(no subject)

[athousandcurses]

Characters: Grainne, and you
Setting: Dorm 1, Floor 100, Floor 25, Cafeteria (and if there's a floor mentioned you want to encounter her on just toss up a new prompt!)
Format: Either or
Summary: Getting acquainted with the Tower!
Warnings: TBA


Dorm Floor 1, outside the elevator

Grainne couldn't shake off the unsettled feeling she had since waking up here. There was a constant undercurrent of fear that she wasn't used to, and it kept her on guard and ready for anything. It hadn't taken her long to find the outfit she'd worn wandering around Fuyuki in the trunk at the end of the bed she woke up in, along with... several other more nostalgic items. That didn't stop her from shifting to her robes almost immediately upon stepping out into the hallway. White dress covered by a green cloak, and a veil over her face that she pulled down to see better. Her identity isn't nearly as important now that she's... lost.

Looking up and down, she saw rows of doors, each with nameplates next to them, and the one by hers had her name on it. Frowning, she looked at the letter in her hands again, before slipping it into her pouch. This is some sort of dorm, but where, and how did she end up here? What sort of joke is this?

Maybe it's where defeated Servants go when they died...

Well, it may be and it may be not, but she took a deep breath and started walking, looking at the names along one side but not really reading them; they were unfamiliar to her, except for one. She hesitated when she caught sight of "Assassin" clearly labeled on one. Was that a coincidence, or could it actually be? Up ahead she saw what looked like an elevator, and the beginning of a staircase. She stopped there, trying to decide which way to take.

---

Floor 100: Holodeck

More floors, more dorms, but these ones all seemed to be empty. Grainne kept on, wondering if there was an end, but after the fifth floor of dorms that she counted, she came into... well, simply one of the most bizarre rooms she'd ever been in. Some sort of hanging garden in the middle of space. The unease she'd been feeling started to grow, and she walked on, looking for the next set of staircase which she found by literally walking into without realizing.

When she made it to the next floor and stepped into it, her heart stopped. It was home. Not Fuyuki, or the place she stayed at while fighting in the war, or even the house where she lived at the end of her life. The place she had raised her children and lived happily with her family before events worked to ruin everything they had. Intact and as if she had never left...

Moving farther into the scene, she placed a hand against a tree only to go right through it, and bitter disappointment met the realization it wasn't really real. It's just some illusion made up to look like a memory. Grainne turned then to leave, heading for the staircase.
 

---

Floor 1: Cafeteria

After that one floor, Grainne headed up again to where she saw the elevator, and this time got on. If she had more of that to expect from going down the staircase, she'd try the elevator and hope there were answers somewhere, but she paused when she saw only certain floors were marked. Every twenty floors... and she could expect walking into random orbital hanging gardens and illusion based scenery. What kind of building was this?!

Fighting down her rising irritation, fear and helplessness, she pushed the button for Floor One. After a ride that seemed entirely too long, even for a place with over a hundred floors, she stepped out into a Cafeteria. Now this, at least, made sense...

At least until she was handed a bowl of what looked like oat porridge left a little too long in the pot by a very odd person with a blank expression and a collar.

Actually, now that she thought about it, everyone had a collar...

Squeaking, her hand flew up to her own neck and felt the collar there, unnoticed until now. She made a face and rubbed her hands over her face, shaking her head.

---

Floor 25: Meadow

After gathering herself, she set out once again, this time going up since there seemed to be no other way but that. Everything she saw and heard and felt only made her more determined to keep on. Floors passed by; a library, then another, what looked like a clinic, a place filled with televisions and video game consoles, a workshop, a maze, a forest, and then finally a meadow...

The magus that created this place definitely had a weird sense of humor. Still, she stepped off on this one, curious if it really was just a meadow. She would have investigated the forest, except she saw animals in there that looked uncanny and she didn't particularly feel it necessary to find out if it was real. The meadow seemed real, though...

Sitting down in the grass, she plucked a few flowers and held them. she had to admit that having a meadow in the middle of such strangeness was calming, and probably the break she needed.

Comments

cafeteria

[fionnuisce]

Are you lost?

