Ryo Saeba - Fifth Floor
The silver-haired woman (who was also gorgeous, but it seemed that was part of the course for any female climber) wearing a shiny dress brought up a good point. It seemed likely that they were descendant of previous climbers, but something was odd about this theory. "But then why do they all look the same? Look at us: I'm asian, you looks like you're european, Kashira's an elf and Nate's a giant humanoid cat. Isn't it kinda odd that they all look like white humans?" With a cheerful smile, he then stood his hand toward her to offer a handshake. "Sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Ryo. What's your name, beautiful?"
Okay, he didn't expect the "natives" suddenly admiring the climber like they were some sorts of legendary heroes. Usually, he didn't mind some attention, but this was a bit much. Fortunately, the arrival of the curiously non-human leader and his aide calmed the townspeople down.
Ryo gave a sceptical glance to the elder. He muttered a complaint to himself under his breath. "So our guide is going to be that old fart? He looks like he's going to bite it any second." He would rather have one of the women guiding him any day.
Claw, -guts alert high-, New Floor
"Fantastic, I've become a man of cloth in this old age." The pirate grumbled in response to Ilya's observation. Granted, the Church of her world apparently made sure that this Holy Grail War of theirs never went too far. "Which reminds me: you didn't say anything about the Fourth War." For now, however, the matter likely had to be put away for the time being. Briefly taking notice of Elsa's hushed whisper, he took in the sight before him.
"Ascending Ones", they called them. A title like that was either one to whisper in fear or reverence. Both, maybe. Claw frowned. If his current theory was correct, then the last batch of Climbers must have left quite an impression on these people, and presumably on their world as well. And then they started crowding them. "That's close enough. Hey, don't touch that, that's dangerous..." He chided one of the locals when his hand got a little close to the pistols. The humongous man of steel - the one who together with the old hermit almost ruined their plan at the Scarlet Mansion earlier - was the one being given breathing space, but something about that didn't surprise the pirate one bit.
"Gods above, stop with the worship, you lot." The stories he's heard of sea cats and sea dogs enthralling entire tribes of savages as "great animals of civilization" always left a bad taste in his mouth. Alas, the crowding came to an end when a powerful horn blew and dispersed the locals - while giving them a bit of a rattle. Claw growled under his breath and shook his head to get the dizziness out. The big man with the... tape recorder? seemed to be someone of importance, but not the leader.
The leader was easy enough to identify, and the pirate already found himself growling under his breath. Not because he found the strange eyeless creature threatening or repulsive, but because he knew someone below would. He gave Ryo a small elbow bump and a brief dirty look before returning his attention to the leader, tipping his hat slightly. "Let's get something out of the way. Who are you people and how do you relate to the Tower?" Guidance was nice and all, but he couldn't shake off a feeling something was terribly amiss. Or perhaps it was just the feeling of dread that Guts would come up here and begin his indiscriminate carnage.
Kashira Lavellan - Fifth Floor - A Warm Welcome
As they reached the top of the stairs, the glow of magic faded from Kashira's hand and she raised her head once again. Hold it together. Be ready for whatever comes. As usual, it was something unexpected. She took in the patchwork construction, the crowd of pale, anxious faces, and knew at once what had happened, or at least the most likely one. Elsa's whispered comment was one such idea, but Kashira had another. They very well could be the descendents of Climbers who failed, or simply stopped trying. Or perhaps they are the descendants of the survivors of a world other Climbers encountered...or destroyed. Either way, the Tower has kept them imprisoned here...or they've grown too afraid to venture outside even if they had the chance.
The others who were ahead of her gave greetings and Kashira contented herself with bowing politely, eyes raised. What followed was torturous. The outpouring of adulation and awe was painfully remniscient of the way many city elves acted around the Dalish. As though we have all the answers. As though we're perfect, wonderful, beautiful people. As though we're legends stepping out of the trees and grass to bestow blessings. We aren't even people to them...not yet, anyway. Maybe never.
Her smile was genuine, but very sad, and her voice was soft and gentle.
"Andaran atish'an. Melana en athim las enaste. Be welcome among us. Please, stand. It is we who should honor your courage in surviving here for so long."
Before anything else could happen, she winced, putting her hands to her ears at the blare of the strange device. The leader of the strange people came forth. That too, showed bravery, given his twisted body, to come before such beings as he no doubt thought them to be. After shooting Ryo a warning glare for his mutterings, she added her own question to Claw's.
