quest log | following rumors

[moustre]

Who: Those signed up for the the High-Risk Quest "Following Rumors".
When: 06/10 to 06/13
Where: A cave deep within the Wilde.
What: From the quest information itself: "A few of our divination experts have spoken of a cave untouched by the corruption in their scrying, which is right exciting! We'll be sending in our Witches as well, but I'd like to offer this opportunity to those who've come in through The Looking-Glass House, too. It should be safe enough for just about anyone to visit, so find a friend or two and come on! Stuff like this is a rare find, dearests - it might give us a good hint about how to combat our corruption problem, too."
Warnings: In various prompts: spiders and other insects, corpses, risk of injury or death, magical corruption, physical sickness, hallucinogenics, and other imagery that may be disturbing. Each prompt header will be labeled with the appropriate warnings, so make sure you choose what you're comfortable dealing with, either ICly or OOCly! Additionally, sign ups aren't closed - if, after reading through the log, you'd like to sign up, you can still do so and play on here at your leisure.



The Way There

Most journeys into the Wilde don't actually go too far; those that do travel outside of the city end up somewhere in the land between, with its smaller patches of growth that feel as if they should be part of a forest, or at the very edge of the massive forest that seems to be ever expanding. Even now, new sprouts push through the dirt, some even as tall as a man despite being obviously new - they're still green and flexible, without any noticeable bark. The quests the Wilders take - and have put out at the Coven, as far as last month went - go a little deeper, to where the trees become far more autumnal, colored in golds and browns and oranges.

The cave spoken of is deeper still.

As the group marches in pairs, the trees turn from vibrant summer green and lushly decorated in flowers and fruits to the tell-tale colors of fall and winter, their bark gradually becoming more and more marred by an inky blackness that's sticky to the touch - sap, bleeding from the cracks between the bark. What animal life had been at the edge of the forest fades into a hollow quiet, the air becoming more oppressive - not unlike a certain shared dream experienced not too long ago. The silence is unnerving even to those with iron-clad hearts, giving off the feeling that something is about to happen -

and then suddenly, the feeling disappears, even as the quiet remains.

The area around the cave is lush with foliage; the trees look healthier than their counterparts outside of it, their bark free of any leakage and their branches hardly out of control. Closer inspection shows this is due to scraping and trimming, and after some discussion, the Wilders and Witches set up camp outside of the cave and gather together the group. Everyone is given the same basic necessities and instructions on how to use them, in a bag containing:

• A grappling hook enchanted to return to them with a tug
• Around twenty-feet of rope
• Three spell scrolls (a light spell, which will conjure a small ball of light that shows about a radius of twenty feet around the caster and lasts as long as the scroll remains in one piece; a minor healing spell with three charges; and a single-use flare spell that can be used as a distraction or to call for help, should the need arise)
• A tinder kit
• One day of rations
• A ring that glows when danger is nearby; it's enchanted to fit on anyone's finger, regardless of size

For characters unsuited footwear-wise to spelunking, they'll also receive a pair of sturdy boots.

The mission is simple: explore the cave and report back with their findings. It isn't just those who signed up going in; other Witches are suiting up to head in as well, talking in low voices about the probability of something like this even existing, especially with how deep they are in the Wilde. It isn't as if they're anywhere close to the center, but it's still in Wilder territory - they're far enough out that a few of them are nervous about encountering one of the bigger variety of Shades. Despite the reassurances that this cave is clean, and the fresh feeling it gives off, the murmurs continue until the mission officially begins.

Smugha Cave

The cave itself feels refreshing compared to the oppressive air felt on the way here, not unlike an oasis in a desert. Cool in temperature and a little damp, it's mostly dark aside from the sunlight coming in the front and the bio-luminescent cave flora that climb the walls - though those are still too dim to really see by. Heading further in reveals sharp cliffs with stair-like structures carved into them, inviting an easy way down into the depths, and landing at the bottom of these is a wide, dark room, even colder than the last.

It's time to start exploring.

