towerofanimus

Entry tags:

01

Characters: AU Sola-ui and you
Setting: Her room, the cafeteria, and other floors of the Tower
Format: I'll match anything you do
Summary: Sola-ui wakes up to the weirdest "kidnapping" of her life.
Warnings: None for now

1. Room 1-01

[As she wakes, up Sola-ui realizes that she doesn't know when or why she fell asleep. The last thing she remembered, she was joking around with Diarmuid on the kitchen floor. She had clearly been awake, but...]

[Right now, she's clearly lying on something softer. As she slowly sits up, she realizes that she is in an unfamiliar room, wearing clothes that she has never worn before. She cautiously steps out of bed, hugging her arms to her body and shivering a little because of the thin, skintight suit.]

[Her first guess is that she has been kidnapped. It worries her to know that someone has enough skill to kidnap the wife of a magus right out from his own house. Likely the kidnappers had also erased her memories of the kidnapping for whatever reason.]

[She starts walking around the room, trying to discover some sort of evidence that would indicate the identity of the offenders or their skills. Though, given the amount of planning and power it required to kidnap her, she doesn't believe they would be stupid enough to leave any sort of evidence behind.]

[The room certainly looks cozier than the usual basement or holding cell. Four beds, each with a trunk at the end. There's even personal items strewn around. These beds wouldn't look out of place in an actual bedroom. Her investigation is at first confined the items left in the open. Next comes the trunks, starting with the one next to "her" bed.]

[She almost gets a heart attack when she opens the trunk to find one of her own mouse familiars leaping at her. Looking down into her trunk, she can also see her clothes and a dagger she had seen from around the house. This discovery only makes everything more confusing. Why would someone go to such lengths to kidnap her and bring her things along, but leave her weapons and familiars? What were they trying to do?]

[At least she has her clothes back. Since there seem to nobody in the room at the moment, she quickly removes the bodysuit to slip on her real clothes. Following that, she sits down on a bed, waiting for someone to come give her an explanation. Even if they were her enemies, they owed her, as a lord's wife, that little bit of courtesy.]

2. Cafeteria

[Sola-ui is sitting at a table, staring at her oatmeal. Hunger and curiosity drove her to finally leave her room. However, she is reconsidering her decision if she has to eat this slop.

[After a long while, she finally lifts up the spoon, takes a sip, and smacks her lips. It is followed by a frown.]

This might be the worst oatmeal I have ever tasted. Not even the slightest hint of flavor! Cold and clammy as well. My husband could cook better than this.

[And when she compares something to her husband's level, she is certainly showing her disdain.]

3. Any floor (morning)

[After a horrible breakfast nowhere near what her "aristocratic" tasted buds were used to ingesting, Sola-ui is walking through the floors of her new residence. It's a strange place, but walking down these hallways gives her a strange sense of excitement. It's very different from the tedium she had settled into after marrying Kayneth, after all.]

4. Any floor (evening)

[Of course, since she is caught up in the excitement of finally being in a new place, she loses track of the time. Morning slips into evening, and monsters start emerging. Seeing as how she has no fighting skills, she is easily cornered by the slobbering beasts. All she can do is retreat, hoping desperately that they would leave or someone would save her.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Diarmuid is silent for several moments, a sad look in his eyes.]

I take it some things never change about a person no matter how different two worlds are. It sounds like he is in the habit of hiding things from you when it comes to his true state?

[If so, it might be harder than he thought to keep his own state from her if her son is as much like him as he sounds. Diarmuid can only hope that it's not true, and she's just grasping at straws...

Yeah, he doesn't believe that for a moment. He's a parent himself, after all. He knows how it feels.]

He would not have told anyone, for fear of burdening them.

[Every time, she had needed to sit him down and pull confessions out of him. It helps that she can notice his moods as well as the warning signs that he gives off.]

But...I try to help. Do you have anyone here who does the same for you, sir knight?

Yes, that sounds like me.

[Some things really are universal constants then. Waver's Diarmuid had been the same way.]

He's fortunate to have you as his mother.

[Wow, saying that is really weird.]

It's good you have come to know him so well, and I am sure that he appreciated your efforts even if he never said it.

[Diarmuid carefully avoids her question about whether he has people to turn to here. He does, of course. But lately, after how bad things had been in February, he's not talked to them about himself as much. It's just been easier to keep it inside so that he doesn't add any more troubles to those that his friends already are facing.]

I don't know about that.

[She did try to protect her son and coddle him. But in the end, Diarmuid would share the fate of all magi of his status.]

I just do what I can for him. Someone needs to be there for that boy.

[Diarmuid's lips press into a thin line.]

So, even in your world I'm not good enough for him. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. It is just a shame your boy has to suffer for it.

Kayneth...loves him.

[As much as a father can love an absolutely disappointing son.]

Are you saying that your version of Kayneth did not respect you even though you were a hero?

[Her tone is an incredulous one. Not just because of Kayneth's behavior, but because she still cannot quite come to terms with the fact that this Diarmuid is a legendary hero.]

[Diarmuid just barely keeps himself from blurting out that of course Kayneth hadn't respected him. Who ordered someone they respected to commit suicide? What he does say, though, is only marginally better.]

I was a...replacement. I was never good enough for him. It didn't matter that I was known for my honor and loyalty. He never trusted me, never cared that my only wish was to serve him, and that is what ultimately led to our downfall. I am pretty sure, though, that he never saw any failing in himself. It was all my doing somehow.

I won't say that maybe I sometimes did things that could be seen as wrong, but how was I to know what was right when he would tell me almost nothing about his plans or wishes?

...

[Hearing the pain in his voice makes her want to step forward and embrace him. But she has to remind herself that he is not her son.]

