It's not like I'm walking alone into the valley of the shadow of death--

[sageprincess]

Characters: Enoch, Zelda, and their ragtag bunch of immortals (Lucifel, Naoya, Solas, Saber Lily, and Ruler)
Setting: Admin levels; night of April 9th
Format: Any, though action might be faster?
Summary: With Jason apparently busy examining the "malfunctioning" worker units, it's the perfect time to strike and retrieve the information Dax left behind.
Warnings: It's a break in. These do not have a history of going well. Character injury and death is possible.

It is a dark and stormy night, as cliche as it sounds. Most of the Tower residents should be asleep by now, or wandering the more interesting floors in search of monsters to fight.

Not these ones, though. A small group quietly begins to gather around the administrator elevator after the sun is well and truly down, several of them armed. Jason's announcement over the intercom yesterday had been just the tell they were looking for - one that informed them he was distracted - and despite some of the distressing disappearances that followed, they had to jump on this rare opportunity while it was within their grasp.

Dax trusted them with the information he had collected, and one way or another, they were going to find it.

Comments

[sageprincess]

... It's all so much to take in at once. Noble Phantasms, trump cards, France, Ruler's name...? So many words that mean nothing to her, so many others that mean just enough to make the gears of her mind work overtime in order to tease out the truth she doesn't have.

One thing is perfectly clear, though.

"You... will die?"

Despite knowing that it's entirely likely Ruler would just wake up the next morning, good as new - despite seeing just how that process is done, a part of her cries out no! at the thought. But now is not the time to be childish. They are all intimately aware that this could end up being a suicide mission, and if nothing else, she knows Ruler is not the type to stand idly by if she can do something to change that. It's a trait they have in common, and if she had such an attack, she can't say she wouldn't make the same warning.

Still, though, she places her hands over Ruler's on her sword, looking the other girl in the eye. She's certainly not happy about this turn of events, and her expression says as much, but she nods.

"... I... I understand. But know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that is not necessary. So, please, do not use it unless you believe with all your being that it is the only way."

For the sake of their objective, she has to shut down the majority of her emotional response to such an idea. But if she had to watch Ruler die... she doesn't know what she would do.

[faithstaynight]

A small smile crosses Ruler's face as Zelda's hands cover her own. She manages to pull one hand out of the light grip, laying it on the princess's hand in turn.

"I know it is not very assuring, no matter what I say... but trust me when I say that I treat this ability as I would if I was not in the tower. The knowledge that we are revived shortly after our deaths changes nothing." It's why she's never mentioned it until now. If she refused to acknowledge la Pucelle, then it would be on her mind less and less.

"If there is any other way out of whatever we may be getting ourselves into... I will hold back. I swear. But..." And here the smile fades, and her grip on Zelda's hand tightens ever so slightly.. "If I must use this ability, do not think that it is in any way your fault. It is and will always be my choice to release my Noble Phantasm."

[sageprincess]

It isn't assuring, not in the slightest, and her lips are still pursed as though she's tasted something sour. 'It is my choice,' she says, but that choice wouldn't need to be made if Zelda didn't ask her to come on this mission.

She doubts Ruler would approve of that line of thinking, however, so she keeps those thoughts to herself.

"Mm," is her initial response, little more than a monosyllabic confirmation. She needs to keep herself controlled - she can't give in to the temptations of emotion. But as it had been when she donned a disguise in a different world and spoke to a different hero, her words are fraught with meaning. "Let us hope it does not come to that, then."

I don't like this. I don't want this. You shouldn't need to make that choice because of something I asked you to do.