towerofanimus | 005 ♃ If we've met before but you were possessed at the time, is this really our first meeting?

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005 ♃ If we've met before but you were possessed at the time, is this really our first meeting?

Characters: Sheba and Allen; Sheba and characters that ... aren't Allen, if you wish!
Setting: Floor 03, the library. Sheba and Allen will be exploring other parts of the Tower as well, but that part isn't open, sooooo...
Format: I'll follow you, but I'm starting with brackets.
Summary: Backdated! The day after this exchange, Sheba goes to the third floor library to meet Allen, as agreed. But she's there early, so perhaps it won't be just Allen she runs into that day?
Warnings: Nothing except the potential for some rather slow replies on my end over the next few days, but they should come with more regularity on Thursday or Friday!

[FLOOR 03, MORNING]
[She was at least a few hours early, but she supposed there were worse things to do with her time than spend it reading. Anyone who happens to be on the third floor on the morning of the 27th will most likely see Sheba darting among the bookshelves, pausing to scan over the titles for a few moments before she moves on to another set of books.

It was all well and good to say, "I'm going to read," but when it came down to it deciding what to read was a lot easier said than done. There didn't seem to be any books on the subjects she was most interested in, which was a shame.]

There has to be something useful...

[FLOOR 03, NOON-ISH]
[Finally, noontime rolls around. By now Sheba has found somewhere to sit and is curled up in her chair, completely absorbed in her book. It's probably a good thing that Allen knows what she looks like, because even though she'd started with every intention of keeping an eye on the entryway, that just wasn't how things were working out.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's amazing!

[After a moment to allow her surprise to fade away, Sheba steps back to him and looks at his arm and the cloak, her eyes wide.]

It's really impressive! How is it just a "simple" power? What else can you do?

They don't have this where you're from, do they? [He smiles again, and keeps it up.] I'll have to save the real firepower for later, but I think this is more than enough of a show.

[His fingers move one by one in a wave motion. They move effortlessly and soundlessly.] It only really has one purpose: Destroy the Akuma, demons in other words. It's called "Innocence". A kind of magic. I think. Haven't found one that allows mind reading at all yet. Or any kind of mind reading. [Timcanpy lands on his head at that moment, unnoticed by Allen himself.]

As for you...I don't think I can allow you to do that. *small frown* I don't even know anything else about the 14th. They're not like people like us. Maybe you did it that time, but it might've been what he wanted you to read. I can't say for certain--

--but it's what 'I' would do. [He continues walking where they were originally going. To a command only he could hear, his arm reverts and the silver cloak disappears.] A Noah is a monster, an abomination no one knows anything about. It could scar you forever if you read it.

*light smile* I mean, I wouldn't want you to try it, that's why I'm telling you not to.

Not quite like that, no... the only times I've seen people change shape has been when they've turned into werewolves... or dragons.

[...it sounds perfectly normal. To her, anyway.]

It's never been just one small part of them that's changed.

[She tilts her head to the side. A weapon called "Innocence" that could defeat demons - it sounded like a very specialized sort of weapon, to be sure.] Does it work on the monsters here in this tower? Are they demons, as far as the Innocence is concerned?

...there aren't many people in Weyard who can read minds. The ones who can are Jupiter Adepts, like me - but not all Jupiter Adepts can do it. I'm not surprised that there's not really something you've found in your world so far that could let you read them.

[Her tone is serious at first, but she can't help but smile a little when Timcanpy lands on on Allen's head, and she reaches up to it - no sense of boundaries, this one.] Oh, it's your friend!

[But her expression becomes more serious as he continues.]

Maybe it was what he wanted me to read, and maybe it wasn't. Maybe neither of us have a way of knowing for sure. [She crosses her arms as they walk.] I'm not afraid of what I'll find in his mind, if there's anything for me to find at all. I've seen a lot of things in my life already that would scar most people, and I'm a lot tougher than I look!

I think it's a risk worth taking. It could help you, especially if we learn something useful about this Noah. You said yourself - no one knows anything about them. Maybe we can change that.

Edited (do the m and n keys HAVE to be right next to each other?! gah) 2013-01-30 03:50 (UTC)

[Tim is captured in her grasp, although it seems rather neutral about the whole thing. Allen pays it no heed. It was in good hands.] So monsters are the norm where you're from? Don't know if that's better or...

Nah. Anyway, I've not tried the full use of the Crowned Clown on anything in this place. I would think it'd be effective if I tried. It's more than just a weapon--at full power, it will only harm evil things. Like a fairy tale sword, only real. [Jupiter? Isn't that a planet? Or the name of a Roman god?]

....

[He seems to feign off to her words of self confidence, however.]

Edited 2013-01-30 04:12 (UTC)

[She giggles a little and places Tim on her shoulder, and then nods in answer to Allen's question.]

