sunfloras | Open Post

[Sephiroth continues to lead the way, but never ahead of the circumference of the jittering lamplight, the only safety they truly have in this darkness.]

And what is that?

Edited 2019-12-15 23:01 (UTC)

Since it's clear we're from different places, I don't know if there is anything similar here you might be familiar with.

[Ai holds her lantern up to the walls to look at the illustrations and study the artistry of it.]

There's a culture where I'm from where in ancient times, the royalty would have large mansions like this. Nothing elaborate like this mind you and without all the monsters, but they were lavish. A place like this would house not only family members, but concubines and servants as well. In fact, a manor like this is specifically for concubines of the current ruler so that he could safely secure an heir.

[Thanks historical J-Dramas... Watching them with Lien did pay off somewhat??]

[Manors with similar architecture exist in the settlement of Wutai. He’s gleaned that much from their time outside, initially thinking that he had somehow found d himself in that village without rhyme or reason.

But he is not familiar with the history she’s touting, none of it aligning with what he knows — though he thinks to himself it certainly sounds like the habits of the rich.]

So the reason why those dolls referred to me as a “lord”.

There's no apparent ringleader so far. Although the implications of them calling you a "lord" is a little concerning.

But can you imagine living your life in a place like this? I don't think they allowed concubines that much freedom beyond these walls. Most of them had to wait patiently for the ruler's favor and pass their days idly by. Acts of violence or political intrigue weren't out of the norm. It's maddening... I guess whoever or whatever created this place modeled it after those concepts.

[Ai spots the plaque on the wall and this time the phrase is rather short, but no less cryptic and obtuse.]

"Drown yourself in pleasure." That's not telling us much.

But fitting, from what you’ve told me so far.

[No, being called a lord in a place like this is not promising, the implications very unsuited to his character. He can only imagine what kind of person would want to fashion this place after that example.]

Idle hands are the most dangerous of all. That, combined with overindulgent decadence, sounds mind-numbing. This plaque’s warning fits the theme.

[He glances at her.] Ready to enter? Or did you have further advice going forward?

Edited 2019-12-16 01:18 (UTC)

Well, we can't just stand around. Now that we've gotten this far, I doubt we can even go back outside even if we wanted to.

[She opens the doors for them, again without touching them. Upon opening it, however, a heavy and intoxicating aroma hits their faces. It fills and nearly overwhelms the senses with flowers, sweetness, spice, and herbaceous undertones.

Ai who had taken a big whiff of the odor coughs a bit and covers her nose.]

Eh? This is overkill!

[The scent overcomes him in a wave, thick and cloying. Floral fragrances are almost foreign to a man from Midgar, unused to this kind of pervasiveness. His brow wrinkles, frowning, and even he brings up a gloved hand to cover his nose.]

What is it?

[ “Drown yourself in pleasure.” Likely whatever was causing this smell, utterly surrounding them. He steps forward, defiant.]

Alcohol?

It's a LOT of alcohol.

[She shifts so that her arm covers her nose and mouth. Just gulping feels like one is drinking the very air they're standing in.]

I don't think this is enough to do anything serious to us... I hope.

This is expected of us.

[Once more, he refers to the plaque. To inhale, to imbibe this scent.]

Drown ourselves in pleasure. Remember? Overindulgence, as I said.

[Ridiculous, really.]

How’s your tolerance?

I... Don't think it's the best.

[Could be worse, she could be drunk already!]

Is that all there is to it though? Just go through this fog?

[Thankfully there's more light in this maze so they don't have to go through hallways blindly. There are, however, a lot of wooden casks with heavy lids that block some of the corners.]

Because it looks like it isn't a cakewalk at all.

[Hard to say. Sephiroth walks to one of the casks, gripping its lid and prying it off with ease. It clatters the ground, ignored.

Within is a deep, crimson-colored liquid, eking a fragrance that rolls off in waves. The smell would be pleasant if it wasn’t so strong, if it didn’t sting at his nostrils to inhale it.

His tolerance, however, is stronger than most. He wonders if this would affect him at all.]