"Indeed. We would hear your story. I'll remember it, and tell others, so your legacy might endure. Might we know your name? Mine is Kashira."
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. -Lao TzuSabrina, The Fifth Floor of the Tower
Sabrina glared at Ryo as well since she uniquely knew what he was thinking, before turning back to the Elder of this society and bowing in respect to him, "If you feel up to it, we would like you to be our guide."
"My name is Sabrina," the Gym Leader introduced herself. "Yes, we are what your society calls Ascending Ones, but we... weren't expecting to be greeted like this within the Tower itself."
Wizard Needs Food BadlyThe younger-looking gynoid tilted her head a bit quizzically as KOS-MOS mentioned someone named Einstein. Given the nature of this sort of group, she had no idea if that was the historical figure or not. It probably didn't matter. "I might pay him a visit later then. Looks like we're movin on." she said, turning to see a few others climbing up the stairs.
Labrys followed behind the crowd climbing up to the next level. She had only seen the one floor so far, so she had expected to find just another empty room with a portal. She was not expecting a crowd of malnourished humans staring back at them. It was honestly kind of disturbing to the impressionable robot. She was used to seeing healthy, confident people. To see a whole crowd like this was unsettling to her. As such, she hung to the back of the group, worried that these fragile people would be freaked out by her appearance.
The Kid glanced up curiously, pulled from his quiet work by a gruff voice. A hand lifted to gently touch the large scarf wrapped around his neck as he looked at the woman that had spoken, the same one that had been tending to an animal over the fire. It was probably one of the strangest compliments he'd gotten. "Thanks."
With his attention on her now, the white-haired teen took the moment to properly look at her. He'd noticed her hair and skin colour, and how close they were to his own, but hadn't done much more than that. Now with his curiousity peaked, he looked closer. And noticed that very immediate things that he was surprised he'd missed before. What she was wearing, or wasn't. The Kid's eyebrows shot up as he noticed just how much skin the woman had showing, and how little her clothes actually covered. He was glad he'd kept his scarf on, since the red material was know hiding the fact his cheeks were going a similar colour. The cloak she wore though caught his attention, its design reminiscent of the Ura. "Nice cloak."
As he had taken the time to sit and rest, The Kid watched as the rest of the climbers moved up the stairs to the next level. He stared with faintly furrowed brows as faint sound filtered down to them, far louder than a group their size should have been able to make.
"...This is a most bitter irony if I've ever heard of such. I gave up my great powers to protect you and now... I am your very anathema. I'll ensure that my regained holy light shall never harm you though, Kogasa." Taking in a deep breath to steady herself from the new revelation that dropped itself like a bomb on her head, Lucifer had some rather mixed emotions on her face.
Komachi for her part had finished eating, moving at a steady and yet somehow meticulously fastidious pace that had a certain charm to it despite the fact she was eating roasted deer organs. Faint amusement could be gathered from her expression as she held her head tilted towards the opened stairs that led to their next destination, the adornment on her head wiggling ever so slightly.
"My my, it seems that our dear fellows have gotten themselves somewhere... interesting judging by the fact that the volume of noise is enough to be heard all the way down here. My curiosity is stoked, I must say.~" Still, the woman made no move to personally stand up and walk over yonder, simply sipping away at her cup of tea while shooting a gossamer thread into the opening to help better catch sound vibrations and interpret what was being said from afar.
Edited by Makaioh on Feb 5th 2019 at 9:23:29 AM
Tower
-Njall looks with some surprise at the leader of the wretches. Despite his hideously deformed shape, there is none of the menace that heralds those twisted by the Warp around him, and they seem to regard the climbers as saviors (though giving him a wide berth, as is usual for any Astartes in the presence of mortals). Better to wait for the explanation.-
Fifth Floor - Anabel
Anabel smiled slightly at the sight of the crowd being so excited and the children deciding it was time to play. Still, they had a task at hand, and her expression tightened into a thoughtful frown when the big man appeared. Or rather, what she could only guess was a man, given his abnormal appearance.
"Yes, that will be fine," she agreed with the others. After all, this seemed to be the first person who had an idea of what was going on.
