endlxssnights:
She was from before the Calamity. How could he forget that? Guilt bubbled up within him. Link forgot when he had met his own best friend. Even with the cycle, the years of memories wearing him down, what kind of person forgot something like that? Hylians were hardier than humans, Link was hardier than other Hylians, that should extend to his mind. He should be able to remember this one little fact. His arms tightened around her, in apology for his slip-up.
“Never.” Time might escape him, but people never did. Link remembered every loved one, from every time. Every death of his interchangeable parents, every kidnapping and sorrow caused by simple proximity to the Hero.
He pulled back, trying to lighten the mood. ‘Princessing doesn’t count to us peasant folk. You know that.’
Link had taken his and Zelda’s situation for granted. He never had to explain the intricacies of Earth to them, their memories were of both. What he didn’t understand his own, he could always ask his partner about. Fortunately, he had had years on his own, picking up things about Earth- the Sallow Hills specific things- slowly. Magick here, while different from home, certainly eased his way into understanding.
‘The land’s called Wales, we’re at a town called Sallow Hills. We can’t leave. I’ve never seen anything like it. Not the Twilight barriers or anything else.’ He paused in his signs. How to explain those painful, lonely seven years? ‘Time works different here. I thought I was at the beginning of the cycle when I arrived, I’m hopefully at the end of it now.’
A horrible thought flitted through his mind. His hands shook at just the concept of Midna appearing under the same circumstances he had. “How long has it been for you?”
The subtle anxiety Midna held about their bond being weaker due to their time apart was quickly dissipating. Years may have passed, but the way she could look him over and read him so easily made it feel as if it were just yesterday she had walked through the Mirror.
“Good. I do my best to look unforgettable. I’d hate all my hard work to be for naught.” A soft laugh escaped her lips as he pulled back. Never one to let someone else get the last word, Midna shook her head, “It's queen-ing now, I’ll have you know. And you didn’t get a promotion from peasant to anything cooler after all of our hard work? Lame.”
She nodded at his explanation. She didn’t fully get it yet, but it wasn't the first time she had been cast out of her homeland.
“Just passed seven years for me, but it feels longer. Too long. Its really good to see you. Has it been the same amount for you?” A second later, her eyes went wide, as if she had just remembered something crucial. “Wait, first, and this is really important, I need to know— did you Zelda finally bone?” She asked the question so seriously, but she was obviously teasing him. Midna was a lot of things, though blind and senseless were not included.
ofmvoonlight:
Listening to Sam talk about his job, Zelda smiled to herself. Sometimes they didn’t know how to cope with the fact that here in Sallow they were surrounded with people that cared for her and loved her. Back home in Hyrule she had to take care of herself, protect herself and be there for herself. That was until they met Link and everything just changed for the better.
This town had not only given her a sense of belonging but also given her the greatest gift of all; Link. Being able to be with him and actually be his was everything to Zelda. It had been a dream for so many years but now it was reality. Now they could kiss his lips and hold his hand, tell him that she loved him and sleep in his arms.
They were finally content. “Well I am happy that you have someone at work willing to help you. You deserve a helping hand”
⊱ ──────────── {⋆⌘⋆} ──────────── ⊰
As Sam continued his work with the vegetables, he nodded a soft smile to them. Maybe it wasn’t perfectly ideal to be in this town alone, but he was making do. The Shire would always be his true home, but Sallow Hills would do. He would make it so.
“Thank you Zelda,” he hummed, careful not to catch his fingers under the knife. “It's nice to have some more time to myself, even if there's nobody to share it with.” He said it, still with a little smile on his face, but it did make his chest ache a little to know there was no Frodo or Rosie here to share his time with. He missed them greatly, though he talked about them little. It hurt too much to stir up those feelings.
Changing the subject, he went on, “You know, I remembered something last night that I hadn't been able to the day before.”
⌘Midna Twili Open Starter⌘
Okay, admittedly, Midna didn’t entirely know what she was doing at first. While ruling a realm and being mayor had a lot of overlap in duties and expertise, they surely had their differences. For one, she had to teach herself how to campaign. A whole complicated mess of papers and advertising and public appearances.
