Jacqli (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fallbythesword) wrote2012-02-01 10:47 pm
fallbythesword) wrote2012-02-01 10:47 pm
Entry tags:
application → realityshifted
**HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!!!** You have been warned!!!
Player Name: Maggie
Player journal: millenia
Email and/or AIM: bellachaotica at gmail | TharianDream
Timezone: CST
Other Characters: Marta, Riku, Eithan, South Dakota
Character: MIR_TEIWAZ_ARTONELICO → aka Mir, goes by the alias Jacqli
** I'd like to request that her name for the game tags be "Jacqli". I don't want to spoil too many people (though really, if they've played even one second of the game series and don't know it by now... they're not paying a goddamn bit of attention)
Series: Ar Tonelico
Deviance: d1
Age: 382 (but she appears to be 15)
Gender: Female
Species: Reyvateil
Canon Used: All three games in the series, as I have no access to the drama CDs and the Manga doesn't do much. As she is a romance option in the 2nd game, I should specify: I will be playing her as though the main character did not choose her, and instead chose Luca Trulyworth.
Appearance: Full-body pic -- Jacqli and Elma -- Jacqli snapping at some poor fool
She looks like a 15-year-old female with pale skin, black hair (with red bands) and bright red eyes. She's... only 5'1. Ha ha. She can usually be found scowling, smirking, or being entirely disinterested in whatever it is you have to say.
She also has a tattoo just underneath her navel. This is actually her Installer Port, something that all Reyvateils have somewhere on their body. Have a picture, though. Uh. Bordering on NSFW.
Psychology: On the surface, Jacqli is distant. She has no interest in other people - especially not humans - or their affairs except when they directly relate to (or interfere with) her own. She keeps the world at arm’s length, mainly out of her own reluctance to fully accept that just maybe, the world isn’t really out to get her.
She can’t go through life just not dealing with people, though. (Well, okay, she could, but it would be pretty inconvenient...) So in dealing with people, Jacqli has a tendency to be sarcastic and blunt. She has quite a tongue and she’s not concerned with whether or not she could hurt someone with words. If they can’t handle it, they’re not worth her time. Her time is also not to be wasted -- she has little tolerance for idiocy, simplistic thinking, blind optimism... you know, “hero” stuff. She has her own goals to accomplish, in her own time, and whether or not her own ends benefit anyone/everyone else doesn’t concern her.
… Or so she’d like to think.
Jacqli may not like humans on the surface, but somewhere deep down, she still loves them. Hopes for them. Wants so, so desperately to believe in them and their ability to do things right. On some level, her struggles to save and regenerate the planet are for their sake just as much as for her own. Will she ever admit to this? No, not unless she manages to form a strong bond with you that is deeper than she would normally allow. Is that likely? Hell no. Oh well...
Though there’s always some amount of keeping others at arm’s length, she is capable of making friends and playing nice. Some do know her more quirky side: lack of brain-to-mouth filter, love of fictional stories (and writing them!), status as a “bath maniac” (she loves spas), strange taste in food and cooking... There’s also her preference to not wear clothes, but she can’t exactly get away with that one so she just bitches instead. Very, very select few (and actually, in this particular romance path for “canon,” no one at all) know(s) that she has a very deep, almost purely subconscious fear of being left alone. Again. Spending centuries trapped alone in a deep sleep will do that to a girl, especially when she wakes up alone, bitter and out for revenge. Now that she’s back among the living, so to speak, she doesn’t want to go back to isolation. It terrifies her, if she lets herself think about it. (Which is why she dosen’t.) It’s enough for her just to have people around her. She doesn’t even have to know them well, she just wants them there, in the general vicinity. She prefers bustling cities to quiet countrysides, for instance. And you know, maybe she’d want something a bit more personal than that, but she doesn’t think so right now. One step at a time, after all.
Still, she was once a villain. The game’s “big bad,” even. She really did want to eradicate all humans and reconstruct the world as a utopia only for Reyvateils. She was shown the light, defeated not with force or violence but with kindness and human hands outstretched to take hers, with hope that a true solution could be found. She’s coming to terms with her own past, with humans and what they did to her versus what they’re capable of (if they’d just think, damn it all)... but it’s taking time. On a pessimistic note, sure, she could totally relapse. She is dangerous, and she is a threat. But maybe, with just a little more guidance and some positive influence...
