Palace Game 6/5

[fujimaru]

The Dreamer In The Grand Temple
Humanity Foundation Value: ????

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Comments

[strikingchords]

[LAN WANGJI WILL IMMEDIATELY APPROACH THAT WEEPING WOMAN, CONCERNED, then stand statuesque and awkward next to her,,,]

Maiden.

[rootsforyou]

[reaches to touch one of her slightly transparent shoulders and offer her a handkerchief]

What's wrong, miss?

[fujimaru]

Unfortunately for Jiang Yanli, the moment she touches the woman, there is a shock, something that burns, and then--

You can see the exact moment she understands what is happening, the way her confusion and anger give way to a genuine terrified panic. She claws at the arm of the smiling man who is slowly pushing her into what appears to be a fiery self-contained globe, screaming. No, no, I can't die like this! Not here! I can't--

You want to run for her, your feet scrabbling at the ground for a second, but your arm is held in an inexorable grip; you are locked in place by someone far stronger than you are.

But then she disappears, and the sound of her screaming cuts off abruptly.

At the same time, the woman yanks away so hard she falls over, staring at the both of them in dumbfounded shock and horror. Possibly humiliation, too.

[strikingchords]

[LAN WANGJI WOULD HAVE MOVED TO CATCH HER WITH HIS GOOD REFLEXES; whether that gave him the same memory or not, she doesn't land on the ground, at least :|]

[rootsforyou]

[Jiang Yanli's reflexes are not that good, and she would have been too stunned from the memory to react, an instinctive panic welling up in her throat from it.]

--Oh. You're...

[fujimaru]

It's the contact with her that triggers the memory, so yes, he definitely also sees it. The woman is stunned for a couple more seconds, and then she shrieks, furious in only the way the truly humiliated can be, squirming furiously in Lan Wangji's arms like a scalded cat.

"You--you saw! You saw! How dare you--let go of me this instant! Unhand me!!"

[strikingchords]

[he takes a deep breath and politely sets her on her feet; all right]

[rootsforyou]

Please, miss. It isn't anything you need to be ashamed of.

[fujimaru]

"That was--that was!!" She's practically vibrating in her fury, scrubbing at her face. It does not do much to help her. "My worst moment, and you just--without so much as a by your leave! How dare you just sweep in like that?!"

[rootsforyou]

[gives her a low bow]

Please accept my apologies. It was my fault for touching you so suddenly. When a young woman is in distress, it's only natural that we would want to ease your tears. It wasn't our intent to intrude upon something private.

[straightens, and...offers her the handkerchief again]

[fujimaru]

She snatches it, furious, then turns away to scrub at her face again. She is clearly doing her very best to pretend they are not here.

[rootsforyou]

[she's met ruder people in her life it's ok. waits for her to finish scrubbing her face before she speaks again]

I'm Jiang Yanli, and this is Lan Wangji. Might I have the pleasure of knowing your name?

[fujimaru]

She takes a deep breath, like she's asking for strength, then spins around, imperious as a queen.

"Olgamarie Animusphere! The proper Director of Chaldea! My father was one of the Lords of the Clock Tower, and this was his legacy--it was my duty to protect it."

She sounds like she's on the verge of tears again, forcing through: "And yet, I'm stuck here instead."

[rootsforyou]

It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Olgamarie Animusphere.

[gives her another bow, this time in greeting]

Are you, perhaps, unable to leave this space?

[fujimaru]

"I can't!" She stomps a foot, like her fury just cannot be contained. "I've tried! And every time I do--every time! Every time! I end up back here!"

[rootsforyou]

Ah...I'm sorry.

[watches with a quiet thoughtfulness, before holding out her hand]

I'm not confident that it will work, but you could try leaving with us? Perhaps you need something to hold onto.

[fujimaru]

Olgamarie does not take that hand, glaring at her.

"Didn't you listen to what I said?! I can't! I'm stuck here! This is where I'm trapped, and nothing I do can change that! I don't want to! I wasn't meant to end my life like that!"

[rootsforyou]

[shakes her head]

It's not that I don't believe you. You're right, of course. No one deserves that kind of end. I'm sure you've tried countless times to leave. But I don't think that nothing can change that. She isn't the kind of person who would leave things locked in like that forever.

[fujimaru]

"I don't care about her," Olgamarie says, and now she is outright scornful, crossing her arms. "She was just a number! Part of Chaldea's headcount! How dare she actually act like she has any authority here?!"

[rootsforyou]

Well, she isn't acting like that...you could call it a side effect of where we are, that her desires might carry a bit more weight.

And, even if you don't care about her, she cares about you.

[fujimaru]

"I don't care!" She's outright shrieking now, fury and despair both. "I don't care, I don't want her pity, I don't want any of it!"

As she's screaming, though, Jiang Yanli can see one of the other figures in the hall starting to approach.

[rootsforyou]

I didn't say that you needed to feel any particular way about it...

[her head half turns, watching the approaching figure out of the corner of her eye. Lan Wangji will handle it if it's a threat, but if it's not, then...maybe a friend?]

[fujimaru]

The stranger approaching is a pleasant-faced man, looking more anxious than anything, waving both hands in an attempt to get Jiang Yanli's attention, making gestures to indicate that both she and Lan Wangji should move along before he hurries up, putting himself between them and her.

"Director," he says, "I know you're having a bit of a time, but you don't need to take it out on our guests--"

[rootsforyou]

[peeks out from behind his shoulder]

Lady Animusphere. If you have a favorite food, please allow me to bring it to you later.

[she won't press more than that, if this man is trying to usher them off down the hall]

[fujimaru]

As they pass, he mouths a thank you at Jiang Yanli, grimacing; as they leave, they can hear that he is at least doing his best to try and soothe her. It doesn't appear to be working, but he IS trying.