Victor
Genesis rose slowly from the ground upon the parchments summon. He looked outward at the cell, eyeing the guard who just stared back lazily. She groans and with a roll of her eyes, asks a simply question. *"Again?"*. And he just nods before disappearing in front of her. 

It's instantaneous the moment he arrives beside Shadow. Genesis couldn't always pinpoint a persons location, but by beckoning him it was easier to arrive there. Their calls gave him a sense of direction as he traveled through the realm of light, appearing the moment he's needed. Genesis eyes his surroundings, recognizing the stable and forest surrounding it. He'd recalled the conversation Shadow had on the parchment, that of being near the forests. This made sense, hylians do not move as quickly afterall. 

Once he's done eyeing the area, he steps out from behind the Shadow, eyeing him with mild curiousity. Though his expression is blank, it is clear Genesis is deep in thought. He did... Not know why the boy had called him this time. And this was without a request for glue or something similar. It seemed there was something he wished to be said more privately. And that was alright of course. Not everything needed to be handled in paper. 

"Shadow." Genesis says suddenly, making the other aware of his arrival. 

||
Elisa
Naturally, the teen was pacing. He had just about a million different things running through his head considering. That was what he got for paying attention to that stupid paper thing after so long! 

Yet... He'd definitely made friends. That much he could say. But this was the second time they were worked up into such a panic over a little conversation, they had to admit they were at a bit of a loss.

When Genesis called for its attention, it jolted, shadowy hat shifting defensively before realizing who this was. "You're as fast as ever." They shuffle their feet. "Did I disrupt your stay in prison?"

The teen huffed. Frankly, they weren't really sure *Why* Exactly they had called Genesis here yet. It just felt... Necessary. Like he needed support, but he didn't really trust the weird parchment for that. They'd had enough public vulnerability for one day.

"Weird question. Is it. Normal to be scared of the light?" They pointed upward, though they were very evidently sitting under a tree and avoiding said sunlight. It's gaze shifted toward the stables, before tilting their head. 

"Follow up. Do you think I could get a horse?" 

A pause.

"I. That's a lot of random questions. Sorry."

||
Victor
He's! Answering the horse question first. Not because of any specific reason, it's just the fact this is *Literally* His special interest. Genesis is the reason the Links have adhd, okay? 

"In Wild's era the horses at the stables belong to people. They are personal companions, it would be mean to take one." He pauses, eyeing the horses himself because he... Okay he wanted one too. "If you want a horse you need to find one in the wild somewhere. They are usually near the stables, and you can bring them here to register their name and gain a saddle." Genesis had his arms behind his back, the way he stood was *Very* Formal. Despite his form, it was very evident he was not Hylian. Or... Whatever remnant of Hylian there was had long since left him. Despite this, the way his eyes watched the animals shows a sense of... Enjoyment. He really liked creatures. 

There's a full minute of silence from him before he remembers Shadows original question. ~~ADHD~~, he turns away from the horses and faces the pacing boy- curiously watching him. Genesis could put names to feelings, sure, but he did not fully understand them. He'd long since forgotten use of them, heavenly bodies had no need for physical feeling. But from what he *Could* Insinuate, the boy was stressed. Genesis... Was not sure if he could offer ease. 

"...The light." He says quietly, thinking himself as he looks above them. Genesis seemed to be looking *Beyond* The tree. 

"I believe... Light is scarier than dark." He says, slowly. Genesis was not a man of many words, but he could immediately an elaboration was needed. "...Darkness there's no telling what's there. It's the same as closing your eyes. Dark and shadow are like... Blankets. Comfortable, constant. They cover you and keep you safe from what you do not wish to see. The light is different, you cannot hide from what is there. It's a reminder of what you must face. There is no lying when all your troubles are... Illuminated for you." He pauses, finding his words again. 
—

"It's easier to succumb to darkness because it's comforting to stay there. Even in all the anguish and sadness and hurt it gives you, darkness is... Like still water. Comfortable to sit but after a while, it festers. It's a garden for insecurities if you do not know how to face them. The opposite is also true for the light. You need to have... Courage and strength to know what awaits you. Some days, being present there seems like an impossible canal you could never traverse. The fear of light is normal. It's comes with dwelling in it. But it is also that fear that strengthens you, forces you to keep going. Neither are inherently good or bad. They simply... Exist for when we need them. The darkness is comfortable and quiet for the days in which we cannot move, whereas the light helps you progress. It is the vision that reminds you where you are."
Elisa
"Okay but followup consideration. Can... I. Borrow them. And maybe return them maybe not?" 

At least they seemed thankful for the more lighthearted questions answer- there was definitely a hint of his usual troublesome personality shining through even just for a moment. 

