Sheba | Child of the Gods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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towerofanimus2013-01-04 01:06 am
seekinganswers) wrote in towerofanimus2013-01-04 01:06 am
001 ♃ Sheba and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
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 worsewhen 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.]
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
[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.]
no subject
Multiple shifting layers of seals...? I wonder, then, if it would be possible to duplicate the effects by casting multiple instances of Bind... or perhaps if more than one Adept cast it simultaneously...
[Though really, this sort of theorizing was more Kraden's forte than hers. She sighed lightly.]
What sort of person is he? The one who removed the seal from himself, I mean.
no subject
[At her question, he tilts his head slightly.]
Jade? He's a mad genius. You can meet him for yourself if you like, he's here in the tower as well.
no subject
Though perhaps it was keyed in to an individual, and that was why it was sometimes possible to tell who was casting what when two people used the same Psynergy at once... she was almost certain that when she read someone's mind, it felt different for the person whose mind was being read than when Ivan did it. She'd have to think more about that later.]
Really? He is? How lucky...
[Lucky that Asch had people from his own world; lucky that someone so strong was here. That could only be a good thing for the people who might need his help, she thought.]
I'd like to meet him someday, I think.
no subject
It's both fortunate and unfortunate. If you do meet Jade, you'll understand why. He's... hard to describe.
[He chuckles a little.]
I think someone would have killed him for his obnoxiousness years ago if he wasn't so damn useful to have around.
no subject
[Saturos and Menardi had certainly been useful. Without them, the Lighthouses might have remained unlit forever. But their methods certainly left quite a bit to be desired, as did the way they interacted with everyone else around them...]
I suppose it's impossible to be "great" without stepping on a few toes along the line.
no subject
[After all, Dist could hardly be counted reasonable, and from the stories he's heard of Emperor Peony...
At her last comment, he frowns slightly. His first thought is of Natalia - but no, even she made her share of enemies, for going against the Score.]
I guess not.
[Jade, though? Jade gleefully dances across the entire foot.]
no subject
[Saturos and Menardi? They had issues. Karst and Agatio even moreso. Was it perhaps because they spent their whole lives in Prox? Maybe.
So what does that say about Felix, is the question. Surely three years wasn't enough to infect him with their brand of madness.]
Oh! I just realized... I never asked your name. I'm sorry. I'm called Sheba; who are you?
no subject
Asch.
[He's gotten into the habit of leaving off the titles.]
no subject
It's nice to meet you, Asch. Thank you for... [Her voice trailed off and she looked down.] ...for checking to see if I was alright. It was really nice of you.
no subject
It was nothing.
no subject
At least he's not a silent protagonist.Sheba was feeling a little better now, so she supposed this was as good a time as any to go put the book back. Better to do it now before she forgets and walks out; she'd feel a little bad if she left a mess.]
Still... I've met enough people who wouldn't have been so nice to someone they'd just met. If there's anything I can help you with while we're here, let me know, alright?
no subject
At the offer, he inclines his head slightly.]
Thanks. I'll keep it in mind.
no subject
[Well, the book was away, she was feeling a little better, and Asch probably had things he was doing before he'd found her...]
Well... I shouldn't be taking up too much more of your time. I hope to see you around.
no subject
[And he'll just politely duck around the shelves and be gone.]
no subject
[While he ducked around the shelves, she made for the stairs. There were still many more floors to be explored, and she had to start somewhere.]