~ Chapter 1 ~

"Your true face… what kind of… face is it? I wonder… the face under the mask… Is that… your true face?"

– Majora's Mask (2000)

Marin woke up slowly, and then all at once. There was a strange ache in her chest, and she had the feeling she was forgetting something. As she got out of bed and began her day, however, the odd feelings faded along with her morning grogginess. There wasn't time to focus on dreams. It was a Tuesday and there was work to be done, after all.

She drank her coffee slowly, munching on her granola bar and thinking through what she had to do. She was going to be spending all day at the precinct, which meant she needed to wear something comfortable. She would also need to pack her phone and laptop charger… Marin quickly fell into the trance of getting ready, the soft noise of the morning news filtering through her small apartment. There was comfort in the early morning, a feeling as if the world was waking up with her. It helped her forget the ache, and before she knew it she was at the West Castletown police precinct annoying the police officers.

Well Marin wouldn't describe it as annoying- she was just doing her job as a police reporter. Really, if anyone was annoying it was the officers who refused to tell her anything. Already she had had to schmooze and threaten officers just to get information on a burglary, and it was only ten-thirty.

She entered the bathroom for a quick break. Pulling her hair into a low bun, Marin considered her reflection. She had never felt that red hair suited her, and she often forgot that she had it. Sometimes when she saw her reflection or a picture she didn't recognize herself. And as she stared into the mirror, Marin had the feeling she was watching someone else fix their hair. The strange ache from that morning seemed to be back, and Marin held back a melodramatic sigh.

One of her coworkers came out of a stall and began washing her hands, greeting Marin amiably and making a comment about how nice the spring weather was. Marin was still distracted by her reflection, offering a small hum in response. She fussed with her bangs in the mirror, frowning slightly. Why did her face feel so… wrong? And what was that about spring? Marin couldn't seem to remember it ever being winter.

"Your hair looks quite perfect to me." Marin smiled at the girl. She was right, her hair looked just like it always had. So did her face.

And yet something about that didn't sit right. "Do you ever feel like you aren't exactly yourself?" Facing her friend, Marin tapped her fingers together in frustration. "Like something about you is… off?"

Her look of confusion at the sudden question matched the confusion Marin was feeling, and this time she did let out a melodramatic sigh. Brushing off questions with an excuse of not drinking enough coffee that morning, Marin left the bathroom, only to stop a few steps later. Did she drink coffee that morning? Did she typically drink coffee? Did she even like coffee?

The aggressive buzzing of her phone stopped Marin from spiraling down that rabbit hole, and she was happy that she sounded only slightly flustered when she answered. A rough voice barked through the speaker, "How's the warehouse murder case coming?"

"Warehouse murder?" She willed her brain to focus and understand what her supervisor was talking about. Murder… in a warehouse… a case about a warehouse murder….

The pieces clicked. "Oh, yes. I am on my way right now to talk with the detectives in charge of the case, sir." Marin had not, in fact, been headed in that direction, but he didn't need to know that. Turning abruptly, she began to head the opposite way.

"I expect a report within an hour with updated details." He hung up after her affirmation. She chided herself for losing focus. She had cases to report; there wasn't time to worry about her coffee-drinking habits.

The detectives in charge turned out to be a warm, older officer Marin had worked with before, and a strikingly handsome young man she had never seen before. Strikingly handsome in the sense that Marin took time to look at him twice. His hair was sandy blonde and long enough to be pulled into a small low ponytail. But it was his eyes, his eyes, that really captured Marin's attention. They were such a bright, familiar, blue. They were also staring quite intensely at her. Ah, yes, they were discussing a case.

Despite how hard Marin tried to focus on what the older man was saying her attention kept straying towards the new officer. She didn't seem to be the only one distracted, either, as his face was sporting a bright blush. A man who blushes, how cute.

The conversation came to an end, and Marin was happy to see that she had somehow taken some quality notes during it. Experience certainly payed off. "I think I have enough to write up a preliminary report to my supervisor, thank you." She checked her watch: twenty-three minutes until her deadline. "I still have some questions, though. Would one of you be willing to keep talking while I write it up?"

The older officer clapped the younger one on the back- rather violently, if his stumble was any indication- before winking at Marin. "I think this one can take the talking from here."

She thanked the older man warmly before turning and heading towards the press room, happy to see that the mystery officer was following. Realizing she had yet to hear him speak, Marin slowed her pace until they were walking in step. "Are you new? I don't think I've seen you around."

He glanced at her briefly before staring at the ground. "I transferred into the CTPD about a month ago, before I was in working in Hateno."

His voice was softer than she expected, but deeper as well. It was both warm and surprisingly thrilling, and Marin decided she liked it quite a bit. "Hmm, Hateno?" Their eyes met briefly, and Marin thought the adjective familiar was a strange way to describe someone's eyes. "I love the beaches there."

Wait, what? When had Marin been to Hateno Beach? When had she ever even been to Hateno? Her mind felt unsure of itself. She had both been and never been to Hateno, and both seemed right. Their eyes met a second time, and the blue in them was undeniably and intimately tied to this memory/not-memory. Marin stopped. She really wished she had remembered to drink coffee that morning- or remembered to not drink coffee, whichever was right.

A deep breath, a loud sigh. She resumed her pace, glancing at this distractedly handsome man next to her. He didn't seem disturbed, though, and Marin wondered if any time had passed at all. "I'm Marin, by the way. It's nice to meet you." It was unexpected how easily her mind calmed when she looked at him.

"Link. It's nice to meet you as well." Link. His name bounced around her head as she entered the press room. Link Link Link. L I N K. Link. How familiar.

There was that adjective again. Marin didn't let herself dwell on it as she now had her laptop in front of her and a report to write in nineteen minutes. She focused on her notes and her typing and tried to ignore Link.

