001 ♫ nothing but lies and broken wings

[forhislegacy]

Characters: One money-hungry puppeteer and you!
Setting: Room 01-17/dorm level 1, floor 100, floor 2, floor 4, around the Tower
Format: Action tags to start! But I will follow you.
Summary: "Tokunaga, I've a feeling we're not in Auldrant anymore." Anise wakes up and discovers that the world she's in definitely isn't home. Of course, this means exploring.
Warnings: Nothing in particular for now!

Room 01-17/Dorm Level 1
[Anise can't move at first, but - she's surprisingly okay with that. The bed is infinitely more comfortable than camping out on the ground is, and for the thirty seconds that she's unable to move, she can almost convince herself that this is just some weird dream.

Then she can move again; she rolls over - out of the bed - and hits the ground with a thud.]

Ow...

[A moment passes. She untangles herself from the blankets and looks down -]

What the HELL is this?!

[...well, that was definitely loud enough to wake any unfortunate roommates. In fact, it probably carried out to the rest of the floor or at least the nearest rooms, too. It's okay if it didn't, though, because a very displeased Fon Master Guardian will stalk out into the hallway a moment or so later, glowering as she takes in her surroundings.]

Floor 100
[Her initial confusion over and done with, Anise has found her usual clothing in her trunk and has decided to start exploring. She takes the stairs two at a time, and as a result doesn't get pulled into the hanging gardens - rather, her first non-dormitory floor is the hundredth.

And what a surprise it is - she can't help but stop and stare in shock at the sight of the Daathic cathedral. Maybe this is how it's supposed to be - a reminder of everything the Order of Lorelei was supposed to have stood for, a reminder of the person she was supposed to have protected, a reminder of the oaths she took and ultimately broke.

But what if it's more than a reminder? What if...

Before Anise is even aware of what she's doing, she's running from the stairs and onto the floor.]

Florian! Papa, Mama! ...Maestro Tritheim...?

[All people who would likely never answer her call again.]

Floor 02
[After the shock of seeing an image of Daath, Anise had marched right back up the stairs and opted to take the elevator the rest of the way down. She didn't want any more surprises like... that.

For now, she skips the cafeteria - she's not really hungry - and takes the stairs up. Exploring from the bottom up rather than the top down seems like a good idea to her, and it's not long before she's poking around the infirmary like she owns the place.

She doesn't even recognize what half these things are supposed to do, but they seem useful. Kind of. Maybe if she keeps looking she'll figure out what they are.]

Floor 04
[Anise is standing at the wall furthest from the stairs, looking out at the ground below her.

It's hard to see - fog or smog or whatever it is, she can't see through it, and that bothers her. What could be out there, she wonders? She hasn't been able to find any real exit while she's been walking around. Is whatever's out there so dangerous that it has to be locked out?

Or... are they just locked in?

The thought bothers her, and in one smooth motion, she pulls Tokunaga down from her back. Moments later, she's on his back and is directing him to pound at the glass in a futile attempt to break it. She can jump! She's survived falls from greater heights.

...someone should probably tell her that's not going to work.]

Around the Tower - you pick!
[It's important to be acquainted with one's surroundings, so Anise doesn't waste any time in exploring. The only floors she's really going to make an effort to avoid are the hundredth and the thirteenth; all in all, the cathedrals are a little too close to home for her right now.

She can be found in the elevator, going up and down the stairs, and examining anything and everything that might be of interest to her. On the floors where her powers aren't suppressed, she'll usually be riding around on Tokunaga. Particularly if there are lots of monsters about.]

Comments

was sad to see this go without replies. have a Bunny.

[tsunderebunny]

[He sure was glad that he had a copy of the Princess Bride to cover the fact that he was studying this girl and her overly large doll from the comfort of one of the chairs. As tempting as it was to let the girl continue, just to see if she could make any progress, but he wondered if she was another person who had recently arrived.

Marking his place in the book and snapping it shut, Barnaby stepped up behind her.]

You can keep trying, but I doubt the architect will let you get anywhere with it.

Yay, Bunny!

[forhislegacy]

Well the architect can go jump off a--

[Anise falls silent when she turns and sees who's talking to her; oh... he looks like just her type. She jumps off Tokunaga's back and takes a few steps towards him, all the fury she'd been channeling into punching the walls seemingly vanished.

She shoots Barnaby her most winning smile.]

Wow, mister! It sounds like you know a lot about this place! Tell me more about this architect?

