towerofanimus | [open]

Entry tags:

[open]

Characters: Ruler & You
Setting: Floor 13->Staircase
Format: Action
Summary: May 30h is a rather important day for Ruler. A somewhat upsetting day, but important nonetheless.
Warnings: Mentions/descriptions of death of the fire-y kind.

[Normally, Ruler does not spend much time in the Cathedral. She preferred somewhere quiet to conduct her prayers, so the muttering voices tended to keep her away. But today... today was different. Today she was huddled in the very front pews, face pale and hands clasped together so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Her words came out in a rush, and several times, she even stumbled over them and had to start over.

She needed the familiar surroundings, the stained glass and sweeping architecture. She needed something to surround herself with to soothe her restless spirit.

This day. This one single day. May 30th... she could still remember that day so clearly. The triumphant, leering grins of the guards that had ushered her into the cart that would transport her to the center of Rouen. The jeers and insults thrown at her by the English supporters crowding the town square. The somber looks of those still loyal to France and her King. The seemingly miles-long march up to the stake. And finally the fire, biting its way up her feet, her legs, setting her clothes alight as the heat and smoke choked her and filled her nose with the smell of her own burning flesh...

With an audible cry, Ruler shakes her head firmly, trying to pull herself out of the memories that had been plaguing her all day. In a sudden flurry of movement she stands, rushing quickly to the staircase. It was quiet now, too quiet, her thoughts were becoming harder and harder to tune out, she needed to find somewhere else...

So lost is she in her thoughts that she doesn't pay the slightest attention to where exactly she's walking, leaving collisions with other residents on their way up or downstairs a likely accident.]

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[Naoya doesn't usually visit the cathedral, but it's always interesting to see who's in there, if only to make a mental note, a black mark against them unless they're visibly worshiping a different deity.]

[Ruler's sudden movement up the stairs, though, doesn't leave him much room to get out of her way, and so she collides into him. He sprawls to the ground, haori pulling up and revealing the three red marks on his hand. He frowns, and quickly covers them up.]

... You should watch where you're going.

[Ruler looks suitably flustered at the sudden collision, and immediately offers a hand to help him up.]

My apologies. It seems I was a bit... [She trails off. Even if she wasn't at a hundred percent today, she doesn't miss the quick flash of red on his hand. A look of surprise crosses her face at that, but she doesn't pull her offered hand away.] ... distracted. Please, forgive me.

[He pulls himself up, and raises an eyebrow.]

It's fine.

[... Well.]

You know something about these, don't you?

[Considering the face she just made and all.]

[She nods.] I do. I am a Servant, and in my world's version of the Holy Grail War, I acted as the administrator.

[Nope. No reason to hide anything here.]

Interesting. I don't know a great deal about this Grail War, only what I've picked up from conversations on the network and from my Servant.

[Her eye twitches ever so slightly at the "conversations on the network" comment. She still hasn't forgotten the fiasco Waver Velvet caused when he outed the existence of the War to the entire tower.]

I see... well, if you have any questions about the war that you would like answered, I would be more than happy to share information with you. Not that I expect the Grail to show up in a place such as this... [Even though she had made quite a big deal out of arguing over the hypothetical situation where it did show up in the tower...] But it might help with any confrontations you might have with the other Masters and Servants in the tower.

Heh. I was wondering how many of them were here. It did seem that there were a lot of them, though I'm not sure how many are still here, or how many more have shown up.

I've a feeling I have not run into all of the Masters and Servants in the tower, but speaking from my own experience, I know of the existence of five Servants and four Masters. [Oh! Well. The numbers have to be updated a bit...] Or rather I know of six Masters, now counting you and my own Master.

I would appreciate it if you told me which Servant is now under your command, so that I know if he or she is one that I am aware of or not.

[An administrator who's also a Servant? Interesting...]

... I suppose it can't hurt. Avenger.

... Avenger? [Her eyebrows raise at that.] Now that's a class I haven't heard of before.

