locked to zenith

[bakedapple]

[ Link's mental space feels like being outside, so depending on where you are, you might not realize that someone has started Communion with you. Since joining the Zenith, the landscape of Link's mind has gone from idyllic, sunny forests to icy, overcast mountains. A frigid wind blows against your face, carrying the scent of firewood and meat roasting over an open flame. The diminutive Hylian is not sitting by the fire, but standing at the edge of a rocky ledge, his back turned. ]

There's going to be another Oracle soon. I can feel it. The rest of you can feel it too, right? That... pulling feeling.

[ He sighs. ]

If we lose this one, it's over. The Meridian isn't going to go easy on us. I know them... I know how badly they want to win. To them, the stakes couldn't be higher.

So let's talk. About what we're going to be up against, and... well, planning ahead isn't really something we can do, but at least we can warn each other of the dangers that individual Meri pose.

And I... I want to say something, too.

[ He sits down where he stands, his feet hanging off the cliff. There's a sense that he knows this isn't going to go over well, but it's important enough to him to say it anyway. ]

Killing the other guy before they kill you is what war is. That's normal. But Kenos is different. Death doesn't work the way it should here. We don't die permanently. You can neutralize someone threatening you by just dissipating them. There's nothing to gain by destroying their soul after you're no longer in danger.

So, I don't think any of us should shatter anyone ever again.

If you claim someone's Shard, you should protect it. If you feel that you can't do that, give it to someone else.

...I'm not stupid. I know a lot of you aren't gonna agree to this. And the Meris probably won't either. I'm sure they want revenge for what happened to Quetzalcoatl, and those of you who lost the Shards Yima gave you probably aren't feeling very merciful right now either...

But if we don't come to some kinda agreement now, that's going to become normal. Things are gonna get really bad. I don't want that. So... can we talk about it, at least?

Comments

[erbe]

Not everyone has the iron stomachs that we do in regard to him.

[settingup]

Guess not everyone can be as impressive as us, huh?

[erbe]

"Impressive," is really the word you want to use for it?

[settingup]

[ Rin no! This is them turning on Gen together! Don't try to redirect! ]

Sure, why not?

[erbe]

[But Atsumu is such an easy target!]

I wouldn't go that far myself. Tolerating Gen isn't some monumental accomplishment.

[settingup]

[ He would argue otherwise!! ... He's wrong, but he'd still argue it! ]

You've had to deal with his horseshit before, and you still wanna say that?

[ Shockingly Atsumu does consider Gen a friend. ]

[erbe]

[Ah. The sensation of biting the inside of one's lip to hold back a comment arises, but it's followed with:]

Find me someone who tolerates Silco, but isn't complicit, and I'll call that impressive.

[settingup]

[ Him... he does... but he's not going to say it right now, even if Rin might get a sense through the communion that he's hesitating to say something in response to that.

He'll pivot instead. ]

Yeah, didn't realize so many people here were gonna go murder happen so quick.

[erbe]

[Hm. She doesn't like that sensation she's getting from him, but she won't comment on it.]

At the very least it seems things are just going to become increasingly more of a headache.

[settingup]

[ Thank you for respecting his wish to not talk about his secret semi-support of Silco in this trying time. ]

What? Keepin' all the psychos in check you mean?

[erbe]

And keeping ourselves from being caught in the crossfire between self righteous Meridian and the psychos.

[settingup]

Yeah, I really ain't lookin' forward to dealin' with that.

[ Thanks for aggressively poking the hornet's nest, guys. Sure, he played his part by helping with the assassination, but he's deluding himself into thinking if they just hadn't attacked the civilians that this all would have been fine and dandy by the Meridians.

Like murder wasn't still murder. ]