As he stands and listens to Genesis answer the other question, however, his pacing seems to halt. Yeah, that was a really good explanation of his life. It couldn't tell if that was because the hero knew so much about him, or if it was because he was speaking from personal experience.

"I've spent... My entire existence in the dark. My whole purpose was to destroy. To free the evil sorcerer, to serve Ganon. And when all was said and done, and I thought I had made a real friend, I felt like I owned the world. Like I could do anything- even beat Ganon himself. Then... You know what happened, I'm sure. Vio called me out on it. Said I was power hungry, that I'd do anything for more even if it meant betraying my allies. But I-"

It shuffles again, huffing. 

"I don't know. After the four got rid of me and I got revived again, Zelda and I had that talk. And it ended in sacrifice. But. I still worry sometimes. If there's more than one Ganon running around now, what if I get pulled back into the darkness? And... I was defeated by the light. I genuinely think it'll *Hurt* Me. And I look stupid, but I carry an umbrella around because of that."

Another pause, as they look toward the ground. 

"So... It's... A balance thing...? I don't really know how to do that. I've been on my own for this long, taking hits from the angry members of the dark world. Then I found my freedom and I didn't *Want* To be the heroes shadow anymore. But I guess now I don't really know what I *Do* Want. And the idea of mortality... Scares me a bit. I feel vulnerable."

||
Victor
"Alternatively, we can find a horse." Genesis replies. He is not going to stop the other if he decides to steal, but he felt the moral answer should be mentioned. Genesis did... Not feel like dealing with more screaming Hylians. Taking glue was one thing, but a believed companion was another. 

It seems his words struck the boy in some way, so Genesis stands there, still and listening. It is a strange sight, the way he stands as though he doesn't need rest, the way his chest doesn't move because he doesn't need to breathe. He was so perfectly Hylian yet so strikingly *Dead* That he's presence alone could be considered an illusion. A fabrication of what *Should* Exist. 

"You are... Not a proper Hylian. Reformed or not you are still a being of the dark. Though... Somethings changed. Perhaps your heart has shielded you. I... Do not know for certain. Though I know that my magic or that of Princesses or goddesses *Will* Harm you." Genesis would... Normally ask Hylia here. Garner the confirmation he needed to say the words that he was allowed to, more clues into an answer even he didn't fully understand. But... It had been radio silent since he'd arrived... From... *His* Love at least. The other Hylia was rather vocal, though... Hm. He did not want to process that yet. So! He's ignoring it. Ignoring it and letting the boy ramble on about his struggles, listening to every single word without question. 

"Balance... Yes. Like night and day. Neither are good or bad, but in the end, people have lived and died in both sides of the coin. That does not mean either are dangerous." Balance was a good way to put it, he thought. Genesis was saving that for when he needed to explain this concept again. He *Always* Needed to explain this concept again it seemed. 
—

"...Mortality is terrifying because most do not know what lies at the end of it. You've been given more than anyone else is allowed. Even my own reincarnation, I could not carry the memories of my... True life with me. I could not adapt or grow from what I already knew. You have experience a glimpse of death. If you know what it's like, that is... More encouragement to live as *Yourself* For the first time, is it not?"
Elisa
"Mm... Okay. Only because I somewhat landed you in jail with the whole glue thing. Although you were already arrested before then too." He huffs.

The magic *Will* Harm you.

The thought occurred to them, and they genuinely flinched. There's a pause of silence, before they laugh softly. "Well... I'd rather it be told to me straight up, I guess. I don't think *You'd* Hurt me, despite how much of a pain I've been to you but-" He shifts slightly again. "Yeah. Okay. Still good to know."

"So I don't... Have to be evil, or whatever. Despite that being my entire existence. But what if I'm no good at being... Good, either? I mean I'm supposed to go face Vio after all this time and I've been avoiding it and talking with other people first because I don't even know *How* To go about all that. You were right on that paper- I worry what they'll think of me. Am I going to have to prove that I can be good?"

"...."

He thinks for a *Long* Moment.

"...I don't know what it means to live as myself. I've just been surviving all this time." He finally admits softly, gesturing with a hand at nothing in particular. "While I was stuck in the dark world I followed the four around a lot. They didn't know I was there, though- but their lives are really all I know. Dying to save them was the one choice I learned to make for myself and it's been survival ever since as a consequence. Sure mortality is a foreign concept to me but so is just... Existing."

They drop both arms down to their sides, shoulders slumping. 

"I don't really know *Who* I am."

||
Victor
"If they ask you to prove how *Good* You are, then I would reevaluate those friendships." Genesis says simply, still listening to everything Shadow was saying. He in some senses, understands. Though he can't exactly feel the sympathy that comes with it. But he listens. 