I. The Water (cw: magical corruption, physical sickness)


For a cave located in the middle of the continent and in the depths of the ever-reaching forest, there certainly is a lot of water. Damp to the point that it might be considered humid if the cave was any warmer, puddles form beneath long stalactites, and shallow pools of water pour into each other from landing to landing; they populate the floor too, making walking a little treacherous. A few of them glow and glimmer with a faint, pale blue light from the magic runes found around them - these ones, at least, can be read. They're not so different from the script used in Aefenglom itself, though the way they've been carved into the stone makes them a little sharper in shape - for those in study at the Coven, or in spells in general, it's evidently a cooling spell. That isn't so hard to figure out though, as the pools of water surrounded by them have a pleasingly cold temperature, while those without them are near scalding. A few of the latter have runes around them, but they're not glowing like the rest - feeding a little magic into them changes this immediately, and steam rises in a sudden blast as the water cools rapidly. The opposite can be done for the colder pools too - taking their magic somehow or ruining the runes will make them bubble and boil as they surge in temperature. It'd be best to mind oneself around these, as unlike in a dream, any injury sustained in the waking world is a little more permanent and painful.

Three pools in particular have to them a translucent green shimmer, made a little more blue-green by the cooling spell carved and activated around them; they're deep enough to wade into, or even just sit by and rest one's feet in - both of which feel like very attractive ideas to anyone who looks at them a moment too long. The water is pleasantly cool, and those who take a quick rest in them will feel more refreshed than they have in years. Their worries will fade, the anxieties they've held in the back of their mind seeming to slide off into the water, but in place of it something new occurs: within fifteen minutes of resting in the pool, they'll begin to feel sick, and grey spots begin to appear on any wet skin. Longer than that, and those residing in the water will find their spots turning black instead, and a lot harder, too. This affects Witches quicker than it does Monsters, curiously enough - for Monsters, it takes almost double the time. Getting out and getting dry will temper the effects back down, though the feeling of being not quite refreshed lingers.

That isn't all the water the cave has to offer - the large cavern has a sudden, massive drop in the form of a sinkhole on about halfway across the room; it leads to a similarly massive underground lake. Traveling around the rim of the sinkhole shows there's multiple waterfalls pouring into it soundlessly, pooled together from the pools of water running into one another. Thankfully, there's another way down other than just diving headfirst into the darkness - twin tunnels on each side of of the sinkhole, not quite natural in nature, lead down to the lake in a gently winding slope.

Starting shallow before getting much deeper in the middle, the lake also has an inviting feeling to it, stronger in its suggestion to simply take a load off, to let anxieties and worries simply soak and sink away in its pleasantly tempered waters - but it also has a stronger reaction in those who enter its depths. Within five minutes, those within it begin to feel sick, the grey spots showing up on their wet skin, and the rate of their blackening and hardening is quicker as well. This, once more, affects Witches quicker - and, just like before, getting dry will make alleviate the sickness and the spotting both, with the discomfort lingering long after.

In both the upper and lower caverns, there are tunnels leading to other parts of the cave - they might just be worth checking out...
II. The Upper Tunnels (cw: risk of injury, spiders and other insects, hallucinogenics)


The tunnels leading from the upper cavern stay relatively horizontal, with small hills and valleys among their turns and a lower ceiling that might have people higher than five-and-a-half-feet ducking a little; they're more like a labyrinth than anything else, with empty metal sconces beginning to appear further within them. Sharp, thick nails have been hammered into the stone as well, with leather pouches rotted and torn hanging from them - whatever were in these hasn't remained, either due to wildlife or decay. Small rooms and caverns shooting off from the tunnels hold much of the same, albeit with a few other items: jackets and other clothing, Coven robes, specially-tailored Monster wear, instruments with snapped strings or clogged holes, candles burnt to the wick. One room in particular holds a few bookshelves, though the wood is also in poor condition due to the dampness of the cave, and the books suffer for this as well. What ones can be made out seem to be standard fare: the type of books one might expect to find in the fiction section, ranging from romance to horror to fantasy, and a few Coven textbooks on spellwork, specifically basic transfiguration. Not all of this is so old, however - some of it seems newer the closer explorers get to the "end" of the tunnels, either landing them in a room or at an ordinary dead-end.

