towerofanimus | 001 ♫ nothing but lies and broken wings

Characters: One money-hungry puppeteer and you!
Setting: Room 01-17/dorm level 1, floor 100, floor 2, floor 4, around the Tower
Format: Action tags to start! But I will follow you.
Summary: ~~"Tokunaga, I've a feeling we're not in Auldrant anymore."~~ Anise wakes up and discovers that the world she's in definitely isn't home. Of course, this means exploring.
Warnings: Nothing in particular for now!

Room 01-17/Dorm Level 1
[Anise can't move at first, but - she's surprisingly okay with that. The bed is infinitely more comfortable than camping out on the ground is, and for the thirty seconds that she's unable to move, she can almost convince herself that this is just some weird dream.

Then she can move again; she rolls over - out of the bed - and hits the ground with a thud.]

Ow...

[A moment passes. She untangles herself from the blankets and looks down -]

What the HELL is this?!

[...well, that was definitely loud enough to wake any unfortunate roommates. In fact, it probably carried out to the rest of the floor or at least the nearest rooms, too. It's okay if it didn't, though, because a very displeased Fon Master Guardian will stalk out into the hallway a moment or so later, glowering as she takes in her surroundings.]

Floor 100
[Her initial confusion over and done with, Anise has found her usual clothing in her trunk and has decided to start exploring. She takes the stairs two at a time, and as a result doesn't get pulled into the hanging gardens - rather, her first non-dormitory floor is the hundredth.

And what a surprise it is - she can't help but stop and stare in shock at the sight of the Daathic cathedral. Maybe this is how it's supposed to be - a reminder of everything the Order of Lorelei was supposed to have stood for, a reminder of the person she was supposed to have protected, a reminder of the oaths she took and ultimately broke.

But what if it's more than a reminder? What if...

Before Anise is even aware of what she's doing, she's running from the stairs and onto the floor.]

Florian! Papa, Mama! ...Maestro Tritheim...?

[All people who would likely never answer her call again.]

Floor 02
[After the shock of seeing an image of Daath, Anise had marched right back up the stairs and opted to take the elevator the rest of the way down. She didn't want any more surprises like... that.

For now, she skips the cafeteria - she's not really hungry - and takes the stairs up. Exploring from the bottom up rather than the top down seems like a good idea to her, and it's not long before she's poking around the infirmary like she owns the place.

She doesn't even recognize what half these things are supposed to do, but they seem useful. Kind of. Maybe if she keeps looking she'll figure out what they are.]

Floor 04
[Anise is standing at the wall furthest from the stairs, looking out at the ground below her.

It's hard to see - fog or smog or whatever it is, she can't see through it, and that bothers her. What could be out there, she wonders? She hasn't been able to find any real exit while she's been walking around. Is whatever's out there so dangerous that it has to be locked out?

Or... are they just locked in?

The thought bothers her, and in one smooth motion, she pulls Tokunaga down from her back. Moments later, she's on his back and is directing him to pound at the glass in a futile attempt to break it. She can jump! She's survived falls from greater heights.

...someone should probably tell her that's not going to work.]

Around the Tower - you pick!
[It's important to be acquainted with one's surroundings, so Anise doesn't waste any time in exploring. The only floors she's really going to make an effort to avoid are the hundredth and the thirteenth; all in all, the cathedrals are a little too close to home for her right now.

She can be found in the elevator, going up and down the stairs, and examining anything and everything that might be of interest to her. On the floors where her powers aren't suppressed, she'll usually be riding around on Tokunaga. Particularly if there are lots of monsters about.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, it's me. Who were you expecting?

[Well, this wasn't going exactly the way she'd hoped, but she can roll with those punches.]

I'm looking for bandages and the worst smelling poultices to use to heal Asch and Luke the hard way. I'm rather annoyed with the both of them and I've refused to use artes to do it.

Asch and--

[Anise's jaw drops. Really, Tear, dropping such bombshells on Anise this early in the morning? Shame, shame.]

How - they're both here?! But the letter said...

Yes, both are here, and I don't know how. I just got here myself a few days ago. But both of those idiots can't manage to not fight, even when we're stuck in this stupid tower. So, they're getting battle field first aid until they can prove they have a brain cell between the two of them.