Heh. Interesting. He did seem like a special case.

Has he told you what his class's abilities are? [Hm...] The title 'avenger' isn't quite as specific as the other classes, so I'm a bit stumped.

He has, though some of it is private information. I imagine the general skill sof being a Servant are similar, though. The being able to become incorporeal and such, the Command Seals...

[He does want to have at least some information for his own purposes. :| No hard feelings.]

[And who should be coming up the stairs this very moment but a certain young knight, somewhat lost in thought herself. Amelia figured she'd almost certainly still be alert enough to react if something happened but apparently that's not the case, because one moment she's on her feet moving up the stairs and the next she's completely off balance, distinctly aware that something just plowed straight into her as she stumbles down several steps, only just managing to stay on her feet at all.

Her very first thought is that some kind of monster must have lunged out of the Cathedral at her and so her gut instinct is to reach for her sword, hand closing around the hilt of her blade before she suddenly stops, realizing it's no monster that just hit her. For a second she's irritated but that's quickly replaced by confusion, is she being chased? Or simply being careless?]

H- hey! Be careful!

[As distracted as she is, Ruler only notices the figure of another person as she collides with Amelia, the motion of said figure reaching for a sword, and she instantly tenses. But before her sword and armor could manifest, she notices that the figure she ran into was very human, and she slowly relaxes.]

My apologies. Did I injure you at all? [She tries to smile, looking a bit sheepish as she does so.] I was a bit... lost in thought.

[Sam was interested in this place. At the beautiful windows and the murmuring that came from the front. It was often that he stepped off the staircase and went to explore, but he often paused at this floor to look, and was contemplating going in when a woman walked into him. He stumbled backwards, as she was much taller than him.] Are you alright miss?

[Despite being so distracted, Ruler still immediately reaches out as Sam stumbles, hoping to steady him before he falls.]

Yes, yes. I'm fine, just... a bit distracted, that's all. [She tries to smile.] Are you alright, monsieur? I apologize, I didn't mean to run into you...

[He grabbed hold, preventing a fall and smiled gratefully at her.] No need to apologise miss, I wasn't properly looking where I was going myself.

[chaos did not pray, and the sight of the cathedral in the Tower was just salt on an open wound for him. However, he did have to pass it on occasion, and those in pain or need sometimes stopped in, looking to soothe their pain, so he was always on the look out for someone in that state so that he could help them.

So, when this person bumped into him, he could tell what her mental state was quickly.]

..Are you alright? What is troubling you?

[Ruler looks somewhat embarrassed having just walked straight into someone like she did without noticing at all. Quickly, she shakes her head, trying to smile.]

Nothing serious is troubling me. I have simply become a bit caught up in my thoughts.

[chaos caught that. You didn't live for six thousand years without noticing some forced smiles.]

I see. Usually, when people are caught up with something in their head, it is either because it is amusing or because it is terrifying. I will not force you to speak with me..but know that I am here if you wish to talk.

[She smiles, giving him a small nod.]

Thank you. I will keep that in mind.

[chaos returned the smile, but not the nod.]

Good. I am glad to hear that. While I am not usually on this floor..I can sometimes be found in the graveyard or beach floors.

[Jeanne isn't the only one intending to visit the cathedral floor today. France has made May 30th his personal day of prayer and silent reflection for almost 600 years now. He'd found it thoughtful for there to be a cathedral housed in an otherwise dreadful place, creepy as it may be, for some semblance of religion was more comforting than none at all.

He'd been meaning to get his rampant thoughts in order on his own, but, through some force of coincidence or fate, he finds himself literally running into the person who's been on his mind all day.]

Ah-! [He puts out his arms to steady Jeanne before she has a chance to fall over.] Pardon me. Are you all right?

[A tiny smile tugs at the corners of his mouth as he looks her over, but his eyes are glossy with concern. A lovely way to start off this interaction with Jeanne - nearly knocking her down a flight of stairs. Ugh. He could kick himself for being so careless.]