Other Skills/Abilities: Jacqli's skills fall into one of two categories: her song magic, and her... um... general ridiculousness.
First, song magic. A Reyvateil is connected to the Tower both mentally and spiritually. When she sings, a sort of synchronization occurs. Much like a computer processes code, the Tower processes the feelings, wishes and words of the Reyvateil, and they manifest in reality. Song magic is really fucking powerful, especially when the emotions of the Reyvateil are more pronounced. Confidence helps, too. If she thinks she's going to fail, then the magic is more than likely going to falter and not be as powerful as it could have been.
Here is a list of Jacqli's Songs. Also, here's a not all that great video of one of her sets of songs, just for an idea of what's going on here. NOT LISTED: she is seen in-game crafting quick little songs that turn into intensely hot fireballs. This has been used to clear new paths for the party to go down. (It became a running gag that Jacqli would melt down any door or wall the party faces, with Croix just barely getting out of the way in time. Poor guy.)
Second, the... general ridiculousness. Mir has lived a very long time. Most of this time, she's been sealed away, but that didn't stop her from thinking. Or, later, from prying away at the Tower's defenses from the inside. She's incredibly gifted with technology, and not just with things relating to song magic. She knows all of the technobabble associated with the Tower, with the other systems, hell with the whole damn world. More importantly, she knows it like the back of her hand. I think it would be safe to say that even with foreign technology, if you give it to her, she's going to figure it out pretty damn quick. She is smart, clever, resourceful, and capable of coming to solutions quickly.
Also of note: it is mentioned somewhere that her weapon of choice would be a scythe, and it is implied she knows how to use one even though she doesn't actually carry one around with her. While I can't find an official source to back this up (as Tiny Fandom is Tiny), may I request that it be okay, should she happen to get one?
Other Weaknesses: While singing, Jacqli is defenseless. If you stop her song before she finishes and executes it, then the magic will completely disappear and she'd have to start over from the very beginning if she wanted to try again.
She is also squishy, like a human, and can be killed. Don't let the age fool you, she's not immortal.
History: Have a wiki link. If at any point the borderline intense timeline and/or game-centric vocab make you want to cry, just ask and I'll try to summarize things.
Canon Point: After the first game, before she travels to Metafalss and the events of Ar Tonelico 2: Melody of Metafalica take place. She was last seen wandering around Firefly Alley. .... Naked. ...... Yep.
Reality Description: Ar Ciel. It's a planet somewhat similar to Earth, in some other galaxy out there. There are two moons, the viola moon and the cello moon, and the planet itself revolves around a star they call "sol".
The surface of the planet is covered in a gaseous, deadly poison, known as "The Sea of Death". This has been the case for centuries upon centuries. Though the Origin Reyvateils know exactly what happened, the rest of the world has forgotten. (Historical records have a nasty habit of being buried, hidden, lost, forgotten, destroyed, or just plain outlawed...) Also, at a certain altitude above the planet's surface, there is an impassable plasma grid known as the Blastline. So with the Sea of Death below and the Blastline above, the only real inhabitable area in all of Ar Ciel is the region in between, where landmasses have been engineered and constructed around three Towers: the Towers of Ar Tonelico.
The First Tower, located in Sol Ciel, is the main Tower. The other two Towers were constructed to amplify the symphonic power provided by the first tower to extend across the regions. The world around the Second Tower is called Metafalss, and the world around the Third Tower is called Sol Cluster. Each of the three Towers is its own little world, so to speak, especially in recent centuries. VERY FEW PEOPLE know that the other towers even exist! This is actually a very carefully guarded secret for ~mysterious reasons~. And by "very few people," I mean that really, only the Origin Reyvateils and maybe a handful of other people in the whole world know the truth.
