001 Video | Action

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

Hello? [Fran sat up, taking in the area where she now found herself. Being surrounded by trees wasn't particularly alarming to her, but this was not where she recalled having fallen asleep.

She tilted her head slightly, as if listening for something. But nothing answered. There was no responding hume voice and the Woods were as silent as they had been to her for many years now. There is another moment spent in silence before she takes note of the communication device in the grass next to her.

The viera reaches out, curiously tapping the screen with a long fingernail that's more like a claw before picking the device up and turning it in her hands.] What manner of technology is this?

[The question was thoughtful, musing in a way that suggested she didn't expect an answer. When she stops turning the device, focusing on what appears to be the screen, a tanned woman with white hair and bunny ears comes into view. She appears to be wearing some sort of ornate leather helmet and her eyes are narrowed as she looked the screen over.]

Comments

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

[She glanced behind Balthier at whatever was haunting him that she couldn't physically see before returning her gaze to him. After a moment she turns to walk through the Woods, talking while she moves.] It is Cid, then, that she has called here. [It's a statement, not a question. There was little else that could cause the sky pirate to react in such a way.]

He is following you then? Shall we go? [While moving was probably futile in the long run, Cid hadn't been there when Balthier had first appeared. Perhaps they would be able to put some distance between him and themselves. That might put Balthier more at ease. Although knowing that the author's creation of Cid was about wasn't going to make relaxation easy.]

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

Indeed it is. [He nods, and begins to follow Fran closely. It was almost reminiscent of when they had first met. Him trying to break free from the shadow of his father, even if it wasn't in such a literal sense, and Fran being there as a much needed friend to help.

of course, he knew that the author wasn't going to let him escape that easily, and was unsurprised as Cid followed.]

Everything I did was for the good of mankind. It pains me you turned your back on that and ran. Fool of a pirate.

[sadness lined his face as the thing repeated his father's last words. But as he had then, he would now stay with Fran.]

...She knew him well, I see. but if she knew him well, it also means I'll not get the answers I seek. We'd do better to ignore him, and familiarise you with the manor. [Easier said than done. though.]

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

No matter how well she knew him, this... phantom is not the man that you knew. [She slows, glancing over her shoulder.] It is something made to hurt. Do not heed it's words.

He cannot hurt you. [Not necessarily true, but she says the words with a conviction that suggests otherwise. Whatever manner of ghost this is, it certainly seems to be capable of dredging up the past... But the real Cid had died at the hands of them and their friends. And Fran was certain that whatever this thing was, it was not actually Cid.

She faces forward again, moving through the foliage, following instinct more than trying to find a specific direction. Right now she was mostly concerned with seeing if they might distance themselves from the author's creation. And it mattered little which direction they took since all paths seemed likely to end at the same place if there were no real way out.] The manor, is it big?

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

We had bigger buildings in Ivalice. From the outside, at least. Inside, it's much larger than it appears. There's also a desert, where the store is, and the lake.

[The ghost of Cid is still there, but lapses into a thoughtful quiet. Balthier is glad for this, but he's unsure what it means. Nothing good, of that, he's sure.]

[Action] Have a sleepy tag before I go to bed. Does this even make sense...?

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

Things here are not all that they seem then? [The fact that there were larger buildings in Ivalice wasn't so surprising, although she wasn't yet aware of how many people had been brought to this place. Most humes, though, seemed to live rather extravagantly. They seemed to enjoy displaying their wealth. Although if the manor had been designed by someone with no intent of occupying the dwelling herself, perhaps she would then be less likely to make it as impressive as many of Ivalice's buildings. If the manor was larger than it seemed though, that could make things troublesome. It would be much easier to conceal a hidden room in a space that was not all that it appeared. And that, in turn, could make the space more difficult to navigate.] A desert? [That was interesting.] How does it compare to the deserts in Ivalice?

["Back home" wasn't something that she was going to say. Fran wasn't even sure that she could really call Ivalice home. When she had been young, she would have said that the Wood was her home. But now her home was more about the company than the location.

At the mention of a store, she frowns slightly.] What service does the store provide?

Re: [Action] Yes *snugs*

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

You can buy food and other such things there, but in place of money, we use cards. Which seems like rather a pointless exercise to me.

As for the desert... Well, it doesn't have the beasts prowling the sands. It also is one of the places the "fourth wall", as it is known, is located. That is what stops us from getting out. It's not visible, but you awaken in your room when you pass it.

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

Cards? [She gives him a look that says, "Really?" It isn't that she disbelieves him, but it does seem that buying things without the use of money would be a rather odd practice.] This fourth wall? It is the magick that prevents escape?

