towerofanimus | CLOSED - forward dated to New Year's Eve

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CLOSED - forward dated to New Year's Eve

Characters: Saber (Alter) and Catarina Amanto
Setting: 11th Floor
Format: Action (cause I'm lazy today)
Summary: A majestic floor, a beautiful woman and the knight that may or may not be courting her.
Warnings: Catarina is her own warning, but nothing expected

[The knight had spent some time trying to find the right floor for this evening, so she had already been through the overwhelming specter of this floor with the flowers along the ceiling, the impossible waterfalls that pooled in the center and the open air about them.

If only it wasn't so cold. Saber wasn't cold, but she was worried about the succubus. That would be why Catarina would find it far warmer when close to Saber than away. The knight extended her prana into the ambient air around her, but without form it was only a few inches from her body.

Stepping out onto the Eleventh Floor and all its beauty, Saber turned and offered Catarina her arm.]

This is our destination tonight. I hope it pleases you.

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[This was not a floor Catarina had been on often. It seemed useless to her- not a place to hunt, train, or lure one to feeding her. But in the presence of one such as Saber, a knight and king in one dark package, the floor spoke to the side of her that appreciated different styles of beauty. It was different, and it seemed to enhance the beauty of the king by her side. Certainly, yes, it was cold and that annoyed her, but that was a minor annoyance next to everything else]

[Catarina took Saber's arm, smiling warmly]

It's almost as lovely as the king next to me.

[Saber chuckled, resting her free hand on Catarina's once her arm had been taken.]

Though fair I have been called before, I believe the beauty is yours, my dear. Forgive me for not bringing my cloak. As much as I thought it would keep you warm, it is long and I feared it would become a burden more than anything else.

It's not much of a burden to be without the cloak, Saber. The cold does not affect me the way it does many humans. It's merely annoying, something to be ignored while in the presence of one such as yourself.

Mm.

[With a nod, setting the matter aside, Saber led them closer to the pool where the waterfalls fell. She stayed outside of the minor mist created, walking slowly. In places, blurry human-like apparitions could be seen, but they kept their distance from the pair even though they seemed to be watching.]

I must confess that I lament the ability to follow the passage of time well in this Tower. Without the sun or modern clocks, I only have my personal sense to use. I will be unable to tell when this year ends and the new begins.

Do the demons pay the new year any mind?

[Even though her flu was over, Catarina kept an eye on the forms through the mist. She wasn't going to attack them as she would have, but she did have to make sure they were within her line of sight]

If it is as big a holiday as I've been lead to believe, then there may be some indication from those that run the tower. A celebration of some sort, I would think.

Mm, only in conjunction to how it affects humans. Otherwise, there is no reason to.

[Saber noticed the way the lady was keeping an eye on the apparitions, but didn't say anything at first.]

That is assuming this is even the solar new year. I would like to think this is Earth as the seasons correspond, but there are many here not of Earth and I believe it is possible to summon Heroic Spirits to other realms if one has powerful enough magecraft.

[She then murmured.] Relax, my dear. They cannot bother us in the light of the day. Should that change, I will see to our protection.

Is that what you think happened with you, dear Saber?

[Catarina blinked at the murmuring, then lowered her head with a slight smile] I find myself unable to let go of instinct as easily as I had hoped. But if it does change, I hope to aid in your protection.

They are specters. If you are able to affect such creatures, then I gladly accept your aid. Otherwise I will have to use my noble phantasm to take care of them. [Because incorporeal enemies suck like that.]

As for myself... [She tilts her head back, slowing her steps as her eyes closed in thought.] I do believe I was summoned again, but I do not know who holds my Command Seal. My War had reached its conclusion, even though I did not know if my Master or her sister was victorious in the end. I suspect it was not my Master as I did not reconnect with her before starting a new dream...

[Catarina looked disgruntled at that, definitely looking down now. She didn't like being reminded of what she was, how weak she was against anything requiring magic. A bit of hair swept into her line of sight and she pushed it back with an annoyed look, her hands moving to a new addition in her hair- a simple hairpin with a pearl- to keep it out of her face]

Do you feel a connection that would tell you if your Master would be nearby?

[The knight frowned, opening her eyes.]

It is hard to say. There is something there. Without a Master, I would not be able to exist; I would not be able to be summoned. My Master is what gives me an anchor in any reality to which I am summoned.

But... my Master has always been present at my two previous summonings. I confirm it, of course, but this time I was alone in the room when consciousness came to me. I do feel a connection, but I do not know who it is to nor do I feel the oppressiveness of the Command Seal.