Fourth Floor - Minneapolis
Minneapolis nodded along silently when Komachi explained that something was happening upstairs. She wasn't going, though, so it probably wasn't anything they needed help with.
On the other hand, the scarf-wearing teenager said something in return. She looked down at her cloak, grabbing a fistful of it in one hand. It was nice, she supposed. It kept her warm when the weather was snowy like it was through the portal, let her move uninhibited when needed, and saved her a fortune on napkins.
"Thanks," she replied.
She poked the fire with a stick.
She poked the deer with a stick.
It had been cooking for a bit now, the outer parts were probably ready to eat, at least. She liked it bloody, anyway. She stood up and took out the knife again, carving off a chunk of meat from the thing. She lifted the piece to her mouth and tore off a hearty chunk, chewing vigorously at it. It was... good. She eyed the deer. It was definitely a deer, but she was also certain that it was unlike the deer that roamed the Eagle Union. The meat was considerably more flavorful that she would have expected, especially given the sub-optimal conditions she was forced to resort to. She could get used to this.
She looked at the Kid, then to the deer, and back at the Kid. She used the knife to point at the fist clenching the strip of meat, then at the deer, then at the kid, and back to the deer, all while happily chewing. She also tried to catch Komachi's eye and point things out for her in the same way.
Kirito, Gensokyo Floor
Kogasa established a pretty simple philosophy.
("It's better than not living...")
I couldn't argue against that. Still, a pang of guilt found its way into me. If we weren't made to climb this tower for our own reward, she might not have had to go through this...
The girl called Lucifer inquired about any of Kogasa's weaknesses, anything to watch out for, and as Kogasa explained her adversity to the holy and anything related to gods, I saw Lucifer's face scrunch up slightly from... something. Bemusement? Annoyance? It was hard to tell. Anyway, it seemed like her new form possessed holy abilities, which told me that her name checks out.
Well, for better or for worse, this was how things were. There was nothing else for me to contribute at the moment, and so as Lucifer noted the commotion going on upstairs, I decided to take my leave, turning to Kogasa before I did so.
"We'll make sure that no harm comes to you. I'll see you around."
I walked away, a strange agitation and anxiety gripping me as I realized the words that came out of my mouth.
("Yeah... that's all I can say for now... it's all I can do...")
Guts, Gensokyo Floor
Gold and gormless wouldn't leave him alone, but at this point, even Guts had to accept that there was no ridding himself of the jester. He glared for a second less than usual, then closed his eye again, sighing deeply.
"No. And if you get me anything from those demons, I don't want it."
That wording of his... he didn't want to admit he was accepting an offering of hospitality from Dis Here Baron (what a title, Guts had to make sure to rib him for that when he got the chance), but he didn't want to expend effort telling the bastard to go away, so he struck a middle ground of grouchily implying that, yes, he would like some food.
"Shake the dust." - Anis MojganiEnjoying the peace and quiet while still listening in from afar via all-natural biodegradable resources, Komachi's attention was caught by the gestures that Minneapolis put out before she smiled back a wordless thanks of her own and participated in the meal. Seeing as there was now permission to eat the more choice parts of the animal, Komachi slid her grill mesh on over so as to allow for more uniform cooking before slicing thin slivers to cook over the flames in a speedier manner than simply propping larger chunks on branches would.
Flickering her fingers ever so slightly, more silk strands would elongate to begin pouring two more cups of freshly brewed tea before propping them near ship girl and The Kid. It was a rather picturesque moment that didn't need any vocalization to mar it up after all and actions spoke louder than words. Sometimes, less was more.
Edited by Makaioh on Feb 7th 2019 at 3:36:32 AM
Conversation fell into a brief lull for a moment after the woman had thanked him, beginning to carve off pieces of the creature she was cooking as he went back to work. The smell reminding him it had been a while since he'd eaten. He kept his focus off it for the moment by looking over his grenades to ensure they were in good condition and wouldn't have a catastrophic failure if he tried to use them, or had one when he didn't want to use them as well.
He kept his attention focused outwards still as well, however, and met Minneapolis' eyes as he glanced up briefly for a moment. Noticing her offer, The Kid smiled behind his scarf and nodded, grateful for the food. Pulling his own small knife from his bag, in a practiced manner he stabbed it into the cooking meat slightly; Testing it before slicing off a properly cooked piece. He watched in quiet curiosity and interest as Komachi worked, taking the chance to properly observe something new once again. The teen also couldn't help but notice how many girls there were within the climbers, and how attractive they seemed to typically be. The thought caused a pang in his chest and a heavy weight to grow in his pocket, where a crystal barrette rested.
