Counter Guardian Arturia @ Tower of Animus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
no_longer_a_king) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
towerofanimus2013-07-04 01:16 pm
no_longer_a_king) wrote in towerofanimus2013-07-04 01:16 pm
ITP: Flowers
Characters: Arturia; Open
Setting: Floors 25, 48, and the dorms
Format: Prose
Summary: Arturia returns to the tower, checks in with people, and gets Lancelot to give her swimming lessons.
Warnings: None, at the moment.
[A; Floor Twenty-Five; Meadow]
Arturia was quiet as she pulled at the flowers scattered here and there. To see so much beauty after seeing such destruction and decay firsthand was breathtaking, even if she knew the beauty before her was nothing more than an illusion. To see people and animals and not merely bodies and ruins was amazing.
When in her world--or what she believed to be her world--she had no idea how she even had a body, having only been a spirit before. But seeing as the world itself was dead, it made sense her soul manifest in the physical realm somehow with nowhere else for it to go. Or perhaps when she had been drawn into the Tower of Animus, the World had just summoned her into its service yet again. Whatever had happened, she had no idea how she was able to manifest, she simply had.
It only strengthened her resolve to find a way to stop this and perhaps restore the worlds. Arturia did not have much left, but she had made a vow to protect the world and she would not fail in that as well. She utterly refused. She had lost everything, failed in everything, she would not fail in this, too. Arturia would sooner lose her soul than allow things to remain as they are on these worlds.
That's why when she first awoke in the Tower again, after having her customary oatmeal, she went straight to the meadow. There was something she felt she needed to do. It was pointless, yes, but it felt very important in that moment to do this.
[B; Floor Forty-Eight; Graveyard]
"This" being to lay flowers before all the graves in the graveyard: each one representing a person sent away from the Tower, each one a person trapped in their dead world as she had briefly been. Each flower she laid was a silent promise to them she would find a way to restore the worlds, to save them from the horror and loneliness they had gone home to.
Many more graves were packed together now and part of her wondered if this was intentional. Had Ruana kept true to her promise to send people away while the Tower's power ran out. At five particular graves, she left a full bouquet of flowers rather than just one.
Gawain.
Ilya.
Shirou.
Sakura.
Irisviel.
At these graves she tended to linger longer. These were people who had been dear to her before coming to the Tower in their own way. People she had wanted to protect. People who had each helped shaped her or were dear to those who she cared for in some small way.
People who were now alone in wastelands. People she was bound and determined to save from that fate.
[C; Dorms]
Once she had done her little ritual, she decided to check the nameplates on the dorms for those she knew and how many were left. Given it was now July it was safe to assume the Tower's maintenance had been handed to another Administrator and the sick game of monsters Ruana had played was over with.
And so she looked door to door, in a few instances knocking to see if anyone was inside to ask about what she had missed in the last couple weeks, Then she moved on to the next door to check.
[Closed tochavelier_mal_fet]
If there was one thing the glamour going down and leaving her powerless had shown Arturia, it was the need for more skills that didn't rely on powers. She already planned on beginning to train in the weapons she knew how to use beside a sword. Perhaps she would find someone to teach her proper hand to hand in case she found herself not only powerless, but weaponless in the future. However, there was one vital skill she knew she would need. One very basic skill she had not had a need to learn before.
And only one person she trusted not to laugh at her for asking for help with it.
This is why she was before Lancelot's door, knocking on it. If there was anyone she trusted to properly teach her how to swim, it was he.
Setting: Floors 25, 48, and the dorms
Format: Prose
Summary: Arturia returns to the tower, checks in with people, and gets Lancelot to give her swimming lessons.
Warnings: None, at the moment.
[A; Floor Twenty-Five; Meadow]
Arturia was quiet as she pulled at the flowers scattered here and there. To see so much beauty after seeing such destruction and decay firsthand was breathtaking, even if she knew the beauty before her was nothing more than an illusion. To see people and animals and not merely bodies and ruins was amazing.
When in her world--or what she believed to be her world--she had no idea how she even had a body, having only been a spirit before. But seeing as the world itself was dead, it made sense her soul manifest in the physical realm somehow with nowhere else for it to go. Or perhaps when she had been drawn into the Tower of Animus, the World had just summoned her into its service yet again. Whatever had happened, she had no idea how she was able to manifest, she simply had.
It only strengthened her resolve to find a way to stop this and perhaps restore the worlds. Arturia did not have much left, but she had made a vow to protect the world and she would not fail in that as well. She utterly refused. She had lost everything, failed in everything, she would not fail in this, too. Arturia would sooner lose her soul than allow things to remain as they are on these worlds.
That's why when she first awoke in the Tower again, after having her customary oatmeal, she went straight to the meadow. There was something she felt she needed to do. It was pointless, yes, but it felt very important in that moment to do this.