Midna wasn’t dumb enough to go in completely blind. She spent a good few days researching it all in the library and via her new laptop. After a while, she felt as if she had a decent footing on the concept, so she decided that she would indeed run for office. She felt like she could do some good for this dreary place, and if worse came to worse, she would have had a fun time along the way.
That's how Midna found herself campaigning in the park under a tiny pop up tent to block off the sun. It was a nice day, which hopefully meant lots of walkers to hand fliers to.
As someone approached, Midna tucked her shoulders back, threw on a pretty smile, and held out a little metal circle in their direction, “Morning! Do you have a second to talk about our mayoral campaign? Want a button?”
picturedspells:
Missing memories. River was missing all of her memories pre Sallow Hills. Jenny was fascinated by this. She knew people with partial memory loss, and had heard about those with false memories and memories completely wiped, but she hadn’t actually gotten the chance to meet someone like that yet. It was fascinating, from a scientific viewpoint at least. Jenny wanted to learn everything she could about this town and the strange things it did to the mind.
“Oh no, it’s exactly what I want to hear!” they said hurriedly, and then bit their lip. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so eager. But the whole memory loss is part of what I’m studying at the Research Center. My main focus is the aspect of people arriving from different points in time, but I’m very intrigued by the memory issues here as well. I would love to hear about these odd flashes and gut instincts… if you’re comfortable sharing, of course.”
Jenny smiled nervously and took another sip of their tea. “To answer your question though, I’m not from here. I think I’m from a different universe entirely actually. I sort of… travel through time and space, looking for people to help and planets to save. Or at least I used to, before I got stuck here.”
River considered, and gave a nonchalant shrug. “No offence taken. If my memory loss can be helpful to someone, I don’t see the harm in sharing any of my experience.”
She was ever so slightly unsettled by Jenny’s past, purely from a historical standpoint. A time traveler had the potential to disturb the course of history, which River found improper, but she wasn't about to say anything. It didn’t throw her off too much. She had heard about the different universes people here came from many times before.
“That's an impressive resume you’ve got there. I’d assume it’s helpful in your field of work.”
wickedpotions:
OH . oh no . This wasn’t good . Sure , Bill didn’t know the extent of River’s relationship with the Doctor , but considering they were two thousand years old and only had two people’s pictures on their desk , Bill could easily figure that those two were important to them . Really important . And she didn’t remember them . She thought they’d only just met . Oh this was NOT good .
SHE SHOOK HER HEAD . ❝ sorry . maybe i’m confusing you with someone else . It’s just , you look a lot like someone the Doctor has a picture of , but with how weird this town is I could be wrong . ❞ She wasn’t . Especially since River had just confirmed that she was , well , River . ❝ Sorry , you’re probably here for something . The Doctor is out , but maybe I can help ya ? ❞
With a polite smile, River shrugged it off. A case of mistaken identity was no big deal, and that's what this had to be. There was no reason for the Doctor to be talking about her when she wasn’t around. Right? They had just met the other day.
“Not a problem, Bill. I suppose I do have a bit of a familiar face.” River glanced around the shop quickly, trying to identify something to buy to cover for the fact that the whole reason she had come in was to see a person that currently wasn’t here. A bit of disappointment rose in her chest at the lack of the Doctor’s presence, but she shoved it away quickly. Get over yourself, Song. River tucked some hair behind her ear and looked back to Bill. “No need to apologize. I am here for something, so help would be wonderful. This place is a bit of a maze, I’ve noticed.”
River gave a little laugh, and it became increasingly obvious why the Doctor would like her so much. It was a pretty sound that anyone would swear could brighten even the darkest of places. “The other day the Doctor said that there were supposed to be some new paintings and rugs coming in. Have those arrived by chance?”
velvetcoatsandbrillianthopes:
They knew they were failing at keeping themselves entirely in check. River had made that difficult for a very long time. They could see things flickering through that devastatingly clever mind, she had always been so very clever, and they forced themself to take a deep breath and still their hearts.
“What do you do for work?” They couldn’t help the question, wanting to know what River did when she didn’t know them, didn’t travel the universe and time. “I see, I have plenty of all of that. Would you prefer Oriental? Mediterranean? Classic British? A mixture of any and everything that just catches your eye?”
