Things of shadow

[hylianxsheikah]

[The snow falling gently over Kakariko's cemetary is almost poetic, if one is inclined to view it so. In his present state, Sheik hardly is. The shadow temple is a difficult lure to resist, but he sits against a gravestone with his back to the outcropping of rock that hides its entrance, as though the dead might conceal him. And why not

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[hylianxsheikah]

[It's rare for a Sheikah to be caught off guard, but this is one such time. Occupied and not expecting any visitor to the graveyard, he starts slightly at Link's voice, looking up at him quickly.]

[If he could have, he would not have chosen to meet Link here. The crow's substance helped but it is not enough.]

[He tries hard not to show it.] No. This I must do with my hands. It's a small sacrifice, but--it's something.

((ooc: fyi, what he did with the crow was essentially consume its spirit, if crows have spirits. If I'm remembering correctly I think you know my headcanon about Sheikah living off their masters kind of like vampires, consuming their "light". When he doesn't get enough from Zelda he gets hungry, and Link just happens to be especially, er, attractive? XD So it's not that he doesn't want to see Link, just that he doesn't want to be a danger to him.))

[hylianxsheikah]

[A moment's hesitation] ...Of course. Your company is always welcome.

[He digs until his fingers are covered in dirt and near-frozen, then respectfully lifts the body of the crow and places it into the shallow grave, scraping dirt over it again to cover it.]

Have you been well?

((ooc: don't mind at all. And yeah, that'd be interesting to say the least! Sheik would definitely be reluctant to do so but if he got hungry enough...like you said, we'll see where it goes.))

[heroinecourage]

[Link seems to be finding Sheik in this graveyard lately.

But she knows this isn't the same Sheik from before. She walks over to him slowly, standing about a good foot away from him as she looked down at him]

...Are all of you attracted to this graveyard?

[She looked at what he was doing in curiousity]

[hylianxsheikah]

[Sheik looks up at the woman who has come to him. Now this is very strange. She looks like Link, and yet...]

Perhaps. I do not know. It is not this graveyard that I am lured to, but the shadow. [He gestures in the direction of the temple.]

[heroinecourage]

...The shadow?

[She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head, then followed his gesture towards the temple]

The Shadow Temple? Why? Did evil return to it or something?

[hylianxsheikah]

No. It is as it has always been.

[Rather than elaborate, he looks up at her again.]

Who are you?

[darkmastersword]

[Sometimes he thinks maybe he spends too much time in the Shadow Temple, but whatever. He likes it inside, and besides, the chill of the shadows is completely different -- and not nearly so annoying -- as the chill of the snow.

[Still... the room full of torches gets kinda boring after a while, so for the moment, he's taking a look out at the graveyard. What's this? Someone digging a grave? Hmm. Looks kinda like Sheik, but... somehow he doubts the Sheik he remembers would really spend much time here.

[But Dark's bored and hey, there's someone down there, so why not have a little fun? He leans against the railing and cups his hands around his mouth.]

I didn't know there was a gravekeeper here! Is that you, Dampe?

[hylianxsheikah]

[The voice catches him by surprise. He looks up and back toward the sound of it, seeing--someone, someone who looks like Link, only not--leaning over the railing on the outcropping that hides the shadow temple. And there is something much stranger about him...]

[Sheik gets to his feet, the stranger's question forgotten. Stares and stares again.]

[There is no light in him. None.]

[He can't possibly be a Link, or even a Hylian. The closest thing Sheik can possibly compare him to is--

Is Sheikah.]

What...are you?

[Whatever this stranger is, he has clearly shocked and unsettled Sheik deeply.]

((ooc: fyi I'm going off the bit in your profile that says that Dark is a construct of shadow, which is more or less what Sheik is as well, though obviously with a different origin. Sheik can see elements of light and shadow within people, but he's used to ALL people of Hyrule (aside from Sheikah) having some degree of light inside them, even Ganondorf. From your profile I figure that Dark wouldn't have any, but do let me know if I should edit

ooc

[darkmastersword]

I don't think Dark would have any light in him, but I'm not quite sure what you mean by "light". He is a shadow, but he acts almost human (in some ways, at least). So, er, I don't think he would, but I don't know. Sorry to be so unhelpful.

Re: ooc

[hylianxsheikah]

It's a little hard to explain and very much based on headcanon of mine, but working from how light is an element of Hyrule, my headcanon is that it's also an element in Hylians, and Sheik can see it in people because he basically feeds on it. So he's more or less looking inside Dark as well as at what's on the surface. But since this is obviously fairly godmoddy I always ask if it's okay or not. In other words, if you don't want him to be able to see that Dark is a shadow, just say the word and I'll change my tag. /o/

[silent_sheikah]

[Returning to the graveyard is both a necessity and a whim, depending on which way one looks at it. It's easiest to think here, and for the time being he chooses to ignore the irony in that. If sitting on one's own grave helps in the long run, at least you've only disrespected yourself.]

[But as he enters, there is someone already there, another Sheikah. His first impulse is to leave quickly and quietly, but he stops at the sight of the grave digging.]

[Slowly, he walks to the path and stands a few yards away before dropping to a bow. After he turns slightly to face the grave and lowers his head, respect for the lost and the living who witness.]

ooc: Sorry for a late tag, you are welcome to ignore it. I just got excited because I think I've read you, ages ago, and was downright fascinated by your fic and the Sheik in it. Also, forgive the flowery speech, I don't know what got into me tonight.

[hylianxsheikah]

[He looks up at the rustle of footsteps, looking curiously at the being who approaches. It is still a very unusual thing to him, to see someone who looks the same as he does. At least he understands now that they aren't imposters.]

[Still seated in the shelter of a gravestone, inclines his head in return.]

[Softly:] Hail, brother.

((ooc: thank you! ::blush:: ))

[silent_sheikah]

[This is not a Sheik he has met before (and oh, how strange that sounds), although it is more instinct that tells him this before anything else. He just has a different presence in general. It's almost palpable, mixing with the mood in the cemetery.]

[At the greeting he lifts his head to meet the other's eyes and raises a hand in a loose salutation of respect. He then lets his gaze drift down to the other's hands, tilting his head in concern. Digging through frozen earth with his fingers had to be unpleasant.]

[But perhaps he would rather be left alone?]

[hylianxsheikah]

[Seeing the other Sheik's eyes follow the motion of his hand, Sheik pauses.]

Something I do in respect. Since there's little else I can do.

((ooc: very sorry for the long delay))