towerofanimus | ITP: Maneating plants

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ITP: Maneating plants

Characters: Arturia and you!
Setting: Media Room (Floor 14), Eldritch Aquarium (Floor 10), and the Maneating Hedgemaze (Floor 29)
Format: Prose.
Summary: In which the new resident Counter Guardian tries her hand at video games, gets lost in thought in the aquarium, and is almost eaten in the hedgemaze.
Warnings: Potentially lethal plants in the hedgemaze.

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[A: Floor Fourteen; Media room]
Arturia had looked around the media floor with idle curiosity. Despite everything that had gone on, despite the monsters roaming the Tower and how many people were hear, she found she had an abundance of something she had not had since she was a child:

Free time.

Ruling and waging war as a King had left her with no time to herself. People were constantly surrounding her, listening to her every word or following her every action. It was lucky if she ever got a chance for a proper bath, much less to simply enjoy herself and be. In the Grail War, her free time was mixed but her focus had solely been on the Grail itself. As a Beast of Alaya, the only time she even had awareness was during battle, she literally did not exist whenever she wasn't doing her duties so when would she even have a moment to breathe, much less have free time?

However in this Tower she had almost nothing but free time. There was only so much she could eat in the cafeteria and so many monsters she could fight on the various floors.

When she'd asked around about a good place to pass the time, many had said the fourteenth floor would be the best place and so here she was, surrounded by distractions of all sorts and unsure of where to start. She didn't know anything about the movies available, nor was she familiar with most of the music. Arturia had retained her knowledge of late twentieth to early twenty-first century culture from her time in the Grail War, but it didn't give her any specifics.

What she found herself ultimately drawn to was the game system. Taiga used to talk about the video games she liked to play whenever their group sat down for a meal. They'd seemed frivolous to Arturia at the time, but when she had literally nothing else to do what could it hurt?

She picked a game at random and put it in. It took a few minutes to figure out how to switch the television the system was hooked up to from the movie channel to the video game channel, but soon a catchy theme song was blaring through the media room. Arturia jumped at the sudden loud noise and turned the TV down, then picked up the controller and settled on the couch. The game was a simple fighter and after practicing the controls for her chosen character in 'training mode' for a bit she began to play through the story mode.

And died in the first round.

And died again.

And died yet again.

What was this?! She was supposed to be the King of Knights. How could she be using to a simple game like this? Arturia gritted her teeth and continued to mash buttons, barely restraining herself from simply yelling at the television. How could she be this bad at it?

"I swear on my honor as a knight, I will defeat you!" she found herself snapping at the screen after her tenth consecutive defeat. Obviously she'd completely forgotten just how public the media room was.

[B: Floor Ten; Euclidean Aquarium]
Arturia had been among the relatively unscathed despite everyone's minds being tampered with. Unlike most others, her now-distant new memories had involved centuries of restlessness until finally settling into some kind of a routine. Somehow, she still knew the rules to poker even though she'd never once played a game like it before their minds had been tampered with.

Even if it'd been a relatively calm week for her, it did leave her disturbed. First Lancer's curse affecting her and now this? She'd heard from others just how far the Tower could affect people but she didn't think people's minds could be twisted so subtly, so easily that no one would notice. If even their own minds weren't safe then whose were?

Her fingers led a small school of brightly-colored fish along the surface of the water curving around her. This floor always amazed her whenever she went through it. She'd seen many works of magic in her day thanks to Merlin and his compatriots, but nothing quite like this. It was almost like being at the bottom of the ocean and, for once, Arturia could understand why some were so fascinated with the ocean itself.

[C: Floor Twenty-Nine; Hedgemaze]
She was really beginning to hate hedgemazes.

How many times with how often she patrolled the floors of the tower, had she been dropped into this maze? As far as Arturia knew, it was a perfectly harmless garden if the way out kept changing. Guinevere had mentioned a trick once that if you kept your hand on the wall of a maze you could eventually find your way out so it wasn't like she was lost. It just took a long time most days to get out--especially since the fragrant plants regrew before her eyes every time she tried to slash through the thick foliage. Not fun at all.

Arturia barely managed to keep herself from running into someone as she turned a corner, her hand going instinctively to Caliburn resting in a sheathe at her side for a moment in case it was a monster. But no, this was another person who had been "saved" judging by the collar around their throat.

"I beg your pardon. Are you having trouble finding your way out as well?"

