towerofanimus | Chapter 1 - The Longest Elevator Ride [Closed]

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Chapter 1 - The Longest Elevator Ride [Closed]

Characters: Amelia and Kyoko!
Setting: The elevator! And pretty much just the elevator, but potentially the Cafeteria too.
Format: Action!
Summary: Amelia and Kyoko are stuck in a rather lengthy elevator ride. Last time they met one of them tried to kill the other accidentally. Shenanigans ensue!
Warnings: A very awkward meeting but probably nothing serious.

[It started out like any other day. Up nice and early, enjoying the relative peace of this part of the day... there was never any way of knowing what horrors the Tower was going to throw at her next, never any way of knowing when a monster was lurking just around the corner. The quiet moments up here in the dorms did a surprising amount towards just helping her keep her sanity.

And since things had been surprisingly quiet since the weather finally came back under control she was actually in something kind of resembling a good mood this morning, stretching out casually as she stepped into the elevator. Whatever might come today, she sure as hell wasn't about to deal with it on an empty stomach. And whatever the hell that fizzy drink in the little cans was? It was damn good, so hopefully they had more.

Still, the elevator seemed strangely empty for a morning elevator down. Being the only one in it didn't seem right, it'd be awfully rude to hog the whole thing for herself afterall! So she opted to wait for a moment in the elevator car, just leaning against the back of it as she quietly waited for someone else to show up. Although after a moment she decided to let out a sharp whistle, calling out into the hallway.]

Last call, elevator going down! Anyone want on? [Because if nobody else was coming at all? Knightly honor or not she was hungry and not about to wait much longer.]

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[It's not hard to hear the sudden shift in Kyoko's tone, prompting the young knight to turn slightly in the elevator, looking straight at her. It happened some time ago but she could still recall it clearly. How hard she'd been pressed, how she could just barely keep pace with the other girl...

As frightening as it had been, there was a small sense of awe that was hard to ignore. And with how it didn't sound like Kyoko had intentionally been trying to kill her she seemed to relax slightly, leaning against the opposite wall of the elevator.]

Yeah, that was. You're uhh... you're pretty good with a lance.

[Kyoko leans back, pressing her heel against the elevator wall, rests her hands behind her head.]

Heh. I've had a lot of practice. I'm always surprised when I can find someone that can keep up with me, y'know.

[It's as close to a compliment as Amelia's going to get. She's silent for a moment as she considers leaving it there, but this girl at least deserves an explanation.]

Too bad I didn't know it was a person I was fighting. That fog had me seeing everything as monsters from my world. There's rewards for killing 'em, y'know, so I got all excited and rushed into it, but it turned out to be a complete waste of time.

I like to think I know what I'm doing with a sword, so yeah.

[There's a momentary pause, but if nothing else she does seem a bit more relaxed knowing Kyoko isn't hostile about it. It's not quite an apology but by the same token, Amelia wasn't really holding it against her anyways. And knowing why she acted the way she did is really reason enough to not worry about it.]

So you've got monsters back home too huh? Unfortunately no, prizes don't come out of me when I get hit. [There's just the slightest grin on her part.] What kinda rewards, if you don't mind me asking?

[Amelia successfully pulls a laugh out of Kyoko with that.]

Too bad. Back home, y'know...they drop some pretty valuable jewels. They'd be completely useless to most people, but for those of us who use this kinda magic they're kinda like MP restoring items. The more you have, the more magic you can use.

[And when Kyoko laughs her small grin turns into a considerably larger one. It's kind of amazing how quickly the tense mood had vanished from the elevator, now replaced by a sense of curiosity on the young knights part.]

So... you kill monsters which drop jewels which gives you back magic? So you're some kind of mage or something? I've never seen any mage fight like that back home though, you probably use a completely different kind of magic if I had to guess.

This kind of magic is exclusive to Puella Magi, but you've probably seen similar people back in your world, right? Warriors who can utilize magic. It's that kind of job.

[She drums her fingers on the wall.]

Puella Magi don't work in groups. Anyone who relies on spells to get their work done for 'em's just gonna wind up a sitting duck, y'know.

Kind of! Less of what you do and more fire and lightning and dark magic, but you'd be surprised. Some of the ones I've met could cast spells quickly enough to hold their own up close.

[Talking about this takes her back, she owes at least one near death experience to underestimating how fast a spell could come out...]

So Puella Magi... that's your title I take it? Any reason you guys don't work in groups? I'd be dead a dozen times over if I tried to do half the stuff I've done alone.

[Kyoko frowns a little at that question. If she had come to this tower even a few weeks earlier, she would have laughed at the question. As it is, she has to consider it for a moment. Working alone was as much of a natural part of the Puella Magi system as anything else. Everyone did it, without question.

Everyone except Mami.]

