towerofanimus | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Characters: Catarina and anyone on the floor!
Setting: Floor fifty
Format: Action, will match prose
Summary: A time of training lets Catarina reflect on events she'd rather leave alone
Warnings: Usual succubus warnings

[When she first woke up after reverting to her natural age, the memories had already been fuzzy and indistinct. And it shouldn't have mattered to her. They were events that were forced upon her. Anything she had done, or thought she had done in or before the time was meaningless. It had never happened.]

[At least she had no sense of deja vu at the new floors. Catarina wouldn't have known what to make of that. No, rather she had a sense that it had to happen, that these floors were to be. It made her hands tense at her sides as she walked up the stairs, her body shaking slightly. Her head turned to look at the floor before her- empty. Completely empty. Nothing for her to slam her fists into, nothing to cut aside with her knife, nothing-]

[She snarled, striding over to the middle of the floor to start shadow fighting. Something to do to ignore the feeling that it was equally so inside her. That she had something, something she had wanted, something that was cut from her at the end of the event. Thousands of touches and kisses - punches and kills - gone from her sensory memory, and the feeling she should have it. She should remember something.]

[Her face was wet, but she was working herself into a good frenzy. Sweat would do that. Yes, that was the story.]

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[If there was one time when Saber wished she could take spirit form like the other Servants, it was now. She hadn't meant to stop and watch Catarina, but only peek in to see what this particular floor had and move on.

But there was the succubus and the knight found she could not move away. Saber had been avoiding Catarina, yes, but she'd been avoiding so many she'd encountered during that experiment. So many disappointments...

This situation was different. It wasn't disappointment that had kept Saber away from Catarina. It was regret. She had not wanted what happened to have happened the way it did. The moment itself she didn't regret - as she had most definitely been wanting it to happen for a while before the Administrators manipulated everything - but it was the manner, the lack of... something to it.

In the end, Saber was still a human soul and she had grown very, very fond of the succubus. But she couldn't keep avoiding this. She couldn't, so, unarmored, she stepped away from the door and silently, slowly, approached Catarina.]

Edited 2013-02-03 23:37 (UTC)

[She had felt Saber's eyes on her as soon as the woman had set foot on the floor. But she had ignored it, ignored the human behind her, ignored everything. The empty feeling grew as she caught glimpses of Saber in the corner of her eye, her breathing coming harsher. When Saber had started walking to her, so beautiful without her armor and so silent and deadly on her feet, her movements stuttered slightly before she turned, throwing one punch at the knight she knew would be blocked. Catarina didn't bother following it up, but rather looked at her with wild, dark, pained eyes.]

[On the contrary, the punch hit. Yes, Saber could have blocked it easily, caught the fist even, but she chose not to. It didn't hurt much given the knight's Endurance rank, but the physical pain was welcome.

Saber raised her hand up to push some of her hair from her face and then gestured toward herself. Catarina had leave to continue if she wished.]

[Catarina blinked, taken aback. Saber... let her hit her? That wasn't- no. She hadn't wanted to really hit her, but... for the start of the fight. The feel of the two of them together in some way. She swallowed dryly, the following breathing coming raspy and hard. Painful. Deliberately, she took one step to Saber, waiting to see how she reacted]

[Saber couldn't fight Catarina unless the succubus moved to harm an innocent or a defenseless. With the line that had been between them crossed, the knight's code would not let her. She could defend herself and others, but she couldn't take an offensive action against Catarina save to protect the succubus against herself.

So, when the woman stepped toward her, Saber turned her hand so the palm was up and held it out. If Catarina attacked again, she would not defend, but she didn't feel that was the way for her to work past the cause of the pain Saber could see clearly in the other woman's eyes.]

[When Saber raised her hand, Catarina just stared at it for a while. Her face was empty as she look at it, her thoughts whirling so sharply in her head that it might as well be the same. The memory that wasn't even half remembered raised its sleepy head, reminding her she was missing something. Then, slowly, she took Saber's hand, raising it to rub against her wet face]

[And it was only then that Saber moved forward to eliminate the distance between them. She brought her other arm up about Catarina to embrace her, fingers entwining in that long dark hair.]

[Catarina wrapped her other arm around Saber's middle, holding her close. Her nose was down on the woman's shoulder, taking in her scent between harsh breaths. She wasn't crying - she didn't cry - but having Saber near her felt as if she was just a little closer to having what she had artificially gained while she was older.]

Saber...

[The name dropped from her lips without her permission, brimming with suppressed emotion]

[Saber's thumb stroked over Catarina's cheek, her own eyes falling shut as she let a soft sigh escape.]

I am here... I am here...

[Catarina gripped her tighter, letting her other hand go to cup Saber's face]

I can't remember it. I am aware it happened, I feel there should be something I should be remembering- but I cannot. Saber, I cannot...

