001 ♃ Sheba and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

[seekinganswers]

Characters: Sheba and YOU!
Setting: Room 2-05 | Dormitory Level 2 | Floor 01 | Floor 03 | Anywhere else interaction may lead - she's exploring and getting a feel for the Tower, after all!
Format: Starting with brackets, but I'll follow you!
Summary: Sheba wakes to find that she's been "rescued" from her presumed-to-be-destroyed world. This would be less of a slap in the face if she hadn't spent the last couple of months on a quest which practically everyone assumed was going to - you guessed it! - destroy her world. Oops.
Warnings: Nothing really, but I'll edit this if that changes.

[ROOM 2-05]
[Sheba's heart was pounding so hard she thought it was going to beat right out of her chest. There was someone there, she couldn't see where exactly there were but she could practically feel someone there, they'd been there for at least twenty seconds, maybe more, why couldn't she scream, why--

Praise everything, she could move! Trembling, she rolled over onto one side, and the feeling slowly began to fade away. Had someone been there? She wasn't sure... It had seemed so real then, but now she was starting to feel a little silly, even with her heart beating wildly and her breathing coming shallowly... There didn't seem to be anyone in this room other than...

Wait. This room... what...?]

Where--?

[She eased herself up into a sitting position and gave the room a cursory once-over.]

This... isn't Mars Lighthouse. It isn't even Prox.

[She drew her knees up to her chest and frowned when she realized that not only were her surroundings different, her clothing was, too. She'd never seen a jumpsuit like this in Weyard... what in the world...?

Her entire mind felt jumbled. Felix had lit the Mars beacon -- and then what? She just couldn't remember, but they must have gotten off the Lighthouse Aerie somehow... She'd have remembered if it had been a repeat of Venus. But why couldn't she remember? He'd cast the Mars Star and then... and then...

Her gaze rested on a nearby piece of paper and she hesitantly reached out to take it. She scanned its contents once, twice. Her face went absolutely pale and the letter slipped out of her hands.]

It can't be...

[DORMITORY LEVEL 2]
[She still felt numb, but sitting around had never helped anyone. She'd been through enough unpleasant situations in her life to know that sometimes you just had to force yourself to keep going. This was one of those times.

The collar was strange, but luckily she'd found her usual clothes in the trunk at the foot of her bed. That, at least, made her feel a little less awkward in this new environment. She'd also found her staff, which she was gripping rather tightly in both her hands as she slipped through the doorway and out into the hall.

...okay... just this level was a lot bigger than she thought it was going to be. She took a breath. She could do this. It was just... going to take a little more time than she thought it was, that's all.

Rule number one of surviving in an unfamiliar place: Make it stop being unfamiliar as quickly as possible. That meant exploring. Presumably, she was meant to be living in that room, so she needed to make sure she knew exactly where it was, exactly how to find it, and exactly what was nearby.

She needed to know if there were others here. If they were friendly, hostile... and she needed to know fast. The fastest way to do that would be mind reading. And while she wasn't sure if she'd like what she found here or not, she had to at least try.

The privacy of others was the least of Sheba's concerns, at this point. So as she walked down the hall, trying to commit as many details to memory as she could, she called upon her Psynergy and cast it out around her, listening closely for the thoughts of others to see if there was anything interesting - or useful - that she might hear.

Anyone with the ability to use or detect magical energy would most likely notice the attempted intrusion into their minds. There was nothing subtle about the Mind Read Psynergy.

She sure looked like just another lost newbie wandering the hall, though.]

[FLOOR 01]
[The elevator that had taken her from the dormitory levels down to the first floor was nothing like the elevators in the Elemental Lighthouses. That was just another entry on Sheba's mental list of things that were absurdly strange about this place, and while she was, at first, a little apprehensive about actually getting into the strange metal contraption, well, she'd faced more frightening things in her life. What was being shut into a metal box compared to fighting a "miraculous" three-headed dragon?

Still, she couldn't help but let out a little sigh of relief as the doors opened and she stepped out onto the first floor. It wasn't as frightening as some things she'd seen, but it was still weird.

The dining hall wasn't so weird, though. There hadn't really been anything of this scale in Lalivero, but Babi's palace had been huge, and though she'd taken her meals in her own room, she knew that many of his soldiers all took their meals in a single mess hall. This was sort of what she imagined it would look like, just... a little more pristine than she was used to. Babi's palace hadn't been messy by any means, but the sleekness of this strange tower made the palace look downright old-fashioned.