Here is the history of Sol Ciel. It's a very, incredibly thorough written history of all the crazy that happened in the eras and centuries way before canon even began, and it will fully explain why the world is the way it is today. However, it's long. It also suffers, like the rest of the Ar Tonelico wiki, from the occasional "What the fuck is this shitty grammar?!" syndrome. So go with caution, if you decide to go at all.
Also, here are some timelines. They are not crucial for understanding anything, but they give dates to events and could maybe be handy if you're a nitpicker. One, two, and three.
In Ar Ciel, there are humans, and there are Reyvateils. All Reyvateils are female, but not all females are Reyvateils. Easiest way to clarify that... The very basic thing to understand: Reyvateils sing songs, and those songs can draw on the power supplied by the Tower with incredible results. For more details, see the link. Or, check out the powers section of this app.
In Sol Ciel (the First Tower), the people are actually relatively organized, laid-back and happy. Jacqli summed it up best in the second game: they're a world full of "peace-loving idiots". Sol Ciel has always had an easier time of things than the other two worlds - better soil, better air conditions, better climate... etc. They really had --and still have -- it easy. The administrator of the tower, Lady Shurelia, is a great protector and a dedicated administrator who loves the people and will do anything to see that they remain well.
Metafalss (the Second Tower) is struggling. Land is scarce, most of what they have is already either drained of resources, or was useless in the first place. Power struggles happen far too often, and the people are generally afraid or uneasy. There is a legend of a Hymn that can create new land: a song called Metafalica. Many people have devoted their lives to trying to figure out the secrets of Metafalica, for the sake of all of the people who live there. Of course, not everyone's intentions with it are pure... Culturally though, the people tend to be more grounded, realistic and hard-working. They've had to be, as they've always lived with so little. They don't know where their Goddess (administrator) really is these days (loooong story), but the government is by rule of a line of Holy Maidens. It's just as well. ... sort of.
And finally, Sol Cluster (the Third Tower) is not nearly as relevant to Jacqli as the other two worlds, as she will never visit them. However, it should be noted that Sol Cluster is full of ambitious folks. More people from Sol Cluster than from the other regions have even figured out the existence of said other regions, and honestly, a lot of trouble originally comes from these guys right here making their way to the First or Second Tower and fucking things up. ... Basically.
Third Person Writing Sample: When Jacqli first met Croix, she expected much worse. The last young man she encountered with multiple women following him around turned out to be a naive, brainless idiot who had difficulty seeing anything beyond his own little bubble of blind optimism. He was stubborn, simple, peace-obsessed, kind-hearted, honest--
Wait, those were compliments.
She backed her thoughts up. Thoughts of Lyner really were best if stopped at "simple". Really, so little went on in his head...
And yet, he did spare her life. He did find a way to save her along with everyone else, the fool. He'd managed to bring down her defenses when she saw fit to let her hatred swallow her whole. Somehow, in the end, he won. And to her and everyone else's amazement, he did so with kindness.
She really had to wonder how much Shurelia had to do with it.
Nevertheless, Lyner was her basis of comparison for this new human in her way, and even after their first conversation, she knew he wasn't quite as stupid. Perhaps they shared the same sense of optimism, but at least this optimistic fool knew to stop and think things through. He actually had some sort of footing in reality. And maybe that's what she liked about h-- no. No. About the people of Metafalss.
Croix said he would kill her if she got in his way. She liked that. She could tell that he wouldn't have wanted to, though, and would have tried to work things out instead if he thought he had a chance, and maybe she liked that too, even if she considered it a stupid hope. ... Mostly because she hadn't planned on staying out of his way. She wanted the Heart of Gaea for herself, after all, and he had other plans.
Then it turned out that the Heart of Gaea wasn't big enough. One thing led to another, things were said, other things were decided, and before she knew it, she was going along with his obstacle and his band of hopefuls on a journey to create Metafalica for real. It had better be worth it, or so help her, she was going to... do something. vicious. Maybe kick a Nyo? off the Rim, if she could find one.
Would Lyner have somehow convinced her to travel with him, had circumstances been different? Not likely. He thought too much in black and white, and to him, Jacqli was certainly dark as night still. Of course, if he'd told her as much, she would have smirked and thanked him. Let Shurelia lecture her own subordinate about binary thinking. It certainly wasn't her job.