Wanting to distract himself, The Kid focused on the cup placed in front of him. Picking it up and taking a moment to smell the hot liquid within it, before pulling his scarf down to take a sip.
The Tower, Fourth Floor
KOS-MOS watched Labrys depart for the upper floor in silence, then swept her gaze across the room, zeroing in on someone she had been meaning to talk to. With a nod to 2B, she turned and paced over to the Tower's resident gamer guy.
"Good Morning, Kirito," she greeted, ruby eyes studying him closely, "After checking my memory, it is clear that I did not complete a proper introduction during our last meeting yesterday. Please allow me to correct this oversight. I am the Kosmos Obeying Strategic Multiple Operation System, or KOS-MOS for short, a specialized humanoid weapons system. Now that we have been introduced, I have an important question: Have you eaten breakfast today, Kirito? You in particular must consume a healthy diet on a regular schedule in order to fully recover from your muscular atrophy."
GM: AGOG S4 & F/WC RP; Co-GM: TABA, SOTR, UUA RP; Sub-GM: TTS RP. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire.Elsa - You're Asking A European Royal About Why An Isolationist Group Looks The Same, You Know What Her Answer Is; Fifth Floor, Tower
"Elsa" She replied, staring at Ryo's hand for a moment before shaking it. I wasn't exactly a gesture she was used to. On the other hand, while he'd been more blunt about it than most, compliments were something Elsa had been trained to easily shrug off.
Though the way he immediately went to insulting their guide probably also had something to do with it.
"Small, isolated towns can end up with many people looking much the same as each other, over enough time. Intermarrying between families with few outsiders coming in can... cause problems." She shuddered at the memory of her lessons on the Habsburgs. "And a lack of sunlight can make a person pale. If they aren't able to leave the tower, they may not have ever seen the sun in their entire lives."
Already enough people had answered their leader, who forced her mind back to the Habsburgs most distressingly, that she felt no need to.
Edited by GeekCodeRed on Feb 10th 2019 at 11:38:22 AM
Ryo Saeba - Fifth Floor
It seems that the regal-looking woman wasn't used to handshakes. "Elsa, huh? That's a pretty name." Upon hearing her explanation, he rubbed the back of his head, a bit embarassed to have missed a rather obvious answer. "And yeah, that make sense. Sorry for asking a stupid question." He didn't want to think much about the "problems" she mentionned, and judging from her reaction, neither did she.
Anyways, it seemed that the others were already asking all the relevant questions, so there was no need for him to be serious. Which meant he could goof around all he wanted. The opportunity to do so came in the form of Claw's elbow, which hit Ryo's stomach without problem and caused the sweeper to let out a exagerated yell of pain. Upon seeing the glare from the others around him, the most dreaded sweeper in Shibuya then put on a dismayed face, turned around to face the stairs, sit on the ground and put his arms around his legs to sulk like a little kid. He would have put himself in a corner if there were any nearby, but he would have to make do. "Can't a guy complain to himself nowadays? Fine then, I won't say anything from now on." He then looked at the ground in apparent dismay.
Edited by Alecoene on Feb 11th 2019 at 2:15:42 PM
Jubei- Tower, Floor 4
"... Mmmph..."
On the ground, waking up from slumber was what appeared to be a small bipedal cat in an orange coat. One could say he took a catnap.
He got up, and looked around a bit, a bit of hm's, oh's, and ah's coming from him. Eventually, he looked at the various others here and spoke, voice somewhat raspy.
"Hey, any of ya here knows where "here" is? And why I ended up here, for that matter?"
He was a bit wary, but best to get a lay of the situation first, before going in guns (or swords) blazing.
Fourth Floor
Minneapolis kept on chewing at her deer, watching as first Komachi, and then the Kid - though she didn't know those were their names yet - cut themselves off a piece of deer too. The woman was a dandy, it seemed. Insisting on cooking the deer more on her own little grill, probably didn't like it bloody. Still, dandies had their place. Without her, she wouldn't have any tea.
She nodded her thanks as she set down the knife and used her now-empty hand to pick up the tea cup, cradling the chunk of remaining food in the other.