"I... Hm." Identity was not a question he thought he'd be answering. This seemed to be more... Of a teenager problem. Or perhaps those under influences they couldn't control. Maybe Genesis himself didn't have an answer beyond the duty he was given. He seems to *Actually* Think about this. Process it properly before he responded. 

"...You are someone who loves mischief. You see... Fun and beauty in things others struggle too. If you are anything, you are optimism." Genesis states, taking a moment to reel back, illusionary muscles and joints relaxing more as he contemplated. 

"...I did not believe you were someone who could change all those years ago. I have fought darkness unimaginable and versions of myself over and over to a constant. I believed you were one of those. But you... Surprised me. You changed my mind. As did Midna and those of the twilight realm. I did not think dark and light could ever mix. And yet, here we are. I was raised in an era of black and white, right and wrong, good versus *Evil.* But that is not the case anymore. Perfect good is impossible to achieve. Times have changed. What matters is Choosing each day to be a little bit better." 

||
Elisa
Well. It hadn't thought of it like that. But that made sense. To be fair, it had never had friends before! How were they supposed to know how it all worked?

They stood there for a moment longer as Genesis seemed to think, though they were evidently startled by the well thought out response. 

"...You got all that from talking to me for like, two *Days?"* He actually sounded genuinely shocked, like he didn't know what to make of everything he'd just been told. "That's..."

An exhale.

"That's pretty cool, actually. I didn't realize how much you'd get it. I mean you're like, *The* Hero! The guy who started it all! The one whose a *Literal* Legend and I'm just-!" They gesture toward themself, their tail twitching anxiously behind them. "I'm just kinda the side character who gets tossed to the side the moment he's irrelevant."

An inhale.

"A bird guy I ran into- Clancy? He told me that a person should get to choose their own name, not what others have given them. So I... Came up with a name. Kinda. It's silly, really. Most people are probably going to just continue to call me Shadow, which is fine. But I wanted something... People I trust could use? I think, a part of me *Wanted* To make friends if I ever got out of the dark world. But I was scared to. But this has been... Nice. Warm. New, but I think it proves I'm trying to find myself. Probably."

He looks toward the sky again, squinting. 

"...Sun's still fuckin dumb though."

||
Victor
"It's been more than two days." He remarks without thinking, then remembers. Right. Time and space and the fact he is no longer watching through another persons eyes. "For me, that is. I have always been there. In all your stories. Well... The ones in the timeline we share. That is how I know things. That is how I remember you." 

He did... Not know what to say about the *Legend* Remark. His story was hardly remembered, long before an era of history. Genesis is not used to being regarded as a *Legend*. He'd always been a forgotten tale, and that was simply his destiny. In all honesty, it was not a good story either. The hero of the Skies is the one in the books for a reason. Still... Hm. There is a warm, pleasant, feeling within his chest. Strange. 

"That is how it is being up here, in this realm. Scary at first... Then pleasant once you bask within it. I am glad you are finding yourself." There is a small chuckle at the Sun remark. "Careful, that is *Technically* My wife in some sense." It was mostly a joke. Mostly. 

"....This name you've chosen, what is it?" 

||
Elisa
Shadow blinked at the response, somewhat alarmed by the reaction. Oh, yeah. Duh. Big hero, been around for generations. It had come up many, many times in conversation, he knew that. 

"It's nice to know someone does remember me." Was that really right of him to say, though? Supposedly, Vio had been searching for them all this time. Red at least seemed surprised to see him, Green... Well, Green had always been hard to read. Maybe they'd been taking things for granted, watching the four move on, but they'd moved on without him. It was all they really could do, though- he knew that now. There was just no way they'd be able to retrieve him from the dark world without risking danger. 

It snapped out of its thoughts at the joke however, gasping. "Genesis. Ghost man. Buddy. Did you just make a *Joke?* I didn't even know you knew how to do that!" There's a genuine, excited grin on his face for just a moment, before it seems to process the joke, reeling back. *"Wife?"*

Another pause, as it takes a moment to process the followup. "It's nothing special, but uh. Monochrome. But you can just call me Mono, if you really want to use it. You don't have to." Technically, this was the first time he was *Officially* Giving someone he trusted the name. It almost seemed embarrassing. He definitely seemed mildly sheepish when throwing out the name. 

||
Victor
Genesis did not know what to say about the... Remembering remark. Not that he was particularly affected however, Genesis was not one for understanding emotions. Even if he could sense the others... He did not know their stance towards Shadow. So he stayed silent. 

"A joke? That is... What it was I suppose. Yes. But it is also semi true. Hylia is light. Such as the sun. And that makes the light my love." He looked up again, staring for some time before continuing to speak. 