I think it’s simple enough. Drink, and hope you can handle the consequences.

O-Okay. You first then?

[Dizziness is bound to set in sooner or later and Ai can only hope they can walk even if it won't be in a straight line. ]

We should take turns since we don't know how strong this liquor is.

[Normally a logical way to go about it, if the participants were anything akin to “normal”.

Sephiroth looks at her from over his shoulder, hands on the edge of the cask.]

You shouldn’t use me as a baseline to measure how strong it is. Just so you’re aware of that.

[Ai is silent for a second and then she brings up another question as she levels her gaze towards Sephiroth.]

Just... How strong are you Sephiroth?

[What was this man? As they were traversing an unknown fragment of a world and the labyrinth, Ai had tried to cease any questions that would hinder them, but it really has just occurred to her that Sephiroth was more than something else.]

[He merely looks back down at the cask, at the liquid inside, pushing himself back up and straightening. Masamune remains propped up against the wall where he had placed it before inspecting the interior prior.]

I told you, didn’t I? My situation isn’t normal. That applies to me in most every way.

[He doesn’t look at her as he says it, not until he turns around to face her anew, his gaze stony, stoic and unreadable.]

But I’ll go first regardless.

...

[The light from her lantern causes her to notice that at the cask's side are two wooden ladles. She sets her lantern down and takes one while handing the other to Sephiroth.]

We're drinking this first one together.

[Not a question, it's pure intent.]

[He glances down at the ladle, not deigning to take it from her yet.]

And what happened to taking turns to view the consequences?

Just because you're stronger than me doesn't mean we aren't working as a team right now.

[So she declares rather childishly, but she's trying to make a point.]

And we can still take turns after this first one. But anyway, you can depend on me while we're stuck in here together, ok? You don't always have to carry everything on your shoulders.

[And she scoops up a half-portion of wine for herself.]

Edited 2019-12-16 04:50 (UTC)

[He’s silent, before finally taking his own ladle, balancing it in a gloved hand.]

It isn’t about shouldering a burden. It’s about what’s practical. If I’m more resilient, it makes more sense for me to judge how badly this may affect us.

[But despite that, he dips it into the wine. The surface ripples as it fills the ladle.]

Don’t go jumping headfirst into the unknown, just because you can.

[But this one time, he supposes, he’ll humor her.]

Sounds like the same thing to me. Anyway.

[She holds her ladle in both of her hands.]

As they say: Cheers?

[And she takes the plunge, gulping down her wine and trying not to drip any onto her hair or clothes. Ai swallows it down. Blinks. Contemplates the flavor.]

That's... Tasty.

[Sephiroth’s movement is a slow lift, an even slower tilt, taking down the wine in an unhurried way. Again, the smell fills his nostrils, but this time the sensation is coupled with taste — sweet, aromatic, strong.

Dropping his hand, he considers the tang on his tongue, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Becoming hyperaware of the state of his body; nothing thus far. He might as well have downed water.

His cat-like eyes fix on Ai.]

Is that it? “Tasty?”

[No effects?]

It's making me a bit warm.

[Her cheeks are almost immediately flushed for instance.]

But that's normal for alcohol, isn't it?

[What isn't normal is the wooden cask in front of them disappearing now that they partook in the wine and they're now free to move forward.]

Oh, thank goodness. I thought we'd have to drink the whole cask!

Edited 2019-12-16 06:40 (UTC)

I suppose it’s normal for someone whose threshold for alcohol is staggeringly low.

[Said with the faintest arch of a brow — yes, she definitely is already tinged red — but soon his attention is stolen by the disappearing barrels of wine.

He takes up Masamune again, frowning down their new path.]

Don’t thank anything just yet. If this is how we’re supposed to progress, you might be drinking a lot more than you realize.

On the bright side, it'll all be different liquors and it'll taste great!

[Ever the optimist! She retrieves her lantern pole again and waits for Sephiroth to go down the cleared path first.]

Now if only we had meat...

[Holding Masamune behind him, it’s time to trudge forward.]

Why would there be meat here?

[Yes, he heard that.]

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