towerofanimus | 01 ➵ this is a sign of the times

Entry tags:

01 ➵ this is a sign of the times

Characters: Natalia and you.
Setting: Powerless forest (floor 32), sewing studio (floor 51), lagoon (floor 90)
Format: Action brackets, please.
Summary: Natalia is back from a brief stay on Auldrant and her determination has been renewed. She can now be found around the Tower, looking for ways to make herself useful and keep moving forward.
Warnings: Nothing in particular.

➵ Forest (Floor 32)
[She doesn't know what to expect from a month where Ruana is in charge, but she would much rather be prepared for it. So she is on this floor, specifically because her powers won't work here. She has her bow and a quiver full of arrows and that is all she needs for now; all she can be sure that she will have to depend on when things change.

She stalks the forest with an arrow notched, ready to let it fly. She is hunting, both for meat and for fur, while also keeping an eye out for plants that she can gather. Who knows if she can trust whatever Ruana will give them next, but she wants to get to know the things she can gather for herself here.

And this is a good chance for her to practice defending herself without the use of magic, too.]

➵ Sewing Studio (Floor 51)
[She knows how to embroider. But creating clothing from scratch is something else entirely. With winter coming, Natalia thinks that it will be helpful to know how to sew her own clothes, or at least to make warm things for others. She can hunt for furs and can use the fabrics here, but it's best to make sure she has the know-how before a large undertaking.

Anyone who happens to encounter her here may find her comparing fabrics, or drafting out patterns, or even tentatively stitching pieces of fabric together. Make enough noise to draw her attention, and she may call you over with a simple,] Hey, could you come here for a second?

➵ Lagoon - Safe Option (Floor 90)
[This floor seems peaceful and the water seems clear. She can be found on the banks, looking for any flora that may be edible - and also at the water's edge and by the waterfall, testing to see if the water is clean enough to drink. It may be a good source of water should things get bad next month.]

➵ Lagoon - Dangerous Option (Floor 90)
[It is much later in the day, long after the rest of Natalia's endeavors. Now she's a little tired, and this floor seems safe enough (as she hadn't gotten into any trouble while here earlier), so she settles herself at the edge of the lagoon, takes off her shoes, and dips her feet into the water.

She doesn't seem to realize the mermaids are dangerous, even as they come closer. Someone who approaches her from land may find that she'll be turning into a mermaid herself soon, and they run the risk of her trying to lure them in.]

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[Sometimes going up the stairs is faster than waiting for the elevator, especially when it's only to go one stop. It's starting to get late in the evening, and with his shoulder still the way it is, he doesn't fancy getting caught alone at night.

It's one of those little tricks of irony that he's wondering where Natalia's been when he sees her shoes out of the corner of his eye, resting abandoned on the beach sands.

And the Tower being the Tower, Natalia's shoes not being with Natalia can't be a good thing. Asch is off the stairs before he knows quite what he's doing, more reacting than acting, and he runs, splashing, into the water up to his ankles.]

Natalia? Where are you?

I'm right here.

[Natalia's head emerges from the deeper water in the lagoon and she smiles at Asch. She looks well enough, not at all bothered by the water. It's nice and warm and relaxing, or so her smile implies.]

I thought I would go for a swim. Would you like to join me, Asch? [She does not stumble over his name.] The water is nice.

[Hunting without Psynergy is hard. Doing anything without Psynergy is hard, but Sheba's had the glamour shut off entirely and just had her powers generally not work enough times to know that she really needs to start learning to do things without it, which is why she's here now.

Luckily, she's quiet. She's creeping through the forest, not too far behind a deer which hasn't seemed to notice her just yet. It's on the smaller side, but given that Sheba is armed with nothing more than her staff and her bare hands, she doesn't feel ready to take on anything bigger.

...well, at the very least, she's herding it to the point that Natalia may have a clear shot. Teamwork, right? Even if they don't really know they're working together just yet.]

[There is motion out of the corner of her eye and Natalia reacts quickly, releasing the arrow and letting it fly in the direction of the deer and the girl. If the pair of them are lucky, the arrow will hit the deer and they'll both have meat and fur to pick from.

