08. music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?

[keepscalm]

Characters: [OU] England (keepscalm), Ruler (faithstaynight), and you!
Setting: Various (floors 77, 3, 86, 74, and 30). Put your scenario in the subject line!
Format: Starting action, but I'll match you. :)
Summary: It's time for England to clear up a few things.
Warnings: Stock language and nation angst, and also probably some talk of the Hundred Years' War. Maybe character death?

scenario A♛ floor 77 (closed to faithstaynight; backdated to March 27th)
[After the meeting concludes, England lingers about by the staircase. He's nervous; his heart seems too loud in his ears and his palms are clammy (though that might be the humidity of the sauna). This is something he's been meaning to do ever since their exchange in the infirmary, but he's not really used to his past coming back to haunt him this literally. And he's even less used to actually facing his problems.

When Ruler next passes by him, he clears his throat to get her attention.] ...Ruler.

[England averts his eyes, faltering momentarily. He's quiet a moment before looking back to her.] ...might I have a word?

scenario B♛ floor 3 (open)
[It's not unusual that England is in the library, but it's only in the past few months that he's actually been given a job there. He's most likely shelving books, but occasionally he pushes in the chairs of the desks or collects books that have been left by the terminals.

If he walks by you, he might offer an absent:] Do you need help with anything?

[But if he's busy, you might have to approach him yourself. Both are equally likely.]

scenario C♛ floor 86 (open)
[Not everyone would be aware of the dangers of this floor immediately, but England is certainly one that is well-acquainted with the lore of the fae. So one might wonder why he's lingering about a place like this, especially seeing as he's lurking just outside the bounds of one of the fairy rings.

In the middle is a marker, a smaller circle formed from pebbles lodged into the dirt. Some distance away, closer to the edge of the ring, is a small string of assorted beads, crafted in one of the workshops.

England kneels just in front of the mushrooms. There's a rabbit-like creature fluttering about nearby; though it can't be seen by anyone who doesn't believe in magic or the supernatural, being on this floor might render it visible to some non-believers.

It's not really clear why they're here, but one can always ask and find out.]

scenario D♛ floor 74 (open)
[This floor finds England adorned with a cloak — it's wrinkled and there's a seam off-center that suggests he'd had to sew together two smaller spreads of fabric to get a piece big enough to make the cloak out of. He has also made himself a fleece scarf in bright yellow, which clashes hilariously with everything else on his person.

Sometimes you just work with what you have. Better than freezing to death!

Which he doesn't want to do while he explores the castle.

He carries a wand with him, which is equally hilarious (and probably the only thing the scarf matches). However, the star does appear to be glowing, and he holds it out in front of him much like a lamp.

Should he come across someone else, he gives them a bit of a questioning look, like it is very strange that anyone other than him would be tromping through the snowy ruins of some old castle.] Are you lost?

scenario E♛ floor 30 (closed to first responder seekinganswers)
[This is always the worst part of the trip up to the farmland (he'll often take the steps two or three at a time when he knows no one is looking). England is well-acquainted with the mechanism of this staircase, and every trip ensures that he emerges onto the next floor with unpleasantness settled in his gut.

Usually, he's lucky.

Today, he's not.

The staircase vanishes from under him just as he's almost to safety — one sharp gasp later and he's hanging off the next step up on the way to floor thirty-one, the very edge of the section of staircase that's still left.

He doesn't have to look to know the monsters writhe on the floor underneath him, just one slip of the hand away.]

Comments

3

[marriedthebloke]

Yes. If you can provide it. Do you know where the non-fiction books are?

[There's a rather dignified-looking woman standing by the bookshelves. She's speaking with a British accent.]

[keepscalm]

[Her accent evidently pings him. His eyebrows arch up slightly at the sound of it, but it doesn't distract him too much from answering her question.] Indeed. You'll find them about four rows down — [he points in the direction he's speaking of] —I'll accompany you, if you'd like.

