sublimebeast | IC Contact

Hi Link! You don't have to reply to this or anything, I just want to say hi and let you know that this is gonna be a thing I do every so often. :)

I'm living in the Landmark now! That's a hotel west of Beacon, about 8 miles from the bonfire. I'm gonna ask Rastus for some torches to put up between Beacon and where the Landmark is Downtown. If he says it's okay, it should be a little easier to make your way there and back.

You can come visit me! I live in room 301. There's a lot to explore here, if that's your thing? I don't know what your thing is besides world-saving, now that I think about it. We should talk about that.

Hope you're staying warm out there. Do you need a blanket or something? I have extra stuff for keeping warm from that yarn bomb, but I figured if you needed them, you'd have asked by now. (Ask if you need help!)

Take care out there!
Sora

[ 15 minutes after Link and Sora part ways, Link will receive this message. ]

The parade's gone. I found his lantern. It broke, so there's no one in danger anymore. Did you make it back okay?

[Link can't help a shriek of mingled frustration and rage when he receives this message.

He'd been expecting the worst but nothing can ever brace him for the news that someone's been lost. Why, being dead, can they die again? Why are so many things about this place working against them if they are supposed to save this world?]

I am fine.

So5ra

how

are you?

If you need anyone to t

[ ... Link? He switches to audio just in case something's wrong with his tablet. ]

Link. Hey. [ He sounds... like he's at the tail end of something rather close to an unfitting crying fit himself. He's picked himself up sufficiently enough to be audible, though. ] I'm okay. Nothing happened, it was so quiet when I got here. [ He sounds like he runs out of air when he says that, but it all manages to make in the air. ]

Then the parade's moved on.

[He sighs, but he's not sure if it's with relief or worry. He's glad Sora is okay but this parade is still out there somewhere and he doesn't know where.]

...Thanks for telling me.

If you need anyone to talk to about this kinda stuff, I'm here.

[He means heroing stuff. Saving people and failing to save them. He was born to do this sort of thing and losing anyone he's sworn to protect still hasn't gotten any easier. He doubts it ever will.]

[ A hesitantly affirmative noise, then a stronger one when he realizes the first one sounded hesitant. Heroes. Hero. Hero time.

There's a pause here. There's wind, but the forest is quiet. ]

I need to get up pretty soon. [ He pauses. Very obviously trying not to let his treacherous respiratory system gasp or sniff or do something that will set him off again. ] I have a friend. She's waiting for me at the bonfire. It's pretty cold out here. I don't want her to get cold.

Right...Okay.

[A pause.]

That's the lantern we have to protect. At all costs.

[ Another silence, then a more affirmative noise. One with more weight. ]

The soldier told me that there's a doctor in the church who could bring him back if I bring her the lantern. I'm going there pretty soon. But I'm gonna go to her first. [ She's the one waiting, after all. She doesn't usually remember to wear enough layers out in the winter. She'll get cold fast. ]

The doctor can bring people back?

[A thoughtful pause. There's still so much he doesn't understand and his lack of confidence in the tablets doesn't help him.]

I'm talking about the Bonfire. We were right about it.

It is a lantern and we have to protect it...

[There's a rustling sound.]

We can talk about that later, though, go meet your friend.

[ The lantern... is Beacon's? Sora thinks about this for a moment, but oddly enough, it all comes together quite easily. If a world has a heart as real as any other person's, why can't Beacon have one too? ]

The Bonfire... is Beacon's lantern. It's the lantern that we have to protect. [ He repeats this as though he's trying on a new shirt. It feels right. ]

Yeah. Yeah, we should talk about that later. [ His voice goes soft (and maybe a little husky from all of the stupid crying he finished a few minutes before.) ] I'll see you later? Soon!

[ Link, go check your mail! There's a small paper packet waiting inside. It has three heart shaped chocolates tucked in there, each with its own filling. The packaging reads, "Happy Valentine's Day! From, Sora."

No other explanation than that. Enjoy your chocolates, Link! Sora loves you! ]

[About half an hour after their conversation regarding the bulletin obituaries, Masaomi sends out a much less public text.]

So.

You told me about Cao Pi.

Guess it's not really fair if I don't take my turn.

Only if you're up to it.

[He's never going to be up for it. But Vanitas, giant fucking dickweed that he is, has a point. He can't keep putting people in danger because he's a coward.]

It was me.

I did that to myself.

Joined the parade, you mean?

I'd heard people were compelled to join by the music.

No.

After.

I killed myself.

I didn't want to, but I did anyway.

[There's a long pause as he thinks about this.]

It compelled you, didn't it? The music...

Who knows?

[Why had he joined in, felt so free and excited, ripped himself to shreds with a smile on his face? Why had he done any of these things? He doesn't know. Or maybe he just doesn't want to.

It's terrifying to think that anything could manipulate him so effectively, but it's world shattering to consider that maybe nothing had.]

I just wanted to be one of them.

But I wasn't good enough.

I was too

[Too worthless? Too restricted? Too human? Too alive?

Too dead?]

different.

I'm sorry.

Then don't do what you're thinking of doing.

You can track it or warn people when it's coming or whatever helps.

But don't follow it.

Even with ear plugs.

On Thursday, on his way past the post office, Link runs into the Librarian! They're just coming out of the post office. They look a little startled to see Link, and wave one limb, gesturing for him to go watch the races! Honestly, silly thing, how often do you get to see that?

Bu-ut if Link sticks around after they leave and looks inside the post office, he'll see three new, shiny rocks lined up in a row on the Postmaster General's desk, set atop a book. It's Vanna White's biography. There's no meaning behind that, it's just a hell of a book, more people should read it.

Link does stick around! He'll peer at the rocks to see if they're opals then he'll be sure to take note of the name "Vanna White"....

Sorry, Beacon, he doesn't know who that is. But it must be someone important.

[ Another note in his post-office box. ]

Hey! Our last convo got kinda heavy, didn't it? Sorry. For what it's worth, you're the only hero of Hyrule I care about? Even if I meet another one, if they wanna be better or worse or whatever, that's their problem. I like you! I mean it. We're going to save this world. Count on it!

Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I'm bringing a cupcake to our next spar? It's my birthday! You'd better show up and eat it! I don't wanna wait around with it all like, oh man, now I gotta be responsible for this cupcake. It's yours! Come get it!

Later!
Sora

IC Contact

A note left in Link's inbox at the post office on 01/30;

@langit; text

text

@langit; audio

audio

audio forever

no subject

no subject

no subject

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02/14; in his post-office box

text; @bacura

voice;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

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no subject

AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIBRARIAN

no subject

02/28; in his post-office box