mayfield_rpg | Phase 5 - The Girl Who Sang At The End Of The World

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Phase 5 - The Girl Who Sang At The End Of The World

[(OOC: This post contains some Hymmnos font, it can be found here, but it is not necessary as the english writing for it is also provided, but it helps aesthetically. If you choose not to get it, you'll simply see the english writing for it twice. Aurica will be able to use the language from this point on, so expect more of it in the future.)]

♪ BGM: Azure Sky (R)

Wow... this is the tower.

[There was only so much that could be said about it — Aurica recieved two packages in the mail this weekend, and finally decided to make use of their contents after a lot of thought. The tower took up a good chunk of the backyard, stretching as high as her neck could bend. But it was a lot shorter than she was used to. What happened?

She went to the large door and looked over it, puzzled for a moment. Then remembering, she held out a hand to it.]

exec bansh dand ar noes
Exec bansh dand ar noes.
(Command: Open the door for me.)

[Electronic images began to appear in front of Aurica's hand, as if they were holographic images and windows, full of code and text. The tower sounded some noises, and then another hologram appeared, this time of a person.]

FFT Spectrum authorization confirmed. Aurica Nestmile. [The hologram smiled, as if remembering her. Aurica smiled back, glad to see Meimei again.] Code verified. You are authorized to proceed. Good day.

[The holograms all disappeared, while the door shuddered and cracked open, the two halves moving into the sides of the tower. She moved inside and the doors closed behind her. The interior wasn't well-lit aside from the light at the top, and in the place of metal holdings and shuttles, a simple stairway led up. She carefully made her way though, until about halfway there was a crystal platform in the middle of the floor.

..Oh right, the tower is split in half, isn't it?

Aurica tested the platform, and began to shimmer in a light, suddenly whisked away to the next floor. She climbed more stairs after that, before coming to another clearing, this time with two large pods, a telescope, and a ladder. Not thinking much of the other two, she took to the last item and scaled it, finding herself outside.

From the top, the Rinkernator Observatory, she could see out for blocks. It amazed her, never being able to see such a view before. It made her smile, taking a moment to herself.]

It's beautiful. I've been to space itself on this before, but this looks so great even so.

[Still, she had a duty to do. She cleared her throat, and began to focus.

Shurelia-sama, you always wanted a break from being an Administrator, didn't you?

This was the place of rebirth, the changing of the guard that never happened before in Ar tonelico's history. Now its true purpose would be realized. It was time to take the role, herself. Meanwhile, the tower itself awaited her voice, the only one it was going to recognize at this point.

And so, she took upon herself both of their muted requests.]

BOOT SUCCESSFUL
CAUTION: TOWER RESOURCES DAMAGED OR MISSING, RECALIBRATING HARMONICS
MAIN SYSTEMS ONLINE
SUB SYSTEMS INOPERABLE
AR TONELICO SONG SERVER SUSPENDED
COMMAND ORICA/RE=NATION/. EXTRACTING
HYMN CODE: MULE_TEIWAZ_ARTONELICO
WARNING: ADMINISTRATOR EORIA_ANSUL_ARTONELICO SIGNATURE NOT FOUND
REGISTERED REYVATEIL SIGNATURES: 1
CANDIDATE COSMOSPHERE INCOMPATIBLE WITH CURRENT STATE; REFORMATTING...
NEW ADMINISTRATOR HYMN CODE: MULE_TEIWAZ_ARTONELICO
EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION ACCEPTED
EXEC HYMN RE=NATION/.█

[On this Sunday afternoon, a tower will suddenly appear in the backyard of 458 Stone Street. Even if you don't notice or care about the tower, a sound will be heard from it a few minutes later, a song that might have a slight calming effect. It reaches for many, many blocks, the voice amplified by the tower's structure. It is up to you if you can hear it, though, as you could just be way too far away to hear it clearly or properly.]