[By now, Waver knew what a new arrival looked like when he saw one. The confusion and distress were hard to miss. But more than that in this case, there was an insistent sense of familiarity along with it. Had he seen this woman before? And if so, where? She didn't look like anyone from the Association, and even less like someone from the Church. On top of that, he was almost certain he'd never come across her in the Tower.]

[Though he spoke with what might have passed for 'concern' by his standards, the look on the lecturer's face was one of deep thought and slight confusion. In other words: more of a frown than usual. It was unlikely this was a woman from the Clock Tower, but Waver's failure to recall how he recognized her was putting him on edge.]

[athousandcurses]

Waver?

[Grainne's at a loss how to understand it, since she had last seen him being menaced by Berserker as she lay dying. But he looks so much like the boy she had protected, the question is almost reflex and mostly shock.]

What happened to your hair? [And then...] Why are you so tall?

[fionnuisce]

Ex...cuse me?

[If her appearance hadn't already thrown him off, that would have just about done it. Was she like that other Servant--Karna, that had been so close to another Waver a thousand worlds away?]

I'm sorry, but...have we met?

meadow

[puppy_lancer]

Hello there, little lady.

[Lancer looms over the other Servant. She's more delicately beautiful than any other Servant he had encountered, even counting that fox-tailed Caster.]

Who's the flowers for?

[athousandcurses]

[It says a lot about how distracted she is that she hadn't even noticed the Servant sneaking up on her. The flowers fall from her hand in surprise when she looks up.]

Nobody.

[Oh, great. Just what she needs.]

I don't want to fight, if that's why you're here.

[puppy_lancer]

[He holds his hands up in mock surrender.]

Don't worry, I'm not here for a fight. None of the Servants here are, actually. Seeing as there's no Grail. We've got better enemies to go after, anyway.

[He can see that she's dressed in a white dress and green cloak, so it makes him think of the fairfolk. At least, he can't recognize the Morrigan.]

I'm just here to pay my greetings to a beautiful sidhe maiden.

cafeteria

[glassceiling]

...

[Assassin reflexively tenses up at the presence of another Servant.]

You.

[She steps over to Grainne and notices the other woman's bowl of oatmeal.]

You are new, correct?

[athousandcurses]

W-what? [Grainne's very tempted to just leave the oatmeal and go when she sees the Assassin, but the question catches her off guard.] Yes...

[glassceiling]

[She nods. Her guess has been confirmed.]

...What Grail War did you come from?

[Certainly not hers. Assassin has, by now, seen almost all of the Servants in her Grail War.]

Dorm Floor 1

[invisible_friendship]

[Jounouchi was on his way to somewhere else, coming from the second floor, where the population was less plentiful than the first. Not much changed with it. During his walk, he noticed the unfamiliar face with the unfamiliar attire. In a small place like the tower, it was easy to pick out someone new (or at least new to him.) Out of curiosity, and some friendly gesture, the blonde approached her.]

Looking for someone you know?

[He's gonna take a shot in guessing she's new.]

[athousandcurses]

No. I'm looking for answers.

[Grainne reaches for a lock of hair, pulling it to the front and playing with it idly. A nervous gesture for her.]

This isn't where I was supposed to be.

[invisible_friendship]

[This wasn't where any of them was suppose to be.]

Not much you can do since you're here now. Besides keeping the tower from dying.

cafeteria weirdo roundup

[bloodyashes]

[If Grainne is looking for food that's a bit more palatable, there's a redhead seated at one of the tables with a mix of bread and meat that is fresh and hot and delicious-smelling. Looks like he's got plenty of it, too - there's a metal basket on the table next to him with at least a loaf of bread sticking out of one side. Asch himself looks faintly bored as he eats, almost absently watching the comings-and-goings of the rest of the cafeteria.

The problem now is enticing him to share. Good luck.]

[athousandcurses]

[Grainne doesn't actually need to eat, but the smell does make her pause and consider the food, especially since it looks appealing.

At least her oatmeal is gone now, though she isn't entirely sure why she ate it other than being told all newcomers should.]

That smells good.

and then my inspiration walked off for a week I'M SORRY

[bloodyashes]

[Well, it's one part of the newbie lecture she won't have to get from the redhead, at least.

The look Asch is giving her makes it clear that he heard her, but isn't sure if he should offer or not. He finally opts to say something, at least.]

