01

[marriedthebloke]

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.]

Comments

[marriedthebloke]

...You're really fine with someone putting hands on your bottom?

[Did she have to revise her opinion of him being a noble knight?]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid raises an eyebrow at her suddenly realizing why she's been so embarrassed all this time.]

Must modern day tie everything to sex? Punishment is one thing, Lady. Sex is another. Keep them properly separate and you will find yourself feeling embarrassed far less of the time.

[marriedthebloke]

You're a grown man, Diarmuid. And you're not my child.

[Although she still can't help but feel somewhat motherly toward him.]

[oathshackledbird]

Yes, that is very true. And you are not one of my fellow knights.

[A mischievous twinkle enters his eye that really shouldn't be there and he knows it. It's just too bad he doesn't actually care. Teasing her and not having to worry about his curse is oddly...fun.]

So if you can't separate punishment from sex, I would suggest not aiming for my butt...

[marriedthebloke]

[She frowns, and then raises one of her hands and flicks him. Right on the nose.]

Good idea.

[oathshackledbird]

[He's startled by the flick, but his grin doesn't fade as he reaches up and rubs the spot.]

Well, I'm glad we've come to an agreement. Do you feel better now?

[marriedthebloke]

Yes. I think I can walk by myself.

[She feels less awkward now that she has a good idea of the differences between this version of Diarmuid and her son. For one thing, her version of Diarmuid would never tease her like this.]

[oathshackledbird]

Hopefully, you won't mind if I still accompany you there. I don't mind. I was only on my way back to my room. It's not like I have to be anywhere in specific.

[Besides, this way he will know where she is staying should he need to find her.]

[marriedthebloke]

Then I would be very grateful.

[She looks around. In the excitement of the last couple of hours, she wasn't sure where the staircase was.]

Um...do you...know the way back?

[oathshackledbird]

I do if you will tell me which room is yours. These floors are quite confusing to new people and some of them actually are mazes. That is why it's safer to stay near the stairs until you know the floors better. Honestly, I suggest using the elevator whenever possible, though it is obviously not always possible.

[He reaches out for her hand.]

I have been working on making a list of all the floors and their dangers with some of my fellows. I will be glad to give you a list if you would like it. Soon we hope to have it out where anyone who wants it can easily find it, but as far as I know the only options we have are the network which isn't always reliable and copying the list by hand which takes quite a bit of time, though if that is what is needed to keep people safe, I don't mind taking the time.

[marriedthebloke]

Room 1-01.

[She takes his hand.]

If you need, I'll be glad to help you copy it.

[oathshackledbird]

[He nods and starts to lead her toward the stairs glad, for the moment, that the floor seems quiet.]

I would appreciate that. It is quite an extensive list because so many people have worked on it and it seems like we find new things to add every day. Even if this place was the mere 50 floors it was not that long ago it would still be a long list.

[marriedthebloke]

I believe I'll have plenty of time in this place.

[Now that she doesn't have to cook and clean for her family.]

It will be no problem to just copy a list.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid looks back at her, concerned by something in her voice. It doesn't take him long to guess what it is, and when he does, a gentle look crosses his face.]

I miss my family too. It's hard to be without them for me, and I expect it's even harder for you since they were probably your whole life.

[marriedthebloke]

They...

[She sighs.]

Kayneth and the children have their differences.

[What with Diarmuid wanting his father's approval and not being able to get it, and Waver being an outright little rebel.]

[oathshackledbird]

Do you want to talk about it?

[He's not looking at her as he asks since he's opening the door to the stairwell, but that's probably for the best since he can image his question will probably embarrass her. Still, he doesn't mind listening even if his own family experiences differ greatly from hers.]

[marriedthebloke]

[She is silent for a moment.]

Well...you should know what Kayneth is like. Since Diarmuid has little potential as a magus, he doesn't think much of him. And Waver has great potential, but directs it in a way that he dislikes.

[oathshackledbird]

[As they enter the relative safety of the stairwell, Diarmuid thinks over this, nodding after a few moments.]

That sounds about right. Every Waver I have ever known has liked to do things outside of the box. I can't image that ever changing. Sadly, even if your son had been born with a lot of talent, I suspect somehow he would still not have been good enough for him. I don't think he and I are ever destined to get along.

[marriedthebloke]

Perhaps not under your world's terms. Kayneth does love both of his children, but he has a duty to pass down his crest and knowledge.

[Certainly that would have been an easier task with Diarmuid's more docile personality.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid rolls his eyes, but even as he does, they narrow in annoyance.]

Duty. Everything is duty to you magi. Maybe if you got passed that and remembered there is more to life than duty you would be happier and hurt far fewer people.

[marriedthebloke]

You're a knight, Diarmuid. You should understand the importance of duty.

[oathshackledbird]

Thanks to him, I am far less a knight than I once was.

[Diarmuid looks away from her and focuses instead on the stairs as he speaks.]

I know duty, but this place has taught me just how foolish it is to focused on it and forget everything else. That path leads only to pain, death and destruction.

[marriedthebloke]

...

[Unseen to him, she smiles. Though what part of it is pleased and what part is bitter, not even she can tell.]

I see. You've really grown compared to my Diarmuid.

[It wasn't just a matter of age--it was experience. It was pain.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid looks at her out of the corner of his eyes for a moment, not sure how to take that reaction, before turning his eyes forward again.]

I dearly hope your Diarmuid grows up to be a far happier man than I am. That his path of knighthood is less complex and more fulfilling than my own. I would hate for him to suffer as I have.

[It's odd. Despite the fact that Diarmuid has come to the conclusion that their worlds really are gone, he can't help but talk to others are if they are still there.]

[marriedthebloke]

If I had my way, I'd spare him any hardship.

[But they are magi, and how often did the children of magi get "their own way?"]