Anyway, she knew the journey with Croix would by no means be an uneventful trip, but she never expected Croix to ask about Diving into her. It did make practical sense, since her magic could potentially become stronger. Croix certainly didn't realize that she was already far, far more powerful than Luca, Cloche and perhaps even Cocona (when she grew up, of course) combined. She had no reason to blatantly inform him of this. She wasn't sure why she didn't outright say no, only told him that she refused to let him unless Luca and Cloche agreed to Dive into her with him. All three of them at the same time. Surely there was no way --
And somehow, he convinced the other ladies.
Well... damn.
Lyner would never have been able to swing that.
Her basis of comparison was falling completely flat. Spectacularly flat. Flatter-than-Luca's-chest flat. (Flatter than her own, too, but Luca cared. She did not.) Both Lyner and Croix were light-aligned, hopeful, devoted knights, but Lyner was no thinker and Croix was no moron. Lyner was a bit more kind, perhaps -- just a bit! -- but honestly, Jacqli had to consider that as yet another point in Croix's favor instead. She tried to draw up more comparisons, but the only similarities she could find for the two of them were the number of women following them around, their status as fighters and Vanguards (and even there, Croix was far more competent), and the fact that neither of them wanted to kill her.
... Well. At least Croix had a better excuse for that one, too.
The knock on her inn room door told her that, speaking of the devil (well, thinking?), there he was to talk to her. She smiled, just faintly, but dismissed that in favor of an "annoyed" scowl. Hey, he was still a human. Why shouldn't she keep testing him?
When she opened the door, and he saw her expression, he frowned. She was close to calling him on it, but then, he rolled his eyes.
"You can stop pretending," he remarked, arms crossed. "I can tell the difference, you know."
She rolled her eyes in return and stepped aside to let him in. "Whatever. What did you want to talk about tonight?"
And like most nights lately, they stayed awake for hours, talking about... nothing. Somehow, it was nice. Maybe Shurelia had been right. Maybe...
Well. Croix had better keep exceeding expectations.
Did you read the rules? at this point... what do you think? ♥
Player Name: Maggie
Player journal: millenia
Email and/or AIM: bellachaotica at gmail | TharianDream
Timezone: CST
Other Characters: Marta, Riku, Eithan, South Dakota
Character: MIR_TEIWAZ_ARTONELICO → aka Mir, goes by the alias Jacqli
** I'd like to request that her name for the game tags be "Jacqli". I don't want to spoil too many people (though really, if they've played even one second of the game series and don't know it by now... they're not paying a goddamn bit of attention)
Series: Ar Tonelico
Deviance: d1
Age: 382 (but she appears to be 15)
Gender: Female
Species: Reyvateil
Canon Used: All three games in the series, as I have no access to the drama CDs and the Manga doesn't do much. As she is a romance option in the 2nd game, I should specify: I will be playing her as though the main character did not choose her, and instead chose Luca Trulyworth.
Appearance: Full-body pic -- Jacqli and Elma -- Jacqli snapping at some poor fool
She looks like a 15-year-old female with pale skin, black hair (with red bands) and bright red eyes. She's... only 5'1. Ha ha. She can usually be found scowling, smirking, or being entirely disinterested in whatever it is you have to say.
She also has a tattoo just underneath her navel. This is actually her Installer Port, something that all Reyvateils have somewhere on their body. Have a picture, though. Uh. Bordering on NSFW.
Psychology: On the surface, Jacqli is distant. She has no interest in other people - especially not humans - or their affairs except when they directly relate to (or interfere with) her own. She keeps the world at arm’s length, mainly out of her own reluctance to fully accept that just maybe, the world isn’t really out to get her.
She can’t go through life just not dealing with people, though. (Well, okay, she could, but it would be pretty inconvenient...) So in dealing with people, Jacqli has a tendency to be sarcastic and blunt. She has quite a tongue and she’s not concerned with whether or not she could hurt someone with words. If they can’t handle it, they’re not worth her time. Her time is also not to be wasted -- she has little tolerance for idiocy, simplistic thinking, blind optimism... you know, “hero” stuff. She has her own goals to accomplish, in her own time, and whether or not her own ends benefit anyone/everyone else doesn’t concern her.