There are also many non-fiction books available in the library on the nineteenth floor, if you're not able to find what you're looking for here.

86

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer has to do a double take when he sees the man. He looks like Saber, but not only can he not sense the presence of another Servant, but the man is being followed by a strange rabbit creature.]

Nice...pet.

[He waits to see if the man shows any sign of knowing him. Then he would know if this guy was his Saber, Gawain, or someone else entirely.]

[keepscalm]

[England turns away from the fairy ring once he's addressed.

There's a spark of recognition that accompanies this face, but he can't place it. The memory feels foggy.

He can't pick out a name, so he tries to ignore the moment, instead offering an indignant huff.] He's hardly a pet; he's as smart as any human.

[The bunny approaches to fly a circle around Lancer's head and offers:] Hello!

Third floor

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko, of course, knew that England was a librarian and had worked alongside him for awhile now. Even though he had raged at her and hadn't said much ever since then, she was still...friendly towards him, so when she saw him pushing in a few chairs, she couldn't help but smile and walk towards him.]

Good morning, England! How are you?

[keepscalm]

[England, on the contrary, still felt like a tool for being an arse to Tohko. His responses were short at worst and awkward at best, most of the time.

He clears his throat uncomfortably, averting his eyes.] ...good morning. I'm— doing well.

[Sort of. The past few months had been pretty chaotic even by Tower standards. But that's not something he wants to talk about with Tohko.]

meadow of emotion of course

[sageprincess]

[Perhaps Zelda offered to help Arthur with his task, perhaps he extended an invitation to do so after seeing how worn down recent plans and events have made her. Either way, the Princess of Hyrule sits carefully nearby (not disturbing any of the circles, of course), trying to thread another string of beads.

... However, lessons in crafts that require such precision and fine movement had to be halted when she was a child, and she never quite had the opportunity to pick them up again. It's slow going, in short.]

Are the fairies of your world truly so entranced by such trinkets?

[It's a little bit strange to the girl who comes from a world where fairies heal, guide, and in rare instances, empower those they consider worthy.]

0u0

[keepscalm]

[Even if it's slow going, he appreciates her help. Things like bread, honey, and tasty drinks can be hard to come by in the Tower during certain months, especially now with their most benevolent host out of the picture. Plus, cooking something himself hadn't gone over well the one time he tried it... So all he's left with as offerings are trinkets.

He watches her progress with a small, almost hidden smile.] They are; they're drawn to most anything that's shiny enough.

Sweets are common offerings, as well, but— [The smile briefly turns to a grimace.] I don't much have the means to acquire those.

floor 86

[geometry]

[Equius didn't really care much about faeries. There wasn't anyone he could think of who did, except perhaps Tavros -- his Tavros -- whose various delusions and soporific tendencies led him to believe that Vriska was one. It was a little bit unsettling, to be honest. But one way or another, he had no way of realizing that this peculiar area was set up as a prime spot for attracting fair folk. What he did realize, however, was that there was someone there. He gives a passing glance to the bunny and approaches England, keeping his distance just in case the admittedly-secretive man was doing something important.]

[Still, it would be a real shame to disturb him... so Equius just hung around the back, eventually just resorting to looking between the rabbit and the back of England's head.]

[keepscalm]

[England admittedly doesn't notice him right off the bat, but the bunny sure does!

It flutters over to Equius, hovering at about face-level with the young troll.] Hello!

[It's the rabbit's voice that catches England's attention. He turns his head, on-guard against the visitor. He settles a little once he sees that it's his roommate.]

Ah, don't mind him— [whether he's talking to the rabbit or Equius is unclear] —good day. [But he looks right at Equius to address him following that.]

floor 86

[colonial]

[America tended to avoid this floor, if only because England had warned him away from it. And he knew not to step in the little mushroom rings, though he wasn't really clear on the reasons behind that. What drew him to step off the staircase, though, was seeing England doing--well-something! England did weird somethings a lot, so not being able to identify what exactly was going on didn't bother him.