That's right. ...well, they weren't the norm. There were always some around, but they became more common when... [Her expression falls and she looks down at her feet as they walk.] They became more common not too long before I started traveling. Bad luck, huh?

[When she looks up, her smile is back.]

Oh! That would be really useful, then - you wouldn't have to worry about anyone getting caught in the crossfire! [She knows she worries about that sometimes, when she spellcasts.

She notices his silence and puffs out her cheeks.]

Allen. Please, just consider it. If it's within my power to help, I want to.

[She might try it anyway, without permission from him - but all things considered it really would go much more easily if he was cooperative.]

Yeah. Bad luck. [Oh too similar circumstances.]

...

You'd jump at the chance to endanger yourself wouldn't you? *laugh* Like someone else I know. [IE himself.]

[Tim, despite its metallic appearance, feels weird and can actually be stretched and squished when enough force is applied. In fact, pull him by two halves reveals that he has a mouth with sharp, miniature teeth. A mouth, I might add, that wasn't apparent at all before. It makes no noises, however.]

[After the elevator...]

Alright, now where to begin...

I would not! [She laughs, though; she's well aware that she can be a little reckless.] Well, at least I wouldn't literally do it. [Unlike someone she knows who happens to be Allen's roommate in the Tower.

When they step out of the elevator, they find themselves on the forty-first floor. It's pitch-dark and she can't see a thing, but she has the distinct feeling that they should move. And Sheba's had enough experiences with "strange feelings" in her life to know that following her instincts is probably a good idea.]

This floor always gives me the creeps - let's keep going. Just follow the stairs.

Alright. [Always something creepy in the tower...]

[Random noises would always keep one like him on his toes. His left eye didn't work here. This was a darkness even darkness couldn't pierce. At least the stairs were obvious.]

[Allen's steps are a little hurried, but it would be easy to keep pace with.] Any idea what floor the prison might be?

I don't think it's too much further... I remember it was closer to the elevator than it was to the dormitory floors.

[She sighs in relief when they leave the darkness behind them and emerge on the forty-second floor. She's had worse, but the strange noises really do creep her out.]

...no, this isn't it either... I think maybe it's the next floor up.

[The iron bars on this floor are definitely dangerous. She's pretty confident in her balance, but she still doesn't risk falling in - exploring these floors can come later. For now, she really wants to see if the floor she was thinking of exists, so she sticks to the stairs and keeps going up.]

[From farther away, Allen can be seen balancing on one hand on one of the iron bars above the chasm. Tim has since flown to his right foot, perched on his foot. His left leg is more spread away from his center, forming a sort of "Y" shape, only the left leg is point much farther away.]

[He's smiling rather clownish-like back to her, but his balance is absolutely perfect, if a little death-defying. His voice is friendly and carefree despite the wind.]

Hey Sheba! Look! One hand!

Edited 2013-01-30 06:09 (UTC)

...?!

[What on earth--]

Allen! Be careful - those bars sometimes move on their own...!

[What if he fell?! Would her powers even work on this floor? Maybe if she could get to him before he fell through the chasm, but--]

That's really impressive but... please come down from there!

[Taking a firm grip with both of his hands, Allen gracefully swings himself up and away, back to the stairs and Sheba. The landing seemed quite rehearsed, as did the gymnastic swing that brought him there.]

There!

[His arms spread, Tim flutters its way back to Sheba.]

...

[She reaches up so that Timcanpy can flutter into her hands, and then places him on her shoulder again. It was comforting to have a little creature there.]

Is that the sort of thing you do for fun?

*nod* Nowadays, yeah. Back then, I used to be a clown in a circus--an amusement show, essentially--so this kind of thing isn't difficult for me.

The Order training came later though I never did forget any of my old tricks. [He scratches the back of his head.] But yeah, let's get going...floor forty-three is next...

So you were an acrobat...

[She knows what acrobats are, at least! Those were pretty common for entertainment back in Tolbi, though of course the preferred form of entertainment had been Colosso. Sigh.]

They're probably helpful, though, aren't they? Not everyone can do those things - so that's one advantage you've got over others in a fight!

[Up the stairs they went... Sheba pauses as they emerge on the forty-third floor, and then her eyes light up.]

I think this is it! Look... [She darts into the room, examining the cells and the buttons on the walls by them. She brings up a hand to push one, then steps back as a forcefield appears to cover the cell. A moment later, she pushes the button again to disengage it.] This is definitely it. So it really is real...

I want to be sure of something. [She steps into the cell, then points at the button.] Will you press that, please? I want to make sure being in here actually disables any special abilities we've got.

...but be sure to let me out afterwards, okay?

Of course. [This place was...well, quite different from the advanced technology he saw in other parts of the tower.]