♫ BGM: RE=NATION (Lyrics)

Negawakuba, kono uta wo, yobikikase, tamae,
      (Please, listen and receive this song,)

yuruku fuku, akatsuki no, kaze to narite;
      (that becomes the lazy wind of the dawn;)

Madoromu inochi, kooreru, yume ni,
      (Please, release the drifting and lost people,)

tadayohite mayoeru hito tokihanachi tamae...
      (whose sleeping lives are still in frozen dreams....)

[There is silence for many seconds, as if whoever is singing it is hesitant to continue. The tower's features then glow alight, its operation beginning and the voice returning just as serenely and vibrant.]

Amatsutahi kuru tori wa, futata ni, tada mukafu.
      (The birds that are flying together with the sky go towards the sunlight.)

Shiro ni azayagu tsubasa, saki ni, kibou no asu, tsutaete.
      (The white and shining wings are announcing a hopeful tomorrow to the future.)

Was yea ra waath near en hymme RE=NATION mea.
Was yea ra waath near, en hymme RE=NATION mea.
      (I'm very happy to sing my song of rebirth for a life.)

[The singing continues like this for a few minutes longer. If you're near enough or have decided to come check it out, the tower will look much like this, but not nearly so big and the greenery at the base is missing. The top half is denser than shown here, with it resembling more like a castle tower, as well as an observatory at the top floor where Aurica will be. The height looks to be about 10-20 floors tall, roughly. A long antenna at the top of the observatory marks the structure much taller, however.

In the greenery's place on the bottom, A large door with carved markings much like a Sumerian script or structure looked can be found, but no useful way to access it will be apparent at first. The only ways to interact at this point would be to either:

A.) Try to get her attention at the top of the tower, or
B.) Wait for her to come back down after the song finishes. We can handwave the interim if you prefer!
C.) Alternatively, you can try your hand at the door anyway, or just observe the tower if you're inclined to technology you haven't seen before.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Dakki was returning from her daily jog about town when two things became very obvious. One, there was a tower in her back yard, and two... there was singing. A beautiful song resonating throughout the neighborhood... and was that voice Aurica's?

She stood and stared upwards at first, quietly awed. She had never known much about the girl she had come to care for so much. She'd had a vague idea that there was something more to Aurica. But... this. All of this? Part of her wanted to simply sit and take it in... but the greater part wanted to explore and understand. So she remained on her feet and came around to the back yard and to the door of the tower proper.]

Oh...

[She reached out and touched the door, running her hand over the markings on it, likely to no effect. Was that alright? Was Aurica in there and was she alright?

Seeing no way to proceed any further, Dakki stepped back and waited. And also supposed that she'd need to find somewhere other than the back yard to do her morning stretches, what with it all being taken up by this...]

Edited 2012-09-24 04:11 (UTC)

[Somewhere along the way, Dakki must have touched something particularly important, as suddenly a three-dimensional window appears in front of the door, with foreign writing along with what appears to be English words, but nothing very insightful for those not familiar with code syntax, nevermind the speed at which it's processing.

After a few seconds, a hologram appears, but...]

♪ BGM: Comedy (R)

[... the person it's representing doesn't appear to be paying much attention, to put it mildly.]

Oh! [Dakki jerks her hand back when something starts to happen, and her eyes start to rapidly try and take in the text that's flashing up there. She has some familiarity with that sort of thing, but it's not in a format that she immediately recognizes. There's no time for understanding to dawn before a very sleepy hologram appears.]

...er.... hello? Hello there?

[If talking to it doesn't get it up and around, then maybe she'll.. poke it, or something.]

Zzz... Zzz...

[The poking doesn't seem to do much of anything at first except go right through the hologram.]

. . . !

[But then a few seconds later it quickly rises to its feet. In the air, but let's ignore that.]

Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were expecting guests.

I... I didn't realize you were expecting guests, either!

[Dakki. Dakki, that was a very silly answer. She blinks, places a hand lightly on the side of her face, and tries to approach this a bit more intelligently.]

