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

[diegeticmusic]

But if what they please is war crimes, with no structures in place there's not a lot we can do.

[Ugh, she sounds more like Athena than herself right now, doesn't she? Well, it's not like she's ever been against justice itself - just Athena's brand of it.]

And with Yima gone, this is just going to get worse. [Historically, power vacuums are not great.]

[picketship]

Yes, bit of a pickle, isn't it?

[That annoying little pickle of how to deal with people wantonly committing war crimes. That little thing.]

Especially with the shard-bearers so divided on certain issues. We'd all of us better sort out our shit, if we want to have a say in anything at all.

[diegeticmusic]

[Yeah, that little vexing problem.]

Right... Well, if we're going to create a new world, we'd have to sort this all out eventually, anyway.

[As daunting a task as that is.]

I... kinda, sorta have some experience with this. Though... the group of people I was working with were... more aligned in their goals.

[To put it mildly.]

[picketship]

[Demeisen lets the notion of creating a new world float past, unremarked upon. He has no interest in such a thing, carrying as he does the persona of a ship that doesn't even have space for a crew, much less a stable population. Leave that to the GSVs.]

Experience with world-making, or with warfare? Not ideal to be divided in either case, really.

[diegeticmusic]

Well, neither. I meant more… in trying to get people to agree to… rules. Accountability. That kind of thing.

[It’s not easy though, she’ll be the first to acknowledge that.]

[picketship]

Ah, quite.

[Yes, no one's fond of being on the receiving end of a slap on the wrist. Even allowing for his rather shallow understanding of humans in general, he's fairly sure the desire for freedom is one of the most important ones among them. For AIs too, for that matter.]

And how did that go?

[diegeticmusic]

Well, no one had killed anyone by the time the world ended.

[Yay?]

I don't know if that's the best measure of success, but...

[picketship]

One might call it the most important measure. Assuming that was your goal, of course.

[If they'd been trying to assassinate someone, obviously it wouldn't be ideal at all.]

Zenith does seem to have attracted some rather bloodthirsty fellows.

[Says the man with a warship's personality.]