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

[He takes his ID card out of his hammerspace pocket, and shows it to her] Not long after I arrived here, the store appeared, and we were given these.

It is. There is no way to break it, either. I doubt she would let us, even if she hadn't... limited us. [was hoping not to bring that up so soon, but Fran needed to know.]

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

[Fran studies the card for a moment. It doesn't appear to be any sort of currency that she's familiar with. If that was all it took to buy food, it seemed that one might as well be stealing what they needed. The hume running this place seemed to have little idea of how a world should run.

After a few moments of searching up her ass her person, Fran finds a similar card.] This is used in place of money?

[She turns her attention forward. They're nearing the edge of the Wood, although what exactly lies beyond isn't clear.] Limited how? Does magick not work here? I cannot sense the mist... which might aid.

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

We can use our magicks here, unless the author decides that we shouldn't be allowed. [which happens too often for his liking.

He stops her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.] It's better off demonstrated, but we should remain here to do so. Away from the prying eyes of others.

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

The author has absolute control here? For that to be possible for a hume... [She trails off. It was unfathomable that a hume should have that much power.

When Balthier touches her Fran stops, turning to face him.] How have we been limited? [That he feels the need to show her is worrisome. That means that their magicks have been visibly limited. Balthier's discomfort at the subject is also unsettling, but she waits, without further question, for him to show her.]

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

Well, we have seen what the wrong power can do in the right hands. And the wrong ones.

Are you referring to me with that, Ffamran?

Somewhere in there, yes. I'm sure you will know where when you think on it.

[Saying nothing more to the spirit, he summons up Zodiarc who, unlike the last time she would have seen him, was about the size of a large dog. Balthier left him long enough to get a good look, and dismissed him.]

The more powerful of our magics have been effected, too.

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

Yes. [Fran didn't respond to the second part. It was obviously not intended for her. Hopefully Cid's spirit wasn't intending to plague them forever since she knew that Balthier couldn't simply ignore the man. It was much easier if he was at least out of sight. She couldn't fault her partner for occasionally dwelling on what had happened between him and Cid, but that didn't make his presence any less unwelcome.]

I see. [She lowers her gaze to take in the rather diminutive form of Zodiarc. He did seem less powerful than when she had last seen him, in addition to the obvious change in his size.] There is nothing we can do to... improve this condition?

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

[He sighs, and shakes his head] Nothing. but it's better being able to summon a little help, rather than none at all.

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

That is hardly a comfort. [But she does smile a little at his pun, even if it's not something she can find a whole lot of humor in. The prospect of being in a strange place, and - while not entirely defenseless - without the sort of magick that they're used to is not a heartening one.]

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

It's not. [He'll quite readily agree with that.] But she allows us to keep our weapons and abilities to a greater extent than she could, so I wonder if there's not something more to the reason.

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

She is toying with us. [That seemed, all things being told, the most likely reason for allowing them use of weapons and magick.]

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

More than likely.

But more than one possibility should be considered. Science.

Sense. [that paying no heed... doesn't really work when she knows how to get under your skin]

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

But to what purpose? [The question is more musing than anything else. She doesn't expect it to be answered. Certainly, if Balthier could have answered it he already would have.]

We are expected to stay in this Manor then?

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

The only one who knows her purpose is herself.

[He nods] We are. She puts us in a room that is familiar to us. Again, her reasoning behind that is her own.

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

I see.

Then I would be given a room there? [She starts moving again, ducking under the trees and moving towards a clearing. If the only reason for stopping was so that Balthier could demonstrate the unfortunate limitations of their magicks in this place then it was probably best if they move on to the actual manor.]

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

[He nods, walking close]

Indeed. The rooms are marked by a name on plaque displayed on the room's door.

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

[Fran pushes through the brush, ducking slightly so that her ears wouldn't hit any low hanging branches as she walks into the clearing. There's some manner of dwelling ahead that must be the Manor seeing as no one's mentioned any other buildings of note.] This is it then?

[She pauses, waiting for Balthier to take the lead. He knows this area better than she. And, well, he is the leading man after all.]

Re: [Action]

[soiled-my-cuffs.livejournal.com]

Yes. [He nods, leading the way up to the manor, the shade of his father which was following at his shoulder. It was easier when the thing had nothing to say.

He led her through the first floor] This is where all the living areas are. The kitchen area, and a few of the entertainment areas.

[But he leads her past them to the spiral staircase.] the rooms are up here.

[Action]

[wardofthewood.livejournal.com]

[As they walk into the manor, she glances around, mentally noting the areas which Balthier said were on this floor. She nods as they walk up the staircase.] Are we free to stay wherever we please then? [Or did the Author have some method of choosing which room each arrival might stay in?]