If they're not lucky, the arrow might hit Sheba.

She hasn't noticed the girl through the forest thicket yet, just the deer. She doesn't know she needs to call a warning for the arrow.]

[Oh crap. If powers were working she could use the wind to turn the arrow off course, or maybe she would have even heard Natalia's thoughts and would have known to be on her guard. But since they're not, the only warning she gets is the twang of Natalia's bowstring and then the sight of the arrow itself, coming at her quickly -

She moves to try and duck to the side, hoping that she's fast enough to avoid getting pierced. But in this case it will likely be a matter of luck rather than skill that saves her, if she is to get out unscathed; Natalia has more experience shooting arrows than Sheba has at dodging them.]

You idiot.

[He looks relieved, but not entirely. Always be on your guard, on floors you don't know.

He takes another step or two in, but no more. Much farther than that and his boots aren't waterproof.]

What if something pulled you under?

[Unfortunately Sheba's luck isn't that great today. When she moves to dodge, she puts herself right in Natalia's arrow's path, and it pierces the fabric of her tunic and then her skin, lodging itself in her back, where her shoulder meets her neck.

Now Natalia sees her, and the princess gasps, her hand fluttering to her mouth.]

Oh, no..!

[The deer is gone in the blink of an eye, prancing to safety, but Natalia hurries to Sheba's side. She recognizes her as the girl who had perished to save her when she'd only just arrived. Asch's friend. If this kept up, he was going to be upset with her.]

Don't move. I'll get the arrow out... [Oh, but she can't heal here. That puts a damper on things.] I'm so sorry. I didn't even see you.

You shouldn't call people that, it's rude, [She says primly, coming closer. But she can't get too close or else he'll see that she lacks legs where she now has a scaled tail and so she stays in the deeper water and holds out her hands.]

I checked to make sure it was safe before I got in. Come join me... you look tense.

It's the truth. Just because it looks safe doesn't mean it is.

[It's hard to be angry at her for taking the chance to have some fun, but Asch tries his best to look disapproving anyway. The effect is a little spoiled when hiss hair blows into his mouth in the breeze and he has to spit it out.]

You should have at least - ugh - taken a second with you to pull you out if anything happens.

Asch, come on. [Natalia pouts. As lighthearted as she is trying to be, she is getting impatient.] Don't be such a stick in the mud.

If you're worried, you can be my second.

[She giggles lightly when his hair gets stuck in his mouth but looks at him impatiently anyway. How long does he intend to dawdle for? Natalia is getting restless.]

I quit the Oracle Knights; stick in the mud is now my only occupation.

[...Did he just crack a joke? Clearly Natalia's good mood is infectious.

And speaking of being a stick in the mud, he has to pause a minute to lift his feet in order to keep from sinking in the sand.]

How long have you been out there?

[She giggles again and this time her amusement staves off her restlessness.]

It sounds as though you could have a promising future as a comedian!

[When he asks his question she shrugs. She hasn't kept track of time, not really. She has submerged herself in the water and reveled in her newfound ability to breathe down there and been impatient to find someone to introduce to the beauty beneath the water's surface, but she has also lost track of time. But that isn't something he wants to hear so she makes something up.]

Twenty minutes, give or take.

[He considers that. Not very long, but it doesn't seem like anything bad has happened... ]

...Fine, but you'll have to heal my shoulder before I can really swim.

[Lifting his arm above his waist is still not a thingg. At least he's pretty good at treading water.]

Let me put my sword on shore so it doesn't rust.

[And take off his shoes and gloves - tights and a tunic aren't exactly ideal swimming gear, but it's what he's got. If Natalia can't handle seeing a bit of his butt, she should've called off the engagement.

Splish splash crash water is noisy to walk through.]

[She smiles at him as sweetly as she can but does not verbally commit to healing him. There are more important things on her mind now, like how to keep him in the water, how to keep him from fighting back.