Then there was the matter of this newcomer. Finishing off the last bit of venison that was in her mouth with a hard swallow, she looked Jubei in the eyes.
"You're a talking cat." She shared her deductive reasoning with Jubei.
She looked down at her hand, and at the piece of delicious deer meat that was still in it. Giving it a good long millisecond to think about it, she looked back at the talking cat.
She held her hand out and stuck the piece of venison out in front of the old cat, waving it slightly in front of his face.
The Tower, Fourth Floor
KOS-MOS turned her head to take in the sight of the new arrival. Unable to make out anything about his features under his bright cloak from her angle, she prepared to provide him with the requisite spiel seeing as the Locksmith was on the next floor. Then, however, the woman who had prepared the game over her fire made a startling observation, and the blunette's hands immediately balled into fists. Not another one!
Unwelcome though the presence of another feline was, she resigned herself to replying to his query without heat or disdain. "This is the Tower," she began, drawing on her memory of the first floor, "A Tower of the gods, some call it, or the Tower of Worlds. We have all been summoned here by the Ruler who sits at the summit of this Tower, challenged to climb its floors and reach the top. Before you reach the very top, you may not return to your home, but should you reach the summit, you will be granted riches and treasures of your wildest desire, including a way home should you wish for it.
On every floor of the Tower, there exists a door upwards as well as a portal such as that one.” She pointed to the portal to Gensokyo. “Beyond these portals lie different worlds, unknown realms. In each of those strange worlds, you will need to recover the necessary keys to unlock this stone door. This will unlock the way forward, and allow you passage to the next floor. That is the only way to proceed within the Tower. The keys necessary can be anything: a simple coin, or an entire suit of armour. It might even not be an object at all, but a song or particular phrase.
Next, answers to common questions. First, the Tower. Where is it? How many floors does it have? The Tower exists between worlds, for it is not a construct that sits in one world. In size, it is limitless, because it needs not adhere to any laws of physics except those it wishes to. The Tower can anywhere it wants to be, at any point in time, yet never move an inch.
How much do you need to climb? That is unknown, even to our guide. The Ruler of the Tower decides how long each session lasts, and as far as we can tell, that is predetermined already at the start. But it varies. Some only climbed ten floors, in the space of a couple of months, to find themselves at the storage of treasure. Others climbed tens upon tens of floors for years, without ever seeing the summit.
Does the Tower provide internet or electricity service? You will be provided no internet, nor any electricity while in the Tower. However, you might be able to access something in one of the worlds you visit.
Worry not about the passage of time. As long as you reach the top and can access the treasures of the Ruler, you can choose to travel back to where you were and arrive the exact moment after you departed. These are the very same fantastical constructs that brought us all here, but we know far too little about them to explain them. However, you may only employ these treasures should you complete the Tower. If you are lost in one of the myriad worlds that the Tower connects, or you should die at the hands of one of the dangers that await you on your adventure, then you will never return, for death is final here.
What can the treasures do? They can do anything, just as the Ruler can do anything. With them, you can travel to worlds unknown, even paradises, or journey across the time as easy as walk. Worlds may be mended, or broken, should you wish for that. You may attain the power to raise your dead loved ones, or become a reaper of souls yourself. Even immortality will be within your reach.
If you question the existence of a multitude of worlds, allow me to explain briefly. Past the world that you know, there are whole universes existing outside one's sphere of knowledge, worlds with different stars and rules of nature. Usually, these worlds do not touch one another, but the Tower exists in the world between worlds and thus bridges the Multiverse so that you can travel from one world to another. You will see fantastical realms of magic and sorcery, worlds of science stretched to the breaking point filled with technological wonders, prehistoric savage worlds inhabited by naught but monsters, dark infernal hellscapes of death and inferno as well as organized civilizations built over any number of years by any intelligent creature you might imagine. You will see much, and much that you didn't think was possible.
The worlds that the Ruler will demand you explore are usually hospitable to organic life, yes. Gravity, air quality or ease of traversal might vary, and sometimes the keys you are to recover are in quite hard-to-get locations. But these are but challenges, not impossibilities. There is no risk of you stepping into a world with no readily available oxygen, for example. But there will be dangers, of course: Monsters, natural disasters, politics. It will not be easy. So we must look after ourselves and one another."
