21/Finding Shelter

Finding Shelter
Date of Scene:	03 July 2023
Location:	Abandoned Theme Park
Synopsis:	After the attack on the beach, a Guardian Knight and their princess find a possible home in a strange new world.
Cast of Characters:	Runealy Waldia, Loretta Bein

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Runealy Waldia has posed:
On the day of the beach attack, the Guardian Knights and Princess had arrived in Tokyo and agreed upon landmarks throughout the city - places they could meet up at later. Splitting up to cover more ground was risky, but in light of Tokyo being what Rune had described as "Unimaginably vast" it was deemed a risk worth taking. The alien princess had gone to explore the beach, and expected to be gone only a few hours.

Instead, the aftermath of that attack kept her busy; she had stood guard over those who were unconscious, leaving only once first-responders like Madoka had arrived to tend to them. By the time Runealy left, it was well into the evening hours and she clearly needed to check in at a landmark.

Having reverted to her normal form, Rune walks with a notable lean in her upper body posture. She approaches the lowered drawbridge of what appears to be a castle town's walls, but finds no immediate way inside. A few remarks to herself point out the obvious reason why: "Strange... the gates are lowered, yet I see no sign of guards nor anyone else. Why would Tokyo's capital district be abandoned?" That naming their supposed capital something like 'Fantasy Zone' might be odd has not quite sunk in yet.

Loretta Bein has posed:
    This was the landmark they were intending to meet at, but Loretta was, at first, nowhere to be found. She had been sent to explore downtown, but along the way she'd made her way into an underground parking garage. And there she'd gotten terribly, horribly lost. She'd walked for hours, not understanding what the B1, B2, and similar numbers meant. She didn't understand the strange colored stripes along the walls. She'd found an elevator, but had been terrified when the metal walls slammed(!) shut behind her.

    "N-no! Have they caught on already? How would they know!?" She's alone, clearly trapped in some kind of prison cell. "These people have their own Barriers..." she tells herself.

    Ten minutes later the entire world starts to shake and move, and Loretta lets out a cry of fear and frustration, "Abominable cell, please do not take me to the Abyss!" The doors open. A very confused looking woman holding a bag of newly purchased clothing is surprised to see an oddly dressed girl fleeing from the elevator with tears in the corners of her eyes.

    Half an hour later Loretta finds the loading dock, pressing herself against the dirty cement wall while watching enormous Steel Carriages exit one by one, some kind of metal link force field raising and lower. "Their minor barrier... it opens to allow entry!" She waits until one of the Carriages is readying to leave, and as the 'barrier' lifts she runs out, arms swinging up by her shoulders with a cry of, "Eeeeee..!"

    She's out! She's free! This Horrid Labyrinth is now behind her! She immediately rushes down the sidewalk, gasping and trying to hold in her emotions, getting plenty of stares.

    Not long after Runealy arrives at the gates, Loretta appears, running and breathing raggedly. When she sees Rune she speeds up rather than slowing down, holding one arm out towards her. "Princess! Princess, is it really you?! Goodness, I thought I'd never see you again!" She comes to a stop, having to bend over to catch her breath, one hand on her leg to support herself, the other reaching out to set on Runealy's shoulder, just to make sure this isn't all a part of some crazy, long nightmare.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
At first, Rune fails to notice Loretta. She is too occupied with poking at the lowered gates to see someone approaching from behind, and it's only when Loretta outright calls out to her that Rune realizes it. "Hn?" She pivots on a heel...

Just in time to see Loretta tower over her by several inches, and lay a hand upon a shoulder that does not immediately show signs of injury... yet Runealy reacts as though this is the case, wincing from the touch. "Ahh...!" After that momentary hiss, she manages to calm down. "I... yes, it is I. I had news to share, yet it seems you have found out the same thing I have; this strange world has its own demons. It seems they attacked you as well?"

Loretta Bein has posed:
    "Attacked!?" This gets Loretta's attention, and the mention of demons throws all her worries about her self straight out of her mind. "N-no! Nothing like that. I thought I had been captured in this terrible rocky," what is concrete but rock, "labyrinth! I managed to escape... but I was not attacked. And by demons, no less?" She stands up straight and looks over Runealy, "Please, Princess, tell me what has happened. Who was this demon that attacked you?"

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Rune's brows furrow as she tries to think through what, exactly, Loretta might be referring to. Eventually, she has to admit: "That sounds as though it could have been any of the thousands of structures in this... sea of stone and glass and strange lights. The structure itself seized you, though? That is quite different from what I encountered..."