As the sun began to set just outside the tower, the colorful flowers around her and her companion began to turn towards them, the stamen taking on a sharpness that had not been there before and their branches slowly beginning to slither. Soon, the hunt for fresh meat would be on.

[For oathshackledbird]
Diarmuid would find a note in familiar script on his bed. All it would have on it is two words:

It's broken.

[For castersplaything]
Shotaro would find a note on his bed:

I seem to recall training you in the art of the sword during the previous week. I have an abundance of free time in this Tower and would not mind training you if you're still interested. I warn you: I am not a good teacher and I will not go easy on you if you choose to take lessons from me. I will be on thirty-ninth floor tomorrow morning if you wish to train. If you do not come, I will assume you have lost interest. --Saber

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Data had been observing from afar the numerous attempts of Arturia at defeating the opponent on the first round of the story mode. He found the various reactions to success or defeat in games fascinating, especially how people kept insisting in spite of awful defeats. However, judging by how she mashed the buttons and snapped at the screen, her technique may as well be deteriorating, which was pretty illogical and counter-productive.

And lo, after the tenth round was lost, Data would approach her and look at the tv screen- Before turning staring at her with a most suspicious face.

"Your approach toward this game does not appear to be very effective."

Because there is nothing better than an android to state the obvious.

Veigar didn't venture into the Media Room often. When he did, it was usually for research purposes, or to mess with the odd curiosities that the room held. He had been looking to watch some videos today on certain experimental thesis except that the woman's words caught his attention.

He turned and stood nearby, looking at the next attempt. "Hm, yes, it would be rather dishonorable to lose at a simulation. How would you plan to survive here if you cannot defeat some virtual opponent."

[With Arturia's attention focused on the school of fish, she might not have noticed the dark-clad presence in the back... sulking. Saber was wearing the suit from her time in the Fourth War and her arms were crossed as she stared at the fish. Only a few would be able to tell she was sulking - of course another version of herself would be able to tell - and when Arturia happened to draw close enough to draw the black knight's attention, Saber looked over with an irritated sigh.]

Is there no place in this damned Tower I can go and not encounter someone from the Wars?

Arturia went stiff upon hearing Data's voice, face flushing with embarrassment even if her expression was carefully blank as she turned to face him. Had she been so caught up in the game she hadn't noticed him standing there?

"I've never played a game like this before," she admitted and looked down at the controller as the screen declared yet another loss on her part, "It doesn't follow the normal rules of combat at all."

Arturia jumped when she heard his voice. Was it really so easy for her to get sucked into these games? No wonder she had often heard people complain about them taking over children's minds on the news!

"I am perfectly capable of defending myself, sir."

Of course Arturia would be able to tell her other self was sulking. It was why she'd initially not said anything. If they were at all alike, then Saber would have preferred to be left alone to sulk.

But then Saber spoke up and Arturia's fingers briefly dipped into the wall of water at the sight of the suit. In that suit, Saber looked much closer to being Arturia than to either of their sisters and yet again Arturia felt just slightly ill at the thought of having called her that name.

"If you wish me to leave, I can go elsewhere to think. I am not so rude as to disturb someone who wishes to be alone."

Because Arturia found the whole "privacy whenever she liked" thing to be a grand thing.

"No, someone else will just come bother me. At least it is not so bad with you. You did not disappoint me during this recent amusement of the Administrators," Saber replied.

The knight had kept to herself, watched more than interacted, as she'd endured the supposed years upon her. So many she'd thought stronger had proven to be weak. And then she'd had her argument with Lancer the other day.

"I beg your pardon. Are you having trouble finding your way out as well?"

"No, actually I was looking for you," Diarmuid holds up the note he had found on his bed earlier in the day. "It's broken? Do you mean what I hope you do?"

Before she can answer, though, the plants' movements catch his eye. A red flash takes care of the closest ones to them, but it's obvious that things aren't going to stay that way long.

"Actually, we should probably discuss this in a safer place. As you might recall, the plants here get a taste for blood once the sun sets. I believe we aren't too far from the exit, though. Come," He reaches back for her hand with the one of his that isn't holding his spear. "Let's leave this place."

"Disappoint you?" Arturia asked, raising an eyebrow, "All I did was play cards and kept to myself otherwise."

And lose multiple times. Badly. Arturia could only hope the people she lost to wouldn't think to collect them. It was embarrassing to think she could get so competitive over such a pointless thing. The only other thing she'd done was patrol the Tower with Diarmuid, but even that had been rather boring.