"Does that answer your question sufficiently?" she concluded, finally unballing her fists.
Edited by darksidevoid on Feb 14th 2019 at 11:21:54 AM
GM: AGOG S4 & F/WC RP; Co-GM: TABA, SOTR, UUA RP; Sub-GM: TTS RP. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire.2B - 5th floor
Not far from where Labrys was standing, 2B was hanging back too, and android standing with her arms crossed as she scanned over the gathered crowd and the climbers already moving forward to negotiate with them.
As always, overhanging bangs and a blindfold didn't make for the most readable of expressions, but she was tense, frowning uncertainly.
"What do they look so small?"
"Possible mild malnutrition," Pod 042 bobbed up in the air above the climbers, scanning this way and that, "or a genetic predisposition towards smaller frames."
2B grunted in acknowledgment shifting her weight from one foot to the other, pointedly not looking as some of the residents peered curiously at the two androids. The clamouring voices, with their awe-struck, reverent tones, left her with an uncomfortable feeling of... familiarity.
"... why do they keep touching and staring at us?"
"Unknown."
Walking in through the gate of the Tower, coming in from the cold of Gensokyo, was none other than the prestigious high-school esper Sumireko Usami!
She was late, separated from everyone else and bundled up in her cape because of the biting cold outside, but she was still prestigious! Her noise strained to pick up the smell of burning and charred meat from underneath the bandages she had on, but they did, and she saw the deer being cooked in the corner.
That was nice.
You know what's better, though?
A big, fluffy cat in a raincoat! Yeah, so what if he was walking upright and had swords, he was freakin' cute! Cute! Holy crap! She offered a half-hearted "Hey, KOS-MOS" to the android before making her move.
Running up to Jubei was a caped weirdo with a wild gleam in her eye as she immediately whipped out her phone and started taking pictures of him.
"Oh my god, you're adorable!" she said as she stared at him through the screen of the phone. "You're so pwecious!"
The kid in front of Ilya clapped her hands, bedazzled by the little light show the homunculus put on for her. One of the adults behind her seemed more shocked than pleased, and lightly tried to tug the girl back, but she remained eager up until the strange guide of this floor had arrived. The people that Kashira spoke to nodded, seemingly grateful for her kindness, but they didn't move an inch as she had requested.
The Locksmith finally stepped forward, putting himself at the forefront after moments of indecisiveness. "No, your guide is not that old fart," he answered Ryo. "I remain your guide, forevermore. He is...the guide of another group of Climbers, as was the Oracle."
The old thing gave out a wheezing laugh, and waved its gnarled hands in the air. "What...threatened by my being here, Locksmith? I can't even walk...what am I to do?"
"...You know my—"
"I have heard about you. If in...your fogged mind, you could recall...the selfsame Oracle, was it? Heh, heh, heh..." It was a cold, thin laugh.
The Locksmith nodded, slowly and unsure. "We only ran into her but a day ago. She...has completed this ascension, as we resolved it for her. Now, answer these people, if you would, and be done with it."
"...Oh? Fine, be like that," the old thing said. For the elf, he "looked" at her with his eyeless face and gave her a brief answer. "I am the Disputer. Just like yours, I lost my name to atone for my transgressions. Kashira...thank you for asking."
He raised his finger towards the Locksmith again, carelessly brushing against the bell he held in the other hand as he did. "If you want a story...why not ask your guide? He seems to want to be useful." His hand went limp, and he waved him along. "Go on. Perform the rite."
The Locksmith hesitantly did as he had done before. He looked on with eyes that glazed over for a minute of silence, and soon he spoke. This time, unlike Gensokyo, with much more clarity.
"...It is a world that is clinged onto by the fingers of memory with only the most tenuous of grasps. A place about to be forgotten, any moment now. An all but dead world."
The Disputer added, "It was a world familiar to the most of you, perhaps, but these people have forgotten that. Their world ends at the horizon of the sea, and the grey mountains aside. They're more like the beginnings of mankind, than the end result in that way."
"Formerly, it had a name. But it lies now, untitled. I could not say it has any real thing to call it in this time."
"...But," the Disputer interceded, "this place has a name. Though they fear the world, they welcome the cold embrace of the steel interior of this Tower. Just from the thing I have told them...and those who passed in their time long ago, they have their own understanding of this endless place. They call it Tallhome."