Unfortunately, the tunnels aren't as safe as they seem: giant spiders make their homes among the caverns and tunnels, made obvious by the webbing that appears before their funnel-like traps. They range from the size of large dogs to horses, but all of them have the same venomous bite that causes hallucinations, deliriousness, and fatigue. Among giant mushrooms whose spores paralyze those who breathe them in live similarly large millipedes, incredibly long and vicious; they attack in pairs, but thankfully just have very, very painful bites. Last but not least are bats - regular sized, plentiful as they might be in any cave, and just as annoying, too.
III. The Lower Tunnels (cw: risk of injury or death, imagery that may be disturbing, corpses, physical sickness)


Meanwhile, the tunnels leading from the lower cavern have higher ceilings and are mostly flooded (about waist-high) due to the nearby lake; water permeates through the rock in rivulets, darker than the lake above, and give a similar effect to the water in the lake itself. Thankfully, they're also mostly iced over - walking on them takes practice and a careful eye, considering the ice is thin in places. The air becomes more frigid as the tunnel dips down, with smaller caverns sharing the same fate: covered in ice and icicles, their entrances sometimes a little too squished to get through without breaking the ice or being particularly small in stature. Those traveling might notice a trend if they look a little too closely at the clearer parts of the ice as well: scratch marks gouging into it, as if something'd been trying desperately to get out. The longest tunnel opens up into a frozen room, as tall as the lower cavern itself, sconces lit with pale blue fire - magic, and obviously so. The walls glitter beautifully with the light, but looking down into the depths below, past the sheet of ice that allows travel, reveals something horrifying: dozens of thin husks and corpses of animals and adventurers both, held in place by the ice as it stretches down like spikes into the water. Witches, Monsters, Shades, other creatures - not a single one spared, with a mix of infected and non-infected among them.

These tunnels aren't exactly safe either: ice-breathing salamanders the size of elephants can be found resting in some of the caverns - though they might be hard to see, given their pale white and blue scales. While not infected (curious), they're incredibly aggressive and attack those who wake them or get too close. Their bites can inflict frostbite the same as their breath can, so caution is advised in dealing with these. When killed they remain intact, their blood creating an extra layer of ice on whatever it touches due to its chilly temperature, not unlike liquid nitrogen.

Unfortunately, they're not the only things those adventuring in the depths have to worry about. To be precise, Shades of Monsters and Witches also roam some of the tunnels shooting off from the larger, main one; the latter pulses brightly with white veins of magic on their blackened skin. Both types of Shades are sluggish, likely due to the cold and the lack-of pure magic, but are experts on dealing with walking on ice. The Witches in particular are ticking time-bombs, every spell they cast - primarily of snaring-type spells, desiring the magic and flesh of whom they capture - risking an explosion, but when they do supernova... It's fairly localized to somewhere between five to seven feet of the Shade in question. Those within that radius, however, will feel physically sick and find their skin or fur-scale-feathers-so-on turning into sharp, black shards of ice and infection due to the corrupted magic exploding from the Shade.

Either way, once killed the Shades fall apart and turn into thin, brittle corpses of what they used to be; they're old enough that when touched, they simply crumble as if made of ash.
IV. Outside The Cave (cw: nothing)


For those seeking a little relaxation or recovery can make their way back outside - or be helped that way, given their flares. There, Witches can take care of them, food can be shared, and in general, people can take a breather. As the first day closes, and the cave proves itself to be bigger than expected, Witches will also offer to teleport people back to the city should they wish to go - staying would be nice, but they aren't going to force anyone to stay who doesn't want to. They'll also be collecting information from those who've ventured inside, encouraging each person to share with each other their findings as well.

(Note: Essentially, this is more of an open/breather prompt, considering the heavier nature of some of the prompts above; any injuries or infection sustained can be healed here, extra supplies can be gotten, as well as anything that might need specialized storage - such as bottles, cages for small animals, and so on. Characters can be teleported back to Aefenglom in small batches occurring every hour should they choose, but they cannot be teleported back; it's a one-way trip. Otherwise, at the end of the three day stay, the same trek will be made back to the city, and the quest will be considered "completed"... Until further notice. Any questions can be asked here.)

Comments

Zelda | Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | OTA

[sageprincess]

the water;
Clearly someone had a use for this place...

[Zelda muses aloud as she crouches by one of the pools, scribbling notes about the runes and the state of each pool as she examines them. The light spell scroll is handy, but unnecessary for now; conjuring her own specks of light to illuminate her writing is an easy enough task, even if she has to resummon them on occasion when they flicker out due to her divided attention.

