002 ♃ Be careful what you wish for...

[seekinganswers]

Characters: Sheba and anyone who wants some last-minute pre-event CR!
Setting: Daytime - Floor 08, Floor 09, Floor 10 || Nighttime - Floor 11
Format: Starting with brackets but I will follow you!
Summary: Sheba's continuing her exploration of the Tower little by little, but a fair amount of dilly-dallying leaves her pretty far from the safety of her dorm room by the time night falls.
Warnings: Sheba has no particular concern for the privacy of others at the moment, so if you run across her chances are she'll probably try to read your mind at least once.

[FLOOR 08]
[Sheba was really starting to question her choices.

If you'd asked her what she was planning on doing today, her answer would not have involved wandering lost in a maze. In spite of her best intentions, though, that's exactly what she was doing. She'd come up to this floor just after breakfast and she wasn't sure how much time had passed since then, but it sure felt like a lot.

With a sigh, she stopped walking and leaned against a wall to gather her thoughts.

Come on, Sheba, it's just a maze. You've found your way out of more confusing places than this before... remember Air's Rock?

...

This isn't helping.

[Sigh.]

[FLOOR 09]
[It had taken some doing, but she'd finally gotten out of that maze and was making her way through the Tower again.

As she came up on the ninth floor, her footsteps slowed until she came to a stop. She looked curiously from the lights by the staircase to the darkness that seemed to have fallen over the rest of the floor.]

That's strange... why is it so dark?

[Perhaps it wasn't the most intelligent decision, but the whole point of her venturing out of her room today was to get acquainted with the various floors in the Tower. She couldn't do that if she just stayed on the staircases. She took a breath and stepped away from the stairs, continuing further into the room and hunching her shoulders, then crouching. It was getting darker and darker, and the room seemed to be getting smaller and smaller...

When she was forced to get to her hands and knees to keep going, she started to think that this wouldn't be a floor she'd want to hide out on if anything happened. She came to an abrupt stop after a few moments, though, looking around with a slightly guarded expression.]

What...?

[She could have sworn she'd heard something... She frowned. No, when she wasn't moving, it was quiet. She crawled forward a little bit more and--

What was that?!

She'd seen something. She knew she had! But now there wasn't anything... She scowled. If this tower was trying to scare her, she wasn't going to let it! The space got smaller and smaller, and she had to resort to inching forward a little at a time on her stomach. The sounds and sights just kept coming more and more frequently - but she could never pinpoint where they were coming from, what they were...

Finally, she came to the edge, but before she could get a good look around she felt something around her ankle.]

?!

[And then, all at once, she was yanked back so hard that it nearly took her breath away. By the time she could scream, she was about halfway across the room; the next thing she knew, she'd slammed into the suitcase and slumped forward.

When she lifted her head, there was nothing there but the same eerie darkness she'd looked out at minutes before.]

Wh-wh... what...

[She was trembling. What was that? What had just happened? Why...]

[FlOOR 10]
[Sheba was still shaking as she climbed the last stair and stepped out onto the tenth floor. Thankfully, she could see in all directions here - this part of the tower seemed well-lit and... well, altogether, it just didn't seem like the kind of place where someone would be dragged away kicking and screaming.

No, this place seemed a lot safer...

She looked up at the enclosed bits of water, her arms wrapped around herself, and watched the creatures that were swimming back and forth. It took her a moment to realize that there wasn't any glass - how was the water staying up? Why wasn't this whole floor flooded? This seemed like something that could be accomplished with Psynergy, but she hadn't seen any other Adepts here, not really...

Her thoughts were cut off when a sea creature she didn't recognize leaped out from one block of water and landed in another one.]

Oh, wow..!

[Her eyes were wide. Even on her journey through Weyard, she hadn't seen anything like this before.]

[FlOOR 11]
[Between the maze, that... floor she didn't really want to think about, and the aquarium, Sheba had stayed out pretty late. The sun had gone down a good hour or so before she finally came upon the eleventh floor, which might have concerned her if she was familiar enough with the Tower to know that nighttime was when the monsters thrived. But she wasn't.