[Ruler stumbles back a few steps as she runs into France, and even as she shakes her head to once more try to clear it of her nagging thoughts, she's already uttering an excuse.]

Yes, I was simply- [But then she looks up, realizing who it was that she ran into... and her expression immediately falls. This... this was someone she didn't have the heart to lie to. So with a sigh, she shakes her head.]

No, I'm not. Today has been... rather troubling.

[Any doubts France had about whether or not Jeanne knows her own death date get washed away as soon as she says that. Looking at the expression on her face, he knows in his heart that she's aware of what today is, but he has to ask, just in case.]

I'm sure it has. This- This day, for you, it's-

[No, nevermind. That's all he can force out. The lingering guilt he feels from years ago still hasn't vanished entirely. He's still berating himself for being unable to help her, still telling himself he could have done more centuries later. He tries not to dwell on thoughts like that, but with Jeanne right in front of him, that proves more difficult than ever.]

...I'm sorry. [He bites the inside of his cheek. He's not sure what, specifically, he's apologizing for.] I am afraid words aren't coming easy to me right now.

[Ruler shakes her head.] No, do not apologize. I understand. I... am not sure how to talk about how I feel about this day either.

[She tries to manage a smile, a half-hearted one that doesn't quite reach her eyes, but it's something.] You do not have to speak if you do not wish to. Just... being in your presence right now is enough.

[He was one of the few people she could truly let her guard down around, and for that, she couldn't be more grateful.]

[That hits France where it counts. He almost feels like he's betraying her by comforting her so. After all, he stood by while she died. He could have done so, so much more, couldn't he?

No. No, he won't think like that. God has a plan, he's sure, one that France can't change no matter how much he tries. If Jeanne died back then, awful and unjust as it was, it must have been for a reason. And anyway, he's being given a second chance now, isn't he? They both are.

Perhaps he'll be able to do things right this time around.]

I'm glad you feel that way, but...

[He sets a hand on her shoulder softly, like he's afraid she might shatter if he's too rough. He seems like he might continue that sentence for a few seconds, but he ends up trailing off.]

Come, standing in the middle of the stairway will do us no good, n'est-ce pas? We should find a place to sit down, my dear.

[Oh... right. She was focusing so intently on him, on anything other than the thoughts and memories cluttering her mind, that she... nearly forgot they were standing right in the middle of the stairway.]

R-Right... would you like to lead the way?

Of course.

[France lets his hand slide off of Jeanne's shoulder, then he offers it up for her to take if she so chooses.]

Where would you like to go? Upstairs, down? I could make us something to eat, if you'd like, or... [His expression softens a bit. His doting reflex is showing, oops.] ...or we could just find a nice place to sit. Somewhere peaceful, no?

[If somewhere like that even exists in the Tower.]

[For once, there's no hesitation as Ruler reaches out to take his hand. Her grip is tight; not quite tight enough to be uncomfortable, but still pretty firm.]

I'll go wherever you wish to; I do not mind. I simply... need something to distract me for a while, that's all.

A distraction, hmm? I think we can find something like that in here.

[He tries to say it as lightheartedly as possible, but there's a knowing sadness in his eyes that he can't hide. He gives her hand a gentle tug and starts up the stairs.]

I'm afraid I do not know this place very well yet, so you will have to be patient with me. We will find someplace safe- [His grip tightens a bit.] ...Someplace quiet, that is.

I feel like I should be the one asking you to be patient with me. For today, at least. [A small smile crosses her face.it doesn't quite reach her eyes, but it doesn't look faked or forced, either. That's something, right?]

But yes... I will be as patient as you need me to be, so do not worry.

[It was unlike any dream Zelda had ever had.

Was it even a dream? It felt so real-- she could feel the calloused fingers of men digging painfully into her flesh as they pull her forward, hear the cries and jeers of the crowd around her in languages she couldn't understand. She's never seen this square before - not in Hyrule nor the Tower - yet she feels she should know it, somehow...