Being on your own isn't that hard if you know what you're doing, y'know. You've just gotta know how to use magic to cover up your weaknesses. The only reason to work with someone is if there's a goal the two of you couldn't achieve alone, but even then, it's not like it's a united front or anything.

[She slides her heel across the floor, kicking it at the ground before drawing it back up onto the wall.]

'sides, working with another person means you've gotta be able to trust them with your life and be able to make up for their mistakes, y'know. It's more trouble than it's worth when you're working with limited resources. There's only so many of those things that we use to restore magic. Grief Seeds.

[Another light shrug.]

In the end, it's just easier to go solo than deal with all the hassle of trying to find somebody competent to partner up with.

[Well she's got to admit. Limited resources in a war is a concept she's familiar with but it sounds like these "Grief Seeds", unpleasant as they sound must be in rather limited supply. But now she's wondering what happens if a Magi runs out.]

I guess the reason that sounds so strange to me is because I spent so much time fighting alongside others, trusting them the entire time. Then again, that was also in a war. A couple of monsters is one thing, but an entire army of them, any one of whom could fell a normal man in a single attack... but I take it Puella Magi aren't organized the way an army is?

[And yet there's something about Kyoko's words that ring true. There's a part of her deep down that utterly dreads the thought of weighing someone down in combat, a part of her loud enough to drive her even now to improve. She has to be stronger because how can she protect anybody if she's the one that needs protecting? For a second there's a somewhat faraway look on her face but it doesn't take her long to snap back to attention, smiling slightly.]

How'd you become one anyways? It doesn't sound like it's something you just teach yourself how to do one day, especially not if it's that big a deal. [Frankly, it sounds like Puella Magi are something between heroes and mercenaries.]

[Kyoko gives a nonchalant shrug, as though it really isn't that big of a deal, followed by a vague gesture as she gives her explanation.]

Anyone who's got the potential to use magic can land this kinda job, y'know. All you've gotta do is enter a contract with Kyuubey and like, you'll be able to access that latent potential.

[For simplicity's sake, and for her own protection, she chooses to leave out the Soul Gem's secrets and the details of contracting.]

Thing is, y'know, most people aren't meant for this job. They've got no idea of what it means to be a Puella Magi, so they run into everything headfirst and get themselves killed their first day on the job, y'know.

[Now the second half of that rings more than a few bells. In fact it even gets a quiet, somewhat humorless chuckle out of her as she leans back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling for a moment as she thinks back.]

Wonder if I've got any of that, but probably not. I'd never be able to hack it as a mage back home. Funny, I think I would have been most people in your world too. It kind of sounds like being a soldier in a lot of ways, and a lot of people run off and join the army without really understanding what they're getting into.

Hell, that's what I did too. I managed to survive it but in hindsight? I'm incredibly lucky I didn't get killed in my first battle, I can't believe how reckless I was back then. I thought I knew how dangerous it would be, but... nothing really ever prepares you for the first time you fight for your life, yanno?

It doesn't help that most people don't even try to brace themselves. They just run into those things called battles thinking they're just a game, y'know. When you're fighting, you're really putting your life on the line. It's not like a story where love and and courage are enough to carry you to victory.

Exactly.

[It's quite remarkable considering how tense she was when they'd first been stuck in the elevator together. But just chatting openly like this, reflecting on the past... it's kind of nice! Even if they're not talking about the happiest stuff she's considerably more relaxed, even sitting down in the elevator with her back against the wall, one arm casually resting over a knee.]

Not that those aren't important, but you know... I used to be like that. Total idealist, I wanted to go off and fight to protect people. I wanted to be strong, but I didn't stop to think about what I was really getting myself into. You know the first time I tried to charge someone, I was holding my lance so poorly I actually tripped?

... a lot happened over the next several months. Quite a few times I wasn't sure if I was going to live to see the next day, and more than once I was pretty sure I was going to die. I always managed to survive, and I've certainly improved a lot but... [She trails off, and by the somewhat distant look in her eyes her mind isn't here in this elevator car right now. It's off elsewhere, thinking back to the battles she had, what it was like being in combat like that.]

[She chuckles when Amelia mentions tripping, but not derisively. Instead, she gives a knowing smile, as though she herself has experienced the same. Before Mami began training her, she got beat badly by a Witch. Really, it's a miracle that she made it so long.

She leans back on the guard rail, digs her fingers into it. Her eyes move up to the ceiling. Amelia's words ring true to her, so much so that it actually hurts a little.]

Nothing in this world is free, y'know. Even survival comes at a cost.

[A beat.]

The only ones who manage to hold onto their ideals until the very end are the ones who get killed before they even get started. Living knowing that the next day will come, naively waiting for things to right themselves...the only ones who have that luxury are the ones who've never had to fight.

... it does.