Like they're doing right now, as she continues her train of thought:]

Why would someone need to make hot springs cold...?

[She should probably be warned before she tries to study the greener pools or the lake more in depth.]

lower tunnels;
[When it is time to move on from the first cavern, it only makes sense to start from the bottom and work up from there. The ice covering the tunnels leading down is concerning, but unsurprising at first - perhaps one of the cooling spells had gone awry sometime in this cavern's history? But a sinking feeling settles in her gut as she slowly, carefully continues through the frigid passage, gritting her chattering teeth and suppressing the obvious conclusions to make when she passes the clawing scratch marks dug into the walls on either side, focusing only on getting to the end and when she finally does--

-- It's Zora's Domain.

No, not in actuality. The figures locked within the ice don't have any fins - they're humans and wolves and hares and all sorts of other things - but that is what she sees. She sees all of the Zora people trapped in a state between life and death, dozens of webbed hands desperately reaching for the surface, for escape, for freedom, and she knows-- she knows she can only save one. She can only save one and in saving her she'll damn her to another deathless, eternal fate.]

This can't-- This can't be here...

[He's gone. Ganondorf is gone. She sealed him away herself. So why-- why is his curse here?!

Zelda is very obviously panicking. Which is probably not a good thing to be doing when there are giant, pissed off ice-breathing salamanders in the room. Snap her out of it before she becomes a popsicle herself?]

outside;
I cannot go back in there.

[She explains upon returning to the oddly clean clearing just outside the mouth of the cave. The witches heading the expedition are understanding, offering her water and food as they explain that it'll be an hour or so before the next teleportation back to the city, and Zelda... kind of hates it. She hates her weakness, hates how useless she feels, hates how she knows she would be a liability if she tried again.

She sulks under a nearby tree, waiting for the teleport, and doesn't make eye contact with anybody.]

wildcard;
[Got something else in mind you wanna do with a ptsd-ing princess? PM this account or hmu at jamizoid!]

lower tunnels

[ua_duibhne]

[Goosebumps have broken out across every inch of skin exposed to the chill in the air and, though he shows remarkable control in stopping his teeth from chattering, his hands tremble as he edges through the cave. There are fragments of the puzzle here just waiting to be put together but, in truth, he hasn't thought of it at all since he lost Waver. His heart hammers in his chest, battling against the cold and the rising fear that he's already failed in his duties to protect him.

No- no, there are others here. Someone will find him and return him and-

A voice rings out through the tunnel, fragile as the icy stalactites overhead and brimming with horror. Not Waver's but just as urgent. Without so much as a moment of hesitation, Diarmuid hurries forward as best he can on the slippery floor- only to find a young woman standing, paralyzed by panic, before not one but two or even three enormous, reptilian beasts.

This could end very badly.]

Easy- [He doesn't want to just grab hold of a total stranger, particularly not a young woman, but the salamanders are starting to stir. Instead, he plants two firm hands on her shoulders, holding her in place as though being physically stabilized might help her emotionally.] My lady, please, just breathe.

[Diarmuid glances back up at the nearest salamander. It's already starting to lift its head, tongue flickering in and out of its mouth as it tastes the presence of two trespassers in its territory.]

[sageprincess]

[The woman attempts to reel back, inhaling sharply in shock as she does, but even with only a fraction of the strength those called Servants possess, Diarmuid's firm grasp keeps her from sending them both sailing across the ice. She trembles under his hands, little clouds of fog forming in the chilly air of the cavern as she pants not unlike a hunted animal.]

B... But his curse-- it's...

[Wait. "My lady"? No one has called her that in years...

Slowly, her eyes refocus, gaze shifting away from the frozen corpses to the very much alive salamanders as their attention turns towards the adventuring party. She doesn't relax, per se, but her panic does get noticeably quieter as she realizes the danger is much more immediate than she thought.]

Are they... the ones who did this...?

[ua_duibhne]

[Though Diarmuid can only piece together fragments of whatever dark memories this place has stirred up for her, there's true fear in her every word and movement. But there's little time for him to work out how best to assuage it with several sets of cold, unblinking eyes fixing themselves upon them. Fortunately, the shock of his sudden presence appears to have worked as a temporary fix.