She backs up a step to get some personal space - just a tiny bit - from Loretta. "...The demon did little to attack me - I kept my distance, because I found something encouraging and worrying in equal measure. This world has its own Guardian Knights. Many of them protect people, and clearly have the power we require. However?"

She takes a breath, gathering her words. "Some of them focus on attacking the others. The demon I saw was a strange, large plant... but it was well contained. I intervened elsewhere."

This is not quite an answer to Loretta's question.

Loretta Bein has posed:
    Loretta nods, "It was. I entered one of them and... it was very easy to get lost. There was a strange metal room, and it seized me, as you suggest! I could find no way to escape, and then everything began shaking and..." She shakes her head, "I believed I was descending to the Abyss! Perhaps it was the Jailer coming for me, but when the wall parted I was able to escape and..." she trails off. "The important part is that I made it out."

    As Runeally backs away she lifts her hand away, looking embarrassed and rubbing the back of her wrist, realizing that her touch was invasive now that all her most profound worries have passed. "My apologies, Princess..."

    She listens attentively to the story told to her, brows knitting as she hears the tale of a demonic... plant? And one that did not immediately attack the Crown Princess! Truly they are lucky in that regard. "These other Guardian Knights... they fought among themselves?" Loretta is quiet for several moments, her fear having left her completely now that there's something to completely occupy her mind. Her hand lifts towards her face and her finger taps the upside of her chin. "Then... I believe, perhaps, this could be an opportunity."

    Her purple eyes look towards Runealy's again, "If they attack each other already, would it not be in our interest to make ourselves members of one of their competing factions? If that is the case, we may be hailed as worthy of merit when we must obtain their enemies power, rather than betrayers."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Rune blinks several times as she listens to Loretta describe a building, and the princess is left wide-eyed. "The structure itself shook? You have nothing to apologize for in being so close to me - I would be quite surprised as well, especially with metal walls that shift about! Though, what you propose..."

Her head tilts down in thought, then back up - notably up, given the height difference - to meet Loretta's eyes. "I do not know if they will feel quite that way about us, yet it _is_ worth investigating. One of these groups will almost certainly be our enemies."

"They tasked a child," In many ways, Rune still is one... but getting some people her age to admit this is not very likely, "With fighting other Guardians. She told me her mother instructed her to do so." Rune's eyes narrow, tone deepening, "If we ever encounter her mother, I expect us to exchange more than just sharp words with her!"

Loretta Bein has posed:
    One thing that Rune tells her sticks in Loretta's mind. "A... a child?" She understands that there are adults that would consider herself and Runealy children still, of ages that should be under the protection of parents or guardians, but it strikes her that the Princess would not likely refer to someone her own age as such.

    "How... young was this child? I have never heard of children fighting Guardian Knights. Perhaps in a story an adolescent might become a Guardian Knight themselves, but to be tasked to engage in combat with their elders..!" She shakes her head, "Never. And her own mother..." She frowns thoughtfully. She thinks of her own mother. Of what her parents meant to her. It's at the heart of her oath; she can't imagine a parent ordering their own child to fight.

    And Runeally's own example of a mother... yes. She can see how this would be even more offensive to the Princess than even herself. "I see. In that case we know, if we must have enemies, who they should be, do we not?"

Runealy Waldia has posed:
    "Several years younger than us." Rune slightly exaggerates on the age difference, but her next words are far less subjective: "And very skilled despite that. I clashed with her for several moments, and can say without question that she is at least equal to any one of us. If any of us were to duel her a hundred times, I think she would prevail in fifty or more of them. For someone to compel her to use that prowess against Tokyo's protectors, even as its ordinary citizens band together to treat each other's wounds..."

The princess' tone remains sharp. "...Suffice to say, I have far fewer objections about us attacking her mother and any of her mother's associates. We will focus on learning more about them. However, we have a more pressing concern right now."

She nods aside to the closed gate that bars entry to Fantasy Zone. "I had thought to have an audience with Tokyo's Queen about your proposal, but I see no way for us to gain entry or even petition for it."

Loretta Bein has posed:
    "I... see." Loretta replies in response to Fate's skill level. So young, and yet as powerful as Runeally or herself. That is worrying. More than a little, in fact. It does make her slightly question if sending her to fight is as bad if she can clearly handle herself, but that isn't something she wants to mention to Runeally.