What kept America from calling out to England once he'd started his approach, though, was when the floor applied its magic to him and he spotted the flying mint bunny England had spoken of but America had never been able to see. He was so excited his first instinct was to leap at the little flying creature for a closer examination, which put him rather out of England's view at least for the moment while he looked the green rabbit over.]

[keepscalm]

[England is blissfully unaware as Flying Mint Bunny is taken to the ground by the tiny colony. He squeaks much like a normal rabbit, but the alarmed batting of its wings is more birdlike than anything else. He is a bit alarmed!]

You can see me?

Floor 30 (well, 31, technically)

[seekinganswers]

[She was coming down just as England was coming up. When she sees him, she nods to him in greeting as she approaches the staircase and he approaches the thirty-first floor -

And then suddenly he and the staircase are gone and his fingers are there instead, grasping for whatever hold he could get. She moves immediately.]

Hold on! I'll--

[But her powers don't work, she realizes - he hadn't yet reached it, but she was on floor thirty-one. There's not much she can do aside from run to the edge, crouch down, and reach out to grasp at his arms.]

I'll - I'll try to pull you up - don't let go!

[keepscalm]

[He's trying not to let it show, but with how wide his eyes are, it's obvious that England is pretty panicked. Even though she's got a good grip on him, he's reluctant to let go; his arms tremble with the strength he's holding onto the stair with.]

Are you sure? You don't— [His voice is shaking a lot and he really hates it, so he swallows and tries again.] You're a tad- small. Smaller. Than me.

[Floor 77]

[faithstaynight]

[Ruler stopped in her tracks when he called out to her. She didn't turn to face him until he spoke again, and when she did... well. Nothing could really give away what she was feeling right now; her face was blank, completely unreadable.]

... Of course.

[Her voice is just as carefully controlled as well. Not angry, not annoyed... just even. It's not exactly a bad sign, but since she's not relaxing at all in his presence, it's not really a good sign either.]

[keepscalm]

[He can't say he's surprised by her reaction. He can only imagine how much she must hate him for what his countrymen did to her. He's tempted to just call it off, turn his back and walk away. He doesn't want to face this.

But then he thinks of Zelda, trying to steel his resolve— thinks of how distraught she'd been when she learned that he and Ruler did not have a kind history.

For her sake. If nothing else.]

...I've been meaning to speak with you. [He tries to sound as removed as she — tries to echo his resolve in his voice. It sounds awkward at best.] I...understand that you may not wish for the same thing— to speak, that is.

[Ugh this is so hard he is terrible at this. He crosses his arms, but it seems less huffy than it does just plain defensive.] However, I have something I'd like to say, if you'll hear it.

86

[no_longer_a_king]

[Arturia had had many dealings with the fae in her lifetime. From the half-fae Merlin and his particular brand of insanity to the Lady of the Lake giving her a blade crafted by the fae themselves. They had touched her life in numerous ways and it both saddened and relieved her to know they were gone from the world when she was summoned into the Grail War.

That was why, on occasion, she'd come to this floor simply to see the fairy rings. Not interact with them, nor even speak to them. She'd seen the things the Fae can do to people when they were disturbed in the wrong mood and she did not wish to see how the Tower would twist them.

That's why, when she sees England before the fairy circle, the same man she had seen in the library, she approaches him. What use could he possibly have for fairies?]

I hope you do not wish to do something foolish in contacting the Fae.

[keepscalm]

[Her voice strikes a chord of familiarity in him, but England largely ignores it in favour of taking offense to her insinuation. He doesn't turn to look at her; he instead fixes his eyes on the beaded trinket and scoffs with a mix of derision and disbelief. She thinks he doesn't know what he's doing. While it surprises him to find someone else that knows the lore of the fair folk, he won't stand for being insulted.]

I am hardly a fool.