"It was actually rather disturbing to think I would be here for centuries and not accomplish much of anything."

Not just because she had no idea on what to do beyond make sure Irisviel would be safe, but because she couldn't imagine spending hundreds of years in this tower and not finding some other purpose for herself.

"Is that how long it was for you?" Saber raised and eyebrow, finally turning enough to look over at her other self. "I would think you would have managed to be better at that game by then. Perhaps you should have stuck to dice. That is more luck based than--"

And she cut herself off. Arturia would no longer have the luck that Saber did. Perhaps she would've sucked at any gambling game she attempted.

"It was only ten years for me."

Of course the plants would try to eat them. With how many floors here tried to kill people, it would figure that even the flowers would try to eat them. Before she could even say anything, Diarmuid had a hold of one of her hands and was pulling her along.

"Do you even know the trick to finding your way through a maze?" she said, though his spear did negate magic, as the wound she once had worn with pride could attest to.

Very much so. Especially since she tended to just not back down.

"Ten years? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. It seems like the time that passed was different for everyone. You are fresh from the Fifth Grail War, while I...."

She held her hand in front of her, trying to find the right way to describe how she'd completely lost her sense of time thanks to the constant mindless fighting and battle, that feeling of knowing you only truly existed for maybe an hour at a time and it was always, always, to kill someone regardless of the reason why.

"....in all honesty, I do not know how long it's been," she finally settled on, "It could be days or it could be centuries. It was impossible for me to keep track of time at all, especially when I was constantly being called across it by Alaya."

"One can never know how long any dream truly lasts. Or a nightmare."

Saber's eyes narrowed for a moment before she sighed and looked back at the aquatic life. "I am tired of seeing apologies on the network. I am tired of seeing people wary around each other because of the depths they fell this last week. I am tired of watching people recover. I am tired of arguing with people who refuse to listen and hold onto a false reality, not looking at fact and what is before them. I am tired of being accused of not being someone's Saber or of lying."

She sighs. "I am... tired."

"That is true," she agreed to the comment about dreams and came to stand beside Saber, watching the fish pass by. Ever since she beheaded Shirou everything had felt like some kind of gruesome nightmare, like everything horrible that could possibly happen did happen one right after the other until Arturia could do nothing but scream in her mind.

Then Saber went on and on about being tired before.... well, Arturia knew that tone as well as anyone. She'd once confessed the same to Kay in such a tone, right before everything began to come apart at the seams. Old instincts flared up in her, protective ones. Whatever this Saber had gone through she didn't deserve the anger she received.

"If anyone accuses you of that again, then send them to me. I shall set them straight. If what the Administrators say about the worlds is true, then.... I'm afraid neither of us are the Saber they wish for and they have no right to make such accusations to you."

"Though, if I may ask.... what network are you speaking of?"

He laughs and looks back at her with a silly grin, "Normally? Go into spirit form and walk through the walls until you are out, but of course that's not allowed here. More traditionally, I believe you are suppose to put your hand on one wall and follow it until you find the exit."

Diarmuid gives the plants making up the maze a hard look, "I wouldn't recommend that right now. You will probably lose your hand."

Gloved fingers curled as Saber clenched her jaw for a moment. She understood very well what Arturia was doing. She knew for a fact that had their positions been reversed, the same words or some variation thereof would come from her own mouth. But the flaw was, this was herself she was speaking to.

"You know I am more than capable of handling things myself. The thing is, you at least still look as everyone else recalls. To them, it makes me less 'their' Saber even if I am unless they were present after the corruption tainted me. I believe that would make me 'Illyasviel's Saber' as she watched me defeat Berserker and claim him for Sakura."

Saber closed her eyes and reached back to adjust her hair, making sure the low tie was still tight. "And I speak of Lancer's public apologies. He taunts my rage, Arturia. I do not lie. Just because I am like this does not mean I have no honor, that I do not speak the truth, that I am not a knight. He does not understand how close he came to crossing a line that can only be met with blade in hand."

...and there goes her rage spiking again. See, this is why she had been trying to stay away from other Servants, Masters... well, herself.

"If the simulation is any indication... I'd beg to differ. Even simple things like these require strategy. Strategy that will be of great use out in this tower... But don't mind me, I'd keep my focus on your current goal." he added as he pointed towards the screen.