Instead, she was just blown away by what she'd found. A ceiling, but no walls? Waterfalls? Upside-down rainbows? The sight of a regular rainbow had been rare enough in her part of Weyard, given that there wasn't exactly a lot of water in the air around Lalivero to reflect light to begin with.

Cautiously, she made her way to the edge of the room and looked down over the side of the tower. Oh... they really were high up. She vaguely wondered what would happen if she jumped out from here - she'd survived falls from much higher up, before. But the first one she hadn't even been conscious of, and the second had been mostly luck and... Felix.

She'd managed not to dwell on thoughts of him or the rest of their traveling group for the last few days, and while she really wished she could keep from thinking about them, it just wasn't meant to be. Because almost in the same instant that she got to her feet to come away from the edge, she heard a voice.

"Sheba!"]

Who's there?!

[She whirled towards the sound of the voice, her heart pounding. Was her mind playing tricks on her, or had she heard...? She narrowed her eyes to focus on a faint figure a good distance away. It looked almost like mist, but maybe that was because of the waterfalls.

Maybe Felix was here? It had been his voice she'd heard, hadn't it? She took a few hopeful steps in its direction, then paused when she heard another voice.

"Sheba!"]

Jenna...?!

[She allowed herself to hope. Maybe she'd have questioned just one or the other, but Felix and Jenna together--! It would have made sense. They'd both been there on Mars Lighthouse with her, right before she'd appeared here. Now, if only--

"Sheba!"]

Piers!

[They were here - they were here! Feeling more hopeful than she'd felt since coming here, she took off at a run, her eyes locked on the hazy figures on the other side of the room. Three voices, three figures - it had to be them, it had to, she had so many things to tell them, she was so glad they'd managed to survive, she--

...wasn't getting any closer to them, it seemed. Were they... walking away?]

No! Wait! Don't go - don't leave me alone!

[The figures seemed to vanish. Sheba let out a sharp cry and put on a burst of speed, desperate to catch up. But there was nothing; she fell to her knees and gasped to catch her breath.]

No... no, don't go...

["Sheba..."

Felix's voice again, and this time it was much closer. She looked up.

The ... things around her almost looked human, but not quite. They didn't seem solid or real, and they didn't look like her friends. But there were lots of them, and they pretty much had her surrounded.

She felt weak...

Was it because of the run, the despair of finding out that it wasn't really them, or were these Phantoms doing something to her? Sheba didn't know.

And she didn't really want to stick around to find out. She had to get out of here. But, as she realized, an expression of alarm crossing her face - she'd left her staff in her room today. And try as she might, she couldn't summon up a windstorm to blow these strange mist-creatures away.

She'd have to run for it... she'd have to... she was just so tired. Her gaze shifted from one Phantom to another, looking for an opening. She had no idea what would happen if she tried to run right through one, but that wasn't really something she wanted to find out, either.]

Comments

[seekinganswers]

Oh! That's true. And someone has to make the food they're serving, so we can ask them too!

Though I'm not sure I want to learn to cook from the people who make the oatmeal...

[harepiece]

I know I don't trust them with meals. There are probably a lot of people around who know how to cook, though.

[seekinganswers]

We'll find something... it'll be alright. [She chuckled.] If worst comes to, we can just take all the leftover desserts.

[harepiece]

You know, I wouldn't mind skipping the cooking part and going right for the desserts.

[it seems like there would be a lot less work involved with that on a whole...]

[seekinganswers]

Come to think of it, I like the sound of that a lot better too...

[And it was hard to ruin desserts, so surely they'd taste a million times better than oatmeal!]

[harepiece]

All right, that's a new plan! Much better, we can use the cooking-things-for-ourselves plan as a backup.

[HE'S STOKED. Desserts are the best part of pretty much anything!]

[seekinganswers]

Yes! [She laughed. Some of the best plans were the spontaneous ones.] What's your favorite dessert, Oz?

