Sheba | Child of the Gods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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towerofanimus2013-07-17 11:12 pm
seekinganswers) wrote in towerofanimus2013-07-17 11:12 pm
Entry tags:
010 ♃ it's all a game of this or that, now versus then
Characters: Sheba and... wait for it... YOU! And also closed threads for Asch, Saturos, and Xion.
Setting: The music room and the restaurant for open prompts, and the library, the dorms, and floor 52 for closed prompts!
Format: Brackets because I am too tired to prose at the moment that I'm writing this. But I can switch if you want!
Summary: First, Sheba deals with some fallout regarding a castmate's arrival. Next, she gets distracted by music. Then, she gets hungry and goes on a quest for restaurant food.
Warnings: She's toned down her mind reading by a lot, but may try and peek at your character's thoughts if they say something that makes her curious. It's up to you if she succeeds in finding anything, though! Also, the last prompt may involve character injury or death. c:
[Library - backdated to just after this thread, closed to Asch.]
[This just feels really awkward.
She hasn't met Asch's eyes since he'd essentially chased Saturos away. For as much as she's found out about his past by reading his mind and sifting through his memories (and even that isn't much), she hasn't come anywhere near as close to sharing as much about her own past. Talking about Saturos had been the furthest thing from her mind, anyway - a small part of her had known that even people who had died on their worlds could appear here, but she'd never in a million years thought that she'd see the Proxian again.
She glances at Asch out of the corner of her eye and sighs as they make their way to a more secluded section of the library. She still has no idea what to say, aside from -]
Um... thank you, for before.
[Dorm floor 2 hallway near room 02-05 and 02-06 - backdated to in the evening after the above thread with Asch, closed to Saturos.]
[It's been a long day. Sheba would like nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep (though she knows it's not really a bed), and in fact she has every intention of doing just that as soon as she gets to her room.
But she has to pause as she approaches, because there's a familiar figure - too familiar, and not in the good way - standing at a door right near hers.
She sighs heavily when she realizes what it must be. Great. First they take away Felix and replace him with Saturos, and now his room is this close? She figures she must have really pissed someone off.
Her earlier reprieve had just been temporary, it seemed.]
...Saturos. Hello again.
[Floor 28 music room - not backdated, open.]
[There are more important things she could be doing with her time, and she's aware of that, but sometimes a girl just needs to relax. This is one of them.
It doesn't particularly bother her that the instruments are playing all on their own. She's sitting off a few feet from the staircase, near a harp, munching on some food brought up from the cafeteria for her lunch and watching the strings pluck themselves to try and get an idea of what strings make what sound. She'd never really learned to play an instrument on Weyard, but it was easy to see - or rather, hear - the appeal.]
I guess it's never a bad time to learn something new...
[The words are spoken mostly to herself, but are said out loud - loud enough for someone on the stairs to hear, certainly.]
[Floor 21 restaurant to start - not backdated, open to the first person to reply to it.
NOTE: There's a risk of death/injury in this prompt.]
[It's dinnertime and Sheba's mouth is watering. She knows - knows - that it's not safe to eat at the restaurant, but she can't help it. She's got her eye on some of the dishes they're not serving in the cafeteria, and she just can't get it out of her mind.
If someone else decides to eat with her, she decides, she'll find out what it is they want and they can go hunt down the cost of their meal together. Whether it's a friend or someone she's never really spoken to, she flags down the next person to pass onto the floor with a smile.]
Hey! Were you thinking about eating at the restaurant?
[Floor 52 - July 20, closed to Xion]
[Sheba would be kicking herself if the situation weren't dire. She and Xion are covered in blood, looking rather worse for the wear, and are now in the center of a floor that seems to be made of playing cards. They can't just run for the staircase - being dumped onto the floor by a Floormaster counted for putting up the blockade the same way that stepping onto the floor did.
(Note to self: Next time she and Xion hang out, they leave to catch the elevator before it gets dark, so a Floormaster can't grab them as they're waiting for it to arrive.)
She winces and gets to her feet, looking down at the pattern warily.]
How are we going to get out of this one...?
Setting: The music room and the restaurant for open prompts, and the library, the dorms, and floor 52 for closed prompts!
Format: Brackets because I am too tired to prose at the moment that I'm writing this. But I can switch if you want!
Summary: First, Sheba deals with some fallout regarding a castmate's arrival. Next, she gets distracted by music. Then, she gets hungry and goes on a quest for restaurant food.