"Monochrome." He says this slowly, not having said this word often. He seems to think again, silent, before mentally deciding. "Mono is a wonderful name." Genesis states, a hint of a smile present. 

||
Elisa
The teen snickers at the response, shaking its head with a small huff. "If you're so close, could you tell her not to be so bright? Or maybe just... Not to smite me. Start with that probably. I don't *Think* The sunlight will kill me anyway, I just don't like it."

A pause, and a sheepish smile.

"Oh, thank you. It doesn't sound silly or anything?" He tilts his head, for once genuinely seeming curious about someone else's input. "It feels kinda on the nose compared to Shadow, but it just feels... Right, I guess."

A breath. He was definitely calmer than they were before, at least. All that serious talk had gotten them a bit worked up. Still, they were looking for one more thing before going to find horses (it begrudgingly decided it probably wasn't best to steal other people's horses, funny as it would be).

"Genesis... Are you like, able to hug someone?"

||
Victor
"I doubt she would smite you." Genesis says honestly. Theres a look in his eyes, one that recalls... Thousands of years of experiences together. And for once, a fond smile. Perhaps the ghost *Could* Feel as much as he denied it. Who could tell. "She is... Rather mischievous herself. And proud of it. I believe the two of you would even get along if she were... More present." Genesis is thinking again for some time, everything with him seemed rather slow mannered. 

"And... I'd honestly argue Shadow is more on the nose. I truly enjoy Mono. As for me, I was between the name *First* Or *Genesis.* That would have been on the nose. I much prefer the latter." He spoke truthfully, listening to shadow- Mono, and his new name reminded him a little bit of his own indecision. It was... Odd how similar the two were despite being from entirely different worlds. Though, at the next question, Genesis seems to... Blink in confusion. *A hug?* This was not something he expected. Nor something... He did often. Genesis could not remember the last time he had hugged someone. He, simply, was not alive. 

There is some processing, almost like a computer trying to register a command it wasn't programmed for. Then, after a moment he nods. His duty is to assist the heroes, direct and guide them in their journeys. ~~or so he assumed.~~ if that meant a hug, which Hylians found m comfort in, then so be it. 

"You may hug me, if you wish." 

||
Elisa
Shadow's wispy tail twitched at the comment, tilting his head. "Hmm. You really think I'd get along with a goddess? Seems... Strange, but maybe plausible in a perfect world. She seems kinda cool when you put it like that."

He didn't mind the pauses in between thinking. It gave them time to properly process what was being thrown at them, tilting their head as he explained his own name. "First seems kinda boring anyway. Genesis sounds cool."

It stood there awkwardly for a second as he seemed to debate the followup request, shuffling it's feet for a moment. Their gaze lights up however at the permission granted, though they squint as they process the response. "Very silly response. I've never seen someone be so formal about the idea of a hug." He grins, though squints after a pause. He hadn't even thought that far ahead but...

"How. Do hugs even work with you."

||
Victor
He made it awkward. He sensed that immediately. To be fair, this was a usual with Genesis. He was not exactly well versed with feelings. It didn't help his wife wasn't answering his calls so, there's just a long silence from him. How do you answer a question like that? It should be simple. Yet... For Genesis it isn't. It takes him some time but, after some clear confusion, he kneels. 

Genesis is very knightly in the way he presents himself. Very noble, almost holy. His movements were each pre meditated, clearly with plenty thought. The hero did not often work from impulse, and it was clear, even long after death. So The best he can do is kneel, reaching the teenagers height, and leaning forward in way that can only be compared to a fighting dog lowering its guard. He was letting Mono hug him, despite not being able to quite initiate it himself. 

Yes his form is solid, but what's felt is anything but living. As a projection of light, hugging Genesis is *Warmth*, and an eerie sense of calm. He is more of a concept than a man, but it is nice. 

||
Elisa
They were actually pretty surprised he'd agreed to the concept of a hug. But it was helpful to him... Despite being a creature of shadows and darkness, physical contact helped them feel more *Real.* Down to Earth, even. So the fact that he was going out of his way to help was... Reassuring, to say the least. It certainly aided in feeling more... Human. Being acknowledged simply for being there.

They awkwardly shuffled forward as well- given they weren't too used to doing this, either. Still, the moment he seemed to be close enough, Shadow closed the gap with a tight hug. He didn't even care that it was warm. Normally he hated the warmth. The feeling was... Strange, but it was comforting. It felt nice. 

It didn't last too long though- after a moment, the shadow jumped back again, dusting themself off. "Uh. Thank you. That... Kinda helped." They softly respond after a moment of thinking, tail swaying back and forth behind them. 

"...I know you're busy. So if you need to get back to heroic duties and such, you're okay to. I think... I think I'll be okay now. We can always get a horse later."