There is much from then that we are never to remember; they made it so. I would call it an illusion of what could have been, what we thought we knew then. But all we know now is what we, ourselves, have experienced.

I feel so... empty. [Her head came up, forehead against Saber's] As if there was something I had... something I wanted and lost.

Hojo had an interest in everything, in all the floors. For the most part, that interest was low-level, but a scientific mind was always searching for new data. Nothing caused his scientific interest to peak on the fiftieth floor, but he did pause to watch as he saw the woman so obviously determined to fight with herself.

Training sessions were nothing new to Hojo. Not only did he oversee Sephiroth's training at times here in the Tower, but ShinRa had been fond of its SOLDIERs, his own creations, and he had often watched and tested them. He might not have been a fighting man himself, but he knew enough to make him an experienced judge of others' speed and strength and skill.

He could tell she was distressed, though he didn't particularly care. However, he did notice that she was attractive. That was more interesting.

[Saber's hands shifted down to loop about Catarina's waist.]

Some day it will come to you, naturally, as it was meant to, my lady. I cannot speak of what you may have lost, but I do know that which you still have.

Catarina wasn't completely unaware of her surroundings. She could tell there was someone watching her, and that was enough for her. Her leg swept up for a kick, then slammed down with more force than was necessary as she turned to him. Eyes quickly swept over him, taking in how much of a threat he was and if he could be prey to her attentions before she tilted her head, inviting him to say something.

My king... [Her hands tightened on Saber's waist] My knight, my Saber... my Arturia.

[Saber's knees bent just a bit before she picked Catarina up, just boosting her up so her feet were off the ground. The knight looked up at her and gave a small smile.]

Indeed. I will say that is not how I had wanted that to come to pass, but I am relieved my prana did not harm you.

[Though whether that was from Catarina being 'older' and able to handle more or not, Saber wasn't sure.]

Forgive me for staying away as long as I did...

[She smiled just slightly, reaching to stroke Saber's face]

And how did you want it to come to pass, my Arturia?

[Catarina shook her head at what she said next, leaning down to kiss her]

I was being childish, hiding myself away to try to think. I had not seen anyone myself.

[Saber hummed into the kiss, her arms tightening a bit. She did like holding the succubus up like this.]

That is hard to say. To do so would have been me choosing to let you take the risk with my prana, but I certainly would have liked to have courted you more and it be something new for us...

[Instead of it feeling like a comfortable, familiar dance.]

I feel as if this place stole the moment from us. Though I suspect that is my human soul speaking and you will see it differently.

Hojo hadn't made any particular effort to hide himself, but then, he rarely did. He had less regard for his personal safety than most. That wasn't something he needed to consider any longer. He did prefer to avoid pain, but where the continuation of his life was concerned, he had made other arrangements. "Professor Hojo," he said, with a nod as he introduced himself.

As for being a threat, he was armed, but he made no moves, defensive or otherwise, remaining still, his own head also tilted slightly to one side.

"And if I might inquire, what is your species?" There was such a range of specimens in the Tower. She might be human, but then again, she might not.

Edited 2013-02-04 01:06 (UTC)

[Catarina would admit... she liked being held like this. It was different, being taller than someone, even if it was only because she was being held up]

Courting me, hm? Sending me trinkets and the such, and wooing me so far that I could not see straight as we finally slipped into each other? Arturia... [She leaned down, her lips against the Servant's ear] You've already done so. You've already twisted my demonic senses around so far that I cannot breathe when you are around.

Interesting. He didn't look much of a physical threat, but he didn't look afraid either. Which put her on edge; many mages had that same look and she was quite susceptible to magecraft.

"Catarina Amanto," she responded easily, hiding her wariness. She started to walk to him, her hips swaying. If he was a threat, taking him out first with a soul sucking kiss would be in her favor. Catarina stopped an arms length away, just enough to brush her finger tips along his cheek.

"Species? Hm... an interesting name for what you are asking."

He was no mage, but he did have magic at his disposal, thanks to his Materia. Not that he believed "magic" was the proper term for such power. "Magic" was a matter of superstition, a term used by the ignorant and imprecise to refer to that which they could not explain.

He watched her approach, still unmoving, although he blinked slowly when she touched his cheek. The attention of women was nothing new to him, although he had received more of it when he had been well-known as the powerful, wealthy scientist who was one of ShinRa's elite.

"Is it? I am a scientist, and this entire Tower is a laboratory, of sorts. I'm only using the proper terminology."

[Quirking her lips, Saber chuckled.]

I feel unnaturally proud of that. Especially as I did not know I had accomplished such a feat.

Her lips curled into a smile, one a little too sharp to be completely welcoming. Catarina stepped closer to him, her hand moving down to take his hand, pulling it closer to kiss it.

"Hm. But is this your laboratory? I doubt it... as you are also an experiment."

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