    "Yes, it sounds like things are much more complicating than I anticipated. To think that Guardian Knights were fighting each other in the presence of a demon... and you say there were civilians?" She has to shake her head to get it out of her mind in order to focus when the Princess reminds her of their task. She looks at the closed gate and frowns a little. "I see no way through this passage that isn't blocked off. But... Princess, could we not bypass their defensive perimeter? It may alarm them, but they may understand if we seek an audience with their Queen." She takes a few steps back and looks upward at the wall. "As I am now, I see no way past. But as Guardian Lore, would it not be acceptable to ask assistance of the Wind to surpass this obstacle in our way?"

Runealy Waldia has posed:
    "There were. The demon seemed focused on Tokyo's citizenry at first, shifting its efforts only when Guardians moved to fight it. However, this strange and impossible society shares at least one thing with us."

Rune walks around Loretta, then heel-pivots to face her again. "Some of their citizens were quick to help one another despite the attack. That is part of why I took so long to return to this landmark, and it gives me hope that their Queen might agree to what you suggested. With that in mind?"

A single, deep nod follows. "Please help me past their walls."

Loretta Bein has posed:
    Loretta shakes her head a little in confusion. Some are quick to help each other, but others send their children into battle against people fighting demons. This... is going to take some time alone to work through. No doubt she'll be writing her thoughts out in her diary tonight.

    Topical, since the Princess accepts her suggestion. She might be feeling confused and unsure, but this is something she can help with! She pulls the small, handcrafted book full of her own writings from a small bag she's kept tied to a belt for that purpose and holds it up with a confident smile.

    "To protect the past and future..." The book glows green, magic swirling around it before it glows brightly and vanishes, winds that only seem to affect Loretta kicking up around her, causing her white hair to flow and wave. The glowing magical winds build until they completely hide her form, only to condense onto her in a glow of green energy before swirling away in a gentle breeze. "I am Guardian Lore!"

    Feeling better in this guise, Lore walks further away from the entryway. With a gesture and a little swing of her arm a glowing green sigil of arcing, swirling lines and feathers appears on the sidewalk pavement. Rather than explaining she demonstrates, backing off before taking a short jog and hopping lightly upward, landing on the sigil, which causes it to flare and...

    Woosh! A large gust of wind catches her, launching her upwards as she leaps, greatly extending the height of her jump so that she easily makes it up and over the wall. On the other side she lands, feeling a little exhilarated from the experience. She's still new to this!

Runealy Waldia has posed:
    Rune backs up a few more steps to watch as Loretta prepares to call the wind, giving her space. The transformation draws a softly appreciative gasp and smile - it is the second time it has ever happened, with the first being the culmination of Lore's Oath to become a Guardian Knight.

Once Lore is on the other side, Rune turns her back to the wall and jumps backward to land on the sigil as well. The Princess hasn't transformed. Instead, she's using Lore's wind to launch herself up... and then fall at an angle to catch the other side of the wall with her hands, and lower herself down to the ground from there.

"I had no idea that would be one of the talents that emerged from your heart, but I do admire it," Rune comments as she turns around to smile anew at Lore.

Loretta Bein has posed:
    Guardian Lore looks on with surprise as Runeally appears over the wall. Not The Red Princess. Runeally. But she had been taught well, and she makes traversing the wall even without her transformation look easy. She tries to hide the initial worry and instead smiles, focusing on her enjoyment of using magic. "Isn't it wonderful? The wind is such an incredible thing. It can cool you on a hot summer day, or it can stoke the flames of wildfire. With the wind at my back, I know I can help us succeed!"

    This little speech leaves her smiling, but levity is alloyed by the importance of their task. She turns around and takes a few steps further into the 'Capital District' of Tokyo. Little things start to catch her notice that she hadn't recognized before. It's a lot of little things. Paint thin and worn, a sign on a building off angle, ready to fall from it's perch, and so on.

    "Princess... I... It is late, but I do not see anyone. Should there not be guards at the gates? Surely we must have been seen by now.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
    The climb was relatively easy, at least - Rune had to use several handholds along the way down, ones that would have taken an unreasonably long time (and some danger) to climb _up_ in the first place but were less severe when going down the wall. "A wind, versatile and powerful... it is exactly as you say!"

Rune then follows behind her friend, gaze sweeping from side to side to take in the details. "You seem to have the right of it. No guards. No citizens of any kind. Hardly any sign of this world's bizarre glass candles, and the few I see are very dim and not placed anywhere helpful. Surely they did not abandon their own palace?"

She walks a little faster; this mystery makes sure she wants to be just that much closer to a friend and sworn protector.