Warnings: She's toned down her mind reading by a lot, but may try and peek at your character's thoughts if they say something that makes her curious. It's up to you if she succeeds in finding anything, though! Also, the last prompt may involve character injury or death. c:
[Library - backdated to just after this thread, closed to Asch.]
[This just feels really awkward.
She hasn't met Asch's eyes since he'd essentially chased Saturos away. For as much as she's found out about his past by reading his mind and sifting through his memories (and even that isn't much), she hasn't come anywhere near as close to sharing as much about her own past. Talking about Saturos had been the furthest thing from her mind, anyway - a small part of her had known that even people who had died on their worlds could appear here, but she'd never in a million years thought that she'd see the Proxian again.
She glances at Asch out of the corner of her eye and sighs as they make their way to a more secluded section of the library. She still has no idea what to say, aside from -]
Um... thank you, for before.
[Dorm floor 2 hallway near room 02-05 and 02-06 - backdated to in the evening after the above thread with Asch, closed to Saturos.]
[It's been a long day. Sheba would like nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep (though she knows it's not really a bed), and in fact she has every intention of doing just that as soon as she gets to her room.
But she has to pause as she approaches, because there's a familiar figure - too familiar, and not in the good way - standing at a door right near hers.
She sighs heavily when she realizes what it must be. Great. First they take away Felix and replace him with Saturos, and now his room is this close? She figures she must have really pissed someone off.
Her earlier reprieve had just been temporary, it seemed.]
...Saturos. Hello again.
[Floor 28 music room - not backdated, open.]
[There are more important things she could be doing with her time, and she's aware of that, but sometimes a girl just needs to relax. This is one of them.
It doesn't particularly bother her that the instruments are playing all on their own. She's sitting off a few feet from the staircase, near a harp, munching on some food brought up from the cafeteria for her lunch and watching the strings pluck themselves to try and get an idea of what strings make what sound. She'd never really learned to play an instrument on Weyard, but it was easy to see - or rather, hear - the appeal.]
I guess it's never a bad time to learn something new...
[The words are spoken mostly to herself, but are said out loud - loud enough for someone on the stairs to hear, certainly.]
[Floor 21 restaurant to start - not backdated, open to the first person to reply to it.
NOTE: There's a risk of death/injury in this prompt.]
[It's dinnertime and Sheba's mouth is watering. She knows - knows - that it's not safe to eat at the restaurant, but she can't help it. She's got her eye on some of the dishes they're not serving in the cafeteria, and she just can't get it out of her mind.
If someone else decides to eat with her, she decides, she'll find out what it is they want and they can go hunt down the cost of their meal together. Whether it's a friend or someone she's never really spoken to, she flags down the next person to pass onto the floor with a smile.]
Hey! Were you thinking about eating at the restaurant?
[Floor 52 - July 20, closed to Xion]
[Sheba would be kicking herself if the situation weren't dire. She and Xion are covered in blood, looking rather worse for the wear, and are now in the center of a floor that seems to be made of playing cards. They can't just run for the staircase - being dumped onto the floor by a Floormaster counted for putting up the blockade the same way that stepping onto the floor did.
(Note to self: Next time she and Xion hang out, they leave to catch the elevator before it gets dark, so a Floormaster can't grab them as they're waiting for it to arrive.)
She winces and gets to her feet, looking down at the pattern warily.]
How are we going to get out of this one...?
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With Saturos, the choice is always Do as I say or perish. [She makes a mock-angry face in a rather terrible imitation of the Proxian, then tries to smile. It doesn't look quite right.
After a moment where she stares at the open space on the beanbag, she takes a seat next to him.]
He tried to burn Lalivero when the people there tried to take me back from him. He - he very nearly killed a group of scholars at the base of Venus Lighthouse, when he couldn't get in... [She swallows hard.] I think he would have done it, if I hadn't told him about the other entrance. And then he was... angry, that I hadn't told him what I knew sooner.
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The hand that's on the side away from her tightens in the beanbag.]
About time he got a taste of his own medicine, then.
[If it were possible, he has even fewer regrets now, about what he did a little while ago.]
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[She still isn't looking at him, so she doesn't notice that his hand has tightened in the beanbag. She can hear a slight tinge of anger in his voice, though.]
Another group of Adepts was following him... they killed him and his partner, Menardi. And they fell from the Lighthouse. He should have been at the bottom of the sea, rotting... I never thought I'd see him again. [She closes her eyes and shudders.] Not here. Not like this.