Link seemed rather unsure of what to do with himself. He shuffled around the desk, glancing at the few items in the room and swinging his arms awkwardly. Fighting back a smile, Marin threw a question about the case at him. Although obviously caught off guard, Link appeared relieved to have something to focus on. He answered quickly and efficiently, and Marin was quite pleased.

With a huff and a dramatic click of the "send" button, Marin submitted her report with six minutes to spare. She sent a text to her supervisor, thanking Link while she did so. As she loaded other work on her laptop the man continued to hover, however. Marin waited expectantly for him to say something. He was pretty to look at, sure, but also very distracting. It would be better for her work if he left her alone.

At long last he worked up the courage. "Ya know, I've actually been meaning to introduce myself to you," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, a blush spreading across his face. "I've noticed you around."

"Can't say I've returned the favor." Marin looked him up and down, biting down her smile at his sad pout. "But if it makes you feel any better, I'm definitely noticing you now."

His confidence seemed to skyrocket at her comment, and she went back to typing as he leaned against the wall with a smirk on his face- his stupidly handsome face. "Well if that's the case, would you like to grab coffee with me after both our shifts are up?"

"Coffee?" The ache from that morning crept back, and Marin sucked in a breath as it latched on to her heart. Link seemed oddly bright, oddly familiar, oddly like, like-

Like he was staring at her as if she was odd. He asked a question, didn't he, and questions needed answers. "Coffee sounds nice." The smile she was rewarded seemed to loosen the vice grip on her heart, and as they exchanged numbers and he blushed and stumbled away it all but let go. Marin smiled a small smile herself. Maybe she needed to get out more.

Miraculously, Link and Marin were finished at the same time, though she was a bit suspicious this had taken some careful maneuvering on Link's part. The walk to the coffee shop was quiet but comfortable. She appreciated the quiet. The night and the moon washed over her, and under the streetlights her hair almost appeared to be gold. Marin thought that suited her more than red.

Once they both had their coffee (she did, in fact, like coffee) the quiet was no longer very comfortable and much more awkward. Link seemed at a loss for conversation topics and shy now that they were away from the precinct. There was something about him Marin was drawn to, however, so she decided to play nice. Remembering how easily he had talked about cases, Marin brought up the murder case from earlier.

"My thoughts on the warehouse murder?" He took a sip of his drink, and Marin did not watch his Adam's apple as he swallowed. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, drinking a bit herself. "My supervisor and the other detective both seem sure it's just gang violence, that it's an open and shut case," she shrugged again, "Maybe I want to see if you have a different perspective."

"Looking for a hot take?"

Marin was far too pleased to discover he had a sense of humor. "More like… Seeing if you share my suspicions."

This got her an eyebrow raise, something she matched with one of her own. Link seemed to consider his response seriously. Hesitantly nodding, he leaned forward and spoke in a half-whisper. "I do think it's a bit odd. The murder weapon and the violence of it don't really match Sheikah ways. Seems almost staged to me."

At her own slow nod Link leaned back in his chair. "How was that? Worthy of an exclusive?"

Marin chuckled, throwing back the last of her coffee. "Let me see: Newbie CTPD officer speculates that the recent murder of a low-ranking member of the Sheikah gang is odd." She waved her wands in an arc as if she was reading off of a headline. "Doesn't really grab attention, does it?"

Link nodded in agreement, finishing his coffee as well. "I guess not." His blue eyes held a question in them, and Marin found that once she met his eyes it was hard to look away. Something gripped at her heart, something both like and different from that first ache that morning, and she worried about being separated from him.

Marin stood and grabbed her purse, giddy at how sad he looked when it appeared she was leaving. "It might not be worth anything to viewers, but I think it earns dinner on me."

Link stood, his blush back in full force. Marin's smile came back as well. "Dinner, huh?" He rubbed his neck, and his voice shook a bit when he asked, "When were you thinking?"
"Now." Marin stared at him openly as he searched her expression. "There's a ramen place I like right next door." Link breathed out a shaky okay and then they were off, both smiling and both giggling like school children.

Dinner went even better than coffee. Marin discovered that Link had quite an appetite, and for some reason she found it extremely endearing. He was also a great storyteller with a little prodding, and an even better listener. Conversation flowed easily, and the time passed quickly. Before she was ready they were standing in the subway, him taking the green line and her the red. They stood facing each other, both unsure of what to say but sure something needed to be said. People moved around them, but they all seemed dull to Marin. Or maybe it was just that Link was bright…

Link let out a breath he looked like he had been holding all night. "I can't believe my luck right now. I've had a crush on you since the first day I saw you." For the first time that day Marin was the one to blush, and she swatted his shoulder playfully as he chuckled, "I'm serious!"

Sighing a happy sigh, Marin grabbed his hands. She was not going to let him be the boldest one tonight. "Well, you have my attention now." She moved her hands slowly up his arms and linked them around his shoulders, her fingers playing with his ponytail. His eyes darted to her lips and he gulped. This time Marin did watch the motion. "Can I seal the night with a kiss?"

Instead of a verbal response he lowered his lips to hers, though Marin wasn't complaining. The kiss was sweet, and a little chaste, and felt like a promise for greater things. Link was smiling as he pulled away, and so was she- until her eyes met his.

Time seemed to stand still. Marin was suddenly in that moment and a hundred other moments. All the strange thoughts from throughout the day jumped in her head, and this time the ache in her chest was sharp enough that she clutched at her shirt.

The memories came back slowly, and then all at once. It was like waking up; at first there was a trickle of memories in the back of her mind, and then she remembered everything. Every kiss. Every life.

That's right, Marin thought bitterly. She had already died.