When Shotaro had found the note, he was more than a little nervous. Memories were fuzzy when trying to recall events from that supposed past, and considering his fight with Diarmuid, those skills were necessary, as well as to keep up with Labrys, even if he had a poor losing streak. Still, his mind kept debating on whether or not he should take it. Future was always uncertain, and even then, could he really be able to do it?

Thankfully, the mental struggle last a few minutes at best. Considering his lack of skill in his tower, and comparing himself to the future self the tower created for him, it was obvious which direction he should take. He had nothing left. Was he just going to spend the rest of his life trying to earn that strength alone and die over and over, or finally risk the so-called comfort zone for the power he needed? He couldn't even confront the Caster of this tower, so the choice was obvious.

And surprisingly, he made it to the 39th floor, rusted sword slung over his shoulder; being at the workshop allowed him to make a proper sheathe, if still a bit faulty around some edges, and some patches already breaking apart. He looked around the gym for Saber. Thanks to the tower, he should have been able to find her without too much difficulty. True, three identical Sabers, but the colors helped separate them, not that he would dare refer to them by color in conversation.

Saber wasn't one to pass by this room often, nor did she even know what was in it, but upon hearing a cry like that her curiosity was piqued. Was there a battle going on? Frankly, she had just been wandering about rather aimlessly, so observing a good fight would be one way to pass the time at least. Of course, the type of fight she would see once she stepped into the room was not the kind she was expecting...

Nor was she expecting to see her own face (yet again), though at least the hair was somewhat different. Still, she liked this girl's gusto, even if Saber herself had never tried her hand at things like video games.

"With passion such as that, your victory must be assured!"

"It is not meant to follow the normal rules of combat." Data said in his usual, casual tone. "It is meant to be entertaining and challenging."

Data looked at the screen as it declared another loss for her before looking back at her. Well, she really had no luck. Or she was just that bad.

"I believe it would be wise to spend more time in the tutorial or training modes."

Picky was just passing through on his way to the media room, in a hurry to get past here and to somewhere safer. Because just about everything here was dangerous, seriously. But then he spots someone staring in at the fish in the water. And toying with them. Uh oh. Are they new? He'd better say something.

"H-hey! Careful, some of the fish bite!"

"Whatever gave you that impression?"

Rin's gleeful tone at being discovered by a Saber in a place she can't easily escape from came with more pleasure than she thought. The last time she was here only pushed the snowball that was the tension between Saber Alter and herself, so what would it do for her and...

"Saber."

"I suppose," she said, managing to keep her awkwardness at being caught like this out of her voice. At least the strange-looking gentleman hadn't caught on to her embarrassment, which was actually good for her pride considering her abysmal record with this game.

Of course she should have trained more rather than jumping in. Just because it was a game didn't mean she shouldn't have practiced beyond figuring out the controls.

"So you've played this sort of game before, sir?"

A screen that shouted KO! She had hit the start button when she'd been startled and a battle had been commencing without her realizing.

What was up with her? She had prided herself on her battle instincts and now twice in a row she had embarrassed herself because she hadn't been paying attention. This strange man was starting to annoy her, but she didn't let it show on her face. Arturia knew very well she was perfectly capable of defending herself. She had waged twelve great wars and won all of them! Losing at a simple game didn't me--

--and another KO. Why was she so bad at this?

Ilyasviel.

Arturia desperately wanted to ask about Ilyasviel. She never found out what the girl's fate had been, though she could guess what had happened given Arturia had 'successfully' been granted her own wish. The same fate as Irisviel before her, the girl Arturia had quietly decided she would protect as long as she would allow Shirou and herself to instead of handing her over to Kotomine church once they'd defeated Berserker.

There were a hundred things she wanted to ask of Saber from that statement alone. Sakura was her Master? Why that choice of phrasing for defeating Berserker? However, she could see Saber's rage boiling just below the surface and held her tongue. Even if she wouldn't mind being gutted through again--it was a shock to realize that--part of her had a feeling Saber would not forgive herself for losing control.

"I know you have honor. If you did not have it, you would have gone through with stabbing me where I lay when I was completely defenseless. At this moment, you are more a knight than I. At the very least I can assure you of that."

Though it confused her why Lancer would make a public apology. Had he just stood on a box and shouted? Arturia would need to make a point of asking him about it later because that didn't seem like him at all.

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ITP: Maneating plants

Media Room

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B

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C: And in response to her note.

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floor 39

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Floor 10 - Aquarium

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