She sniffed. It smelled like... eggs? She hadn't had eggs in a very long time. Traveling fare had been pretty basic - the less said of some of their attempts to cook on the road, the better. Eggs were definitely something she'd learned to go without. But she supposed they wouldn't be too bad now... She stepped into the cafeteria and made her way up to get some food.]

...how did I wind up with this...?

[Minutes later, she was seated at a small table, staring down at her bowl of oatmeal with an expression that bordered on petulant. It wasn't bad compared to some of the... rather creative attempts at meals her traveling companions had made - she winced a little at the thought, because she hadn't seen any of them yet, and if that note had been telling the truth, she never would again - but it just seemed somewhat... lacking, compared to what she could see other people eating.

With a sigh, she spooned up a small bite and brought it to her mouth. Well, it wasn't bad... She'd had worse when it had been Jenna's or Garet's turn to cook. It just... wasn't good, either...]

[FLOOR 03]
[Her first meal finished, Sheba had decided to continue her exploration of the tower. She'd done little more than just glance in at the infirmary - she hadn't been injured just yet, after all - and had continued on up the stairs.

The library was... breathtaking.]

Kraden, look--

[She cut herself off mere moments after speaking. The old scholar would have loved this floor, she was sure... but he wasn't here anymore. She swallowed hard and approached one of the shelves. The titles all sounded... academic. Complicated. Maybe even boring.

Kraden would have loved these.

She turned away from the shelf with a little more force than was really necessary, blinking rapidly. It was just starting to sink in...

Kraden... Jenna... Piers... Felix...

All the others...

Faran... his family...]

I'm never going to see them again.

[They were gone. Weyard was gone. It was... it was...

She took a deep breath and counted to three. It didn't help - she was starting to tremble again. Frustrated with herself for not being able to keep it in, she grabbed the thickest book she could find, hurried to the nearest chair, and sank into it.

She opened the book, not really caring what page she was on as long as it gave her something to focus on other than the fact that all the people she'd ever cared about were gone.]

Comments

Third Floor.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko was moving a few books to their proper shelves when she noticed a girl sitting in a chair and reading a thick book. Normally, the sight wouldn't have made her pause..but..the girl was reading the book upside-down. Worried, Tohko tapped the girl on the shoulder with her free hand.]

Erm..pardon me, but that book is upside-down. Are you feeling alright?

[seekinganswers]

..!

[The tap on the shoulder startled Sheba, to say the least - which is to say, she nearly jumped out of the chair, and she definitely fumbled the book, only just barely managing to catch it before it hit the floor.]

I'm ... alright.

[Her voice was a little shaky, though whether that was from just having arrived in the Tower, being snuck up on, or some combination of the two remained to be seen.]

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko gave the girl a concerned look. She didn't look or sound fine to her.]

Are you sure? If you're not feeling well, I could get you some medicine or something.

[seekinganswers]

[She shook her head at that, almost immediately. Tohko seemed nice enough, but Sheba's been kidnapped enough times in her life to be a little wary about strangers offering things like food or medicine.]

No, thank you. I don't think I need any medicine. It's nice of you to offer, though.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed and nodded.]

Alright then..but if you're not feeling well, you should probably rest..and if something is bothering you, you can tell me about it. I'd be happy to help!

floor 01;

[harepiece]

[PLUNK. Captain Sunshine here has a bowl of oatmeal as well, which he unceremoniously sets down on the table right across from her before taking a seat.]

You're going to scare everyone away from eating here with a face like that, you know. And it doesn't suit you at all!

[seekinganswers]

...!

[She looked up quickly at the sound of another bowl hitting the table. What she could assume was one night in an actual bed and she was already getting rusty, letting people sneak up on her... at least this person seemed friendly enough.]

Excuse me...? What sort of face would you say would suit me, then?

[She looked puzzled for a moment, then she glanced at the oatmeal.]

Are you also new here?

[He wasn't eating eggs or anything - it was a fair enough guess, she thought.]

[harepiece]

[Boy, would he feel a bit badly if he knew he had startled her even a little! He's light on his feet though, even if he seems to be making a fair amount of noise now.

The second question earns her a laugh as he dips his spoon into the bowl.] Did the oatmeal give it away? It's definitely not the most impressive welcoming gift I've seen. [Not that he seems particularly fussed...

As for the first question:] A smile, of course! Anything else would be a waste on someone as pretty as you.

[seekinganswers]

[Her lips twitched up into the barest hint of a smile.]

Yes, it was the oatmeal. It's sort of the... rotted icing on a not-so-good cake, isn't it?

[Still, it had to be eaten, so she was working at it slowly. It was nowhere near yummy enough to eat a whole lot of at once. Then again, if she downed it all, it'd be gone that much sooner... hm.

