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.]

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...

[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.]

I've been told, "Stand aside, I'll protect you" enough times in my life to be a little skeptical when someone says "Stand by me and you won't get hurt!"

[It's especially galling now that she's already been on a journey and improved so much, but she supposes Allen has no way of knowing that, so she can't really hold it against him. When he bolts, she takes off running, right after him.

The orcs in their way cause her to make an aggravated sound in the back of her throat.]

How many of these things are there? It's supposed to be safer at night!

[And when Allen looks at her, she raises her staff and casts a different spell - Tempest. Unlike Spark Plasma, this wasn't a barrage of bolts - no, it pretty much a windstorm. She mostly just wanted to knock the orcs out of their way so they could get to the stairs.]

Let me tell ya--it's way worse at night. And it isn't even three! [He stands his ground well enough to the wind--not that it was really directed at him.]

[Arrows normally fired at them were wound up in the winds, unable to pierce. Not that Allen wouldn't have tried catching them...]

Heh heh heh! You make this look easy! *yelling over the wind*

[Several orcs have a much larger--and rather horrid looking--creature in chains. Despite their best efforts, the mangled and imprisoned beast is easily stronger than them. Even though its arms are bound.] Big one...

[It happens to be just before their exit out, too...]

Edited 2013-01-31 07:20 (UTC)

You have GOT to be kidding me.

[Up until she saw the chained monster, she was in good enough spirits - yeah, orcs were creepy-looking, but they seemed easy enough to handle. But that thing...]

Maybe we can sneak past it somehow?

[If she called on some of the Jupiter Djinn within her, maybe... but the problem with that was Haze would only render one of them invisible. Not both.]

...or maybe we should just go the other way... [Whether they went up or down the stairs this would probably be difficult, but if they could avoid that chained monster, so much the better. Chances were it was really aggravated, after having been locked up. That was something she could understand - but she certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of its ire!]

[The ogre of a monster looked at them both with beady eyes, devoid of anything but rage. Those miniature peepers of its didn't seem to register anything else in the room, if at all. The thing could be blind for all they knew. It's a completely thoughtless creature of magic or bad evolution.]

Don't think so. *grits teeth*

[With one mighty roar, it tosses its "captors" away and pulls its arms free, revealing them to have had blades shoved into them to act as makeshift, arm mounted weapons. The wounds haved healed long ago, apparently.]

Let's see how strong it really is...[Allen's cloak billows to a nonexistant wind--no, a mind of its own.] And I have to say: It's been more fun fighting 'with' you, not 'against' you, Sheba.

This is really going to hurt.

[She mutters when she sees the blades embedded into the creature's arms. Clearly, this was going to be a tough fight - chances were this monster had a high tolerance for pain. It would definitely take some doing before they could fell it.

With two of them, though, it should be okay. The orcs should be easy enough to fend off, as long as they didn't let themselves get snuck up on or overwhelmed...]

It's been more fun fighting with you, too! [She flashes him a quick, confident smile.] We can handle this. [She was definitely acting more confident than she felt, though.]

...I've got something that might help us out, but it'll take some time to prepare. [She couldn't summon with all her Djinn set; she needed to move them onto standby...] Cover me for a bit, okay?

[The Jupiter Djinni "Ether" is standing by for summoning!]

I will. If it works, I'll do it. [He grabs his left arm with his other hand.] And I won't take any chances.

[In a quick movement, his right arm suddenly pulls out a very large, silver sword adorned with a black cross. He twirls it once in the air and then sticks a bit of it into the ground. The lack of his left arm means...]

No chances at all.

[The monster accepts the challenge...the chains are wielded like they were weapons itself!]

Just be careful..!

[As Allen moves to engage the beast, Sheba falls back, holding her staff defensively and keeping an eye out for anything that might try rushing at her, or rushing at Allen while he's occupied.]

I'm almost done - just one more Djinn to go...

[The Jupiter Djinni "Blitz" is standing by for summoning!]

[Allen swings first, catching his rather large blade on one of the monster's arms. It was strong. Sure, Allen was only using one arm but he has a particularly strong arm.]

..!!!

[And to stop his sword at all was a great feat. Where'd they find it, anyway? Monsters just appear at random...] ...not strong enough.

[Slipping his sword away, the monster's back off and roared angrily.] Whenever you're ready--[Arrows fling past him, one of them hitting his good arm.] ..!!!

Edited 2013-02-01 02:15 (UTC)

[The Jupiter Djinni "Waft" is standing by for summoning!]

Here goes..!

[She winces when Allen's arm is hit by arrows. Just in time, it seems - she darts forward and raises her staff, which begins to glow with a faint purple light as she calls out the words to invoke a summoning.]

Goddess of the skies who lives free as a bird, I call upon your powers! Procne, lend me your aid..!!

[The light at the end of her staff brightens until it's almost blinding. Despite the fact that they're indoors, there's a faint stirring of wind, which is the only warning they get before a whirlwind whips into existence with a loud roar, just in front of her. She seems mostly unaffected, save for the wind that whips at her hair and clothing - certainly not in the same way as the monsters who are unfortunate enough to get sucked into it. She turns, pointing with her staff, and the storm shifts to catch the behemoth of a monster as well as a few more orcs.

That's when it happens - a gigantic bird with white and gold feathers (or maybe just the projection of it; who could say, really, in this place? - appears, and it opens its beak wide, letting out a cry. Moments later, a beam of lightning shoots out from it. Then another, and another, and another.

And as suddenly as it began, it stops. The bird vanishes, the winds die down, and the monsters go crashing down onto the floor.

Sheba jumps back, away from them. She didn't know yet if she'd managed to finish them off or not, but she didn't want to be right in the middle of them to find out! She looks to Allen, concerned.]

Your arm - is it okay?

[A bleeding hump of a monster, the formerly imprisoned one still roars, pulling towards them with its still functioning arm. Truly, it was only driven by mind cleansing rage.]

I'm ok...[Allen manages to pull it out with enough flexibility in his right arm.] As long as I'm alive, I'm fine.

[The monster still howls in anger as it attempts to humble its way over to Allen and Sheba, a roar that reverberates throughout the area...and is answered by similar calls. Allen's sword changes back into his arm as he straps his would closed with one of the bits of cloth from his cloak.] Let's hurry.

[Another arrow whizzes by his head]

Yes, hurrying would be--

[She's cut off as the arrow that whizzed by Allen's head finds its mark in her upper arm. She yelps, then grits her teeth.]

These things are really making me mad..! Let's get out of here!

[Several more arrows approach Allen from behind, but they *dink!* harmlessly from the shroud produced by Crowned Clown. Despite it's light shade, it was as strong as steel.]

Yeah. But that trick's not working on 'me' twice. [He takes hold of the notched arrow in her arm.] Sorry. [And yanks it out without another word.}

Least it wasn't your leg. I'll get our back. *smile*

...!

[Ow. Sheba knows it was necessary, though, so she does her best to ignore the pain and continues on, raising her staff and putting on what she hoped was an expression taht said, "We can do this."]

I'll cover the front. If anything tries to get in our way, I'll blow them all the way out of the Tower!

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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

oh my god I am so sorry, I thought I submitted this already OTL

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