I'm looking for Aurica Nestmile. Is she inside?

Oh yes, she certainly is. One moment, I'll have her come down.

[Some more noises from the tower occur. The hologram then speaks again, this time with a filter that sounds like an intercom.]

Lady Aurica, you have a visitor waiting for you. Please come down to the 1F Dividing Gate right away.

[Aurica's own voice squeaks up on the intercom.] Oh, alright! I'll be down in a moment.

[The intercom filter turns off.] It's rather fun to make announcements for the Tower like these. [It's meant seriously, with a smile.]

[This was absolutely fascinating to watch. It was interesting enough to see the kinds of things that Mayfield gave to people when they were simple items from home. This... well. This was really something.]

Thank you.

[She folded her hands in front of her, waiting patiently... and perking up slightly when she heard Aurica's voice. Ah, she had guessed right!]

I suppose it would be... do you normally do that? Is that your job?

♪ BGM: Shooting Star (R)

It is part of my job, but I've only done that twice in my life of approximately 737 years operating the Tower. Most of the time I do maintenance on the tower ~~[when not sleeping]~~, and keep an access log.

Oh, excuse me, your name please? I'll have to record this as well.

Oh. [That was Dakki's usually answer to something incredible. A soft "Oh", a blink, and an awkward pause while she attempted to think of something relevant to say. In this case? Nothing relevant came to her.]

My name... ah. My name is Dakki Sigal. Coming to the door counts as access? Am I permitted to enter? Or should I wait?

Yes, all attempts at access are recorded, authorized or not. As for that, it would depend on Lady Aurica when she arrives. She hasn't adjusted the security settings for the tower yet since its reinitialization, so I'm not able to open the door for others just yet.

[The tower makes some more noises.]

Oh, she's almost here already. Our last Administrator got lost so easily. This one seems more capable at direction, so it means more sleep for me.

[Before that quip could be questioned, the hologram shuts off and the doors rumble open.]

Dakki! Hi!

[Dakki divides her attention between the sleepy hologram and the tower itself through all of the explanations. Why did she find herself reminded of a Partner Machine?]

I suppose that's g... oh.

[And she was gone... and then Aurica was there, thank goodness.]

Aurica! H.. hello! Everything's... alright?

[She was delighted to see the girl, but really at a loss for what else to say.]

[That's okay, because here's an incoming Aurica with a hug.]

Dakki, I did it! I got my powers back and turned on the Tower! I can't believe it, but it's real, I can really sing again!

[A hug! One that Dakki returned quite happily. Especially when she heard what the reason for it was.]

You've got your powers back? Aaah! Aurica, that's great! And that was you singing, wasn't it? It was beautiful! I've... I've never heard anything like that. That's amazing!

[With most other people, Aurica would feel embarrassed or deflective of such praise, since there's always a question of doubt somewhere deep within. With someone like Dakki though, who is part of her family here, those feelings feel largely secondary. Instead, it makes her beam with pride as she lets go.]

Hehe. I tried really hard to get the song right, since I had to sing it to turn on the Tower.

[Dakki is absolutely earnest in her delight. Her hands even come together, clasping near her chest, in a fairly stereotypical pose of girlish glee.]

Your song turned the tower on? That's some powerful singing! I wouldn't have thought there could be such a thing... that's wonderful, Aurica!

...er... um...

[Her hands lower a bit.]

...what does the tower... do?

The Tower? [She looks up at it, then back again as she speaks.] Oh, it's what we Reyvateils use to make our Song Magic work. I had to turn it on, or else my Reyvateil powers wouldn't work anymore.

Ah! I see! So you've got some of your powers back, because the tower's here? [She looks delighted. She looks relieved. Now Aurica's not defenseless, right?]

I guess I'll have to start doing my morning stretches in the front yard, now. [And then she laughs happily.]

Seems like it. [She laughs along.

