In the morning, I report back to Sophie. She says Cece loves the plain, slow life here. She thinks Cece and Reede want the same things. I should speak to him.
On the way to the inn I speak with Leop. He and his son-in-law Worten like things simple, but his daughter Prima loves Cece. This thing really is tearing families apart.
Worten and Prima run the inn. Prima's nagging him to wear a Cece hat, so he's hiding on the veranda.
I find Hateno's Goddess statue and grab stamina to make two even circles. I should probably collect some hearts next time.
At the Mayor's House I chat to Clavia, his wife. Reede's got a secret shed and she wants to know why. He goes in at midday, apparently.
I wonder if the nearby wells would get me under the shed, but then I see Reede's daughter heading to the school and I decide I'd like to see it.
It's a beautifully cheerful building, one of Hudson's I think.
Symin is advertising for teachers on the board outside! Is he here?
Symin!
As good as it is to see old friends, I don't enjoy having to tell yet another person that I came back without Zelda.
He says the Princess built this school.
There's a notebook upstairs with evaluations - Symin's addressed them to Zelda.
Aster, Medda's daughter. Active, loves her father, likes tomatoes, optimistic.
Karin, the mayor's daughter. Kind but shy, not confident but perceptive. Loves maths and helping her father, may one day be a scholar.
Azu, Ivee's brother, Amira's son. AKA A-Zoom, hero. Used to be best friends with Sefaro but Sefaro is now busy at the dye shop.
Sefaro, Sayge's son. Firebrand, but bright. Reads adult books and about the Calamity.
They sound like a great group of kids.
Symin writes that he had some kind of premonition before the Upheaval - he felt it before the Calamity also. He hopes the Princess will be safe with me at her side.
Well. That didn't work. I failed.
I sit in on Symin's Calamity lesson. He reminds me that there was another Princess and another Swordsman 10,000 years ago, with a Sword that Seals the Darkness.
It sets me to thinking. How long ago were the Zonai, exactly? Was that Zelda, the Princess from 10,000 years ago? In which case, who exactly was the hero?
The kids don't even believe the story. I nip back to Kakariko for a picture of the screen they have that depicts those events.
I should know my history better. Symin says the 10,000 years ago Calamity involved the Sheikah and the Divine Beasts. Zelda's gone even further back than that... but even then, there was a Princess, a Sword, and an Ancient Hero.
It's so strange to be standing here as Symin recounts the events of our Calamity. The loss of the Champions, Zelda's power, my healing sleep…
Azu wants to be like the ancient hero - he's even wearing green.
The next lesson is home economics. What does Goron spice, Hylian rice and monster extract make? The kids don't believe you can eat monster extract. Kilton's the only guy I know who sells it, and he said he was going to Tarrey Town… Maybe I should head over that way once I'm finished here and fetch some, so the kids can give it a try.
Now, Reede's secret shed. The tunnels under the wells are incredibly convoluted - but if there's a bubbulfrog, I can't find it. I do, however, manage to ascend into Reede's shed and read his journal.
He's trying to breed a new pumpkin. Him and Nack are working on a Cece-inspired pumpkin to appeal to the youth.
I go and speak to Reede, and it seems that the new pumpkin is only half of his plan. The other half is to bring back an old taste that his grandfather collaborated on… is he talking about cheese? Because I already helped Koyin make cheese, days ago. I give him the sample Koyin gave me. He gives me 100 rupees for it, to be fair.
I catch Clavia on her way to bed and tell her about the secret pumpkin - she gives me some tomatoes in return.
Speaking of Koyin… I don't think she was wearing a Cece hat. I climb the hill and give her and her dad mushrooms. Dantz reminds me of his need for acorns, so I head into the forest for some squirrel hunting. It takes me the night to find one.
Being present and in the moment isn’t always something easy to do. A constant effort needs to be put in to focus on the here and now. The past year has had us desperately yearning for what’s next, despite the beautiful things that have come up. We’ve re-learned the importance of being outdoors, the importance of connection, and to be kind to each other. This past year in a lot of ways have brought us all closer together, though we’ve literally had to stay 2 feet apart.
Being mindful and grounded isn’t an easy task. It takes focus and discipline to feel comfortable and give yourself to the moment. It’s a tough thing to do, especially when the current moment isn’t the happiest or most ideal. But focusing on the future I find hinders you – the present moment is what BUILDS the future, and if you’re busy looking at the future instead of building it, all you’re going to have when it comes is empty promises. Have a vision absolutely, but don’t get lost in it. Work on where you are now to get you where you want to be. That’s the key.
Feeling this photo rn. Mornings are rough, especially at 5 AM, but that’s okay. I’m up before the crowd, getting a headstart on the day and enjoying a delicious cup of coffee.
Follow me on X: @punisherpapi · IG: https://www.instagram.com/punisherpapi?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Question: What’s the difference between “being busy” and “building a base” — and what’s one base-building rep you will do today?
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