her hips. ] It is quite still out here, you'll find, aside from you and I, little one. Let's go home. [ Dipping, she plucks it up, and it continues to meow and meow, wriggling and thrashing. ]

[he's been tearing up the theater for an hour at this point. the fact that Ignatz had gotten outside is a cold possibility in his stomach, and he has to believe that somehow the little one had only snuck up in a room in the theater he's not usually in, drawn out by curiosity and not anything else. he can't lose the cat too, can't not find him to feed him and ensure he's healthy, warm, content in his life-

(he can't be alone in this place. neither of them can be alone right now.)

the distant sound of meowing reaches his ears, and he knows that particular voice well enough to abandon his search in the prop storage he was searching through and tear his way over to the door, which he opens with wide eyes and his heart seizing for a second before it hammers again. the cat, trying desperately to wiggle free in his distress, and a face he hadn't seen for a few weeks now - not since Andersen went away.

the man that faces Zelda with a mixture of shock and relief is a stranger, but his hair is stark white, and his eyes are golden with strange cross-shaped pupils - a trait that her regular feline visitor had as well.]

Ignatz. How did you get out there?

[he's reaching for the little one, stroking his head - immediately the kitten seems to calm some, though he still doesn't quite know what to do being held by a stranger.]

[ if byleth is being honest, she has no fondness for lilies. she tended them because she knew some of her allies enjoyed them, and in her academy days they were constantly in the greenhouse whether she planted them or not.

seiros had, she had thought, thoroughly ruined them for her in any case. but something about this one... the comparison zelda made, the blue slowly overtaking the white, and the complementary look it has to the red carnations she had grown by the dozens...

she quite likes this flower. a slightly...embarrassed? and questioning look crosses her face at that last comment, particularly with how plainly zelda stated it. she bows her head, briefly, in appreciation. ]

I... thank you, Zelda. That's not a compliment I've been paid before. [ she pauses. ] You're not connected to the other Zelda by chance, are you?

[ It may be a compliment she has not been paid before, but Zelda believes in it. There are people who are forced to pick up a blade, for better or for worse, because they have no other path before them. People who she has come to regard as close friends, people who she thinks of fondly. Fingers laced and back straight, it is easy to see she is the Princess of Hyrule in how she carries herself, and perhaps it seems a mite unusual for such a person to say those things. Her smile softens, turning contemplative. Yes, it seems likely to be a new compliment for her, with that build and those hands— her words do not lie, despite this. Delicate, caring hands can accomplish more than people realize. The sword, she has come to know, is a curse.

These things come in different forms, different flavors. As Byleth asks Zelda about her ancestor, her shoulders slacken a tiny bit. Deflated, she turns back to the flock of calla lillies spread out before them, and begins gathering them on her knees. The traveling pants she's worn today are smudged with dirt and grass stains as is. ]

I am, [ Comes her response after she gathers three more from the roots. Dirt falls, and some of it gathers beneath her fingernails. She places them delicately in little pots all aligned in a wicker basket, not unlike the ones people might use for a picnic. ] She is my ancestor. Relatives... quite removed from one another.

[ By, like, centuries. Not divorces or weird family tree shenanigans. ]

[ this was going so well. and then... careless words born of passing curiosity destroyed the warm mood of it all. byleth silently reprimands herself, glancing away. she certainly doesn't have the delicacy zelda seems to see in her, she thinks. ]

... I've upset you. [ byleth notes that at last, brows slightly knit, as she starts working at the lilies herself. ] I'm sorry. We can talk more of flowers, if you like.

[ It catches her quite by surprise when the door opens, revealing a man who looks quite haggard, all things considered. There's a wildness to his eyes she recognizes, both for the familiarity of them and the understanding behind such a look. She's been lost, before, and as the man pets the kitten— Ignatz, he calls the little thing— she looks down to see the immediate recognition that it, too, has of the man.

She's silent for a moment, placing the eyes and the voice. Goodness... somehow, even the hair reminds her of his fur. ]

...Perhaps we've something in common, little one.

[ She whispers, leaning a little closer to it's head. Then, with all the gentleness she can muster, she holds wee Ignatz out. ]

I believe I found something of your's.

[ With her back to Byleth, it's difficult to pinpoint what the shaking is. It starts in her shoulders, then rocks her back and makes Zelda lean forward, quivering. A sniffle here, another there— perhaps it's sobbing.