[harepiece]

How could I possibly narrow it down to one thing?! Biscuits are good for when you need a light snack, and nothing goes better with tea, but petite fours work well if you're looking for something sweeter. Pies, cakes and tarts can't be overlooked, either! But who in their right mind could decide between fresh, summery fruit tarts and rich, warm chocolate cakes?

[he has clearly put a lot of thought into this...] What about yours, miss Sheba?

[seekinganswers]

I've never heard of some of those things... There must be more of a variety where you're from. [Desserts were much simpler where she came from. She tilts her head to the side to consider it.] Chocolate is delicious... but I've always been very fond of roasted almonds with honey.

Especially if there's some fresh fruit on the side!

[harepiece]

[oh my that dessert is so plain that it's almost quaint...]

Maybe! Sometimes it seems that people have nothing better to do outside of inventing new sweets. [which he is entirely a-okay with!] But that sounds refreshing and light.

[seekinganswers]

[call her a peasant Oz, I dare you]

It must be nice, having the sort of life that would allow you to do that... I'm a little jealous. [She shrugged.] Those people are lucky.

Oh, it is! It's very hot where I grew up, so cooler desserts were the best around.

[harepiece]

[NOW WHY WOULD HE ever do that that would just be a bad life decision]

Do you think? [he agrees, but he doesn't state as much. he does, however, look quite interested when she talks about her home a little.]

How hot? Like desert temperatures? Those have always seemed like they would be very interesting places to live.

[seekinganswers]

[She nodded in answer. He didn't seem too inclined to follow that topic of conversation, though, so she moved on.]

Exactly like that, actually. My hometown, Lalivero, was just east of the Suhalla Desert. It was definitely a little cooler than the desert itself, but still pretty hot!

You get used to it, though. And the scenery nearby is beautiful. The ocean is close by, so there is a little bit of a sea breeze! And there are these cliffs... they're a little hard to navigate, but they're wonderful too.

But the biggest draw for the area was Venus Lighthouse... and the ruins to the north of Lalivero. The Lighthouse was one of the few remaining links to our past. It was built by ancient civilization... no one alive today knows how to make such a thing! It was one of the most impressive things I ever saw in Weyard.

[harepiece]

[he, of course, doesn't recognize the names of anything she mentions. it doesn't stop him from looking excited, though! SHARING IS CARING or something...]

How tall was the lighthouse? It sounds like something really impressive. —Oh, and the ocean! How is that? I've never been to one, myself, but I've heard a lot of stories!

[seekinganswers]

[How tall...? She thought back to the fall from the Aerie, the sea rushing up to meet her--]

Almost as tall as this tower, maybe even taller. The top of the Lighthouse was above the clouds - when we got there, we saw nothing but blue skies.

The ocean is beautiful! It's even more amazing when you're on a ship, though. Sailing is wonderful... [She sighed a little wistfully. What sailing could she do here? ...unless she got something to float around on in the pool, but that wouldn't be quite the same.] I wish I could show you.

[harepiece]

I haven't seen any buildings higher than five stories where I come from, so even imagining a lighthouse so enormous is difficult. [he sounds suitably in awe, though. to think she actually came from a place that had its own tower of this size and scope!

as for the ocean, that's where his attention is thoroughly piqued.]

Do you know how to sail a ship, then?

[seekinganswers]

Really? That's bigger than most of the buildings in my world. The Lighthouses were just... special exceptions.

[That may have been oversimplifying the matters, but there you go.]

I wouldn't be able to do it on my own, really. I just sort of ... helped. [Translation: She didn't actually do a whole lot.] And it was a special sort of ship, powered by Psynergy - the elemental energy that gives me my powers. One of my friends did most of the work.

[harepiece]

[he caught that plural there, captain.] There were multiple lighthouses like that? [he's hoping all of them are absolutely, ridiculously gigantic!]

So the boats that you're used to aren't like... [he mimics a rowing motion, like someone holding an oar.]