She can't heal him, but in a way she will, because when his body goes motionless and the retrieval units come to fetch it, that will be the start of Jason preparing a new body for him. When he wakes the next day, he won't be wounded at all. So it's almost like she's making him good as new.

Her eyes light up when he walks into the water, and she swims marginally closer, reaching up to take the hand of his good arm in a firm grip. There is a glint in her eyes that might be mistaken for mischief...]

It's been a long time since we've had the chance to relax like this, hasn't it?

[...because a mere moment later she's yanking, hard, to pull him into deeper water. She is giggling, though, so perhaps he will think she's just playing around.]

- Shoulder!

[That's his only exclamation as she yanks him farther in, and the skin hasn't quite healed over so he winces again when the seawater soaks through his bandage. He can't really pull away, though, not with her grip on his bad arm.]

We're not in a rush, you know. It's not like the Tower is going anywhere.

[The thought doesn't sour his mood too much, at least. It's not long before he's kicked free of the bottom and his hair is bobbing around him in swirls; it doesn't look all that unlike the blood that earned him his title, really.]

[Having just wandered in to get some fabric to repair his own slightly mangled uniform he jumps at having been noticed. He saw Natalia hard at work and meant not to disturb her, the drawer on the fabric chest was stuck though and hard to pull out. Lavi yanked and it squeaked rather noisily.

A bolt of black fabric in hand he freezes, looking up over at her.]

Ah... If it's to be a mannequin I think our shapes are a bit off. [He's a rather tall and lanky fellow at six foot.]

[When his Personas are still a major part of how he fights, Minato always try his best to practice his swordsmanship without their help. No magic, healing or calling upon them for their stronger strikes.

Plus, it doubles for hunting and gathering as well. Two birds in one stone, so to say.

From behind a tree, Minato is eyeing his mark, silently judging it and scan the area. That's when he spy a girl with a bow and arrow on the other side. A fellow hunter? His eyes look at her, wondering if she notice him.]

[ The lagoon is a rather peaceful and quiet place. She ventured to it many times, but found nothing extremely dangerous about it. Tear has always been cautious regardless of how peaceful a place appears. Eand and every floor from her own observation are potentially dangerous.

She keeps her knives close to her whenever she wanders into areas like this, just in case her abilities become nullified. She catches a glimpse of a familiar figure from the distance and approaches them slowly, but at the same time trying o make sure that there isn't any sort danger awaiting her. She ran into many of her friends, and companions in the tower. One more isn't going to change anything, especially after her whole episode with Van.

Her feelings are still a bit unsettled because of her brother, but at least, she knows that she won't have to kill him yet. He has yet to do something that will merit death.

[Animus was a fair bit hotter than Mia was used to, so it was time for Mia to change out her robes into something lighter. Thankfully, the long winters in Imil had taught her to sow pretty well, so her outfit was coming along nicely. The other person with her in the studio seemed to be in a bit of trouble, though.]

Yes. Is there anything I can help you with?

[His exploration of floors has run the gamut of odd locations, though this one is certainly something else. There's something vaguely nostalgic about it all, the smell of the water, the rush of a waterfall. He stops and stands still, listening for a moment, wondering if something will come...

Of course it doesn't, but it's fun to hope sometimes.

He's not alone, he realizes after a moment, he's simply been too wrapped up in his own recollection. He begins to move forward, once he's in earshot he speaks up to alert her to his presence.]

Good day, miss. It's quite the location, isn't it? What they can contain in this place is astounding...

[Even if it is all just illusionary and fake.]

Ah, but... you never know how much time you'll have.

[Her smile is bittersweet but it is a smile nonetheless. She doesn't loosen her hold on his arm, but merely looks him over as she appears to tread water; really, her tail is swishing back and forth under the water, and there is no treading about it.

With his shoulder like this, it won't be hard at all to drown him. But there are a few things she wants to ask him, first.]

Asch... you've really changed a lot since coming here. [She sighs.] Why is that? The things that happen here... are they really so different from Auldrant?

I'm working on a cloak. [She holds up the fabric to show him.] I just want to see how it falls on someone's shoulders, and I can't make any markers on it when it's on myself.