… Or so she’d like to think.
Jacqli may not like humans on the surface, but somewhere deep down, she still loves them. Hopes for them. Wants so, so desperately to believe in them and their ability to do things right. On some level, her struggles to save and regenerate the planet are for their sake just as much as for her own. Will she ever admit to this? No, not unless she manages to form a strong bond with you that is deeper than she would normally allow. Is that likely? Hell no. Oh well...
Though there’s always some amount of keeping others at arm’s length, she is capable of making friends and playing nice. Some do know her more quirky side: lack of brain-to-mouth filter, love of fictional stories (and writing them!), status as a “bath maniac” (she loves spas), strange taste in food and cooking... There’s also her preference to not wear clothes, but she can’t exactly get away with that one so she just bitches instead. Very, very select few (and actually, in this particular romance path for “canon,” no one at all) know(s) that she has a very deep, almost purely subconscious fear of being left alone. Again. Spending centuries trapped alone in a deep sleep will do that to a girl, especially when she wakes up alone, bitter and out for revenge. Now that she’s back among the living, so to speak, she doesn’t want to go back to isolation. It terrifies her, if she lets herself think about it. (Which is why she dosen’t.) It’s enough for her just to have people around her. She doesn’t even have to know them well, she just wants them there, in the general vicinity. She prefers bustling cities to quiet countrysides, for instance. And you know, maybe she’d want something a bit more personal than that, but she doesn’t think so right now. One step at a time, after all.
Still, she was once a villain. The game’s “big bad,” even. She really did want to eradicate all humans and reconstruct the world as a utopia only for Reyvateils. She was shown the light, defeated not with force or violence but with kindness and human hands outstretched to take hers, with hope that a true solution could be found. She’s coming to terms with her own past, with humans and what they did to her versus what they’re capable of (if they’d just think, damn it all)... but it’s taking time. On a pessimistic note, sure, she could totally relapse. She is dangerous, and she is a threat. But maybe, with just a little more guidance and some positive influence...
Other Skills/Abilities: Jacqli's skills fall into one of two categories: her song magic, and her... um... general ridiculousness.
First, song magic. A Reyvateil is connected to the Tower both mentally and spiritually. When she sings, a sort of synchronization occurs. Much like a computer processes code, the Tower processes the feelings, wishes and words of the Reyvateil, and they manifest in reality. Song magic is really fucking powerful, especially when the emotions of the Reyvateil are more pronounced. Confidence helps, too. If she thinks she's going to fail, then the magic is more than likely going to falter and not be as powerful as it could have been.
Here is a list of Jacqli's Songs. Also, here's a not all that great video of one of her sets of songs, just for an idea of what's going on here. NOT LISTED: she is seen in-game crafting quick little songs that turn into intensely hot fireballs. This has been used to clear new paths for the party to go down. (It became a running gag that Jacqli would melt down any door or wall the party faces, with Croix just barely getting out of the way in time. Poor guy.)
Second, the... general ridiculousness. Mir has lived a very long time. Most of this time, she's been sealed away, but that didn't stop her from thinking. Or, later, from prying away at the Tower's defenses from the inside. She's incredibly gifted with technology, and not just with things relating to song magic. She knows all of the technobabble associated with the Tower, with the other systems, hell with the whole damn world. More importantly, she knows it like the back of her hand. I think it would be safe to say that even with foreign technology, if you give it to her, she's going to figure it out pretty damn quick. She is smart, clever, resourceful, and capable of coming to solutions quickly.
Also of note: it is mentioned somewhere that her weapon of choice would be a scythe, and it is implied she knows how to use one even though she doesn't actually carry one around with her. While I can't find an official source to back this up (as Tiny Fandom is Tiny), may I request that it be okay, should she happen to get one?
Other Weaknesses: While singing, Jacqli is defenseless. If you stop her song before she finishes and executes it, then the magic will completely disappear and she'd have to start over from the very beginning if she wanted to try again.