[As much as part of her may want to deny that? It's a fact her time in the military has drilled into her. Even if what she wanted was to protect everybody, you can't do that without fighting. And how many times did she owe her own survival to the death of another? Not allies, but on more than one occasion she only managed to escape with her life because she'd killed her opponent. Oftentimes she was even willing to bet they weren't bad people... it's not quite a full fledged flashback but she's distant for a moment.]

You're half right about that. I've still got my ideals and I haven't given up on them, but I've had to do some thinking about what they really mean. What I'm really trying to accomplish, you know? I've had to question it more than a couple of times. The entire reason I wanted to be a soldier at first was because I wanted to get stronger, so I'd have the power to protect the people I cared about.

[Chances are the elevator door is not as fascinating as that intense stare Amelia's giving it would indicate.]

It didn't stay that simple for long, reality taught me more than a few harsh lessons. But I haven't given up on it either just because life isn't that simple, it's all the more reason to get stronger actually. It takes strength to make ideals actually mean something.

... mind if I ask why you fight? Why you became a Magi?

[Kyoko is silent for a moment. It's a sensitive subject and not one that Kyoko cares to broach, but after hearing all that, she finds that she doesn't feel so inclined to stay silent. It's easier to explain to a person who's felt similar pains--not the same, but close enough that it offers some semblance of comfort.

She bites off a chunk of a pocky stick before beginning her story.]

At first, y'know, it was to help my old man. He was a clergyman, but because his teachings focused more on common sense than the traditional doctrine, there was no one who would bend an ear to his teachings. If even a single person had stopped to listen, you know, they would've seen that everything he said was just. My old man never said anything wrong, y'know, but even so...there was no one who would lend him even a moment of their time.

[She bites off another chunk of pocky, pinches the stick between her index finger and thumb and twirls it. A bit of anger works its way into her voice as she continues and although it dissipates, it's clear how passionate it is about her father and how deeply she adored both him and the religion he nurtured.]

I couldn't stand that, y'know, so I decided to make a contract. I made my wish, "make everyone listen seriously to what my old man has to say."

[Twirl, twirl, her eyes are fixed on the piece of pocky she's holding.]

My old man could have saved the world all by himself--well, the human world, anyway. No matter how good his sermons were, it wouldn't kill Witches. So I jumped into the world of Puella Magi and Witches excitedly, thinking naive things like "That's where I come in!" I thought that with this power, I would be able to aid my father in saving the world. I thought that it would be more like it was in stories...you know, the ones where love and courage win out in the end. Anyone can see all the flaws in that way of thinking.

[She laughs a little at her own foolishness. Another bite. She tugs out another stick before stretching out and folding her arms behind her head.]

Well, I was lucky enough to outgrow that way of thinking before it caused me to lose my head.

[Just not soon enough to save anyone else.]

[The entire time Kyoko's explaining her story Amelia's silent, not wishing to interrupt. It's not quite for the same reasons as her, but it's still something can relate to. Wanting to be stronger for her family, wanting to save the world...

It kind of hurts. It reminds her of how much she adored her own family when she was little. Sure they lived in a quiet little town and didn't have much, but they had each other. And then came the fateful day of the attack... it's hard not to wonder. Would her mother have been proud of her? Of how far she's come? Of her role in the war?]

Even so, I can't fault you for thinking that way. That the two of you could save the world? It sounds like with that wish your father had incredible abilities. To be that smart and have everybody listen to him, plus with your powers to deal with Witches?

[... there's a momentary pause. Part of her isn't sure she wants to go further down this train of thought, but at the same time... her next question is asked in a quieter tone of voice.]

... it didn't work out that way, did it?

[She shakes her head with a bitter laugh. Another bite. She taps her heel against the elevator wall.]

Those kind of endings only happen in fairy tales, y'know. In reality, no one would be happy with another person making a wish for their circumstances. One day the secret got exposed to my old man. When he found out that the worshipers hadn't been led to him by faith, but the power of magic, he became furious. He drowned himself in sake, his mind completely broke. He spoke ill of his own daughter, me, saying that 'she's a witch who deceives people's hearts.

It ended with a forced joint suicide, taking his family against their will. My entire family fell into misfortune because of my prayer and in the end I was left by myself.

[She doesn't quite meet Amelia's eyes as she continues.]

At that time I made a decision. I'd never use my magic for the sake of anyone else again. I'll use this power all for myself.

[... for a moment she just looks at Kyoko, honestly kind of horrified at this part of the story. Just... just the thought of being in a situation like that. At effectively being disowned by her own family, at the thought of losing them all because of that...

Part of her wants to argue against Kyoko's decision, to horde that power for herself. She still believes she could use that power to help so many other people, but knowing why she thinks that way? She's honestly not sure she can blame the other girl.