And then there's fire. There's fire and she's bound to a stake and no matter how she tries to cry out, no one seems to hear her. Over the crackling sound of the flame licking up her legs and the din of the crowd, she can't even hear herself, and soon the smoke's going to make it impossible to scream--

A single voice - a single, familiar voice rises over the overwhelming noise. But it's a quiet sound, barely a whisper that comes from within.

"O, Lord, I entrust this body to you..."

Zelda awakes with a start, and it takes her a moment to realize she's not breathing in smoke and ash.

She's shaken for the rest of the day, though she explains away her anxiety as worries over what Ruana's month will bring. In truth, however, she spends the day searching for the owner of that quiet voice, following the threads of the strange, new magic that binds them. She finds her just outside the cathedral (a place she avoids for entirely different reasons), abruptly stopping in her tracks to avoid a disastrous collision.]

Ruler...?

[A single word, but weighted with so many questions. Are you all right? Can I help? Did you have that same dream too...?]

[Ah...]

Zelda... [She tries to keep her voice even, but there's still a slight waver to it. An ever so subtle shaking that had only been heard in her voice once before - when she woke up the day after her unexpected death in the administrator levels.] Something is troubling you. Are you alright?

[It's not really a matter of deflecting Zelda's unspoken questions. She's just... worried more about her friend-turned-Master than she's concerned for herself, at the moment.]

[The Princess can pick out that waver, so uncharacteristic to the stubborn, optimistic girl that's become one of her closest friends during her stay in the Tower, and it makes her reach out, gently touch Ruler's arm in a hopeful sign of support.]

I... Yes, I am fine, truly. I just... I had a terrible dream last night.

[Not a terribly uncommon occurrence, given the horrors they have to face on a daily basis, but... the realness of it has her on edge.]

I had an awful feeling that you might have been hurt, so... I wanted to check on you. Make certain you were all right.

[She doesn't know precisely where that feeling came from - her own precognition or the strange new bond that links them together - but figuring that could would come after making certain Ruler was hale and whole.]

[A terrible dream, an awful feeling.... considering what today is, that can't be a coincidence, can it? It was like Arturia said...

"When you become a Master you will sometimes dream of a Servant's memories as they will yours."

... Damn.]

... I apologize. Your dreams and feeling of unease are... likely my fault. One of the side-effects of our bond, I assume.

Side-effect...?

[The Princess-turned-Master repeats the phrase, confused and mystified by it. Ruler caused the dream? Then that prayer--]

... That praying voice was you, then?

... Yes, I believe it was. You recall what Arturia said when she first brought up the idea of our contract, yes? Among the things she discussed, she mentioned that Masters and Servants might share dreams... or memories.

[She lets out a sigh, and her shoulders slump. She looks... defeated. Very much unlike how she normally carries herself.]

Today, the Thirtieth of May... that was the day, in 1431, that I was taken to the center of the village of Rouen and burned at the stake. And I prayed, even as the flames consumed me.

That... does that sound similar to your dream?

[...

Zelda does not answer with a verbal response. What could she possibly say, after seeing Ruler burn, after hearing the unintelligible jeers and cheers from the crowd as she did so - from Ruler's own perspective, even?

No, Zelda says nothing. She simply reaches forward, wraps her arms around her friend, and holds her tight. Not with the desperate sob-filled cling of that fateful night, but rather with an embrace that is secure and warm.

She's never known Ruler to be afraid, or upset and in need of comfort, but she's here if she needs her.]

[It says a lot about Ruler's current state of mine that she doesn't even flinch at the sudden contact. Instead, she just... leans into the hug, wrapping her own arms around the princess in return.]

Thank you. And... I apologize. I... [She takes a shaky breath, a completely different memory coming to mind. One quite a bit more recent.] I did not wish for you to see such a thing as that again.

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