She is also squishy, like a human, and can be killed. Don't let the age fool you, she's not immortal.
History: Have a wiki link. If at any point the borderline intense timeline and/or game-centric vocab make you want to cry, just ask and I'll try to summarize things.
Canon Point: After the first game, before she travels to Metafalss and the events of Ar Tonelico 2: Melody of Metafalica take place. She was last seen wandering around Firefly Alley. .... Naked. ...... Yep.
Reality Description: Ar Ciel. It's a planet somewhat similar to Earth, in some other galaxy out there. There are two moons, the viola moon and the cello moon, and the planet itself revolves around a star they call "sol".
The surface of the planet is covered in a gaseous, deadly poison, known as "The Sea of Death". This has been the case for centuries upon centuries. Though the Origin Reyvateils know exactly what happened, the rest of the world has forgotten. (Historical records have a nasty habit of being buried, hidden, lost, forgotten, destroyed, or just plain outlawed...) Also, at a certain altitude above the planet's surface, there is an impassable plasma grid known as the Blastline. So with the Sea of Death below and the Blastline above, the only real inhabitable area in all of Ar Ciel is the region in between, where landmasses have been engineered and constructed around three Towers: the Towers of Ar Tonelico.
The First Tower, located in Sol Ciel, is the main Tower. The other two Towers were constructed to amplify the symphonic power provided by the first tower to extend across the regions. The world around the Second Tower is called Metafalss, and the world around the Third Tower is called Sol Cluster. Each of the three Towers is its own little world, so to speak, especially in recent centuries. VERY FEW PEOPLE know that the other towers even exist! This is actually a very carefully guarded secret for ~mysterious reasons~. And by "very few people," I mean that really, only the Origin Reyvateils and maybe a handful of other people in the whole world know the truth.
Here is the history of Sol Ciel. It's a very, incredibly thorough written history of all the crazy that happened in the eras and centuries way before canon even began, and it will fully explain why the world is the way it is today. However, it's long. It also suffers, like the rest of the Ar Tonelico wiki, from the occasional "What the fuck is this shitty grammar?!" syndrome. So go with caution, if you decide to go at all.
Also, here are some timelines. They are not crucial for understanding anything, but they give dates to events and could maybe be handy if you're a nitpicker. One, two, and three.
In Ar Ciel, there are humans, and there are Reyvateils. All Reyvateils are female, but not all females are Reyvateils. Easiest way to clarify that... The very basic thing to understand: Reyvateils sing songs, and those songs can draw on the power supplied by the Tower with incredible results. For more details, see the link. Or, check out the powers section of this app.
In Sol Ciel (the First Tower), the people are actually relatively organized, laid-back and happy. Jacqli summed it up best in the second game: they're a world full of "peace-loving idiots". Sol Ciel has always had an easier time of things than the other two worlds - better soil, better air conditions, better climate... etc. They really had --and still have -- it easy. The administrator of the tower, Lady Shurelia, is a great protector and a dedicated administrator who loves the people and will do anything to see that they remain well.
Metafalss (the Second Tower) is struggling. Land is scarce, most of what they have is already either drained of resources, or was useless in the first place. Power struggles happen far too often, and the people are generally afraid or uneasy. There is a legend of a Hymn that can create new land: a song called Metafalica. Many people have devoted their lives to trying to figure out the secrets of Metafalica, for the sake of all of the people who live there. Of course, not everyone's intentions with it are pure... Culturally though, the people tend to be more grounded, realistic and hard-working. They've had to be, as they've always lived with so little. They don't know where their Goddess (administrator) really is these days (loooong story), but the government is by rule of a line of Holy Maidens. It's just as well. ... sort of.
And finally, Sol Cluster (the Third Tower) is not nearly as relevant to Jacqli as the other two worlds, as she will never visit them. However, it should be noted that Sol Cluster is full of ambitious folks. More people from Sol Cluster than from the other regions have even figured out the existence of said other regions, and honestly, a lot of trouble originally comes from these guys right here making their way to the First or Second Tower and fucking things up. ... Basically.
