Hiding out (backdated to April 2nd)

[zelda_hylia]

Who: Zelda, Duke, and anyone that actually manages to find them
Where: Duke's forest hermit home
When: April 2nd, after Zelda visits Shizuo
Style: Brackets, baby
Status: CLOSED AGAINST CHOSENS GO AWAY ZELOS

[After a long cry on Shizuo, Zelda has decided that the best course of action is to hide and gather her composure again until she's built up a wall big enough to keep her from breaking down over everything. She learned during the thought bubble curse that hiding from people is surprisingly difficult when you don't have a place to hide in. The forest seems like the best choice for a hiding place, but there's still the matter of where to hide exactly.

She finds herself wandering off in the direction that Duke went when they'd visited the forest together, half hoping to locate his residence. She can't imagine the mage being the prying sort, he's likely to let her sit in a corner and read quietly for a day or two. She hopes, at least. When she finally locates the hut, she calls out his name softly.]

Duke?

Comments

[zelda_hylia]

It is. Having studied time travel more while within Vatheon, I fear that my actions have split the time line of my home world... no, I know that they have. Just today, someone arrived from my world reporting a different chain of events than the one that I recall. It isn't a matter of being from a different point in time, it's a different timeline altogether.

[I killed him. I killed him...]

Like bringing people back from the dead, perhaps time travel is something that should only be studied theoretically. Both must be studied intensively if we wish to understand Vatheon, though...

[radiantwingedone]

.... Would explain. [ Her expression definitely does, now. ]

There... Is a theory. Where every time one has a choice, one creates alternate timelines. A choice of paths - there is the line one lives with their choice, another where they took the other, another where they turned around, another where they went without a path.

.... [ Studying Zelda for a moment longer. She is.. definitely troubled by this split timeline thing. ]

Perhaps, intend to say, that the choice that you made, in that line, was not the best. But this you.... did not make that choice. [ He has the feeling adding 'why worry about it, since it is past" is a bad idea.

.... maybe he should find something to make lunch... ]

[zelda_hylia]

I-I apologize! I didn't intend to, ah, burden you. But... thank you, Duke.

[She turns to him, looking a little embarrassed but evidently having the same idea that he is.]

Is it possible to materialize things out of raw mana with a formula? I've always found that to be particularly useful.

[He's seen her do it, even - she materialized a steak for him as a sphinx, after all!]

[radiantwingedone]

... Beyond combat spells, it is.. not something .... [ Now he needs to think on it- ]

... no. Formula do not.. last for infinite amounts of time. Temporary effects - such as flame and rock - yes, but they dissipate. Barriers are created by slow consumption of power...

.... [ Although now he's thinking about it. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[Zelda smiles a bit to herself at how easily he lets her change the subject. She truly appreciates it. That kind of consideration means that he's likely had a loss of his own, probably what she saw during the curse that showed everyone's thoughts - but she doesn't ask about it. Instead, she starts speaking at length about creating matter from mana, going so far as to make dinner that way.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ It's a bit confusing to Duke - how is the created thing infinite? Why does it stay? how does it avoid breaking down, fading some time after, in this case, consumption?

How is it nutritious is also another question, but it tastes more or less right to him and...

Zelda will find that his sentences and responses slowly shift toward scattered words and monosyllabic .. not quite noises, but definitely close. ]

[zelda_hylia]

I apologize, are you getting tired? We should get to bed.

[Which in Zelda's case is going to be this corner over here if she has her say. That is your nest Duke!]

[radiantwingedone]

mn. [ Somewhat negative sounding and... he realizes that its not enough to make anything clear. ]

... Unaccustomed. speaking for near entire day. [ He's running dry on socializing points to expend, even as the topic fascinates him.

Also no, the lady gets the bed. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[So Duke gets the bed? Zelda can quite honestly carry on all on her own for hours yet, but it is getting somewhat late.]

Is your throat sore, then? Honestly, it is getting a little late. We can always continue in the morning.

[radiantwingedone]

... Mn. [ There would be a comment about physically female but then there could be Sheik and Duke loses that manliness contest. . . . .

Duke will just... pick up a book, shift it so the spine is clear to her as an indication of what he's going to go do, and take the desk and chair. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[...she sure isn't going over to that nest. Zelda rests her head on her knees and closes her eyes right where she is! He's reading now, doesn't mean he won't want his bed later.]

[radiantwingedone]

..... [ Zelda you're foiling his plans. Honestly, he can sleep at the desk, you can have the bed. You're the guest, you get the... moderately more comfortable place to sleep.

He just needs to figure out how to say that, since he.. doesn't want to use more words. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[Words are going to have to be used in this circumstance, because Zelda will pretend to be oblivious to the fact that Duke seems to be waiting for her to move somewhere. She's the one imposing here!]

[radiantwingedone]

... [ Duke, deciding that he thinks he can do this without words, gets up as quietly as he can after a couple more pageturns, claims a blanket for himself, and resumes his seat at his desk with it wrapped about him.

There's his declaration of intent, Zelda. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[When dealing with stubborn teenage princesses, subtle just doesn't do the trick. Zelda just reaches over and grabs one of the blankets for herself, putting it over her shoulders and looking up at Duke in an almost challenging manner. If this is a politeness war, she won't go down easily.]

[radiantwingedone]

. . . . . . [ He'll spend a moment just.. cocooned and staring at her. This wasn't clear? ]

... thought, said. Will take desk.

[zelda_hylia]

I will be alright here. Please, I'll feel badly if you change your habits too much for my sake.

[Oh no, it was clear, she just disagrees.]

[radiantwingedone]

Guest. Better sleeping location. [ A short shoo like motion with his book. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[Crap, way to hit her right in the manners. There's little escape from that logic!]

I... oh, very well.

[She scoots her way over to the blanket pile, picking and choosing before realizing there are... actually quite a LOT of blankets here. After a little thought she separates it into two nests, about four feet apart for modesty's sake. Deal with it, Duke. Nest two is yours.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ He likes his blanket nest nice and nestlike. thus large amounts of blankets. ]

... [ A tiny nod.

Oh. A thought. ]

Careful, in morning. May confuse wildlife. [ Don't roll out of bed and over a squirrel or three by accident, Duke means.

But he'll put aside his book, and... more or less twist himself into his nest. ]

[zelda_hylia]

I will be sure to not harm anything.

[She adjusts herself, but faces away from Duke. Zelda's been known to spend her nights staring into space from time to time, and she doesn't want to frighten him.]

Goodnight, Duke.

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke's head is somewhere among the blankets as well, and her reply is a sleepy rumble of 'i heard you'.

followed a moment or two later by a somewhat awkward ]

.... night.