[But will this really work if...'he' was put in there?]

Alright. This one, right?...[He pushes the one she was gesturing towards. Timcanpy flies around the room before landing on something nearby so it could "see" what was going on. With no eyes, it peers straight into the cell.]

It's pushed...[The cell door closes.] Now try casting something, then.

Here goes..!

[She focuses, and she can tell even before she raises her staff to cast that nothing's going to happen. There's no flow of Psynergy, no telltale beginnings of a breeze, and certainly no whirlwind - in other words, it was a total failure.

Which, to Sheba, meant it was a total success.]

Nothing at all... [She walks to the forcefield and puts a hand up against it.] I don't think I'd be able to break this even if I tried. [To demonstrate, she brings her staff up again and slams it hard on the forcefield. Nothing - it doesn't seem to have been affected at all.]

I'm not sure why this floor even exists. For the Administrators to use if people get out of hand, maybe. If that's the case it's probably very sturdy. But I don't see any reason why we can't use it if it might be helpful.

We just have to figure out a way to tell when we need to bring you up here, to contain him.

Well, that...[As he pushes the button again.] I don't think it'll really be that easy. But I think you're on to something here.

[Big, rotten sounding footsteps could be heard. Maybe not at first, but the guttural roar was something that could not be so easily heard.] Monsters. And it's during daylight hours, too.

[Timcanpy begins pulling on his ear with its teeth.] Yes, I know, Tim. [The sound of metal being drug across the floor was bad enough for Tim, but it's nothing super unheard of.]

It won't be easy, but at least we know it's possible. That gives us more to work with than we had before.

["Us," because she's not going to let him do this alone. Sorry, Allen.]

...!

[At the sound of the footsteps, and then the roar, Sheba darted out of the cell, holding her staff defensively.] Which way did the sound come from? Maybe we can avoid it by going the other way.

[As long as they didn't get knocked into the cells they should be able to fight them off, but... Sheba didn't want to deal with bloodstains on her clothes again.]

[At their quickened reactions, this riled the monster nearby before showing itself--a brute of a creature, but the most humanoid Allen has ever seen yet.]

That's no Cerberi...

[Standing at a good 8' feet, the ogre of a monster was heaving a long sword that ended in a weird double ended blade. A rather crudely made mask prevented them from seeing what it's face was like.]

I've fought these things before. *turns around to see another* Alright, there's the other one. We'll have to face the ones near the exit. Too close to go all out here. [He can't heave his giant sword around, he means.]

What in the world...?

[Sheba swallows hard when the orc comes into view. She eyes its sword warily - that'll definitely hurt if it hits, she thinks. So she makes a mental note to not get hurt, because while apparently they won't stay dead here, she... really doesn't want to die at all.]

You've fought these before? Okay then... [She'll listen to what Allen says for this fight - but, as she gets into place to get ready, she does reach out with her Psynergy to try and read the first orc's mind. She doesn't know what she'll find there, if anything, but if it starts thinking about who it's going to attack, she'll at least know to dodge.] You're in charge - just tell me what to do!

[Crowned Clown invokes and the white cloak billows forth again. Stairs were thadda way, but were there more of the enemy there?]

I'm no military commander, but if the stairs are that way--*he points*--then that's our best bet. Much as I'd like to just get rid of them, there might be more inwards. But it's still a ways to go from here.

Stay near me and you won't get hurt, alright? [Him, on the other hand...]

[She glances in the direction of the stairs, then nods. If there were more orcs down that way, they'd find out when they got there.]

...I can fight too, you know! [She huffs a little.] We're both in trouble here, so we're both going to help out.

[And that being said, she's just going to start off by casting Spark Plasma at the orc blocking their way. Sorry, Allen.]

[His face faults a little.] ...I never doubted you could. Nice fireworks.

[A strap from the Crowned Clown grips the same orc that was fried by the neck--still alive, it was!--and launched it behind them, certain the obstacle was cleared.] I hope you can run fast, too! [And man, does Allen bolt for it!]

[More Orcses are in the way. Allen's left arm is ready for combat himself, but he looks to Sheba meaningfully.]

[3/3]

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internet troubles. WORK, DAMN YOU!

I know that feel, bro ;A;

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[1/2]

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Orcs (wanted to do the uruk'hai but hey ONLY AVAILABLE AT NIGHT *grumble grumble*)

screams if you'd sent Uruk'hai Sheba would be pretty much dead lmfao thank god it's daytime

original backup was the big daddy but OH WAIT also night only

...the big daddy FFFF - hey Sheba's short, do you think she's short enough to count as a small child

sorry this took a bit, doing stuff

Orcs (wanted to do the uruk'hai but hey ONLY AVAILABLE AT NIGHT grumble grumble)