Third Person Writing Sample: When Jacqli first met Croix, she expected much worse. The last young man she encountered with multiple women following him around turned out to be a naive, brainless idiot who had difficulty seeing anything beyond his own little bubble of blind optimism. He was stubborn, simple, peace-obsessed, kind-hearted, honest--
Wait, those were compliments.
She backed her thoughts up. Thoughts of Lyner really were best if stopped at "simple". Really, so little went on in his head...
And yet, he did spare her life. He did find a way to save her along with everyone else, the fool. He'd managed to bring down her defenses when she saw fit to let her hatred swallow her whole. Somehow, in the end, he won. And to her and everyone else's amazement, he did so with kindness.
She really had to wonder how much Shurelia had to do with it.
Nevertheless, Lyner was her basis of comparison for this new human in her way, and even after their first conversation, she knew he wasn't quite as stupid. Perhaps they shared the same sense of optimism, but at least this optimistic fool knew to stop and think things through. He actually had some sort of footing in reality. And maybe that's what she liked about h-- no. No. About the people of Metafalss.
Croix said he would kill her if she got in his way. She liked that. She could tell that he wouldn't have wanted to, though, and would have tried to work things out instead if he thought he had a chance, and maybe she liked that too, even if she considered it a stupid hope. ... Mostly because she hadn't planned on staying out of his way. She wanted the Heart of Gaea for herself, after all, and he had other plans.
Then it turned out that the Heart of Gaea wasn't big enough. One thing led to another, things were said, other things were decided, and before she knew it, she was going along with his obstacle and his band of hopefuls on a journey to create Metafalica for real. It had better be worth it, or so help her, she was going to... do something. vicious. Maybe kick a Nyo? off the Rim, if she could find one.
Would Lyner have somehow convinced her to travel with him, had circumstances been different? Not likely. He thought too much in black and white, and to him, Jacqli was certainly dark as night still. Of course, if he'd told her as much, she would have smirked and thanked him. Let Shurelia lecture her own subordinate about binary thinking. It certainly wasn't her job.
Anyway, she knew the journey with Croix would by no means be an uneventful trip, but she never expected Croix to ask about Diving into her. It did make practical sense, since her magic could potentially become stronger. Croix certainly didn't realize that she was already far, far more powerful than Luca, Cloche and perhaps even Cocona (when she grew up, of course) combined. She had no reason to blatantly inform him of this. She wasn't sure why she didn't outright say no, only told him that she refused to let him unless Luca and Cloche agreed to Dive into her with him. All three of them at the same time. Surely there was no way --
And somehow, he convinced the other ladies.
Well... damn.
Lyner would never have been able to swing that.
Her basis of comparison was falling completely flat. Spectacularly flat. Flatter-than-Luca's-chest flat. (Flatter than her own, too, but Luca cared. She did not.) Both Lyner and Croix were light-aligned, hopeful, devoted knights, but Lyner was no thinker and Croix was no moron. Lyner was a bit more kind, perhaps -- just a bit! -- but honestly, Jacqli had to consider that as yet another point in Croix's favor instead. She tried to draw up more comparisons, but the only similarities she could find for the two of them were the number of women following them around, their status as fighters and Vanguards (and even there, Croix was far more competent), and the fact that neither of them wanted to kill her.
... Well. At least Croix had a better excuse for that one, too.
The knock on her inn room door told her that, speaking of the devil (well, thinking?), there he was to talk to her. She smiled, just faintly, but dismissed that in favor of an "annoyed" scowl. Hey, he was still a human. Why shouldn't she keep testing him?
When she opened the door, and he saw her expression, he frowned. She was close to calling him on it, but then, he rolled his eyes.
"You can stop pretending," he remarked, arms crossed. "I can tell the difference, you know."
She rolled her eyes in return and stepped aside to let him in. "Whatever. What did you want to talk about tonight?"
And like most nights lately, they stayed awake for hours, talking about... nothing. Somehow, it was nice. Maybe Shurelia had been right. Maybe...
Well. Croix had better keep exceeding expectations.
Did you read the rules? at this point... what do you think? ♥