And I know there are other Servants that have reformed contracts with those granted the rights to be Masters here even though it was not required for their continued existence. It is... curious, to say the least.

[Catarina slowly removed her hands from her hair, thinking on what Saber just said]

... I do wish I had a better knowledge of magecraft. Given my own lack of ability in it, I never paid much attention to classes.

Aside from that which directly affects me, neither do I. Magecraft is not the way of a king. I had a wizard for that.

Are you familiar with Earthen legends at all?

[As she asked that, she turned to face Catarina, eyes taking her in. Her head tilted as she saw the pin, bringing a hand up to brush the hair next to it.]

Wizard. Such funny creatures.

I am not. I-

{Catarina froze as Saber's hand touched near the pin, her eyes raising to follow her hand up]

[Pale yellow eyes move from the pin to Catarina's face as the woman froze. Slowly, she took her hand away, letting the back of her fingers to brush along her cheek as she did.]

Forgive me. It is a pretty pin, and one I had not seen before. It holds some magic within it...

Protective, if one can use such magic. [She turned her head, letting her lips trail across Saber's hand]

... angels can.

As can many magi. [Once her hand was free, she turned it over and offered Catarina her hand.]

I am surprised you would wear something that was made for the angels. Unless I am misunderstanding its origin.

[Catarina instantly took the hand, raising it to her lips in a quest for comfort]

I do not wear something holy or angelic. It's a human relic. But I am... intimately aware of an angel that has used this before.

[For a moment, the use of the word 'intimately' threw Saber off. She had been under the impression that angels and demons could not touch without the demon falling to harm, and yet if the succubus was using that word, it takes on a certain specific connotation. In the end, she decided she didn't care too much about the specifics, knowing what she knew from previous conversations and Catarina's defensiveness over a certain topic...

Gripping Catarina's hand, she took it and her own from the demon's lips and wrapped it back about her arm so they could resume walking.]

It is quite pretty. Were you gifted it as I was my crown?

I was. Unlike the necklace, there is a practical reason to keep this one. [Her hand gripped Saber's arm tightly in contrast to the light tone of her words]

Do the people of your world always anoint such things as your crown in such ways?

It depends on the customs of the land. When I became King, Britain followed the old religion as it was less a cohesive nation and more a collection of clans. It had once been a great nation, but when the Romans started the expansion of their empire, they displaced many people - the Saxons, the Gauls, the Franks and other Germanic people.

Britain is an island so many of those people, barbarians, crossed the sea to settle in Britain as the Romans had taken their land. They did not mingle well with the many people of my land. The Scots, the Irish and the Britons are a proud people... A warring people when stirred such. Some more than others. [Lancer was an example of that.]

My father was beginning to bring Britain back to the glory from before when he died. When I took the throne, I vowed to return Britain to the nation I knew from my lessons. Several years into my reign, Christian missionaries came to Britain and I chose to follow the faith. [The Holy Grail legend kind of does that to a person.] I felt my people would prosper better under the watchful eye of God.

Upon my conversion, Britain became a Christian nation. We still held to a lot of the old faith's tenants, but they did not interfere with Christianity. And to seal my conversion, my crown was blessed by the holy men and thus by God.

[Catarina stopped looking at her halfway through, her teeth gritting. Not completely in anger, though there was enough of that. No, out of a sense of betrayal, from what Saber said. She could feel what Saber meant by Christian, God, and the such. The words coming from a woman like her, the darkness...]

[It hurt.]

...I was never a very good Christian, even as the silver knight. I did what I thought was best for my people. Perhaps had I stayed with the old faith, I would not have failed. I would not have been betrayed.

[She gave a mirthless laugh.] I was seen as something more than human. I recall there was something in the scriptures against false idols...

I belong to a different 'god' now. I belong to the World and the Holy Grail I pursue is not the Christian relic - though I did once foolishly quest for that in my other life. It is simply named after it.

[A pause and when she speaks, there is a bit of sorrow in her voice that she tries to cover up.] And as I am now... purely holy artifacts are something I can no longer touch. They reject me due to my corruption.

[Catarina's free hand came up, touching Saber's face. She caught the sadness, and she offered a small smile in return] The darkness is not something to be ashamed of, dear king. It's not something to be sad about. It's not something bad. It's merely... different than what you are used to.

I know. [She leaned a bit into the touch.] But it means Avalon will never keep those important to me safe as it once had. It is a sacrifice I accept, but it is one that does sadden me.

My sheath had powerful healing magic.

There are other such things that can do that. Things that will accept your darkness as it is. Things that we can find here.

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CLOSED - forward dated to New Year's Eve

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