They watched her step closer and resisted the urge to close that distance. River had been one person they hadn’t wanted space from in many years. A slow smile spread over their face, a little sad at the edges in the way so many of the Doctor’s smiles were when faced with one of their losses. “Hello, River. I’m The Doctor,” they introduced as they accepted her hand.
There was an odd feeling creeping over her. River didn’t understand it, and she hated things she didn’t understand. She was the type to keep digging at a mystery until she found the explanation she was looking for (at least she thought as much– the amnesia made feelings and reactions a little confusing for her at times).
“Really? Your name is just ‘The Doctor’? It's an interesting one I’ll give you that. It's lovely to make your acquaintance.. I work at the secondary school– year eight history and advanced history,” she returned the smile, though her own was much more cheery.
It was only then River realized that she hadn’t let go of their hand. She dropped it quickly, flustered, and that creeping feeling found itself a home and settled in the pit of her stomach. Oh god. Her students must be rubbing off on her, as she suddenly understood it: she fancied the bloody shopkeep. Trying her best to not come across as a socially awkward freak, River replied with an easy, “I’m definitely the anything and everything sort.”
The way she said it, and the little smirk pulling at her mouth, made it sound much dirtier than simply buying antiquities.
“I like a bit of character in a piece, a bit of story. With my job, it's probably no surprise when I say I like older pieces, but I’m open to whatever you think I would like, Doctor,” she supplied, hopeful they would have a few things that fit the bill.
⌘Samwise & Harry⌘
@ambiticvs
Some days in Sallow Hills blended together for Sam. They trickled one into the next, uninterrupted in their passing. Other days held much more. In a town like this, it was a gamble on what the day would bring. So far, Samwise’s day had brought him little of interest (aside from finding one of the primula vulgaris he had been tending back to health had bloomed); it was so dull, he found himself half asleep while doing inventory at the front counter.
He shook his head in an attempt to knock some of the drowsiness out. In doing this, he knocked the notebook and pen onto the floor. ‘Ninnyhammer, Sam Gamgee’ he scolded to the empty room. With a sigh, he bent down to pick it up, and by the time he had risen, there was a person in the shop.
“Ah, hello! Can I help you with something?”
wickedpotions:
NOT EXACTLY FROM AROUND HERE. that seemed like most people in this town. Hell, the Doctor was here. Sure, not one he’d ever watched but the Doctor nonetheless. This town was spiraling in its mysteries and magic, and the more Dean healed from his own pain and nightmares, the more he wanted to explore all of it. ❝ I’m not from here either. Where I’m from, crystals like this work more like a placebo than anything. Course, I’d never tell my sister that and if I can find spells to make them actually work, I would use them. But here - ❞
HERE HE WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF THE CRYSTALS REALLY DID HOLD SOME KIND OF LATENT POWER. one that he definitely didn’t want to mix with other conflicting powers. ❝ Thank you, really. I’ll probably pick out a black tourmaline and red jasper then and see which works the best. ❞ He took his time, seeing which of each he was drawn towards before picking them out. He placed them on the counter, then paused. ❝ This is going to be a strange request, but you don’t happen to have any woods here do you? I want to craft a coreless wand for the project, but there aren’t trees around that work for what I’m looking for. I was going to check the nursery, but if you have poplar, pear, or fir that would be wonderful. ❞
Magical items were, in Yennefer’s experience, temperamental. Conditions, stipulations, and specifications all had to be in conjunction, and that was made even harder for her to mentally calculate now she was on a different sphere. It was hard for her to say anything for sure here.
“I’ve no clear idea on the power of them in this place, either, but belief in something alone can be powerful in its own right.” Spells, so he could use Chaos as well. There were more magically adept people here than Yennefer had originally thought, though she didn’t know if it was comforting, or something to keep an eye on. “I’m glad to help,” she wasn't particularly, but that's what a good sales associate would say, so she made it sound convincing enough.
It took a moment to think on his question. Six months there, yet some of the store’s contents remained a little elusive. In fairness, it was brimming with a wide variety of things. “I don't know if you've noticed, but everything here is a little strange, myself included,” her voice was light. Taking a little walk around the center, Yennefer stopped in front of a shelf with a small selection of different, variously shaped, woods, and gestured loosely with her hand. “Do any of these meet your needs? They look like they could be wand shaped.”
wickedpotions:
DEAN KNEW THE DANGEROUS OF THIS PROJECT. it’s why he had a million precautions set up already. He was working on it in the back garden, not the house. He was going to put some of the spells he’d learned while he was on the run around it, in order to protect people if things did go wrong with the ingredients. But he was also excited, because if went right it was going to be beautiful on multiple levels. Maybe he could seek out Professor Lupin. Harry had said he was here, though younger. He’d always been wicked smart about those kinds of things.