[Y e p, she's pissed.]

[...and Anise can tell. Sadly, it sort of makes her giggle a little.]

Wooow, you're really mad!

Can you really blame them, though? They argue a lot even in the best of times. 'Course they'd argue here when there's a lot of stress put on them both.

I'd probably fight with Gloomietta if she showed up.

[Well, obviously.]

[Have that pissed off look aimed at you for a second Anise before it disappears.]

I'm just tired of the stupid fighting they do. They should be allies and all they do is argue and trade blows and nearly blow up a lot of places. It gets old after a while.

And you do fight with Arietta, every time you meet up with her, Anise.

Exactly. I always fight with her; Luke always fights with him. Even when they've worked together, they've fought.

Why are you getting mad like those two fighting is something new?

I'm tired of it, Anise. We've been ripped away from Auldrant before we can stop my brother, told that our world is gone by our vicious captors, and instead of actually working with one another, they're at each other's throats still. It's a surprise that Van didn't get further along than he did with those two around.

If they're at each other's throats, it sounds like everything's mostly normal.

I get it! I really do. It's annoying that they're being stubborn and fighting. But isn't that better than them being broken somehow? A lot of worse things could have happened that could have just taken the fight out of them.

I think maybe it's better to be glad that they're okay enough to fight. You can work on making them get along later, but it's not gonna happen overnight and it's silly to expect it to! All three of you are just going to get mad that way and it's not gonna help anything.

[Anise's words make Tear stop and think them over. Luke and Asch really did nothing but fight. Luke because he didn't like Asch's attitude towards everyone. Asch because he'd been replaced by someone he saw as defective as a replacement. It was enough to drive an insane person sane.]

You're right. It's just frustrating that they've been here, together, for this long and they're still fighting. There was another Luke as well, but he seems to have disappeared. Not to mention that Jade and Guy both were here as well. And evidently, there was another version of myself.

I-I'm just confused and tired and I'd like to go home. There was still so much to do and now I've been told that it's all gone and that I will continue to be a "guest" of this tower and it's administration until I can find a way to go back. If that's even possible now.

All of that sounds really confusing and I can see why you're frustrated. But, chin up!

[Anise grins and points at her, sort of jabbing at her chest to get her attention.] You're Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants, one of the Melodists of the Order of Lorelei and an accomplished soldier! So act like one, okay?

This whole place is a battlefield. There's no room for doubting yourself! You've gotta do what you've gotta do to survive and keep going. Everyone does, and sometimes they do it in weird ways, like Luke and Asch do, but their arguing with each other means that they're still willing to fight. So don't you go resigning yourself to the situation and getting tired and wanting to throw in the towel!

As long as everyone's still willing to fight somehow, there's still hope! [It's on the word "hope" that her voice falters, and Tear might get the feeling that Anise's pep talk is as much for her own benefit as it is for hers.] Besides, we both know the boys are totally hopeless! So you and I have to pick up the slack.

Geeeeze, aren't I just being so totally mature right now? [A lighthearted giggle, to indicate that she's just kidding.]

[Tear gives her friend a smile.]

You're right. I should be grateful that they're still themselves and haven't broken. After the story that Luke told me about his time here, I'm just surprised he hasn't cracked by being alone for so long.

[The taller girl can see through to the attempt to convince herself and feels bad.]

I suppose I could use your help in cracking their heads together.

What story? [Anise leans back on her heels and looks at Tear curiously.] I haven't heard much about this place yet. Just a few things. Did something specific happen to Luke? Whose butt do I hafta kick?

[The curious expression becomes a grin, though.]

And if their heads are too hard, we can use Tokunaga! One of his specialties is knocking around stubborn idiots, you know.

Luke... one of the Lukes... has been here for over a year. He was the first from our world to arrive... and some of the things that have happened to him have been beyond cruel. [Tear looks at her friend with a hard look on her face.] There will be a line for the punishment dealt, Anise.

[At the mention of her friend's puppet, Tear can't help but smile.]

I suppose you're right. Thank you.

001 ♫ nothing but lies and broken wings

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