Though really, she could have just not touched the objects inside the packages she received a few days ago. She knew what they were just by looking at them — a miniature model of Ar tonelico, and a card depicting a grafted pattern with concentric circles in the middle. It didn't take very long for her to figure out what the card meant, if the tower was present.

Being a 3rd Generation Reyvateil, a half-breed between humans and Reyvateils, has a caveat. One's lifespan is drastically cut down due to the toll taken on the body over the years due to singing and interfacing with one's Install Port over time. In a sense, a normal human being like she was for awhile had a definite advantage. So why did she choose this?

The answer was rather simple: She didn't care anymore about that benefit, if she could help save people better than without those powers. If she could protect those dear to her life. It wasn't a sense of responsibility she felt, but another way to sacrifice herself for others' well-being. That, and it was easier than the idea of giving up her life each time she wanted to do so.]

Did you want to learn more about the Tower? It's a very long story.

[Dakki nodded firmly and surely.] I'd like to hear, if you'd like to tell. I don't mind long stories. I'd like to hear more about where you're from.

Should we go inside...? [She cast a glance back at the house... then to the tower... then seemed rather confused.]

["Inside?" That gives her a playful grin as Dakki looks back and forth. The house could be nice, but..]

Sure, why not? [She nods and beckons for them to go inside the tower, the doorway still open and leading into a bare ground floor, save a spiraling, dense stairway, jutting out of the similarly metallic blue walls.] It might help explain some things, I think.

[It was Aurica's place. Aurica ought to give permission before she enters. It would be intruding, otherwise. Upon hearing the girl's confirmation, she smiled brightly. She did very much want to see inside.]

If I'm remembering right, you're from somewhere that's... kind of like mine. In that it's not very much like where most of the people here are from. Would you say that's the case?

[She took in all that there was to see with eager curiosity, head turning this way and that. She's a bit distracted.]

♪ BGM: Inside AT ~Sympathy~ (R)

[Once they were inside, the doors close behind them, and white lights re-illuminate the blue room. Some of the same etched markings from the door could be seen most everywhere, but most of it was just intersecting and intertwining lines, seemingly random in direction. The rest of the metal making up the walls looked uniform and set in vertical lines. The view up was blocked by a ceiling above, giving the impression of floors.]

Yeah, I'd say so. Mayfield is the sort of thing I'd read about in a book in Ar Ciel, most of the world is gone. The tower is really supposed to be much bigger, but this is all we had.

[It shows in how Aurica herself looks around as well. When she climbed up this replica earlier on, there wasn't much light to work with compared to now.]

That and some floating land we usually lived on. The Wing of Horus is missing.. [She begins to walk up the stairs leading to the second floor.]

[The tower feels familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. She's been in similar places... but never one exactly like it. She's still listening to Aurica as they proceed, but her eyes are on the scenery rather than the Reyvateil.]

Sometimes when they send big things, they send them... smaller. I think there's someone in town with a blimp that's supposed to be much, much larger...

...I'm sorry to hear that the world is gone. The tower's what's left? And people live there? ...Mm? The Wing of Horus?

[Coming up to the second floor, she looks around. Two convex sides mirror each other on opposite ends of the walls, as if to hold something spherical on the outside.]

Uun, the Tower was able to hold a lot of land in the air with something called a Plasma Bell, and many people lived there. There used to be two Wings, but one fell a long time ago... so only half of the land remained afloat. [She doesn't want to go into the implications of that, so she leaves the rest of that story alone for now.] That's why there's only one Wing now.

But it's not here either. I guess the Tower didn't bring everything back? [She begins to climb up the second set of stairs on the other side towards the third floor as she says this.]

...I see. [If only half the land remained afloat... well. Dakki didn't need an explanation. She could draw her own unpleasant conclusions. What kind of grim world did Aurica come from...?]

Sometimes things come back incomplete, too. This might be an awful lot for Mayfield to be emulating. They've been saying they've been having power problems. [Up the next set of stairs Dakki goes, following closely behind her.]

Phase 5 - The Girl Who Sang At The End Of The World

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