❝ YEAH, SALLOW HILLS IS WEIRD. in the best kind of way though. I feel excited about learning things again, about experiencing things. ❞ He glanced over at her. ❝ I wouldn’t have called you weird. I mean, they eyes aren’t exactly normal but I’ve seen stranger. Saw a dude without a nose who thought he was hot shit. ❞
HE MOVED OVER TO THE WOODS WITH EXCITEMENT. he wished there was a clientele for wands here, because he did miss working on them. He missed working with Ollivander in his stuffy back room, feeling the way the woods and cores felt. Spending hours carving and crafting. ❝ These are perfect. Some of these unfinished ones are exactly what I need. ❞
Excited was not the word Yennefer would use when describing the town they were in. Stifling? Yes. Dull? No question. Tiring? Constantly. But exciting was nowhere near that list of descriptors. To each their own she supposed. She stepped away from the display, giving him some room to look over everything without her hovering.
“I wouldn’t call them strange. Enchanting maybe,” Yennefer grinned at that. “No nose? That does sound unfortunate. Much uglier than a pair of purple eyes. Songs have been written about these eyes, you know? I doubt anyone's writing a ballad about some noseless person.” A hand unconsciously reached up and rubbed the opposite shoulder, a phantom ache of a malady that was no longer there.
His words brought her from memories of a childhood pig pen, back into the moment. His excitement was noticeable, and it made her smile a little. “Good, good, I’m glad we have what you’re after. You know, I think you're the first person I’ve had that's asked after this section.”
wickedpotions:
IVY HADN’T FELT HERSELF SINCE HARLEY HAD COME INTO THE SHOP. harleen, because this town and this life was insufferable and was never kind to ivy. She was trying here, to some degree. She was trying to not go around killing every person who looked at a plant wrong, which was why she’d isolated herself so much. She didn’t interact with many customers, she lived by herself in the woods, she ventured into town sparingly. But since Harleen’s appearance, she’d been more irritable. Customers breathing wrong had her itching to stick something poisonous in their plant’s soil. To swap their pretty red rose for something a bit more toxic.
WHICH WAS WHY SHE’D LOCKED HERSELF AWAY IN WHAT SAM CALLED THE DANGER ROOM. it was an apt name, if a bit on the nose for ivy’s liking. You don’t label your plots with big red letters, but she supposed this wasn’t a plot. She liked the danger room - the plants too dangerous to not be regulated. Her babies, and her projects.
SHE DIDN’T REACT AT FIRST WHEN THE DOOR OPENED. only one other person had a key. She misted a few more of the plants before she lifted her head to look at Samwise. She tried to put on her best irritated face, though she knew there were cracks. Like there were always cracks around Selina. ❝ Have you tracked me down to help with a project or to talk? ❞
⊱⋅•⋅ ┊ @bombadills
Having another member on staff was much better than Sam could have hoped for. It helped to balance his life out (not that he had much of one outside of the Nursery in this place). He didn’t have to stress half as much to ensure everything was growing, properly inventoried, and being sold as he had before. It was very nearly perfect. Nearly.
The only bump in the road was his new employee’s… bristly nature, but even that didn’t phase Samwise too much. He could talk to anyone about anything, so he kept faith she would warm up to him soon enough.
Ivy had a magnificent hand with the flora, which surpassed even his at times. Which is why, after closing shop for the day, he went to see if she would be willing to lend him a hand. He thought it slightly odd that she liked to be locked away with their most dangerous crops, but there were much larger things he had to worry about than that. He rapped on the door with his knuckle before going in, typical genial smile on his face. “A little of both, I’d say. Though, shops closed for the day, so you’re free to go if you want, Miss Ivy.”
"I think you know how to love better than any of us. That’s why you find it all so painful.”꧁Sallow Hills mumu꧂Cecil Palmer & Sasha James & Sam Winchester
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