POTS TSAL ♞ FFATS HTFIF

[beknightedheroine]

Characters: Sayaka Miki, anyone who was interested in a Witch's Kiss, and the Nuke Squad.
Setting: Floor 28, and on the way to.
Format: Any is fine, but I prefer prose.
Summary: My wish is somewhere not here.
Warning: Spoilers for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, death.

On the path to Floor 28.

Sayaka has become despondent, over this last week (well, eight days, to be more specific). It felt like all her feelings fell away, one by one, watching the battles in the labyrinth - only a few days in, she'd lost all will to pay attention to it at all, and stopped making appearances in places she would normally be found in.

Anyone who's attentively lived through the start of this month, on either side of events, wouldn't be surprised by this in the least. But it's over now, right? So why does this girl look just as hopeless as if the worst was still to come? She's shuffling relentlessly forward, with some sort of purpose - but it doesn't look like a happy one.


Floor 28.

There's something different about this floor today. Something on a more unsettling, dangerous caliber than the usual fare - it's the tower, after all. It's never safe. But this is on a whole different level.

The air feels heavier. 'Humid' might be the correct descriptor, though that makes no sense - there's no water significant enough on this floor to cause an atmosphere like that. A close look would reveal that it's the truth, though - on some of the instruments, a bit of condensation has appeared. It's more obvious in a specific part of the floor - and anyone who can significantly sense magic will have been drawn there, anyway.

Because here, in the strings section, where a song gently waves through the air - there resides a Witch.

Comments

[wretchedlaugh]

"Of course. I would never accept a rival who spent all her time hiding in the sheets. You're afraid of nothing and nobody's planning on killing you."

... Then she pauses and thinks back on what she just said.

"... Oh. Except for that sword-wielding mermaid fond of music."

[dragonspooker]

There's a somewhat exasperated laugh at Naga's commentary. Give her a bit of time, and she'll be back to normal and yelling at you soon enough, Naga.

"...wait, what? Mermaid?"

[wretchedlaugh]

"That's right. It's on the, erm... what was it... Ah, the twenty-eighth floor." She crosses her arms and gives somewhat of a troubled look upwards.

"It was a blue mermaid with a red ribbon around her neck carrying a sword. Hm, I'm not even sure how to describe what I just saw. It wasn't a Mazoku... but with that oppressive barrier it put up, it might as well live on people's suffering."

[dragonspooker]

"Red ribbon...blue...sword..." Lina mumbled, trying to get her hair set right again - or at least a reasonable approximation. Once she's done, she folds her arms and makes a face of concentration, tapping her foot for a bit.

"Mermaid...mermaid..."

Her face suddenly goes pale as it snaps up to look at Naga. "...did you see a blue-haired girl anywhere near it? About yay-high," she asks, holding a hand out.

[wretchedlaugh]

"No. ... Was I supposed to see a blue-haired girl?" she asks. The look on Lina's face indicates that she has an idea about what's going on.

[dragonspooker]

"I...don't know. My roommate, she wears a red ribbon and sometimes a blue outfit, and fights with swords." She sighs, then scratches her head. "And seemed to be hung up over a mermaid for some reason. It seems like they'd be connected, but if she wasn't there..."

Lina shakes her head, then shrugs. "Either way. This mermaid is bad news, huh?"

[wretchedlaugh]

"It's troublesome, but nevertheless, it would hardly stand a chance against me, the great Naga the Serpent! ... only with help from Lina Inverse, prodigal genius, of course, hehe."

[dragonspooker]

Lina chuckles at that, and can't help a little smirk. "Well then - let's go show this kooky mermaid what happens when you cause trouble with us around."

[wretchedlaugh]

"Ooooohohohohohohoooh!"

Yes, this moment was deserving of a laugh. To be honest, it was unnerving to see Lina so outright cowardly over something. Even the doppelganger created by the Shadow Reflector couldn't have shown something so inconceivable. It's good that things were... just almost back to normal now.

"Like I said, it's on the 28th floor. You'll hear music when you know you're getting close."

I think we're safe to wrap up here and move on to the Magic Nuke Squad Thread. o/

[dragonspooker]

Well, that's the power this tower has. Lina certainly hopes it doesn't happen to her self-appointed rival.

Lina rolls her eyes a little at the laugh, then grabs at Naga's arm before heading toward the door. "Alright, let's go silence some music, then!"