His next words made her cheeks flush lightly. She was used to praise - just one of the side-effects of growing up as the so-called savior of an entire village - but that praise was rarely for her appearance.]

Oh... no, ah...

[Subject change is go!]

My name is Sheba... what is yours?

[harepiece]

That's a good way to put it. [Reversed, maybe; the situation is what seems rotten to the core. To spare himself from traveling down that slippery mental slope, he focuses on her next reaction instead.

That is too adorable! is what he'd like to say and what his expression clearly says, but he'll be nice and spare her the possibility of flushing even more by keeping the thought to himself. There will surely be plenty more opportunities for teasing in the future!]

Mine is Oz! Oz Vessalius. [A smile follows that doesn't fade even as he pauses to force down some oatmeal.] Sheba is an interesting name, I don't think I've heard anything quite like it before.

[Floor 1]

[heavenscorpse]

[Oh, oatmeal! V/V knew what oatmeal meant by now: a new person, probably in need of someone to talk to.

So she casually sat down next to her, trying to make sure her wings didn't stick out too much and no one walked into them.]

You're new, right?

[seekinganswers]

Yes... I am.

[Sheba's voice trailed off when she looked up from her oatmeal to see who was sitting next to her. She blinked. Did this girl have... wings?

...well, that was new.]

I take it you're not, though?

[heavenscorpse]

No, I'm not. I came over to see if you were okay and wanted to talk about anything.

[seekinganswers]

That's nice of you.

[The people she'd encountered thus far all seemed rather nice, actually, which... Sheba found a little suspicious. It was nothing against them, but... in a situation like this... how could she be sure who she could trust?]

This is all just... a little hard to take in.

[heavenscorpse]

I understand.

[She'd been terrified when she arrived.]

But you have friends here, okay? We're all working together to go home.

[Floor 03]

[bloodyashes]

[Mind Read is the only thing that would have revealed this one before he steps out from behind the shelves, a book tucked into his elbow. The girl's obviously upset, and as much of a bastard as he puts on, he doesn't actually like to see people upset.

Of course, the fact that he's concerned doesn't make him the best at doing anything about it, by any measure. Besides, the girl is a stranger, she probably doesn't want to talk to someone like him about it. So his tone of voice is all military professional when he does finally figure out what to ask.]

Did something happen?

[seekinganswers]

[Sheba looked up at the sound of his voice and blinked. That tone of voice reminded her a lot of the soldiers from Tolbi - though perhaps Asch's voice was a little more professional-sounding. He didn't look that old, though...

She wasn't quite sure how to answer his question. Yes, my entire world was destroyed sounded far too petulant, no matter how true it was. She finally settled on a more neutral answer.]

This library... it reminded me of someone from home. It came on a little more strongly than I was expecting to, I suppose.

[bloodyashes]

[There's a pause, and then he nods slightly. The cathedral floor gives him the same feelings, sometimes, although not strongly enough to make him do more than stop for a moment on the stairs as he passes through.]

Understandable enough.

[seekinganswers]

...have you been here long?

[Her expression was a little guarded, but curious. He seemed to get straight to the point - she wondered, how long would it take, being in a place like this, to be able to do that?]

[bloodyashes]

...A little over a month.

[Not that he's the best to be judging by. It's not the first time that he's lost home, after all.]

01

[andajarofdirt]

[Do you mind company? Of course you don't, Sheba. Have a pirate plopping across the table from her with his own meal.]

Oh, lass, it's not so bad.

[See the better food he's eating? He's got a literal pile of eggs there.]

Chin up a little, darling.

[seekinganswers]

...!

[A pirate. Sheba's eyes narrowed a little. He didn't look like a Champa, and he certainly wasn't Briggs, but all things considered...]

That's easier for you to say, I guess. [She nods to his eggs.] Are those any good?

[andajarofdirt]

Oh, many things are easy for me, lass, but you shouldn't let my natural talent overwhelm you.

[Is he teasing her? He probably is. He takes a bite of said eggs.]

They're not so bad. But if it's your first day here, you really want to finish your oatmeal first, darling.

[seekinganswers]

...

[Natural talent. Right. On second thought, maybe this guy was related to Briggs in some way. He certainly had the ego to match.

Idly, Sheba wondered if Jack would run away if he was chased by an old lady, or if that was just a Briggs thing.]

Why is that, anyway? Is the regular food really so terrible that they have to make us eat this first in order for us to appreciate it?

[andajarofdirt]

[Jack Sparrow runs from nothing! Except everything, really.]

Oh, it's just to set the tone. Also, you'll be puking your guts out, lassie, if you try to eat anything else first.