Would that be alright or would the shapes still matter?

[Some days it's easy to tell when you're dealing with someone who really hasn't had to do mundane work such as this.]

[She sees a figure that is most definitely not an animal and looks up to catch Minato's eye. Then she nods slowly, lifting her bow and arrow so that he can see. She doesn't want to make too much noise lest they startle any of the animals they are trying to catch.

But the unspoken question is there:

Will you hunt with me?]

Tear?

[She turns when she hears the young woman approach, her feet still in the water and the mermaids drawing ever closer. She doesn't pay them much mind because they don't seem to be outwardly dangerous.]

It's good to see you. I didn't know you were also here.

Ah, well... [Natalia looks a little embarrassed as she glances down at the jumble of fabrics and thread on her lap.] I'm trying to put together a cloak, but I fear it isn't going too well.

[She eyes Mia's work.] You seem to be having far better luck than I... how do you do it?

Yes, it is.

[Natalia looks up from her place at the water's edge, some of the water from the lagoon cupped in her hands. She looks as though she was about to take a drink, but she parts her hands and lets the water fall back in as she stands up.]

From everything I have seen since I arrived, I would never have imagined that they had somewhere as tranquil as this within these walls. [She looks out at their surroundings before chuckling.] Though, it doesn't seem as though there are walls at all.

Might matter a bit, I'm broader in the shoulders than you are, miss.

[He grins just a little.] Don't mind doing the markers for you, though. I've had to put clothes together more than a few times.

[Lavi's fine with it, a traveling historian can't go far if he can't patch his own clothes when funds are low. Or make his own.]

[Mia smiles, looking over Natalia's work. It was a bit of a mess, but nothing that would be terrible to fix.]

It's a simple process. Do you have a basic design in mind?

The construction of this place is rather strange... though I suppose as it isn't real they can get away with things like this rather easily.

[He comes over to the waterfall, sticking out a hand to catch some of the running water. It feels cold and wet, just like he would expect.]

I wonder if there's a catch. It's hard to believe that there would be a place completely benign, given what everyone I've spoken with has said.

[He treads water easily, and is about to question that comment when she continues speaking. His face goes dour, a more sober mood settling over him already. The salt stings in his wound.]

On Auldrant, there wasn't anything I feared. Here, there's too damn many.

[He doesn't fear dying, only the feeling of being trapped and alone in his own body that follows.]

It wasn't even a matter of changing in order to survive. I don't think there is a way to exist in this place and not change.

[That's something small that he's embraced, following ironically in his replica's footsteps. He can change, he will change, if only so that he can meet head-on the gaze of those who are relying on him.]

Natalia?

[ She's aware that Natalia is here, but she hasn't met her personally. She's relieved to know that Natalia is at least safe and sound. She's not sure what's going on, but it seems rather eerie for a moment int his place. She approaches the girl giving her a brief gentle look. ]

I've been here for a short amount of time. As I've been told, I was here before.

[ but she has no recollection of it. ]

Are you well, Natalia?

[He saw her gesture and understood the silent question. Minato slowly nods his answer and tighten his grip on his sword's hilt.

Yes, I will.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

01 ➵ this is a sign of the times

[Floor 90 DANGER] [Let's kill some redheads]

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Forest

Pick a number between 1 and 10!

Umm... three?

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Ouch. Bad luck. :(

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Floor 51

Forest - Floor 32

Floor 90 - Dangerous Option | just because >>

Floor 51! \o

floor 90 (safe)

I am so sorry for the delay. I ended up having to go out of town and had no internet.

I am so sorry for the delay. I ended up having to go out of town and had no internet.

I am so sorry for the delay. I ended up having to go out of town and had no internet.

I am so sorry for the delay. I ended up having to go out of town and had no internet.

I am so sorry for the delay. I ended up having to go out of town and had no internet.

I am so sorry for the delay. I ended up having to go out of town and had no internet.

's alright!

No problem! \o

no worries! thank you for coming back to tag!

It's fine! :3

It's quite alright no worries! :D

It's alright!