[tsunderebunny]

[That smile would be oddly adorable if he hadn't seen the same excitement on the faces of his numerous teenage fans.]

Actually, I just arrived the other day. I can't tell you much, but it's easy to assume that the management here won't let us leave so easily.

[forhislegacy]

Wow! Only a day or two ago? I never would have guessed that. You seem so calm and capable! ❤

[Handsome, potentially rich, and not a total spazz? Sign Anise up!]

Most people would be panicking!

[tsunderebunny]

[It's a bad job to sign up for. Barnaby's attitude is far from ideal.]

Most people wouldn't know how to handle a stressful situation then. It's hard to understand anything if you don't keep a clear head.

[Says the man who still doesn't want to believe any of this is real.]

[forhislegacy]

[You say that like Anise's is.]

Have you handled situations like this before? It kind of sounds like you have!

[tsunderebunny]

Not particularly. I just learned to keep a cool head because of my career choice.

[forhislegacy]

Oooh? What's your job?

[From how well-groomed he is, he must have a high-paying job! ...in a way he sort of reminds her of Jade...]

[tsunderebunny]

[Alas, he might be hearing that alot.]

Public service. [That was the short version.] But it doesn't matter now. I've retired.

[forhislegacy]

[Retired? Ooooh, that's promising! Most people retire when they've made a lot of money. And it's even better that he's still young (okay, so he's almost twice her age) and attractive.]

Reeeeally? You must've been really dedicated to work for the public! ❤

[She's laying on the charm as thick as she can. Sigh.]

[tsunderebunny]

[Too thick. :| ]

...you could say something like that.

[He wasn't the King of Heroes for nothing.]

[forhislegacy]

Wow, that's so cool!

[Anise. Please. For all you know his "public service" could mean being a janitor or a street-cleaner or something.]

[tsunderebunny]

[That was the reason he left it vague. He didn't want to answer questions or be asked to come out of it.]

Hm. It is cool to the people we serve.

[forhislegacy]

...if you don't think it's cool, how come you did it?

[tsunderebunny]

Because. Sometimes there are things that need to be done.

[forhislegacy]

Liiiike... what?

[tsunderebunny]

Have you ever had a responsibility to someone that you had to keep, no matter what happened?

[forhislegacy]

[Anise is silent for a few long moments, during which any hint of laughter or amusement drains out of her face. She looks down at her feet, and her voice is very small when she finally does speak.]

Yes.

[tsunderebunny]

[His expression softened. She was close to Pao-Lin's age, but was far brighter and feminine than the young, tomboyish girl that he knew. But all of the heroes in Sternbild knew what they were in for from the moment they signed their contracts, including the heavy responsibilities both for the safety of the public and the reputations of their sponsors.

He never expected such a heavy reaction from this young girl.]

Things like that. The work isn't always fun.

[forhislegacy]

...that does take a lot of dedication.

[But her earlier flirtatiousness is gone; she's still a bit subdued, though she does try to smile. It comes out wrong, though, and soon enough she turns away.]

If it's what I'm thinking of, it's really rewarding stuff. But the pressure is enormous, and... there's nothing worse than letting people down.

[tsunderebunny]

It's probably something close.

[There were mistakes that couldn't be erased, misunderstandings that threatened everything, and lies that hid something that no one wanted to think about.

Barnaby also looked away, preferring to gaze out the window at the hazy clouds.]

It's part of why I retired. It's not the kind of life I want anymore.

[forhislegacy]

[Anise is silent for a few long moments, and her gaze also travels to the window. Finally, she sighs heavily.]

If this place is as bad as some of the people I've talked to so far have said, you might be dragged out of retirement, you know. Maybe that's something to get ready for.

[tsunderebunny]

I know.

[His tone was firm but not harsh. Barnaby glanced down at the girl and studied her as he spoke.]

I'm preparing myself for that. Should have known that I wouldn't be allowed any kind of break for long.

[forhislegacy]

At first, when I woke up here, I thought maybe this was a break. From... everything.

But it looks like it's just part of one long nightmare, and it sucks.

[She takes a moment to study Barnaby carefully, and her brows furrow together.] ...is there anyone else you know here? From where you're from?

[tsunderebunny]

[He understood that sentiment. Painfully.]

No, there's not, although there's word that my partner was here some months ago. I wonder...

[There was so much that he failed to notice about Kotetsu's problems and condition over the last several months. He was too wrapped up in Apollon's business agendas, and his own selfishness.]

That's not important either, in this place.

What about you? Is anyone that you know also here?