Even so, he instinctively nudges Zelda around a little more, putting himself firmly in between her and the frozen bodies and blocking them from sight.]

I think so but I've never seen anything like them before. [Low, calm, even. First, they need to assess the situation.] Are you a witch?

[sageprincess]

[It helps, bit by bit. Blocking at least a majority of the corpses from view forces her to remain in the present moment instead of falling back into the memories of the past, and his even tone reminds her of the rationality she should have but doesn't in this present moment. She's too rattled, too afraid to even hope of coming up with a plan herself (which, distantly, she finds immensely frustrating), but she can at least answer questions.]

Y-- Yes, I am. I... I don't think I can fight them all at once, though.

[Because that's totally what he's asking for, right? Right.]

[ua_duibhne]

[It might be faint, but he's starting to see the lights flicker back on one by one, a sharpness come back into her gaze as she's brought back to the present. Good. Though he's reluctant to let her anywhere near those beasts, he likes his chances of taking down even one or two of them by himself even less.]

Maybe not. But we'll stand a much better chance together. [Pointedly, he draws the tip of the spear in his hand across the ground, leaving a thin groove in the frost as he readies it. Whatever her preference, it's clear that he intends to take the vanguard.] Might I know your name, my lady?

[The salamanders are really starting to take an interest in them now but, while the back of his neck prickles with tension at every scraping sound as more of them rouse, he looks as cool as the ice all around them.]

[sageprincess]

[Her eyes fall from the beasts to the weapon in this knightly warrior's hand as it scrapes across the ice, and the dread that settles in her stomach is nearly as cold as the cavern around them. He can't seriously be thinking about getting into close range with those things, can he? It feels as though they're shaking the whole cave complex merely with their steps.]

Zelda. [She says, quickly like an afterthought. Names and pleasantries are not fucking important right now, you strange man.] You can't-- You are not going to get into melee with them, are you?

[That is insane! They have the advantage in size and terrain! But the time to debate strategy is quickly running out, as the beast at the forefront stomps its giant feet and proceeds to take a great inhale, not entirely unlike how dragon might...]

lower tunnels

[fifty]

[America has no idea what's going on in Zelda's head specifically except that this is clearly not a good place for her to be even if you don't take the salamander monsters into account. His wings flared out to keep balance, he grabs her wrist firmly and yanks her back, a little farther from all the dead bodies and living salamanders.]

Hey, it's okay.

[sageprincess]

[There's a yelp as she's pulled, and quite a bit of ungraceful flailing for both balance and panicked defense as she slides across the ice. Fortunately she's too locked up in her own head to scold America for the brusqueness of his efforts to calm her (or to notice that hey, he has wings now), instead grasping at the hand that's holding her wrist once she's regained control of her limbs and shaking her head rapidly.]

No-- No, it's not! I've seen this before. I know what this is!

[Later, she will be very embarrassed to have been affected so severely like this. For now she's a bit busy reeling from the utter slap in the face this entire cavern is.]

[fifty]

[Those rings the Coven gave them are glowing, and those salamanders still look the exact opposite of friendly. America keeps a firm grip on Zelda, though not firm enough to hurt her. He wants to ask her about what she means, but there's something more important to deal with:]

Listen--there's bad guys here. The rings are glowing.

[Hopefully that will be enough to get her to focus. He's keeping his eyes locked on the salamanders, trying to keep them from approaching Zelda specifically.]

[sageprincess]

I know, it's--

[But right before she can explain, her gaze follows America's, leading her to the elephant-sized amphibians currently staring them down. Whatever she was going to say is abandoned in favor of a sharp gasp, and she instinctively slides behind America as he starts put himself between her and them. Cowardly, perhaps, but she's definitely not thinking clearly enough to stay calm and formulate a plan of attack right now.]

Wh-- What are those...?

[fifty]

Really big salamanders. [Elephant-sized salamanders. Does the square-cube law account for a salamander that big? That doesn't really matter right now. America chances a glance back the way they came in.]

How fast are you on the ice? [Whatever is happening in Zelda's head right now, America is sure getting her out of here as fast as possible is the best option. Those salamanders sure don't seem to have trouble walking around.]

[sageprincess]

[Running. Yes, that is... something they should be doing, but--]

I... I don't know.