How big was it? The ship! If it takes more than one person to sail, it must have been a decent size, right?

[seekinganswers]

Yes! Four of them... one for each of the four elements. They were scattered across Weyard.

[She looks thoughtful for a second or two.] Well, boats that are rowed were the most common where I'm from. The ship my friends and I used... it was special.

But it was really big! We all fit comfortably on it. More than comfortably. Lemurian ships are the best ones for sea voyages...

[harepiece]

Is Weyard the name of your country or your entire world? [it's exciting, either way! he wonders briefly if she got to see all of them, or just the one she had mentioned.]

And what about Lemurian? Lemuria? Is that the name of another country? They must be very impressive if they can create ships like that! I've only heard of the kinds you can row and the ones with masts and wheels. It seems like it'd be a challenge to control something like that, but a fun one!

[seekinganswers]

It's the name of our world. There are seven continents on Weyard: Angara, Gondowan, Indra, Osenia, Hesperia, Atteka, and Tundaria. Gondowan was where I grew up.

There are other places that weren't really a part of any of the continents, too. The Mars Lighthouse was far to the north. Everyone just called that part of Weyard the Northern Reaches. Then there were other islands scattered around... the Apojii Islands near the end of the world, Izumo, Lemuria...

Lemuria is the name of a hidden island civilization in the middle of the ocean. It's what's left of one of the ancient civilizations that had the ability to build things like the Elemental Lighthouses. They're pretty reclusive, though; they don't like outsiders, and it's hard to find them because of the fog and terrible currents surrounding their island. Most people who try to get in die in the attempt, and the Lemurians themselves are forbidden from leaving.

[That never stopped Piers, though, and the memory brought a small, wistful smile to her lips.]

I'm not really sure how they managed to create them, but the ships themselves require a small Black Orb to be able to go anywhere, and only people who can use Psynergy can use them. They're useless to anyone else...

It was a challenge, but it was really fun! [She was smiling, but her eyes were a little sad.] And that's not all. Towards the end of our journey, we had something added to it that allowed us to make it fly. That was where I came in!

[harepiece]

Near the end of the world? [he parrots it back with an obvious curiosity. the way she phrased it, he's assuming there's like some tangible aspect of the literal end of the world where she lives... that sounds pretty dangerous! or like sablier, which isn't exactly a great alternative.

and then, because he's clearly on a roll with picking out the weirdest parts of her information to focus on:] How do the Lemurians feel about being unable to leave? Do any of them care?

[at least the boating part seems straightforward enough... even though it's essentially mentally boiling down to him as like "crazy isolated islanders make giant magic boats".

...but wait!!] You can make things fly?

[seekinganswers]

Yes, at the edge of Gaia Falls, where Weyard's oceans empty into the void.

[The world is flat. No one will ever be able to convince her otherwise.]

Well... some of them do care. One of my good friends was--... is a Lemurian. He left the island and the Sea of Time on his king's orders. But most of them don't really think very well of the rest of the world. They're a lot more advanced than we are, so it's not really hard to see why, but most of them were... sort of lethargic. They have naturally long lifespans, so while a seventy-year-old is an elder to us, to them, that's barely even reaching adulthood. It's almost like time is frozen there, and they're so used to it that there's not a lot of curiosity.

[At his next question, she grinned impishly and held out a hand to him.] I sure can! Would you like to try flying, Oz? [Thank goodness she still had the Hover Jade. After using it for so long, she would have felt almost empty without it.]

1/2

[harepiece]

[well that sounds uncomfortably familiar.] The void? [so many questions, so little time!

he looks a little down about the state of the Lemurians, even if it does make sense. immortals can be pretty unpleasant people to hang around...] At least your friend was able to take a look around, right? Maybe he can bring knowledge of his travels back to his home one day and start changing the minds of the people there.

2/2

[harepiece]

[and then his hands FLY UP TO HIS FACE SO FAST]

What? Really?! Right here, right now? Actually flying—?