Is that a way of saying you want some?

[It's not a face he recognizes - must be new. Hopefully, she won't turn into another stop on his route, because he's got enough people to feed already.]

Floor 100: Late in the Evening (Because that's when all the best 'ghost' encounters happen...)

[oathshackledbird]

[It's been a long time since Diarmuid took the time to stop and visit the illusion of his homestead on Floor 100. There just hasn't been time and the slight flickering of what he sees there is still ongoing--like the place isn't sure if it should be showing this still or something else. It's unnerving, but Diarmuid knows things are probably about to get crazy enough that he will have no more time to visit, no more time to take in this representation of the place that means so very much to him.

That is why tonight finds him sitting back in his little 'thinking' spot back at the treeline. Diarmuid isn't thinking so much as he is just relaxing and relishing the feel of being...content for the first time in a long time. That is why it shouldn't be surprising that, after a short while, he starts singing. It's late and there is no one else around. Why not?]

You're evil

[athousandcurses]

[Grainne is heading back to the dorms, thinking on everything she has seen and heard so far today. Second magic explained so much, but not everything, and not the administrators or how they were able to bring people here.

One last tour of the first few upper floors, and Grainne passes by the floor that had shown her a memory-- or at least, she was going to until she heard singing coming from somewhere on that floor.

Her heartbeat quickens slightly, and she turns to step off the staircase, dressed in her robes in case she's attacked. Maybe she is imagining it and it will go once she figures out nothing is up here. Except... she's starting to sense the presence of another Servant, and she wonders maybe it might be someone she had already met.

That figure sitting by the treeline definitely wasn't there earlier... and it looks familiar, but not familiar in the sense she thought it would.

Shocked, she stares at him, hands buried in her dress and thankful her veil is down. She knows it's too late to back out, by now he must have seen her. There's only two ways to go from here.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she speaks softly.]

Diarmuid?

Says the one who apped his wife...

[oathshackledbird]

[In fact, he hasn't seen her. He shouldn't have his guard so far down at the moment, but between his lingering good mood from the party that had been thrown for him and Waver, and the fact that he really doesn't expect anyone to be there, it is. The populace of the Tower has shrunk so much and it's late. The only one who might seek him out is Waver, but Diarmuid would know through their bond if his partner was looking for him, and he isn't.

Her voice calling his name is finally what catches his attention. The song cuts off and Diarmuid looks up, a surprised, but also relaxed look on his face. That look very quickly is replaced by something else...fear. She appears as a ghost ...one of the bean sidhe...and that is the last thing he wishes to see considering the fight they currently fight.

Death is no one's friend. Not even here.

After a moment, though his senses tell him she is less Fae and more solid than that. Another servant. He rises to his feet, but doesn't approach her.]

Do we know each other, Lady Servant?

Near elevator

[clumsyjesus]

[And some voice comes up behind her.] Hello! Are you new here?

Re: Near elevator

[athousandcurses]

[Grainne turns suddenly to face the voice, hand on dagger, but pauses when she sees it's only a girl.]

Y-yes. What is this place?

Re: Near elevator

[clumsyjesus]

Ah.....[Colette nearly activates her wings at the sight of the dagger.]

I-it's okay, I'm not here to hurt you.

[Near Staircase/Elevator]

[sarcasmancer]

[As Grainne is pausing in front of the elevator and the stairs, steps begin to echo from the stairwell. Before long, Jade Curtiss appears on it and reaches the door floor. He looks at Grainne with mild curiosity, then gives her a polite nod. Hm; he doesn't recall seeing her before, but Jade hardly knows every single person in the Tower.]

Excuse me.

[athousandcurses]

[Grainne turns to face him, half-startled by being addressed.]

Ah... hello.

[Confusion and hesitance is strong with this one.]

Could you tell me where these stairs go?

Cafeteria

[frilliance]

[Oh hello, new guest if the oatmeal was not obvious enough. Edgeworth walks up to her, some pieces of paper in his hand.] Pardon me, Miss, but I assume you have just arrived?

[athousandcurses]

Ah, yes, I have.

[Grainne looks up at him from her seat. He seems like a well mannered one, but she can't resist teasing him a little for looking so serious.]

Are you the welcoming committee?