Loretta Bein has posed:
    Lore walks at an easy pace so Runealy can quickly catch up. "That is true, I hadn't thought of it until you remarked upon it, but it is very dark here in comparison to the rest of the city." The buildings in this area were somewhat more familiar to her, but upon closer inspection, things were not as they seemed. The construction of the buildings in the town was not the sturdy, well built architecture of the Waldia she knew. It was thin and light, but often with facades that implied heavy stone, or thick wooden planking.

    "This place... it does not feel right." She can't explain it further. It almost feels like... a mockery? Some kind of pale imitation? It isn't until they've walked further that there is something she -does- recognize that causes her to gasp. Suddenly things begin to make more sense. "Princess! Is that... a stage!?" She runs ahead, to a spot lit up by a few of the dim glass candles. There are many more that have failed above a wooden raise, which the Guardian Knight easily jumps onto.

    She isn't so cultured that she has been to many plays, but she's read much and among those who write and tell stories other entertainers are a common theme. "Yes, I believe... yes! Princess! I do not believe this is a Castle Town at all. This appears to be a stage upon which stories of merchants, knights, and the ordinary lives of citizens may be told." Her own words suddenly strike her dumb. Could it be possible that this world is filled with stories of their home!?

Runealy Waldia has posed:
    With Lore close by, Rune's walk becomes more regular - less frightful, with the only real issue being the lean in her upper body still being there; Fate's attack had stung quite a bit and the princess' body betrays this even if it is not a permanent injury.

"A stage, yes... I can think of reasons why there would be one, but it is unusual," She jogs to catch up to Lore, staying fairly close even while gazing around the area. "How could this be, though? Stagecraft, all for the purpose of theatre? It is incredibly elaborate..." Her voice trails off as she considers the possibility that Guardian Lore might be right.

Loretta Bein has posed:
    Lore looks around some more and nods, "It is. It is very elaborate, moreso than I could see doing at home. But do we not sometimes construct sets for our plays? For the people of this land, who build so many towers of rock and glass that reach the sky, would it not be possible for them to create such a 'set'?"

    As she looks around some more she wonders about her own conjecture. Surely she stands upon a stage, but there is that castle... "Even so, if I am wrong we will regret not contacting the Queen. Shall we approach the castle?" She's conflicted, half believing her own theory, half considering that there might be many guards present, just out of sight and unwilling to confront a Guardian Knight.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
    "We do, though..." Rune starts to protest, yet Lore manages to counter the princess' argument before it is even made. "...You may be right. I do find it baffling they would create all this and then abandon it, however. We will know more about that soon enough!"

She keeps pace alongside Lore. "Please, lead the way."

Loretta Bein has posed:
    Guardian Lore nods and hops down off the stage and doing as requested and walking towards the castle. Once she's past Rune and her face can't be seen her embarrassment is shown on her face. She feels like she's talking in circles. Did she just interrupt Runeally? All of this is so strange. There's one thing she knows, though. As mortifying as making multiple errors in front of her Princess might be, she has no choice but to press on. Everything is at stake.

    When they reach the doors to the castle she knocks on them, but there's no response. She tries again. When there's still no response she sighs a little, and looks back to Runeally. "What shall we do, Princess? I believe I can open this door, but if it is their Capital, it may be a very rude, or even threatening action."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
    Rune stops and waits beside her friend, with no immediate comment as the first knock is ignored. The second failed knock is met with a "How odd," then she faces Lore, tone serious despite offering Lore a slight smile. "We trust your conclusion, that this is an intricate theatre production... or, at best, it _was_ their palace in ancient times and has since fallen into disuse. If we see no sign of anyone inside, perhaps we could use it for our own purposes?"

Loretta Bein has posed:
    At the result Guardian Lore relaxes a little, nodding and letting out a little breath. "Perhaps that is it. Turning one's ancient Capital into a way of remembering and celebrating the past would be a good way of honoring it." But if that were the case, would it seem so run down? Would people truly become so callous towards their history? As an avid reader, Loretta can't imagine such a thing.

    "If it is unoccupied I can think of no place more comforting than a castle to stay," she answers to the final question. And so, with less apprehension than before she takes the handles on the doors and pulls them open.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
    Nothing immediately goes all that wrong when Lore opens the castle doors. Disturbed dist flits through the area, and Rune fans a hand at it to drive some of it away from herself... but nothing actually alarming happens and the dust settles quickly.

This emboldens Rune, and she takes a few steps past Lore to go inside. "This is unmaintained. Now I am convinced - either your guess that this is for theatre is true, or it was their ruler's home but is now in disuse."

A few more steps, then she spins on a heel to face Lore again. "This is ours, for the time being. Hopefully, Guardian Edel will join us soon and can help us learn more."