... hell. Even for her own ideals and all the strength she'd gained? She'd failed to protect what she cared about twice now, if her home was really gone. That fact alone wouldn't do her side of the discussion any favors and she knew it.]

I... I'm sorry to hear that, that's absolutely horrible. I lost my family too when I was little, my home town was attacked by bandits and... all I could do was hide. Hide and watch them take away everything I'd ever cared about because I wasn't strong enough. My home, my mother... everything.

... that's why I joined the army. That's why I wanted to get stronger, because I lost everything once before and never wanted it to happen again. That's something I learned about the world, without strength other people can just come in and take everything you hold dear. [There's a quiet, bitter laugh to match Kyoko's.] And it's happened twice now, so that's how I know I have a long ways to go.

[Amelia's story is no better than her own. The pain of losing one's family, whether it because of foolishness or a lack of strength, is something that's impossible for others to understand. Surviving is painful. It leaves a hole that can never be filled. One can throw a tarp over it and look away from it, but if they tread too close, even for a second, they'll find themselves falling through. That's why she became stronger, too, in the end. So that tragedy wouldn't repeat itself.

In spite of everything, Kyoko manages a shaky smile. It's strange, how easy she finds herself relating to this girl. Enough to confide in her about a matter as sensitive as her past.]

Heh. You already know the way the world works, so now you've just gotta make sure you're strong enough to trash the ones responsible for this mess. After that, the rest'll be easy.

[She takes a step forward. The box of pocky comes out once more, but this time it's not for her--instead, she holds it to Amelia, inviting her to take a stick.]

Want one?

[For a bit there her mind is honestly in kind of a dark place. Reflecting on everything she's been through, the loss of her family, everything that happened during the war and the fall of her country... and then suddenly she's being offered what she's assuming must be some kind of snack, seeing as Kyoko's been munching those strange little sticks since they got in the elevator. She blinks at it a couple of times before reaching up to help herself to one of them, popping the end of it into her mouth.

... huh! It's kind of like pumpkin candy and it's actually pretty damn good it turns out, she can see why Kyoko seems to love these. Although part of her wonders just where the other girl gets these from. Somewhere in the Tower? Maybe her trunk is just full of these? Either way it momentarily derails her train of thought and honestly? That... that really helps. And she's got a point too! They'll find a way to get at the admins in charge of this place sooner or later.

Even if her own smile is a little on the shaky side it's there nonetheless, her expression brightening slightly.]

Hmm? Thank you! Oh wow, these are pretty good too... kinda tastes like pumpkin?

[And it's right mid-bite that something suddenly occurs to her, something that actually causes her to laugh quietly as though she'd just this second remembered something.]

It completely slipped my mind during all that but I never even asked your name! Mine's Amelia. I was... and hopefully I still am a knight from the Grado Empire.

Kyoko Sakura, a Puella Magi the city of Kasamino...ah, I guess you probably wouldn't have heard of it though.

[Different worlds and all. She gives a little shrug before seamlessly continuing, shaking the box of pocky in her hand before she shoves it back in her coat pocket.]

It's called pocky, it's a kind of snack. The one you've got there is pumpkin, but it comes in a bunch of different flavors, y'know.

Nice to meet you, Kyoko!

[It's at this point she finally pulls herself back up to her feet, stretching out slightly with the stick of pocky still in her mouth. It certainly doesn't fix everything but that little gesture has still done plenty to lift her mood. The elevator can't have that much further to go now, can it...?]

So it's something from your home huh? [And honestly there's just something relaxing about talking about something normal for a moment, after that trip down memory lane.]

[She nods, snapping off another bite. Their ride should be coming to an end soon and, to be honest, that thought is something of a relief. The entire conversation has gone better than expected, but she can't stand being stuck in a cramped little space like this.]

I can't believe how many people here've never heard of it, y'know. I dunno how I could get by without junk food.

[All things considered this conversation has gone far more pleasantly than she thought it would have, even if the past half hour did involve some fairly unpleasant memories coming up.]

Maybe they just don't have anything like it back home? I know this is completely new to me. [There's a slightly thoughtful look on her face for a second.] I should learn how to make this stuff...

[Before she can speak more on the matter though the elevator finally comes to a stop, dinging audibly before the doors slide open.]

Oh finally, you'd think with everything else they can do in here they'd make the elevators move a little faster. So... I guess I'll be seeing you around, huh?

[Kyoko clicks her tongue as she steps out of the elevator, stretching out once more as she does so. That thing really does take longer than it has any right to. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.]

They're too busy funneling all their funds into adding more pointless floors, y'know.

[Even so, her sullen mood quickly gives way to a smile as she looks over her shoulder at Amelia, raising her hand in a wave.]

Sure. Next time we've got all the right ingredients we'll figure out how to make this stuff from scratch.

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Chapter 1 - The Longest Elevator Ride [Closed]

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