[B; Floor Forty-Eight; Graveyard]
"This" being to lay flowers before all the graves in the graveyard: each one representing a person sent away from the Tower, each one a person trapped in their dead world as she had briefly been. Each flower she laid was a silent promise to them she would find a way to restore the worlds, to save them from the horror and loneliness they had gone home to.
Many more graves were packed together now and part of her wondered if this was intentional. Had Ruana kept true to her promise to send people away while the Tower's power ran out. At five particular graves, she left a full bouquet of flowers rather than just one.
Gawain.
Ilya.
Shirou.
Sakura.
Irisviel.
At these graves she tended to linger longer. These were people who had been dear to her before coming to the Tower in their own way. People she had wanted to protect. People who had each helped shaped her or were dear to those who she cared for in some small way.
People who were now alone in wastelands. People she was bound and determined to save from that fate.
[C; Dorms]
Once she had done her little ritual, she decided to check the nameplates on the dorms for those she knew and how many were left. Given it was now July it was safe to assume the Tower's maintenance had been handed to another Administrator and the sick game of monsters Ruana had played was over with.
And so she looked door to door, in a few instances knocking to see if anyone was inside to ask about what she had missed in the last couple weeks, Then she moved on to the next door to check.
[Closed to
chavelier_mal_fet]If there was one thing the glamour going down and leaving her powerless had shown Arturia, it was the need for more skills that didn't rely on powers. She already planned on beginning to train in the weapons she knew how to use beside a sword. Perhaps she would find someone to teach her proper hand to hand in case she found herself not only powerless, but weaponless in the future. However, there was one vital skill she knew she would need. One very basic skill she had not had a need to learn before.
And only one person she trusted not to laugh at her for asking for help with it.
This is why she was before Lancelot's door, knocking on it. If there was anyone she trusted to properly teach her how to swim, it was he.
no subject
[Perhaps a quarter of an hour has passed since they began this part of their exercise, and Arthur has improved steadily to the point of competency.
He wonders a moment at the strangeness of this event, this time, in this place. There is no knowing what any of it may mean, or what might befall he and his King (in whatever form) when they depart the Tower.
If nothing else, here he has ben forced to appreciate what is given in the moment.
He slackens his stance, allowing Arthur time to adjust before he releases her.]
Try once more, if you will.
no subject
It's not perfect. It will be a long time before she has the practice for it, but her form is good and she has enough speed now she can stay afloat.
She does a few small laps around Lancelot before treading water before him, a grin on her face.]
It helps I went to the best to teach me.
[The one person she was sure wouldn't laugh at her for not knowing how to do this.]
no subject
[Easy, to return Arthur's smile, at least in a slightly subtler form. He feels a familiar, tolerant approval, a simple satisfaction belonging to another life, in another time.]
You do seem to have it. It was well done.
Were we to return here in a week's time, I am sure I would find you well up to speed.
[The smile on his lips flickers once more. Arthur's good mood is a shared one.]
I would race you now, if you would like a head start.
no subject
[But even so, the old competitive spirit is in her and she begins to swim for the other shore anyway.]
no subject
[He does grin a bit, setting out after Arthur and cutting her lead in a very few strokes. She does very well indeed for only just having put in a good foundation on Swimming-- more than anyone else could likely manage.
As it is, he reaches the shore in time to watch her finish and come out of the water.
They are both pleasantly winded and the sand is warm. It is a beautiful day, if a false one.]
Well done.
Are you satisfied with your progress, then?
no subject
The sand is warm and the day is (falsely) pleasant and Arturia has no problem just letting herself sit on the warm sand to catch her breath, a smile on her face.] Very satisfied. I shall have to practice so that one day I can beat even you, Knight of the Lake.
[She doubts she ever will, but it's a good introduction to swimming.]
no subject
[Somehow, even having thrown himself on the sand, Lancelot manages to give the impression of a bow. He opens one eye to look on Arthur fondly. This Arthur is false too, in her way-- she is no Arthur he has ever known. But she comes closest to that Arthur he knew once upon a time, and she is still, however different, his King.]
Aye. I look forward to that day with pleasure. Arthur.
no subject
[Arturia knows he isn't exactly the Lancelot she knew, he's close enough to be comforting to her. Such is a fact of life in the Tower. Her people are gone even if the world is restored; a door she had slammed by her own hand long ago. Any familiar faces are not those whom she knew and whom she would never see again.
Even if she goes back to endless fighting, at least she has memories like this to look back on. Even if this Tower is awful, at least she has this bright space to light the horror of her duties.
Still, she turns to him as he manages a bow in the sand and laughs. Arturia cannot remember if he's ever seen her laugh before, but she lets out a few soft chuckles.]
Then I swear upon my honor--[What little honor she can claim for herself.]--that I will beat you one day.