"...Then, Tallhome it is. Your key lies to the east. It is an object that is nameless and indescribable by the people who have enshrined it, having had its use entirely forgotten...but it lies in wait. It has no owner, and the way is clear."
"I am sure that the people here will be...glad, to help you discover it once more." The Disputer lazily shook his bell, and the two tall men aside him raised him up again. "But first...why not relax a little? I know you've noticed. The way they look at all of you. I, and the people I speak for, would like to do nothing more than give you reprieve from your ascension! It's a term I've heard before...it's on the house."
The Disputer visibly strained, pulling the skin on his face taut like he was exerting himself greatly...and somehow, he barked out a brief, hoarse word that managed to slip by the ears of everyone in the group. "Jedegi!" It was completely unintelligible to the Climbers, but the people of Tallhome seemed to understand it well enough. They immediately started moving, most turning back and walking inside the haphazard construction, while others stayed behind, waiting for something further.
"If you really want, go with your Locksmith and get right to the action." He pointed with his left hand to a place currently obscured by layers upon layers of buildings. "I am familiar with the likes of you...always moving on. Or, go and make yourself at home. If any of you want to really bore yourself by listening to an old apostate, come and stay by my side for a moment."
Two shakes of his bell, and the old thing was off, heading deeper into the complex. The Locksmith turned around to speak to them again. "I...assure you, the Tower still remains yet climbed, but it is true. If you believe it wise, take a moment. Rest. I will...hopefully, with a little aid, find out where the gate is..." He reached out and shook his hand at one of the locals here, and began politely whispering to them.
The exterior, of cobbled together refuse, was a little bit deceiving when you took in the sights of this place. The path ahead was narrow, with people like the Baron and Njall finding that in some places they'd have to duck down, lest ceiling might catch on their upper halves. The way it snaked along was haphazard and seemingly random, but for the ones walking ahead at least the main pathway was obvious. There were places that led into small rooms, with people eagerly tidying up and giving the same transfixed gazes that they gave them the moment they walked in as they passed by. Electric lamps and bare bulbs illuminated the place in a myriad of colors, so long as you choose between warm orange, cold yellow and harsh emergency red. To look down the paths branching from this one sometimes meant looking at dark roads, only with scattered lightbulbs giving you an idea of how long they went on for.
It was obviously something that had been constructed over many years. The places they could see from here were built with a lot of wood, but with boards that hardly matched one another. Few were painted the same color, and they often overlapped each other where they could afford to. The living arrangements for these people were...not very spacious, but at least they seemed to be comfortable. Poking a head inside, you could see things like bedrolls even more patchwork than the clothes they wore and ancient hotplates cooking things that the creators had never imagined. A bubbling pot of stew had vegetables in it, few of which could really be identified with the Climbers' untrained eye. Children peered at them from the safety of their hatchwork windows, and babies rested soundly in cribs made of things like crab pots or chainlink.
The path got wider, until they got to where the Disputer was waiting for them.
"Ornate" was a good way of putting it. This wide room had no ceiling but the Tower's own, and it was obviously cared for by very meticulous hands. Intricate and minute carvings in wood painted dark red covered the pillars supporting the entrances, and a stone tile with a similar level of effort put into making the geometric patterns that made the walkable paths. There was grass in narrow strips, green as can be, and small ornamental trees that gave this place a look more like a park than anything. There were people there, some in a state of leisure but most still hurrying, and everyone made an effort to avoid the small amount of grass there was.
The guide of this floor sat underneath a small awning, next to a wall. It was more an altar than anything else, with both carved trinkets and pots of something sweetly smoking next to him. His two guards were there, along with a tall woman who bore a book, and clothing distinctly better than anything anyone else was wearing.
"I guess you really do need something to entertain you, I see." The Disputer clasped his hands together as he leaned forward, hunched over himself in front of the ones who decided to stay a while and listen. "The whole story, as one of you requested, would be long. Let's be more specific, and it shall come to you...eventually, yes?"
There were other paths, besides the one they came out of. Two to the right, with one having a strong aroma coming from it, one ahead with the noise of clattering wood coming from it, and two to the direction that the Disputer had indicated earlier, left.
On top of all of this, there were people still following the group. They could probably talk, you know.
With Lucifer only being slightly indirect, it took a moment for Kogasa to understand just what kind of dumb bullshit she had gotten herself into.