And then, slowly, she turns at the hip. Eyes closed, a fist to her mouth: She's laughing and trying to hold in her terribly un-princessly laugh. ]

Perhaps we will. [ She says with a gasp, cheeks burning pink. ] But no one has ever tried to avoid the subject before... [ Zelda's hand falls, and her fist reveals the smile on her lips. It's a little wider than it has been today— goodness, she hasn't laughed like that in a hundred years. Daruk would be happy. ] It is a long story, Byleth, one that I am used to others knowing. If you wish to know, you may ask, but I must say... it is kind of you to notice.

[ There's only one other person who has done such a thing for her— two, technically. Only one of them is here. The first had known about it all... and the second had shown her kindness through out it. The problem with that is that she can see marks of both men in Byleth. A kind person, who seems unacquainted with facial expressions, who knows a sword well. Had the world been unkind to her, too? Zelda wonders, but does not ask. ]

[carefully, as if he was handling a priceless treasure, he accepts the kitten, cradling him close to his chest, where the little one nestles himself and begins to purr. it's hard to stay mad at him for leaving when he was so desperate to be home, and Dantes' expression softens before he looks back up to Zelda.]

Yes, and I owe you greatly for it.

[he hasn't introduced himself, but it can be forgiven in the rush of panic emotions that flew over him, and now sheer relief at knowing the little one's safe.]

...Would you like to come in? It's far less chilly in the living space.

[ It's a job posting that seems like a dream. This isn't Hyrule, but there's little more she's enthusiastic about than exploration and the wilds. Indeed, she's spent plenty of time traveling her homeland, and though the trips have not always been for herself, they have been for good reason and have taken her on many different paths. Zelda takes the posting, and she knows the right person to accompany her on it. Unfortunately, Nier lacks the capability of saying no to her, though she thinks that there might be something in him that seems ready to go about this job.

The short story is that Zelda has signed them both up for this one. A gaggle of young children, each of them dressed in expensive clothing that certainly isn't truly suited to running around outside, keeps close tail even as some threaten to wander off. This is, simply put, because Zelda had promised to show them what the edible mushrooms look like in the world, and assured them it was perfectly sane to live off a diet of fungii if you need to run away from home. At least two of them have asked to see the death 'shroom. She has no idea what that is, and has no desire to find out while taking care of someone else's children. ]

This mushroom, [ she says, bending down and cupping it with her hands. It's as large as her chest, blooming open like a lotus flower. ] Is called the hen-of-the-woods. Impressive, is it not? Let's see... [ At the base of the old oak tree sits this particular mushroom, and Zelda braces her knee against the bark as she tugs it free. Flipping it over, she continues into her presentation. ] Beneath it, we can see it is a polypore. The holes— it's pores are located on the underside... Polypores are quite woody, you see. More interestingly, however, it's perennial...

[ She might be losing them. Hm. ]

Does anyone know what perennial means?

[ Pile's shop has seen enough foot traffic and volunteers that she does not ever seem to work with the same person. Admittedly, this has done wonders for her social skills today; this time, hunched over a garden box, she's digging little holes for bulbs of catnip. A curious little herb, she couldn't resist talking about it. ] It's commonly used to play with cats, but it's quite good for people, as well. [ A handful of bulbs in her hand, she deposits them into the soft soil with a smile. ]

It's good for lowering the fever, clearing up sinuses, headaches and even bone aches. Quite the magical achievement! [ She turns to her companion and then, thrusts a hand out. ]

Do you think they work even before sprouting?

[ This is the tone of someone gently suggesting you ingest it and find out. Indeed, looking into her hands reveals that she has some of the bulbs. Well. ]

[ sword slung over his shoulder, nier keeps careful watch — the children all vary in height and stature, and while some observe absent mindedly, others fidget and bounce with restlessness.

the feeling is familiar, and it's near impossible to fight the wave of nostalgia that washes over him.

zelda's voice had usually been reedy with excitement over a scientific discovery — but she instead takes care of speak slowly, each and every word measured with the intention of putting her thoughts on a palette and eagerly feeding it to their gaggle. it doesn't quite work, if only because she'd...well, she'd been an academic and a princess through and through.

nier approaches her, sidestepping the crowd to crouch next to her. ]

Pores are little holes inside of the plant. They're in people, too. Look at your skin closely. You'll see tiny marks — those are your pores. [ nier speaks gently, as though he were the spring breeze itself. ]

Polypores are mushrooms that have got pores underneath them — a lot of them. [ with a tap of the finger, he beckons her to turn it over, up for them to see. ] But these pores: they're special. Really special...new mushrooms come out of them! It's cool, isn't it? Our pores can't do anything like that, but these ones are different. One of a kind!