[Zora's Domain, for as horrible as it was, did not have any monster than might give chase at any moment. Even the threats of the Ice Cavern required more patience over speed to overcome. She looks down at the Coven-issued boots currently covering her feet, then back up to America.]

I am good at keeping my balance, though.

[America knows she's more agile than she looks, though who can say if that will translate on the ice. One thing is for sure: they're running out of time to deliberate. One of the salamanders huffs threateningly, the air in the cavern chilling another few degrees as it does...]

outside;

[kaowont]

[ No one should have to deal with this, Kaoru thinks, just a little ways from her sunken figure. The initial advertisement belied her hopes, probably, that something within this cave is safe and worth exploring and wouldn't snap one's confidence right in half. He'd tried to hold her hand to be reassuring on their way back ( for his sake, too ), but well... not everything went as planned.

A lot of this is beyond him, really, beyond a guy who's rarely serious and

The guilt of not knowing, of not being able to warn her before all of this could happen sits heavy in his stomach the longer he watches, but he holds in those clumsy feelings as he approaches her while twirling a stray dandelion between his fingers — a piece of life untouched by ]

I don't blame you. I don't think anyone will, really. [ Like, did you see that place? ] So don't beat yourself up too much over it, okay? Hmm... I know we went out here together and I still don't really know all that much about you yet, but it's not like you have to have it all figured out from the get-go.

[sageprincess]

[His voice chafes her a little as he closes the distance, so gentle and sweet and all the things she doesn't deserve. "It's not like you have to have it all figured out," he says, and he doesn't know that she does. That's her role, the destiny that's been decided for her, and yet it's something she continually fails at every time she tries. Wisdom's Chosen shouldn't make nearly so many mistakes, she thinks.

She voices none of this, of course, instead curling her arms a little tighter around her knees that she's brought up to her chest, her brow furrowed with frustration.]

... I brought you somewhere dangerous, and when faced with that danger, I completely lost all sense of rational thought. It would not be unreasonable, I think, if you were to be upset because of it, especially given that "you do not really know all that much about me."

[She's projecting, reflecting her own bitterness with how this whole expedition turned out onto him, but it only makes sense, doesn't it? What if the other explorers hadn't jumped in when they did? What if something terrible happened to one of them? Zelda-- well, she's practically a ghost in their house, but Kaoru leaves cookies and treats at people's doors... surely Rei and Yako would be upset if he were to return badly injured or worse.

Why shouldn't anyone blame her?]

let's get my dumb ass rping again

[kaowont]

[ Because it's not right. He listens carefully and calmly to her protests, the thin lines of his mouth pressing neatly together with how much he wants to interject. Why's he always surrounded by people who feel like they're not doing their best unless they're hurting themselves? ]

Hey, hey. It's not like you knew. Neither did I, really, given how quickly I volunteered and pulled you into this mess... — I mean, they really made it sound like a nice date spot or something. Some untouched, sparkling cave out in the middle of the Wilde? What's important is we're both okay.

[ He leans forward lightly, and maybe it's a bit forward to do so, to try and tuck the little flower gently within a wisp of her hair as she sulks, but to him it's necessary. ]

Ah hah. Just like I thought. It really suits you.

joins you on this quest

[sageprincess]

[She should have known. She should have realized it would be too good to be true. She's supposed to know better, be better; that's the whole point--

... And yet before all that guilt and self-loathing can manifest into words, she feels a hand in her hair, and when she turns her head to see what he's doing, he's leaning in close to leave the flower he had been toying with there. That certainly derails her train of thought quite handily, and her ears burn with the unfamiliar attention. Her mood is still fairly sour, but there's a sense of embarrassment rather than internally directed anger when she curls in on herself a little bit more after that.]

The extent of your blithe attitude could almost be impressive if it were not concerning.

[She says, defensively, but there's not much bite to it. Something to say simply for the sake of shrugging off his compliment. "It really suits you," hah. ... But her tone becomes a little quieter when she continues:]

... Are you truly not upset about how this whole expedition turned out?

[kaowont]

... what's there to be upset about at this point?

[ Sorry, Princess. You need to break at least three psyche-locks to understand why he can keep up the almost eerily cheerful attitude despite the odds. The flush of embarrassment is duly noted, and he takes the time to brush off any remaining cave dust before taking a seat next to her on the untouched green.