...I don't think he... knows about that, though. The reason he didn't leave me to die in the desert was because he needed me to open Jupiter Lighthouse for him. The way he said unfinished business... that was the only business we ever had with each other.
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[Hence, you know, why the Tower only ever seem to have Lukes with hair that made maidens weep for its beauty. Or something.
Asch folds his arms and sighs.]
People like that don't last long when they aren't top of the heap anymore.
[He doesn't think Sheba will take "Don't worry, the Tower will break him fast" very well, but that's what he means.]
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[She lets her voice trail off and turns away from him with a slight huff, bringing her arms up to fold over her chest. She feels like a child, getting so petulant over this, but - it's a touchy subject for her. Though at least it wasn't Menardi who was here. Saturos might have been the more powerful of the two, but Menardi was so unpredictable that even Sheba's foresight couldn't keep up with her.
At least Saturos probably wouldn't kill her as long as he still thought she was useful.]
...sorry. I know you're just trying to help.
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[There's a faint smile there - if nothing else, he appreciates irony.]
It goes both ways. And that's something that bastard will never understand.
[Asch, of all people, knows that being angry, that treating people as tools and throwing them away when you're done, will mean that no one wants anything to do with you. It's how he survived for seven years, after all.
Saturos might be more powerful, but ultimately, in the Tower, it's apparent to anyone who pays attention that it's their connections that matter. The things that are still true.]
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I should have known you'd turn that around on me sooner or later.
[She finally looks up at him with a wry smile.]
Thank you for being here. For awhile there... [When Felix had gone, when Asch had vanished for a time.] ...I thought maybe I was alone again. When I thought you were gone, it... scared me. A little more than I'm really comfortable admitting.
[But she's going to admit it anyway. It's only fair - she's cheated and heard things that he probably didn't want to tell her. Considering how she can look into his mind, she figures she should be as honest with him as possible.]
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You can't say you don't deserve it.
[And then, awkwardly, he scoots a little closer, just not quite close enough to touch. This is how do comfort right.]
As long as it's within my power, you won't be be alone. You or anyone else.
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Not fair, Asch! Now you're just picking on me, turning one of my only defenses against me. [Her tone of voice is light and airy. It's obvious she's just teasing. Besides, she had a lot more defenses up her sleeves than friendship speeches.
She chuckles again and glances at him as he scoots closer, and she mimics the motion - being nearby is comforting. It's nice to know someone's there. To not only hear him say it, but to see that he's not going anywhere.]
Thank you... thank you so much. It means a lot to hear that. [A beat, and then she manages an impish smile.] You really are a great guy.
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And if they want to talk about defenses, well, she pretty much trashed his in one fell mind-reading swoop. At her last comment, he makes a disgruntled noise.]
You keep saying that. I'm really not that wonderful.
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[She reaches over to brush her fingers against his shoulders for a moment before pulling her hand back.] You've been one of the most constant things in my life since... well, ever. I've known you almost as long as I knew Felix and the others before coming here. And you've never let me down, not even once.
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That, he can accept. And truth be told, this is the most constant anyone in his life has been in a long time, too. He sighs heavily, not really sure how to put that into words, but not recoiling from the little touch.]
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The thing you did back there... with the glowing. [Another pause, and then -] What... was that? [She thinks it might be hyperresonance - she's heard the term before, and he probably knows exactly where she's heard it, but she'd never sifted through his memories enough to see it in action and hadn't pursued the subject enough to ask him about it. She knows hyperresonance is a thing Asch can do, but she doesn't know the specifics of it.]
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[Because honestly, hyperresonance is godmode, even he doesn't know everything it can do.]
It's the act of vibrating Seventh Fonons together until they tear apart anything else in the way, down to the atoms.
[Hence, you know, why there wasn't anything left.]
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She wouldn't have been surprised if he'd tried to use it on the administrators, or on Van - from what she's seen of the man in Asch's memories, he would almost deserve it. But to use the power of hyperresonance against someone he'd never met until minutes before...]
The Seventh Fonon is incredible. [She refrains from voicing what she's thinking, deep down - Saturos isn't worth it. As nice as it would be to never have to see him again, she can't help but think that a power like Asch's should be used on a more deserving target.] It's able to both heal and destroy... it's amazing.
[She thinks he's amazing for being able to control it, too, but for once she stops herself from teasing him about that.]
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[Blowing yourself up is bad. Blowing up a building full of healer trainees is worse.]