[ byleth is worried, at first... then zelda turns, and she sees that look, hears her laugh. she smiles as well, wider than before, pleased to see her so amused. for the life of her, she's just reminded of edelgard, sounding so proud of herself after coming up with names for things or giving a (charmingly terrible) impression of hubert... hell, does she have a type? ]

I think it may be best for another time. I can understand ancestry being a... difficult thing, and my curiosity is less important than your comfort. And your smile is nice. I'd prefer to help keep it in place, if I can.

[ after a bit of scrabbling in the dirt, byleth huffs out a breath through her nose and finally reaches to her belt for a dagger—careful to keep her movements open and obvious, never coming close to pointing the thing in zelda's direction—beginning to use it as a trowel to make the job a bit easier. she probably should have just brought a trowel, given the job at hand, but. eh. ]

[ A kind woman with a kind heart, one that Zelda cannot bring herself to envy. Watching Byleth work on the lillies, she tilts her head just to watch her hands and the dagger— she's used to being around such weapons, but makes note of how delicately Byleth treats her and the removal process. ]

Delicate hands, [ she repeats, turning her hand the other way, golden hair swaying like the sun's reflection on the ocean. ] They're hardier than you think, having grown here their whole lives. You will have to be more clever than you worry. [ She moves, placing her hands beneath the flower. Cupping it with a firmness, she tugs as Byleth cuts, and they manage to wrench it free from the soil. ] Everything outgrows it's childhood home, you know.

[ There is admittedly hesitance in her expression at first. A stranger invites her in, and she is unsure if this is a trap. Still, Zelda looks to the kitten in his arms, then to his expression; perhaps he simply has lacked company for some time. In fact, when was it she last saw her friend? ]

Yes, I believe I would like that.

[ Pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger, Zelda tilts her head and curiously eyes the man who seems so familiar. ]

...Virgil?

[ He fits into the role rather naturally, she notices, and as he squats next to her, she gets to see his expression up close. There's something about him— the tone, the way he looks relaxed and in his element, something like contentment bubbling beneath the surface— that makes her stare a little longer than intended. He taps the shroom with his index finger, gloved hands hiding his skin from view. One of the children nearest to her moves to turn it over for her, at which point, red in the face, Zelda flips it to expose the underside. ]

The Hen-of-the-woods stays where it is and is, essentially, an infinite food supply. Perennial mushrooms essentially occur in the same spot for years, meaning that so long as it isn't picked, one can expect to see it in the base of it's preferred tree, [ She pats the old oak next to her, splaying her fingers over the bark. ] Oak.

[ Briefly, she looks back at him, then at the crowd of children... Um. ]

You should always be sure it's growing on an oak tree, firstly, which are easy to identify. If you can see it growing acorns, it's an oak tree.

[ she huffs out an amused breath through her nose at the repetition of the compliment, eyes briefly on the way zelda's hair shifts in the light. ]

...I'm afraid I wouldn't know. [ byleth's brow creases just a bit at that, mouth setting into a line. maybe it's just determination as they work at the flower's roots. still, she understands the metaphor well enough, nodding. ] Someone said something to me once about... flowers that thrive, despite their environment. I can't help thinking of that now.

It is mint. [Comes the rather baffled response, as Maria looks her companion over. It took probably too long to figure out that, for all this young woman looks like the Zelda she knows, there's just a specific je ne sais quois about her that doesn't quite fit the bill of the other that she knows.

She hasn't pried too deeply into it as of yet. She might not get the chance.]

But I also need no medical remedies at the moment. I'm quite hale, as we speak. [Call her back in like two weeks after the memshare thing. A hangover counts as a headache, right?] Perhaps you could figure it out in time, though.

Zelda.

[he nods in confirmation, realizing that he had never actually been out of his feline form around her. always a tiger, for no reason other than habit after a point.]

It's been some time, hasn't it?

[if she expects him to apologize for the shift in form, the lack of explaining himself, he's not going to. if she expects his demeanor to remain calm when facing a friend he'd been avoiding, that he can do easily.]

so now, what should i do

OPEN

PIECE OF CAKE

BREAK THE CYCLE

CLOSED

CLOSED — BYLETH

no subject

no subject

CLOSED — DANTES

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

CLOSED — NIER

CLOSED — LADY MARIA

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Man I swore I replied to this...

no subject