I see. So then you would say that Kayneth has done you wrong?

[Again the urge to tell her what Kayneth had done to him rises in his throat, and Diarmuid actually turns and takes a few steps away from her giving himself time to push down the emotions her question stirs up. In the end, though, he can only force out a few words, unable to trust himself to say more.]

Yes. You could say he wronged me. That would not be a lie.

Then as his wife, I will apologize in his stead. Diarmuid, will you accept the sincere apologies of the Archibald family? If you have extra demands, feel free to make them now.

[Diarmuid's head comes up in surprise at her words. He turns back to face her and then shakes his head, buying himself some time to try and sort out what he has just heard.

She is apologizing to him for what a Kayneth she doesn't even know has done? He can hardly believe what he's hearing.

A gentle look crosses his face.]

Please Lady Sola-Ui, there is no need for that. While I appreciate the apology, you and your family have done me no wrong. I have it on good word that he...paid for the wrongs he did me. I will ask no more than that.

[A death for a death right? Even if it changes nothing, even if it doesn't make the pain in his heart go away, what more can Diarmuid really ask?]

It is the duty of a wife to cover her husband's faults. While he was not strictly my husband, that still sounded like something he might have done.

[Not to mention she just wants to soothe Diarmuid's pain.]

Though I do not know why he would deny you the respect he owes you for being his knight. You carry yourself with enough courtesy and grace.

[Diarmuid spreads his hands in a helpless gesture.]

There were many reasons, Lady. I wasn't his first choice of a servant--that relic was stolen from him. And he never trusted me even when I swore loyalty to him. He couldn't believe that my only wish was to serve him and see him to the end of the war successfully. Then, there was this...

[He brushes his fingers under the mole on his face.]

He loved his fiancee a great deal even though she never loved him. I believe he thought I would steal her away from him because of my curse. I would never have done such a thing, but she...I'm pretty sure she was affected even though she should not have been.

[She notices his hand brushing at his face. Before she realizes it, she has taken a few steps forward, getting closer to him so she can clearly see the mole on his face. She can feel the charm woven around it, and quickly concentrates on resisting it. It is a stronger charm than the one bound to the face of her son.]

[It almost seems to be a slap to the face--this confirmation that he is not her Diarmuid, but a being functioning at a level above most of humanity. She bites her life, trying not to let tears come to her eyes. She has to maintain decorum, especially when speaking to a knight.]

So you too have that mystic face...

[She closes her eyes and shakes her head.]

I cannot understand why he would suspect you. Or why he would suspect her.

[It was her duty to marry Kayneth, and thus it was her duty to learn to love him.]

[Diarmuid shrugs again, the helpless stronger on his face now.]

I don't know. I never understood him, and he never made any efforts to help me understand him. If it is any consolation, I don't think he blamed her at all. He loved her. The blame was put totally on me and that colored how he saw anything and everything I did.

[Diarmuid looks closer at her for a moment. Obviously, it's no surprise to him she is upset by all of this, but there seems to be something else bothering her other than the dishonorable actions that the other version of the man who would be her husband had taken.

Something...parental and lost.]

I'm sorry. I really am not your son. I cannot be him.

You are similar. And you are noble. You should not suffer.

[A pause.]

I too cannot be your "Lady," but I would like to be able to help you in anyway required.

If my suffering saves another from suffering so be it. I will suffer.

[The words are spoken in a completely serious manner. Almost as if it's an oath and in some ways, it is. Even though people have been trying to get him to change his disregard for himself, he still believes in that and would gladly shoulder pain if it would spare another.]

If you don't wish me to call you 'Lady,' then what would you have me call you?

Mrs. Archibald will be enough.

[She sighs.]

That is a noble philosophy, but remember what we talked about. Don't overexert yourself, alright? Otherwise, I'll have to give you a time out.

Mrs. Archibald.

[The name sounds so strange on his tongue and not nearly honorable enough, but if it is what she really wants he will have to do his best to remember to call her by it.

Even if he already knows it will take a long time to get used to it.

His face furrows in confusion at her next words.]

What is a 'time out?'

Um...

[She blushes. It is rather awkward and embarrassing to try to explain the joke.]

It is a form of punishment used by parents on their children. Basically, I make you sit in a corner for a certain length of time so you can reflect on what you have done.

[He smiles at her slightly trying to ease her embarrassment.]

So basically all that time I spend in my room thinking about things, right? Though, I don't know if it works quite the same when you chose to go there yourself instead of being forced there by another.

No. Not quite. For one thing, I can assure it will be much more embarrassing if I force you into your room or a corner.

[She'll yank on his ear too!]

Well yes, considering how easily I could pick you up and carry you, I expect that it would be more embarrassing if you were doing something like that to me.

[Diarmuid laughs as mental image of her pulling him to his room by his collar drifts through his mind. It's kind of amazing actually to be standing here and laughing with her like this after all that has happened.]

Would you mind telling me some more about your family? You said you have a daughter too, right?

[She gives a little chuckle of her own.]

Yes. Her name is Waver. She is the Archibald family's heir. And she's quite a headstrong girl. Sometimes I think she runs her father ragged.

[Diarmuid listens to her closely. At least he's trying to, but as soon as he hears the name 'Waver' in the same sentence as 'she' he can't stop himself from bursting out in laughter. All he can see is the older Waver he knows--long hair and all--dressed in a dress instead of the slacks he usually wears.]

Sorry...sorry... You do know there are two versions of a magus named Waver here, right? I'm...I'm sorry I just can't stop picturing them in dresses now.

[Yes, apparently it's finally happened. Diarmuid's officially lost his mind.]

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