My fonon frequency is that of the Seventh Fonon itself, so I resonate with it extremely easily.
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[Both reasons were obvious, really - it could be used to scare people away, like he had with Saturos, but if it was so easy to resonate with the Seventh Fonon, there were clearly times when it could get out of control. The fact that he hadn't been allowed to learn certain artes because of it was confirmation of that.]
You were going to learn some of them recently, weren't you? ...have you been practicing with it since you came here? [She thinks he must have - Asch is smart. He wouldn't do something that he knew might put himself and others in danger unless it was really worth it.]
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[Because Lorelei, Lorelei please. Enough with the headaches.]
I have much better control over it now than I did when I entered the Order, but even if I didn't... The consequences aren't as great here.
[The dead don't remain dead, after all. Saturos probably wouldn't have been nearly so intimidated by hyperresonance if he knew that.]
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Maybe they're not so great under the glamour, but... [She furrows her brow and goes quiet for a few seconds. Her mind is racing. The message Dax had left for them - the one so many people had spent time copying down and spreading around - what had it said...? She reaches into the folds of her clothes to withdraw the piece of paper she'd been carrying with her - one of the copied-down messages. Her eyes scan the note and then rest on the passage she'd been looking for.
Not everything is as fake as it seems. Your souls are here and you have all been drugged to keep certain aspects of yourselves contained but every part of you is here. You can use that against them if you can figure out how to unchain yourselves.
Hyperresonance was a part of Asch, wasn't it...?]
It might be possible...
[She's going to have to say more than that. Not everyone is a mind reader. Asch probably knows her well enough to see where her thoughts are tending if he looks over at what she's reading, though.]
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That makes it more complicated than simple, really. It's arguable that sentient beings with the same fonon frequency have the same soul - or at least that's what Lorelei seems to believe. It referred to Luke and I both as fragments of itself.
[His expression turns a bit sour.]
If that's the case...
[Then ultimately, he's not so much different from his replica. Him a fragment, and Luke a fragment of a fragment. It's not a particularly comforting thought, if Lorelei is as dead as the rest of Auldrant.]
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[Asch and Luke were, to her, very clearly separate - they looked alike, but in the grand scheme of things that meant very little. Asch did things that Luke would never do and Luke did things that Asch would never do. They had very different thought processes, different motivations, different feelings...]
It means that Lorelei chose you to do something great. [She reaches over again and this time allows her hand to rest on his shoulder.] It saw your potential and knew that you had what it took to make a difference in Auldrant, to do the things that needed to be done.
But it doesn't make you any less you. You are who you are. And you're separate from Lorelei, separate from Luke. It's your soul in there - [Her gaze wanders to Asch's collar.] And it's a full soul, not a fragment. We could see it when the glamour system failed.
You're you, Asch.
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[He's been this way since birth, a birth that only happened because of a prophecy read centuries before he was even a concept.]
I've just made what I can of it.
[He shakes his head slightly, which sends a few strands of his hair right back into his face.]
I suppose I'm not going to get the chance to ask about it, anyway.
[Even if Lorelei would answer. It usually didn't.]
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[She hesitates for just a moment, and then reaches up to brush those strands of hair away from Asch's face. There's a small hint of a smile as she pulls her hand back.
The smile becomes something more melancholy after a moment.]
...I guess everyone has questions they'll never get answered. All we can really do is keep looking. And the journey is usually more important than the answer, in the end...
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[There's enough broken or nearly broken people in the Tower to make evidence of that, people who aren't living but just sort of existing, the way he did for years under Van. More than ever, Asch thinks that it's only the people who try to grab fate and shake it around that are truly worth bothering with, even if it's small steps.]
But if you stop looking for those answers, then you're never going to get anywhere, either.
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[She's spent so long searching for her own answers that the thought of not looking just seems foreign to her. It's hard for her to understand how people can get by if they're not questioning something, even if it's just as simple as why some things happen and some things don't, or what it is that makes someone behave the way that they do.
She doesn't think she'll ever find the answers to where it is she came from here - she might never know, if Weyard is truly gone and there's no hope of restoring it. But that doesn't mean she'll stop wondering.]
I think maybe people would be disappointed if they got the answers, though. They spend so long looking for them, and... what if it's not everything they hoped it would be? ...maybe that's why some people aren't actually looking, even when they say they are.
[After a moment, she chuckles.]
Our conversations always turn out like this, don't they? It's sort of funny...
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