The Missing Link...

[goddessofthesky]

Who: Zelda & OPEN
What: Link is gone. [ooc: Feel free to run into her wherever.]
When: Feb 7th: Return from Chocobo Trip and then onward.
Where: Home (A-16), Hospital & Finally Old observatory.
Warning: Just Tears.


At first everything was normal, Zelda walked into her home with her travel bag slung over her shoulder. She was tired and was looking forward to a bath and a bed but there was something she wanted to do first. With a soft thunk she placed the bag down and then worked to unlace her riding boots. Once they were off she slipped out of her jacket and then pulled off her muddy stockings. She stepped inside and wiggled her toes against the clean floor with a smile.

“Link?” She called his name lightly as she moved through the house, her fingers laced through her hair and began to pull the loose strands of blonde into a tight pony tail. “Link?” Her tone shifted from a light tone to a worried one. She stepped through the house peeking into his room and then hers. She checked the kitchen and then the family room before walking back towards the front of the house. He wasn’t home, except that she had told him the time and date she’d return. Link would be here.

---

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she pulled on a lose pair of brown work boots, leaving her jacket behind as she bolted from the house. Over and over again she heard like a round in her head.

He can’t be there. He can’t be.

The words repeated again and again becoming an ominous chant in her thoughts as she ran towards the hospital. Everything ached and she felt exhaustion creeping through her limbs as she ran. The cold air bit at her exposed arms and legs but she didn’t care, she couldn’t feel it. The only thing she felt was a sharp twist in her chest as she ran.

He can’t…

She didn’t stop at the hospital steps; she took them two at a time and then raced up to where the heroes were kept. She bolted passed those who guarded the door earning her dark glares from the men who now constantly patrolled the room where the heroes were kept.

Her feet skidded to a halt, her eyes fixed on the familiar crystal shape and she felt her heart tear apart at the sight. He’d wake up again, he had too. Just because he was here now didn’t mean he would be trapped forever. She felt the presence of the others trapped, like Link, in a veneer of stone. She felt herself crumble to the ground as warm tears spilled down her cheeks. She tried to stop them but she had been trying so hard not to cry that everything just spilled out all at once. She cried and cried until there was nothing left inside of her, her soul felt empty and drained. Then she slept, her body reaching its point of exhaustion as she lies at Link’s feet.

---

A few days later Zelda can be found in the Old Observatory. She had refused to go back to the empty house, unwilling to see the home she had created with Link. Kopula began doing more work and calling in a few of his friends insisting that Zelda rest.

Zelda didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts; she wanted to keep moving, to fight of her fears and nightmares with hard grueling work. Her work consisted mostly of physical labor, letting Kopula take care of matters of state using Zelda’s signature. She had washed the floors, cleaned the stables, scrubbed down the kitchen, shook out and washed the bedding and then rearranged a few of the rooms. She was never out of things to do because once something was clean she’d then clean it again.

She didn’t smile, her expression was blank as if content with the mindless tasks that she set herself to. He’d come back and it would be fine. She just had to believe that but losing your best friend, the closest person too you, was hard; even for what might be a short time.

Comments

Old Observatory

[mindofathief]

While Duster didn't consider Aqures Ixen to he his home, the city where a room especially reserved for him waited was something to look forward to after weeks exploring the Lost Continent. Apart from the housing district, he was unfamiliar with most of the buildings here and took these few days to finally explore the place he would be living. Zelda had mentioned this old observatory to be a gathering place for heroes, and if there was one place he had to visit, it was here.

The doors creaked open and his shadow covered the hallway. It was cleaner than he expected, not that it was a bad thing, but it looked like it was cleaned recently. Was there a gathering he wasn't notified of? He couldn't hear any voices, but...

He stepped in and closing the door with an arm as he looked around the entranceway. "Hello?" His uneven steps echoed through the building, and the rooms were getting darker as the day began to end. The sound of furniture being moved grabbed his attention, and he followed the sound to find Zelda, aggressively rearranging the furniture and focused on nothing else.

Duster leaned against the doorway, watching her hard at work for a minute before finding a moment to speak up. "Do you need help?"

[bright_and_blue]

Graham's bad a busy week, most of which was spent in jail and being a complete thorn in the side of all the police officers within earshot of him. Bailed after a few days by his employers (who've taken a month's pay in retaliation), he was on the loose again and looking for something to do. Might as well pick up the motorcycle from the Observatory, he figures, even if it's too cold to be riding. He was Chicago born and raised, and a little cold never bothered him.

Finding Zelda there wasn't surprising, but he was no less glad to see her. What was surprising, though, was her deadened expression. He stood against a nearby wall for a few moments, watching her work, arms folded and expression puzzled. Not that he can stay quiet for long.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you weren't yourself. But I actually don't know better in this case, so that was just a guess. Probably a good one, if I do say so myself."

Observatory

[iknowtheconsequences]

Kaji has been seeking Zelda out, the person he wants- no, needs to talk to after what they've all been through is Zelda. But his timing is shit. Because of course he knows who's missing.

But he's here anyway, because this is the absolute last time that Zelda needs to be alone. Especially alone with the burden of leadership that she has on herself.

Kaji is cautious as he enters the Observatory. "Miss Zelda?" Respectful. He doesn't look to good, himself, hasn't been shaving, as if trying to make himself look even sloppier than normal. "Might I talk to you?"

He puts down a small metal tin that he was holding. Looks like something from his kitchen.

Old Observatory, evening.

[bloodypast]

Vincent had been slightly surprised when Kopula had sought him out, but when he heard the reason... Ophelia was coming with him, as she'd flitted to and fro chattering in nerves, talking aloud to try and think of how she might help Zelda. Fretting herself, until Vincent calmed her. Offering suggestions, as well as his own plan.

Which is how they found themselves now at the old observatory looking for her. Ophelia was carrying a smaller box carefully, so that the hot tea in the kettle inside wouldn't spill. Vincent was carrying a bag, with one of Ophelia's red scarves looped around it, that bore food. Likely enough that Zelda, if Kopula's state was any indication, wasn't taking care of herself. Sandwiches, fried rice, dried fish and some fruit. Things that would keep.

Searching out the golden haired princess. They weren't close, but Vincent well understood loss. Whether temporary or not in this case did not matter.

Old Observatory -- after they return to Aqures; 12th Feb

[shinrasfinest]

Sephiroth is -by far- not a regular at the Observatory. On the handful of occasions he graced the old stronghold with his presence it had been undertaking some extension of his work. Whether it be to discuss some things with Ashelia before she had slipped away, or something to do with Mograma's supervision.

However, upon return from the expedition to the Mysidian Tower, Sephiroth sought out the archives that were stored; to refresh mostly what they knew -as a collective- about the Ancients. It had never been a topic that had been particularly high on his 'need to know' list but he figured refreshing his knowledge with what others had reported might help his own report on the Tower they had visited; by lending a little more context.

It was noticing more moogles flitting around inside the building that urged Spencer, ever at his side, to inquire why. Not so very long afterward, had Sephiroth at one of the doorways to a room Zelda were rearranging; just watching her from the doorway for a moment as she tried to move a closet that had to be entirely too heavy for her to do on her own.

A16

[fusedshadows]

By the time Zelda may finally get home, there's an imp inside of the house at A16, several boxes strewn about as she works. Some are half-filled, some already packed and taped up, as a moogle struggles to keep them in a neat pile.

The kitchen is mostly bare now, having stripped the shelves of anything she deemed important or valuable-looking, she had already moved onto the blonde girl's bedroom, humming to herself as she worked, oblivious to anyone walking in...