3

[kismetatropos]

[He stuck out like a sore thumb and knew it too. Black sclera, yellow eyes, blue skin and white hair did that. The exact opposite of what he used to be. That, and there were the fangs in his mouth that he tried to hide with an expressionless gaze.]

Are there codices here that speak of the history of this place?

[keepscalm]

[Despite the man's appearance, England doesn't seem fazed in the least. He's seen weirder in his lifetime, and even weirder still since coming to the Tower.

He does frown, but it's more a herald of his bad news than anything else.] Unfortunately, no. Nothing that much tells the history of anything, even our own worlds.

You can find most anything else, though.

86

[technologic]

[April didn't tend to hang around this floor often; she had read about fairy rings and knew it could be dangerous. But when she spots England, curiosity prompts her to go over to him.]

Hey, Engl- [And then she spots the fluttering rabbit-like creature, stopping mid-sentence as she blinks curiously at it]

[keepscalm]

[April catches the attention of both England and the rabbit, though the latter is the first to approach her, with no small degree of excitement.] Hello!

[England seems pleased, despite April's confusion. He stands, dusting off his knees before straightening.] Good day, April.

Floor 86

[ladygreensleeves]

[Alice had not been intending to stop on this floor. She knows the tricks of the fae, and she knows it's wiser to stay away from this meadow. However, her own fairy always seems to have an unsurprising attraction to the place, and more often than not she has to drag him away, with varying results.

It is as she follows after her fairy that she spots the blond man kneeling in front of the mushrooms.]

What... on earth are you doing?

[She strides forward, and is about to tell him he must be a fool, when she spots the flying mint bunny nearby. She stalls, distracted, and her eyes widen. She hasn't seen this friend in a while... How is it she's even in the tower?]

[keepscalm]

[Arthur heaves a long-suffering sigh. Honestly, it's like no one's ever seen a man visiting a grave before. He rolls his eyes (he won't accept rudeness, even from one of his own people).] What does it look like I'm doing? I'm leaving an offering.

[The rabbit seems more receptive to Alice than Arthur does. He flies in close, his eyes wide and curious.

He takes a narrow circle around Alice's head and stops to nose at one of her pigtails.] You smell nice!

[She smells kind of like England! That is always a good thing.]

Floor 86

[hachitaro]

[Taro flits in front of England, tilting his head. He's currently in the form of a little brown bird. He looks over at the bunny and grins.]

Hi! Hi!

[... welp.]

[keepscalm]

[England isn't really expecting birds, so he can't help but lean back a little when the bird flies in front of him, his eyes widening a little.] Ah—

[And then it talks. The bunny does not seem perturbed by this at all, flying closer to get a better look at Taro.] Hello! Most of the birds here can't talk.

[England's eyebrows furrow slightly. All he can think to do is agree with the flying mint bunny.] ...indeed.

Scenario B (after many attempts to post and constantly forgetting)

[stop_calling_me_zelda]

[Tetra was young and small, skilled at climbing but not so much when it came to library shelves. She didn't notice England as he approached, as she wastrying to reach up several shelves by climbing on another. When he asks, she falls from where she was and whines out an 'ow' when she lands. The little princess wasn't too high up but that was a surprise.]

Oh, uh... Yeah. I was tryin' t'get that book up there. About magic.

[Pointing.]

wow i am sorry this is late and i suck

[keepscalm]

[England casts the child a look that's none too pleased with her attempts to climb on the shelves, though he does look up when she indicates the location of her desired book. However, he seems to soften a tad when she mentions the subject.]

...one moment.

[He disappears to the end of the row. There is a loud creak and a clang, and then metallic squeaking, which gradually grows louder as England approaches with a wheeled ladder on a track. It's either heavy, prone to sticking, or both, judging from the way he occasionally has to stop to give it a good shove.

He stops when he's in front of Tetra, placing his hands on his waist and looking up at the shelves.] Which book was it again? I'll get it for you.