"...Oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Kogasa said, over the course of a good five seconds. Her face visibly got worse with every single O and H in that vocalization. Why, oh why, cruel fate, did it just so happen that someone who cared for her would also be her holy kryptonite? Why?! Her thoughts weren't as purple or anything like that, but she still felt about the same way. The same way that shot her back down on this ridiculous rollercoaster of emotions.
I hesitate to say that she was gonna come out of this fine, but...yeah. She at least was still concerned enough with politeness to give a brief "'kay" to Kirito as he left them.
"...Lucifer, maybe you know why I'm kind of like this now, you know...? I've never had luck." No, she did not hug Lucifer again. "Well...just sitting here's not gonna...change anything, I guess. What do you want to do again?"
Fifth Floor - Ilya
The young mage looked back and forth at the banter between the two Guides. So these two shared a personal history with one another and both had been 'punished' to forever serve as guides by this Tower's Ruler? Well, maybe not forever- the eyeless man here was already an ex-Guide.
In any case, the Climbers are now free to do whatever they wish. Ilya was about to decide on a course of action... before her stomach grumbled lightly.
"Ah." Now that she thinks about it, she hadn't eaten in quite a while. She remembered having some light snack and tea from a certain fox cafe, but that was yesterday ago. "Guess I'm off to grab a quick bite first. And maybe explore the place around a bit. See you guys later~"
Oh, right. Before the homunculus went on her merry way in search of grub and exploration, she turned back towards the easily-impressionable girl whom she performed her tricks to. "Hey, would you like to join me?"
Ryo Saeba - Fifth Floor
Ryo was interrupted from his sulking by the sight of one of the more recent arrivals to the floor: a white-haired bombshell with the most delightful gothic-style clothing that didn't let a lot to the imagination and for some reason a blindfold over her eyes. Immediatly cheering up, he rase up to walk to the beautiful woman to begin chatting her up. "Hello there, miss! My name is Ryo Saeba and I couldn't help but notice your great beauty and taste in ouftit! Are you some sort of model?" He didn't do anything to hide the fact that he was looking more at the woman's exposed leg more than at her face. Tough he couldn't help but wonder about her blindfold. "Huh, are you seeing anything with that thing on your eyes?"
Even as he was hitting on the woman, he was listening to the Locksmith and the Disputer. Apparently, the people here were not previous climber's descendants as Elsa theorized, but native of a ruined world that decided they'd rather stay in the safety of the tower. And judging by the former guide, the Locksmith would stay behind in the place when the climbers will leave. Interesting informations. He followed the two to the native's collective house. If 2B decided to come along, she would have to deal with the sweeper pestering her with question and checking out her body. "So, how old are you? Do you have a boyfriend? What is your world like? What's your favorite food?"
The home they arrived to sure was impressive, it was true. But Ryo had one particular concern. He needed a private place for when the onigiri-preparing lady from before would come to let him test her "cooking" skills and for any potential "encounters" he could make. Deciding he prefered having the tall book-holding woman as his guide, he walked over to her. "Hello, tall and beautiful. Could you show us any room we can stay in for the night?"

Ilya - Fifth Floor - Magic Trick
Being the type to not really receive presents much back in her home, Ilya was more than happy to receive a gift from the residents of the Fifth floor. Though the crowds were a bit much in showering the group with non-stop devotion, the magus nonetheless decided to show her gratitude to the young girl by placing the flower on her hair as an ornament, followed by having one of her bird familiar fly up to the girl in question before unraveling its string-like body into white threads. Said thread then arranged themselves into letters, forming the word 'Thank you' in the air before disappearing shortly after.
It was a simple trick, really, but she hoped the somewhat well-to-do girl appreciate it all the same.
A sudden rumbling sound and an order from what looked to be a man of authority quieted the crowd down. Soon after, their leader appeared, all skeletal-like and one whom had definitely seen better days.
One of the Climbers accepted the leader's offer and stated that they weren't expecting people here. She doesn't recognize her before, but then again, she didn't really went out of her way to get to know the people whom she'll be climbing with. Perhaps there'll be time to change that.
"Yep! We were surprised to receive such warm reception! Though I must say, it was a bit much."
Edited by JustSomeGuy732 on Feb 4th 2019 at 6:08:16 PM