He paints a contrasting picture, one leg outstretched and one bent with an arm resting. ]

Would you rather we were still stuck in there? Frozen on the path, choking on the cold? No thanks~. I don't really mind running when the going gets tough in this case... since there's no point in pushing yourself when danger's right around the corner. I mean, someone who isn't us is bound to figure out why nothing... initially tainted the area, right? There's so many witches around.

[ He twists a hand up against the sun's light, and his claws are short. Too short, really. ]

Besides... it's not like I can protect you like this.

[sageprincess]

[The best lies are those steeped in truths. That's the thought that runs through her mind as she listens to him, and knows there are things he isn't saying. Even so, he isn't wrong; she can't deny that attempting to forge on within the cave regardless at this point would cause more problems than anything else. That's why they're sitting out here, waiting for the next teleportation circle to take them home.

She sees the movement of his arm in the corner of her eye, but it's the admission that follows that makes her heart ache in a way she thought she was well and truly done with.]

... I want to tell you that you do not need to feel like you must protect me, but... it would ring rather hollow right now, I think.

[For many reasons, she muses as her head drops a little more, not the least of which being--]

I... am not fond of feeling useless. [Either hangs implied in the air.] That is why I am upset.

outside

[keepscalm]

[England needs a breather, too--not necessarily from trauma, but from how insanely difficult it's been to navigate the cave without the natural boons of a monster or the innate magic of a witch. He's managed, but he is rather tired, even if he won't admit it.

He catches sight of some of the witches as they finish up attending to Zelda, and he peers beyond them with some curiosity. It's the princess he met in the house of mirrors. As he approaches, her standoffish and clearly upset demeanour gives him pause, but thankfully he has a lot of practise in looking out for people while pretending he's not terribly invested.]

Your Highness. May I sit?

[sageprincess]

[Zelda, meanwhile, is not paying nearly as much attention to those around her for once; the other witches will be much more competent in resolving any problems that might arise between now and the next teleportation, after all. So it's not until England actually speaks that she lifts her head, glancing at him long enough that there's recognition, but not lingering. She looks back down and away, gesturing apathetically at the space next to her.]

Do you as you like. If it is pleasant conversation you seek, however, I fear this is the wrong place to find it at this time.

[Yeah, she's grumpy.]

[keepscalm]

[Yes, something has happened. He nods his thanks as he sits, though after he's situated himself, he trains his eyes on his sword and pretends to focus on cleaning it.] Ah, there's no need for that if something ails you.

[If something ails her. An invitation to elaborate, if she wishes.]

[sageprincess]

[She normally wouldn't. She normally would bottle up everything nice and tightly inside her and then just... let it simmer there, forever, because she's not supposed to show anything that can be construed as a weakness. But, well, it's a bit late for that after her behavior in the cavern, isn't it? It's not as though she was alone in there.]

I made a fool of myself in there. [She admits, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. A defensive, sulking little ball.] I am not happy about it.

[keepscalm]

[That was a bit more forthright than he expected, and his eyes betray him with their sincere surprise as he glances to Zelda. He quickly looks away again when he sees the way she's all curled up--it feels vulnerable in a way he shouldn't watch too closely.] ...it's not easy to stomach even when you've been around for centuries. It feels much worse at your age.

[He thinks? He was still basically a baby when he was literally Zelda's age but he knows about teenagers, theoretically? He was a teenager for a few centuries too.] But it may not be as bad as it seems. [He doesn't know what happened, but again, there is an implicit invitation to elaborate.]

[sageprincess]

I am not a child.

[She murmurs in very teenager-ly defiance, her fingernails digging tiny half-moons into her arms with the force of it. But it is something she does very much believe to be true - really, she hasn't been a child since the day she fled Hyrule Castle. It is not something that has been permitted of her, not then and certainly not now.

It feels foolish to continue, to expect any kind of resolution will come of this conversation. He knows her name and that she can play a few little songs on an ocarina; that doesn't translate into understanding. It doesn't translate into caring, honestly, but she's frustrated enough to elaborate regardless for the sake of arguing that her sulking is justified.]

It could have gotten someone killed. How could that not be as bad as it seems?